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 Milestones of China's journey to space Chinadaily.com.cn) 08:35, April 23, 2024 China will celebrate its ninth Space Day, which falls on April 24 each year. What followed are a series of remarkable achievements the country has made in space exploration. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) 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: Green space in front of the author's residence. Credit: Wang et al. Over the past decades, a growing number of people have migrated to urban areas, while the size and population of rural areas have drastically declined. While parks and other green spaces are often viewed as beneficial for the well-being of those living in cities and urban regions, so far very few studies have explored the impact of these spaces on mental health. Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China recently carried out a study investigating the potential link between long-term exposure to green spaces in proximity of one's home and two of the most common mental health disorders: depression and anxiety. Their findings, published in Nature Mental Health, suggest that living close to parks and green areas can reduce the risk of becoming depressed and experiencing anxiety. "Our research interest is environmental epidemiology, which mainly focuses on the impacts of environmental exposure, such as greenery and air pollutants, on human health," Yaohua Tian, co-author of the paper, told Medical Xpress. "There seems to be a consensus regarding green space on the fact that greenness can reduce stress and improve mood. However, this was just an idea rooted in our minds, and we were not clear about whether there is scientific evidence to support it." Tian and his colleagues first reviewed past studies exploring the link between proximity to nature and mental health. They found that there were only a few papers on this topic and those available had reached inconsistent conclusions. "We therefore analyzed a large cohort to investigate the effects of long-term exposure to residential greenness on the risk of incident depression and anxiety," Tian said. "We then further tested and compared the potential pathways by which greenness may impact mental health." As part of their study, the researchers analyzed data gathered from 409,556 people and stored in the UK Biobank database. They specifically looked at the distance between participants and green areas, in conjunction with their self-reported well-being scores, as well as hospitalizations, hospital admissions, and deaths in their residential area. "We assessed the level of greenness around each participant's residential address within 300m, 500m, 1,000m, and 1,500m," Tian explained. "Then, we determined their risk of developing mental health conditions over around 12 years, which was determined by national records on the death register, hospital admissions, primary care, and self-reports." The results of the analyses performed by Tian and his collaborators suggest that there is a link between prolonged proximity to residential green areas and the incidence of both depression and anxiety. Specifically, they suggest that living closer to parks and other green areas reduces the risk of experiencing both depression and anxiety. "We draw the important conclusion that long-term exposure to residential greenness is associated with a decreased risk of incident depression and anxiety, and reduced air pollution in the greenest areas probably plays an important role in this trend," Tian said. "Our study thus implies that expanding urban green spaces could promote good mental health." The findings of this work could soon inspire other research groups to investigate the link between long-term exposure to natural environments and human mental health or well-being. Collectively, these works could guide future urban planning efforts, encouraging governments to invest in new parks or expand existing green areas. "We now plan to conduct similar studies in different populations and areas, including China," Tian added. "We are also considering carrying out serologic detection studies to further explore the physiological mechanisms linking green environments to mental health." More information: Jianing Wang et al, Long-term exposure to residential greenness and decreased risk of depression and anxiety, Nature Mental Health (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00227-z. Journal information: Nature Mental Health 2024 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain As a malignant disease of the liver cells, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths. While the treatment options for this aggressive type of cancer remain limited, the incidence is increasing. A research team led by Latifa Bakiri and Erwin Wagner from MedUni Vienna's Clinical Institute for Laboratory Medicine has now described a molecular signaling pathway that plays a key role in the development of liver cancer, thereby identifying a potential new starting point for the development of therapeutic treatments. The results of the study have just been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In their research, the international team led by MedUni Vienna, built on earlier study results that had suggested the involvement of certain transcription factors (c-Fos and c-Jun) in the development of hepatocellular carcinomas. Transcription factors are proteins involved in numerous cellular processes, including the control of genes associated with the development of HCC. To advance these findings, the scientists developed a new mouse model. The experiments carried out with these proteins showed that the combination with previously unexplored (Fra) proteins in this context triggers the cascade of tumor formation. Specifically, this involves the interaction between c-Jun and Fra-2, which the studies showed to be essential in the development of liver cancer. "It is remarkable that we were able to reverse tumor growth by switching off the protein combination of c-Jun and Fra-2," reports the head of the study Wagner. The study also showed that tumor growth can be stopped by blocking a specific gene (c-Myc). "Accordingly, our research results suggest that the molecular signaling pathway we have identified represents a promising starting point for further research into HCC and the development of new therapeutic measures," concludes first author Bakiri. Hepatocellular carcinoma is an aggressive tumor with rapid progression and limited therapeutic options. Even though the incidence has increased significantly in Western countries in recent decades, this type of cancer is still comparatively rare. However, due to its poor prognosis, HCC is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths. HCC occurs in particular in the context of advanced liver disease (cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B) and is often only diagnosed at a late stage. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A row between pharmaceutical firms Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech comes to court in London on Tuesday over patents for COVID vaccine technology that helped save millions of lives during the pandemic. At issue is US firm Moderna's claim that its American competitor Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech breached patent law over its Comirnaty vaccine. Moderna claims it is due compensation for products manufactured after March 7 last year. But Pfizer and BioNTech deny infringement, and want two Moderna patents withdrawn as "invalid". The hearing is due to start at the High Court in London from 0930 GMT and is expected to last until mid-May. A ruling will come at a later date. Moderna has filed similar patent infringement claims against Pfizer and BioNTech elsewhere, notably in the United States and Germany. The companies earned billions of dollars from the use of cutting-edge Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology in COVID jabs. Such vaccines work by delivering genetic instructions to turn some of the host's cells into virus-like particles, priming the immune system to mount a response. Such vaccines were approved within months of a global pandemic being declared by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Moderna said in 2020 that it would not enforce COVID-19-related patents while the pandemic continued. But it announced in March last year that it expected its intellectual property to be respected in non low- and middle-income countries where supply was no longer an issue. A Moderna spokesman on Monday said that the company will on Tuesday argue that Pfizer and BioNTech infringed two of its mRNA patents. "Moderna is confident in the breadth, depth, and strength of its platform, which is protected by multiple patents," he told AFP. Pfizer/BioNTech, however, are expected to argue that Moderna pledged not to sue over its COVID vaccine technology patents. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain When it comes to matters of the heart, cardiovascular disease in women is underdiagnosed compared to men. A popular scoring system used to estimate how likely a person is to develop a cardiovascular disease within the next 10 years is the Framingham Risk Score. It is based on factors including age, sex, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. Researchers in the US and the Netherlands have now used a large dataset to build more accurate cardiovascular risk models than the Framingham Risk Score. They also quantified the underdiagnosis of women compared to men. The results were published in Frontiers in Physiology. "We found that that sex-neutral criteria fail to diagnose women adequately. If sex-specific criteria were used, this underdiagnosis would be less severe," said Skyler St. Pierre, a researcher at Stanford University's Living Matter Lab. "We also found the best exam to improve detection of cardiovascular disease in both men and women is the electrocardiogram (EKG)." Underdiagnosis due to heart differences Anatomically, female and male hearts are different. For example, female hearts are smaller and have thinner walls. Yet, the diagnostic criteria for certain heart diseases are the same for women and men, meaning that women's hearts must increase disproportionally more than men's before the same risk criteria are met. When the researchers quantified the underdiagnosis of women compared to men, they found that the use of sex-neutral criteria leads to severe underdiagnosis of female patients. "Women are underdiagnosed for first degree atrioventricular block (AV) block, a disorder affecting the heartbeat, and dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease, twice and 1.4 times more than men, respectively," St. Pierre said. Underdiagnosis of women was also found for other heart disorders. Old vs. new To achieve more accurate predictions for both sexes, the scientists leveraged four additional metrics that are not considered in the Framingham Risk Score: cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, pulse wave analysis, EKGs, and carotid ultrasounds. They used data from more than 20,000 individuals in the UK Biobanka biomedical database comprising information from approximately half a million UK individuals aged 40 and olderwho had undergone these tests. "While traditional clinical models are easy to use, we can now use machine learning to comb through thousands of other possible factors to find new, meaningful features that could significantly improve early detection of disease," explained St. Pierre. Just 10 years ago, these methods were not available, which is why assessment scales like the Framingham Risk Score have been used for half a century. Using machine learning, the researchers determined that of the tested metrics, EKGs were most effective at improving the detection of cardiovascular disease in both men and women. This, however, does not mean that traditional risk factors are not important tools for risk assessment, the researchers said. "We propose that clinicians first screen people using a simple survey with traditional risk factors, and then do a second stage screening using EKGs for higher risk patients." Paving the way for custom medicine The present study provides a first step into rethinking risk factors for heart disease. Leveraging new technologies is a promising way to improve risk prediction. However, there are some limitations to the study which should be addressed in the future, the researchers said. One such limitation is the fact that in the UK Biobank sex is treated as a binary variable. Sex, however, is inherently complex, relating to hormones, chromosomes, and physical characteristics, all of which may fall somewhere on a spectrum between 'typically' male and 'typically' female. In addition, the study population was middle-aged and older people residing in the UK, so the results may not be transferable to people from other backgrounds and ages. "While sex-specific medicine is one step in the right direction, patient-specific medicine would provide the best outcomes for everyone," St. Pierre concluded. More information: Sex-specific cardiovascular risk factors in the UK Biobank, Frontiers in Physiology (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1339866 Journal information: Frontiers in Physiology A court in Nairobi has granted permission to detain two police officers accused of selling ammunition to members of the public in Laikipia County. The prosecution, in a miscellaneous application, stated that the ammunition sold by the two officers, Chief Inspector Joel Warui Githaiga and Police Constable Martin Murimi, is suspected to be used in committing crimes of murder and banditry within Laikipia County and neighboring areas. The two are serving officers attached to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit in Sondu Camp. That other suppliers and buyers of the ammunition are still at large and there is a need to hold the suspects, conduct further investigations and make more arrests, the prosecution stated. Investigating officer Nicholas Njoroges affidavit reveals that three metallic boxes, each containing 750 rounds of ammunition, along with 15 small metallic boxes containing 25 rounds each, and 33 uncovered rounds in an empty metallic box, totaling 2,658 ammunition of caliber 7.62 by 39 mm, were recovered from the officers. The investigating officer said they needed time to retrieve crucial documents concerning the supply and receipt of ammunition from the relevant government security agencies. Additionally, they mentioned the importance of recording statements from witnesses whom the officers might interfere with. The investigators also expressed the need to subject the recovered ammunition to ballistic forensic analysis to determine its origin and whether the suspects were licensed firearm holders according to the firearm licensing board. The suspects, represented by lawyer Danstan Omari, expressed no objection to the application for their detention for five days. However, he requested that they be escorted to the hospital for a medical checkup. Joel is a sharpshooter and is ready to cooperate with the investigations, he has high blood pressure and is diabetic, Omari said. The prosecution agreed with the application and urged the court to detain one suspect at Kilimani and the other at Muthaiga police station. Kibera senior principal Samson Temu directed that Githaiga and Murimi be held in custody at Kilimani and Muthaiga stations respectively until April 25. The Court also instructed the OCS Kilimani to adhere to the directives and ensure Joel receives medical attention. The case is scheduled for mention on April 25 this year for further directions and to verify the status of investigations. Guests pose for photo at a Chinese cultural exhibition to mark the 15th UN Chinese Language Day at the United Nations, on April 19, 2024. (Xinhua) Chinese, one of the six official languages of the United Nations (UN) and used by nearly a fifth of the world's population, is an essential part of human cultural heritage, Denis Francis, president of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, said here Friday at a Chinese cultural exhibition. The event, themed "Encountering Chinese Characters, Harmony and Coexistence," was hosted by the Chinese city of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, to mark the 15th UN Chinese Language Day. The exhibition offered an immersive cultural experience that combined Chinese calligraphy, painting, music and tea. Language is not just a means of communication but also a bridge connecting people and cultures, thereby enriching our life experiences, said Francis, who shared his experience with Chinese calligraphy. "During my visit to China in January this year, I had the opportunity to try calligraphy. I wrote the Chinese character 'Fu,' meaning 'happiness,'" he said. The UN's Language Days, created in 2010, celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and promote the equal use of the organization's six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The date for the Chinese Language Day was selected from Guyu, or Grain Rain, the sixth of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, to pay tribute to Cangjie, a legendary figure in ancient China said to be the inventor of Chinese characters. The exhibition was divided into three sections, exploring the historical evolution, artistic representation, and innovative design of Chinese characters. Chinese and foreign musicians performed traditional Chinese music pieces such as "Plum Blossom Melody" and "Jasmine Flower." In addition, visitors could engage directly with Chinese culture through activities like calligraphy and tea tasting. "I believe everyone will not only appreciate the long heritage and unique charm of Chinese characters but also feel the vibrant contemporary energy radiating from Chinese cities like Nanjing," said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN. Fu said that the allure of the Chinese language and civilization has become even more appreciated with significant contribution to human progress. The first Sanlian Taofen Bookstore in Inner Mongolia autonomous region is set to open in Wuhai, aiming to support the region's efforts in creating public reading spaces for residents especially farmers and herdsmen. Ahead of the 29th World Book Day on April 23, SDX Joint Publishing Co, in collaboration with Wuhai, jointly held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony in Beijing on Sunday. Over the course of a three-year action plan, the two parties will establish a bookstore to bring good and new books to border areas. They will also organize events such as lectures by renowned figures and book sharing sessions to enable more readers in border ethnic areas to meet authors in their own communities. Wuhai, located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in western Inner Mongolia, is a region where 43 ethnic groups converge and civilizations meet. It has a deep historical and cultural heritage and is renowned as the "Pearl of the Yellow River". Meng Peiyun, member of the Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the Wuhai Party Committee, said that in recent years, Wuhai has extensively carried out activities for universal reading, and libraries in the grassland and communities are thriving. The collaboration with Sanlian Bookstore is another important measure in Wuhai's efforts to build a culturally strong city, he said. Song Zhijun, general manager of SDX Joint Publishing Co, said the cooperation with such a city, rich in history and culture, to jointly promote universal reading is an honor for Sanlian. As online book purchasing becomes increasingly mainstream, creating physical bookstores allows readers to see and feel the books. In this way, every aspect of reading becomes more tangible, he said. By combining activities related to Wuhai's historical and cultural relics, the integration of reading and exploration will be fully utilized with the city's humanistic and tourism resources, he added. On Monday, Xin Deyong, a professor from the Department of History at Peking University will give a leading reading activity discussing the origin of the Yellow River and Chinese civilization for readers in Wuhai. In the digital era in which people's attention is often distracted by fragmented, eye-catching information, Tuesday's annual World Book and Copyright Day is probably one of the few moments that remind people of the irreplaceable importance of reading, in what may now be termed the old-fashioned way. The Wenjin Book Awards, which are bestowed by the National Library of China every year for this special occasion, was organized as a key event ahead of the day and as a guide for readers. The list of winners of the 19th Wenjin Book Awards was released in the national library in Beijing on Friday. Among China's highest honors in the publishing industry, the awards are mainly given in non-literature genres. Twenty titles in three categories children's books, pop science, and social sciences stood out from the nearly 2,500 submissions across the country to gain the top awards, and an extra 41 were honored by making it to the final round. From themes that seem to be far removed from today's reality, like astronomy and archaeology, to subjects that are deeply influencing our everyday life like artificial intelligence and silicon chips, the awardees cover a wide range. "In the winners' list, we've seen top-tier experts writing approachable books for the general public, focusing on history, architecture, and traditional culture," Wang Yuguang, a Peking University professor and a jury panel member for the social science genre, commented. "But we also find more entries related to livelihoods, education, and the society we live in." For instance, among the eight winning titles in this genre, there is Looking for Liao Ling. Zhao Feng, an archaeology professor at Zhejiang University and a famous researcher of ancient fabrics, traced the history of silk during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) following a reference in a famous stanza by the poet Bai Juyi. Meanwhile, in The Archaeology in Zodiac Animals: Discovering China From Twelve Animals, Yuan Jing, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, chose a fresh angle to reconstruct how these animal totems gained their status through analysis of bones and relics bearing their images. Individual stories are equally powerful at awakening collective memory, as To Approach the Dearest People indicates. When Song Zhixin sorted through her parents' belongings after they both passed away, she accidentally found letters written by her father to her mother during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) and some diaries from the battlefield. She compiled them into the book. "I want to create a more immersive experience for today's people to approach that war, thanks to my father's vivid descriptions," Song said. In terms of pop science, panel member Wang Yusheng, a researcher with the China Science and Technology Museum, said that the six winners reflected scientists' personal feelings in pursuing academic achievements. "When discipline segmentation gets more and more detailed in modern times, sometimes we realize that we've neglected other fields that we should focus on," said Chen Yong, a geophysicist and an academician at Chinese Academy of Sciences. "That's why we often admire naturalists like Charles Darwin. So how about writing a small book that concerns our shared home, the Earth?" That is the origin story of his book Dynamic Earth, which reminds human beings to retain their awe of nature. Six more winners are in the children's book category. Lai Xuemei, a book critic and a judge of the awards, said Chinese children's books have greatly advanced in recent years, breeding many stories with warmth and concerning various topics like local cultures, environment issues, and humanity. For instance, Cen Xiaoxian, a teacher based in Foshan, Guangdong province, praises the lion dance, a signature form of intangible cultural heritage in her hometown, and wrote the children's novel Lion Girls to cheer for young people chasing their dreams. The Wenjin Book Awards are named after Wenjin Ge, a former Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) royal library in present-day Chengde, Hebei province, which contributed key collections to the national library. The awards were launched in 2004. "Nowadays, algorithms and AI largely decide what we see," Wang Lei, a professor at the Communication University of China, said. "If we don't deliberately read, we cannot nurture the capacity to independently think and actively absorb knowledge. "Reading is a fascinating adventure from one world to another," he said. "Thanks to the Wenjin awards, we're encouraged to set off on that journey." This article is the first in a series detailing the results from the latest Rating World Leaders report, which analyzes trends in approval ratings of the leadership of the U.S., Germany, Russia and China in over 130 countries. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Joe Biden may not have fully restored the image of the U.S. abroad, but it is in better condition now than it was under his predecessor and likely rival in the November election. A new Gallup report based on surveys in over 130 countries and territories shows that the median global approval rating of U.S. leadership stood at 41% in 2023, down from 45% during Bidens first year in office but unchanged from his second. Historically, the 41% approval rating is lower than all but one of the ratings under President Barack Obama but is higher than any of those under Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush. ###Embeddable### Biden began his term with strong approval ratings that rivaled Obamas when he first took office. Median approval of U.S. leadership stood at 49% until the often-criticized U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. The United States overall rating slipped after that, and Biden ended his first full year in office with a 45% global approval rating and a 33% disapproval rating. Approval ratings declined further in Bidens second year, and since then, median approval of U.S. leadership abroad has been stuck at 41%. Disapproval crept up to 36% in 2023. Notably, ratings of U.S. leadership approval in the 83 countries and territories surveyed before the outbreak of war between close U.S. ally Israel and Hamas in October 2023 stood at 42%. Across 51 additional countries and territories surveyed after the war started, median approval was not much different, at 39%. U.S. Suffers Notable Losses and Makes Sizable Gains Although its average approval rating did not change, the image of the U.S. was diminished in the eyes of several key U.S. global partners. In Ukraine, new NATO member Finland, Kenya and India, approval ratings dropped by at least 10 percentage points. ###Embeddable### After reaching a record high of 66% in 2022, approval of U.S. leadership in Ukraine dropped significantly to 53% amid growing opposition to Ukraine aid in the U.S. Ratings in India, too, declined from record highs. After nearly brushing 50% in 2022, approval ratings of U.S. leadership dropped to 38% amid tensions between the two countries. At the same time, ratings of U.S. leadership increased substantially -- by 10 points or more -- in 13 countries. More than half of the countries with substantial increases were in sub-Saharan and North Africa. Approval of U.S. leadership also soared to record highs in Israel; 81% of Israelis surveyed two weeks after the Hamas attacks said they approved of U.S. leadership. Germany on Top for Seventh Straight Year In addition to asking about U.S. leadership each year, Gallup also asks the world about the leadership of other global powers, including Germany, China and Russia. In the second full year under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germany remained the top-rated global power for the seventh year in a row. In 2023, median approval of Germanys leadership across 134 countries and territories stood at 46% -- unchanged from 2022. Both ratings are down from 50% in 2021 but are still higher than most throughout former Chancellor Angela Merkels lengthy tenure. ###Embeddable### Germany and the U.S. continued to net higher approval ratings than China or Russia. Chinas approval rating edged up slightly to 30% but was still on the lower end of its trend. Russias global approval rating of 22% in 2023 is statistically as poor as its 21% rating after it invaded Ukraine in late February 2022. Majority of the World Disapproves of Russia While the U.S. and its allies in Europe condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine, approval of Russia dropped in virtually every region of the world in 2022, providing evidence that the rebuke of its actions was much broader. As Russias war against Ukraine rages on, disdain remains just as strong in Europe. However, there are signs it is softening elsewhere, particularly in Africa. ###Embeddable### Disapproval of Russias leadership was almost as high as it was in the first year of the war. Across 134 countries and territories surveyed in 2023, a median of 53% said they disapproved of Russias leadership, down slightly from the record-high 57% in 2022. Majorities in 71 countries surveyed disapproved of Russian leadership. High-income, Western-aligned democracies tended to give the highest disapproval ratings, with figures exceeding 90% in 11 European countries -- including Ukraine, where 93% disapproved. Bottom Line With more than half of the world going to the ballot box this year, including in the United States, many of the players on the global stage could change. A change in the U.S. could potentially reshape foreign policy and shake up the global order. But for now, the status quo remains. Although they earn the highest approval ratings from the world, its important to note that neither the U.S. nor Germany received a global endorsement of their leadership -- and these ratings are subject to change. Still, both continue to be in much stronger positions than China and Russia, whose approval rating remained near a record low after its invasion of Ukraine. Read the full report. Next week on Gallup News: Inside the U.S. and Chinas Competition for Hearts and Minds To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X. For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details. Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works. ###Embeddable### Signup underway for SIUs free Summer Tutoring Camp for grades 3-8 by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. A free Summer Tutoring Camp is being offered at Southern Illinois University Carbondales School of Education to students in grades 3-8 from many area school districts through the Illinois Tutoring Initiative, and signup is now underway. To register, contact the partner school your child attends before May 31. Or, use the online ITI summer camp registration form , email iti@siu.edu or call Jessica Madden, coordinator of SIUs Illinois Tutoring Initiative, at 618-453-4224. The camp runs from June 3 to July 31. Camp directors encourage parents to sign children up as soon as possible to assure they get a spot. Last years inaugural camp drew 45 enthusiastic participants, and even more interest is anticipated this year, they say. Open to many children The camp runs from 9-11 a.m. Monday through Friday at the Wham Educational Building with drop-off at 8:30 a.m. Students from the following Illinois Tutoring Initiative partner school districts are eligible to attend this summer learning experience, featuring high-impact math and reading tutoring presented in a fun, interactive format: Carbondale School District 95. Cobden School District 17. Giant City School District 130. Herrin School District 4. Meridian School District 101. Murphysboro School District 186. Unity Point School District 140. Officials note that the partner schools at Cobden, Giant City, Herrin, Meridian and Unity Point will be conducting camps at their local schools until the end of June and their students have the opportunity to enroll in SIUs Summer Tutoring Camp for the remainder of the summer. High-impact learning with imaginative fun The same ITI team that tutors in SIUs partner school districts during the school year will be tutoring during the camp. The team includes SIU graduate students, current and retired teachers, and community members. All are specifically trained in the principles and methods of high-impact tutoring. Theres an emphasis on math and reading, but there will also be interactive games, crafts and design, storytelling and outdoor games, assuring campers have an enjoyable experience. Snacks are provided as well. This summer, we are also excited to be working with the SIU Imagination Lab, a wonderful addition to our School of Education, said Janice Staab, ITI site supervisor. Led by their tutors and the Imagination Lab coordinators, students will use their reading and math skills to research, design and build their own projects and put them to work. For instance, they might make canjos, wooden cars with 3D-printed wheels the students design and various other age-appropriate engineering projects. The Illinois Tutoring Initiative is designed to support the learning and social/emotional well-being of students in the wake of the pandemic. It is supported by the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board through federal COVID relief funding. For more information about the camp, email iti@siu.edu or call Madden at 618-453-4224. BusinessWire India New York [US]/ Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 23: HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today announced Brazil-based Argilando, Canada-based No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment and US-based The Longleaf Alliance as the winners of the first edition of the HCLTech Grant Americas. Launched in September 2023, the HCLTech Grant Americas program has committed $5 million in grants over five years to support Not-For-Profit organizations (NPOs) with innovative projects focused on combating climate change, restoring ecosystems and biodiversity across the Americas. Every year, three NPOs will be selected through a rigorous screening process to receive grants totaling $1 million. One NPO will receive $500,000, while two others will receive $250,000 each. Among the inaugural edition winners, Brazil-based Argilando will receive the grant of $500,000 for their project Atitude Jovem. The project ignites youth-led environmental activism across Brazil's diverse biomes. Through comprehensive mobilization efforts, educational workshops and strategic planting of native trees, Argilando confronts climate challenges and promotes awareness about sustainable development goals (SDGs). Canada-based No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment will receive $250,000 for using art and design to bring awareness to environmental concerns. Its project "Imagining My Sustainable Community" aims to increase awareness of sustainable design solutions in schools across Canada. The Longleaf Alliance will receive $250,000 for their project, "Restoring America's Great Southern Forest through Climate Action by Empowering and Enabling Landowners" aims to restore 8 million acres of longleaf pine forests, in the US Southeast. "Congratulations to the winners of the first HCLTech Grant Americas. Whether it is fostering sustainable design literacy or spearheading vast ecosystem restoration projects, these endeavors showcase a collective resolve to address environmental challenges with innovative solutions. We are delighted to support these projects as part of the collective effort needed to combat climate change," said Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Vice President, Global CSR, HCLTech. Since its launch, HCLTech Grant Americas has received a positive response from NPOs in the Americas. Within 19 weeks of its launch, the program received 238 registrations and 91 eligible applications from all 10 target countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the US. Through rigorous vetting, the top 10 applications were selected, followed by the HCLTech Grant Jury nominating the top three finalists. HCLTech has a sharp focus on Sustainability. The company is committed to becoming net zero by 2040 and reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030. Since the baseline year of FY20, the company has reduced per capita scope 1 and 2 emissions by 22%. It is the first India-headquartered IT services company to join the Water Resilience Coalition and endorse the CEO Water Mandate. With a total of investment of over $175 million in CSR globally so far, HCLTech has helped transform over 6.5 million lives, brought 72,000 acres of land under green governance, harvested 76 billion liters of water and had a positive impact on 92,000 animals. HCLTech has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies 2024 and has been included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2024 for the second year in a row. Global environment non-profit CDP has recognized HCLTech with A- leadership rating for its climate change initiatives. For more information on HCLTech's Climate Action Grant for the Americas, please visit the following webpage: https://americas-grant.hcltech.com/ In India, HCLTech Grant, a flagship program of HCLFoundation, has touched over 2 million lives across 27,000+ villages through the grant recipient NPOs. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SRV Media New Delhi [India], April 23: In a significant stride towards bolstering economic relations between India and the growing relations with Vietnam, the Trade Commissioner of India ASEAN Trade Council of Telangana Hon. Pabbati Ravi Kumar region played a pivotal role at the India Vietnam Meeting 2024 held in the Highlands region of Dak Lak Province in Vietnam in collaboration with the Government of India under the Consulate General of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. This esteemed gathering of business leaders, innovators, industries and policymakers was a robust platform for fostering collaboration, sharing insights, and exploring new avenues for economic cooperation between both nations. The delegation was hosted by the Vice Chairman of the Provincial peoples committee, Nguyen Thien Van. Connecting Indian Businesses to the ASEAN landscape: The India Vietnam meeting, held in the Dak Lak province under the invitation of the leadership of Dak Lak witnessed His Excellency Madan Mohan Sethi, the Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh and the Indian delegation that is positioned as an ideal arena for India ASEAN Trade Council to engage in meaningful discussions on trade, investment, and innovation. During the Meeting, the Trade Commissioner actively participated in discussions addressing key economic trends, opportunities, and challenges facing the region. Under Pabbati Ravi Kumar's leadership, it is aimed to leverage this platform to promote bilateral trade, share valuable insights on India's economic landscape, and explore collaborative initiatives that will benefit both Indian and Asian businesses. The Trade commissioner was accompanied by a 40-member delegation of businessmen from various neighboring states in India who visited various factories and companies in Coffee, IT, Agriculture, Education and Textiles. "This gathering provided a unique opportunity to foster partnerships, exchange ideas, and contribute to the growth of our economies. We look forward to strengthening existing relationships and establishing new connections that will drive economic progress for both India and Vietnam," said CML Dilip who accompanied the Telangana Delegation and who is also the President of the Karnataka Arya Vysya Mahasabha. In a significant stride towards enhancing economic cooperation and fostering stronger ties between India and Vietnam, members of the India ASEAN Trade Council also participated in a series of business-to-business (B2B) meetings held in the vibrant city of Dak Lak region and signed 4 MOU's with various sectors in the region. This event marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to boost trade relations between the two nations as delegates from various sectors explore opportunities for collaboration and mutual benefit with Vietnam's Strategic Significance. As one of Vietnam's key economic and industrial hubs, Dak Lak holds strategic importance in the country's economic landscape. Its well-developed infrastructure, thriving coffee industry, and business-friendly environment make it an ideal destination for fostering international trade relations. The Indian delegation's decision to hold B2B meetings in Dak Lak region reflects the recognition of the city's economic potential and its role as a gateway to the broader Vietnamese market. The delegation brought together key players from both the public and private sectors, fostering a comprehensive and inclusive approach to bilateral trade discussions. One of the primary focuses of the B2B meetings was to explore synergies in manufacturing and technology. With India's prowess in information technology and Vietnam's rapidly growing manufacturing sector, there exists immense potential for collaboration in areas such as electronics, software development, and high-tech manufacturing. Services Sector and Skill Development. The President of the Indian Economic Trade Organization was also present during the meetings and pledged support to these ongoing collaborations of the council. "We are committed to build people to people relations to accelerate growth and deepen our strategic engagements with various developing nations and Vietnam has been very active in inviting delegations for further initiations and it is evident from this delegation and interest it has generated in the whole process," said Dr. Asif Iqbal, President of the IETO who also signed the MOU with the Vice chairman of the Dak Lak province in the region. The MOU signed in Dak Lak province between the India ASEAN Trade Council and their Vietnamese counterparts in Dak Lak region marks a significant step forward in strengthening the economic ties between India and Vietnam. As both nations navigate the evolving global economic landscape, these meetings serve as a foundation for sustained growth and prosperity through cooperation and understanding. The outcomes of these engagements are likely to yield tangible benefits for businesses, economies, and people on both sides, ushering in a new era of economic partnership between India and Vietnam. Hon. Pabbati Ravi Kumar is expected to lead more delegations to other ASEAN nations like Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos in the coming months with businesses from Telangana. The Joint delegation embarked on a mission to meet with other business entities in Ho Chi Minh city under the patronage of the Indian Consulate General in Ho chi Minh His Excellency Madan Mohan Sethi. The primary objective of this meeting was to provide updates on their ongoing collaborations and explore new avenues to enhance bilateral trade between the two nations. A key focus was on identifying new investment opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure, renewable energy, and technology. The delegations sought the Indian consulate general support in promoting these opportunities to attract more investors from both sides. Beyond economic collaboration, the delegations expressed interest in promoting cultural and educational exchanges. Initiatives such as student exchange programs and cultural events were discussed to strengthen people-to-people ties. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, and C.P. Gurnani, Chairman of Assago Group, have announced the launch of AlonOS, an AI business venture. According to a press release, AlonOS aims to usher in a paradigm shift, transforming businesses into AI-native enterprises by creating a seamless ecosystem of infrastructure, data, and generative AI to unlock new levels of productivity and profitability. The mission of AlonOS is to empower businesses with advanced AI solutions that not only streamline workflows but also elevate customer experience. By integrating AI into every decision-making process, AlonOS seeks to redefine the way businesses operate in the digital age. Its products and services will act as a bridge between a company's data, its analytical capabilities, and operational execution. AlonOS will automate and optimize decision-making, orchestrate workflows, drive efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and identify opportunities to streamline processes, reduce costs, and maximize productivity. The new venture will onboard companies onto its IntelliOS platform, bringing AI into every aspect of decision-making and delivering tangible business benefits. AlonOS will connect with the enterprise's existing data sources, anchoring the knowledge base on actual business reality to minimize information gaps. It will seamlessly integrate this knowledge to ensure that AI complements and enhances existing business logic and computational models. AlonOS is committed to driving actions that deliver tangible business results by safely synchronizing these decisions back to the enterprise's operational systems. AlonOS will develop and offer a diverse array of specialized products and technologies powered by AI to address the complex digital transformation challenges of businesses across industries. Key products that the company will offer include: Tailored AI solutions to tackle complex digital transformation challenges specific to enterprise needs. Solutions are designed to address the unique challenges and opportunities within each sector. Advanced analytics is applied to existing data reservoirs, turning raw data into a strategic asset, extracting actionable insights, and opening new revenue streams. Delivering personalized, efficient, and scalable solutions in customer experience. This combination of class-leading technology and customized services uniquely positions AlonOS at the intersection of cutting-edge artificial intelligence and deep industry expertise. AlonOS also plans to partner with startups to deliver industry-specific solutions at scale with agility. Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe, said, "InterGlobe has always been at the forefront of innovation and development, and I am delighted that we at InterGlobe are partnering with C.P. on this path-breaking venture. In a rapidly transforming world, it is crucial for businesses to expand their scope and harness the potential of Al." He added, "AlonOS is aimed at enabling businesses to accelerate their digital transformation by enhancing human and system capabilities with Al-powered solutions. By leveraging our deep sectoral expertise and the power of Al we aim to revolutionize industries, redefine possibilities, and shape the future of businesses." C.P. Gurnani, Executive Vice Chairman of AlonOS, commented, "At AlonOS, we are redefining industry standards with IntelliOS, our Al native platform that enables organizations to initiate their transformation towards cognitive enterprises. We are building Saas solutions that integrate seamlessly into the fabric of industries such as travel, transport, logistics and hospitality." He added, "The first set of use cases include unlocking higher revenue through smarter pricing and delivering superior customer experience. Our approach to Al combines sophisticated technology with the nuances of human interaction in every solution we deliver." AlonOS will be spearheaded by C.P. Gurnani and is structured around four key business lines, each helmed by a dedicated leader, ensuring agile and effective operations. Headquartered in Singapore, AlonOS will have a global business presence, including in North America, India, the Middle East, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific, representing a mix of mature and rapidly growing markets, each with its unique challenges and opportunities for AI adoption. AlonOS' business will be supported through centres located across multiple geographies, including India, to leverage globally available talent in technology and innovation. Starting with the Travel, Transportation, Logistics, and Hospitality (TTLH) sector, AlonOS has onboarded several businesses from these verticals as launch customers. This sector alone presents a significant opportunity for AI-driven innovation. Looking ahead, AlonOS plans to replicate this across additional sectors, continually expanding its reach and impact. With AlonOS, enterprises will be equipped to not just compete but lead in today's dynamic and demanding marketplace. (ANI) Actor Prakash Raj expressed confidence that Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor, who is seeking re-election from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is going to win this time again. Speaking with ANI, Raj said, "I find this (Thiruvananthapuram) constituency has received a lot from Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. It is going to be his term again. I am here to just stand by him, not because he is a great friend of mine, but because he has given me for the last decade hope, happiness and joy that I have a voice with such a representative of the country." He is up against a two-front contest against Union Minister of State, Rajeev Chandrashekhar and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Panniyan Ravindran. Tharoor, who has held the seat since 2009, is facing a challenge as the BJP has named a strong face against him. Chandrashekhar has served as the MoS for Electronics, Entrepreneurship and Information Technology. Although CPI-M is part of the INDIA bloc, it is not in any seat-sharing agreement with the Congress party in the state of Kerala. The CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded CPI leader Pannyan Raveendran from the constituency, who won the seat in 2005. All 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala will vote in a single phase on April 26. Counting will be held on June 4. In 2019, the Congress party registered victory on 19 out of the 20 seats while CPI-M could only win one seat. The BJP failed to open its account. The BJP has never won a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, the party registered a victory in the Thiruvananthapuram district just once, with O Rajagopal winning the Nemom assembly seat in 2016. (ANI) The Pera sellers of Tripura Sundari temple are elated as the iconic sweet dish which is a part and parcel of the temple's identity was accorded the Geographical Indication tag. There are around 100 privately owned shops in the temple complex that primarily deal in 'Pera' which is offered to the deity by almost all the devotees. Even if someone brings other things to offer, "Pera Bhog" has to be there. Besides, around 50 to 60 people are there who toil hard in the factories to prepare the milk-based sweet dish which was recently accorded the Geographical Indication tag for Tripura. The Pera sellers of Tripura Sundari Temple are delighted with the development and thanked the Government of India and the Government of Tripura for taking such an initiative to promote the temple at the national as well as the global level. Speaking with ANI, Tripura Sundari Temple Pera Sellers Association Secretary, Ratan Chandra Paul said, "I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha for making concerted efforts to make sure Pera gets the GI tag. All the Pera sellers of this temple who have protected the heritage of Pera are very happy. We have almost 100 Pera sellers who have their shops dotted in and around the temple's sanctum sanctorum." On being asked what is the average production of Pera in the temple, Paul added, "We don't have a rigid volume of production. In holidays, the rush of devotees rises and hence the total production also hikes. On weekdays, the production is on the lower side. The average daily production is around 1,000 Kg." Another Pera seller, Jatan Debnath said that after 2018, the footfalls of devotees rose at an unprecedented scale. According to Debnath, who inherited the shop from his father, he had never seen such crowd gathering in the temple in his young days that he experienced nowadays. "After the 2018 assembly elections, we have witnessed that the number of devotees paying a visit to the temple spiked substantially. Earlier, my father and elder brother used to handle the business. Then, we have never seen such a huge crowd. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the footfalls declined due to the curbs imposed at that point of time. Since then, the number of devotees only increased with every passing day," Debnath told ANI. He also thanked the state government for improving the facilities for the devotees in the temple premises. "We the Pera sellers want to thank the BJP-led state government for all the development works that have happened over the years in the temple which is bringing devotees from faraway places," he added. Interestingly, the Pera sellers are not the people who prepared the delicate sweet dish. The Pera shop owners buy milk and assign the task to the makers who give the sweet dish its final shape and taste. One of such Pera makers is Rupan Nama who had taken up this as a full-time profession eight years back. Sharing his experience, Nama said, "Every day 200 to 300 Kg of Pera is easily produced in the whole unit which goes up to 1,000 Kg to 1,200 Kg during the Deepavali festival. It is worth noting here that during Deepavali, the annual festival and fair is organized in the temple." "The art of making Pera is very old. Ever since the temple came into existence, Pera-making started here. Every day, 250 to 300 Kgs of Pera is produced on average. Sometimes, we are asked for higher production. When the Deepavali fair is organized, the total production goes beyond 1,000 to 1,2o0 kg per day. In between 100 kg to 200 kg is a regular affair," he added. The complete making process of the sweet item is operated manually. No machines are used except woven where the milk is thickened through continuous boiling. Explaining the process of making Pera, Suman Das, a Pera maker said, "We boil the milk for a certain period so that it turns thick and the Kheer could be derived. That Kheer is mixed with sugar and the hand rolling technique is applied to make Pera." On March 31, Matabari Pera was accorded the GI tag along with another indigenous product of Tripura called Rignai. (ANI) You are here: Business This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows the Dateng Gorge Water Conservancy project in Guiping City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua] China's investment in water conservancy facilities rose 4.4 percent year on year to 193.3 billion yuan (about 27.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of this year, official data showed on Monday. The figure was higher than the previous records of the period, Vice Minister of Water Resources Chen Min told a press conference. China began 9,683 new water conservancy projects in the first quarter, up 33.8 percent year on year, said Chen. In the first quarter, water conservancy projects created about 730,000 jobs nationwide, up 3.8 percent year on year, according to the ministry. BJP candidate from Rajnandgaon constituency Santosh Pandey exuded confidence in winning the Lok Sabha seat, a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) bastion for over three decades, despite Congress fielding senior leader and former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel on Monday. He said there is no fear and the BJP will be victorious in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "There is no fear. I am the one who makes sharp attacks against him in the house and Parliament, who has raised questions on the Mahadev App, their government, Saumya and liquor, and I have raised questions on him from inside Sadan (the house) to Sadak (the roads). People in my constituency and state know it and I have been in charge of Bastar as well. Where the BJP was zero, we have won 8 seats out of 12 from there. So, there is no fear at all. There is no question about Bhupesh Baghel. Even if a BJP Yuva Morcha worker was contesting from here, the whole organisation is there to support him. The BJP will have the victory because the organisation is there," he said. Speaking with ANI, Pandey said, "It is my fortune, it is a big thing for me. Enthusiasm amongst people has increased and we will benefit from the work that Prime Minister Modi has done." Pandey, who defeated Congress' Bholaram Sahu by a margin of 1,11, 966 votes in 2019 lauded PM Modi's leadership in developing Rajnandgaon, a semi-urban constituency that shares borders with Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. When asked about the issues that will be taking place amongst people, Pandey said, "The issues are of three types. The first is a national issue, followed by a state issue and a regional issue, but among all the three issues, the biggest is Modi himself. The magic or wave of Modi Ji is omnipresent. And let me say that from my area border of Maharashtra to the border of Madhya Pradesh, all the work that has been done is in the name of Modi ji. Be it a Kendriya Vidyalaya, a medical college that has been announced in Kawardha, or a railway line from Katghora to Dongargarh, the Prime Minister has given many gifts to my constituency. I am very lucky." Notably, BJP has never lost the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat since the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000, except for a parliamentary bypoll in 2007 when it was defeated by the Congress. Pandey said that Rajnandgaon constituency belongs to the BJP and will remain so. "The reason is that the last time I contested in 2019, only one Rajnandgaon seat was in favour of the BJP. Today I have three. Kawardha, Pandaria. And if we calculate it, then we are also leading. So, with the thought process, they have come up with that they may win from here, the people of Rajnandgaonare are fed up and are waiting for April 26 to cast their vote. They took Setu Nigam Karyalaya from Rajnandgaon to Durg. They took ADB Karyalay to Durg and Indira Kala Sangit University, which is famous all over India, and they want it to shift to Raipur. So, do they not consider Rajnandgaon a constituency? For them, it's just Durg. The partiality that they have done, people in my constituency will compensate for it. There is no doubt in the atmosphere that the BJP will win from here." This year in the Rajnandgaon constituency, Santosh Pandey (BJP), who won the previous election as well and Bhupesh Baghel (Congress), who served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, are contesting against each other. The Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled to vote on April 26, 2024, with the Election Commission announcing results on June 4, as per their statement on March 16. (ANI) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed gratitude towards the Supreme Court after the Centre assured swift action on Karnataka's drought relief plea stating that this is a milestone and a success in their long fight for justice and relief. In a post on X Siddaramaiah said, "This is a milestone and a success in our long fight to secure justice and relief for the people of Karnataka." He further said that the current government who delayed the relief fund has finally agreed because of SC's intervention. "Thanks to the intervention of the Hon Supreme Court, the Central Government, which had delayed providing drought relief funds to the farmers of Karnataka, has agreed to make a decision within this week," the tweet added. The tweet further stated, "Karnataka was forced to file a writ petition against the Central Government in court seeking drought relief funds, as the Central Government had not made a decision on our memorandum, which was submitted in September 2023." Earlier, the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it will resolve expeditiously issues related to the Karnataka government's plea seeking financial assistance for drought relief and something will happen by April 29. Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the Centre apprised the court that the Election Commission has allowed the Union government to deal with the issue and something will happen before next Monday (April 29). AG Venkataramani also apprised the bench of justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta it will be done expeditiously and no argument is needed now. Justice Gavai observing the federal structure remarked that this has to happen amicably. The court adjourned the matter for further hearing on April 19. The court was hearing the Karnataka government's plea seeking financial assistance for drought relief. The Karnataka Government was represented by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal. Karnataka Government, in the plea filed through advocate DL Chidananda, urged the top court to direct the Centre to forthwith take a final decision and release the financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state. The plea also sought to declare that the action of the government in not releasing the financial assistance for drought arrangement as per the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is Ex-Facie violative of the fundamental rights of the people of the State of Karnataka guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The Karnataka Government said that the impugned action of the Central Government in denying financial assistance to the State is ex-facie violative of the fundamental rights of the people of Karnataka guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. Further, the impugned action of the Central Government is violative of the statutory scheme of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Manual for Drought Management and the Guidelines on Constitution and Administration of the State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund, the state government said. Karnataka Government submitted that under the Manual for Drought Management, the Central Government is required to make a final decision on the assistance to the State from the NDRF within a month of the receipt of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT). The plea said that Karnataka is reeling under severe drought, affecting the lives of its citizens. "For the Kharif 2023 season as a whole, after fulfilling all the Indicators of the Manual for Drought Management 2020, a total of 223 out of 236 taluks are declared as drought-affected during Kharif 2023 with 196 taluks categorized as severely affected and the remaining 27 categorized as moderately affected. (ANI) Delhi Minister and Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Atishi on Monday said that after the court's order, it has been affirmed that Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal has been deprived of adequate medical facilities in the jail. "The verdict of Rouse Avenue Court proves that for the last 22 days, Arvind Kejriwal was not getting proper medical care in judicial custody in Tihar Jail," she said. She further stated that today, after 22 days of his judicial custody, the court has ordered that a medical board of one specialist diabetes doctor, one specialist diabetologist and an oncologist should be formed which will take complete care of Arvind Kejriwal to get medical treatment. Taking a veiled jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she said, "So this makes it clear that despite having such severe diabetes for 22 days, despite his sugar level being above 300, despite his request for isolation, he was not getting proper medical care." She asserted, "So we hope that the medical board of AIIMS, which will have specialist diabetes doctors, will be found today itself, will check upon Arvind Kejriwal and will start the process of insulating him from today itself..." Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court declined a plea moved by Kejriwal seeking direction to jail authorities to administer insulin and allow him to consult through video conferencing daily for 15 minutes concerning his acute diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar level. However, the court directed the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) to constitute a medical board to examine Kejriwal's health. The Special Judge Kaveri Baweja while passing the order stated that directions are hereby passed qua the prayer of the applicant for the administration of insulin and also to ensure that the applicant is provided all the requisite medical treatment. "Though it shall continue to be the primary duty of Tihar Jail authorities, who are stated to be fully equipped to take care of the health of the applicant, to ensure that all requisite medical treatment is provided to him in jail, however, in the event of any requirement for specialized consultation, the jail Authorities shall consult the Medical Board to be constituted by Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), comprising of a senior endocrinologist, diabetologist, as per the request made on April 20, already sent by DG Prisons," said the Court. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday criticised the opposition parties such as the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for their scepticism regarding the existence of Lord Ram. While addressing a public meeting in Fatehpur Sikri, Yogi Adityanath said, " You must have seen 'Surya Tilak' of Ram Lalla on Ram Navami. On one side it was Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), they used to ask us that show us the evidence that Shri Ram was born in Ayodhya. These parties have then said that Ram and Krishna never existed. As if Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samajwadi Party were born before this universe and no one else was born, they were trying to show this. But their lies failed and a grand temple of Ram Lalla was built ending the wait of 500 years, due to PM Narendra Modi." Notably, the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya took place on January 22 this year. He emphasized the implementation of the 'Har Ghar Nal' scheme, which aims to provide clean drinking water to households, and noted that Agra is also benefiting from 'Gangajal.' Meanwhile, in a separate public rally in Aligarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised CM Yogi Adityanath for his contribution to Uttar Pradesh's development. PM Modi highlighted the Chief Minister's role in transforming the state into a major hub for a self-reliant India and a self-reliant army. "Because of BJP, now our UP is going to become a big hub of self-reliant India and self-reliant Army. I want to open the eyes of those people who keep identifying Yogi ji only with bulldozers. Whatever industrial development did not happen in Uttar Pradesh after independence, it happened during the period of Yogi ji alone. His mission of One District, One Product is creating new respect in the entire country. You talked about bulldozers, if someone has taken the development to new heights, Yogi ji's government has taken it and as an MP from Kashi, he is also my Chief Minister. I feel proud that I have such colleagues." Earlier, amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the continuous development of infrastructure, saying that the number of Highways and airports doubled in India after 2014. Speaking to ANI, Yogi Adityanath said, "India is the world's biggest democracy. For the first time in the country, it is being seen that we live with democratic values for the service of the public, and development work is done. The wonderful coordination between development and heritage is the identity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The work done towards this is wonderful." Elaborating on the work done by PM Modi in the past years, the Uttar Pradesh CM said, "The issue on which we get good support from the public is infrastructure - the number of highways has almost doubled...Till 2014, there were only 74 airports but now, the country has more than 150 airports...Today there are 22 AIIMS in the country...Ending a 500-year-old wait, Ram Lalla is now placed at Ram Temple in Ayodhya...Today, 5 lakh people devotees are coming here at once but there are no problems...The public supports these issues." Uttar Pradesh, which sends the maximum number of MPs, 80, to Parliament, will vote in all seven phases. Voting for phase 1 was held on April 19 on eight seats. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI) During an election rally on Monday, Tripura's Chief Minister, Dr Manik Saha, criticised the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress party, accusing them of exploiting janajati communities as mere vote banks. "Prime Minister Modi has always prioritised the development of janajati communities, distinguishing his administration starkly from the previous misrule under the CPI(M) and Congress. Their 35-year governance relied heavily on janajati votes without delivering real progress," CM Saha stated. The rally, held at Ramchandra Ghat in Khowai District, saw Dr Saha campaigning fervently for BJP candidate Kriti Singh Debbarma for the upcoming East Lok Sabha seat election. In his spirited address, CM Saha expressed confidence in securing a significant voter turnout and victory for the BJP, reflecting on the high voter engagement in the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat. He underscored the importance of further increasing voter participation this election cycle. He accused the newly formed INDIA bloc, consisting of CPI(M) and Congress, of misleading the public and promoting violence and chaos during elections, a stark contrast to the peace and development brought about by the BJP since 2018 under PM Modi's leadership. Saha further lambasted the opposition for their empty promises of prosperity, which he claimed culminated in a burdensome Rs 13,000 crore debt for the state. In contrast, he lauded Prime Minister Modi's introduction of the HIRA model (Highways, Internet, Railways, and Airways) and the Act East Policy, aimed at enhancing connectivity and economic growth in the Northeastern region. "The condition of the Northeast was pathetic before 2014. However, peace has been restored and the region has seen unprecedented development since then, thanks to the efforts of PM Modi," CM Saha added, warning that the main agenda of the INDI alliance was to sow confusion among the electorate. The rally was also attended by prominent BJP figures including former Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, MLA Ranjit Debbarma, BJP secretary Devid Debbarma, and youth leader Nabadal Banik, all showing unified support for Kriti Singh Debbarma's candidacy. As the election nears, the political atmosphere in Tripura remains charged, with the BJP confidently pushing forward its agenda of sustained development and increased democratic engagement. (ANI) Professor Naima Khatoon was appointed as the vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for a tenure of five years on Monday, becoming the first woman to be given the charge of the university's top position. The announcement was made in a notification by the AMU. "Naima Khatoon, Professor/Principal, Women's College, as the Vice-Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University for a period of five years from the date on which she enters upon her office or the date on which she completes seventy years of age, whichever is earlier," the notification from the university said. The notification also mentioned that the university had sought permission from the Election Commission of India in view of the imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) due to the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. "It is also stated that the Election Commission of India vide their letter dated 09.04.2024 has stated that the Commission has no objection, from the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) angle, to the proposal related to the appointment of Vice-Chancellor, AMU subject to the condition that no publicity shall be there and no political mileage may be derived from it," the notification added. According to the official website of Aligarh Muslim University, Professor Naima Khatoon served as Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Psychology before joining as Principal of Women's College in July 2014. She has been a Professor since July 2006, an Associate Professor since April 1998 and a lecturer since August 1988. Khatoon has also served at the National University of Rwanda, Central Africa for one year. She holds a PhD degree in Political Psychology for which she worked at Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University. With her area of specialization in Clinical, Health, Applied Social and Spiritual Psychology, Khatoon also served as the Deputy Coordinator of UGC assisted Special Assistance Program on Spiritual Psychology in the Department of Psychology, AMU. The newly-appointed VC also delivered lectures at the University of Louis Ville, USA, University of Alba Lulia, Romania, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Hollings Centre, Istanbul, Turkey and Hollings Centre for International Dialogue, Boston, USA. Khatoon has also authored, co-authored and edited six books and published several papers in the Journals of National and International repute. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address poll rallies in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan today. The Prime Minister has informed on his X account that he will be visiting Tonk-Sawaimadhopur in Rajasthan at around 10:45 am, followed by a visit to Janjgir-Champa in Chhattisgarh at around 2:45 pm. Finally, he will be in Mahasamund at around 5 pm. "In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-NDA is receiving immense support from people all over the country. Amid this atmosphere of enthusiasm, I will be among my family members in two states today. At around 10:45 am, I will be in Tonk-Sawaimadhopur in Rajasthan. Then, at around 2:45 pm, I will be in Janjgir-Champa in Chhattisgarh. Finally, at around 5 pm, I will be in Mahasamund, where I will receive the blessings of my loved ones," PM Modi said in a post on X. The Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan are being held in two phases. The first phase of polling for 12 seats took place on April 19, while the remaining 13 seats will be contested in the second phase on April 26. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. In Chhattisgarh, the Lok Sabha elections are being held in three phases. Polling for one parliamentary seat was held on April 19, while the remaining 10 seats will be contested on April 26 and May 7. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won a sweeping victory, securing 24 out of 25 seats in Rajasthan. Hanuman Beniwal of the Rashtriya Loktrantrik Party also won a seat. Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, the BJP won 9 out of the 11 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress managed to win only 2. The Lok Sabha election of 2024 is taking place from April 19 to June 1. Citizens are casting their votes for 543 seats, and the winning party must secure at least 272 seats to form the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is running for a third term in this election. The results of the election will be announced on June 4. (ANI) Coming down hard on Congress leader P Chidambaram over his remarks on the Citizenship Amendment Act, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that they have been fighting against Congress' appeasement politics for years and the Congress should rise out of it and try to perform on the agenda of development. Amit Shah told ANI that Congress wants to scrap the CAA just to appease their vote bank. "Since the 1960s, Congress has made appeasement politics its weapon to win elections. We had been fighting against this for years. Since 2014, PM Modi has set the development agenda among people and elections began in the country based on that. Congress is facing difficulty in contesting elections based on development; they have continuously lost elections. They want to go ahead once again based on appeasement politics. Chidambaram doesn't say what the shortcomings of CAA are; he just says that they will scrap it. Why? Because they have to strengthen their minority vote bank," he said. He added further that Chidambaram's intentions will never be fulfilled as the people have understood the Congress party well. "BJP stands firm on its principles. We will not do injustice to anyone. We will do justice. But we will not do appeasement either. I don't understand what objection Congress has to CAA. The CAA will not take away anyone's citizenship; they are misleading people. They want to win elections by indulging in appeasement politics. I would like to tell Chidambaram that his intentions will never come to fruition. People have understood the Congress party well," Shah added. He emphasised further that CAA will remain and the three criminal laws will be implemented. "Congress is neither going to come to power nor going to make decisions. I assure the people of the country that CAA will remain and three (criminal) laws will be implemented. Every citizen will get justice within three years; such a justice system will be ensured. Every refugee will get citizenship. There is no doubt about it. I would like to suggest that Congress leaders, who have lost elections several times, rise out of appeasement politics and try to perform on the agenda of development," the Union Home Minister said. Responding to the question on three new criminal laws, the Union Home Minister said that Chidambaram was a part of the committee and had given suggestions and even appreciated them. "As far as three laws (criminal laws) are concerned, Chidambaram himself was a part of the committee. He had given positive suggestions several times and even appreciated them. The three laws will make the country's criminal justice system the most modern in the world. Congress doesn't want results in corruption cases. It wants justice to remain pending. But the BJP's and Narendra Modi's policies are clear: every citizen has the constitutional right to get justice in the least amount of time. We are dedicated to doing that," Amit Shah said. Earlier at a news conference in Thiruvananthipuram on April 21, P Chidambaram had said that if the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre, it will repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the three criminal laws brought in by the by the BJP government.(ANI) Tihar Jail Director General (Prisons), Sanjay Beniwal, on Tuesday assured that food is provided on schedule to all inmates, and any delay is due to necessary checks. While speaking about the Aam Aadmi Party's claim that the Delhi Chief Minister is not being given insulin, he claims that he oversees 900-1000 inmates with diabetes, and dismisses these concerns, saying, "These are not issues, but if people raise it for political issues, I do not enter into that." "There is a fixed time for giving food and through a court order, he gets home food. If it takes 5 to 7 minutes till the time it reaches him after checking, it is bound to happen. Around 900-1000 inmates have diabetes...I am managing between 900-1000 patients every day out of the inmate population. For me, these are not issues but if people raise it for political issues, I do not enter into that," Tihar Jail Director General (Prisons), Sanjay Beniwal, told ANI. He also revealed that each jail has a visiting judge to inspect and listen to inmates' grievances. "Every jail has a visiting judge who checks whether everyone has the health facilities they should have, whether there is medicine, whether the place where the inmates sleep is clean, whether the bathroom is clean, and whether they have access to legal redressal. Every jail has an appointed visiting judge who checks and gives his report based on which corrections also happen, and he (the visiting judge) also listens to the inmates' grievances. So if there is a grievance, there is a process to write it, and we will process it," he told ANI. Speaking on Arvind Kejriwal writing to the Tihar Jail Superintendent, the Tihar Jail Director General said, "There are 20,000 people living here with me, everyone has some or the other problem, some real, some perceived, but if there are problems, then we have to arrange for their redressal." Earlier, Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had earlier levelled allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, claiming that every morsel being consumed by her husband is being monitored and attempts are being made to "kill" him in jail by denying him insulin. Sunita Kejriwal has claimed that the Delhi Chief Minister is being denied insulin in jail, despite having taken it for the past 12 years. She has also alleged that there is a conspiracy to harm CM Kejriwal. "Many people say politics is a very dirty thing, and it's true. There is a camera over his food, his every morsel is being monitored...He is a sugar patient, and he has been taking 50 units of insulin every day for the last 12 years. But he is not being given insulin in jail. They want to kill Delhi's CM," the wife of the AAP national convenor said. Meanwhile, the Tihar Jail Administration submitted a report to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor on Monday regarding the health status of Kejriwal, who has been lodged in Tihar jail since April 1 this year. According to the report, Kejriwal was on insulin for diabetes control. The report also called it "incorrect" to say that the Chief Minister was being denied insulin by jail authorities. Earlier on Friday, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court reserved an order on a plea moved by Kejriwal seeking direction from Tihar jail authorities to administer insulin and allow him to consult doctors through video conferencing daily for 15 minutes with respect to his acute diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar level. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the ED about the Delhi Excise Policy case. The trial court, on April 15, extended the judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal until April 23. The ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. (ANI) The Delhi High Court has dismissed the bail plea of accused Salim Malik, alias Munna, in connection with the northeast Delhi violence case. The case was registered by the Delhi Police under Sections 3/4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Sections 13/16/17/18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, commonly known as "UAPA," were also invoked in the case. While denying him bail on April 22, the division bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain said, "In the present case, there is enough material on record which clearly indicates that the appellant/Salim Malik herein was a co-conspirator and has committed the offence for which he has been charge-sheeted. Therefore, in view of the bar provided under Section 45 D (5) of UAPA, we do not find any merit in the present appeal and the same is accordingly dismissed." "In view of the factual matrix of the case and statements of the witnesses recorded during the investigation, we find that the accusation made against the appellant makes out a prima facie true case against him," said the court. The appellant earlier, in his bail application filed before the Trial Court, pleaded that he was not an accused or co-conspirator and had been falsely implicated in the present case; he was not a member of any WhatsApp group in the present case; the role attributed to him did not fall under the terrorist act; there had been a delay of more than 10 days in registration of the present FIR; the disclosure statement had no evidentiary value; no recovery of weapon had been made at the instance of the appellant; no independent witness had been linked to justify his role in the alleged offence; he had been in judicial custody since June 25, 2020; and charge-sheet in the present case has been filed. The prosecution, while opposing the plea, submitted that even though the appellant may not be a part of the WhatsApp group, it is quite obvious from the statements of various witnesses that he attended the meetings and took an active part in relation to hatching the conspiracy to commit riots. At this initial stage of the case, when the court has yet to ascertain charges and then embark on trial, the statements of witnesses examined by the prosecution during the investigation have to be taken at their face value. According to the prosecution, the riots, which took place in the capital city of Delhi in the year 2020, were the result of a deep-rooted conspiracy, wherein the appellant was a co-conspirator. The preparators and conspirators of such riots had learned from the riots that had earlier taken place in December 2019, which had similar characteristics and modus operandi, albeit on a lower scale. The objective of the conspirators was to escalate protests to chakka jam and once a crowd was mobilised, lead and incite them against the police and others. In order to give a secular look, secular names/Hindu names were given to protest sites. The conspiracy involved moving from the protest site to designated locations and blocking the main road and highways, thereby creating confrontal situations, communal violence, attacking police and paramilitary forces, and damaging public and private property by using petrol bombs, firearms, deadly weapons, acid bombs, stones, chilli powder, etc. Finances were also arranged and utilised in organising such violence. According to the prosecution, the entire chain of events, clearly reflects conspiracy and from the testimony of witnesses recorded under Section 161 CrPC and Section 164 CrPC as well as from electronic evidence, i.e., chats of WhatsApp groups, it was clear that the appellant was a co-conspirator, stated Delhi Police. (ANI) Senior Chinese and Australian trade officials have agreed to further give full play to the potential of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and promote a deeper and more solid economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. According to the Chinese Embassy in Australia on Monday, at the second meeting of the China-Australia FTA Joint Committee held in Canberra last Tuesday, the two sides highly valued the results achieved since the implementation of the agreement and fully affirmed the important role played by the FTA in promoting the development of bilateral economic and trade relations. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the FTA since its entry into force in the areas of goods, services, investment, finance, movement of natural persons, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, according to an embassy statement on Monday. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on issues of concern to each other, and discussed the overall review of the agreement and the next working arrangements, it said. The China-Australia FTA Joint Committee meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Fei and Deputy Secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade George Mina. Adish C. Aggarwala, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday, requesting to introduce suitable amendments in statutes to provide the appointment of sitting judges instead of retired judges to tribunals and commissions. In his letter, Adish said, "I wish to highlight the impact of the appointment of retired judges of the Supreme Court and high courts as chairpersons and members of commissions and tribunals and other such positions by the government on the perception of people about the neutrality of these judges and of the decisions that had been rendered by these judges while they were in service. The government is, as is well known, the biggest litigant in the courts. Apart from cases by or against the government, there are cases involving ministers and other politically active persons. The judge who is deciding a case is looked on as an impartial umpire who is not approachable by either party." "When this judge is, immediately upon retirement, handpicked by the government to hold a certain position, people cannot help but speculate if the judge was appeasing the government when occupying the chair to be favourably considered by the government on his retirement, in return for the favour," he added. The President of the Supreme Court Bar Association also mentioned that this trend had started in 1988, during the regime of the Congress Party at the Centre. "The Consumer Protection Act and later the Protection of Human Rights Act set up consumer courts and human rights commissions, which were headed by retired judges. There is now a large number of retired Supreme Court judges, chief Justices and judges of different high courts who are presiding over commissions and tribunals in different parts of India, having been appointed by the central and state governments," he pointed out. He also mentioned that there is a crying need to amend the statutes to change the eligibility requirement from a retired judge to sitting judges or practicing lawyers, as of the 21 judges who retired from the Supreme Court from January 2008 to 2011, 18 got assignments in different commissions and tribunals. Adish Aggarwala further added that the Constitution itself provides for the direct appointment of advocates as judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. If advocates can be considered for being appointed as judges of important constitutional courts, there is no reason why they should not be in the zone of consideration for heading tribunals and commissions. He also said that the services of judges should be profitably used in courts for longer tenures by raising the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 years to 68 years and that of High Court judges from 62 years to 65 years. Further, pointing out the phenomenon that when a judge resigns or retires from the post, they join active politics. "There is another phenomenon that is bringing disrepute to the legal profession and particularly the judiciary. This happens when a judge resigns or retires and immediately joins active politics. I wish to refer to the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, adopted by the United Nations Congress on September 6, 1985. and endorsed by its General Assembly, which recognise that judges may enjoy the freedoms afforded to other citizens but must "conduct themselves in such a manner as to preserve the dignity of their office and the impartiality and independence of the judiciary," the letter said. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused the Congress and INDIA bloc members of betraying the country by presenting a "deceitful manifesto." Speaking at a public meeting in Hasanpur, Amroha, in support of Kanwar Singh Tanwar, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated, "The Samajwadi Party has crossed the limits of shamelessness. They had the audacity to withdraw cases against terrorists who attacked Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and the Sankat Mochan Temple in Kashi. However, the judiciary thwarted SP's intentions." He further stated that during the Congress government, whenever a terrorist incident occurred, they would "put oil in their ears" and ignore it." He continued, "The court sharply criticised the SP, warning that if they can withdraw cases against terrorists today, they might tomorrow shamelessly compromise the country's security by awarding them the Padma Award. The judiciary will not permit such actions." "Today is Hanuman Jayanti. Modi ji has facilitated the installation of Shri Ram's idol, who is the idol of Lord Hanuman in Ayodhya. Therefore, 'Jo Ram ko laaye hain, hum unko layenge aur kamal khilayenge," CM Yogi said. CM Yogi remarked that prior to 2014, there were frequent terrorist incidents and bomb blasts, instilling fear among people. However, terrorism has been effectively curbed since 2014. "By 2019, Modi ji took decisive action to revoke Article 370, which was the foundation of terrorism. This led to the eradication of terrorism from India. Now, even when a firecracker explodes, Pakistan promptly denies involvement. Even our adversaries recognize India's strength. They understand that if terrorist incidents occur in India and innocent lives are lost, they will face consequences," he remarked. Asserting that the BJP prioritizes development, the CM stated, "The distance from Amroha to Delhi is just 165 km. Before 2014, it took five hours to travel this distance. Congress failed to appreciate the importance of convenience and time. We are linking Amroha with the Ganga Expressway. Now, one can reach Delhi in just one and a half hours, Lucknow in four hours, and Prayagraj in six hours." In a jibe at the Congress, CM Yogi remarked that the party had coined the slogan 'Gareebi Hatao' in 1970. He added, "Instead of alleviating poverty, one family gained unfettered access to plunder the nation's resources, whether it was the family in Delhi or in Saifai. They indulged in rampant corruption and instigated chaos." Yogi added, "The then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, had asserted that Muslims have the first right to the country's resources. So, where does that leave the Dalits, Backward Classes, Kharagvanshis, Semis, poor, farmers, mothers, sisters, and youth?" The CM accused the Congress and INDIA bloc members of betraying the country by presenting a deceitful manifesto. He stated that their promise to implement strict laws if elected, is misleading. "Congress says that they will implement Sharia law, which means they want to create a threat to the Constitution made by Babasaheb Ambedkar. They want to implement the Taliban rule," he said. He emphasized that India will be governed by the Constitution crafted by Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and not by any arbitrary law. "They claim they will seize public property and then distribute it. Do you want to let the SP and Congress plunder the assets your ancestors worked hard to acquire? Look at the audacity of these people. On one hand, they have their eyes on your property, and on the other, they are reading 'Fatiha' on the graves of mafias and criminals," he added. The Chief Minister stated that he had campaigned for Mahendra Kharagvanshi in both 2017 and 2022. He is consistently advancing development initiatives. Mahendra Kharagvanshi, along with Kanwar Singh Tanwar, has been tirelessly working towards fulfilling the vision once cherished by Kalyan Singh. "In line with Kalyan Singh's sentiments, the Ram temple was constructed in Ayodhya. However, when Kalyan Singh passed away, not a single member from the SP attended. These people have insulted Kalyan Singh", CM Yogi asserted. The Chief Minister emphasized that the schemes of the Modi government are now benefiting the poor and the underprivileged, regardless of their caste. "In the 10 years of Modi ji's rule, many works of development and poor welfare have been done. Considering that Congress held power for 65 years, SP had four terms in government, and BSP also had its chance, one must ask, what did they truly accomplish? Their priorities appeared to center more around self-enrichment through corruption rather than addressing the needs of the impoverished. There was a lack of genuine concern for the poor. Indira Gandhi had given the slogan 'Gareebi Hatao,' even the grandson is repeating the same thing like a parrot." The Chief Minister underscored the pivotal role of voting, warning against the consequences of entrusting power to the wrong hands, which could potentially fuel terrorism. Conversely, endorsing the BJP ensures a staunch approach to quelling terrorism emanating from across the border, he remarked, "Today, Pakistan acknowledges India's targeted elimination of terrorists." The CM said, "Last time, there was a betrayal. The MP you elected doesn't even utter 'Bharat Maa ki Jai.' Initially supported by the 'elephant', (BSP), he exploited all available resources and now seeks to exploit them with the support of 'hand' (Congress). It's crucial not to vote for someone who doesn't honor our nation. This nation and its destiny are in your hands. Modi's leadership is once again essential for our security, prosperity, and to elevate India as a global powerhouse. Those advocating for India's progress and prosperity stand in support of PM Modi." On this occasion, BJP District President Uday Giri Goswami, Legislative Council Member Satyapal Singh Saini, District Incharge Satyapal Pal, Hari Singh Dhillon, MLA Mahendra Singh Kharagvanshi, Rajiv Tarara, District Panchayat President Lalit Panwar, Regional Vice President Rajesh Singhal, former MLA Totaram, Sangeeta Chauhan, and Hasanpur Municipality President Rajpal Saini were present. (ANI) Strongly refuting Congress allegations that BJP would change the constitution if returned to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the opposition party over remarks of its south Goa candidate pertaining to constitutional provisions coming into force in the coastal state following its liberation in 1961 and said this is "insult of India's constitution and of Baba Sahab Ambedkar." Addressing a rally here, PM Modi took several jibes at the Congress and said "appeasement and vote bank politics are in the DNA of Congress." "I have come to seek your abundant blessings. Our country has come a long way in the last 10 years, but a lot of work still remains. The previous government in Chhattisgarh did not allow my work to progress here, now that Vishnu Deo Sai is here so I have to complete that work also...." PM Modi referred to the reported remarks of Congress MP DK Suresh in February this year that there is a possibility of a proposal of a separate nation of the southern states if they do not get the due share of taxes from the Centre. The Prime Minister also referred to reports of remarks of Captain Viriato Fernandes, Congress candidate from South Goa, that the Indian Constitution was "forced" upon Goans after it was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961. "Congress has now started another big game. First, the Congress MP from Karnataka said that South India will be declared a separate country and now the Congress candidate from Goa is saying that the country's constitution does not apply to Goa, the country's constitution was imposed on Goa and he has told this to Congress 'Shehzada' (Rahul Gandhi). This means the leader gave his silent consent. This is a deliberate move to break the nation. This is an insult of India's Consitution and Baba Saheb Ambedkar," PM Modi said. At a corner meeting in South Goa, Fernandes recalled a conversation he had on 'dual citizenship' with Rahul Gandhi in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and stated that Congress leader had expressed that the demand will not be considered if it is unconstitutional. The Congress candidate also talked of India's constitution "forced" on Goans, noting that Goa was not part of India when the constitution was implemented. Goa Chief minister Pramod Sawant also hit out at Congress' South Goa's candidate over his remarks pertaining to the constitution. . "I am appalled by the comments from Congress's South Goa candidate claiming the Indian Constitution was forcefully imposed upon Goans. Our freedom fighters believed wholeheartedly that Goa is an inseparable part of India. Congress delayed Goa's liberation by 14 years. Now, their candidate dares to undermine the Indian Constitution? Congress must stop this reckless Bharat Todo politics immediately. Congress is a threat to our democracy," Goa Chief Minister posted on X. In his remarks, PM Modi also referred to allegations of Congress leaders that the BJP will change the constitution if it returns to power. He asserted that nobody can change the constitution. He also spoke about the government's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. "Some people of Jammu and Kashmir also used to say that the Constitution of India will not work here. You blessed Modi and today Baba Saheb's Constitution has been implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. Appeasement and vote bank politics are in the DNA of Congress. For appeasement, even if Congress has to snatch the rights of Dalits, backward and tribals, it will not take even a second to do so," he said. Lok Sabha elections are being held in three phases in Chhattisgarh. Polling for one parliamentary seat was held on April 19, while voting for the remaining 10 seats will be held on April 26 and May 7. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh, BJP won nine out of the 11 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress got two seats. The Lok Sabha elections this year are being held from April 19 to June 1. (ANI) Karnataka: In the lead-up to the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Brijesh Chowta, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Dakshina Kannada, criticized the ruling party in the state, alleging that the Congress consistently seeks to appease the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). The BJP has named Brijesh Chowta, a former army officer and entrepreneur, as its replacement for incumbent Dakshina Kannada MP and former Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel. The BJP candidate also spoke on Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks about the Congress party's manifesto promises. The PM had alleged that the Congress party intends to implement policies that would seize immovable assets and women's gold and distribute them among various groups. "DK Shiv Kumar is trying to consolidate his vote bank in Karnataka, so he's trying to appease the sections and wants to reach out. That is what they have been doing. The Congress party, under Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, tries to appease the PFI-SDPI for a vote bank," said Chowta. Earlier, DK Shivakumar emphasized that the Prime Minister, as the head of the country, has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, and said that "he should treat all people equally without differentiation." "The Prime Minister should be aware that he has taken an oath to the Constitution. As the Head of the country, he should treat all people equally without differentiation. Sending divisive messages across the country and the world is unfair and sends a negative message," Shivakumar said while speaking to a section of the media here on Monday. BJP's Brijesh Chowta said, "This time there is an open alliance in Karnataka. All sorts of forces got together to defeat Modi, but the people of this country will deliver a thumping majority to PM Narendra Modi on June 4." Asked about Congress leader Manish Tiwari's remark that "BJP will be wiped in South, halved in North, and that the BJP will not be able to cross the 150 marks, forget the 400," Chowta said that the BJP has been discussing issues with the people on the ground level while the Congress party has been discussing the issues while sitting in AC chambers. "The problem with the Congress party is that they have been sitting in AC chambers and discussing issues with the urban Naxal, but we BJP workers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been working on the ground level, meeting with the people, and reaching out to all sections of society," he said. "While working at ground level, we can see the love and affection that people are showering upon PM Modi. He had recently come to a road show in Mangalore and everybody watched people respond to it grandly," he added. Expressing confidence in sweeping all 28 seats in the state, Chowta said, "There are just 3 days left for Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha election and I can assure everyone that we are going to win all 28 seats in Karnataka under PM Modi's leadership." Asked about Congress' allegation that BJP purportedly using the Hubbali murder case as a means to "divide society,", Chowta said, "The incident wherein the daughter of a Congress corporator was stabbed to death was a gruesome incident and the sad part is that the Congress is trying to trivialize the issue, that is the whole matter." The Lok Sabha elections for 28 seats in Karnataka are scheduled to take place over two phases, with polling slated for April 26 and May 7. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. In 2019, the BJP won 25 out of the 28 seats, while the Congress party was only able to win one seat. This election comes after the Congress party stormed into power with a massive victory in the assembly polls last year. (ANI) The Delhi Municipal Corporation has sent a formal request to the Election Commission seeking permission to conduct elections for the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor on April 26. This move comes in light of the ongoing implementation of the Model Code of Conduct due to the Lok Sabha elections. Due to the Model code of conduct in force, amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the country, it becomes necessary for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to seek permission for the mayoral elections. "On April 26, Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections are going to take place...We have moved the file to L-G and the Election Commission. In the normal course of action, there is no role of EC in Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections, however, this time, the Lok Sabha election is happening and the Code of Conduct is in force, hence in MCC the permission of EC is mandatory... As soon as we get the permission from Election Commission, then elections will take place on April 26," said MCD Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi. Earlier, the date of polls to elect the new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Delhi was scheduled for April 26. "The Ordinary April (2024) Meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will be held on Friday the 26th April, 2024 at 11.00 am at Aruna Asaf Ali Sabhagar A-Block, 4th Floor, Dr SP Mukherjee Civic Centre, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg New Delhi. Election of Mayor and Dy Mayor will also be held in the same meeting," read the notice issued by the office of the Municipal Secretary of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Mahesh Khichi for the post of mayor and Ravinder Bhardwaj for deputy mayor while the BJP has fielded Kishan Lal. Meanwhile, the Congress party has announced that they will support the AAP candidate. Last year, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates Shelly Oberoi and Aaley Muhammad Iqbal were re-elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Delhi respectively after BJP candidates withdrew their nominations. (ANI) All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Rafiqul Islam said that apart from fighting in three Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, it would support any strong candidate against the BJP in the remaining 11 seats. "We are contesting three out of 14 seats in Assam- Dhubri, Nagaon and Karimganj. In the remaining 11 seats we would prefer if any non-BJP candidate win the election. We would like it if BJP is reduced to zero in Assam. If Congress and its allied parties win in the 11 seats, we do not have any objection...," Islam said, speaking to ANI after releasing the party manifesto in Guwahati on Tuesday. The AIDUF MLA said that the Congress has betrayed its partners in the INDIA bloc by not giving enough seats to its allies in Assam. "The Congress party should have given some more seats to its partners in the alliance, like the CPM, Trinamool and Aam Aadmi Party. They have only fielded Lurinjyoti and betrayed other parties. In the end, the Aam Aadmi Party, CPM, Trinamool fielded their own candidates. This has made it easy for the BJP. We have this objection against the Congress," Islam said. Speaking about the non-Congress candidates that his party is supporting in the 11 Lok Sabha seats where they are not contesting, the AIDUF leader said that they are supporting Bodoland People's Front (BPF) candidate Durga Das Boro from Darang Udalguri Lok Sabha constituency, Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPM candidate Manoranjan Talukdar from Barpeta and Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Radheshyam Biswas from Silchar. "We have seen that in Darang Udalguri Lok Sabha constituency, BPF has fielded a strong candidate against BJP. We had also fought together in the last Assembly polls...Durga Das Boro won the assembly polls with our support...In Barpeta we have seen the CPM candidate Manoranjan Talukdar since he is a strong candidate against the BJP. The Congress has betrayed him," Islam said. "Similarly, in Silchar, the Trinamool was not allowed to contest from the INDIA bloc. So we are supporting Radheshyam Biswas who has been an MP. The TMC is putting up a fight against the BJP in Silchar. The Congress is way behind," he added. The AIUDF MLA underlined that it does not have any problem if the Congress or its allies wins against the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. "Though we have no interest in the other seats as we are not contesting from there, if the Congress and the other parties in its alliance win against the BJP we have no problem," Islam said. Underlining that they are not in alliance with the Congress, the AIUDF leader stressed that they are not weakening the Congress' fight against the BJP. He also pointed out that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is in alliance with the Congress, has fielded its own candidates in Assam. "We are not in alliance with the Congress. We are independent. Our fight is against the BJP. We are not with the Congress. But if you look at the Aam Aadmi Party which has a seat-sharing pact with the Congress in Delhi, is fighting against the Congress in Assam. So what is wrong with our choice?" Islam said. Rubbishing the BJP's target of winning 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls as yet another lie, the AIDUF leader said that their candidates after winning from the three seats will be supporting the non-BJP government at the Centre. "BJP's '400 paar' target is a 'jumla'. BJP engages in such things. When it fails to cross even 200 seats, it will say that it was a 'jumla'. After the first phase, political analysts say that the BJP did not fare well. A non-BJP government will be formed in Delhi. Our three candidates will win and support the non-BJP government," Islam said. Advocating for madrasas in Assam, Islam said, "Madrasa is our educational institution. Our children go to schools as well. We want every child in Assam whether Muslim or from other community to go to schools and get religious education along with it. This is to put an end to violence, drugs menance, alcoholism, gambling, oppression..." The second phase of polls will be held in five parliamentary constituencies in Assam - Karimganj, Silchar, Diphu, Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri on April 26. Notably, Assam has 14 Lok Sabha constituencies, of which five--Kaziranga, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, and Jorhat--went to the polls on April 19. In the third phase, voting will be held in the Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Barpeta, and Guwahati parliamentary constituencies. The counting will take place on June 4. (ANI) Aligarh, one of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha constituencies is all set to vote on April 26, the second phase of the general elections. The Aligarh constituency comprises the districts of Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj and Hathras with a total of 17 assembly seats. Khair, Baroli, Atroli, Kol and Aligarh city are assembly segments in the Aligarh parliamentary constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking to retain the seat for the third consecutive time while the Samajwadi Party (SP) is throwing a formidable challenge for the ruling party. BJP has fielded incumbent MP Satish Gautam for the third time who will take on Samajwadi Party's Bijendra Singh. The Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) has fielded Hitendra Upadhyay aka Bunty, a former BJP leader, for the Aligarh Lok Sabha seat. In 2014, Gautam defeated BSP's Arvind Kumar Singh by 2.9 lakh votes, while in 2019, he triumphed over BSP's Ajeet Balyan, securing 6.6 votes against Balyan's 4.3 lakh. Meanwhile, an independent candidate, Pandit Keshav Dev, made a distinctive statement during his campaign by wearing a garland of slippers around his neck. Embracing his allocated poll symbol, a pair of slippers, Keshav was seen proudly adorning a white turban as he was accompanied by his supporters. The parliamentary seat had a voter turnout of 61.68 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In Aligarh, views on this Lok Sabha election seem to vary, with some expressing their support for the incumbent government while others seeking a change of guard. Mohammad Salim, a resident hailed the ruling BJP and wished for the party forming the government once again at the Centre. "I have witnessed several governments in my lifetime, but the ruling one has done a lot for the welfare of the people in the last 10 years. We have free ration and you will find that electricity is available 24X7 for us. They (BJP) have done great work in its tenure. I want the return of the Modi government," he said. Another resident while listing the works done in the last ten years said the schemes and initiatives initiated by the central government have been proved beneficial for the people of the parliamentary constituency. "In the last 10 years, our MP has done a lot of developmental works for the constituency. There was a saying - the one with slippers cannot travel by aeroplane, now we have all those facilities available for us. Beautification of the railway station has been done. In our Aligarh, defence corridor was also built. As far as the farmers are concerned, electricity and other basic needs have also been considered. The Kisan Samman Nidhi is also coming into our accounts on time. Other schemes of the Centre such as Ujjawala Yojana have also been proved beneficial for us," he said. However, for several, crucial issues like infrastructure, communal harmony and unemployment dominate discussions. Pinku, a resident said that the 'controversial statements' given by the sitting MP of Aligarh often create disturbance for the harmony in the constituency which has a sizable number of Muslim population. According to the 2011 Census, Islam is the second-most popular religion in Aligarh city, a lock-making hub in western Uttar Pradesh, with over 40 per cent of people following it. "The MP Saheb (Satish Gautam) has done nothing and this is the reason that he is facing protest by the people wherever he is going to seek votes. Irrespective of caste and religion, people are against him. He often gives controversial statements which, somehow affect the harmony. I am going to vote for development and education," he said. Kamaluddin, another resident echoed a similar sentiment and expressed his hope for further development for Aligarh's constituency. "Aligarh MP has done nothing for the development of the constituency. We expect progress for our Lok Sabha from the government whichever will be formed," he said. For the farmers of Aligarh, Satha Sugar Mill which has been closed for years also has come up as one of the most prominent poll issues. "As I belong to a farmer family, I hope that the sugar mill that has remained closed for years will get reopened," Kamaluddin added. Another resident, Harendra Pal Singh said, "I did not find any change in the last 10 years. People, here are worried about their basic needs. Now, we have lots of expectations for the upcoming five years. I would like to see a change in the government. I am a farmer and as a cultivator, our basic need is MSP. They promised for this but it was not fulfilled. We also want the upgradation of the Satha Sugar Mill." "We really wish that the new MP, whoever is elected, will implement all the schemes launched by the Centre," another added. Campaigning by the political parties appears subdued, with parties targeting specific demographics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a fresh attack on the Congress on its claim that the PM had lied about their manifesto and said that if the Congress forms govt, it will "confiscate property and money of the people and even take away 'mangalsutra' and jewellery of women ('streedhan'). "Today, I must warn the people of Aligarh and the nation about the dangerous intentions of Congress and 'INDI Alliance', the PM said. Hitting back his remark, Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of Samajwadi Party (SP) which is going to polls in alliance with the Congress in the state, said that the trends of election results are visible from the BJP leaders' speeches. Addressing a rally in support of the INDIA bloc candidates of Aligarh and Hathras, Yadav said, "Although the election trends come later, now you must have heard the speech of the people of Delhi (PM) and the people of Lucknow (CM). The trends of the election results are visible in the speeches of those who are about to go out of power." With employment emerging as a key electoral issue, political candidates are aiming to address these concerns. SP candidate Bijendra Singh has highlighted rising unemployment and the need for Hindu-Muslim unity in his campaign. On the other hand, incumbent MP Satish Gautam of the BJP has also promised to prioritize job creation. (ANI) Germany has arrested three people suspected of supplying sensitive technologies to China, whereas, the UK has arrested two, reported Al Jazeera. The prosecutors in Berlin said that the three German nationals had handed technologies with potential military purposes to Chinese intelligence, with whom they have been working since at least June 2022. Meanwhile, the UK said the arrested duo were providing "prejudicial information" to Beijing, according to Al Jazeera. These arrests come as Western states continue to express concern over China's economic and geopolitical policies. Moreover, the trio arrested in Germany is also accused of exporting a special laser without permission, which was highlighted as violating the country's export laws. Reacting to these arrests, the Chinese embassy in Berlin said Beijing firmly rejected accusations that it carried out spying activities in Germany, reported Al Jazeera. The federal prosecutor identified the main suspect as Thomas R, known as an agent for a China-based employee of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). Herwig F and Ina F - a married couple who run a company in Dusseldorf - were recruited to procure cooperation from researchers. The couple, through their company, concluded a cooperation agreement with a German university, part of which involved preparing a study for a Chinese contractor on machine parts that can be used for operating powerful marine engines such as combat ships, the statement said. The Chinese contract partner was the same MSS employee from whom Thomas R received his orders, and all three suspects worked together, the statement added. According to the prosecutors, the suspects bought the special laser from Germany on behalf of and with payment from the MSS and exported it to China without authorisation. German authorities accused the suspects of violating the country's Foreign Trade and Payments Act (FTPA), which criminalises economic espionage, Al Jazeera reported. German authorities said the alleged cooperation with the Chinese state service began around "an indeterminable date before June 2022". Following their arrest, all three will be arraigned at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, southwest Germany on Tuesday, and could face a fine or imprisonment of up to five or 10 years, according to local media reports. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the arrests "a great success for our counterespionage". "We are keeping an eye on the significant danger from Chinese espionage in business, industry and science," she said in a statement. "We are watching these risks and threats very closely and have warned and sensitized people clearly so that protective measures can be stepped up everywhere." Moreover, the arrests come just days after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited China, where, he pressed Beijing to guarantee German firms equal market access and also conveyed concerns in Europe about Beijing's economic policies and support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. (ANI) Iran's Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi on the occasion of Iran Army Day stressed that the Indian Ocean has connected two friendly countries (Iran and India) and has provided the basis for mutual cooperation between the two sides on maritime security. The Iran Army Day was celebrated in the national capital on Monday. "The Indian Ocean has connected two friendly countries together and has provided the basis for mutual cooperation between the two sides to ensure maritime security," Elahi said during his speech. The Iranian envoy emphasised that having a strong military power to deter and deal with threats is of utmost importance today, as the insecurity and war in the world are threatening human life. "In today's turbulent world, where the global equations are not based on ethics, humane and just principles, but, based on force and double standards, in a world where insecurity and war threaten human life more than ever, having a strong military power to deter and deal with threats is not only inevitable but of utmost importance," he said. He further highlighted that the contemporary history of the world has seen many conflicts, adding that in recent decades many wars have been seen in Europe, Asia and Africa. "In such circumstances, Iran is proud to be the anchor of stability and security in the West Asian region with its independent, self-reliant and strong armed forces," Elahi added. The Iranian envoy stressed that the message of Iran's armed forces to all neighbouring countries and the world is peace, friendship and security. "The approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran is grounded on peace, friendship and cooperation. Meanwhile, it defends its security and national interest fiercely against any threat," he said. Moreover, he noted that the military doctrine of Iran is based on active defence and deterrence. "Deterrence for the establishment of peace and security at the national and regional levels." Additionally, commending the Indian-Iran ties, he said that the historical and cultural ties have brought the two great nations of Iran and India together throughout history. (ANI) Haleem Adil Sheikh, in his statement, said that it was decided to reschedule the public gathering in the party's political committee meeting. He added that now the PTI's public gathering would be held adjacent to the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam on May 5 instead of April 28, reported ARY News. The PTI Sindh president further said that his party had approached the Deputy Commissioner East and sought permission for the gathering. He said that upon refusal by the administration for a non-objection certificate, the PTI moved the Sindh High Court. Moreover, Haleem Adil Sheikh highlighted that their petition is fixed for a hearing on April 26. "Hopefully we will get permission from the SHC to hold a Jalsa (public gathering) in Karachi," the PTI Sindh chief said, according to ARY News. He considered that the Sindh government is 'afraid' of the PTI's popularity, terming it a reason for not getting permission from the provincial government. The PTI had announced a country-wide protest against what it called rigging in the elections and theft of its mandate in the general elections. Last week, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), led by Maulana Fazl, and Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have "agreed on increasing party-level contacts" as the former pulled up for starting a nationwide movement against election rigging. Asad Qaiser, the central leader of the PTI, verified that he spoke with JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the phone. Qaiser asserted that by "stealing public mandate" in the general elections of 2024, both parties repudiated the entire process that resulted in the formation of the current government. (ANI) Song Tao, a senior Taiwan affairs official of the Chinese mainland, met with a delegation of Taiwan business people led by Liu Chao-shiuan, co-president of the Cross-Strait CEO Summit, on Monday in Changzhou city of east China's Jiangsu Province. The Chinese mainland will firmly oppose "Taiwan independence" and promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations on the basis of upholding the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, said Song, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. Always taking into account the wellbeing of Taiwan compatriots, the mainland will share with people of Taiwan the development opportunities brought by Chinese modernization and make efforts to meet their needs and help them address difficulties, he said. Song expressed the hope that the Cross-Strait CEO Summit could pool the strength of business people across the Taiwan Strait and serve as a bridge for cross-Strait industrial cooperation, he said. Noting that people on both sides of the Strait are members of the Chinese nation and one family, Liu pledged that the Taiwan side of the summit will try its best to boost integrated development of industrial and supply chains across the Strait, promote cross-Strait economic cooperation and work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. Liu met with Guo Jinlong, president of the mainland side of the summit, in Nanjing Sunday. The two sides agreed on the theme of the 2024 summit and reached consensus on several key issues. The UK Parliament has passed the contentious bill, allowing the government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for their claims to be considered by the East African nation, reported CNN. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's efforts to pass the bill had been stuck between opposition in the Houses of Parliament and challenges in the British courts, as lawmakers and activists have sought to scupper the legislation on human rights grounds. Moreover, Sunak's inability to implement the policy has caused considerable embarrassment, as the British government has sent millions of pounds to Rwanda to fund a scheme that has failed to deliver any results to date, CNN reported. It has been designed to prevent irregular migration into the UK, particularly people travelling on illegal and dangerous small boats from France, arranged by criminal gangs. Meanwhile, in theory, the legislation will see some landing in the UK sent to Rwanda where their asylum claim will be considered. If their claim is accepted, they will stay in Rwanda. If it is declined, the bill says they cannot be deported by Rwanda to anywhere other than the UK, though it is unclear what would ultimately happen in this scenario. The scheme was first conceived in 2022 when, Sunak, who became prime minister then, made it the mission of his government to put a stop to these arrivals by following through on a Conservative pledge to "stop the boats". Two years after the scheme was first conceived, the absence of any deportations so far has been considered a major failure for Sunak, CNN reported. Last year, the Supreme Court of the UK ruled that the policy is unlawful "because there are substantial grounds for believing that asylum seekers would face a real risk of ill-treatment by reason of refoulement to their country of origin if they were removed to Rwanda." Refoulement is the practice where asylum seekers or refugees are forcibly returned to a place where they would face persecution or danger, against important principles of international human rights law. The judges noted that as recently as 2021, the UK government criticized Rwanda for "extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and torture." The government responded by introducing the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill in January of this year, which effectively enshrines in UK law that Rwanda is a safe country, overriding the judges' concerns. Home Secretary James Cleverly, in a video posted on X on Monday, said that "the Safety of Rwanda Bill has passed in Parliament and it will become law within days." He added that the act would "prevent people from abusing the law by using false human rights claims to block removals. And it makes clear that the UK Parliament is sovereign, giving the government the power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts," reported CNN. However, even with the bill passed, the government might face legal challenges in the European Court of Human Rights, as the UK is still a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. The European court has previously barred it from sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. The bill has suffered long delays because of attempts to amend it. A process colloquially known as "ping pong," where the two parts of the UK's parliament - the House of Commons and the House of Lords - send legislation back and forth, has been going on for months. Every time the House of Lords makes amendments to the bill, the House of Commons, where Sunak has a majority, must vote to remove them, according to CNN. In 2022, the number of people arriving by small boats was 45,744, according to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. Moreover, net migration in the same year was 745,000, according to government figures. This is a problem for Sunak and his governing Conservative Party, as they are set to face the public in a general election that must be called before the end of this year. Parties on the right - most notably Reform UK, the new political home of arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage, will push the issue of illegal migration as hard as possible. Notably, the opposition Labour party has already promised to scrap the Rwanda plans if it comes to power at the next general election, which must be held by January next year but is widely expected to take place later this year, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI) The Indian Muslim Community hosted Eid celebrations 2024 at the Indian Consulate in New York on Monday. Welcoming the gathering, the acting Consul General of India in New York, Dr Varun Jeph, highlighted the significance of Eid in India's cultural landscape, emphasizing its reflection of the nation's millennia-old composite culture and unity in diversity. "On April 21, 2024, the Indian Muslim Community (IMC) of NY/NJ/CT continued its tradition of showcasing unity and strength by hosting the Eid Celebrations 2024 at the Consulate General of India (CGI) in New York. The event began with a stirring Quran recitation and translation by Sumayya Ahmed, setting the tone for a day filled with cultural richness and community spirit," a press release read. Despite being unable to attend in person, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer conveyed his heartfelt wishes through a video message, emphasizing the theme of unity in love and faith during challenging times marked by division and bigotry. "Special citations from the State of New York were presented to IMC's founding member Ilayas Quraishi and others, recognizing their contributions to the community. Quraishi expressed humility and gratitude for the community's support in preserving the tradition of celebrating Eid at the CGI in New York," the release added. Reflecting on the journey of Indian Muslims in the United States, Quraishi emphasized the shared humanity and values of compassion, generosity, and unity that Eid represents. He acknowledged the responsibility of representing over 200 million Indian Muslims and Indian American Muslims in the United States. Meanwhile, Jenifer Rajkumar, New York State Assembly; the first Indian woman elected in the state, shared her deep connection with the Muslim community and her efforts to empower it. She highlighted initiatives such as expanding halal food options in public schools and ensuring the allowance of the Muslim call to prayer in New York City. New York State Senator John Liu acknowledged the significant Muslim population in India and the thriving Indian American community in New York, emphasizing the importance of unity and solidarity. Councilman Yusef Salaam highlighted the symbolic significance of Eid, representing gratitude, brotherhood, and unity among Muslims worldwide. The event also received messages of support from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and presentations from various community leaders, including Sibu Nair, Deputy Director of Asian American Affairs for New York State. The celebrations featured a diverse range of cultural performances, including explanations of Eid's significance, ghazal performances, traditional drumming, and stand-up comedy, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Indian Muslim community. (ANI) The European Commission announced adoption of specific rules on the issuing of multiple entry visas to Indian nationals, which are more favourable than the standard rules of the Visa Code that applied to date. This new visa 'cascade' regime, adopted on April 18, 2024, for Indian nationals residing in India who apply for Schengen (short-stay) visas in India will provide easier access to visas with multi-year validity for travellers with an established travel history, if the passport validity allows. According to the newly adopted visa "cascade" regime for India, Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years. The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals. This decision comes in the context of strengthened relations under the EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, which seeks comprehensive cooperation on migration policy between the EU and India, with facilitation of people-to-people contacts being of key aspect due to the importance of India as a partner for the EU. Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work. The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries (of which 25 are EU states): Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. (ANI) The United States and India regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues, a senior US State Department official said on Monday (local time) in response to an official report released. "What I will say is the US and India regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues," a senior official from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Robert S Gilchrist, told reporters after the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices was released by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "We strongly encourage, and urge India to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. We also regularly meet with civil society representatives, both in the US and India, to hear their perspectives, and those sorts of perspectives inform the Human Rights Report," he said. "And we encourage the Government of India to consult and meet regularly with civil society organizations representing a diversity of people. So there are a number of steps. It remains a key component of our - not just our dialogue but in terms of our engagement with India," he asserted. Gilchrist's remarks came in response to a query raised by a reporter of a Bangladesh news portal. US Secretary of State Blinken in his remarks on the annual report of the State Department which is mandated by the US Congress, addressed the human rights concerns stating, "The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to raise deeply troubling concerns for human rights." He added that the US has condemned the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks while urging Israel to minimize civilian harm in its response. The section on Israel, which runs 103 pages, documents "credible reports" of more than a dozen types of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detention, conflict-related sexual violence or punishment, and the punishment of family members for alleged offences by a relative. The resulting conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has had a "significant negative impact" on the human rights status in Israel, the report said. It further cited credible reports of "unlawful killings" by both Hamas and the Israeli government. Blinken said the United States would continue to make assessments about foreign nations' records on human rights, and potentially authorize consequences for countries that fall short, regardless of their status as an enemy or partner of the United States. (ANI) A day after the results of Pakistan by-elections were declared, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have raised serious allegations, asserting the involvement of intelligence and security agencies in orchestrating election rigging, Dawn reported. Describing April 21 as a "black day" in the annals of Pakistan's history, the PTI has called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to suspend the declaration of results and has announced a series of protests set to commence from the upcoming Friday. "[The] day of election is considered an accountability day, and people cast their votes with great zeal. However, on April 21, open and blatant violations of law were observed. The magnitude of the rigging and violation of law has never been observed in the history of Pakistan. Gates of polling stations were closed, and at some polling stations, more votes were polled than the total registered votes," PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan told a press conference, as reported by Dawn. Accompanied by prominent party figures including Omar Ayub, the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Raoof Hasan, Central Information Secretary, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Chief of Sunni Ittehad Council, Khan recounted instances of malpractice. "At one polling station, the candidate's father informed us that votes were already cast even though polling time had not yet begun. We have reported all complaints to the ECP, but the election watchdog took no action. We demand that the ECP conduct an inquiry and also share that how it will ensure that such rigging will not be repeated next time," he said. Questioning the efficacy of the ECP, Khan called for a comprehensive inquiry into the reported irregularities. He criticized the exclusion of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers from the judiciary, casting doubt on the ECP's credibility. "We went to another polling station but found out that our polling agents were forced to leave," Barrister Gohar said. Omar Ayub echoed Khan's sentiments, alleging pre-poll rigging facilitated by the suspension of internet services. He accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of undermining transparency in the electoral process. Ayub presented a letter allegedly penned by the RO of NA-8 Bajaur, accusing an intelligence official of assaulting election staff. However, the authenticity of the letter was subsequently contested by the Bajaur administration. "Punjab police picked up and badly beat journalists. We also heard reports of agency personnel wearing Punjab police uniforms. Police also misbehaved with us and claimed they were helpless. We will take legal action against the DIG Gujrat, SP Investigation, DSP and SHOs... who also assaulted journalists," he said, according to Dawn. Ayub also said that Shehbaz Sharif got lesser votes during the general elections than the candidate contesting on the PML-N ticket in by-election. ''This is beyond comprehension. "We will start protests, along with other parties, next Friday across the country. Then we will hold another protest in Faisalabad, followed by organising a public meeting in Karachi on May 5, and then a series of public meetings will be held across the country," he said. In response to these allegations, the PTI announced plans for nationwide protests, starting with demonstrations scheduled for the forthcoming Friday. Ayub outlined a series of planned actions, including protests in Faisalabad and Karachi, followed by a succession of public meetings across the country. He maintained that intelligence agencies obstructed voters from accessing polling stations, further exacerbating concerns regarding electoral integrity, Dawn reported. (ANI) Jian G, an aide of a far-right Member of the European Parliament, was arrested by the German police on spying charges for China late Monday, Al Jazeera reported. The prosecutors announced on Tuesday that Jian G is believed to have repeatedly passed information on the workings of the European Parliament to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). The arrest has provoked anger in Beijing while also spurring warnings in Europe that "democracy is under threat" ahead of EU elections in June. The German authorities did not specify which politician employed the arrested man. However, the media reported that the German national was an aide to Maximilian Krah. The Member of Parliament (MEP) is the lead candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party for the upcoming European Parliament election. Jian G was arrested in Dresden late on Monday and his apartment was searched, prosecutors said. As well as reporting on negotiations and decisions of the European Parliament in January, he also allegedly spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany. Berlin's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said the spying allegations were "extremely serious." "If it is confirmed that there was spying for Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, then that is an attack from inside on European democracy," she declared in a statement. "Anyone who employs such a staff member also carries responsibility," she added. "This case must be cleared up precisely. All the connections and background must be illuminated." Media reports have linked Krah to a Russian scheme to influence the vote that was uncovered by Czech intelligence earlier this month. He was also questioned by the FBI in January over suspicion that he was receiving money from Kremlin agents, Al Jazeera reported. The AfD said in a short statement that the arrest was "very disturbing". "As we have no further information on the case, we must wait for further investigations by federal prosecutors," said party's spokesman Michael Pfalzgraf. However, China's foreign ministry has dismissed the reported arrest, accusing unnamed forces of efforts to smear Beijing and wreck bilateral relations. "The intention of this kind of hype is very obvious...it is to smear and suppress China and to destroy the atmosphere of cooperation between China and Europe," a spokesman said. The reports of Jian G's detainment came hours after Germany arrested three others accused of spying for MSS. Regarding that incident, the Chinese embassy in Berlin declared that Beijing carries out "no espionage activities" in Germany. It accused Berlin of trying to "manipulate the image of China and defame China". On the same day, however, the United Kingdom also announced the arrest of two men on suspicion of providing "prejudicial information" to Beijing. The series of arrests comes shortly after Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited China to discuss economic relations and to push for Beijing to drop its support for Russia and its invasion of Ukraine. Berlin has warned recently about increasing attempts by Moscow and Beijing to secure political and economic influence, and German intelligence agencies have called for broader powers, as reported by Al Jazeera. In reaction to Jian G's arrest, the German MEPs called for the European Parliament to accelerate a continuing probe into foreign influence in a bid to guard against interference in early June's vote. "We demand preliminary results before the elections," said Green MEP Terry Reintke. "Autocracies like China and Russia are actively trying to undermine our democracies in Europe." (ANI) Batting for enhanced cooperation between India and the ASEAN countries, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on Tuesday highlighted that the two sides, through greater collaboration, can play a major role in the emerging regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific. "We support ASEAN unity, ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN outlook on Indo-Pacific. India truly believes that a strong and unified ASEAN can play a constructive role in the emerging regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific," EAM Jaishankar said in a virtual address at the first ASEAN Future Forum on Tuesday. "The synergy between India's Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN outlook on Indo Pacific (AOIP) that is reflected in our ASEAN India leaders joint statement provides a strong framework for cooperation, including and addressing challenges to comprehensive security," he added. Invoking the G20 summit hosted by India last year under its presidency of the grouping, Jaishankar said the time has arrived for the Global South to assume a greater role in international affairs. "We also believe that the time has come for the global south to present its perspective and assume a greater role in international affairs. During our G-20 presidency last year, we held virtual Voice of Global South summits with the participation of several ASEAN member states," he said. "Today, a multipolar Asia and a multipolar world are increasingly self-evident. This brings to the fore an ever-important role of ASEAN and India in dealing with the realities of the emerging world order. It underlies the need for greater cooperation and coordination between India and ASEAN," he added. Stressing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Jaishankar voiced concern over the growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, saying that it was important that the freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded commerce were respected and facilitated by all. "India's initiative of security and growth for all in the region SAGAR is aimed at contributing towards peace and stability in the region. Friends, it is vital that freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce are respected and facilitated by all. The 1982 UN Convention on the Laws of Seas provides a comprehensive legal framework and serves as the constitution of the seas, one within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out," the External Affairs Minister said. "Upholding the enclose is a common and collective endeavour. Besides our efforts towards mitigation, adaptation and response capacities to deal with the impact of climate change and disasters and global challenges such as transnational crimes, terrorism, cyberattacks, human trafficking and health and food security. The digital era and increasing use of artificial intelligence have resulted in a premium being put on trust and transparency affecting our concept of security," he added. The ASEAN Future Forum got underway on Tuesday in Hanoi under the presidency of Vietnam. The theme of the forum this year is 'Towards Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centered ASEAN Community'. The event, this year, is aimed at fostering a cohesive and dynamic ASEAN business community in the digital era. (ANI) During the meeting, both the leaders discussed India-Ukraine bilateral relations and India's humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. In a post on X, the Indian embassy in Ukraine shared details of their meeting saying, "Amb. Harsh Jain met Andrii Sybiha, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine and congratulated him on his appointment. They discussed bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest including India's humanitarian assistance to Ukraine." Last month, India and Ukraine discussed regional and global matters including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and efforts to achieve a 'peaceful settlement', during the visit of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro to New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. During his visit, FM Kuleba met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Deputy National Security Adviser, Vikram Misri. The meeting between Jaishankar and Kuleba held on Friday focused on fostering constructive dialogue and strengthening bilateral relations between India and Ukraine, including in areas such as trade and investment, science and technology, defence, agriculture, health, culture, and education, the statement read. Both ministers also held a separate discussion on matters related to the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical, industrial and cultural cooperation and its working groups. Moreover, New Delhi and Kyiv agreed to work towards holding the seventh Inter-Governmental Commission meeting later this year. (ANI) The German chapter of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) on Monday organized its fifth General Body Meeting in Hannover and elected its new cabinet, according to a press release by BNM. Social and human rights activists like Naseem Baloch, the Chairman of BNM Hatim Baloch, the Central Committee member and Coordinator of BNM's Human Rights Department, Paank Haji Naseer and Hammal Baloch participated in the meeting. After the session, BNM's Germany Chapter elected new officials in the cabinet - Shar Hassan as President, Safia Manzoor as Vice President, Jabbar Baloch as General Secretary, Shali Dad as Joint Secretary, and Amjid Murad as Finance Secretary. The event concluded with Chairman Naseem Baloch extending congratulations to the new cabinet members and expressing hope for the continuation of the legacy established by Waja Gafaar Baloch, the founder of the BNM Germany Chapter. The BNM has been at the forefront of Baloch rights advocacy, raising its voice against the Baloch genocide. Previously the Baloch National Movement in the Netherlands called for global attention to the Baloch genocide and organized a protest rally in Amsterdam. The protesters, holding placards and banners, denounced the forced occupation of Balochistan by Pakistani forces. Protesters were also seen distributing pamphlets to raise awareness among locals about the Balochistan issue. Highlighting their struggle, protesters emphasized how Pakistani forces annexed Balochistan on March 27, 1948. Taking to social media platform X, Islam Murad Baloch, a member of Baloch National Movement said, "The international community must intervene in Balochistan against the violations of Baloch human rights. The human rights defenders and the UN must put sanctions on Pakistan for the violations of Baloch rights. Pakistan must leave Balochistan." Another activist, Fazila Baloch, stressed that Balochistan was never part of Pakistan and was illegally occupied on March 27. "Balochistan was never part of Pakistan. It was illegally occupied on March 27, 1948. Since then the Baloch nation has been resisting the invasion of their motherland. Balochistan Is Not Pakistan," Fazila stated on X. In Pakistan's most underdeveloped area of Balochistan, the country's intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, has been accused of committing all kinds of atrocities, including, abduction, killing and torture, to instil fear. Moreover, Baloch activists are signing a petition urging the international authorities to take action on the ongoing genocide of their community members. They are demanding the United Nations and human rights organizations take action and hold the authorities accountable for the crimes committed in Balochistan. They further want a fact-finding mission headed by the United Nations Working Group to investigate the matter. (ANI) Ex-Cranston councilwoman claims she was blackmailed. Now state police may be investigating CRANSTON City solicitor Christopher Millea has asked the Rhode Island State Police to investigate the serious allegations surrounding the recent resignation of Councilwoman Aniece Germain. As both the legal counsel to both the city and the council, I feel that I am duty-bound to request an independent body to review all the allegations that were made, to ensure that no laws were violated, Millea wrote in a letter to the state police superintendent, Col. Darnell Weaver, on Monday. Millea cited media reports that have brought attention to Germain's allegations that she was forced to resign by the City Council president, fellow Democrat Jessica Marino. These reports have placed the Cranston City Council and the City of Cranston under a cloud that warrants an independent investigation by a respected and professional organization like the Rhode Island State Police so that there will be no conflict of interest, Millea wrote. On Tuesday, Millea confirmed to The Providence Journal that state police received his letter and indicated the agency will investigate the complaint. I just hope justice and truth [and] transparency will prevail, said Germain when asked for her reaction to the news that police would investigate the matter. No council members should ever experience what I experienced at the hands of the president of the council. Marino did not respond to a request for comment about the investigation. Aniece Germain resigned her seat on the Cranston City Council following allegations about a nonprofit agency she operates. Milleas call was prompted by an email to City Council members and other officials by Melissa Jenkins, a registered Democrat and representative of Collective Action Network RI, an activist group. The letter raised questions about the legality of the events Germain said led to her resignation. 'Power dynamics, political sabotage and blackmailing' On April 12, Germain, who represents Cranstons second ward, abruptly resigned from the City Council. It has become clear that the ongoing power dynamics at play in Cranston politics and recent challenges for our organization, Hope and Change for Haiti, prevent me from continuing in my role on the council, Germain wrote in a statement. Hope and Change for Haiti is a Cranston-based organization Germain co-founded in 2016 whose mission is to provide humanitarian aid in Haiti and advocate for immigrants and women in Rhode Island. The organization, Germain explained, "has been dealing with some challenges due to a consequential filing error. In subsequent statements to the media, however, Germain painted a darker picture. She accused Marino, and the chairwoman of Cranstons Democratic Party, Maria Bucci, of blackmail. Germain told RINewsToday that Marino and Bucci gave her an ultimatum: resign or be subject to public hearings on the status of her organization. The purpose of the hearings, she said, would be to "humiliate me and my children. I lost to power dynamics, political sabotage and blackmailing, and the ongoing political maneuvering, Germain said. She said, she said Marino disagrees with Germains characterization of the events. This whole notion of the fact that I wanted to be in this position or wanted to have her removed is absolutely false, she told The Providence Journal. In a statement published on Facebook on April 19, Marino characterized Germains allegations as sensational, false and malicious accusations. I did not and would not ever blackmail someone, and those charges are simply slanderous, Marino wrote. Marino told the Providence Journal she consulted a legal adviser before speaking with Germain. The details of their meeting which Germain said included Bucci are unclear, but according to Marinos Facebook post and comments to the Providence Journal, it was communicated to Germain that she would face an investigation if she stayed as a councilwoman. Mrs. Germain could have remained on council and presented her case as part of an investigatory hearing pursuant to our city charter on the advice of legal counsel, Marino wrote her in the Facebook post. In an interview with the Providence Journal, Marino said, If [Germain] remained on council if she remains an elected official it was my public duty to proceed with counsel, investigatory hearings, relative to the allegations, evidence and admissions of unlawful conduct relative to soliciting and receiving funds under the pretense of being a 501(c)3, when it has in fact been revoked. A consequential filing error According to the IRS, the tax-exempt status of Hope and Change for Haiti was revoked May 15, 2022. The organization still describes itself as a 501(c)3 an IRS designation for a nonprofit organization on its website. Germain initially attributed the revocation to a "consequential filing error. She later told RINewsToday, Its the filer who failed to figure out what went wrong with [the] IRS. Germain said the nonprofit suspended fundraising activities last year, although in an interview with WPRI she acknowledged the organization has received donations since it lost its tax-exempt status. Photos of 990 forms provided to RINewsToday forms that nonprofits file to the IRS indicate Hope and Change for Haiti raised less than $50,000 a year between 2016 and 2021. According to the IRS, organizations that raise less than that sum annually can file an e-postcard to maintain their status. It is unclear what was the exact filing error committed by Hope and Change for Haiti or whether the organization has taken any steps to recover its tax-exempt status. It is also unclear whether Germain continued to raise funds without disclosing that her organization lost its tax-exempt status. Germain did not respond to a query asking her to elaborate on her organizations tax issues. What power does the council have to investigate its own? According to Section 3.17 of Cranstons municipal code, the City Council has the power to investigate the official conduct of any department, board, commission, office or agency, or officer or employee of the city. Official conduct, however, is the key qualifier in that section, said Nicole Renzulli, the councils Republican leader. Also in Cranston: Hiring of Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins' children, son-in-law sparks criticism from rivals Our charter has a power to investigate, but its limited to matters of our official conduct, and Councilwoman Germaines nonprofit whatevers going on there, which I dont know and Im not going to prop up, I dont know whats happening there [is] not related to her official conduct as a councilwoman, Renzulli said. When pressed for details about the legal reasons for proposing an investigation into Germains nonprofit activities, Marino said, Im not going to get into the details of legal advice from counsel Im just not going to get into a back and forth on that. Seat filled amid arguments and applause In 2020 Germain made history as the first Black and Haitian-American woman elected to the Cranston City Council. Less than two weeks after her resignation, her seat was filled Monday night by School Committee member Kristen Haroian. Haroian had an enthusiastic group of supporters, including a former Cranston mayor, who cheered her appointment though her evening was slightly damped by a testy exchange between Renzulli, who abstained from voting during Haroians confirmation, and Marino over Germains resignation. Marino said she is disappointed Germain has made her allegations public but wishes the best for her. "As a council person she was valued. It's a loss," Marino said. Germain, for her part, said she is focusing on healing and is not interested in talking about her resignation unless there is an official investigation into it. What has occurred hurts me to the core of my being, she said. This story has been updated to reflect the fact that the Rhode Island State Police notified Cranston Solicitor Christopher Millea that the agency would investigate the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Aniece Germain from the Cranston City Council. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: State police probe sought after Cranston City Councilor Germain resigns You are here: China Delegates attend the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, April 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) opened on Monday in the port city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the event and delivered a key address. Zhang said that China's armed forces have actively participated in international cooperation of maritime security and provided maritime public security goods, adding that China will play a more positive and open role in international military cooperation. Zhang called for abandoning the Cold War mentality, jointly bringing peace and stability to the world, and bridging differences through dialogue. China has been committed to resolving maritime disputes peacefully through friendly consultation with countries directly concerned, but it will safeguard its legitimate rights in the face of deliberate violation of its sovereignty and it will take firm countermeasures against unreasonable provocations, he said. China's armed forces will resolutely safeguard national unity and interests, said Zhang. This is the second time the WPNS was held in China after the country first hosted the event in 2014. Delegations from 29 countries have gathered for this year's event, where a high-level symposium themed "Oceans with a Shared Future" and a series of meetings will be held. FSU Panama City will hold spring 2024 commencement at Tommy Oliver Stadium on May 5 PANAMA CITY Florida State University Panama City will graduate 210 students during its spring 2024 commencement on May 5. The ceremony takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Tommy Oliver Stadium, 351 E. 13th St., Panama City. Jorge Gonzalez, president and CEO of The St. Joe Co., will present the keynote address. According to a news release from FSU Panama City, the university will recognize students and student-veterans who have earned academic honors and distinction, including those inducted into the Garnet Key Honor Society. "There will be 99 bachelor and 55 masters degrees awarded," the release says, "and for the first time ever, FSU PC will award 29 students with the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice degree." Twelve veterans are expected to graduate. Jessica Quaile, U.S Air Force student veteran and commercial entrepreneurship graduate, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Florida State University Panama City's spring 2024 commencement will be May 5. Each graduating student-veteran or active-duty member is provided a red, white and blue military honor cord and FSU Veterans Alliance Challenge Coin, recognizing their service and commitment to our country, as well as their academic achievements at Florida State University, Jim Allen, a U.S. Navy veteran and director of academic and registrar services, said in the release. Twin sisters Hallie and Sydney Pellerin will receive conferred degrees of law enforcement intelligence. The sisters earlier received their bachelor's degrees in crime scene investigation together. Emerald Park: $50 million apartment community is completed in Panama City Beach Commencement is one way we celebrate and honor students achievements, Randy Hanna, dean of FSU Panama City, said in the release. Some graduates will pursue advanced degrees, while others will take the next steps in their careers, and we want to recognize this milestone in their lives. Jim Clark, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs for Florida State University, will preside over the ceremony. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: FSU Panama City to graduate 210 students on May 5 German frigate Hessen sailors were on watch 12 hours a day in the Red Sea with only seconds to react to threats in the 'worst case scenario' A German warship that was part of a European Union security mission has left the Red Sea. The frigate Hessen spent weeks in the Middle East protecting commercial ships from Houthi attacks. Its sailors were on watch for 12 hours a day, Germany's military said on Monday. Sailors aboard a German warship that was recently deployed to the Red Sea were on watch for 12 hours a day, and in the "worst" situations, they might've only had seconds to respond to the deadly Houthi threats endangering ships in these waters. The Hessen, a Sachsen-class frigate, left the Red Sea and entered the Suez Canal on Saturday after spending nearly 60 days operating in Middle Eastern waters, Germany's military said Monday. The warship was deployed to the region as part of the European Union's Operation Aspides security mission, which has been tasked with protecting commercial vessels sailing off the coast of Yemen from unrelenting Houthi missile and drone attacks. Around 240 crew members aboard the Hessen were on "a permanent war march" during the mission, the German military said in a statement, according to a translation. These sailors were on guard for six hours, then had six hours off, and then went back on guard for another six hours. "This very high state of readiness was due to the constant three-dimensional threat" that the Houthis posed to the ships in the area, the German military said. "In the worst case scenario, the ship and crew would only have had about ten seconds to bring their own defensive weapons into effect." The Hessen sailing next to a merchant ship. German military photo The short timeframe underscores how fast some of the Houthi threats are. One sailor aboard a US Navy warship that has engaged the rebels told Business Insider during a visit to the Red Sea earlier this year that their response time to an inbound threat could be anywhere from minutes to just seconds. Throughout its time in the area of operations, which included the strategic Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Hessen repelled four Houthi attacks and escorted more than two dozen commercial ships through the volatile waters, Germany said. In one noteworthy kill last month, a helicopter attached to the warship destroyed a Houthi surface drone after it was identified as a threat to civilian ships. "This mission has demanded more from the ship and crew than ever before," the Hessen's Capt. Volker Kubsch said, adding that his warship "worked like clockwork and impressively demonstrated its combat value right down to its ability to prevail in battle." "Especially in combat situations, we were able to gain valuable, even unique experience not only for ourselves, but also for the entire German Navy and beyond," Kubsch added, highlighting how these engagements are a learning opportunity and a chance to test and improve capabilities. US Navy commanders have expressed similar thoughts on intercepts of anti-ship ballistic missiles. The bridge of the Hessen after an aerial threat was identified. German military photo While the Hessen's presence ultimately proved to be a valuable asset for the EU security mission, there was an incident at one point during the warship's deployment involving an allied asset. In late-February, the Hessen accidentally targeted a US MQ-9 Reaper drone that was operating around the Red Sea and fired several missiles at the aircraft. A technical error in the warship's radar system, however, spared the American combat drone. The Hessen is one of several European warships to see combat in the Red Sea this year, alongside the US Navy, which has had an aircraft carrier and multiple other warships stationed in the region since last fall. Beyond intercepting Houthi missiles and drones in the air, American forces, sometimes with partners, have also struck the rebels on the ground in Yemen. The Hessen is due back to the German port city of Wilhelmshaven in early May. The gap it left in Operation Aspides is expected to be filled in early August by the Sachsen-class frigate Hamburg, Germany said. Read the original article on Business Insider DOHA, Qatar After months of uncertainty about whether the Palestinian militant group Hamas can maintain its strategically valuable political headquarters in the Qatari capital of Doha, a string of new developments suggests an answer may come soon: No. The Wall Street Journal on Saturday published an article saying Hamas recently asked two regional governments if they would host its leaders instead of Qatar, a U.S. ally that has hosted them for more than a decade. The same day, Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, where the Palestinian organization already has an office and deep connections. A small but loud crew of mostly Republican lawmakers has for years opposed the U.S. policy of tacitly blessing Hamas leaders residence in Qatar, a short drive from Americas largest base in the Middle East. And on Tuesday, they got a boost from a prominent Democrat: Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.) issued a statement saying Qatar should eject Hamas leadership if there is not progress soon on freeing remaining hostages whom the Palestinian group and partners captured in their shock attack on Israel on Oct. 7, when nearly 1,200 people were killed. Qatars embassy in Washington quickly responded: Blaming and threatening the mediator is not constructive. Still, on Wednesday, Qatars prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said his country is conducting a full evaluation of its role in mediation, citing political exploitation. A spokesperson for the Qatari government did not respond to a request for comment on this article. Established in 2012 with U.S. encouragement, the Hamas office in Qatar has for years aggravated hawkish Americans and hard-right Israelis, such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who see no value in a channel for dialogue with an organization listed by the U.S. as a terrorist group. Those critics now seem to have reached a win-win juncture: Either Qatar will evict the Hamas leadership, sending a message globally that they are toxic, or the threat of expulsion will force Hamas to make concessions in ongoing negotiations for the release of the Israeli hostages. But in rare, extensive interviews late last month, two prominent Hamas leaders separately spoke of flexibility on their political leaderships location, which, if true, would undercut the assumption that forcing a relocation would significantly pressure the group, making it more amenable to U.S. and Israeli demands. The presence of Hamas in Qatar was upon an American direct demand. Theres actually an interest to make Hamas remain in Qatar, because Qatar is the only country which could make a breakthrough on something that would be beneficial for everyone. Hamas, on the other hand, had many options, but the U.S. and Israel had no options, argued Mousa Abu Marzouk, a longtime member of Hamas governing body, in a March 30 interview with HuffPost. His remarks came shortly after a Hamas delegation returned from a lengthy visit to Iran. Some experts and officials see Tehran as a possible next base for the Palestinian group, a scenario that would leave the U.S. with far less access to or leverage over Hamas, as Washington has no diplomatic ties with Iran and already subjects the country to a wide range of sanctions. Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, shown here at a March 1, 2017, meeting of Hamas officials in Doha, Qatar, recently met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, where Hamas already has an office. Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Basem Naim, a member of Hamas politburo in Gaza, also cast the organization as prepared to endure the complexities of a move. If [the Qataris] are keeping the same position by hosting the leadership of Hamas, we are very thankful. But at the same time, if they decide on the other direction, Hamas leadership is used to [moving] from place to place, Naim told HuffPost on March 29. In the end, we are the leaders of a resistance movement we are the leaders of a people who are under occupation. We know that we have to pay some price for this. Prior to moving to Doha, top Hamas figures who wanted to evade Israels reach given its ability to strike them in Gaza, where their group is based were for more than a decade situated in Syria, a country historically leery of both the U.S. and Israel. After Syrian President Bashar Assad began a massive crackdown against his own people, Hamas leadership decided to leave, and the Obama administration endorsed the idea that they move to Qatar. The arrangement was expected to benefit all sides by giving the U.S. a friendly intermediary via Qatar to manage rounds of Israeli-Palestinian violence and work on a lasting settlement, granting Qatar significant influence regionally and giving Hamas a convenient, secure base and a degree of tacit international legitimacy. U.S. officials saw the link as helping wind down fighting between Hamas and Israel in 2014, 2019 and 2021. Naim told HuffPost the Qataris and Americans should see the value in keeping an American ally close to a player whom U.S. officials may disdain but regularly need to account for. This is an independent country, Naim said in a March 29 interview in Doha. I am sure they are wise enough to persuade the Americans, for example, that the presence of the leadership here is very helpful in reaching an end of this crisis, and it is not only about the current situation, it is about how to reach a final solution of this whole conflict. He noted that the U.S. had also previously asked Qatar to host an office for the Taliban, the Afghan militia, and that hawkish former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Doha with Taliban leaders. Maybe part of this pressure is coming from the Israeli right wing, Naim said. While some Republicans are now slamming the idea of engagement with Hamas, Trump administration figures, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left), shown here during a Nov. 21, 2020, meeting with a Taliban delegation in Doha, held unprecedented high-level talks with the Afghanistan militants. Anadolu via Getty Images Hamas has a clear interest in both projecting continued confidence and challenging the idea it is becoming more isolated. As the group maneuvers to retain influence following Israels campaign against it in Gaza a U.S.-backed operation that has killed more civilians than Hamas fighters for a total death toll of more than 34,000 so far, according to local authorities ambiguity can be strategically useful. When HuffPost contacted Naim on Monday, he pointed to a statement he issued this weekend that deemed the Journal article complicit with the Israeli misleading propaganda. Claims that Hamas is considering leaving Qatar for another country have no basis, his statement said. Whatever address his group ends up at, Naims earlier comments to HuffPost suggested its unlikely Hamas will abandon its overall position that it must be central to Israel-Palestine discussions, or its assertion that it is Israel making a settlement less likely by refusing to acknowledge that and, in the groups view, ensuring cycles of bloodshed. Everyone today, including the Americans, knows that Hamas is an inherent part of the political fabric of the Palestinians and is a strong power, Naim said. No one can easily decide to overcome it or to avoid it, and any agreement with any other party will not lead to stability or a solution, therefore you have to have contact. In significant ways, the outcome of the location debate could be key to how Hamas evolves as well as the prospects for an end to the current war in Gaza and a peace deal. Should it move to Turkey, for instance, Erdogan would likely seek to leverage his hosting of Hamas to ensure any Israeli-Palestinian settlement is beneficial for Turkish interests, Qatar University academics Ali Bakir and Nesibe Hicret Battaloglu wrote in an essay earlier this year. Given Turkeys record of stubbornness in dealing with its Western allies, such a move could seriously complicate matters for the U.S. Meanwhile, success in dislodging Hamas from Qatar could ironically help the organization leverage complaints about aggressive steps by Israel and its advocates in future negotiations a tactic previewed in their interviews with HuffPost. The Israeli pressure [on Qatar] is for one main purpose: the continuation of the war, and to not create any horizon of solving through negotiations or to end this aggression, Abu Marzouk argued to HuffPost earlier this month. Netanyahus policy is to push in every way to continue the war so he will remain in his seat. Its widely acknowledged that the U.S. will be dealing with Hamas for months and years to come, given its entrenchment in Gaza and concerns like the fate of the Israeli hostages. Speaking on the floor of the Senate on April 10, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) blasted the idea that lawmakers should be working on punishing Qatar for hosting the Palestinian groups leaders. The surest way to guarantee that those hostages never get released is to pass this resolution, Murphy said, referring to a proposal from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) to revoke Qatars status as a major American ally unless it unless it bears down on Hamas, including by expelling its leaders or extraditing them to the U.S. We may not like the fact that we have to be negotiating with a terrorist organization. We may not like the fact that someone in the region has to be the conduit for those talks. But we dont live in a world of fantasy we live in a world of reality. Related... 'We just want clean air': Why neighbors are rallying against a Providence scrapyard PROVIDENCE Protesters are calling on state and city authorities to shut down Rhode Island Recycled Metals following a recent fire at the Allens Avenue business that sent plumes of black smoke over the Providence skyline. At an Earth Day rally Monday evening, a dozen people representing advocacy groups and nearby neighborhoods said the scrap-metal business is a threat to public health and the environment. There are days we dont want to go out in our yard the air is so bad, said Washington Park resident Ellen Tuzzolo. We just want clean air to breathe. Protesters rally outside Rhode Island Recycled Metals on Tuesday, calling for the Providence scrap-metal business to be shut down over longstanding concerns about health. Neighbors have long complained about the port, scrapyard Neighbors have long complained about pollution from the industrial area in and around the Port of Providence. Carbon-containing gases vented from storage tanks filled with asphalt and other petroleum products cause noxious odors. Tanker ships that burn dirty bunker fuel and diesel trucks that cut along surface streets to pick up loads of gasoline, heating oil and liquefied natural gas produce emissions. And scrap operations stir up dust and smoke. Critics say that similar pollution wouldnt be tolerated in wealthier parts of Rhode Island. We wouldnt see a scrap yard or these types of polluting industries within Blackstone Boulevard, within the East Side of Providence, so why is it that the South Side of Providence has to suffer? said state Rep. David Morales, a Providence Democrat. RI Recycled Metals has had a history of disputes The fire that started on the evening of April 10 and burned through the night was the latest incident to raise concerns about Recycled Metals. The business has been locked in a long-running dispute with the Attorney Generals Office and the state Department of Environmental Management over a number of environmental issues, including the possibility of contaminants washing into the nearby Providence River. More recently, the administration of Mayor Brett Smiley has called for the business to cease operations for failing to obtain what city officials say is a necessary municipal license. A lawyer for Recycled Metals has countered that it has the required state licenses to operate a scrap business and doesnt need a license from the city. Scrap metal piles up at Rhode Island Recycled Metals, located on a former brownfields site stretching from Allens Avenue to the Providence River that once was home to an electronics-recycling operation. Patrick Sweeney, a spokesman for Recycled Metals, cited a previously reported statement from the DEM that air quality at the closest monitoring station was within normal levels during the fire and that runoff from firefighting efforts appeared to have been contained on site. Sweeney also said recent testing of the property found there is no evidence that material there poses an environmental concern. The rally against the business was organized by Linda Perri, president of the Washington Park Neighborhood Association. Washington Park and other neighborhoods around the port are primarily low-income and have large populations of people of color which are known to disproportionately shoulder the burdens of pollution. They have the highest rates of asthma in Rhode Island, which ranks highest in the nation in prevalence of the disease. "People do live here, Perri said. Its not just a dump. Its a neighborhood just up the street. Topher Hamblett, executive director of the environmental group Save The Bay, said that authorities have allowed Recycled Metals to operate for 15 years despite repeated allegations of violations by the company. This site should not be here, he said. This site should be shut down once and for all. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Recycled Metals fire sparks protests as neighbors push for clean air McKee calls for $1.3 million in state aid for businesses hurt by Washington Bridge closure Traffic crosses the eastern Washington Bridge at 5:20 p.m. on April 22, 2024. (Rhode Island Department of Transportation Traffic Camera) Gov. Dan McKee is asking the General Assembly to free up $1.3 million in unspent pandemic relief funds to help small businesses hurt by the ongoing closure of the westbound Washington Bridge. McKees office announced Monday afternoon the governor filed an amendment to his proposed fiscal year 2025 budget to create a direct grant program, along with other business supports. The westbound side of the bridge, crossed by 96,000 vehicles a day traveling on Interstate 195, was suddenly closed last December after engineers discovered anchor rods meant to keep the bridge from swaying were broken. State leaders plan to demolish and replace almost the entire structure a process expected to last through some time in 2026 that could cost between $250 million and $300 million. Under McKees budget amendment, $600,000 in state fiscal relief funds would be allocated directly to the city of East Providence and $400,000 to Providence. I know what its like to run a small business and be confronted with challenges, McKee said in a statement. We must all get behind the businesses impacted by the Washington Bridge to ensure their continued success for many years to come. McKees budget amendment also appropriates $300,000 for a contingency fund run by the Executive Office of Commerce for businesses outside the two cities the Washington Bridge connects. While the businesses in East Providence and Providence are the most directly impacted by the Washington Bridge reconstruction, effects have been felt statewide, Commerce Secretary Liz Tanner said in a statement. The governors budget amendment comes as local business owners have expressed frustration over difficulties in securing federal low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans. McKee earlier in the month announced a $2.5 million state relief package for small businesses, which included only $300,000 toward direct grants. The remaining $2.2 million was meant to be spent on a combination of technical assistance and beautification for businesses along with a state marketing campaign and grants to municipalities for signage and sidewalk improvement projects. Rhode Island Commerce Corp. spokesperson Matt Touchette said McKees amendment does not do away with funds for technical assistance and placemaking. The governor is proposing the allocation of funds to the cities of East Providence and Providence for them to assist businesses in their communities as they deem most appropriate whether through direct grants, technical assistance, funding of community events to boost customer traffic, etc., Touchette said in an email Monday evening. Proposals for the Commerce Corps Placemaking Initiative were due April 19, Touchette said. The marketing campaign is also still going ahead, according to McKees announcement. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said in a joint statement each of their chambers respective finance committees will review the governors amendment as the budget process continues. We realize many small businesses have been struggling due to the reconstruction of the Washington Bridge and we are working closely with the East Bay legislative delegation regarding their concerns, they said. This story was updated to include a joint statement from House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and to clarify an appropriation for the Executive Office of Commerce. The post McKee calls for $1.3 million in state aid for businesses hurt by Washington Bridge closure appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Hundreds of new graduates received associate degrees and certificates on May 5, 2023 during the North Central Michigan College commencement ceremony. PETOSKEY The newest class of North Central Michigan College graduates will celebrate their commencement on May 3. The colleges 64th annual commencement ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Petoskey Plastics Arena, located in the Student and Community Resource Center. More than 250 graduates are set to receive their diplomas, with a reception for graduates and their guests following the ceremony. "Commencement is the exciting culmination of years of hard work by our students and faculty, said NCMC President David Roland Finley in a press release. We are thrilled to celebrate our students achievements and watch them take the next step into a successful future. Monica Peck Monica Peck, director of the Boyne District Library, will be this year's commencement speaker. Peck is a 2009 NCMC graduate. She was named the Public Librarian of the Year by the Michigan Library Association in 2022. Peck also serves on the Charlevoix County Community Foundation Board, the Leadership Charlevoix County Board, the Boyne City Chamber of Commerce Board and the Otsego County Library Board. Im honored to return to NCMC to give the commencement address, Peck said in a statement. Its humbling to think I could contribute to an institution that has given me so much. When I attended my commencement in 2009, I remember the excitement that I felt, and Im thrilled to share that with the Class of 2024. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage Pier and Renee Borra are also set to receive honorary degrees of Education and Community Service during the May 3 ceremony in recognition of their contributions to the health care field and to the college. Prior to the commencement, NCMC will celebrate the 2024 nurse pinning ceremony at 4 p.m. in Petoskey Plastics Arena. Lily Wilcox In total, 26 student-nurses will receive their pins during the annual tradition. Travel nurse Lily Wilcox, who graduated from NCMCs nursing program in 2019, will deliver the keynote address. Both ceremonies will be live streamed for those unable to attend. For more information about the commencement or nurse pinning, visit ncmich.edu/commencement. Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: NCMC announces commencement, nurse pinning ceremonies Ohio lawmakers threatening to steal voices of millions of voters. Antics must stop. Las Vegas, Nevada | In his speech at Big League Dreams Las Vegas ahead of the Republican presidential caucuses on Feb. 8, former President Donald Trump took aim at President Joe Biden calling him corrupt and criticizing his administrations immigration policies on Jan. 27, 2024. Ohio's small 'd' problem In commenting on the issue of President Joe Biden being on the Ohio ballot in November, Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said, I think its a Democratic problem. No, Sen. Huffman, it is a democratic problem with a small d that the legislature can easily solve as it has done in the past by allowing nominations only 60 days before the election. April 10, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman gives the thumbs up to start the proceedings before Governor Mike DeWineOs 2024 State of the State address in the Ohio House chambers at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday afternoon. Our view: Biden should be on the ballot. Alabama gets it Why don't Ohio Republicans? It could even be 67 days this year. The fact that it has been done in the past raises a question as to a justification for a 90-day requirement to begin with. You also have admitted a legal challenge probably would be successful. Stop wasting everyones time and resources. Stop threatening to disenfranchise millions of Ohio voters in November. More: Ohio GOP leaders reject Democrats' plan to get President Joe Biden on November ballot And, Democratic National Committee, finally figure out how to read a calendar to complete a nominating convention in time to meet the deadlines in those states with longer qualification deadlines. Toba Feldman, Columbus Trump voters need to think harder Re "If you are tired of evil vote Trump," April 21 by Jo Simmons: President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass comprehension immigration reform only to be rejected by the Republicans. Millions of Americans are living with extreme abortion bans even for rape, incest, and when the fetus is not viable. Doctors are threatened with jail time for assisting with or providing an abortion. Grocery stores control their own prices. They raise prices when they see an opportunity to make money for themselves and shareholders. Government does not control gas prices. More: Four! Donald Trump Georgia indictment on racketeering, conspiracy charges in 7 cartoons More: Joe Biden a big government liar. Donald Trump defender of good over evil. Instead of helping Americans, MAGA Republicans have fought every effort to make mega-corporations pay their fair share in taxes. Why would you vote for a narcissistic, egotistical con man who has 91 legal charges against him? The Republican party is all puppets with one master. Jane Thomas, Columbus 'Stupider' than stupid When I see polls on the bizarre number of Americans who apparently think Donald Trump is a suitable person to lead this country, I think of George Carlins remark, "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that." Jay Smith, Columbus Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. George Carlin (@TheGeorgeCarlin) May 8, 2013 Disasters strike but volunteers on the ready The Dispatch recently reported that, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Buckeye State ranked No. 1 in the nation for the most tornadoes so far this year: 38 not counting the two on April 17. Clearly not a win for Ohioans. However, there is a win for Ohioans because of the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster network of nonprofit agencies and organizations who respond after disasters hit. Using the 4Cs: coordinate, cooperate, communicate, and collaborate, Ohio VOADs mission is to bring together non-profit organizations that provide disaster response services and foster effective responses to the people of Ohio. When the recent tornadoes went through Logan, Delaware and several other counties one of our members was providing hundreds of meals to first responders and survivors within a day. First responders (local police and fire, Red Cross, utility companies, etc.) handle 15 percent of the impact of disasters. The remaining 85 percent of recovery is handled by volunteers. Thats where Ohio VOAD steps in and stays. Their niche is long-term recovery. Erin Cordle, chair, Ohio VOAD This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio GOP threatening to disenfranchise millions of Ohio voters An immigrant family wades through the Rio Grande while crossing from Mexico into the United States on Sept. 30, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images). Experts who study extremism say the incendiary claim that theres an invasion coming from Mexico will motivate more racist violence like the massacre that happened in an El Paso Walmart in 2019. But those worries seem to have made little impression on either candidate in the Ohio race for U.S. Senate, one of the most hotly contested in the country. The Trump-endorsed Republican nominee is fully embracing alarmist claims of an invasion, while his Democratic opponent seems reluctant to condemn it. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Border Patrol encounters with undocumented migrants swelled to unprecedented levels about 300,000 a month late last year before dropping down to under 200,000 so far this year. The surge certainly caused problems. These are numbers we have not seen; theres really a global asylum crisis, Edward Alden, an immigration expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a virtual press conference with reporters last Tuesday. He explained that a huge surge began after the expiration of COVID-era restrictions against people crossing the border and seeking asylum. The numbers just overwhelmed the U.S. infrastructure to deal with asylum seekers, Alden said. But while the system to deal with all those migrants might be groaning under the strain, theres no evidence that undocumented migrants are more dangerous than natural born American citizens. In fact, the available evidence suggests just the opposite despite Donald Trumps relentless hyping of individual crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. Even now that border encounters have dropped back to pandemic-era levels, Trump continues to use words like bloodbath as he describes an invasion at the border. It is definitely the national Republican strategy to run against immigration in 2024, said Ruth Conniff, editor-in-chief of States Newsrooms Wisconsin Examiner, who wrote a book about the indispensable role of undocumented immigrants in the dairy industry in her state. She was speaking as part of the virtual press conference hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. Impressions and reality Apparently as part of that strategy, many candidates are whipping up fears of an invasion and traveling to the border for photo-ops in flak jackets, creating the impression that its a free-fire zone. Such images belie the fact that most border cities have far less violent crime than those in the states where the politicians live. El Paso is one of the safest cities not in spite, but because it is a city of immigrants, Beto ORourke, who has represented the city both in Congress and on city council, said in a recent interview. But when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tries to take immigration-enforcement powers into state hands, hes claiming that Texas is the subject of an invasion in the constitutional sense of the word. Many legal experts and a federal judge have said that means a military invasion. A visit to the border late last month revealed no evidence of such an invasion. In fact, on a Saturday afternoon drive around El Paso, it was hard even to find many undocumented immigrants although spotters for coyotes were regularly peering over the Mexican side of a mountain into nearby Sunland Park, N.M, trying to see if the coast was clear to send migrants. Despite the lack of evidence of a military invasion, Ohio GOP U.S. Senate nominee Bernie Moreno has shifted his stance on immigration. In 2016, the Cleveland businessman and Colombian immigrant criticized Trumps rhetoric and advocated common sense immigration reform. But hes since gotten Trumps endorsement in the closely watched Senate race and hes embracing the GOP presidential nominees rhetoric. No matter how badly the establishment media wants to claim otherwise to protect Joe Biden and (Democratic Ohio U.S. Sen.) Sherrod Brown, over 7 million illegals flooding into our country since 2021 is indeed an invasion, Moreno said in an email. Every crime committed by an illegal is a crime that should have never happened in the first place. If you dont think crime from illegal immigrants is something to be concerned about, then you should tell that to the family of Laken Riley a 22-year-old Georgia college student allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant. Moreno added, Its embarrassing how the media continues to twist President Trumps statements about illegal immigration in an attempt to deflect from the damage Biden and Sherrod Brown have caused to our country with their open border policies. Moreno might say its open, but the southern border is more fortified than its ever been, with the number of Border Patrol agents quadrupling since 1992, miles of new fences and other barriers, ever more sophisticated surveillance, and last years record number of apprehensions. Not much pushback For his part, Brown seemed reluctant to condemn the heated language Trump and his followers have been using to depict whats happening at the border. Experts who study it say such dangerous speech is used by white nationalists to inflame extreme listeners and intimidate others from participating in civic life. A Brown spokesperson was asked if the senator agreed that whats happening at the border is an invasion and if he was concerned that its use would lead to more racist violence. The spokesperson was also asked if Brown condemned Trump for describing undocumented immigrants as animals and saying theyre poisoning the blood of the country. The spokesperson didnt answer directly, saying, Senator Brown is working with Republicans and Democrats to secure the southern border, stop fentanyl from coming into the country, and keep our country safe. Sen. Brown was a key backer of the bipartisan border security bill, which earned the endorsement of border agents and would have given law enforcement the tools and resources they need to finally secure the border. The bipartisan bill earned the endorsement of the Border Patrol union and would have beefed up immigration infrastructure. But most Republicans abandoned it earlier this year when Trump told them not to give Democrats anything that could be interpreted as an election-year win. Brown seemed to continue in his reluctance to push back on inciting rhetoric and to explain actions of his own that could be seen as portraying the border as a war zone. In November, he traveled to there with an Ohio sheriff. His office gave WDTN in Dayton photos of the senator in a Texas Department of Public Safety boat in the Rio Grande wearing a bullet-proof vest. That agency has played a long role in the debate over how dangerous the border really is. Its also questionable how helpful its actions in the name of border security have been. (After this story originally appeared, Browns office said that the senator was required by law enforcement to wear the vest.) Browns office didnt respond when asked why the senator thought he needed to wear tactical gear and whether he was concerned participating in such photo ops might give the false impression that the border and the people who live there are more dangerous than they really are. Asked again whether Brown condemned Trumps border invective, the spokesperson said, Sen. Brown believes its time to stop the divisive language, name-calling and political games and work together on real solutions to secure the border. Thats too little, too late, said Lindsay Schubiner, who studies violent speech and movements at the Western States Center, an anti-extremism group. Bigoted invasion rhetoric that echoes great replacement theory and generates anti-immigrant sentiment has real world consequences both for our communities that are put at risk of violence, and our democracy that requires the safety and participation of all, she said Friday in a text message. If politicians continue to incite fear of immigrants and treat the border like a war zone, it wont be a matter of if another attack like those in El Paso and Pittsburgh happens, but when. She added, As this dangerous rhetoric becomes increasingly normalized, its imperative our elected officials not feed into it. Instead, they should use the power of their office to firmly reject it, whether it comes from white nationalists or their colleagues. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post In Ohio U.S. Senate contest, little concern about alarmist immigration language appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Residents in eastern Cumberland County are concerned that a proposed apartment complex that Mayor Mitch Colvin is a partner in developing will cause further flooding on their properties. The Fayetteville City Council was supposed to consider a rezoning permit for the project last month but removed the item at the start of their March 25 meeting. According to the projects application, developers want to build the three-story complex on 27.92 acres in the 1600 blocks of Cedar Creek and Fields roads. The application lists Cedar Creek Road LLC, which is registered to Darrin Collins, as the owner of the properties for the project. A February memo from the city's planning department states that Cedar Creek Road, LLC is made up of Darrin Collins Inc. and MAPCO Properties LLC. The business registration with the North Carolina's Secretary of State Office shows that Charleston Group Law is a registered agent for MAPCO LLC, and Mayor Colvin is its managing member. Charleston Group Law submitted the rezoning request to the city on behalf of Cedar Creek Road, LLC, and its founder Jonathan Charleston spoke at the city's zoning commission meeting as the "applicant's representative," minutes show. Property along Fields Road would be part of the proposed apartment complex in the Cedar Creek and Locks Creek roads area that's been prone to flooding in the past and been met with resident opposition to the proposed project. The developers requested that the land be annexed into the city and the area be rezoned from rural residential and single-family residential to a multi-family residential district. After hearing from residents who opposed the rezoning, the citys zoning commission voted 4-1 on Feb. 13 to deny the annexation because it is inconsistent and does not align with the area designation on the citys future land use map, according to minutes from the meeting. City records show that the city planning staff intended to recommend to the City Council in March to zone the area as a single-family zoning district that would be more restrictive than a mixed-residential zoning district, but allow for similar uses of mixed residential with a special use permit. Residents in the nearby Cedar Creek and Locks Creek neighborhoods say the location for the proposed development is prone to flooding during hurricanes and major storms. While Federal Emergency Management Agency maps show the area is not designated as a flood plain, city records show city staff has previously sought to change the designation, and the city has also budgeted for flood mitigation in prior years. Flooding Channing Perdue has been a resident along Cedar Creek Road for 15 years and said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and North Carolina Department on Environmental Quality have identified most of the area as wetlands prone to flooding. I dont even know why a three-story apartment complex is even conducive to that area, Perdue said last week. Itll be smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood. Perdue said nearby Locks Creek floods every time it rains, with water spilling over the banks 3-5 inches. Theres a whole slew of things that are wrong with them building on that property, Perdue said. Its wetlands. Its hydric soil. That means it saturates. It floods. It ponds. Theres nowhere for that water to go, and if you put a three-story apartment complex on top of that ground, that water is going to get pushed out somewhere. Perdue said she is a farm owner and during Hurricane Florence, she had to board her animals, as water reached her barn and took two weeks to recede. Perdue said its her understanding that the mayor and his partner would be required to apply for a wetlands delineation permit and build a system to push the water out so that it isnt retained on the property. Her concern is that if the water is pushed back into Locks Creek, itll be taking on extra water thatll cause quicker flooding on nearby properties. Its a reckless endangerment to the community and environment, and they will need to be held responsible if they build this and it floods, she said. Property along Cedar Creek Road would be part of the proposed apartment complex in the Cedar Creek and Locks Creek Road area that's been prone to flooding in the past and been met with resident opposition to the proposed project. Mayor responds Mayor Colvin said in an interview last week that no one would intentionally build a complex in a community that floods. Colvin said that engineers have been hired to look at the property and ensure stormwater wouldnt pond on the site, and there will not be negative impacts. I trust the process and state and citys guidance to make sure we prepare for that, he said. City records state that the Public Services Department's Engineering Division has proposed a stormwater project near Locks Creek to address some of the flooding issues and that the city's Technical Review Committee would be responsible for assessing developments in potential floodplains. Colvin said Fayetteville has a housing deficit of about 20,000 homes and that areas of the city that have been overlooked need them. I think eastern Fayetteville is a great area, he said. Its where our city has expanded its growth. I think its a great community, and I would much rather have people living in Fayetteville instead of going to another community because were short on housing. I think this (project) compliments that in addition to supporting the growth and development in the city. Colvin said he and his partner want to be able to use the property to meet community needs. A concept drawing shows developers' plans to build an apartment complex near Cedar Creek and Fields roads. Other concerns Aside from the flooding, Perdue is worried about what an apartment complex will mean for nearby property values and whether having more people in the area increases crime and overcrowding in schools. Jeremy Stanley has lived in the Cedar Creek area since 2004 and said that while his property is outside the buffer zone to have received a notification of the rezoning request, hes gotten to know nearby neighbors and thinks the proposed complex would be unfair to them. Most homes near Locks Creek are built on stilts because of the flooding, and he shares Perdues concerns that the complex will bring more traffic on Cedar Creek Road. Stanley said he thinks the area is more suitable for single-family and agriculture zoning instead of multi-family use. The mayors involvement, he said, raises more questions. Does this mean he has an option to get this done more quickly? He can persuade council members. Colvin said he is going through the same protocol that any other developer would, and he will not receive any favoritism. Ive followed all council policies on disclosures, and disclosed it on an ethics form earlier in the year before it even came to this point, and of course, I would not be partaking in any council action about this, he said. While city funds wouldn't go toward the private project, Stanley said he wonders if the mayor and his partner could still financially benefit from city-funded drainage projects. Fayetteville council to consider ban on new homes in Locks Creek area What's next? Since the matter was removed from the councils March meeting, Stanley said he wouldnt be surprised if it returns during the summer when residents who oppose the project could be on vacation. Colvin said he and his partner are applying for conditional rezoning to give flexibility to reduce the number of units and make other modifications from the original application. Were going through the process just like anyone else would, he said. There are no special exceptions made for me or this project. I plan to comply with all city and state regulations and hopefully see what the outcome is. I think its a positive investment on that side of the city. Perdue said she thinks the project is unacceptable and that a special use permit would allow the property to have any zoning use. Ive seen the amount of flooding that can happen, and I hope they understand that if they move forward, theyre putting lives in jeopardy," she said. Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville residents: Mayor should not build in flood area You are here: China Students attend a job fair in Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China's job market remained generally stable in the first quarter of 2024, with a total of 3.03 million new urban jobs created during the period, official data showed Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the country's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent in March, and the employment situation remained generally stable. Calling it "a good start" for the year, Chen Yongjia, an official with the ministry, said the employment situation has remained generally stable, with main employment indicators staying steady in the first quarter. Chen attributed the stable performance to the country's economic recovery and the government's policies to stabilize growth and promote high-quality development. As the country's economy continues to improve, there are favorable conditions for the country to boost employment further, he told a press conference. The country set an annual target of creating more than 12 million new urban jobs by 2024 and aimed to keep the surveyed urban jobless rate at around 5.5 percent this year. Chen said the country will continue efforts to expand employment channels and foster new employment growth areas such as advanced manufacturing, digital economy, and silver economy. Russia's army has made notable advances in eastern Ukraine. In its daily intelligence update on Tuesday, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Moscow's army had gained ground in Ocheretyne near Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region. Footage posted by pro-Kremlin military bloggers shows a Russian flag flying above the wrecked village, amid reports that Russian troops had advanced some 5 km in 10 days. The ISW said Moscow's forces did not have full control of the area, however. According to the US think tank, the situation on the frontline will "likely continue to deteriorate... particularly if Russian forces increase their attacks to take advantage of the limited window before the arrival of new US aid." Ukrainian military chiefs estimate that up to 25,000 Russian troops are trying to storm Chasiv Yar and surrounding settlements in the Donetsk region. They are attempting to capture the village of Ivanovskoye and the outskirts of Bogdanovka to break through to Chasiv Yar. Chasiv Yar is a crucial strategic point for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk - three cities in Donetsk. The American and Ukrainian flags wave in the wind outside of the Capitol on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington. - Mariam Zuhaib/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved The Pentagon is poised to send $1 billion (0.93 billion) in new military aid to Ukraine, US officials said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the UK also announced 580 million in new military support for Kyiv and Lithuania said it had transferreda batch of M577 command and staff armoured vehicles to Ukraine. The announcements follow concern by analysts that delays in Western security assistance have helped Russia's offensive, with the ISW saying in February that Kyiv had to conserve military material. Some US military aid for Ukraine is already in Germany and Poland, reducing the time needed for the weapons and equipment to reach the front, CNN reported. Still, there are concerns. "Even if US materiel moves quickly, transport logistics will likely mean the aid 'will not begin to affect the situation on the front line for several weeks,' the ISW wrote on X on Tuesday. On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu said the Moscow army would increase the intensity of attacks on logistics centres and storage bases for Western weapons in Ukraine in response to the US aid bill. In February, Ukrainian forces withdrew from Avdiivka, claiming a lack of artillery shells and air defence systems from the West limited the ability of Ukrainian troops to defend themselves against Russian advances. Since Russias February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Washington has sent more than $44 billion (41 billion) worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine. For the bulk of that time, aid packages were moving routinely every few weeks. But the money started to dry up by the end of the fiscal year on 30 September. By mid-December, the Pentagon said it had run out of money and had to stop sending weapons because, without the funding package stalled in Congress, it could no longer afford to replace them. The Biden administration sent sorely needed reinforcements to Haiti on Tuesday, deploying a U.S. military aircraft to Port-au-Prince weeks after notifying the U.S. Congress it would be providing millions of dollars worth of weapons and ammunition to help Haiti National Police officers take on ruthless gangs. The first aircraft to land on the countrys main runway since an insurgency by armed groups forced the cancellation of all domestic and international flights into the capital nearly two months ago, the military aircraft landed shortly before 11 a.m. Armed gangs are continuing to launch attacks on parts of the capital ahead of the swearing-in of a nine-member presidential council to lead a new political transition in the country. In a statement, the U.S. Southern Command, based in Doral, said Air Force C-130 plane flew into Toussaint Louverture International Airport for the planned rotation of personnel to support the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. The security and support personnel who arrived in Haiti will help ensure the U.S. embassy remains open, and operations continue, the statement said. The U.S. embassy remains focused on advancing U.S. government efforts to support the Haitian people, including mobilizing support for the Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces of Haiti, and creating conditions for free and fair elections. This is not the first time that the U.S. has sent in personnel since the violence. That deployment, however, took place via helicopters under the cover of darkness, leading some observers to believe that the aircraft and military personnel were testing the ability to land at the international airport. Haitian government officials have spent weeks tearing down homes around the perimeter to gain greater visibility and prevent gangs from getting on top of them to shoot onto the runway. The U.S. statement made no mention of supplies for Haiti cops. However, Haiti police sources said they were also expected and are greatly needed. Close to 20 officers have been killed or injured and 22 police stations have been pillaged or burned since the coordinated gang attacks erupted on Feb. 29. Since then, Port-au-Prince has remained under siege. READ NEXT: Inter-American Court of Human Rights to meet in Barbados to confront climate crisis Targeting key government infrastructures with automatic gunfire and looting, armed groups have destroyed and burned dozens of hospitals, schools, businesses and government buildings. They have also launched a series of simultaneous attacks in an attempt to take the international airport and the National Palace, which until now remain under the control of the Haiti National Police members of the small Armed Forces of Haiti. On Monday, as the United Nations Security Council met in New York to discuss the situation in Haiti, two voice recordings attributed to gang leader Jimmy Barbecue Cherizier circulated on social media. The voice urged the burning down of houses in the Lower Delmas neighborhood of the capital, which is under the gang leaders control. As they met, Security Council members continued to urge for the swift deployment of a multinational security force, led by Kenya, to assist the Haiti National Police. The U.S. Southern Command, based in Doral, said an Air Force C-130 plane flew into Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Tuesday, April 23, 2004 for the planned rotation of personnel to support the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Recognizing that the Haiti National Police is the last line of defense, Robert Wood, the U.S. alternative representative for special political affairs to the U.N., commended the department and its specialized units. Woods said they have conducted successful counter-gang operations, and continue to improve coordination. So far, neither the U.S., which supports the Kenya-led mission, nor Kenya have provided a timetable for the missions deployment. However, several sources have told the Miami Herald that a deployment of some police officers is imminent. The State Department has already awarded several contracts for police advisers for the Haiti mission. They include two contracts to Creative Corrections of Beaumont, Texas for $296,927 and $965,432. There are also two contracts to Celestar Corporation of Tampa for nearly $900,000. A job posting on LinkedIn describes the role of a police adviser as a person who will assist the missions leadership in the daily requirements of the headquarters in Port-au-Prince and U.S.-based support office. The mission support office is anticipated to be in the United States, likely Washington, D.C. or Miami, the job description said. Of the 1,000 Kenyan officers who are supposed to serve as the backbone of the force, 400 have been vetted to make sure they have not committed human-rights violations a requirement for deployment while another 250 Jamaicans have also been vetted, a State Department spokesperson said. The ongoing attacks in Haiti have led to the deaths or injuries of more than 2,500 Haitians since the beginning of the year, the deadliest three-months since the United Nations began tracking armed violence by gangs in 2021. The attacks have also exacerbated an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis. More than with 5 million Haitians are in need of assistance while some 360,000 Haitians have had to flee their homes. READ MORE: Flights to Haiti wont be starting any time soon; visas to come to the U.S. are on hold Last month, in an attempt to help the Haitian police, President Biden ordered Secretary of State Antony Blinken to notify Congress of the intent to draw down $10 million worth of weapons and ammunition from U.S. agencies to send to Haiti. The donation of firearms to the Haiti National Police marks the first time the U.S., which had a policy of not arming the police, will provide the country with weapons. It is also the first time the U.S. will be assisting the Armed Forces of Haiti. Earlier this month, Biden authorized the State Department to notify Congress of the intent to direct a draw down of up to $60 million to provide necessary support to partner countries, including Kenya, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, for their personnel to participate in the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. Until the force is deployed, Haiti will need to increasingly rely on the specialized units of the Haiti National Police that, while successfully taking on gangs in complex operations and blocking takeovers of the airport and the central bank, have also struggled to reverse takeovers when they do happen. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters in New York on Tuesday that with the international airport in Port-au-Prince still closed, the main seaport barely functioning and roads leading out of the capital blocked, the procurement of essential supplies including food and medicine is becoming increasingly challenging. Fuel availability has also become a pressing issue with prices soaring on the black market and transportation costs on the rise, he said. Fears of a fuel shortage have been exacerbated by a decision on Monday to suspend operations at Varreux, the countrys main fuel terminal, after armed attackers seized trucks and used empty containers, flatbeds and fuel tankers to block roads in Lower Delmas as well as La Saline Boulevard/ Route 9, which lead to the terminal. The men also demanded the ports closure. While the terminal remains secure, a source said staff were evacuated for their safety. Only security and those who provide basic services remain in the compound. the unpredictability of the operations at the airport and the fuel port, inasmuch as their closure is creating quite a lot of damage, Dujarric said. Addressing members of the Security Council on Monday, Maria Isabel Salvador, who heads the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, said that with the help of the modest Armed Forces of Haiti and her political mission, the Haiti National Police has deployed immense efforts to contain the spiral of violence in the country while being targeted by armed gangs. Nevertheless, the severity of the current crisis underscores the gaps in capacity within the national structures and the urgent need for international assistance, namely through the timely deployment of the forces from Kenya, she added. US vs. Russia: Why the Biden strategy in Africa may be failing U.S. officials are starting to accept that their strategy of pressing Niger and other war-battered African countries to break off ties with Moscow and embrace democratic norms is no longer working. The recent breakdown in relations with Niger, where American troops are set to withdraw as Russian fighters arrive, has forced a reckoning inside the Biden administration over its approach to maintaining its allies in volatile parts of Africa, according to two officials familiar with the matter. Both officials were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive diplomatic negotiations. Countries across the continent, including Chad, Central African Republic, Mali and Libya, have turned toward Russia for security assistance. Now, in Niger, Russian paramilitary fighters have arrived, sidelining the U.S. and forcing the withdrawal of 1,100 U.S. military personnel there in the next several months, one of the officials said. While Washington has raised concerns about Niameys relationship with Iran, U.S. officials are particularly worried about operating in a country whose government has increasingly close military ties with Russia. The military junta in March called for the dissolution of the agreement that governs the American military presence in the country, but a date hasnt been set for their departure. If U.S. troops leave, America will lose access to a critical military base it relies on to fight groups like ISIS. The U.S. drone base in Niger is used for intelligence collection that is key for targeting terrorist strongholds in the region. When all of these countries kicked out the French and turned inward, we then tried to pivot to become the peacemaker in the hopes that we could keep our presence there, said Cameron Hudson, a former intelligence officer for Africa at the CIA, referring to countries with coup governments in Africa. All of that is clearly not working. We are now out. Russia is now in. The National Security Council did not respond to a request for comment. U.S. law prohibits Washington from providing funds to coup governments, including Niger. But U.S. officials have tried to maintain diplomatic relations with those countries many of which have vast natural resources in an effort to one day resume military and other financial support. The Biden administrations strategy has been to try to engage coup governments and negotiate roadmaps and timetables for democratic elections. But African leaders, while telling diplomats and other American officials that they want to maintain relations with Washington, have largely rebuffed suggestions that their countries need to more fully embrace democracy. With most of these governments, they really dont want to be told what to do, a third U.S. official said. Theres a long history of the West telling African countries how to govern and theyre finally saying enough. Some African leaders have welcomed the Russian intervention, saying Moscow can provide fast security assistance when the U.S. cannot. Others have pushed back against U.S. demands for reforms, claiming the West has no right to lecture on democracy in Africa when it ignores similar issues with allies in other parts of the world. Those rebuffs, including in Niger, have tested American officials as they attempt to try to find a way to hold on to Washingtons long-standing partnerships in countries that hold significant natural resource wealth. Behind closed doors, officials increasingly believe that it may be unwise to completely withdraw from countries experiencing challenges in democracy, said a DOD official. Doing so does leave a huge gap for other less scrupulous competitors such as Moscow or Beijing to swoop in. The fear is, okay, were going to walk away, and Russia is going to come in, the official said. Are we really being a good partner if we are leaving when they are most vulnerable? So far, the U.S. has tried to make the most of limited options. Their most recent strategy has been to expose Russian mercenaries destruction on the continent, including their vast human rights abuses in an effort to discourage countries from allying with Moscow. Russian engagement in Africa is not helpful, said a second U.S. official. It's parasitic. So far, though, that effort has not reversed decisions by African leaders, especially those in coup governments, to partner with Russia. Their immediate needs for assistance and security are too great, the official said. And the U.S. cant provide that kind of help. Where the Russians have a real advantage over the United States is they have weapons, and they sell weapons, including helicopters, the senior U.S. official said. And they sell small arms. There are a lot of security challenges in Africa and Africans need weapons. Russia has seized on the opportunity, using mercenaries and other fighters aligned with the ministry of defense to help provide security. In Mali for example, members of Russias elite Wagner paramilitary force have been helping government forces carry out strikes and raids that have killed scores of civilians in recent months, according to rights groups. Now, for the first time in Niger, the Russian ministry of defense is overseeing a new security mission, dispatching paramilitary fighters to help train Nigers military. Russias moves raised alarms among Biden administration officials who have tried to negotiate a deal with the military junta that would ultimately allow the U.S. troops to remain in the country. Many of the Russian fighters in Niger, and those bound for neighboring Burkina Faso, formerly fought under Yevgeny Prigozhin when he led the Wagner forces. Wagner was Russias most elite paramilitary force, operating in various corners of the world, including Ukraine and Africa. Since his attempted overthrow of the countrys military leaders last summer and his subsequent death, many of his former employees have joined new and existing private security forces overseen by Moscows military and intelligence services. It is still not clear how soon U.S. forces will leave Niger, or if there might be a way to negotiate for them to remain. One senior U.S. official said theres a possibility the U.S. still helps train the military in Niger. Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed Monday the beginning of discussions between the U.S. and Niger for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, and said DOD is sending a small delegation to participate in the discussions. He did not give a timeframe for the delegation to arrive or for U.S. troops to leave the country. NAGOYA, Apr 24 (News On Japan) - A former host admitted to knowingly receiving approximately 25 million yen that had been deceitfully obtained by convicted scammer "Riri-chan," in a trial held on April 23. The case has been a subject of keen interest, highlighting the manipulative use of emotional deception to commit financial fraud. The proceedings took place at the Nagoya District Court, where the defendant, Yuji Tanaka, formerly a host in Tokyo's Kabukicho district, appeared unsettled, frequently adjusting his hair and looking around nervously. Tanaka is charged with accepting 24.8 million yen for food and drink expenses at his host club, knowing the money was acquired through deceit by Mai Watanabe, who professed romantic feelings to deceive her male patrons. During the trial, Tanaka acknowledged the charges brought against him. Additionally, he faces other similar charges, and with the current case, the total amount received fraudulently adds up to 38.5 million yen. Watanabe, who has been a significant financial supporter of the former host Tanaka, was sentenced on April 22 to nine years in prison for her involvement in fraud and aiding in fraud. Related story: "Riri-chan" Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison Weather Alert ...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 31 will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Portions of southwest and west central Iowa and east central, northeast, and southeast Nebraska. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && Various reading spaces set in communities, educational facilities in E China Xinhua) 08:48, April 23, 2024 People read books at a bookstore in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, April 21, 2024. To encourage people's reading habit and improve their reading environment, various reading spaces have been set in communities and educational facilities throughout Hefei, where people could easily borrow, buy or read books. (Xinhua/Fu Tian) A woman browses a book at a bookstore in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, April 21, 2024. To encourage people's reading habit and improve their reading environment, various reading spaces have been set in communities and educational facilities throughout Hefei, where people could easily borrow, buy or read books. (Xinhua/Fu Tian) A woman and her child read books at a bookstore in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, April 21, 2024. To encourage people's reading habit and improve their reading environment, various reading spaces have been set in communities and educational facilities throughout Hefei, where people could easily borrow, buy or read books. (Xinhua/Fu Tian) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The children of 18 deceased Chinese women who were forced to be sex slaves for the Japanese army recently filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government in a Chinese court, demanding an apology and compensation for crimes committed during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). The submission of their complaints to the Shanxi Provincial High People's Court from April 8 to 10 marked the first time in 32 years that such a case has been brought in China. Li Ladi, the 78-year-old daughter of victim Wan Aihua, is one of the plaintiffs. In her civil complaint, she demanded that the Japanese government formally apologize and express remorse for the kidnapping, detention, rape, beating, abuse, torment, injury and disease transmission committed against her mother by the Japanese military during the invasion of China. Li is seeking 2 million yuan ($276,000) in compensation for physical injury and emotional distress, including damages for the violation of her mother's personal dignity and life. In 1992, the Chinese forced to be sex slaves by the Japanese army lodged a formal complaint against the Japanese government, demanding an official apology and financial compensation. The case went to court in Japan in August 1995. With the help of Japanese lawyers, after dozens of hearings between 1995 and 2007, the Japanese court ultimately acknowledged the historical facts but did not offer any apology or financial compensation to the victims. Zhang Shuangbing, who began investigating the plight of Japanese army sex slaves from China in 1982, prepared the way for the new legal action against the Japanese government, supported by a team of experts and lawyers. Zhang said it was inspired by a related case in South Korea. In January 2021, the Seoul Central District Court ruled against the Japanese government in a lawsuit filed by South Korean women who had been forced to be sex slaves, ordering Japan to pay 100 million won ($72,000) to each victim. After more than a decade of fruitless litigation in Japanese courts, the decision by the South Korean court indicated that Chinese victims could seek justice through domestic courts, Zhang said. A team of lawyers led by Jia Fangyi and Guo Chengxi is handling the case. Jia told the Modern Express Post, a Nanjing-based media outlet, that the Japanese government has never sincerely apologized or compensated victims, which remains a deep wound for every Chinese person. Jia said that compensation for the sex slaves is a matter of human rights compensation. The Japanese military committed serious crimes against civilian women, violating their life, health, human rights and dignity. The victims' demands for an apology and compensation from the Japanese government are part of maintaining the individual rights of civilians harmed in war, which is separate from state claims and falls within different international and domestic legal frameworks, he said. After the South Korean court made a legal ruling, the South Korean victims and their children asked the court to enforce it, and the court asked the South Korean government to disclose Japan's assets in South Korea for enforcement. That had significant implications for Chinese victims, Jia said. 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. The US is planning to counter Chinas strategy regarding rare metals in Africa through investing in a rail project connecting copper and cobalt mines in central Africa to Lobito port in Angola. The new route, which could potentially extend to Zambia, offers an alternative route to export rare metals to the Chinese controlled outlets. It also denotes a quest by the US to catch up with China in Africa, where Chinese companies have invested massively focusing on rare metals, such as cobalt and lithium which are key to energy transition, notably the batteries industry. The US has committed to funding the rail with $250 million, hoping it will connect the copper belt region in the DRC and Zambia to Angolas Lobito port. US economic and national security depend on securing a reliable supply of critical minerals, including from Africa, the United States Institute of Peace said in a report a few days ago. The US relies on imports for the supply of most of the minerals used in energy transition, such as lithium and cobalt. Especially concerning is that the United States is at or near 100% reliant on foreign entities of concern mainly the Peoples Republic of China for key critical minerals, says the report. China takes the lead as far as the exploitation of rare minerals in Africa. Therefore, Washington must roll out more vigorous commercial diplomacy with a keen eye toward building critical minerals partnership in Africa, the 76-page report said. The US is simply not on, or even near, par in competing with China for critical minerals investment and diplomacy in Africa, and needs to take a vigorous approach, it said. Chinese firms owned or had stakes in 15 of the 19 cobalt producing mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which produces more than 70% of the worlds cobalt. Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan chaired, in Meknes on Monday, the opening ceremony of the 16th International Agricultural Fair in Morocco (SIAM), held April 22-28, under the theme Climate and Agriculture: Advocating Sustainable and Resilient Production Systems and featuring Spain as guest of honor. At the start of the opening ceremony of this 16th edition, held under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan presented three certificates of recognition of the Distinctive Signs of Origin and Quality to the presidents of producer groups of local products awarded the label during the 2023-2024 crop season. Thus, the first certificate was awarded to Abdelkrim Bayad, president of the Federation of Oriental almond professionals for the Geographical Indication Amandes Beni Snassen (Oriental region), while the second was presented to Mohamed El Hadi, president of the Ait Bouguemez cooperative of agricultural producers for the Geographical Indication Pomme de la Vallee Ait Bouguemez (Beni Mellal-Khenifra region). The third certificate was awarded to Abdessalam El Houadfi, director of Le Petit Domaine SARL company for the Free-range chicken eggs agricultural label. the labeling system, one of the main areas of product development within the framework of the Green Morocco Plan and Generation Green, aims to promote the quality of local products and enhance the know-how of local populations, develop rural areas and improve farmers incomes, protect good-quality local products against usurpation, and promote agriculture in rural areas capable of preserving biodiversity and natural resources. At the entrance to the exhibition, the Crown Prince was greeted by Luis Planas, Spains Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, personalities representing the foreign countries invited to the fair, namely France, Romania, Czech Republic, Benin, Burundi, Cote dIvoire, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, and South Sudan), as well as by Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission. Afterwards, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan visited the various sections of the exhibition and received explanations on the products showcased, in particular the Regions hub, the Water and Irrigation and Research and Innovation stands in the Generation Green pavilion of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, as well as the Institutional, Local Products, Livestock Inputs, Livestock, Agri-Digital and International hubs. At the Agri-Foods hub, the Crown Prince followed an immersive video on the digitalization of agriculture, before moving on to the Agro-Supplies and Machinery hubs. The fair, extending on a 12.4-Ha site, sees the participation of 70 countries and 1,500 exhibitors and features 40 conferences and round tables. It offers visitors a wide range of products and the latest generation of agricultural machinery, designed to promote agricultural and livestock production, as well as key sectors of the regional economy, including agri-food and its corollary, the food industry. The 2024 SIAM is marked by the introduction of a new Agri-Digital Hub, illustrating the role of digital technologies in the service of a more efficient and resilient agriculture, the significant extension of the Local Products Hub, promoting Moroccan agricultural diversity, and the introduction of the E-ticket to improve access conditions. Over the years, SIAM has succeeded in positioning itself as a flagship event for Morocco in general and its agriculture in particular. It has acquired a leading pan-African dimension, and has become the major event for professionals in the sector on a continental scale. The Commonwealth of Dominica reaffirmed, on Monday in Rabat, its support for Moroccos territorial integrity and sovereignty over all its territory, including the Moroccan Sahara. This position was expressed in a Joint Communique issued following talks in Rabat between visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Vince Henderson, and his Moroccan peer, Nasser Bourita. In this Joint Communique, Henderson reiterated his countrys support for the Autonomy Plan, presented by Morocco in 2007, as the only credible, serious, and realistic solution for resolving the dispute over the Sahara. In this regard, he praised the efforts of the United Nations as the exclusive framework for achieving a realistic, practical, and lasting solution to this regional dispute. As a member of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Commonwealth of Dominica welcomed the opening of an OECS Embassy in Rabat in October 2018 and a Consulate General in Dakhla on March 31, 2022, which will certainly represent a great opportunity to further consolidate bilateral exchanges between Morocco and the six Eastern Caribbean States, the Communique emphasizes. In a statement to the media after his talks with Bourita, Vince Henderson commended King Mohammed VI for his vision to promote South-South cooperation. I would like to express the great appreciation of the Commonwealth of Dominica for the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI for a South-South cooperation, based on effectiveness, solidarity and pragmatism, Henderson told the media, underlining that the Commonwealth of Dominica has enormously benefited from its cooperation with Morocco in this context. Over the years, and thanks to the reinforced diplomatic relations between the two countries, we have benefited from the development of human resources, scholarships for Dominican students in Morocco, and technical assistance in agriculture, among others, he pointed out. Sierra Leone, which has a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, said the autonomy plan is the only credible, serious and realistic solution to end the dispute over the Sahara. This came in a joint statement following talks in Rabat between Sierra Leonean and Moroccan foreign ministers, Timothy Musa Kabba and Nasser Bourita. Sierra Leone is among the 27 nations that opened a consulate in the Sahara, giving their recognition of Moroccos sovereignty there a tangible aspect. Sierra Leone also took part in January 2021 to a ministerial conference, convened by the US and Morocco, backing Moroccos autonomy plan and the Kingdoms full sovereignty over the southern provinces. In the statement, the foreign minister of Sierra Leone also said his country backs the UN process to reach a realistic, feasible, and lasting solution to this conflict. Moroccos efforts in combating terrorism were under the spotlights during the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting held in Abuja this April 22 23, under the theme Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institutions to Address the Evolving Terrorist Threat in Africa. Ismael Chekkori, Director of Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made a presentation on the key lessons learned from Moroccos fight against terrorism and the best practices the country has developed and shared over the years. It is vital to anticipate the rapid evolution of the threat, using tools such as accurate assessment, particularly of cross-border movements, detecting the first signals of radicalization, the dynamics of local terrorism, and its links with international terrorist groups, and anticipating new trends in terrorism, explained Chekkori. Morocco has implemented a comprehensive and multidimensional response to the terrorist threat. This response embodies an approach involving both the government and society at large. This approach aims to strengthen institutional resilience in the security, socio-economic, and religious spheres, Moroccos representative at the meeting said. He also highlighted the Moussalaha program as a pivotal component of Moroccos comprehensive strategy in combating terrorism. He described it as an initiative specifically designed to rehabilitate and reintegrate former terrorist detainees into society. The success of the Moussalaha program underscores the importance of addressing the roots of extremism and dealing with its consequences through compassion and sustained community support, he argued. In this context, our call for revitalized regional cooperation, grounded in a solid institutional framework, becomes not only relevant but imperative. From this perspective, promoting closer institutional cooperation would effectively contribute to inclusive and collaborative responses tailored to the specific needs of African countries, in line with the principle of ownership, he elaborated. Chekkori noted that Morocco has always been committed to strengthening regional institutional cooperation against terrorism, drawing on the lessons and successes of its national strategy in this domain. He underscored Moroccos dedication in this area, highlighting that Moroccan security services have shared crucial information, enabling their counterparts in other countries to thwart deadly terrorist attacks and plots. On a regional level, Chekkori mentioned that Morocco launched the Marrakech Platform for Heads of African Security and Counter-Terrorism Agencies in 2022, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Combating Terrorism (UNOCT). The scene from Mondays opening arguments in Donald Trumps criminal trial. Art: Isabelle Brourman There was a simple question at the heart of Monday mornings opening arguments in Donald Trumps criminal trial in Manhattan: Whats the big deal? You may think it would be unnecessary to establish the stakes of the first prosecution of an ex-president, taking place amid a campaign that could very well return him to office. If Trump were going on trial for any of the other crimes, in other jurisdictions, that he is accused of committing violating the Espionage Act, using political pressure to try to overturn the election in Georgia, subverting the peaceful transfer of power on January 6 the answer would be self-evident. Yet this morning in Manhattan, Trump went on trial for the least of his offenses, making payoffs to a porn star. Criminal law is not about narrative proportion, though it deals in binary choices. Trump is accused of breaking the law, and though this trial may not be about the worst thing he ever did, he will still face a jury of 12 New Yorkers inside the scaffolding-shrouded criminal courthouse on Centre Street. Its a fitting place to judge a squalid crime. The 15th floor, where the trial is being held, is locked down every morning, but elsewhere inside, the routine of arraignments, plea hearings, and sentencings keeps grinding forward. The grungy bathrooms smell like smoke, and sometimes you can find balled-up jail jumpsuits on the floor, left behind by perps who just got released. Judge Juan Merchans courtroom is unadorned. There is a little American flag the type schoolkids wave for a presidential motorcade tacked to a bulletin board on the wall, a few feet from a paper sign that reads Active Shooter with safety instructions beneath. The defendant in the case of People v. Donald Trump came in with a large retinue of aides and attorneys and took his seat at the defense table. As always, a group of five pool photographers rushed in and photographed him for a few moments as he sat there seething like a caged animal. Then he sat back, wearing a blue tie and a blank look on his face, as Matthew Colangelo, representing the Manhattan district attorneys office, rose to begin the case for prosecution. This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up, Colangelo said in his opening words to the jury, a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election. It is easy to understand why Colangelo a former Justice Department official who came to New York to handle the trial wanted to start with some reframing. The hush money case, as it is often called, is one that even some prosecutors were reluctant to bring. It was originally a component of a wide probe into Trumps finances that had been initiated under former New York district attorney Cyrus Vance, who charged the longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg, with evading taxes on his compensation in an effort to flip Weisselberg against his boss. But he refused to turn on Trump. After a new district attorney, Alvin Bragg, was elected in 2021, he decided not to pursue the financial-fraud case. (Attorney General Tish James pursued it as a civil lawsuit, which resulted in a $455 million judgment against Trump.) All that was left after the investigation fizzled was a subset of charges related to payments to Stormy Daniels. Under Vance, the DAs office had been hesitant to pursue the Daniels case on its own for reasons both philosophical and tactical. If you were going to try Trump, it seemed to some of the key prosecutors involved, it should be for a major crime. And the Daniels affair seemed more seedy than felonious. The underlying facts concern a $130,000 deal that Michael Cohen, Trumps thenpersonal attorney, made to buy silence from the actress when she was trying to sell a story about a sexual liaison with Trump to a tabloid. (Trump denies the affair happened.) The following year, after Trump became president, he allegedly arranged for his company to pay Cohen $420,000 to cover the payoff, expenses, taxes, and a bonus, all disguised as a retainer agreement for his legal services. Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes related to the payments in 2018, after which he became a cooperating witness for the DAs office. Still, he was hardly an ideal witness: a convicted felon whose agenda was evident from the title of his memoir, Disloyal, and its sequel, Revenge. Under New York State law, the crime Trump has been charged with, falsifying business records, is a misdemeanor unless it is committed in the course of another felony. It is not illegal to pay off a mistress or to reimburse a lawyer. Thus, in his opening statement, Colangelo had to explain how the $420,000 paid to Cohen had been part of a larger criminal scheme. In the prosecutors telling, it was all part of a plot initiated in 2015 in a meeting at Trump Tower between Cohen, his boss, and David Pecker, who was then the chief executive of the company that owned the National Enquirer. Those three men formed a conspiracy at that meeting, Colangelo said. The Trump Tower conspiracy, as the prosecutor called it, allegedly had three elements: The Enquirer would publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents, and most important, according to the prosecution, Pecker agreed to act as Trumps eyes and ears down in the gutter. On at least three occasions, including with Daniels, Pecker or his subordinates alerted Trump to salacious stories about him that were being shopped, and they helped him get the stories snuffed out by persuading the sources to agree to sell the rights to their stories to the Enquirer or to entities controlled by Cohen in an industry practice known as catch and kill. You will hear the defendant in his own voice, Colangelo promised, indicating that the prosecutors plan to play tapes of Trumps involvement in the catch-and-kill negotiations. You will even hear Mr. Trump suggest in his own voice, you will hear him suggest paying in cash. None of this will surprise anyone who has followed Trumps symbiotic relationship with the tabloid press for which he has long been both a character and a source or who has any familiarity with the transactional nature of that business. But according to the prosecutions theory, the rules changed for Trump in 2015 whether he realized it or not. What might have been merely a sleazy deal when he was a celebrity became a felony because he was running for president. Look, no politician wants bad press, but the evidence at trial will show that this was not spin or communications strategy, Colangelo said. It was election fraud, pure and simple. The prosecutor said that as Trump began racking up states on Election Night in November 2016, the ramifications set in for one of the lawyers who represented Daniels in the hush-money deal. What have we done? the attorney texted a top editor at the National Enquirer. If you believe Trump should be held accountable for everything he did after that a familiar litany of high crimes and misdemeanors, for which he was twice impeached it may be easy to shrug off any concerns about proportionality or technical imperfections in the hush-money case. Al Capone, as anyone who has seen The Untouchables knows, was put away for tax evasion, not the St. Valentines Day Massacre. In the weeks before this Trump trial began, some legal experts who had previously minimized its importance came around to the opinion that, in its grubby simplicity, the hush-money case had its merits. Now, everybodys coming to the table and saying, We need to take another look at this case because we all dismissed it, says Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former top lieutenant to Vance in the DAs office. Dismiss it at your peril. Even some of Trumps loudest defenders have trouble seeing a route to an acquittal. In New York, says the famed attorney and former Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz, paraphrasing the legal adage, if you indict a ham sandwich named Trump, youll get a conviction. President Trump is innocent, his lead attorney, Todd Blanche, said as he began his own opening statement. He is cloaked in innocence. And that cloak of innocence does not leave President Trump today. It doesnt leave him at any day during this trial. And it wont leave him when you all deliberate. Blanche previewed the elements of his defense. On one level, it is not much different than the case made by most every other defense attorney representing most every other defendant who passes through the Manhattan criminal-courts building. The prosecution has the burden of proof; the star witness is a fink. He is a convicted perjurer. He is an admitted liar, Blanche said of Cohen. Just the night before the trial, the attorney claimed, Cohen had talked about wanting to see President Trump in an orange jumpsuit. He claimed Daniels had lied about the sexual encounter and had threatened to go public with it in an attempt to extort President Trump. Objection, one of the prosecutors said. Sustained, said Judge Merchan. Still, the jury heard the word extort, and maybe Blanche succeeded in planting a seed of doubt. His objective over the rest of the trial, which is scheduled to last six to eight weeks, will be to grow it, little by little, asking the jurors, Was this really as big a deal as the prosecutors suggested? Was it really election fraud? Did it really change history? Or was this trial just about some money and a nondisclosure agreement signed between two consenting adults, one of whom was running for president and wanted to avoid an embarrassing scandal? I have a spoiler alert: Theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election, Blanche said. Its called democracy. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images As House Speaker Mike Johnson basked in gushing bipartisan praise for his successful stewardship of a foreign-aid package that included crucial aid to Ukraine, despite the thinly disguised pro-Russia sentiments of many of his mega-MAGA colleagues, I wasnt the only one who immediately thought of Mike Pence. New York Times congressional correspondent Annie Karni noted that Johnson was getting the same relieved adulation that Donald Trumps vice-president received after an isolated act of statesmanship: [A] speakers entire job is to move legislation through the House, and as Saturdays vote to pass the bill demonstrated, the Ukraine measure had overwhelming support. But Mr. Johnsons feat was not so different from that of another embattled Republican who faced a difficult choice under immense pressure from hard-right Republicans and was saluted as a hero for simply doing his job: former Vice President Mike Pence. In Pences case, the refusal to play his assigned (and blatantly illegal) role in Trumps plot to overturn the routine confirmation of Joe Bidens election as president on January 6, 2021, represented a break from four years of abject sycophancy. So despite near-universal appreciation for Pences moment of rebellion among non-MAGA Americans, it was hard for some of us to entirely forget the veeps role in helping Trump get elected in the first place and then for stridently supporting all of his misconduct in office (up to and including all the stop the steal lies that preceded the failed coup of January 6). Ironically, Mike Johnson was the point man in Congress for the effort to accomplish legislatively what Trump wanted Pence to do during the fateful joint session of Congress on January 6: a refusal to confirm Bidens state-certified majority in the Electoral College. Had Republicans held a majority in the House and Senate at that time, it might have even succeeded, at least before the Capitol Riot made even some Trump supporters draw back in horror and shame. Since his rise from obscurity to the top position in the House GOP hierarchy, Johnson has bent the knee to Trump repeatedly. His most outlandish act of MAGA extremism occurred on the very brink of his bipartisan breakthrough on foreign aid and was likely designed (along with some concessions to Trumps demands that Ukraine aid be made in the form of a loan) to head off any direct Trump intervention to stop it. On April 12, he raced down to Mar-a-Lago for a bizarre joint appearance with the 45th president in which the two leading figures in the Republican Party announced a redundant proposal to ban voting by undocumented immigrants while arguing that Democrats were deliberately opening the borders to recruit illegal voters for 2024 and beyond. Johnson was more explicit on this subject in remarks made in a separate venue at about the same time, as CNN reported: In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network this week, Johnson expanded on the theme, describing an alleged Democratic plot to fix the electoral map. It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but I think its actually true, that the ultimate design is to turn some of these illegals into voters for their cause and to change the census outcome in 2030, Johnson said. It sounds like some sort of crazy, you know, criminal design. And in my view it is. This wasnt Johnsons first shout-out to the great replacement theory by any means, as the Washington Posts Greg Sargent noted upon his elevation to the speakership: This is the plan of our friends on this side to turn all the illegals into voters, Johnson said at a congressional hearing in May 2022, gesturing at Democrats. Thats why the borders open. Johnson employs it regularly. He reiterated the claim in an interview this year with the right-wing outlet Newsmax, accusing President Biden of intentionally encouraging undocumented migration to turn all these illegals into voters for their side. On numerous other occasions, he has made similar charges, even declaring that Democrats express goal is the destruction of our country at the expense of our own people. Lest we forget, another less savory aspect to Johnsons overall political profile is one he shares with Mike Pence: a career-long adherence to hard-core Christian nationalist positions on abortion, LGBTQ rights, and a host of other issues. While Trumps very personal form of authoritarianism is the most terrifying aspect of the conservative ideology he has partly embraced and partly made over in his own image, he didnt invent the kind of deeply reactionary politics Speaker Johnson exemplifies. Any assessment of the Speakers brief but momentous tenure should include on the credit side of the ledger his success in helping keep the federal government functioning despite repeated House Freedom Caucus efforts to shut it down or hold it hostage. But on the debit side is the fact that the long delay he engineered in approving aid to Ukraine has put that country (and American security interests related to Ukraine) in an unnecessarily bad position, as the Washington Posts Jennifer Rubin unhappily observes: A week a month six months ago, the vote to deliver critical aid could have prevented countless Ukrainian deaths. Just last week, Russian missiles struck an apartment building in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, killing 17 people and injuring at least 61. That was merely one strike among many Russia has successfully carried out in recent months while Ukraine has been hampered by munitions shortages and inadequate antimissile defenses. If Johnson ultimately loses his Speakers gavel as a direct result of his sponsorship of better-late-than-never foreign-aid legislation, perhaps the idea of Johnson as a courageous avatar of pre-Trump conservatism will have more merit, much as Pence became a more sympathetic figure when his 2024 presidential candidacy cratered as a consequence of his brief rebellion against The Boss. But for now, his apotheosis as Beltway hero and the savior of Ukraine mostly shows how much Trump has changed not only the GOP but the political system. A man who embraces the worst of both pre-MAGA and MAGA conservatism shouldnt get too much praise for letting a bipartisan majority favoring a foreign-aid package work its will. China's Ministry of Public Security has made plans for this year's campaign to apprehend economic fugitives who have absconded overseas, according to the ministry. In a bid to safeguard national security and social stability, the campaign, code-named "Fox Hunt 2024," is expected to intensify the counter-corruption campaign, and forestall and defuse major risks, the ministry said. Over 10 consecutive years, since 2014, China's "Fox Hunt" operations have seen over 9,000 economic fugitives captured in over 120 countries and regions, and retrieved economic losses valued at nearly 49 billion yuan (about 6.8 billion U.S. dollars). Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images As of early April, at least 224 aid workers have been killed in Gaza a small number of the estimated 34,000 people killed since Israel began bombarding the territory after October 7. Thousands more aid workers still toil to distribute food, fuel, and medical supplies inside the occupied territory, which the United Nations says is on the brink of famine. In early April, UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram spent two weeks in Gaza helping to deliver aid. The riskiness of her mission was underscored on April 9 the week after seven members of World Central Kitchen were killed when her convoy was shot at near an Israeli checkpoint to bring much-needed aid in the north. I spoke with Ingram about her close call, the daily challenges of entering and living in Gaza, and the child she met who was killed while trying to find parsley for dinner. What was your experience crossing over from Egypt into Gaza? Youre sitting there, and its kind of like a terminal theres an immigration desk, and youre waiting to get called. You go up and get a photo with your passport, they check the luggage, and then you move through and do the same on the Palestinian side. You can smoke inside there, and theres not really ventilation, so its very smoky inside. Theres no food or water, so you only have what you brought with you. Its busy and its loud. Lots of crying babies. Theres one bathroom, and its very unclean. The whole time that you travel in the convoy on the way through, youre not really allowed to get out of the car at the checkpoints. Some people pop out to have a smoke, but theres not really bathrooms there either. So you can imagine its a ten-, 12-hour journey and then you get to the point of crossing and, yeah, one loo. What happens once youre inside Gaza? Once youre through the Palestinian side, theres another passport and bag check. Then a UNICEF car picks us up. Its a big white armored vehicle. I think its a Land Rover. From there, its probably 45 minutes from the crossing to our base, which is on the border of Rafah and Khan Younis on the western side of Gaza near the coast. Once youre in, you dont exit again until youre on the manifest to leave, which for me was two weeks later. What is it like getting around Rafah now? Rafah is chaotic. There are people moving everywhere by car, donkey, foot, bicycle, motorbike and big U.N. vehicles trundling through. Its very uncontrolled, and its very crowded. There are 1.2 million people in a town that was built for 250,000, 300,000 people. Further north, the main checkpoints are at Wadi Gaza, the river valley that divides Gaza in half about 75 percent of the way up. And that controls the access to the north. There are two ways to go north the Salaheddin Road, which runs up the guts of Gaza, and the Al Rashid Road, which is by the coast. The coastal road is like an American suburban street, one car going in each direction, no markers in the middle. The Salaheddin Road is more like a small American highway, with two lanes of traffic in each direction. At the moment, its less congested; there are fewer cars because of the lack of fuel and the damage to cars. One of my colleagues lives in Rafah, and she used to work at the UNICEF office in Gaza City, and she told me that this highway used to be so busy, and shed sit in traffic for hours, but now you can move through quite freely. In Rafah, my colleagues say that a drive that used to take ten minutes now takes about 30 to 40 minutes because you have to move so slowly. The roads have also narrowed because a lot of makeshift shelters have been built off the sides of buildings, so its narrowed the width of the roads. Theres also people setting up small stands on the side of the road selling goods and things. The destruction surrounding the road is tremendous. Upside-down cars standing up on their ends, burnt-out buildings, massive holes in buildings, buildings completely reduced to rubble, large bits of steel. It looks almost apocalyptic. Its like something youd see in a film. Could you walk me through a day in Gaza? I would wake up around half past six in the morning. We did not sleep well. The bombardments are really loud at night. The first week was really loud, walls shaking loud. It sounded like thunder. Our lodging is a two-story house with a number of bedrooms that were all living and working out of. We bring in some supplies with us when we come. When I enter Gaza, I get a bit of a shopping list of rice, eggs, oranges, always coffee and chocolate. And we bring these things in with us. Its very basic while youre there. For breakfast most days, its a little sachet of instant porridge and a large pot of coffee, and then we would go about our days. Theres a joint-operations center where humanitarian organizations meet, and theres some desks there. Often colleagues will go there for meetings with other U.N. agencies. Theres a daily meeting there on the status of operations. I was generally going to places where I could meet families and speak to them about their experiences. Other than the distribution of aid in the north, I went to a womens center where we were registering people for a distribution of childrens clothes. And I also went with partners to two different sessions for mental-health and psychosocial support for children. Also a lot of hospitals. I went to five, six different hospitals. As a communications person, I spend a lot of time looking for children to talk to and spending time with them and their families in the hospitals. Also, talking to doctors to try and understand the situation for medical staff and what sort of cases theyre broadly seeing in these hospitals. What happened on April 9, the day you were shot at on the way to the Kamal Adwan Hospital? We left a bit late, around 9 a.m., and were instructed to pull into the designated holding area at 10:30 a.m. at an Israeli checkpoint on the Salaheddin Road, roughly three-quarters of the way into the territory. We were a convoy of three cars and two trucks. I was in the last car, which was hit by three bullets, two in the side and one in the front. Inside the car, it was so loud. It was that classic thing of a hundred things going through your head in the space of a minute. Are we all inside the car? Are we okay? Is my helmet on? Of course, your heart rate goes up. But also I was trying at that same time to look out the window, trying to understand, Whats happening, where is the shooting coming from? Where is it being directed? The shootings appear to come from the north from the direction of the checkpoint toward what appeared to be civilians who then turned and ran in the other direction. So Im looking at, Who are they? Are they injured? Are they okay? You said that the fire came from the direction of the checkpoint. Does that suggest that the IDF was firing or is it unclear? It came from the direction of the checkpoint, and weve raised it with the relevant authorities. Were still waiting for an official response. Were also calling for an independent investigation into the incident because as I said before, this is not something that should happen on a mission in which weve coordinated with Israeli officials particularly when weve been instructed to wait at a designated holding area where our presence is well known and were in clearly marked U.N. vehicles. And after the World Central Kitchen incident, I think this is just another example of the fact that these coordination systems are not protecting humanitarian workers in Gaza because theyre not being respected. How did that incident change the rest of your experience in Gaza? It made me more apprehensive about my own safety, particularly about returning to the north days later, knowing that something like that could happen. And as I said, this was always in the back of my mind because this is not an isolated incident and has been occurring for six months in various forms. But its different when its you, I think. And were some of the most protected people in the Gaza Strip. What is it like to be a child experiencing this every day? They dont have the helmets and the PPE and the armored vehicles. And I saw that in the hospitals the children with bullet wounds, children with major injuries from explosives, broken limbs. What was your experience with children who were being cared for at the hospitals in Gaza? At Gaza European Hospital near Khan Younis, I met a 10-year-old boy named Mustafa. Met is probably a strong word, because he was in a medically induced coma. Mustafa had been shot in the head 48 hours earlier. His dad and his grandmothers were by his bed, and they told me that he had just left their tent in the Al-Mawasi area, which is the supposed safe zone where people have been instructed to evacuate to. And hed left the tent to go and find some parsley to add to dinner, I think, and he didnt come back, and they found him on the ground. And when I met them in the hospital, he had been sedated to try and stabilize him. The medical staff said they had just kind of reduced the sedation to see if he could stabilize without it. And he appeared to be doing okay, but he was still in a really critical condition. He was going to need a medevac, but theyre really difficult to get. I came back 48 hours later to check on him, and he was gone. He had died. There was another girl, Juri, who I met that will stay in my head forever. She is 9, and she was at her grandparents house in Rafah playing with her uncles bird in a birdcage when the house was hit by an air strike. She has major blast wounds major, major blast wounds that remain open. When I met her, it had been 16 days since the incident, and she was lying in bed with open wounds because they hadnt been able to do that level of reconstructive surgery and were waiting for a medevac. They were just basically trying to drain the wounds and keep them clean and give her painkillers, but she was in so much pain. And she said to me, I dont know why this has happened to me. I dont understand whats happening. She just wanted to see her friends and go back to school. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Ask a Cool Person Where we ask stylish individuals with particular, exacting, or simply exceptional taste to tell us about the things theyre actually buying. Read more here. Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers Opting for a short-sleeve button-down shirt can be a bit of a balancing act. Most options hit on the spectrum somewhere between Dwight Schrute and the guy who did strange experiments with bugs as a kid, says James Harris, co-host of the podcast Throwing Fits. To find some good-looking alternatives, I talked to 14 stylish men about their favorites, and heres what I gleaned: Looser, roomier fits and boxier cuts are in, camp collars are still a go-to option, bold is better, and to that end handcrafted details, like embroidery or other needlework, can really make a shirt stand out. Besides classic short-sleeve button-downs, Ive also included recommendations for button-ups and popovers on this list. Summer-weight fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, rayon, and seersucker help you stay dry and cool. As youll see, many of the recommendations I got were in the over-$150 range, so I set out to find some shirts that are stylish yet still affordable and came up with a few under $150 and one under $50. Uniqlo Checked Half-Sleeve Overshirt $30 $30 Christophe Lemaires collections for Uniqlo U each season almost always offer something of interest without veering into overly trendy territory. This season, Im digging this oversize short-sleeve button-down. The silhouette is airy and boxy and feels vacation-appropriate, and the subtle brown micro-check pattern, while not too summery, suits my understated style. $30 at Uniqlo Buy J.Crew Short-Sleeve Baird McNutt Irish Linen Shirt From $57 $98 now 42% off From $57 Writer Brett F. Braley-Palko switched years ago to wearing almost exclusively linen in the summer months. But not all linen is created equal: J.Crews Baird McNutt shirts utilize a breathable, lightweight Irish linen that adds a subtle charm to any outfit Im throwing on, he says. And if, like Braley-Palko, you prefer a less roomy fit, this is a good option: The cut is tailored enough to avoid looking boxy while comfortable enough to wear all season long. From $57 at J.Crew Buy Carhartt WIP Linus Stripe Short-Sleeve Shirt $120 $120 For Bijan Shahvali of Brooklyn-based Intramural, Short-sleeve shirts might be the hardest clothing items to buy, for me at least. But thats because he abides by a set of strict guidelines. First rule of short-sleeve shirts: no button-down collars, ever. Secondly, it should fit comfortably with sleeves that arent too tight. I prefer wider, boxier cuts in the body and roomier sleeves. He says, Following these rules helps with proper proportion and prevents a dweebish appearance. This striped button-up from Carhartt WIP satisfies all his requirements. $120 at SSENSE Buy $115 at Carhartt WIP Buy Buck Mason Wornwell S/S Camp Shirt $138 $138 Illustrator Loren Fizer says this shirt from Buck Mason feels like summer. Since he has a bit of a shorter torso, he says, I really enjoy its boxy cut, and its hard to find simple items at the desired length I need. Fizer also loves the fabric: Its soft to the touch with a slightly silky texture, and the white color complements any pair of linen pants. To maintain the shirts proportions and extend its life, he always air dries it after washing it. $138 at Buck Mason Buy Another Aspect Another Shirt 2.0 $175 $175 I love Another Aspects shirting, says photographer Chris Fenimore. The Danish brand is known for designing the best updated classics, and I have one of their shirts in raw silk that sees heavy rotation every summer. This linen version comes in two neutral stripes as well as a solid sand color. The collar, the sleeve and back lengths, and overall cut are all perfect, Fenimore says. Goes well with anything and makes a pair of shorts feel a bit more dressed up. $175 at Another Aspect Buy Mfpen Holiday Shirt - Beige $225 $225 Harris is a fan of the Scandinavian brand Mfpen, which makes the kind of shirts he finds himself constantly reaching for in the warmer months. While the shirt may seem ordinary at first glance, says Harris, its one of the most versatile and easy to style from his closet: I like to wear the shirt casually over swim trunks at the beach or paired with trousers on a hot wedding dance floor. $225 at SSENSE Buy $220 at Mr Porter Buy Jakes Navy Cotton/Linen Half Sleeve Popover $216 $216 Cale Darrell, who sells clothing through his vintage shop Good Form in Chicago and prefers vintage styles for himself, says, My go-to for warmer weather is a classic short-sleeve three-button popover. He likes mixing these into both casual and dressed-up looks. This one from Jakes London is on his wishlist. [Editors note: Jakes lists all prices in pounds sterling, so the price shown is an approximate conversion in U.S. dollars.] $216 at Jake's Buy 3sixteen Resort Shirt - Black $198 3Sixteen nailed down the fit with this short-sleeved shirt, says Prasan Shah of the clothing brand Original Madras Trading Company. He loves the shorter cut, which he wears open or buttoned over a T-shirt. The woven jacquard geometric design is also sophisticated in a way that makes it versatile enough for different day and evening occasions when worn with chino shorts or linen trousers, Shah says. $198 at 3sixteen Buy Union Los Angeles Spivey S/S Woven $245 $245 With its combination of striped patterns, This shirt reminds me of my grandpas shirts Frankensteined together, says Vincent Morelli, founder of Cleveland-based restaurant Cents Pizza You can wear it to the beach or church if youre into that. I love the short and boxy fit. $245 at Union Buy The Flat Head Native Border Summer Shirt $310 Andrew Chen, the co-founder of clothing brand 3Sixteen, has a tradition of buying new short-sleeve shirts before going on vacation. He says, Because of this, Ive assembled a decent arsenal of Japanese rayon shirts now, like this colorful one from Flat Head. For his upcoming trip to the Amalfi Coast, Ill be breaking this one out and wearing it severely unbuttoned because of how the fabric flows and drapes. $310 at Self Edge Buy Scott Fraser Collection Ripley Anzio Knit Shirt $359 $359 Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley continues to serve as a summer style icon, says Nico Lazaro, the editorial manager for Buck Mason and writer of the newsletter The Bengal Stripe. He found a brand that replicated one of the shirts from the movie. The Anzio knit from Scott Fraser is light and breathable, and the versatile colorway is easy to dress up or down, Lazaro says. In warmer weather, I still like the coverage full sleeves provide, but if Im going with a short-sleeve shirt, I want one that has the panache to stand on its own and still look nice under a jacket in the evenings. [Editors note: Scott Fraser Collection lists all prices in pounds sterling, so the price shown is an approximate conversion in U.S. dollars.] $359 at Scott Fraser Collection Buy Officine Generale Eren Shirt $380 $380 A loose short-sleeved camp shirt is all I need for spring, says art director Ruben Hughes. Officine Generale makes his favorites in a range of fabrics, textured weaves, and patterns: I opt for chambray for a casual day around town, poplin for the office, or print for when Im on holiday. Its versatility coupled with iconic design makes it a no-brainer for me. $380 at Officine Generale Buy Harago Duck Cross Stitch Shirt $395 $395 Timothy Grindle, co-founder of Boulder-based menswear store Canoe Club, loves the Jaipur-based label Harago. They use unique, handmade fabrics, and some garments, like this one, have embroidered touches similar to what you might find in designs by Bode and Samuel Zelig. The shirts are so interesting but also have this great nostalgic feeling, Grindle says. And with this particular shirt, the intricate print is such an easy way to get a striking look in warmer weather without having tons of layers on. $395 at Canoe Club Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Best in Class The Strategists carefully chosen and rigorously vetted flagship shopping guides. Learn about our methodology here, and find all our Best in Class guides here. Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers My grandmothers have some of the best skin Ive seen at ages 79 and 81, theyve maintained a smooth, plump visage. It makes me excited to get older knowing that thats what I have to look forward to. Melanin aside (though that definitely helps!), both are avid moisturizers, slathering their skin in thick creams nightly. Their diligence has paid off, especially because skin needs more help with moisture as you age. Thats where moisturizers come in. As skin produces less oil and theres a breakdown of elasticity and collagen fibers, moisturizers can help to fortify skins structure and also help with the overall look (hydrated skin looks more plump!). I dont personally have mature skin but as a beauty writer I do have lots of experience with moisturizers so I know what makes a good one. I also have lots of older women in my life who weighed in about what worked for their skin and I talked to dermatologists who have patients of all ages. That includes Dr. Marla Diakow of Schweiger Dermatology Group, who told me that the key to a good skin care routine as you age is picking products that strengthen and thicken the dermis, provide moisture retention and barrier renewal, and are not too harsh or abrasive. To find out the best moisturizers for mature skin (all types and budgets), I asked Diakow and nine more dermatologists about the ones they recommend and tested a few of their recommendations myself so I can speak to the texture and consistency. I even passed one along to my mom. My picks below. Updated October 4, 2024: Weve updated prices and checked stock for all products. What were looking for Ingredients A few things happen to skin as it ages. Because collagen begins to break down and skin produces less oil, new skin concerns start to crop up. That can range from dullness to wrinkling to hyperpigmentation. A good moisturizer can be helpful at addressing all of these concerns, provided you have the right combination of ingredients. According to our experts, the best moisturizers for mature skin whether its for your face, body, or lips include ingredients such as hydrating hyaluronic acid, skin-barrier-protecting ceramides, brightening niacinamide, and wrinkle-fighting retinol. Not every moisturizer will have all of them and not every person will need all of them, either but the experts are in agreement that these are the most common ingredients that will give the most noticeable results. Weve noted which products contain them, with many containing a combination. Retinol A little more about retinol. Weve noted when its included in a formula because if youre already using a prescription retinoid, theres no need to double up with your moisturizer. It also requires you to invest extra TLC in your skin. First, you need to use sunscreen when adding a retinol into your routine because it causes skin to be more light-sensitive. Starting a retinoid can also trigger an adjustment period for skin, marked by redness, dryness, and flaking. In other words, things tend to get worse before they get better. Lots of retinoid formulas particularly the ones mentioned on this list contain nourishing ingredients to address these side effects, like glycerin, shea butter, or oils. Despite the added steps to a skincare routine, its still the most-recommended by dermatologists for brightening skin and smoothing wrinkles. The vitamin A derivative speeds up cell turnover and encourages collagen production, which diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles and also helps give skin that bright, plump glow. Consistency Consistency is also important when picking a product. Formulas designed specifically for mature skin types tend to have a richer texture weve noted whether a moisturizer is light like a serum or ultrarich and thick, so you can pick one that fits your needs and routine. Best moisturizer for mature skin overall CeraVe Moisturizing Cream $19 now 5% off $18 Ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Rich cream When thinking about the best moisturizer for most people, I chose Cerave for a few reasons. Its a basic, inexpensive option that contains good-for-skin ingredients like glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, a combination that prioritizes moisture a must for aging skin. As we age, our hyaluronic acid levels decrease, which can cause mature skin to become itchy or irritated, explains Dr. Noelani Gonzalez. This moisturizer notes HA as a hero ingredient, which is popular because its known to hold over 1,000 times its weight in water. This makes it an effective hydrator and plumper, which can make any fine lines or wrinkles a little more filled in and hydrated. It also doesnt contain any actives and wont conflict with any prescribed topicals or actives that might already be present in someones skincare routine. And if youre someone who gets in-office treatments like facials or lasers regularly, this wont conflict with that either. Ive used this moisturizer a lot on my face and sometimes my body and though it has a rich, creamy texture, it never feels heavy or oily. Its also a frequent dermatologist recommendation, because its accessible, both from a price-point perspective and in terms of availability. You can find it at pretty much any drugstore and its easy to find online (its so available that I spotted it in Heathrow at a Boots and a random pharmacy in Accra, Ghana). In addition to being packed with key ingredients, this moisturizer is also fragrance-free, making it suitable for those with sensitive skin. $18 at Amazon Buy $20 at Ulta Beauty Buy Best moisturizer for oily mature skin Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Moisturiser for Dry Skin $22 now 41% off $13 Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Lightweight gel cream Even though I mentioned that mature skin tends to lose moisture as you age, some people continue to have oily skin throughout their life. Thats where the Neutrogena Hydro Boost comes in. The ultra-popular moisturizer (which has topped the Strategist bestseller list more than ten times) is a drugstore staple, and is a reliable dermatologist recommendation. Ive previously said its the best for oily skin and most skin types overall because it ticks a lot of the boxes. Its gel-cream texture is whisper-thin and sinks in immediately but it still manages to be very moisturizing. Its texture also lends itself to layering, so it pairs easily with whatever serums and sunscreens are already in your routine. The main ingredient here is moisture-promoting hyaluronic acid, which dermatologist Joshua Zeichner describes as a sponge to pull water into the outer skin layer to hydrate and plump and even improve the appearance of some fine lines. It also contains glycerin, an ultra-moisturizing ingredient that Rio has previously said really should have hyaluronic acids publicist. Similarly to hyaluronic, its a humectant (it pulls water in) and protects the skin from irritation. $13 at Amazon Buy $13 at Amazon Buy Best moisturizer for dry mature skin SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 $155 Ingredients: Ceramides, fatty acids, natural cholesterol | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Ultrarich cream When I started as a beauty writer in 2017, Skinceuticals was the favored brand among the editors. Its claim to fame is the high-quality ingredients and uniquely formulated products which deliver impressive results (and justify the price tag). This moisturizer from the brand is particularly good, and was formulated by the same chemist who went on to formulate the ultra-popular Dieux Instant Angel moisturizer. It has this ultra-plush texture that just feels expensive and glides over the skin almost like a balm. Its fairly heavy for me to use daily (my 28-year-old skin is pretty normal on the moisture front) but I like to pick it up in the winter, or when I want an extra moisturizing face cream. The main ingredients here are lipids like fatty acids, ceramides, and natural cholesterol, along with antioxidants that help to protect skin from oxidative stress, which can contribute to fine lines and wrinkles. Skin also starts to do this naturally as you age. Dr. Julie Russak, the founder of the Russak Dermatology Group, says aging causes our cells to become less robust and dry up and shrink. As a result, what we see are lines and dry skin. Dermatologist Annie Chiu is also a fan, pointing out the vitamin E, which she says supports cell reproduction, helps skin repair itself, and defends skin against environmental damage. This is the kind of moisturizer that works well if youre using powerful actives like retinoids, which are notorious for drying out the skin. Dr. Marisa Garshick recommends using it for exactly that, saying that introducing that extra moisture helps patients to better tolerate the vitamin A derivative and its side effects. $155 at Dermstore Buy $155 at SkinCeuticals Buy Best moisturizer for sensitive mature skin La Roche-Posay Substiane Riche Face Moisturizer $59 $59 Ingredients: Glycerin, shea butter, pro-xylane | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Rich cream French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay is known for its sensitive-skin formulations and antioxidant-packed products. This moisturizer is designed specifically for aging skin and contains a blend of glycerin, shea butter, and pro-xylane, a sugar-derived molecule that behaves similarly to hyaluronic acid but has the added benefit of increasing collagen in the skin. This is a big benefit for aging skin, which produces less collagen over time. Its a favorite of dermatologist Dr. Karan Lal, who likes that it is deeply moisturizing while targeting fine lines and wrinkles. $59 at Amazon Buy $59 at Dermstore Buy Best less expensive moisturizer for sensitive mature skin La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer $25 $25 Ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Rich cream If you want something a bit cheaper, La Roche-Posays popular Double Repair moisturizer is also a good option. It doesnt contain fragrance (a known irritant) and contains a host of the ingredients recommended by the dermatologists we spoke to, including ceramides, glycerin, and niacinamide. Its a little lighter than the Substiane Riche, but still has a luxurious, rich texture. Garshick likes this moisturizer for sensitive skin types in particular, noting the soothing, skin-barrier supporting ingredients. It also has an SPF of 30, which offers an added layer of protection and helps to protect skin from aging further. $25 at Amazon Buy $24 at Dermstore Buy Best moisturizer for mature skin with laxity Environ Hydro-Lipidic 3DSynerge Filler Creme $184 $184 Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, antioxidants | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Cream If youre looking to address fine lines or loss of elasticity, youll want a moisturizer with a peptide amino acids that support skin cells in performing certain functions like making more collagen. This moisturizer from aesthetician-favorite Environ comes recommended by aesthetician Raquel Medina-Cleghorn, founder of Raquel New York. It uses both hyaluronic acid, which works well for immediate plumping, and Adifyline, a peptide that increases fat-tissue volume. This creates a dual effect, says Medina-Cleghorn, that offers both immediate and long-term benefits. To help combat other factors that can impact skin health, like oxidative stress and UV damage, Hydro-Lipidic 3DSynerge Filler Creme contains antioxidants to protect skin. $184 at Rescue Spa Buy Best moisturizer for uneven mature skin OLAY Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Fragrance-Free $27 now 7% off $25 Ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, peptides | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Rich cream For anyone that struggles with dark marks or spots of hyperpigmentation, niacinamide is a must. The powerhouse ingredient helps to stop the transfer of melanin pigments to skin cells (this shows up as hyperpigmentation on the skin) and also acts as a humectant, preventing additional moisture loss in the skin. This moisturizer from Olay uses niacinamide as its hero ingredient. Its also a favorite of my mom, who says it has noticeably transformed her skin texture and plumpness. It also contains glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and aloe which work together to hydrate and soothe skin. $25 at Amazon Buy $37 at Ulta Beauty Buy Best tinted moisturizer for mature skin Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF 25 Tinted Moisturizer $43 $43 Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, SPF 25 | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Lightweight lotion If youd like to add a bit of coverage to smooth out the skin, this one from Clinique is a good option. Its made with hyaluronic acid, has an SPF of 25, and comes in seven shades. The moisturizer is light enough that you dont need an exact color match but still provides that blurring effect. It stays in place once applied and doesnt get caught up in fine lines, which would cause a creasing look or emphasize fine lines, says makeup artist Jamie Greenberg. It still looks breathable, dewy, and youthful. Its important to note that dermatologists recommend an SPF of at least 30, so if youre considering wearing, you should still apply SPF as normal. $43 at Amazon Buy $44 at Sephora Buy Best moisturizer with SPF for mature skin EltaMD UV Elements Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 50 $45 $45 Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, SPF 44 | Retinol: Does not contain retinol | Consistency: Lightweight lotion This tinted moisturizer from Strategist-favorite EltaMD is a good option if you want to roll your face cream and SPF into one. Its a multi-use product, and simultaneously offers UV ray protection and a little bit of coverage. Its hydrating thanks to hyaluronic acid and uses physical mineral blockers to filter light. Dermatologist love it too. It has a beautiful universal tint that can blur pigment irregularities, blotchiness, or fine lines, which are common concerns in mature skin, says Diakow. She recommends using one pump for the face, one pump for the neck and decolletage, and one pump for the back of the hands. Unlike the Clinique, it comes in a single shade, which makes it a more limited option if you have very light skin or a deeper skin tone. $45 at Amazon Buy $45 at Dermstore Buy Best moisturizer with retinol for mature skin Revision Skincare D.E.J. Night Face Cream $185 Ingredients: Bakuchiol | Retinol: Contains retinol | Consistency: Rich cream This cream from Revision Skincare contains 0.25 percent retinol to increase cell turnover deep within the skin. The brand, which makes some of our favorite eye cream, has a reputation for efficacious formulations, and this face cream is not different. These newer cells reflect light much better, they look healthier, and in turn revive the skin to look brighter, says Russak. It also contains popular retinol-alternative bakuchiol, which is known for offering similar results sans irritation. Combined, bakuchiol enhances the effectiveness of retinol while still helping to minimize retinols skin-irritating effect. $185 at Amazon Buy $185 at Amazon Buy Best (less expensive) moisturizer with retinol for mature skin RoC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream $28 $28 Ingredients: Glycerin, shea butter, squalane | Retinol: Contains retinol | Consistency: Rich cream For a drugstore alternative, consider RoC wrinkle night cream, which weve written about before. For a drugstore product, it contains a powerful blend of ingredients, including retinol, glycerin, shea butter, and squalane. For further exfoliation, it contains glycolic acid, a strong AHA that fades hyperpigmentation, fights acne, and also helps other ingredients to penetrate the skin more deeply. Its an incredibly effective option and has tens of thousands of positive reviews, with many saying it works quickly and for a wide range of skin types. $28 at Target Buy Best nighttime moisturizer for mature skin Best moisturizing eye cream for mature skin get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. 9 a.m.: Travel from Paris to Cap Ferret From Paris, my friend Anny and I took a train to Arcachon, which required a transfer in Bordeaux, making it a three-and-a-half-hour journey by train. From the train, we walked ten minutes over to the Thiers Pier (Place Thiers, 33120 Arcachon) on Arcachon Beach and boarded a boat shuttle to Cap Ferret. It was a scenic 30-minute ride to cross the bay with some pretty epic views of the Dune du Pilat. Pulling up to the small port of Cap Ferret, we noticed the rows of oyster beds marked with sticks and got excited to feast on oysters all week! 1 p.m.: Settle into a surfside bungalow Once we arrived at the port, we walked 20 minutes through the quaint sandy roads flanked by rustic ranch homes to Hotel des Dunes (119 Avenue de Bordeaux), our home for the next two nights. Hotel des Dunes is the oldest hotel on the peninsula, having originally opened in 1969, and thus has become somewhat of an institution. In 2022, French-born Karine Hecquet and her husband Jean-Philippe, who have spent summers in Cap Ferret, bought the property and reopened it last summer as a modern surf lodge inspired by the motels youll find along the California coast. This wasnt random, I learned, as the hotels new owners spent their summers in Cap Ferret and had also visited Hawaii, surfing their way through Waimea Bay, Hookipa, and Waikiki, before settling for a few years in New York, where they fell in love with Montauk. Throughout those years, they also spent time traveling to California surfing the best breaks in Malibu, Monterey, and San Diego, often staying in fuss-free seaside motels that would eventually become the source of inspiration when they returned to France in 2015 and rediscovered the joys of Cap Ferret. So when the couple bought Hotel des Dunes, they had high hopes of bringing back the laid-back surf spirit ingrained in the hotels history. Along with the nostalgic feel of California surf motels, the property seamlessly emulates the traditional architecture around the basin, like the cabins on stilts typical of the Bassin dArcachon, which are used to watch over the oyster fields. If Hotel des Dunes isnt available, as there are only 13 rooms, there are tons of chic affordable Airbnb options for families and groups of friends. Here are three I love: 2 p.m.: Nap on the beach After we settled in, we were eager to get to the beach. The beach directly across the street from the hotel, Plage des Dunes, is on the Atlantic side, so its ideal for wind sports, like surfing and kite surfing. One of the things that makes Cap Ferret so unique is its geographical positioning, where you can access the calmer waters on the bay side of the peninsula and the wilder waters on the Atlantic side. Once we climbed through heaps of white sandy dunes flanked by tall grass, we descended to a beach that looked like it went on for miles. Since the water was a bit choppy on this side and we didnt have the energy for water sports after our trip, we spent the afternoon reading and napping on the soft, pillowy sand. The weather was perfect, not too hot even during the dog days of summer; it was warm and dry with a perfect breeze. 5 p.m.: Visit your first oyster tasting on the basin From the beach, we walked down to the oyster village that lines the basin and had a late lunch/early dinner at one of the most famous oyster spots, La Cabane dHortense (Rue des Tamaris), the casual sibling to the more formal restaurant Chez Hortense, which we visited the following day. At all of these degustation shacks, as theyre called, they serve oysters, shrimp, snails, and pates. We ordered everything on the menu and topped it all off with a glass of white wine. After the meal, we walked through the fisherman village toward the main town lined with shops and restaurants and popped into a few boutiques. Our favorite was Belle Amie (10 Bd de la Plage), which carried a well-curated assortment of designer brands, like The Row and Loewe, and smaller, more affordable French brands, like L/Uniform for great bags. Then we finally made our way back to the hotel to meet our friends who had just arrived from Capri. This Things Incredible A series where we share products that are so good we would do an entire infomercial about it. (But instead, we published this review.) Read more here. Photo: Kitty Guo My makeup routine is what you might call high maintenance. Every morning, I spend 20 to 30 minutes preening, primping, and painting on my face: First is foundation, which I buff out with a large, fluffy brush. Then come a handful of concealers in marginally different shades, which I might apply, variously, to my zits, under eyes, nose bridge, or forehead. Next I focus on my eyes, using multiple brushes and a full-size palette to blend shadow on my lids, add glitter along my bottom lash line, and smudge out my eyeliner. A daub of blush gets accented with a dusting of bronzer and a topping of highlighter, before I finally set it all in place with a loose mattifying powder. Finally, I stuff everything back into my makeup bags (yes, plural) before Im dashing out the door. But when I booked a trip to Greece last month, even I, in all my stubborn vanity, had to concede it would be folly to transport my entire makeup routine across the Atlantic. I was still recovering from the trauma of traveling to the U.K. last year, where notoriously strict Heathrow security forced me to jettison a couple beloved lip glosses that failed to fit into one liter-sized bag. I wasnt sure if the same thing might happen in Athens, but I wasnt about to chance a Sophies Choice situation between my Hourglass Glossy Balm and my YSL Lash Clash. The need to pare down the number of products in my kit was what led me to Subtl Beauty, a cosmetics brand that bills itself as travel-friendly and portable by promising an entire makeup routine that fits in the palm of your hand. The companys signature Stak is a collection of pastel purple compartments that twist together into one compact cylinder. They hold everything from eyeshadows to bronzer to blush, packed into petite tins similar in size to a pot of lip balm. You can buy a premade Stak or build your own, depending on what products are most integral to your routine. I took a quiz on the Subtl Beauty website to figure out which products and shades would suit me best, and after studying the recommendations I received, I decided to call in samples of the concealer, powder, two eyeshadow duos, bronzer, and a lip and cheek tint. I also requested a pop-top lid equipped with a compact mirror, as well as a tiny brush that nestles into the base compartment. When my package from Subtl arrived, the helpfully labeled individual compartments required almost zero effort to screw together the hardest part was deciding what order to assemble them in. Though I was hoping to give the products a test run before I left, they ended up arriving only a day before my flight, so I just tossed it all in my bag and hoped for the best. Since the Stak didnt cover everything, I also brought along a travel-size skin tint, two eyebrow pencils, mascara, liquid eyeliner, and my three most essential makeup brushes: a large fluffy one for the complexion, a medium size for shadow and contouring, and a small angled one for detailed eye work. True, it sounds like a lot. But my cosmetics bag actually had room to spare an extremely novel experience for me. All in all, I would estimate my total makeup volume was reduced by 85 percent. After a ten-hour flight, a 30-minute Uber ride, and a long shower, I was ready to give my Stak a go. Upon application, the products themselves definitely skewed toward a more natural, effortless, your face but better look. But that was fine with me, as I didnt feel the need to go full glam for a day of tromping around seeing the sights. The eyeshadows duos combined nicely to create depth and dimension; the highlighter produced a subtle shimmer; the lip and cheek tint went on smoothly and imparted a lovely flush. The only product I didnt love was the concealer, as the cream formula felt drier and grippier than Im used to (I usually use a liquid formula, like Tower 28s Swipe All-Over concealer). But it was available in a decent shade range 19 in total and I found that the one recommended to me by Subtls shade-matching module was pretty spot-on. Coupled with the supplementary products Id brought, there was barely any difference between my everyday look at home and my look with the Subtl Beauty Stak. A full face of Subtl Beauty on the left, regular makeup routine on the right. Photo: Kitty Guo Though there was a fair amount of jostling as my carry-on bumped about throughout the trip, the secure fastening of the Stak containers ensured that none of the products ever broke or made a mess. And while I havent run low yet, I do appreciate how the pans of each product are conveniently detachable from the external case component you just push up from the bottom and they pop right out so refills should be a breeze. Now that Ive returned home, Ive mostly gone back to my full-size products. However, Ive occasionally brought my Stak out on evenings when I want to do a quick mid-event touch-up. And I have no doubt that on future trips, it will become as faithful a travel companion as my Trtl pillow and my toothbrush. get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. DOL Will Host Online Workplace Compliance Event in May 2024 The two-day eventwhich aims to guide companies in meeting federal compliance regulationstakes place on May 8-9, 2024. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will host a two-day online forum titled "Ensuring a Strong Foundation of Compliance with Federal Labor Laws in Construction" on May 8-9, 2024. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT each day, addressing aspects of compliance with federal laws governing wages, safety and other workplace issues. According to a recent release, the forum will feature presentations and panel discussions with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, OSHA, the Wage and Hour Division, the Employment Benefits Security Administration, the Employment and Training Administration, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, Veterans Employment Training Service and the Womens Bureau. Other participating entities include the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. Presentations will range between 30 and 90 minutes in length. The Department of Labor has responsibility for protecting the rights of our nations workforce ensuring a safe and healthy workplace while assisting employers to understand their responsibilities under the law, Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Betty Campbell in Dallas said in a statement. Thats why the department offers workers and employers the tools and guidance they need to understand federal regulations at events like this, in our regional offices and throughout many of the departments websites. Interested parties can register for free online for Day 1 and Day 2 of the event. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be available for attendees, and accommodations for accessibility can be requested by contacting [email protected] by May 2, 2024. More information, including the full forum agenda, is available on the forum flyer. Rystad Energys latest data reveals renewable energy installations in India surged to a record 7.1 gigawatts (GW) in March, more than doubling the previous record of 3.5 GW set in March 2022. The increase in installations helped India reach its highest-ever annual installed capacity of 18.5 GW for the fiscal year ending on 31 March 2024. The growth was primarily driven by solar installations, up 23% on levels from the 2023 financial year, driven by the commissioning of numerous projects within India's inter-state transmission system network and ultra-mega solar park schemes. In particular, states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have contributed to this expansion. Notably, Adani Green, the renewable energy arm of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, made significant strides in the first quarter of 2024 by installing approximately 1.6 GW of solar capacity in the Kutch district of Gujarat. This initiative is part of a wider hybrid renewable energy park that will see up to 30 GW of combined solar and wind capacity installed in Khavda in the coming years. Despite the record growth in renewable energy additions in the recent financial year, India still faces considerable challenges in boosting capacity. In early 2024, the Indian government advanced its renewable energy goal to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2031-32, in line with Prime Minister Modis vision of a self-sufficient India aiming for net-zero emissions by 2070. To achieve the 500 GW target, India must install around 30 GW of non-fossil fuel energy generation capacity annually, which includes solar PV, hydropower, onshore wind and nuclear energy. While the recent increase in renewable capacity is encouraging, further additions are imperative to meet the 2032 goal. With the commencement of Indias general elections earlier this month, the countrys emphasis on renewable energy comes as no surprise. Despite ambitious climate goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, achieving them is only achievable if the country maintains the fervor witnessed in recent months. However, critical challenges persist: ensuring grid stability alongside the higher integration costs that come with introducing more renewable capacity. A strategic solution lies in balancing this clean energy embrace with targeted exports, enabling Indias growth visions for the power sector, without compromising national climate goals." Rohit Pradeep Patel, Vice President of Renewables and Power Research, Rystad Energy Learn more with Rystad Energys Renewables & Power Solution. On the supply chain side, the ramp-up of solar installations in India has created substantial demand for solar equipment. Of the record 7.1 GW of renewable capacity added in March, more than 6.2 GW was new solar additions. To put this into perspective, the entirety of 2023 saw 7.5 GW of new solar capacity installed. Historically, Indian developers heavily relied on Chinese imports due to their competitive pricing over domestic manufacturers. In response, initiatives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme were introduced to empower domestic manufacturers to boost their production capabilities, thus enhancing their price competitiveness to meet local demand. Additionally, governmental support measures like the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) mandate and the basic customs duty on imported solar modules further assisted in bolstering the domestic solar industry. Fueled by its growing solar panel production capacity, hitting 68 GW as of March 2024, India looked to expand its reach by exporting panels. The US emerged as a major export destination due to its high demand for solar energy and the potential for strong profit margins. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in the US also played a role in this shift towards Indian exports. Despite millions of panels being shipped from India to the US, demonstrating the country's export potential, Indian manufacturers encounter stiff competition from their Southeast Asian counterparts, who maintain an edge by utilizing material inputs from China, resulting in lower costs. This makes it difficult for India to compete effectively as an exporter, signaling a need to shift focus towards its own domestic solar energy targets rather than prioritizing exports. However, exports from India are expected to increase as the US imposes duties on panels from Southeast Asian counterparts, which are expected to be as high as 254% and set to be implemented from June 2024, making these panels significantly costlier than ones from India. India presently exports some power to Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, with minor amounts reaching Myanmar. Yet, analyses indicate that India is contemplating future renewable power trading. This involves establishing multiple interconnector projects, linking with nations like the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, Sri Lanka to the south and the Myanmar-Thailand connection in the east. There is also potential for further expansion in Southeast Asia with Singapore. However, the realization of this potential is not slated until the 2030s due to the capital-intensive nature of interconnector projects, particularly those involving subsea cables with construction alone spanning four to five years. As a result, India's renewable focus until 2032 will likely revolve around meeting ambitious domestic targets, with minimal short-term impact on accelerating energy transition beyond its borders. By Rystad Energy More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Back in 2020, a senior Washington-based lawyer who has long worked closely with the U.S. Treasury Department exclusively told OilPrice.com that: Just like Pakistan was with Al Qaeda and us, we know the Iraqis are lying about Iran, but we still have to give them cookies when they visit. Cookies were presumably in abundance as Iraqs latest prime minister, Mohammed Al Sudani, rocked up to the White House last week, along with the ministers of oil, finance, trade, and electricity, the president of the central bank, and five assorted businessmen. Officially, they came to discuss bilateral security, trade, economic, and energy issues, and broader security concerns connected to the region. Unofficially, as a senior source who works closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry exclusively put it to OilPrice.com: It was to promise a reduction in imports of gas and electricity from Iran, and gas flaring, in exchange for sanctions waivers and money from the U.S. no change. Given that Iraq had just signed the longest-ever deal (five years) to keep importing huge quantities of gas and electricity from Iran, it must have been difficult for Al Sudani to keep a straight face perhaps the moustache helped cover up any smirking. Nonetheless, he did his job of offering up the usual promises, with the usual additional one of including more U.S. companies in Iraqs oil and gas sector developments. These are generally confined to engineering, procurement and construction contracts awarded to a predictable array of U.S. heavyweight companies that never work out, given the massive corruption at the heart of these Iraqi sectors, with which Western firms cannot and will not comply, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. Related: White House Aims to Keep Gasoline Prices in Check In one way or another, all the major recent withdrawals of Western firms from Iraqi oil and gas sector contracts have come down to this. These include ExxonMobils exit from West Qurna 1 and the Common Seawater Supply Project, Shells from West Qurna 1, Majnoon and the Nebras Petrochemical Project, and BPs intended disposal of its interest in Rumaila, among many others. As highlighted by the independent non-governmental organisation, Transparency International, in its Corruption Perceptions Index Iraq has been described 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. It added: Massive embezzlement, procurement scams, money laundering, oil smuggling and widespread bureaucratic bribery that have led the country to the bottom of international corruption rankings, fuelled political violence and hampered effective state-building and service delivery. It concluded: Political interference in anti-corruption bodies and politicization of corruption issues, weak civil society, insecurity, lack of resources and incomplete legal provisions severely limit the governments capacity to efficiently curb soaring corruption. Aside from this unappealing element of doing business with Iraq for Western firms, the U.S. government has multiple first-hand knowledge of Baghdads various governments promising one thing and doing quite the opposite before. The same things are promised (to reduce gas and electricity imports from Iran, and gas flaring), and the same things are given by the U.S. (money to do both, and waivers to keep importing resources from Iran in the interim). Invariably, Iraq then renegues on everything after the money has been banked safely. Up until the signing of the five-year gas and electricity import deal with Iran, the most shocking betrayal of the U.S.s trust in Iraq in this context had come from the fast-talking former Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi. He had danced the usual dance with the U.S. so well that in May 2020 Washington gave him even more money than before and the longest waiver ever given 120 days to keep importing gas from Iran, on the standard condition that Iraq stopped doing it soon. However, once the money had been banked and al-Kadhimi was safely back on home territory, Iraq signed a two-year contract the longest period ever at that point with Iran to keep importing gas from it. Washington responded by giving Iraq the shortest-ever waiver 30 days to keep this arrangement going with Iran before it needed to be renewed. It also hit 20 Iran- and Iraq-based entities with swingeing new sanctions, citing them as instruments in the funnelling of money to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) elite Quds Force, which was entirely true. It added that the 20 entities were continuing to exploit Iraqs dependence on Iran as an electricity and gas source by smuggling Iranian petroleum through the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr and money laundering through Iraqi front companies, which was also true. And it also said that Washington was extremely concerned that Iraq was continuing to act as a conduit for Iranian oil and gas supplies to make their way out into the worlds major export markets. This was true as well, as additionally analysed in my new book on the new global oil market order. In fact, Iraq has long been the principal ally by which Iran has been able to evade the various international sanctions under which it has been put since its 1979 Islamic Revolution, in the first instance through the means of shared oil fields. There are many such shared fields between the two countries, but the most notable ones are Azadegan (on the Iran side)/Majnoon (on the Iraq side), Azar (Iran)/Badra (Iraq), Yadavaran (Iran)/Sinbad (Iraq), Naft Shahr (Iran)/Naft Khana (Iraq), Dehloran (Iran)/Abu Ghurab (Iraq), West Paydar (Iran)/Fakka/Fauqa (Iraq), and Arvand (Iran)/South Abu Ghurab (Iraq). The oil on the non-sanctioned Iraqi side of the border is often drilled from the same reservoirs as the oil drilled on the sanctioned Iranian side, sometimes even through long-distance horizontal directional drilling. Even if the Americans, Europeans, or any of their most trusted appointees stationed people at every single rig in every single shared field in Iraq they would not be able to tell if the oil coming out it was from the Iraq side or the Iranian side. So this has allowed for decades Iranian oil simply to be rebranded at source as Iraqi oil and shipped to wherever is required in the world. The other of Iraqs perennially broken promises is to reduce the flaring of gas that is produced alongside oil drilling (associated gas) in order that it could be used for power generation or to monetise through exports. In 2017, it signed up to the Zero Routine Flaring initiative to stop burning this associated gas. At the time, Iraq was second only to Russia in the amount of gas it wasted in this way. Six years later it still is - flaring over 17 billion cubic metres of associated gas last year. As also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order, every three years or so Iraq announces exactly the same plan to redress this gas flaring, but with different companies involved. The last such announcement was in 2020 when Iraqs Oil Ministry signed a natural gas capture deal with U.S. oil services provider Baker Hughes to harness 200 million cubic feet per day (mmcf/d) from the Gharraf oil field (and neighbouring ThiQar site, Nassiriya), plus other oil fields north of Basra. The first stage would involve the advanced modular gas processing solution being deployed at the Integrated Natural Gas Complex in Nassiriya to dehydrate and compress flare gas to generate over 100 mmcf/d of gas. The second stage would involve the Nassiriya plant being expanded to become a complete natural gas liquid (NGL) facility that would recover 200 million standard cubic feet per day of dry gas, liquefied gas and condensate. Nonetheless, last week saw the U.S. sign two more agreements to help Iraq reduce gas flaring, which it now says it will do by 2028. Just last month, Iraq needed to have its gas and electricity imports from Iraq waived by the U.S. and promised then to work with Siemens Energy and SLB (formerly Schlumberger) to this effect. It also said that it aims now to be self-sufficient for energy by 2030. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The impending $60 billion aid package for Ukrainian in the United States is not coming a moment too soon. The situation on the front has been so dire for Ukrainian forces in recent weeks that CIA Director William Burns warned that Kyiv could lose the war against Russia by the end of the year if substantial aid was not forthcoming. Over the past few months, as politicians in the U.S. Congress have wrangled over the aid allocation, Russian forces have been attacking at a handful of spots along the 1,000-kilometer front running through eastern and southern Ukraine, taking advantage of their opponent's dwindling stockpiles of weapons and ammunition. Deploying overwhelming barrages of artillery and guided bombs, Russian forces captured Avdiyivka in February, their first major victory since May 2023. Now they appear to be closing in on Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that could serve as a gateway to more important targets in the Kyiv-controlled parts of the Donbas region. But on April 21, the U.S. House of Representatives, over the objections of some hard-line members of the Republican Party, passed the controversial aid bill. Its adoption by the Senate and signing by President Joe Biden in the coming days seems certain. Passage of the bill should lead to the quick resumption of ammunition and weapons shipments to Ukraine and will have Kyiv and its allies breathing a sigh of relief. Not A Silver Bullet The weapons supplies -- which analysts say will likely include small arms, artillery shells, javelin anti-tank missiles, long-range rockets, shoulder-launched stingers, and other air-defense systems, among other items -- will enable Ukraine to meet Russia's expected summer offensive with robust firepower, potentially inflicting large-scale losses. "The U.S. aid package will help Ukraine stabilize the front," Mark Cancian, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told RFE/RL on April 22. "Ukrainian forces will be able to, if not stop these Russian attacks, at least resist them much more strongly and conduct their own limited attacks." "Concerns about a Ukrainian collapse or Russian breakthrough will be eased," he said. Stabilizing the front will give Ukraine the opportunity to rebuild its forces for a possible large-scale offensive next year, Cancian said. Ukraine earlier this month passed a new mobilization bill to recruit more men for the front and relieve those who have been fighting for two years or more. "I think the key thing now is training the forces and equipping them," he said. This summer, Russia is expected to launch a large-scale offensive targeting the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Moscow has been stepping up the bombardment of Kharkiv -- Ukraine's second-largest city, located near the country's northeastern border with Russia -- ahead of the expected offensive. "I am not sure we have enough resources to stop [the offensive]," Mykhaylo Zhirokhov, a Ukrainian military analyst, told RFE/RL. He worried that many Ukrainian soldiers are "worn down" and that it will take time for the U.S. military aid to reach the front. Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political expert, said passage of the bill in the House has boosted morale among the population and troops. However, he said, it is not a silver bullet. "The most important thing is that U.S. military aid is resuming," he told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, adding that it "will not be enough to turn the tide of the war." Ukraine, Fesenko said, needs a "technological advantage" if it is to drive Russian troops from its territory. Long, Costly Delay The Senate could pass the bill as early as April 23, after which it is expected to be quickly signed by Biden. The Pentagon could begin shipping military aid by the end of the week. Some of the military aid will come from Pentagon stockpiles in Germany, meaning it could arrive at the Ukrainian border within days. The $60 billion aid package includes $23 billion to replenish Pentagon stocks, $14 billion to purchase weapons specifically for Ukraine, as well as billions for military training and economic assistance. The bill directs the president to send ATACMS -- powerful, precision-guided ballistic missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers -- to Ukraine. But it does not specify how many. ATACMS are important because they can be extremely disruptive, hitting command-and-control centers, depots, and other critical military targets deep behind Russian lines. The Biden administration last autumn sent Ukraine a small batch of ATACMS on the condition they not be used for strikes inside Russia. Kyiv announced in October it had used ATACMS to destroy nine Russian military helicopters, an ammunition depot, and an air-defense launcher in occupied Ukraine. Russia did not confirm the report, and the Ukrainian claims could not be independently verified. Cancian said he does not expect Biden to lift the restriction on ATACM usage inside Russia. However, that is no longer a major constraint on Ukraine's military since Kyiv is producing its own long-range drones and missiles in increasing quantities. Ukraine could use the ATACMs to cut military supply routes to occupied Crimea, weakening Russian forces on the peninsula and in the occupied parts of the southern Ukrainian mainland, experts said. Moscow is building a new, overland rail link between Rostov-on-Don and Crimea after repeated Ukrainian strikes against the Crimea Bridge, the only physical link connecting Russia with the occupied peninsula. The United States has allocated more than $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, making it Ukraine's most important military backer. But Washington has sent almost nothing since the start of the year due to the congressional deadlock. The failure to pass a new aid package for months has left Ukrainian troops short on ammunition and air defenses, resulting in battlefield setbacks and loss of life. "Even with the U.S. restarting aid, the Ukrainians have been seriously damaged and their armed forces are weaker than they would have been otherwise. Don't underestimate the importance of these losses during the celebration of the resumption of U.S. aid. The U.S. has made Ukraine bleed," Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, said in an April 21 report. Nonetheless, he said the U.S. aid would allow Ukraine to return to a form of "active defense," or holding the line while inflicting significant losses on the Russian armed forces. Despite the lack of ammunition and air defense, Ukraine inflicted heavy losses on Russian forces in Avdiyivka. Russia reportedly lost 16,000 troops and 300 armored vehicles in the four-month battle for the city. U.S. Election The U.S. military aid should last through the end of the year, said Cancian. The passage of the Ukraine aid bill could prompt European countries to step up their contributions to Ukraine's war effort, Musiyenko said. European governments like Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium will begin delivering some of the 45 F-16 fighter jets they promised last year to Ukraine. The advanced U.S. jets could help Ukraine curtail Russian air attacks. U.S. and European aid could help set up Ukraine for a counteroffensive in 2025 that might put it in a better position to negotiate with Russia to end the war. However, much hangs on the November 2024 U.S. presidential election, experts say. Presumed Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump has expressed reservations about aiding Ukraine, raising doubts he would allocate congressionally approved resources to the country or support a new Ukraine aid bill next year. Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that if Biden loses to Trump, he should distribute the full $60 billion to Ukraine before he leaves office. He also said Europe should ramp up military production in case U.S. aid to Ukraine is ended under Trump. "Europe's goal should be to put itself in a position to potentially fill a future gap left by the United States should it not pass another supplemental," he added. Fesenko, the Ukrainian political analyst, said the U.S. election is causing apprehension across Ukraine and Europe. "Nobody knows what Trump's policies will be," he said. "There could be vacillation, hesitation. Of course, it's alarming." By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Alberta authorities have issued the first evacuation order for this year as wildfires spread across Canadas biggest oil producer. Per a Bloomberg report, the residents of a First Nation community in the Cold Lake region were ordered to evacuate because of the blaze. Several other communities in the vicinity were put on standby, the report added. The Cold Lake indigenous area is to the north of Edmonton, close to the border with Saskatchewan. The news comes a day after reports about a wildfire in the vicinity of Fort McMurry that had local authorities issue an evacuation warning in case the blaze spread. Later on Monday, the warning was canceled. A Bloomberg report recalled that eight years ago another wildfire forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of locals and the suspension of some 1 million barrels of oil in daily production. There were production shut-ins in Canada last year as well, because of wildfires. In March of that year, over 300,000 bpd of daily production were shut in because of the fires, representing 3.7% of total output. At the time, there were 110 active wildfires across Alberta, of which 36 were out of control. Over 65% of the territory of Canada was unusually dry at the end of March, Bloomberg noted in its most recent report. These were similar conditions to last years when the country suffered its worst wildfire season, according to reports. If the situation repeats, there will be oil production outages again. Alberta produced crude oil at a record rate and there are plans for further growth as the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project nears completion. In November 2023, the province produced an all-time high of 4.16 million bpd. Planned output expansions in the oil sands could drive an 8% increase in Canadas total oil production by next year, according to analysts. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: You are here: China Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. During the inspection, Xi visited an international logistics hub park, a community in Jiulongpo District, and a digital urban operation and governance center. He learned about the municipality's efforts in accelerating the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in west China, carrying out urban renewal projects, ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing, and enhancing the modernization of city governance. Crude oil prices have recouped some of the losses posted on Monday as fears of an escalation between Israel and Iran dissipated. Brent crude was trading above $87 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate remained above $82 per barrel as the news about fresh U.S. and UK sanctions on Iran failed to impress traders. According to a Bloomberg report, the U.S. sanctions, which are due to be passed by Congress this week, may end up not being enforced at all. The reason? President Biden would be wary of doing anything that could further push retail fuel prices higher with elections just months away. Oil traders are nonchalant because they know Biden will certainly sign whatever waivers are necessary to keep Iranian oil flowing into the market just as he is keeping Russian barrels flowing into the market, an analyst with investment advisors Capital Alpha Partners told Bloomberg. According to another firm, energy consultancy ClearView Energy Partners, the enforcement of the new sanctions could add $8.40 per barrel to crude oil prices. Thats not something a president running for re-election and already losing popularity fast wants to see. On the other hand, bullish factors for oil in the form of geopolitical risk in the Middle East appear to have largely fizzled out, at least for the time being. "The unwinding of geo-political risk premium has dented crude oil prices recently as supply was not disrupted meaningfully," the founder of India research firm SS WealthStreet told Reuters. "While there are no indications of an imminent full-scale war between the countries involved, any escalation in tensions could quickly reverse the current trend," Sugandha Sachdeva added. "The geopolitical backdrop is still very fraught with so many risks at the moment, so clearly we're going to see a lot of volatility until there's a lot more clarity around it," ANZ analysts said in a note, commenting on the latest developments in the world of geopolitics. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Photos by David Krigbaum () An Okinawa museum is highlighting an interesting side of World War II history in Itoman. The Himeyuri Peace Museum renovated and tweaked presentations to better reach a modern, younger audience growing more distant from the war. The museum tells the story of the Himeyuri Gakutotai (Himeyuri Student Corps). Comprised of 240 high school girls and teachers from the sister schools of the First Okinawa Girls High School and the Okinawa Womens Normal School in Asato (Naha) were among the 500 girls that served as assistant nurses to the Imperial Japanese Army during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. The conditions they endured for months was hellish. They worked and lived in unsanitary hospital caves, conducted amputations without anesthesia, handled the diseased and dead, and performed menial tasks, all under enemy fire and while surviving their own bouts of illness and malnourishment. Just before the battle ended and the Japanese forces were surrounded, they were summarily discharged and forced onto the open battlefield where many died in the crossfire, fleeing or committing suicide to prevent capture. Of the Himeyuri who joined the battle, 136 were killed. Shortly after the war, at the site of the former third surgical cave, where the greatest number of wartime Himeyuri casualties occurred, a small memorial was installed. This gave families a place to mourn their lost daughters. In 1989, the survivors built a small museum with a powerful, personal story to tell and if youve never been then I recommend seeing it as much as I do the Peace Park. If youve been before, its still worth adding to the itinerary next time youre down in Itoman again. Fortunately, the renovation did not tone this story down or omit information, but some background and minor details were streamlined to focus more on the people who made up the Himeyuri Student Corps. There are a lot more photos of the students pre-battle lives and I think that adds a lot to help remind visitors these were people like them and not just a story that happened long ago. Overall, the new look, replacing blue walls with white backgrounds and watercolor illustrations, is a lot easier to read and the illustrations add to the text in a personable way. The biggest and best improvement for foreigners is the addition of English subtitles to both sets of survivor videos. As survivors no longer regularly talk at the museum, this is what we have in their stead. One is 16 minutes of one to two-minute interviews about life during the battle by the artifact exhibit; the other is an hour of similar interviews in the theater room. This one was the most moving and pulls no punches. Each segment begins with a photo of a group of girls, then focuses in on a survivor. The now-elderly woman talks about particular incidents or ordeals, sitting at the location where it happened and as she speak the names of classmates or lost friends, their school photos appears on screen adding a face to her story. These are pretty graphic but need to be told to better understand what the battle was like for these teenagers. For first time visitors, I also recommend taking the time to read the survivor testimonies in the Requiem Room, which are also inside the Himeyuri Peace Museum Guidebook available for purchase in the gift shop. Its been an invaluable research tool in writing about them. Displays are almost all entirely bilingual. A visit to the museum can take half an hour for a casual visit, but if youre coming to learn Id set aside at least an hour to read every panel, story and sidenote. Add another 75 minutes if you want to take in all the videos. Admission is 450 yen per person. ADDRESS Himeyuri Peace Museum 671-1 Ihara, Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture 901-0344 98-997-2100 http://www.himeyuri.or.jp/EN/info.html *Parking is available across the street and beside the museum. Cafe Makabechina 223 Makabe, Itoman, Okinawa 901-0336 Ihara First Surgical Cave Google Maps: Ihara First Surgery Trench Coordinates: 26.094631, 127.688633 When you visit To see an unaltered cave, the form first surgical cave is a five-minute walk down the road from the museum. When exiting the museum grounds, turn right and walk until you see a cement post on the left side of the road by a dirt road (second left). Go down this dirt road until you see a conspicuous group of trees on the left side. Its in the trees. You can walk up to the mouth of this cave where a small stand has been set up to leave gifts, but I do not recommend going inside. Its marked on Google Maps as First Surgical Trench. If youre hungry I recommend driving to a residential neighborhood five minutes away and having Okinawa soba at Makabe Chinaa (Cafe Makabechina). This cafe not only has good food at reasonable prices but is a house built in 1891 that still has bullet holes from the battle. Members of the Omaha police and fire departments responded to the Target store near 72nd and Dodge Streets Monday evening after a report about a man on the roof. An officer at the scene said a man was taken to the hospital after being on the roof of the business at around 8 p.m. The officer did not know if the man fell or jumped from the building. Born in the United Kingdom, Ingenious Folklore/Retro musician, simply known as Ibejii; who describes himself as a reflection of circumstances, has been making waves internationally and locally with his multi-musical approach to the art of music. In this interview with SAMPSON UNAMKA, he delves into his background, style of music, hopes for acting roles, and a bigger Nigerian fanbase. HOW did your family react to your career choice? My father supports it, but my mother at first didnt, but now she does. Shes a typical African woman, in the sense of what will people say? You should be a lawyer or a doctor. But now having come to a couple of my shows, I think shes proud of me. Would you describe your songs as locally or internationally appealing? It has international appeal and growing local appeal. Up until the end of the last 8-10 years there was very small or hardly any alternative music market. The last three years have seen a significant leap forward in that space, Nigerians are expanding their love of music from what you might call just a Afro pop and Afro beat and sort of pushing the barriers a little bit. They give people like Ibejii a chance to express, so its a growing space; its an international music that is now finding expression in this market. The Ibejii sound has been described as folkloric, why is that? There is a song that is coming on scattered elements album, its called Ilu-Ilu (the drum of the town); in a metaphoric sort of sense it represents how Ibejii sees himself. As creatives, we owe the world the duty that God shines on all of us which is to help dig out the beauty of our culture, the beauty in our ways, the beauty in our knowing and to craft them into music. How accessible is the Nigerian music industry to Retro artiste like you? Its a growing space First and foremost, its a massive industry. The number of producers, particularly young producers, is incredible. Its expanding all the time and I dont know if its a complexity of Afro beat or Afro pop but you find out that many of the service providers within the Afro beat and Afro pop space are able to support, whether it is participial beat, whether it is jazz or modern instrumentation or whatever it is there is just an amazing talent in the production of things here. So, from technical perspective, the access is that there is an ulterior to support artistes like us and from a market prospective, its a growing market. When I first came out three years ago, the people I know that got support were acts like Brymo and Asa, both of whom had very alternative music but have also come out from somewhat commercial history. Now there are so many artistes that are showing up, pushing the alternative message and getting audiences; its a growing audience. Explain the Ibejii fashion and hairstyle? To be honest, its just a style, it could have been anything. Sometimes it can be of a bother to carry so much hair. But because my music is axed back to an earlier time, and because we are marrying older tunes with modern lines to harken to which is somewhat of an early 70s kind of look, it has worked for Ibejii. Can you give us a recap on your previous projects? Green white Dope 001 is an Afro-beat kind of sound; its an aesthetics mix of Fuji, Juju and Afro-beat. All Ibejii music sits on international pole-tine lines. The second one(Green White Dope) was more of world music, so its about mood and temperature and feel and so on. The third project(Tribal Marks) was almost entirely Afro-beat and Afro-jazz. This one(Music saved my life) we are dropping at the moment is actually just an experimental project. Its a true definition of Ibejii, its just something that Ibejii tried out; its mid to high temple dance music. The idea is to expand the Ibejii franchise and hope that through this project, a lot of people will get to see what Ibejii does. Talking about love, is Ibejii in love with someone? I have a song called Euphoria. Euphoria is about a girl called Euphoriana; she is a babe, gorgeous, you look at her from top to bottom, its just pure beauty. You see her in Oshodi, you find her in Lekki; its all about the beauty of this creature. But the creature is music. So we all can consume the being of this person called music. Thats who Ibejii is in love with. So, Ibejii has three albums already? Yes, and he will be dropping his fourth album on the June 12th. You tend to be quiet about your personal life, why is that? Ibejiis principle aspiration is to drive music, so its not about fame or fortune; it is about getting the world out through musical form. Ibejii has never wanted the personality behind the alter ego to become an interruption. Let the music speak for itself, so let the person stay behind so that when you see him what you see is music. The hope is that what you get is someone whose private life to the extent that its not relevant for his music. Its not a part of it, let the performance, let his message carry independence of him, so that there is no assessment that oh its because hes so poor. Or its because hes so rich, or its because hes so fortunate, its because hes so unfortunate; none of that, its just a platform through which to push music. At the end of the day, I can write a book with no one knowing who the book writer is because the book speaks for itself. Nobody asks who invented Mercedes Benz; its a car, you drive the car. Music, for Ibejii, is a tool for pushing out the message, not about himself. It is not a vanity trip, and it is a musical trip. Tell us about your recent Ibejii Day concert; what was the idea behind it? For years, you would have people ask what it means to be Ibejii and how it has affected this artist work. The truth is, if you are Yoruba man, you will understand when I say that being an Ibejii is both a curse and a blessing because as an Ibejii in a Yoruba home, you are treated like a deity; you cant fall ill, so many things that you are not allowed to do because if you do it people will start panicking. It is as if you want to pop off. I grew up not liking that much. I wanted to be treated like a normal child, not like this odd creature but I found out over the years that many people who shared my works and who as twins experienced a similar sort of thing. So what most non twins see is the positive side. O, theres two of you yeah its good sometimes, but sometimes you just want to be an individual. So Ibejii day is a chance to give Ibejiis (twins) a chance to express themselves. Just a truth of their whole journey and works and hope that others around us can get a peek into the world of twins. I have a lot of songs that I have written that are centrally focused on this issue of twinning, and Ibejii Day gives us a chance to push it out. Is it your decision to be multi-genre just to fit in or as a result of your multiple talents? I am not actually multi genre; we are multi musical. Let me tell you what I mean by that, for instance, for us we are not driven by genre we are driven by our love of music. So, as I said earlier, growing up, we grew up in an environment that you listen to something in the morning, a different sort of music in the afternoon and a compeletely different thing in the evening. They are very few people who are just Fuji lovers who cant listen to anything else. As Africans, we do soul, jazz, rap, juju, fuji. Highlife, Brymo, Fela, Asa, Teddy Pendergrass, Beyonce and so on, that is true of Ibeji, so Ibejii refuses to be locked down in one genre. Now haven said that vocally and intellectually you will find out there is a commonality in my works whether am doing Jazz or whatever it is, you will see that there is a body that encapsulates the entirety of our project but its still about saying we can express in different forms, we are afro musicians. Your music is not for commercial purpose, what is your drive? Sharing, sharing my journey, sharing my love of life and some of the better greater things about our collective journey. Music gives me a chance to express that. I also write by the way. But you know using the creative space to push my beliefs and my values is an invaluable opportunity. I am very grateful to have the chance to do this. I am very grateful I have people who care enough to listen and so I am determined to continue to use this platform. I noticed credits were given to you on the Chief Daddy movie? Ibejii supported Chief Daddy with a number of songs. I believe we have 4-5 songs on the movie. We are very proud to be associated with Ebonylife. They have done some amazing films, they have brought the cinema world back to life and its great to be associated with that. Its our second movie. As a matter of fact, our first movie was called Catcher. We have a song on Catcher Lagos which we have actually not released but we are very proud of our association with Chief Daddy. We are working on another movie as I speak to you right now. Any plans of taking up acting roles? Yes we were supposed to be on The Bling Lagosians by Bolanle Austin Peters, but we were tied up in a show in Europe during the filming season and therefore couldnt make it, and I am very pained by that. Please if you have any roles, Ibejii is desperate to act. What prompted your move back to Nigeria? Ibejii is a big lover of his roots. Much of what Ibejii is today is defined by his place of origin. Our cultures, our ways, our folk-lore, our use of language, everything defines Ibejii; so he never really left here. Is Ibejii married? Ibejii is married to his music, hes in love with music, hes married to his friends; people who love his style and his journey. So, yes, he is married to the world of music. What the weirdest thing a fan has done to you? I tend to get a lot of can I touch your hair, can I feel your hair? I have someone who came to see me in Ikeja two weeks ago Brymo was performing at a show in GRA and I attended that and this chap comes to me and says you are my hero and I saw his face he had hair a bit full, except that he cut the side and I said you have all these hair? He said yeah, just like you. I love hair; growing up my parents were like you cant carry this around you look like a zoo animal, and one day I saw you picture and you are successful so I went to my parents and said look at this, some people can be successful with a lot of hair and they left me alone so because of you thats why I can carry a lot of hair. Governor Ganduje Kano state government has vowed to institute a legal action against the Rivers State Nyesom Wike over the demolition of Rainbow Town Central Mosque located at the Trans-Amadi Area of Port Harcourt, a report by TheNation has revealed. A press statement by Abba Anwar, Chief Press Secretary to Ganduje described the sad story of Mosque demolition in Rivers state as shocking and promised that necessary lawful action must be taken over the happening. According to the statement, Ganduje would institute legal action against this demolition of the Mosque as well contest it with appropriate authorities for redress Anwar quoted his principal as saying: We received this information with high degree of shock. And I am assuring the general public that, all necessary action against this demolition will be taken through appropriate authorities. He therefore called on the public to remain calm and peaceful, as they were enjoined to and go about their normal businesses. Ganduje said: As government, we have started touching appropriate quarters against the demolition. Kano state is known for peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians, we should therefore improve on that and remain calm and peaceful. People should live peacefully with one another. Eric Ikhilae, Abuja A HIGH Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwagwalada in Abuja has granted a N50 million bail to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN). In a ruling on Thursday, Justice Abubakar Kutigi upheld Adokes bail request and ordered him to produce a surety in like sum. Justice Kutigi also admitted Adokes co-defendants- Aliyu Abubakar and Rasky Gbinigie- to bail pending the determination of corruption allegations against them. He gave Abubakar bail at N50 million and Gbinijie got bail at N10 million. The judge said the sureties must be responsible citizens, who must depose affidavits of means. Justice Kutigi said the sureties must be resident within the courts jurisdiction and must own verifiable landed properties worth the bail sum. The judge ordered the sureties to tender their three years tax clearance certificates, and ordered the defendants to deposit their international passports with the court. Justice Kutigi ordered the defendant not to travel abroad without first, seeking the courts permission. The judge said the defendants must sign a written undertaking not to interfere with any of the prosecution witnesses and to make themselves available for trial at all times. Justice Kutigi said a breach of any of the conditions would warrant automatic revocation of their bail. The judge adjourned till March 26, 2020 for the prosecution to open its case. Adoke and six others, including four corporate organisations, are being tried on a 42-count charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over their alleged complicity in the $1.2 billion fraud allegedly associated with the Malabu Oil deal. Bishop David Oyedepo Founder and General Overseer of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo has cursed the man who attempted to bomb his church in Kaduna State, a report by Daily Post has revealed. Recall that the Kaduna State Police Command had on Sunday arrested a suspected suicide bomber inside a church located at Sabon Tasha in Chukun Local Government Area of the state. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Yakubu Sabo had confirmed that the suspect named Nathaniel Samuel was a Christian from Bauchi State. Sabo had said the suspect was arrested inside the church with a bag containing items suspected to be Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) Speaking on Monday at the Churchs Covenant hour of prayer, Oyedepo said Nigeria has never been this vulnerable. The cleric who boasted that God confirmed his prayers said woe to anyone involved or connected with the callous killings in the country. He decreed that the generation of members of Boko Haram, Miyetti Allah is cursed. The most irresponsible, most murderous system, is what we have today and in the name of Jesus by the Apostolic authority upon my life and Prophetic seal on my forehead, your end has come. We are here this morning to celebrate Jesus for delivering us from so great a death. There was a failed attempt to bomb one of our Churches in Kaduna yesterday. This agent of the devil already entered the premises, found his way to the toilet, (but who delivered us from so great a deathwink, was accosted and arrested. One, thats a proof that God is in our midst. It shows that God is in our midst and we are here not to assume but to celebrate his faithfulness. To tell this Nation as they would expect me to do, the last straw that will break the back of everybody in authority, backing these callous killers has come. To tell everyone behind this: your days are numbered. This prophet is saying the Kingdom is taking away from you. Its impossible for these killers to be on the loose without some authorities backing them up. So many precious lives have been wasted in the last 2 weeks and in the name of Jesus, the generations of those involved is declared wasted. I dont care: Boko Haram, Miyetti Allah, whatever name you are called, I decree the curse of the Lord upon you now. Everyone in government, everyone in security services, that is behind these killings: YOUR END HAS COME. he added. Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Ghana, Kwamina Asomaning, has advised that the academic curriculum should be designed towards meeting the needs of industry. He made this call at the Academics, Business and Administration Forum (ABAF) launch held at the Accra City Hotel. In his address as the Guest of Honor, Mr. Asomaning highlighted the importance of ensuring that the academic curriculum is in line with the needs of industry players to ensure that students are equipped to make positive contributions in the professional space. He said, The business school recently graduated over 14,000 students who will need jobs. Are the needs of industry merged with the curriculum they received at school? Internships have been utilized over the years to expose students to practical work related to their studies and careers. This has provided them with basic experience and new skills. At Stanbic Bank, we currently collaborate with some American universities to address industry needs. They send their students to us to elicit key challenges that need solutions. These are then factored into the training that the schools offer their students. The projects address specific business or management issues with the students assigned to projects based on their interests, qualifications, and experience. While the students gained invaluable practical international experience, we received high-quality professional consulting services under faculty supervision. Is it possible for academia in Ghana to adopt such an initiative? Kwamina Asomaning also commended the organizers for this initiative and encouraged them in their efforts to raise future-ready students. He mentioned, I want to commend the organizers for creating this forum, which provides a platform for dialogue, idea exchange, and collective action. The diverse expertise and perspectives represented here today highlight our commitment to progress. Our goal is to make a positive impact on the lives of all our citizens. I want to emphasize the importance of involving students and youth in our discussions. They are the innovators of our country, and their voices and perspectives are invaluable. Let's create opportunities for them to learn, grow, and contribute to our collective effort. Over the years, Stanbic Bank has shown support to academia through various initiatives. Last year the bank donated 50 laptops to the University of Ghana in support of the Vice Chancellors' One Student One Laptop (1S1L) initiative. The bank collaborated with the Women in STEM Ghana (WiSTEM) to train, equip and inspire 200 girls from 23 senior high schools to learn and develop their skills and knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Many other educational institutions have benefited from the bank's STEM-focused interventions, including KNUST, Takoradi Technical University, Sunyani School of Professional Studies, Blessed Holy Child Academy etc. Academics, Business, and Administrators Forum (ABAF), is a platform dedicated to the promotion of synergies between academia and industry for effective development. The launch was chaired by Prof. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, Vice-Chancellor of the Ghana Communication Technology University. 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 As part of its 20th-anniversary celebrations, Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd (OISL), one of the leading providers of financial services in the country, has organized forums for its SME and Microloan clients. These events took place on the 2nd and 5th of April in Accra and Kumasi respectively. Present at the forums were the Chief Executive Officer of the institution, Mr. Kwame Owusu-Boateng, the Chief Risk Officer, Dr. Francis Takyi, the Chief Business Officer, Mr. Francis Owusu Ansah, the Head of Compliance, Mr. Isaac Gyasi, the Head of Marketing, Mr. Richard Anyamesem, the Head of Transformation, Ms. Theophila Esther Larbie, four (4) Area heads from the various sectors of the institution, and other management and staff members of the institution. In his opening remarks, the CEO of the institution, Mr. Kwame Owusu-Boateng indicated that the purpose of the forums was to thank their clients for being with the institution all these years and also to enable the clients to be part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of the institution. Additionally, he stated that the forums were to facilitate an open dialogue to share insights and to gather feedback from the clients of the institution to improve and provide improved services and products for the customers. He further stated that the forums were also aimed at educating the clients on OISLs loan requirements and processes and also an opportunity to throw more light on OISLs digital platforms and how clients could use them to access services in a more efficient way. The Chief Risk Officer, Dr. Francis Takyi, used the opportunity to educate the clients on OISLs SME Collateral Requirements, detailing the various types of collaterals needed for the various categories of loans. He elaborated on the Five Cs of Credit (Character, Capital, Capability, Condition, and Collateral) considered during loan assessments. Mr. Francis Owusu Ansah, the Chief Business Officer of OISL taking his turn during the forums provided insights into OISLs Credit Delivery System and guided the SME and Microloan clients through the basic Loan Requirements, Application process, Turnaround time, post-disbursement protocols and many more. During the open dialogue sessions, led by Mr. Richard Anyamesem, the Head of Marketing, clients had the opportunity to provide feedback to OISL regarding their products and services. Many of the customers who attended the forums expressed their gratitude to the institution for organizing these unique forums and requested for more of such forums to be organized in the future. They shared their success stories and congratulated OISL on its 20th anniversary. Some clients also took the opportunity to thank OISL for their support during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly all concerns raised by clients were addressed, resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction. In his closing remarks, the CEO, Mr. Kwame Owusu-Boateng expressed his gratitude to the clients for their valuable feedback and assured them of OISL's continual commitment to the provision of excellent services. He further assured them that their concerns will also be addressed progressively. A total number of One Hundred and Fifty (150) clients attended the forums. 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 Olam Agris Grain Business has recognised top Ghanaian bakeries for exemplary management of hygiene standards in their respective operations at the maiden edition of the Grains Hygiene Standards Management (GHSM) Awards a scheme designed by the company to promote adherence to high hygiene standards in the bakery industry. A total of 800 bakeries from Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi who engage mostly in the baking of bread for consumption by the general public participated in the GHSM programme, out of which 171 bakeries were selected for honours at a colourful Awards event held at the premises of Olam Agris Wheat Mill at Kpone, near Tema in the Greater Accra Region. Thirty-five (35) bakeries that performed exceptionally well in their adherence to stipulated hygiene protocols were decorated as Four-Star Bakeries while 141 bakeries won recognition in the Three-Star Award Category, implying the delivery of satisfactory performance in hygiene standards management in their respective operations, Olam Agri, operators of the Food Safety System (FSSC) Certified ultra-modern Flour Mill in Tema, enjoys vibrant working relations with key bakeries across the country through its elaborate engagement platforms like the Bakers Conference, the Healthy Bakers Initiative and the Grains of Friendship initiative all of which are designed to impart knowledge in best practices in the operations of the bakeries and foster mutual understanding between bakers and the grains producer. The evaluation, monitoring and selection processes which spanned the period from June 2023 to March 2024, were conducted in close collaboration with Twentyth Consult, a food and beverages consultancy firm, with assistance from the Food and Drugs Board (FDA). Said Baibhav Biswas, Business Head at Olam Agris Grains Business: "Bakeries are booming in the country, thanks to an increase in consumer demand for bread and wheat-based treats. We want to ensure that those bakeries we are able to touch have strong hygiene standards." Biswas said, in June 2023, with the assistance of the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA), the company embarked on a program called, Grains Hygiene Standards Management (GHSM), designed to help bring bakeries in line with food safety standards, stressing that the FDA was very instrumental in helping to develop the appropriate hygiene monitoring protocols and training of field Hygiene Controllers. Our overall objective is to assure the bakers of our unyielding support and strengthen our relationship with the baking community nationwide," said the Business Head, adding, "By recognising your achievements today, we aim at fostering greater collaboration and enhancing trust between the company and the baking community." On behalf of all bakers, I extend my sincerest thanks to Olam Agri, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of Ghana, and all those involved in making this programme a resounding success. Together, we have not only raised the bar for food safety but also set a shining example for others to follow, said Celestine Fio of MD Bakery at the close of the ceremony. Olam Agri launched its state-of-the-art wheat milling facility in February 2012 with a production capacity of 255,000 tonnes per annum, boosting Ghanas self-sufficiency in wheat flour production considerably. 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 Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare has extended her backing to the Asanteman Queen Mothers' Day and Food Fair by donating GHC200,000. The donation is intended to bolster women's involvement in traditional governance, particularly among the youth. In addressing the queen mothers in the Ashanti Region on Monday, Osei-Opare emphasised the importance of advocating for increased female representation across various sectors. "Let us continue to advocate for a deliberate effort, for more women in all facets of our national discourse; management levels in the public sector, religious organisations, schools, private sector organisations among others, she said. Osei-Opare used the occasion to appeal to Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to lend his support for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill. Speaking at the Asanteman Queen Mothers' Day and Food Fair in the Ashanti Region, Osei-Opare commended Otumfuos efforts in fostering greater female participation in governance within the Ashanti kingdom. "During your reign as Asantehene, we have seen visible signs of more queen mothers being actively involved in the management of the Ashanti kingdom," she noted. "Queen mothers are now allowed to attend Asanteman Council meetings, which is a deliberate effort to empower women." Acknowledging Otumfuo Osei Tutu II's influential leadership style, Osei-Opare appealed to him to advocate for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, currently under review in parliament. "Nana, your leadership style not only inspires confidence but also sets a powerful example for the next generation of male leaders to follow," Frema Opare said. "I therefore appeal to you, Otumfuo, to add your voice for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill." Highlighting the significant representation of the Ashanti region in Parliament, Osei-Opare emphasised the potential impact of the monarch's endorsement. "Nana, Ashanti region has the highest number of MPs in Parliament, as compared to other regions, so your counsel can go a long way to ensure the passage of this Bill," she added. She also lauded Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his remarkable 25 years on the Golden stool, touching on his pivotal role in restoring peace not only within Asanteman but across the nation. She commended the monarchs investment in health, particularly the heal Komfo Anokye Project and the renowned Otumfuo Educational Fund, which aids bright but underprivileged students. Acknowledging the significant influence of Nana Konadu Yiadom III, Asantehemaa, Osei-Opare praised her for her open-heartedness and continuous support and counsel to all. She revealed her personal commitment to improving the Race Course market, naming it after the Asantehemaa, as a testament to her enduring inspiration. She used the occasion to acknowledge the pivotal role of Queen Mothers in Ghana's development, highlighting their contributions to tradition preservation and community advancement. She added that they have been critical agents in dispute resolution and their irreplaceable status as custodians of the Ashanti kingdom. 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 Vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is embarking on a working visit to Italy and the Vatican, in Rome. In a letter dated Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Vice President Bawumia departed Ghana on Monday evening April 22. The purpose of the visit is to further strengthen the working relation between the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Italy, and the Vatican State. As part of the bilateral talks, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is expected to pay a courtesy call on His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican state. Excerpts of the release reads, "Dr. Bawumia is scheduled to hold bilateral talks, including with His Holiness Pope Francis. The Pope's message of love, mercy and inclusion, which he has devoted himself to promoting unity and mutual understanding between people has been embraced around the world." The meeting is expected to highlight the common principles of peace, justice and solidarity which is needed to guide the country into a better future. The release which was signed by the spokesperson to the vice president, Dr. Gideon Boako further noted that, Dr. Bawumia's diplomatic visit are parts of his effort to strengthen the connections between the global communities. Dr. Bawumia was accompanied by some government officials and is expected to return on Thursday, April 25. 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 Spokesperson for the Energy Minister, Kofi Abrefa Afena says the call by Executive Director of the Institute of Energy Security, Nana Amoasi, for Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to be removed stems from ignorance. According to Kofi Abrefa Afena, it is not true that the Minister is out of the touch with the realities. Dr. Prempeh is not the talk too much type but believes in results. Nana Amoasi has no idea the sleepless nights of the Minister aimed at addressing the current challenges, Abrefa said. Kofi Abrefa contends that the current challenges are being resolved and soon the results will be visible for all and sundry to see. He says the matters need swift intervention but I struggle to appreciate the logic in Amoasis position of removing the Minister. When Kwabena Donkor resigned over the pervasive dumsor under John Mahama, did it necessarily solve the matter? Amoasi should get serious. It is all about solutions. Dr. Prempeh continues work with the technical people to find amicable solutions. The Spokesperson reiterated the Ministers quest for patience from the Ghanaian people as stakeholders work assiduously to solve the temporary challenges. 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 Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, a Governance expert, has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to show a sense of leadership by calling on all the major stakeholders in the power sector and give them stringent orders to solve the power crisis facing the country currently. According to Professor Baffour, the President has to exercise his leadership prowess by finding an immediate solution to the erratic power outages that has engulfed the country in recent times. Speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3, Prof. Baffour noted that, he will be utterly shocked if the president has not engaged the stakeholders already. Ageyman Duah said, I will be surprised that the president has not called the leadership of the VRA, GRIDCo, ECG, and PURC, to sit them down to give them the marching order that he doesnt like what they are doing." That is leadership, we need the president to be giving the marching orders. As I said, if he has done it privately I dont know but based on the public pronouncements by these state agencies in charge of the energy sector, it seems like he hasnt done that. Speaking futher, Professor Agyeman-Duah expressed his greatest displeasure over the seeming snail pace with which the government is tackling the energy crisis. Prof. Baffour believes that given the rate at which the power outages happens incessantly, the government should have addressed the issue with all seriousness. He said the government hasnt been too active in seeking solutions to the problems. Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah called on the ECG to release a load-shedding timetable in order to help consumers plan their activities properly. According to the governance Professor, the prudent thing the Electricity Company of Ghana ( ECG) has to do is to publish a load-shedding schedule which will enable business owners plan their itinerary. The wise thing to do is to issue a timetable, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah lamented. 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 Chief Executive Officer of the InterCity State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea has appealed to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to provide a power schedule to guide Ghanaians in the current power crisis. The ECG has refused to provide a timetable to help electricity consumers plan their daily activities. According to the electricity supplier, the current situation cannot be likened to the electricity crisis under the previous Mahama administration, locally translated as 'dumsor', but attributes the problem to what they term as "localized fault". In view of this, the authority has ignored the calls for a load-shedding timetable and the sector Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has backed the ECG. Contributing to Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Nana Akomea asked the ECG and the stakeholders in the energy sector to do the needful, questioning why they won't give Ghanaians a timetable. "This doesn't help the government in anyway . . . this is not right. It is not a good record," he lamented. He insisted for a schedule stressing "in the meantime, give us a timetable". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana's chief of staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, has called for the compilation of an indigenous Asante food recipe book as part of moves to preserve Asante culinary heritage. Amidst the festivities celebrating the rich cultural tapestry of Asanteman at a durbar of Asanteman Queen Mothers and Food Fair on Monday, April 22, 2024, Osei-Opare took a moment to highlight the significance of traditional foods in shaping the region's identity. "As a food scientist and nutrition expert, I am aware of some interesting recipes that we have in Asanteman," she remarked, her eyes alight with nostalgia for the flavours of her youth. Reflecting on the diversity and complexity of Asante cuisine, Osei-Opare marvelled at the array of dishes on display at the food fair. "The array of food in Asante beats our imagination," she exclaimed. "Indigenous Asante foods such as nuhuu, nkanfo, 3to, ogo, adibi a nkyene womu, nsi we3, and many others are gradually fading out of the system." Drawing from her own childhood memories, Osei-Opare painted a vivid picture of the disappearing delicacies that once graced the streets of Ashtown. "I remember, in my childhood days, we often were sent to buy a special 'atedua ne akrakro'," she recalled. "Today, it is difficult to come by such delicacies, even in Ashanti." In a heartfelt appeal to the event organisers, Osei-Opare urged for the compilation of these cherished recipes into an indigenous Asante food recipe book. "May I humbly appeal to the organisers of this food fair to compile these foods into an indigenous Asante food recipe book, for the use by restaurants and future generations," Opare-Osei said. Emphasizing the cultural significance of preserving Asante culinary traditions, Osei-Opare underscored the potential for such a book to enhance tourism in the Ashanti Region. "This will not only preserve our culture but also enhance tourism in Ashanti," she said. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a move to accelerate the passing of the Affirmative Action Bill, Chief of Staff, Hon Akosuah Fremah Osei Opare, has made a passionate appeal to Asantehene, the revered traditional ruler of the Ashanti Region. The bill, aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women, has gained significant attention nationwide. Hon Fremah recognizes the influential role Asantehene plays in the region and believes his support could be a game-changer. Hon Fremah Osei Opare at a food fair at Manhyia Palace as part of activities marking Asantehenes 25th anniversary, emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration in achieving progress for all. She highlighted how the bill would create a more inclusive society, providing equal opportunities for women in various sectors. By appealing to Asantehene, Hon Fremah seeks to leverage his influence and rally support from all corners to push the bill through parliament. The Affirmative Action Bill is a proposed Legislation that seeks to provide gender parity in Ghanaian politics. The bill aims to increase womens participation in decision making positions that at least 40% of public offices be reserved for women. The bill has been in parliament for over a decade but has not received the needed attention for it to become law. She lauded Asantehene for his continuous support to empower women in the Ashanti Region and beyond which according to her has made many women to have better stand in society today The King was praised for his contribution to health care delivery, education and other socio-economic areas to revive the both the local and national economy of the country. Hon Fremah expressed her gratitude to Asantehene for his tireless efforts in breaking down barriers and creating an inclusive society where women can thrive. She emphasized the importance of continued collaboration and support from all sectors to ensure that women's voices are heard and their contributions are valued. It's truly inspiring to see leaders like Asantehene and Chief of Staff working together to empower women and create a more equitable society she added. TRADITIONAL FOOD RECIPE The Chief of staff recounted how Ashanti traditional recipes are gradually missing out from the system and proposed that the recipes can be published for next generation to learn from it. This too according to her will also promote local tourism as visitors too will try preparing some of the traditional recipes. The proposed recipe book aims to capture the essence of traditional dishes, ensuring that future generations have access to these cherished recipes. Hon Fremah believes that by highlighting the importance of eating traditional foods, the book will encourage Ghanaians to embrace their cultural identity and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The recipes will showcase the diverse flavors and techniques that have been passed down through generations, promoting the use of locally sourced ingredients and traditional cooking methods. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Institute of Energy Security (IES) says the Energy Minister's inability to solve the energy crisis the country is experiencing in recent times is enough for the president to sack him from office. The Executive Director of IES, Nana Amoasi VII said Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh's leadership should be relieved so he can focus on other 'agenda' he seems much more interested in. Where we have gotten to, there is no circuit and so what is the use of the minister in that space? He must be relieved, probably to concentrate on any other agenda he is bidding for. He must be relieved of his post. "It is becoming too much. Is it not insulting with the statement that he made? Total disrespect to consumers. Are we asking for too much? Nana Amoasi VII said in an interview with Citi FM and monitored by Peacefmonline.com. He further expressed disappointment with the minister's posture in dealing with the crisis that has left many Ghanaian businesses collapsing. For Gods sake, I am a prepaid consumer. I have paid for that power that you need to supply me. In fact, you chose to put a meter in my house at a fee, which is also a contract in a form, and he chose to take my money in advance. If I am not going to get the power, then just out of respect, at least tell me when I can have the power. But dont look into my face and say, I should go and produce my own timetable, he noted Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) 's national organizer, Henry Nana Boakye, has claimed that the driver of a truck that caused an accident involving a newly acquired train during a test run is a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). Speaking on the Monday, April 22, 2024, edition of Okay FM's Ade Akye Abia morning show, Nana B insisted that the accident was a clear case of sabotage orchestrated by the opposition to give the government a bad name. "So Kwame, won't you talk about the new train which was being tested that had an accident because an NDC person parked a car on the tracks?" he questioned the host. The host, in response, probed whether Nana B had any evidence to prove his claim, to which he insisted that the driver, who has since been convicted for his action, is an NDC member. "I am telling you that he is NDC, we also have people there, he is a true NDC member with a party card in that constituency If you look at the way the car was parked it was very deliberate. Do you think it is okay for the NDC to do that? Such evil mindset that a new train has arrived and for the government to receive praise, you would cause its destruction. "The NDC is typically full of evil mindset. You listen to how happy they sound on social media. Even former President John Dramani Mahama, who is supposed to condemn such conduct, was saying he would be asking questions if he were to be the president. He is not concerned about the person who caused the incident," he submitted. A court last week sentenced Abel Dzidotor, the man responsible for the accident involving the newly imported train on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, to a six-month jail term with hard labour. Dzidotor admitted guilt to three out of the four charges levelled against him, which included inconsiderate driving, unauthorized stopping, and causing unlawful damage. The fourth charge, failing to produce a driver's license, was contested by Dzidotor, who claimed his license was inside the damaged vehicle. He has been instructed to present the license to the court by May 9, 2024, to avoid potential consequences. The Ghana Police Service arrested Dzidotor for causing the accident, which occurred on April 18 during a test run of a newly imported train from Poland. Preliminary investigations by the police said that Dzidotor left the Hyundai truck with registration number GS 9018 20 unattended on the railway line, leading to a collision with the train. The accident reportedly happened when Abel Dzidotor went to deliver cement blocks, but the truck got stuck on the rail after he was returning. 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 Approximately 6,000 young politicians across the country who had previously defected from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to join Alan Kyerematens Movement for Change have announced their return to the NPP. Led by former NPP parliamentary candidate aspirant for Adentan, Alfred Ababio Kumi, the group admitted that leaving the NPP was a mistake. In a press conference held in Accra, Ababio Kumi publicly acknowledged their error and declared their renewed support for the NPP flagbearer. It has become evidently clear that we made a mistake; a mistake that we humbly admit and are ready to work to ensure that its dire effect is reversed or averted. Since the February 7, 2024, speech by the flagbearer of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, we have been asking ourselves questions that border on the future of this country and the very Ghana that we young people want, citinewsroom.com quoted Ababio Kumi. Meanwhile, the Nationwide Supporters of Alan Cash (NAWSAC) have strongly criticised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for allegedly attempting to bribe the youth to abandon their support for Alan Kyerematens Movement for Change and join the NPP. In a statement released on Monday, April 22, 2024, NAWSAC expressed concern over the NPPs underhanded tactics and urged the youth not to be swayed by financial inducements. The groups convener, Luther-King Junior, emphasised that young people are disillusioned with the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over their manipulative behaviour and are determined to stand by their convictions and support for Alan Kyerematens leadership. "These attempts to bribe young people to abandon their support for Alan Kyerematens Movement for Change and rejoin the NPP are unacceptable. Young people are not for sale, and we will not be swayed by such tactics," Luther-King Junior stated. full statement Ladies and Gentlemen, friends from the media, esteemed members of the New Patriotic Party, and fellow citizens, Good afternoon, Today, we stand before you humbled and reflective, driven by a deep commitment to our nations future. Several months ago, we, alongside other devoted members, transitioned to the Movement for Change, inspired by the leadership of Alan Kyeremateng. However, this journey has granted us profound insights and a clearer understanding of the political landscape of Ghana, the vision and leadership styles of all the Presidential aspirants for the 2024 Elections. It has become evident that, we made a mistake. A mistake that we humbly admit and ready to work to ensure its dire effect on the country is averted. Since the 7th February, 2024 speech by the Flagbearer, Dr. Bawumia, we have been asking ourselves questions, questions that bothers on the future of this country and the Ghana we want to see for ourselves as young people. It has become unarguably clear, that amongst all the Political Leaders, Dr. Bawumia has so far been the one who has clearly articulated the Ghana story, where we have come from, what we have been able to achieve so far, the challenges therein, admitted to the shortfalls and most importantly has clearly communicated his Solutions to the challenges confronting us as a country. Even more inspiring is his ability to move the entire nation to visualize the Ghana he Dreams. His Bold Solutions as elaborated on in his speech enables every citizen to visualize the future he wants for all of us and it is one that as young people, we believes we want to be part of. We believe that, our decision to leave the party and follow Alan Kyeremanteng was one that was based on our conviction to see a Ghana that is ready to embrace the world and prepare the youth to be competitive in the global space. That remains our overarching objective. It has become unarguably clear that, amongst all the leaders, Dr. Bawumia is the one who can lead this country to the realization of the objectives. He understands where we have come from, he understands what we need to do, he understands what has been done, he understands the shortfalls and he has a clear plan to move us into the future in spite of the obvious and unavoidable challenges. As young people, our deep love for Ghana will not allow us to see this country on a reverse into the past and in order for us to realize of dream of seeing Ghana grow, we are left with no other choice than to rally behind that one leader in our time today, amongst the several of them, who has clarity of thoughts, committed to the Ghana dream, has a proven track record of delivering on what he has been assigned to and has the mindset of Problem solving. That leader without debate, is Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the leader and Flagbearer of the New Patriotic party. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia needs the support and energy of every single young person in this country to succeed in the next elections and we call on every young person to to rally around this call. The National Democratic Congress, under the flagbearership of former President John Mahama, presents a plan for our country that raises concerns as we approach the 2024 general elections; THE SCACRY ALTERNATIVE. Here are the reasons why we cannot entrust Ghana to former President Mahama: 1. He has nothing to lose. Should he win, his tenure will be his last, historically bringing with it certain risks. Moreover, we are not seeking a leader who requires a honeymoon period. The job demands immediate action. 2. He has been defeated twice by H.E. Nana Addo, which clearly shows he has lost the trust and confidence of many, especially the youth. 3. As of now, John Mahama does not have a clear, consistent policy for Ghana, which has shown inconsistency and a lack of depth in strategic planning for Ghanas long-term prosperity. It is noteworthy that their so-called 24-hour economy policy has not been well explained even among their own ranks. In light of these reflections and realizations, we, along with my colleagues from all over, have decided to fully return to the New Patriotic Party under the leadership of Flagbearer H.E. Dr. Bawumia, who has demonstrated time and again that with the spirit of humility and unity, it is possible to advance Ghana and that Breaking the 8 is a national assignment we must all embrace. Ladies and Gentlemen, friends from the media, WE HAVE FULLY RETURNED HOME, not just to return, but to work. Our nation stands on the verge of a pivotal election. As a young politician, I recognize the immense responsibility we carry to ensure governance is not only effective but also genuinely reflective of the aspirations of all Ghanaians. This era is futuristic, which is why we believe in the Bold Solutions policy of Dr. Bawumia, leveraging digitalization to build the Ghana we need. We return not just as members, but as advocates with a rejuvenated focus on cohesive policy-making, transparency, and the vigorous pursuit of an agenda that places Ghanas stability and prosperity at the forefront. Our dedication to the partys ideology is unwavering. Let this moment be a turning point, not just for us as returning members but for the New Patriotic Party as a whole. Together, lets renew our commitment to the principles that have always defined us: Development in Freedom: A Legacy in Making Our Nation Great & Strong. Thank you, and may God bless our endeavors, our dear Party the NPP, and our beloved country, 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: Charred trees following a wildfire in Colorado (United States). Credit: Manuela Brunner WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) researchers expect an elevated wildfire danger in the Alpine Foreland from 2040 onwards due to changing meteorological conditions. The danger currently remains very low in that region, but there is likely to be a shift in this regard as a result of climate change. There is likely to be a significant increase in the danger of wildfires through the 21st century. Indeed, the expectation is that by 2100 the danger will be high even in regions where it is very low today. Those are the findings of a study by Julia Miller, a Ph.D. student in the SLF's Hydrology & Climate Impacts in Mountain Regions research group, published in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. Forecasts show that the potential danger will continue to increase, but from 2040 onwards it will exceed the natural range of climate fluctuations and so will be attributed to climate change from then on. Taking the example of the Bavarian Alpine Foreland, this means that the meteorological wildfire danger will rise more rapidly from 2040 onwards, developing from low at present to high by the end of the 21st century. A weather-related event that currently occurs only once every 60 years will happen on average every 10 years by 2090. The projections also show that favorable weather conditions for wildfires will occur earlier in the year than today, i.e. in or around May. Currently, the wildfire season often begins in June. Vegetation that is already dry also means that fires can start more easily and get out of control more quickly. "Therefore, even regions with a temperate climate will need to prepare for wildfires in the future," says Julia Miller. Such preparations range from water reservoirs for fire-fighting helicopters to warning signs alerting local people to the danger. "The number of days when the wildfire danger is at least 'high' will more than double by the end of the 21st century," predicts Miller. This trend is reinforced by factors such as hot, dry and windy weather. Summer heat waves and drought events also reduce soil moisture, increasing the flammability of the vegetation. Miller is here addressing an issue that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) raised in a 2021 report. For her study, Miller used a number of climate variables and took natural and climate-related fluctuations into account. She made her forecasts based on the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI). Underpinned by meteorological data, the FWI is a numerical rating of how readily combustible material (e.g. trees, dead wood, dry leaves) ignites and how rapidly a fire can develop. While the Mediterranean region and Western Canada have historically been prone to fire and have been extensively studied at a broader regional level, scientists have so far paid less attention to wildfires in the temperate regions of Europe. For her research, Miller used weather data from 'hydrological Bavaria' (the river catchments of the Danube, Main and Elbe), which she divided into four geographical and climatic subregions. Given that the FWI does not take the vegetation situation into account, in her next study Miller would like to identify the role played by soil moisture and vegetation dryness in wildfire danger. She also analyzes the climatic conditions under which the danger is greatest and highlights the regional differences within Europe. "Our aim is to show that wildfires in Europe can have different drivers. To this end, we would like to identify regional and seasonal differences in order to better understand the climatic factors that lead to large and uncontrollable wildfires," explains Miller. More information: Julia Miller et al, Climate change impacts on regional fire weather in heterogeneous landscapes of central Europe, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.5194/nhess-24-411-2024 Provided by Eidgenossische Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL 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 corridor at the holding facility of Athens Airport. Credit: Border Criminologies, 2019 The University of Oxford's Border Criminologies research network have contributed to the first interactive, open-source database of rights violations inside Greek detention centers. Detention Landscapes , a partnership between Border Criminologies, Mobile Info Team and the Border Violence Monitoring Network pools testimonies, incident reports, open-source research, and visual evidence to create a unique resource which documents both the active and insidious forms of violence people on the move face within diverse spaces of containment in Greece. Amidst ongoing reports of violence and deplorable conditions in Greece's detention centers, Detention Landscapes brings undeniable evidence of rights violations by Greek law enforcement personnel to the fore. It constitutes a living archive, which sheds light on the grim reality inside secretive detention sites where access is restricted, and people are detained in shocking conditions without access to legal remedies or support. The research team hope that the database will be used widely by lawyers, researchers, and civil society actors to support litigation efforts to improve conditions in detention centers. The database also provides a model that can be replicated across different localities. Mary Bosworth, Professor of Criminology and Co-Director of the Border Criminologies research group at the University of Oxford, said, "This database is a vital repository of evidence shining a light on violence happening in remote and hard-to-access detention spaces. We know from first-hand testimonies that people in detention frequently have their phones confiscated or broken and have very limited possibilities to communicate with the outside world, which directly prevents them from documenting the abuses they are subjected to." "State actors attempt to keep detention sites as hidden spaces, with minimal public access or visibility as to how they operate. We created this platform so that journalists, researchers, lawyers, policy makers and civil society can collectively bring to light the conditions and abuses happening within secretive detention sitesultimately so that perpetrators and governments can be held to account." The new database, based on more than 10 years of research, includes: 48 Detention site profiles documenting the locations, functions, and ownership of facilities where foreign nationals are held under administrative detention; Over 80 testimonies from people who were previously detained in Greece, attesting to severe lack of access to services and support, and appalling living conditions; Over 70 photos and videos revealing dire physical conditions inside secretive detention sites; Over 100 incidents of violent human rights violations inside detention facilities; Over 350 resources including academic literature, reports, media articles, and contracts with useful information on immigration detention practices. Testimonies gathered by researchers affiliated with BVMN, Mobile Info Team, and Border Criminologies between 2020 and 2024 attest to asylum seekers and undocumented people being detained in appalling conditions in prison-like facilities and overcrowded police stations. Individuals have reported brutal violence after long periods of arbitrary detention in degrading living conditions such as insect-infested cells and limited access to hot water, sufficient food, and medical careeven in emergency situations. These reports are not limited to individual facilities, but are endemic across the country in closed camps and pre-removal detention centers alike. Violence was reported by 70% of respondents across 21 detention sites in Greece including pre-removal facilities, closed camps, police stations, and border guard stations. The EU has spent at least 276 million euros into closed camps on the Greek Aegean islands in recent years. At the end of 2022 there were 2,813 people administratively detained in Greeceand a total of 37 staff deployed across all six pre-removal detention centers throughout the country, including both administrative staff and interpreters. This amounts to approximately six staff members for each pre-removal center, which are frequently overcrowded and without permanent medical staff on site. Dr. Andriani Fili, co-director of Border Criminologies at Oxford University and research collaborator on the Detention Landscapes project said, "The motivation for Detention Landscapes was the lack of research into the use of physical violence within Greek detention facilities. Official statistics on the use of force in Greece simply do not exist, and concerns about ill-treatment are routinely dismissed as being exaggerated or unreliable, coming from migrants who want to secure their release. Having witnessed evidence of violence within these facilities first-hand, I became determined to find a way to systematically document this in a manner that would enable public scrutiny and accountability." Nataliya Novakova, Europe Regional Manager, International Detention Coalition (IDC) said, "This is yet another proof that immigration detention is not a viable solution: it is damaging for people, who are survivors and have fled from armed conflicts or other threats. Criminalization and deterrence is not the face Europe should be showing to the world. Immigration detention is the last resort, not a default policy." You can view the database on the Detention Landscapes website. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain There are inherent flaws in the U.K.'s ability to obtain and exchange information to detect fraud and terrorism financing, according to research from Cardiff University. Published in the Journal of Business Law, academics examined the circumstances leading up to three terror attacks in the U.K., analyzing publicly available documents to demonstrate weaknesses in how suspected fraud and terrorism funding is followed up. Academics say the research challenges the conclusions and findings of the Financial Action Task Force review of the U.K.'s level of compliance with its data sharing recommendations. Lead author Professor Nicholas Ryder, based at Cardiff University's School of Law and Politics, said, "Fraud is the funding mechanism of choice for terrorism financiers; it is convenient, low key and frequently avoids detection. Our findings show that the U.K. is not compliant with international standards relating to the reporting and sharing of vital information. "Fraud strategy and counter-terrorism laws currently work in isolation, with each not referencing the other. U.K. fraud strategy and counter-terrorism laws must therefore be more closely aligned as a matter of urgency." Key findings from the paper show: In 1995, HMRC connected several suspected frauds with Shahzad Tanweer, one of the July 2005 terrorists, but this information was not disclosed to the Financial Intelligence Unit or the UK Security and Intelligence Service. The group linked to Tanweer gained approximately 8bn from VAT and benefit frauds, of which it sent "1% of its gains, or 80m to al-Qaeda." In order to commit the terrorist attack in the Manchester Arena in 2017, Salman Abedi used student loans and his maintenance grant. Researchers note that the Money Laundering Regulations do not apply to higher education institutions (HEIs), only the regulated sector, and HEIs have a limited legal obligation to report any suspicions of fraud or terrorism financing to the National Crime Agency. One of the terrorists involved in the attacks on London Bridge in June, 2017, Khuram Butt, was investigated and arrested on suspicion of falsely reporting fraudulent activity (3,300) on three bank accounts in October 2016. But a decision was made not to prosecute him for these initial offenses. Researchers have made a number of recommendations for reform, which include amending the Fraud Act 2006 to introduce an obligation to report fraud for the regulated sector, adopting the same model as money laundering and terrorism financing. They say HEIs should also become part of the regulated sector for the purposes of anti-money laundering and counter terrorism fraud legislation. This, they say, would explicitly task HEIs with an obligation to submit SARS, providing valuable financial intelligence to initiate or support terrorism financing investigations. The paper also makes a series of recommendations to reform the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, which includes "requiring" HMRC to disclose rather than "permit" disclosure where HMRC employees suspect they are in in possession of information that reveals money laundering or terrorism. Professor Ryder added, "There are a number of weaknesses within the U.K.'s counter fraud strategy that need to be addressed. "The law around fraud must be brought in line with other more serious offenses, so that criminal investigators are given the whole picture and can act on that information at the earliest opportunity. We hope U.K. Government will act upon our recommendations." More information: To exchange or not to exchangethat is the question. A critical analysis of the use of financial intelligence and the exchange of information in the United Kingdom. uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10838862 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: Markus Spiske from Pexels Because 80% of climate migrants are women and girls, a new international legal framework is needed to protect human rights, incorporating gender-sensitive and responsive measures in policies and legislation. An article in a special issue of the journal Environmental Policy and Law (EPL) details the complexities of the perpetuation of inequalities, existing vulnerabilities, and lack of protection impacting migrant women and girls. "Climate change is evidence of a clear weakening of human rights, especially in areas that are already experiencing greater exposure to the effects of climate change and lower resilience due to existing socioeconomic contexts," says author and environmental lawyer Susana Borras-Pentinat, Associate Professor in International Law, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain. "Multidimensional inequality and insecurity are present throughout the migration process and are particularly critical in the case of migrant women and girls, who account for 80% of all climate displacement." The United Nations estimates that, by the year 2050, the effects of climate change will result in the displacement of 150 million or more people due to extreme weather and slow-onset events such as sea-level rise and desertification. Also, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that, in the coming years, migration would become a response to climate change, with millions of people displaced by coastal flooding, coastal erosion, desertification processes, and losses in agricultural production. "People who leave their territories of origin do so in very complex contexts, in search of safety and well-being, exercising their human right to migrate with dignity to other safe territories, whether within or outside their countries," Dr. Borras-Pentinat explains. In the editorial of the special issue on International Environmental Law (IEL): Perspectives of Women Scholars, Editor-in-Chief of EPL, Bharat H. Desai, Ph.D., Jawaharlal Nehru University, Center for International Legal Studies, writes, "SDG 5 aims to 'achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls'." "In the third decade of the 21st century, humankind is still grappling with vital issues concerning gender-based inequality, discrimination, and violence faced by women and girls who constitute almost half of the world's eight billion population. Notwithstanding the cherished goals prescribed in the international human rights and other regulatory instruments to bring about changes, the mental attitudes and harsh global realities persist on the ground for women and girls." According to Dr. Borras-Pentinat, "The impacts of climate change cause women, especially those living in more impoverished communities, to face a heavy psychological burden. Power structures and relations lead to increased vulnerability to extreme weather events and climate change-related disasters. This structural vulnerability increases when women and girls become climate migrants." In recent years, there have been some developments in different sectors of international regulation to recognize climate change as a cause of migration, including from a gender-sensitive perspective. "These developments, while positive, have demonstrated the lack of an integrative vision between the international legal regime on migration and refuge, climate change, and human rights," adds Dr. Borras-Pentinat. She concludes, "There is a need for a rethinking of existing legal frameworks to respond to the reality of climate migration from a gender-sensitive perspective that effectively protects human rights. Heteropatriarchal power dynamicswhich exclude women from decision-making processeshave prevented the proper integration of a gender perspective into policies and legal standards for environmental protection." "It is essential to reverse the victim or vulnerable role assigned to women and instead recognize their role as leaders and agents of change in climate change and migration contexts. Innovative legal-policy responses are required that adapt existing refugee and migration-related legal frameworks to the humanitarian challenges generated by climate change." 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: Journal of Advanced Ceramics (2024). DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2024.9220850 In the field of aerospace, a high-temperature piezoelectric vibration sensor is one of the few key devices that can be monitored in a high-temperature and harsh environment, so it is particularly urgent to develop high performance high-temperature piezoelectric ceramics as the core component of this kind of sensor. Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 (BIT), as one vital type of bismuth layered structure ferroelectrics (BLSFs), has great application prospects in high-temperature environments due to its excellent T C of 675 . However, the volatilization of Bi during the sintering process in BIT-based ceramics leads to the generation of oxygen vacancy defects, resulting in relatively low piezoelectric activity. The proposed B-site non-equivalent co-doped strategy has been proven to be a useful way to effectively reduce the concentration of oxygen vacancies and to improve the comprehensive electrical properties of BIT-based ceramics. A research group led by Professor Yejing Dai from Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, China, recently reported a new non-equivalent co-doped strategy for BIT-based high-temperature piezoelectric ceramics to solve the above mentioned problems. By the B-site modification for the BIT-based ceramics, it is usually hard to obtain both a high piezoelectric coefficient and a high Curie temperature, as well as large resistivity at high temperatures. There seems to be a mutual restriction between d 33 and T C due to the difficulty of simultaneously achieving excellent electrical properties and good structural stability. This research is aimed at synergistically optimizing the two parameters by using the B-site non-equivalent co-doped strategy of combining high-valence Ta5+ and low-valence Cr3+. The researchers published their research in the Journal of Advanced Ceramics on February 21, 2024. "In this research, we chose high-valence Ta5+ and low-valence Cr3+ non-equivalent co-doped BIT ceramics to solve the problem that high piezoelectric performance, high Curie temperature, and high-temperature resistivity could not be achieved simultaneously in BIT-based ceramics. A series of Bi 4 Ti 3x (Cr 1/3 Ta 2/3 ) x O 12 ceramics were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. "The phase structure, microstructure, piezoelectric performance, and conductive mechanism of the samples were systematically investigated. The B-site non-equivalent co-doping strategy combining high-valence Ta5+ and low-valence Cr3+ significantly enhances electrical properties due to a decrease in oxygen vacancy concentration. When the doping content is 0.03 mol, ceramics exhibit a high piezoelectric coefficient of 26 pCN1 and a high Curie temperature of 687 . "Moreover, a significantly increased resistivity of 2.8106 cm at 500 and good piezoelectric stability up to 600 are also obtained for this composition. All the results demonstrate that Cr/Ta co-doped BIT-based ceramics have great potential to be applied in high-temperature piezoelectric applications," said Ms. Xuanyu Chen, the first author of the paper and a doctoral student in the School of Materials at Sun Yat-sen University. The non-equivalent co-doping strategy is an effective method to enhance the electric performance of BIT-based ceramics. Through the introduction of non-equivalent ion pairs, the concentration of oxygen vacancy defects in the BIT ceramics was effectively reduced, and the anisotropy of the grain growth decreased. This provides a new idea for further improving the piezoelectric properties of BIT-based ceramics and promoting their application in the field of high-temperature sensing. The next step of the research group is to induce A-site ions such as La3+ on a B-site non-equivalent co-doped basis. "We expect that A/B site co-doping will further increase the piezoelectric activity of the BIT-based ceramic, and then we will reveal the effect of A/B site co-doping on the domain structure of the sample compared to the B-site non-equivalent co-doping," Ms. Chen said. The aim of the research team is to fabricate bismuth-layered piezoelectric ceramic devices with excellent electrical properties suitable for working at high temperatures. Other contributors include Ms. Ziqi Ma, Professor Bin Li, and Professor YeJing Dai from the School of Materials at Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, China. More information: Xuanyu Chen et al, Enhanced piezoelectric performance of Cr/Ta non-equivalent co-doped Bi 4Ti 3O 12-based high-temperature piezoceramics, Journal of Advanced Ceramics (2024). DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2024.9220850 Provided by Tsinghua University Press This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In 2000, the Council of Europe issued a Recommendation aimed at improving access to archives in the member states. Together with the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA Archivum) in Budapest, Fraunhofer ISI evaluated how these recommendations have been implemented and how accessible the archives are more than 20 years on. The researchers also investigated the technological, legal and political challenges facing freedom of information. Two articles from the research are published in Archives and Records and Preservation, Digital Technology & Culture. Archives are of central importance for functioning democracies, as they not only safeguard important historical documents, but also make a significant contribution to the transparency of state institutions. Especially in the period after the end of the Cold War, archives provided the public with access to previously inaccessible documents and information, which played an important role in coming to terms with the past and protecting cultural heritage. The Council of Europe's Recommendation for improved access to archives In this context, the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation R(2000)13 in 2000, which proposed a coordinated European policy for better access to archives along with possible measures to achieve this. In order to find out how access and freedom of information have developed since then, a team of researchers from Fraunhofer ISI and the Open Society Archive at the Central European University Budapest conducted an online survey of archives and their users, supplemented by qualitative interviews with experts. The survey was aimed at all 46 national archives of the Council of Europe member states, 40 regional or municipal archives as well as 77 academic institutions and 103 civil society organizations representing the most important archive user groups. The results of the survey showed that, although national legislation in most countries is now broadly in line with the Recommendation more than 20 years down the line, actual accessibility does not always reflect this. For instance, the number of countries in which public archive facilities are exempt from general access regulations has not changed significantly from the situation at the time of the adoption of the Recommendation and stands at 39%. Furthermore, 12 countries still have secret archives. For some former Eastern Bloc countries, it emerged that, in some cases, there are no aids for finding restricted archive holdings, meaning that researchers could not apply for special permission to access such documents. In addition, some archives still refuse access to researchers due to "insufficient qualifications" without any further justification or because documents are allegedly "not relevant" for a research topic. The survey also revealed certain fundamental conflicts of interest between the desire for openness and the protection of rights: In 87% of countries, for example, access to certain documents is restricted for data protection reasons. About 73% of the archives surveyed also indicated that they see advantages in the availability of documents online in principle, but also pointed to legal uncertainties such as copyright issues. Many archives complain that there is no guidance on how to resolve this conflict of interest. The challenge of digitalization and AI To date, only a small proportion of documents, about 5%, have been digitized and users believe there is still great potential here. Expectations with regard to the possible use of artificial intelligence are also high, for example in structuring unsorted document collections. However, using AI could also lead to problems if, for example, algorithms cause distortions. Dr. Michael Friedewald, who heads the Information and Communication Technologies Business Unit at Fraunhofer ISI and coordinated the Council of Europe study, summarizes the key findings, "Overall, the Council of Europe member states have largely incorporated the Recommendation on access to archives into their respective national legislation. "This applies, for example, to Croatia, Estonia and Switzerland, where the Recommendation has been implemented very comprehensively and access to information is now very good. Other countries such as Romania or Austria fare less well here. "In some Eastern Bloc countries such as Bulgaria, the state socialist past is still very much in evidence and access to archives and the information they offer is more problematic. As expected, freedom of information is well established in most Western European countries, but even here not all aspects of the Council of Europe Recommendation have been implemented. "This is partly because there has not been any external pressure to change this, as was the case in Eastern Central Europe due to the reappraisal of the state-socialist past. Although the Council of Europe does not have any instruments that are legally binding, it could nevertheless call on the member states to intensify cooperation between archives and other public repositories such as libraries and museums. "This could then lead to concepts on how individual archive collections can be better brought together or how to open up access to new groups of users. In order to further improve access to archives and freedom of information, the rights for the protection of personal data and to informational self-determination should be more closely aligned by the competent European institutions." More information: Michael Friedewald et al, Access to Public Archives in Europe: progress in the implementation of CoE Recommendation R (2000)13 on a European policy on access to archives, Archives and Records (2023). DOI: 10.1080/23257962.2023.2285954 Michael Friedewald et al, Preserving the Past, Enabling the Future: Assessing the European Policy on Access to Archives in the Digital Age, Preservation, Digital Technology & Culture (2024). DOI: 10.1515/pdtc-2024-0003 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A study published in the International Journal of Economics and Business Research has looked at the various factors affecting fluctuations in the price of natural rubber in Thailand, the world's largest producer of the product. The study considers both domestic and external influences on rubber prices, showing just how the Thai market is affected by global changes and trends. Part Sungkaew of King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, in Thailand, points out that exports are critical to the Thai rubber industry. Just 18% of production is used domestically. Even then, domestic use is largely accounted for by foreign companies operating within Thailand. In other words, external factors such as exchange rates, export volumes, and oil prices all play part in determining the price. Moreover, despite Thailand being the leading producer, Sungkaew found that the market favors foreign buyers. An important factor that affects price is the volume of natural rubber stock within Thailand and abroad. This factor makes the Thai industry vulnerable to global market dynamics, with price changes in other major producing countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia affecting prices in Thailand. In addition, the rise of China as a major consumer further complicates the changing market, suggesting a shift in the balance of power in the global natural rubber market. Rubber farm cooperatives have offered some relief through cost-saving measures and efficiency drives. However, the impact of these is very subtle. The actions of the rubber farmers themselves has a very small role to play in the global natural rubber market. There have also been government interventions aimed at trying to prevent falling prices, driven by changing stocks and demand. But, the study found that the predominance of large buyers persists. The Thai government is under pressure to create policies to support value-added rubber products and the domestic industries in an attempt to mitigate against price fluctuations and stabilize the market. More information: Part Sungkaew, Factors affecting natural rubber prices in Thailand, International Journal of Economics and Business Research (2024). DOI: 10.1504/IJEBR.2024.138077 Provided by Inderscience 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: Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated due to flooding in southern China, including in Qingyuan (pictured). More than 100,000 people have been evacuated due to heavy rain and fatal floods in southern China, with the government issuing its highest-level rainstorm warning for the affected area on Tuesday. Torrential rains have lashed Guangdong province in recent days, swelling rivers and raising fears of severe flooding that state media said could be of the sort only "seen around once a century". The megacity of Shenzhen was among the areas experiencing "heavy to very heavy downpours" on Tuesday, the city's meteorological observatory said, adding the risk of flash floods was "very high". It later downgraded its weather warning as the storms weakened, but urged residents to remain vigilant against disasters. Images from Qingyuana city in northern Guangdong that is part of the low-lying Pearl River Deltashowed a building almost completely submerged in a flooded park next to a river. Official media reported Sunday that more than 45,000 people had been evacuated from Qingyuan, which straddles the Bei River tributary. State news agency Xinhua said 110,000 residents across Guangdong had been relocated since the downpours started over the weekend. The floods have claimed the lives of four people, according to state media. Engulfed lampposts An AFP team in Qingyuan saw the Bei River running much higher than its usual level on Tuesday evening, with the water almost completely engulfing lampposts on a pedestrianized bank that had been closed to the public. The rain stopped in the afternoon and the flood water fell slightly, allowing curious onlookers to come and look over the swollen banks. Map of southern China's Guangdong province, locating the areas most affected by heavy rainfall in recent days. Li Yan, 52, said he was more concerned about people living down the river than about the continued rainfall forecast for the next few days. "Where I live there's no risk. People here are used to flooding and the water was already higher in the past," he said. "Some areas downstream are more affected though." A friend he video called, however, was stranded on a small island on the river because of the flooding. "But hey," Li's friend said. "I had provisions, so it's no big deal." Ship sinks In Foshan, a city in central Guangdong, four people were missing after a ship struck a bridge in an incident that "may have been... due to the influence of flooding", Xinhua reported Tuesday, citing local authorities. The vessel, which was carrying nearly 5,000 tonnes of rolled steel, smacked into a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge on Monday evening, catapulting several of its 11 crew members into the water. Seven people were rescued before the ship sank, Xinhua said. A further 10 people were reported missing in earlier flood-related incidents. Aerial shots from Guangdong showed landslides behind a town on the banks of a swollen river, with soldiers operating excavators to clear away the muddy debris. In recent years China has been hit by severe floods, grinding droughts and record heat. Climate change driven by human-emitted greenhouse gases makes extreme weather events more frequent and intense, and China is the world's biggest emitter. Parts of Guangdong have not seen such severe flooding so early in the year since records began in 1954, the state-run China National Radio reported. 'Take precautions' Guangdong is China's manufacturing heartland, home to around 127 million people. "Please quickly take precautions and stay away from dangerous areas such as low-lying areas prone to flooding," authorities in Shenzhen said in issuing Tuesday's red alert. Heavy rain is expected to continue in Shenzhen for the next two to three hours, authorities said. China has been hit in recent years by severe floods, droughts and record heat. That has meant that authorities are typically very quick to deploy, making casualties much lower than in previous decades. Last September, Shenzhen experienced the heaviest rains since records began in 1952, while the nearby semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong saw its heaviest rainfall in nearly 140 years. Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations has said, with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Some of the satellite dishes that make up the MeerKAT. Credit: South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) South Africa's Karoo region is a vast semi-arid area that stretches across four of the country's provinces. It is sparsely populated and renowned for its wide open spaces. In the heart of this landscape, near the small Northern Cape town of Carnarvon, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory operates a technological marvel that has transformed our understanding of the cosmos. The MeerKAT radio telescope has unlocked cosmic mysteries. It's fostered scientific collaboration. It is also nurturing local talent. MeerKAT, which is among South Africa's largest scientific infrastructure projects of the 30 year period since democracy, has emerged as a beacon of innovation and opportunity on the African continent. It comprises 64 dishes, each 13.5 meters in diameter, and is a precursor to the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project. When it's fully up and runningcurrently estimated to be in 2028 or 2029the SKA will be the world's most powerful radio telescope. Over the past five years, MeerKAT has made remarkable contributions to both South African and international science. It possesses a unique combination of exceptional sensitivity and good resolution, enabling astronomers to study the universe in greater detail than ever before. For instance, its prowess in detecting faint radio signals has led to groundbreaking discoveries in transient astronomy. This branch of astronomy deals with objects that have changing characteristics on relatively short timescales. In 2017, the telescope was involved with follow-up observations of the collision of two neutron stars. Multi-wavelength studies of this nature hold the key to better understanding these highly energetic events. This discovery has deepened our understanding of the universe's most energetic phenomena. I'm an associate professor of astronomy in South Africa with a general interest in studying galaxy formation and evolution processes. Here are just four of MeerKAT's major breakthroughs that I've been involved in, and why the findings matter for our understanding of the universe. Fascinating findings In one project, MeerKAT was used to observe the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way. This allowed our team to see for the first time magnetic filaments that surround the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy. A supermassive black hole is an extremely dense object with the mass of a million suns. Its gravity is so intense that not even light can escape its pull. The research provided valuable insights into the dynamic processes that shape the galactic environment. MeerKAT has also spearheaded several galaxy surveys that are reshaping our understanding of cosmic evolution. The Laduma, Mightee and Mhongoose surveys aim to map the distribution of galaxies and neutral hydrogen gas. They're also designed to study the properties of nearby and distant galaxies. These surveys do more than just expand our knowledge of the universe: they're also paving the way for future astronomical research. One of the most remarkable discoveries to emerge from the Mightee project is the identification of giant radio galaxiesvast structures stretching across millions of light-years. These cosmic behemoths, powered by supermassive black holes at their centers, generate intense radio emission. This makes them visible to instruments like MeerKAT, whose unique capabilities have allowed for these impressive galaxies to be found and studied like never before. One intriguing discovery made by the Laduma project is the detection of an OH megamaser. This is a cosmic amplifier powered by the intense radiation emitted by galaxies' active centers. It's among the most powerful sources of maser emission in the universe, capable of amplifying radio waves by factors of millions. The OH megamaser detected by Laduma is located in a distant galaxy. It offers valuable insights into the dynamics of galactic nuclei and the mechanisms driving their evolution. The Mhongoose survey, meanwhile, has revealed a wealth of information about the distribution and properties of neutral hydrogen gas in nearby galaxies. Mapping the distribution of neutral hydrogen allows astronomers to trace the dynamics of galactic structures and uncover the hidden reservoirs of gas fueling star formation and galaxy growth. This information is crucial for understanding the complex interplay between gas, stars and dark matter in shaping the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time. Growth and learning Beyond its scientific impact, MeerKAT has become a driving force for human capital development in African astronomy. Members of local communities around the site have been employed during both the construction and operation stages. Engagements with those communities, and particularly with schools in the area, are breaking down barriers to participation in astronomy. This creates much-needed pathways for underrepresented groups to enter the field. Through training programs and educational initiatives, MeerKAT is nurturing a new generation of African scientists and engineers, empowering them to pursue careers in science, technology, math and engineering fields so they can contribute to the global scientific community. The project serves as a hub for international collaboration. It's attracted researchers from around the world to South Africa. For instance, I have been able to collaborate with astronomers from the UK, Australia, the Netherlands and the US. And, thanks to initiatives like the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network, MeerKAT is building capacity in radio astronomy across the continent and positioning Africa as a leader in the field. Given the many ground-breaking discoveries MeerKAT has already made, it promises to continue serving as a discovery machine that will push the boundaries of astronomical exploration into the SKA era. 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: Guano consumption by wildlife in Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Credit: Communications Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06139-z A study led by the University of Stirling jointly with the University of Wisconsin-Madison has shed new light on cross-species virus spillovers that can cause pandemics. A researcher from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Stirling discovered animals in an African forest eating bat excrement known as guano after a key food source in the region disappeared following selective deforestation. The paper "Selective deforestation and exposure of African wildlife to bat-borne viruses" was published in the journal Communications Biology. Lab analysis of the bat guano identified a range of viruses, including a betacoronavirus related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unknown whether the betacoronavirus found in the guano is transmissible to humans, but it does offer an example of how new infections might jump species barriers. The study was prompted when Dr. Pawel Fedurek observed wild chimpanzees consume bat guano from a tree hollow in Budongo Forest, Uganda. Dr. Fedurek then set up cameras which recorded chimps, monkeys and antelope eating the excrement. The guano is an alternative source of crucial minerals after the palm trees the mammals once consumed were harvested to extinction locally. The palm was used by people in Budongo to dry tobacco leaves which are then sold to international companies. Scientists do not yet fully understand the earliest stages of virus spillovers, which can lead to the deaths of tens of thousands of people, but they are thought to involve complex causal chains that begin with humans altering the environment. Dr. Pawel Fedurek, an expert in animal behavior at the University of Stirling, said, "Our research illustrates how a subtle form of selective deforestation, ultimately driven by a global demand for tobacco, can expose wildlife and, by extension, humans to viruses residing in bat guano, increasing virus spillover risk. "Studies like ours shed light on the triggers and pathways of both wildlife-to-wildlife and wildlife-to-human virus transmission, ultimately improving our abilities to prevent outbreaks and pandemics in the future. "Most research into outbreaks and pandemics has focused on curtailing the spread of the virus, by finding an effective vaccine for example, rather than preventing animal-to-human virus transmission from happening in the first place. Our work stresses the importance of studying disease ecology before diseases enter humans." Chimpanzees consuming guano in Budongo Forest, Uganda. Credit: University of Stirling After discovering mammals consuming guano, Dr. Fedurek and the project co-lead Dr. Caroline Asiimwe (then Conservation Coordinator of the Budongo Conservation Field Station, Uganda) involved Professor Tony Goldberg (University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.), who is a world-renowned expert in epidemiology and evolution of infectious diseases. Professor Goldberg identified the viruses in the guano in collaboration with researchers who quantified the mineral content of the guano (Professor Jessica Rothman, Hunter College of the City University of New York, U.S.) and established the probability of the novel betacoronavirus to infect the three mammalian species and humans (Gregory K. Rice, Naval Medical Research Command, U.S.). Due to the magnitude and complexity of the laboratory analyses involved, the entire project took around six years to complete. Textbook example Professor Goldberg said, "Our study links tobacco farming to exposure of at least three species of African wildlife to viruses of bats. We believe this is a textbook example of how new infections might jump species barriers even before they get into humans. "This is important since the initial stages of the onset of outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics have been particularly elusive for science. "We may have stumbled upon a series of events that is usually hidden from the view of epidemiologists and public health officials. Our study might be particularly relevant to the origins of bat-borne disease such as coronaviruses and, perhaps, Ebola." It is hoped the discovery may make it possible to enact interventions that break these sorts of causal chains, ultimately helping prevent future pandemics. Health consequences Dr. Asiimwe said, "Our study demonstrates that human activities that alter the environment can lead to devastating health consequences to both wildlife and humans and thus we should urgently learn to use natural resources sustainably. "Considerable research efforts are also needed to investigate how forest degradation, and other forms of human activity, can affect wildlife's behavior in a way that exposes them and humans to dangerous viruses." More information: Pawel Fedurek et al, Selective deforestation and exposure of African wildlife to bat-borne viruses, Communications Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06139-z Journal information: Communications Biology 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: Study map of Beaufort, NC (USA) with an inset map showing the location of Beaufort within North Carolina as a red star. Credit: GeoHealth (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024GH001020 A new study finds that "sunny day flooding," which occurs during high tides, increases the levels of fecal bacteria in coastal waters. While the elevated bacteria levels in the coastal waters tend to dissipate quickly, the findings suggest policymakers and public health officials should be aware of potential risks associated with tidal flooding. "Historically we see the highest levels of fecal bacteria contamination in coastal waterways after it rains, because the rain washes contaminants into the waterways," says Natalie Nelson, corresponding author of a paper on the study and an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering at North Carolina State University. "Due to sea level rise, we're seeing an increase in flooding in coastal areas at high tideeven when there isn't any rainfall. We wanted to see whether sunny day floods were associated with increases in fecal bacteria contamination in waterways." For the study, researchers collected water samples every day for two summer months at three sites along a single waterway in coastal North Carolina. Two perigean spring tides occurred during the two-month sampling period. Perigean spring tides are tides characterized by especially pronounced high and low tides, caused by the moon's gravitational pull. The researchers increased their collection of samples at each monitoring site on the days of the perigean spring tides, to capture changes in water quality throughout the tidal cycle. During the high-water levels of the perigean spring tides, water also came up out of some local storm drains and caused minor flooding. The researchers took samples of those floodwaters as well. "We found that the floodwaters themselves had relatively high levels of fecal bacteria," Nelson says. "To be clear, these floods were inches deep; we're talking about very minor flooding as tidal waters pushed up through the storm grates. However, we've seen children playing in these sort of sunny day floodwaters, and the levels of fecal bacteria we detected were above the levels deemed safe for recreational waters." "Our findings with regard to the coastal waters were more nuanced," says Megan Carr, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student at NC State. "On the one hand, we did see higher concentrations of fecal bacteria in coastal waters as the floodwaters and perigean spring tides receded. On the other hand, we did not see this in every instance and in every locationand we also found that the higher concentrations of fecal bacteria usually only lasted for a few hours." In other words, perigean spring tides do raise some concerns about fecal bacteria and water quality in coastal waters, but they don't appear to cause concentrations of fecal bacteria at the same level as stormwater runoff caused by rainfall. "It's important to note that these results are from samples that we took in one area along a large waterway," Nelson says. "The results are likely to vary significantly, depending on the size of the waterway. For example, post-flood contamination could last longer in waterways smaller than the waterway that we sampled. That's something that would benefit from additional research. "Sea levels are going to continue rising for the foreseeable future," Nelson says. "So we are definitely going to see more sunny day flooding, and those floods will be getting worse. We need to continue studying the impact that these tidal floods have on our water quality, because the more we understand, the better able we will be to make informed decisions about public health and safety." The paper, "Fecal Bacteria Contamination of Floodwaters and a Coastal Waterway from Tidally-Driven Stormwater Network Inundation," is published in the journal GeoHealth. The first author of the paper is Megan Carr, a Ph.D. student at NC State. The paper was co-authored by Angela Harris and Katherine Anarde, both assistant professors of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State; Nora Sauers, Gabe Da Silva and Catherine Gamewell, who are undergraduates at NC State; Adam Gold of the Environmental Defense Fund; and Miyuki Hino of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. More information: M. M. Carr et al, Fecal Bacteria Contamination of Floodwaters and a Coastal Waterway From TidallyDriven Stormwater Network Inundation, GeoHealth (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024GH001020 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 hypothetical model of LD-localized proteins. LD-localized MYOBs for LD movement and LD-localized enzymes for furan-containing fatty acid biosynthesis. Credit: Frontiers in Plant Science (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1331479 Lipids are biomolecules essential for the proper functioning of the living cell. They are found in the cell membranes and are also integral components of cell signaling pathways. Plant cells possess subcellular structures or organelles called lipid droplets (LDs) in the leaves and seeds, which store excess lipids (fats). Recent studies have shown that LDs also localize unique plant proteins that perform essential molecular functions. For example, seed LDs localize plant proteins called oleosins, which help the seeds weather freezing temperatures and germinate properly. With an expanding body of proof that LDs are not just organelles for carbon storage but may also perform essential molecular functions, a group of researchers from Japan sought to understand the role of the relatively unexplored leaf LDs. Associate Professor Takashi L. Shimada, an LD expert affiliated with Chiba University, explains the motivation behind their research. "We have a limited understanding of the functions of leaf LDswhy do plant leaves accumulate LDs at all? We believe the answer to this fundamental question would also contribute to lipid production technology." In a new study published in Frontiers in Plant Science, Dr. Shimada and his research group showed that leaf LDs localized myosin binding proteins essential for intracellular movements and enzymes that catalyze furan fatty acid biosynthesisa type of fat production in living cellshighlighting the potential and previously undiscovered molecular functions of LDs. This research was led by Dr. Shimada, who is associated with the Graduate School of Horticulture, Plant Molecular Science Center, and Research Center for Space Agriculture and Horticulture at Chiba University, Japan. His research group also involved Mr. Yuto Omata from the Faculty of Horticulture, Chiba University, who is the first author of this study, along with Dr. Emi Mishiro-Sato, lecturer at World Premier International Research Center Initiative-Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules, Nagoya University, and Dr. Ikuko Hara-Nishimura and Dr. Haruko Ueda from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University in Japan. The researchers used an Arabidopsis plant model mutated to accumulate LDs in the leaves called Arabidopsis thaliana mutant high sterol ester 1. Dr. Shimada adds, "This Arabidopsis plant mutant model also serves as a valuable resource for further studying the leaf LD proteome." Further, the researchers isolated these leaf LDs and used mass spectrometry to identify associated proteins. They found 3,206 candidate proteins. They focused on 31 candidate proteins to test associated behavior in leaf LDs. They attached a fluorescent marker to these proteins to facilitate microscopic observations. The fluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of MYOSIN BINDING PROTEIN14 (MYOB14) and two uncharacterized proteins in the leaf LDs under investigation. Further examination narrowed down the MYOB family members localized to leaf LDs: MYOB1, MYOB2, MYOB3, and MYOB5. The researchers also identified the two uncharacterized proteins as resembling enzymes for furan fatty acid biosynthesis, suggesting a potential link between leaf LDs and the type of fatty acid production. Despite the progress made in this study, Dr. Shimada cautions, "We need to identify additional leaf LD proteins to resolve the molecular and physiological functions of leaf LDs." Nonetheless, the study paves the way for future research in leaf LDsa relatively untapped plant resourcethat could revolutionize lipid production and associated industries, all thanks to the efforts of Dr. Shimada and his team. More information: Yuto Omata et al, Lipid droplets in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves contain myosin-binding proteins and enzymes associated with furan-containing fatty acid biosynthesis, Frontiers in Plant Science (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1331479 Journal information: Frontiers in Plant Science A Muscatine man was sentenced in federal court to 17 1/2 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor. In addition to the sentence, Paul Kyle Quigley, 41, will be required to serve 15 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to a news release, in December 2022, Quigley, a registered sex offender, engaged in a Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old female. The release said that after Quigley learned the supposed age of the girl, he replied with requests for sex acts. Court documents said that Quigley had sent an obscene photo of himself. The conversation continued for multiple days in a graphic sexual nature. On Feb. 20, 2023, Quigley suggested a location to meet with the subject at a motel in Burlington on Feb.23, 2023, and to flee the state with her. The court document said that on Feb. 23, 2023, Quigley arrived at the location, where he was placed under arrest. The Des Moines County Attorney dismissed the charge after federal charges were filed. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa and Des Moines County Sheriffs Office made the announcement. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May, 2006, by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood utilizes federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. With a month and a half left in the General Assemblys spring session, Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration is readying its proposal to address Illinois chronically underfunded pension system. But the governor last week also acknowledged in the strongest terms yet that any plans to get the state on track toward fully funding retirement plans for public school teachers, university employees and state workers could be derailed by a looming legal fight over a 14-year-old law. Pritzkers comments came as Illinois two influential statewide teachers unions were wrapping up a "week of action," encouraging their members to call and email lawmakers and urge them to essentially "undo" a 2010 law that created a new less-generous pension system for those who began their jobs after Jan. 1, 2011. The General Assembly and then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn quickly approved that law in the wake of the Great Recession, which forced state leaders to grapple with decades of underfunding in Illinois pension systems. But in the years since, economists and labor leaders have repeatedly warned that the retirement benefits in the Tier 2 system are so low that they might violate federal "Safe Harbor" laws. Those laws dictate Social Security replacement plans, like pensions, cant offer benefits that dont at least match Social Security. Lawmakers, most of whom were not in the legislature when Tier 2 was passed, have picked up on those warning signs and studied the issue in occasional committee hearings in the past few years. In February, Pritzker signaled his willingness to get ahead of the looming legal issue, and on Thursday he took a step forward in his position. "We need, obviously, to make some changes to Tier 2 to make sure that we're meeting the Social Security Safe Harbor," the governor said at an unrelated news conference late Thursday night in his Capitol office. "We don't yet really know what that's going to cost." Earlier in the day, Pritzkers top budget adviser, Governors Office of Management and Budget Director Alexis Sturm, told a House committee that the governor was "open to that conversation" about increasing the cap on Tier 2 pension earnings to match Social Security. Ahead of Pritzkers annual budget address in February, Sturm and other top staffers laid out a larger plan to address Illinois underfunded pension systems, which included a nod to the Social Security issue. At the time, the plan merely encouraged the boards of the state's retirement systems for teachers, university employees and state employees, along with the legislature, to "review and adjust, if necessary, the structure of the Tier 2 pensionable earnings cap." But in acknowledging the Tier 2 issue on Thursday, the governor also signaled to New York-based credit ratings agencies that he was still committed to fiscal moves that would earn the state further credit upgrades. Pritzker said state leaders "just need to be exceedingly careful" about pension "sweeteners" including any fix made to Tier 2 pensions. "So that, in a way, is a sweetener in the sense that it's going to cost taxpayers something," Pritzker said. "But we have to do it because the alternative would cost the taxpayers much more." There is no official price tag on tweaking the law to comply with Social Security rules, but one analysis run for the states Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability last year estimated it could cost the state $5.6 billion through 2045, or about $255 million annually. Path to full pension funding by 2048 Sturms appearance in a House committee Thursday was intended to sell lawmakers on the governors plan to fully fund Illinois pensions by 2048. Pritzkers team had laid out the proposal ahead of his budget address in February, and one credit rating agency immediately signaled its approval. The plan would alter a 1995 law signed by then-Republican Gov. Jim Edgar that put the state on a 50-year ramp to get Illinois pension systems to a 90% funded level by 2045. Pritzker wants to extend that deadline three more years but up the funding goal to 100%. Hes also pushing to keep spending half of the amount of money Illinois is currently spending on debt repayment for old bonds taken out in 2003 and 2017 when theyre retired in the early 2030s and put that money toward the pension systems. The 2003 bonds were taken out to pay for pensions during Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevichs administration, and the 2017 bonds were sold in the aftermath of the states two-year budget impasse under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner to help pay down Illinois record nearly $17 billion backlog of unpaid bills accumulated during the political struggle. Sturm called the plan a "balanced" way to address Illinois longstanding practice of not paying enough into its pension systems, creating an ever-growing sum of unfunded liabilities. "It was there in the '90s, it was there in the '70s and the '40s," Sturm said of the pension debt. She also clarified that Pritzker is "not interested" in issuing any bonds to put an infusion of cash into the states pension systems, a move made under Quinn in 2010 and 2011 several years after the state borrowed $10 billion in the 2003 bond sale under Blagojevich. Thursdays discussion on the pension plan was subject matter only, meaning it did not receive a vote from the committee. Its unclear if the measure will pass before lawmakers adjourn their spring session in May. As in the past, public employee unions will likely have tremendous influence over whether the legislature approves the governors pension plan. Pat Devaney, secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO organized labor umbrella organization, told the panel Thursday that the We Are One Illinois coalition a group of unions that formed after the Tier 2 pension system law passed was not yet taking a stance on Pritzkers plan. "It is difficult to provide comprehensive comments on the governors proposal without having specific legislative language and funding projections to review," he said. "That said, the problematic nature of the current funding ramp is well-documented." The coalition, Devaney said, "generally" supports making larger-than-necessary contributions to the states retirement systems. "The state has always set forward with a plan to underfund the pension systems," he said. "Were encouraged that the governor has a plan to actually fund it to 100% and come out with a deliberate, responsible way to provide that funding." History of Illinois' Tier 2 pensions Devaney had a much more strident position to share with House members about Tier 2 pensions. "We can do that," he said of Pritzkers plan to shore up Illinois pension systems. "But we can also address the illegal, immoral and, frankly, things that are hurting the operations of government at every level with the Tier 2 benefit level." After a long pause, state Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock, signaled his agreement with a big caveat. "Yeah, but how?" Reick said. "Thats the thing that we need to get people together in a room and talk about because this isnt gonna get any better for the next 20 years. Im not going to be here 20 years from now, but ... Id like to leave knowing that we started something that would get us to where we want to be." Reick said his email inbox had been inundated with messages about the Tier 2 pension system. The Illinois Federation of Teachers and Illinois Education Association the states two largest teachers unions have encouraged their members to flood their local lawmakers with requests to address the Tier 2 pension system. As of Thursday evening, union members had sent more than 55,000 letters last week to lawmakers urging them to "fix" Tier 2 pensions, according to the Illinois AFL-CIO. "I mean, I get a lot of emails from people who demand that we do away with Tier 2 altogether and go back to Tier 1," Reick said later during the hearing. "Um, thats not going to work." As Illinois began its slow recovery from the Great Recession, lawmakers were facing a sudden jump in unfunded pension liabilities, in part because of poor investment returns as the stock market hobbled its way to recovery. But the General Assembly also felt the squeeze from decades of decisions from their predecessors shorting the states pension systems. Beginning in 2009, credit rating agencies began a series of downgrades to Illinois ratings of creditworthiness, making it more expensive for the state to borrow money via bond sales. In explaining their reasoning at the time, the influential agencies repeatedly noted the states pension systems were underfunded. The financial downturn came not long after the state skipped out on paying half of its pension obligation for two years under Blagojevich, which came on the heels of more than 11,000 state workers taking early retirement under Republican Gov. George Ryan. Both moves increased the liability to the states pension systems by billions of dollars. So in 2010, the Democratic-controlled General Assembly created the new Tier 2 system, which nixed the Tier 1 practice of 3% compounded annual cost of living adjustments for retirees, raised the age for retirees to get full benefits from 62 to 67 and changed eligibility for full benefits from five years of service to 10 years. Tier 2 also caps the maximum salary a pension can be based on and changes the calculation of the base salary to discourage a practice known as pension "spiking," wherein those close to retirement age would seek raises to substantially increase their pension under the Tier 1 system. Because it takes a decade to "vest" in the Tier 2 pension system, those who made late-career switches to government employment have begun to be eligible for retirement only in the past few years. 5 thoughtful Mother's Day gifts for under $50 1. Homesick Thank You, Mom Candle 2. Paige Tate & Co. Legacy Journal 3. ZIMASILK Mulberry Silk Pillowcase 4. DAE Monsoon Moisture Hair Mask 5. EACHPAI Digital Photo Frame South Dakota Housing is seeking applicants for the Emergency Solutions Grants program. The Emergency Solutions Grants program is a federal block grant authorized by the McKinney Vento Homelessness Assistance Act and is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The ESG program provides financing for short-term and medium-term rental assistance and services to stabilize and rapidly re-house individuals and households who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. ESG funds can be used for street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance and costs associated with the Homeless Management Information System. Eligible applicants are non-profits and units of local governments. The application deadline is at 5 p.m. Central Time on Friday, May 31. The ESG program allocation plan and application can be found on SD Housings website at https://www.sdhousing.org/social-programs. For more information, contact Denise Albertson at 605-773-3181 or denise@sdhda.org. Flash A Chinese envoy on Monday called on Kosovo authorities to cease unilateral actions that exacerbate tensions and confrontation. The escalating tensions in northern Kosovo over the recent period and the frequent violence and security incidents on the ground are truly worrying, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. The Kosovo authority's announcement to abolish the Serbian currency and violent searches targeting ethnic Serbs seriously disrupted the normal livelihoods of the Serb community and gave rise to panic and tensions. China expresses its serious concern over those developments, he told the Security Council. "We urge the Kosovo authority to revoke unreasonable decisions and cease unilateral actions that exacerbate tensions and confrontation." The establishment of an association of Serb majority municipalities is an important part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. The Kosovo authorities have made explicit commitments in this regard and should honor them in good faith. China hopes that the European Union will uphold neutrality, impartiality, and justice in its mediation, he said. China's position on Kosovo has been consistent and clear. China supports a negotiated settlement within the framework of Security Council Resolution 1244. During this process, Serbia's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity should be fully respected, said Fu. The Richmond School Board voted Monday night to approve an extended school year for a fourth elementary school: Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary. The Southside elementary school will add an additional 20 school days to the upcoming academic year, which will start in July. At its last meeting in early April, the board voted to approve an extended school year for Woodville Elementary School. The two new approvals follow the successes of Fairfield Court Elementary School and Cardinal Elementary School, which started this school year in July with an additional 20 days of school for students. According to the RPS administration, student data shows preliminary gains in reading and math skills. School Board member Dawn Page, who represents the 8th District, said the two current extended school year programs are a step in the right direction. What weve been doing is not working, so weve got to do something different, Page said at Monday nights meeting. Our students deserve better, and they deserve every teacher, staff (and) parent to meet each child where they are. And youre not going to tell me that our parents and the Oak Grove family dont want the best for their children. Youre not going to tell me that. Our young people are worth the investment. Page, who has been on the board since 2009, said the school has been fully accredited just once. This year, the school is accredited with conditions. Each RPS200 school has autonomy on how to use the additional instructional time. Schools could use the time to spread out instruction, or they could embed enrichment and intervention weeks throughout the year. The administration is encouraging schools to use out of the box innovation. An additional 20 days costs about $1.25 million and will be completely covered by a donation from the Bloomberg Philanthropy Foundation, which will donate $2.5 million to cover the extended year for both Oak Grove and Woodville. About 52% of Oak Groves staff voted to move forward with the extended school year, and 58% of families voted to move forward. Oak Groves student body is 62% Black, 34% Hispanic and 3% white, according to state data. About 77% of the schools approximately 520 students are deemed economically disadvantaged, a rough gauge of poverty measured by the state. About 31% of the schools students passed state reading tests last year, compared with a 47% pass rate for the school division and a 73% pass rate for the state. A 2012 study from Virginias Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission found that certain student demographics scored better at year-round schools particularly, it showed a strong positive effect on the rate of increase of average test scores for Black students at year-round schools between 2001 and 2009. Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, and limited English proficient students also generally scored better at year-round schools than their peers at traditional calendar schools. However, their gains were not as strong or consistent as the gains found among Black students. Proposed Richmond Public Arts Park Investigation into theft and abuse of authority by Tulum police underway Tulum, Q.R. An investigation into allegations of theft and abuse of authority by police in Tulum has been started. Interim Mayor David Tah Balam says he has ordered an investigation into the matter of three state police officers. The allegations involve three elements of the State Secretary of Citizen Security stationed in Tulum who were reported for abuse of authority and robbery. The complaint was made by a woman, Elena A, regarding the theft of her belongings during the recent arrest of her and her boyfriend. The incident happened on Sunday night near Dos Aguas Park when the pair were detained by State Police for an administrative fault. Both were handcuffed, however, the woman suffered minor abrasions during the arrest and was uncuffed. Once uncuffed, she reported her personal belongings were seized by police and not returned. Part of those personal belongings included her purse, cell phone and 8,000 pesos in cash. Her boyfriend, Alejandro D, was transferred to a jail cell. Once at the police station she reported the aggressive arrests by the two male and one female officer and the robbery of her belongings. Acting Tulum Mayor David Tah Balam said an investigation into the matter has been ordered. Acting Tulum Mayor David Tah Balam said no more criminals disguised as police officers. A precedent must be left in Tulum. No more criminals disguised as police officers, he said. Secretary of Tourism promotes Mexico to French travelers Riviera Maya, Q.R. Mexicos Secretary of Tourism is promoting the country to Parisians in hopes of increasing French travel. On Monday, Secretary of Tourism Miguel Torruco Marques promoted Mexico before more than 100 tour operators from France. During his French tour, Torruco Marques was accompanied by the Ambassador of Mexico in France, Blanca Jimenez Cisneros. Torruco Marques and Jimenez Cisneros lead the delegation in Paris with the operation Knock on Doors program. According to Torruco Marques, France went from eighth place to seventh position in the ranking of countries that visit Mexico. Last year, Mexico registered the arrival of 314,691 French air tourists which represents an increase of 3 percent compared to 2019. Before more than 100 tour operators from France, Torruco Marques presented the seminar This is Mexico, showing the diverse tourist offers of the country which include beaches, 177 Magic Towns, archaeological sites, protected natural areas and historical cities, among others. Torruco Marques reported French tour operators showed great interest in the new tourism products, especially those related to air, land and rail connectivity. Torruco Marques also held a meeting with Veronique Potelet Anty, the Director of Transversal Projects and Institutional Relations of the Paris Tourist Office with the purpose of strengthening bilateral cooperation ties in tourism matters between Mexico and France. Flash Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol attend the launch event for Cambodian coconut's export to China after co-chairing the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China and Cambodia on Monday pledged further efforts to advance the building of a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future. The two sides reached broad consensus on the direction for their efforts in the next stage of building the bilateral community and fully reviewed the implementation work of the community-building action plan during the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee held in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. The meeting was co-chaired by visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol. During the meeting, Wang noted that China and Cambodia enjoy an iron-clad friendship in line with the interests of the two peoples as well as the development trend of the times, boasting strong vitality and broad prospects. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two nations, the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future has become a model for forging a new type of international relations, Wang stressed. He called for joint efforts to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen all-around cooperation, enrich the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, and advance the projects to build the Industrial Development Corridor and the Fish and Rice Corridor. Wang said China is willing to work with Cambodia to actively promote an equal and orderly world multipolarity and an inclusive economic globalization, contributing to the progress of humanity. During the meeting, Chanthol spoke highly of China's remarkable achievements in the past 10 years, noting that Chinese-style modernization provides new options for countries in their modernization drives and brings new hope to overcoming global challenges. He stressed the significance of the seventh intergovernmental meeting as being the first for the new Cambodian government and coming after the two countries upgraded their action plan to build a bilateral community with a shared future. He said Cambodia will remain committed to the friendly cooperation with China, and is willing to work with China to implement the community-building action plan and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to further benefit the people of both countries. In the meeting, the Chinese side reaffirmed support for Cambodia in choosing a development path suitable for its national conditions and in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and repeated firm opposition to external forces interfering in Cambodia's internal affairs. The Cambodian side in the meeting reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle, recognizing Taiwan as an unalienable part of China's territory, while making clear its opposition to any attempt to use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs and to any form of "Taiwan independence," and expressing support for all China's efforts to achieve national reunification. Both sides agreed to intensify high-level exchanges, strengthen defense cooperation with continued joint exercises and training, and jointly crack down on online gambling, telecom fraud, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. The two sides agreed to accelerate the alignment of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy, formulation of the Industrial Development Corridor cooperation plan, design work of the China-Cambodia railway, and implementation of the early harvest programs of the Fish and Rice Corridor. They will also push ahead with the high-quality implementation of the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, support the export of Cambodia's quality farm produce to China, and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Cambodia. Both sides agreed to take the 2024 China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year as an opportunity to increase tourism exchanges, passenger flights, as well as practical exchanges between the youth, friendly organizations and at the subnational level. The two sides pledged strengthened coordination at the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, the China-ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations) cooperation and other platforms. Both sides believed that maintaining the hard-won peace and stability in the region and promoting regional development and prosperity are in the common interests of regional countries. The two sides emphasized that they will fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and work to advance negotiations towards an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. After the meeting, Wang and Chanthol witnessed the signing of a series of bilateral cooperation documents such as on infrastructure construction and agricultural planning, and attended the launch event for Cambodian coconut's export to China. Flash People gather among the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,151, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a statement on Monday. The Israeli army killed 54 Palestinians and wounded 104 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,151 and injuries to 77,084 since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict, said the ministry. The statement noted that some victims remained under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of rescue crews. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. "We appreciate all the progress that has been made over the last several years in making our tax climate more competitive for both individuals and businesses." Brad Hartkopt, a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, at an Iowa Senate subcommittee hearing on legislation that would cut state income taxes "This bill compounds a patently unfair tax system that we have. It takes us away from a tax system based on an ability to pay." Mike Owen, deputy director of progressive advocacy group Common Good Iowa, on the Iowa income tax legislation "Apparently, that feud is over and there's a new one going." Community Policing Sgt. Tom Gill, on a brawl at West Middle School last week; some of the juveniles arrested after the West Middle fight were also involved in a skirmish last fall at a Casey's gas station in Sioux City, the result of a simmering feud; the West Middle fight was apparently connected to a different feud "The cost is so enormous that some private-sector businesses are in the process of evaluating whether they should invest significant financial resources in on-site pre-treatment infrastructures to reduce their reliance on the municipal wastewater treatment plant. If they ultimately do so, and it significantly reduces the burden on industrial and other large-scale private-sector businesses, residential users will be left to fund more of the cost of this $470 million project." Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan, on Sioux City's wastewater treatment plant project and how the cost may fall on residential users rather than industrial users "Im disappointed. I wish we could have done something with it. But its just not going to happen this year." Iowa state Rep. Brian Best, R-Glidden, chair of the House Transportation Committee, on the failure of a proposal that would have required motorists in Iowa to use only hands-free technology while operating a cellphone or other mobile device "Were Americans. We were born in Western civilization, thats our heritage. We have to understand that. And its really important we do, because that heritage has produced the freest, strongest, most prosperous nation civilization in the world." Iowa state Sen. Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville, on legislation that would require Iowa schools to adopt social studies and civics education standards with a focus on Western civilization and the history of the U.S. and the State of Iowa "This legislature has never put curriculum in the code, and its not the job of the Legislature to prescribe curriculum." Iowa state Sen. Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids, on the Western civilization education bill SIOUX CITY A judge has ruled Sioux City school board member Dan Greenwell must pay a $500 fee and former superintendent Paul Gausman's attorney fees and court fees from a lawsuit in which Gausman claimed the board violated Iowa's open meetings law. Woodbury County District Court Judge Jeffrey Neary found three board members named in the suit -- Jan George, Taylor Goodvin and Bob Michaelson -- acted in good faith in their roles in setting a closed-door meeting on Jan. 24, 2022. In an earlier phase of the trial, Neary found the meeting violated open meetings law because it went beyond the state purpose of evaluating Gausman's professional competency. In his ruling Friday, Neary concluded Greenwell, the board president at the time, "did not act in good faith." He was clouded by how he felt towards Dr. Gausman and thus did not act in good faith, but rather with vindictive purpose," the judge wrote. Paul Gausman hearing Dr. Paul Gausman, former Sioux City Community Schools Superintendent, answers a question on the stand Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Woodbury Coun Gausman, who repeatedly clashed with Greenwell over various issues, is now the superintendent of the Lincoln, Nebraska school district. "The court has spoken with a clear and unequivocal voice, and I am pleased to have this matter finalized with a ruling in my favor," Gausman said in a statement Monday. The judge concluded that the defendant, Dan Greenwell, did not act in good faith, but rather acted vindictive and with animosity, which is consistent with what I have asserted and maintained from the very beginning of this contentious matter. "I now look forward to continuing to focus on what has always been most important to me, serving students and working to enhance educational opportunities for our kids." In a statement, Greenwell said he was "very pleased that the court ruled that Michaelson, George and Goodvin acted in good faith and were not assessed damages. "I believe the court had some items correct in its ruling while I disagree with others, he said in a statement. Yes, I have a strong personality and sought and expected improvements in district administration. That has been clear for years prior to being on the board and subsequent to being elected twice. Leadership requires hard decisions and frank discussions from time to time. I have consistently made hard decisions and embraced frank discussions for the betterment of our students, staff, and taxpayers and will continue to do so in the future. Neary ruled Greenwell must pay a $500 court fee as well as Gausmans attorney fees and court fees. When an member of a governmental body violates the Iowa open meetings law, each member shall pay damages of no more than $500 and no less than $100 for the violation, according to Iowa Code. They do not have to pay if they voted against the closed session, had good reason to believe they were in compliance of Iowa Code or relied on a formal opinion in writing as to why it was allowed. If the damages is assessed, the member must also pay "all costs and reasonable attorney fees in the trial." Neary will hold a future hearing to assess attorney fees and court costs against Greenwell. In January 2023, Gausman filed his lawsuit, claiming the board held two separate closed sessions that cited the wrong section of state code in order to avoid notifying him of their discussion and their plans to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. In a split decision, Neary ruled the board properly closed the Nov. 30, 2022 meeting cited by Gausman. On April 9, Neary presided over a hearing to determine penalties, remedies, or mitigation for the January 2022 violation of the open meetings law. As part of their complaint filed with the Board of Educational Examiners, the school board claimed Gausman attempted to bribe Michaelson and George at a Des Moines hotel on Nov. 17, 2021, following their election to the board but before they took office. In the complaint, the school board claimed Gausman told the two new board members he would "make any of their desired changes in school operations, programs, activities and other matters," if they would support Perla Alarcon-Flory's re-election as board president. Greenwell, George, Goodvin and Michaelson testified the alleged bribery was appropriate to discuss as part of the superintendent's performance review, saying it fell under "ethics and professional competency." In his ruling, Neary found "all of the directors, except for Greenwell, believed what they planned to discuss in the first portion of the Jan. 24, 2022, closed session was an ethical matter and it was within the scope of their evaluation of Dr. Gausman that was to take place later that evening in the remaining portion of the closed session." During testimony, Gausman's attorney Stan Munger said Greenwell referred to the Des Moines conversation as "bribery" while the others did not. "The choice of this word belies a more sinister perspective by Greenwell on the Des Moines discussion, and it likely reveals an animosity in him towards Dr. Gausman that is deeply seated," Neary wrote. The judge also found Greenwell had an "attitude of arrogance" when his actions and motivations were challenged and "appears to be a dominant if not controlling personality capable of imposing his opinions on others if unchallenged." "The Court was left with the distinct impression that when presented with the Des Moines discussion by George and Michaelson, Greenwell saw an opportunity to take an action detrimental to Dr. Gausman and he got behind the story and gave it energy it might not have otherwise gained leading to the suggestion of an investigation by the board into further action," Neary wrote. In his statement Monday, Greenwell also said he was pleased that the judge ruled earlier that the board's Nov. 30, 2022 closed meeting session to discuss and later approve, in an open meeting session, the filing of the Board of Educational Examiners complaint against Gausman "were both properly held." "The BOEE found probable cause to pursue the complaint and Dr. Gausman will go before an administrative judge later in the year," Greenwell said in the statement. Bloc politics undermines peace, stability in South China Sea 09:38, April 23, 2024 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily The United States, Japan and the Philippines recently issued a so-called Joint Vision Statement in Washington, distorting facts and confusing right and wrong on the South China Sea issue, the East China Sea issue and the Taiwan question, and arbitrarily smearing and attacking China. This is completely against the public statement previously made by the U.S. side that the Japan-Philippines-United States Trilateral Leaders Summit and their trilateral cooperation are truly not aimed at China. What the three countries intend to do is to establish an exclusive bloc for bloc politics and stoking confrontation, which hurts other countries' strategic security and interests, and brings serious risks to regional peace and stability. The merits of the South China Sea issue, the East China Sea issue and the Taiwan question are very clear. Some relevant countries' attempt to challenge justice by establishing small blocs is doomed to fail. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese themselves that no one can interfere. The biggest threat to cross-Strait peace now is the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" forces and external connivance and support for them. Some countries always talk about "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," but remain silent on opposing "Taiwan independence." This only emboldens the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China has indisputable sovereignty over Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands, as well as Nanhai Zhudao. Its activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea are lawful, justified and beyond reproach. China has unwavering determination and will in safeguarding its legitimate rights. China does not accept relevant countries' groundless accusation and deliberate smears against it on the East China Sea and South China Sea. The root cause of the rising tensions in the South China Sea lies in the fact that some Philippine politicians have disregarded the interests of their country and people, seeking support from external countries to embolden themselves, and constantly provoking conflicts over issues such as Ren'ai Jiao. Despite the Philippines' efforts to portray itself as a "victim," this cannot conceal its true provocative and troublemaking nature. The Philippine side has continuously spread disinformation and hyped up the situation. Going back on its words, it refuses to tow away its illegally grounded warship in Ren'ai Jiao. It arbitrarily breached the understanding it had reached with China on properly handling the situation on Ren'ai Jiao, and made repeated attempts to send construction materials for large-scale repair and reinforcement of the warship, in an attempt to permanently occupy Ren'ai Jiao. 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. China will not accept the wanton provocation by the Philippines and will resolutely stop it in accordance with law and regulations to uphold China's sovereignty and the sanctity of the DOC. The recent escalation of tensions in the South China Sea is also a result of the meddling of external forces. The United States, driven by geostrategic considerations, has been fanning the flames, instigating disputes, inciting confrontation, and even forming cliques to conduct so-called joint patrols and military exercises in the South China Sea, wishing nothing but chaos in the region. Japan is not a party to the South China Sea issue, but it has deliberately intervened in it for its own expansion, which fully exposes the danger of its strategic direction. In order to whitewash their actions that undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea, these external countries frequently cite the so-called South China Sea arbitration. The Arbitral Tribunal violated the principle of state consent, exercised its jurisdiction ultra vires and rendered an award in disregard of law. It gravely violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and general international law. The award is illegal, null and void. It is for the purpose of upholding the integrity and authority of the UNCLOS that China does not accept or recognize it, and will never accept any claim or action based on the award. Recently, more and more people with insight from ASEAN countries and the Philippines have been voicing rational views, opposing external countries' instigation of disputes and escalation of tensions in the South China Sea. They believe that "if your foreign policy is crooked or favors one country and is sometimes hostile because you are with America, then everything is wrong." Peace and stability in the South China Sea have been maintained thanks to the collective efforts of China and ASEAN countries. China's position on the South China Sea issue is very clear and consistent. It will stay committed to properly handling disputes through dialogue and consultation with countries concerned, and would like to work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the DOC, advance the consultation on a code of conduct in the South China Sea and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region. China hopes the Philippines will act on the understandings and consensus between the two sides, and observe the DOC. The Philippines needs to stop infringing on China's rights and making provocations, stop pulling forces outside the region into matters of the South China Sea, return to the right track of properly managing the situation through negotiation and consultation, and act responsibly for the peace and stability in the South China Sea. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.) (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) I know some of my friends therapists names. I hear the phrase my therapist says with enough frequency that I feel like I get extra therapy just by association. Lately, Ive been discussing with a co-worker whether we should stop therapy, because apparently many people could stand to, at least according to the Atlantic. (We decided we should not.) What Im saying is that therapy is far from an underdiscussed or underexamined topic in my life. But it did strike me recently that I have no idea when anyone I know goes to therapy. The hour a person wakes up says something about them. Does the time you have therapy say anything about you? Is there an ideal time to have therapy? I confess this probably never would have occurred to me as a thing to think about if it werent for my longtime therapist informing me a few months ago that our time, the hour wed been meeting at for more than a decade, would need to change. True to form for someone with the kind of neuroses that land one in therapy in the first place, I found it disconcerting. I had a claim on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. for so long that it felt like I had tenure. Wasnt I a thing to be scheduled around, like Friends in the Must See TV era? Apparently not. Typical me, getting attached to a time slot. Such a delicate flower! I once read a memoir by a woman whose beloved therapist suddenly died, so I know I got off easy. Still, didnt that time slot act as a constant for me during some pretty formative years? Through different jobs, apartments, and relationships, I could count on Thursdays at 6:30. That 45-minute time block gave a structure to my weeks, even if it meant I always had to say no to Thursday-night plans. For many years, it also meant a weekly pilgrimage to the Upper West Side, a neighborhood I almost never went to otherwise, but I liked that, because the Upper West Side felt like where a proper New York therapist was supposed to have an office. I had regular after-therapy spots, tooyoga studios and dessert shops and Fairway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I missed a lot about this ritual when the pandemic started and we switched to video sessions (think of all those empty offices uptown), but the time slot still felt like an anchor, something I could rely on to keep the days from blending together into an indistinguishable blob. I liked having that one immovable fact of my life, because sometimes everything else seems almost too moveable. I should feel grateful for that, and I do, but I also feel unmoored, and then a little dumb for feeling unmoored about this, of all things. Then again, I also miss subway routes I used to take, long-discontinued varieties of soda, Regis Philbin none of which I spent as many cumulative hours with as I did in therapy at this specific time. Advertisement I havent permanently committed to a new appointment time yet, but weve been doing a trial run of Monday afternoon sessions for the past few weeks, and it feels all wrong. When you have therapy on Thursday evenings, you spend the weekend and then the work week that follows naturally accumulating things to talk to your therapist about. On Monday, nothings even happened in the week yet. You arrive to therapy feeling like you havent done the homework. You start gettingand I dislike this juvenile phrase but its the truththe Sunday Scaries in anticipation. Afterward, theres no sense of accomplishment like there is when you get through the Thursday evening session that was standing between you and the weekend. I figure you have to be an alpha type to want to go to therapy on Mondays, the kind of person for whom the phrase hit the ground running holds meaning. Advertisement Advertisement What about the other days? I can see therapy on Tuesday suiting an anxious mindset, someone who wants to get ahead of the week to come, and leave later days open for socializing. Wednesday therapy seems like a nice balance, not too late to talk about the weekend or too early to think about the next one. (I tried Wednesday at 4, but having the appointment smack-dab in the middle of the week gave it too much centrality and power, like it was a Facehugger threatening to suffocate my whole calendarI never said I was balanced.) If you go on Fridays, theres almost too much lead time and you risk ruining the preamble to your weekend. Weekend therapy? For people who think of therapy as a replacement for brunch. Advertisement Advertisement Im still workshopping my taxonomy of therapy times. I dont know how my new time slotwhatever it ends up beingwill affect me in the long term. But what I can say for certain is that these past few Thursdays without therapy have felt bizarre. Im just on my own? Theyre gonna let me, who has no experience being a free adult woman on a Thursday evening, roam these streets? Is that even safe? There used to be a narrative flow to the week, and I knew every up and down. Weeks have lost that sense of meaning theyd been accruing for a decade. On some level, this was inevitable because, well, weeks are fake, an arbitrary unit of time. But I do recognize that, rather than confronting my therapist with the argument that the week is a bourgeois invention of urbanization and an unnatural rhythm for human life, Im going to have to just pick a new appointment slot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Annoyingly, I can see all the ways that switching times might be good for me. If you cant tell, I struggle with being flexible. But I know Im also searching for a way for time to feel like it used to, before the pandemic and technology conspired to stretch and warp the pace of everything. Oh, and I also just plain miss an era in my life when I was younger and had more reasons to leave the house, even reasons as uncool as therapy. Im pretty sure that lurking under all my anxiety about time is the fear that other people are spending it better than I am. I recently heard Jerrod Carmichael say something related to this, in his new HBO show, that I found weirdly comforting. Someone he knew was avoiding him, and had said he was too busy to go to an event with him. Carmichael joked, Hes not that busy. Rich people are never that busy. Julia Roberts is just at home right now. Shes got nothing to do. Maybe everyone is a little confounded by time. If not therapy, we worry about the best time to exercise, schedule a dinner party, or leave for the airport. Maybe Julia Roberts sometimes looks at her wide-open calendar and also has existential dread about when to schedule appointments. Maybe she feels extra bad about this because she used to be so busy and wish for free time. I do think a lot of therapists would rearrange their schedules to fit her in. But constraints can be a good thing, or so I hear. This is Totally Normal Quote of the Day, a feature highlighting a statement from the news that exemplifies just how extremely normal everything has become. Talking to that little girl riding on the Pegasus, tell her everythings going to be all right/ Even when its getting hard in this hurricane life, you still gotta spread your wings and fly. Lara Trump, in her new single The single is the second addition to Trumps small catalog of music, which also includes a cover of Tom Pettys I Wont Back Down that she released last fall. (Fun fact: Her father-in-law, former President Donald Trump, once played the song at a campaign event and was sent a cease-and-desist order from Pettys estate.) Advertisement Anything Is Possible is a heavily autotuned, countryish pop ballad, but its lyrics are what have captured the mostif not exactly positiveattention. Mostly, its a bunch of well-trodden aphorisms, including Dont think, just jump, Have faith, and Theres darkness before the dawn. But the lines that begin the song are more, um, original; they contain fantastical imagery that traverses into unfamiliar territory: Talking to that little girl riding on the Pegasus, tell her everythings going to be all right/ Even when its getting hard in this hurricane life, you still gotta spread your wings and fly, Trump croons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We at Slate are not really sure what the mythological-creature metaphor is here. (It seems as if someone riding a horse with wings should be an inspirational figure or a young person on the rise, but then why would the person doing that need the reassuring help described in the line that follows? Art is, I suppose, subjective.) The hurricane could be a low-hanging comparison to the torrential trials and tribulations of going through life, especially if you marry into the Trump familyor it could be a swipe at those who criticized her for letting her son drive his toy car during a hurricane back in 2022. (She defended the video in which her son was crying as a character building moment.) Advertisement And, yes, the song might seem like a detour from her political ambitions. (Before her current gig running the Republican National Committee, she was an on-air contributor for Fox News; prior to her father-in-laws presidency, she was a TV producer who dabbled in making custom cakes.) But stylistically, the single fits a right-wing, countryesque mold. Not all country music is Republican-coded, of course, but the genre has for decades been entangled with American conservatism. See: country fans ire at the Chicks antiIraq war, Bush-era activism; Toby Keiths jingoistic, pro-military hits; and the genres relationship with the NRA. More recently, there was the overtly political Jason Aldean song Try That in a Small Town, which pulled news footage of counter-police protests for the music video and leveled a veiled threat at protesters, ostensibly in backlash to the Black Lives Matter uprisings of 2020. (That shit might fly in the city, good luck/ Try that in a small town/ See how far ya make it down the road.) Advertisement Advertisement And most prominently, the release of Beyonces latest album, Cowboy Carter, reignited conversations about who is considered a country artistespecially as the album was reportedly inspired in part by Beyonces experience being harassed for performing at the Country Music Awards a few years back. Although Black people were formative to the creation of American country music, the backlash to Beyonces performance illustrated the difficulty Black musicians face when it comes to acceptance within the genre. All of which is to say: Lara Trumps song positions herself stylistically within what many see as a conservative genre. In an extremely nerdy counter-move, the Democratic National Committee unveiled a song in response to Trumps, called Partys Falling Down, that features lyrics including: Oh Lara, Lara, what have you done?/ The partys falling down, its no longer fun and Empty pockets, no money in sight/ Candidates struggling, its a losing fight. (DNC Chair Jaime Harrison referred to it as a summer party anthem. Sure!) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, alas, the fun was seemingly over before it even started. Trump told Breitbart News: My immediate focus over the next 8 months will be my new role at the RNC. But, she added, I look forward to a time when I can jump back into this space unfortunately all my fans in the liberal media will have to wait a little longer. She seems to have discarded the wise-mentor persona she adopted for her single, swapping it instead for the voice promising vengeance against Donald Trumps adversaries. He exposed a lot of people. So they have to do everything they can to keep him out of that White House, cause they know Donald Trump gets in for four more years, the jig is up for them. The gloves are off, she said. Its four years of scorched earth when Donald Trump retakes the White House. Thousands of Slovaks emigrated in the latter half of the 19th century. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share You have access to this premium content thanks to the FALATH & PARTNERS law firm, which successfully aids Americans with Slovak ancestry in obtaining Slovak citizenship and reconnecting with their roots. Books Slovak Settlers by Zuzana Palovic and Gabriela Bereghazyova, The Emperor of America by Martin Pollack, Hey, Slovaks! by Michal Novota and Boris Nemeth served as a source material for the story. The streets of American cities are lined with golden coins. The Emperor of America welcomes everyone and wants them to help him collect that gold. With embellished stories like this, it was hard for the impoverished and uneducated population of late 19th century Slovakia to resist the lure of recruiters. They had no idea where America was, maybe somewhere over the next mountain ridge. Then, after a few week's worth of sailing, the Slovak emigrants finally landed in cities of the east coast, such as New York with the famed Statue of Liberty and Philadelphia. Dressed in their traditional clothes, they did not know any English, had next to no money, maybe kept only a picture of their closest kin as a prized keepsake so that they would not feel so lonely. There were no streets full of gold waiting for them, not to mention an emperor of America; instead they were met with government officials. Still, when they eventually found work, often in the most dangerous conditions, the pay still felt like an astronomical sum to them. Landing at Ellis Island. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC) Bleak outlook The 19th century was one of turmoil with Napoleonic wars, civil uprisings and revolutions, more wars, famines, industrialisation, and mass migration; the world was changing rapidly. Spurred by an uprising in the middle of the century, the Kingdom of Hungary which included Slovakia - known as Upper Hungaria at the time - abolished serfdom, allowing millions of people to roam freely, no longer bound by the towns or regions they had been born in. A Slovak woman with her child at Ellis Island. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC) Two decades later on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the American Civil War came to the same conclusion by abolishing slavery; immediately afterwards the North experienced economic growth and industrialisation which meant that a growing number of factories, steelworks, and coal mines were constantly in need of cheap workers. At the time, the Irish comprised the largest immigrant group in the country. However, they began to unionise and refused to work for $1.50 a day, much to the anger of owners of the enterprises who didn't want to lower their profits. Thus, the latter had to look elsewhere. For Slovaks in the Kingdom of Hungary, life was still difficult even after social reforms were introduced in the aftermath of the uprising. Both economically and technologically, the country lagged behind Western Europe. The number of people grew; this meant that the soil they inherited was constantly fragmenting in ownership and obtaining food was more and more challenging for ever growing families. If that wasn't bad enough, several bouts of famine and pandemics in the latter half of the 19th century made things even worse. Also, many became heavily indebted due to alcoholism. Despite being allowed to travel further away from their place of birth in search of work, for example to more fertile regions of the kingdom, people still weren't able to earn enough money. Combined with Magyarisation - a forced assimilation of non-Hungarian populations by means of adopting the Hungarian national identity and language - the outlook of life was bleak for Slovaks. Thee Slovak immigrant women. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC) Recruiters and overfilled ships It was in this climate that recruiters, or agents of the owners of American coal mines, steelworks and other enterprises, and later even companies owning ocean ships, came tasked with finding people who were willing to work for $1.50 a day. To uneducated Slovaks - they had no idea where America was located, could neither read nor write - the recruiters' pictures of huge cities, fancy clothes and many promises of riches and gold sounded like a dream come true; some spun tall tales about the Emperor of America in need of everyone who could help him collect gold coins from streets. Although the pay of $1.50 a day was meagre by American standards, for Slovaks who earned only a fraction of that the sum sounded astronomical. Meanwhile, the recruiters built up their own gold. Really, the first Slovaks who emigrated did not come to stay in America; all they wanted was to earn a lot of money and return to improve their lot for themselves and their children alike. They sold everything they had, borrowed and collected money from close and extended family, friends, acquaintances, to pay the recruiters for ship tickets. And the recruiters were not above scams, extortion, or frauds. They also recruited local leaders such as innkeepers, teachers, and priests to encourage people to go to the promised land, creating an elaborate international scheme and network to get as much money as possible from the common folk. After getting the money together, then they either had to face the long bureaucratic process to obtain a permit to leave the country or get it illegally. Or turn to smugglers to get them to Oswiecim, a town and an important rail junction in southern Poland, or a similar place, that would then allow them to travel further to ports of Bremen and Hamburg in Germany, or Antwerp in Belgium. Despite the advances in technology making the transatlantic voyage faster and safer, crossing the ocean was still no easy feat, especially for those short on money. In response to the growing number of migrants from all over Europe, shipping lines tried to squeeze as many people as possible on board, even to places on ships that were not designed to accommodate them. For example, the SS Suevia, a passenger steamship built for the Hamburg America Line, had accommodation for 100 first-class, 70 second-class and 600 third-class passengers. However, it was not uncommon for up to 1,000 people to be in the third class. Full of bunk-beds, odours from unwashed clothes, food, excrement and vomit, to say it was not a pleasant voyage would be a total understatement. The SS Suevia. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC) Went to work as fast as they could When the first Slovaks persisted against all odds and arrived in New York, for example, they were unprepared for what awaited them. It was not what was promised to them. Moreover, they spoke no English and knew nothing of the culture. There are stories of Slovaks in their traditional clothes being mistaken for Native Americans. In the end, they found jobs at steelworks, mines, and factories. Still, when the first Slovaks who had established themselves later returned to their place of birth, they became a walking advertisement for what could be achieved. Instead of the folkwear they left in, they now wore fancy clothes. They shared their experience, which made the travel easier for those who followed in their footsteps. The word of mouth spread and the number of people deciding to emigrate grew. Now it would be easier to travel if there were people on the other side of the ocean to help them. These first emigrants eventually travelled to America and back several times. By today's standards, they could be called commuters with only a little bit of exaggeration. A young Slovak woman at Ellis Island in 1905. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC) At the beginning, it was men who went, then even women followed. The regions hardest hit by emigration were Orava, Zemplin, Saris and Uh, with many villages falling silent. Not even tightening the laws restricting emigration and recruiters' activities really helped prevent people leaving the Kingdom of Hungary. Many left anyway, with the largest number of Slovaks doing so between 1874 and 1907. They settled mostly in cities along the east coast, or in the east of the country, such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Chicago. They lived in boarding houses, which usually accommodated several families; one Slovak lady would cook for them and wash their clothes. Once again, compared to American standards it was rudimentary but still an upgrade over the usual one-room house for an entire family back home. Coming from a rural background, Slovaks were neither skilled, nor literate, meaning they did not have much in terms of choosing a job they liked. They had to take the most dangerous jobs available, mainly in coal mines and steelworks that powered industrialisation. However, gradually, they earned a reputation for being hard-working. Up to 650,000 Slovaks are estimated to have emigrated to America before the First World War. According to the 1920 census, almost 620,000 were living in the new country. Spectacular Slovakia travel guides Specialty coffee fans from around the world gathered earlier this month in Chicago to celebrate Mahlkonigs First 100 Years in conjunction with a wonderful Specialty Coffee Association Expo event. At the Mahlkonig booth, and alongside esteemed US partners from Black Rabbit Service Co., Visions Espresso, Prima Coffee Equipment, and Congruent, the brand proudly showcased the Mahlkonig EK Omnia to fantastic industry reception. Special activations like an all-new Mahlkonig centennial merchandise and apparel boutique, and an on-site tattoo artist doing tattoos of our iconic EK 43, were part of engaging and delighting the hundreds of coffee professionals that visited the booth over the three-day event. In addition, the brand was thrilled to host industry in celebrating Mahlkonig: The First 100 Years at an exclusive party in collaboration with Standart Magazine and Intelligentsia Coffee Inc. The event offered a special peek into the brands equipment and vintage image and grinder archiveand it also included a jaw-dropping 100th birthday cake! Mahlkonig looks forward to again showcasing these booth activations, sharing its beautiful historic collection, and hosting a second celebration in Copenhagen this June during the World of Coffee event. Find Mahlkonig at World of Coffee booth #CH-010 beginning June 27th. Heres to another 100 years of innovation and celebration! About Hemro Group Hemro Group is a global group of innovators creating the worlds most advanced coffee grinding technology across our four world-renowned brands: Mahlkonig, Ditting, Anfim and HeyCafe. As the leading coffee grinder, burr manufacturer, and technology solutions company, we are committed to excellencefrom the factory floor to our sustainability efforts and beyondso everyone can enjoy a quality coffee moment. Unified under the Hemro Group, our brands offer a full suite of trusted coffee grinder solutions for coffee shops, roasters, retailers, and home baristas. Hemro Group grinders are designed in our innovation & technology facilities in our Zurich headquarters and produced in our three production facilities in Germany, Italy, and China. Our distribution partners sell our products in 100+ countries. Our global accessibility makes Hemro a reliable partner around the world. Boasting more than 320 team members, our diverse group of innovators, engineers, coffee professionals, and creatives is a collaborative worldwide effort to develop a brighter tomorrow for coffee. Championed by our companys innovative spirit, teams are encouraged to push the boundaries of coffee grinder technology. As a result, innovations such as Mahlkonigs Grind-by-Weight technology are possible and move the industry forward toward a sustainable, lasting future for coffee. https://www.hemrogroup.com/en https://sputnikglobe.com/20240422/russias-lavrov-discusses-security-with-nicaraguas-presidential-envoy---foreign-ministry-1118066515.html Russia's Lavrov Discusses Security With Nicaragua's Presidential Envoy - Foreign Ministry Russia's Lavrov Discusses Security With Nicaragua's Presidential Envoy - Foreign Ministry Sputnik International Russian FM Sergey Lavrov has discussed issues pertaining to security with Laureano Ortega Murillo, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's Special Representative for Cooperation with Russia. 2024-04-22T23:43+0000 2024-04-22T23:43+0000 2024-04-22T23:43+0000 world sergey lavrov daniel ortega russia nicaragua russian foreign ministry russian security council https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/16/1118066356_0:47:900:553_1920x0_80_0_0_096619d5cd41385266c3a3d0c6a1e8d2.jpg "It is good to see you together with your team. As far as I understand, many structures of the government and armed forces are present here. Issues pertaining to security are of particular importance today, given the processes unfolding in the world in the environment when our Western counterparts, led by the Americans, want to prove to everyone that they have the right to decide everything and manage everything," Lavrov told a meeting with Murillo on Monday. The Russian minister added that "history is inevitably moving forward" and that "the unipolar world is ending." The Russian official also wished the Nicaraguan delegation success at the 12th international meeting of high representatives for security issues, which will take place in St. Petersburg. The 12th international meeting of high representatives for security issues will be held under the auspices of the Russian Security Council in St. Petersburg from Tuesday to Thursday. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev will be representing Russia at the meeting. The meeting has been held under the auspices of the Russian Security Council since 2010. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240412/what-sahel-russian-troops-replace-french-in-niger-1117896062.html russia nicaragua 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 nicaragua ties, world security, laureano ortega murillo, laureano ortega murillo in russia, nicaraguan president daniel ortega special representative for cooperation with russia, international meeting of high representatives for security issues in st petersburg https://sputnikglobe.com/20240422/tucker-carlson-says-confronted-speaker-johnson-about-persecution-of-christians-in-ukraine-1118066172.html Tucker Carlson Says Confronted Speaker Johnson About Persecution of Christians in Ukraine Tucker Carlson Says Confronted Speaker Johnson About Persecution of Christians in Ukraine Sputnik International Tucker Carlson said he confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson to express his indignation over the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by Volodymyr Zelenskyys government. 2024-04-22T23:28+0000 2024-04-22T23:28+0000 2024-04-22T23:28+0000 world us tucker carlson mike johnson ukraine ukrainian orthodox church (uoc) ukrainian security service (sbu) volodymyr zelensky religious hatred https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1a/1108799333_0:134:1281:854_1920x0_80_0_0_378c26291466a911866eefcf345a0901.jpg "I've expressed it directly to the Speaker of the House, who says he is a Christian. How can you pay for the persecution of Christians with US tax dollars?" Carlson said on Monday. Carlson emphasized that he finds it disgraceful that US Christian lawmakers are willing to spend billions of dollars to build a tyranny in Ukraine while turning a blind eye to the unlimited attacks on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report in March that the Ukrainian authorities continued the practice of intimidating the priests and worshipers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from December 2023 to February 2024.Amsterdam says some elements within the Ukrainian government have declared war on the UOC and have mercilessly persecuted priests, clerics, and parishioners. Amsterdam also said that Zelenskyys government has spent about $3.5 million to persuade the US public that Russia is persecuting Christians rather than Ukraine. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in December that actions of the Ukrainian authorities against the UOC and the bill proposing the dissolution of religious organizations associated with Russia are contrary to freedom of religion and international law. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231216/ukraines-religious-persecution-continues-as-russian-church-leader-placed-on-wanted-list-1115631397.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230628/ukraine-disrespects-faith-by-moving-kiev-pechersk-lavra-relics-to-w-europe---archpriest-1111517080.html 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 faith freedom in ukraine, zelensky against christianity, christianity in ukraine, ukrainian orthodox church, tucker carlson about faith, office of the united nations high commissioner for human rights, ukraine religion policies politics https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/dc-think-tank-threat-of-iran-israel-war-still-present-1118078836.html DC Think-Tank: Threat of Iran-Israel War Still Present DC Think-Tank: Threat of Iran-Israel War Still Present Sputnik International The Netanyahu government still can drag the US into an exhausting and dangerous conflict with Iran, warns the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a DC-based think-tank. 2024-04-23T18:42+0000 2024-04-23T18:42+0000 2024-04-23T18:42+0000 us middle east joe biden donald trump iran israel tel aviv hamas hezbollah world https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/01/1116536981_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_4151151e350f42106a6e76b4cab8a8c3.jpg Although US President Joe Biden's administration seems to have convinced Israel not to raise stakes in its conflict with Iran, "the incentives" for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provoke a wider regional war "are still present," according to the think-tank.Israel's April 19 strike on Iran which followed Tehran's retaliatory attack on the Jewish state's territory was limited in scale, with the Islamic Republic opting not to respond to it immediately. However, the New York Times revealed that the Israeli war cabinet sought to fire back on Iran with a large-scale attack. But at the eleventh hour the plan was replaced with a smaller drone strike aimed at both sending a "decisive message" and de-escalating the conflict, the newspaper said.The Quincy Institute argued that the recent Iran-Israel crisis was caused by Netanyahu's military adventurism from his disproportionate response to the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, to the brazen attack on the Iranian embassy premises in the Syrian capital Damascus which prompted the Iranian missile strike.Eland drew attention to the fact that Netanyahu's poll numbers had risen immediately after Tel Aviv's "reckless" attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria, which under international law was a de facto attack on Iran's sovereign territory. Polls also indicated that 53 percent of Jewish Israeli citizens said they would support a "massive first strike" on Hezbollah in Lebanon.The Israeli population's apparent backing for harsh measures could embolden Netanyahu to risk an escalation. He seems sure that the Biden administration would not leave Tel Aviv in limbo in the event of a direct Iran-Israel conflict and would fight on Israel's side, according to the scholar.Trump and Biden in Cahoots With NetanyahuWhile Netanyahu bears the blame for the latest escalation, it was the Trump and Biden administrations that pushed the region to the edge of a wider war, according to Trita Parsi, executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute.Donald Trump almost destroyed the possibility of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and threw his entire weight behind the Netanyahu cabinet, causing desperation among Palestinian political and paramilitary organisations. The Biden government failed to force Tel Aviv to restrain its excessive use of force against Hamas and armed the Israeli military "in the middle of what the International Court of Justice has said could plausibly be considered genocide," Parsi stressed.The Biden administration also vetoed UN Security Council resolutions demanding a cease-fire as civilian casualties skyrocketed in Gaza on three occasions. "[Biden] allowed one such resolution to pass last month, only to immediately undermine it by claiming it was nonbinding," Parsi added.According to the scholar, Biden's attempts to build on Trump's Abraham Accords and push Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel amid the unfolding havoc in the strip have nothing to do with a genuine peaceful settlement. Such a normalization "is eerily similar to Americas decades-long failed strategies of organizing the region against Iran instead of supporting an inclusive Middle East security architecture that brings in all of the regions governments," according to the scholar. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240421/iranian-media-reveals-advanced-missiles-iran-has-hidden-in-reserve-in-case-of-us-israeli-escalation-1118043117.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240420/israel-iran-allied-iraqi-militias-swap-strikes-amid-razor-sharp-regional-tensions-1118030148.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240421/us-was-shocked-at-worst-case-scenario-scale-of-irans-retaliatory-strike-on-israel-1118038806.html iran israel tel aviv palestine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova israel's strike on iran, netanyahu seeking war with iran, israel-iran war, netanyahu may drag us into iran-israel conflict, hezbollah, hamas, gaza war, palestinians, israel's war against hamas, the gaza strip, genocide in the gaza strip https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/france-currently-unable-to-give-answer-about-sampt-supplies-to-ukraine---reports-1118067847.html France Currently Unable to Give Answer About SAMP/T Supplies to Ukraine - Reports France Currently Unable to Give Answer About SAMP/T Supplies to Ukraine - Reports Sputnik International France cannot give an answer about new supplies of the SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile system to Ukraine at the moment, French newspaper Le Monde reported, citing people familiar with the matter. 2024-04-23T03:53+0000 2024-04-23T03:53+0000 2024-04-23T03:53+0000 military ukraine france le monde europe ukrainian crisis ukrainian conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/12/1117413891_0:141:3141:1908_1920x0_80_0_0_0908c86bef395b8d5a80c9ebef882218.jpg During the G7 foreign ministers' meeting on the Italian island of Capri last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reportedly asked his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, to provide Ukraine with the new French SAMP/T Mamba system, which is a French-Italian mobile anti-aircraft defense weapon similar to the US Patriot systems. France supplied Ukraine with a SAMP/T system last year. The newspaper also reported, citing a German diplomat, that a number of European countries, such as Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania, have Patriot air defense systems, but are unwilling to send them to Ukraine.On April 12, French newspaper Le Figaro reported, citing sources, that Kiev had asked Paris to help the Ukrainian military hold the positions on the battlefield that year so that it could launch a new counteroffensive in 2025. Ukraine is in need of the SAMP/T air defense system and missiles compatible with it, the report said.However, despite pressure from the French government, missile maker MBDA will not be able to supply more Aster 30 missiles for the system in the short term, although the French military also needs them for its own missions, the newspaper added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230921/ex-mep-calls-for-france-to-cease-arms-supplies-to-ukraine-in-wake-of-polish-decision-1113558247.html ukraine france 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 samp/t ukraine, france arms for ukraine, france boosting ukrainian military, anti-aircraft missile system in ukraine, european military in ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/germany-pressures-us-to-supply-another-patriot-system-to-ukraine---report-1118069622.html Germany Pressures US to Supply Another Patriot System to Ukraine - Report Germany Pressures US to Supply Another Patriot System to Ukraine - Report Sputnik International Germany is pressuring the US to supply at least one more Patriot system to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. 2024-04-23T09:54+0000 2024-04-23T09:54+0000 2024-04-23T09:54+0000 military dmytro kuleba annalena baerbock josep borrell germany ukraine russia european union (eu) patriot https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/0a/1117241728_0:0:3065:1725_1920x0_80_0_0_1cbfb798575283b7d74f2b871a8f372b.jpg Germany is pressuring the US to supply at least one more Patriot system to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.According to the report, Berlin is putting pressure on Washington as part of a coordinated effort to increase air defense assistance to Kiev. It is noted that this week, Germany will also continue to urge Kiev's European allies, including France and Italy, to ensure that they assess what else they can provide to Ukraine.Earlier, after a scheduled meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the foreign minister-level in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin would again call on allies to check the availability of air defense systems that could be given to Ukraine.EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell also claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had "desperately" asked him "the other day" for seven Patriot systems. Kuleba later said in an interview that his "friendly" diplomacy had not worked, and that he now plans to ask the West for Patriot air defense systems in a tougher manner.Western countries have been providing military aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's military operation in February 2022. Russia has consistently warned the West against continued arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing they do nothing but escalate hostilities and prolong the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any military cargo is a legitimate target for Russia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240421/nato-chief-claims-us-aid-to-ukraine-not-too-late-but-delay-had-consequences-1118046689.html germany ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International patriot system to ukraine, germany, ukraine aid, how many patriots sent to ukraine, ukraine aid https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/greek-god-of-fire-what-we-know-about-russias-s-500-prometheus-missile-system-1118074871.html God of Fire: What We Know About Russias S-500 Prometheus Missile System God of Fire: What We Know About Russias S-500 Prometheus Missile System Sputnik International Russia defense ministry confirmed on Tuesday that the military will be receiving additional S-500 missile systems this year. Russian and foreign observers alike have touted the S-500 as perhaps the most sophisticated and powerful air and missile defense system in the world. Heres why. 2024-04-23T16:42+0000 2024-04-23T16:42+0000 2024-04-23T17:15+0000 military military & intelligence russia ukraine nato almaz-antey almaz-antei s-500 s-400 patriot https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0c/1d/1091890368_0:182:2278:1463_1920x0_80_0_0_65585344fff490d7ad2f64a2be3e50a2.jpg Russias Air Defense Troops will be getting a much-needed boost to their capabilities this year amid the ongoing NATO proxy war in Ukraine, including the new S-500 air and missile defense system.In addition, Shoigu said, defense manufacturers will deliver new S-400s, S-300V4s, Buk-M3s, Tor-M2Us and unspecified new generation radar systems, beefing up Russias integrated anti-air and anti-missile shield.Responsible for keeping the airspace above the largest landmass on Earth clear of threats, Russias air defense forces will need all the help they can get in the coming months, especially after the US and Britain moved this week to dramatically escalate the Ukrainian crisis by approving tens of billions of dollars in new arms assistance, including Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and potentially, ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles.The S-500 Prometey (lit. Prometheus as in the ancient Greek god of fire) is a road-mobile air and missile defense system created by Almaz-Antey Russias premier developer and manufacturer of missile-based anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense weapons. For starters, lets get the systems basic characteristics out of the way:HistoryDevelopment of the fifth-generation iteration of Almaz-Anteys S-series long-range surface-to-air missile system began in 2002, the same year the United States unilaterally walked out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia and began experimenting with missile shield and massed conventional strike capabilities. Initial development work is known to have been carried out under the codename Vlastelin (lit. Sovereign or Master).Preliminary design work was completed in 2011, with prototype equipment manufactured from 2013 on for testing, and a new series of missiles specifically for the system created in 2014-2015. Development work was completed in the late 2010s, after the system began rigorous testing by the military. The first S-500 brigade set arrived at the 15th Special Purpose Aerospace Forces Army responsible for the defense of Moscow and central Russia, in the fall of 2021, with Almaz-Antei general director Yan Novikov confirming in the spring of 2022 that mass production was underway.CompositionLike other systems in its class, the S-500 consists not only of launchers, but a complex, difficult-to-decipher ecosystem of accompanying equipment (which can be mixed and matched depending on needs) including one or more target acquisition radars, counter-jamming equipment, command post, and one or more reloader vehicles.Because of the S-500s designation for use at long ranges against missiles, aircraft and spacecraft and limited to no utility against short-range threats, the system is a high-value target which ideally should be accompanied at all times by Buk, Pantsir-S and/or other shorter-range air defense systems to protect it.The S-500s configuration may include:MissilesA new generation of anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles were developed specifically for the S-500. According to publicly available information, missiles used by the system include:CapabilitiesRussian and foreign military observers agree that the S-500s declared characteristics make it indisputably the most sophisticated air and missile defense system in the world and one likely to remain without analogues for years to come.The S-500 is a robotic complex. In automatic mode and with elements of artificial intelligence, it is able to determine target type, separate friend from foe, select the most dangerous target, select the required type of missiles and fire them. All of this is carried out under the control of human operators, but can take place either in fully manual mode, when each function is performed by the operator, or in automatic mode, Russia military expert Yuri Knutov wrote in an analysis about the Prometheus in 2022.The S-500 is an important tool for Russias increasingly dense air and missile defense umbrella which can help protect entire cities from enemy attack, defense affairs observer Alexander Khrolenko believes.Under its Prompt Global Strike concept, the United States can fire up to 6,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles against an enemy nation target in a single salvo. In the event of a military conflict with Russia, this concept uses all meaning. The surprise use of cruise missiles and ICBMs by the Pentagon and NATO against the territory of the Russian Federation would be deflected by air and missile defense systems. At the same time, retaliation against the aggressor using hypersonic, cruise and intercontinental missiles would take place. Here, the S-500 acts as a key component of Russias air defense shield, and a new technological breakthrough on a cosmic scale, according to Khrolenko.Foreign observers agree, with an analysis by Military Watch Magazine in 2022 calling the S-500 a force multiplier for Russias Air Defense Troops, enhancing its ability to destroy both missile and space-based threats and fifth-gen military aircraft such as the F-22 and the F-35 (which the S-400 can also target).Knutov says that for the United States to get a rough analogue of the S-500s capabilities, its engineers would need to combine, and then upgrade, several of its existing systems.The S-500, on the other hand, is rapidly deployable, and can be made ready for use in a matter of minutes, and pack up and leave just as quickly for rapid departure to avoid being spotted and struck after launching its missiles. Besides that, the S-500s 600 km firing range is up to triple that of the THAAD or Patriots capabilities. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220425/russias-s-500-missile-system-enters-mass-production-1095034431.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230613/russian-missile-system-s-350-destroys-real-target-automatically-for-first-time-1111107155.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240328/raytheon-gets-287mln-contract-boost-to-upgrade-166-tomahawk-missiles---pentagon-1117605813.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20220924/israel-oks-sale-of-air-defense-system-to-uae-as-thaad-patriots-fail-to-stop-houthi-drones-report-1101174224.html russia ukraine 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 is the s-500 missile system, how many s-500s does russia have, is russia using s-500s, s-500 characteristics https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/moldovan-participants-of-congress-in-moscow-being-detained-at-chisinau-airport---lawmaker-1118066665.html Moldovan Participants of Congress in Moscow Being Detained at Chisinau Airport - Lawmaker Moldovan Participants of Congress in Moscow Being Detained at Chisinau Airport - Lawmaker Sputnik International Passengers who participated in the congress of Moldovan politicians and public figures supporting Moldova's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are being detained at the Chisinau airport. 2024-04-23T00:34+0000 2024-04-23T00:34+0000 2024-04-23T00:34+0000 world moldova moscow chisinau eurasian economic union eaeu https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/01/1095180479_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_fd9d2ba9e3822027d4eb0c6e4e0c78f8.jpg On Sunday, a congress of Moldovan politicians and public figures supporting Moldova's accession to the EAEU was held in Moscow, at which an announcement was made about the creation a joint electoral bloc dubbed "Pobeda" (Victory). The bloc includes the parties Sor, Sansa, Victorie, Revival, and Power of Moldovan Unity and Accord. Some passengers detained at the airport felt sick and required medical attention, Sor party leader Ilan Shor said later in the day. He also accused the Moldovan president of trying to put pressure on those who have a different point of view and said that "Sandu violates the constitutional rights of Moldovan citizens" and commits "complete lawlessness.""This should not go unpunished," he added.Later in the day, Irina Lozovan from the Revival Party told journalists that airport border guards had started allowing the detained delegates to pass, but without explaining the reasons for their detention. Meanwhile, the leader of the Revival Party, Natalia Parasca, was detained and taken from the airport to the office of the Moldovan Security and Intelligence Service for an interrogation, the party told Sputnik. The top Moldovan court last week gave the green light for the referendum on Moldova's EU accession bid. Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2022. In December 2023, EU leaders decided to open accession negotiations. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240404/lack-of-firepower-manpower-dooms-ukraine-as-zelensky-may-seek-escalation-in-moldova-1117747773.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240410/gagauzia-to-appeal-to-russia-among-others-if-moldova-sends-troops-to-region---gutsul-1117837808.html moldova moscow chisinau 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 moldova opposition, political prosecutions in moldova, moldova accession to the eurasian economic union, revival party natalia parasca, ilan shor https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/new-17bln-aid-to-israel-last-nail-in-coffin-of-us-credibility---ex-us-envoy-to-riyadh-1118076742.html New $17Bln Aid to Israel 'Last Nail in Coffin of US Credibility' - ex-US Envoy to Riyadh New $17Bln Aid to Israel 'Last Nail in Coffin of US Credibility' - ex-US Envoy to Riyadh Sputnik International The US House of Representatives approval of $17 billion in additional military aid to Israel amid the ongoing war on Gaza demonstrates US disregard for international law and human decency, delivering the final blow to its reputation, former US Ambassador to Riyadh Chas Freeman told Sputnik. 2024-04-23T15:15+0000 2024-04-23T15:15+0000 2024-04-23T15:15+0000 world hillary clinton volodymyr zelensky israel ukraine us house us us military aid us foreign aid foreign military aid https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/04/1095272424_0:321:3071:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_567714ac57b74db48660415d8f7574c6.jpg On Saturday, the US House passed legislation to provide $26.38 billion in supplemental appropriation for Israel and Gaza. It includes $17 billion in military aid for Israel and $9 billion for worldwide humanitarian aid, including for civilians in Gaza. "This puts the last nail in the coffin of US credibility around the world. It makes it clear to everyone beyond a reasonable doubt that the United States has joined Israel in contempt of both international law and human decency," Freeman, who also served as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs in the Clinton administration, said. The "obscenely massive aid" will enable Israel to continue to carry out "the very genocide in Gaza and the occupied West Bank that the United States hypocritically claims to oppose," Freeman said. Saturday's aid package approved more than double the amount of funds also for the Volodymyr Zelensky regime in Ukraine. But it would not avert Kiev's looming defeat there at the hands of Russia, Freeman cautioned. "Ukraine's morale will be boosted by the renewal of financial support from the United States but this will not remedy its problems on the battlefield. It will not create more Ukrainian men with military training. Nor will it supply more artillery shells," he said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240421/rep-gosar-to-sputnik-on-ukraine-vote-congress-seems-to-want-to-help-every-country-except-america-1118042481.html israel 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 us military aid, how much money does us give to israel, how much money does america give to israel, how much money does us give to ukraine, how much money does america give to ukraine, new military aid package bill https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/potential-ban-on-russian-lng-supplies-to-cost-eu-one-fifth-of-imports-1118066843.html Potential Ban on Russian LNG Supplies to Cost EU One-Fifth of Imports Potential Ban on Russian LNG Supplies to Cost EU One-Fifth of Imports Sputnik International Russia is the second largest supplier of liquefied natural gas to the EU, which means that the bloc's potential ban on Russian LNG will cost it a 19% share of its imports. 2024-04-23T01:15+0000 2024-04-23T01:15+0000 2024-04-23T01:15+0000 economy russia european union (eu) liquefied natural gas (lng) eurostat https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/16/1082155846_0:197:3075:1926_1920x0_80_0_0_052c7a8f8bb161f7747882d724d6c629.jpg Earlier in the day, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told reporters that the EU member states were planning to include a ban on LNG imports from Russia in the 14th package of sanctions against the nation. In January-February, the EU imported LNG worth a total of 7 billion euros ($7.46 billion) from nine countries, with the US being the major supplier. Washington covered 48% of the EU's total imports compared to 37% a year earlier.Over the past year, Russia increased its share of the bloc's imports by 5 percentage points to 19%. In the first two months of 2024, it supplied LNG worth 1.3 billion euros to the EU. Algeria came third, also increasing its share of the EU's total imports to 9% from 6% in 2023. Meanwhile, Qatar's share, on the contrary, almost halved to 8% from 15%. Nigeria, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago each accounted for a 4% share of the EU's LNG purchases, while the United Kingdom had only a 2% share.The largest LNG consumers in the EU include France, the Netherlands and Spain, with their LNG imports worth 1.8 billion euros, 1.5 billion euros and 1.2 billion euros, respectively. At the same time, Belgium and Greece are still actively buying Russian gas. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240318/which-european-countries-are-most-dependent-on-us-gas-1117403595.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240311/gas-demand-recovery-might-cause-new-price-growth-in-europe-1117268627.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International europe lng consumption, russian lng export, eu gas lng import, european gas market data https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/russias-baikal-amur-mainline-future-center-of-global-development-1118071555.html Russia's Baikal-Amur Mainline Future 'Center of Global Development' Russia's Baikal-Amur Mainline Future 'Center of Global Development' Sputnik International Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) is where the center of global development will be in the future, Associate Professor of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations Pavel Feldman told Sputnik. 2024-04-23T17:17+0000 2024-04-23T17:17+0000 2024-04-23T17:17+0000 analysis russia trans-siberian railway russian railways baikal vladimir putin pacific baikal-amur mainline northern sea route https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/17/1118070529_0:181:2997:1867_1920x0_80_0_0_b2c7f9771ad3e2bdf7af06a1df2f0db9.jpg Russias Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) from Europe to the Pacific is where the center of global development will be in the future, Associate Professor of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations Pavel Feldman told Sputnik.On the anniversary of the BAM, Feldman stressed that the entire concept of the route corresponds to the unique geopolitical position of Russia.The BAM is not just a railway, but the most important factor in ensuring the territorial integrity and national security of the Russian Federation, said the Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies and Forecasts of RUDN University.The BAMs key economic and strategic importance is a proven fact, agreed veteran Russian military expert Ivan Konovalov. Current reality shows that this was "an epic, far-sighted, long-term project," he said.From a strategic aspect, the BAM was built to offer an alternative to the Trans-Siberian Railway, which runs close to Russia's south-eastern borders.Already then, before WWII, there were serious contradictions with Japan... So it was decided to move this mainline deeper into Russian territory. In some places, the BAM is 700 to 1000 kilometers away from the border, which is a serious strategic depth, he said.According to the military expert, that Russias armed forces have always been involved in the mainline project. He recalled that two army railway corps were involved in developing the difficult terrain.They have the equipment and specialists for this, and most importantly, a clearly structured management vertical, which allows them to quickly resolve complex issues quickly ensuring a successful outcome, he notedHere are some eye-opening facts & figures about the BAM.Project of Epic ScaleAs well as providing a strategic alternative route to the TransSiberian Railway to transport freight to the Pacific ports, the BAM also aimed to help tap into rich deposits of iron, coal, copper, gold and diamonds in the pristine remote regions.The first survey work along this route began in 1911, with construction getting underway in the 1930s. Working in a remote land that was barely inhabited, less than a thousand kilometers away from the Arctic circle and across permanently frozen subsoil was a huge challenge. It continued in spurts, with the outbreak of WWII putting the project on hold. Some of the tracks were pulled up, with rails re-used in the European part of Russia during the war to lay new railways. The mainline was a very important logistics route for supplying Red Army soldiers.The BAM in the form in which we know it today was constructed in the 70s, Pavel Feldman noted.On April 23, 1974, the Baikal-Amur Mainline was proclaimed an All-Union project. Hundreds of thousands of students in construction brigades and volunteers from across the country joined the epic effort. The most challenging and remote sections were built by railway troops. It took 12 years to build the main section of the railroad between 1972 and 1984.Vast Transit Potential The BAM is a key pillar of the development of the Russian economy in the eastern direction, economist and leading expert at Russias Center for Political Technologies Nikita Maslennikov told Sputnik.The reasons for Russias pivot to the Asia-Pacific region in general are clear, he noted.Russias Far East, especially its Primorye territory, offers huge expanses of rich reserves of minerals. Tapping into this wealth requires transport logistics. The BAM is intertwined with goals such as development of these territories and integration into the Asia-Pacific region, an economic space, which will dominate the world economy as a whole for the next half century, said the expert.The BAM, together with the Trans-Siberian Railway that crosses the entire territory of Russia, has become an important tool for solving economic problems linked with transporting goods, remarked Konovalov.He recalled that the Ukraine crisis and the West's self-harming sanctions on Russia, the raging Middle East crisis, Israels war on Hamas and Yemen's partial blockade of the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza have all brought economic fallout.Unless I am mistaken, the tariffs for sea cargo transportation have jumped about five times." said Konovalov. "And here we are solving a very important problem, using the Baikal-Amur Mainline, taking into account the fact that we also have the Northern Sea Route, which, with climate warming, also creates a unique opportunity for the Russia to operate the kind of global communication network that all global powers hope to take advantage of.Rapid economic growth the Asia-Pacific region countries over the last decade radically redirected international trade flows, including Russian trade. Over the past 20 years, the total share of Asian markets in exports from Russia has increased, according to some estimates, from 27 percent to 40 percent.Take coal as an example. Over the past two decades, global coal consumption has been steadily shifting towards Asian markets. European countries have set themselves the task of reducing fossil fuel reliance, not to mention the fact the EU introduced a complete ban on the purchase of coal from Russia as part of the short-sighted Western sanctions.The share of coal supplies to Asian markets, however, increased during this time from around 33 percent to 62 to 64 percent. It was only logical to export coal directly to the east: In 2023, Russia ramped up coal supplies to China almost 1.5 times to an all-time high of more than 100 million tons.According to Feldman, from an economic point of view the BAM blends seamlessly with Chinas one belt, one road initiative, which will connect the Asian manufacturing base with European consumer markets through a logistics chain.Maslennikov also stressed that it is hard to overestimate the importance of this transport artery for the liquefied natural gas production capacity that is now being actively enhanced in the Far East, oil refining, aircraft manufacturing and shipbuilding.Russia is constantly working to diversify the BAM cargo base. China is also interested in Russian agricultural products, with the corresponding infrastructure such as grain terminals being developed along the BAM route. Russias Far East authorities have identified meat, meat products, milk, dairy products, and vegetables as promising agricultural products for export.The BAM is an ongoing project, constantly upgraded by the state-owned Russian Railways company. Works such as laying additional tracks and expanding the number of stations are aimed at relieving existing bottlenecks plaguing both the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway.In 2024, a whole series of tourism features will be launched as part of the BAM Tourist project showcasing historical sites, natural attractions and technological features of the railway. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231018/putin-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-in-sync-with-russias-ideas-on-large-eurasian-space-1114276570.html russia baikal pacific 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 what is bam, where is baikal-amur mainline, how long is baikal-amur mainline, baikal-amur mainline is bam, why is bam a key railway project, how was bam built, how long is bam, what is the route of the why is bam russias key railway, does bam link europe to pacific ocean, what cargoes does bam transport, how is bam different from trans-siberian railway, russia's pivot to the east, https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/russias-grain-supplies-to-china-reach-125mln-in-january-march-1118071068.html Russia's Grain Supplies to China Reach $125Mln in January-March Russia's Grain Supplies to China Reach $125Mln in January-March Sputnik International Russia's grain supplies to China reached a record high of $125 million in the first quarter of 2024, increasing revenues 1.7-fold, according to Sputnik's analysis of data published by China's General Administration of Customs. 2024-04-23T09:32+0000 2024-04-23T09:32+0000 2024-04-23T09:32+0000 world china russia grain exports grain grain supply https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/1b/1110629166_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_ce513d0f3b689d20d8efbba77d8383d0.jpg Russia increased wheat exports to China almost 12-fold from January-March to $15.8 million, but wheat shipments to China decreased by 18% year-on-year, while Australia remained the largest supplier of this grain to the Asian nation despite its exports falling from $955 million to $536 million, the data showed. Meanwhile, China's imports of Russian barley increased 8.4-fold to $60.3 million in the first quarter of this year, while total barley shipments to China doubled, the data showed. Moreover, China's imports of oats from Russia in January-March increased 2.7-fold and reached $14.7 million, while buckwheat supplies rose 3.3-fold to $20.1 million, according to the data. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240322/raising-eu-tariffs-on-russian-belarusian-grain-to-aggravate-world-food-situation---moscow-1117481059.html china russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia's grain supplies, grain supplies to china, china's general administration of customs https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/saint-petersburg-hosts-expo-showcasing-cybersecurity-export-products-1118078643.html Saint Petersburg Hosts Expo Showcasing Cybersecurity Export Products Saint Petersburg Hosts Expo Showcasing Cybersecurity Export Products Sputnik International On April 23-25, Russias Saint Petersburg is hosting the 12th International Meeting of High-Ranking Officials Responsible for Security Matters. This is the first time that the event has welcomed leading Russian companies demonstrating export products and information security (IS) technologies. 2024-04-23T18:08+0000 2024-04-23T18:08+0000 2024-04-23T18:08+0000 russia russia saint petersburg kaspersky lab information security cyber attack cybersecurity https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/04/1115377878_0:265:2698:1783_1920x0_80_0_0_545ac6524e06ced58789c32ad294b384.jpg The event is organized under the auspices of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF) and is aimed to tackle issues around upholding IS within a new multipolar world.In recent years, Russian companies have acquired unique experience in countering massive cyberattacks. Even under harsh sanctions and restrictions they have managed to protect Russias federal, industrial, and financial infrastructure, the SCRF noted.The exhibition is primarily focused on offering domestically acquired competencies and technological solutions for developing sovereign IS systems to foreign partners.At the expo, several companies make up a single cluster under the Center of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Cybersecurity. The organization was established with the support of the SCRF to ensure more efficient cybersecurity, primarily on the foreign economic track.Russian cybersecurity giant Kaspersky is among the exhibitors. The company has presented new features that help detect hacker attacks targeting government agencies and critical infrastructure, promptly counter them, and ensure nationwide cybersecurity as a whole. Kaspersky also offers a subscription service tracking vulnerability data of different apps.Cyberus, an effective cybersecurity development fund, has outlined its strategy for transforming the IS industry on three tiers: checking the current security level, building effective protection with Russian technologies and creating a local IS market via advanced staff training.Security Code is another key participant of the event. This Russian soft- and hardware developer designs IS systems that fully comply with both Russian and international standards. The companys products cover securing sensitive information, personal data, as well as governmental and commercial classified records.The expo also has many exhibits of Russian cipher equipment, provided by the Moscow-based Cryptography Museum, such as the Phialka (lViolet) cipher-encoding machine, the Machta (lMast) telegraph cipher equipment, as well as the Apatit (Apatite), Agat (Agate) and Ametists (Amethyst) pre-encryption devices. All of them were developed during the Soviet era between early 1950s and late 1970s. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240422/why-russias-approach-to-artificial-intelligence-may-save-civilization-1118060439.html russia saint petersburg 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 information security in russia, cybersecurity in russia, international meeting of high-ranking officials responsible for security matters, kaspersky products, russian it companies https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/sunak-promises-uk-largest-ever-aid-package-worth-617mln-for-ukraine---reports-1118067554.html Sunak Promises UK Largest-Ever Aid Package Worth $617Mln for Ukraine - Reports Sunak Promises UK Largest-Ever Aid Package Worth $617Mln for Ukraine - Reports Sputnik International UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised the United Kingdom's largest-ever military support package for Ukraine worth $617 million, The Guardian has reported. 2024-04-23T02:53+0000 2024-04-23T02:53+0000 2024-04-23T02:53+0000 world ukraine united kingdom (uk) guardian rishi sunak ukrainian crisis ukrainian conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/04/1113928319_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_c9cd2bc6bea217507f873c409c512b75.jpg The report said on Monday that London plans to provide Kiev with 400 vehicles, including 60 boats offshore raiding craft and dive boats, 160 Husky Tactical Support Vehicles and 162 armored vehicles, 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, and nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition, as well as 500 million pounds in military funding, bringing the UK's total aid to Ukraine to 3 billion pounds this financial year. The report cited officials as saying that the 500 million pound aid package would come from the reserves of the country's Exchequer and would be used to deliver ammunition, air defenses, UK-built drones and engineering support to Ukraine's frontline.Western countries, including the UK, have been providing military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict.In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230707/where-do-western-weapons-sent-to-kiev-actually-end-up-1111728757.html ukraine united kingdom (uk) 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 uk aid for ukraine, uk military in ukraine, uk 617 million aid for ukraine, what military weaponry does uk send to ukraine, uk role in ukrainian crisis https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/us-cant-hide-dollar-diplomacy-with-hypocritical-claims-of-non-involvement-in-solomons-vote-1118079775.html US Cant Hide Dollar Diplomacy With Hypocritical Claims of Non-Interference in Solomons Vote US Cant Hide Dollar Diplomacy With Hypocritical Claims of Non-Interference in Solomons Vote Sputnik International The US' top diplomat to the Solomon Islands was forced to respond to a Sputnik investigative feature on a suspected campaign by Washington to interfere in the islands April 17 general elections, assuring theres no truth in the matter. That doesnt explain Washington's sudden interest in the strategic island nation, says Professor Joe Siracusa. 2024-04-23T19:15+0000 2024-04-23T19:15+0000 2024-04-23T19:24+0000 analysis solomon islands beijing washington us usaid china https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/17/1118079465_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_ca825928e2e94c09f4d6d8859b2495cd.jpg Sputniks investigation into an alleged systematic and well-funded campaign by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to gently oust Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare via elections as punishment for his gradual strategic realignment away from Washington toward Beijing apparently made some waves ahead of last weeks vote.Stressing that these categorically false allegations of electoral interference detract from USAIDs highly professionalized and non-partisan support of free, fair, and credible elections in the Solomon Islands and elsewhere in the world, Yastishock suggested that media efforts to call out Washingtons alleged election meddling, and not the suspected interference itself, was at the root of the problem.She did not deny USAIDs support for Solomon local political and community leaders, but kept defending and glorifying their aid meet[ing] the requirements of the target country, the source said.The source, who previously warned Sputnik that they could not rule out a repeat of the 2021 riots which rocked the Solomons if the elections didnt go Washingtons way, said reporting on USAIDs alleged nefarious activities may have forced the US and its local networks to retreat for a while, with the vote taking place relatively peacefully so far, and police commending the public for a peaceful polling day.As the counting continues and the highest position of Prime Minister has not been settled, the US and their local networks might try to stir up problems, protests and riotsIt all depends on whether the results of the election can meet the expectations of all parties. The people are nervously waiting for the election results, the source said.No Interference?Can anyone in Washington explain the upgrading of the American diplomatic presence in an island state of 700,000 souls when the same Biden administration has turned its back on Moscow and Beijing in recent years? Dollar diplomacy is alive and well, Siracusa stressed, pointing to the 100+ year record of the US involving itself in the domestic affairs of foreign states.Small Islands, Big Strategic ImpactThe Solomons may be small and sparsely populated, but have big strategic potential thanks to their deep water ports and geographic location, Siracusa says.Washington has been asking people [in the region] to choose between Beijing and Washington and this guy [Prime Minister Sogavare] surprised everybody by choosing Beijing. He opened his new embassy in Beijing. A country of 724,000 islanders wouldn't have enough money to run an embassy. Obviously, that's a gift from the Chinese government. And, of course, the Americans wanted to reassure the Australians that they were on top of this problem, and that is why they upgraded their representation there, from a council to an embassy. The idea of having a US embassy in an island of 700,000 people strikes me as absurd. It's an absurd proposition. They are there to woo voters to bring the Solomon Islands back in line as a pro-Western nation. And of course, the people in Solomon Islands are not stupid, they like to play off the great powers. There's no neutrality there, they might they might use this tension with Washington and Canberra to get more foreign aid. And of course, the Chinese are just pouring time and money into the place because, the Chinese have offered the Solomon Islanders a concept for economic progress that is their own recent history of beating poverty, beating scarcity, etc., the observer noted.With the Solomons lying at the fault lines of a new Cold War between the US and China in the Asia-Pacific region, both countries, as well as regional US ally Australia, have watched the recent election very closely, seeing it as a bellwether of regional attitudes as the great power competition heats up.As for Ambassador Yastishocks claims about Sputniks reporting on USAIDs alleged interference campaign, Siracusa said her allegations look ridiculous. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240328/usaid-us-imperialisms-most-cynical-regime-change-tool-1117622413.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240422/southeast-asia-on-course-for-ukraine-style-crisis-amid-us-militarization-of-philippines-1118061126.html solomon islands beijing washington china 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 us meddle in solomon islands elections, did usaid interfere in solomon islands elections, did us coup solomon islands https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/us-goes-slippery-slide-with-sending-its-military-personnel-to-ukraine-1118067163.html US Goes 'Slippery Slide' With Sending Its Military Personnel to Ukraine US Goes 'Slippery Slide' With Sending Its Military Personnel to Ukraine Sputnik International Security and international relations expert Mark Sleboda told Sputnik's The Critical Hour on Monday that NATO Troops will "likely" be deployed in combat roles in Ukraine within a year. 2024-04-23T02:35+0000 2024-04-23T02:35+0000 2024-04-23T02:35+0000 analysis mark sleboda ukraine kiev russia pentagon nato patriot joe biden military & intelligence https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/0d/1117296767_0:89:3326:1960_1920x0_80_0_0_e9bbb75504187ef1ba2ae3e59eef394e.jpg Troops from the US and other NATO countries will be in Ukraine fighting Russian troops within a year, security and international relations expert Mark Sleboda predicted on Sputniks The Critical Hour on Monday.We (The United States) were at trainers and advisers and CIA and special forces [in Ukraine], and now already, were at logistics and maintenance personnel. Its quite clear where this is going, Sleboda began. US troops and [troops] from several other NATO member states will most likely be on the ground in Ukraine fighting the Russians within a year.On Saturday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that includes $61 billion earmarked to support Ukraine, however, Sleboda explains that it will not have a major effect on the battlefield.One underreported aspect of the bill is that a large portion of it is going towards replenishing US weapon stockpiles and not weapons that will end up on the battlefield in Ukraine.The Patriot surface-to-air missile system is considered the most advanced anti-aircraft system in Ukraines arsenal. However, the first confirmed Russian destruction of a Patriot system occurred back in May 2023. Since then, several more have been taken out, including two last month.The reports of an increased US presence in Ukraine were presented as theyre going to be working out of the US embassy, in Kiev, Sleboda said, but that assertion is far from reality, he argued.Im not quite sure how big the US embassy is in Kiev, but I doubt its enough to set up a maintenance workshop for, I dont know, Abrams tanks or something like that, Sleboda jokes. So it almost certainly means that these US troops will be out and about in Ukraine, probably not too far from the front line. And you can certainly see the slippery slide.While the aid shows that, despite some hype in the media, the US is not giving up on Ukraine, Sleboda notes that it doesnt change the calculus for the Russian government, who expected the aid to pass last year after US President Joe Biden requested it in August.You already have Ukrainian military commanders speaking anonymously, of course, to the Financial Times, saying that this isn't actually going to change much, Sleboda recounted.The most the aid will do, Sleboda reiterated, is protract the fighting and to make Ukraines agony that much longer and more drawn out. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240421/us-billionaire-investor-warns-ukraine-will-collapse-anyway-despite-us-aid-bill-1118037460.html ukraine kiev russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino 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 Ian DeMartino mark sleboda interview, will nato fight in ukraine, us aid to ukraine Editor's Note This is part two of a three-part series on the life of Jannie Clark. Part 1 was published on April 16. For Statesvilles Jannie Clark the year 1865 is a pivotal one in her life. The last of the Confederate forces had surrendered on June 2, 1865, and in December 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed abolishing slavery. Jannie was born enslaved and had lived every day of her 42 years as an enslaved woman. She and the man she called her husband, William, and their four children, Sarah, William, Franklin, and Ida, were now free to live together as a family. Imagine what a Christmas that would have been. The blessings they had longed for had finally arrived. If only it had been that simple. The Southern society that the newly freed Africa Americans were joining was a bitter one. No one likes to lose. The war had left Southerners traumatized. Many had lost family members in the war, and most had lost their wealth when Confederate money became worthless. A century later people would argue that the war was over states rights and unfair trade and taxes, but in 1866 slavery and African Americans were the focus of the recently defeated Confederate states. Who better for them to direct their anger at than these newly freed African Americans. Southern government leaders are former Confederates, and they blame the newly freed enslaved as the cause of the war and all their troubles. In March 1866, N.C. begin passing laws known as Black Codes, basically reducing the status of an African American to those just above that of a slave. The Ku Klux Klan rises in Tennessee and spreads across the South as a paramilitary group dedicated to suppressing African Americans. The South has no intention of embracing the newly freed African Americans as their equals or in giving them the right to vote. In response, the United States passes the Fourteenth Amendment granting full citizenship to all African Americans and making it the responsibility of the U.S. government to protect the equal rights of all American citizens. Leaders in the North believe the South is doing all it can to return the south to what it was prior to the war and to continue to suppress African Americans. Finally, in 1867 the United States government puts the former Confederate states in the South under military rule and what is known as Reconstruction begins. On July 4, 1868, N.C. is readmitted to the United States after creating a new state constitution and ratifying the 14th Amendment. In 1869 the 15th Amendment is passed prohibiting any state from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race or color. If only the South could have let the race issue go. African Americans had been a part of Statesvilles history from the beginning. Iredell formed out of Rowan County in 1788 and in the 1790 federal census, Iredell County has a total population of 5,435 including 858 enslaved, and three free blacks. Statesville in 1800 has a total population of 95 people including 27 enslaved. By 1860 Statesville has a total population of 537 including 217 enslaved. In N.C. overall in 1860 the population is 992,622 including 629,942 free white persons, 361,522 enslaved, and 1,158 listed as Indian. In 1870 Jannie and her husband William and their six children are living in the Concord Township beside a white farmer named Solomon Overcash and his family. William is listed as a farm laborer and is probably a tenant farmer. The 1870 census estimates Jannies year of birth to be 1831 rather than 1823. This discrepancy brings to light another problem. Most African Americans in Iredell are illiterate and do not know their actual birthdate. N.C. law passed in 1835 declared that slave owners did not have to pay taxes on the enslaved under the age of 12 or after the age of 50. Slave owners identified their slaves as under the age of 12 as long as they could and over the age of 50 as soon as they could. When the enslaved are freed in 1865 they basically have nothing but the clothes on their backs. I mean they didnt even have a last name. Again, slave owners did not give or allow the enslaved to have last names as a means of, again, denying them individuality and making them totally dependent on the owner. The newly freed enslaved had no money, no homes, no land, no food, and no jobs. The slave owners are also under duress after the war as they no longer have the labor they need to grow their crops. The formerly enslaved are illiterate and most have only agricultural job skills. They have no idea what the laws are for free people or what to charge for their labor. The solution to the needs of both the slave owners and the formerly enslaved is the system of tenant farming. Farm and plantation owners give their former slaves a house and land on which they can live and grow their own crops in return for their labor. In Statesville slave-owning families continue to have the formerly enslaved live with them as cooks, servants, and laborers. In 1870 Statesville has a population of 656 with 421 white and 235 black. There are 95 African Americans living in white households. The two main political parties after the war ends are the Republican Party of the North and Lincoln and the Democratic Party of the old South. By 1870 Union troop occupation is ending and the Democratic party takes control of the N.C. legislature. By 1871 they impeach and remove Republican Governor William Holden. Suppression continues and the Jim Crow era begins. In the 1880 census, Jannie and her husband W.A. Clark are listed in the Shiloh township with eight children. In 1883, an African American man named Charles Campbell is arrested for shooting and killing John Redmond. The two men had quarreled previously, and both had been drinking at the time of the shooting. Charles Campbell is lynched by a crowd after being taken from the Statesville jail. The Landmark reported on June 2, 1892, May 30 was Federal Decoration Day and a national holiday. Quite a number of Statesville colored people, including one of the colored bands, went down to Salisbury to decorate the graves of the Federal soldiers in the cemetery there. In 1893 an economic panic hits the United States, and a depression sets in. As always it is the middle-class and the poor who suffer the most. In 1894, the Fusion political party made up of Republicans and African Americans take over N.C. state government. The Fusion party is basically a Populist party made up of angry farmers and workers who feel taken advantage of by the railroads, corporations, and the wealthy. 1894 is also the year former Confederate Gen. Joseph Fighting Joe Wheeler from Alabama gives his Slavery and States Rights speech. Jannie and her family must have felt uneasy in 1896. In Plessy vs. Ferguson 163 U.S. 537, on May 18, 1896, the Supreme Court declares racial segregation to be legal and creates the separate but equal system that will dictate U.S. society policy for decades. Determined to take back power the N.C. Democratic party begins the redemption campaign. The Democrats plant their flag with Confederate patriotism. Confederate veteran celebrations are held, and fundraising efforts begin to erect Confederate memorials. African Americans like William and Jannie and their family continue to live, work, and raise families despite all the political drama happening around them. In 1898 when the Spanish American War breaks out an all-African American company of volunteers is raised in Iredell to support the U.S. war effort. At the same time, Democratic party politics become violent. In November 1898, Democratic party leaders and white supremacists overthrow the legally elected government in Wilmington, and burn African American businesses and neighborhoods in what today is called The Wilmington Riot. It is also in 1898 when the Red Shirt campaign begins as Democratic party white supremacists dress in red shirts to intimidate African American voters during the elections. Victory in the 1898 election gives the Democratic party control of the N.C. state legislature and they quickly create a new state amendment to take the right to vote from African Americans. The amendment passes in 1900 and a parade is held in Statesville with over 300 marchers celebrating the victory. Marchers from Union Grove carry a sign saying, White Supremacy. I wonder if Jannie or any of her family watched that parade through downtown Statesville. More likely for her husbands and childrens safety, she kept everyone home. The Country Steakhouse in Longview took over the former Sizzler restaurant in November, but staff are already working on updating its menu, which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Manager Ernesto Guitron, 29, said they are working on adding new dishes to the menu, as well as a lunch buffet, similar to a Sizzler, and are looking for community feedback on what to offer. The Ocean Beach Highway restaurant had been a Sizzler steakhouse since the 1960s. Guitron manages the Country Steakhouse and its 15 employees for his uncle Jose Guitron, 55. For veteran restaurateur/owner Jose Guitron, the Country Steakhouse is an addition to his other restaurant offerings that include the Oak Tree in Woodland, which serves bar and pub food, and the Country Cafe in Ridgefield, which serves both Mexican and American cuisine. Jose Guitron came to Washington in 1980 with his family from Jalisco, Mexico. He opened his first restaurant in Salem in 1987. My uncle heard that the Sizzler had gone out of business, and he just wanted to take it over ... Its a big place, nearly 300 seats so it never gets truly busy, Ernesto Guitron said, adding that they did a fair amount of remodeling prior to opening. With the large space, the restaurant also hosts parties. Ernesto Guitron said on Saturday a group of 150 used the eaterys party room, which is also available for events during times the restaurant isnt open. Plans for the steakhouse Ernesto Guitron said he went to school for mechanical engineering but fell in love with the restaurant business. He said he is aiming to offer something new for Longview; a restaurant that specializes in steaks. The eaterys steaks are from local ranchers and never frozen, he added, and include a 16-ounce bone-in rib eye for $45.99, a 16-ounce T-bone for $34.99, an 8-ounce New York strip for $25.99, and 8-ounce top sirloin for $20.99. Each is served for homemade mashed potatoes and gravy or a loaded backed potato and green beans. He said the steakhouse has been getting a lot of the old Sizzler crowd, looking for buffet options, so he is listening; he plans to add a salad bar and lunch buffet, and wants customers to give feedback on what the buffet should include. He also plans to add a pop-up deck on the side of the eatery for the summer where musicians can play. The restaurant offers specials throughout the week as well. On Tuesday, people can grab chicken or ground beef tacos with tomato, lettuce and cheese in a soft flour tortilla or hard shell corn tortilla for only $1 each. For $2.50 each, people can buy pork carnitas, steak, pastor, lengua or birra tacos. On Wednesday, the eatery offers a chicken wing special. People can buy six wings for $10.95, eight wings for $12.95, or 10 wings for $14.95, and all include fries, a soft drink and choice of buffalo, barbecue or teriyaki sauce. Ernesto Guitron added that most of the venues recipes come from his uncles other restaurants in and around Longview. Some of the recipes have been passed down from generations and weve brought them here to test them out, he said. The menu features many favorites and signature dishes that are all made-to-order including chicken-fried steak, which is very popular, made fresh, hand-cut and battered, as well as salmon, meatloaf, lasagna, and an array of breakfast specials from pancakes and French toast to various omelets. Ernesto Guitron added that the restaurant is also making use of new technology using robots as food runners. The robots are sort of an interesting novelty ... they help servers who get too busy to deliver food to tables, he said. Customers can also get to-go orders and delivery through DoorDash and other services. There arent too many other steakhouses in Longview, so were hoping to be peoples go-to for steaks and other dishes, he said. Country Steakhouse Address: 936 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. weekends. Phone: 564-217-4129. A Happy Valley woman is accused of leading a money laundering cell that hid nearly $100 million in drug proceeds for a drug trafficking organization. Enhua Fang, 37, is the first of five defendants named in a six-count indictment out of federal court in North Carolina, charged with conspiracy to launder money, conceal money laundering, engage in transactions involving derived property and aiding and abetting in those crimes. Fang was arrested in Oregon on April 18. She appeared in federal court in Portland Tuesday afternoon with Assistant Federal Public Defender Ryan Costello. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo ordered Fang to remain in custody and transferred to North Carolina for prosecution after prosecutors urged her continued detention. The indictment is sealed but the governments motion to keep Fang in jail lays out the allegations from a 2022 multi-agency investigation. Though money laundering isnt a charge that typically calls for detention, the scope, scale and volume of Fangs alleged crimes warrants that she remain in jail, according to Melanie L. Alsworth, acting assistant deputy chief of the U.S. Department of Justices Narcotics and Dangerous Drug section. The defendant was central to the organizations money laundering mechanism, Alsworth wrote in the motion. Fang was hiding in the shadows while calling the shots, Alworth wrote in the motion. Fang is accused of operating one of the most active cells and allegedly was the first point of contact for Mexican drug trafficking groups, according to Alsworth. She would coordinate with U.S.-based drug traffickers and dispatch couriers to pick up hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug money and make bank deposits, Alsworth wrote. Between May 2022 and January 2024, investigators tracked 1,149 cash deposits completed by the couriers that exceeded $92 million, Alsworth wrote. The couriers deposited money in accounts registered in the names of shell companies controlled by the illicit organization, the motion alleges. The money was then laundered further through cryptocurrency and other bank accounts, Alsworth wrote. Fang, for example, was intercepted on a federal wiretap on June 1, 2022, arranging to pick up money from a drug trafficker in North Carolina to pay a source of supply in Mexico, Alsworth wrote. The drug trafficker called and asked to make an appointment and she responded that she would text the serial, according to the motion. The trafficker texted Fang a long code, which was the serial number to a dollar bill used for verification purposes. Fang was told the deposit was 100 and was sent an address for a meet-up, the motion says. Shortly afterward, the trafficker texted Fang a different deposit amount, 110, and sent a different address and a courier sent by Fang picked up $110,000 in cash, the motion says. Cash pickups typically ranged from $100,000 to as much as $300,000, Alsworth wrote. The operation used encrypted messages, fake drivers licenses and different communication channels to avoid detection, according to the motion. From May to September 2022, for example, the groups couriers operating under Fangs direction made at least 102 bulk cash deposits totaling about $17 million into the account of a shell company called Kowloon Holding Inc., according to the motion. The deposits were made in banks in about 20 different states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to Alsworth. With Fang facing a lengthy prison sentence if convicted, shell have an incentive to flee to China, her home country, which does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, Alsworth wrote in the motion. Fang also would have access to high-quality, false ID documents that the money laundering operation is alleged to have used, Alsworth argued. While Fang didnt use false ID, she took other steps to try to conceal her identity, the prosecutor wrote, including using multiple cellphones and changing SIM cards and phone numbers. Investigators seized bank records, security footage from banks and conducted physical surveillance of the money pickups and cash deposits, the motion said. Fang has lived in the United States since March 2021 and is classified as a legal permanent resident. But her immediate family remains in China and can provide an easy safe haven for her should she decide to leave the country, the prosecutor argued in court papers. She spent about five weeks in China last fall, according to federal court documents. Within 15 months of her move to the United States, she was active in the alleged money laundering scheme, according to Alsworth. Shes lived in Oregon and New York and has no legitimate job, the prosecutor wrote to the court. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The app TikTok Lite arrived in France and Spain in March. The EU on Monday launched a probe into TikTok's spinoff Lite app and threatened to suspend an "addictive" feature on it that rewards users for watching and liking videos, amid child-safety concerns. TikTok Lite arrived in France and Spain in March allowing users aged 18 and over to earn points that can be exchanged for goods like vouchers or gift cards through the app's rewards program. The European Commission said in a statement it has concerns about the app's "risks of serious damage for the mental health of users", including minors. TikTok Lite is a smaller version of the popular TikTok app, taking up less memory in a smartphone and made to perform over slower internet connections. TikTok last week failed to provide a risk assessment for the spinoff app by an April 18 deadline, the commission said, demanding the company now hand it over by Tuesday. It is threatening to impose interim measures including suspending the rewards program in the European Union "pending the assessment of its safety". TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, has until Wednesday to present a formal defense against such a measure. The commission also warned if TikTok failed to reply to the request, it could impose fines of up to one percent of its total annual income or of its global turnover and periodic penalties up to five percent of its average daily income or annual turnover worldwide. TikTok said it would continue discussions with the commission but insisted the program was not available to minors. "We are disappointed with this decisionthe TikTok Lite rewards hub is not available to under 18s, and there is a daily limit on video watch tasks," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. Second TikTok probe The probe is the EU's second against TikTok under a sweeping new law, the Digital Services Act (DSA), that demands digital firms do more to police content online. "We suspect TikTok 'Lite' could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes 'light'," said the European Commission's top tech enforcer, Thierry Breton. "Unless TikTok provides compelling proof of its safety, which it has failed to do until now, we stand ready to trigger DSA interim measures including the suspension of TikTok Lite features," Breton said. The commission also quizzed TikTok about its measures to mitigate "systemic risks" in its Lite app and gave the platform until May 3 to respond. TikTok Lite users can win rewards if they log in daily for 10 days, if they spend time watching videos (with an upper limit of 60 to 85 minutes per day) and if they undertake certain actions, such as liking videos and following content creators. The commission said it believes TikTok launched the app "without prior diligent assessment of the risks it entails, in particular those related to the addictive effect of the platforms, and without taking effective risk mitigating measures". TikTok is among 22 "very large" digital platforms, including Amazon, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, that must comply with stricter rules under the DSA since August last year. The law gives the EU the power to slap companies with heavy fines that could reach as high as six percent of a digital firm's global annual revenues. Repeat offenders can even see their platforms blocked in the 27-country European Union. In February, the commission opened a formal probe into TikTok under the DSA over alleged violations of its obligations to protect minors online. It has separately launched other investigations into X, formerly known as Twitter, and Chinese internet retailer AliExpress. TikTok is also being squeezed across the Atlantic. The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Saturday that would force TikTok to divest from ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the United States, where it has around 170 million users. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A person rides past the Google sign outside the Google offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Google has fired 28 employees who were involved in protests over the tech companys cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The workers held sit-ins at the companys offices in California and New York over Googles $1.2 billion contract to provide custom tools for Israelis military. Credit: AP Photo/Terry Chea Google fired at least 20 more workers in the aftermath of protests over technology the company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza war, bringing the total number of terminated staff to more than 50, a group representing the workers said. It's the latest sign of internal turmoil at the tech giant centered on "Project Nimbus," a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 for Google and Amazon to provide the Israeli government with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. Workers held sit-in protests last week at Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California. The company responded by calling the police, who made arrests. The group organizing the protests, No Tech For Apartheid, said the company fired 30 workers last weekhigher than the initial 28 they had announced. Then, on Tuesday night, Google fired "over 20" more staffers, "including non-participating bystanders during last week's protests," said Jane Chung, a spokeswoman for No Tech For Apartheid, without providing a more specific number. "Google's aims are clear: the corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers, and reassert its power over them," Chung said in a press release. "In its attempts to do so, Google has decided to unceremoniously, and without due process, upend the livelihoods of over 50 of its own workers." Google said it fired the additional workers after its investigation gathered details from coworkers who were "physically disrupted" and it identified employees who used masks and didn't carry their staff badges to hide their identities. It didn't specify how many were fired. The company disputed the group's claims, saying that it carefully confirmed that "every single one of those whose employment was terminated was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings." The Mountain View, California, company had previously signaled that more people could be fired, with CEO Sundar Pichai indicati ng in a blog post that employees would be on a short leash as the company intensifies its efforts to improve its AI technology. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Elon Musk says X will appeal against an Australian injunction forcing it to take down videos of a church stabbing in Sydney. Tech bad boy Elon Musk on Tuesday vowed to challenge demands that his social media platform X take down videos of a recent Sydney church stabbing. Australia's Federal Court on Monday gave the platform 24 hours to remove videos of an Assyrian bishop being slashed in the head during a recent attack. Australia's eSafety Commission had sought the court injunction saying X ignored earlier removal notices. Musk lashed out at the watchdog Tuesday, saying the content had already been removed for users in Australia. "We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the U.S.." As the deadline approached, the videos were not available to users in Australia, except for those using a VPN or other location-masking service. Musk claimed Australia was trying to enforce a global ban. "Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian 'eSafety Commissar' is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet," the billionaire posted on X. 'Absolutely disgusting' The matter will return to court this week, where a judge will decide whether to extend the interim injunction. A third hearing will follow where eSafety Commission lawyers will seek a permanent injunction and civil penalties against X, a spokesperson told AFP. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lashed out at Musk, who he described as an "arrogant billionaire" who "thinks he's above the law". "The idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out-of-touch Mr. Musk is," Albanese told public broadcaster ABC. Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie called for Musk to be thrown in prison, saying he had "no conscience" and his behavior was "absolutely disgusting". "Quite frankly the bloke should be jailed," she said. 'Toxicity and hate' Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly slashed in the head and chest by a 16-year-old suspect last week, sparking a riot by followers of the Assyrian Christian church in western Sydney. Video of the bloody attack, which spread widely on social media platforms, has been blamed by Australian authorities for feeding tensions in the community. Australia has spearheaded efforts to hold the tech giants accountable for what their users post online, under its groundbreaking "Online Safety Act" passed in 2021. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Granta former Twitter employeehas been fighting a series of legal skirmishes with X, attempting to hold the platform accountable for violent and disturbing content. She has raised concerns in the past about a spike in "toxicity and hate" on the platform following Musk's takeover. A spokesperson for the commission said Tuesday it had also asked other companies, including Google, Snap and TikTok, to remove the footagewhich they had done. "While it may be difficult to eradicate damaging content from the internet entirely, particularly as users continue to repost it, eSafety requires platforms to do everything practical and reasonable to minimize the harm it may cause to Australians and the Australian community," the spokesperson said. The watchdog recently slapped X with an Aus$610,500 (US$388,000) fine for failing to demonstrate how it is combating child sexual abuse content. University of New South Wales law professor Rob Nicholls told AFP the church stabbing case would test new legal waters. The eSafety Commission had issued take down orders in the past, and social media giants had always complied. "We haven't seen this before," he said. "It is not as if Australia is unique in having a take down regime associated with content. 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The inclusion of The Vincentian Newspaper contents in any English or foreign language newspaper, publication or software is strictly prohibited. Left:Daniel Cummings, MP for West Kingstown, deemed the Mental Health Centre as being incapable of doing any evaluation. Right:Senator Kay Bacchus-Baptiste will not be satisfied with a statement of denial by Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves. Leader of the Opposition Dr Godwin Friday would prefer to be concentrating on matters pertaining to budgetary proposals, but he finds that the atmosphere is overwhelmed by what he deems the scandal which has embroiled Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves. Friday held back no punches during a press conference at his partys headquarters, last Wednesday. The Opposition is appalled that there has been no statement from the Finance Minister. Friday noted that two weeks had passed since the matter gained national attention, and that "Camillo has not seen it fit to make a public statement. "He has a responsibility to say what he knows, Friday exclaimed. "It is not good and proper for a Minister of government, a senior Minister tipped to be leader, to hide behind his family in this way, Friday outlined. "Camillo must speak for himself. What does he have to hide? Silence is not golden, it fosters an aura of guilt, the Opposition Leader said. The New Democratic Party president stated that decency, good governance and democracy "demand that it be clarified or that he resigns. Friday noted that Camillo Gonsalves was poised to deliver his first budget in a couple weeks, and that his refusal to say anything, "casts a dark shadow over the upcoming budget proceedings. "It is not right that the nation be distracted by this sordid scandal, Friday added. The Opposition Leader was not the only person at the platform to blast the new Finance Minister. Kay Bacchus-Baptiste cited eight areas of concern surrounding the issue. She raised questions about integrity, ethics and morals, and outlined that "We must hold our leaders to the highest ethical standards. Equality of all before the law is another aspect of contention for Bacchus Baptiste. A statement made on Boom Radio last year is of significance to Bacchus Baptiste. She also finds it strange that no charge of blackmail has been made on the lady in question. The use of the State machinery against a citizen is also a worry for the Opposition lawyer. Bacchus-Baptiste is worried about the mental issues as they surface, and she is anxious as to if Yugge Farrell will get a fair trial. She echoed the call for the Finance Ministers resignation. Even if he responds, Bacchus- Baptiste will not be content with a statement of denial. She expects something of depth. Daniel Cummings, parliamentary representative for West Kingstown which includes the area of Buddy Gutter where the Farrell family resides, joined the call for the Finance Ministers resignation. Cummings blasted the provision of health care here and declared that Mental Health Care is almost non-existent. "This is not an institution to do evaluation, Cummings contended. (WKA) NDP parliamentarians (four persons from right) joined in the protests. Inset: Luzette King, one of the major players in the Front Line protest, has assured that the protest will continue as long as the ULP remains in the seat of government. by Kenville Horne Today, Friday 30th September, would mark the 292nd day since the protest action began against the December 9, 2015 general elections, outside the office of the Supervisor of Elections, Bay Street, Kingstown. That election saw the return of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) for its 4th consecutive term as government. Luzette King, political activist and one of the primary players in the protest, now dubbed the Front Line, said that the protest action will continue, despite the challenges faced, including the lessening in the number of protestors. When THE VINCENTIAN spoke to King on Wednesday, she admitted that no one thought the protest would have lasted that long. "We didnt think the illegitimate ULP regime would have been so adamant that they would stay (in government), because its clear that the election was rigged. To me, if you listen to what was said recently, Senior Counsel Astaphan made it clear that we have numbers on ballots that could be traced, and that in itself is a problem. He tried to retract it, but its already out, said King. Anthony Astaphan, lawyer for Supervisor of Elections Sylvia Scrubb in the matter of two election petitions filed by the New Democratic Party (NDP), had referenced, on Boom FM on Friday 23rd September, to a number located on the back of the ballots used in the December 9, 2015 general elections, which corresponded to the number printed on each counterfoil. He retracted his statement later the same day, during the ULP-favoured Shake-up programme on We FM. Under the Representation of the People Act, No ballot shall bear a number of any kind. A number is printed on the counterfoil only, which is removed before the ballot is placed in the ballot box. King said that there have been a number of damning statements by persons in authority concerning the December 2015 election, yet its difficult for the NDP to get justice. But she assured that the longer they stay on the Front Line, the more resilient they become. "The more we stay here is the more we see the need to remind the Vincentian public that all is not well. We have a regime that did not win the elections. They are pulling all kinds of stunts to distract us from that issue of a rigged election, King asserted. "We will continue, because if we were to pack up and go, the public will forget. Our very presence here reminds people every single day that something is happening, something is not right. If its even three of us, added King. She said that despite police harassment, they continue to protest, since, "We have to remind the Supervisor of Elections (that) she has not done a good job, and the people do not have confidence in her, King stated. Following the December 9th 2015 general elections, the opposition NDP by way of petitions, asked the court to overturn the results in the Central Leeward and North Windward constituencies, that had been declared in the ULPs favour. However, High Court Judge Brian Cottle struck out the two petitions. That decision has since been appealed. Construction of the AIA continued to completion, with monies still outstanding for land acquired to facilitate that construction. Government still owes some EC$33,109,354 for lands acquired for the construction of the Argyle International Airport. Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Camillo Gonsalves made this disclosure in response to a question posed by Parliamentary Representative for East Kingstown, Arnhim Eustace, during Parliaments Sitting of Tuesday January 29. Continuing his answer, Gonsalves explained that there were 125 parcels of land for which payment remains outstanding. These lands were divided into two categories, he explained lands with deeds and land without, with EC$19.5 million being the outstanding amount owed for lands with deeds, inclusive of interest, and EC$13.7 million the amount owed for lands without. "The government and the IADC (International Airport Development Company) are currently completing a plan to address the settlements of these amounts owed to the remaining land owners, he said. The finance minister said that the government was also working to try to resolve the land ownership issues since the majority of the money owed is for land without deeds, even though that number has been decreasing. Eustace wanted to know how much is still owed for lands used for the construction of the international airport.As of November 30, 2017, all 142 home owners had been compensated for their property to the tune of EC$60,136,672 with EC$53,825,827 being paid by the IADC for vacant lots of land, Gonsalves told Parliament. The main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has called for an urgent audit of the countrys diplomatic missions abroad, saying that, while the Ralph Gonsalves-led Unity Labor Party (ULP) administration has presented argument for belt-tightening to nationals, "it has not followed its own advice. Senator Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, a veteran Vincentian lawyer, charged at an NDP town hall meeting, at the Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center in Brooklyn, New York that the government has failed to minimize "the cost of operating what I would describe as St. Vincent and the Grenadines largest non-productive and low yielding bureaucratic investment outside of the country. "For years, we have been told how crucial it is to maintain diplomatic facilities abroad, said Bacchus-Baptiste, speaking on the same platform as NDP President and Opposition Leader Dr. Goodwin Friday, Vice President St. Clair "Major Leacock and opposition lawyer Israel Bruce. "However, when one looks at the astronomical cost of maintaining our missions and consulates, including how little we have benefited from their operations over the last 17 years, the inconvenient truth is exposed, she continued. "Not only are these foreign installations bankrupting our country but also their primary purpose may in fact be nothing more than a clever back-door opening that has allowed the ULP to award lucrative jobs and contracts to selected persons within the echelon or their political party, Bacchus-Baptiste said. She said the NDP believes that Vincentians are "truly concerned about where the bulk of the islands scarce resources are being spent. Bacchus-Baptiste said the cost of "official travel and subsistence expenses by government ministers and their entourages currently totals millions of dollars annually. She also said the cost of personal housing for ambassadors and other heads of St. Vincent and the Grenadines missions and consulates stand at "tens of thousands of dollars monthly. In addition, the opposition Member of Parliament said "the large salaries and personnel allowances that they receive, including chauffeur-driven cars, have seldom been a topic of discussion by government officials back home. "The long-standing decision of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to opt for prime real estate on which to house our missions and consulates remains a subject that the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is unable to adequately justify as a poor and struggling nation, she said. "In this (these) very difficult economic times, in which we are living, and in which the average Vincentian can hardly put bread on their table, the NDP insists that St. Vincent and the Grenadines cannot continue to waste large sums of money on foreign missions and consulates, most of which, in terms of performance, have not produced economic benefit for the island, Bacchus-Baptiste added. She, therefore, said a way must be found "to restructure our entire operations abroad immediately and to usher in a modern system of diplomacy that produces trained diplomats, whose primary focus is not on attaching themselves to ULP interests only but who are capable of using their positions for attracting jobs to our shores and for operating our foreign facilities cost-effectively. The NDP senator said her party has "plans that will result in millions of dollars of savings, which can then be channeled back into the island for economic reconstruction. She said an NDP Government will "tap into the vast network of Vincentian students studying abroad in fields, such as international relations and international business and marketing, who are capable of being utilized in our missions and consulates on a voluntary or internship basis. Bacchus-Baptiste charged that the "ULPs failed missions abroad is compounded by nepotism, as cushy jobs are given to Ralph (Gonsalves), Jimmy Prince (Education Minister) and (former Education Minister) Girlyn Miguels daughter. "How bold face! Bacchus-Baptiste exclaimed. "Can the expense in vying for a seat on the United Nation Security Council justify cost? she asked. "Isnt this more for personal satisfaction of the prime minister? "Now, the high cost of operating the St. Vincent and the Grenadines embassies and consulates abroad, at a time when the country is in dire financial straits, must be taken seriously by the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, she continued. Bacchus-Baptiste said the ULP administration, "which has been entrusted with public resources, must be answerable to you the people for fiscal, as well as social responsibilities. "There must be transparency and accountability, she said. "Accountability is a fundamental of good governance, and transparency is the bedrock of democracy. The lawyer said no public accounts have been audited in St. Vincent and the Grenadines since 2012, stating that the 2012 accounts reports was only laid in Parliament in mid-2018. It is "unacceptable, Bacchus-Baptiste declared. NDPs Benjamin Exeter (left) and Lauron Baptiste are said to be confident about victory in their election petition matters before the court. The New Democratic Party (NDP) is not deterred by the delay in the case of the two petitions that they have filed in the Court, challenging the 2015 election results in the Central Leeward and North Windward constituencies. Justice Esco Henry, sitting in the High Court here, set aside February 11, 2019 as the trial date for the next hearing in the election petitions, but has since recused herself from the matter, after it surfaced that the Registrar Office here had set other matters for her attention on that date. He emphasized, however, that his side had had nothing to indicate that there is any reason to say that the matter would not be heard on that day, and they are holding fast to that date. Dr. Friday added, "What we have done over the course of the three years since this matter has worked its way through the court, is we have been pushing to have it heard as soon as possible. He also stressed that, "This is a matter that we have been committed to; its a matter of principle . This is not a matter just about NDP, and assured the public that "we are going to pursue it and yes, we are optimistic and confident about the matter ruling in the favour of the petitioners. The elections petitions were filed in the names of NDP 2015 general elections candidates Benjamin Exeter and Lauron Baptiste the former contesting the result in the Central Leeward seat and the latter in the North Windward seat. The Respondents in the matters: the relevant Returning Officers, Presiding Officers, the Supervisor of Elections, Sir Louis Straker (ULP candidate in Central Leeward) and Montgomery Daniel (ULP candidate in North Windward). The Opposition Leader and NDP President Dr. Godwin Friday admitted that Justice Henrys recusal from the case had created some concern as to the practicality of a replacement judge being ready for February 11 date.According to Leader of the Opposition Dr. Godwin Friday, while addressing a press conference last week Monday, "We have always maintained that first and foremost we have an obligation that when things dont look right in the election process, to use the law to seek redress. That is all essentially what we are doing,The matter was first struck out by Justice Brian Cottle in the High Court. The opposition then went to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, where it was reinstated, with the instruction that it be heard expeditiously.Since then, there has been a number of setbacks, most recently the decision by Justice Esco Henry to recuse herself from the matter. Mr Speaker, for my contribution I will first give a snap shot of the general circumstances in which we all live, then build upon it the living circumstances of our women and children. Mr. Speaker, amidst the glitz and glamour, nice words and grand standing we have heard from the government benches during this Budget no amount of longwinded bombast, no amount of studied eloquence, and no amount of compulsive arrogance will be enough to change the undeniable fact that our society is very sick and getting sick by the day: our women, our children, our youth, our environment, our security as a people and nation is under serious threat. Crime is at an all time high and it is a grave concern for every citizen of our Nation! There is something very nasty and ugly beneath the surface of our people; it is tearing away at the very fabric of society. And added to that there seems to be an atmosphere of dejection, hopelessness and helplessness Mr. Speaker, statistical records from the Royal Police Force of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the offences reported for period 2015-2016 indicate that there has been 28% increase in sex offences, and of the total number of sex offences reported in 2016 there was a 27.2 % increase for sex with girls under 15 years. Further, there has been a 16% increase in sex with girls under 13 years. This is horrendous! This is painful circumstance!! In a 2014 regional study called Breaking the Silence conducted by Reid, Reddock and Nickenig, it was found that, "Most alarming, however, is that 47.6% of females and 31.9% of males described their first intercourse as forced or somewhat coerced and attributed blame to family members or persons known to their family. The rape culture that is rooted in our nation must be eliminated if we are to save this nation! We must lead the way against this scourge that afflict the region and the world. Our National Development Plan states that "if women are left then half the world is left out. Lets save our girls, so that they can be the best women of tomorrow! The government cannot do this by itself and it must support even more organisations such as Leave Out Violence in SVG that are involved in the fight! Mr. Speaker, in addition to the rise in sex offences there has been 4.16 % increase in offences against property; and of the total number of offences against property 4% are related to theft of agriculture produce and livestock! Mr. Speaker while this percentage amount may sound small one just have to give some consideration to how these offences affect the struggling poor families involved in earning a living from agriculture sector. Agriculture sector has seen negative growth of 3.31% according to the 2015 preliminary figures from our Statistical Office, and experienced a sharp decline from 2014. Also last year, Mr. Speaker we peaked at 40 murders! We woke to headlines carried by I Witness News such as: "13 year old student on gun, ammunition charge; "Mother hears gunshots that ended sons life; "Accused drug runner gunned down one week before court hearing; "Another man gunned down in East St. George; "Family shaken up as gunshot victim runs into their house. Violent crime, in particular gun related violence is out of control. In fact, Mr. Speaker the records from Royal Police Force indicates that there has been a 22% increase in gun related offences. Not only are we living in hard economic times we are also living in rather insecure times. We must not lose sight of the fact the majority of crimes are committed against by and against our young men. Also not too lose sight that at the same time the majority of inmates at the Mental Asylum are young men. Mr. Speaker, the fact that our young men are at risk is very glaring! Courts are taking a tough stance through its sentencing guidelines for gun related violence but sentencing is post event approach. It does not deal directly with the cause of crime! The causes of crime are not as simple, and I am sure the Honourable Senator and Parliamentary Secretary would agree that it is not as simple as reducing it to evil in mans heart. Crime affects more immediately and directly the poor and vulnerable; their lives filled with complex issues. If one takes a visit to the magistrate court we would see that the majority of the persons hauled before the criminal court are the poor and vulnerable. Yes may say that we are not as bad as our neighbour Trinidad such a comparison brings no real comfort and security to our people. We need solutions! Neighbour watch is one small step but much more has to be done. Mr. Speaker, to the foregoing context I now add the context of the circumstances of women who make up 49% of the total population. Mr. Speaker, based on our human development index women will live approximately 4 years more than men in our life time. 40% of households are single-headed by women. They are the sole income earner. And in our rural communities women are more severely affected by the declining of the declining agriculture sector. 2015 statistics from the Statistical Department reveal that the agriculture sector experienced negative growth -3.3; a steep decline from a growth rate of 9.12% in 2013. Women continue to dominate the lower paying wages. Their lives are difficult Mr. Speaker. Single mothers who are forced to take their childrens fathers to the Family Court for maintenance received on average received $150 per month! Even if this mother receives social assistance it is still not enough to live on especially in the face of 16% VAT. Mr. Speaker, we must not be fooled by a government or blinded by a government that point to women in prominent position in our society. Any progress must not be allowed to mask the serious power vacuum between men and women! Because women may have "high positions but they have no power. Behind the many faces of success, women remain deprived, needy and vulnerable; men still see them as objects to be used, abused and discarded. Mr. Speaker, prostitution is one of our growing industries; our young women are increasingly selling themselves for favours. For the men: you give me sex and I will give you what you want. Our women need to be empowered, NOT sexpolited! I am pleased to state here today that the New Democratic Party, having refreshed its leadership and deepened its mandate for change, has its eyes set on a new Vincentian reality and a future of boundless possibilities of and for our people. What has not changed, however, is the poor state of our economy and the hardship people and businesses are currently enduring. After 16 years in power, the status quo has become stale, reactionary, petty and bitter. That status quo now depends on a policy of divide and rule to maintain its tenuous hold on power, using the largesse of the state to fatten its most loyal supporters, while the rest of the people get only the crumbs that fall from their corruptibles. I believe we can do much better than we are doing now. However, our priority must be the people. Put another way, government must always put our people first all the people. That is why we continue to call not just our traditional supporters, but people who have grown disenchanted by the culture of divisive politics that has developed under the ULP and yearn for a better day when we all come together to build our country as one nation, one people, one vincy. When we put our people first, we see more clearly that projects are important only to the extent that they improve peoples lives. This involves first and foremost providing jobs, especially for our young people trying to start their careers. It means creating a business climate that fosters entrepreneurship and investment and rewards both, irrespective of political coloration. It means giving farmers the support they need so that they will feel confident to cultivate their lands again. In short, it means putting the country back to working rebuilding our economy. In so doing, we can transform St. Vincent and the Grenadines into one of the most prosperous countries in the region, and this is my mandate, this is our goal as the New Democratic Party, nothing less. The Elections Petitions Appeal The appeals in the elections petitions filed by Mr. Benjamin Exeter and Mr. Lauron Baptiste, will be heard by the Court of Appeal on March 7, 2017. The hearing will take place in St. Lucia. The lawyers representing Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste will be Mr. Stanley John, QC, Mrs. Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, Mr. Keith Scotland and Ms. Maia Eustace. They, along with Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste, will travel to St. Lucia on Monday, March 6, 2017 for the hearing. As President of the New Democratic Party, I will also be present at the hearing. As you know, following the General Elections held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the 9th December 2015, two of the candidates for the New Democratic Party, Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste, filed petitions challenging the election results in Central Leeward and North Windward constituencies, respectively. As required by the legislation governing elections petitions, recognizances were signed by persons intending to be sureties to provide security for costs on behalf of the petitioners, so that the petitions could proceed. The Respondents in the matters, (i.e. the relevant Returning Officer, Presiding Officer, the Supervisor of Elections, Sir Louis Straker, Mr. Montgomery Daniel and the Attorney General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines) filed applications in the Court to have the petitions struck out on the basis that they had not met the requirements of section 58(1)(b) and (c) of The Representation of the People[s1] Act and Rule 9 of the House of Assembly (Election Petition Rules) 2014 which set out the procedure and conditions for providing security for costs. The application to strike out the petitions was heard before Justice Brian Cottle on the 4th March, 2016. At that hearing, the Petitioners lawyers made a preliminary objection to the application on the basis that the Court lacked jurisdiction to hear it at that stage of the petitions proceedings. Despite the objections of the lawyers for our candidates, the Judge proceeded to hear the application to strike out the petitions. In a written decision delivered on the 4th day of April, 2016, Justice Cottle ultimately agreed with our candidates lawyers and ruled that the petitions could not be struck at that stage of the proceedings. However, unusually, went on further to state that if the application to strike out the petitions were raised again , later, during the hearing of the petitions on their merits, it was bound to succeed. When the petitions came before Justice Cottle for hearing on the 16th June 2016, the motion to strike out the petitions was again brought by the Respondents. The motion was granted (as Justice Cottle had previously said would happen) and the petitions were struck out. Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste appealed against that decision striking out their petitions. After much delay and despite the efforts of the lawyers for Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste to have the appeal heard earlier, the appeal will finally be heard next Tuesday March 7, 2017. After the arguments are presented by the lawyers for both sides in the matter on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, it will be up to the Court of Appeal to decide whether Justice Cottle was right or wrong to strike out the petitions. We are confident that our Petitioners cases are strong and that the Court will grant the appeal and overturn Justice Cottles decision. Should the Court grant the appeal, the petitions will then be able to proceed to a hearing on their merits before a judge in the High Court. We believe that, based on the law and the evidence in the cases, our candidates Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste will win their legal battle. The New Democratic Party fully supports Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste in their efforts to see that justice is done for the people of Central Leeward and North Windward, and by extension, for the people of the country as a whole. Democracy in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is on trial in this case. Therefore, it is vitally important that it be pursued resolutely and be decided by the Court without further delay. It has been a long and frustrating battle for justice, but we will see it through to the end, and by the grace of God, Mr. Exeter and Mr. Baptiste will prevail and we will have fresh elections in this country. Introduction The primary obligation of the State is to provide an appropriate, and effective, framework for an acceptable level of citizen security. Citizens and visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines must be made to feel reasonably safe and secure in their homes, their places of work and at leisure, and as they generally go about their lawful business in a free society. Mr. Speaker, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a small country in which we tend to know one another face-to-face. We are overwhelmingly a law-abiding society. We are an educated and disciplined people. We have a sound system of law and order; and the Police Force is reasonably resourced with personnel and equipment. Yet, we have a level of criminal violence, perpetuated by a small minority, in our country; this is deeply troubling. We must do much, much better, in curbing the incidence of criminal violence committed by this hardy minority. I take this matter very seriously. It is correctly and widely accepted that the fight against crime is not in the province of the State apparatus alone. This fight is an all-encompassing enterprise involving the State institutions, the family, church, school, community, the mass media of communication, civil society, private security firms, businesses and labour, and individuals themselves in a partnership with appropriate regional and international institutions and government. We must all be on the same page in this fight within the context of a democratic society. State Institutions The principal State institutions engaged actively in the quest for optimal citizen safety and security are: the Law Courts, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the machinery for the administration of justice, the National Commission on Crime Prevention, the Police Force, in concert with relevant regional and international entities, including the Regional Security System, IMPACS (Implementation Agency for CARICOM Security), and INTERPOL. Each of these State institutions is reasonably well-resourced and performs creditably. The SVG Police Force is on the front-line of crime fighting. On the police establishment are 836 police officers, 15 Traffic Wardens, 20 Rural Constables, 99 Fire Officers, and 91 Coast Guard Officers, a grand total of 1,061 persons. The recurrent budget for the Police Force in 2017 is $27.6 million, for the Fire Services $3.7 million, and for the Coast Guard $4.2 million, an aggregate for these law and order institutions of $35.5 million. Additionally, the Prison Services have 131 prison officers and an annual recurrent budget of $5.8 million. In the 2017 Budget, the functional classification, "Public Order and Safety, has an impressive allocation of $63.8 million or 9 percent of the total recurrent budget, inclusive of amortization and Sinking Fund contribution. Mr. Speaker, in 2003, the government elaborated, and caused to be approved in this Honourable House a National Strategy on Crime Prevention. It has been updated and refined on an ongoing basis. This many-sided Strategy and consequential Work Plan have been, and are being, implemented. But any Strategy and Work Plan must be effected in practice by real flesh-and-blood beings, and better can always be done. Over the last sixteen years, the ULP government has done the following, among other things, to build the anti-crime fighting apparatus of the State: Reforming and expanding the Police Force; enhancing the Coast Guard facilities and vessels; attracting quality applicants to the Police Force; increasing the salaries and allowances for police officers; enlarging vastly the training opportunities for police officers; improving markedly the working conditions of the police through the construction and renovation of police stations across St. Vincent and the Grenadines; better equipping the Police Force in several areas including telecommunications, videography and recording equipment, criminal investigation, and vehicles; setting up the Forensic Laboratory; strengthening the legislative framework against crime, including tough laws on illegal guns; Police Youth Clubs and Community Policing have been established and we have strengthening the links between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and regional and international agencies in the fight against crime. More Discipline All of these efforts continue apace and new initiatives, particularly in intelligence gathering and analysis and crime detection, are being rolled out. Undoubtedly, the overwhelming majority of police officers are focussed, courageous, and diligent in fighting crime. Unfortunately, a minority of them are uninterested in policing and are possessed of a sedentary public service mind-set, trotting out lame excuses for their failure and/or refusal to do their duty with any sense of urgency or at all; often, these very ones are the perpetual complainers of this, that, and the other. The policy-makers and leadership of the Police Force, and the bulk of the disciplined police personnel have to address satisfactorily this challenge of a minority of none-performing police officers. It is a matter on which the public rightly complains. In 2017, the Police Force intends, according to its targeted Strategic Outcomes, to ramp up the percentage of arrests of persons reasonably suspected of committing crimes, especially violent crimes, and providing the basis for the prosecution of those against whom there is a reasonable prospect of conviction. The public expects that when accused persons are taken to the Law Courts that the presiding judicial officers be firm and fair. The public interest demands that justice be done in accordance with law and without unreasonable delay. Mr. Speaker, our government has embraced the formal request of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce to afford duty-free concessions to businesses which plan to install security cameras. I have asked that the Chamber work in concert with the Ministry of Information Technology and the Police Force to coordinate this matter. I am interested in providing the tax concessions to the very best security camera systems. As a mature people we must acknowledge that some persons, mainly a small minority of young men, are bent on a life of crime. Their impulses and pre-dispositions towards criminality, and corresponding criminal activism, are many and varied. Excuses must not, and cannot, be made for such persons particularly those who have no regard whatsoever for human life. We must focus on being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. In this mix, of especial concern, too, is the violent offender who is mentally twisted or deranged. In this regard, the Mental Health Services must work very closely with the Police, the Prosecutors, the Law Courts, and the Prisons. Often this is not done well enough or at all; the consequences of any neglect in this regard can be deadly. (TBTCO) - Theo cac chuyen gia tu DKRA Consulting, trong quy III/2024, thi truong bat ong san nha o TP. Ho Chi Minh va vung phu can ghi nhan nhieu dien bien tich cuc o cac phan khuc at nen; nha pho, biet thu. Mat bang gia so cap duy tri xu huong i ngang so voi thoi iem au nam. Du bao quy IV/2024, tinh hinh tang truong se ro net hon o mot so phan khuc voi su tac ong cua cac yeu to ve kinh te va chinh sach thi truong. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Casper College has named Brandon Kosine as its interim president. He begins his term on May 13, according to a press release from the school. Kosine will step out of his current position as vice president of academic affairs to lead Wyomings oldest junior college. He previously served as an associate director for student services, residence halls and campus activities at the University of Wyoming, taught psychology at Casper College and served as the colleges dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Kosine has a master of science in clinical psychology and a doctorate in counselor education and supervision, the press release states. As interim president, Dr. Kosine will lead Casper College through a period of transition and growth, working closely with stakeholders to ensure the continued success and advancement of the institution, it added. Both the board of trustees for the college and Kosine himself expressed excitement and optimism about the transition. We are delighted that Dr. Kosine has agreed to the interim president role for Casper College, board chair Steve Degenfelder said. His proven leadership, dedication to academic excellence and commitment to fostering a supportive campus environment make him the ideal choice to guide our institution during this transitional period. I am very excited to serve Casper College in this new role. It is truly an honor, Kosine said. Darren Divine, the colleges current president, announced in March that he will be leaving his post to pursue personal interests and spend more time with his family. The board of trustees is in the process of choosing a presidential search consultant. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO is in advanced negotiations to acquire the gas-rich Loran field from Venezuela, Energy Minister Stuart Young has revealed. Young made the announcement during the recently concluded budget debate which took place in the House of Representatives. The Loran-Manatee cross-border reservoir was discovered in 1983 and is estimated to contain ten trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas. A father yesterday called for police officers to be trained to handle people with mental health conditions, after his son was shot and killed by a municipal officer on Friday afternoon. He needed help and they kill him, Cleophas Noel said of his son, Elijah Noel. Cleophas said Elijah, 20, was schizophrenic. Chinese company issues carbon-neutral earphones Xinhua) 09:44, April 23, 2024 SHENZHEN, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A Shenzhen-based company on Monday released the world's first zero-carbon open-ear earbuds, the latest of a series of technological breakthroughs fast-tracked by China's "dual carbon goals." The Cleer ARC 3, produced by Shenzhen Grandsun Electronic Co., Ltd., was launched in Shenzhen, a tech hub in south China's Guangdong Province, coinciding with the global Earth Day celebration on Monday. The device features improved AI functions and an open-ear design, which allows users to remain aware of the sounds in their surroundings. Wu Haiquan, president of the company, said ARC 3 has obtained the carbon neutrality certificate by maximizing the use of recyclable materials, green electricity and equipment that consumes less power. Carbon-neutral production is a new yet burgeoning trend for consumer electronics. Apple last year announced its first carbon-neutral watch and has planned to make all its products carbon neutral by 2030. Industry insiders said despite more food and beverage products having achieved carbon neutrality in recent years, it remains rare for consumer electronics, whose production can involve hundreds of components and a long supply chain, to make the same breakthrough. "It is our hope to set an example and prompt other companies in the sector and along the supply chain to follow suit," Wu said. "Releasing more carbon-neutral products into the market can also help nurture a low-carbon consumption trend." Established in 1997 mainly as a supplier for global brands, Grandsun launched its Cleer brand in 2012. The company is committed to zero-carbon production partly as a response to China's calls for its manufacturers to shrink their carbon footprints, according to Wu. Under the "dual carbon goals" of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, China is avidly pushing for the use of clean energy and application of green technologies in the manufacturing sector. On the consumption end, the country is already the world's largest market of new energy vehicles (NEVs). Mickael Lefebvre, chief technology officer of Grandsun, said an ecosystem of low-carbon products is rapidly taking root in China, which benefits the development of new carbon-neutral products like ARC 3. "If consumers have already bought electric cars and fridges that emit less, then it's not a big leap for them to think their other devices need to have smaller carbon footprints. It's a natural progression," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A man riding in an ATV early Monday morning on Tucson's northwest side was thrown from the vehicle onto the road in a crash, where he was then struck and killed by a passing vehicle, authorities say. The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. on West El Camino Del Cerro just west of North Silverbell Road, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday in a news release. Thomas Balicki, 30, was a passenger in the ATV when it rolled on Camino del Cerro. He was thrown onto the pavement and the driver was pinned under the ATV, the release said. While in the road, Balicki was fatally struck by a passing vehicle. The driver of that vehicle stayed at the crash scene and cooperated with deputies. The driver who was pinned under the ATV was taken to the hospital. The investigation continues. A motorcyclist was killed Monday evening when he was struck by a vehicle that was making a left turn, Tucson police say. Randall Jacob Miller, 29, was riding a 2022 Kawasaki south on North Wilmot Road about 6:30 p.m. when he was struck by a northbound 2014 Toyota Rav4 that was turning left at East Fairmount Street, just north of East Speedway, Tucson police said Tuesday in a news release. Miller was taken to St. Josephs Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Miller was wearing a helmet, but lacked the proper motorcycle endorsement associated with his drivers license, the release said. The 19-year-old driver of the Toyota suffered minor injuries, police said. She was cited for causing death by a moving violation, a misdemeanor, the release said. OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma City police believe a father shot his wife and three of his children to death inside their Yukon-area home before turning the gun on himself, in what officials are calling a massacre. Melissa Jacques Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Melissa Jacques Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today OKLAHOMA CITY A Texas-style immigration bill, House Bill 4156, passed through the Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday with a vote of 39-8 and will now be sent to the governors desk. The southern border crisis has created a scourge of illegal activities, including an increase in fentanyl, human trafficking and crime in our communities because of the inaction and abject failure at the federal level to secure our borders, said Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Legislature is taking the necessary action to protect our citizens. Doing nothing is unconscionable, and this legislation is the appropriate measure to keep Oklahomans safe and uphold the rule of law. The bill would create the offense of impermissible occupation, which on the first offense would be punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to a year in jail or both. The second offense would be punishable by up to two years in prison, a fine of up $1,000 or both. After conviction or release from custody a person would have 72 hours to leave the state. The state Senate sent a clear message today that public safety is a priority in Oklahoma, State Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release after the vote. The Biden administration has been utterly derelict in its duty to enforce federal law. If the president wont secure the nations border, then our state must step in to protect Oklahomans. I appreciate President Pro Tempore Treat and Speaker McCall for their swift work on this bill, and I encourage Gov. Stitt to sign it into law. Before the vote was held, more than 200 people met on the Capitols North Plaza to protest the passage of the bill. The protest was organized by several groups, including the Oklahoma League of Latin American Citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and Dream Action Oklahoma. Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, and Rep. Arturo Alonso Sandoval, D-Oklahoma City, spoke at the rally, along with several organizers. They urged participants to reach out to the governor to ask him to veto HB 4156. During the vote, almost 100 people from the protest, mostly wearing white, sat in the gallery to watch senators discuss the legislation. According to House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, HB 4156 was written with input from the Attorney Generals Office, since other state-level immigration bills have faced legal scrutiny. Weve looked at Senate Bill 4, which was passed in the state of Texas. Weve looked at the sections that have been upheld by the court and those sections that have been overturned. This bill does not allow for deportation, but it is intended to discourage illegal immigration in the state of Oklahoma, McCall said when he introduced the bill. SB 4 passed through the Texas Legislature in November but has since been held up by legal challenges in federal court. The Texas bill would allow police officers to detain people suspected of being non-citizens and defines a new legal term of illegal entry. SB 4 also allows Texas judges to enact an order of removal, which works as a deportation mechanism on the state level. While SB 4 does not allow for sanctuary cities, it does prevent officers from enforcing this law in schools, churches, synagogues or health care facilities. The Oklahoma bill does not have such restrictions on where it can be enforced. The bill passed without either of the two amendments put forward by Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, one of which would have allowed some undocumented immigrants to avoid being subject to the law if they were willing to pay state and federal income taxes. Brooks said hes concerned that HB 4156 will ultimately be deemed unconstitutional, but he also thinks it will negatively affect the economy and workforce of Oklahoma. Drummond thinks the bill will withstand legal scrutiny. The attorney general made his staff available to legislative leaders to help craft the strongest possible law with the greatest chance of withstanding an expected challenge from the Biden administration, Phil Bacharach, communications director for Drummond, said in an email. At that time, the AG suggested that they use the framework of other bills, such as SB 4 in Texas, to determine what parts held up in court and which did not. Drummond said the measure is needed because of those who are in the country illegally and also committing crimes, not legal immigrants who follow our laws and enrich communities throughout Oklahoma. The Tulsa World is where your story lives U.S. tech giant Apple will further promote its cooperation and investment activities in Vietnam and spend more on component suppliers in the country in the coming time, Apple CEO Tim Cook affirmed recently. Cook was speaking at his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 16 in Hanoi during his two-day working visit to Vietnam. After briefing PM Chinh about Apple's operations in Vietnam, the Apple leader said he was satisfied with what Apple and its partners have achieved in their cooperation in the country, considering such cooperation a win-win and mutually beneficial relationship. Cook expressed his expectation that the two sides can continue working together toward even greater achievements in the future. PM Chinh told his guest that Vietnam will set up a working group to support Apple in investment and expansion of operations in the country in a rapid, robust, sustainable, and long-lasting' way. Cook affirmed that his company would work with the group to expand Apples high-quality cooperation and investment activities in the Southeast Asian nation in the coming time, especially for developing high-tech products and applications for the App Store. Apple will also buy more components and accessories manufactured by partners in Vietnam, while supporting the country in the field of creative innovation, the CEO promised. Cook affirmed that Apple values the participation of Vietnamese application developers in various Apple products around the globe. Apple has spent nearly US$16 billion on 150 Vietnamese suppliers since 2019, Cook stated. The Apple executive also proposed to PM Chinh potential areas of cooperation in clean energy, digital transformation, and human resource training. In particular, Cook pledged that Apple would expand vocational training programs for people with disabilities in Vietnam to promote their integration and create more opportunities for them to engage in supply chains. PM Chinh emphasized that there is ample room for cooperation between Vietnam and Apple, based on the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive strategic partnership, which was set up in September last year, whereby cooperation in science, technology, and innovation is deemed a key breakthrough in the bilateral ties. The Vietnamese leader suggested that Apple focus on expanding its investment and business activities in Vietnam, making the nation the companys manufacturing hub for its global markets. PM Chinh proposed that Cook continue to advocate for Apples supply chain partners to increase their investments in Vietnam and facilitate deeper engagement of Vietnamese entities in Apple's value chain. He also requested Apple to promote cooperation with innovation centers and software parks in Vietnam, especially the National Innovation Center, and support Vietnam in human resource training. Currently, Apple does not have a direct factory in Vietnam but maintains its presence through more than 70 partner plants that produce electronic parts and complete Apple products, providing jobs for 250,000 Vietnamese workers. Apple Vietnam Co. Ltd. is the official importer of Apple products in Vietnam with more than 40 distributors and over 5,000 authorized Apple stores, according to news site VnExpress. Last year, Apple opened its Apple Online Store in Vietnam and partnered with Vietnamese banks to launch Apple Pay service. Vietnam recently emerged as one of Apples important technology hubs outside of China, and the U.S. tech behemoth has asked suppliers to build production facilities in Vietnam for all Apple products except for iPhones, such as AirPods, MacBooks, Apple Watches, and iPads, according to Tap Chi Tai Chinh Dien Tu (Online Financial Magazine). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ninety-eight percent of Vietnamese households possess at least one Masan Consumer product, a testament to consumer trust, as per Kantar Worldpanel. Masan Consumer boasts five robust brands, each generating annual revenues exceeding VND2 trillion (US$78.5 million). 5 brands familiar to Vietnamese consumers According to its 2023 annual report, Masan Consumer had five brands achieving revenue of over VND2,000 billion each. These brands include CHIN-SU and Nam Ngu (spice industry), Omachi, KOKOMI (convenience food industry), and Wake-Up 247 (bottled drinks and nutritional drinks industry). Robust brands have been instrumental in bolstering Masan Consumer's gross profit margin, consistently maintaining it at elevated levels for many years, particularly in 2023, when it peaked at 45.9 percent, marking a record high. The top two positions in the top five above are a pair of brands familiar to Vietnamese consumers: CHIN-SU and Nam Ngu in the spice industry. In 2023, this industry continued to be the mainstay of the business with sales recorded at VND10,446 billion ($410.3 million), an increase of 18.2 percent compared to 2022. The CHIN-SU line of East Sea Anchovies Glass bottles was introduced to offer premium quality with a high-end and luxurious design, while Nam Ngu enhances Vietnamese specialties centered around fish sauce. The Nam Ngu Specialties collection includes a trio of ready-to-use fish sauces combined with ingredients from three regions, namely Nam Ngu Ly Son chili garlic, Nam Ngu Ky Son ginger chili, and Nam Ngu fresh Southern tamarind. Another industry that experienced sales growth is the convenience foods sector, with two brands, Omachi and KOKOMI, both logging sales of over VND2,000 billion. Experiencing a growth rate of 8.8 percent compared to 2022, the net revenue of this sector amounted to VND8,446 billion ($331.8 million), with revenue from high-end brands constituting 50 percent of the total. In 2023, a range of groundbreaking new products were launched, including the Omachi self-boiling hotpot, Pho Story, and Kokomi Dai 1 and a half packs, introducing fresh and valuable experiences to consumers. The Omachi self-boiling hotpot caters to the style and preferences of active, adventurous young people, while Pho Story blends the time-honored formula of renowned pho brands like Pho Thin Bo Ho. The 1 and a half packets of Kokomi Noodles offer increased weight without altering the price. CHIN-SU spring rolls carry the distinctive flavor of Vietnamese specialty spring rolls. The final product in the roster of Masan Consumer's top five, each with revenues surpassing VND2,000 billion, is Wake-Up 247, a brand within the bottled beverage and nutritional drink sector. In 2023, sales in this industry reached VND4,595 billion ($180.5 million), marking an expansion of 3.3 percent compared to 2022. Besides Wake-Up 247, Masan Consumer is dedicated to developing new bottled beverage products tailored to the preferences of Gen Z youth, with a focus on health, exemplified by offerings such as BUPNON TEA 365. Bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the world Last year, the economy encountered myriad challenges, reflected in the overall FMCG market experiencing a negative growth rate of two percent, according to Nielsen. However, with its efforts and innovations, Masan Consumer recorded a growth rate of 13.1 percent compared to 2022. The company has continuously launched new products to meet more diverse consumer needs, especially those of the young. In tandem with the strategy of premiumizing key products, Masan Consumer will also seek to expand development opportunities within industries such as cosmetics, personal care, and home care, among others. According to information from its latest annual report, the firm will focus on the Go Global - Make Vietnamese Food Global Food strategy in the near future. In 2023, this business successfully penetrated international markets, particularly targeting the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, with its flagship brand, CHIN-SU. Throughout this journey, CHIN-SU chili sauce has achieved prominence, securing a position among the top eight items on e-commerce site Amazon in the U.S. and claiming the top spot on the leading e-commerce site, Coupang, in South Korea. Given the existing potential within the regional consumer market, 2024 is anticipated to sustain the success trajectory for Masan Consumer as it progresses toward the goal of deriving 15 percent of its sales from international business by 2027. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam plans to send its officials and staff to the U.S. to promote trade, investment, tourism cooperation as well as to establish twinning partnerships with two U.S. cities. The provincial Department of Planning and Investment has suggested that necessary procedures be processed for the delegation to make a five-day business trip to the U.S. late next month. The 16-member delegation will be headed by Nguyen Hai Ninh, secretary of the provincial Party Committee, according to a proposal on the trip. The delegation is set to establish partnerships between Khanh Hoa and San Diego in California and Boston in Massachusetts; hold a conference to promote the coastal Vietnamese provinces investment, tourism, and trade in San Diego; and host a meeting with major investors in Boston. During the events, Khanh Hoa aims to showcase its strengths, leveraging its strategic location and well-developed infrastructure, which includes logistics facilities, seaports, and an international airport. The province also seeks to explore new potential markets for exporting its key products to the U.S.. The delegation will call on certain U.S. investment funds to collaborate with Vietnams major private conglomerate Vingroup to develop a global intelligence center in the provinces Cam Lam District, as well as to partner with Vietnams Sun Group to study the possibility of investing in the northern part of Khanh Hoas Van Phong Economic Zone. As part of the planned business trip, the delegation would seek to forge ties between U.S. firms in the fields of AI, semiconductors, information technology, and the Khanh Hoa-based Telecommunications University and Vietnamese tech giant FPT, which is exploring the possibility of investing in Khanh Hoas Nha Trang City. The Vietnamese officials will engage in discussions with the University of California, San Diego to explore a partnership wherein the U.S. university collaborates with VinUniversity, a private institution operated by Vingroup, to collectively support Khanh Hoa in developing a smart, environmentally friendly city. They will join several working sessions with other American universities like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University to explore cooperation opportunities to help Khanh Hoa-based healthcare and educational institutions enhance their capacity. The Vietnamese officials are expected to meet with leaders of the Boston Global Forum, which was founded to bring together thought leaders across the globe onto an open forum to address the issues that affect the world at large; discuss development issues in Khanh Hoa with scientists and experts; and learn about success stories of the Hollywood movie capital as well as nature conservation efforts in San Diego. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on ASEAN countries to ponder over strategic and comprehensive future planning in his opening remarks at the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 in Hanoi on Tuesday, saying the job is significant amid the increasingly fierce competition among regions and countries. The Vietnamese government leader said this competition poses great challenges to peace, solidarity, cooperation, and development in the region and the world as a whole. A boom of new technologies and digitalization has opened up breakthrough opportunities, but it also posed a risk of lagging behind, especially to developing and under-developed countries. He affirmed that ASEAN has never been in a better position than it is now, but it also has never faced more challenges after nearly six decades of establishment and development. ASEAN boosts dialogue, cooperation, and development with multiple initiatives. As the worlds fifth-largest economic bloc, its role has been recognized widely. Delegates attend the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 in Hanoi, April 23, 2024. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre However, the gap between members remains large and the regional collaboration is not close enough, meaning the bloc needs to have a strategic and comprehensive vision, improve its resilience capacity to grasp opportunities, and handle global headwinds for stable and sustainable development, PM Chinh affirmed. Being an ASEAN member for nearly three decades, Vietnam always considers the grouping among the top priorities in its foreign, economic, security, and national defense policies. Vietnam always does its utmost for a united and strong ASEAN with its improving position in the world, the Vietnamese leader said. He affirmed that Vietnams development is always in association with ASEAN and has obtained important achievements in all aspects. Nevertheless, the country has encountered many difficulties and challenges due to its status as a developing nation with a relatively small-scale economy that is highly open. Consequently, its ability to withstand external factors remains limited. This is also the challenge of other ASEAN countries, so the blocs unity, cooperation, and support are needed, PM Chinh noted. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always considers ASEAN among the top priorities in its foreign, economic, security, and national defense policies. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre ASEAN is looking to realize its goal of developing a dynamic, connected, and resilient community by 2045. PM Chinh suggested the bloc enhance solidarity and cooperation, bolster unity in diversity, promote its central role, respect differences, ensure harmonized benefits, and stay steadfast in its principles on regional and global security and development. The bloc should also enhance strategic confidence among its members and with its partners, contributing to conflict prevention and the maintenance of peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region and globally, added the Vietnamese prime minister. He urged ASEAN to intensify efforts in digital transformation, green development, circular economy, innovation, and startup initiatives to foster new and sustainable growth drivers while revitalizing traditional motivations. He also called on the bloc to enhance harmonized, sustainable, and inclusive development, mobilize resources, and create strategic breakthroughs in mechanisms, human resources, infrastructure, and national management. PM Chinh stated that Vietnam will persist in collaborating with ASEAN members and partners to forge a new path for the alliance and contribute to the blocs peace, cooperation, and development. He emphasized the principles of people-centricity and inclusivity, ensuring that no one is left behind. Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone delivers a speech at the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 in Hanoi on April 23, 2024. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone stressed that ASEAN members should keep integrating into the regional and global economic market. ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn hailed Vietnams initiative of hosting the ASEAN Future Forum 2024, saying that the nation has a great vision. The forum is prompt and vital amid the challenges and is an opportunity for countries to chew over their future plans. Themed 'Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centered ASEAN Community,' the one-day ASEAN Future Forum 2024 gathered nearly 500 delegates, including government leaders, business leaders, scholars, and partner countries, proving their interest in and positive response to Vietnams initiative. The forum was initiated by PM Chinh during the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in September last year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Seven workers were killed and three others injured at a cement factory in Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam on Monday, when an electrical motor incident happened on a stone crushing line at the plant, local authorities reported. The accident occured when a group of workers were doing repair and maintenance work on the crushing line at Yen Bai Cement Factory, operated by Yen Bai Cement and Minerals Joint Stock Company, located in the provinces Yen Binh District, at 1:30 pm on Monday. The incident killed seven workers on the spot and slightly wounded three others, who were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The malfunction of an electrical motor of the crushing line was blamed for the fatal accident, according to intial reports. Upon receiving a report of the accident, local police promptly rushed to the factory to assess the scene and initiate an investigation into the cause of the tragic incident. Yen Bai leaders arrived at the factory to gather information about the accident and instructed relevant agencies to manage the situation and provide assistance to the families of the victims. On the same afternoon, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Do Duc Duy visited Yen Bai General Hospital to offer gifts to the three injured victims. Duy asked the hospital to center its resources on treating the vicitms to help them recover and get discharged as soon as possible. The local Party chief also urged the company and relevant agencies to enhance labor discipline and intensify guidance and inspections to guarantee a safe working environment for employees. The company has suspended the operation of the factory to serve the ongoing investigation. Secretary of the Yen Bai Province Party Committee Do Duc Duy visits one of the three injured victims of the accident that occured at a factory of Yen Bai Cement and Mineral JSC on April 22, 2024. Photo: Manh Cuong / Tuoi Tre In a dispatch issued on Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended deep condolences to the families of the dead workers as well as kind regards to the injured victims. He urged local police to clarify the cause of the accident, identify the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals, and strictly punish their violations, if any. Initially, the families of the seven deceased victims will each receive VND228 million (US$9,000), comprising VND200 million ($7,860) from the company, VND18 million ($708) from the provincial administration, and the remainder from the district authorities, according to the Voice of Vietnam. Each injured person will be given a total amount of VND56 million ($2,200). A leader of the provincial police department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that police officers will initiate criminal proceedings for the deadly incident if they can find enough relevant grounds and evidence. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The administration in Ho Chi Minh City has tasked Thu Duc City and all districts with calling on residents to use fresh water sparingly and store it in a bid to respond to droughts, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion. The municipal administration has written to ask departments, agencies, Thu Duc City, and every district to take measures to adapt to droughts and saline intrusion during the dry season. They were told to closely monitor the progression of natural disasters and extreme weather events, particularly heatwaves, droughts, and saltwater intrusion, as well as the status of water resources. The city also required identifying areas at high risk of water shortages to ensure sufficient supply. Ho Chi Minh City will dredge canals and reasonably operate sluice gates to prevent saline intrusion to serve local residents daily life and production. The municipal Peoples Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to urge investors to speed up irrigation projects. The Department of Construction will have to coordinate with Saigon Water Corporation to adopt solutions to respond to the fresh water shortage risk. Many southern Vietnamese localities are facing a shortfall of fresh water caused by saline intrusion and prolonged drought. Earlier, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked officials to ensure sufficient fresh water supply to residents in the Mekong Delta as saltwater intrusion is forecast to continue in the region until mid-May. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A seventh-grader from a school in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City has been hospitalized after using an e-cigarette. A leader of the administration in Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3 told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday that local police were investigating the case. Preliminary information showed that a male ninth-grade student from Le Quy Don Middle School brought an e-cigarette pod onto the premises and passed it to a seventh-grade student also attending the same school. The seventh grader became dizzy after using the e-cigarette, so he was rushed to the schools medical room and then Children's Hospital 2 in District 1. Police in Vo Thi Sau Ward later rushed to the school to investigate the case. Previously, many parents of students at the school expressed concern upon learning that the seventh grader had been hospitalized after reportedly using drugs provided by the ninth grader. However, local authorities have clarified that the younger student used an e-cigarette, although it remains uncertain whether the e-cigarette contained drugs. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Hanoi are tracking the origin of a crocodile weighing some five kilograms that a resident caught in a local fishing lake several days earlier, a local official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday. Images from the case which happened in Hoang Liet Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi surfaced on social media on Monday. The ward government confirmed the information, saying that it received the news on Saturday last week. A leader of the authorities in Hoang Liet Ward said the crocodile was caught when it was floating on the surface of the lake. He added that the reptile might have come from another place as the ward has no crocodile farms. We will identify the origin of the crocodile to prevent similar cases, the official noted. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam's state utility EVN aims to borrow thousands of diesel generators from its customers in order to avoid a rotational power cut plan amid the surging demand for electricity. Borrowing these generators is one of the firms solutions to a potential dearth of power in Vietnam. In the first three months, the total volume of power produced and imported amounted to nearly 70 billion kWh, 1.35 billion kWh higher than the firms plan, and up 10.4 percent year on year, according to EVN. To meet the demand for electricity, the firm made the best use of gas- and coal-fired power that exceeded 1.98 billion kWh of the plan. Meanwhile, hydropower reservoirs generated 11.3 billion kWh of electricity during the three-month period. As temperatures are soaring to as high as 39 degrees Celsius in many parts of Vietnam, EVN is preparing many solutions for preventing a shortage of power, especially during the dry season. Among these solutions are borrowing generators from customers, enhancing power transmission, and regulating water at hydropower reservoirs, as well as ensuring the supply of coal and liquefied natural gas. EVN said that the northern region has over 2,700 spare diesel generators with a total capacity of over 3,060 MVA of electricity. Besides, EVN had previously negotiated with China to raise its import of power to 1.8 billion kWh, climbing some 700 million kWh against the plan. The state utility will also increase the purchase of electricity from Laos to meet the needs of Vietnamese people. In addition, EVN is speeding up work on the Ialy hydropower plant expansion project in late 2024, and will complete the Hoa Binh hydropower facility project in 2025. The firm will finish the construction of the Quang Trach thermal power plant in 2026, and is set to break ground for several hydropower plant expansion projects at the end of the year. Furthermore, EVN will step up efforts to complete the installation of power transmission lines nationwide. Many cities and provinces in the central and southern regions are experiencing baking hot weather, with the highest temperature reaching 39 degrees Celsius on Monday, according to the national weather center. Searing heat is pushing up demand for air conditioning and electric fans, resulting in an upsurge in power consumption in many localities nationwide. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The rainy season in the Central Highlands and southern regions of Vietnam is starting later than usual this year, with the southeast provinces and cities forecast to receive rain first. The southern hydro-meteorological station reported that while the rainy season typically begins in late April to early May each year in southern Vietnam, it is expected to start between May 10 and 20 this year. From May 10 to 15, the rainy season will commence in several places, including the southeast provinces and cities, except Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, followed by the Mekong Delta provinces of Ca Mau, Kien Giang, and Hau Giang. The provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tien Giang, and Ben Tre will experience the onset of the rainy season later. It is expected that the entire southern region will enter the rainy season from May 17 to 22. The first half of May marks the transition from the dry season to the rainy season, characterized by dangerous weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, whirlwinds, and especially heavy rains and lightning. This period will provide relief from the prolonged hot weather in the Central Highlands and the south. Starting in June, the southwest monsoon is likely to strengthen, increasing the likelihood of rain. The rainy season in the southern provinces is significantly influenced by the activity of the southwest monsoon, which originates from the sea and forms over areas with high sea surface temperatures, said Le Dinh Quyet, head of the weather forecast division under the southern hydro-meteorological station. This monsoon brings hot, humid air masses laden with abundant moisture, resulting in rainfall over the mainland. Drought, water shortages expected in northern, central regions Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, said that the El Nino phenomenon, which has caused temperatures across Vietnam to be 0.5-2 degrees Celsius higher and rainfall levels lower than the average of previous years, will persist over the next three months, from May to July, but its intensity will gradually weaken. Afterward, it is likely to transition to a neutral state with a 75-80 percent probability. Thunderstorms with egg-sized hail heavily damage Suoi On and Trung Thanh Villages in Kim Bon Commune, Phu Yen District, Son La Province, northern Vietnam, April 20, 2024. Photo: P.Yen / Tuoi Tre Currently, the hot depression in the west is gradually strengthening, causing temperatures in the northern region and provinces and cities from Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen to rise from May to July. This year, hot weather and intense heat are likely to occur more frequently than usual during this period, Lam cautioned. He added that the onset of the rainy season in the northern and central regions is expected to align with the typical time frame observed over many years. Lam also noted that from May to July, rainfall in the north should match the average levels seen in past years. The scant rainfall combined with increased heat will lead to lower water levels in major rivers and reservoirs in the northern region during these three months. For instance, the flow to large reservoirs on the Da River will be 30-40 percent below average, although Hoa Binh Lake may see higher levels in May due to upstream water releases. The flow to Thac Ba Lake from the Chay River and Tuyen Quang Lake from the Gam River is expected to be 20-30 percent below the norm. In the central region, rainfall in May will be generally 10-30 percent below the multi-year average. By June, precipitation should align with typical levels. In July, rains in the north-central region should meet the annual average, while the central and south-central regions may see a 15-30 percent increase. Salt workers rake salt under the scorching sun in Ninh Hai District, Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam, April 2024. Photo: Duy Ngoc / Tuoi Tre The central region could face drought conditions lasting from the latter half of this month through July. Water levels on rivers in the central region will change slowly in late April and May, with more significant fluctuations forecast for June and July in the upper reaches of rivers in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces, whereas other rivers will see slower changes. Flow rates on rivers in Thanh Hoa Province, the Ta Trach River in Thua Thien-Hue Province, the Tra Khuc River in Quang Ngai Province, and rivers in Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, and northern Binh Thuan Provinces will be approximately 10-30 percent higher than the average for many years. However, other rivers will experience flow rates 15-55 percent lower than the multi-year average. Specifically, the Ben Hai River in Quang Tri Province, the Ba River in Phu Yen Province, and the La Nga River in Binh Thuan Province will see significant reductions, with flow rates 65-80 percent below the long-term average. From May to July this year, drought and water shortages will affect provinces from Quang Tri to Quang Nam, and from Phu Yen to Binh Thuan, especially in areas outside the water supply zones of irrigation projects, Lam noted. Lams meteorological agency also predicted that the number of storms and tropical depressions in the East Vietnam Sea from now until July will be below the multi-year average, with an expected two to three storms. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Network 10 is asking the Federal Court for all costs from August last year to be paid by Bruce Lehrmann, after a judge found the former Liberal staffer raped Brittany Higgins who was too intoxicated to consent. 10s barrister Matt Collins KC submitted that Lehrmann was so bad in bringing the lawsuit that he should be hit with indemnity costs. Mr Lehrmann brought this proceeding on a deliberately wicked and calculated basis, 10s submission said. He put Network 10 to the cost of defending this proceeding, which can be, with the benefit of hindsight, described as a clear abuse of process aimed at concealing the truth that Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins. Documents also revealed a walk away offer was made on August 31 2023. The terms of the offer were that: (a) the proceeding be dismissed without any admission of liability, and (b) there be no order as to costs. Despite 10 giving Mr Lehrmann until September 15 2023 to consider the offer, he rejected it less than two hours after it was made. Mr Lehrmanns submission states he did not accept that offer because it did not afford him an opportunity for vindication. Mr Lehrmanns submission also requests compensation, stating Network 10 embarked on a qualified privilege defence which was bound to fail. It was their case that they had acted reasonably in publishing The Project broadcast, the submission states. In short, none of the qualified privilege defences were successful. Given this courts findings as to the failure of those defences and the fundamental missteps taken by the respondents in publishing The Project broadcast it is open to this court to conclude that the applicant should be compensated for the time and expense in having to establish that the qualified privilege defences were bound to fail. Lehrmanns legal team proposed an appropriate exercise of the courts discretion on costs. Meanwhile, in their submission, Ms Wilkinsons lawyer agreed with Network 10, submitting to the court that Mr Lehrmann should be ordered to pay Ms Wilkinsons costs of the proceedings. 10 submitted that a referee should be appointed to inquire into and prepare a report to the court as to whether specified costs were reasonably incurred [by Wilkinson] and hence within the scope of an indemnity, under which 10 would cover costs properly incurred and reasonable in amount. 10 noted that if Lehrmann is unable to satisfy an order for costs made against him, and Ms Wilkinson is unable to recover her costs from Mr Lehrmann, Network 10 will have some residual liability to reimburse Ms Wilkinson for part of her costs incurred in defending the proceeding. It is unlikely Lehrmann has the financial means to meet any costs order. The combined costs of the proceedings have been estimated at $10 million. The parties return to court on May 1 for a costs hearing. Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 Source: ABC, Sydney Morning Herald. Updated: Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate Pledger. Police said the actor was known to frequent Northcote, in inner Melbourne, and the surrounding areas. They described him as approximately 170 centimetres tall with brown hair and a tanned complexion. Earlier: Former Home & Away and Neighbours actor Orpheus Pledger is at large after he was due in court on serious assault charges. Pledger, 30, faces serious charges related to an alleged assault and causing injury. He has been on remand since March 27th and appeared via video link last week when his matter was mentioned briefly. Yesterday Pledger was sent under police escort to Royal Melbourne Hospital about 3.30am to undergo a mental health assessment and was due to return to Melbourne Magistrates Court. Pledgers lawyer, Jasper MacCuspie, said there is no way to contact him. Pledgers bail was revoked for his case to be heard again on May 10 and an application for an arrest warrant was made to court. Pledger who played Mason Morgan on Home & Away from 20162019 drew headlines in mid-2018 after saving a woman from a violent assault by a hooded predator in Surry Hills. He later appeared in SAS Australia in 2022. Source: news.com.au, Daily Mail, The Age. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Another foreign Journalist leaves India over reporting restrictions Avani Dias, South Asia Bureau Chief for Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), left India alleging that Modi government was upset because of her reporting and restricted her from covering the 2024 Parliamentary Elections. Wednesday April 24, 2024 1:15 AM , ummid.com News Network New Delhi: Avani Dias, South Asia Bureau Chief for Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), left India alleging that Modi government was upset because of her reporting and restricted her from covering the 2024 Parliamentary Elections. Taking to social media platform X, Avani Dias, said the Indian government first refused to extend her visa. Her visa was extended after intervention by the Australian government but with a caveat - .she will not be allowed to cover the 2024 Parliament Elections. Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting crossed a line. After Australian Government intervention, I got a mere two-month extension ...less than 24 hours before my flight (sic), she wrote on X. We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls the mother of democracy, she added. Avani Dias left India more than two months after Vanessa Dougnac , a French Journalist, similarly left India. Vanessa, who has been living in India for 25 years now, has studied, married an Indian and has a son. Vanessa Dougnac left India amid expulsion threat and fearing her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status will be cancelled. Foreign Media Protest As many as 30 foreign correspondents in India have protested against the treatment of journalists in India. We would like to register our strong protest at the treatment by Indian authorities of our colleague, Avani Dias, they said in an open letter. Foreign journalists in India have grappled with increased restrictions on visa and journalism permits for those holding the status of Overseas Citizen of India. The circumstances of Avanis departure are further cause for concerns, they said. We call on the Indian government to facilitate the vital work of a free press in line with Indias democratic traditions, they said. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Protests against Israel spread to Harvard, Yale and other elite varsities in United States The pro-Palestinian students, a number of them Jews, are demanding that their schools condemn Israels assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Tuesday April 23, 2024 3:20 PM , ummid.com News Network [The pro-Palestinian students, a number of them Jews, are demanding that their schools condemn Israels assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel.] Washington/New York: The pro-Palestine and anti-war protest against the Israeli barbarism in Gaza Monday snowballed and spread to Harvard, Yale, MIT and other elite universities of the United States after use of force against students in Columbia University. In-person classes in Columbia cancelled According to Associated Press, Columbia cancelled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at Yale and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public Monday April 22, 2024 as some of the most prestigious US universities sought to diffuse campus tensions over Israels war with Hamas. In addition to the demonstrations at the Ivy League schools, pro-Palestinian encampments have sprouted up on other campuses, including the University of Michigan, Yale University, New York University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), news agency AP said. Watch Video #NOW Hundreds continue to protest on Yale University grounds after encampment was cleared and 42 people were arrested this morning. Video by Peter H Desk@freedomnews.tv to license https://t.co/tfwNhhS9E8 pic.twitter.com/X6eLdNfpCR Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) April 22, 2024 The pro-Palestinian students, a number of them Jews, are demanding that their schools condemn Israels assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Apart from Columbia, as many as 45 students protesting against the Israeli war in Gaza were also arrested by the police at Yale University, according to Yale Daily News, the universitys paper. The New York Police also arrested dozens of student and faculty protesters at New York University Monday night. Meanwhile, a number of teaching faculty members Monday held a mass walkout against the Columbia University's decision to allow the police to arrest the students. The members of the teaching facility walked with the students, who were arrested and suspended last week, to show their support for these pro-Palestine protesters. Faculty Members Join Protests The teachers held solidarity protests as students again erected tents in the middle of campus on Monday April 22, 2024 after they were torn down days back when police arrested some 108 students of the Columbia University in New York. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, who is being referred as Genocide Joe for his support to Israeli killing of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank instead of listening to the students legitimate demands called them anti-semitic. Speaking about the pro-Palestine protests which have rocked elite university campuses, Joe Biden said: "I condemn the anti-semitic protests. That's why I've set up a programme to deal with that. I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians." In a related development, Columbia University President Nemat Shafik called for a need for "a reset" in an open letter to the university community. "Over the past days, there have been too many examples of intimidating and harassing behaviour on our campus," Shafik said. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. IT ecosystem of Kerala gearing up to make a splash at GITEX Global-2024 11 Oct 2024 | 7:18 PM Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 11 (UNI) Kerala IT ecosystem is gearing up to make a significant impact at GITEX Global-2024. see more.. India's factory output contracts 0 1 pc in August 11 Oct 2024 | 7:02 PM New Delhi, Oct 11 (UNI) India's factory output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) contracted 0.1% year-on-year (YoY) in August 2024, as per official data released on Friday. see more.. India factory output contracts 0 1 pc in August 11 Oct 2024 | 6:12 PM New Delhi, Oct 11 (UNI) India's factory output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) contracted 0.1% year-on-year (YoY) in August 2024, as per official data released on Friday. see more.. 11 Oct 2024 | 5:48 PM UNI NK CS1748. see more.. HA NOI Credit institutions have proposed to raise the cap of small loans not requiring feasible capital use plans and related person information from VN100 million to VN400 million. The proposal was made as the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has recently published draft amendments to the Circular 39/2016/TT-NHNN regulating lending activities of credit institutions and foreign bank branches to customers. Accordingly, for small loans not exceeding VN100 million, borrowers will not have to provide feasible capital use plans and related person information to credit institutions. The draft policy aims to simplify procedures for granting loans with small value, which will contribute to creating more favourable conditions for customers to access bank credit for daily life and consumption demands to minimise illegal usury. Besides, it will help banks expand lending activities. Banks suggested raising the value limit for small loans, especially credit cards and overdrafts, because borrowers often ask for such small loans to meet consumer needs so it is difficult for them to have adequate and accurate reports to prove feasible capital use plans. For loans with small value, it is not feasible to require borrowers to provide reports on loan capital usage and prove that the loan is used for the correct purpose stated in the loan agreement, banks explained. Besides, credit institutions propose that the circular issue simpler regulations on documents and procedures to prove borrowers' financial capacity, purpose of capital use and inspection of loan use for small value loans. Regarding the draft regulation, Mai Thi Trang, deputy director of the SBVs Monetary Policy Department, said the law currently does not have regulations on a small value. It is almost a new concept. The drafting committee has decided to choose the VN100 million mark as a small value after referring to a number of regulations on consumer loans of finance companies. Under Circular 43/2016/TT-NHNN on consumer loans of finance companies, the cap for consumption outstanding loans does not exceed VN100 million. In addition, the committee has also based on Circular 06/2023/TT-NHNN that regulates outstanding loans for individual customers to serve life needs. Under the circular, outstanding loans of an individual borrower at a credit institution must not exceed VN100 million. At the same time, according to the latest statistical report of the General Statistics Office, Viet Nam's GDP per capita in 2023 is estimated to reach about VN101.9 million. Therefore, the mark of VN100 million is the legal basis for the drafting committee to research and propose that a small loan is worth VN100 million in the draft circular, Trang said. VNS HA NOI A number of solutions are being implemented to basically ensure sufficient power supply for the coming dry season, although the pressure from rising electricity usage demand is significant. According to Nguyen Quoc Trung, deputy director of the National Load Dispatch Centre, 2024 is forecast to see strong growth in electricity demand across the country, especially the North. It is estimated that the electricity demand will increase by 9.6 per cent this year, the highest since 2018. In the first months of this year, although the hot season has not yet come, electricity demand has already increased by around 11 per cent. The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that heat will come earlier this year which might weigh on the electricity supply system, especially of the northern region, as overall demand for electricity is rising. The National Load Dispatch Centres latest report showed that the demand for electricity in the North for the peak dry season from April to July might reach 27,481MW, a rise of 17 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, the total electricity output, both produced and imported, of the northern power system is estimated to increase by around 10 per cent to 52.3 billion kWh. With an increasing rate of 10 per cent per year in the electricity demand, the northern region might need a new hydroelectricity plant with an annual capacity of estimated 2,500MW put into operation every year. This is to say that the electricity supply is under significant pressure, Trung said. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in the context of unfavourable hydrological conditions in the first three months of this year, thermal power sources have been raised to meet the load demand. Power transmission from the southern and central regions to the North has also increased. The electricity supply for 2024 will basically be guaranteed, the ministry said. However, with hydropower accounting for more than 34 per cent, the northern region might face imbalances in electricity supply and demand, especially if the hydrological situation is affected by climate change or incidents in coal-fired power plants occur. It is vital to add new power supply sources for the North, according to the ministry. Solutions For the coming dry season, the National Load Dispatch Centre has stored water in reservoirs which will be used at times of need, especially at the hottest time in May, June and July. To date, water storage at reservoirs is estimated to be enough to produce 11 billion kWh, around four billion kWh higher than the same period in 2023. Of note, the centre has developed scenarios for power generation from diesel oil and fuel oil. Viet Nam Electricity is also hastening the effort to put LNG-fired power plants into operation. Checks are being carried out to minimise the risks of incidents in electricity production, transmission and distribution. Nguyen The Huu, deputy director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Viet Nam, said that balancing electricity supply and demand in peak months of this years dry season will be challenging as demand might rise higher than expected. Electricity companies are actively developing solutions to ensure adequate electricity supply for the coming dry season and the entire year. The electricity supply will be basically guaranteed if there are no unusual developments, Huu said. He stressed that it is also necessary to increase energy savings and adjust the load to reduce the pressure during peak hours. At a working session on April 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked for efforts to ensure sufficient power supply for production and daily activities under any circumstances. Chinh said that to ensure adequate electricity supply, focus must be placed on every stage from production, loading, distribution, usage and price. Accordingly, it is necessary to effectively operate all power plants, diversify generation sources and speed up the implementation of major power projects, including the 500kV Quang Trach-Pho Noi Project to bring electricity from the central and southern regions to the North. The 500kW Quang Trach Pho Noi transmission project is expected to be completed this June. He also asked relevant businesses to ensure adequate supply of gas, oil and coal for electricity generation. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan said at the ministrys quarterly conference that with a combination of solutions, power shortages are not expected to occur in 2024 and the following years. The northern region faced serious electricity shortage in late May and early June 2023, resulting in rotating power outage which significantly affected production and daily activities. An estimation by the World Bank showed that the electricity shortage last year caused damage of around $1.4 billion, equivalent to 0.3 per cent of the countrys gross domestic product. VNS HA NOI Viet Nams tech giant FPT plans to build a $200 million artificial intelligence (AI) factory using Nvidia's graphics chips and software, as announced on Tuesday, in a comprehensive strategic partnership with NVIDIA. The partnership aims to offer a one-stop shop for AI & Cloud consisting of AI products, GPU infrastructure, tech experts and domain expertise for clients in Viet Nam and all FPTs presence areas. This will be attained by establishing AI factories for AI research and development in the region, expanding advanced AI and cloud capabilities on a global scale, and fostering a future-ready workforce in technology. The AI factory will serve as a sovereign cloud and will feature NVIDIAs latest technologies, including NVIDIA AI Enterprise software and frameworks and NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs. This initiative is a critical part of FPTs strategy in reinforcing AI research and development, creating AI applications and solutions with a focus on generative AI, autonomous driving, and green transformation for sustainability. This empowers FPT to realise the vision of transforming Viet Nam into an AI nation and accelerating the adoption of AI applications in Asia, specifically Viet Nam, Japan and Korea. AI Factory will provide cloud GPU services to accompany FPT's corporate customers globally to access the most core resources to improve research capacity, accelerate the speed of AI application, especially Generative AI, achieving breakthroughs in improving productivity and customer experience. At the same time, it helps FPT accelerate the construction and development of AI platforms and applications with higher value for customers in all industries. As part of the collaboration, FPT has joined the NVIDIA Partner Network as a Service Delivery Partner and aims to become a Global Systems Integrator, leveraging the full potential of NVIDIA's cutting-edge products and technologies to develop bespoke cloud services, hardware, software and, most importantly, generative AI solutions. Prioritising three key verticals, including automotive, manufacturing, banking, financial services and insurance, FPT will offer end-to-end generative AI services, empowering businesses to unlock the next level of productivity and automation. The integrations will enhance FPTs AI labs while introducing new software frameworks. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr. Truong Gia Binh, FPT Corporation Chairman and Founder, affirmed that FPT is committed to Digital transformation, AI, Cloud, and Education. FPT strives to enhance our R&D competence and establish a comprehensive platform for state-of-the-art products and services built on AI and Cloud that exceeds global demands, working to achieve its vision to turn Vietnam into an AI hub of the world through collaboration with NVIDIA in technology, business development, and training. Also at the signing ceremony, Keith Strier, NVIDIA Vice President of Worldwide AI Initiative, said By accelerating innovation in healthcare, agriculture, climate, manufacturing, and more, AI has the potential to improve lives and strengthen the economies of every nation. FPT is working with NVIDIA to empower organizations across Viet Nam to drive transformation, helping the country become an AI nation. VNS HA NOI Leaders from ASEAN countries, along with representatives from businesses and partner nations, met on Tuesday for a dynamic discussion on opportunities and challenges within ASEAN's digital economic cooperation. The roundtable, part of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024, was co-chaired by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, the current ASEAN Chair. Under the theme "Towards a cohesive, resilient and sustainable ASEAN business community: Seizing opportunities in the digital age", participants engaged in dialogues aimed at fostering closer collaboration among ASEAN members and their partners in digital economic development. Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone emphasised the significance of digital transformation, highlighting the need for enhanced cooperation among various stakeholders, including businesses, governments and international partners. As the 2024 ASEAN Chair, he underscored Laos's commitment to promoting e-government initiatives and fostering a conducive policy framework to leverage digital technology for regional competitiveness. The discussion focused on various aspects, including forming an ASEAN digital economic ecosystem, e-commerce development, semiconductor supply chain enhancement and applying artificial intelligence (AI) in governance. Representatives also addressed the importance of building high-quality digital human resources and improving the investment environment to attract high-tech investments. At the forum, Scott Beaumont, President of Google Asia-Pacific, underscored ASEAN's status as a dynamic region characterised by integration and connectivity. Google, he noted, takes pride in its role in advancing ASEAN's digital transformation and is committed to closing the digital gap across the region. In Viet Nam, Beaumont highlighted Google's active involvement in nurturing technological talent, especially in the realm of AI, while simultaneously focusing on developing digital platforms, applications and data resources. Acknowledging the significant digital economic potential within ASEAN, Beaumont stressed the necessity for strategic investments. This includes bolstering infrastructure, enhancing human capital through training initiatives, prioritising research and development efforts and establishing data centres, particularly at the national level. Moreover, Beaumont emphasised the importance of fostering a robust legal framework to ensure that investors can effectively pursue their objectives within ASEAN's burgeoning digital landscape. Vietjet Air's CEO, inh Viet Phuong, highlighted the airline's embrace of AI technologies, citing their deployment to revolutionise aviation operations. He noted Vietjet's investment in cutting-edge technology projects, including the Galaxy Innovation Hub, attracting global businesses. Phuong urged enhanced multilateral cooperation, advocating for shared resources and technology between governments and businesses. He proposed the development of AI-focused incubators and research areas, emphasising the importance of network security and data protection within ASEAN. He called for expanded opportunities for businesses to invest in the ASEAN common market, promoting sustainable development. Takeo Nakajima, Chief Representative of the Japan Trade External Trade Organisation (JETRO), underlined the need to enhance policy frameworks to attract high-tech investments. He advocated for developing resilient digital infrastructure, supporting high-tech machinery acquisition and collaborating between academia, research and businesses. Nakajima also stressed the importance of copyright protection and fostering large-scale businesses capable of undertaking significant investment projects. Three priority areas and breakthrough directions The seminar concluded with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commending constructive input from participants, affirming the imperative of digital transformation for ASEAN's sustainable development. The Vietnamese Prime Minister highlighted several favourable factors propelling ASEAN's digital economic development. These include its strategic geographic and economic positioning, a sizable consumer market, a youthful population demographic, burgeoning middle-class growth, swift economic recovery, extensive economic cooperation networks, and robust growth of the ASEAN digital economic ecosystem. ASEAN's digital economic revenue is projected to hit US$100 billion in 2023, marking an eight-fold increase from 2016. Experts anticipate this figure to soar beyond $1 trillion by 2030. The completion of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Digital Economy (DEFA) by the end of 2025 is poised to establish the world's inaugural regional digital economy agreement. Prime Minister Chinh emphasised Viet Nam's push for increased cooperation within the ASEAN business community, investors and partners to advance three digital economic priority areas, including developing the ICT industry, promoting digitalisation in science and technology-linked sectors, and enhancing digital management and data development. He urged ASEAN members, partners and businesses to collaborate for faster digital transformation, revitalising growth drivers and creating new opportunities. Additionally, support in finance, knowledge sharing and technology transfer is crucial. He also emphasised the importance of setting global standards for digital transformation and enhancing digital governance and security. He proposed three breakthrough directions to position ASEAN as a global model in digital transformation, emphasising inclusivity, self-reliance and global cooperation. He called for concerted efforts to address common challenges and foster innovation-driven growth across ASEAN industries. VNS HA NOI Falls in large-cap stocks weighed on the market yesterday, causing all benchmark indices to lose more than 1 per cent. The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) finished lower at 1,177.4 points, down 12.82 points, or 1.08 per cent. The index gained over 15 points in the previous session, thanks to rising risk appetite. On the southern bourse, 240 stocks ticked down while 89 rose. However, liquidity increased from Monday's trade, with trading value up 9.4 per cent to nearly VN17.5 trillion (US$687.1 million). This was equivalent to a trading volume of 778.3 million shares. Cash flow showed clear signs of focusing on buying the bottom of blue-chip stocks. The VN30-Index, tracking the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE, declined by 6.27 points, or 0.52 per cent, to 1,200.37 points. Twenty-four ticker symbols in the VN30 basket closed the session lower while six climbed. Real estate, banking and manufacturing industries dominated the market's trend today. Leading the downturn was Vinhomes (VHM) as shares of the property developer tumbled more than 3 per cent. It was followed by Vietnam Rubber Group (GVR), Vietinbank (CTG), BIDV (BID), Vingroup (VIC), MBBank (MBB) and Masan Group (MSN). All the stocks lost at least 2.4 per cent. Many stocks in the securities sector also reported poor performances: SSI Securities Corporation (SSI) fell over 1.7 per cent, Saigon - Hanoi Securities JSC (SHS) plunged 2.72 per cent, VNDirect Securities Corporation (VND) shed nearly 2.5 per cent and VIX Securities JSC (VIX) dropped 3.5 per cent. On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index also reversed the recovery course to close Tuesday at 222.63 points, down 2.68 points, or 1.19 per cent. Investors poured nearly VN1.4 trillion into the northern bourse, equal to a trading volume of more than 74 million shares. On the other hand, foreign investors extended the net selling tendency as they net sold over VN291.9 billion on HoSE. However, they still net bought VN21.62 billion on HNX. VNS HA NOI Suntory PepsiCo hosts the Mizuiku Global Summit 2024 at the Embassy of Japan in Ha Noi on April 23. This marks a significant milestone as the Mizuiku Global Summit is convening for the first time outside Japan, with Viet Nam as its host nation. This three-day event also commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Mizuiku programme globally and the 10th anniversary of Mizuiku - I Love Clean Water in Viet Nam. "Two decades ago, we initiated Suntory Mizuiku an education programme aimed at fostering water conservation and protection among elementary school students. This programme stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to the sustainable development of water resources. Through initiatives like Mizuiku, we hope to enhance access to clean water for children today and in the future, instilling in them a sense of responsibility towards protecting the environment and precious water resources, said Masaaki Fujiwara, Chief Sustainability Officer, Suntory. Viet Nam was the first country outside Japan to be chosen for the expansion of the project in 2015, under the name "Mizuiku I love Clean Water". With the philosophy of sustainable water development, the programme pursues two primary goals: educating elementary school students about water conservation and providing infrastructure support to improve access to clean water for children and communities. The Mizuiku programme is designed comprehensively, with activities both within and outside of schools, stimulating creativity and thinking among students through active education methods, while nurturing their love for and awareness of nature through experiences such as forest expeditions in national parks. After almost a decade, "Mizuiku I Love Clean Water" has been implemented in 24 provinces and cities nationwide in Viet Nam, educating over 400,000 elementary school students. The programme has also enhanced access to clean water for millions of pupils and teachers through the renovation of school water facilities. 2023 marked a significant milestone for the programme as it officially collaborated with the Ministry of Education and Training. The teaching materials Guidelines for organising teaching and learning about water conservation and protection for primary schools have been reviewed, approved and integrated into the national primary education curriculum by the Ministry of Education and Training of Viet Nam. Director General of the Physical Education Department, Ministry of Education and Training, Nguyen Thanh e said: The 'Mizuiku - I Love Clean Water' programme stands out as an exemplary initiative of the comprehensive partnership between the government and the private sector to achieve a shared goal. It has provided tangible benefits to the community, the environment, society, and the younger generation in Viet Nam. The year 2023 represented the first year of partnership in implementing the initiative, and the initial results have been extremely remarkable." Amidst the three-day Summit, April 23 saw the announcement of the winners of the "Nurture the flow, Future will flow" photo contest and the premiere of the photo exhibition organised by Mizuiku Vietnam under the endorsement of the Embassy of Japan. The "Nurture the flow, Future will flow" Photo Exhibition will be open to the public free of charge from April 23 to May 2 at the Embassy of Japan at 27 Lieu Giai Street, Ba inh District, Ha Noi. VNS JAKARTA Amid heightened activity at several volcanoes across the country, authorities have urged the public to stay vigilant about potential eruptions and to refer only to information from credible sources. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) maintained on Saturday the level of Awas (warning) for Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi. Also known as a red alert, the center first imposed the highest level of the four-tier national alert system on the volcano after a series of eruptions on Wednesday. Aside from Mt. Ruang, five other volcanoes still remain at the third-highest Siaga (watch; orange alert) level: Mt. Awu in North Sulawesi, Mt. Ile Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Mt. Marapi in West Sumatra, Mt. Merapi in Central Java and Mt. Semeru in East Java. The CVGHM maintained the level of Waspada (advisory; yellow alert) for Mt. Gamalama in North Maluku, despite reports of increasing seismic activity at the stratovolcano. People living close to the mountains now in a critical state are to follow recommendations from officials, CVGHM head Hendra Gunawan told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. For volcanoes with an Awas (red alert) designation, no visitors are allowed within a distance of 6 kilometers from the crater, while a Siaga (orange alert) designation means people are not allowed within a 5 km radius from the crater. More eruptions After first erupting on Tuesday, Mt. Ruang again erupted on Saturday at around 1 a.m. local time, according to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM), spewing an ash column to a height of around 1,200 meters. Standing 725 m above sea level on Ruang Island in Siau Tagulandang Biaro (Sitaro) Islands regency, around 110 km from the provincial capital Manado, Mt. Ruangs largest eruption this past week occurred on Wednesday, when it emitted a 3,000 m column of ash hot ash. As of Saturday afternoon, volcanic ash and rock from Mt. Ruang had covered 10 villages and two subdistricts on neighboring Tagulandang Island, said a statement from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The BNPB previously ordered the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents at potential risk following the volcanic activity on Wednesday. Thousands of local residents have taken shelter across the regency, mostly on Tagulandang Island, and at least 6,045 residents of the Bahoi and Balehumara subdistricts are headed to shelter in North Tagulandang on the neighboring island. Were still updating the total number of evacuees, BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement on Saturday. The disaster agency also recorded that the volcanic eruptions had damaged at least 135 houses, two churches and an elementary school. Volcanic ash from Mt. Ruang has spread as far as Manado, forcing authorities to prolong the closure of Sam Ratulangi International Airport until at least 12 p.m. on Sunday. The airports closure meant that officials have had to reroute humanitarian aid deliveries by land through neighboring Gorontalo province and from Bitung Port in North Sulawesi, and the BNPB has readied a helicopter to transport aid to affected residents. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Navy and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) have deployed several ships to help transport the aid and evacuate people. From Java to Maluku Officials also observed that Mt. Semeru in East Java was continuing to emit hot ash on Saturday to a maximum height of 1,500 meters. On Thursday, high rainfall around the highest mountain on Java triggered landslides along its slopes and a cold lava flow as a local river burst its banks. The resulting flooding affected at least nine districts in Lumajang regency, East Java. The BNPB reported on Saturday that at least two people were killed when they were swept away by the floodwaters and another person was killed in the landslides, while the cold lava flow damaged several homes and destroyed at least eight bridges. The incident cut off the national [highway] connecting Lumajang and Malang, said the BNPBs Abdul, adding that officials were still repairing the road as of Saturday. The increasing seismic activity around Mt. Gamalama, which has been erupting since 1538 and which the CVGHM has placed on yellow alert since 2015, has raised concerns of an impending eruption among local residents. But the CVGHM has dismissed the rumor, saying that the volcano might experience a phreatic eruption, emitting a blast of steam that may only affect areas around the crater, regional media outlets reported. A phreatic eruption occurs when hot volcanic materials such as magma and lava heat ground or surface water, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), boiling or flashing the water to generate an explosion of steam, water, ash and other materials. Although several volcanoes across the country were experiencing heightened activity, the CVGHMs Hendra said the eruptions were unrelated to each other. Each mountain has a different system, he said on Saturday. The erupting volcanoes are [located] relatively far from each other. - The Jakarta Post BEIJING The United States has returned 38 lost cultural relic items to China, marking yet another instance of successful bilateral cooperation in fighting antiquities trafficking. A delegation from Chinas National Cultural Heritage Administration, led by its director Li Qun, received the artifacts returned by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office at a handover ceremony held on Wednesday at the Chinese consulate general in New York. The renewed cooperation between China and the US in the return of cultural relics signifies mutual trust and progress in artifact repatriation efforts, said Li, who is also deputy minister of culture and tourism. The recent concerted action against antiquities trafficking is the newest outcome of an intergovernmental agreement reached by the two countries. A statement released by the administration on Thursday said that most of the 38 cultural relic items are Tibetan Buddhist artifacts from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, while several are believed to be from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), according to appraisal experts. Among the returned relics are Buddha statues, ritual tools and religious ornaments. They are made of various materials such as bronze, clay, ivory and wood, and are crafted using techniques such as carving, sculpting and painting. They demonstrate diverse subjects, varied craftsmanship, rich content and exquisite production techniques, and are thus of significant historical, cultural and scientific value, the statement said. Some of the artifacts are particularly unique, for example fragments of painted tiles featuring Buddhist deities that have rarely been seen before. It is speculated that they were painted during the 16th century in present-day Ngari prefecture, Xizang autonomous region, and later stolen. On March 1, the administration was informed that the Manhattan District Attorneys Office had seized 38 cultural relic items while solving a smuggling case, and these relics were believed to have come from China. A repatriation procedure was immediately launched through the Chinese consulate general in New York. A flight home, carrying the returned cultural relics, will be arranged at a suitable time, the administration said. Huang Ping, Chinese consul general in New York, said the latest cooperation is a positive implementation of the San Francisco vision reached by the two heads of state in November, and will greatly enhance cultural exchanges and friendship between the two nations. Matthew Bogdanos, chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit at the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, said at Wednesdays handover ceremony that returning lost relics to where they belong was a just act. He also expressed the wish to further join hands with China in protecting the shared heritage of humanity. In 2009, China and the US signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to prevent illegal imports into the US of archaeological materials representing Chinas cultural heritage from the Paleolithic period (c.75,000 BC) through the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and monumental sculpture and wall art at least 250 years old. Under the framework of this agreement, the US has returned 504 sets or pieces of Chinese cultural relics on 15 occasions. The memorandum of understanding was renewed in 2014 and 2019 and in January this year. Li, the director of the heritage administration, said that China will continue to actively implement the agreement, and will establish with the US a sound mechanism for the notification of stolen cultural relics. We can thus combine the wisdom and strength of both countries in safeguarding the security of cultural relics and in promoting exchanges and mutual learning, he added. In 2021, 12 lost Buddhist cultural relic items, seized by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, were returned to China. They are now housed in the Tibet Museum in Lhasa, the capital of Xizang. Separately, two exquisite panels of Chinese stone funeral beds with decorative Zoroastrian patterns, believed to date from between the fourth and seventh centuries, made their journey home from New York in May, thanks to the cooperation between the district attorneys office and the heritage administration. - China Daily The timepiece, crafted by British clockmaker H. Williamson in 1910, hangs next to Mr Muns bed. It is one of his most prized possessions in his 200-strong collection of mechanical clocks. The retired teacher said: Because of its size, the clock is likely to have been displayed in the hallways of the hotel, which was once as famous as Raffles Hotel and was even featured in a short story by acclaimed writer Somerset Maugham. The hotel ran into financial troubles in the late 1920s. Its assets were sold off, and it was demolished in 1934. The site is now occupied by the former Supreme Court building. His late father, Mr Mun Sah, had a friend who bought the clock. It was later acquired by the older Mr Mun, a clock dealer, who liked the timepiece so much that he traded one of his clocks to get his hands on it, his son recalled. Mr Mun Sah, who died at the age of 92 in 1992, came to Singapore when he was 12 years old. Like thousands of Chinese immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, he came in search of a better life. By the late 1940s, he had earned enough money through odd jobs and as a clock dealers apprentice to start his own shop near Newton Circus. The shophouse was also where the family lived. They made ends meet not just by selling clocks, but also peddling drinks from a soda fountain. With the aim of continuing the family business, Mr Mun, the youngest of three brothers, learnt how to repair clocks. But when the Victoria School student received a government teaching bursary in 1960 to study science at the then University of Singapore, he exchanged clock repairing for a career in education. At New Town Secondary School, where he taught biology, he met his wife, Madam Tan Ling Cheng, a Chinese language teacher. Mr Mun said: My father did not object to my wish to study in the local university, as it was not easy during the 1960s for working-class children to do so. He had no plan to pass the business to anyone else, and the shophouse was eventually acquired by the Government and demolished. It was only in 1976 that Mr Muns passion for clocks was revived, when a schoolmate handed him a wedding gift to fix a 400-day clock that had been deemed irreparable. The clock, also known as a torsion pendulum clock, was named for its ability to run for about 400 days. He said: It was probably given to me because no clock repairers at the time wanted to bother with these timepieces, which were usually regarded as novelty clocks. This seemed like a great opportunity to test my skills. On his first try, the clock ticked for about half an hour before it stopped. Instead of being deterred, he was determined not to be beaten, tinkering with every part of the clock until it sprang back to life. That experience gave me a sense of accomplishment and taught me a valuable lesson: The world of clocks is a constant voyage of discovery, as each clock presents its own unique set of puzzles waiting to be solved, he said. Word soon spread among dealers with a similar enthusiasm for 400-day clocks, who began contacting Mr Mun whenever they chanced upon interesting and rare pieces. By striking deals with overseas dealers over the phone and through mail, Mr Mun expanded the range of his collection. This included French table clocks, German-made Vienna regulators and marine chronometers, which helped to pinpoint ships locations at sea. Mr Mun said: Once youre bitten by a collecting bug, the condition becomes like a terminal disease, it can only get more serious as time goes on. So one thing led to another, and before I realised it, I had about 200 (clocks). These now occupy nearly every wall of his two-storey semi-detached house in Bukit Timah, where he has lived since 1989. The clocks have become such an important part of him that when the family moved into the house before the clocks were brought over, it felt weirdly foreign. He said: It was unusually quiet without the ticking sound of the striking clocks. I felt more at ease when I brought my clocks in. The 19th-century creation by French clockmaker A.D. Mougin is an indication of how the European product had a market in China in the living room, visitors are greeted by a golden timepiece embellished with the Chinese mythical creature qilin and other Chinese motifs. Encased in a clear plastic box, the 40kg clock was purchased by Mr Mun in the late 1980s from a dealer in Britain for a few thousand dollars. The walls by the stairs leading up to the second floor of his house are lined with pendulum clocks, including the Vienna regulator, a wooden antique whose resonant chime once told the time to owners of European mansions. Still, Mr Mun retains a soft spot for 400-day clocks, which have their own cupboards on both floors of his house. The 83-year-old bought the carpark sign of the first clock company to mass produce 400-day clocks, Jahresuhrenfabrik. The factory in Germany was one of the victims of the quartz revolution, when more accurate and affordable quartz clocks supplanted mechanical ones. It went bankrupt in 1986 and has since been demolished. Mr Mun said: Being a 400-day clock collector, I like to own a piece of 400-day clock history. Nearly half a century after discovering these clocks, his painstaking research into clocks and how to repair them, especially 400-day strikers, has led him to write many articles in publications on clocks. He is one of the founding members of the International 400-Day Clock Chapter 168 with the US-based National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors for enthusiasts committed to preserving the art form. His family is supportive of his passion, which has become part of their home. His three adult children will inherit the collection, which includes many rare and historically significant pieces. Madam Tan, who will be married to Mr Mun for 50 years in November, quipped: Its good that hes interested in old things rather than sweet young things. - The Straits Times HCM CITY The Saigon International Student Orchestra (SISO) has made their first public appearance with a debut concert held at VOH Music One - Opera House in HCM City. The Dream Concert - Youth Talent Series 2024/ No.1 kicks off a series of regular artistic activities, featuring performances by students, young artists and over 50 members of the SISO. The musical night brought a wide range of emotions to the audience with iconic compositions such as Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Piano Concerto No. 3, Symphony No. 40 by Mozart, Cancan by Offenbach and Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms. It opened with a piano performance of Mozart's iconic composition, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, presented by Miss Eco Teen 2021 Bella Vu. With over 10 years of piano training, Bella holds an international music certification, ABRSM Piano Grade 5, along with numerous achievements, including a gold medal at the International Art Festival 2023 and a silver medal at the Asia Art Festival in 2015 and 2022. She was crowned Miss Eco Teen International in 2021. The 16-year-old student said she had been practising this musical piece for two years, but this is her first performance, together with around 50 artists in the grand auditorium with hundreds of spectators. In addition to the opening performance, Bella also took on the role of MC in this concert. SISO also features the performance of Bellas elder brother, Oscar Vu. The two siblings began their music education under the guidance of conductor Nguyen Long An when they were just five and seven years old. At age 18, Oscar Vu boasts an impressive collection of artistic achievements across various musical instruments. These include a gold medal in solo piano and a silver medal in piano duet at Asia Pacific Arts Festival 2023, a silver medal in solo piano at International Arts Festival 2023, and a bronze medal in solo guitar at Asia Art Festival 2022. The 18-year-old young man has also attained the ABRSM piano grade 5 music certification. SISO was established in August 2023, initiated by conductor and pianist Nguyen Long An, with the mission of inspiring and igniting a passion for classical music and providing young talents with professional stage opportunities. After the Dream Concert - Youth Talent Series 2024/ No.1, Bella and other young musicians of SISO will perform together at Bella Vu - Steinway Piano Recital that is scheduled to take place at Steinway & Sons Exclusive Gallery in District 7, HCM City on April 27. Together they will present to the audience enchanting piano pieces, taking them on a colourful musical journey from classical to contemporary like Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart, Italian Folk Song Bella Ciao, Sonatine No.3 by Muzio Clementi or Spirited Away by Joe Hisaishi. VNS HA NOI Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has highlighted the significance of the Geneva Accords, signed 70 years ago, and its valuable lessons for Viet Nam's diplomatic endeavours. In a recent interview granted to the press on the occasion, the official recalled that on July 21, 1954, the Geneva Accords were signed after 75 days of intense and complex negotiations, marking the first time in the nation's history that the fundamental national rights of Viet Nam independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity were affirmed in an international agreement, recognised and respected by the countries participating in the Geneva Conference. This was a result of the resilient struggle by the people under the leadership of the Party throughout the long resistance against colonialism, culminating in the glorious victory of ien Bien Phu. He said alongside the victory, the accords completely ended the colonial domination and old imperialism that had lasted nearly 100 years in the country, ushering in a new chapter in the cause of national liberation and reunification. It marked the establishment of socialism in the North and the launch of the democratic national revolution in the South, aiming to fully realise the goal of national independence and unity. The signing of the Geneva Accords was not only a historical milestone for the nation but also held significance for the era, he said, adding that it represented the collective triumph of the three Indochinese countries and peace lovers worldwide. This agreement, along with the ien Bien Phu victory, strongly encouraged oppressed peoples to rise up in the struggle for national liberation, heralding the era of the collapse of imperialism worldwide. Describing the accords as the first international agreement negotiated, signed and enforced by Viet Nam, Minister Son said it not only affirmed Viet Nam's independent and sovereign status on the international stage, but also represented a significant milestone in the development of Viet Nam's revolutionary diplomacy. It left valuable lessons and contributed to the cultivation of numerous outstanding diplomats in the Ho Chi Minh era. According to him, Viet Nam kept expanding international solidarity, pooling support from people worldwide to the righteous struggle by the Vietnamese people during the negotiations of the Geneva Accords. Throughout the process of negotiating, signing and implementing the accords, Viet Nam consistently adhered to the principles of peace, national independence and territorial integrity, while remaining agile and flexible with a strategy appropriate to the balance of power and the global and regional context, in order to achieve strategic objectives. The foreign minister also underlined lessons on studying and forecasting the situation, using dialogue and peaceful negotiations to resolve differences and conflicts in international relations, adding that they are especially relevant in today's complex global landscape. He further said that in the overall cause of national liberation and reunification, and specifically in the negotiations, signing and implementation of the Geneva Accords, Viet Nam consistently received significant and invaluable support, material and otherwise, from international friends, primarily from Laos, Cambodia, socialist countries and peace-loving people worldwide. In the process of renewal and following the Party's sound foreign policy, Viet Nam continues to garner invaluable support and cooperation from the international community on the basis of equality and mutually beneficial cooperation. The Vietnamese Party, State and people always highly value and keep in mind the support and assistance from international friends, he said, adding that within its ability, Viet Nam always supports and makes active and responsible contributions to the collective efforts of the international community for peace, independence, democracy and progress worldwide. VNS CAO BANG Delegations of Ha Quang Districts Party Committee in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang and Napo countys Party Committee in Chinas Guangxi province held talks on Monday in Cao Bang City. Secretary of the Ha Quang Party Committee Le Hai Yen said that over the past years, the two committees have intensified collaboration in various fields and gained substantive results. In the coming time, Ha Quang hopes to promote cooperation and exchanges in all spheres with Napo county, including organising regular meetings and cultural exchanges, strengthening cross-border disease prevention and control, and continuing to disseminate and well implement documents on the Viet Nam - China land border. Secretary of the Napo Party Committee Pan Fulin affirmed the results achieved in cooperation between the two localities have contributed to building a China-Viet Nam border of peace, friendship, and stability for economic development. The official proposed measures to promote cooperation in culture, tourism, import and export, and agricultural development; and to continue expanding people-to-people diplomacy activities. Earlier, the delegation of the Napo Party Committee was hosted by Permanent Vice Secretary of the Cao Bang provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Peoples Council Trieu inh Le. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam will actively work with ASEAN member states and partners to contribute to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development with the people as the core focus, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 in Ha Noi on Tuesday. Themed Towards fast and sustainable growth of a people-centred ASEAN community, the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 gathered nearly 500 delegates, including government leaders, scholars and ambassadors from the bloc and its partner countries. PM Chinh noted that ASEAN has been the centre for dialogues and initiatives for growth, but also faces multiple challenges such as development gaps among its members and the modest inter-connections within the community despite being the worlds fifth largest economy. The world is seeing increasing competitiveness between countries and regions in addition to the environmental, peace and cooperation issues, while the exponential growth of technology can create a breakthrough as well as risks of inequality for developing countries, he said. Meanwhile, the emerging trends of green growth and circular economy also require new approaches that take into consideration comprehensiveness and global context for enduring economic benefits. This called for the ASEAN community to enhance its capacity to remove the barriers to stable and sustainable development. Viet Nam has always considered ASEAN among its top priorities in foreign policies and national security, and aligns its innovation and international integration with the bloc in all aspects. To realise the ASEAN Vision 2045, PM Chinh recommended the bloc strengthen its unity in diversity while upholding the spirit of independence and self-reliance and the common ASEAN stance towards regional and international issues. The bloc should also enhance the strategic trust among its members and partners to mitigate conflicts and maintain stability and prosperity in the area and the world, he added. Other missions include promoting green growth and the digital economy as the new drivers for growth, mobilising all resources for socio-economic growth and revamping policies, infrastructure and human resources for fast and sustainable development. Initiative for common growth Initiated by the Vietnamese PM at the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta last September, the ASEAN Future Forum is a multi-stakeholder, multi-layered and multi-dimensional platform complementing existing mechanisms to help policymakers outline a viable and effective long-term path for the community. The objectives of the ASEAN Future Forum include promoting insightful and comprehensive discussions in both practical and visionary ways among various stakeholders - both within and beyond the region - and involving government leaders, policymakers, experts and practitioners on issues vital for ASEANs future and its progress. It also aims to generate actionable policy recommendations and initiatives to be presented for consideration by ASEAN leaders and lawmakers, thereby directly contributing to the decision-making process at the highest levels. Supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the realisation of the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific among other agreements, the forum upholds ASEANs key values and principles while chartering a sustainable trajectory path for the bloc in the longer term. One of the key goals of the ASEAN Future Forum is to deepen trust and understanding while promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between ASEAN member states, its external partners and stakeholders interested in fostering a progressive future for the community. In a broader context, the forum also aims to strengthen ASEANs institutional capacity to better navigate the complexities of contemporary regional and global landscapes. A summary of opinions raised at the forum will be delivered to ASEAN top leaders through official channels. The bloc's proposals are also expected to be forwarded to the United Nations (UN) as one of its contributions to preparations for the UN Summit of the Future in September this year. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Tuesday for Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is now on an official visit to Viet Nam and to co-chair the fifth meeting of the Viet Nam-Indonesia Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation. The leader conveyed Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's regard to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, congratulated Indonesia on the successful holding of its general elections in February, and expressed his belief that the country will develop further, gain a higher position in the international arena, and achieve its goal of becoming a developed country by 2045. Speaking highly of the foreign minister's important contributions to the success of the ASEAN Future Forum, the PM assessed that the Viet Nam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership is developing strongly in all fields, with economic cooperation being a bright spot. Indonesia is currently Viet Nam's 3rd largest trade partner in ASEAN, while the latter is the formers 4th biggest. Trade turnover has increased nearly 3-fold 10 years after the establishment of the bilateral strategic partnership. The two sides agreed to intensify collaboration to soon bring the partnership to a new height, step up delegation exchanges and contacts, effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms and agreements, and organise activities in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic ties in 2025. They also agreed to work together to bring bilateral trade turnover to US$18 billion by 2028 and in a balanced direction. Marsudi said she will forward the Vietnamese side's proposals to relevant Indonesian agencies to study and consider facilitating Vietnamese agricultural and Halal products to access the Indonesian market; soon allow the export of young lobster to Viet Nam; and strengthen cooperation in new fields such as green economy, circular economy, renewable energy, semiconductor technology, digital economy, energy transition, and the electric vehicle industry. Speaking highly of Viet Nam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, diversification, and economic self-reliance, the foreign minister said that Indonesia fully agrees and supports Viet Nam's profound vision on the future of ASEAN. She also emphasised her hope to cooperate more closely in implementing the agreement between the two countries on food security. Both host and guest affirmed to strengthen cooperation in other important fields such as defence, security, and maritime cooperation; and continue intensifying people-to-people exchanges, especially between young generations, and promote tourism collaboration. They also agreed to back ASEANs central role in addressing regional issues, including maintaining the blocs common stance on the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) issue, and promoting the implementation of ASEAN's five-point consensus on the Myanmar issue. VNS HA NOI The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) wrapped up in Hanoi on April 23 after a day of productive discussions. In his closing speech, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said in-depth discussions at the event have provided regional countries and stakeholders with valuable insights to reflect on and reaffirm the importance of collective efforts in shaping a brighter future for the ASEAN community. The minister expressed optimism about ASEAN's development direction, noting that the discussions had attracted a significant number of policymakers and business entities to explore and propose feasible solutions, with some proposing unique approaches to adapting to and addressing regional challenges. According to him, delegates highlighted the ASEANs pivotal role in further maintaining regional peace and stability. He concluded by urging ASEAN member states to unite with determination in realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. This vision, he emphasised, will shape a better future for both current and future generations. The AFF 2024, themed Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centered ASEAN Community, was an important initiative proposed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the 43rd ASEAN Summit last September. It aimed at creating a common platform for ASEAN member states as well as partner countries and ASEAN people to contribute to promoting and shaping the blocs development path. With nearly 500 delegates representing governments, diplomatic corps, business communities, ASEAN, partners and international organisations taking part, the event featured two plenary and two working lunch sessions. VNS GIA LAI - The Peoples Court of the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on April 23 announced sentences on a group of individuals engaging in activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration under provisions 1 and 2, Article 109 of the Criminal Code. The court imposed the harshest sentences of 13 years in prison on Phan Thi Thao, 67, and Ta Van Trieu, 50. Three other defendants, Tran Thien (52 years old), Vu Dinh Lan (51 years old) and Huynh Thi Khanh Trang (37 years old) were sentenced to 12 years behind bars. Cao Thi Ngoc Diem, 55, and Tran Hue Chan Vuong, 53, got nine years in jail. Two defendants, namely Tran Thi Kim Loan, 62 and Tran Tho, 68, were given eight-year imprisonment sentences, while Cao Cuong, 52, was sentenced to four years in prison. According to the indictment, they joined a reactionary and terrorist organisation called Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi (Interim National Government of Vietnam) led by ao Minh Quan. Since 2020, they have been using various websites, such as chinhphuquocgia.com, tcdy.us and vnch3.com, YouTube and Facebook to disseminate the Hien phap e tam Viet Nam Cong Hoa (Constitution of the Third Republic of Vietnam), call for and instruct people to conduct a "referendum" and the procedures for registering as members of the organisation. They also carried out propaganda, enticed people to undermine the country's stability and sustainable development, cause political insecurity, and eventually overthrow the people's administration. They made full use of social networks and internet messaging applications to collect, propagate, and share unfounded and baseless articles of hostile forces. - VNS AWGIPC is taking place in Danang Being held by the Ministry of Science and Technologys Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam, the event aims to strengthen regional cooperation in intellectual property (IP), promoting innovation, technology transfer and dissemination, while enhancing regional and global trade liberalisation. ASEANs action plan on IP during 2016-2025 and cooperation in the field within the ASEAN member states and its partners such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the European Patent Office , and the Japan Patent Office are high on the agenda. Making the speech at the opening ceremony, Luu Hoang Long, director of the IPO said, In recent years, ASEAN has promoted cooperation on intellectual property among member countries as well as expanded cooperation with partners to turn ASEAN into a creative and competitive region in the world. He expressed his hope that ASEAN would become a creative region holding a competitive edge globally, adding the AWGIPC had well performed its roles in building, coordinating, and carrying out ASEANs action plans on IP. I believe that ASEAN will continue effectively implementing its action plan for 2026-2025 and build a post-2025 one, he added. Other events to be held on the sidelines of the meeting include the 15th meeting of the IP Committee of the ASEAN Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and a ceremony to welcome the World IP Day (April 26). The AWGIPC was established as a framework on IP cooperation among ASEAN member states adopted at the 5th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in 1995. The group builds, implements, and evaluates ASEANs IP cooperation activities in various phases. To date, it has completed 81 per cent of the initiatives and activities within ASEANs action plan for 2016-2025, while affirming the blocs central role with international organisations and partners. Vietnamese firms get support to protect intellectual property abroad Registration for the protection of intellectual property rights of Vietnamese enterprises abroad is on the rise, contributing significantly to the process of entering foreign markets as well as promoting products. Vietnam leaps two places in Global Innovation Index in 2023 Vietnam has moved up two places in the Global Innovation Index (GII) in 2023, ranking 46th out of 132 countries and territories, according to a GII report released by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). In 2024, SABECO plans to gain VND34.4 trillion ($1.4 billion) in revenue, up 12.9 per cent on year, while after-tax profit is expected to hit VND4.58 trillion ($190 million), an increase of 7.6 per cent on year. SABECO said it is continuing to encounter difficulties in the beer market left over from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the impact of the Law on Preventing Harmful Effects of Alcohol. People are tightening their belts and consumers' tastes and requirements are becoming more and more stringent, in addition to fierce competition in the industry. However, SABECO still expects opportunities for the Vietnamese beer industry such as a golden population structure, rapidly increasing incomes, the non-alcoholic beer segment, and export market potential. Based on this, SABECO's plans for 2024 include brand building and market development, comprehensively restructuring its distribution system, and enhancing performance and management across channels and product segments. SABECO will maintain its domestic market position and reach overseas markets; promote research and development to improve product quality and launch new products; improve supply chain efficiency throughout the SABECO system; strengthen reforms to raise investment efficiency, reduce operating costs, and increase productivity; and develop new trade channels, online sales, and take-away and on-site consumption. SABECO will also focus more on applying renewable energy to reduce costs and mitigate climate change, establish environmental, social, and governance commitments to comply with international standards, and identify target initiatives by establishing a baseline and data to manage operating costs effectively. Tan Teck Chuan Lester, CEO of SABECO commented, "We still see many challenges ahead. In the context of increasingly unstable socioeconomic conditions and changes in consumer tastes, we should not be afraid; we must push ourselves to overcome all limits and challenges ahead so that we are ready to seize long-term development opportunities." Regarding its profit distribution plan, SABECO proposed a dividend of 35 per cent in 2023 and 2024. In February 2024, SABECO advanced its 2023 dividend at a rate of 15 per cent in cash, equivalent to more than VND1.9 trillion ($79 million). In the plan, the corporation will pay the second dividend in 2023 at 20 per cent in cash (equivalent to VND2,000 per share) from undistributed after-tax profits. The ex-dividend transaction date will be July 5 and the expected payment date is July 31. SABECO: 2023 journey of community development By continuously supporting the younger generation to develop its talents, and spending large sums on activities for its staff, SABECO is showing its relentless sustainable development efforts and making positive contributions to the community. SABECO realising ESG ambitions Business activities from Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corporation, known as SABECO, are associated with and promote the implementation of environmental, social, and governance goals and related responsibilities, contributing to building a prosperous and sustainable Vietnamese community. SABECO continues thrust to promote cultural values Sustainable development is one of the most important strategies for Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation to deliver the best products and significantly contribute to the development of the community. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a third-party green building certification programme developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an international symbol of excellence in the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. Pearl Global is a multinational garment manufacturing company in India, renowned for its commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability in the fashion industry. The company has proved itself as a trusted partner for leading fashion brands and retailers worldwide, delivering garments that combine style and functionality, with ethical and sustainable production practices. In Vietnam, Pear Global has established its first garment factory in Bac Giang. With a sustainable approach, Pearl Global Vietnam aimed to achieve the LEED Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Certification for this factory to align with their groups commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Pursuing LEED O&M Certification also allowed Pearl Global Vietnam to improve their factorys operational efficiency, differentiate their factory in the market and attract environmentally conscious customers and partners. Bureau Veritas puts sustainability at the heart of its mission, helping its clients meet the challenges of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. With its green line of services and solutions, Bureau Veritas partners with clients in their efforts to improve their performance and demonstrate transparency and trustworthiness. In the building and infrastructure sectors, Bureau Veritas assists the clients in pursuing internationally recognised green building rating systems and standards, including LEED, EDGE, BREEAM, and WELL Building Standard. Bureau Veritas employs a rigorous assessment process, utilising cutting-edge technology and methodologies to verify compliance with green building standards. Through on-site inspections, data analysis, and documentation review, Bureau Veritas ensures that buildings seeking certification meet the stringent requirements and performance benchmarks set forth by the chosen rating system. Bureau Veritas is honoured to be the LEED O&M certification consultant for Pearl Global Vietnam. Since 2022, Bureau Veritas has closely worked with Pearl Global Vietnam through two consulting stages, feasibility study and main consultancy, to assist them in achieving the LEED O&M Gold Level. In August 2022, Bureau Veritas carried out a feasibility study at Pearl Global Bac Giang Factory to assess the current conditions of the factorys buildings and technical systems against the requirements of LEED O&M Certification. This includes evaluating the factorys energy and water consumption, indoor air quality, existing O&M plans and policies, waste management practices, and other sustainability criteria. The feasibility study allowed Bureau Veritas to identify potential opportunities and challenges faced by the factory for achieving LEED O&M Certification, as well as actions to be taken towards energy and water efficiency, sustainable practices and policies, and other essential aspects, especially considering the factorys constraints of budget, time, and existing facilities. From January 2023 to January 2024, at the main consultancy stage, Bureau Veritas assisted Pearl Global Vietnam in creating an achievable strategy and action plan to pursue a LEED O&M Certification. Essential site audits and measurements were implemented by Bureau Veritas to obtain insights about the factorys performance in different aspects, paying great attention to energy and water efficiency. Performance data of the factory was carefully collected and tracked to ensure the factorys adherence to LEED requirements, as well as promptly identify issues and take corrective actions. O&M plans and policies were also improved so that the factory would operate in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. In late January this year, Bureau Veritas submitted a certification application through the LEED online platform and actively assisted Pearl Global Vietnam in clarifying USGBC reviewers queries. In early March, USGBC announced that Pearl Global Factory had been awarded LEED O&M Gold, making it the first garment factory in Vietnam to achieve the certification at gold level. Green transition creating challenges for garments and textiles SMEs Vietnam has signed 16 free trade agreements (FTAs) with the international community, creating the conditions for firms to expand into new markets and boost profitability, while also posing numerous challenges with their increasingly stringent 'green growth' requirements. Textile apparel exporters proactive in tackling issues Global economic headwinds herald a challenging year ahead for textile apparel export, forcing firms in the sector to embrace flexible remedies. Canada, ASEAN consolidate climate change response, economic cooperation, Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA) Ottawa The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia. This marks a significant milestone in the collective effort to address climate change and advance the goals outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in 2015. ASEAN is now the 4th largest trade partner of Canada with the bilateral trade revenue reaching 50 billion USD. The recognition of the CABC as an official Canadian organisation in the ASEAN region is a milestone that reinforces the council's commitment to connecting the business community and promoting bilateral economic relations. Through this partnership, the CABC and the AACM as valued partners will work collaboratively with a focus on six key areas, namely supply & generation, market intermediation, demand & assurance, supply & generation, event collaboration, and advocacy and thought leadership. Wayne Farmer, President of the CABC, said that the collaboration between the public and private sectors as well as with the international community is key to effectively addressing the climate crisis. He added that by joining forces with the AACM, the CABC and the wider Canada-ASEAN community can maximise the councils impact and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future for the ASEAN region. Established in 2012 in Singapore, the CABC promotes commercial relations between Canadian businesses and ASEAN countries. Focusing on economic strengthening, the CABC plays an important role in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership. At the Women in the Green Economy event in Hanoi on April 12, experts highlighted the intersection of gender inclusivity and climate action. According to Thomas Jacobs, the International Finance Corporations (IFC) country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, womens full participation is vital in tackling climate change. Womens leadership drives more ambitious and effective corporate action on climate change. Evidence shows that having more women in business leadership can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption, he noted, at the event, organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet with the Australian government and the US Agency for International Development. A study in 2013-2018 shows companies with greater board gender diversity were 60 per cent more likely to reduce energy consumption intensity and 39 per cent more likely to decrease emissions compared to those without, Jacobs added. Additionally, he said that in 2023, the IFC committed nearly $9 billion in gender-lens investments and over $10 billion in climate finance globally. When it comes to gender equality, Vietnam ranks 72nd out of 146 countries in the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, with a gender parity rate of 71.1 per cent. While Vietnams Nationally Determined Contributions recognises gendered climate impacts, it lacks comprehensive gender integration into policy and climate financing frameworks that would enable gender-responsive implementation of climate projects, said Franziska Deininger, the IFCs global technical lead for Climate, Gender, and Economic Inclusion. A World Bank report in 2023 shows that female workers only account for 22 per cent of the jobs in green industries in Vietnam. They are also under-represented in potential green jobs, and even more so when agriculture is excluded, she added. Continuing disadvantage Citing data from a study titled The Unjust Climate conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization in 2024, Deininger argued that women are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. Specifically, a 1C temperature increase correlates with a 34 per cent income reduction for female-headed households relative to male-headed households. Furthermore, in the wake of disaster or drought, girls are more likely to be removed from school or spend less time on schooling. Women and other disadvantaged groups are also less likely to gain from new climate-related opportunities. More research by the IFC, on exploring opportunities for women entrepreneurs driving climate solutions and published in December, found that in emerging markets, sectors attracting the most climate investment are also where women are most underrepresented in business leadership. However, some suggest that women can also be critical leaders and powerful changemakers in climate action and can improve mitigation and adaptation. Luong Nhu Oanh, gender and climate change analyst at UN Women, emphasised the significance of women taking an active role in climate action. Vietnam ranks 13th among countries most affected by climate change, with women being among the most vulnerable. As climate change depletes our resources, women must step up as agents of change, rather than remaining solely as victims, she said. Kristin Tilley, Australias Ambassador for climate change said, The intersection of gender and climate has never been clearer. While it is clear that we need to achieve a clean future, it is much less clear that much more work is needed to boost womens participation in our clean energy workforce. Tilley added that Australia set a target that 80 per cent of new development finance investments will effectively address gender equality. In addition, from July this year, it will introduce a new target that half of all new development finance investments over AUD$3 million ($1.9 million) must have a climate change objective. Women in green sectors Despite findings that women leaders are more inclined to take decisive corporate actions against the climate crisis, women remain underrepresented in climate-related sectors. At the COP28 climate summit, out of 140 scheduled speakers, only 15 were women. Analysis of COP28 delegations shows a gender imbalance of 62 per cent male to 38 per cent female, underscoring the persistent gender gap despite slight improvements from previous COP summits. In Vietnam, the scenario mirrors this trend. According to Jessica Tran, country manager of green energy investment fund Clime Capital, womens representation among climate startups remains low, with only 5 per cent of companies led by female CEOs or founders, and females constituting less than 30 per cent of the workforce, mainly in supporting roles like human resources and admin. These statistics underscore systemic challenges hindering womens progress in clean energy startups, she said. The top three difficulties include recruiting and retaining senior leadership positions within women-owned businesses, a lack of expertise in various business aspects, and the ongoing struggle with work-life balance, particularly among Vietnamese women. Michele Wee, CEO of Standard Chartered Vietnam, addressed the issue of female representation in the banking sector, while emphasising that efforts are being made. In 2016, Standard Chartered had 26 per cent of female leadership. The bank went on to have a big campaign to actually drive up female participation. As of 2023, we had 32.5 per cent of female leadership in the bank, and by 2025, well have 35 per cent. So the bank is definitely focused on gender equity, she said. On the other hand, the Standard Chartered Women International Network programme, which Wee hopes to soon be launched in Vietnam, is aiming to leverage the power of the banks unique global footprint to help women-led businesses grow. The programme will accompany these women, covering fortifying supply chains, attracting and retaining talent, and carrying out digitalisation and e-commerce. Its not just about the extension of money, but really about understanding the market and understanding what it means to finding the right partners and doing it together, she said. These CEOs themselves are leading a movement. Both Tran and Wee are members of the Climate Leaders Network, comprising other C-suite and director-level women leaders in the climate forward sectors. The network aims to actively contribute to advancing the voice and visibility of women in climate action, as well as nurturing the next generation of female climate leaders. Le Kim Dung, country director CARE in Vietnam A survey conducted by the World Bank across 190 countries reveals that each has at least one regulation hindering financial access for women-led businesses. In 18 countries, men are granted authority to impede their wives from working outside the home if they wish to do so. In addition, other non-financial barriers such as gender-based violence and the heavy burden of family caregiving responsibilities also pose challenges for women in accessing resources and prioritising career development. In Vietnam, small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Female entrepreneurs, in particular, are often better credit customers with lower default rates than their male counterparts, fast adopters of ecommerce, and proven to reinvest in their households and local communities. Out of the total of over 520,000 micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam, businesses owned by women account for approximately 20 per cent. When compared to other countries in the region, Vietnam is at the forefront in terms of the number of women-led businesses. However, almost 70 per cent of these businesses are classified as micro-enterprises, only 3 per cent are medium-sized, and the rest are classed as small in scale. This not only highlights the potential for further development within women-led business, but it also affirms Vietnams progressive policies aimed at promoting the contribution of women in the economy. In partnership with local financial service providers, business incubators and fintech partners, Strive Women in Vietnam takes a women-centered design approach to understand the needs of women entrepreneurs and deliver financial products and support services, such as capacity building, digital skills enhancement, and womens network strengthening. In partnership with local financial service providers, business incubators and fintech partners, Strive Women in Vietnam takes a women-centered design approach to understand the needs of female entrepreneurs and deliver financial products and support services, such as capacity building, digital skills enhancement, and womens network strengthening. With experience in supporting women worldwide, CARE understands that female entrepreneurship is a critical avenue through which we can support womens economic empowerment. Women also put their profits back into their families, create more jobs and bring greater prosperity for their communities. Womens entrepreneurship is a core component of CAREs female economic empowerment program and a crucial tool to fight against poverty and gender inequality through addressing structural and social barriers, decision-making as well as investing in the capability, agency and business opportunities for women to have a sustainable impact on both gender equality and their economic status. Since 2020, we have partnered with several organisations to implement the Strive Women initiative, with a focus on women-led micro and small businesses as it aims to reach 2 million entrepreneurs in key regions of Vietnam in four years. The programme also innovates in areas such as climate crisis adaptation and childcare support. The Strive Women initiatives partners have disbursed loans with a total value of over $64.1 million and provided direct support to tens of thousands of female entrepreneurs. The programmes evaluation report in 2023 indicates that 80 per cent of participants from Vietnam have seen an increase in sales revenue, while 86 per cent have gained more confidence in managing their businesses. IFC and State Bank of Vietnam partner to promote womens leadership in banking sector In a bid to increase the number of females in leadership positions at banks, World Bank Group member IFC and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) are partnering to promote innovative and impactful initiatives for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. UNDP commends Vietnam for incremental progress in promoting womens leadership Vietnam is making incremental progress to increase womens participation in elected bodies such as the National Assembly and local Peoples Councils, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen affirmed in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency. This endeavour will be attained by establishing AI factories for research and development in the region, expanding advanced AI and cloud capabilities on a global scale, and fostering a future-ready workforce in technology. FPT and NVIDIA signed a cooperation agreement in Hanoi on April 23 Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr. Truong Gia Binh, FPT Corporation chairman and founder, said, FPT is committed to digital transformation, AI, Cloud, and education. FPT is strives to enhance our research and development competence and establish a comprehensive platform for state-of-the-art products and services built on AI and Cloud that exceeds global demands, working to achieve its vision to turn Vietnam into an AI hub of the world through collaboration with NVIDIA in technology, business development, and training. Keith Strier, NVIDIA vice president of Worldwide AI Initiative, added, By accelerating innovation in healthcare, agriculture, climate, manufacturing, and more, AI has the potential to improve lives and strengthen the economies of every nation. FPT is working with NVIDIA to empower organisations across Vietnam to drive transformation, helping the country become an AI nation. FPT plans to invest $200 million in building an AI factory that will serve as a sovereign cloud. These will feature NVIDIAs latest technologies, including NVIDIA AI Enterprise software and frameworks and NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs. This initiative is a critical part of FPTs strategy in reinforcing AI research and development, creating AI applications and solutions with a focus on generative AI, autonomous driving, and green transformation for sustainability. This empowers FPT to realise the vision of transforming Vietnam into an AI nation and accelerating the adoption of AI applications in Asia, including but not limited to Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea. The FPT and NVIDIA leaders talked about the future of AI AI Factory will provide cloud GPU services to accompany FPT's corporate customers globally to access core resources to improve research capacity, accelerate the speed of AI application, especially Generative AI, achieving breakthroughs in improving productivity and customer experience. At the same time, it will help FPT accelerate the construction and development of AI platforms and applications with higher value for customers in all industries. As part of the collaboration, FPT has joined the NVIDIA Partner Network as a Service Delivery Partner and aims to become a Global Systems Integrator, leveraging the full potential of NVIDIA's cutting-edge products and technologies to develop bespoke cloud services, hardware, software, and most importantly, generative AI solutions. Prioritising three key verticals, including automotive, manufacturing, banking, financial services, and insurance, FPT will offer end-to-end generative AI services, empowering businesses to unlock the next level of productivity and automation. The integrations will enhance FPTs AI Labs while introducing new software frameworks. Additionally, FPTs education group will work to strengthen the AI workforce by incorporating NVIDIAs programmes into educational curriculum and activities, training programmes, and lab facilities at both university and high school levels, aiming to reach at least 30,000 students within five years. FPT also further intends to collaborate with NVIDIA on opportunities to develop cloud gaming with NVIDIA GeForce NOW in Vietnam. FPT IS ascends to CREST membership for penetration testing services FPT Information System Corporation (FPT IS) has officially became a member of the CREST organisation for penetration testing services (Pentest). FPT takes ownership of Japan's NAC FPT Corporation announced on March 1 that it has acquired the IT services company Next Advanced Communications NAC Co., Ltd. (NAC), its first merger and acquisition (M&A) deal in Japan. HCM Citys public high schools cut back on admissions in 2024-2025 academic year, Illustrative image (Photo: Internet) HCM City Ho Chi Minh Citys 113 public high schools have an enrolment quota of 71,000 for the 2024-2025 school year, 6,000 fewer than the previous year, according to the municipal Department of Education and Training. Nearly 116,300 students will pass out of 9th grade this year, more than 5,000 higher than last year. But 65 public high schools will reduce their enrolment quota, with Tran Phu, Vinh Loc B and Ho Thi Bi seeing steep cuts. It means more than 45,000 students will have to go to private high schools, vocational education centres or centres for continuing education. The three will offer a total of 50,000 seats. There was a shortage of public schools, the department said. The entrance exam for public high schools is scheduled to take place on June 6 and 7. Malaysian official urges collective efforts in plastic waste fight, Illustrative image (Photo: AFP/VNA) Kuala Lumpur A Malaysian official has underlined the importance of collective efforts, particularly by the public, in promoting the use of reusable bags and reducing single-use plastics in the fight against plastic waste. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, made the statement on April 22 the Earth Day, themed Planet vs Plastics this year. He said the Malaysian Government is pursuing a national policy on the production, consumption, and disposal of plastic in line with the ongoing negotiations of the Global Plastic Treaty (GPT) aligned with environmental sustainability objectives. The official said he has instructed a review of legislation governing plastic pollution to strengthen measures for addressing this issue. Malaysia has participated in four rounds of international negotiations on the GPT within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the development of an internationally legally binding instrument on marine plastic pollution, he continued. He also mentioned the Governments other efforts in this regard such as establishing the Malaysian Plastic Sustainability Roadmap (2021-2030) and the Malaysian Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics (2018-2030). The Malaysian ministry is set to attend the fourth INC negotiation session in Ottawa, Canada, from April 23 to 29. This year's Earth Day theme underscores society's duty to conserve and safeguard the planet, given that plastic waste takes a minimum of 500 years to decompose naturally. Malaysian airlines to charge carbon levy soon Malaysia is gearing up for greener skies once the carbon levy collection by the airlines comes into effect as soon as the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) makes the necessary review, according to Assoc Prof Major Dr Mohd Harridon Mohamed Suffian, an aviation and aerospace expert. The property developer also unveiled its business plan for achieving profit after tax of $34 million, net profit after tax of parent company shareholders of $21 million, and approved the proposal to pay dividends in 2024 in cash at 5 per cent of par value. Nam Long Group will continue to develop towards the integrated real estate group model with core tasks in three main business areas: land development, commercial real estate development, and investment and capital mobilisation. In developing residential and urban areas, Nam Long Group will continue to focus on implementing projects such as the 26-hectare Mizuki Park in Binh Chanh district, the 165-ha Waterpoint phase 1 in Long An province, Akari City's 8.5ha in Binh Tan district, EHome Southgate in Long An province, Izumi City, spanning 170ha in Dong Nai province, and Nam Long Central Lake's 43ha in Can Tho city. At the same time, the group also set aside a budget to continue creating clean land in the long term. In commercial real estate development, Nam Long Group aims to develop city facilities in integrated urban areas. This year, several amenities at the Waterpoint integrated urban area will be deployed and put into operation. Among those are EMASI Plus international bilingual school, San Ha convenience food store, Waterpoint Clinic, and Wisdomland kindergarten. Nam Long Group is also aiming to improve capital mobilisation and optimise capital sources, maintaining a solid financial foundation. It is also focusing on maintaining long-term cooperation with partners and expanding opportunities to attract investment from third parties in accordance with the Group's strategic goals. On April 1, Nam Long Group welcomed new CEO Lucas Ignatius Loh Jen Yuh, who has more than 20 years of international management experience in the positions of president, CEO, investment director, and investment manager at large corporations such as CapitaLand, Hopson, Temasek Holding, and many others in Singapore and China. According to Lucas, his strengths in strategic thinking and experience in investment and mergers and acquisitions will be useful and consistent with Nam Long Group's growth plan. This year we will strive to build an effective corporate operating system by strengthening our capital structure and improving capital mobilisation, as well as improving product quality. The Vietnamese real estate market is similar to markets I experienced many years ago, and I believe in the sustainable development of the group, the new CEO said. In 2023, Nam Long Group boasted a healthy financial structure, a reputable brand image, and a product structure that meets market needs has achieved some remarkable results, such as the on-schedule delivery of around 1,610 products, with a recorded handover revenue of $291 million. Its profit after tax was $20.1 million, reaching 82 per cent of the year plan. Furthermore, Nam Long Group successfully issued around $20.8 million bonds for Orient Commercial Joint-Stock Bank. To realise its growth strategy, it has overseen the formation of legal entities Nam Long Land (land development, housing projects and urban areas) and Nam Long Commercial Property (commercial real estate development). The group also completed the corporate management framework consulted by E&Y and human resources and welfare policies consulted by Mercer. Nam Long is a corporation with over three decades in real estate development in Vietnam, making an impressive mark in the segment of affordable housing and integrated urban areas. Nam Long pursues a sustainable business philosophy with the mission of creating a living environment and valuable products for the community, dedicated to accompanying Vietnam's development. Currently, Nam Long Group's total assets are more than $1.19 billion in 11 urban areas and projects with available land of more than 680ha. The group has various international shareholders and strategic partners, including Nam Viet Ltd. of Goldman Sachs, International Finance Corporation, Ibeworth of Keppel Land Group, Mekong Capital, and two Japanese corporations with more than 100 years of history in Nishitetsu and Hankyu Hanshin. Nam Long Group appoints new CEO Nam Long Group on March 4 announced the appointment of Lucas Ignatius Loh Jen Yuh as CEO pursuant to the new organisational structure of its growth strategy. EVN has been in negotiations with PV Power the investor of the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 LNG power plants, and Siemens the investor of the Hiep Phuoc power plant, but they have yet to reach a compromise on the purchase ratio of power. The investors want EVN to buy between 72 per cent and 90 per cent of the power capacity of these plants, but EVN is refusing to budge past 65 per cent to avoid creating pressure on selling prices. The investors are also asking for the power purchase ratio to remain constant for the duration of the PPA following a proposal made by creditors to ensure they have stable cash flow to repay their loans. In addition, LNG suppliers are asking for a high fuel purchase ratio to ensure stability in quantity and price. This stability would help them to develop international maritime transport, especially given that Vietnam is a small market for international LNG suppliers. However, according to EVN, the proposals made by investors are unfeasible because of the risk of power price hikes. The cost of importing LNG to Vietnam is high, currently between $12-14 per million BTU. As a result, selling prices using imported LNG are from VND2,400-2,800 per kWh, which is much higher than power produced by coal-fired plants. Approving a high purchase price for the contract's duration would cause financial risks for EVN if the demand for LNG power drops. In addition, a higher price for LNG power would be unfair on power plants that use other fuels and have no long-term power purchase commitments with EVN. According to Vietnam's Power Development Plan VIII, power produced using domestic gas and imported LNG will reach 37,000MW by 2030, or 25 per cent of the country's total production. Of this, 24,000MW will come from imported LNG-to-power, or 15 per cent. EVN explained that with high electricity generation costs, large fluctuations, and long-term output commitments, EVN's purchasing costs will be affected, strongly impacting the retail selling price. Hence, EVN has proposed a power purchase commitment of 65 per cent. Liquefied natural gas among strongest solutions in transitioning from coal With up to a 50 per cent lower carbon footprint than coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be adjusted to increase greener electricity when available. Thai Binh unveils $2 billion LNG power plant project in Japanese deal Thai Binh province announced a $2 billion LNG thermal power plant project, in collaboration with Tokyo Gas Co., Kyuden Corporation, and Truong Thanh Group, marking a major stride in Vietnamese-Japanese economic cooperation. Tokyo Gas makes progress on $2 billion LNG power project in Thai Binh province On January 24, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. announced the establishment of Thai Binh LNG Power JSC for the development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power project in Thai Binh province in collaboration with Truong Thanh Vietnam Group and Japan's Kyuden International Corporation. Thai Binh to host $2 billion LNG project The Thai Binh liquefied natural gas (LNG) project is located in Thai Binh Economic Zone, and will have a designed capacity of 1500MW. The investment consortium behind the project is responsible for nearly $2 billion in funding and consists of Tokyo Gas, Kyuden, and Truong Thanh Vietnam Group. The Nvidia Corporation delegation, led by vice president Keith Strier, will survey locations in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang. During the working trip, Nvidia leaders will work with representatives of various businesses and institutions from each of the three cities on three pipeline projects. The chipmaker is looking to establish an AI research and development and training centre in Vietnam alongside the installation of supercomputer systems. The company also plans to transfer part of the production of graphics processing units (GPUs) for supercomputers to Vietnam. The delegation will also join four working sessions with the Management Board of Saigon High-Tech Park, the Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, and CMC Technology Group. They will also have a meeting with leaders of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to discuss potential investments in the semiconductor industry in the southern hub. The move follows the working visit of Nvidia's chairman and CEO Jensen Huang to Vietnam last December. During a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Huang articulated Nvidias vision. "Establishing a foothold in Vietnam is crucial for fostering innovative startups and developing cutting-edge technology in supercomputing and software. We are excited to be part of Vietnam's journey towards technological advancement," Huang said. Nvidia is a multinational corporation specialising in the production of innovative GPUs, application programming interfaces for data science and high-performance computing, and system-on-chip units for mobile computing and the automotive market. The company has more than 27,000 employees, and recently recorded revenue of nearly $27 billion. With the popularity of AI applications soaring globally, Nvidia has plans to triple its AI production this year. Nvidia announces move into Vietnam Nvidia, one of the worlds top chip manufacturers, is looking to establish a significant presence in Vietnam with a $250 million investment in the country. Vietnam rolls out red carpet for US chip giants investment Vietnam boasts huge potential to develop semiconductor and AI industries, and pledges to create favourable conditions for NVIDIA corporation, a leading chip producer in the US, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said on December 11. Leaders of Yen Bai visit the injured victims of the accident (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 22 signed a dispatch asking for prompt actions to fix the consequences of a serious workplace accident that happened in a cement factory in the northern province of Yen Bai the same day, as well as measures to support victims. The dispatch, sent to the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Peoples Committee of Yen Bai, clarified that the accident occurred at 1:30pm on April 22 during the stone crushing line repair process at the factory of the Yen Bai Cement and Minerals JSC in Yen Binh district, killing seven workers and injuring three others. The cause of the accident was initially determined to be a problem with the crushers electric motor. Right after learning about the accident, the PM sent his condolences to the families of the victims and directed proivncial leaders to come to the scene and instruct the fixing of its consequences. The PM requested the head of the provincial Peoples Committee to give timely support to families of the deceased and assist the injured, while directing authorised agencies to clarify the reasons behind the incident and dealing with the consequences, thus stabilising the factory's production. It is necessary to define the responsibilities of organisations and individuals in the accident and strictly handle violations (if any), the PM stressed, asking for the strengthening of inspection and examination to discover and handle violations of regulations on labour safety during the manufacturing of construction materials in Yen Bai, thus absolutely not letting similar cases occur. The Ministry of Public Security was requested to direct and coordinate with the police of Yen Bai and relevant agencies to promptly investigate the case and strictly handle legal violations (if any). Meanwhile, the Ministry of Construction was asked to coordinate with the Ministry of Lalour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Peoples Committee of Yen Bai and relevant agencies to review regulations, standards and procedures of exploiting and processing minerals for cement, thus fixing shortcomings and ensuring absolute safety for labourers, according to the dispatch. Ketut Kusuma, senior financial sector specialist at the Finance and Markets Global Practice of the World Bank Group, voiced strong optimism about the potential of Vietnams stock market a conference on the issue last week, though he noted that there is still significant room for it to evolve into a crucial capital source. Vietnam is making a push to overhaul its stock market in order to raise its international standing, photo Le Toan Vietnam must overcome three primary obstacles to enhance its appeal to emerging market investors. Key challenges include the need for pre-funding and block transactions, which necessitate establishing a central counterparty and offering payment guarantees for foreign investors, he said at the event. Moreover, adjustments are crucial regarding the foreign ownership cap and the room available for foreign investors, such as permitting non-voting depository receipts and increasing the foreign ownership limit. The markets attractiveness could also be bolstered by ensuring equitable information access. Providing information in both English and Vietnamese and adopting International Financial Reporting Standards are essential steps, he noted. Further refinements needed include simplifying the process for opening accounts and registering investors, improving account structures, and ensuring efficient and transparent initial public offering processes, Kusuma said. Addressing issues related to access, risk mitigation, foreign exchange conversion capabilities, and upgrading trading system infrastructure are also vital. He added that an upgrade would enhance Vietnams market status, ensuring sufficient capital access for foreign investors with substantial securities scales. Second Secretary Arabella Bennett from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam added, Despite facing challenges, Vietnam has achieved notable results in its efforts to ascend to an emerging market status. Moreover, Vietnam has been included on FTSE Russells watchlist for a potential upgrade of its stock market. Vu Chi Dung, director of the International Cooperation Department at the State Securities Commission of Vietnam, emphasised the broader implications of an upgrade. A market upgrade is a clear signal that Vietnam has moved further along in its international economic integration journey, elevating not only the stature of Vietnams stock market but also of the entire economy in the eyes of the global community, Dung said. The World Banks assessment suggests that an upgrade could draw approximately $7.2 billion of net indirect foreign investment into Vietnam annually, predominantly from major global investment funds and foreign investors. This upgrade will enhance the pricing capabilities of stocks, leading to a valuation that reflects the actual demand and potential of businesses, greatly aiding the equitisation process and facilitating higher state divestment revenues, Dung explained. The upgrade would increase the number of institutional investors and large-scale investors in the market, currently dominated by over 90 per cent individual retail investors. However, Dung cautioned that the greatest challenge remains ensuring the continuous stable and sustainable development of the stock market, maintaining the ranking and avoiding any downgrade. This challenge stems from the markets ability to meet the ongoing or changing criteria set by ranking organisations. On the other hand, Duong Ngoc Tuan, deputy general director of Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation, discussed the challenges associated with pre-funding, particularly focusing on the group of foreign institutional investors who, despite constituting only 10 per cent of investors, account for a significant share of transactions. These investors typically exhibit high compliance and have not yet faced payment defaults due to unarranged funding. Therefore, resolving issues for this group is our priority, Tuan stated. He also explained the principle that allows for this based on the brokerages assessment of capability of margin levels to ensure payment on the settlement day. The challenge lies in handling situations where, on settlement day, the investor lacks funds, transferring payment obligation to the brokerage. If the brokerage itself fails to arrange the necessary funds, it would jeopardise payment operation safety, he added. Dr. Nguyen Nhu Quynh, director of the Institute of Financial Policy Strategy, recommended vigilant monitoring and preparedness for rapid capital flow reversals. This involves closely tracking capital inflows from individual investors, foreign entities, and securities-related debts. Enhancing market resilience against external shocks through improved regulatory and supervisory capabilities, along with financial stability, is crucial. Modernising inspection and surveillance tools and enforcing regulations are vital components of this strategy, he stated. Additionally, a comprehensive restructuring of intermediary organisations is essential to elevate their quality and ensure they meet the demands of an upgraded market, thereby ensuring system stability and financial security. Banh mi is a type of Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with pate, cold meats, and vegetables. (Photo: VNA) HCM City Ho Chi Minh City will host the second banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) festival on May 17-19, aiming to promote the Vietnamese cuisine which has grown in popularity among foodies from around the globe. The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association (HTA) said on April 23 that the event will feature some 150 booths of renowned banh mi brands aged 50 and above, restaurants, bakeries, and suppliers of materials and bread-making tools. A space dedicated to the history of banh mi will be arranged at the festival, helping popularise the food among both domestic and foreign visitors. Other highlights of the festival include seminars on Vietnamese banh mi and global tourism and cuisine, and a startup programme for women and pastry students. Banh mi is a type of Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with pate, cold meats, and vegetables. Although they vary greatly between cities and between individual vendors, pork of some kind is usually used. One of Vietnams most beloved foods, it was first brought to the country by the French in the 19th century and has since undergone a number of adaptations and changes. They may be found anywhere, from the stalls of street vendors to the menus of the finest restaurants. Last month, the Vietnamese food was ranked first in the list of the top 100 sandwiches in the world by international food website Taste Atlas. It also has had it name defined in reputable dictionaries like Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster, to name just a few. Techcombank's CEO Jens Lottner Concerns were aired about the potential impact of distributing a high one-time dividend on share price dilution - a common practice among banks to maintain stock price stability. Techcombanks CEO Jens Lottner elaborated on the banks prudential stance concerning debt and equity management. The reality is that rewarding shareholders with stock dividends does not impact our equity capital. It's merely a reallocation from one portion to another and should not affect the fundamental value, Lottner said. "While the share price might slightly decrease due to dilution, this could also present an opportunity for new investors to purchase Techcombank shares at an attractive price. A robust bank will see its share price recover and grow," he said. For 2024, Techcombank plans to distribute a cash dividend of 15 per cent, based on the total number of outstanding shares at the record date. This rate projects a payout of approximately $220.16 million, sourced from the banks 2023 retained earnings after allocations to various reserves, as confirmed by the audited financial reports. Lottner said that with Techcombank's substantial capital base, the bank could afford to distribute dividends sustainably without compromising its operations. With our leading capital structure, Techcombank can afford to pay dividends from this year onwards while ensuring the banks operational integrity, he said. Addressing another shareholder query about why Techcombank, despite being a large bank, did not have a higher credit limit compared to similar institutions, Lottner disclosed that the State Bank of Vietnam caps their credit limit at about 20-25 per cent. He acknowledged that some banks might receive higher limits, which could spur faster growth, but rapid expansion could come at a cost, such as an increase in non-performing loans. Regarding the low growth in customer numbers, Lottner emphasised quality over quantity. "Techcombank may have fewer customers, but they are highly valuable and contribute significantly to our operations. Our focus is on quality, not quantity, as you can see from our market reputation driven by our assets, service excellence, and product offerings which attract high-quality clients," the bank's CEO said. Techcombank's chairman Ho Hung Anh Lottner also noted that while management had considered models like those of Home Credit and FE Credit, such consumer finance company frameworks did not align with Techcombanks risk management strategies, and there were no immediate plans to establish a separate consumer finance entity. In response to queries about foreign shareholder strategy, Techcombanks chairman Ho Hung Anh said that the bank was exploring opportunities similar to those at VPBank, indicating a possible openness to new investment partnerships. "Currently, foreign investors own 22 per cent of Techcombank's shares, which permits us to allocate approximately 10 per cent to strategic investors. Techcombank is actively seeking potential strategic partners. We expect this strategy to allow for the issuance of shares at enhanced valuations, thereby delivering greater benefits to our shareholders," Anh said. Anh concluded with a cautious outlook for 2024, considering the ongoing economic challenges, underlining a conservative approach in the banks strategic planning for the coming year. Nguyen Xuan Minh, chairman of Techcom Securities (TCBS) - a subsidiary of Techcombank, also shared insights into the firms operations and wealth management division. Minh outlined ambitious goals for 2025, saying "TCBS aims to reach five million customers and attain a capitalisation of $5 billion." Expanding on socioeconomic shifts within Vietnam, Minh said, "As Vietnamese citizens increasingly accumulate wealth, diversification of assets becomes inevitable. This ranges from traditional investments like gold and real estate to mutual funds, bonds, stocks, and other financial instruments." "Initially, our focus will be on the affluent middle class, representing 20 per cent of the population but controlling 80 per cent of the nations wealth. We will then broaden our reach. TCBS is strategically positioned to capitalise on Vietnam's growth in the upcoming years," he added. Techcombank scoops two Stevie Awards Vietnam Technological and Commercial JSB (Techcombank) won in two categories at the 11th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, for Innovation in Brand Development and Most Innovative Marketing Team of the Year. The AI Connect II Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop, hosted jointly by the US Department of State Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, the Atlantic Council GeoTech Centre, and Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology, involves 44 participants in the AI Connect II programme from South and Southeast Asia, as well as high-level regional representatives from tech companies, the government, and regional institutions. The workshop marks a pivotal moment in advancing responsible AI development and policy across South and Southeast Asia. Participants have gathered in Ho Chi Minh City to engage in robust discussions, hear from globally renowned experts, and explore case studies and best practices relevant to the region. The workshop has provided a unique platform for networking and collaboration among international policymakers, practitioners, academics, and private sector representatives committed to shaping the future of AI. "We are excited to bring together this distinguished group of participants and partners here in Ho Chi Minh City not only as a milestone in fostering responsible AI development but also as a vital platform for addressing the nuanced challenges of AI policy and implementation across the region," said Raul Brens, acting senior director and senior fellow at the Atlantic Councils GeoTech Centre. "This workshop underscores our shared dedication to shaping a future where AI technologies are developed responsibly and inclusively, benefiting everyone in the Asia-Pacific and beyond." AI Connect II is designed to encourage the responsible stewardship of AI technologies in line with the OECD AI Principles and empower low- and middle-income countries from the Global South to participate more effectively in global, multi-stakeholder conversations on AI policy. AI Connect II is bringing together policymakers, practitioners, academics, and private sector representatives from selected countries who will receive support and opportunities to engage with experts via a global community fortified by regional subnetworks. The programme is engaging a cohort of 150 fellows through meetings, both virtual and in-person, and networking opportunities. The Atlantic Council will work with fellows to support their country's efforts to develop robust AI strategies, foster meaningful connections between individuals working in the same region toward responsible AI development, and bring their voices to international forums and conferences to ensure these conversations are inclusive and cognizant of the unique social, political, and economic contexts of their home countries. IBM: Five top trends for 2024 to enhance Vietnam's digital economy Designing around AI, AI usage, data conversation, operating models, and ecosystem building will be the five main tech trends in 2024, IBM Vietnam pointed out at a press conference on December 12. How businesses are embracing AI The rising tide of AI redefines how businesses operate and make decisions. Nguyen Hoang Nhan, director of Technical & Digital Innovation and IT Advisory at KPMG in Vietnam, explores vital AI trends that businesses can apply to enhance performance, save costs, and elevate the customer experience. Funded by the United States Indo-Pacific Command through the Overseas Humanitarian Disaster Assistance and Civic Action Program, the newly constructed two-story kindergarten stands as a beacon of hope for the community. It will serve as a centre for education for the children of Trieu Thuan commune, and provide shelter for people in need during natural disasters, reaffirming the United States commitment to the wellbeing of Vietnam in times of crisis. The US Office of Defense Cooperation, chief lieutenant Colonel Wei Yuan, unveiled the plaque of Trieu Thuan Kindergarten with Ha Sy Dong, Vice Chairman of Quang Tri Peoples Committee The heart of this project stems from the collaborative efforts of the US Office of Defense Cooperation in Vietnam and Quang Tri province, who jointly identified the need for such a facility in March 2021. Through their partnership, tangible progress has been made to address the educational and safety needs of communities in the region. Comprising six fully furnished classrooms and two teachers' rooms, Trieu Thuan Kindergarten serves as a symbol of hope, unity, and progress, and stands as testament to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the US and Vietnam. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Trieu Thuan Kindergarten The construction and support for this initiative were made possible through the collective efforts of Chuong Duong Company, New Horizon Company, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and Quang Tri Peoples Committee. The handover ceremony reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering education, promoting resilience, and building stronger communities, reflecting the enduring bond of friendship between the US and Vietnam. China restores 6.7 mln ha of land in ecological remediation drive Xinhua) 10:05, April 23, 2024 JINAN, April 22 (Xinhua) -- China has restored over 100 million mu (about 6.7 million hectares) of land in a massive ecological remediation drive called the Shan-Shui Initiative. The figure was released by the Ministry of Natural Resources at a World Earth Day event in the city of Linyi, east China's Shandong Province, on Monday. The Shan-Shui Initiative, which translates as "mountains and rivers" initiative, is China's ambitious country-wide effort that aims to restore 10 million hectares of natural spaces, including mountains, forests, grasslands and waterways, by 2030. Addressing the event, Charles Karangwa, the global head of Nature-based Solutions at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), hailed China's efforts, saying the country has made significant achievements in ecosystem conservation and restoration. The initiative covers 29 provincial-level regions. It includes 31 projects concerning the protection of the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins, seven on the protection of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, and 21 for the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, according to the ministry. It also includes 22 projects related to the development of west China, four on the revitalization of northeast China, four on the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and four on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A woman washes kitchen utensils at the lakeshore of Lake Malawi in Mangochi, Malawi, April 21, 2024. (Photo by Joseph Mizere/Xinhua) MANGOCHI, Malawi, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Yusuf Alid, a local fisherman, stares at his nearly submerged house, feeling the weight of his hard work and investment in what was meant to be his future home. The house, which cost him close to 14 million Kwacha (about 8,080 U.S. dollars), represents a significant sum for an ordinary individual in the lakeshore community of Lake Malawi, now inundated with water. "My house was almost ready for occupation, but it is now damaged. I never thought this could happen to me as the shores have been safe for years. I saved money for 10 years to move my family here. People have lived here for generations without this ever happening. It is really sad," said 35-year-old Alid, who has five kids in Mangochi, a lakeshore town in eastern Malawi. Another victim of the wandering waters, Amina Saidi, a 26-year-old mother of three, complained that the development is a threat not only to her security but to her health and that of her family. "As a mother, what scares me the most isn't just the water going up, but the hidden dangers it brings," Amina explained, her voice shaky with emotion. "Every little splash, every drop could bring a sickness that might hurt my family and take away our future. "My house has not been affected by the rising water levels, but with the water encroaching on a wider part of our lakeshore community, there is a high risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera. This is a threat to us," she said. Earlier this year, flash floods devastated two lakeshore districts of Malawi, namely Nkhotakota in the central region and Karonga in the northern region, leaving thousands displaced and seven persons dead, according to authorities. In the months of March and April, hundreds of households have had to evacuate their homes along the lakeshore, a development reported in most lakeshore districts such as Nkhata Bay in the north, Nkhotakota and Salima in the center, and Mangochi in the east. The flooding of Lake Malawi has also disrupted the hospitality industry as lodging places and waterfront structures along the shore have completely closed due to the floods. According to the spokesperson for the National Water Resources Authority, Masozi Kasambala, the rise in water levels in Malawi has occurred due to heavy downpours of rain this year, sending large amounts of water into the lake. Additionally, there was significant rainfall in the north of Malawi and in Tanzania, which also feeds water into Lake Malawi, contributing to the rise in lake levels. "We are concerned that people have been affected by an avoidable water-related catastrophe. The reason is that some developers constructed the buffer zones. As the lake was reclaiming its territory, some people have ended up being affected," said Kasambala. Meanwhile, authorities in Malawi have enhanced civic education among people in the lakeshore areas to remind them of the importance of adhering to the government's instructions regarding how they should manage lakeshore areas. "We have enhanced a civic education drive for the populace to stick to acceptable practices to avoid a recurrence of the current unfortunate scenario. We envisage that this interaction will ground them in the right knowledge and allay misinformation and disinformation revolving around the water level increase," Kasambala added. This photo taken on April 21, 2024 shows a waterlogged building on the lakeshore of Lake Malawi in Mangochi, Malawi. (Photo by Joseph Mizere/Xinhua) Nepal's President Ram Chandra Poudel (R) and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani pose for a photo at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 23, 2024. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived here on Tuesday afternoon for a two-day state visit. The emir was welcomed by Nepal's President Ram Chandra Poudel with a guard of honor at the airport. He is scheduled to have talks with Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) KATHMANDU, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived here on Tuesday afternoon for a two-day state visit. The emir was welcomed by Nepal's President Ram Chandra Poudel with a guard of honor at the airport. He is scheduled to have talks with Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday. Bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding will be signed between the two countries following the talks, according to Nepal's foreign ministry. Qatar is reportedly hosting about 400,000 Nepali migrant workers. The emir had visited Bangladesh before he came to Nepal. The northern Nevada region is currently facing a challenge with finding more sign language interpreters. According one professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, when you don't have enough sign language interpreters, that can limit communication and accessibility for the deaf community. That's why in the 2023 fall semester she launched a new program that helps students learn ASL and put them on that path of becoming interpreters. Andrea Juillerat-Olvera, Program Advisor for the American Sign Language Program, says, "Ever since I arrived in 2007 there hasn't been enough interpreters. Right now, for all of northern Nevada, there's approximately 42 registered interpreters." However, Juillerat-Olvera says some of them are only apprentice level, meaning they have a limited understanding of interpreting. She tells us 30 of them work for the Washoe County School District which means there's only about a dozen working throughout the region. "Interpreters aren't only needed in high stake environments like courtrooms or medical emergencies, but deaf people would also like access to cultural events, to plays, or festivals, or reading groups," said Juillerat Olvera. To help raise awareness Juillerat-Olvera has launched the American Sign Language program at the university. Right now, there are 230 students enrolled in ASL classes. While most of the students are taking the class to fulfill their foreign language credit, 16 students are minoring in American Sign Language. "That's really good for a program that's brand new," Juillerat-Olvera adds. One student spoke about why she chose to minor in it. Emma de la Torre, a minor in ASL, says, "I just think it's such an amazing language such supports a beautiful culture." De la Torre encourages as many people as possible to learn ASL, "I think learning ASL will open doors. Not just to the people that have learned but as well as deaf people, helping them access things to a greater degree than they currently are able to in northern Nevada." April 21 - 27 is National Volunteer Week, and the Red Cross of Northern Nevada is looking for people interested in volunteering. Red Cross volunteers help by responding to disasters and offering support to affected communities. Volunteers provide food, shelter, comfort and hope to those in emergency situations. They are also trained in lifesaving skills and provide support to military members and veterans. Two of the volunteer positions include the Shelter Support Team and the Disaster Action Team. The Shelter Support Team helps with day-to-day activities during large disasters. They can help with registering residents, meal service, distributing cots, blankets and hygiene supplies, and more. The Disaster Action Team offers comfort and support to families impacted by smaller disasters such as home fires. They provide food, shelter, clothing and supplies, and help families find assistance. If you are interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer, you can contact Ericka Smith at (775) 225-3392 or ericka.smith@redcross.org You can also find more information on the Red Cross website. If youve forgotten Barbara Walters titanic influence on American culture since her death in 2022, consider this figure: 70 million. Thats the average number of viewers who watched at least part of her blockbuster interview with Monica Lewinsky in 1999. Compare that to Oprah Winfreys much-ballyhooed interview with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex in 2021, which drew 17.1 million viewers. Walters interviews were big. They made news, made stars, made enemies (of her competitors) and famously made people cry (like Norman Schwarzkopf). She probed the psyches of an astonishing list of icons royalty, rogues, dictators, peacemakers, presidents, artists, jocks from Saddam Hussein to Muammar Gaddhafi, Judy Garland to Christopher Reeve, Mike Tyson and Robin Givens to the first joint interview with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin. Her unlikely rise from a nightclub owners daughter to journalistic trailblazer is chronicled in Susan Pages entertaining and absorbing new biography, The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters. Page previously wrote bestselling biographies on Barbara Bush (The Matriarch) and Nancy Pelosi (Madam Speaker), making The Rulebreaker part three in an unplanned badass women of the Silent Generation trilogy, says Page, USA Todays Washington bureau chief, by email. How significant is Walters? She cut a path no woman had walked before, Page believes. Every woman in journalism, including myself, owes her a debt. As an interviewer, she redefined whose stories were worth telling and how they could be told. At age 67, she expanded TVs boundaries by creating The View. And she was fearless. At a time when ambition was seen as unladylike, Page writes in the book, Barbara plowed into a profession that wasnt ready to welcome her. Here are nine things we learned from The Rulebreaker about Walters triumphs, her ferocity and the disappointments of her personal life. Members only 1. As a child, fake stomach pain led to unnecessary surgery. Walters had a lonely childhood. Her father, Lou, an immigrant showbiz impresario and nightclub owner, prioritized work over family (an adult Barbara would do the same). Her anxious mother, Dena, fretted about the familys finances: Lous big-money successes routinely led to self-inflicted failures. Her special-needs sister, Jackie, required care and attention. To redirect the family spotlight toward herself, Walters, then 7 or 8, complained of stomach pains. The mystery ailments were a fraud but provided precious one-on-one time with her mother as they visited doctors and shared postexam meals. Even when a doctor suggested an appendectomy, Walters embraced the lie and the attention. 2. She had a love-hate relationship with her sister. Though Jackie was diagnosed as mildly retarded (the term used at that time) she was possibly autistic, Walters suspected. She credited Jackie with building a compassion and an understanding of people that I might never had had [sic], but admitted, there were times I hated her too. For being different. For making me feel different. For the restraints she put on my life. Decades later, Walters read a book titled The Normal One: Life With a Difficult or Damaged Sibling and saw herself: The prematurely mature child; the looming responsibility for a siblings care and well-being; the compulsion to be an overachiever; the fear of failure. PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's official visit to Cambodia has injected new impetus into building a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, Cambodian experts said on Tuesday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, concluded his three-day visit to the Southeast Asian country on Tuesday after meeting with Cambodian top leaders and co-chairing the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee. Pov Sok, an advisor to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, said Wang's visit has elevated the China-Cambodia ties to new highs, undoubtedly. "His visit has not only given fresh impetus to the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, but also further expanded all-round cooperation between the two countries," he told Xinhua. "His trip has brought broader cooperation between the two countries in the areas of economy, trade, investment, agriculture, tourism and culture, among others," he said. Pov Sok added that Wang's visit has also enriched the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, and made positive progress in building the Industrial Development Corridor as well as the Fish and Rice Corridor, benefiting the two countries and peoples. Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said Wang's visit has added new momentum to the strategic ties between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). "Wang's visit has importantly contributed to promoting China-Cambodia ties and cooperation, enhancing mutual understanding and strategic trust, and advancing the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard community with a shared future in the new era," he told Xinhua. "Also, his visit has further expanded bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and China, particularly under the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Diamond Hexagon cooperation," he said. Matthews said close Cambodia-China ties have significantly contributed to maintaining peace, security, stability, development, and prosperity in the ASEAN region and beyond. According to a joint statement released at the end of Wang's visit to Cambodia, during the visit, Wang met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, and co-chaired the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee with Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol. Cambodia and China are ironclad friends that stand by each other and help each other in times of difficulty, the statement said. The two countries agreed to jointly promote free, open, equal, inclusive and universally beneficial multilateralism and economic globalization. The Chinese side reiterated support for Cambodia's choice of development path that suits the Cambodian national conditions, support for Cambodia's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and firm opposition to external interference in Cambodia's internal affairs, the statement said. The Cambodian side reaffirmed its commitment to the one-China policy, adding that Cambodia opposes any attempt to use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs, opposes any form of "Taiwan independence," firmly supports all China's efforts to achieve national reunification, and will not develop any form of official relations with Taiwan. Both sides also agreed to deepen synergy between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I, expedite the formulation of cooperation plan for the Industrial Development Corridor, advance the preliminary planning and design of the Cambodia-China Railway, and deliver on the Chinese agricultural demonstration center and other early harvest projects of the Fish and Rice Corridor. The two sides will work to ensure high-quality implementation of the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, promote the export of Cambodian agricultural products to China, and encourage more Chinese businesses to invest in Cambodia. Both sides also agreed to take the opportunity of the 2024 China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year to increase tourism exchanges, two-way flights, and exchanges between youths, localities and friendship groups, according to the statement. Shirley MacLaine, one of the last living legends from Hollywoods Golden Age, has been a mainstay on the big and small screens for coming up on seven decades. She made her acting debut in Alfred Hitchcocks The Trouble with Harry, winning the Golden Globe for best new star of 1955, and shes still appearing in new films. To celebrate her 90th birthday, on April 24, weve collected nine things we love about the immensely talented, always outspoken, delightfully eccentric Oscar and AARP Movies for Grownups award winner. Getty Images 1. Broken ankles didnt hold her back in fact, one gave her her big break MacLaine started dancing at 3 and studied at the Washington School of Ballet as a child. She was so tall that she was often cast in boys roles. When MacLaine finally landed a juicy female role, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, she broke her ankle backstage; not wanting to miss the opportunity, she simply tied her ribbons tighter and went on with the show. I got to play the Fairy Godmother and turned the pumpkin into a coach, but I couldnt cure my own broken ankle! she told The Sunday Post. Another injury gave MacLaine her big break: On Broadway, she was understudying in The Pajama Game when one of the leads broke her ankle, so MacLaine was plucked from the chorus to step in. As luck would have it, Jerry Lewis and producer Hal Wallis were in the audience, and she was quickly signed to a Hollywood contract. She would dance again in Can-Can and Sweet Charity, and returned to the world of ballet in 1977s The Turning Point. Members only (Left to right) Jack Nicholson, Shirley MacLaine and James L. Brooks holding their Oscars at the 56th Academy Awards. Bill Nation/Getty Images 2. Step aside, Meryl: MacLaines Oscar nominations show off her great range as well The sixth time was the charm for perennial Academy Award nominee MacLaine, who had earned four acting nominations: one for the 1958 family drama Some Came Running, two for Billy Wilder romantic comedies opposite Jack Lemmon (1960s The Apartment and 1963s Irma La Douce) and one for The Turning Point, plus another for codirecting the 1975 documentary The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir. She finally broke through two and a half decades after her first nod, when she took home the trophy for Terms of Endearment, one of the great mother-daughter movies in Hollywood history. Im gonna cry because this show has been as long as my career, she joked during her acceptance speech. I have wondered for 26 years what this would feel like. Thank you so much for terminating the suspense. Dont miss this: The Best (and Worst!) Moms in Movie History (Clockwise from top left) Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine star in "Some Came Running." Getty Images 3. The Rat Pack treated her like one of the guys Nicknamed a Rat Pack mascot, MacLaine shared an Indiana house with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin during the 1958 filming of Some Came Running. She would later joke to Vanity Fair, How many times did I answer the door because the cannolis had arrived by private plane from Hollywood? MacLaine appeared in the original Oceans Eleven in 1960 and dotingly described the Vegas-loving crew as primitive children who would put crackers in each others beds and dump spaghetti on new tuxedos. She remained one of the guys, as she told The New York Times. By the way, if I wanted to go and do some of the things I was seeing everybody else do, Frank and Dean would say, Dont do that. They protected me. I think they were on some level attracted to me, but they knew better. It would have sacrificed the friendship. Tamboran Signs Binding GSA with Northern Territory Government Sydney, April 23, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Tamboran Resources Corporation ( ASX:TBN ) ( TBNNY:OTCMKTS ) signs binding GSA with the Northern Territory Government to supply 40 TJ per day for ~15 years from the proposed Shenandoah South Pilot Project. Tamboran and the Beetaloo Joint Venture (BJV) have signed a binding long-term Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) to supply the Northern Territory Government (the Buyer) with 40 TJ per day (~19 TJ per day net to Tamboran) from the proposed Shenandoah South Pilot Project for an initial term of nine years (131.4 PJ Total, ~62.4 PJ net to Tamboran), starting in H1 2026. The Buyer has an option to extend the GSA for a further six-and-a-half years through to 2042. The daily volume under the GSA represents approximately two-thirds of the Northern Territory's current gas requirements. Gas will be delivered to the APA-owned Amadeus Gas Pipeline (AGP) on a take-or-pay basis at a market-competitive gas price, escalating at 100% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Buyer's extension option is at a slightly discounted price. The binding supply commitment is conditional on the BJV entering into a binding Gas Transportation Agreement with APA on the proposed Sturt Plateau Pipeline, a binding Gas Processing Agreement for the proposed Sturt Plateau Compression Facility, reaching a Final Investment Decision (FID), and receiving key regulatory and stakeholder approvals. Tamboran will be targeting FID on the proposed Shenandoah South Pilot Project in mid-2024, with first production planned by H1 2026. Tamboran holds a 47.5% working intertest in the 51,200-acre area that will include the wells required to deliver the proposed Pilot Project volumes. Tamboran Resources Corporation Managing Director and CEO, Joel Riddle, said: "We are proud to deliver on our commitment to provide the Northern Territory Government with long-term supply of gas from the Beetaloo Basin. Tamboran has always promised that our first gas production from the Basin would be to the benefit of Territorians and we are excited to play our part in boosting energy security in the Northern Territory. "This is a transformational development for Tamboran and our partners, after ten years of hard work and more than A$500 million invested in Beetaloo exploration and appraisal activities. This represents a major milestone and puts Tamboran on a path where revenue from gas sales will support funding our future development phases, including supply to the East Coast gas market. In addition, the proposed Pilot Project is expected to provide initial royalties to both the Northern Territory Government and Traditional Owners within the region. "With electricity in the Northern Territory predominantly sourced from gas-fired power, it is key that the Northern Territory has a readily available gas supply to keep the lights on. Due to the use of natural gas in the electricity supply, the Northern Territory is well below the national average for emissions intensity across Australia's electricity network, especially NSW, Victoria and Queensland who rely heavily on coal." About Tamboran Resources Corporation Tamboran Resources Corporation (ASX:TBN) is a natural gas company that intends to play a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future by developing low CO2 unconventional natural gas resources in the Beetaloo Sub-basin within the Greater McArthur Basin in the Northern Territory of Australia. Tamboran's key assets are a 25% working interest in EP 161 and a 100% working interest in EP 136, EP 143 and EP(A) 197 which are located in the Beetaloo Sub-basin. Related Companies New website for the 2024 Australian Gold Conference Sydney, April 23, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - IRM, the online investor engagement specialists, have switched on the new website for the 2024 Australian Gold Conference at www.goldevents.com.au "IRM is thrilled to be working once again with Gold Events and the 2024 Australian Gold Conference, providing essential online tools to update delegates, sponsors and exhibitors", said Ruchelle Erratt, Client Success Manager, IRM. "Gold Events is a valued partner, the conference allows IRM to amplify the message of ASX-listed companies, cut through noise and grab investor attention." The 2024 Australian Gold Conference returns to Crown Towers, Sydney August 26-28, Australia's leading gathering for investors, bullion dealers, refiners, suppliers, marketers, gold explorers and producers. "IRM has actually created three websites reflecting our three specific events," said Kerry Stevenson, Founder and CEO of the Australian Gold Conference. "Eureka 2024, our free education evening and social event, the two-day Australian Gold Conference and the Gold Industry Awards dinner with our fabulous host Vince Sorrenti." "Online communication has become an essential part of our lives, transforming how we connect, share information, and conduct business," added Erratt. "Gathering face to face and engaging with participants at the Australian Gold Conference is a must do on our marketing calendar." Visit the website now and register as a delegate. https://www.goldevents.com.au ABOUT IRM IRM is a leading provider of investor communication tools, dedicated to empowering companies to shine in the competitive landscape of investor engagement. With over 20 years of experience primarily serving ASX-listed companies, our expertise in effective investor communication makes us the perfect partner for both established and upcoming listings on any major exchange. About The Australian Gold Conference The Australian Gold Conference is presented for the 14th time in 2024 by Kerry Stevenson's GOLD EVENTS. The conference mixes investors with bullion dealers, refiners, suppliers, marketers, gold mining explorers, developers and producers each year with powerful keynotes and vital panel discussions reflecting the diverse and everchanging developments of the world's most stable currency and powerful commodity. You can't print gold! Related Companies GABORONE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in Botswana have applauded Boitekanelo College, one of the country's learning institutions, for achieving accreditation from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). Assistant Minister of Health Sethomo Lelatisitswe said on Monday that the accomplishment demonstrates Boitekanelo College's commitment to meeting global standards of excellence in occupational therapy education. "This alignment helps to bridge the skills gap by equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to excel in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape," said Lelatisitswe, adding that Boitekanelo College aims to produce world-class professionals who meet the highest standards of excellence. He said the accreditation provides assurance that students are industry-ready to meet the demands of the profession and make meaningful contributions to the health and well-being of patients, not only in Botswana but internationally as well. "Indeed, Botswana is also on the trajectory to export skilled manpower. Furthermore, this international accreditation opens doors to collaborations and partnership opportunities with other accredited institutions, both nationally and internationally," Lelatisitswe added. To date, Botswana has a total of 39 occupational therapists in practice, in both public and private hospitals, and only a few of these are clinicians in non-governmental organizations and health insurance. We are in a new era of Public Relations. In the last few years, the importance of reputation management has taken a sea change. More brands and clients, especially from the leadership teams, are viewing Public Relations from a close range. The industry has undergone a radical change with the advent of social media, which has to a large extent changed the approach to Public Relations. We have a relatively new and young audience that we need to face in the coming years so there are bigger challenges for brands and PR practitioners, who have to be more agile and proactive in their thinking to draw up business solutions for clients. In our exclusive column PR Conversation Adgully interacts with leading business leaders and obtains their exclusive views and insights on the various trends in the PR and communications industry. In conversation with Adgully, Himani Rautela, Deputy General Manager - Communications Lead at Redington Ltd, speaks about the importance of authenticity and differentiation in positioning companies in competitive markets, drawing up effective crisis communication strategies, integrating traditional media outreach with digital marketing strategies, and more. Could you share more about your role as Communications Lead at Redington? How do your responsibilities align with the companys business objectives? As the Communications Lead at Redington, my primary responsibility is to develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies that align with the companys overarching business objectives. This involves crafting messaging that effectively communicates Redingtons value proposition to various stakeholders. By fostering relationships with key stakeholders, I ensure that Redington maintains an impactful presence in the market, ultimately contributing to the companys growth and reputation. With your extensive experience in media outreach and strategic brand building, what are some key insights that youve gained about effectively positioning companies in competitive markets? One key insight that I have gained is the importance of authenticity and differentiation in positioning companies in competitive markets. It is essential to identify and articulate what sets a company apart and to communicate that distinctiveness consistently across all touchpoints. Additionally, building strong relationships can significantly amplify a companys messaging and enhance its credibility in the market. By continuously monitoring market trends and consumer behaviour, we can adapt our positioning strategies to remain relevant and compelling in an ever-changing landscape. Leveraging my extensive experience as a seasoned communication professional, specializing in media outreach and strategic brand development, I have navigated the complexities of positioning companies across a diverse spectrum. From startups and consulting firms to NGOs and established brands, within fiercely competitive markets, I have honed invaluable insights that are integral to success in todays business landscapes. How do you approach crisis communication? Could you share a notable experience where your strategies helped navigate a challenging situation successfully? Effective crisis communication is essential, demanding a proactive and transparent stance. When confronted with a crisis, my foremost objective is swift assessment, gathering precise data, and formulating a coherent response strategy. Central to this approach are transparency and candor, alongside ensuring open channels of communication with all stakeholders. A notable instance showcasing our adept crisis communication occurred during a specific incident (for confidentiality reasons, brand names cannot be disclosed). Through prompt acknowledgment of the issue, consistent updates, and proactive solution offerings, we successfully managed to alleviate the situation. How do you integrate traditional media outreach with digital marketing strategies to create a cohesive communication narrative for brands? Integrating traditional media outreach with digital marketing strategies is essential for creating a cohesive communication narrative that reaches diverse audiences across multiple channels. We leverage traditional media outlets, such as newspapers, magazines, and broadcast media, to reach a broad audience and establish credibility. Simultaneously, we harness the power of digital platforms, including social media, blogs, and online publications, to engage with target demographics in a more personalized and interactive manner. By aligning our messaging and content across both traditional and digital channels, we create a unified brand experience that resonates with our audience and drives meaningful engagement. You have worked with India Mobile Congress and other digital technology forums. How do you stay updated with industry trends, and how do you incorporate these insights into your communication strategies? Staying updated with industry trends is essential for notifying our communication strategies and maintaining a competitive edge. I actively participate in industry events, such as conferences, seminars, and webinars, to stay abreast of the latest developments and emerging technologies. Additionally, I regularly monitor industry publications, research reports, and social media channels to gather insights and identify potential opportunities. By staying informed and adaptable, we can tailor our communication strategies to anticipate market trends and meet the evolving needs of our stakeholders. Please tell us about your involvement in advising companies on public relations and policy matters, and the impact it had on their overall communication strategies. As a communication professional, I have had the privilege of advising companies on public relations and policy matters to help them navigate complex regulatory environments and enhance their overall communication strategies. By providing strategic counsel and leveraging my expertise in media relations and stakeholder engagement, I have helped companies effectively communicate their positions on key policy issues and build strong relationships with government officials and regulatory bodies. This proactive approach not only enhances their reputation and credibility but also ensures that their communication strategies are aligned with their broader business objectives. Could you share a specific example of a successful media campaign you conceptualized and implemented, highlighting the impact it had on the business's objectives? One notable instance of a highly effective media campaign was a video crafted to pay tribute to the taskforce. Recognizing the paramount importance of igniting excitement and raising awareness about this launch, we orchestrated a comprehensive multi-channel campaign. This initiative seamlessly integrated traditional media outreach with cutting-edge digital marketing strategies. Our approach encompassed securing prominent coverage in leading industry publications and leveraging influencers to amplify the products visibility across various social media platforms. Furthermore, we curated captivating content, including dynamic videos and compelling infographics, designed to inform and captivate our intended audience. The culmination of our concerted efforts resulted in a significant surge of media interest, garnered acclaim from stakeholders, and solidified our presence within the target market. Comscore has announced the inclusion of social metrics in its MMX Multi-Platform suite for India, Argentina, France and Mexico. The service is also available in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom which provides a de-duplicated view of audiences across Desktop, Mobile, and Social to enable publishers and brands to measure their comprehensive total digital population. By providing a complete view of digital audiences, Comscores new Social Incremental enhancement enables agencies to achieve channel optimization and publishers to better position the complete reach of their properties for partners to transact on. With this release, Comscore is transforming the field of audience measurement. Alejandro Fosk, EVP International at Comscore, emphasizes the significance, stating, Comscores methodology efficiently organizes data with precision and uncovers interconnections across platforms. This enables us to provide unique reach metrics that now encompass Social. Its a solution only made possible by the massive scale of Comscores proprietary digital panel. Our Social Incremental methodology is enhanced with privacy and allows publishers with significant social presence to capture and monetize the full value of their de-duplicated audiences across their entire footprint. Brands, agencies and publishers can tap into these expanded metrics for audience overlap analysis, combined total audience reach, de-duplicated social reach, and customer centric reporting to inform decision making. Comscores Digital Industry Rankings will now report on the traffic inclusive of Social for entities that have worked with Comscore to activate this complete measurement. Layer PR, a new-age public relations (PR) agency and subsidiary of TechGraph, an online technology and business news media company, has announced the launch of its Startup Program for startups, and small businesses working across the globe in a bid to enhance the global reach and brand presence of emerging businesses. As a part of the programme, participants will receive an exclusive discount exceeding 50% on PR services for one year. Additionally, they will gain access to a dedicated PR specialist, personalized guidance customized to their unique requirements, crisis management assistance, comprehensive media training, and more. Krishna Mali, Co-Founder & CEO, Layer PR, said: "The startup ecosystem is brimming with brilliant minds and ground-breaking concepts. At Layer PR, we're committed to fueling that entrepreneurial fire by providing founders with the strategic communications guidance and resources they need to cut through the noise. Our startup program isn't just about securing media coverage; it's about crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with investors, partners, and customers alike. As Layer PR is a TechGraph company, we have witnessed the struggles of a startup when it comes to PR, so this is a personal mission as well. We're proud to play a part in amplifying startup success stories." Shanaz Khan, Co-Founder & COO, Layer PR, said: "Our Startup Program is crafted to empower startups and small businesses by furnishing them with the requisite support and resources for success. We firmly believe that every entrepreneur merits the opportunity to cultivate a thriving brand, and our program endeavors to facilitate this journey." "At Layer PR, we're committed to empowering the upcoming wave of entrepreneurs and disruptors. Our Startup Program is designed to give ambitious founders a powerful launchpad to amplify their brand's story and drive real business impact," said Prutha Rupareliya, PR Lead, Layer PR. "It is not limited to startups only, small businesses, incubators, accelerators, VCs, and office space providers can also be a part of our program. We're dedicated to being a catalyst for the company's growth and success at every stage by integrating exceptional PR skills with exclusive pricing and resources designed for their journey," Rupareliya further added. Layer PR currently operates from offices in London, Mumbai, and Delhi, with dedicated professionals working virtually across continents. As the Global Christian Forum (GCF) concluded in Ghana this past week, the 250 participants from more than 60 countries and all streams of Christianity sent a message reflecting on their joint experience in Accra, Ghana. They had met from April 16-19 for the fourth GCF global gathering, with part of the program including a day trip to slave castles in Cape Coast where they offered a special service of lamentation. Commemorating its 25th anniversary this year, the GCF message first highlighted the role the forum has played over the years, saying, Throughout its existence, the GCF has been a unique space for all major streams of Christianity to be together for encounter and prayer. It is the broadest expression of Christian faith and one that reflects the movement of the majority of churches from the global north to the global south. Referring to the theme So That the World May Know, the message said, We want the world to know and to do so we must live the gospel in unity. The charism of the Global Christian Forum is the sharing of faith stories. These personal stories act as bridges that help us foster mutual respect and embrace diversity by recognising Christ in the other. They help us move beyond a posture of us and them. In an interview with Christian Daily International preceding the event, GCF Secretary Rev. Dr. Casely Essamuah acknowledged the various divisions among the more than 45,000 denominations and recognized that there are differences and challenges, historically and today. Yet, GCFs approach of sharing stories allows conversations to move from the institutional to the personal, which changes the attitudes in peoples hearts and brings them closer together. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up As we begin to share those stories, there are bridges that we are able to cross and walls that we are able to tear down just because we realized that there's a lot of similarity, he said, adding that there's a lot that we work with as a result of our ethnicities, as a result of our denominations, as a result of our nations. But when you focus on who you are in Christ and what Christ has done for you, all of sudden you look at that person who is wearing a robe that you're not familiar with and say, oh my goodness, that's a brother! During the global gathering, participants also visited the slave castles in Cape Coast where African slaves were shipped to the West, and offered a lamentation service. The message reiterated some of the reflections, saying During our time together in Ghana, we walked in the footsteps, on the sweat and blood, of millions of enslaved, dehumanised African men, women, and children at the Cape Coast Castle. We stood in the dark, stifling dungeons, spaces made more horrifying by the presence of a church directly above. Those above invoked blessings for the ships that would forcibly take the captives to the Americas, Caribbean, and Europe as objects of lucrative trade. Sadly, as we continued to share amongst ourselves, we heard stories of continuing dehumanisation across the world today. Where human beings are oppressed and marginalised, there is a failure to recognise the image and likeness of God in one another, the message continued. That the historical injustice continues to impact people today was highlighted by Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, Vice Moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and General Secretary of Jamaica Baptist Union. Preaching at Wesley Cathedral, she echoed Psalm 137 lamenting that, Many of us in the African diaspora still chant, By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. For the wicked carried us away to captivity, required from us a song. How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land? And while the issue of slavery might feel like history from past centuries for many, Rev. Dr. Richard Howell from the Evangelical Church of God in India, shared in his reflection after the visit that the discrimination on the basis of skin colour and gender remain prevalent. One example is his home country India where the caste system still exists. Pointing to Jesus Christ as the only hope for healing, the GCF message then continued, As the broken and yet reconciling - Body of Christ, we can clearly hear the voice of the Shepherd who heals all wounds. Through the testimonies of pain and ever-enduring hope, God is speaking, calling us to deeper conversion and unity. And it concluded by referring to the Trinity, saying, In lamentation, may our hearts be broken by that which breaks Gods heart. In Christ, may we experience healing and reconciliation. And in the Holy Spirit, may we be sent out with boldness and humility, to make Gods transforming Spirit of forgiveness, justice, healing, restoration, grace, and salvation known. In a unified effort to address menstrual health challenges and uplift young girls, SBI Foundation in collaboration with the Sky Social and Pee Safe, a prominent proponent of menstrual hygiene, has initiated an endeavor across 35 districts in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. This initiative aims to promote menstrual health and hygiene practices among girls in the region. The plan, was guided by expertise of Anil Kumar Shriwastava and Deepak Kumar Jha from State Bank of India and championed by a committed team under the leadership of Srishti Pragat, Founder of Sky Social, and including Arunima Tiwari, Sudha Tiwari, Akshay Shukla, Raju Bele, and Anil Rangdale, alongside passionate youth volunteers, has received substantial backing from influential figures such as Binay Kumar Sahoo, Anupam Kumar, and Vikas Mishra , with invaluable contributions from Nupur Aggarwal and Sanat Sahu from Pee Safe, , this collaboration is poised for impactful results. Covering 25 districts in Madhya Pradesh and 10 in Chhattisgarh, the project has reached over 17,500 school girls, providing practical support and empowering them with knowledge about safe and sustainable menstrual practices. Through workshops, sensitization sessions, and the distribution of reusable pads, the initiative aims to reduce school dropouts due to menstruation-related issues and create a supportive environment for discussing menstrual health. Vikas Bagaria from Pee Safe expressed his commitment to the cause, stating, "We are honored to collaborate with SBI Foundation and Sky Social as a Resource Partner, providing reusable pads and comprehensive training. This initiative reflects our joint commitment to menstrual hygiene, women's empowerment, and sustainable solutions." Vikas Kumar, Chief Manager PR and CSB at SBI, said SBI is proud to collaborate with Sky Social and Pee Safe on this impactful initiative to address menstrual health and hygiene. By reaching out to more than 17500 girls across 35 districts, we are demonstrating our commitment to empowering communities and fostering sustainable development. We have reached out to many remote locations across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and have travelled 6,500 kms across both the states. More than 800 teachers and school wardens were also reached out through this project and are now more aware of menstrual health and hygiene issues. The girls have been provided with a sanitary pad kit consisting of three reusable pads that will last up to 2 years. Through a project like this we are able to make a tangible difference in the lives of girls , ensuring access to essential resources and promoting dignity for all. By distributing reusable sanitary pads sourced from Pee Safe, we are not merely offering a temporary fix, but actively promoting long-term solutions that empower girls to manage their menstrual health. This project exemplifies our belief in the transformative power of collaboration and collective action. The initiative, a part of SBI Foundation's CSR activities, emphasizes the collective effort to promote menstrual hygiene, break taboos, and ensure access to safe period products, ultimately contributing to the holistic well-being of women in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Srishti Pragat, Founder of Sky Social, said, our dedication to promoting menstrual health and hygiene transcends mere advocacyit's a mission deeply rooted in our belief in the fundamental rights and dignity of every individual. The project has been implemented in over 120 schools and hostel facilities, equipping not only girls but school teachers and wardens on menstrual health and hygiene management. By addressing the taboo surrounding menstruation head-on, we aimed to dismantle stigma and foster open conversations that empower girls to manage their menstrual health with confidence and pride. The distribution of reusable sanitary pads has empowered many girls and has given them the confidence to manage their menstruation in a hygienic manner. Through collaborative efforts SBI, Pee Safe, Sky Social are paving the way for a future where menstrual health is prioritized, stigma is eradicated, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive with dignity and respect. PepsiCo, Inc has reported 2.3% growth in its net revenue for Q1 of 2024. PepsiCo has delivered 2.7% organic revenue growth, which compares to a very strong first quarter of 2023 in which it delivered 14.3% organic revenue growth. The performance of PepsiCos Quaker Foods North America business, which was heavily impacted by product recalls, detracted approximately one percentage point from its organic revenue growth. Global organic volume trends, both in convenient foods and beverages, showed improvement versus the last quarter. Core gross and core operating margin expanded as compared to the first quarter of 2023, driven by end-to-end productivity initiatives. Each of PepsiCos International divisions delivered at least high-single digit organic revenue growth, with most of the divisions delivering organic volume growth. The companys International convenient foods business delivered 9% organic revenue growth, while its International beverages business delivered 10% organic revenue growth. In Africa, Middle East and South Asia (AMESA), Convenient foods unit volume grew 4.5%, primarily reflecting high-single-digit growth in South Africa, double-digit growth in India and mid-single-digit growth in Pakistan, partially offset by a double-digit decline in the Middle East. Beverage unit volume grew 2%, primarily reflecting mid-single-digit growth in the Middle East and high single-digit growth in India and Nigeria, partially offset by a double-digit decline in Pakistan. Year-to-date, PepsiCo gained savoury snack share in China, India, Brazil, Australia, and Pakistan, and for beverages, it gained share in Brazil, Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and Pakistan. In a release issued, Ramon Laguarta, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo, Inc, said, During the first quarter, our businesses remained agile and performed well, with a strong performance from our International business. We delivered a sequential improvement in our volume trends, and year-over-year growth in our net revenue, operating profit margin and EPS despite the impact of certain product recalls at Quaker Foods North America and a difficult net revenue growth comparison from the prior year. Laguarta continued, As we look ahead, we will continue to focus our efforts on executing well in the marketplace and delivering great-tasting products that offer convenience and good value to the consumer. We will also continue to elevate and accelerate our productivity initiatives to support continued investments in our brands, capabilities and pep+ initiatives. As a result, we continue to expect to deliver at least 4 percent organic revenue growth and at least 8 percent core constant currency EPS growth in 2024. In addition, our previously announced 7 percent annualized dividend increase is expected to begin with our June 2024 payment and will represent our 52nd consecutive annual increase. Savills India, an international real estate advisory firm, has announced a strategic leadership move with the appointment of Neha Bahl Gujral as the new Head of Marketing & Communications for the brand in India. Neha brings a wealth of experience and expertise in marketing, communications and brand building across diverse industries within the B2B and B2C domains. With over 20 years of experience in this field, she holds a BBA in Marketing and pursued her Post Graduation in Advertising from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad. We are thrilled to have Neha join to join the Savills group. Her extensive experience and proven track record in the industry make her the perfect fit to lead our marketing initiatives as we continue to grow and expand our brand presence. Her ability to drive impactful marketing strategies and innovative approaches to brand development make her an invaluable addition to our brand," commented Anurag Mathur, CEO, Savills India. I am thrilled to be joining Savills, a company that is making significant strides in expanding its presence in India. With a growing footprint, Savills is poised for remarkable growth and success. I am excited to contribute to Savills' continued growth story and drive meaningful and impactful strategies to further elevate the brand, said Neha Bahl Gujral, Head of Marketing & Communications, Savills India. Prior to joining Savills, Neha held leadership positions in reputed organizations, including her recent tenure at Samsung, where she spearheaded Marketing & Communications for Flagship Smartphones and Wearables. She was also associated with HP, National Geographic, Microsoft among others in her tenure, where she led critical campaigns to drive impact on Brand and Business alike. ZEE5, Indias largest home-grown video streaming platform, today unveiled the trailer for its upcoming Bengali romantic thriller, Paashbalish. Produced by Mahabahu Motion Pictures, this series stars Suhatro Mukherjee, Ishaa Saha and Sourav Das in lead roles. Scheduled for release on May 10, Paashbalish is an amazing blend of love, passion, and revenge. The story follows the journey of Babla and Mampi, childhood friends who were separated in Bangladesh. Fifteen years later, raising the question: Will fate reunite them or will their reunion alter their lives forever? Trailer link : At the heart of a captivating tale lies Paashbalish, intricately weaving the destinies of Babla (Suhatro Mukherjee), Mampi (Ishaa Saha), Swadesh (Sourabh Das), and Adhiraj (Rishi Kaushik). As the story unfolds, viewers are drawn into a world where past and present collide, revealing a narrative filled with deep emotions and intriguing mysteries. The trailer teases with people cheering for Chandu to sing and unfolds in a way that showcases his determination, while also hinting at emotional reunions and darker motives. Paashbalish promises an enthralling journey where intertwined destinies collide in unexpected and dramatic ways, offering a glimpse into a story of love, betrayal, and redemption. Director Korok Murmu said, "Paashbalish has been a labour of love, intricately weaving together the timeless essence of romance, suspense, and raw emotion to craft a story that remains untold in its depth and intrigue. Collaborating with such a talented cast like Ishaa, Sourav, and Suhatro has been an absolute delight, and I am eagerly anticipating the moment when viewers can immerse themselves in the enchanting world we've created. ZEE5's expansive reach, particularly in regional markets, offers us a remarkable platform to connect with audiences worldwide. I genuinely hope that this Bengali series strikes a chord with viewers from diverse backgrounds, resonating with hearts across borders. With its captivating storyline and riveting twists, Paashbalish promises an exhilarating journey that will keep viewers captivated until the very last moment." Ishaa Saha, portraying Anchals character, reflected on her journey, stating, "Bringing Anchals character to life has been amazing. I resonate deeply with her multifaceted persona, characterized by daring, sensitivity, and an independent spirit. Anchal's unwavering support and love are with Mahadev, who has become her father figure. A journalism topper from Calcutta University, she has returned to her native town to work for her community. I am thrilled for viewers to witness Anchals inspiring journey unfold on ZEE5, where her story of courage and commitment to her beliefs will provoke thought and resonate deeply with the audience." Suhatro Mukherjee, portraying the role of Chandu, remarked, "Portraying Chandu and Babla in this gripping tale has been a profound journey of exploring love, loyalty, and the complexities of human relationships. This character takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster, weaving together themes of separation, reunion, and the unbreakable bonds that define us. I am honored to be a part of this narrative that transcends borders and delves deep into the intricacies of the human experience. Join me on this unforgettable adventure." Sourav Das, embodying the character of Swadesh, shared his sentiments, stating, Swadesh is a character close to my heart, and I am grateful for the opportunity to portray his journey of love. He is blinded by cause, revengeful, and multifaceted. As the leader of the Paharbongshi clan, he spearheads the revolution, believing that the end justifies the means. I enjoy playing such interesting and multilayered characters, hope viewers will also enjoy watching the show." Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 23.04.2024 - Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the FDFA, received Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg in Bern today. Their discussions focused on the close bilateral relations between the two countries, Switzerland's European policy, current international affairs and the security situation. Both ministers reaffirmed their joint commitment to promoting global peace. Switzerland and Austria are closely bound by numerous shared ties, including a common language and cultural heritage, extensive cooperation across diverse areas, robust economic relations, and their status as neutral nations. "Our two countries share a common set of values and are working together to restore peace, stability and security, particularly on the European continent," said Cassis. Global geopolitical challenges and peace initiatives The discussions focused on current international events and conflicts, in particular the situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. Switzerland and Austria stressed the importance of international humanitarian law and their excellent cooperation within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to further peace efforts. Mr Cassis also briefed Mr Schallenberg on the upcoming high-level conference on peace in Ukraine. Scheduled to take place in Switzerland in June, the upcoming conference will provide a platform for high-level dialogue to pave the way for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Mr Cassis thanked Austria for its support for the conference. The two ministers also discussed Switzerland's and Austria's commitment to promoting stability, security and democracy in the Western Balkans. Bilateral relations and European policy Both delegations highlighted the excellent collaboration between Switzerland and Austria under their strategic partnership agreement signed in 2021. Key areas of discussion included their close economic ties, collaborative initiatives in the education and research sectors, as well as efforts to enhance flood protection measures along the Rhine. The delegations also reviewed bilateral cooperation in the field of security, specifically their joint declaration of intent to participate in the European Sky Shield Initiative. Mr Cassis also briefed Mr Schallenberg on the latest developments in SwissEU relations in the context of the package negotiations that opened in March 2024. The Austrian delegation also visited the Swiss Armed Forces Cyber Command. As part of the visit, Divisional Commander Simon Muller, Head of Cyber Command, presented the Swiss Armed Forces' cyber and electromagnetic capabilities. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html General Secretariat DDPS https://www.vbs.admin.ch/ Defence http://www.vtg.admin.ch The new baby giraffe at The Birmingham Zoo experienced her first day outdoors on Monday. On Tuesday, under warm sunlight, she galloped across the yard. Later she walked towards her mother, Ruby, nuzzled up to her, and began nursing. The baby giraffe was born April 17, to Ruby and father Jalil. Shes the first giraffe born at the zoo since 2014. Its Rubys first calf. Its really exciting to see how her maternal instincts kicked in, said Annie Kaspar, zoological manager for the Trails of Africa. Shes out and about, and visitors can see the newest addition to the zoo Wednesday through Sunday from about 10 a.m. to noon while shes allowed to wander from the barn out onto the yard in the Trails of Africa. Birmingham Zoo friends across the region voted on the zoos social media sites and selected Mopane as the babys name. Pronounced Mo-Paw-Nee, the name represents an African tree with leaves eaten by giraffes. More than 8,000 people voted on four suggested names, with Mopane getting the most votes, more than 3,000. The other name options were: Binit, which means daughter in Swahili Zahara, which means flower in Swahili Kabira, which means powerful in Swahili Get ready to be happy, if you love 90s rock. Everclear is going on tour this fall, and the bands founder and prime mover, Art Alexakis, is promising a set list filled with hits. Two Alabama dates are on the agenda: Oct. 24 at the WorkPlay soundstage in Birmingham, and Oct. 25 at The Plant in Dothan. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday, April 26, via the venue websites. Prices for general admission tickets are TBA, but pre-sales are underway for VIP tickets and meet-and-greet packages at WorkPlay ($125 and $225, plus service charges) and The Plant ($149.51 and $267.06, fees included). Everclear has announced 31 dates for its fall tour, Sept. 13 through Nov. 2, on a bill with Marcy Playground (who gave us Sex and Candy) and Jimmies Chicken Shack (MTV favorites with High). The tour is meant to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Everclears Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile. The platinum-selling album, which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart, was released in 2000. If Alexakis is slightly ahead of schedule for the records silver jubilee, theres a reason for that. Songs from an American Movie Vol. One was in the works in 1999, as Alexakis noted in a press release, and hes pointing to that with the tour. Also, Everclear plans to release a vinyl edition of the album later this year on Intervention Records, date TBA. READ: Art Alexakis, A 90s alternative-rock survivor, tells all This will be a great time to celebrate our album Songs From An American Movie Vol. One, which was created 25 years ago, Alexakis said in the release. A lot of these songs we havent played in a while or, in some cases, weve never played live before. Well of course be playing the hits and fan favorites too. Its going to be a fun show for both old school and new fans alike. See the full list of Everclear tour dates here. Everclear, formed in the early 90s, produced a slate of dynamic music throughout the decade and beyond. The band came to fame with albums such as 1995s Sparkle and Fade and 1997s So Much for the Afterglow, and produced hit singles such as Everything to Everyone, Santa Monica, Heroin Girl, I Will Buy You a New Life and Wonderful. Songs From An American Movie actually has two volumes, both released in 2000 and spearheaded by Alexakis. The first volume, Learning How to Smile, is said to be heavily influenced by 1970s pop music. (It includes the hit single Wonderful and a cover of Van Morrisons Brown Eyed Girl.) The second volume, subtitled Good Time for a Bad Attitude, has a darker hard rock emphasis, and was not as successful as its predecessor. In an interview with eonmusic, a British website, Alexakis revealed that he initially intended to combine the two records into a double album, but the bands management pushed for two separate releases. Alexakis said he reluctantly agreed, but later regretted the decision. He evidently prefers the first volume, hence his emphasis on that record on the fall tour. In retrospect, I would have ... taken all those songs and like gotten rid of six songs including Unemployed Boyfriend and it makes a pretty good record, of just eighteen to twenty songs, Alexakis told eonmusic. It would have been a great double record, and it would have been double platinum, all that stuff. But, you know, it was an idea at the time, and we did something bold and different, and there are really good songs on both of them. But I think the first record is pretty great. Everclear has a significant history of concerts in the Birmingham area, including shows at the BJCC Arena, Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, WorkPlay theater, Jubilee Joes Crawfish Boil, the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil and more. The band also has played at Gadsden Riverfest, Alabaster CityFest, the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Mars Music Hall in Huntsville and more. Alexakis, 61, has performed in Alabama as a solo artist, as well. Hes long been the face of Everclear, as the bands founder, frontman and primary songwriter. Along with Alexakis, Everclears current lineup features guitarist Davey French, bassist Freddy Herrera and drummer Brian Nolan. Derek Hough, an actor and dancer best known for being a pro dancer and judge on the TV hit Dancing with the Stars, is touring this spring with his dance stage show. Hough will bring his show, A Symphony of Dance, to Mobile and Birmingham in Alabama. How to find tickets Hough will perform at the Mobile Civic Center April 27. Find tickets at SeatGeek | StubHub | Ticketmaster | Vivid Seats. He will perform in the Concert Hall of the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center April 28. Find tickets at SeatGeek | StubHub | Ticketmaster | Vivid Seats. With three Emmy wins and 12 nominations, Hough is the most nominated male choreographer in Television Academy history. Hough is also an actor and has appeared in film, TV and stage projects, including Nashville, High School Musical: The Musical for Disney+, a stage production of Footloose, and the live TV production of Hairspray Live! He is a six-time champion on Dancing with the Stars and later served as judge. He is also a New York Times best-selling author of Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion. A 12-year-old Alabama theft suspect is facing 18 felony charges after he was caught driving, and speeding in, a stolen vehicle. Tuscaloosa police say the adolescent is suspected in a rash of vehicle thefts over the past two months. He was taken into custody Saturday after an officer spotted him driving the stolen vehicle at a high rate of speed on James I. Harrison Jr. Parkway. Police spokeswoman Stephanie Taylor said the officer stopped the vehicle and found that the 12-year-old was wearing gloves. He also had a screwdriver and other tools in his pockets. Investigators say the child is responsible for stealing eight vehicles between March 30 and April. He also tried to steal three others between March 20 and April 3. Vehicle windows were broken, and steering columns were damaged in each incident. He is also accused of stealing cash, a Chucky doll and a designer purse from a vehicle as well as using stolen credit cards to make more than $1,000 in online purchases. The boy is charged with: - Eight counts of first-degree theft (vehicles) - Three counts of attempted first-degree theft - Five counts of fraudulent use of a credit or debit card - One count of unlawful breaking and entering a motor vehicle - One count of possession of burglars tools Seven meeting days remain in Alabamas annual legislative session, and among the bills still under consideration are several that would lower taxes or create new tax exemptions. Those include an exemption for baby products and feminine hygiene products, as well as a tax breaks for hearing aids and agricultural fencing, a state income tax exemption for National Guard members called up for duty, and others. When lawmakers return Tuesday, the first bill on the agenda in the House of Representatives concerns labor unions, which are drawing attention in Alabama because of the United Auto Workers campaign to organize workers at Mercedes-Benz and other auto assembly plants in the state and across the South. The legislation scheduled for consideration Tuesday says companies could lose eligibility for state tax incentives if they voluntarily recognize unions. Legislators still have to pass the education and General Fund budgets for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, their main constitutional responsibility. The budgets are about halfway to the finish line. The House passed the education budget, and the Senate passed the General Fund. Legislation to allow voters to decide whether to establish a lottery and other forms of state-regulated gambling is in the hands of a conference committee of three representatives and three senators. They will try to reconcile vast differences between versions passed by the House and Senate. The committee has not announced an official meeting since it was formed last Tuesday. Tax breaks Bills by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham, would exempt diapers, baby formula, baby bottles, baby wipes, breast milk pumping equipment, maternity clothing, and menstrual hygiene products from the 4% state sales tax. A fiscal note with Orrs bill said it would reduce sales tax receipts to that fund the education budget by about $11 million a year. Bills by Sen. Jack Williams, a Republican from Mobile County, and Rep. Danny Crawford, R-Athens, would exempt wood posts, barbed wire, metal gates, and other materials used for livestock fencing from the state sales tax. The bill is on the House agenda Tuesday. Also on the agenda Tuesday is a bill by Rep. Kenneth Paschal, R-Pelham, that provides an exemption to the state income tax to members of the Alabama National Guard and Reserve who are deployed outside country or activated to support state or federal response to emergencies within or outside the country. Labor unions A bill by Orr says a company that recognizes a union solely on the basis of signed union authorization cards instead of holding a secret ballot election will be ineligible for the tax incentives the state uses to recruit industry. A company that voluntarily discloses an employees personal contact information to a union without the employees written consent would also lose eligibility for tax incentives. The bill passed the Senate last week by a vote of 23-5. It could get final passage in the House on Tuesday. Inside UAWs latest Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant union push: Vote set for workers to decide Sex and gender discussion in schools The House agenda Tuesday includes a bill by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, that expands a prohibition on classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity. The Legislature previously banned that in kindergarten through 5th grade. Butlers bill extends it through 12th grade. Butlers bill also prohibits teachers and school employees from displaying a flag or other insignia relating to or representing sexual orientation or gender identity in a classroom or on the property of a public K-12 school. Read more: Alabama lawmakers push to expand Dont Say Gay law to all grades Budgets Last week, the House approved a $9.3 billion education budget for next fiscal year, a 6.25% increase over this year. The budget would boost starting pay for teachers to $47,600, highest among neighboring states. Nearly all education employees will get a 2% raise. The budget provides funds to establish a new, residential, state health sciences high school in Demopolis. The budget has moved to a Senate committee. In conjunction with the regular budget for next year, the House passed two supplemental appropriations totaling $1.7 billion include for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. $1 billion from the Advancement and Technology Fund in HB147 and a $651 million appropriation of unexpected tax revenue from the 2023 tax year in HB144. Earlier this month, the Senate passed a General Fund budget for next fiscal year that totaled $3.3 billion, the largest General Fund budget ever, plus a supplemental spending plan of $214 million. The budget was $300 million more than the current year. It includes a 2% raise for state employees and has moved to the House. Meat from cultured animal cells Another bill on the House calendar on Tuesday would create a state ban on the production and sales of meat produced from cultured animal cells, rather than from live animals. The bill, by Sen. Jack Williams, a Republican from Mobile County, passed the Senate in February by a vote of 32-0. Violations of the ban would be a misdemeanor. A business that violated the law would be subject to disciplinary action, including the suspension or revocation of its food safety permit from the state. The bill says the Department of Agriculture and Industries and the Department of Public Health may adopt rules to implement the law. Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S Food and Drug Administration for the first time approved companies to produce cell-cultivated meat products to be sold in the United States. In July 2023, UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat sold the first cell-cultured chicken at restaurants in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., according to the Congressional Research Service. This story was edited at 8:14 a.m. to update information in the last paragraph. On the morning of Monday, April 22, Matthew Niermann, Lausanne Movements Director of the State of the Great Commission Report, provided a glimpse of the findings of the years-long research at the annual gathering of the Evangelical Press Association in Lexington, KY. The report that will be officially launched at an online event tomorrow and will feed into the upcoming fourth Lausanne Global Congress in Seoul, Korea this September presents the best global data and key strategic thinkers to understand where the greatest gaps and opportunities are for the Great Commissions fulfillment, according to Lausanne. After multiple years of preparation, the state of the Great Commission report will be available [tomorrow]. This report is a product of a multi-year process starting in 2021 with global listening calls all around the world from every region to every topic, pulling together strategic leaders, listening to what they understood to be the greatest challenges and opportunities for the Great Commission, Niermann said. The report boasts over 500 pages including findings and analyses by more than 150 global authors, of which 35% are from the global west, 40% from the global south, and 25% from the global east, with a ratio of 40% women and 60% men. And to make it accessible to audiences globally, it will be translated into six other languages: French, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, and Korean. Introducing the different sections of the report, Niermann said: The first part begins to look at the current state of the Great Commission, looks at a variety of indicators, knowing that there's not one number that indicates the Great Commission, but a variety of activities indicators to get a sense of where we're at in the Great Commission. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Part two turns our eyes [to the future]. We begin to ask how is the world changing between now and 2050 and how will that affect the Great Commission? he continued. Ten questions are key to the analysis of the second section: What is polycentric Christianity? Where does hope lie? What is the foundation of trust? What are emerging demographics? What is community? What is fair and just? What is sustainable? What does it mean to be human? What is a digital life? And what is ministry in a digital age? Part three of this report begins to take these global trends, the 10 questions with 40 trends underneath those 10 questions and begins to ask, how is this playing out on each region of the world and what are some key regional observations that are there? Niermann said. With the full report launching on Tuesday, Niermann focused on presenting some teasers that illustrate changes and related challenges that the global Church has to grapple with as it looks into the future and striving to fulfil the Great Commission that Jesus entrusted to his disciples as recorded in Matthew 28,18-20. Significant changes are the various shifts in demographics both in the general population and the global Church, with statistics revealing a picture of continuing trends that give greater emphasis to Africa and Asia. If we look at Christianity from 1900 to 2050 projected, we can begin to see there's a massive change that's happened across the global Christianity in 1900. The majority of Christians existed in Europe and North America. If we fast forward all the way to 1950, we can begin to see there's an inverse. The majority of Christians exist in Africa and Asia and Latin America and the minority in Europe and North America, he said, echoing similar findings presented last week at the Global Christian Forum. We'll see much of the world will be shaped in the next 20 to 30 years, and much of global Christianity will be shaped by the rise of Africa and the rise of Asia, he added. Looking at trends within the Church, Niermann highlighted the first and greatest challenge being a need for discipleship. Pointing to a marker that showed a single dot far ahead of all others, he said, This is the product of all of our listening calls we did around the globe. We asked every major evangelical leader around the world, what are our opportunities and challenges for the great commission in your region? We put all those together and the result came out by far the number one thing is the need for discipleship. This is an internal reflection from all of our global leaders saying, we must disciple things are not going well, he said. He then went on to share findings that revealed that a high percentage of leaders felt there is either no or only limited discipling for those who come to faith. Digging deeper into the issue specifically on sharing the gospel, they also found that a good number of Christians actually do not know what the Great Commission is, and if they do know, then almost half of them consider it to be optional rather than a mandatory task for the Church. So, we begin to wonder how is it that the Great Commission is not progressing? These are some indicators, Niermann commented, highlighting that one of the most shocking graphs of the report is the one that looks like a straight horizontal line. It shows that global Christianitys percentage of the world population has not changed in more than a hundred years, remaining steady at 33 to 34 percent. Highlighting various other statistics and trends, Niermann outlined the issues that will be relevant for the thousands of participants that are expected to come together in Seoul, Korea from September 22-28, for the global congress. In order for people today to effectively be reached with the gospel, Christian leaders in churches, ministries and all sectors of society need to be well informed about challenges and opportunities related to the Great Commission, and they need to be willing to collaborate, according to Niermann. A key aspect of catalyzing collaboration for this intentional, strategic Great Commission endeavor lies in truly understanding its current status within our ever-changing world. To join the launch event on Tuesday, April 23 at 9am Eastern time, visit Lausanne.org/report. After a series of lower-paying jobs, Nicole Slemp finally landed one she loved. She was a secretary for Washington states child services department, a job that came with her own cubicle, and she had a knack for working with families in difficult situations. Slemp expected to return to work after having her son in August. But then she and her husband started looking for child care and doing the math. The best option would cost about $2,000 a month, with a long wait list, and even the least expensive option around $1,600, still eating up most of Slemps salary. Her husband earns about $35 an hour at a hose distribution company. Between them, they earned too much to qualify for government help. Adriane Burnett reads to her son Karter Robinson on Saturday, April 14, 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama. Child care costs have placed a severe strain on Burnett's finances and have impacted her ability to work. Women's participation in the American workforce has reached a high point, but challenges around child care are holding back many working class parents. When women without college degrees face an interruption in child care arrangements, whether it's at a relative's home, a preschool or a daycare center, they are more likely to have to take unpaid time or to be forced to leave their jobs altogether, according to an Associated Press analysis. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP I really didnt want to quit my job, says Slemp, 33, who lives in a Seattle suburb. But, she says, she felt like she had no choice. The dilemma is common in the United States, where high-quality child care programs are prohibitively expensive, government assistance is limited, and daycare openings are sometimes hard to find at all. In 2022, more than 1 in 10 young children had a parent who had to quit, turn down or drastically change a job in the previous year because of child care problems. And that burden falls most on mothers, who shoulder more child-rearing responsibilities and are far more likely to leave a job to care for kids. The employment rate for women in their prime working years -- ages 25 to 54 -- has been growing steadily in Alabama since 2010 and reached 71% as of this February. But at the same time, many point to Alabamas stubbornly low workforce participation rate as a key indicator that many people who want to work simply cant. The state is considering a package of tax credits to address the issue. For mothers without college degrees, a day without work is often a day without pay. They are less likely to have paid leave. And when they face an interruption in child care arrangements whether their child is at a relatives home, a preschool or a daycare center an adult in the family is far more likely to take unpaid time off or to be forced to leave a job altogether, according to an analysis of Census survey data by the Education Reporting Collaborative. In interviews, mothers across the country shared how the seemingly endless search for child care, and its expense, left them feeling defeated. It pushed them off career tracks, robbed them of a sense of purpose, and put them in financial distress. Women like Slemp challenge the image of the stay-at-home mom as an affluent woman with a high-earning partner, said Jessica Calarco, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The stay-at-home moms in this country are disproportionately mothers whove been pushed out of the workforce because they dont make enough to make it work financially to pay for child care, Calarco said. Her own research indicates three-quarters of stay-at-home moms live in households with incomes less than $50,000, and half have household incomes of less than $25,000. Still, the high cost of child care has upended the careers of even those with college degrees. When Jane Roberts gave birth in November, she and her husband, both teachers, quickly realized sending baby Dennis to day care was out of the question. It was too costly, and they worried about finding a quality provider in their hometown of Pocatello, Idaho. The school district has no paid medical or parental leave, so Roberts exhausted her sick leave and personal days to stay home with Dennis. In March, she returned to work and husband Mike took leave. By the end of the school year, theyll have missed out on a combined nine weeks of pay. To make ends meet, theyve borrowed money against Janes life insurance policy. In the fall, Roberts wont return to teaching. The decision was wrenching. Ive devoted my entire adult life to this profession, she said. For low- and middle-income women who do find child care, the expense can become overwhelming. The Department of Health and Human Services has defined affordable child care as an arrangement that costs no more than 7% of a household budget. But a Labor Department study found fewer than 50 American counties where a family earning the median household income could obtain child care at an affordable price. Theres also a connection between the cost of child care and the number of mothers working: a 10% increase in the median price of child care was associated with a 1% drop in the maternal workforce, the Labor Department found. In Birmingham, Alabama, single mother Adriane Burnett takes home about $2,800 a month as a customer service representative for a manufacturing company. She spends more than a third of that on care for her 3-year-old. In October, that child aged out of a program that qualified the family of three for child care subsidies. So she took on more work, delivering food for DoorDash and Uber Eats. To make the deliveries possible, her 14-year-old has to babysit. Even so, Burnett had to file for bankruptcy and forfeit her car because she was behind on payments. She is borrowing her fathers car to continue her delivery gigs. The financial stress and guilt over missing time with her kids have affected her health, Burnett said. She has had panic attacks. My kids need me, Burnett said, but I also have to work. Even for parents who can afford child care, searching for it and paying for it consumes reams of time and energy. When Daizha Rioland was five months pregnant with her first child, she posted in a Facebook group for Dallas moms that she was looking for child care. Several warned she was already behind if she wasnt on any wait lists. Rioland, who has a degree and works in communications for a nonprofit, wanted a racially diverse program with a strong curriculum. While her daughter remained on wait lists, Riolands parents stepped in to care for her. Finally, her daughter reached the top of a waiting list at 18 months old. The tuition was so high she could only attend part-time. Rioland got her second daughter on waiting lists long before she was born, and she now attends a center Rioland trusts. Ive grown up in Dallas. I see what happens when youre not afforded the luxury of high-quality education, said Rioland, who is Black. For my daughters, thats not going to be the case. Slemp still sometimes wonders how she ended up staying at home with her son time she cherishes but also finds disorienting. She thought she was doing well. After stints at a water park and a call center, her state job seemed like a step toward financial stability. How could it be so hard to maintain her career, when everything seemed to be going right? Our country is doing nothing to try to help fill that gap, Slemp said. As a parent, were supposed to keep the population going, and theyre not giving us a chance to provide for our kids to be able to do that. ___ Carly Flandro of Idaho Education News, Valeria Olivares of The Dallas Morning News and Alaina Bookman of AL.com contributed to this report. Balingit reported from Washington, D.C., and Lurye from New Orleans. ___ This series on how the child care crisis affects working parents with a focus on solutions was produced by the Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, including journalists from AL.com, The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, The Hechinger Report, Idaho Education News, The Post & Courier and The Seattle Times. The Alabama House of Representatives has passed a bill to expand a ban on teachers providing instruction or classroom discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. HB130 by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would expand the ban that now applies from kindergarten through fifth grade to apply through 8th grade. The ban was first passed in 2022 and was similar to a law passed in Florida that opponents called the Dont Say Gay bill. The House approved Butlers bill 74-25 after a long discussion Tuesday, with Republicans voting in favor of it and Democrats opposed. The bill moves to the Senate. Butlers bill was initially written to extend the prohibition through 12th grade. But Butler supported an amendment by Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, to stop the prohibition at 8th grade. The amendment also narrowed the ban somewhat by saying it applied to instruction or discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards. That language is in the current law but was not in Butlers bill. Butler said the amendment was recommended by the state Department of Education. The House approved it by a vote of 97-6. Besides extending the ban through eighth grade, Butlers bill would also prohibit teachers and other school employees from displaying a flag or insignia representing sexual orientation or gender identity in a classroom or on school property, such as a pride flag or rainbow flag. Butler said the prohibition on displaying a symbol did not apply to students and that, for example, a student could wear a shirt with the rainbow flag. Butler said the bill is commonsense legislation and is aimed at making sure that teachers stick to academics and not subjects that students should discuss with their parents. Republican lawmakers who came to the mic supported the bill and said it was about protecting children. Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, urged her colleagues to reject the bill. Lands said her experience as a mental health professional has taught her how LGBTQ students face bullying and ostracization with sometimes tragic consequences, such as suicides. All of you know people that have been personally affected by this kind of cruelty, Lands said. Lands said she also opposed the bill on the basis of her faith. God made us as we are and God doesnt make mistakes, Lands said. We are called to love our neighbors, and that means all our neighbors, she said. Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Gadsden, speaking in support of the bill, said it was an effort to protect students from being indoctrinated. Butler agreed that indoctrination is happening in some circumstances. Butler said his goal is to protect children. He said he was a PTO president when his children were in school and served a decade on the local school board in his district. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, said if the bill is an effort to prevent children from being exposed to information about sexual orientation, gender identity, and related topics, that it wont work because cellphones make that information readily available. They have it in the palm of their hands, Givan said. The best of children pick these phones up and they search. Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, a former teacher, said he was worried about the consequences of increasing the ostracization of gay and transgender students, the concerns that Lands mentioned. Ensler asked Butler for his response to the possibility that his bill could lead to children committing suicide. This has a real world consequence, and that is so disturbing, Ensler said. Butler said he did not think his bill would result in children committing suicide. He said children would still be able to talk privately to their teachers. He reiterated the point that his goal was to keep the focus on academics. He said some of the interpretations of his bill were ludicrous. We want them teaching what they were hired to teach, Butler said. What they were trained to teach. Ensler asked about teachers who teach history, current events, and similar subjects, and asked if they would be able to teach, for example, about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage. Butler said the ban would not prohibit teaching about history such as that Supreme Court ruling. Ensler said the Legislature should be working on solutions to gun violence and other topics that people are more concerned about. Instead, were spending time addressing all sorts of made up stuff, Ensler said. Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, said it was disingenuous for opponents of the bill to suggest it would interfere with teaching history like court rulings affecting gay rights. Yarbrough said he supported the bill and opposed the amendment that limited the ban to eighth grade, rather than applying it to 12th grade. Its not the job of public education to sexualize our kids, Yarbrough said. Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham, who opposed the bill, asked Butler to explain what he meant by saying some children are being indoctrinated in schools. Butler declined to be specific and said Rafferty knew what he meant by indoctrination. Rafferty proposed an amendment to change the bill so that the ban would apply to discussion or instruction intended to change a persons sexual orientation or gender identity. At Butlers request, the House rejected the amendment by a vote of 70-27. Read more: Alabama bill would expand ban on sex and gender topics in schools, despite lack of complaints Mobile City Council members Tuesday urged suspended Police Chief Paul Prine to do the right thing and reach an agreement with Mayor Sandy Stimpsons administration to resign before they are forced next week on a vote on a request to fire him. In addition, council members called on Prine to forward his concerns about improprieties within the Stimpson administration to the District Attorneys Office, the U.S. Department of Justice, or the Alabama Ethics Commission. The council hinted during its preconference meeting that a request from Stimpson to fire Prine as the police chief will be held over until next Tuesday. Council members are hoping it gives Prine and the administration enough time to negotiate a revised separation agreement. Council members are also planning to hold off, for at least two weeks, a vote on a request to hire a third-party to handle an investigation into Prines allegations about improper contracting and management of cyber-intelligence policing, among other things. Im asking the chief to help heal this city and remove this black eye from Mobile and for the Mobile City Council to not have to vote next week, said Council President C.J. Small. Do a settlement and, from my standpoint, Id rather not have to vote on it. No one on the council wants to be in this predicament. The council is meeting in a closed-door executive session today to discuss the contents within a report from former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown that focuses on the policies and procedures of the Mobile Police Department as it relates to a use of force. The council will reassemble for its weekly meeting at 3 p.m. today at Government Plaza. Prine confirmed he will be in attendance. Prine has called Browns report a sham, and has been in a spat with the Stimpson administration since April 9 after he left his job as police chief. Since then, Prine has conducted multiple sit-down interviews with the media over a host of allegations about improper behavior within the upper ranks of the Stimpson administration and has alleged some criminal misconduct. Prine, late last week, said he has yet to take his concerns to investigative authorities, adding that it was under consideration. Small and other council members said the chief needed to do so as opposed to the city wasting taxpayers money to hire a third-party firm to begin investigations. Prine, in a text message this morning, said he had not had a chance to watch the councils pre-conference meeting and declined an immediate response. When you have a high-ranking individual as big as the Chief of Police, its our job as a council to really look into the situation and investigate, Small said. But if these allegations are true, why not save the taxpayers some money? Even if the council has to investigate, not only will we have to hire a third party, but if the third party finds something wrong, we have to turn around and give it to the DA, U.S. Attorneys office or the DOJ. Other council members said there is no way that they can ignore the chiefs concerns, recognizing what they said was an erosion of public trust amid Prines media blitz, and a subsequent rally held last Saturday that drew a big crowd of his supporters. Social media has also been abuzz with supporters of the chief, and from people who are blasting the Stimpson administration over the handling of Prines job. We cannot bypass this, said Councilman William Carroll. I we do, the general public and the people in the city who are now enraged would say we are just as complicit as the people who let this happen, and let it happen over the past two years. Stimpson, on Friday, urged the council to support a firing of Prine following nearly two weeks of the chiefs statements against himself, Chief of Staff James Barber (who is a former police chief), and others in the administration including Rob Lasky, the executive director of public safety whom Prine filed an emailed grievance against in January. Over the last 10 days, we have all listened to allegations concerning city officials and their families, false accusations of impropriety and conspiracy theories, Stimpson said in a statement. Ive watched the negative impact this has had on our community long enough. It is time for the situation to be resolved. Stimpson has said that preliminary findings of Browns review uncovered disturbing instances of Prines authoritarian style, irreconcilable differences between Prine and other public safety officials, and a series of frivolous complaints, which Stimpson said were demonstrably false. I was shocked and disappointed to hear that at one open roll call in the first precinct, several officers who were present at the time confirmed that Prine said something to the effect of Dont pay attention to what I say in the media, f--- the public, Stimpson said in his statement. Stimpson said the information uncovered led him to make a change. Some council members said the situation with Prine was beyond repair. They also urged Stimpson and City Attorney Ricardo Woods to reach an agreement that would allow Prine to leave city government without forcing the council to fire him. We know about what has gone on for the last two weeks and its impractical and unrealistic to think that the chief can be restored as the chief any kind of ongoing functionality in that position, said Councilman Joel Daves. The decision with respect to whether we terminate or dont terminate Chief Prine is separate on whether we conduct an investigation. Councilman Josh Woods said there is no way that Prine can continue as the police chief, adding that hes been on paid administrative leave for two weeks. He said by next week, it will have been 21 days since Prine left his job as police chief. I hope we dont have to vote on this, Woods said about the termination. I have the upmost respect for Chief Prine. But the fact of the matter is that is what happens. You have to put your pants on and do what has to be done. Councilwoman Gina Gregory, who has served on the council for 19 years and is its longer-serving member, said she cannot recall a similar situation for Mobile in which the council is asked to terminate a high-ranking city administrator like a police chief. We are in a position now where there is so much confusion, and in the public people are scratching their heads, Gregory said, adding that not everyone has seen Prines multiple interviews on TV. Woods said its time the he said, he said dispute between Prine and the administration to stop. He also urged the Stimpson administration to craft a plan for whats next within the agency, meaning what its longer-term plans were for a full-time chief. Assistant Police Chief Randy William Jackson is the appointed interim chief. Lets get passed this, Woods said. Two Walmart locations have pulled self-checkout stations, the company has confirmed. In a statement to Business Insider, Walmart said it removed self-checkouts in St. Louis, Missouri and Cleveland, Ohio. The change comes after a similar move last year at three New Mexico locations. We believe the change will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service, Walmart spokesperson Brian Little told Insider. In a statement to Fox News, Walmart said the decision was based on several factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns and business needs in the area. There are currently no plans to remove self-checkout locations on a widespread scale, according to the reports. Walmart operates more than 4,700 locations in the U.S. The changes are part of a national trend among retailers to scale back on self-check-out lanes. Dollar General announced in March it was eliminating self-checkout in 300 stores with the highest levels of shoplifting and merchandise loss. In 9,000 other stores, either some of all self-checkout will be converted to regular lanes staffed by employees and in 4,500 other locations, it will be limited to purchases of five items or less. Target has also made a change to self-checkout, limiting it to customers with 10 items or less. Target also said it would open more traditional lanes staffed by employees. The rapper Chris King, who was close friends with Justin Bieber and collaborated with Trippie Redd, was killed early Saturday morning in Nashville, according to police reports. He was 32. The artist, born Christopher Cheeks, was in an alleyway between Hayes and Church streets in Nashville at 2:30 a.m. with a 29-year-old man (who was not named) when, according to Nashville police, three men attempted to rob them. Both King and the 29-year-old man were shot in the altercation, though the 29-year-old survived. King was found in the parking garage of the nearby Hayes Street Hotel, and was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died. Bieber, a former roommate of Kings, reposted a photo of the two to Instagram, writing Love you bro. This one hurts. Please keep his family in your prayers. See you in paradise brother. Trippie Redd also mourned the loss of his friend, writing I am so hurt rn I cant even think I love you bro come back!!!!! I cant catch a break. I would not be where I am today without @whoischrisking, he continued. He had the best energy always he had so many friends and it shows I love you guys for supporting one of my best friends ever my brother. Over a decade-long career, King released scores of mixtapes and LPs, including the long-running Luck of the Snotty series. King released a new single, Seeing Double Seeing Double, on April 8. ______ 2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A 35-year-old suspect in last years shooting death of a man found slain inside his home during a welfare check has now been indicted. A Jefferson County grand jury issued the capital murder indictment against Larry Dewayne Kimble Jr. in the death of 43-year-old Bryan Keith Williams. The indictment was made public Monday. Kimble has been held in the Jefferson County Jail since his 2023 arrest. Birminghams South Precinct officers were dispatched to Williams home in the 4300 block of 13th Avenue North in the citys Kingston neighborhood just before 1 p.m. Monday, June 26. Police said a friend stopped by to see Williams, finding the front door open and the house in disarray. The friend did not see Williams at that point but became concerned and called 911 for a wellness check. Officers entered the home and found Williams unresponsive on the floor. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Bryan Williams(Contributed) Authorities believe that Williams was killed about 9 p.m. on June 25. Kimble and others were at the home supposedly to buy drugs, but investigators believe it was a set up to rob the victim. Hours before Williams body was found, Kimble was in a Jefferson County courtroom to face the kidnapping and rape charges that stemmed from a 2020 arrest by Trussville police. A woman told police that Kimble had taken her against her will and driven her to St. Clair County where she said she was raped. On June 26, 2023, that 2020 case was set to go to trial. Instead, the case had to be dismissed after the victim testified under oath that she would not cooperate with the prosecution. Kimble has a lengthy criminal record dating back more than a decade. UnitedHealth Group Inc. found files containing private information on a vast number of Americans whose data may have been compromised in a February cyberattack that upended the U.S. health system. A sample of the breached files found they contain personal information, including health data, that could cover a substantial proportion of people in America, according to a statement on the companys website Monday. The disclosure suggests the attack could be one of the largest health-care data breaches on record. Before the hack, Change Healthcare said it processed $2 trillion in health claims and handled 15 billion transactions per year. The disclosure is likely to add to pressure on the company from Washington to explain what led to the hack and how the company responded. Two months after the attack on the companys Change Healthcare unit came to light, the health-care system is still dealing with the repercussions. Among the many unanswered questions is how many peoples private data may have been exposed. Tallying the privacy impacts may take months, UnitedHealth said. The company has not yet found evidence that doctors charts or full medical histories were exposed. It set up a website and call center to assist people with credit monitoring. Companies typically have 60 days to report data breaches to the Department of Health and Human Services under health privacy rules. The agency opened an investigation into the incident last month. Late last week, the HHS office that oversees data breach reporting said it hadnt received notice from UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare, or other affected entities, according to its website. Ransom paid Earlier Monday, the company said it paid a ransom in the attack as part of the companys commitment to do all it could to protect patient data from disclosure, a company spokesperson said in an email. UnitedHealth declined to provide more details. UnitedHealth said last week that the attack could reduce its earnings by as much as $1.6 billion this year, though most of that is one-time costs excluded from adjusted results. The hackers breached Change Healthcares systems more than a week before they were detected, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing a person familiar with the investigation. They gained access through compromised credentials that didnt have multi-factor authentication checks designed to thwart attackers, the paper said. UnitedHealth declined to comment to Bloomberg on the report. Some doctors and hospitals say theyre still facing cash-flow interruptions weeks after UnitedHealth started bringing downed systems back online. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty is expected to testify before Congress next week about the attack. Wired reported last month that a hacking group involved in the attack got a $22 million bitcoin payment on March 1. UnitedHealth previously declined to comment on the ransom payment. ___ 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This is an opinion column. How did you commemorate Confederate Memorial Day? Did you grill? Go to the park with the kids? Did you invite a few family and friends over, sing Dixie, and share stories of the great old days passed down through generations as a Confederate flag flew proudly in the backyard? Did you raise a long-neck bottle and toast, well, the biggest L in U.S. history? Did you honor the treasonous family feud that sacrificed almost 620,000 American lives? (God bless all their souls.) Did you shed a tear over a war waged to defend the right of Southern states to enslave and mistreat human beings for profit? Or did you quietlyyet complicitlystay home and not think about the reason behind the respite? You probably didnt do much of anything Mondaythe fourth Monday in April. Alabama has touted that otherwise benign box on the calendar Confederate Memorial Day since 1901, the same year we crafted the wretched state constitution that, despite noble efforts to exorcise its most demonic ink, remains an embarrassing stain upon our state. You, like me, probably worked. Didnt even think about the holiday. You probably didnt even do much of anything even if you are among the 28,000 or so state employees given Monday off as one of Alabamas 12 state holidays, three of which commemorate the Confederacy. Much of anything except stay homecourtesy state taxpayers. Youre welcome. Though Im sure at least some Black state employees were not completely thrilled at being forced to stay home in recognition of the Confederacy. How do you properly memorialize such an egregious travesty? By killing it. By committing it to the dustbin of history, to certainly be taught in our schools, as should all historythe good, the bad, and the racist. But to stop recognizing it, and our other holidays as a day of restcourtesy of state taxpayers. Instead, give it a rest. Many Southern states have done so: In 2015, Georgia re-branded Confederate Memorial Day as State Holiday. Two years later, Arkansas stopped recognizing Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Rev. Martin Luther King on the same holiday (which Alabama still sickeningly does). Two years ago, Louisiana ripped its Lee holiday and Confederate Memorial Day from among its state holidays. Not us, though some tried. Often. Last year two Alabama House bills seeking to flush, respectively, the Lee holiday and Confederate Memorial Day, expired beneath the desk in committee. Montgomery's city seal refers to the city's history involving the Confederacy and the civil rights movement. (Mike Cason/mcason@al.com) Earlier this month, the House unanimously passed HB4, a compromise bill from Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, and several other African American lawmakers that would allow state employees to choose as their taxpayer holiday either Juneteenth or the birthday of Confederate president Jefferson Davis, already a state holiday. Juneteenth is a federal holiday honoring freedom reaching the last slaves in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and months after passage of the 13th Amendment ending slavery. HB4 would make Juneteenth an official state holiday. Its already a paid holiday in 21 states and the District of Columbia. Since 2021 Gov. Kay Ivey has celebrated it by proclamation each year, tantamount to stepping out of her office and tooting a party blower. It just makes noise. HB4 would make Juneteenth a state holiday without creating a new day underwritten by taxpayers. Ten House members sat out the vote; the remaining 58 Republicans and 25 Democrats voted affirmative, but with just six days left in the current legislative session, HB4 hasnt yet received an invite to the Senate party. Sen. Vivian Figures introduced a bill (SB85) that proposes separating Gen. Robert E. Lee from MLK Day and pairing his holiday with Columbus Day. Fitting, and Ill just leave that right there. Its been squashed in committee. Interestingly, Alabama Republicans may have alreadyand unwittinglyprovided solid legal grounds for quashing Confederate Memorial Day and all other days commemorating the Confederacy. Yeah, they did. In March, they giddily shoved through SB129, which bans diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at state institutions. They did so based on unproven misconceptions about DEI, unrelated (also unproven) classroom anecdotes and fearof a world that no longer looks, behaves, and loves as they do. They did so with little regard for unintended consequences. The bill also bans any program that advocates for a divisive concept. Is anything more divisive than the Confederacy, which sought secession from the Union to continue to enslave people for profit? Is there anything more divisive than seeking to build a new nation on the backs, blood, and bodies of enslaved people? Is there anything more divisive than sending young men to die in the name of Audemus jura nostra defendereour state slogan, translated: We dare to maintain our rightsfor a system dependent on the enslavement of people for its very survival? We kill DEI yet dare to defend our right to be divisive. Unless . SB129, graced with Iveys signature, becomes law on October 1. On that date, by my definition, Confederate holidays will be illegal in the state of Alabama. Hand me a long-neck brew. Im a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. My column appears on AL.com, as well as the Lede. Tell me what you think at rjohnson@al.com, and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj. In the golden age of the ancient Greek city-state (polis), moral clarity was easy. It was easy for a citizen of one of these many city-states to know the difference between right and wrong. Your action was right if in accordance with the customs (nomoi) of your city, wrong if it violated those customs. Your city was your ultimate moral authority. Your political community, besides being a moral community, was a religious community, too. Greeks of this golden age didnt have our idea of the separation of church and state. Its not that they merged the two; the two had never been distinct. From its beginning, the city had been a political-religious thing. Its civic celebrations were religious, and its religious celebrations were civic. But the golden age of the city-state was short-lived. During that era, each city was an independent thing, a sovereign entity with no superior government above it. Greece (Hellas, as they called it) was not a body politic. Rather, it was a geographical expression. Hellas was present wherever there was a Greek city-state, whether it be in mainland Greece or Asia Minor or Crete or Cyprus or Italy or Sicily or Gaul or Libya. More importantly, Hellas was a cultural expression. The city-states shared a pan-Hellenic culture. They had a common language (divided into dialects). They believed in and worshiped common gods and goddesses. They had common religious shrines (e.g., Delphi). They played common games (at Olympia and a few other places). They had a common literature, especially Homer. Above all, they had a shared sense that they were Hellenes, superior to those inferior humans called barbarians in other words, superior to the vast non-Hellenic majority of the human race. One thing they did not have was a common political structure. Some were democracies, some aristocracies, some monarchies, some oligarchies, and some (dreadful to say) tyrannies. Early in the 5th century B.C., the city-state began losing prestige. The great invasion of mainland Greece by the Persian King Xerxes (480 B.C.) was repulsed but not by a single city. Only an alliance of many cities, above all Athens and Sparta, was able to accomplish that. Very soon after this victory, Greek maritime cities, under the leadership of Athens, created the Delian League, a great naval alliance (the NATO of its day), intended to conduct an ongoing struggle against Persia. This alliance was soon transformed into what was in effect an Athenian empire. Many hitherto sovereign city-states, fearing they would fall victim to Athenian imperialism, asked Sparta to lead them in an anti-Athenian alliance. What followed was the great Peloponnesian War (431-404), which terminated in the defeat of Athens and the breakup of its empire. For those with eyes to see, it was becoming clear that the future would belong to political entities far larger than city-states. City-states continued to exist after this and even, to a degree, flourished. The two greatest thinkers of the 4th century, Plato and Aristotle, still had great hopes for the future of the city-state, as can be seen in Platos Republic and Aristotles Politics. The final blows were struck when Alexanders father, King Philip of Macedon, subjected mainland Greece to his rule, and Alexander, continuing his fathers work, made Greece part of an immense Euro-Asian empire. While this empire soon disintegrated, its residue was not city-states; it was a number of lesser empires. The day of the independent city-state was done. But if so, what about Greek morality? The city-state had been the foundation of this morality. What foundation would it now have? Certain philosophical thinkers, so-called Sophists, recognized this problem as early as the mid-5th century. They had a threefold answer. (1) Customary morality is merely a man-made set of preferences; it has no divine foundation. (2) While custom varies from place to place, nature is the same everywhere. (3) We humans should therefore live according to nature. This Sophistic moral teaching was a symptom and to some degree a cause of the moral confusion that increasingly reigned in Greece as the city-state declined in moral authority. By the end of the 4th century and beginning of the 3rd, two great moral philosophies had emerged, candidates for replacing the city-state as the supreme moral authority. One was Epicureanism, a variety of atheism that taught that nature tells us we should spend our lives in the rational pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. The other was Stoicism, which held that Nature is but another name for Reason, and Reason another name for God. Hence, living according to Nature is living according to Reason and God. What the two philosophies had in common, in addition to many practical precepts, was the idea that ones moral code will be the result of an individual search, not a belief given by society. It seems to me that we Americans are today in a situation similar to that of the Greeks when the moral authority of the city-state began to decay. Within the memory of some people still living (me, for example), we lived in a society that that had a generic Christian moral consensus, a set of moral beliefs shared by almost all Protestants and Catholics. But that old consensus has been collapsing since about 1950, and it collapses more and more every day. We no longer agree on sexual morality. We no longer agree on abortion. We no longer agree (God help us!) on the question of whether a man can be a woman and vice versa. And some young Americans, we discovered the other day, do not agree that Palestinian Arabs should not murder Jewish babies to advance a political cause. If the USA is unlikely to become once again an overwhelmingly Christian nation (and this seems to be the case), where will we turn for a new morality? Is it possible that we are now entering a century or so of moral anarchy? I fear the worst. Image via Picryl. If you believe the enemies of the free world, Israel is guilty of the worst crimes against humanity. Governments, international organizations, NGOs, academics, and student activists condemn its post-October 7th actions against Islamic terrorists. Leftist media makes the only democracy in the Middle East seem worse than communist China. Consider only a few of Chinas numerous atrocities that Western governments, international bodies, and mainstream media overlook: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues its brutal suppression of students at Tibets universities. Every year, beginning in March, Tibetan students organize protests to mark the anniversary of the Chinese occupation of their country in 1959. To counter them, since 2009, China has been ordering campus lockdowns lasting as long as a month. Surveillance cameras, facial recognition technology, and tracking via a required app called Clean Cafeteria alert the authorities to students locations and activities. This years lockdown lasted the entire semester. At a recent protest, over 100 students were arrested and 20 killed. In February, over 1,000 Tibetans were arrested and beaten for peacefully protesting a dam project. The dam will force the relocation of two villages and destroy several centuries-old Buddhist monasteries, some with murals dating to the 13th century. Chinas policies in Tibet during its 65-year occupation amount to nothing short of ethnic cleansing and the eradication of Tibetan culture and religion. Chinese nationals at U.S. universities are subject to repression and surveillance by the communist state and its agencies. If they speak about human rights violations in China, they are targeted for attacks, and their families in the homeland are threatened. University administrations and teachers, quick to protest every perceived wrong in America and the world, do nothing for the persecuted students. After all, they receive over $1 billion in CCP largesse and tuition from nearly 400,000 Chinese students. The persecution of Uighur Muslims and Falun Gong adherents is well known only because of the independent efforts of exile groups and individuals in China who send out reports and videos at significant risk. But mainstream media and governments turn a blind eye to their protests. Even the International Criminal Court (ICC) has failed these persecuted groups. In 2020, Uighur exiles urged the court to investigate the CCPs campaign of torture, forced sterilization, organ harvesting, and other abuses. The court refused, saying there wasnt enough evidence to show Chinese officials committed crimes over which it had jurisdiction. Hong Kong-based pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai, 76, has so far spent four years in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison. He faces the prospect of life imprisonment for sedition. Lai had fled mainland China at 12 as a stowaway on a boat to seek freedom in the British colony. He became a billionaire after starting a series of businesses and later set up media houses. His assets have been frozen, and his newspaper, Apple Daily, has been shut down. Western governments responses to his son Sebastiens appeals for their intervention are disappointing. Despite its long history of violation of sovereignty, occupation, transnational repression, and flagrant human rights abuse, China has not been the target of investigations by the U.N. or the ICC, nor of protests by students, academicians, and activist groups. The U.S. and U.K. governments and the European Union pretend the communist regime in China is benign. Even the overwhelming circumstantial and scientific evidence that convinced leading scientists of China deliberately creating the COVID-19 virus was not enough. The WHO team that visited the Wuhan virology lab cleared China of foul play. Contrast that with the reaction to Israels righteous defense of its territory and its citizens after the savage jihadi attack on October 7, 2023, in which more than 1,200 civilians were killed and 240 hostages were taken. The slaughter and hostage-taking were led by Hamas, with support from Iran and Qatar. Three in four Palestinian Arabs lauded the attack. The very next day, Iranian proxy Hezbollah began firing toward Israel, displacing tens of thousands of people in the north. In November, Houthi rebels began launching drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea to pressure Israel to end its defensive war against Hamas. On April 14th, after Israelis took out Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops hiding in an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Iran launched more than 300 drones and cruise and ballistic missiles toward Israel. However, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) managed to thwart them. The IDF retaliation has been calibrated and pinpointed to minimize collateral damage. Richard Kemp, a British colonel with 30 years experience commanding an infantry battalion, refers to the IDF as the most moral army in the world, doing more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare. The IDF works against tremendous odds, for Hamas routinely uses citizens as shields, hospitals, and residential areas as strongholds and arms depots, and reports the death of its fighters as civilian casualties. But from day one, Israel has only been vilified. The roster of calumnies heaped upon it runs long. Even when it is crystal clear that slogans of from the river to the sea refer to a yearning for its annihilation. Here is what it faces as it defends itself. To begin with, there has been no sympathy for the families of the victims of October 7th or the hostages, many of whom were tortured, raped, or subject to the vilest abuses. About 140 hostages are still unaccounted for. It is as if their lives and rights do not matter to the world. Israel has been condemned in 45 UNHRC resolutions and censured by the ICC and E.U. It has been boycotted worldwide and threatened with sanctions and the withholding of military equipment. Except briefly, America has been critical of Israels defensive war against Hamas and called for restraint, even accusing the Jewish state of precipitating a humanitarian crisis. In February, President Biden rebuked Israel, calling its action in Gaza over the top. Democrats continue to call for ending military aid to Israel. They demand a permanent ceasefire when they know that Israels enemies want to annihilate it. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for new elections to oust Israels democratically elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The recent left-led and financed protests in Israel, too, bear the signature of American instigation. E.U. leaders continue to call for a humanitarian pause as Israel routs Hamas. Even Germany, which considers itself a strong ally of Israel, joins in this call. The West disingenuously attacks Israel for providing insufficient humanitarian aid into the region when there is abundant aid flowing in, with no blocks imposed by Israel. The WHO chief blamed Israel for turning Gazas Shifa Hospital into a battlefield when it is Hamas that turned it into a stronghold. None of the international medical and aid organizations have protested mosques, hospitals, and even maternity wards being turned into battlefields by Hamas. On campuses and in sundry protest demonstrations in the U.S. and the West, students, activists, academicians, and left-leaning NGOs paint Israel as genocidal. This hateful rhetoric is not only tolerated; its reported glowingly by the media. This has resulted in a worldwide wave of antisemitism, including violent attacks not seen since the Holocaust. Unlike China, the most dangerous and autocratic power in the world today, Israel is on the frontlines of the fight for Western civilization. Her enemies are the enemies of the free world. Image: Free image via Pexels. Looks like it's not just the taxpayers who are fleeing from one-party blue states to red ones. The kids are fleeing, too. They've started shunning the Ivy League universities and are flooding into Southern universities. According to the Free Press: An unprecedented number of students are gravitating away from Ivy League universities and looking to Southern colleges that wouldnt have been on their radar twenty years ago. The exodus is fueled, sources told me, by warmer weather, great college sports, and a more relaxed atmosphere, which stands in stark contrast to the Covid restrictions many Northern universities put in place from 20202023. (Elite colleges in the North often had the strictest Covid policiesfrom requiring students to wear masks at all times to limiting gatherings, inside and out, to five peoplewhile Southern universities from Florida to Alabama to South Carolina allowed students to congregate in large groups, neither masked nor socially distanced.) But another factor driving kids away from elite schools is their dominant progressive politics, which many feel deepen cultural divides rather than promoting healthy debate. The old-school vision of colleges serving as an open forum for ideas has been replaced with an us-versus-them mentality, where theres only one right answer to any thorny issue and the winner is the one who shouts the loudest. The warmer weather claim is nonsense, the weather has always been warmer in the South, plus, it's not like our warmer weather in San Diego. Heat, humidity, mosquitos, and gargantuan bugs come with the territory in the South, which is a different challenge. More likely, it's the progressive politics, as the report delicately notes. Antisemitism, such as is seen at elite ivies is a major one, as the chaos at Columbia and Yale now show. But there are others, too, which may be causing kids to look elsewhere for their education. College itself is being questioned as a value or investment now that the price has gone sky high, and all kinds of alternatives are now open to being considered, such as going to a state school, or going to a school without a politically charged atmosphere. What's more, DEI is rampant at elite schools, meaning, white males are in for a rough ride, shut out of their favored majors, hectored as the source of all evil, and belittled for their naturally masculine traits. Who wants to be judged individually on the supposed crimes of a group? Worse still, Joe Biden has recrudesced Title IX, meaning, young women can expect to compete with mentally ill male athletes who believe they are women, as well as share locker rooms and restrooms with them, and nothing can be done to stop them from getting a eyeful or doing worse. Crimes committed by men in womanface will only be addressed after the women get raped, not before, so too bad about that. For men, they can be falsely accused of rape, and not entitled to any rights of defense or a jury trial, will be subject to just a wokester panel that has it in for them and seeks to jack up rape numbers for the funds, funds, federal funds, all to stop all the supposed rape out there, not the incentivized fake rape charges. All of these things affect strongly the young people going to college, so a university that avoids this kind of controversy, and shuns the stoking of it, is going to be more attractive to those who want to study and move on into the work world. The report begins with the case of a Jewish student who went to Elon University instead of some East Coast elite school, and found himself surrounded by other East Coast refugees from the northeast, all of them very happy with their choice in schools, as there was no grotesque culture of antisemitism such as is seen in the ivy league institutions. They also interviewed a black kid from Chicago who, based on his picture, looked like he came from a prosperous family, actually, who liked the friendliness and lower cost of the Mississippi college he chose to attend, very pleased that the historic stereotypes about the South were not what the left claims they are in the institution he chose. It's pretty obvious these kids aren't looking back, and the Free Press had some statistics to show it: Both Brown and Harvard saw dips in their application numbers this yearby 5 percent and 3 percent, respectively. (Early decisions to Harvard were down 17 percent.) And while applications to private colleges in mid-Atlantic (25.3 percent) and New England (29 percent) states have risen since 2019, the gains have been small compared to Southern colleges, which saw a 42 percent increase overall. The surge is even more pronounced at state schools. Public colleges in the South saw a total 62.4 increase in applicants, more than double their Northern counterparts, according to Common App data from earlier this month. Southern colleges are also seeing a surge in applicants from northern out-of-state students. In 2023, for example, about 19 percent of total enrollment at Clemson in South Carolina came from New York and New Jerseya big change from 2017, when the top out-of-staters were from the Carolinas and Georgia. Almost half the undergraduates from University of Miami in Florida came from out of state in 2023, with students from New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts taking three of the top five slots. What's going to happen is that as these kids seemed to otherwise be headed to elite institutions, the institutions they chose will become elite as the ivys decline or spin off into anti-meritocratic DEI wokery. That's the natural flow of events and the ivies, if they want to remain relevant, better change their act. This exodus is just the start for them. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Vivek was right. We need to fire 75% of the federal workforce. The story Im passing on relates to the world of insurance and employee benefits. On 4/19, my wife told me she heard on WBBM AM780 Chicago that Illinois was going to eliminate junk insurance (limited benefit plans, limited duration plans) while also eliminating step therapy provisions for prescription drugs (step therapy involves more conservative approaches to prescribing medications before the insurance company will approve an expensive medication), and prior authorization for inpatient psychiatric treatments among many other provisions. This was passed by the Illinois House (overwhelmingly Democrat) where it will go to the Illinois Senate and to Governor J.B. Pritzkers desk to sign (for those of you in Illinois, you can let your Illinois senator know your opposition to this bill). Yes, your insurance premiums are about to increase and yes, consumer choice is being taken away. Did we know about this bill while the legislation was being drafted? No. The Chicago media was silent about this. Nothing on the TV/radio while this was being proposed. Industry and consumer groups werent aware of this bill being drafted. Yes, there are posting requirements -- we are so busy managing our lives that we arent aware how the government is making our lives more difficult. Like a thief in the night, Illinois politicians have increased your premiums with no input from the populace. Ah, but the story continues. You may remember in June 2023 that the Biden administration proposed rules in the Federal Register to eliminate short-duration policies. The comments were overwhelmingly supportive of keeping short-duration policies. President Trump had expanded via executive order the use of short-duration health insurance policies that allowed individuals to be covered for up to 36 months (decided on a state-by-state basis. Indiana allows up to 36 months of short-duration coverage while Illinois allows for 180 days of short-duration coverage). Well, what do you know? The Federal Register posted on April 3, 2024 regulations that effectively eliminate these policies. I just found out today by way of a trade group that Biden via executive order has taken these policies from the American public -- who should be allowed to decide for themselves whether this is the coverage they desire. Where were the trade groups and media when this was being considered? Like a thief in the night, government robbed consumers of choice. Less choice leads to greater cost of a given good/service. The point here is that our government has become so large, so intrusive that it no longer serves the interests of its citizens. It is so large that the media and trade groups cant keep up with all of its moving parts. This story can be replicated throughout countless industries. This is how the Green New Deal was rammed down our throats and proceeded to make us reliant on China for batteries and undermined the auto industry (will auto workers vote this fall for their own demise? Stay posted). Education that moved from excellence to equity. Student loans that are now the responsibility of taxpayers instead of the individual who benefited from the education. Our legal system being weaponized against political opponents. Are you okay with this? What are you going to do to reign in government? It starts with voting and making your voice heard -- voting for less government is the solution. Vivek was right. You know what you have to do this fall. Vote -- and let people know what is really on the line this Presidential election cycle. Image: Pix4Free/Nick Youngson A friend pointed out something interesting to me: If you watch videos and look at still photos from pro-Hamas events on college campuses, what you notice is a preponderance of women. There are men there and even members of the gay and trans crowd, but its the women who are front and center, and who occupy most of the protest real estate. Their presence at these protests shows the catastrophic decline and fall of progressive women. Todays progressive Democrats have their roots in the late 19th and early 20th century when socialism became the creed of white, upper-class American and British intellectuals. Among this group were women of true intellectual heft, and thats true even though we can disdain their values (e.g., Crystal Eastman, Helen Keller, Jean Webster, Jane Addams, Annie Besant, Beatrice Webb, Vera Brittain, Winifred Holtby, and Harriot Stanton Blatch). They were well educated in the Western canon and Christian philosophy, and they retained those values and education even as they foolishly believed that socialism was the answer to the societal problems they saw. This kind of intellectual solidity continued with the first generation of hard-left post-WWII feminists, women such as Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Maya Angelou, Shirley Chisholm, and Simone de Beauvoir. No matter how badly one thinks of these womenand I do because their pernicious ideas have destroyed families, children, and society as a wholethey werent idiots. They were committed communists who effectively focused their knowledge and intelligence on the single goal of breaking down Western institutions. However, I suspect many of these women genuinely believed their efforts would not only give women greater rights within society, but actually improve women, giving them the opportunity to be better and smarter. Women would no longer be an appendage to men; they would be wise solons in their own right. But intentions dont shape outcomes and thats nowhere truer than when it comes to the fruits of the womens movement. Unless they retain strong conservative goals, college breaks women: Research has broadly shown that women report worse rates of mental health compared to their male counterparts. This gender gap has become even more apparent among Gen Zers. Recent data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, for example, show that young women deal with appreciably higher levels of stress and anxiety than their male counterparts. When college students were asked about how often they feel stressed, frustrated, or overwhelmed, more than three-quarters (77%) of all students reported feeling these feelings more than half of the time. A closer look found that 84% of women, compared to 66% of men, reported regularly feeling stressed and overwhelmed. This 18-percentage-point difference points to something larger going on with collegiate women. The gender gap continues across a host of additional mental health questions. While more than two-thirds of students (68%) reported feeling anxious more than half of the time, 77% of women, compared to 56% of men, reported feeling anxious this frequently. About 51% of female students said they feel lonely regularly, compared to 43% of male students. And 45% of female students feel depressed regularly, compared to one-third (33%) of male students. No wonder white, liberal women are disproportionately diagnosed with mental health problems. In a word, theyre neurotic. Well, lets add some more words: Theyre also paranoid, credulous, hysterical, and authoritarian. As George Orwell wrote of the women who embraced Big Brothers progressive party line, It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosersout of unorthodoxy. That describes Democrat womens emotional state. They are no better when it comes to either knowledge or wisdom. After several years in academia, they are utterly devoid of factual or cultural knowledge. Weak-minded sponges, they soak up every word their equally damaged teachers offer about Americas alleged sins when it comes to women, race, colonialism, religion, gender, slavery, liberty, poverty, capitalism, the free market, or any other subject these harpies touch. Because they live within this impoverished intellectual silo, these women do not understand that America, although flawed and capable of error, has nevertheless stood out as a beacon of light in a dark world. Its Bible-based constitutional system has freed more people and raised more people from poverty than any other nation on earth, whether at home or abroad. One specific aspect of these womens generalized ignorance is that they dont understand that Islam is the antithesis of Americas best values. Since its inception, Islam has been the ultimate colonizer, conquering through fire and sword. Those who survive live in a totalitarian society that brutally subordinates women, kills gays, and reduces non-Muslims to the status of slaves or, at best, second-class citizens. The faithful dont fare much better. Islam enriches itself through conquest and, in the modern era, oil. When it lacks those things, its nations produce virtually nothing, and its people live in submissive squalor. But thanks to neuroses, ignorance, and indoctrination, progressive Democrat women on campuses across America have chosen to embrace Hamas, an apex Islamic organization. Scorning Israel, a liberal democracy with equal rights for all, these women are screaming for Jews to die on the altar of an organization that celebrates the sadistic rape and torture of enemy women, even while consigning its own women to the sheer misery of Islamic fundamentalism. (Ive embedded below myriad tweets showing the womens predominance at these pro-Hamas events.) If it were up to me, Id repeal the 19th Amendment today. The Democrat party has broken too many women, leaving them as empty vessels that are filled with ignorant hatredbut, unfortunately, they vote. Someone sent me this from Columbia tonight. Some Jewish students were holding Israeli and American flags so this girl stood in front of them with the below sign. Al-Qasam is the Hamas military wing. They are openly pro-Hamas and threatening fellow students. pic.twitter.com/Eo5BaA7h70 AG (@AGHamilton29) April 21, 2024 NEW: Pro-Palestine activists perform powerful musicless dance routine at Columbia University to protest against Israel. Very moving. Students are setting up their own tent city at the 'Gaza Plaza' on Columbia's campus and even have their own makeshift buffet. Faculty is also pic.twitter.com/JxBAvRXOhJ Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 22, 2024 JUST IN: Columbia University has announced classes will be remote for the rest of the year as anti-Israel protests rock the school. There are now growing calls for tuition refunds for the $70k a year college now that it has practically turned into an online school. "Its vital pic.twitter.com/PdeYnG9cA6 Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 23, 2024 A new CHAZ is in the making at California State Polytechnic University. pic.twitter.com/X7rIgGYOEy Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 23, 2024 Pro-Palestine activists have just taken over a building at State Polytechnic University in Arcata, California. Police are locked out and now in riot gear trying to break in. This standoff will only escalate and eventually end poorly for the activists. pic.twitter.com/mWGjPptrtA Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) April 23, 2024 Universities first stakeholders should not be the state of Israel, it should be their students. The student movement demanding university divestment from Israel is gaining traction, as campuses across the U.S. heed the call from Columbia students to establish tent encampments pic.twitter.com/eGzp0797zX PALESTINE ONLINE (@OnlinePalEng) April 23, 2024 While reading this @NewStatesman piece abt student protesters at @Columbia, I'm reminded of Group 47 cofounder Hans Magnus Enzensberger complaining, 'The capacity of the capitalist society to reabsorb, suck up, swallow, "cultural goods" of widely varying digestibility has pic.twitter.com/oYPR5kLviO Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie) April 23, 2024 A tent at the Columbia Liberation Zone encampment features a sign reading: Trans People 4 Palestine. In Palestine, anyone suspected of being Trans or LGBTQI+ can receive 10 years in jail and face street mob lynchings. @RIKKISCHLOTT pic.twitter.com/Kmt4NjmL0N Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 23, 2024 Stunning. A sitting Member of Congress, standing alongside Biden, expressly celebrating the shameful displays of antisemitism & anti-American hate at Columbia & Yale. https://t.co/snmfFatAbG Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 23, 2024 WATCH: Columbia University Protesters: There Is No God But Allah and Martyr Is Beloved of Allah pic.twitter.com/18mTSt2C6s ACT For America (@ACTforAmerica) April 23, 2024 Demonstrations are ongoing at Columbia, Yale, MIT and many other American Universities as students ardently proclaim their support of rape, mutilation, beheading, misogyny, polygamy, theft of international aid, airplane hijacking, suicide bombing, Jew hatred, hate of America, pic.twitter.com/xaSFEqaXwY Barry Tigay (@TigayBarry) April 23, 2024 A Harvard Law student after they passed a divestment resolution: This is our story and we are co-authoring it with the resisting people of Palestine. Our student movement, our demand for divestment, is one thread in the ties of resistance of oppressed people all around the pic.twitter.com/D4vOALyl9G Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) March 31, 2024 Protests against the war in Gaza have spread from Columbia and Yale to other universities as officials scramble to diffuse a burgeoning protest movement. #ceasefireNOW https://t.co/ayGkile0Zu Dr Humma Saif (@HummaSaif) April 23, 2024 Image: X screen grab (cropped). Prior to the mid-1970s, neither the Espionage Act, federal records law, nor executive orders on classified information did away with presidents complete dominion and control over their presidential papers. Nixons papers were seized not by executive branch regulation or at the whim of his successor, but pursuant to Congresss exercise of the federal eminent domain power in the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974. Congress asserted public ownership of presidential records starting on January 20, 1981 in 2202 of the Presidential Records Act. Without the PRA, all presidential papers and the right to possess, use and dispose of them would still belong to former presidents. Jack Smiths prosecutors consider a property interest to have no bearing on unauthorized possession under 18 U.S.C. 793(e). While acknowledging that diaries are former presidents personal property under the PRA, they insist that a former president is not allowed to retain those diaries if he puts national defense information in them the way Reagan did. They maintain the Court should not infer from silence on Congresss part an intention to disturb the framework governing the handling of classified information that was in place at the time the PRA was passed. If the PRA changed nothing and 793(e) currently allows prosecution of former presidents whose retention of personal property runs afoul of internal executive branch rules, a property interest would likewise have been an unavailing defense to unauthorized possession before the PRA. The Special Counsel presupposes that 793(e) liability attached in the pre-PRA era of complete dominion and control to ex-presidents whose storage, handling, or use of their national defense-related presidential papers derogated from executive branch policies. The Special Counsel sees executive orders on classified information prevailing over the rights inhering in personal property. The restrictions Congress imposed in the PRA did not abrogate presidents property interest in material excluded from the definition of presidential records. Personal records are not the only documentary material falling outside that definition. 2201(2)(B)(iv) of the PRA excludes extra copies of documents produced only for convenience of reference, when such copies are clearly so identified. The defense proposed this month that the jury be instructed not to convict on any Espionage Act count should the document in question be a copy. Whatever can lawfully go into a burn bag on the spot is not a record. If it is not a record, the PRA does not wrest ownership from a former president. Press revelations, Hurs Report, and accounts of former staff and officials indicate that destruction of classified materials is a normal practice at the White House and the Naval Observatory. Though a private individuals property interest in national defense information may be a rarity, once it is established, seizure by the Executive should be contingent on a statutory eminent domain authorization, like Sections 5, 11, and 13 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. Congress did not include such authorization in Section 10 of that Act, which created the restricted data designation, nor in Section 793 of the Espionage Act four years later. Image generated by AI. Rep. Ilhan Omar's "hyper-woke," "P.C. police" daughter, Isra Hirsi, got suspended from Columbia for not clearing out from her pro-Hamas anti-semitic campout with the other leftist crazies. She got a warning from her school on Wednesday, she ignored that warning, and now she's out on her ear: No more dorm spot, no more campus-access I.D. card, and no more meal hall. Now she's whining to the press. According to the New York Post: The privileged daughter of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar amazingly claims shes homeless and cant get food after being kicked out of her prestigious $90,000-per-year Barnard College dorm following her arrest at last weeks anti-Israel protests on Columbia Universitys campus. Isra Hirsi, 21, and a handful of other Barnard students were slapped with suspensions after they were among the more than 100 protestors cuffed and hauled away for refusing to clear out from a tent encampment on the Ivy League schools campus last Thursday. I was a little bit frantic, like, where am I going to sleep? Where am I gonna go? she whined to Teen Vogue after learning shed been evicted from campus housing and banned from using the dining hall. "And also all of my st is thrown in a random lot. Its pretty horrible, said the disgraced student still supported by her Democratic squad member mom, who said she is enormously proud of her daughter. Boo hoo. She would have signed an agreement with the university at the time she enrolled to obey its rules as a condition of getting in, and she failed to keep her end of the bargain, so now she's facing consequences but expects no consequences, probably because that's what she's used to. Her whining to the school itself to bail her out is really amazing: I sent them an email like, Hey, I rely on campus for my meals, I rely on my dining plan, and they were like, Oh, you can come pick up a prepackaged bag of food, a full 48 hours after I was suspended, she told the magazine. There was no food support, no nothing. She wants the school to be her 'mom' and take care of her, even though she disrupted its operations, made lunatic demands on it about how it was to spend its money, and is actually an adult, having turned 21. Someone always needs to take care of her, no matter what she does. It's weird that she expects an actual institution to do so instead of dear old mom, which some of the other now-suspended pro-Hamas protestors have reportedly done. Where's her actual mom? The one that's so "proud" of her? Omar must have some kind of residence in the Washington, D.C. area, which is a $50 bus ride from New York City, and can go as low as $12 with some shopping around. It would seem natural that she would go back to mom. But this remark here from the Post is pretty strange: "I have like four shirts, two pairs of pants, Hirsi complained. I dont know when I can go home, and I dont know if I ever will be able to. Well, now she gets to learn what it's like to grow up and weigh her decisions without an automatic bailout in the picture. What's with Omar and why isn't she sending this loser a bus ticket back home and placing her on restriction? The whining, Victor Davis Hanson noted, seems to be a signature of this campus pro-Hamas movement, making it different from student radical movements of the past. Why the Epidemic of the Violent, Crybaby Protestors? After seven months of nonstop pro-Hamas protests on campuses and in our big cities, a certain predictable and monotonous pattern has emerged. The placards calling for the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel (From the Victor Davis Hanson (@VDHanson) April 20, 2024 The whiners are the epitome of privilege in that they like to do what they want to do, but don't want to take any consequences for it. Which brings us to Hirsi. As Hirsi whined to the press about being homeless and foodless, left unsaid was any concern about her studies, whatever the heck they were, which seems to be the purpose of being at Columbia University in the first place. In a string of interviews, Hirsi didn't bring those up at all, and the mainstream media, to its discredit, didn't ask. What does she do there? What is her major, if any? Is her school there, Barnard College, now a gut-major school where tent-protesting can take the place of study? And how the heck did she get into the school in the first place? In her interview with MSNBC, she spoke of the wonderful life of leisure she was enjoying in those campout protest tents until bad, wicked, Columbia took it all away from her. Denying that the campout made other students feel threatened or uncomfortable in a question, Hirsi babbled this sylvan scenario: Umm, no, I think that the encampment was honestly one of the beautiful, ummm, forms of solidarity. Umm, we would be singing songs, we had meals together, people prayed together, they held shabbot yesterday. And it's really just been a really community-centered space, umm, and also, because of the fact that it is outside, we haven't disrupted any classes, umm, and had really been a very isolated kind of moment,where the zone in which we protesting in is the demonstration zone that we are allowed technically be able to protest in... the zone is the demonstration zone.. and therefore it shouldn't have been seen as disruptive. Memo to Hirsi: That's what beaches are for. Most college kids know that spring break lasts a week and do theirs on the beach. Notice again that 'study' was not part of the equation. But rest assured, her movement wants to be taken really, really, really seriously. Some demonstrators ate slices of pizza; others knelt for the dhuhr prayer. We come from a long lineage of students and activists who stand up for justice, observed Seda. I want the world to stop diminishing our struggle as wokeness or some political fad. Its not. People here are closely tied to their commitment to justice. Chomp, chomp. The university had to shut that protest down if for nothing else just to keep the school functioning. Finals are coming up, after all, and most students at Columbia, (at least when I was there in the 1990s), have heavy workloads, the computer rooms full on Friday nights. Shutting down the bellowing, menacing, clown show campout on the lawn was a necessity for the school simply to allow those there to study to study, as well as to protect the Jewish students from actual harm. Why she had no concern about this was pretty interesting, almost as interesting as to why even her wokester mom won't let her back into the house. Image: Screen shot from MSNBC video, via YouTube Why wont the media and other Democrats answer the question as to what limits on abortion they support, since a significant majority of Americans support limits around 14 or 16 weeks, which is just like Europe? The truly extreme position would be no limits, butchering children through the end of pregnancy. The media catches and kills the poll results showing that Democrats are the extremists on abortion as they mislead the public and interfere in elections: Poll: Most Voters Do Not Support Abortion Throughout Pregnancy Sixty-six percent of American voters believe abortion should not be legal past three months, according to Rasmussen Reports. At three months, an unborn baby has developed sex characteristics, is developing all of his or her organs and facial features, is growing fingernails and toenails, and is even starting to explore a bit by doing things like opening and closing its fists and mouth, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Among voters who consider themselves pro-choice, for example, only 43 percent believe abortion should be legal past the third month of pregnancy, including just 25 percent who think abortion should be legal at any time during a pregnancy before the moment of birth, the poll report reads. And among voters who consider themselves pro-life, less than a third (29 percent) say all abortions should be illegal. Incidentally, limits are not bans; it is intentionally misleading the public when the media and other Democrats refer to them as bans. When Senator John Kennedy asked Joe Bidens HHS secretary what limits he would put on abortion, he wouldnt answer. So, Kennedy then asked him a specific question: Would it be okay if a woman who was going to give birth in a week had an abortion because she decided she wanted a boy and the baby was a girl? His answer was chilling: He said it would be the mothers choice, as if this baby girl had no right to life at all. The media caught and killed this story. They certainly wouldnt want the public to see how radical and extreme Democrat policies are. Democrats wont even vote for health care for the most vulnerable humansviable babies born during botched abortions are tossed aside like trash, drowned, or strangled. It is as if they are as worthless as a piece of dirt. From Fox News: 210 Democrats vote against bill requiring medical care for babies born alive after abortion attempt Nearly every House Democrat on Wednesday voted against legislation that would require immediate medical attention for babies who are born alive after an attempt was made to abort them. Remember when former Virginia governor Ralph Northam revealed that an infant who survived an abortion would be kept comfortable until the mother and doctor decided what they wanted to do with the child? Which party is extreme? A party that would provide a newborn baby life-saving healthcare, or a party that would throw that baby in a medical waste pan in a janitors closet and wait for his or her little lungs to stop gasping for air? Technically, Illinois, New York, and other pro-abortion states have limits on abortion. They limit them to when a baby becomes viable, which, based on current medical technology, is typically around 24 to 26 weeks. So why isnt that referred to as a ban since it is just a different number of weeks? Why dont Kamala, Biden, and other Democrats talk about those limits? Has Planned Parenthood ever been charged for violating those limits? I dont recall any cases where they have been slapped with chargesin fact, an abortion mill in D.C., where five dead infants were found bearing evidence of illegal abortions, has escaped all accountability from D.C. Democrats and federal investigation. The truth is those states have no actual limits because they dont enforce the viability rule. When there are no consequences for violating a law or regulation, it is meaningless. Basically, the reason that Democrats dont talk about viability limits and do not support limiting baby murder to the first trimesterlike most countries and Americans supportand wont vote for requiring healthcare for babies born in botched abortions is because they are beholden to Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry. They are as important to Democrats as green pushers and teachers unions. Here is an interesting article that shows that 97% of the time, Planned Parenthood recommends abortion. Democrats like to say they are for freedom of choice, and they seek to close down crisis pregnancy centers because they dont promote the reproductive choice of abortion. So, why dont they lecture PP on its failure to offer the reproductive choice of adoption or life for the baby? The answer is that they dont care about choice, they simply want to support the abortion lobby. Why would anyone trust Democrats to be responsible for healthcare decisions when they will just let babies die without healthcare in botched abortions? That is not a reproductive choice. That is a choice to let a baby die. That should be treated no differently than a woman giving birth at home and putting the unwanted baby in a garbage bag. That is murder! Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. Tesla electric vehicles are seen at the companys San Antonio-Dominion store and service center in 2021. William Luther/Staff file photo A Tesla Cybertruck recharges at a station outside the Holiday Inn Resort South Padre Island on March 14. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk waves as he arrives at the annual political festival Atreju, organized by the Giorgia Melonis Brothers of Italy political party, in mid-December in Rome. Alessandra Tarantino/AP A Tesla Cybertruck is parked outside the entrance to the launch pad at SpaceXs Starbase on Boca Chica Beach on March 14. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer The Tesla logo is seen on a Supercharger station in Georgia. Chris Carlson/Associated Press file photo Shares in Tesla Inc. soared Wednesday after CEO Elon Musk vowed to speed up production of a new line of more affordable vehicles, helping investors look past concerns about disappointing earnings reported the night before. In January, hed said the new EV which is to be built at the Austin-based automakers Texas factory wasnt likely to be released until late 2025. But in comments as Tesla reported a 55% drop in profit Tuesday, Musk said the new vehicles will be ready by late this year or early 2025. These new vehicles. including more affordable models, will use aspects of the next-generation platform as well as aspects of our current platforms, and will be able to be produced on the same manufacturing lines as our current vehicle lineup, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The news gave investors confidence to hit the accelerator in after-hours trading Tuesday, when they pushed Tesla shares up more than 11%. The rally continued Wednesday, with shares zooming up as much as 16% in regular trading before finishing the day up about 12%. The stock had been the worst performer in the S&P 500 Index this year, plunging 42% through Tuesdays close. Investors and analysts had been looking for a sign that Tesla will take steps to stem its stocks slide and grow sales. They got it Tuesday. I think Tesla provided an outlook today that can make investors feel more assured that management is righting the ship, Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Grim earnings It came with another dose of grim earnings news. In results announced after markets closed Tuesday, the company reported first-quarter net income was $1.1 billion, down 55% from the $2.5 billion it posted during the same period a year ago. Revenue dropped 9% to $21.3 billion from $23.3 billion a year ago. Excluding one-time items such as stock-based compensation, Tesla made 45 cents per share, falling short of analyst estimates of 49 cents. The companys gross profit margin, the percentage of revenue it gets to keep after expenses, fell once again to 17.4%. A year ago it was 19.3%, and peaked at 29.1% in the first quarter of 2022. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The company cited numerous challenges in this years first quarter, including the Red Sea shipping conflict thats snarled some supply chains, an arson attack at its Berlin factory and the slow ramp of the Model 3 at its factory in Fremont, Calif. Global EV sales continue to be under pressure as many carmakers prioritize hybrids over EVs, the company said. In his comments, Musk took a dig at those carmakers that have pared EV production plans to pivot to gas-electric hybrids. We believe this is not the right strategy, and electric vehicles will ultimately dominate the market, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Teslas own strategy has been muddled, though. Its spent more than a year slashing prices across the lineup in an effort to boost sales. Instead, growth in vehicle deliveries have continued to slow. In the first quarter, it built 46,561 more cars than it sold. Tesla delivered 386,810 vehicles, down 9% from a year ago its first year-over-year decline in nearly four years. While vehicle revenue dropped 13% to $17.4 million from about $20 million a year ago, the companys other businesses posted revenue growth. Energy generation and battery storage revenue increased 7% to $1.6 million. Its services and other revenue stream grew to $2.3 million, up 25%. In response to its slowdown, Tesla has taken cost-cutting measures that include laying off more than 10% of its workforce, or roughly 14,000 people. The cuts included nearly 2,700 positions in Austin, where the automaker is headquartered and has a factory that produces its Model Y and Cybertruck and is developing new battery technology. New models The new models, which apparently include the Model 2 small car thats expected to cost about $25,000, will use new generation vehicle underpinnings and some features of current models, the company said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Musk told analysts no new factories or massive new production lines would be needed. This update may result in achieving less cost reduction than previously expected but enables us to prudently grow our vehicle volumes in a more capex efficient manner during uncertain times, Tesla said in a letter to investors. Neither the company nor Musk gave many specifics on what the new vehicles will be and whether they would be variants of current models. I think weve said all we will on that front, he told an analyst. Musk did say that he expects Tesla to sell more vehicles this year than last years 1.8 million. Robotaxi The company also appears to be counting on a vehicle built to be a fully autonomous robotaxi as a catalyst for future earnings growth. Musk has said the robotaxi will be unveiled Aug. 8. He has been touting the robotaxi since the hardware for it went on sale late in 2015. In 2019, he promised a fleet of autonomous robotaxis by 2020 that would bring income to Tesla owners and make their car values appreciate. Instead, theyve declined with price cuts, as the autonomous robotaxis have been delayed year after year while being tested by owners as the company gathers road data for its computers. Neither Musk nor other Tesla executives would specify Tuesday when they expect Tesla vehicles to drive themselves as well as humans do. Instead, Musk touted the latest version of Teslas autonomous driving software which the company misleadingly brands as Full Self Driving despite the fact that it still requires human supervision and said, Its only a matter of time before we exceed the reliability of humans, and not much time at that. Musk had spooked investors in the weeks leading up to Tuesdays earnings report by signaling self-driving vehicles had taken precedence over bringing a $25,000 car to market. The shift in focus he illustrated Tuesday was well received, said Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management. What matters is investors have some spark of hope that growth will re-accelerate next year, he said. For the believers, he gave them enough to continue to stay the course. A tipster has just seemingly revealed which company will be the first to utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. This information comes from Yogesh Brar, and what he said here makes sense. We now (think we) know which company will be first to utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 The tipster claims that Xiaomi will be the first company to utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. That simply means that it will retain the exclusive right to do so, as it had it last year too, for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Furthermore, the tipster claims that OnePlus and iQOO will follow suit. So those two companies are expected to be second and third in line to get their hands on the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Xiaomi aims to utilize that chip in the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro later this year. Those two phones will arrive to China in Q4, and likely to global markets. Well, at least the Xiaomi 15 will, if Xiaomi opts for the Xiaomi 15 + Xiaomi 15 Ultra combo in global markets. OnePlus will utilize this chip in the OnePlus 13, while iQOO will use it in the iQOO 13, says Brar. That is basically everything the tipster shared with the public. Qualcomm will use its custom Oryon cores The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be the very first chip in which Qualcomm plans to use its own custom Oryon cores. Qualcomms exec even confirmed that the chip is coming in October. This processor is allegedly codenamed SUN, and its expected to utilize 2+6 structure. It will be manufactured using TSMCs 3nm process. This processor is said to launch without efficiency cores. Qualcomm even showed us the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 reference handset by accident not long ago. A recent rumor even hinted that OEMs will use larger batteries with the new chip. That info hinted at lower power efficiency capabilities compared to its predecessors. Well see how accurate that is. Its a brand new world for search engines like Google. Googles head of Search, Prabhakar Raghavan, is preparing his team for that new world. At a recent all-hands meeting in Mountain View, Raghavan stated that its not the same as it was 15-20 years ago, around the time that Google first debuted its search engine. He also noted that, no matter what happens, people still come to Google for answers. Whether they get a new gadget or a gizmo, they still head to Google to get answers because Google is trusted. Despite what other companies like Perplexity want you to believe. During this meeting, Raghavan stated that his reports will have less time to complete some projects as part of a push to pick up the case in key areas. Google is also going to start building teams closer to growing markets. Primarily India and Brazil. Raghavan also underscored the importance of Googles reputation amid the changing tech landscape. Obviously, Googles Gemini is in steep competition with OpenAIs ChatGPT and Anthropics Claude. We expect to see quite a few announcements for Gemini and other AI products at Google I/O next month. This comes after quite a bit of consolidation in Mountain View This meeting that Raghavan had with the Search team, comes just days after some other consolidation at Google. Recently, Google has been consolidating the teams behind its AI models in its Research and DeepMind divisions. This is going to help accelerate the build-up of its AI capabilities. Google also recently announced that it was merging its Android, Chrome, and hardware divisions under a new Platform and Devices team. This is also being done with a similar goal of moving faster on both hardware and software. Googles Hardware SVP, Rick Osterloh, will be the lead of this new team, while Hiroshi Lockheimer will be headed to some new projects at Google, after serving as head of software platforms like Android and Chrome. All of this shows us that Google is not resting on its laurels. Its making big changes, and hoping for big results here. Obviously, Artificial Intelligence is a bit of a threat to its core business which is Search and Ads. Around 70% of its revenue in the past quarter was from Ads. Thats down a bit from a few years ago when it was closer to 90%. That just shows that Google is diversifying its revenue streams. Merging AI teams together, as well as Android, Chrome, and Hardware, into a single team is going to help there, too. [This article was updated to reflect the fact that Microsoft worked with Nvidia to optimize these models with Nvidia GPUs] Ever since the birth of the computer, weve seen the trend of groundbreaking technology coming down in size while getting more powerful. The computers in our pockets are exponentially more powerful than the large room-sized computers that were used back in the 60s. Well, this is happening with AI models. Microsoft just released the Phi-3 series of AI models, and they come in three sizes. If this sounds familiar, Google released Gemini, a family of models that comes in three sizes. Recently, Meta launched its Llama 3 family of models, which also comes in different sizes. Companies are utilizing different sizes for their LLMs which makes them more versatile. Where this really shines is on-device computing. There are several developers who dont quite need large Internet-connected LLMs for their needs. Many people are just fine using smaller models that can easily fit on a computer. Microsoft just released its Phi-3 AI models Microsoft announced that these models are more powerful than the last iteration. One of the more interesting models in this family is the Phi-3 mini. Its the smallest one in the family, and its designed to fit on smaller devices such as computers or smartphones. If it is small enough to fit on smartphones, then it could be a competitor to Googles Gemini Nano. The corporate vice president of Microsoft Azure, Eric Boyd, told The Verge that Phi-3 Mini is actually as capable as GPT-3.5. However, its in a much smaller form factor. According to the report, Phi-3 Mini has 3.8 billion parameters. The next model in the family is called Phi-3 Small, and that has 7 billion parameters. Lastly, Phi-3 Medium has 14 billion parameters. Also, these models were optimized to work with Nvidia GPUs. If youre using platforms like Microsofts Azure, Hugging Face, Ollama, or Nvidia NIM, you have access to Phi-3 mini. Were sure that these new AI models will help push Microsoft forward in the rapidly growing AI space. Its one of the leaders of artificial intelligence, so, were excited to see what the company does next. NVIDIA was one of the first gaming-oriented brands to implement artificial intelligence. The firm also carried out a test to see the benefits of adding generative AI into video games. The CEO of NVIDIA recently attended the CadenceLIVE Silicon Valley 2024 event where he made an interesting statement claiming that humanoid robots will gain immense popularity among the general population. He talked about the prices of these robots as well. NVIDIA CEO believes humanoid robots will be more commonplace than expected In an interview that took place in CadenceLIVEs Silicon Valley event, the CEO of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang said that he expects the humanoid robots to become very common in the coming years. He further says that the increasing use of these AI robots will revolutionize industries and will change the way they work. Not only this, but more and more general population will also start using it. The CEO indirectly predicted the price of upcoming humanoid robots as well. He says that we can get a cheap car for around $10,000 $20,000 and we would be able to get a humanoid robot for the same price soon. For specific environments, he claims that getting robots over these cheap cars is much more sensible and versatile. They are not going to be very expensive If we look at the past trends, the prediction of the CEO isnt totally wrong. Elon Musk previously said that their upcoming humanoid robot, the Optimus would be priced around $25,000. Do keep in mind that this is the first generation and the price is expected to decrease over time. Many more industries will soon enter into the manufacturing of humanoid robots. This will increase the market competition and force the firms to price their robots very competitively. NVIDIA is also working on Project GR00T, which is going to be the basic model of humanoid robots, and if we consider the CEOs comment, it surely will not have a heavy price. Three of eight units at CPS Energys Braunig Power Station, seen here from the air in late July, would be shut down by March 31 under a plan the city-owned utility has asked the state grid operator to approve. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer The state grid operator may be putting a stop to CPS Energys plan to shutter part of its aging Braunig Power Station early next year. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Monday that losing the 859-megawatt output from Braunigs three oldest natural gas-fired units would have a material impact on the grid and its reliability. CPS has said the plants are too expensive to operate and that it would rack up more costs to make upgrades necessary to reduce their emissions. Rick Urrutia, the interim vice president of generation operations at CPS Energy, stands Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022 in front of a temporary insulating structure at one of the power generation units at CPSOs Braunig Power Station. Though CPS has used temporary insulation for portions of their generation plants for many years, the city-owned utility has increased the number of those insulating structures after last yearOs power grid collapse, according to Urrutia. William Luther The results of ERCOTs reliability study come as it prepares for whats expected to be another record-breaking summer of demand on the already-strained statewide grid. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CPS Energys request to shutter the Braunig units came up during an ERCOT subcommittee meeting Monday, hours after the grid operators so-called market notice was posted online. In its next steps, ERCOT will determine whether there are other resources that could substitute for Braunigs megawatts, Chief Operating Officer Woody Rickerson said during Mondays meeting of the reliability and markets committee. CPS gave us more time to solve this problem, which were grateful for, said ERCOT General Counsel Chad Seely, referring to the city-owned utility filing its plans to shutter the plants in mid-March, earlier than required. In a statement Monday evening, CPS said it expects the grid operator will allow the generating units to be retired by March 31 if it can replace their capacity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We will continue to have collaborative discussions with ERCOT during their review process, a spokesperson said. CPS has already planned to expand its generation fleet with new, more efficient natural gas plants and by adding more solar, wind and battery capacity. The Braunig shutdown is a step toward its long-term goal of reducing reliance on fossil-fuel as it transitions to renewable energy. The retirement of the Braunig units is part of our Board approved generation plan, CPS said in March after notifying ERCOT of its plans to shutter the Braunig plants, which typically produce enough electricity to power about 170,000 homes on the statewide grid. These power plants are nearing their operational end of life. The power station began operating in 1966. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As part of its protocol, ERCOT is now issuing a request for proposals for what it calls more cost-effective alternatives to meet growing demand. Seely said ERCOT would prefer to come up with a timeline that meets its protocol while giving the grid operator time to work with CPS and get feedback from the Public Utility Commission, which meets Thursday. The ERCOT board was meeting Tuesday. Any such agreement would be a transition plan, not a long-term solution. Ultimately, whatever the timeline is, we would bring all that information back to the committee and the board, Seely said, for the committee and the board to do a true evaluation of ERCOT benefits relative to the reliability concern and what those benefits would be for the system. Eventually, ERCOT could come to an agreement that keeps CPS operating the Braunig units but paying the utility based on the added costs to keep them going. As part of the process, CPS would have to give the grid operator detailed cost estimates. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Any added costs, then, would ultimately be spread across Texas ratepayers. The ERCOT board and PUC would need to approve any such agreement after considering the number of customers affected and any potential economic impact to customers. Shortly after filing plans to close the Braunig units, CPS announced it was adding 1,710 megawatts of natural gas-fired generating capacity through a $785 million deal to acquire three plants in Laredo and Corpus Christi from Talen Energy. It was the city-owned utilitys first acquisition of gas-fired plants in more than a decade. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CPS is planning to shutter its coal-fired J.K. Spruce 1 Power Plant by 2028 but has not yet filed those plans with ERCOT. For those who have yet to be blessed by the cat distribution system, adopting from an animal shelter is the best way to meet a new feline friend. You can visit shelter cats with no commitment, and it's the perfect space to ask questions about cat ownership. Best of all, animal shelter volunteers can match you to the cat who's the best fit for you! Age is one factor that many adopters consider when looking for a new pet. It can be rewarding to raise a kitten, and adopting a young cat gives you many years together to look forward to, but not as many people consider adopting senior cats. That's why the folks at TAPS Animal Shelter in Pekin, Illinois, are giving their older kitties a moment in the spotlight. You can meet them all in a precious April 19 TikTok video! What sweet senior cats! These fur babies seem so happy to get a little love from their shelter friend, even if they're a little sleepy, too. Affectionate cats like these are sure to be adopted soon, but sometimes, a pet's age can cause an adopter to second-guess things. It's just not fair! Related: Sweet Senior Cat in NYC Is Hoping for a Loving Foster After His Owner Passed Tuxedo cat Green Bay looks as dapper as can be in his black and white coat, but the cutest thing about him was the way he leaned into the animal shelter volunteer's hand. Clearly, he was loving the attention! And so was Bonsai, who looked absolutely adorable with his fang-like overbite. Gray cats Trinity and Lola were so gentle, but the way they nuzzled the volunteer's hand practically melted my heart. Just think of how much they would love being someone's pet! Whether cuddling up on the couch or climbing a cat tower like Trinity was doing, there's no question that these older cats would drop everything for some loving. Last but not least is 14-year-old Miss Bella. She may be a senior cat, but she has such regal energy! It's heartwarming to see her get the attention she surely craves while in the kennel, even if she's not as sprightly as her younger pals. Why Adopt Senior Cats? Not every adopter is prepared for the increased needs of a senior cat, and that's OK. But when you're able, please consider opening your home to an older kitty. They are just as loving and personality-filled as any other cat, and they will be so grateful to have somewhere comfy to spend their golden years. "Seniors are so loving!" agreed commenter @josephine..9. "If you are a homebody they are the perfect pet for you! I adopted my senior cat when he was 14 and hes about to turn 17!" How sweet! Older cats like these ladies and gentlemen from TAPS are at shelters across the country, waiting for their perfect home. Please think about paying them a visit! Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. Aviation organisations will conduct an industry-wide rehearsal of major flight disruption in the wake of the August 2023 air traffic control (ATC) meltdown, MPs were told. Martin Rolfe, chief executive of ATC provider National Air Traffic Services (Nats), said the event will be held after the summer. Nearly 750,000 passengers were disrupted when flights were grounded at UK airports on August 28 last year after Nats suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan. An inquiry into what happened published an interim report in March which highlighted the lack of any multi-agency rehearsal of the management of an incident of this nature and scale. Giving evidence to the Commons Transport Select Committee on Tuesday, Mr Rolfe said Nats has proposed to regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) we take the lead on running practice scenarios. He went on: The CAA is supportive, the airlines and airports are supportive. We are planning to do an industry-wide practice run for a disruption scenario after the summer. Mr Rolfe also claimed having Nats engineers on-call at home is a bonus, following criticism of the practice. The ATC failure on August 28 last year caused major disruption (Liam McBurney/PA) Ryanair boss Michael OLeary, who has repeatedly called for Mr Rolfe to be sacked, claimed Nats engineers were sitting at home in their pyjamas when the ATC meltdown happened during the August bank holiday weekend. The inquiry into the incident, set up by the CAA, found that on the day it took 90 minutes for a senior Nats on-call engineer to arrive on-site in order to perform the necessary full system restart which was not permitted remotely. Mr Rolfe told the committee engineers at this level are based in offices on weekdays, but improvements in home-working systems mean they can be on-call at other times. He said: The working from home piece was actually more of a bonus because we now have the technology since the pandemic to allow them when they are outside of their hours where they would normally be working at work if they are called (while) on-call then they can immediately work remotely to try and diagnose the problem. Before the pandemic, it would have been worse. We would have had to get them physically in immediately. Now we have the ability for them to log on appropriately and securely, remotely. In many cases they fix the problem much more quickly than if they had to come into the office outside of normal hours. Its an absolute advancement in how we deal with these things. Rishi Sunaks Rwanda Bill is finally set to become law after weeks of parliamentary deadlock, paving the way for deportation flights to get off the ground. The legislation is the latest attempt by the Government to revive its plan to hand asylum seekers who come to the UK by crossing the Channel a one-way ticket to Kigali. The deal has been plagued by setbacks since it was signed two years ago. The Prime Minister has pinned his hopes on the Bill, which declares the east African nation a safe country and seeks to ensure the scheme which had been ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court is legally watertight. Now the Bill has passed in Parliament, questions remain over what happens next to put the plan into action. Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta signed a treaty in December (Ben Birchall/PA) When will Rwanda flights take off? The first plane carrying asylum seekers could depart in July, after Mr Sunak acknowledged it could still take 10 to 12 weeks to get flights off the ground. This would be more than two years since the first flight ever attempted under the deal was grounded amid last-minute legal challenges. The Prime Minister did not confirm an exact date during his Downing Street press conference on Monday and it is still unclear whether flights will take place before the next general election. Ministers and officials had previously repeatedly stressed their intention to get planes off the runway in the spring and as soon as possible with Treasury minister Laura Trott even saying there were many definitions of spring. But the latest details indicate Mr Sunak is now set to miss his self-imposed target. Scheduling flights is likely to take some time due to the steps officials must follow including serving notice on migrants they intend to remove from the UK. Could there be more delays? Yes, there is a chance of this happening. Campaigners opposing the plans, and individual migrants who are told they are to be sent to Rwanda, could seek to take the Government to court again in a bid to stop flights. Whether any legal challenges could be successful in the light of the new laws remains to be seen. Flights will also depend on there being an aircraft available to transport migrants in the wake of difficulties finding an airline willing to charter flights. But Mr Sunak said an airfield is on stand-by and commercial charter planes have been booked for specific slots. According to The Times, Downing Street has drawn up plans to order the Ministry of Defence to repurpose at least one leased aircraft like an RAF Voyager, if required. An RAF Voyager at Brize Norton (Andrew Matthews/PA) Asked whether it was appropriate to use RAF planes, the Prime Minister told broadcasters: My priority is to stop the boats. Although campaigners have called on AirTanker, the company which supplies Voyager to the RAF, not to get involved and claimed tens of thousands of people had written urging the same. Meanwhile UN experts have raised concerns about the role of airlines and aviation authorities in facilitating the removals. How much is this all costing? The cost of the troubled scheme could soar to half a billion pounds, plus hundreds of thousands more for each person deported, an investigation by Whitehalls spending watchdog found. The Government refused to say how much more money, on top of the 290 million already confirmed, the UK had agreed to pay Rwanda under the deal, but a National Audit Office report revealed millions more in spending including 11,000 for each migrants plane ticket. When questioned by MPs last week, the Home Offices most senior civil servant, permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft, indicated officials were seeking a drop in migrant Channel crossings of about 10,000 people to consider the Rwanda scheme value for money. Dan Hobbs, the departments director general for migration and borders, told the Public Accounts Committee: It was never intended that this would be sought to be done at significantly lower cost to the UK. This was about having a quality scheme that delivered for the individuals and gave a five-year package of support. There are higher costs at the beginning due to the processing of the individuals and their assimilation and integration into Rwanda. Over the period of the five years, we would expect them to become more self-sufficient. Will Rwanda flights curb Channel crossings and see Sunak meet his pledge to stop the boats? No-one knows. It is thought there would need to be significant reduction in Channel crossings for the flights to be officially assessed as succeeding in having their desired deterrent effect. But Mr Sunak has categorically promised to put an end to crossings altogether with his clear stop the boats catchphrase, and has routinely pointed to the Rwanda plan to achieve this, describing it as an indispensable deterrent. Home Secretary James Cleverly went a step further, setting himself a target of meeting the Prime Ministers pledge by the end of this year a deadline Downing Street later refused to repeat. Rishi Sunak and James Cleverly (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) He has always maintained a range of policies, including multimillion-pound deals with France, would be needed alongside the Rwanda plan to curb Channel crossings. Sunday April 14 saw the busiest day for Channel crossings so far this year after 534 migrants were recorded making the journey. In 2024 to date, 6,265 people have arrived in the UK after making on the crossing 28% higher than this time last year (4,899) and 7% higher than the 5,828 at this point in 2022. PA news agency analysis of the figures suggests 75,629 migrants have made the journey since then home secretary Priti Patel signed what she called a world-first agreement in Rwandas capital Kigali on April 14 2022, with 43,328 taking place since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister six months later. Could this pave the way for other Rwanda-style deals? Not yet but the Government is exploring other options. Britain reportedly approached countries including Costa Rica, Armenia, Ivory Coast and Botswana a bid to replicate the Rwanda scheme after Mr Sunak gave the Home Office and Foreign Office a deadline of last autumn to secure two additional deals, according to The Times. But, appearing before MPs, Mr Rycroft said only a tiny number of countries would be suitable for a Rwanda-style deal. Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves appeared to rule this out in a post on social media which suggested the UK had been told his country will not receive any migrants. The Princess of Wales has been honoured for her public service and support of the arts by the King, Buckingham Palace has announced. Future Queen Kate, who has been a working member of the royal family for 13 years, has been appointed Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour. The prestigious appointment is a new one especially created for Kate, who is away from official duties while undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. The Princess of Wales in a Royal Victorian Order mantle at the coronation (Dan Charity/The Sun/PA) She is the first member of the royal family to be appointed a Royal Companion in the orders 107-year history. Charles recommended the special honour for his beloved daughter-in-law, with appointees to the Companions of Honour in the gift of the Cabinet Office, the palace said. The decision by the King, who is also being treated for cancer, to suggest Kate for the honour will be seen as a major show of support for the princess amid the challenges she is facing. Current members include Sir David Attenborough, Margaret Attwood, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, and previously Professor Stephen Hawking and Sir Winston Churchill. The Order of the Companions of Honour limited to just 65 people at a time was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognise outstanding achievements in the Arts, Sciences, Medicine and Public Service. Sir Elton John in 2021 after being invested as a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to music and to charity (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The honour for Kate recognises her service as a member of the royal family and her support and interest in the arts. She is patron of the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the Royal Photographic Society. A host of other announcements were revealed on St Georges Day, with the King appointing eldest son and heir the Prince of Wales the Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established by King George I in 1725 although it is believed to originally date back as far as the eighth century. It is awarded to members of the military or civil service for exemplary service. The Prince of Wales has been made Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Belinda Jiao/PA) Charles was a previous Great Master from 1974-2022. The King also appointed his wife the Queen as Grand Master and First or Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The role is the second most senior in the order with the King sovereign of the order. It was previously held by the Kings father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and Charless great-grandmother Queen Mary, and the abdicated Edward VIII when he was still the Prince of Wales. Camilla also features in the new list of appointments released by Buckingham Palace (Chris Jackson/PA) The Order of the British Empire, established by George V in 1917, is the largest order of chivalry in the UK, recognising outstanding contributions by individuals within their local communities or at a national level. Charles also made four new appointments, which are in his personal gift, to the Order of the Garter, including acclaimed composer Lord Lloyd Webber. The theatre impresario, whose hit musicals include The Phantom Of The Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, is now a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. The other appointees are Lord Kakkar, Emeritus Professor of Surgery at University College London; Air Chief Marshal the Lord Peach; and, as a Royal Lady Companion, the Duchess of Gloucester who is married to the late Queens cousin the Duke of Gloucester. Lord Lloyd Webber is made a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (David Davies/PA) Founded in 1348 by Edward III, the Garter is awarded by the sovereign for outstanding public service and achievement. Each year, Royal Knights and Ladies of the Order of the Garter gather at St Georges Chapel in Windsor for a colourful procession and ceremony. Watched by crowds of onlookers, they walk down the hill to the chapel from the State Apartments, dressed in blue velvet mantles, red velvet hoods, black velvet hats and white ostrich plumes. Richard Madeley has highlighted him terminating a live TV interview with the then defence secretary Gavin Williamson as the most memorable moment from his career on Good Morning Britain (GMB). The ITV breakfast programme, which has seen more than 2,500 episodes air since its launch in April 2014, celebrates its 10th birthday on Sunday. Since being established, the show has been nominated for news coverage Baftas for its Thomas Markle exclusive and a knife crime special and taken home a special award at the Tric (the Television and Radio Industries Club) awards. GMB broadcaster Susanna Reid has also picked up presenting prizes at the Royal Television Society (RTS) and Tric awards shows. After being asked for his most memorable moment, Madeley said: Probably the morning I turfed a Cabinet minister off the programme for repeatedly refusing to answer a straight question. They all do it, but this was a particularly outrageous example. Former defence secretary Gavin Williamson (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The then defence secretary Gavin Williamson just kept blatantly dodging a really simple query. What really annoyed me was the disrespect being shown not to me, but to the viewers. We ask questions on their behalf, not ours. I suddenly heard myself say, OK, interview terminated because you wont answer the question. Im not sure who was more shocked, him or me. In May 2018, Madeley had asked Mr Williamson if he regretted telling Russia to go away and shut up after Moscow denied responsibility for the Salisbury poison attack. Laura Tobin, Sean Fletcher, Charlotte Hawkins, Susanna Reid, Richard Arnold and Ed Balls with the Tric Special Award for Good Morning Britain (Ian West/PA) Mr Williamson instead paid tribute to the healthcare workers who treated Sergei and Yulia Skripal and talked about the circumstances of what happened. After a back and forth, Madeley responded saying: Right, youre not going to answer, are you? OK. All right, interview terminated because you wont answer the question. It would be helpful if you answered a straight question with a straight answer. In March 2021, Piers Morgan also walked out of a live broadcast following an on-air clash with weather presenter Alex Beresford over the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said he did not believe Meghans claims and later quit the programme. That same year, EastEnders star Patsy Palmer shut down an interview with Reid and Ben Shephard saying she was doing a Piers Morgan. She said that it was not OK to have from addict to wellness guru on the bottom of the screen. Shephard and Reid later apologised to her. Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid (Peter Byrne/PA) Recalling her most memorable moment, Reid spoke about joining the show from BBC Breakfast saying: The first one has to be the launch. I remember sitting next to the wonderful Ben Shephard, who just as the opening credits were rolling whispered, Youll never get a second chance to enjoy this moment because this is the only moment well ever launch this programme, Good Morning Britain, on ITV to the nation. So enjoy every second of it. You can be quite nervous when youre presenting a new programme as theres a lot of pressure, lots of responsibility and there is obviously lots of media attention. And when he said that, I just thought, Youre absolutely right!. In that moment when the musics running yes, just enjoy it! So thats such a memorable moment for me. She also highlighted her covering the late Queens funeral in September 2022 and interviewing former prime minister Boris Johnson before he resigned. Good Morning Britains 10th anniversary will be celebrated on Sunday. A rift has deepened between X owner Elon Musk and Australian authorities over the removal of videos of a violent stabbing in a Sydney church. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters Australias prime minister has labelled Xs owner, Elon Musk, an arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law as the rift deepens between Australia and the tech platform over the removal of videos of a violent stabbing in a Sydney church. On Monday evening in an urgent last-minute federal court hearing, the court ordered a two-day injunction against X to hide posts globally containing the footage of the alleged stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on 15 April. The eSafety commissioner had previously directed X to remove the posts, but X had only blocked them from access in Australia pending a legal challenge. Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said Musk was a bloke whos chosen ego and showing violence over common sense. Related: Elon Musk hits back at Australian court order against X images of stabbing Australians will shake their head when they think that this billionaire is prepared to go to court fighting for the right to sow division and to show violent videos, he told Sky News. He is in social media, but he has a social responsibility in order to have that social licence. He told the ABC that Musk was an arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law. What the eSafety commissioner is doing is doing her job to protect the interests of Australians. And the idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out of touch Mr Musk is, he said. On Tuesday morning, Musk tweeted that the company was concerned that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian eSafety Commissar is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet? We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA. That is exactly the issue. Should the eSafety Commissar (an unelected official) in Australia have authority over all countries on Earth? https://t.co/wzv4Uinx8y Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2024 Overnight Australian time, Musk tweeted a meme claiming that X represented the truth and free speech while other platforms were censoring content and propaganda, and added dont take my word for it, just ask the Australian PM! He also reposted a tweet from a user claiming that Albanese was advertising for Elon by mentioning that other platforms had complied with requests to remove the content while X had not. Musk added: Id like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one. Related: Australian court orders Elon Musks X to hide Sydney church stabbing posts from users globally X had withheld access to the tweets for Australian users but Christopher Tran, the barrister for the eSafety commissioner, argued this did not represent removal of the posts that were deemed to be class 1 content under Australian classification law that is, material deemed to depict gratuitous or offensive violence with a high degree of impact or detail. This was because the posts were still available outside Australia, and to Australian users accessing X using a virtual private network (VPN). The federal court has issued the injunction until 5pm on Wednesday 25 April, pending Xs local legal counsel receiving instructions on Xs response to the case. On Monday night, a spokesperson for the eSafety commissioner said Meta, Google, Microsoft, Snap and TikTok had worked to remove similar content in the past weeks, and eSafety will continue to use its suite of powers under the Online Safety Act to protect Australians from serious online harms, including extreme violent content. The United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet posted two versions of the video on both X and Facebook on Monday. One video was posted on its own, while the other was embedded within his commentary about the attack. To the Australian government and the eSafety commissioner go fuck yourselves, Babet posted alongside one of the videos. This opinion piece contains the video that the Australian Government has gone to the Federal court to have removed. I WILL NOT REMOVE IT. Without free speech our nation will fall. The Liberal party, The Labor party and the eSafety commissioner are a threat to democracy, Babet claimed. The eSafety Commission has been contacted for comment, but in a statement to Guardian Australia, the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, slammed Babets response. This is appalling behaviour by a serving senator and he needs to explain why hes sharing this harmful content, the communications minister said. Despite Metas claim the company auto-detects new uploads of the video, Babet was able to upload it and post it online for several hours. The videos were later removed by Meta. The video and the Reel have been taken down. Our team is investigating why it wasnt caught automatically, a spokesperson said. Guardian Australia asked the office of the eSafety commissioner if X has yet complied with the order. On Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson said X had 24 hours to comply with the interim court order, putting the deadline at Tuesday night. The spokesperson said eSafety expected a further hearing will take place in the coming days to determine whether to extend the injunction due to expire at 5pm AEST on Wednesday before a final hearing. The spokesperson said eSafety will seek a permanent injunction and civil penalties against X. No hearing dates have yet been listed. X was also approached for comment. Uncensored videos of the alleged stabbing were still searchable on X as of Tuesday morning, but the eSafety spokesperson acknowledged it would not be possible to remove every instance. While it may be difficult to eradicate damaging content from the internet entirely, particularly as users continue to repost it, eSafety requires platforms to do everything practical and reasonable to minimise the harm it may cause to Australians and the Australian community. Independent senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie deleted her X account on Tuesday, telling Sky News that politicians must lead by example. I dont give a stuff about the platform I am happy to go off the platform today, she said. I suggest that the other 226 ... members of parliament do the same thing and show them that you mean business. When you want to lead by example, it has to happen from here. Tesla Inc.s Gigafactory Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Tesla is aiming to ramp up production of its Model Y SUV and eventually the Cybertruck at the Gigafactory Texas factory in Austin. Tesla Tesla electric vehicles at the company's San Antonio-Dominion store and service center in 2021. The Austin-based automaker on Wednesday reported earnings that missed analyst expectations and warned of slower sales growth in 2024. William Luther/Staff file photo Tesla CEO Elon Musk waves as he arrives at the annual political festival Atreju, organized by the Giorgia Melonis Brothers of Italy political party, in mid December in Rome. A judge says Musk must give up a compensation package awarded by Teslas board of directors that is potentially worth more than $55 billion. Alessandra Tarantino/AP A Tesla Cybertruck at a charging station outside the Holiday Inn Resort South Padre Island on Thursday, March 14, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Tesla Inc.s recently announced layoff of more than 10% of its global workforce includes 2,688 employees in Austin, where the automaker is headquartered and has a flagship factory. The job cuts are set to begin June 14, according to a notice the company filed Monday with the Texas Workforce Commission. Some Austin workers, however, say they have already been laid off. The electric vehicle maker announced the broad cuts to its 140,000-person global workforce last week but offered no details on how the layoffs would impact local employees. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They began to come into focus this week, however. On Tuesday, workforce notices filed in California also revealed plans to lay off 3,332 employees across multiple sites in that state. In Texas, it remained unclear Tuesday how many of the jobs cut were in production roles at the Austin factory where Tesla produces its Model Y and Cybertruck and is developing new battery technology and whether any were trimmed from headquarters operations. At the end of the year, Tesla said it employed 22,700 workers at the massive Texas factory near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, nearly double its total a year earlier. Tesla first informed the Texas Workforce Commission of the Austin cuts via a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter dated Friday and it updated that notice Monday. The news came ahead of Teslas announcement Tuesday afternoon of its quarterly financial results and CEO Elon Musks anticipated announcement of plans to reverse declining demand for its electric vehicles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Legal moves Though the notice said the layoffs would begin in mid-June, some employees at the Austin factory said theyd already been terminated with no notice. At least one ex-employee in California has filed a lawsuit against Tesla for failing to give adequate notice as required by law. According to the filing in a San Jose, Calif., state court, Tesla acted intentionally and with deliberate indifference and conscious disregard to the rights of its employees by not giving a warning 60 days ahead as mandated by California law. Lawrence Morales II, a San Antonio-area labor lawyer, said that anyone laid off before June 21 which is 60 days after Mondays notification letter could potentially have a claim against Tesla for not complying with the WARN Act. However, he said many companies will agree to pay a certain amount in lieu of notice for those laid off. For example, if a company only gives 30 days notice it could offer to pay those who are laid for the other 30 days. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And in that situation, youre effectively getting what you would be getting under the WARN Act," he said. Thats another way that an employer may try to address potential WARN issues. The company could also offer severance packages of 60 days or more in exchange for employees releasing any claims over notification violations. What would normally happen is an employer will ask an employee to sign a separation agreement. That will include will include a number of provisions, one of them being a release of claims, Morales said. But then in that separation agreement, oftentimes theres also a confidentiality agreement. Morales said mass layoffs can raise other legal issues, including possible violations of discrimination laws. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There should be certain measures taken so that any protected class under the law is not impacted unfavorably compared to other protected classes, he said. According to the workforce commission, those classes include race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age or genetic information. Offensive experience In an interview Tuesday, a laid-off employee said Tesla was offering layoff severance packages to at least some management employees in exchange for signing non-disclosure agreements. The Express-News agreed not to identify the worker to get details about the company's process. The former management employee called the severance package fair. It was clear the layoffs were looming given the company's current situation, he said, but the process was still "offensive." When the ax fell April 15, he had not been informed he was being cut. He found himself locked out of his work computer systems and, upon arriving at the Austin factory, his badge wouldnt allow him on the factory shuttle. The driver said hed need to call security, human resources or his supervisor. None of them answered. But when he looked at his personal e-mail he found a Tesla Employment Update announcing the layoffs that had been sent about 3 a.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a memo about the layoffs, CEO Elon Musk wrote that the decision came after a thorough review of the organization to eliminate duplicate roles across the company. But Tesla has been battered by declining sales and a 40% slide in its stock value this year. There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done, he wrote. This will enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase. The company has faced a rocky road in 2024 as sales fell 9% in the first quarter and it had to recall nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks for faulty accelerator pedals that can cause the truck to unintentionally speed up. On Tuesday afternoon, the company reported its steepest revenue slide since 2012 and Musk said it would accelerate its push to roll out less expensive models it previously said would be built in Texas. Former NSW police officer Beau Lamarre is alleged to have murdered the Sydney couple at Jesse Bairds Paddington home on 19 February. Photograph: James Gourley/EPA The lawyer for former police officer and accused double murderer Beau Lamarre has suggested the charges could be defended on mental health grounds. John Walford said on Tuesday the charges against his client who is accused of murdering Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29 could be defendable on mental health grounds. Walford, a former police officer, spoke to reporters outside court after the case was briefly mentioned in Sydneys Downing Centre local court. Related: Beau Lamarre, accused of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies murders, removed from NSW police force Asked if mental health would likely be part of Lamarres defence, Walford said: Probably. Lamarre, 28, is alleged to have murdered Baird and Davies at Bairds Paddington home on 19 February. In the brief status hearing on Tuesday, the court heard a partial brief for the case had been provided. The accused did not appear in court. Deputy chief magistrate Sharon Freund adjourned the case until 18 June. Outside court, Walford told reporters he was not sure how his client would plead. The solicitor said for the most part [Lamarre] is OK Itd be very tough for him at the moment but its tough for everyone, Walford said. The off-duty police officer allegedly used his police-issued gun to shoot and kill the couple in February before hiding their bodies in surfboard bags and driving them to a property near Goulburn about 160km south-west of Sydney. Lamarre handed himself into Bondi police station and was charged with the mens murders four days after they were allegedly killed. Their bodies were found near a fence line of the Bungonia property the following week. Police allege the murder of Baird was premeditated and that Davies was killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lamarre, a serving senior constable at the time of the mens deaths, was formally discharged from the police force in March. A memorial service for Davies was held in Melbourne on Sunday, while the couple were both honoured in a candlelit vigil the evening before the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in March. - With Australian Associated Press Suella Braverman decided not to implement three recommendations intended to repair some of the monumental harm done to the Windrush generation. Photograph: Tayfun Salc/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock A decision made by the former home secretary Suella Braverman to drop three recommendations intended to repair some of the monumental harm done to the Windrush generation was unlawful, the high court has been told. The Home Office committed itself to a comprehensive improvement programme in response to the Windrush scandal, which had a severely discriminatory impact on a cohort of people who had lived in the UK since childhood, many of whom were arrested, detained, removed from the UK, or sacked from their jobs, made homeless and denied NHS treatment, the court heard. The abandonment of key reform pledges was discriminatory and was one of many examples of broken promises made by the government to the Windrush generation, the court was told. Windrush victim Trevor Donald, 68, was caught up in a dystopian nightmare when he found himself stranded in Jamaica for nine years after travelling back to the country that he had left 43 years earlier as an 11-year-old. Donald had attempted to secure a UK passport when his mother was critically ill in 2010, but was unable to get one, and his mother died in Jamaica before he was able to travel to visit her. He chose to return to the island for her funeral, using emergency travel documents but was subsequently denied permission to return home until British officials accepted that he had the right to live in the UK, after the expose of the Windrush scandal; he was allowed back to Britain in 2019. In the interim, he lost his council flat, and his relationships with his children were damaged. He was only finally granted British citizenship in January 2022. He is bringing a legal claim against the Home Office, alleging unlawful discrimination in the decision not to proceed with all of the recommendations, which were designed to make sure there could be no repeat of the scandal. As a result of the Windrush row, in which thousands of legal UK residents were misclassified as illegal immigrants, an independent review was commissioned from the solicitor Wendy Williams to establish what had caused the scandal and to ensure that it could never be repeated. All 30 recommendations for Home Office reform were accepted by the former home secretary Priti Patel. But subsequently Braverman decided not to implement a commitment to organise a programme of reconciliation events, with meetings between members of the Windrush generation and senior Home Office staff and ministers so they could articulate the impact of the scandal on their lives (recommendation 3). Braverman also decided not to appoint a migrants commissioner, who was going to be responsible for identifying systemic concerns and to act as an advocate for migrants (recommendation 9) and she declined to change the remit of the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, with a view to giving the role more power (recommendation 10). Phillippa Kaufmann KC, acting for Donald, said Home Office staff became uneasy in the summer of 2022 when it became clear that despite repeated commitments from ministers that all 30 recommendations were being implemented, little progress was being made with some of them. One official warned that continued claims that the department was progressing with all recommendations risked going against the civil service value of honesty and recommended that staff needed to amend our public lines to reduce the risk of the department being seen as lying. Nicola Braganza KC, for the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), which is supporting the action, said: This decision breaking a clear and repeated promise and public commitment and the way in which it was taken, without due consultation, left Mr Donald, BEO and members of the Windrush and black communities feeling extremely disappointed, shocked and angered and betrayed. A petition signed by more than 53,000 people was delivered by BEO to Downing Street last April, asking the Home Office not to abandon the recommendations. Arguing that the decision represented direct discrimination against Donald and other black and Asian communities, Braganza added: The abandonment of the recommendations, designed to redress the historic mistreatment of the Windrush generation, is another example of the broken promises that particularly the Windrush cohort has faced, and that white British citizens have not and would not be subjected to. Edward Brown KC, acting for the Home Office, said the department was not obliged to implement a policy which it no longer considers to be in the public interest. He said Williams recommendations were not legally binding and there was no obligation on the government to implement the recommendations. The hearing before Mrs Justice Heather Williams is due to conclude on Wednesday with a decision expected in writing at a later date. A migrant dinghy in the Channel on Tuesday as crossings continue - Steve Finn The French Navy allowed a dinghy packed with migrants to continue across the Channel to Britain despite the deaths of five people, including a seven-year-old girl, on board. Three men and a woman died alongside the girl, who was crushed when people smugglers crammed more than 100 migrants onto the dinghy. It crossed the Channel after setting off from Plage des Allemands beach in Wimereux, near Bologne, northern France. Some 49 of the 112 migrants on the dinghy were brought back to shore or taken to Boulogne after being rescued. However, 58 people remained on the small boat after refusing to be rescued and were allowed to continue their journey to Britain, escorted by a French navy ship. One of the women brought to shore in the UK had a broken leg. The five were pronounced dead despite attempts to resuscitate them after they were brought to the beach. French officials said they had never experienced so many migrants being packed onto a single boat. The deaths came hours after Parliament finally passed Rishi Sunaks Safety of Rwanda Bill into law, paving the way for the first deportation flights aimed at deterring the Channel crossings. The Prime Minister said criminal gangs were exploiting the vulnerable and packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies. Speaking during a flight to Poland, he said the tragedy underscores why you need a deterrent. This is what tragically happens when they push people out to sea and thats why, for matters of compassion more than anything else, we must actually break this business model and end this unfairness of people coming to our country illegally, he said. On Monday, Home Office figures showed that the number of migrants arriving by small boats across the Channel had increased by 24 per cent to 6,265 in the first four months of this year, compared with 5,049 last year. Andrew Harding, a BBC reporter, witnessed the migrants charging from sand dunes to reach the boat, with several of the men brandishing long sticks and throwing flares or firecrackers. Two women and a child who could not keep up were stopped by police. He said: Once the migrants had boarded the inflatable boat theyd been dragging across the sand, the police made no further attempt to stop them. The Maritime prefecture said the victims had been crushed under the weight of migrants desperate to board the dinghy. The seven-year-old girls father saw her die, according to charity workers who found him on the beach at Wimereux. He was in tears. We know him well because we often see him here, an aid worker told La Voix du Nord, a local newspaper. These are people who have tried to cross several times. Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, said the 112 people who were crammed on board was unprecedented. The numbers being carried on dinghies have doubled in the past two years to average between 50 and 60. This has never been seen before, said Mr Billant. A few hundred metres from the coast, the engine stopped and several people fell into the water. A patrol boat sent to rescue the migrants had found several people unconscious, he added. The remaining 58 people on the boat continued their journey, and Mr Billant said: They managed to restart the engine and decided to continue their sea route towards Great Britain under the surveillance of course of the French navy. Under the French interpretation of maritime law, the French navy will not intervene to stop or turn back migrants at sea unless they request assistance because of the risk to life. Although the weather was calm on Tuesday morning, conditions remained difficult, with an air temperature of zero degrees Celsius early on Tuesday morning and a water temperature of no more than 10C. People believed to be migrants are brought in to the Port of Dover on Tuesday - Toby Melville/Reuters Several dozen boats carrying migrants are reported to have left beaches around Calais at 3am as people smugglers exploited the favourable weather conditions and relatively calm sea. During the night, French police officers had intercepted two boats, two fuel cans, two engines and life jackets before they could be used to put migrants to sea. James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said: These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives. This Government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people smuggling gangs so they no longer put lives at risk. Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: This is another devastating human tragedy that could and should have been avoided and for it to happen just hours after the Governments Rwanda Bill became law makes it all the more tragic. The only sustainable way to reduce dangerous journeys across the worlds busiest shipping lane is for the Government to reduce the need for desperate people to take desperate actions. Instead of hostile, headline-grabbing legislation, we need to see safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including more options for family reunion, refugee visas, and cooperation with our European neighbours. We dont need costly and unworkable laws we need a fair and humane process that upholds the right to asylum, ensuring refugees are treated with dignity and respect. Emergency services gather at Wimereux The incident comes six weeks after a seven-year-old girl drowned in the Aa canal at Watten, which flows into the North Sea, while in a small boat with 15 other migrants. At the end of February, a 22-year-old Turkish man died when he fell from his boat off the coast of Calais. An Eritrean was indicted and detained on Saturday in connection with the case. On the night of Jan 13, five migrants, including a 14-year-old Syrian teenager, died at Wimereux as they tried to reach a boat already at sea in 9C water. An emergency helicopter takes off after the recovery of the bodies of five people who died trying to cross the Channel. Photograph: Bernard Barron/AFP/Getty Images Five people including a child have died in an attempt to cross the Channel near the town of Wimereux, south of Calais, French authorities have said. The prefects office in Pas-de-Calais said that at about 5am on Tuesday, a small boat carrying more than 110 people had departed near the Plage des Allemands at Wimereux. After at first hitting a sandbank, the boat had continued to sea, the prefects office said. A provisional assessment reported five deaths, of three men, a woman and a child, reportedly aged four, and one person slightly injured. The Calais prefect had travelled to the scene. The public prosecutor at Boulogne-sur-Mer has opened an inquiry to shed light on the circumstances of this dramatic event. The incident comes hours after Rishi Sunaks government passed legislation to allow it to deport asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on small boats to Rwanda. Sunak said the tragic reports of deaths in the Channel showed why the Rwanda plan was needed. Its just a reminder of why my plan is so important because theres a certain element of compassion about everything that were doing, he told reporters. We want to prevent people making these very dangerous crossings. If you look at whats happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people. They are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies, youve seen an enormous increase in the numbers over the past few years. This is what tragically happens when they push people out to sea and thats why for matter of compassion more than anything else. We must actually break this business model. The UK home secretary, James Cleverly, said on X: These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives. This government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people-smuggling gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk. More than 6,000 people have already made the journey so far this year a rise of about a quarter on the same period last year. Matthew Rycroft, the most senior civil servant in the Home Office, who has overseen the Rwanda scheme for two years, previously told MPs he did not have evidence to show it would have a deterrent effect that would make it value for money. The deal will cost 1.8m for each of the first 300 deportees, the National Audit Office has confirmed. The Channel between France and Britain is one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. People smugglers typically overload rickety dinghies, often leaving them barely afloat as they try to reach British shores. The French association Osmose 62, which helps asylum seekers and refugees in northern France, was in Wimereux. Dany Patoux, a volunteer, told France 3 regional television that he had been present when some of the people who had been on the failed crossing made it back to shore. He said he had seen the father of the child who died. We knew the little girl well. We have photos with her, where she has a big smile in the hope of a better life. But now its all ruined. Her father fell into our arms just now. He is in tears, he is in a terrible state. He saw his daughter die before his eyes. The Refugee Council in the UK described the deaths as devastating and all the more tragic coming just hours after the Rwanda bill was passed. Enver Solomon, the councils chief executive, said: It is shocking to learn of the terrible loss of yet more lives in the Channel this morning. Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of those affected. This is another devastating human tragedy that could and should have been avoided, and for it to happen just hours after the governments Rwanda bill became law makes it all the more tragic. The only sustainable way to reduce dangerous journeys is for the government to reduce the need for desperate people to take desperate actions. Instead of hostile, headline-grabbing legislation, we need to see safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including more options for family reunion, refugee visas, and cooperation with our European neighbours. Mathilde Panot's party has been repeatedly accused by opponents of failing to clearly condemn the Oct 7 attack - Francois Greuez/SIPA/Shutterstock The leader of far-Left MPs in the French parliament has been summoned by police for questioning over suspected justification of terrorism in comments about the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. Mathilde Panot heads the lower house of parliament faction of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, which has been repeatedly accused by opponents of failing to clearly condemn the attack. The LFI, now Frances strongest political force on the Left, has in turn condemned what it sees as an erosion of free speech and accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Ms Panot said it was the first time in the history of modern France that a head of a parliamentary faction was summoned on such serious grounds. Palestinians take control of an Israeli tank after crossing the border fence with Israel from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct 7 2023 - UPI/Alamy I am warning about this serious exploitation of justice aimed at suppressing political expression, she said on Tuesday. On Oct 7, the LFI group in parliament described the Hamas attack as an armed offensive by Palestinian forces that occurred in a context of intensification of the Israeli occupation policy in the Palestinian territories. The LFIs firebrand figurehead and former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, called the summons an unprecedented event in the history of our democracy and accused the authorities of protecting a genocide. Last week two conferences by Mr Melenchon on the situation in the Middle East were cancelled in Lille, first at the university and then in a private room. Hamas fighters and other Palestinian militants poured across the border with Israel on Oct 7 in an unprecedented attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. About 250 people were abducted to Gaza of whom 129 remain in captivity. Israel has said 34 of them are dead. The French navy allowed the migrant boat to continue to the UK - Steve Finn France has come under fire for allowing a migrant boat on which five people were crushed to death to continue its journey across the Channel to Britain. French police permitted the flimsy dinghy, crammed with an unprecedented 112 migrants, to leave the Plage des Allemands beach at Wimereux, near Boulogne, at 6am on Tuesday. The scene was witnessed by a BBC reporter. A seven-year-old girl, a woman and three men died in a crush on the heavily laden boat after panic broke out when the engine cut out several hundred yards from the shore, police said. Forty-eight of the migrants were taken to the shore by France, but 58 remained on board after refusing to leave the boat and were allowed to continue their journey to Britain, escorted by a French navy ship. The French approach led to a backlash on Tuesday. Tim Loughton, a former minister and a member of the home affairs committee, said: This is incredibly irresponsible behaviour by the French authorities on so many levels after another avoidable tragedy. He said France should not have allowed such an overloaded dinghy to leave the beach and should have impounded it and brought all the migrants ashore when they discovered the tragedy at sea. Why was the whole boat and passengers not impounded as a potential crime scene with dead bodies on board? he asked. Migrants are brought into Dover by an RNLI lifeboat on Tuesday - Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images Europe Natalie Elphicke, the MP for Dover, said she was deeply saddened by the loss but that there needed to be a new comprehensive UK-French agreement across the Channel to intercept boats and take them back to the French coast. It is irresponsible to allow people to set off in these dangerous, unsafe boats, she added. The deaths came hours after Parliament finally passed Rishi Sunaks Safety of Rwanda Bill into law, paving the way for the first deportation flights aimed at deterring the Channel crossings. On Monday, Home Office figures showed that the number of migrants arriving by small boats across the Channel had increased by 24 per cent to 6,265 in the first four months of this year, compared with 5,049 last year. Mr Sunak said that criminal gangs were exploiting the vulnerable and packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies. Border Force officials said that French police were seizing more boats before they reached the sea, which meant smugglers were cramming more migrants on boats. During Monday night, French police officers had intercepted two boats, two fuel cans, two engines and life jackets before they could be used to put migrants to sea. The number of migrants on small boats have doubled in the past two years to an average of between 50 and 60 with a few carrying as many as 80. Migrants boats filmed leaving the French coast near Dunkirk - BBC Andrew Harding, the BBC reporter who witnessed the dinghy leaving, said: Once the migrants had boarded the inflatable boat theyd been dragging across the sand, the police made no further attempt to stop them. The French authorities interpretation of maritime law means that they will not stop or turn back the migrants at sea unless the asylum seekers request assistance because of the risk to life if they try to intervene. Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, said the 58 migrants had remained on the boat after refusing to be rescued. They managed to restart the engine and decided to continue their sea route towards Great Britain under the surveillance of the French Navy, he said. Italian women demonstrate against the parliamentary amendment passed on Tuesday - YARA NARDI/REUTERS Italy has passed a law that will allow anti-abortion activists into clinics to appeal to pregnant women, in a win for its pro-life prime minister. The Senate, where the hard-Right government has a majority, voted 95-68, giving final approval to legislation allowing anti-abortion groups access to women considering ending their pregnancies. The law, already passed by the lower Chamber of Deputies, allows regions to permit groups with a qualified experience supporting motherhood to have access to public support centres where women who are considering abortions go to receive counselling. For the Left-wing opposition, the law chips away at abortion rights that opponents had warned would follow Giorgia Melonis 2022 election. Giorgia Meloni has insisted she will not roll back the 1978 law - IPA/SPLASHNEWS.COM The overwhelmingly Catholic country legalised abortion 46 years ago. Cecilia DElia, a Democratic Party senator, said at a protest this week against the legislation: The government should realise that they keep saying they absolutely do not want to boycott or touch Law 194 but the truth is that the right-wing opposes womens reproductive autonomy, fears womens choices regarding motherhood, sexuality, and abortion. Under the 1978 law, Italy allows abortion on request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy or later if a womans health or life is in danger. It provides for publicly funded counselling centres to advise pregnant women of their rights and services offered if they want to terminate the pregnancies. Left-wing opposition fears the move will chip away at Italian women's abortion rights - CECILIA FABIANO/LAPRESSE/SHUTTERSTOCK Easy access to abortion is not always guaranteed. The law allows health care personnel to register as conscientious objectors and refuse to perform abortions and many have meaning women sometimes have to travel long distances to have the procedure. Ms Meloni, who campaigned on a slogan of God, fatherland and family, has insisted she will not roll back the 1978 law and merely wants to implement it fully but she has also prioritised encouraging women to have babies to reverse Italys demographic crisis. Italys birth rate, already one of the lowest in the world, has been falling steadily for about 15 years and reached a record low last year with 379,000 babies born. Ms Melonis conservative forces, backed strongly by the Vatican, have mounted a campaign to encourage at least 500,000 births annually by 2033, a rate that demographers say is necessary to prevent the economy from collapsing under the weight of Italys ageing population. Meloni's party is backed by the Vatican over its attempts to boost the population - ANDREW MEDICHINI/AP Ms Meloni has called the Left-wing opposition to the proposed amendment fake news, recalling that Law 194 provides for measures to prevent abortions, which would include counselling pregnant women about alternatives. The amendment specifically allows anti-abortion groups, or groups supporting motherhood, to be among the volunteer groups that can work in the counselling centres. I think we have to guarantee a free choice, Ms Meloni said recently. And to guarantee a free choice you have to have all information and opportunities available. And thats what the Law 194 provides. The new tensions over abortion in Italy come against the backdrop of developments elsewhere in Europe going somewhat in the opposite direction. France marked International Womens Day by inscribing the guaranteed right to abortion into its constitution. Last year, overwhelmingly Catholic Malta voted to ease the strictest abortion laws in the EU. Polish lawmakers moved forward with proposals to lift a near-total ban on abortion enacted by the countrys previous Right-wing government. The poll showed that just 20 per cent of the public believe the pledge to stop the boats has gone well - Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images Most Tory voters say Rishi Sunaks efforts to stop the boats have been too slow, a poll has revealed. Overall, 66 per cent of UK adults believe the Prime Ministers attempts to halt the influx of Channel migrants has not been speedy enough, a Savanta survey for the Telegraph found. Among Conservatives, the figure was 75 per cent compared with 65 per cent among Labour voters. Mr Sunak made five pledges last January, one of which was to stop the boats. In the early hours of Tuesday, Parliament finally passed his flagship Rwanda Bill after months of wrangling a development the Government says will deter people from crossing the Channel. It came as five people, including a seven-year-old girl, died while trying to cross the Channel in a small boat. The poll, carried out from Friday to Sunday, found that just 20 per cent of the public believe the pledge to stop the boats has gone well, compared to 70 per cent who believe it has gone badly. People also believe Mr Sunak has done worse on this pledge than any of the other four, including reducing NHS waiting lists (22 per cent) and cutting the national debt (30 per cent). Labour had a popularity rating of 43 per cent compared to 27 per cent for the Tories a rise of two points since last week. The Prime Minister also suffered a large fall in his personal popularity. His net favourability fell by seven points to -24, while Sir Keir Starmers rating was -1, down three points. James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, was on -12, Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary on -14, Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, on -17,and the whole Government on -30. While 30 per cent thought Mr Sunak was the best candidate to hold the post of prime minister, 41 per cent opted for Sir Keir. Forty-one per cent of UK adults said Lord Cameron appeared more prime ministerial than Mr Sunak, while 24 per cent said the PM appeared more statesmanlike than the Foreign Secretary. Chris Hopkins, the political research director at Savanta, said: Rishi Sunak needs the passing of the Rwanda scheme to be a game-changer for his premiership. His personal and party ratings continue to flatline, and trust in his ability to deliver in stopping the boats is incredibly low, in particular among Conservative voters. This increasingly feels like one last throw of the dice for the Prime Minister. Our research shows that he needs to get a move on. While our findings were taken shortly before the Rwanda Bill passed through Parliament, what really comes through is a sense of impatience from voters. Sunak and this Conservative Government have a credibility and deliver gap with voters, which they will desperately hope is addressed by the first flights to Rwanda taking off. It might already be too late for an increasingly cynical electorate. More than half 56 per cent of voters said they were unsure whether flights to Rwanda would ever take off, with just 27 per cent certain they will. Using the RAF to charter flights to Rwanda had the approval of 32 per cent of those surveyed with 37 per cent opposing the move. However, 52 per cent of 2019 Conservative voters supported the RAFs involvement, with only 23 per cent opposing it. The figures are essentially the opposite for 2019 Labour voters, of whom 52 per cent opposed the idea and 21 per cent supported it. The poll of 2,332 UK adults showed the public split on Israels decision to retaliate against Iran, with a third apiece saying Israel was right and wrong. They are also fairly divided on whether the UK was right to intervene and shoot down Iranian drones fired at Israel, with 41 per cent saying Britain was right to intervene, and 36 per cent saying it was the wrong decision. The NT government has signed a deal to buy fracked gas from the Beetaloo basin with US company Tamboran Resources. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian The Northern Territory government has signed a major deal to buy fracked gas from the Beetaloo basin south of Katherine a year after it gave the green light for production in the region. The chief minister, Eva Lawler, said the government was backing the growth of the territorys onshore gas industry and had signed a nine-year gas sales agreement with the US company Tamboran Resources. Climate and First Nations groups have criticised the deal, with the Environment Centre of the Northern Territory (ECNT) describing it as disgraceful and risky. The agreement is for the purchase of 40 terajoules of gas per day from 2026 from Tamborans proposed Shenandoah South pilot project, with an option to extend for a further six years out to 2042. The deal was announced close to a year after the NT government said production could commence in the Beetaloo basin, despite science and energy agencies warning there can be no more exploitation of new oil, gas and coalfields if the world is to limit global heating to 1.5C. The gas arrangements, between the territory government and Tamboran Resources, will provide competitively priced gas for the territorys electricity generation, Lawler said. Once Tamboran secures access to the necessary pipelines and receives all required permits and approvals, supply to the territory government becomes unconditional. This historic deal ensures that territory residents, businesses and industry will share in the benefits of our growing on-shore gas industry by delivering cleaner and more affordable natural gas for power generation. Tamboran Resources is yet to reach a final investment decision for its project. In its ASX announcement, the company said it was aiming to reach a final investment decision mid this year, with first production planned for 2026. The daily volume under the [gas sales agreement] represents approximately two-thirds of the Northern Territorys current gas requirements, the company said. The deal has been struck despite widespread opposition to fracking in the NT. Related: Emissions of Beetaloo Basin gas projects significantly underestimated by government, analysis finds Guardian Australia revealed last year that the government knew it could not meet the key climate recommendation from a territory-wide inquiry into fracking, and that it abandoned a proposal for a net zero policy for new gas projects after the industry objected. The ECNT executive director, Kirsty Howey, said the government had made its announcement before Tamboran had received necessary environmental approvals for production to commence, which she said raised questions about the independence and integrity of that assessment process. This is a disgraceful and risky deal that amounts to the NT government propping up the business case for a carbon bomb that will set the Northern Territory on a path towards climate collapse, she said. The government should be investing in renewables and storage to shore up our energy security, rather than shackling our economy to a new, utterly unreliable gas source that should have been jettisoned years ago. Samuel Sandy, the chair of Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation, said: We dont want that fracking on our country. Traditional owners are fed up with the big lies told about the job and economic benefits of gas, he said. Yotam Ottolenghi is eager for his flavours to be tasted beyond London and without having to cook things from scratch every time - ANDREW CROWLEY Ottolenghi is launching a range at Waitrose as the chef behind the renowned culinary brand plans to bring his middle-class status-symbol recipes to the masses. It is the first time the company, which boasts seven delis and restaurants in London and global cookbook sales in excess of 11 million, will feature on supermarket shelves. Drawing on Ottolenghis classic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours, the range includes miso pesto, kalamata olive and harissa sauce, and shawarma marinade, as well as several aromatic spice mixes. The companys founder, Israeli-born chef Yotam Ottolenghi, who started the business as a deli-cum-bakery in Notting Hill in 2002, said his desire to bring his food to the whole of Britain and not just London was behind the expansion to supermarkets. Ottolenghi to the masses ... Well, not quite, but I have always been super eager to get our flavours onto peoples dinner plates nationwide, not just in London, without having to cook it from scratch every single time, he said. I am so happy with our new range of sauces, marinades and spices, which does exactly that: Ottolenghi flavours, cooked at home, with no effort at all. I hate to admit it but the pasta sauce already features heavily in my home kitchen, when no one is looking. Ottolenghi is producing a range of sauces, spices and marinades to be sold by Waitrose The range will go on sale at Waitrose stores on April 29, with prices ranging from 3.95 for spice blends to 5 for harissa sauces. Charlotte Di Cello, Waitroses commercial director, said: We know how much our customers love the food and flavours of Ottolenghi. With extraordinary quality and taste being central to both our brands, we are excited to be able to bring Ottolenghi to homes nationwide with this exclusive range. While our customers dont always have the time to create a meal from scratch, these products are designed to enable anyone to bring all that deliciousness to their meals with the simple addition of a sauce, marinade or spice mix. It was reported last year that Ottolenghi had been forced to cut opening hours at some of its restaurants amid a shortage of chefs. Emilio Foa, the chief executive of Ottolenghis restaurant company, which includes Nopi and Rovi in Londons West End, said its sites had struggled to hire talented chefs in the wake of Brexit and the Covid pandemic. Recruitment continues to prove challenging Recruitment of talented chefs in the wake of the UKs cessation of membership of the European Union and Covid-19 continues to prove challenging and has forced us to change operating hours in some circumstances. It was decided to change opening hours for a small number of our restaurants post-Covid, and we have found these new trading hours to be successful, she said. The changes saw Nopi and Rovi no longer opening for breakfast service, while the Ottolenghi Spitalfields deli began ending its lunch service 15 minutes early. Four dead, 10 missing after heavy rainfall in Guangdong China Daily) 10:34, April 23, 2024 Firefighters work at Jiangwan town of Shaoguan city, South China's Guangdong province, April 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Heavy rainfall that pounded South China's Guangdong province for days has killed four people and displaced more than 53,000, authorities said on Monday. Three deaths were reported in the city of Zhaoqing, while the fourth person to die was a rescuer in Shaoguan, where floodwaters trapped residents. Search and rescue operations are continuing for 10 others missing in Shaoguan and Qingyuan. The downpours, which began on April 16, caused widespread damage. Houses collapsed, roads were blocked, and landslides occurred in the cities of Shaoguan, Guangzhou, Heyuan, Zhaoqing, Qingyuan, Meizhou and Huizhou. Authorities relocated over 110,000 people, with 25,800 urgently resettled. The flooding also caused economic losses exceeding 140 million yuan ($19.8 million). Rescuers are on their way to deliver food to people affected by the heavy rainfall in Lianjiangkou town, Yingde city of South China's Guangdong province, April 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Beijiang River, a major waterway in the province, reached flood stage Monday morning. Water levels at multiple stations surpassed alert levels. While the national observatory predicts rain will ease in Guangdong, storms are expected to continue in southern regions, including parts of Fujian province. The persistent rain has caused record-high precipitation in some areas. Forecasters predict a 50 to 80 percent increase in rainfall across South and Southwest China compared to the same period last year. Firefighters work at Jiangwan town of Shaoguan city, South China's Guangdong province, April 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] As of Sunday, water levels in 44 rivers in the Pearl River basin exceeded warning levels. The Pearl River is China's third-longest river and second-largest in terms of annual flow. Authorities issued a yellow alert for rainstorms on Monday, the third-highest level in China's weather warning system. Rescue workers are racing against time to locate the missing and clear debris. Telecommunication services were restored on Monday morning, and emergency repair vehicles reached affected areas. Firefighters work at Jiangwan town of Shaoguan city, South China's Guangdong province, April 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Heavy equipment began clearing debris on Sunday after landslides buried houses and blocked highways. Rescuers, including armed police and firefighters, reached affected areas on foot by midday Sunday. Residents in low-lying areas were evacuated to safe shelters, and authorities distributed essential supplies by helicopter. Local governments have ordered measures to prevent further flooding, landslides and other geological hazards in the coming days. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) More options for billing and for customers to manage their accounts are among features CPS Energy is touting under a $70 million software upgrade approved unanimously by its board Monday. CPS Energy CPS Energy on Monday approved a $70 million, 10-year contract with Austin-based Oracle Corp. to help the city-owned utility overhaul its antiquated computing systems. Oracle, which has 3,200 utility clients around the globe, will provide software to give CPS the ability to offer its customers more billing options, including how its rates are structured, executives said. City leaders have long clamored for a tiered rate structure but CPS has said its systems are too outdated to provide that or other functions basic to a modern utility. Our current technology has been around for 23 years, Chief Information Office Evan OMahoney told trustees during their monthly meeting. This new platform will allow us to deploy updates on a quarterly basis to ensure that we are never letting technology get ahead of us. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The board unanimously approved the Oracle contract. The multi-million-dollar overhaul is funded by a 4.25% rate increase that went into effect Feb. 1. CPS President and CEO Rudy Garza has compared the city-owned utilitys current computing system, which handles everything from payroll to billing, as the equivalent of a computer still running Microsoft Windows 95. CPS has budgeted $304 million to overhaul its systems. This pivotal step begins the process to revolutionize our internal operations and most importantly, continues our path to provide our customers with more options for how they use our services and do business with us, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad OMahoney said the utilitys aging software, which its current vendor will stop supporting by the end of 2027, has created a fractured system that often requires manual workarounds so employees can manage daily tasks. Beyond tiered billing, he said the new system will make it easier for crews to work through outages because of tools that auto-schedule and dispatch workers during power disruptions. It also also will make it easier for customers to pay their bills and manage their accounts online. On a higher level, Oracles software has tools to better track, visualize and analyze a utilitys performance and return on investment on capital projects and assets that already total $13 billion at CPS. This entire technology stack is being delivered on a robust scalable solution that well be able to grow with our organization over time, OMahoney said. Oracle CEO Safra Catz said in a statement that CPS has selected a company with a proven track record to modernize its business and deliver the best possible outcomes for its customers, employees, and communities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CPS says the new tech will streamline its operations from supply chains management to administrative tasks in human resources all in one program suite. It will create more visibility, better analytics and be more resilient and reliable than the current systems, according to CPS. Ten vendors responded to a CPS request for proposals to become its new tech provider. The company narrowed it down to three and then asked each vendor to provide week-long demos before selecting Oracle. Other Texas utilities using Oracles cloud services include Austin Energy, Oncor and El Paso Electric. According to the IWF, criminals are advising each other on how to use artificial intelligence to create images that can be used to extort pictures from children. Photograph: Elise Amendola/AP Paedophiles are being urged to use artificial intelligence to create nude images of children to extort more extreme material from them, according to a child abuse charity. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said a manual found on the dark web contained a section encouraging criminals to use nudifying tools to remove clothing from underwear shots sent by a child. The manipulated image could then be used against the child to blackmail them into sending more graphic content, the IWF said. This is the first evidence we have seen that perpetrators are advising and encouraging each other to use AI technology for these ends, said the IWF. Related: Can AI image generators be policed to prevent explicit deepfakes of children? The charity, which finds and removes child sexual abuse material online, warned last year of a rise in extortion cases where victims are manipulated into sending graphic images of themselves and are then threatened with the release of those images unless they hand over money. It also flagged the first examples of AI being used to create astoundingly realistic abuse content. The anonymous author of the online manual, which runs to nearly 200 pages, boasts about having successfully blackmailed 13-year-old girls into sending nude imagery online. The IWF said the document had been passed to the UKs National Crime Agency. Last month the Guardian revealed that the Labour party was considering a ban on nudification tools that allow users to create images of people without their clothes on. The IWF has also said 2023 was the most extreme year on record. Its annual report said the organisation found more than 275,000 webpages containing child sexual abuse last year, the highest number recorded by the IWF, with a record amount of category A material, which can include the most severe imagery including rape, sadism and bestiality. The IWF said more than 62,000 pages contained category A content, compared with 51,000 in the prior year. The IWF found 2,401 images of self-generated child sexual abuse material where victims are manipulated or threatened into recording abuse of themselves taken by children aged between three and six years old. Analysts said they had seen abuse taking place in domestic settings including bedrooms and kitchens. Susie Hargreaves, the chief executive of the IWF, said opportunistic criminals trying to manipulate children were not a distant threat. She said: If children under six are being targeted like this, we need to be having age-appropriate conversations now to make sure they know how to spot the dangers. Hargreaves added that the Online Safety Act, which became law last year and imposes a duty of care on social media companies to protect children, needs to work. Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, said parents should talk to their children about using social media. The platforms you presume safe may pose a risk, he said, adding that tech companies should introduce stronger safeguards to prevent abuse. According to research published last week by the communications regulator, Ofcom, a quarter of three- to four-year-olds own a mobile phone and half of under-13s are on social media. The government is preparing to launch a consultation in the coming weeks that will include proposals to ban the sale of smartphones to under-16s and raise the minimum age for social media sites from 13 to as high as 16. Georgia Powell, four, was struck down with severe sickness and diarrhoea after going in the pens - Irwin Mitchell/SWNS Parents are considering legal action after 20 people including a one-year-old child fell ill at a petting farm. People were hospitalised with sickness and diarrhoea symptoms after visiting Gannow Farm in Redditch, Worcestershire, over Easter 2024. They were believed to have contracted an animal parasite called cryptosporidium after parents reported there was faeces everywhere at the farm. The farm has since closed for the rest of 2024s visiting season and is being investigated by the UK Health Security Agency. Georgia Powell, four, has been unable to return to nursery after being struck down with severe sickness and diarrhoea. She visited the petting farm, which offers cuddles with lambs and calves, with her mother Michelle on April 1 2024. There were too many people Mrs Powell, 41, said: Easter Monday was meant to be a fun day out for Georgia to see the farm animals. I never dreamt it could turn into such a nightmare. To see your four-year-old so sick was devastating. Mrs Powell said she noticed issues with the farm on arrival. She said: It was obviously busy that day and I thought at the time there were too many people for each slot with the animals and not a lot of supervision. The lambs looked lethargic and unwell compared to previous visits and their faeces were everywhere, including the bails of hay set out for sitting on. There were so many in those pens that day that Im not surprised to hear were not alone in having fallen sick. Darcie, three, with Sienna-Mai Southern, nine, who was admitted to Birmingham Children's hospital - Irwin Mitchell/SWNS Mrs Powell is one of several affected people who are being supported by Irwin Mitchell law firm. Another is Danielle Southern whose daughters Sienna-Mai, nine, and Darcie, three, both fell ill after visiting on April 2. Sienna-Mai was admitted to Birmingham Childrens hospital to be treated with anti-sickness and rehydration medication. Ms Southern said: This was one family day out well always remember for all the wrong reasons. When the girls fell ill it was a huge concern and were all continuing to live with the effects weeks later. Infection can prove fatal Jatinder Paul, specialist public health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is supporting the families, urged anyone else affected to contact her. She said: Parasitic infections like cryptosporidium can be very serious, particularly for the most vulnerable such as older adults or young children and in some cases can prove fatal. In a Facebook post, the farm said: We at Gannow Farm take the welfare of our visitors very seriously and for that reason we have decided to close for the remainder of the 2024 Farm Experience. This is a decision taken by the team and not by governing bodies, however we are working closely with them as always. All bookings for April 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st will be fully refunded, please bear with us while we work through this difficult time. We would like to wish anyone that is poorly a speedy recovery. Researchers asked 10 ChatGPT image algorithms to come up with pictures representing various professions ChatGPT always represents chief executives as men in images, research has shown, as London School of Economics (LSE) experts warned artificial intelligence is fuelling patriarchal norms. A study carried out by the personal finance comparison company Finder found that when ChatGPT was asked to create images of people in high-powered roles, 99 per cent were white men. Yet when asked to create examples of secretaries, the vast majority were women. Data from the World Economic Forum shows that one in three businesses globally are now owned by women, suggesting that the AI algorithm is way out of date. In Britain last year, 42 per cent of FTSE 100 board members were women. Researchers asked for images of roles including a chief executive, a managing director and a founder of a company Ruhi Khan, an environmental corporate social responsibility researcher at the LSE, said: ChatGPT emerged in a patriarchal society, was conceptualised, and developed by mostly men with their own set of biases and ideologies, and fed with the training data that is also flawed by its very historical nature. AI models like ChatGPT perpetuate these patriarchal norms by simply replicating them. Researchers asked 10 ChatGPT image algorithms to come up with pictures representing a person who works in finance and banking as well as a loan provider, a financial advisor and analyst, a successful investor, a successful entrepreneur. They also asked for a chief executive, a managing director and a founder of a company. All of the positions came back as a white men, except for one woman who appeared under someone who works in finance. When asked to represent a secretary, nine out of 10 images were white females. A successful investor, a financial advisor and analyst, and a successful entrepreneur were among other roles in the research Experts warned that using large language models such as ChatGPT in the workplace could be harmful to womens employment rights. It is now estimated that one in seven companies is using automated applicant tracking systems in hiring and firing decisions. But if algorithms believe that men are more suited to high-profile roles, it could push back the progress that feminism has made and damage womens changes in the job market, experts said. Previous research by Ms Khan found that ChatGPT is also extremely generous in praise of mens workplace performance, recommending them for career progression, whereas it regularly recommends training for women. While it finds a mans communication skills concise and precise, it always suggests a woman needs training to develop her communication skills to avoid misunderstanding. When ChatGPT was asked to create examples of secretaries, the vast majority were women Omar Karim, an AI pioneer who worked at Meta until 2022 before setting up his own business, said: If you imagine that most of the data came from the internet, its clear that the biases of the internet have seeped into AI tools. As with any form of bias, it impacts the underrepresented. However, in traditional media, the speed of production means that things can be amended relatively quickly. Whereas, the speed and scale of biases in AI leave us open to an impossible system of biases with little room to retrain the very data the AIs are trained on. A recent analysis by the bank Morgan Stanley suggested that chatbots sometimes make up facts and generate answers that, although sound convincing, are wrong. Commenting on the findings, Liz Edwards, a consumer expert at Finder, said: The findings of this study highlight that companies need to be cautious when adding AI functionality to processes at work. If these biases dont change, we risk taking a huge leap backwards when it comes to equality. The picture was released with the message 'Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! ' - Catherine, Princess of Wales A new photograph of Prince Louis taken by the Princess of Wales has been released to celebrate his sixth birthday, showing him smiling from a picnic blanket. Prince Louis, wearing a checked shirt and blue shorts, beams in a close-up image taken on the lawn, with his tongue slightly poking through a new gap in his bottom teeth. The photograph was taken by the Princess of Wales in Windsor, where the family live at Adelaide Cottage, in the last few days. It was published on social media by Kensington Palace on the Princes birthday. An accompanying message reads: Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today. The new picture was taken on the lawn at Adelaide Cottage, the Waleses' home in Windsor - Catherine, Princess of Wales The photograph, which palace sources said had not been edited, was released as part of a now ten-year-old tradition set by the Wales family, in which they share an image of their children on their birthdays. It is the fifth year Louis has been photographed by his mother, with just one professional photoshoot to date. The photo released to mark Prince Louis's fifth birthday last year. Birthday photos have become a tradition for the Wales family - Millie Pilkington Prince Louis's fourth birthday photo - PA The family was criticised earlier this year for a Mothers Day photograph, taken by the Prince and edited at home by the Princess. She later apologised for confusion caused by the amateur edits. It then emerged that she had been dealing with a cancer diagnosis, and was undergoing preventative chemotherapy. In a video released before the Easter holidays, she told the world how she has guided her children through the process of understanding the treatment, and asked again for privacy. It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK, she said in the video. As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits. The picture for the Prince's first birthday - PA The family spent the Easter holidays in Norfolk, and the children are now back at school in Windsor. The Prince of Wales is expected to continue with a programme of public engagements, balancing them with caring for his family. Prince Louis was last seen in public on Christmas Day when the Royal family made their traditional festive appearance on the Kings Sandringham Estate to walk to church. He was pictured holding hands with Zara and Mike Tindalls eldest daughter Mia on one side and grasping his fathers fingers with his other hand. Earlier that month, the young royal joined his older brother Prince George, aged 10, and sister Princess Charlotte, eight, at the annual Westminster Abbey carol concert staged by their mother Kate. The Prince with his family at the carol service at Westminster Abbey last Christmas - Daily Mirror He had also joined his mother and siblings for an engagement at the Baby Bank in Holyport near Maidenhead, where he helped sort through donated goods. It is likely a family birthday celebration, perhaps involving the princes grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton, will be held after the school day is over. The Prince and Princess of Wales youngest child is fourth in line to the throne and was born on St Georges Day, April 23, 2018, at the private Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz. He was christened Louis Arthur Charles at 11 weeks old by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at the Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace in front of friends and family. Old people hugging - Rekindling old friendships as nerve-wracking 'as speaking to strangers' Rekindling old friendships is as nerve-wracking as speaking to strangers, a study has found. Research on seven studies conducted by the University of Sussex found that nine in 10 people have lost touch with an old friend, but most people were hesitant to reconnect. Two scientists, who were old friends who reconnected and now work at the University of Sussex and Simon Fraser University in Canada, analysed the hesitation people feel when it comes to reaching out to an old mate. More than 2,500 people participated in the research which found that most people would welcome a message from a long-lost friend, but people felt nervous to make the first move. People rated talking to an old friend as difficult as talking to strangers, with it being hard to overcome this trepidation. In our studies, it wasnt that people didnt want to connect they just wanted others to initiate contact with them, Dr Gillian Sandstrom, a psychologist and Director of the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness, told The Telegraph. The people who did push past their hesitation and reached out to an old friend reported feeling happier. And past research suggests that old friends appreciate you reaching out, even more than you expect. Wed love it if learning about this research was the little nudge that people needed to reach out to someone theyve lost touch with. Too awkward after all this time The study found that more than a third of people will not send a message to their former friend, even if they wanted to reconnect and had the time and resources. The most common reasons for not doing so were that their old friend might not want to hear from them, that it would be too awkward after all this time, and feeling guilty. Dr Sandstrom said: We asked people how much they worried about various things: Did they worry that their old friend might not be interested in hearing from them? That it would be awkward? That they had nothing important to say? In general, people were moderately worried about all of these things, which is consistent with some mild social anxiety. The study is published in Nature Communications Psychology. Victorian premier Jacinta Allan has announced new funding for drug services after scrapping a proposal to open a second injecting room in Melbournes CBD. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP A proposed safe injecting room in Melbournes CBD has been rejected by the Victorian government, with addiction experts warning the decision will cost lives. The government on Tuesday announced that a trial facility, recommended by a former police commissioner and which would complement the existing service in North Richmond will not proceed, after concluding there was no site that could balance the needs of drug users with the broader community. The Greens described the move as gutless and a spineless captains call, while experts have warned it will put drug users in the CBD at risk, despite a government commitment to fund more support services. John Ryan, who chaired a panel overseeing the North Richmond facility, which first recommended a second injecting room in the CBD in 2020, described the decision as disappointing. The evidence tells us that we can cut the number of overdoses and deaths when people have access to a medically supervised injecting site, said Ryan, now the chief executive at the Penington Institute. Overdose is a leading cause of death in Australia its higher than the road toll but there are ways to prevent overdoses and prevent deaths As a society we cannot keep putting band aids on a gaping wound. Prof Suzanne Nielsen, an opioid expert and deputy director of Monash universitys Addiction Research Centre, said the need for a facility had only become greater since the government committed to a second site four years ago. She said Melbourne had the highest rates of heroin harm in the country and these are centred in the CBD. It is a false dichotomy to say we are choosing between a supervised injecting room and treatment we urgently need more of both, Nielsen said. Not supporting this service and having people injecting drugs unsafely in public places in the CBD, where they could have been supported in a health service, is not a win for traders or the community. Related: Melbourne has had Australias worst heroin addiction for years. Why cant the city kick its habit? The announcement came as the government released a long-awaited report by the former Victorian police commissioner Ken Lay, commissioned in 2020 and received a year ago, into a potential safe injecting room for the city. Lay recommended a trial of a small and discrete service of four to six booths in the CBD, which is significantly smaller than the 20-booth facility at North Richmond, due to the safety and amenity concerns of the local community. But the premier, Jacinta Allan, said the government no longer supported the establishment of a second site in the CBD and ruled out the possibility of a facility in another location. This now puts a line under a second safe injecting room in Victoria, she said. Keep Our City Alive, group of Melbourne residents, business owners and health professionals who lobbied for a CBD injecting room, said it was saddened and disappointed the government had ignored advice for short term political gain. Todays announcement means that lives will continue to be lost unnecessarily to overdose in our city, the group said. Patrick Lawrence, the chief executive of addiction and mental health service First Step, said there was absolutely no question the decision will cost lives. Weve got thousands of injecting rooms in Melbourne. Injecting laneways, injecting streets, and injecting parks. All we are asking for is one with four walls, and a roof, and doctors and nurses, Lawrence said. Allan said the location had been a key sticking point. We have been unable to find a location that strikes the right balance between supporting people who use drugs with the needs of the broader community, she said. Lays report rejected an initial proposal to set up a safe injecting room site at 53 Victoria Street, near Queen Victoria Market, as it was not located in a concentrated drug market. Instead, he identified four areas of injecting drug harms in the CBD with the highest ambulance attendances for heroin overdoses, with the most significant located near the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Flinders Street. From an initial list of 50 sites, he narrowed down a shortlist of the three sites for the government: 104 ABeckett Street, 340 Flinders Street and 244 Flinders Street. He did not nominate a preferred site but said 244 Flinders Street the former Yooralla building ranked highest by experts. It was bought by the government. In 2022, Lay found drug-related harms had returned to pre-Covid levels and in some cases are now even higher, with the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets accounting for 20% of heroin-related ambulance attendances. Related: Experts warn of influx of synthetic opioids amid calls for second Melbourne injecting room According to coroners court data, 549 Victorians died from drug overdoses in 2022, with 230 involving heroin. The City of Melbourne was the local government area with the most fatal heroin overdoses, with 24 recorded in 2022. Instead of opening a new facility, Allan and the mental health minister, Ingrid Stitt, announced a new $95.11m plan to tackle drug overdoses. The plan will include $36.4m to establish a CBD hub to open at 244 Flinders Street, which will offer a two-year $7.2m trial of hydromorphone treatment for 60 heroin users. An additional $9.4m will be spent to establish wraparound health and social supports, which will be located at that site as well as the Salvation Armys CBD headquarters. Community health provider, cohealth, will also be given $21.3m for more outreach teams in the CBD. About $8.4m will be spent on pharmacotherapy treatments in up to 30 locations, while a $4.4m trial of 20 Naloxone dispensing machines will be rolled out. Cohealths Paul MacCartney, doctor and addiction medicine specialist, and the commanding officer of the Salvation Army, Maj Brendan Nottle, said they had mixed emotions about the governments plan. Theres evidence that injecting rooms save lives and we will continue to advocate [that they] be part of the suite of treatments available in Victoria, MacCartney said. In Australia, the Opioid Treatment Line is at 1800 642 428 or call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015. In the UK, Action on Addiction is available on 0300 330 0659. In the US, call or text SAMHSAs National Helpline on 988 Donald Trump leaves court in New York on Tuesday. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/Reuters Donald Trump watched the judge presiding in his New York criminal trial dramatically admonish his lead lawyer and hear the prosecutions first witness confirm that Trump specifically enlisted the help of the National Enquirer tabloid to kill negative stories that could derail his 2016 campaign. Here are the key takeaways from Tuesdays proceedings in People of the State of New York vs Donald J Trump. Related: Who is David Pecker, a key witness in Trumps criminal hush-money trial? Judge skeptical of Trumps lawyer The presiding judge, Juan Merchan, was clearly unimpressed by Trump lawyer Todd Blanches desperate attempts to save Trump from being held in contempt for allegedly violating a gag order prohibiting him from attacking potential trial witnesses and other participants. Mr Blanche, youre losing all credibility, I have to tell you right now, the judge said. Youre losing all credibility with the court. Is there any other argument you want to make? Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorneys office had for asked Trump to be fined the maximum $1,000 for each of 10 posts they contended violated the gag order, because Trump directly and indirectly went after his former lawyer Michael Cohen and the adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The judge has held off on finding Trump in contempt, for now. But he appeared deeply skeptical of arguments made by Blanche, who found himself on the back foot over the course of the contempt hearing, which was held before the trial resumed with testimony from the prosecutions first witness. Blanche tried several explanations for the posts: Trump was responding to political attacks, which are allowed under the gag order, and Trump was reposting links to New York Post stories or quotes from other people such as Fox News host Jesse Watters. Merchan was unimpressed. He questioned why in one post, Trump waited until after a challenge against the gag order had been rejected by a New York appeals court to respond to a jibe from Cohen, instead of replying immediately, to which Blanche had no response. The judge also invited Blanche to present examples of cases where reposts were ruled to be any different from posts authored by a defendant, and to provide the specific political attack against Trump. Give me one. Give me one recent attack he was responding to, Merchan said. The contempt hearing ended particularly poorly for Trump when the judge interrupted Blanche to clarify that it had been wrong to characterize one post as just reposting a Watters quote from television. Trump manipulated the quote by making his own additions, and then put quote marks around it, Merchan said. National Enquirer deal was to help 2016 campaign Manhattan district attorney prosecutors wasted little time in eliciting testimony from David Pecker, the former National Enquirer chief, that Trump had personally enlisted him and the tabloid to help his 2016 campaign, when the trial resumed on Tuesday afternoon. The link is important because the district attorneys case revolves around elevating misdemeanour charges for falsification of business records to felonies, by proving they were in furtherance of a second crime:conspiring to promote an electoral campaign through unlawful means. On the stand, prosecutors got Pecker to confirm that in a meeting with Trump and Cohen, he had been asked how he could help the 2016 campaign. Pecker said he told them he would be the eyes and ears for the campaign and keep them abreast of negative Trump stories. Specifically, Pecker testified he would alert Cohen to negative Trump stories brought forward by women: When someone is running for a public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories. That, of course, was exactly the situation with Trump and Daniels, who had a story about an alleged affair with Trump, which Pecker later identified as potentially damaging to the 2016 campaign with female voters given it arose soon after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape. Prosecutors also had Pecker confirm that Cohen had wanted the arrangement to be kept confidential, with the inference being that it would otherwise undermine the point of having the National Enquirer catch and kill negative stories about Trump before the 2016 election. Trumps criminal hush-money trial: What to know From Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels: The key players Trump managed his own finances Manhattan district attorney prosecutors had Pecker recount in detail how Trump personally reviewed and approved invoices and other financial documents another important detail given that Trumps defense hinges in part on the claim that he delegated everything to people like Cohen. While he was reviewing the accounts payable packages, we were talking at the same time, and I noticed that he reviewed the invoice, looked at the check, and he would sign it, Pecker recalled. The prosecutor Joshua Steinglass then asked Pecker how the documents had been presented to Trump, trying to establish that Trump was meticulous with his finances and that it was not the case that Trump was signing seemingly random checks without knowing what they were for. As I recollect, the entire package was stapled together, Pecker said in response to a question asking if the check had been stapled to the invoice. I thought that his approach to money, he was very cautious and very frugal. Biden v Trump: Whats in store for the US and the world? On Thursday 2 May, 3-4.15pm ET, join Tania Branigan, David Smith, Mehdi Hasan and Tara Setmayer for the inside track on the people, the ideas and the events that might shape the US election campaign. Book tickets here or at theguardian.live The incident, which happened on Nov 7 last year, caused such dismay in the community that it led to a police guard at the memorial around the clock Three teenagers have been given community orders after desecrating a war memorial by daubing it with the words Free Palestine days before Remembrance Sunday. Adeem Ahmed and Amaan Tariq, both 18, and a 17-year-old youth who cannot be named because of his age were given six-month referral orders after admitting criminal damage on the cenotaph in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They had been due to face a trial on the basis that the offence had been racially aggravated, but the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the charge on evidential grounds earlier this month. The incident, which happened on Nov 7 last year, caused such dismay in the community that it led to a police guard at the memorial around the clock. A spokesman for the Royal British Legion said: War memorials and graves honour the memory of the Armed Forces personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice and those who defend the freedom we enjoy. They deserve to be treated with the utmost respect. Not a normal case of criminal damage The three have been sentenced to referral orders and also told to pay 140 in compensation, 85 court costs and a 26 victim surcharge. Tariq and the youth also pleaded guilty to the theft of spray cans and paintbrushes from B&M Bargains in Rochdale. The defendants parents attended the hearing last November, when pleas were entered at Manchester Magistrates Court. When District Judge Joanne Hirst fixed the trial date, she told the teenagers: You have pleaded guilty to a very serious offence. Desecration of a cenotaph is not a normal case of criminal damage. War memorials are generally expected to be treated with respect. You might be interested to know that more than five and a half million Muslims died in the Second World War fighting for freedom. Be under no illusion that the sentence will be serious because of the serious nature of the desecration of cenotaphs. In a separate case in January, two 17-year-old males were sentenced to 10-month referral orders over damage to the memorial wreaths at Rochdale on Nov 6. The pair filmed themselves during the incident and later uploaded the video to social media. They claimed they had become angry after seeing a video online of a man removing Palestinian flags from the cenotaph. Participants hold a 'We are Stonewall' banner during Pride It has not been a good week for Stonewall. First, the charity was blamed in the Commons by MP Dawn Butler for leading her astray about the methodology of the Cass Review. As she apologised for having inadvertently misled the House about the number and quality of studies surveyed in Casss final report, she explained she had been quoting Stonewalls briefing. Meanwhile, web administrators were making changes to the organisations own published response: parts that had originally cast doubt on Casss survey vanished. And just as Butler blamed Stonewall, a briefing of theirs now appeared to blame others, describing early analyses of the Cass Review as having made it unclear how and why research had been graded. Last week, other analyses were being spread by amateur transactivists on X/Twitter. Subsequent investigations by health journalists in the US have traced the source of the misinformation back to two social media accounts, one British and one American. Neither of them has a professional medical background. Still, a much higher standard is expected of an organisation only recently considered to be the leading expert in Britain on transgenderism. Some will find it grotesque that it inherits its position on complex medical research about children from unclear early analyses. But for seasoned observers, this comes as no surprise. For years, Stonewall has placed itself in a bubble, obdurately ignoring concerns and demonising reasonable critics, and so leaving it vulnerable to the credulous acceptance of nonsense emanating from fellow tribe members. The only surprise is that it now looks as if it might finally be held to account. While the organisation has embraced the full gamut of transactivist causes self-ID and puberty blockers included those who challenged it were dismissed by activists as transphobes. Surfing a tide of public goodwill, public money, and strong government connections, those in charge of the organisation apparently saw no need to win the debate, instead opting for the strategy of saying there wasnt one to be had. But it was in 2018 that this strategy really took off. Urged on by Stonewall, the Government launched a public consultation about updating the Gender Recognition Act in favour of self-ID. When grassroots campaigning organisation Transgender Trend published a schools pamphlet prefiguring much of the cautious approach to social and medical transition of children now endorsed by Cass, Stonewall Scotland branded it dangerous. Also in 2018, when BBC Womans Hour attempted to run a series of debates on the tensions between transactivist demands and womens rights, then head of trans inclusion at Stonewall refused to be in the same interview as her proposed sparring partner, journalist Helen Lewis. Later, the next head of trans inclusion, Kirrin Medcalf, was writing to the chambers of lesbian barrister Allison Bailey someone concerned about placing males in womens prisons, and the fate of young lesbians caught up with gender ideology accusing her of actively campaigning for a reduction in trans rights and equality. Appearing at Baileys subsequent employment tribunal, Medcalf requested the soothing presence of his mother and a support dog, and claimed, the term terf could not be a slur because it was used by a powerless minority group, trans people, about those (feminists and lesbians), who they deemed transphobic because they deny trans peoples lived reality. It is astonishing that this stark insight into the cult-like mentality at the heart of Stonewall did not destroy its credibility on the spot. But it seems that the world is finally catching up. Former Stonewall boss Ruth Hunt recently said in an interview that the only regret of her tenure was trusting the experts on child transition. And yet for more than a decade, politicians, media figures, university leaders and healthcare professionals have insisted to the UK public that it is Stonewall who is the real expert in the room. Let us fervently hope they know better now. Kathleen Stock is a contributing writer at UnHerd, and co-director of the Lesbian Project President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference Last summer there were high expectations that Ukraines major counter offensive would succeed in driving Russian forces back, setting the stage for victory. That didnt happen; instead the offensive faltered and gained little ground. This failure can be laid squarely at the feet of Western refusal to supply adequate military aid. The result was a silent backlash in domestic politics both sides of the Atlantic, which undoubtedly contributed to the US presidents failure to get a further aid package through Congress in time, as well as reluctance in European countries to step up their own aid. The combination of huge Ukrainian losses and starvation in munitions allowed Russian forces to return to the offensive and seize the strategic initiative across the war zone. In incremental advances they have made limited but concrete gains at the front, forcing Ukraine to give up ground, as well as causing severe damage to Ukrainian infrastructure through air attacks. Now the US and UK have both announced substantial aid packages including air defence systems, long range strike missiles and ammunition. Provided delivery of these munitions is rapid, they could enable Ukraine to stabilise the front line while protecting infrastructure on the home front. This may prove critical in the face of a major Russian offensive in the summer. While the new aid packages might allow that to be blunted, they will not enable Ukraine to seize the initiative and go back onto the offensive. One reason for this is that Russia has achieved air supremacy in many areas while ground based air defences will remain inadequate. Another is that a war-weary Ukraine simply doesnt have enough troops and after more than two years hard fighting seems reluctant to launch the major mobilisation it needs. The challenges ahead are almost insurmountable. Russia has a rapidly growing wartime economy and has now built up huge force levels that it is willing to sacrifice to achieve Putins goals. If Moscow is able to achieve significant success in the summer, perhaps including taking Kharkiv, Ukraines second city, there will be no appetite for more Western spending come the winter. This bleak outlook will be worsened by the added uncertainty surrounding general elections in both the US and UK. It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through a level of determination so badly lacking among Ukraines allies in the West. A new report by a professor and students at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law outlines so-called junk fees in the rental housing industry. Hearst developers When Rose Rios started looking for a place to rent in San Antonio, she hoped to find a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment for about $1,000 a month. Seeing few options at that price, she increased her budget by $100 and found a complex on the Northeast Side, which she moved into about a year and a half ago. Little did she know then, however, that her expanded housing budget still wouldnt be enough. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It started when she spoke with leasing office staff about parking, as she often struggled to find a spot near her building. Employees said she could reserve a closer spot for $25 per month or continue to take her chances. Then her first bill arrived, with fees she didnt expect. It included a fee for having a washer and dryer in her apartment and another fee for pest control, even though Rios told staff she had her own appliances that she could hook up and that, since her partner worked for a pest control company, they could handle such measures themselves. They told her, she said, that she had no choice as those fees were included in her lease. The unexpected fees, along with water charges and higher rent, brought her monthly payment to about $1,400, leaving her with little money to put in savings. And having paid for application fees and movers, she said, looking for another apartment wasnt a realistic option. Moreover, she did not recall paying such fees when she lived at the same complex a decade ago. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It feels like a trap, Rios said. Many others appear to be caught in similar traps, a new report by a professor and students at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law shows. It details so-called junk fees that have made rental housing more expensive. Mandatory charges for things such as trash pickup, pest control, parking, cable, laundry and internet hookups, access to pools and other facilities, and unspecified administrative tasks are often hidden during the application process and can exceed the actual cost of the services or benefits provided, the authors wrote. That makes it more difficult to compare properties. People often dont learn about those fees until they are signing their lease or worse when they receive their first bill, after theyve spent time and money searching for housing, paying application fees and preparing to move, the authors wrote. And even when such charges are optional, tenants are rarely told how they can opt out. In some cases, landlords have added fees during tenants leases. Some government affordable housing programs do not require mandatory fees to be included in maximum rent calculations, and landlords have tacked on charges as a result, the authors wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They are stuck, in a way, said Heather Way, a professor and the director of the Housing Policy Clinic at UT-Austins School of Law. Its often not until tenants have already (spent) hundreds of dollars that they find out about these fees. Meanwhile, landlords who disclose fees upfront in an effort to be transparent are at a competitive disadvantage when tenants see lower prices at complexes that hide such charges, Way said. Way and her co-authors began researching such charges after hearing from representatives at the Building and Strengthening Tenant Act, an Austin nonprofit project of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, who said people were seeing increases in fees at rental properties. The report includes examples of complexes in the Austin area. Rental fees defray expenses for amenities and services provided to residents, said Chris Newton, executive vice president of the Texas Apartment Association, which represents property owners and other professionals. For this reason, the association has released a model lease that directs rental property owners to highlight additional rental fees that renters may incur on the first page of a lease. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has cited the model lease as a best industry practice, as it enhances transparency of rental fees and ensures that prospective residents can make fully informed decisions before they sign a lease. HUD said it succinctly highlights the total monthly costs and any additional fees to which renters may be subjected. Still, rental fees are multiplying at a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet. More than half of renter households in Texas spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2022, according to a recent report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Rent growth has slowed recently because of an abundance of supply, but prices are much higher compared with pre-pandemic levels. The Biden administration has moved to crack down on fees. Last summer, the White House said listing platforms Zillow, Apartments.com and AffordableHousing.com had agreed to disclose information upfront about the total cost of rentals, including one-time and monthly costs. ALSO READ: San Antonio housing agency offering cash incentive to get landlords to rent to tenants with vouchers State legislators have also taken action. Colorado allows renters to reuse applications for up to 30 days without paying extra fees and capped pet deposits at $300, and Minnesota requires landlords to clearly show total monthly payments and nonoptional fees in advertisements and on the first page of lease agreements. Maine and Montana banned landlords from charging prospective tenants an application fee that exceeds the cost of the screening process. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The UT authors recommend that Texas policymakers implement similar measures, such as requiring landlords to inform applicants of mandatory fees in advertising and application materials, banning certain types of fees or restricting how much landlords can charge forbidding landlords from adding fees during a tenants lease and barring evictions for unpaid fees. Before submitting an application, Way suggests that people ask landlords and property managers about mandatory fees in writing. Rios echoed that recommendation. Hair plays a major role in body confidence, and losing it can be very difficult to deal with. In fact, new research shows that one in 10 men are even worried that hair loss and receding hairlines might result in their partner leaving them. A survey carried out by health and wellness platform Hims found that more than a third (36%) of 1,000 men polled said their hair is the most important part of their look, with 21% admitting they think about how it looks all the time. But, male pattern baldness is very common among British men, affecting around 6.5 million men. The condition usually starts with thinning of the hair which later leads to wider hair loss. This means that going bald is a serious worry for men. Nearly 40% of those surveyed said they would feel far less confident if they lost their hair, with more than a fifth (22%) worried that their friends and family would see them differently. Aside from fearing that their partner might leave them if they lost their hair, the men polled also revealed the other reasons they are anxious about the prospect. Three in 10 (31%) said they were worried about feeling less attractive, while a fifth worried that other people would make fun of them. In addition, 17% said that losing their hair would mean losing a huge part of their identity. Commenting on the research, Dr Mia Jing Gao, medical advisor at Hims, says: "Our research clearly shows that male pattern hair loss significantly impacts mens confidence and, consequently, their day-to-day lives. "Despite concerns, many men are either unaware that treatments are available or are too afraid to seek treatment due to the substantial stigma surrounding the issue. Male pattern hair loss can be addressed in an affordable and pain-free manner." The research revealed that more than half (53%) of men wouldnt feel comfortable talking about their hair loss with friends and family. How to talk about hair loss with your partner You can approach conversations about hair loss with your partner with empathy. (Getty Images) (Getty Images) If your partner is experiencing hair loss and is too anxious to bring it up, it may be helpful to show them that you are there to support them. Dr Gao tells Yahoo UK how you can approach conversations about hair loss with your partner. Opt for the right setting "Before any conversations can begin, you should ensure that you create the right setting for your conversation," Dr Gao advises. "Try to pick a quiet and private space, allow for plenty of time to meaningfully engage in conversation without disturbance, and check with each other that youre both in the right headspace to explore the topic." Lead with compassion As hair loss can be very personal and affects everyone differently, Dr Gao says leading any conversation about it with empathy is key. "Let your partner know that you are aware that the topic might not be easy to talk about, and highlight that you are there for them. Initiate the conversation by expressing your support. For instance, you might say, I realise this might be a sensitive subject, but I want to be here for you. "Its important to let your partner drive the conversation from there. They may need time and space to express themselves. Actively listen to them, ensuring your responses are understanding and validating rather than overly-solutions-based. Let your partner know theyre not alone in this and that youre there to support them through it." Maintain a positive, loving tone Dr Gao says: "Your goal when discussing your partner's hair loss should be to reassure them of your affection and attraction towards them regardless. The conversation should be based around your love and appreciation for who they are as a person, so be prepared to list off several reasons why you love and are attracted to them. "We recommend sharing your thoughts using I statements to avoid accidentally critiquing your partner. For example, say, I've noticed you seem concerned about your hair. I want you to know I'm here for you, whatever you need. By using language like this, your partner will be less likely to feel defensive, yielding better results." Many men say they worry that losing their hair will mean losing a large part of their identity, according to research by Hims. (Getty Images) (Getty Images/iStockphoto) When the time is right, explore solutions together Research by Hims shows that more than half (57%) of British men dont know what hair loss treatments are available to them - but many are becoming more open to solutions. One in 10 men are willing to pay as much as 5,000 for hair loss solutions, the data revealed. Dr Gao adds: "Clearly, this can be a tricky subject and there are so many options available from oral medications, to topical sprays and hair transplants. If your partner is open to exploring hair loss treatment, rest assured that there is likely to be a treatment option out there thats well suited for them." Understand when to end a tough conversation "Rome wasnt built in a day, and most tricky conversations arent solved with one chat. With hair loss being such a sensitive issue, it can be difficult for those affected to put their feelings into words. "If your partner is not ready to discuss their hair loss, the best course of action is to respect their space rather than pressing the issue and let them know you are ready and willing to talk whenever they feel comfortable doing so." Watch:This TikToker is growing his hair back from male pattern baldness Read more about hair loss and relationships: The Topeka Zoo in Kansas is mourning the loss of one of their beloved ostriches who snatched a zookeeper's keys and swallowed them. The zoo announced the sad news on Friday with a heartbreaking Facebook post. The post reads, in part, "The circumstances surrounding Karen's passing serve as a solemn reminder of the importance of vigilance and care in maintaining the safety of our animal inhabitants. In this instance, Karen reached beyond her exhibit fence to grab the keys of a staff member. She immediately swallowed the keys. Zoo staff consulted with experts across the country to undergo surgical and non-surgical efforts to minimize the impact of the keys. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful. The Topeka Zoo remains committed to ensuring the well-being of all our animals, implementing rigorous protocols to safeguard against such incidents in the future." Related: Maryland Zoo Shares Tragic and Unexpected Passing of Giraffe Named Willow Fawn Moser, Interim Director of the Topeka Zoo, was quoted as saying, "We are devastated by the loss of Karen. She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community. Our thoughts are with our dedicated animal care team, who formed deep bonds with Karen during her time with us." Karen was a favorite amongst zoo guests and the zoo said she was known for her water loving habits, like swimming in the pool, playing in the sprinkler, and, best of all, being our dancing queen! Here's a sweet clip from February of 2023 when Karen first arrived at the zoo. Here's another cute post of Karen enjoying playing in her water sprinkler in July of 2023. Interesting Facts About Ostriches Ostriches are the biggest birds in the world, and they can stand up to nine feet tall and weigh over 300 pounds. Ostriches are also the fastest running birds in the world! Scientists have seen ostriches run continuously at speeds of 30-37 mph and sprint up to 43 mph. They can cover ten feet in one single stride. Ostriches mainly eat plants, including leafy greens, flowering plants, roots, grasses and succulents. They occasionally feed on fallen fruit or snack on mice, frogs and insects, such as grasshoppers and locusts. Ostriches have a wide range of sound vocalizations, and these can include grunts, hisses, and booming noises. They are also capable of mimicking the sounds of other animals and can imitate predators to scare away potential threats to them. It's just heartbreaking to think of how fast this accident happened and I'm sure no one could have expected Karen to swallow those keys. If you are interested in visiting the Topeka Zoo, you can find zoo hours, directions, admission prices and information on special events and exhibits by visiting their website here. Our thoughts go out to the Topeka Zoo after the passing of their beloved ostrich, Karen. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. The founder of a charity which distributes second-hand footwear to families in need has said parents are having to choose between buying their children shoes or paying utility bills amid the cost-of-living crisis. Camilla CJ Bowry, founder and chief executive at Sals Shoes, which donates footwear to children all over the world, was made an OBE for services to young people, education and the environment at a ceremony at Windsor Castle. After the ceremony with the Princess Royal, Ms Bowry told the PA news agency that the charity had seen a surge in demand in recent years in the UK that is only going up. Camilla Bowry is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle, Berkshire (Jonathan Brady/PA) Ms Bowry, of Oxted, Surrey, founded the charity after her son, Sal, outgrew his first pair of shoes and she was unable to find a place to donate them that would tell her where they would end up. Last year, the organisation distributed more than 180,000 pairs of shoes to children in the UK, including over 30,000 pairs of school shoes, Ms Bowry said. Speaking after the ceremony, the charity founder said: Our school shoes fund buys new school shoes, PE trainers and wellies just for children here in the UK. Last year we distributed over 30,000 pairs and this year, if demand continues as it has done so far this year certainly in the run-up to September, we would expect to double that number. Demand is only going up in the UK, as far as we can tell. Ms Bowry went on to describe the unprecedented increase in demand for shoes for baby banks that provide essential infant-related items for families experiencing hardship. She said: Baby banks initially never had a huge demand for footwear, it was always something that parents could afford because, even if you cant buy from some of the shoe shops, we have the likes of supermarkets where you can buy cheaper shoes but actually parents dont have even that surplus any more. Its paying a utility bill with that or putting it towards school. Regarding when this surge in demand began in the UK, Ms Bowry said: We noticed when we launched the school shoes fund I think, coming out of lockdown originally. It was the expense initially of getting back to school when children had been out of school for so long and low-income families had been hit the hardest by lockdown. When asked what action she hoped to see from the Government in tackling child poverty, Ms Bowry said: I have absolutely no political agenda, all we do is rehome shoes that have been outgrown before theyve been outworn. All we do know is, whilst we have always worked in the UK and weve been working for 10 years, we have never, ever seen demand as it is at the moment. We are one of the richest nations in the world and our children cant afford shoes. PEN America has cancelled its annual literary awards after dozens of nominated writers withdrew their work in protest over its response to the Israel-Hamas war. The writers organisation, which is dedicated to protecting free expression, said of the 61 authors and translators nominated for a prize, 28 writers chose to withdraw their books from consideration. It comes after renowned writers criticised PEN for an alleged lack of support for Palestinian writers in a series of open letters. PEN America announces the cancellation of its annual Literary Awards ceremony, and releases the names of its 2024 award finalists and winners: https://t.co/vAYX2tAUHH PEN America (@PENamerica) April 22, 2024 The award ceremony had been set to take place on April 29 at The Town Hall in New York City, but has now been cancelled. Last month, esteemed authors including Naomi Klein and Michelle Alexander, signed an open letter claiming PEN had not launched any substantial coordinated support for the writers in Gaza or Palestinian speech broadly. The letter also said PEN had betrayed the organisations professed commitment to peace and equality for all, and to freedom and security for writers everywhere. PEN responded to the allegations, citing they stand alongside the writers of Gaza, had called for an immediate ceasefire and reiterated their expansion of support for Palestinian writers through a PEN emergency fund. 5 months ago, PEN America asked me to be an honourary co-chair of this year's World Voices Festival. I was honoured. Then I watched what PEN did and failed to do about Gaza. Here is a letter from a group of us about why we cannot participate. https://t.co/OcVWOk8w80 Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) March 14, 2024 Announcing the decision that the literary awards were to be cancelled, PEN Americas literary programming chief officer Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said: We greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees in their respective categories or not. We regret that this unprecedented situation has taken away the spotlight from the extraordinary work selected by esteemed, insightful and hard-working judges across all categories. As an organisation dedicated to freedom of expression and writers, our commitment to recognising and honouring outstanding authors and the literary community is steadfast. The estate of late US author Jean Stein also directed PEN America to donate the 75,000 dollar (61,000) prize for the award in her name to the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund to honour the nine out of 10 nominated writers who withdrew their work for the award. In a statement, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Wendy Vanden Heuvel, and Bill Clegg, on behalf of the foundation and the literary estate of Jean Stein, said: Jean Stein was a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights who published, supported, and celebrated Palestinian writers and visual artists. While she established the PEN America award in her name to bring attention to and provide meaningful support to writers of the highest literary achievement, we know she would have respected the stance and sacrifice of the writers who have withdrawn from contention this year. The former HR director of the Post Office has accused its boss, Nick Read, of being obsessed with his pay and repeatedly making threats to resign over the issue, in the latest development in the long-running crisis facing the organisation. Jane Davies said chief executive Mr Read had embarked upon a deliberate campaign to defame and ostracise her. The remarks were made in a letter to the Governments Department for Business and Trade (DBT), published a week after the Post Office said Mr Read had been cleared of all misconduct claims. Ms Davies wrote: I joined POL (Post Office Limited) with a mandate to tackle deep-seated cultural problems within the organisation and prioritise redress for the victims of the Horizon scandal. However, from the first day, I found a chief executive who was obsessed with his pay, to such an extent that it was a huge distraction from me establishing myself in my new position and performing the duties that were set out in my job description. She said he was offered a 5% pay rise but appeared to find it insulting. As a result, he regarded me a failure for not getting the remuneration increase, the former chief people officer wrote in the letter. What followed was a deliberate campaign to defame and ostracise me. The chief executive of the Post Office has been accused by its former HR director of attempting to defame and ostracise her (James Manning/PA) The Post Offices latest accounts suggest Mr Reads pay for the 2022 to 2023 financial year totalled 570,000. In the previous year, he was paid 816,000, the sum of a 415,000 fixed salary and 401,000 in bonus payments. The total is after he returned a 54,000 portion of his bonus that year linked to the Horizon inquiry. Ms Davies letter comes a week after the Post Office confirmed that Mr Read had been cleared of all misconduct allegations, following a report into his behaviour. An independent barrister had looked into various allegations against the chief executive, including accusations of bullying by former chairman Henry Staunton. But the Post Office said the review exonerated him of any misconduct claims, and that he had the full backing of the board to continue to lead the business. A spokesman for DBT said last week: We feel this report has drawn a line under the issue and now regard the matter as closed, which allows us to turn our full attention to ensuring postmasters are compensated quickly and fairly. A Government Bill has been introduced to quash the convictions of subpostmasters who were wrongly convicted on the basis of faulty accounting software named Horizon. A Post Office spokesman said: Just last week, a highly reputable barrister produced an extensive, robust and impartial report that fully exonerated Nick Read of all the misconduct allegations levelled against him, and in so doing discredited many of the claims raised in these letters. For the avoidance of doubt, the barrister was fully empowered to investigate and conclude as she saw fit. Our focus remains on providing redress for postmasters; learning from the grievous errors of the past; and building an organisation able to meet the challenges of the future. The independent barrister who conducted the review, Marianne Tutin, said she conducted a fair, thorough and proportionate investigation. I was able to approach the matter in an independent way and was not placed under any pressure as to what to investigate, or not to investigate, or what findings of fact or recommendations should, or should not, be made, she said. Johnny Cash songs have been rediscovered and put on a new album by his son John Carter Cash. The record titled Songwriter was originally recorded by country singer Cash in 1993, a decade before his death aged 71, at LSI Studios in Nashville. The recording company was owned by his family members, and it is thought he had wanted to help them financially as well as record the songs. Following a dip in record sales, Cash met the rock-rap producer Rick Rubin and he shelved the tracks. The duo went on to record four critically and commercially well-received albums, beginning with 1994 Grammy-winning American Recordings, that found him a new, younger audience and led to the release of Cash covering the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt in 2002. Singer Johnny Cash at London Airport carrying his son, John, with his wife, June Carter (left) and stepdaughter, Rosie (PA) More than 30 years later, the son of Cash and his wife June Carter Cash has stripped back the songs to his fathers vocals and acoustic guitar, which he announced on Tuesday. I wanted it to be songs that mostly people hadnt heard and that paid close attention to who he was as a songwriter and who he was as an American voice, said John. One of my most important focuses in the past 10 years is to make sure that history, as best that I can possibly, is to give history the opportunity to notice him as the great writer he is. Bob Dylan says hes one of the greatest writers of all of American written music and I agree. I want to put that in the forefront. His writing voice specifically is a certain voice, that I think if America wants to know their history, thats a good place to look. Johnny Cash is definitely one true voice that we can listen to, specifically to his writings. He also worked with co-producer David Fergie Ferguson, known for his recording engineer efforts with Rubin and Cash, to assemble a group of musicians that had worked with Cash to contribute. I would think Johnny would say what he said about every record that I worked on with him, every record I think he ever made, when he got to the end of it, he always said, I think its the best record Ive ever made, said Ferguson. You could count on that. I could just hear him say that. I think hed be really proud of it. Guitarist Marty Stuart, the late bassist Dave Roe, along with drummer Pete Abbott and several others, all contributed at the Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Nobody plays Cash better than Marty Stuart, and Dave Roe of course played with dad for many years, said John. The musicians that came in were just tracking with dad, you know, recording with dad, just as, in the case of Marty and Dave, they had many times before, so they knew his energies, his movements, and they let him be the guide. It was just playing with Johnny once again, and thats what it was. That was the energy of the creation. Joaquin Phoenix, who portrayed Johnny Cash on screen in Walk The Line (Ian West/PA) The 11-track collection has released the first single, the upbeat Well Alright. It also contains the songs I Love You Tonite, a love letter to his wife June, Drive On is about Cashs jaw pain and Like A Soldier, which deals with struggle with addiction before recovery. Cash died of respiratory failure caused by complications from diabetes in 2003 and was known for the songs Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk The Line and A Boy Called Sue. He was played by Joaquin Phoenix in the film Walk The Line, which earned Phoenix an Oscar nod and Reese Witherspoon an Academy Award for playing June. Songwriter will be released on June 28. Sunak commits to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030 Rishi Sunak promised an extra 75 billion in defence spending over the next six years as he warned the world is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War. The Prime Minister said the UK will spend 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2030. This re-commits to a target set by Boris Johnson in 2022 and firms up Mr Sunaks own stance on the defence budget. The Prime Minister and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt had previously only said the 2.5% goal would be met when the economic conditions allow. But committing to 2030 is unlikely to appease some on the Conservative benches who have been pushing for at least 3% to be spent on defence at a time when Vladimir Putins Russia is waging war on a European neighbour. Mr Sunak set out the plan at a joint appearance with Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at a military base in Warsaw, Poland. Under the new spending plan, the UK defence budget will increase immediately and then rise steadily to reach 87 billion at the end the decade. (PA Graphics) Mr Sunak told the press conference in a military hangar: We did not choose this moment but it falls on us to meet it. In a world of increasing threats we must show our enemies that we are resolute and determined, that their attempts to destabilise our world and redraw its borders by force will fail. That with our friends and our allies, we will be at the forefront of the defence of the free, democratic world. Under my leadership, the UK will always stand up for our interests, deter our enemies and defend our values. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, with Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk, centre, and Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at a barracks in Warsaw (Alistair Grant/PA) He warned about the threats facing the world from an axis of authoritarian states including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, which are not far away problems but pose real risks to the United Kingdoms security and prosperity. The UKs latest defence commitments could be made as a result of our management of the economy, Mr Sunak suggested. He said the increase in defence spending, which would be fully funded with no increase in borrowing or debt, would put the UK on a war footing. Mr Sunak also promised a long-term funding guarantee for Ukraine. The UK will provide at least the current level of military support to Ukraine for every year it is needed. Mr Sunak intervened when Mr Stoltenberg was asked how reassured he could be by the UKs announcement of increased defence spending when there could be a new government taking office later this year. It wouldnt be appropriate to draw the Nato Secretary-General into domestic politics, the Prime Minister said. Mr Hunt and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps travelled with Mr Sunak and backed the announcement. The Chancellor said it sends the clearest possible message to Putin that, as other Nato European countries match this commitment, which they will, he will never be able to outspend countries that believe in freedom and democracy. Drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine, the Government promised a further 10 billion over the next 10 years to ensure the military does not run out of ammunition and missiles. This represents nearly a doubling of current UK spending on munitions production and will focus on capabilities including air defence missiles, anti-armour munitions and 155mm artillery shells. I spoke with @RishiSunak, who informed me that the UK has allocated the largest defence support package for Ukraine to date, worth half a billion pounds. Storm Shadow and other missiles, hundreds of armored vehicles and watercraft, ammunitionall of this is needed on the Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) April 23, 2024 The announcement comes after Mr Sunak unveiled a 500 million military aid package including missiles, armoured vehicles and boats for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke to the Prime Minister on Tuesday morning, said all of this is needed on the battlefield. Mr Sunak said Mr Zelensky is in good spirits, very positive about renewed US support and very grateful for UK help. Mr Sunak also stressed the importance of Europeans investing in their own security and Nato countries reaching their 2% defence spending commitment. He said the news that the US House of Representatives ended a months-long stalemate by approving a critical 61 billion US dollar (49 billion) aid package for Ukraine was very welcome, but added that doesnt take away from the need for Europeans to invest in their security. Mr Sunak warned Russian President Mr Putin will not stop at the Polish border if his assault on Ukraine is allowed to succeed. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv in January (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Zelensky welcomed what he said is the largest defence support package for Ukraine to date from the UK. Storm Shadow and other missiles, hundreds of armoured vehicles and watercraft, ammunition all of this is needed on the battlefield, he said. I am grateful to the UK and personally to Prime Minister Sunak for such a strong demonstration of support and for the willingness to further develop our defence co-operation, especially with an emphasis on maritime and long-range capabilities. The promised equipment includes around 400 vehicles, more than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, 60 boats and nearly four million rounds of small arms ammunition. Home-buyers in some seaside locations will find the choice of properties has jumped although they may also find prices have increased too according to a website. Across Britain generally, the choice of properties has increased by around a fifth (20%) compared with a year ago, Zoopla said. Supply has increased particularly strongly in locations including Cornwall; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in Dorset; and North Kesteven in Lincolnshire, Zoopla said. It added that, across the South West of England, estate agents typically have around two-and-a-half times as many homes for sale as they did in spring 2022. Parts of Dorset have seen a jump in housing supply, according to Zoopla (Anthony Devlin/PA) The website suggests strong house price growth in some locations over the past five years may be prompting some people to sell. In Cornwall, property prices have increased by more than a quarter (27%) on average, while prices in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch have jumped by a fifth (20%), Zoopla said. There are also signs that the rise in supply is having a knock-on effect on the time it takes to sell a property. In Cornwall it is typically taking 20 days longer on average to sell a property compared with spring 2022, and 23 days longer on average in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Zoopla said. The website also said that, in Wales, locations such as Caerphilly and the Vale of Glamorgan, where people can commute to nearby Cardiff, are also experiencing big jumps in available properties. Zoopla said the Vale of Glamorgan, which includes Barry, is seeing big jumps in available properties (Ben Birchall/PA) In the East Midlands, the increase in supply is particularly pronounced in more rural areas such as southern Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, including the Peak District. During the coronavirus pandemic, there were signs of a race for space in the property market, with many buyers looking to move to more rural and coastal locations. But the return to office or hybrid working means that some potential buyers may not be motivated to move for a lifestyle change and sellers need to make sure they set their prices realistically in the current market, Zoopla said. Izabella Lubowicka, senior property researcher at Zoopla, said: Affordability continues to impact budgets. Sellers putting their homes on the market need to keep that in mind and ensure they are pricing their property realistically in order to achieve a sale. Sam Turner, director at Cornwall-based estate agent Kivells, said: There has been a large increase in new properties coming to the market, which is giving buyers more choice. This is also assisting the moving process for our vendors as they have more to choose from on their onward purchases. Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall has told mayor of London Sadiq Khan that nobody believes you any more as they exchanged political blows during a radio debate. The mayor responded to the claims by saying he was not in the pocket of his party leader. Ahead of the London mayoral election next week, Mr Khan and Ms Hall appeared alongside the Lib Dems and Green Party candidates Rob Blackie and Zoe Garbett to answer questions from callers on a number of issues. Mr Khan is seeking a historic third term in office, having first been elected in 2016. Asked about affordable housing during the LBC debate on Tuesday, Mr Khan said he would fund 6,000 rent-control homes and 40,000 council homes and provide free legal advice to tenants. Ms Hall said rent control would not work because of high rental costs, and that the problem was a lack of housing being built. Sadiq Khan highlighted his record on building affordable housing and reducing rough sleeping (Jordan Pettitt/PA) She said: All you ever do, Sadiq, is throw numbers out there that when people try and analyse them and look into them, you then throw another load of numbers out there. Nobody believes you any more because you dont deliver. Put to him by presenter Tom Swarbrick that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer disagrees with him on rent control, Mr Khan said: Unlike the Tory candidate, I will stand up to the Labour leader and a Conservative leader. Its really important youve got a mayor that is a champion and advocate for the city, not in the pocket of the leader of their party. The mayoral candidates of the four leading parties appeared at the LBC debate (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Hall said she had been campaigning with party leader Rishi Sunak in Kensington last month, and that the Prime Minister fully backed her campaign. Other issues aired by callers included help for struggling families with the cost of living and rough sleeping. Mr Khan promised to extend universal free school meals in primary schools permanently, while Ms Hall said she would continue the policy as mayor despite previously suggesting the idea was wrong. Put to him that rough sleeping had increased by 71% since 2016, Mr Khan said the issue breaks my heart but that there was a conveyor belt of new people coming on to Londons streets, a comment subsequently called out by Ms Garbett and Ms Hall. Asked about the ultra low emission zone (Ulez), Ms Hall said the mayors own impact assessment had showed him it would make virtually no difference at all. Zoe Garbett said she would provide free bus passes to asylum seekers if elected (Jordan Pettitt/PA) A strong advocate of scrapping the scheme, she refused to spell out where the 200 million in revenue that Ulez brings would instead come from, saying it was a long, complicated mix. Mr Khan said: Im not going to apologise at all for cleaning up the air in our city. Pressed on his comments in 2021 that Ulez did not need to be expanded, Mr Khan said the World Health Organisation had changed their guidelines on air toxicity levels. Ms Hall said that the mayor would bring in pay-per-mile charging for vehicles in London and described his policy record as absolutely abysmal. The mayor described Ms Hall as the most dangerous candidate I have fought against after she said she had learnt from a series of unsavoury social media posts she made about her political rival. When asked about the Metropolitan Police, all four candidates said they had confidence in Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley amid recent calls for him to resign. Mr Khan said he thought the Met was ahead of other police services across the country and praised Sir Mark for making remarkable progress. Ms Hall disagreed and said London was in a very serious situation, and that she had been told by those working in the night-time economy about gangs running around with machetes. The mayor said: I think the Tory candidate should stop watching The Wire. Taylor Swift has offered fans more insight into her new album The Tortured Poets Department with a new track-by-track commentary on Amazon Music. The US music superstar launched the 16-song album on Friday morning and just two hours later revealed it was a double album with 15 more songs available on The Anthology edition. Swift has since taken fans behind-the-scenes in pre-recorded messages about several of her hit tracks on the new album, including lead single Fortnight featuring Post Malone. Fortnight is a song that I think really exhibits a lot of the common themes that run throughout this album, one of which being fatalism longing, pining away, lost dreams, Swift said. There was also a music video for the song which featured US actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles from the classic film Dead Poets Society, and Post Malone posing as the star-crossed lover of Swift set in a dystopian romance. I think that its a very fatalistic album in that there are lots of very dramatic lines about life or death, Swift said. I love you, its ruining my life. These are very hyperbolic, dramatic things to say but its that kind of album. After its release, fans speculated that the lyrics to Fortnight were in part about The 1975 singer Matty Healy, whom she was rumoured to be dating briefly last year following her split from British actor Joe Alwyn. Fans speculated that the lyrics to Fortnight were in part about The 1975 singer Matty Healy (Lesley Martin/PA) Meanwhile Swift said My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys, another song rumoured to be about Healy, is a track she wrote alone, describing it as being written from the perspective of a childs toy. Being somebodys favourite toy, until they break you and then dont want to play with you anymore, the 34-year-old said. Which is how a lot of us are in relationships where we are so valued by a person in the beginning, and then all of a sudden, they break us or they devalue us in their mind. Were still clinging on to No no, no, you shouldve seen them the first time they saw me, theyll come back to that, theyll get back to that. So its kind of a song about denial really so that you can live in this world where there is still hope for a toxic broken relationship. Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine (Matt Crossick/PA) While Florida!!!, the song Swift said she wrote with British group Florence + The Machine, is about what happens when your life doesnt fit or the choices youve made catch up to you. Im always watching (US television show) Dateline, people have these crimes that they commit, where they immediately skip town and go to, they go to Florida. They try to reinvent themselves, have a new identity, blend in. And I think when you go through a heartbreak, theres a part of you that thinks, I want a new name, I want a new life, I dont want anyone to know where Ive been or know me at all. And so that was the jumping off point behind where would you go to reinvent yourself and blend in? Florida. Swift said her track titled Whos Afraid of Little Old Me? was a song she wrote alone, sitting at the piano when she felt bitter about the way society treats musicians. Being in the public eye since I was a young teenager, theres a lot that that does to your perception of the world, your perception of yourself, she said. The idea that the world has this sense of ownership and not just a right, but they feel they have a responsibility to judge you and to critique you and to weigh in. That can really toy with you. The US star said the concept of putting artists and creatives through hell is a consistent theme throughout the album. We love to watch artists in pain, often to the point where sometimes, as a society, we provoke that pain and we watch what happens so theres lines about feeling like Ive been in the circus, those kind of metaphors, feeling like Im sort of like a witch in a haunted house, she said. The final song with an introduction from Swift is Clara Bow, which she describes as a commentary on just what Ive seen in the industry that Ive been in over time. She continued: I used to sit in record labels trying to get a record deal when I was a little kid. And theyd say, You know, you remind us of and then theyd name an artist, and then theyd kind of say something disparaging about her, But youre this, youre so much better in this way or that way. And thats how we kind of teach women to see themselves, as like you could be the new replacement for this woman whos done something great before you. Swift said she picked women who have done great things to appear in the song. She added: Clara Bow was the first it girl. Stevie Nicks is an icon and an incredible example for anyone who wants to write songs and make music. The Tortured Poets Department became the first album in Spotify history to reach more than 300 million streams in a single day, while Swift also became the most-streamed artist in a single day on the platform when her record was released on April 19, according to the streaming service. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts on the Express-News Crime Team. She can be reached at ezavala@express-news.net. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Womans University at Denton in 1985. She has worked at five daily newspapers in Texas, including The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Denton Record-Chronicle. Rishi Sunak has discussed air defence with Volodymyr Zelensky as the Ukrainian president welcomed a record military package from the UK including long-range missiles, armoured vehicles and boats. Mr Zelensky, who spoke to the Prime Minister on Tuesday morning, said all of this is needed on the battlefield. The Prime Minister announced the 500 million in military aid as he travelled to Warsaw and Berlin to meet the leaders of Poland, Germany and Nato. On the flight to Warsaw, Mr Sunak told reporters: Id agree that air defence is one of the critical areas where Ukraine needs support. I spoke with @RishiSunak, who informed me that the UK has allocated the largest defence support package for Ukraine to date, worth half a billion pounds. Storm Shadow and other missiles, hundreds of armored vehicles and watercraft, ammunitionall of this is needed on the Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) April 23, 2024 He (Mr Zelensky) and I were talking about air defence this morning. Weve consistently provided air defence support to Ukraine from the very beginning. He said the two leaders also spoke about the importance of long-range weapons and talked through having the right priorities and focus at the upcoming Nato and European Political Community summits. Mr Sunak said Mr Zelensky was in good spirits, very positive about the renewed US support and very grateful for UK help. The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of Europeans investing in their own security and Nato countries reaching their 2% defence spending commitment. He said the news that the US House of Representatives ended a months-long stalemate by approving a critical 61 billion US dollar (49 billion) aid package for Ukraine was very welcome, but added that doesnt take away from the need for Europeans to invest in their security. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv in January (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Sunak warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop at the Polish border if his assault on Ukraine is allowed to succeed. Mr Zelensky welcomed what he said was the largest defence support package for Ukraine to date from the UK. Storm Shadow and other missiles, hundreds of armoured vehicles and watercraft, ammunition all of this is needed on the battlefield, he said. I am grateful to the UK and personally to Prime Minister Sunak for such a strong demonstration of support and for the willingness to further develop our defence co-operation, especially with an emphasis on maritime and long-range capabilities. Mr Sunak will talk defence and security with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw. The Prime Minister is accompanied by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps on his tour of European capitals. Mr Sunak will then travel to Germany to hold one-to-one talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday. Rishi Sunak met Olaf Scholz at the European Political Community summit in Spain in October (Thomas Coex/PA) The 500 million for Ukraine will fund ammunition, air defence and UK-procured drones, as well as supporting engineering and the ramping up of domestic defence supply chains, Downing Street said. It is new money from the Treasury reserve and not from existing Ministry of Defence budgets, according to No 10. The uplift takes UK military funding for Kyiv to 3 billion in 2024/25, and to 7.6 billion since the start of Mr Putins full-scale invasion in 2022. The promised equipment includes around 400 vehicles, more than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, 60 boats and nearly four million rounds of small arms ammunition. The weaponry will be delivered as quickly as possible in response to specific asks from the Ukrainian government and armed forces at a time when Kyiv faces a difficult summer as Russia continues to ramp up its barbaric assault, Mr Sunaks official spokesman said. In his first in-person meeting with his Polish counterpart Mr Tusk, the Prime Minister will seek to strengthen security, trade and diplomatic links with Warsaw. He will offer to deploy an RAF Typhoon squadron next year to carry out Nato air policing over Poland, where around 400 British troops are stationed full-time. A college student in a gas mask "smells" a magnolia blossom during the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 in New York City. Credit - AP More than 8 billion people inhabit Earth, and soon a springtime holiday will remind them of the need to take care of their home. Earth Day, which takes place on April 22, dates back to 1970, when U.S.-based organizers were hoping to bring awareness to the environmental degradation they were witnessing across the country. Since then, recognition of the holiday has expanded to more than 190 countries who have added Earth Day to their calendar. The holiday is both a grim reminder of the work that must be done and a celebration of the progress that has been made when it comes to climate change efforts. It's also been the catalyst for actions including the creation of international climate agreements and environmental agencies. This years theme is Planet vs. Plastics, which calls on government leaders, businesses, and everyday people to reduce plastic production by 60% by 2040. It is also calling for the full elimination of single use plastics by the end of this decade. The word environment means what surrounds you. In the case of plastics we have become the product itselfit flows through our blood stream, adheres to our internal organs, and carries with it heavy metals known to cause cancer and disease, said Kathleen Rogers, President of earthday.org. The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet. Here are 10 interesting facts about Earth Day. Earth Day was created by a senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, was growing increasingly concerned over the state of the U.S. environment in the 1960s. After a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif. in January 1969, he had the idea to launch a nationwide, environmentally-focused teach-in on college campuses, drawing inspiration from the anti-war movements against the Vietnam War occurring on campuses around the country. Nelson recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to help bring the idea to the public. The idea for Earth Day came after a series of environmental catastrophes Hayes, one of the organizers behind the first Earth Day, previously told TIME that the idea behind the holiday came following a number of events that drew attention to the environment, including the release of Rachel Carsons book Silent Spring in 1962 and the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire. Hayes said that while there were a number of groups in the U.S. working on different environmental issuesto reduce air pollution, bring attention to the impact of pesticides on farm workers, and morethey had never worked in conjunction. What we did was take all of those myriad strands, including wildlife protection issues, and wove them all together. It sounds strange today, but back then, the folks involved with those various causes didnt think of themselves as having anything in common with one another, he told TIME in 2019. No one was asking that question at the end of the 1970s. More than 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day Millions of people participated in the first Earth Day celebration on April 22, 1970. The event shut down Manhattans Fifth Avenue, as people demonstrated and participated in street clean-ups. The holiday mood on Fifth Avenue was exemplified by members of the architectural firm of Warner, Burns, Toan & Lunde, who spread a yellow andwhite quilt on the asphalt near 57th Street, put a tulip in a wine bottle for a centerpiece and enjoyed a picnic in the sun. A laughing crowd gathered around them and sang, Happy Earth Day to You, the New York Times reported that day. Earth Day is on April 22 because of college schedules The date for Earth Day was largely dictated by the schedules of the college students Hayes and Nelson were hoping to attract. April 22 fell on a weekday during the school yearnestled between spring break and final exams, when the weather was mild enough to allow people to be outside. The Environmental Protection Agency was created after the first Earth Day The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates mechanisms to protect the environment, was created on Dec. 2, 1970 as a direct response to the first Earth Day. Congress formed the agency after witnessing the huge participation in Earth Day demonstrations across the country, the EPA says. Last year some said there would never be another Earth Day. They saw concern for our environment as a fad, and claimed that the instant enthusiasm of an activist generation would soon flow elsewhere, said William D. Ruckelshaus, the EPAs first administrator during the second Earth Day in 1971. I believe they were wrong. Earth Day went global in 1990 Millions of people participated in the first Earth Day movement, which led to the passage of key environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act in the U.S. later that year. Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders, says the earthday.org history page. But its impact spans larger than just one country. The movement went global in 1990, after a group of environmental leaders approached Hayes to organize another major campaign for the planet, which mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries. In the new millennium, the movement switched its focus to campaign against global warming, and as recently as 2020, over 1 billion people worldwide participated in Earth Day actions. The Paris Agreement opened for signature on Earth Day The Paris Agreement, the most significant international climate accord in history, was opened for signature on Earth Day in 2016. The treaty has more than 190 signatories, all of whom agreed to reduce carbon emissions and carry out other actions to reduce climate change. United Automobile Workers union played a role in making Earth Day possible The former head of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union was one of the biggest contributors to the original Earth Day, donating $2,000 in 1970 (the equivalent of more than $15,500 today). The UAW was by far the largest contributor to the first Earth Day, and its support went beyond the merely financial. It printed and mailed all our materials at its expense even those critical of pollution-belching cars, Hayes told Grist in 2010. Its organizers turned out workers in every city where it has a presence. And, of course, Walter then endorsed the Clear Air Act that the Big Four were doing their damnedest to kill or gut. Organizers are trying to have the biggest Earth Day cleanup event in history in 2024 For this years Earth Day celebration, earthday.org is working with Malaysian organizations to host the largest cleanup in Earth Day history. Penang Island, the countrys main island, has been impacted by plastic pollution due to tourism. At least 100,000 volunteers will be cleaning up the beaches and forests in the country, according to organizers. They will also plant more than 1 million trees. Tens of millions of trees have been planted on Earth Day Some 18 million acres of forest are lost every year due to deforestation, per the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. To combat this, earthday.org founded the Canopy Project in 2010 and says it has since planted tens of millions of trees around the world. Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com. Prepare crab cakes, gumbo, and more with the beautiful savory swimmer. Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne Blue crabs are named for their colorful shells that only add to the flavor when cooked, but also known as savory swimmers, or Callinectus sapidus as a species. The delicacy is often served whole in the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland, while the lump crabmeat is used on the Gulf Coast. Here are a dozen recipes from the two U.S. regions where blue crabs are best, from seafood starters to snacks and stew. Seafood Gumbo Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Succulent blue crabs make Tiffany Derry's satisfying gumbo recipe a seasonal seafood supper. Get the Recipe Blue Crab Beignets Greg DuPree Beignet batter thinly coats a creamy, warm crab filling with a crispy, light crust in this 30-minute recipe from New Orleans chef Justin Devillier. Get the Recipe Sweet & Sour Crab Claws Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe Chef Kristen York of Seaworthy in New Orleans takes prepared cocktail crab claws and marinates them in a sauce made of umami-rich gochujang, lightly sweet rice wine vinegar, and ketchup for a messy but delicious party appetizer. Get the Recipe Louisiana Lump Crab Cakes Denny Culbert New Orleans chef Melissa Martin says her aunt Christine taught her how to use leftover boiled shrimp as a binder instead of breadcrumbs for crab cakes. This recipe makes eight you can freeze them ahead if needed. Get the Recipe Crispy Salt and Pepper Soft Shell Crabs Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne Were always excited when soft shell crabs come in season in spring, especially with recipes like this one from Andrew Zimmern that plays up the tender crabmeat while frying the shells to a crisp. Get the Recipe Leah Chase's Okra Gumbo with Blue Crabs and Shrimp John Kernick The legendary New Orleans chef calls for shrimp and live blue crabs for this Creole recipe, and if those aren't available in your area, it's worth the splurge to get them shipped overnight from a fishery in Louisiana to revel in the distinctive flavor of Gulf Coast seafood. Get the Recipe Maryland-Style Crab Cakes Frederika Stjarne I cant overemphasize how important it is to use fresh, carefully processed meat from blue crabs, says chef Spike Gjerde of Baltimore's Woodberry Kitchen on this recipe, which is heavy on glorious hunks of crab, light on breadcrumbs. Get the Recipe Crisp Cayenne-Spiced Crab Cakes Lucy Schaeffer Growing up in Silver Spring, Maryland, DeeAnn Budney attended all-day Chesapeake blue crab feasts organized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The flavor works well for her fantastically spicy crab cakes. Get the Recipe Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches with Pancetta and Remoulade Tina Rupp Layer hefty soft-shell crab with salty slices of pancetta, slabs of tomato, and a remoulade made with store-bought mayonnaise to make a simplified version of Chicago chef Bruce Sherman's sandwich. Get the Recipe Crispy Soft-Shell Crabs with Bangalore-Style Dipping Sauce Stephanie Meyer Andrew Zimmern spent years studying, cooking, and eating soft-shell crabs while working with them in Maryland. Here he serves them fried with a bright, spicy, herbal dipping sauce that he inherited from the owner of the largest crab processing facility in India. Get the Recipe Crab and Avocado Toasts Lucy Schaeffer Gerard Craft grew up in Washington, D.C., eating lots of Maryland blue crab. Here, he creates a very simple and delicious starter by tossing sweet crabmeat with fresh mint and lime juice, then spooning it over mashed avocado on toast. Get the Recipe Open-Faced Crab Empanadas Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle Jose Andres combines the traditional Basque txangurro (crab simmered with tomato) with a Galician empanada using one of his favorite American ingredients: blue crab. Get the Recipe For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. Alec Baldwin smacked the cell phone of a heckler who confronted him in a coffee shop about the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. In a video shared via social media on Monday, April 22, Baldwin was on the phone at the Maman cafe in New York City when another patron confronted him about Hutchins, who was killed in October 2021. The person also asked the actor, 66, to address the war in Gaza. Alec, can you please say Free Palestine one time? asks the heckler, who is the host of the Crackhead Barney Experience podcast. Why did you kill that lady? You killed that lady and got no jail time? No jail time, Alec? No jail time, Alec. Youre putting innocent people in jail, Alec Baldwin. Free Palestine, Alec, just one time, and Ill leave you alone. An employee of the coffee shop attempts to escort the podcaster from the shop before Baldwin himself holds the door open and makes a motion for them to leave. Get out, Baldwin says before telling the employee they should call the police. Mat Hayward/Getty Images for AMC Networks You know hes a fking criminal, the podcaster responds. Free Palestine one time and Ill leave you alone. Free Palestine. Fk Israel? Fk Zionism. Please say it. At that point, Baldwin asks someone off camera, Can you do me one quick favor? before slapping the phone. White devil Alec Baldwin attacked me, the podcaster claimed in the videos caption. While I was trying to get coffee. Alec Baldwin Gets Trial Date in Rust Shooting Case After 2nd Indictment The heckler was referring to the fatal shooting of Hutchins, who was 42, on the set of Baldwins film Rust. Baldwin, who has not been convicted of any crime, was holding a prop gun when it fired, killing cinematographer Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. In an interview with George Stephanopoulos two months later, Baldwin denied responsibility for the shooting. The trigger wasnt pulled. I didnt pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never, he said in December 2021. I have no idea [how a bullet got in there]. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasnt even supposed to be on the property. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023 and pleaded not guilty, but the charges were dropped three months later. After an independent investigation into the gun itself, it was reported in August 2023 that the manslaughter charges against Baldwin could be refiled. The results of the investigation showed that the guns trigger had to have been pulled in order for the weapon to fire. Alec Baldwin Sued Over an Alleged March 2021 Car Accident: Details Following that investigation, Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter a second time this year. We look forward to our day in court, Baldwins attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, told Us in a statement in January. If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison. Baldwin was also named in a February 2022 wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of Halynas husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their son. An undisclosed settlement was later that year. Earlier this month, Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in prison after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March. TAMPA, Fla. - Working to lasso back into play a state that for years has drifted further right and keep abortion at the center of the 2024 White House debate, President Joe Biden visited Florida on Tuesday to tie his Republican rival Donald Trump to a new state law outlawing abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. With Trump on trial in a criminal case in New York City and limited from campaigning, Biden traveled to the former presidents home state to keep the political pressure on. In America today in 2024 women have fewer rights than their mothers and their grandmothers had because of Donald Trump," the incumbent Democratic president said of his GOP opponent this November in remarks before about 200 supporters in a gymnasium at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida was the campaign stop the 46th American President and 2024 Presidential candidate Joe Biden Tuesday afternoon, April 23, 2024. Florida presents an opportunity for Biden to try and gain ground in a state that has been trending red ever since President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection. Polls still show Biden well behind, but the incumbent's campaign has been working hard to link Trump to a GOP abortion law that critics view as too extreme. I think Florida is in play, nationally," Biden said during a reception with supporters in a nearby cafeteria after his remarks. As he prepared to launch his own presidential campaign last year and take on Trump in the GOP primary, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure outlawing abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is around six weeks of pregnancy. The law takes effect May 1. Next week one of the nations most extreme anti-abortion laws will take effect here in Florida," Biden told the Tampa crowd on a stage flanked by big blue and white signs reading "reproductive freedom." DeSantis used the law to try and make inroads with Evangelical voters in Iowa, a move that helped him come in second there but still not enough to last long in the 2024 Republican primaries. Trump was skeptical of the legislation from the start, calling it a "terrible mistake." The former president has since come out against a national abortion ban, saying the issue should be left up to the states, even as he brags that he "broke" Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that for nearly 50 years had protected abortion rights until it was overturned in 2022 by a court reshaped by Trump. Arizona and Florida rulings upend 2024 Trumps position leaves him vulnerable to criticism that he is tactically encouraging extreme laws in many states. The issue exploded this month when the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated a near total ban on abortions that was passed in 1864. Trump says he opposes the Arizona law. He also could face pressure on the Florida law, especially considering it is a state he calls home and where he will cast a ballot in November. Trump said earlier this month during an event at Mar-a-Lago, his private Palm Beach property, that when it comes to abortion We did something that nobody thought was possible, we gave it back to the states. And the states are working very brilliantly." Biden seized on those words Tuesday. Its a six-week ban in Florida, its really brilliant, isnt it?" Biden said during the 12-minute speech. "Even before women know theyre pregnant. Is that brilliant? Biden also warned that broader rights of privacy for everyone such as protections for same sex marriage and birth control could be at risk after Roe was overturned, referencing the writings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement that Biden's abortion views are "radical" and "wildly out of touch with most Americans." "But that will not stop him from pitching it to Florida voters. Biden must have forgotten that thousands of Americans have fled from extremist Democrat policies to prosperous and pro-life states like Florida," Whatley said. Other critics said Biden should focus on economic issues. Americans for Prosperity-Florida state director Skylar Zander said in a statement that Biden should "address his poor economic approach and the adverse effects of his Bidenomics economic policies on both the city and the state." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 20, 2024, in Miami Beach. Florida will have a constitutional amendment on the ballot this year protecting abortion rights. It would overturn the law DeSantis signed and allow an abortion up to the point of fetal viability, generally around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Biden noted there has been a backlash in many states to Roe being overturned, with voters approving measures to protect abortion rights. Florida will soon follow, he said. States all over this country from Ohio, Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia women and men of every background voted in record numbers to protect reproductive freedom," Biden said. "This November you can add Florida to that list." "Are you ready to do that?" the president added as the crowd cheered. "You gotta show up and vote! A USA TODAY/Ipsos survey found that 57% of registered voters in Florida support the constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, which needs 60% support to pass, and 36% oppose, while 6% are undecided. The survey also found that 55% of Floridians oppose banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy nationally. Biden's campaign is trying to make Florida's new abortion law an issue in other swing states, noting in a campaign memo that Georgia and North Carolina also have restrictive abortion laws, and that Florida acted as an abortion haven for residents throughout the Southeast. "When Floridas ban takes effect, it will severely restrict reproductive health care access across the entire Southeastern United States, including neighboring battlegrounds of Georgia and North Carolina," Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in a memo released Tuesday, adding: "Many women in the Southeast desperately in need of care will have to drive for a day or more to reach the closest clinic." The Biden campaign is pledging to keep abortion "front and center" in the election. "Trump is hoping that Americans will somehow forget that hes responsible for the horror women are facing in this country every single day because of him. Its a bad bet," Rodriguez wrote. DORAL, FLORIDA - APRIL 07: Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on at the first tee during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on April 07, 2024 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) Sunshine State steep climb While Biden may have an advantage on the abortion issue, he still faces a steep climb in Florida. The USA TODAY/Ipsos survey found him trailing Trump by eight percentage points. Florida's reputation as the nation's largest swing state increasingly has seemed outdated. Trump won Florida in 2016 by just a single percentage point, but won the state by three points in 2020 and DeSantis won reelection by 19 percentage points in 2022. Florida Republicans surpassed Democrats in voter registration in 2021 and have continued to increase their advantage. There are now 851,000 more Republican voters in the state than Democrats. We take Florida very seriously, Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign communications director, said in a call on Monday with reporters. The idea that Donald Trump has the state in the bag could not be further from the truth. Regardless of whether he can win Florida, Biden could use the state as a foil for his campaign, highlighting conservative policies pushed by DeSantis. Gaza protests follow Biden to Florida Anti-abortion activists and pro-Palestine activists held demonstrations outside Biden's event. About 75 demonstrators outside Biden event in Tampa criticizing Israels war in Gaza and saying Biden is complicit in genocide Chants of Biden, Biden you cant hide. Youre committing genocide. pic.twitter.com/YvMtsjNvvB Zac Anderson (@zacjanderson) April 23, 2024 Tampa resident Ali Abdel-Qader, 24, with the Party for Socialism and Liberation helped organize a group of about 75 protesters who criticized Israels war in Gaza and accused the president of being complicit in genocide. We are not going to be voting for you Joe in November because you are supporting a genocide, Abdel-Qadar said. The crowd waved Palestinian flags, held signs reading ceasefire now! and From the river to the sea Palestine will be free, and chanted Biden, Biden you cant hide. Youre supporting genocide. White House correspondent Joey Garrison contributed to this report This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden jabs Trump on restrictive abortion law in Florida By Ricardo Brito BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has given social media platform X until Friday to explain why it allegedly did not fully comply with earlier rulings ordering the Elon Musk-owned company to block certain accounts. The decision is part of an inquiry opened earlier this month by Justice Alexandre de Moraes into Musk, after the billionaire said he would reactivate accounts on X that the judge had ordered blocked. X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moraes, whose decisions regarding X Musk called "unconstitutional," set the five-day deadline in a public decision on Saturday, though the count began on Monday. A report by Brazil's federal police seen by Reuters on Friday showed accounts on X that local courts had ordered blocked were still active on the platform by early April, contradicting a previous statement by the company. These accounts were still able to get new local followers and to publicize links for live streaming videos, according to the report. "Representatives for social network 'X' (formerly known as Twitter) are requested to comment on the non-compliances highlighted in the report presented by the police," Moraes wrote in the decision. Moraes is investigating "digital militias" that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and is also leading an investigation into an alleged coup attempt by Bolsonaro. Previously, lawyers representing X said the platform had blocked 226 accounts since 2022 after orders from the court or Brazil's top electoral court, adding the accounts were still blocked and not allowed to live stream videos. The lawyers have also said X would comply with every ruling issued by both courts. (Reporting by Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; writing by Andre Romani; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Americans disagree vehemently about the Israel-Hamas war. The conflict has divided friends and strained families, become a third rail in the workplace, and poses a serious political problem for President Joe Biden. Over the past week, all that roiling discord seems to have focused with laser-like precision on one place: Columbia University in New York City. The Ivy League schools lush campus on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is known for many things. Its where the popular TV show Gossip Girl was often filmed. Its where Barack Obama finished his bachelor's degree and Hillary Clinton is now a professor. It even has a Donald Trump connection (Trump once called the universitys former president a moron for refusing to buy land from him for a new campus). And when law enforcement arrested more than 100 protesters on campus last week, a day after the university's president testified in Washington about her handling of a spike in antisemitism, it recalled an era of foment in the late '60s that put the school on the national map. The tumult on the New York City campus is more than just a political spectacle, though. It has become a microcosm of the intractable challenges facing higher education in the 21st century from managing political interference to balancing freedom of speech with a need to keep students and staff safe. A pro-Palestinian protestor is arrested outside Columbia University in Manhattan April 22, 2024. Protestors gathered on the streets near the campus after school officials closed the campus and made all classes remote. This came after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors took over large parts of the campus last week. It's not a shock Columbia has become a focal point for campus strife. The school is based in the largest U.S. city, with the second-biggest Jewish population in the world after Tel Aviv. About a fifth of the country's Muslim population is in New York City, too. The campus is easily accessible and open, a vestige of the political upheaval caused by students during the Vietnam War. Columbia has taken flak for years from progressives who view its growth into West Harlem as an example of gentrification, and conservatives who see it as a bastion of liberalism. All those factors have influenced the level of outrage on and around campus in recent weeks. As similar protests crop up at other universities, the demonstrations at Columbia and the choices its leaders are making are having a butterfly effect on schools nationwide. I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus, Minouche Shafik, the university's president, wrote in a message to students and staff Monday morning. Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. What happened? On Wednesday, Shafik traveled to Washington to address Republicans who had called her to a hearing about antisemitism on Columbias campus. Columbia University president testifies: Minouche Shafik fends off questions that took down her Ivy League peers Flanked by other administrators, she fended off a salvo of tough questions from Republicans and Democrats alike, many of whom expressed dismay about reports that Jewish students have felt unsafe since Hamas deadly attack on Israel Oct. 7. Grilling from those same lawmakers tripped up the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania at a similar proceeding in December, ultimately pushing them out of their posts. Shafik managed to dodge the mistakes of her peers but drew the ire of many Columbia faculty with her responses to questions from some politicians about individual professors whom lawmakers singled out. People feel extraordinarily betrayed by her lack of following university protocol, said Patricia Dailey, an associate English professor and vice president of Columbia's chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Shes caved already to the ways in which this discourse is framed. Things only got more hectic from there. While the cameras were trained on Shafik in Washington, students set up camps on lawns at the center of campus, demanding the university sever all its ties to Israel. The next morning, Shafik called in the New York City Police Department to clear out the demonstrators. Officers arrested more than 100 people. Law enforcement officials later said no injuries or violence were associated with that specific protest, according to the campus newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spectator. Tempers flared on the edges of the partially closed campus as rallies continued over the weekend. By Monday the White House had jumped into the fray, condemning reports of antisemitic rhetoric around the campus. A university rabbi warned Jewish students to stay home for their safety, though the campus Hillel chapter disagreed with that recommendation. All classes were held online Monday. By then, students at a growing number of universities across the country, including Harvard, Yale and the University of California, Berkeley, were taking their cues from Columbia, launching similar protests in solidarity. History of protests Colleges and universities have long been hotbeds for activism, playing an important role in shaping public sentiment on controversial issues. At Columbia, campus activism has a particularly contentious history. In 1968, massive student demonstrations threw the campus into violence and chaos. Anger over the universitys ties to the Vietnam War, and its plans to build what would effectively have been a segregated school gym on public land, led to hundreds of arrests. In the end, administrators ended the schools relationship with a war-connected think tank. Construction on the gym was halted. The 1968 protests altered administrators' attitudes about Columbia's relationship with the city, creating an impulse that persists today to make the campus feel open to the broader community. It took Columbia decades to recover its reputation and its endowment. The fallout from the upheaval sent the university into a financial tailspin, souring relationships with rich donors. Some New Yorkers still haven't forgotten the episode. Outside the schools gates Monday, a 70-year-old Columbia alum who identified herself by her first name, Daphne, held a sign that read, 50 years ago I was here to end the Vietnam War Today I am here to say FREE PALESTINE! She declined to give her full name because she said she feared being doxxed. New to the job Like the now-former presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, Shafik is new to her job. She took over the presidency just last year. Her lack of familiarity with the campus' history and internal dynamics likely hasn't been the best thing for all the controversy, said Robert McCaughey, an emeritus history professor at Barnard College and the author of Stand, Columbia: A History of Columbia University." And like her ousted Ivy League peers, she faces calls to resign. Republicans in the New York congressional delegation urged Shafik over the weekend to step down, while Democrats from the Empire State have been more judicious. The fact that she called in police somewhat placated Rep. Virginia Foxx, a congresswoman from North Carolina and the powerful Republican chair of the House education committee. She has not called for the president's ouster. McCaughey, who has studied every leader of the university, said he believes Shafik's presidency will survive. "Shes got some time. Contributing: Clare Mulroy Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Columbia became the epicenter of debate over the Israel-Hamas war Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced Tuesday evening that student organizers face a midnight deadline to reach an agreement to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protest encampment that has escalated tensions at the school and led some students to feel unsafe on campus. If no agreement is reached by then, the university will have to consider alternative options for clearing the encampment, Shafik said in a letter to the Columbia community. She did not elaborate on how administrators plan to clear the site. Shafik has faced enormous pressure from donors and lawmakers to dismantle the encampment and restore order even as she is under fire from faculty and students for calling in the New York Police Department last week to clear out an earlier encampment. The NYPD has not been asked by Columbia University to respond to campus at this time, a spokesman for the NYPD told CNN. I fully support the importance of free speech, respect the right to demonstrate, and recognize that many of the protestors have gathered peacefully, Shafik said. However, the encampment raises serious safety concerns, disrupts campus life, and has created a tense and at times hostile environment for many members of our community. Tuesday marked the seventh day of tense demonstrations at Columbia, which has moved to mostly hybrid classes on its main campus until the end of the semester due to the crisis. Pro-Palestinian protests continue to rock major American universities on Tuesday, prompting school officials across the country to take extraordinary steps to confront the growing crisis. The protests, counter-protests, actions by college officials and demands from lawmakers underscore the unrest thats engulfed American universities, leading some students, especially Jewish students, to fear for their safety as the Passover holiday is underway. As demonstrations ripple across other campuses, US House Speaker Mike Johnson will head to Columbia University Wednesday to visit Jewish students and deliver remarks regarding the troubling rise of virulent antisemitism on Americas college campuses, according to his office. More than 130 people were arrested Monday night at a pro-Palestinian protest at New York University, an NYPD official told CNN. NYU said it asked for help from the NYPD after school officials said there were intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents during a protest. That led to scenes of a chaotic confrontation between protesters and police in full riot gear. The NYPD official said the demonstrations werent violent overall, except for a few bottles thrown at police officers. At Yale University, at least 45 people were arrested and charged with trespassing on Monday after refusing to leave an on-campus protest, police said. Facing a dangerous and volatile situation, officials at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt decided to close the campus through Wednesday and move to remote classes for the safety of the campus community. Protesters there barricaded themselves inside a building on campus. Pro-Palestinian encampments have also been set up at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emerson College, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan. Nine people were arrested Tuesday morning at the University of Minnesotas Twin Cities campus after they formed an encampment that violated school policy, the university told CNN. Harvard University has closed Harvard Yard and officials at the university suspended a pro-Palestine student organization for allegedly violating school policies, according to the student group and a source with knowledge of the suspension. Officials at Columbia and other universities are facing intense pressure from all sides. Pro-Palestinian protesters and their supporters sometimes including faculty are condemning crackdowns on protests and free speech, while from some students, parents, donors and lawmakers are pleading with administrators to take new steps to restore order. Members of the Columbia chapter of the American Association of University Professors are expected to move for a censure of Shafik and other university officials for the decision last week to ask the NYPD to arrest protesters on campus, the student-run news outlet Columbia Daily Spectator and Bwog reported. At the same time, 10 Republican US House representatives from New York have called on Shafik to resign, saying they have no confidence in her leadership as the crisis unfolds. Several lawmakers, including a contingent of Jewish representatives, visited the campus Monday and argued the universitys lack of action against the protesters may be violating Title IX, a law that protects students from discrimination and harassment based on their race or nationality. Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, the chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, has warned university leaders of consequences if they do not rein in the protests. Organizers said earlier that pro-Palestinian protesters planned to rally at the gates of Columbia on Tuesday afternoon. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Tuesday he is deeply concerned about incidents of antisemitism at Columbia and pointed to the departments previously opened civil rights investigation. Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable, Cardona said. While we cant comment on pending investigations, every student deserves to feel a sense of safety and belonging at school. Hate has no place at our schools. A robust encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters has formed on Columbia University's West Lawn. - Stefan Jeremiah/AP Jewish student: We feel safer off campus than on it Protesters at Columbia are calling for the university to divest its funds from companies that profit from Israels war on Hamas in Gaza and sever ties with Israeli universities, according to an Instagram post from Columbia University Apartheid Divest, one of the organizing groups. They are also demanding the university release a public statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The group is in negotiations with the university through a legal negotiator, said student organizer Khymani James, who declined to share details of the negotiations. In recent days, the on-campus demonstrations have attracted non-university-affiliated protesters to the campus gates, which student organizers have sought to distance themselves from. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that authorities have identified outside agitators causing problems at the mostly peaceful student protests at Columbia, NYU and other schools in the city. We cant have outside agitators come in and be disruptive, he said, adding that officials strongly believe that has been happening. Shafik, the Columbia president, said in her statement issued shortly after 1 am ET on Monday that the on-campus tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas. As the protests continue, a growing sense of unease has spread among Columbias Jewish community, particularly as they enter the approximately weeklong observation of Passover, a major Jewish holiday celebrating freedom. Inbar Brand, an Israeli and Jewish student at Columbia, expressed frustration with how university officials have handled the situation. Columbia prefers to disrupt the expensive educations of tens of thousands of students in their last week of classes over clearing the illegal and violent local occupation of a few hundred, Brand told CNN in an email. Jacob Schmeltz, a senior at Columbia, told CNN he typically celebrated Passover on campus, but has chosen to go home for the holiday this year. Jewish students have had enough, and its gotten to the point that we feel safer off campus than on it, he said. Hagar Chemali, an adjunct associate professor of international and public affairs at the university, told CNN, If I had my child at Columbia, I also would tell them to go home. Its not just because of the tension on campus, its also because those protests on campus have invited extremists outside, Chemali said, referring to non-student protesters who have been demonstrating near the campus. When asked about the encampment making Jewish students feel unsafe on campus, a protester who identified themselves as W said the occupants are trying their best to make sure everyone feels safe in the encampment and their community guidelines preach and hope for peace continuously. Professors association rebukes Columbia president Meanwhile, in their Resolution of Censure against Shafik, members of the American Association of University Professors accuse her and other university officials of violating the fundamental requirements of academic freedom and accuse an unprecedented assault on students rights, the Columbia Daily Spectator and Bwog reported. Shafik ignored the opinions of the faculty and students on the Senate Executive Committee who unanimously rejected her request to summon armed New York City police onto our campus and falsely claimed the students arrested posed a clear and present danger to the substantial functioning of the University, the resolution submitted Monday said, according to Bwog. The universitys general counsel, chief operating officer and the co-chairs of the Board of Trustees were also included in the resolution, Bwog reported. The group isnt calling for Shafiks resignation but would like a recommitment to our core values on the part of our President, her administration, and the Board of Trustees. We want to work with her. We want her and her administration to turn back from the road that theyve started down last week, David Lurie, president of the Barnard and Columbia chapter of AAUP and professor of Asian humanities, told the Spectator. President Shafik is focused on de-escalating the rancor on Columbias campus. She is working across campus with members of the faculty, administration, and board of trustees, and with state, city, and community leaders, and appreciates their support, a Columbia University spokesperson told the New York Times. CNN has reached out to the university for comment and the AAUP for additional information. What its like inside the encampment Columbias West Lawn has become the epicenter of the universitys protest movement as it has become occupied by an encampment hosting scores of tents sheltering pro-Palestinian students and some allies from neighboring Barnard College. On Monday, the encampment was quiet a stark contrast from the outspoken protesters gathered outside the universitys private campus, whose chants included, I believe that we will win and Long live the Intifada. A smaller group of pro-Israeli protesters had also gathered Monday, chanting Down with Hamas and Victory to Israel. Demonstrators are calling for universities to divest from companies they say profit from Israel's war with Gaza. - Caitlin Ochs/Reuters Dozens and dozens of tents lined the student encampment Monday, where tables were piled with supplies of clothes, food and hygiene products. The days program included teach-ins, poetry readings and film screenings. Some students were quietly finishing assignments, while others were painting posters. Signs along the perimeter read, End the siege on Gaza now and Welcome to the Peoples University of Palestine. However, Democratic House Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey described the encampment as full of protesters spewing incendiary antisemitic hate and vitriol. Gottheimer was among a group of Jewish lawmakers who visited the campus Monday, including Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Dan Goldman of New York and Kathy Manning of North Carolina. Elsewhere around campus, students were eating and completing assignments, and some walked down the street in graduation gowns, seemingly to take graduation photos. Risers are set up for an upcoming commencement ceremony. Students arrested at Yale and NYU protests As the demonstrations at Columbia have stretched on, smaller protests some with their own encampments have emerged at several major colleges and universities across the country. The dozens of students arrested at Yale Monday morning will be referred for Yale disciplinary action, which includes a range of sanctions, such as reprimand, probation, or suspension, the university said. The demonstrators were advocating for Yales divestment from military weapons manufacturers, a university spokesperson said. The arrests at NYU Monday night came during a demonstration outside its business school near Washington Square Park. An initial protest of about 50 people began Monday morning, NYU spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement. The University closed access to the plaza, put barriers in place, and made clear that we were not going to allow additional protesters to join because the protests were already considerably disruptive of classes and other operations in schools around the plaza. Additional protesters many the university believe were not affiliated with NYU pushed through barriers and joined the demonstration Monday afternoon and the school witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior, the school said. In a letter to the NYPD, NYU said the demonstrators refused repeated requests to leave and the school requested that police clear the protesters, whom the school considered trespassers, according to a copy of the letter shared by Deputy Police Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry. CNNs Chris Boyette, Mark Morales, Holly Yan, Caroll Alvarado, Ramishah Maruf, Chandelis Duster, Nic F. Anderson, Isabel Rosales, Shimon Prokupecz, Cindy Von Quednow, Melissa Alonso and Robert Ilich contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The FBI is coordinating with college campuses to make them aware of antisemitic threats and possible violence in connection with the ongoing wave of protests over the Israel-Hamas war, FBI Director Christopher Wray told NBC News' Lester Holt in an exclusive interview Tuesday. He said the FBI is keenly focused on working with state and local law enforcement, campus law enforcement and others to try to make sure that we stay ahead of any threats of violence. Wray said the FBI doesnt monitor protests, but we do share intelligence about specific threats of violence with campuses, with state and local law enforcement. In a wide-ranging interview slated to air on "NBC Nightly News," he spoke expansively about what he views as the national security threat from TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by a Chinese company. Congress is moving toward passing legislation requiring that company, ByteDance, to divest itself of TikTok. Asked to describe the real-world threat from TikTok, Wray said, using an acronym to refer to the Chinese Communist Party, that national security officials are concerned it provides Chinese intelligence services with the ability to collect the data, the ability to control the recommendation algorithm, which means the ability to push CCP narratives, pro-CCP narratives, downplay criticism of the Chinese government, in effect, enlist millions of users as unwitting advocates of CCP propaganda. He added that the Chinese government also has the ability to control the software, which gives the opportunity to technically compromise the devices, the phones, millions and millions of phones. Asked what he would say to the millions of people in the United States who regularly use TikTok for business or pleasure and simply dont care about the perceived risks, Wray said, "My message is, you need to take into account who the Chinese government is, who the Chinese Communist Party is." The plight of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped New Yorks Central Park Zoo last year, showed just how tough it is to survive in a world altered by humans. The gorgeous creature with a six-foot wing span, piercing orange eyes and tufted ears captivated the world as he flew freely throughout Manhattan. Flaco fans posted social media updates every time they sighted him soaring, landing and catching prey, sparking an intense love affair. But then it was over. After a year on the lam, Flaco died after flying into a Manhattan high rise. Crying emojis dominated social media. The reactions almost seemed outsized but paying attention to nature will do that to a person. We had come to know Flaco, in a way. A necropsy showed he had also ingested a potentially lethal amount of rat poison. Falling for birds why we are attracted to owls The attention to Flacos life and death isnt an anomaly. During the pandemic, people who had never been interested in the wildlife in their own backyards began to take notice. Owls popularity has soared in the US along with the number of Americans engaged in birdwatching. A survey by the US Fish and Wildlife Service found a whopping 96 million people now take part in observing or photographing birds in parks or their backyards. Thats double the birdwatching going on just eight years ago. But theres something particularly special about owls people seem to appreciate. Maybe its because they look like us, says, Denver Holt with the Owl Research Institute. Theyve got a big head; they have the symmetry of the eyes, nose and mouth, muses Holt. We tend to gravitate to animals with big, round eyes. Holt says owls are one of the most widely recognized groups of animals in the world. They have been so since prehistoric times. In the caves of France, there are etchings of owls scratched on the cave walls. A family portrait of burrowing owls in Florida. Open grasslands are shrinking where the tiny burrowing owl makes its home nesting in underground burrows. - Carlos Carreno/Moment RF/Getty Images/File And, he says, they make such cool sounds - hooting, tooting, and trilling. They help humans with pests, he says, eating an average of six mice or rats a night. And theyre beautiful. Often with bright yellow eyes, its fascinating how these birds can hunt in the dark- their vision is amazing at night, says David Wiedenfeld, Senior Conservation Scientist with the American Bird Conservancy. If you look at their feather patterns, (theyre) very intricate, Wiedenfeld says. Owls have special feathers that are softer than a lot of birds. They make almost no sound in flight, so they can surprise their prey. Owls are losing habitat, but all is not lost Sadly, many species of owls are declining with some highly threatened, says Wiedenfeld. Of 19 owl species found in the United States, more than half are losing populations a similar trend to all birds. The biggest reasons are habitat loss from climate change and human land use, collisions (especially during migrations) and pesticides that kill insects and rodents that owls rely on, according to the American Bird Conservancy. We have to start making sure we keep the habitat for the owl, says Wiedenfeld. Old-growth forests are dwindling in the US and Canada because of the high value of timber, a major reason for the huge drop in spotted owl populations, according to the American Bird Conservancy. Open grasslands are shrinking where the tiny burrowing owl makes its home nesting in underground burrows. Where it was once plentiful, the Burrowing Owls numbers have plummeted in Florida. Florida is largely turning into condominiums, Wiedenfeld tells CNN. A short-eared owl taking off. - Ghost Bear/Shutterstock The lack of open grassland has also impacted the short-eared owl, whose population has decreased an estimated 65 percent since 1970, according to the Audubon Society. Much of that grassland is being used for agriculture corn, soybeans, wheat, says Wiedenfeld. The American Bird Conservancy is working with farmers to set aside some undisturbed land for nature. The snowy owl People whod never birdwatched before have flocked to snowy owl sightings over the years, says Holt, the owl researcher. But their future also looks dim. The snowy owl has lost half its population in the past 50 years, according to the State of the Birds 2022 report. Holt has been tracking them for more than three decades in Montana and their breeding grounds in Canada. Last year, he and his fellow field researchers found zero nests. Its disappointing. Each year you go up with hopes the lemming population is high (their food source) and Snowy Owls will make a rebound. You get there, and you just dont find nests. Owl experts say they dont know exactly whats causing the Snowy Owls decline, but the American Bird Conservancy says climate change is likely affecting their prey, as well as collisions with vehicles, communications towers, wind turbines and airplanes. Seven things you can do to help save owls 1. Keep large, older trees Leaving trees is the most important thing people can do for most of the owls, says Wiedenfeld. Most owls sleep and roost in tree holes which are often found in older trees. Many, like screech owls, will use big woodpecker holes or a hollow where a branch has broken off. Great horned owls, dont use holes, but build their large nests in trees. Eastern screech owl, finding shelter in a tree cavity. They often occupy abandoned woodpecker nest holes. - stanley45/iStockphoto/Getty Images/File A lot of people in suburban areas dont like to leave old trees. They worry about them falling, says Wiedenfeld. But if you have a place where you dont have to worry about safety or buildings, leave them so they can have tree cavities. There are so many reasons people use to take snags down, says Holt. One of the last things they think about is their importance to wildlife. 2. Leave some of yard natural or messy Many homeowners strive to maintain spotless lawns with no weeds, no leaves, no brush, no mess. But if you want owls or any birds in your backyard, thats not what draws them. Allow there to be some disorder. Allow a few tree snags; leave the corner of your field a little bit weedy, says Wiedenfeld. Try not to have everything mowed as a lawn. And, he says, keep a small brush pile in a corner away from your house, if you can. It will benefit birds and makes a place for prey that will help the owls. 3. Put up a nest box If youre looking for a fun project with the kids, a nest box can be a really nice thing to do at home, says Holt. Owls will often use those boxes for shelter and brooding, especially if there is a lack of tree holes on your property. Then you might get to see baby owls talk about cute. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great guide for building nest boxes for many types of owls or birds. 4. Avoid using pesticides and rodenticides If youre trying to get rid of rats or mice, owls are the perfect pest control. Poisons may be lethal to rodents, but they also kill the owls and hawks that prey on them. All over the country pest companies continue to use second generation rodenticides. They are anticoagulants which cause vermin to bleed to death. The mice or rats will eat the rodenticide, and then they dont die immediately, says Wiedenfeld. They wander out into the open, sick from having ingested the poison, and they make an easy target for the owl. A barn owl captures a mouse. Barn owls live in open habitats across most of the lower 48 United States. Nest boxes have helped populations recover in areas where natural nest sites were scarce, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. - RMMPPhotography/Shutterstock An owl can pick up a lot of poison eating at least four rodents a night, and many more during breeding season. If the poison doesnt kill them, eventually an injury will because theyll bleed to death. Any slight injury (to the owl) can cause internal bleeding. Its a pretty horrible death, Wiedenfeld says. The EPA has banned their use in products sold to individual homeowners, but they are still allowed in the commercial market, including restaurants, farms or any business. 5. Use bird-safe glass or decals Its extremely common for birds, like Flaco did, to collide with buildings. The windows on our homes and office buildings reflect the sky and clouds, making it look like safe passage. Collision is one of the leading causes of bird mortality. An estimated one billion birds die this way each year. One way to combat this is with decals for home windows. Most are transparent and only birds can see the ultraviolet reflection that wards them off. Many birding groups like American Bird Conservancy are working with developers and state governments to build bird-safe buildings from the start. In fact, Flacos death spurred the New York State Senate to rename its Bird Safe Buildings Act the FLACO ( Feathered Lives Also Count) Act. If passed, it would require new state buildings (and those significantly altered) to adopt bird-friendly designs. 6. Become a wildlife volunteer or citizen scientist Wildlife rescue centers are always looking for volunteers to help with the care of tens of thousands of injured and orphaned animals every year. When it comes to owls, many have been poisoned, hit by cars, hurt in a building collision, or caught up in fish netting and barbed wire. Once theyve lost the use of a wing, or sight in an eye, its hard for them to be released back into the wild. Some injured owls become ambassadors to show school children the wonders of nature. You can also report injured owls to wildlife rehabilitators in your area- https://ahnow.org/ Grab some binoculars and be a citizen scientist. You can participate in counting birds through census-taking. The Great Backyard Bird Count happens every year in February and the Christmas Bird Count You every December. Scientists rely on these numbers to determine how bird populations are faring year after year. 7. Donate to Bird Charities Birding and conservation groups are working every day to save bird species and preserve more habitat for wildlife. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A dock sits on a dry portion of Medina Lakes bed in 2022. The Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, which manages the lake, has asked a judge to dismiss a suit filed by the San Antonio Water System over a contract providing water from the lake to the city-owned utility. William Luther/Staff photographer A Hill Country water district is trying to land a knockout blow in its multimillion-dollar legal battle with San Antonio Water System. The Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, commonly known as BMA, is asking a state district judge to dismiss a lawsuit SAWS filed against it last year. SAWS sued in an attempt to get out of a contract that it says is forcing it to pay millions of dollars each year to the water district without getting anything in return. At issue is a 2007 contract between the two entities that allows SAWS to take water out of Medina Lake. BMA which is headquartered in the Medina County town of Natalia manages Medina Lake and uses a canal system to distribute water to customers, including farmers who use it for irrigation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SAWS, which serves more than 500,000 customers, hasnt taken any water from the lake in years, because it says the water quality has been too poor to be treated at SAWS filtration plant. But the agreement is a take or pay contract, which means that whether or not SAWS is able to receive the water, it must pay for the full amount at market rate determined annually. In 2023, the city-owned utility was paying about $165 per acre foot, or just under $3.3 million. SAWS has paid about $30 million to BMA since 2013, and the contract runs through 2049. SAWS wasnt involved in negotiating the contract, which was initially between BMA and the now-defunct Bexar Metropolitan Water District, known as BexarMet. In 2012, voters dissolved BexarMet, and its assets and liabilities were absorbed by SAWS including the water supply agreement. No longer satisfied with its bargain SAWS is trying to get out of the contract, saying it is being forced to pay for water it does not currently use, has not used for nearly a decade and has no plan to prospectively use in part due to BMAs current method of management of the resource during times of drought. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SAWS has argued, among other things, that the contract violates public policy. In a response filed last week, BMAs lawyers say the utilitys claims have no basis in fact or law, and also contend that the court doesnt have jurisdiction to rule in the dispute. BMAs filing argues that it has governmental immunity from the utilitys claims, that SAWS hasnt actually alleged BMA has acted outside its authority, and that state district court isnt the appropriate venue for the dispute. A contract does not become void simply because one party is no longer satisfied with its bargain, attorney Marisa Secco Giles wrote in the filing. SAWS has tried to make the agreement work, Donovan Burton, the utilitys vice president for water resources and government relations, told the San Antonio Express-News last year. SAWS took water from the lake in 2012, but stopped in 2013, with utility officials saying the water quality was too poor to be treated at SAWS filtration plant, in part because of how low the water level was in the lake. In 2015, SAWS tried to resume using water from the lake and stopped after about a month for the same reason. Since then, SAWS hasnt taken any of its water under the contract. Lake Medina is currently less 3% full, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To use water from the lake, SAWS would need to build a new treatment plant, which would cost SAWS at least $35 million, Burton said last year. The utility wouldnt make that investment for a water source thats so unreliable and interruptible. Medina Lake is seen in June 2023 behind the dam as the lake sits at 5.2% full, according to the Texas Water Development Boards Water Data For Texas website. Medina Lake is managed by the Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Counties WCID #1. The San Antonio Water System has filed a lawsuit to get out of a 40-year agreement with the BMA requiring SAWS to pay millions of dollars every year for water from Medina Lake, which the utility says it cant use and doesnt need. William Luther/Staff Contract law vs. public policy SAWS is claiming that the contract violates public policy specifically, the policy SAWS is guided by for the preservation of the financial integrity of the system. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In response, BMA said the agreement is a typical raw water contract and said that SAWS itself agrees that the type of contract isn't uncommon in water supply agreements. The water district also is objecting to SAWS claim, made in its amended petition filed in February, that the contract violates the state constitutions gift clause. These provisions bar donations of funds from one governmental entity to another, as well as donations from governmental entities to private entities, SAWS argued. BMA objected, calling the agreement a classic contract for the sale of water, not a gift. Medina Lakes iconic Tiki Island, seen in 2022, has become a peninsula as the lake drops to 6.5% full. Lake Medina is currently less 3% full, according to the Texas Water Development Board. William Luther/Staff SAWS specious arguments would allow any buyer to void a long-term supply contract it no longer wishes to honor, BMA said. But black-letter law in Texas provides that a contract is not void or a gift simply because the buyer no longer wants or needs the supplies. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The water district also argued that the Public Utility Commission has exclusive jurisdiction over wholesale water rates, so the state district court where the lawsuit was filed doesnt have jurisdiction. While SAWS argued in its petition that BMA is discriminating against it by charging more for municipal use than irrigation use, the district said only the utility commission can review those rates. BMA asked the court to dismiss SAWS lawsuit, or suspend it until the utility commission makes a decision on the rate questions. GOP Rep. Mike Lawler (N.Y.) on Monday emphasized the need for consequences against those involved in the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. I mean there are consequences to actions. Thats what some of these folks dont seem to understand. You cant call for the eradication of Jews and think everything is going to be just OK because youre entitled to free speech, Lawler said Monday in an interview on NewsNations The Hill. Lawler was responding to comments made by the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Isra Hirsi, who was among the more than 100 students arrested last week for participating in cease-fire protests at Columbia. Hirsi was also among three students suspended from Barnard College, cutting off her access to food and housing. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Hirsi said she has been basically evicted after the suspension and is concerned about her food access as she relies on her dining plan for meals. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have lasted for six days at Columbia University, where hundreds of students are occupying the center of campus in protest of the ongoing violence in Gaza. Protestors are calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel. Columbia administrators, led by university President Minouche Shafik, authorized New York police last week to arrest students involved with the protests, prompting further tensions on campus. Lawler was one of 10 House Republicans from New York to call on Shafik to resign, arguing Columbias campus has been overrun by anarchy. Youre not entitled to make threats against people, and thats why the president of Columbia needs to resign immediately, Lawler said on The Hill. She has failed in her obligation her primary responsibility to ensure the safety and the well-being of students on that campus. The ongoing protests led to concerns about Jewish students safety, and Columbia moved classes online starting Monday, hours ahead of the start of the Jewish holiday Passover. Antisemitism has been on the rise since Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, though a significant portion of the protesting students are Jewish. Several protest groups have pushed back against characterizations of their demonstrations as antisemitic. Asked why he joined the calls for Shafik to resign, Lawler said, When you look at the terrorist attack of Oct. 7, it was rooted in one thing. In Gaza, they are taught to hate Jews and to want to kill Jews. And what were seeing on campuses all across America, but especially here at Columbia University, we are seeing antisemitism rear its ugly head, he continued. And these institutions have allowed it to happen. If this was a racist protest, if this was a protest against gay people, if this was a protest against immigrants, you would see the institution crack down on it very quickly and rightfully so. In the wake of Hamass Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, House leaders launched investigations into college campuses responses to increasing antisemitism. The leaders of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were grilled by the House Education Committee in December. Their responses sparked backlash, prompting two of the three school leaders to resign. Responding to the criticisms of Columbias administration, Shafik said Monday in a statement that she is deeply saddened by the campus protests. President Shafik is focused on deescalating the rancor on Columbias campus, a university spokesperson told The Hill. As President Shafik has said repeatedly, the safety of our community is our number one priority. Columbia students have the right to protest, but they are not allowed to disrupt campus life or harass and intimidate fellow students and members of our community. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. This story was updated at 10:21 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Lawyers for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of stabbing to death four Idaho college students in 2022, can continue their survey of prospective jurors in the state, the judge overseeing his case has ruled. Kohberger's lawyers had hired a consultant to conduct community phone polling ahead of his upcoming capital murder trial in order to gauge the attitude and potential bias of people who could one day decide his fate. That survey -- which had become a source of pretrial contention -- can now proceed without changing any of the questions, including the nine with which prosecutors have taken issue. "The defense may continue its surveys without modification to the survey questions," Judge John Judge, overseeing the case, said in his order filed Friday and posted to the docket Monday afternoon. Judge had put the so-called non-dissemination order in place to preserve Kohbergers right to a fair trial in the high-profile case. The "goal" of the gag order "is to ensure a fair and impartial jury can be impaneled so that Defendant receives a fair trial," Judge said. "If defense counsel believes asking these survey questions, which arguably contain prejudicial information or misinformation about Defendant, is more beneficial than harmful, as Defendant's expert testified, this Court does not, at this juncture, have sufficient information or evidence to second guess that strategic decision by trial counsel." Previously, prosecutor Bill Thompson, leading the case against Kohberger, argued some of the survey questions commissioned by Kohberger's defense had effectively poisoned the opinions of 400 local community members beyond repair. He said in documents and in court that some of the pollster queries not only violated the gag order, but that a few of the questions spread false information about the case, and could foster a "false impression" amongst potential jurors. Kohberger's lead attorney, Anne Taylor, argued their poll questions were based on information obtained in the "public record," and discussed in the media and, moreover, the fact that some of the information was untrue was part of the point since, Taylor said, the rumor mill can influence opinion as effectively as fact, and gauging bias is exactly their aim determining whether a local jury pool could be fair and impartial. PHOTO: Bryan Kohberger is escorted into a courtroom for a hearing in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (Ted S. Warren/AP, FILE) MORE: University of Idaho murders: The timeline of events Here's how the judge assessed the nine questions "at issue" in his ruling: Six of the questions came from the probable cause affidavit, which is publicly available; thus, asking about it does not violate the gag order. One of the questions "was not based on admissible or inadmissible 'evidence' but instead asked about the feelings" of community members in Moscow, Idaho, where the killings allegedly occurred therefore, it did not violate the gag order. The remaining two questions, which asked about certain "media items," were "read into the public record and discussed at length" during the recent hearings litigating the survey, "including the fact that these 'media items' may not be true," the judge said. "Because the information is now in the public record, the Court does not see any benefit in preventing the defense from continuing its surveys or requiring that the two questions at issue be eliminated." Kohberger's team will now be able to proceed with their survey, which is part of their larger attempt to convince the judge to move the trial to a different county, arguing the local jury pool has been tainted by pre-trial publicity. That survey, Kohberger lawyer Taylor has said, already determined that the Latah County pool of potential jurors would not be able to be fair and impartial in his case. Now, Taylor has said, they want to assess potential bias in other areas of the state, where it could be heard by jurors who have not been exposed to more than a year of news coverage about the case. Prosecutors, for their part, have argued the national, if not international attention this case has received makes moving it from one Idaho county to another futile. Objecting to some of the survey questions, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson read nine examples aloud in court, which he said "concern" their team "immensely": "Question. Have you read, seen or heard if Bryan Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania?" Thompson read during an April 4 hearing. Additional questions Thompsons team was concerned with are: "Question: Have you read, seen or heard if police found a knife sheath on the bed next to one of the victims?" "Question. Have you read, seen or heard that DNA found on the knife sheath was later matched to Bryan Kohberger?" "Question: Have you read, seen or heard if Bryan Kohberger owned the same type of car recorded on video driving in the neighborhood where the killings occurred?" "Have you seen -- read seen or heard if the cell phone tower data showed that Bryan Kohberger made several trips near the victims' home in the month before the killing?" "Have you read, seen or heard if university students in Moscow and their parents lived in fear until Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the murders?" "Have you read, seen or heard if Bryan Kohberger said that he was out driving alone on the night of the murders?" "Have you read, seen or heard if Bryan Kohberger stalked one of the victims?" "Have you read, seen or heard if Bryan Kohberger had followed one of the victims on social media?" MORE: Congress seems poised to pass potential TikTok ban in US. How would it work? Prosecutors allege that in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, Kohberger, then a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University, broke into an off-campus home and stabbed four University of Idaho students to death: Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. After a six-week investigation, police zeroed in on Kohberger as the suspect, arresting him in December 2022 at his family's home in Pennsylvania. He was indicted in May 2023 and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. At his arraignment, he declined to offer a plea, so the judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. Kohberger could face the death penalty if convicted. His lawyers have said their client wasn't in the home where the homicides occurred and was out driving that night. Lawyers also say they'll have expert cell phone tower data analysis to back that up. A trial date has not yet been set. A hearing on Kohberger's request for a change of venue is set for June 27. ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report. Idaho college murders: Bryan Kohberger community survey can proceed, judge rules originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Kate Boardman, a content creator who has traveled the world, in Guatemala. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wanders Kate Boardman has visited 54 countries around the world and lived in 10, including the US. She's enjoyed spots like France and Bali but says people should visit underrated places like Oman. In Guatemala, she climbed an active volcano, and in Ecuador, she swam with hammerhead sharks. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Boardman, a 36-year-old former teacher and current content creator from Massachusetts who has lived and traveled all over the world. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I first lived abroad when I was 15, when I participated in an exchange program in Germany. I lived there for a year, attending school and staying with a host family. That was my first exposure to living overseas and truly immersing myself in other cultures. From there, the travel bug hit me hard. It inspired me to study international business in France while I was at university, and future trips after that. I've been to 54 countries and lived in 10, including the US. The sense of freedom and self-growth that comes from traveling is unbeatable. I also love being able to see the world in a different way. Boardman in Tblisi, Georgia. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wanders The most popular destinations are popular for a reason. Everyone talks about Paris, London, Bali all travel destinations that are super popular, in part thanks to social media. I visited Bali in early 2012 and saw it expand firsthand. There was a lot of construction with many beach clubs being built and it became overcrowded by foreigners. It's led to locals being priced out of their homes. I also think spots like Cancun are super overrated; there are way cooler places to visit in Mexico. Many tourists spend a week in an all-inclusive resort and think that's fun but that couldn't be more unattractive to me. Obviously, there's still beauty in places that are oversaturated and famous. But I think that there's an excitement that comes from experiencing places that are off the beaten track. It's often in those places that you can have the most surprising experiences. I was treated like family in Iran I would say my favorite country that I have visited is Iran. I went in 2018 and was there for 10 days. Normally, when I'm traveling, I backpack alone and stay in hostels as a solo traveler. However, in Iran, if you're American, Canadian, or from the UK, in order to get permission to enter the country, you need a set itinerary and a licensed travel guide. It was a very coordinated trip and a bit more challenging to visit, but it was so rewarding because I was welcomed with the warmest hospitality. One of the unique aspects of this trip was how close my guide and I became. He went above and beyond, inviting me over to his family's house for dinner, where I got to meet and hang out with his friends and family. It was truly special. Boardman at Maharloo Lake in Iran. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wanders Because I had a guide, everything was kind of set for me in Iran. He arranged different accommodations, including a road trip through the country, where we stayed in various cities at different guesthouses. It only cost me around $1,000. The nature and landscape of Iran are absolutely beautiful and amazing. The sights, attractions, and history are mind-blowing. You've got these gorgeous mosaics everywhere. All of the architecture had my jaw dropping in awe while walking around. The food is also delicious, and the markets are incredible, each filled with gorgeous textiles, jewelry, turquoise, and rugs. I would totally visit there again. I hope the political situation changes because that would definitely be one of my group trip destinations. I think it's just incredible. Georgia took me by surprise Georgia is just one of those countries that's not on a lot of people's radar. And then they go there and they're like, 'Whoa, that's awesome. Why didn't I know about this before?' I knew very little about Georgia before I visited in 2018. I spent only five days in the country, but I was completely blown away. I stayed in Tbilisi, which is the capital city. It's a really beautiful, trendy, and artsy kind of city. It has amazing wine and incredible food. Probably one of my favorite things about the trip is that I stayed in this hostel called Fabrika. It was an old Soviet Union sewing factory that they turned into a super cool, industrial, hipster hostel. In Tbilisi, I also went on a pub crawl throughout the Old Town, which featured a bunch of underground cellars and bunkers that have been turned into trendy nightclubs and bars. Boardman on top of a mountain in Kazbegi, Georgia. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wanders During my time in the country, I took a trip out to the countryside to an area called Kazbegi, which is absolutely stunning. There were gorgeous and breathtaking mountains, hills, and massive churches. In the city, I also had a Turkish bath, which is a big thing in Georgia. I got a full scrub down. Guatemala has something for everyone When most people from the US think about going to Central America, they're focused on Mexico or Costa Rica. Guatemala seems to be a place that kind of gets overlooked. But life is great in Guatemala. You've got beautiful weather all year round, the jungle, rainforests, and the Caribbean's white sand beaches, while the Pacific side has its black sand beaches. It's got a little bit of everything. Boardman at the Tikal National Park in Guatemala. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wanders I first lived in Guatemala in 2021, where I worked as a teacher at an international school. They provided housing in Guatemala City. However, after I finished working for them, I moved to a beach town on the Pacific coast and lived there for about six months. I've traveled there on other occasions too, staying for periods of four or five months. The typical salary for a Guatemalan is about $500 a month, with a good salary being $1,000. I would say that $2,000 a month is more than enough to live there extremely comfortably. There are a lot of digital nomads moving there, especially to Antigua an old colonial town with a lot of charm, cobblestone streets, and painted buildings. Boardman on a hammock in Livingston, Guatemala. Courtesy of Kate Boardman There's just so much to do in Guatemala; it's so magical. The biggest must do is hiking the active volcano called Acatenango. Sometimes, you can see it erupting right from its base camp. There's not many places in the world where you can experience that. Another good place to visit is El Paredon, a super up-and-coming hippie surf town. The surfing is great, and you've got these black volcanic sand beaches. It's just a really laid-back place. Lake Atitlan is also an incredible spot. It's surrounded by volcanoes and several Mayan villages, each with its own personality and vibe. Oman's deserts are magical Oman is in the Middle East, bordering the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. I've been there three times between 2016 and 2018. The country is culturally rich, and the capital city, Muscat, is really beautiful. It has old traditional marketplaces and gorgeous architecture the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is definitely worth checking out. Boardman sitting on a sand dune in Oman. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wanders The deserts there are incredible, so doing a desert trip is a must. I camped out in the desert with the locals, rode camels, and drove Jeeps over the sand dunes. Having tea and watching the sunset in the desert was magical too. Oman also has wadis, which are basically big canyons in the middle of the desert with swimming holes. There, you'll find bright turquoise water contrasting with the orange rock. The country's islands are also beautiful and incredible for snorkeling. They look like you'd be in the Caribbean, but you're in the Middle East. The Galapagos Islands are truly like nowhere else in the world I visited Ecuador last year for about six weeks. I was leading a gap year program with a group of high school students. We split our time between the Galapagos Islands and the mainland, which consisted of cities and the Amazon. Because Ecuador has incredibly unique biodiversity that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, The Galapagos Islands are an absolute must. I've never seen such incredible wildlife in my life; so many species exist only on those islands. While visiting The Galapagos, my group went snorkeling with 50 to 100 hammerhead and Blacktip sharks. We also swam with sea lions and saw giant tortoises. A giant tortoise at The Galapagos Islands. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wanders Another amazing aspect of Ecuador is learning about the Inca culture. My group did a homestay and lived with a family for about 10 days and learned about their way of life. We experienced how connected they are with Mother Earth, whom they refer to as Pachamama, and learned about their traditional medicine: They grow their own food and seek out plant medicine when they're sick, rather than relying on processed foods. Learning about and sharing their way of life was truly special. I want to show people how to travel the world There are many beliefs people have about different countries and cultures, sometimes considering them too dangerous, expensive, or unattainable. I want to inspire more people to explore, step out of their comfort zones, and experience more of the world. I am hosting group trips with the goal of bringing people to these countries and showing them why they are so life-changing. Read the original article on Business Insider A judge has declared a mistrial in the criminal case against 75-year-old Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly, accused of fatally shooting a migrant on his property near the U.S.-Mexico border, the court confirmed Monday night. Jurors had been deliberating since Thursday afternoon. Kelly was charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault in the Jan. 30, 2023, fatal shooting of Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, 48, a migrant who lived across the border in Nogales, Mexico. He had pleaded not guilty. Law enforcement officials said Cuen-Buitimea was traveling with a group of migrants who ran when they saw border patrol agents in the area. Cuen-Buitimea and another migrant were allegedly heading back to the southern side of the border when they passed through Kelly's cattle ranch. It's then that prosecutors alleged Kelly recklessly fired his AK-47 from a distance of about 115 yards, fatally striking Cuen-Buitimea in the back. During the trial, prosecutors pointed out inconsistent statements Kelly made to law enforcement officials throughout the investigation. PHOTO: In this Feb. 22, 2023, file photo, George Alan Kelly enters Courtroom Three for his preliminary hearing, in Nogales Justice Court, in Nogales, Arizona. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via USA Today Network, FILE) According to prosecutors, Kelly initially told Jeremy Marcel -- a border patrol agent who worked as a ranch liaison -- he was returning fire after being shot at by a group of five armed individuals who were wearing packs and running southbound. Prosecutors claimed Kelly at first failed to tell law enforcement agents he shot his weapon. Prosecutors said his story changed minutes later when he told law enforcement officials it was a group of about 10-15 people armed with AR-style rifles. Authorities say Cuen-Buitimea was unarmed and they were unable to find evidence that another weapon had been fired. MORE: Migrant encounters along southwest border reach all-time high of 302,000 "When you see two unarmed migrants walking southbound beyond two fence lines and you take your AK-47, you walk out and don't say a word, point it at them and you shoot, would that be what a reasonable person would do in that situation?" prosecutor Mike Jette asked the jury during his closing arguments. "The answer has to be no." Kelly's lawyers tried to poke holes in the prosecutor's account of the incident and accused law enforcement officials of failing to follow other leads that would have cleared their client of any wrongdoing. They also accused law enforcement of falsely claiming that Kelly admitted to shooting at multiple people. "That was not true, Alan never said that. Law enforcement wasn't listening and they didn't care, they already decided that he was guilty," said defense attorney Brenna Larkin. The defense claimed Kelly was protecting himself and his wife and only fired warning shots several yards above the group. Authorities were not able to find the bullet that struck Cuen-Buitimea. The defense claimed he was shot by another person in the group. Lead detective Jorge Ainza testified during the trial and told Kelly's attorneys he believed Kelly shot at Cuen-Buitimea. "There is no other shot involved in this. The victim sustained a serious injury from a high-powered rifle, an AK-47 rifle with a trajectory directly from Mr. Kelly's residence," he said. During the trial, jurors visited Kelly's ranch. Investigators said they found a total of 9 shell casings outside of his home that fit the pattern of shots fired in Cuen-Buitimea's direction. Jurors also heard testimony from Daniel Ramirez, a migrant who said he was with Cuen-Buitimea who he claimed grabbed his chest and said, "I'm hit" before dying. Ramirez testified that they were being smuggled into the United States and were not trafficking drugs. Ramirez admitted to smuggling marijuana on one previous occasion to reduce the fee he owed smugglers to get him across the border. MORE: Supreme Court pauses strict Texas immigration law ahead of ruling Kelly was charged with aggravated assault against Ramirez. Prosecutors also showed jurors text messages allegedly sent by Kelly, which prosecution claimed showed his state of mind in the weeks before the shooting. "OVERUN WITH DRUG CARTEL. AK GTN A LOT OF WORK," one text message read. Court documents obtained by ABC News showed another text message exchange between Kelly and a friend on Nov. 23, 2022. The friend asked Kelly what his plans were for Thanksgiving. "PATROLN THE BORDER 4 U NORTHENRS!" Kelly said. "Shoot straight," the friend replied. "OR SHOOT MANY ROUNDS!" Kelly responded. Judge declares mistrial in case of Arizona rancher accused of killing unarmed migrant originally appeared on abcnews.go.com OAKMONT, Pa. When Americans for Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel approached Andrew McGhee as he swept his porch this month, Seidel told him AFP had endorsed Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick and asked McGhee whether he is following the Senate race. McGhees response: Only when I have to. He added, when he was asked about his thoughts on the coming presidential election, that hes enormously disappointed with the top of both tickets for the major parties, and I dont see what good will come of it if either of them gets elected. The interaction highlights some of the deep unrest in the electorate this year and why AFP is already fanning out into neighborhoods to try to talk about it one on one with voters. The conservative advocacy group, which endorsed Nikki Haley in the GOP presidential primaries, has no plans to endorse in the presidential general election this fall. Instead, it will focus all of its efforts on Senate and House races. AFP Action, the super PAC affiliate of AFP, began door-knocking efforts in Pennsylvania on April 1, with the goal of knocking on more than 1 million doors ahead of the general election. Some of those conversations are hitting true undecided voters, like McGhee. Despite his misgivings about the presidential contenders, he told Seidel he will vote because he always votes. He told NBC News that hes not sure whom hell support in the Pennsylvania Senate race: Ive met [Democratic Sen.] Bob Casey a couple of times in the past and I like him, but I dont mind McCormick, so I will make up my mind. In an interview, Seidel said: The biggest challenge this cycle is that voters are really frustrated with the political environment, the dysfunction that they see coming out of Washington, D.C. They want solutions, not soundbites. And so theyre looking for leaders who are going to drive on those solutions. She added, We see it as our job to help them see that their voices matter in Senate races and House races across the country, as well. The group wasnt initially planning to sit out the presidential race. But after former President Donald Trump beat Haley in February in South Carolina, her home state, Seidel wrote in an email that AFP Action would stop spending on Haleys behalf and focus on other races in which it could make a difference on behalf of conservative candidates. In the email to staff members, Seidel wrote that the U.S. Senate strategy has always been our top priority because it has the best chance of success and of making the greatest difference its the firewall. Ashley Klingensmith, a senior adviser for AFP Action in Pennsylvania, described the rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden as the rematch that many people will not be excited about. She said its refreshing to be able to turn the conversation in a different direction in real time by campaigning for McCormick in Pennsylvania. And, like, there are a lot of people that you know, because its so early, arent totally familiar with every down-ballot race thats happening. While AFP wasnt able to turn the page on the past by endorsing Haley over Trump, Seidel said she believes the way to get people engaged in this election cycle is by connecting with the issues, because these folks that they elect for local races and for House and Senate in Washington, D.C., these are the people who make the laws. And so we need them to really understand the role of all of these different races. McCormick doesnt have a competitive GOP primary, so AFP Actions door-knocking effort in Pennsylvania is already focused on November, which Klingensmith called a golden opportunity. Klingensmith said there are three types of voters, from her perspective: the saints, sinners and savables. Were thinking about those savables, those folks in the middle that, like, are really just open to talking and policy talking about the ideas, she said. Seidel said: Were going to be here the entire year, because this is what we do as a grassroots organization. Casey campaign spokesperson Maddy McDaniel responded in a statement: David McCormick may have the support of the Koch brothers and his Wall Street billionaire backers, but Senator Casey has the support of working people in Pennsylvania." WASHINGTON Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday celebrated the impending passage of $60 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine ahead of a final vote, while lamenting the fact that it took months to secure enough Republican support to land it. At a press conference, the Kentucky Republican pinpointed two men responsible for that delay: former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson and former President Donald Trump. The demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters. And so he had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank and file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake. I think the former president had sort of mixed views on Ukraine aid, he added, before alluding to the failed attempt to add border security provisions to the bill, which requires you to deal with Democrats, and then a number of our members thought it wasnt good enough. And then our nominee for president didnt seem to want us to do anything at all, McConnell said. That took months to work our way through it. The top Senate Republican has been an ardent supporter of Ukraine aid and battled a slew of conservative voices who have sought to block it. He called the expected passage of the bill an important day for America, and a very important day of freedom-loving countries around the world. The Senate voted 80-19 on Tuesday to advance the legislation, setting up a final passage vote thats expected later in the day, or could slip to Wednesday. President Joe Biden has vowed to sign it, and it could become law within days. McConnell, who consistently bucked loud conservative voices in his party who opposed Ukraine funding, argued that the margin of support for the war-torn country is an indication the Republican Party is tracking back to its Reaganesque roots of defending the encroachment on democracy around the world. McConnell said he remains committed to working to help regain a Republican Senate majority, despite his plans to step back from leadership at the end of the year. He said he believes the crop of candidates the Republicans have recruited are more inclined to back away from the party's recent isolationist tendencies. I think weve turned the corner on the isolationist movement, McConnell said. Ive noticed how uncomfortable proponents of that are when you call them isolationist. So I think weve made some progress and I think its gonna have to continue because we got big, big problems: China, Russia, Iran. Going into World War II we just had Germany and Japan. The packages difficulty in the House led to an extended period where Ukraine went without aid, primarily because of right-wing House Republicans who argued the money should not be spent abroad but instead should be spent here at home on border security. McConnell said part of the blame falls on the Biden administration for not recognizing the need earlier and reacting, but acknowledged Congress shouldve acted more quickly. Acting quicker, partially because of the administration partially because of Congress, not approving this bill sooner, has not been helpful, McConnell said. The Kentucky Republican also defended House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., whose transformation from Ukraine aid skeptic to staunch supporter helped assure passage in the House. More important than what I think about the speaker is what the former president thinks about the speaker, McConnell said. And he obviously made it clear that he was a fan of Speaker Johnson and suggested some of his critics to shut up. So Ill just quote the former president. McConnell said he feels positive about the GOPs Senate nominees so far in the battle for the majority this fall, when asked if he has the same candidate quality concerns of 2022. I feel pretty good about our nominees. Im pretty confident were going to win West Virginia. Thats 50. You all can do the math. One more makes 51, McConnell said. And I hope to hand this job over to the majority leader. Jeffrey Olsen, affectionately known as the "Toy Man" in Vista, California, has spent over three decades enriching the lives of those less fortunate by donating toys, food, and clothes. "I just do it because it feels right," Olsen said as he shared, pictures of children, many of whom he has only briefly met. In total, Olsen has helped 59,960 children with new toys. Among them was Mathew Garcia, a child he met in a hospital suffering from severe muscular dystrophy. "He was wishing for a Tickle Me Elmo," Olsen said. Olsen's efforts have made him a beloved figure in San Diego County, earning him celebrity status and a special nickname. "They know me by my nickname, the 'Toy Man,'" he said. His donations over the years have been funded entirely by his personal savings, including money he invested from his earnings in the stock market. He estimates the amount of money is in thousands. Olson was a salesman in the suit department at the local J.C. Penney. His dedication stems from a deep-rooted family tradition of giving. "My grandma when it was a great depression, she used to feed hundreds of people when they were kicked out of the apartments," he recalled. "And then my father, he helped out a lot of people too." His father was a decorated Korean War veteran honored again this montha man who lost his leg in the Korean War and someone Olsen cared for until his death. Olsen's humanitarian journey has also been shaped by his own challenges. Misdiagnosed with epilepsy as a child and given incorrect medication, he faced developmental delays. A local newspaper investigated and in 1998 reported what happened to Olsen might have happened to other children at a military hospital and they too have to live with impairments. "That's also what makes me want to help the people. Because of having to go through that in life," said Olsen. "It makes me feel good when I do this for the people." The "Toy Man" is also caring for his 92-year-old mother, showing the same devotion at home as he does in his community. Despite never marrying or having children of his own, Olsen says his life's work is shown through his charitable work. "When I do this work, I think I have the spirits of those kids with mewhen I go, Because I have this feeling it's pushed me to want to do it," he said. If you have a story you want "CBS Mornings" lead national correspondent David Begnaud to consider, please send it to DearDavid@cbsnews.com. Eric Church talks new Nashville bar and residency Taylor Swift's new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," breaks records "Blind trust": Widow's $1.5 million romance scam story serves as cautionary tale Testimony in Donald Trumps historic hush money case resumed Tuesday, with prosecutors urging the court to hold the former president in contempt for attacking witnesses and others, and former tabloid impresario David Pecker returning to the stand with details that linked Trumps circle to a slew of salacious stories. Earlier, as Trump awaited the hearing over the gag order in the case, his fundraising appeals took on a frantic tone. Deliberations stretched on for more than an hour, but the judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan, opted to wait and rule later. It left in limbo Trumps assertion that he had not willfully violated the order, as his attorney vowed, and any consequences if the judge rules that he did. And Trump continued to rail against the gag order. Here is what you missed on Day 6 of Trump's hush money trial: Witness David Pecker returned to the stand Pecker, the former CEO of AMI and publisher of the National Enquirer, described giving directions to implement an agreement with Trump to help his 2016 presidential campaign. Pecker said the Enquirer had embellished stories about some of Trumps opponents at Michael Cohens request, including a piece about the father of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, being involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy The publication had mashed the photos together of Lee Harvey Oswald and Cruzs father, Pecker said, conceding that an article Trump cited repeatedly on the campaign trail was a fabrication. Prosecutors implicate Steve Bannon and identify Trumps alleged 'primary' crime Under questioning, Pecker recounted how Trump introduced him to Steve Bannon, a top adviser to Trumps 2016 campaign. He and Bannon would work well together, the publisher said Trump told him. I believe that you and Steve would get along really well, Pecker said Trump told him in October 2016. Asked if Bannon had ever pitched him stories, Pecker said Bannon had suggested how a reporter from the National Enquirer could appear on Sean Hannitys Fox News show to discuss the articles with Hannity. Doing so would reach an audience of millions. At the time, Fox News had surged to become the most-watched cable news channel, with Hannity, a high-profile Trump ally, enjoying the biggest ratings boost of any host on the network in October that year a 65% jump over the previous month, according to Nielsen ratings. Amid objections from the defense, who said they had no notice that Bannon was being considered a co-conspirator, the prosecution argued that the requests are relevant to the primary underlying crime, New York Election Law 17-152. The law prohibits conspiracies to promote the election of a specific candidate through unlawful means. Cohens involvement Pecker said he believed Cohen to be a stand-in for Trump because of how involved he had been in Trumps business operations and that this continued into the campaign. He detailed that as the negotiations over buying stories grew, he talked to Cohen daily. Trump's lawyer, Pecker testified, told him to stop using a landline phone and instead begin using a secure messaging app called Signal, which deletes messages after a period of time. As Trumps rivals gained ground during the presidential primary, the National Enquirer would publish stories crafted to impugn their credibility. Family Man Marco Rubios Love Child Stunner, read one headline that is among the exhibits in the trial. Another promised to detail Senator Marco Rubios cocaine connection. Rubio, a Florida Republican, denied those stories at the time and Pecker suggested that they were published without evidence. Pecker detailed the scheme like so: After the Republican debates, and based on the success that some of the other candidates had, I would receive a call from Michael Cohen, and he would direct me and direct Dylan Howard which candidate and which direction we should go, he said. Thats how the process happened. There were other stories designed to offer Trump a boost, including a piece about Trumps wife, Melania, and how she inspired Trump to run. Another claimed that Barack Obamas half-brother was cheering on Donald Trump at debate. Conversations with Trump Pecker explained his relationship "over the years" with Trump, and how he got to know him. I would describe Mr. Trump as very knowledgeable. I would describe him very detail-oriented. I would describe him almost micromanaging, Pecker said, amid a discussion over payments. Looking at all the aspects of whatever the issue was, he said. Pecker later told the courtroom how he and Trump had talked every couple of weeks. On rare occasions, it was Trump's bodyguard Keith Schiller who would sometimes pass messages to him. Pecker also testified that he took actions he would not have taken otherwise to protect Trump. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked if Pecker had paid $30,000 for an untrue story as a way to lock it up. Pecker said that, yes, he sought to bury it to avoid potential embarrassment to Trump and was prepared to spend a sum far out of the ordinary to do so. Merchan reserved judgment on the gag order An attorney for the district attorney's office argued that Trump seems to be angling for incarceration by repeatedly and knowingly violating the gag order. Prosecutors had asked that he be held in contempt for attacking witnesses and others in the case, saying that they aren't asking that Trump be imprisoned but want him fined for at least 10 violations. The charge came just hours after Trump warned in a fundraising appeal, which he called a FAREWELL MESSAGE, that he could be thrown in jail. Trump has been awaiting the hearing on the gag order since last week and, in the meantime, has continued to jab at witnesses in the case outside the courtroom, on his campaign website and on social media. One New York Post article Trump shared that was cited by prosecutors referred to Cohen as a serial perjurer [who] will try to prove an old misdemeanor. Trump, on the first day of the trial, posted it twice on Truth Social and on his campaign website. He did it again the following day. The defendant is having his day in court and he is doing everything he can to try to undermine that process, said prosecutor Chris Conroy. He said the prosecution would file another order arguing statements Trump made about Cohen on Monday in the courthouse hallway also violated the order. But Trumps lawyer insisted the gag order had not been willfully violated. He is facing a barrage of attacks from people who can say whatever they want, while he cannot respond, said Todd Blanche. Merchan grew visibly frustrated as Blanche continued to make the case for Trump. Hes saying there are two systems of justice in this courtroom? Merchan asked. Blanche responded, Yes, your honor. Thats what his message is. The judge pressed Trumps attorney to show him the exact post that Trump was responding to. Ive asked you eight or nine times, said Merchan. Youve been unable to do that even once. Trump, seated at the defense table, kept his eyes closed and appeared disinterested. Blanche, asked whether the defense had any other arguments to hand up, responded that they are trying to comply with the gag order. President Trump is being very careful, he said. Merchan snapped, Youre losing all credibility with the court. Police in Nashville, Tennessee, are searching for a suspect in a shooting that killed rapper Chris King and injured another man on April 20. King was killed while hanging out in an alleyway with a group of his friends, including the other victim, between Hayes and Church streets in Nashville, police said in an April 20 statement. It was in the alley that three other men whom Kings group did not know approached the group, police say. The (surviving) 29-year-old victim reported the group was hanging out cordially for some time before the three suspects attempted to rob his group of friends, according to a release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. It was then that he heard gunfire and realized he was struck. The 29-year-old victim has not been publicly identified by police. King, 32, died after being taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In a new statement on April 22, the Nashville Police Department said one of the three suspects in the shooting has been identified as 19-year-old Adrian Cameron Jr. Cameron was out on bond in connection with the September 2021 murder of Josh Evans, Nashville PD said, and had an ankle monitor as part of those conditions. "Data from the monitor shows it was cut off shortly after Saturdays shooting," Nashville PD said. Police are asking for info on his whereabouts or on the identities of the other two men. The Nashville PD did not immediately respond to TODAY.coms request for comment on April 24. In a post to his Instagram story on April 21, pop star Justin Bieber mourned the death of King, whose birth name is Christopher Cheeks. Love you bro. This one hurts. Please keep his family in your prayers, Bieber posted, the Los Angeles Times reported. See you in paradise brother. Bieber and King were once roommates, King previously shared on social media, and lived together for more than a year almost 10 years ago. Glad some people never change no matter what, King wrote in a post celebrating his friend in December 2023. (A)ll love, forever extended family. Other celebrities also mourned Kings death. I love you until we meet again twin! fellow rapper Trippie Redd posted to Instagram. I would not be where I am today without @whoischrisking he introduced me to @elliotgrainge & @milothelight and he had the best energy always he had so many friends and it shows I love you guys for supporting one of my best friends ever my brother. In the comments, Machine Gun Kelly responded to Redd, writing that Chris (King) was rare. Actor Keke Palmer also posted about King, writing about their time coming up together in the industry alongside an old photo of her video chatting with King from years ago. I wish I had more photos but its actually perfect because this is exactly how it began, she wrote. I cant believe Im saying rest in peace. This is terrible. I really dont know what to say. I just want to share that I loved you and I remember all the city walk, grove moments. Palmer seems to be referencing two Los Angeles shopping landmarks both City Walk and The Grove are outdoor pedestrian malls. She added that King had been my high school. When we were babies before everyone knew you was a real rockstar. We were kids! she wrote. And you always knew how to make everyone laugh. Your kindness was present no matter what room you were in, everybody was and wanted to be your friend. We will miss you until we meet again, rest heavenly brother. Nashville PD said in its April 20 statement its Homicide Unit detectives are working strong, active leads into the early Saturday morning shooting. Anyone with information about the fatal shooting of King is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. This article was originally published on TODAY.com A house under construction in Texas on 18 March 2024. Photograph: Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images Wooden planks with nails covered the site where Antonio, a construction day laborer in Houston, Texas, was helping clear fencing last December. The contractor that hired him provided no protection, he said so when he slipped, and a nail struck him just above the ankle, it became really swollen. Related: It has really gotten out of hand: wage theft rampant in US construction Antonio was given hydrogen peroxide, and the contractor promised to get him medical attention the next day. But after developing a fever overnight, and with his ankle still swollen, he took himself to the emergency room. Upon arrival, he was told if he had waited much longer, doctors might have needed to amputate his leg below the knee. I spent about 16 days in the hospital, Antonio, who requested to omit his last name for fear of retaliation, said. After two weeks, the contractor which had not picked up the phone the day after his accident got in touch. They wanted to know if I was ready to work, Antonio said. His injury was never reported to the proper authorities. He has not received compensation. The incident was not unusual. More than 450,000 workers were injured by falls, slips and trips in 2021 and 2022, according to official data, with 865 fatalities recorded in 2022 alone. Of those who died, more than 400 were construction workers, according to the Center for Construction Research and Training. Employers are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) to protect workers from falls on the job, by providing guardrails, harnesses, scaffolding and personal safety gear when necessary, and provide training to workers. A lot of workers dont feel comfortable enough to say, Hold on a second, thats unsafe Construction is a dangerous industry, but falls are preventable, 100%, said Ryan Papariello, safety and health specialist at the Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America. We know how to prevent these incidents. But in many cases where injuries and fatalities of workers occur, basic Osha protections are not being followed, or implemented at all. Probably the most important to me is a general awareness of the job site, whats going on around you, and the confidence to be able to stand up and say, Stop, this is unsafe, said Anton Ruesing, executive director of the International Finishing Trades Institute. A lot of workers dont feel comfortable enough to say, Hold on a second, thats unsafe, and Im not going to do that. Antonio, for example, claimed he and other workers were not given proper breaks or enough water on the job, and had little recourse because if they speak up, they wont be able to get work again. These contractors mislead you and lie about the job, they lie about the pay and end up paying less than the amount they promised, he said. They take advantage of us and thats how they are lining their pockets, by abusing people like us. While Osha regularly issues citations and penalties in cases where a worker is killed on the job and safety protocols were not followed or implemented, its fines have been criticized as being too low to deter bad behavior by employers. Legislation to modernize the federal agency in charge of protecting workers, including the expansion of its coverage to 24 states not currently covered, has stalled in Congress. Workers die and get injured when management basically fails to provide a safe workplace, said Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. Doing a job safely in construction and other industries requires time, money, management, attention and other resources. So when management decides not to spend that time, money and attention, then workers end up paying the price. Weve come a long way, but we still have a ways to go, said Ruesing. The fact that deaths and fatalities are figured into a job in terms of costs and insurance, its still disgusting. Gabriel Strathern fell to his death while working on a roofing job in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was 29. Osha fined his employer on the job, the roof and window cleaning firm Squeaky Clean, about $17,000 for failing to provide fall protection or sufficient safety training. During separate legal proceedings, the owner of Squeaky Clean, James Crisp, was asked why he had not reported Stratherns death to Osha. I didnt know that I was required to, he said, according to a copy of a deposition obtained by the Guardian. Devin Gilgor, Stratherns father, said: A month before, Gabriel had fallen off a roof, but hadnt sustained any serious injuries and when he asked about reporting the incident to Osha, his employer told him, We dont do Osha. They knew this house was very dangerous, because the roof pitch was at a peak angle and he still wasnt given any fall protection equipment. Gilgor explained that he was the one who reported the incident to Osha the next day, and that to this day he has never received a phone call or apology from his sons employer. The fines paid by Squeaky Clean, and other employers found in breach of the rules, are not enough, according to Gilgor. When a death or permanent disability occurs on the job, the ability of an employer to negotiate fines should not be an option, he said. Not only civil but criminal charges need to be pursued. Avoiding workplace accidents should be our main focus. Employers need to be made aware of Osha regulations. Employees need to be made aware of their rights to a safe work environment and Osha needs to come up with better ways to reach the workplace. Squeaky Clean and an attorney representing Crisp did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Jacob Beltran covers crime, breaking news and general assignments for the Express-News. He can be reached at jbeltran@express-news.net. A San Antonio native, Jacob began his journalism career in 2010. He's worked for the student-run newspaper for San Antonio College, The Ranger, and for Texas A&M University-San Antonio, The Mesquite. He enjoys video games, photography and exploring during his free time. Police in Washington state are urgently searching for a former officer suspected in the killings of his ex-wife and a girlfriend and the kidnapping of a 1-year-old boy, authorities said. The former officer, Elias Huizar, is armed and considered dangerous, and is likely to commit more crimes, the West Richland Police Department said. He was due to appear in court Monday on charges of child rape, according to NBC affiliate KNDU of the Tri-Cities area. Police initially identified him as a person of interest after a woman was fatally shot at the end of the school day at Wiley Elementary School in West Richland. An Amber Alert leaflet handed out by Washington State Patrol shows 1 year old Roman Hulzar and his father, 39 year old Elias Hulzar, suspected of murdering his ex-wife and girlfriend. (Washington State Patrol) Officers were called at 3:23 p.m. Monday and found one adult female was pronounced deceased at the scene outside of the school, police said in a statement. The victim was not identified. The shooter fled the scene and the school was placed on lockdown, police said. No one else was injured in the shooting, the department added, noting that it was thought to be an isolated incident. Later Monday, police said the body of a second woman was found at Huizars home after they obtained a search warrant. No information was given about the woman except that she was a known associate of the suspect. Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Roman Huizar, described as 2 feet tall and 25 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Though Huizar and the missing child share the same last name, the relationship between them was not immediately clear Tuesday. The alert also said the women killed were Huizar's ex-wife and girlfriend. Huizar is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 170 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes and was driving a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington plates CBZ4745, according to the alert. However, Portland police told West Richland authorities that Huizar was seen in the Oregon city overnight, possibly driving a black sedan. "All resources are following up on this lead," West Richland police said. Elias Huizar who is wanted in connection with a murder in West Richland, Wash., considered to be headed toward the Mexico border on April 23, 2024. (West Richland Police ) He previously appeared in court Feb. 15, where a lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Court documents seen by KNDU said that Huizar is alleged to have sexually assaulted a teenager while she was sleeping in his home in February this year. This was witnessed and reported by another teenager, the documents say. No-contact orders were issued for the alleged victims in the case, who were described as teenagers, meaning Huizar cant go within 1,000 feet of their schools, homes or workplaces, or have any contact with minors under 16. During the February hearing, prosecuting attorney Anita Petra said that the order would ban contact between Huizar and his own child. The Yakima Police Department said Huizar was an officer there from 2013 to 2022. "He did serve as a school resource officer for a period of time, at a couple schools during his employment. Mr. Huizar resigned in February of 2022, immediately following discipline," a department spokesperson said. Details on the punishment and what led to disciplinary action were not released. The West Richland Police Department will hold a news conference regarding the latest developments in the search for Huizar at 2 p.m. local time. A former police officer suspected in the killings of his ex-wife and girlfriend has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, officials said Tuesday night. The child he was accused of abducting was "uninjured" and taken "safely" into custody, the police added. Oregon State Police Captain Kyle Kennedy said the suspect -- Elias Huizar -- led Troopers on a chase after a failed traffic stop on the I-5 in Eugene around 2:40 p.m. PT. There was a gunfire exchange between the suspect and officers, he said. No troopers were hurt in the incident, according to Kennedy. The suspect continued on, crashed into a commercial vehicle and spun into the median. Huizar then shot himself, authorities said Tuesday night. MORE: Video released of person of interest in fatal shooting of Chicago police officer The abducted 1-year-old child, Roman Santos, who was previously identified by the authorities as Roman Huizar, was taken "uninjured" and "safely" into custody by OSP troopers, police said. As police searched for the suspect throughout the day on Tuesday, he was charged with first-degree premeditated murder for allegedly shooting and killing his ex-wife, 31-year-old Amber Rodriguez, outside Wiley Elementary School on Monday afternoon, officials said. Authorities allege Huizar shot and killed Rodriguez during school dismissal and was waiting behind a portable area where he knew she would be. Hours later, authorities said they found another homicide victim, "a known associate of the suspect," while serving a search warrant at Huizar's residence. Authorities said in the amber alert for the then-missing child that Huizar was also suspected of killing his girlfriend. PHOTO: Police are searching for Elias Huizar, 40, who is on the run after allegedly killing two women and abducting his 1-year-old child in West Richland, Wash., on Monday, April 22, 2024. (KAPP) The Amber Alert was issued Monday following the alleged abduction of the 1-year-old. It was canceled late Tuesday afternoon. AMBER Alert Cancel. Huizar- Located pic.twitter.com/k8q2RKcw8Z WSP Missing Person Alerts (@WSPMissingPers1) April 23, 2024 On Tuesday morning, police said there was a possible sighting of Huizar in Portland, Oregon, overnight, driving a black sedan. A clerk at a convenience store in the city called 911 just before 1 a.m. to report he believed Huizar had stopped to purchase a drink and had a child in the backseat of the car, Portland police told ABC News. Officers responded but did not locate Huizar, the child or the vehicle until Tuesday afternoon. Huizar was previously employed by Richland School District as a substitute teacher from Nov. 2021 to June 2023, an official confirmed. Huizar served as a police officer in Yakima, Washington, from June 2013 to February 2022, the department said. He resigned "immediately following discipline," a spokesperson for the department told ABC News. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the circumstances of the discipline. MORE: Ship that hit Baltimore bridge was 'unseaworthy' when it left port, city claims "The tragedies we are learning about in West Richland are heartbreaking. Words cannot express the deep sympathy we feel for all affected by these terrible acts of violence," Yakima Police Chief Matt Murray said in a statement. "We remain ready to assist in any way we are able." ABC News' Jenna Watts, Kevin Shalvey and Mark Osborne contributed to this report. Ex-cop suspected of killing ex-wife, girlfriend dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound, police say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A major Republican Jewish group became the latest notable organization to back a primary challenge to Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.). The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) announced Monday that it was backing state Sen. John McGuire (R) in the GOP congressional primary for Virginias 5th Congressional District, citing Goods vote Saturday against a foreign aid package that included money for Ukraine, Israel and humanitarian aid for Gaza. This past week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed emergency aid funding for our key security partners, including urgently needed military assistance for our beleaguered ally Israel. Congressman Bob Good (VA-05) shamefully voted against this critical support for the Jewish state, abandoning Israel as it continues to fight for its very survival after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks said in a statemet. This vote showed who Israels true friends are, and exposed those like Congressman Bob Good who are not, he added. The House voted Saturday to send a foreign aid package to the Senate for consideration, which gives about $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and $8 billion in the Indo-Pacific. Within the $26 billion allocated for Israel, close to $9.2 billion has been reserved for Gaza humanitarian assistance. Good said in a statement Saturday that he would not be supporting the legislation because aid for Israel was included in $95 billion of additional, unpaid for, spending but argued his support for Israels right to defend itself was unshakeable. In addition to $60 billion for Ukraine, this foreign aid spending includes $9 billion for Gaza that will inevitably fund Hamas terrorists, Good claimed. Rather than saddling American taxpayers with the bill, the Senate should have taken up the $14.2 billion paid-for Israel bill five months ago to help our ally, he added, noting Americas debt. The RJC is not the only high-profile Republican group to oppose Good. Republican Main Street Partnership is also looking to oust the Virginia Republican. Goods district went for former President Trump by more than 8 points in 2020. The primary for Goods seat is June 18. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Tuesday rejected the latest in a series of appeals by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage. Gershkovich, 32, became the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War when he was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on March 29 last year. He, his newspaper and the U.S. government all deny he is a spy. No date has yet been set for his trial. His detention was last month extended by three months to June 30 in a hearing that was closed to the press. But on Tuesday journalists were allowed to film Gershkovich as he stood in a glass box in the courtroom and smiled and waved at media colleagues. The Wall Street Journal reported that Gershkovich replied "All clear" when asked by the judge whether he understood the court's decision. The newspaper said in a statement: "It continues to be outrageous that Evan has been wrongfully detained by the Russian government for more than a year." It added: "Evans freedom is long overdue, and we urge the (Biden) administration to do everything in their power to secure his release. Gershkovich, who was accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry to work in Russia as a journalist, was arrested during a trip to the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. He has been held for more than a year at Moscow's high-security Lefortovo prison, which is closely associated with the FSB. The United States has accused Russia of using him for the purpose of "hostage diplomacy". "We will continue to denounce and impose costs for Russia's appalling attempts to use Americans as bargaining chips," President Joe Biden said last month on the anniversary of Gershkovich's arrest. President Vladimir Putin has said Gershkovich could be released at some point in exchange for a Russian prisoner held abroad, but no such deal has so far materialised. The Kremlin says it has "certain contacts" with the U.S. about his case but that it will not comment in public about negotiations over a potential exchange. Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, an American convicted of spying against Russia and sentenced to 16 years in 2020, have both been designated by the U.S. State Department as "wrongfully detained", meaning Washington considers the charges against them bogus and is committed to working for their release. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Daniel Wallis) myth branded into steak in frying pan Brits love steak. According to some reports, a third of the UK population dines on it every fortnight. Admittedly, the amount we consume is falling slightly unsurprising given the cost of living crisis alongside the rise in flexitarianism and were also shifting to cheaper cuts, again no wonder given the price of beef steak rose 10 per cent over 12 months to October 2023. So, with rising food prices and regular calls for us to eat less but better meat, the pressure is on to make sure that when we do eat it, we get the best we can. But choosing the perfect steak isnt easy. From which cut to buy to debates over fat, ageing and whether you should be lured in by the latest trendy breed, choosing the right steak can be a minefield. Life is too short to eat bad steak, so its time we busted the bull around beef for good. Myth 1: Fillet steak is the best cut According to research from Aldi, fillet is indeed the most popular, with 27 per cent of people claiming its their steak of choice, compared to 22 per cent who prefer sirloin, 16 per cent rating rib-eye and 14 per cent plumping for rump. Yet the same research also found that 87 per cent of people cant actually explain the difference between a rump and a rib-eye, and 62 per cent of people dont know why fillet is so prized. Ask any expert and theyll tell you that its not as simple as saying fillet steak is the best; rather it depends on what youre after when it comes to taste, texture and price. The best steak doesnt exist, says chef Paul Foster, the owner of Stratford-upon-Avon restaurant Salt and author of How to Cook Meat Properly. [Fillet] is the most tender, he admits, so if youre looking for the most tender steak, then youve got to go for fillet. But it doesnt have very much flavour. Flavour often comes from meat taken from parts of the cow that have done more work, so for Foster, rib-eye (from the forequarter of the animal) is a great choice, delivering plenty of flavour and texture. Sixty-two per cent of people don't know why beef fillet (pictured, from top-rated butcher's Aubrey Allen) is so prized Judging what makes a good steak isnt just about tenderness, agrees Simon Smith, who has worked at top-rated butchers Aubrey Allen for 38 years, but also about succulence and flavour. For those characteristics he recommends looking at other cuts such as rib-eye, bavette or a seam-butchered rump (in which the muscle is dissected and sinew removed to improve the tenderness, and elevate the flavour, of the meat), as well as focusing on buying better-quality meat overall which will mean all cuts fit the bill. The farmer has not taken any less love or care to create that whole beast, Smith explains. If you raise a really fantastic animal, each cut will be excellent. Farmer Ben Stanley, who with his wife, Tori, rears pedigree Longhorn cattle and pedigree sheep in Derbyshire for Tori & Bens farm shop and deli, admits that fillet wins for its consistency, which explains why its a safe option. But, he stresses, theres no such thing as a bad cut of meat. Its the way it is reared, but also the way you cook it. I could spend three years getting a great piece of meat onto somebodys plate and then they can get it wrong. Myth 2: Bone-in cuts are always better Theres nothing more impressive than serving up a hefty rib of beef on the bone, or a caveman-style tomahawk. But are they always better than their bone-free equivalents? As someone who lovingly rears some of the animals that end up on our plates, Stanley feels strongly about using as much of the carcase as possible which doesnt just include offal and unusual cuts but bone, too. Both he and Smith espouse the idea that flavour can be improved by cooking meat on the bone. Flavour comes from roasting and using the bone as a conductor, says Smith. It also helps to keep the shape; you will find a piece of meat on the bone will not shrink as much, because the bone holds it in place. Keeping steak on the bone for such a quick cook doesn't deliver on flavour - Alamy However, while cooking meat on the bone can be great in general, when it comes to steak its not necessarily going to add much because of the way we cook it, points out Foster. Cooking on the bone does add flavour, but that needs to be over a longer period of time. Take a rib of beef, for instance roast it on the bone and youre going to get more flavour. With quick-cooked steaks, however, youre not getting that benefit, he explains. Really, when it comes to steak, the bone-in stuff is more about the visuals. He serves sirloin on the bone at Salt and says it looks nice; its a cool way of doing it. But Foster wagers that most consumers, when presented blindly with one steak cooked on the bone and one cooked off it, wouldnt notice the difference himself included. Myth 3: Named breeds mean superior beef Look at restaurant menus, butchers counters and supermarket shelves across the country and youll see breed names advertised to tempt us into buying. From Wagyu to Aberdeen Angus, Dexter to Longhorn, beef from named breeds is big business. But whats really in a name and how might it be a reflection of quality? In some modern breeds the cattle are bred to put down lean meat faster, resulting in less fat than traditional, old-fashioned breeds, explains Stanley. Keeping your eye out for the latter, then (names such as Longhorn, British White, Lincoln Red, Ruby Red Devon and Belted Galloway), could mean youll get a better steak. One of Ben Stanley's Longhorn bulls, reared in Derbyshire But while the label on a product (or the description of a menu item) might profess to deliver a certain breed or herd, things arent always as they seem. Crossbreeding is common. If [a supermarket steak says] its a Hereford or an Aberdeen Angus, there will be a proportion of that breed in there, says Smith. But it wont necessarily be a pure breed. Likewise, your highly prized Wagyu steak might be a 50 per cent cross, says Smith, so you dont have that full flavour; it wont have all the marbling and the succulence that a full-blood has. Stanley admits hes stopped supplying to some restaurants who were advertising all of their beef as being from his Longhorn cattle when in fact it wasnt, and Smith wagers that plenty of places are name-dropping in a bid to up the romanticism when it comes to describing dishes. For consumers looking for full transparency, Stanley, Foster and Smith all say the best solution is to buy from a local butcher, who can explain more fully where your steak has come from. Myth 4: Lots of fat is good The phrase fat is flavour is often bandied around when it comes to meat, but that doesnt necessarily help when youre trying to choose a great steak. There are two types of fat to consider, explains Smith. Weve got subcutaneous fat the fat on the outside and too much of that is not good. Then weve got intramuscular fat, known as marbling. If you imagine putting that under a microscope, every strand of fat is going to be soft and like butter. In theory, the more strands of fat youve got in there, the more succulent your steak. Having a good proportion of white marbling in the meat is a sign of good quality for succulence and flavour. The distribution of fat plays a far more significant role than the quantity look for a good proportion of white marbling - Moment RF So lots of fat can be good (it does an amazing job for flavour, agrees Stanley), but there are two caveats. Firstly, how the steak will be served. While fat-rich Wagyu beef is seen as a marker of quality and is highly regarded by top restaurants, trying to mimic it at home for your steak-and-chips dinner might not be the best idea. In Japanese culture [Wagyu will be sliced] thinly like sashimi, or dipped in hot dashi [an intensely savoury broth]. So you get a small mouthful, explains Foster. But if you tried to serve someone a big Wagyu steak, theyll be feeling pretty sick by the end. Most Brits, he suggests, are going to be grilling, barbecuing or pan-frying steak rather than turning it into tartare or poaching in dashi, so Wagyu probably wont be the best choice for them. Secondly, the distribution of fat plays a far more significant role than the quantity. Fosters advice is to look for a steak thats a dark cherry red, with even marbling. Good, even marbling shows its a good animal. You dont want pockets of fat in one side of the steak and not in the other. Myth 5: Aged steak is always best Youll often see steaks referred to as aged or dry-aged, along with a range of days, most commonly 28, which is considered roughly to be the sweet spot. Ageing beef can help meat develop a more intense flavour, as well as tenderising it by breaking down the muscle fibres. But does that mean aged steak is always best? And should we look for the longest ageing time possible? More important than the duration is how the meat has been aged, argues Smith. Dry ageing describes when meat is exposed to air, in many cases hung but sometimes on a rack, allowing its moisture to evaporate, whereas a different process called wet ageing by some sees meat vacuum-packed, sitting in its own moisture, then left to age. The latter method is more common, especially when it comes to supermarket meat, and it ensures the weight doesnt reduce too much through evaporation of moisture, but doesnt necessarily mean the steak will taste as good as a dry-aged version. Beef drying on racks at Aubrey Allen, an ageing method preferred by many For Foster, the key word to look out for is dry rather than simply aged. If you see 28-day aged, it sounds lovely, he says, but if the meat has been vacuum-packed for that time, the moisture hasnt escaped and its just sitting there ageing in a bag, so the enzymes arent breaking it down as much. Its not getting that flavour from being dry-aged, its not losing that moisture content. Myth 6: Supermarket steak is always dreadful Ask any meat expert and they will tell you youre more likely to find a great steak and be guided to the right one for your occasion, cooking style and taste preference if you shop at your local butcher. But they do admit that supermarket quality is better than it used to be. Both Stanley and Smith agree not all supermarket steak is awful, with a range of quality on offer, especially if you know what youre looking for. The dining public is more clued up now, so supermarkets have caught on to that, mainly from a marketing perspective but also from a quality point of view, says Foster. When it comes to supermarket steak, pick one that has the most intramuscular marbling - Moment RF The issue all specialists point to is consistency, and they maintain that supermarkets will never quite rival a butcher when it comes to offering consistently high-quality meat. But steaks from the mass-market chiller aisle are not always dreadful, Foster concedes. For a good bet, I would pick the steak that has the most intramuscular marbling and loose-looking texture, says Stanley. Myth 7: Buying steak from the butcher is far more expensive than from the supermarket Its often a question of cost that leaves us relying on supermarkets in the first place. But buying from a butcher might not always be hugely more expensive, says Smith, and it may pay dividends in getting the right steak for the job crucially one that doesnt end in disappointment. A butcher can give you advice to make sure you get the right thing and will usually offer more choice, he says: think those visually impressive on-the-bone steaks (cote de beouf, fillet and sirloin on the bone), and steak cuts such as bavette and flat iron. Some steaks might look cheap on a supermarket shelf, but if its no good, youre better paying a little more to your local butcher and enjoying it, or buying less and knowing its great, he advises. With those consistency issues in mind, I would rather have 200g of great steak from a butcher, Smith says, than 250g from a supermarket that could let you down. Recommended Four brilliant (and cheap) beef recipes, from Thai steak and rich ragu to ox cheek hotpot 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. The Senate on Tuesday passed a long-delayed $95 billion package with wide bipartisan support after both sides of Capitol Hill have struggled for months to send aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The final vote was 79-18. Fifteen Republicans voted with three Democrats against the bill. Forty-eight Democrats and 31 Republicans voted for the bill. The legislation next goes to President Joe Biden to sign it into law, who said he would sign the package Wednesday. Its passage is a significant victory for the US president, congressional Democrats and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who long pushed to send aid to Ukraine even as the right wing of his party increasingly soured on support for Kyiv. Just ahead of the final passage, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began his brief remarks with finally, finally, finally. Tonight, may Vladimir Putin regret the day he questioned American resolve, he said. The package ties together four bills that the House voted on separately in a rare Saturday session, providing nearly $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, over $26 billion for the Israel-Hamas conflict including $15 billion in Israeli military aid, $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza and $2.4 billion for regional US military operations and more than $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific. The first three bills are very similar to the package that the Senate passed earlier this year, which House Speaker Mike Johnson had originally refused to bring to the House floor. The fourth bill increases sanctions on Russian assets and contains language that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the US. It gives Chinese parent company ByteDance roughly nine months to sell TikTok, or the app will be banned from American app stores. Biden applauded the Senate passage of the legislation in a written statement. I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week, Biden said. The need is urgent: for Ukraine, facing unrelenting bombardment from Russia; for Israel, which just faced unprecedented attacks from Iran; for refugees and those impacted by conflicts and natural disasters around the world, including in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti; and for our partners seeking security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The president also thanked Schumer, McConnell and the bipartisan group of lawmakers who voted for the bill. This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin, Biden said. The House took up the legislation after Johnson bucked conservatives in his party who opposed sending aid to Ukraine and threatened to oust him over his handling of the issue. In the end, the legislation was sent out of the House by a broad bipartisan margin. Aid for Ukraine and Israel has been stalled after House and Senate Republicans demanded action on border security first, leading to months of negotiations in the Senate on a border package tied to foreign aid. However, former President Donald Trump led the opposition to the final deal, and Republicans ultimately discarded it. McConnell, who has consistently broken with his party over backing Ukraine, described Tuesdays vote as overdue and a test, and we must not fail it. Heres what I know to be true: American prosperity and security are the products of decades of American leadership, McConnell said. Our global interests come with global responsibilities. Healthy alliances lighten the burden of these responsibilities. Schumer took a victory lap following passage of the foreign aid legislation. You can get things done and I hope our Republican colleagues have learned that lesson not to listen to the hard right, but to try and work and get things done, the New York Democrat said in a news conference. Schumer defended not allowing amendments including one by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to be voted on, saying, We had to get this bill done as quickly as possible. In the same vein, Schumer defended the addition of legislation targeting TikTok. Speaker Johnson put it in the bill in the big supplemental bill, and we had to get the supplemental bill passed as quickly as possible, he said. He also said he left a message for the Ukrainian president following the vote. I left a message for President Zelensky tonight he had called me the other day and said Okay, we got it done. Now go win the fight, Schumer said. When pressed on how long the funding to Ukraine would last and when he believes they will have to come back for more, Schumer said, Its a very full package as he left the room. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the Senates passage of the foreign aid package. I am grateful to the United States Senate for approving vital aid to Ukraine today, he said in a post on X on Tuesday. The legislation underscores the US support for Ukraine, Zelensky said, adding that the aid will bolster the countrys defense and military capabilities on the battlefield. This vote reinforces Americas role as a beacon of democracy and the leader of the free world, he said. Ukraines long-range capabilities, artillery, and air defense are critical tools for restoring just peace sooner. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments. CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to more precisely describe the aid bill and what it supports in Israel and Gaza during the ongoing conflict. CNNs Manu Raju and Kristin Wilson contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com There are 170 million Americans on TikTok, and they're stressed about a potential ban. David Espejo/Getty Images TikTokers are stressed about a potential US ban and are criticizing the intentions behind it. Chinese-owned ByteDance would be forced to sell TikTok to a US company or face a nationwide ban. TikTokers argue a ban would infringe on their freedom of speech and hurt the creator economy. TikTokers are stressed about the app potentially being banned in the US, saying it would be "devastating" to their careers since the businesses they've built would "shrivel and die." The US House of Representatives voted on Saturday to pass a bill that would force Chinese-owned ByteDance to sell its US TikTok assets or face a nationwide ban. The US Senate will likely approve the bill this week and President Joe Biden has said he'll sign it. Once passed, the bill would mean TikTok could be banned in the US in 2025, but it could take even longer (if it happens at all). Still, creators are unhappy, and see the move as hypocritical and infringing on their freedom of speech. Those who want the app banned argue that TikTok may be forced into giving over user data to the Chinese government. They also fear TikTok could be suppressing or amplifying certain topics due to governmental pressure. TikTok has repeatedly denied these allegations and made attempts to distance itself from ByteDance. TikTok and its users have fought back, with the platform urging people to call their representatives and make their views heard. Creators have enthusiastically mobilized against the bill and called out what they say is the hypocrisy of the US government. They claim it focuses heavily on one app while leaving other tech companies, such as Meta and Google, alone. Leo LonDini, who has nine million followers, questioned how other companies with partial Chinese ownership seemingly have a free pass. Tencent, a Chinese company, has a stake in Epic Games, Universal Group, Warner Music Group, Spotify, Tesla, Snapchat, and many others, for example, and a significant amount of Apple products are made in China. "Listen, I don't want any government, foreign or domestic, spying on me," LonDini said. "And if our government could actually prove that Chinese companies are spying on us, well, then we have a decision to make, don't we? Either we accept the risk, or we get rid of the app." The kicker is having a choice, he added. "The choice that you took away from us." Brett Jansen, a creator who shares news on TikTok, said in a recent video that it was suspicious that an app where she thinks information spreads freely will potentially be banned. She described the bill as "fear-mongering," and accused the government of using people's ignorance of TikTok and how it works to their advantage. "Can someone please help me to understand how the US government is not doing the exact same thing that they are accusing China of doing?" she said. "Which is essentially controlling the narrative, controlling how our data is collected, and controlling how that data is used." Shira, a content creator who operates under the name shirashiraonthewall, told Business Insider last month that the ban is '"a tactic to control the narrative." "TikTok has cultivated a huge community of people who discuss politics and current affairs without it being altered by propaganda," she said. "A lot of us just want to know the truth." Without TikTok, Shira said she personally wouldn't know about "some of the injustices occurring across the world." "It's a valuable tool in seeking solidarity," she said. Shira also pointed to how a ban would harm her business, as she would no longer be able to make money from TikTok shop. A ban would be "devastating" for her, she said, because years of her work would be "deleted forever." "I know that I will just have to accept what happens and move on to making content on Instagram Reels or Shorts," she said. "But my growth and virality aren't guaranteed there as my content was uniquely made for TikTok." She said her future, as a result, is pretty uncertain. She's worked with many large American corporations through the app, and more than half of her earnings come from brand deals with them. A TikTok spokesperson told BI in March that the legislation has a "predetermined outcome," which is a total ban of TikTok in the US. "The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression," they said. "This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience, and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country." Ben Stanley turned to TikTok when he started making artwork. He said he hasn't been able to hold down a job due to his mental and physical health complications, so growing a following on TikTok has provided him a flexible way to earn an income. It's TikTok's algorithm that has made him so successful, he told BI. "Should Tiktok be banned, my business won't be able to sustain itself because I don't have the same kind of following anywhere else," he said. "So I would essentially be unemployed again, which would be a massive strain on my health as well as my wife and son on the way." A loss of TikTok would mean a loss of his business, he said, meaning his income would "shrivel and die." Tahrea Sherman, a content creator who makes TikToks about pop culture, told BI she is worried that if TikTok is sold to a US company, then the government would suppress certain content. This is a concern because TikTok is already hot on content moderation. "I feel like it's doing what social media is supposed to do, which is connecting with other people and exploring new ideas," Sherman said. "They want to change what makes the app great, and I think that's very unfortunate." Catalina Goanta, an associate professor of private law and technology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, told BI the bill in Congress only targets social media, which is "particularly odd and incoherent" considering there are security concerns around many other businesses that operate in the US, including Temu. But it also targets the digital creator economy, which is expected to reach half a trillion dollars by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. An overwhelming amount of the world's most famous creators are US-based. According to Statista, around 75% of the marketing spending worldwide on social media stars was on US influencers in 2023. "Losing TikTok would be a terrible blow not only to the livelihood of creators of all sizes in the US but also to the creative digital industry as a whole," Goanta said. "It is an economically nonsensical decision to bring down a poorly understood modern, creative, digital industry." There's the potential of TikTok bringing a lawsuit if the bill passes this week. "At the stage that the bill is signed, we will move to the courts for a legal challenge," TikTok's head of public policy in the Americas, Michael Beckerman, wrote in an internal memo to staff on Saturday. "We'll continue to fight, as this legislation is a clear violation of the First Amendment rights of the 170 million Americans on TikTok." Editor's note, April 23, 2024: This article has been updated to reflect a vote by the House of Representatives, which passed a bill to ban TikTok in the US. Read the original article on Business Insider When Doug Johnson received a text that his friend of over a decade, Maxwell Azzarello, had died after setting himself on fire in New York City, he didn't believe it. "I was like, 'No, you got the wrong person. I don't know anybody that would do that,'" Johnson told NBC News. Johnson did some research online out of curiosity, and that's when he saw Azzarello's face pop up in an article. Maxwell Azzarello. (via Instagram) "Just immediately, chills up my spine, like, in total disbelief," he said. Azzarello set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trumps hush money trial was taking place on Friday. According to police, he walked into the center of the park where protesters were allowed across the street from the courthouse, opened a backpack and threw numerous pamphlets on the ground. He then pulled out a canister, poured a liquid accelerant on himself, lit himself on fire and then fell to the ground. Azzarello, 37, later died of his injuries, leaving friends and strangers alike wondering what drove him to his actions. Johnson, who was part of the same friend group as Azzarello in North Carolina, describes him as smart, funny, charismatic and the most intelligent human being he had ever met. "I keep hearing on the news, you know, how he was a conspiracy theorist, an extremist and obviously, you have to be extreme to do something like he did," Johnson said. "But as far as the way the picture's been painted of him so far, I feel like it's a really inaccurate depiction of him." Selfless, but troubled A glimpse at social media gives a small window into Azzarello's thoughts. Multiple pictures of pamphlets entitled "Dips Secrets of our Rotten World" and "The True History of the World," were posted to his Facebook and Instagram, expressing anti-government views. In his pamphlets, he accused powerful people of running Ponzi schemes and warned of an imminent economic collapse and coup. Max Azzarello outside of Manhattan criminal court in New York City (David Dee Delgado / Getty Images) On Friday, a user on Substack going by the name M. Crosby Crosby is Azzarello's middle name published a blog post where he wrote that he set himself on fire outside of the Trump trial in New York City. The writer said that this "extreme act of protest is to draw attention to ... an apocalyptic fascist world coup." Mary Pat Cooney, who worked with Azzarello nine years ago at the Liberty Hill Foundation, an L.A.-based social justice nonprofit, described him as a selfless person who was "always happy to help people" if they had a problem. "He was highly intelligent, thoroughly dedicated, funny and kind that's the person that I remember," Cooney said. Azzarello attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2009 with a B.A. in public policy and anthropology, according to a university spokesperson. He also earned his master's degree in city and regional planning, with a major in urban planning and policy development from Rutgers University in New Brunswick in 2012. "I swear, as far as history and politics and, you know, social studies, social matters, stuff like that, there wasn't a topic that he wasn't knowledgeable in," Johnson, Azzarello's friend from North Carolina, said. "And it was like the equivalent of me typing something into Google and then Max is spitting out the information to me, and he was accurate with it." But beyond Azzarello's brilliance, he seemed to be troubled, according to his friends. Both Johnson and Cooney said Azzarello appeared to change after the death of his mother in April 2022. Cooney, who kept in touch with Azzarello through Facebook, said the character of his posts became less good-natured after his mother's death. "In his previous posts, and all our communication (he was) concerned, righteous, knowledgeable, a good-spirited guy," Cooney said. "The guy that came a little later was a bit more of a ranter, had a different level of anger, and was expressing it in a I don't know what the right word is, but it was kind of like he was yelling at us to pay attention to him, rather than pleading his case and sharing it for the world." In August of last year, Azzarello posted a picture of grippy socks to his Facebook with the caption, "Three days in the psych ward and all I got were my new favorite socks." "I was handcuffed, shoved, and put into a psych ward," Azzarello wrote toward the end of the caption. "I was given no information about why I was there until after my discharge. Though I committed no crime and was released upon my first evaluation, all background checks (like the ones for jobs) will show an incident with police officers that cannot be expunged (until we abolish the government, of course)." It's not clear what events took place before Azzarello said he was committed to the psych ward. A string of arrests Azzarello's alleged stint in a psych ward seemed to precede a string of arrests in St. Augustine, Florida, where he lived before his death. On Aug. 19, 2023, Azzarello was charged with criminal mischief when he allegedly threw a glass of wine at an autograph by former President Bill Clinton that was on a wall at the lobby of the Casa Monica Resort & Spa, according to a warrant affidavit from the St. Augustine Police Department. Two days later, Azzarello allegedly returned to the resort and stood outside, where he stripped down to his underwear, yelled and cursed at customers, and was blasting music from a speaker, per an arrest report. An officer who attempted to make contact with Azzarello said "he just began yelling and was not making any sense." He was arrested for disturbing the peace. Azzarello was put on probation for this incident, which ended earlier this month. Three days after that, Azzarello was arrested again for criminal mischief after he was seen on surveillance video allegedly vandalizing property belonging to a nonprofit in St. Johns County, including writing with permanent marker on one of their signs, court documents state. He was also seen climbing into the bed of someone's pickup truck and going through their belongings, as well as removing a sign placed at a home by pest control warning them to keep pets and children off the lawn. "Azzarello was misinterpreting the sign and was telling me that the pest control company was there to exterminate children and dogs," an officer with the St. Augustine Police Department wrote in the arrest report. Azzarello was also put on probation in connection with these incidents, which ended earlier this month. His final moments Two years after the death of his mother, Azzarello made his way to New York City where he self-immolated. It's not clear why or when Azzarello came to the city, but NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said he arrived early last week and that family members were unaware that he was there. When asked if he felt there was a reason Azzarello would self-immolate outside of the Trump trial, Johnson said Azzarello wasn't specifically concerned about Trump, but would speak generally about the corruption of all politicians. While struggling to understand why his friend would do this, Johnson hopes people don't remember Azzarello just for his final moments. He deserves at least to be remembered for the good person that he was, the selfless person that he was, the charismatic, loving, giving person, Johnson said. All he wanted was better for people and it didnt matter if he knew you or not. He wanted better for everyone. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly said hes confident that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will pull more votes away from President Joe Biden than from him a net win for the Republicans candidacy. He is Crooked Joe Bidens Political Opponent, not mine, Trump wrote on Truth Social late last month. I love that he is running! Behind closed doors, however, Trump is less sure. A Republican who was in the room with Trump this year as he reviewed polling said Trump was unsure how Kennedy would affect the race, asking the other people on hand whether or not Kennedy was actually good for his candidacy. And after having mostly ignored Kennedy early in his campaign, Trump has stepped up his efforts to brand him as left-wing and make him Bidens problem, suggesting that he and allies are concerned about Kennedys ability to attract Republican voters. In the post in which he said Kennedy was Bidens political opponent, Trump called Kennedy the most Radical Left Candidate in the race, by far, someone who was a big fan of the Green New Scam and other economy killing disasters. In a video monologue he posted to his social media page this month, Trump described Kennedy as being to Bidens left but said Kennedy has got some nice things about him and I happen to like him. If I were a Democrat, Id vote for RFK Jr. every single time over Biden because hes frankly more in line with Democrats, Trump said, adding: I do believe that RFK Jr. will do very well. And I do believe hes going to take a lot of votes away from crooked Joe Biden. Democrats have increased their attention on third-party contenders, standing up super PACs and other anti-spoiler efforts meant to kneecap independent challengers who could pull from Biden and reduce the vote share Trump needs to get over the top this fall. And in defiance of earlier conventional wisdom about the 2024 race, new polling shows that right now Trump might have the most to lose with Kennedy on the ballot. An NBC News national poll released Sunday found that Kennedy cut deeper into Trumps support than Bidens. The survey found that 15% of voters who picked Trump in a head-to-head matchup with Biden switched to choose Kennedy in a five-way ballot test, while just 7% of those who initially selected Biden in the head-to-head switched to Kennedy when third-party candidates were added. That trend meant Trump went from leading Biden by 2 percentage points in a head-to-head survey to trailing him by 2 points when the race is expanded to five named candidates, including Kennedy. The surveys margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Republican voters view Kennedy much more favorably than Democrats. The poll found that 40% of self-identified Republicans viewed Kennedy favorably, while 15% held negative views of him. Just 16% of Democrats had positive views of Kennedy, while 53% expressed negative views of him. Thats in part the result of praise conservative media and Trump allies heaped on Kennedy when he was initially running in the Democratic primaries against Biden, as well as before this election cycle as Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic, railed against the medical establishment and so-called social media censorship. A Republican who worked on a door-knocking effort in an early state for a Trump primary opponent told NBC News that Kennedy often came up as the second choice among people who said they were backing Trump. A changing posture Trump himself has offered kind words for Kennedy in the past. In a June 2023 interview on The Howie Carr Show, Trump described Kennedy as a commonsense guy. Right-wing allies like Steve Bannon, Alex Jones and Roger Stone openly pined for Trump to pick Kennedy as his running mate. The vibe is different now. The pro-Trump PAC MAGA Inc. this month launched a Radical F---ing Kennedy website dedicated to promoting Kennedys left-wing positions. Kennedy, meanwhile, has criticized Trump from the right, hitting him for taking advice from Dr. Anthony Fauci during the coronavirus pandemic and for running up the deficit. He said another Trump term would be bad for the country. President Trump calls me an ultra-left radical, Kennedy posted on X in response to the MAGA Inc. website. Im soooo liberal that his emissaries asked me to be his VP. I respectfully declined the offer. (Trumps campaign has denied that Kennedy was ever approached about being his running mate.) I am against President Trump, and President Biden cant win, Kennedys post continued. Judging by his new website, it looks like President Trump knows who actually can beat him. On the whole, there have been public surveys showing both major-party candidates suffering more as a result of Kennedys campaign. The dynamic also may change depending on which state is being surveyed and which states feature Kennedy on the ballot in November, a battle that is still in progress. Nobody has conducted more polls than I have on Kennedy and his place in the race and continuously I have seen him draw equally from Biden and Trump, said Jeremy Zogby, a managing partner at John Zogby Strategies who has polled for Kennedys campaign. Sometimes a point or two towards one side in a poll and vice versa in another poll. The fact remains Kennedy has crossover appeal among those disaffected within both parties, like the double haters who dislike both Biden and Trump. Democrats have long worried that Kennedys association with his famous father and uncles will win over some liberals who are fond of the family. In addition, Kennedy for years gained acclaim as an environmental activist and an anti-corporate crusader, two causes that have him finding common ground with Democratic voters. Last week, Biden held an event with Kennedy family members who touted Biden and warned of the danger Kennedys campaign posed. And Monday, the Democratic National Committee announced it was launching billboards in Arizona depicting Kennedy as a pro-Trump spoiler candidate. A strategist working on the Democrats anti-third-party effort said the data shows Kennedy is clearly taking a slice from both major-party candidates, as well as a proportion of voters who wouldnt be open to voting for either Trump or Biden. I think the datas moved a little bit over the last month-plus, this person said. But its all on the margins. Its tough to tell whether this is RFK appealing more to Trump voters or some Trump voters just looking for an off-ramp or both. Ditto on the Biden end is this just reflecting the fact that Bidens ticked up a few points? A Trump ally said Trump should hold off on hitting Kennedy for now, arguing there will be time in the fall to go after him as too liberal for America if the polling trends continue. The second you start attacking him or even addressing him, you start giving credibility to [him] and you start firming up those votes, this person said, At the moment, hes irrelevant. As you get close and votes start hardening in terms of who people are voting for and when and why and how, then youve got to start making moves. In a statement, Trumps campaign railed against Kennedys environmental positions and described him as no independent while also hitting Democrats for challenging his efforts to get on the ballot. RFK Jr. is an AOC lover and opposes really any human advancement, preferring that we all live in caves by candlelight, except of course supports charging stations for your $150,000 electric car that can only drive a few miles before dying just like his presidential campaign, said Steven Cheung, Trumps communications director. Tony Lyons, a co-founder of the pro-Kennedy super PAC American Values 2024 and the president of Skyhorse Publishing, said there will be a pendulum swinging back and forth throughout the campaign that shows Kennedy at times being better for Trump and at other times boosting Bidens candidacy. Lyons said Kennedy will soon promote a 30-minute infomercial online that aims to hit back against the attacks he faces from his rivals. The fascinating part of it is that Trump says hes ultra-left-wing, Lyons said. And Biden says that hes ultra-right-wing. South Dakota Gov. d, a potential vice presidential pick for former President Trump, on Sunday said she did not think there should be exceptions in abortion regulation for rape and incest, defending her own states law. Noem in an interview with CNNs Dana Bash said South Dakotans want the law they have, and noted that it does permit an exception for abortion to save the life of the mother. Pressed by Bash on her own beliefs, Noem said she is pro-life and does not support exceptions for rape or incest. I just dont believe a tragedy should perpetuate another tragedy, Noem said. I believe in taking care of mothers that are in a crisis situation and that we should be walking alongside them, giving them all the information and the best information they can make before they have to be put in a situation where an abortion is the only option that they have. South Dakotas abortion ban is one of the strictest in the country. The law was a trigger ban that went into effect in 2022 shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had protected abortion rights nationwide. Noem is one of several top Republican officials whom Trump is considering as potential running mates in his presidential campaign this year. She has said that she would accept being his running mate if he asked her in a heartbeat. Trump mentioned Noem and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) as potential candidates when asked in February about who he is considering. Noems response comes in the aftermath of the Arizona Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that reinstated a 19th century-era law that bans abortion almost entirely without exceptions for rape and incest. Trump, who has said that the issue of abortion should be left to the states, said that law goes too far and urged Arizona lawmakers to remedy it. Noem told Bash that she agrees abortion should be a state issue. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Mission San Jose has been added to the National Park Services National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom because of an 1833 incident in which Mexican soldiers opened fire on slave catchers to protect five men who fled Louisiana. Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News Mission San Jose has been added to the National Park Services National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, along with 18 other U.S. sites, including one in the Rio Grande Valley. The park services director, Chuck Sams, announced the additions Monday at the mission. The network chronicles experiences of people who escaped slavery and those who supported them. The listing for Mission San Jose commemorates an 1833 defense of Mexicos anti-slavery laws, the NPS said. Five freedom seekers from Louisiana completed a treacherous 400-mile journey to safety in San Antonio, which was part of Mexico at the time. The Mexican Army protected the five men by opening fire on the slave catchers pursing them. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mission San Jose, shown in 2021 in a projection display as it might have looked in the 1700s, has been added to the National Park Services National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom because of an 1833 incident in which Mexican soldiers opened fire on slave catchers to protect five men who fled Louisiana. Billy Calzada/Staff photographer Another Texas site, Jackson Ranch Church and Martin Jackson Cemetery, near Pharr, also was added. A state historical marker was erected in 1983 commemorating the church. The cemetery also has been called the Jackson Ranch Church Cemetery. Texas previously had just one network site: Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery in Brackettville. Also added to the network were four sites in Missouri, two in Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania and one in Florida, Georgia and Indiana. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The National Park Service is committed to sharing a fuller and more inclusive account of our nations history, a history that is not complete until all voices are represented, Sams said. These listings are the result of years of research and documentation that recount the struggles and successes of freedom seekers during the Underground Railroad era. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and its advocacy of equal rights and self-determination, we must ensure that our national narrative includes their stories of bravery, persistence and resilience. Mission San Jose has been added to the National Park Services National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom because of an 1833 incident in which Mexican soldiers opened fire on slave catchers to protect five men who fled Louisiana. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Created by Congress in 1998, the network recognizes places and programs with verified connections to the Underground Railroad and resistance to chattel slavery. It includes almost 800 sites and programs in 40 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on student protests of the Israel-Hamas war for Tuesday, April 23. For the latest news see our live updates file for Wednesday, April 24. NEW YORK Protests loomed and negotiations inched forward Tuesday at NYU, Columbia and elsewhere as colleges across the nation grappled with unrest after days of demonstrations, campus closures and arrests swirling around U.S. support for Israel in its war on Hamas. The protests fueled a national debate over free speech and student demonstrations amid growing unrest over the fate of Palestinians in Gaza and concerns for the safety of Jewish students at home. Dozens of protesters were arrested Monday at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale University in Connecticut and New York University in Manhattan. Hundreds of students at Stanford University in Northern California held a walkout. At the University of California, Berkeley, students erected a Free Palestine Encampment. New York's Columbia University, the epicenter of the demonstrations, announced classes will provide a virtual learning option where technology permits until spring semester ends May 10. "Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students learning and all the required academic operations," the university said in a statement. The protests stem from the clash between Hamas and Israel, ignited by the militant group's assault on Israeli communities Oct. 7 that killed almost 1,200 people. Israel's subsequent bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians militants and civilians; men, women and children and fueled a dire humanitarian crisis. Columbia cancels in-person classes: Protesters arrested at Yale and NYU Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israel protesters face off in front of the entrance of Columbia University in New York on April 22, 2024. Developments: Student protesters inside the Columbia encampment barred the media from entering the space Tuesday. University administrators told USA TODAY it was up to students whether to allow in reporters, who spoke with student activists just outside the encampment. Hours after dozens of protesters were arrested Monday at Yale, Jews for Ceasefire held a "Seder in the Streets." Seder is a ritual dinner marking the start of Passover. The Yale encampment, set up last week, drew several hundred people calling on the university to drop investments to military weapons manufacturers. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, about 25 tents housed students calling for the university to divest from Israeli investments. Palestinian flags waved around the square, with banners and signs bearing messages in support of Palestinians. Two large banners read: "Encampment For Gaza! Divest Now!" and "Long Live The Intifada (uprising)." Columbia president: 'It is essential' that encampment be dismantled Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said Tuesday night that the actions taken by the university are justified. "I fully support the importance of free speech, respect the right to demonstrate, and recognize that many of the protestors have gathered peacefully," Shafik said in an email obtained by USA TODAY that was sent to students and faculty. "However, the encampment raises serious safety concerns, disrupts campus life, and has created a tense and at times hostile environment for many members of our community. It is essential that we move forward with a plan to dismantle it." She said a small group of university leaders have been speaking with student organizers "to discuss the basis for dismantling the encampment." Those talks are facing a deadline of midnight tonight to reach agreement, Shafik said. Shafik added, "I very much hope these discussions are successful. If they are not, we will have to consider alternative options for clearing the west lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate." But a group called Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine released a statement late Tuesday and said that they refused to negotiate with university officials. "Late tonight, Columbia University threatened (Columbia University Apartheid Divest) negotiators to call both the National Guard and NYPD if we do not acquiesce to their demands," the statement read, adding: "We remain steadfast in our convictions and will not be intimidated by the University's disturbing threat of an escalation of violence." Last week, Shafik trekked to Washington for a congressional hearing about antisemitism on Columbias campus. She faced a salvo of tough questions from lawmakers expressing dismay about reports that Jewish students have felt unsafe since Hamas Oct. 7 attack. A similar hearing in December featuring the presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania resulted in controversial clashes that ultimately cost them their jobs. While Shafik was in Washington, students set up camps on lawns at the center of campus, demanding the university sever all its ties to Israel. The following morning, Shafik called in the New York City Police Department to clear out the demonstrators. Officers arrested more than 100 people. The rallies continued and Shafik essentially closed the campus Monday, ordering classes to be held remotely. Rachel Barber, Zachary Schermele Jewish and Palestinian students address arrests, fear for safety Several students who had been arrested by New York City police gathered outside the Columbia presidents residence a couple of blocks from the main campus on Tuesday afternoon. Police stood to the side as students took turns reading prepared remarks and responding to reporters questions. Many of the arrested students are Jewish, and three Barnard students refuted the idea they were any less Jewish for protesting against Israel. We have continually had to defend our religious identities, even when there's a long tradition behind them, said student Sarah Borus, who also said she lost her housing after being arrested. Marianne Hirsch, an English professor at Columbia who is also Jewish and teaches Holocaust studies, said the arrests of students and constant police presence creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. This is not what the university is about, she said. This amplifies divisions among students, amongst Jewish students. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student who is negotiating with Columbia on behalf of student organizers, said he had rarely spoken out before because he is on an F-1 student visa and feared deportation if he was arrested. But he said Palestinian and Arab students had also felt unsafe, in addition to fearing for their families back home. Columbia has not acknowledged this pain, he said. A protest organized by Jewish Voice for Peace at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn is held on April 23, 2024, near U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer's home. Organizers are protesting the Senate considering $14 billion in aid to Israel. Students pledge to camp until Columbia cuts ties with Israel Outside the Columbia encampment, students held a press conference to reiterate their demand that the university cut ties with Israel. Students entered and exited the space as classes continued Tuesday, now also available remotely. We have made it clear that we will be occupying this lawn until all of our demands are met, Khymani James, a Columbia student and an encampment organizer, told reporters. He said the encampment has a lead negotiator with the university but declined to elaborate. The demands include complete divestment from Israel, including a student-exchange program and Columbia's campus in Tel Aviv, as well as financial transparency for the schools investments. The students also demand amnesty for the students and faculty disciplined or arrested from the demonstrations, including more than 100 detained Thursday. Freshman Sebastian Verrelli said he was disappointed by the school's actions against the students, but to him the demonstrations highlight the role of academic institutions to challenge peoples beliefs. This campus community has incredible strength and a willingness to engage in dialogue, he said. It's a reason why I chose to be here. Biden to speak at Morehouse commencement, risking backlash as campus protests over Gaza grow In Berkeley, a growing but peaceful encampment The number of tents grew overnight from 12 to 50 at the Free Palestine encampment at the University of California in Berkeley, according to Malak Afaneh, co-president of the Law Students for Justice in Palestine. The site was bustling but peaceful Tuesday, as volunteers dropped off food and a group of preschoolers from Oakland and their teachers ate lunch and toured around the tents. Several speakers addressed a small crowd during the afternoon. Afaneh said student protesters will remain onsite as theyre demanding the university call for an end to the war in Gaza and divests from defense contractors profiting from the conflict, including Boeing, BlackRock and Lockheed Martin. Protesters also want the university to sever ties with Israeli academic institutions and create policies to protect Palestinian students as well as create a Palestinian studies program. I am 100% fully confident that all of our goals for divestment will be achieved, Afaneh said. Were going to be here come rain, sunshine, suspensions, expulsions, all of it. UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof said the school is keeping open communication with protest organizers, adding that Cal's top objective is "to ensure that students who want to attend classes and pursue their education can do so without interference and disruption. Terry Collins Dozens arrested near Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's home Hundreds of people with the activist group Jewish Voice for Peace held a protest Tuesday evening at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, just down the street from the home of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. Along with ongoing student demonstrations across universities in New York City, Jewish Voice for Peaces rally protested against the impending congressional bill to fund billions of aid to Israel. The group held a symbolic Seder meal on the second day of the Passover holiday. People sat around a large illustration of ritual food for the meal. In addition to Jewish staples for the plate, the illustration added added items of olives and strawberries, symbolizing food representative of Palestine. By nightfall, the group blocked traffic around Grand Army Plaza, bringing cars and buses to a standstill as police responded. The group has led prior actions at Grand Central Terminal and elsewhere in New York City that have resulted in hundreds of prior arrests. In the roadway near Grand Army Plaza, police began pulling dozens of people, young and old, off the roadway, handcuffing them with zip ties, and loading them on at least six buses that lined down the street. Organizers said the act was meant to send a message from Jewish Americans who feel their identity is being used to justify funding to Israel's war by American politicians. Our actions have to build, Stefanie Fox, the executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, told USA TODAY as police cleared people from the street. We have an obligation. As police lined up the last of the demonstrators to place them on buses, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed the $95 billion foreign aid package. About $17 billion of the aid goes to Israel, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed the $95 billion foreign aid package. About $17 billion of the aid goes to Israel. Eduardo Cuevas NYU protest with union presence rips arrests, school president An NYU protest kicked off midafternoon in lower Manhattan's Washington Square Park, a quasi-center for university life. Off to the side of the park's famous fountain, a group of speakers led a medium-size crowd in chants like "Linda Mills you're a liar," referring to the school's president. They also instructed those in attendance not to speak to reporters who weren't vetted. The crowd, which included not only students but also NYU employees and some of their children, heard about the arrests and strong police presence from the previous night. "We had members, faculty who were arrested last night because management turned the NYPD on peacefully demonstrating students and faculty, which they then disingenuously justified by saying that there were outside agitators," said Charles Gelman, 36, an adjunct faculty member at NYU. Many signs read "UAW for a permanent cease-fire" over the backdrop of the Palestinian flag. The Academics Come Together-United Auto Workers Local 7902 represents more than 4,000 adjunct professors, educators and health care workers at NYU and the New School, its website says. "In part we are trying to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian trade unions who have called for support from fellow unions internationally to do what we can to stop the flow of weapons, especially from the United States to Israel, that are destroying homes, families and lives in Gaza and in the West Bank," said Gelman, an ACT-UAW member. MIT students have Passover Seder on lawn CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, students have been camping out on a lawn outside the student center since Sunday. As darkness fell Tuesday night, they were nearing the end of a Passover Seder, with the Jewish students teaching the non-Jews about their tradition. Graduate student David Berkinsky, who had defended his PhD thesis in physical chemistry a day earlier, said some of the students had been in tears as they shared the meaning of the holiday, which celebrates the liberation of Jews from Egypt thousands of years ago. That story doesnt end with the liberatory struggle of the Jewish people, but it extends to all the liberatory struggles and that includes the Palestinian people, of course, said Berkinsky, who belongs to Jews for Ceasefire, part of the MIT Coalition for Palestine. The broader group wants MIT to cut its ties to companies that make military equipment Israel has used against Palestinians in Gaza, Berkinsky said. While he spoke, about a dozen students sang traditional Passover songs and danced in a circle, as a student wearing an Orthodox Jewish head-covering and scarf played the clarinet. Many of the students, clearly singing the songs for the first time, stumbled and laughed their way through the lyrics. Theres obviously a lot of joy we have together, Berkinsky said. This is a struggle were committed to. Karen Weintraub At Columbia, police helicopters part of daily life Columbia University graduate student Layla Saliba said pro-Palestinian student groups set up tents on campus because they felt protest rallies and walkouts were ignored by administrators. Saliba, who is with the group Columbia University Apartheid Divestment, said multiple student groups, which include many Jewish students, want Columbia to withdraw its investments in companies that profit from the war in Gaza. Students also want school suspensions to be revoked for some who received them after campus demonstrations in recent months. Saliba, 24, said a handful of police helicopters and drones fly over the encampment areas daily. I dont like it, it makes me feel like Im a zoo animal. Especially because were not doing anything wrong, she said. This week, some of Salibas friends were arrested for holding signs on campus, she said. Saliba said she hasnt heard of any instances of pro-Palestinian students targeting Jewish students and said many students from different religious backgrounds feel scared of the large police presence. When you have armored vehicles, thats going to make it tense for everyone, she said. Claire Thornton Antisemitism, reasons for protests should both be recognized, official says At a security entrance to Columbia, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams went into the campus just after a student, wearing a kippah head covering, was turned back by campus security and told to return to Barnards campus across the street. Williams, a Democratic city official, said the student told him the campus felt less safe with the heightened police and security presence. Inside, Williams said he saw peaceful students at the encampment at the center of campus.Its the fact that people are standing up for Palestinians in Gaza, Williams said. And I really think that makes people uneasy.Williams said he spoke with students who felt uneasy because they sensed antisemitism, some from people off campus. Williams said the presence of antisemitism should be acknowledged, as well as the reasons why many are protesting the war in Gaza. Just saying cease-fire cant be antisemitic, he said. NYU under fire for calling in police Mills said she brought in police to NYU after protesters breached barriers with "disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior that interfered with the safety and security of our community." She said many refused to leave. NYU's professor association issued a statement Tuesday calling much of the account false and blasting the administration for bringing in the police. The statement said the protest was loud, but there was no intimidation "other than by NYPD," which the group said, "made arrests in an especially rough manner" and pepper sprayed a student who was taking pictures. NYPD did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Spencer Mulvaney, 20, a sophomore film major at NYU, said she found the administration's actions "upsetting." "The protests that occurred were nonviolent and contained," she said. "Yet the police incited fear and used force ... as someone yelled, 'These are kids!'" Attendees at a rally organized by NYU students listen to a talk about the history of the Palestinian struggle on April 23, 2024. New York University sees brief quiet after Monday protests New York Universitys Manhattan campus was quiet early Tuesday following pro-Palestinian demonstrations that led to scores of arrests a day earlier. Outside the Stern business school, cameras were trained on a set of barricades while a man held a sign reading, Israel kills 1400 kids. Nearby, Nikhil Chirumamilla, a senior studying dramatic writing, looked on. He saw the protests Monday but chose not to get involved when he spotted police in riot gear. Referencing an email NYU President Linda Mills sent out in the aftermath, he said her reasoning for the response seemed flimsy. I feel like the university response was a bit dramatic. I think it was peaceful protest," Chirumamilla said, adding that the university is "clear on their position on the matter. Theyre not as open to pro-Palestinian voices on campus." Columbia sociology professors defy university administration on student suspensions Members of the Columbia University Department of Sociology say they were alarmed by the universitys actions in recent days, including calling police on peaceful student demonstrators on campus last week, resulting in over 100 people getting arrested. Police have said there was no credible threat to safety from the campus protests. The sociology professors issued a statement Tuesday saying the suspensions of students arrested was irregular, unnecessary and resting on shaky legal ground." The educators called on the school to reverse the suspensions and allow the students to return to the campus and to classes. For our own part, as members of the faculty of the department of sociology, we will continue to keep our courses open to these students, we will grade their exams and papers, and we will give them final grades in our courses so they may receive credit, the statement said. Education Secretary Cardona backs free speech but 'won't tolerate harassment' Education Secretary Miguel Cardona called for calm in a social media post Tuesday, saying universities "are at their best when they promote the respectful exchange of diverse views and constructive debate." The Education department's Office for Civil Rights interprets the laws it enforces consistent with free speech and other First Amendment rights, he said. "But we wont tolerate hate or harassment that targets students because of who they are or who theyre perceived to be," Cardona said. Columbia Jewish student group cites 'climate of repression' The Columbia chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace accused the university of creating "a climate of repression and harm for students peacefully protesting for an end of the Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza." The group said in a statement Monday that students have faced physical attacks and hate speech by faculty and staff. The university has actively created a "hostile environment" for Palestinian students and their supporters while making the campus "much less safe" for Jewish students. "The administration has not only harassed Jewish students and failed to ensure their safety and well-being, it has also obstructed their religious observances," the statement said. Contributing: Niraj Warikoo and Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israeli war fuels protests at Columbia, other colleges: Updates Pennsylvania primary voters will cast ballots Tuesday in a series of critical races in the key battleground state, even as both the presidential and Senate primaries are mere formalities. They include a bitterly fought Democratic primary around Pittsburgh and a primary in eastern Pennsylvania that features a moderate Republican seeking to fend off a right-wing challenger. Whats more, activists upset with President Joe Bidens handling of the Israel-Hamas war are urging Democrats to write uncommitted on the states primary ballot. And in the GOP primary, Republicans looking to cast protest votes against former President Donald Trump can still find former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who ended her campaign last month, on their ballots. Pennsylvania is one of the most evenly divided states in the country, so both parties will be searching for any clues the primary may offer about the November election. With polls closing at 8 p.m. ET., heres what to watch for Tuesday. A House district where the war in Gaza is front and center In the 12th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Summer Lee faces a challenge from Edgewood Borough Council member Bhavini Patel in a race that has put the Israel-Hamas war front and center. Lee, a member of the progressive squad in Congress and one of the first lawmakers to call for a cease-fire, has accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes and called for an end to unconditional military aid to the country, and on Saturday she joined 36 Democrats and 21 Republicans in voting against an aid package to the country, which passed overwhelmingly. She and Republican Rep. Scott Perry were the only Pennsylvania members to vote against it. Patel, who launched her campaign days before Hamas Oct. 7 attack, has sought to cut into Lees support by saying her refusal to distance herself from groups and activists calling for an uncommitted primary vote will hurt Biden this fall. Lee, who won her first primary race in 2022 after she overcame a raft of spending from groups aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is looking stronger this time around. Shes well-defined in the district and has framed her bid around taking on Trump-aligned Republicans and bringing federal dollars to the district. The same AIPAC-aligned groups that fought her last time arent spending on the race this time around. The district includes Squirrel Hill, one of the countrys most prominent historically Jewish neighborhoods and site of the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue, where a white supremacist killed 11 worshippers in 2018. It was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Lee has called on Hamas to release hostages it still holds and has repeatedly spoken out against antisemitism. We have communities that are hurting. The Jewish community is one of them. And there are people who are not going to agree 100% on everything that you say, Lee said in an interview, adding she has been very clear and very upfront about her cease-fire position. I have condemned Hamas. Weve worked with the families of hostages; weve done everything that I think is necessary to do that. And at the end of the day, we disagree. The race will be an early test of whether sentiment about the war in Gaza will play a significant role in races this year. Setting up a critical Senate race Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick are poised to cruise to victories Tuesday, setting up a key contest in the fight for control of the Senate. McCormick, who lost the GOP primary in 2022 to Trump-backed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, managed to clear the field ahead of this bid and rallied a Pennsylvania Republican establishment behind him that was tired of the infighting that contributed to defeats up and down the ballot in the midterms. Its a dynamic that has allowed him to focus on the general election battle against Casey from the get-go. The two will soon be fighting in what will be one of the most expensive Senate races of the cycle. Casey, a three-term senator whose father was governor of Pennsylvania, regularly out-polls Biden in the state, where Democrats have enjoyed victory after victory since Trumps stunning upset over Hillary Clinton in 2016. The race could determine which party holds the majority in the Senate, where Democrats hold a 51-49 advantage. A moderate Republican on defense Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has built a brand as a moderate Republican, so he has often attracted primary challengers from the right. This year, Fitzpatrick isnt taking any chances in his primary race against anti-abortion-rights activist Mark Houck. Fitzpatricks campaign has spent nearly $2 million so far, according to recent campaign finance reports, far outspending Houck, who has dropped $145,000 and had just $11,000 left in his account as of April 3. Fitzpatricks campaign had nearly $3.7 million on hand. Houck grabbed headlines for his arrest after an altercation with a Planned Parenthood volunteer, and he was acquitted last year. Fitzpatricks campaign has launched multiple negative TV ads against Houck, as well as spots bolstering his own conservative credentials. In one ad, Fitzpatrick says, The far left is attacking the very ideals that brought so many to our shores, indoctrinating our kids with anti-American hate and leaving our borders wide open. The primary race has drawn attention from outside groups, with two super PACs spending in the race to bolster Fitzpatrick: the Defending America PAC and the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is aligned with House GOP leadership. A group tied to Democrats has also meddled in the primary, Politico reported. Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, has been an elusive target for Democrats looking to flip the competitive 1st District in the Philadelphia suburbs. If he wins the primary, Fitzpatrick will once again face Democrat Ashley Ehasz, an Army veteran whom he defeated by 10 points in 2022 even after Biden won the district by 5 points two years previously, according to calculations from Daily Kos Elections. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates the 1st District race as likely Republican. Setting up battleground House matchups Tuesdays primaries will also solidify the matchups in four other competitive House districts. Two of them are already set, with businessman Rob Bresnahan the only Republican in the race to take on Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright in the 8th District and state Rep. Rob Mercuri the only Republican taking on Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio in the 17th District. But there are competitive primaries to take on two other Pennsylvania lawmakers in battleground districts: Democratic Rep. Susan Wild and GOP Rep. Scott Perry. In Wilds 7th District north of Philadelphia, the top Republicans include state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and Kevin Dellicker, who owns a technology company. Mackenzie has support from the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Action, while Dellicker has slightly outspent Mackenzie in the primary. Wild won a third term in 2022 by just 2 points, and Biden won her district by less than 1 point in 2020. The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up. In the 10th District, which includes Harrisburg, six Democrats are competing to take on Perry, the former chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus. The top contenders include Marine veteran Mike OBrien, who was a TOPGUN pilot, and former local TV news anchor Janelle Stelson, who has support from EMILYs List, a group that backs female candidates who support abortion rights. While Democrats believe Perry is vulnerable, especially given his clashes with the Justice Departments investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Democrats would face an uphill climb in a district Trump won by 4 points in 2020. The Cook Political Report rates the race as lean Republican. Biden protest vote Biden is his partys presumptive presidential nominee, but activists opposed to the war in Gaza are once again calling on Democrats to cast votes to protest the administrations support for Israel. A coalition of groups called Uncommitted PA is urging voters to write in uncommitted in the Democratic presidential primary, following similar efforts in other primary states. The group is looking for 40,000 write-in votes, about half of Bidens margin of victory in Pennsylvania in 2020. Only registered Democrats can participate in Tuesdays primary. CORRECTION (April 23, 2024, 1:30 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the first name of Rep. Brian Fitzpatricks Republican primary challenger. He is Mark Houck, not Matt. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Cleobella x Katherine Schwarzenegger Fans arent too thrilled about Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger demolishing their Los Angeles house which was one of the citys historic gems. Last year, Pratt, 44, and Schwarzenegger, 34, purchased the Zimmerman house, located in the Brentwood area, for $12.5 million. Pratt and Schwarznegger reportedly bought the house to be close to her mom, Maria Shriver, who lives almost directly across the street. The home was originally designed in 1953 and is known for its modernist design, per the Robb Report. (The house was previously owned by Sam and Hilda Rolfe, the cocreators of the 1960s spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the CBS series Have Gun Will Travel, which ran from 1957 to 1963.) According to the Robb Report, the couple began demolishing the historic home to build a new house, which will be designed by Ken Ungar, shortly after purchasing the property. Chris Pratt, Katherine Schwarzenegger Have 1st Night Without Kids in 3 Years Several architecture enthusiasts and preservationists recently learned of the demolition and were not too thrilled. Saddened (also angered frankly) to learn of the demolition of the Zimmerman House, writer DC Hillier said in an Instagram post on Saturday, April 20. In the comments section, many people echoed his statement and criticized Pratt and Schwarzenegger. A prime example showcasing how money cant buy taste. Very sad indeed, one user wrote while another shared, Hey @prattprattpratt, why not build a new mega mansion in the Palisades and save the historic MCMs for people who respect architecture? In January 2023, concerns were made about the demolition prior to it making headlines. Matching Moment! Katherine Schwarzenegger Twins With Daughters in Sweet Pic Designed by Emiel Becksy and working within architect Craig Ellwoods office, he created a one-story, nearly 3,000 sq. ft. residence that appears to be highly intact and a noteworthy example of Modernist design from this era, the Los Angeles Conservancy wrote in an interview Instagram post about the Zimmerman house. The Citys SurveyLA program identified it as potentially historic, yet no protections are currently afforded. Pratt and Schwarzenegger have yet to comment on the backlash. Pratt and Schwarzenegger, who tied the knot in June 2019 and share daughters Lyla, 3, and Eloise, 23 months, previously made headlines when they moved into a new home in February 2019 and documented their hilarious moving process on social media. (Pratt also shares son Jack, 11, with ex-wife Anna Faris.) When you need to see if your stuff will fit in the new place but you forgot the tape measure, Pratt wrote via Instagram at the time alongside photos of Schwarzenegger stretching out her arms and laying down on the houses hardwood floors in an attempt to measure the rooms. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. A commemoration ceremony was held in Amsterdam near the memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, the Embassy of Republic of Armenia in the Netherlands reports. Ambassador of Armenia to the Netherlands H.E. Mr. Viktor Biyagov, Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema, members of the Dutch Parliament Don Ceder, Caroline van der Plas and representatives of the Armenian community of Amsterdam delivered speeches at the ceremony. In his speech, Ambassador Biyagov reiterated the imperative of recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, noting with appreciation the importance of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Parliament of the Netherlands. The ambassador underscored that in the path of preventing and condemning the crimes against humanity, it is of utmost importance to consolidate the efforts of all those states that are pioneers of human rights and fundamental freedoms in order to exclude the recurrence of such atrocities. YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan on April 23 received the newly appointed Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the Republic of Armenia, Rafael Enrique Gonzalez Aleman to hand over the copy of his credentials. According to the readout issued by the foreign ministry, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his belief that the Ambassador will undertake effective activities aimed at further strengthening and deepening relations between the two countries. According to the source, during the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the historically established ties between the two peoples, bilateral agenda issues, and emphasized the expansion of cooperation in mutually beneficial areas, including trade, economics, education, and culture. Paruyr Hovhannisyan presented Armenias Crosswords of Peace project to the Ambassador. The interlocutors addressed several other international and regional issues. The mother of a 4-year-old Washington boy whose body was found along an interstate has been arrested on suspicion of his murder, authorities said Friday. Janet Garcia, 27, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and first-degree assault of a child in connection with the death of son Ariel Garcia, officials said. Garcia, of Lynwood, was arrested and charged with making a false statement to a public servant in Clark County earlier in the day. Ariel Garcia was reported missing by family members on Wednesday afternoon. The Washington State Patrol sent out a mass alert to the public about his disappearance the next day. The little boy's body was found in Pierce County along Interstate 5 on Thursday, according to the Everett Police Department. "I am completely heartbroken for the family and friends of Ariel Garcia and they will remain in my thoughts as they grieve this unbelievably tragic loss," said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin in a press release. Janet Garcia told police her son fell out of bed and hit his head when they were visiting a friend, local outlet KING 5 reported, citing Clark County District Court documents. When the friend returned to their home, they found a substantial amount of blood, and Janet and Ariel were missing, according to KING 5. Garcia allegedly told police that she tried to take her son to a hospital after the reported fall, but the wait was too long. She then allegedly said she dropped the 4-year-old off at a friend's house in Seattle. According to court documents, police interviewing Janet Garcia saw what appeared to be splatters of blood on her shoes and shirt. Throughout the questioning, Janet Garcia's answers were "inconsistent and difficult to follow" but she continued to say her son had fallen and hit his head, police said. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner has yet to determine the cause and manner of death. It was not immediately clear whether Garcia had an attorney who could speak on her behalf. Macquarie Government has been appointed to the Information Communications Technology Provider Arrangement (ICTPA) panel, enabling the Australian Defence Force to procure services from the provider. ICTPA was established in 2018 to replace the Applications Managed Service Partner Agreement (AMSPA) and facilitates buying IT services for Defence and related agencies. Macquarie already works with more than 42 percent of federal government agencies and is the only Strategic level-certified provider of both data centre and cloud services in Australia under the governments Hosting Certification Framework. This is a significant step which reflects the trust and recognition of Australian companies investing in sovereign outcomes, Macquarie Government head of federal government Michael Davies said. The starting point of my new book The Propaganda of Freedom is the core tenet of the cultural Cold War as prosecuted by the CIA and the Kennedy White House: that only free artists in free societies can produce great art. And yet this is a risible claim, self-evidently counter-empirical; Ive dubbed it the propaganda of freedom. An exceptionally thoughtful review has just materialized in the online magazine Fusion. The author is Robert Bellafiore, who writes: In The Propaganda of Freedom, Joseph Horowitz considers the history and influence of Kennedys argument and finds it harmful to freedom and culture alike, revealing an uneasy relationship between art and politics that any free society must grapple with. . . . Through his musical analysis and a broader history of the [Congress for Cultural Freedom] and cultural exchange during the Cold War, Horowitz seeks to protect both art and freedom from their cheapening . . . The tensions between artist and audience, and between artist and government, didnt resolve themselves when the Cold War ended. What makes The Propaganda of Freedom more than just a compelling history is its illustration that these tensions will mark every free society, including ours today. For any American who is discouraged by the vulgarity and frivolity of contemporary culture and wishes for something better, the book raises difficult questions. Is our ethos of democracy and freedom somehow inimical to the life of the arts? Arts skeptics will argue that certain impediments are deeply rooted in the American experience. Certainly there is an impressive lineage of writings analyzing an American aversion to artists and intellectuals. Alexis de Tocqueville, nearly two centuries ago, observed among the citizens of the United States a distaste for all that is old. Assessing an expanded circle of readers, he discerned a taste for the useful over the love of the beautiful, for the mass produced and mediocre. No less than ascetic Calvinism, Republican rationalism could spurn creative achievement. If popular government demanded a virtuous and pious citizenry, monarchies linked to sensuality and decadence. Were the arts an aristocratic luxury? Even the likes of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson cosmopolites of humbling intellectual attainment expressed ambivalence toward the cultivation of painting and sculpture. Too expensive for the state of wealth among us, opined Jefferson. Conducive to luxury, effeminacy, corruption, prostitution, wrote Adams. Both men well knew pre-revolutionary Paris. Many decades later, American politicians of note included no Adamses or Jeffersons. Edward Shils, a widely influential sociologist, in 1964 regretted that in the US the political elite gives a preponderant impression of indifference toward works of superior culture. Two years before that, the historian Richard Hofstadter produced a Pulitzer-Prize winning study of Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. He adduced an enduring New World stereotype of the effete intellectual: impractical, artificial, arrogant, seduced by European manners. A related American stereotype, Hofstadter reported, holds the genius to be lazy, undisciplined, neurotic, imprudent, and awkward. He blamed democratization, utilitarianism, and evangelical Protestantism. These critiques registered aversion to the Red Scare and also to the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, who once told Leonard Bernstein I like music with a theme, not all them arias and barcarolles. An enduring philosophical argument against the American arts was launched by Theodor Adorno and the Frankfurt School. This was a tirade against the atomized premises of Anglo-American empiricists who in separating the individual from society spurned a vigorously holistic dialectic. Affirmative American culture was bland and homogenized rather than bristling with negative attributes igniting an engaged interactive response. Packaged and merchandized for mass consumption, affirmative culture was a feature of twentieth century capitalism. Concomitantly, capitalist society embraced a mistaken notion of the artist as a distant actor, unfettered and autonomous. The very DNA of American democracy its notion of freedom was in the Frankfurt view a naive myth. The contemporary pertinence of all this philosophizing is everywhere around us: increasingly, our democratic world of social media and mounting, ever multiplying gadgetry swims in bits and pieces, in disconnected dots, in superficia and ephemera an ontology of fragmentation. For more of the same, see my current American Scholar essay Ripeness Is All. For more on the Frankfurt School with reference to American classical music, see my notorious Understanding Toscanini: How He Became an American Culture-God and Helped Create a New Audience for Old Music (1987) Bhopal: BJP national president J.P. Nadda on Tuesday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modis crusade against corruption will intensify after the general election. Addressing a series of public meetings in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Nadda said that Mr Modi will ensure that all the corrupt and scammers are sent to jail after June 4, when the results of the seven-phase LS polls will be announced. The BJP president said that many mega-scams related to coal, telecom, submarines and the AgustaWestland chopper scandal happened during the previous Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. The Congress did not spare the land, the sky or even the ocean and committed scams in all three worlds, he said. Terming the INDIA bloc a group of "dynastic and corrupt parties", Mr Nadda said that all scammers came together to save each other. When they hold their rallies, they keep two chairs vacant. They say these are the chairs of our chief ministers who are in jail. Wait for June 4, Modi Jis campaign against corruption will become more intense and all the guilty will be punished," he said, adding that the key agenda of the INDIA bloc is to save their families and corrupt people. On one hand, Modi Ji is working to eradicate corruption and on the other hand, dynastic parties of the INDIA bloc or Ghamandiya Gathbandhan are saying 'save corrupts', he said. Pointing out that many of the Opposition leaders are either in jail or on bail, Mr Nadda said, While (Delhi chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers are in jail, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are on bail. At the public rallies, the BJP president accused the Congress of hoodwinking people by making false poll promises. He said: The Congress makes promises before the polls and forgets them after the election. Mr Nadda addressed three public meetings at Tikamgarh, Rewa and Satna in Madhya Pradesh. He underlined the development works undertaken by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and said that the BJP has delivered what it promised. The polling for the second of the four-phase LS elections in Madhya Pradesh will be held on April 26. The BJP had won 28 out of 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh in the 2019 LS polls, whereas the Congress had bagged the lone Chhindwara parliamentary constituency. NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Tuesday said the poll body was examining the complaint filed by the Congress against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A complaint regarding the Prime Minister's speech has been received and is under consideration of the Commission, sources said. The opposition leaders, however, alleged that the ECI is dragging its feet as no action was taken on its previous complaints. The Congress in its complaint to ECI on Monday mentioned several circulars issued to the party, with regard to utterances during campaigns by the leaders and candidates, asking them to maintain decorum and not to use religion in campaigns. This is a very serious and uncalled for invasion and we hope and trust that the Election Commission, as it is on trial, irrespective of the status of the person will take appropriate action, said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was part of the Congress delegation that went to ECI. The CPMs Brinda Karat raised questions about the credibility of the ECI while terming Prime Ministers speech as a shocking statement. According to Karat, the Prime Ministers words violated Indian laws against inciting communal enmity and hate speech, yet the ECI has failed to take appropriate action. It is an absolutely shocking statement coming from the Prime Minister. It is almost unbelievable that the Prime Minister of a secular country like India should speak in those words quite frankly, he speaks as though a communal bigot speech. It is not befitting the Prime Minister of India. In the elections, to use such language is hate speech, extreme hate speech, Karat said. Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has questioned the impartiality of the ECI and accused it of different rules for different people. During the election campaign in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, Modi said Bajrang Bali ki jay and Union home minister Amit Shah had said if they are elected everyone will be taken for darshan of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya...yet we receive a letter from the election commission. Our party symbol is now Mashaal, we launched the Mashaal song for upcoming elections. When it was submitted to ECI, it asked us to remove two words Hindu ha tujha dharma and Jay Bhavani Jay Shivaji...I want to tell ECI, I will not remove it... Thackeray said on Sunday. JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday intensified his attack on the Congress as the Lok Sabha election campaign entered deep into the Hindi heartland ahead of the second phase of polling on April 26. While in Rajasthan Modi doubled down on the Congress for Muslims rhetoric, in Chhattisgarh he lashed out at the grand old party over its appeasement politics and attempts to divide India. Speaking at a rally in the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency in Rajasthan, the Prime Minister, on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, yet again reminded the voters how the Muslims could benefit if the Congress came to power. As soon as the Congress formed the government at the Centre in 2004, one of its first tasks was to reduce the SC/ST reservation in Andhra Pradesh and give reservation to Muslims, the Prime Minister said. He asserted that this was a pilot project that the Congress wanted to implement nationwide. Between 2004 and 2010, the Congress made four attempts to introduce Muslim reservation in Andhra Pradesh, but due to legal hurdles, the plans did not materialise, he said. In his address, he also pointed out the unacceptable incident in the Congress-ruled Karnataka where a shopkeeper was recently beaten as he was listening to Hanuman Chalisa. As we speak on Hanuman Jayanti today, Im reminded of a picture from a few days ago. Its from the Congress-ruled Karnataka. Recently, a shopkeeper there was brutally beaten simply because he was listening to the Hanuman Chalisa. You can imagine... in the reign of the Congress, even listening to Hanuman Chalisa is considered a sin, he added. Modi alleged that following ones faith becomes difficult under Congress rule and Rajasthan has suffered because of it. Just a few days ago, we celebrated Rama Navami. For the first time after the Congress departure, a peaceful procession was held. During the Congress tenure, Rama Navami celebrations were banned in Rajasthan, he said. Reiterating his charge that the Congress, if voted to power, will conduct a wealth survey to seize the assets of people and take away their life-long savings, he said, The Congress is plotting to snatch your property and distribute it to their special people. When I exposed their politics, they got so angry that they started abusing me. I want to know from the Congress why they are so afraid of the truth. Hitting out at the Opposition alliance, he said, The reservation rights that Dr Babasaheb gave to Dalits, backward classes, and tribals, the Congress and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc wanted to give them to specific minorities based on religion. Addressing another rally in Chhattisgarhs Sakti district, Modi slammed the Congress for their divisive politics and said, The Congress has now started another big game. First, a Congress MP from Karnataka said that they will declare South India a separate country. Now, the Congress candidate from Goa is saying that the Indian Constitution does not apply to Goa. Hitting out at the Congress for its appeasement politics, Modi stated that appeasement is in the DNA of the Congress. To appease a particular community, the Congress wont even hesitate for a second if it has to snatch the rights of dalits, backward classes and indigenous people. The BJP is a party that follows the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. Our priority is the welfare of the poor, youth, women and farmers. For 60 years, the Congress chanted the slogan Garibi Hatao in the country and kept filling the coffers of its leaders. But we have lifted 25-crore people out of poverty in the last 10 years, the Prime Minister said. According to a survey by Save the Children, 250,000 children are not in school. About 99 per cent of repatriated families face a food crisis, 40 per cent have had to borrow money, one in six lives in tents. Many were born across the border, and Afghanistan "is not the place they call home. Islamabad (AsiaNews) More than 250,000 children in Afghanistan need education, food, and shelter after Pakistan forcibly repatriated them in recent months in a campaign to get rid of refugees many now targeted by the Taliban. A recently released survey by Save the Children dedicated to Afghan children raises the alarm almost two-thirds of those who have returned have not been enrolled in school. According to the NGO, most do not have the necessary documents to register in school, which are now open mostly to boys after the Taliban banned girls' education beyond the sixth grade. This is a far cry from the situation in Pakistan, where most (more than 75 per cent according to the survey) had regular access to schools. Pakistan has cracked down on foreigners it considers to be illegal residents of the country, and that includes 1.7 million Afghans. Pakistani authorities insist that the campaign is not directed specifically against Afghans, but the latter are the vast majority. Upon returning home, many risk being persecuted by the ruling Taliban for past "collaboration" with the United States. The latest available data indicate that more than 520,000 Afghans left Pakistan since the expulsion policy began last October. The NGO notes that many families return to Afghanistan "with virtually nothing" and that almost half of all repatriations concern children. Almost all households (about 99 per cent) do not have enough food for the coming months and many returning migrants (40 per cent) have had to borrow money to buy food or have had to rely on donations from friends and relatives. Nearly eight million children in Afghanistan, or one in three, are facing hunger and malnutrition. Almost one in six families live in tents, and most returnees have little or no means of support. Only a third were able to bring goods from Pakistan with them. Almost half (47 per cent) said there is no work in Afghanistan and 81 per cent said they lack the skills needed to work. The survey cites the case of Raihana, 15-year-old girl who lives with her grandfather after returning with her mother and three siblings. The family sold everything before leaving Pakistan. Now We are in desperate need of aid. We need shelter, living essentials, winter clothing, shoes, blankets, food and medicine, Raihana said. Afghanistan is very cold for us, and it is challenging because we do not have winter clothing. My sister and brother became ill. Arshad Malik, Save the Children country director for Afghanistan, notes that the return of so many people is putting additional pressure on an already stretched system that is deficient in many respects. Many undocumented Afghan children were born in Pakistan - Afghanistan is not the place they call home, he explained. In addition to the repatriations from Pakistan, 600,000 Afghans "arrived from Iran last year. Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, spokesman for the Taliban regimes Ministry of Refugees, dismissed the criticism, saying that education was available to any children who was missing out on classes. They can register in any class and continue to learn, whether they have documents or not, he said. This problem has been solved by us. The decision taken by Pakistan to deport Afghans who entered illegally has been heavily criticised and caused a serious emergency, because many of the Afghan immigrants had been living in the country for decades driven by past wars and violence. (Picture from Save the Children website) by Santosh Digal The Botika sa Kapilya (Chapel Pharmacy) programme provides drugs and medical consultations to poor people in the region, thanks to the Jesuit missionary, with the help of Catholic health workers, who are also catechists. About 102 people have benefitted from the initiative that reaches out to people struggling with hunger and the effects of El Nino. Manila (AsiaNews) Botika sa Kapilya or Chapel Pharmacy is a programme designed to meet the primary healthcare needs in rural areas in the southern Philippines. The service, which takes its name from the Santo Nino chapel in El Gaucho (Mindanao), is supported by Fr Alberto Tex Pauron, a Jesuit missionary from Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro. The clergyman, who is also involved in other pastoral work in the region, including teaching, is assisted by Empowered Catholic Health Workers (ECHWs), who not only provide healthcare to the poor and disadvantaged people in the Muslim-majority south, but are also dedicated to evangelisation. Mindanao, the country's second largest island, has a population of more than 25 million; for decades, it has been the scene of violence between insurgent groups and government troops. We continue to meet a basic need, health care, and the response from the community has been positive," Fr Pauron said. Because poverty is one of the main causes of distress among residents, many avoid seeking medical care. "This programme is a means to an end, which is evangelisation, he explains. ECHWs are active in their respective Catholic chapels and serve as well as catechists," he explained. At the start, the ECHW team had 10 members but now there are 12, from the indigenous communities of Malitbog, Bukidnon and other areas. Currently, 102 people farmers, carpenters, vendors, and drivers are benefitting from the programme, mostly residents in and around Puerto Cagayan de Oro. Because of El Nino, a climate phenomenon responsible for rising temperatures, things have become worse for the poor. In Bayawa, where we run a feeding programme, a feeding session was held on Good Friday, a sign that people are hungry," Jesuit missionary noted. "Our help is offered without a messianic complex, hoping that people will experience God's love through our good works. Botika sa Kapilya is part of the magisterium of Fr Tex Pauron in the region, which led him to see that health issues and problems did not receive enough attention. The programme started first in isolated "barangays" (villages) in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental province, to meet the basic medical needs of disadvantaged people who do not always have access to medicines. After completing some basic training on how to care for local patients, ECHWs offer medical services to adopted communities. The first goal of Chapel Pharmacy is to provide communities with high-quality, reasonably priced, and easily accessible medicines, which are supplied by Fr Pauron to the health workers, who then handle the distribution. ECHWs are also called to listen to and learn about patients needs. The staff then verifies all the information and record their answers. Fr Pauron reviews the collected information and informs the health workers of the next steps, such as follow-up visits or laboratory tests. In El Gaucho, three ECHW volunteers are active: Jhonalyn Cabayag, Anita Restoration, and Gretchen Noval. The peculiarity of the programme is that it is run by the Church, which also supports community activities in the parishes, especially in rural areas. It also addresses the needs of disadvantaged people by lending them money if they cannot pay for needed medicines. A top scientist at the World Health Organization gave a dire warning about the dangers presented by the spread of bird flu to new species, noting that humans face an "extraordinarily high" mortality rate if infected, according to a report. "This remains, I think, an enormous concern," the UN health agency's chief scientist Jeremy Farrar told reporters Thursday in Geneva, ScienceAlert reported. WHO reported last week that of the 888 human cases of bird flu, H5N1, globally between January 2023 and March 2024, 52% of them were fatal. The strain has become "a global zoonotic animal pandemic," Farrar said, ScienceAlert reported. The bird flu outbreak began in 2020 and has killed tens of millions of birds. It has since evolved to infect cows and other mammals. There is no evidence that it has been transmitted yet between humans. "The great concern of course is that in ... infecting ducks and chickens and then increasingly mammals, that virus now evolves and develops the ability to infect humans and then critically the ability to go from human to human," he said. Earlier this month, a person in Texas was diagnosed with an "extremely rare" case of bird flu after coming into contact with infected dairy cattle. When "you come into the mammalian population, then you're getting closer to humans," Farrar said, adding that "this virus is just looking for new, novel hosts". He recommended bolstering monitoring for bird flu, saying it is "very important understanding how many human infections are happening ... because that's where adaptation (of the virus) will happen." "It's a tragic thing to say, but if I get infected with H5N1 and I die, that's the end of it. If I go around the community and I spread it to somebody else then you start the cycle," Farrar said. Today's news: Indonesia's Constitutional Court rejected two appeals on elections; Japan is investigating the disappearance of a Chinese professor; Heat wave disruptions continue in South Asia; New agreements between Iraq and Turkey on Kurdish repression; Bans against migrant workers in Russia multiply. MALAYSIA Ten people died this morning after a collision between two Navy helicopters that were carrying out an exercise for a Royal Malaysian Navy parade. "All victims were confirmed dead at the scene and sent to Lumut military base hospital for identification," the Navy announced. INDONESIA The Indonesian Constitutional Court yesterday rejected two appeals filed by presidential candidates who lost the elections. Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo had asked for a re-run of the polls due to alleged irregularities and widespread fraud, but the court found there was insufficient evidence. Allegations of nepotism against current President Joko Widodo for running his son were also dismissed. CHINA - JAPAN The Japanese government has announced that it is pursuing the case of a Chinese professor who until last year was employed at a university in Japan and has now apparently disappeared after returning home. According to sources, Professor Fan Yuntao, 61, had been contacted by the Chinese authorities before his disappearance. Last month, Kobe Gakuin University had also stated that it no longer had any contact with Professor Hu Shiyun, who had also returned to China. SOUTH ASIA Millions of people are suffering from a heat wave that has forced schools to close, disrupted agricultural activities and increased health complications. April has always been the hottest month in South Asia, but in Bangladesh temperatures reached 42 degrees and the humidity in the capital Dhaka was 73% these days. TURKEY Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said relations with Iraq are entering a new phase after the signing of an agreement to strengthen cooperation against Kurdish militants, boost trade and manage water resources. This is a turning point after years of strained relations: Erdogan's visit to Iraq was the first by a Turkish leader since 2011. RUSSIA In Russia, bans on migrants' work are multiplying further, affecting some 35 areas of economic activity in more than ten regions of the Federation, mainly in the Siberian regions, but also in Central Russia and Crimea. Educational activities, food production, fishing and the optics trade are prohibited. KAZAKHSTAN Kazakhstan is planning a large investment together with China and Russia for the production of polyethylene, to the sum of .7 billion and a capacity of 1.25 million tonnes per year, discussed by Premier Olzas Bektenov with the head of the China Petrolchemical Corporation, Xiao Dong, and the president of Russia's Sibur, Mikhail Karisalov. Thai Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin, who cancelled a visit to the border town, announced the creation of an ad hoc committee to manage the situation. Over the weekend, more Myanmar refugees continue to pour in their thousands across the border as fighting raged in the area. To avoid another humiliating defeat, Myanmars military intensified aerial bombing. Bangkok (AsiaNews) Thailand's Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin this morning cancelled a planned visit to Mae Sot, a city on the border with Myanmar, sending instead his Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Parnpree Bahidda Nukara, in his place. Recently, an ad hoc committee to manage the situation resulting from the unrest in Myanmar" was set up, the prime minister twitted. It will be a mechanism to monitor and evaluate as well as analyse the overall situation" and "give opinions and suggestions to manage the situation effectively." After repeated failures by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to enforce a peace agreement in Myanmar, Thailand is trying to prevent a flood of refugees fleeing the civil war from pouring across its borders by offering itself as a mediator. Thailand's role is to do all it can to help resolve the conflict in the neighbouring country, and such a role is also expected by the international community, said yesterday Dr Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general to the prime minister. Over the weekend, regular army and resistance forces clashed in Myawaddy, the city in Myanmars Karen State on the other side of the Thai border from Mae Sot. Anti-coup forces seized the city from the military after the Border Guard Force turned itself into the Karen National Army (KNA) to support the resistance and the creation of an autonomous Karen state. On Thursday, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), not to be confused with the KNA, announced that it had intercepted the last remaining group of soldiers from the Infantry Battalion 275. The military responded with Operation Aung Zeya (named after the founder of the Konbaung dynasty that ruled Burma in the 18th century), which included heavy bombing, in an attempt to recapture Myawaddy and avoid another humiliating defeat. The Irrawaddy reports that Myanmars air force dropped about 150 bombs near the Second Friendship Bridge (one of the links between Mae Sot and Myawaddy), with at least seven falling near the Thai border where border guards are stationed. Myanmars military is increasingly resorting to this tactic after repeated defeats since October, when ethnic militias and the People's Defence Force (PDF) launched a joint offensive. The latter is the armed wing of the National Unity Government (NUG) set up by exiled lawmakers from the ousted, democratically-elected parliament. This tactic that can only be pursued thanks to continued support from Russia. Fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, all Russian, were used about 10 kilometres from the Thai-Myanmar border to bomb villages and to deliver supplies and ammo, a Thai source said. This has taken the Thai government by surprise. On Saturday, a stray bullet hit the back of a house on the Thai side of the border. No one was injured, but the incident has forced Thailand to beef up its border defences, increasing checks for people crossing the two bridges that connect Myawaddy and Mae Sot, which are still open. Thai police also detained 15 Myanmar nationals and two Thais who were trying to flee to Malaysia in search of better job opportunities. The group said they crossed the border at Mae Sot with the help of intermediaries. Experts say that such occurrences are likely to become more frequent as violence escalates in Myanmar, at least until the rainy season, which usually puts a stop to fighting every year. Recently, Thailand sent aid to Myanmar (through military-run entities) and activated a humanitarian response in Mae Sot. The NUG thanked Thailand for providing shelter and assistance to refugees, but expects more people to be displaced. At least 3,000 people mostly elderly and children crossed the border over the weekend alone, Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahidda Nukara said two days ago, but about 2,000 returned to Myawaddy on Monday. Last month, Parnpree announced that the country could take in up to 10,000 Myanmar refugees in and around Mae Sot. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. An Arkansas teenager is under arrest for allegedly killing a student attending a post-prom party. Arkansas State Police announced the arrest of Donterious Stephens, 19, of Helena, in connection with the shooting. The victim was identified as Lorenzo Harrison III, 18, a senior at the school. The party was attended by students after Helena-West Helena's Central High School prom at located at Ater Warehouse in West Helena. The shooting took place around 1 a.m. on Sunday. The circumstances are under investigation. The school district posted a message on its Facebook page stating: "Our hearts ache for the tragic loss of our beloved 12th-grade student at Central High School, and our deepest sympathies extend to his grieving family, classmates, friends, and our entire school community impacted by this senseless act of violence." Tony Roach, principal of Central High School, sent a message to the school community in response to the killing. "The loss of a young life is always difficult to comprehend, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the student during this difficult time," Roach wrote. Stephens is a previous graduate, according to police. He will be charged with first-degree murder and gun possession. The Arkansas State Crime Lab will conduct an autopsy will determine the official cause and manner of Harrison's death. Administrators planned to have counselors in the school on Monday. "During this time of immense sorrow, let us lean on one another for strength and solace. Together, may we honor his memory and work towards healing the wounds inflicted by this tragedy," the district stated. Aliyev said that the constitutional change is a precondition for a comprehensive peace accord between the two South Caucasus nations. The Armenians must change their constitution, he told an international forum in Baku. Im saying this not because I want to interfere in another countrys internal affairs. Im saying this because the constitution of Armenia mentions the [1990] declaration of independence which in turn says that the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is part of Armenia. How can we sign a peace treaty when they have such reference in the constitution? So Im saying that they must change their constitution not because Im rude or arrogant but because its a precondition, he said. Aliyev already demanded on February 1 that Armenia remove from its constitution the reference to the 1990 declaration which cites a 1989 unification act adopted by the legislative bodies of Soviet Armenia and the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian countered afterwards that during their peace talks and written exchanges last year two sides agreed to make sure that they cannot refer to their respective laws to refuse to comply with any provisions of the peace treaty. The treaty would commit them to recognizing each others territorial integrity. Pashinian himself declared in January that Armenia needs a new constitution reflecting the new geopolitical environment in the region. His critics say that he did so under Azerbaijani pressure. Pashinian has denied that he wants to scrap the current Armenian constitution at the behest of Baku. Still, he has said that peace with Azerbaijan will be impossible as long as the constitutional reference to the 1990 declaration remains in place. Aliyev on Tuesday also renewed his demands for the opening of the Zangezur corridor that would connect Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan through Armenias Syunik province. He pointed to a relevant clause in a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that stopped the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. They [the Armenians] are trying to get rid of that provision, he said. But thats not possible. The Armenian government has said all along that Azerbaijani passengers and cargo passing through Syunik cannot be exempt from Armenian border controls. It insists on conventional transport links between the two countries. Syunik is the sole Armenian province bordering Iran. This explains why Tehran is strongly opposed to the corridor sought by Azerbaijan as well as Turkey. Aliyev renewed his demands after forcing Pashinians administration to agree to hand over four disputed border areas to Azerbaijan as part of what Baku and Yerevan call the start of a delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Armenian opposition leaders and other critics of Pashinian have strongly condemned him for bowing to the Azerbaijani pressure, saying that will only encourage Baku to demand more Armenian concessions. The Tennessee mother found guilty of reckless homicide in connection with the shooting death of her young daughter has been sentenced to 22 years in prison. A Knox County judge sentenced Robin Howington for the death of 5-year-old Destiny Oliver in 2019. "She deserves to die in prison," Destiny's father wrote in a victim impact statement the prosecutor read before the judge handed the sentence down. The judge cited several factors for the long sentence including her decision to hide the gun. "You are not a victim in this case," Judge G. Scott Green told Howington. "I don't know how you could have made this much worse." Howington gave police several different stories about what happened the night of the killing. She first told them an unknown man came into the house and shot the girl. Howington later accused her boyfriend of disposing of the gun but a neighbor had recorded video of her hiding the gun in a bush near her home. She later blamed her 2-year-old son for the shooting and said she hid the gun afterward. "You tried to hide the gun while her body was still warm," the judge told Howington. "You made up story after story after story." Howington will have to serve about 17 years before she can be paroled. 23 April 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Over the past decade, Azerbaijan's hotel industry has experienced a remarkable surge, marking a significant milestone in the country's tourism sector. Eldar Alimuradov, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan Hotels Association (AHA), emphasized this progress during a panel discussion at the 1st meeting of tourism educational institutions of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) member states. Alimuradov highlighted the substantial advancements made within Azerbaijan's hospitality sector. He stated, "Hotels in the country are actively working to enhance standards, adopting the latest specifications and classifications. These efforts contribute to the integration of Azerbaijani hospitality into the international standards framework." Central to this growth is Baku, the capital city, which has emerged as a beacon of excellence in the hospitality industry. Alimuradov praised Baku's dedication to providing modern and high-quality services, setting a standard for excellence in the region. The expansion and modernization of Azerbaijan's hotel infrastructure have played a pivotal role in attracting tourists and enhancing the overall tourism experience. The country has invested in improving accommodation options, amenities, and service standards, catering to the diverse needs of domestic and international travelers. Furthermore, the commitment to meeting international standards has positioned Azerbaijan as a competitive player in the global tourism market. By aligning with recognized benchmarks, the country's hotels have enhanced their appeal to discerning travelers seeking quality experiences. As Azerbaijan continues to prioritize the development of its tourism sector, collaboration and knowledge-sharing with international partners, such as the BSEC member states, will be instrumental. The exchange of best practices and expertise will further bolster the industry's growth trajectory, fostering sustainable tourism development. Looking ahead, the AHA remains committed to advancing the hotel industry's standards and fostering a culture of excellence within Azerbaijan's hospitality sector. With ongoing innovation and investment, the country is poised to solidify its position as a premier destination for travelers seeking exceptional experiences. Azerbaijan's hotel industry's remarkable growth over the past decade underscores the country's commitment to elevating its tourism sector. With a focus on quality, standards, and international collaboration, Azerbaijan is poised to capitalize on its potential as a leading tourist destination in the region. The significant growth of Azerbaijan's hotel industry over the last decade has had a multifaceted impact on the country's economy, contributing to its overall economic development in several key ways: Job Creation: The expansion of the hotel industry has led to the creation of numerous employment opportunities, directly and indirectly. From hotel staff to suppliers and service providers, the hospitality sector generates jobs across various skill levels, thereby reducing unemployment rates and improving livelihoods. Revenue Generation: The influx of tourists attracted by the improved hotel infrastructure has resulted in increased tourism spending. Visitors spend money on accommodation, dining, transportation, shopping, and leisure activities, injecting revenue into the local economy. This boost in tourism spending contributes to GDP growth and stimulates business activity in related sectors. Foreign Exchange Earnings: Tourism, driven by a flourishing hotel industry, serves as a significant source of foreign exchange earnings for Azerbaijan. Revenue generated from international visitors helps offset trade deficits and strengthens the country's balance of payments. It provides a stable inflow of foreign currency, which is crucial for maintaining economic stability and supporting imports. Infrastructure Development: The growth of the hotel industry often necessitates infrastructure development and improvement. Investments in transportation networks, utilities, and public amenities not only enhance the tourism experience but also benefit local residents and businesses. Improved infrastructure can attract further investment in diverse sectors, fostering economic growth and regional development. Catalyst for Small Businesses: The expansion of the hotel industry creates opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in ancillary sectors such as food and beverage, retail, transportation, and tour operations. Local entrepreneurs can capitalize on the increased demand for goods and services, stimulating entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic diversification. Promotion of Cultural Exchange: A thriving hotel industry attracts a diverse range of visitors from around the world, facilitating cultural exchange and intercultural understanding. This exposure not only enriches the tourism experience but also promotes cross-cultural dialogue, cooperation, and collaboration, fostering international relations and soft power diplomacy. Government Revenue: The growth of the hotel industry results in increased tax revenues for the government through various channels, including hotel occupancy taxes, value-added taxes (VAT), corporate taxes, and licensing fees. These revenues can be reinvested in public infrastructure, social services, and economic development initiatives, further stimulating growth and improving living standards. In conclusion, the significant growth of Azerbaijan's hotel industry over the past decade has had far-reaching implications for the economy, driving job creation, revenue generation, foreign exchange earnings, infrastructure development, small business growth, cultural exchange, and government revenue. By continuing to support the tourism sector and investing in sustainable development, Azerbaijan can harness the full potential of its hotel industry to fuel inclusive economic growth and prosperity. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 16:27 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more The Parliament of Azerbaijan has taken a significant step towards enhancing bilateral cooperation in veterinary medicine by approving an agreement with Turkey, Azernews reports. The draft law concerning the approval of the "Agreement on cooperation in the field of veterinary medicine between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Turkey" was deliberated during a session of the Milli Majlis. During the session, parliamentarians engaged in discussions regarding the terms and implications of the agreement. After thorough consideration and examination, the document underwent a vote. Subsequently, the Parliament overwhelmingly accepted the agreement, reflecting a consensus among the members regarding the importance and benefits of fostering collaboration with Turkey in the field of veterinary medicine. The approval of this agreement signifies a commitment from both Azerbaijan and Turkey to strengthen their cooperation in ensuring the health and safety of their respective livestock populations, as well as promoting mutual assistance and exchange of expertise in veterinary practices. This development is expected to pave the way for enhanced coordination and joint efforts in addressing challenges related to animal health and disease control, ultimately contributing to the overall well-being of both nations' agricultural sectors. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 17:33 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more The Parliament of Azerbaijan has recently ratified a significant agreement aimed at facilitating economic cooperation and eliminating barriers to trade and investment between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, Azernews reports. The draft law concerning the approval of the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye on elimination of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion in relation to income taxes" was deliberated during a session of the Milli Majlis. The agreement seeks to prevent double taxation of income and to establish mechanisms for cooperation in tax matters between the two nations. By eliminating the possibility of taxing the same income in both countries, the agreement aims to promote cross-border trade and investment, encourage economic activities, and foster a favorable environment for businesses and individuals engaged in bilateral economic relations. During the parliamentary session, lawmakers engaged in thorough discussions regarding the terms and provisions of the agreement. After a comprehensive review and analysis, the document underwent a vote. Subsequently, the Parliament endorsed the agreement, reflecting a consensus among the members regarding the importance of enhancing economic ties and facilitating trade between Azerbaijan and Turkiye. The approval of this agreement marks a significant milestone in the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, demonstrating their commitment to fostering closer economic cooperation and creating favorable conditions for businesses and investors from both countries. This development is expected to contribute to the promotion of sustainable economic growth, job creation, and prosperity in the region. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 16:35 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more The meeting between Alkis Vryenios Drakinos, Regional Director of the Caucasus for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, discussed robust support for the green economy, including the adoption of financing mechanisms to address challenges related to COP29. According to Azernews, Minister Jabbarov noted this on his X social account. The sides also discussed other agenda items concerning Azerbaijan-EBRD cooperation, such as the preliminary project outline of the EBRD Country Strategy for Azerbaijan for 20242029, climate change, and future prospects for jointly implemented projects during the meeting. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 19:42 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, discussed the expansion of existing cooperation and the addition of green and renewable energy directions between the two countries during his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Czechia, Jan Lipavsky, within the framework of his visit to Czechia, Azernews reports. The ministers exchanged views on the participation of Czech investors in large-scale reconstruction projects in the territories liberated from occupation in Azerbaijan. "The opportunities offered by the Middle Corridor passing through Azerbaijan and the Alat Free Economic Zone located on the country's territory were discussed, including the utilization of transit-logistics companies from Czechia," the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 20:04 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Azerbaijan is Chinas biggest trading partner in the South Caucasus, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to China Bunyad Huseynov said at the conference Promoting Investment and Trade in Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. Last year, trade between the countries grew by more than 44% compared to the previous year and reached $3.1 billion. At the same time, China's advanced experience and technologies in the field of alternative energy are of particular interest to our country. We are interested in the active participation of Chinese companies in restoration and reconstruction work in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, including in green energy projects, the ambassador noted. The event, jointly organized by the Trade Representation of Azerbaijan in China, the Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) and the China Overseas Development Association (CODA), was attended by representatives of government agencies, the private sector and public organizations. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 18:17 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan's young artists have showcased their stunning art pieces in Madrid, Spain, Azernews reports. The exhibition themed "Art of Cultural Diplomacy" was co-organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Spain and Dirchalish Social and Psychological Rehabilitation Center. Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Spain Ramiz Hasanov gave extensive information about the COP29 to be held in Baku in November. The ambassador also stressed the special role of the exhibitions carried out by the Dirchalish Center in the promotion of Azerbaijani culture and emphasized the importance of holding more such exhibitions. Executive director of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) Yusif Abdullayev noted the possibility of AZOROMO's support in holding similar events in the future. He pointed out that such events play an important role in the promotion of Azerbaijani culture. Director of the Dirchalish Social and Psychological Rehabilitation Center Islam Bakhshaliyev said that such exhibitions have been opened in four continents of the world so far. "The exhibition held in Spain is our 25th exhibition in number. Their main goal is to promote Azerbaijani culture, peace and tranquility in the world as well as to develop intercultural dialogue between Spanish and Azerbaijani youth. Representatives of Turkiye, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Georgia and other diplomatic corps, as well as local art lovers, took part in the opening of the exhibition. In conclusion, Ramiz Hasanov presented certificates to the participating artists. Note that the exhibition "Art of Cultural Diplomacy" will end on April 26. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 12:55 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Iran respects the agreements reached at the meeting of the border delimitation commission between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Azernews reports, citing the spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanani, as he telling in response to the journalists' questions about the return of 4 villages belonging to Azerbaijan. He noted that it is necessary for Azerbaijan and Armenia to continue their efforts to resolve border issues peacefully within the framework of mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for sustainable peace and stability to be established in the South Caucasus. Recall that on April 19, an agreement was reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the return of four villages of the Gazakh district to Azerbaijan. Thus, at the initial stage of the delimitation process, the parties agreed that separate parts of the border line should pass directly between the settlements Baghanis (Armenia) - Baghanis Ayrim (Azerbaijan), Voskepar (Armenia) - Ashaghi Askipara (Azerbaijan), Kirants (Armenia) - Kheirimli (Azerbaijan), and Berkaber (Armenia) - Gizilhajili (Azerbaijan) in accordance with the legally justified inter-republic border that existed within the Soviet Union at the time of its collapse. This was a long-awaited event because the return of the four villages of Gazakh is an important step in reducing the tensions that have increased between Armenia and Azerbaijan for decades and also has a confidence-building effect between the parties. Without a single shot being fired, this shows that the peace process between the two countries has entered a real phase, serious steps have been taken towards delimitation, and a new, fertile ground has appeared for the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan-Armenia, ensuring stability in the region. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 10:36 (UTC+04:00) The factor of Heydar Aliyev has always played and will continue to play an important role in the interstate relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during a joint meeting with President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which brought together railway veterans and workers to mark the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline, Azernews reports. The President of Azerbaijan also thanked the BAM workers for perpetuating the memory of Heydar Aliyev, recalling that a railway station in the Angoya settlement was named after him. The BAM workers know well that he traveled almost the entire distance on foot, by train, by helicopter, in difficult conditions from Bratsk to Vladivostok and Nakhodka, and for ten days shared joys and sorrows with the BAM workers, President Ilham Aliyev added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 10:58 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Within the framework of the state visit of Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov to Azerbaijan on April 24-25, it is planned to sign a joint declaration and a number of agreements aimed at deepening cooperation in commercial-economic, cultural and humanitarian fields, Azernews reports, citing Muratbek Azimbakiyev, head of the foreign policy department of the Kyrgyz Presidential Administration, as saying to Kyrgyz mass media. "As part of the visit, Sadir Japarov will hold bilateral talks with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. They will discuss current issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as prospects for future development and establishment of effective interaction," he noted. In addition, a meeting of the Interstate Council is planned. S. Japarov will participate in the foundation-laying ceremony of the secondary school in Khidirli village of Agdam. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape hit back at President Joe Biden's recent statement implying that his uncle was eaten by cannibals on the island during World War II, while also calling on the United States to come remove remnants of the war that still litter the island. "President Biden's remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such," Marape said on Sunday. "World War II was not the doing of my people; however, they were needlessly dragged into a conflict that was not their doing." Biden made the cannibalism comment while he was speaking about Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., a member of the Army Air Corps. The president claimed that his uncle's aircraft was shot down over Papua New Guinea, while he was fighting in the Pacific theater. "They never found the body because there used to be - there were a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea," he said. American military records, however, say that Finnegan's plane crashed when its engines failed. There was one survivor but the other three crew members, including Finnegan, vanished. Marape made his remarks about Biden's story on the same day that he met with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi about establishing a closer relationship. Papua New Guinea is a key American ally in the Pacific, as China works to expand its zone of influence. Marape also used the controversy as an opportunity to speak about the lasting impact of World War II on his country. The Prime Minister claimed that the remains of Finngan's plane are among the debris scattered across his country. "The theaters of war in PNG and Solomon Islands are many, and littered with the remains of WWII including human remains, plane wrecks, shipwrecks, tunnels and bombs. Our people daily live with the fear of being killed by detonated bombs of WWII," he said. "Perhaps, given President Biden's comments and the strong reaction from PNG and other parts of the world, it is time for the USA to find as many remains of World War II in PNG as possible, including those of servicemen who lost their lives like Ambrose Finnegan." 23 April 2024 13:29 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The next plenary session of the spring session of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan's Parliament) has started, Azernews reports. The agenda of the meeting, chaired by Sahiba Gafarova, included the discussion of 18 issues. Those issues are as follows: 1. Draft law on approval of "Agreement on cooperation in the field of veterinary medicine between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye". 2. Draft law on approving the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye on elimination of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion with respect to income taxes. 3. Draft law on approving the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania on the mutual elimination of the visa requirement for persons holding national passports". 4. Draft amendment to the law "On social insurance" and the Tax Code (third reading). 5. Draft amendment to some laws related to the implementation of the Law No. 979-VIQD dated July 14, 2023 of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Amending the Law on Medicines" (third reading). 6. Draft amendment to the law "On serving in judicial bodies" (second reading). 7. Draft law "On the creation of artificial land areas in the section of the Caspian Sea (lake) belonging to the Republic of Azerbaijan" (second reading). 8. Draft amendment to the law "On tobacco and tobacco products" (first reading). 9. Draft amendment to the law "On Food Safety" (first reading). 10. Draft amendments to the Tax, Customs Codes, "On State Fee" and "On Licenses and Permits" laws (first reading). 11. Draft amendment to the "Regulation on service in customs authorities" approved by the Law No. 768-IQ dated December 7, 1999 of the Republic of Azerbaijan (first reading). 12. Draft amendment to the law "On Civil Service" (first reading). 13. Draft amendment to the "Regulation on the Management Council of the Civil Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan" approved by the Law No. 283-IIQ of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated March 29, 2002 (first reading). 14. Approved by the Law No. 960-IIQ dated June 28, 2005 of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On the import, export, transit transportation and production of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances whose circulation is prohibited, restricted and controlled in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan draft law on amendments to the list of precursors for which a license is required (first reading). 15. Draft amendment to the Civil Procedure, Family Codes and the law "On State Duty" (first reading). 16. Draft amendment to the law "On state registration and state register of legal entities" (first reading). 17. Draft amendment to Labor and Civil Codes (first reading). 18. Draft amendment to the Tax Code (first reading). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 16:43 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences to Malaysia in connection with the death of citizens as a result of a collision between the countrys Navy helicopters during a rehearsal for the festive parade, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry on its official "X" account. Deeply saddened by news on navy helicopter collision in Malaysia. We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of this horrible tragedy. In this difficult moment, we express our solidarity with friendly Government and People of Malaysia, the ministry wrote. Two helicopters collided in the air during a rehearsal in Malaysia for a parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the countrys Royal Navy. According to the countrys fire and rescue service, 10 crew members were killed. Deeply saddened by news on navy helicopter collision in #Malaysia. We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of this horrible tragedy. In this difficult moment, we express our solidarity with friendly Government and People of Malaysia. MFA Azerbaijan (@AzerbaijanMFA) April 23, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 17:56 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has unveiled an eye-catching exhibition themed "Patterns f Life" n honor f the esteemed artist Aydin Rajabov's 80th anniversary, Azernews reports. Co-organized by the Culture Ministry and the National Carpet Museum, the exhibition showcased the extraordinary talent and creative journey f Aydin Rajabov, a renowned figure n the world f decorative and applied arts. Acting director f the Carpet Museum Mira Mammadkhanova, chairman f the Azerbaijan Artists' Union Farhad Khalilov, rector f the Azerbaijan State Academy f Fine Arts Natig Aliyev, Secretary f the Azerbaijan Writers' Union Ilgar Fahmi as well as a Professor at the Azerbaijan State Academy f Fine Arts Mammadhuseyn Huseynov addressed the opening ceremony of the exhibition. In their remarks, they hailed Aydin Rajabov's unique style and innovative approach t carpet art, highlighting his significant contributions t Azerbaijan's cultural heritage. The exhibition featured a collection f approximately 40 exquisite works, including pieces like "Oguz ongons", "The Tale f the Goldfish", "Winged Horse" (Pegasus), and "Philosophy f Nowruz", each inspired by national traditions, folklore, and the spirit f Turkism. Aydin Rajabov's profound love for his homeland, Absheron, shone through n pieces such as "Azerbaijan", "Nakhchivan", and "Kingdom f Oil", reflecting the artist's deep connection t the land where he was born and raised. Drawing inspiration from the legendary artist and scholar Latif Karimov, Aydin Rajabov skillfully incorporated Turkic-Oguz ornamental motifs into his works, seamlessly blending tradition with modernity. His carpets, characterized by impeccable composition, vibrant colors, and intricate geometric patterns, have found a home n numerous museums and galleries both n Azerbaijan and abroad. The exhibition, a true celebration f Aydin Rajabov's artistic legacy, will enchant visitors with its masterful craftsmanship and cultural significance until April 30. Don't miss the opportunity t immerse yourself n the world f this visionary artist and experience the beauty f Azerbaijani carpet art at its finest. Founded in 1967, the National Carpet Museum holds more than 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets. Initiated by eminent carpet artist Latif Karimov, the museum is beautiful inside and out. The museum's new building is designed in the form of a rolled carpet. Now, the museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences, and various exhibitions. In 2019, the museum received national status for its significant contribution to popularising and promoting Azerbaijani carpet weaving art. In 2020, the Carpet Museum enriched its collection with a beautiful pile of carpets purchased by the Culture Ministry at the Sartirana Textile Show in Italy. The 19th-century Guba carpet "Ugakh" was donated to the Carpet Museum, while the Garabagh carpet "Chelebi" enriched the collection of the museum's Shusha branch. For four years, the Carpet Museum won the Travellers' Choice Awards. The award proves once again that the professional activity of the National Carpet Museum is highly appreciated by visitors from all over the world. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 15:50 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan's economy is actually a self-sufficient economy and it demonstrates sustainable growth even in the period of crisis, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the international forum themed COP29 and Green Vision for Azerbaijan organized by ADA University, Azernews reports. We have very low foreign debt, which is now even below 8% of our GDP, the head of state underlined. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 20:33 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The measures that Azerbaijan implemented in the last 5 years are very important in the history of the country. The lands of Garabagh, which remained under Armenian occupation for 30 years, were returned in 2020 after the 44-day patriotic war. Further to all of these, separatists who created a so-called state in Garabagh were arrested as a result of local anti-terrorist measures held in 2023. Thus, most of the problems caused by the Armenian crime were eliminated. One of the most memorable events after the second Garabagh War was the establishment of a border checkpoint at the beginning of the Lachin road. It is no coincidence that checkpoint caused great concern to Armenia last year. But what are the main advantages of this station? Why did the Lachin border checkpoint frighten the Armenians? Military expert Emin Hasanli, touching on the subject in his comment for Azernews, considered the construction of this station a successful step for Azerbaijan's history towards its full sovereignty and security of the region. "Establishing the Lachin border checkpoint was a very successful step towards ensuring security in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus region as a whole. President Ilham Aliyev touched on this issue several times in his speeches and noted its importance". The expert drew attention to the military importance of the station. He said that Lachin border checkpoint played a major role in the arrest of separatists in Garabagh. "The border checkpoint of Lachin was important for the anti-terrorist measures. As a result of the presence of station some terrorists were detained in so-called Arsakh. One of them was Vagif Khachaturyan, who committed several acts of vandalism against Azerbaijan." The military expert said that the station prevented many insidious plans of Armenia. "This station made it possible to take full control of Armenia's connection with Garabagh. Until then, Armenians provided arms to the separatists." Emin Hasanli recalled the first Garabagh war. He said that the Armenians were planning to attack Garabagh again by taking secret steps as before. "Even after the Second Garabagh War, Armenian authorities thought that it would be able to repeat the provocations and attacks it carried out in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, as a result of the policy of the President of Azerbaijan, these plans failed." The expert also emphasized the importance of the local anti-terrorist operation in 2023. "In September 2023, one-day local anti-terrorist measures were implemented. This was a unique step in world military history. In less than a day, terrorists and separatists were neutralized and they were removed from Garabagh at once. Each of these operations has a very important place in the history of Azerbaijan." Recall that the border checkpoint was established in exercise of Azerbaijans inherent right to safeguard its sovereignty and security, to prevent the consistent and blatant abuse by Armenia of this route for illegal military and other activities, such as rotation of its some 10,000 military personnel, illegally stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan, transfer of weaponry, ammunition, landmines and terrorists of foreign nationals thereto, as well as unlawful extraction and transfer of natural resources from this territory. It is worth noting that today the government of Azerbaijan has ensured its territorial integrity and is already discussing peace and normalization processes with Armenia. The withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Garabagh and Armenia's agreement to return 4 villages of Gazakh to Azerbaijan are the main indicators of the peace that will be signed in the region. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 17:21 (UTC+04:00) As part of his official visit to the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has met with the countrys Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky, Azernews reports. The ministers first held the one-on-one meeting, followed by the meeting in an expanded format with the participation of delegations of the two countries. The meeting revolved around the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic across political, economic, energy, humanitarian and other domains, as well as the latest regional and international developments. The parties underscored that the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic are built on solid foundations such as mutual respect and support for the norms and principles of international law, each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders. The FMs emphasized that the existing high-level political dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic, as well as the reciprocal visits and contacts of representatives at the level of state and government, and parliaments, had fostered the evolving of relations within both bilateral and multilateral platforms. Additionally, they stressed the importance of intensifying the activities of the bilateral economic commission. FM Bayramov provided an insight into to the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be hosted in Azerbaijan this year, noting that this prestigious event creates new prospects for the partnership between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic. The sides praised the current level of development of economic and trade relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic, as well as underscored the importance of boosting mutual investments and diversifying the existing areas of cooperation to ensure more sustainable relations. The two also exchanged views on cooperation in the field of green energy production, as well as participation of the Czech investors in the ongoing large-scale restoration and construction projects in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the opportunities offered for the Czech transit-logistics companies at the Middle Corridor and the Alat Free Economic Zone. The sides also underlined the importance of continuing and further deepening of successful cooperation in humanitarian, educational, cultural, youth and sports, tourism domains. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov shed light on the post-conflict situation in the region, the mine threat, and the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The pair also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. During the press briefing, the ministers made statements on the results of the meeting and responded to journalists questions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 21:05 (UTC+04:00) Turkiye hosted an inaugural event in the capital Ankara on Monday with the theme Immersed in Change: Ocean Action and Climate Change, serving as a platform for both high-level diplomatic engagement and collaborative environmental initiatives, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. The panel at the Blue Talks event featured a number of speakers including Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Costa Ricas ambassador to Turkiye Gustavo Campos Fallas, Frances Ambassador Isabelle Dumont, David Fernandez Puyana, Permanent Observer of the University for Peace to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, and Prof. Bayram Ozturk from Istanbul Universitys Faculty of Aquatic Sciences. Bozay in his speech emphasized the need for diplomacy to be more involved in addressing the climate crisis, stressing the importance of approaching it comprehensively. Highlighting the importance of all actors participating in combating the climate crisis, from the Caribbean to East Asia and from France to Turkiye, he said: "We must stand together in the fight against climate change." Fallas also noted his countrys collaboration with neighboring countries in ocean conservation, reminding that Costa Rica is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Regarding his country's advanced work in ocean matters, he emphasized the significance of awareness regarding the ocean's relationship with humanity and society. Fallas also underscored the crucial need to protect the oceans for the sake of both present and future generations, urging societies to engage in more discussions and events on this topic. The French ambassador also described Turkiye as an extremely important country in the region, emphasizing the significant contribution of collaboration with Turkiye on oceans and climate change. Dumont highlighted the issue of oceans being filled with plastics. "The 'Zero Waste' project is being implemented in Turkiye and is quite successful. In France, legal decisions are required for such steps. People cannot say, 'let's do something useful for waste,'" she said. Puyana emphasized the importance of efforts focusing on combating climate change, noting that security concerns arising from climate change are taken into account. Highlighting various efforts addressing climate change and ensuring peace and security, he underscored that the climate crisis is not only a threat for the future but also a serious threat today. Puyana pointed out that this threat affects global stability, business and many other areas. Ozturk provided information to the participants about Turkiye's coastline, seas, ecosystem and marine life, drawing attention to the problems related to climate change experienced in Turkiye. At the end of the panel, a video highlighting climate change was shown. More than 25 Ambassadors, members of diplomatic missions, scientists, and representatives from various organizations attended Blue Talks. Planned to be held annually by Bizim Dunyamiz Foundation and the UN University for Peace, the event will focus on the importance of ocean resilience to climate change and will feature the views of high-level officials and experts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2024 21:40 (UTC+04:00) Turkiyes Foreign Ministry and the US State Department on Monday held bilateral counterterrorism consultations, diplomatic sources said, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. According to an agreement reached during Turkiye-US Strategic Mechanism in Washington in March, consultations on counterterrorism were conducted in Ankara, the sources said. Turkiye welcomed the visit of Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, the coordinator for counterterrorism at the US State Department, and the sincere exchange of views. During the meeting, the officials discussed many issues related to national security, including the PKK and its affiliates such as the YPG, ISIS/Daesh and FETO terrorist organizations. Turkiye, as a country with extensive experience in combating terrorism and steadfastly continuing this struggle, will continue to engage in sincere cooperation with its allies and all determined countries in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the sources added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The New Hampshire man convicted of the gruesome 2019 killing of his five-year-old daughter will have to appear at his sentencing hearing, a state superior court judge ruled. Adam Montgomery, hated his daughter Harmony, "right to his core" because she reminded him of her mother, one friend testified during his trial. Montgomery, who is already serving a 30-year prison sentence for an unrelated gun charge, chose not to appear in court before he was convicted of second-degree murder and related charges. Montgomery's attorneys filed a motion maintaining his innocence and asking that he be excused from the sentencing hearing. The state judge denied the request, writing "the only factual basis the defendant asserts is his contention that he is innocent as to some of the charges." "However, the defendant has been found guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, by a jury as to those charges. He asserts no other factual basis for excusal." Investigators believe that Montgomery killed Harmony in December 2019 but her family did not report her missing for another two years. Montgomery's estranged wife Kayla testified that the family hid Harmony's corpse in the ceiling of a homeless shelter and the walk-in freezer at Montgomery's job. In response to Montgomery's decision to not appear in court for the trial, the New Hampshire legislature is considering requiring people charged with Class A felonies to be present for the verdict. A 17-year-old boy killed a 14-year-old girl, before taking his own life, during a house party on Saturday evening, investigators allege. The teenagers were discovered in a home near St. Petersburg, where the suspect was dogsitting. "Once deputies arrived on-scene, they located 14-year-old Sayuri Jade Ruiz deceased, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Deputies also located 17-year-old Hector Pfeiffer, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," officials from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "Pfeiffer was transported to the hospital and pronounced deceased at 10:16 p.m." Pfeiffer invited Ruiz and another teenage girl to come over to the home in the early hours of Saturday morning. The suspect had only known Ruiz and the other girl for about a month - he had met both on dating apps. After being joined by an 18-year-old friend of Pfeiffer, the group "consumed alcohol, marijuana and cocaine throughout the day," the sheriff's office alleges. Pfeiffer reportedly began to brandish a firearm that the 26-year-old homeowner had left at the property. The group initially took photos of the gun and fooled around with it, before a verbal argument began about Pfieffer's sexual history. "Ruiz was speaking to the other female regarding the argument when Pfeiffer approached Ruiz and pointed the gun at her head and shot her. Detectives say Pfeiffer then shot himself in the head." The investigation is ongoing and a medical examiner will conduct a formal autopsy. A 27 year old migrant from Afghanistan allowed into the country on parole status by Biden-Harris policies in 2021 has been arrested in Oklahoma for plotting an ISIS terror attack in the US on election day. The migrant had already purchased guns and explosives for the attack. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/10/08/afghan-man-charged-plotting-isis-related-election-day-terrorist-attack/ A 12 year old Syrian migrant has been detained for assaulting a 15 year old Austrian high school student with a knife and an ax in Vienna,. The migrant had the hots for the Austrian boy's girlfriend. He approached the Austrian boy who was with a group, displayed a large knife and threatened to stab them all but was disarmed. The Syrian then returned with an ax and threw it at the 15 year old, only narrowly missing him. https://rmx.news/article/austria-12-year-old-syrian-boy-threatens-teen-with-knife-and-axe-in-vienna/ An illegal alien from El Salvador who is charged in his home country with crimes against humanity and human trafficking has been apprehended in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. He was previously deported from the US for criminal activity and returned. https://www.breitbart.com/border/2024/10/06/salvadoran-migrant-wanted-for-crimes-against-humanity-busted-by-ice/ Eight migrants from Latin America (exact countries unknown) have been arrested in eastern Tennessee for burglarizing homes where people had fled from the hurricane related flooding. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13910033/migrant-workers-busted-looting-Helene.html A 39 year old illegal alien migrant from Algeria has been convicted of raping a 16 year old girl in her hospital bed and raping another young woman in the middle of a street in Toulouse, France. The same illegal alien has also been convicted of rape in Switzerland and has a rape charge pending in Switzerland. He received a 17 year sentence for the rapes in France. https://rmx.news/article/france-algerian-sentenced-to-17-years-for-raping-a-minor-in-a-hospital-and-raping-another-woman-on-the-street/ A woman in Dallas, Texas, returned home to her upper middle class neighborhood only to find four armed migrant gangsters, apparently from Tren de Aragua, inside her home. They pistol whipped her and confined her while they ramsacked her home. Now she is afraid to go back there to live. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/texas/article-13907501/Terrifying-ordeal-Texas-woman-returned-quiet-suburban-home-four-members-violent-migrant-gang-waiting-inside.html A 17 year old French boxing champion has been stabbed to death by a 24 year old Algerian migrant outside a night club in Normandy. The French boy was stabbed in the back and in the throat. https://rmx.news/article/french-teen-boxing-champion-stabbed-to-death-by-algerian-migrant-outside-nightclub/ The New York Post has obtained a police report detailing major prostitution rings run by the Venezuelan crime gang Tren de Aragua in eight US states and expanding. They are forcing migrant women into prostitution. https://nypost.com/2024/09/23/us-news/tren-de-aragua-linked-to-migrant-sex-trafficking-in-8-states-leaked-memo/ A 41 year old Syrian migrant has been arrested in Essen, Germany, after going on a rampage in which he set fire to several residential buildngs, tried to ram people with his van and threatened people with a machete. More than 30 people were injured, including two children with life-threatening injuries. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13904365/machete-attack-germany-essen-syrian-man-arrested.html A 23-year old illegal alien from El Salvador has been arrested in Maryland for the murder of an 18 year old girl. The murder happened in a sanctuary county. https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/09/25/sanctuary-county-maryland-illegal-alien-released-into-u-s-accused-murdering-18-year-old-girl/ A 22-year old illegal alien from Morrocco who had previously been convicted of rape and had a deportation order in place, has been arrested in Paris for the rape and murder of a 19 year old university student who he kidnapped on her way home to visit her parents. The girl's body, bearing cuts and other wounds was found partially buried in the Bois du Bologne on the outskirts of Paris. Her credit card was stolen and used by the killer hours late in another part of Paris. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/previously-convicted-illegal-immigrant-under-deportation-orders-arrested-for-vicious-paris-killing/ An Illegal alien from Haiti has been arrested in Mansfield, Massachusetts for child rape of a ten year old boy. https://bigleaguepolitics.com/haitian-immigrant-invader-gets-charged-for-raping-10-year-old-boy/ Five Muslim migrant youths between 16 and 25 have been arrested for kidnapping, torturing, and raping a 15 year old boy in France. The rapists dragged the boy out of his own apartment and into a patch of woods where the torture and rape occured. https://rmx.news/article/france-15-year-old-boy-kidnapped-tortured-and-raped-by-5-youths-in-muslim-housing-district/ A 26 year old illegal alien from Guatemala was stopped in Arkansas for driving drunk at 114 miles an hour, and he then assaulted the female Arkansas state trooper who had stopped him, throwing her taser in the middle of the expressway. To defend herself against the illegal alien's assault, she had to use her service weapon to shoot him in the head. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/09/female-arkansas-state-trooper-shoots-allegedly-drunk-illegal/ A Muslim migrant knifeman, shouting "Allahu Akbar" and wielding two long knives, stabbed one man to death and seriously injured another before a bystander tackled him and kicked the knives away, close to the famed Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, Netherlands. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1950908/rotterdam-knifeman-kills-one-injures-another?int_source=nba A 34 year old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic has been arrested in upstate New York for the murders of a husband, wife, and their two young children, all of whom were stabbed to death and their house set on fire. The illegal alien is also wanted for a murder in his home country in 2019. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13850785/illegal-migrant-julio-cesar-suspected-murdering-irondequoit-family-new-york.html A 19 year old illegal alien from Honduras has been arrested in Kenner, Louisiana for raping a 14 year old girl and a separate incident of armed robbery of a different victim.. The illegal alien arrived at the Biden-Harris open border in October 2023 and was released into the interior despite records showing that thousands of detention beds were available at the time. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/13/louisiana-accused-illegal-alien-rapist-released-into-u-s-by-biden-harris-dhs-despite-available-detention-space/ An illegal alien from Mexico has been who purposely crashed his vehicle into another car, killing an American husband and wife and seriously injuring their young child in Rome, Georgia has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide as well as other charges. https://bigleaguepolitics.com/georgia-congresswoman-marjorie-taylor-greene-releases-statement-on-illegal-alien-who-killed-two-people-in-rome-georgia/ Maryland arrested a record number of illegal alien sex offenders last year. https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2024/09/12/maryland-record-number-of-illegal-alien-sex-offenders-arrested-in-last-year/ An illegal alien from Morrocco has been charged with raping a social worker at a prison in Belgium just days before his planned release. The social worker had come to explain how his release would work. https://rmx.news/article/moroccan-migrant-rapes-social-worker-in-belgian-prison-days-before-his-scheduled-release/ A 41 year old illegal alien from Cuba who entered the US in August 2023 using the Biden-Harris migrant moblie app has been arrested for murder of a 25 year old American woman in Cleveland, Tennessee. The vidtim was found dead inside a house. THere is yet no word on whether she was sexually assaulted. https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/09/11/migrant-freed-into-u-s-via-biden-harris-admins-parole-pipeline-accused-of-murdering-25-year-old-dayana-garcia/ An illegal alien from Syria has been arrested for a terrorist plot for a mass stabbing of German soldiers in Hof, Bavaria during their lunch break. The Syrian had already purchased two large knifes. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/german-authorities-arrest-syrian-planning-islamist-attack-on-soldiers/ A 23 year old illegal alien from Peru who was allowed across the Biden-Harris open border 8 months ago, has been arrested in Manassass, Virginia for kidnapping a teenage girl who was walking to school. The illegal alien told her he was a police officer and demanded she get in the back seat of his car. After driving about two miles, the girl realized something was wrong and escaped. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/09/virginia-police-illegal-alien-freed-into-u-s-kidnapped-teenage-girl/ Migrants from Iraq and Syria were arrested for the gang rape of an 18 year old German girl in North Rhein - Westphalia. The girl's drink was spiked with knock out drops and she was carried to a parking lot where the gang rape occurred. https://rmx.news/article/germany-7-suspects-arrested-for-gang-raping-18-year-old-girl-iraqis-and-syrians-among-suspects/ An illegal alien from Guatamala has been arrested in Georgia for stealing the identity of an American citizen in 2011 and using it to obtain and then renew a US passport in that name and to illegally vote in multiple US elections and primaries. She even travelled several times back and forth to Guatamala on the fraudulent passport. https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2024/09/08/illegal-alien-agrees-to-plead-guilty-to-stealing-us-citizens-id-voting-in-multiple-elections-n2179051 A 15 year old illegal alien from Syria has been arrested for attempted murder in a school shooting in Sweden. The illegal alien had been previously interviewed by Swedish media as an example of successful integration into Swedish society. The illegal alien arrived with his parents and siblings in 2015. https://rmx.news/article/syrian-refugee-hailed-by-swedish-press-as-integration-success-arrested-for-attempted-murder-following-school-shooting/ An illegal alien from Latin America has been arrested for kidnapping and rape at knifepoint of a 13 year old girl near the New Orleans international airport. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/05/louisiana-illegal-alien-accused-of-kidnapping-raping-13-year-old-girl-at-knifepoint/ An analysis of the first names of the 155 people arrested for gang rape during 2023 in the German state of North Rhein - Westphalia shows that 78.1% of them are of migrant origin, which has been confirmed by the major German newspaper Die Welt. The most common name of gang rapists was "Mohammed". https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/09/05/mohammed-and-muhammed-analysis-of-gang-rape-suspects-names-in-germany-claims-majority-are-migrant-heritage/ A 24 year old illegal alien from Brazil has been arrested for five counts on child rape in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/04/iillegal-alien-charged-with-five-counts-of-child-rape-on-marthas-vineyard/ An 18 year old migrant from Haiti who had been flown to the US by the Biden-Harris "parole pipeline" at taxpayer expense has been arrested in Massachusetts for sexually molesting a 10 year old boy. The parole pipeline was created out of thin air by Biden-Harris and bypasses legal immigration procedures. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/04/haitian-migrant-flown-to-u-s-through-biden-harris-parole-pipeline-accused-of-molesting-10-year-old-boy/ Two illegal alien migrant men from Morrocco have been convicted of raping a young man at gun and knifepoint in a bathroom in Liege, Belgium, filming the attack and forcing the victim to yell "long libe Morrocco". https://rmx.news/belgium/belgium-2-moroccan-migrants-jailed-for-raping-young-man-making-him-scream-long-live-morocco-while-they-filmed-his-rape/ 34 armed Venezuelan gang members have taken over an apartment complex in Chicago, shortly after several similar occurences in Colorado. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/09/chicago-shocking-911-call-reveals-32-armed-venezuelan/ A 15 year old illegal alien from Syria has been charged with raping a 12 year old German girl at a swimming pool complex in Brunswick, Germany. The illegal alien began harassing the child in the pool, and when she went to the changing room, he followed her there and raped her. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/germany-syrian-teen-accused-of-raping-girl-in-swimming-pool/ A 26 year old illegal alien from Honduras who was previously deported under President Trump but returned through the Biden-Harris open borders, has been arrested in Indiana for stabbing a 14 year old girl at a youth baseball game and trying to stab her mother. The illegal alien was suspected of being on a crime spree across the US. https://www.foxnews.com/us/illegal-immigrant-arrested-stabbing-teen-girl-indiana-baseball-game-police An 18 year old illegal alien from Mali has been arrested for stabbing to death a 33 year old woman in Bergamo, Italy. He told police he did not know why he did it but that he just saw her and stabbed her. https://rmx.news/article/italy-i-dont-know-why-i-saw-her-and-killed-her-malian-migrant-confesses-to-murder-of-sharon-verzeni/ An illegal alien from Brazil has been arrested in Philadelphis for a list of crimes including murder. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13805421/Illegal-migrant-wanted-murder-cook-Brazil-arrested-Philadelphia.html A 35 year old illegal alien from Iraq has been arrested for murder in the stabbing death of the 61 year old owner of a hotel that houses migrants in Sarstedt, Germany. https://rmx.news/crime/germany-iraqi-migrant-murders-asylum-home-operator-in-sarstedt/ An illegal alien from Guatemala who was denied an entry visa in 2019 but then entered the US illegally later has been arrested for vehicular homicide in Lousiana after he killed a prominent journalist by striking his motorcycle while crossing a bridge over the Mississippi. The illegal alien was speeding and had no drivers license. Louisiana's governor and attorney general blamed the Biden-Harris open border for the tragic loss and said that they would assure that the illegal alien would not be released on bail and that he would be fully prosecuted. ICE has now detained the illegal. https://www.abc3340.com/news/nation-world/ice-detains-illegal-immigrant-accused-of-killing-new-orleans-journalist-heartbreaking-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-jorge-alberto-martinez-sanchez-mark-deane-wgno-louisiana-liz-murrill-jeff-landry A 27 year old illegal alien from Somalia, who already has a record of criminal convictions for acts of violence, has been arrested for attempted murder after he stabbed a 46 year old man in the neck in a supermarket in a small town in the German state of Thuringia. The illegal alien had been deliberately coughing on random customers and threatening them when the victim asked him to stop. Instead, the illegal alien pulled out a knife, stabbed the man in the neck and declared "I will kill you and your families." https://rmx.news/article/i-will-kill-you-and-your-families-somali-migrant-stabs-german-man-in-the-neck-in-small-town-30-police-officers-make-arrest/ An illegal alien from Venezuela who overstayed her tourist visa but was then given temporary protected status by the Biden-Harris regime, has been arrested for hit and run in Florida while driving an Amazon delivery truck after she ran down a mother pushing a stroller with a 4 month old baby and fled the scene. The mother was down on the pavement bleeding from the head with very serioud injuries when the migrant fled. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/08/27/migrant-amazon-driver-allegedly-smashes-florida-mom-walking-baby-flees-scene/ "The immigration crisis is first and foremost a crime crisis" declared Manuel Ostermann, the chief of the national police union in Germany. "Nothing about it is positive. Germany is no longer a safe country. We have a massive problem with knife crime." https://rmx.news/article/the-immigration-crisis-is-first-and-foremost-a-crime-crisis-police-union-boss-says-germany-is-no-longer-safe-labels-islam-the-biggest-threat/ Four illegal aliens from Venezuela who are affiliated with the violent Venezuelan crime gang Tren de Aragua have been indicted for armed robbery of over a million dollars from a family owned jewelry store in Denver, Colorado. The four charged are between the ages of 18 and 23. Four more of the eight robbers who pointed guns at store staff during the robbery are still at large. https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2024/08/23/migrants-tied-venezuelan-gang-indicted-robbery-denver-family-owned-store/ Police are seeking an "Arab looking man" who ran from the scene after conducting a mass stabbing at a "Diversity Festival" in Solingen, Germany. The attacker was stabbing festival goers in the neck, killing three and sending six to the hospital, shouting "Allahu Akbar" while on the attack. UPDATE: The attacker was arrested after a migrant shelter was stormed. He is an illegal alien from Syria. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/08/23/germany-multiple-people-killed-several-injured-in-diversity-festival-mass-stabbing/ https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/germany-three-dead-in-knife-attack-at-festival-of-diversity/ Four illegal aliens from Columbia who were released into the US interior under Biden-Harris have been arrested in Florida for a burglary ring across four counties that stole $1.7 million, mostly targeting Asian-American businessmen. https://bigleaguepolitics.com/florida-sheriff-exposes-illegal-aliens-operating-theft-ring/ Four illegal alien brothers from Syria, aged 16 to 22. have been arrested for attempted murder of a 62 year old teacher by stabbing him multiple times in Wedel, Germany, outside Hamburg. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/08/23/germany-four-syrian-brothers-arrested-over-stabbing-of-67-year-old-music-teacher/ An illegal alien gang leader from Peru who came in through the Biden-Harris open borders and who is responsible for 23 murders in his home country has been arrested in upstate New York. https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/08/15/peruvian-gang-leader-suspected-in-23-murders-and-in-the-us-illegally-arrested-in-upstate-new-york-n2178168 An illegal alien from Senegal who had previously been arrested for smuggling and ordered to leave the country but did not, was caught defecating in a public swimming lake in the view of those visiting the lake, and was deported from Poland, immediately put on a plane back to Senegal. https://rmx.news/article/senegalese-illegal-migrant-detained-and-deported-from-poland-after-defecating-in-public-at-popular-swimming-area/ Two illegal aliens, one from Venezuela and one from Columbia were arrested in Beverly Hills, California for armed robbery, stealing a $1 million Patek PHillipe watch at gunpoint in broad daylight from a man sitting at the outdoor terrace restaurant of the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/two-illegal-aliens-steal-1-million-patek-gunpoint-beverly-hills-hotel-patio-broad-daylight A 19 year old illegal alien from Guatamala who entered the US as an accompanied minor was convicted of raping a Maryland woman and received a 20 year sentence but the judge suspended all but 190 days. The sancturary state of Maryland ignored an ICE detainer and released him but ICE has found and arrested him for deportation. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13746393/Illegal-immigrant-convicted-rape-rearrested-ICE-agents-judge-sentenced-just-190-days-jail.html The NYPD says gangs of illegal alien migrants from city-run migrant shelters are behind the recent spate of "wolfpack" robbery attacks in New York's Central Park. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/08/15/nypd-migrants-behind-recent-central-park-wolfpack-robberies/ An 11 year old migrant boy from Venezuela has been arrested for a very violent mugging robbery on the New York subway system. https://nypost.com/2024/08/14/us-news/11-year-old-migrant-boy-arrested-over-violent-nyc-phone-robbery-sources/ https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/08/15/watch-grinning-11-year-old-venezuelan-leads-pack-of-youth-muggers-in-manhattan-n2178162 A 34 year old illegal alien from Mexico who entered the Biden-Harris open border has been arrested for twice raping a ten year old boy in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/horror-illegal-alien-ferried-us-kamala-harris-rapes/ A 24 year old illegal alien migrant from Nicaragua has been charged with the rape at knifepoint of a 46 year old American woman near the Coney Island boardwalk in New York City. An illegal alien from Mexico was also charged as he beat and held down the victim's boyfriend during the rape. One of the attackers had been charged in a sexual assault in New York four months ago. https://nypost.com/2024/08/12/us-news/nyc-migrants-allegedly-raped-woman-at-knifepoint-in-coney-island/ A 38 year old illegal alien from Venezuela was arrested in Kankakee County, Illinois for sexually assaulting a 6 year old girl. In announcing the arrest, the county sheriff declared that "this heinous crime could have been avoided, solely because the perpetrator should never have been in the country." https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/08/10/sanctuary-state-sheriff-illegal-alien-sexually-assaulted-6-year-old-should-not-be-in-country/ A 47 year old illegal alien from Venezuela was arrested in the sanctuary city of Chicago for mugging and robbing an 80 year old woman a block from her home in broad daylight. Two good samaritans chased down the illegal alien and held him until police arrived. A judge released the illegal without bail even though he had failed to appear on an earlier arrest for breaking and entering and larceny of the home of an elderly man. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/08/09/sanctuary-city-chicago-venezuelan-migrant-freed-from-jail-after-allegedly-mugging-80-year-old-woman/ Two Muslim migrants working for ISIS have been arrested for plotting a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, seeking to "kill as many people as possible" with knives and explosives. One had already been given Austrian citizenship. One would attack inside the concert and one from the outside, with one of the conspirators already getting a job with a company providing services during the concert. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/islamist-teenagers-planned-bloodbath-at-taylor-swift-concert/ A 25 year old illegal alien from Guatamala who was released into the US by Obama's DHS as an "unaccompanied minor" has been arrested in Rhode Island for first degree child sexual assault. He is now in ICE custody. The illegal alien had been released with a notice to appear before a federal immigration judge when encountered at the border but their is no indication he ever did. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/08/07/illegal-alien-released-into-u-s-by-obamas-dhs-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-child-in-rhode-island/ More unprovoking stabbing attacks by Syrian illegal aliens against Germans are being reported. In Stuttgart, a 17 year old Syrian illegal alien and two other migrants started insulting a German family of five, and when they ignored the insults, the migrants pulled out knives and threatened them. The 17 year old then started stabbing, leaving one of the victims in critical condition in the hospital. The 17 year old Syrian has had 34 prior arrests for various crimes in 31 months but charges have been dropped. In Wangen im Allgau, a 34 year old Syrian migrant in a random attack in a supermarket stabbed a 4 year old girl, seriously injuring her and requiring surgery. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/more-knife-attacks-in-germany-committed-by-syrians/ An 18 year old illegal alien from Honduras who arrived at age 16 as an "unaccompanied minor" and was ordered deported when he failed to turn up for his immigration court hearing but never actually deported, has been arrested in the death of a 19 year old Virginia college student in a car crash in which the illegal alien was driving without a license and withour insurance. https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/08/05/police-illegal-alien-killed-19-year-old-lauryn-nikole-leonard-in-virginia/ A 40 year old Chinese illegal alien has been arrested for two counts of rape of a wheelchair bound 71 year old American woman in Paris. https://rmx.news/article/france-chinese-migrant-accused-of-raping-71-year-old-american-woman-who-rented-his-airbnb-apartment-for-olympics/ A 31 year old illegal alien "asylum seeker" from Afghanistan has been arrested at the airport in Berlin as he was trying to flee Europe after stabbing his new wife to death in Vienna. His wife had only been in Austria for two months after arriving for an arranged marriage when he committeed the murder. https://rmx.news/article/afghan-murder-suspect-detained-at-berlin-airport-accused-of-stabbing-wife-to-death-in-vienna/ An 18 year old illegal alien who entered the US as an "unaccompanied minor" has been arrested in Texas for child abandonment after giving birth to a baby and depositing the baby in a dumpster. She said her boyfriend would be upset if she had to take care of the baby instead of working. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/texas-woman-who-abandoned-newborn-baby-dumpster-is/ A 28 year old Muslim illegal alien from Kurdistan has been convicted of Attempted Murder for suddenly and unprovoked pushing a British man onto the tracks at the Oxford Circus underground (subway) station in London, narrowly missing electrocution on the live rail and making it back onto the platform only seconds before an oncoming subway train arrived. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13693071/moment-Tube-passenger-pushed-train-tracks-CCTV-homeless-denies-kill.html A 32 year old illegal alien who has previously been deported from the United States but returned has been arrested in Shelby Township, Michigan for three felony counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 years of age. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/07/31/michigan-previously-deported-illegal-alien-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-young-girl/ An illegal alien from Algeria is being sought by police for slitting the throat and almost decapitating a Spenish man in Valencia with a large knife. https://rmx.news/article/manhunt-for-algerian-suspected-of-slitting-throat-of-spanish-man-in-valencia/ A 21 year old illegal alien from El Salvador has been arrested in Loudon County, Virginia for carjacking and killing a 54 year old grandmother in broad daylight. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/07/30/virginia-illegal-alien-accused-carjacking-killing-54-year-old-grandmother-melody-waldecker/ A 17 year old Muslim migrant has committed a mass stabbing attack on a dance party for little girls themed around Taylor Swift in Southport, England. Three little girls were killed and nine are in hospital in critical condition, and two adults also injured. The victims were between 6 and 11 years old. As a result, anti-Muslim riots have broken out in Southport. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13690233/police-clash-southport-huge-crowds-protest-near-mosque-bricks-fireworks-thrown.html An illegal alien from Veneauela who had been released into the US interior by the Biden-Harris open border policy in November 2023 shot and seriously wounded a San Antonio policewoman answering a domestic violence call. Her two partners returned fire and the illegal alien was later found deceased. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/texas/article-13684415/Female-police-officer-shot-jorge-chacon-gutierrez-illegal-mexico-border-texas.html Crime rates among Muslim North African illegal aliens are soaring in Germany as the far left Green Party refuses to go along with deportations to Morrocco and Tunisia. Rape and murder by North Africans in Germany has more than doubled in four years, with rape up 169% and murder up 110%. https://rmx.news/article/north-african-crime-rate-explodes-in-germany-rape-up-169-and-murder-up-110-in-4-years/ An illegal alien from Mexico has been arrested for criminal homicide for killing a prominent Tennessee restaurant owner in a hit and run crash in a stolen car. https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/07/25/illegal-alien-got-away-accused-killing-nashville-restaurateur-matt-carney/ A 25 year old Australian tourist was gang raped by five "African type men" in Paris. Police statistics show that 77% of rapes and sexual assaults in Paris are committed by illegal aliens. https://rmx.news/article/france-australian-woman-on-vacation-in-paris-raped-by-5-african-type-individuals/ An illegal alien who had already been deported three times but came back, has been arrested in Stockton, California for arson and murder, after setting a trailer on fire, killing a mother and two children who were asleep inside. https://www.foxnews.com/us/illegal-deported-3-times-returns-california-lights-deadly-house-fire-mom-children-inside-source An 11 (eleven) year old illegal alien from Morrocco, who arrived last year as an unaccompanied minor has been arrested for over 70 (seventy) burglaries in northwestern Germany and was also identified as the leader of a youth criminal gang made up of illegal aliens. Under German law, he cannot be prosecuted as an adult for his crimes, and the left of center state government where he was arrested does not allow secure confinement of illegal alien youths, so attempts are being made to put him in secure confinement in a different German state. https://rmx.news/article/germany-11-year-old-moroccan-participates-in-over-70-burglaries-leads-youth-gang/ An illegal alien from Columbia has been arrested for the murder of two homosexual men who lived together in Bristol, England and trying to throw their diemembered bodies packed in suitcases from a bridge. The murderer had briefly been a guest of the two men in their home prior to the murders. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13643381/clifton-suspension-bridge-colombian-man-suitcases-remains-trial.html A 19 year old illegal alien from Honduras who apparently entered the US as an "unaccompanied minor" has been arrested in Charlotte, NC for one count of first degree murder and five counts of attempted murder after randomly shooting into cars and houses. A 16 year old accomplice was also arrested but his asylum status is unknown. https://www.breitbart.com/border/2024/07/13/report-honduran-migrant-illegally-in-u-s-charged-in-south-carolina-shooting-spree/ An illegal alien from Morrocco has been charged with homicide for pushing a 55 year old passenger down a flight of steps at a railway station in Germany in a random, unprovoked attack. The illegal alien had just been released from police custody on other charges of pickpocketing and assault. The victim suffered severe head injuries and died on the scene. https://rmx.news/article/germany-moroccan-migrant-pushes-55-year-old-passenger-to-his-death-at-famed-train-station-had-just-been-released-by-police-for-assault-and-pickpocketing/ An illegal alien from Mexico who overstayed a 6 month work visa has been arrested in Wisconsin for the murder of two children and attempted murder of their mother, all of whom suffered multiple stab wounds. He had been arrested twice for DWI after overstaying his visa but not deported. https://www.breitbart.com/border/2024/07/13/mexican-national-illegally-in-u-s-charged-in-stabbing-deaths-of-two-children-in-wisconsin/ A 25 year old illegal alien from Honduras has been charged with manslaugher of a 6 year old Alabama girl who died in a car crash where the illegal alien was driving drunk, three times the legal linit. https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2024/07/12/police-drunk-illegal-immigrant-kills-6-year-old-alabama-girl-in-car-crash/ Illegal aliens from the Middle East and Africa tryiing to cross the border from Belarus into Poland having been attacking Polish soldiers and local residents living near the border with spears, slingshots, thrown rocks and bottles, and other items. The spears are often dipped in feces to cause infection. Lately, if they are not actually attacking, the migrants make a throat slitting gesture to Polish soldiers. Several weeks ago an illegal alien reached through the bollards of the border wall and stabbed a Polish soldier in the chest killing him and the throat slitting gestures began after that incident. https://rmx.news/article/report-migrants-make-throat-slitting-gestures-at-polish-soldiers-on-the-polish-belarusian-border/ Illegal alien Joshua Aviala-Bonifacio, 19, an illegal alien from Haiti, was one of three people arrested for the murder of a New Orleans tour guide who was shot to death in the French Quarter. https://www.breitbart.com/local/2024/07/11/open-border-illegal-alien-among-those-arrested-for-new-orleans-murder/ Brutal wars between illegal alien drug gangs have spread from Belgium to Germany. The Morroccan drug gang involved in the Netherlands brutal gang wars is trying to move in on a Lebanese drug gang in Germany. Police in Germany just arrested four thugs from the Morroccan drug gang for kidnapping and torturing a couple connected to the Lebanese drug gang. https://rmx.news/crime/4-arrested-for-kidnap-and-torture-of-suspected-rival-gang-members-as-drug-wars-escalate-in-germany/ Four illegal aliens from Venezuela have been arrested in Chicago for choking, robbing, and beating a man on a train. They gave a migrant shelter in Chicago as their address. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/four-venezuelan-migrants-attacked-and-robbed-man-chicago-train-february-newly-released A 37 year old illegal alien from Nigeria who stabbed two police officers and bit a third after grabbing a 9 year old boy at the Karlsruhe railway station has been released without charges by a public prosecutor. The illegal alien had been confronted when he tried to ride a train without a ticket. Two of the police officers had to take sick leave to recuperate from their injuries inflicted by the illegal alien. https://rmx.news/article/germany-nigerian-migrant-grabs-9-year-old-boy-and-stabs-2-police-officers-immediately-released-by-the-courts/ A 31 year old illegal alien from El Salvador living in South Carolina has been found to be wanted for murder in his home country and to be a member of the extremely violent criminal gang MS13. He was arrested for possession of marijuana on a traffic stop in Berkley County, South Carolina. In running his information, it was found that he was a wanted criminal. https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/07/02/illegal-alien-ms-13-gang-member-wanted-for-murder-found-living-in-south-carolina/ A 20 year old illegal alien from Gruatamala has been charged with murder in the death of a 21 month old boy in Pennsylvania. The death was from blunt trauma to the chest as a result of being struck there by the illegal alien with his fist. ICE has filed a detainer on him. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/07/02/guatemalan-migrant-charged-murdering-boy-pennsylvania/ An illegal alien from Iran was shot dead by police after he attacked the officers with a knife at a train station near Nuremburg, Germany and stabbed a police trainee. The officers had pepper sprayed the illegal alien and fired a warning shot in the air when he first approached them with a knife, but when he still attacked them and stabbed the police trainee, they shot him dead. https://rmx.news/article/germany-iranian-migrant-who-was-shot-and-killed-by-police-officer-stabbed-a-police-intern/ A 26 year old illegal alien from Haiti who has been indicted for the rape of a 15 year old disabled girl in the sanctuary state of Massachusetts has been released by a liberal judge on $500 bail. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/illegal-alien-charged-rape-disabled-child-boston-jail/ A 15 year old Muslim illegal alien boy has pled guilty to a terrorist plot to drive a rented truck last Christmas season into a Christmas market crowd in Leverkusen, Germany to kill as many Christmas shoppers as possible. A 16 year old Muslim illegal alien accomplice is still awaiting trial. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/06/29/german-court-convicts-islamic-extremist-teen-for-christmas-attack-plot/ An illegal alien from Ecuador who was released into the US through Biden's open borders in 2023 has been arrested for the murder of a 21 year old girl on her birthday in the sanctuary state of Illinois. The girl was strangled to death and her body disposed of in a shallow grave. There is no word yet whether she was raped. https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/06/27/prosecutors-accuse-illegal-alien-freed-into-u-s-bidens-dhs-murdering-girl-her-21st-birthday/ A 21 year old blond woman was relaxing in a small urban park when a gang of seven Syrian illegal aliens approached in Chemnitz, Germany, began insulting her, punched her in the face, reached under her skirt to sexually molest her, and started dragging her toward an alley. A couple heard her screams and ran to her rescue, whereupon the Syrians assaulted her some more and departed. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13587431/Sex-attack-horror-gang-seven-Syrians-woman-assault-Germany.html An illegal alien wanted for murder in the Dominican Republic has been found living in the sanctuary state of Massachusetts. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/06/26/illegal-alien-gotaway-found-living-massachusetts/ A turf war between illegal alien drug gangs in Brussels, Belgium has led to a spate of murders, kidnappings, bombings, and street blockades. One gang is Morroccans and locally based and the other is Algerian and based in Marsailles, France. Fortunately, a major bust in Brussels has just gone down to start jailing these illegal alien drug gangs. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/brussels-police-bring-down-major-marseilles-based-drug-mafia/ According to the city's police chief, the explosion of violent crime, including knife crime, in the German capital of Berlin comes from young male illegal aliens. "To put it bluntly, according to our figures, the violence in Berlin is young, male, and has a non-German background," declared Berlin Police President Barbara Slowik, "This also applies to knife violence." https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/berlin-police-chief-most-violence-committed-by-young-migrant-men/ https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/06/23/berlin-police-chief-admits-young-foreign-males-behind-violent-crime-wave/ It is not just big cities like Berlin that are having these problems. In the small spa town of Bad Oeynhausen in North Rhein - Westphalia, a gang of ten Middle Eastern illegal alien migrants beat up two young German men who were walking home from a graduation party, putting both in the hospital with one in danger of death with severe head injuries. UPDATE: one of the young men has now died. https://rmx.news/article/germany-young-man-dies-after-beating-by-migrant-gang-as-he-walked-home-from-sisters-graduation-party/ Two illegal aliens from Venezuela, aged 21 and 26 have been arrested for the rape and murder of a 12 year old Texas girl, who was strangled and her body dumped in a bayou. One of the illegal alien rapist / murderers had only crossed Biden's open border a month ago. https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/06/20/bidens-broken-border-bring-more-tragedy-venezuelan-illegal-immigrants-murder-12-year-old-texas-girl-n2175753 A 23 year old illegal alien from El Salvador has been arrested for the rape and murder of a 37 year old American mother of five in Bel-Air, Maryland. The illegal alien had murdered a young woman in his home country in January 2023, crossed Biden's open border into the US in February, and the following month committed a home invasion in California where he sexually assaulted an American mother and her nine year old daughter. In announcing the arrest, Maryland law enforcement called out Biden and Congress for the open border saying Americans were unsafe because of it. This is the second young woman murdered by an illegal alien in this small rural county in just a few months. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13534771/Murdered-mom-fives-boyfriend-breaks-silence-ILLEGAL-migrant-finally-charged-raping-killing.html A 12-year old Jewish girl has been beaten and gang raped by three youths in a heavily Muslim suburb of Paris. The girl was called a "dirty Jew" with other anti-semitic and anti-Israel slurs. They threatened to kill her and her family if she reported the attack. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/violent-rape-of-jewish-teenager-shakes-french-politics/ Germans are outraged that a court gave more prison time to a 20-year old German woman for "insulting" a migrant rapist than they did to the nine actual illegal alien rapists who had gang raped a 14 year old girl for hours in a park. The woman had found the phone number of one of the illegal alien rapists online and sent a text message calling him a "dishonorable rapist pig" and a "disgusting miscarriage" and asking "aren't you ashamed when you look in the mirror." All of the actual gang rapists got probation for the rapes but the woman had to serve jail time for the "insult". https://rmx.news/article/outrage-in-germany-after-woman-convicted-for-insulting-migrant-gang-rapists-and-hit-with-longer-jail-term-than-the-rapists/ Twenty illegal alien youths from Afghanistan and Syria have been arrested for severely beating a German 14 year old boy in Gera, eastern Germany and posting a video of the beating and torture on social media. https://rmx.news/article/20-foreigners-beat-german-14-year-old-boy-in-viral-video-in-eastern-city-of-gera/ An off duty New York City police officer was carjacked by two illegal alien migrants from Venezuela. The illegal aliens pulled a pistol on the officer and stole his own service pistol as well as his personal car. https://nypost.com/2024/06/15/us-news/migrants-rob-off-duty-nypd-officers-personal-car-at-gunpoint-sources/ An illegal alien from Iraqi who joined ISIS in 2016 and fought for them in Iraq, has been arrested near Stuttgart, Germany after he was inserted into Germany in late 2022 as an ISIS sleeper agent to prepare for attacks within Germany. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/06/20/iraqi-migrant-arrested-in-germany-over-alleged-isis-attack-plan/ An illegal alien from Ecuador has been arrested in New York City for raping a 13 year old girl. The girl and a boy of the same age were walking in a park in broad daylight, when the illegal alien confronted them waving a machete, tied them both up, raped the girl, and stole both of their cell phones. The illegal alien videotaped the rape. The illegal alien entered the US in 2021 through Biden's open borders. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ecuadorian-illegal-alien-arrested-brutal-rape-13-year-old-girl-ny Germany is seeing a rash of knife crimes, with some of the stabbings resultng in fatalities, and most of it comes from the illegal aliens. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/gruesome-knife-attacks-continue-to-shock-germany/ A 31-year old illegal alien from Nicaragua who entered through Biden's open borders murdered a California man by stabbing him to death just days after skipping his immigration hearing. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/06/illegal-immigrant-skipped-immigration-hearing-before-stabbing-man/ New York has been deluged with pickpockets since Joe Biden's open borders migrant wave has arrived, and pickpocketing has exploded. Police and prosecutors do not seem to do much about it. There are even reports of training courses in South America on how to be a pickpocket. Is pickpocketkng one of those "jobs Americans don't want to do"???? https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/06/13/bidens-migrant-wave-sends-hordes-pickpockets-new-york/ An illegal alien has been charged in the death of a grandmother and her daughter in Shelby Township, Michigan when he crashed his vehicle into the one they were in. A Michigan legislator has demanded that Michigan's Democrat Secretary of State explain how the illegal alien had a Michigan drivers license, since Michigan law does not allow licenses to be issued to illegal aliens. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/06/13/illegal-alien-accused-of-killing-grandmother-and-daughter-in-michigan-crash/ A 19-yeare old illegal alien from Afghanistan has been arrested for attempted murder of a 41-year old woman who was a war refugee from Ukraine. The woman was sitting on a park bench in Frankfurt, Germany when the Afghan walked up and for no apparent reason started stabbing her in the head and neck. She was able to get up and flee a short distance but fell to the ground, and the Afghan then stabbed her some more until passers by rushed to her defense and the illegal alien fled. He was apprehended by police. The victim was very seriously injured in this random attack. https://rmx.news/afghanistan/germany-afghan-migrant-stabs-ukrainian-refugee-woman-in-frankfurt-park-leaving-her-seriously-wounded/ Six Muslim illegal aliens with ISIS ties have been arrested in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia after one of them was caught on a wiretap talking about bombs. All six had come in through Biden's open borders. At least one was on the Terrorism Watch List. https://nypost.com/2024/06/11/us-news/six-suspected-terrorists-with-isis-ties-arrested-in-sting-operation/ A 35 year old serial arsonist Sudanese illegal alien in the French city of Pau has been convicted of setting fire to 16 apartments, multiple vehicles, and a church and seriously injuring a French girl, endangering over 50 people, but the judge will not order his deportation because he is afraid the illegal alien might be in danger if he is returned to Sudan. https://rmx.news/article/france-sudanese-refugee-wont-be-deported-despite-burning-down-16-apartments-multiple-cars-part-of-a-church-and-seriously-injuring-a-student/ An illegal alien from Takikistan who is a member of Muslim terrorist group ISIS was released into the US interior by Biden's DHS. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/06/11/report-joe-bidens-dhs-freed-isis-linked-migrant-into-u-s-from-southern-border/ A Syrian illegal alien was arrested for trying to firebomb the Israeli embassy in Bucharest, Romania. He was arrested by police after his Molotov cocktail hit the embassy's front door. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/06/03/fire-bomb-at-israeli-embassy-in-bucharest-romania-syrian-arrested/ A 19-year old illegal alien from Venezuela was arrested for shooting two police officers in New York City. He had been in the US less than a year, arriving through Biden's open border. Just weeks before shooting the two police officers, a deportation proceeding against him had been closed by a federal immigration judge allowing him to stay in the US. https://redstate.com/jeffc/2024/06/03/man-who-allegedly-shot-two-nypd-officers-identified-as-illegal-immigrant-n2174994 https://nypost.com/2024/06/03/us-news/bernardo-castro-matas-immigration-case-closed-before-cop-shooting/ An illegal alien "asylum seeker" from Zambia received probation for sexually assaulting a 13 year old French girl. The girl has tried to kill herself twice since the sexual assault. https://rmx.news/article/france-zambian-asylum-seeker-will-not-serve-jail-time-for-sexually-assaulting-13-year-old-daughter-of-his-friend/ A Muslim migrant failed Afghan "asylum seeker" in Mannheim, Germany made a mass stabbing attack on a campaign event of a small rightwing party, injuring a leader of the party and seven others, including mortally wounding a policeman, who was stabbed in the neck. The police shot and killed the attacker. https://rmx.news/article/breaking-shock-video-shows-anti-islam-activist-and-german-politician-michael-sturzenberger-stabbed-in-mannheim-police-officer-stabbed-in-the-neck/ https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/germany-police-murder-suspect-is-failed-afghan-asylum-seeker/ Three Venezuelan illegal aliens connected to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang have been arrested in Louisiana for running a sex trafficking gang, bringing Venezuelan girls into the US and forcing them into prostitution. https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2024/05/30/report-u-s-uncovers-sex-trafficking-ring-linked-venezuelas-tren-de-aragua/ In Berlin, Germany, a 25 year old illegal alien from Syria broke into an apartment and sexually assaulted a 78-year old woman. He was arrested for attempted rape but the public prosecutor had him released without bail. He immediately went out and raped a 23 year old woman, biting her severely in the process. https://rmx.news/article/germany-syrian-migrant-sexually-assaulted-78-year-old-woman-then-raped-23-year-old-woman-the-next-day-after-his-immediate-release/ Diego Castro, an illegal alien, has been arrested at a truck stop in Alleghany County, Virginia for abducting an underage girl against her will in Louisiana and transporting her to Virginia, as well as for indecent liberties with a minor and assault and battery. The girl was able to get to a phone and call police at the truck stop. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/05/27/illegal-alien-abduction-louisiana-girl/ https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/05/illegal-alien-arrested-virginia-truck-stop-abducting-taking/ As a group of 50 illegal aliens trying to cross Poland's border wall encountered a patrol of Polish soldiers, one of the illegal aliens thrust a knife between the bollards of the border wall into the chest of one of the soldiers, badly wounding him and the illegal aliens then tried to harrass other soliders and the medical personnel which arrived to treat the wounded soldier. UPDATE: The wounded soldier has since died. https://rmx.news/article/video-illegal-migrant-brutally-stabs-polish-soldier-at-border-with-belarus-50-migrants-attack-medical-teams-and-soldiers-attempting-to-aid-their-colleague/ Two illegal aliens from Chechnya, a Muslim area of Russia, were found surveilling the home of a Special Forces colonel in Carthage, NC near Fort Bragg, with one of them on his property taking pictures of his home and his children. The colonel's own security cameras showed the same illegal alien had been there earlier doing the same thing. When the colonel confronted the Chechen, he became agressive and the colonel had to shoot him. The other Chechen was in a vehicle parked nearby. https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2024/05/27/new-info-related-to-shooting-death-of-chechen-national-who-was-on-army-special-forces-soldiers-property-n2174705 Members of the violent Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua are being arrested thousands of miles from the southern border as the gang expands throughout the United States. Even when jailed, Biden DHS is releasing them back into the US. The radiical socialist regime in Venezuela released inmates from its prisons and directed them to the US border. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3017952/venezuelan-gang-members-arrested-thousands-of-miles-from-border/ A leading criminology professor has warned that Sweden is on the brink of civil war due to violence by illegal alien migrants. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1901453/sweden-civil-war-migrant-crisis A 25 year old illegal alien recently arrived from Venezuela who says he is bi-sexual has been arrested for sexual battery of a boy under 12 years of age in Gainesville, Florida. The illegal alien had been charged with raping two young girls in his home country and complained he had not had sex since arriving in the US. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/05/21/venezuelan-migrant-accused-molesting-young-boy-florida/ Antisemitism and attacks on the Jewish community in France have skyrocketed since large numbers of Muslim migrants started entering the country. In the city of Rouen yesterday, an armed Muslim migrant tried to set fire to the city's Synagogue but was shot dead by police before he was able to do so. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/french-police-kill-armed-man-trying-to-set-fire-to-synagogue/ A Moroccan illegal alien "asylum seeker" has received a life sentence for his random stabbing attack that killed a 70 year old British pensioner as well as a prior attack on another migrant who had converted to Christianity which left him seriously injured. The migrant said he conducted both attacks due to being upset with Israel. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13429913/Moroccan-asylum-seeker-jailed-life-minimum-term-44-years-terror-attack-murdered-pensioner-70-random-attempted-kill-Christian-convert-housemate-revenge-Israel-Hamas.html Two Jordanian nationals, at least one of whom had recently entered illegally through the southern border and was on the terrorist watch list tried to crash their way into the Quantico Marine base in a truck after claiming to be Amazon delivery drivers. https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2024/05/17/two-jordanian-nationals-crashed-gates-at-quantico-and-wh-response-is-unreal-n2174307 An illegal alien "asylum seeker" from the Congo who had been held up by the liberal German media as an example of successful integration into German society has been convicted of raping and beating his own mother pulling a knife and threatening to kill her if she denied him sex. https://rmx.news/article/congolese-migrant-dubbed-poster-boy-for-integration-jailed-in-germany-for-raping-his-own-mother/ In Graz, Austria, a 14 year old Muslim migrant schoolgirl was arrested for plotting an attack on Christians with axes and knives on the historic main square of the city. ISIS materials were also found in a police search of her home. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13435071/Schoolgirl-planned-terrorist-knife-axe-attack-Austria.html An illegal alien from Mexico has been charged in Los Angeles with two counts of forcible rape after police said he was operating a "rape dungeon on wheels." https://redstate.com/wardclark/2024/05/16/illegal-immigrant-from-mexico-arrested-for-operating-rape-dungeon-on-wheels-n2174284 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13434141/California-Mexico-migrant-serial-rapist-dungeon-van.html A homeless Muslim illegal alien from North Africa has been arrested in Brussels, Belgium for stabbing to death a Belgian couple who had allowed him to stay in a spare room in their home. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/brussels-couple-stabbed-to-death-by-illegal-migrant/ A 46 year old illegal alien from El Salvador was arrested in West Virginia for murdering a 33 year old woman in Berkeley County and in a separate incident severely injuring two homeless people with a baseball bat in Jefferson County. The illegal alien had been denied asylum in Canada, but Biden's border patrol released him on parolie into the US interior even though he had spend 20 years in prison in El Salvador for convictions of murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/05/14/illegal-alien-charged-with-murdering-woman-attacking-two-homeless-people-in-west-virginia/ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/05/28/bidens-catch-and-release-criminal-illegal-alien-freed-into-u-s-charged-with-murdering-west-virginia-woman/ Germany's rail union has complained that the country's rail system is turning into a "battleground" due to attacks by male migrants on female rail workers and passengers, with an average of 90 violent crimes and sexual assaults per day on German trains and stations.. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/rail-union-warns-german-train-system-turning-battleground-thanks-male-migrants https://rmx.news/article/women-must-be-able-to-travel-safely-in-germany-german-trains-turning-into-no-go-zones-as-violence-and-sex-crimes-soar/ A 26 year old illegal alien from Mexico who was deported under President Trump but returned under BIden's open borders has been arrested in Montgomery County, Texas for killing a three month old baby. https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2024/05/13/report-illegal-alien-charged-in-death-of-three-month-old-was-deported-under-donald-trump/ In France, at least two prison guards have been killed in a gang ambush that freed a Muslim drug gang kingpin from a prison transport van. https://rmx.news/article/france-at-least-2-dead-after-armed-gang-ambushes-prison-van-transporting-drug-kingpin/ Gangs of illegal aliens are engaging in widespread oil theft in the Permian Basin in West Texas, the largest US oil field. Is oil theft one of those "jobs Americans don't want to do"? https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/3000004/illegal-immigrants-stealing-oil-permian-basin-texas/ In the Belgian city of Kortrijk, a gang of ten "asylum seeker" migrant youths from Muslim North Africa and Somalia are being sought for the gang rape of a 14 year old Belgian schoolgirl, after posting videos of it on Snapchat. This is the second gang rape by migrants of a young girl in that city in weeks. https://rmx.news/article/migrant-youths-filmed-gang-rape-of-belgian-teen-and-posted-videos-on-snapchat-second-gang-rape-in-same-city-now-revealed/ In the first three months of 2024, the sanctuary city of Chicago has arrested over 1,000 Venezuelan illegal aliens for various crimes. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/05/sanctuary-city-chicago-arrests-1k-illegals-venezuela-first/ Recent German crime statistics show that while illegal aliens make up 14% of the population in Germany, they commit nearly 60% of all violent crimes. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/foreign-migrants-account-nearly-6-10-violent-crime-suspects-germany A 20 year old illegal alien from Guatemala who came in through Biden's open borders has been arrested in Florida for kidnapping and raping an 11 year old girl. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13392175/newly-arrived-illegal-immigrant-kidnaps-girl-rapes.html An illegal alien from Mali who says he is a Muslim holy man, laughed at the judge when he was given a 15 year sentence for raping nine women in Paris. https://rmx.news/article/france-african-migrant-serial-rapist-laughs-in-court-after-receiving-15-year-sentence-for-raping-9-women-in-paris/ An illegal alien from Mexico wanted for murder and attempted murder in his home country was among the illegal aliens who got into the US under Biden's weak border policies. He was arrested on other criminal charges in the US, and has now been turned over to Mexico to prosecute on their cases. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/30/illegal-alien-wanted-murder-among-nearly-2m-got-aways-bidens-border/ An illegal alien in sanctuary Montgomery County, Maryland with a substantial criminal record and multiple failures to appear in court, has been arrested for the hit and run death of an American father with a 5 year old son. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/29/sanctuary-county-maryland-illegal-alien-accused-killing-27-year-old-jacques-price/ A 15 year old French boy has been stabbed to death in the French region of St. Denis by a 15 year old Afghan migrant. Both the teenage migrant and his 37 year old mother, both from Kabul, have been charged with murder. The mother beat the victim while he was lying on the ground bleeding out. https://rmx.news/article/francocide-french-teen-stabbed-to-death-by-afghan-migrant-the-latest-victim-of-senseless-migration-policy/ An illegal alien from Guatemala was arrested in Florida for murder in the very gruesome stabbing death of a young American mother and her 4 year old daughter. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/26/illegal-alien-accused-of-extremely-gruesome-murder-of-young-mother-4-year-old-daughter-in-fl/ A gang of illegal alien "asylum seeker" migrants has invaded the grounds of a school in Germany to assault students. Several people, including a teacher, have been injured. https://rmx.news/crime/germany-several-injured-after-migrant-gang-trespassed-on-school-grounds-to-attacked-student-in-mass-brawl/ Fairfax County, Virginia has repeatedly released and refused to turn over to ICE an illegal alien from Honduras charged with raping a child. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/virginia-county-repeatedly-released-illegal-alien-charged-sex/ An illegal alien from Mexico is charged in St. Josephs County, Michigan with breaking into a home and sexually assaulting two girls under 13 years of age. https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/04/23/illegal-alien-charged-sexually-assaulting-two-girls-breaking-michigan-home/ An Illegal alien from Guatemala has been arrested in Sumter County, Florida for fatally stabbing a man at a hotel. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/23/illegal-alien-charged-with-fatally-stabbing-man-at-central-florida-hotel/ Biden's DHS has released an illegal alien migrant from Brazil who is wanted for child rape in his home country, into the US interior. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/22/bidens-dhs-released-u-s-illegal-alien-wanted-child-rape-brazil/ In Dresden, Germany, an Afghan taxi driver who drove an intoxicated German student home from a party, helped her up the stairs to her apartment and then raped her there. https://rmx.news/crime/i-had-the-urge-to-scream-but-nothing-came-afghan-cab-driver-convicted-for-raping-german-student-in-dresden-while-her-5-year-old-child-slept-in-the-next-room/ In New Rochelle, New York, the Home Depot has had to hire guards, wearing bullet proof vests and with German Shepherd dogs to patrol its parking lots because of "aggressive" migrant thieves. https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2024/04/21/photo-home-depot-hires-guards-with-german-shepherd-deter-aggressive-migrants-thieves/ In Munich, Germany, a Jordanian asylum seeker illegal alien whose claim for asylum had laready been rejected, was on trial for a series of rapes and sexual assaults when he threatened to kill the prosecutor. https://rmx.news/crime/germany-jordanian-migrant-on-trial-for-series-of-rapes-and-sexual-assaults-threatens-to-kill-prosecutor/ In 2023, foreigners (migrants) committed 77% of all rapes and sexual assaults in Paris, leading the city's police chief to issue a warning for the upcoming Olympics. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/foreigners-responsible-for-77-of-solved-rape-cases-in-paris-in-2023/ Anicet Mayela, a Congolese citizen who illegally entered the UK, received notoriety in the media from a widely circulated photo of him holding a sign at a demonstration that read "Migrants are not criminals". But now Mayela has pled guilty to the rape of a 15 year old girl. Mayela has escaped deportation several times with the intervention of "human rights" lawyers, but where are the human rights of his 15 year old rape victim? https://rmx.news/crime/uk-illegal-migrant-who-protested-with-sign-reading-migrants-are-not-criminals-pleads-guilty-to-rape-of-15-year-old-girl/ An 18 year old illegal alien who entered the US in 2021 during the Biden open borders era has been arrested in Nevada for a hit and run collision that killed a top aide to a Democrat US Senator. https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/illegal-immigrant-arrested-in-crash-that-killed-adviser-to-senator/ In Germany, violent crime has reached historic highs, driven by illegal aliens in the country. The most recent figures from the police show that 41.8% of those committing violent crimes were foreign citizens (this figure does not include those with migrant backgrounds who have German citizenship) while 75% of victims were German citizens. For rape and sexual assault the figures are even worse. https://rmx.news/crime/migrant-crime-explodes-higher-in-germany-in-2023-violent-crime-hits-record-levels/ Also in Germany, police are now hunting for 6 migrants who gang raped two 14 year old girls in Rostock. https://rmx.news/crime/germany-police-hunt-6-migrants-who-gang-raped-two-14-year-old-girls-in-rostock/ In Orange County, New York, a Haitian illegal alien, released into the US on Biden's "parole pipeline" mobile app has been arrested for a double murder https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2024/04/18/report-joe-bidens-migrant-mobile-app-freed-haitian-now-accused-of-double-murder-into-u-s/ It has also come out that the illegal alien who kidnapped and muredered Laken Riley was given a work permit by Biden's DHS even though they knew he had a criminal record. He should have been deported, not given a work permit. https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2024/04/18/federal-docs-joe-bidens-dhs-gave-work-permit-to-laken-rileys-accused-killer-knowing-he-had-criminal-record/ 4/22/2024, By Tom Ozimek writing for The Epoch Times, reports: The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a legal challenge to a Texas law that requires voters under the age of 65 to provide justification to vote by mail, meaning that the Democrat-aligned attempt to sharply expand no-excuse mail-in ballots in the Lone Star state has failed, with implications for other states. According to an April 22 order list, the high court denied petition for a writ of cetriorari in a case that stems from a federal lawsuit filed in 2020 on behalf of the Texas Democratic Party and several voters who requested that Texas lift its age-based limitations on no-excuse mail-in voting. Texas law only allows individuals to vote by mail without a qualifying excuse, like sickness, if they are 65 years or older. In their original complaint, which made its way through a number of lower courts before ending up before the Supreme Court, the petitioners alleged that the Texas voting law violates the 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits denying the right to vote due to age. The Supreme Courts refusal to hear the appeal means that the Texas law stays in place, delivering a win to election integrity advocates who argue that no-excuse mail-in voting is prone to fraud and makes elections less secure. At the same time, the high courts decision to deny certiorari is a setback for groups who see laws like Texass age-based limits on no-excuse mail-in ballots as voter suppression or an unfair attempt to impose barriers to voting for certain groups, in this case younger voters. The high courts decision not to hear the appeal has broader implications, however, since six other statesIndiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennesseehave similar laws on the books that let older voters to request absentee ballot without having to provide any justification. Public opinion in Texas over the issue of no-excuse mail-in voting is split, according to some polls. More Details In their initial petition filed in 2020 on behalf of the Texas Democratic Party and a group of voters amids the COVID-19 pandemic, the plaintiffs requested that Texas lift its age-based restrictions to no-excuse mail-in voting, citing public health risks related to the outbreak. A district court judge sided with the plaintiffs in May 2020, temporarily blocking the Texas law. Led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas officials then filed an appeal with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which paused the district courts ruling while the appeal played out. The plaintiffs then asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reimpose the district courts decision to freeze enforcement of the age-based limits to no-excuse mail-in voting, or to take the case up for review, but the high court rejected both requests. Ultimately, the 5th Circuit voided the lower courts May 2020 order in full. This led the plaintiffs to file an amended complaint in the district court, this time asserting other claims, including ones of racial discrimination under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and arguing that the age limitations on mail-in ballots violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th and 26th Amendments. In a July 2022 order, the district court judge dismissed all of the plaintiffs claims, leading to another appeal before the 5th Circuit, which ultimately affirmed the district courts decision to dismiss. The plaintiffs filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court in December 2023, asking the high court to declare Texass age-based voting law unconstitutional. The court declined to review the plaintiffs appeal, leaving Texass age restrictions in place and denying a bid to expand no-excuse mail-in voting in the Lone Star state. The Epoch Times has reached out to counsel for both petitioners and respondents with a request for comment on the high courts decision. Election Integrity or Voter Suppression? The Supreme Court ruling comes amid a broader fight between those who see election integrity efforts as voter suppression and those who believe that the security of U.S. elections is too lax and should be tightened. According to a running tally by the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice, expansive voting laws far outpaced restrictive ones in 2023. At least 53 expansive voting laws were introduced last year in at least 23 states, compared to 17 restrictive laws being passed in 14 states, suggesting that the election integrity movement is falling behind. Amid concerns over voter fraud, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich recently suggested that to win the presidential election in November, Republicans need to outvote Democrats by a significant margin. Everybody who wants an honest election should know that in the long run, we need the French model: Everybody votes on the same day, everybody has a photo ID, everybodys accounted as a person, Mr. Gingrich said in a February interview on Fox News. But until we get to that, if Republicans want to win this year, under the rules that exist this year, they need to outvote the Democrats by about 5 percent, which is a margin big enough that it cant be stolen, he said. Elsewhere, an election integrity monitor laid out over a dozen critical reforms that it believes are necessary in order to secure voter integrity in the 2024 election, including outlawing ranked choice voting and non-citizen voting, consolidating election dates, requiring voter ID, and safeguarding vulnerable mail ballots. 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. Andrej Babis, current leader of the opposition and immediate past Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, has described the new EU migration pact as "a poison used for the assisted suicide of Europe" in a speech in parliament. Babis' populist right ANO Party is currently the largest in parliament and polls suggest would be in a position to govern again if elections were held today. "Mass illegal migration of people with a completely different culture, customs, and mentality is a cancer that is destroying European society," Babis declared. "I think it is too late to save western Europe. . . but there is still hope for central and eastern Europe". Babis , a billionaire, was sometimes called "the Czech Trump" while he was prime minister. His ANO party is staunchly anti-migration, The party tied for third place in the Czech parliament, Freedom and Direct Democracy, is even more stridently opposed to illegal migration. Babis called for voters to back the populist parties in the June EU election to fight illegal migration and repeal the EU migration pact. https://rmx.news/czech-republic/assisted-suicide-of-europe-former-czech-pm-babis-delivers-historic-speech-against-eu-migration-pact-in-czech-parliament/ A Florida man accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend allegedly drove her body to the Florida City police station to surrender. Alexander Roque, 48, was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County Saturday night on a charge of second-degree murder, according to jail records. Detectives with the Florida City Police Department told WTVJ that Roque allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend before transporting her body to the station on Saturday and turning himself in. Florida City is in southern Miami-Dade, south of Homestead. The investigation was turned over to Miami-Dade Police. The victim has not been publicly identified, and police did not reveal what may have led up to the killing. -- With reporting from TMX. RINO Congressman Greg Murphy has voted to give the Biden regime $481 million to settle illegal alien migrants across the United States. The money which has nothing to do with what is generally considered foreign aid was sruffed on page 18 of the recently passed foreign aid supplemental bill. That bill, which mostly provided military assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan is the one that Republicans had been demanding also include money for border security on our own border. Sellout RINO Speaker Mike Johnson not only caved in by not pressing for money for our own border security as part of the deal, he also caved in to a demand BIden has been making for months for more money to settle these illegal aliens in the US interior. So, instead of funding our own border security, this bill funded Biden's border invasion. If Johnson is that pathetically weak, we needed other Republicans to demand that he get something for Republican positions out of the deal like our border security funding. Unfortuately, we had other weak and useless fools like Greg Murphy who went right along with Johnson and screwed the Republican base. Walter Jones would have never betrayed us like that. https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2024/04/22/ukraine-bill-funds-more-migration-to-u-s/ Greg Murphy is showing his true colors as a Thom TIllis "Republican". Meanwhile, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) who voted against the bill in the Senate, denounced the "legislative blackmail" involed in dropping the needed funds for border security. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/23/marco-rubio-decries-legislative-blackmail-voting-95-billion-foreign-aid-package/ Here are three closures affecting the healthcare industry that Becker's has reported on since April 16: 1. Employees at Canfield (Ohio) Surgery Center were informed on April 22 that the ASC will be permanently closing its doors at the end of May. 2. Bloomfield, Iowa-based practitioner Tom Juhl, OD, will permanently close his optometry practice in June, leaving the county without an optometrist. 3. Rite Aid will shutter 53 more locations after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced it will close locations last year. Here are four physician fraud cases Becker's has reported on since April 8: 1. Sylvan Lake, Mich., physician Rainna Furnari Brazil, DO, will face charges in a state circuit court of committing a disability fraud scheme. Dr. Brazil allegedly continued to work while receiving $400,000 in disability pay through the Unum Life Insurance Company of America. 2. Fazal Panezai, MD, a cardiologist in Morganville, N.J., pleaded guilty to participating in a healthcare fraud scheme that led to more than $1.9 million in insurance reimbursements for false claims. He owned and operated Matawan-Aberdeen Heart and Medical Center, submitting false claims to at least six insurance companies. 3. A physician and a chiropractor at a Kentucky pain clinic were sentenced for their roles in a scheme that defrauded Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance companies of more than $4 million. The clinic's medical director, William Lawrence Siefert, MD, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and ordered to pay $1.97 million in restitution. He was involved in a scheme where he billed for urine drug tests that were not medically necessary but were lucratively reimbursed by providers such as Medicare and Medicaid. 4. Osteopathic medicine physician Lee Peter Bee, DO, who formerly practiced in Sesser, Ill., was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement after he pleaded guilty to two counts of healthcare fraud. Between January 2015 and January 2020, he billed Medicaid and private insurance companies for medical services he did not perform. New Jersey cardiologist John Strobeck, MD, has had his medical license revoked by the state after being accused of groping six women during medical exams, according to an April 19 report from NJ.com. The case took nearly a decade to resolve. Dr. Strobeck's license was first suspended in 2015, with the alleged incidents taking place between 2008 and 2014. In January 2024, he agreed to surrender his license permanently. Dr. Strobeck had offices in Fair Lawn and Hawthorne, N.J. He was indicted by a state grand jury in February 2015 on six counts of criminal sexual contact. The alleged victims ranged in age from 51 to 80 and accused Dr. Strobeck of groping them without any legitimate medical reason. On Jan. 16, he settled allegations of malpractice and professional and sexual misconduct, agreeing to never practice medicine or surgery in the state again. He also cannot apply for a medical license in the future and must divest himself from current and future financial interest or benefit from his former medical offices. He is prohibited from managing, overseeing, supervising and influencing any medical practice in the state. Physicians are continuing to migrate to employed models as practice costs rise. Thomas Schuler, MD, spine surgeon and founder of Reston-based Virginia Spine Institute, joined Becker's to discuss why independent physicians don't have more power in healthcare. Editor's note: This response was edited lightly for clarity and length. Dr. Thomas Schuler: Private practice physicians focus on their patients and work responsibilities, not political action. Work demands stretch these physicians thin. Unfortunately, they do not focus on the large scale political picture since they are consumed by the daily obligations to patient care.This results in the private practice doctor's perspective and interest not being represented on the political stage. Furthermore, hospitals and insurance companies spend much money on lobbying to achieve their control and ultimate financial success. Organized medicine does not represent the private practice physicians adequately. The individual physicians are left without a voice and without power in healthcare. As practice costs rise, many physician leaders are concerned about cuts in CMS reimbursements. Here are five major updates on physician pay cuts: 1. Congress halved 2024's 3.4% Medicare pay cut for physicians to roughly 1.7% in a $460 billion spending package released in March. The cut comes on top of last year's 2% Medicare physician pay reduction. 2. Many physicians were disappointed by Congress' move. The American Medical Association said in a blog post that the cut was not enough as the cost of running a practice is becoming unsustainable for many physicians. 3. The original pay cut, released in CMS' 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Nov. 2, cut overall physician pay by 1.25% and updated the Medicare conversion factor to $32.74. 4. Additionally, many physicians are facing more pay cuts from the cost-performance category of the merit-based incentive payment system, which could reduce Medicare payments by up to 9%. 5. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission released a report to Congress in March recommending a roughly 3% year-over-year pay increase for physicians. Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health is making changes with three Kansas clinics, effectively ending its operations in the state. Intermountain plans to close Duchesne Clinic in Kansas City on June 1 and to transfer the Marian Dental Clinic in Topeka, Kan., and the St. Vincent Clinic in Leavenworth, Kan., to Atchison (Kan.) Community Health Clinic, a federally qualified health center. It announced the changes April 19. The three clinics are collectively known as Caritas Clinics, and are self-described "safety-net" care settings for low-income patients. The St. Vincent and Duchesne Clinics are primary care offices, while Marian Dental Clinic provides dental care. Once the clinic transfers and closure are complete, Intermountain will no longer have operations in Kansas. The system called the moves "a strategic decision." The system signed a letter of intent with Atchison Community Health Clinic on April 9 and plans for the transfer of ownership to be completed by June 30. It notes that some caregivers "can transfer employment" to Atchison if they are interested; others will receive financial support and assistance in finding new employment. Intermountain said it will donate $4.2 million to Atchison Community Health Clinic for operations, capital improvements and "to help ensure Atchison can successfully continue this high-quality care at these clinics." The clinics were originally part of Broomfield, Colo.-based SCL Health, which merged with Intermountain in April 2022. Debates are swirling about surgery disruptions, a baby boom phenomenon and additional uses for Ozempic and other glucagon-like peptide-1 medicines. Four updates on the Type 2 diabetes drug: 1. After taking prescribed GLP-1s including Ozempic several reports came out about patients aspirating and regurgitating during surgery because of delayed gastric emptying. In response, clinicians told their patients to halt their last GLP-1 dose before an elective procedure. About 10 months after the American Society of Anesthesiologists released its guidance, studies from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif., have uncovered contrasting findings. Cedars-Sinai researchers reviewed nearly 1 million records of patients who underwent upper or lower endoscopy procedures. They found those prescribed GLP-1s were 33% more likely to experience aspiration pneumonia than other patients. In a study from Stanford Medicine, no risk of postoperative respiratory complications was found. 2. As scientists investigate a plethora of potential indications for GLP-1s, from fatty liver disease to addiction, physicians estimate up to 15% of people are non-responders. For patients who do see strong weight loss results, a trend dubbed the "Ozempic baby boom" is gaining national attention. The baby boom is a phenomenon of GLP-1 patients becoming pregnant unexpectedly. A causal relationship has not been confirmed, but experts say weight loss drugs could cause birth control failures or affect ovulation and fertility. Weight loss can also improve fertility in some patients. "The 'oops' babies on Ozempic and Wegovy are happening all over the place," Melanie Cree-Green, MD, PhD, director of the polycystic ovary syndrome clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, told Bloomberg. "It's very exciting, but it's a bit scary because we're moving forward without all the data." 3. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, has faced backlash from clinicians and legislators after researchers discovered the injectable could be manufactured for between 89 cents and $4.73 per month. Its current list price is about $1,000 for a four-week supply. Physicians who specialize in obesity say the high cost and limited coverage is disproportionately affecting those who most need the medications, including people in racial and ethnic minority groups. 4. One of Ozempic's leading competitors, Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro, are in shortage because of high demand. Weight loss medication Zepbound might soon see a label expansion after Eli Lilly found promising results on the drug as a potential sleep apnea therapy. Attorneys for a New Mexico man who was convicted of twice hitting a church security guard and killing the man filed a motion, arguing that there wasn't enough evidence proving an intention to kill. Marc Ward, 36, is awaiting sentencing after being found guilty in the 2022 death of 61-year-old Daniel Bourne, in the parking lot of Cavalry Church. Ward's attorneys claim that he was a long-time member of the Church and viewed its parking lot as a haven, where he would go to think. While Ward does not dispute that he hit Bourne with his vehicle, he claims that it was an accident. Attorney Max Pines told jurors that Ward saw a flashlight, shortly before he looked up and panicked. "He suddenly sees the gun drawn and pointed," said Pines, according to the Albuquerque Journal. "He lifts his hands to cover his face. Gunshots and impacts ring out." Prosecutors allege that Bourne drew his weapon to defend himself and that Ward accelerated his vehicle and hit the victim twice before fleeing the scene. Ward's conviction requires that he serve at least 30 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. In light of his recent filings, Ward's sentencing will be pushed back until June while the judge makes a decision. Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2023, generative artificial intelligence has gathered buzz, with many healthcare workers, leaders and staff expressing concerns about using "unregulated" technology. But has this sentiment changed? "I think in the last year, I don't hear as much of the fear-based discussion," Sarah Pletcher, MD, vice president and executive medical director of strategic innovation at Houston Methodist, told Becker's. "In a year, it's gone from this thing that people don't really understand and are afraid of to something that people have more familiarity and comfort with." Dr. Pletcher's sentiment parallels an April 16 survey from Wolters Kluwer. The survey of 100 U.S. physicians found that 40% are prepared to use generative AI during patient interactions at the point of care. Additionally, 68% of physicians said they have had a change of opinion over the last year and are now inclined to believe that generative AI would be beneficial for healthcare. Despite this, there is still concern surrounding regulation and use of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry. On April 22, hundreds of nurses gathered to protest the use of AI at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente. The California Nurses Association held a demonstration at Kaiser Permanente's San Francisco Medical Center, chanting "AI has got to go!" and "Trust Nurses Not AI." The association is requesting the involvement of nurses and union members at "every stage" of the decision-making process concerning the implementation of AI and other data-centric technologies within Kaiser Permanente and other health systems. Healthcare leaders are also expressing concerns to Congress about the use of AI. Keith Dreyer, PhD, chief data science officer of Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, went to Capitol Hill in April to lobby lawmakers for more oversight of AI in healthcare. "It needs quite a bit of oversight because, if you build these systems wrong, they will make mistakes," he told Politico. "And if you don't monitor these systems, they might even start out good, but they can turn bad." Dr. Pletcher hinted at the lack of education still being an issue with AI in healthcare. "I still think that we haven't done a great job of distilling it down to educational points so that anyone can come up to speed on what it is," she said. "What do we mean? What are the different kinds? And how do those examples fit into healthcare?" There are two issues in healthcare that Bruce Swords, MD, is highly focused on: Physicians struggling to stay independent, and systems focusing on solely acute care instead of preventive medicine. Dr. Swords graduated medical school in 1992 and worked as a primary care physician for more than 20 years before transitioning into leadership. Now he is chief clinical officer at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, S.C. His range of experience allows him to see issues from both physician and system sides. For physicians, one of the greatest challenges is staying independent. "That trend will likely continue," Dr. Sword told Becker's. "The potential downside is physicians can lose their autonomy and feel like their contribution to the health and well-being of their patients is diminished. In addition, despite the incredible expense of healthcare in the United States, the payment system in healthcare does not support physicians. It frequently costs physicians more to take care of patients than what they are reimbursed for providing the care." Working under a health system is not ideal for some, but it does come with benefits. Health systems can foster collaboration that improves access and patient outcomes; it can also improve access to physician wellness programs and can allow physicians to focus on their profession instead of running a business, Dr. Sword said. Although health systems can provide benefits to patients and physicians, Dr. Sword said, "If we continue that focus on acute care, the promise of improving the health of entire communities will not be realized. The ecosystem of healthcare should focus on preventive medicine." Bon Secours utilizes partnerships with community organizations to provide recurring exercise initiatives and mobile screenings, invests in affordable housing, and partners with local barbers and beauticians to spread education about heart health. "We know improving people's health starts before they show up at our doorstep so we don't wait for patients to come to us we try and meet them where they are with the care they need." Tri-City Healthcare District in Oceanside, Calif., and UC San Diego Health are still working on plans for a joint power agreement that was expected to be completed by the end of March, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported April 21. Tri-City selected UC San Diego Health in October as a partner for the agreement. Initial plans for the deal would have given UC San Diego Health administrative, clinical and operational management authority over all of Tri-City's healthcare services with a community board that provides input and guidance. Along with its assets, Tri-City's debts would have been assumed under the initial plan, the publication reported. UC San Diego Health CEO Patricia Maysent told the Union-Tribune that the health system is "100% committed to getting this [the agreement] done," and while it might not be exactly like the previous plan, the goal is to stabilize healthcare in the area. The agreement reached in October was also dependent on UC San Diego Health's understanding of Tri-City's physical and financial struggles, largely due to the pandemic, a process that has been underway for almost six months with no resolution in sight. Tri-City also fell victim to a cyberattack in November, which Ms. Maysent told the publication has added time to UC San Diego Health's analysis. However, the beginning of 2024 saw an upswing for Tri-City, marking the first time in around two years that the hospital saw positive margins in back-to-back months. "[UC San Diego Health] sent a team to dive into our financials and make sure that they were spot on, no inconsistencies, that our forecasts for the rest of the year looked good," Gene Ma, MD, Tri-City Medical Center CEO, told the publication. "They found that we didn't make assumptions that they disagreed with, and they were able to validate that we're hitting all of our targets." Becker's reached out to UC San Diego Health for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available. Dr. Ma had no further comment. Members of California Nurses Association/National Nurses United plan to hold a 24-hour strike from May 1-2 at Washington Hospital Healthcare System in Fremont, Calif. The union represents more than 800 nurses at Washington Hospital Healthcare System, according to a CNA/NNU news release. Washington Hospital Healthcare System includes a 415-bed hospital as well as various other services and facilities. Union members voted to authorize a strike in February. The union and hospital began negotiating a new labor contract in April 2023, according to CNA/NNU. Jerri Applegate Randrup, a hospital spokesperson, told Becker's that during negotiations, "there has been agreement on many important terms and significant increases offered by the hospital. WHHS has already offered over 20% increases in wages over the course of four years." The union contends that during negotiations, the hospital has proposed changes that will not adequately address recruitment and retention of nurses. "Experienced staff nurses are essential to high-quality patient care, and we need a contract that ensures Washington Hospital is a place where nurses want to come to work and want to stay to work," Evie Merritt, RN, said in the union release. "We are hopeful that the parties can reach an agreement on a fair and sustainable contract," Ms. Randrup said. In the event of a strike, WHHS will take the necessary action to protect patients and minimize disruptions to health services. Patient care will continue, including emergency services, as we remain committed to serving our community and providing safe, high-quality care." Both parties are scheduled to meet for mediation again on April 27. If there is no agreement and the strike takes place as planned, it will be the first strike at the public-sector hospital, according to the union. Editor's note: This story was updated on April 24. As the healthcare industry continues to embrace technological advancements, an increasing number of health systems are forging strategic partnerships with vendors and companies offering artificial intelligence tools that aim to enhance patient care and streamline operations and administrative tasks. Here is a look at who health systems are partnering with for AI: Executives and boards are rethinking their responses to geopolitical issues and losing patience with employees who are "eager to be the conscience of their companies," The Wall Street Journal reported April 21. In 2020, many CEOs spoke in solidarity with racial justice and immigration policy issues and even moved to foster internal discourse on prominent social topics. But recently as employees grow increasingly vocal about the war in Gaza bosses, fearing disruption, are changing their tunes. Take Google, for example. In the past, the company has been responsive to employees' concerns about certain policies. It opted not to renew a Pentagon contract in 2018, pledged not to make artificial intelligence technology for military weapons and adopted a set of AI "principles," according to the Journal. Yet, recently, Google fired 28 workers who were involved with sit-in protests regarding the company's cloud-computing contract with the Israeli government. Leadership said the protesters violated company policy by overtaking office spaces and disrupting the work environment. Chris Rackow, the company's vice president of global security, told employees the protesters' actions "made co-workers feel threatened," and CEO Sundar Pichai wrote that while an open culture is important, "we also need to be more focused in how we work, collaborate, discuss and even disagree." "This is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts co-workers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform," Mr. Pichai said in an email to staff after the firings. "This is too important a moment as a company for us to be distracted." Google is not the only company grappling with employees' demands regarding social responsibility. The New York Times, National Public Radio and Starbucks are all wrestling with internal dissent related to the war in Gaza, as are multiple health systems. New York City-based NYU Langone Health terminated the director of its Perlmutter Cancer Center after he reposted tweets on X (formerly known as Twitter) satirizing anti-Israel protests as supporters of Hamas. Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and UC San Diego penned a letter distancing themselves from pediatric residents' call for a cease-fire in Gaza. In a statement shared with Becker's, the hospital said it "unequivocally denounces and condemns all violence against children" but noted that it is not a political entity. As conflict plays out among employees on Slack channels and email chains, employers aim to remain neutral, fearing ensnarement in a "culture war," according to the Journal. If an issue does not directly affect business, companies are increasingly avoidant of a strong partisan stance, executives and corporate advisers told the publication. And because private sector workers are not protected by the First Amendment's free speech guarantees, workplace activism leads both employees and employers into a gray area. Genevieve Lakier, PhD, a law professor at the University of Chicago, told the Journal, "There is still a lot of uncertainty about how much free expression by workers is consistent with the operations of the workplace." "None of this is settled," she said. Harvard University locked most of the gates to Harvard Yard to prevent pro-Palestinian activists from establishing an encampment like the one that led to more than 100 arrests at Columbia University and a slew of other college campuses. Access to the historic center of the Ivy League school will be restricted through Friday to students and staffers with university-issued identification, the student-run Harvard Crimson newspaper reported Sunday night. Harvard Yard covers about 25 acres in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is surrounded by fences with 27 named gates. But a sign announcing its closure said only five could be used to enter or exit until further notice. The sign also warned that tents and tables "are not permitted in the Yard without prior permission" and that blocking pathways or building entrances was prohibited. "Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action," it added. The moves are intended "to stay ahead of potential issues with non-Harvard recognized groups," a Harvard College spokesperson said in a statement to the Crimson. An email sent to students and staffers also reportedly said officials were acting out of "an abundance of caution and with the safety of our community as a priority." Nearly 50 people were arrested Monday morning when Yale police officers broke up the encampment on the campus in New Haven, Connecticut. Harvard Yard is home to most freshman dormitories, several libraries, Memorial Church and various teaching halls, department buildings and administration offices. On Friday, more than 200 people rallied there to demand that the university "disclose and divest" from Israeli companies and investments in the West Bank, according to the Crimson. In January, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned after just six months, following harsh criticism of her congressional testimony about the university's response to antisemitism on campus. Gay, who remains a faculty member, also faced allegations of plagiarism in her PhD dissertation and scholarly work. On Thursday, New York City police officers arrested more than 100 protesters who were camped out on Columbia University's South Lawn in Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood. The arrests sparked students to establish similar encampments at other schools including Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University. LCC Group has applied for a licence to generate power for a power station at Belfast Harbour Co Tyrone energy company LCC Group has applied for a licence to generate power at a power station in Belfast Harbour. The site was first associated with a power station by Evermore, set up by brothers Stephen and Ciaran Devine. The company had previously developed a smaller biomass-fuelled power plant at Londonderry Port. A public notice of LCC Groups application to the Utility Regulator for a generating licence has been published. The application has been made by Prime Power Generation, with company directors Michael Loughran, Daniel Loughran, Micheal Loughran and Geraldine Quinn named in the application. The notice states that Prime Power Generation is owned by LCC Asset Holdings Ltd, with an address in Isle of Man. According to the notice, the licence is required from August 31 this year and would cover lands at Airport Road on West Belfast Harbour Estate. The proposed project is for a 480MW combined cycle gas turbine primarily fuelled by gas, with diesel as a secondary fuel. Colin Broomfield, director of markets at the regulator, said: The Utility Regulator is in the early stages of reviewing an electricity generation licence application submitted from Prime Power Generation. LCC Group, based in Cookstown, also owns electricity supplier Go Power and operates the Go chain of petrol stations. Plans for former media headquarters include 594 bedrooms, a cafe and a residents lounge Plans for a new 55m purpose built student accommodation development in Belfast city centre have been submitted. Property development company South Bank Square has confirmed that it has submitted a planning application for the major purpose-built student accommodation at Fanum House. Set to be known as The Grattan, the new build on Great Victoria Street on the former Golden Mile will include 594 bedrooms, a cafe, residents lounge, fitness suite, business hub and landscaped roof terrace. The proposal will include the demolition of the vacant 11-storey office building. Fanum House was formerly the Belfast headquarters for newspapers and media including the Irish Times, RTE and Sky, with its rooftop the setting for many TV reports during the Troubles, most memorably by RTE on Bloody Friday back in 1972. The plans were first unveiled in November when a pre-application notice was submitted. Martin Mallon, who is the managing director of South Bank Square, said: Following a thorough community consultation process we are pleased to submit our full planning application for The Grattan, bringing an opportunity to provide much-needed student accommodation whilst also significantly building on recent revitalisation work in the Great Victoria Street and Dublin Road areas. We now hope for a timely progression through Belfast City Councils planning procedures to enable us to address the pressing need for additional student rooms, and to help regenerate this critical area south of the city centre. South Bank added that the Grattan is a major financial investment in Belfast by the company and will provide much-needed high quality student beds in a prime location close to the new Belfast Grand Central Station, and within walking distance of both universities. Watch: Inside the new 200m Belfast Grand Central Station as work enters final phase The development will also generate hundreds of new jobs during the construction and operational phases of the project. In 2020 South Bank announced that it would be redeveloping the site into 210 new apartments in a 45m development, which would also be known as The Grattan. This followed an application submitted in 2011 for the development of a 15-storey 173 bedroom hotel with a basement at the 110 Great Victoria Street site. Belfast has seen a flurry of student accommodation developments in recent years. Last week it was revealed that Norwich Union House, located between Castle Street and Fountain Street, could be knocked down to make way for student accommodation. The building was initially due to be developed to make way for a mixed-use scheme to include a hotel. Planning permission was granted by the council last week for tech firm Kainos Bankmore Exchange HQ on Dublin Road and for Queens University to build student accommodation next to the Kainos building As well as Botanic Studio apartments nearby at 78-86 Dublin Road, and the recently completed 253 bed student block Aster House at University Road, plans have been submitted for an 11 storey student block with 210 bedrooms at the site of Filthy McNastys, 41-49 Dublin Road. And further along Great Victoria Street, at Bruce Street, is another recently completed 15 storey student accommodation building, housing 271 self-contained studios. Northern Irish firms Ciga Healthcare and IceMOS Technology are among the 10 winners of the Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards, it was announced today. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) awards celebrate the export success of small businesses around the UK, as new figures show it was the worlds fourth largest exporter of goods and services in 2022. Ciga Healthcare in Ballymena now exports its rapid diagnostic tests including fertility tests, blood pressure monitors and blood glucose monitors to 80 countries. And at semiconductor specialist IceMOS Technology in Belfast, 99% of its business exported outside of the British Isles. Cigas products are supplied to national health services and international brands, such as Walmart and AmerisourceBergen. It has just secured a new US deal to supply a range of products to Walmart Marketplace in the US, expected to reach a value of $500,000 in the first year. Lord Offord, Minister for Exports, said: Were proud of our British exporters and these awards highlight some fantastic businesses punching above their weight and selling UK-made products around the world. Irwin Armstrong, chief executive of Ciga Healthcare, said: We are delighted to receive the reward, which recognises the tremendous work put in by everyone in our company over the past few years. "We have been supported by the DBT and Invest NI in our international marketing efforts which has helped us reach new markets. "To have the recognition of the UK Government will give our international distributors enormous confidence in our company and enable us to expand into additional markets. Dr Samuel J Anderson, founder and chairman of IceMOS Technology Dr Samuel J Anderson, founder and chairman of IceMOS Technology, said: "This win underscores our position as a leader in the industry and validates the effectiveness of our sensing and power technologies in driving energy efficiency and CO2 reduction. "It provides us with a strong foundation to further expand our exporting success. Building on this momentum, we aim to diversify our export markets and deepen our presence in existing ones. Marco Forgione, director general of The Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) and panel judge, said that Cigas impact reverberates across the globe. With exports spanning over 80 countries, including key markets in the USA, Canada, Europe and beyond, Ciga's commitment to quality and accessibility knows no bounds. He described IceMOS Technology as a pioneer in the semiconductor industry. With a strong focus on market diversification, IceMOS has achieved remarkable growth and now serves over 150 customers. Former Post Office chief Paula Vennells did not want to use the word bugs when referencing the faulty Horizon system in an Orwellian move to sound non-emotive, an inquiry has heard. Two women from Northern Ireland have been named as contestants taking part in the UKs first dating show for girls who like girls, airing on Sunday, May 5. I Kissed a Girl has been described as serving drama, smashing stereotypes, and promises more twists and turns than ever. Eva Adamson (22) from Belfast and Cara Kinney (25) from Ballycastle will be entering the Italian Masseria in a bid to find love with a group of other singles from across the UK. In the show, hosted by Dannii Minogue, the group of girls are matched up and meet for the first time with a kiss. Before they arrive, the girls are matched based on what theyre looking for in a partner. After meeting their match for the first time with a kiss, theyre encouraged to give their new relationship a good shot. However, the girls must ultimately do whats right for them, because everything is a possibility in this love game. Belfast woman Eva said that this is her first time ever on a dating show and told this newspaper that she very rarely used dating apps prior to filming. She also revealed that she enters the villa as a surprise at the end of the first episode as a new girl who is not immediately matched up with anyone. I come in to mix things up a bit, she said. I used to search and search the internet for any WLW (women loving women) when coming to terms with my sexuality, so something like this is amazing. With a degree in Retail Fashion, Eva likes to mix up her style. She describes herself as Stem considered in the LGBTQ space as a girl with a mix of masculine and feminine energy. Eva lived in London for four years while she was studying at university but now, since filming ended on the show, she has moved back home to Belfast. I do miss my friends in London but its great to be back home, she said. I am just so buzzing to be on the show and to help represent Northern Ireland on this sort of stage because theres very little representation for lesbians or girls who like girls on TV or the internet and those who are from Ireland or Northern Ireland its even less, so it really is a big deal. Eva said she spoke to other contestants on the show about the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland only coming into effect in 2020 much to their surprise. They were all so shocked that it only came into place here so recently, she told the Belfast Telegraph. Ballycastle woman Cara Kinney Cara, who works as an aesthetician and lash tech said it was amazing to appear on the show. Coming from a small town in Northern Ireland, the rare chance to be in an environment exclusively full of queer women was an opportunity of a lifetime, she said, adding that growing up on a council estate has made her proud of people knowing where shes come from in life. The Co Antrim woman admitted that her mum is her biggest supporter, along with her three brothers and two sisters. When I was growing up, I didnt have anyone from here I could identify with, so this show has been great for representing girls like me. I left school and moved away for university before I discovered my sexuality. Cara identifies as bisexual and shes had relationships with both men and women. She explains that being bisexual can be a weird feeling because she can sometimes feel stuck in the middle. She told the Belfast Telegraph that she thanks the show for helping her feel secure in her sexuality. There are topics we discussed I would never normally in everyday life, but it was such a safe environment, she said. It was the best experience I could have ever asked for; all the girls on the show were so welcoming and we all got on so well. Speaking about meeting the host Dannii Minogue Eva said she was so down to earth. You see all these big celebrities when youre on TV growing up and you just get so starstruck but meeting and chatting to Dannii on the show was just amazing, she is such a lovely human being, she said. Cara added that you dont meet many big celebrities like that around Ballycastle, but she was so lovely and friendly to all the girls a gorgeous person all round. I Kissed A Boy was a TV favourite of 2023, which saw a group of men from the LGBTQ+ community on the hunt for love in an Italian Masseria. In keeping with the shows women-first approach for this upcoming series, it was announced that Layton Williams will not be returning to offer his commentary this time around, but instead, TikTok star Charley Marlowe will serve as the narrator for I Kissed A Girl when it debuts next week. Episodes one and two of I Kissed a Girl will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer on Sunday, May 5. Episodes will air on BBC Three every Sunday and Monday night at 9pm. News Catch Up: Tuesday 23rd April 2024 Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is set to appear before Newry Magistrates Court on Wednesday to face historical sex offence charges. A huge media presence is expected at the courthouse for the first sighting of the former DUP leader since his resignation last month. The Department of Justice has put in place special measures to accommodate journalists with the story securing national and international interest. Donaldson (61) is facing 11 charges: one count of rape, one count of gross indecency and nine counts of indecent assault. The allegations relate to two complainants. There has been speculation that the former DUP leader would apply to appear via video link but no such application was made. It is understood that he will walk into court with his lawyer. His wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson (57), who is charged with aiding and abetting additional offences, is represented by a different legal firm. Both Donaldsons are strenuously contesting the charges. However, it is not expected that they will be asked to enter a plea on Wednesday when their appearance in court will be brief. It will involve the charges against the Donaldsons being confirmed to the court. Newry Courthouse Jeffrey Donaldson is expected to arrive in court around 10am with the charges put to him some time after 10.30am. It is anticipated that the Public Prosecution Service will brief the court on the progress of the cases and request a date for review. The Donaldsons cases are among around 100, including those of dissident republicans, which will be before Newry Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Due to an unprecedented demand, the Department of Justice made additional arrangements for the media inside the court. It is understood that 13 journalists will be allowed into the courtroom with seating to accommodate up to 25 more in an overflow room where proceedings will be screened live. The magistrate may consider imposing reporting restrictions. A heavy security presence is expected outside the court given the high-profile nature of the case. Sources say Jeffrey Donaldsons legal team may apply to have his bail conditions altered so he can live with his wife. As part of his police bail conditions, the Lagan Valley MP is banned from having any contact with his wife, who is employed as his parliamentary secretary. Since being freed, he has been living at an address in the Greenwich area of London, while she has been staying at the family home near Dromore, Co Down. However, it is understood that he may seek to have his bail conditions varied on Wednesday so the couple can resume contact. As Donaldson transfers from police bail to court bail, sources say he wants to resume living with his wife whether in London or at the family home. He married Eleanor Cousins in June 1987. After being knighted in 2016, he said: I am thankful that my wife Eleanor will share in the honour as well. The former DUP leader previously told of buying her tickets for the F1 British Grand Prix as a surprise Christmas present, joking: Im still earning Brownie points for that one. News Catch Up: Tuesday 23rd April 2024 Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Eleanor have appeared in court for the first time. Heres what we know so far. When was Donaldson arrested? Donaldson was arrested along with his wife Eleanor on the morning of Thursday, March 28 when police arrived at their home in Co Down. They were taken to Antrim Police Station where they were questioned separately throughout the day. The pair were later charged that night. What has Donaldson and his wife been charged with? Donaldson has been charged with 11 historical sexual offences, while Eleanor Donaldson has been charged with aiding and abetting rape and indecent assault, as well as two counts of cruelty to a person under that age of 16. The 11 charges facing the former DUP leader are: A single count of rape; A single count of gross indecency; Nine counts of indecent assault. Eleanor and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson at a recent family wedding When did the alleged offences happen? The charges against Jeffrey Donaldson relate to two complainants and are alleged to have occurred between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1991. Eleanor Donaldsons aiding and abetting charges relate to alleged incidents between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1991, as well as a specific count of the charge on January 1, 1985. In relation to the cruelty charges, one is alleged to have occurred between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1991, while the other is alleged to have occurred between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2004. What have the PSNI said? While not naming Donaldson or his wife, a PSNI spokesperson said after the pair were initially charged: Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested and charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offences. A 57-year-old woman was also arrested and charged at the time for aiding and abetting additional offences. Both are due to appear before Newry Magistrates Court on April 24. In a statement on March 30, the PSNI issued a further statement warning about online comments about the case, which may ultimately have a negative impact on a criminal justice process. LucidTalk: Should Donaldson resign as MP and is a United Ireland inevitable? What has the DUPs reaction been? The day after the pair were charged, the DUP named Donaldson as the person in question in a statement. The party chairman has received a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of a historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect, the statement read. In accordance with the party rules, the party officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership, pending the outcome of a judicial process. The party officers have this morning unanimously appointed Mr Gavin Robinson MP as the interim party leader. Interim DUP leader Gavin Robinson described the revelation as devastating. It has caused a tremendous shock, not just for myself personally, or my colleagues within the DUP, but for the community right across Northern Ireland, he said in an interview with the BBC. What has Donaldson said? The Lagan Valley MP did not comment on his arrest, until he appeared in court on Wednesday April 24, however in a letter to DUP party officers he said he would be strenuously contesting the charges against him. It is understood Eleanor Donaldson will also be denying the charges. Why did Northern Irelands Attorney General speak out about the case? Like the PSNI, Northern Irelands Attorney General, Dame Brenda King, also spoke about commentary regarding the case. While not naming Donaldson or his wife, Ms King said: The Attorney advises the public as well as media outlets to think about potential consequences before publishing, posting or sharing commentary, online or otherwise. She also warned the public and media of the risk of contempt of court. Where had Donaldson and his wife been in the time since they were charged until they appeared in court? Bail conditions meant the pair could not have any contact with each other. Donaldson had been residing at a bail address in London, while Eleanor had been at the family home in Co Down. What happened when they first appeared on April 24? Donaldson and his wife Eleanor appeared at Newry Magistrates Court. They sat in the dock, separated by security staff. Both defendants spoke to confirm their names and dates of birth, and that they understood the charges against them. A PSNI officer said he could connect the accused to the charges. An application to vary the bail conditions to allow contact between Mr and Mrs Donaldson was granted by the judge. Crown Prosecution Service counsel said a list of potential witnesses that the accused are prohibited from contacting would be provided to the court, adding that more witnesses have been spoken two since the charges were originally laid. Each defendant was released on their own bail of 350 What happened today? The case had been adjourned until May 22 for mention. Neither defendant were required to appear in court during the brief mention on Wednesday morning. Newry Magistrates Court heard that Donaldson and his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson will be expected to appear at court on July 3 for the preliminary enquiry into the allegations. Environmentalists have hit out after it was revealed that work on Lough Neaghs pollution problems could be stalled because of budget pressures, stating we cant afford to waste any more time. Yesterday, Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir told MLAs of his concerns over the potential financial allocation for his department in the forthcoming Stormont budget. It emerged last week that resource funding bids made by Executive ministers totalled more than three times what is available to Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald. Last summer huge, noxious algal blooms covered Lough Neagh and other waterways in the area, with an expectation that the blue-green sludge will return again this summer. Contributing factors to the issues are believed to include nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser run-off, climate change and the spread of the invasive zebra mussel species. Mr Muir said last month that difficult interventions would be needed to address the problems in the lough, a major source of drinking water. Yesterday he told MLAs: Im very conscious that the budget situation that Northern Ireland faces in terms of potential decisions will involve very difficult choices to be made by all ministers. And Ill not shy away from those decisions myself. Im not someone who is known for that and I am someone who is very keen to ensure that as an Executive, we are successful, and we are able to set a budget. But its important that our budget is a fair budget and is a budget that allows the departments to deliver upon their expectations and duties for the people of Northern Ireland. Mr Muir said his concern regarding the budget is that, in terms of what his department would be able to do, would be potentially doing less, rather than more. That would mean that in terms of any actions associated with Lough Neagh that they will be paused, he admitted. And I dont think that is credible nor acceptable. We need to be able to invest in terms of actions associated with Lough Neagh. Watch: Sam McBride's in-depth look at Lough Neagh's blue-green algae crisis A memo to the Environment Minister from one of their officials in 2020 advised that Derry people could be given bottled water if the toxic Mobuoy dump impacted on the citys drinking water, a Stormont committee has heard. The Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs committee heard the illegal dump is estimated to contain between 1m and 1.6m tonnes of waste. The cost of reversing environmental damage at the illegal dump site at Mobuoy in Derry could range from 17m to 700m, according to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERAs) Annual Report and Accounts. The site, which was shut in 2013, presents serious environmental and economic implications. Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, Daniel McAteer from PCI Consulting said economic impacts would include the clean-up costs and contingent liabilities of not getting it right, and a detrimental impact on foreign direct investment due to Northern Irelands apparent disregard for the environment. Furthermore, it is causing delays to the construction of a section of the A6 road. Drone footage shows how river flowed through putrefying waste at Mobuoy illegal dump Environmental risks include the potential impact on drinking water, with the River Faughan which supplies 60% of Derrys drinking water situated close to the toxic dump. Mr McAteer said there was an astonishing memo to the Minister that plan B was, give people bottled water. He didnt view that as a very persuasive plan B. Reading from a Freedom of Information response, Mr McAteer added: When the Minister asked for an update he was told by one of the officials, the site presents a live and current risk to the safety of drinking water for 50,000 households in the north west, which if realised, may in the worst case scenario require the supply of bottle water to those homes. Mr McAteer continued: "I think its disappointing that in the year 2024, that our response to a catastrophe like this is that well let them have bottle water. I think its a fairly primitive response. It hasnt happened yet, but he said, we believe you dont wait until it happens to fix the problem, it continues to be a live risk. On potential agricultural risks, he said: If I owned that land as a farmer and I wanted to go and try and insure it, I think my insurance premium might be around 1bn for the insurable risk, in fact its not an insurable risk because its an unquantifiable liability. We would know historically in this country, there were some diseases that got into the cattle as a result of this type of activity which almost wiped out our agricultural economy. PCI was asked to find a solution and came up with a world class team of experts and have tried to engage with various agencies since 2015. Unfortunately that engagement hasnt really led to anything productive in fact it hasnt really led to anything at all, he told the meeting. We believe the approach taken from the very start has been misconceived, we also believe that we havent been given a fair opportunity to bring forward our proposals or our solution. He described it as a very serious problem that will not just have consequences for the people in Northern Ireland but for taxpayers throughout the UK. Mr McAteer stated: This is a new way of doing things, and a problem of this magnitude, which has been described as, I quote the biggest single environmental disaster in the history of the UK, for emphasis he repeated, in the history of the UK. We believe that an innovative approach is required here, something new has to happen. Mr McAteer informed MLAs that PCI submitted a comprehensive solution in 2016 which has fallen on deaf ears. He told the committee that a barrier should be installed immediately to protect the citys drinking water and agricultural and fishing interests. It would stop the risk of spillages into the water, further spillages into the water, Mr McAteer said. It would then take a further four or five years to clean-up the site and it would be monitored for around 10 years thereafter. This credible solution has been on the table since 2016, Mr McAteer said. Toxic material would then be moved to a new properly engineered landfill site situated about 13 miles away. As a Derryman and someone trying to take the initiative, he described his experience as utterly disgraceful and believes if it was the private sector they would be out of business by now. He cant put a price on his own remediation work because he said the department has refused to tell us how much waste is on the site. Mr McAteer told the committee he spoke to the Director of Resource Efficiency Division Richard Crowe in a bid to find out why the cost range is so wide and told him Sir Humphrey Appleby would be proud because despite asking 150 questions you havent answered one. DUP MLA Tom Buchanan attempted to press Mr McAteer on why he didnt have his own price, and he responded by saying they havent been given access to the site and have been stonewalled by the department who use ongoing litigation as a reason to withhold information. An NI Water spokesperson said it has contingency plans in place for all of our Water Treatment Works (WTWs). "The contingency plans provide a framework for dealing with and limiting the impact of a total loss of supply from the WTW Treatment Works. NI Waters Water Treatment Works also have interconnectivity to other Water Treatment Works which enables us to transfer drinking water into the supply area to maintain supply to customers, they said. Padraig Cairns of the Save Lough Neagh campaign group hit out at the news. Three months into his tenure and not only has the minister not taken any concrete action on the disaster at Lough Neagh, he is now suggesting that no action will be taken, due to the tired old excuse budgetary limitations, he said. If Mr Muir would treat the situation with the urgency it requires, he and his department would find the money. The minister has control over the budget that he is allocated, it is up to him to choose to prioritise Lough Neagh with those funds. He added: The minister and his department need to take Lough Neagh out of private hands, to establish an independent Environmental Protection Agency, and get to grips with holding the polluters and extractivists accountable for a change. Lough Neagh is already undergoing catastrophic loss of biodiversity. Just because we cant currently see the algae, it doesnt mean that the lough isnt suffering greatly. We cannot afford to waste any more time without addressing this crisis. Queens University professor John Barry, a green political economist, said that while it is deeply worrying that there may not be sufficient funds to carry out the remedial work needed at the lough, there are things within the gift of the department and Mr Muir that they can do. On the one hand, given the extraordinary importance of Lough Neagh in providing 40% of our drinking water, and also its ecological value as the largest freshwater lake on these islands, there may be a case for the minister and the Executive to go to the British and Irish Governments to seek emergency funding, he said. Additionally, the minister could begin dealing with the root causes of the problem, namely the disastrous and unsustainable Going for Growth strategy [for the agri-food sector], which has led to an ecologically unsustainable dependence on beef and dairy production, which has led to the crisis in the lough. Environmental scientist Dr Leslie Gornall said: Other countries have determined the cause of similar problems and found a solution by following the money trail. The people of Northern Ireland and their elected representatives need to become a lot more imaginative and quickly. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has called for the use of NCND to be reviewed (Liam McBurney/PA) PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said he is at odds with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris over the disclosure of some sensitive security force material in Troubles cases. Mr Boutcher told MPs on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee it was poppycock to suggest that a crime could not be investigated because an agent was involved. He also said the iron curtain of the Government using the policy of neither confirm nor deny (NCND) in relation to the identity of state agents was feeding a narrative of collusion and conspiracy. Mr Boutcher was formerly the head of Operation Kenova, which investigated state agents operating within paramilitary groups during the Troubles. Its interim report said the NCND policy should be reviewed. An inquest into the murder of Sean Brown was halted last month (Liam McBurney/PA) Last month, a legacy inquest into the murder of GAA official Sean Brown was halted when a coroner said his ability to examine the death had been compromised by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds. During a hearing it emerged that state agents were among more than 25 people linked by intelligence to the murder of Mr Brown in 1997. The Government has since launched legal action over how the coroner dealt with a Public Interest Immunity (PII) process in the case. SDLP MP Claire Hanna said this was a fairly aggressive approach from London. Mr Boutcher told the committee that he had a background in covert and undercover policing and had dealt with considerable amounts of PII applications. He said he did not believe the totemic approach to the disclosure of sensitive material in Northern Ireland was correct. He said: What it leads to, and it is often driven by lawyers, is a perception in communities in Northern Ireland that there is a cover-up. Mr Boutcher said he was a huge advocate of what the security forces did during the Troubles, but added that where mistakes were made, they should be admitted. He added: We should be open to scrutiny so we can make sure we learn the lessons of that operational activity but also how we have managed agents during that process. By this absolute position of refusing to in any way concede any information, even internally, to legally constituted commissioned investigations, it has fed this narrative of collusion and conspiracy. What I find when Ive looked at all the information is that generally it doesnt prove there was any collusion or conspiracy, it shows that often the security forces did a great job. But, where there is a problem, do not hide it. Mr Boutcher continued: I am taking a view, and legally I have sought very senior counsel advice, and I am at odds here with the Secretary of State, that we can give some information. But we cannot breach NCND where we will give the details of who an agent is, we cant put anybodys life at risk. But by this iron curtain approach, it leads to a lack of trust and confidence towards the security forces and it is unnecessary and the world has moved on from that. Mr Boutcher said he believed he was bringing a new challenge through his approach towards disclosure. He said: By saying you cant investigate a crime any further because there is an agent involved, that is poppycock, that is not right. I think there has been an application of NCND in Northern Ireland which has restricted previous chief constables and investigatorsit is like an anchor that holds us back. All I am asking is for them to be reviewed and recodified in the context of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Nobody who commits murders should be protected by the policy of NCND. I dont think anybody could disagree with that. On Thursday, Taylor Jonas and Kyle O'Driscoll attended their wedding rehearsal at Brookdale Farms in Eureka, Missouri, when an EF1 tornado suddenly swept through, tearing the metal roof of their venue space. According to KMOV, the couple's wedding went as planned on Saturday night due to some last-minute adjustments to Brookdale Farm's event space and some adaptations by the venue. Some of the couple's guests crouched in the bathroom while others ducked under the bar for safety. The newlyweds told the local news outlet they did not know what was happening but knew something wasn't right. "Next thing we knew, the roof was flying off," O'Driscoll told KMOV. Structural engineers visited the scene after the storm to assess the damage, saying, "We went kind of pure chaos." Aside from the roof hole, the wedding location was intact despite the storm severely damaging one of the farm's storage buildings. KMOV reported that James Vavak, the general manager of Brookdale, assured the couple that the venue would do everything in its power to hold the wedding on Saturday, April 20, as scheduled. Vavak said they want to ensure the building is safe to be occupied. However, he noted they also want to make this bride's wedding a reality. He added that the staff had said all week that they are all really vested in this and feel like part of the family. Furthermore, a group of roofers repaired the damage early Friday morning. The Brookdale staff cleared the storm debris from the grounds and prepared tables and decorations for Jonas and O'Driscoll's wedding. O'Driscoll told KMOV of the wild weather event that nothing would stop them. His wife agreed by saying they would have a wedding in a parking lot, a barn, or a tent. A member of the Intensive Care team treats Covid-19 patients at Craigavon Area Hospital in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) Families bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic want truth, answers and accountability when decision-making in Northern Ireland is examined by the UK-wide inquiry, a solicitor has said. Enda McGarrity, who represents the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice (CBFFJ), was commenting ahead of the inquirys hearings in Belfast, which begin next Tuesday and will run for three weeks. The campaign group, which comprises 160 families who lost loved ones, has been designated as a core participant in the proceedings chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett. Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett will spend three weeks examining the decision-making in Northern Ireland (James Manning/PA) Mr McGarrity reiterated the groups concerns that three weeks will be insufficient to explore Stormonts handling of the pandemic, and he said there may yet be a need for a Northern Ireland-specific inquiry. Ahead of next weeks opening sitting, secretary to the inquiry Ben Connah was in Belfast on Tuesday as preparations for the Northern Ireland module intensify. He insisted the experience of the devolved nations was being examined at every stage of the inquiry, but said the forthcoming module in Belfast Module 2C would provide the opportunity to look in depth at the decisions taken in Northern Ireland. Former first minister Baroness Arlene Foster, current first minister Michelle ONeill (who was deputy first minister during the pandemic), and Health Minister Robin Swann are expected to be among those witnesses to give evidence. Enda McGarrity said the hearings marked a pivotal point for the families touched by the pandemic (Liam McBurney/PA) Key figures in Stormonts Department of Health, including Chief Medical Officer Sir Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Ian Young, are also expected to face questions at the inquiry. Mr McGarrity said the hearings marked a pivotal point for the families touched by the pandemic. Its a really significant moment for the bereaved families, notably because the inquiry came about as a result of their campaigning, he said. Since 2020, theyve been calling for an inquiry to investigate the handling of the pandemic. Theyre seeking the truth, and answers and accountability for their loved ones. And, more importantly, as well, theyre looking to learn lessons for the future so that others dont have to experience what they experienced. He said it was vital that the experiences of the families are central to the inquirys work. Ben Connah, secretary to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry at EastSide Partnerships exhibition, Atishoo Atishoo We Dont Fall Down: Pandemics Past and Present, at the Ulster Museum (Liam McBurney/PA) The impact on the bereaved is really instructive in that it really brings to bear how the decisions impacted the general public. And there were countless examples of really tragic stories where people have lost loved ones in care homes, in hospitals, and they really feel that those losses are the result of decisions that have been made from those in power at the time. He added: Theyve been waiting for this for a long time. Its the only time that the inquiry will sit in Belfast. So its a really pivotal point for them, they will have to relive the experience and thats always difficult. But they see it as a very vital step. And thats because they feel that it is the only way that change will happen. In regard to the three-week time allocation, Mr McGarrity said: Time will tell but its a tight timeframe to cover a significant period of time with some very significant decisions. We appreciate that there are some legitimate reasons for why it will be short, but really we would prefer to have had more time to properly ventilate the issues in Northern Ireland. On the issue of whether Northern Ireland needed its own inquiry, Mr McGarrity said a lot would depend on what the UK-wide probe could achieve in the coming three weeks. Well know a lot more after module 2C if they are able to comprehensively cover all Northern Ireland decision-making within three weeks, theyll be doing very well, he said. But well reassess that after module 2C and there may well be a need for a devolved inquiry here in Northern Ireland. On his visit to Belfast, inquiry secretary Mr Connah highlighted the inquirys Every Story Matters online platform for people affected by the pandemic to share their stories. He encouraged people in Northern Ireland to use the site to detail their experiences. The inquiry has already held hearings in England, Scotland and Wales. Mr Connah said it was crucial to examine the situation across all the UK nations. Baroness Arlene Foster, former first minister of Northern Ireland and former leader of the DUP, is expected to be among those to give evidence (Liam McBurney/PA) Its incredibly important that we hear from people right across the UK, we know that Covid affected people differently in different parts of the country, he said. And, of course, in a nation like ours with four different governments making different decisions, its really important that we hear about what decisions were being taken in those four capital cities. Asked if three weeks was sufficient to examine the pandemic in Northern Ireland, he said: Every single one of the chairs investigations during the life of this inquiry is going to look at Northern Ireland, just as it will look at Scotland, Wales and England. But were here in Belfast for three very intensive weeks of hearings, where were really going to get into depth about the core political decisions that were taken from March 2020 through the pandemic, about the restrictions that applied to all the people that live in Northern Ireland, the way that they were changed over time, and the other really important decisions that were taken there. First Minister Michelle ONeill, who was deputy first minister during the pandemic, is among those who had their government devices wiped, resulting in the loss of WhatsApp messages from the time (Oliver McVeigh/PA) At a preliminary hearing in December, it emerged that WhatsApp messages sent by former Stormont ministers during the pandemic have been lost after government-issued electronic devices were wiped. Those included the devices of Lady Foster and Ms ONeill. Asked about the absence of those messages, Mr Connah said: Weve heard a lot of evidence already in Edinburgh, in Cardiff and in London, about different aspects of the way decisions were taken, including the use of WhatsApp. So Im pretty confident that the hearings over the next three weeks will have access to a lot of the evidence that they need. The Covid-19 inquiry hearings will be held in the Clayton Hotel in central Belfast. (L-R) Georgina Copty, who set up the Copty Scholarship and sits on Queens Foundation Board, with director of alumni engagement and philanthropy at Queens Eddie Friel, vice-chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer, Masters student and Copty Scholarship recipient Bilal Zedan and Chris McDowell (QUB/PA) Queens University Belfast has announced a number of measures to support academics and students at risk across the world. The university cover the cost of extending a scholarship for Palestinians from one to four students. The fully paid, one-year Copty postgraduate programme is open to applicants with Palestinian nationality who live in Gaza or the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and belong to a family normally resident there. Bilal Zedan, this years Copty scholarship recipient, is studying towards a masters degree in construction and project management. Queens University in Belfast announced measures to support academics at risk from around the world (Liam McBurney/PA) He said: The Copty scholarship is the cornerstone of my career journey. It has enabled me to fulfil my potential and achieve my career plans. It really has been a life-changing experience. I dreamed for this all of my life to come to the UK and complete a masters degree. The scholarship was set up by Georgina Copty, who grew up in Jerusalem, and her husband Chris McDowell, both former students of Queens To support academics from conflict-affected regions, the university has also partnered with the Council for At Risk Academics (Cara) to create and fund three fellowships per year. These fellowships will run for two years and offer academics at risk around the world an opportunity to come to the university to continue their studies safely. Stephen Wordsworth, executive director at Cara, said: Over the past few years we have seen a very significant rise in the number of academics seeking our support to escape from immediate danger in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere, including of course the Middle East and most recently Gaza. They all need help to get away, with their families, to a safe place where they can continue their work until they can one day go back home to help rebuild. Generous awards like these change lives in some cases, very probably even save lives. We very much look forward to working with Queens to follow up as quickly as possible. Queens University has also announced plans to officially seek University of Sanctuary recognition. Through this process, the university will welcome people seeking sanctuary through facilitated access to higher education and support to local refugee communities. Vice-chancellor of Queens University Belfast Professor Sir Ian Greer welcomed the initiative (Liam McBurney/PA) Queens vice-chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer said: Queens University has a long history of promoting global peace, conflict transformation and reconciliation and that is why, as an academic institution, we are redoubling our efforts through our research and teaching, and through our public and private spaces to promote routes to peace, reconciliation and justice. These are important initiatives but we recognise they address symptoms, not causes. Like millions of people around the world, our university is deeply saddened by the events that have led to the harrowing loss of life in the Middle East, Ukraine and may other war zones, and the distressing and complex nature of such conflicts. Queens Students Union president Beth Elder added: I welcome the universitys commitment to providing safety and showing solidarity to those who are experiencing conflict across the world. It reflects our determination to empower people who live in disadvantaged areas or in conflict zones to secure better lives for themselves, their families and communities. Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie admitted he failed North Down general election candidate Tim Collins, after the retired Army colonel faced criticism for comments he made in an interview. Mr Beattie said the interview was bad adding: It was a wrong interview, what he said was wrong, the manner in what he said was wrong, and we need to address it. The potential extension of the Wild Atlantic Way into Northern Ireland is being considered to attract more tourists to the region. The scenic route currently extends 1,600 miles from Kinsale in Co Cork, along the west coast of Ireland taking in the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare, to the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal. Across the border in Northern Ireland, the Causeway Coastal Route starts in Londonderry and travels around the coastline to Belfast. In a speech to a Tourism NI conference in Belfast on Tuesday, Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy also mooted linking up the Hidden Heartlands in the Republic with Co Fermanagh, as well as Downpatrick and Armagh with Irelands Ancient East. The Giants Causeway on the Co Antrim coastline which forms part of the Causeway Coastal Route (PA) Mr Murphy described tourism as a success story of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and pledged to support its further development. He said Tourism Irelands marketing of the island overseas is critical to further growth, and said that while his departments funding to the body had fallen behind in recent years, it will be properly funded this year. Mr Murphy said that around 70% of overseas holidaymakers who come to Northern Ireland travel from the Republic of Ireland. There are currently no transatlantic routes which fly into any of Northern Irelands airports. He said in a bid to increase this flow of travellers, discussions are currently under way on extending some of the Republics tourism brands into Northern Ireland. This will include consideration of rolling the Wild Atlantic Way into the Causeway Coastal Route, the Hidden Heartlands into Fermanagh, and places such as Downpatrick and Armagh in Irelands Ancient East, he said. Northern Ireland Economy Minister Conor Murphy at Parliament Buildings (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Murphy also said he met officials on Monday to discuss new research on strengthening air connectivity. I will also work with my colleague, Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald, to continue to make the case to the British Government for tourism and hospitality to harmonise the norths rate of VAT with the south. This will level the playing field across the island, he added. Meanwhile Mr Murphy warned huge growth potential in tourism is currently threatened by the Governments Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme. Under this scheme international visitors who want to travel to the north from the south will have to apply for, and pay for, permission to travel, he said. The hassle and cost of this will mean many visitors will simply not travel north. This would have a devastating impact and so I will lobby the British Government to abandon this policy. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood (Oliver McVeigh/PA) SDLP leader Colum Eastwood welcomed the words from Mr Murphy. He said he wrote to the Economy Minister earlier this month to request an assessment of the potential benefit of extending the Wild Atlantic Way to the Causeway Coast following the allocation of 6.5m from the Irish governments Shared Island Unity to link the two brands at the end of 2022. The brand power of the Wild Atlantic Way has been an extraordinary asset for communities along the west coast that are now benefitting to the tune of more than three billion euro (2.5 billion) every year in tourism revenue, he said. There is a huge opportunity to extend and expand the Wild Atlantic Way from Donegal through to the centre of Derry and on to the Causeway Coast. More than 6m has already been provided by the Shared Island Unit to link the two brands but my firm view is that deeper integration will deliver better outcomes for businesses and communities in the North West. I wrote to the Economy Minister this month asking for an assessment of the economic potential of extending the Wild Atlantic Way to Derry and the North West. It makes no sense as far as I can see to terminate such a successful brand at the border when we can maximise the benefit for everyone. We should be seeking to compliment the tourist product in the North West instead of needlessly competing with ourselves. Care home staff were very scared to go to work during the Covid-19 pandemic in case they brought the virus back home with them, an inquiry has heard. Paul Arkison, GMB Scotland senior organiser, told the Scottish Covid-19 inquiry that carers sometimes didnt go home after shifts in order to protect vulnerable family members from the virus. He said it was difficult to recall a care home that wasnt affected by Covid, which he said was exacerbated by the transfer of untested patients from hospitals to care homes early on in the pandemic, and the widespread use of agency care staff who worked in multiple care homes. Increasing numbers of agency staff were needed, the inquiry heard, due to the number of care staff falling ill or having to shield or self-isolate during the pandemic, on top of an existing recruitment crisis in the sector. Stuart Gale KC, co-lead counsel to the inquiry, read out part of Mr Arkisons written statement to the inquiry: (I) remember speaking to members who would be phoning us to say that they were very scared going to work, knowing that they would be returning home and potentially taking the virus back home with them. This was a very profound moment for us, and its one of the things that I will always remember. Mr Arkison replied: The reality was carers have their own families and their own issues as well. And I do remember some carers, when they got time off or days off, they actually wouldnt go home. They would actually stay on-site to minimise the risk for their family. He added that the physical and emotional strain on carers during the pandemic had been enormous. This was echoed in evidence given by Rozanne Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), who described a burnout pandemic among experienced care staff, who had left the profession following following what had been a traumatic experience during the outbreak. She told the inquiry funding cuts and changes to migration rules had left the care sector under-staffed and under-resourced going into the pandemic, resulting in a perfect storm when it hit. As a result, she said, the care sector went into the pandemic without a plan for dealing with it and with insufficient PPE, something that she said amounted to a failure by government to protect frontline staff. She told the inquiry: Too many workers across our health and social care sectors were placed at really high levels of risk and it needs to be understood and investigated by this inquiry that a lot of those risks could have been avoided if proper planning, PPE and guidance had been in place. She pointed to research showing that that health and social care workers were four times more likely to contract the virus than the average worker, and that they were on average more likely to die of the illness than workers in other sectors. These workers placed themselves in some cases in lethal danger in service to their communities. We feel that action needs to be taken now to make sure that those that are facing long Covid and those that have passed away as a result of their exposure to Covid are receiving meaningful state support. She added that the sector remained undervalued, saying: You can go and get a job in supermarket and earn more money than you can doing the highly skilled work involved in being a social care worker. STUC deputy general secretary Dave Moxham told the inquiry that many care staff went to work despite falling ill with Covid-19 because they simply could not afford not to. Some of it might have been down to the the undoubted dedication of health and social care workers, in this case probably misplaced, but largely speaking it was economic. People simply couldnt afford not to go into their work. We heard that frequently. It was sometimes really, really quite distressing to have to tell people that our absolute advice was that they shouldnt go into work when we knew that was causing them enormous concerns in terms of their income, he said. The inquiry also heard evidence from John Cairney, chair of the Prison Officers Association Scotland (POAS), who explained that it had not been possible for prison staff to follow national guidance due to the nature of their work, and the physical layout of older prisons. He said: There were times when our membership were having to go in and perform control and restraint to take prisoners under control. So were being told: Stay away two metres, wear a mask, walk one way in a supermarket, to: You dont need a mask and youre going to have to restrain a prisoner whos having discipline issues. So it was just so unreal what we were actually being asked to carry out. He said prison officers had been frustrated by seeing national guidance around social distancing and wearing masks, when that protection didnt exist when they came to work. The inquiry is ongoing. The convoy will take a week to reach Ukraine (Edward Matthews/PA) The largest number of fire and rescue vehicles to date will deliver emergency firefighting aid to services in Ukraine next week. A convoy including 20 fire engines will leave Kent on Tuesday and carry more than 2,800 pieces of equipment such as ladders, boats and breathing kits to the war-torn country. The equipment has been donated by a partnership of 15 fire and rescue services (FRSs) from England and Wales. More than 100 volunteers from the FRSs and organisation FIRE AID are taking part in the convoy, which has been sponsored by the Home Office. Home Office minister Chris Philp met some of the convoys volunteers (Edward Matthews/PA) It is hoped the donations will provide a much-needed boost to Ukraines local fire services, which have seen nearly 400 fire stations destroyed and 91 firefighters killed since the war began, according to latest Home Office figures. In total, 33 fire and rescue vehicles will form the convoy including two mechanics vehicles and one aerial ladder platform, which disperses water onto buildings from above. Road traffic collision equipment, fire and water PPE and safe working at height kits are among the other pieces of equipment being sent. Home Office minister Chris Philp said: Putins barbaric invasion of Ukraine has taken a toll on the brave people of Ukraines fire and rescue services, who have not just seen their equipment and buildings decimated, but (it has) also led to the loss of many heroic firefighters lives. We are now in the third year of this senseless conflict and todays donation shows our determination to support the people of Ukraine remains as strong as ever. Every western country must do everything they possibly can big and small to help Ukraine defeat Russias invasion. We cannot allow aggression to win. Six previous road convoys and a rail shipment have been made to Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. Mark Hardingham, chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said: We have witnessed the sheer strength and resilience of Ukrainian firefighters since the day the war began. With the war continuing and the task before them increasingly challenging, the UK and international firefighter community will continue to provide support however we can. The efforts to bring this equipment together, and get it to where its needed most, demonstrates the very best of UK fire and rescue services. David ONeill, chair of FIRE AID, said firefighters were being increasingly targeted in Ukraine, with three recently killed during an air strike. He added: The impact that our donations are already having in Ukraine is clear, but it provides more than physical protection for firefighters; it shows they are not alone and gives them hope and courage to continue risking their own lives to save others. Senior figures from the United Nations and the Council of Europe have condemned Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda after Parliament passed legislation to give the scheme the green light. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, which aims to deter migrants from seeking to cross the English Channel, passed in the early hours of Tuesday after disagreements resulted in a lengthy ping-pong between the two Houses. Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, called on Mr Sunak to reconsider the plan, which he said sets a worrying global precedent. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Grandi said the arrangement with Rwanda seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermining international co-operation, and that the legislation marks a breach of the Refugee Convention. Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said it seriously hinders the rule of law in the UK and sets a perilous precedent globally. The move reduces the ability of the UKs courts to scrutinise removal decisions, restricts access to legal remedies in the UK and limits human rights protections for a specific group of people internationally and domestically, Mr Turk said. It is critical to the protection of the human rights and dignity of refugees and migrants seeking protection that all removals from the UK are carried out after assessing their specific individual circumstances in strict compliance with international human rights and refugee law. Council of Europe human rights commissioner Michael OFlaherty urged the UK not to remove refugees under the policy and said the adoption of the Rwanda Bill raises major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law more generally. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr OFlaherty said he was concerned that the Bill enables a policy of removing people to Rwanda without UK authorities assessing their asylum claims in most cases. He also called on the Government to reverse the Bills effective infringement of judicial independence. The Supreme Court ruled in November last year that the Rwanda policy was unlawful, saying there was a real risk that genuine refugees could be sent back to their country of origin and face ill treatment. The legislation overrides this ruling and declares Rwanda a safe country. The European Court of Human Rights, an institution of the Council of Europe, blocked deportation flights to Rwanda in 2022. Mr Sunak has insisted he will not let this happen again. Downing Street rejected the criticism. We have said repeatedly that we believe that, yes, this is some of the toughest legislation ever enacted, but it is also compliant with our international obligations, a No 10 spokeswoman said. Asked if the Council of Europes criticism could prejudice any European Court of Human Rights cases, the spokeswoman said: The Prime Minister has spoken many times about the compliance of the legislation, that it addresses the issues that were raised by the Supreme Court. And hes also spoken many times about the importance of putting this in place and is always happy to restate that. Preparations for the first flights to Rwanda are due to begin within days, with asylum seekers who could be relocated being identified and potentially detained. Charter planes are expected to leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, with Mr Sunak promising multiple flights a month, although ministers conceded numbers being sent to Kigali will be small at first. Some 290 million has already been committed to the Rwanda scheme, with a further 100 million earmarked over the next two years. The suspect is accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service (Hannes P Albert/dpa via AP) A man who works for a German lawmaker in the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, prosecutors have said. The suspect, identified only as Jian G in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on Monday in Dresden, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said he had worked for a German lawmaker in the European Unions legislature since 2019. Maximilian Krah, of the far-right Alternative for Germany, said he found out about the arrest from the press (Jean-Francois Badias/AP) Prosecutors did not identify the lawmaker, but Maximilian Krah of the far-right Alternative for Germany, who is his partys top candidate in the European Parliament election in June, said in a statement that he had found out about the arrest of employee Jian G from the press on Tuesday. I do not have further information, Mr Krah said. He added that spying activity for a foreign state is a serious allegation which, if proven, would lead to the employees immediate dismissal. Jian G, a German national, is accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament in January. Prosecutors also allege that he spied on Chinese dissidents in Germany. German interior minister Nancy Faeser said the spying allegations were extremely serious. If it is confirmed that there was spying for Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, then that is an attack from inside on European democracy, Ms Faeser said in a statement. Anyone who employs such a staff member also carries responsibility, she added. This case must be cleared up precisely all the connections and background must be illuminated. News of the arrest came a day after three Germans suspected of spying for China and arranging to transfer information on technology with potential military uses were arrested in a separate case. German chancellor Olaf Scholz, second right, met Chinese president Xi Jinping, second left, in Beijing last week (Ding Haitao/Xinhua via AP) Also on Monday, prosecutors in the UK said a former researcher working in Parliament and another man had been charged with spying for China. Asked in Beijing about the latest arrest in Germany, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the recent reports in Europe about Chinese spying are all hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China. Beijing urged the relevant parties to stop spreading disinformation about Chinas spy threat and stop political manipulation and malicious smears against China, he added. A week ago, German chancellor Olaf Scholz met Chinas top leaders in Beijing at the end of a three-day trip to the country. In a strategy for relations with China released last year, the German government pointed to a systemic rivalry with the Asian power and a need to reduce risks of economic dependency, but highlighted its desire to work with Beijing on challenges such as climate change and to maintain strong trade ties. That document pledged decisive action to counter Chinese espionage activities. On Monday, the US Supreme Court justices appeared to be sharply divided about whether to give communities additional authority to prohibit homeless encampments on sidewalks and other public spaces. Three of the judges said they were wary about granting cities unrestricted authority to use arrests and fines to punish homeless people who are sleeping outside. Judge Elena Kagan said that sleeping is a biological necessity. She told a lawyer representing the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, that it seems like they are criminalizing homelessness. However, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and other conservatives disagreed that homelessness merits constitutional protection. Roberts said people can be homeless for one week and find shelter the following week. He added that people can move into and out of that status. He was also questioned why justices or judges should decide how to address homelessness rather than city officials. Furthermore, he asked one attorney, "Why would you think these nine people are the best to judge and weigh those policy judgments?" The justices and attorneys debated for more than two hours on whether homeless people should be protected from city laws that may penalize them for not having a place to sleep. Los Angeles-based attorney Theane Evangelis, representing the Oregon city, claimed that 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rulings that found it unconstitutional for cities to impose fines or other penalties on homeless people who sleep outside were to blame for the worsening of the homelessness crisis in the West. No other appellate court in the country has adopted a similar stance. Evangelis said that cities should have the authority to impose laws restricting where people can camp and sleep, and she urged the justices to end the 9th Circuit's failed experiment. Homeless advocates expressed concern that if Grants Pass were upheld, local governments would be able to criminalize impoverished people sleeping outside. The judges will vote on the case's resolution at their closed-door meeting on Thursday. A ruling is expected to be made by the end of June. A Russian missile struck the 250-metre-high structure, breaking it roughly in half and halting transmissions (Andrii Marienko/AP) Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian missile strike that smashed a television tower in Kharkiv was part of the Kremlins ongoing effort to intimidate Ukraines second-largest city, which has come under increasingly frequent attack in recent weeks . The strike sought to make the terror visible to the whole city and to try to limit Kharkivs connection and access to information, Mr Zelensky said in a Monday evening address. The northeastern Kharkiv region straddles the approximately 600-mile (1,000km) front line where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked in battle for more than two years since Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike sought to limit Kharkivs connection and access to information (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP) The front line has changed little during a war of attrition, focused mostly on artillery, drones and trenches. Since late March, Russia has stepped up the pressure on Kharkiv, apparently aiming to exploit Ukraines shortage of air defence systems. It has pounded the local power grid and hit apartment blocks. On Monday, a Russian Kh-59 missile struck Kharkivs 250-metre-high (820ft) TV tower, breaking it roughly in half and halting transmissions. A Washington think tank said Russia may be eyeing a ground assault on Kharkiv. 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 Kremlin is conducting a concerted air and information operation to destroy Kharkiv city, convince Ukrainians to flee, and internally displace millions of Ukrainians ahead of a possible future Russian offensive operation against the city or elsewhere in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in an assessment. The expected arrival in Ukraine in coming weeks of new military aid from its western partners had possibly prompted Russia to escalate its attacks before the help arrived, the ISW said, adding that trying to capture Kharkiv would be a significant challenge for the Kremlins forces. Instead, the Russian military command may attempt to destroy Kharkiv city with air, missile, and drone strikes and prompt a large-scale internal displacement of Ukrainian civilians, it said. The US Senate was returning to Washington on Tuesday to vote on 61 billion US dollars (50 billion) in war aid to Ukraine after months of delays. Mr Zelensky said US president Joe Biden assured him the aid would include long-range and artillery capabilities. The television tower was broken roughly in half after it was hit by a Russian Kh-59 missile (Andrii Marienko/AP) Four priorities are key: defence of the sky, modern artillery, long-range capacity, and to ensure that packages of American aid arrive as soon as possible, Mr Zelensky said. Also on Tuesday, Britain pledged 500 million in new military supplies for Ukraine, including 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 munitions and four million rounds of ammunition. The shipment would also include British Storm Shadow long-range missiles, which have a range of about 150 miles (240km) and have proven effective at hitting Russian targets, the British Government said. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with Mr Zelensky on Tuesday morning to confirm the new assistance. He was due to announce the aid later on Tuesday during a visit to Warsaw where he was meeting with Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with Mr Zelensky ahead of his visit to Warsaw (Henry Nicholls/PA) Meanwhile, in less positive news, European Union countries with Patriot air defence systems gave no clear sign on Monday that they might be willing to send them to Ukraine, which is desperately seeking at least seven of the missile batteries. Ukraines army is also heavily outnumbered in the fight, and expanding the countrys mobilisation has been a delicate issue. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba signalled on Tuesday that authorities planned to clamp down on young men of conscription age who had moved abroad, with details of the specific measures to be made public soon. Staying abroad does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the homeland, Mr Kuleba said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Joko Widodo won the presidency twice with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), but this year backed another partys candidate for president. PDIP founder and ex-President Megawati Sukarnoputri (left), Indonesias President Joko Widodo (second from left), then-presidential candidate of the PDIP, Ganjar Pranowo (right), and Vice President Maruf Amin, attend an event to celebrate the nations founder, Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, June 24, 2023. Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his eldest son no longer are members of the ruling party because of their support for an opposition candidate who won this years presidential election, a senior party official said Tuesday. Jokowi, who won the presidency twice with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), was seen as having backed the oppositions Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka the presidents eldest son instead of his partys nominee, the official said. The president, however, never formally endorsed or expressed his support for any candidate in the February polls. They are no longer members because they decided to be on the opposing side, PDIP official Komarudin Watubun told BenarNews. When BenarNews asked Komarudin whether the party had expelled Jokowi and his son he ignored the question, but he told the Reuters news agency that the two had not been expelled. They had stopped being PDIP members when they decided not to endorse party candidate Ganjar Pranowo for president, Reuters quoted Komarudin as saying. BenarNews also contacted Ari Dwipayana, coordinator of the Presidents Special Staff, for comment from Jokowi, but did not hear back. Its okay, said Gibran, the presidents son and vice president-elect, when journalists asked him to comment on Komarudins statement that he was no longer a PDIP member, CNN Indonesia reported. Jokowi, who joined the PDIP in 2004, used the party as a vehicle to contest in the Surakarta (Solo) mayoral election, which he won twice. Subsequently he won the Jakarta gubernatorial election and then two consecutive presidential elections terms the maximum allowed under the constitution with the same party. Gibran followed his fathers path. He became mayor of Surakarta in 2020, backed by the PDIP, which he joined a year earlier. Jokowi-Megawati rift However, ties have been strained now for more than a year between the chairwoman and founder of PDIP, Megawati Sukarnoputri, also a former president, and Jokowi. The two were once close she allowed him to run for president in the 2014 election. Some analysts said the two differed over who should get the partys nod for the 2024 presidential race. Others said they grew apart after supporters began to press Jokowi to endorse a successor who could continue his policies and programs. Local media also reported through last year that, according to party insiders, Megawati didnt take kindly to alleged signs that Jokowi was attempting to build a political dynasty. Still, the two sides denied any distance between them. By October no formal acknowledgement or denial of a rift was required as things couldnt have become more clear. Prabowo, currently defense minister, picked Gibran as his running mate, just a week after a Constitutional Court ruling paved the way for the 36-year-old Widodo scion to be able to contest for the post of vice president. A former general. Prabowo, leader of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party, may have figured he would benefit from even an indirect association with Jokowi, who back then enjoyed a popularity rating of 76%. Presidents are not allowed to declare support for any candidates but few believed that Jokowi didnt tacitly support the Prabowo-Gibran ticket. The Feb. 14 polls saw Prabowo receive 58.61% of the vote. He had failed twice before to win the presidency, losing to Jokowi 2014 and 2019. He outpaced, by a wide margin, former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan, who received 24.9%, and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar, who received 16.5%. A vendor sells pictures of Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto (top center) and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka (top right) at his kiosk in Jakarta, April 23, 2024. [Bay Ismoyo/AFP] The February election was the worst since the country transitioned to democracy, two watchdog groups said later that month, citing issues ranging from campaign finance to electoral fraud. The two groups, Indonesia Corruption Watch and KontraS, a human rights group, accused the outgoing Jokowi of meddling in presidential and legislative elections and showing favoritism toward the winning ticket. Earlier this week, on Monday, Indonesias Constitutional Court threw out two complaints challenging the result of the Feb. 14 presidential election, lifting the final hurdle for Prabowo to take over leadership of the 270 million population country in October. The PDIPs decision to no longer recognize Jokowi as a party member was the right step, said Dedi Kurnia Syah, executive director of Indonesia Political Opinion, a Jakarta-based group that monitors and surveys mass sentiment. At least it can strengthen PDIPs position, so the party will be only filled with pure party members, Dedi told BenarNews. Additionally, Jokowis absence from the party would not affect it, because it had a strong infrastructure and loyal members, said Hendri Satrio, political analyst at Paramadina University. Jokowi has been able to become big all this time because of PDIP, while the party existed long before him, he told BenarNews. Officials including Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Royal Malaysian Navy officers examine the wreckage of an AgustaWestland 139 helicopter after it crashed following a mid-air collision with another navy helicopter, at a stadium at the Lumut Naval Base in Perak, Malaysia, April 23, 2024. The Malaysian Navy will set up a panel to investigate what caused two of its helicopters to collide and crash during an aerial rehearsal on Tuesday in Perak state, killing all 10 service members aboard, the nations defense chief said. A video circulating on social media showed the helicopters an AgustaWestland (AW) and a Fennec colliding mid-air near the Lumut Naval Base before they crashed during a practice flight on Tuesday morning for the military branchs 90th anniversary celebration. The event, which was scheduled for the coming weekend, was canceled in light of the disaster. The Royal Malaysian Navy will establish an investigation board, supported by the air force and the Directorate General Technical Airworthiness, to help identify the cause of the crash, Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin told reporters at the naval base on Tuesday evening. We will also cancel the [entire] ceremony and replace it with prayer ceremonies on the wishes of Selangor state Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is the navys captain-in-chief, he said. The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department in Perak had received an emergency call about the crash at 9:50 a.m. A 21-second video clip of the crash went viral on social media. The helicopters were among seven taking part in the rehearsal, Khaled said, adding that Tuesday mornings aerial rehearsal was the third. One of the helicopters plunged into a swimming pool while the other crashed at a stadium within the military compound. Khaled said three servicewomen were among the 10 killed. The victims had been based in Lumut and Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, a Malaysian state on Borneo island. We will assist the victims families in terms of donation, burial and the families will decide where the bodies are to be buried, he said. An earlier navy statement said a crew of three was on the Fennec helicopter while the others were on the AW-139 helicopter. The wreckage of the AgustaWestland139 helicopter is seen at the Lumut Naval Base in Perak, Malaysia, April 23, 2024. [S. Mahfuz/BenarNews] King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar delivered a message to the victims families. Condolences to those who have left us forever. May they be placed among the believers and also the martyrs. I also want the Malaysian armed forces to conduct a thorough investigation to obtain full information about this incident, he said. Abdul Manan Mansor, president of the Malaysian Pilots Association, raised concerns about the crash. [With] selected competent pilots, heavy pre-flight briefing, and a good ground controller, [it is avoidable], he told BenarNews. The incident occurred due to the pilots lacking a proper understanding of what the helicopter fly-over formation should do. Last month, all aboard a Malaysian coast guard helicopter were rescued after it crashed into the Strait of Malacca. In 2023, a politician and nine others were killed when a private jet veered off course and crashed onto a highway on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. The Pacific nations foreign minister says he hopes the White House can put the record straight. U.S. President Joe Biden visits the Veterans War Memorial in Scranton, Pennsylvania, before departing for Pittsburgh, on April 17, 2024. Biden is traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to meet with steelworkers. Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko said Tuesday that relations with the U.S. have hit a low point after President Joe Biden claimed his uncle was eaten in the Pacific nation by cannibals during World War II. Headlines about Bidens gaffe at a Pennsylvania war memorial last week went viral in Papua New Guinea and were widely mocked on social media. Prime Minister James Marape in a statement Sunday said the presidents comments may have been a slip of the tongue, however my country does not deserve to be labeled as such. His foreign minister on Tuesday went a step further calling for the record to be set straight. These apparent untrue remarks by the sitting president [are] a low point in our relations, Tkatchenko said in a statement, adding the comments were not supported by official documents. Tkatchenko said records showed that Bidens uncle was on a flight from Momote to Lae, over the Bismarck Sea, but never made it to his destination. PNG hopes that the White House can correct this remark which has the potential to hurt our cordial relations, he said. Biden twice last week suggested without evidence his uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, was eaten by cannibals after being shot down during a reconnaissance flight in a single-engine U.S. Air Force plane over Papua New Guinea. He got shot down in New Guinea, and they never found the body because there used to be there were a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea, Biden said on April 17. U.S. defense records contradict Bidens story and state Finnegan was a passenger in a plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. The diplomatic incident began to unfold as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Papua New Guinea at the weekend and signed several agreements between the two countries, including a feasibility study for a free-trade deal. China and the U.S. are currently engaged in a regional battle for influence and Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific island country, is one of their main theaters. The U.S. embassy in Port Moresby issued a press release Tuesday without directly addressing the cannibal remarks. President Biden highlighted his uncles story as he made the case for honoring our sacred commitment to equip those we send to war, the embassy said. The U.S. respects the people and culture of Papua New Guinea and remains committed to furthering respectful relations. Cannibalism in Papua New Guinea was rare by the 1960s after being banned by Australia the colonial power the previous decade. It was largely a ritualistic practice. The Pacific island country was invaded by Japan in 1942 and some of its soldiers committed acts of cannibalism on prisoners of war after their supply lines were cut off, according to Japanese army documents seized by Australian troops and analyzed by academics. The Tokyo War Crimes trials, which took place between May 1946 to November 1948, found there was not enough evidence to charge any Japanese for cannibalism, but Australian military trials in New Guinea after the war convicted soldiers for the crime and issued death penalties. This week Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Papua New Guinea and will walk with Marape along sections of the Kokoda Track, an infamous battlefield where more than 10,000 U.S., Australian and Japanese soldiers died, as well as an unknown number of Papuans. At a state dinner in Port Moresby Monday, Albanese said his counterpart had assured him Australia remains Papua New Guineas security partner of choice This is a relationship that has never been closer, as symbolized by the fact that well be walking side-by-side down the Kokoda Track, Albanese said. We want the Pacific family to look after security in this region. The highly symbolic visit to the mythologized campaign site by Albanese comes ahead of Anzac Day commemorations on Thursday, which remember Australians and New Zealanders that served and died during wars. Stefan Armbruster contributed to this report from Brisbane. Seven soldiers were also wounded in a gunbattle with Islamic fighters in the southern province of Maguindanao del Sur. Fighters from the Moro Islamic Liberation Fronts (MILF) 118th base Command are seen in the outskirts of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao, southern Philippines on April 3, 2024. On April 22, at least 12 suspected Islamic militants belonging to a MILF splinter group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), died in a clash with soldiers. A dozen suspected Filipino militants including a key rebel commander were killed in a clash with the military in the south of the Philippines, authorities said Tuesday. Seven soldiers were also injured in Mondays gunbattle that occurred in the village of Kitango in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, Maguindanao del Sur province, said Brig. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, the commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team. The military said the rebels were members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was once the largest Philippine militant organization. In 2014, MILF signed a peace deal with Manila in exchange for an autonomous Muslim region in the country's south. Cagara said soldiers had killed Mohiden Animbang, also known as commander Karialan, as well as his brother Saga Animbang, the groups operation chief, and 10 other militants. The BIFF fighters were completely annihilated using modern military warfare equipment, he said, adding a dozen high-powered assault rifles, including M14s and M16s, had been seized. Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, a regional military chief, said the BIFF fighters had been urged to surrender peacefully, but they had refused. Erasing the BIFF Karialan faction was a tremendous success in the battle against terrorist groups in the region, he said. Authorities estimate the BIFF has only a few hundred members and is concentrated mainly in central Mindanao, a Muslim island in the predominantly Catholic Philippines. Two BIFF factions, led by Ismail Abubakar and Abu Turaife, have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, the military and security analysts say. Karialans faction was more concerned with fighting for a self-governing Muslim homeland in the south, according to experts. The BIFF backed the seizure of Marawi in 2017 by militants linked to the Islamic State, but held off from sending its own fighters there. At least 1,200 militants, soldiers, policemen and civilians died in the five-month siege and a huge portion of the lakeshore city remains uninhabitable to this day. In 2019, the BIFF was blamed for a series of bomb attacks in the south, including on a market and at a restaurant in the town of Isulan that injured eight and 18 people, respectively. Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales contributed to this report from Manila and Roel Pareno from Zamboanga City. The Bagong Bayan fishing village is nestled in a coconut orchard next to the clear waters of a small lagoon. Fishing boats are moored deck-to-deck, and the village seems ghostly quiet in the midday heat not the noisy, chaotic scene of the past when fishermen would return from the sea with their daily catch. Bagong Bayan is in the province of Palawan, the Philippines westernmost island. It is about a two-hour drive from the provincial capital, Puerto Princesa, which in turn is an hour-and-a-half by plane from Manila. From here, fishermen used to set out far into the sea, including to the Second Thomas Shoal, 105 nautical miles (194.4 km) to the west, an area rich in marine resources. But fewer boats are going out these days because of the heavy presence of Chinese ships. The ships are believed by the Philippine Coast Guard to be maritime militia, a special force that along with the Chinese navy and the coast guard patrols the disputed waters. They have turned the area into a dangerous flashpoint in an ongoing confrontation between the Philippines and China over who controls the South China Sea, which also is thought to hold vast mineral and oil resources. In the last decade the Chinese presence has increased measurably, including Chinese maritime militia, coast guard and Chinese navy, said Maurice Phillip MP Albayda, a councilor at the municipality of Kalayaan, an island chain that is part of the Palawan province. At the same time, the number of Filipino boats has decreased, because of the fear that theyre going to get bullied or intimidated by Chinese vessels. Fewer Filipino fishing boats are heading to the fishing grounds due to fears they will be harassed by Chinese vessels. says Maurice Phillip MP Albayda, a councilor at the municipality of Kalayaan. [RFA] This has led to a reduced catch and shrinking fishing grounds for villages like Bagong Bayan and broader geopolitical questions for the country. The Philippines depends on its maritime, blue economy. The province of Palawans economy depends on fishermen, Albayda said. More than that, it also affects our national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The vast stretch of ocean, dotted with hundreds of islands, is geographically strategic for East and West alike. China claims historical rights over almost the entire South China Sea. Since 2012, it has expanded its military footprint on reefs and atolls based on a 1930s-vintage U-shaped map the so-called nine-dash line that bulges out into the sea to delineate its territorial claims. For the U.S and the nations that touch its waters, the South China Sea is a crucial passage for commercial and military traffic. One-third of international shipping and trade travels through the sea, according to the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development. This week, the Philippines and the United States began their annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercise in Palawan and Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines archipelago. With about 16,700 troops, the exercise this year is the most expansive Balikatan to date, according to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Beijing has thus far refrained from using lethal force to assert its claims, but some fear that confrontations that are now a regular occurrence could escalate. On March 23, the Chinese coast guard fired a water cannon at a Filipino supply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal, seriously damaging it and injuring three people on board. The incident caused an outcry of anger among the Philippine public. Hottest flashpoint Known as Ayungin in the Philippines, the submerged Second Thomas Shoal is closely watched in part because of its proximity to another disputed point in the sea. Twenty-two nautical miles (40km) farther west lies Mischief Reef, an artificial island where China built a naval base in the 1990s. Palawan fishermen have in the past fished the area, but no longer as it is now fully militarized with missiles and a runway. Although China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan all claim ownership over the Second Thomas Shoal, Manila in 1999 deliberately ran aground an old warship there to assert its claim over the area. The dilapidated Philippine navy ship Sierra Madre sits in the shallow waters of Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 30, 2014. [Bullit Marquez/AP] Built as a landing ship for the U.S. Navy during World War II, the BRP Sierra Madre now is home to about a dozen Filipino troops who serve as a deterrent to what Manila sees as further encroachments. For a long time, Beijing turned a blind eye to the Philippines efforts to resupply and rotate troops at the Second Thomas Shoal. There was an expectation that the BRP Sierra Madre would disintegrate quickly in the hot and humid weather and the conflict potentially with it. In recent months, however, Chinese vessels have blocked attempts to deliver supplies to the sailors, believing that the Philippine navy was bringing construction materials to reinforce the ship and permanently occupy the shoal. Beijing says the activity violates an agreement it had with the administration of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. If the Philippines repeatedly challenges Chinas bottom line, China will continue to take firm and decisive measures to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Chinas Ministry of National Defense said in a statement to the press. Manila has said it is committed to maintaining its position at the shoal, which lies in the West Philippine Sea, the name it gives to South China Sea waters within its exclusive economic zone. LT-57 (BRP Sierra Madre) is a commissioned vessel of the Philippine Navy; it is an extension of our national territory in as much as flying a Philippine flag, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told BenarNews in an interview. It is our responsibility to ensure that the ship is safe, comfortable and habitable for our troops deployed there, he said. The Philippine Navy ship BRP Davao del Sur rests at the dock in Puerto Princesa port, Feb. 29, 2024. [RFA] In an address to a security forum this month, Adm. John Aquilino, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, called Chinas actions dangerous and destabilizing. Jonathan Malaya, the Philippine National Security Councils assistant director general, told BenarNews that he didnt think the dispute would disintegrate into armed conflict. China also understands that it is not to the benefit of China, he said, pointing to the military expenditure and the damage to Chinas public image. However, the proximity to the Chinese naval base on Mischief Reef makes an armed conflict a real possibility. The escalating tension also poses a potential test for Philippine allies including the United States, raising the stakes of the South China Sea disputes beyond the interests of local fishing villages or even the country as a whole. Manila and Washington signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951 under which both parties are obliged to support each other in the event of an armed attack. Kalayaan Councilor MP Albayda said expectations of security assistance from the United States among the Philippine public are high. The U.S. and the Philippines have been partners and our partnerships help us to grow, he said. Id like to believe that the U.S. is truthful to it. The Philippines under Marcos is also fostering closer relationships with other partners such as Australia, Japan, India and European countries. On April 7, Japan and Australia joined the Philippines and the United States in a joint naval exercise in the waters off Palawan, and leaders from the U.S., the Philippines and Japan recently held their first-ever security summit in Washington, where the South China Sea was a particular focus. Fishermens struggle Several weeks before the April 7 exercise, the strategic sealift ship BRP Davao del Sur was spotted docking at port of the Puerto Princesa province, its gray hull imposing against white civilian boats. This modern landing platform dock of the Philippine Navy can carry up to 500 fully armed marines with their vehicles and equipment, as well as three 12-ton helicopters, and has been taking part in multinational naval drills. Filipino fishermen go about their business in Bagong Bayan, Feb. 29, 2024. [RFA] But the task of safeguarding Palawan fishermen is being handled by the Philippine Coast Guard, which with just 25 main patrol ships is dwarfed by the China Coast Guard the worlds largest force with 225 ships above 500 tons. When Chinese boats bully our people at Reed Bank, we report them immediately, Rollie Magbanua, who is the head of the Bagong Bayan government, said, referring to an area 80 nautical miles (128km) west of Palawan and a traditional fishing ground of local fishermen. But he isnt always sure what Manila is doing about the complaints. In 2019, a Filipino fishing boat anchored at the bank sank after it was rammed by a Chinese ship. China called the collision an accident, and then-President Rodrigo Duterte allowed Chinese ships to continue operating there. Now, the Marcos administration is building a coast guard post in the Bagong Bayan village, but it isnt clear when it will be operational or what its intended capabilities will be. BenarNews has contacted the coast guard but has not received any reply. Earlier this month, hundreds of Filipinos took to the streets in Manila to rally against Chinas aggression in the South China Sea. They demanded that the Chinese government move out of the West Philippine Sea, recognize the 2016 international arbitration ruling and stop the harassment of Filipino fisherfolk and Philippine resupply missions. The protest marks a growing level of frustration among the Philippine population and local politicians. It is the Philippine governments responsibility to pursue a pro-Filipino foreign policy that protects the life and livelihood of every citizen, MP Albayda said. As Passover began Monday night (Apr. 22), Jewish students of Columbia University have been divided about how to celebrate Seder, the ritual meal of the holiday. The New York Times reported that while some Jewish students would celebrate the Seder meal in more traditional settings, pro-Palestinian Jews commemorated the biblical story of Moses and the Hebrew people's flight from Egypt at the picket lines, and for those at Columbia, at the makeshift encampment inside the campus. About 100 students and faculty - some clad in Palestinian kaffiyehs and others with Jewish skullcaps - gathered in a circle around a blue tarpaulin heaped with boxes of matzo and food they had prepared in a kosher kitchen. They distributed handmade Haggadah prayer books for the Passover holiday and read prayers in Hebrew, keeping to the traditional order. What made the Seder table in the Columbia encampment different from other Seder tables was the addition of the watermelon on the Seder plate to represent the flag of Palestine. There were also repeated references to the suffering of the Palestinian people and the need to ensure their liberation. In lieu of wine, which is forbidden in the alcohol-free encampment, grape juice was used for the ceremony. Other pro-Palestinian encampments and protests across the United States - particularly in Ivy League schools - also have similar scenes, including the arrest of some protest organizers and anti-Zionist Jewish students. At Columbia, roughly 15 of the students who have been suspended for their involvement in the encampment were Jewish, organizers said. As a result of the encampment, Columbia decided that, technology permitting, its main campus would be in hybrid learning mode until the spring semester ends, CNN reported. "Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students' learning and all the required academic operations," the university said in an announcement Monday night. The last day of classes is Apr. 29, according to Columbia's academic calendar. Meanwhile, the Seder ceremony at Yale University has been appropriated to the war in Gaza and the apparent plague the institution and the community surrounding it have been facing, such as "the confinement of free speech," "the policing of New Haven," "apathy, "misinformation," "ignorance," and "capitalism." On the other hand, more traditional scenes have been observed with Orthodox Jewish students and faculty at the Chabad Columbia center off campus, where students sought a sense of community amid the tensions on campus. According to the Times, five security guards were standing outside the center as a safety measure, given the multiple incidents of antisemitism on university campuses. Rabbi Yuda Drizin and his wife Naomi were expecting over 100 students at the Seder ceremony at the center. "It's actually our largest Seder yet," he said. "Our motto is 'Your Jewish home and family on campus,' so for the students that can't make it home, or that don't make it home, or that are here, they're celebrating as part of our family." Meanwhile, over in Israel, police arrested 21 worshippers on suspicion of planning to sacrifice a Passover offering in the Jerusalem area. According to the Jerusalem Post, among those arrested were two brothers aged 17 and 15 arrested on Monday at the Holy City's Givat Mordechai suburb. The United States deployment of the Mid-Range Capability system in Salaknib drills is the first in the Asia-Pacific. The U.S. Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives for deployment in Northern Luzon during the Salaknib drills involving Philippine and U.S. troops, April 8, 2024. The U.S. Armys deployment of a mid-range missile launcher in the Philippines earlier this month is expected to help Manila prepare to defend its territories amid geopolitical tension over the South China Sea, security analysts said. Its the first time the United States has deployed the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system also known as the Typhon System in the Asia-Pacific region, but it was not immediately clear whether the Americans would keep this easily transportable system in the northern Philippines only as part of joint military drills or for longer. The MRC is a land-based, ground-launched system that can fire the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk missiles and support strike capabilities from land to sea to air, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service. The system was deployed on April 11 as part of Salaknib, a military drill for 1,800 Philippine and 1,700 U.S. troops that ran from April 8 to 21 in the central and northern regions of Luzon island. The deployment is an example of the continuous transformation of the U.S. Army in the face of a complex and challenging environment, said Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, said in a statement in response to emailed questions from BenarNews. The move supports a safe, stable, and secure Indo-Pacific in partnership with our allies from the Armed Forces (of the) Philippines, he said. Officials at the U.S. Army Pacific command in Hawaii did not immediately respond to follow-up questions from BenarNews seeking more details about the deployment of the missile system in the Philippines. The Philippine military also declined to provide details, deferring to U.S. army officials for comment. The deployment came amid a worsening maritime row between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea. The Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher is loaded into a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III for deployment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington state, April 4, 2024. [U.S. Army photo by Capt. Ryan DeBooy] Salaknib (shield in Filipino), is an annual drill between the two nations but it is much smaller than the Balikatan, a multilateral military exercise involving at least 16,000 troops that began in the Philippines on April 22 and is scheduled to end on May 18. The first deployment of this state-of-the-art missile system in the Salaknib exercises will boost the interoperability and jointness of the Philippines armed forces with its military ally, said Chester Cabalza, a security strategist and founding president of Manila-based think-tank International Development and Security Cooperation. This is an opportunity also for Manila to invest in high-caliber military materiel to increase its deterrent force amid geopolitical tension in the region. The MRC has a versatile capability that has been used in the multi-domain attacks in the Russo-Ukraine and Hamas-Israel wars for land-based protection of territories, Cabalza told BenarNews. The MRC is a strong weapon but it has limitations since its capability is mid-range for launcher missiles. A rocket is fired from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a live drill involving Philippine and U.S. troops in Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 31, 2023. [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Security analyst Ray Powell said the missile deployment was part of efforts to boost Manilas defense mechanisms amid the ongoing South China Sea dispute. Powell is founder and director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University. If youre having a military exercise, then what you have to exercise is the military, Powell told BenarNews. If youre going to have one in the Philippines, the things that youre going to be concerned with is one of the things that threaten the Philippines and what are the things that can defend the Philippines against those threats. These missiles are clearly in that category. Philippines shouldnt be held back Previously, security analysts had raised concerns that China could ramp up its militarization activities in the South China Sea following the deployment of the missile launcher. With or without the MRC, China has been active in militarizing the region, Cabalza said. This is part of (Beijings) own military agenda to attain greatness in the worlds military history as it tries to control the entirety of the South China Sea. Lately, tensions between two countries have occurred in South China Sea waters within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, where Chinese coast guard ships have fired water cannons at Filipino boats trying to deliver supplies to a Philippine military outpost in Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal). Philippine and U.S. troops participate in live fire exercises during the Salaknib drills in Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 31, 2023. [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Powell also raised concerns about Beijing. If China feels hurt or provoked, thats because China is the one who is acting so aggressively, Powell said. China is going to do what it wants to do. So, the Philippines shouldnt be held back by what might provoke China because you know what provokes an aggressor? Weakness. If they perceived weakness, that is extremely provocative to an aggressor nation. Make no mistake, especially in the South China Sea China is an aggressor nation and it will take advantage of whatever weakness it perceives. China, Russia react Last week, China and Russia hit back at Americas missile deployment in the Philippines. The U.S.s move exacerbates tensions in the region and increases the risk of misjudgment and miscalculation, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing during an April 18 news conference. The Philippines needs to think twice about being a cats paw for the U.S. at the expense of its own security interests, and stop sliding down the wrong path, he said. On Telegram Messenger, Anatoly Antonov, Russias ambassador to Washington, said the move was another blow to global stability. Washington is purposefully escalating the level of military confrontation and fueling hotbeds of tension, Antonov said on April 17, while accusing the U.S. of trying to return the world to the darkest times of the Cold War and balancing on the brink of a nuclear conflict. Protesters holding banners that tally reported human rights abuses march towards Congress ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address, in Quezon City, Philippines, July 24, 2023. [ UPDATED at 11.58 p.m. ET on 04-24-2024 Rights abuses have continued in the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s presidency, through alleged indiscriminate or illegal killings by police after he prolonged his immediate predecessors anti-drug campaign, the U.S. State Department said in an annual report on human rights. Marcos had pledged to carry on with ex-President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs but differently and with fewer killings, and the report acknowledged an attempt to focus on weaning people from drugs. There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in the Philippines during the year, although the number of incidents of arbitrary and extrajudicial killings and of some other abuses by government agents decreased, the department said in its 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released Monday. Significant human rights issues in the Philippines last year included extrajudicial killings, indiscriminate detention, torture, and enforced disappearances, among others, the report added. There were numerous reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings by police in connection with anti-drug operations. While the counter-narcotics campaign has continued under Marcos, it was with a focus on treatment and rehabilitation, due process, and rule of law-based investigation, the report said. Rights groups have accused the national police under Duterte of killing thousands of people during his governments war on illegal drugs, from 2016 to 2022. About 8,000 suspected addicts and dealers were killed during the Duterte administrations crackdown, according to government statistics, although rights groups have said the number could be three times higher. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the U.S. assessment did not reflect the situation on the ground and suggested experts thoroughly examine their methodologies. The government endeavors to invest more in institutions and our people to enable us to meet the highest standards in the pursuit of our rights-based governance agenda, it said. Our human rights reform agenda stands on solid ground under the Marcos administration. The U.S. report lists a litany of significant human rights issues in the Philippines, including extrajudicial killings, the targeting of activists and journalists, among others, Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement Tuesday. Despite claims by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the human rights situation has improved, the report shows his administration needs to do more to ensure rights are respected and perpetrators of abuses are held to account, she added. Concerns about police impunity Extrajudicial killings, including drug-related ones, largely by police but also by other security forces, remained a serious problem, the report said. The U.S. State Department report cited data from Dahas PH, a Philippine NGO, as revealing that 209 drug-related killings had taken place from January to August 2023. Marcos came to power in mid-2022. The report said that the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, an independent government ombudsmans office, had investigated 15 drug-related extrajudicial killings with 18 victims, and suspected the national polices involvement in eight of them. The State Departments report noted that the government had investigated some reported human rights abuses, including abuses by its security forces and paramilitary forces. Concerns about police impunity remained, given reports of continued extrajudicial killings by police. Significant concerns also persisted about impunity for other security forces, and civilian national and local government officials, the report said. Chilling effect In other areas related to human rights, Filipinos could criticize the government publicly or privately on the surface, the State Department found. However, former President Dutertes tirades against his critics have had a chilling effect on free speech, observers and NGOs noted. Journalists continued to face harassment, threats of violence, and violence, including from individual politicians, government authorities, and powerful private persons critical of their reporting, the U.S. report said. Physical attacks, including at least one killing, against journalists continued and several cases from previous years remained unresolved. A photojournalist raises a placard at a rally for press freedom in Quezon City, Philippines, Feb. 15, 2019. Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] In May 2023, a Philippine radio broadcaster was killed by unknown assailants in a dawn attack by two motorcycle-riding gunmen in Oriental Mindoro, a province in the south of the main island of Luzon. Meanwhile, drag artist Amadeus Fernando Pagente who performs as Pura Luka Vega, was arrested after facing charges of immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions, and indecent shows over his portrayal of Jesus Christ singing a remixed version of the Lords Prayer. Supporters slammed the action as a violation of freedom of expression. The report cited the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) data that showed 60 press freedom violations from January to April, of which 19 were harassment cases and 12 were red-tagging. The practice of red-tagging labeling human rights advocates, unions, religious groups, academics, and media organizations as fronts for or clandestine members of insurgent and other political groups continued under the Marcos administration, which has neither suppressed nor condemned the practice, it added. This story was updated to include comment from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara (gray jacket), joined by Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang (to his right), and Interior Minister of the Interior Anutin Charnvirakul (not visible), speaks to reporters and citizens during a visit to Mae Sot in Tak province, Thailand, April 23, 2024. Thailand is ready to act as a mediator in the conflict in Myanmar and help bring about a comprehensive resolution to fighting between junta forces and rebel groups, the top Thai diplomat said during a visit to the border Tuesday. Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara revealed that initial discussions had already taken place with various parties in Myanmar, including the military government and ethnic groups, some of which are armed, and that Thailand was also looking to enlist support from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Some initial discussions have taken place with different groups, including the Myanmar government and the Myawaddy faction, Parnpree said as he visited Mae Sot, a Thai district that sits on the border with Myanmars Kayin state. They havent had the time to discuss with us yet, but they are aware that we are ready to act as a mediator and to comprehensively resolve Myanmars issues to restore peace quickly. The foreign minister, who also serves as a deputy prime minister, emphasized the importance of ASEANs involvement in resolving the crisis, given Myanmars membership in the regional bloc. He said Thailand had communicated this stance to ASEAN and expected a response soon, potentially leading to a bloc-level meeting. Parnpree, who was appointed by the prime minister on Monday as chairman of a special government committee to deal with the crisis in Myanmar, was accompanied on his visit to Mae Sot by Anutin Charnvirakul, a deputy prime minister who serves as interior minister, and Sutin Klungsang, the defense minister. Officials said the visit underscored the gravity of the situation and the need for a coordinated response. A Thai soldier takes cover near the 2nd Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge during fighting on the Myanmar side between Karen National Liberation Army rebels and Burmese junta troops, in Mae Sot, Tak province, Thailand, April 20, 2024. [Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters] Earlier this month, the armed branch of the Karen National Union, called the Karen National Liberation Army, and its allies captured junta Infantry Battalion 275 in Myawaddy, a Burmese town that lies across the border from Mae Sot, on April 10. Since then, rebel forces intercepted a junta convoy and injured over 100 soldiers on its way to recapture Myawaddy last week, resulting in the junta launching a helicopter attack two days later. Fleeing Myanmar The escalating violence in Myanmar has led to refugees fleeing across the border into Thailand, prompting authorities to monitor the situation and prepare for a potential influx of displaced individuals. The Tak Provincial Public Health Office reported that 735 refugees who fled the conflict in Myanmar were in Tak, including 255 children. Of those, 114 people had received treatment in local hospitals as of Monday. The Thai-Myanmar Border Command Center in Tak reported that fighting had occurred inside Myanmar about 1.5 to 12 km (1 to 7.5 miles) from the Thai border this week involving aerial bombings. It reported no impacts on the Thai side. A soldier from the Karen National Liberation Army rebel group carries an RPG launcher at a Myanmar military base in Thingyan Nyi Naung village, on the outskirts of Myawaddy, the Thailand-Myanmar border town under the control of a coalition of rebel forces led by the Karen National Union, in Myanmar, April 15, 2024. [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters] As the conflict in Myanmar shows no signs of abating, analysts and activists have called on the Thai government to develop a long-term strategy to address the crisis. Chalida Tajaroensuk, director of the Peoples Empowerment Foundation, said Thailand needed to look beyond immediate issues and engage with a broader range of stakeholders. The Myanmar military is faltering significantly and its almost certain that there will be a transition to a federal system. The Thai government is lacking a long-term plan, mostly addressing immediate issues, Chalida told BenarNews. Thailand should elevate its stance, such as hosting a special ASEAN meeting to gather opinions from various countries, involving other sectors including civil society, the media, and even organizations from Myanmar. She urged the Thai government to expand its humanitarian assistance, stating, Thailand should do more than just one humanitarian corridor because the impact on the Myanmar people is much greater. Multiple aid locations should be established across the country. We should look beyond Myawaddy and even engage in talks with the National Unity Government, as its clear that the military government cannot sustain itself any longer. Ruj Chuenban in Bangkok contributed to this report. After months of wrangling between British government lawmakers in the elected House of Commons and the unelected House of Lords, the country's parliament in Westminster has passed the Rwanda bill proposed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and sent it to Buckingham Palace for royal assent. According to the BBC, the saga known as a "parliamentary ping-pong" between MPs and Lords ended just after midnight, London time, after five rounds of negotiations between both houses of parliament and after peers decided not to push their opposition to it any further. Plans to send some asylum seekers to Africa have long been met with fierce criticism, but the bill passed early into Tuesday morning (Apr. 23) when the Lords dropped their opposition. Sunakl said that flights to Rwanda would take off within 10 to 12 weeks, missing its original spring target. However, the plan could still be held up by court challenges. Home Secretary James Cleverly said the bill's passing was a "landmark moment in our plan to stop the boats." "I promised to do what was necessary to clear the path for the first flight. That's what we have done," he said in a video posted on social media. "Now we're working day in and day out to get flights off the ground." However, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Rwanda plan was an "extortionately expensive gimmick." Charities have also criticized the scheme, with leading human rights groups describing it as a "breach of international law." It could be recalled that the UK's Supreme Court unanimously shut down a similar policy by the Conservative Party last November, finding it unlawful. Earlier on Monday (Apr. 22), Sunak said flights were booked to take off as soon as the legislation was passed, and 500 staff were ready to escort migrants "all the way to Rwanda." "Plans are in place. And these flights will go, come what may," the prime minister said, adding that he wanted to create "a drumbeat of multiple flights a month... because that's how you build a systematic deterrent and that's how you'll stop the boats". Before it was passed, Sunak had vowed to keep MPs working through the night if necessary to pass his bill and get flights off the ground. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 44F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. STOCKBRIDGE Owners of the high-end Wheatleigh hotel have been ordered to pay a "global settlement" of $550,000 to former employees for attorneys' fees, unpaid tips and overtime wages, and failure to pay minimum wage. The employees, 44 in all, will receive a combined total of $277,106; the rest goes to attorneys' fees. U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Robertson issued her ruling April 16. The initial civil lawsuit alleging violations of state and federal labor laws was filed in June 2018 by attorneys for former waitstaff employee Arleta Mongue of Pittsfield, who worked there for nine months beginning in May 2017. In September 2021, the court allowed 40 other former employees who worked for Wheatleigh between May 2017 and March 2020 to join what became a class action lawsuit. Three other former employees guest services manager Mark Brown, restaurant supervisor Christian Perreault Hamel, and housekeeping manager Mary Harris filed individual lawsuits and accepted settlements in April 2022 of $8,103, $8,124 and $11,961, respectively, plus $180,000 in attorneys fees. Defendants included owners Linfield and Susan Simon of New Haven, Conn., and former general manager Marc Wilhelm. The Wheatleigh, which has held a 5-star rating from Forbes Magazine for its hotel and restaurant, announced in February that it was closing to the general public but would honor weddings and special events booked through this summer. Then, it will be put on the market for an expected sale to a new owner. Mongue, the lead plaintiff, was paid the hourly tipped minimum service-rate of $5 an hour at the time even though nearly half of her workload included non-tipped work, according to the lawsuit, but she should have been paid the state minimum wage at the time, $11 per hour. Although state law limits customers tips only to waitstaff employees, the lawsuit claimed that tips were pooled and unlawfully distributed to supervisors, including the restaurant manager, as well as prep cooks and other ineligible staffers. Mongue, who declined comment through her attorney, will receive $14,029 as her share of the court award. The 40 other former employees who were part of the class-action lawsuit will get individual awards based on their length of employment and the hours they worked each week. Those awards ranged from $111 to $16,356. The lawsuit filed by attorneys Jeffrey Morneau and Lan Kantany of Connor & Morneau, based in Springfield, sought to recover unpaid compensation, interest and attorneys fees. Additional legal work was by Michael Rivkin, an associate with Cohen Kinne Valicenti & Cook in Pittsfield. Linfield Simon told The Eagle on Monday that he plans to appeal the U.S. District Court ruling to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. He declined further comment, but confirmed that Wheatleigh will be put on the market very soon. The Simons are represented by attorney Matt Horvitz of Goulston & Storrs in Boston. He did not respond to requests for comment. "Im highly confident that any appeal will be unsuccessful," Morneau said. "If The Wheatleigh, Mr. Simon or any of the defendants dont come forward and pay, we will continue to chase them down and get the money. We thought the employees had a very viable claim that they were harmed by The Wheatleighs wage theft, he added in a phone interview. We tried to resolve the case early on, but we were not successful at the early stage. It was very contentious litigation for nearly six years. It certainly took longer than most cases like this, because Mr. Simon and Wheatleigh dug their heels in so deep," Morneau said. "He didnt need to do that, he could have taken care of the employees that were harmed as a result of The Wheatleigh and his conduct. In Morneaus view, They basically spent money defending a case that was indefensible as opposed to taking care of the workers who were harmed by the wage theft that Mr. Simon and The Wheatleigh had committed. They have dragged the plaintiffs through an extraordinary amount of litigation and the plaintiffs intend to collect on the courts judgment. Wheatleigh, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed in 1893 as a replica of a two-story 16th-century Florentine palazzo by Henry H. Cook, a New York railroad magnate, as a wedding present to his daughter, Georgie Bruce Cook. She married the Cuban-born Spanish nobleman Carlos de Heredia, Count of Fuentes, and became Countess de Heredia. The Simons purchased the Gilded Age property for $530,000 in the early 1980s. The town now assesses the 22-acre property at $3,898,200. Human rights above sovereignty doesn't work: Chinese envoy Xinhua) 10:41, April 23, 2024 UNITED NATIONS, April 22 (Xinhua) -- NATO's war against Yugoslavia 25 years ago shows that the idea of human rights above sovereignty does not work, said a Chinese envoy on Monday. Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement at a Security Council meeting on Kosovo. NATO carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999 during the Kosovo War. Last month, Russia requested a Security Council meeting on the 25th anniversary of NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia. Although the meeting was blocked, some council members expressed their wish to have further discussions on the matter under the topic of Kosovo, said Fu. Although 25 years have passed since NATO's war against Yugoslavia, that war is far from becoming history. The warnings and lessons from that war remain sobering, he said. First, disputes between countries should be resolved by peaceful means. The reflex use or threat of force should be opposed at all times, he said. "If we allow the biggest fist to have the final say, the sovereignty and independence of small and less powerful countries will be undermined, justice will cease to exist, and the pursuit of peace will be eternally elusive." Second, the principle of respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity should be applied universally, rather than selectively on the basis of expediency. After waging a war against Yugoslavia, NATO repeatedly invoked the protection of human rights and subsequently carried out military operations in Libya and other places, he said. "Facts have shown that the so-called narrative of human rights above sovereignty is effectively reducing human rights to a political tool to interfere in the internal affairs of states. Ultimately, such a practice not only eroded sovereignty, but also failed to deliver the promised protection of human rights." Third, in the pursuit of national security, states should uphold the concept of indivisible security and seek common security, rather than achieving their own security at the expense of that of others. Embracing and implementing a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept represents a long-term approach to tackling global security challenges, said Fu. Fourth, ethnic and communal issues in a country should be properly resolved by the government and people of that country through their own efforts within the legal framework, and should not be used as an excuse for external interference, he said. "We hope that all parties can draw lessons from history, reflect on themselves, contribute more to the maintenance of peace and security, and prevent a relapse into conflict in Kosovo and the wider Balkans," said Fu. "China remains committed to working with all parties to make sustained efforts to promote the peaceful coexistence of the two communities and the political settlement of relevant issues in Kosovo." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Prince Louis, the youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, turned six on Tuesday (Apr. 23), coinciding with St. George's Day, a religious holiday for the UK's principal constituent country, England. According to local British media, the little prince is expected to celebrate his birthday with celebrations organized by his parents, William and Catherine. It could likely be a family party after school hours, perhaps involving Louis's maternal grandparents, Carole and Michael Middleton. This also meant that royal fans were looking forward to a new photo release from Kensington Palace. However, as of this writing, no new photos have been released since the Mother's Day photo debacle, which left Catherine, herself an amateur photographer, apologizing for the mishap. It could be recalled that the past few months have been an eventful period for the British royal family due to the double cancer diagnosis of Catherine and King Charles III. William and Catherine took the time to sensitively share the Princess of Wales's positive cancer test with the young royals, giving them time to process the information, The Independent reported. Louis was last seen publicly on Christmas Day when the whole House of Windsor made their traditional festive appearance on the king's Sandringham estate to attend a church service. He was pictured holding hands with Zara and Mike Tindall's eldest daughter, Mia, on one side and grasping his father's fingers with his other hand. Earlier that month, Louis joined his older brother, Prince George, and her older sister, Princess Charlotte, at the annual Westminster Abbey carol concert by Catherine. A few weeks before, the three children were taken volunteering by their mother, visiting the Baby Bank in Holyport near Maidenhead, and got stuck in sifting through donated goods. The young prince became the crowd's darling when he was first seen doing cheeky antics on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on several occasions. Louis and his older siblings attend Lambrook School in Berkshire. He recently returned to the classroom after the Easter break. Prince Louis is currently fourth in line to the British throne, after his father, William, and his siblings, George and Charlotte, respectively. The Mirror recently revealed that Catherine has been hands-on in parenting Louis as she was worried that her younger son, while not as crucial a spare as Charlotte, would follow in the footsteps of his estranged uncle, Prince Harry. Meanwhile, Charlotte will be turning nine on May 2. "We know that many Massachusetts high school seniors may have experienced challenges completing the FAFSA, but we want them to know we are here to support them in completing and submitting this financial aid application," writes Clantha McCurdy, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Educations senior deputy commissioner for access and student financial assistance. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. To conduct screening and management for metabolic non-communicable diseases and associated comorbidities Roche has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with VinCense, a digital health monitoring offering by MedIoTek Health Systems. Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies aim to implement 3 programmes in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu- (i) screening 100,000 individuals over the next two years for diabetes, hypertension, obesity etc. (ii) intervention for uncontrolled diabetes mellitus management (iii) intervention for tuberculosis - diabetes mellitus co-morbidity management. The partnership will use comprehensive integrated digital health solutions to drive early detection, intervention and care continuum in the state. Roche and VinCense successfully conducted a pilot between December 2022 and September 2023 in collaboration with the Directorate of Public Health, Tamil Nadu, focusing on non-communicable disease (NCD) screening and management in the Madurai Corporation Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs). The pilot phase saw screening of 67,370 individuals across the Madurai district out of which 16.6% people were identified to be at risk for diabetes and attached to the public healthcare system. Learnings from this pilot will bring efficiency and scalability to set new standards for accessible, inclusive, and technology-driven healthcare. Students at the University of California Berkeley set up tents on the steps of a campus building and called for the college to divest from Israel, in the latest instance of pro-Palestinian encampments set up at schools across the country. Students can be seen holding signs that say "revolution" and "divest now" written in the red, green and black colors of the Palestinian flag. "Gaza, Gaza" don't you cry," the students chanted. "Palestine will never die." In addition to calling for divestment from Israel, the activists also want the university to participate in an academic boycott of Israel, implement policies to protect Palestinian students and "call for an immediate end to Israel's genocidal campaign and violence in Gaza," a coalition of student groups shared on social media. In spite of the protests, however, university officials have said the college has no plans to change its investment strategies. "With three weeks left in the semester, Berkeley is prioritizing students' academic interests," spokesperson Dan Mogulof told SFGate. "We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the university's operations." After an initial encampment was established at Columbia University, further demonstrations have emerged at college campuses across the country. The Columbia protests led to the arrests of more than 100 students, while Harvard has locked down portions of its campus. The internal politics of the encampments have been subject to intense scrutiny. Many Jewish students have participated in the pro-Palestinian activism - with dozens of protestors holding Passover Seders inside the encampments. Others, however, allege that the protests have led to a surge of campus antisemitism. President Joe Biden released a statement Sunday calling for an end to antisemitic violence and harassment. "[Antisemitism] has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country," Biden wrote. "My Administration will continue to speak out and aggressively implement the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community." -With reporting from TMX. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Crew members on a Swiss Air flight prevented what could have been a disastrous crash at John F. Kennedy International Airport when the pilot realized that four planes were cleared to take off at the same time and alerted air traffic controllers. The Zurich-bound Flight 17 was cleared for takeoff from the New York airport on April 17, but as the plane was taxiing down the runway, the pilot spotted other aircrafts in the same area. "Swiss 17k heavy, rejecting takeoff. Traffic on the runway," the pilot told Air Traffic Control. The Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly investigating the incident, which has been attributed to communications errors. The agency will determine whether or not proper safety procedures were followed, according to WCBS. Swiss Air praised their crew members for averting a near disaster on the runway. "Due to the high level of situational awareness and quick reaction of our crew, a potentially dangerous situation was quickly de-escalated," the airline told WABC. A fugitive ex-cop who authorities say went on the run after allegedly killing his ex-wife and 17-year-old girlfriend in Washington state may have been spotted in Oregon, according to a report Tuesday. A clerk at a Plaid Pantry convenience store on Hayden Island in the Columbia River between Portand, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, told Portland police he might have seen Elias Huizar early Tuesday, according to TV station KGW8. The clerk reportedly said the man he saw bought a drink in the store around 12:45 a.m. The man was also traveling with a child in the back seat of his vehicle, described as a black sedan, KGW8 said. Police searched the area but didn't find Huizar, the child or the vehicle. Hayden Island is about 200 miles west of West Richland, Washington, where Huizar's ex-wife and girlfriend were slain. On Monday night, the Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Huizar and his 1-year-old son Roman and said Huizar might be headed to Mexico. Huizar was last known to be driving a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla, according to the WSP. Authorities have said the fugitive former Yakima, Washington, police officer should be considered armed and dangerous. Huizar was facing a Feb. 3 rape charge involving a teenage girl when he allegedly shot his ex-wife, Amber Rodriguez, around 3:20 p.m. Monday outside the school in West Richland, Washington, where she worked as a paraeducator. Cops reportedly found the body of Huizar's girlfriend Angelica Santos, who is Roman's mother, when they searched his nearby home. Doctor Who writer and showrunner Russell T Davies has said he hopes to bring in new viewers or win back people who have not watched for several years with the latest series. The sci-fi show will be back on screens in May, with Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa as the new Time Lord. Advertisement The 15th Doctor and his companion Ruby Sunday, played by former Coronation Street actress Millie Gibson, first appeared on screen together during the Christmas Day special. Ready to rock through time? #DoctorWho premieres on @BBCiPlayer in the UK 11th May and @DisneyPlus 10th May where available pic.twitter.com/ygn67yoesU Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) March 31, 2024 Advertisement Davies, who was behind the 2005 revival of the long-running BBC show, has returned to the helm to replace Chris Chibnall. The series will start with a double bill, which will land on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday May 11 before it airs on BBC One later in the day, ahead of the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will also air on the BBC. Advertisement Davies told BBC Breakfast: It starts from scratch and the programme does this every so often, but it is a new Doctor and a new companion and the whole point of a new companion is that Ruby walks into the Tardis and she says everything a new viewer wants to know. Who are you? Whats this? What is the Tardis? Why is it bigger on the inside than the outside? Shes the human walking into this strange world. The Doctor is played by Ncuti Gatwa and Ruby Sunday is played by Millie Gibson (James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC Studios/PA) Advertisement So new viewers start here, jump on board and you will follow it from scratch and all your questions will be answered. Never mind questions, go and have an adventure, come and have fun. Asked how much he is considering the current state of the world when he is writing, Its A Sin creator Davies said: Its my job to look at where we are, how we feel, what a difficult, complicated world we live in. So I genuinely look to Doctor Who this time around and thought its time for fun. Its madder than it used to be, its wilder, its funnier, its kind of bigger, broader. Advertisement And I dont mean just as an escape because I think it does have things to say about the world. But I think a lot of science fiction gets very dark and heavy. Producers like me will sit on settees like this and Its much darker. Its a deep dive into the characters souls. Thats all very well but actually with Doctor Who I would say come and have fun. As a family you can sit around, come and have fun. It is madder than it has been in the past. You still get moments of terror and horror and the chases and the monsters and theres tears at some points. But the sense of fun has been pushed, I think, this time because I think we need it. In this day and age, come and have fun. Bittersweet was how many families described the state apology given to relatives of the 48 people who died in the 1981 Stardust fire. About 70 family members and survivors sat in the public gallery above the Dail chamber and peered intently through the plexiglass as Taoiseach Simon Harris apologised on behalf of the State. Advertisement In the distinguished visitors gallery of the chamber, Antoinette Keegan and other leading campaigners sat silently to hear what politicians had to say about their four-decade fight for justice. As the Taoiseach apologised unreservedly for the hurt and profoundly painful years of struggle for the truth that families and survivors of the Stardust fire have faced, some kept their hands clasped and some looked up and sighed. Lisa Lawlor was 17 months old when her parents Francis and Maureen Lawlor died in the Stardust fire (Niall Carson/PA) Advertisement Some held one of the 48 roses brought to the Dail by the Stardust baby Lisa Lawlor, who was just 17 months old when both her parents, Francis and Maureen Lawlor, died in the tragedy. The news is brilliant, we had a great victory here today that people of the Stardust and the victims are not being blamed for their deaths any more, she said afterwards. We have made Irish history today. Many TDs remained motionless as Mr Harris said the pain and grief of families was compounded by stigma and rejection. Advertisement After the apology, and while Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan spoke, Mr Harris left the Dail chamber and entered the public gallery above it. He was seen shaking hands with the families and survivors, and spoke to some of them for brief periods. Survivors and families of the Stardust victims listening in the gallery of Dail Eireann (Oireachtas TV/PA) Advertisement Relatives described the apology as good, sincere and thorough, and said that the new Taoiseach seemed genuine but said they were waiting to see more from the State. Gertrude Barrett, mother of 17-year-old Michael Barrett, and Damien Keegan, brother of Mary and Martina Keegan, both said the day was bittersweet, with Mrs Barrett adding: But we got it in the end. Others said it was emotional that the parents of the young people who died, who were all aged between 16 and 27, did not live to see justice for their loved ones. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who received enthusiastic applause from the families, said that the parents of some victims died without the comfort of vindication but families kept campaigning regardless. Advertisement This travesty happened on the watch of successive governments, successive taoisigh, and successive ministers for justice, she told the Dail. The hope of government was that the families would eventually stop, eventually shut up, eventually give up and eventually go away. Those governments forgot one very important thing, you dont mess with Dublin mas, you dont mess with Dublin das, you dont mess with Irish mammies and daddies and families, not when theyre fighting for justice for their children. Because you will lose and they will win, even if it takes them 43 years. Stardust survivor Antoinette Keegan, who lost her two sisters Mary and Martina in the fire (Niall Carson/PA) Several tributes were given in the Dail to the parents of Mary and Martina Keegan during the Dail apology and subsequent statements. John Keegan founded the Stardust Victims Committee in 1985 and died the following year, and Christine Keegan, a tireless campaigner who died in 2020. Damien Keegan said his fifth birthday was in the April after the Stardust tragedy in February 1981. All I knew growing up throughout my whole life was looking at my mother fighting for justice, he said. The Keegan family said it was appreciated that their mothers and fathers name was mentioned during Dail statements, and said the apology was good. Follow it up and show us what you mean, youre sorry. Show us your commitment, what youre saying in there youre going to do for us. Show us, Mr Keegan said. Antoinette Keegan, one of the leading campaigners for the Stardust families, said that families felt overwhelmed at the verdict and the public apology, things they never expected to get. Asked whether she would like to see criminal proceedings, Ms Keegan said: To be honest, I would. Because, 48 dead, somebody should be held accountable. Thats my view. Somebody should be held responsible for 48 deaths. John Muldoon, brother of 19-year-old Kathleen Muldoon, said that the families needed time and space before deciding what was next to give people a chance to draw breath. Louise McDermott, whose brothers William and George and sister Marcella all died in the Stardust fire, said the apology was sincere and that her mother Bridget McDermott was so happy that someone stood up and apologised. We will wait to see if they do a commemorative day for them, which I think they should and there will be something put up to always remember them, she said. The legal battlefield around legacy has led to a different approach being taken to prosecuting historical cases in Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher has told MPs. Explaining the lack of prosecutions arising from the Kenova interim report, the PSNI Chief Constable suggested prosecutors were worn down by the continual challenges to their decisions. Advertisement Mr Boutcher said that if a similar approach to evidence had been taken when he worked in England, there would not have been prosecutions in a number of his high-profile investigations. Kenova was a major investigation into the operation of the British Armys top agent inside the IRA, headed up by Mr Boutcher before he left to take up the PSNI role last year. Its interim findings found that more lives were probably lost than saved by the actions of Stakeknife, widely believed to be west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was 77 when he died. The probe, which was undertaken by Bedfordshire Police and ran for seven years at a cost of approximately 40 million, examined the role of the Armys prized agent embedded in the heart of the IRAs Internal Security Unit (ISU). Advertisement Some 32 people, including former police, ex-military personnel and people linked with the IRA, were considered for prosecution on a range of charges from murder and abduction to misconduct in public office and perjury as a result of the Kenova investigation. However, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in Northern Ireland found there was insufficient evidence to pursue any cases. Mr Scappaticci died before any decision was made on the evidence files related to him. During a meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, SDLP MP Claire Hanna said the lack of any prosecutions had tested the confidence of many people in the PPS. Advertisement Mr Boutcher said: I have dealt with some really, really complicated cases in the past involving international terrorism, organised crime. If the same approach had been applied that the PPS have applied to legacy cases, to those cases, many of which are very well documented as stated cases for prosecutions, my previous history of successfully prosecuting those cases wouldnt be that history, they wouldnt be prosecuted. I am very clear on that. The mechanism they adopted to look at these (Kenova) cases built in considerable delay and it did not build in the level of relationship and communication between the independent investigative team and the independent prosecution authority and the independent counsel appointed to look at the evidence. Advertisement He added: Whenever you have got a case that is from some time ago there is inevitably going to be a challenge in showing the continuity of certain evidence, because people have passed away or there has been a break in the chain of the integrity of exhibits. I had a meeting with the PPS and we had independent counsel from London who was very clear, the commentary he used was Every day of the week at the Old Bailey I would get that hearsay evidence sent. And there was a different view from the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland. Now, for whatever we might say about the same legal processes being in place, Northern Ireland has a different way of approaching some of that evidence because legacy has become so challenging. Advertisement Every case faces either a judicial review or an appeal. In a way I think the imagination, the energy that I have engaged with with prosecution authorities around complicated cases, Al Qaeda or organised crime gangs, is absent on legacy because they are worn down by this legal battlefield that exists around if they make one decision or another. We didnt get, I dont think, to discuss and engage with each other about the details of that evidence in the way that I would have expected and hoped that we would. Sir Iain Livingstone, who replaced Mr Boutcher as head of Operation Kenova, told MPs that prosecutors tended to become involved in cases earlier in the rest of the UK. Mr Boutcher contrasted the approach taken in legacy cases with that following the shooting of senior PSNI detective John Caldwell last year. He said: If I look at the way that the investigation and prosecution relationship was with the attempted murder of John Caldwell last February, having arrived as the Chief Constable, that was more akin to the relationship that Iain has described that we would expect to see. I think because of resources and because of their (PPS) capacity they cant apply that standard, that level of responsiveness, for legacy cases. Probably based on the fact that, by and large and certainly in the cases we were dealing with, there was no obvious threat from the people we suspected of committing these crimes. They didnt need to deal with them in the same timely fashion they had to deal with other files they were looking at. Because of the bandwidth of the PPS they simply werent able to adopt that process. A doctor who treated 16-year-old Aoife Johnston prior to her death at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) wept in the witness box at the teenagers inquest and told the coroner that the emergency department at UHL was not a safe environment for patients. Dr Leandri Card told how she was trying to manage 191 ED patients on her own, and that she and ED nurses were overwhelmed on the night Aoife presented at the hospital. Advertisement The South African, who was working as a senior house officer (SHO) in UHLs emergency department said every inch of the floor space was taken up by patients on trolleys when Aoife presented on December 17th, 2022. It was like a war zone. It was an impossible situation, she said. Dr Card told the inquest, which is being held at Limerick Coroners Court in Kilmallock with coroner John McNamara, that due to overcrowding and pressure on staff, she and other doctors routinely prescribed medication for ED patients without first seeing or examining them. It happens on every shift, every day, she said. Advertisement Dr Card agreed with Damien Tansey, senior counsel and solicitor representing the Johnston family, that this was not best practice. Dr Card said it was the norm and the only way patients would get medication as quickly as possible, because doctors were too busy dealing with patients. Its not a safe environment, you do what you have to do, its not best practice. When asked by Mr Tansey if this practice would give rise to adverse outcomes for patients, Dr Card replied: Definitely. Advertisement She said that despite prescribing antibiotics for Aoife at 6.40am on December 18th, to treat suspected meningitis, Aoife did not receive this medication for an hour and 15 minutes. Dr Card said the medicine, which it was heard would have potentially saved her life, wasnt given as immediate as it should have. The witness said she did not have access to where medicines were kept. Prescribed drugs were normally administered by nurses, but Dr Card indicated she was not blaming anyone for the delay: It is common that it doesn't happen as immediately as it should, as the nurses are overwhelmed. She agreed she was still haunted and troubled by Aoifes death. Advertisement She said doctors routinely dont have enough time to read patient medical charts before prescribing medicines to them. Instead, they have brief exchanges with nurses who advise them of the patients symptoms. Dr Crandall also agreed she was by herself as the only SHO on the ED floor on the night Aoife was brought in by her parents, and she was trying to manage 191 patients. She said a severe weather episode had exacerbated overcrowding in the ED and that Category Two patients, including Aoife, who are regarded to be seriously ill patients, were deteriorating due to lengthy waiting times to see a doctor. The inquest heard that staff were not aware of any plans at UHL to implement measures to mitigate patient flow despite the hospital having prior notice of the weather alert. Advertisement Dr Card said the recommended time for a CAT 2 patient, which included Aoife, to see a doctor is between 10 and fifteen minutes. However, Aoife languished for 12 hours across two chairs before being seen by Dr Card. There were no trolleys for her to rest on and her parents said she was in agony as they contoured to call for help but they said there was no help. Wiping away tears, Dr Card described as intolerable the situation in the Limerick ED. She said other CAT 2 patients were waiting longer than Aoife some were waiting an average of 19 hours to see a doctor, and Category 3 patients were waiting 39 hours. Aoife presented at UHL at 5.40pm on December 17th, 2022. The hospitals protocols on sepsis, which require sepsis queried patents to be seen urgently, were not followed. Aoife was not triaged until 7.15pm that night, and she did not receive antibiotics until it was too late. She died at UHL on December 19th. Dr Card said she examined Aoife at 6am, December 18th, 12 hours after Aoife had presented with a doctors referral letter querying sepsis, a life-threatening condition requiring urgent treatment. Dr Card wept and took several deep inhales of breath to try to compose herself while giving evidence. She agreed she had been severely emotionally impacted by Aoifes death and that the teenagers death had led to her quitting the HSE. Dr Card said the ED and adjoining resuscitation room were full up of trolleys that were blocking doorways. She said: There was no space, in or out. She agreed there was not enough staff and too many patients, which had created a perfect storm in the ED. Dr Card said Aoifes death was instrumental in her decision to quit the HSE to work in a private health clinic, and she said she has not worked in an emergency department since. Dr Card said she had scanned Aoifes patient file prior to seeing her first at 6am on December 17th, but she said had not seen the GPs referral letter at this stage, in which the GP indicated he suspected Aoife was suffering with sepsis. On Monday, former UHL clinical nurse manager, Katherine Skelly, said the ED was like a "war zone" and in crisis like she had never seen. Ms Skelly, who was also deeply traumatised by Aoifes death and retired from her post, said she had made several calls to more senior staff, including UHL ED consultant Dr Jim Gray, to come to the ED to assist her, but she said he declined, and told her he had been in already and would be in again the following morning. Dr Gray is expected to give evidence before the inquest on Thursday. Aoife eventually underwent a CT scan on her brain after she became unresponsive, and her brain had swelled. Doctors put her into an induced coma to ease the swelling, but she did not survive. UHL triage nurse Ariane DeGuzman told the inquest that after reading Aoifes GP referral letter and examining her when she first arrived at UHL, she went to resuscitation and asked a registrar there to accept Aoife, but he refused. The resuscitation room was also overcrowded with patients. The inquest continues on Tuesday afternoon and is scheduled to run until Thursday. Clare TD Michael McNamara has announced he will be contesting the European election in the Ireland South constituency as an Independent candidate. Mr McNamara was first elected as a Labour TD in the Clare constituency in 2011. He failed to retain his seat in 2016, and was re-elected as an Independent TD in 2020. Advertisement Mr McNamara has served as chair of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response. He is a farmer and barrister. Ireland South is a five-seater constituency for the June 7th elections. Mr McNamara said: When the Irish people voted for greater integration of the European Union, they voted to opt out of justice/immigration measures for reasons as valid now as then. This government is intent on ceding these key areas of national sovereignty to Brussels. Thats why, more than ever, we will need representation in Europe asking the difficult questions. Over the past few years, many people have felt unrepresented in the making of decisions that affect their lives. I have questioned the Government and tried to make them explain the decisions they make, and I will be asking people for their support to do the same in Europe where more and more of the decisions that affect us in Ireland are made. Advertisement The Independent candidate cited agriculture and renewable energy as key issues for him should he be elected. I am committed to protecting family farms, which uphold the highest environmental and welfare standards, from greedy multinational retailers and conglomerates, as well as calling for the introduction of price transparency in the food chain at a European level, which our government has resisted domestically. Funding will need to be put in place before farm families on marginal land, who are already under pressure, are required or asked to curtail agricultural activity." He added: While immigration reform is being carried out, the European Union must use its position in the world to address the root causes of mass migration. I will be a strong advocate for Irelands offshore wind energy sector, with its vast potential held back by government inertia, as has our biomethane sector. A protestor has pleaded guilty to intimidating Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae by throwing a bottle at and blocking him during an "aggressive" rally outside Government Buildings. About 200 people held a rally outside Leinster House on September 20th as the Dail resumed following the summer recess. Advertisement It led to several arrests, and afterwards, the independent TD condemned the conduct of some protesters as he and an intern from his office attempted to leave the area. Dean Hickson (22), of Griffith Parade, Finglas, Dublin, appeared again at Dublin District Court before Judge Paula Murphy on Tuesday. He was accused of intimidating Michael Healy-Rae at Kildare Street, Dublin 2 on September 20th. His solicitor, Donal Quigley, confirmed he was pleading guilty and said he wished to apologise to the politician. Hickson, who has no prior criminal convictions, was remanded on continuing bail pending sentence so that a victim impact statement could be prepared. Advertisement Following an investigation, gardai charged him in February. Pearse Street Garda Chloe Rochfort obtained directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge Hickson under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. The DPP directed summary disposal in the District Court, which can impose a 12-month sentence and a fine, rather than a trial at the Circuit Court level, which can impose a sentence of up to five years. Judge Murphy accepted jurisdiction. Advertisement Court Garda Sergeant Rachel Goggins told the court: "The accused was among a number of aggressive protesters outside Leinster House" during an anti-government, anti-immigration protest. At one point, the CCTV footage captured him "throwing a plastic bottle in the direction of Michael Healy Rae, narrowly missing his head". During the investigation, the accused was identified from the video footage "as he physically impeded Michael Healy-Rae from entering Government Buildings, which is his place of work". The defence was granted an order to be given copies of prosecution evidence, including video footage. At a preliminary hearing in February, his solicitor told the judge that his client maintained "he did not block anyone going in or out". However, on Tuesday, the accused did not address the court but admitted the offence through his lawyer, who added that Hickson wished to apologise to the TD. Healy-Rae (57) has not been required to attend the proceedings so far, and Judge Murphy adjourned the case for four weeks so that gardai could ask him if he wanted to provide a victim impact statement. Mr Hickson, who is unemployed, was granted legal aid. President of Ireland Michael D Higgins is to travel to the University of Manchester on Tuesday where he will receive an honorary doctorate. Mr Higgins is to be conferred on Tuesday evening with the Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Manchesters chancellor Nazir Afzal in recognition of his extensive and significant contributions to literature and public life. Advertisement A conferral ceremony and a dinner held in the presidents honour will then take place at the Whitworth Art Gallery. The conferral ceremony and a dinner will be held at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester (Alamy/PA) On Wednesday, the Irish president will also deliver the inaugural address in a new series of lectures called The John Kennedy Lecture Series, which will run at the university over the next five years. Advertisement Mr Higgins lecture is titled Of the consciousness our times need in responding to interacting crises and the role of universities as spaces of discourse in facilitating it. The presidents office said Wednesdays lecture is the first in a number of major lectures that Mr Higgins will deliver over the coming period, including one on food security upon his receipt of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisations Agricola Medal at a ceremony at Aras an Uachtarain on June 7th. Mr Higgins studied as a postgraduate at the University of Manchester from 1968 to 1971. The Stardust families must have another day in court, the Dail was told, as calls echoed for justice for the 48 victims who were unlawfully killed in the fire. Members of opposition parties were united in their praise for the families and survivors of the 1981 tragedy, and their long fight for truth and justice. Advertisement Taoiseach Simon Harris issued a State apology to the families of the Stardust disaster, some 43 years after the blaze ripped through the busy nightclub. In the Dail on Tuesday, there were calls for accountability of who was responsible for the unlawful deaths. For forty-three years, the families of the victims of the Stardust fire faced the contempt of the state. Their fight for truth and justice was blocked again and again. They faced it all and they never gave in. For the 48 young people who went out to the Stardust and never came pic.twitter.com/j4gkxluibD Advertisement Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) April 23, 2024 Opposition politicians told the Government that the apology should be followed up by a redress scheme for the families. Advertisement Successive governments and former taoisigh were widely criticised for failing the families. Labour TD for Dublin Bay North Aodhan O Riordain said it was time for the gardai, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to do what is right. If those you loved were unlawfully killed, then someone unlawfully killed them, he said. What would happen in any other case of corporate manslaughter in any other part of the city? There must be another day in court. Advertisement Stardust will always be a scar. A tale of greed. A tale of recklessness. A tale of horror. Of poisonous lies. But of resilience. Of hope. Of campaigning and of truth. The Stardust families are heroes of this Republic. We are honoured to be in their presence today. They would much rather not be here. They would much rather have seen their loved ones grow older in the last 43 years. But you have made all of us want to be better. To work harder. To campaign more. To listen more. To judge less. And to speak the truth. Advertisement Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald said the state finally apologised to the families of those killed in the Stardust fire tragedy because they didnt give up, adding now let justice flow like a river. They [the families] are here today in the public gallery of the Dail and they are here in victory, she said. When the verdict came through last Thursday, it confirmed what the people of Ireland already knew unlawful killing, unlawful killing 48 times. It wasnt arson. None of the young people who went to the Valentines dance were responsible. Now the big lie that cast a shadow over your lives since the 13th of February 1981 has been lifted once and for all. So this moment, this victory, this vindication is first and foremost for those unlawfully killed, for the survivors, for the courageous families who have lived for years with the pain of their lives, with the ghosts of unanswered questions and with the sorrow of the empty chair. For the 48 young people who never came home, finally, the truth is revealed. For the survivors who have endured a lifetime of suffering, finally, the truth has prevailed and you, their families, brought the truth home for them and now let justice flow like a river. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said there must be engagement about a redress scheme for the families. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said he hopes the delivery of a state apology is the beginning of the truth for the families of the Stardust fire tragedy. I hope today is the beginning of the truth because its certainly, I think, not the end. An apology is not enough, there has to be true justice and true accountability for those that frustrated your fight for truth and for justice for your loved ones, he said. Taoiseach Simon Harris issued a State apology to the families of the victims of the Stardust fire (Oireachtas TV/PA) The State has to explain and own up to its own responsibility in all of this. He commended the families of those killed in the tragedy for their campaigning. I just want to commend you. This is your day. Were only here because of what you have done in your ceaseless fight for justice because of the love you had for your family members who lost their lives, who were killed, he said. This is your day, and I hope this is the beginning, and all I will say to the government is this must be led by the families. What follows from here must be led by the families. Only they know what truth and justice means and to provide that for their loved ones and those who survived this terrible tragedy and injustice. Two men and a teenager charged with the murder of gunman Tristan Sherry in Blanchardstown on Christmas Eve have appealed the decision of a High Court judge to refuse them bail. After hearing submissions from lawyers acting on behalf of the men at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the court would reserve judgement on the matter and intended to reveal their decision on May 7th. Advertisement Mr Sherry (26) was killed after he shot and fatally injured Jason Hennessy Senior on December 24th, 2023, at Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown. Mr Hennessy died 11 days later. David Amah (18), of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, and Michael Andrecut (22), Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15, have been charged with Mr Sherry's murder. The third person charged with Mr Sherry's murder, a 17-year-old youth, cannot be identified as he is a minor. Advertisement David Amah. Photo: Collins At the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, Seamus Clarke SC, for Mr Andrecut, said there were two grounds on which his client was refused bail; objections under Section 2 of the Bail Act and a concern that he would not attend his trial given the weight of the evidence against him and the likely sentence if convicted. The prosecution also pointed to the evidence that Mr Andrecut's passport was in a bag thrown on a dog cage in the kitchen of his house when gardai arrived three days after the incident. Mr Clarke submitted that the judge erred in finding that strict conditions could not adequately deal with this aspect of the objection. He said in relation to Section 2, the High Court judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, relied on the seriousness of the offence, the sentence likely to be imposed on conviction and the nature and strength of the evidence in support of the charge. Advertisement He said the judge had extracted from the evidence put forward at the bail hearing that because the appellant was aligned to one side in what the judge termed a "feud", there was a risk that further offences could be committed. Mr Clarke said the view the judge took was more grounded in conjecture and what might happen in the future than in hard evidence. He said the judge seemed to rely on the fear that a second gunman who came into the restaurant and then left might be a target in revenge. The guard, he said, had made comments that he had serious concerns in relation to public safety. He said the reality was that the guard did not give evidence of any particular feud as such. Advertisement Mr Clarke said the guards evidence was based on conjecture on what might happen but was not backed up by any hard facts. In relation to the passport, Mr Clarke said: "The fact that the passport is in a satchel in the kitchen on a dog cage, in my respectful submission theres nothing extraordinary about it." He said there simply wasnt any evidential basis given, such as flights booked or a plan to flee. Michael OHiggins SC, on behalf of David Amah, said this was a "very, very unusual situation" where people were gathered on Christmas Eve when two gunmen came into a restaurant. He said the circumstances that followed were completely and utterly chaotic". Advertisement Mr OHiggins said on the OCallaghan principle, the only ground advanced by the prosecution was that Mr Amah might flee. He said on the Section 2 ground there was a very, very vague assertion that other offences might be committed. He submitted that one of the factors referenced by Mr Justice Hunt when refusing bail was the inadequacy of the address provided. Mr OHiggins said it appeared the basis for the judges concern, insofar as one could be determined, was that he believed Mr Amahs personal safety would be at risk regardless of where he resided. However, Mr OHiggins said the focus [of Section 2] is restricted to whether the person seeking bail will commit offences and is not some broad principle that members of the public would have protection afforded to them on the basis of keeping someone in custody in case someone else tried to harm them. Michael Bowman SC, on behalf of the 17-year-old, said in refusing the teenager bail under Section 2 the judge took the view that the youth was a lightening rod for trouble and danger and said he was satisfied that there were substantial risks to the community around this young man who is plainly in serious danger. Mr Bowman said it was as if the judge was almost creating a subset of events where if there was a risk anticipated, bail is denied for fear of a wider consequence. He said the judge had stated that the fact the teen is a child was a factor, but no more than that. He submitted that Mr Justice Hunt erred in law in refusing bail under Section 2 of the Bail Act 1997 by failing to afford adequate weight to the presumption in favour of bail generally, and more specifically, the fact that the applicant was a child and that the refusal of bail ought only to have been a matter of last resort. Fiona Murphy SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that the objection to the juvenile receiving bail was on the grounds that gardai are concerned about revenge attacks or reprisals. She said the Garda concern in that regard was based on the level of violence on the night whereby within seconds of Mr Hennessy Snr being shot, Mr Sherry was disarmed, taken to the ground and subjected to "very serious violence". In relation to Mr Andrecut and Mr Amah, Ms Murphy said there were objections under Section 2 of the Bail Act under which bail can be denied if gardai have a genuine concern that the person would commit further offences. Ms Murphy said there were "very real concerns" that matters could escalate following the two deaths. A longtime tabloid publisher was expected to tell jurors about his efforts to help Donald Trump stifle unflattering stories during the 2016 election campaign as testimony resumes in the historic hush money trial of the former president. David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher who prosecutors say worked with Trump and Trumps lawyer Michael Cohen on a strategy called catch and kill to buy up and then spike negative stories, testified briefly on Monday and will be back on the stand on Tuesday in the Manhattan trial. Advertisement Also on Tuesday, prosecutors are expected to tell a judge that Trump should be held in contempt over a series of posts on his Truth Social platform that they say violated an earlier gag order barring him from attacking witnesses in the case. Trumps lawyers deny that he broke the order. Advertisement Mr Peckers testimony followed opening statements in which prosecutors alleged that Trump had sought to illegally influence the 2016 race by preventing damaging stories about his personal life from becoming public, including by approving hush money payments to a porn actor who alleged an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied this. This was a planned, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behaviour, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. It was election fraud, pure and simple. A defence lawyer countered by attacking the integrity of the one-time Trump confidant who is now the prosecutionss star witness. Advertisement Donald Trump sits in the courtroom (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP) President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorneys office should not have brought this case, lawyer Todd Blanche said. The opening statements offered the 12-person jury and the voting public radically divergent roadmaps for a case that will unfold against the backdrop of a closely contested White House race in which Trump is not only the presumptive Republican nominee but also a criminal defendant facing the prospect of a conviction and prison. Advertisement The case is the first criminal trial of a former American president and the first of four prosecutions of Trump to reach a jury. Prosecutors have sought from the outset to elevate the gravity of the case, which they said was chiefly about election interference as reflected by the hush money payments to a porn actor who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump. Adult film actor Stormy Daniels said she received hush money (Markus Schreiber/AP) Advertisement The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again, Mr Colangelo said. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records a charge punishable by up to four years in prison although it is not clear if the judge would seek to put him behind bars. A conviction would not preclude Trump from becoming president again, but because it is a state case, he would not be able to pardon himself if found guilty. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The case brought by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg revisits a years-old chapter from Trumps biography when his celebrity past collided with his political ambitions and, prosecutors say, he scrambled to stifle stories that he feared could torpedo his campaign. The opening statements served as an introduction to the colourful cast of characters that feature prominently in this saga, including Stormy Daniels, the porn actor who says she received the hush money; Cohen, the lawyer who prosecutors say paid her; and Mr Pecker, who prosecutors say agreed to function as the campaigns eyes and ears. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, left, sits with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Angela Piazza/Associated Press Elon Musk, billionaire and chief executive officer of Tesla. Nathan Laine, Bloomberg / Bloomberg A Tesla Cybertruck. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg A Tesla vehicle is charged at a Tesla charging station. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Shareholders will soon reveal whether Tesla is a corporation or a cult by voting on whether to make Elon Musk the highest-paid part-time CEO in history despite the stock price collapsing 40%, the company laying off 14,000 workers and a judge calling his hand-picked boards decision-making deeply flawed. Musk and Teslas directors are spending millions to convince shareholders to give up $56 billion after the company missed sales targets and failed to launch the new Model 2 on time, if at all. Analysts at Houston investment bank TPH Energy Research expect the stock to drop another 17% before bottoming out. Teslas biggest retail shareholder, Leo Koguan, told the energy transition website Electrek that he would vote against the deal in June. Tesla is a family business masquerading as a public company, he explained. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Koguans 27 million shares are not enough to block the proposal or an additional vote on reincorporating Tesla in Texas, out of reach of that pesky Delaware judge. The swing voters are the worlds largest asset managers, including Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street and Geode Capital Management. The calculus is complicated. The worlds richest Texan definitely does not deserve $56 billion in compensation for 10 years of work, especially since running SpaceX, Neuralink and Twitter, now known as X, has made him a part-time employee. But if the shareholders do not grant his wish, they must wonder how much a Musk temper tantrum will hurt the stock price. Musk has already menaced Tesla. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control. Enough to be influential, but not so much that I cant be overturned, he posted on X. Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla. You dont seem to understand that Tesla is not one startup, but a dozen. Simply look at the delta between what Tesla does and GM. Yes, lets compare Tesla to General Motors. Tesla is valued at about $460 billion with an extraordinary price-to-earnings ratio of 34, which means investors think it is worth $34 for every dollar the company earns. General Motors is worth $48.82 billion and has a standard price-to-earnings ratio 5.78. The stock yields a dividend of 1.14%, while Tesla yields nothing. GM generated $171.84 billion in revenue in 2023, compared to Teslas $96.8 billion. Tesla needs a secret technology that will change the world to justify its current stock price. Despite this unlikely outcome, Musk wants Tesla shareholders to give him half of last years revenue, or hell hobble the company. But would he really? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tesla stock represents $61.6 billion of Musks $170 billion net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Corporate filings show Musk has pledged 58% of his Tesla shares to secure personal debts, which means he cant sell it. Tesla is more than autos. The company makes batteries for energy storage, both small and large, as well as robots and self-driving software. If Musk spins off Teslas artificial intelligence arm into another company, the value of all the product lines will collapse. Musks fortune totaled $256 billion in July before Teslas stock dropped. Does Musk really want to crater Tesla stock by another third? Considering Musks impulsivity, no one should rule out a conniption fit where he blows it all up. The more interesting question is whether Tesla is better off without him at the helm. Musks right-wing politics have hurt Teslas reputation, and many Tesla customers are embarrassed by his behavior. I recently met a Model Y owner who hastened to explain hed bought the car before Musk started backing fringe Republicans. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Consumer research company Strategic Vision reports that Democrats who once used Teslas to virtue-signal are abandoning the brand due to Musks antipathy toward labor unions, environmental laws and good corporate governance. Musks latest plans to take Texas parkland and remove his Texas Gigafactory from Austins extra-jurisdictional environmental regulations betray his arrogance and greed. If Musk left, Teslas stock would fall quickly as his acolytes sell off in protest. However, a realistic price-to-earnings valuation, a more professional management team and a lack of daily drama would set the automaker on a more stable, profitable course for investors outside Musks inner circle. The companys shareholders may fold to Musks blackmail and give him the $56 billion, but I have no doubt he will get his comeuppance. Greedy billionaires, like messianic cult leaders, always provide the means for their own destruction; its only a matter of time. A man who works for a German lawmaker in the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, prosecutors have said. The suspect, identified only as Jian G in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on Monday in Dresden, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Advertisement They said he had worked for a German lawmaker in the European Unions legislature since 2019. Advertisement Prosecutors did not identify the lawmaker, but Maximilian Krah of the far-right Alternative for Germany, who is his partys top candidate in the European Parliament election in June, said in a statement that he had found out about the arrest of employee Jian G from the press on Tuesday. I do not have further information, Mr Krah said. He added that spying activity for a foreign state is a serious allegation which, if proven, would lead to the employees immediate dismissal. Jian G, a German national, is accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament in January. Advertisement Prosecutors also allege that he spied on Chinese dissidents in Germany. Advertisement German interior minister Nancy Faeser said the spying allegations were extremely serious. If it is confirmed that there was spying for Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, then that is an attack from inside on European democracy, Ms Faeser said in a statement. Anyone who employs such a staff member also carries responsibility, she added. This case must be cleared up precisely all the connections and background must be illuminated. Advertisement News of the arrest came a day after three Germans suspected of spying for China and arranging to transfer information on technology with potential military uses were arrested in a separate case. German chancellor Olaf Scholz, second right, met Chinese president Xi Jinping, second left, in Beijing last week (Ding Haitao/Xinhua via AP) Also on Monday, prosecutors in the UK said a former researcher working in Parliament and another man had been charged with spying for China. Asked in Beijing about the latest arrest in Germany, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the recent reports in Europe about Chinese spying are all hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China. Beijing urged the relevant parties to stop spreading disinformation about Chinas spy threat and stop political manipulation and malicious smears against China, he added. A week ago, German chancellor Olaf Scholz met Chinas top leaders in Beijing at the end of a three-day trip to the country. In a strategy for relations with China released last year, the German government pointed to a systemic rivalry with the Asian power and a need to reduce risks of economic dependency, but highlighted its desire to work with Beijing on challenges such as climate change and to maintain strong trade ties. That document pledged decisive action to counter Chinese espionage activities. A new photograph of Britains Prince Louis taken by his mother has been released by Kensington Palace to mark his sixth birthday. The unedited close-up image, showing Louis grinning at the camera as he lies barefoot on a blanket on the grass, was taken in the last few days at Windsor by Kate, who announced last month that she is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. Advertisement It was posted on Kensington Palaces social media accounts, some six weeks after the furore surrounding the Mothers Day portrait which the princess admitted editing. Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today. The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/TxshrI3WKO The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2024 Advertisement William and Kate thanked royal fans for the birthday messages they received for their youngest child. The post read: Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today. Advertisement The image was followed by a camera emoji and attributed to the Princess of Wales. The family have had a challenging start to the year, with the princesss major abdominal surgery, cancer diagnosis and treatment. Advertisement The release of the portrait marks a change in the way William and Kate usually issue images for their childrens birthdays. It was posted straight to social media on Louis actual birthday on Tuesday, rather than under embargo to the press the day before, as was the established pattern William and Kate have followed each year for all three of their children since they were born. It is understood to be due to the unprecedented time the family is experiencing. Advertisement Kate recording her message about her diagnosis (BBC Studios/PA) William and Kate are said to be cognisant of the fact that they have asked for privacy during the princesss recovery, but wanted to share the photograph on social media as a way to thank those who have sent birthday wishes. The same process is expected to be followed for Princess Charlottes birthday in May. Kate issued a public apology last month when an image William took of the princess with Prince George, Charlotte and Louis was found to have been digitally altered. Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024 The family Mothers Day portrait the first official one showing Kate since her surgery was withdrawn by picture agencies over concerns it had been manipulated after discrepancies were spotted in the photograph. It fuelled the escalating conspiracy theories online over Kates health and her whereabouts. The princess took the blame and said sorry for the confusion with a statement saying she had been experimenting with editing. Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mothers Day. C The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024 Less than two weeks later, she issued a video message, announcing she was undergoing chemotherapy after post-op tests found cancer had been present. William and Kate took the time to share the princesss diagnosis with their children ahead of the Easter holidays, giving them time to process the information. Indias main opposition party has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hate speech after he called Muslims infiltrators and used some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith. Mr Modi made his comments in a campaign rally in the western state of Rajasthan days after the country began its weeks-long general election. Advertisement Speaking at the event, Mr Modi said that when the Congress party was in government, they said Muslims have the first right over the countrys resources. If it returned to power, the party will gather all your wealth and distribute it among those who have more children, he said as the crowd applauded. They will distribute it among infiltrators, he continued, saying: Do you think your hard-earned money should be given to infiltrators? Advertisement Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a spokesperson for Congress, called the prime ministers remarks deeply, deeply objectionable and said the party had sought action from the Election Commission of India, which oversees the six-week voting period. The first votes were cast on Friday. The remarks sparked fierce criticism for peddling anti-Muslim tropes, and for breaking election rules which bar candidates from engaging in any activity that aggravates religious tensions. The Election Commission of Indias model code of conduct forbids candidates to appeal to caste or communal feelings to secure votes. Advertisement Asaduddin Owaidi, a Muslim lawmaker and president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen party, said on Sunday: Modi today called Muslims infiltrators and people with many children. Since 2002 till this day, the only Modi guarantee has been to abuse Muslims and get votes. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is accused of fostering religious intolerance and sometimes even violence (Manish Swarup/AP) Critics of Mr Modi an avowed Hindu nationalist say Indias tradition of diversity and secularism has come under attack since his party won power in 2014 and returned for a second term in 2019. Advertisement They accuse Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of fostering religious intolerance and sometimes even violence. The party denies the accusation and say their policies benefit all Indians. But human rights groups say that attacks against minorities have become more brazen under Mr Modi. Scores of Muslims have been lynched by Hindu mobs over allegations of eating beef or smuggling cows, an animal considered holy to Hindus. Muslim businesses have been boycotted, their homes and businesses have been bulldozed and places of worship set on fire. Some open calls have been made for their genocide. Mr Modis remarks were based on a 2006 statement by then-prime minister Manmohan Singh of the Congress party. Advertisement Mr Singh said that Indias lower castes, tribes, women and in particular the Muslim minority were empowered to share in the countrys development equally. They must have the first claim on resources, Mr Singh had said. A day later, his office clarified that Mr Singh was referring to all of the disadvantaged groups. Mr Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP are expected to win, according to most surveys. The results are due on June 4. The Congress partys president, Mallikarjun Kharge, described Mr Modis comments as hate speech. The first votes in the election were cast on Friday (Altaf Qadri/AP) In the history of India, no prime minister has lowered the dignity of his post as much as Modi has, Mr Kharge wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. In its petition to the election commission, the party said that Mr Modi and the BJP had repeatedly used religion, religious symbols and sentiments in their election campaign with impunity. These actions have been further bolstered by the commissions inaction in penalising the prime minister and the BJP for their blatant violations of electoral laws, it said. The commissions code of conduct is not legally binding on its own, but it can issue notices and suspend campaigners for a certain amount of time over violations. We decline comment, a spokesperson for the commission told the Press Trust of India news agency on Monday. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will remain jailed on espionage charges until at least late June, after a Moscow court on Tuesday rejected his appeal that sought to end his pre-trial detention. The 32-year-old US citizen was detained in late March 2023 while on a reporting trip and has spent more than a year behind bars. Advertisement Last month, his arrest was extended until June 30 in a ruling he and his defence lawyers later appealed against. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich at an earlier hearing (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) The appeal was heard by a Moscow appellate court on Tuesday and rejected. Advertisement In the courtroom on Tuesday, Mr Gerhskovich, wearing a white T-shirt and an open checked shirt, looked relaxed, at times laughing and chatting with members of his legal team. His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges. Mr Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained. Analysts have said Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in soaring US-Russian tensions over the Kremlins military operation in Ukraine. Advertisement At least two US citizens arrested in Russia in recent years including WNBA star Brittney Griner have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the US. In December, the US State Department said it had made a significant offer to secure the release of Mr Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, which it said Moscow had rejected. Officials did not describe the offer, although Russia has been said to be seeking the release of Vadim Krasikov, who was given a life sentence in Germany in 2021 for the killing in Berlin of Zelimkhan Tornike Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen descent who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and later claimed asylum in Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin, asked this year about releasing Mr Gershkovich, appeared to refer to Krasikov by pointing to a man imprisoned by a US ally for liquidating a bandit who had allegedly killed Russian soldiers during separatist fighting in Chechnya. Advertisement Mr Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Mr Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the then Soviet Unions UN mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. The mother of one of the Nottingham attack victims has written an open letter to members of a police WhatsApp group in which a message was posted describing her son as being properly butchered. Emma Webber, the mother of Barnaby Webber (19), who with Grace OMalley-Kumar (19) and school caretaker Ian Coates (65) was stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane, has written to the Nottinghamshire Police officer who she says posted graphic details of the victims injuries in the chat group. Advertisement Calocane (32) carried out the fatal stabbings with a dagger in Nottingham, England, in the early hours of June 13th last year, and attempted to kill three others. In January he was given an indefinite hospital order for manslaughter by diminished responsibility, after Nottingham Crown Court heard he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Valdo Calocane Advertisement Mrs Webber has shared an open letter to the WhatsApp group of police officers who discussed the attack as she has been denied the opportunity to speak to the group privately and anonymously, she said. Mrs Webber said the callous, degrading and desensitised manner of the comments has caused more trauma than you can imagine. She added: When you say a couple of students have been properly butchered did you stop to think about the absolute terror that they felt in the moment when they were ambushed and repeatedly stabbed by a man who had planned his attack and lay waiting in the shadows for them. When you say innards out and everything did you think about the agony they felt and the final thoughts that went through their minds as this vicious individual inflicted wounds so serious that they had no chance of surviving. Advertisement Did you relate the excited urgency in your message of spreading big news and preparing for a busy shift that countless lives had been destroyed forever. Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber. Photo: Jacob King/PA Mrs Webber said she has the utmost respect for the emergency services, but added that anyone who can witness the details of such a horror as happened in the early hours of the 14th June 2023; and refer to lost children as butchered animals; should seriously consider their position. Advertisement The officer who wrote the message has received a management warning, Mrs Webber said she understands. She said she does not know how many officers were in the group. Speaking directly to the author of the message, she said: I pray you will read this and pause for a while. Dig a little deeper for compassion and care. Show the respect in the future that you did not afford Barney. My aim is not to cause undue shame, or to have anyone publicly vilified; theres no need to add yet more pain; I just hope that by reaching out to educate and explain, my voice might make a difference. Advertisement If you feel able and wish to make contact know that you can and it will be kept fully private. I have written this open letter only because of the actions of your Chief Constable and her senior leadership team. On May 8th the sentence handed to Calocane will be reviewed at the UK Court of Appeal, after England's Attorney General Victoria Prentis concluded it was unduly lenient. Mrs Webber has previously said she has lost faith in Nottinghamshire Polices leadership and called for the chief constable to step aside while allegations of failings are investigated. She raised concerns after it emerged the son of the forces boss, Kate Meynell, was among members of the police WhatsApp group in which graphic details were posted about the killings. The force is being investigated by both the UK police watchdog (IOPC) and the UK College of Policing after coming under fire over its handling of the case. A force investigation found 11 members of staff viewed material about the case without any legitimate reason for doing so. Three faced disciplinary action but eight were instead handed performance interventions. James Coates, son of Ian Coates, Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber and Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace OMalley-Kumar. Photo: Lucy North/PA Earlier this year, Ms Meynell said she was horrified after one of her officers viewed bodycam footage showing the aftermath of the attacks. The special constable was sacked in December. Meanwhile, police constable Matthew Gell was given a final written warning after a misconduct hearing in January found he breached confidentiality standards after sharing information about the case in a text message. Another staff member will also face misconduct proceedings. A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police told The Times: A member of police staff has been dismissed following a gross misconduct hearing on April 5 for the misuse of force systems and breaching data protection by accessing information relating to recent homicide investigations. The investigation showed that the police staff member used police systems to research the offender, Valdo Calocane. There was no evidence that she viewed body-worn video or CCTV in relation to the case. All hearings relating to police staff misconduct are held in private. It would be inappropriate to comment further due to the ongoing independent investigation by the IOPC and the review by the College of Policing. The former HR director of the Post Office has accused its boss, Nick Read, of being obsessed with his pay and repeatedly making threats to resign over the issue, in the latest development in the long-running crisis facing the organisation. Jane Davies said chief executive Mr Read had embarked upon a deliberate campaign to defame and ostracise her. Advertisement The remarks were made in a letter to the UK governments Department for Business and Trade (DBT), published a week after the Post Office said Mr Read had been cleared of all misconduct claims. Ms Davies wrote: I joined POL (Post Office Limited) with a mandate to tackle deep-seated cultural problems within the organisation and prioritise redress for the victims of the Horizon scandal. However, from the first day, I found a chief executive who was obsessed with his pay, to such an extent that it was a huge distraction from me establishing myself in my new position and performing the duties that were set out in my job description. She said he was offered a five per cent pay rise but appeared to find it insulting. Advertisement As a result, he regarded me a failure for not getting the remuneration increase, the former chief people officer wrote in the letter. What followed was a deliberate campaign to defame and ostracise me. The chief executive of the Post Office has been accused by its former HR director of attempting to defame and ostracise her Photo: James Manning/PA. Advertisement The Post Offices latest accounts suggest Mr Reads pay for the 2022 to 2023 financial year totalled 570,000. In the previous year, he was paid 816,000, the sum of a 415,000 fixed salary and 401,000 in bonus payments. The total is after he returned a 54,000 portion of his bonus that year linked to the Horizon inquiry. Ms Davies letter comes a week after the Post Office confirmed that Mr Read had been cleared of all misconduct allegations, following a report into his behaviour. An independent barrister had looked into various allegations against the chief executive, including accusations of bullying by former chairman Henry Staunton. Advertisement But the Post Office said the review exonerated him of any misconduct claims, and that he had the full backing of the board to continue to lead the business. A spokesman for DBT said last week: We feel this report has drawn a line under the issue and now regard the matter as closed, which allows us to turn our full attention to ensuring postmasters are compensated quickly and fairly. A UK government Bill has been introduced to quash the convictions of sub postmasters who were wrongly convicted on the basis of faulty accounting software named Horizon. The Post Office has been contacted for comment on Ms Davies letter. Columbia cancelled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public as some of the most prestigious US universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israels war with Hamas. More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbias green were arrested last week, and similar encampments have sprouted up at universities around the country. Advertisement At New York University, an encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters throughout the day on Monday. Students and pro-Palestinian supporters held a protest on Yale University campus in Connecticut (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP) The university said it had warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene became disorderly and the university said it learned of reports of intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents. Police began making arrests shortly after 8.30pm. Advertisement Its a really outrageous crackdown by the university to allow the police to arrest students on our own campus, New York University law student Byul Yoon said. Antisemitism is never OK. Thats absolutely not what we stand for and thats why there are so many Jewish comrades that are here with us today, the student said. Universities are wrestling with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses. Tents were erected at a pro-Palestinian demonstration encampment at Columbia University in New York (Stefan Jeremiah/AP) Advertisement The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israels assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Meanwhile, some Jewish students say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the groups October 7 attack. Tensions remained high at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside. Advertisement US Representative Kathy Manning, a Democrat from North Carolina who was visiting Columbia with three other Jewish members of Congress, told reporters after meeting with students from the Jewish Law Students Association that there was an enormous encampment of people who had taken up about a third of the green. Some Columbia University lecturers spoke in solidarity with what they said was their students rights to protest free from arrest (Stefan Jeremiah/AP) We saw signs indicating that Israel should be destroyed, she said after leaving the Morningside Heights campus. Advertisement Columbia announced on Monday that courses at the Morningside campus would offer virtual options for students where possible, citing safety as their top priority. University president Minouche Shafik said in a message to the school community that she was deeply saddened by what was happening on campus. To de-escalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday, Ms Shafik wrote, noting that students who did not live on campus should stay away. Protests have taken place across many college campuses since Hamas deadly attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. Harvard Yard was closed to the public on Monday (Steve LeBlanc/AP) During the ensuing war, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants but says at least two-thirds of the dead are children and women. In Massachusetts, a sign said Harvard Yard was closed to the public on Monday. It said structures, including tents and tables, were only allowed into the yard with prior permission. Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action, the sign said. The same day, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee said the universitys administration had suspended their group. At Yale, in Connecticut, police officers arrested about 45 protesters and charged them with misdemeanor trespassing, a New Haven police spokesperson said. All were being released on promises to appear in court later, he said. The British prime minister has said nothing will stand in our way of getting flights off the ground after the UK governments Rwanda deportation plan passed through Parliament. The House of Lords had been engaged in an extended tussle over the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Monday, sending it back to the Commons five times in a bid to secure changes. Advertisement The unelected chamber ended the deadlock after MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to Parliament to that effect. The UK government said the Lords amendment was almost identical to the previous ones overturned by MPs. Advertisement In a statement on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak said: The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration. We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them. The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay. Advertisement Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives. In a video posted to social media, Home Secretary James Cleverly said the Bill will become law within days. He said: The Act will prevent people from abusing the law by using false human rights claims to block removals. And it makes clear that the UK Parliament is sovereign, giving Government the power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts. Advertisement I promised to do what was necessary to clear the path for the first flight. Thats what we have done. Now were working day in and day out to get flights off the ground. Advertisement The Safety of Rwanda Bill has just passed in Parliament. This is what it means pic.twitter.com/Nq3O9qKVus James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) April 22, 2024 Earlier in the upper House, the opposition did not press its demand for the Bill to include an exemption from removal for Afghan nationals who assisted British troops after what critics hailed as a concession. A UK Home Office minister said the government will not send those who are eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) to Rwanda. The new law aims to clear the way to send asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats on a one-way flight to Kigali. The legislation and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled scheme after the Supreme Court ruled the plan was unlawful. As well as compelling judges to regard the east African country as safe, it would give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions. Mr Sunak had blamed Labour peers for holding up the Bill (John Walton/PA) The UK prime minister says the policy will act as a deterrent to migrants attempting to make the perilous journey across the worlds busiest shipping lane. In a statement, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called the Bill an extortionately expensive gimmick rather than a serious plan to tackle dangerous boat crossings. The Rwanda scheme will cost more than half a billion pounds for just 300 people, less than one per cent of asylum seekers here in the UK and there is no plan for the 99 per cent, she said. Instead of spending 2 million per asylum seeker on this failing scheme they should be putting that money into boosting our border security instead, that is Labours practical plan. This is the third new law the Tories have passed on Channel crossings in two years, each one has made the chaos worse and even senior Tory MPs dont believe this third law will work. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called the Bill an extortionately expensive gimmick (Jeff Moore/PA) As former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has said this is just a plan to get a few symbolic flights off before an election. Now the new law has passed, the Conservatives will immediately sign another 50 million cheque to Rwanda on top of the 200 million sent so far, even though not a single asylum seeker has yet been sent. The Conservatives should drop this eye-wateringly expensive election stunt and instead adopt Labours practical plan boost our border security with new cross-border police and new counter terror style powers to crack down on the criminal gangs, and a new Returns and Enforcement Unit to remove those who have no right to be here. Earlier on Monday, Rishi Sunak blamed Labour peers for holding up the Bill, as he acknowledged he will miss his self-imposed spring target for getting the Rwanda scheme off the ground. Having completed its parliamentary passage, the Bill now goes for royal assent. William Strickland, a longtime civil right activist and supporter of the Black Power movement who worked with Malcom X and other prominent leaders in the 1960s, has died. He was 87. Mr Strickland, whose death on April 10 was confirmed by a relative, first became active in civil rights as a schoolboy in Massachusetts. Advertisement He later became inspired by the writings of Richard Wright and James Baldwin while an undergraduate at Harvard University, according to Peter Blackmer, a former student who is now an assistant professor of Africology and African American Studies at Easter Michigan University. He made incredible contributions to the black freedom movement that havent really been appreciated, Mr Blackmer said. Advertisement His contention was that civil rights wasnt a sufficient framework for challenging the systems that were behind the oppression of black communities throughout the diaspora. Mr Strickland joined the Boston chapter of the Northern Student Movement in the early 1960s, which provided support to sit-ins and other protests in the south. He became the groups executive director in 1963 and from there became a supporter of the Black Power movement, which emphasised racial pride, self-reliance and self-determination. Advertisement Mr Strickland also worked alongside Malcolm X, James Baldwin and others in New York on rent strikes, school boycotts and protests against police brutality. Amilcar Shabazz, a professor in the WEB Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachusetts, said: He underwent a similar kind of experience to committing himself to being an agent of social change in the world against the three big issues of the civil rights movement imperialism or militarism, racism and the economic injustice of plantation capitalism. He committed himself against those triple evils. He did that in his scholarship, in his teaching, in his activism and just how he walked in the world. After the assassination of the Rev Martin Luther King Jr, Mr Strickland co-founded the independent black think tank, the Institute of the Black World. From its start in 1969, it served for several years as the gathering place for black intellectuals. Advertisement From there, he joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he spent 40 years teaching political science and serving as the director of the WEB Du Bois Papers. He also travelled to Africa and the Caribbean, where Mr Shabazz said he met leaders of black liberation movements in Africa and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Strickland also wrote about racism and capitalism for several outlets and served as a consultant for several documentaries, Mr Blackmer said. Advertisement Comparing him with Malcolm X, Mr Blackmer said one of Mr Stricklands gifts was being able to take weighty issues such as complex systems of oppression and make them understandable and accessible to popular audiences. As a teacher, that is how he taught us to think as students to be able to understand and deconstruct racism, capitalism, imperialism and to be fearless in doing so and not being afraid to name the systems that were confronting as a means of developing a strategy to challenge them, Mr Blackmer said. For relatives, Mr Strickland was an intellectual giant with a sense of humour who was not afraid to speak his mind. He always spoke truth to power. That was the type of guy he was, said his cousin Earnestine Norman. They were planning a trip to Spain where Mr Strickland had a home before he started having health problems. He always told the truth about our culture, of being Africans here in America and the struggles we had, she continued. Sometimes it may have embarrassed some people or whatever but his truth was his truth. His knowledge was his knowledge and he was not the type of person as the saying goes to bite his tongue. Mercifully, this cloying official obsequiousness to Britain would not last, and Curtin was the man who ended it, horrified that Australias loyalty to Britain in extremis had not been returned in kind. No matter that Australia had lost 60,000 men killed in WWI in the service of Britain, and that at the outbreak of the Second World War Australia had promptly sent two full divisions of men, (including my father, Lieutenant P.M. FitzSimons, 2/4th Ak-Ak) to fight beside Britain in the Middle East to defend British interests. Now, it seemed to Curtin, after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour and the threatened fall of Singapore, when Australia was in need, Britain was missing in action. The 1st Armoured Brigade marches through Sydney to Prince Alfred Park on November 21, 1941. But Churchills views had been set in stone when, on November 22, 1940, he sent a memo to his First Sea Lord, insisting that there be a concentration of all possible naval and military aid in the European field, [my italics] to the exclusion of any other interest This would involve abandonment of any attempt to reinforce the Far East. And us in Australia, Prime Minister Churchill, in the Far East and facing the rising Japanese threat? We were on our own. Curtin felt that Churchill was abandoning us to purely British and more favoured colonial interests. In early 1942, Curtin cabled his wife Elsie in Perth that The war goes very badly and I have a cable fight with Churchill almost daily. He has been in Africa and India and they count before Australia and New Zealand. The cables kept coming, building to a climax as Singapore fell on February 15, 1942, and Darwin was bombed by the Japanese four days later. In these cable fights, Churchill tried to soothe Curtin, maintaining that Australia was in minimal danger. But in private the English leader was scathing, claiming that the Australians were jumpy about invasion because they came from bad stock, according to David Day in The Politics of War. No, really. The biggest issue between the leaders concerned the Australian troops of the Sixth and Seventh Divisions then on the Indian Ocean and heading east, from North Africa to Australia. Churchill wanted them diverted to Burma to defend the jewel in Britains colonial crown, India, against a western Japanese thrust while also putting garrisons in Ceylon and Java. Curtin, call him crazy, wanted Australias finest sons to return to Australia. In an effort to convince Curtin, Churchill even engaged the support of US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who sent cables to the Australian leader agreeing with the British prime ministers line of reasoning. (It was explained to Roosevelt that Australia was a sovereign nation, and Curtin was quite within his rights.) Even Australias representative to the United Kingdom, Earle Page our own man told Churchill that he would endeavour to change Curtins mind, and indeed tried to do so. Curtins reported comment in response to Pages recommendation was one for the ages: There are numerous geographical centres where an AIF or any other division would be useful, he said, but from the viewpoint of Australia, there is none east of Suez of greater importance than Australia [itself]. Finally, the climax For, extraordinarily believing himself to be the leader of the forces of the British Empire, and that was authority enough Churchill gave orders to the British troopships to divert the Australian troops to Burma anyway, only informing Curtin 24 hours after the event. Curtin, shocked that it had come to this, needed time to think. So he went for a long walk around Canberras Mount Ainslie. It was, in fact, so long that his key adviser on defence issues, Frederick Shedden, organised for messages to be put up on screens in the citys theatres around Canberra, broadly saying, if you are the Prime Minister, phone home. Curtin did return, just after midnight, and sent the cable which fully affirmed Australias right as a sovereign nation to determine where its own troops would be sent. Australias outer defences are now quickly vanishing and our vulnerability is completely exposed, he wrote flatly to Churchill. We feel a primary obligation to save Australia. This cable has been called Australias informal Declaration of Independence. The Conference of Dominion Premiers in London on May 1, 1944: (from left) Field Marshall Smuts (South Africa); Mackenzie King (Canada); Winston Churchill, John Curtin, and Peter Fraser (New Zealand). Curtin won the day, even if he did allow two brigades of the Sixth Division to stay in Ceylon as a temporary garrison. The rest of the convoy headed home, home to Australia, to the manifest relief of the troops themselves. And of course, those same Australian troops did go on to defend Australia, in the battles of Milne Bay, Kokoda and all the rest. Through those battles, Curtin was resolute, and even summoned what I would call Churchillian language, in assuring the Americans in a subsequent radio broadcast of March 1942: The Anzac breed will trade punches with the Japanese, until we rock the enemy back on his heels. [No matter which way the battle turns] there will still be Australians fighting on Australian soil until the turning point be reached, and we will advance over blackened ruins through blasted and fire-swept cities, across scorched plains, until we drive the enemy into the sea. Loading And so the Australians did, though mercifully not on Australian soil. That was who John Curtin was the great leader who Anthony Albanese is likely to be honouring in his Anzac Day address at Isurava. He was a great leader of his country, of his people, who came from modest beginnings and rose to be a truly great Australian, prioritising Australian interests and the people loved him for it. At his funeral in Canberra in 1945, there was pomp and ceremony befitting a great PM who had died in office, and two of his pallbearers were Artie Fadden and Robert Menzies. Just after they had put the coffin down on the gun carriage Menzies said to Fadden, I dont want all this fuss when I go, Artie. Express Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection and said it planned to close 95 Express retail stores. Andrew Harnik/Associated Press Apparel retailer Express Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday and said it would close about 95 Express stores. The company said it planned to sell many of its stores and operations to a group of buyers led by WHP Global, the New York parent company of Toys "R" Us and Anne Klein. This group includes a Brookfield Properties and a subsidiary linked to Simon Property Group, two major U.S. mall owners, the company said in a statement. We are taking an important step that will strengthen our financial position and enable Express to continue advancing our business initiatives," Stewart Glendinning, CEO of the Columbus, Ohio-based company, said in the statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Express has Houston-area locations including Memorial City Mall, Willowbrook Mall and The Galleria, which is owned by Simon. No Houston area store appears to be on the list of those slated for closure. Express reported at least $1 billion in estimated liabilities in its bankruptcy filing. The company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in March. The company, which owns the brands Express, Bonobos and UpWest, said Monday it received $35 million in new financing from some of its lenders, which is still subject to court approval. It also received $49 million in cash this month from the government, funding related to the pandemic-era CARES Act of 2020. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bennell-Pegg, who is a dual Australian-UK citizen, applied to join the European Astronaut Corps in 2021. She was one of the last 25 candidates but was not selected for the final 17. The Australian Space Agency, where Bennell-Pegg works as its director of space technology, stepped in to fund her training with the European Space Agency, with the goal of bringing back knowledge to the domestic space industry. Two Australian-born astronauts, Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas, have travelled into space but did so after becoming US citizens so they could fly with NASA. Credit: NASA, AP Representing Australia is filled with opportunities to propel our nations science and technology forward in the global space arena and to raise the level of aspiration for the next generation, Bennell-Pegg said ahead of her graduation. I hope my training and whatever comes next helps unlock the path for more Australians to become involved in human spaceflight. But now that Australia has a new astronaut, is it feasible to send her on a trip beyond our atmosphere and how might she get there? Could, and should, Bennell-Pegg get to space? While her fellow graduates are all headed for space between now and 2030, spaceflight for Bennell-Pegg isnt guaranteed. Australia doesnt have a human spaceflight program, but one of our astronauts could be invited by another nations space agency to participate in a mission. NASAs administrator Bill Nelson even told the National Press Club last year that hed like to see an Australian train and fly with us. Another potential route for someone in Bennell-Peggs position to make it to the International Space Station is through Axiom Space, a company that runs private astronaut missions. Turkey and Sweden bought crew seats for their astronauts on an Axiom mission to the space station in January, at a reported cost of $US55 million ($85 million) a seat which well exceeds the entire annual budget of the Australian Space Agency. Bennell-Pegg visited Axioms headquarters as part of her training, but the Australian Space Agency isnt considering purchasing one of these crew seats. Four astronauts (in dark blue suits) on the International Space Station in February after travelling privately with Axiom Space. Credit: NASA Figures within the space industry have questioned whether it would be worth it to take the leap from training an Australian astronaut which cost $466,000 to actually funding a trip to space against a backdrop of budget cuts to Australias space sector. Two industry sources, who spoke anonymously to avoid professional repercussions, said they were concerned that pouring resources into human spaceflight could risk further cuts to significant space science programs including Earth observation, climate change monitoring, bushfire protection, flood monitoring and remote community communication. In last years federal budget, the government slashed $77 million from space industry funding, which included support for the development of spaceports and getting Australian technology into orbit. Loading The government also axed the $1.2 billion National Space Mission for Earth Observation program, which would have led to four Australian-built satellites being launched to gather data on weather, agriculture and natural disasters. A spokesperson for federal Science Minister Ed Husic said: We put the Australian Space Agency on a sustainable footing with core funding of $34.2 million and continue to support a number of other space programs, including the $150 million Moon to Mars initiative. Meanwhile, Greens senator David Shoebridge has lodged questions on notice to Husic, probing the Australian Space Agencys decision to send one its own employees for training. If our government is going to invest nearly half a million dollars in having an Australian astronaut, there should at least be a transparent selection process and some kind of rational explanation about how this helps build a domestic space industry, Shoebridge said. Capitalising on a $1.5 trillion industry Dr Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says the government needs to back the entire space industry now if it is to reap the benefits of whats projected to be a $1.5 trillion industry by 2040. SpaceXs mega rocket, Starship, launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, in November last year. Credit: AP More than 20,000 doctors will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid overtime and entitlements after the NSW government settled the largest underpayment claim in Australian history. After a four-year battle in the Supreme Court, NSW Health has agreed to pay $229.8 million to resolve a class action launched on behalf of junior medical officers employed by the department at any point between December 2014 and March 2024. Lead plaintiff Dr Amireh Fakhouri is now a GP at Utopia Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health at Hoppers Crossing in Melbournes south-west. Credit: Darrian Traynor Law firms Maurice Blackburn and Hayden Stephens & Associates lodged the class action in December 2020, aiming to recoup tens of millions of dollars in unpaid wages they allege were earned caring for patients under exploitative conditions. Dr Amireh Fakhouri, a junior doctor at Westmead Hospital between 2015 and 2018 who was the lead plaintiff in the action, said she was proud of the outcome and hoped it would make life better for the next generation of doctors working in the public system. Two-Up The coin-based gambling game can be legally played in Queensland on Anzac Day. If youre keen to experience this aspect of Australian culture, head to pubs including the Prince Consort in the Valley, the Regatta in Toowong, the Glen at Eight Mile Plains, the Boundary in West End, Riverbar and Kitchen in the city, or Howard Smith Wharves. As always, if gambling is a problem for you, do something else. KIDS & FAMILIES Jurassic World by Brickman at Queensland Museum. Credit: Anna Kucera Jurassic World by Brickman Ryan Brickman McNaught re-imagines Jurassic World in an exhibition of large-scale dinosaurs, props, scenes and activities made from more than 6 million Lego bricks. Kids can build their own Lego dino-ramas, and when theyre done you can also take them to see the free Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibition downstairs featuring Queenslands own prehistoric monsters. Queensland Museum Kurilpa, Anzac Day 1.30-5pm, $19.90-$29.90. Buy tickets. Victoria Park Putt Putt Victoria Parks mini-golf course twists, turns, goes over bridges and features unique challenges. Kids and adults alike can pass a happy hour here any time from 6am, but book ahead. Also try the mini golf at St Lucia (from 10am), Golf Central Airport (from 1pm), Mount Gravatt (from 1pm) and Meadowbrook (from 6am). 309 Herston Road, Herston, Anzac Day 6am-10pm, $14-$20. Buy tickets. Hit the trampolines at Bounce Inc Kids can indulge their love of trampolines at these five indoor venues across town and the Gold Coast. Expect some 3000 square metres of interconnected trampolines, adventure features, padding and airbags. Parents dont have to buy a ticket and can wander about the place to supervise. Tingalpa, Morayfield, Carindale (Mini-Bounce), Macgregor and Burleigh Waters, from 1pm, $16-$21.50. Buy tickets. Kingdom of Kindness A new exhibition for families by artist Abdul Abdullah is a world of friendly rock characters. The space features tic-tac-toe game boards, a mirrored wall of reflection, activity stations where families can get creative making kindness cards, and a rock-climbing wall. Childrens Gallery, Home of the Arts (HOTA) Gallery, Surfers Paradise, Anzac Day 1.30-4pm, free. GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Unique in the world, German WWI tank Mephisto is one of the top exhibits at the Queensland Museum. Credit: Queensland Museum Anzac Legacy Gallery at Queensland Museum Salvaged by Queensland troops in 1919, the tank Mephisto is the only surviving example of a German A7V Sturmpanzerwagen in the world. See it at the Queensland Museum alongside objects of war and personal items belonging to those on the front line in World War I. Queensland Museum Kurilpa, 1.30-5pm, free. Seen on the Screen at Brisbane Motor Museum The museums current show features hot rods such as the silver 1976 Datsun 260z used in Netflix series Boys Swallows Universe, a red 1966 Sunbeam Tiger made famous by spy sitcom Get Smart! and a replica of Doctor Whos vintage jalopy Bessie. Brisbane Motor Museum, 959 Nudgee Road, Banyo, 8am-3pm, $12.50-$25. Buy tickets. Italian Renaissance Alive at HOTA The makers of Van Gogh Alive present a multisensory experience featuring projections of works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, Veronese and more, with an operatic score featuring music by Puccini and Verdi. If a holiday to Rome and Florence is off the table, then a day trip to Surfers Paradise might be the next best thing. Home of the Arts (HOTA) Gallery, Surfers Paradise, until Aug 4, Anzac Day 1-4pm, $0-$39. Buy tickets. Fairy Tales at GoMA Adults and kids alike will be spellbound by GoMAs exclusive exhibition of art, movie costumes and installations based on folklore. See work by Del Kathryn Barton, Gustave Dore, Anish Kapoor, Yayoi Kusama, Ron Mueck, Tracey Moffatt and more, and costumes from Jim Hensons Labyrinth. The show ends Sunday so be quick. GoMA, until Apr 28, Anzac Day 12-5pm, $0-$28. Buy tickets. mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri Judy Watson at QAG Four decades of beautiful work by this great Queensland artist are comprehensively surveyed in this free show whose title translates as tomorrow the tree grows stronger. Queensland Art Gallery, until Aug 11, Anzac Day 12-5pm, free. SHOWS & MOVIES Sigourney Weaver in the original 1979 film Alien, directed by Ridley Scott. Credit: Fox Alien In space, no one can hear you scream but in the Dendy Coorparoo? Well see. The most chilling and poetic of sci-fi horror films is so good, theyre still making sequels 45 years later if youve never seen the original (and best) on the big screen, or ever, here is your chance. Dendy Coorparoo, 6.30pm, $15-$19.50. Buy tickets. Beauty and the Beast This lavish, four-star theatrical extravaganza combines technological stage magic with finely tuned vocal and dancing prowess, not to mention 300 costumes. Disneys classic stage musical is a beast of a show, and its hard not to fall in love with it. Lyric Theatre, QPAC, 1.30pm & 6.30pm, $80-$250. Buy tickets. Adam Kay: This Is Going to Hurt The former doctor became a superstar on the publication of his grimly funny book This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, outlining the poor treatment of junior doctors in the UK and a range of traumatic medical experiences. Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse, Apr 25 6.30pm & 8.30pm, Apr 26 6pm, $69.90. Buy tickets. The Teachers Lounge This powerful new German film concerns an idealistic teacher (Leonie Benesch) dealing with a theft scandal at a progressive high school. Nominated for the Best International Film Oscar, it opens here on Anzac Day. Palace Cinemas & Dendy Cinemas, from April 25, various prices. James Swan Palakamannil fondly remembers his three-year-old daughter, Carolyn, dragging a small chair to open the front door as he arrived home from work each day. Always dressed in pink, her favourite colour, shed greet him with excitement in her eyes. Carolyn James on her third birthday. She was papas special baby, and her six-year-old sister, Evlyn, was papas special girl. But on March 24, 2022, the girls died in a car fire at Cranbourne West alongside their mother, Jasmine Thomas, after the nurse drove to an isolated location and poured petrol on them all in a fatal act of family violence. The political saga over the PEP11 gas project off Sydneys coastline took another unexpected twist on Tuesday, as federal Resources Minister Madeleine King surrendered her veto powers over the controversial development. The ambitious plans by Asset Energy and Bounty to tap the seabed for gas off the coast of Sydney have been mired in delays for at least four years. The Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 known as PEP 11 was collateral damage in the fallout of former prime minister Scott Morrisons secret ministries scandal, after the federal court found he had shown implacable opposition and bias in refusing the permit. Resources Minister Madeleine King. Credit: Christopher Jue While the court case revoked Morrisons decision and restarted the application process, the federal government has not declared what it will do about the project since coming to power in May 2022, even though Albanese said during the election campaign that he was opposed to the project. The companies plan is opposed by community groups, the state government and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Community safety is viewed as under threat and ethnic tension as being on the rise after months of conflict in the Middle East, with 61 per cent of Australians saying the country is suffering from greater racism and religious intolerance. The new survey findings, which show 46 per cent of voters feel the war in Gaza has made Australia less safe, heighten concerns about social cohesion after the knife attack and riot at a Sydney church last week. A clear majority also want the federal government to take a neutral stance on the broader conflict: 62 per cent said Australia should stay out of the latest escalation in aerial bombardments between Israel and Iran. The exclusive survey, conducted for this masthead by Resolve Strategic, confirms previous polling about the reluctance of Australians to take sides even as the ACTU calls for greater support for Palestinians in Gaza while other groups step up their support for Israel. Kokoda Village: Greeted by the sound of tribal chants and pounding drums, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Kokoda Village on Tuesday morning for an extravagant traditional welcome ceremony before beginning to walk the Kokoda Track. Thousands of locals, some of whom walked up to an hour for the event from remote villages, lined up along the hillside to welcome Albanese as he descended in a PNG defence helicopter after travelling from the capital, Port Moresby. The crowd included scores of schoolchildren wearing the national colours of Australia and PNG. Many waved national flags as they greeted Albanese and PNG Prime Minister James Marape. A public holiday was declared in the area for the visit from the prime ministers. Brisbanes median house price has hit a record high of $924,498 and is climbing ever closer to the million-dollar mark. House prices swelled by 12.5 per cent in the past year, the latest Domain House Price Report for the March quarter, to be released on Wednesday, showed. Brisbane house prices have hit a record high. Credit: Dan Peled The report showed unit prices also skyrocketed by about $24,000 over the March quarter to a record $549,704 making it the 10th successive quarter of growth and the longest stretch of gains since 2008. While the Queensland capital still offers far more real estate bang for buck than Sydney where the median house price is now $1,627,625 property punters believe Brisbane is one of the nations highest growth markets, as even bargain outer boroughs have recorded eye-watering growth. Cambridge: Four spears taken by British naval lieutenant James Cook and his crew on their first contact with Australia have been returned to their community after more than 250 years. The weapons, known as the Gweagal spears, were taken in 1770 when HMB Endeavour arrived at Botany Bay in the first meeting between the British and the Indigenous Gweagal people of Kamay. The four spears, ready to be returned to Australia from Trinity College, Cambridge. Credit: Jenny Magee At Trinity College on Tuesday, Cambridges Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology formally relinquished the artefacts, comprising one hunting spear and three fishing spears, into the care of the La Perouse Aboriginal Community. Ray Ingrey, a Dharawal man who chairs the Gujaga Foundation said the objects were pretty much the first point of European contact, particularly British contact, with Aboriginal Australia. New York: The judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal hush-money trial has warned Trumps lawyer that he was losing all credibility in his arguments that the former president should not be punished for violating a gag order in the case. Justice Juan Merchan said he would not immediately rule on prosecutors request to fine Trump $US10,000 ($15,400) for violating the order, which prevents him from criticising witnesses and others involved in the case. Judge Juan M. Merchan. Credit: AP At a hearing on Wednesday (AEST), Merchan told Todd Blanche that he had neither case law nor evidence to support his argument that Trump was not intimidating witnesses, but responding to political attacks. Youve presented nothing, Merchan said. Ive asked you eight or nine times, show me the exact post he was responding to. Youve not even been able to do that once. Lyle Lovett performs at a benefit for KPFT at Anderson Fair on April 20, 2024. Howard Reynolds On Saturday night, Lyle Lovett performed at Anderson Fair, the tiny Houston venue that proved formative in his early career. He really got his start there as a professional songwriter, opening for Eric Taylor on a Thursday night. The venue seats about 75 people, so it's also notably smaller than the sorts of theaters Lovett typically plays. "Standing here on this stage, Lovett said before playing his first song, brings back my whole life to me. James Gilmer, from left, Lyle Lovett and Jesse Dayton perform a benefit for KPFT at Anderson Fair on April 20, 2024. Howard Reynolds Then he proceeded to play a song about getting out of a place in a rush. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Seeing Lovett in this space, rather than a theater, reminded me of a day I spent 15 years ago with the country music legend Ray Price. Price reflected on his life during an interview. The Perryville native was 82 and living in Mount Pleasant. People ask how far Ive gone in life, Price told me. About 20 miles. Prices career took him around the country and around the world. But his comment nevertheless stuck with me, as did the thought that for all our movements all manner of adventures and retreats we often find ourselves back where we started, even if for just a short while. Prices comment rattled around my head moments before Lyle Lovett returned to the Fair. Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant was a proving ground for Lovett decades ago, as it was for so many songwriters. A little space in Montrose, it was a platform for songwriters like Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Lucinda Williams and Lovett, who'd move onto larger venues. It's also the lone survivor of that scene, still operated by volunteers. More than 50 years later, it remains a place that puts an emphasis on songwriters, and it continues to ask for an entry fee lower than just the fees tacked onto tickets for other concerts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lovett happens to be among the best-known of the venues alumni. And his return was to raise money for KPFT, 90.1 FM, Houstons listener-supported radio station, which also began more than 50 years ago. (Author's note: I serve as guest host for KPFT's Saturday night show "50 Years After.") Both Lovett and show opener Jesse Dayton repeatedly put the light on both of these institutions for listening and lifting their music when other outlets werent quite so welcoming. Dayton expressed appreciation that KPFT operates without breaks for truck commercials, a note Lovett later picked up comically before playing Truck Song, which he said, in jest, that hed written with a truck commercial in mind. Lovetts set opened with an old song and closed with a new song but the show didnt feel like a linear thing. It didnt feel like a guy playing a set of songs, one after the other, start to finish. Rather, it felt unmoored from time, a swirling of forces new and old that tumbled like the TARDIS on Doctor Who. Just seeing Lovett working again with percussionist James Gilmore was a throwback, as Gilmer retired from Lovetts Large Band a few years ago. More than a collaboration, theirs was a sort of living history of two guys who can play without having to discuss it beforehand. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Gilmer played percussion with Eric Taylor, before he offered to back Lovett at Anderson Fair around 1978. The two share a fair bit of history. They also can present a Taylor song without having to break a sweat, in this case, Understand You. They also doubled back to the Before Times with another storied Fair regular, Denice Franke, who added her lovely harmonies to a few songs, starting with Dress of Laces. Once again, the song wasnt one of Lovetts but rather by John Grimaudo and Saylor White, both musicians with roots in Houston and Anderson Fair. These are the kinds of artists who entertain, certainly, but they also inform. Sometimes, a lyric can prompt a bit of reflection in the listener. Other times, they can tell you something you didnt know about something you thought you did know. Dayton performed a few songs from his not-yet-released album The Hard Way, including The Ballad of Boyd Elder. Elder is not a household name, yet his work has infiltrated nearly 50 million households. The greatest-selling album of all time the Eagles Their Greatest Hits has as its cover one of the painted skulls for which Elder was renowned. Dayton, during his set, recalled being driven to Anderson Fair as a kid by his brother and made to catch a set by Townes Van Zandt, whose White Freight Liner Blues closed Daytons set. He said he wanted to keep his time on stage short so he could have a beer and play the part of audience member for Lovetts set. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But Dayton wasnt done. Though hed only met Lovett an hour or so earlier, Lovett brought him back to turn the duo with Gilmer into a trio. Dayton threw some slide licks into Lovetts Pig Meat Man and bluesy figures into a cover of White Boy Lost in the Blues. He was also there as Lovett worked through Fat Babies, a co-write with Taylor prefaced by an amusing story about a close call with an 18-wheeler on a two-lane highway. If the stories on this night ran long, its because they were part of the interconnectivity between the musicians, the venue, the radio station and all the history shared. Denice Franke, from left, James Gilmer, Lyle Lovett and Jesse Dayton perform a benefit for KPFT at Anderson Fair on April 20, 2024. Howard Reynolds Lovett, fittingly, ended his set with Closing Time, a funereal song about the end of something. Then, for an encore, the four players Lovett, Gilmer, Dayton, and Franke ended the night for good with 12th of June, a more recent and funereal song about the end of something. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Only 89 rentals were affordable for individuals on the Age Pension, 31 for those on the Disability Support Pension, and a mere three rentals all share houses were affordable for JobSeeker recipients. No rentals were found to be affordable for individuals on Youth Allowance. This may be the perfect time for Australian brokers who want to increase their business to consider operating within New Zealand, White said, adding that as New Zealanders become more accustomed to working with brokers, they not only become repeat customers but also powerful sources of referrals. Major cities overview Sydney, and Melbourne both saw preliminary clearance rates in the early 70% range. Sydney recorded a 73.8% clearance rate, while Melbourne posted 72.7%. Finalised rates in Melbourne have been notably lower, consistently below 63% over the past four weeks, whereas Sydneys final rates have fluctuated in the high 60% to low 70% range. We have already helped more than 110,000 people into homeownership and Help to Buy will mean even more Australians have this opportunity, she said. The Liberals and Greens should stop standing in the way of Help to Buy and support it in the Senate. Bryan, OH (43506) Today Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. High 59F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 44F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Katy ISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski is shown during a past meeting of the board of trustees. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Katy ISD leaders may ban all student cellphone use in classrooms instead of allowing teachers to decide under a new proposed policy for middle school and high school students. A draft of a new policy, presented to the Katy ISD board of trustees at Mondays meeting, would allow the principal at each campus to rule on use of cellphones outside instructional time, including during lunch or passing periods in the hallways. Under the current policy, middle school and high school students may use cellphones as determined by the teacher inside classrooms and phones may be used between classes and in the cafeteria setting in a digitally responsible manner, according to the student handbook. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As part of the most recent Katy ISD bond, all students will be issued Chromebooks, said Christopher Morgan, assistant superintendent for secondary leadership and support, and students will no longer need phones in classrooms. With students having those Chromebooks there really is no need for students to have cellphone use during classroom time, he said. We know all the distractions that teachers are always bombarded with, so thats why were focusing on cellphone use in the classroom. Under the new policy, students would be required to keep their phones turned off and in their backpacks during class, said Kristin Harper, assistant superintendent for elementary school leadership supervision. (Principals) can always restrict the phones more, and they have the autonomy to do that, Morgan said. It really kind of depends on the community and the school and whats been happening on their campuses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some board members questioned the new policy and its potential implications. Board member Dawn Champagne questioned how children would communicate with their parents if students dont have phone access. Under the proposed policy, Harper said, students would contact their parents either through the school administration or via email. Board member Morgan Calhoun argued the rule should be even more restrictive, and she encouraged policy drafters to look into crafting a cellphone-free campus policy across the district. When we have the ability to take away those cellphones during an eight-hour period, that we actually have them distancing from technology, I would like to see what this looks like from a cellphone-free campus across the district, she said. I dont hear the argument being made for the need for a cellphone. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The policy draft will now be updated to reflect the board feedback, Harper said. Gold bar carrying the Euro sign is pictured in Bucharest (Photo: Reuters) Gold experienced a dramatic plunge on Monday, marking the steepest intraday decline in nearly two years, as easing tensions in the Middle East diminished the demand for safe-haven assets. Spot gold dropped by 2.8% to a low of $2,324.96 per ounce at one point during the day, falling nearly $70 from the previous Friday's closing high-a significant retreat not seen since June 2022. Similarly, COMEX gold futures for June concluded the day down 2.79% at $2,346.40 per ounce, hitting the lowest close since April 5 and recording the largest daily percentage loss for a front-month contract since February 3, 2023. Last week, the conflict between Israel and Iran had heightened fears of a full-scale war in the Middle East. However, the situation showed signs of cooling off entering this week. Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, downplayed the impact of Israel's attacks during a speech in Tehran on Monday, suggesting that Israel had already received a sufficient response. Nicholas Frappell, global head of institutional markets at ABC Refinery in Sydney, noted that the Iranian government's mild reaction and hints at no retaliation have led to a reduction in the risk premium for the gold market. Bank of America also suggested in a report on Monday that the direct impact of Middle Eastern tensions on U.S. stocks and other asset classes might not be as significant as it appeared over the past two weeks. Following recent historic rallies, profit-taking has also applied pressure on gold prices. Since February 2020, gold has surged over 50%, with nearly 20% of that increase occurring in the last two months alone. Despite concerns that some investors might be exiting their positions prematurely, UBS suggested in a report last week that given the substantial rise in gold prices, market participants might eventually opt to sell some of their holdings to lock in profits. UBS anticipated that gold might enter a consolidation phase unless geopolitical risks escalate further. Despite the recent drop, institutional outlook on gold remains optimistic, with investment banks including Goldman Sachs continuously raising their price targets for the metal. UBS stated that a healthy correction in gold prices indicates that the market can establish support at higher levels, which could bolster investor confidence in gold's long-term bull market. Presentation of industry-leading T-cell delivery in NHPs Oral presentation highlighting an all-RNA system enabling exon-sized genome insertions ReNAgade Therapeutics, a company unlocking the limitless potential for RNA medicines, today announced an oral and poster presentation highlighting preclinical data supporting its comprehensive RNA technology platform at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 27th Annual Meeting being held May 7-11, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. We are excited to highlight foundational research and development advancements at ASGCT supported by our poster presentation illuminating ReNAgades continued work in validating our immune tropic LNP-based delivery systems in NHPs with broad potential applications in oncology and autoimmune diseases, said Pete Smith, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of ReNAgade. Additionally, our oral presentation demonstrates a non-viral, all-RNA gene editing system enabling in vivo, exon-sized insertion and probable re-dosing with the goal of higher specificity and a better safety profile when used in the clinical setting. Together, these promising data are another important step in our efforts to innovate beyond the current limitations of RNA medicine. Key Highlights from the Abstracts: Employed a systematic barcoding screening approach to evaluate and identify engineered lipid nanoparticles (LNP) from a library of 200+ LNPs across multiple structural and chemically distinct classes of ionizable, helper, structural, and hydrophilic lipids. Lead LNP candidate demonstrated ~60% delivery efficiency in total splenic T cells and ~80% delivery efficiency in peripheral blood T cells in non-human primate models. Improved retron-mediated target insertion through a combination of retron reverse transcriptase (RT) engineering, non-coding RNA (ncRNA) minimization, chemical modification, and homology-dependent repair manipulation. Combination of retron system optimization and ncRNA engineering led to 2-fold higher 305 base pair insertion and ~40% editing efficiency in hematopoietic stem cells. ASGCT Annual Meeting Presentation Details: TITLE: Retron Mediated Exon-Sized Genome Insertion Using an All-RNA System SESSION TITLE: New Technologies for Gene Targeting and Gene Correction PRESENTATION TYPE: Oral ABSTRACT NUMBER: 14 PRESENTER: Inna Shcherbakova, Ph.D., Senior Director, Platform, ReNAgade Therapeutics DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, May 7, 2024, from 2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET TITLE: Novel Immune Tropic LNP-Based mRNA Delivery in Non-Human Primates SESSION TITLE: Wednesday Posters: Other Nonviral Delivery PRESENTATION TYPE: Poster ABSTRACT NUMBER: 749 PRESENTER: Juliet Crabtree, Ph.D., Associate Principal Scientist, ReNAgade Therapeutics DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. ET About ReNAgade Therapeutics ReNAgade exists to unlock the potential for RNA medicines to treat disease anywhere in the body. We combine our novel RNA delivery platforms with a comprehensive RNA platform allowing for an all-RNA system for coding, editing, and gene insertion to develop new medicines. To accelerate the future of medicine, we bring together a team with deep RNA and delivery expertise to develop paradigm-shifting RNA medicines. ReNAgade TherapeuticsRNA Without Limits For more information about the company, its technologies, and its leadership, visit www.renagadetx.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422868550/en/ Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google has announced it is making 500,000 in grants available to help improve access to AI in Ireland - with a focus on those in vulnerable and underserved communities. As part of the AI Opportunity Initiative, funding from Google.org aims to support training and skills for workers who are most likely to be impacted by workplace transitions brought on by AI. 'Societal Challenges' AI has the potential to improve peoples lives, and to help solve some of our most pressing societal challenges," said Cera Ward, managing director, large customer sales, Google Ireland. "Were pursuing AI boldly and responsibly to ensure its benefits are available to everyone and that accessibility enhances our society - not exacerbates existing inequalities." Applications Google.orgs AI Opportunity Fund is developed in collaboration with the Centre for Public Impact and is making up to 500,000 in grants and sub-grants available in Ireland. Applications are being sought through an open call from social enterprises and nonprofits in Ireland who can help reach those people most likely to benefit from this training - equipping Irish workers with the skills they need to avoid being 'left behind.' Cash Grants Selected organisations will receive bespoke training for their beneficiaries on foundational AI with extensive guidance and wraparound support. In addition, cash grants will be offered to support successful applicants, ensuring workers can attend the training. "The AI Opportunity Fund will help people in Ireland to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind, said Ward. Source: www.businessworld.ie An airboat travels north along S. Kirkwood west of Beltway 8 and south of Interstate 10 where homes are inundated with water from the overflowing Buffalo Bayou to the north following Hurricane Harvey in 2017 in Houston. The Harris County Flood Control District recommends that everyone in Harris County learns about their flood risk and purchases flood insurance. Mark Mulligan, Staff Photographer / Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle A high water sign is shown in Rosharon where flooding from the Brazos River closed many of the county roads. The Harris County Flood Control District recommends that everyone in Harris County learns about their flood risk and purchases flood insurance. Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle Homes along White Oak Bayou near Interstate 10 North and Interstate 45 are seen, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Houston. The Harris County Flood Control District recommends that everyone in Harris County learns about their flood risk and purchases flood insurance. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Camron Maltie, 8, and Adrian Murray, 4, keep an eye on their flooded front lawn near Hobby Airport during Tropical Storm Beta on Sept. 22, 2020, in Houston. The Harris County Flood Control District recommends that everyone in Harris County learns about their flood risk and purchases flood insurance. Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer As the most common disaster in Texas, flooding is often front-of-mind for Houstonians. Not every home in Houston is in a 100-year floodplain, but that doesn't mean that those homes are safe from flooding risks and damages. The Harris County Flood Control District recommends that everyone in Harris County learns about their flood risk and purchases flood insurance. Here are some common myths and questions about flood insurance ahead of a potentially busy hurricane season: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Should you get flood insurance if youre not in a floodplain? Just because a home is located outside of a floodplain does not mean they're not at risk, said David Bolduc, general counsel for Texas' Office of Public Insurance Counsel. Bolduc's office exists to represent and educate Texas residents on insurance policies. Many of their calls are related to flood or windstorm insurance questions, the office's Richard Powell said. "People will know whether or not they live in a type of floodplain, but they may not realize that lots of areas are subject to flooding," Powell said. "And that's pretty important, especially because homeowners insurance covers certain things, but damages due to flooding are typically not covered." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rivers and bayous can also surpass 100 and even 500-year levels, as was the case with Harvey. More than two-thirds of structural damages during Hurricane Harvey were reported outside of the mapped 100-year floodplain, according to the district. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood insurance rate maps locate 100- and 500-year floodplains, which only determine flood risk from primary flooding sources, such as major rivers, bayous and their tributaries. Not all streams in Harris County have been studied to determine their stormwater carrying capacity, according to the district, and stormwater runoff can flood homes before reaching a storm drain, creek or bayou. The district and FEMA are currently remapping the county's floodplains. The massive overhaul was originally intended to reach the public in the summer of 2022 but has been delayed to 2024, according to a September 2023 update. Can you get flood insurance in a high-risk floodplain? All of Harris County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, which ensures that everyone living in a participating community can buy flood insurance, no matter the risk. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Federally regulated or insured lenders are required to offer flood insurance on mortgaged properties that are located within the 100-year floodplain. Those homes have protection options no matter how many times they've flooded, according to FEMA. Rates tend to be higher within a floodplain, however. Does my homeowners insurance cover flooding? One of the biggest myths of homeowners insurance is that it covers flooding damages, which usually isn't the case, Bolduc said. To start, Bolduc recommends that homeowners check whether they're in a floodplain and speak with an insurance agent rather than working directly with an insurer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Particularly with independent agents, their job is to represent you and find you coverage you can afford," Bolduc said. "That's the most effective way to do it, because then you can deal with people who understand what they're doing, what the policies are and what they cover." Should renters get flood insurance? Flood insurance is not exclusive to single-family homeowners. Insurance within the national program can protect homes, condominiums, apartments and non-residential buildings including businesses, according to FEMA. Up to $250,000 is available for single-family homes and each unit in an apartment building through the NFIP. Up to $100,000 in personal belongings can also be covered, which is available to renters. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "I think it's important for both sides," Bolduc said. "The thing with renters is the stakes are really the contents...even though it could be painful, and it's expensive, it's kind of simpler (than for homeowners.)" Can you get flood insurance right before a storm? Flood coverage can be purchased at any time. Still, there are safeguards in place to make the business viable for insurers, Bolduc said. There is a 30-day waiting period after paying a premium before an NFIP coverage policy is effective, with some exceptions. Private insurers may also institute a moratorium in the days leading up to a hurricane or other natural disaster to prevent responsibility for catastrophic claims. Bolduc recommends looking into flood insurance immediately, especially ahead of hurricane season. "Waiting until there's a storm is not a workable strategy," Bolduc said. "If they're not doing it now, they probably ought to think about it because they've got 60 days (until hurricane season.)" How is flood insurance different from windstorm insurance? Flood insurance only covers so much during a natural disaster. Water coming in from a roof that's been blown off by wind, for instance, may fall under the umbrella of windstorm insurance instead. "When there's a hurricane on the coast, there are inevitably all kinds of complications with people finding out that their windstorm insurer is covering windstorm damage, but not flooding," Bolduc said. "In a hurricane, if you're a homeowner those things seem really connected." Windstorm insurance helps repair or rebuild homes that have been damaged by hail or wind from a tornado, thunderstorm or hurricane. Most homeowners insurance policies include windstorm coverage. Tsaocaa plans to open in October at 2340 Texas Heritage Parkway, Suite 750, Fulshear. This milk and boba tea chain also serves fried chicken and waffles. Tsaocaa tea is made from organic ingredients rather than artificial sugars, with sweet potato boba pearls and premium tea leaves Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Whataburger, is known for its burgers, fries and milkshakes, is slated to open a new location in December in Fulshear. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer As Fulshear continues to expand, with a recently celebrated bicentennial and an upcoming park in the works, several businesses are also looking to make their mark on the city. These businesses are expected to open before the end of the year according to listings for architectural barriers projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Here are five new developments coming to Fulshear by the end of 2024, according to estimated dates in the listings: Local Table Cross Creek Ranch: April Local Table is planning to renovate the existing cafe space in Cross Creek Plaza into another location in the Fulshear area. Jenn Duncan Local Table is planning to renovate the existing cafe space in Cross Creek Plaza into another location in the Fulshear area. The Houston-based restaurant known for its scratch-made meals, modern aesthetic and a variety of food from slow-braised ribs and burgers to chicken kabobs and quesadillas. Address: 6450 Cross Creek Bend Lane, Fulshear Advertisement Article continues below this ad Start Date: Feb. 1 Estimated Completion Date: April 1 Estimated Cost: $400,000 Size: 1,900 square feet Sweathouz: May The Sweathouz spa franchise focuses on infrared sauna treatments meant to help guests relax and recover. Sweathouz This spa franchise focuses on infrared sauna treatments meant to help guests relax and recover. Sweathouz also will feature a cold plunge pool and a recovery room. When the spa opens, visitors can schedule their appointment through the Sweathouz app. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Address: 27123 Fulshear Bend Road, Suite D300, Fulshear Start Date: March 15 Estimated Completion Date: May 1 Estimated Cost: $100,000 Advertisement Article continues below this ad Size: 1,779 square feet Shops at Jordan Ranch: May A rendering of Shops at Jordan Ranch. This commercial property plans to host of shops, retail stores and more near the Jordan Ranch master-planned community. Jordan Ranch This commercial property plans to host of shops, retail stores and more near the Jordan Ranch master-planned community. Available for leasing, the property plans to lease space to a variety of eateries and services. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Address: 29087 Jordan Crossing Blvd, Suite 300, Fulshear Start Date: May 15 Estimated Completion Date: July 31 Estimated Cost: $50,000 Size: 1,208 square feet Tsaocaa: October Tsaocaa plans to open in October at 2340 Texas Heritage Parkway, Suite 750, Fulshear. This milk and boba tea chain also serves fried chicken and waffles. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer This milk and boba tea chain also serves fried chicken and waffles. Tsaocaa tea is made from organic ingredients rather than artificial sugars, with sweet potato boba pearls and premium tea leaves Address: 2340 Texas Heritage Parkway, Suite 750, Fulshear Start Date: June 15 Estimated Completion Date: Oct. 15 Estimated Cost: $150,000 Size: 1,483 square feet Whataburger: December The Texas-based chain, Whataburger, is known for its burgers, fries and milkshakes, is slated to open a new location in December in Fulshear. Jill Karnicki/Houston Chronicle The fast-food chain, originally from Texas, known for its burgers, fries and milkshakes is slated to open a new location in December. Address: 29639 FM 1093, Fulshear Start Date: June 1 Estimated Completion Date: Dec. 1 Estimated Cost: $2,500,000 Size: 3,305 square feet 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 Minister of Citizens Services Terry Beech highlights budget investments in support of Indigenous reconciliation News release Today, the Honourable Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens Services, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, met in Sechelt, British Columbia, to highlight Budget 2024s investments that contribute toward a fair future for Indigenous Peoples. April 23, 2024 Sechelt, British Columbia Employment and Social Development Canada The federal government recently delivered Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation. It is a plan to build a Canada that works better for everyone, where younger generations can get ahead, where their hard work pays off, and where they can buy a homewhere everyone has a fair chance at a good middle-class life. Today, the Honourable Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens Services, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, met in Sechelt, British Columbia, to highlight Budget 2024s investments that contribute toward a fair future for Indigenous Peoples, including: Unlocking pathways to post-secondary education by investing nearly $243 million for the next generation of First Nations university, college and post-secondary students, building on the $487.5 million over 10 years invested in Inuit and Metis post-secondary education strategies through Budget 2019. by investing nearly $243 million for the next generation of First Nations university, college and post-secondary students, building on the $487.5 million over 10 years invested in Inuit and Metis post-secondary education strategies through Budget 2019. On-Reserve income assistance funding of $927 million to help on-reserve residents and eligible First Nations people in Yukon cover daily living costs. Budget 2024 invests in income support programs across the country for First Nations persons with disabilities for the first time in Canadian history to make disability supports on reserves[JN1] , and for eligible First Nations persons with disabilities in Yukon, comparable to supports off reserves. funding of $927 million to help on-reserve residents and eligible First Nations people in Yukon cover daily living costs. Budget 2024 invests in income support programs across the country for First Nations persons with disabilities for the first time in Canadian history to make disability supports on reserves[JN1] , and for eligible First Nations persons with disabilities in Yukon, comparable to supports off reserves. Investing $1.8 billion to support Indigenous communities in exercising their jurisdiction under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families, including the first Inuit agreement to support community-led, prevention-based solutions to reduce the number of children in care. under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families, including the first Inuit agreement to support community-led, prevention-based solutions to reduce the number of children in care. Supporting Indigenous cultures by investing over $290 million in Indigenous-led efforts to reclaim, revitalize, and strengthen Indigenous cultures and languages. Restoring and promoting language and culture is an important part of healing, reconciliation, and fostering a strong sense of identity and community. by investing over $290 million in Indigenous-led efforts to reclaim, revitalize, and strengthen Indigenous cultures and languages. Restoring and promoting language and culture is an important part of healing, reconciliation, and fostering a strong sense of identity and community. Fair Tax jurisdiction for Indigenous communities by expanding opt-in Indigenous tax jurisdiction frameworks that advance self-determination and build strong fiscal relationships while generating important revenues for community priorities. by expanding opt-in Indigenous tax jurisdiction frameworks that advance self-determination and build strong fiscal relationships while generating important revenues for community priorities. Addressing the legacy of residential schools by investing an additional $96 million to support Survivors, their families, and their communities, along with educating all Canadians about these truths, to ensure that these wrongs are recognized and never happen again. by investing an additional $96 million to support Survivors, their families, and their communities, along with educating all Canadians about these truths, to ensure that these wrongs are recognized and never happen again. Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program, which will offer up to $5 billion in loan guarantees to unlock access to capital for Indigenous communities, enabling them to share in the benefits of natural resource and energy projects in their territories and on their own terms. which will offer up to $5 billion in loan guarantees to unlock access to capital for Indigenous communities, enabling them to share in the benefits of natural resource and energy projects in their territories and on their own terms. Boosting Indigenous economic opportunity with $388 million to support Indigenous entrepreneurship and Indigenous tourism and to unlock new clean energy opportunities through the Strategic Partnerships Initiative. with $388 million to support Indigenous entrepreneurship and Indigenous tourism and to unlock new clean energy opportunities through the Strategic Partnerships Initiative. Indigenous housing and community infrastructure investments of $918 million beyond the $5 billion already available for communities in 202425, to accelerate work to narrow housing and infrastructure gaps in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities, as follows: $426 million for First Nations on reserves; $62 million for self-governing and modern treaty First Nations; $370 million for Inuit communities; and $60 million for Metis communities. investments of $918 million beyond the $5 billion already available for communities in 202425, to accelerate work to narrow housing and infrastructure gaps in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities, as follows: First Nations and Inuit health investments of $1.1 billion to ensure that Indigenous Peoples have fair and equal access to health care, where they feel safe and heard, no matter where they live. investments of $1.1 billion to ensure that Indigenous Peoples have fair and equal access to health care, where they feel safe and heard, no matter where they live. Supporting Indigenous mental health with an investment of more than $630 million for improving Indigenous Peoples access to mental health services, including through distinctions-based mental wellness strategies. with an investment of more than $630 million for improving Indigenous Peoples access to mental health services, including through distinctions-based mental wellness strategies. Addressing anti-Indigenous racism in health care by fulfilling Joyces Principle through a $168 million investment, helping to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are treated with the respect and safety they deserve. by fulfilling Joyces Principle through a $168 million investment, helping to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are treated with the respect and safety they deserve. Northern food security program enhancements worth $124 million, to ensure Nutrition North Canada can continue to make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable in Northern communities, and to support the Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy, which prioritizes local food production and community food programs. program enhancements worth $124 million, to ensure Nutrition North Canada can continue to make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable in Northern communities, and to support the Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy, which prioritizes local food production and community food programs. Strengthening access to culturally important foods with investments of more than $40 million to support Indigenous Peoples access to traditional foods and help eradicate food insecurity. with investments of more than $40 million to support Indigenous Peoples access to traditional foods and help eradicate food insecurity. First Nations emergency management and preparedness investments to equip communities with the tools they need to combat increasingly frequent climate disasters, particularly wildfires. Budget 2024 provides an investment of $175 million, in addition to $260 million provided in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement. investments to equip communities with the tools they need to combat increasingly frequent climate disasters, particularly wildfires. Budget 2024 provides an investment of $175 million, in addition to $260 million provided in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement. Advancing Red Dress Alert by investing $1.3 million to co-develop with Indigenous partners, on a priority first phase, a regional Red Dress Alert system. by investing $1.3 million to co-develop with Indigenous partners, on a priority first phase, a regional Red Dress Alert system. Support for Indigenous justice programming to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the justice system and discrimination within the justice system, including $87 million to support programming and advance the Indigenous Justice Strategy. to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the justice system and discrimination within the justice system, including $87 million to support programming and advance the Indigenous Justice Strategy. First Nations and Inuit-led policing to address policing needs identified by Indigenous communities, supported by an investment of more than $467 million. Quotes Our government first came to office with a vow to strengthen and expand the middle class. We delivered on that pledge by reducing poverty, especially for children and seniors, and creating millions of good jobs for Canadians. Our work isnt done. Budget 2024 renews our focus on unlocking the door to the middle class for millions of younger Canadians. Well build more housing and help make life cost less. We will drive our economy toward growth that lifts everyone up. That is fairness for every generation. The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance "A fair Canada means a government that keeps making real progress in reconciliation by working together with Indigenous Peoples. The 2024 Budget helps First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities succeed on their own terms and takes further steps towards reconciliation." The Honourable Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens Services Budget 2024 dedicates over $1.9 billion to enhance Indigenous health and mental wellness. This funding will help tackle anti-Indigenous racism and inequity in healthcare and will improve access to essential health services. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in their care. - The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health "Budget 2024 represents a significant step towards bridging the infrastructure and service gaps that Indigenous communities face. With substantial investments in post-secondary education, infrastructure and housing, culturally safe healthcare services, and funding to revitalize Indigenous language and culture, Canada and Indigenous communities are working to address systemic inequities and foster a strong, healthy and prosperous future. I am excited to work in partnership with the shishalh nation and other First Nations, Inuit, Metis, and self-governing Indigenous communities so they have what they need to grow and succeed on their own terms." -Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country Contacts For media enquiries, please contact: Erik Nosaluk Director of Communications and Issues Management Office of the Minister of Citizens Services erik.nosaluk@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca Media Relations Office Employment and Social Development Canada 819-994-5559 media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca Follow us on X (Twitter) Follow us on Facebook Military official urges intl cooperation 10:41, April 23, 2024 By Yang Zekun ( China Daily China will continue engaging in international military cooperation with a more proactive and open stance to promote world peace and development, a senior Chinese military official said on Monday. Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark during the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium, which opened on Monday in the port city of Qingdao, Shandong province. Zhang noted that five years ago, the important concept of building a maritime community with a shared future was first proposed in Qingdao, providing strategic guidance and a Chinese approach to constructing a peaceful, prosperous and beautiful ocean. Upholding the banner of cooperation and win-win prospects, the Chinese military practices the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, deepens exchanges with navies from various countries, and actively participates in international maritime security cooperation, he said. Zhang noted that the Chinese military has proactively worked for public maritime security, making significant contributions to jointly safeguarding marine development and promoting shared prosperity. China will also continue adhering to the concept of building a community with a shared future, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and write a new chapter in promoting world peace and development, he emphasized. Zhang said that since the world remains turbulent, it is essential to resolutely abandon the Cold War mentality, jointly create peace and tranquillity, bridge differences via dialogue and consultation, and discuss and form governance rules jointly to drive marine safety governance to a new level with pragmatic results. China consistently adheres to resolving maritime disputes through friendly consultations with directly involved parties, he said, adding that the nation will protect its rights against deliberate infringements in accordance with law and will resolutely counter unreasonable provocations. "We do not seek trouble, nor are we afraid of it. The Chinese military will resolutely defend national unity and national interests," he said. The four-day meeting, with the theme "Oceans With a Shared Future", was attended by more than 180 navy representatives from 29 countries, including the United States, Australia, Cambodia, Chile, France and India. A US military delegation led by Admiral Stephen Koehler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, arrived in Qingdao via high-speed rail on Sunday after a brief visit to Beijing. Foreign navy leaders will be invited to discuss the Global Security Initiative and maritime peace, the maritime order based on maritime security cooperation and international laws, and global maritime governance. As a founding member of the symposium, China also hosted the 14th symposium in 2014. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) A procession for fallen Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou taking off from Memorial Hermann Medical Center to Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. The deputy was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. He was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Family members of Harris County Deputy John Hampton Coddou leave the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences after Caddous remains were escorted there Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriffs deputies stand at attention as the body Deputy John Hampton Coddou is transported to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive on Tuesday morning, and was transported by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Medical Center where he later died. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez makes a statement as Deputy John Hampton Coddou is treated at Memorial Hermann Medical Center after he was struck by a vehicle, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou, who was hit while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday morning, was transported by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriffs deputies gather outside the emergency bay of Memorial Hermann Medical Center to pay respect to Deputy John Hampton Coddou, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriffs deputies gather outside the emergency bay of Memorial Hermann Medical Center to pay respect to Deputy John Hampton Coddou, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Melissa Phillip/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriffs deputies stand as the body Deputy John Hampton Coddou is transported to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive on Tuesday morning, and was transported by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Medical Center where he later died. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Family members of Harris County Deputy John Hampton Coddou leave the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences after Caddous remains were escorted there Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriffs deputies gather outside the emergency bay of Memorial Hermann Medical Center to pay respect to Deputy John Hampton Coddou, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriffs deputies gather outside the emergency bay of Memorial Hermann Medical Center to pay respect to a fallen deputy Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. The deputy was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Traffic is backed up on state Highway 99 in Cypress as authorities respond to a crash that injured a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy on Tuesday morning. Courtesy/Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Officials are shown at the scene where Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Officials are shown at the scene where Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer A procession for fallen Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou taking off from Memorial Hermann Medical Center to Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. The deputy was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. He was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A procession for fallen Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou taking off from Memorial Hermann Medical Center to Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. The deputy was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. He was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A procession for fallen Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou taking off from Memorial Hermann Medical Center to Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. The deputy was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. He was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A procession for fallen Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou taking off from Memorial Hermann Medical Center to Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. The deputy was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. He was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Officials are shown measuring the front of a truck at the site where Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Officials are shown at the site where Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Officials are shown at the site where Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Officials are shown at the site where Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Law enforcement officers gather outside Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences as they pay respect to Deputy John Hampton Coddou Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A Harris County deputy gets on his motorcycle to escort the family of Deputy John Hampton Coddou away from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Family members of Harris County Deputy John Hampton Coddou leave the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences after Caddous remains were escorted there Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Law enforcement officers embrace as they gather outside Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences as they pay respect to Deputy John Hampton Coddou Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Family members of Harris County Deputy John Hampton Coddou leave the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences after Caddous remains were escorted there Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A Harris County sheriffs deputy died Tuesday morning when he was struck by a vehicle on the Grand Parkway in Cypress, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. Deputy Investigator John Hampton Coddou, 50, had stopped on the highway to help another motorist when he was struck, Gonzalez said. He was pronounced dead at Memorial Hermann Hospital after being flown there by helicopter. MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Turkey Leg Hut co-founder charged in connection with fight that left man unconscious Advertisement Article continues below this ad Coddou was a 20-year veteran of the sheriffs office. He was most recently assigned to the departments violent crime unit. He was also an Army veteran. Coddous death was the sheriffs offices first line-of-duty death since 2022. Harris County Sheriff's Office Deputy Investigator John H. Coddou, 50, died on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Courtest/Harris County Sheriff's Office Our hearts are broken, Gonzalez said. Our spirits are crushed, but we stand united. Gonzalez described Coddou as very well liked and a phenomenal individual. It wasnt his assigned job to help a stranded motorist, but it was in character for him to stop and help, Gonzalez said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He was a true public servant in every sense of the word, Gonzalez said. The crash happened around 9:43 a.m. on the tollway at Cumberland Ridge, according to the sheriffs office. Coddou was responding to a minor crash when a white Chevrolet swerved on the highway to avoid his patrol vehicle and drove onto the center median, striking the deputy, Gonzalez said. Coddou had turned on his trucks emergency lights and pulled into the median to help the other motorist, Gonzalez said. The crash shut down the highway for hours, as investigators worked to clear the scene of a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan, a Chevy Silverado and another pickup truck that were crashed in the median. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The driver of the truck that hit Coddou stopped and was cooperating with investigators, Gonzalez said. No charges have been filed. Sheriffs deputies comfort each other as they gather outside Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences as they pay respect to Deputy John Hampton Coddou Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Houston. Coddou was struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Highway 99 and Cumberland Ridge Drive in Cypress. The deputy was transported by Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann where he later died. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Dozens of police vehicles parked outside the Memorial Hermann emergency room as word spread about Coddous injuries and death. Around noon, a phalanx of police vehicles escorted his body from the hospital to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, which will conduct an autopsy. When the procession arrived, two lines of officers lined the way into the medical examiners office, saluting his flag-draped body as it was rolled inside. News of Coddous death was announced at Tuesdays Commissioners Court meeting and recognized with a moment of silence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad His family must be hurting so much, so lets think about him and all the good he did for the county, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. He did so much for the county. Officials are shown at the site where Harris County Sheriffs Deputy John Hampton Coddou was struck by a vehicle while assisting at a crash scene on the Grand Parkway at Cumberland Ridge Drive Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cypress. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Coddou joined the sheriffs office as a detention officer in 2003. He became a deputy in 2005 and worked as a patrol deputy in west Harris County. In 2016, Coddou and two other deputies were recognized for their work talking a suicidal man down from a ledge above Texas 99. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Any time we lose a hero its not just a loss to our agency, its a loss to our entire community, Gonzalez said. He was a crime-fighter. He was out there every day protecting us from some of the most violent individuals in our community. Turkey Leg Hut co-founder Lyndell Price has been accused of assaulting a man during a February bar fight. Courtesy Lynn Price, left, helps Royal Bellock, middle, with a grill top during a Tiger2Dozen pop-up in Third Ward across from Turkey Leg Hut on March 2, 2024 Bao Ong / Staff Turkey Leg Hut co-founder Lyndell Price was accused of assaulting a man during a February bar fight amid a litany of legal proceedings involving him and the famed Third Ward restaurant, according to court documents. Price, 42, was charged April 15 with misdemeanor assault in connection to the fight, which police said left a man unconscious and with a knee injury, at the neighboring business. A warrant was issued for his arrest. TROUBLE AT TLH: Turkey Leg Hut owner Nakia Holmes files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, court records show Advertisement Article continues below this ad Price, wearing an Oyster Hut shirt, appeared Tuesday in the County Criminal Court at Law No. 12 to address the charge. He sat in the back of the courtroom until his attorney, Robert Alton Jones, beckoned him to the bench. A Houston police officer alleged that Price got into a fight with another patron at the Tipsy Lounge, down the street from Turkey Leg Hut, during the Feb. 1 clash. Another patron tried to break up the fight but Price grabbed him by the neck, threw him on the ground, an act that left him unconscious, according to court records. Another witness told police that Price dragged the unconscious man out of the bar. Jones told visiting Judge Robin Brown that the Tipsy Lounge bar brawl was not as it seemed and that a patron had threatened someone with a gun. The alleged fight happened days before Prices estranged wife, Nakia Holmes, announced that he and several other employees had been fired from their restaurant. Price separately said he had also been banned from the eatery in a since deleted social media post. The future of the Turkey Leg Hut has been in dispute ever since amid divorce proceedings and the filing of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in federal court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Nakia Holmes has filed for a divorce from husband Lynn Price. She alleges he abused her and their children in an Instagram post. Steve Gonzales/Staff photographer Price declined to comment after court and referred questions to his attorney. From what I gather, it shouldnt have been filed in the first place, Jones said of the charge. The judge ordered Price to stay away from the Tipsy Lounge and the man he allegedly hurt. She set his bail at $1,000 on the misdemeanor charge. Turkey exports to Georgia up 7% in 1Q24 Muriel Bal By 23 April 2024 Turkey has increased its exports of cement products to Georgia by 6.8 per cent YoY to US$17m in the January-March 2024 period, according to the countrys Trade Ministry. However, exports to global markets were down by 7.4 per cent YoY to US$1.1bn in the 1Q24. In March alone, cement product exports to Georgia were up 4.4 per cent YoY to US$7.6m. On a global scale Turkeys exports were down 1.1 YoY to US$390m. Published under Rebekah F. Ward is the Houston Chronicle's climate & environment reporter. She can be reached at rebekah.ward@houstonchronicle.com. Before coming to Texas, Rebekah was an investigative journalist at the Albany Times Union, where she started in 2021 as the newsrooms first Joseph T. Lyons fellow. She has worked for outlets including Reuters, France 24 and the OCCRP, reporting from the U.S., Colombia, Mexico and her native Canada. Gloria Mendicoa, 66, a Harris County resident who was part of the countys mandatory buyout program is photographed in her grandchildrens play room in her new home on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Houston. At a time when an increasingly volatile climate has governments grappling with how to get people out of harms way, organizers and Harris County staff hope that lessons learned from the countrys largest mandatory flood buyout will benefit the nation. Their blueprint involves understanding the needs of residents; attentive, respectful communication with a population that may struggle with English or legal jargon; and focusing not on what a home on often-flooded land is worth but the cost of an equivalent living situation outside the flood plain. Politicians responded with bold programmatic changes designed to improve, not destabilize, lives. In January, Mendicoa moved into a three-bedroom house eight miles away with space in the garage for her tamale business. But after two years of organizing with neighbors and pleading with Harris County Commissioners during public meetings, Mendicoa found the answer she couldnt imagine as she wept under that tree. I sat there crying and asked myself, What am I going to do with my life? Mendicoa said in Spanish, wondering how she could possibly replace her home with so little money. About six months later, she received her first offer from the county: $7,000, she told the Chronicle. A county worker told her the offer was so low because she lacked permanent legal status, and afterward, Mendicoa wept under a tree in front of her house. So she welcomed the strangers when they introduced themselves as Harris County workers tasked with implementing what would be the nations first mandatory flood buyout program in a major metropolitan area, according to the county. They were preparing to buy out the owner of the mobile home park and all of its residents, they told her. Federal, state and county governments had agreed that the 200-home community was hopelessly deep in the flood plain and that it was safer for both the people living there and those living nearby if the development returned to nature. Mendicoa, 66, had lived in her fully paid-off home for 15 years, filling it with her now-adult sons grade-school awards and photos of her grandchildren. She was a warm presence in the community, spending her days socializing with neighbors, selling homemade tamales and tending to neighborhood cats descended from a stray she rescued during Hurricane Harveys floods. Gloria Mendicoa, a longtime resident of the north Houston mobile home park, approached the outsiders rumbling truck and introduced herself in Spanish. When the strangers drove down the often-flooded streets of Greens Road Mobile Home Community in early 2021, the neighborhood noticed. In other words, people like Mendicoa, who lived in a flood-prone area because she saw no other option, are most likely to be given no option about relocating. Also, federal funds make different options available to people of different levels of wealth. FEMA-funded buyouts have to be voluntary. So, for a mandatory buyout, Harris County has turned instead to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds, which have to be largely targeted in low- and moderate-income areas. As it turns out, many of Harris Countys neighborhoods that flood the most deeply another criterion Harris County used in choosing its mandatory buyout areas also provide some of the most affordable homes in the region. Trash piles up on the empty properties of Greens Road Mobile Home Community, where many residents are experiencing buyouts for people living in flood-prone areas, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Houston. The programs dont make funding available for immigrants without permanent legal status like Mendicoa and some of her neighbors. The only reason Mendicoa received the initial $7,000 offer instead of being evicted from the mobile home park without compensation was that Harris County set aside limited funds for people in similar situations in 2020 . Harris County wrote a letter to the Biden administration asking for a way to make Uniform Relocation Act funding available to such immigrants, which would help nationwide, said Christy Lambright, director of planning, development and resiliency at the countys Community Services Department. The act regulates projects ranging from highway expansions to redevelopment. But regulations regarding who could receive federal buyout money remained unchanged. The Harris County Flood Control District has purchased 4,226 parcels since 1985, including 1,119 since August 25, 2017, when Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast, unleashing devastating floods throughout Harris County. For HCFCD to purchase a home, it has to be hopelessly deep, meaning it would flood at least 2 feet in a storm that the federal government believes has a 1% chance of happening in any given year. Most of the buyouts have used FEMA funding; some used U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development dollars. Embedded in the regulations for those programs are roadblocks for the largely Hispanic communities with sizable populations of immigrants without permanent legal status that make up many flood-prone neighborhoods. She hadnt even known the government could buy out often-flooded homes. But in fact, its been happening albeit usually through voluntary programs for decades. The most common practice for flood buyouts was created in 1993 after more than 4 feet of rain fell in the Midwest, inundating 400,000 square miles. Congress passed the Hazard Mitigation and Relocation Act , which freed up Federal Emergency Management Agency money to buy flood-prone homes and turn them into open spaces. The federal regulations that enabled buyouts to become one of the countrys most popular flood mitigation tools simply werent designed for people like Mendicoa, even though shes lived through so many floods, shes lost count. Financial ghosts Mendicoas journey to owning a three-bedroom home with enough space to continue her business making tamales started with a knock on the door from Perla Garcia. Mendicoa was still reeling from the initial buyout offer and unable to communicate with county workers who did not speak Spanish. She felt so depressed she visited a clinic for treatment. So when Garcia, 36, said in Spanish that her family was also going through the mandatory buyout, Mendicoa listened carefully. For an offer high enough to continue being a homeowner, Garcia told her, shed have to organize. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They had a lot in common. Garcia, like Mendicoa, had emigrated from Mexico (Garcia is now a U.S. citizen). Like Mendicoa, she spoke little English but had made her living in an industry where that didnt get in the way (Garcia and her husband own a towing company). They both took pride in their communities and in their homeownership, even though the places they could afford to buy were in the flood plain. Rice University professor Jim Elliots research has shown that Meyerland aside, much of Houstons most flood-prone areas have a distinct demographic profile: They tend to be home to Houstons working class. In the 1970s, that working-class population was largely white. Over time, as those residents have moved up economically, theyve also moved out; new residents are primarily Hispanic, according to an analysis he co-authored using census data. Partially, thats because typically more affordable housing tends to get built in more flood-prone areas, and those areas tend to be underserved by flood infrastructure, Elliot said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jorge Maldonado, a real estate agent who has helped several, including Mendicoa, find homes after receiving buyouts, sees an additional reason why many of his clients choose to live in these communities. Many working-class people today are paid in cash and may not even have a bank account, which makes it very difficult to get a loan. Residents of Greens Road Mobile Home Community are among the many who are navigating mandatory buyouts of people living in flood-prone areas, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Lenders have told me, Your clients are ghosts in the financial system, Maldonado said. We cant prove they exist. So we cant tell if theyre creditworthy. Garcia, a citizen, had been able to get a conventional mortgage on a traditionally built home. But she told Mendicoa that in 2020, she, too, had received a flyer she could not read, written in English and littered with legal jargon. At the end of 2021, Garcia, a citizen eligible for federal funds, said she received a $70,000 offer for her three-bedroom home. Offers for people ineligible for the federal funds faced an additional constraint. While the county had set aside $1.5 million in its own funds in such situations, it had capped homeowners at $31,000 and renters at $10,000. Garcia felt these were unfair amounts since they were impossible to translate into an equivalent life elsewhere. At the suggestion of Texas Organizing Project staff, which organizes Black and Latino communities, she soon began attending Commissioners Court meetings. Garcia and others attended Commissioners Court over a half dozen times, outlining problems with communication, respect from their caseworkers and low offers. They found the commissioners responsive. Its inherent that theres going to be challenges with buyouts, said County Judge Lina Hidalgo in the August meeting. But it needs to be done well. There are very clear problems going on here, and theyve been going on for too long. In February 2023, Commissioners Court approved an increase up to $60,000 for a home replacement and $36,000 for rental assistance. But Garcia, Mendicoa and others protested that offers were still not enough to buy replacement homes. I implore you to help me and to help my neighbors, said Mendicoa, with the help of a translator. Another speaker pleaded eloquently on behalf of his grandparents, who had been living self-sufficiently in their retirement but who, in the face of the $60,000 buyout, would be reduced to moving in with their children. The county again reconsidered. Adriana Morales, a former resident of the Greens Road Mobile Home Community who was among the many navigating mandatory buyouts of people living in flood-prone areas, becomes emotional when speaking about her living situation on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Houston. The 52-year-old's buyout process was especially stressful as she faced a bout with cancer and underwent open-heart surgery. Morales secured a $205,000 buyout from the county and used it to buy a one-story brick home in Spring. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer First, it opened relocation offices within the communities being bought out and increased the bilingual case management team to help residents with services theyd need to make the move, such as finding furniture, repairing credit and navigating the process of getting an ID from the consulate. Then, the Community Services Department gave the Commissioners Court two options. Either they could increase the buyouts to an amount that would allow families to theoretically live in another mobile home: $110,000 to replace a home and $46,200 for rental assistance. This was challenging because hundreds of people were being displaced, and many Houston-area cities place limits on where mobile homes can be located. Viable options were few and far between. Or they could raise funding to a level that would allow them to move into traditionally constructed homes (an option the federally funded relocation program allows citizens): $210,000 for home replacement and $60,000 for rental assistance. Commissioners Court agreed to the second option and approved $7.7 million to fund it. In my judgment, immigration status should have no bearing on ones ability to recover from a climate disaster or to live in a healthy home (less vulnerable to) flooding, said Commissioner Rodney Ellis as he prepared to vote for the motion. A pair of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students have created paths to learning new languages after landing national competitive scholarships.Lauren Graves, a senior English major and Brock Scholar in the UTC Honors College, will soon be heading to Japan as part of the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) program, which brings university graduates to Japan as assistant language teachers.Vinny Nguyen, a sophomore political science and public service major, is the recipient of the CLS Spark scholarship.He will spend eight weeks in an online course learning Mandarin Chinese, a language the program deemed essential to Americas engagement with the world.Both scholarships facilitate that two-way transfer of cultural exchange, said Dr. Trey Straussberger, director of the UTC Office of National Scholarships. Lauren is going to go to Japan and learn more about Japanese culture and learn the Japanese language, but then shes going to bring back that knowledge and share it in her communityfacilitating those sustainable connections between the United States and places abroad.Vinny has always taken the initiative to push his boundaries and seize opportunities, Dr. Straussberger continued. Hes got a knack for languages.Ms. Graves, a graduate of First Baptist Academy in Knoxville, said she has experience traveling with the Honors College and UTC Choral program, but this is her first lengthy trip abroad.I feel like I keep oscillating back and forth between, Oh my goodness, Im so excited and Oh my goodness, Im about to be so far away from everything that is familiar, Ms. Graves said.Dr. Straussberger said the JET program sees foreign language teachers as cultural ambassadors.I think the program is one of those crucial parts of American diplomacy and foreign relations, he said, and I think Lauren is going to be a great ambassador.Dr. Straussberger also said cultural exchange and global engagement resonate deeply with Mr. Nguyen.CLS Spark is a precursor to the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program, providing students with formal language experience before studying abroad. Straussberger said most students who participate in the CLS Spark eventually qualify for acceptance into the CLS program.It sets students up for the Critical Language Scholarship where you actually go abroad for a year, he said.Mr. Nguyen grew up in Chattanooga, graduating from Lookout Valley High School in 2022.The CLS Spark, he said, will help him in his future career.I want to work for the foreign service with the federal government for national security and economic prosperity, Mr. Nguyen said. Mandarin is going to be a very big asset, especially if I want to work in Asian affairs or in Pacific affairs. L'Ambiance Plaza - Brideport, CT. April 23, 1987. I can tell you where I was, what I wore, what I ate for lunch. And every time I smell offroad diesel, I can see that place. It's imprinted on my mind. The whirlwind of days after, and now 37 years after. I think often on 28 families who kissed their loved ones as they headed to work that day. A warm, sunny, beautiful spring day. The kind of day you take off your jacket and maybe overshirt, to soak up the rays. I was not yet 30 years old. It was right as lunch was ending. I was not due on that worksite for a couple days. Larry and Max had gone to drop all the supplies and conduit we needed. I was just around the corner on another job. The scream came over the radio - I can hear it plain as day - "dispatch, call out every ambulance, fire! police! everyone! The building just went down!" We didn't have cell phones; so dispatch was faster than finding a payphone. I knew, we all knew. It was L'Ambiance - the weird looking lift slab building, that didn't look quite right, but "they said" was safe. We broke down our job and headed to help. In fact, every hard hatted worker in the city headed to help. I got there, and found Larry, covered in dust and in shock. I said, "where's Max"? Larry - Pointing to the multi-story building pancaked in a pile: "He's in there". My heart - I swear it stopped. "LARRY - WHERE IS MAX!?" I yelled. Larry said - "He's in there trying to help". Just about then, Max and another guy emerged from the rubble with a guy who was hurt. We stayed, we helped. We did what we could. For days. The only ones who lived were the ones who were pulled out or got out in the first few hours. In all 27 men lost their lives that day, and one more succumbed later. Things from that day and the days after, that never leave - the smell of offroad diesel, connected to the excavators, so gently operated by the best of them, lifting concrete like it was a sheet of paper, slowly, and gently, while rescuers and dogs checked pockets. And the silence. The deafening silence when someone was found. But the worst of it - what still hurts today - there were 27 families that would walk out from the church they were waiting in, when they heard quiet. They waited near the fence, to see who it was. One poor family did that - 27 times. When it was over, they bulldozed the place, built a new building and installed a memorial. The federal government fined the company a whopping $430,000 in fines (at $15,000 per man), and families eventually settled for $41 million from the contractor. No criminal charges were brought against anyone in charge. This week is Worker Safety Awareness week. On April 28 every year, we recognize Worker Memorial day, and look back at workplace fatalities, and disabling injuries in the USA. According to BLS data, in 2022 - roughly every 96 minutes, a worker died. The total - 5,486 workers went to work and never went home. This year - April 28 is a Sunday. Take some time to look at your family - and make yourself a promise to look out for each other, to speak up when things don't look right. Speak up and yell if you have to. No one should ever have to make that walk ever. Kaye Fiorello There was bad blood between two men that led to a shooting March 29 at the East Brainerd ball fields at Batter's Place, it was testified in General Sessions Court on Tuesday morning. Judge Gary Starnes bound charges of attempted first-degree murder, reckless endangerment and use of a gun during a felony to the Grand Jury against 24-year-old Davonte Tramell Harris, 24. A detective said Chansler Williamson was shot in the leg and chest and has had to undergo 5-6 surgeries. East Brainerd Youth officials described the late-night incident as "tense and terrifying." A detective said the call came out as an "active shooter" at the ball fields, but it was later learned it was a domestic altercation between two men. She said video from the park did show a faceoff between the two men, but did not show any gunfire. It showed Harris shedding his sweatshire as he ran off into nearby woods. The detective said Williamson was only able to say that it was Harris who shot him, then he was rushed away to surgery. She said Harris at first did not admit to firing at Williamson, but later said he had done so after he said Williamson came over and punched him in the nose just after a game involving his (Williamson's) son had finished. The detective said Harris said he shot in self defense after seeing Williamson turn toward him. The defense called a witness who had two children by Williamson prior to their divorce in 2022. She said she has been dating Harris for the past year, but not living with him. She said she and Williamson have an arrangement where they share the children "182 1/2 days a year each." She said she tried to keep good relations with him for the childrens' sake. She said Williamson had been aggressive toward Harris, calling him "your little boyfriend" and using racist names for him. The witness claimed that shortly before the shooting that Williamson had driven by her house and thrown a rock at Harris' car. She said the next night he slashed the tires on Harris' vehicle. She said just prior to the shooting at the ball park that Williamson was "making a scene" and threatening Harris. The witness said at one point during the incident she saw Williamson down in a shooting position and firing toward Harris. She said her kids ran off when the shots started ringing out, and she rushed off to try to locate them. She said she found "some random woman hovering over them." Prosecutor Lee Ortwein said four shell casings were found at the scene, and all came from Harris' gun. Defense attorney Neal Pinkston said Williamson is facing aggravated assault charges in Georgia involving the feud. He said a self defense case could be made out in behalf of Harris. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announced that Tim Gritten, who has spent the last six years as Executive Director of the Library and Special Collections at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, has been appointed Dean of the UTC Library. The appointment is effective July 1.Dr. Jerold L. Hale, UTC provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, announced the appointment.Tim has worked in various roles with ascending levels of responsibility and leadership over many years, and what stood out to me was the breadth of his experiences.Most recently, he was able to transform a library at a relatively new universityTexas A&M University-San Antonioand turn it into a facility that the entire Texas A&M University System could be proud of, Dr. Hale said.Tim strikes that right balance of being a very person-centered leader and someone with the proper task orientation who can get things done while marshaling the support of the people around him. During the due diligence process, it was clear that Tim had the confidence of the people he worked with; they appreciated his leadership style and ability to get things done. Given the varied experiences that Tim has had, it has positioned him well to help us define what the library should be for our campus moving forward.Mr. Gritten joined Texas A&M University-San Antonio as executive director of the library and special collections in 2018 after spending two years at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mi., as associate dean of university libraries. His work experience began during his undergraduate days at the University of Illinois and has included stints at the Urbana (Illinois) Free Library, the Athens (Ohio) Public Library, the University of Notre Dame Law Schools Kresge Library, the Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.He now comes to UTC after seeing how libraries work from various perspectives.Universities and libraries have an opportunity to be that center core for conversations, driving the future of information and technology on campus and within the community, Mr. Gritten said.When I visited the UTC campus, the quick connections I was able to make people truly made me feel like I could be successful there. In terms of that welcoming environment, from the first time I met the people there, they were really outgoing and made me feel like this is my home.Mr. Gritten was a Chancellors Scholar in the University of Illinois Honors Program, graduating in 1992 with bachelors degrees in anthropology, classics, and history. He received a Master of Library Science from Indiana University in 2003.UTC is very student-focused, and those student-focused values have always been very important to me, he said. The fact that the University thinks about the librarys role in transformational engagement aligns with my experiences.Mr. Gritten noted that he is very accessible to members of the campus community.One thing I like to do, just because it tells a little bit about my personality, is that Im always happy to play a strategic board game with anyone who wants to reach out to me, he said.In making the campus announcement, Dr. Hale noted that the national search was comprised of a large and robust applicant pool compared to most library dean searches, which I think speaks to the quality of the UTC Library and the power of Chattanooga. I am grateful to the search committee, led by College of Health, Education and Professional Studies Dean Valerie Rutledge, for selecting a talented set of finalists for this crucial position.Mr. Gritten will succeed Theresa Liedtka, who is transitioning out of her position as dean of the UTC Library to take on other responsibilities on campus. Liedtka, the library dean since 2004, will be moving into a new position in Academic Affairs.She has been and will continue to be an influential and visionary leader who is an invaluable asset to UTC, Dr. Hale said. The Unipower firm at Dunlap has announced it is closing with the loss of 29 jobs. The facility is at 65 Industrial Park Road. Closing date was listed as the end of June. Unipower offered services including remodeling, carpentry work and ceiling fan installations. The Southeast Rapid Response team, employed by the Southeast Tennessee Development District, plans to assist workers with job relocation. Jacob T. Young, a talented and versatile magazine editor whose career included senior roles at Wired, Time Inc., People, Readers Digest, and Newsweek, died on January 12 at his home in Mill Valley, California, following a courageous three-year battle with Lewy Body Dementia, a neurodegenerative disease of the brain. He was 67 years old.Born January 26, 1956, in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Jake, as he was known to most, was the son of Troy Young of Chickamauga, Georgia, and Mary Wilhoit Young of Signal Mountain, Tennessee. His father was a furniture salesman and disabled veteran of the Korean War. His mother worked as an engineer for the Tennessee Valley Authority, where she forecasted power needs for the region.Jake grew up in Chattanooga, where he attended the Baylor School, a private preparatory school that, at the time, was an all-boys institution. From there, Jake attended Stanford University (his first trip west of the Mississippi), where he soon discovered his passion for journalism. Soon after his arrival, he started spending untold hours in the offices of The Stanford Daily, ultimately becoming the student newspaper's editor-in-chief during his senior year. With his easy-going manner and commanding 6'5" height, he stood out among his colleagues and was a mentor and friend to scores of student journalists. Jake graduated in 1978 with a BA in history.That fall, Jake moved to New York City to pursue a career in magazine journalism. After a short stint at a trade publication, he joined the staff of Newsweek magazine in 1979. In his nine years at Newsweek, Jake covered political campaigns, spent three years as Detroit bureau chief, and served as a writer in New York, where he wrote countless stories on a wide range of topics.Jake joined People Magazine in 1988 as a news editor and soon was promoted to senior editor of news. In 1990, People asked Jake to oversee the startup of a similar magazine in Australia that would come to be called Who Weekly. After a successful test run, he moved to Sydney and spent the next several years as the magazine's founding editor. Following a short stint as editor of Time South Pacific, Jake returned to New York in 1995 to become an assistant managing editor at People and, later, development editor for Time Inc. During those years, he took part in the launches of several new magazines.From 2000 to 2005, Jake served as executive editor of Readers Digest before becoming managing editor of Wired magazine, where he worked from 2006 to 2016 and had a front-row seat to the emerging technological revolution happening in Silicon Valley.In 1996, Jake's life was changed in immeasurable ways when he met Marsha Robertson at a dinner in Los Angeles. Marsha, who worked as a publicist on film production sets around the world, was a fellow Stanford alum from the class of 1976. Six months after they met, Marsha, a long-time Californian, moved to New York where she and Jake established a home on the Upper East Side. They married in 1999.Jake and Marsha moved to San Francisco in 2006 and to Mill Valley in 2010. They loved living in California, especially among the tall redwoods in Mill Valley that surrounded their home. Jake's life was turned upside down when Marsha died of cancer in 2018 at the age of 63. It was a loss he felt deeply.Jake's Lewy Body diagnosis in 2021 was a blow, but he never let it define him. He continued to show his trademark kindness, good humor, and inquisitiveness to the very end. He will be missed dearly by those who knew him.Jake is survived by his younger brother, Jeff Young, of Chattanooga; his niece Brandi Yeoman, also of Chattanooga; his great-nephew Hunter Robinson and great-niece Riley Yeoman; his brother-in-law Jim Robertson and his wife Tammy; and his loving and devoted companion Kyle Gibson, who brought him great joy, love, and comfort in recent years.A memorial service is schedule for May 5, 2024 in Mill Valley, Ca.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Futures Without Violence, 100 Montgomery Street, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA, 94129. (https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org)Family and friends will hold a private memorial service at a future date.Published by Marin Independent Journal on Jan. 16, 2024. The Chattanooga Fire Department was battling several burning piles of scrap metal at PSC Metals on West 19th Street on Tuesday afternoon. The fire was causing heavy smoke in the downtown area. Authorities were warning residents to stay out of the area. At 6:42, fire officials were able to report, "The fire is out. Theres no longer any smoke in the area so the 'limit exposure' alert in the vicinity of the incident is no longer needed or in place. We appreciate the hard work of everyone on this scene." Fire officials said at 5:37 p.m., "Chattanooga Fire has multiple companies working a large scrap metal fire on 980 West 19th St. The fire has been producing smoke in the downtown area. It is now contained, but it is still burning. No buildings are involved. "Several hours in, firefighters continue working to extinguish the scrap yard blaze. "The call came out at 2:09 p.m. on Tuesday. We are using every available water supply around the area of this incident. Tennessee American Water has boosted pressure for CFD operations and two squads are boosting pressure at hydrants. "One firefighter was transported to the hospital from the scene with a heat-related injury. He has been treated and released. "Out of an abundance of caution, a public safety message was sent out through the Hamilton County alert system to phones in the area from MLK to the interstate to let the public know whats going on and to limit their exposure to smoke. Metal, car parts, fuel tanks, and water heaters are burning. "CPD, HCEMS, Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, Hamilton County Rescue, CFD Special Operations and CFD command staff are assisting firefighters on this scene. Our mutual aid partners are providing coverage at our fire halls while CFD personnel work this incident. Workers at the facility are helping to move material so that firefighters can target the flames." For more than 25 years, the Childrens Nutrition Program of Haiti headquartered in Chattanooga has been working in Haiti to raise a healthy generation of Haitian children, who can, in turn, help raise Haiti from poverty. To help increase awareness of its mission and raise funds to support its efforts to treat malnutrition and provide healthcare services for the women and children in Haiti, CNP Haiti is hosting its inaugural Hope for Haiti Walk-A-Thon on Saturday, May 11, at Coolidge Park. Despite the continued turmoil in Haiti, our mission continues everyday -- saving lives and fighting childhood malnutrition, said Patricia Cyr Watlington, executive director for the Childrens Nutrition Program of Haiti. We believe every child has the right to make it to his or her fifth birthday, and far beyond. As one the few grassroots organizations still working in Haiti today, CNP Haitis community health workers (Monitrices) are committed to walking village to village, home to home through the rugged mountains to treat malnutrition and deliver vital healthcare services to the women and children of Haiti. CNP Haiti is a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization that works with women across Haiti and trains them to serve as health care workers for their community so they can empower new mothers and their children on the path to health and wellness. The Hope for Haiti Walk-A-Thon will officially begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, at the outdoor stage in Coolidge Park. The event route will travel 2.3 miles in Chattanooga as participants walk in honor of the women and children in Haiti and Monitrices who play a role in the fight against malnutrition. Upon returning to Coolidge Park, CNP Haiti will have food trucks, beverages, shaved ice and a fun Kids Zone for everyone to enjoy. "We are walking for the women and children in Haiti, but this Walk-A-Thon is our way to honor the Monitrices who are walking up to 8 miles a day the equivalent of 16,000 steps a day or four times the number of steps taken by the average American on any given day to educate families on what methods and medicines are helpful for the care of their children, said Dr. Anany G. Prosper, country director. Early registration for the Hope for Haiti Walk-a-Thon is $25 per person and will continue through Sunday, May 5. After this date, the event registration will be $30 per person. To learn more, please visit www.cnphaiti.org or call 206-4882 for additional questions on sponsorship opportunities, registration details and event schedule. Downtown Houston skyline is photographed on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 at the Thompson Hotel in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The president and CEO of the nonprofit Center for Houston's Future announced he will be stepping down soon to focus full time on efforts to advance the clean hydrogen industry in the city. Brett Perlman has led the nonprofit seven years and will remain CEO at the nonprofit until a replacement has been determined, he said in a statement last week. The nonprofit, which forecasts global trends impacts on the region, played a role in promoting clean hydrogen development in Houston. Advertisement Article continues below this ad HyVelocity Hub is a collaboration between nonprofit research organizations, academia and energy companies working to advance the clean hydrogen ecosystem in Texas, Southwest Louisiana and along the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to its website. "I believe that our clean hydrogen project has now grown to the point where it requires my full-time attention to achieve the vision of making Houston a global clean hydrogen leader," Perlman said. In 2023, the HyVelocity Hub was one of seven hydrogen hubs to be selected for up to $1.2 billion in federal funding. At the time, HyVelocity announced it was working to "leverage the world's concentration of existing hydrogen production and end-use assets in Texas and Southwest Louisiana," the Chronicle previously reported. "With private investment capital raising the total to $10 billion, this could potentially rank among Houstons major economic development achievements, perhaps on par with the development of the Ship Channel and the creation of the Johnson Space Center," Perlman said in the announcement of his intent to step down as CEO of the nonprofit. Perlman plans to continue serving as an advisor to the center for the clean hydrogen project after he steps down. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Perlman touted the expansion of the hydrogen steering committee, highlighting its recognition locally, nationally and globally. He also hopes to help with efforts to "lift all segments of (the) community and on seeking to attract more private investment to this sector." He said the centers work, focused on the economic future of the Houston region, will inspire a new civic leader to take on the CEO position. "While there will be time going forward to thank all of you who have supported me in this journey, I want to thank our small but dedicated staff, the Centers Board and the four Board Chairs who have all worked closely with me on the endeavor of improving the future of our city and our region," he wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Center for Houston's Future plans to launch the Houston 2050 project to focus on creating "a new vision and diverse region and which will build on a number of positive trends and projects in the region," Perlman said. An annual investment of $640,000 on access to counsel in eviction cases in Hamilton County has a potential annual benefit to taxpayers of more than $3 million, according to a new study released by the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. The cost-benefit analysis, The Estimated Economic Impact of Access to Counsel in Evictions in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, was funded by the Maclellan Foundation and conducted by Stout Risius Ross, LLC. It indicates that the public could see economic benefits of $4.84 for every dollar spent on eviction prevention. According to the report: With an annual investment of approximately $640,000 in an eviction access to counsel program, Chattanooga and Hamilton County may recognize economic benefits of at least an estimated $3.1 million. For every dollar the city or county invests in providing free representation to eligible tenants through an eviction access to counsel program, the city or county may reduce social safety net responses to disruptive displacement or realize economic benefits of at least $4.84. Civil access to counsel refers to the concept that individuals who cannot afford legal representation in cases concerning fundamental human needs including shelter, sustenance, safety, health and child custody should be provided with a lawyer without cost. A landmark 1963 Supreme Court case, Gideon v. Wainwright, enshrined this right for criminal defendants. With regard to civil matters like eviction proceedings, however, the assistance of a professional lawyer is not guaranteed. Locally funded and managed access to counsel efforts are becoming more widespread. According to a 2023 survey by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, three states and 17 cities have enacted some form of right-to-counsel protections for tenants. In Hamilton County, the Eviction Prevention Initiative provides households facing eviction with attorneys and social workers during and following court proceedings, with the dual goals of keeping tenants in their homes while compensating landlords fairly. The program, launched by the Foundation in 2020, has been financially supported by the city of Chattanooga and several private donors since its inception. In 2023, the administration of EPI was formally transferred to Legal Aid of East Tennessee. In the preceding two years, 706 people, including 372 children, avoided eviction because of EPI while the programs social workers have been able to prevent homelessness for more than 100 people. In the same period, EPI staff were also able to help connect landlords with more than $675,000 in federal and philanthropic rent relief dollars. Other notable findings in the study include: The program could generate an estimated additional $700,000 in economic activity due to increased educational attainment and $600,000 due to more stable employment. Approximately 797 income-eligible tenant households could receive legal representation annually through an eviction access to counsel program. Estimated annual Medicaid cost savings related to physical and mental health care for Chattanooga and Hamilton County residents could be approximately $140,000. The eviction access to counsel program could reduce the annual fiscal impact related to incarcerating people experiencing homelessness by approximately $30,000. Ensuring that people facing eviction have access to an attorney benefits our entire community, says Maeghan Jones, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. Strategic interventions like the Eviction Prevention Initiative create stability for individuals and families and, in many cases, improve outcomes for landlords as well. By providing access to legal representation for every eligible household in our community we not only prevent evictions, we stabilize families and help prevent the negative downstream impacts of an unplanned relocation, and we also save taxpayers millions of dollars in the process. Keeping more families in their homes alleviates the extraordinary cost burdens associated with homelessness, says Debra House, executive director of Legal Aid of East Tennessee. This allows public dollars to flow to other urgent community priorities. This study makes a clear and compelling case for continued public sector investment in this work. For more information and to read the full study, The Estimated Economic Impact of Access to Counsel in Evictions in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, please click here. To learn more about the Eviction Prevention Initiative or to access its resources, call 710-9432 or visit Rent423.com The king and queen consort have used the plane for official state visits. A plane once used by King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles has been damaged. Three windows reportedly fell out of the airplane mid-flight, but no one was hurt. King Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, and other VIPs have used the Titan Airways plane A Titan Airways plane once used by King Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, and other VIPs experienced an air emergency. The Airbus had to make a U-turn and return to the airport due to missing and damaged windows. King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were not on the airplane when it had mechanical problems. However, other passengers did experience the issue. The plane was once used by the royal family, the United Kingdoms Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and James Cleverly, the UKs Foreign Secretary, on official trips abroad, reports The Telegraph. The incident took place in October 2023. What caused the windows to fall out mid-air? King Charles IIIs and Queen Camillas plane lands at Orly Airport on September 20, 2023 in Paris, France | Tim Rooke Pool/Getty Images A report states that the initial incident occurred in October 2023. It was a crew member who noticed a loose windowpane during a Titan Airways flight from London to Orlando, Florida. The nine passengers and 11 crew members on board did not report injuries. But, they did note the plane was noisier and colder than usual, according to The Telegraph. Subsequently, it was found that three windowpanes had fallen off, and impact damage was noticeable on the tail, according to a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The report said two windowpanes were missing, a third window lost its inner pane and a rubber seal, and a fourth was damaged. It was determined the plane sustained structural damage after its windows reportedly shrunk. The planes acrylic windowpanes were exposed to high-intensity lights as the vehicle was filmed for an advertisement the day before takeoff. The AAIBs report states, The lights were first shone on the right side of the aircraft for approximately five and a half hours. The light focused on the cabin windows just aft of the over wing exits. This intense heat caused the window seals to loosen. When did King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles last use the airplane? King Charles and Queen Camilla had previously used the jet for a state visit to France in September 2023. GB News reports that when the royal couple flew on the plane, it was registered strictly for royal and government flights. That status has since changed. The king and queen consort visited France from September 20 to 23, 2023. The visit was hosted by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife, Brigitte Macron. Charles and Camillas visit reportedly celebrated the relationship between the United Kingdom and France. Their trip included a State Banquet hosted at the Palace of Versailles by President Macron and Mrs. Macron and a tour of an organic vineyard in Bordeaux. Subsequently, Charles addressed the National Assembly from the French Senate. There, he pledged to strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and France. Charles and Camillas original visit, scheduled for March 2023, was canceled due to mass protests in France over pension reform. Today, King Charles remains close to home as he continues to recover from cancer. Camilla Parker Bowles has stepped up her royal appearances in his absence. Until now, the generation and storage of electricity from solar energy has been dependent on various devices, leading to conversion losses. That may change soon: chemists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg (FAU) and other research institutes in Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden and the USA are conducting research into a hydrocarbon molecule that can either convert sunlight into electricity or save the energy for a long time in a chemical form. This could pave the way for entirely new organic solar modules. The fundamentals for conversion and storage using the molecule have now been published in the journal Nature Chemistry. Prof. Dr. Julien Bachmann, Chair of Chemistry of Thin Film Materials (CTFM) and Michael Bosch, doctoral candidate at the Chair CTFM at FAU. FAU Hopes remain high that solar energy will be a major driver of the energy transformation. However, as sunlight is a highly volatile source of energy, a solution must be found for storing energy efficiently. Until now, we have transferred electricity from solar modules that is not consumed immediately into a battery, where it can be used as and when required, explains Prof. Dr. Julien Bachmann, Chair of Chemistry of Thin Film Materials (CTFM) at FAU. By repeatedly changing between chemical and electrical energy, at least 30 per cent of the original converted energy is lost during this battery storage process. Together with Michael Bosch, a doctoral candidate at the Chair CTFM, Bachmann hopes to coax a new property from a known material, making it either converting sunlight to electrical energy or storing the energy, depending on requirements. The material in question is norbornadiene, a hydrocarbon isomer consisting of two molecule rings. If norbornadiene is exposed to ultraviolet light, a partial reorganization of the atomic bonds leads to it converting to the similarly structured but more highly strained quadricyclane. The conversion process is already known, however, research has focused until now on recovering the stored energy in the form of heat, explains Bachmann. Our new approach involves controlling the process to allow the stored energy to be made available as electricity as well, even after months have passed. Scientists still do not fully understand the physical-chemical mechanisms behind the transitions between the isomers. Researchers from Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden and the USA are working together with colleagues from FAU to gain a better understanding of the process by using photoelectron spectroscopy. Bachmann: The more we know about the dynamics of photo- und electrochemical transformation, the better we can modify the design of the molecule to suit the desired functions. The aim of future research is, for example, not only to use ultraviolet excitation, but also a wide spectrum of sunlight for electron excitation. There is a lot of potential, explains Julien Bachmann. The pure energy density of the norbornadiene-quadricyclane system is comparable to a lithium-ion battery. In the United States, mental health issues are very common. At some point in their lives, half of all Americans are diagnosed with some type of mental illness or disorder. Illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia are well-understood by experts. However, some conditions are so rare that many mental health professionals may never come across them. One of those rarer mental health conditions is the Fregoli delusion. It is characterized by the belief that a particular person is repeatedly changing their appearance, transforming into different individuals. People with the Fregoli delusion believe that someone is following them and impersonating others. The Fregoli delusion was first reported in 1927. Two French authors named Courbon and Fail described a case involving a woman who believed that two famous actresses, Sarah Bernhardt, and Robine, were impersonating employers, friends, and strangers in the street. Courbon and Fail named the delusion after Leopoldo Fregoli, an Italian actor who was famous for his ability to impersonate people on stage. Signs Of The Fregoli Delusion A person with the Fregoli delusion will think that someone is following them and taking on the form of other people. Usually, the person following them is someone they dont know, and it can cause feelings of distress, anxiety, and paranoia. The primary symptoms of the Fregoli delusion include the feeling of being followed, the feeling that someone is pretending to be someone else in order to harm you, and the feeling that different people are actually the same person. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. This woman and her husband have a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old child. Shes been a stay-at-home mother for six years and would love to return to her job as a community social worker. The timing would be perfect because their oldest child is in school, and they could drop their youngest child off at daycare while she and her husband were at work during the day. When she brought up the subject with her husband, he wasnt on the same page. He thinks having a parent home is valuable and great for the child. That is how he was raised, while I was raised in a family where both parents had to work, she said. After bickering for a while, her husband said he couldnt prevent her from working, but he added that shed be paying for all childcare and work-related costs. She thought his statement was terrible because he was aware that she didnt earn a lot of money as a social worker, so most of her earnings would go toward childcare. During the conversation, her husband said hed continue paying the expenses he already has but expressed that shed need to cover her work-related expenses and childcare since she was the one who wanted to put their youngest child in daycare while she worked. They have a joint bank account, and her husband luckily doesnt control how she spends money. The only reason hed ask her about her spending would be if she was spending an outrageous amount. I told him we should split costs equitably, and he told me flat-out no. He claimed that because I wish to work, I should be the one who carries that cost. I dont know what to feel or do, she explained. If she returned to work, her salary would start at about $40,000, and shed work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. With the commute to and from work, shed be away from home for about 10 hours a day. Since she and her husband only have one vehicle, theyd have to purchase a second vehicle. If they agreed to this plan, she would drop off their child at daycare, and her husband would be picking up their child at the end of his workday. Their oldest child is enrolled in private school, and she and her husband have always been on the same page about enrolling their children in private school. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Since the 1930s, the jackalope, a jackrabbit with the horns of an antelope, is said to have roamed across Wyoming. American folklore states that the jackalope is lightning-quick, powerful, and skilled in singing. But where did the legend of the jackalope come from? Some believe the hybrid creature exists, but most others credit two brothers in Wyoming for weaving the tale. According to legend, the horned rabbits are almost impossible to catch because of how fast they move. Those on the hunt for jackalopes were advised to wear stovepipes on their legs to avoid getting injured by the antlers. Jackalopes have one weaknesswhiskey. Anyone who wants to catch a jackalope should leave the alcohol out to draw in one of the animals so that its easier to catch. Jackalopes are also extremely intelligent, possessing the ability to understand and imitate human language. They like to sit near campfires and startle humans by singing campfire songs. Furthermore, jackalopes produce milk with medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. The milk can be found in some Wyoming supermarkets, but its authenticity is questionable. Additionally, jackalopes are so rare because they only mate during lightning storms. In 1932, a Wyoming native named Douglas Herrick invented the creature after a successful hunting trip with his brother Ralph. When they returned home, the brothers dropped their kills on the ground. The dead jackrabbit slid across the floor, perfectly lining up with a pair of deer antlers. They decided to mount the jackrabbit with the antlers. The first mounted jackalope was sold to the owner of the La Bonte Hotel in Douglas, Wyoming. In 1977, a thief snatched it from the wall. Meanwhile, the Herrick family made tens of thousands more for Wyomingites who grew to love the horned rabbit. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Home News Pastor John Lindell apologizes for inviting Alex Magala, Mark Driscoll to mens conference Pastor John Lindell of James River Church in Missouri apologized to his congregation Sunday for inviting professional sword swallower Alex Magala and Pastor Mark Driscoll to the churchs Stronger Men's Conference after a firestorm erupted over Driscolls controversial rebuke of Magalas performance as demonic. Let me just say this about the events of this past week. I want to say two things. First of all, I want to thank you for your overwhelming response on Wednesday night. What happened was both biblical and necessary, and the Lord was present, and for that, we're grateful, Lindell said during James River Churchs Sunday night service broadcast on Facebook, which is no longer available. You can listen to the sermon here. At the same time. I want to be clear I want to apologize and let you know I take full responsibility for the decision that was made to invite Mark Driscoll and Alex Magala to the Stronger Men's Conference, he explained. I am deeply saddened by the division that our invitation has brought to the Body of Christ. That was never our intent. The Stronger Men's Conference is about reaching men for Jesus Christ, and it will continue to be about reaching men for Jesus Christ. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The brief follow-up statement comes four days after Lindell delivered a nearly 40-minute rebuke of Driscoll, the founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the now-defunct Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, for the manner in which he chose to rebuke Magalas daredevil performance at the mens conference hosted by James River Church on April 11 at the Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield. Lindell contends that Driscoll should have followed the guidance of Matthew 18 to address his dispute instead of publicly addressing the church. Lindell also defended the decision to hire Magala for the mens conference and described him as a bonafide born-again Christian and family man who is married with children. Magala, 34, has since confirmed he is married to photographer Yulia Prokhorova. He denied Lindells claim that he was born-again and said he had no children. "After watching a video yesterday from John Lindell, explaining and just defending me, I just wanted to clear some details. First of all, I have no kids. I have a family; I have no kids yet. So, that's number one," he said. "And secondly, some sources say that I was saved by God around 10 years ago, which is not correct because I'm an Orthodox Christian," he continued. "Orthodox Christian means that I get through the ceremony of becoming a Christian as a baby. So pretty much all my family is an Orthodox Christian, and me as well." Lindell claimed in his rebuke that even though Driscoll was aware of Magalas born-again status, he accused Magala of being under the influence of a Jezebel spirit. The Missouri pastor also alleged that Driscoll accused his son, Brandon, of a list of dark sins, and urged another son, David, to take control of the church and separate himself from his father and brother. To suggest that a professional acrobat using a device that's been around for a thousand years is in the same category as an erotic dancer is, at best, misinformed or uninformed, Lindell said. We stand by the decision because Alex is a believer. I will defend him in the same way I have repeatedly stood by you and defended you, Lindell said to applause from his congregation. Much of Driscolls objection to Magalas performance at the church event is connected to Magalas history as a go-go dancer. In 2016, while Magalas star was rising as a family-friendly sword swallower on "Britain's Got Talent," a Daily Mail report revealed that Magala had also worked as a pole-dancing striptease artist in Los Angeles and Las Vegas for women and gay men. My life is like a movie, Magala told the publication. Perhaps you've seen in films when a killer gets a text about his next victim. I have the same story. I receive the address of the club, the time, and the color of underwear. I arrive at the place: lights, music, fire. Magala, did not immediately respond when asked by CP if he still did any work as a striptease artist. Driscoll compared Magalas performance to a striptease because he removed his shirt before sliding down a pole with a sword in his throat as a part of his performance. Before the word of God was open, there was a platform. It was a high place, Driscoll said at the conference before he was summarily removed from the stage for being out of line. On it was a pole, an Asherah. The same thing that's used in a strip club for women who have the Jezebel spirit to seduce men. In front of that was a man who ripped his shirt off like a woman does in front of a pole at a strip club. Home News UMC bishops call for unity at General Conference as homosexuality schism looms large United Methodist Church bishops are calling for unity as its General Conference kicks off Tuesday after thousands of churches left the mainline Protestant denomination amid efforts to alter its official stance against homosexuality and the ordination of LGBT individuals. The UMC General Conference is a multiday churchwide legislative gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina, which begins on Tuesday and runs until May 3. A group of current and former UMC bishops based in Europe released a statement in advance of the gathering, acknowledging the decades-long internal debate over sexual ethics and calling for unity in the denomination. 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 "For almost five decades, United Methodists have disagreed over the understanding of human sexuality, which has caused immense pain and hurt to many people," they stated. "We are committed to the unity of the United Methodist Church, and we are longing for a United Methodist Church that will move towards new forms of being a connectional church, a General Conference focused on global essentials, and an empowerment of regions for contextually relevant forms of living our common mission mandate." Although over 7,000 congregations have left the UMC in recent years amid its schism on homosexuality, the bishops declared that "the United Methodist Church will remain a faithful witness to the Christian gospel." "Nevertheless, we are one United Methodist Church, and with all the challenges this entails, we, as your bishops, are committed to be shepherds of the whole flock, and thereby provide leadership toward the goal of understanding, reconciliation and unity in the body of Christ," the bishops continued. Over the past several years, the UMC has experienced divisive debate over whether to change the wording in its Book of Discipline, which currently prohibits the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of people in same-sex romantic relationships. Although efforts in past General Conferences to change the Book of Discipline have failed, theological progressive leaders within the denomination have often refused to follow or enforce the rules. In 2019, at a special session of General Conference, delegates voted to add Paragraph 2553 to the Book of Discipline, a temporary measure creating a process for congregations to leave the UMC over the debate. According to UM News, approximately 7,500 congregations disaffiliated from the UMC via Paragraph 2553 from 2019 to 2023, with the majority of them opting to affiliate with the recently formed Global Methodist Church. Due to the considerable number of conservatives who have left the UMC over the past couple of years, many believe that the delegates at this year's General Conference will finally change the Book of Discipline. The UMC Philippines Central Conference's College of Bishops released a statement earlier this month, seemingly refuting claims that the UMC was altering its doctrine and encouraging people to "seek unity by remaining faithful to Jesus Christ through the United Methodist Church." The Philippines bishops denounced theologically conservative entities like the Wesleyan Covenant Association and the Global Methodist Church, alleging that these entities were engaged in a "disinformation campaign" that falsely claimed "the UMC is changing its doctrines and beliefs about Christ and the Scriptures." "As we approach a historic General Conference, we join our whole church in prayer and hope that the values of unity, equity, and respect for our missional contexts will be lifted and affirmed as expressions of our love for one another," they continued. "We pray that as we face seemingly insurmountable challenges as a Church we will remain as a covenant community committed to honor, respect, and love one another despite our differences." Although the Philippines Central Conference denied claims the UMC will change its doctrine, others within the UMC have said that changing the language in the Book of Discipline to be more LGBT-inclusive is a top priority. A proposal to amend the Book of Discipline to remove all language pertaining to homosexuality has been introduced by the Rev. Brian Erickson, senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood, Alabama, and Rev. H.N. Gibson, associate pastor of East Lake United Methodist Church in Birmingham. Delegates from Alabama, a state where more than half of UMC churches have disaffiliated in recent years, told AL.com that one of their three main goals is to remove "harmful language regarding homosexuality." However, Lisa Keys-Mathews, a lay leader and reserve General Conference delegate, told the newspaper that there are still enough theological conservatives left in the UMC to resist progressive proposals. "There are loud voices on both ends," Keys-Mathews said. "There are people intent on causing chaos at General Conference. That disturbs me. That saddens me." Also present at the conference will be an unofficial caucus of LGBT-identified clergy, who will advocate for changes in the denominations stance on homosexuality. Home Opinion How should Christians view the illegal immigration crisis? A prevalent narrative frequently revisited from time to time is the notion of Jesus as a refugee, interpreted through the lens of the contemporary understanding of the term. While it can be said that Joseph and Mary were told to go down to Egypt, Joseph and Marys departure for Egypt, which was then another part of the Roman Empire (Matt 2:1314), did not warrant any special recognition. Additionally, it is worth noting that they had the means to travel on their own, courtesy of the gifts from the Magi (Matt 2:11). Finally, after Herods death, they returned to their place of origin (Matt 2:1921), something an actual refugee would not do. In todays culture, this story is often told with emotional narratives to discuss immigration in our country. This divisive issue triggers strong responses. Advocates for illegal immigration highlight compassion and the belief that everyone deserves a better life. Others emphasize the law and protecting national sovereignty. 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 Illegal immigration encompasses various complex factors, and as Christians, it is vital that we consider this issue from a biblical worldview when assessing the governments role and responsibilities, as well as the expectations and rights of its citizens. Border crisis vs. constitutional crisis The challenge of addressing illegal immigrants has persisted for decades. This reality becomes more pronounced with each election cycle. For instance, former President Donald Trump promised to build that wall along the border. In contrast, President Joe Biden conveyed a different message, one of openness to those in need. Each message presents distinct challenges. Trumps approach raises concerns about xenophobia and racism. On the other hand, Bidens policies are forcing cities, previously unaffected by illegal immigration issues, to confront new, unprecedented challenges. Since 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol has seen record-high levels of illegal migrant encounters. In January 2021, there were 1.7 million encounters, which increased to 2.3 million in 2022 and 2.4 million in 2023. Fiscal year 2024 is expected to surpass these numbers. Under the Biden administration (2021-2023), there were 6.3 million illegal immigrant encounters, a stark increase from the 1.5 million encounters during the Trump administration (2017-2019). To grasp the sheer magnitude of 6.3 million people entering the United States illegally, consider this: that number surpasses the combined populations of Wyoming, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, and Montana. In an effort to reduce the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas National Guard to position concertina wire in crucial border areas strategically. Shelby Park, a 47-acre parkland along the Rio Grande River in downtown Eagle Pass, Texas, is a significant entry point for illegal immigrants. Tensions rose between Gov. Abbott and the U.S. Border Patrol as federal agents started cutting the wiring put in place, arguing it blocked their movement and ability to help migrants in need. Texas responded with a federal lawsuit, igniting a debate on state vs. federal power. The Supreme Court sided with the federal government, granting agents access to Shelby Park. The conflict persists. Is America racist? Since 1970, America has become the top destination for migrants worldwide. The U.S. accepts more immigrants than any other country. For example, in FY2023, 878,500 immigrants became naturalized citizens of the United States. Still, the number of foreign-born individuals in the U.S. has risen from less than 12 million in 1970 to over 50 million in 2020. The largest groups of migrants are from Mexico (10,853,105), India (2,723,764), China (2,184,110), the Philippines (2,061,178), and El Salvador (1,410,659). Germany comes in at a distant second with 16 million foreign-born individuals in 2020. The magnanimity of native-born Americans and their willingness to shoulder the burdens of others are indisputable. Critics accusing America of racism struggle to convincingly argue their point when examining the issue of immigration. Given the assumption and evidence of American philanthropy, the issue arises as to whether Americans should expect their elected federal government to safeguard their borders, a duty they themselves have entrusted to the government. Are borders biblical? When contemplating the concept of borders or boundaries for a people or nation, it is essential to examine Scripture. Numerous references in the Old Testament discuss lands and their boundaries (Exodus 23:31, Numbers 34:13, Ezekiel 47:1321). Notably, Abraham was given a promise of land (Genesis 15:1821), and its boundaries were clearly defined. Moreover, in Athens, Paul explained the order of creation, proclaiming, From one man, He (God) made every nation of mankind to inhabit the face of the earth. He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation (Acts 17:26). This passage not only appeals to the inherent divine nature within humanity (Imago Dei) but also to the notion that each individual has a designated and specific dwelling place. Scripture reveals that after the dispersion at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:19), the people were appointed diverse languages and consequently started congregating with their respective groups. This divine intervention by God was intended to foster separation among people and establish distinct boundaries for their dwelling places. By delving into these Scriptures, we gain valuable insights into the significance of borders. Alongside boundaries, God instituted governing authorities to safeguard people from wrongdoing and evil. These authorities serve as a protective shield, ensuring the well-being and security of the people. Paul writes, Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment (Romans 13:12). While these Scriptural passages do not provide an explicit biblical stance against illegal immigrants, they do challenge the concept of open borders, often promoted by the left. Additionally, protecting its citizens from harm is a moral obligation that God has given to the government. So, yes, borders and boundaries are clearly biblical. A failure of epic proportions In the history of our nation, there has never been such a significant influx of people entering the country illegally within such a short span of time. The failure to manage and secure the nations borders effectively breaches trust with the American people. This has significant repercussions, straining social services and other resources. Illegal immigration threatens national security and the rule of law, fostering a culture that undermines legal entry and fairness for those who follow legal channels for citizenship. States face the federal governments shortcomings in dealing with challenges that impact communities. Meeting demands from an unexpected population influx overwhelms schools, healthcare facilities, and public services. Local governments innovate in real time to mitigate issues without corresponding federal support. The financial burden on states is enormous while navigating complex immigration policies and maintaining public service standards for all citizens. Furthermore, increasing crime rates in certain areas have become linked to illegal border crossings. Law enforcement agencies face challenges in maintaining public safety due to the surge in criminal activity related to illegal immigration. Weak border security leads to serious consequences, including the rise of transnational gangs and drug and human trafficking. This creates an atmosphere of unease, undermining community trust and highlighting the governments failure to protect its citizens effectively. Conclusion Its clear that while politicians may often use the complexities of immigration policy to position themselves as bearers of solutions, the Christian perspective calls for a biblical approach. It is incumbent upon believers to sift through political rhetoric and align with those genuinely striving for reform that reflects both moral integrity and respect for human dignity. As believers who value justice and mercy, it is our responsibility to recognize that policies have tangible effects on individuals and families, especially those in the United States who bear the heavy burden of mass immigration. Moreover, as we acknowledge that illegal immigration is a violation of the law, we must not lose sight of the humanity inherent in others. They are individuals men, women, and children who possess an intrinsic value and worth bestowed upon them by God. This necessitates a form of response from both the government and its citizens that safeguards the rights of all, upholds the rule of law, and embodies compassion and grace. Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center. From left to right: Harris County Appraisal District board: Amy Lacy, Kyle Scott and Kathy Blueford-Daniels. Houston Chronicle Staff Thought you were done voting? Not so fast. Lawmakers added a whole new category of elected positions for Texans in the 50 largest counties to weigh in on: members of the county appraisal district board. That's right, homeowners, theoretically at least, have some influence over the powerful entity that chooses the chief appraiser. Rather than tack the new appraisal board positions onto a longer ballot, they're getting their own election May 4. Early voting has already begun and runs until April 30. The lack of information about the new positions, and the seemingly rushed election, have raised eyebrows. Some progressives suspect a plot, a first step, perhaps, in Republicans long-term plans to defund local government in blue cities and counties. Nearly everything we count on public schools, community colleges, parks, roads, courts is affected by revenue collected by taxes, amounts of which are determined by property appraisals. Others aren't sure why lawmakers injected politics into what's long been a board appointed by taxing entities. Were they trying to benefit wealthy donors? Advertisement Article continues below this ad 2024 RUNOFF ELECTION: Key dates for voter registration, mail ballots and more It's hard to say for sure. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston lawmaker who led the charge on the change, told us that state leaders have been "deluged with complaints" for years. The three-person appraisal panels appointed to hear property owners' protests "were not listening to taxpayers." Harris County alone appoints more than 100 panelists to work through thousands of appeals. So, lawmakers approved a nonpartisan election of appraisal district board members, who, along with five appointed members, and the tax assessor-collector, would approve panelists nominated by administrative judges. Bettencourt said the timing of the election has to do with getting people in place before the rush of appeals. Bettencourt also notes that the elected and appointed board members are firewalled from discussing appraisal policy with the chief appraiser and are subject to laws against conflicts of interest. So the new board members, outnumbered by appointees from taxing authorities, can try to influence only a few top-level actions such as choosing the chief appraiser, setting the budget, requesting audits and asking questions. Still, theres potential for disruption. Under the new law, two elected board members can block the appointment of a panelist who otherwise gets a thumbs up from the rest of the board. In the 50 counties required to elect appraisal district board members, 30 have canceled their elections because no one is running or theres only one unopposed candidate, according to the Texas Tribune. In the biggest counties with contested elections, leading candidates have stepped forward calling for reforms, such as more transparency and more education on how to protest taxes. The obscurity and confusion around this election doesn't mean it's not important: If the wrong people get into these offices and get their hands on the levers of power, it can start to spiral down the entire tax system, Dick Lavine, an expert on tax policy at the left-leaning think tank Every Texan, said on the Progress Texas podcast. Lavine's concern prompted him to run for the appraisal post in Travis County. Here in Harris County, some candidates have experience in the field of accounting and appraisals and some admit they're running because they're passionate about tax reform or they weren't sure anyone else would run on such a short time frame. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We interviewed candidates, researched their backgrounds, debated their strengths and goals, and offer the following recommendations for Harris County's appraisal board positions: Kathy Blueford-Daniels, candidate for Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) Board Place 1, speaks during a press conference at the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation AFL-CIO office, 2506 Sutherland St., Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Position 1: Kathy Blueford-Daniels While on the Houston Independent School District board from 2020 until the state takeover, Kathy Blueford-Daniels, 66, served as the appointed member on the Harris County Appraisal District board. Shes also served as a panelist hearing appeals from property owners. That experience, combined with her many years as a community activist in the Fifth Ward and as a community liaison for Democratic state Sen. Borris Miles, will allow Blueford-Daniels to be effective from the start. She wants to build on the work shes already done with the chief appraiser to hold community workshops in areas where families often lose generational wealth because they dont have the resources or knowledge to navigate tax exemptions, protest their appraisals and resolve heirship disputes. Bill R. Frazer, 73, earned our endorsement when he ran unsuccessfully for Houston controller a decade ago. Hes got impressive credentials as a certified public accountant and retired business executive, and was endorsed by the conservative C Club in this race. He said hed try to set minimum qualifications for the panelists who hear property tax appeals experience in real state, accounting or the law. Frazer kept his cool when Blueford-Daniels was too quick to judge this idea. He wants greater transparency on the criteria for appraisals and rejected the idea championed by some on the right that property taxes should be abolished. A third candidate, Ramsey Isa Ankar, did not meet with the editorial board. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kyle Scott Courtesy Position 2: Kyle Scott Fortunately, voters have several strong candidates to choose from, but we believe Kyle Scott, 46 and an entrepreneurship professor at Sam Houston State University, is the most prepared. In 2022, when he ran for Harris County treasurer as a Republican, we endorsed his opponents because Scott suggested that he'd effectively veto county commissioners by refusing to sign checks as a final safeguard against wasteful spending. Such a protest would seem to go far beyond the largely ceremonial duties of a relatively minor county position. As a single member of a board, however, we believe his specific ideas for auditing tax abatements and regularly evaluating the chief appraiser could improve customer service and fairness. Melissa Noriega, 69, has the most experience in elected office as a former state representative and Houston City Council member. In addition, shes served as a senior leader with Houston ISD and the mega-nonprofit BakerRipley. Pragmatic, knowledgeable and rooted in community, shed make an excellent board member. So would Austin Pooley, 33 and a former appraiser who now works in the energy industry. He described the district as well-run but with room for improvement. Janice W. Hines, a licensed tax attorney, advocates for a sliding scale for taxing longtime owner occupants, which would likely require new legislation. Jevon German, who has experience in accounting, would focus on educating residents and helping them apply for tax exemptions. Amy Lacy is a candidate for the Harris County Appraisal District board. Courtesy Position 3: Amy Lacy Advertisement Article continues below this ad Two candidates stood out to us. Pelumi Adeleke a 39-year-old Harvard Business School graduate and leader at Amazon Web Services endorsed by the AFL-CIO would bring her management and data crunching chops to the role. She argues better methods of appraising properties could lead to more fairness. Amy Ngo Lacy, 54 and a lawyer who has worked as an arbiter for disputed appraisal cases, impressed us with how clearly she explained why ordinary home and small-business owners need more transparency about the process. She told the story of a car repair shop owner hit with a massive increase in his tax bill. Lacy came to this country from Vietnam at age 5 and identifies as a Republican. Mark V. Goloby, 66, would use the board position as a bully pulpit to advocate for changes to the law. Thats what hes been doing for years, fighting the 313 tax abatements to corporations that lacked accountability. He said hes one of the Texans Bettencourt and other lawmakers heard from demanding these elections. Yet Golobys legislative calls to action, worthy as they are, dont necessarily qualify him for this board position. J. Bill, 28, spoke about the loss of generational property wealth in his own family, but like Ericka McCrutcheon, the owner of a construction contractor who ran for City Council in 2019 and 2023, does not have as relevant a professional background as other candidates. 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. Update: This editorial has been updated with the correct age for Amy Lacy. We regret the error. Home News 6 highlights from Joe Rogan's interview with Tucker Carlson Conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson engaged in a three-hour interview with podcaster Joe Rogan that aired last week, during which the two discussed a wide range of topics that included UFOs, evolution, the atomic bomb, AI, transgenderism, journalism, and the immense power of the U.S. government's intel agencies. Carlson has been met with criticism for some of the opinions he expressed during the podcast, especially regarding his views on evolution and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Here are 6 highlights from the extensive conversation. 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 Home News Bill Maher condemns efforts to sexualize children, indoctrinate kids with LGBT ideology Comedian Bill Maher condemned the sexualization of children and push to expose them to drag and trans ideology, warning that the tribal nature of American politics is leading people to abandon the long-held consensus that exposing kids to an adult world of lurid costumes and garish makeup borders on abuse. Maher concluded the satirical segment New Rules on his HBO show Real Time Friday by asking his audience if they had watched the new documentary Quiet on Set that detailed what he described as the child stars of their day being subjected to obviously inappropriate, highly sexualized degradation at the childrens programming network Nickelodeon. He said the revelations exposed on Quiet on Set had spread rapidly in Hollywood because it didnt just expose a dangerous workplace, it also exposed hypocrisy. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The comedian tied the concerns about sexualization of children highlighted in the documentary to contemporary political topics that have dominated the headlines in American politics. When the evil governor of Florida was saying the exact same thing about kids and creepy stuff at Disney that liberals now find intolerable at Nickelodeon, he was dismissed as a hick and a bigot, he said. Maher was referring to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis collaboration with the state Legislature to revoke the special tax status awarded to the Walt Disney World Resort in his state after its parent company spoke out against a bill requiring school officials to refrain from discussing topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity with children in kindergarten through third grade. Why would a kids content factory like Disney be all that different than the one at Nickelodeon? Maher asked. Noting that a 2014 CNN report detailed how at least 35 Disney employees had been arrested for sex crimes against children, and that former child star Cole Sprouse had alleged that young actresses at Disney were heavily sexualized, Maher asserted that DeSantis wasnt wrong. The comedian lamented that were so tribal now, the left will overlook child-f---ing if the guy from the wrong party calls it out. Maher spent the rest of his monologue condemning the sexualization of children that extends beyond Hollywood and industries that cater directly to children, specifically calling out Instagram moms who are practically OnlyFansing their itty-bitty beauty queen daughters by having them wear skimpy bikinis and eat bananas to help them build social media stardom. He referred to these parents as pimps. People who believe in social justice have agreed this is wrong and this is bad and exposing kids to an adult world of lurid costumes and garish makeup borders on abuse, he said. Maher suggested that such individuals were abandoning this principle as of late: Hurry up and get in the car. Were late for drag queen story hour. While Maher stressed that he doesn't believe there's anything wrong with being a drag queen, he contended that maybe its time to admit that sometimes drag queen story hour is more for the queen than the kids. When I see a 5-year-old tipping, tipping at a bar under a sign that says, Its not gonna lick itself, do I have to pretend thats cool in order to keep my liberal ID card? Sorry, I cant do that. Maher added, If you want kids to be more tolerant, why not have handicapped people read them stories? Kids are more likely to encounter disabled people than drag queens in life. Wokeness is not an extension of liberalism anymore, he continued. Its more often taking something so far that it becomes the opposite. Teaching kids not to hate or judge those who are different? Great. Proud we got there. All for that. But at a certain point, inclusion becomes promotion. After sharing his opinion that children are gullible morons who will believe anything and just want to please grown-ups, Maher warned that endlessly talking about gender to 6-year-olds isnt just inappropriate, its what the law would call entrapment, which means enticing people into doing something they wouldnt ordinarily do. In response to those who don't think entrapment is going on with regard to gender in schools, Maher suggested they must not watching enough TikTok videos. Maher played two video clips of teachers who work with children at unspecified grade levels discussing or demonstrating how they put their LGBT activism on display in the classroom. He cited these teachers as examples of a certain kind of activist these days who wants to take heterosexuality: old school, old fashioned, boring, minding its own business heterosexuality, and lump it in with patriarchy and sexism and racism and tell kids wouldnt it be cool if you were anything but that? I never used the phrase gay agenda because I thought it was mostly nonsense and it is, mostly, he said. After playing a clip of a Disney director talking about how she had a not-at-all secret gay agenda that consisted of basically adding queerness to childrens programming as much as possible, Maher urged fellow liberals to think about giving kids a break from our culture wars for a minute or at least until the election is over. While Maher identifies with the political Left, he has been known to express doubts about certain aspects of progressive orthodoxy in the past. He most recently went viral for acknowledging that abortion was kind of murder on Real Time last week while insisting that he was OK with it. Home News Bishop apologizes after calling Biden 'stupid' for not understanding Catholicism A Catholic bishop is apologizing for asserting that President Joe Biden, a self-professed practicing Catholic, was stupid because of his failure to understand the teachings of his faith. Bishop Robert Gruss of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw in Michigan released a statement Friday lamenting, In a recent talk on Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, my comments about the president of the United States were taken out of context. I was speaking in the context of forgiving the president and any people in government who offend us by their words and actions that we cannot harbor resentment toward them because in doing so, it would be sinful. Gruss acknowledged that I used the word stupid in reference to President Biden, recognizing that it was poor judgment in my choice of words. He added, It was not meant to be disparaging, and I apologize. 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 I will continue to pray for the president and all political leaders, that they may seek and be guided by the Spirit of Truth, he vowed. I encourage people of all faiths and goodwill to pray for our great nation. In a discussion on April 5, Gruss stressed the importance of forgiveness. During his remarks, he insisted that forgiveness is not just about people but that forgiveness is about relationships as well. We have a relationship to the government, Gruss said. If youre harboring bad negative resentful feelings toward our president, youre not free. Gruss suggested that failure to forgive Biden amounts to letting him control you and your thoughts and your words and your actions. He warned, If he is a problem for you, then those thoughts, words and actions are negative and theyre going to come out. Then we commit sin, he explained. Thats what sin is. Gruss asked the audience, How many times have you confessed at your anger towards the president, eliciting laughter from those gathered. He insisted that he was serious, adding, Im not kidding. If you havent, you should be confessing it. Im not kidding. Otherwise, youre not free, he continued. Forgiveness is not just about people that [are] in our little circle of influence, its about people outside our circle of influence, like the president of the United States or anybody else in his administration. After reiterating his call to ask the Lord to help you forgive him, the bishop maintained that I dont have any anger toward the president, I feel sorry for him. Im not angry at him, hes just stupid, Gruss proclaimed, eliciting more laughs. The faith leader stated that Biden had ignorance in the sense of not knowing and stressed that he was not accusing Biden of stupidity in a derogatory way. He doesnt understand the Catholic faith, Gruss asserted. Im not angry at him. I feel sorry for him. Thats different. Gruss declared that he doesnt control my life, I dont have resentfulness for him. Instead, Im sad for him because hes not living the life Jesus wants for him. While Gruss did not elaborate on why he believed Biden was not living the life Jesus wants for him and said the president doesnt understand the Catholic faith, the distaste for the president within some Catholic circles usually stems from his outspoken support for abortion despite the Catholic Churchs clear teaching against murdering babies. During a speech made at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in 2022, Biden condemned Republican efforts to make sure that Roe is forever gone and Dobbs becomes a national law. Bidens comments referred to the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide and the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling that overruled Roe and determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. I happen to be a practicing Roman Catholic my church doesnt even make that argument now. And so were in a situation where things have changed a lot, Biden claimed. Bidens remarks implied that the Catholic Church would not endorse a national abortion ban. Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law, the Catechism adds. Home News Candace Owens joins the Catholic Church: Going 'home' A prominent conservative political commentator has announced that she has joined the Catholic Church, vowing to provide more details about what led to her conversion in the future. Candace Owens, a conservative political commentator who formerly worked for The Daily Wire, took to X on Monday to announce that Recently, I made the decision to go home. While she did not explicitly elaborate on what she meant in her post, images accompanying her announcement show Owens standing next to a Catholic priest at a Catholic Church. There is of course so much more that went into this decision and that I plan to share in the future, Owens added. But for now, praise be to God for His gentle, but relentless guiding of my heart toward Truth. 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 Owens shared the Bible passage Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. She concluded her post by proclaiming, I do not fear, adding, Christ is king, accompanied by a symbol of the cross. Many practicing Catholics left comments on Owens post welcoming her into the Catholic Church. Pro-life activist Abby Johnson posted a response stating, Welcome home, Candace. Owens did not specify when the pictures were taken, although it's possible they were captured during the Easter Vigil Mass the evening before Easter Sunday, which is one of the most common occasions where new Catholics are baptized into the Church. The picture was definitely taken after March 9, when Owens responded to a question asking if she was Catholic by replying, Almost there, accompanied by a symbol of the cross. Catholic News World reported that the pictures featured in her post documented the internet personality standing next to Fr. Julian Large at the Brompton Oratory, described by the outlet as a Latin mass community in London, United Kingdom. The publication also noted that Owens is married to a Catholic British activist and entrepreneur named George Farmer who previously identified as a Reformed Evangelical Protestant. Owens social media post revealing her conversion to Catholicism comes a month after her employment with The Daily Wire ended amid a months-long clash with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro due to a disagreement between the two over Israels actions following the Oct. 7 terror attacks carried out by the terror organization Hamas. As many as 1,163 people, including 31 Americans, were slaughtered that day, and around 240 people were taken hostage into Gaza. Some of Owens' critics derided as antisemitic her claim that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians following the attacks. While her conversion to Catholicism marks a new development in her spiritual journey, Owens has frequently discussed her Christian faith since entering the public arena in 2017. During a 2018 speech at Liberty University, she detailed how she strayed from her Christian roots, embraced alcoholism and suffered from anorexia after experiencing a childhood defined by poverty, abuse and racial threats from classmates that prompted the FBI to open an investigation. Owens also suggested that the audience had an obligation to participate in the culture war engulfing the United States: I believe in you. You can do it without government handouts. You can do it based off of good ideas. You can do it based off of hard work. You can do it with Jesus Christ. At the moment that you believe in yourself, at the moment that you get back to your center, that you align yourself with God, the universe will open itself up to you. It certainly did for me, she said. More recently, Owens has warned that the term Christian nationalism has been used in a sinister way as part of an effort to put Christianity in the same vein as white supremacy. She characterized the increased use of the term in popular culture as a new attempt to divide and brainwash Christians, which is something that has gone on for decades. Home News Evangelicals list top issues facing the US: survey A new survey reveals that Evangelicals view immigration, American sovereignty and abortion as the top issues facing the United States heading into the 2024 presidential election. Coral Ridge Ministries (CRM) released its 2024 Spiritual State of the Nation Survey last week, which is based on 633 responses to a questionnaire sent to friends and supporters of Coral Ridge Ministries on an annual basis. At a time when the views of pro-family evangelicals are sometimes distorted, even caricatured, this survey provides a much-needed window into what Christian conservatives actually believe, asserted CRM President and CEO Robert Pacienza in a statement. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In addition to asking respondents for their views on hot-button issues dominating political and cultural discussions in the U.S., the questionnaire asked respondents to name the three most critical issues facing the new Congress and administration. A majority of those surveyed (56%) cited immigration as one of the three most important issues facing the U.S., while 33% of respondents listed Americas sovereignty. Abortion (32%), federal spending (30%) and religious freedom (24%) rounded out the top five issues most frequently identified as things federal leaders must address. Other issues viewed as most critical facing Congress and the next administration by smaller shares of respondents include: national security (21%), the economy (19%), a growth in socialist views (14%), the protection of traditional values (14%), trans rights (14%), healthcare (13%), the racial divide (13%), the advance of radical Islam (11%) and education (6%). The emphasis on immigration and U.S. sovereignty as issues of importance among American Evangelicals comes as the nation continues to see an exponential number of encounters between people entering the country illegally and law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border. Data compiled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that the number of monthly encounters reached a record 301,981 in December. Halfway through fiscal year 2024, more than 1.34 million illegal immigrants have attempted to cross into the U.S. Meanwhile, respondents focus on abortion comes as several states have passed abortion restrictions following the U.S. Supreme Courts 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. Following the Dobbs decision, voters in a handful of states have approved ballot measures establishing a constitutional right to abortion. More states are poised to hold similar referendums in 2024. CRM also found that an overwhelming majority of respondents believe all U.S. citizens should have freedom of religion and be able to freely express it in public life (95%) and that radical Islam continues to pose a significant threat to America (98%). One hundred percent of those surveyed expressed concern about Americans who have been taken to court or charged with hate crimes because of their conscientious objections to the moral issues of our day. Other issues that yielded unanimous agreement among respondents included support for the ideas that students should have the right to pray in public school classrooms, in sporting events, and graduation ceremonies and that any organization should have the right to reflect its moral values in its hiring and operations and to uphold its pro-life convictions in healthcare coverage. Support for Israel, opposition to the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, requirements to teach about the damaging impact of socialism and the right of parents to express concern at school board meetings without fear of prosecution from the FBI or the U.S. Justice Department were also embraced by 100% of those surveyed. A majority of respondents (68%) said they had experienced verbal or physical abuse or bias because of [their] faith in Jesus Christ or for [their] conservative Christian views. Even larger majorities opposed establishing a definition of hate speech to be monitored by the federal government (92%), pursuing an open borders immigration policy (97%) and codifying a right to abortion into federal law (98%). Additional questions related to schools and education revealed strong opposition to sex education that includes information about homosexuality (89%), allowing students to choose their pronouns without parental consent (90%) and sex education that teaches about transgender exploration and surgery (92%). When asked to identify serious threats to the U.S., 100% selected Iran and open borders, while 97% picked China, 94% chose radical Islam and Hamas and socialism, 90% named Russia, 87% cited the United Nations and 84% pointed to North Korea. Home News Human rights group calls for reforms to protect Christians in West Papua The human rights group Christian Solidarity International has appealed to the U.N. Human Rights Council to ensure that the Muslim-majority nation of Indonesia implements immediate reforms to protect Christians in West Papua, a region located in the archipelagos easternmost part, where indigenous people are predominantly Christian. The West Papuans face racial discrimination in five significant areas, CSIs Joel Veldkamp said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. These include limited access to healthcare and education, appropriation of land by the Indonesian government for resource extraction projects, continuous military operations in the region, police violence against indigenous West Papuans and the lack of political representation in the local government. The history of West Papuas governance plays a crucial role in understanding these issues. Initially a Dutch colony from 1898, the region was administered separately from Dutch-ruled Indonesia, CSI explained in the statement. After Indonesia gained independence, West Papua remained under Dutch control until 1962, which led to significant unrest and an ongoing independence movement. 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 West Papua is rich in natural resources, with some of the worlds largest gold and copper deposits and lush tropical forests containing diverse biodiversity. The Indonesian governments efforts to control these resources have led to long-term military operations and significant displacement of indigenous people, according to CSI, which said that successive Indonesian governments have also encouraged the settlement of non-Papuans in the region, furthering local unrest. The tension has only increased with Indonesias presidential election in February, which saw Prabowo Subianto, the son-in-law of former President Suharto, come to power, the Christian group added. Prabowos involvement in atrocities during the 1990s, particularly in West Papua, has heightened fears among the indigenous population. Many worry that his presidency could mean further repression and violence against West Papuans, the human rights organization said. CSIs appeal to the UNHRC included a call for the Indonesian government to implement immediate reforms to protect West Papuans rights, emphasizing autonomy, safety and equal access to services. CSI also urged the council to increase its engagement and monitoring in West Papua, recognizing the ongoing struggle for freedom that has spanned over 60 years. The situation in West Papua has escalated in recent months, with a series of violent incidents drawing international attention. Last September, an Indonesian military unit killed five teenage West Papuans in the highlands regency of Yahukimo, with the provincial police chief quickly labeling them members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the predominant armed resistance group, as reported by Jacobin. That claim, however, was denied by local church leaders and the TPNPB itself. Days earlier, another violent incident in the coastal regency of Fakfak had resulted in five more Papuans deaths. Such atrocities are rare in coastal areas, indicating the harsh conditions and intense resistance in the mountainous interior. The Indonesian militarys violence has been accompanied by degrading images of Papuans, including photos of stripped elders surrounded by jeering soldiers, revealing the brutality of the Indonesian military operations in the region, according to Jacobin. In February 2023, TPNPB kidnapped a New Zealand pilot, leading to a military alert and a fresh deployment of troops. This has intensified the military presence in West Papua and increased the number of checkpoints across the highlands. The ongoing violence and repression against indigenous West Papuans have contributed to a severe humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands displaced and significant impacts on press freedom and civil liberties, according to UCA News. The Indonesian governments reluctance to address human rights abuses and prosecute military personnel has further emboldened those committing violence in the region. Despite calls for international intervention and support, the plight of West Papuans remains a critical issue that requires urgent attention from the global community, according to rights groups. Home News New Jersey man charged with arson for setting fire to church, food pantry A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to a church and heavily damaging the building, forcing the food pantry it oversaw to close down. Brian Cannon, 44, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly setting fire to Colonial Manor United Methodist Church of West Deptford Township earlier that day. According to a statement from the West Deptford Police Department, the investigation was jointly overseen by the WDPD, the Gloucester County Fire Marshall's Office, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. 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 Cannon was charged with two counts of arson, one being "danger to building" and another "danger to person." He also faces one count of aggravated assault. He was remanded to the Salem County Correctional Facility. "We would like to thank all of the agencies involved in bringing this investigation to a quick resolution," reads the police statement. "It is great to see the agencies from the Municipal, County, and Federal levels, along with the Fire Marshalls Office working together to make an arrest in the investigation." On Saturday, Colonial Manor UMC took to Facebook to report that a fire severely damaged the church building and advised people to attend worship at Westville United Methodist Church. "The older section of our church complex was damaged by fire early Saturday morning. The main sanctuary was not damaged, but we will not be able to meet there for worship on Sunday April 21st," explained Colonial Manor. Nancy Barna, who helps oversee the Colonial Manor UMC food pantry, posted on social media that the damaged space included where the church housed the food pantry and a thrift shop. "The fire was classified as arson and charges have been filed against the person allegedly responsible. It is unknown at this time if the older section of the church can be rebuilt or will need to be demolished," she explained. "At this time our Food Pantry, which serves your very own community, must remain closed. At this time we CANNOT receive donations of food. When it reopens, we will post what unexpired food items are needed." Home News School failed to prevent attack by trans student with 'hit list' despite warnings: classmate A Pennsylvania middle school student says she warned a school official in advance of last week's bloody attack by a trans-identified student against one of her classmates, the response to which has sparked criticism from parents and community members. Emily, a student at Pennbrook Middle School, was one of several people to speak about the attack during a Thursday North Penn School Board meeting. She said she was seated at a nearby table last Wednesday when a 13-year-old trans student known as "Melanie" began beating a 12-year-old girl with a metal Stanley cup. Melanie reportedly had a "hit list" of people he planned to attack, and Emily was allegedly one of his targets. 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 Emily claims she warned the school's staff about the hit list and learned the student planned to attack her and the other girl who was assaulted during lunch and that she should "watch [her] back." Emily said she was "terrified" and told a teacher about her concerns. But she claims the teacher responded, "Don't worry about it; it's not going to happen." "You could've stopped it," Emily said during the school board meeting. "It was five hours from when I told you it was going to happen. I don't get how you couldn't have stopped that." The middle schooler said that the girl who was attacked didn't see it coming, as her back was to the trans student. Emily remembered hearing "terrible loud bangs" as the assailant hit the girl in the head with the Stanley cup. The student known as "Melanie" grabbed the girl by the hair and continued to beat her with the cup as blood went "everywhere," Emily said. As he hit the girl with the cup, the boy repeatedly yelled, "I'm going to murder you!" The middle school student added that the school was placed on lockdown for at least 28 minutes, not eight minutes, as the school board had claimed in an email. "We had to sit there and watch them clean up her blood off the table and ground," Emily said as she became emotional during her testimony. "And we had to watch them take her out with blood dripping down her face, and I will never forget that!" "Laying in bed last night, I just kept repeating it in my head," Emily continued. "And we shouldn't have had to sit there and just watch that." The North Penn School District did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. Parent Alyssa Santiago said during the school board meeting that her daughter was also on the alleged "hit list" and called the school twice to warn of threats against the student's safety, according to The Reporter Online. Superintendent Todd Bauer said during the meeting that the victim of the attack has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. He requested privacy for the victim, the assailant and their families as the police and school officials investigate. "This should not have happened, period. Such behavior has no place in our schools," Bauer was quoted as saying, according to Fox 29. "You expect better. We expect better, and I certainly do, as well. Every parent has the right to send their child to school and their child to feel safe." "As a result of yesterday's incident, I do recognize and understand why some of you did not feel that way this morning," Bauer added. "Please do not perceive my lack of response to your comments as a lack of genuine and sincere care." Parents who spoke during the meeting last Thursday expressed frustration with how the school handled the incident. One parent, Chris Pekula, questioned why the other students were kept in the same room while the staff cleaned blood from the attack off of the floor, The Reporter Online notes. Other parents recalled receiving messages from their scared children at the time of the attack. "Your worst fear comes to light when you get that call from your kid crying in school," another parent, Stephanie Pallica, was quoted as saying. She objected to how the school district informed parents of the matter, saying it was "really disrespectful." "'Mom, help me, I'm scared, there's blood everywhere.' You can't get to them fast enough. And they hang up on you because teachers and staff are yelling at them to hang up their phones." "So we're left to speculate the worst: God forbid, school shooting, stabbing. I hear my kid fearing for her life and tons of kids in the background, screaming and crying. I just don't know what went wrong. I would like to know and be assured that this child will not be returning to any other North Penn schools, at all." The assailant will be charged as a juvenile and is facing aggravated assault and other charges, according to CBS Philadelphia. AZ Governor Vetoes Women's Bill Of Rights, Iranian Christian's Call To Action, Supreme Court On Homeless Camping link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 07:12 07:12 Top headlines for Tuesday, April 23, 2024 In today's episode, we start in Arizona, where Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed noteworthy legislation impacting gender identity definitions and religious expression in classrooms. Moving to the Middle East, we hear the compelling story of an Iranian woman converting to Christianity, urging Western Christians to support her homeland through prayer and advocacy. The battle for free speech takes center stage as Elon Musk and his platform X challenge an Australian government demand to remove controversial content, underlining the complexities of digital expression. Finally, we explore Anne Wilson's latest Grammy-nominated album, portraying Christians as societal rebels in a modern context, inspired by the life of Jesus. Home Opinion The day I agreed with Irans foreign ministry spokesman They say that even a broken clock is right twice a day. Thats what I found myself thinking when I read reports of recent comments by the spokesman of the Iranian Islamic regime's foreign ministry, Nasser Kahani, and I found myself agreeing with him. Sort of. Kahani reportedly stated, [Western] countries should blame themselves, which sadly is a sentiment, actually just four words, with which I agree. I just differ about a million percent with why Kahani said what he did, and what he meant. Kahanis full statement was as follows: 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 Instead of making accusations against Iran, [Western] countries should blame themselves and answer to public opinion for the measures they have taken against the war crimes committed by Israel, repeating a cabal against Israel for how it is conducting the war against the Islamic regimes Gazan proxy Hamas. He claimed that Western nations should appreciate Irans restraint towards Israel after its act of war, firing more than 300 cruise and ballistic missiles and suicide drones against Israel, adding that Western countries should appreciate Irans restraint in recent months. To be clear, Kahani is a fool, a liar, a propogandist, and a terrorist puppet, only in his position to support (or as a full card-carrying member) the Islamic regime, and a pawn to its mullahs. So why do I agree with his four words, [Western] countries should blame themselves? What the world saw recently from the Islamic regime is an emboldened Iran, one still making billions from global trade that had once been shut down and is now thriving. Despite reports of Irans rial hitting record lows and the stock market crashing, Western countries have propped up the Iranian economy because of their own selfish and naive interests and have continued to release billions of dollars to fund the regime, as the Biden Administration did again in November, following a similar release of billions in what Iranians called the #IranHostageDeal. Rather than funding the Islamic regime, the Biden administration should be shutting down every means for them to do business, anywhere. Yes, countries like Russia, China, Turkey, and North Korea will bend over backward to prop up the regime because they have no moral base. But that doesnt mean that the US cannot and should not lead the world against Iran, rather than bow down to the ayatollahs. It certainly means that the Biden Administration should not be sending billions of dollars to fund the regime, for any reason, under any circumstance. None. Other Western countries seem to trip over one another trying to get their piece of the pie, pumping huge amounts of Euros into the Iranian economy, just so they can make a buck. Its immoral, albeit not totally surprising, especially coming from Europe. Indeed, Western countries should blame themselves for the rise in Islamic terror coming from Iran as the head of the octopus, and through its tentacle proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Gaza, Turkey, and elsewhere. If they had focused on squeezing the Islamic regime rather than emboldening and enabling (funding) it, we would see many fewer threats to the Middle East, to global shipping, and to the rest of the world. It's hard to imagine why economic interests would drive such an immoral position, as well as one thats ultimately self-defeating. Is it possible that even with all of the Iranian regimes meddling world leaders dont see the threat as real? Has the Islamic regime successfully planted enough people in high positions that Western policies are shaped by its moles? Do they not believe that chanting Death to America (the Great Satan) is not something they would execute in the wake of the attacks that they and their proxies have carried out on Israel (the Little Satan)? Western nations are not the only ones to blame, but we should hold the West to a higher standard. They are not banana republics and should have a moral backbone with policies that support that, especially considering the direct and immediate threat in and emanating from Iran. The UN is also to blame. By passing more anti-Israel resolutions in any given year than against all the terrorist states of the world, together, the UN long ago lost its moral rudder. It is governed by much of the dreck of the world from whom we have low to no expectations. However, one would not be crazy to think that perhaps the UN would seek to enforce resolutions that it passes if only to try to preserve a bit of world peace in little ways, if not its own integrity. There are countless examples where the UN is a failure, but as it relates to Iran and its proxies, all one has to do is look at UN resolution 1701 from 2006, an agreement that was part of ending whats known as the Second Lebanon War. When passed, Resolution 1701 was meant to prevent Hezbollah from re-arming and being a threat to Israel. Hezbollah was prevented from being present south of the Litani River. However, as quickly as the ink dried, Hezbollah made a mockery of it. The UN and world powers allowed that to happen. Despite nearly two decades of Israel attacking Hezbollah-Syrian-Iranian targets and supply routes in what it called the war between the wars, Israel is now on the verge of the second bookend of the wars. The blame is on the Western world which allowed this to happen, and the UN which never fails to make a mockery of itself. Far from not being a threat to Israel, or preventing it from re-arming, Hezbollah is estimated to have between 150,000-350,000 rockets and long-range, precision, GPS-guided missiles that can hit most of Israel, regardless of how far north of the Litani River they are located. How brazen for Western countries to call upon Israel to show restraint, when all the arming of the Islamic regimes proxies, and Iran building its nuclear facilities as well, has been right under their noses. They make it seem like just because Israel has been forced to develop state-of-the-art defensive systems, it's OK for these Islamic terrorist states and entities to threaten Israel to begin with. It is not. Being the leader of the free world, the US has a special responsibility. In the case of Iran and fighting Islamic terror, it also has special culpability. Now, deep into an election season, the Biden Administration finds itself worried about losing Michigan and Minnesota, outposts of the Hamas wing of the Democratic party, a more centrist voice from Robert Kennedy especially relating to Israel, even rumbling among American Jews who typically vote for the Democratic party, some of whom are saying that their votes cannot be taken for granted because of Bidens wavering on Israel and pandering to the terrorists in his party. The outcome of a war in, or with, Iran and its proxies will also logically increase the price of gas, another political hot potato around which the Biden administration has had to deal with for most of its term. A spike in gas prices this summer would be bad for votes, so it's not impossible that the Administration is doing everything possible to hold Israel back from a proper and needed response to Iran, at the risk of losing even more votes. However the price of gas is insignificant to the actual cost of the Western countries' guilt in propping up the Islamic regime. All this politicking and immoral behavior has a cost too. The question is whether the West wants to be guilty of enabling it to be held hostage by the Islamic regime forever, or ought to stand up and shut it down once and for all. In March, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner spoke at a press conference about HPD's improper suspensions of more than 250,000 incident reports. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Commit a crime, get caught and go to jail directly to jail. Its the justice lesson we learned growing up, but its far from reality in cities across the nation, where clearance rates are abominably low. News out of Houston is compounding the issue of unsolved crimes after the Houston Police Department announced that, since 2016, its work on more than 264,000 incident reports had been paused using this code: Suspended Lack of Personnel. Officers stopped investigating cases, even though many had substantial evidence. HPD is quick to tell us most were property crimes, but too many of these dropped cases involved violence and victims including 4,017 cases of adult sex crimes. To date, HPD has cleared, suspended or inactivated more than 85% of those. More outrageous was the subsequent discovery that 1,147 of those cases contained sexual assault kits with, so far, a confirmed 97 DNA links to other cases from known sexual predators. The investigation is ongoing. One Houstonian who understands victims heartache is Chau Nguyen, a trained trauma therapist and advocate for the Forensic Center of Excellence. To hear that nothing happened and that these cases went stagnant these foolproof evidence cases where nothing happened and that there are more victims out there, perhaps? Its unthinkable. Its unbelievable, Nguyen said. We hear it time and again that victims just want justice. What were seeing right now is the system has failed them. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To Nguyens point, in 2022, well over 14,000 rape cases were reported in Texas. Among those cases, a little over 2,500 only 18% were closed cases by law enforcement and sent to prosecutors. That means that 82% of rapes in Texas 82% of victims did not see their perpetrator held accountable within the year. While the number of reported rape cases since 2018 has stayed fairly constant, rape clearance rates across Texas have dropped from 28% to 18%. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed that this is a time for Texans to raise awareness of sexual assault, collaborate on efforts to prevent sexual violence, and recognize the courage of survivors across the state. Starting in 2013, when Texas had an estimated 20,000 sexual assault kits waiting to be tested, lawmakers worked for six years to address the backlog by passing a monumental bill, the Lavinia Masters Act. Today, the most recent Texas Department of Public Safety report shows approximately 3,900 unanalyzed kits with 2,000 over the 90-day statutory timeframe currently awaiting forensic testing. Its still uncertain how the suspended cases in Houston will affect this number. Clearance rates are the worst-kept secrets in law enforcement. In cities across Texas and the nation, clearance rates took a dive in 2020 the same year protesters across the country called to defund law enforcement following the death of George Floyd. Predictably, seasoned officers succumbed to low morale and stress, with record resignations (up 18%) and retirements (up 45%). Fewer officers, longer response times and a handful of other issues have eroded public confidence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But heres what we know: Very few criminals, in the commission of a crime, give second thoughts to a list of possible charges or a length of a sentence. They worry about one thing: getting caught. Lawmakers must address resources for law enforcement to recruit, retain and train more seasoned investigators and detectives to address declining clearance rates. According to Right on Crimes recent survey, 85% of Texas voters support shifting law enforcement resources to solving and preventing violent crimes. Additionally, Texas should explore ways to empower victims when cases are unsolved. For example, legislation currently being pursued in Illinois would allow the families of homicide victims to request a secondary review of their unsolved case, triggering a reinvestigation if the reviewer determines the case should be pursued further. The lack of accountability and the absurdity of the 264,000 suspended cases in Houston must be a wake-up call for law enforcement agencies and lawmakers. As Nguyen and other victim advocates point out, to fail one victim is to fail one too many. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The unsung heroes of the Titanic who ministered faith in the face of immense tragedy During April, as the world commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, the stories of three courageous priests resurfaced. These remarkable accounts detail selfless acts of heroism and the offering of Christian ministry during the aftermath of the tragedy that struck on the night of April 14th, 1912. Among the victims of the sinking were Father Juozas Montvila of Lithuania, Father Josef Peruschitz, O.S.B. of Bavaria, and English rector Father Thomas Byles, all of whom chose to stay behind and offer spiritual comfort to those facing their final moments. Eyewitnesses recounted how passengers, particularly Catholics, sought the presence of priests in their hour of need. The three priests led prayers, administered sacraments, and provided solace as the Titanic met its fateful end, claiming the lives of 1,503 souls. Father Byles and Father Peruschitz, who had celebrated Mass on the morning of the disaster, preached messages of spiritual preparedness, emphasising the need for the lifeboat offered by Jesus Christ. Father Byles, a convert to Catholicism, was hailed as a martyr by Pope Pius X for his unwavering dedication to his faith and his fellow passengers. His legacy lives on in the hearts of those he comforted in their final moments. Similarly, Father Peruschitz, on his way to serve as principal of a Benedictine high school in Minnesota, courageously stayed behind to minister to the souls aboard the ill-fated ship. The eyewitness account, published in the Jesuit journal 'America', vividly captures the scene, attesting that "all the Catholics on board desired the assistance of priests with the greatest fervour" following the ship's collision with the iceberg. The priests "aroused those condemned to die to say acts of contrition and prepare themselves to meet the face of God" once called to glory. According to the eyewitness, they continuously engaged in giving general absolution to those about to perish. Father Byles and Father Peruschitz, having offered Mass earlier that fateful Sunday morning, were described as preaching sermons on humanity's need for "the spiritual lifeboat" offered by Jesus Christ amid the dangers of the world. Father Byles, born in Yorkshire, England, during 1870, had been travelling to the U.S. for the wedding of his brother. After Father Byles' death in the shipwreck, St. Pius X reportedly described him as "a martyr" who bravely died serving others during the tragedy. A plaque at his former parish commemorates his "heroic death in the disaster" and notes that he "earnestly devoted his last moments to providing religious consolation to his fellow passengers" by remaining on the stricken vessel. Father Peruschitz, a Bavarian priest-monk born in 1871, was described by eyewitnesses as declining a place on the lifeboats, sacrificing himself to serve the spiritual needs of others. His body, like those of the other two priests, was not recovered. A memorial at his onetime monastery in Bavaria reads: "May Joseph Peruschitz rest in peace, who on the ship Titanic piously sacrificed himself." The youngest of the three priests, Father Juozas Montvila, born in 1885, faced persecution for his ministry in Lithuania under the Russian Empire. Despite the risks, he continued to fulfil his calling until the end, offering solace and guidance to those around him. Reports from the sinking ship recounted how the Byzantine-rite priest served his calling to the very end. Since then, there have been efforts towards his canonisation, a testament to the enduring impact of his bravery and compassion. The SS Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14th, 1912, and sank soon afterwards in the early hours of April 15th. In the aftermath, only 705 people survived, leaving behind a tragic legacy deeply ingrained in our culture. The doomed liner had only 20 wooden lifeboats available, far too few to save all the passengers on board. US watchdog voices concern as over 150 churches attacked since Sudan war began (CP) Since the war in Sudan began last April, over 150 churches have been damaged or destroyed, according to a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has claimed thousands of lives and devastated religious communities, with U.S. watchdogs warning that religious sites are being targeted, leaving a trail of destruction. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 13,000 estimated deaths, with armed combatants targeting houses of worship and other religious sites, according to USCIRF. In a statement, Commissioner Mohamed Magid said, "International humanitarian law deems houses of worship and religious sites as sacrosanct, even during armed conflict. Despite Article 53 protections, houses of worship and religious sites continue to be impermissibly damaged and destroyed in Sudan." The commissioner also raised concerns about attacks on religious leaders and the impact of the conflict on religious minorities. One significant event occurred in January when RSF militants set an Evangelical church in Wad Madani on fire, according to Morning Star News. The church, built in 1939, was the largest religious structure in Gezira State. The RSF had also attacked a Coptic Christian monastery in Wad Madani, converting it into a military base. The violence isn't limited to structures. In May 2023, armed assailants entered a church and shot four people, including a priest and his son, and stabbed the church guard before looting the building. RSF militants also killed Hidar Al Amin, a member of the Sudanese Presbyterian Evangelical Church, during a raid in Omdurman. Al Amin's relative reported that he was killed after RSF militants looted his property. In another incident, Evangelical Pastor Kowa Shamal narrowly escaped death after RSF militants ordered him to renounce his faith, La Croix International reported earlier this month. Pastor Shamal refused, resulting in a physical confrontation that ended with his 23-year-old nephew's murder. The RSF killed the nephew because he refused to remove the cross he wore around his neck. U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, and USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman attended the International Humanitarian Conference on Sudan earlier this month, marking the one-year anniversary of the war. Deputy Administrator Coleman announced $100 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan, bringing U.S. government humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people to over $1 billion since October 2023. In recent months, there has been a notable increase in the destruction of religious sites during the armed conflict. USCIRF has called for governments and non-state actors to adhere to international law to protect these sites, citing publications on freedom of religion in the Sahel region and international law's protection of religious sites. The conflict has deeply affected Sudan's Christian minority, estimated at about 2 million or 4.5% of the country's population of more than 43 million. Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List ranked Sudan No. 8 among the most challenging places to be a Christian, with religious freedom reforms at the national level not enacted locally. Attacks by non-state actors continued to rise, contributing to this high ranking. The violence in Sudan has left millions displaced, with civilians bearing the brunt of the power struggle between the SAF and the RSF. As fighting continues, religious minorities fear the situation could worsen even when the conflict ends, raising concerns about future persecution. The ongoing conflict has rekindled fears of the harsh aspects of Islamic law, especially after the military coup in 2021. The deep state that fueled the Oct. 25, 2021, coup, which led to the conflict, is seen as a threat to religious minorities. The transitional government, established after the ouster of former dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, had made strides in reducing religious discrimination, including outlawing apostasy laws. However, the military coup has since reversed these advancements, leaving Sudan's religious communities in a precarious state. The Christian Post We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici. Houston City Council Member Julian Ramirez listens during a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at City Hall. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Houston city council member Abbie Kamin, left, listens as Steven David, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Whitmire, bottom left, comments during a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Amy Peck attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Amy Peck attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council members attend a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council members attend a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Mario Castillo listens as Steven David, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Whitmire, bottom left, comments during a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Mario Castillo listens as Steven David, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Whitmire, bottom left, comments during a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council members, from left, Martha Castex-Tatum, Amy Peck, Joaquin Martinez and Edward Pollard listen as Steven David, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Whitmire, comments during a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council members attend a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Abbie Kamin attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Abbie Kamin attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Abbie Kamin attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council members, from left, Martha Castex-Tatum, Amy Peck, Joaquin Martinez and Edward Pollard attend a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council members attend a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council members, from left, Martha Castex-Tatum, Amy Peck, Joaquin Martinez and Edward Pollard's chief of staff, Paul Young, attend a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Martha Castexz-Tatum attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Martha Castex-Tatum attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston city council member Joaquin Martinez attends a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Following a 90-minute debate, Houston City Council delayed new rules around a historic voter-approved measure aimed at empowering council members to move forward with policy proposals the mayor might not support. In November, Houstonians overwhelmingly passed Proposition A, which allows any three council members to add an item to their weekly meeting agenda, as long as it is lawful. The change is designed to serve as a set of checks and balances within Houstons strong mayor form of government, where the mayor used to have near total control over the legislative agenda. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In recent weeks, Mayor John Whitmire and council members have repeatedly clashed over how the process should play out in practice. The mayor has created a Proposition A Committee, asking for an initial review of all council member-generated proposals before the items head to the full council for a vote. But some members said the additional step would violate the spirit of the ballot measure and create unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. During the first-ever Proposition A Committee meeting on Tuesday, council members considered a series of rules designed by the mayors office to set parameters around the process. They include a lawfulness review by the legal department, the involvement of relevant department heads and a requirement for all such proposals to go through the Proposition A Committee. If enough council members attend the committee meeting to reach a quorum, they will also vote on the item to signal their support for or opposition to sending it to the next stage, although those behind the proposal will still have the option to pursue it, per Proposition A, even in the case of a no vote, officials said. PROPOSITION DEBATE IGNITES: Tensions flare at Houston City Council over voter-approved historic rule change We are not here to be a gatekeeper. We certainly dont even want to vet items so to speak in this committee. Nor do we want to block items, said Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, vice chair of the Proposition A Committee. We certainly know that sometimes they need to be tweaked, and so this committee process will help in that manner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Multiple council members, however, raised concerns that, since the city attorney and department heads report to the mayor, the proposed procedures risk jeopardizing their rights to add items to the agenda should the mayor disagree with their proposal. What we are doing now is really convoluting the intent of Prop A, Council Member Martha Castex-Tatum said. Steven David, the mayors deputy chief of staff, reassured members that his office would cooperate with them throughout the process. But Council Member Julian Ramirez said regardless of the current mayors intentions, these rules, which will likely outlast Whitmires tenure, could present a risk to future city administrations. Ramirez requested more time for the body to consider the new procedures, and all attending council members voted to approve his motion. One day we might find ourselves, or this council might find itself, working with a mayor who is not as forthcoming or welcoming of comments from council members and might be rather dictatorial and might seek to squelch discussion and debate, Ramirez said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Council to pick up rule discussions next month City Attorney Arturo Michel recently warned of the risk of violating state law if council members coordinating Proposition A proposals did not limit certain policy discussions to official meetings open to the public. Under Texas law, it is a criminal offense for nine or more members which constitute a quorum of City Council to speak about city business in private. Prohibited deliberations could also take the form of a series of communications through social media, emails or conversations among staff members, according to Michel. Council Member Joaquin Martinez, chair of the Committee on Ethics and Governance, said last week that the body needs further clarification on how to avoid potential legal issues stemming from Proposition A discussions. Having a committee could help mitigate these risks, he said. You have three or four council members that are submitting something and then sharing it with everyone. Those are challenges that were going to start facing, Martinez said during an ethics committee meeting last week. This is a new process, and I think having those conversations at a Prop A committee is more appropriate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Proposition A Committee will resume discussions about the mayors proposed rules during its next meeting, scheduled for May 16. Members will gather additional suggestions in the meantime. Council Member Amy Peck, for instance, said there should be a new rule stating that if there are not enough members present at the committee meeting to make a vote, the item shall automatically move to the council agenda within two weeks. Its reasonable that people should be at every committee meeting, but thats just not realistic and its not what happens, Peck said on Tuesday. If I have something I brought forward and I want that vote taken I think the public would want that vote taken. Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. For nearly four decades, Matti Kuusela was a mainstay of Finlands journalism scene. As a reporter for Aamulehti, the countrys second-largest daily newspaper, he covered everything from the war in Afghanistan to a doping scandal back home. He won major prizes, including two awards for story of the year from Finnish journalism groups. But if you look today for his byline in Aamulehtis archives, youll come up mostly empty. The newspapers editors have yanked five hundred and fifty-one of his articles from the website. Only three remain. In an autobiography published last month, Kuusela acknowledgedalmost in passingthat as a reporter, he had created details out of whole cloth, or made it look like he had interviewed people he hadnt. Buried within his book, Journalist: A Different Kind of Reporter, were three admissions of journalistic malpractice: A 2021 piece about a poet named Eeva-Liisa Manner included quotes and colorbut she was dead, and Kuusela had never interviewed her. A 2008 piece about a rowing trip claimed that he brought along a novel by a man he called Ekelofbut neither the novel nor the author exists. A 2006 piece about a trip to Uzbekistan included scenes of people driving around a roundabout, with details about who they were and where they were goingbut he was, according to his memoir, imagining stories for the people. The book was released on March 21. A media firestorm began in Finland the next day. Aamulehtis editors removed most of Kuuselas stories and added notes to the three he had cited. Kuusela drafted a letter that appeared on Aamulehtis site. I have always tried to bravely get to the heart of things and people and honestly tell the truth, he wrote. As a means of style, I have used, among other things, exaggeration, sarcasm, and confusion to get readers to see their own prejudices. He added, Sometimes the truth lies so deep that you have to use surprising means of bringing it up. Poetry is one of the best. Aamulehti hired Maria Lassila-Merisalo, a researcher, writer, and educator, to determine how much fiction had come into the articles that Kuusela didnt mention. Sanna Keskinen, the papers editor in chief, said the decision to remove Kuuselas stories wasnt made lightly, but she feels it was the right one. The investigation has revealed even more problematic issues, Keskinen saidwithout detailing the number of articles or problems. At some point, Kuuselas stories may be restored, with clarifications or corrections as needed. Kuusela, who is sixty-eight, said his life has been turned upside down. After the start of what I call a manhunt, it has been pretty distressing. Its hard to sleep, he told me. Ive started to understand how people get crushed on social media. It happens really quickly and easily. Kuuselas book and Aamulehtis decision to remove his work have sparked a vigorous debate in Finnish media about ethics in narrative journalism, fact-checking, and decisions to delete history. Removing so many articles from an archive is unheard of, said Eero Hyvonen, the chair of the Finnish Council for Mass Media, a self-regulatory body founded by news organizations, publishers, and reporters. The size of this case is earth-shattering, he told me. It feels like Goodness, how is this possible? Hyvonen is astounded that Kuusela doesnt seem to see a problem with his fakery. Mixing fiction with facts, and that becoming a prevailing practiceit feels unsettling, Hyvonen said. Even so, Aamulehtis removal policy creates its own problems. Margaret Sullivan, a former public editor for the New York Times, now the director of the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security at Columbia University, said she supports the papers investigation but called for full transparency. Sometimes its better to attach an editors note to every article rather than taking it down. When you take things down, youre not being fully transparent with the reader, Sullivan said. What you want to say is, We published this, and it wasnt true, and heres what it looks like. Sign up for CJRs daily email Kuusela suggested that removing the articles was retaliation. In my opinion, its about me criticizing Aamulehti and their owner, Sanoma, quite strongly in my book, so then they want to cast a shadow over my book, Kuusela said. If you write honestly, you are made a liar. Back in 1983, he writes in the memoir, his editors at Aamulehti tried to fire him because of his familys political views. Keskinen calls the allegations of retaliation totally absurd. As she told me, This hasnt brought any good publicity for Aamulehti. We have all suffered from this. She also sees it as a sign that, in an earlier era, a star reporter such as Kuusela used to get special treatment. Our investigation so far gives indications that the management and Kuuselas special position in the newsroom had an effect. Kuuselas former bosses are more forgiving. One has to remember that Matti Kuusela has been a journalist of his own kind from the very beginning. He has always moved in the crosslines of fiction and basic journalism, Matti Apunen, his boss from 1998 to 2010, told Helsingin Sanomat, the largest newspaper in Finland. Two generations are colliding in this conversation, Jussi Pullinen, the managing editor at Helsingin Sanomat, told me. The comments by Kuuselas old bosses seem absurd or even incomprehensible from todays principles, which I consider to be good. And Kuusela does have some misgivings, not just about this incident but about his career: Everyone would like me to say that I regret tremendously telling the truth in the book. But its not who I am. Perhaps I shouldnt have become a reporter. Laura Kukkonen is a data journalism student at Columbia Journalism School. She is on study leave from Helsingin Sanomat, which is owned by Sanoma, the publisher of Aamulehti. Iowa men who were victims of child sexual molestation while they were in the Boy Scouts of America could get higher legal compensation under a measure lawmakers approved and the governor signed into law last week. The legislation, which retroactively waives the statute of limitations for victims filing a civil claim as part of the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy settlement, took effect immediately after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it. The Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 as it faced hundreds of lawsuits filed by men alleging they had been sexually abused as children by their Scout leaders and volunteers. A $2.46 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan was approved in 2022, after more than 80,000 men filed claims nationwide. A states statute of limitations could decrease the damages that victims receive, according to the funds distribution procedures. Under the settlement terms, states had until Friday to extend their statutes of limitations. We are facing a clock that is ticking to ensure that they will not be financially penalized because their abuse occurred within the borders of our state, Sen. Janet Petersen, a Democrat, said Wednesday. Iowa law requires victims of child sexual abuse to file claims by age 19 or, if older, within four years of realizing a sustained injury was caused by the abuse. The new measure which applies only to the case against the Boy Scouts of America allows victims within the Scouts to seek legal action at any time. Its unclear how many Iowa victims may now file new claims by a May 31 deadline. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A federal appeals court has sided with three chiropractors in ruling that claims under New Jerseys personal injury protection statute concerning insurance fraud are subject to arbitration. GEICO has lost its bid to pursue litigation alleging fraud against the chiropractors. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed lower courts where GEICO alleged that the chiropractors defrauded it of more than $10 million by abusing the personal injury protection (PIP) benefits offered by its auto policies. GEICO claimed that the clinics filed exaggerated claims for medical services, including sometimes for treatments that were never provided, ad that they billed medically unnecessary care and engaged in illegal kickback schemes. GEICO brought its claims under New Jerseys Insurance Fraud Prevention Act (IFPA). The clinics sought arbitration of GEICOs IFPA claims, arguing both that New Jersey insurance law allows them to compel arbitration and that a valid arbitration agreement covered the claims. But lower courts including the US District Court for New Jersey disagreed, ruling instead that IFPA claims cannot be arbitrated. The chiropractors appealed. The Third Circuit Appeals Court concluded that the claims are subject to arbitration under New Jersey law and further that that there were enforceable documents that compelled arbitration under federal law. The New Jersey law at issue allows any party to compel arbitration of any dispute regarding the recovery of medical expense benefits or other benefits provided under PIP coverage . . . arising out of the operation, ownership, maintenance or use of an automobile. GEICO argued that because the claims involve fraud, they are not covered by the statute. It also maintained that arbitration would run counter to the purpose of the states anti-fraud statute. The Third Circuit of Appeals disagreed. The court noted that the provision does not have an exception for fraud, and the court may not carve a broad exclusion from a plain statute on its own initiative. Also, New Jersey appellate courts have consistently held that the provision must be construed liberally. The appeals court found that since GEICO is suing in an effort to recover medical expense claims paid through auto insurance PIP benefits, its claims fall under the statutes plain text. The list of claims specifically subject to the provision suggests fraud falls under its umbrella as that group includes whether the disputed medical treatment was actually performed and whether the treatment performed is reasonable[ or] necessary. That, the court said, is the alleged fraud underpinning GEICOs IFPA claims. The court also said that GEICO failed to explain why arbitrating IFPA claims frustrates the anti-fraud goal. The appeals court went further, also concluding that GEICOs IFPA claims fall under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), which compels claims to arbitration once a party shows both that an arbitration agreement was validly formed and that it covers the claims at issue. The appeals court cited two documents that suggest GEICO and the doctors formed of an arbitration agreement, documents that GEICO did not contest. The first was GEICOs Precertification and Decision Point Review Plan, a plan that is required by New Jersey law and approved by the New Jersey insurance regulator. It governs GEICOs reimbursement of PIP claims. The plans arbitration provision covers any issue arising under the plan, or in connection with any claim for PIP benefits. The chiropractic clinics bound themselves to GEICOs PIP reimbursement plan through a second document GEICOs assignment of benefits form, which doctors must submit before GEICO will pay them for PIP claims. That form requires each chiropractor to comply with all the requirements of the precertification plan. The court said that these documents facially suggest that the chiropractors entered into an arbitration agreement and given that the plan covers any issue . . . in connection with any claim for PIP benefits, the language is broad such that it includes GEICOs claims. The appeals court reversed the decisions of the lower courts and remanded the matter with instructions to compel arbitration of GEICOs IFPA claims against the chiropractors. A group of Japanese doctors has filed a civil lawsuit against U.S. search giant Google, demanding damages for what they claim are unpoliced derogatory and often false comments. The lawsuit, filed last week in Tokyo District Court, demands 1.4 million yen ($9,400) in damages for 63 medical professionals. Google said in an emailed statement that it is working 24 hours a day to reduce misleading or false information on its platform, combining human and technological resources to delete fraudulent reviews. The lawsuit claims groundless negative reviews have been posted on Google Maps, a very popular app in Japan, that allows people to write in ratings of various institutions and their personal reviews. Some comments are irresponsible and appear to be written out of spite and the word of mouth remarks take on a life of their own and are nearly impossible to refute, according to the lawsuit. It said Google has done very little to fix the problem, despite complaints. The damage suffered is substantial, and the people have been powerless to fight back. We dont agree that the platform shares no responsibility, Yuichi Nakazawa, who leads the legal team for the plaintiffs, told reporters. Some Japanese say they rely on what people say online about hospitals, including how long the wait was or what kind of care they got, rather than official sites. But those online comments may be inaccurate and even detrimental to health care, those behind the lawsuit say. Japan boasts a relatively widespread and affordable health care system, making the medical sector a hot topic in one of the fastest aging societies in the world. Class actions are relatively rare in Japan, though Google has been sued in the U.S. and various other nations, accused of misleading advertising, violations of privacy and other problems. Earlier this month, Google agreed to purge billions of records containing personal information collected from more than 136 million people in the U.S. who had surfed the internet through its Chrome web browser. That was part of a settlement in a U.S. lawsuit that had accused Google of illegal surveillance. The lawsuit in Japan is intended to highlight the potential dangers from Googles technology, the lawyers for the medical professionals say. The damages they are seeking are symbolic, about 23,000 yen ($150) per plaintiff. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. TOPEKA, Kansas An ostrich described as one of the Topeka Zoos favorites died last week when it swallowed the keys of a zoo staff member. The zoo announced the death of Karen, a vibrant and beloved ostrich, in a post on Facebook. The post says Karen tragically succumbed to complications arising from consuming a foreign object. We are devastated by the loss of Karen, Fawn Moser, interim director of the Topeka Zoo, says in a statement. She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community. Our thoughts are with our dedicated animal care team, who formed deep bonds with Karen during her time with us. Karen had been an adored resident since the opening of Giraffe & Friends in March of 2023, was known for her water loving habits, like swimming in the pool, playing in the sprinkler, and, best of all, being our dancing queen! the zoo says in the Facebook post. Zoo guests and staff alike formed deep connections with her, captivated by her playful antics. The post says the ostrich managed to reach beyond her exhibit fence and grab the keys of a staff member, immediately swallowing them. The zoo consulted with experts on how to remove the keys without harming Karen but were unsuccessful. The zoo says its investigating the incident and is taking appropriate actions regarding the staff member involved. The zoo says its also reviewing its safety protocols. The circumstances surrounding Karens passing serve as a solemn reminder of the importance of vigilance and care in maintaining the safety of our animal inhabitants, the post says. The Topeka Zoo is home to more than 300 animals exhibited throughout 35 acres. Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the Supreme Court of Texas to step in and block Harris County's new guaranteed income program, Uplift Harris. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Supreme Court of Texas has temporarily blocked Harris County's new guaranteed income program, Uplift Harris, after two lower courts denied Attorney General Ken Paxton's requests to stop the payments. Paxton sued Harris County earlier this month, alleging its new income program violates a state law that prohibits the gift of public funds to any individual. Harris County had selected and notified recipients and was preparing to mail the first $500 monthly checks this week. Paxton sought court action to block that move, but a Harris County district judge and the 14th Court of Appeals rejected his requests. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Supreme Court of Texas sided with Paxton on Tuesday, granting a temporary pause while the court considers the legal arguments. Supreme Court justices are elected statewide, and all nine members currently are Republicans. "Without regard to the merits, the Court grants an administrative stay as follows: Real parties in interest and their agents are prohibited from making payments under the Uplift Harris program pending further order of this court," the court said in a short order. Paxton celebrated the court order, saying he looked "forward to continuing to defend our Constitution and preventing this egregious misuse of taxpayer money. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the county's public health department was in the process of sending out the checks when the program came to an abrupt halt. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Our public health director pressed the button, so to speak, but before the funds began transferring, the Supreme Court made its ruling," Hidalgo said. Paxton's office has argued that the program doesn't have sufficient controls in place over how the funds are spent. Hidalgo added on Tuesday that around 300 households selected for the program were not going to receive the payment this week because they had not completed the required paperwork. "That just underscores how this program carefully vets the applicants," Hidalgo said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who championed Uplift Harris, said the court's decision was a major setback for low-income families waiting on those checks. "I am incredibly disappointed in todays ruling. This frivolous lawsuit was a broadside attack on Harris County families struggling to make ends meet by state extremists and a hyper-partisan Texas Supreme Court," Ellis said Tuesday. Earlier Tuesday, Paxton argued the program was clearly illegal. "Harris Countys guaranteed income scheme plainly violates the Texas Constitution, he said in a statement before the court's ruling. Harris County officials cannot continue to abuse their power and the peoples money to score political points, and we will fight every step of the way to hold them accountable." Other Texas entities, including Austin and San Antonio, also have versions of a guaranteed income program, and yet Paxton has thus far not sued to stop those programs. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said Tuesday that Paxton had singled out Harris County and was impeding efforts to implement programs that residents support. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "The only silver lining in this is that people recognize just how out of touch (Paxton) is," Garcia said. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and other county officials have said Paxton and state leadership are hypocritical in attacking the guaranteed income program. They argue the state is fine with giving handouts to companies, but not to working families. Menefee said Tuesday the court's order was not surprising "given how politicized we've seen the Texas Supreme Court become." He was referring to a speech made by Justice John Devine, who argued Harris County "bastardized" elections laws and suggested Democrats would cheat in coming elections, according to the Texas Tribune. He added that the Supreme Court justices do have reason to worry about ruling against Paxton. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled in 2021 that Paxton did not have unilateral authority to prosecute election crimes, Paxton successfully pushed to oust the three Republican incumbents on the court who were up for election this year. All three lost their races in the March primary. Still, Menefee said the county's fight to defend the guaranteed income program was far from over. "I do not expect that we're going to get a fair shot, but we're going to do everything we can in the courtroom to ensure that the legal arguments are made and that this program is protected," Menefee said. Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, who has also advocated for Uplift Harris, reiterated Menefee's legal battle cry. U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) Partnership as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia participate at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, California, United States. Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The trilateral defense and security pact between Australia, U.K., and the U.S. commonly referred to as AUKUS is not going to trigger a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region, said the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. The security framework seeks to strengthen stability and not "create a problem," Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins said at a media briefing on Tuesday. "There's some incorrect information out there about the purpose of AUKUS and what we're trying to do." The AUKUS alliance was forged in 2021 to address shared regional concerns about China's rising military power and influence. It involved Australia acquiring nuclear-powered attack submarines, among other items of defense cooperation. China responded at that time, warning of the danger of an arms race as well as nuclear proliferation. watch now "It's very important that countries understand that this is not to create a race to create any kind of arms' races. Nuclear-powered submarines are allowed under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and Australia is not going to become a nuclear weapons state," she added. Jenkins said the alliance partners will continue to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that "we are doing everything to have the highest nonproliferation standards in what we're trying to do." China's response China reiterated its warning that Western powers in the AUKUS security pact are provoking division and risking nuclear proliferation in the South Pacific in its latest remarks. "Through AUKUS, the US is bent on bringing the development of nuclear submarine into the region, which violates the purposes of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and creates severe risks of nuclear proliferation," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a ministry presser. He accused the the U.S. of bringing "even more countries into the grouping under false pretext," adding that "China has always opposed bloc confrontation in this region." watch now Jack Dorsey says that his payments company, Block (formerly Square), is expanding its bitcoin mining ambitions from designing chips to developing a full bitcoin mining system. In a post on Tuesday, the global tech firm announced that it had finished the development of its own standalone three-nanometer bitcoin mining chip and was now in the process of working through the design with a "leading global semiconductor foundry." Block also unveiled plans to broaden out the scope of its mining project to include system design. "We've spent a significant amount of time talking to a wide variety of bitcoin miners to identify the challenges faced by mining operators," Block writes. "Building on these insights and pursuant to our goal of supporting mining decentralization, we plan to offer both a standalone mining chip as well as a full mining system of our own design." Democratizing access to bitcoin mining the process of creating new bitcoins by solving increasingly complex computational problems is a big part of the mission statement of this project. "Mining isn't accessible to everyone," Dorsey wrote when Block first entered the business of building mining hardware in 2021. "Bitcoin mining should be as easy as plugging a rig into a power source. There isn't enough incentive today for individuals to overcome the complexity of running a miner for themselves." Indeed, members of the bitcoin community have long been concerned that hardware vulnerabilities might compromise network stability. The ASIC chip used in mining rigs, for example, is manufactured in China, a country that has proven hostile to the crypto sector in recent years. Block said in its memo on Tuesday that the goal of this project is to both decentralize the supply of bitcoin mining hardware and the distribution of hashrate a proxy for industry competition and mining difficulty. To that end, the fintech firm is solving one major barrier to entry: Mining rigs are hard to find and expensive, and delivery can be unpredictable. The company was light on the details in this latest announcement, but Dorsey posted in 2021 that the company was considering a "bitcoin mining system based on custom silicon." At the time, Dorsey went on to share his thoughts on the need for more of a focus on vertical integration, as well as on silicon design, which he says is too concentrated among a few companies. Block's general manager for hardware, Thomas Templeton, previously disclosed plans to improve reliability and the user experience of mining, addressing common issues around heat dissipation and noise production. The announcement comes just after the most recent bitcoin halving, which took effect late on Friday. The event happens roughly every four years, and it cuts the issuance of new bitcoin in half. The idea of making the mining process more accessible has to do with more than just generating new bitcoin. Instead, Dorsey sees it as a long-term need for a future that is fully decentralized and permissionless. "Mining needs to be more distributed," Dorsey posted on X in October, when he first floated the idea. "The more decentralized this is, the more resilient the bitcoin network becomes." Toward that end, Block's venture arm backed Gridless, a company that operates bitcoin mines from renewable power sources in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia. A single toxic employee can ruin an entire company's culture. Toxic workers can make the office uncomfortable and uninviting, hinder productivity and morale, and even cause others to quit their jobs, according to the Society of Human Resource Management. They might be disruptive, inauthentic or just plain hard to get along with. The behavior may seem clear to other people, but it's often difficult to know whether you're negatively affecting the people around you, and asking them directly can be awkward. So, whether you want help recognizing the toxic employees around you or you'd like to avoid becoming one yourself watch out for these three red flags, CEOs say. The entitled employee Don't ever act like you're owed a promotion or raise, says Tom Gimbel, CEO of staffing and recruiting firm LaSalle Network. "[People who say] 'I'm only going to do what's in my job description, I'm not going the extra mile, I'm not going to commit time to this' and expect to be rewarded" aren't desirable employees, Gimbel tells CNBC Make It. It makes you look like you think you're "above" your peers, he adds. Sometimes, employees are caught off-guard when colleagues with less tenure get promoted first, but time alone doesn't entitle anyone to a promotion. It can help, of course but promotions often hinge more on the quality of your work, the strength of your workplace relationships and your track record of moving the company forward, notes Gimbel. If you see that your colleagues "do more" than you, find a passion project or creative ways to contribute on the job to help you stay competitive, he advises. The gaslighter Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Passing the blame is a major red flag, says Talia Fox, CEO of executive consulting firm KUSI Global. "Owning your mistakes and having a high level of integrity is so critical," Fox says. "Just show up and have some honesty around it." Once, Fox says, she gave an employee an assignment and made sure to overcommunicate her expectations ahead of time. When the employee turned in the work, it contained a noticeable error and they blamed Fox, saying her instructions were unclear. "We had to have a conversation about the impact that [being gaslit] was having on me," says Fox, noting that the person later owned up to their behavior. Gaslighting is both manipulative and mean, says Fox. Instead of deflecting your mistakes, apologize and do the work to make it right. The yes man Digitally Generated Images Wong Yu Liang | Moment | Getty Images Chinese universities and research institutes recently obtained high-end Nvidia artificial intelligence chips through resellers, despite the U.S. widening a ban last year on the sale of such technology to China. A Reuters review of hundreds of tender documents shows 10 Chinese entities acquired advanced Nvidia chips embedded in server products made by Super Micro Computer Inc. , Dell Technologies Inc. and Taiwan's Gigabyte Technology Co Ltd after the U.S. on Nov. 17 expanded the embargo to subject more chips and countries to licensing rules. Specifically, the servers contained some of Nvidia's most advanced chips, according to the previously unreported tenders fulfilled between Nov. 20 and Feb. 28. While the U.S. bars Nvidia and its partners from selling advanced chips to China, including via third parties, the sale and purchase of the chips are not illegal in China. The 11 sellers of the chips were little-known Chinese retailers. Reuters could not determine whether, in fulfilling the orders, they used stockpiles acquired before the U.S. tightened chip-export restrictions in November. Contacted by Reuters, Nvidia said the tenders specify products that were exported and widely available before the restrictions. "They do not indicate that any of our partners violated the export control rules and are a negligible fraction of the products sold worldwide," a spokesperson said. The server makers said they complied with applicable laws or would investigate further. Among the buyers were the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shandong Artificial Intelligence Institute, Hubei Earthquake Administration, the Shandong and Southwest universities, a tech investment firm owned by the Heilongjiang provincial government, a state-run aviation research center, and a space science center. None of the Chinese buyers and retail sellers responded to questions from Reuters about the matter. Daniel Gerkin, a Washington-based partner at law firm Kirkland & Ellis, said Nvidia chips could have been diverted to China without a manufacturer's knowledge, given a lack of visibility into downstream supply chains. If the manufacturer had performed sufficient due diligence, "it presumably would be challenging for the U.S. government to pursue an enforcement action," he said. The U.S. Commerce Department told Reuters it could not comment on any potential ongoing investigations, but said its Bureau of Industry and Security monitored diversions of restricted chips, conducted end-use checks and examined potential breaches. Officials would investigate credible allegations of violations, including through the use of shell companies, a spokesperson said. Nvidia said systems built with its graphic processing units, or GPUs chips that break computer tasks into smaller pieces and process them together and resold by third parties must comply with U.S. restrictions. "If we determine that any product was subsequently resold in violation of U.S. export control rules, we'll work with our customers to take appropriate action," the spokesperson said. Super Micro said it complied with U.S. requirements on the sale and export of GPU systems to regions and parties that require licenses. "If we become aware that a third party has exported or reexported without the required licenses, we investigate the matter and take appropriate action," it said. In a letter to Reuters on behalf of Super Micro, U.S. law firm Clare Locke said its client "goes above and beyond what U.S. export restrictions require" by proactively taking steps to ensure its customers do not violate the curbs. In relation to the tenders that identified its products, Super Micro said they represent "older generation or general purpose servers not capable of the largest scale AI operations that were available in China prior to the export control regulations". The awarded suppliers "are not known Supermicro customers," the company said. A Dell spokesperson said the company "found no evidence of shipping products configured with the restricted chips you listed to the entities you named," but that it would continue to investigate. "Our distributors and resellers are required to comply with all applicable global regulations and export controls. If we become aware of a distributor or reseller that is not complying with these obligations, we take appropriate actions, including termination of our relationship," the spokesperson said. Gigabyte said in an email that it complied with Taiwanese laws and international regulations. It did not respond to subsequent questions about tenders that identified its products as a source of banned Nvidia chips. Taiwan's economy ministry said it expected Taiwanese companies to respect U.S. export controls. watch now IQiyi, sometimes dubbed the "Netflix" of China, swung to a profit in 2023 for the first time since it listed in the U.S. in 2018. BEIJING Chinese video streaming platform iQiyi is turning its attention to the country's aging population, while using artificial intelligence tools to bolster content production. One of iQiyi's near-term goals is to improve the product offering for older users, CEO and founder Gong Yu said Tuesday at the company's annual conference. "It seems simple but it's not, because in the past 10, 20 years the motto has been to serve young people, and not be traditional," he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He noted how users in their 40s or older are dropping off because increased screen time is accelerating eyesight deterioration, and it's harder for them to read small text. Gong also pointed to estimates that predict about one-fourth of China's population will be considered elderly in 2033, rising to one-third in 2053. China is rapidly aging as fewer people have children and lifespans increase. Births have fallen despite Beijing's efforts in the last decade to unwind restrictions on households for one child each. Fewer children, Gong said, means each child becomes more important. He said iQiyi would improve the quality of its content for children. Apple stock has had a lackluster 2024 so far dropping over 13% since the start of the year. Even Jim Cramer said Tuesday that the Club's "own it, don't trade it" name is "hard to defend" nowadays. However, he argued that the market is getting Apple all wrong. Investor concerns about weakening iPhone sales in China are valid, but "people can't look through the valley of the shadow of death" when it comes to the stock. The tech giant has time and time again proved the naysayers and bears wrong. Apple received another bout of negative press on Tuesday. iPhone sales in China dropped 19.1% in the first quarter, new Counterpoint Research data indicated. Apple's declines came as Chinese electronics giant Huawei reentered the smartphone market with a premium device to compete with the iPhone. The Shenzhen-based company's smartphone sales in China increased 69.7% during Q1. The report wasn't "revelatory," Jim said. Everybody has known about the softening demand for Apple's flagship device for some time. "Why do [people] act like it's news that Apple is doing poorly in China? No kidding." Jim questioned why Wall Street is so fixated on China when Apple's forays into growth markets like India are far more important to the future of the business. Apple's expanding operations in emerging economies "will overtake China," he said. Apple opened its first retail stores in India last year and expanded iPhone production there as well. The Club has praised these strategic efforts because they help Apple diversify its supply chains and revenue streams as geopolitical relations between the U.S. and China remain fraught with uncertainty. Jim cited another tailwind for Apple: generative artificial intelligence integrated into the next iPhone. Club Director of Portfolio Analysis Jeff Marks added that AI is "obviously a reason many people could look to upgrade their phones and could restart the iPhone cycle here." Investors will be closely watching Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June when AI-related updates are expected. In the meantime, Apple said Tuesday it will unveil new products at a May 7 online event . Analysts have speculated it'll be about new iPads. No new models were released in 2023. AAPL YTD mountain Apple YTD What's next for Apple stock? Jim reiterated his March 5 forecast that shares could go as low as $160 apiece, which hasn't happened yet. At the time, the stock was above $170. On Monday, it closed just shy of $166. Jim also envisioned a world in which Apple could fall considerably more, down to around $135 per share, if investors were no longer willing to assign a valuation premium to the stock. But, he said, "I don't think the institutions will let it go down that far." (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long AAPL. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. An Apple Store in Hamburg, Germany. Christian Charisius | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Shares of Danaher popped more than 7% on Tuesday after the life sciences company delivered beats across its three main businesses a sign the long-awaited turnaround in the biotech industry is finally here. Revenue for the period ended March 29 declined 4% organically year over year to nearly $5.8 billion in total sales, outpacing analyst estimates of $5.62 billion, according to LSEG. Total sales on a reported basis dropped nearly 2.6% year-over-year. Adjusted earnings-per-share (EPS) decreased 6.3% annually to $1.92, ahead of the consensus estimate of $1.71 per share, LSEG data showed. Danaher Why we own it : Danaher is a best-in-class life sciences and diagnostics company, with a management team who have proven time and again their ability to find new ways to grow. We expect to see a turn in bioprocessing-related orders this year as biotech funding comes back online and larger customers wind down efforts to flush out excess Covid-era inventory. Competitors : Sartorius and Thermo Fisher Scientific Weight in portfolio : 4.6% Most recent buy : Oct. 24, 2023 Initiated : Jan. 3, 2022 Bottom line A slowdown in biotech industry funding as larger customers work through excess inventory has weighed on Danaher shares for several quarters. The turnaround is now in effect, with bioprocessing orders up on a sequential basis. This led to a first-quarter book-to-bill ratio of roughly 0.95. As a reminder, book to bill is a ratio that measures the amount of business booked, versus the amount billed, a ratio greater than one is favorable because it means that demand is exceeding supply and resulting in backlog growth. We're just short of that level, but are heading in the right direction and directionality is what the Street is focused on. Given the improving order trends, we believe management is being conservative by affirming its full-year guidance. The company should be able to beat it. There are still headwinds. Core revenue was down slightly in developed markets, with broad-based strength in diagnostics offset by weakness in biotechnology. High growth markets, defined as "developing markets of the world experiencing extended periods of accelerated growth in gross domestic product and infrastructure," also fell, a result that included a large decline in China, where management noted that the "economic landscape remains challenging." But there was much more to like in this print. Strong headline results on the back of strength in all key operating segments, better-than-expected profit margin results, and strong cash generation metrics. Based on these results and the bottoming of the bioprocessing market, we are increasing our price target to $280 per share from $260. DHR YTD mountain Danaher YTD Guidance For the current quarter, the second of fiscal 2024, Danaher expects a mid-single-digit core revenue decline on a percentage basis about in line with the 4.7% decline expected by analysts, according to Bloomberg. Contributing to that forecast are expectations for a low double-digit decline in biotechnology, the segment that houses bioprocessing, a mid-single-digit decline in life sciences, and a low single-digit decrease in diagnostics. Management's operating profit margin forecast of about 26% is roughly in line with Street's estimates of 26.5%, according to FactSet. On a full-year basis, management's forecast was unchanged. The team expects total sales to decline by a percentage in the low single digits. This compares to expectations for a decline of 1.7% annually on the Street. Baked into this view is an expected biotechnology decline of low-to-mid-single digits, life sciences to be down low single digits, and diagnostics to advance low single digits all unchanged from the previously provided outlook. Full-year adjusted operating margin of about 29% is expected by management, in line with analysts' estimates. Quarterly results As seen in the product segments section below, all operating units delivered better-than-expected sales and adjusted operating income. Biotechnology sales fell nearly 17% on a core basis to $1.52 billion. Within the segment, bioprocessing sales fell a "high teens" percentage, while discovery and medical declined 20% year over year. As noted above, bioprocessing orders increased sequentially, leading to an improvement in the category's book-to-bill ratio a good sign since the company typically sees a seasonal order decline between the fourth and first quarter. In North America and Europe, Danaher's larger customers are making steady progress working through their excess inventory with many returning to their regular order patterns. "We expect inventory levels that these customers have largely normalized exiting the second quarter, Blair said. "We are also encouraged by improvements in the overall funding environment. "While we don't expect these improvements to impact order activity in the near term, it is a positive indicator for the long-term health of the bioprocessing market." Management once again said the strong underlying trends in its end markets support growth in the biologics market at a high single-digit or better rate for the full year 2024. There is also an increasing number of therapies advancing through the development pipeline and reaching the market, the team said. Life sciences sales dipped less than 3% on a core basis to $1.75 billion. On the call, CEO Blair said that while pharmaceutical and biotech activity in developed markets was stable, albeit at lower levels of demand, the team saw some improvement as the quarter progressed, though that has not yet led to order growth. China remains a source of weakness due to lower demand and the lapping of stimulus programs from a year ago. Investments in innovation and key earlier acquisitions set the segment up for accelerated growth, Blair said. He added that high-margin recurring revenue now comprises more than 60% of the segment, which means more opportunities for margin improvement. Diagnostics sales advanced 7.5% on a core basis to $2.53 billion. Clinical diagnostics revenue rose at a rate in the mid-single digits, while subsidiary Beckman Coulter hit a growth rate in that same range for the fifth consecutive quarter. At subsidiary Cepheid, respiratory revenue of $675 million topped management's expectation by $100 million, driven by both higher volumes and a favorable mix of its 4-in-1 test for Covid-19, Flu A, Flu B, and RSV. Blair said the company is "seeing better win and retention rates across the portfolio." Free cash flow was better than expected at $1.45 billion, down 6% from a year ago. The company also achieved a free cash flow to net income conversion ratio of over 130%. That means its earnings are backed by cash and are therefore of a higher quality than profits without an equal or greater amount of cash in hand. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long DHR. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. In this photo illustration, a Danaher Corporation logo seen displayed on a tablet. Igor Golovnov | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, center, speaks to attendants during a campaign stop and endorsement from the Federation of Independent Business at Brothers Pizza, at their northwest location Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2024 in Houston. Michael Wyke/Contributor WASHINGTON The peculiar payment scheme behind U.S. Sen. Ted Cruzs popular podcast has raised ethical questions and drawn complaints about election law violations. Now tax experts say the deal involving a massive radio network that picked up the Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast in 2022 and a super PAC supporting the Texas Republicans reelection effort could also raise red flags for the IRS. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While Cruz says he makes no money off the hosting gig, iHeartMedia has sent more than $630,000 in ad revenue from the podcast to the Truth and Courage PAC, which produces the show and says it owns it. The exact terms of the arrangement are unclear, and no parties involved have been willing to disclose them. But tax experts say Cruz may still need to report income on his tax forms, even if he isnt pocketing any cash. Thats because the law requires income to be taxed to the person who does the work. In this case, they say, that would be Cruz serving as the host of his podcast. Its still going to be his income, because hes the one who 'earned it,' said Brian Galle, a tax law professor at Georgetown University. This isnt like a charity that auctions off one hour of free accountant time or something. This was a payment for a series of appearances by Ted Cruz and not by anybody else. Galle, a former federal prosecutor in the Department of Justices tax division, said the arrangement is similar to a nun who works in a hospital and sends their pay back to the church because they have taken a vow of poverty. The nun is entitled to a salary for her services, even if she doesnt collect it. The IRS has said the nun still has taxable income, Galle said. You cant tell the government its not my money if youre the one who earned it, he said. It doesnt matter where the money goes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A spokesman for Cruzs campaign said the senator does not receive any income in connection with the podcast, nor did he direct revenues to be paid to anyone. A spokesman for the Truth and Courage PAC, which is barred under federal law from coordinating with Cruz or his campaign, said it owns the podcast and pays all associated taxes for it. He did not respond to questions about the PACs ownership of the show, which the PAC has spent millions of dollars producing over the past several years. At least one tax expert was less sure Cruz would be on the hook for any tax liability from the show. Andy Grewal, an income tax law professor at the University of Iowa, said it would only be a violation if Cruz was entitled to a payment for the podcast and told iHeart to pay the super PAC instead. If hes just showing up, I dont see it, Grewal said. READ MORE: Ted Cruz at center of FEC complaint over podcast payments Advertisement Article continues below this ad And without seeing the actual agreements behind the podcasting deal, or how the money is being reported to the IRS, it is impossible to know if there have been any violations, he said. But Calvin Johnson, a tax professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the arrangement appears to allow Cruz to shift payments from one pocket to another pocket. While he isnt taking personal compensation, he is still benefiting from the money going to the PAC that is already running ads supporting his reelection efforts. Cruz is running for a third term and faces U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas-area Democrat, in the November election. The tax statute is perfectly clear that transfers in connection with performance of services and thats what this is get taxed to the services, Johnson said, meaning Cruz. The rule dates back to a landmark 1930 ruling in which the Supreme Court held that the fruits are attributed to a different tree from that on which they grew. In that case, a married couple had entered into a contract specifying that the husbands earnings as a lawyer were owned jointly by the couple. The arrangement would have potentially saved a hefty tax bill by splitting the husbands income between the two. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Supreme Court ruled that there was no doubt that the statute could tax salaries to those who earned them and provide that the tax could not be escaped by anticipatory arrangements and contracts however skillfully devised to prevent the salary when paid from vesting even for a second in the man who earned it. Ethics and campaign finance experts have said the iHeart payments appear to blur the lines between what is allowed under campaign finance law and Senate ethics rules. Cruz is the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees the communications industry, in which iHeart is a major player. The company is based in San Antonio. Earlier this month, the groups End Citizens United and Campaign Legal Center filed an ethics complaint with the Federal Elections Commission, saying Cruz appears to have brazenly violated campaign finance laws by soliciting donations to the Truth and Courage PAC from iHeartMedia. The payments total about a third of the $2 million the Truth and Courage PAC reported raising since the start of 2023, according to recent Federal Election Commission data. Advertisement Article continues below this ad U.K. stocks remained in positive territory on Tuesday afternoon, with the blue-chip FTSE 100 index 0.25% higher at 3:50 p.m. London time, after Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill delivered a speech that was perceived by many investors as hawkish. Equity gains were lower than earlier in the session and lagged Germany's DAX index, which was up 1.35%, and France's CAC 40, up 0.7%. U.K. stocks had powered ahead during Monday's session, taking the FTSE 100 to a record close on mounting expectations of a summer rate cut from the BOE. Pill on Tuesday said that his baseline at the start of March was that "the time for cutting Bank Rate remained some way off." "The combination of little news and the passage of time have brought a Bank Rate cut somewhat closer. But the same lack of news gives me no reason to depart from the baseline that I already established," he said. The British pound , which fell 0.5% against the U.S. dollar on Monday, clawed back 0.7% on Tuesday. Surveillance cameras are mounted above the German and Chinese flags in front of Tongji University. Scholz is on a three-day trip to China. Germany has arrested a national on charges of spying for the Chinese secret service and leaking information from the European Parliament, Germany's federal prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. The man was also accused of spying on members of the Chinese opposition in Germany, according to a CNBC translation. The alleged spy was named as Jian G. and identified as an employee of a German member of the European Parliament since 2019. Local media has reported that the MEP in question is Maximilian Krah of the far-right AfD. Their offices are reportedly next to each other in the parliament in Brussels, but the alleged spy has not been seen there, local media was told. CNBC could not independently verify this information. A spokesperson for the AfD told CNBC that reports of the arrest of Krah's employee are "deeply concerning," according to a CNBC translation, without directly confirming whether such a detainment had taken place. The party would do everything to support the investigation, the spokesperson added. "In January 2024 the accused repeatedly shared information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament with his intelligence service employer," the German federal prosecutor's office said in a statement, according to a CNBC translation. G. was arrested on Monday, according to the prosecutor's office, and a judge is set to decide about an arrest warrant and custody arrangements on Tuesday. The allegations follow an investigation by German domestic intelligence services. "If it is confirmed that there was espionage for Chinese intelligence services from within the European Parliament, then that would be an attack on European democracy from within. Whoever employs such a person carries responsibility," Nancy Faeser, German interior minister, said in a CNBC-translated post on social media platform X. Separately on Monday, three other German nationals were arrested on charges of sharing information pertaining to German research about new technologies that have a military use with China's secret service, the federal prosecutor said. The Chinese Embassy in Germany did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday rejected claims of espionage in Germany, saying the "hype" surrounding such accusations is aimed to discredit and suppress China, Reuters reported. The ministry also said it hoped that Germany would stop using the so-called spy threat to manipulate political narratives, according to Reuters. Elsewhere, two U.K. citizens were also charged for allegedly spying for China on Monday. Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the timeline of when the two U.K. citizens were charged with alleged espionage. Silhouette of passenger in front of the JetBlue Airbus A321neo aircraft spotted on the apron tarmac docked at the passenger jet bridge from the terminal of Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport AMS EHAM in the Netherlands. JetBlue Airways shares tumbled more than 18% Tuesday after the airline lowered its 2024 revenue forecast, a setback as it tries to return to profitability. The carrier said second-quarter revenue would likely drop as much as 10.5% on the year, more than double the decline analysts polled by LSEG expected. New York-JetBlue forecast full-year sales would drop in the low single digits, also below Wall Street expectations, after estimating flat sales for the year in its January report. JetBlue has been on a cost-cutting spree, culling unprofitable routes, and focusing on those with steady demand and high sales for premium seats. The carrier last month called off its merger agreement with budget carrier Spirit Airlines after a judge blocked that $3.8 billion deal on antitrust grounds. The outlook update Tuesday shows a growing divide between JetBlue and its larger rivals that have big international networks like Delta and United , which have forecast profits, strong revenue and record demand this summer. "As we look to the full year, significant elevated capacity in our Latin [America] region, which represents a large portion of JetBlue's network, will likely continue to pressure revenue and we expect a setback in our expectations for the full year," Joanna Geraghty, who became CEO in February, said in an earnings release. "We have full confidence that continuing to take action on our refocused standalone strategy is the right path forward to ultimately return to profitability again." The U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in Washington. The Biden administration issued a final rule on Tuesday that cracks down on the investment advice that advisors, brokers, insurance agents and others give to retirement savers. The U.S. Department of Labor regulation which follows a rule proposal in October aims to ensure that investment recommendations are in savers' best interests, according to agency officials. In legal terms, the final rule expands the scope of when a broker, advisor or other intermediary must act as a "fiduciary," meaning they are required to give advice that puts the client first. The final rule takes effect on Sept. 23. It takes up the mantle of a prior effort by the Obama administration to rein in conflicts of interest in retirement accounts. That Obama-era "fiduciary" rule, which experts say was broader than Biden's measure, was killed in court. Current retirement rules don't provide adequate protections to savers, Labor Department officials said during a press call Tuesday. Often, advice is tainted by "significant conflicts of interest" and in many circumstances there's "no obligation" to act in retirement customers' best interests, said Lisa Gomez, assistant secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration. "That's not right," Gomez said. Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman said he is significantly invested in energy stocks, citing the rise in oil prices given the Middle East conflict. The chair and CEO of the Omega Family Office said roughly 15% of his family office assets are in energy, at a time when oil prices have been spiking and weighing on the broader equity market. West Texas Intermediate crude oil contracts for June were last above $80 a barrel, up about 13% in 2024. "I think, given what's going on in the Middle East, that the oil will probably stay in this $80 to $90 range. If it does, these guys are making lots of money and paying out big dividends," Cooperman told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday. "I think the stocks are cheap." "I would say that I have found over 50 or 60 years of doing this, if I buy something at three times cash flow yielding 5% or 6%, I get lucky," Cooperman said. Cooperman has favored energy stocks in the past. In 2021, the longtime investor revealed the sector was his largest position , when extreme weather and lower production drove a spike in natural gas prices. The S & P 500 energy sector advanced more than 47% that year. This year, the sector is up more than 14%. Energy prices have recently come off their highs after Iran and Israel signaled they are not interested in a wider conflict. On Tuesday, the market brushed off legislation from the House of Representatives that would broaden sanctions of Iran's oil exports, a bill the Senate could vote on as soon as this week. CNBC's Yun Li and Spencer Kimball contributed to this report. Heightened geopolitical tensions have triggered volatility in crude oil prices, but one strategist is looking keenly for opportunities in the energy sector. It was among the laggards last year, but things have turned around with many stocks now trading near all-time highs. Stephen Ellis, energy and utilities strategist at Morningstar, said oil market volatility does present challenges and urged investors to be patient, which "regularly pays off within energy." "We are typically more excited about energy stocks when oil prices collapse like they did in 2020 or the market has a more negative view as that's when we can find the most compelling returns and bargains," Ellis told CNBC Pro on Apr. 19. However, he did say there were "selective bargains" in the market currently. It comes as oil futures posted a loss last week amid fading fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East that would have likely disrupted crude supplies. Brent crude oil prices were trading around $86.50 on Apr. 22, down 4.4% over the past five days. 'Quality' names within energy Ellis said he searches for quality names when selecting stocks in the energy space. His top picks include Canadian pipeline transportation and energy player Enbridge , oilfield services company SLB , natural gas corporation TC Energy , and energy giants APA Corp and ExxonMobil . "All of these are 'moaty' firms that have some upside to our fair value estimates, even in a period of high oil prices," Ellis explained. Stocks with wide "economic moats" are viewed as having durable competitive advantages. Enbridge He describes Enbridge as "rare opportunity to acquire a long-time investor favorite at a discount." The company recently marked its 29th consecutive year of dividend increases, with a 3.1% rise in its quarterly dividends to 9.50 cents per share. This brings its annual dividend payout to $3.66 per share. Morningstar has a fair value estimate of 56 Canadian dollars ($41) on the stock, giving it around 16.7% potential upside. TC Energy, SLB Morningstar has a four-star rating on TC Energy and gives it a fair value estimate of $47, giving it downside of around 4.2%. The investment research firm gives stocks a rating of between one and five stars, with a top rating indicating that the shares are undervalued. It also has a four-star rating on SLB, previously known as Schlumberger. "We remain optimistic about SLB's long-term outlook. As the energy transition continues, firms will need to rely on oil and gas for energy security. As such, international oil and gas activity is expected to provide steady opportunities for SLB over the next five years," Ellis said. Morningstar has a fair value of $62 on stock, giving it around 24.3% potential upside. ExxonMobil As for ExxonMobil, it gives it a three-star rating and a fair value estimate of $133, which represents nearly 11% upside potential. Among the opportunities facing the company is its commitment to oil and gas, even as many of its peers are diverting investment to renewables, Ellis said. "It has responded to calls to bring in more outside voices to its board and announced emission-reduction targets. It's also investing in low-carbon technologies, but these efforts are measured and keep oil and gas production at the core," he said. "While this strategy is unlikely to win praise from environmentally oriented investors, we think it's more likely to be more successful and probably holds less risk. Exxon's investment strategy and will likely deliver superior returns." APA Elsewhere in the energy segment, Ellis likes APA Corp . Calling it "deeply undervalued," he believes "the market is deeply skeptical over its Suriname development potential, but I see the stock price as not pricing in any success there," referring to its exploration projects in the South American country. "The situation effectively means investors are getting the upside from the development for free. This is a very attractive attribute in that we do not have to depend on oil or gas prices in the near-term for the stock to potentially deliver a very healthy return," Ellis said. Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 16, 2022. The Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission has ordered Google and Apple to remove cryptocurrency exchange Binance from their app stores. In a press release out Tuesday, the regulator said it had sent letters to Google and Apple requesting the removal of applications controlled by Binance from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, respectively. SEC Chairperson Emilio Aquino said the Philippine public's continued access to Binance sites and apps "poses a threat to the security of the funds of investing Filipinos." The agency accused Binance of offering unregistered securities to Filipinos and operating as an unregistered broker, adding that this violates the country's securities laws. Binance, Google and Apple were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Aquino said that blocking Binance from the Google and Apple app stores would help "prevent the further proliferation of its illegal activities in the country, and to protect the investing public from its detrimental effects on our economy." Dan Braido, Audley Wilson and Andy Siegel are the co-founders of RoboBurger, which makes vending machines that dispense customized burgers a concept they call "the future of fast food." Their path toward that possible future got off to a rocky start on Friday's episode of ABC's "Shark Tank," after the show's investor judges criticized the Jersey City, New Jersey-based company's presentation and argued over its business model. Kevin O'Leary called the presentation "chaotic," and initially declined to make an offer, after the co-founders struggled to explain the specifics of how the company could eventually become profitable. "How do I make money? All the rest doesn't matter," O'Leary said. Yet by the end of the episode, O'Leary teamed up with a guest judge, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, to offer the RoboBurger founders $1.5 million. Here's how they came around to the idea and "did a 180," as Rubin termed it. Seeking $1.5 million despite no profits The trio of founders brought a vending machine for the judges to try. It churned out a "rethermalized" burger patty on a toasted bun, with cheese and condiments, in around four minutes. The burgers have sold for between $5.99 and $6.99 apiece, the founders said. "'Rethermalized' is a fancy word for 'reheated,'" noted Mark Cuban though Braido, the company's CTO, said the pre-cooked patties are grilled in the machine to form a crust and ensure the meat is "fried in its own juices." RoboBurger's vending machine on display on the set of ABC's "Shark Tank." Source: Disney/Christopher Willard The sample burgers were tasty, the Sharks agreed. Then, the founders made their request: a $1.5 million investment in exchange for a 5% stake in the company, implying a $30 million valuation for a business that hadn't turned a profit yet. "Whoa!" several of the investors said in unison. RoboBurger brings in revenue by leasing the machines out for $3,000 per month, or selling them outright, said Siegel, the company's CMO. The buyers and lessees are responsible for keeping the machines stocked with ingredients. (RoboBurger didn't immediately respond to CNBC's request for clarification on its sale prices.) At the time of filming, RoboBurger had been in "beta testing" for 18 months, with more than 12,000 burgers sold, the founders said. They projected $1.4 million in annual revenue by the end of the calendar year but an overall annual loss of $700,000, they added. The company needed funding to scale up its production process "to get these machines out there at a faster rate and continue to grow," said Wilson, RoboBurger's CEO. 'A very high-risk project' U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to the media after the Senate dismissed the House Republican impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., April 17, 2024. The Senate on Tuesday passed a package to provide billions in aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk to become law after a rocky six months of political battles. The final tally was 79-18, a rousing show of bipartisanship in an era of deep political divisions. "The relentless work of six long months has paid off," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor following an earlier procedural vote. Now that the bill has passed, it goes to Biden, who said he would sign it into law Wednesday, after the House passed the package as four separate bills on Saturday. The bill will "strengthen our national security and send a message to the world about the power of American leadership: we stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression," Biden said in a statement Tuesday night. The funding includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine aid, $26 billion for Israel and $8 billion for Taiwan and Indo-Pacific security. Spending-wise, the legislation is similar to the $95 billion foreign aid bill passed by the Senate in February, which has been effectively shelved in the House in the weeks since. Daniel Ek, CEO of Swedish music streaming service Spotify, gestures as he makes a speech at a press conference in Tokyo on September 29, 2016. Spotify reported first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, notching record quarterly profit and beating estimates on the top and bottom lines, after a year of deep cost cutting and streamlining. Here's how the company did, compared with analyst expectations: Earnings per share: 97 euro cents ($1.04) vs. 65 euro cents expected by LSEG analysts 97 euro cents ($1.04) vs. 65 euro cents expected by LSEG analysts Revenue: 3.64 billion euros vs. 3.61 billion euros expected by LSEG analysts 3.64 billion euros vs. 3.61 billion euros expected by LSEG analysts Monthly active users (MAUs): 615 million vs. 618 million estimated by StreetAccount Spotify shares jumped more than 10% on the news. The Swedish company also beat guidance on quarterly gross margin. The streaming giant went into cost-cutting mode last year, laying off more than a quarter of its headcount, according to industry tracker Layoffs.fyi. Spotify re-signed a marquee deal with controversial podcaster Joe Rogan earlier this year but otherwise significantly pared back its ambitions in the podcast business. Spotify also issued guidance for the upcoming quarter. The company expects net new MAUs of 16 million, for a total of 631 million monthly active users. It also guided to an improved gross margin of 28.1%, driven by businesswide cost improvements. "Overall, we are encouraged by the strong start to the year and view the business as well positioned to deliver on the goals outlined at our 2022 Investor Day," the company told shareholders in a presentation. Many of the changes the company made in the last 12 months came after Mason Morfit's ValueAct disclosed a stake in the company in February 2023 and publicly called for spending rationalization. Spotify laid off 17% of its staff by the end of the year. Spotify's business itself also showed growth, with MAUs increasing 19% year over year and 2% compared with the prior quarter. Still, the company missed its MAU guidance by 3 million users. Spotify attributed the slowed growth to "moderated marketing activity" driven by cost cutting resulting in "more normalized growth." ValueAct, which manages nearly $12 billion in assets, has a 0.5% Spotify stake valued at $280 million. When the activist investor first disclosed the position in 2023, it owned around 1.2% of Spotify. The value of its initial investment has more than doubled, according to FactSet estimates. Correction: Spotify reported its first-quarter earnings in euros. An earlier version misstated the currency. Biden promises quick provision of additional arms to Ukraine in call with Zelensky Xinhua) 10:42, April 23, 2024 WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over phone on Monday that his administration will soon quickly provide additional arms to Ukraine once a bill authorizing related funds clears Congress and becomes law. "President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine's urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law," the White House said in a readout of the call. Biden was referring to the 61-billion-dollar aid for Ukraine that the House passed Saturday. The measure, now bundled with other foreign aid funds, will be voted on as a comprehensive national security supplemental appropriations bill in the Senate this week, with passage all but certain and Biden pledging to sign it as soon as it descents on his desk. "President Biden also underscored that the U.S. economic assistance will help maintain financial stability, build back critical infrastructure," the readout said, adding that the economic assistance will also "support reform as Ukraine moves forward on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration." On the Ukrainian side, Zelensky said on Telegram that the new aid from Washington is expected to strengthen Ukraine's air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities. The Ukrainian president also discussed with Biden the work on a bilateral security agreement and the preparations for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland slated for mid-June, he said. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from the state of New York, said on X on Saturday that senators reached an agreement to vote on the national security supplemental on Tuesday. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Credential stuffing is one of the usual reasons that companies give after a security breach. This malicious technique is popular among cybercriminals which allows them to gain unauthorized access to individuals' online accounts by reusing stolen passwords. These days data breaches have become common as the dark web gets filled with various stolen credentials, ranging from email addresses and passwords to financial information and personal details. Using these stolen credentials, attackers will attempt to access multiple websites until they succeed. Understanding the nature of credential stuffing and its mechanisms will allow us to mitigate the risks of security breaches. Individuals must also be responsible for safeguarding their online presence by arming themselves with cybersecurity knowledge. Here are several reasons why you should learn about credential stuffing, especially with the increasing number of security breaches: Read Also : Roku Requires Two-Factor Authentication to Users After Consecutive Security Breaches Protect Personal Information Our online presence will always be connected with our identity. The majority of the websites that we access every day require us to input our personal information to create our personal accounts. Learning about credential stuffing helps individuals understand the risk associated with using weak and reused passwords. Most of the time people are tempted to use the same password due to the possibility of forgetting them in the long run. However, adopting stronger password practices and being aware of the danger of credential reuse will help individuals strengthen their protection with the personal information that they share with companies online. Prevent Account Takeover Compromised accounts that were attacked during security breaches are vulnerable to identity theft. Cybercriminals can steal sensitive information such as credit card details, social security numbers, phone numbers, and addresses. Once compromised, these details could either be sold on the dark web to other criminals or be used to commit financial fraud. The stolen credentials can also be used to access accounts on various online services like social media where criminals can perform scams and other cyberattacks. Maintain Business Security Businesses and organizations are often targeted by cybercriminals due to their potential to make a large impact. Security breaches cause financial losses and reputation damages to these companies. Employees should be educated about the vital role of strong passwords and the risks of credential use. They should also initiate providing cybersecurity activities that would help strengthen the organization's overall security. Cybersecurity Awareness Knowledge is power and an increased awareness about credential stuffing contributes to a more resilient online community. Internet is already part of our daily lives, hence, educating ourselves about certain threats to our online presence should be a must. Individuals must familiarize themselves with the tactics used by cybercriminals and how to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses on their own. Companies should also encourage their users to use multi-factor authentication features and password managers. Any extra layer of security can automatically lessen the risk of getting hacked even on security breaches. These additional measures will also reduce the overall impact of credential stuffing attacks. Check out the companies making headlines in after-hours trading: Tesla The electric vehicle maker climbed 6.9% despite earnings coming in weaker than analysts forecast for the first quarter. Tesla posted 45 cents in adjusted earnings per share on $21.3 billion in revenue, while analysts surveyed by LSEG anticipated 51 cents in earnings per share and $22.15 billion in revenue. The report comes as Tesla grapples with the effects of ongoing price cuts on its finances. Tesla also announced its new initiative around an affordable model. Mattel Shares popped 2.4% after the toymaker said losses per share were narrower than expected. Mattel said it gave up 5 cents per share in the first quarter, less than the 12 cents anticipated by analysts polled by LSEG. Mattel saw $810 million in revenue for the three-month period, under Wall Street's consensus estimate of $832 million. Texas Instruments The technology stock jumped 5.5% on the back of strong first-quarter earnings. Texas Instruments posted $1.20 per share on $3.66 billion in revenue, beating analysts' expectations of $1.07 and $3.61 billion, respectively, per LSEG. The company also offered ranges for current-quarter performance that included consensus forecasts from analysts. Visa The financial services stock advanced 3.2% on the heels of better-than-expected earnings. Visa saw $2.51 per share, excluding items, on $8.78 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by LSEG had predicted $2.44 per share on $8.63 billion in revenue. Enphase The solar stock tumbled 9.2% following its latest earnings report and current-quarter revenue outlook, which underwhelmed Wall Street. Enphase earned 35 cents per share on revenue of $263 million in the first quarter, while analysts were respectively anticipating 40 cents and $280 million, according to LSEG. The company said to expect second-quarter revenue between $290 million and $330 million, under the consensus forecast of $349 million. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. General Motors Shares rose more than 4% after the automaker exceeded analysts' expectations for its first-quarter results . General Motors posted adjusted earnings of $2.62 per share on revenue of $43.01 billion. Analysts had anticipated earnings of $2.15 per share and revenue of $41.92 billion, according to LSEG. The company also raised its forecast for adjusted automotive free cash flow to between $8.5 billion and $10.5 billion, above its previously anticipated $8 billion to $10 billion. GE Aerospace The aircraft supplier stock added 8% after reporting first-quarter adjusted earnings of 82 cents per share, higher than consensus estimates of 65 cents a share, per LSEG. GE Aerospace's revenue of $16.1 billion also exceeded analysts' expectations of $15.14 billion. PepsiCo The snack and beverage stock dipped 3% despite a stronger-than-expected first quarter . PepsiCo reported $1.61 in adjusted earnings per share, topping the $1.52 per share expected by analysts, according to LSEG. Even with the first-quarter beat, PepsiCo kept its full-year outlook the same. Novartis The U.S.-listed shares of the Swiss drugmaker added 2% after Novartis raised its full-year guidance. JetBlue Airways Shares plummeted 19% after the airline company lowered its forecasts for revenue for the second quarter and full-year 2024. JetBlue's first-quarter revenue came in line with expectations, while it posted a narrower adjusted loss per share than analysts had predicted, according to LSEG. Cleveland-Cliffs The steel producer tumbled 11% after posting a first-quarter earnings and revenue miss. Cleveland-Cliffs posted adjusted earnings of 18 cents per share on revenue of $5.2 billion, while analysts surveyed by LSEG had expected earnings of 22 cents per share on revenue of $5.35 billion. Nucor Shares moved 9% lower after the steelmaker missed estimates on earnings and revenue for the first quarter. Nucor also said it anticipates lower second-quarter earnings, citing lower average selling prices, which will only be partially offset by modestly increased volumes, within its steel mills segment. Danaher The life sciences firm popped 7% after beating analysts' expectations for its first-quarter results. Danaher reported adjusted earnings of $1.92 per share on revenue of $5.8 billion. This exceeded the $1.72 per share on revenue of $5.62 billion that analysts had anticipated, according to FactSet. Spotify The streaming music company surged 11% after easily topping earnings expectations . Spotify reported 97 euro cents per share for the first quarter, compared to the 65 euro cents expected by analysts, according to LSEG. Spotify also beat expectations for quarterly gross margin. Sherwin-Williams The manufacturer of paints and coatings shed 2% after posting first-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.17 per share, lower than the consensus estimate of $2.22 per share, according to FactSet. Sherwin-Williams' revenue of $5.37 billion also missed the $5.50 billion analysts had expected. Roblox Shares added 4% after JPMorgan upgraded the gaming platform to an overweight rating . The bank thinks recent investor skepticism, which has contributed to the stock's roughly 20% year-to-date decline, has now presented a compelling entry point. Sunnova Energy The solar stock gained nearly 3%. KeyBanc Capital Markets downgraded Sunnova Energy to sector weight from overweight, citing caution on residential solar names particularly ahead of first-quarter earnings. Sunnova is already down more than 74% this year. LKQ The distributor of aftermarket auto parts slid 15% after first-quarter results fell short of analysts' forecasts. LKQ posted adjusted earnings of 82 cents a share on revenue of $3.7 billion, while analysts called for earnings of 95 cents a share and $3.76 billion in revenue, per FactSet. MSCI The provider of investment indexes dropped 13% after reporting revenue that missed Wall Street's estimates. In the first quarter, MSCI posted $680 million in revenue, while analysts polled by FactSet forecast $685.5 million. Earnings came in at $3.52 a share, surpassing expectations by 5 cents. CNBC's Michelle Fox, Sarah Min and Jesse Pound contributed reporting. Tesla is due to report earnings after the bell Tuesday, with Wall Street looking for any sign of a reprieve from this year's struggles. Shares are down more than 40% in 2024 and reached their lowest level since January 2023 on Monday amid concerns over demand, price cuts, a Cybertruck recall and heightening demand from Chinese competitors. TSLA YTD mountain Tesla shares in 2024 Against this backdrop, analysts are looking to see if Tesla can convince Wall Street of its future growth potential. Here's the company's setup heading into the report, what analysts expect and which product updates analysts and investors are going to focus on. Deliveries decline Tesla reported earlier in April that deliveries fell by 8.5% year over year in the first quarter. This was the first decline since 2020. Vehicle production also fell 1.7% from a year earlier. Management cited supply disruptions due to Houthi militia attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and factory disruptions. Deliveries are Tesla's closest equivalent to reported sales but are not defined exactly in its shareholder communications. Outside of top and bottom line metrics, analysts look most toward deliveries and production numbers to gauge the electric vehicle maker's demand and supply outlook. RBC analyst Tom Narayan said the below-consensus deliveries results reflect "a perfect storm of one-timers complicating the overall demand story." Big earnings drop expected For the first quarter, analysts polled by LSEG expect Tesla to report earnings of 51 cents per share, which represents a 39.8% year-over-year decline in earnings. Revenue is estimated to come in at $22.151 billion, or 5.1% lower than the same quarter last year. Several Wall Street firms lowered their price targets in advance of Tuesday's announcement, with many forecasting the company will lower its deliveries outlook for the rest of the year. Citi analyst Itay Michaeli reiterated his neutral rating and reduced his price target to $180 from $196 per share, suggesting 26.7% upside from Monday's close. Wells Fargo's Colin Langan maintained his underweight rating and cut his price target to $120 a share, citing poor fundamentals. He is also forecasting negative growth. Deutsche Bank's Emmanuel Rosner downgraded the stock to hold from buy and slashed his price target to $123 a share. Rosner had been a longtime Tesla bull , rating it as a buy for two years. To be sure, some analysts are remaining more optimistic. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas reiterated his overweight rating and $310 price target. Despite the challenging environment for the EV market, Jonas believes that "Tesla won't let a good 'EV recession' go to waste." Watch out for Model 2, robotaxi updates Analysts are interested in what CEO Elon Musk will say about Tesla's demand outlook and growth initiatives. In particular, updates on the rollouts of the Model 2 and robotaxi will be closely watched. Reuters reported earlier in April that Tesla was scrapping plans for its lower-priced, entry-level Model 2. Although Musk rebuked the report, there are still no updates on the project, per Bank of America's John Murphy. "In our view, Tesla is still developing the Model 2 given that it is a fundamental piece of company's growth story. However, looking at Tesla's past SOP delays, we expect the Model 2 rollout to be much slower than management forecast and more of a 2026 event," said Murphy. Deutsche Bank's Rosner expressed concern that pushing out the Model 2 release date would pressure shares further. "Pushing out Model 2 will create significant earnings and FCF pressure on 2026+ estimates, and make the future of the company tied to Tesla cracking the code on full driverless autonomy, which represents a significant technological, regulatory and operational challenge," Rosner said in a note. "We view Tesla's shift as thesis-changing, and worry the stock will need to undergo a potentially painful transition in ownership base, with investors previously focused on Tesla's EV volume and cost advantage potentially throwing in the towel, and eventually replaced by AI/tech investors with considerably longer time horizons." Encouraging updates on the Model 2 would be a promising opportunity to maximize scale, according to Barclays' Levy. To be sure, he noted that a more likely scenario is that Model 2 developments are on the sidelines, with greater emphasis put on the robotaxi and full self-driving technology. "Yet for now we believe this strategy pivot is a clear net negative for the Tesla investment thesis, as it casts significant uncertainty on the path ahead for Tesla, making success of the stock dependent on bets with seemingly binary outcomes," said Levy. "Indeed, we are hard pressed to think of any other precedent of a company of Tesla's size basing its path of success on such binary bets." In this article TSLA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now Tesla reported a 9% drop in first-quarter revenue on Tuesday, the biggest decline since 2012, and missed analysts' estimates, as the electric vehicle company weathers the effect of ongoing price cuts. The stock jumped in extended trading after CEO Elon Musk told investors that production of new affordable EV models could begin sooner than expected. Here's what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG: Earnings per share: 45 cents adjusted vs. 51 cents expected 45 cents adjusted vs. 51 cents expected Revenue: $21.30 billion vs. $22.15 billion expected Revenue declined from $23.33 billion a year earlier and from $25.17 billion in the fourth quarter. Net income dropped 55% to $1.13 billion, or 34 cents a share, from $2.51 billion, or 73 cents a share, a year ago. The drop in sales was even steeper than the company's last decline in 2020, which was due to disrupted production during the Covid-19 pandemic. Tesla's automotive revenue declined 13% year over year to $17.38 billion in the first three months of 2024. Musk said on the call that the company plans to start production of new models in "early 2025, if not late this year," after previously expecting to begin in the second half of 2025. Musk also touted Tesla's investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, and said the company is in talks with "one major automaker" to license its driver assistance system, which is marketed in the U.S. as the Full Self-Driving, or FSD, option. In its shareholder deck, Tesla reiterated a pessimistic outlook for 2024, telling investors that "volume growth rate may be notably lower than the growth rate achieved in 2023." Prior to the 13% jump after hours, Tesla shares were down more than 40% this year, reaching their lowest since January 2023, on concerns about weak deliveries, competition in China and the company's ongoing price cuts. Earlier this month, Tesla reported an 8.5% year-over-year decline in vehicle deliveries for the first quarter. The company said in the deck that it's accelerating the launch of "new vehicles, including more affordable models," that will "be able to be produced on the same manufacturing lines" as Tesla's current lineup. Tesla is aiming to "fully utilize" its current production capacity and to achieve "more than 50% growth over 2023 production" before investing in new manufacturing lines. Also in the deck, Tesla showed off screens of a robotaxi-based ride-hailing service. The company has been promising a self-driving vehicle for years without delivering on Musk's promise. Sales growth across EVs is slowing, and Tesla and key rivals have been slashing EV prices to try to spur demand. Tesla's gross profits plummeted 18% in the first quarter, partly due to price cuts this year. After discussing operational challenges in the first quarter, including Red Sea supply chain disruptions, Musk said on the call that, "We think Q2 will be a lot better." Tesla said total sales included revenue from earlier sales of its FSD option. The release of a feature called Autopark in North America allowed the company to recognize the deferred revenue. Chris Redl, autos analyst at Siena Capital, estimates that Tesla recognized as much as $700 million in deferred revenue in the quarter from FSD. That's roughly 4.3% of Tesla's automotive revenue after stripping out regulatory credits. Tesla embarked on a massive restructuring this month, with two executives, Drew Baglino and Rohan Patel, resigning. Musk said last week in a companywide memo that the automaker was cutting more than 10% of its global workforce. Capital expenditures rose to $2.77 billion, up 34% from a year earlier. Free cash flow turned negative in the quarter, with the company reporting a deficit of $2.53 billion. A year ago, Tesla reported free cash flow of $441 million, a number that reached $2.06 billion in the fourth quarter. Tesla attributed the negative figure to a $2.7 billion buildup in inventory and $1 billion in capital expenditures on "AI infrastructure." Revenue in Tesla's energy division increased 7% to $1.64 billion, while services and other revenue rose 25% to $2.29 billion compared to the same period last year. Musk was asked on the earnings call if he has any intention to leave Tesla given his many jobs, including leading SpaceX, controlling X (formerly Twitter) and running other businesses. Musk didn't provide an answer, but said he spends the majority of his time at work, rarely even takes off a Sunday afternoon and will work to make sure Tesla is "very prosperous." At the conclusion of the call, Tesla's Martin Viecha, vice president of investor relations, said that he's leaving the company in a couple months after seven years. Musk thanked him. Correction: A prior version of this story had an incorrect figure for automotive sales. WATCH: The fact that Musk was right about EVs doesn't mean he's going to be right now Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on in the courtroom, as his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, at Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2024. Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker on Tuesday testified in the New York hush money trial of Donald Trump that his outlet would "embellish" negative stories about Trump's political rivals during the 2016 election. Trump's then-attorney Michael Cohen would reach out and request that the tabloid publish an article about one of Trump's opponents, Pecker testified in Manhattan Supreme Court. Cohen would send an article about one of those opponents, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the Enquirer "would embellish it from there," Pecker testified. He added that he understood Cohen to be reaching out on behalf of himself and Trump. Pecker was a key player in the alleged "catch and kill" scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to women who claimed they had extramarital affairs with Trump years earlier. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to one of those women, porn star Stormy Daniels. Pecker is the first witness to testify in the historic trial of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. The trial is set to last six weeks. Before Pecker returned to the witness stand, Judge Juan Merchan held a hearing on whether the former president should be held in contempt for allegedly violating his gag order 10 times in online posts. Seven of those posts came during last week's jury selection process. Most either referenced or linked to articles referencing Cohen, a key witness in the trial. One of Trump's posts on Truth Social echoed a claim from Fox News host Jesse Watters that "undercover Liberal Activists" are "lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury." The posts "unquestionably relate to known witnesses and prospective jurors in this criminal trial" in violation of Trump's gag order, assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy wrote in a court filing Thursday. During the hearing Tuesday morning, Conroy accused Trump of violating the gag order again on Monday, when he spoke about Cohen outside the courtroom. Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump talks, as his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, at Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2024. Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters State prosecutors will submit a court filing based on latest alleged violation later Tuesday, similar to the ones that triggered the contempt hearing, Conroy said. "His disobedience of the order is willful. It's intentional," Conroy said. "He knows what he's not allowed to do and he does it anyway." Trump's attorney Todd Blanche countered, "there was absolutely no willful violation of the gag order." Blanche noted that Trump's gag order does not bar him from responding to political attacks. He argued that Trump's posts were in response to political comments and were not focused on witness testimony. Trump is trying to carefully comply with the gag order, Blanche said. But Merchan appeared unconvinced. "Mr. Blanche, you're losing all credibility with this court," the judge said. The prosecutors want Merchan to hold Trump in contempt of court. If that happens, Merchan could technically impose punishments ranging from a small fine, up to 30 days in jail. Conroy in the hearing said that while the state is not seeking to incarcerate Trump, Merchan should remind him that "incarceration is an option, should it be necessary." The judge did not rule during the hearing, which ended shortly before 11 a.m. ET. Pecker testifies Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass initially questioned Pecker about his history with Trump, establishing their extensive business relationship prior to Trump's 2015 presidential campaign announcement. Trump's former reality TV show "The Apprentice" grew his national profile, helping to spur ratings at the National Enquirer, which covered him "religiously," Pecker said. The two men spoke either monthly or quarterly, said Pecker, who described their relationship as "mutually beneficial." Pecker was invited by Cohen to Trump's June 2015 campaign kickoff at Trump Tower, according to an email shown in court. Two months later, Pecker attended a meeting with Trump, Cohen and former Trump aide Hope Hicks, who asked the publisher what he could do to help the campaign. Pecker testified that he told the group he would publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about Trump's opponents. He also vowed to be the campaign's "eyes and ears," which meant that he would alert Cohen of any negative information about Trump that could come to light. "I was the person who thought that a lot of women would come out to try to sell their stories because Mr. Trump was well known as the most eligible bachelor. And dated the most beautiful women," Pecker said. "And it was clear that based on my past experience that when someone was running for public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up magazines like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories." The arrangement was not put into writing, Pecker testified. "It was just an agreement among friends." Pecker later detailed a deal to pay $30,000 to Dino Sajudin, a former Trump Tower doorman who was selling a story that Trump had a child with a maid who worked at the building. After Dylan Howard, the National Enquirer's editor in chief at the time, got a tip about the story in October 2015, Pecker testified that he "immediately" called Cohen. Cohen said the story was "absolutely not true," but said he would look into it, Pecker testified. Pecker said he instructed Howard to buy the story to have it "removed from the market." Howard negotiated the $30,000 figure, and Pecker told Cohen that the publisher would pay for it. It was the first instance of paying a source to bury a story about Trump, Pecker testified. Pecker and Howard would conclude the story was untrue. But "I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment to the campaign and Mr. Trump," Pecker testified. The United Arab Emirates' central bank sent a directive to the country's lenders and insurers approving the deferring of loan repayments for six months, as residents and businesses reel from historic floods that paralyzed the normally dry desert emirate. "The Central Bank today issued a notice to all banks and insurance companies to allow the deferral of repayment of instalments of personal and car loans for customers affected by the repercussions of the weather condition for a period of six months," the bank said in a Monday statement. "The deferral shall be without imposing additional fees, interest or profits, or otherwise increase the principal amount of the loan for the deferral of the repayment of installments." The notice will come as a relief to the many UAE residents who suffered losses and damages during the record-breaking storm. Roughly a year's worth of rain pummeled the Gulf country in a span of just 12 hours between April 16 and 17, destroying businesses, cars and other property. Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, speaks during the farewell ceremony for Dmytro Kotsiubailo on Independence Square on March 10, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine will face a difficult period on the front in the mid-May, early June period when Russia is expected to launch a new and wider offensive, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence told the BBC. "A rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future. But it is not catastrophic, this must also be understood. Armageddon will not happen, as many are now beginning to say. But there will be problems from mid-May," Kyrylo Budanov told the BBC Ukrainian service in an interview published Monday Ukrainian officials have already warned that they expect Russian forces to launch a new offensive in early summer. "The Russians will use a comprehensive approach. They conduct a complex operation ... it will be a difficult period. Mid-May, early June," Budanov told the BBC in an interview conducted on April 19, a day before the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine. Budanov was confident Ukraine would win the war despite forthcoming challenges. "The coming period, in our opinion, will be difficult. But difficult and catastrophic are different things. We've been through tough times several times, and we'll get through this one, believe me. Nothing extraordinary will happen. We know all their plans in advance," he said, without providing further details. CNBC was unable to verify Budanov's claims. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hinted last Friday that Russian forces would try to seize the city of Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine in a future significant Russian offensive operation. He's the first senior Kremlin official to outright identify the city as a potential Russian operational objective in a summer offensive. Russia wants to establish a demilitarized so-called "sanitary zone" in the border areas of Ukraine to protect Russia's southwestern regions from attack. Holly Ellyatt Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. By Lee Gyu-lee The new blockbuster Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the latest installment in The Planet of the Apes franchises reboot, will set a new tone and aesthetic changes to the series, according to its visual effects supervisor, Erik Winquist. The previous three films were heavy both aesthetically and in tone. They were a bit bleak. We were talking about an apocalypse. So this film gives us an opportunity to go way into the future beyond that and find ourselves a brand new cast of characters. It allows us to take on a different tone, the VFX supervisor at Weta FX, a New Zealand-based digital visual effects and animation company, said during the press conference for the upcoming film, held in central Seoul's Yongsan District, Tuesday. This is a fun adventure story that aesthetically looks very different from the previous films. The cinematic language that we use is very different from those of previous films. So it was a great opportunity to try a new look and a new field for a familiar franchise. The action film, set to hit local theaters May 8, will pick up 300 years after the reign of Caesar, a super-intelligent chimpanzee, from the previous film. In the era when apes have become the dominant species over humans, a formidable leader, Proximus (played byKevin Durand), rises to power through ruthless pursuit of humans and rival ape clans. When a young ape, Noa (played by Owen Teague), from a peaceful clan, faces Proximus tyranny, he goes on a journey with a human girl, Mae (Freya Allan), to determine the future of both apes and humans, learning Ceasars teachings. The new installment is directed by Wes Ball, who previously helmed the Maze Runner trilogy. The VFX supervisor, who has worked on all three previous series, emphasized the latest installments realistic depiction of the apes and their world with improved technology. To create the visuals, the animators at Weta FX put in substantial work, resulting in over 946 million thread hours for rendering. As far as the evolution of the technology goes, I'm feeling very proud of where we currently are. When I go back and look at some of the scenes from Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it looks so primitive to me now. And at the time we thought that was the pinnacle that was so great, Winquist said. But it's great to see the technology continuing to improve the believability and realism not just of the appearance but of their performance as well. And what we, our animators, are able to achieve is quite breathtaking. Kim Seoung-seok, a senior facial modeler at Weta FX, noted the new film required more complex and sophisticated skills to create the apes. As 300 years have passed, apes have evolved to be more intelligent and use verbal language more. Civilization has been created, as well as the conflicts within that. Its technologically complex but our work excelled in implementing this, he said. Sun Se-ryul, the motion capture tracker of the film, hinted that the apes expressions will have more detail. "We needed a lot of photos for the detailed work. We found a type of orangutan (with the look we wanted) in a zoo in Germany and took photos of him to work with them," she said. A lot of different types of technologies were used. We worked delicately, mainly around the face, and related technology has advanced. In those aspects, you will be seeing slightly more realistic apes. Winquist lastly added he hopes the films advanced VFX will help invite viewers to its world and enjoy the fictional story. What I hope that audiences get from this film is very quickly just immersed into the story and the characters and stop thinking. And hopefully, they're not about the technology and that they're watching visual effects, he said. I hope that audiences just get swept away by the narrative and the incredible performances that we got from our actors and our animators and just really have a fun ride because it's quite a fun adventure story. Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. Collector-founded Art OnO debuts as new experimental platform By Park Han-sol In the first half of 2024, the key themes driving the performance of a series of established and novice art fairs held across Korea are "young" and "emerging," amid a cooling market. While this year didnt yield record-breaking results for major homegrown fairs, there was still a positive trend in overall transaction volume largely propelled by emerging artists and an expanding pool of young collectors. This growth in buyer activity, particularly pronounced at lower price levels, was evident at the Galleries Art Fair, the oldest event of its kind in Korea since its founding in 1979. The event attracted 58,000 visitors during its run from April 3 to 7 at COEX in southern Seoul. Weve witnessed a significant increase in demand for the works of promising young talents with reasonable price tags, especially those attracting the attention of social media-savvy Generation MZ [Millennials and Gen Z] collectors, noted the fairs organizer, Galleries Association of Korea. Among the many sought-after young and nascent creatives were Lee Woo-sung and Kim Eun-jeong from Hakgojae Gallery, Heo Chan-mi from Wooson Gallery and Lee Doo-won from Gallery Mac. Following close on its heels was the 13th edition of the Busan Annual Market of Art (BAMA). Held from April 11 to 14 at BEXCO in the southeastern port city, the fair attracted 120,000 visitors and achieved an estimated sales figure of 19.6 billion won ($14.2 million). This performance was similarly driven by the increased interest in newly minted creatives who have kick-started their careers in the last few years. Meanwhile, the ongoing Breeze Art Fair has enlisted 96 emerging artists to personally showcase and sell their pieces at the Seoul Arts Centers Hangaram Art Museum until April 28. Since its inception in 2012, the event has positioned itself as an even more accessible entry point for novice collectors, with a quarter of its buyers being individuals purchasing artworks for the first time. Collector-turned-art fair founder's Art OnO Capitalizing on this burgeoning appetite for fresh talent in the countrys art market, Art OnO made its debut at the Seoul Trade Exhibition and Convention (SETEC) in southern Seoul last week. Months before its launch, Art OnO, which stands for one and only, had initially generated buzz within the local art fair circuit, as it stemmed from a rare, if not first, endeavor spearheaded by a young globetrotting collector. Envisioned by 33-year-old Noh Jae-myung, the independent fair then garnered attention for its particular approach in inviting 36 galleries from 15 countries. In fact, what Noh wanted to avoid in his curatorial vision was the presentation of just more of the same thing, regardless where the fair is held a trend he found increasingly prevalent as a collector attending such events in Miami, Basel, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. Instead, in an interview with The Korea Times, he shared his commitment to providing a stage where galleries both blue-chip heavyweights and emerging exhibitors could take risks and bring out something new, experimental and offbeat, with less emphasis on saleability and usual six-figure art fair darlings. The result? A dynamic mix of major dealers, such as Berlin-headquartered Esther Schipper and Hong Kong-founded Pearl Lam Galleries, alongside fast-growing players like Chicagos Mariane Ibrahim Gallery and Seouls CYLINDER, all intermingling across the three exhibition halls of SETEC. This intermingling also extended to the roster of artists presented by the exhibitors. There were striking works put forth by rising creatives: Seoul-based Choi Ji-wons uncanny porcelain doll-inspired paintings (ThisWeekendRoom), Guernsey-born Isaac Lythgoes unsettling metal creatures (Duarte Sequeira) and Welsh-Ghanaian artist Anya Paintsils tapestries that take cues from Afro hairstyling and traditional Welsh rug hooking techniques (Pearl Lam Galleries). These eye-dazzlers stood shoulder to shoulder, without hierarchy, alongside established names Philippe Parrenos flickering light (Esther Schipper), Yoshitomo Naras 1997 drawings (Galerie Zink), and Noritaka Tatehanas gravity-defying, heel-less platform shoes (Kosaku Kanechika). Usually, when galleries exhibit at art fairs and reach a certain point, people start expecting them to bring certain artists and works. For more established ones, it becomes kind of a standardized pattern, because they do everything the same everywhere. Here, galleries know they can and are challenged to experiment with their presentation, Duarte Sequeira, founder of the eponymous Portuguese gallery that opened its first Seoul outpost in 2022, told The Korea Times. While its natural that major fairs have the most exposure and bring the best collectors because theyve been around for so long, the more experimental fairs are the ones that sometimes push the limits further. I think its very important that you not only have the more established fairs, but also new interventions [like Art OnO] that can help the art scene grow together. At its booth, CYLINDER, a gallery established four years ago and a winner of the Focus Asia Stand Prize at last years Frieze Seoul for its compelling solo presentation of Yoo Si-nae, juxtaposed the paintings and installations of four nascent creatives Lucas Dupuy, Lee Eu-sung, Kolja Kartner Sainz and Oh Hyun-seog to visualize the theme of organic circulation and fluidity. Chicago-founded Mariane Ibrahim Gallery turned its focus to its four leading female creatives, including Eva Jospin, who composes captivating architectural landscapes handcrafted entirely from cardboard. Our participation and interest in showcasing our female artists was very particular to this fair, especially the conversation and dialogue that the works are having with one another, said its director, Emma McKee. And blue-chip stalwart Esther Schipper featured a layered program with its creatives. Eye-grabbing pieces, like Angela Bullochs oddly-shaped metal totems and Rosa Barbas slowly unwinding celluloid film strips inside a glass case, stood alongside the high-powered paintings of young female artists, including Jeon Hyun-sun, who recently joined the gallery. The inherent social interactions that define contemporary art are quite specific and intimate. So in many ways local independent art fairs invite a local appreciation and presence which the larger fairs very often lack, noted Kim Sun-il, chief executive director of Esther Schipper Seoul. Because the Korean art community is quite intertwined where everyone seems to know everyone, I believe Art OnO is quite well positioned to create very important connections between art and the audience, collectors and galleries. Kim Na-hyung, director of Seoul-based ThisWeekendRoom, echoed this sentiment: There have been various attempts made to highlight emerging galleries and project spaces in the domestic scene over the years, but I believe ArtOnO is notable for its balanced [and more intimate] representation of both high-end and rising exhibitors from here and abroad This provides a chance for domestic collectors to appreciate the works brought forth by international galleries, while also serving as an effective catalyst for connecting global dealers with rising creatives of Korea. An accompanying special exhibition, OyO (Once You Own It), mounted on a series of shipping crates in a large open space, added another dimension to the event. The show consisted entirely of video art and time-based works mediums that are often overlooked in art fair circuits due to their low saleability and difficult handling. What I heard most from visitors throughout the four days was that there was nothing that struck them in a bad way. There wasnt any piece that didnt sit well or felt like it didnt belong with the others, Noh told The Korea Times. Even though Art OnO is not explicitly branded as a market-driven fair, a number of participating galleries have informed me that the visitor responses and sales were beyond expectations, especially considering the current economic slowdown. And those exhibitors were wide-ranging in terms of nationalities, sizes and artist rosters; there wasnt a predictable pattern in the overall result, which was what I had wanted from the start." Social media use affects the mental health of college students differently. In a survey conducted by the Daily Lobo, University of New Mexico (UNM) students shared insights into the intersection of social media usage and mental health, prompting discussions on the effects of online platforms within the college community. According to UNM Psychology Professor Joshua Grubbs, the impact of social media on mental health can be diverse and multifaceted, influenced by individual behaviors and intentions. "What seems to matter most is what people do on social media and the reasons that they are using (it)," Grubbs reportedly said. Among the respondents to the survey, comprising nine UNM students, 100% reported daily usage of various social media platforms. While seven students acknowledged the impact of social media on their mental well-being, perceptions varied, with four expressing a somewhat negative effect, two noting a somewhat positive influence, and three rating the impact as neutral. Grubbs noted the significance of user engagement with social media, highlighting that positive outcomes often stem from using these platforms to enhance offline connections and social experiences. He suggested that integrating social media into a broader social life, complementing in-person interactions, can contribute positively to individuals' well-being and mental health. "If someone is using social media as a part of their overall social life - using it to connect with and reach out to people in addition to meaningful relationships in-person and involvement in the offline world -- then it's probably a good thing," Grubbs explained. However, Grubbs warned against the potential pitfalls of excessive or negative usage patterns, such as constant comparison with others or consuming distressing news content, which may exacerbate feelings of anxiety or depression. "Either constantly comparing themselves to others or 'doom-scrolling' and obsessing over negative news, it's probably going to affect them negatively," Grubbs said. The research pointed out the importance of moderation in social media usage, as excessive exposure has been linked to decreased physical activity, reduced face-to-face communication, and heightened vulnerability to mental health issues. While social media serves as a vital source of news and connectivity for many, Grubbs noted the absence of a universal narrative, highlighting the complex interplay between individual behaviors, usage patterns, and mental health outcomes. "All in all, there isn't a simple one-size-fits-all narrative for social media," Grubbs concluded. Each memory we form leaves a lasting mark not only in our minds but also on the delicate cells of our brains, according to new research. The complex process of memory formation involves the intricate weaving of connections between neurons, facilitating the storage and retrieval of information. However, a new study suggests that this process exacts a toll on the very cells involved, leading to inflammation and DNA damage within the brain. Published in Nature, the research conducted by an international team of scientists focused on mice subjects, revealing that the effects of memory formation unfold within the hippocampus, the brain's primary repository for memories. Neuroscientist Jelena Radulovic from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York pointed out the significance of inflammation within specific neurons of the hippocampus, suggesting its essential role in the establishment of enduring memories. "Inflammation of brain neurons is usually considered to be a bad thing since it can lead to neurological problems such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease," Radulovic said, according to Science Alert. While inflammation is typically associated with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, the study highlighted its paradoxical importance in memory consolidation. "But our findings suggest that inflammation in certain neurons in the brain's hippocampal region is essential for making long-lasting memories," the scientist further explained. By subjecting mice to mild electric shocks to evoke memories, researchers observed the activation of genes associated with inflammatory signaling pathways within hippocampal neurons. Moreover, the study revealed that the repair of DNA breaks, crucial for safeguarding memory-related information, was prolonged, potentially influencing the neurons' ability to focus on preserving acquired information amidst a deluge of new stimuli. "This is noteworthy because we're constantly flooded by information, and the neurons that encode memories need to preserve the information they've already acquired and not be distracted by new inputs," Radulovic noted, per NDTV. The findings shed light on the intricate interplay between memory formation, inflammation, and DNA repair mechanisms, offering insights into the delicate balance required for maintaining cognitive function and neurological health. By KTimes The winners of the "4th Hwaeomsa Temple Red Plum and Wild Plum Photo Contest" were announced, Tuesday. Ven. Deokmun, the abbot of Daehwaeum Temple in the 19th District of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Mount Jiri, announced the results. This year, a total of 1,141 entries were submitted, including 405 from professional photographers and 736 from mobile phone cameras, showing a significant increase from the 897 entries in 2023, indicating a much fiercer competition, the temple said in a statement. In the professional photographer category, the Grand Prize of the Jogye Orders Executive Office went to Ok Maeng-seon for his work titled "The Elegance of Hwaeom Plum." In the mobile phone camera category, Kim Dong-hee won the Grand Prize for his entry titled "Night View of Hwaeomsa." This year's contest drew professional photographers from all over the country, who spent from dawn till dusk capturing the beauty of the blossoms. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was edited by The Korea Times. Back in the old days, they say jobs paid so well, a man could support a family and also a second secret family, without either ever hearing of the other. There are other reasons secret second families are impractical nowadays, mostly related to social media. But the age of deception is far from done. Weve got some stories today for you about family deception, and while none are about someone living with two families, each of them is far weirder than that. 5 A Daughter Faked Going to College, Then Turned to Murder Jennifer Pan grew up in Toronto in the 1990s, the daughter of refugee parents. They wanted her to get good grades, and she convinced them that she did, by showing them forged versions of her report cards. She got accepted to Ryerson, but she failed a class in her senior year and Ryerson canceled that acceptance, which is a thing they can do. Still, she told her parents that the acceptance was locked in, and during the next four years, she told them she was attending college. Hoice/Wiki Commons Ryerson has since been renamed, by the way, for reasons rooted in Canadian history. That sounds difficult to pull off, but she managed it. For starters, she said she was on a scholarship, so her parents didnt have to deal with tuition or paperwork. She claimed to be studying pharmacology, and as proof of this, she read pharmacology textbooks when at home with her parents during the weekend. She really spend the week working in restaurants or just hanging out, and living with a boyfriend at night. Four years passed, and she told her parents she graduated. They couldnt attend the ceremony because there werent enough tickets, she said. Having claimed to have been studying pharmacology, she continued the charade and said she got a job at a hospital. Her mother, as mothers will, decided to come visit her at her workplace by tailing her in secret, because both parents were suspicious by this point and perhaps had been for a long time. She discovered Jennifer didnt work at a hospital and got her to admit everything, and the parents urged her to re-enroll in high school. Instead, Jennifer landed on a new way to earn money: Shed hire someone to kill her parents, so shed score an early inheritance. York Regional Police Generational wealth must be transferred, argued lawyers, hoping millennial jurors would acquit. She found her way to two alleged hit men, nicknamed Homeboy and Sniper. If youve heard many stories about people contacting assassins to kill their families, you know how it usually goes the assassin was really an undercover cop because professional assassins dont really exist. That is not what happened this time. Homeboy and Sniper entered her house and shot her parents as instructed. Jennifers mother died. Her father survived and later told police that when those gunmen entered the house, he saw them conspire with Jennifer before they fired their guns. Advertisement Jennifer was sentenced to life and is awaiting appeal. Earlier this month, Netflix released a documentary about her case, and if you havent seen it, you might still have heard a story related to it: The network used A.I. to generate images of Jennifer, giving an inaccurate impression of her life before the murder. This angered viewers, but we have to imagine Jennifer herself might approve of the deception, simply out of professional courtesy. 4 A Father Played Doctor, Then Turned to Even More Murder Advertisement The following story offers some obvious similarities to the Jennifer Pan case. Here as well, we have someone who told their family they worked as a medical professional, then when the truth came out, they decided murder was the best route. But strap yourself in because this one is worse. via Fandom.com For starters, the perp was French. Not Canadian French French French. Jean-Claude Romand was studying medicine in the 1970s, but he skipped one exam and failed the class. He could have just taken that class again, but he instead decided to drop out and claim to have finished his studies and become a doctor. He got married and had two kids and told them all that he worked for the World Health Organization. Advertisement Sometimes, hed leave on business trips, which were just vacations hed take alone. For money, he had his wifes earnings as well as property that his parents gifted him. He also had a rich mistress, as he was French. When all that ran short, he pulled a Ponzi scheme on his friends. He kept this going for a total of 18 years. He never actually worked for the WHO during this time. Hed simply go to the WHO building as a visitor, which anyone could do. Advertisement Yann Forget Actually, I just said, I work for WHO? and everyone misinterpreted me. His family never discovered hed lied about being a doctor. Instead, his friends realized he was scamming them, and Romand figured it was only a matter of time till everything else became revealed as well. So, he chose murder not murdering his friends but killed the people who would feel most ashamed of him when they learned the truth. On January 9, 1993, he beat his wife to death with a rolling pin. He slept beside the corpse that night, and the next day, he shot both his children. He drove his mistress out for a date and tried to strangle her. He failed at this killing, so he apologized and moved on. He did succeed at killing his parents, shooting them both. His father had lent him the gun. Then, just in case any odd readers were still rooting for him, he killed the family dog. He now swallowed some pills (arguably not enough for a serious suicide attempt), dumped gasoline around the house and set it on fire. Advertisement Jen Theodore/Unsplash We sometimes use the word gaslit incorrectly, but this guy literally lit gas. Firefighters extracted him from the blaze, and a court found him guilty of the five murders. Over the course of the next decades, however, he said he became reformed and found religion. So, in 2019, he was released. Upon leaving, he moved to the Fontgombault Abbey in the Duchy of Berry to live as a monk. Go visit him today, and ask forgiveness for your own sins. Whatever youve done, we trust hell consider it no big deal, comparatively speaking. Advertisement 3 The Spy Who Was Actually a Toy Store Robber Advertisement Okay, lets dial it back a little. This next guy murdered no one at all. For most of Jeffrey Manchesters career, he was known simply for robbing McDonalds. Hed drill into each restaurant from the roof (earning him the nickname Roofman), hide in the bathroom, then spring out with a gun. Hed lead employees to the freezer to lock them in, but he avoided violence. His victims said he was nice to them, he made sure they wore coats so they wouldnt feel too cold and he always called the police to ensure someone would come by to let his captives out. Brett Jordan He also made sure they never went hungry. Manchester was convicted in 2000 of two robberies, though he was suspected of scores more. For these two North Carolina crimes, he was sentenced to 32 to 45 years in prison. Murderers often get shorter sentences than that, so we have to assume more McDonalds lobbyists than murder victims are writing sentencing guidelines. Just three years into this prison stay, he managed to escape. He got a job in the prison shop, he used his tools there to slap a platform beneath a truck and he hitched a ride on it out of there. Advertisement Next started phase two of Roofmans career. He called himself John, got a girlfriend and kept giving toys to her kids. He volunteered at the church and gave lots of toys there, too. As for what he did for a living, well, he told them he had a secret job working for the government. He was actually spending his time in Toys R Us. No, not working at Toys R Us. He was living there, having carved a lair in a cubby. This store was the source of the toys, all stolen. Hed also play with toys on his own, taking race cars to the roof to try them out. Advertisement Andreas Praefcke To repeat, this guy was Roofman. Long-term, he wanted to plan an elaborate heist of the place. But as the months went by and the place got more crowded thanks to the holidays, he found it safer to move next door, to an abandoned Circuit City. Here, he had more room to expand his lair, and he appeared to have so much fun decorating the place with posters that his heist plan never really advanced. He finally just entered the Toys "R" Us with a gun one day and got caught on camera. Advertisement Police circulated his photos and made contact with the girlfriend. She was shocked to learn the truth and was willing to work with police to nab him. She invited him over to spend her birthday with her and her kids, and when he stopped by, the cops were waiting. He wasnt even mad at the betrayal, and he wished her and the kids well as he returned to prison. North Carolina Sheriff He also maintained a well-groomed face from his lair, showing he had discipline. You hate to compliment the guy, because hes a dirtbag, but we can learn a lot from him, said one police sergeant. She then added that he might well escape again, all but admitting that thats what we all hope will happen. Advertisement 2 A Dad Invited the Whole Family to His Funeral Belgian man David Baerten noticed that his relatives werent inviting him to parties very often. So, he decided it was time to teach them a lesson by faking his death. His family announced his death, they invited a bunch of relatives to the funeral and then he showed up at the event himself, in a helicopter. @themessengerontiktok Only half the relatives he invited to the funeral actually showed up, so wed classify this as a limited success. But the others did drop him a line afterward (mostly to ask, WTF?), so Baerten himself called this an absolute win. Advertisement Advertisement His wife and kids were in on the gag, so they were only pretending to mourn at the funeral. Surely no one would try fooling their own children about their fake death like this, right? Well, if you want to believe that, you might want to skip our final story... One of Americas most beloved cryptids is the humble Sasquatch. Theres something so relatable about a big, furry creature that wants to be left alone, though there may be some personal bias in there. The fact is, with the prevalence of high-quality cameras, and the surveillance state, the chance of Bigfoot remaining real, yet undiscovered, is pretty low. Which is a bummer in terms of general wonder, but also unfortunate for those looking for a supernatural fall guy for acts they may or may not be responsible for. To that end, the big-footed beast has often borne the burden of a bevy of accusations. Such as 5 Vandalizing A Winnebago Pixabay Back in 2012, a man named John Reed claimed Bigfoot had vandalized his trailer. Specifically, his beloved 1973 Winnebago. Reed, who unsurprisingly is the founder of a Bigfoot hunting group with two previous claimed Sasquatch sightings, said that the Bigfoot in question attempted to break the exterior light of his trailer to avoid detection. Now, is there a chance that a Bigfoot decided to go full Splinter Cell and shatter a light to fade into the inky blackness? Followed by, I assume, popping on a pair of Bigfoot-sized NVGs? Maybe, but all signs point to unlikely. 4 Causing A Car Crash Again involving a vehicle, but this one in motion, a woman from Idaho blamed a car crash on the famed woodland creature. To be clear, it wasnt Sasquatch themselves she collided with, but a deer one she claimed Bigfoot had been chasing, who took to the road at a very inopportune time to avoid the cryptids clutches. Now, did this woman hit a deer with her car? Undeniably. Could that deer have been chased by a predator? Sure. Is it much more likely that it might be, I dont know, a bear? Or another animal of which there are many verified specimens of versus a single, legendary folk myth? Yes. 3 Causing A Car Crash, Again Advertisement Pixabay If you questioned the veracity of the last story, this one makes it seem like a sworn affidavit from a lifelong nun. Its not the details that are so far-fetched (well, outside of the Bigfoot inclusion), its the source a 17-year-old who crashed his car. There might not be a less reliable source in the entirety of the universe than a teenager who has just crashed a car. I would trust a strange, echoing voice from the swamps over a sweaty 17-year-old next to a dented Mercury Sable and a mailbox. He claimed he saw a Bigfoot, which caused him to slam the gas in a panic and drive into a ditch. Advertisement 2 Delaying Construction Advertisement Out in the maple-syrup rich territory of Vermont, residents placed a series of construction delays squarely on Bigfoots broad, hirsute shoulders. Sasquatch mischief was connected with the ongoing closure of the Creamery Bridge, which sure sounds like something pulled from Vermont, Candyland or both. The official statement on the reason for the closed bridge? Deck replacement. Which makes much more sense. Maybe too much sense After last weeks ill-informed rant about the evils of Canadian wokeness, Bill Maher spent the final moments of the most recent episode of Real Time tackling the subject of pedophiles in Hollywood. Specifically, Maher used the disturbing Nickelodeon documentary series Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV as a springboard to discuss why Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was right to imply that Disney was full of pedophiles. Wait, what? Why am I always having to defend them? Maher asked of the children he also called morons. After a brief discussion of the Nickelodeon awfulness, Maher moved on to Disney, referencing the time that DeSantis accused Disney of promoting sexualization of children. DeSantis wasnt wrong, Maher argued. The left will overlook child-fucking if the guy from the wrong party calls it out. Don't Miss Of course, DeSantis wasnt actually talking about any behind-the-scenes abuse of child actors, he was lashing out at the Mouse House for belatedly opposing the so-called Dont Say Gay bill, the states conspicuous attempt to muzzle discussion of gay and civil rights in school. Maher did make a good point in calling out Disney for hiring convicted sex offender Brian Peck, but then he ended his argument by conflating these issues with drag show library readings and Disneys secret gay agenda you know, that nefarious scheme that led to two minor female Star Wars characters smooching in the background of one shot for approximately half a second. Advertisement Were not here to defend Disney, the company that gave us the movie Snow Buddies at the expense of five dead Snow Buddies. Mahers basic premise that adults abusing children is a bad thing is obviously correct, but the internet was quick to point out that hes clearly one of the least qualified people to comment on this issue, as evidenced by an old clip from Politically Incorrect in which he defended an infamous pedophile. In a 1998 episode of his old late-night show, Maher tried to argue that Mary Kay Letourneau, the teacher who was convicted of raping her 12-year-old student the previous year, was simply put in jail because she is in love. He conceded that the situation was unorthodox, but from his perspective, the couple was merely having a family, and theyre keeping the mother in jail. Advertisement When the other panelists, including activist Celeste Greig and Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, pushed back, Maher questioned, How can a woman rape a man? Rollins tried to explain, An older woman can manipulate a young kid and I think that kids going to grow up fairly damaged. Maher responded by firing back: So youre on her side?! Advertisement Sure, this episode aired over a quarter of a century ago, but literally just days before Maher appointed himself as the new crusader against Hollywood pedophiles, he vehemently defended Woody Allen on his increasingly depressing YouTube show. Advertisement Even if Maher doesnt believe Dylan Farrows allegations against Allen, wasnt his whole point on Real Time that film and TV creatives shouldnt be sexualizing minors? Allen literally made a movie about how cool it would be if he could date a 17-year-old girl, then he tried to take the actress, Mariel Hemingway, to Paris on his private jet once filming ended. Her first kiss ever was with Woody Allen while they were making the movie. He attacked me like I was a linebacker, Hemingway later recalled. Advertisement Maher airing this piece the same week he went to bat for Allen is a little like issuing a sternly worded editorial opposing cats eating lasagna mere days after avowing your unwavering support for Garfield. You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this). Dan Aykroyd is a man of many hats/rubber Conehead scalps. Hes an actor, a musician, a paranormal blow job authority. Hes also a booze magnate, the co-founder of Crystal Head Vodka, which offers additive-free, quadruple-distilled vodka in a bottle shaped like a dead human beings cranium. Which human being? According to forensic analysis, this complete and utter nightmare: But Crystal Head Vodka hasnt been without its fair share of controversy. It was initially banned in Aykroyds home province because the Liquor Control Board of Ontario thought that the skull was a problematic image for their stores. While that dispute was eventually resolved, Aykroyd was also worried that Steven Spielberg would think that his unique container was ripping off Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which came out the same year as its alcoholic namesake. Don't Miss Come to think of it, a head-sized gulping of vodka might just be the only way to enjoy that movie. Ayrkoyd claims that their skulls, like the ones in the movie, were inspired by the crystal skulls used by the Aztec, Maya and Navajo which were used to project positive energy and enlightenment. Unlike other vodkas, Aykroyds is filtered through Herkimer diamonds that he notes are thought by many to have metaphysical associations, thus adding a spiritual touch to the product. Advertisement Advertisement Watching this eerily preachy commercial, its surprising that the vodka doesnt come with a free copy of Dianetics: In the years since it came out, Aykroyds company has been extremely aggressive when it comes to ensuring that no other liquor brands put their products inside of glass skulls, even though one might assume that the human skull isnt necessarily trademarkable. Advertisement Advertisement Its not just rival vodka companies, in 2017, the company sued a tequila brand that came in a skull-shaped bottle that they claimed was a cheap knockoff of Crystal Head. The jury ultimately sided with Aykroyd and found willful infringement by the tequila company. In 2019, they sued another tequila maker over skull bottles, and in 2022 they sued department store chain TJ Maxx for just selling glass skulls, minus the vodka, that they claim infringe the design rights of the Crystal Head vodka brand. Even more controversially, back in 2017, Aykroyd threatened to sue a small hot sauce company run by an English husband and wife for trademark infringement unless they agreed to destroy their entire inventory. Why? Because, of course, said hot sauce came packaged in a skull. As Vice noted at the time, Aykroyd seemingly decided that he alone is the only one who is allowed to appropriate this particular aspect of Native American culture. I cant believe this big company is trying to shut down a small family business, said Bobby Powers of Bloody Hell Hot Sauce. They dont just want us to stop selling our sauce, they want us to destroy absolutely everything. Advertisement So much for positive energy and enlightenment! Youd think someone with so much magic diamond hooch coursing through their veins would be a bit more laid back. You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this). By Dong Sun-hwa The "Billy Kim Show," hosted by Dr. Billy Kim, chairman of the leading Christian radio network Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) Korea, marked its 1,000th episode last week. The radio station celebrated the milestone at FEBC Art Hall in Mapo District, northern Seoul, Friday, inviting some 700 listeners and guests who previously appeared on the show, including former foreign minister Yu Myung-hwan and TV personality Kim Won-hee. Billy Kim, 89, is known as the oldest radio host in Korea and has presided over the show since its inception on Jan. 28, 2005. Also known as Pastor Kim Jang-hwan, he has made significant contributions beyond broadcasting, including providing up to 400 container houses for Syrian refugees in 2013 and winning the 13th YoungSan Diplomat Award in 2021 for enhancing Korea's national image through cultural and humanitarian efforts. For nearly two decades, the "Billy Kim Show" has welcomed around 1,000 guests from diverse backgrounds. They include former presidents Kim Young-sam and Lee Myung-bak, actors Lee Jung-jae, Han Hye-jin, and Lee Ha-nee, as well as current Vice Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Jang Mi-ran, the 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion. The program, airing every Friday, has maintained a perfect record, never missing an episode, even during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was challenging to invite guests to share their life stories. During that period, employees at FEBC, including security staffers, were featured on the show, earning praise for sharing their genuine stories. "I started the program to communicate with our audience and share the stories of their lives," Kim said. "It was all God's grace that has allowed me to air 1,000 episodes over the past two decades. I am thankful to have met so many people, and I want to show my appreciation to them. I received grace and learned a lot of things from them ... The 1,000-episode milestone is the biggest birthday gift from God." He added that he would like to continue hosting the show and spread the gospel for as long as his health permits. The 1,000-th episode celebration was also joined by FEBC and FEBA (Far East Broadcasting Association) country directors and board chairpersons from 23 nations and territories. They joined the event after participating in the FEBC's annual International Council Conference (ICC) held at Daebu Island off Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, from April 15-19. Among them, Eduard Kurylenko, director of the Ukrainian FEBC, shared the impact of their broadcasts, noting that despite the deep scars of war, over 1 million listeners find daily encouragement through the gospel. Launched in 1945, FEBC broadcasts are heard in 152 languages airing from 260 stations and transmitters worldwide, spanning locations from Hong Kong to Ukraine. In Korea, its first shortwave broadcast took place on Dec. 23, 1956, shortly after the 1950-53 Korean War. Absence of adequate remote access authentication has emerged as the probable cause of the infamous Change Healthcare ransomware attack. Attackers compromised credentials on an application that allows staff to remotely access systems before infiltrating Change Healthcares networks on or around February 12, an unnamed person familiar with the ongoing investigation told the Wall Street Journal. Multi-factor authentication controls were absent on this application contrary to industry best practice leaving the vulnerable application exposed. A team of Korean experts will visit Indonesia this week to provide training for conservators in the cultural heritage sector in the Southeast Asian country. The on-site technical training will take place at the conservation office situated in Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, located in central Java, Indonesia, on April 24-May 2, Seoul's Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said Tuesday. The training program is part of an international exchange project led by the Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center (CHCSC) of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage under the CHA. It seeks to extend support to Asian nations grappling with challenges in preserving and managing their rich cultural legacies, offering techniques tailored to the specific situations in each country. The upcoming session marks the second of its kind in Indonesia following the first event held at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta last July. A total of 24 conservators from 18 museums throughout Indonesia are expected to participate in the program. "We'll help disseminate the excellent conservation technology of Korea to international communities through competent on-site technical training programs, assisting Asian countries in training their conservation experts," an official with the CHCSC said in a release. (Yonhap) North Korea will face the end of its regime if it attempts to use nuclear weapons, the defense ministry warned Tuesday, after the North said it conducted rocket drills simulating a nuclear counterattack. North Korea's state media said leader Kim Jong-un on Monday guided a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket launchers against enemy targets. "If North Korea attempts to use weapons, it will face an immediate, overwhelming and decisive response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and the North Korean regime will face its end," ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said in a regular press briefing. Jeon said North Korea's continued provocations would only strengthen South Korea's military capabilities and U.S. extended deterrence, and their trilateral security cooperation involving Japan. Extended deterrence refers to America's commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally. The allies have been pursuing an integrated form of extended deterrence with Seoul leveraging its high-tech conventional military capabilities. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the North's latest missile tests appear to be "a show of force" against the ongoing military drills between Seoul and Washington as well as demonstrating its capabilities in lieu of its delayed spy satellite launch and arms sales abroad. The South Korean military said earlier North Korea appears to be making preparations for its next launch of a spy satellite, although there are no signs of an imminent launch. JCS spokesperson Lee Sung-jun evaluated North Korea's claim of a nuclear attack capability as "exaggerated" and the South Korean military is ready to detect and shoot down its ballistic missiles. "North Korea is known to have not yet concluded its experiments with small tactical nuclear weapons," Lee said during the briefing. The North's super-large multiple rocket launch system is classified as a short-range missile that could put the entire South Korean territory within range. Pyongyang has claimed a tactical nuclear warhead could be mounted on such a weapon. The North said Monday's missiles accurately hit the target island within a 352-kilometer range, which is enough to hit South Korea's Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, and an air base in Gunsan on the southwestern coast, where the joint aerial drills have been under way. On Tuesday, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo visited the 707th special mission group, an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Special Warfare Command, to review its military readiness. Kim highlighted the special force's role in eliminating the enemy's leadership in covert operations during a conflict and called for heightened vigilance against North Korean threats. (Yonhap) Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Three key hacking groups from North Korea have infiltrated about 10 South Korean defense firms over the past one and a half years in a concerted attempt to steal defense technologies, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Tuesday. The police agency disclosed the results following an investigation conducted with the national cyber crisis management team into cyber threats shared by related government organizations. It marks the first confirmed concerted hacking attack launched by the three notorious North Korean hacking groups Lazarus, Andariel and Kimsuky with the aim of stealing defense technologies from South Korean firms, the NPA said. Since November 2022, Lazarus has hacked into the external computer server of one of the affected firms and implanted malicious codes, eventually taking control of the firm's intranet and transferring key data from six internal computers to an overseas-based cloud server. Andariel has been stealing defense technology data from another defense firm since October 2022 by illegally obtaining email and password information from a separate firm responsible for remote maintenance and repair work for the defense firm. Kimsuky also illegally accessed email servers of another defense technology firm and downloaded technology data between April and July last year, the NPA said. Based on the IP addresses and malicious codes used in the attacks, including what were identified as Nukesped and Tiger RAT, as well as the methods of targeting the most vulnerable software loopholes and building route servers, the police traced the attacks back to the North Korean hacking groups. Some of the IP addresses were traced to China's Shenyang and identified as the same addresses used in the 2014 hacking attack on the South Korean hydro power agency, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Police have confirmed that such attacks had continued for one and a half years until recently. However, due to the expiration of the communication log storage periods and the deletion of traces of the leaks, the exact timeframe and the full extent of the damage remained inconceivable, officials said. The affected firms themselves had also not been aware of the attacks until the police investigation began. "In regard to the extent of the damage, the defense ministry and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration will look into the matter thoroughly," an NPA official said, without disclosing the types of leaked technologies, citing confidentiality. The NPA also speculated that the hacking attack may have been conducted under instructions by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "In the past, it was known that Kimsuky had the role of attacking government organizations and politicians while Lazarus and Andariel had separate roles targeting financial institutions and the military and defense institutions, respectively," the official said. "The latest investigation confirmed that the three hacking groups launched all-encompassing attacks during an overlapping period for a single purpose," the official said. (Yonhap) A closer look at one of the skis that are attached to the current C-130s for Antarctic take off and landings at Stratton Air National Guard base in Glenville. Doctors question committee's direction, qualifications of chairman By Jun Ji-hye A special presidential committee for medical reform the Yoon Suk Yeol administration created to discuss policy, finds itself in trouble even before its official launch on Thursday, as doctors one of the most important stakeholders have vowed to boycott the committee. The committee, comprised of government officials from six ministries and 20 civilian members, including 10 recommended by doctors' groups, was formed in order to discuss the details of the policy packages Yoon and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Feb. 1 to improve the country's health care system. Through the committee, the government is seeking to find a breakthrough regarding the prolonged walkout by more than 90 percent of the country's 13,000 trainee doctors over its plan to increase the number of medical school seats by 2,000 starting next year. However, the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the country's largest doctors' coalition, and the Korea Intern Resident Association (KIRA), a group of interns and residents, are refusing to cooperate amid their ongoing protest. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo on Monday renewed calls on the KMA and junior doctors to join the committee and voice their opinions. "The government expects various representatives to hold discussions about issues related to medical reform in order to reach rational conclusions," Park said during a government meeting. Nonetheless, the KMA rejected it, sticking to its original stance that the government should withdraw its medical school quota hike plan altogether and go back to square one. "The presidential committee has no proper definition about its composition and role," the KMA's emergency response committee said in a statement. Kim Taek-woo, who heads the KMA's committee, questioned the participation of representatives of patients' groups and civic groups in the presidential committee, saying they are not related to the medical school quota hike issue. Park Dan, who heads the KIRA's emergency response committee, indirectly expressed his unwillingness to participate, saying that the group is preparing to file an administrative lawsuit against the government in response to the back-to-work order imposed on striking trainee doctors. Doctors' groups are also questioning the qualifications of Roh Yeon-hong, chairman of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, who has been named to head the presidential committee. They called Roh a pro-government figure who has no actual experience in the medical field as he used to work for the health ministry and served as the minister of food and drug safety under the former Lee Myung-bak administration. "We have no choice but to doubt the direction of the presidential committee as its chairman is not a medical professor nor a scholar," Kim Seong-geun, spokesperson for the KMA's emergency committee, said. Jang Sang-yoon, senior presidential secretary for social policy, expressed regret over the doctors boycott, Tuesday, urging doctors to employ a forward-looking approach and change their position before the committee is launched. We once again emphasize that we can engage in talks with doctors at any time once they come up with a unified measure based on scientific analysis regarding the range of the medical school quota hike, Jang said during a media briefing. An official from the presidential office noted on condition of anonymity that the committee will be launched as scheduled to discuss urgent issues, even if the boycott by doctors groups continues, saying We cannot wait forever. When announcing the policy packages in February, Yoon promised to reduce the legal challenges caused due to medical accidents, establish a fairer compensation scheme for doctors for their work and revive medical services in underserved areas. This announcement, made days before the government announced the medical school quota hike plan, was construed as appeasing doctors, who have long opposed such a policy, saying the hike will compromise medical education and training. But the efforts to persuade doctors have failed, leading to the health care standoff since then. Back in the not-too-dim-and-distant, the police regularly operated a policy of stopping selected motorists for 'Driving While Black'. It was the four-wheeled version of the hated 'sus' laws, which gave them the authority to arrest anyone on suspicion of committing a criminal offence. A black media executive friend of mine was frequently pulled over and accused of stealing his own company Jag. Now Scotland Yard seems to have come up with a new crime: 'Walking While Jewish.' Last weekend, the head of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism was threatened with arrest for attempting to cross the road in Central London while a pro-Palestine/Hamas march was taking place. Gideon Falter was told by a police sergeant to leave the area because he was wearing a traditional kippah skull cap after attending synagogue and looked 'openly Jewish'. He was therefore considered to be antagonising the protesters and causing a potential breach of the peace. Gideon Falter was told by a police sergeant to leave the area because he was wearing a traditional kippah skull cap While the encounter was taking place, placard-waving anti-Israel demonstrators were screaming 'scum', 'disgusting' and 'Nazis' at Mr Falter and his Jewish friends but were merely waved on by police. Other marchers were chanting 'from the river to the sea' and calling for Israel to be wiped off the face of the Earth, just as they have done every weekend since the October 7 pogroms, while the police stand back and let them get on with it. So no breach of the peace there, then. For the record, I don't blame the individual sergeant involved. His choice of words was clearly offensive but he was doing his best to defuse a potentially explosive situation. To add insult to injury, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist put out an ill-judged 'apology' which actually accused those opposed to the protest presumably Mr Falter and his friends of provoking the demonstrators and 'increasing the likelihood of an altercation'. This, er, provocative statement was hastily withdrawn following a furious reaction from anti-Semitism campaigners. We have no idea what was going through Mr Falter's mind when he attempted to cross the road during a pro-Palestine/Hamas march. But in the interests of the even-handedness for which this column is universally celebrated, let's assume he may have anticipated some kind of hostile reaction. The police sergeant involved was in an impossible position. His job being to keep the peace, he took the line of least resistance and threatened to nick the Jew, not the real Nazis on the march. In so doing, he was only obeying orders. (Now where have we heard that before?) If Mr Falter had indeed foreseen what might happen, he has done us all a favour in lifting the lid on the shocking policy of appeasing the Left-wing mob which has been the standard operating procedure at Scotland Yard ever since these anti-Israel marches kicked off in the immediate aftermath of October 7. As this column has pointed out from the off, the police have been going out of their way to find excuses for going soft on pro-Palestinian activists, no matter how menacing their behaviour. At times they've gone to absurd lengths to excuse the vile behaviour of virulent anti-Semites. Met spokesmen have explained that waving a swastika doesn't necessarily indicate antipathy towards Jews. When a Hamas supporter brandished what appeared to be an Islamic State flag outside the Israeli embassy, specialist counter-terrorism officers were called in to carefully examine the white squiggles on the black flag and conclude that they weren't an exact match for the ISIS version. Nothing to see here, move along. When the 'river to the sea' slogan effectively calling for genocide against Jews living in Israel was projected on to Big Ben, the Yard insisted no criminal offence had been committed. Time and again, Commissioner Mark Rowley has claimed that he didn't have the legal powers to arrest anyone the same weasel excuse he has deployed to avoid nicking XR and Just Stop Oil headbangers. Worse still, the Met has gone out of its way to clamp down on pro-Israel demonstrators, including tearing down posters featuring kidnapped Israeli children, on the grounds that it could provoke Palestinian and Hamas sympathisers. Even as pro-Palestinians flooded into Central London on the weekend after October 7, police prevented a pro-Israel rally going ahead in the North London suburb of Golders Green, home to a substantial Jewish community. Christian Action Against Anti-Semitism were expecting 30,000 to attend a 'Pray for Israel and the Jewish People' vigil. But they were forced to call it off after fears it might be attacked by Islamist extremists. Police say they picked up tweets calling on 'brothers' to make their way to Golders Green and were concerned about the threat to public safety. So why didn't they hunt down the 'brothers' and throw a ring of steel round a peaceful Jewish rally? Double-standards doesn't even begin to describe the craven approach of the Met towards the mob. There's nothing new in this. Look how coppers were encouraged to 'take the knee' to Black Lives Matter when they weren't running away. Remember them skateboarding and dancing with XR crusties, and giving a police escort to Just Stop Oil slow-marchers bringing London's roads to a standstill? This hasn't happened by accident. It's deliberate policy. The senior ranks have been colonised by woke-washed disciples of the Left-wing freemasonry Common Purpose, just like the rest of the British Establishment. As a consequence of the Blair revolution, the police see their job as protecting the mob's right to protest, no matter how obnoxious or threatening and to hell with the inconvenience it causes the law-abiding majority of the paying public. Calling for the resignation of Rowley is a waste of breath. He'd only be replaced by another Common Purpose clone and Central London will continue to be a no-go zone for Jews for the foreseeable future. Driving While Black has given way to Walking While Jewish when the pro-Palestine/Hamas hate squad is on the march. After Gideon Falter was threatened with arrest for being 'openly Jewish' with intent to cause a breach of the peace, we can no longer be under any illusion as to which side the Met is on. Mind How You Go. Labour is still getting its knickers in a twist over identity politics. Despite the Cass report, Keir Starmer continues to claim women can have a penis. Never mind transitioning from male to female and vice versa, you can now change species. The partys equalities spokesman/woman/person insists that people can become a llama if they so desire. West Lancashire MP Ashley Dalton says that if anyone wants to identify as a llama or presumably any other animal they should be treated with dignity and respect. If this catches on, the Labour benches in the next Parliament could look like Noahs Ark. Weve had Blairs Babes and Camerons Cuties. What next, Starmers Llamas? In Starmer Land, theres a one man band and hell toot his flute for you... Id assumed Ange Rayner only said shed resign if she was found to have committed a criminal offence because shed been told in advance that she wouldnt be charged, even though she knows shes bang to rights. So why have 12 yes, 12 coppers been assigned to her case? Whats to investigate? Its all there in The Mail on Sunday. Labour colleagues are lining up to defend her. The latest is former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, one of dozens of MPs from all parties caught flipping their addresses during the Westminster expenses scandal. Ange may have said she lived in one house, while seemingly shacked up with her husband a mile away. But Jackboots used a loophole to list her sisters spare bedroom in London as her principal residence in order to claim 116,000 exes for her real home in Redditch. At least Ange may have only saved a couple of grand in capital gains tax and isnt claiming for her husbands porn films. Should politicians be allowed to campaign on NHS premises? Lee Anderson (Reform, Ashfield) caused a kerfuffle in the Commons by complaining about a recent election event at his constituency's hospital. It featured Sir Keir Starmer and Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting, plus a Labour mayoral candidate. Mr Anderson said the event amounted to 'gutter politics' and that the Labour mayoral hopeful, who happens to chair that hospital trust, was using the place as 'a campaign prop'. Mr Anderson, flower of the rarest sensitivity, was 'disappointed' by what he called 'Labour's dog-whistle politics'. The house laughed. Labour MPs look down on Mr Anderson rather as the Dowager Countess of Grantham regarded housemaid Ethel. The merriment rather perished in their throats, mind you, when Health Secretary Victoria Atkins offered her reply. She told Mr Anderson that his complaint was a 'very serious' matter. She had raised it with the chief executive of the NHS and had instructed her to give a good beating (or something along those lines) to health service managers in Nottinghamshire who had allowed the Labour Party event to proceed. The reason for her action, said Miss Atkins, was that 'we believe this may be a breach of the Nolan Principles'. Lee Anderson (Reform, Ashfield) caused a kerfuffle in the Commons by complaining about a recent election event at his constituency's hospital Little Mr Streeting, who moments earlier had been goofing about on the Labour front bench, froze That stopped the laughter all right. When MPs hear mention of the Nolan Principles it has the effect of a police speed-trap van on motorists. Suddenly everyone behaved in a saintly fashion. No one was driving more than 29 mph. Little Mr Streeting, who moments earlier had been goofing about on the Labour front bench, froze. The Nolan Principles! Lest you forget, these are 'selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership' and they are supposed to be the guiding virtues of anyone in public life. Almost every senior politician I have met had fallen at the first principle. It is hard to think of any senior politician who passes all seven Nolan Principles. How many would you say the current Archbishop of Canterbury manages? Three? Miss Atkins did not elaborate on her suspicion that the Nolan principles had been breached. Speaker Hoyle would not have let her, in any case, for he was keen to keep things short. Did the secretary of state mean all politicians' campaign visits to hospitals should be avoided? Party leaders have not always benefited from visiting hospitals. In the 2001 general election Tony Blair went to a hospital in Birmingham and was given a tremendous spanking by a woman who told him cancer care was a disgrace. David Cameron and Nick Clegg swanned into a hospital ward in London in 2011 and were just posing for pictures when a furious, bow-tied surgeon told them to get lost. He felt the attendant news crews were a hazard to hygiene. Many journalists are. The event featured Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) and Wes Streeting, plus a Labour mayoral candidate Gordon Brown launched his 2010 election manifesto in a hospital. The patient did not live. Ed Miliband used to visit hospitals and sit at bedsides. Sedated patients would wake and think they were hallucinating terribly. James Purnell was tipped as a future Labour leader until he was late to a hospital visit and officials falsified a photograph to suggest he'd been there in time for a snapshot. That was the end of his political career. Even so, if hospitals are ruled out of bounds to politicians, publicity-prone Mr Streeting is going to be seriously hampered. Like a plant denied light, he may etiolate. In other news Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary who is invariably too busy to be questioned by MPs, is on a trip to central Asia. Next stop: Mongolia. Showjumping fans may want to look away now, but the Mongolians are keen on horses. That is, they cook them. Lord Cameron is a good (and fast) eater, so I am sure the banquet thrown in his honour in Ulan Bator will cause him no problems. But it is probably just as well that, not being an MP, he need no longer explain himself to pony club members in the Witney constituency. Queen Camilla's hatmaker Jane Smith steps in to resolve a ding-dong between Gladiator 2 director Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington after the star refused to follow Ridley's instructions to wear dreadlocks. Jane, who has made hats for Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep as well as Camilla's Order of the Garter titfer, was commissioned to make a series of silk turbans for Denzel. 'Then I heard from Los Angeles that Denzel didn't want to wear dreads,' Jane tells an audience at the Colony Room Club. 'So I had to make them all again but much bigger.' Queen Camilla's hatmaker Jane Smith steps in to resolve a ding-dong between Gladiator 2 director Ridley Scott (pictured) and Denzel Washington Washington (pictured) refused to follow Ridley's instructions to wear dreadlocks Does that confirm that Oscar winner Denzel is big headed? Who will fill the jumbo BBC broadcasting boots of the disgraced Huw Edwards? While Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg aspire, might the Beeb consider Wilfred Frost? Old Etonian Wilf, 38, worked for NBC in London and New York before joining Sky two years ago where he is now a breakfast anchor. Who will fill the jumbo BBC broadcasting boots of the disgraced Huw Edwards (pictured)? While Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg aspire, might the Beeb consider Wilfred Frost? The middle son of one-time BBC institution Sir David Frost, his mother Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard while proud if he became the new Huw would prefer her 6ft 5in son to achieve fame elsewhere: 'She still thinks I should be the next James Bond,' says Wilf. Dawn French, trying to ingratiate herself with her heroine Norah Jones, bought her a 'massively expensive' pair of shoes after a Hammersmith Apollo concert when Norah complained about sore feet. 'God, it's not shoes is it?' wailed Norah's manager when Dawn turned up at the stage door. Dawn French (pictured), trying to ingratiate herself with her heroine Norah Jones, bought her a 'massively expensive' pair of shoes after a Hammersmith Apollo concert when Norah complained about sore feet She was led into a chamber full of shoes bought by adoring fans. 'I just went 'thank you very much' ' adds Dawn. 'And ran away very quickly, so ashamed of my pathetic behaviour. I never even met Norah.' Hibernophile Jeremy Irons, restoring his 15th-century abode Kilcoe Castle in West Cork, laments becoming a soft touch for canny local tradesmen hitching on to the Oscar winner's gravy train: 'Fridays were a terrible day as Fridays were pay day . . . I had to do 40 wage packets,' he wails. Hibernophile Jeremy Irons (pictured), restoring his 15th-century abode Kilcoe Castle in West Cork, laments becoming a soft touch for canny local tradesmen hitching on to the Oscar winner's gravy train 'The money becomes Monopoly money.' Newlywed Prince Philip discovered there were three people in his marriage when he found his bride's dresser, Margaret 'Bobo' MacDonald, sitting in the bathroom testing the temperature for Princess Elizabeth's bath. Newlywed Prince Philip discovered there were three people in his marriage when he found his bride's dresser, Margaret 'Bobo' MacDonald (pictured, second from right, with future Queen Elizabeth II, right, in 1932), sitting in the bathroom testing the temperature for Princess Elizabeth's bath 'He went, "Am I going to have to share my wife with Bobo?"' says Gyles Brandreth in his Rosebud podcast. Adding: 'And I think he found that he did.' Rendered rich with TV hits Prime Suspect and Widows, Lynda La Plante remembers her early days of thespian poverty. 'Financially, the biggest thing in my acting years was the Little X bra ad. I played a nurse, who had problems with her bra slipping while lifting up patients,' she tells Boom Radio. Rendered rich with TV hits Prime Suspect and Widows, Lynda La Plante (pictured) remembers her early days of thespian poverty 'But after I put on my Little X bra, it didn't slip and I was throwing patients around with no problems.' In just a few weeks' time, the nation will come together to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and remember the sacrifice of those who never came home. It proved to be a turning point in our fight to liberate Europe. Eight decades on, the international order is under threat from a new axis of authoritarianism and the UK is once again standing up to protect our security, prosperity and freedom. In my speech at Lancaster House earlier this year I warned that the threats to global peace were growing. It is a message that has been echoed by many others since. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal recently warned that defeat for his country could lead to World War Three. We should heed his warning and take the steps now to ensure we deter further aggression. This fully funded commitment will mean we can defend our values by making sure our Armed Forces are fighting fit, now and in the future, writes Defence Secretary Grant Shapps We are firing up the UK defence industrial base and preparing to deter those who threaten our way of life The Daily Mail has recognised how vital it is that we boost our Armed Forces with the launch of its brilliant Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign. So I'm delighted that the Prime Minister yesterday announced the biggest strengthening of our national defence in a generation. By 2030, we will spend 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence. That means an extra 75 billion over the next six years. This fully funded commitment will mean we can defend our values by making sure our Armed Forces are fighting fit, now and in the future. It will mean that we can continue to be Ukraine's leading European ally in its life-and-death struggle with Vladimir Putin. It is a fight we must win because I am in no doubt a victory for Russia is a threat to the UK, Europe and the world not least as it would encourage Putin's malign friends, from Tehran to Pyongyang. It will mean we can keep on protecting global shipping as we have been doing in the Red Sea against the threat of the Iran-backed Houthis. We will be able to carry on reforming procurement, to modernise our Armed Forces and put our defence industry on a war footing. Our relationship with allies will go from strength to strength, including Australia, Japan and South Korea, to protect our interests in the Indo-Pacific. Our Armed Forces will take part in every Nato mission, patrolling the skies above Syria and Iraq, and operating a continuous at-sea deterrent as a nuclear power. We can see the risks around the world. Iran is seeking to escalate conflict in the Middle East, building and arming a deadly noose of militia groups around Israel. So we are firing up the UK defence industrial base and preparing to deter those who threaten our way of life. All of this is underpinned by defence spending an issue championed by this newspaper and its readers. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal recently warned that defeat for his country could lead to World War Three We long surpassed the Nato commitment to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence. This means our total spend is second only to the United States. Now we are taking a huge step forward and cementing our place as the biggest defence power in Europe by some distance. By 2030, we will be spending 87 billion a year on defence. Where we lead, I encourage others to follow, and hope 2.5 per cent will become the new Nato baseline. We have the most professional soldiers, sailors and aviators in the world, and I pay tribute to their selfless service. This investment is about them and giving them the equipment and support they need. Our additional spending will allow us to further embrace innovation and invest in the latest military capabilities for modern warfare from AI and cyber to air defences and laser weapons. The UK defence industry supports more than 200,000 jobs and this investment will boost growth and be felt by communities across the country. AND by taking full advantage of our new procurement reforms, we will additionally get the equipment we need when we need it, with value for money for taxpayers. Eighty years ago, this country had a choice: hope for the best or prepare for the worst. Many historians would say we took the steps to prepare for the worst too late. As Defence Secretary, we are not going make that mistake on my watch. I want peace and international order, and I am absolutely convinced that being battle-ready is the best way to achieve it. Our Prime Minister has shown brilliant leadership both of our country and among our international partners. In 80 years, children and historians will reflect on this turbulent time and look back to what we have done. They will see how our investment in our military, and our investment in our alliances, secured peace in Europe and victory for freedom and security. While the nail salon is supposed to be a relaxing place, sometimes it can be just the opposite, as you're faced with what can feel like an impossible decision: what type of gel nail polish to choose. It's not just regular gel anymore, either - with endless options from Gel-X to gel extensions to shellac. And, on TikTok, it seems like builder gel is having its moment, with nearly 70,000 posts on the app using the hashtag #buildergel, and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian making the switch to the hard polish. But what's the difference between all of these fancy-sounding polishes, anyway? And which choice is the worst for your nail health? What are the potential dangers? It seems like there are endless gel nail polish choices to go for these days, from Gel-X to gel extensions to shellac FEMAIL has consulted top manicurists Kait Mosher (left) and Queenie Nguyen (right) to break it all down - and their thoughts might leave you changing up your regular salon routine A recent study found that gel manicures could have potential health risks, like cancer-causing mutations, due to the UV light dryers. But what of the gel formulas themselves? FEMAIL has consulted top manicurists to break it all down - and their thoughts might leave you changing up your regular salon routine. Celebrity manicurist Kait Mosher, who has worked her magic for stars like Kristin Cavallari and Maren Morris, shared with DailyMail.com the key differences between a classic manicure and a basic gel. She said that gel polish is 'designed to last longer,' and will 'reinforce' the nails so that there's no splitting or chipping. 'With a regular manicure, the benefit is gorgeous nails that don't feel thick,' Mosher said. 'However, they will chip or fade within a few days from living your life, so the maintenance is much higher.' Stay away from gel that's unbranded or white label - they have the potential to be dangerous According to Mosher, it's not necessarily the branded gel nail polish that you should avoid - it's the ones that are completely unlabeled and unregulated. 'The worst kind of gel is the cheap Amazon gel that a lot of girls are buying,' the nail expert told DailyMail.com. 'Most of the brands are white label, not third-party tested, have limited - if any - info on ingredients, and have left people with terrible allergic reactions and permanent nail bed injuries,' she said. 'The worst kind of gel is the cheap Amazon gel that a lot of girls are buying,' the nail expert told DailyMail.com (stock image) And, if the gel polish isn't being applied properly, the salon manicure has the potential to take a dangerous turn. Gel polish that hasn't been cured in the right way or which gets onto the skin can cause an allergic reaction, per Cosmopolitan. People can develop allergies to a chemical in the gel polish called methacrylate, causing swelling and redness around the nail, the outlet reported, even making your hands look blistered as a result. Doing an at-home gel manicure can also increase the risk for these allergies, according to TIME Magazine. Shellac lasts for up to two weeks and is the least expensive option If you're looking for a manicure that won't chip but is easy to apply, a shellac polish might be the perfect solution. Shellac is a patented product by the brand CND, and was created in 2010. It is applied like a regular polish would be, but in between coats it is cured under a UV or LED light. The light bonds the ingredients in the polish together and helps it to harden, leaving you with a long-lasting, smudge-free manicure. Shellac is a patented product by the brand CND, and was created in 2010 - leaving a flawless finish on your nails 'Shellac contains a mix of both gel polish and regular polish,' Queenie Nguyen , a celebrity nail artist based in Los Angeles, told DailyMail.com 'Shellac contains a mix of both gel polish and regular polish,' Queenie Nguyen, a celebrity nail artist based in Los Angeles, told DailyMail.com. 'Typically, color gel polishes and shellac polishes are considered soft gels,' Nguyen, who has worked with celebs like Jessica Alba and Carey Mulligan, explained. 'They last up to two weeks and are applied on your natural nails, over enhanced nails and nail extensions.' A regular shellac manicure can cost you anywhere from $25 to $45, per Harper's Bazaar. Gel-X can help your nails look longer and can last up to one month If you're in the market for a gel polish that will last a bit longer than a shellac, Gel-X could be a great solution. Gel-X is a 'patented nail extension system' by the brand Apres Nails, according to Nguyen, and is typically referred to as 'soft gel extensions.' She said that Gel-X extensions 'are more natural looking' and made out of gel polish instead of acrylic. 'Gel X tips come in different sizes, lengths, shapes and even in colors,' Nguyen told DailyMail.com. Gel-X is a nail extension system that's made by brand Apres Nails, and is typically referred to as a 'soft gel extension' 'Gel X tips come in different sizes, lengths, shapes and even in colors,' Nguyen told DailyMail.com, as seen on the model above 'They are to applied directly on your natural nails to cover the whole nail surface which makes it more natural looking compared to acrylics.' A Gel-X manicure can set you back upwards of $80, and typically takes around an hour to complete, sometimes more depending on the design. However, Gel-X nails are not always easy to come by - not every nail salon will know how to apply it, so make sure to seek out a specific spot that is trained in the technique. You will also have to get them removed by a professional, as they are not able to be soaked off with acetone. Builder gel can strengthen your nails and can also add length Builder gel, also known as hard gel, is a thick type of gel polish that's applied with a fine brush, requiring manipulation from the nail artist. The polish is sculpted to your nails and can even be used to add some length to the natural nail. 'It is a great strengthener to use as a protective layer for weak and softer nail beds as your nails grow out,' Nguyen explained. 'Builder gel can be used for nail repairs, nail sculpting, overlay and even nail art encapsulation,' Nguyen continued. The nail expert shared that builder gel can aid in growing out your nails because it 'helps protect the nails by hardening them,' which means that the nails are 'free' to grow. Builder gel, often referred to as 'hard gel,' can particularly work to strengthen your nails and add length Mosher said that builder gel, seen above, also has more benefits for the nail than other kinds of gel polish Typically, it takes over an hour to apply the builder gel, and prices usually start at around $60. Mosher said that builder gel also has more benefits for the nail than other kinds of gel polish. 'Everyone is different and builder isn't for everyone, but it's something I recommend for most people I see,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Within the next few years it's going to be the new go-to in salons over gel polish,' she added. 'It's already been established in the UK with nailfluencers, and nail artists in the states are finally catching on!' It'll last anywhere from two to three weeks. Nguyen recommends doing some research to find the best brand of builder gel before going ahead with the manicure. How long is too long to keep on your gel manicure? Once you've gotten your gel manicure of choice, you may be impressed with how long it lasts. But how long is too long to keep your mani on? According to Mosher, the timeline can vary. 'If you or your nail tech are using a solid, trusted product and prepping the nail correctly, up to eight weeks!' she explained to DailyMail.com. Nguyen made the above nail look for Jessica Alba for this year's Vanity Fair Oscars party 'I would never recommend keeping them on that long, though. If you allow that much grow-out, the structure that strengthens the nail is no longer where it should be.' She said that it can lead to a break right in the middle of your nail. 'I recommend three to five weeks for wearing gel, depending on how fast your nails grow,' she revealed. Who shouldn't get a gel manicure? If you're going through 'serious health issues' or are prone to allergic reactions, Mosher recommended steering clear of gel polish. She also explained that during pregnancy, the pH in your body can change, which means that the nails don't hold on to any product. And those who have severely damaged nails will need to hold off and take a one to three month break before applying more gel. What kind of gel is the healthiest for your nails? With all of these options, it can be difficult to know which is the best choice for your long term nail health - but Nguyen recommends Shellac With all of these options, it can be difficult to know which is the best choice for your long term nail health. According to Nguyen, shellac polish is the best for the nails because it can be removed quickly. 'Because shellac also contains regular polish in their formula, it takes less time to come up from the nail surface from soaking and easier to push off with a wooden cuticle pusher,' she told DailyMail.com. She recommends going for a shellac polish instead of a Gel-X or builder gel manicure for your first time. Medical professors at major hospitals in Korea will resign later this week and have a day off next week as they have been thinly stretched amid a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, officials said Tuesday, deepening concerns over further disruptions in the country's health care system. "We confirm our resignation will start from April 25 as planned," an emergency committee of national medical professors said after an online general meeting. "We will go ahead without the government's policies to accept our resignation." The committee consists of professors from 20 medical schools nationwide, including Seoul National University (SNU), Yonsei University and the University of Ulsan. It said professors will have a day off next week as their fatigue reached the utmost limit. Plans to have weekly breaks on a regular basis will be discussed at another general meeting, the committee said. Earlier in the day, medical professors from some hospitals also announced their plans to step down and have a weekly day off from next week. "We have decided to shut down once a week from April 30," said an emergency committee of professors of SNU College of Medicine and SNU Hospital after a general meeting. Professors from Asan Medical Center and University of Ulsan College of Medicine said they will resign from Thursday, while those who cannot leave the hospital immediately will have a day off every week from May 3. "Due to the mental and physical limitations of professors in a prolonged emergency medical situation, we have no choice but to reschedule clinics and surgeries," they said. They will suspend all surgeries and treatment for outpatients once a week and details, including when to begin the move, are expected to be decided in accordance with the situations of each hospital, they added. The decision came as about 12,000 trainee doctors have left their worksites since Feb. 20 in protest of the government's plan to boost the number of medical students, forcing major hospitals to delay or cancel surgeries and other public health services. In support of the walkout by junior doctors, medical professors submitted their resignations. The move is also seen as a way of adding pressure by the medical community on the government to seek a breakthrough as the plan on the medical school admission quota for next year is supposed to be finalized by end-April. Some hospitals, including Chungnam National University Hospital in the central city of Daejeon, have already decided not to provide service for outpatients on Fridays starting this week, and many other hospitals are feared to follow suit. Medical school professors at SNU will review the option during a meeting slated for Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo called for doctors to stop collective action on the planned leave of tired medical school professors. "The medical community should stop collective action and join a special commission on medical reform set to be launched this week for productive discussions," Park told a government response meeting. Under the envisioned presidential commission, officials from the health ministry and other relevant ministries, as well as some 20 experts, will discuss how to reform the country's medical system, including the possible adjustment of medical school admissions and ways of raising investment in essential medical fields. But the Korea Medical Association and the Korea Intern Resident Association have vowed to boycott the initiative. Upping the ante, medical professors were considering taking a day off every week as they have been stretched thin amid the prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. The emergency committee for national medical professors will hold a general meeting later in the day and discuss the potential suspension of all surgeries and treatment for outpatients once a week, according to its officials. Details, including when to begin the move, are expected to be decided in accordance with the situations of each hospital, though they are likely to continue operations of their emergency rooms and intensive care units, they added. Adding to the woes is that medical professors began submitting their resignations on March 25, and the resignations could take legal effect after the elapse of one month even without approval from their employers. The education ministry has said "not many" professors have tendered resignations, and no resignations have been accepted so far. The government has proposed dialogue by setting up a special presidential commission on medical reform, while allowing universities to decide their quotas by a range of 50 to 100 percent of what the government assigned for next year. But doctors have rejected the proposals, calling for the government to revisit the issue from scratch. The government has stressed the need to increase the medical school admission quota to address a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas and essential medical fields. Given Korea's rapid population aging and other issues, the country is expected to fall short by 15,000 doctors by 2035, according to the health ministry. Doctors, however, have said that the quota hike would compromise the quality of medical education and services and create a surplus of physicians, and the government must devise ways of encouraging more physicians to practice in such "unpopular" fields as high-risk surgeries, pediatrics, obstetrics and emergency medicine. (Yonhap) Say goodbye to beach frizz with these top holiday destinations for healthy hair With summer around the corner, thousands of Britons are looking to jet away for some much-deserved vitamin D. However, as much as some summer sunshine is appreciated, travelling can often wreak havoc with hair. Temperature, humidity, and water hardness changes can create an undesirable hair texture, switching once glossy locks for a frizzy mane. With this in mind, Shark Beauty has researched the top ten holiday destinations with the most desirable metrics for hair health. Using the results, holidaymakers can plan their next summer destination while assured that their locks will remain intact, with top destinations including Sydney, Vancouver, and Madrid. Are you planning a holiday but worried about the humidity causing frizzy hair? Here, FEMAIL explore the top holiday destinations that will banish beach frizz When in comes to haircare while travelling, there are several factors to take into consideration. On the topic, Frances Geale from Shark Beauty explained: 'When travelling, various factors affect hair health, with water hardness being a primary concern. 'While some may not be aware of whether the water in a specific area is hard or soft, it can have a significant impact on others. 'Hard water, containing minerals, creates a film on hair strands, resulting in intense dehydration. 'However, soft water is gentler and causes minimal damage compared to hard water, meaning holiday destinations with soft water are preferable. 'Additionally, humidity poses a challenge to hair as it can lead to increased frizz and dryness. 'Windy conditions can also exacerbate these issues, prompting the scalp to produce more oil to counter excessive exposure to dry air. 'Therefore, minimising exposure to wind and extremely humid climates is crucial for maintaining healthy hair during your travels.' Holidaymakers looking to maintain their hair health should take a number of factors into consideration, including wind speed and humidity (stock image) Using Frances' tips, Shark Beauty compiled a list of the most popular holiday destinations and collected data regarding their yearly average humidity levels and wind speed, as well as their water hardness. The top 10 holiday destinations for your hair: Sydney Vancouver Madrid Florence Tokyo Tasmania Vienna Doha Kyoto Dubrovnik Advertisement The brand then normalised the data points to bring them to a scale between 0-20 to make a fair comparison against one another and gave each location a final index score. Coming out on top as the best destination for hair health is Sydney, with an overall index score of 49. The capital of New South Wales was the top location due to its soft water, low humidity levels, and low wind speed. Meanwhile, in Europe, Madrid took to the top spot for the best holiday destination for glossy locks with an index score of 47. Given the city's soft water and relatively low wind speeds, those looking to maintain their hair texture will particularly enjoy Spain's capital. Elsewhere, Tokyo also nabbed a spot in the top five locations for maintaining hair health with an index score of 45, making it an ideal destination for those looking to explore a different culture. It comes after haircare experts revealed the products that could be causing unwanted acne. While many people with sensitive skin are ultra-careful when it comes to the skincare ingredients they use, they pay less attention to the pore-clogging ingredients in their haircare. Sydney came out on top as the best holiday destination for maintaining glossy hair due to its soft water The Ultimate Holiday Hair Routine Taking into account the best conditions for your hair whilst on holiday, Shark Beauty has revealed the ultimate holiday hair care routine. Avoid washing your hair every day - Frequent washing of your hair can strip away all the natural oils therefore making it frizzy and dry. Consider washing it every few days instead and use nourishing products which include SPF when you do so. Think twice before using hotel hair stylers - While it might be tempting to use the hotel appliances when on holiday, they may operate differently to what youre used to. With this in mind, try to bring your own where possible. Wear sun protection - When youre out and about, be sure to wear sun protection. Whether this be wearing either a hat or a bandana, protect your hair colour and avoid sun damage by covering up. Use a hair mask once youre back from holiday - Consider using a hair mask once youre back from your travels. Restore your hair by using a moisturising and hydrating masking product. Advertisement CLEARSTEM is a clean beauty brand that specifically focuses on acne and aging - and the brand's most recent launch is a shampoo brand that specifically is for folks with sensitive skin. Kayleigh Christina, a holistic nutritionist and the co-founder of CLEARSTEM who is based in Los Angeles, California, told DailyMail.com, 'As we've been treating acne for over 10 years, we know that most hair care contributes to back and hairline acne.' 'At least 90 per cent of hair products contain pore-cloggers and the ones that don't usually feel terrible in the hair,' Kayleigh warned. To focus on creating formulas to fill the gap, they made luxurious, acne-safe, dermatologist-tested shampoo and conditioner. Danielle Gronich, a clinical esthetician and acne specialist who owns the San Diego Acne Clinic and co-founded CLEARSTEM with Kayleigh, told FEMAIL, 'Shea butter is a common pore-clogger often found in many conditioners and hair care products.' According to Danielle, a safer bet is kokum seed butter, 'which is a natural non-comedogenic seed butter that improves hair moisture and prevents dryness after rinse-off.' Danielle advised that other ingredients that often break people out are isopropyl myristate and coconut oil. A former Mormon has shared insights into how her voice has changed since leaving the ultra religious sect in her late 20s. Alyssa Grenfell, 31, grew up within the confines of an ultra-strict household but escaped the uptight lifestyle, and began to focus on reclaiming her body after leaving the Mormon church with her husband in 2017. In a recent clip posted to her popular YouTube channel, Alyssa rewatched an interview from when she was was still entrenched in the religion and had just come back from a missionary in Colorado - admitting she barely recognized herself. She was viewing a clip of herself recording her testimony to God after her mission ended, which is meant to inspire younger people to also go on their own. Alyssa Grenfell (pictured main) has shared insight into how her voice has changed since leaving the religious sect, reacting to a video she recorded after her missionary (left inset) On their Mormon missions, the missionaries are meant to spread the gospel to new people, and help expand the church's membership The missions, which last from six to 24 months, are voluntary, and involve church and community service, and humanitarian aid. 'This is the most Mormon version of me, and I feel honestly like I don't recognize that girl,' Alyssa, who now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children, admitted. She addressed the fact that her voice sounded very different to what it does now, noting it was higher and softer. 'You probably already heard it in the clips I've put in so far, that my voice is different,' she shared. 'I have a different cadence I have a lot more pauses, I speak a little more slowly and the tone is higher.' 'Some people call this the "baby fundy" voice - the baby fundamentalism voice,' she shared. Alyssa, who has written a book called How To Leave The Mormon Church about her experience, said it was called that because the tone of voice was common for women raised in a fundamentalist or very high-demand Evangelical types of religion. '[In] Mormonism you often are trained to speak differently - especially as a woman,' Alyssa explained. '[This involves speaking] a little bit more like a child, to speak a little bit more humbly - it's more of an upspeak speaking with a higher tone to sound more childish. The mom-of-two regularly shares tidbits from her past Mormon life to social media. Pictured is Alyssa when she was teaching at a Mormon Missionary Training Center in Utah As Alyssa, who has also written a book called How To Leave The Mormon Church, gets older her fashion choices become bolder as she starts to show more skin and 'reclaim her body back' 'This is a way that you hear all the women around you speak and this is a way that you know you're kind of trained to share your testimony of God.' In the video, Alyssa had written it's a very 'submissive' voice. The mom-of-two said she didn't think she'd be able to do the voice anymore. 'It's a different voice, it's fundamentally a different voice and it's a cult voice,' she reflected. Alyssa said she had complicated feelings while recording her testimony, recalling her mission being very difficult, but she couldn't share her true feelings because they were meant to encourage and inspire younger generations to do the same. The former Mormon also touched on how dangerous the missions could be - especially for women - and that they tended to focus on the etiquette of missionaries rather than their safety. 'There are women who have died on their missions and there's women who have been [raped] on their missions,' she shared. Alyssa acknowledged men were in danger too, and that a man on her husband's mission had a knife pulled on him. 'We were all a little worried about dying,' she admitted. 'I really do hope they're doing more to train women specifically about how to stay safe while they're out there knocking on doors talking with everyone. 'I hope that they're doing more now, because I do feel like there was nothing.' Alyssa said it can be jarring to watch back on the videos of herself when she deeply believed in Mormonism. 'I was so sure about Mormonism back in this video [and] now I don't believe in it,' she said. She continued: 'It's confusing, it's hard to look back at yourself and see what I was then and now feel so differently.' After growing up in a strict Mormon home, Alyssa Grenfell is sharing how she found her personal style and reclaimed her body in her late 20s. Pictured with her husband at 23 The mom-of-two said she didn't think she'd be able to do the voice anymore, reflecting on her life in Mormonism Alyssa Grenfell regularly shares tidbits from her past Mormon life to social media, documenting her journey from active church participant in the ultra-religious sect to finally leaving the group. She recently shared the bizarre list of rules she had to follow when she was a member of the strict religious group - from a ban on coffee to extreme regulations about dating. Alyssa explained that Mormons follow a health code called The Word of Wisdom - which was a scripture essentially given to Joseph Smith when he was organizing the church in what was supposedly a health code given to the Saints for them to follow. While the former member said there was a movement to scale back on the 'very rigid set of rules' that the church enforces, she said the religion itself was always going to center around a set of rules and obsession with purity. The collection from Bored Panda includes examples from the UK and the US Armed with determination, creativity, and a touch of elbow grease, homeowners around the world have transformed their living spaces into incredible feats of decor. People from around the world shared how they outdid themselves with these stunning room transformations on Reddit - and Bored Panda has collated the best examples into an online gallery. One DIY enthusiast from Bristol turned her dated Victorian terrace house living room into a chic, green open space. Elsewhere, a couple in Florida renovated their sunroom from a dark old fashioned enclosure into a airy bright aesthetic. Meanwhile another poster started small by revamping their pantry into a sleek nook. People from around the world shared how they outdid themselves with these stunning room transformations on Reddit - and Bored Panda collated the best into an online gallery. This Chicago resident took their basement bar to the next level by creating a speakeasy atmosphere Meanwhile, a first time buyer also managed to transform their old fashioned kitchen into a contemporary space in just 10 months. And another cleverly modernised their bathroom by replacing the flooring, tiles and bathtub and sink. Here FEMAIL takes a look at some of the most impressive home renovations around... Meanwhile, one homeowner from Bristol transformed her dated Victorian terrace house living room into a chic green space Another poster from the UK modernised their Victorian terrace house bathroom by replacing the flooring, tiles and bathtub and sink, making the space look brighter and more spacious A first time buyer managed to transform their old fashioned kitchen into a contemporary space in just 10 months Elsewhere a couple in Florida rennovated their sunroom from a dark old fashioned space into a airy bright room Meanwhile another poster thought to be from the US started small by revamping their pantry into a sleek nook of the house Elsewhere another person from the US gave their en-suite a modern makeover and transformed the small space into the present day This person from the US decided to do a budget friendly revamp to their kitchen as it is just temporary and it just goes to show how much a difference paint can make Meanwhile this bathroom incredible renovation had made the space look like a completely different room Elsewhere this room was completely transformed by just changing the couch, painting the wall and adding a few stylish accessories When Britain's biggest prison opened its doors in 2017, it was hailed as a 212 million model for the rehabilitation of offenders. But just seven years later, HMP Berwyn in North Wales has acquired a very different reputation as the epicentre of a sex scandal engulfing the Prison Service. Last year it emerged that no less than 18 women working at the Category C 'super-prison' for adult males, with a 2,100 capacity, had been sacked or resigned after breaking the rules on relationships with inmates. Take the case of probationary officer Ayshea Gunn, who exchanged more than 1,200 phone calls, including explicit video calls, with prisoner Khuram Razaq. She even smuggled a pair of knickers into his cell, concealed in her bra. In a similarly sordid tale, her fellow officer Emily Watson performed a sex act on an inmate in his cell on Christmas Day. This sexual impropriety is far from unique to HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, which calls cells 'rooms', blocks 'communities', and allows inmates to have their own phones and laptops. Probationary officer Ayshea Gunn exchanged more than 1,200 phone calls, including explicit video calls, with prisoner Khuram Razaq Ms Gunn in handcuffs on her way to jail after being caught in an illicit relationship with prison inmate Mr Razaq There has been an alarming rise in the number of female officers from across the HM Prison Service found guilty of striking up illicit relationships. Last month two female prison workers appeared at Bolton Crown Court, accused of having simultaneous relationships with the same inmate. Aleesha Bates, 30, and Jodie Wilkes, 27, exchanged thousands of messages with a prisoner in an illicit love triangle at HMP Buckley Hall, Rochdale. Prison officer Bates was the first to start a relationship with an inmate who'd been jailed for drug trafficking offences. She was so infatuated she sent X-rated messages and naked photos, and even planned their future together once he was released. The second relationship, with operational support worker Wilkes, came to light in 2020 when a contraband phone containing 'dozens' of messages was found in the prisoner's cell. Both women admitted misconduct in a public office, with Bates sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and Wilkes handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years. While this is not a problem exclusive to female staff in male prisons, the figures are stark. In the three years to March 2023, 31 female prison staff working in male prisons were sacked, including one who gave birth to her inmate lover's baby and another who had his cell number tattooed on her thigh. That's a more than 50 per cent rise on the 19 women sacked in the previous four-year period, and that figure doesn't include incidents recorded at private prisons, run by companies such as G4S, Serco and Sodexo. Five men working in male prisons, and one or two women working in women's prisons, were sacked for inappropriate relationships over the same period. According to those who have worked in the system, it's just the tip of the iceberg. As one former prison officer, who we are calling Officer A to protect his identity, tells the Mail: 'The numbers will be much, much higher than the figures that have emerged because these events are swept under the carpet if a sexual relationship ever comes to light, then normally the prison officer is given the chance to resign. They don't like this stuff to come out, it's hugely embarrassing.' To an outsider, it's hard to understand what drives an officer to risk an affair with an inmate, knowing they could lose everything if they are caught. So what exactly is going on behind prison walls? Vanessa Frake spent 27 years in the prison service, including as governor at notoriously tough men's prison Wormwood Scrubs. She is dismayed by the latest revelations. 'I think this has always happened in one form or another,' she says. 'But when you see the number of reported cases at somewhere like HMP Berwyn, you have to ask how that has happened.' Female prison worker Jodie Wilkes, 27, exchanged thousands of messages with an inmate Prison officer Aleesha Bates, 30, was also in a relationship with an inmate and sent him X-rated messages and naked photos Undoubtedly, she says, changes in prison staffing procedures are a factor. For about 150 years, under the terms of the 1823 Gaol Act, women's prisons were entirely staffed by women; men's prisons were staffed by men. It was only in the 1980s that cross-sex postings began to be advertised. Since then the acceleration in numbers of women entering the prison service has been steep; some 40 per cent of public sector prison staff are now said to be female. At the same time, perceptions of working in prisons have changed, says Vanessa. 'When I joined, I thought: 'This is going to be my career for the next 30 years.' Nowadays, unfortunately, the prison service isn't seen as a career, but rather as a sort of stop gap for young people who go in for a couple of years and then flit off [to something else],' she explains. The minimum entry age of recruits has dropped from 21 when Vanessa joined the prison service to just 18. 'In my opinion, that's too young,' she says. 'You've got kids of 18 walking around with 40 to 50-year-old career criminals.' She is not alone in raising concerns that younger, less committed recruits are more vulnerable to manipulation. 'Previously many officers in the tough prisons were ex-Armed Forces, who had a lot of real-life experience and were not easily intimidated,' says Officer A, who left the system seven years ago after ten years working in the north-east of England. 'But then they [started to] hire far more people straight out of school who were keen but lacked the confidence to deal with cunning, hardened criminals. 'If you are a 19 or 20-year-old 5ft 4in woman, you won't have the confidence or presence to challenge these guys and they will see you as more pliable and easier to manipulate than a seasoned officer. It's the cold hard truth.' Another former officer, a woman we are calling Officer B, also warns junior officers are being given more responsibility: 'I talk now to ex-colleagues who say if someone has 18 months' experience, they might be the most experienced person on that wing, making decisions for the team. It's crazy.' Vanessa, author of The Governor: My Life inside Britain's Most Notorious Prisons, says there are also failings in training, vetting procedures and a lack of mentors. Vanessa Frake spent 27 years in the prison service, including as governor at notoriously tough men's prison Wormwood Scrubs 'It's all so frantic now. You've got overcrowding, staff shortages, you've got all these things going on and then you've got somebody who walks in, someone who isn't seen as a young, vulnerable person, but as just another body, someone who is allegedly fully-fledged to walk out on a prison wing,' she says. Last year, Mark Fairhurst, general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), also blamed poor training and vetting for the rise in officers succumbing to corruption. Staff are frequently recruited centrally, with interviews conducted over Zoom, he warned, making it harder for bosses to spot potential problems. And while guards are reportedly struggling to keep inmates under control, the inmates keep a keen eye on the guards for vulnerabilities they may be able to exploit, explains Officer B. She spent seven years working in a Category B prison and recalls: 'To many prisoners, the sex itself isn't the goal it is a way of getting the officer in their pocket for other things like smuggling in tobacco, drugs or mobile phones. They know a sexual relationship or flirting is a way of hooking you and hooking you is exactly the goal of the more cunning inmates. 'Inexperienced officers, particularly younger women in a men's prison, will feel like a fresh bit of meat on display.' The prisoners' motivations are clear. But why do officers fall for these tactics? Some commentators have put the trend down to an unconscious compulsion to pursue unsuitable partners, repeating tired cliches about women lusting after a 'bad boy'. Of course, there is a complex web of factors at play, which may include attraction or an urge to transgress. But in Officer B's telling, there is often a deliberate pattern of coercion by the inmate. 'You cannot show a single chink in your armour, or you are finished,' she says. 'I would warn recruits to never even speak about their personal life on the landings because prisoners would listen in and use this stuff against you. 'It might start off with something small; they might challenge you to a game of pool and say the winner gets a Mars Bar. Of course, you can't give them chocolate and if you do then you've broken the rules, and they've got you. 'The squeeze will begin. The next thing is they will ask 'can you bring this in for me' and the whole thing escalates from there.' Once one boundary is crossed, others quickly follow and the power dynamic shifts from officer to prisoner. 'The key thing is the inmate has nothing to lose they are already in prison,' says Officer B. 'Whereas for the prison officer, their entire life is on the line. 'If you've done something wrong and the inmate has the power to ruin your life, you'll do anything to stop that happening.' Notably, when sentencing Bates last month, Judge Elliot Knopf accepted the prison officer had been 'ensnared' by her lover, saying: 'He identified you as someone who could be approached' but adding: 'You did not have to accept that approach.' As for the logistics of an illicit physical affair between a prison officer and an inmate supposedly under constant surveillance often, it seems, it's all too easy. 'There are actually lots of places they could potentially have sex,' says Officer B. 'The cupboards, maybe, if they had someone to keep watch and give a signal if there was someone coming. Even in a cell, if they were happy to live dangerously. 'There is a lock in there of course we would call it 'shooting the bolt' when you put it on a latch. 'And the officer could plausibly come up with an excuse, [saying] they needed to have a chat with this inmate, for example. 'I would never go into a prisoner's cell without another officer there, but I have known it to happen.' Officer A, meanwhile, recalls a colleague being caught committing sexual acts with an inmate in a prison's 'methadone room' a medical room where recovering addicts would receive treatment. 'It came to light because of a very distinctive tattoo she had above her groin, which a few colleagues knew about because she had told us, but of course no prisoners would have been aware of,' he says. 'Then a prisoner started talking about this tattoo the only way they could have possibly known is if the two of them had a physical relationship. 'She was never charged, but she was investigated and was told: 'Resign and you can walk away, or you will be arrested'. 'I believe she had also been smuggling drugs on behalf of this prisoner, which shows it is never just about the sex for these guys.' While the officer in that case may, astonishingly, have escaped punishment, for others the penalty for crossing the line is steep. On the other hand, notes Vanessa, too often manipulators behind bars are never punished for their actions. 'The whole focus is on the woman,' she says. 'What gets forgotten is there are prisoners who have the one thing the rest of the nation doesn't have, time. Time to work out who is vulnerable, who is new, who they can twist. What happens to that corrupter?' She points out that there are already legal structures for dealing with this type of behaviour but says they are not being used enough. 'There is the Bribery Act of 2010 and there is also the prison disciplinary system. These prisoners can be taken to court, can be moved. 'We need to be much more robust with these corrupters of staff as well.' A Prison Service spokesperson said: The overwhelming majority of our prison staff are hardworking and honest but thanks to our action including bolstering our Counter-Corruption Unit we are catching more of the small minority who are not. Her bestselling book sold more than a million copies and for at least a decade she was the baby sleep guru, famous for the strictness of her feeding regime and popularity among working mothers. But what was her policy on crying? At the weekend Gina Ford gave her first interview in 17 years and surprised many of us by saying that she has 'never advised parents to let their babies cry it out'. Instead, following her methods correctly means 'there should not be a lot of crying'. So what really happened to the generation of new mothers who followed Gina Ford's methods? Four writers recall their experience, with varying degrees of success... Clare Foges: 'Like a sergeant screaming your boots aren't shiny' Ah, the halcyon days of early parenthood. So deliriously tired was I that I chucked my keys in the fridge, spread pesto on my toast and often fell asleep mid-conversation, mouth wide as the Blackwall Tunnel, dribbling. Why didn't my baby sleep properly? When would I ever shower? How could I reintroduce a modicum of control over my life? Gina Ford's bestselling book sold over a million copies and for a decade she was the baby sleep guru, famous for the strictness of her feeding regime and popularity among working mothers Desperate for answers, 3am googling led me to a name revered and loathed by parents in equal measure: Gina Ford. Queen of routine, goddess of getting your child to sleep through the night. When it comes to parenting a newborn, Ford is about as relaxed as one of those army sergeants who screams in the face of rookies because their boots aren't shiny enough. Baby has to be up and fed before 7am sharp! Baby must never be cuddled to sleep! No repeat no eye contact with baby in the evening! For some, this approach has been helpful. A friend of mine who got her twins into clockwork routine says if she'd had a third child it would have been called Gina or Gino. For me, though, parenting the Ford way was miserable. So desperate was I for shut-eye that for a couple of weeks I followed her approach to the letter. Maddeningly, my daughter wouldn't play ball. When Gina said she should be awake, her eyes were drooping, with me frantically blowing in her face to try to keep her conscious ('No! This isn't allowed for another 17 minutes!'). A soul-destroying aspect of Gina Ford parenting is that it ties you to the house for large chunks of the day, writes Clare Foges When Gina said she should be feeding, her mouth would be clamped shut. Worst, when she was supposed to be napping, she would coo in her cot or cry. I recall sitting in the dark sobbing, resisting those age-old instincts to pick up and cuddle my baby because Gina implied that if I did I'd be creating a rod for my own back. Indeed, in recent days Ford has scoffed at the need to comfort your child physically: 'They tell you to rock your baby to sleep... They don't tell you that you could face hell in seven months' time when your baby can't get to sleep without being rocked or given a dummy,' she said in her first interview for 17 years. 'Hell'? You could see cuddling your child as hell, I suppose, or you could see it as closer to Heaven. Another soul-destroying aspect of Gina Ford parenting is that it ties you to the house for large chunks of the day. Since she insists that baby must nap in their cot in a darkened room, walks in the sun and coffee with friends are sacrificed to The Routine. In just a couple of weeks this semi-imprisonment sent me doolally and borderline depressed. Ford's popularity is down to the quick-fix age we live in. We pampered 21st-century creatures want offspring who will slot into a neat baby-shaped hole in our lives and be as predictable as clockwork. But in my experience (I now have four children) the baby days are meant to be all-consuming, life-upending, unpredictable and messy. Anyone led to believe their baby should be in a routine by four weeks, sleeping through by six weeks and dancing the hornpipe by eight is in for a shock. So after my brief brush with Ford parenting, I submitted to reality and became a slave to whatever my baby wanted. Now on my fourth, I feed her when she wants, let her nap when she wants, respond to her cries, cuddle her to sleep and co-sleep, all things that Ford no doubt disapproves of. But you know what? Letting the baby lead the way isn't just nicer for her; it's rather more relaxing for me too. Lucy Cavendish: 'When I bottle fed, friends thought I failed' I first 'met' Gina Ford when I had my second son, Leonard, in 2003. At that point, her baby-training manual, The New Contented Little Baby Book, was required reading for every new mother. All my friends 'did' the Gina Ford method, which basically involved putting your baby your tiny little baby on a very strict schedule with very precise deadlines to meet. So many mothers swore by it, saying that their babies were eating and sleeping like a dream, and as my eldest, Raymond, had been a terrible sleeper and eater, I decided to give it a go with Leonard. Every time I read more of Ford, I ended up hating both her, with her strict methods, and myself for not having the will of iron you would need to adhere to them, admits Lucy Cavendish I have no idea what possessed me. As soon as I looked at the chapter headings, I should have thrown it out of the window. Baby has to learn to wait to be fed. Baby must be put in his own room almost from Day One. Baby cannot be picked up. Baby has to be trained like a labrador or a poodle to fit in with this schedule, which isn't his schedule but yours. What it all seemed to add up to was a scenario in which, if you followed this draconian regime, you would have a life that felt as if you had never had a baby at all. But here is the problem. Babies are disruptive little creatures. They are supposed to cry and wail. They don't know what else to do to get your attention. And they love being picked up and cuddled, and to snuggle up for a good warm feed. What babies don't like is being left for hours on end. They don't like being put on schedules. I found the whole process unbelievably upsetting. It went against every single instinct I had as a mother. As soon as little Lennie cried, every nerve ending in my body jangled. My desire to pick him up was overwhelming. I couldn't bear leaving him alone to wail and work himself up into a state of red-faced meltdown. I loathed not feeding him on demand. Every time I read more of Ford and I re-read her endlessly to bolster my resolve I ended up hating both her, with her strict methods, and myself for not having the will of iron you would need to adhere to them. In the end, I caved. I just threw the book in the bin and went back to the sort of warm, cuddly baby-centric parenting my entire being longed to do. However, others did stick with it, and, yes, I know they thought I had failed. We would sit in a cafe, Lennie would sniffle and I would get a bottle out or feed him myself and give him a cuddle, and the others would roll their eyes in frustration at my lack of discipline. Surely I was spoiling him and my own life at the same time by giving in to his every irrational whim. Then I would see how stressed they were trying to ignore their own hungry, unhappy babies. And I would know I was doing the right thing. Nicole Lampert: 'My sister gave me the book. Best thing she's done' I will never forget sitting crying out of frustration in that first week after I brought my son home from hospital. I looked from baby book to baby book, the words swimming in front of my eyes through exhaustion, for a clue about what to do about a newborn that would not sleep. In my other world I was a success I was the Mail's showbusiness editor and my nights were spent partying with A-list celebrities. But in this new world of motherhood, I had never felt such a failure. My son would be awake all night and I had no idea how to make him sleep. Gina spoke sense. She knows babies, she knows mothers and she knows that there are no easy answers when you bring home a newborn, says Nicole Lampert And then my sister did possibly the best thing she has ever done. She slipped me Gina Ford's baby manual and said 'follow this'. Within six weeks my son Ben was sleeping through the night a whole eight hours. The holy grail had been reached. Gina was not for everyone. In my tofu-swilling breastfeeding-until-they-are-four neck of the woods I live in Muswell Hill, North London, which is nicknamed Muesli Hill Gina Ford's name was practically verboten. But we Gina followers sought each other out. We didn't have dark rings under our eyes we were the ones with the sleeping babies and, more than that, a degree of control. And it was the lack of control over this mewling, pooing, burping creature that I had brought home that had flummoxed me the most. Why was he crying? Why wouldn't he sleep? Gina gave me not only a strict timetable to follow (a useful guide that I never managed to perfect), which meant I knew when to feed and when to put him to bed. Crucially, it also meant that if he cried, I had a good idea why. Gina spoke sense. She knows babies, she knows mothers and she knows that there are no easy answers when you bring home a newborn. I'm so pleased young mothers still get the benefit of her advice even if they have to whisper her name to each other. Anna Maxted: 'I ditched manual... a win for my mental health' 'Remember Gina Ford?' I say to my husband. 'The crying baby woman?' he replies 'Ugh. I get the logic if you were working parents, and couldn't afford to be awake half the night. But it sends a pretty profound message to the child, doesn't it?' Quite. Nonetheless, 22 years ago, we were frightened novice parents. So we turned to the expert and The New Contented Little Baby Book. My problem was not being able to produce much breast milk. Consequently, for the first fortnight my baby was half-starved, sucking away on nothing. The day I ditched that book was a win for my mental health, writes Anna Maxted So when I tried to enforce a neat routine of precisely-timed naps, as she suggested, he would roar his head off. He's hungry, said my mother. Ford wasn't so sure. 'A well-meaning grandmother may try to convince you that your baby's fretfulness is due to hunger, that you are probably not producing enough milk to satisfy him... Please be reassured... if your baby totally empties a breast... and is offered the other one, he will not go hungry.' My baby lost over ten per cent of his body weight and the hospital maternity nurse shouted at me to supplement with formula ('He needs it medically!'). But I was wary. Mainly thanks to the National Childbirth Trust. But also Ford mentioned 'nipple confusion' caused by bottle feeding more than once a day, potentially putting him off the breast. However, the word 'medically' penetrated my brain. So I fed my ravenous, wakeful baby formula when he needed it 'feeding on demand' as the community midwife advised. I felt bad about it, however, and went half-mad trying to increase my own milk production. I paid for expensive breastfeeding advisers, drank stinking fennel tea, ate like a pig all to no avail. To Ford it was all fairly simple: 'One of the reasons the majority of my mothers are so successful at breastfeeding is because I encourage the use of an electric expressing machine.' But I pumped relentlessly, even getting up at 6am after a night of broken sleep to pump again, and still . . . not enough. I realise there is more nuance in her advice than she is given credit for. But it was easy to believe I was a faulty mother. And then one day, reading the book again, wretched and red-eyed with exhaustion, I came across the line: 'It is much easier to bond with a happy, contented baby than an irritable, fretful one who needs constant feeding and rocking.' Well, yes, can't argue with that, Gina but equally, quite an unsympathetic read of the entire essence of babyhood. I saw sense it was my job to adapt to my newborn's needs, not the other way round. The day I ditched that book was a win for my mental health. My baby and I bonded as I soothed his crying, fed him when he was hungry and rocked him to sleep. I felt good about that, and I still do. It was an emotional day for Queen Camilla, who earlier today visited The Royal Lancers - the regiment her later father served with - in North Yorkshire for the first time since being appointed as their Colonel-in-Chief. Despite winning a Military Cross for valour, Major Bruce Shand was a modest and self-effacing man who chose not to speak about his wartime exploits until his grandchildren were born. It took his daughter, now the King's wife, to persuade him to write a book, Previous Engagements, about his time in uniform. It was published in 1990 and she said this was 'a huge load off his mind to be able to tell people about it'. Major Shand, who died in June 2006, was commissioned into the 12th Royal Lancers in 1937 after graduating from Sandhurst. It was an emotional day for Queen Camilla, who earlier today visited The Royal Lancers - the regiment her later father served with - in North Yorkshire for the first time since being appointed as their Colonel-in-Chief In 1940 he found himself in France facing the Germans in their drive toward the sea. Pulling back with his men to the coast, he narrowly avoided capture before evacuation from Dunkirk. The citation for his Military Cross speaks of Shand's 'skill and great daring' and how, by 'the fearless manoeuvring of his troop, he covered the withdrawal of a column in the face of fire from four enemy tanks'. Major Shand also saw action in North Africa and in the battle of El Alamein was ordered to slip through enemy lines on a reconnaissance mission. Confronted by a German motorised column that engaged his men with heavy fire, he covered the withdrawal of the 1st/6th Rajputana Rifles and organised the evacuation of 20 armoured cars, which would otherwise have fallen into enemy hands. Again his huge valour was recognised by others, this time with a recommendation that he be awarded a Bar to his MC. The citation said he had proved himself a cavalry leader of 'the first order'. He was later introduced to Winston Churchill, who admired Major Shand's medal and commented on how thin he was. In November 1942 his luck finally ran out when he was captured by retreating German forces. His radio operator was killed along with his driver as they attempted to flee. And as he climbed out of their burning vehicle, Major Shand was himself shot in the knee. Despite winning a Military Cross for valour, Major Bruce Shand (pictured in 1946 on his wedding day) was a modest and self-effacing man who chose not to speak about his wartime exploits until his grandchildren were born He was taken to Germany and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in Spangenberg Castle, Hesse. After returning home he married Rosalind Cubitt, the daughter of Lord Ashcombe. Camilla was the first of their three children. The Queen got to reconnect with a part of her father's history as she sweetly met young children of soldiers during her visit. Heading to the barracks on Monday, Her Majesty, sporting a striking military-inspired outfit with chain mail at the shoulders met with youngsters, who were very so excited to meet the Queen. Five-year-old Edie Pritchard had spent days perfecting her curtsies before meeting the Queen for the first time on Monday, but quickly became overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation. Shortly after handing Camilla a beautiful posy of flowers, the youngster jumped up and down on the spot before quickly running to shield behind her mother, Georgie Pritchard, who continued to chat with the Queen about the weather. After returning home he married Rosalind Cubitt, the daughter of Lord Ashcombe. Camilla was the first of their three children. Camilla and her father pictured in 1992 The Queen got to reconnect with a part of her father's history as she sweetly met young children of soldiers during her visit. Pictured: Camilla's children Tom Parker Bowles (right) and Laura Parker Bowles (left) and her father in 2005 Camilla pictured with her father, centre, and her brother Mark in 2003. Today she got to reconnect with her family history Mrs Pritchard, whose husband is Major Tom Pritchard the officer commander of B Squadron, said: 'She's been so excited for a week she was at home practicing her curtises. 'I only told her today that she would be handing the flowers over to her as I thought it would be too much for her. 'She was absolutely thrilled, it's the dream of every girl to meet the Queen.' She went on to say the Queen's visit meant so much to the Regiment, and said: 'Because she is linked to the regiment through her family it doesn't just feel like a day job when she's here, it feels like she wants to be here. There's a real sense of that when you chat to her. She's interested and she cares and that is really really lovely.' Other little ones bowed down to the royal, with one boy saying: 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty' before being commended on his 'great bow'. The young fans then shook Camilla's hands, before she remarked: 'You've got cold fingers, you'll have to warm those up'. Her Majesty, who took the appointment last June, wore a a blue Fiona Clare dress modelled on the Lancers uniform with a red mandarin collar and a jaunty beret with the regimental brooch in that had belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was the previous holder of the position. Interestingly, the designer's son is also a Captain in the Lancers and was present at the event. The Queen was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant, Jo Ropner, and Colonel of the Regiment, Colonel Richard Charrington at Cambrai Lines within Munster Barracks at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. She was then received by a Royal Salute before braving the rain to inspect some of the 152 Lancers on parade. Camilla then gave a deeply personal speech, recalling her father's first impression of the Regiment as relaxed and friendly - particularly the senior NCOs who he later write 'took my education in hand and tactfully but firmly directed my floundering steps. They were very competent nannies with a decidedly un-nanny like capacity for beer'. Queen Camilla sported a striking military-inspired outfit with chain mail at the shoulders as she visited The Royal Lancers in North Yorkshire for the first time since being appointed as their Colonel-in-Chief Colonel Richard Charrington presented Britain's Queen Camilla with a trophy which celebrated her visit to The Royal Lancers Today, the Queen, pictured, met with those serving Royal Lancers and veterans at their barracks Eight-seven years later, she added, the atmosphere was happily unchanged but quipped: 'Although I shan't ask about the NCOs capacity for beer!' Referring to the forthcoming deployments to Poland, Kosovo and Cyprus, she said: 'The Lancers have always struck me for their family spirit, whose comfort and support I experienced as a daughter of the Regiment, and I'm delighted to see so many families and members of the Old Comrades Association here today. Particularly now, as so many of your loved ones look to deploy overseas. 'During the British Expeditionary Force's withdrawal to Dunkirk, battling against insidious tiredness, poor mapping, and an ever-advancing enemy force, my father reflected: "My troop were wonderful" and "I know as a Troop Leader how much I owe to thesesoldiers". 'As you look towards a deployment of challenge and complexity, I know this fierce Lancers camaraderie will be replicated as you strive to make our world a safer place. 'I wish you all Godspeed over the coming months, the greatest of good fortune and a very safe return.' A pair of would-be-renters 'dodged a bullet' after finding a lengthy warning written on the inside of a cupboard while checking out a new home. The Brisbane couple were interested in an apartment listed for $480 per week - but the message penned by the anonymous former tenant warned it wasn't worth it. In a note hastily scrawled in red pen, the outgoing residents said the rental was 'the worst they had ever experienced' and urged anyone viewing the space to 'RUN'. The list included issues like mould in the bathroom, broken window hinges and a poorly sealed kitchen bench. They also complained about the landlord's erratic and unreliable behaviour. A pair of would-be-renters 'dodged a bullet' after finding a lengthy warning written on the inside of a cupboard while checking out a new home 'He will come in and out of the property when he shouldn't,' they claimed. 'He is cheap... he won't fix anything.' Other issues included peeling paint, a cockroach infestation which was there before they moved in, and no soundproofing, making it hard to enjoy any piece and quiet. The couple posted the note on Reddit, where many agreed 'everyone should do this' for future tenants. 'Tenants get blacklisted for s**t behavior. Landlords should too. I could one day be a landlord and I would want to do right by tenants. I would not rent out until I have a fund set aside to cover repairs,' one said. Some said they regret not doing the same after leaving 'disgusting' rentals. 'I wish I had thought of this before leaving our old place. Our landlord refused to hire professionals to fix the obvious leak in the upstairs bathroom,' one woman said. Huge crowds are attending rental inspections across the country 'It took over two months of sending emails to the landlord with pictures and explanations as to why mould was such a health risk [two babies in the house] I finally got an email asking who I was,' she fumed. Others shared their own rental horror stories. 'There's a real estate mob in Newcastle that threaten legal action against one-star reviews on Google and tries to dox ex-renters if they can ID them. They strike me as the kind of cheapskates who'd rage at negative reviews, but refuse to pay for their removal,' one person wrote. Other sympathetic people argued it was a landlord's market and the condition of the home 'doesn't really matter'. 'Unfortunately, given the current market, this place will be rented again within a week,' they said. The couple said the real estate agent quickly wiped off the note as soon as she saw it. 'My husband was just there at the right time,' the woman said. And he heeded the warning, taking the photo of the sign on his way out. Prince Louis turns six today, and while he will mark his big day away from the limelight his mother Kate previously gave an insight into a sweet royal birthday tradition. Kate, 42, revealed that she's known for staying up late the night before her children's birthdays to whip up a homemade cake for their special day. Back in 2019 on the one-off special A Berry Royal Christmas, she told Mary Berry: 'I love making the cake. 'It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up until midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much but I love it'. Pictured above: Prince Louis of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales watch an RAF flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023 Pictured above: Prince Louis attends the Christmas Day service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2022 in Sandringham, Norfolk This comes after royal fans eager to mark Prince Louis' sixth year of life with a celebratory photo were left disappointed when the Prince and Princess of Wales' social media accounts stayed silent in the early hours of his birthday. Royal fans had been hoping the couple would keep up their tradition of releasing new photographs to celebrate his birth. The Waleses were intending to release a photograph for Louis' birthday despite the frenzy over the manipulated family picture issued by Kensington Palace on Mother's Day, sources close to the family said last month. However, the snap of the beaming young prince has finally been released, with the account wishing him a very happy birthday. The photo was taken by his mother, the Princess of Wales, who often photographs her children's birthday portraits. The caption reads: 'Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.' As the beaming prince looks into the camera, he is lying on his front and looks all grown up with his brunette hair swept to the side, and a smart checked shirt. He appears to be wearing dark trousers and is lying on a fleeced blanket. The Princess of Wales took Prince Louis's birthday snap to mark her youngest child turning six today The Waleses have released a new photo of Louis each year to mark his birthday. Last year, they shared an adorable photo of Kate pushing him around in a wheelbarrow in Windsor to mark his turning five. For his previous birthdays the couple shared pictures of Louis that Kate, a self-described amateur photographer, took herself. The photo marking his fourth year of life was taken at a beach in Norfolk and the image shared on his third birthday showcased the young royal riding his bike at Kensington Palace, shortly before he left for his first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School. For his first and second birthdays, the couple released photos that were taken at their home. A single mother flew to Paris for just 11 hours to celebrate her birthday with her two children - and claims it was cheaper than taking them to a theme park in the UK. Stefanie Curran, 40, from Torquay, Devon took her two sons Brody, 11, and Romeo, seven, to France for the day because she didn't have enough money for a week-long escape. She only spent 55 each on return flights, and the family spent the day sightseeing, eating pastries and shopping. The single parent estimates she saved 100 in comparison to a day trip to a British theme park, such as a 500 overnight trip to Legoland, but admits she could have cut costs even further. Stefanie, a director for a social enterprise said: 'I wanted to do something for my birthday but didn't have enough for a full-blown holiday. Brody, 11, (right) and Romeo, 7, (left) are all smiles in Paris to celebrate their mother's big 40th birthday Brody's goal for the trip was to have a croissant and he enjoyed tuckng into the snack Brody, 11, pictured at the Eiffel Tower. His mother spent 55 each on return flights and the family enjoyed a day of sightseeing 'So I just started looking around for ideas and realised we could go to Paris and back in a day. Total costs in Paris Return flights - 166 for three Bus - 70 (83) Food and drinks - 50 Taxis - 111 (130) Total - 397 Advertisement 'We didn't do it as cheap as we could have, but it was definitely cheaper than taking the kids to a waterpark or some of the attractions in the UK which are extortionate. So I think we did pretty well for the price'. Stefanie flew from Bristol Airport at 7.15am and arrived in Paris at 9.30am, before taking a taxi straight to the Eiffel Tower - costing her 73. The family travelled across the city via the sightseeing bus Tootbus for the combined price of 83. She said: 'The bus saved our legs from getting tired and meant we could see loads of the main sights. 'You can get on and off wherever you want, which worked really well for us. 'My eldest's only goal for the trip was having a croissant and he wanted the most expensive croissant in Paris, so we were able to stop off on our way and do that'. The Tootbus also allowed Stefanie to visit her favourite shop Le Creuset as well as see the Champs-Elysees. Stefanie Curran, 40, took her two sons Brody, 11, and Romeo, seven, to France after not having enough money for a week-long escape Stefanie flew from Bristol Airport at 7.15am in April and arrived in Paris at 9.30am, before taking a taxi straight to the Eiffel Tower - costing her 73 The family feasted on avocado and sundried tomatoes on toast before finishing back at the Eiffel Tower The Tootbus also allowed Stefanie to visit her favourite shop, French luxury kitchenware store Le Creuset as well as see the Champs-Elysees The two boys looked cheery as they were snapped next to an ice cream cone with a chocolate treat They enjoyed avocado and sundried tomatoes on toast before finishing back at the Eiffel Tower. Stefanie and her boys took a 57 taxi back to the airport for their 8.10pm flight, arriving back in the UK at 8.25pm. Stefanie says that the trip was a cost-effective substitute to a day out at home - even including the additional shopping and travel costs. She said: 'Even our local water park costs 95 for the day with parking included. It costs 500 for Legoland with an overnight stay'. Stefanie felt lucky the day all went to plan - with no delays. The single mother said: 'I had to do a lot of warning my kids that this could be a complete disaster because if you get a couple hours delay, you've missed half your day. 'My eldest is autistic and my youngest would have got bored if there had been any delays, so I brought a whole bag of fidget toys which broke everything up a bit. 'It's a whistle-stop tour so we had to decide not to go into any of the attractions because of the queuing time, but it was a really good way of experimenting with travelling with the kids. Stefanie Curran, 40, and her two sons, Brody, 11, and Romeo, 7, in Paris Romeo, 7, enjoying views of Paris from an open top bus. The family travelled across the city via the sightseeing bus Tootbus for the combined price of 83 'I felt really good because I'd survived taking my kids to another country in one day it was a proud single parent moment'. Stefanie says anyone planning a similar trip should wear comfortable footwear, and pack as much as you can 'without making your bag too heavy'. She said: 'It was a really fun adventure. We're hoping to do another one in the summer, ideally to Alicante'. The total cost of the trip including expenses was an estimated 400. READ MORE: Jamie Oliver fails to impress in new Channel 4 series Viewers haven't taken a liking to Jamie Oliver's no base cheesecake Viewers of Jamie Oliver's Air Fryer Meals have been left far from impressed with the chef's 'biscuitless' cheesecake. In the second installment of the series - which aired across the UK on Channel 4 last night - the celebrity chef, 48, debuted his signature air fried vanilla and chocolate cheesecake. The novel idea - which meant the cheesecake could be completely cooked in the modern oven - was even more unique because it lacked a traditional crumb base. However some viewers appeared uninterested with the modification, including one watcher who branded it a 'crime', while another said it was 'burnt'. While talking viewers through the cooking process he said: 'Alright first layer done, have a little look at that. It already looks beautiful'. Viewers of Jamie Oliver 's Air Fryer Meals have been left far from impressed with the chef's 'biscuitless' cheesecake (pictured) Some viewers declared that the chef had burnt his own dessert As if predicting what would be on viewers' minds, he added: 'And for anyone thinking that looks burnt - no, no, no, no... that is perfection. We want it caramelised'. However Jamie later conceded that parts of its top layer were 'slightly burnt' and tasted like 'caramel'. By this point the food connoisseur had already cooked one layer of the three-layer cheesecake by using an air fryer. He also revealed he'd made countless attempts before arriving at the perfect recipe - which he said was inspired by a German layered dessert. For the cheesecake, he used cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla paste, eggs, plain flour, chocolate and butter. After stirring the ingredients together with a whisk, he noted the 'very quick recipe' should be separated into thirds, before cooking each portion for 8-10 minutes. While waiting for the dessert to heat, he put together a raspberry compote to accompany the dish. After nearly 30 minutes, the sweet treat was done and ready to be devoured. What made the cheesecake even more unique was that it lacked a traditional crumb base The celebrity chef showed watchers how the vanilla and chocolate cheesecake could be cooked in the modern oven 'Come on!' He shouted. 'Beautiful. Look at that. Beautifully golden brown on the top. That's exactly what I wanted' he said. However some viewers weren't convinced, most notably one person who seemed offended by the 'no biscuit base'. Taking to X, they wrote: 'A cheesecake with no biscuit base. I think you need to go to the nearest police station and confess this crime. The biscuit base is the best part and the essence of the top tier cheesecake'. They added': 'Im checking into rehab in the morning, cant cope with the idea of a biscuit less base on a cheese cake'. Meanwhile other viewers said the cheesecake was overcooked. 'That looks badly burnt, mate' said one. 'Burnt the cheesecake!' said another. However one person wrote: 'Quite a few cheesecakes don't have a base. They're delicious'. Elsewhere in the episode the star showed viewers how to cook up savoury dishes in an air fryer. Jamie insisted that the cheesecake wasn't burnt, and was instead 'beautiful' For the recipe, he whisked together cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla paste, eggs, plain flour, chocolate and butter Dishes included chicken and mushroom pastry parcels, grilled Mediterranean veg and flatbread recipe, and stuffed salmon. Special guest Sabrina Gidda shared her recipe for air fried Masala-spiced lamb chops and rice. Last week, the first episode of the programme left viewers even less dazzled. Jamie kicked off the series by sharing a prosciutto fish recipe, a roast chicken dinner curry and a peach-baked Alaska. But his bid to show that air fryers are about 'so much more than nuggets and chips' failed to impress critics, with the Guardian branding the show 'bewilderingly cringe' and 'deafening'. Meanwhile, viewers on X, formerly Twitter, reported a similar viewpoint, and one remarked: 'The Jamie Oliver air fryer programme is nowhere near reality.' Oliver created the Channel 4 show in partnership with Tefal following the device's boom in popularity in recent years. The episode saw Oliver employ an air fryer to create prosciutto-baked fish, cheddar cheese and chive scones, Keralan-style roast chicken, pork and pineapple noodles, and a peach-baked Alaska. Other viewers branded the cheesecake a 'crime', while another said it was 'burnt' TikTok influencer and Michelin-trained chef Poppy O'Toole also featured in the new show alongside Jamie. Despite the television chef's best attempt to create tasty, simple air fryer recipes, backlash has brewed among critics and viewers. Discussing the show, Lucy Mangan of the Guardian wrote: 'Jamie Oliver jumps on the culinary bandwagon in this bewilderingly cringey two-parter. Hasn't even he tired of his own shtick by now?' 'There are only two episodes in Jamie's latest venture and things are starting to feel stretched long before the end of the first. Meanwhile, Benji Wilson on the Telegraph questioned whether the show's product placement with Tefal was problematic. He wrote: 'Basically then, Jamie's Air Fryer Meals with Tefal is itself an advert. It could be called Tefal's Air Fryer Meals with Jamie. The question is whether this is a problem or not.' In a statement announcing the new Channel 4 show - which is sponsored by Tefal, which makes air fryers - Oliver said: 'It's super-rare for a piece of kitchen kit to revolutionise how people are choosing to cook in the way the air fryer has done. 'At first, I was sceptical, but as soon as I started to test and play around with ideas, settings and new ways to create flavour and texture, I was totally hooked. 'In my mind, anything that gets people cooking is a win. And the fact that the air fryer uses less energy, saves time and creates much less washing-up all while turning out delicious, nutritious food can only be a good thing. 'It's a great solution for the modern family, where days are often hectic and decent meals are needed, fast.' Oliver also cited the popularity of air fryer recipes he has been posting on his website since last year, saying they had been 'a huge hit' with more than 500,000 views. Katie Millard of Jamie Oliver Productions said: 'Working with our long-term partner, Tefal, Jamie was able to respond to the huge public demand for more air fryer recipes and loved every second developing the new recipes. 'As this series will show, there is so much more to an air fryer than nuggets and chips'. Blinken to visit China, discuss bilateral ties 10:57, April 23, 2024 By Cao Desheng ( China Daily US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China from Wednesday to Friday amid intensive engagements recently between Chinese and US officials, in a trip that analysts said could lay the groundwork for keeping bilateral ties on the right track. Blinken will meet with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing to discuss a range of bilateral, regional and global issues, such as the crisis in the Middle East, the Ukraine crisis and the South China Sea, according to a statement released by the United States Department of State. He will also discuss ongoing work to fulfill the commitments made by the two heads of state during their meeting in San Francisco in November on counternarcotics cooperation, military-to-military communication, artificial intelligence and the strengthening of people-to-people ties, the statement said. Blinken's trip will follow a telephone conversation between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden on April 2, in which both sides agreed to stay in communication and tasked their teams to deliver on the common understanding of the two presidents. His trip will also follow the visit by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen from April 4 to 9. During her visit, Yellen reiterated that the US is not seeking to decouple from China, and she called for both sides to maintain communication. Since Yellen's visit, there have been intensive interactions between the two countries. On April 11, Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Blinken, exchanging views on the situation in the Middle East. From April 14 to 16, Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant US secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and Sarah Beran, the US National Security Council's senior director for China affairs, visited China. On April 16, Defense Minister Dong Jun had a video call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. In addition, as a follow-up to Yellen's visit, the economic and financial working groups of China and the US held their fourth meeting in Washington, DC, on April 16, with the two sides engaging in "in-depth, pragmatic and constructive" dialogue on the macroeconomic situations of both countries and the world, as well as on how to achieve balanced growth, among other topics. Zhao Minghao, a professor of international studies at Fudan University, said all these interactions, including Blinken's upcoming visit to China, will help prepare for the development of bilateral relations. "Beijing and Washington should not carry out a dialogue simply for its own sake. They need to meet each other halfway and genuinely commit to bringing about practical results," Zhao said. "Can Washington put its words into action? This will be critical to the stabilization of China-US ties and their ongoing durability." During a fireside chat on Friday with Graham Allison, founding dean of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng reemphasized that the China-US relationship should not be defined by competition, as there are many areas in which the two countries can cooperate. "This is like racing cars on a cliff's edge, where conceited drivers are most likely to end up falling into the abyss below," Xie said. On China-US economic and trade relations, Xie stressed that such ties are essentially mutually beneficial. "A trade war serves no one's interests," he said. "Ultimately, American consumers will pay the cost, American businesses will suffer losses, the international economic and trade order and global industrial and supply chains will be rattled, and the global recovery will be dragged down." (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) By Kim Hyun-bin Mehmet Gonenc, a Turkish artillery officer, was remembered for his heroic sacrifice during the Korean War, where he displayed extraordinary bravery in the face of enemy occupation. Gonenc's actions from April 22 to 23, 1951, exemplify the courage and dedication of Turkish soldiers in defending their positions against overwhelming odds. According to firsthand accounts, Gonenc, serving in the Ninth Infantry Division, bravely called for artillery support despite being surrounded by enemy forces. In a radio transmission to the artillery battalion headquarters, Gonenc urgently requested assistance. "The enemy has occupied our hill. Many casualties have occurred. The infantry battalion commander has become a prisoner of war. A signalman has also fallen. Fire the cannons at these coordinates," he said, according to eyewitnesses, giving the coordinates for artillery fire to his location. His commanding officer at the time recounted Gonenc's unwavering determination, saying, "Mehmet Gonenc displayed exceptional courage and selflessness in the face of imminent danger. His actions reflect the highest ideals of military service." Even in the face of known dangers, Gonenc remained steadfast in his determination, refusing to yield to the enemy. "We won't allow ourselves to fall into enemy hands. Don't let them take us prisoner. Direct the artillery fire to our positions; I'll relay the coordinates once more," he said in his last transmission before the radio fell silent. The decision to honor Gonenc's sacrifice was unanimous among his fellow officers, who were deeply moved by his bravery. "Mehmet Gonenc's sacrifice will be remembered as a symbol of valor and honor for generations to come," a fellow officer said. The commemoration ceremony for Gonenc and his comrades was held in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. "Lieutenant Mehmet Gonenc's story shone like a beacon during the difficult times of war, and he played a decisive role in changing the course of the battle and saving thousands of lives," Turkish Ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer said at the ceremony. "The sacrifices and heroism of Turkish soldiers who participated in the Korean War have contributed, even if just a little, to the formation of this beautiful country, giving us pride and sustaining our friendship and brotherhood." Prince Louis is beaming from ear to ear in an adorable photo released to mark his sixth birthday which was taken by his mother, the Princess of Wales. The youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales celebrates turning six today, after returning to school following the Easter holidays. Typically, Kensington Palace will release portraits of the Wales children early in the morning to mark their birthdays, however fans were left disappointed this morning when the social media accounts for Kate and William did not feature any photos of the cheeky six-year-old. In a break with tradition, William and Kate shared a photo of their younger son this afternoon rather than at midnight on his birthday as is customary with new royal portraits. It is understood the photo was released later than usual because the family is going through an 'unprecedented' time. The photo was taken in the grounds of Adelaide Cottage by his mother, the Princess of Wales, who often photographs her children's birthday portraits. It suggests that, as she recovers from chemotherapy, she is feeling well enough to get back behind the camera. The Princess of Wales took Prince Louis's birthday snap to mark her youngest child turning six today The snap was posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales's social media accounts thanking royal fans for all the kind wishes they had sent to the young prince The caption read: 'Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.' As the beaming prince looks into the camera, he is lying on his front and looks all grown up with his brunette hair swept to the side, and a smart checked shirt. He appears to be wearing dark shorts with bare feet and is lying on a fleeced blanket. The picture is understood to have been unedited, following the furore that resulted over the Princess photoshopped Mothers Day picture, which saw it withdrawn by international picture agencies. She later apologised for the confusion. Normally the couple issue a photograph of each of their children to mark their birthdays in advance for use on the day itself. This year the Wales had originally decided not to do so given that it is such an unprecedented time for their family. As he flashes his biggest smile, the young prince also appears to have lost a couple of his baby teeth since his last official appearance on Christmas Day 2023. The Princess of Wales announced in an emotive video message last month that she is undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy Louis's sixth birthday comes as the Wales family takes time away from the spotlight while the Princess, 42, recovers from abdominal surgery and subsequent cancer treatment. Mother-of-three Kate revealed in March that she was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy for a type of cancer that remains undisclosed. In a heartbreaking video the Princess of Wales detailed how the cancerous cells were discovered, while she was undergoing surgery for a different condition in January. She explained that she had not spoken out about it earlier because she wanted to have time to 'explain everything' to George, Charlotte and Louis and assure them 'I'm going to be ok'. At Trooping the Colour last year, Louis got into the spirit of the Red Arrows as he appeared to impersonate a pilot As Louis travelled in a carriage with his siblings at Trooping the Colour, Princess Charlotte, eight and Prince George, 10, he looked put off by an unpleasant smell in Horse Guards Parade Kensington Palace released snaps of Prince Louis playing on the beach in Norfolk to mark his fourth birthday This was also the reason the William was forced to pull out of a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece, as it is understood that this was when the family first found out about Kate's condition. In her emotive statement, Kate said: 'The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present. 'As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.' The last time royal fans were given a glimpse of Prince Louis, he appeared alongside his mother and his siblings in a Mother's Day photo which was later withdrawn by picture agencies around the world The last time royal fans were given a glimpse of Prince Louis, the young prince appeared with his siblings, Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, eight, as they smiled alongside their mother Kate on Mother's Day. The snap released by Kensington Palace, generated controversy when picture agencies around the world issued 'kill notices', over concerns it had been 'manipulated'. Both the agencies and eagle-eyed internet sleuths noticed several inconsistencies in the photo, including in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's skirt, her hair, and the zip on Kate's khaki jacket. Following the social media storm, the Princess of Wales was forced to issue a statement admitting she had 'edited' the image - which had initially been hoped would quell wild conspiracy theories that had circulated about her health. Prince Louis sweetly held hands with his second cousin Mia Tindall as he joined the rest of the royal family at Sandringham on Christmas Day Louis held hands with his cousin, who has two younger siblings herself, as they walked into the church service In a post on Instagram and X/Twitter, the Princess said: 'Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 'I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mothers Day. C.' Prince Louis was born on April 23, 2018 in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, like his older silings Charlotte and George. A statement from Kensington Palace at the time read: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. 'The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.' Since thenm he's become known for his flair in front of the camera and has previously delighted royal fans with his expressive performances at royal events. At Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the young royal, then four-years-old, took centre stage as the royal family appeared on the balcony. Alarmed by the noise caused by the Red Arrows circling overhead, he covered his ears and winced. Similarly, the youngster charmed audiences around the world with his antics at the concert held in honour of his 'Gan Gan' and her 70-year reign. Prince Louis delighted fans with his expressive antics during the various Platinum Jubilee celebrations The most stylish royal! Prince Louis, then four, left royal fans in stitches as he danced to the music at the concert The young prince's cheeky antics went viral as royal fans were left in hysterics at his funny behaviour During the concert, Louis was seen larking about as he played with his mother and sat on his grandfather King Charles's lap. Last year at Trooping the Colour, he once again stole the show with his funny antics, and delighted fans once again on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as he got into the spirit of the Red Arrows and pretended to be a pilot. He also made viewers chuckle as he arrived in a carriage with his siblings at Horse Guards Parade - and seemed put off by an unpleasant smell. The prince scrunched up his face and held his nose as the carriage moved along, while his older siblings seemed unfazed by the smell. As Kensington Palace celebrated Louis's fifth birthday last year, Kate and William released a snap showing their youngest son's playful side and his strong bond with his mother, as the Princess of Wales was seen pushing him in a wheelbarrow while he gleefully beamed. The previous year, another photo of the Prince, taken by Kate, was shared by Kensington Palace which showed him playing on the beach in Norfolk.' During Louis's last public appearance on Christmas Day 2023 at Sandringham, he put on another heart-warming display as he held hands with his second cousin, Mia Tindall, on the way to St Mary Magdalene Church. Mia, nine, is the eldest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall, and has two younger siblings herself, Lena and Lucas. Christmas 2023 was Louis's second time joining his family for the annual trip to St Mary Magdalene Church as he is now deemed old enough to attend. Princess of Wales takes heartwarming photo of Prince Louis for his sixth birthday as she puts Photoshop row behind her amid cancer battle The Princess of Wales has taken a heartwarming photo of Prince Louis to mark his birthday as she puts the Photoshop row behind her. The royal, 42, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, is a keen photographer and traditionally releases a portrait of her children on their birthdays every year. Louis, who beams at the camera, is seen lying on his front on a camel blanket in the grounds of the Windsor estate. The Prince and Princess of Wales' youngest child looks all grown up with his brunette hair swept to the side. For the occasion, the young royal wore a blue-and-brown checked shirt and matching navy shorts. The Princess of Wales pictured holding a camera as she takes part in a a photography workshop with the charity 'Action for Children' in Kingston in June 2019 Prince Louis pictured by the Princess of Wales for his sixth birthday. The image shows the royal lying on a picnic blanket in the grounds of the Windsor estate Sharing the image on Instagram and X, the royal couple wrote: 'Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.' The Princess' latest photo suggest Kate is keen to put last month's Photoshop row behind her as she concentrates on her cancer treatment. In March, royal fans went into meltdown after Associated Press issued a 'kill notice' on a photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children that had been released for Mother's Day. It was the first official photo that was published of Kate after she underwent abdominal surgery in January. That evening, the Associated Press became the first agency to 'kill' the photo over an 'inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand'. While AP said there was no suggestion the photo was fake, it retracted it because it said on closer inspection, the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet the agency's photo standards. The following day, the Princess of Wales admitted that she edited the Mother's Day photo herself and apologised for 'any confusion' it had caused. A statement from the Princess of Wales said: 'Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. This Mother's Day portrait - which Kate later admitted to Photoshopping - was the first official photo that was published of the Princess after she underwent abdominal surgery in January 'I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C' Two weeks later, the Princess of Wales announced she was battling cancer - amid mounting pressure for the Palace to comment on her condition. It is believed that the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis on 22 March as this was the day George, Charlotte and Louis broke up from Lambrook School in Bracknell for their Easter break. The announcement may have been timed so that her children would not immediately face questions in the playground after the news was made public. The family are reported to have spent the Easter holidays together as they adjust to Kate's diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery. In the emotional message, which was filmed in Windsor, Kate revealed the news had come as a 'huge shock' and that she and William 'have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family'. Earlier this month, Kate revealed in an emotional video message that she has been diagnosed with cancer Speaking from a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring blossom, she said: 'It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok. 'As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits. 'Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.' Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a planned operation at The London Clinic in January. The insider also claimed to PEOPLE magazine Kate and William are also prioritising family time as 'having fun together when they can is very important' She explained: 'In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,' she said. 'The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. 'My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.' The announcement sent shockwaves around the world and came after weeks of speculation - and wild conspiracy theories - about her health. It also creates a fresh crisis for the British Royal Family at a time where King Charles is also battling cancer. In January Sarah, the Duchess of York, was diagnosed with skin cancer, just six months after being treated for breast cancer. Rebel Wilson has raised eyebrows in royal circles after claiming a member of The Firm invited her to an orgy at the home of a US tech billionaire in 2014. Writing in her memoir, Rebel Rising, the Australian actress, 44, doesn't name the royal, but says they are 'male' and 'fifteenth or twentieth line to the throne'. While many have been left shocked by the allegation, it's the first in a long line of comments the outspoken comedian has made about the royal family. Surprisingly, Rebel is actually friends with some members of the Firm, and rang in the 2020 New Year in her native Sydney with Zara and Mike Tindall. The group were also joined by Prince Harry's best friend Nacho Figureas - who has been dubbed the 'David Beckham of Polo' and his wife Delfina Blaquier. Surprisingly, Rebel is actually friends with some members of the Firm, and rang in the 2020 New Year in her native Sydney with Zara and Mike Tindall. The group were also joined by Prince Harry 's best friend Nacho Figureas - who has been dubbed the ' David Beckham of Polo' and his wife Delfina Blaquier They celebrated the New Year watching fireworks from a mansion overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Rebel said she celebrated the New Year with a 'fun gang'. 'We crushed Sydney New Year's Eve! We're in the future now in 2020!' Rebel wrote on her profile. 'What a fun gang to celebrate with and thanks to our gorgeous hostess Heloise for throwing an amazing bash with clearly the BEST views.' Rebel later uploaded a dance off with Mike Tindall to her Instagram Stories, where the pair could be seen dancing alongside one another in front of a crowded private bar. The star is also friendly with Prince Harry - but said she's had an awkward interaction with Meghan. The Bridesmaids actress, revealed they were introduced to the royal couple by a mutual friend and said while Harry 'could not have been nicer', Meghan 'was not as cool'. 'Meghan wasn't as naturally warm,' she told host Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live in 2022. Footage has resurfaced of Rebel Wilson mocking Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the 2022 BAFTAs, days after the comedian said Meghan wasn't 'naturally warm' when they met in person Rebel said she celebrated the New Year with a 'fun gang' However, Rebel admitted that Meghan's cold demeanour may have been due to her mother, Sue Bownds, asking her some personal questions. 'My mum being Australian asked her all these slightly rude questions like, "where are your kids?" and things like that,' she said. 'Maybe that's why she was like, "Who are these annoying convicts from Australia?" I'm like, "Mum, don't ask her that",' she joked. Rebel also mocked Harry and Meghan's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey while hosting the BAFTA Awards in 2022. Rebel said in the video: 'Our next package is for Outstanding British Film. From drama to horror to fantasy, Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah had it all.' The camera then panned to the celebrity-packed audience, showing actress Emma Watson gasping in shock at the joke. Battle lines have been drawn between Rebel and Meghan after the Aussie actress described the duchess as 'not naturally warm' following her 'awkward' meeting with the Sussexes 'Unfortunately, that's not nominated in this category, but some incredible films are. Let's take a look at some of the most outstanding British films this year,' she added. However, Rebel said that she had the okay from a member of the Firm to tell the joke. She appeared on The One Show and revealed she has texted her material to a member of The Royal Family to see if it is okay before taking it to an audience. The actress told hosts Jermaine Jenas and Lauren Laverne: 'I do have a connection with the Royal Family, who I send certain jokes to... to check they're OK'. The blonde beauty refused to name who she texts, but said: 'They actually have a really great sense of humour, people think like, because of their position, but they like to laugh as well'. It comes as Rebel wrote a mystery royal 'invited her to an orgy'. In her memoir, Rebel Rising, she tells how she got 'a last-minute invite to a tech billionaire's party' from the royal who had told a male friend, 'We need more girls'. 'What a perfect opportunity to find a boyfriend, I thought.' According to the book, the medieval-themed party was held at a rented ranch just outside Los Angeles. Actress Rebel Wilson (pictured) has claimed a member of the Royal Family invited her to a drug-fuelled orgy at the home of a US tech billionaire Wilson attending the premiere of Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb in 2014. The Australian does not name the royal, but gives three hints: he is male, it happened in 2014 and he was 'fifteenth or twentieth in line to the British throne' In her new memoir Rebel Rising, Wilson says she wore a 'buxom damsel outfit complete with cone hat' which complemented her 'child-bearing hips' and describes the event as 'insane' with acrobats mingling with the crowd and a giant firepit surrounded by cushions Wilson says she wore a 'buxom damsel outfit complete with cone hat' which complemented her 'child-bearing hips' and describes the event as 'insane' with acrobats mingling with the crowd and a giant firepit surrounded by cushions. She says she spoke to the billionaire, who is also unnamed, that night but who effectively 'blanked' her. At the party, she claims, men were jousting on horses in a field and there was a swimming pool full of girls dressed as mermaids. Because of the vastness of the house and its isolated location, guests were assigned rooms to sleep in overnight. The Australian-born star of Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids describes seeing the unnamed minor British royal there and drugs openly being handed around on trays, writing: 'I watch the British royal flounder around whilst I continuously hike up my boobs. 'They are my best physical asset, I think There's a huge private fireworks display and then all of a sudden, it's 2am and a guy comes out with a large tray piled with what looks like a ton of candy. 'I'm like, 'Oooh, is that candy?' And the guy holding the tray says, 'No, this is the molly [or MDMA, another word for the drug ecstasy],' and I turned to the screenwriter I've been talking with, confused. He says, 'Oh, it's for the orgy.the orgies normally start at these things about this time'.' The actress conveys her shock at the suggestion, saying: 'Now the comment by the Windsor about needing more girls started to make a lot more sense.' Wilson's memoir has already been embroiled in controversy after making allegations about the behaviour of British comic Sacha Baron Cohen during the filming of their 2016 comedy Grimsby in the US version of the book. He strongly denies this Wilson and her fiancee Ramona Agruma. The couple have been engaged since February 2023 She claims earlier in the book that 'the guy who invited me, who's like fifteenth or twentieth in line to the British throne, had said to my male friend, 'We need more girls'. 'They weren't talking about a boy-girl ratio like it was a year-eight disco. They were talking about an ORGY!' Wilson writes that she was a virgin at the time and couldn't shake the feeling that the party may have been filmed by hidden cameras. 'Needless to say, I hike up my damsel dress and run out of there as fast as I can.' The Princess of Wales has taken a heartwarming photo of Prince Louis to mark his birthday as she puts the Photoshop row behind her. The royal, 42, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, is a keen photographer and traditionally releases a portrait of her children on their birthdays every year. Louis, who beams at the camera, is seen lying on his front on a camel blanket in the grounds of the Windsor estate. The Prince and Princess of Wales' youngest child looks all grown up with his brunette hair swept to the side. For the occasion, the young royal wore a blue-and-brown checked shirt and matching navy shorts. Prince Louis pictured by the Princess of Wales for his sixth birthday. The image shows the royal lying on a picnic blanket in the grounds of the Windsor estate The Princess of Wales pictured holding a camera as she takes part in a a photography workshop with the charity 'Action for Children' in Kingston in June 2019 Sharing the image on Instagram and X, the royal couple wrote: 'Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.' The Princess' latest photo suggest Kate is keen to put last month's Photoshop row behind her as she concentrates on her cancer treatment. In March, royal fans went into meltdown after Associated Press issued a 'kill notice' on a photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children that had been released for Mother's Day. It was the first official photo that was published of Kate after she underwent abdominal surgery in January. That evening, the Associated Press became the first agency to 'kill' the photo over an 'inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand'. While AP said there was no suggestion the photo was fake, it retracted it because it said on closer inspection, the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet the agency's photo standards. The following day, the Princess of Wales admitted that she edited the Mother's Day photo herself and apologised for 'any confusion' it had caused. A statement from the Princess of Wales said: 'Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. This Mother's Day portrait - which Kate later admitted to Photoshopping - was the first official photo that was published of the Princess after she underwent abdominal surgery in January READ MORE: Kate's passion for photography has seen her capture some of the most touching photos of the royals in recent decades Advertisement 'I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C' Two weeks later, the Princess of Wales announced she was battling cancer - amid mounting pressure for the Palace to comment on her condition. It is believed that the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis on 22 March as this was the day George, Charlotte and Louis broke up from Lambrook School in Bracknell for their Easter break. The announcement may have been timed so that her children would not immediately face questions in the playground after the news was made public. The family are reported to have spent the Easter holidays together as they adjust to Kate's diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery. In the emotional message, which was filmed in Windsor, Kate revealed the news had come as a 'huge shock' and that she and William 'have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family'. Speaking from a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring blossom, she said: 'It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok. 'As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits. 'Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.' Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a planned operation at The London Clinic in January. Earlier this month, Kate revealed in an emotional video message that she has been diagnosed with cancer The insider also claimed to PEOPLE magazine Kate and William are also prioritising family time as 'having fun together when they can is very important' Speaking on This Morning in 2020, Kate Middleton, 42, gave tips for anyone looking to experiment with a camera as she launched her Hold Still campaign She explained: 'In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,' she said. 'The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. 'My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.' The announcement sent shockwaves around the world and came after weeks of speculation - and wild conspiracy theories - about her health. It also creates a fresh crisis for the British Royal Family at a time where King Charles is also battling cancer. In January Sarah, the Duchess of York, was diagnosed with skin cancer, just six months after being treated for breast cancer. In 2017, Kate was given honorary lifetime membership of the prestigious Royal Photographic Society in recognition of her 'talent and enthusiasm'. The Princess of Wales takes photos of her children to mark their birthdays - like this image she took and shared of Princess Charlotte Another of the images taken by the Princess (then-Duchess) featured her husband Prince William as well as their three children The society, established in 1853, works to promote photography and to support photographers 'irrespective of their level of knowledge, equipment or skills'. It holds exhibitions and workshops and has a long tradition of links to the Royal family. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were early patrons while several official Royal photographers were members. Professional photographer Lord Snowdon won its Hood Medal in 1978. The society described Kate is an 'excellent role model for keen amateur photographers' and a spokeswoman said it was 'clear she had photographic talent'. Two years later, the Princess of Wales revealed that her eldest children were taking an interest in photography too. During a visit to Action for Children centre in Kingston, Kate told children: ''Just look at everything around you. 'Maybe it's in front of you, or far away but choose your subject and focus on it. Get outside with your camera as well. George and Charlotte love it when we do that.' Speaking on This Morning in 2020, Kate Middleton, 42, gave tips for anyone looking to experiment with a camera as she launched her Hold Still campaign. The project, which joined forces with the National Portrait Gallery, was designed to capture the 'spirit, mood, hopes and fears' of the nation during the pandemic through the medium of photos. The project, which joined forces with the National Portrait Gallery, was designed to capture the 'spirit, mood, hopes and fears' of the nation during the pandemic through the medium of photos. The Princess of Wales's birthday portrait for her son is 'very honest' and 'done really naturally', an expert has revealed. Speaking to FEMAIL, London based professional photographer Glenn Gratton explained how Prince Louis's photo was not likely retouched at all, and shows a perfectly candid family snap. 'If she has done any photoshop, it's very subtle,' he added. 'She's clearly more advanced with her photography. Her pictures have improved year by year on.' The youngest child of Kate Middleton, 42, and Prince William, 41, celebrates turning six today, after returning to school following the Easter holidays. Glenn pointed out that the young royal's skin tone is natural, with his mother 'keeping his skin blemishes'. The Princess of Wales's birthday portrait for her son is 'very honest' and 'done really naturally', an expert has revealed 'He's only six,' the photographer added. 'She's not tried to make him look like a wax work. Some parents over-filter their children's pictures.' He also remarked that you can tell the lighting is natural, as you can see it reflected in Louis's eyes - meaning there was no 'artificial' set-up. Glenn said there are elements in the photo that would have stood out for someone experimenting with photoshop - 'his feet are a little bit distracting... and his eyes are little bit dark, so you'd lighten them up' - but the Princess chose to keep the details in. 'It's a straightforward, honest picture taken nicely,' he concluded, positing that Kate likely used a portrait lens to create the blurred background effect. 'Her photography's improving,' the expert added. 'She's using better cameras.' Prince Louis is beaming from ear to ear in the adorable photo released this afternoon. Typically, Kensington Palace will release portraits of the Wales children early in the morning to mark their birthdays, however fans were left disappointed this morning when the social media accounts for Kate and William did not feature any photos of the cheeky six-year-old. In a break with tradition, William and Kate shared a photo of their younger son this afternoon rather than at midnight on his birthday as is customary with new royal portraits. It is understood the photo was released later than usual because the family is going through an 'unprecedented' time. Mother-of-three Kate revealed in March that she was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy for a type of cancer that remains undisclosed The youngest child of Kate Middleton, 42, and Prince William, 41, celebrates turning six today, after returning to school following the Easter holidays. Louis and Kate pictured last year The photo was taken in the grounds of Adelaide Cottage by his mother, the Princess of Wales, who often photographs her children's birthday portraits. It suggests that, as she recovers from chemotherapy, she is feeling well enough to get back behind the camera. The caption read: 'Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.' As the beaming prince looks into the camera, he is lying on his front and looks all grown up with his brunette hair swept to the side, and a smart checked shirt. He appears to be wearing dark shorts with bare feet and is lying on a fleeced blanket. The picture is understood to have been unedited, following the furore that resulted over the Princess photoshopped Mothers Day picture, which saw it withdrawn by international picture agencies. She later apologised for the confusion. Normally the couple issue a photograph of each of their children to mark their birthdays in advance for use on the day itself. This year the Wales had originally decided not to do so given that it is such an unprecedented time for their family. Prince Louis delighted fans with his expressive antics during the various Platinum Jubilee celebrations The most stylish royal! Prince Louis, then four, left royal fans in stitches as he danced to the music at the concert The young prince's cheeky antics went viral as royal fans were left in hysterics at his funny behaviour As he flashes his biggest smile, the young prince also appears to have lost a couple of his baby teeth since his last official appearance on Christmas Day 2023. Louis's sixth birthday comes as the Wales family takes time away from the spotlight while the Princess recovers from abdominal surgery and subsequent cancer treatment. Mother-of-three Kate revealed in March that she was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy for a type of cancer that remains undisclosed. In a heartbreaking video the Princess of Wales detailed how the cancerous cells were discovered, while she was undergoing surgery for a different condition in January. She explained that she had not spoken out about it earlier because she wanted to have time to 'explain everything' to George, Charlotte and Louis and assure them 'she's going to be ok'. This was also the reason the William was forced to pull out of a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece, as it is understood that this was when the family first found out about Kate's condition. The Princess of Wales pictured holding a camera as she takes part in a a photography workshop with the charity 'Action for Children' in Kingston in June 2019 In her emotive statement, Kate said: 'The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present. 'As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.' The last time royal fans were given a glimpse of Prince Louis, the young prince appeared with his siblings, Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, eight, as they smiled alongside their mother Kate on Mother's Day. The snap released by Kensington Palace, generated controversy when picture agencies around the world issued 'kill notices', over concerns it had been 'manipulated'. Both the agencies and eagle-eyed internet sleuths noticed several inconsistencies in the photo, including in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's skirt, her hair, and the zip on Kate's khaki jacket. Following the social media storm, the Princess of Wales was forced to issue a statement admitting she had 'edited' the image - which had initially been hoped would quell wild conspiracy theories that had circulated about her health. In a post on Instagram and X/Twitter, the Princess said: 'Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 'I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mothers Day. C.' Prince Louis was born on April 23, 2018 in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, like his older siblings Charlotte and George. A statement from Kensington Palace at the time read: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. During Louis's last public appearance on Christmas Day 2023 at Sandringham, he put on another heart-warming display as he held hands with his second cousin, Mia Tindall, on the way to St Mary Magdalene Church Prince Louis also put on an enthusiastic display during his grandfather King Charles III's Coronation 'The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.' Since then, he's become known for his flair in front of the camera and has previously delighted royal fans with his expressive performances at royal events. At Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the young royal, then four-years-old, took centre stage as the royal family appeared on the balcony. Alarmed by the noise caused by the Red Arrows circling overhead, he covered his ears and winced. Similarly, the youngster charmed audiences around the world with his antics at the concert held in honour of his 'Gan Gan' and her 70-year reign. During the concert, Louis was seen larking about as he played with his mother and sat on his grandfather King Charles's lap. Last year at Trooping the Colour, he once again stole the show with his funny antics, and delighted fans once again on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as he got into the spirit of the Red Arrows and pretended to be a pilot. He also made viewers chuckle as he arrived in a carriage with his siblings at Horse Guards Parade - and seemed put off by an unpleasant smell. The prince scrunched up his face and held his nose as the carriage moved along, while his older siblings seemed unfazed by the smell. As Kensington Palace celebrated Louis's fifth birthday last year, Kate and William released a snap showing their youngest son's playful side and his strong bond with his mother, as the Princess of Wales was seen pushing him in a wheelbarrow while he gleefully beamed. The previous year, another photo of the Prince, taken by Kate, was shared by Kensington Palace which showed him playing on the beach in Norfolk. During Louis's last public appearance on Christmas Day 2023 at Sandringham, he put on another heart-warming display as he held hands with his second cousin, Mia Tindall, on the way to St Mary Magdalene Church. Mia, nine, is the eldest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall, and has two younger siblings herself, Lena and Lucas. Christmas 2023 was Louis's second time joining his family for the annual trip to St Mary Magdalene Church as he is now deemed old enough to attend. Sharing the image on Instagram and X, the royal couple wrote: 'Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.' How Prince Louis got his cheeky attitude from his dad, the Prince of Wales Prince Louis is the spitting image of his father, the Prince of Wales, in throwback photos showing the pair's cheeky attitude and unmistakably similar mannerisms. As the fourth in line to the British throne turned six today, FEMAIL takes a look at how the young royal emulates William, 42, despite his mischievous public demeanour compared to his more poised dad. Nostalgic pictures of King Charles's eldest son as child perfectly capture him in all his boyhood mayhem - which has clearly been passed down to his own son. Louis looked every inch the smart young royal in his birthday portrait with Kate Middleton choosing a smart casual outfit for her son - sweetly echoing William's wardrobe. The image was shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales on social media on April 23 - and their youngest child looked as sweet as ever. The photograph, taken by Kate, showed the young royal in high spirits as he lay on a picnic blanket while smiling towards the camera. Louis donned an off-white shirt with blue and brown checkering paired with what appears to be denim jeans. It's a sense of style often emulated by William, 42, who regularly opts for smart casual attire. William has sported a checkered shirt on many occasions, including during a visit to Sydney Zoo back in 2014. And here are times Louis emulated his father in more than just fashion sense... Fed up On the left, Louis, then four, was snapped covering his ears at the Trooping the Colour parade, clearly overwhelmed by the buzz around him The British public have grown accustomed to Prince Louis' displays of defiance, but old pictures of Prince William show the royal was also fed up of keeping up appearances when he was a child. On the left, Louis, then four, was snapped covering his ears at the Trooping the Colour parade, clearly overwhelmed by the buzz around him. Similarly, William, then aged around six, also appeared to be in displeasure, possibly due to being forced to attend a royal event that may not have taken his fancy. Looking unimpressed And his son Louis channels his father's at times underwhelmed energy in photos at events when he appears restless Throwback photos of Prince William show that before he was a poised royal, he could be cheekily sassy with a simple unimpressed look. And his son Louis channels his father's at times underwhelmed energy in photos at events when he appears restless. He is the image of the young Prince of Wales when feeling clearly bored and uninterested at their surroundings. The royal wave Both William and Louis have a penchant for engaging with the crowd as young princes - and shooting adoring crowds a wave is a signature gesture for the duo The Princes have on several occasions been snapped raising their hand in greeting, at times with a smile, and in other instances with a confused air Both William and Louis have a penchant for engaging with the crowd as young princes - and shooting adoring well-wishers a wave is a signature gesture for the duo. The Princes have on several occasions been snapped raising their hand in greeting, at times with a smile, and in other instances with a confused air. And snaps of Prince Louis appear to show exactly where he got the habit from - his father. Tongues out In 1986, at his uncle Prince Andrew's wedding he was seen sticking his tongue out at his cousin. And decades later, at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations Louis was the spitting image of his father as he repeated the gesture at his mother Prince Louis is known for his cheeky antics - but fewer may know that the Prince of Wales was too known for his sassy moments as a young child. In 1986, at his uncle Prince Andrew's wedding, he was seen sticking his tongue out at his cousin. And decades later, at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Louis was the spitting image of his father as he repeated the gesture at his mother. Mummy's boys No matter who you are, few things are as comforting as a mother's touch - and Prince William and his son have both shown that closeness Louis can often be seen holding onto the Princess of Wales's hand, whereas his father was also often snapped closely by the late Diana's side No matter who you are, few things are as comforting as a mother's touch - and Prince William and his son have both shown that closeness. Louis can often be seen holding onto the Princess of Wales's hand, whereas his father was also often snapped closely by the late Diana's side. Both mothers can also be seen being openly affectionate with their sons, and comforting them. Balcony pointers In 1985, a cheeky William (right) - aged three - pointed to the crowds as he, his cousin Zara Phillips and Lady Davina Windsor stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony following that year's Trooping the Colour. Louis (left) mirrored his father last year In a habit they appear to have borrowed from King Charles III, both William and his youngest son have been snapped pointing out at the crowd. In 1985, a cheeky William - aged three - pointed to the crowds as he, his cousin Zara Phillips and Lady Davina Windsor stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony following that year's Trooping the Colour. Mirroring his father, last year Louis looked hyper-focused from the same exact place as he observed an RAF flypast following his grandfather's Coronation. On the move One snap from 1987 shows a haughty William looking ready for action - and years later, in 2023, Louis was his spitting image as she appeared restless during Trooping the Colour festivities Snaps of the royals travelling in carriages tend to elicit general smiles and waves - but not for Prince Louis and his father. Both Princes have shown a cheeky prowess, shooting the camera impatient and unimpressed looks. One snap from 1987 shows a haughty William looking ready for action - and years later, in 2023, Louis was his spitting image as she appeared restless during Trooping the Colour festivities. Favourite cousins Young William was known for his special bond with cousin Zara - Princess Anne's daughter. The pair, who were pictured walking alongside one another to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in 1988 are the spitting image of Louis and his cousin Mia - Zara and Mark Tindall's daughter The royal family is known for getting together at special events that are open to the public - be it ceremonies, Trooping the Colour or special occasions like Easter and Christmas. And it's no wonder a great time for the children to reconnect with their favourite cousins and relatives. Young William was known for his special bond with cousin Zara - Princess Anne's daughter. The pair, who were pictured walking alongside one another to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in 1988 are the spitting image of Louis and his cousin Mia - Zara and Mark Tindall's daughter - last year, who held hands as they celebrated the big day. A former leader of the Hells Angels has revealed why he chose to walk away from the biker gang once and for all - while opening up about the chilling changes he saw the notorious club undergo during his time inside it. George Christie, 77, who joined the group when he was in his late 20s, has spoken out about his departure from the group during A&E's new Secrets of the Hells Angels docuseries. He explained that he resigned from his position as president of California's Ventura Charter in 2011 after becoming disillusioned. But George said he was stunned to be immediately excommunicated with other members of the 'brotherhood' banned from speaking to him from that moment on. George Christie, now 77, has spoken out about his departure from the group during A&E's new Secrets of the Hells Angels docuseries George (pictured in 1984) bought his first motorcycle for $200 in 1966 and began hanging out at local clubs George bought his first motorcycle for $200 in 1966 and began hanging out at local clubs. 'I think America has a romance with outlaws they always have, and they always will,' he told Fox. 'As a young kid, I always identified with the outlaw guys. 'And when I got out of the Marine Corps, I was still looking for that camaraderie. I drifted into the outlaw motorcycle world and ultimately wound up riding with the Angels.' He became a full patch member of the gang in 1976 and, just two years later, moved up to president and club leader of his own charter. The Hells Angels, which were originally founded in California in 1948, is said to still have around 3,500 members and 475 charters across 62 countries. But the group is still considered to be an outlaw gang involved in criminal activity. Its website states: 'When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets.' In 2001, during his time in the group, George was arrested with a 59-count indictment. He explained that he resigned from his position as president of California's Ventura Charter in 2011 after becoming disillusioned (pictured in Ventura County Jail) In 2001, during his time in the group, George (pictured in court) was arrested with a 59-count indictment He spent a year in solitary confinement before he was offered a plea bargain for time served. Elaborating further about his experience, George told the outlet that he saw the Hells Angels transform from a brotherhood to a group waging war on all sides. 'I walked into the outlaw motorcycle life because it was a live and let live society,' he said. 'A lot of things had changed.' He explained: 'I walked into the meeting, and I told everybody what I was going to do. It was a very difficult decision. I said we have become the people we rebel against, and I'm walking away. It's time for me to move on. 'I thought, foolishly, that I would be able to walk away because of my position in the club and the 40 years I had given to them. But the bottom line is you're either in or you're out.' But there would be yet a further twist in the tale for George because just weeks after his resignation he was approached by authorities with an indictment for a 2006 conspiracy to firebomb two tattoo shops in Ventura. He told the court that he accepted responsibility for 'poor leadership' but had never actively directed anyone to raze the stores. He spent two years on house arrest, while he recovered from a double hip replacement, before spending the following year in a Texas federal prison. George, who released from custody in 2014, admitted: 'I miss the good times. I even miss the bad times. But I'm a realist... 'I walked away when I thought it was an appropriate time to do so. And I think I am where I'm supposed to be in life right now.' 'I don't miss going to prison,' he lightheartedly concluded. Elsewhere in the series, investigators revealed how the Hells Angels were inspired by the Mafia - with new joiners required to commit murder in order to be accepted into the notorious biker gang. There would be yet a further twist in the tale for George because just weeks after his resignation he was approached by authorities with an indictment for a 2006 conspiracy to firebomb two tattoo shops in Ventura George, who released from custody in 2014, admitted: 'I miss the good times. I even miss the bad times. But I'm a realist' Former cop Tom Doyle, from Eastlake Police Department, Ohio, explained how The Godfather - a crime novel about fictional Mafia family headed by headed by Vito Corleone - had formed the basis of the biker gang's code of conduct. Explaining how the law of Hells Angels came about, Doyle said: 'While in jail, someone obtains a copy of The Godfather and it's read and passed around. 'To become a "made" member of the Mafia, you have to commit a murder. [The Hells Angels] sit there and look around the cell block and they realize "we've already done that." 'Then they realized if you have an organization where everyone is bonded by murder the person who commits the murder is not going to turn on the club - that ensures silence and that ensures loyalty.' Similarly, Jay Dobyns, an undercover cop who infiltrated the biker gang for two years, also appeared in the documentary before speaking exclusively with DailyMail.com about the dark underbelly of the biker group. He described the operation as a 'life and death experience' during which time he saw that 'the Hells Angels were willing to kill their own' and 'just how violent they can be.' Jay, who worked for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), explained how the organization's interest in the Hells Angels had started to ramp up after two 'key events that were the cornerstones of the investigation.' The first was the murder of Cynthia Garcia who Jay said was 'beaten to near death in the Hells Angels clubhouse in Massa, Arizona.' He continued: 'And, when she wasn't dead yet, they stuffed her in the trunk of a car and they drove her to the desert near Apache Leap in Arizona and they cut her throat. They tried to cut her head off.' The former cop said that the other flashpoint had been the public riot at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, which saw the Hells Angels in a bloody clash with rival group the Mongols. In some ways, its surprising that it has taken Victoria Beckham so long to deliver her first-ever high street collaboration. With a profile like hers and the success of other celebrity partnerships with fashion lines, she probably could have done it years ago. The fact that she has now paired with Spanish retailer Mango to deliver a cheaper, more widely-available iteration of her own style is an example of her growing confidence as a designer, and very business savvy. Suit jacket without lapels, 180, suit trousers, 115 and sandals, 120 Victoria Beckham, pictured before her 50th birthday party in London last Saturday, has designed a new collection for Mango Mass market collaborations can be a risk, diminishing the exclusivity of a designers name unless they are really established such as Karl Lagerfeld for H&M. And often they can turn a little trashy Naomi Campbell for Pretty Little Thing springs to mind. However theres nothing remotely trashy about Victoria Beckham X Mango, which launched in the UK yesterday. Victoria Beckham is now a designer first and celebrity second and clearly feels the Mango association can boost her brand name across the world. She wont have done it only for the cheque. Left: Bodysuit, 80, and semi-transparent trousers, 115. Right: Dress, 210. Both from Victoria Beckham X Mango at shop.mango.com And what a long way Victoria has come from the young woman I interviewed in 2008 for her first ever Vogue cover story when she was just dipping her toes into fashion. She was working on her dVB range where the brand initials included David, as she wasnt thought of as strong enough to sell alone. We didnt know what else to call it she told me then, The initials were on the towels in the bathroom. Godet dress, 170, Victoria Beckham X Mango at shop.mango.com That first collection was focused on jeans and sunglasses. Her first real, independent fashion range was a small number of body con dresses; the kind of dresses that Victoria wore herself at the time. I remember when we first met she wore a tight, black corseted number that emphasised her waist and bottom, with a little black mink shrug. It was more suitable for cocktails than lunch, but what did she care. All eyes in the restaurant were on her. Some 16 years later, she is now widely acknowledged as a designer in her own right (having overcome the endless sniping that she did none of the work herself). She has created a definitive personal style, nabbed a slot on the prestigious Paris fashion show calendar, and is heading a fashion business that is finally beginning to break even - with an even more successful cosmetics line. Everything about her range for Mango signals that Victoria wants to be seen as sophisticated and a real fashion player, which has its pros and cons. Long trench coat, 300, shirt with cut-out, 90, trousers, 115 and sandals, 120 Left: White ruffle dress, 190. Right: Blazer, 180, trousers, 115, bra, 50, and chain belt, 90 There are a fairly limited number of pieces, a move which gives them a more exclusive feel but which reduces choice. The hiring of Emmanuelle Alt, former Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue, to style the imagery (working with British photographer David Sims) is a high-fashion choice. Alt is known for her monochromatic, pared-down but sexy Parisian style and the Mango images are steeped in her trademark aesthetic. The campaign, based on the 1969 thriller La Piscine (I would hazard Alt had a role in suggesting this recherche film reference) sees the models styled in a spare, cool way alongside the striking turquoise of a Hockneyesque pool. Its not quite a fun girls night on the town youd usually associate with the high street. Asymmetrical dress, 190 Another view of the asymmetrical dress And the clothes? Well how much you like the clothes on offer depends on how much you like the original Victoria Beckham range. There is a sharp-lapelled, shoulder-padded ivory jacket (115) teamed with a pair of her high-waisted trousers, flared at the knee and swampingly long (180), as her favoured trouser always is. The viscose jacket is a good piece of tailoring; the trousers are frankly an almost impossible shape to wear. A similar tuxedo suit on her main line would set you back 1,290. There are a number of the spaghetti-strapped, silky, slip evening dresses that Victoria frequently wears on the red carpet, including a dusty blue, asymmetric-hemmed number with a keyhole cut out in the bodice and side slits. Crochet dress, 115 At 140, its a fraction of the cost of one of her own long cami evening dresses which cost nearer 1,300 and its a nice, weighty fabric. A stunning white crochet dress with cut out back - definitely one for the holiday wardrobe is 115, while a lovely blue silk shirt one of the more wearable pieces is 140. While the prices are substantially lower than Beckhams own range, they are also substantially higher than Mangos usual offerings - or a usual high street collaboration such as JW Andersons ranges for Uniqlo. Draped halter dress, 170 Mango clearly feels Victoria is seen as enough of a luxury name by its customers to whack on a premium. And its not only the prices that demonstrate this is not a collection for everywoman. Victoria has not made any of the compromises she might have to make the range more accessible to the average British woman. Hardly any of the dresses can be worn with a bra, and lets face it, the slip style has never been one of fashions most forgiving looks. Even what at first sight appears to be a classic trench has been reconsidered with side slits and a two-tone cape back. Her take on the jumpsuit has a plunging neckline with ruched sides and transparent legs. The sizes are also not mainstream. The collection only goes up to a maximum size 14 (many pieces only go up to a 12) rather than the usual 16 and above that Mango offers. But then, lets face it, Victoria isnt everywoman. Victoria Beckham X Mango is not meant to attract the Boden customer. The point of this range is to shower a bit of fashion fairy dust onto Mango, and attract a customer who admires Victoria - a woman who just turned 50, celebrating with family, Spice Girls and Tom Cruise in a tequila-fuelled bash at Oswalds, London's most glamorous private members' dining club, wearing a spectacular aquamarine chiffon gown she designed herself. Will the Mango range be a sell-out by the time you read this? I doubt it. Will there be a waiting list within days? I expect not. Will the probably 30-something woman who invests in one of the evening dresses or the jacket be pleased with their purchase? Absolutely. The clothes deliver on their promise: they are undiluted VB. The range isnt meant for me. But Ill tell you what I will be buying from the collection and thats the beautiful triple-beaded chain belt, cleverly styled by Alt in one of the images as a necklace. A snip at 90. Fans of the hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer are convinced they have found Richard Gadd's real-life stalker based on an old clip that has emerged online. The video shows the comedian, from Fife, onstage competing in Cambridge for the Chortle Student Comedy Award. Dressed in a red T-shirt, he joked about having trouble with the microphone stand, making the audience howl with laughter. But viewers were shocked to hear a familiar giggle, almost identical to that of Martha Scott, the name of the stalker in the hit series (played by Jessica Gunning) in the audience. In the programme, Donny (played by Gadd himself) also speaks in detail about her infectious, distinctive laugh. Lovers of the Netflix show, Baby Reindeer, were shocked to hear a familiar laugh in an old clip of Richard Gadd's comedy sets. Above: Jessica Gunning as Martha in the series The 34-year-old comedian has not revealed the name and identity of the real life woman - meaning it is incredibly hard to find out where she is now. But those addicted to the series have been on a mission to uncover her identity and have been trawling through clips of his old sets to see if they can find her. The clip from 2012, posted on TikTok by @goggle_tok, racked up 9.6million views on the platform, with thousands of lovers of the show commenting their thoughts. One wrote: 'The laugh is so accurate,' Another agreed and penned: 'It sounds JUST like her.' A third said: 'I want to see the real Martha.' A fourth also commented and claimed that Gadd makes 'the exact same joke' in episode one of the Netflix show and that it is the 'same set'. It is not known who filmed the original video, nor is it confirmed exactly whose laughter can be heard in the audience. Baby Reindeer takes its title from the nickname given to Donny by his stalker, whose name in the show is Martha Scott. The real life 'Martha' sent him more than 41,000 emails, 350 hours of voicemail, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages and 106 pages of letters. Dressed in a red t-shirt, Richard Gadd joked about having trouble with the microphone stand, naturally making the audience howl with laughter The 34-year-old comedian has not revealed the name and identity of the real life woman - meaning it is incredibly hard to find out where she is now She also gave him items such as sleeping pills, a woolly hat, a pair of brand new boxer shorts and a stuffed reindeer toy. Gadd first met his stalker after he offered 'a crying stranger a cup of tea' when she came into the bar where he worked. But her obsession grew. She started invading his life by following him around, turning up at his gigs and even waited outside his home. Despite the stalker affecting his life for years, Gadd admitted that he feels sorry for her, adding that she is a victim of a 'failed system'. The video of the old show, posted on TikTok, racked up 9.6million views on the platform, with thousands of lovers of the show commenting their thoughts He told the Independent at the time: 'I can't emphasise enough how much of a victim she is in all this. 'Stalking and harassment is a form of mental illness. It would have been wrong to paint her as a monster, because she's unwell, and the system's failed her.' The Netflix series sees Martha be given a prison sentence for her offences but Gadd hasn't divulged the fate of his own stalker, except to say the issue has been resolved and he never wanted to 'throw someone who was that level of mentally unwell in prison'. When asked whether the release of the show might increase her obsessive behaviours, Gadd told the outlet: 'I have to admit that it hasn't. Maybe seeing this in the press has made her think twice about her behaviour.' He also told GQ: 'Weve gone to such great lengths to disguise her to the point that I dont think she would recognise herself.' The comedian added that the story is based on an 'emotional truth' rather than a 'fact-by-fact profile of someone'. Speaking to The Times , he has said he still finds it hard to trust people and has had 'every therapy going' The Netflix series sees Martha be given a prison sentence for her offences but Gadd hasn't divulged the fate of his own stalker, except to say the issue has been resolved and he never wanted to 'throw someone who was that level of mentally unwell in prison'. Jessica Gunning and Richard last week Gadd also said he couldn't predict how his stalker would react to things, calling her an 'idiosyncratic person'. He said it was 'years' before the police eventually took his complaints seriously - and six years before they finally intervened - something which prolonged the agony for everyone involved including his relatives. The police told him at the time that unless his stalker became physically violent, there was little they could do to resolve the issue. Speaking to The Times, he has said he still finds it hard to trust people and has had 'every therapy going'. He added that the years of being stalked have left him with something 'like PTSD'. For the Netflix role, he lost weight to match his 10-and-a-half stone 'neurotic' self at the height of his own stalking nightmare. Gadd says he's currently single and 'is more cautious' of people because of the campaign of terror that Martha inflicted, saying: 'It takes me a long time to trust them. Before, I entered situations with such abandonment and I got burnt.' However, performing a version of what happened to him has enabled him to have 'ownership' of the trauma. Gadd earned a Fringe award for his show, also called Baby Reindeer, in 2019. Speaking to the Telegraph in 2019 about the one-man show that he wrote after the ordeal, which is currently on at London's Bush theatre, he said: 'It was debilitating beyond belief. 'I'd listen to her voicemails and just feel my eyes welling up. They were tears of frustration. Proper brain-heavy stress.' Using slang like 'OMG', 'LMAO' and 'YOLO' can make you seem old, according to Gen Z. While internet acronyms are usually created by young people - leaving older generations confused - many common terms will now make a person seem older, according to a new study. Half of Gen-Zers think the term YOLO - a term that became popular online in 2012, meaning 'you only with once' - is old-fashioned. LMAO (laughing my a*** off), G2G or GTG (meaning got to go) and LOL (laugh out loud), are also considered out of date. The study by Currys has revealed other popular abbreviations including 'ROFL' (rolling around the floor laughing), TGIF (thank god it's Friday) and FOMO (fear of missing out), also make a person seem older. 'If you're still clinging to certain acronyms in your text conversations, you might be unwittingly signalling your age,' a Currys spokesperson said. A new study by Currys has revealed the popular abbreviations that Generation Z perceive as 'old' 'While there are some acronyms that are outdated, it can feel like it's impossible to keep up with how quickly new abbreviations pop up, so it's important to use the ones that you feel comfortable using,' Currys reassured. The acronyms that make you seem old YOLO LMAO G2G LOL ROFL TTYL BRB TGIF FOMO OMG Advertisement 'We took the most results from Gen-Z for the most outdated acronyms and paired them up with a newer, more hip version to use so you can speak their language,' the tech outlet said. It comes after Gen Alpha revealed using the words 'slay', 'bet' and the laughing emoji makes you look old. The slang terms, popular with Gen Z (those aged 13-26), are 'out' and newer terms including 'GYAT', 'preppy' and the crying emoji are in. Influencer Nicole Pellegrino, 31, from New Jersey shared a clip to Tiktok speaking to her 'Gen Alpha' sister and her 'bestie Gen Alpha, those currently aged 13 and under, believe that when texting, if you laugh you should send the crying emoji instead. 'If something is funny, you do the crying emoji, no one laughs by laughing,' Nicole's sister explains in the clip. 'The skull is used if you're insulting someone, as a joke,' she adds. She then goes onto explain that if she got a text saying 'I have a bigger GYAT than you, she would reply saying BSFR ('be so for real') followed by a skull emoji to imply that she disagrees. According to Gen Alpha, GYAT is an acronym meaning 'girl your a** thick'. 'If you have a BBL or your butt shakes when you walk you would shout GYAT,' Nicole's sister explains. Bet, meaning 'for sure' or used to agree to something is also out. Half of Gen-Zers think the term YOLO - a term that became popular online in 2012, meaning 'you only with once' - is old-fashioned Preppy, according to the video, refers to someone who wears yoga brand Lululemon and pastel colours, not the smart, old-money style dressed that's usually associated with the word. When asked if Ralph Lauren Polo, a brand synonymous with millenial preppy, was 'preppy' they said no it was instead 'vanilla girl'. The video quickly racked up thousands of comments, with many disagreeing with the takes. A dictionary to the new Gen Alpha slang terms Gyat : A term used to describe a person's curvaceous behind (girl your a** thick) : A term used to describe a person's curvaceous behind (girl your a** thick) Rizzler : Someone who is a good at picking up women : Someone who is a good at picking up women Skibidi : Derived from the YouTube animated series Skibidi Toilet, used in gaming to describe someone who is evil or bad : Derived from the YouTube animated series Skibidi Toilet, used in gaming to describe someone who is evil or bad Fanum tax : Someone who steals your food, comes from a creator named Fanum who was often seen grabbing bites of his friends' meals : Someone who steals your food, comes from a creator named Fanum who was often seen grabbing bites of his friends' meals Preppy : Wearing pink or pastel : Wearing pink or pastel Vanilla girl : Wearing collegiate style clothes : Wearing collegiate style clothes Crying emoji : Something is funny : Something is funny Skull emoji : Something is funny in a jokey mean way : Something is funny in a jokey mean way Bet (favoured by Gen Z, now out): For sure (favoured by Gen Z, now out): For sure Slay (favoured by Gen Z, now out), you've done well Advertisement 'As a 21 year old, I feel like I have more authority on this slay is NOT out,' said one. 'Watching Gen Alpha come for Gen Z is gonna be the highlight of my Millennial life,' added another. 'They said polo isn't preppy. Polo invented preppy!' added another. Other wrote that GYAT comes from AAVE (African American Vernacular English) and that it isn't an 'acronym Gen Alpha invented'. 'Gen Alpha need to learn the etymology of their own slang,' wrote one. 'They're ACTUALLY using gyat like fully seriously?' questioned another. 'I'm still trying to learn all the Gen Z slang and now there's Gen Alpha slang too. Man I am so old!' wrote another. 'Ok so preppy is the new bougie? And vanilla is the new sad beige?' asked a confused millenial. 'Y'all will have to pry the laughing emoji out of my cold dead millennial hands,' said another. Other bizarre slang terms like 'fanum tax' and 'skibidi' have sparked bewilderment among adults - with even Gen Z admitting that the phrases are making them feel out of touch. It comes as scientists at the University of Nottingham found that older texters were less successful than younger people when trying to match emojis to the emotion they are supposed to represent. This could mean older people are more likely to send an inappropriate emoticon, such as a smiley face, or an angry face, at the wrong time. Woe betide any grandchildren whose grandparents decide to make an aubergine casserole or a peach cobbler. And hopefully if your great aunt sends you a sweating red-faced emoji with its tongue sticking out, she just means that you needs the air conditioning turned on. Researchers asked 500 men and women from the UK and China to identify the emotions being portrayed in a series of the little yellow icons popular in text messages and social media posts. They also found that British people had more difficulty recognizing the 'disgusted' face, possibly because the infamously reserved Brits are less likely to express that emotion, holding their distaste closer to the vest. Princess Beatrice was effortlessly elegant as she donned a floral number to celebrate the book of her pal and A-lister nutritionist Gabriela Peacock in London on Tuesday. The royal, 35, joined her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for the event - which commemorated the best-selling '2 Weeks to A Younger You' - at the Broadwick Soho Hotel. She brought her Spring wardrobe out with a pink frock, adorned with red, purple, green and blue detailing - which featured a collar and puffed sleeves. Keeping her accessories simple, Beatrice opted for maroon heels to boost her height, and minimal jewellery. The Princess wore her long auburn tresses down in a chic, relaxed style and went for a dewy, natural make-up look. Princess Beatrice was effortlessly elegant as she donned a floral number to celebrate the book of her pal and A-lister nutritionist Gabriela Peacock in London on Tuesday Meanwhile her husband Edo looked smart in a navy blazer and trousers, teamed with a white shirt. Gabriela, 44 - who has counted Princess Eugenie and the Duke of Sussex among her clientele - also posed with the couple, looking glamorous in a chic black dress and sheer tights. In past, the nutritionist has spoken on how motherhood has added a 'new dimension' to her friendship with Beatrice. The author, who helped Beatrice 'feel her best' ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, opened up about being close with the royal in an interview with Hello!. Speaking to the magazine, Gabriela explained she 'always knew' Beatrice would be an 'amazing mother' because of the close relationship she has with her stepson Wolfie. Beatrice and Edo welcomed their daughter Sienna in September 2021. Gabriela said: 'I always knew Bea would be an amazing mother because I could see how wonderful she is with Wolfie. She's an incredible mum. 'And, now that she's has Wolfie and Sienna, it's almost like it has given us a nice, newer dimension to our friendship. 'We still have fun but we also have all these amazing things we are planning to do together with our children.' The royal, 35, joined her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for the event - which commemorated the best-selling '2 Weeks to A Younger You' - at the Broadwick Soho Hotel She brought her Spring wardrobe out with a pink frock, adorned with red, purple, green and blue detailing - which featured a collar and puffed sleeves. Keeping her accessories simple, Beatrice opted for maroon heels to boost her height, and minimal jewellery The Princess wore her long auburn tresses down in a chic, relaxed style and went for a dewy, natural make-up look Gabriela, 44 - who has counted Princess Eugenie and the Duke of Sussex among her clientele - also posed with the couple, looking glamorous in a chic black dress and sheer tights In past, the nutritionist has spoken on how motherhood has added a 'new dimension' to her friendship with Beatrice Beatrice opted for a fun floral look as she attended the event for her A-lister nutritionist pal Gabriela Speaking on helping friends with their health and nutrition, she added: 'It's nice to be able to help my friends, whether it's pre-wedding or post-birth of a baby, and I'm delighted to be able to help my clients and great friends ahead of big events.' Edoardo shares Wolfie with his former fiance Dara Huang who welcomed their son in 2016 but went their separate ways in 2018. Gabriela has children Maia, 11, and twins Iris and Caspar, six. Beatrice is Iris' godmother. Gabriela, founder of GP Nutrition, and her fund manager husband share a home in Notting Hill, west London. Gabriela spends a lot of her time in France were she has a house near Dame Joan Collins. Beatrice and Edoardo have been among their guests. ekend. The nutritionist, who has an excellent track record in working with royals, also released a book during the pandemic called 2 Weeks to Feeling Great. She also counts Ellie Goulding, Millie Mackintosh and close friend James Blunt among her clients. Korean and Japanese business leaders plan to hold their annual bilateral conference in Tokyo next month, industry officials said Tuesday. The 56th Korea-Japan Business Conference, co-hosted by the industry ministry and the Korea-Japan Economic Association, is scheduled to be held in Tokyo from May 13-16. Last year's meeting was held in Seoul. Around 300 business leaders from both countries, including Chey Tae-won, SK Group chairman and head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mikio Sasaki, chief of the Japan-Korea Economic Association, plan to attend the gathering. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also plans to deliver a message at the event. According to officials, discussions will focus on promoting economic exchange between Korea and Japan, including enhancing trade, investment and industrial technology cooperation. (Yonhap) A-lister nutritionist Gabriela Peacock showed off her enviably toned legs in a black chic ensemble as attended an event to celebrate the success of her book in London today. The 44-year-old, who has worked with high society clients including Princess Eugenie and Prince Harry, put her best fashion foot forward and opted to wear a stunning ruched mesh dress that flattered her slender figure with a low-cut neck line. She paired the simple yet classy piece with some sheer tights, glitzy gold diamond earrings and a pair of black pointed kitten heels. Gabriela looked in high spirits as she commemorated her best-selling '2 Weeks to A Younger You' at the Broadwick Soho Hotel, in a glitzy gathering attended by her bestie Princess Beatrice. It contains intermittent fasting plans, recipes, and advice on how to improve sleep and energy. Gabriela Peacock put her best fashion foot forward and opted to wear a flattering ruched mesh dress which flattered her slender figure with a low-cut neck line The former model greeted other attendees, which included Lily Fortescue, Poppy Jamie, Jodie Kidd and Sofia Blunt, who all posed for pictures with Gabriela at the event. The Czech nutritionist has previously admitted that she is lucky to be blessed with good genes that have helped her stay young-looking for her age. Gabriela said eating processed food, smoking, drinking alcohol, drinking water from plastic bottles, serving food cooked in non-stick pans and inhaling city pollutants can speed up the aging process. The mother-of-three decided to wear her luscious, thick brown tresses down in a bouncy, curly blowdry, which she styled to one side. She went for natural, glowy makeup and wore a hint of blusher, highlighter, mascara and a touch of lipstick to complete the glamorous look. This evening, Gabriela laughed, interacted and posed for snaps with some of her closest pals, including Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. In past, the nutritionist has spoken on how motherhood has added a 'new dimension' to her friendship with Beatrice. The author, who helped Beatrice 'feel her best' ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, opened up about being close with the royal in an interview with Hello!. The 44-year-old showed off her toned legs in a classy all-black ensemble that flattered her slim frame The Czech nutritionist has previously admitted that she is lucky to be blessed with good genes that help her look younger Keeping her accessories simple, Beatrice opted for maroon heels to boost her height, and minimal jewellery The former model showed off her slender figure in a flattering ensemble for her book event today Gabriela looked effortlessly chic as she smiled for the camera while sitting at a table at her event today Gabriela smiled with Lily Fortescue as they celebrated the success of the book in Soho, London today Speaking to the magazine, Gabriela explained she 'always knew' Beatrice would be an 'amazing mother' because of the close relationship she has with her stepson Wolfie. Beatrice and Edo welcomed their daughter Sienna in September 2021. Gabriela said: 'I always knew Bea would be an amazing mother because I could see how wonderful she is with Wolfie. She's an incredible mum. 'And, now that she's has Wolfie and Sienna, it's almost like it has given us a nice, newer dimension to our friendship. 'We still have fun but we also have all these amazing things we are planning to do together with our children.' Princess Beatrice was effortlessly elegant as she donned a floral number for the occasion. The royal, 35, joined her husband for the event and brought her Spring wardrobe out with a pink frock, adorned with red, purple, green and blue detailing - which featured a collar and puffed sleeves. Keeping her accessories simple, Beatrice opted for maroon heels to boost her height, and minimal jewellery. The Princess wore her long auburn tresses down in a chic, relaxed style and went for a dewy, natural make-up look. Meanwhile her husband Edo looked smart in a navy blazer and trousers, teamed with a white shirt. Speaking on helping friends with their health and nutrition, Gabriela added: 'It's nice to be able to help my friends, whether it's pre-wedding or post-birth of a baby, and I'm delighted to be able to help my clients and great friends ahead of big events. Princess Beatrice was effortlessly elegant as she donned a floral number to celebrate the book of her pal and A-lister nutritionist Gabriela Peacock in London on Tuesday The royal, 35, joined her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for the event - which commemorated the best-selling '2 Weeks to A Younger You' - at the Broadwick Soho Hotel Gabriela, 44 - who has counted Princess Eugenie and the Duke of Sussex among her clientele - also posed with the couple, looking glamorous in a chic black dress and sheer tights In past, the nutritionist has spoken on how motherhood has added a 'new dimension' to her friendship with Beatrice Edoardo shares Wolfie with his former fiance Dara Huang who welcomed their son in 2016 but went their separate ways in 2018. Gabriela has children Maia, 11, and twins Iris and Caspar, six. Beatrice is Iris' godmother. Gabriela, founder of GP Nutrition, and her fund manager husband share a home in Notting Hill, west London. Gabriela spends a lot of her time in France were she has a house near Dame Joan Collins. The nutritionist, who has an excellent track record in working with royals, also released a book during the pandemic called 2 Weeks to Feeling Great. She also counts Ellie Goulding, Millie Mackintosh and close friend James Blunt among her clients. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was the image of elegance as she and her husband arrived at a gala dinner for the Finnish presidential couple - who are there on a two-day state visit - in Stockholm Palace. The royal, 46, was effortlessly sophisticated in a flowing white gown which featured a stunning cloak with feather trim detailing. The opulent design was accessorised with a glamorous pearl clutch and a tiara. She styled her dark brown tresses into a sophisticated updo, and grinned while mingling at the occasion with her husband. Crown Prince Daniel, 50 was dapper in a sleek black suit as he and his wife arrived arm in arm, joining other royals at the occasion. King Carl Gustaf also looked smart as he welcomed Finland's President and his wife to the palace. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was the image of elegance as she and her husband arrived at a gala dinner for the Finnish presidential couple - who are there on a two-day state visit - in Stockholm Palace The royal, 77, was joined by his wife Queen Silvia, 80, as they greeted President Alexander and Suzanne Innes-Stubb. The group looked in high spirits as they posed for snaps and chatted while walking through the vast, historical building. Carl looked smart in a black suit complete with a crisp white shirt and polished shoes as he showcased his medals and badges. He is the longest-reigning monarch on Swedish history and ascended the throne in 1973, pledging his motto: 'For Sweden With the times'. But it was all eyes on the Queen as she wowed in a hot pink lace-embroidered ballgown that fell to the floor. She paired her standout look with a fuchsia clutch bag, traditional badges and medals and a glitzy showstopping tiara to tie the look together. Silvia sported diamond earrings and necklaces and opted to wear her curled brunette tresses in a regal-looking bob. She went for a full-glam makeup look today, choosing rose-coloured lipstick to coordinate with her stylish ensemble. The royal, 46, was effortlessly sophisticated in a flowing white gown which featured a stunning cloak with feather trim detailing King Carl Gustaf (far right) also looked smart as he welcomed Finland 's President (second from right) and his wife (far left) to the palace. Second from left, Queen Silvia The royal, 77, was joined by his wife Queen Silvia , 80, as they greeted President Alexander and Suzanne Innes-Stubb Victoria opted for a glamorous make-up look which accentuated her dewy skin complexion for the event The Princess put her hair up into a classic, sophisticated updo which matched her effortlessly elegant ensemble The opulent design was accessorised with a glamorous pearl clutch and a tiara. She styled her dark brown tresses into a sophisticated updo, and grinned while mingling at the occasion with her husband Crown Prince Daniel, 50 was dapper in a sleek black suit as he and his wife arrived arm in arm, joining other royals at the occasion Victoria and Daniel appeared loved up as ever as they held onto each other for the gala this evening The pair were all smiles as they arrived for tonight's opulent event alongside other Swedish royals The royal couple are hosting the Stubbs as part of a two-day state visit and have since done a press conference, inspect the Grenadier Guards at the palace, and have a luncheon. According to a statement on the website for the Government Offices of Sweden, the aim of the visit is 'to continue to develop and deepen the very close cooperation in all areas of society, and particularly as regards foreign, security and defence policy'. It also 'aims to promote even closer cooperation between the Swedish and Finnish business sectors to boost trade and investments and jointly strengthen global competitiveness'. Suzanne looked elegant in a gold one-shoulder gown and she tucked her chocolate brown tresses back in a practical ponytail. The group looked in high spirits as they posed for snaps and chatted while walking through the vast, historical building Carl looked smart in a black suit complete with a crisp white shirt and polished shoes as he showcased his medals and badges He is the longest-reigning monarch on Swedish history and ascended the throne in 1973, pledging his motto: 'For Sweden With the times' But it was all eyes on the Queen as she wowed in a hot pink lace-embroidered ballgown that fell to the floor She paired her standout look with a fuchsia clutch bag, traditional badges and medals and a glitzy showstopping tiara to tie the look together Suzanne looked elegant in a gold one-shoulder gown and she tucked her chocolate brown tresses back in a practical ponytail Her husband, President Stubb donned a similar dapper look to the King with a smart suit and a white bow-tie. The group sat down with other members of the royal family including Victoria, Daniel, Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip, who were all sporting their finery. It comes as, last week, the Crown Princess appeared to be in great spirits as she visited Store Mosse National Park in Varnamo in the south of the country. The royal seemed to be having a lot of fun as she donned red plastic snowshoes to wade through a marsh. She opted for a very casual and practical look, sporting relaxed jeans and a grey parka jacket. The group sat down with other members of the royal family including Victoria , Daniel, Princess Sofia (left, next to Speaker Andreas Norlen) and Prince Carl Philip , who were all sporting their finery Prince Carl Philip, pictured with his wife Sofia, was also present at the sophisticated event tonight Sofia opted for an inky midnight blue gown, while her husband was dapper in an elegant black suit Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and Prince Carl Philip pictured chatting during the gala dinner Pictured: Princess Christina and Tord Magnuson arriving before the royal couple's gala dinner at the Stockholm Palace The royal couple are hosting the Stubbs as part of a two-day state visit and have since done a press conference, inspect the Grenadier Guards at the palace, and have a luncheon According to a statement on the website for the Government Offices of Sweden, the aim of the visit is 'to continue to develop and deepen the very close cooperation in all areas of society, and particularly as regards foreign, security and defence policy' The mother-of-two couldn't hold back her laughter as she nearly fell over in the shoes - while the bottom of her jeans had clearly suffered from falling into the area. She seemed to have opted for a bare-faced look, while her brunette tresses were pulled back into a messy bun. Victoria, who is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf, later sat down by the edge of a lake to warm up with a hot drink, and spoke to locals working at the reserve. Speaking to Swedish outlet SVT, she said: 'It's great fun to be here. It's probably the first time I'm here to experience this incredible offering of nature. 'If you don't have a relationship with nature, you won't take care of it either. It is something I constantly want to highlight.' She added that the nature reserves are important for recreation, to move freely and for our 'inner selves'. Store Mosse has the largest boggy ground south of Lapland, and is an important nature reserve for birds and other wildlife. The park - which was inaugurated in 2002 by the King - offers guided snowshoe tours in the summer, in which Victoria was taking part. Australians are devastated after being forced to give up a popular pantry staple due to its rising price - with thousands unable to afford it anymore. A Reddit post highlighted how the rapidly rising price of olive oil has impacted households across the country. 'So, the price of olive oil is mental right now. Where are you getting yours?' a desperate shopper asked. 'I was previously buying the 4L tins as it would work out slightly cheaper but even they have become more pricey, to the point where you are paying $20 per litre. I'm probably going to rely more on coconut oil until I can find a reasonable deal.' Daily Mail Australia previously revealed the average price of olive oil jumped by 100 per cent from 2021 to 2024 because of the drought and fires in Europe. The rapidly rising price of olive oil has impacted households all around the country Australian olive oil is also in short supply due to a poor fruit harvest the previous season, which is driving the prices up along with the Mediterranean shortage. Home chefs have reported resorting to other types of oils like vegetable and coconut - but many claim it's 'not the same'. 'I gave up on olive oil, I'm trying to pretend it was stolen by aliens and I have to figure out how to live without it,' one joked. Australian olive oil is in short supply due to a poor fruit harvest 'I miss my olive oil,' another said. A few shared top tips for acquiring and prolonging the life of your olive oil bottles. 'I buy bulk 10L jerry cans from Kangaroo Island. It's good quality and was reasonably priced,' a man said. 'Aldi. But they rarely have bulk so Costco,' another shared. 'The Asian grocer near me has Australian olive oil for $6 a litre. I honestly couldn't believe it when I saw it!' one revealed, with others noting similar deals at Italian grocers. A few had unconventional hacks. 'I pick up bottles from Facebook Marketplace. People are always moving out or away and letting go of their kitchen staples,' a woman said. 'Buy an olive oil sprayer,' another recommended. 'Using a silicone pastry brush to spread it too can be helpful. Cut down on your usage, as much as you're seeking alternatives. 'You can also strain and freeze if you find you have tonnes left at the bottom of the pan - this can be really useful for enhancing flavour in dishes.' Advertisement A dreamy mansion is making guests feel like they have been transported to the Mediterranean the moment they step through the door. The incredible home, named La Rosa, is in the Isle of Capri in the middle of Surfers Paradise, and broke a suburb record when it sold for $4million. Visitors enter the unique house via an arched mosaic tunnel only to be greeted by a five-metre-tall, bright pink giraffe playfully crafted to look like it has gnawed one of the pendant lights off the roof. The eclectic design is a blend of Mediterranean, Arabic and Asian elements, with fun surprises hidden in every room from the outdoor bathtub in the rear courtyard to the huge closet in the main bedroom. La Rosa is the epitome of indoor-outdoor living as glass doors slide back to combine the stunning living and dining room, pool area and alfresco space into one. The incredible home, named La Rosa, is in the Isle of Capri in the middle of Surfers Paradise and broke a suburb record when it sold for $4million Visitors enter the unique house via an arched mosaic tunnel only to be greeted by a five-metre-tall, bright pink giraffe playfully crafted to look like it's gnawed one of the pendant lights off the roof La Rosa is the epitome of indoor-outdoor living as glass doors slide back to combine the stunning living and dining room, pool area and alfresco space into one Through a curved doorway is the communal living space which houses the cosy lounge, meals area and gourmet kitchen with a 100mm-thick, 450kg marble island bench The giraffe overlooks the yard with two sitting areas sitting underneath pergolas strung with fairy lights, lush tropical palms and a built-in barbecue. A mosaic-tiled plunge pool sits on the other side of an invisible glass fence and an outdoor shower. A separate indoor gym sits beside the barbecue area. La Rosa's designer and first owner Cesar Solis built the home in 2020. He included the giraffe as it signifies 'elegance and is gentle'. 'It's basically symbolising the hard times of Covid and the fact the house was a collaboration with all the employees and trades,' he told realestate.com.au. 'I wanted to keep the giraffe as a reminder of how we all came together during Covid to create this beautiful house. The way that we have put the giraffe at the entrance, I wanted it to be the protector of the house.' At the opposite end of the pathway where the giraffe sits is the entry to the eccentric pad where guests are greeted with a dark wood stairway and walls adorned with artworks of squiggly faces. The ground level also has the palatial master suites with its own private courtyard, luxurious bathroom and enormous walk-in wardrobe Flowing white curtains around the bed add a touch of elegance while the double vanity in the ensuite has a glass splashback looking out into the courtyard where there is a tiled feature bath A mosaic-tiled plunge pool sits on the other side of an invisible glass fence Through a curved doorway is the communal living space which houses the cosy lounge, a meals area and gourmet kitchen. A 100mm-thick, 450kg marble island bench sits under an opulent art deco-style pendant light in the kitchen where there are four ovens and a hidden butler's pantry. The ground level also has the palatial master suite with its own private courtyard, luxurious bathroom and enormous walk-in wardrobe. Flowing white curtains around the bed add a touch of elegance while the double vanity in the ensuite has a glass splashback looking out into the courtyard where there is a tiled feature bath. Venturing upstairs, there is a second informal lounge room with views across the suburbs to the Coast's beachside high-rises. There are three more sophisticated bedrooms as well as a lavish shared bathroom with marble walls, an ornate mirror and a bathtub. La Rosa changed hands on April 12, fetching a whopping $4million price. It 'smashed' the record for the most expensive home sold on a dry block or not in a waterfront location in the Isle of Capri Venturing upstairs, there is a second informal lounge room with views across the suburbs to the beachside high rises Listing agent Avalon Vicario of Amir Prestige told FEMAIL the amazing home had a huge amount of interest both from home buyers and from neighbours who watched as it was constructed wanting to see the final result Avalon said the new owners are 'big travellers' but love the space so much they don't feel the need to book as many getaways La Rosa changed hands on April 12 fetching a whopping $4million price. It 'smashed' the record for the most expensive home sold on a dry block or not in a waterfront location in the Isle of Capri. The previous record was set by another home on the same street which went for $3.5million. Listing agent Avalon Vicario of Amir Prestige told FEMAIL the amazing home had a huge amount of interest both from home buyers and from neighbours who watched as it was constructed, wanting to see the final result. 'There was a huge amount of interest. I have ever seen so many people at the home opens, we had 100 people plus through the property,' she said. 'Walking through the grotto tunnel is phenomenal, it is so spectacular and unique, you feel like you're walking into the Mediterranean.' Avalon said the new owners are 'big travellers' but love the space so much they don't feel the need to book as many getaways. 'When she walked through that door that was the feeling evoked for her, she said "I don't need to travel anymore, I've just booked a cruise but now I just want to stay in my home!"' the agent recalled. An Aussie musician has claimed Australians are not 'laid-back' like foreigners think - and instead 'lie to themselves' and 'project' a false persona to the world. Mark, from Wollongong, said Australians are 'conservative, lazy and don't want to rock the boat', despite the country's easygoing 'larrikin' reputation. He said the nation's 'boring' attitude is causing the live music scene to struggle and is stopping the country from becoming a 'more exciting cosmopolitan society'. 'Australia can be summed up as we're the people who moved in next to the pub because it's trendy and cool but then complain about the live music and get it shut down,' he said. Australians were quick to agree with Mark's hot take - while others pointed out they tend to be early risers so are tired in the evening and also can't as easily afford to go out due to the cost-of-living crisis. Mark, from Wollongong, said Australians are 'conservative, lazy and don't want to rock the boat' despite the country's easygoing 'larrikin' reputation Mark replied to TikToker John Pabon who wanted to know why Australians have an 'aversion to doing anything social on a weekday'. The musician, who plays in the Strawberry Swing Band, explained it had to do with the 'lies' Australians tell themselves about how the world views them. 'As Australians we like to think of ourselves as laid-back larrikins, love a party, love a drink and all that sort of thing,' he said. 'The problem with that is we have some of the strictest lockout laws in the world in Sydney, you can't buy booze on Good Friday and no one goes out on weeknights. 'It's even hard to get a good coffee after one o'clock on a Saturday, so are we really that into partying? Are we really that laid-back?' Mark said Aussies are 'deeply conservative people' who are 'boring' and 'don't want to rock the boat'. Mark said Australians are viewed as easy going but have an 'aversion to doing anything social on a weekday' 'You can see that because we've had mostly conservative governments; we tend to vote for a conservative vision of Australia,' he said. 'The few times that we've been presented with a different, more interesting vision of Australia as a progressive country and as an exciting country, we voted it down historically.' Mark said many Aussies like to think they're 'the cool kids' who 'descended from convicts' when in fact many are the descendants of prison colony enforcers. He referenced a famous quote from journalist Clive James: 'The problem with Australians is not that so many of them are descended from convicts, but that so many of them are descended from prison officers.' 'That's why Australia's big on something called preemptive compliance, we like to push governments to regulate us, we like laws, we like laws that are enforced by fines, we saw that during Covid,' he continued. 'That doesn't mean all of these things are inherently bad but it means there's a disconnect between how we see ourselves and how we actually are and sometimes these things really are bad.' He said Australia's conservatism can be seen in its strict immigration policy that prompted Donald Trump to say then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was 'worse' than him when it came to allowing people in the country in 2017. He said Australia's conservatism can be seen in its strict immigration policy that prompted Donald Trump to say then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was 'worse' than him in 2017 Mark said the widespread conservative attitude trickles down to smaller issues like not wanting to go out during the week. 'The answer is because we're really conservative and we're kind of boring. That's a problem because this is what's killing things like the Australian live music industry,' he said. 'If you're an up-and-coming band you're often going to get booked on a weeknight and if no one's going out, you're playing to no one and you're making no money. I think it's time we start admitting some things about who we are as a people.' Mark shared his insights on TikTok and sparked a lively debate among viewers with people pointing out they don't make plans during the week as everything shuts early. 'Having moved from New Zealand to Australia, one thing that still baffles me is how early everything shuts down. If you want to eat after 9:30 you better be at home or Maccas, restaurants are all closed,' one man said. 'I've noticed we're extremely flaky too. Makes making friends very hard. People love to cancel,' another replied. 'Wow, you've summed it up perfectly! As a foreigner in Oz that has been my observation,' a third wrote. 'I've never thought about how conservatism bleeds into social life like this,' someone added. Many pointed out Australians are 'early risers' so are more tired in the evenings. The average wake-up time in Australia is 7:13am making Aussies the eighth earliest risers in the world according to the World Population Review. 'Most Aussies are up at 4am, we're early birds,' one viewer explained and a second said: 'Up at 4:45am every day. I'm in bed by 9pm every night. Girl needs her sleep!'. 'People don't wanna be hungover on weeknights,' another responded. Others blamed the cost of living crisis for turning Aussies off going out during the week. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported there was a 4.5 per cent increase in food and non-alcoholic drinks while alcohol was up by 6.6 per cent in 2023. The cost of recreation and culture saw a 0.5 per cent rise while transport jumped up 3.7 per cent. 'I'm paid $18 an hour. A pint of ginger beer is $17. Go figure why I don't go out on a weekday because it's so expensive,' one user commented. 'Can't afford the $300 to go out and have four beers,' joked another. But the same products are fully stocked at Target Shoppers have been spotting major changes in Kmart and Target stores as the brands undergo a partial merge. In January, it was announced that Target would start stocking Anko products in its beauty and homewares departments as part of a $10billion effort to merge the two stores into one. However, some customers have noticed disparities in products available between the two shops, claiming Target shelves are full but items in Kmart are not being replenished. Home hacks guru Amelia Liddy Sudbury shared her 'Kmart conspiracy theory', raising the eyebrows of Kmart and Target fans. The mum-of-three, from the Sunshine Coast, noticed the Target beauty shelves were filled with e.l.f. and OXX buys. Customers have noticed disparities in products available between the two shops, claiming Target shelves are full but items in Kmart are not being replenished 'Ever since the Target and the Kmart merger happened, I think they're prioritising restocking those kinds of products in your local Target store over your Kmart store to try and drive those Kmart loyalists, those kinds of consumers to start going into Target,' she explained. The suspicious shopper compared the Target beauty aisles with Kmart's and found the racks to be nearly empty. 'These are the shelves at Kmart and that's all there is,' she said. 'They're doing exactly the same with all the bath stuff - all of this was full in Target and they've not restocked any of it in Kmart.' Amelia shared her thoughts in a video and many viewers said they had noticed similar changes. 'I agree. I was looking for something in Kmart last week, they didn't have it. Light bulb moment, look in Target and there is was in abundance,' one woman replied. 'My local Kmart hasn't had e.l.f. stocked in months, we don't have a Target near us at all anymore,' another said. 'Yesss! Target is always loaded with stock. Everything I've needed so far hasn't been in stock in Kmart but Target seems to be the one-stop shop these days,' a third agreed. Home hacks guru Amelia Liddy Sudbury noticed the Target beauty shelves were filled with e.l.f. and OXX buys and found Kmart's racks to be nearly empty Others shared their theories on why Target is seemingly stocking more products than Kmart. 'I think it's more that many people don't know about or haven't realised the merge and just shop at Kmart. So it's always full at Target cause no one's really buying Kmart stuff from there,' one shopper wrote. 'Considering most Targets in recent years have phased out their makeup areas I would say this is a result of people not knowing that it's even there when they usually get it from Kmart instead,' a second said. A Kmart spokesperson told FEMAIL said beauty products should be fully stocked at both stores soon. 'Our beauty range is known and loved by Kmart customers, making it highly sought after,' they said. 'For Target customers, this is a still new range and selection of brands that are on offer. The team are working hard to restock and ensure full availability at both stores.' Wesfarmers, the parent company of Target and Kmart, shared the news in its annual results report after it was announced the two stores would merge into one $10billion mega business Wesfarmers, the parent company of Target and Kmart Australia, shared the news in its annual results report after it was announced the two stores would merge into one $10billion mega business by the middle of 2024. The collection will include 'hard home and general merchandise' and will arrive in Target stores 'early in the second half of the 2024 financial year'. Anko, which stands for 'A New Kind Of', is well known among regular shoppers of Kmart, and 'represents the change the retailer has undergone since 2008'. Wesfarmers also confirmed Target 'remains profitable' with 'relatively stronger performance in apparel'. However, the trading of home and toys was deemed 'challenging' compared to clothing. The business hopes to 'leverage the scale of the Kmart Group' to support Target in this area. Brian Walker, CEO of retail consultancy Retail Doctor Group told news.com.au the phrase 'hard home' implies Anko-branded homewares will be sold at Target. As a result, customers will be able to get the best of both stores all in one place. A leading IVF clinic knowingly implanted dead embryos into would-be mothers in an attempt to cover up their fatal mistakes, a lawsuit claims. Nine California couples allege that bungling lab workers at Ovation Fertility destroyed the embryos with harmful cleaning chemicals during storage. The suit says that the embryos would have died 'instantly' when they were put in storage, and that workers then knowingly implanted 'these dead embryos into the would-be mothers.' The clinic did so, according to the lawsuit, despite the risks of complications such as ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo implants in a fallopian tube rather than in the womb. One couple, Brooke Berger, and Bennett Hardy, now 37 and 33, said they were 'heartbroken' after discovering Ovation Fertility might have destroyed their last two embryos, which were their final hope to start a family. Brooke and Bennett trusted Ovation Fertility with their last two embryos in their fifth round of IVF The pair met nearly 12 years ago while at school and have been married for four years 'I still have nerve pain from those injections, that takes months to go away. My husband was rearranging his work so that he could administer these medications for me,' Ms Berger said 'When we found out that there was no way this would have ended in a successful pregnancy, we were just so disappointed and heartbroken,' Ms Berger said. 'It was devastating physically and emotionally to learn that after I had endured all the injections, medications, and painful and invasive procedures, it ultimately was for nothing,' she added. 'It just feels very disrespectful. To have no acknowledgement of guilt on their part, to trying to silence us. 'It's just so disrespectful to not be treated as a priority for that, to not have them convey any understanding of the damage they have caused - us and many other people. I'm just shocked that they're treating us so poorly.' Ms Berger. 'Seeing [my wife] go through all this physically and mentally, and then for this to happen, it's really frustrating,' Mr Hardy said. Ovation Fertility is a national storage treatment and IVF laboratory in Newport Beach that bills itself as one of the US' leading fertility labs. The company offers IVF, where an egg is fertilized by sperm in a test tube and then the resulting embryo is inserted into a woman. Ovation also offers 'safe, secure short and long-term storage for frozen eggs, sperm and embryos,' the website says. A single IVF cycle including genetic testing is estimated at $25,000. But the new lawsuit alleges Ovation 'hired inexperienced, cheap, unqualified, and untrained employees to cut corners and maximize profits - at the expense of the health and safety of its patients and their embryos.' The filing claims that a lab embryologist wrongly used hydrogen peroxide or a similar cleaning agent instead of a sterile solution like distilled water in the incubator that stored the frozen embryos. All nine couples claim Ovation used high quality embryos which should have had a 75 percent or above chance of success from January 18 to January 30. But the odds were zero percent because the clinic knowingly used nonviable embryos, according to the complaint, and none of the women became pregnant. Ms Berger and Mr Hardy moved to Orange County, Calfornia, in July last year, and shipped their remaining two frozen embryos to their new doctor, who used Ovation labs. It would be their fifth round of IVF. Ms Berger had already undergone months of hormone shots, as well invasive and risky medical procedures to retrieve eggs and prepare for implantation. 'I still have nerve pain from those injections, that takes months to go away. My husband was rearranging his work so that he could administer these medications for me,' she said. Ovation Fertility is a national storage treatment and IVF laboratory in Newport Beach, offering 'safe, secure short and long-term storage for frozen eggs, sperm and embryos' 'When we found out that there was no way this would have ended in a successful pregnancy, we were just so disappointed and heartbroken,' Ms Berger said 'And then this whole time, we're just trying to maintain hope that all of what you're doing is worth it, that you're gonna get something out of it in the end.' The implantation procedure at Ovation was 'uncomfortable', Ms Berger said. 'They insert a catheter into your uterus, which is a very uncomfortable procedure and then you supposedly wait for them to check to make sure the embryos are viable. 'There was a several minute delay just laying there in this uncomfortable position, trying to breathe through that pain - you're not given any pain management for that. 'Then they really quickly transfer it over, you can see where [the embryos] go into the uterus on an ultrasound. 'The doctor said everything went really well, they were placed well, and that he thought we had a good chance.' 'Little did they know that their embryos were already dead due to Ovation's wrongdoing,' the lawsuit said. The couple then had an agonizing 12 day wait, hoping to see a positive pregnancy test at the end that would never come. 'That week is actually really, really difficult,' Ms Berger said. 'You're still doing the medications, you're still keeping up with all. 'Every twinge you feel in your body, you're wondering, is that a sign that this is going well, if this is taking? Because it's in your own body, it's impossible to escape that. You're thinking about it all the time. 'It was devastating physically and emotionally to learn that after I had endured all the injections, medications, and painful and invasive procedures, it ultimately was for nothing,' Ms Berger said The filing claims that a lab embryologist wrongly used hydrogen peroxide or a similar cleaning agent instead of a sterile solution like distilled water in the incubator that stored the frozen embryos (stock image) 'When you finally get that negative pregnancy test, it's very hard to cope with.' Some of the other couples involved in the litigation even endured risky and painful medical procedures, such as hysteroscopies and biopsies, to determine if something went wrong on their end. A hysteroscopy involves a surgeon looking inside your uterus via a camera attached to a tube to diagnose and treat abnormalities, while a biopsy involves testing a tissue sample from the uterus lining. The couples only began to find out that something dodgy had happened after several of the couples fertility doctors questioned why there was an 100 percent failure rate for the embryos that had been thawed over that two week period, when the success rate was normally above 75 percent. Another married couple, only named as TS and KS in the complaint, started their IVF journey in 2023. Only two out of their 12 retrieved eggs were successfully fertilized and deemed implantable. 'We had hope, a lot of hope, as we had one very high-grade, high-quality female embryo, plus one low-grade, low-quality male embryo. We took our best chances, and transferred our girl - named Kalani Noelle - on January 29, 2024. She was meant to complete our family,' the couple said. But unfortunately they never became pregnant. 'Our hearts are broken, and we will forever mourn the loss of our girl embryo,' they said. Now Ovation has been bombarding Ms Berger with phone calls to try and 'sweep the matter under the rug, attempting to trick patients into signing waivers of their claims and non-disparagement agreements,' the lawsuit said. 'This whole process with them trying to contact us... it's just so transactional. There's been no apology, no straight answer. 'We shouldn't have to have this lawsuit to figure out what happened to our embryos. It's just not right,' Mr Hardy said. Ms Berger and Mr Hardy remain desperate to become parents, and plan on attempting another ovarian stimulation cycle. 'If we want to move forward, we're gonna have to go through a whole other stimulation cycle, which is even more medications and monitoring and more procedures. It's a lot more intense, and with no guarantee that we're going to get any more viable embryos out of that process,' she said. 'I'm almost three years older than when we first retrieved these embryos, and odds do not improve as you age.' Ms Berger said: 'We want to ensure that Ovation is held accountable... and that this doesn't happen again to other couples who are trying to grow their families.' Mr Hardy said: 'It's heart-breaking and frustrating thinking about all of the effort we went through, and my wife sacrificing her body physically and mentally with this exhausting process.' Attorney Robert Marcereau, of the Marcereau Law Group, said: 'Ovation Fertility betrayed the trust of these people in their most vulnerable moments.' Attorney Michelle Hemesath, of Ikuta Hemesath LLP, said: 'Ovation Fertility touted its supposed expertise to the general public when its operations were riddled with incompetence, as the lawsuit alleges.' Ovation Fertility has been named in other lawsuits in the past. Emma Saunders, an actress and photographer, went to her father's private GP in Chelsea with tinnitus in November 2020. 'I'd woken up with a loud ringing in my ears it was distressing because I'd not had anything like it before and didn't know what was going on,' she says. 'I went privately because I expected the doctor to have contacts and to refer me to a specialist for tests.' Instead, the GP prescribed a tranquilliser, lorazepam, telling Emma, then 34, it would calm her down and help her sleep. 'The doctor obviously thought I was having a meltdown he said he was going to give me something to take until the pandemic was over [the UK was then in a national lockdown] and life got back to normal,' she says. Emma believes the decision to take the medication changed the course of her life for the worse and she is still suffering now. Emma Saunders was sectioned and admitted to three psychiatric hospitals after a GP prescribed her a tranquilliser for her tinnitus in November 2020 'Over the next three years, I was sectioned and admitted to three psychiatric hospitals. I became psychotic and was in such unbearable physical and mental agony that I tried to kill myself several times.' She adds: 'Three-and-a-half years later I'm still unwell. I've got long-term nerve damage, have severe migraines and pain in my eyes and am often confined to my bed for weeks because I'm so unwell.' Emma's story began with a tranquilliser, but her worsening condition and long-term health problems are linked to the side-effects of the drug itself but as is too often the case, these symptoms were seen as her condition worsening rather than down to the drug itself, leading to more medication, triggering an agonising condition called akathisia. This is a dangerous side-effect of some medications, mainly antipsychotics, but it can also occur with antidepressants and even some antibiotics. Akathisia causes intense restlessness, an inability to keep still and a feeling of terror. It can drive patients to kill themselves. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine, a type of drug used to treat conditions such as anxiety, depression and insomnia. 'The GP said it was completely safe and I could take it until the end of lockdown [which lasted, with periods of relaxation of the rules in between, for another six months],' says Emma. 'I thought nothing of it because he's a doctor and I trusted him.' In fact, under official guidelines, these drugs should be prescribed for no more than two to four weeks, and should not be used as first-line treatments for conditions such as anxiety the guidelines also warn that being dependent on them is common between two to four weeks of taking them. As David Healy, a former professor of psychiatry at the University of Wales who is an expert in the side-effects of psychiatric medication, explains: 'These drugs can be useful for treating short-term anxiety, but in the longer term they can be lethal. 'People can get hooked on them in just a week and withdrawal problems can be so severe that some people are unable to get off them, or do so with devastating consequences.' I remember first coming across the problems these pills cause in the 1980s when I was a researcher working on the TV consumer programme That's Life! Emma believes the decision to take the medication changed the course of her life for the worse and she is still suffering now Emma's worsening condition and long-term health problems are linked to the side-effects of the tranquiliser drug itself Benzodiazepine addiction was one of the campaigns championed by my then boss, Esther Rantzen. In the following decades, 117 UK GPs and 50 health authorities were sued by patients to recover damages for the harmful effects of dependence and withdrawal. Yet despite such concerns and despite the official guidelines, nearly 1.5 million people in England alone take benzodiazepines. Thousands more are on them for longer than as set out in official guidelines 120,000 people were given continuous prescriptions for benzodiazepines between April 2015 and March 2018, according to the latest figures from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. It's not 'simply' that people are being put on and then left on these drugs inappropriately, there is a worrying lack of awareness among healthcare professionals about the side-effects. Emma began having problems with lorazepam after just a month of starting to take it. 'It helped me to sleep at first, but then it began to have the opposite effect,' she says. 'I was waking up in the early hours in a state of terror. It got worse until it wasn't just in the middle of the night, it was throughout the day, too.' (A lesser concern was that it hadn't helped her tinnitus either, more on that later.) Professor Healy explains: 'Lorazepam is a short-acting drug which means it may put you to sleep but, after a few hours, it will wash out of your system and you will wake up again.' He says what Emma experienced sounds like 'interdose' withdrawal 'this happens when withdrawal symptoms emerge in between scheduled doses: the problem with benzodiazepines is that they can cause the things they treat, so when the drug wears off patients can get rebound anxiety or rebound insomnia'. Emma asked her GP if she should continue taking the drug 'and he said it was safe to carry on with it', she recalls. With Covid travel restrictions relaxed, Emma had gone to stay with her father in Spain. 'I was in the glorious sunshine but I felt anxious all the time,' she says. 'I couldn't eat, concentrate or do anything.' Eight weeks after starting on lorazepam Emma saw a doctor in Spain who diagnosed what she now knows was interdose withdrawal as anxiety, and prescribed citalopram as well. This is a type of SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), a class of antidepressants that is widely prescribed. Emma's condition became worse, she recalls: 'Within hours of taking it, I started having a feeling of constant terror, I was rocking back and forth in my bed and I was unable to sit still.' Her inability to keep still is characteristic of akathisia. Professor Healy explains: 'This is an agonising disorder which is typically caused by antipsychotics, but can also be caused by antidepressants, benzodiazepines and some other medications, such as antiemetics [used to prevent nausea]; pregabalin [for epilepsy, anxiety and nerve pain]; antimalarials and even some antibiotics. 'It tends to happen when people first go on the drug, come off or change dose. I've seen people who are pacing and screaming and banging their heads against walls because they are so distressed by it,' says Professor Healy. While the exact cause and the proportion of people taking medication who are affected by akathisia are not known, in a study Professor Healy ran in 2000, where 20 healthy people were given the SSRI sertraline, one in ten developed akathisia, reported the journal Primary Care Psychiatry. Nicole Lamberson is the medical director of Benzodiazepine Information Coalition a U.S. based support group of patients and medical professionals. She says they are contacted by sufferers from all over the world, including many in the UK. It's crazy how these medicines can alter your state from being a very happy person to all of a sudden thinking about suicide all the time, Emma says 'We hear regularly that someone has taken their own life because the agony of akathisia and drug withdrawal was too much to bear,' she says. With the permission of their families, Nicole has posted a video on YouTube of Christine Narloch, from Wisconsin, and Stephanie Eisensmith, from Florida, who both suffered akathisia after being taken off their prescription benzodiazepines too quickly. Both ended their lives because the agony was too much. The videos are deeply distressing, showing the women unable to stop moving and crying. They both asked for these videos to be made public to raise awareness. Christine wrote to her family before she took her own life in 2017, aged 48: 'I've suffered horrifically from the lorazepam prescribed by a doctor. Please know I tried to survive. Mikey [her husband] has a video to show you a tiny bit of what I went through.' The videos have a particular poignancy for me as I, too, wanted to end my life due to akathisia. My ordeal began in 2012 when I went to a doctor with insomnia caused by a divorce. I wanted sleeping pills, but was prescribed antidepressant escitalopram, an SSRI. I am one of the estimated 2 to 5 per cent of people who suffer a severe adverse reaction to antidepressants: I became acutely psychotic and was admitted to a private hospital, where doctors didn't realise it was the antidepressant that had caused my psychosis. They sectioned me, prescribing more antidepressants and anti-psychotics and, over the course of a year, I became nearly catatonic. Almost as soon as I started on the original medication I developed acute akathisia even now, 12 years later, I find it hard to relive the agony. At times, the inability to sit still was so unbearable that I would wander the streets for hours. Sometimes it was so agonising that I thought of jumping under a train. I also lived in a state of terror as if I was about to be attacked. My ordeal ended with my admission to a different hospital where I went cold turkey. Since then I have been completely well and drug-free. But throughout that year, not one medical professional recognised that my condition had been caused by drug-induced akathisia. Instead, they thought my desire to kill myself and inability to stop moving was simply a mental health problem. Having gone online and found support groups of people who were suffering from benzodiazepine and antidepressant withdrawal, Emma wondered if her medication might also be to blame for her symptoms so a month after being put on citalopram, she started to reduce the dose. While her akathisia improved, she still wasn't back to her usual self, suffering insomnia and 'unnatural anxiety I could barely leave my room', she says. Two months after coming off citalopram, Emma decided to stop taking the lorazepam, too, which she'd been on for five-and-a-half months. But this made her condition, including the akathisia, much worse. 'I started getting electric- shock feelings, and I didn't sleep at all,' she recalls. 'My eyesight was blurry and my hearing was muffled. I had this strange feeling that I had left my body.' These are classic signs of antidepressant and benzodiazepine withdrawal, say experts. Concerned, Emma's father took her to a hospital. She recalls: 'I was strapped into a chair and taken up to this awful psychiatric unit it was like a prison rather than a place where a doctor would send you to get better. I realised it was the medication that was making me ill and the last thing I wanted was any more drugs. But they made me take sertraline [another SSRI] and threatened to inject me with the antipsychotic olanzapine if I didn't agree. 'My tinnitus was screaming in my ears it felt like my whole body was a melting pot of hell.' After three days, Emma persuaded doctors to discharge her. But, still suffering, 'I Googled how to kill myself the awful thing is I didn't want to die, I just wanted the suffering to stop', she says. In the summer of 2021, her mother flew over to take her home to the UK. Back in London, her condition worsened. 'At this point I'm down to 5st usually I'm 8st I'm 5ft 4in,' she says. 'I'm pacing 24/7 in a circle and I still can't sleep. My friend has taken a video of this; I'm in full psychosis. I thought I was dead, that I was in hell and that my mum was the Devil.' Over the next four months, Emma was sectioned twice and put on more antidepressants and antipsychotics. Her physical and mental health declined as the akathisia and other withdrawal symptoms escalated and resulted in more attempts to take her life. Her nightmare ended in November 2021, a year after it began, when a nurse gave her lorazepam, the same drug that had begun her ordeal this time, to help with her agitation and constant pacing. 'Suddenly, I felt OK,' says Emma. 'It was like a miracle. I was able to have a normal conversation.' She saw a private psychiatrist who told her that she was suffering protracted withdrawal from the lorazepam, and he recommended she reinstate it and taper off it slowly, along with the other antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs she'd been prescribed. Emma has been doing this for two-and-a-half years and has been told it will take several more to get off them completely. 'The withdrawal symptoms are sometimes so bad that it feels as if I'm having seizures or a stroke and sometimes the akathisia comes back,' she says. She also still suffers from tinnitus a specialist has diagnosed a problem with her Eustachian tube, probably caused by Covid, which she had during the first lockdown. While I'm disturbed by Emma's story, I'm not at all surprised. After my own experience, I set up a campaigning website and I am frequently contacted by people like Emma, who have no history of mental illness but who also become suicidal from drugs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Last week, I was contacted by a head teacher who developed akathisia and became suicidal immediately after taking citalopram for stress. After a year, which included several attempts to end his life, he was lucky to meet a psychiatrist who correctly diagnosed that his condition had been caused by the drug and helped taper him off it. Now recovered, he told me that he was so desperate he rang the Samaritans 15 times. He believes he could have been saved a year of hell if it had raised the possibility that some medications can cause people to want to kill themselves and that he may be suffering akathisia. Emma, too, had contacted the Samaritans. Prompted by their stories, I spoke to a number of experts about what could be done to address this problem their suggestion was for medical professionals and helpline staff alike to ask people: 'Have you become suicidal since going on, changing dose or coming off a drug that lists suicidal thoughts as a potential side-effect?' When I contacted the Samaritans a spokesperson said: 'Our listening volunteers are not medically trained clinicians and do not offer advice on prescription medication. 'Discussions about treatment options, including any possible side-effects, must be had with a GP or other qualified healthcare professional.' In Professor Healy's view, while suicide prevention services cannot be expected to offer medical advice, 'they could raise the possibility with callers that their problems may be caused by medication and that if there's a risk, they should go back to their doctor or seek medical advice'. This, he says, could save people taking their own lives 'and prevent thousands from the agony caused by an adverse drug reaction'. That's why I am organising a petition to call for suicide prevention services to ask patients this key question. Emma adds: 'It's crazy how these medicines can alter your state from being a very happy person to all of a sudden thinking about suicide all the time. 'I didn't actually want to die I was just experiencing the side-effects of these drugs.' Katinka Blackford Newman's website can be found at antidepressantrisks.org Neither the family nor health department have confirmed this was the culprit A woman in Colorado has been left paralyzed and fighting for her life after fighting a deadly bacterial infection - which her friends think she got from canned soup. Snowboarder Claudia de Albuquerque Celada, 23, originally from Brazil, was on a work exchange program in Aspen when she started suffering dizziness, double vision, and trouble breathing. Within 24 hours, all of the muscles in her body became paralyzed, leaving her on a ventilator. It would take two weeks for doctors to find the cause: botulism, an infection that attacks the body's nerve tissue and affects just 100 Americans per year. Local health authorities told DailyMail.com that soup was suspected to be the source of infection. Claudia de Albuquerque Celada, 23, originally from Brazil, was on a work exchange program in Colorado when she became infected with botulism. The disease, which affects about 100 Americans every year, left her paralyzed Sources familar with Ms Albuquerque Celada's case said she became infected with botulism from canned soup that she got while bartering in the ski town of Aspen Botulism is caused by eating foods that have been contaminated with the bacteria C botulinum. These toxins attack the nervous system and can cause paralysis It most commonly occurs in homemade canning, when the food is improperly preserved. In the past, botulism has been linked to foods like sardines, pesto, tomatoes and pickles. The illness does not spread from person to person and there is no risk to the general population. Ms Albuquerque Celada's sister, Luisa Albuquerque, wrote on Instagram that her sister moved to Colorado in November for her 'dream job,' though it's unclear what industry she worked in. About 15 days after purchasing the soup, Luisa said that her sister left work early as she started to feel ill. 'She took a shower, had dinner and went to bed, but she had shortness of breath, blurred vision and dizziness,' Luisa told Portugese outlet UOL. 'She sent a message to her friends to go to her apartment, but they only say it in the morning.' 'When they arrived, my sister was already much worse, she could barely breathe on her own and she had facial paralysis.' She also suffered weak muscles, arms, and legs. Some other very weak muscles, weak arms, weak legs. 'She went to the hospital and, soon after, she was 100 percent paralyzed,' Luisa said. Ms Albuquerque Celada's family was able to fly to Colorado within a week. She was diagnosed on March 1. The family suspects Ms Albuquerque Celada will need six months to a year to recover from her illness. As of now, she is on a ventilator and will be transferred back to Brazil Swedish Medical Center in Denver, where Ms Albuquerque Celada is hospitalized, has announced that it will cover costs for her to return to Brazil Doralice Goes, a fellow botulism survivor from Brazil who says she is familiar with the case, said that Ms Albuquerque Celada contracted botulism from canned soup that she got from a market stall. 'We know it was an industrialized soup,' she wrote on Instagram. Ms Albuquerque Celada's family has not confirmed which food it was, though they have stated that it was a foodborne infection. It's unclear if Ms Goes personally knows the family and has spoken with them, though she has provided updates on the case and information about botulism, as she survived the condition herself last year. DailyMail.com has reached out to Ms Goes for further details. The Pitkin County Health Department, where Aspen is located, said last week that they believe Ms Albuquerque Celada's case is an 'isolated incident'. Officials added that they 'believe we have identified the exposure source and have determined that there is no risk to the public at this time.' The agency also said that specifics cannot be shared 'in order to protect the privacy of the case.' Colorado reported four cases of foodborne botulism in 2019, the latest data available. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Pitkin County Health Department for comment. This would not be the first time canned soup has been infected with botulism. In 2021, the CDC reported a suspected case of botulism in Arizona. The Arizona Department of Health collected samples from the patient's home, including an empty can of chicken rice with vegetables soup, according to a USDA case report. Tests found botulinum toxin type A in both the patient's blood and the can. The soup reportedly had an abdormal odor when it was opened, but the can was not leaking or bulging. Ms Albuquerque Celada's family said that she has been hospitalized for about 50 days, and recovery is expexted to last six months to a year. They have also been working to raise $200,000 to transport her back to Sao Paulo, where she is from. The family has exhausted their travel insurance. 'We are in a country that is not ours, speaking another language, with people who are not part of our family,' Luisa wrote on social media. 'We think that recovery close to family and friends is much faster. Comparing the costs between staying here and returning to Brazil, the return is still cheaper.' Swedish Medical Center in Denver, where Ms Albuquerque Celada is hospitalized, has announced that it will cover costs for her to return to Brazil. Though fewer than five of every 100 people with botulism die, according to the CDC, it can cause lifelong disability and extreme physical therapy. Patients who are paralyzed need to relearn how to walk, talk, and perform everyday tasks again. The CDC says that even after recovery, survivors may suffer fatigue and shortness of breath for years. Ms Goes, who said that Ms Albuquerque Celada's case was tied to canned soup, was diagnosed with botulism last year and became paralyzed after eating pesto from a farmer's market, which she believes was contaminated. Ms Goes remained in the hospital for about a year to recover from the paralysis. 'I had treatments every day of the week,' she said last year, 'from myofascial release to analgesia, laser, suction cup[s], pilates to recover muscular tone, strengthening and pulmonary physiotherapy.' 'It is now part of my history, and I am to overcome the difficulties I now face.' She now advocates for botulism awareness and better food safety standards. 'We need to talk about it and make consumers, industry and hospitals aware that this disease exists today. More food safety rules need to be implemented,' she wrote on Instagram. High-tech socks that monitor how people walk could cut the risk of foot and toe amputations due to diabetes. The electronic sock contains a sensor that detects whether patients are putting too much pressure on parts of the foot that are at risk of ulcers forming, researchers say. These ulcers a complication of diabetes can turn into infected wounds that become gangrenous. Chronic wounds are one reason why around 40 people undergo partial or total foot amputations a week in England. Patients identified by the socks as being vulnerable to developing an ulcer could then be taught to change their walking style to ease pressure on that part of the foot. Around five million people in the UK have diabetes 90 per cent of these are type 2, where blood sugar levels are high because the body is either not making enough insulin (which helps 'mop up' sugar from the blood), or the insulin does not work properly. Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. High-tech socks that monitor how people walk could cut the risk of foot and toe amputations due to diabetes (Stock Image) Meanwhile, around 10 per cent have type 1 diabetes, which is caused by the immune system attacking the pancreas, which produces insulin. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, including those in the feet. The lack of sensation means patients can have tiny grazes they don't notice, which can quickly turn into ulcers because of the lack of oxygen-rich blood in the area. It's estimated that up to 15 per cent of diabetes patients will develop a foot ulcer at some point. Sewn into the bottom of the new sock is a ballistocardiogram sensor, which can measure blood flow anywhere in the body by tracking the force of the heart's contractions. In a new trial, patients will wear the socks, developed at Chonnam National University Hospital in South Korea, while walking on a treadmill for a few minutes. The sensor gathers data on how well blood flows in the front of the foot. People with diabetes are more at risk of ulcers if they put too much pressure on this part known as the metatarsal area than on the heel, because the soft tissue in this area is more prone to damage from poor circulation linked to diabetes. The extra pressure restricts blood flow, increasing the risk of ulcers. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, including those in the feet. The lack of sensation means patients can have tiny grazes they don't notice (Stock Image) Researchers presented the findings of a trial at a European Society of Cardiology conference earlier this month, showing how readings from 20 patients who had diabetes compared with those from 20 healthy people. The diabetes group put greater pressure on the metatarsal area, with less pressure on the heel probably because nerve damage here means they're less likely to be aware they're overusing this part of the foot, experts said. Previous research has shown that gait re-training can help improve blood flow and nerve function in the feet of those with diabetes. Dr Paul Jenkins, a consultant endocrinologist at the London Endocrine Centre, said: 'Diabetic foot ulcers are notoriously difficult to heal and often require prolonged hospital admission. 'This sock could be helpful in identifying those at risk before the ulcer actually starts, and would allow more education to be given to the patient about risk-modifying changes, including different walking patterns as well as footwear.' Korea and the United States held consultations to discuss bilateral cooperation in nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. At the meeting held in Seoul the previous day, Kweon Ki-hwan, the deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, and Jill Hruby, under secretary for nuclear security of the U.S. Department of Energy, stressed that nuclear cooperation is an "important pillar" of the Korea-U.S. alliance. They also agreed to bolster ties in the supply of nuclear fuel, management of spent nuclear fuel and joint research on nuclear nonproliferation, according to the ministry. (Yonhap) A young woman with a condition that leaves her genitals 'aroused' 24/7 has detailed her daily struggle with it. Rhode Island native Scarlet Kaitlin Wallen, 21, has persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD), which causes a non-stop painful burning feeling in her privates. While most sufferers typically feel a sense of sexual arousal, Ms Wallen's condition is more pain than pleasure. She has always experienced a 'pins and needles' feeling in her vulva, saying that it was constantly burning: 'It was like I was naturally aroused but I didnt want it.' She has suffered from it since she was about six years old, when it prevented her from playing outside with friends because all she wanted to do was curl up in bed. In 15 years, shes only had a handful of pain-free days - and shes unable to work or study full-time. Rhode Island native Scarlet Kaitlin Wallen, 21, has persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD), which causes the painful burning feeling in her genitals that she has experienced since childhood The condition caused Scarlet's mental health to deteriorate and led to severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder But with treatments and surgeries being developed all the time Scarlet remains hopeful shell be able to have 'a life without PGAD' one day. PGAD affects around 1 percent of the population, primarily women. Certain medications for depression can trigger it. Experts believe it could also be caused by certain nerve fibers in sexual organs sending signals to the brain for no reason, causing arousal. Ms Wallen, a part-time courier and art student from Barrington, described the pain as 'burning bugs under my skin' - and like her genitals were on fire. She said: 'In my brain it was like, I didnt want to feel this. I wanted to be playing outside.' When puberty hit at the age of 13, she started experiencing random days without pain. She has dealt with the pain since age six, when it would become too unbearable for her to go outside and play with her friends Scarlet underwent surgery to have some nerves in her vagina removed to alleviate the constant burning feeling But the burning and unwanted arousal would come back with a vengeance after a couple of days - and Ms Wallen would deliberately use vapor rub on her genitals to distract from the unwanted arousal. It made her break out into rashes, but the burning from that was better compared to the burning brought on by PGAD. Her symptoms started at the age of six - when she began to feel severe and constant 'pins-and-needles' in her genitals. She said: 'Id been experiencing pain for as long as I remember. My vulva was constantly burning - it was like I was naturally aroused but I didnt want it.' Her PGAD, alongside other conditions like OCD, meant she became reclusive as a teen. She struggled to make friends due to her anxiety - and couldnt stay around people for long periods of time in case she had a PGAD flare-up. She has even had some of her genital nerves removed in a bid to numb the pain. Just before graduating from high school, in 2020, Ms Wallen saw a doctor for the first time so she could attend college without worrying about her condition. The stress and pain had led to her being diagnosed with severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She became a recluse, and her mental health deteriorated. She said: 'By 18, I was quite certain my body was attacking me. So I wrote a letter to my parents. 'I didnt want to tell them face-to-face - but it was getting so bad I couldnt hide it from them anymore. 'I wrote that I had this non-stop nerve pain that wasnt even pain, it was worse. I told them it was something I had no control over.' With the help of her father, 54, an investment banker, she was referred to the San Diego Sexual Medicine Clinic in California. Her clinician was certain Ms Wallen was experiencing PGAD, alongside other sexual dysfunctions, such as numbness in the genitals caused by taking antidepressants. The doctor also found she was suffering from another condition - congenital neuroproliferative vestibulodynia - which means the pelvic nerves are hypersensitive to touch, and Scarlet has been suffering from this since birth. It's believe this caused the PGAD. In a bid to find out the cause and correct treatment, he examined Scarlet for the first time. But he found she had lots of complications - including a duplicate vagina, which was unconnected to her PGAD. She said: 'My clinician, Dr. Irwin, told me he wanted to do a vestibulectomy - a surgery to remove painful tissue from the vagina. But during the examination, they found I had a duplicate. 'So first, Id need to have the blocked tissue of the vagina removed - the thing that was causing it to divide into two parts. Then, I could have my vestibulectomy.' She had her separate vagina wall removed in February 2023 and recovered within a week. Her vestibulectomy took place the following September- but she only had parts of the painful tissue removed, giving her a greater chance of having a 'normal' sex drive in the future. She said: 'I was told there was a significant possibility I wouldnt be able to feel any sort of natural sexual arousal again if I had all of it removed - due to my post-SSRI sexual dysfunction.' I still want to have a sexual relationship - but my choice is currently between living with PGAD or being completely numb. 'Im just hopeful that one day Ill be able to live a normal life.' NovoNordisk is testing the compound CagriSema, which is made up of semaglutide and cagrilintide Drugmakers are capitalizing on the success of groundbreaking obesity drugs with plans to release an additional 13 treatments in the coming years. Starting this year, the number of new obesity drugs hitting the market will start ticking up, hitting a projected peak in 2027 with four new launches that year alone. Pharma giant Novo Nordisk, the company behind Wegovy and Ozempic, expects to launch six products in the next five years. Leading the pack of new drugs will be CagriSema, a combination of the key ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic with another drug, cagrilinitide. Novos main competitor, Eli Lilly, maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound, and a smattering of other companies are expected to follow suit to meet staggering demand driven by record high obesity rates in the US. The graph shows that in 2022, more than 5 million prescriptions for obesity drugs were written for weight loss compared with just over 230,000 in 2019. A more recent analysis showed more than nine million prescriptions for Wegovy and other injectable drugs used for weight loss were doled out in the last three months of 2022 The weight loss drug market is expanding rapidly, with a projected value of $100 billion by 2030. Jasper Morley, a GlobalData pharma analyst, said: Recent blockbuster launches have showcased the viability of obesity drugs. 'In accordance with the increasing patient population, it is highly likely that a number of companies manufacturing these later entrants will receive great returns for their efforts.' Expected to hit the market in 2025, Novos CagriSema alone will likely garner $7.4 billion in sales by 2029. In addition to starting phase three testing for CagriSema, Novo has initiated second-phase testing of another drug, INV-202, as well as an ultrasound therapy with GE. Meanwhile, Lilly partnered with a Chinese firm called Innovent Biologics on a drug called mazdutide. Chinese regulators are currently reviewing it for approval there. And South Korean drugmaker Hanmi Pharmaceutical and German-based Boehringer Ingelheim are developing their own. Ozempic and Wegovy have ushered in a rapidly expanding field of obesity drugs, with pharma firms big and small eager to cash in on the massive weight loss drug windfall Other drug candidates in mid-stage development for obesity include Viking Therapeutics VK2735, Structure Therapeutics GSBR-1290 and Altimmunes pemvidutide, Pfizers danuglipron, Amgens AMG133, also known as MariTide, and Roches CT-996 and CT-388. A 2023 analysis of by NBC News found that more than nine million prescriptions for Wegovy and other injectable drugs used for weight loss were doled out during the last three months of 2022 alone. JPMorgan researchers estimate that the number will balloon, with 30 million people expected to be taking GLP-1 drugs by 2030, or around 9 percent of the US population. Obesity is a major public health crisis in the US, an estimated two out of every three adults qualifying as either overweight or obese, about 172 million people, and one-third have crossed the line to be firmly in the obese category. Demand for obesity drugs like Wegovy has been high since it was approved for weight loss in 2021. But the production has struggled to keep pace with demand, meaning many people who could benefit from the drugs and have a prescription for them, cannot get them. In many cases, doctors have been prescribing Ozempic and Mounjaro 'off label' to people looking to lose weight but who do not have type 2 diabetes which is what they were initially intended to treat contributing to shortages. Celebrities have also driven demand for the drugs with shocking weight loss transformations, but not all of them qualified as overweight and therefore did not need to be taking them. This, as well as the publics clamoring for the drugs to look like their favorite stars, has also caused massive spikes in demand that have outpaced manufacturing. Now 2024's already seen nearly 8,000 RAC call-outs due to poor road surfaces The UK's pothole epidemic is intensifying with the RAC attending 10 per cent more breakdowns resulting from motorists driving through potholes than a year ago. Some 27,205 callouts to breakdowns due to poor road surfaces in the UK were received by the RAC in the year to the end of March. That compares with 24,906 during the previous 12 months, the motoring services company said. The new figures are revealed after the RAC said it had been called out for a record number of pothole breakdowns in 2023, as the Government and local authorities fail to get a grasp of the nation's crumbling road crisis. The UK's pothole crisis is getting worse and worse each year, with the RAC already attending nearly 8,000 breakdowns in the first three months of 2024 due to Britain's bad road surfaces. UK motorists are now twice as likely to suffer a pothole-related breakdown than in 2006 Nearly 8,000 (7,904) call-outs for pothole-related damage were recorded by the breakdown assistance provider in the first three months of 2024 due to Britain's deteriorating road surfaces. Roadside patrols have been called to attend an average of 87 pothole-caused breakdowns per day for faults including broken suspension springs, damaged shock absorbers and distorted wheels. This is 22 per cent fewer pothole-related breakdowns than the RAC attended in January to March 2023 (10,076), which the company attributed to the 'unusually mild weather' seen at the start of this year. Only seven days of frost (compared to the usual nine) were recorded in the opening three months of 2023, which could have potentially limited the number of brand-new potholes forming. During winter months, sub-zero temperatures normally cause more surface deterioration as water gets into cracks in the road, freezes and expands. The RAC's Pothole Index which measures the likelihood of suffering a pothole-caused call-out - suggested the warmer temperatures have helped the UK to 'dodge a pothole bullet'. While call-outs for pothole issues were down in the opening quarter of 2024 compared to the same three months in 2023, they were up 53 per cent on the last three months of last year. The RAC said this is a 'clear sign that the UK is suffering a pothole epidemic as roads continue to crumble'. And compared to 2006 - when the RAC first began tracking these faults - drivers are now nearly twice as likely to experience pothole damage. This is Money reported that pothole damage cost UK drivers 500million last year, while a major industry study revealed recently that councils have spent 28.8million on compensation claims for damage caused by potholes to cars across the country. Pothole-related insurance claims have also soared 40 per cent in a year, also reaching record-high levels. The RAC said the pothole crisis would have been worsened if the UK hadn't seen spells of 'unusually mild weather' during the start of the year. During winter months, sub-zero temperatures normally cause more surface deterioration as water gets into cracks in the road, freezes and expands The RAC is calling on local authorities to assign recent Government funding to better tackle the road surface crisis. In October, the Government announced it would provide 8.3billion of extra funding over 11 years to fix potholes in England. This was part of the Network North strategy to use money saved by scrapping the planned extension of HS2 north of Birmingham. However, the cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at 16.3billion, according to the latest analysis by the Asphalt Industry Alliance. Construction work for the HS2 railway taking place at Wendover Dean Viaduct in Buckinghamshire. Minsters have claimed that funds from the cancelled project will be used to improve road maintenance RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: 'All the cracks left by years of declining road maintenance budgets can't easily be filled. 'Even though the Government has given councils an additional 8.3billion for road maintenance from the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2, we know this is only enough to resurface 5,000 miles of roads the equivalent of just 3 per cent of all England's local roads. 'To make the most of this funding, we implore local authorities to focus their efforts on resurfacing the worst roads in their areas rather than pointlessly trying to patch pothole-ridden roads that can't be saved from further decline. 'And now is the time for preventative action to be taken, as it's between the warmer months of April and September when vital surface dressing work can be carried out to extend the life of roads. 'Sadly, government data we analysed shows 60 per cent of English councils didn't do any such work in the 2022-2023 financial year.' Major inconsistencies with how councils report, monitor and repair potholes The UK arm of French car maker Citroen has also today called on the government to implement a standardised national process for local councils reporting and monitoring pothole levels in their jurisdiction. It comes after the manufacturer uncovered the way councils record pothole reports, pothole repairs and outstanding repairs varies vastly across the country, leading to a postcode lottery for road-repair responses in the UK. A Freedom of Information request submitted to local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales revealed that there is no coherent process for how councils report and monitor potholes. Inconsistencies mean a surface defect that one council may consider as a pothole requiring urgent repair may not be treated with the same urgency in a neighboring authority, leading to the problem being underreported nationally. Currently, there is no centralised government policy to follow - councils in England and Wales are required only to complete repairs within a 'timely manner' according to the Highways Act 1980. One major disparity across different authorities is the qualification of pothole size. For instance, in order to report a pothole to Worcestershire Council, the size must be deeper than 40mm and wider than 200mm. However, Essex County Council, which says it repaired over 13,000 road defects in 2023, will only respond to a pothole report if it is deeper than 50mm and measures at least 100mm across in two perpendicular directions. Local councils were also shown to use differing guidelines for monitoring the urgency of repair requirements. Barnsley Council has two categories of repair timeframes ranging from 24 hours to one month, compared to Warrington Council which has seven, allowing potholes to remain on roads for up to 40 days until addressed. Additionally, some councils tackle potholes only as part of a package of general maintenance in their area, considering other potential issues such as fixing crash barriers or road signage, running the risk of the road conditions worsening. Greg Taylor, managing director at the UK department of the French car firm, said: 'The lack of consistency around the way councils report and tackle potholes allows room for even greater numbers of essential road repairs to fall through the gaps, leaving more motorists at risk.' A Department for Transport spokesperson responded: 'Local highway authorities are responsible for maintaining their road networks, but we are supporting them with 8.3billion of reallocated HS2 funding over the next 10 years, the biggest ever increase in funding for local road improvements which comes on top of an existing 5.5 billion fund. 'Local authorities received the first 150million of this increase within weeks of announcing our additional funding in October, and will receive a further 150million this year to continue improving local roads.' Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, added: 'Councils share the concerns of all road users with the state of our roads and are doing all they can to tackle the 16.3billion backlog of road repairs, including learning from and adopting innovative techniques. 'Greater, long-term and year-on-year consistency of funding for the maintenance of all parts of our highways will help them achieve this. 'The Government should award council highways departments five-yearly funding allocations, to bring them on a par with National Highways, to give more certainty so they can develop resurfacing programmes and other highways improvements, to help them tackle the scourge of potholes.' CVC Capital Partners' co-founder could be in line for a 130million pay day when the company he helped set up three decades ago goes public. Donald Mackenzie is cashing in a big chunk of his 7 per cent stake when the private equity firm lists in Amsterdam later this week. The Scotsman looks set to sell up to 130million of the 885million holding. Steve Koltes, another co-founder, is in line for a 30million bonanza from selling part of his 4.4 per cent stake, which is worth up to 563million altogether. CVC yesterday set out details of the initial public offering (IPO) which will see its shares valued at between 11.20 and 12.90 pricing the whole company at between 11.2billion and 12.9billion. Pay day: CVC Capital Partners' co-founder Donald Mackenzie is cashing in a big chunk of his 7% stake when the private equity firm lists in Amsterdam later this week. Banks working on the offering said it has been oversubscribed multiple times suggesting strong demand. Mackenzie and Koltes, together with third founder Rolly van Rappard, founded CVC Capital Partners in 1993 when it was spun out of Citicorp Venture Capital London. Based in Luxembourg, it has grown into a private equity powerhouse with a global network of 29 offices and 160billion in assets under management. It owns stakes in watch brand Breitling, Six Nations Rugby and the RAC, the motoring organisation. Mackenzie's windfall will add to the cash wealth of the financier, who reportedly hosts friends and family on a 170-foot superyacht called Grace and owns an 866-acre estate in Dorset as well as a collection of racing cars. Jersey-based Mackenzie, who worked at investment firm 3i before joining Citicorp in 1988, led perhaps its most high profile deal when it acquired a majority stake in Formula One in 2006. The deal propelled the chartered accountant and Dundee university graduate into the centre of one of the world's most glamorous sporting organisations. CVC eventually sold F1 to American mass media giant Liberty Media, which is controlled by billionaire John Malone, in a deal valuing it at 6.5billion in 2016. In February this year, CVC announced that Mackenzie was stepping back from an active role at the company 'to focus on his private interests'. It followed a similar move by Koltes in 2022. Yesterday's announcement was the latest step towards completing a long-awaited IPO for CVC. Previous bids to float have been abandoned twice in the past, in 2022 and 2023, due to market uncertainty. Since then, a string of companies have gone public in Europe, taking advantage of recovering investor sentiment. That contrasts with the London market with its cheaply-valued stocks being picked off by overseas predators. Legal fight: Gay dating app Grindr is accused of sharing sensitive details of hundreds of users without their consent Gay dating app Grindr is being sued for allegedly sharing users private information with advertisers, including their HIV status. London-based law firm Austen Hays has accused the US company of breaching data protections after it allegedly shared sensitive details of hundreds of users without their consent. This included HIV status, sexual orientation and ethnicity. Austen Hays added that around 670 individuals have signed up to their lawsuit, with thousands more in the UK potentially affected. If successful, claimants could receive thousands of pounds in damages, Austen Hays said. The breaches are said to have taken place between 2018 and 2020. A Grindr spokesman said the company planned to respond vigorously to this claim. Takeover battle: Royal mail wants permission to cut second class deliveries Royal Mail has urged regulators to allow it to cut second class deliveries as it tries to fight off a takeover by a billionaire dubbed the 'Czech Sphinx'. Parent company International Distributions Services (IDS) yesterday begged Ofcom to 'accelerate' a review that would let it slash services and save cash. The plea came after the board rejected a 3.2bn bid from Daniel Kretinsky, saying the offer was 'opportunistic' and undervalued the 508-year-old postal service. IDS top brass will meet with institutional investors this week to get them on side following the Czech billionaire's approach. Kretinsky, 48, who co-owns West Ham United and holds a stake in Sainsbury's, is said to be working on another bid. Royal Mail wants to reform the Universal Service Obligation (USO), which means it must deliver letters nationwide for the same price every day except Sunday. Shareholders said delays to revising the rules had left IDS 'vulnerable to corporate predators'. IDS chairman Keith Williams said: 'The lack of Universal Service reform by government and Ofcom over the past four years has held back Royal Mail's transformation and urgent action is needed. 'Reform is in the regulator's hands and we urge Ofcom to accelerate their review.' Royal Mail wants to cut second class deliveries to every other weekday or as little as two a week, and never on Saturdays. Appeal: Former Citigroup and UBS trader Tom Hayes was jailed for manipulating benchmark lending rate Libor Lawyers for convicted rate-rigger Tom Hayes will today take the next step in the fight to clear his name as they formally apply for his case to go Britains highest court. The former Citigroup and UBS trader was jailed in 2015 for manipulating benchmark lending rate Libor and served five-and-a-half years behind bars. Last month, Court of Appeal judges threw out his attempt to clear his name and he has until today to apply formally to have the case heard by the Supreme Court. The case centres on the London interbank-offered rate (Libor) which was once used to price trillions of dollars worth of financial trades globally, and calculated using submissions from traders on the rate at which banks would lend to each other. Hayes, 44, was accused of dishonestly conspiring with others to manipulate the rate to benefit his banks trading position. He claims he was made a scapegoat for the financial crisis. He and fellow trader Carlo Palombo who had also been jailed for rate-rigging in a separate case saw their appeals against conviction rejected last month. Losses: Chrysalis Investments accused Revolution Beauty of 'deceit, negligent misstatement and/or misrepresentation' One of Revolution Beauty's former investors has stepped up its legal battle after accusing the make-up company of 'deceit'. Chrysalis Investments took a 45million stake in the firm in July 2021, but sold the shares in 2022 for just 5.7million after their value collapsed. The investor has since accused Revolution Beauty of 'deceit, negligent misstatement and/or misrepresentation' at the time of the share purchase. And in an update yesterday, Chrysalis said it 'has not been satisfied with the limited responses received from Revolution Beauty and its legal advisers to date'. Chrysalis is making a claim of 39million against Revolution, plus a further claim of 6.2million for 'consequential losses'. Revolution said it 'strongly contests' the allegations and will consider a response with its own lawyers. Shares plunged 11.8 per cent yesterday to 27.25p, taking losses since it listed in 2021 to 84 per cent. Monzo has revamped its paid-for bank accounts and is now offering customers perks such as railcards and free treats from Greggs. The digital bank has introduced three new paid-for plans - Extra, Perks and Max - replacing its existing Plus and Premium plans for new customers. It marks the first changes to Monzo plans since it introduced subscriptions in July 2020. New Monzo customers will need to fork out more every month if they want access to the same benefits, however. New perks: Monzo introduces three new subscription plans offering customers new benefits The cheapest plan, Extra, will cost 3 a month - cheaper than the previous lowest-priced plan, Plus at 5. However, it will include fewer benefits. As with the Plus plan, customers will be able to add other bank accounts and credit cards to their Monzo app, as well as having access to advanced spare change round-up features and credit score insights. Customers will also be able get unlimited fee-free cash withdrawals in the UK and Europe, and 200 fee-free everywhere else. Plus customers currently are able to withdraw up to 400 every 30 days. However, whereas Plus customers also had access to a 4.6 per cent easy access savings account, Extra customers will not. The new Perks plan, which essentially replaces Monzo Plus, will cost 7 a month, 2 more than Plus. The 'Max' plan, which closely resembles Monzo Premium, will cost 17 a month. The changes come just months after rival Revolut hiked monthly fees for its accounts to as much as 14.99. Monzo has introduced new benefits for Perks and Max customers, including a free weekly hot drink or snack at Greggs and an annual railcard from Trainline. Monzo claims customers can save themselves an average of 88 every year by taking advantage of its new Greggs offer, saving more than the yearly cost of the Perks plan which costs 84. Perks customers will also receive discounted investment fees, 4.6 per cent interest on instant access savings pots and instant access Cash Isas, instead of 4.10 per cent with Monzo's free account. They will also have unlimited fee-free cash withdrawals in the UK and Europe, and 600 everywhere else. What are Monzo's new subscription plans? MONZO EXTRA (3 per month) Roundups and categories for budgeting Virtual cards and connected accounts New credit score insights MONZO PERKS (7 per month) All the benefits of EXTRA, plus Boosted savings rates, with 4.6% AER interest (variable) 17% discount on investment fees Annual railcard Weekly regular hot drink or snack from Greggs MONZO MAX (17 per month) All the benefits of PERKS, plus Worldwide travel and phone insurance UK and European breakdown cover MONZO MAX + OPTIONAL FAMILY UPGRADE (22 per month) Full family insurance cover Max customers will have access to worldwide travel and phone insurance, as well as UK and European breakdown cover. In addition, customers will be able to upgrade their Max cover with full family cover for an extra 5 a month. Five of the best bank accounts to switch to How hard does your bank account work for you? Hard enough to give you cashback on your household bills, interest on your balance or simply standout customer service? Here is This is Money's pick of the best accounts to make your money work harder, cut down on fees, or get free stuff. > The best bank accounts to switch to This will include travel insurance for partners and any financially dependent children aged 21 or younger, car breakdown cover and phone insurance. Monzo Perks and Max customers will also be given new cards with an exclusive design. Existing Plus and Premium customers will be invited to switch to the new plans, but can also keep their current subscription if they prefer. Plus and Premium will no longer be available to customers who don't already have a subscription. Monzo's free basic account is still available for those that don't want to pay. Monzo's chief product officer Fernando Fanton said: 'Whether it's Monzo's top savings rates, a weekly treat from Greggs, travel insurance, breakdown cover or even more tools to supercharge your budgeting, we're on a mission to make every pound and penny go further for our customers. 'We've designed Extra, Perks and Max with their feedback, hearing what matters most to them - and we know they're partial to a sausage roll given they spent a collective 70million at Greggs last year.' Are YOU in a dispute with your neighbour? A bitter land dispute between two warring pensioners over a quarter of an acre of land has finally been settled after a row that has raged for 30 years and cost both tens of thousands of pounds, MailOnline can reveal. Neighbours Angela Coupe, 70, and Ian Revell, 66, both refused to back down in a row over the patch of land in Chesterfield resulting in a pricey court battle with costs totalling nearly 60,000 between them. Ms Coupe claimed she first bought 1.5 acres of land from the Revell family in 1972 and had used it for her rescue animals. But Mr Revell argued she had taken more land than she was entitled to resulting in a three decade-long quarrel in which he was left not wanting to visit his father's burial site near the area. The row ended up in a three-year-long court battle in which Ms Couple claimed Mr Revell and his late father had moved a fence she had erected. But a judge at Southern Derby Magistrates' Court ruled in favour of Mr Revell and said Ms Coupe had lied. Angela Coupe, 70, and Ian Revell, 66, have been fighting over a half an acre piece of land in Chesterfield for more than 30 years Ms Coupe claimed she first bought 1.5 acres of land in 1972 from the Revell family, a five minute drive from her detached bungalow in Chesterfield She has now been ordered to pay the Revell family 2,000 following the ruling in January to add to her estimated 30,000 court bill. Meanwhile, Mr Revell says he has forked out about 20,000. Ms Coupe has refused to give up the fight as she contemplates launching an appeal, and has even offered to take a lie detector test to 'clear' her name. She claims to have built a wooden post along a concrete boundary which she said had been there since the 1930s. The retired social worker and former Marie Curie nurse said she was 'horrified' when she caught Mr Revell and his late father moving the posts in her field in the mid 1990s and approached them. She had claimed that she was entitled to 1.5 acres, and that the Revell family sold a quarter of an acre in 1945, leaving them with 0.77 of an acre. However, Mr Revell had refused to budge and hit back at her claims. He claimed they are each entitled to one acre, meaning that Ms Coupe was encroaching by taking half an acre more than she is entitled to. Following the verdict, Ms Coupe said she was 'appalled' while Mr Revell said it was only right as he claimed the plot had been in his family for years. Ms Coupe had levelled the land she believed she owned and placed the good soil inside her boundary for further use. She has also now claimed Mr Revell trapped the top soil in when he moved the fence. She uses the land for her animals, including four rescue pigs. 'A quarter of an acre is a lot for rescue animals, it makes a difference to the animals. They have less land to graze in', she said. Meanwhile, Mr Revell would prefer to leave the land as woodland. His late parents are buried nearby, and he claims the dispute has stopped his family from grieving. 'My mum used to go and visit my dad's grave on a regular basis. Once this dispute started, my mum never visited it,' he said. Mr Revell had refused to budge and hit back at her claims. He claimed they are each entitled to one acre, meaning that Ms Coupe was encroaching by taking half an acre more Ms Coupe says she built a wooden post along a concrete boundary which she said had been there since the 1930s But Southern Derby Magistrates' Court has now ruled in favour of Mr Revell with a judge ruling she had lied about putting up a fence Ms Coupe, pictured here pointing towards the disputed land, said she is appalled by the justice system and looking at ways to launch an appeal The warring pensioners were in a court dispute for around three years over the matter, which ended in January 2024 when Ms Coupe lost the case and was made to pay the Revell family 2,000. The total costs of the case are yet to be determined, but Mr Revell believes he has paid around 29,000 so far, while Ms Coupe believes the case has cost her 30,000. Ms Coupe said she was now looking at ways to appeal, after claiming evidence she produced was not taken into account. She added: 'When I went up to them and asked them what they were doing, they said they'd measured the land and found we had some of their land. 'The surveyor measured me out 1.5 acres,' Ms Coupe said, explaining that the surveyor had put markers in what she believed were all the appropriate places. The next morning, she discovered that all of the markers had been removed. She said: 'All the markers had been taken out by them and thrown on the land. 'I had to pay another 350 for the markers to be put in again and I begged my neighbours to have a surveyor even though they told me I didn't need a surveyor.' Mr Revell, who lives in Glapwell, Chesterfield, claimed Ms Coupe was wrongfully trying to take a quarter of an acre away. He added: 'Her surveyor had measured an acre, when it was never an acre in the beginning. 'She accused me of moving the fence - it's a complete and utter lie. 'It's a piece of land that's been in our family for years and years. It was my grandad who bought it years ago and he actually lived on the land.' The dispute escalated to court, and although Ms Coupe lost she still maintains her innocence. The total costs of the case are yet to be determined, but Mr Revell believes he has paid around 29,000 so far, while Ms Coupe believes the case has cost her 30,000 But Mr Revell said his father's grave is near the site and his family have not been able to grieve properly because of the row Ms Coupe feels 'as though I have liar tattooed on my forehead' and says she would now like to take a lie detector test to 'clear' her name She added: 'The judge said that I had never put a fence up even though it was in my evidence, and that I had lied, and he said that I did not make contact with the neighbours. It's appalling. 'I couldn't eat for a week, I lost a stone for a week. 'I'm appalled by the justice system in this country. I wrote a letter to the judge and I've just had an email to say they can't pass it on. 'I feel as though I have liar tattooed on my forehead,' she said, saying that she would now like to take a lie detector test to 'clear' her name. 'I did not have the funds to get support at the time hence why I am in this situation now. I should have got advice from Citizens Advice Centre.' But the verdict was welcomed by Mr Revell, who added: 'The judge has said, 'no, you're wrong'. 'Four separate surveys have agreed that our fence was in the correct position more or less. 'It's been a terrible three or four years because my dad's grave is there so we've not been able to grieve properly. 'My mum used to go and visit the grave on a regular basis. Once this dispute started, my mum never visited it. 'I rarely go there because I feel so frustrated because she's taken a quarter of our land. 'She was damaging our posts so I went with my brother in law to try and repair the bit that she was damaging.' Mr Revell said that the total cost of court bills has come to over 20,000 for him and his family. He added: 'It's just loads and loads of hassle, especially around the time when my parents have been passing away - it's just been bad.' Ms Coupe is now due to remove her fences, which are in a position the judge deemed incorrect. Two leaders adopt joint statement for stronger strategic partnership By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk Yeol and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis held a summit in Seoul, Tuesday, during which they agreed to enhance the two countries partnerships in defense and nuclear energy. The talks took place on the occasion of Iohannis official visit to Korea and marked the second summit between Yoon and Iohannis, following one last July on the sidelines of Yoons attendance at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The two countries high-level exchanges are picking up momentum in the wake of the 15th anniversary of our strategic partnership last year, Yoon said. And the two countries partnership is expanding into the fields of defense and nuclear energy infrastructure I hope this visit will play its role in creating positive results in the ongoing discussions on defense and nuclear energy. During the summit, the leaders adopted the Joint Statement on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Korea and Romania to expand their cooperation in extensive areas such as politics, security, economy, environment, culture and education. In the field of national defense, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing dialogues and consultations on defense-related issues to increase their cooperation in the defense industry through joint production of military equipment and defense technology cooperation. Their commitment was embodied in an agreement on the two countries defense cooperation signed by their defense ministers on the sidelines of the summit. The agreement covers military education and training, as well as partnerships in defense technology and joint production. Currently, the two countries are in consultations over a $90 million deal on exporting LIG Nex1s KP-SAM Chiron shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles to Romania. Along with the missile, the European country is reportedly showing interest in Koreas K-9 self-propelled howitzer and K2 battle tank. Also on the sidelines of the summit, the two countries energy ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy, under which the two countries will expedite exchanges in sharing information related to the nuclear industry, improving nuclear power plant facilities and strengthening cooperation in tritium removal facilities and small modular reactors. Korea is exploring additional opportunities in Romanias nuclear industry after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power signed a contract worth $200 million last June to construct a tritium removal facility at Romanias Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant site. In order to combat the effects of climate change and with the aim to increase energy security in their respective regions, both sides will increase cooperation through bilateral consultations, participation in joint energy projects with a focus on technologies for nuclear energy, both for large scale and small modular reactors, hydrogen, renewable energy and increased investments, the joint statement read. Iohannis said through an interpreter that the two countries will work together in the fields that will have significance for the next several decades, and the two countries will cooperate in various fields including the defense industry, nuclear power, renewable energy and education. A Taliban extremist who plotted to kill British soldiers by recruiting jihadists using a market stall as a front could be freed from prison after being granted a parole hearing today, MailOnline can reveal. Pakistani-born Munir Farooqi plotted to persuade vulnerable young men to 'fight, kill and die' in Afghanistan. In 2011, he was jailed for preparing terror acts, soliciting to murder and disseminating terrorist literature and was considered to be one of the most dangerous recruiters the country had seen. British citizen Farooqi was told that he must serve nine years before being considered for parole. MailOnline can now reveal that the terrorist has an oral hearing which could see him released from jail - despite parole chiefs ruling three years ago that he should not be freed. Munir Farooqi (pictured), who was considered among the most dangerous terrorist recruiters in the UK, may be released The Pakistani-born British citizen used his market stall as recruitment centre for extremists to wage war on British soldiers (pictured: Longsight Market in Manchester) Farooqi - now aged in his mid 60s - used extremist literature and films to convert an estate agent, a former British soldier and members of a local criminal gang to Islam. A pair of anti-terrorism police officers infiltrated his group and found he had bragged to them about fighting with the Taliban and said they could be 'martyrs'. He was given four life sentences at Manchester Crown Court. Judge Richard Henriques told him: 'As a resident of this country you owe allegiance to the Crown. That appears to have escaped your attention.' His trial was told that Farooqi had been born in Pakistan, and came to England with his family when he was five. He became an active supporter of the Taliban and went to Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11 but was captured by authorities there and was jailed from November 2001 to May 2002. When police raided Farooqi's terraced home in Longsight, Manchester, they found a 'production centre for propaganda', including 50,000 items of extremist literature and up to 5,000 DVDs. Whilst raiding Farooqi's home in Longsight, Manchester (pictured), police found 50,000 items of extremist literature and around 5,000 DVDs He was sentenced to four life sentences at Manchester Crown Court (pictured) in 2011 - and ordered to serve nine years before being considered for parole He was convicted of three charges of soliciting murder, preparing for acts of terrorism and distributing terrorist publications. A spokesperson for the Parole Board confirmed to MailOnline that his oral hearing is on Tuesday. A source said: 'It is a worrying situation that this man could soon be out. It shows what the authorities are up against. 'It is a 24/7 battle to keep the country safe from these types of extremists.' The burial site of a mysterious Dark Age king who founded the kingdom which grew into England is in a Hampshire field, an author who wants to dig up the site believes. Cerdic became the first king of Wessex after invading England in around 500AD, ancient Anglo Saxon chronicles say. The warlord is believed to have carved out a realm after bloody battles around the New Forest and the Solent following the end of Roman Britain. But his final resting place has been shrouded in mystery for more than 1,000 years. Historian Paul Harper, the author of new book Cerdic: Mysterious dark age king who founded England, believes he lies in a field on the outskirts of the town of Andover. The burial site of a mysterious Dark Age king who founded the kingdom which grew into England is in a Hampshire field, an author who wants to dig up the site believes. Cerdic became the first king of Wessex after invading England in the sixth century, ancient Anglo Saxon chronicles say He tracked down the location after studying an ancient royal charter, which makes reference to 'Ceardices Beorg' - the Old English term for 'Cerdic's Barrow'. In the charter, Edward the Elder - who as the the son of heralded figure Alfred the Great was king of the Anglo Saxons in the late ninth century - granted 10 hides to Winchester Cathedral. That equates to around 11,000 acres, an area which now largely makes up St Mary Bourne parish in Hampshire. The charter, dated to 900 AD, featured various landmarks to show the boundary of the land, including Cerdic's Barrow. Inspired by research from academic George Grundy, Mr Harper's investigation discovered a burial mound in the location of Cerdic's Barrow. It has been identified in Hampshire County Council's historic environment records. The approximate location of the burial site of Cerdic, the first king of Wessex Historian Paul Harper, the author of new book Cerdic: Mysterious dark age king who founded England, believes he lies in a field on the outskirts of the town of Andover. Above: A view of the site The barrow's location was discovered by pinpointing landmarks from the 10th century charter, such as a 'Withig Grafe' (Willow Grove) next to a wood which had a watercourse running alongside it. Above: Willow Grove recently Although the mound has now been flattened and ploughed over, aerial photographs that were taken in the 1960s and 1970s showed traces of a massive barrow measuring 72feet in diameter. With a height of up to 12ft, this would have been a spectacular and imposing feature of the landscape. Mr Harper said: 'The exciting discovery has brought the story of Cerdic from a lost period of British history to life. 'This could be overwhelming proof that Cerdic was not just a product of fantasy in the chaotic aftermath of post-Roman Britain but a real warlord who forged a powerful realm which evolved into the nation of England. 'Barring King Arthur, no other figure from the early medieval period achieved such legendary status.' The barrow's location was discovered by pinpointing landmarks from the 10th century charter, such as a 'Withig Grafe' (Willow Grove) next to a wood which had a watercourse running alongside it and a 'Aesees Beorge' (Barrow of the Ash Tree) that is still marked on Ordnance Survey maps on the nearby Apsley Farm. At the time of his death, Cerdic was either buried in a new mound or a reused Bronze Age barrow. Such a practice was commonplace during the early Anglo-Saxon period, as revealed by a study which documented 334 examples of ancient monuments and structures being reused for burials between the fifth and eighth centuries. Cerdic's Barrow was situated on a hill near an ancient trackway known as the Harrow Way between Kent and Devon and close to a huge Offa's Dyke-style ditch that may have extended to the Wiltshire border in Chute parish around eight miles away. Paul Harper's new book, Cerdic: Mysterious dark age king, is released on April 30 The former Roman Road called the 'Portway', between Old Sarum in Wiltshire and Silchester in Hampshire, was also visible in the distance. Mr Harper added: 'If this is his burial site, it would have been a very public statement of power, near to ancient roads and a warning to his enemies that they could not miss in the shape of a huge burial mound. 'Cerdic was among a number of warlords fighting for territory in post-Roman Britain and his final resting place was deliberately placed with his rivals in mind. 'The message was clear that the land belongs to the House of Cerdic and they enter at their own peril.' In addition, Mr Harper believes this corner of Hampshire could also have had sentimental value for Cerdic because the charter contains references to 'haga' and 'hagan', which are often associated with wooded enclosures for deer. Deer hunting was a popular pastime for wealthy Roman and Anglo-Saxon nobles. With permission from the landowners, Mr Harper hopes in future there may be an archaeological and geophysical survey of Cerdic's alleged resting place. Paul Harper's new book Cerdic: Mysterious dark age king who founded England is being released by Pen & Sword on April 30, 2024 A records request has uncovered shocking emails of how an ultra-progressive Massachusetts school dealt with a transgender student who named 40 students and teachers on a 'hit list.' Watertown Public Schools, in the west Boston suburbs, did not expel the student. Instead, officials called for 'empathy for the creator' of the list, anti-bias training and the 'urgent' creation of an 'LGBTQIA+ affinity group.' Parents Defending Education (PDE), a conservative group, obtained school emails through a public records request this week. They show parents were alarmed by the school's lax response to the threatening situation. The emails spotlight wider fears about the rising number of children who identify as trans and nonbinary who face bullying, and the small but worrying number of them who turn to classroom violence. Watertown Middle School in Boston's western suburbs was rocked by a trans student's 'hit list' Some parents were shocked by Superintendent Deanne Galdston's handling of the threat Casey Ryan, the PDE researcher who obtained the emails, said it was 'irresponsible to an alarming degree' how Watertown Public Schools 'kept this student's gender identity hidden from the public.' 'Parents deserve to know why their kids were targeted and potentially at risk of losing their lives,' Ryan told DailyMail.com. Poll Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes No Not sure Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes 36877 votes No 1726 votes Not sure 988 votes Now share your opinion 'The district placed a higher priority on the transgender student's comfort than the safety of 40 other individuals.' The list-writing student has not been identified. Email exchanges between staff and parents do not state if the student identified as male, female, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming. Matthew McCarthy, a spokesman, said the school faced legal restrictions. The school is 'not going to comment on anything related to the identity of the student: their name, grade, or gender. Legally, we can't.' The emails show how, at the end of January, a teacher overheard students at Watertown Middle School discussing who had been named on the hit list. A search of the trans students' Chromebook revealed the document, which was titled 'hit list.' The school alerted the police and interviewed the student. They found the youngster did not have access to weapons, and that there was 'no credible threat' to safety at the 560-student grades 6-8 school. School council member Lilly Rayman-Read called for 'empathy for the creator' of the hit list In writing the list, the child was 'expressing their frustration on paper' and did not plan violence, Superintendent Deanne Galdston wrote in an email to colleagues. The school arranged a 'reentry process' to return the student to classes, Galdston wrote. She said the 'list maker is very eager to make amends' to the students named in the document. School principal Jennifer Chen Fein in an email focussed on the need to tackle 'anti-trans and other biased behavior' in class. School Committee member Lily Rayman-Read was equally generous to the trans student. In her emails, she called for 'empathy for the creator' of the list and the 'immediate creation of an affinity space for LGBTQIA+ families.' It would help students 'across all spectrums' feel 'safe' at school, she wrote. This ultra-progressive approach did not wash with some parents. A school forum held that week descended into what Galdston called 'student shaming.' An email from one parent of a child who was named on the list expressed alarm at the school's seemingly relaxed response. 'I am very frustrated with the lack of information about your steps to ensure the safety of the school environment and your plan for reintegrating the student who wrote the Hit List,' the unnamed parent wrote. Casey Ryan, an investigator for Parents Defending Education, a conservative group, called the school 'irresponsible' The redacted emails have been released amid growing fears about trans violence in America's classrooms. Pennbrook Middle School in Pennsylvania is reeling this week after a 13-year-old trans student used a metal Stanley mug to violently beat a fellow 12-year-old student in the head until blood spurted out. Transgender 28-year-old Audrey Hale last year killed three children and three adults at her former school in Nashville, Tennessee. A legal battle to release her suicide note and other writings has yet to be resolved. Campaigners say that schools should help trans students by affirming their identity changes and tackling bullying. Some conservatives warn of a fad and say schools should stick to teaching how to read and write. On this frontline in America's culture wars, parents, students, and teachers have to make tough calls about rising rates of transgenderism, mental health issues, peer pressure, bullying, and if affirmation-on-demand is always the best answer. McCarthy, the spokesman for the Massachusetts school, told DailyMail.com that the issue was now resolved. 'There have been no incidents since January and this matter has been closed since then,' he said. Comedian Arj Barker has made a peace offering to the breastfeeding mum he asked to leave his show for being disruptive - but stands by his decision. The American stand-up performer sparked a backlash when he ejected mother-of-three Trish Faranda from his Melbourne Comedy Festival show on Saturday night. Ms Faranda claimed that she was humiliated and reduced to tears when she and seven-month-old daughter Clara were booted from the theatre. She said Clara was babbling and 'had a bit of a whinge' before Ms Faranda gave her a feed. Barker then ordered Ms Faranda leave about 15 minutes into the gig because they were 'disrupting his show'. Barker said on Tuesday that baby Clara should not have been at his over-15s show in the first place. Melbourne mother-of-three Trish Faranda and baby Clara were asked to leave his show by comedian Arj Barker on Saturday night Poll Whose side are you on between comedian Arj Barker and the breastfeeding mum? Arj Barker Breastfeeding mum Not taking either side Whose side are you on between comedian Arj Barker and the breastfeeding mum? Arj Barker 2297 votes Breastfeeding mum 204 votes Not taking either side 135 votes Now share your opinion But he also apologised to Ms Faranda for the embarrassment caused and made a light-hearted attempt to make amends. 'I hope you're doing okay. I'm sorry that that was a difficult situation, and I would like to make peace,' he told Sunrise on Tuesday. 'I would like to meet up with her and have a serious discussion about selling the movie rights and go 50-50. 'Also, to the beautiful baby who I have nothing against, I want to offer that little child a ticket to my show post-dated 2039.' Barker admitted it was an unfortunate and tricky situation for everyone involved. 'I'm not gonna hide because I want people to know the truth of what happened, at least from my perspective,' he said. 'Both myself and the woman were put in a position we shouldn't have been in.' Barker insists he has no issue with public breastfeeding which he described as perfectly natural, and at the time he did not know that's what she was doing. Arj Barker (pictured speaking to Sunrise on Tuesday) has doubled down on his decision but admitted it was an unfortunate situation for all involved The comedian has issued a public apology to Trish Faranda along with a refund READ MORE: Backlash as top comedian kicks breastfeeding mum and her baby out of comedy show in Melbourne A festival attendee claimed Arj Barker (above) 'badgered' the breastfeeding woman on a night out with her sist Advertisement 'I couldn't see her well enough to know if she was breastfeeding or not - that's something I only heard about two days after the incident,' he continued. 'I want to make that really clear because it's been mentioned so much I had, and if she was, I wouldn't care.' Barker acknowledged that the baby was not screaming but said that her 'cute' noises were distracting the audience. 'It's about the crowd enjoying an immersive experience of watching a comedy show with timing and pauses and getting drawn into the show,' Barker explained. 'As a performer, I have a right to ask a disruptive audience member to leave the show. 'Unfortunately, it was a cute little baby at this time and nothing to do with the mum or the gender of the parent. 'If it was a father, I would have said the exact same thing. 'From where I'm standing on stage, I'm merely trying to create a nice environment to perform my show.' Arj Barker said that baby Clara shouldn't have been allowed in the over-15s show READ MORE: Chaotic interview with The Project's Sarah Harris proves Arj Barker may have got it right After Clara began crying during an interview, The Project panelist Sarah Harris (pictured) asked for her to be handed to her dad Advertisement The saga has sparked a fiery debate over who was in the wrong. 'The staff didn't seem to mind. But this was handled very poorly and I say unprofessionally,' one audience member said. Others leapt to Barker's defence. 'It's rather mad, selfish for the mother, and disregard for the child welfare to take a baby to somewhere that could make the infant restricted,' one tweeted. Another added: 'Don't know what Arj Barker actually said nor how he said it, but imagine being so selfish to choose to take a baby to a comic or any theatre show and not leave if it starts crying. Watch the fake signallers get hold of this one.' Barker was asked by Sunrise hosts Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr if he could have handled the situation differently. 'There was a few people yelling out at the time. It was unclear to me if they were yelling at me or her,' he recalled. 'It was a very chaotic few minutes. 'At that time, I was merely focused on ... I was concerned about her being upset. 'And I was saying, "Look, you know, I'm really sorry". 'I offered her a refund, which, you know, which is maybe not a big deal, but it was sincere.' Barker performed his new show Mind Field at Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre from March 28 to April 21 Ms Faranda later disputed Barker's claims that he 'gently' asked her to leave. 'Had Arj asked me to leave politely, as he's saying he did, I would have gone,' she told Sunrise afterwards. 'I would have been mortified that we interrupted his flow and his show and I would have never spoken about it. 'But I don't feel that that's what happened. 'I feel like he used his position on that stage and his microphone to really intimidate me.' A Democratic state senator Minnesota who who once served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, has been arrested on suspicion of burglary. Police were called to a home in the 700 block of Granger Road of Detroit Lakes, early on Monday morning and arrested Nicole Mitchell, 49, who is from Woodbury, Minnesota. When authorities responded and searched the home, they found Mitchell inside and took her into custody. The home was that of her late father and where her stepmother still lives. The Becker County Attorney's Office is now reviewing the report before determining whether Mitchell, who is a first-term Democrat and was elected to a four-year term in 2022, will be charged. Before becoming a state senator, Mitchell had a decorated career in the military and worked as a TV meteorologist including spending years on the Weather Channel. Her political career has been focused on veterans and climate issues. Nicole Mitchell, 49, a Minnesota state senator and a former Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, was arrested for suspected burglary in Detroit Lakes Colleagues expressed shock, noting her Senate work on veterans and climate policies - along with her prior military and TV meteorology career The Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel was an aerial reconnaissance weather officer with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron A spokesperson for the Minnesota Senate Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party said in a statement the party was 'aware of the situation and has no comment pending further information.' 'Knowing very few details at this time, I am shocked by the news of Sen. Nicole Mitchell's arrest for first-degree burglary. The public expects Legislators to meet a high standard of conduct. As information comes out, we expect the consequences to meet the actions, both in the court of law, and in her role at the legislature,' the chamber's Republican leader, Mark Johnson, said in a separate statement. Currently, Democrats hold just a one seat majority (34-33) in the 67-member Minnesota Senate with the Legislature now heading into the final month of its 2024 session. She currently represents the 47th district and 85,000 residents. Her district includes the city of Woodbury outside of St. Paul. During her time in the Senate, Mitchell has worked on policies relating to veterans, child protection and climate change. She also helped introduce a bill calling for criminal penalties for those who fail to meet safe firearm storage standards while also co-authoring a bill proposing incarcerated people in the state to be relocated from prisons to their last stated address. Lt Col. Mitchell was particularly telegenic and would often front pieces to camera when required on behalf of the military Mitchell would fly on the WC-130J Super Hercules though the eye of active hurricanes to collect weather data using aircraft - known as a team called 'Hurricane Hunters' Mitchell had been a weather forecaster since the early 2000s Mitchell was born in Fargo and raised in Minnesota, with her family moving to Woodbury in 1986, according to her official bio On her campaign page, Mitchell noted that for an end-of-session party in 2023 she planned to hold a fundraiser to continue to work on 'reproductive rights, climate change, voting rights, gun safety, trans rights and addressing hunger in Minnesota.' Mitchell was born in Fargo and raised in Minnesota, with her family moving to Woodbury in 1986, according to her official bio. She was editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper and was elected Woodbury Days Princess. 'She also grew up with a love of the outdoors, often accompanying her father fishing and her stepfather hiking and camping in various beautiful Minnesota locations. Even after camping and hiking various locations around the world as an adult, the Boundary Waters and North Shore are still favorite locations of hers to hike or camp,' her campaign site reads. She joined the military out of high school and worked for the Air National Guard as a Weather Observer then forecaster. During her time in the military she served as a meteorologist for the Air Force's 'Hurricane Hunters' which flies planes into storms to gather details before they impact America. She flew into hurricanes Charley, Katrina, Wilma and Harvey. 'As both a well-respected communicator, military member, and scientist, Nicole is often personally requested for speaking events and engagement in the military community,' her bio reads. She currently represents the 47th district and 85,000 residents. Her district includes the city of Woodbury outside of St. Paul She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and worked for a TV station in Duluth as an assignment manager. She later started to do the TV weather The Air Force vet moved back to Minnesota in 2016 to start her family - her son is now five - and worked for TV and radio as a meteorologist before running for office Mitchell obtained her foster care license in 2018 and provided for six kids in full-time care, including three with special needs She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and worked for a TV station in Duluth as an assignment manager. She later started to do the TV weather. Mitchell worked as a TV meteorologist in Rapid City, South Dakota, South Bend, Indiana and Tulsa, Oklahoma. She then moved on to the Weather Channel before joining Al-Jazeera America and CBS. While working at the Weather Channel, she earned her law degree from Georgia State University. The Air Force vet moved back to Minnesota in 2016 to start her family - her son is now five - and worked for TV and radio as a meteorologist before running for office. Mitchell obtained her foster care license in 2018 and provided for six kids in full-time care, including three with special needs. 'In her free time, Nicole has always believed strongly in a commitment to community service and volunteerism,' her bio notes. 'The outreach she has done has included previously volunteering at a shelter for abused women, with children at a homeless shelter, as a Big Sister for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children.' She is currently behind bars at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre Erin Patterson wants her committal hearing in the local area A lawyer has revealed why accused mushroom chef killer Erin Patterson has asked that her committal hearing be held in her local area, despite the move resulting in extra jail time. Ms Patterson, 48, appeared in LaTrobe Valley Magistrates' Court via video-link for a special hearing on Monday - her first public appearance in more than five months. The mother-of-two is being represented by barrister Colin Mandy SC in what is expected to be a three-week committal hearing. Mr Mandy argued there were 'powerful reasons' for the hearing to take place in Ms Patterson's local community in Leongatha, eastern Victoria, noting that many of the witnesses would come from there. 'Those are her instructions, your honour. She would like to have her committal heard... in her local community,' he told Magistrate Tim Walsh. 'It's not only a matter of principle, there are powerful reasons for a committal having to take place in Ms Patterson's local community. 'The proceedings should be held in the community where the offences are alleged to have taken place, closer to her home.' Mr Walsh said he could not accommodate the preliminary hearing in the court in Morwell, 60km from Leongatha, because it was booked out. He warned that a delay could see Ms Patterson spend an extra 15 months in custody on top of the 172 days she has already spent behind bars. Ms Patterson appeared in LaTrobe Valley Magistrates' Court via video-link for a special hearing on Monday - her first public appearance in more than five months Criminal defence lawyer Celine Khoury (pictured on Sunrise on Tuesday morning) said it could be up to two years before Erin Patterson's trial takes place Ms Patterson has been behind bars at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne's western industrial suburbs since her arrest last November (pictured, a cell in the prison) Criminal defence lawyer Celine Khoury told Sunrise host Natalie Barr that it could be up to two years before Ms Patterson's trial takes place. 'So, as we've heard, committal is not going to be until next year. I think they're saying three weeks. But these things can blow really far out,' she said. 'So if we're not getting a committal for until next year, I don't think we're going to be seeing a trial for at least a year-and-a-half to two years. 'But the first step is to try to get the committal done. And once we've crossed that bridge, then a magistrate will make a decision as to if there's enough evidence to uplift the matter to the Supreme Court. 'If there's enough evidence for it to go before a jury, then Ms Patterson will enter (a plea). Guilty or not guilty, the matter will be uplifted. And then she will be tried.' On Monday, Crown prosecutor Sarah Lenthall objected to the proposed delay and said the committal hearing should proceed 'as soon as possible'. Mr Walsh refused to commit to Ms Patterson's request and said he would hand down his decision when the matter returned to court next month. Ms Patterson was remanded in custody to re-appear in court on May 7. Pastor Ian Wilkinson (right) survived the meal but his wife Gail (left) perished Don and Gail Patterson died after eating an allegedly poisoned meal at Erin Patterson's home The 48-year-old has been behind bars at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne's western industrial suburbs since her arrest last November. She is among 600 maximum-security female inmates in Victoria's toughest women's jail which is notoriously violent, freezing in winter and boiling hot in summer. Located between an asphalt quarry and an electrical substation, Dame Phyllis Frost is one of three adjacent jails housing thousands of inmates, two of them state-run. Patterson can receive visits from friends or her children, but not on Christmas Day when the state's public prisons are closed to visitors. She will have contact with prison chaplains behind bars at this time, and reportedly since her incarceration has been reading the Bible, which is readily available inside. Ms Patterson's former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died from suspected mushroom poisoning after eating a beef wellington dish cooked by Patterson at her Leongatha home on July 29. She is further charged with five counts of attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon Patterson. Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only one to survive the deadly lunch. Australia's housing crisis will get worse before it gets better and the Albanese government is under growing pressure to do more to fix it in next month's budget, a new report says. Deloitte Access Economics partner Stephen Smith said the nation hasn't been building enough homes to keep pace with record migrant inflows. Coupled with that growing demand, supply was affected by many building companies going bust due to soaring costs, with those that remain working through a backlog of half-finished homes. 'The cost of land, materials and labour will stay at higher levels, while recent insolvency rates suggest builders will need bigger profit margins if they are to deliver the significant lift in dwellings that governments and the community are crying out for,' he said in the company's latest business outlook report. Mr Smith warned these factors would take years to change, so the shortage in housing and consequent soaring property prices and rents 'will get quite a lot worse before it gets better'. A backlog of half-built home and stalls on new projects are projected to worsen Australia's housing crisis, experts say (stock image) The economist wasn't confident the government's goal of building 1.2 million homes starting from mid-2024 would be be met, as highlighted in recent industry forecasts. Even that amount would not keep up with the record intake of migrants designed to artificially stimulate GDP. The troubling state of the housing market has home-building industry groups, social welfare advocates and federal independents crying out for more action before the May 14 budget. The likes of the Master Builders Association and the Property Council have teamed up with the Community Housing Industry Association, Australian Council of Social Services and housing affordability advocates to call on the government to double the size of its housing future fund. In a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the housing alliance said upping the size of the fund to $20billion would help the government reach its home building target. Returns from the fund are used to publicly subsidise social and affordable housing developments, with the existing $10 billion fund expected to help deliver 30,000 dwellings in five years. Peak industry and social support industries have flagged rental affordability figures being at 'the worst it had ever been' (pictured, renters lining up outside an inspection READ MORE: Why this single photo of an Australian suburb has sparked a huge debate about the future of our country Advertisement Anglicare Australia wants higher social security payments, more social housing built, and reform tax breaks for investors following the damning finding of its latest rental affordability snapshot. It found rental affordability was 'the worst it had ever been', with just 13.4 per cent of rental listings deemed affordable for a family of four with two parents on the minimum wage Key independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie have been pushing for investor tax reform by taking away the negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions for those purchasing rental properties. Modelling by the Parliamentary Budget Office suggests modest changes could save the federal budget $16 billion in a decade, which they say could be used to build more social and affordable homes. However removing such concessions risked people not buying to-rent properties, which would only exacerbate the shortage of homes for rent and send prices even higher. Housing policy cuts across all levels of government and the Commonwealth has become increasingly active in the space. It has introduced the housing future fund, is working on a national housing and homelessness plan, and is trying to legislate its help-to-buy shared equity scheme Housing Minister Julie Collins said the government's reform agenda was ambitious. 'More help for homebuyers, more help for renters and more help for Australians needing a safe place for the night,' she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been called upon to provide more aid to both the construction industry and social services in May's budget The Property Council of Australia, National Shelter, the Housing Industry Association, the Community Housing Industry Association, ACOSS, Master Builders Australia, and Homelessness Australia want the Housing Australia Future Fund doubled to $20 billion in the budget. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, they also call for the draft national housing and homelessness plan to be published for further industry engagement. Anglicare Australia's latest Rental Affordability Snapshot found the housing crisis is the 'worst it has ever been'. The social welfare group calls for the government to build more homes, reform the tax system and lift social security payments. Six worthy winners of this year's Daily Mail's Inspirational Women Awards were last night honoured at a glittering ceremony. Their heroics include campaigning for better maternal healthcare for black women, fighting for healthier prison meals, and advocating for girls' right to education. The Mail's awards, held in partnership with Marks and Spencer and in support of The WOW Foundation (Women of the World), attracted hundreds of entries. Our judges decided on six winners, who were presented their trophies at London's Grosvenor House by Rishi Sunak's wife, Akshata Murty, broadcaster Angela Rippon, campaigner Anna Whitehouse and Mail columnist Sarah Vine. ITV newsreader Nina Hossain hosted the ceremony. Our judges decided on six winners, who were presented their trophies at London's Grosvenor House by Rishi Sunak 's wife, Akshata Murty. From left to right, Claire Lilly, Carla Cressy, Lucy Vincent, Tinuke Awe,Muzoon Almellehan, Clotilde Abe and Nina Hossain The Mail's awards is held in partnership with Marks and Spencer and in support of The WOW Foundation Last month, they were also invited to Buckingham Palace by The WOW Foundation (Women of the World), which promotes gender equality, where they met its president, the Queen Among the winners were maternal health campaigners Tinuke Awe and Clotilde Abe. The pair formed the organisation Five X More in 2019, after learning that black women were five times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth in the UK than white women. Today, that has reduced to four times more. Carla Cressy started The Endometriosis Foundation last year, determined to ensure others will be spared her own experience of the gynaecological condition. Claire Lilly was honoured for the work she does helping to trace veterans who go missing and are often suicidal. Muzoon Almellehan, who fled Syria in 2011 and stayed in a refugee camp in Jordan, is fighting for the rights of children to education. Lucy Vincent founded the charity Food Behind Bars in 2016 and designs healthy, cost-efficient prison menus. President Joe Biden will pound Donald Trump on the abortion issue in a rare visit to the former president's home state of Florida on Tuesday. Biden will be in Tampa one week before Florida's abortion ban goes into effect. Trump will be in New York for the second day of opening arguments in the hush money case against him. The president's campaign argues that once Florida's law goes into place it bans abortions after six-weeks, which is before many women know they are pregnant there will effectively be an abortion ban across the entire Southeast part of the nation. President Joe Biden will make a rare campaign appearance in Florida on Tuesday 'Many women in the southeast may have to drive for a day or longer to reach the closest clinic,' Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a call with reporters on Monday. 'There is one person to blame for this cruelty and it's Donald Trump.' The president's re-elect team also argued Florida is in play for them this cycle. 'With our large cash advantage the Biden campaign has many paths to victory and that includes Florida,' Tyler said. But this will be Biden's first campaign related event in Florida in more than a year. He was last in the state in February 2023 when he spoke at the University of Tampa. He did appear in South Florida to raise money in January and visited the state last September to survey the damage from Hurricane Idalia. Trump won Florida by a 3.4-point margin in the 2020 campaign, improving on his performance four years earlier when he beat Hillary Clinton in the state by 1.6 points. The Biden campaign declined to offer specifics on their Florida strategy but argued the president traveling there is not 'window dressing.' Biden and his team having been trying to tie the 2024 election to access to reproductive rights across the country. They see it as a top issue and a winning issue for them in every battleground state across the country. Abortion rights proved a winning issue for Democrats in the 2022 midterm election when the party did much better than expected. Biden has capitalized on the swath of abortion laws enacted around the country since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Donald Trump said the abortion issue should be left up to states Thousands of pro-choice activists and allies rally in Orlando, Florida to protest the state's abortion ban Florida's ban sparked outrage across the state Earlier this month, Trump said the abortion issue should be left up to individual states to decide. 'My view is now that we have abortion where everyone wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state,' the former president said in a video posted to his Truth Social account. Some conservatives slammed Trump for his position. He had previously hinted he would accept a nationwide 15-week ban on abortions. In Florida on Tuesday, Biden is expected to try and tie the state's law to the Arizona state Supreme Court decision that upheld a near-total abortion ban dating from 1864. The ruling was so controversial even Trump pushed back on it, saying he didn't agree with it. As did the state's conservative Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake. Florida's ban goes into effect on May 1st. Republican Gov. Rick Perry caused outrage in the state and even among some Republicans, who worried the ban was overly restrictive. Its implementation is expected to have a ripple effect across the Southeast, as women from nearby states have traveled to Florida to access legal abortion over the past two years. Almost 7,000 women travelled from out of state last year to receive an abortion performed by doctors in Florida, according to a report from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida voters have the ability to rescind the abortion ban if they approve Amendment 4 in November, which would allow abortions up to the time of viability, which is generally considered around 24 weeks. That measure needs 60% support from voters. Trump has yet to say how he would vote on Amendment 4. Abortion is banned in most cases in 14 states. Another seven states have restrictions that prevent abortion between six and 18 weeks into a pregnancy. Huw Edwards yesterday resigned from his 439,000-a-year job as the BBC's star newsreader because of 'medical advice' from his doctors. Britain's most famous newsreader, 62, has been off air since last July after he was accused of paying a young person for sexually explicit images. The star anchor's prestigious career involved breaking the news of Queen Elizabeth II's death and both Prince William and Prince Harry's weddings. He was widely regarded to be at the pinnacle of his career and had just picked up a television award for Best Live Event for covering the late Queen's funeral. But his spectacular downfall began in July 2023 when The Sun published allegations of an unnamed BBC star at the centre of a sex scandal. This is the full timeline of Huw Edwards' explicit photos scandal and BBC resignation. Huw Edwards, 62, at the pinnacle of his career and picking up a television award for Best Live Event for covering the late Queen's funeral Britain's most famous newsreader covering the Queen's state funeral on September 19, 2022 April 2023 Police were contacted but 'no criminality was identified'. May 18, 2023 A family member of the young person, who was 17 at the time, made an in-person complaint about the behaviour of a BBC presenter. May 19, 2023 A complainant contacted the BBC in a 29-minute call to the BBC's audience services team, and the details were referred to the Corporate Investigations Team. The family member reportedly asked the broadcaster to stop sending their family member cash. The Corporate Investigations Team decided the complaint didn't include an allegation of criminality, but merited more investigation. The investigators email the complainant to get more information but they get no response. The star anchor's prestigious career involved breaking the news of Queen Elizabeth II's death and both Prince William and Prince Harry 's weddings. Pictured with Justin Welby on May 6, 2023 Huw Edwards attends an exclusive breakfast in March 2019 June 6, 2023 After getting no reply to the email, the Corporate Investigations Team tries to call the complainant but the call does not connect. However, the Sun reported later that the family said no one from the corporation phoned them for a proper interview after they complained. The BBC said no more attempts to contact the family were made after this date, but that the case 'remained open'. July 5, 2023 Huw Edwards is seen for the last time on the BBC as he covered King Charles' visit to Scotland. July 6, 2023 The Sun informs BBC Press Office about allegations against the star presenter. The BBC launches an 'incident management group' of top executives after becoming aware of new allegations 'of a different nature' against the presenter. It is the first time Mr Davie or any executive directors were made aware of the case, according to the BBC. A senior manager holds the first conversation with the presenter concerned. It is agreed he should not appear on air while the allegations are investigated. Huw Edwards was last seen on the screen on July 5 last year when he covered King Charles' visit to Scotland (pictured) The BBC was under-pressure after the allegation were made public by The Sun on July 7 July 7, 2023 The Sun published its exclusive which alleged that a BBC presenter, unnamed at the time, paid a total of 35,000 for sexual content to someone beginning when they were 17. But a lawyer acting on behalf of the young person told The Sun that evening there was 'no truth' to the claims. The BBC said it would investigate and it made contact with the Metropolitan Police. July 8, 2023 The complainant sends the BBC 'materials related to the complaint'. There is a frenzy of speculation about the identity of the star. Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine, Rylan Clark and Nicky Campbell all feel obliged to deny that they were the man in question. Jeremy Vine released a statement to say he was not the BBC star under investigation Edwards, who was born in Bridgend and brought up in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1984. Pictured on the six o'clock news in 1999 The broadcaster announced that the Queen had died in September 2022 July 9, 2023 The BBC confirms that a male presenter has been suspended from all duties. The Sun reports that the presenter allegedly made two phone calls to the young person and pleaded with them to call their mother to stop the investigation. July 10, 2023 BBC representatives and Metropolitan Police detectives meet in the morning to discover if any crimes have been committed. The young person claims through a lawyer that the allegations are 'rubbish'. In response, the Sun said it had 'reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child'. The parents stood by their account to the Sun and the stepfather was quoted in a story saying the allegations were originally put the the BBC 'for an hour'. July 11, 2023 Director-general of the BBC Tim Davie defends the delay in speaking to the BBC presenter. But the BBC admits there were 'lessons to be learned' prompting a boss to assess the protocols. In the afternoon, new claims emerged from the BBC that the presenter sent threatening messages to a second young person. It is claimed they met on a dating app, before the conversation moved to other platforms where the presenter revealed his identity. He then allegedly sent a number of 'threatening messages' to the youngster, which the BBC has seen. The Sun reported the star is also accused of breaking lockdown rules to meet a 23-year-old stranger from a dating site. A mocked up version of a reported Instagram message exchange between the BBC star and a teenager Tim Davie spoke on BBC Radio 4 on July 11 about the scandal were he defended the delay in speaking to the BBC presenter Mr Edwards enjoys a coffee and a pastry with his dog in April 2023 near his south London home Edwards pictured in 1999. He would go on to become one of the BBC's highest-paid stars July 12, 2023 Huw Edwards is revealed as the BBC presented by his wife Vicky Flind. She said he was 'suffering from serious mental health issues'. The bombshell revelation came just moments after the police said they were 'taking no further action' in the case. But BBC boss Mr Davie sent an email to staff informing them that an internal investigation would continue even though police were no longer involved. The BBC reported fresh allegations from two current junior members of staff and one former member of staff who claim they were sent messages that made them uncomfortable. July 12, 2023 Mr Davie asked for a second review of the BBC's complaints protocols after it was revealed the family were only contacted twice by the corporation - despite the seriousness of the allegations. February 27, 2024 The BBC apologised to the young person's family, who'd complained about Edwards two months before he was suspended. An independent report by Deloitte is published into the BBC's complaints handling procedure The publicly-funded broadcaster acknowledged that there had been 'shortcomings' in the way it had dealt with the case as it reviewed its complaints procedures. April, 2024 Edwards took sanctuary in his beloved Wales and was being comforted in Carmarthenshire by his mother Aerona. Huw Edwards is revealed as the BBC presented by his wife Vicky Flind on July 12. The couple pictured together in 2018 The 62-year-old newsreader has taken sanctuary in his beloved Wales and is being comforted in Carmarthenshire by his mother Aerona (pictured) Mr Edwards is understood to be close with his mother. Pictured together in April 2023 April 22, 2024 Huw Edwards resigns from the BBC. Broadcasting executive Stewart Purvis CBE said there is 'relief across the BBC' that the 'extraordinarily damaging saga' has been resolved. He added that Edwards having 'walked from the BBC' will be viewed as 'quite a successful outcome' for the corporation. Edwards has never publicly commented in the nine months since he was suspended. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Now-resigned Huw Edwards among three BBC presenters who racked up six-figure sums from outside speaking engagements since 2021 Advertisement MailOnline understands he received no pay off from the BBC - but had been paid his 439,000-a-year salary while he was suspended. He was the fourth highest-paid star on the 2022/23 list. What happens next? Although Edwards left with immediate effect - it is not known if the BBC's internal workplace investigation into whether he brought the broadcaster into disrepute was completed. On the evening of April 22, the family of the young person vowed 'this is not the end' as they declared they will keep fighting for answers despite star's resignation. Meanwhile Clive Myrie, 59, has been tipped as the news presenter who could front the BBC's election coverage and succeed Edwards as the News at Ten anchor. Sophie Raworth, Laura Kuenssberg and Nick Robinson are also in contention to host the upcoming election night. By Nam Hyun-woo The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea (GAROK) on invigorating municipality-level diplomacy. GAROK is an association of mayors and governors of Koreas 17 large cities and provinces. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who is president of GAROK, signed the MOU during a ceremony on the sidelines of the countrys annual conference of overseas diplomatic mission chiefs. The MOU is aimed at strengthening international exchange and cooperation among local governments, to reflect the global trend of municipalities engaging each other to complement national-level diplomacy. According to the MOU, the two sides agreed to join efforts to support local small and medium-sized enterprises making entry into overseas markets and create overseas job opportunities for local youth by sharing relevant information. Also, the two sides will cooperate on assisting domestic and overseas municipalities to sign sisterhood and friendly exchange agreements, and the ministry will support local governments to send delegations for cultural exchanges. The two sides also agreed on the ministry providing full cooperation to help local government officials participate in education programs run by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and other affiliated agencies to improve their diplomatic capabilities. Under the theme of Koreas diplomatic strategy amid a geopolitical transitional period, this years annual conference of overseas diplomatic mission chiefs kicked off on Monday for its five-day run. A total of 181 ambassadors, consuls general and other heads of diplomatic missions returned home to attend the conference. A drug-dealing dad with an extensive criminal history has been indicted for killing his teenager daughter then trying to blame her death on his autistic stepson. Kenneth Paul Farler III, 38, was indicted by an Ohio grand jury on Monday in connection to the fatal shooting of his 15-year-old daughter Kendra on April 14. Dayton police were called to the 400 block of Bowen Street around 12 p.m. where they found Kendra with a shotgun wound to the chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene and Farler told police his 15-year-old non-verbal, autistic stepson had accidentaly shot Kendra. 'This defendant should never be allowed anywhere near a firearm and deserves to be in prison. A completely innocent 15yearold girl has lost her life at the hands of her father,' Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck said. Kendra Farler (pictured), 15, was shot and killed on April 14 allegedly by her father who tried to tell police his autistic stepson shot her Kenneth Paul Farler III, 38, was indicted on Monday in connection to the fatal shooting of his 15-year-old daughter Police were called to the 400 block of Bowen Street around 12 p.m. where they found Kendra with a shotgun wound to the chest 'This defendant was on probation at the time of the shooting, having been convicted of trafficking in cocaine less than a month ago. He has been arrested approximately 40 times over the past 20 years and has previously been sentenced to the penitentiary.' Farler was indicted on multiple counts including involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, endangering children and having weapons while under disability. He is being held at the Montgomery County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday. 'To say it was a tragedy is an understatement. I don't know how I could paint the picture for you, but you have a father living in a boarding house which is very small, actually in a room, where this murder occurred, along with three other children and the mother,' Dayton Police Department Major Brian Johns said at a press conference. Johns said both the father and Kendra's stepmother told police she had been shot by the sibling, but those statements proved to be false. 'We have great investigators here at Dayton Police Department, and they knew right away that those stories weren't consistent. And upon further questioning, got an admission to the crime,' said Johns. Kendra's funeral was held on Monday and her family described her as 'our shining little star, who left us too soon' Farler was on probation at the time of the shooting, having been convicted of trafficking cocaine less than a month before. He has been arrested 40 times in the past 20 years 'Even our victim was asking him to not point a shotgun at her prior to her death, so that's not an accident.' The teen's stepmother has not been charged and is cooperating with the investigation. Kendra's funeral was held on Monday and her family described her as 'our shining little star, who left us too soon' in her obituary. 'Kendra was the heart and soul of our family, embodying a spirit full of joy, curiosity, and creativity,' the obituary said. 'As a student, she was not just a learner, but a tiny professor, always eager to share her newfound knowledge and discoveries. Her laughter was infectious, her energy boundless, and her kindness a beacon of warmth to everyone around her.' Barry George's defence lawyer in the case of Jill Dando's murder has claimed police should reopen the case to look at a Serbian assassin who looks like a mystery man. Mr George, now 64, was tried and convicted of the TV presenter's murder but after spending eight years in jail, he was cleared. The beloved 37-year-old journalist's death after she was shot in the head on her front doorstep in April 1999 has been the subject of countless speculation, but the case hasn't been touched in 10 years. A facial comparison expert gave 'limited support' to the theory that twice-convicted killer Milorad Ulemek, who is serving 40 years in a Serbian prison, looks like the unidentified person along the gunman's likely escape route. This is the second lowest on a subjective scale range from 'no support' to 'powerful support'. However he said he couldn't discard the possibility that someone with the 'general appearance' of the assassin could be the blurry mystery man, according to The Mirror. But now Michael Mansfield KC - who defended Mr George in his trial - has called for the investigation to be reopened after the expert found similarities between a man seen on CCTV following the murder and a notorious assassin. Jill Dando was shot in the head on her front doorstep in April 1999 and her death has been the subject of countless speculation but hasn't been touched in 10 years Within hours of her passing, a call claimed it was in response to British planes bombing Serbia The Crimewatch star once time admitted that her role on the show left her in fear of retribution from the criminals she sought to expose Expert Emi Polito found a number of similarities between "Man X" in blurry CCTV and Ulemek Notorious assassin Milorad Lukovic Ulemek, alias Legija, seen in May 2004 Emi Polito was commissioned by the newspaper to compare the CCTV of Man X to the assassin. At the time of Jill's death, the 56-year-old hitman led a squad of assassins targeting those opposing dictator Slobodan Milosevic. It has long been suspected that she was shot by a professional assassin The journalist made an appeal for Kosovan refugees dying at the hands of his forces, and within hours of her passing, a call claimed the hit was in response to British planes bombing Serbia. CCTV of 'sweating' Man X showed a suspect getting on a bus in Fulham, south-west London, shortly after Jill was shot nearby. Mr Polito alleges the assassin and Man X share a similarly shaped mouth, chin and hairline. The Mirror reports the expert as saying the general shape and sizes of their noses and ear are also the same. But the CCTV imagery was blurry and he clarified that his observations only add 'light weight' to the theory that they're the same person. When the assassin was asked if he murdered the journalist, his lawyer said 'he is not interested in participating,' The Mirror reported. The man on the CCTV is a white male with dark hair in a dark suit, thought to have been born in the 60s. Barry George, now 64, was tried and convicted of the presenter's murder but was later cleared At the time of Jill's death, the 56-year-old hitman led a squad of assassins targeting those opposing dictator Slobodan Milosevic The journalist's tragic and brutal death has long been the subject of intense speculation Gowan Avenue, Fulham, London, where Jill Dando was shot dead in 1999 CCTV footage shows the television presenter on the morning of her death A 9mm Beretta pistol and magazine which was found shortly before midday on the foreshore of the Thames near Putney Bridge in west London, was being examined by forensic experts Jill Dando Floral Tributes in Gowan Avenue, Fulham SW6 following her brutal murder Floods of mourning fans paid tribute to the beloved journalist and laid flowers at the scene He was seen about a mile away from the murder scene, by Putney Bridge underground station. He bought a ticket, went through the barriers but then left the station though another exit. Mr George was cleared after spending eight years in jail He was 'sweating heavily' and speaking into a mobile phone when he took the bus to the tube station a few minutes after the incident, according to The Mirror. The newspaper said that Ulemek was in his 30s at the time and of a similar build. A month before Jill died, Ulemek was asked to murder a 'leading journalist', a court heard previously. But he declined, he said, because he was needed in Kosovo. The Crimewatch star once time admitted that her role on the show left her in fear of retribution from the criminals she sought to expose. And in 1999, she featured on Crimewatch as the victim of a brutal assassination two years later. Her career meant there was an extensive list of suspects. It has long been suspected that she was shot by a professional assassin. A blue Range Rover that was parked illegally on the street where she lived, Gowan Avenue, was caught on CCTV driving away at speed from the area. Locals line the route, as the funeral of Jill Dando makes its way through Weston-super-Mare Six distinctive marks were found on the cartridge case used by the gunman who killed Jill The prime suspect in the murder of Jill Dando made his getaway by bus A police officer at the cordon in Gowan Avenue, Fulham, holds a bunch of flowers that were given to him by a member of the public after the brutal murder In 1999, Detective Chief Inspector Hamish Campbell was a senior investigating officer in the Met's murder squad, based in Kensington, West London. He had never met Jill, though she had made an appeal on Crimewatch for one of his old murder inquiries and they had attended the same lunch at Scotland Yard, where she had spoken of her fears of a 'hit' being carried out on a Crimewatch presenter. When told by a colleague that reports were coming through that a woman had been 'stabbed' in Fulham, Campbell decided to take a sergeant and go see for himself as it it was a 'very unusual' crime for that area of London. As he drove down, he received a call from his chief superintendent who said to him bluntly, 'that case, that's going to be Jill Dando', it was heard in a Netflix documentary which aired last year. Scotland Yard told The Mirror that the investigation is 'inactive' but 'no unsolved murder is ever closed'. 'Squad' Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's daughter once bragged of being so 'woke' it annoyed her progressive Gen Z peers in a TEDx Talk that resurfaced after she was arrested and suspended from Barnard College. Isra Hirsi, 21, was part of a now days-long protest on the campus of Columbia University in support of Palestine that has drawn heavy condemnation from both sides of the political spectrum, including the White House. She and two of her Barnard College classmates - the college is a sister school with Columbia - are among the more than 100 protestors have been arrested, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com. Hirsi - who says she has been evicted from campus housing and banned from the dining hall - has long been an activist rabble-rouser, as a 2020 TEDxTalk at Wake Forest University in North Carolina reveals. In a talk called 'The Angry Black Girl' she said: 'I would say something all the time and kids in my classes used to get super annoyed at me pointing out everything even if it was slightly sexistbut I was proud of it.' Squad' Congresswoman Ilhan Omar 's daughter once bragged of being so ' woke ' it annoyed her progressive Gen Z peers in a TEDx Talk that resurfaced after she was arrested and suspended from Barnard College Hirsi, who has further left views than even her staunch Democrat mother, bragged of recording the talk in a post on X, then known as Twitter. 'Turned 17, gave my first ever ted talk, and bernie won nevada. best birthday ever,' she posted in a TikTok that was put on Twitter. The video featured the caption: 'b****es be flying to NC to give a ted talk on their 17th birthday.' She said she had a reputation with friends as a 'token activist, the politically correct police and the angry black girl.' 'Eventually people got really annoyed of me being hyper-woke,' she said. Hirsi said at the time it didn't discourage her from activism, joining groups fighting everything from climate change to gun violence. 'I felt like I had to and because it also became my brand. I would call out injustices. When you join so many white-dominated groups you feel really alienated.' Hirsi - who says she has been evicted from campus housing and banned from the dining hall - has long been an activist rabble-rouser, as a 2020 TEDxTalk at Wake Forest University in North Carolina reveals She lived up to that reputation in the last week when she was arrested at Columbia's protest. She was then suspended from Bernard and lamented about being left homeless. 'I was a little bit frantic, like, where am I going to sleep? Where am I gonna go? And also all of my s**t is thrown in a random lot. It's pretty horrible,' Hirsi told Teen Vogue. 'I don't know when I can go home, and I don't know if I ever will be able to.' She said the administration at Barnard College has hung her out to dry when it comes to being able to get food. 'I sent them an email like, "Hey, I rely on campus for my meals, I rely on my dining plan," and they were like, Oh, you can come pick up a prepackaged bag of food, a full 48 hours after I was suspended,' she said. 'There was no food support, no nothing.' Hirsi displayed a worried face as she was seen being handcuffed alongside many other sit-in pro-Palestine protesters, who were issued with summonses for trespassing. She recounted being taken to 1 Police Plaza in Manhattan, where she was stuck for hours. 'We had so many people who were born female in our group that they didn't have enough space for us. It was a very slow process in getting everybody into the cells,' Hirsi said. Isra Hirsi, 21, was part of a now days-long protest on the campus of Columbia University in support of Palestine that has drawn heavy condemnation from both sides of the political spectrum, including the White House Hirsi, who has further left views than even her staunch Democrat mother, bragged of recording the talk in a post on X, then known as Twitter 'I was zip-tied for about seven hours and wasn't released for about eight,' adding that she didn't get out until a total of 13 hours after her arrest. Hirsi said most of the students at Barnard are 'femme-identifying' and being warned that if they leave their dorms, they won't be allowed back in. Barnard is an all-women's college. What she hopes is that the focus will be taken away from college campuses and return to the plight of people in Gaza, whom she says Columbia have 'complicity in genocide.' 'A lot of us are grateful that people are paying attention and noticing how severe our campus repression has been, but it has been a little bit frustrating to focus on Columbia over the focus of what is even happening in Gaza,' she said. 'I am enormously proud of my daughter. She has always led with courage and compassion, from organizing a statewide school walk out on the 20th anniversary of Columbine at the age of 15, to leading the biggest youth climate rally at our nations Capitol at 16, and now pushing her school to stand against genocide.' The White House joined a chorus of people across the political spectrum in slamming pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University over anti-Semitic rhetoric at demonstrations on campus Sunday. 'While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly anti-Semitic, unconscionable, and dangerous they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America,' said White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates. 'We're holding it down, but we're holding it down for Gaza, not just because of the folks that have been suspended; and the repression is explicitly because of the fact that we were fighting for ending the war in Gaza,' she added. Omar, for her part, praised her daughter in a post on social media following her arrest. A Colorado man has been sentenced to life in jail without parole after killing his wife in a calculated murder plot just a day before their divorce was to be finalized. David Lechner, 47, shot his attorney wife, Tracy, 42, at their Arapahoe County house. Her body was found in the garage of their Denver-area home. Tracy was described in court as a 'super mom' to two children, aged seven and nine. A witness saw him shoot his wife and then proceeded to stop him from driving away by ramming their rental truck into the side of David's vehicle. Lechner argued that the shooting was in self-defense claiming he had only gone into the garage in an attempt to convince her not to proceed with the divorce. But the jury didn't buy it after prosecutors found evidence of a premeditated plot to carry out the killing. Colorado man, David Lechner, 47, has been jailed for life without parole after murdering his wife just a day before their divorce was finalized Tracy Lechner, 42, was killed at their Denver-area house. Her body was found in the garage having been shot three times Tracy's parents, Natalie and Clifford Bloch are now looking after her two children. Both made statements in court 'Tracy Lechner's murder did not just happen,' a prosecutor said. 'This defendant did not just happen upon her driveway He did not just happen to put three bullets in her body This was a deliberate murder.' In the day's leading up to Tracy's murder, Lechner had bought a getaway car under a false name, purchased a GPS tracking unit together with gloves, duct tape, zip ties and a tarp that he was going to use in a kidnapping attempt. On the morning he showed up to confront his wife, he was armed with a taser and a gun. The prosecution stressed that Lechner's 'end game' was her death. Following his arrest, a judge set a $100 million bond in June 2023 with David Lechner pleading not guilty in December 2023. After four hours of deliberation, Lechner was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted kidnapping and illegal use of a stun gun. The judge said that it sounded how Tracy Lechner, pictured, was a wonderful person, daughter, mother and attorney The killing took place on South Geneva Way in the Denver suburbs In court, Lechner's own children told him how they wished he would 'rot in hell.' 'I hate you. This is what you took from me,' Lechner's son wrote. 'I hope you die soon and have fun rotting in hell.' 'You brutally murdered a kind, sweet loving person,' his sister wrote. 'My mother did not deserve this. I have never associated myself with you.' The daughter wrote how he had abused them, hit and screamed at them, but that her mother worked hard to make sure every part of life was fun despite his actions. 'I hope you have fun rotting in hell,' she wrote in her letter. Tracy's father told the court how Lechner had a long history of abusive behavior towards his daughter. As the final divorce hearing drew nearer, he knew he was also about to lose custody of the children, who called him 'the monster.' Despite the children's immense pain, they are 'wonderful, loving, kind and talented' kids and were raised by a 'supermom,' Clifford Bloch said, who is now raising the children alongside his wife, Natalie. 'We will prevail and hold our heads aloft and remain a family while he rots in prison,' Clifford said. 'He left a crater in all our hearts, including Tracy's friends,' Clifford's wife, Natalie Bloch said. 'And we pray we never have to deal with him again He's a poor excuse for a human being In the kids' words, "May he rot in hell."' Ben Bloch, left, brother of Tracy Lechner, and his wife Rachel Bloch are seen leaving Arapahoe County District Court after the hearing in Centennial, Colorado last June Just before passing the sentence, Judge Jacob Edson acknowledged how the court could never understand the full pain Tracy Lechner's family had suffered from. The judge said that it sounded how she was a wonderful person, daughter, mother and attorney, he said. 'Juggling all of those is difficult but she seemed to have the ability to do that,' he said. 'This was not a case of self-defense. This was a calculated murder plot to avoid a divorce and have sole custody of his children. The evidence shows he incapacitated Tracy with a stun gun and then shot her three times, including once in the head,' Deputy DA Tory Reavis said. 'This heinous murder shocked the community and Mr. Lechner deserves to spend every last minute of his life behind bars,' District Attorney John Kellner said in a statement. The police officer accused of murdering Channel Ten presenter Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies is due to appear in court on Tuesday. Mr Baird, 26, and Mr Davies, 29, were allegedly shot dead by off-duty cop Beaumont Lamarre-Condon. The men were allegedly killed in Mr Baird's home at Paddington, in Sydney's east on February 19 and their bodies were found on a rural property near Gouldburn eight days later. The 28-year-old senior constable was sacked from the NSW Police Force after being arrested and charged with both men's murders. He remains in custody. Beau Lamarre-Condon, a 28-year-old senior constable, was sacked from the NSW Police Force after being arrested and charged with both men's murders Lamarre-Condon is charged with murdering former Studio Ten presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, 29, in the inner-city suburb of Paddington on February 19 Lawyers for Lamarre-Condon are due to appear before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when a magistrate will take steps to further progress the criminal case. The court date comes after Mr Davies, a Qantas flight attendant, was remembered at a memorial service in Brisbane on Sunday. Mr Baird, who was also an AFL goal umpire, was farewelled at a funeral in Melbourne in March. Those who knew the couple wanted them remembered as they lived rather than for their tragic ends. Police allege Lamarre-Condon's February 19 attack was premeditated after a months-long campaign of 'predatory behaviour' targeting Mr Baird, who the officer briefly dated. The couple's bodies were not found until February 27, when they were discovered inside surfboard bags at the fence line of a rural property in Bungonia, near Goulburn, about 200km southwest of Sydney. Lamarre-Condon joined the NSW Police Force in 2019 and previously ran a celebrity blog, posing with dozens of A-listers including Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Harry Styles. Royal fans eager to mark Prince Louis' sixth year of life with a celebratory photo were left disappointed as the Prince and Princess of Wales' social media accounts stayed silent in the early hours of his birthday. William and Kate's youngest child turned six today and royal fans had been hoping the couple will keep up their tradition of releasing photographs to celebrate his birth. The Waleses were intending to release a photograph for Louis' birthday despite the frenzy over the manipulated family picture issued by Kensington Palace on Mother's Day, sources close to the family said last month. But the couple have not yet posted a new photograph online or shared the image with the media, despite having traditionally provided it to the press under an embargo the day before. The past few months have been an eventful period for the Waleses and their family, due to Kate's cancer diagnosis, which came after King Charles revealed his diagnosis to the world earlier this year. William and Kate took time to sensitively share the future Queen's positive cancer test with their children, giving the youngsters time to process the information, before the couple revealed it to the public. William and Kate's youngest child turned six today and royal fans are hoping the couple will keep up their tradition of releasing photographs to celebrate his birth. Last year, the Waleses shared this adorable photo of Louis in Windsor to mark his turning five Prince Louis is pictured at a beach in Norfolk. The photograph, taken by his mother Kate, was released by Kensington Palace ahead of his fourth birthday in 2022 For his third birthday, Kensington Palace released a photo of Prince Louis riding a bike. The picture was taken in April 2021 by his mother at Kensington Palace, shortly before he left for his first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School The Waleses have released a new photo of Louis each year to mark his birthday. Last year, they shared an adorable photo of Kate pushing him around in a wheelbarrow in Windsor to mark his turning five. For his previous birthdays the couple shared pictures of Louis that Kate, a self-described amateur photographer, took herself. The photo marking his fourth year of life was taken at a beach in Norfolk and the image shared on his third birthday showcased the young royal riding his bike at Kensington Palace, shortly before he left for his first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School. For his first and second birthdays, the couple released photos that were taken at their home. An aide last month, amid speculation over whether or not the couple would mark Louis' birthday with a picture, said the Waleses 'appreciate the public's love and affection for their children and know there is a public appetite to see them on their birthdays'. However, it was noted that 'no firm' decision had been made. The Waleses released this photo of Louis in 2020 to mark his second birthday. The image was also taken by his mother and 'amateur photographer' Kate Kate took this photo of Louis at their home in Norfolk in April 2019. It was released by Kensington Palace to mark his first birthday Louis was last seen in public on Christmas Day (pictured) when the royal family made their traditional festive appearance on the King's Sandringham Estate to walk to church. He was pictured holding hands with Zara and Mike Tindall 's eldest daughter Mia Pictured left to right: The Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, the Prince of Wales, Prince Louis and Mia Tindall arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England on December 25, 2023 Louis was last seen in public on Christmas Day when the royal family made their traditional festive appearance on the King's Sandringham Estate to walk to church. He was pictured holding hands with Zara and Mike Tindall's eldest daughter Mia on one side and grasping his father's fingers with his other hand. Earlier that month the young royal joined his older brother Prince George, aged 10, and sister Princess Charlotte, aged eight, at the annual Westminster Abbey carol concert staged by their mother Kate. And a few weeks before the festive event, Louis and his siblings were taken volunteering by their mother, visiting the Baby Bank in Holyport near Maidenhead and got stuck in sifting through donated goods. Other notable appearances for Louis during the past 12 months include his balcony appearance with the royal family at the conclusion of Trooping the Colour last June. The young prince stole the show when he seemed to pretend to ride a motorcycle or bike with his arms outstretched and covered his ears as planes roared overhead during the fly-past. Earlier in December Louis joined his older brother George, aged 10, and sister Charlotte, aged eight, at the annual Westminster Abbey carol concert staged by their mother Kate A few weeks before the festive event, Louis and his siblings were taken volunteering by their mother, visiting the Baby Bank in Holyport near Maidenhead and got stuck in sifting through donated goods Other notable appearances for Louis during the past 12 months include his balcony appearance with the royal family at the conclusion of Trooping the Colour last June. The young prince stole the show when he seemed to pretend to ride a motorcycle or bike with his arms outstretched and covered his ears as planes roared overhead during the fly-past And when he travelled in a carriage with his siblings and mother, Louis held his nose to possibly ward off the smell of horse manure from the many military mounts In July, William and Kate's children got the chance to tour a C-17 aircraft during a visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire And when he travelled in a carriage with his siblings and mother, Louis held his nose to possibly ward off the smell of horse manure from the many military mounts. In July, William and Kate's children got the chance to tour a C-17 aircraft during a visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. Louis goes to Lambrook School in Berkshire with his brother and sister and has recently returned to the classroom after the Easter break. It is likely a family birthday celebration, perhaps involving the prince's grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton, will be held after the youngster's school day is over. William and Kate's youngest child is fourth in line to the throne and was born on St George's Day, April 23, 2018, at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz. He was christened Louis Arthur Charles at 11 weeks old, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace in front of friends and family. Alec Baldwin has been caught on camera smacks the phone of an anti-Israel protester who accosted him inside a New York City coffee shop. The protester, whose video was posted on X, was by an anti-fascist interview show called Crackhead Barney & Friends and the filmer repeatedly asked Baldwin to say free Palestine. A visibly irritated Baldwin asked a coffee shop employee to call the police and told the protester he would not say free Palestine. 'F**k Israel, f**k Zionism, please say it,' the protester demanded, while also making references to the Rust movie set shooting where Baldwin still faces criminal charges. Baldwin said 'can you do me one quick favor' before smacking the protester's phone from her hand. Alec Baldwin was caught on camera being heckled by an anti-Israel protester in a New York City coffee shop The protester repeatedly shouted at Baldwin to say 'free Palestine' and asked him why he shot Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Baldwin said 'can you do me one quick favor' before smacking the protesters phone from her hand 'Alec can you please say free Palestine one time,' the protester repeatedly shouted at Baldwin. 'Free Palestine, Alec, just one time and I'll leave you alone. I'll leave you alone, I swear, just say free Palestine one time.' A coffee shop employee tried to ask the protester to stop quibbling with Baldwin, as the actor walked towards the door and asked her to leave. 'Why did you kill that lady? You killed that lady and got no jail time,' the protester said referencing the fatal Rust set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin's criminal trial for the shooting is set to begin on July 10, after a grand jury indicted him for involuntary manslaughter back in January. The actor, 66, has pleaded not guilty to the charge and his defense attorneys are urging the judge to dismiss the indictment against him, accusing prosecutors of 'unfairly stacking the deck' in grand jury proceedings, reported the Associated Press. Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in prison after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March by a jury, making her the first crewmember to be convicted in the accidental shooting of Hutchins. Dailymail.com has reached out to Baldwin's representatives for comment on the confrontation. Growing anti-Israel protest at Columbia University prompted President Minouche Shafik to canceled all in-person classes on Monday Last week the NYPD removed an encampment at the college on Thursday and arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including the daughter of Ilhan Omar Anti-Israel sentiment has been growing in New York City including a protest at Columbia University that prompted President Minouche Shafik to canceled all in-person classes on Monday. A Jewish Columbia professor was blocked from campus after he created a pro-Israel demonstration to counter the student-led Gaza encampment. Last week the NYPD removed an encampment at the college on Thursday and arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including the daughter of Ilhan Omar. In December, Baldwin angrily confronted at a pro-Palestine protest in Manhattan, telling one protestor to 'shut the f*** up' and getting in his face before the actor was led away by cops. In video posted to social media, one protestor shoved a phone in the actor's face, demanding to know whether he supported Israel. 'Because I'm in Hollywood?' Baldwin responded. 'You ask stupid questions. Ask me a smart question.' Baldwin and the protestor continued to shout at each other before police led the actor away. A crowd followed Baldwin and some taunted him for the fatal shooting on the Rust movie set in 2021. In December, Baldwin angrily confronted at a pro-Palestine protest in Manhattan, telling one protestor to 'shut the f*** up' and getting in his face before the actor was led away by cops The group protested at major transit hubs throughout the day including Penn Station and Grand Central Station. As Baldwin was escorted away by police, a voice in the crowd began to shout 'Who the f*** do you think you are?' and 'Go f*** yourself.' 'Shut the f*** up,' Baldwin barked as he was led away by police. 'Stop crying! Stop crying!' he shouted as protestors continued to accost him, before pointing a finger indiscriminately at the crowd and saying: 'I want peace for Gaza, though.' As the officers led him away, one demonstrator shouted: 'You did kill someone though, right? You're a murderer!' in reference to the movie-set shooting. An elderly man has died after losing control of the all-terrain vehicle he was riding and rolling it on a rural property in Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland. The man aged in his 70s was riding the ATV at his private property in Witta about 6.40pm Monday night when he crashed. The man suffered died at the scene, despite desperate attempts by paramedics to revive him. No one else was injured in the incident and the Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the rollover. Police have declared the incident as non-suspicious and will prepare a report for the coroner. A man in his 70s tragically died after he lost control of an ATV on his property (stock image) READ MORE: Young woman dies in tragic accident on a property Emma Varis was mustering cattle on a quad bike when she was killed in a tragic accident in WA last October Advertisement Witta is a small rural town 105km north of Brisbane with a population of almost 1,300. It's the second ATV death in south-east Queensland in recent weeks. Gage Fowler, 16, died in a late-night rollover south of Toowoomba in March. Three months earlier, a 44-year-old man died when his quad bike rolled over in neighbouring Kingsthorpe. Another man was killed after a quad bike rolled in NSW's Lake Macquarie region earlier this month. More than 180 lives have been lost in quad bike-related incidents in Australia over an eight-year period between January 2011 and March 2023. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission lobbied for tougher standards in 2018 due to the high death toll on all-terrain vehicles. New safety regulations were introduced in 2019 in a bid to reduce injuries and fatalities. In 2022 it was found more than 90 per cent of all new quad bikes sold in Australia complied with the national safety standard. Brussels looks set to yet again delay new border rules for British travellers visiting the European Union. The new 'entry-exit' system (EES) will require holidaymakers to undergo biometric checks, meaning there could be huge tailbacks at ports such as Dover, the Channel Tunnel and Eurostar terminal if new infrastructure fails to cope with the requirements. It is due to launch in October this year but industry sources believe it will be postponed until at least 2025 amid delays to the development of an app to smooth the process. The EES system was previously scheduled by Brussels to go live in 2022 but has already been delayed three times. The new 'entry-exit' system (EES) will require holidaymakers to undergo biometric checks, meaning there could be huge tailbacks at ports such as Dover (pictured) It is due to launch in October this year but industry sources believe it will be postponed until at least 2025. Pictured, British travellers at a Spanish airport As it stands, tourists from non-EU countries like Britain who drive through ports to the Continent and don't need visas can simply have their passports assessed and stamped by border guards, keeping traffic flowing smoothly. But the new system will require Britons to give their fingerprints and have their photo taken as a condition of entry. It threatens to cause huge tailbacks at ports such as Dover because no technology currently exists which can scan the face, passport and fingerprints of each passenger while remaining in their vehicle. Dover plans to station an agent with a tablet next to every car door in the queue to cross the Channel in order to speed up the process and deal with inevitable glitches and questions, the port's CEO Doug Bannister revealed yesterday. But it means the extra cost of hiring dozens more staff could be passed onto millions of passengers in the form of higher fares. And there would likely be huge tailbacks in the event the system isn't as smooth as envisaged. However, industry sources yesterday said that they didn't believe the European Union would press ahead with the latest October 2024 date for launching the system. This is because every airport and port in Europe will need to be ready to make the system go live and there are understood to be snags during testing in some countries, with the new infrastructure required not yet installed everywhere. They said they thought it was unlikely that the European Commission would green-light the system until everyone was ready. The new system will require Britons to give their fingerprints and have their photo taken as a condition of entry. British travellers in Spain Dover plans to station an agent with a tablet next to every car door in the queue to cross the Channe There are also delays to the development of an app which would allow British passengers to register their biometric details before travel, potentially smoothing the process. For air travellers, Britons will be required to give their biometric data upon landing in Europe as that's where the border is. It means airports in Europe will bear the brunt of the cost and responsibility for implementing new infrastructure to administer it. However, at ports like Dover, the Channel Tunnel and Eurostar, the French border is in the UK and so these hubs will be required to foot the bill. The EES system will apply when entering 25 EU countries and four non-EU countries that are part of the bloc's border-free Schengen area. The system will apply to all nationals of countries that are not in the EU or Schengen when travelling to the 29 countries. Donald Trump looks to have already violated his gag order on the very first day of testimony in his New York 'hush money' trial. During an interview on Steve Bannon's network Real America's Voice, Trump attacked the jury. Judge Juan Merchan had already implemented a gag order barring Trump from attacking witnesses, jurors, trial prosecutors and some others. 'That jury was picked so fast. Ninety-five percent are Democrats. The area is mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a purely Democrat area. It's a very unfair situation that I can tell you,' Trump said during the interview. Judge Merchan has now scheduled hearing for Tuesday morning to consider prosecutors arguments that Trump has violated his gag order in several previous comments - and that he should be held in contempt. On the first day of testimony of his New York 'hush money' trial, Donald Trump appears to have breached his gag order by criticizing the jury during an interview Trump commented about the jury being predominantly Democrats - a hearing will be held on Tuesday to determine if Trump should face contempt charges Earlier this month, Judge Merchan had specifically ordered Trump not to make any public statements about jurors sitting on his trial. The order stipulates how Trump would be in violation for: 'making or directing others to make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding.' Tuesday's contempt hearing will be held outside the presence of the jury. Trump could face fines or jail time if he violates Merchan's gag order, which does not bar him from criticizing the judge or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the charges last year. New York prosecutors had argued at the start of April how Trump was trying to scare potential witnesses and urged Merchan to make clear that his existing gag order, which bars Trump from publicly commenting about witnesses and court staff, also applies to family members. A March 28 social media post by Trump saw him called Merchan's daughter a 'Rabid Trump Hater' and demanded the judge to be removed from the case. Judge Juan Merchan has now scheduled hearing for Tuesday morning to consider prosecutors arguments that Trump has violated his gag order - and that he should be held in contempt Trump's gag order has now been expanded to cover the daughter of Merchan, Loren, seen right, who is a Democratic political consultant 'This issue is not complicated. Family members of trial participants must be strictly off-limits,' prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote. Merchan's daughter, Loren, runs a digital marketing agency called Authentic Campaigns, which works with Democratic candidates and non-profits. Trump's lawyers have argued her work poses a conflict of interest and have unsuccessfully sought to oust Merchan from the case. The judge had also made several small donations totaling $35 to Democratic causes during the 2020 campaign, including $15 to Biden. A state court ethics panel found that Loren Merchan's work had no bearing on his impartiality. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg successfully pushed for the judge's gag order on Trump to be expanded In a recent interview, Merchan said: 'There's no agenda here. We want to follow the law. We want justice to be done.' The judge said in a ruling last September that he was certain of his 'ability to be fair and impartial' and that Trump's lawyers had 'failed to demonstrate that there exists concrete, or even realistic reasons for recusal to be appropriate, much less required on these grounds.' In a recent interview, Merchan said: 'There's no agenda here. We want to follow the law. We want justice to be done.' The expanding of the gag order came after Bragg asked a New York judge to consider his request. Trump has previously blasted the gag order and says it violates his First Amendment rights. Twelve jurors were seated in the Trump hush money trial by the end of last week The prosecution and defense delivered their opening statements in Donald Trump's hush money trial on Monday morning. The trial could last for six weeks or more, as the jury hears evidence alleging that the former president falsified business records to hide how he had bought the silence of a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. But Monday brought the first real insight into the strategies deployed by both sides. On its face, the case is about hush money payments to a porn star and fiddled business documents. But the Manhattan district attorneys office immediately said it was all about keeping voters in the dark just before they went to the polls in November 2016. This case is about a criminal conspiracy and fraud,' said Matthew Colangelo. 'The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that conspiracy by lying in his New York business records, over and over and over again.' Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo makes opening arguments as Trump watches alongside his attorney Todd Blanche before Justice Juan Merchan on Monday morning David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher, briefly took the stand on Monday. He will be back on Tuesday when he will be quizzed about communications with Trump and others The defense pursued several lines on Monday. It tried to discredit key witnesses and laid the groundwork for the idea that any hush money payments had nothing to do with the election. But lead attorney Todd Blanche introduced a 'so what' defense too. 'I have a spoiler alert,' he told the court. 'There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy.' And the court heard from its first witness, David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer. Pecker took the stand for barely 20 minutes before the court was adjourned Monday. As the then owner of the National Enquirer, the defense puts him at the center of efforts to buy up damaging stories about Trump which were never published in a so-called 'catch and kill' scheme. On Monday, he answered a bevvy of questions that identified his four phone lines and two work email addresses (one for general messages, operated by his assistants, and one for more sensitive information.) A Chinese party secretary of a key province bordering North Korea will visit South Korea later this week for discussions with Seoul's top diplomat, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Hao Peng, communist party secretary of the province of Liaoning, will hold a luncheon meeting with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Wednesday. His trip marks the first visit to Seoul by a Chinese provincial secretary since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The visit will make a significant contribution to expanding exchange and cooperation between South Korea and Liaoning Province, and in revitalizing local exchanges between the two," the ministry's spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, said during a regular press briefing. Observers say China's forcible repatriation of North Koreans could be among the topics to be discussed during Cho's meeting with Hao. According to local human rights groups, China forcibly repatriated around 600 North Korean defectors detained in the Liaoning and Jilin provinces to North Korea via border cities in October last year. Hao is also expected to meet with South Korean business leaders during his visit. Over 500 Korean companies are currently operating in Liaoning, one of three large provinces in the northeast bordering North Korea. (Yonhap) A police officer accused of murdering a Sydney couple has not made a plea to the double murder charges as his lawyer says the charges 'could be' defendable. Luke Davies and his partner Jesse Baird were allegedly murdered in Sydney's east when Beau Lamarre-Condon shot them with his service weapon while off-duty in February. The crime was allegedly committed in Mr Baird's home in inner-city Paddington. The 28-year-old senior constable was sacked from the NSW Police Force after being arrested and charged with both men's murders. He remains in custody. Lamarre-Condon's lawyer, John Walford, appeared before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, admitting his client was finding it 'a bit tough' in prison. Outside court, John Walford did not say whether his client Beau Lamarre-Condon (pictured) would plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. He told Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund that his client had only received a partial brief of evidence from police. Ms Freund adjourned the case for eight weeks, as requested by police prosecutors. The case will return to court on June 18. Outside court, Mr Walford did not say whether his client would plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. But he said Lamarre-Condon was alright, given the circumstances. 'It would be very tough for him at the moment, but its tough for everyone,' he said. Asked by reporters if the charges were defendable, Mr Walford replied: 'They could be.' Tuesday's developments come after Mr Davies (left) was remembered at a memorial service in Brisbane on Sunday. Mr Baird (right) was farewelled at a funeral in Melbourne in March Tuesday's developments come after Mr Davies was remembered at a memorial service in Brisbane on Sunday. Mr Baird was farewelled at a funeral in Melbourne in March. Those who knew the couple spoke fondly of them, wanting them remembered as they lived rather than for their tragic ends. Police allege Lamarre-Condon's February 19 attack was premeditated after a months-long campaign of 'predatory behaviour' targeting Mr Baird, who the officer briefly dated. The couple's bodies were not located until February 27, when they were found inside surfboard bags at the fence line of a rural property in Bungonia near Goulburn, about 200km southwest of Sydney. Lamarre-Condon joined the force in 2019 and previously ran a celebrity blog, posing with dozens of A-listers including Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Harry Styles. A mistrial has been declared, freeing Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly after he was accused of shooting dead an unarmed Mexican migrant on his land. Kelly, 75, was accused of killing Gabriel Cuen-Butimea on January 30, 2023, at his home in Nogales, near the Mexican border. The decision came after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision after more than two full days of deliberation. 'They won't wear me down,' Kelly said after the decision, according to the Arizona Republic. Kelly's defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp said only one juror wanted to convict and seven jurors wanted to acquit. The defense wanted the defense for the jury to continue deliberations, but the judge decided to end the case. 'We believe in our gut there was no way the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt,' she told journalists outside the courthouse. A mistrial has been declared, freeing Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly (pictured left) after he was accused of shooting dead an unarmed Mexican migrant on his land Kelly, 75, was accused of killing Gabriel Cuen-Butimea on January 30, 2023, at his home in Nogales, near the Mexican border Prosecutors said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men, including Cuen-Buitimea, about 100 yards (90 meters) away on his cattle ranch The Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office can still decide whether to retry Kelly for any charge, or drop the case all together. A status hearing was scheduled for next Monday afternoon, when prosecutors could inform the judge if they plan to refile the case. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office for comment. After Monday's ruling, Consul General Marcos Moreno Baez of the Mexican consulate in Nogales, Arizona, said he would wait with Cuen-Buitimeas two adult daughters on Monday evening to meet with prosecutors from Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office to learn about the implications of a mistrial. 'Mexico will continue to follow the case and continue to accompany the family, which wants justice.' said Moreno. 'We hope for a very fair outcome.' Kelly's wife noted that the case has lasted over a year, and continues to hang over their family. 'I feel like I've been in suspension for 15 months, and I'm getting nowhere, and I'm still on that treadmill. We have to wait a little longer,' Wanda Kelly said. Kelly was charged with second-degree murder in killing of Cuen-Buitimea, 48, who lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico. Prosecutors said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men, including Cuen-Buitimea, about 100 yards (90 meters) away on his cattle ranch. Kelly has said he fired warning shots in the air, but he didnt shoot directly at anyone. Court officials took jurors to Kellys ranch as well as a section of the border. Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink denied news media requests to tag along. Kelly has said he fired warning shots in the air, but he didnt shoot directly at anyone. Pictured: Kelly leaving the courthouse on March 22 with his lawyer Kathy Lowthorp The Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office can still decide whether to retry Kelly for any charge, or drop the case all together Kelly was also charged with aggravated assault that day against another person in the group, including a man from Honduras who was living in Mexico and who testified during the trial that he had gone into the U.S. that day seeking work. The other migrants werent injured and they all made it back to Mexico. Cuen-Buitimea lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico. He had previously entered the U.S. illegally several times and was deported, most recently in 2016, court records show. The nearly monthlong trial coincided with a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security. Fink had told jurors that if they could not reach a verdict on the second-degree murder charge, they could try for a unanimous decision on a lesser charge of reckless manslaughter or negligent homicide. A second-degree murder conviction would have brought a minimum prison sentence of ten years. The jury got the case Thursday afternoon, deliberated briefly that day and then all of Friday and Monday before the judge declared a mistrial. Anti-Israel protestors armed with flares and Palestinian flags marched towards the headquarters of the NYPD on Monday night only hours after officers wearing riot gear stormed an NYU 'Gaza Solidarity' encampment protest in Greenwich Village. More than 150 students, staff and faculty members were reportedly arrested by police last night after ignoring warnings to vacate the campus plaza where the protest was being held. But those who finally left had other ideas with the mob reconvening in another march - this time through New York's Chinatown and One Police Plaza the HQ of the NYPD. The streets were lit up in bright orange while holding flares in the air as marchers waved flags and carried anti-Israel signs and banging drums and blowing whistles as they walked downtown. Those carrying flares could be heard chanting 'Gaza' - while also being careful to wear face masks so as to conceal their true identity. Only hours earlier on the NYU campus in Greenwich Village, police officers in riot gear were forced to use zip ties to detain protesters, marching them onto police buses after warnings to leave the area were ignored. Anti-Israel protestors armed with flares marched toward NYPD headquarters just hours after riot-gear-wearing officers stormed an NYU protest The streets were lit up in orange as marchers waved Palestinians flags while holding flares in the air and banging a drum walking through Chinatown The marchers made their way to reach One Police Plaza in New York City Palestinian flags could also be seen being waved in the air alongside flags The protest, involving hundreds, began at 6am with a group setting up tents at NYU's Gould Plaza demanding the university divest from any Israel-related holdings. It was done in solidarity with similar protests at other campuses, including Columbia University. The number of participants at the NYU protest grew throughout the day on Monday with hundreds of anti-Israel activists gathered by nightfall - all ignoring pleas by university staff and security to leave. It culminated in clashes with law enforcement - after the university requested officers break up the protest and to enforce trespassing violations. More than 150 were arrested at NYU during the protests on Monday night, according to NYPD. Videos captured the shocking moment cops flooded the protest, tipping tents and making arrests as protestors carried Palestine flags and chanting. The school said it warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene became disorderly and the university said it learned of reports of 'intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents.' Video on social media showed police taking down tents in the protesters' encampment. As demonstrators tussled with officers they chanted, 'We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose. Divest.' Students could be seen gathering at the steps outside of NYU's Stern School of Business earlier and appeared to be joined by some faculty members. Some protesters could be heard chanting, 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' - a slogan that many regard as a call to genocide. Others could be seen stepping on Israel's flag. No immediate injuries were reported. 'It's a really outrageous crackdown by the university to allow the police to arrest students on our own campus,' said NYU law student Byul Yoon. Police finally made their move on the pro-Palestinian protestors at NYU after hours of warnings telling people to disperse from the Gaza Solidarity' encampment Officers clad in riot gear used zip ties to detain protesters, marching them onto police buses after warnings to leave the area were ignored NYPD in riot gear set about moving student from NYU's Gould Plaza In a statement on Instagram on Monday, New York University officials warned protesters to clear the plaza by 4pm or face consequences. Mass arrests began around 8:30pm Police intervene and arrested more than 100 students at New York University on Monday night NYU's head of security said that administrators 'witnessed disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community.' The NYPD could be heard using a megaphone telling students: 'You have been warned by New York University to leave the area.' Those who did not leave soon, would be arrested for trespassing, NYPD said. In a statement on Instagram on Monday, New York University officials warned protesters to clear the plaza by 4pm or face consequences. Mass arrests began around 8:30pm. NYU's Global Campus Safety posted on Instagram that protesters had breached the barriers set up at Gould Plaza, Fountain Walker. 'The one safety requirement we made was that no additional protestors could enter Gould Plaza. With the breach of the barricades early this afternoon, that requirement was violated, and we witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community,' the university said in a statement. 'We cannot tolerate people getting hurt. You will need to clear the plaza by 4pm. If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for today's actionsno discipline, no police.' As the arrests happened, NYPD officials released a letter from NYU officials asking them to come to the campus. 'We have repeatedly asked all the individuals to leave Gould Plaza,' the letter read. 'They have ignored our requests.' 'At this point we consider all the protestors occupying Gould Plaza to be trespassers and we would like the NYPD to clear the area and to take action to remove the protestors. In the event they refuse to leave, we request the NYPD take enforcement action accordingly up to and including arrest.' After the police raid, protestors armed with flares were seen walking through Chinatown armed with Palestinian flags, heading toward 1 Police Plaza. The NYPD wasted no time in arresting protestors after waiting for hours Police moved in and began tearing up the signs that had been left by the protestors A woman can be seen being dragged away by police after failing to ignore pleas to leave At NYU, some protesters could be heard chanting, 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' a slogan that many regard as a call to genocide Tents remained on the plaza after police managed to move the protestors on Chairs and tables are seen piled up in the wake of the chaos seen on Monday night NYPD buses were brought in to move the protestors away from the area A pro-Palestinian supporter, wearing a mask to hide his identity, can be seen being arrested Many protestors could be seen wearing Palestinian headscarves while police moved in Police turned out in force wearing body armor, helmets and riot gear for protection A Palestinian flag is seen as protestors are finally arrested after hours of protest One protestor is forced to the ground as police finally move in Police are seen in the streets around NYU on Monday night as they prepare to make a move Those arrested were placed on NYPD buses and whisked away for processing Protestors could be seen on the buses with their hands behind their backs after being cuffed It's believed some faculty members were also involved in the protest The protestors carried with them large signs in order to make their points Police formed a line in order to move the protestors along Protestors in turn linked arms in an effort to stand their ground against the NYPD NYU Global Head of Campus Security warned students to dismantle or face 'suspension' Protestors were seen on campus carrying signs and chanting antisemitic slogans Police appeared ready to take on the protestors as they lined up on campus Several signs that had been created for the protests emerged Pro Palestinian students and faculty members of NYU occupy a plaza on campus and declare it a Gaza solidarity encampment on Monday The Palestinian flag could be seen flying in the wind alongside those of NYU Those protesting included both students an members of the the faculty Some Jewish students at the prestigious New York institution have reported feeling intimidated A large group of demonstrators have established a 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' at NYU The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israel's assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the group's October 7 invasion. President Joe Biden on Monday said he condemned 'the anti-Semitic protests.' 'I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians,' he told reporters, without further details New York Mayor Eric Adams vowed that police would arrest anyone breaking the law. 'At no time should we call for the destruction of anyone, should we call for violence towards anyone -- that is not what protesting is about,' he told CNN on Monday. The protestors called for New York University to divest from Israel The protest began as early as 6am but by nightfall there were hundreds involved Pro-Palestinian demonstrators began their protest early on Monday morning The protestors are calling for the university to divest from companies that have ties to Israel The protestors wore masks in order to hide their identities The protest looked to have been well planned with hundreds of signs handed out The protestors were told to leave the area by 4:30pm but few paid attention to the request Pro-Palestinian students and faculty of New York University, inspired by Columbia University, occupy a plaza on campus and declare it a Gaza solidarity encampment Students at New York University (NYU) continue their demonstration on campus in solidarity with the students at Columbia University to oppose Israel's attacks on Gaza Pro-Palestinian protesters have launched a wave of protests on campus condemning Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip Uptown, Columbia University canceled in-person classes. Elsewhere, dozens of protesters were arrested at Yale, while the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public on Monday. The various actions followed the arrest last week of more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia's lawn, as schools struggle with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining a safe and inclusive campus. In addition to the demonstrations at the Ivy League schools, pro-Palestinian encampments have sprouted up on other campuses, including at the University of Michigan, New York University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, a Democrat from North Carolina who was visiting Columbia with three other Jewish members of Congress, told reporters after meeting with students from the Jewish Law Students Association that there was 'an enormous encampment of people' who had taken up about a third of the green. The flags of Palestine and Lebanon are seen outside the Stern School of Business Various signs were held aloft by those protesting on the NYU campus Pro-Palestinian protesters have launched a wave of protests on campuses across the US More than a dozen tents were pitched and tables were stocked with supplies of clothes and food The protestors called for New York University to divest from Israel The crowd began to grow throughout Monday until NYPD finally moved in to make arrests Some of the protestors wrote messages on the walls of the campus 'We saw signs indicating that Israel should be destroyed,' she said after leaving the Morningside Heights campus. A woman inside the campus gates led about two dozen protesters on the street outside in a chant of, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!' - a charged phrase that can mean vastly different things to different groups. Meanwhile, a small group of pro-Israel counter demonstrators protested nearby. University President Minouche Shafik said in a message to the school community Monday that she was 'deeply saddened' by what was happening on campus. 'To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,' Shafik wrote, noting that students who don't live on campus should stay away. Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. A large group of demonstrators has established a 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' on a central lawn at Columbia University Days of pro-Palestinian protests have roiled New York's prestigious Columbia University Universities have become the focus of intense cultural debate in the United States since the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel's overwhelming military response to it On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Unions Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until it's safer for them on campus. The latest developments came ahead of the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Nicholas Baum, a 19-year-old Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbia's campus, said protesters over the weekend were 'calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel.' He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students. 'Jews are scared at Columbia. It's as simple as that. There's been so much vilification of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vilification of Judaism,' he said. For the fifth day, pro-Palestinian students occupy a central lawn on the Columbia University campus Police officers stand in front of the entrance of Columbia University which is occupied by pro-Palestine protesters in New York on Monday Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University spent their fifth day demanding the school sever financial ties with key US ally Israel Officers could be seen with zip ties ready to be used during the arrest of students In her statement Monday, Shafik said the Middle East conflict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress. 'But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,' Shafik wrote. Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to find a resolution to the university crisis, noted Shafik, who didn't say when in-person classes would resume. On Monday night it was decided that all classes will remain hybrid until the end of the semester. The last day of classes is April 29 with commencement set for May 15. Newly released body camera footage shows Washington police chase a carjacking suspect inside a crowded bingo hall and shoot him dead after he pointed a gun at the officers. Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies tracked down two carjacking suspects - one male and one female - to an American Legion parking lot around 11 a.m. on April 13. The male suspect, later identified as 41-year-old Benjamin Steven Woods, refused to comply with the deputies and ran into the packed bingo hall while being chased by the police dog, reported KOIN. Inside the hall, video showed Deputy Michael Gonzalez warn the suspect he is going to get shot, then Woods pulled out his weapon and said 'you're gonna get shot' to the deputy. Gonzalez and Deputy Jim Payne fired multiple rounds at Woods as he fell to his knees in the doorway of the bathroom in front of horrified patrons. Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies shot carjacking suspect 41-year-old Benjamin Steven Woods inside a packed bingo hall after he pulled a gun on them Deputy Michael Gonzalez and Deputy Jim Payne fired multiple rounds at Woods as he fell to his knees in the doorway of the bathroom At 10:30 a.m., deputies responded to a reported carjacking in Hazel Dell where the victim said a man and a woman had stolen his van. The witness also stated the male suspect was armed with a handgun. About 20 minutes later, deputies were dispatched to an attempted carjacking near Goodwill in Salmon Creek where the suspects' descriptions matched the two from the Hazel Dell incident. Deputies located the stolen van from the Hazel Dell carjacking behind the American Legion at 14011 NE 20th Ave. and approached Woods. Body camera footage showed Gonzalez warning Woods he would get bit by the police dog if he did not comply as Woods continued to walk away from the deputies. Gonzales is then heard saying 'it's a gun' as Woods enters the American Legion. Payne shouted at Woods to take his hands out of his pockets and when he does the deputy said 'gun in his hand.' 'Sent the dog, there's people over there,' Payne said as he ran towards the building. Inside the bingo hall, Gonzales is commanding his K9 officer in the room packed with bingo players. As Payne and Gonzales close in on Woods in the bathroom doorway, Woods pointed his gun at them and the deputies immediately fire at him. Woods' weapon slid out of his hand as he fell to his knees, writhing in pain, and deputies continued to tell him not to move. After Woods stopped moving, deputies dragged his body into the hall and rendered aid until EMS arrived. Medical personnel pronounced Woods dead at the scene, and the female suspect, identified as Lyndsey D. Jones, was later found and arrested for residential burglary. The shooting is being investigated by the Southwest Washington Independent Investigative Response Team, led by the Vancouver Police Department. Authorities identified Sergeant Fred Harrison and Deputy Enrique Cordero as the other two deputies who witnessed responded and witnessed the shooting. Gonzalez warned the suspect he was going to get shot, then Woods pulls out his weapon and said 'you're gonna get shot' to the deputy Woods weapon slid out of his hand as he fell to his knees writhing in pain and deputies continue to tell him not to move Body camera footage showed Gonzalez warned Woods he would get bit by the police dog if he did not comply as Woods continued to walk away Jamie Gardner, 61, told The Oregonian she was on her fourth round of bingo at the American Legion post when Woods ran in and estimated about 30 people were in attendance. 'Then the shots rang out, and I put two and two together and just dropped to the floor,' said Gardner. 'I could hear some old people saying "I cant get under the table!" It was awful.' Deborah Alderman, who was inside playing bingo, told KPTV the shooting happened right behind her. 'We were sitting in the bingo and all of a sudden, a guy came in through the back door,' said Alderman 'He went into the bathroom, I dont know if it was the men or womens and next thing you hear yelling then bam bam bam bam bam bam and we all hit the floor.' A woman has been suffered serious injuries in a dog attack, just days after Queensland introduced tougher laws against aggressive breeds. Emergency services were called to a Burpengary home north of Brisbane about 6.30am on Tuesday and treated a woman aged in her sixties for 'significant' hand and arm wounds. She was taken to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition for further treatment. Officers from Moreton Bay Council attended the home and seized the dog. An investigation has been launched after a woman was attacked by a dog (stock image) READ MORE: Family devastated after an American pitbull terrier mauled their pet cavoodle to death Lola, a beloved Cavoodle belonging to a Gold Coast family was fatally savaged by another dog Advertisement The breed of the dog is currently unknown. 'The incident was on private premises,' a council spokesperson said. 'Investigations are continuing and any further actions are contingent on the outcome of this investigation.' The attack occurred a week after Queensland parliament stiffened laws regarding aggressive dog breeds. Owners face fines of up to $108,000 and even jail time if they are found to encourage an attack in which their dog inflicts serious injuries or kills a person. Five breeds - the Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, American pit bull terrier and the Presa Canario - were banned. It comes after a spate of dog attacks, including a meter reader who was fatally mauled. Kane Minion, 42, was killed when two dogs attacked the Energex worker as he tried to read the meter at a home in the Logan suburb of Greenbank in December 2022. 'Queenslanders backed these changes in their thousands, and we can say to them that the Miles Government has delivered for them on time and as promised,' minister Mark Furner said. 'We will keep working with the community to get the message out about these new laws and help people with at-risk dogs to comply to make the community safer. 'We will always put the safety of Queenslanders first and thats what these important reforms will deliver.' Police are on the hunt for an ex-cop who allegedly shot dead his girlfriend and teacher ex-wife at a Washington elementary school before abducting a one-year-old. Elias Huizar, 39, has been labeled as 'armed and dangerous' and police say he may commit more crimes as he tries to flee to Mexico. Huizar allegedly killed his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez at William Wiley Elementary school on Monday afternoon during dismissal, according to Washington State Police. Police searching for Huizar found a second victim, his girlfriend, dead in his home, which is on the same block as the West Richland school. Police issued an AMBER alert for him and his one-year-old son Roman who was abducted. He was last seen in a 2009 silver Toyota Corolla with a Washington license plate of #CBZ4745. The former school cop was due in court Monday to face child rape charges; he is accused of raping his underaged girlfriend and her 16-year-old friend. Elias Huizar, 39, has been labeled as 'armed and dangerous' as police have connected him to the murder of his ex-wife and girlfriend Police issued an AMBER alert for Huizar and his one-year-old son Roman on Monday night Huizar is on the run after the Monday afternoon shooting just outside of William Wiley Elementary School, where his ex-wife was shot and killed Authorities confirmed that a dead body had been found at Huizar's home as they were conducting a search. Police said he also killed his girlfriend He is believed to have impregnated the 17-year-old when she was 15, according to multiple reports. Police did not confirm if the girlfriend Huizar is accused of raping and impregnating is the girlfriend who was found dead in his home or if he had moved on to a new relationship. Huizar and Rodriguez divorced in 2020 and share two children. Following the rape charges, Rodriguez filed to modify their custody agreement and had requested a protection order, because she believed he was a threat to her and their children. Rodriguez claimed Huizar has been harassing her since the divorce and says he was mentally and emotionally unstable. He also owns guns, she said. It was unclear what the result of the case was, a hearing had been set for May 14. Huizar served with the police department between 2014 and 2022 and was assigned to be a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima. It was not clear where he was employed after he'd left the department. On February 3, he was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland. Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a baby who was nine months old at the time of his February court appearance, according to the Tri-City Herald. Huizar served with the police department between 2014 and 2022 and was assigned to be a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima Police said they are searching for Huizar, who fled the scene in a 2009 Toyota Corolla with the license plate CBZ4745. They believe him to be armed and dangerous and may commit more crimes Huizar is a former school cop accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old and his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he impregnated when she was 15 The Tri-City Herald reported that Huizar secured a protection order against his teenage girlfriend in 2019 after she told friends they were in a relationship and the friends reported it to the school principal. The girl denied it and claimed her account had been hacked when social media posts about the alleged relationship were revealed. 'A criminal investigation was completed by the Attorney General's Office and the case was unfounded,' Huizar wrote in his petition for the protection order. '(She) was then expelled from school.' The petition claimed the girl had contacted Huizar's then wife, downloaded photos from the couple's Facebook pages, and taken 'numerous' covert photos of Huizar. Yakima County Judge Gayle Harthcock approved the protection order that prevented the girl from coming within 500 feet of him or his family for a year. The girl claims in the court documents that Huizar contacted her in 2022 when she was 15 and they began a relationship. Their child was born in April last year, and the pair began living together in the West Richland home when she was 17. The age of consent law in Washington is 16 years old, though police have been investigating whether he slept with her before that. On February 3, Huizar was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a nine-month-old baby Huizar's child was born in April last year, and the pair began living together in the West Richland home when she was 17. He has two children with his ex-wife, who divorced him in 2020 In the most recent alleged rape, the 17-year-old girlfriend had gone to sleep in a spare room next to her 16-year-old friend who was feeling sick after all three had spent the evening drinking at the home on February 3, court documents record. She then woke to find Huizar attacking her drunken friend before he left the room 'like nothing had happened', when she confronted him, according to the Tri-City Herald. Huizar was charged with second-degree rape, furnishing alcohol for minors, and third-degree rape over his relationship with the 17-year-old. His bail was set at $200,000 but he has since bonded out of jail with stipulations that he doesn't contact either of the teens or consume any alcohol. The opening date of his trial was set for Monday, according to a local NBC station. DailyMail.com has reached out to Huizar's defense attorney for comment. The school district in Richland, Washington, sent out an alert to parents that confirmed the shooting at William Wiley Elementary earlier Monday. The shooting occurred at 3:23pm local time during dismissal. Nobody else at the school was injured in the shooting there. Huizar has been charged with second-degree rape, furnishing alcohol for minors, and third-degree rape over his relationship with the 17-year-old A shooting at an elementary school in Washington state during dismissal has put the school on lockdown Richland Police confirmed in a Facebook post they were headed to the scene Monday afternoon A resident said he heard four to five gunshots while in his backyard Monday afternoon. 'I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didn't sound like a gun. Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot ,' Chris Worley told the Tri-City Herald. The school district sent an alert to parents, adding that any students still on campus were sent into a secure area, even those who were getting set to depart on the school bus. 'Students and staff at our schools have been moved inside the buildings and place into a critical lockdown.' 'If students were loaded on buses but still at the school, they were moved into the school building. We will update you once we have more information.' Richland Police confirmed in a Facebook post immediately after the shooting that officers were headed to the scene. 'There is an active incident in the area of William Wiley Elementary and South Highlands Blvd,' they wrote. The school district sent an alert to parents, adding that any students still on campus were sent into a secure area, even those who were getting set to depart on the school bus All after-school activities at the school were canceled 'Please stay clear of the area. We will post updates as they become available.' All after-school activities at the school were canceled. Around 4:45pm, police began getting the locked-down children out of the school. An app connected to the school is telling parents where they'll be reunited with their children. Because the road was completely blocked off, some parents are still waiting to get their vehicles back. Classes have been canceled at William Wiley Elementary on Tuesday. DailyMail.com has reached out to the West Richland Police Department, who are handling the investigation, for comment. Karina Abel, 50, was driving her Hyundai i30 hatchback with her beloved three pet dogs in tow when it collided with a Transperth bus on Warwick Rd in Warwick, in Perth 's north, at about 8am on Monday A woman who was killed along with her pet dog in a car crash was due to marry her fiance this year and was on her way to visit her mother who suffers from dementia at the time of the fiery smash. Karina Abel, 50, was driving her Hyundai i30 hatchback with her beloved three pet dogs in tow when it collided with a Transperth bus on Warwick Rd in Warwick, in Perth's north, at about 8am on Monday. Her car caught on fire and Ms Abel was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Tragically she was unable to be saved, along with one of her dogs, while the other two animals ran from the scene before they were tracked down by rangers. Ms Abel was set to tie the knot with her partner Brad Oreo in Bali later this year. Her future stepdaughter, Tahlia Oreo, 20, said Ms Abel had the 'biggest heart'. 'One of my fondest memories of her is when she finally broke the news that her and dad were engaged,' she told the West Australian. 'I'll never forget the smile on her face as she told me, I was ecstatic for them, I would've been so proud to call her my stepmother.' Karina Abel was due to marry her partner Brad Oreo later this year in Bali (the couple are pictured together) The passengers on board the bus escaped injury on Monday morning (crash scene pictured) Ms Oreo said Ms Abel had been on her way to visit her elderly mother when the crash occurred. Her mother suffers from dementia and Ms Abel had moved from Geraldton, about a four-and-a-half-hour drive away, to Warwick to be closer to her. Ms Abel had regularly shared photos and videos of her three dogs to her social media accounts. Mr Oreo posted a photo of his partner to his Facebook page following her tragic death. 'She was the best partner and friend,' he wrote in a comment. His daughter commented: 'Best stepmother I could've ever asked for. Forever has a piece of my heart with her. I love you dad. Forever and always'. The bus Ms Abel had collided with was mostly carrying children on their way to school. A teenage girl suffered minor injuries while the 48-year-old female driver of the bus and the other passengers on-board were unharmed. Officers from the Major Crash Investigation Section are investigating the incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar certified that they were victims of a crime Migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard claimed they were duped by official Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent 49 migrants to the island from Texas in 2022 Some of the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have received work permits thanks to a visa reserved for crime victims, sparking outrage by some. Migrants who cooperated with the sheriff were able to apply for U-nonimmigrant status and three of them have since received 'bona fide determinations' this week, immigration attorney Rachel M. Self told The Boston Globe. The three Venezuelan migrants are now allowed to work legally in the country and are protected from deportation. DeSantis, who was considering a presidential run at the time, arranged for 49 migrants to be flown out to the wealthy island off Massachusetts, in 2022. The migrants were sent from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha's Vineyard and said they were promised work and housing opportunities. That prompted the Bexar County sheriff to open a criminal investigation. Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022 are receiving visas reserved for people who help with criminal investigation The migrants they were promised work and housing opportunities which prompted the Bexar County sheriff to open a criminal investigation Jessica Vaughan, the director of Policy Studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, was one of the social media users who criticized the judge's decision. She wrote: 'This is absolutely an abuse of the U visa for political purposes. But reality will strike - the waiting list is 300,000 deep (mostly other frivolous cases), so they're not going to be adjudicated for many years.' The U-nonimmigrant status, known as U-visa, is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Migrants granted a U-visa are eligible to work in the United States, then can apply for a Green Card after having a U-visa for three years. The U-nonimmigrant status, known as U-visa, is set aside for victims of crimes who help with police investigations There is a 10,000 limit on the number of U-visas issued each year and there are thousands of applicants on a waiting list. 'This is a harm reduction provision,' Hemanth C. Gundavaram, cofounder and director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at Northeastern University School of Law, told The Globe. 'If you didn't have these protections, someone would have to stay here, worry about deportation, and not be able to make a living.' The Martha's Vineyard migrants were eligible to apply for U-visas after Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, certified they were victims of a crime, reported The Miami Herald. In June, Salazar recommended that the district attorney in Bexar County bring criminal charges for deception tactics, however no charges have been filed. Three of the migrants received 'bona fide determinations' this week after Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, certified that they were victims of a crime 'The Bexar County DA's inaction in this matter is concerning and cannot be understated,' Self told The Herald. 'Anyone who knows all of the facts, anyone who has seen all of the evidence, simply cannot ignore the crimes that were perpetrated in this case.' On April 1, DeSantis was dismissed from a class action lawsuit filed by the migrants that alleged the governor 'designed and executed a premeditated, fraudulent, and illegal scheme centered on exploiting [the migrants] for the sole purpose of advancing their own personal, financial and political interests.' The U.S. District Court of Massachusetts said in its ruling that it does not have jurisdiction over DeSantis in this case. While DeSantis was dropped, the migrants can still sue Florida-based Vertol Systems Co., the charter flight company that transported them to the island off the Massachusetts coast. The court found the facts of the case 'taken together, support an inference that Vertol and the other Defendants specifically targeted Plaintiffs because they were Latinx immigrants.' The DeSantis administration noted the judges' order dismissed the state defendants. On April 1, DeSantis was dismissed from a class action lawsuit filed by the migrants The migrants can still sue Florida-based Vertol Systems Co., the charter flight company that transported them to the island 'As we've always stated, the flights were conducted lawfully and authorized by the Florida Legislature,' Julia Friedland, the deputy press secretary for DeSantis, said in a statement. 'We look forward to Florida's next illegal immigrant relocation flight, and we are glad to bring national attention to the crisis at the southern border.' The court also said that 'unlike ICE agents legitimately enforcing the countrys immigration laws... the Court sees no legitimate purpose for rounding up highly vulnerable individuals on false pretenses and publicly injecting them into a divisive national debate.' The Florida governor threatened to send Haitian migrants to leafy Democrat enclaves in the north such as Martha's Vineyard as gang warfare engulfs the embattled Caribbean nation in March. 'Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop very well may be Martha's Vineyard,' DeSantis told podcaster Dana Loesch. An Arizona rancher has received a mistrial after he was accused of shooting dead a Mexican migrant on his land because only one of the jurors believed he was guilty. George Alan Kelly, 75, was accused of killing Gabriel Cuen-Butimea on January 30, 2023, at his home in Nogales, near the Mexican border. His defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp said only one juror wanted to convict and seven jurors wanted to acquit. Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly received a mistrial after he was accused of shooting dead an unarmed Mexican migrant on his land because only one of the jurors believed he was guilty Kelly's defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp said only one juror wanted to convict and seven jurors wanted to acquit. The defense wanted the defense for the jury to continue deliberations, but the judge decided to end the case Gabriel Cuen-Butimea, 48, was shot dead on January 30 2023 while on Kelly's land. He was wearing combat boots and was carrying a radio - which the border patrol chief says suggested he was part of the cartel George Alan Kellys defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp says the mistrial was caused by one holdout juror who believed Kelly to be guilty. She says the other 7 wanted to vote for acquittal. pic.twitter.com/BvS88AupcX Adam Klepp (@AdamKleppAZ) April 23, 2024 'We believe in our gut there was no way the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt,' she told journalists outside the courthouse. 'They won't wear me down,' Kelly said after the decision, according to the Arizona Republic. Kelly was charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Cuen-Buitimea, 48, who lived just south of the border in Nogales. Prosecutors said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men about 100 yards away on his cattle ranch. Kelly has said he fired warning shots in the air, but he didnt shoot directly at anyone. Kelly was also charged with aggravated assault against another person in the group, including a man from Honduras who was living in Mexico and who testified during the trial that he had gone into the US that day seeking work. The other migrants werent injured and they all made it back to Mexico. Kelly, 75, was accused of killing Gabriel Cuen-Butimea on January 30, 2023, at his home in Nogales, near the Mexican border Prosecutors said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men, including Cuen-Buitimea, about 100 yards (90 meters) away on his cattle ranch Lowthorp believes the message the mistrial sends to prosecutors is clear: 'Try it again and maybe this time we will have all fair jurors that follow the law.' She promises to represent Kelly if he is forced to go to trial again. Kelly is confident he will be acquitted if there's another trial: ''They want ice water in you-know-where. And they ain't got it. So, it is what it is.' 'We got no choice. We have to do it,' he told the Arizona Daily Star. 'If you're in a sand trap, you gotta keep hacking until you get out.' The Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office can still decide whether to retry Kelly for any charge, or drop the case all together. A status hearing was scheduled for next Monday afternoon, when prosecutors could inform the judge if they plan to refile the case. Many on social media have called for Kelly to be free and for the county to not try him again. The decision came after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision after more than two full days of deliberation. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office for comment. Kelly is confident he will be acquitted if there's another trial: ''They want ice water in you-know-where. And they ain't got it. So, it is what it is' Kelly's ranch in Nogales is a stone's throw from the border. Nogales is a known hot zone for drug smuggling, where the cartel is 'particularly aggressive', according to border agents After Monday's ruling, Consul General Marcos Moreno Baez of the Mexican consulate in Nogales, Arizona, said he would wait with Cuen-Buitimeas two adult daughters on Monday evening to meet with prosecutors from Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office to learn about the implications of a mistrial. 'Mexico will continue to follow the case and continue to accompany the family, which wants justice.' said Moreno. 'We hope for a very fair outcome.' Kelly's wife noted that the case has lasted over a year, and continues to hang over their family. 'I feel like I've been in suspension for 15 months, and I'm getting nowhere, and I'm still on that treadmill. We have to wait a little longer,' Wanda Kelly said. Kelly was charged with second-degree murder in killing of Cuen-Buitimea, 48, who lived just south of the border Kelly has said he fired warning shots in the air, but he didnt shoot directly at anyone. Pictured: Kelly leaving the courthouse on March 22 with his lawyer Kathy Lowthorp County Attorney Michael Jette addresses jurors during closing arguments Cuen-Buitimea lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico. He had previously entered the US illegally several times and was deported, most recently in 2016, court records show. The nearly monthlong trial coincided with a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security. Fink had told jurors that if they could not reach a verdict on the second-degree murder charge, they could try for a unanimous decision on a lesser charge of reckless manslaughter or negligent homicide. A second-degree murder conviction would have brought a minimum prison sentence of ten years. The jury got the case Thursday afternoon, deliberated briefly that day and then all of Friday and Monday before the judge declared a mistrial. KELLY'S VERSION OF THE STORY: GANG OF DRUG RUNNERS IN COMBAT BOOTS AND CARRYING RADIOS WERE HEARD FIRING THEIR GUNS AND RUNNING THROUGH HIS LAND The following description is taken from a motion filed by George Alan Kelly's attorney in court. On January 30, 2023 George Alan Kelly reported the discovery of a body on his property near Kino Springs, where he and his wife have lived for the past two decades. Earlier in the day, he had completed chores on his ranch and had come to his house to eat lunch with his wife. As they ate, Mr. Kelly heard a single gunshot. Next, he saw his horse - who is old - running away scared and at full speed. Finally, he saw a group of men moving through the trees around his home. They were armed with AK-47 rifles, dressed in khakis and camouflaged clothing, and carrying large backpacks. None of them were known to him. He hadn't given any of them permission to come onto his land. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Kelly was understandably concerned and reasonably feared for his safety. He called the United States Border Patrol Ranch Liaison to report what he had seen and to summon immediate help. He told his wife to stay inside, away from the windows, and to stay silent so as not to alert the men to her presence. Mr. Kelly then went to the porch with his rifle. The leader of the armed group of men saw Mr. Kelly and pointed an AK-47 right at him. Mr. Kelly, fearing for his life and safety, fired several shots from his rifle, hoping to scare them away from his wife, his animals and his home. Mr. Kelly took care to aim well over the heads of the armed group of men. In a written defense submitted to the court, Kelly's attorneys described how he was at home having lunch when he heard shots fired outside and then saw his horse running. He called border patrol, and later the sheriff's department. None of them found the victim's body initially The group then began running into the desert surrounding his home. Once the group had fled, Mr. Kelly walked over to his barn to see if it was safe and secure. Mr. Kelly had a conversation with Border Patrol again that ended at 2.36pm....while Mr. Kelly was checking his barn, a number of Border Patrol agents and Sheriff's deputies arrived on the property. [They] walked all over Mr. Kelly's property in search of the group of people and did not find anybody. Later that day, as the sun was going down, Mr. Kelly went to his pastures in order to check on his horse. He took his dogs with him. After locating the horse, Mr. Kelly noticed that his dogs were focused on something on the ground near a mesquite tree. Mr. Kelly approached his dogs and observed a body lying face down in the grass. Mr. Kelly then called Border Patrol Ranch Liaison again. The body was that of a male foreign national. The person did not have any firearms or a backpack on him. The cause of death appeared to be a single gunshot wound and it appeared the body was fresh. The person had a radio with him and he was wearing tactical boots, indicating that he was possible involved in illegal activity. Mr. Kelly does not believe that any of his warning shots could have possibly hit the person or caused the death. All of the shooting that Mr. Kelly did on the date of that incident was in self-defense and justified. PROSECUTORS & MIGRANTS' VERSION OF THE STORY: KELLY EMERGED 'UNPROVOKED' WITH AK-47 AND STARTED SHOOTING AT 'INNOCENT' MEN WHO 'POSED NO THREAT TO HIS FAMILY' The following description is taken from a filing submitted by Santa Cruz County Attorney George E. Silva and Chief Deputy County Attorney Kimberly Hunley. On January 30, 2023, at around 2.30pm, a group of approximately 7 to 8 undocumented immigrants were traveling north through the Kino Springs area from Mexico. Contrary to Kelly's account, no one in the group was carrying any weapons. The group , which included R.F-G and D.R.-R, was within sight of the Kelly residence when out of nowhere, Kelly began to shoot at them with an AK-47. Kelly issued no warnings and made no requests. He just started shooting at them. D.R-R was just one step behind Gabriel when he heard Gabriel call out in Spanish: 'I'm hit', grab his chest and fall to the ground. He saw Gabriel's eyes roll back in his head and when he could only see the whites of his eyes, he knew that Gabriel was dead. He felt like they were being hunted. Kelly shot at least 8 rounds at them, Both R.F-G and D.R-R jumped the fence and made it back to Mexico. Are willing and available to testify. Approximately 6 minutes later, Kelly called Agent Morsell again. This time Kelly said he lost visual of the subjects running toward Kino Springs. When asked if he was being shot at, Kelly claimed he heard a gunshot in his direction. He saw his horse running by and he was inspecting his horse but he didn't appear to be stuck, Prosecutors have now filed additional charges against Kelly for aggravated assault Prosecutors asked for Kelly to remain in jail on a $1million so that the victim's family in Mexico could travel over the border and attend proceedings Kelly said it was 'too far to tell if they had any firearms'. Border Patrol Agents and Sheriff's Deputies responded to the scene and walked the property. They did not locate anything at that time, Kelly called Agent Morsell again at 4.23pm. By this time, his story had significantly changed. He told Agent Morsell he was sitting in the house with his wife when 'we' heard a gunshot. He said he saw 10 subjects all loaded down with AR Assault rifles. He said his wife saw it too. Then at 5.23pm, he tried calling Agent Morsell again. He left a message saying 'you need to call me immediately. This is serious. Call me immediately. I can't say more over the phone.' Agent Morsell returned his call. At this point, Kelly's tone had completely changed. He sounded nervous or scared. Kelly said: 'This is worse than you can imagine. This is bad.' Kelly told him that he needed Morsell to send Border Patrol because this is a broader issue. When Morsell requested the details, Kelly continued to be evasive and said: 'This is bad. I need someone to respond out here.' You know how shots were fired earlier, something was possibly shot. I can't say more over the phone. One of the deputies turned on the recorder on his phone while they talked and walked with Kelly. Kelly told him that there was a shot fired and he didn't know what it was about. He went out to get his horse. He said he 'walked all over it' and claimed 'maybe this happened after you left' referring to the earlier visit by deputies. He said 'there's a body over there, as soon as I saw it I backed away from it.' Later, Kelly spoke with detectives. After initially denying that he shot at the group, he later admitted shooting. He claimed he directed his shots over the heads of the group. Sir Mark Rowley had a series of crisis meetings as he battles to keep his job The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has defended the 'professional' conduct of the officer who threatened to arrest an 'openly Jewish' campaigner at a pro-Palestine march. Sir Mark Rowley has said the officers who dealt with Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), in viral footage of the the April 13 march will not face sanctions. However, the Met boss has admitted some of the words exchanged during the incident were 'clumsy and offensive' - as 1,500 protesters and Mr Falter are set to descend on a pro-Palestinian march this weekend to press Scotland Yard to keep the streets safe for Jewish people. It comes as Sir Mark is facing a battle to keep his job as British Jewish groups are calling for his resignation following the 'openly Jewish' incident and other criticisms of how pro-Palestine marches are policed. Yesterday, Britain's top police officer had crisis meetings with two politicians that can sack him - Home Secretary James Cleverly and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. He said last night that the sergeant at the centre of the row had assessed there was a 'risk of confrontation' due to Mr Falter's presence. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is facing battle to keep his job The officer at the centre of the row threatened to arrest Gideon Falter if he tried to cross the protest while being 'openly Jewish' Gideon Falter (pictured) is encouraging people to follow the route of a pro-Palestinian march in London to 'force the police to make sure that these things are safe for Jewish people' He told the Guardian 'The sergeant at the scene clearly assessed that there was a risk of confrontation and was trying to help Mr Falter find a different route. 'I completely understand why the sergeant made this assessment. A couple of turns of phrase were clumsy and offensive and weve apologised for that. 'The wider actions and intent of the officer were professional and in the best tradition of British police trying to prevent disorder.' Sir Rowley added: 'The public would be horrified if we said: well, its obvious if those two groups come together, theres going to be a massive fight. Well stand back and wait till it happens and well pick up the pieces afterwards.' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday that the force needed to rebuild the trust of the Jewish community but added the embattled police chief had his confidence. Sir Mark held meetings on Monday with Mr Cleverly and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who said he has 'full confidence' in the commissioner. Representatives of Jewish community groups including the Community Security Trust and London Jewish Forum also met Sir Mark and Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, who leads public order policing, on Monday morning. The CST said it would continue to push for a reduction in the number of pro-Palestinian protests permitted in central London. It released a statement after the meeting that said: 'We will continue our dialogue with police later this week to express our concerns regarding the cumulative impact of the repeated anti-Israel protests in terms of disruption and intimidation of the Jewish community. Sir Mark has crisi meetings with Home Secretary James Cleverly (pictured) and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan yesterday Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said Sir Mark Rowley has his 'full confidence' following the 'openly Jewish' incident 'We urge the police and Government to work together to find ways to limit this impact through reducing the number of protests, moving them to less disruptive locations and acting firmly and consistently whenever offences are committed by people on the demonstrations.' After the meeting with Sir Mark, Mr Cleverly said: 'Jewish people will always have the right to be able to go about their daily lives safely and freely, in London and across the UK. 'Sir Mark has reassured me he will make this clear to all sections of the community as a matter of urgency. 'The Met's focus now is rightly on reassurance, learning from what happened, and ensuring that Jewish people are safe and feel safe in London. I support them in that critical endeavour. 'Public order policing is complex and challenging, but it remains incumbent on Sir Mark and the mayor of London to ensure that London is always a safe and welcoming city. 'The force's focus should be on policing protests properly and fairly, and we will continue to back forces in using all necessary powers to manage these often difficult situations and to keep people safe.' The force has apologised twice over the incident on April 13, issuing one initial statement and then saying sorry for its first apology which had suggested opponents of pro-Palestinian marches 'must know that their presence is provocative'. A 13-minute of the exchange shows Mr Falter telling police he wants to cross a road to reach Kingsway in central London as crowds of pro-Palestinian protesters pass. Rishi Sunak piled pressure on Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, saying the force must rebuild the trust of the Jewish community The Met faces potential clashes after an anti-Semitism campaigner (pictured) threatened with arrest for being 'openly Jewish' launched the 'walk together' campaign Sir Mark has come under sustained criticism from senior figures, including former home secretary Suella Braverman He tells one officer: 'The Metropolitan Police says that these marches are completely safe for Jews, there is no problem whatsoever. 'You are telling me that I cannot walk to the other pavement. That I have to be escorted by you.' The officer says: 'I am telling you that I will help you by escorting you over there and that way you will be completely safe, just as we promised, so we are keeping our word.' Mr Falter has since said he will turn up at the next pro-Palestinian march and encouraged other Jews and allies to join him as more than 1,500 protesters are set to join him to press Scotland Yard to keep the streets safe for Jewish people. The Met faces potential clashes at the march as the anti-Semitism campaigner threatened with arrest for being 'openly Jewish' launched the 'walk together' campaign. Gideon Falter is encouraging people to follow the route of a pro-Palestinian march in London to 'force the police to make sure that these things are safe for Jewish people'. Since the incident on April 13, almost 9,000 people have signed a petition calling for the resignation of Britain's top police officer. Sir Mark has come under sustained criticism from senior figures, including former home secretary Suella Braverman who told Radio 4 yesterday: 'The police have chosen a side.' Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell told Sky News: 'There are strategic issues... how we ensure that Jewish people, people of any faith at all, can go about their business.' Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the incident 'clearly wasn't handled properly ... but the police work immensely hard every single day to keep us safe'. Korea urged Japan on Tuesday to demonstrate its "sincere remorse" through action after a group of Japanese politicians paid a visit to a war shrine seen as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past. A suprapartisan group of 94 lawmakers visited the Yasukuni Shrine on the occasion of its spring festival earlier in the day, according to Japan's Kyodo News. "The government strongly urges the leaders of Japan to squarely face history and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past history," foreign ministry spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, told a regular press briefing. On Sunday, Lim also released a commentary voicing "deep regrets" after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent a ceremonial tree to the shrine. The shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 14 Class A war criminals from World War II. Neighboring countries like Korea and China view visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders as an attempt to glorify the country's militaristic past. (Yonhap) A woman accused of killing her 14-month old son has been granted a judge only trial, where her defence will argue she was of unsound mind at the time. Sara Jade McCullock appeared in court on Tuesday seeking approval to have her case heard in front of a judge only rather than a jury under Section 27 of WA's criminal code. She has been accused of causing the death of her son Jace on April 27, 2022 at their home in Mandurah, south of Perth. Section 27(1) of the Criminal Code 1913 is a defence of not guilty by reason of reduced culpability. Justice Amanda Forrester told the court that police responded to a report from neighbours about a disturbance at Ms McCullock's home in the Mandurah suburb of Madora Bay. Sara Jade McCullock appeared in court on Tuesday seeking approval to have her case heard in front of a judge only rather than a jury under Section 27 of WA's criminal code Ms McCullock has been accused of causing the death of her son Jace on April 27, 2022 at their home in Mandurah, south of Perth . The court was told the night before police were called to the home, Ms McCullock's mother and sister were concerned about her wellbeing and that she had not taken medication for a mental illness. They left her about 8pm, with young Jace asleep in his mother's arms. The next morning it's alleged neighbours had heard loud banging and yelling coming from the home when they called police. When police arrived loud music was playing and they saw Ms McCullock laughing and holding her young son who was bloodied, but she was not responding to them, the court heard. Police attempted to revive the young boy until paramedics arrived but he could not be saved. Justice Forrester said Ms McCullock told police that someone had come into her home and killed her son. But after being admitted to the Frankland Centre, a psychiatric facility in Perth, she told staff there she had killed her son because she believed he was going 'to be tortured for all eternity'. Ms McCullock's defence will allege she did not have capacity to understand what she was doing at the time. The court heard that Ms McCullock has paranoid schizophrenia and was allegedly suffering from delusions at the time. State prosecutor Michael Cvetkoski said while a jury could still come to a finding in the case, it should be heard by a judge only because of the complex nature of two psychiatric reports that have been submitted as evidence. One report from psychiatrist Adam Brett found that Ms McCullock was deprived of capacity to control her actions and knowledge not to do the act. A separate report from psychiatrist Victoria Pascu found that Ms McCullock was deprived of the capacity not to do the act, but had capacity to control her actions even though she was significantly impaired by her mental illness. The court was told the night before police were called to the home, Ms McCullock's mother and sister were concerned about her wellbeing and that she had not taken medication for a mental illness Justice Forrester approved the application for the trial to be heard by a judge only, telling the court it would be quicker and less distressing for everyone involved. Another factor was evidence of her previous behaviour that would be discrediting to a jury, Justice Forrester said. While she agreed to a judge only trial, she said Ms McCullock could have received a fair trial before a jury even though the child's injuries were distressing. A trial date will be made at a status conference on May 2. Ms McCullock was remanded in custody. Five people, including a four-year-old girl, died in the latest Channel migrant tragedy today, hours after Rishi Sunak vowed to push on with deportation flights to Rwanda. Hundreds set off for the UK from France early this morning, taking advantage of calm weather the day after Parliament finally approved a new law to send arrivals to East Africa. The French coastguard said that the dead were three men, a woman and a child, as they launched a major rescue operation off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Ministers have said that one of their prime concerns in passing the new law is deterring people smugglers from putting people on the water in unseaworthy boats. Following the reports of deaths in the English Channel, Home Secretary James Cleverly said: 'These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives.' Dany Patoux, of the Osmose 62 refugee charity, said that the father of the girl was also aboard the boat and 'saw his little daughter die before his eyes'. Hundreds set off for the UK from France early this morning, taking advantage of calm weather the day after Parliament finally approved a new law to send arrivals to East Africa. Ministers have said that one of their prime concerns in passing the new law is deterring people smugglers from putting people on the water in unseaworthy boats. The French coastguard said that the dead were three men, a woman and a child, as they launched a major rescue operation off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer. A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the Border Force following the small boat incident in the Channel. The Prime Minister has said 'nothing will stand in our way' of getting flights off the ground after the Government's Rwanda deportation plan passed through Parliament Before the tragedy struck, Mr Sunak this morning said he would let nothing 'stand in our way', with hopes flights may start in July. The first asylum seekers are expected to be rounded up and detained within days after a political tussle over the controversial law finally ended in the early hours of this morning. The House of Lords had been engaged in an extended tussle over the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Monday, sending it back to the Commons five times in a bid to secure changes. But they relented just after midnight, paving the way for it to become law and allow delayed flights to start in July, in a move Tories hope will boost the party's hopes of being re-elected later this year. But the news did not appear to have filtered across the Channel, with more migrants boats filmed leaving the French coast near Dunkirk this morning heading for Britain. In a statement this morning the PM, who is in Poland, said: 'The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay. 'Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives.' The unelected chamber ended the deadlock after MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to Parliament to that effect. The Government said the Lords amendment was 'almost identical' to the previous ones overturned by MPs. In his statement on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak said: 'The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration. 'We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them.' Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said the Government was prepared for 'inevitable' legal challenges to the Rwanda scheme. He told Times Radio: 'It's inevitable. I'm afraid that there will be challenges.. There are people who don't like this policy... the Labour lords, as we saw last night and the Labour Party, there are people who are determined to do whatever it takes to try and stop this policy from working.' Pictured: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaving Parliament at 11.30pm last night MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body Your browser does not support iframes. In a video posted to social media, Home Secretary James Cleverly said the Bill 'will become law within days'. He said: 'The Act will prevent people from abusing the law by using false human rights claims to block removals. 'And it makes clear that the UK Parliament is sovereign, giving Government the power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts. 'I promised to do what was necessary to clear the path for the first flight. 'That's what we have done. 'Now we're working day in and day out to get flights off the ground.' Earlier in the upper House, the opposition did not press its demand for the Bill to include an exemption from removal for Afghan nationals who assisted British troops after what critics hailed as a concession. A Home Office minister said the Government will not send those who are eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) to Rwanda. The new law aims to clear the way to send asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats on a one-way flight to Kigali. Peers admitted defeat in their desperate efforts to water down the legislation just before midnight, with one describing the moment as a 'funeral' Labour's Des Browne decided not to push his amendment after a concession from the government The last remaining tweak, tabled by Lord Anderson of Ipswich, had called for an independent monitoring commission to declare the African state safe before Channel migrants could be sent there The fifth round was the last, with the House of Commons wiping out the amendment In bizarre scenes earlier the Lords was briefly plunged into darkness thanks to a power cut Rishi Sunak told a press conference yesterday in Downing Street he was ready to make MPs and peers sit through the night to break the impasse on the crucial legislation Mr Sunak told peers his patience had run out, with his pledge to 'stop the boats' on the line. Pictured: Migrants crossing the Channel last month The legislation and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled scheme after the Supreme Court ruled the plan was unlawful. As well as compelling judges to regard the east African country as safe, it would give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Rwandan scheme is an 'extortionately expensive gimmick' and that if Labour wins the next election, they will introduce an alternative plan. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Cooper said: 'This is not a serious plan to actually tackle the problem. It's costing around half a billion pounds for just 300 people to be sent to Rwanda, that's less than 1 per cent of asylum seekers. It's not addressing the 99 per cent, it's not addressing the overall problem. Planes have already been booked and migrants will soon be detained ahead of deportation, he revealed (pictured: staff boarding a plane which was set to be the first to transport migrants to Rwanda in June 2022) Mr Sunak insisted he was 'not going to let a foreign court' block the deportations, after the European Court of Human Rights (pictured) in Strasbourg grounded the first planned flight two years ago in a late-night ruling 'That's why Labour would replace the Rwanda scheme with a new plan to boost our border security, to go after the criminal gangs and their networks right across Europe. 'Not just on the French coast, so that we prevent boats from reaching the French coast in the first place. 'We'd also have stronger powers, stronger intelligence agreements, and new fast-track systems in the UK, so that we have a new returns and enforcement unit. 'Because returns of failed asylum cases have just plummeted over the last Conservative period. We need to actually turn that round and make sure that the system is properly enforced.' Two military helicopters collided in mid-air before crashing and killing all 10 people on board during a flight rehearsal in Malaysia this morning. The choppers were among seven that had taken off simultaneously from the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) Base in Lumut, Perak, shortly after 9am local time to practice for the Navy fleet's open day celebrations in May. Disaster struck when two helicopters strayed too close to one another as they flew in low formation over a stadium. The rotors of one aircraft appeared to clip the tail of the second, sending both aircraft hurtling to the ground in deadly tailspins. Shocking footage showed how the aircraft plummeted to the ground after the brutal collision, as Navy personnel standing on the parade square below looked on in horror. The footage shows how two of the touched rotors at a height of around 200ft Shocking footage showed how the aircraft plummeted to the ground after the brutal collision, as Navy personnel standing on the parade square below looked on in horror The choppers were among seven that had taken off simultaneously from the the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) Base in Lumut, Perak, Tuesday, April 23 The two helicopters involved in the collision were HOM and Fennec models. The HOM helicopter was carrying four crew and three passengers, while the Fennec was carrying three crew Two military helicopters collided in mid-air before crashing and killing at least 10 people in Malaysia this morning One of the helicopters careened onto a running track and burst into flames, with photos showing the Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec heavily mangled and surrounded by rescue personnel. The other helicopter, an AgustaWestland AW139, is understood to have come down on the edge of the stadium where the TLDM had planned to host its 90th anniversary celebrations. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying 'the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy'. 'I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM, to find the cause of the crash,' he said. Incidents involving helicopters are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian nation. Last month, a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca with no fatalities. In 2016, a deputy minister was among those who died after a Eurocopter AS350 crashed in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Today's fatal crash comes just days after two Japanese navy helicopters carrying eight crew members crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during a night-time training flight. One crew member who was recovered from the water was later pronounced dead, while rescuers continue their search for seven others who are still missing. The two SH-60K aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defence Force were carrying four crew each and lost contact near Torishima island, about 370 miles south of Tokyo, late on Saturday, Defence Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but officials believe it is 'highly likely' the two helicopters collided with each other before crashing into the water, Mr Kihara said. He added that his ministry will suspend training flights for all SH-60s for now. The navy chief of staff, Admiral Ryo Sakai, said the training will be suspended until the cause of the accident cause is determined and preventive measures are adopted. The two SH-60K aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defence Force were carrying four crew each and lost contact near Torishima island, about 370 miles south of Tokyo One crew member who was recovered from the water was later pronounced dead, while rescuers were searching for seven others who were still missing Rescuers have recovered a flight data recorder, a blade from each helicopter, and fragments believed to be from both aircraft in the same area, signs that the two SH-60Ks were flying close to each other, Mr Kihara said. Officials will analyse the flight data to try to determine what led to the crash. Search and rescue efforts for the missing crew were expanded on Sunday, with the MSDF and Air Self-Defence Force together deploying 12 warships and seven aircraft. Japan Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft also joined the operation. The helicopters, twin-engine, multi-mission aircraft developed by Sikorsky and known as Seahawks, were modified and produced in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. They were on night-time anti-submarine training, Mr Kihara said. One lost contact at 10.38pm local time and sent an automatic emergency signal a minute later. They lost contact about 150 nautical miles (270km) east of Torishima island. Only one distress call was heard - another sign that the two helicopters were near the same place, because their signals use the same frequency and could not be differentiated, Mr Kihara said. One helicopter belonged to an air base in Nagasaki, and the other to a base in Tokushima prefecture. EXCLUSIVE A woman accused of throwing a dog off a cliff while it was trapped inside a kennel has been unmasked as a young mother. Kaylah Williams, 34, allegedly threw the Australian Bulldog over an escarpment in bushland near Clive Bissell Drive at Mount Ousley, in Wollongong, on the evening of Saturday, January 21 last year. The dog was discovered still alive at about 8.30am the following morning after a bushwalker heard it yelping and realised the noise was coming from an upside-down kennel seen at the base of the rockface. The man called police, who rushed to the scene with specialist officers from the Police Rescue squad, Bomb Disposal Unit and members of the SES who could perform the challenging rescue operation. Kaylah Williams, 34, (pictured) has been charged with allegedly torturing a dog The dog was found at the base of a cliff near Clive Bissell Drive (pictured) at Mount Ousley Williams is pictured running errands around the Wollongong area on Tuesday afternoon The dog was allegedly found emaciated, in poor health, and suffering with injuries sustained in the fall. He was taken to a local vet but had to be euthanised due to his poor condition and injuries. Police seized the kennel for forensic examination and launched an investigation to find the owner - which culminated in Williams' arrest at her Horsley home more than 12 months later on April 12, 2024. Daily Mail Australia can reveal Williams is a young mother originally from Wellington, a small country town of just over 4,000 people in the Central Western Slopes region of New South Wales. It is understood Williams moved to western Sydney around seven years ago before later heading to Wollongong. On social media, she describes herself as a 'fully-time mummy' who 'just loves to have fun all the time'. Kaylah Williams, 34, allegedly threw the Australian Bulldog (file picture) over an escarpment in bushland Police allege she threw the dog over the cliff sometime during the evening of 21 January, 2023 and early morning hours of 22 January, 2023 'Nobody is perfect and nobody deserves to be perfect,' one of her posts reads. 'Nobody has it easy, everybody has issues. You never know what people are going through. So pause before you start judging, criticising or mocking others. 'Everybody is fighting their own unique war!' Williams has been charged with torture, beat etc and causing the death of animal and is currently on bail. She is due to appear before Wollongong Local Court on May 14. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Williams for comment. An ABC journalist has been 'forced' to leave India after being told by the government in New Delhi that her reporting had 'crossed a line'. Avani Dias had had been working as South Asia bureau chief for Australia's national broadcaster in India since 2021, but on Tuesday she claimed to have been effectively thrown out of the country over her reporting on the nation's government's alleged involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. 'Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied,' she tweeted, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'After Australian Government intervention, I got a mere two-month extension ... less than 24 hours before my flight.' In the Indian election, which started last week but takes six weeks to run as the country is so huge, Mr Modi is seeking a record-equalling third term in power. Avani Dias (pictured) had lived in India since 2021, working as ABC's South Asia bureau chief, but on Tuesday she said she had effectively been thrown out of the country Avani Dias had lived in India since 2021, working as ABC's South Asia bureau chief, but on Tuesday she said she had effectively been thrown out of the country READ MORE: 20,000 fly, bus and drive to Sydney to welcome India's controversial leader Narendra Modi Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese embraces India's prime minister Narendra Modi on May 23, 2023 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Advertisement Dias said Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party made it difficult for her to report on the election and other news. 'There's always a feeling of unease that this sort of backlash could come your way as a journalist in India,' she said in the latest episode of her podcast Looking for Modi. 'I've felt it the whole time I've been here. So have my colleagues from different publications.' In April, ABC's Foreign Correspondent program featured an episode made by Dias where she investigated the death of Sikh independence advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing in 2023 caused a huge rift between India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were 'credible allegations' Indian government agents were linked to the June 18 killing, which took place in the carpark of a Sikh temple near Vancouver. Dias said she was not surprised when a clip from her Foreign Correspondent program was blocked on YouTube in India. 'Now when you try to watch it on YouTube in India, it says "This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order",' she said on her podcast. The reporter said similar stories from other publications had also been 'taken down'. While she was waiting on her visa renewal application, Dias got a phone call from 'someone from the Indian ministry'. She claimed she was told that her 'routine visa extension application wasn't going to come through and that I have to leave the country in just a couple of weeks. 'He specifically said it was because of my Sikh separatist story saying "It had gone too far".' Dias said the caller even made a reference to her podcast, which 'felt really shocking'. India's prime minister Narendra Modi (pictured) is seeking a record-equalling third term in power 'This place my partner and I had called home for the last two-and-a-half years. This place we had loved so much was not going to be home anymore, and we were being forced to leave on the Indian government's terms,' she said. The Australian Government lobbied on her behalf, leading to Dias getting a two-month extension just 24 hours before she was due to fly back to Australia. But she said the rot had already set in. 'It felt too difficult to do my job in India. I was struggling to get into public events run by Modi's party. 'The government wouldn't even give me the passes I need to cover the election, and the ministry left it all so late that we were already packed up and ready to go.' The journalist said the Indian authorities made things difficult for her by design. 'The Narendra Modi government has made me feel so uncomfortable that we decided to leave.' The ABC said Dias will continue to cover the election in what is 'the world's largest democracy' from Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured left) hugged and held hands with India's PM Narendra Modi (pictured right) India is Australia's sixth largest trading partner with two-way trade in goods and services valued at $46.5billion in 2022. In May 2023, Mr Modi was greeted by 20,000 adoring fans in Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney's west. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - who hugged and held hands with Mr Modi - was joined by NSW Premier Chris Minns to welcome the Indian PM to the cheering crowd. 'The last person I saw on this stage was Bruce Springsteen... and he didn't get the welcome prime minister Modi has got,' Mr Albanese said. 'Prime Minister Modi is the boss.' The parents of an eight-year-old girl who was killed when a Land Rover ploughed into her school have said they live in 'horror' because of how long the police investigation is taking. Nuria Sajjad and fellow eight-year-old pupil Selena Lau died after the crash at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, on July 6 last year. The car crashed through a fence into a crowd of children and adults who were enjoying a tea party at the school. A woman arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving was released under investigation. Nuria's parents said that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has told them the case is taking so long due to a lack of forensic officers. A Land Rover ploughed into The Study Prep school in Wimbledon killing Nuria Sajjad and fellow eight-year-old pupil Selena Lau last July Nuria had been enjoying a tea party with her classmates to mark the last day of term when the horrific crash took place The Metropolitan Police Commissioner told Nuria's parents Smera and Sajjad that the case was taking so long due to a lack of forensic officers How the horrific crash unfolded on July 6 last year in Wimbledon, South London Her mother Smera Chohan told BBC London: 'Occasions have come and gone in the last 10 months from Christmas to new year to Ramadan to Eid to Mother's Day to her ninth birthday. 'And we have lived through all of those without knowing how or why our daughter was killed. 'This is how much time has passed. This is unacceptable and it's a horror that we live in.' Ms Chohan was also injured in the horrific crash just seconds after taking a photo with Nuria alongside several others. She said the lack of resources in the case were not acceptable because of the 'nature' of what happened and 'the way we have been left'. Nuria's father Sajjad Butt added: 'The only reason for this delay in this coming to the next stage is a lack of specialised resources to deliver a particular part of the investigation.' Mr Butt added that the case might be 'impacted' because as time passes 'memories fade'. Nuria, who would have turned nine on March 20, is pictured with her parents Smera and Sajjad Eight-year-old Selena Lau (pictured) was also killed in the crash last year The Land Rover crashed through a fence at The Study Prep school in south-west London at around 10am on July 6 He went on: 'Asking critical people to wait nine months for things to move, could this impact us getting justice for our girl? It might.' The families want cases involving child fatalities to be prioritised and greater resources given to these investigations. Earlier this month, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley wrote to Trevor Sterling, the solicitor representing the families, detailing how investigators have spoken to 150 witnesses, analysed CCTV and forensically examined the car. A decision over whether the driver will be charged is expected at the end of this month. He said: 'I recognise the investigation is not happening as quickly as the families would hope, and I apologise for the impact that this has had but I hope you will recognise why it is important that the investigation is comprehensive.' Sir Mark said the force investigates around 100 fatal collisions per year and that these are taken in turn. Nuria's mother Smera (pictured with her daughter) was also injured in the horrific crash that took place just after this photo of them was taken 'I fully understand your representations that child victims of road deaths should be prioritised and I recognise the devastating impact that the death of a child has on their family. 'Our current approach is that all fatal collision investigations are progressed in the order that they begin to ensure we are able to answer the questions the friends and family have as quickly as possible. 'Any decision to prioritise one case would result in another family waiting longer for answers.' There is only one six-year, part-time course available to train forensic collision investigators which means there are very few people qualified to progress these police inquiries, Sir Mark wrote. In an open letter to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Mr Sterling said a lack of resources is slowing down police investigations into road deaths. Mr Sterling said: 'There are a number of issues here, the lack of forensic examiners, the time it's taking for them to prepare reports, the time it takes forensic examiners to be trained; all of this has a huge impact. 'Delay is the enemy of justice. These processes need to be expedited, especially in cases of public interest where children have died and this is what we want the mayor to hear from us on this.' Toys and floral tributes placed outside The Study preparatory school in Wimbledon, south-west London In response, Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland, in charge of policing for south west London, told MailOnline: 'Our thoughts remain with the families of Nuria and Selena who we know are greatly loved and missed. 'This was a tragic incident and we understand that the families want and need answers as to what happened. We are continuing to give them specialist support through our dedicated family liaison officers who are providing updates on the investigation where they can. 'Specialist detectives have worked tirelessly to establish the circumstances of that day, including detailed analysis of CCTV and the examination of expert reports. We have also sought early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). 'We recognise that the time taken has caused further distress but it is only right and fair to all involved that we carry out a thorough and extensive investigation. We have updated the families on one specific issue which has unfortunately added to the time this investigation is taking. This is around a lack of specialist investigators whose role it is to provide expertise in such investigations an issue we are working to address.' This is the moment a suspected 'dine and dasher' wanted for 'food thefts' at a string of restaurants across south Wales 'does a runner' after allegedly asking staff where the nearest cashpoint was because her 'card wasn't working'. CCTV footage exclusively obtained by MailOnline shows the woman leaving The Yard Pizzeria in Cowbridge, having allegedly built up a 151 tab with a group of six in March this year. The woman is part of a couple who are accused of running a 'dine and dash racket' that has allegedly hit seven restaurants within a 30-mile radius across the country since at least August last year. Each establishment claims the two arrive in a Blue Ford van, sit with large groups of people and order the most expensive dishes on the menu - typically steaks - before allegedly fleeing after the bill arrives. Emily Langford, the manager of the family-run restaurant the Yard, said each member of the group ordered starters, mains and two bottles of fizzy drinks each. Once they had finished, most of them allegedly left the premises, leaving the woman to settle the tab. She allegedly came to the counter and tried to pay with her card, which was declined twice, before asking staff for the nearest cashpoint and disappearing out of sight after walking out the door. MARCH: CCTV footage shows the woman leaving The Yard Pizzeria in Cowbridge having allegedly built up a 151 tab with her partner whilst sat with a group of six AUGUST 2023: The couple at the River House Lounge & Restaurant in Swansea The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea and The Yard in Cowbridge believe that they are all victims of the 'dine and dashers' Ms Langford told MailOnline: 'They left the woman to pay. And she stood up and said 'Oh, is it okay? If I come to the bar to pay?' and we said that was fine. 'She was basically buttering me and my mum up and was saying lots of nice things to us. But as she put her card in it got declined. She was like 'oh that's weird' and it declined again. 'She said she would call her son and sort out a bank transfer, but we weren't comfortable with that and asked if she could pay in cash and showed her where the nearest cash point was. 'I showed her where it was and as I turned my head back through the door to tell my mum she was at the cash point, by the time I turned around again she was gone.' This 'dine and dash' playbook has been allegedly deployed by the couple in each of the outlets they have hit in the last year. Despite all seven restaurants reporting the couple to the police, the force are still working to identify them and track them down. Ms Langford said the theft was 'devastating' for her restaurant, which she runs with both her mother and father. She said: 'It's devastating. Because obviously, all hospitality is really, really struggling at the minute, like we'll put our hands up and say we're not doing as well as we were doing a couple of years ago, and I'm sure that a lot of hospitality are feeling the same as well, and we know restaurants that are closing around us. 'There's not many restaurants left here in Cowbridge and the High Street here is dying. I just don't want it to happen to anybody else.' Staff at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Swansea say they were the latest victims of this heist when the couple sat with a group of eight in their restaurant on Friday night and allegedly left without paying the 329 bill. FRIDAY: The couple with a large group at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Port Talbot The mother allegedly told staff her son (left) would wait inside while she went to get her 'other card', but she did not return and moments later the boy had also vanished from the premises FEBRUARY: The woman at the Mediterranean eatery La Casona, in Skewen CCTV footage from the restaurant showed the woman attempting to pay the bill with a savings account card, which was declined twice. She allegedly told staff her son would wait inside while she went to get her 'other card', but she did not return and moments later the boy had also vanished from the premises. A similar trick was allegedly used by the couple at the River House last year, when they ran up a hefty bill whilst sitting on a table of five and 'promised' to get cash from the local cash point after their card got declined. But the diners never returned, leading the restaurant owners to call the police. The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea also believe they are all victims. On August 9, 2023, they posted a CCTV image of the couple in their establishment and wrote: 'Thank you so much to everyone for sharing. 12 positive identifications and the Police are now dealing with the information we have been given. 'Please SHARE to help identify these. They run up a very hefty bill (for 5) and 'promised' to get cash from the local cash point after their card got declined. We like to put some trust in people, but this was obviously carefully planned as they all just disappeared!' After hearing the Bella Ciao story on Friday, the La Casona restaurant in Skewen, Neath, took to social media this weekend to share a similar story about the couple, who sat down to eat as a group of six on February 23. According to the restaurant, four of the group left the building after finishing their meal, which cost nearly 300, leaving the mother to stay with a 'young boy' to pay. The business posted a CCTV image of the mother, who told staff she would get another card from her car after the one she used was declined. The restaurant asked the boy to wait with them whilst she went to the car, but he was gone 10 seconds later and never returned. They wrote on Facebook: 'We asked the boy to stay and wait for her in the restaurant. She left, and 10 seconds after, the boy started to run to the car. 'We sent CCTV recordings, photos, and even the registration plate number. The response was: 'This vehicle is connected to many people' 'Two months later, we called to ask about our case. There was no update, but the Officer would contact us... We believed reporting to the police would help to prevent such events for other restaurantsbut apparently, it didn't.' Tyrone Reese, manager of Bella Ciao, also said he was disappointed by the lack of urgency shown by the force to catch the perpetrators, adding: 'I'm paying my tax for police but I seem to be powerless. It annoys me to know this is happening and that they are getting away with it.' To add insult to injury, the family-owned restaurant learned there was no way to contact the family as the number they used to take the booking was 'fake'. Mr Reese has now reported the incident to the police. The dine and dash video he posted onto Bella Ciao's social media pages went viral over the weekend, with more than 12 million people viewing the post. After publishing the clip, Mr Reese says he was bombarded with calls from other restaurants in the area, claiming they also had similar incidents with a family that had refused to pay. But the video has actually helped Mr Reese's business as the following night he had tripled the number of bookings, something he described as a 'sign of solidarity' from the local community. Leaving a restaurant without paying is a crime and carries a prison sentence of up to two years. A South Wales Police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'South Wales Police is investigating a number of reports of making off without payment from several businesses with our force area. 'Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances behind the incidents and to identify those involved.' The Royal Navy has named its latest 7,400-tonne submarine after the ancient Greek king Agamemnon in a nod to Lord Nelson's favourite ship affectionately nicknamed 'Eggs and Bacon'. At 97metres long, the sixth Astute Class submarine is due to be launched later this year, ahead of being commissioned into the Royal Navy. She was officially named yesterday at BAE Systems' Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. HMS Agamemnon was blessed and christened, with a bottle of beer from the local Ulverston Brewing Company smashed against her hull. HMS Agamemnon (pictured) was officially named yesterday at BAE Systems' Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria The ceremony was attended by the Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge (pictured, fifth left) who said the ship will play a 'vital role in defence of the nation' HMS Agamemnon was named after Lord Nelson's favourite ship which he commanded from 1793 to 1796 and affectionately nicknamed Eggs and Bacon Astute Class submarines features: Astute Class subs, like Agamemnon, have six 533mm torpedo tubes and the capacity to fire 36 missiles The latest missile on Astute Class subs is the Tomahawk IV which has a range of over 1,000 miles The missile can be redirected mid-flight to another target Agamemnon and other Astute's also have a Spearfish torpedo that can reach targets of up to 14 miles away Astute class subs can reach speeds of 30 knotts Source: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/equipment/submarine/astute-class Advertisement The Royal Navy has a growing fleet of Astute Class submarines and those in active service include HMS Astute, Artful, Ambush, Audacious and Anson - making Agamemnon the sixth addition. A seventh sub, HMS Agincourt, is currently still under construction according to the Royal Navy website. The vessel has advanced nuclear technology meaning it will never need to be refuelled. This type of ship can manufacture its own oxygen and fresh water from the ocean and is able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing. Astute Class submarines are also equipped with world-leading sensors and carries both Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAM) and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes. Agamemnon, like other Royal Navy subs, has a reinforced bridge fin to break through ice. The commissioning ceremony was attended by the Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, and included an address by the boat's Lady Sponsor, Lady SJ Sedwill, the wife of former UK National Security Adviser Lord Mark Sedwill. Steve Timms, Managing Director, BAE Systems' Submarines business, said: 'This is a key milestone for Agamemnon and the UK nuclear submarine programme, and contributes to the Government's Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper, which underpinned the importance of our business and Barrow in delivering this national endeavour. HMS Agamemnon was blessed and christened, with a bottle of beer from the local Ulverston Brewing Company smashed against her hull Royal Navy crew attended the commissioning ceremony of the sixth addition to the fleet of submarines The Royal Navy has a growing fleet of Astute Class submarines and those in active service include HMS Astute, Artful, Ambush, Audacious and Anson - making Agamemnon the sixth addition. Pictured: HMS Agamemnon Astute Class submarines are equipped with world-leading sensors and carries both Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAM) and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes 'The Astute Class submarines are a vital component of our nation's defence capabilities and we are fully focused on completing the remainder of Agamemnon's programme so she can join her sister submarines in service with the Royal Navy.' Submarine crews can spend up to 80 days on the ship before resurfacing and switching. Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said: 'HMS Agamemnon will play a vital role in defence of the nation, providing our Armed Forces with a competitive edge for decades to come. 'The Astute Class programme continues to support tens of thousands of jobs, with these submarines being a leading example of our commitment to investing in British sovereign capabilities.' In 2022, HMS Anson joined the Royal Navy fleet decked with 38 Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk Block V cruise missiles, and was worth a whopping 1.3 billion. Anson is 318 feet (97 metres) long and has space for all of its 98 crew to have their own bed and space. In 2022, HMS Anson joined the Royal Navy fleet decked with 38 Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk Block V cruise missiles, and was worth a whopping 1.3 billion Anson was named after Admiral George Anson, a Royal Navy officer from the 18th Century who made a four-year voyage around the world and led a victory against the French at Cape Finisterre in 1747 Anson is 318 feet (97 metres) long and has space for all of its 98 crew to have their own bed and space The ship was named after Admiral George Anson, a Royal Navy officer from the 18th Century who made a four-year voyage around the world and led a victory against the French at Cape Finisterre in 1747. At the naming ceremony in December 2020, a bottle of cider was smashed against the hull as the drink was favoured by Admiral Anson as a cure for scurvy. The UK Government through the Ministry of Defence are working with BAE Systems to expand the Barrow shipyard in preparation for the future. In addition to the Astute Class, construction is underway on the first three boats in the Dreadnought Class, which is the next generation of nuclear deterrent submarines that will replace the current Vanguard Class. It took some 20 million hours of work over 11 years to prepare the 7,800-tonne boat for action, that is dubbed more complex than the International Space Station. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the country's first ever 'nuclear trigger' drills, state-run KCNA news agency said today, which involved simulating a nuclear counterattack as a warning to enemies. The drills showcased North Korea's 'nuclear trigger' management system for the first time, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, adding this was the country's combined control system for its nuclear weapons. The drill took place on Monday, according to the report. Seoul's military had earlier announced that the North had fired several short-range ballistic missiles that day, with Tokyo also confirming the launch. Kim 'guided a combined tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket artillerymen,' the report said. The rockets 'hit their island target' some 219 miles away, it continued, saying Kim had expressed 'great satisfaction' over the result, which boosted 'the Korean-style tactical nuclear strike'. A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows missiles launched during a simulated nuclear counterattack drill Visitors watch the North Korean side from the Unification Observation Post in Paju, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (pictured) was seen overseeing a simulated nuclear counterattack drill The drill examined 'the reliability of the system of command, management, control and operation of the whole nuclear force' and ensured the super-large multiple rocket units had 'mastered' the ability to switch into nuclear counterattack mode, KCNA said. KCNA said the drills were in response to a US-South Korean joint air drill, which runs from April 12 to April 26. The US and South Korean air forces said the annual exercises would serve for 'demonstrating lethality in the air domain, and enhancing their ability to deter, defend, and defeat any adversary.' Pyongyang claims it is 'seriously threatened by the hostile forces' ceaseless military provocations' KCNA said Tuesday. As a result, the North needs to 'more overwhelmingly and more rapidly bolster up the strongest military muscle,' it added. KCNA said the drills were in response to a US-South Korean joint air drill, which runs from April 12 to April 26 Kim 'guided a combined tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket artillerymen,' the report said The latest launch 'is an exercise designed for a scenario showing how the Kim regime would respond to a surprise aerial bombing on Pyongyang by joint US-South Korea air forces,' Han Kwon-hee of the Korea Association of Defence Industry Studies told AFP. 'The drill shows the possible response could involve retaliation by nuclear missiles at the South,' he added. Pyongyang declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear weapons state in 2022, outlining its right to conduct preemptive nuclear attacks. The launch is the second in less than a week by Pyongyang, which on Friday tested a 'super-large warhead' designed for a strategic cruise missile, state media said. Seoul's military confirmed it had detected cruise missile launches at the time. The launches come after Pyongyang's ally Moscow in March used its United Nations Security Council veto to effectively end UN monitoring of sanctions violations on Kim's government for its nuclear and weapons programme. A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul Seoul claims Pyongyang has sent around 7,000 containers of weapons to Moscow for use in Ukraine The largely isolated country has recently bolstered military ties with Moscow, and this month it thanked Russia for its UN veto. It has also ramped up testing, claiming in early April to have tested a new medium-to-long-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile. Analysts have warned that North Korea could be testing cruise missiles ahead of sending them to Russia for use in Ukraine, with Washington and Seoul claiming Kim has already shipped weapons to Moscow, despite UN sanctions banning any such moves. Seoul claims Pyongyang has sent around 7,000 containers of weapons to Moscow for use in Ukraine. Last year, the North conducted a record number of missile tests in defiance of UN sanctions in place since 2006 and despite warnings from Washington and Seoul. This is the horrifying moment a bearded man was seen grabbing a woman as she screamed for help before he bundles her into a car in an apparent abduction in Hillsboro, Oregon. Terrifying video captured by a home-security camera is helping police piece together the 'possible kidnapping' in suburban Portland as they announced today they had arrested the suspect. The shock footage shows the woman ringing the doorbell of a stranger's home near Southeast 32nd Avenue and E. Main Street as a man charges her from behind. She is heard calling out 'please help me! Please help me!' The suspect then appears to drag the woman back to a white pickup truck before joining the traffic and driving off into the night. The woman is seen running up to a stranger's house and ringing the doorbell on Sunday Police told DailyMail.com they had arrested a suspect since charged with kidnapping A man charges her from behind, grabbing her as she screams out 'please help me' Police say the woman was at the residence around 22:45pm on Sunday, April 21, when the horror unfolded. They say the video appears to show the woman 'crying for help before she was picked up and carried away by the above pictured male'. Hillsboro police announced today that they had identified the suspect and victim by the early hours of April 23, after receiving the report on Monday. 'The suspect was arrested and the victim is safe,' a statement read. 'The suspect and victim knew each other and this was not a random attack. 'There is no danger to the public. 'The suspect is charged with kidnapping.' Police said they would not release the names of the suspect or victim at this time, and thanked the community for contacting them with tips and leads during the investigation. The residents of the home with the doorbell camera told KGW News they were 'traumatized' by the incident. Marisol, who did not share her full name, told the outlet she did not recognize either person in the video and contacted 911 right away after receiving a video alert. Marisol said she has not stopped thinking about the woman's scream and described the horror she witnessed. 'The way she grabs on to the door on the video, if you see it, that is not normal.' 'I just want her to be found. I just want to know that she's safe,' she said. Police did not share any identifying features of either party in the grainy black and white video. The woman can be seen wearing glasses. She has long hair and a light colored outfit. In a video still, the suspect appears to have a short beard and short dark hair. He is wearing a light top and dark pants. Police are treating the incident, caught on home surveillance camera, as a possible kidnapping The suspect appears to take the woman back to a white pickup truck before driving off Anyone with information about this incident or the identities of the people in the video was asked to contact Hillsboro Police at either 503-629-0111 or 911. Case number 53-2024-7882. An amber alert remains in Oregon following the separate disappearance of Roman Huizar, who disappeared on April 21 from West Richland, WA. The West Richland Police department issued the alert believing one-year-old Roman was abducted by Elias Huizar, 39, on Monday night. Huizar is also suspected of fatally shooting his ex-wife outside an elementary school in West Richland. Korea-US hold negotiations in Hawaii Tuesday By Lee Hyo-jin An early start to defense cost sharing negotiations between Korea and the United States is unlikely to fully mitigate the so-called "Trump risk," analysts said, as the allies are set to begin their first round of talks to determine how much Korea should contribute to the cost of stationing American soldiers here from 2026. The Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations, which outline Seoul's financial obligations for stationing 28,500 U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops, are scheduled to kick off in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday (local time) and will run through Thursday, according to Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussions, led by Korea's chief negotiator, Lee Tae-woo, and his U.S. counterpart, Linda Specht, involve foreign, defense and economic officials from the two sides. The negotiations will determine costs starting from 2026, with the current six-year SMA set to expire at the end of 2025. The early start, with one year and eight months remaining until expiration, deviates from the previous timeline of typically beginning talks one year before expiration. Yang Uk, a defense analyst at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, believes that the possibility of former U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House led the allies to initiate negotiations earlier than usual. However, he was skeptical about whether Korea will achieve its desired outcome. "I think it's not a bad move for Korea to launch the discussions early. But beginning talks on an earlier timeframe does not guarantee that it will be able to achieve its goal of reaching an agreement early to prevent Trump, if reelected, from making radical demands for increased funding," Yang told The Korea Times. "From Korea's perspective, negotiating with the Joe Biden administration would likely be easier than with Trump. Yet, the government should bear in mind that Trump could easily overturn the agreement. Various plans should be made under such a scenario," he added. During his tenure, Trump pressed Korea for a fivefold increase in its share of defense costs, straining the decades-long bilateral alliance and significantly delaying the signing of a renewed deal. Now, with Trump seeking another presidential term and recent polls showing him in a neck-and-neck race with Biden, Korea is bracing for potential "Trump risk" in defense cost sharing. "Even if the two sides manage to sign a deal earlier than anticipated, there are still concerns that if Trump gets reelected, he might just scrap it. It's not a far-fetched scenario, given his past tendency of disregarding already signed agreements with other nations if he deems them to be unfair to the U.S.," said Cha Du-hyeogn, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies. He also pointed out that it would be physically impossible to wrap up the negotiations before the U.S. presidential elections in November. But the researcher highlighted potential advantages of initiating discussions ahead of schedule, such as addressing a broader range of issues that were often overlooked in previous negotiations, including increasing transparency in expenditures. "This could also provide leeway for Seoul to make flexible demands, considering the significant concessions it made in the previous 11th SMA," Cha noted. In the 11th SMA, reached in March 2021 during the Biden administration, the two sides settled on Korea paying 1.18 trillion won ($1.03 billion), marking a 13.9 percent hike from the previous agreement signed in 2019 the third-largest annual rise for Seoul since the pact was created in 1991. In that agreement, Korea consented to an annual increase rate of its share in defense costs to align with annual rises in its defense budget. This departure from the previous practice of correlating it with the rise in the consumer price index (CPI) was perceived by critics as imposing a heavier burden on the Asian nation. One of Australia's 'hidden gem' tourist hotspots is being ruined by visitors 'taking a dump' at the popular swimming hole. Locals say the lack of toilets at Little Blue Lake on the the Limestone Coast, in South Australia's south-east, is becoming a big problem. Little Blue is a picturesque sinkhole nestled in a paddock between two dormant volcanoes, Mount Schank and Mount Gambier. Stairs and a floating pontoon have been built by the water's edge to improve public safety and access, but there are no public toilets available. Locals have said the lack of toilets at Little Blue Lake on the the Limestone Coast, in South Australia 's south-east, is becoming a big problem Graham Kilsby raised the issue at a Grant District Council meeting last week. He owns and manages the nearby Kilsby Sinkhole, and has been going to Little Blue since he was a child. Mr Kilsby said he's received a lot of tourist feedback from visitors who all felt toilets were a necessity there. 'I think what broke the camel's back for me is that we had a customer just recently who went down and saw somebody taking a dump in the cutting under an apple tree near the water's edge,' he told The Advertiser. 'People tend to spend most of their day there, or a number of hours, so without a toilet, it's not hard to imagine where those people are weeing.' Stairs and a floating pontoon have been built down by the waters edge to improve public safety and access, the only thing it's missing is a toilet Ockert Le Roux, a local photographer who visited the lake over Easter, said he was 'appalled' by what he saw. He said the lack of restroom facilities to accommodate up to 1500 guests a day is concerning. Mr Le Roux is urging the relevant authorities rectify the toilet situation, explaining that it poses a significant health risk. The Mount Gambier and District Residents and Ratepayers Association said they had received 'disturbing' reports about large amounts of human excrement in and around the tourist hotspot. The Mount Gambier and District Residents and Ratepayers Association said they had received 'disturbing' reports about large amounts of human excrement in and around the tourist hotspot The site's carpark and the road out to the sinkhole may also need an upgrade, with Mr Kilsby explaining there's often a lot of overflow from the carpark during the summer months. 'It's a matter of both health and preserving the beauty and quality of the sinkhole and its surroundings,' he said. Mayor Kylie Boston said the Little Blue Lake is under the care and control of Council, however most of the car park area is Crown land under the care and control of the Department for Environment and Water (DEW). 'Any toilet block at the site would need to be situated on the land controlled by DEW to ensure that waste disposal requirements are assessed as part of a development application,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Consideration will also need to be given to the cost of the infrastructure as there is quite a high continuing cost of maintaining these facilities. 'We understand the Little Blue Lake is very special and we need to take care of it so Council will be holding a workshop in the next couple of months to discuss the facilities requested, management and tourism value of the Little Blue and other sinkholes.' A Peruvian psychologist has become the first person in Peru to legally die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years. Ana Estrada, 47, who suffered with incurable and chronic muscle degeneration from age 12 and was left bedridden for several years, died on Monday. Estrada became the first person in Peru to obtain the right to die with medical assistance after becoming a sensation in the conservative country where euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal. In 2022, the euthanasia activist was granted an exception by the nation's Supreme Court, which upheld a ruling by a lower court that gave Estrada the right to decide when to end her life, and said that those who helped her would not be punished. 'Ana's struggle for her right to die with dignity has helped to educate thousands of Peruvians about this right and the importance of defending it,' her lawyer, Josefina Miro Quesada, said in a statement. 'Her struggle transcended our nation's borders.' Ana Estrada, 47, from Peru, has become the first person in the country to legally die by euthanasia after fighting the government and courts for around five years for the right to decide when to end her life She died on Monday, according to her lawyer, who also said 'her struggle transcended our nation's borders' Estrada spent most of her life bed-ridden after being diagnosed with polymyositis as a 12-year-old. It's a rare disease that affects her muscle system with a degenerative deterioration Estrada had an incurable and debilitating disease called polymyositis that weakens and deteriorates muscles in the body. She began showing symptoms as a teenager and began using a wheelchair aged 20 after losing the strength to walk. Before her illness completely took control of her life, Estrada obtained a psychology degree and became a therapist. She earned enough money to buy her own apartment in an empowering move that allowed her to become independent from her parents. But by 2017, Estrada's condition had worsened and she could no longer get out of bed. She started having to rely on ventilators to breathe, which hampered her ability to speak as her voice was reduced to a whisper. And even though she struggled to type, Estrada used a transcription software to produce a blog called 'Ana for a death with dignity', where she bravely shared her struggles and her decision to seek euthanasia. By 2022, Estrada had won her five-year-long historic battle with the Peruvian government and courts to allow her to undergo assisted death 'when the time comes'. Estrada, who was confined to a bed and breathed with a respirator most of the time, took to Twitter in 2022 to say that her 'fight was always the defence for the right to choose' She had participated in court sessions through video conferences from her bed Estrada used a transcription software to produce a blog called 'Ana for a death with dignity', where she bravely shared her struggles and her decision to seek euthanasia 'It is an individual case, but I hope it serves as a precedent,' Estrada said after the ministries of justice and health decided to respect a judge's ruling that she has the right to 'a dignified death.' 'I think it is an achievement not only of mine, not only of my cause, but also an achievement of law and justice in Peru,' Estrada said with a muffled and broken voice. She had participated in court sessions through video conferences from her bed. 'I am free. My fight was always the defense for the right to choose,' Estrada tweeted at the time. READ HERE: UK laws on euthanasia and assisted suicide explained amid calls for a vote on legalisation Advertisement 'Today I have achieved it thanks to the people who spread my voice.' 'I have fought to get back my time and decisions about my life and my body. 'Today I have been granted the right to choose when to die. Those who do not understand this, you will never understand it and will not want to understand,' she wrote. 'May my case serve so that we begin to respect our differences. To defend all human rights that need to be heard and taken care of. May we be a fairer and more egalitarian country.' The court ruling demanded that state health insurer EsSalud provide 'all conditions' needed for Estrada's euthanasia, which must occur within 10 business days from the date that she decides to end her life. Before her death, Estrada viewed the government's decision as one that will serve as a tool that will allow people to respect the decisions of others, even if they choose not to accept the next individual's reasoning. Euthanasia is banned in most countries, and it opposed by the Catholic church. Only a handful of countries have legalised euthanasia, including Canada, Belgium, and Spain. Some US states, including Maine and Oregon, allow physician-assisted suicide, where a doctor provides a terminally ill patient with the means to end their life. Colombia is the only country in Latin America that has allowed assisted death under certain conditions. On Saturday night, Sabreen al-Sakani was sitting at her home in Rafah alongside her husband Shokri and their four-year-old daughter Malak. She discovered weeks before October 7 she was due to have a second child, and for most of her seven-and-a-half month pregnancy had been sheltering from Israeli bombs. Nevertheless, she counted herself lucky. Afterall, thousands of other Palestinians had been driven from their homes, lost loved ones and had their lives shattered by the war - but her family at least still had a roof over their head and slept in their own beds each night. Unfortunately, Sabreen would never live to hold her newborn baby or hear her cries. The al-Sakanis had avoided countless Israeli bombing raids, but on Saturday their luck ran out when an airstrike flattened the building. Sabreen, Shokri and Malak were all killed, their bodies torn apart by shrapnel and the rubble of their own home. But somehow, one person survived. A medic holds a Palestinian newborn girl after she was pulled alive from the womb of her mother Sabreen Al-Sakani, who was killed in an Israeli strike A Palestinian baby girl lies in an incubator at Al-Emirati hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip A Palestinian baby girl who was delivered prematurely after her mother was killed in an Israeli strike along with her husband and daughter, lies in an incubator in the Emirati hospital in Rafah Civil defense teams and locals carry out search and rescue efforts after an Israeli attack hits Rafah, Gaza on April 24, 2024 Palestinian children sit next to the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 21, 2024 Emergency responders who pulled the remains of the family from the debris noticed Sabreen's heavily pregnant figure and rushed her to Rafah's Emirati hospital for an emergency caesarean section. Miraculously, Sabreen's daughter was pulled alive from her corpse having somehow clung to life. But her tiny, malnourished body was fighting to breathe and all the colour had drained from her skin. On several occasions she slipped away, but diligent doctors refused to give up, pumping air into her mouth and delicately massaging her chest with a pair of gloved fingers until she was stable enough to transfer to an incubator. Hours later, the girl with no name was seen sleeping peacefully in an incubator, sporting a nappy far too big for her on which a medical worker had scrawled the words 'the baby of martyr Sabreen al-Sakani'. On Sunday, Dr. Mohammad Salameh, head of the neonatal unit at the Emirati hospital, told reporters: 'We can say there is some progress in her health condition, but the situation is still at risk. 'This child should have been in the mother's womb at this time, but she was deprived of this right.' He described the baby as a premature orphan girl, with both her mother and father having lost their lives hours before her birth. But she is not alone. Her paternal grandmother, Ahalam al-Kurdi, arrived at the hospital and said she would take in her grandchild to raise her as her own. 'Welcome to her. She is the daughter of my dear son. She is my love, my soul,' al-Kurdi said. 'She is a memory of her father. I will take care of her.' The girl with no name was seen sleeping peacefully in an incubator, sporting a nappy far too big for her on which a medical worker had scrawled the words 'the baby of martyr Sabreen al-Sakani' Medical workers check the condition of the parentless baby girl in the Emirati hospital in Rafah The baby will be cared for by her paternal grandmother A Palestinian man mourns while holding the body of a child killed in Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 21, 2024 Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 22, 2024 Earlier this week the baby girl remained nameless - until her grandmother and medical workers settled on a fitting moniker. Initially, the girl was going to be called Rouh - a name her elder sister had come up with that means 'soul' or 'spirit'. But it was ultimately decided that she should be named Sabreen - a tribute to the mother who protected her and gave her life even after she herself had died. Two-thirds of the more than 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since this war began have been children and women, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli airstrike in Rafah that killed the al-Sakani family also devastated another extended family. The al-Aal family lost 15 children and two women in the brutal aerial assault on Rafah. Not everyone is immediately recovered after such attacks. Mirvat al-Sakani, the mother of Sabreen and her baby girl, said her son was also killed in the strike. 'My son became body parts and they have not found him yet. They do not recognise him,' she said. 'They have nothing to do with anything. Why are they targeting them? We don't know why, how? We do not know.' China's ambassador to Britain has been summoned to the Foreign Office today, after two British men were charged with spying for Beijing. The Foreign Office said Zheng Zeguang would be told of the UK's 'significant concerns at interference in UK democratic institutions'. At the same time Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Minister for the Indo-Pacific, will set out the UK's concerns to the Chinese government on a visit to the country. It comes after Christopher Cash, 29, a Tory parliamentary researcher and China specialist, and former teacher Christopher Berry, 32, were charged with an offence under the Official Secrets Act. They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday charged with providing prejudicial information to a foreign state - China. Mr Cash has previously said he is 'completely innocent', and yesterday a Chinese Embassy spokesman said allegations the country was engaged in espionage were 'completely fabricated and nothing but malicious slander'. The Foreign Office said Zheng Zeguang would be told of the UK's 'significant concerns at interference in UK democratic institutions'. Christopher Cash, 29 - a Tory parliamentary researcher and China specialist - has been charged for an offence under the Official Secrets Act alongside Berry Berry, 32, from Oxfordshire, is accused of spying between December 28, 2021 and February 3, 2023, under the Official Secrets Act 1911. He previously taught in the Hangzhou region The spokesman added: 'We firmly oppose it and urge the UK side to stop anti-China political manipulation and stop putting on such self-staged political farce.' This morning a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokeswoman said: 'The government does not comment on specific cases while there is an on-going legal process. The UK Government condemns unequivocally any activity that undermines our Parliamentary democracy. UK national security is our top priority. 'Today, the Foreign Secretary instructed officials to call-in the Chinese Ambassador to the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to set out the UK's significant concerns at interference in UK democratic institutions. 'The UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who is on a visit to China, has also set out in a meeting with the Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs the importance of the UK's parliamentary democracy and that the UK will always put our national security first.' A parliamentary aide and a teacher who were yesterday charged with passing secrets to Beijing taught together at a school in China. Chris Cash, 29, a former director of an influential China policy group with links to security minister Tom Tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairman Alicia Kearns, is accused of passing on 'information that might be useful to an enemy'. His former colleague Christopher Berry, 32, was charged with the same espionage offences under the Official Secrets Act. It can now be revealed that the two alleged spies both secured teaching jobs in the country. As young graduates, they taught together at Hangzhou Oriental Middle School near Shanghai in 2018. Parliamentary aide Chris Cash (left) and teacher Christopher Berry, who were yesterday charged with passing secrets to Beijing, taught together at a school in China The son of a GP, Cash enjoyed a privileged upbringing, attending the 5,000-a-term George Watson's College in Edinburgh before studying at the University of St Andrews. He taught English for two years in China then returned to the UK to study for an MSc in China and globalisation at King's College London. In 2021, he started work in Parliament as a researcher employed by Ms Kearns. Cash worked for the China Research Group which was set up by Mr Tugendhat, but abruptly disappeared from Westminster after his arrest last March. He later released a statement through the law firm Birnberg Peirce, saying the allegations were 'against everything I stand for'. Cash said at the time he had spent his career 'trying to educate others about the challenge and threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party'. Berry initially taught economics and English in China, but later moved to promoting Chinese landmarks, making YouTube videos about heritage sites and extolling the virtues of Zhejiang province's lakes. In an online blog, he posted clips describing a typical day as a teacher in China. The father-of-one is understood to have returned to the UK a number of years ago with his Chinese wife and now works in digital marketing. Cash, who insists he is 'completely innocent', grew up in a wealthy suburb of Edinburgh and attended 5,000-a-term George Watson's College Neighbours last night told how Berry and his wife, along with their young son, had moved back to the family home in Witney, Oxfordshire. One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: 'I believe he went over to teach English as a foreign language, met her over there and stayed. They seem lovely.' The two men are accused of providing secret information to a foreign state by obtaining, collecting, recording, publishing or communicating notes, documents or information which might be, or were intended to be, directly or indirectly useful to an enemy. Cash is charged with breaching section one of the 1911 Official Secrets Act between January 2022 and February last year. Berry is accused of committing the same offence between December 2021 and February 2023. The two defendants will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. In a YouTube video posted two years ago, Chris Berry praises a lake in the Zhejiang province Berry, 32, from Oxfordshire, is accused of spying between December 28, 2021 and February 3, 2023, under the Official Secrets Act 1911. He previously taught in the Hangzhou region Berry previously taught economics and English in the Hangzhou region, in eastern China Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime and counterterrorism division, said: 'The CPS counterterrorism division has today authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge two men with espionage offences.' Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met Police's counterterrorism command, said: 'This has been an extremely complex investigation into what are very serious allegations. We've worked closely with the CPS as our investigation has progressed.' Yesterday China dismissed the charges as a 'political farce'. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said it was 'completely fabricated and nothing but malicious slander' to suggest Beijing was suspected of 'stealing British intelligence'. 'We firmly oppose it and urge the UK side to stop anti-China political manipulation and stop putting on such self-staged political farce,' the spokesman said. Schoolchildren are converting to Islam in German schools as Christian students feel like outsiders and are desperate to try and fit in, a new study has warned. 'More and more parents of German children are turning to counselling centres because the Christian children want to convert so that they are no longer outsiders at school,' a state security officer told German tabloid Bild. A study by the Criminal Research Institute of Lower Saxony found that 67.8 per cent of the surveyed students believe that the Koran is 'more important' than the laws in Germany. Nearly half of them (45.6 per cent) think that 'Islamic Theocracy is the best form of government'. In several schools in large cities like Berlin or Frankfurt, Muslim children make up more than 80 per cent of the student body, which the expert claims is due to the strong immigration in the last eight years. Schoolchildren are converting to Islam in German schools as Christian students feel like outsiders and are desperate to try and fit in, a new study has warned (file image) They said that in addition, many of these Muslim students come from strictly religious families from 'very archaic cultures' in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, where people live according to the morals and laws laid out by the Koran. 'When girls at school behave too westernised in the eyes of Muslim young people, don't wear a headscarf or meet boys, the male students think they have to defend their honour and warn the girls to behave like a devout Muslim,' the state security officer said. 'In addition, there is also peer pressure: you want to belong.' They added that the male Muslim students can 'appear very threatening and sometimes violent' in their pursuit to ensure girls abide by the rules of the Koran. Due to this, 'parallel societies' can be seen emerging in schools as the Muslim students assume a dominant role. 'And if a lot of refugee children come to school again in the summer, the situation will become even more explosive,' the expert said. For the new study, researchers asked 308 Muslim students in the German state of Lower Saxony a plethora of questions on their view on religion and governance. More than half, 51.5 per cent of the children, said that only the Islam would be able to 'solve the problems of our time', while 36.5 per cent believe that the German society should be structured more according to Islamic rules. Questions on violence against non-Muslims revealed shocking beliefs held by the youngsters. More than a third (35.3 per cent) said that they can understand violence against people who insult Allah or the prophet Mohammed. Meanwhile 21.2 per cent think that the threat to Islam from the Western world justifies Muslims violently defending themselves. In addition, 18.1 per cent of the children believe that violence is justified if it is to spread and implement Islam. A study by the Criminal Research Institute of Lower Saxony found that 67.8 per cent of the surveyed students believe that the Koran is 'more important' than the laws in Germany. Nearly half of them (45.6 per cent) think that 'Islamic Theocracy is the best form of government' (file image) Carl Philipp Schroeder, from the research institute which conducted the study, told local media: 'The data in the latest Lower Saxony survey gives cause for concern and shows how important political education is in schools.' The state security officer also warned that Islamist propaganda on social media was ripe, with Islamist pop stars using TikTok to 'convince students that they have to oppose the Western way of life'. They said that children are being told 'that only a caliphate is the right form of government' and that Muslim students are 'special', while non-Muslim students, like Christians, are 'worthless'. Politicians and experts have been left horrified by the findings, with Christoph de Vries from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) telling Bild: 'The study shows how deep the traces that the political Islam has already left in Germany are.' De Vries said the views expressed by the children in the study were 'systematic indoctrination at work'. Another CDU politician, Karin Prien, who is the party's federal deputy and the school minister in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, told Bild that the families, schools, federal centres for politicial education and youth work in the Muslim communities are 'responsible' for the Islamic values held by children in German schools. She also said that the role of social media platforms like TikTok has to be 're-evaluated with a view to the spread of Islamist and extremist content'. Ksenija Bekeris from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has called the findings of the study 'alarming' and said there should be a 'significant strengthening of democracy education in schools'. The head of the German Teachers' Union, Stefan Duell, said that the conclusion of the study was 'worrying' and that there is now a need for more democracy education in line with German values and the law. 'There is zero tolerance,' Mr Duell told Bild, urging that Islamism in German schools must be stopped. Britain's overcrowded, understaffed and crumbling jails are vulnerable to riots, a former chief inspector of prisons warned today. Nick Hardwick warned 'we are very close to the conditions prior to the 1990s Strangeways riots' and said the 'general level of frustration' was so high that it only required a 'spark' for a serious incident. The Strangeways riot began on April 1, 1990 and lasted for 25 days, with inmates trashing the jail and sitting on the roof to protest about poor conditions. One prisoner died and 147 officers injured, while rioters caused 133million of damage. Mr Hardwick said the present state of UK jails, with prisoners locked in their cells for '20 hours-plus a day' and 'great levels of violence', was the background to recent incidents such as the escape of daniel khalife from HMP Wandsworth last year. Do you work inside Britain's prison service or have information about prison failings? Contact rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk The Strangeways riot began on April 1, 1990 and lasted for 25 days, with inmates trashing the jail and sitting on the roof to protest about poor conditions O ne prisoner died and 147 officers injured, while rioters caused 133million of damage He told The Times: 'I was in Wandsworth a bit before the escape and it was obvious that it was going to happen. They just didn't have the staff to run it. 'I'm very used to going into prisons and I thought, ''This is just not a safe place.'' It was out of control. I'm not surprised that someone manages to evade security and get out.' The prison population has risen by 93 per cent over the last three decades to 87,000, and last month there were just 500 prison places available in England and Wales. In response, the government has enacted emergency measures, such as releasing offenders 60 days early and delaying sentencing hearings. The overall number of operational prison officers increased by 1.3 per cent in 2022/23, according to official data. However, this still leaves total staff levels 10% below 2009/10, while the number of prisoners per operational staff member has increased to 3.8 in June 2023, from an estimated 3.5 in June 2010 - according to analysis by the Institute for Government. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, last year warned that overcrowding had led to 'deprivation, squalor and [a] risk of further violence' while also increasing the time inmates spent in their cells rather than on 'purposeful' activities. His recent inspection of HMP Bedford revealed paint peeling off the walls of dirty cells, scraped and battered doors and in one part of the prison a 'cockroach game' where prisoners recorded how many of the pests they had seen. 'Filthy' conditions inside HMP Bedford were exposed during an inspection earlier this year Photos showed paint peeling off the walls of dirty cells and battered doors He wrote in the report: 'If our prisons are truly going to protect the public, then they must be able to play their part in supporting men and women to move on from offending. 'Penning people in squalor for 23 hours a day with no meaningful access to education, training or work, or to fresh air or exercise is not going to achieve that, as the levels of violence and self-harm at Bedford attest.' Former prison governor Ian Acheson said overcrowding can have other negative results, including reducing the number of officers available for important tasks like testing for drugs. As MailOnline revealed yesterday, prisons are carrying out so few drugs tests that officials have stopped publishing data on the number coming back positive. Every year jails are rated according to how well they are performing on a series of measures, including how many mandatory drugs tests come back positive. But the latest statistical bulletin for the year 2022/23 has redacted the figures because there are so few tests being carried out. The busiest prison in the country is Leeds, which is currently operating at 173 per cent capacity. This is followed by Durham (169%), Wandsworth (163%) and Lincoln (162%) which all have a Category B security rating. Preston, Bradford, Leicester, and Doncaster are all at over 150% capacity. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'This Government is delivering the biggest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era including opening two new prisons in two years to help rehabilitate offenders and keep our streets safe. 'At the same time, our efforts to boost staffing means there are 4,800 more frontline officers than in 2017 and our 100m investment into tough security measures is helping clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars.' Do you work inside Britain's prison service or have information about prison failings? Contact rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk A demanding boss ordered their worker to sign on 15 minutes early for their shift, without pay, infuriating the disgruntled employee. The staff member forwarded the controversial messages to 'The Outsourcing Expert' Michael Sanz, who revealed in a video last week that some bosses consider arriving at the rostered start time the same as arriving late. Before reading out the text chain, Mr Sanz prefaced the video by saying: 'This one doesn't surprise me at all.' The exchange started with the boss asking: 'Hi mate. You logged in at 9am this morning, any reason?' The employee replied: 'My shift starts at nine?' Texts (pictured) between a boss and employee regarding unpaid work has ignited a debate on work ethic The boss shot back: 'Yes but you need to be ready to start at 9am, so that means you need to get in at least 15 minutes early.' Mr Sanz and commenters alike praised the employee's response, which stated: 'Okay, how do you want me to log that on my time sheet? It only allows me to start from 9am.' 'They sound really reasonable, like they want to be able to help get in there early so the company thinks they'll be ready to start,' Mr Sanz said. 'Sounds like a really good team member.' However, the boss was less impressed by the worker's response. 'There's no way, it's not something you're paid for. You just need to be ready to start at 9am and not just walk in,' they wrote. The worker replied: 'But I AM ready to start then. I log in at 9am and start. Has there even been a problem?' The boss replied: 'Well no but we need everyone to be in 15 minutes early so there isn't a rush.' The worker sent their final message, saying: 'Once you sort out how we can clock in 15 minutes early, I'll start that. 'Or perhaps you want me to finish 15 minutes early? Happy either way. 'Just need to be clear on if I'm paid for the extra time or how you want to structure this so it works for everyone.' Mr Sanz said it has become more common for Australian bosses to demand their employees start early or finish late. 'Fair enough, but a lot of people aren't paid for that time so I can see the problem,' he said. 'If you have to come in early or work when you're off-shift, then you should be compensated.' However, opinion in the comments was heavily divided between 'old school' and 'young' mentalities. 'Early is on time. On time is late. Old school attitude is best,' one person wrote. 'The Outsourcing Expert', Michael Sanz (pictured), applauded the worker for standing their ground but recruitment expert Graham Wynn warned not following manager requests could cost employees their promotion 'I think you should get there at least 5-10 minutes before you start. It's just good work ethic,' another said. 'He better not ever take a minute longer on his lunch break, never take a personal call in work time or use his phone to do any personal work,' a third said. 'If you want the job, turn up 15 mins early,' another wrote. Those backing the worker argued the unpaid minutes would quickly add up to unpaid hours. 'It's just 15 minutes but that clocks up to an unpaid hour in just four days,' one said. 'These are the same kind of employers who make sure breaks are to the second,' another said. 'Pay vs cost of living isn't on par and there's no incentive for me to give my free time or do anymore than my contract requires,' another wrote. While Mr Sanz applauded the worker for standing their ground, recruitment expert Graham Wynn warned not following manager requests could cost employees their promotion. 'If you always arrive at your start time, and leave exactly at your finish time, then you will more than likely be overlooked for promotions etc,' he told Yahoo Finance. 'Employers always look to reward those who put in that little bit extra effort.' Britain's housing crisis has been laid bare after a group of homeless people transformed a disused bus stop into a temporary home. Destiny Mitchell, 26, moved into the 9.8ft by 3.2ft glass and metal shelter in Selly Oak, Birmingham, seven months ago with boyfriend Ryan, 31, and her 44-year-old mother. The trio have added cupboards, chairs, carpet, bins, bedding and Super Mario Bros-themed makeshift curtains. But shopkeepers who are paying thousands of pounds in business rates and locals said the shelter was attracting 'anti-social behaviour' from large crowds of people gathering late at night. It comes as Birmingham is caught in the grip of a housing crisis with more than 23,000 households waiting for a property. This figure includes nearly 5,000 people who are living in temporary accommodation. The council previously warned its waiting list for social housing could be closed to new applicants because of a backlog. Nationally, around 1.3 million households across England are waiting for a property. Meanwhile, 109,000 households in England including 142,000 children were in emergency housing between June and September last year. Destiny Mitchell, 26, is homeless and has turned a bus stop into a temporary home in Selly Oak, Birmingham The shelter is kitted out with cupboards, chairs, carpet, bins, bedding and Super Mario Bros-themed makeshift curtains The 26-year-old lives in the bus stop (pictured) with boyfriend Ryan, 31, and her 44-year-old mother Council areas in England with the most number of rough sleepers (Data Source: UK Government) Number of people on the social housing waiting list in different regions of England Government figures also revealed 3,898 people slept rough in 2023, an annual increase of 27 percent and the largest annual rise since 2015. The highest number of rough sleepers in 2023 were in Westminster (277) and Camden (121) and the biggest year-on-year increases were in Kingston upon Hull (290 percent), Ealing (121 percent), Redbridge (89 percent) and Leeds (32 percent). One council leader told MailOnline how the issue was placing even more pressure on local authorities. Sean D T Woodward, of Fareham Borough Council in Hampshire said: 'There is a huge and increasing cost on all councils who are housing authorities to accommodate those at rick of homelessness. 'In Fareham a few years ago that cost was around 100,000 annually. It has now risen to 2,000,000 as various factors bite including the cost of mortgages and rent, especially in the south-east. 'In Fareham nobody needs to sleep on the street and, when any homeless people engage with the Council via Fareham StreetAid, there is always a room for them. Taking a highly integrated approach with partners we ensure that we can respond rapidly to every case, often preventing homelessness, but this comes at an increasing cost. In Birmingham, Destiny said the council has offered to provide temporary accommodation but she does not want to be separated from her mother who has autism. The 26-year-old added: 'When we found this place it was my idea to create this living space. 'Before I lived in a bus stop, I was sleeping in a blanket on the floor, but I didn't feel safe. 'I've been living here for seven months. Before that we lived near Greggs before the police moved us on.' The family now face finding another place to live and sleep after Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which runs the stop, announced it was demolishing the bus shelter within weeks. One worker at Chicking, a nearby fast food restaurant, said their presence had become an issue. He told MailOnline: 'Its probably been like seven months or so. Theyve been fighting in there, in the bus shelter. They come into the restaurant as well very often. They fight too. 'A lot of people come in. The customers are annoyed. They smoke inside the bus shelter. 'They come inside the restaurant and ask for free food. They ask the customers too. The council dont do enough, people are not moving from there. 'At the night time it is horrible. At night time theres ten of them, smoking and drinking beer. They everything there. They dont come in here much. 'They should be taken care of, they have been suffering from a lot. They should be taken from here, even if the council supported them, there are people are coming from different areas. They mess around with them. 'They need to give them a better housing and remove the shelter.' Ash, who works at Computer Express just metres away from the bus stop, said: 'We have had a problem with these people sitting in front of us for the past three months. Its not good. These people have lots of visitors. If you come here Saturday night, theres lots of them. Its a hotspot. The pair have lived in the shelter in Selly Oak, Birmingham (pictured) for seven months and have added cupboards, chairs, carpet, bins and bedding The family face finding another place to live and sleep after Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) said they would be demolishing the shelter (pictured) A local support charity is was working with the couple to find 'appropriate accommodation' instead of the shelter (pictured) 'Theres a weed smell all around in this area. This is affecting our business. There was a fight here. There were no customers, no business. It is affecting our business. 'They should remove the bus stop from here. If it is not in use, why is it available. Give them accommodation, there must be no accommodation for them. 'I dont know how these people can stay clean. We have people begging in the street all the time, but sleeping in the street is new.' One shopkeeper, who chose not to be named, said his livelihood was being affected and told BirminghamLive: 'I've complained to the council so many times but nothing has been done so far. People are scared to visit my shop at night because of the crowds. 'Every night 20 to 25 people gather here. This is bothering my business. I even phoned police two or three times, but they don't seem to care. I'm paying 6,000 in business rates for the year and 20,000 in rent. It's a big problem for me - but what can I do?' Another shopkeeper added: 'It's very sad situation, of course, but the anti-social behaviour is affecting us and our customers. Something needs to be done so they're given a proper place to stay. 'It's not fair to anyone what's happening at the moment. We need to find a solution that suits everyone.' Support charity Trident Reach said it was working with the couple to find 'appropriate accommodation'. A spokesperson for the charity said: 'Our teams are aware of the couple and have been trying to work with them to find appropriate accommodation. Unfortunately they have declined accommodation as it is currently not in the area they would prefer. 'We will always work with people to encourage them into appropriate housing but unfortunately sometimes people do decline help. We will continue our daily checks on the couple and continue with offers of housing support and options for them.' Trident said staff worked 'closely' with police but that it was 'unaware of any concerns regarding anti-social behaviour', adding: 'We would always encourage anyone concerned about someone sleeping rough to report their concerns to us using Streetlink.' A spokesperson for TfWM said: 'All bus services have been consolidated at a neighbouring shelter so this one is no longer required and it has therefore been earmarked for removal. The process to remove the shelter is underway, including disconnecting power supply, securing road work permits and scheduling the works with contractors. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) said the bus stop (pictured) was not in use and was due to be removed 'In the meantime, we're liaising with our partners including the police, council and local housing providers who are working to secure suitable long-term accommodation for the people involved. We thank the local community for their patience while the issue is resolved.' Birmingham City Council confirmed the bus shelter 'will be removed soon' but no date had been set. A council spokesperson said: 'Homeless support services have contacted the couple and made accommodation offers. 'The offers have not yet been taken up, but the offer of support and accommodation will continue to be there should they change their mind.' It comes after the council insisted a roundabout in an unnamed location in the city was 'deserted' - despite evidence of homeless people living in tents surrounded by mountains of rubbish and used needles. Footage from last year showed the ground littered with discarded clothes, a tent strung up over the railings, abandoned belongings, old receipts and what appears to be sleeping bags. Bags, a suitcase, a discarded foldaway bed and a relatively spotless mirror sit just outside the sleeping quarters. Cars could be heard tooting their horns from beyond the barrier of trees sheltering the hideaway from view. Discarded clothing, cups and brightly coloured syringes can be seen amongst older, decomposed rubbish, while the local paper also claims to have found children's toys. Last year, figures from London Councils, a cross-party group representing the capital's local authorities showed Over 4,000 people were recorded as sleeping rough on the capital's streets between July and September. This figure was 12 percent up on the same period last year and with over half doing so for the first time. A quiet suburban community in Oklahoma City is reeling after a family of five, including two children, were found dead with police confirming that they 'all died violently' on Monday. All five victims had injuries consistent with homicide, said police Sgt. Gary Knight. 'This wasn't a gas leak situation or a fentanyl-type situation, these are five people who were killed,' Knight said. 'We're talking about children being inside this home and being victims of this. It's a very tragic, very sad situation.' Knight said a man and woman were among those who were found dead, but he didn't know the gender or ages of all the victims. The relationship between the victims also not been disclosed but they are thought to be related. He said officers who arrived on the scene around 9:30am backed out of the home after determining all the victims were deceased and that investigators were obtaining a search warrant before they started combing through the scene for evidence. Early on in the investigation, police confirmed that there was no threat to the public-at-large, indicating the incident was a murder suicide. The bodies were discovered by a 10-year-old boy, reports The Oklahoman. 'This wasn't a gas leak situation or a fentanyl-type situation, these are five people who were killed,' one local cop said The victims included two minors and one recent high school graduate, according to authorities. They were found inside this home in a small community on the outskirts of Oklahoma City The school school district, Mustang Public Schools, confirmed in a statement that a sixth grade student at the local Meadow Brook Intermediate and a ninth grader at Mustang High School were among the dead. A 2023 graduate from the same high school was also killed. A crisis team will be on scene at all schools in the district to help students through this difficult time. 'We are shocked, and our hearts are broken; this tragedy simply defies understanding,' superintendent Charles Bradley wrote in a statement to parents. 'Nobody expected it, it was very shocking. You know, like I said, they were a great family,' neighbor Brian Graham told KFOR. 'They were good friends of ours. They would come down all the time and we kind of had hangouts together. Were really going to miss them. We really wish this wouldnt have happened,' he added. By Jon Dunbar Eulji Saga, an art collective based in Seoul, is presenting a new group exhibition, themed around "The Dreaming Tree." The theme comes from a quote that curator John Shrader found from Korean poet Chong Hyon-jong (born 1939): "I wonder what kinds of works trees of the world are doing? They willingly take root in the soil of the man who enjoys watching them." "I just felt that clicked. The theme felt evocative but also allowed for a wide range of interpretation!" Shrader told The Korea Times. "When I think of nature in Korea, I think mountains, I think forests, and I think the sea and islands a mild hint of what theme future group shows I put on might have." The event also traces its roots back about 11 years to Shrader's first participation in an art exhibition in Korea, "Green Mountains," curated by British artist Martyn Thompson, who has since returned to his homeland. "Wow has it been that long ago? That felt like my first real show in Korea and helped me refocus my energies [on] creating. Now I have an opportunity to do something similar," Shrader said. "I feel that having a theme helps create a focus and a point of divergence. I love seeing how different people interpret a common theme. That's just glorious to me, and I want to see more niche shows that require interpretation." The upcoming exhibition features 13 artists, both Koreans and foreign residents living here. When asked to highlight some of the participating artists, Shrader appeared stumped at first. "It's hard to pick since each person has a unique perspective," he said. But for extremes, I feel that Sheriffah Arewa and Andrew White have the most divergent material interpretations." Arewa, an artist who specializes in custom rugs and prints, uses her flowing fiber art to embody the human desire to bring nature back into our artificial domiciles. Meanwhile, White is the opposite, borrowing from the Dansaekhwa movement, which focuses on a minimalism of repeated action. "Both are quite meditative interpretations of the theme," Shrader said. He also pointed to Tahni Osterman, who will display an oil landscape of autumnal trees at a Korean palace. "It's a place of dreaming trees that was once only for the king but is now available for all of us," he said. "I feel it's a call to remember to make a time and space to be calm and observe nature." Shrader is a member of the Eulji Saga art collective, which helps run and curate the Attic, a gallery located at Eulji Space in downtown Seoul. "We rotate taking the lead on projects, but we all help out making sure things run smoothly," he said. "We're pretty new to this, so we're still learning the ropes, but we have a good team."' Eulji Saga kicked off in March with a solo exhibition by Laura Acosta from Switzerland. "Now we're trying something more complicated logistically!" Shrader said. "We have already have a few more exhibits lined up through the summer and we are continuing to create or look out for more projects. I really hope that we can continue to make the Attic a regular destination for art lovers in Seoul to visit regularly!" Eulji Space is a multi-level art complex located just a stone's throw away from exits 1 and 2 of Euljiro 4-ga Station on Seoul Metro lines 2 and 5. It comprises a multi-purpose gathering space on the third floor, a black-box theater on the fourth and The Attic Gallery on the fifth, as well as On the Move, a vegan restaurant and bar that is located on the fifth and also the rooftop one floor above. "At Eulji Space, there's not only a good, stable space to do art, but more importantly, a supportive community of artists to collaborate and create with. You can see here synergy between artists of all types, as well as a growing mishmash of people making, doing and enjoying beautiful things together," Conan Kim, one of the founders of Eulji Space, explained. "In addition to being an open, collaborative space for artists, Eulji Space sees diversity, inclusion and alliance across all spectrums as the core basis for all relationships, and climate action and veganism as its operative vision and guiding principles." In addition to The Attic and On the Move, Eulji Space is also home to Seoul Culture Club, an association of artists that produce an ongoing series of cross-genre, multicultural shows, and UPCC, an experimental theater collective. Other teams that currently share Eulji Space include Match Made Creative, a musical production project; Story Dance, a community theater-and-dance gathering; Standby, an English-language writers' group, Remembered, Somewhere, a Korean-language writers' group; a yet-to-be-named queer play-reading group; Flourishing Seoul, a positive psychology group that meets weekly; and Berlin Byproduct, an experimental theater company. Recently, Eulji Space also hosted the first DoTam Film Festival, a short film and music festival of urban explorers of Korea and Visual Voices, an art exhibition organized by Hanokers, a network of refugees and their colleagues. "It's just a wonderful location where different kinds of creative people meet up to do creative work," Shrader said. "The people behind Eulji Space are really accommodating and do their best to make sure we can do what we want with the space we've been given. It's a pleasure to work with them." Shrader has been making art since a young age, beginning with doodles as a kid. "I loved watching others make art, and I wanted to make my own," he said. He studied art in college, focusing on drawing and painting. After arriving in Korea, he began experimenting with traditional materials here, mixing them with the styles and techniques he'd studied. "I have a hard time focusing on one style, so sometimes people who know me for one type of work will be surprised when they come across my other styles," he said. That might help make him ideal as a curator, as he's had to deal with selecting the artwork for the show and coordinating with artists of many different disciplines. "Dealing with logistics of over a dozen artists isn't easy," Shrader admitted. "We all have different visions and expectations, and it is important to make sure that each person feels appreciated, even if their artwork isn't accepted. And the thing is, I do appreciate them all. I want to see what people make and I want to be an extra point of encouragement for the creative process." The participating artists also include AC Parsons, Antonia, Bereket Alemayehu, Charity Lynn, Frozen Yogurt, Jihyun, Kim Yae In, Mica and Santiago Ortiz. The opening party for "The Dreaming Tree" will be held this Saturday starting at 6 p.m. Follow @eulji.saga on Instagram for more information about the show, or @albinogoth to see Shrader's work. More than half the money was hidden in a water tank A truck driver who was caught with the largest pile of illegal cash in Australian history has been sentenced to three years and three months in jail, admitting it was 'the worst decision of my life'. Nathan Ferguson, 54, appeared in WA District Court on Tuesday on charges of receiving, possessing, concealing, disposing or dealing with money believed to be the proceeds of crime. He was arrested by Western Australia police in November 2020 in Coolgardie, 550km east of Perth, in a truck that was carrying more than $13million. More than half the money was hidden in a water tank while the rest was in a cardboard box concealed in the wall of the vehicle, the West Australian reported. Ferguson was released from custody shortly after being arrested, but was then extradited from NSW back to WA in October 2022 charged with couriering $6,059,181. Ferguson received a slightly reduced sentence because the prosecution could not prove he had any role in loading the cash or that he knew the larger sum was in the water tank. Truck driver Nathan Ferguson (pictured right), who was caught with the largest ever pile of illegal cash in Australian history, was sentenced on Tuesday Ferguson was arrested by Western Australia police in November 2020 in Coolgardie, 550km east of Perth, in a truck that was carrying more than $13million (some of the money is pictured) READ MORE: Orpheus Pledger - Home and Away star goes on the run after allegedly stomping on a woman's head Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger (pictured) is on the run from police Advertisement The court heard that Ferguson suffered a series of losses, including the destruction of his home in a bushfire and the death of a friend in an industrial accident. These were given as reasons behind the downward spiral that led to him transporting millions of dollars across the country for a an organised crime gang. Ferguson was due to be paid $50,000 for moving the millions of dollars, a fee Judge Mark Ritter said was of 'some significance' and showed a 'degree of trust' placed in him by the criminals who hired him. 'It is also indicative that you were aware, to some extent, of the criminal enterprise involved.' The judge took Ferguson's guilty plea, remorse, isolation his family, mental health issues and attempts to rehabilitate himself into account in sentencing him. Judge Ritter also accepted the truckie had told a psychologist the reasons he got involved in the criminal enterprise and that in a letter to the court he apologised for what he did, saying it was the 'worst decision he had ever made'. Losing his home in a bushfire has left Ferguson in financial trouble and also led to his estrangement from his daughter, who blamed him for not paying the insurance premium on the house. The court also heard the truck driver suffers from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and had abused drugs in the past. Police officers are seen standing behind a table holding millions of dollars that were seized from a truck Ferguson said in his letter of apology that it hurt him to be away from his elderly mother who he had not seen since he arrest. He said he was 'embarrassed and ashamed' by his actions and that he was lonely in jail because he was not able to see his partner, family and friends, who are all in the eastern states. But the judge found there was not anything exceptional in Ferguson's circumstances and that a suspended sentence was not appropriate. Ferguson is eligible for parole after serving half of his term, which was backdated to his arrest in October 2022, meaning he could be free next month. Susanna Reid was forced to apologise to viewers after Labour MP Yvette Cooper swore live on Good Morning Britain. The 53-year-old news anchor grilled the shadow home secretary over the recent passing of the Rwanda Bill by the House of Lords. After confirming that Labour would scrap the plans if they came into power in the General Election this year, Ms Cooper said the policy was a 'gimmick'. The 55-year-old, who is the wife of Good Morning Britain co-host Ed Balls, then went on to say: 'The Home Secretary himself has described it as bats**t.' Ms Reid quickly interrupted by saying: 'Sorry, we can't use that word on television,' as her co-host Richard Madeley couldn't help but laugh. Ms Cooper hastily apologised after the mishap, saying: 'Sorry, Susanna.' Good Morning Britain anchor Susanna Reid was forced to apologise after Labour MP Yvette Cooper swore live on television Ms Cooper described the government's Rwanda bill as 'bats**t', which prompted Ms Reid to apologise to viewers Last night, Rishi Sunak claimed a crucial victory after the controversial Rwanda Bill was finally passed. Peers admitted defeat in their desperate efforts to water down the legislation just before midnight, with one describing the moment as a 'funeral'. The capitulation came after five rounds of Parliamentary 'ping-pong', which saw the proposals batted back and forth between the chambers as MPs repeatedly removed amendments made by peers. READ MORE: The government is ready to take on lawyers and campaign groups over the Rwanda plan, Rishi Sunak vows Advertisement The last remaining tweak had called for an independent monitoring commission to declare the African state safe before Channel migrants could be sent there. That had been passed by the Lords by 240 to 211, but the elected House deleted it by a margin of 312 to 237. And when peers resumed their sitting, it was clear the fight was over. Government minister Lord Sharpe wrapped up proceedings by insisting it is 'profoundly moral and patriotic' to defend the country's borders. The Prime Minister also doubled down on his plans to push through with the migrant flights before it was confirmed five people including a child were believed to have died in the latest Channel migrant tragedy this morning. Hundreds set off for the UK from France today, taking advantage of calm weather the day after Parliament finally approved a new law to send arrivals to East Africa. The French coastguard said that the dead were three men, a woman and a child, as they launched a major rescue operation off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Before the tragedy struck, Mr Sunak this morning said he would let nothing 'stand in our way', with hopes flights may start in July. Ms Cooper (right), 55, is the wife of Ms fellow Good Morning Britain co-host Ed Balls (left) Rishi Sunak stressed the Home Office is 'ready' to carry out the 'complex' Rwanda plan Earlier this month, Ms Cooper leapt to the defence of deputy leader Angela Rayner after she faced fresh questions about her living arrangements. The shadow secretary of state for the home office 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. Speaking to Sky News Ms Cooper said: '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.' Two flight crew members were taken to hospital and oxygen masks deployed on a flight after an unusual odour was detected on board a Bonza plane. Emergency services were called to Sunshine Coast Airport after reports there was an 'abnormal odour' coming from the cockpit of the passenger jet on Tuesday afternoon. A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that two crews were initially called to the scene at about 4.30pm but were not needed. Emergency services were called to Sunshine Coast Airport after reports there was an 'abnormal odour' coming from the cockpit of a Bonza plane on Tuesday afternoon Two people were transported in a stable condition to the Nambour Hospital. They were given precautionary checks and cleared soon after. No other plane occupants required paramedics' assistance. It is understood that the plane was due to land and emergency services were on standby. A Bonza spokeswoman said the airline would investigate the incident onboard flight AB570 from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast. 'Bonza investigated reports overnight of an abnormal odour in the flight deck of AB570 travelling from Melbourne Avalon to the Sunshine Coast and after a full assessment by engineers the aircraft has been given the all clear,' she said. 'The flight arrived at the expected arrival time and all customers and crew disembarked without incident. 'Two flight crew underwent precautionary checks and were cleared soon after.' A college in California became the site of chaos Monday evening when a group of students took over a university building as pro-Palestine protests continue to sweep across the nation's campuses. Protesters set up a shanty town within the California Polytechnic University's Siemens Hall equipped with beds and tents, reports KIEM-TV. The school is located in Arcata in rural northern California, close to the border with Oregon. As the protests gain attention worldwide, billionaire investor Bill Ackman, an outspoken supporter of Israel, tweeted took aim at college leadership. 'Whats remarkable about these university presidents is how they dance around the truth, ducking and weaving before they are forced to admit their failures of leadership,' he wrote. The group chanted slogans such as: 'Free, Free, Free Palestine,' a common war cry among college students nationwide. It's estimated there were around 300 student protesters. A confrontation eventually resulted in riot police from the California Highway Patrol being called to the scene just after 8pm. A standoff ensued with some students using a side door to exit the building and leave the confrontation. A riot squad from the California Highway Patrol was called to the school in rural northern California around 8pm on Monday night Student activists occupied one of the school buildings while chanting pro-Palestine slogans A California Highway Patrol helicopter hovered above the scene before leaving after a drone nearly crashed into it The riot police attempting to storm a barricade inside of Siemens Hall At 11:30pm, law enforcement officers left the scene, leaving the students to occupy the building, reports Lost Coast Outpost According to KIEM report, at one point during the standoff a truck arrived in order to transport arrested students however the driver of the truck fled when he was surrounded by students. At 11:30pm, law enforcement officers left the scene, leaving the students to occupy the building, reports Lost Coast Outpost. A California Highway Patrol helicopter also flew away following a near-collision with a drone that was flying overhead. The website said that some protesters went to the local courthouse in a show of solidarity with other activists who were earlier arrested. The Lost Coast report also showed protesters inside the building holdings signs that read: 'Help us please. They are going to attack,' 'They want to cut our wifi,' 'There are more of u than them' and 'Push them out.' Arcata City Councilmember Sarah Schaefer was on scene at the protest. 'From what I can see outside, I think this is overkill,' she said of the police response, Lost Coast reported. In the wake of the near-riot, officials at the school announced that the campus would be closed and classes moved online until Thursday. On Monday night a group named Humboldt For Palestine issued a list of demands which included the school divesting from any ties to Israel, including any ties with Israeli education institutions, drop all charges against student activists and for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The group also said that Monday's protest was in 'solidarity with students across the nation occupying campuses for Palestine.' Tents erected by pro-Palestinian protesters stand in an encampment at the Columbia University campus in New York Students of New York University (NYU), held a Gaza solidarity encampment outside the NYU Stern School of Business in solidarity with Columbia University Earlier on Monday, Columbia canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public as protests raged on. At New York University, an encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters throughout the day Monday. The school said it warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene became disorderly and the university said it learned of reports of 'intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents.' Shortly after 8:30 p.m., officers began making arrests. 'It's a really outrageous crackdown by the university to allow the police to arrest students on our own campus,' said New York University law student Byul Yoon. 'Antisemitism is never ok. That's absolutely not what we stand for and that's why there are so many Jewish comrades that are here with us today,' Yoon said The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israel's assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the group's Oct. 7 invasion. A red flare is lit during the NYU protest against Israel Tensions remained high Monday at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside Tensions remained high Monday at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside. U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, a Democrat from North Carolina who was visiting Columbia with three other Jewish members of Congress, told reporters after meeting with students from the Jewish Law Students Association that there was 'an enormous encampment of people' who had taken up about a third of the green. 'We saw signs indicating that Israel should be destroyed,' she said after leaving the Morningside Heights campus. Columbia announced Monday that courses at the Morningside campus will offer virtual options for students when possible, citing safety as their top priority. A woman inside the campus gates led about two dozen protesters on the street outside in a chant of, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!' a charged phrase that can mean vastly different things to different groups. A small group of pro-Israel counter demonstrators protested nearby. University President Minouche Shafik said in a message to the school community Monday that she was 'deeply saddened' by what was happening on campus. 'To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,' Shafik wrote, noting that students who don't live on campus should stay away. Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages During the ensuing war, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. During the ensuing war, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between combatants and non-combatants but says at least two-thirds of the dead are children and women. On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Union's Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until it's safer for them on campus. The latest developments came ahead of the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Nicholas Baum, a 19-year-old Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbia's campus, said protesters over the weekend were 'calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel.' He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students. 'Jews are scared at Columbia. It's as simple as that,' he said. 'There's been so much vilification of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vilification of Judaism.' The protest encampment sprung up at Columbia on Wednesday, the same day that Shafik faced bruising criticism at a congressional hearing from Republicans who said she hadn't done enough to fight antisemitism. Two other Ivy League presidents resigned months ago following widely criticized testimony they gave to the same committee. In her statement Monday, Shafik said the Middle East conflict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress. 'But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,' Shafik wrote. Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to find a resolution to the university crisis, noted Shafik, who didn't say when in-person classes would resume. U.S. House Republicans from New York urged Shafik to resign, saying in a letter Monday that she had failed to provide a safe learning environment in recent days as 'anarchy has engulfed the campus.' In Massachusetts, a sign said Harvard Yard was closed to the public Monday. It said structures, including tents and tables, were only allowed into the yard with prior permission. 'Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action,' the sign said. Security guards were checking people for school IDs. The same day, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee said the university's administration suspended their group. Several hundred students and pro-Palestinian supporters rally at the intersection of Grove and College Streets, in front of Woolsey Hall on the campus of Yale University Yale University Police remain at Beinecke Plaza following the arrest of pro-Palestinian supporters In the suspension notice provided by the student organization, the university wrote that the group's April 19 demonstration had violated school policy, and that the organization failed to attend required trainings after they were previously put on probation. The Palestine Solidary Committee said in a statement that they were suspended over technicalities and that the university hadn't provided written clarification on the university's policies when asked. 'Harvard has shown us time and again that Palestine remains the exception to free speech,' the group wrote in a statement. Harvard did not respond to an email request for comment. At Yale, police officers arrested about 45 protesters and charged them with misdemeanor trespassing, said Officer Christian Bruckhart, a New Haven police spokesperson. All were being released on promises to appear in court later, he said. Protesters set up tents on Beinecke Plaza on Friday and demonstrated over the weekend, calling on Yale to end any investments in defense companies that do business with Israel. In a statement to the campus community on Sunday, Yale President Peter Salovey said university officials had spoken to the student protesters multiple times about the school's policies and guidelines, including those regarding speech and allowing access to campus spaces. School officials said they gave protesters until the end of the weekend to leave Beinecke Plaza. The said they again warned protesters Monday morning and told them that they could face arrest and discipline, including suspension, before police moved in. A large group of demonstrators regathered after Monday's arrests at Yale and blocked a street near campus, Bruckhart said. There were no reports of any violence or injuries. Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up a tent encampment on the school's Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus Sunday evening. They are calling for a cease-fire and are protesting what they describe as MIT's 'complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza,' he said. 'MIT has not even called for a cease-fire, and that's a demand we have for sure,' Iyengar said. A top fashion designer whose luxury $2,000 handbags have been toted by stars including Victoria Beckham and Britney Spears has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from Colombia. Nancy Gonzalez, a Colombian citizen in her 70s, was extradited to the US earlier this year following her 2022 arrest for running a sprawling multiyear conspiracy that involved recruiting couriers to transport her handbags on commercial flights to high-end showrooms and New York fashion events - all in violation of U.S. wildlife laws. The designer, whose website cites her 'innovative use of precious skins', sold her wares to the upper echelons of Hollywood society, with major names including Salma Hayek and Kris Jenner, and the cast of Sex and the City, all seen sporting her expensive bags. 'Its all driven by the money,' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald, who compared Gonzalez's behavior to that of drug traffickers. 'If you want to deter the conduct, you want the cocaine kingpin, not the person in the field.' Prosecutors countered that Gonzalez had acquired great wealth and an opulent lifestyle, which contrasted with the couriers she recruited to smuggle her merchandise into the United States. Colombian fashion designer Nancy Gonzalez (C) being extradited at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota on August 30, 2023 Celebrity handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez hides under an umbrella as she walks with her lawyer Andrea Lopez outside the federal courthouse Monday, April 22, 2024, in Miami Britney Spears (pictured, right) was also a fan of Nancy Gonzalez's bags Victoria Beckham (pictured) was seen carrying one of Gonzalez's bags The couriers were instructed to say that the items were gifts for their relatives if they were asked any questions by customs agents. 'Her mission turned into producing felons,' said Watts-Fitzgerald. 'She tried to rewrite the law for herself, to do it her way.' Gonzalez' case has been compared to Griselda - the Netflix miniseries starring Sofia Vergara, whose character is a notorious, glamorous Colombian drug lord based off real-life Griselda Blanco. She prevailed in the '70s cocaine underworld in Miami. According to the testimony of her co-defendants and former employees, ahead of important fashion events, Gonzalez, described as a micro-manager, would recruit as many as 40 passengers to carry four designer handbags each on commercial flights. READ MORE: Top fashion designer featured on Sex and the City is charged with smuggling endangered crocodile skin purses worth up to $10,000 to the US by using a network of couriers who pretended they were gifts Advertisement In this way, prosecutors estimate that she smuggled goods that fetched as much as $2 million in the U.S. Gonzalez's attorneys disputed the claim and said each skin cost only around $140. All of the hides were from caiman and pythons bred in captivity. Nonetheless, on some occasions she failed to obtain the proper import authorizations from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, required under a widely ratified international treaty governing the trade in endangered and threatened wildlife species. In 2016 and 2017, she was warned by U.S. officials against sidestepping such rules, making her conduct particularly 'egregious,' Judge Robert Scola said in handing down his sentence. Prosecutors had been seeking a stiffer sentence of 30 to 37 months. But Scola said he was taking into account the nearly 14 months she spent in harsher conditions in a Colombian prison awaiting extradition. Gonzalez, who has been free on a bond under confinement at her daughter's home in Miami, must surrender June 6 to begin her sentence. Although trade in the skins used by Gonzalez was not prohibited, they came from protected wildlife that requires close monitoring under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known by its initials as CITES. Like the infamous Griselda Blanco (portrayed by Sofia Vergara in a recent Netflix hit), Gonzalez used an army of attractive female mules to smuggle her contraband into the US Gonzalez's satchels would sell for up to $10,000 each and have been sold in high-end department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman Nancy Gonzalez seen here in handcuffs in July 2022 after being arrested by authorities in Cali, Colombia for smuggling endangered crocodile and snake skin bags into the US Gonzalez started out by making belts and transitioned to handbags in the late 1990s following a trip to New York, when she was encouraged by a designer store executive to build up a collection Gonzalez's satchels would sell for up to $10,000 each and have been sold in high-end department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman Pictured: Sofia Vergara in Netflix's 'Griselda.' Her character is a notorious, glamorous Colombian drug lord based off real-life Griselda Blanco Lawyers for Gonzalez sought leniency for the celebrity designer, describing her journey as a divorced single mother of two children who designed belts on a home sewing machine in Cali for friends into a fashion icon who outcompeted the likes of Dior, Prada and Gucci. 'She was determined to show her children and the world that women, including minority women like herself, can pursue their dreams successfully, and become financially independent,' they wrote in a memo prior to Mondays hearing. 'Against all odds, this tiny but mighty woman was able to create the very first luxury, high-end fashion company from a third world country.' The attorneys said the 71-year-old designer has already paid dearly for her crimes. The Colombian company she built, which once employed 300 mostly female employees, declared bankruptcy and stopped operating after her arrest. They also argued that only 1% of the merchandise she imported into the U.S. lacked proper authorization and were samples for New York Fashion week and other events. Gonzalez, addressing the court before sentencing, said she deeply regretted not meticulously complying with U.S. laws and that her only wish is to hug once more her 103-year-old mother. 'From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to the United States of America. I never intended to offend a country to which I owe immense gratitude,' she said holding back tears. 'Under pressure, I made poor decisions.' Nancy Gonzalez hides under an umbrella as she walks outside the federal courthouse Monday, April 22, 2024, in Miami The Colombian designer, whose bags were purchased by celebrities like Britney Spears and the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison She was found to have ran a smuggling ring that illegally imported into the U.S. crocodile handbags for sale at high end showrooms using couriers on commercial flights Salma Hayek, Britney Spears and Victoria Beckham are among celebrities who bought Gonzalez's carefully crafted handbags. Her work also was included in a 2008 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Gonzalez's attorneys showed in court a video, from 2019, of top buyers from Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and others praising the designer's creativity, productivity and humanity - comments prosecutor Watts-Fitzgerald said the retailers likely regret today. 'They must be regretting they were ever put up to that and if they heard it was presented in court they would cringe,' said Watts-Fitzgerald. 'They have their own brand to protect.' In a bid to toast to their English roots with more than just tea, Brits across the country are backing calls for St George's Day to become a national holiday. A petition created on Change.org has so far been signed by more than 76,000 people, calling for Britons to be granted a day off on April 23 each year. The movement aims to elevate St. George's Day from mere observance to an official bank holiday, which can grant Brits an annual opportunity to celebrate English 'culture' and 'heritage.' Residents of England's most fervently patriotic estate have now raised their voices - and flags - in support of a national holiday for St George's Day. Nestled among the bustling streets of Bermondsey in south east London, the Kirby Estate stands as a bastion of English pride, famed for its elaborate year-round display of English flags and bunting and mural of Lioness namesake Fran Kirby. Brits across the country are backing calls for St George's Day to become a national holiday - but, do you support the idea? (pictured: Kirby Estate in south east London) To date, a petition created on Change.org has been signed by over 76,000 people, which calls for Britons to be granted a day off on April 23 each year For these residents, every day is a celebration of their heritage, and they're not afraid to show it - but now, locals have voiced their own reasons for St George's Day to be recognised as a public holiday. Speaking to the Sun, longtime resident Clive Boyton, 62, explained how a bank holiday could serve as an opportunity to showcase English hospitality. Poll Do YOU think St George's day should be a national holiday? Yes No I don't mind Do YOU think St George's day should be a national holiday? Yes 296 votes No 15 votes I don't mind 7 votes Now share your opinion He said: 'People might have ideas about the estate from seeing the flags. But we have every nationality you could think of here - Moroccans, Colombians, Ukrainians. 'What I think is special about England from my travels is that we welcome everyone, we give everyone a chance to become English. He added: 'That's why I like that we fly the St George's flag and have the murals on the estate. I'm amazed it isn't already a Bank Holiday, it should obviously be one.' Brian, who hails from overseas, is another estate resident who has backed the calls - saying he is 'proud to be English.' He added that he would be glad for an extra day off - although he is not sure of what he would do with it. The campaign for the April 23 Bank Holiday was launched by John Kelly, a pensioner who lives in east London. Residents of England's most fervently patriotic estate have now raised their voices - and flags - in support of a national holiday for St George's Day (pictured: Kirby estate in south east London) The Kirby Estate stands as a bastion of English pride, famed for its elaborate year-round display of English flags and bunting and mural of Lionness namesake Fran Kirby. Residents look out of a window draped with the flag of St George, as they watch the annual St George's day parade in Emsworth, Hampshire Mayor of Havant, Councillor Peter Wade, places a red rose on the jacket of a member of the 16th Regiment Royal Artillery, as they take part in the annual St George's day parade in Emsworth, Hampshire. The petition aims to elevate St. George's Day from mere observance to an official bank holiday, which can grant Brits an annual opportunity to celebrate English 'culture' and 'heritage' In the petition, he wrote: 'St. George's Day, celebrated on April 23rd, is an important day for English heritage and culture, yet it is not recognized as a national holiday in England. 'This lack of recognition stands in contrast to the other home nations within the UK - Scotland celebrates St. Andrew's Day, Wales honors St. David's Day and Northern Ireland observes St. Patrick's Day as public holidays. 'St. George has been the patron saint of England since the 14th century and his emblem, a red cross on a white background, is incorporated into the Union Jack flag representing unity among nations in the UK.' He added: 'Recognising this day as a national holiday would provide an opportunity for people across England to celebrate their shared history and cultural identity while also acknowledging their unique contribution to the United Kingdom.' It comes as a new poll has reveals that one in eight Labour voters think the English flag is 'racist' and 'divisive' and 'should not be displayed.' New satellite images appear to show Israel building an enormous tent city as it prepares to evacuate the more than one million Palestinians who have sought refuge in Rafah, the last standing city in the Gaza Strip. Photos from satellite imaging company Planet Labs show a marked build up of tents in a uniform pattern near Khan Younis, which has largely been levelled during the bloody invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel's military. The photos, taken three days apart on April 18 and April 21 respectively, show white structures being built up significantly over a short period of time. Israel has said several times that it plans to evacuate displaced civilians from Rafah ahead of a six-week military operation that will likely begin in May. Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal that the first few weeks will be dedicated to evacuating refugees to Khan Younis and other areas equipped with shelters and medical facilities. The preparations come as the US says that Hamas is gearing up for a 'full-scale regional war.' Slide me The photos, taken three days apart on April 18 and April 21 respectively, show white structures being built up significantly over a short period of time Israel has said several times that it plans to evacuate displaced civilians from Rafah ahead of a six-week military operation that will likely begin in May Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas The conflict has sparked regional unrest pitting Israel and the US against Iran and allied militant groups across the Middle East People rush to landing humanitarian aid packages dropped over the northern Gaza Strip State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said that Hamas was 'moving the goalposts' in hostage and ceasefire negotiations, adding that the terror group declined a 'very significant proposal', though did not specify what this was. He said: 'It certainly does seem like Hamas is more interested in a full-scale regional war. 'It takes two to make an agreement, and right now Hamas has signalled that they don't want an agreement.' Miller urged Hamas to stay at the table, telling the group the ball was 'in their court.' The conflict has sparked regional unrest pitting Israel and the US against Iran and allied militant groups across the Middle East. Israel and Iran traded fire directly this month, raising fears of all-out war. Other groups have been drawn into the wider conflict as well, with an elite Hezbollah commander being killed in an Israeli strike on southern Lebanon on Monday. Mohammad Khalil Atiyeh was a member of the terror group's elite Radwan force. This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows tents and other makeshift housing built up around the area of the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp Saturday, April 20, 2024 Civil defense teams and locals carry out search and rescue efforts after an Israeli attack hits Abdulal family building in Rafah Relatives of Palestinians who lost their lives as a result of an Israeli airstrike mourn State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said that Hamas was 'moving the goalposts' in hostage and ceasefire negotiations The war was sparked by the unprecedented October 7 raid into southern Israel in which Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The war was sparked by the unprecedented October 7 raid into southern Israel in which Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel says militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, around two-thirds of them children and women. It has devastated Gaza's two largest cities and left a swath of destruction. The Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday the bodies of 32 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 59 wounded, it said in its daily report. The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials A Palestinian child checks the rubble of a house hit by overnight Israeli bombing in Rafah A Palestinian woman checks the rubble of a home hit by overnight Israeli bombing in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 20 That brings the overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to at least 34,183, the ministry said. Another 77,143 have been injured, it said. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its tallies, but has said that women and children make up around two thirds of those killed. Around 80% of the territory's population have fled to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave. The US House of Representatives approved a $26 billion aid package on Saturday that includes around $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, which experts say is on the brink of famine, as well as billions for Israel. The US Senate could pass the package as soon as Tuesday, and President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately. Off-duty British cops on a Barcelona stag do have apprehended a thief as he robbed a restaurant. Sergeant Eren Emin, 30, said he was on his stag do in the Spanish city with four other police officers when a man jumped over the restaurant counter and began grabbing electrical items. The officers chased down the man before detaining him and waiting for Spanish police to arrive. 'I think policing is more of an instinct than anything else,' said Metropolitan Police Sergeant Emin, who is based in Enfield. 'I'm a police officer. It's my job. Wherever we are, whether in Spain, it doesn't matter, I have to do what's right.' Sergeant Eren Emin (pictured), 30, said he was on his stag do in the Spanish city with four other police officers when a man jumped over the restaurant counter and began grabbing electrical items The officers chased down the man before detaining him and waiting for Spanish police to arrive He added: 'We were in a restaurant on the main strip, waiting for food to come, and he made his way over to the bar area where the counters are and then he jumped over the counter and that's when he caught our attention. 'He started to ransack the tills and take electrical goods such as the iPads and iPhones, whatever else was there, before he made his way around and then sprinted outside of the restaurant and instantly we stood up and gave chase. 'As soon as he saw me he started running and obviously I didn't have a chance to think, 'Oh, wait, I'm not a police officer, and I'm not in the UK, I'm in Spain'. I'm a nobody here, but to be honest, that didn't even cross my mind. 'It was a case of just getting him stopped. It's wrong. What's wrong is wrong. Common sense has to apply here as well and that's why we got him detained as quickly as possible.' Sgt Emin said the off-duty officers chased the man around 50 metres down the road before they caught him. The police recovered everything that was stolen and took the man back to the restaurant where they waited until Spanish police arrived. 'As soon as they arrived, one of my colleagues informed them that we were all police officers and then it was high fives all around, is how I would describe it,' he said. He said the restaurant staff were 'really shocked because they didn't expect the whole table of their customers to get up and get this chap and recover all their goods'. He added: 'I'm quite known within my organisation for arresting people off duty - here in the UK, wherever I go, I always end up attracting or coming across crime, which is really strange, so for me, it's just another day. 'Some others might see it as, 'You're a lunatic, you've got no protective gear, what are you doing?', but I've done it numerous times before.' On whether he can ever switch off from his job, he said: 'No, and it's the same for my other colleagues as well. 'They're really well-respected police officers and collectively that's why we all get on so well. It's because we're all like-minded and committed.' Police are hunting the sweet-toothed thieves who stole 134,000 worth of Kinder Bueno chocolate bars from an industrial estate. The suspects stole the confectionary by hooking a trailer full of tens of thousands of the bars to a lorry and driving off. Police said the thieves had brought the vehicle to the Gillibrands Industrial Estate, in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, at around 3am on March 17 this year. Then after attaching the trailer full of the Kinder Bueno bars, they took it to Simonswood, in Merseyside, where the cargo was loaded onto another vehicle. Officers eventually found the missing empty trailer in nearby Rainford. Police are hunting the sweet-toothed thieves who stole 134,000 worth of Kinder Bueno chocolate bars from an industrial estate Police said the thieves had bought the vehicle to the Gillibrands Industrial Estate, in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, at around 3am on March 17 this year Then after attaching the trailer full of the Kinder Bueno bars, they took it to Simonswood, in Merseyside, where the cargo was loaded onto another vehicle. Pictured: Gillibrands Industrial Estate PC Holly Bennett, from Lancashire Police, said: 'This is a significant commercial theft, and I would appeal to anyone who saw anything suspicious either in the area around the industrial estate or the area where the load has been transferred or the trailer has been abandoned to get in touch.' Anyone with information should call the force on 101, quoting log 0353 of March 17 or contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The theft comes after a man was jailed last year for stealing 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs. Joby Pool, 32, used a metal grinder to break into an industrial unit on February 11, 2023, before driving off with the goods worth more than 31,000. The unit belonged to SW Group Logistics in Stafford Park in Telford, Shropshire. The stolen chocolate was then driven onto the northbound M42, where Pool surrendered by walking towards police 'with his hands up' near junction 11. The haul of over 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs was estimated to be worth more than 31,000 Pool, 32, used a metal grinder to break into an industrial unit before driving off with the lorry full of chocolates The theft occurred at a unit belonging to SW Group Logistics in Stafford Park, Telford Pool was jailed for 18 months in July last year after he admitted theft, criminal damage to a lock at the trailer park and driving without insurance. In a series of tweets posted two days after the theft, West Mercia Police explained how they 'helped save Easter' after foiling the thief. They said: 'West Mercia Police has helped save Easter for Creme Egg fans after almost 200,000 of the chocolate treats were stolen from a unit in Stafford Park in Telford. 'The eggs-travagent theft took place on Saturday February 11 with the chocolate collection box thought to be worth around 40,000. 'Along with the Creme Eggs a number of other chocolate varieties were also stolen. 'Shortly after the theft a vehicle, presumably purporting to be the Easter bunny, was stopped northbound on the M42 and a man was arrested on suspicion of theft.' A disgraced cop is on the run after he allegedly shot dead his ex-wife and his 17-year-old girlfriend in Washington state before abducting a one-year-old boy. Amber Marie Rodriguez was killed outside Wile Elementary School in West Richland, 200 miles south east of Seattle, on Monday. Police found another woman dead when they entered the home of 39-year-old suspect Elias Huizar. Her family has identified the second victim as 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, the mother of the one-year-old child abducted, Roman Huizar. Huizar, a former Yakima police officer, shared Roman with Santos, who was 15 year's old when she was impregnated, according to police. Officers believe Huizar is headed for Mexico in a 2009 silver Toyota Corolla with WA plates CBZ4745. He is considered armed and dangerous. The former school cop was due in court Monday to face child rape charges; he is accused of raping his underaged girlfriend and her 16-year-old friend. Police believe that Amber Marie Rodriguez was shot dead by her estranged husband outside of the elementary school where she works on Monday afternoon Her brother Damien Santos wrote: 'It breaks my heart to write this but unfortunately my sister has passed away at the young age of 17 November 5 2006 - April 22 2024' Elias Huizar, 39, has been labeled as 'armed and dangerous' as police have connected him to the murder of his ex-wife and girlfriend In February, Huizar pleaded not guilty to rape charges. Days before the two murders, Rodriguez had filed for a new custody arrangement involving their two children. Rodriguez worked at the school where she was killed, according to the Washington State Police. In addition Rodriguez also worked as a real estate agent. Santos' family appeared to at first believe that she had been abducted alongside her son, asking people on Facebook for help finding them. However, hours later the family confirmed that Santos had been killed. Her brother Damien Santos wrote: 'It breaks my heart to write this but unfortunately my sister has passed away at the young age of 17 November 5 2006 - April 22 2024.' The former school cop was due in court accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old girl and his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he is believed to have impregnated when she was 15, according to multiple reports. Police did not confirm if the girlfriend Huizar is accused of raping and impregnating is the girlfriend found dead in his home or if he had moved on to a new relationship. In addition to working at the school, Rodriguez also worked as a real estate agent Her family has identified the second victim as 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, the mother of the one-year-old child abducted, Roman Huizar Police issued an AMBER alert for Huizar and his one-year-old son Roman on Monday night Santos' family has been frantically asking the public for help finding Roman Family has identified the second victim as 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos Huizar is on the run after the Monday afternoon shooting just outside of William Wiley Elementary School, where his ex-wife was shot and killed Authorities confirmed that a dead body had been found at Huizar's home as they were conducting a search. Police said he also killed his girlfriend Huizar and Rodriguez divorced in 2020 and share two children. Following the rape charges, Rodriguez filed to modify their custody agreement and had requested a protection order, because she believed he was a threat to her and their children. Rodriguez claimed Huizar has been harassing her since the divorce and says he was mentally and emotionally unstable. He also owns guns, she said. It was unclear what the result of the case was, a hearing had been set for May 14. Huizar served with the police department between 2014 and 2022 and was assigned to be a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima. It was not clear where he was employed after he'd left the department. On February 3, he was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland. Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a baby who was nine months old at the time of his February court appearance, according to the Tri-City Herald. Huizar served with the police department between 2014 and 2022 and was assigned to be a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima Police said they are searching for Huizar, who fled the scene in a 2009 Toyota Corolla with the license plate CBZ4745. They believe him to be armed and dangerous and may commit more crimes Huizar is a former school cop accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old and his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he impregnated when she was 15 The Tri-City Herald reported that Huizar secured a protection order against his teenage girlfriend in 2019 after she told friends they were in a relationship and the friends reported it to the school principal. The girl denied it and claimed her account had been hacked when social media posts about the alleged relationship were revealed. 'A criminal investigation was completed by the Attorney General's Office and the case was unfounded,' Huizar wrote in his petition for the protection order. '(She) was then expelled from school.' The petition claimed the girl had contacted Huizar's then wife, downloaded photos from the couple's Facebook pages, and taken 'numerous' covert photos of Huizar. Yakima County Judge Gayle Harthcock approved the protection order that prevented the girl from coming within 500 feet of him or his family for a year. The girl claims in the court documents that Huizar contacted her in 2022 when she was 15 and they began a relationship. Their child was born in April last year, and the pair began living together in the West Richland home when she was 17. The age of consent law in Washington is 16 years old, though police have been investigating whether he slept with her before that. On February 3, Huizar was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a nine-month-old baby Huizar's child was born in April last year, and the pair began living together in the West Richland home when she was 17. He has two children with his ex-wife, who divorced him in 2020 In the most recent alleged rape, the 17-year-old girlfriend had gone to sleep in a spare room next to her 16-year-old friend who was feeling sick after all three had spent the evening drinking at the home on February 3, court documents record. She then woke to find Huizar attacking her drunken friend before he left the room 'like nothing had happened', when she confronted him, according to the Tri-City Herald. Huizar was charged with second-degree rape, furnishing alcohol for minors, and third-degree rape over his relationship with the 17-year-old. His bail was set at $200,000 but he has since bonded out of jail with stipulations that he doesn't contact either of the teens or consume any alcohol. The opening date of his trial was set for Monday, according to a local NBC station. DailyMail.com has reached out to Huizar's defense attorney for comment. The school district in Richland, Washington, sent out an alert to parents that confirmed the shooting at William Wiley Elementary earlier Monday. The shooting occurred at 3:23pm local time during dismissal. Nobody else at the school was injured in the shooting there. Huizar has been charged with second-degree rape, furnishing alcohol for minors, and third-degree rape over his relationship with the 17-year-old A shooting at an elementary school in Washington state during dismissal has put the school on lockdown Richland Police confirmed in a Facebook post they were headed to the scene Monday afternoon A resident said he heard four to five gunshots while in his backyard Monday afternoon. 'I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didn't sound like a gun. Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot ,' Chris Worley told the Tri-City Herald. The school district sent an alert to parents, adding that any students still on campus were sent into a secure area, even those who were getting set to depart on the school bus. 'Students and staff at our schools have been moved inside the buildings and place into a critical lockdown.' 'If students were loaded on buses but still at the school, they were moved into the school building. We will update you once we have more information.' Richland Police confirmed in a Facebook post immediately after the shooting that officers were headed to the scene. 'There is an active incident in the area of William Wiley Elementary and South Highlands Blvd,' they wrote. The school district sent an alert to parents, adding that any students still on campus were sent into a secure area, even those who were getting set to depart on the school bus All after-school activities at the school were canceled 'Please stay clear of the area. We will post updates as they become available.' All after-school activities at the school were canceled. Around 4:45pm, police began getting the locked-down children out of the school. An app connected to the school is telling parents where they'll be reunited with their children. Because the road was completely blocked off, some parents are still waiting to get their vehicles back. Classes have been canceled at William Wiley Elementary on Tuesday. DailyMail.com has reached out to the West Richland Police Department, who are handling the investigation, for comment. By Jon Dunbar U.S. filmmaker Bill Morrison is coming to Korea for a series of appearances at film festivals and film events in Busan, Jeonju and Seoul. His works will be featured in the Prism section at the Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF), and he will screen his 2023 film "Incident" at the Jeonju International Film Festival. But first, 15 of his long and short films will be screening in Seoul as part of the FrameWorks monthly experimental film series. The five-day retrospective on his body of work begins on Wednesday at Seoul Art Cinema in central Seoul's historic Jeong-dong neighborhood. After another short program, he will screen "Dawson City Frozen Time" (2016), which gathers a treasure trove of found footage that had been discovered in Dawson City, a remote city of Canada's northern territory of Yukon. The film is based on 530 film reels, some dating back to the Klondike gold rush of 1899, that were discovered during demolition of a building in the city in 1978. "From this decaying footage, Bill Morrison weaves a fantastic history of cinema and the gold rush," Pip Chodorov, one of the organizers of FrameWorks, told The Korea Times. Morrison will also be on hand on Wednesday to have a conversation with the audience after his film, which is 121 minutes long and begins at 6:30 p.m. "My films run a wide gamut from associative sound and image works to rather dense documentary essay," Morrison told The Korea Times shortly before departing for Korea on Sunday NYC time. "So an audience members impression of one program may or may not match their impression the next night. But in general they adhere to the notion that film, and filmmaking, are cultural signifiers that we leave in our wake, and that they may be re-collected and re-assembled to tell stories about us. I hope audience members have a renewed appreciation for the vastness of human thought and creative output over the past 130 years." Morrison, who is best known for his found footage films, was invited to Korea this year to participate in BISFF, after he couldn't accept an invitation last year due to a prior commitment with a film festival in Switzerland. But this time, he not only took the BISFF organizers up on their offer to screen his films and sit on the festival jury, but also had one of his films selected for the Jeonju International Film Festival in early May. "So it all fell into place," Chodorov said. "I hope many people come out to discover Bills experimental films and especially 'Dawson City Frozen Time.' It is one of those rare works that speak to aficionados of underground movies but also to those who like documentaries as well as great stories." The special exhibition will also feature his well-known 2002 film "Decasia," which screens on Thursday and Sunday. And on Saturday, the second-last day of the run, film critic Kwak Young-bin will give a talk. Morrison got his start in visual art and animation, but his fascination with the corrosion and decomposition of old nitrate film led him down the path of experimental filmmaking. He relies on archival footage to reveal the formative and poetic characteristics of images contained in deteriorated film. Morrisson came to Korea once before, for the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in 2013. "I was only there for a couple of days so it was hard to form much of an impression about the country as a whole," he said. "As I recall, the area where the festival was held seemed like it has only recently been developed." At Jeonju, he'll be screening his most recent film, 2023's "Incident," which depicts a police shooting of a citizen in Chicago in 2018. The incident is retold through surveillance and body cam footage. "Found footage means different things to different people. For me, I am following in a tradition of re-purposing lost or forgotten archival footage. In the right hands, that can be a really exciting and sometimes radical practice," Morrison said. He admitted that some people use others' footage indiscriminately, without regard to ownership, although he said that he avoids using any films that are still copyrighted. "The footage I use has usually reached the public domain, meaning that I am allowed to reuse it any way I choose," he said. "I am interested in how and why a film is lost or forgotten or reaches a stage of obsolescence." Tickets cost between 5,000 won and 8,000 won. Visit fb.com/cinemathequeseoul for more information or cinematheque.seoul.kr for screening times. An elderly British tourist was mauled by a ferocious bear after she lowered her car window to take a selfie with it in Romania. The 72-year-old Scottish woman was driving on the Transfagarasan mountain road in Arges County, on April 22, when she came across two bears. As she stopped the car to snap a photo with the impressive predators, one of the bears leaped onto its hind legs directly outside her vehicle. The tourist bravely rolled down her window to get a better view of the beast, preparing her phone for the photo. But in a grisly twist of events, the bear pounced forward and mauled her right arm. A Scottish tourist, 72, was driving through on a mountain road in Romania when she came across two bears After deciding she wanted to take a selfie with the bear, she rolled down her car window but one of the predators had jumped onto its hind legs The bear mauled her arm while she was still in the vehicle. She was dashed to a nearby hospital and told local reporters her arm was 'sore' Her travel companion quickly stepped on the gas as the pair fled the horror scene, making a desperate attempt to escape further attack. The woman was dashed to a nearby hospital following the brutal attack in the Carpathian Mountains. She told local reporters she came from Scotland, and revealed her arm was 'sore' after her run-in with the creature. The traveller said: 'We were in the car and we were going to take a picture. 'And the bears came up to the window.' In her hospital bed, she added: 'I just wanted to take a picture of him.' Doctors have since confirmed that the woman's injuries are not life-threatening. Following the attack, the police reportedly organised themselves into several teams to drive the bears away from the area. They also advised residents and tourists to always keep a safe distance if encountering animals in the wild. It comes after a terrifying spate of bear attacks in Slovakia last month. A Belarusian woman, 31, had been walking through the Low Tatras mountain range with a male companion before they were set upon by a bear. According to her male companion, he and the woman fled in different directions, into the surrounding thick forest and steep ravines. Her body was discovered by the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service in March with the bear still nearby who was frightened off by gun shots from the rescue team. Then just days later, a brown bear unleashed its terror as it rampaged through the Slovakian town of Liptovsky Mikulas, and attacked two people, leaving them hospitalised. A 49-year-old woman sustained an injury to her shoulder, while a 72-year-old man was treated for a gash on his head after the pair were targeted by the beast. A 10-year-old girl and two further adults suffered scratches and bruises, authorities said, while a couple pushing their child in a buggy were 'lucky to escape unharmed'. The brown bear that wreaked havoc on the streets of Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, was shot dead on March 27 Officials then declared a state of emergency and locals were urged not to leave their homes while the predator remained at large. The brown bear was shot dead on March 27 following a 10-day drone hunt. Bears are common across large parts of Eastern Europe in the areas surrounding the Carpathian mountains, which stretch from Romania to Poland and pass through Slovakia. In recent years, there have been a number of bear attacks across Eastern Europe, including a fatal attack in Slovakia in 2021. The Slovakian Environment Ministry said that together with Romania it will propose at the next EU Council of environment ministers that bears should be reclassified on the protected species list because their numbers mean they aren't endangered anymore and could be selectively culled. They came face-to-face with woman who claimed their mum's life The children of a woman killed when a speeding SUV ploughed through her bedroom said they hope the driver who was spared jail will get the mental health help she needs. Robyn Oxley, 62, was thrown from her bed, through a window and over the fence into a neighbour's yard, when Batoul Sleibi El Dirani, 30, smashed through her St Marys home in western Sydney, in October, 2022. Daisy and Josh Oxley told Daily Mail Australia they accept El Dirani was mentally ill at the time of the crash, but are disappointed there was no accountability for their mother's death. Speaking outside Penrith District Court on Tuesday, Ms Oxley's children, who had travelled from interstate to attend, said it was daunting to finally come face-to-face with the woman who claimed their mother's life. The children of a woman killed when a speeding SUV driven by Batoul Sleibi El Dirani (pictured) ploughed through her bedroom said they hope she will get the mental health help she needs READ MORE: Footage emerges of Home and Away star allegedly dragging a woman to the ground and stomping on her head Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger (pictured) is on the run from police Advertisement The siblings said their heartache has been compounded by the fact El Dirani is yet to apologise or show any remorse. Mr Oxley said they hope the tragedy will shed light on cracks within the mental health system. 'The evidence shows she was sick prior, so why wasn't she taken to hospital?' he said. 'More action should have been taken, and taken quickly. That may have prevented this. That's where I want to see change.' El Dirani was spotted by police wearing a navy blue dressing gown and walking barefoot down a western Sydney street on the morning of October 8, 2022. Moments before, she had been behind the wheel when her car crashed through Ms Oxley's home. But 18 months later, Judge Miiko Kumar found El Dirani was not criminally responsible for the crash and Ms Oxley's death because she was having an acute psychotic episode at the time. Reading a statement to the court, Josh Oxley said he did not wish any harm on El Dirani or her family despite his mother's tragic passing. 'I have to wish her the best treatment for her and her family,' he said. The court heard of his family's mental struggles after the crash, including financial difficulties for Mr Oxley and his wife due to an inability to work. They eventually faced the potential loss of their home as debt collectors called. Daisy Oxley said she would lie in bed after her mother's death and listen in fear to the sound of cars pulling out of driveways outside. 'What if this car decided to drive through my house?' she said. She described her mum as a 'staunch old bugger with a huge heart' and said she wanted the world to know her mother's name and what she stood for. El Dirani's SUV had been speeding down the road at more than 60km/h over the speed limit when it approached a T-intersection. Despite having a baby in the car, she drove straight through, hitting the gutter, going through a street sign, striking a tree and ploughing into Ms Oxley's home. The vehicle travelled through the house before hitting a water tower and a shed in the backyard and coming to rest. Daisy Oxley described her mum Robyn (pictured with her granddaughter) as a 'staunch old bugger with a huge heart' El Dirani fled the scene with the baby and was described by witnesses as being disorientated, unsteady and rambling to herself incoherently with dilated pupils, Judge Kumar said. She was involuntarily admitted to Nepean Hospital, where staff noted she was experiencing auditory hallucinations and 'bizarre delusions'. She was eventually discharged after being successfully treated with anti-psychotic medication. Psychiatrists agreed El Dirani had a mental health impairment at the time of the collision, diagnosing her with a major depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms. In finding that she was not criminally responsible for her actions, Judge Kumar ordered that El Dirani be sent to the Mental Health Review Tribunal to be assessed for treatment. Before departing, the judge extended her condolences to Ms Oxley's family, saying she 'was clearly a very, very loved woman'. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 A 'climate activist' Tesla driver who spent several weeks travelling in Europe crashed her luxury eco vehicle into another car after looking the wrong way because she 'forgot' she was driving in Britain, a court has heard. High-flying company director Olessia Willybiro, 43, had her two children in the back of her 100,000 Tesla Model X when she failed to look for oncoming traffic from the right hand side as she exited a service station on the A303 near Mere, in Wiltshire. It caused driver Damon Campion to crash into her driver's door, with his car ending up in a wooded area. Mr Campion suffered two fractures in his sternum and injured his hand in the 'traumatic' collision in which he said he felt 'lucky to be alive'. Willybiro, who lives in a 2 million home close to the banks of the Thames in west London, had been in Europe over the summer 'for a considerable number of weeks' where she had been driving on the right hand side of the road, magistrates were told. She claimed that upon her return home, 'her brain forgot that she was driving in the UK' and she checked the traffic in the wrong direction when she crashed on September 3 last year. High-flying company director Olessia Willybiro, 43, (pictured) had her two children in the back of her 100,000 Tesla Model X when she crashed on the A303 near Mere, in Wiltshire Willybiro had been abroad in Europe for a 'number of weeks' where she was driving on the right hand side and said she 'forgot' she was in Britain when she failed to look for oncoming traffic from the right hand side - causing Damon Campion to crash into her eco vehicle The management consultant - who has also set up her own tree planting project - has now been handed a community order and been disqualified from driving for a year. Willybiro had stopped at Willoughby Hedge services on the A303 near Mere, Wiltshire, for a 'short period of time'. The Russian-born driver worked in 'Operations and Finance' for 18 years but since the pandemic has 'dedicated her life to Climate Activism', according to her LinkedIn. She was driving a white Tesla Model X which can cost up to 131,080, has a max speed of 155 miles per hour, and travels from zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds. At the time, Mr Campion, a 52-year-old photographer, was driving eastbound towards the service station after visiting his son in Cornwall. Mr Campion's car ended up in the 'nearby wooded area' and the collision caused him to suffer 'two fractures to his sternum' and 'an injury to his hand'. In a victim impact statement, Mr Campion said he was 'happy to be alive' after the 'traumatic event'. He told the court: 'I have to be honest, life seems to be getting harder for me and my ability to cope seems to be diminishing. 'In the aftermath of the collision I was shaken up for a few months. My life has totally changed since the accident.' The court heard Mr Campion spent four days in hospital after the crash and had to take three months off work. A stock photo of a Tesla Model X, the model owned by Willybiro, which can cost up to 131,080 He added: 'In essence, the accident has completely changed mine and my family's lives and I fear it will never be how it once was.' Willybiro, from Fulham, whose 12 year old and eight year old children were in the car with her, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving. Representing her, Nick Redhead told the court: 'When I was speaking to her, I asked her whether she had been injured in the accident herself to which she replied, very quickly, "not physically", but she then became emotional.' The solicitor said it was 'clear' the accident has left 'mental scars' for the mother of two. He continued: 'The accident's as simple as the reason for it - she had been abroad for a considerable number of weeks and of course in continental Europe, they drive on the right. 'Of course, in this country, we drive on the left. 'She came onto the A303, she looked to the left - which would have been correct if she had been driving in France or Germany. She pulls out and collision is unavoidable. 'She simply looked the wrong way because she had a moment where the brain forgot that she was driving in the UK.' Willybiro, who sat tearily in the dock, was disqualified from driving for a total of 12 months. She was handed a community order, and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work as well as pay 199 in costs. Google has today unveiled its Doodle to celebrate England's patron saint, but it misses out one key detail. The search engine has marked St George's Day 2024 with a medieval-style logo depicting a fire-breathing dragon standing next to St George holding a rose, but there is no sign of the red and white cross. In fact, the last time the cross of St George was used on a Google Doodle was back in 2019. Various depictions of the legend of St George have since been featured, with interpretations of the dragon, the English rose and George himself. But the emblem of St George, the red and white cross, has not been incorporated for the last five years. The Google Doodle to mark St George's Day 2024 depicting a dragon and St George holding a rose (pictured) The Google Doodle to celebrate St George's day in 2023 depicted like a stained-glass illustration (pictured) The Google Doodle to celebrate St George's Day in 2022, with the dragon's tail forming the name (pictured) The Google Doodle to celebrate St George's Day in 2021 which appears like a tapestry or fairytale book illustration (pictured) The St George's Day Google Doodle for 2020 (pictured) which shows St George sitting next to a fire with the dragon The St George's Day Google Doodle from 2019 (pictured) is the last time the cross featured on the logo The Google Doodle for St George's Day in 2018 references the legend and Shakespeare The Google Doodle for St George's Day in 2017 depicts George slaying the dragon underneath a vine of roses (pictured) The Google Doodle for St George's Day in 2016 references Shakespeare and his plays The Google Doodle for St George's Day in 2015 depicting George slaying the dragon while on horseback (pictured) The Google Doodle for St George's Day in 2014 depicts George slaying the dragon (pictured) The Google Doodle for St George's Day in 2013 shows George slaying the dragon in a tapestry-style logo (pictured) This Google Doodle for St George's Day in 2012 appears like a vintage computer game (pictured) What is St George's Day? St Georges Day is the annual celebration in England of the countrys patron saint, St George. It is celebrated on April 23, because that is the widely-accepted date of his death. However, St George is the patron saint of Germany, Portugal, Greece, Moscow and Catalonia, among others. Who is St George? There is a dearth of information on St George. One thing is for sure - he wasnt English. It is believed that George born in Cappodocia, what is modern-day Turkey around 280 AD. His parents were Christian and George grew up in the religion. After Georges father died, his mother took him to Palestine. George ended up serving in the Roman army, rising to the rank of legatus. When using the search bar, users will see confetti and a banner of roses (pictured) The banner of roses above the search bar relates to the legend of St George. After slaying the dragon, roses began to bloom on the battlefield However, he protested the Roman armys treatment of Christians and was imprisoned. After refusing to renounce his Christianity, George was executed in Palestine, making him a martyr. Despite St Georges association with England, he never stepped foot on English land and wasnt a knight either. The legend of St George The legend of St George dates back to the Middle Ages when Crusaders returned to England to share his tale of bravery and sacrifice. They claimed he was a hero who saved a princess, chosen as a tribute by the King to satisfy a dragon's endless hunger. St George rescued the princess and the townsfolk from the dragon's clutches, by slaying the dragon with his lance. Rose bushes are said to have grown on the battlefield after the dragon's defeat and the townspeople held a feast in his honour. People who use the search engine today will see the Doodle come up, with a banner of red roses to accompany it. Google celebrates important cultural events around the world through Google Doodles which are colourful and sometimes animated illustrations on the tech giants homepage. The very first Google Doodle marked the Google founders', Larry Page and Sergey Brin, visit to the 1998 Burning Man Festival. The doodle was just a simple stick-man standing behind the second o in the Google logo. Sometimes the world changes overnight. Ten days ago we had gone to bed with the news that an armada of drones and missiles were already in the air, due to strike Israel from around two oclock in the morning UK time. And yet by morning they emerged from the fears of the darkness to find virtually no damage to their country. Pretty much all of the 300 weapons had been intercepted and destroyed. Iran had done its worst and Israel had done its best. It had stood up to the determined and deluded leadership of its bigger undemocratic bullying neighbour and survived. It should be celebrated by all democracy loving countries. Britain has been right to stand alongside our ally. Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons, said Britain can learn lessons from Israel in how the country defended itself from the aerial onslaught by Iran earlier this month Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip in January Its defence, and that of other nations such as Ukraine, has direct bearing on our national interests. Israels ability to defend itself, and later its targeted and limited response against Iran, showcased its capabilities. Those abilities gave it strategic choice, deterrence and diplomatic capital. You dont have to be a big country to be a powerful one. Israel has just under 10 million people with has a GDP of US $525 billion. There are lessons to be learned by how such a small nation can mount such a formidable defence. She chose to consistently spend around five per cent GDP defending herself. Her economy is strong not despite its investment in defence. It is strong because of it. You can see the investment in training, technology and infrastructure. You can see it in foreign policy, education and social welfare. Its population and economy are thriving as a result. Ten days ago the world did change overnight. But it did so because of years of preparation by Israel. We should be proud of her long-sightedness and ability to find long-term consensus on defence policy. We could look to Israels example, but we could also remember our own. It is not just our own freedom we have secured time and again. The British people place a high value on our ability to defend at home and protect our interests overseas. We have not followed the trend of other European nations and have kept defence spending strong. That spend must keep pace with the challenges and competitors we face. We have ambitions to be the most resilient nation on earth, to remain relevant to our allies, protect our interests and project our influence. The Royal Air Force too saw action the night of Irans attack. The war in Ukraine is the biggest Europe has seen since the Second World War. At home we face daily cyber-attacks from hostile actors, often backed by hostile states, and the threat to our people from terrorism is ever present. These obvious threats to our interests, combined with the aftermath of a global pandemic, have left people feeling worried and vulnerable. No words, only action will assure them. The announcement of steady annual increases in defence spending and reform will not only deliver the security Britian needs, but also resilience and growth. This will mean an extra 75 billion over the next six years. This will confirm our place as the biggest defence power in Europe, and second only to the USA in NATO. It gives our armed forces and the industries that support them they certainty they need to deliver the capabilities required. Strength is a choice. It is a choice the Prime Minister has made. A customer has slammed a cafe over the price of its avocado on toast, calling it 'basic'. The Hervey Bay Boat Club in Queensland recently served up the dish to a member, who paid $14.90 for what was described on the menu as 'smashed avocado served on toasted sourdough'. The cafe charges non-members $16.90 for exactly the same meal. The unhappy diner shared a photo on Facebook which shows two slices of white toast laid out on a plate next to a tiny pot of avocado and a slice of lemon. 'Wow... avocado on toast for $14.90,' the customer said. 'I have never seen such a basic version at any other cafe. The unhappy diner shared a photo on Facebook which shows two slices of white toast laid out on a plate next to a tiny pot of avocado and a slice of lemon Poll Is $15 too much to pay for avo on toast with basic sliced bread? Yes No Is $15 too much to pay for avo on toast with basic sliced bread? Yes 262 votes No 4 votes Now share your opinion Social media uses were scathing after seeing the photo online, including one who said they had visited the Boat Club and paid $38 for 'a bit of meat on mash'. 'Pretty poor, just gouging there,' one person wrote. 'They should be ashamed to charge those prices, let alone serve something so pathetic,' another said. Shoppers can purchase a similar loaf of bread from a supermarket for as little as $2.40, while avocados are currently retailing for around $1.20 each. Roberta Crouch, a retail expert from the University of the Sunshine coast, said customers have every right to expect quality for what they're paying for, but conceded that cafe owners are struggling to cope with cost of living pressures. The Hervey Bay Boat Club in Queensland recently served up the dish to a member, who paid $14.90 for what was described on the menu as 'smashed avocado served on toasted sourdough' 'The cost around that avocado on toast, is not just for the avocado on toast. It's the rent, it's the rates and taxes, it's the electricity, it's their insurance, and it's their wages,' she told Yahoo Finance. 'People just like to know where the $16.90 is going. And I think small businesses, especially little restaurants and sole traders, theyre making tough decisions these days based on what they think their revenue would be, versus what they might have to charge. 'So it's up to consumers to vote with their feet a bit more often. To demand some quality for what they're getting.' Daily Mail Australia reached out to the Hervey Bay Boat Club for comment. I've admired Michael Palin for half a century, dating back to his Monty Python era as one of our most witty and intelligent comedians. I've also followed his distinguished later career as an intrepid travel journalist, and a champion of charitable causes, ranging from better transport for north London to the rights of Indian hill tribes threatened by miners and even to aid for stammerers. I've welcomed Palin's various royal gongs and especially his recent knighthood. So it was with some sadness that I switched off halfway through Channel 5's new series of Palin in Nigeria. The choice of Africa's largest, most populous country for this latest venture is understandable. Less so is Palin's new tendency to see only the brighter side of the world's largest slum, spread across the muddy swamps of Nigeria's capital, once hailed by the Portuguese as the kingdom of beautiful lakes, or lagos. I've admired Michael Palin for half a century, dating back to his Monty Python era as one of our most witty and intelligent comedians, writes historian ZAREER MASANI. So it was with some sadness that I switched off halfway through Channel 5 's new series of Palin in Nigeria Most striking was the loss of Palin's characteristic wit and shrewd observation. Instead, he just smiled indulgently at the human catastrophe that is modern Lagos, with its mad traffic and enormous disparities of wealth, between towering high-rise blocks and teeming, filthy, disease-ridden slums. Palin's very bland comments were mostly about the 'colourful', crowds that surrounded him, made up largely of the migrant workers who flock to Africa's busiest city in search of work. Having sampled Lagos, Palin then embarked on a muddy journey by alternating boat and tuktuk to the nearby Atlantic coast. He was accompanied by a garrulous Nigerian lady Aduke Gomez, who was billed as 'a historian of slavery'. Though we never quite discovered her academic credentials, she described the horrors suffered by the unfortunate millions captured and sold, to be transported on those horrendous Atlantic crossings. Michael joined her with a comment about Britain leading the evil trade, totally incorrect as it happens, because he ignored the far larger numbers transported by other European slavers or the millions more who fed the Arab trade. The point at which I switched off was when Palin, standing on the beaches of the Atlantic, declared that this was a history that made him 'uncomfortable' to be British. 'The fact is that the British were the main proponents of the slave trade,' he intoned. He went on: 'What I've learnt today, what I've seen today, makes me feel well, at the very least, uncomfortable, despite being on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. 'Horrible things happened here. There's no getting away from it.' Had I stayed on, I'm told I might have enjoyed the retribution of him dodging alligators at a local Emir's palace. Having sampled Lagos, Palin then embarked on a muddy journey by alternating boat and tuktuk to the nearby Atlantic coast. He was accompanied by garrulous Nigerian lady Aduke Gomez, who was billed as 'a historian of slavery' Sir Michael Palin ignored the far larger numbers of slaves transported by other European slavers or the millions more who fed the Arab trade Above: Female African slaves in the 19th century What all this ignored, apart from one very cursory reference to the outlawing of slavery in 1807, was Britain's leading role in abolition and its huge expenditure in naval policing to end the transatlantic trade. Even more striking was Palin's complete silence on the role of the native African kingdoms that eagerly supplied the trade by capturing and selling them the slaves. Equally ignored, presumably to spare the feelings of his local 'historian', was Nigeria's current position as Africa's largest centre of modern slavery. That's a status conferred by the Global Slavery Index, maintained by the International Labour Organisation. The ILO numbers almost two million Nigerian men and women in modern slavery today, defined as either forced labour or forced marriage. That's a very harsh social reality, conveniently ignored not just by Palin and Channel 5 but by the woke multitudes of Black Lives Matter campaigners. The Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron freed more than 150,000 slaves over the course of six decades in the 19th century. Above: A painting by Reverend Robert Ross-Lewin - the chaplain on anti-slavery ship HMS London - showing Royal Navy sailors chasing a slaver ship near Zanzibar Modern slavery also barely figures in the curricula of what has now become a burgeoning industry in Slavery Studies across Western universities. Some like Harvard have not only dedicated academic departments to this blazing new discipline, but even professorial chairs. Bristol led the UK with a professorship in the history of slavery. Manchester followed suit, with Britain's foremost television expert on transatlantic slavery, David Olusoga, honoured with a chair in 'Public History'. Born in Britain of Anglo-Nigerian heritage, Olusoga fronted BBC programmes like 'Black and British: A Forgotten History', 'Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners' and even Desert Island Discs. His statements against Britain's slave-owning past predictably ignored the role of African and Arab slavers. Nor did his politics prevent him accepting the Order of the British Empire from King Charles last year for his 'services to history'. A knighthood will no doubt soon follow. Zareer Masani is the author of books including Macaulay: Britain's Liberal Imperialist and And All Is Said: Memoir of a Home Divided. In a tale that could only happen in the Sunshine State, a daring alligator was wrangled to safety after snuggling up to the wheels of an US Air Force plane in Florida yesterday. The reptile made a surprise appearance at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base on Earth Day, and was captured on video resting below an aircraft before being jostled away by conservationists. In footage shared by MacDill on their Facebook page, the unexpected visitor can be seen slithering onto the tarmac and slinking near the aircraft, seemingly eyeing it as a prime nesting spot. It wasn't long before the alligator made itself comfortable and nestled itself between the colossal wheels of the plane - making the beast look pocked-sized in comparison. In a video later shared by MacDill, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers can be seen springing into action as they lead to the alligator to safety. A daring alligator was wrangled to safety after snuggling up to the wheels of an US Air Force plane in Florida yesterday The reptile made a surprise appearance at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base on Earth Day, and was captured on video resting below an aircraft before being jostled away by conservationists Two officers use the weight of their body and precise techniques with the use of ropes to deftly wrangle the wayward reptile as it lurked perilously close to the aircraft. READ MORE: South Carolina diver reveals how he fought off a huge alligator with a SCREWDRIVER after the beast pulled him to the bottom of the river Advertisement MacDill joked that the alligator was pushed out of its home by Elvis, an even bigger gator known to frequent the area. The base thanked FWC for the help and added that the gator had been relocated to a more suitable location. In an update to their Facebook post, MacDill wrote: 'Our newest toothy Airman has been relocated to a more suitable environment off base. 'Special thanks to FWC for the assist. They think Elvis pushed this guy away from home. Great captions below! Happy Earth Day!' They added: 'UPDATE: The gator is now in the Hillsborough River.' According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the timing of the alligator's unexpected excursion may be linked to the onset of mating season. With courtship rituals commencing in early April and the height of mating season looming in May or June, it seems this adventurous alligator was on a quest of its own, seeking out a mate or perhaps simply exploring its surroundings. the unexpected visitor can be seen slithering onto the tarmac and slinking near the aircraft, seemingly eyeing it as a prime nesting spot It wasn't long before the alligator made itself comfortable and nestled itself between the colossal wheels of the plane - making the beast look pocked-sized in comparison In a video later shared by MacDill, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers can be seen springing into action as they lead to the alligator to safety Two officers use the weight of their body and precise techniques with the use of ropes to deftly wrangle the wayward reptile as it lurked perilously close to the aircraft It comes after an 11-foot, 750-pound blind alligator was removed from a home in upstate New York earlier this month. The 30-year-old alligator, nicknamed Albert, had been living in a man's home on Marie Drive in Hamburg, New York. According to environmental conservation officers, the man had designed his house to suit the alligator. The conservation officers alleged that the man, whose identity has not been reported, allowed visitors to get into the pool to pet the unsecured alligator. While the man did previously have a DEC license for possession of Albert, the license expired in 2021, and the man did not renew it. The deaths of five Channel migrants - including a small girl killed in front of her father - underscored the need to deter people from crossing from France through the threat of deportation to Rwanda, Rishi Sunak said today. The Prime Minister spoke after the latest tragedy struck the morning after his plan to start the flights to Kigali finally became law. Peers last night finally caved in and cleared the way for flights to East Africa to begin in the summer. But there was no immediate effect as more than 100 migrants took advantage of clement weather to attempt the crossing. The French coastguard said that the dead were three men, a woman and a child, as they undertook a major rescue operation off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Dany Patoux, of the Osmose 62 refugee charity, said that the father of the girl was also aboard the boat and 'saw his little daughter die before his eyes'. Wimereux's mayor blamed Britain for the deaths. Jean-Luc Dubaele said: 'Why do the English welcome them? Why do they absolutely want to travel to England? These are the questions that need to be asked.' However, en route to Poland today Mr Sunak told reporters that the deaths underscored the need to act to prevent the boats from setting off in the first place. 'I think that is just a reminder of why our plan is so important because there's a certain element of compassion about everything that we're doing,' he said. 'We want to prevent people making these very dangerous crossings. If you look at what's happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people. They are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies. 'We've seen an enormous increase in the numbers per boat over the past few years. This is what tragically happens when they push people out to sea and that's why, for matters of compassion more than anything else, we must actually break this business model and end this unfairness of people coming to our country illegally.' En route to Poland today Mr Sunak told reporters that the deaths underscored the need to act to prevent the boats from setting off in the first place. Hundreds set off for the UK from France early this morning, taking advantage of calm weather the day after Parliament finally approved a new law to send arrivals to East Africa. Ministers have said that one of their prime concerns in passing the new law is deterring people smugglers from putting people on the water in unseaworthy boats. The French coastguard said that the dead were three men, a woman and a child, as they launched a major rescue operation off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer. A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the Border Force following the small boat incident in the Channel. The Prime Minister has said 'nothing will stand in our way' of getting flights off the ground after the Government's Rwanda deportation plan passed through Parliament Charter planes are expected to leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, with Mr Sunak promising 'multiple flights a month', although minsters conceded numbers being sent to Kigali will be small at first. Some 290 million has already been committed to the Rwanda scheme, with a further 100 million earmarked over the next two years. The cost of putting each migrant on a plane is expected to reach 11,000 while Rwanda will get 20,000 for each asylum seeker relocated there and a 120 million top-up once 300 have arrived. UN and European leaders blast Rwanda plan Senior figures from the United Nations and the Council of Europe have condemned the Rwanda plan. Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, called on Mr Sunak to reconsider the plan, which he said sets a 'worrying global precedent'. Mr Grandi said the arrangement with Rwanda seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermining international co-operation, and that the legislation marks a breach of the Refugee Convention. Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said it 'seriously hinders the rule of law in the UK and sets a perilous precedent globally'. Council of Europe human rights commissioner Michael O'Flaherty urged the UK not to remove refugees under the policy and said the adoption of the Rwanda Bill 'raises major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law more generally'. Mr O'Flaherty said he was concerned that the Bill enables a policy of removing people to Rwanda without UK authorities assessing their asylum claims in most cases. He also called on the Government to reverse the Bill's 'effective infringement of judicial independence'. The Supreme Court ruled in November last year that the Rwanda policy was unlawful, saying there was a real risk that genuine refugees could be sent back to their country of origin and face ill treatment. The legislation overrides this ruling and declares Rwanda a safe country. The European Court of Human Rights, an institution of the Council of Europe, blocked deportation flights to Rwanda in 2022. Mr Sunak has insisted he will not let this happen again. Downing Street rejected the criticism. 'We have said repeatedly that we believe that, yes, this is some of the toughest legislation ever enacted, but it is also compliant with our international obligations,' a No 10 spokeswoman said. Advertisement Before the tragedy struck, Mr Sunak this morning said he would let nothing 'stand in our way', with hopes flights may start in July. The first asylum seekers are expected to be rounded up and detained within days after a political tussle over the controversial law finally ended in the early hours of this morning. The House of Lords had been engaged in an extended tussle over the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Monday, sending it back to the Commons five times in a bid to secure changes. But they relented just after midnight, paving the way for it to become law and allow delayed flights to start in July, in a move Tories hope will boost the party's hopes of being re-elected later this year. But the news did not appear to have filtered across the Channel, with more migrants boats filmed leaving the French coast near Dunkirk this morning heading for Britain. The unelected chamber ended the deadlock after MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to Parliament to that effect. The Government said the Lords amendment was 'almost identical' to the previous ones overturned by MPs. Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said the Government was prepared for 'inevitable' legal challenges to the Rwanda scheme. He told Times Radio: 'It's inevitable. I'm afraid that there will be challenges.. There are people who don't like this policy... the Labour lords, as we saw last night and the Labour Party, there are people who are determined to do whatever it takes to try and stop this policy from working.' In a video posted to social media, Home Secretary James Cleverly said the Bill 'will become law within days'. He said: 'The Act will prevent people from abusing the law by using false human rights claims to block removals. 'And it makes clear that the UK Parliament is sovereign, giving Government the power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts. 'I promised to do what was necessary to clear the path for the first flight. 'That's what we have done. 'Now we're working day in and day out to get flights off the ground.' Earlier in the upper House, the opposition did not press its demand for the Bill to include an exemption from removal for Afghan nationals who assisted British troops after what critics hailed as a concession. A Home Office minister said the Government will not send those who are eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) to Rwanda. The new law aims to clear the way to send asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats on a one-way flight to Kigali. Pictured: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaving Parliament at 11.30pm last night MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to that effect. Your browser does not support iframes. Peers admitted defeat in their desperate efforts to water down the legislation just before midnight, with one describing the moment as a 'funeral' Labour's Des Browne decided not to push his amendment after a concession from the government The last remaining tweak, tabled by Lord Anderson of Ipswich, had called for an independent monitoring commission to declare the African state safe before migrants could be sent there. The fifth round was the last, with the House of Commons wiping out the amendment. In bizarre scenes earlier, the Lords was briefly plunged into darkness thanks to a power cut. Rishi Sunak told a press conference yesterday in Downing Street he was ready to make MPs and peers sit through the night to break the impasse on the crucial legislation. Mr Sunak told peers his patience had run out, with his pledge to 'stop the boats' on the line. Pictured: Migrants crossing the Channel last month The legislation and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled scheme after the Supreme Court ruled the plan was unlawful. As well as compelling judges to regard the east African country as safe, it would give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Rwandan scheme is an 'extortionately expensive gimmick' and that if Labour wins the next election, they will introduce an alternative plan. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Cooper said: 'This is not a serious plan to actually tackle the problem. It's costing around half a billion pounds for just 300 people to be sent to Rwanda, that's less than 1 per cent of asylum seekers. It's not addressing the 99 per cent, it's not addressing the overall problem. Planes have already been booked and migrants will soon be detained ahead of deportation, he revealed (pictured: staff boarding a plane which was set to be the first to transport migrants to Rwanda in June 2022). Mr Sunak insisted he was 'not going to let a foreign court' block the deportations, after the European Court of Human Rights (pictured) in Strasbourg grounded the first planned flight two years ago in a late-night ruling. 'That's why Labour would replace the Rwanda scheme with a new plan to boost our border security, to go after the criminal gangs and their networks right across Europe. 'Not just on the French coast, so that we prevent boats from reaching the French coast in the first place. 'We'd also have stronger powers, stronger intelligence agreements, and new fast-track systems in the UK, so that we have a new returns and enforcement unit. 'Because returns of failed asylum cases have just plummeted over the last Conservative period. We need to actually turn that round and make sure that the system is properly enforced.' A teenage girl who vanished over the weekend in Washington state was found dead on Monday morning. Jenzele Couassi, 16, was last seen near Shoultes Road in North Marysville at around 5pm on Friday. Her family had been concerned for her well-being after she disappeared, saying that the teenager had been struggling with her mental health. Tulalip Tribal Police Department said that she was found in a tidal area where the Tulalip Bay meets Battle Creek. The official cause of death will be released by the local medical examiner at a later date. On Monday, dozens turned out for a vigil in memory of the teenager held in the parking lot of a nearby center. Jenzele Couassi, 16, was last seen near Shoultes Road in North Marysville at around 5pm on Friday On Monday, hundreds turned out for a vigil in memory of the teenager held in the parking lot of a nearby center While Couassi was not a tribal member, the local tribe wrapped her parents in blankets and sang traditional songs as if she was part of the community. Images taken at the vigil show dozens of fellow teenagers and the local community clutching candles and embracing each other. Friend Kaysie Collins wrote a letter to Couassi, telling Fox13: 'I wrote it like I was talking to her. She had such a big heart and such a kind soul. 'Me and her used to ride scooters from her house, and we'd always go see the sunset and look at the water.' Another friend Amari Flores did the same, telling the outlet: 'We had dreams of turning 18 and raising our kids together as best friends. 'I have a necklace with her that has a star and a moon on it, and she had the moon one and I have the star one.' An online fundraiser has also since been launched to help Couassi's family with funeral expenses. The GoFundMe says it hopes to raise enough fund to cover funeral expenses, with the rest going to help her family. Images taken at the vigil show dozens of fellow teenagers and the local community clutching candles and embracing each other An online fundraiser has also since been launched to help Couassi's family with funeral expenses In a statement, Tulalip Police Department said: 'Sadly, the deceased person found near the Tulalip Teen Center has been identified as Jenzele Couassi. 'It is devastating to lose any community member, particularly such a young person. 'Tulalip participated in her search over the weekend, provided support and will continue to cooperate with local agencies to assist in any way we can.' Accurate carbon accounting gives leg up to green transition 11:27, April 23, 2024 By Ji Juesu ( People's Daily In a plant of Shanghai Baosteel Packaging Co., Ltd. (Baosteel Packaging), machines were working on a beverage can production line, and the carbon consumption of each manufacturing process was shown in real time on a software on the computer of engineer Wang Zhiyou in an office building 15 kilometers away. According to Wang, the software JIMU LCA Cloud, developed by Shanghai E-C Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (E-C Digital), can also automatically generate carbon footprint reports of products. E-C Digital signs a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding with globally renowned sustainability consulting and software company GreenDelta. (Photo from E-C Digital) "Carbon accounting was both time- and energy-consuming, and the data were not very precise either. This software is easy to use, convenient and efficient," Wang said. E-C Digital is an internet company that focuses on cloud computing for quantifying carbon emissions of industrial manufacturers. Though it has a history of only seven years and its products were sold for only less than three years, the company has already helped many enterprises accurately calculate their carbon emissions. As green and low-carbon development has become a global consensus, different countries and regions, as well as different industry associations, have put forward their own paths to reduce carbon emissions. Since China set its "dual carbon" goals - reaching the peak of carbon emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060 in September 2020, the demand for carbon reduction among Chinese enterprises has grown rapidly in recent years. The precise quantification of carbon data is a foundational work for enterprises in advancing their green transformation, but its operation is not easy. To make carbon accounting as simple as "building blocks," E-C Digital went deep into industrial operations, transforming the smallest units, such as equipment units and manufacturing processes into individual "blocks," each of which contains all the relevant data for that process, as well as the logical relationships between the data and between the "blocks." This has truly lowered users' access to precise quantification of carbon data. In terms of corporate carbon accounting, E-C Digital developed the "JIMU Carbon Cloud" software, which includes built-in carbon accounting methods and models for 24 industries published by China. For product carbon accounting, the company launched the "JIMU LCA Cloud," which supports the development of multiple national-level, industrial-level carbon data management platforms, and those of leading enterprises. The software interface and operations are simple and clear, which means primary-level engineers can become proficient in using the software. For years, the can-making business unit of Baosteel Packaging had been hesitant about whether to upgrade the water-ring vacuum pumps on their production lines to screw vacuum pumps. Upgrading the equipment would require significant investment, but the water-ring vacuum pumps had high energy consumption and failure rates. After introducing E-C Digital's software, the company obtained precise data of energy reduction: screw vacuum pumps could save 1,300 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, and the electricity cost savings would cover the purchase of the new equipment in about a year and a half. With such data support, Baosteel Packaging's equipment upgrade began accelerating in 2022. Anji, east China's Zhejiang province, is the largest producer of office chairs in China. It is home to a number of small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. However, establishing a dedicated team of carbon accounting engineers is unaffordable for most of them, and purchasing third-party consulting services is generally expensive and time-consuming in terms of report delivery. Since 2023, office chairs produced in Anji have come with a "carbon label" that showcases the carbon footprint of products' entire lifecycle, which are enabled by E-C Digital. These carbon labels are developed by E-C Digital in collaboration with the Institute of Service-oriented Manufacturing under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. They aim at helping furniture-related small- and medium-sized enterprises in Anji carry out low-cost, efficient, and standardized carbon accounting, and deliver carbon footprint reports complying with relevant standards. "Reliable carbon footprint reports make our products more competitive," said the head of a furniture company in Anji. After seven years of development, E-C Digital has grown from a five-person startup team into a high-tech company with over 100 employees. Its business scope has expanded from steel and power to over 30 industries including non-ferrous metals, chemicals, petrochemicals, batteries, and new energy. It provides precise carbon data quantification and overall "dual carbon" solutions to over 1,000 clients through a cloud computing model. "China has a solid industrial foundation and a massive global trade supply chain system, providing extremely broad application scenarios for carbon quantification software. This is our advantage," said Zhou Jing, chairman of board of E-C Digital. E-C Digital has become the first non-European Union (EU) provider of carbon quantification tools recognized by the EU's environmental impact assessment mutual recognition platform. It is reported that multiple international manufacturing clients have contacted E-C Digital, hoping it can help them address carbon footprint information disclosure requirements for the EU market. "Our professionalism has gained international recognition," said Zhou. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) A YouTuber has been indicted on charges of installing spy cameras at dozens of early voting stations in the run-up to the recent parliamentary elections, prosecutors said Tuesday. The 48-year-old man was accused of secretly placing cameras, disguised as communications equipment, at 40 early voting stations in Seoul, Incheon, Busan and seven other cities nationwide in the weeks leading up to the April 10 elections. Investigations have shown that he secretly recorded conversations between government employees at some of the polling stations on a total of five occasions with the cameras. The Incheon District Prosecutors Office said Tuesday that the man was indicted under physical detention on charges of trespassing and violations of the Communications Secret Protection Act. In the previous police investigation, he said he wanted to monitor the National Election Commission's manipulation of the early voting turnout. Police have earlier referred two other suspected accomplices to prosecutors and are currently investigating nine other suspected accomplices. (Yonhap) The passing of Rishi Sunak's Rwanda deportation bill through Parliament comes more than two years after the plan was first announced. Nearly 80,000 migrants have arrived across the Channel since Boris Johnson unveiled the scheme in April 2022 - with its total cost soaring past 500,000million. But with the policy finally approved, an emboldened Mr Sunak has vowed to get the first planes into the air within 10 to 12 weeks - citing a string of numbers as evidence of the preparatory work that has already been done. These include getting 200 caseworkers ready to identify asylum seekers who will be served with 'removal directions' in the coming days, and increasing spaces in detention centres to 2,200 in order to hold the deportees until they can leave. Some 150 judges have been earmarked to deal with last-minute legal appeals in 25 courtrooms, while an airfield has also been put on standby - with 500 escorts already trained and another 300 ready in the next few weeks. The scheme will allow the Government to send asylum seekers 'entering the UK illegally' to Rwanda for their asylum claims to be processed there. Only 1,850 small boat migrants were removed from the UK last year - a tiny fraction of the overall numbers. Refugee charities oppose the policy as unethical and unworkable, and multiple legal challenges have both delayed it from being enacted and dramatically increased the cost for taxpayers. Its overall cost stands at more than half a billion pounds, according to the figures released to the National Audit Office. The spending watchdog also found it will cost 1.8m for each of the first 300 people ministers deport to Kigali. Home Office estimates suggest the cost per individual of the relocations would be roughly 169,000 'over the multiyear lifetime of the scheme'. Motivating the government is a desperation to reduce the flow of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, with more than 120,000 people arriving since 2018. Five people - including a child - died while attempting the perilous journey this morning, prompting Mr Sunak to warn that the tragedy underlined the need for the deterrent of the Rwanda scheme. The Prime Minister said criminal gangs were exploiting the vulnerable and 'packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies'. Also in the background is the Government's desire to cut the number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels in Britain while their claims are processed. Your browser does not support iframes. The Home Office previously spent around 8m a day on hotel bills but claims to be on track to clear 150 hotels by May. The House of Lords had been engaged in an extended tussle over the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Monday, sending it back to the Commons five times in a bid to secure changes. But they relented just after midnight, paving the way for it to become law and allow delayed flights to start in July, in a move Tories hope will boost the party's hopes of being re-elected later this year. But the news did not appear to have filtered across the Channel, with more migrants boats filmed leaving the French coast near Dunkirk this morning heading for Britain. The unelected chamber ended the deadlock after MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to Parliament to that effect. The Government said the Lords amendment was 'almost identical' to the previous ones overturned by MPs. Mr Sunak said: 'The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration. 'We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them.' Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said the Government was prepared for 'inevitable' legal challenges to the Rwanda scheme. The odds on a July general election dramatically dropped on the Betfair Exchange from 16/1 to 3/1 this morning after the bill passed through overnight. They were given food and medical attention as the US Coast Guard were called 27 Cuban nationals were rescued from a tiny craft around 20 miles off of Cuba A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued over two dozen migrants off the coast of Cuba after they signaled for help from a tiny wooden craft. The cruise liner set off from Tampa, Florida on Sunday, but diverted its course hours later after crewmembers spotted a group of 27 migrants stranded around 20 miles off Cuba. The migrants, made up entirely of Cuban nationals, were helped aboard before they received food and medical attention, reports Fox13. Cruise staffers notified the US Coast Guard, however it is unclear if the migrants remained on board after the vessel made a scheduled stop in Roatan, Honduras on Monday. The cruise is set to end in Florida on Thursday, where officials have typically repatriated Cuban nationals back to Cuba under similar circumstances. Before the rescue mission, the US Coast Guard said it had repatriated 348 migrants back to Cuba in the 2024 fiscal year, which began in October 2023. Footage captured the moment over two dozen Cuban migrants were saved from a makeshift wooden craft around 20 miles off the coast of Cuba on Sunday The group of migrants were offered food and medical attention as the US Coast Guard was called to the Carnival Paradise cruise liner The rescue mission came as crews aboard the 70,000-ton Carnival Paradise vessel - which houses over 2,100 guests and almost 1,000 staff - diverted course after spotting the migrants signaling for help Crews aboard the 70,000-ton Carnival Paradise vessel - which houses over 2,100 guests and almost 1,000 staffers - altered their course around 2:30pm while on route to Roatan. Despite the detour, the cruise arrived at its intended port at Mahogany Bay. Honduras on schedule on Monday, the cruise liner said. The vessel is next set to port at Cozumel, Mexico on Tuesday before concluding its trip in Tampa, Florida on Thursday. Trips on the five-day cruise start at $464. While it is unclear when the migrants were let off the cruise ship, one passenger remarked on Facebook that the group were 'cruising with us' after the rescue. The most recent heroics aboard the Carnival Paradise cruise ship were not the first time it has been used to save stranded migrants. In 2019, a sailor was rescued near Cozumel, Mexico, and over 20 migrants were saved in two separate incidents in 2022 by staff on board the cruise liner, according to Travel and Tour World. That same year, dramatic footage also captured a rescue mission aboard an 11-night Caribbean cruise from Rotterdam in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where 14 people were saved as a Category-1 storm rolled in. Earlier this month, another group of 16 migrants were saved from a makeshift craft close to the Florida coastline, as the US Coast Guard released a shocking image of the improvised vessel used. Sixteen migrants on board the craft made of planks of wood and scraps were picked up by officers before being repatriated back to Cuba. 'The Coast Guard's primary mission is to preserve human life at sea,' Lt. Matthew Miller, Coast Guard Seventh District, said at the time. Earlier this month, another group of 16 migrants were saved from a makeshift craft close to the Florida coastline, as the US Coast Guard released a shocking image of the improvised vessel used The Carnival Paradise cruise liner (pictured) has made similar rescue missions in years past, including saving over 20 migrants in two separate efforts in 2022 'The maritime environment is inherently dangerous. The Coast Guard and our HSTF-SE partners are committed to preventing unsafe voyages at sea and enforcing U.S. immigration laws and regulations,' Miller added. 'Do not take to the sea.' Following the rescue mission, the US Coast Guard said it had repatriated 348 migrants back to Cuba in the 2024 fiscal year, which began in October 2023. Efforts to enter the US illegally via boat have increased in recent years, with violence and unrest in neighboring Haiti causing a spike in daring attempts. On Friday, two days before the Carnival Paradise cruise rescue, a yacht was stopped by Miami-Dade County police marine patrol officers that turned out to be smuggling over 30 Haitian migrants. The stop near Key Biscayne, Florida, and was notably aboard a luxury 60-foot yacht, with migrants kept in a cramped cabin below the deck, reports the Miami Herald. A mountaineer plunged 1,000ft to her death after slipping into a rocky ravine in front of her horrified friends. Monica Reginato, 55, from Castelfranco, slipped and fell 984ft from the Cortina d'Ampezzo, on the Sorapiss mountain in the Dolomites, in northern Italy's Veneto region, on Saturday, April 20. She had been hiking with three of her friends and had all of the safety equipment including crampons but it was not enough to avert disaster. Reginato, along with her friends, had reportedly been carrying skis on her back when she tumbled to her death. The emergency services were called to the scene at around 3:30pm. Monica Reginato, 55, from Castelfranco, slipped and fell 984ft from the Sorapiss mountain in the Dolomites, on Saturday, April 20 Reginato had been hiking with her friends before the tragic accident occurred. Her friends were reportedly treated for shock following the fall. Pictured is the spot where her body was found A helicopter and medical personnel arrived at the site but could only confirm that Reginato had died instantly. She was reportedly an experienced mountaineer who had taught at a mountaineering school for 20 years. Reginato had reportedly fallen hundreds of metres into the gully, with rescuers having to use a 20-metre winch to retrieve her body. Images of Reginato show her smiling and laughing as she hangs off rocky boulders in helmets and safety gear. The mountaineering school paid tribute to Reginato on social media following her death, reported Il Dolomiti. It said: 'Dear Monica, a few hours ago you left for a new and long journey , the most mysterious of all journeys. 'After many years spent caressing the snow and the rock, you have chosen the environment dearest to you to live another adventure, this time the last one dismaying to say the least. 'After a sleepless night we still can't make sense of what happened, we are lost and confused but as soon as we close our eyes, your serene gaze and your smile appear in the darkness. 'We already know that it will be extremely hard. Your enthusiasm was an inspiration for all of us, your vitality gave us strength and your optimism lit up every space as soon as you crossed the threshold. 'You have given so much to our group: volunteer instructor, you have held the hands of dozens of students, transmitting to them the passion for the high lands and teaching prudence and preparation as essential requirements for each outing. 'We will miss you, but you will be missed even more by your family to whom we extend our thoughts of condolence and closeness - Dear Monica: have a safe trip'. The climber had volunteered at a mountaineering school, who paid tribute to her after her death. It said: 'Your enthusiasm was an inspiration for all of us, your vitality gave us strength and your optimism lit up every space as soon as you crossed the threshold' Local media said that her friends were treated for shock. According to Treviso Today, Reginato's funeral is set to take place on Wednesday at 3.30pm, in the Cathedral of Castelfranco Veneto. Before she died on Saturday, in the past month alone, Reginato had climbed in Carnia and Alpago on the Coglians and Guslon mountains. At the end of the funeral ceremony, on Wednesday afternoon, her body will be buried in the Castelfranco Veneto cemetery. It comes after an experienced climber, 42, died after falling into Washington state's Mount St Helens' 1,200ft crater earlier this month. The body of Roscoe 'Rocky' Shorey was discovered after he plummeted into the hole when a shelf of snow he was standing on apparently broke. A fitness influencer also died after falling into a ravine while filming a video of him and his pals exploring an abandoned ghost town in Italy. The group were exploring an ancient mountain village that had been abandoned in the 1970s following a severe flood. As the trio stood on a balcony with no railings, the tattooed influencer suddenly slipped and fell into a deep and rocky ravine. Fire brigade teams from the Melito Porto Salvo detachment and the SAF unit dashed to the scene but it was too late. It comes days after her own daughter was arrested for anti-Israel protests 'Squad' member Rep. Ilhan Omar showed solidarity with student activists protesting on Columbia University's campus against Israel while also calling the Jewish state's military operation in Gaza a 'genocide.' Omar'a statement came after her own daughter, Isra Hirsi, was one of the 100 or so activists arrested during a protest at the Ivy League school. 'On Thursday, Columbia arrested and suspended its students who were peacefully protesting and have now ignited a nationwide Gaza Solidarity movement,' the controversial Democrat wrote on X. 'This is more than the students hoped for, and I am glad to see this type of solidarity. But to be clear, this is about the genocide in Gaza and the attention has to remain on that.' Protests have been widespread across college campuses for a week now with activists holding often violent rallies at NYU, Yale and MIT. On Monday night, a riot broke out following a protest by pro-Palestine students at California Polytechnic University in the town of Arcata. Omar'a statement came after her own daughter, Isra Hirsi, was one of the 100 or so activists arrested during a protest at the Ivy League school Omar's daughter says she's has nowhere to live or eat after being suspended for participating in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University Hirsi (pictured right with her mother), 21, was part of a now days-long protest in support of Palestine that has drawn heavy condemnation from both sides of the political spectrum, including the White House In the wake of the protests in New York, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that he has pulled his donation money from the school. 'The school I love so much the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity is no longer an institution I recognize,' The Patriots' owner and Columbia graduate said on Monday. 'I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country.' Kraft added: 'It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of the many of us who have lost faith in the institution. The billionaire also said he hopes Columbia's Kraft Center for Jewish Student life serves 'as a source of security and safety for all Jewish students and faculty on campus.' Hirsi and two of her Barnard College classmates - the college is a sister school with Columbia - are among the more than 100 protestors have been arrested, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com. Hirsi, junior Soph Askanase and freshman Maryam Iqbal were all suspended. Hirsi has now revealed she has been evicted from campus housing and banned from the dining hall, leaving her without shelter and food. 'I was a little bit frantic, like, where am I going to sleep? Where am I gonna go? And also all of my s**t is thrown in a random lot. It's pretty horrible,' she told Teen Vogue. 'I was zip-tied for about seven hours and wasn't released for about eight,' adding that she didn't get out until a total of 13 hours after her arrest. Hirsi saved her harshest words, however, for Laura Rosenbury, the president of Barnard, who she believes overreacted. 'I think it's really on a school-by-school basis, and Barnard has decided to take a very egregious stand against us,' Hirsi said. She said that Rosenbury and Barnard's leadership ' feel like there isn't a big limelight on them right now and that they have the ability to do this, because [Columbia President Minouche] Shafik was on the congressional stage and is actively being harassed about what she's doing.' The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israels assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the groups Oct. 7 invasion. Tensions remained high Monday at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside. A beloved ostrich died last week after reaching beyond her exhibit's fence and grabbing and swallowing a zookeeper's keys. Karen, a five-year-old bird at the Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center in Kansas 'passed away in staff's hands' after keepers were unable to operate and retrieve the keys, a statement said. Staff consulted with experts around the U.S. for the adored ostrich 'to undergo surgical and non-surgical efforts to minimize the impact of the keys,' they said. 'Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful,' the zoo wrote on social media, reporting that they had sadly had to euthanize Karen on April 18. The adored ostrich had been at the zoo since March 2023. She was known for her love of playing in water 'and, best of all, being our "dancing queen!"' the zoo said. 'We are devastated by the loss of Karen,' interim director Fawn Moser said in a statement. 'She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community. 'Our thoughts are with our dedicated animal care team, who formed deep bonds with Karen during her time with us.' The zoo shared photos last summer of Karen 'enjoying her sprinkler' in the sun 'We are devastated by the loss of Karen,' interim director Fawn Moser said in a statement. 'She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community The zoo said it undertook an investigation into the events surrounding Karen's death and 'is taking appropriate actions regarding the team member involved.' The zoo also said it would review and enhance safety protocols for its animals. 'The circumstances surrounding Karen's passing serve as a solemn reminder of the importance of vigilance and care in maintaining the safety of our animal inhabitants,' a statement shared on social media read. 'The Topeka Zoo extends its deepest gratitude to the community for their outpouring of support during this difficult time,' it continued. Topeka Fire Department led tributes, writing: 'So sorry this happened! Karen will be missed. You are all in our thoughts.' User ashleyhamm22 added: 'I'm so very sad about this loss and my heart is with all members of the staff. Karen was such a fun addition to our zoo friends.' vkat_13 said: 'I am so heartbroken. I will miss watching Karen dance and play in the water.' Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium said on Topeka's Facebook page: 'We are so very sorry for the loss of Karen. Sending comfort to your zoo family.' L.A. Holloway wrote: 'I appreciate your openness about this tragic loss. Unfortunately, sometimes things happen, even when we do everything in our power to keep them safe.' Jennifer Himes Tauer said: 'Im so sorry!! She was such an engaging animal. My thoughts are with the team memberthey must be heartbroken. 'Please be compassionate and caring towards them as I know how much each of the staff is committed to the best care of the animals.' Samantha Ann-s added: 'So tragic and unfair! It's impossible to keep our animals from accidents, especially cases that you'd never expect. 'My heart hurts for the keeper involved. Animals are so led by curiosity, good and bad.' The Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center is home to more than 300 animals exhibited throughout 35 acres (14.2 hectares), according to its website. Karen was euthanized on Thursday, April 18, 2024, after grabbing and swallowing a zoo staff member's keys She was known for her love of playing in water 'and, best of all, being our "dancing queen!"' the zoo said Members of the community heartfelt messages following news of Karen's passing In 2019, a Topeka zookeeper suffered 'lacerations and punctures' after she was attacked by a tiger at the zoo. The woman was in the tiger habitat when it 'essentially tackled our keeper', according to then Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. She was reported to have suffered injured to the back of the head, neck, back and one arm, and required hospital attention. 'There really isn't a circumstance where they should have been in the same space, so there was some sort of error that occurred here,' Wiley admitted at the time. 'While this incident is very unfortunate, he [the tiger] did what a wild animal, what a wild tiger does.' Guests were reported to have witnessed the attack. The zoo was also briefly closed. The tiger - which is 'critically rare' was not euthanized on account of the attack. Donald Trump's team promised his valet Walt Nauta that if the former president earns a second term he would be pardoned in the classified documents scandal. Nauta, Trump's co-defendant in the case, was charged with lying to the FBI. But the valet was told that he would be pardoned if Trump earned another White House term, according to a November 2022 interview with the FBI. The interview was given to the FBI by a witness called 'Person 16' and described as someone who worked in Trump's White House. A redacted summary was made public on Monday. The federal classified documents trial is one of the four criminal cases against Trump. This one stems from the former president removing classified documents from the White House and bringing the materials to his residence at Mar-a-Lago after leaving office in 2021. Walt Nauta, valet and body guard to Donald Trump, leaves Trump Tower on Tuesday in the second week of the criminal trail against the former president for hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels Nauta (pictured with Trump in August 2023) is Trump's co-defendant in the classified documents case. He was promised by Trump's team he would be pardoned if charged with lying to the FBI in the classified documents case One of four criminal trials against the former president includes Trump removing classified documents from the White House after his term ended in 2021 and bringing the sensitive materials to his Mar-a-Lago residence (pictured) On Tuesday, Nauta and members of Trump's communication team were spotted leaving Trump Tower in New York City amid the second week of trial in the criminal case involving the former president's hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The case charges Trump with falsification of business documents related to the payment and is the first to reach trial in the criminal cases against Trump. The witness refused to be recorded during the interview. The summary indicated that Person 16 said it would be 'a far bigger risk for him in the Trump world' to have their voice or image recorded. 'NAUTA was told by FPOTUS' people that his investigation was not going anywhere, that it was politically motivated and 'much ado about nothing,' the interview summary says. It adds: 'NAUTA was also told that even if he gets charged with lying to the FBI, FPOTUS will pardon him in 2024.' FPOTUS refers to 'Former President of the United States' Donald Trump. Nauta's promised pardon is dependent on if Trump earns another White House term in the 2024 election, notes from the interview indicate. In June 2023, Special Counsel Jack Smith charged the Navy veteran with lying to the FBI and obstructing the investigation into removal of classified documents from the White House instead of turning them over to the National Archives. Trump was also charged in the case with obstruction and mishandling of classified and national defense information. Both Nauta and Trump pleaded not guilty. A new unsealed interview with Person 16, described as someone who worked in Trump's White House, reveals that Nauta was promised a pardon if the former president won another term in 2024 A Justice Department image shows boxes of documents spilling out onto the floor of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida Person 16 has not spoken with Nauta since Trump was in office, according to the redacted summary of the FBI interview. It also does not indicate how the witness was aware of the promised pardon. The witness visited Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida several times after Trump's presidency and during a November 2021 visit had told the former president to give 'whatever' documents he had back to the National Archives. 'Let them come here and get everything. Don't give them a noble reason to indict you, because they will,' the witness told Trump, according to the witness' account revealed in the summary. Health chiefs have launched an investigation into a popular children's play farm after 20 people including kids as young as one fell seriously ill after a day out petting lambs and calves. Visitors were struck down with sickness and diarrhoea symptoms after a day out at Gannow Farm, in Worcestershire over Easter. Some were hospitalised with an animal parasite called cryptosporidium - which in some cases can be fatal - after going to the attraction. The petting farm, which offers cuddles with lambs and calves, is now being investigated by the UK Health Security Agency after families contacted public health lawyers as they consider taking legal action. One of the children affected was Georgia Powell, four, who still remains ill and unable to return to nursery following a visit on Easter Monday. Has YOUR child been affected? Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk Sienna-Mai Southern (pictured feeding a lamb at Gannow Farm in Worcestershire) fell seriously ill after a family day out The GP advised Sienna-Mai went to hospital and she was admitted to Birmingham Children's hospital where she was treated with anti-sickness and rehydration medication Emily Fryer with her five-year-old son, Isaac, who also fell ill following a visit to Gannow Farm on March 27 this year One of the children affected was Georgia Powell, four, who still remains ill and unable to return to nursery following a visit on Easter Monday. What is cryptosporidium? Public health lawyer Jatinder Paul, who is representing the families, detailed the devastating impacts of the disease. He said: 'Cryptosporidium is a type of microscopic parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness in humans and animals. 'It can often have devastating consequences for the most vulnerable in society such as the elderly and children. 'It's commonly found in contaminated water sources, such as lakes and rivers, and can also be transmitted through contact with infected individuals or animals. 'It typically leads to symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting.' Advertisement Mother Michelle Powell, 41 from Redditch, Worcestershire, said Georgia was struck down with severe sickness and diarrhoea around a week later. Georgia has since tested positive for cryptosporidium and three weeks later continues to suffer with vomiting, diarrhoea and a lack of appetite. Michelle said: 'Easter Monday was meant to be a fun day out for Georgia to see the farm animals. I never dreamed it could turn into such a nightmare. 'To see your four-year old so sick was just devastating. 'You feel like there's nothing you can do and as time goes on with no improvement, you begin to be really concerned. 'Looking back, I did have some concerns when we arrived at the farm. 'It was obviously busy that day and I thought at the time there were too many people for each slot with the animals and not a lot of supervision. 'The lambs looked lethargic and unwell compared to previous visits and their faeces were everywhere, including the bails of hay set out for sitting on. 'Right now, our focus in seeing Georgia make a full recovery but we feel we really deserve some answers concerning what happened. 'There were so many in those pens that day, that I'm not surprised to hear we're not alone in having fallen sick.' Another Redditch family including mum Danielle Furlong, 33, and daughters, Sienna-Mai Southern, and Darcie Southern, aged nine and three, also fell ill after a trip on April 2. Both girls began to feel poorly a few days later and, on April 11, contacted their GP. The GP advised Sienna-Mai went to hospital and she was admitted to Birmingham Children's hospital that day. She was treated with anti-sickness and rehydration medication. Sienna-Mai was discharged later that day, but continues to be unwell, as does sister Darcie. Sienna-Mai is a national winner in girls' motocross and due to the continuing effects of her illness has been unable to race since. Danielle said: 'This was one family day out we'll always remember for all the wrong reasons. Sienna-Mai pictured on a hospital bed with her sister Darcie who also fell sick after a day out at the farm He became increasingly unwell as the week progressed and was admitted to hospital after he hadn't eaten for four days 'When the girls fell ill, it was a huge concern and we're all continuing to live with the effects weeks later. 'Darcie now feels well in herself but it was obvious Sienna-Mai was badly affected. 'I knew she wasn't well but it was such a shock to have to go to hospital. Even now, Sienna-Mai isn't her usual self. 'It's been a really traumatic experience for her and it has really hit her confidence for six, not only that, she's not been able to compete in her sport. 'I think a lot of the families like us just want some answers at this point. 'We've been told illnesses like this can be serious and we don't want others to go through what we have.' Emily Fryer's five-year-old son, Isaac, also fell ill following a visit to Gannow Farm on March 27 this year. As Isaac began to become increasingly ill the week following the visit, Emily, 44, took her son to A&E at Royal Worcester Hospital. Initially told he had flu-like symptoms, Isaac was discharged, only to return when he hadn't eaten in four days. Isaac was admitted and doctors advised he might need a cannula and feeding tube, but it was ultimately agreed he would be fed using a syringe. He remained in hospital until April 9, with a diagnosis of gastroenteritis but a stool sample couldn't be taken until April 17. They are waiting for the results of the tests. Isaac missed over a week off school and still remains unwell. Emily, of Redditch, said: 'Week on from first falling Ill, Isaac is still not back to his usual, lively self. 'He's a shadow of the boy he was, and continues to be lethargic and is falling asleep at school, which is not like him at all. 'We're just hoping he now goes on to make a full recovery. 'We had no choice but to attend A&E, which was a traumatic experience for all of us. 'It was such a difficult few days and Isaac was very distressed during his stay in hospital. 'I can't believe all this could happen following a simple family day out to a farm. 'The animals did look unwell but you take it staff know best in these situations. 'It was clearly far too busy and as such, there was a distinct lack of supervision available in the pens where it was needed. 'I wasn't shocked to learn that other people had similar experiences to us and had fallen ill in the same way. 'It doesn't sound like any changes were made between any of these visits and you would hope now that lessons will be learned and something positive comes out of this. 'We all need answers to make sure no other family days out end with children in hospital.' Jatinder Paul, the specialist public health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is supporting the families, said: 'The first-hand accounts we've heard from the families who have contacted us following visits to Gannow Farm around the same time are deeply concerning, especially as most infected are young children. 'We're now supporting more than 20 people who have all fallen seriously ill following their visit to the petting farm. Georgia Powell, 4, is still ill after a visit on Easter Monday and has been unable to return to nursery 'Some who've had their health seriously affected and continue to suffer the effects. 'Parasitic infections like cryptosporidium can be very serious, particularly for the most vulnerable, such as older adults or young children and in some cases can prove fatal. 'While we welcome the news that UKHSA is investigating, we're working with our clients to look at the wider impact on them and working to secure them with the answers they deserve. 'If during our investigations any issues are identified, it's vital any lessons are fully learned and any issues relating to the spread of this disease addressed to avoid risk to others in future. 'We would be interested in speaking to anyone who may have been impacted by this incident at who would be able to assist with our investigations.' In a Facebook post, the farm said: 'We at Gannow Farm take the welfare of our visitors very seriously and for that reason we have decided to close for the remainder of the 2024 Farm Experience. 'This is a decision taken by the team and not by governing bodies however we are working closely with them as always. 'All bookings for April 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st will be fully refunded, please bear with us while we work through this difficult time. 'We would like to wish anyone that is poorly a speedy recovery.' Rishi Sunak has sparked a row after lining up Sir Tim Barrow, his national security adviser, as Britain's next ambassador to the US. The Prime Minister is said to have plumped for Sir Tim, who played a key role in the Brexit negotiations with the EU, for the prestigious position. He is expected to take over from Dame Karen Pierce, the current ambassador, after the US election in November. But Mr Sunak prompted anger from Labour who questioned why the PM was 'rushing through' a key diplomatic appointment before the UK's own general election. They warned they could 'revisit' Sir Tim's appointment if Sir Keir Starmer replaces Mr Sunak in Downing Street. Mr Sunak's decision to send Sir Tim to Washington DC is also a blow to those who had been touting Nigel Farage, an ally of Donald Trump, for the ambassadorship. Rishi Sunak has sparked a row after lining up Sir Tim Barrow, his national security adviser, as Britain's next ambassador to the US Prior to becoming national security adviser, Sir Tim served as the UK's ambassador to the EU, which saw him tasked with formally triggering Article 50 in March 2017 Labour warned they could 'revisit' Sir Tim's appointment if Sir Keir Starmer replaces Mr Sunak in Downing Street Mr Sunak's decision to send Sir Tim to Washington DC is also a blow to those who had been touting Nigel Farage, an ally of Donald Trump, for the ambassadorship The PM all but confirmed Sir Tim's appointment as Britain's new ambassador to the US when he said he will appoint General Gwyn Jenkins (left) as his new national security adviser The PM all but confirmed Sir Tim's appointment as Britain's new ambassador to the US when he today said he will appoint a top general as his new national security adviser. Mr Sunak said General Gwyn Jenkins, one of the most senior officers in the Armed Forces, has the 'requisite set of skills' for the role. Prior to becoming national security adviser, Sir Tim served as Britain's ambassador to Russia and then the UK's top diplomat in Brussels. This saw him tasked with formally triggering Article 50 of the EU treaty to pave the way for the UK's exit from the bloc. He was subsequently a prominent member of Britain's negotiating team in Brussels during the Brexit process. Sir Tim's likely appointment as the UK's man in Washington DC, first reported by the Financial Times, has sparked anger among Labour ranks. A party official told the newspaper: 'By needlessly rushing through vital diplomatic appointments so close to both the UK and US elections, the Tories are putting their party interests before the national interest once again. Labour also warned they could override Mr Sunak's decisioon and install their own preferred candidate in the role if Sir Keir becomes PM. The official added: 'If Labour wins the privilege of forming the next government, we would of course reserve the right to revisit senior diplomatic appointments made in the run-up to the general election.' Mr Farage told The Telegraph that Sir Tim was 'not exactly an imaginative choice from a dying Government'. He added: 'He is a better appointment than some, but can he connect with a Trump White House?' As a strong ally of ex-US president Mr Trump, who is seeking a return to the White House as the Republican nominee at November's election, Mr Farage had been touted by some as a possible UK ambassador to Washington DC. Fretting Tory MPs recently urged Mr Sunak to name Mr Farage as Britain's next top diplomat in America as part of a deal to stop him spearheading Reform UK's general election campaign. Conservatives are increasingly worried about Reform's rise in opinion polls and fear a return by Mr Farage to frontline politics could turbocharge the insurgent party's growing popularity. Both Mr Farage and Reform rejected the idea of any pact between him and the Tories ahead of the general election. Asked about the looming change of ambassador to Washington DC, Mr Sunak today told reporters travelling with him to Poland: 'The ambassadorial or diplomatic appointments are always made in the usual way, which they will be. 'And it's entirely normal for those to be made in advance, entirely normal, entirely keeping with precedent because ambassadors designate often go and acclimatise themselves and build relationships before they formally start.' Announcing Gen Jenkins' appointment, Mr Sunak said: 'I'm really pleased that Gwyn is going to do this job. 'In an incredibly uncertain and increasingly dangerous world, it's important the person doing this job has the requisite set of skills to provide advice to me and to help navigate that landscape. 'As many of you know, he has a very distinguished career in the Armed Forces, he was in the special forces as well as serving in No10 as a military advisor and deputy national security adviser. 'I'd just point out it's the first time we've had someone with a military background in that job and obviously he has worked in No10 as well so has that policy experience. 'We need someone in that job who can blend a range of different skills together, diplomatic, intelligence, military operations. 'I have worked with Gwyn very closely since I've been PM he's first-rate, the country is lucky to have his service, the Government is very lucky to have his advice.' The PM also said he was 'very grateful' to Sir Tim. 'He's been at the heart of foreign policy with me and really strengthening the UK's alliances and making sure we are involved and engaged and influential on the world stage,' Mr Sunak said. Gen Jenkins is currently the vice chief of the defence staff. Parents of Columbia students are being encouraged to demand refunds after the college cancelled all in-person classes as it struggles to get a grip on pro-Palestine protests. Embattled president Minouche Shafik announced that remote learning will remain in place for the college's 37,000 students until the end of the Spring semester amid the ongoing tensions. Turmoil at the university ramped up on Monday during the major Jewish holiday of Passover, when protesters camped out for the seventh day in an attempt to urge the school to divest from companies with financial ties to Israel. 'Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students' learning and all the required academic operations,' said the Ivy League school, which charged $66,139 for full tuition during the 2022-23 academic year. The arrangement is set to last until at least April 29 the last day of classes, with teachers encouraged to, 'provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week'. Parents of Columbia students are being encouraged to demand refunds after the college cancelled all in-person classes as it struggles to get a grip on pro-Palestine protests. Groups of protesters are seen on the grounds on April 23 Remote learning will remain in place until the end of the Spring semester amid the ongoing tensions. Protesters are pictured at the college on Monday April 23 Embattled president Minouche Shafik, pictured giving evidence to Congress on April 17, is now facing calls to resign amid the unrest The policy is in place across all of Columbia's four campuses and comes at a crucial time when many students are cramming for finals. The decision has been met with fury by many, who have accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students. 'If a parent has a child at Columbia, they should demand a refund and then sue for breach of contract,' Governor Mike Huckabee wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He posted in response to a clip of researcher Shai Davidai being barred entry from the school, after he staged a pro-Israel counter protest. Sources at the university said he was denied entry after refusing to hold the demonstration in a designated area. 'A degree from Columbia today is not worth more than a roll of toilet paper,' New York Councilwoman Inna Vernikov said. 'Parents: definitely demand a refund and compensation!' The ire is only fueling calls on both sides demanding the resignation of beleaguered Columbia president Shafik. Reps. Elise Stefanik, Tim Scott and John Fetterman are among the lawmakers urging her to step down. 'These protests are antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous,' Fetterman said. The decision to suspend in-person classes has been met with fury by many, who have accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students. Pro-Palestine protesters are seen at Columbia April 22 Unrest has been mounting at the campus since last week with more than 100 pro-Palestine activists arrested. Cops are pictured ahead of a press conference on April 22 Columbia charged $66,139 for full tuition during the 2022-23 academic year 'Add some tiki torches and its Charlottesville for these Jewish students. To Columbia President Minouche Shafik: do your job or resign so Columbia can find someone who will.' Stefanik meanwhile said the campus has become overrun by 'anarchy' as she urged Shafik to resign. The struggling president also drew criticism from pro-Palestine supporters following her disastrous testimony before Congress about the rise in anti-Semitism on campus. The appearance led to rival protests on campus with more than 100 pro-Palestine demonstrators arrested. It comes as several high-profile donors expressed their outrage over the situation, with many pulling funding or renewing their commitment to stop supporting the school. Billionaire Robert Kraft was among those so appalled by the scenes he decided to remove his financial support for the institution. The school I love so much the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity is no longer an institution I recognize,' New England Patriots' owner and Columbia graduate said on Monday. 'I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country.' Turmoil at the university ramped up on Monday during the major Jewish holiday of Passover, when protesters camped out to urge the school to divest from companies with ties to Israel Pro-Palestian protesters gather on the campus of Columbia University in New York City on April 23, 2024 Similar encampments have sprouted up at universities around the country including Yale and NYU (pictured) Lawmakers including Governor Mike Huckabee and NY Councilwoman Inna Vernikov have encouraged parents to seek refunds from Columbia High-profile donors have spoken out over the protests, with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pulling his funding The protests have been ongoing since Shafik testified before Congress about anti-Semitism on campus Hedge fund boss Leon Cooperman did not hold back while addressing the escalating demonstrations. 'These kids are f***ing crazy. They don't understand what they're doing or what they're talking about,' Cooperman, the son of Jewish-Polish immigrants, told CNN on Monday, adding the protesters 'have to be controlled.' Sources told the New York Post that billionaire businessman Len Blavatnik was also mulling whether to axe his funding. The outlet reports that Cooperman, Blavatnik, and Kraft have donated $100 million in total to Columbia. The demonstrations at Columbias green have been going on since last week. Similar encampments have sprouted up at universities around the country including Yale and NYU as schools struggle with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses. Washington state is cracking down on AI deepfake porn after a senator's daughter's friends were targeted by a 'nudify' app which removes clothes from photos. Caroline Mullet, a ninth grader at Issaquah High School near Seattle, appealed to her father State Senator Mark Mullet to do something about the worrying trend after a boy at a homecoming dance started sharing explicit photos of her friends. A boy at the dance had used an AI app to 'strip' the girls' dresses from photos of them and then shared them around the school. Her father, along with Representative Tina Orwall, proposed legislation to ban sharing AI-generated sexually explicit pictures of real minors - the bill passed and will come into effect in June. Washington is one of many states leading the fight against a nationwide crisis of deepfake porn which has seen hundreds of thousands of women from schoolgirls to Taylor Swift and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez targeted. Caroline Mullet, told her father State Senator Mark Mullet after fake sexually-explicit photos of her friends circulated after a homecoming dance A boy at the dance had used an AI app to 'strip' the girls' dresses from photos of them and then shared them around the school The technology is now so accessible that anyone can upload a photo of a friend or stranger and 'nudify' them in seconds, like on this site Another site advertises that its 'free' and 'anonymous' and there are no age checks or blocks to accessing it Amid a lack of federal legislation, states have been racing to combat the explosion of AI-generated deepfake porn. The technology once lurked in the darkest corners of the internet but it is now so accessible that anyone can upload a photo of a friend or stranger and have a fabricated sexual image or video of them in seconds. For the women targeted - women make up 99 percent of the victims, according to a recent study - the results are traumatizing. Often these fake videos and images are violent, depicting victims being raped. Some victims are left too scared to leave the house for fear someone has seen the footage - with one woman heartbreakingly describing how she became so desperate she almost jumped off the top of a tall building. Caroline's friends were targeted last fall when they discovered a male classmate had taken their photos and entered them into a 'nudify' app. Caroline told the New York Times her friends were 'extremely uncomfortable' and so she decided to ask her father for help. Addressing state lawmakers in January, she said: 'I hate the idea that I should have to worry about this happening again to any of my female friends, my sisters or even myself.' Soon after, her father, Sen. Mullet worked with Rep Orwall to propose legislation to ban the sharing of AI-generated sexually explicit depictions of real minors. The bill passed unopposed and will come into effect in June. Under the law, first offenders could face misdemeanor charges and people with prior convictions would face felony charges. Her father, along with Representative Tina Orwall, proposed legislation to ban sharing AI-generated sexually explicit pictures of real minors - the bill will come into effect in June The technology is so prolific that posts and adverts for 'undressing' applications pop-up on mainstream professional networking site LinkedIn Since the start of last year over 24 states have proposed legislation to combat deep fake porn of minors, according to data compiled by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. South Dakota passed a law making it illegal to possess, produce or distribute deepfakes of real minors. Similarly, Louisiana enacted a law that criminalizes A.I.-generated sexually explicit depictions of minors. But the legislation is still riddled with holes with legal uncertainty remaining around whether deepfakes of minors count as 'child sexual abuse material'. It's a race against the clock as apps that create these terrifyingly realistic images have become so prolific, scores of ads for them are even popping up unchecked on professional networking site Linkedin. One promising step is the Defiance Act, new federal legislation with bipartisan support to amend the Violence Against Women Act so that people can sue those who produce, distribute, or receive deepfake pornography. If the bill passes it will be the first federal law to protect victims of deepfakes. By Jung Da-hyun The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul is set to host an extraordinary zoo-themed event, completely devoid of real animals, from May 3 to 6. The Seoul Design Foundation announced, Monday, its plans for the Design Zoo as part of an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the opening of DDP. This unique zoo-themed event, timed to coincide with May, known as the month of family gatherings, will feature a variety of attractions and activities centered around animal themes. The Design Zoo will be located at DDP Oullim Square, providing a unique experience for families and children, especially allowing children to run around freely. The square will host animal-designed rides inspired by popular creatures like giraffes and lions, offering a playful environment for kids to enjoy. Visitors can participate in programs focused on creating animal-themed sculptures and experiencing animal play activities. Additionally, musical performances including animal-themed classical, Korean traditional music and character concerts are scheduled to be held at DDPs grass hill. Character parades featuring performers in animal masks will also take place. Several companies known for their animal-themed branding will join the event, offering AR experiences, photo zones and various activities featuring their iconic animal characters. KT Genie TV Kids Land, known among children for its beloved animal characters, and Nongshim, a food and beverage company recognized for its raccoon-themed branding, are set to host engaging events for attendees during the event. Hyundai Department Store Duty Free, which is taking the leading role in the campaign to protect abandoned dogs, plans to promote an adoption campaign for the upcoming event. It also plans to promote an environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG)-oriented campaign. The event will also feature performances by renowned orchestras like the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra, performing music related to animals. These performances are scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 3 and 7 p.m. on May 6, the opening and closing days of the event. Advance reservations for the Design Zoo can be made through a reservation system of Naver until Thursday, and on-site registration will be available during the whole event period. Participation in each program is free. Detailed information about the festival's offerings can be found at ddp.or.kr. A 23-year-old Manhattan woman was raped in her own apartment building by a predator attacked her on the stairs and told her: 'If you scream, I'll shoot you.' The terrifying ordeal occurred on early Sunday morning when the suspect encountered the woman on the second floor of the building near Thompson Street and Prince Street in New York City. Building surveillance cameras caught the creep leaving in a hoodie. The video captures the man wearing a black hoodie with red lettering forming a heart shape, dark pants, and orange sneakers as he sneaked into the building around 4:10 am on Sunday. He was already inside the building when he attacked, putting the victim in a chokehold then raping her. A man raped a 23-year-old woman in her Soho apartment building and threatened to shoot her before fleeing the scene, police said 'If you scream, I'll shoot you,' the assailant told the victim, as reported by the NYPD, who released surveillance footage of the suspect entering the building The terrifying ordeal occurred early Sunday morning when the suspect encountered the woman on the second floor of the building near Thompson and Prince Streets in New York City As of Tuesday morning, the suspect remains at large. He was last seen heading southbound on Thompson Street. On Monday, authorities released footage of the suspect and appealed to the public for assistance in identifying and locating him. In the video, the suspect can be seen walking along the sidewalk and passing the building entrance initially. He doubled back and grabbed the door as someone, possibly the victim, was walking inside the residential building. NYPD initially said the suspect followed the woman into the apartment building, as captured on surveillance camera. The 23-year-old was walking up the stairs when she encountered the attacker, who was walking down from the third floor, according to PIX11. He allegedly walked past her, approached her from behind, placed her in a chokehold and forced her into the second-floor hallway, police said. Although the video does not depict him carrying or simulating a weapon, sources said he threatened the 23-year-old, stating, 'I have a gun.' That's the moment he shoved the woman to the ground and sexually assaulted her. He allegedly caused injuries to the victim's right knee, resulting in bleeding, as reported by the New York Post. The video captures the man wearing a black hoodie with red lettering forming a heart shape, dark pants, and orange sneakers as he sneaked into the building around 4.10 am Sunday In the video, the suspect can be seen walking along the sidewalk and passing the building entrance initially. He doubled back and grabbed the door as someone, possibly the victim, was walking inside the residential building The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, as local communities are startled by the horrifying incident. 'You just think that you're safe, and it's never going to be you. And then it is. So I mean, I'm glad. I know now I'm going to be even more aware than I already am. It's just terrifying,' Soho resident Alexa Everett told ABC7. Those working in the bustling neighborhood of NYC were also shocked, including Crystal Xu. She told the outlet, 'I feel like it's always just safe to be like, you know, hyper-aware of your surroundings just anywhere in New York, like no matter how, you know, busy or so if you think you are, you never know.' The estimated monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the building where the alleged rape occurred is $3,800, according to Zillow. Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT A migrant mother-of-two who felt isolated in her new Australian home drove to a remote area and set herself and her two daughters on fire, after having told her husband she was taking the girls to McDonald's. James Swan Palakamannil has given the Coroners Court of Victoria a harrowing account of what his life has been like since his wife Jasmine Thomas and daughters Carolyn and Evlyn died in a Melbourne car fire two years ago. 'To see the coffin go down with all of your favourite people in it changes your life,' he told the court on Tuesday, The Age reported. 'I will never be the same again. Never get to touch, feel or see them again. They will remain pictures on a screen. 'On March 24 (2022), the sky became three stars richer.' Jasmine Thomas and her two children, Carolyn and Evlyn (pictured together with Ms Thomas), died in a car fire in Melbourne's south-east on March 24, 2022 On Tuesday, the Coroners Court of Victoria ruled Ms Thomas intentionally covered her car (pictured) in petrol and set it alight with herself and her two girls inside Mr Palakamannil remembers how three-year-old Carolyn would drag a chair to reach the front door handle and open it as he arrived home from work every day. She would always be wearing her favourite colour, pink. Her older sister, six-year-old Evlyn, 'was the boss of the house'. 'She wore the pants,' Mr Palakamannil told the court. Their mother Jasmine Thomas suffered from postnatal depression and then became paranoid during the Covid pandemic. On the night on March 24, 2022, Mr Palakamannil had returned to their Lyndhurst home in Melbourne's south-east to find their daughters playing on a mobile phone and his wife laying in bed. A short time later, Ms Thomas told him she was taking the girls to McDonald's. However, CCTV footage showed the mother first went to a service station in nearby suburb Cranbourne West where she bought and filled a jerry can. Ms Thomas then drove herself and her daughters to a McDonald's car park where they sat until about 7.30pm. Less than 10 minutes later, she drove to a secluded spot on the Western Port Highway, covered her car in fuel and set it alight with herself and two daughters inside. Emergency services rushed to the scene after a passer-by reported the fire, which was brought under control in 15 minutes. Ms Thomas, Evlyn and Carolyn all died in the horrific blaze. Carolyn's and Evlyn's (pictured) father, James Swan Palakamannil, said 'the sky became three stars richer' the night they and their mother died The court heard Ms Thomas suffered from postnatal depression and grew paranoid during the Covid pandemic (pictured, emergency services responding to the fire) 'Suddenly, there is no one waiting for me at the door,' Mr Palakamannil told the court through tears. '[I'm now] living in an empty and silent house.' Mr Palakamannil and Ms Thomas had married in India in 2012 after meeting on an arranged marriage website. The couple, who were both born in Kuwait, moved to Australia and were granted permanent residency in 2015. Mr Palakamannil recalled how the Gulf War inspired him to teach Evlyn to be a good person. 'I watched her take her first steps, say her first words. I'd give her pep talks before bedtime about famine and the war and how kids go hungry, about global warming and climate change to put a desire in her heart to be a force for change,' he said. Ms Thomas worked in Melbourne hospitals as a nurse but unexpectedly resigned from Mulgrave Private Hospital in 2021. However she stayed as a casual employee at Dandenong Hospital. During this time she told her family she was having marriage problems. Through tears, Mr Palakamannil told the court: 'To see the coffin go down with all of your favourite people in it changes your life' (pictured, the site of the fire) State Coroner John Cain found Ms Thomas deliberately took her life and those of her two children in an act of family violence (pictured, the aftermath of the fire) Coroner John Cain noted Ms Thomas had contacted a number of professional services, including police, and experienced postnatal depression. He found those services had no opportunity to prevent her murder-suicide. 'Despite child protection and Victoria Police holding concerns about her mental health, as she was not assessed as acutely unwell and did not wish to engage in services, she did not receive any formal assistance or diagnosis,' Cain said. Instead, the court heard how Ms Thomas was socially isolated with her problems often disregarded by her extended family. 'My late wife, Jasmine, tried her best. I wish she had sought help. She struggled to connect and engage with people and make friends. When she couldn't any more in the process she took out my most prized possessions,' Mr Palakamannil said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 PANDA 1300 726 306 Newly released footage from a Las Vegas daycare shows the moment a teacher allegedly picks up and violently shakes a girl. Footage from DJ's Christian Preschool/Daycare shows Lilly Royal, 3, allegedly being vigorously picked up and swung back and forth by an unidentified teacher on April 19. Kayla Zomerdyk and Nashawn Royal, the parents of the young girl, were notified about the incident after it was reported by another teacher to the Henderson Police Department on the same day. Zomerdyk later said: 'Obviously seeing my child get snatched up like a little ragdoll is obviously something you dont want to see. Its definitely going to make you upset. 'They had the opportunity to be honest, upfront. Be accountable for everything that happened that day and prior, so they let that opportunity go', Royal added. Footage from DJ's Christian Preschool/Daycare shows Lilly Royal, 3, allegedly being vigorously picked up and swung back and forth by an unidentified teacher on April 19 DJ's Christian Preschool/Daycare 'is a family-owned and operated business' for children between the ages of two weeks to five years old and uses the Abeka curriculum, a Christian-based teaching method After the video went viral, the daycare center told 8NewsNow that the teacher has been fired. But that is not enough for the distressed parents. 'So firing the teacher for me is not justice, because they never fired the teacher until the video went viral. 'Justice for me is DJ's Christian Center getting completely shut down,' said the upset mother. The school has also denied all claims of child abuse and when asked why the incident happened, said: 'We're all human', according to the channel. Kayla Zomerdyk, Lilly's mother said: 'Obviously seeing my child get snatched up like a little ragdoll is obviously something you dont want to see. Its definitely going to make you upset' The school has denied all claims of child abuse and has supposedly fired the teacher Officials have yet not arrested or charged the accused teacher. Parents of the young girl have also filed a complaint with child protective services. According to Care.com, the daycare 'is a family-owned and operated business' for children between the ages of two weeks to five years old and uses the Abeka curriculum, a Christian-based teaching method. The Henderson Police Department has said an investigation is currently underway. DJ's Christian Preschool/Daycare did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com's request for comment. The court is expected to decide the case in June. It has since attracted protests The Supreme Court has been divided over a challenge to the constitutionality of ordinances that fines people who are homeless from using blankets, pillows, or cardboard boxes for protection from the elements while sleeping within city limits. A town in southwest Oregon made the case Monday, arguing the ordinances merely bar camping on public property by everyone, while challengers contended the laws effectively make it a crime to be homeless. The city of 39,000 known as Grants Pass recently started fining people $295 for sleeping outdoors to combat homeless encampments springing up in the city's public parks, and the rising housing costs that came as a result. The court is expected to decide the case by the end of June. Most appeared inclined to uphold the series of local ordinances. Justice Brett Kavanaugh cited cities' autonomy, as he and others pointed out how the state has some of the highest rates of homelessness and drug addiction in the US. Some have referenced the state of cities like San Francisco, where no such systems are in place. A Grants Pass, Oregon, police officer issues a citation to a homeless woman camped in a city park on Monday. The town has appealed a district court ruling that barred officials from fining locals for sleeping outside Most of the court appeared to be in favor of upholding the ban, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh (pictured), who cited cities' autonomy, among other things 'The law here, how does it help if there's not enough beds for the number of homeless people in the jurisdiction?' Kavanaugh, 59, asked on Capitol Hill Monday, questioning how they employ such a law since it has less shelter beds than homeless. 'When you get out of jail, what's going to happen then?' he pressed further, citing how similar laws have failed. 'You still don't have a bed available so how does this help?' He added: 'If...[they] end up in jail for 30 days, then get out, [they're] not going to be better off than you were before in finding a bed... if there aren't beds available.' That argument held sway in a separate case, Martin v. Boise, in 2018, when a panel of judges from federal court officials in Idaho ruled the city Boise violated the constitutional rights of homeless people by imposing criminal penalties for sleeping and camping outdoors because the city did not have enough beds. Raising concerns dissidents could again use such a defense, the conservative also pointed out that imposing criminal penalties on a homeless person for sleeping in a public space does not necessarily ensure their circumstances will be improved. He also warned that solving homelessness is a complicated issue, asking aloud at one point, 'I think one of the questions is, who takes care of it on the ground' he asked at one point. He also warned about federal courts 'micromanaging' policy - emphasizing the far-flung, isolated nature of the case. 'The law here, how does it help if there's not enough beds for the number of homeless people in the jurisdiction?' Kavanaugh asked Monday, questioning how the employ such a law since it has less shelter beds than homeless. Pictured, a homeless person in Grants Pass last month A used needle is seen on the ground on Friday, March 22, not far from the elementary school. Supporters of the fine have cited how the state or Oregon - a notorious Democrat stronghold - has some of the highest rates of homelessness and drug addiction in the US Volunteers helped dismantle tents to move an 80-year-old man and a woman blind in one eye, who risked being fined for staying too long, at Fruitdale Park - a hive for homeless activity - in March A volunteer provides food, medical care and other basic goods to the hundreds of homeless people living in the town parks, as the amount of homeless in the town of 39,000 have caused housing prices to skyrocket Other conservatives asked how far Eighth Amendment legal protections should go, as Grants Pass appeals a district court decision that barred officials from enforcing its public camping ordinances at night and during the day without 24 hours' notice. 'How about if there are no public bathroom facilities, do people have an Eighth Amendment right to defecate and urinate outdoors?' asked Justice Neil Gorsuch, to which Justice Department attorney Edwin Kneedler replied that other laws should cover such a situation. He said people shouldn't be punished just for sleeping outside, but also disclaimed the ruling striking down the Grants Pass law as unconstitutional - since the state didn't do enough to determine whether those sleeping on the streets and park of Grants Pass were 'involuntarily homeless.' Gorsuch and other justices also pondered whether other aspects of state or federal law could address the issue, without setting a new standard of sweeping legal precedent in process. The case began in the rural town last year, when it began fining people for sleeping outside as the cost of housing escalated and tents sprung up in the city's public parks last year - often near local schools. In October, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declared anti-camping ordinances in San Francisco violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits 'cruel and unusual punishment'. The circuit court ruling also restricted interventions in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Washington, and lastly, Oregon, while a separate ruling from the court halted bans on homeless people 'using a blanket, pillow, or cardboard box for protection from the elements'. Activists gathered outside Supreme Court as the justices debated, mulling a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment Activists demonstrate at the Supreme Court as the justices consider a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday Homelessness in the US rose 12 percent last year to its highest reported level, as high rents and a decline in pandemic assistance combined to create a pseudo housing crisis where buying has become drastically more difficult That came after Governor Gavin Newsom's office filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to clarify 'that state and local governments can take reasonable actions to address the homelessness crisis creating health and safety dangers for individuals living in encampments and our communities'. Theane Evangelis, a lawyer representing Grants Pass through the proceedings, disagrees. 'The tragedy is that these decisions are actually harming the very people they purport to protect,' she told Fox News in January in anticipation of take the case to the country's highest 'We look forward to presenting our arguments.' On Monday, she argued that Grants Pass, 'like cities nationwide...relies on camping laws to protect its public spaces', and thus should be allowed to hand out the fines. The court of appeals, she claimed, tied the hands of the town and other municipalities in the 9th Circuit 'by constitutionalizing the policy debate over how to address growing encampments.' On Monday, a lawyer representing the city told the justices that Grants Pass, 'like cities nationwide,' 'relies on camping laws to protect its public spaces.' California currently reports over 170,000 homeless individuals with 7,800 in San Francisco The San Francisco-based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law under its holding that banning camping in places without enough shelter beds amounts to cruel and unusual punishment Gov Gavin Newsom insists he takes responsibility for California's spiraling homelessness crisis, where drugs are openly dealt on the streets of the area which is blighted by homelessness In September, Gov Gavin Newsom's office filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to clarify 'that state and local governments can take reasonable actions to address the homelessness crisis creating health and safety dangers for individuals living in encampments and our communities' In October, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declared anti-camping ordinances in San Francisco violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits 'cruel and unusual punishment'. San Francisco saw 620 reported overdose deaths in the first nine months of the year But Justice Kavanaugh, again, was hesitant to believe that reversing the circuit's decision and allowing for the ordinances would make a difference. As this was occurring, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Supreme Court Monday morning to advocate for more affordable housing, holding silver thermal blankets and signs like 'housing not handcuffs.' Homelessness in the US rose 12 percent last year to its highest reported level, as high rents and a decline in pandemic assistance combined to create a pseudo-housing crisis where buying has become drastically more difficult. More than 650,000 people are estimated to be homeless, the most since the country began using the yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. Nearly half of them sleep outside. Older adults, LGBTQ+ people and people of color are disproportionately affected, advocates said. In Oregon, a lack of mental health and addiction resources has also helped fuel the crisis- something cited by Kelsi Brown Corkran Monday, as she made her case representing the challengers. She stated that since Grants Pass defines a 'campsite' as anywhere a homeless person is within the city with a blanket, it is 'physically impossible for a homeless person to live' in the town without facing fines or jail time. The order barring the city from enforcing its ordinances, she claimed, is enough to address its homeless problem. On Monday, most of the justices - Kavanaugh include - appeared to be leaning toward a narrow ruling in the case, citing debate over homelessness in Western states like California. An encampment in Washington, DC, this past winter is here Theane Evangelis, a lawyer representing Grants Pass through the proceedings, On Monday, she argued that Grants Pass, 'like cities nationwide, relies on camping laws to protect its public spaces', and thus should be allowed to hand out the fines On Monday, most of the justices - Kavanaugh included - appeared to be leaning toward a narrow ruling in the case, citing debate over homelessness in Western states like California, and the sweeping precedent it would instill Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out sleeping is a biological necessity, before stating that people will simply be forced to do it outside if they can't get housing Sleeping is also a biological necessity, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out - stating that people will simply be forced to do it outside if they can't get housing. 'Where do we put them if every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a law identical to this? Where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves, not sleeping?' she said. The San Francisco-based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law under its holding that banning camping in places without enough shelter beds amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. On Monday, most of the justices - Kavanaugh included - appeared to be leaning toward a narrow ruling in the case, citing debate over homelessness in Western states like California. The region, which includes LA and San Francisco, is home to one-third of the country's homeless population. The court is expected to decide the case by the end of June. Donald Trump praised Mike Johnson and pushed back on efforts from his own followers to oust the speaker in a seemingly toned-down message after the House passed a $95 billion foreign aid package over the weekend. Trump is seemingly calling off the attempt by his top ally Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust the GOP leader for putting the package - including $60 billion for Ukraine - on the floor without any border security measures. 'Look, we have a majority of one, OK? It's not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do,' the former president said on Real America's Voice Monday night. The House GOP's majority has slimmed down to a one-vote majority after the departure of Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher. 'I think he's a very good person. You know, he stood very strongly with me on NATO,' Trump went on. 'I think he's trying very hard.' Though Trump has backed Johnson up before, appearing with him at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago weeks ago, it is the former president's first defense of the speaker since he passed a bill to send more aid to Ukraine. Donald Trump praised Mike Johnson and pushed back on efforts from his own followers to oust the speaker in a seemingly toned down message after the House passed a foreign aid package over the weekend Johnson has rankled conservative hardliners by cutting deals with Democrats on full-year government spending, putting a bill to reauthorize FISA, a surveillance tool, without warrants on the floor and passing Ukraine aid On Saturday the House passed a $95 billion package with $60 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and Gaza and around $4 billion for the Indo-Pacific. The Senate is poised to pass the package as soon as today and President Biden plans to sign it promptly. Johnson has rankled conservative hardliners by cutting deals with Democrats on full-year government spending, putting a bill to reauthorize FISA, a surveillance tool, without warrants on the floor and passing Ukraine Three Republicans - led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a staunch Trump acolyte - have signed on to a motion to vacate Johnson from the speakership over his handling of spending and foreign aid. Trump has not taken as hard an opposition to Ukraine as some GOP hardliners, noting the country is 'in desperate need' but insisting Europe should do more to help. 'Why isn't Europe giving more money to help Ukraine?' Trump mused on Truth Social. 'Why is it that the U.S. is over $100 billion into the Ukraine war more than Europe, and we have an Ocean between us as separation!' Three Republicans - led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene , R-Ga., a staunch Trump acolyte - have signed on to a motion to vacate Johnson from the speakership over his handling of spending and foreign aid 'As everyone agrees, Ukrainian survival should be much more important to Europe than to us, but it is also important to us! GET MOVING EUROPE!' The former president went on: 'In addition, I am the only one who speaks for "ME" and while it is a total mess caused by crooked Joe Biden, and the Incompetent Democrats, if I were president, this War never would have started!' The package has laid to bare a rift within the GOP almost as vast as the on between the two parties. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., tore into Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance for his anti-Ukraine aid stance over the weekend. Vance had written in a New York Times op-ed that Ukraine could not win the fight against Russia even with U.S. aid. 'Ukraine's challenge is not the GOP; it's math. Ukraine needs more soldiers than it can field. And it needs more materiel than the United States can provide,' Vance wrote. 'That is garbage,' Graham shot back on Fox News Sunday. Trump on Monday came out against banning TikTok; a provision in the foreign aid bill would force Chinese-owned ByteDance to divest TikTok within nine months or else face a U.S. ban. 'Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok. He is the one pushing it to close, and doing it to help his friends over at Facebook become richer and more dominant, and able to continue to fight, perhaps illegally, the Republican Party. Its called ELECTION INTERFERENCE!' the former president sounded off on Truth Social on Monday. In 2020, Trump signed an executive order banning the platform in 45 days if it were not sold by ByteDance, but a court blocked the ban before it could take effect. Three Republicans - led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene , R-Ga., a staunch Trump acolyte - have signed on to a motion to vacate Johnson from the speakership over his handling of spending and foreign aid Trump backed up Speaker Johnson once again despite the $60 billion aid package to Ukraine Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky., meanwhile raised First Amendment concerns and called Ukraine 'corrupt.' 'The censors who abound in Congress will likely vote to ban TikTok or force a change in ownership,' he wrote in an op-ed for Reason. 'It would violate the First Amendment rights of over 100 million Americans who use TikTok to express themselves.' He sounded off about Democrats waving 'corrupt' Ukraine flags on the House floor as they voted on the package. 'Ukrainian flags fly in the chamber of the UNITED STATES House of Representatives as they vote to send more of your hard-earned money to a corrupt foreign regime. And just like that they shout UKRAINE! UKRAINE!while happily working to secure Ukraines borders, not ours.' Conservatives have welcomed the mistrial of Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly who was accused of shooting dead a Mexican migrant on his land. Kelly, 75, was accused of killing Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea last January at his home in Nogales, near the Mexican border. Prosecutors said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men about 100 yards away on his cattle ranch. Outside of court on Monday after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision after more than two full days of deliberation, Kelly said 'let me go home'. Speaking to reporters, he said: 'It is what it is and it will be what it is, let me go home. I will keep fighting forever, I won't stop.' The Mexican Consulate in Nogales have since said they hope the state will re-try the case and that justice will be served. Outside of court on Monday after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision after more than two full days of deliberation, Kelly, seen here, said 'let me go home' Kelly, 75, was accused of killing Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, seen here, last January at his home in Nogales, near the Mexican border Moreno said: 'Mexico will continue to follow the case and continue to accompany the family, which wants justice. We hope for a very fair outcome.' Meanwhile Robby Starbuck, who ran for the House of Representatives in Tennessee in 2022, said: 'A group of illegal immigrants invaded the property of George Alan Kelly. 'After he saw guns, George defended his wife and home by firing warning shots in the air. 'One illegal died and a woke DA tried to charge George with murder. A Jury voted 7 to 1 today that he's NOT GUILTY. 'The judge declared a mistrial. George did nothing wrong. At least for now, a great injustice has been avoided. 'Prosecutors now have to decide if they'll try to bring the case a second time which would be crazy given that he was only one juror away from a not guilty verdict.' While former Fox producer Breanna Morello posted: 'George Alan Kelly's second-degree murder trial ends in a mistrial!! 'This was a waste of tax payer's money. Kelly was innocentthe government was guilty.' His defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp said only one juror wanted to convict and seven jurors wanted to acquit. Conservatives have since welcomed the mistrial of Kelly, with one saying it was a waste of tax payer's money Prosecutors said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men about 100 yards away on his cattle ranch, seen here Kelly is confident he will be acquitted if there's another trial: 'They want ice water in you-know-where. And they ain't got it. So, it is what it is' Kelly had said that he fired warning shots in the air, but he didn't shoot directly at anyone in the group Kelly is confident he will be acquitted if there's another trial: ''They want ice water in you-know-where. And they ain't got it. So, it is what it is.' 'We got no choice. We have to do it,' he told the Arizona Daily Star. 'If you're in a sand trap, you gotta keep hacking until you get out.' He was charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Cuen-Buitimea, 48, who lived just south of the border in Nogales. Kelly had said that he fired warning shots in the air, but he didn't shoot directly at anyone in the group. The other migrants weren't injured and they all made it back to Mexico. He was also charged with aggravated assault against another person in the group, including a man who testified that he had gone into the US that day seeking work. Cuen-Buitimea lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico, having entered the US illegally several times and was deported, most recently in 2016, court records show. The nearly monthlong trial coincided with a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security. George Kelly and his wife Wanda arrive for an arraignment hearing at the Arizona Superior Court in Nogales, Arizona County Attorney Michael Jette addresses jurors during closing arguments in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in Nogales Judge Thomas Fink told jurors that if they could not reach a verdict on the second-degree murder charge, they could try for a unanimous decision on a lesser charge of reckless manslaughter or negligent homicide. A second-degree murder conviction would have brought a minimum prison sentence of ten years. The jury got the case Thursday afternoon, deliberated briefly that day and then all of Friday and Monday before the judge declared a mistrial. On Monday, Judge Fink said: 'Based upon the jury's inability to reach a verdict on any count. This case is in mistrial. The Santa Cruz County Attorney's Office can still decide whether to retry Kelly for any charge, or drop the case all together. A status hearing was scheduled for next Monday, when prosecutors could inform the judge if they plan to refile the case. An ultra-trendy Italian cafe in Sydney suddenly closed its doors after the manager was charged with child sexual abuse offences. Claudio Simonella, 54, who worked at Cafe Nino in Woollahra, is accused of intentionally sexually touching a young girl and assaulting her. His family had run the popular restaurant for decades before it mysteriously shut down weeks ago. Cafe Nino provided no explanation for the closure, with just a voice message on its answering machine saying 'unfortunately we are closed until further notice'. Claudio Simonella, 54, who worked at Cafe Nino in Woollahra, is accused of intentionally sexually touching a young girl and assaulting her Officers attached to State Crime Command's Child Abuse Squad started investigating the alleged abuse in December last year. A NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that Simonella was arrested at a home in Woollahra in January. He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where he was charged with eight offences, including six counts of intentionally sexually touching a child and two counts of common assault. Simonella was granted conditional bail and is expected to face court again in May. The restaurant was named among the best in Sydney's eastern suburbs in 2021 Cafe Nino has long been popular with both locals and celebrities for it's classic dishes and intimate atmosphere. 'In the restaurant business, dining fads come and go but tradition will always win out in the end,' the website reads. 'Our tradition stems from the family recipes perfected over generations that we now proudly serve to you, your family, and friends.' The restaurant was named among the best in Sydney's eastern suburbs in 2021. A young Arizona mother was caught on video lobbing punches at a school bus driver after accusing her of speaking badly about her daughter. Hermenegilda Marquez, 27, was arrested April 17 and charged with one count of felony aggravated assault on a school employee. Surveillance video released by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office shows the school bus stopping near an intersection to let several children off. The victim, as a 64-year-old substitute driver, told police that Marquez approached and began shouting at her. As the students shuffled off the bus, Marquez demanded, 'Are you talking s*** about my daughter?' Hermenegilda Marquez, 27, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault on a school employee after attacking a bus driver Surveillance video shows the young mother boarding a school bus and shouting at the driver, accusing her of 'talking s***' about her daughter The driver repeatedly tells her to get off the bus, but Marquez begins to lob punches and yank the driver's hair The driver didn't acknowledge her, so Marquez repeated herself and stormed on board, clad in a midriff-bearing top and denim shorts. 'No! Get off my bus,' the driver said. She later told police that she didnt know Marquez or her daughter. Two other parents began to lambast the driver. 'This is not the bus stop where you're supposed to be dropping off the kids,' one said, also boarding the bus. 'This is not the first time we have complained about you.' 'Okay. Get off my bus,' the driver repeated. Marquez got off, but later climbed back on to confront the driver again. As the woman picked up a radio headset, Marquez swung at her. The 27-year-old began to slap the victim in the head and face before 'closing her hands into fists and continuing to pummel the victim with both hands,' according to court documents. She grabbed the radio cord while telling the bus driver to 'do something now' and get off the bus. A man, identified by police as Marquez's boyfriend, grabbed her and pulled her away. Marquez climbed off the bus after the first confrontation, but later got back on to throw punches as the victim picked up a radio headset Investigators wrote that Marquez showed no emotion when told that she was facing felony charges The 27-year-old was already on unsupervised probation for assault when she was arrested on April 17 As she was being taken off the bus, Marquez gripped the drivers hair with both hands and attempted to yank the woman from her seat. Luckily, the seatbelt stopped her. The driver radioed for help before she began screaming again. Police said her pacemaker began to shock her. She was later treated for minor injuries. There were 11 children on board when the attack occurred. Marquez drove off but was swiftly identified and detained. At the time of her arrest, the 27-year-old was already on unsupervised probation for assault. She said she understood her Miranda rights, then immediately invoked her right to counsel when asked if she knew why she had been arrested. 'The defendant was shown video of the attack on the bus and was told that because she was on video committing the assault, she would be charged with a felony,' investigators noted. Marquez allegedly showed no emotion upon hearing the charges. The migrant boat that capsized and left five people dead including a little girl was allowed to continue its journey and was escorted towards the UK by the French Navy. Three men, a woman and a four-year-old girl drowned after the dinghy they were on flipped over in the early hours of this morning off the coast of northern France, casting around 112 people into the Channel. Today, a Calais official admitted that while dozens were rescued and brought back to France, 58 people refused to leave the ship. Instead, they restarted the engine and continued their journey to Britain 'under the surveillance of the French Navy'. Elements of the French forces trying to stop migrants crossing the Channel illegally are funded by the British taxpayer. A migrant dinghy floating in the Channel today as a clipper sails towards it A dinghy - believed to have been used to cross the Channel - is taken off a recovery boat at the Port of Dover A helicopter of the Emergency medical services takes off from Wimereux on April 23 The regional governor of the Calais region, Prefet Jacques Billant (pictured), condemned the human traffickers who packed this morning's victims into the boat It is thought the small boat was launched from Wimereux in northern France, between Boulogne and Calais Early this morning, the migrants initially launched their ship from Wimereux beach. French police tried to stop the migrants until they got into the boat, at which point the officers gave up, the BBC reported. The regional governor of the Calais region, Prefet Jacques Billant, said: 'They managed to restart the engine and decided to continue their sea route towards Great Britain under the surveillance, of course, of the French Navy.' He condemned the human traffickers who had packed this mornings victims into an overcrowded boat. Prefet Billant said: 'Some 112 souls were packed into that boat. It was unseaworthy not properly inflated and completely overcrowded. 'To send people into the sea in a boat in that state is an act of murder. 'We arrested five people on human trafficking offences this morning.' Another air ambulance was seen landing at the side of the beach in Wimereux One of the helicopters was seen flying low over the beach at Wimereux this morning Emergency vehicles were seen beside an ice cream shop on the beach at Wimereux in France this morning An emergency SAMU air ambulance was one of three that responded to the tragedy A police officer looks on in Wimereux, near Calais, after migrants died in an attempt to cross the English Channel Rescue boats were also seen off the coast of northern France as emergency services searched for survivors Emergency workers rushed to the sea in a bid to save migrants who got in trouble while trying to cross the Channel Prefet Billant said the heavily overladen vessel set sail from a beach north of Wimereux at about 3am this morning but came to a halt with engine trouble shortly afterwards. During this time some 47 people fell into the water, including the four-year-old girl. However the heartless traffickers managed to get the boat's engine started again and continued their journey across the English Channel with 58 people on board. The boat is believed to have completed its journey and arrived on the British shore at around lunchtime today. Prefet Billant refused to offer comment on Britain's Rwanda deportation plan. He said simply: 'My job is to stop the people traffickers and I will use every resource at my disposal to do so.' The little girl's father was rescued by emergency services and taken to Wimereux beach, where he burst into tears and fell into the arms of refugee charity workers 'in a daze'. Dany Patoux, from the Osmose 62 refugee charity, saw the father return to the beach. He said: 'We knew the little girl well. We have photos with her, with a big smile on her face, in the hope of a better life. 'But now, everything is ruined. Her father fell into our arms right away. He was crying, in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes.' A member of the French Gendarmerie talks with a driver of a passing car in Wimereux, near Calais French police stopped another boat (pictured) from leaving northern France today It was one of four that French police stopped from launching this morning The furious Mayor of Wimereux Jean-Luc Dubaele (pictured) said the latest tragedy was all the fault of the British Officials said six 'lifeless bodies' were found this morning and taken to Wimereux beach, which is between Boulogne and Calais. One person was resuscitated but five sadly died. French police tried to stop the flimsy craft launching from the beach in the early hours of Tuesday. Yet the French failed to stop the migrants and were faced with migrants holding long sticks and throwing flares and firecrackers. Once the migrants had got into the boat, the French police stopped trying to prevent them leaving, the BBC reported. The migrants got into difficulty when the dinghy struck a sandbank exposed by the retreating tide. This sparked panic and caused people to stand up, which unbalanced the boat. People started falling into the water before the boat capsized, 'flinging everybody in to the very cold sea,' a French maritime prefect said. He said: 'Weather conditions were very calm, and hundreds of people were trying to get onto the boats at first light. 'Officers had already dispersed a number of them on Monday night, and confiscated nautical equipment including inflatable boats, outboard engines, life jackets and cans of fuel.' Another overloaded dinghy was pictured in French waters after the incident this morning Migrants, many of them in life jackets, were seen with their feet dangling in the water They were escorted by French patrol boat Minck and met in the Channel by a UK Border Force ship Despite the police operation, hundreds of men, women and children still managed to launch dinghies. The source added: 'All the boats were overcrowded, clearly because the people smugglers who organised them wanted to make as much money as possible. 'There were more than 100 people on single boats, which is incredibly dangerous, and the reason they capsized the boats just can't take the weight of all those people. 'There were lots of children on the boats, including a four-year-old girl who died.' Last year, there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK. Of those, 29,437 came from people who arrived in small boats. The Government claims the Rwanda scheme will act as a deterrent, however it only has the capacity to send 200 people a year to the East African country Your browser does not support iframes. The source said: 'Many others who were on the capsized boats were brought ashore unconscious.' A criminal investigation into the deaths has been opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor. After the incident this morning, the Prime Minister said the 'tragic' incident reported in the Channel 'underscores' the need for the deterrent effect of the Rwanda plan. The tragedy came just hours after Rishi Sunak's Rwanda Bill to deter migrants from making the perilous crossing was passed in Parliament. Rishi Sunak vowed to let nothing 'stand in our way' today as he gears up to send Channel migrants to Rwanda within weeks after the Government's deportation plan was finally passed by Parliament. Last year, there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK. Of those, 29,437 came from people who arrived in small boats. The Rwanda scheme's capacity is 200 people per year. It means if the scheme had been running last year, it would have deported less than 0.7 per cent of small boat migrants. In terms of the cost of the journey per person, for the first 300 migrants sent to Rwanda, it will cost the Government 1.8million per head, Whitehall's official spending watchdog said. A Marine from Gastonia, North Carolina, has been reported missing after a night out in downtown San Diego. Corporal Charles Alex Benfield was stationed at the Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. His sister, Sarah Lazo, said their family is devastated, and that this behavior is out of character for Benfield. 'It's just unbelievable and bizarre to us that this happened,' Lazo told Queen City News. Lazo said Benfield loved his job, so much so that he reenlisted for four more years this past fall. Corporal Charles Alex Benfield (pictured) from Gastonia, North Carolina, has been reported missing after a night out in downtown San Diego Corporal Charles Alex Benfield was stationed at the Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California . Benfield was detained for in San Diego's Gaslamp District public intoxication just over a week ago while his ship was docked there 'For us to think he just abandoned his duty, his service to his country, it's ridiculous to us,' Lazo said. 'He loves his job.' The family first found out about Benfield's disappearance through Benfield's first sergeant that he was detained for in San Diego's Gaslamp District public intoxication just over a week ago while his ship was docked there. He was later transferred from the McAlister Institute Recovery and Bridge Center on Sunday, April 14th and released that same day. 'The morning that he was self-released around 11:30 am, he was very paranoid, scared, explaining how he had lost his phone the night prior, that he wanted to go look for it,' Lazo said. 'He didn't want to return to ship without his phone for the fear of losing his rank and punishment.' He was later transferred from the McAlister Institute Recovery and Bridge Center on Sunday, April 14th and released that same day Because Benfield is active on active duty and under investigation by NCIS, San Diego police are cannot declare him missing. His family continues to publish their own missing posters on social media. 'I can understand him being scared to show up after missing a meet, but to completely fall off the face of the earth basically is unlike him at all,' Lazo told Nexstar's KSWB/KUSI. Benfield failed to report for duty the same Sunday he was released, according to a Marine communications director. The Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are currently looking for him. A communications director from the marines released the following statement regarding Benfield's disappearance: Benfield's sister Sarah Lazo (pictured) said her brother was particularly close with his mother and that him disappearing without a trace was out of character for him 'Cpl. Charles Benfield, a field artillery cannoneer assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, did not report for duty the morning of April 15 following weekend liberty in the San Diego area. 'The 15th MEU is aware that Cpl. Benfield was detained by San Diego police April 14 and released later that day. 'Once 15th MEU was made aware of his release, marines from cpl. Benfield's unit searched the downtown San Diego area to try locate him. 'The safety and accountability of our Marines and sailors is a top priority. The 15th MEU has requested the assistance of the naval criminal investigative service and will continue to attempt to locate Cpl. Benfield to ensure his wellbeing.' The corporal graduated from Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia in 2018 and enlisted afterwards. Lazo said her brother was particularly close with his mother, and would not disappear so suddenly. Benfield (pictured) failed to report for duty the same Sunday he was released, according to a Marine communications director The weekend Benfield went out, his financial activity indicated that he had drained his bank account, resulting in a negative balance 'My mom is Alex's favorite person, so for him to just drop off the face of the earth, and have no contact with her, it's making us question if something else is going on,' Lazo said. The weekend Benfield went out, his financial activity indicated that he had drained his bank account, resulting in a negative balance. 'Strange three withdrawals,' Lazo said. 'Two of them were in the amount of $400, and another was in the amount of $180.' The NCIS is asking anyone with information to submit tips online. The floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Tuesday that the first step President Yoon Suk Yeol should take for change is to accept a special prosecutor investigation into allegations surrounding the death of a young Marine. Following the resounding defeat of Yoon's ruling People Power Party in the April 10 parliamentary elections, Yoon has pledged to initiate change, including improving communication with the people and the opposition bloc. One of the first issues the DPK is pushing for after the election victory is to mandate a special counsel investigation into allegations of unfair interference with a military probe into what contributed to the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun. Chae was killed last July during a search mission for downpour victims. "If the president and the ruling party do not cooperate with the parliamentary passage of a special prosecutor investigation regarding Cpl. Chae, it would run directly counter to the public opinion expressed in the general elections," Rep. Hong Ik-pyo said during a party meeting at the National Assembly. Former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup is under investigation for allegations of exerting external pressure on the military investigation into Chae's death. Lee was appointed ambassador to Australia last month but resigned in less than a month amid the allegations. The DPK has also raised suspicions that the presidential office was involved in the interference, and Hong said that the investigation should delve into alleged interference by Lee Shi-won, a presidential secretary, in the case. (Yonhap) Three British aid workers killed during Israeli air strikes on their convoy in Gaza all died from blast injuries to their head, chest and limbs, an inquest has heard. James Kirby, 47, from Street in Somerset, James Henderson, 33, from Falmouth in Cornwall and John Chapman, 57, from Poole in Dorset, died in the April 1 attack. An inquest into the three former British servicemen's deaths was opened at Avon Coroner's Court in Flax Bourton, near Bristol, earlier today. It heard initial post-mortem results and has been adjourned until later this year. The men, who were providing security for the charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), were among seven workers who died while travelling in a convoy in Deir al-Balah, south of Gaza City. The team's convoy was hit as they moved food from a warehouse to distribute to Gaza's starving population - after communicating to Israel that they were working in the area. James Henderson, 33, (pictured) a former special forces operator and a member of the Royal Marines for six years, was killed in the bombing. He had been providing security for the World Central Kitchen charity in Gaza James Kirby, 47, (pictured) was among those who tragically died after multiple drone strikes hit their convoy of vehicles in the war zone on Monday John Chapman, 57, (pictured) is thought to have served in the Special Boat Squadron, part of the UK's Special Forces Seven volunteers were killed in a series of strikes in Deir al-Balah, in Gaza, on Monday As well as the Britons who were killed, Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, Australian Lalzawmi 'Zomi' Frankom 43, American Jacob Flickinger, 33, and Polish national Damian Sobol, 35, also lost their lives in the devastating attack. Kirby, who was born in Bristol, was a British army veteran who toured Bosnia and Afghanistan before moving into work as a security consultant. His friends have paid tribute to him online and at a community gathering last week, described how his death had left a 'massive void in the lives he touched'. 'He never used to boast about what he did,' said Matt Hudd, owner of Trojan Fitness, the gym where Kirby used to train. 'That's why we want to honour what a great man he was. It's unbelievable what that guy has done and everything was always to help others.' Tributes also poured in for Henderson, a former Royal Marine from Cornwall, who was said to be an avid rugby player for Penryn RFC. A post described him as a 'force to be reckoned with' who 'commanded the back row with his relentless work ethic which he instilled on to everyone that had the pleasure of playing beside him'. The post read: 'It comes with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jim Henderson. We have lost one of the kindest, toughest and most loyal players to have ever worn the Penryn shirt. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Jim's family and friends through this tough time.' Neighbours in Falmouth, Cornwall, told MailOnline that his family were only informed of his death a day after he was killed. A close friend said: 'Everybody is gutted, he was a lovely lad. He hadn't been out there long, only a couple of weeks.' On behalf of the family, Henderson's brother - who declined to be named - told The Times that 'accountability is the only hope of justice I have' for his death. He slammed Israel's 'inexcusable behaviour' and further criticised its allies, saying: 'It's unacceptable for our world leaders to ignore this gross miscarriage of justice'. Meanwhile the family of Former SBS operator Chapman said in a statement following news of his death: 'We are devastated to have lost John, who was killed in Gaza. 'He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act. He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother. Wreckage of a World Central Kitchen vehicle in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip after seven aid workers - including three British ex-servicemen - were killed in an Israeli drone strike The wreckage of one of the World Central Kitchen vehicles hit by Israel shows a gaping hole blown into the roof 'We request we be given space and time to grieve appropriately. He was loved by many and will forever be a hero. He will be missed dearly'. WCK, which was founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, said in the wake of the strike that its staff had been traveling in two armoured cars emblazoned with the charity's logo and another third vehicle when they were hit by Israeli strikes. The first vehicle was hit by a precision R9X Hellfire missile shortly before midnight. Passengers were seen scrambling from the wreckage and jumping into the other two cars - and telling the IDF they had been hit. The remaining vehicles were hit after travelling just 1,000 yards up the road, on a street 'designated for the passage of humanitarian aid, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Shocking aftermath photos showed the cars scorched and badly damaged inside and out. The third car tried to take the injured to safety but was hit by a drone after making it a mile up the coastal road, killing all seven of the volunteers. The killings of the humanitarian workers drew global condemnation, including from US President Joe Biden. The Israeli military accepted responsibility and fired two officers over what it claims was a 'tragic mistake'. 'Their apologies for the outrageous killing of our colleagues represent cold comfort,' said WCK CEO Erin Gore. 'It's cold comfort for the victims' families and WCK's global family.' WCK suspended its operations in the war-torn Gaza Strip, where half the population are believed to be at risk of 'imminent' famine. More than 34,000 people have been killed in the enclave since the war broke out on October 7, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Some 200 aid workers are reported to have been killed. Bella Hadid has been fact-checked after posting pictures taken in a refugee camp in Syria as she voiced support for Gaza and Palestinians. On Monday, the supermodel, 27, shared an image of children in Yarmouk after an assault by dictator Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war in 2013. She captioned the Instagram post: 'Gaza on my mind.' After social media users began pointing out the photos were from in Syria, Instagram added a note saying the post was missing important context and could mislead people. The note links to a web page that explains the images are from a refugee camp in Syria showing the victims of Assad's regime, not Israel. Bella Hadid has once again been fact-checked after posting pictures of Syrian children as she voiced support for Gaza and Palestinians Instagram added a note saying it was missing important context and could mislead people The misleading post remains on Hadid's Instagram nearly a day after it was published and has been liked more than one million times It reads: 'This post is misleading. This video was not filmed in Palestine. The video dates back 2013 from within the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.' The misleading post remains on Hadid's Instagram nearly a day after it was published and has been liked more than one million times. The footage is part of a film called Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege, that shows the aftermath of Assad's siege in Yarmouk, what was then the largest Palestinian refugee camp in the world. It's not the first time Los Angeles native, whose father was born in Palestine, shares images from Syria that are missing context. Back in November, the millionaire posted the same images of children in Syria sharing their hopes and dreams amid war and claimed they were taken in Gaza during the ongoing conflict with Israel. At the time, she wrote: 'Thousands of innocents Palestinian men women and CHILDREN imprisoned without trial.' Syrian-Americans have been quick to call out the model over the misleading posts on the war. 'This is not the first time she's done this with these SAME IMAGES of children from Yarmouk,' wrote American Enterprise Institute media strategist Kareem Rifai. Bella was pictured attending a pro-Palestine rally in New York City in May of 2021 Back in November, the millionaire posted the same images of children in Syria sharing their hopes and dreams amid war and claimed they were taken in Gaza Hadid's older sister Gigi apologized last November after claiming Israel 'is the only country in the world' keeping children as prisoners of war Gigi Hadid also posted a reel to her Instagram story that claimed Israelis harvest the organs of dead Palestinians. The video was filmed by Malihai Henacho, a TikTok make-up artist from Cardiff who has been advocating for Palestinians since the beginning of the conflict. It was shared on an account run by a user called Umme_Murtazaa 'Completely unacceptable and irresponsible for a mega-celebrity with massive reach. Syrians are still being killed by Assad every day.' Hadid's older sister Gigi apologized last November after claiming Israel 'is the only country in the world' keeping children as prisoners of war. To prove her point, she had shared an image of Palestinian Ahmad Manasra, who was 13 when he was arrested after stabbing a 20-year-old Israeli security guard and a 13-year-old boy in Jerusalem. Just two days ago, Hadid's father, real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid was forced to apologize for a slew of hateful messages he sent to New York Congressman Ritchie Torres. A report by the New York Post detailed how Hadid has spent the past few months targeting Torres online for the congressman's support for Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks. In texts to Torres, Hadid branded him 'worse than the rats of the New York sewage system'. Just two days ago, Hadid's father, real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid was forced to apologize for a slew of hateful messages he sent to New York Congressman Ritchie Torres Mohamed has also compared the method of the Nazi gas chambers to the bombing of Gaza, and Auschwitz to the Gaza Strip Bella and Gigi Hadid join in the protest against President Trump's immigration ban on the streets of NYC in January, 2017 Torres, who is gay, was also told by the model's father that he 'might get a job as a bouncer in a gay bar', and that he should 'dress as KKK to hide that ugly gray colored face of yours.' In the face of backlash to the messages being published, Hadid issued an apology for his language, but took the opportunity to throw a few more insults Torres' way. He said that Torres is a 'shill' for Israel, 'a state that not only 'mistreats black and brown people but pinkwashes their atrocities using their projected gay rights as a shield for their human rights violations.' 'My feeling after 76 years of being a refugee from the country where I and my ancestors were born and watching a genocide unfold are at an all time high,' he continued. 'I am watching United States politicians work as AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] messengers of genocide. 'I used the wrong words to express this anger but the anger is warranted. To send black and brown and other marginalized communities to do the dirty work of two countries who have never respected them is wrong. 'I apologize to my community for directing the conversation to this. And even for a minute away from Palestine. All eyes on Palestine. Free Palestine.' Torres, who made history when in 2021 he was the first openly gay African American and openly gay Hispanic member of Congress, said he felt 'dehumanized' by the messages from Hadid. Mohamed has also compared the method of the Nazi gas chambers to the bombing of Gaza, and Auschwitz to the Gaza Strip. A man allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend, put her body in the passenger seat of his SUV and drove to the Florida City police station to surrender to authorities. Police said Alexander Roque, 48, confessed to killing his girlfriend, 44-year-old Yessenia Rodriguez Marquez, who they found dead in the passenger seat with a gunshot wound to her head on Saturday night. Roque was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and booked into jail on Sunday morning. The suspect appeared in court on Monday, where Judge Mindy S. Glazer denied him bond and castigated him for allegedly sending a picture of Marquez's lifeless body to his cousin. She hinted that the state 'may charge it as a first-degree murder.' NBC 6 captured the moment officers surrounded Roque's white car and arrested him with no resistance. The weapon was allegedly found next to Marquez' body. Alexander Roque's mugshot after he was arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend, Marquez Yessenia Rodriguez Marquez (pictured) leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter A police report obtained by 7 News Miami claimed that Roque reached out to Marquez's estranged ex-husband before driving to the police station and surrendering himself. Roque allegedly sent the ex-husband, whom Marquez shared an 11-year-daughter with, a photo of the victim's dead body before video calling him. The Miami Herald reported that the husband recorded the call and handed it over to police for evidence. During the call, Roque supposedly panned over to the victim, Marquez, who was dead in a bloody front passenger seat, the same way police found her at the station. Police also said Roque texted his cousin with pictures of Marquez's body, who told Roque to turn himself in. Marquez's former sister-in-law told 7 News Miami that months before the slaying, Roque kidnapped Marquez and her young daughter. Pictured: Alexander Roque getting arrested by Florida City police after he drove to the station with his girlfriend's lifeless body in the passenger seat next to him Marquez (pictured) was found dead by police in Roque's car with a gunshot wound to the head Roque (pictured right) appears in front of Judge Mindy S. Glazer (pictured left) days after allegedly killing his girlfriend Marquez and confessing to the crime Both Marquez's ex-husband and Roque's cousin told police Roque contacted them with images of Marquez dead and bloody in the passenger seat of his car Pictured: A handcuffed Roque being led away by police Marquez's ex-husband and the father of their daughter intervened and got them freed, according to the ex-sister-in-law. Tragically, it wasn't enough to prevent Marquez's death. '[Roque] was kidnapping them at home,' the former sister-in-law said. 'She said she doesn't want to continue with the relationship, and then he continued calling her many times. Calling and then finally this happened.' She added: 'I dont have anything bad to say about Yessenia. Shes very quiet. hard worker, and she was very happy to be here in the United States,' the former sister-in-law said. Outside the police station, officers ordered Roque to get out of the car and found Marquez dead with a gunshot wound to the head. First responders tried to save Marquez at the scene but were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead. The Miami-Dade Police's homicide division has taken over the case and will continue to investigate Roque's motive for allegedly killing his girlfriend. DailyMail.com reached out to Miami-Dade Police and Florida City police for comment. Roque is expected back in court Tuesday. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday announced a series of new rules for federally-funding nursing homes that require minimum staffing levels. But the controversial new rule will require 75% of nursing homes to hire staff and the operators of the facilities strongly objected, saying they already struggle to fill open positions. The requirement could force some facilities to close. Harris made the announcement in the battleground state of Wisconsin in a meeting with nursing care workers. 'It is about time that we start to recognize your value and pay you accordingly and give you the structure and support that you deserve,' she said. Vice President Kamala Harris announced the new nursing home rules in the battleground state of Wisconsin The COVID pandemic revealed severe shortages of staff in nursing homes. The new rule requires: Nursing homes that receive Medicare and Medicaid provide a total of at least 3.48 hours of nursing care per resident per day So a facility with 100 residents would need at least two or three registered nurses and at least 10 or 11 nurse aides, as well as two additional nurse staff, who could be registered nurses, licensed professional nurses or nurse aides, per shift Additionally nursing homes must have a registered nurse onsite at all times The mandate will be phased in over three years, with rural communities having up to five years Temporary exemptions will be available Harris said the new rule will mean more staff at these facilities, fewer emergency room visits for residents and peace of mind for caregivers, who will be able to spend more time with their patients. The coronavirus pandemic, which claimed the lives of more than 167,000 nursing home residents in the U.S., exposed the poor staffing levels at the facilities and led many workers to leave the industry. The average U.S. nursing home has overall caregiver staffing of about 3.6 hours per resident per day. Medicaid pays $125 billion annually to home health care companies, which were not required to report on how they were spending the money. Another rule from President Joe Biden's administration will require that 80% of that money be used to pay workers, instead of administrative or overhead costs. 'This is about dignity, and it's about dignity that we as a society owe to those in particular who care for the least of these,' Harris said. Under the new rules, some 75% of nursing homes will have to hire staff Vice President Harris met with nursing home workers in Wisconsin Under the new rules, some 75% of nursing homes will have to hire staff including 12,000 registered nurses and 77,000 aides to meet the daily care requirements, the Department of Health and Human Services said. Just over 22% will need to hire registered nurses to meet the around-the-clock staffing mandate. Mark Parkinson, president of the American Health Care Association, which represents more than 14,000 care facilities, said Monday the organization was worried the government was moving forward with what he called an 'unfunded mandate.' 'It is unconscionable that the administration is finalizing this rule given our nation's changing demographics and growing caregiver shortage,' Parkinson said in a statement. 'Issuing a final rule that demands hundreds of thousands of additional caregivers when there's a nationwide shortfall of nurses just creates an impossible task for providers.' His group found that meeting the requirements would require nursing homes to hire more than 100,000 additional nurses and nurse aides at an annual cost of $6.8 billion. Some 94% of nursing homes were not meeting at least one of the proposed staffing requirements. Republicans have criticized the added cost and hiring requirments, arguing it will put facilities out of business. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told reporters on a conference call that the rule 'might sound good. It won't work.' Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told CNN that no one should go to a facility with inferior care. 'We take into account the hardships that industry claimed might be difficult,' Becerra said in an interview, noting the agency provides grants to assist with hiring. 'But are we going to compromise safety and quality care for the residents because a facility is saying they can't find the people they need? I've got to question that business model if that's the way you're going to run a home that's supposed to take care of Americans.' Nearly 1.2 million residents live in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified, long-term care facilities Many of the facilities became under staffed during the COVID pandemic Nearly 1.2 million residents live in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified, long-term care facilities. Monday marked Harris' third visit to the battleground state of Wisconsin. It's part of Biden's push to earn the support of union workers in his bid for reelection. His Republican rival Donald Trump made inroads with blue-collar workers in his 2016 victory. The WA Supreme Court has denied Gina Rinehart's children John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart's application to access dozens of documents and correspondence that were made between their mother and her lawyers dating back decades. The siblings were trying to get hold of the documents to push their case in a long-running feud with Ms Rinehart, in which they claim mining assets handed down by their iron ore pioneer grandfather Lang Hancock belonged to them. But Ms Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting claimed the documents were 'privileged' because they contained legal advice and were therefore 'without prejudice'. Ms Rinehart's children had argued their mother and Hancock Prospecting could not maintain privilege because it had not been established or it had been waived. In her decision, Justice Natalie Whitby said their claim for privilege could not be sustained on multiple grounds and was without merit, she also criticised the pair for taking up court time. The WA Supreme Court has denied Bianca Rinehart (pictured) access to documents in a long-running dispute with her mother Australian businessman John Hancock is pictured in Melbourne. He is the son of Gina Rinehart and grandson of the late mining magnate Lang Hancock 'The hearing of the applications occurred over six days,' she said. 'The court book for the hearing comprised just over 6,000 pages. The parties referred to approximately 160 authorities. 'To say that the resources dedicated to these privilege applications was grossly disproportionate to the issues in dispute is an understatement.' The judgment was made in a long-running feud between some of Western Australia's wealthiest mining families. Last year, a case against Hancock Prospecting was heard in the WA Supreme Court over 51 days, it was initiated by the families of Lang Hancock's business partner Peter Wright and associate Don Rhodes. The Wright family initiated legal action in 2010 to stake their claim in billions of dollars worth of mining royalties and assets against Hancock Prospecting and to claim a portion of ownership and royalty rights against its Pilbara operations at Hope Downs mines. In 2013, the Rhode's family joined the action with a claim for 1.25 per cent of the royalty from Hope Downs' production. Gina Rinehart (pictured) and Hancock Prospecting claimed the documents were 'privileged' because they contained legal advice and were therefore 'without prejudice' Then in 2016, Ms Rinehart's own children joined the action, claiming a 50 per cent stake in Hope Downs mines belonged to them. To make matters more complex, lawyers for the Rinehart children have argued the claims by the Wright and Rhodes parties had no basis. They said Wright Prospecting had previously received the full legal value of its rights to Hope Downs, adding the 1969 agreement in fact gave DFD Rhodes no rights to any of the Hope Downs tenements. The case centred around royalties from Hancock's Hope Downs mines and alleged agreements made with other mining entities which the feuding families claimed entitled them to a share of those royalties. A judgment in that case is yet to be handed down. MAGA conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene believes Democrats are conspiring to have former President Donald Trump murdered in jail and are attempting to strip his presidential Secret Service detail to accomplish their goal. She made her case that liberals want to see Trump die in jail during an interview on the far-right show 'Infowars' with controversial host Alex Jones. Greene claimed the many court cases Trump is facing - including an ongoing trial where he has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts relating to alleged hush money payments - are an intentional effort by Democrats to imprison Trump until he dies. 'They want to lock him up in jail for the rest of his life so that he dies in jail,' the Georgia Republican told Jones. 'And they want to take away his Secret Service protection so that he is murdered somewhere in jail, possibly. This is how serious they are.' Greene was referencing how Mississippi Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson - the former chairman of the House January 6 Select Committee - introduced a bill last week that aims to strip Secret Service protections from former government officials convicted of a felony. Former president Donald Trump sits in criminal court for his hush money trial on April 22, 2024. Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records as part of an alleged scheme to bury stories he thought might hurt his presidential campaign in 2016 Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a staunch supporter of Trump has claimed several times she believes Democrats are conspiring to have Trump die in prison. The Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act - called the DISGRACED Act - would force the Secret Service to relinquish protective duties to prison personnel. 'Unfortunately, current law doesn't anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee - even a former President,' Thompson said in an April 19 statement. 'Therefore, it is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatmentand that those who are sentenced to prison will indeed serve the time required of them.' The bill was co-sponsored by eight other Democrats. Greene is outraged at the legislation that she says Democrats 'aren't sorry about.' 'They literally want him dead,' she continued. 'Bennie Thompson introduced a bill to take away his Secret Service protection. That's how serious they are.' Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chaired the House January 6 Select Committee and last week introduced the DISGRACED Act, which aims to strip federal officials of their Secret Service details should they be found guilty of a felony Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at his court hearing on April 23, 2024 after pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts related to a case that alleges he improperly made hush money payments to impact the 2016 election She called the legal proceedings against Trump 'rigged.' Her claims are similar to those of the former president himself who has called the legal proceedings a 'witch hunt.' This is also not the first instance in which Greene has suggested that Democrats are trying to kill Trump by putting him behind bars. In a lengthy February post on X, the firebrand Republican said 'Bidens DOJ is trying to put [President] Trump in prison for the rest of his life which would be a death sentence.' If Trump is convicted of the 34 felony counts he is facing in his hush money trial, the former president could face a maximum sentence of 136 years. Given that it is a state crime in New York, only Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul could pardon him. Greene and Thompson's offices did not immediately return a request for comment. Tommy Robinson has walked free after being cleared of breaching a dispersal order at a march against anti-Semitism after police paperwork used an inaccurate date. The far-right activist, real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon, was today acquitted after a judge ruled the power used against him had not been legally authorised by the Metropolitan Police. Mr Robinson, 41, was arrested and pepper-sprayed at a march against anti-Semitism near the Royal Courts of Justice in central London, where the demonstration began, on November 26 last year. The co-founder and former leader of the English Defence League was accused of failing to follow an order to leave the area. Organisers had said he would not be welcome at the event, which was the first of its kind since the start of the current Israel-Hamas conflict and had about 100,000 people attending. Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London of failing to comply with a dispersal order at a march against anti-Semitism The far-right activist, 41, was arrested in central London on November 26 (pictured) when attending the rally which organisers had wanted him to stay away from Robinson was seen speaking to supporters at a rally in Whitehall, central London, this afternoon after his acquittal at Westminster Magistrates' Court READ MORE: Tommy Robinson is pepper sprayed by police after 'resisting arrest' during march against antisemitism Fact-box text Advertisement The senior Metropolitan Police officer who signed the dispersal order barring Robinson from being there yesterday admitted it might not have been lawful after he wrongly wrote November 24 on the form instead. Inspector Steve Parker-Phipps, who was responsible for policing certain aspects of the protest was imposed a Section 35 order under the Crime and Policing Act 2014, said his laptop was 'dying' at the time. He had thought a 'right-wing group' could potentially be attending, Robinson's trial this week at Westminster Magistrates' Court heard. Mr Robinson's defence lawyer Alisdair Williamson told the court there had been a 'litany of catastrophic errors' in the Met's handling of the incident. Mr Parker-Phipps answered 'no' when asked by Mr Williamson: 'This document is not correct, is it? Can we have any confidence that there was a lawful order in place?' Giving his ruling today which cleared Robinson, District Judge Daniel Sternberg said: 'I am not satisfied there was a legal authorisation.' He told Mr Robinson: 'There is no case for you to answer.' The trial was attended by numerous supporters of Mr Robinson who filled the public gallery and cheered him as he spoke to them outside afterwards - with footage later shared on his social media pages. He said: 'I'm not used to winning. The judge today stood on the side of truth, but I've been in these politicised buildings too many times.' Tommy Robinson was seen holding a microphone and attempting to interview journalists when arriving for his trial at London Magistrates' Court yesterday The activist, seen outside the court on Monday, has now been cleared of failing to comply with an order to disperse at the rally in central London on November 26 last year Tommy Robinson was seen being escorted away from the march against anti-Semitism on November 26 last year by police after arguing with officers for around 10 minutes The English Defence League co-founder was seen being led away by police officers He described what he called 'the emotional toll, the stress, the pressure, the thought of going to prison' of the past six months. During his arrest, officers had sprayed him with synthetic pepper spray and handcuffed him, after which he uploaded on social media a video of himself with partially closed eyes. Other footage of him arguing with police officers was also posted on his account on X, formerly Twitter, with Mr Robinson insisting he was at the march as a journalist. Earlier that month Robinson had posted on social media about his intention to attend the march, having had his X account restored after a previous ban. Organisers Campaign Against Antisemitism responded by saying: 'No, thanks.' Referring to clashes in Whitehall earlier that month, they added: 'The drunken far-right thugs who came to "protect the cenotaph" on Armistice Day, some of whom shouted "Sieg Heil" or hospitalised police officers, are most definitely not welcome.' Mr Robinson had jumped into a taxi just moments after leading far-right hooligans through London on Armistice Day, November 11, before they clashed with police in the Chinatown district of the West End. Violent clashes broke out shortly after he departed, with protesters chanting: 'You're not English anymore' towards officers. Replying to an X user who told him he would have been 'arrested' had he stayed with the group, Mr Robinson wrote: 'I'm fully aware of that, I'm now with my kids enjoying some time. I've not seen them much recently.' English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was pictured in a cafe on November 26 before his arrest later that day Scotland Yard arrested Mr Robinson after he refused to leave the area when asked to by police officers The November 26 demonstration against anti-Semitism at which he was detained saw protesters carry out a 90-minute march starting at the Royal Courts of Justice. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, TV presenters Rachel Riley and Vanessa Feltz and actors Maureen Lipman and Eddie Marsan were among those attending. It came amid regular marches in the capital condemning Israel's attacks on Gaza in its response for the October 7 massacre by Hamas militants which killed 1,200 civilians with a further 235 taken hostage from southern Israel. Before today's ruling, Robinson had previously denied the charge of failing to comply with the order at his first court appearance on January 22. Arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday, Robinson was seen broadcasting for his 'Urban Scoop' platform as he held a microphone and attempted to interview journalists outside the building. Last December he lost a court appeal to overturn his ban on attending London protests which he argued was an 'abuse of human rights'. A condition of his bail after that November 26 arrest was that he could not enter the capital unless he was meeting with solicitors or attending court. A judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court did alter those terms to permit him to enter the area inside the M25 for meetings with political groups which had been pre-approved by the Metropolitan Police. But District Judge Michael Snow rejected the appeal against a ban on attending protests, on the grounds that Robinson 'showed significant hostility' to police on the day of his arrest and was 'likely to commit further offences'. The organisers of the November 26 said it is the largest demonstration against anti-Semitism since 1936, with 104,000 estimated to be here A large group gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice for the rally organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism Among those taking part, pictured left to right, were Tracey-Ann Oberman, Eddie Marsan, Rachel Riley and Maureen Lipman Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 59, appeared bundled up against the biting temperatures in a woolly hat, while 35-year-old Carrie held their child in a baby carrier Poeple were seen on November 26 holding placards reading 'Never Again Is Now' and 'For Israel Against Antisemitism' Delivering his verdict on December 11 last year, Mr Snow said: 'I know who Mr Lennon is. I know he has a particular view of matters and protests arising from what's occurring in Israel and within the Middle East. 'Protests which have taken place in relation to the ongoing situation in the Middle East are continuing, and it's likely, therefore, that Mr Lennon will wish to attend those protests, either to support or counter the position taken by others. 'I'm satisfied, because of the behaviour exhibited, on the basis of the allegations in the police statement, if Mr Lennon does attend he is likely to commit further offences. 'He is entitled to exercise his democratic right in a way that doesn't involve the risk of further offending.' A New Jersey father who was randomly stabbed in the neck six times while he waited at a bus stop has been pictured for the first time. Carpenter Daniel Salvatore, 66, was reading a book at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan when a knife-wielding stranger silently ambushed him during the Monday morning commute to work. Cops identified the man as Michael McCloskey, 42, and Salvatore said he did not say a word in the moments before he allegedly launched the 'deranged' attack. 'I should have been dead,' Salvatore told The New York Post from his hospital bed. 'I got 46 stitches and I'm very thankful I'm still here.' While spending his 66th birthday recovering from the trauma in hospital on Tuesday, Salvatore added that 'something needs to be done' about the 'mentally ill' people on the Big Apple streets. 'It's very unsafe here,' he said. Carpenter Daniel Salvatore (circled) was reading a book at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan when a knife-wielding stranger silently ambushed him during the Monday morning commute to work The terrifying random attack happened at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan The carpenter, who has three children in their 20s, had been waiting for a bus to take him to work when McCloskey allegedly stabbed him eight times in the neck and arm just before 6am. Salvatore said he has been taking the same journey from New Jersey to Manhattan for five years, and he stops at the Midtown bus terminal to wait for his coworker. He routinely reads a book while waiting at the stop. On Monday he was flicking through I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger, a novel he'd been bought as a birthday present, when the attacker pounced. 'I was just sitting there reading and someone came up from my blindside, on the right side, I saw him, turned, just saw his face, and all of a sudden the knife went in my neck,' Salvatore told the Post. 'He didn't say anything,' Salvatore added. 'The detectives asked if I bumped into him or said anything to him and I said, "No, nothing, I didn't see this guy at all, I was just minding my own business reading a book."' Salvatore was knocked to the ground during the attack and attempted to crawl away while McCloskey allegedly continued to stab at him. 'I finally broke away from him, I broke the hold, and there was blood everywhere,' Salvatore told the Post. He said that while blood was 'pouring' from his neck, he ran into a nearby Dunkin' Donuts where stunned patrons tried to block his wounds with napkins. 'I started going out, getting lightheaded, because of all the blood I lost,' Salvatore told the Post. Pictured: Police officers patrol in the passageway connecting New York City's Port Authority bus terminal and the Times Square subway station New Yorkers say their city is becoming a more dangerous, worse place to live, a survey by the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) reveals EMTs rushed to his aid and took him away in an ambulance, while cops managed to cuff his attacker at the scene. Salvatore, who is Christian, said he believes God intervened in the stabbing to save him. 'Ive got two lines here, slash marks, but it never penetrated,' he told the Post, while pointing to cuts on his neck. 'Im thinking the Lord pushed [McCloskeys] hand away from me. 'A detective told me if one cut was a little lower and deeper, Im bleeding out. I am very fortunate.' Salvatore even empathized with his attacker, saying New York needs to do more for mentally ill people who end up on the street. 'The guy was probably very mentally disturbed, I feel sorry for the guy, but he needs to be kept locked up so he doesnt do this to anyone else if hes that deranged,' he told the Post. 'There is a problem with the mentally ill you see them in Port Authority, Penn Station, on the streets, taking to themselves. 'Something needs to be done. Its very unsafe here in New York City.' Mayor Eric Adams has struggled to live up to campaign promises of tackling crime, safety, and rat infestations in New York City. Residents feel it is becoming a more dangerous place to live And Salvatore's assessment of the city reflects the general view held by New Yorkers - as a recent survey shows most people feel it has become more dangerous in recent years. The share of residents who rate city life as good or excellent fell from 50 percent to 30 percent between 2017 and 2023, while one third of New Yorkers say quality of life is now poor, a survey by the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) revealed in March. Residents feel much less safe in their neighborhoods than they did in 2017, especially on the public transport system. The survey comes as Adams has struggled to live up to campaign promises of tackling crime, safety, and rat infestations, amid a surge in migrants that's draining city coffers of billions of dollars. Andrew Rein, the research group's president, said the survey revealed a 'stark reality that [residents] clearly rate the quality of life and quality of city services as not good.' Her family identified her body through a tattoo on her arm The body of a woman who was found inside a bag earlier this month belongs to missing rapper Bela Rush, her has family confirmed. The 33-year-old artist, whose real name is Ana Zamora, had been missing since March 27 after she left her home for work. Residents in the Puebla neighborhood of Flor de Bosque alerted the municipal police April 1 after they spotted a large sized bag covered with a tarp whose shape resembled a human body under the Periferico Bridge. The body was removed from the scene and kept for 25 days at the city's forensic medical service. Mexican rapper Bela Rush was identified by her family as the woman whose body was found inside a bag wrapped with a tarp on April 1 in the central city of Puebla. The 33-year-old, who was known for her unique voice, leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter Bela Rush, whose real name was Ana Zamora, had not been seen since March 27 when she told her father she was leaving for work Cops in the Central Mexico city of Puebla responded to an emergency call from residents after they spotted a bag with the shape of a human body on April 1. It was revealed Sunday that the body belonged to Mexican rapper Bela Rush Her family visited the morgue Sunday and were able to identify her through a tattoo depicting her artistic name on her right forearm. 'Thanks to all the people who collaborated in the search for @belarush,' one of her family members said in a statement posted on social media. The family or authorities have not revealed the cause of death of the rapper, whose body allegedly showed signs of violence. 'Thank you for your empathy and support. I feel very sad, I am very angry, I am devilish to know how and where they found my sister.' Bela Rush leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter. Bela Rush broke into the local music scene in 2017 and recorded several songs, including 'Nada', 'No se meta', 'Quien nos frena' and 'Yo naci' Mexican rapper Bela Rush, who was confirmed dead Sunday, leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter Bela Rush broke into the music industry in 2017 and was known for her unique voice in the local hip-hop scene for her songs 'Nada,' 'No se meta,' 'Quien nos frena' and 'Yo naci.' She also made a guest appearance on Kukito Klan's 'Promesas bastardas.' 'It pains me sister, it hurts my soul how you have no idea, you didn't deserve anything that happened to you,' her friend Gabriella Hernandez wrote on Facebook. 'You didn't deserve an unstable life, you didn't deserve to run away to sing, to be free in instrumentals,' she added. 'You deserved everything beautiful in this world AND THEY TOOK YOUR LIFE AWAY.' This is the heartwarming moment a pilot showed love really is in the air when he came out of his cockpit to propose to an unsuspecting air hostess. Captain Konrad Hanc moved passengers and crew to tears when he introduced himself over the planes intercom system before going down on one knee and popping the question. Footage taken onboard the Polish LOT Airlines flight to Krakow shows Captain Hanc saying to the passengers: Today there is a very important person on board this plane. A year and a half ago, at this job, I met the most wonderful person who completely changed my life. With tears in his eyes he then told the stunned stewardess named Paula: You are most precious to me, you are my greatest dream come true. Captain Konrad Hanc (pictured, right) moved passengers and crew to tears when he introduced himself over the planes intercom system before going down on one knee and popping the question The pilot produced a large bouquet of flowers before going down on one knee and asking if Paula will marry him Paula (pictured) can be heard whispering to him: 'Of course I will' That is why I have a favour to ask you, darling. Turning, the pilot produces a large bouquet of flowers before going down on one knee and asking if she will marry him. As the plane erupts into applause, Paula is seen running down the aisle and into the captain's arms before passionately kissing him. She can be heard whispering to him: 'Of course I will.' In an introduction to the video which has now gone viral, the pilot said that he had first met Paula during a flight to the city of Krakow in southern Poland. In an introduction to the video which has now gone viral, the pilot said that he had first met Paula during a flight to the city of Krakow in southern Poland The airlines Facebook page has now been flooded with well wishers from across the globe The airlines Facebook page has now been flooded with well wishers from across the globe. One from the US said: What a beautiful beginning of our journey through life together! Huge congratulations, wishes for many wonderful moments and lots of love every day. Brit Lee Mcdonald wrote: I love this! Sweet couple! Yet another said: A great story with a happy ending!!! Congratulations and many flights together! The Constitutional Court held its first public hearing Tuesday on petitions filed by an adolescents' group and others against what they called the government's insufficient response to climate change. The widely watched hearing came four years after the adolescents' civic group, Youth 4 Climate Action, first lodged a constitutional petition in 2020, claiming the government's weak climate crisis response infringes upon people's basic rights. Three similar petitions were subsequently filed by a civic group and young children, prompting the Constitutional Court to combine the cases for integrated deliberation. The petitioners argue that the country's carbon neutrality act targeting a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 2018 levels disregards the government's duties to protect people's basic rights, such as constitutionally guaranteed environmental rights and the right to life. They claim that the act, its related ordinance and implementation plan fall short of the state duties laid out in the Paris Agreement and other international treaties to restrict the level of global warming by less than 1.5 degree Celsius. As the public hearing began, Constitutional Court chief Lee Jong-seok said the main point of debate in this case lies in whether the government's greenhouse gas reduction target is so insufficient that it would infringe upon the petitioners' basic rights, such as environmental rights. He stressed that the recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found the Swiss government's insufficient response to climate change to be in violation of people's basic rights, has drawn keen media attention in Korea. "Recognizing the importance of the case and the public's attention, the court will faithfully deliberate," Lee noted. In a press conference held ahead of the hearing, the petitioning civic groups emphasized people's constitutional rights to live in a stable climate and said that safeguarding people's basic rights is the most important duty of a nation. "The Constitutional Court's role is more important than ever at a time the National Assembly and the government's failure to properly respond to climate change is resulting in basic right violations of the people and next generations," an activist said. (Yonhap) Far left groups supporting the Columbia students' sit in include a group that supported the Hamas attack of October 7 and a George Soros fund. Tensions continue to escalate at the Ivy League school where hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters are demanding that the institution divest from companies with ties to Israel. So far, more than 100 demonstrators have been arrested at the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment', which is comprised of a coalition of 116 groups under the umbrella organization Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Now it has emerged that several of the groups in the coalition have received backing from left wing donors, including one group currently under investigation for allegedly fundraising for terrorist organizations. One of the key players in the coalition is Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which the Gazette reports came out in support of the October 7 attack which killed 1,200 Israelis. Far left groups supporting the Columbia students' sit in include a group that supported the Hamas attack of October 7 and a George Soros fund Tensions continue to escalate at the Ivy League school where hundreds of pro Palestine protesters are demanding that the institution divest from companies with ties to Israel It has emerged one of the groups at the encampment, Students for Justice in Palestine, has links to another group under investigation for allegedly fundraising for terrorists. SJP members including this one pictured have been suspended over their involvement in the camp Jewish Voice for Peace has received millions from various donors including George Soros's Open Society Network SJP receives funding from American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), according to the Anti Defamation League, which describes AMP as holding 'extreme anti-Israel views'. Last year, Virginia's Attorney General Jason Miyares announced his office was investigating AMP over allegations they may have been fundraising for terrorist organizations. SJP is also an offshoot of the Westchester Peoples Action Coalition which supports Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, the Green New Deal, and other left-wing initiatives. WESPAC is named as a 'fiscal sponsor' of SJP, according to NGO Monitor and has assets over $1,000,000. Several of the groups members are among those who have been barred for participating in the sit in. Another central player in the encampment is Jewish Voice for Peace, which has received millions from various donors including George Soros's Open Society Network. Since 2016 the group has netted at least $650,000 from Soros-backed organizations. Other donors have included the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, whose director, Nicholas Burns, resigned in 2017 over its support for JVP. Columbia was forced to cancel all in person classes for the rest of the semester amid the turmoil Columbia University Apartheid Divest is made up of 116 groups and states on its website that it represents thousands of students across nine schools Both JVP and SJP have been involved in solidarity protests across other universities including NYU, Yale, MIT and Harvard. Columbia canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public Monday as some of the most prestigious U.S. universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israels war with Hamas. Columbia University Apartheid Divest states on its website that it represents thousands of students across nine schools. Other groups which make up the coalition include Young Democratic Socialists of America, Columbia Queer and Asian, the African Students Association, Columbia University Students for Human Rights and the Teachers College Abolition Collective. The coalition began the sit in following Columbia president Minouche Shafik's testimony before Congress about anti-Semitism on campus. The stunt entered its seventh day today and has already seen billionaire donors including Robert Kraft pull their funding and earned condemnation from the White House. The coalition's three demands center around divestment all of Columbias finances, including that profit from 'Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine', severing all ties with Israeli universities and an opposition to 'to land grabs, whether in Harlem, Lenapehoking, or Palestine'. The group is seeking a ceasefire on Gaza, where more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory strikes by Israel. A quadriplegic man died after allegedly smoking fentanyl in San Francisco's Zuckerberg General Hospital after his mother said she warned nurses he had a drug stash on him. Christopher Saylor, 33, was found dead after nurses found him lying next to a piece of tin foil, a lighter, a straw and 'white powder.' In 2020, Christopher, who also went by Chris, was left paralyzed from the neck down after a horrific motorcycle accident. His heartbroken mother, Barbara Scholes, told The San Francisco Standard she told medical staff they needed to confiscate his stash of drugs that hung around his neck in a tiny red box. The day before he died, nurses found Chris high on fentanyl as he 'refused a search of his belongings.' They allegedly prescribed him oxycodone, according to a death report reviewed by The San Francisco Standard. Christopher Saylor (pictured before his accident), 33, died after nurses at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital found him lying next to a piece of tin foil, a lighter, a straw and 'white powder' His mother said that medical staff at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (pictured) did not confiscate the drugs on him even after she informed them of his stash His mother arrived at the hospital on December 17, 2022, the day Chris died, and was handed her son's belongings, including the red box that still had fentanyl inside. 'What a freaking joke,' Barbara said. 'They gave me his possessions, and there was the red box. I opened it up, and sure enough, there it was.' 'You don't check them for drugs when they're known drug users? That's pretty stupid,' she added. Barbara believes that her son would still be alive if medical staff had confiscated his drugs. It was later revealed that the day before he was found dead, Chris told hospital staff that a 'visitor' had brought him fentanyl. His mother believes that the person was a drug dealer. Barbara said that she thought about taking legal action against the hospital after she lost her son, but she couldn't afford a lawyer. The circumstances as to how Chris died have baffled his family as he had little to no mobility after the accident. His father, Richard Saylor, has been trying to understand how his son who 'had no use of his hands,' was able to light a lighter just before he died. 'Somebody had to have lit it for him,' Richard said. His mother arrived at the hospital the day after Chris died and was handed her son's belongings, including the red box that still had fentanyl inside. (pictured: Chris before his accident) Meanwhile, Barbara said that she believes her son could have very well ignited the lighter himself, as he found a way to do so when he was a patient at Laguna Honda Hospital following his accident. Heather Bollinger, an emergency room nurse at the hospital, said that her and her colleagues have refrained from taking drugs from patients, as they fear it could lead to their medical licenses being taken away. 'We don't have the mechanisms in place to remove drugs from people,' Bollinger said. 'If this was your family member and they were in the hospital, you would be like, 'Why are you allowing them to do this?'' Hospital administrators have maintained that drug use is not allowed in or near the hospital. The hospital told the San Francisco Standard that drug users are allowed to dispose of substances, but did not elaborate further. 'We have an ideology that we really want to support, but we don't have the resources in place to make it successful,' Bollinger said. 'Now we have a patient who can't get what they need, and we have a nurse who's at risk.' After his accident, Barbara said that her son only had mobility in his arms and that his hands permanently balled up into fists. Richard said that his son's accident really impacted him. 'The doctor told him he had zero chance to walk ever again, so they stopped doing therapy,' he said. 'They dashed the dude's hope.' In 2020, Chris (pictured before his accident) was left paralyzed from the neck down after he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle in San Francisco. The accident broke his C5 bone and doctor's told him he 'had zero chance to walk ever again' His mother said that she has remembered her late son for his generosity and sense of humor. (pictured: Chris before his accident) Following his death, a GoFundMe page was created to help support his family 'cover the unexpected tragic loss.' Although the fundraiser has closed, it raised $870 for Chris's family. The organizer, Ashley Valente, detailed the incident that left Chris paralyzed. 'A little over two years ago Chris was riding his bike in San Francisco and got hit by a car and broke his C5 bone which then paralyzed him from the neck down, we didn't think he would make it [out] alive but he was saved by a miracle,'Valente wrote. 'This never stopped Chris from being a kind, loving person with great qualities.' His mom said she has remembered her late son for his generosity and sense of humor. She added that to many of his friends he was known as 'Crazy Chris,' while his father said that his memorial service was packed with loved ones. 'He was always funny, joking around. Always trying to help,' Barbara said. 'Then he started using drugs, and my God.' DailyMail.com contacted Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for comment. Rishi Sunak today committed to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 as he holds talks with NATO allies. The PM made the pledge to boost defence spending by an extra 75billion as he visited Warsaw He warned that the world is the 'most volatile' for years and industry must go on a 'war footing'. But the move is unlikely to appease many on the Conservative benches who have been pushing for at least 3 per cent. At a joint appearance with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg at a military base in the Polish capital, Mr Sunak said the UK defence budget will increase immediately. He vowed it would then rise steadily to reach 87billion a year at the end the decade. The PM argued that the increase can be fully funded with no increase in borrowing or debt - suggesting that some of the outlay could be classified as international aid. Sounding the alarm that Vladimir Putin 'will not stop at the Polish border' if his assault on Ukraine is not thwarted, the premier has announced 500million in extra military funding and the UK's largest-ever donation of key equipment. Rishi Sunak today committed to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 as he holds talks with NATO allies The PM and NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg inspected military equipment at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade At a joint appearance with Mr Stoltenberg, Mr Sunak said the UK defence budget will increase immediately and then rise steadily to reach 87billion a year at the end the decade The premier was flanked by military kit as he made the announcement in Warsaw this afternoon Mr Sunak argued that the increase in defence spending can be fully funded with no increase in borrowing or debt Mr Stoltenberg and Mr Sunak posed for a photo with British soldiers at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade Mr Sunak later held a press conference with Polish PM Donald Tusk in Warsaw Mr Sunak sounded the alarm that Vladimir Putin 'will not stop at the Polish border' if his assault on Ukraine is not thwarted The 2.5 per cent commitment - higher than the 2 per cent threshold demanded of NATO countries - matches a promise made by Boris Johnson in 2022. However, Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt had shied away from adopting the vow up to now, with the public finances under huge strain. At present, around 2.3 per cent of GDP annually is being spent, which equates to around 52billion. Tory MPs have been clamouring for more investment amid mounting threats from Russia and concerns about China's intentions. Mr Sunak will travel to Germany to hold one-on-one talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz tomorrow. 'In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent,' the PM said today, as he spoke alongside Mr Stoltenberg in a military hangar. 'As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values. 'That is why today I am announcing the biggest strengthening of our national defence for a generation. 'We will increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 a plan that delivers an additional 75billion for defence by the end of the decade and secures our place as by far the largest defence power in Europe. 'Today is a turning point for European security and a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom. 'It is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad.' Mr Sunak stressed the UK was 'not on the brink of war' but warned about the threats facing the world from 'an axis of authoritarian states' including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. 'The danger they pose is not new, but what is new is that these countries or their proxies are causing more instability, more quickly, in more places at once,' he said. 'And they're increasingly acting together, making common cause in an attempt to reshape the world order.' Mr Sunak held talks with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg (left) Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the promise of more defence spending was 'far cheaper than letting Putin win in Ukraine' Mr Sunak said some people would think 'these are far away problems' but he said they 'pose real risks to the UK's security and prosperity'. The premier also delivered a veiled warning to other NATO states, who were roundly berated by Donald Trump for failing to contribute enough to security. Mr Sunak said: 'We cannot keep expecting America to pay any price or bear any burden if we ourselves are unwilling to make greater sacrifices for our own security.' He added that Britain's new defence commitments could be made as a result of 'our management of the economy'. 'The bedrock of everything we want to achieve as a country is founded on having a strong economy,' the PM said. When asked about the potential impact of Mr Trump returning to the White House at November's US election, Mr Stoltenberg said: 'A strong NATO is good for Europe, but a strong NATO is also good for the US. 'And I expect that regardless of the outcome of the elections in the US later this year. The US will remain a staunch and loyal ally.' He added: 'The criticism we have heard from the US, not only from former president Donald Trump but also from others has not primarily been a criticism against NATO allies. 'It has been a criticism against Nato allies not spending enough on NATO. That is changing.' In a signal to other NATO allies, Mr Stoltenberg had earlier claimed the UK was 'leading by example' with its commitments to NATO. But the NATO secretary general did not respond to a question of how reassured he could be by Britain's announcement of increased defence spending when there might be a Labour government taking office later this year. Mr Sunak said it 'wouldn't be appropriate' to draw Mr Stoltenberg into the UK's domestic politics. Labour were sceptical of the PM's defence spending announcement today and said voters would 'judge ministers by what they do not what they say'. But Mr Sunak's announcement was warmly welcomed by James Heappey, who stood down as armed forces minister last month amid reports he was frustrated over the PM's refusal to give a significant cash boost to the military. 'This is ENORMOUS news and hugely needed in the MoD,' Mr Heappey posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Former PM Theresa May said: 'This is the right decision not just for the UK but for the wider NATO alliance. 'At a time when our values are under threat, it's vital we invest in our hard power to prepare for a more dangerous future.' Mr Sunak shares a joke with Polish PM Donald Tusk, who was previously president of the European Council Mr Sunak, accompanied by Jeremy Hunt and Grant Shapps, arrived in Poland for the first stop of his European capitals tour Boris Johnson has suggested the UK Government should go even further, with a rise in defence spending to 3 per cent by 2030 Mr Hunt and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps travelled with Mr Sunak and backed the announcement. The Chancellor said the pledge 'sends the clearest possible message to Putin that, as other NATO European countries match this commitment, which they will, he will never be able to outspend countries that believe in freedom and democracy'. Drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine, the Government promised a further 10billion over the next 10 years to ensure the military does not run out of ammunition and missiles. This represents nearly a doubling of current UK spending on munitions production and will focus on capabilities including air defence missiles, anti-armour munitions and 155mm artillery shells. The announcement came after Mr Sunak unveiled a 500million military aid package including missiles, armoured vehicles and boats for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke to the PM this morning, said 'all of this is needed on the battlefield'. Mr Sunak said Mr Zelensky is 'in good spirits', 'very positive' about renewed US support and 'very grateful' for UK help. Earlier this month, Mr Johnson suggested the UK Government should go even further, with a rise in defence spending to 3 per cent by 2030. The former PM told a conference in Canada: 'Now is the moment for an even more robust posture. We all need to recognise the world is more uncertain, more dangerous. 'We all need, frankly, to be spending more on defence that goes for the UK as well as everybody else.' Calling for Ukraine to be allowed to join NATO and be given the tools to defeat Russia on the battlefield, Mr Johnson insisted that the country had chosen its path to be a 'free, independent European nation'. Responding to the PM's announcement today, Labour's John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, said: 'As Keir Starmer recently set out, Labour wants to see a fully funded plan to reach 2.5 per cent. 'But the Tories have shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted on defence and we will examine the detail of their announcement closely. 'The British public will judge ministers by what they do not what they say. 'Since 2010, the Conservatives have wasted more than 15billion mismanaging defence procurement, shrunk the Army to its smallest size since Napoleon, missed their recruitment targets every year, and allowed morale to fall to record lows. 'Labour will conduct a strategic defence and security review in the first year in government to get to grips with the threats we face, the state of our Armed Forces, and the resources required.' An electrician filmed racially abusing Muslim women as they returned from a pro-Palestine protest told police his name was Adolf Hitler, a court heard today. Terry Eury, 55, was arrested yesterday after phone footage was shared showing a man calling the women 'f*** c****' on South Street in Romford, Essex. Eury admitted two counts of religiously aggravated abuse against Rubina Rahman and Jimena Pardo as he appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court today. Shelina Khudurun, prosecuting, said in court that when he was arrested, Eury from Wapping, East London, gave the alias Adolf Hitler to police. She said: 'A group of people were returning from a Palestine protest. Some were wearing scarves and hijabs. Some were wearing keffiyehs, a Palestinian garment.' Referring to the video footage, Ms Khudurun said: 'He attempted first to engage with them. Mobile phone footage shows the thug (pictured above) labelling a group of women wearing Islamic headscarves as 'f***ing c***s'' in a string of vile racist and Islamophobic slurs The man can be seen following the women down South Street in Romford, as he calls them 'Muslim c****' and tells them to 'f*** off out of England' 'They tried not to engage with him. He started talking about the Israel-Palestine conflict. He started calling them Muslim c****, s****, traitors. He tells them to f*** off to a Muslim country.' 'At no point have the victims engaged with him at all. They noted that he was heavily intoxicated. 'When arrested he gave the alias Adolf Hitler.' Ms Khudurun said Eury has a previous conviction for racially aggravated abuse, adding: 'The matter is aggravated by the previous conviction and the fact that it happened on a busy high street.' 'Ms Rahman said that she was subjected to racial abuse when she was younger, but has not heard that kind of language since the 80s and 90s. 'She says she was incredibly shaken by the incident and they took a cab straight to the police station. She says that it played on her mind, and says that she feels incredibly distressed.' Ms Khudurun asked that compensation be paid to both the victims. Helen Da Silva, defending, said: 'He was motivated by alcohol. He tells me that he is a functioning alcoholic. 'He says that he blacked out, and that he has no knowledge of what he did, though he takes responsibility for what he did. Eury was released on unconditional bail ahead of sentence at Thames Magistrates Court on 21 May. One of the group asks the man to stop and tells him that he is 'being racist', but this does not stop him from continuing his barrage of abuse In the video clip of the incident Eury yelled: 'You Muslim f*** c***. You're c****. Muslim c****. You f**** Muslim s****. Go away you f***** idiots.' One of the women asks the man to stop and tells him that he is 'being racist'. He replied: 'Harassing? We don't like you. 'We are a Christian country and we don't f***** like you. F**** off out of England. 'You are a cancer on our country. F*** off. You are a cancer. We are a Christian country and we don't like you. we are not a Muslim country.' Redbridge Community Action Group, a London-based charity, posted the footage onto social media to help identify the suspect. The group said on X: 'Help @metpolice identify this sick racist earlier today in Romford! 'WATCH as this coward physically threatens and subjects a group of women with his vile, horrific, racist and Islamophobic slurs. We stand with them in solidarity! Internet, please do your thing!' The charity said the video was 'yet another horrific incident of Islamophobia which many Muslims have to face'. Curtis Warren has denied 18 charges of breaching an order put in place to stop him committing serious crime. The 60-year-old appeared before Liverpool Crown Court and entered not guilty pleas to 18 counts of failing to comply with a serious crime prevention order. According to the charges, he failed to notify the National Crime Agency (NCA) of an application for a passport, particulars of bank accounts and credit and debit cards, details of communication devices, acquiring a business interest and of all sources of income. Curtis Warren (right), 60, from Boldon Colliery, Tyne and Wear, who denies 18 counts of failing to comply with a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO), pictured outside Liverpool Crown Court on 23 April 2024 Warren, (pictured) ppeared before Liverpool Crown Court and entered not guilty pleas He is also alleged to have failed to notify the agency of the use of a number of vehicles, including a rental vehicle in Spain, of travel outside England and Wales in July last year, of the details of premises and of having more than 1,000 cash in his possession. Warren, of Boldon, South Tyneside, wore a blue Under Armour hooded sweatshirt and stood with his hands clasped in front of him as he entered his pleas. Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC told Warren he would remain on bail ahead of a further hearing on August 27. A trial has been fixed for November 18. Warren (pictured) wore a blue Under Armour hooded sweatshirt, a black cap and joggers Warren was arrested by the NCA in July last year and charged in November with 11 counts of failing to comply with a serious crime prevention order, said to have been committed following his release from prison in 2022. Earlier this year, he was charged with a further seven offences. Columbia students are sustaining themselves with pricey $12 croissants, organic grain granola and a variety of vegan and gluten-free homemade goods at the pro-Palestine protest encampment on the university's iconic Upper West Side campus. DailyMail.com gained access to the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment,' which occupied the South Lawn where approximately 100 tents have been pitched by students who are calling for the university to cease any Israel-linked investments. Within the bustling 'encampment,' DailyMail.com reporters spotted packs of organic snacks, bakery take-outs and condiment stands scattered across tables, forming a makeshift canteen and buffet amidst the tents. Sanitizer wipes were readily available, with a sign on the bottle urging attendees to 'keep each other safe and wipe hands after touching NUTS.' Some of the protestors ordered a bag of fresh bakery goods from the chic restaurant Le Pain Quotidien, where avocado toast is priced at $14 and orange juice at $5. Columbia students sustain themselves with $12 croissants, organic grain granola and a variety of vegan and gluten-free homemade goods at the pro-Palestine protest encampment on the university's iconic Upper West Side campus While tensions flared outside Columbia's Upper West Side campus on Monday, the students stoking the outrage were carefree The students read poetry, exchanged snacks and generally ignored the political firestorm happening outside The protesters have pledged to remain until the demands are met even after more than 100 students, including the daughter of Squad member Ilhan Omar, were arrested on Columbias grounds last week. Omars daughter, Isra Hirsi, claimed she was suspended by Barnard College, an institution within Columbia, and barred from campus after her arrest. She was previously based at the encampment but did not appear to be present during Mondays demonstrations. The encampment was not removed during the police swoop. Instead, it was still buzzing on Monday while a separate pro-Palestine protest group faced off with a pro-Israel counter demonstration directly outside the campus on Broadway. While the protest outside was led with loud cries of slogans including from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, the mood inside was calmer, with groups enjoying the sunshine and laying in the tents they had pitched on the lawns. Inside the encampment, where volunteers handed out face masks on entry, students have created signs and placards calling for Columbia to divest from Israel, with slogans including Resist colonial power by any means necessary. The protesters have pledged to remain until the demands are met even after more than 100 students, including the daughter of Squad member Ilhan Omar , were arrested on Columbias grounds last week Students wearing keffiyeh scarves sit next to Palestinian flags. On Monday, they made signs, snacked on fruit and read poetry The schedule for the day, complete with 'sunrise and earth day' performances and a 'fatima' poetry reading A large whiteboard with the program for Monday noted that it was Earth Day and included an art class at 11am and a poetry reading scheduled for 5pm. Catherine Elias, a graduate student and designated spokesman for the protesters, said they would stay until the demands are met. Its up to the university how long we stay, she said. We will be here until were forcibly removed or the university meets our demands. Columbia has learned the hard way that when you try to silence us, when you try to repress us, the movement only grows. But not every member of the encampment was willing to talk. When DailyMail.com asked one person if they would discuss their reasons for joining the protest, the young woman replied that she would not talk to right wing press. You are not welcome here, said the woman, who was wearing a face mask. While the NYPD was given the go-ahead to arrest over the weekend, Mayor Eric Adams says they don't have permission to go onto campus to clear the encampment and allow classes to resume The mood was far less peaceful outside, where Jewish protesters were told to stay back for their own safety Jewish Professor Shai Davidai was blocked from entering campus today. Cops said they couldn't ensure his safety Among the crowds of pro-Palestine activists, many recognizable by their black and white keffiyeh scarves, two young Jewish students who were also inside the encampment expressed frustration that the lawn had been taken over. Chaya Droznik, 22, a computer science student, and her friend, Jessica Schwalb, 21, who studies human rights, said they entered the enclosure to highlight the problems they say the protests have created on campus. People are afraid to come here, said Schwalb. I deserve equal access to this lawn, but they try to prevent us from entering or try to evict us. Droznik, who wore a Star of David pendant on a chain around her neck, said Jewish students were made to feel unsafe by the demonstrations. There are people who have gone home, who have left because they dont feel safe, she said. A Jewish professor who wanted to enter the site today was told by police he could not go in because they couldn't guarantee his safety. On Monday afternoon, a large group of pro-Palestine faculty members staged a walkout and delivered speeches outside the university library, which overlooks the South Lawn encampment. A German surfer may have broken his own record for riding the biggest wave in history - claiming that the wall of water stood at a staggering 93.7ft. Sebastian Steudtner says he surfed the 'unsurfable' at the famed big wave spot of Nazare in Portugal, earlier this year. The 38-year-old currently holds the Guinness World Record with a wave he surfed in 2020, also in the fishing village, which stood at an incredible 86ft. While big wave surfing record attempts have historically been measured by analysing footage and pictures, innovative drone technology was used in Steudtner's latest undertaking. 'Mission Wave Alpha' has seen him train for the perfect wave for years, and the extreme athlete decided that the time was right to surf the biggest waves of his life when Nazare saw 'historic' conditions back in February. Dramatic aerial footage shows Sebastian Steudtner carving down huge foaming waves in Nazare, Portugal The 38-year-old currently holds the Guinness World Record with a wave he surfed in 2020 Crowds gather in Nazare, Portugal, as Steudtner was filmed making the record attempt back in February Steudtner chose February 24 thanks to it being 'the biggest storm and the biggest waves in the past three or four years'. 'We were, for the first time, surfing the biggest waves in stormy conditions which were considered unsurfable,' he said. Waves in Nazare can reach the height of a ten-storey building, and are formed due to an underwater canyon off the coast which is three miles deep. Surfers have suffered serious injuries attempting the mountainous waves, and last year veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire lost his life after falling from his board. Dramatic aerial footage shows Steudtner carving down huge foaming waves, knowing one mistake could see him fall from the terrifying heights. Video, shared to his Instagram, also shows him being towed into the huge waves by a jet-ski, which allows wave riders to get onto some of the world's biggest masses of water. There were suggestions from observers that some of the waves may have exceeded the mythical mark of 100ft - a height which Steudtner has set his sights on to surf. A drone can be seen hovering over one of the towering waves Steudtner surfed in February Video, shared to his Instagram, shows Steudtner being towed into the huge waves by a jet-ski 'Mission Wave Alpha' has seen the German athlete train for the perfect wave for years Porsche helped him with training during their partnership over the last three years, with Steudtner's extreme training seeing him take to a surfboard inside a wind tunnel designed for cars. The car makers' engineers also developed state-of-the-art drones to help measure the waves for the surfers' record attempt. The official confirmation of new world record lies with official governing body the World Surf League. Marcus Schmelz, Project Manager at Porsche Engineering, said he believes the tech can help 'advance the sport of surfing'. Steudtner's extreme training saw him take to a surfboard inside a wind tunnel designed for racing cars The car makers' engineers developed state-of-the-art drones to help measure the waves 'Our goal is to further increase transparency in big wave surfing and to provide accurate measurement data more quickly,' he said. 'The record to me is definitely secondary to actually riding the wave and everything that goes into it,' Steudtner told CNN Sport. 'I think what was special about this last big day in February was that we surfed conditions that never have been surfed before.' The biggest wave ever surfed by a woman was completed by Maya Gabeira in 2020, also in Nazare. The Brazilian was towed into a 73.5ft wave, which was also the biggest of the year and beat her own previous record of 68ft. Steudtner's fearless feat comes after a new women's big wave world record for paddling in was set last year by Australian Laura Enever. Fearless Aussie Laura Enever has written herself into the Guinness Book of World Records after surfing the biggest wave ever ridden by a woman On January 22 2023, Enever paddled into a monster 43.6ft wave at the notorious Himalayas break on Hawaii's north shore. 'I knew it was big when I paddled into it and then when I took off I looked down and I knew it was definitely the biggest wave I've ever caught,' she said. 'I knew it was the wave of my life.' The 31-year-old from Sydney was on the WSL professional tour for seven years before boldly deciding to pursue her passion of big wave surfing. The men's record for paddling-in, which involves entering waves unassisted, is held by Hawaii's Aaron Gold, who surfed a 63ft wave in 2016. A suspected serial 'dine-and-dash' couple who have been chased over a string of 'food thefts' at struggling restaurants have had their windows smashed by a masked gang, MailOnline can reveal. Police have launched an investigation after a three-bedroom house in Port Talbot, south Wales had its front downstairs windows smashed by a gang of men in black balaclavas. Neighbours told MailOnline they heard what they thought was gunfire and called police to the house, which is said to be rented by a couple allegedly behind a 'dine and dash' racket. At least seven restaurants have claimed that a couple allegedly behind a 'dine and dash' racket have been ordering expensive menu items - typically steaks - before fleeing and leaving the bill unpaid. South Wales Police said they have arrested two suspects, aged 41 and 39, for fraud and theft offences. They have been taken in for questioning at Swansea Police Station. The windows of the couple's pebble-dashed property have been boarded up and officials from the housing association who own it have measured up to put in replacement glass. An elderly neighbour told MailOnline: 'It was about 10.30pm when a car pulled up and three men in balaclavas got out. The family were inside at the time but they didn't hold back - I heard the front windows being smashed, it was like a gun going off.' As well as restaurants, other local businesses also allegedly fallen victim to the couple, MailOnline has learned. MARCH: CCTV footage shows a woman leaving The Yard Pizzeria in Cowbridge having allegedly built up a 151 tab with her partner whilst sat with a group of six Police are investigating after a three-bedroom house in Port Talbot had its front downstairs windows smashed by a gang of men in black balaclavas AUGUST 2023: The couple at the River House Lounge & Restaurant in Swansea The boarded up windows of the Port Talbot house The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea and The Yard in Cowbridge believe that they are all victims of the 'dine and dashers' Phil Carey, the owner of a blinds company, claimed: 'When I went around to measure up all the windows in the house, I gave her the bill for 850 and she made some excuse about having to leave to take her baby to the doctor. 'She said she would pay the money by bank transfer. I started to think I was going to have a problem. I'm a one-man band and 850 is a lot of money. People have advised me to go to the police or the small claims court but I don't think I'll get what I'm owed.' It comes after we obtained CCTV footage showing a woman leaving The Yard Pizzeria in Cowbridge, having allegedly racked up a 151 bill with a group of six in March. Emily Langford, the manager of the family-run restaurant the Yard, said each member of the group ordered starters, mains and two bottles of fizzy drinks each. Once they had finished, most of them allegedly left the premises, leaving the woman to settle the tab. She allegedly came to the counter and tried to pay with her card, which was declined twice, before asking staff for the nearest cashpoint and disappearing out of sight after walking out of the door. The windows of the couple's pebble-dashed property have been boarded up Ms Langford told MailOnline: 'They left the woman to pay. And she stood up and said 'Oh, is it okay? If I come to the bar to pay?' and we said that was fine. 'She was basically buttering me and my mum up and was saying lots of nice things to us. But as she put her card in it got declined. She was like 'oh that's weird' and it declined again. 'She said she would call her son and sort out a bank transfer, but we weren't comfortable with that and asked if she could pay in cash and showed her where the nearest cashpoint was. 'I showed her where it was and as I turned my head back through the door to tell my mum she was at the cashpoint, by the time I turned around again she was gone.' This 'dine and dash' playbook has been allegedly deployed by the couple in each of the outlets they have hit in the past year. Staff at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Swansea say they were the latest victims of this heist when the couple sat with a group of eight in their restaurant on Friday night and allegedly left without paying the 329 bill. CCTV footage from the restaurant showed the woman attempting to pay the bill with a savings account card, which was declined twice. She allegedly told staff her son would wait inside while she went to get her 'other card', but she did not return and moments later the boy had also vanished from the premises. A similar trick was allegedly used by the couple at the River House last year, when they ran up a hefty bill whilst sitting on a table of five and 'promised' to get cash from the local cash point after their card got declined. But the diners never returned, leading the restaurant owners to call the police. The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea also believe they are all victims. FRIDAY: The couple with a large group at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Port Talbot The mother allegedly told staff her son (left) would wait inside while she went to get her 'other card', but she did not return and moments later the boy had also vanished from the premises FEBRUARY: The woman at the Mediterranean eatery La Casona, in Skewen On August 9, 2023, they posted a CCTV image of the couple in their establishment and wrote: 'Thank you so much to everyone for sharing. 12 positive identifications and the Police are now dealing with the information we have been given. 'Please SHARE to help identify these. They run up a very hefty bill (for 5) and 'promised' to get cash from the local cashpoint after their card got declined. We like to put some trust in people, but this was obviously carefully planned as they all just disappeared!' After hearing the Bella Ciao story on Friday, the La Casona restaurant in Skewen, Neath, took to social media this weekend to share a similar story about the couple, who sat down to eat as a group of six on February 23. According to the restaurant, four of the group left the building after finishing their meal, which cost nearly 300, leaving the mother to stay with a 'young boy' to pay. The business posted a CCTV image of the mother, who told staff she would get another card from her car after the one she used was declined. The restaurant asked the boy to wait with them while she went to the car, but he was gone 10 seconds later and never returned. They wrote on Facebook: 'We asked the boy to stay and wait for her in the restaurant. She left, and 10 seconds after, the boy started to run to the car. 'We sent CCTV recordings, photos, and even the registration plate number. The response was: 'This vehicle is connected to many people' 'Two months later, we called to ask about our case. There was no update, but the Officer would contact us... We believed reporting to the police would help to prevent such events for other restaurantsbut apparently, it didn't.' Having been given the bill, CCTV footage shows the mother of the group attempting to pay with a savings account card which got declined twice Leaving a restaurant without paying is a crime and carries a prison sentence of up to two years. In a statement, South Wales Police said: 'Two people have been arrested following reports of several incidents of non-payment of restaurant bills and shoplifting. 'A 41-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, both from Sandfields, Port Talbot, have been arrested for fraud (obtaining services dishonestly) and theft offences. They are currently in police custody at Swansea Central police station. 'Our investigation is ongoing.' The force was unable to say if the attack on the family home was connected to the spate of dine-and-dashes. The spokeswoman said: 'We were called on April, Wednesday 17, just before 10.30pm with a report of a disturbance at a property. 'Officers attended and found several windows smashed. Investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances around the incident and to identify the person or persons responsible.' The judge in Donald Trump's blockbuster hush money trial threatened to put the former president under oath to explain 'threatening' posts he made on social media. In a stunning rebuke Judge Juan Merchan also lambasted Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche, saying he was 'losing all credibility' with 'silly' arguments. It came as the judge considered whether to find Trump in contempt of court for violating a gag order that prevents him from publicly criticizing witnesses and others involved in the case. Judge Merchan ultimately reserved his decision following a hearing on the gag order lasting nearly two hours. The law permits the judge to send Trump to jail for up to 30 days if he is found to have violated the gag order. Trump has said it would be a 'great honor' to be jailed. However, prosecutor Christopher Conroy told the court 'we are not yet seeking an incarceratory penalty' even though 'the defendant seems to be angling for that.' Instead, the prosecution sought a $1,000 fine for each offending social media post and an order telling Trump to take them down. Former President Donald Trump appears in Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in New York Former President Donald Trump waits for the start of proceedings at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, New York, USA, 23 April 2024 Karoline Leavitt, a member of Trump's communications team, leaves Trump Tower in New York for his hush money trial During the hearing Trump looked on as Conroy handed the court copies of 10 statements on the former president's Truth Social platform or campaign website that he said violated the order. Blanche argued that Trump believed he was not violating the order when he reposted comments made by other people. In tense exchanges Judge Merchan said he wanted to hear that was in fact Trump's position. He told Blanche: "How do I know thats his position? Are you testifying under oath that thats his position? 'It's your client's position that when he reposts, he did not believe he was violating the gag order? Id like to hear that. Or you just want me to accept it because youre saying it?' ln the trial Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The payment was to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter she claims happened in 2006. Trump has pleaded not guilty and also denies such an encounter took place. He has been under a gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan which stops him publicly attacking witnesses, prosecutors and relatives of court staff. However, on his social media site Trump has called Cohen and Daniels 'two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our country dearly.' Trump has also made public statements about the jury. Trump in court for a hearing about his gag order Trump speaks to the media before going into court Prosecutors highlighted a Truth Social post on April 17 in which Trump quoted Fox News commentator Jesse Watters. Watters was quoted as saying that 'undercover liberal activists (are) lying to the judge in order to get on the Trump jury.' Conroy said the part about jurors lying to get on the jury was added by Trump. Watters was quoted as saying that 'undercover liberal activists (are) lying to the judge in order to get on the Trump jury.' Waters was on air at 5.08pm and Trump's post was at 5.36pm that day, the court heard. Conroy said: 'The next day was the day juror 2 came in and said I don't think I can be in this any more because of things she'd been hearing. 'We ended up losing the juror. What happened was what this order was supposed to prevent. This defendant doesn't care.' Blanche said there was 'absolutely no willful violation of the gag order' in the 10 posts and that Trump had been responding to political attacks against him. Judge Merchan then became testy as he went through the 10 posts. In each case the judge asked Blanche what specific attacks Trump was responding to. At one point Blanche responded I dont have a particular Tweet and Your honor says the timing matters. Why?' Trump sits in court with his lawyer Todd Blanche Todd Blanche and Judge Juan Merchan had a heated exchange Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump walks with his attorney Todd Blanche, Judge Merchan cut in: Im asking the questions. I keep asking you over and over again for a specific example and Im not getting a specific example. The judge turned to one post at issue in which Trump called Cohen a disgraced attorney and felon. Blanche said that Trump was expressing that he was extremely frustrated with the two systems of justice in this courtroom. Judge Merchan shot back: Theres two systems of justice in this courtroom? He went on to dismiss the suggestion that Trumps posts did not breach the order because no immediate action was taken against him. The idea that because the People or the court dont take action the gag order is waived, Judge Merchan said, adding: Thats just silly. The judge added: Youve presented nothing. He said: Mr Blanche youre losing all credibility with the court.' Judge Juan M. Merchan poses in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024 Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures while he walks in Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Conroy, the prosecutor, said: 'The defendant has violated this order repeatedly and hasn't stopped.' He said Trump's attacks 'pose a very real threat to the integrity of judicial proceedings by intimidating the defendant's direct targets.' The prosecutor said Trump had also breached the gag order for an 11th time the previous night 'on camera'. That happened 'here in this building right outside those doors in a pen setup from which he has conducted press conferences'. He was referring to remarks in which Trump said Michael Cohen, who will be the star witness in the case, 'wasn't very good' as a lawyer and accused him of getting 'caught lying'. New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan listens to evidence Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches as New York prosecutor Christopher Conroy speaks before Justice Juan Merchan during a hearing to discuss a gag order Conroy said: 'The court should warn the defendant this will not be tolerated and remind him that incarceration is an option. 'He is having his day in court but he's doing everything he can to undermine this process'. At an earlier hearing Judge Merchan had already scolded Trump for muttering loud enough to be heard by prospective jurors and for gesturing animatedly in court. 'I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom,' Judge Merchan told Trump during an earlier hearing. On Tuesday jurors are also hearing testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Prosecutors say he participated in a 'catch and kill' scheme to suppress unflattering stories about Trump and help him get elected. The National Enquirer paid $150,000 to former Playboy magazine model Karen McDougal for the rights to her story about a months-long affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007. It then did not publish the story. Trump has denied an affair with McDougal. Joe Biden is considering an executive order that would grant amnesty to the more than 1 million illegal immigrants who married U.S. citizens but were barred from receiving green cards. The President is looking at taking further actions to address both the southern border crisis and illegal immigrants living in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 election as a large chunk of Americans rank the issue as their top priority. Although immigrants, even those living in the U.S. illegally, are typically able to gain citizenship when they marry American citizens there are a number of reasons why they may have been given the benefit. Some main reasons they are denied citizenship in these cases are if the individual has repeatedly entered the country illegally or forged legal documentation in the past. To address this, the Biden administration is most heavily weighing a 'parole in place' program for spouses of U.S. citizens that were not initially granted citizenship, White House sources told The Wall Street Journal. President Joe Biden is considering an executive order that would grant amnesty and work permits to illegal immigrants who married U.S. citizens but did not qualify for a green card. Pictured: Migrants camping on the bank of the Rio Grande River bordering Mexico and Texas are dispersed by Texas National Guard Biden is looking to address the southern border crisis but also the issue of immigrants living with undocumented status in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 presidential election as the issue remains at top of voters' minds. Pictured: Biden with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a trip to the border town of Brownsville, Texas on February 29, 2024 The status would be temporary and would grant the immigrants' access to work permits and a path towards citizenship. While the details of such an executive action have not been finalized or approved, the mummerings of taking the nuclear option to address another bloc of immigrants adds to a list of other ideas the administration has floated. The White House has discussed timing an announcement before the election as a one-two punch following an executive order that would likely upset immigration advocates, an official notes. Reports emerged earlier in April indicating Biden is considering using an executive order implemented by former President Donald Trump to limit the number of migrants who can claim asylum at the southern border. 'We're examining whether or not I have that power,' Biden told Univision's Enrique Acevedo in an interview taped in early April. 'Some are suggesting that I should just go ahead and try it,' the president said when speaking with the Spanish-language broadcaster. 'And if I get shut down by the court, I get shut down by the court.' Hundreds of thousands of migrants cross every month at the southern border and states bordering Mexico are struggling to address the crisis without federal-level action. Under Biden's leadership, the U.S. has experienced all-time-high levels of illegal immigration and House Republicans passed impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this year but the Senate voted to dismiss the articles last week. Immigration advocacy group Fwd.us estimates there are 1.1 million undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The idea of 'parole in place' is similar to humanitarian parole that Biden's Department of Homeland Security has used to admit hundreds of thousands of migrants at the border who make asylum claims through the CBP One mobile app. This could be easily implemented because a less far-reaching version already exists for undocumented immigrants who are married to military veterans. Thousands of migrants cross the southern border every single day and Republicans are furious the Biden administration hasn't done more to quell the crisis Biden's team also created the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV) parole program, which allows for 30,000 asylum-seekers each month from these four countries to apply to be flown into U.S. airports and released into the country without legal status for a two-year grace period. Widespread criticism ensued for the program after it was revealed that more than 320,000 undocumented migrants were flown into the U.S. from January 2023 through February 2024. An analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies found that the vast majority of these foreigners were flown into Miami, Florida . Customs and Border Protection lawyers would not reveal where the migrants are flying to in the U.S. Some immigration advocates claim that immigrants denied status or green cards because of past infractions go all the way back to when the individuals were young children and are pushing for a change. A Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years. The man, who is in his 20s, was convicted of violating Koreas animal protection law last week, the Changwon District Court in southeastern Korea said Tuesday. The court did not identify the man. The man went on a cat-killing spree between December 2022 and September 2023 due to a deep hatred of the animal that he began harboring after other cats scratched his car, according to a court verdict seen by the Associated Press. He had caught stray cats and adopted others from online sites before strangling some to death and killing others with scissors, the court order said. He killed one cat by running it over with a car, the court said. The court ruled that the prison sentence was unavoidable because he repeatedly committed indescribably cruel crimes in a premeditated manner. It stressed that the sentence still reflected the fact that the man had no criminal records and repented his crimes, adding that the man's unspecified mental health status was found to be a motive for his crimes. The man appealed the ruling. The sentence reflects Korean societys increasing concern for animal welfare and intolerance for senseless cruelty such as this, said Seo Borami, a director of the South Korea office of the Humane Society International. This cruelty case also emphasizes the importance of passing the Civil Act amendment that will legally recognize animals as living beings and further strengthen their protection in law, Seo added. (AP) A nine-year-old girl suffered life-changing injuries after she was attacked by a dog - believed to be an American Atika breed - in a quiet village. The child was rushed to hospital after the attack which occurred shortly before 5pm in Guide Post, Northumberland, on April 17. The dog was seized by police to protect the public and the owner agreed for it to be destroyed. Emergency services, including police and paramedics rushed to the scene with the nine-year-old still undergoing treatment in hospital for her injuries. American Atikas are a large dog breed and can weigh up to 9st in weight. They are known for their muscular and strong appearance and are regularly described as looking bear-like. A nine-year-old girl suffered life-changing injuries after she was attacked by a dog - believed to be an American Atika breed - in a quiet village American Atikas are a large dog breed and can weigh up to 9st in weight (stock pic) They are known for their muscular and strong appearance and are regularly described as looking bear-like (stock pic) A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: 'Shortly before 5pm on Wednesday (April 17), police received a report that a dog had injured a child in the Cleaswell Hill area of Guide Post. 'Emergency services attended, and a nine-year-old girl was taken to hospital with life-changing injuries and is undergoing treatment. READ MORE: Dog attacks have risen by a fifth in one year with police now recording more than 80 incidents a day Advertisement 'Officers attended the scene where - in agreement with the owner - the dog in question was seized by police in order to protect the public. The owner of the dog has subsequently agreed for the dog to be destroyed. 'While further assessment will be carried out, officers believe the dog to be an American Akita breed.' The force said enquiries into the incident are ongoing and they have urged anyone with information to contact them by visiting the 'Report' pages of their website, or by calling 101, quoting log NP-20240417-0744. A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) added: 'We were called to an incident at a private address in Stakeford at 4.50pm on Wednesday 17 April, but we were not required as the patient made their own way to hospital.' It comes as it was revealed last month that the number of dog attacks have risen by a fifth in one year with police recording more than 80 incidents a day. Police forces recorded 30,539 offences of a dog injuring a person or a guide dog last year, an investigation by the BBC found, increasing from 25,291 in 2022. Your browser does not support iframes. Esther Martin, 68 (pictured) from Woodford Green, London, died from being attacked by two 'unregistered' XL bully dogs just days after the ban was put in place The dogs which attacked Mrs Martin were owned by breeder Ashley Warren, a wannabe rapper who goes by the name Wyless Man (pictured) It comes after a ban on XL Bully dogs came into force last February following a spate of devastating attacks by the dogs, leaving people dead or seriously injured. However, a few days after the ban, Esther Martin, 68, was mauled to death by her son-in-law's unregistered XL Bully dogs in front of her screaming grandson, aged 11. It is understood the terrified 68-year-old had issued a warning to her tattooed 'son-in-law' Ashley Warren, 39, but it is claimed the East London wannabe rapper fired back with a foul-mouthed rant: 'No one tells me what to do with my f*****g dogs.' Biden on Monday condemned 'the anti-Semitic protests' but also condemned 'those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians' Former President Donald Trump called pro-Palestinian protests that have rippled across major college campuses a 'disgrace' and blamed President Biden for sending the 'wrong signal.' Trump made his comments inside Manhattan criminal court before the second day of his trial on charges of falsifying financial records related to 'hush' payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. On Tuesday, rather than focus on the case against him that he calls a 'witch hunt,' Trump turned to the Pennsylvania primary and angry protests. 'What's going on at the college level and the colleges Columbia, NYU and others is a disgrace,' Trump said. 'And it's really on Biden. He has the wrong signal. He's got the wrong tone. He's got the wrong words. He doesn't know who he's backing. And it's a mess.' Biden commented on the protests Monday, seeking to balance his remarks. Former President Trump accused President Joe Biden of setting the 'wrong tone' and said, 'It's all Biden's fault' 'I condemn the anti-Semitic protests. That's why I've set up a program to deal with that,' Biden said. 'I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians,' he continued, before switching topics when a reporter asked him another question. 'If this were me, they'd be after me so much. But they're trying to give him a pass,' Trump complained in his remarks. 'What's going on is a disgrace to our country, and it's all Biden's fault and everybody knows that.' Then Trump veered into a political critique. 'He's got no message. He's got no capacity,' he said, calling him 'the worst president in the history of our country,' a day after calling New York AG Letitia James the 'worst attorney general in the country.' Then Trump described a massive police presence outside the courthouse although his characterization was contradicted by reporters on the scene. 'Outside, for great Americans, people want to come down and they want to protest at the court, and they want to protest peacefully,' Trump said, apparently referring to pro-MAGA protesters. 'We have more police presence here than anyone's ever seen for blocks, you can't get near this courthouse,' Trump said. 'And if you have nobody up at a college, where you have very radical people wanting to rip the colleges down, the universities down, and that's a shame.' Police intervene and arrest more than 100 students at New York University (NYU) who continue their demonstration on campus in solidarity with the students at Columbia University and to oppose Israel's attacks on Gaza Protesters at Columbia have created a Pro-Palestine encampment on campus, with more than 100 arrested during sit-ins last week President Joe Biden walked a thin line Monday when asked if he had a message to protesters and if he condemned the antisemitic protests on college campuses Trump cited a police presence and said 'you can't get near this courthouse' On Thursday police in riot gear cleared a protest encampment at Columbia, making more than 100 arrests. One of the top Jewish groups on Columbia's campus said in a social media post Sunday that Jewish students are being targeted by protesters telling them to 'go back to Poland' and 'stop killing children.' Early Monday embattled Columbia President Nemat 'Minouche' Shafik announced that classes would be held virtually and a campus rabbi encouraged Jewish students to return home for their safety. There was outrage on campus Tuesday as classes were switched to remote learning through the end of the spring semester April 29 for the school's 37,000 students. Asked if Shafik should resign, Biden answered, 'I'll have to find out more about it.' On Monday billionaire alum Robert Kraft announced he'd be pulling his financial support from the university over the anti-Israel demonstrations. 'The school I love so much the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity is no longer an institution I recognize,' The New England Patriots' owner said. 'I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country.' Last week more than 100 students were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday for participating in sit-ins but by Friday students had returned to their 'Gaza solidarity camp.' One of those arrested and then suspended was fellow Squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter. The president and the so-called Squad, which includes AOC, haven't seen eye to eye on the topic of Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terror attack. A murder investigation has today been launched by Scotland Yard after two people died in a house fire in north-east London. Detectives believe the blaze at the end of terraced home in Walthamstow, thought to have been occupied by squatters, was started deliberately. The inferno tore through and destroyed the two-storey property on Sunday night with firefighters discovering the bodies of two people inside. They were pronounced dead at the scene with murder detectives yet to identify two people. Today, Met Police announced it had launched a murder investigation into the fatal fire on Forest Road. A murder investigation has today been launched by Scotland Yard after two people died in a house fire in Walthamstow, north-east London Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters raced to the blaze in Forest Road, Walthamstow, last night where two people were pronounced dead at the scene A passerby at the scene said: 'Those are all council houses. I heard that it was squatters living there' It is thought there was an 'incident' outside the home before it became engulfed in flames and officers are searching for any doorbell or dashcam footage in the area. Detective Chief Inspector Matt Webb, leading the investigation for the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: 'We believe that there may have been an incident outside the address in Forest Road before the fire started and I am very keen to hear from anyone who witnessed something or perhaps has doorbell or dashcam footage. 'We are working hard to identify the two people who sadly died in the fire, not least so that their families and loved ones can be notified.' Police were called at 10.42pm on Sunday, April 21 to a report of a fire at a residential address in Forest Road. Officers attended alongside colleagues from the London Fire Brigade. DCI Webb added: 'Two people's lives have been cut short as a result of this fire. If you have heard something or have information relating to the incident please don't hesitate to get in touch.' Forest Road (shown in the map above) was closed off as firefighters fought to get the flames under control Resident Donna Wiggins claimed that the house's occupants had been booted out of the property by squatters Donna Wiggins, who has lived in Walthamstow for 26 years, said yesterday she was close friends with the former residents of the house, who passed away a few years ago. The 46-year-old claims that the house had been inherited by her friend's son who was later booted out of the property by squatters. She said: 'I used to know the people who lived there. The mother used to be my neighbour. 'I am not sure who the people who have passed away are. Another person I know said the son had been kicked out by squatters. 'But I haven't spoken to him since his mum's funeral. 'There was always unsavoury characters coming in and out of that house.' An unrepentant GP jailed for participating in a Just Stop Oil protest has been suspended and slammed for giving 'no acknowledgement that what she has done was wrong'. Although Dr Sarah Benn has only been suspended for five months, she will not be allowed to practise again until she can 'provide evidence' to show she understands the 'importance of compliance with the law'. The 57-year-old was among 51 protesters who demonstrated outside Kingsbury oil terminal, Warwickshire, in September 2022, in breach of a court injunction. It led to her being jailed for 32 days for contempt of court by Judge Emma Kelly at Birmingham Crown Court. The judge highlighted how protesters not only stopped tankers but also a worker asking for permission to leave the site for an urgent medical appointment who was 'not allowed vehicular egress'. Dr Sarah Benn, 57, has been suspended from the medical register for five months after being jailed for 32 days after she took part in a Just Stop Oil protest Dr Benn, from Birmingham, says she informed the General Medical Council and her employer after each arrest and argues that her actions are consistent with medical ethics During the tribunal, Benn, from Birmingham, West Midlands, claimed her actions were part of a doctor's 'fundamental duty is to protect health and life' and said she was willing to protest again. But Dr Faye Rolfe, for the General Medical Council, said the doctors conduct had brought the profession into disrepute. Dr Rolfe said the tribunal had found that the public would not condone law breaking, even if the motivation was something for which people have sympathy. While the GMC had no clinical concerns, punishment was needed to show her repeated, planned, and deliberate conduct was unbefitting of the profession, she added. The tribunal concluded: 'She has a deep-seated belief in the veracity of evidence on the impact of climate change, that she describes as justifying her decision to repeatedly not comply with the law. This is closely linked to the risk of repetition in the future.' The panel also found she had a 'naivety' about the risk of peaceful protest escalating. Benn had claimed the risk of public disorder was tiny. Benn challenged the tribunal to strike her off. If such a decision was reached, she said, she was at peace with that and had known it might happen. Sitting in Manchester, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service said that there 'has been no acknowledgement from Benn that what she has done by breaking the law was wrong and no evidence that she has taken steps to remediate her actions.' She was jailed for 31 days for contempt of court by breaching an injunction not to demonstrate outside Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire in 2022 The panel concluded that taking no action would be inappropriate and insufficient, and risk damaging public trust in doctors. The tribunal said Benn would need to provide evidence of any reflections, insight and remediation in relation to the importance of compliance with the law for a doctor before she could be reinstated. At the beginning of the tribunal last week, Benn had claimed it was her duty as a doctor to take part in peaceful protests against new fossil fuel projects because the climate crisis is the most significant existential threat to global health we have ever faced. Benn, seen on a grass verge outside the terminal holding a sign which read 'No New Oil', had gone on protests at the terminal on April 26, May 4 and September 14 in 2022, in breach of a civil injunction. It was the final protest, in which activists blocked the access route to and from the terminal by sitting in the road, which led to her imprisonment. Three GPs are currently under disciplinary scrutiny for climate change protests with Dr Benn's case being the first heard. A spokesperson for the Doctors' Association UK, added: 'This is a story of a clinician being punished for raising serious concerns about dangerous inaction on the greatest threat to global health we have ever, or will ever experience. 'The right to peaceful protest is a basic human right. It cannot and must not be taken away. 'Given the evidence on climate change and its health impacts, we strongly believe that peaceful protest should not be viewed as condemnable professional misconduct but as commendable public health advocacy.' Dr Benn pictured taking part in the Just Stop Oil protest. She has been suspended as a GP for five months A GMC spokesperson said: 'Dr Sarah Benn was referred to a hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service not for protesting about climate change, but for multiple breaches of a court order which resulted in a custodial sentence. 'Like all citizens, doctors have the right to express their personal opinions on issues, including climate change. 'There is nothing in our guidance to prevent them from doing so, nor from exercising their right to lobby government and to campaign, including taking part in protests. 'However, patients and the public rightly have a high degree of trust in doctors and that trust can be eroded if doctors repeatedly fail to comply with the law. 'Our fitness to practise investigations consider cases which are referred to us and where doctors have broken the law, not their motivations for doing so. It is not the role of regulators to determine UK law that is a matter for parliament.' Dr Latifa Patel, BMA representative body chair and workforce lead, said: 'Like any citizen, doctors should adhere to the law, but many will find it very difficult to understand that their ability to practise medicine could be suspended because of peaceful actions they take in protest of the climate crisis. 'Whilst the GMC has a duty to refer doctors to a medical tribunal when they receive a custodial sentence, in some cases, such as this one, the doctor's actions will have no bearing on their ability to practise medicine and will not pose a risk to patients, past or future. 'This ruling sends a worrying message to other doctors about the regulation of matters not directly related to patient care or their clinical skills, and raises serious questions about the rules behind the handling of such cases. 'We need urgent consideration on the rules as to why a doctor has been suspended for the punishment they already received for taking part in a legitimately peaceful protest, especially as the climate crisis is also a health crisis and as such doctors are understandably concerned. 'Dr Benn's actions and her resulting custodial sentence posed no threat to patients, but her suspension implies they do. It is now time for the GMC and the medical profession to review the basis on which Dr Benn found herself in front of a medical tribunal.' Goff even went back to photograph old buildings while working on the project One of its designers, Harper Goff, was born in the sleepy Colorado city The iconic Disney attraction has its roots in historic Fort Collins Disney's Main Street, U.S.A. may seem like the stuff of dreams, but the iconic attraction actually has its roots in a quaint Colorado city. While it may seem like it was designed to resemble a generic 20th-century American town, the 'themed land' was particularly inspired by two influences. One was Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri; and the other was historic Fort Collins, where one of the attraction's principal designers, Harper Goff, was born. Goff relied on his childhood memories of the buildings in Old Town while sketching designs for Main Street, U.S.A. During the 1950s, Goff and the park's namesake himself got together to begin crafting the attraction. Main Street, U.S.A., the iconic Disney attraction, was partially inspired by the city of Fort Collins, Colorado The city (pictured) is the birthplace of Harper Goff, who designed the attraction alongside Walt Disney himself While Disney partially drew from his own hometown of Marceline, Missouri, in designing the 'themed land' (pictured), Goff was inspired by childhood memories During the 1950s, Goff and Disney got together to plan out the attraction (pictured). Goff even returned to Fort Collins to photograph buildings Goff said in an interview that the city hall and bank in Disneyland were copied exactly from Fort Collins (pictured: Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. in Anaheim, California) Inspirations still standing in the historic city today include the Linden Hotel (pictured) Goff even returned to Fort Collins to photograph buildings that would serve as models for his drawings. He later admitted in an interview that the city hall and bank in Disneyland were copied from Fort Collins, along with a few other features. Several of the designer's inspirations have since been demolished, while others were refurbished and slicked with a new coat of paint. These include the Union Pacific Railroad Station, the firehouse on Walnut Street, and Linden Hotel, and a row of buildings lining the 200 block of Jefferson Street. The first Main Street, U.S.A. opened in 1955, when Disneyland in Anaheim welcomed visitors. Goff died in 1993, aged 81, but his influence lives on through his designs. The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery also has two of Goff's artworks in its collection. Among them are a concept sketch for Disneyland's unbuilt Discovery Bay, which was announced in 1976 but ultimately fell to the wayside. Fort Collins, the fourth most populous city in Colorado, boasts over 20 restored historic buildings, circa-1800s homes, and a trolley. It is also home to a bustling art, music and theater scene as well as miles of hiking trails. His crimes inspired wreaths laid at his Edinburgh funeral after his death at 33 An armed robber has been laid to rest in a 'Sopranos-style' funeral with tributes to his life of crime - including flowers shaped like a Mac-10 submachine gun, a balaclava, a burner phone, bolt cutters and a Rolex watch. Mourners at convicted criminal Matthew Ferry's send-off in Edinburgh also saw arrangements spelling out the words 'Smash and grab', 'Cartier' and 'Laings' - referring to the raid which saw him jailed for 13 years. Ferry, 33, was found dead in prison last month while serving his sentence for a terrifying armed robbery of a Laings jewellery store in the Scottish capital in which he got away with 230,000-worth of watches. When police later arrested him at his grandmother's home they found he had stashed a Mac-10 submachine gun there, as well as heroin estimated to have a street value of 50,000. Reports have suggested jailed gangster Mark Richardson - Ferry's cousin - spent thousands of pounds on the wreaths at the funeral on April 12 at Mortonhall Crematorium and Edinburgh's Saughton Cemetery. Floral tributes at 33-year-old Matthew Ferry's funeral in Edinburgh made eye-catching references to a raid on a jeweller's store for which he was jailed Ferry died last month in HMP Edinburgh while serving a 13-year sentence over the terrifying armed robbery he carried out in the Scottish capital nine years ago Among the wreaths put on display after the April 12 funeral depicted a Mac-10 submachine gun, similar to the one Ferry had stashed at his grandmother's home at the time of the crime The Scottish Sun quoted a source as saying: 'Richardson and Ferry were tight, they were more like brothers than cousins. 'Richardson wanted to pay tribute to him in his own way and show that he could still get it done even though he's in jail.' One mourner said: 'It was the most remarkable funeral I've ever been to - it was like something out of The Sopranos.' 'The flowers were amazing. There were bouquets devoted to his biggest crime where he carried out an armed raid and stole a load of watches from a jeweller in the town. 'There were flowers made into shapes like a machine gun, watches, balaclavas, bolt cutters. One said "Smash and Grab" in big letters. 'There was even one with the logo of the jewellers he robbed. I've never seen anything like it.' An unsigned card left for Ferry, who was found dead in his HMP Edinburgh cell on March 25, read: 'We spoke about it since we were young offenders. 'Now someone better tell the other jewellers to up their security because when I'm out there's no way you're the only one with this on your CV. 'I might be thick but I'm wise enough no to leave my name here or I'd be caught already. RIP x.' The wreath designed to resemble a Rolex watch nodded to how Ferry had got away with watches worth 230,000 in the 2015 armed robbery - they have never been recovered There were also references to jewellery brand Cartier and Laings, the name of the firm whose branch in Edinburgh he stole from Mourners have compared the funeral to TV series The Sopranos about a US mafia firm Another said: 'You were too fast to live. Crime all the time! Take it easy cuz and keep me a seat, this is not goodbye x.' The service and burial were followed by a wake in Edinburgh's Silver Wing, said to have had a heavy 'police presence' monitoring it - though the mourner said officers 'kept their distance', Edinburgh Live reported. Friends and family have also left tributes on an online page dedicated to his memory which says: 'He is much loved and will always be remembered. 'Matthew, a much-loved son of Lorraine and Manus, loving brother of Shaun, Michael and Lori, cherished grandson of the late Mary and a loved cousin and nephew who will be sadly missed by all his Hutchison family, extended family and many friends.' Tommy Hood who posted on Facebook: 'Rest easy Matthew Ferry. You got a top turnout from all the boys that meant most to you. Loved and missed by many many people.' The watches Ferry stole have never been recovered, while he dropped stock worth another 23,000 when fleeing the store. Staff at the Laings branch in Frederick Street, Edinburgh, needed counselling after the ordeal which was caught on CCTV. Ferry, wearing a hood, had pointed a gun at the store's manager and shouted: 'Put the f***ing watches in the f***ing bag or I'll shoot you.' One card left at Perry's funeral described him as 'too fast to live', adding: 'Crime all the time!' Among the other floral tributes was one designed to look like a burner phone The funeral service was held on April 12 at Edinburgh's Mortonhall Crematorium before he was buried at Saughton Cemetery in the Scottish capital He was caught after the store's managing director followed him through the streets and urged passers-by to capture pictures on their phones of a taxi he had hijacked to make his getaway. After being tracked down by police, Ferry later pleaded guilty to five charges at the High Court in Edinburgh - armed robbery, assault, abduction, possessing the machine gun and involvement in drug dealing. His trial judge Lord Glennie said when sentencing: 'It's clear this must have been terrifying for your victims, both in the shop and the taxi.' A fatal accident inquiry is due be held after Ferry's death last month. President Joe Biden's new $5 billion fleet of presidential helicopters has been regulated to second string because they keep scorching the grass on the South Lawn of the White House. The VH-92 Patriot is landing only on paved runways for now, because its spinning rotors and engine exhaust sometimes scorch the grass where it lands, Bloomberg News reported. The problem was first identified in 2018 and Biden is using VH-3D Sea King until the scorched earth situation is solved. The new VH-92 Patriot helicopter being used as Marine One can't land on the South Lawn of the White House as it torches the grass Lockheed has delivered 20 VH-92 helicopters to the Marine Corps under the $5 billion program, Lockheed spokeswoman Melissa Chadwick told Bloomberg. She said the company believes it's found a fix and will start testing soon. The signature white-topped green helicopter has been used to ferry presidents since 1975. Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first sitting president to travel by helicopter, going from the White House to Camp David on July 12, 1957. The South Lawn of the White House is a main fairway to move a president to his next location. Using a helicopter means the presidential motorcade won't add to Washington D.C.'s notorious traffic. Biden uses the presidential helo to travel to Joint Base Andrews to board Marine One for longer trips. He also uses it to fly to Wilmington, Del., for the weekend or to visit Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains. Currently a mix of the old and new helicopters are being used. During a Connecticut business forum last year, Paul Lemmo, President of Sikorsky, which designed the helicopter, revealed that the VH-92A helicopters are already operational for certain presidential missions. 'Right now, there's a mix of the new aircraft and the old aircraft, and over the next year or so we expect the VH-92 to take over completely,' Lemmo said, according to CT Insider. Sikorsky, owned by Lockheed Martin, is a leading aerospace company. Sikorsky said it expects to complete the 23rd and final helicopter in the summer of 2024. The fleet is to be flown by Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1). The old VH-3D Sea King helicopter is still being used to ferry the president from the White House and back Lockheed has delivered 20 VH-92 helicopters - the new version of Marine One - to the Marine Corps under the $5 billion program President Biden uses Marine One to travel to Joint Base Andrews for longer trips or to Wilmington, Delaware, for weekends there Based at Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico in Virginia, HMX-1 serves as the dedicated United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron, which flies the president, the vice president and other VIPs. Sikorsky began building the new Marine One helicopters in 2019 and delivered the first two prototypes in November 2021. That year, the Government Accountability Office estimated the VH-92A's price tag at $218 million for each helicopter, for a total program cost of $5 billion. Israel's war in Gaza has taken center stage in the Pennsylvania 12th congressional race where progressive 'Squad' member Summer Lee is facing a Democratic challenger. Voters in the state are headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the presidential and congressional primaries. Bhavini Patel is running to unseat the progressive freshman lawmaker in the district that includes Pittsburgh and surrounding suburbs. The race tests how criticism for Israel and the war in Gaza plays out in a Democratic stronghold and battleground state. Lee has represented the Pittsburgh area district since being elected in 2022 after winning the open seat vacated by retiring longtime Democratic Congressman Mike Doyle. She is the first black woman elected to represent Pennsylvania in Congress and ran on a progressive platform despite fierce opposition during the midterm primary. Rep. Summer Lee in Pittsburgh on April 8, 2024. She was first elected to Congress in 2022 and is a member of the 'Squad' Bhavini Patel is challenging Rep. Lee in the Democratic primary. She is a member of the Edgewood Borough Council Since taking office, Lee has been closely aligned with the progressive wing of the party in Washington known as the 'Squad.' After the attack by Hamas on October 7, Lee condemned the attack, but she has also been a vocal critic of Israel's war in Gaza and was among the first lawmakers to call for a ceasefire in October. But despite facing criticism from some in Pittsburgh's large Jewish community, she remains the frontrunner in the primary with both the benefits of incumbency and some Democratic and Pennsylvania heavyweights backing her. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones joined her for a rally in Pittsburgh over the weekend ahead of primary election day. Lee also has the support of Senator Bernie Sanders, Pennsylvania's two senators, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey who credits her with helping bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the district. Her challenger, Patel, is the daughter of an Indian immigrant who grew up in the suburb Monroeville and serves on the Edgewood Borough Council and a former business owner. She launched her bid to unseat Lee in October and has been running as a strong supporter of President Biden's agenda. She has also gone after Lee for her stance on Israel and the war in Gaza. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigning for Rep. Summer Lee in Pittsburgh on Sunday ahead of the Pennsylvania primary. Supporters held signs against GOP billionaire Jeff Yass who has been spending in the race But Lee supporters have fired back that Patel is benefitting from spending by billionaire Jeff Yass, the wealthiest person in Pennsylvania and a Republican megadonor. Yass is largely behind funding for the Moderate PAC which has been attacking Lee while supporting Patel, though Patel has disavowed it. The Moderate PAC ran an ad leading up to the primary that accused Lee of 'opposing' Biden and giving him the 'cold shoulder' during his State of the Union address. Lee was among a group of progressive members who wore keffiyeh, the scarf that has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians, to the president's speech last month. Even as Patel attempts to more closely align herself with Biden, he gave Lee a shoutout during his visit to Pittsburgh last week. President Biden during an event in Pittsburgh on April 17 The 12th district race has received 45 percent of all House primary spending in the state according to tracking by Ad Impact. Lee received a total of $1.6 million in ad support for her campaign while Patel has received $798,000. Notably, the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) has not spent in the race after being a major spender in 2022. The candidates themselves have also focused their ad spending on messages about infrastructure. Lee ran an ad touting bringing $1.2 billion into the community. Patel highlighted her support for the bipartisan infrastructure bill and accused Lee of being against it, though Lee was not in Congress at the time of the law's passage. Lee has also trumped Patel in fundraising. Federal filings show Patel raised at least $602,000 for her campaign over roughly six months since its launch. As an incumbent, Lee has had a clear advantage raking in more than $2.3 million for her reelection bid according to the filings through April 3. Lee is not the only 'Squad' member facing a Democratic challenger. Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri, Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota as well as New York Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman are also facing challengers in Democratic primaries. Moments before a boat capsized in the Channel and left five people dead including a little girl, French police were beaten back by migrants with sticks and firecrackers. Three men, a woman and a four-year-old girl drowned after the dinghy they were on flipped over in the early hours of this morning off the coast of northern France, casting around 112 people into the Channel. Footage showed scores of people running towards the sea as they tried to beat back the French officers on Wimereux beach in northern France early this morning. Once the migrants were in the water, the French police said there was nothing more they could do as they didn't have a boat. Moments later, the boat hit a sandbank and caused panic that led to the boat capsizing and five people - including a little girl - drowning. Only then did French police scramble a boat to save the remaining survivors. However, when some of the migrants refused to be rescued and restarted the boat's engine, the French Navy instead escorted them onwards towards Britain, which they reached at around lunchtime today. Migrants were seen beating back the French police using only wooden sticks and firecrackers Once the migrants were in the boat, the officers said there was no more they could do A helicopter of the Emergency medical services takes off from Wimereux on April 23 Emergency vehicles were seen beside an ice cream shop on the beach at Wimereux in France this morning An emergency SAMU air ambulance was one of three that responded to the tragedy A police officer looks on in Wimereux, near Calais, after migrants died in an attempt to cross the English Channel Rescue boats were also seen off the coast of northern France as emergency services searched for survivors Emergency workers rushed to the sea in a bid to save migrants who got in trouble while trying to cross the Channel It is thought the small boat was launched from Wimereux in northern France, between Boulogne and Calais The migrants had got into difficulty when the dinghy struck a sandbank exposed by the retreating tide. This sparked panic and caused people to stand up, which unbalanced the boat. People started falling into the water before the boat capsized, 'flinging everybody into the very cold sea,' a French maritime prefect said. The French Navy intervention tug the Abeille Normandie (the Normandy Bee) was scrambled and picked up 47 survivors. They were taken back to France, where four of them were arrested. Yet 57 people refused to leave the boat, restarted the engine and were escorted towards Britain by the French navy. It is believed the boat arrived in Britain at around lunchtime today. Three search-and-rescue SAMU helicopters have been scouring the sea for survivors. By 11am, funeral directors could be seen collecting bodies around Boulogne, while migrants suffering from conditions such as hypothermia were taken to hospital. Most of the migrants on board were paying the equivalent of up to 1,000 per head for a voyage, meaning a single boat could be worth 100,000 to a smuggler. An investigating source based in Boulogne said 'at least five' overcrowded small boats were seen pushing from the beach at Wimereux at around 3am today. One of the helicopters was seen flying low over the beach at Wimereux this morning Another air ambulance was seen landing at the side of the beach in Wimereux A member of the French Gendarmerie talks with a driver of a passing car in Wimereux, near Calais French police stopped another boat (pictured) from leaving northern France today It was one of four that French police stopped from launching this morning The furious Mayor of Wimereux Jean-Luc Dubaele (pictured) said the latest tragedy was all the fault of the British The regional governor of the Calais region, Prefet Jacques Billant (pictured), condemned the human traffickers who packed this morning's victims into the boat He said: 'Weather conditions were very calm, and hundreds of people were trying to get onto the boats at first light. 'Officers had already dispersed a number of them on Monday night, and confiscated nautical equipment including inflatable boats, outboard engines, life jackets and cans of fuel.' Despite the police operation, hundreds of men, women and children still managed to launch dinghies. The source added: 'All the boats were overcrowded, clearly because the people smugglers who organised them wanted to make as much money as possible. 'There were more than 100 people on single boats, which is incredibly dangerous, and the reason they capsized the boats just can't take the weight of all those people. 'There were lots of children on the boats, including a four-year-old girl who died.' The little girl's father was rescued by emergency services and taken to Wimereux beach, where he burst into tears and fell into the arms of refugee charity workers 'in a daze'. Dany Patoux, from the Osmose 62 refugee charity, saw the father return to the beach. He said: 'We knew the little girl well. We have photos with her, with a big smile on her face, in the hope of a better life. 'But now, everything is ruined. Her father fell into our arms right away. He was crying, in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes.' Officials said six 'lifeless bodies' were found this morning and taken to Wimereux beach, which is between Boulogne and Calais. One person was resuscitated but five sadly died. Another overloaded dinghy was pictured in French waters after the incident this morning Migrants, many of them in life jackets, were seen with their feet dangling in the water They were escorted by French patrol boat Minck and met in the Channel by a UK Border Force ship The investigating source said: 'Many others who were on the capsized boats were brought ashore unconscious.' The regional governor of the Calais region, Prefet Jacques Billant, condemned the human traffickers who packed this morning's victims into the boat. He told MailOnline: 'Some 112 souls were packed into that boat. It was unseaworthy not properly inflated and completely overcrowded. 'To send people into the sea in a boat in that state is an act of murder. 'We arrested five people on human trafficking offences this morning.' Prefet Billant refused to offer comment on Britain's Rwanda deportation plan. He said simply: 'My job is to stop the people traffickers and I will use every resource at my disposal to do so.' An emergency services spokesman said: 'Weather conditions are good, and this is one of the reasons that so many small boats set off this morning.' A spokesman for the French coastguard said: 'The situation is ongoing and multiple search and rescue teams are in the area.' Olivier Ternicien, president of Osmose 62, which is based at Boulogne, said: 'A child has died. A third helicopter has just arrived, we fear the worst.' A criminal investigation into the deaths has been opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor. It came just hours after Rishi Sunak's Rwanda Bill to deter migrants from making the perilous crossing was passed in Parliament. Rishi Sunak vowed to let nothing 'stand in our way' today as he gears up to send Channel migrants to Rwanda within weeks after the Government's deportation plan was finally passed by Parliament. Last year, there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK. Of those, 29,437 came from people who arrived in small boats. The Rwanda scheme's capacity is 200 people per year. It means if the scheme had been running last year, it would have deported less than 0.7 per cent of small boat migrants. In terms of the cost of the journey per person, for the first 300 migrants sent to Rwanda, it will cost the Government 1.8million per head, Whitehall's official spending watchdog said. After the incident this morning, the Prime Minister said the 'tragic' incident reported in the Channel 'underscores' the need for the deterrent effect of the Rwanda plan. Several dinghies were seen being removed from the water after a series of crossings today Empty dinghies, believed to have carried migrants, are taken off a recovery boat at the Port of Dover A person is carried on a stretcher as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the RNLI following a small boat incident in the Channel He said: 'That is just a reminder of why our plan is so important because there's a certain element of compassion about everything that we're doing. 'We want to prevent people making these very dangerous crossings. If you look at what's happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people. They are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies. 'We've seen an enormous increase in the numbers per boat over the past few years. This is what tragically happens when they push people out to sea and that's why, for matters of compassion more than anything else, we must actually break this business model and end this unfairness of people coming to our country illegally. 'I just want to pay tribute to our Border Force and the French who have cooperated as they always do to rescue people.' 'But as I said it underscores why you need a deterrent very simply. People need to know that if they try and come here illegally they won't be able to stay, they'll be returned either to their own country or Rwanda. And I'm pleased that the Bill has passed through Parliament in the face of lots of Labour opposition, it was a late night.' Migrants were taken into Dover, Kent, for processing this morning British officials were seen guiding the migrants in life jackets from the boat A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the Border Force following a small boat incident in the Channel today However, the furious Mayor of Wimereux said the latest tragedy was all the fault of the British. Jean-Luc Dubaele said: 'Five dead in January, five dead in April. What are we waiting for? 'Why do the English welcome them? Why do they absolutely want to travel to England? These are the questions that need to be asked.' He told MailOnline: 'It is Britain who are responsible for the boats setting off across the English Channel and the deaths that occur in the sea. 'The English pay us to stop the boats setting off but they look after the migrants when they arrive on their shores. 'The English give them [migrants] accommodation, food, a bank account, and let them work without regulation. 'It is the English who are responsible for every boat that sails across the Channel to England. 'This has been going on for more than 20 years migrants crossing to England illegally. 'I have been mayor for four years and I've watched as more and more boats leave from these shores and more people die in the sea. 'This year 14 people have drowned in the sea so far. I've had enough. 'This latest plan to send migrants to Rwanda will do nothing to stop the traffic. 'If the English want to stop the migrants then they should stop looking after them. Stop the free housing, stop the free food, stop the bank accounts, stop letting them work. 'That is how to stop the boats, not making us spend all our resources [the police and the army] of stopping them set off from our beaches.' The outspoken mayor said he feared a huge increase in small boat crossings this summer when the French law and order authorities will be preoccupied with Olympic Games. He said: 'I fear what will happen here during the Olympic Games. All of the Forces of Order the police and the soldiers will be sent to Paris. So there will be no one to stop the human traffickers. 'There will be more boats, more migrants and more deaths. It will be a catastrophe.' Mr Dubaele has frequently described Britain as an 'immigrant El Dorado', saying easy access to benefits, and a chance to work in the UK's black economy, attracted thousands from around the world. Following a similar heartbreaking incident at Wimereux in January, Mr Dubaele said: 'At the political level, we will have to change the situation, and bang our fist on the table with the English. 'Migrants today want to go to England because they are well received there, they can work there without problem.' Today's deaths followed a night of frenzied activity by French police, as they tried to stop small boats being launched towards England. Mr Dubaele said four alleged people smugglers were arrested in he Wimereux areas. Officers confirmed they had confiscated nautical equipment including two boats at Wimereux. Posting a picture of them on Twitter X, they wrote: 'Last night at Wimereux, the police foiled two deliveries of nautical equipment (2 boats, 2 cans of fuel, 2 engines and life jackets) It was handed over to the police. Our objective - Save Lives'. The same force - France's National Police - also arrested an individual transporting 14 migrants in a single vehicle. 'He was taken into custody and faces charges,' said a police spokesman. There were so many people on board that the ship was extremely low in the water Dozens of migrants were seen on a boat (pictured) in Calais this morning. It is not believed to be the same boat that got into trouble Another boatload of migrants were seen on an RNLI ship today The migrants were guided to shore by volunteers from the lifeboat charity The first asylum seekers are expected to be rounded up and detained within days after a political tussle over the controversial law finally ended in the early hours of this morning. The House of Lords had been engaged in an extended tussle over the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Monday, sending it back to the Commons five times in a bid to secure changes. But they relented just after midnight, paving the way for it to become law and allow delayed flights to start in July, in a move Tories hope will boost the party's hopes of being re-elected later this year. The news did not appear to have filtered across the Channel, with more migrants boats filmed leaving the French coast near Dunkirk this morning heading for Britain. In a statement this morning the PM, who is in Poland, said: 'The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay. 'Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives.' Illegal Migration Minister Michael Tomlinson was on Good Morning Britain when it was reported that five migrants had died. He said he was 'absolutely stunned'. GMB presenter Susanna Reid suggested the Rwanda Bill would do little to stop the issue of migrants crossing in small boats. The Prime Minister has said 'nothing will stand in our way' of getting flights off the ground after the Government's Rwanda deportation plan passed through Parliament Your browser does not support iframes. Last year, there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK. Of those, 29,437 came from people who arrived in small boats. The Government claims the Rwanda scheme will act as a deterrent, however it only has the capacity to send 200 people a year to the East African country Planes have already been booked and migrants will soon be detained ahead of deportation, he revealed (pictured: staff boarding a plane which was set to be the first to transport migrants to Rwanda in June 2022) She said: 'If dying in the Channel isn't going to put them off, being sent to Rwanda's not going to defer them.' Mr Tomlinson said the threat of going to Rwanda was a deterrent. He said: 'I'm determined to stop the boats. The deterrent effect will be up and running.' 'We are doing lots with the French. We want to do more.' Referring to the tragedy this morning, he said: 'It is absolutely chilling to hear that. We have had fatalities now in the Channel for nine consecutive months.' The Refugee Council described reports of deaths in the English Channel as 'devastating' and 'all the more tragic' coming just hours after the Rwanda Bill was passed in Parliament. Enver Solomon, the council's chief executive, said: 'It is shocking to learn of the terrible loss of yet more lives in the Channel this morning. Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of those affected. 'This is another devastating human tragedy that could and should have been avoided - and for it to happen just hours after the Government's Rwanda Bill became law makes it all the more tragic. Pictured: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaving Parliament at 11.30pm last night 'The only sustainable way to reduce dangerous journeys across the world's busiest shipping lane is for the Government to reduce the need for desperate people to take desperate actions. 'Instead of hostile, headline-grabbing legislation, we need to see safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including more options for family reunion, refugee visas, and cooperation with our European neighbours. 'We don't need costly and unworkable laws - we need a fair and humane process that upholds the right to asylum, ensuring refugees are treated with dignity and respect.' It follows five migrants dying while trying to get to Britain on January 14. Some 29,000 people reached the UK in small boats in 2023, despite the British government saying that stopping them was a priority. In August last year, six people died after a boat carrying migrants sank in the Channel off the French coast, while n November 2021, at least 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident. The Princess of Wales has received a unique honour from the King in recognition of her years of public service after being appointed to The Order of the Companions of Honour. Kate, 42, has been made a Royal Companion of the organisation, which was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognise outstanding achievements in the arts, sciences, medicine and public service. The Mail understands it is the first time that a member of the royal family has been appointed in the order's century-long history. Sources say it is a symbol of the 'great esteem' the princess is held in by her father-in-law, King Charles. As well as being a personal thank you for her loyal service to the Crown since she married Prince William almost 13 years ago, it is also an acknowledgment of her contribution to the arts. The Princess of Wales has received a unique honour from the King in recognition of her years of public service after being appointed to The Order of the Companions of Honour. Above: Charles and Kate at the premiere of James Bond film No Time To Die in 2021 Keen photographer Kate is patron of The Royal Photographic Society and The National Portrait Gallery, as well as inspiring the moving lockdown photography project, Hold Still. The appointment is not in the king's direct gift but is made by the Cabinet Office on his recommendation. The Order of the Companions of Honour - whose spiritual home is The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace - is restricted to 65 members from across the Commonwealth. She is in good company as current members include Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Roy Strong, Sir Paul McCartney and JK Rowling. Her appointment is one of a string of new appointments made today/yesterday by His Majesty which include honours for four senior royals. Kate, 42, has been made a Royal Companion of the organisation, which was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognise outstanding achievements in the arts, sciences, medicine and public service. Above: Kate and Charles visiting the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) in Loughborough in February 2020 Sources say it is a symbol of the 'great esteem' the princess is held in by her father-in-law, King Charles. Right: The honour Queen Camilla is to be Grand Master and First or Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which is a fairly traditional appointment for the spouse of the monarch. Previous Grand Masters have included Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - who was appointed when Queen Elizabeth was crowned and remained so until his death in 2021 - as well as Queen Mary and King George VI, when he was Prince of Wales. The Order of the British Empire was established by King George V in 1917 to honour a broader cross section of society, both military and civilian. Prince William has also been honoured, appointed to be Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, following in the footsteps of his own father when he was Prince of Wales. The ancient order was established by King George I in 1725, but is believed to originally date back as far as the 8th century, and awarded to members of the military or civil service for exemplary service. As is tradition on St George's Day, four new companions to the Order of the Garter, Britain's most ancient order of chivalry, have also been announced. They include the Duchess of Gloucester, who is married to the late Queen's cousin and remains a working royal, who will become a Royal Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. The appointment will be seen as a thank you for her decades of loyal service on behalf of the monarch and 60 plus charities and organisations she supports. New Knight Companions are Air Chief Marshall the Lord Peach - the UK's Special Envoy to the Western Balkans who was previously military head of NATO and Chief of the Defence Staff and Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee - and Lord Kakkar, President of the Thrombosis Research Institute and Chairman of The King's Fund. The most eye-catching appointment, however, is Lord Lloyd-Webber, the UK's most successful living composer who has written the scores of some of the world's most famous musicals including Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Jesus Christ Superstar. He also owns six of London's best-known West End theatres. Every June the Garter is celebrated with a procession and service in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The appointment of the Knights and Ladies of the Garter is in The King's gift and made without Prime Ministerial advice or interference. New chief of staff needs to speak up to president President Yoon Suk Yeol made a rare appearance alongside his new chief of staff, Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), to announce the appointment on Monday. The announcement came 11 days after the party's defeat in the April 10 general elections. Standing on a podium, the president explained why he chose the veteran five-term lawmaker as his chief of staff. In a surprising turn, he engaged with the press, fielding questions, something he had not done in 17 months. He reappeared later in the day, announcing former two-term lawmaker Hong Chul-ho of the PPP as his new senior presidential secretary for political affairs. In so doing, the president signaled a marked shift in his communication and governance approach, in response to the intense criticism following the electoral setback. Bringing aboard a seasoned politician was a much-needed move for the presidential office, despite Chung's shared roots with the president in the central Chungcheong region. Notably, both individuals were born in 1960, marking a parallel trajectory in age and experience. To his credit, Chung has had a versatile political career. His experience extends to various roles, including serving as the secretary for political affairs during the Lee Myung-bak administration from 2010 to 2011, as well as holding positions as vice National Assembly speaker and floor leaderof the former conservative Saenuri Party. As a seasoned politician, Chung's ability to bridge partisan divides enables him to assist the president in spearheading policy initiatives. Pledging support for the president's "politics of unity," his political acumen becomes particularly crucial in rectifying the recent confusion surrounding the delivery of national addresses and the identification of potential candidates for chief of staff and prime minister. Chung can elevate the administration's ability for political negotiations and compromises. His experience stands in contrast to the president's two former chiefs of staff Kim Dae-ki and Lee Kwan-sup elite technocrats largely unfamiliar with the dynamics of political parties. More importantly, the chief of staff must be able to speak up to the president when required. Yoon himself echoed this sentiment when he announced Chung's appointment, underscoring the significance of his capabilities. "I expect him to carry out his duties well by communicating smoothly not only with Yongsan staff but also with the Cabinet, the ruling and opposition parties, the press, and the civic sector." Among the new chief of staff's duties is the coordination of a comprehensive press conference. In a vibrant democracy like Korea, the president's absence from New Year's press conferences for two consecutive years raises concerns. The opposition parties, including the main Democratic Party of Korea, expressed disappointment, dubbing Chung a "loyalist." While serving as the chair of the PPP's emergency committee in 2022, Chung instigated a rule change that altered the process of electing the ruling party leader, now based solely on the votes of party members. That move is seen as disadvantaging individuals not aligned with the president, such as Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, and consolidating power within the party leadership for those associated with the president. However, the political reality of the 192-seat opposition bloc, surpassing the 108-seat PPP in the upcoming Assembly session starting May 30, underlines that none of Yoon's future appointees may secure opposition approval, despite his efforts. Chung and Hong's appointments are just the start. To many, they only illustrate that the president has grasped the gravity of the crisis facing the administration. The real tests lie ahead for the president; he will have to show that he is serious about change. Finding a prime minister will be a tougher task, as it requires National Assembly approval. The president, who is expected to meet with DPK leader Lee Jae-myung this week, has indicated the two will discuss the prime ministerial candidates, among other things. The outcome of that meeting and subsequent actions taken by both sides will provide a clearer picture of the situation at hand. Last week, her title was revoked due to a 'miscalculation' of her transfer credits A high school senior in Texas has been left heartbroken after she was stripped of her valedictorian title following a bizarre 'miscalculation.' Maya Veliz found out she was chosen as Blue Ridge High School's 2024 valedictorian in March, but last week, the school principal revoked her title. She was originally told her GPA over the last year drove her to the top of her class, but that was later corrected to number three. Maya had already written her valedictorian speech and accepted an offer at the University of Texas with the understanding that her first year would be covered by a scholarship. Maya Veliz was announced as the valedictorian at Blue Ridge High School in March, but last week the title was stripped from her over a 'miscalculation' of transfer credits She was originally told by administrators that her GPA over the last year drove her to the top of her class, but now, she is number three in her class 'To hear those words, not even 30 days before graduation was gut-wrenching,' Maya told WFAA. Maya has since decided not to attend her graduation ceremony at the end of May. 'She said she feels like the school keeps saying that they respect her and she's a big part of the community, but it makes her feel like she's not,' Jorge Veliz, Maya's dad, told People. According to her father, after Maya transferred as a junior from another school in Frisco, Texas, in 2022, he and his wife made sure to stay in contact with her new school counselor and make sure her credits and grades were in order. '[The counselor] had told us, 'Oh, don't worry. Maya's on the good road. The only way that I can foresee Maya not being valedictorian is if Maya fails her course completely',' Jorge said. Her father added that Maya 'hasn't failed anything', was enrolled in AP honors classes and was taking dual credit courses. 'We even asked if it was necessary for her to take any extra courses, and [the counselor] told her, 'No, everything is good',' Jorge said. He then discovered that under a policy established in 2017 by the Blue Ridge Independent School District, Maya wasn't able to obtain credit for the courses she took at her previous school. Jorge said that credit is not given for classes from another school if they aren't offered at the Blue Ridge school district. 'Well, some of those courses are in the catalog, but they're saying that they don't have any teachers to teach [them],' he said. 'So they kind of contradicted themselves on the policy.' She accepted an offer at the University of Texas with the understanding that her first year would be covered by a scholarship that is awarded to valedictorians. (pictured: Maya with a Student of the Month award in 2023) Her father discovered that under a policy in the Blue Ridge Independent School District that was established in 2017, Maya wasn't able to obtain credit for the courses she took at her previous school. (pictured: Blue Ridge High School) In preparation for what she thought would be her biggest moment, Maya had already written her valedictorian speech. (pictured: her speech that she typed on her phone) The school district told WFAA that they have 'investigated' the 'private student matter and communicated with the parents.' 'The district reviews academic achievement, grade calculations, and class rank during this time period each year in accordance with applicable state law and board policies EIC and EIC Local,' the district added. 'Miscalculations were originally made when finalizing GPA and Class Rank; then corrected to ensure compliance with both of those board policies. All students affected have been notified.' The district added that they have created plans to make sure that 'a mistake like this' does not happen again. It is unclear who the new valedictorian is. DailyMail.com contacted the school district for comment. Maya said that she has dreamed of becoming valedictorian and even set a goal to do so four years ago. 'It's almost the end of the year and I kind of saw this going a different way,' Maya tearfully said. Jorge has expressed his disappointment with the situation and feels for his daughter. 'This is something I wouldn't want any kid to deal with or any parent,' Jorge said. He said that he would 'understand' if the policy was in effect for 'a year or two,' but it was in place before Maya transferred to the school. Maya and her family, including members traveling from Guatemala and Switzerland, who booked hotels for the graduation, will not be attending At the University of Southern California, the valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, 21, had her speech cancelled after the school banned her for being outspoken in her pro-Palestinian support 'She's worked her butt off,' he said. 'She used to be a dancer, and she put that dream to the side to dedicate her time to school because she knew it was going to be a hard task managing both.' Maya and her family, including members traveling from Guatemala and Switzerland, who booked hotels for the graduation, will not be attending. 'This affects my future and I don't wish that upon anyone else,' Maya said. Recently, at the University of Southern California, the valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, 21, had her speech cancelled after the school banned her for being outspoken in her pro-Palestinian support. Pro-Israel groups slammed her selection after it emerged the 21-year-old had made posts questioning the Israel-Hamas conflict, with links that promoted anti-Semitism. The college removed Tabassum, who is a Muslim, from their lineup stating that 'tradition must give way to safety.' Days later, the university announced that they canceled all speakers from the ceremony on May 10. The university said it was 'redesigning' the ceremony to make sure the focus remains on the graduates - and said the decision was taken after considering the 'highly publicized circumstances' that have arisen following Tabassum's ban. An Alabama mother has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for leaving her 13-month-old infant alone in a hot, locked car for as long as eight hours. Elizabeth Anne Case, 39, was originally charged with capital murder in the 2019 death of her son, Casen, after she left the infant in a hot car while Case was 'dumpster-diving' in Limestone and Madison counties in Alabama. Case later faced charges of reckless manslaughter and aggravated child abuse after the capital murder charges were dropped. Case, who has a history of drug use, was out on bail for a robbery charge at the time of her son's death. She entered a guilty plea in March, as reported by AL.com. 'I know I have an angel looking down on me now, and it's Carsen. I know that,' said Casen's grandmother, Theresa Moss, who discovered the infant in distress, called 911, and rushed him to a hospital in 2019. Elizabeth Anne Case, 39, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for leaving her 13-month-old infant alone in a hot, locked car for as long as eight hours Case(pictured with Casen in 2019) was originally charged with capital murder in the 2019 death of her son, Casen, after she left the infant in a hot car while Case was 'dumpster diving' in Limestone and Madison counties in Alabama Casen Case was pronounced dead after being left in the car for eight hours Case, then 26, brought her 13-month-old son with her while she searched through trash bins in Madison and Limestone counties one evening in October 2019, according to court documents. Investigators said that the baby was buckled into a front-facing car seat, but the seat was not strapped to the vehicle. Upon returning home around 5:40 am the next day, Case went to bed, leaving the toddler in the vehicle, according to Limestone County Sheriff's Office spokesman Stephen Young. The baby's grandmother, Moss, arrived at the home for a visit and attempted to wake the mother by banging on the door around 1:30 pm. It was then that Moss realized she couldn't locate her grandchild. She and Case searched for the baby and ultimately found him inside the vehicle. Instead of seeking medical attention, Case brought the child into the residence and placed him in the shower. The grandmother called 911 and drove Case and her son to meet local police at the Recreation Center at Highway 251 and Highway 31. Casen was transported to Athens-Limestone hospital where he was pronounced dead. Case, then 26, brought her 13-month-old son with her while she searched through trash bins in Madison and Limestone counties one evening in October 2019 Upon returning home around 5:40 am the next day, Case went to bed, leaving the toddler in the vehicle. Casen (pictured) was transported to Athens-Limestone hospital where he was pronounced dead Case (pictured in 2019) was arrested immediately after her son's death and was charged with capital murder in January 2022. She pleaded not guilty to the charge a month later Case was arrested immediately after her son's death and was charged with capital murder in January 2022. She pleaded not guilty to the charge a month later. In March 2021, the boy's aunt, Laura Barnett, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Case, the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and the director and program director of the Limestone County Department of Human Resources, according to Law&Crime. 'I know he's in heaven. I know he's always going to be looking down. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve any of it,' Barnett said shortly after Casen died. 'I don't think [Case] should be able to have a lesser charge than what she's charged with,' she added. 'I think murder is a charge that needs to stick with her to the fullest. I think she should be prosecuted to the fullest.' The city of Baltimore is suing the owner and operator of the ship that crashed into Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, claiming the vessel was 'unseaworthy' when it left port. The 985-ft Dali vessel was manned by 'an incompetent crew' and set sail despite several prior warnings about its safety, the lawsuit states. Six construction crew workers were killed in the accident, which brought one of America's busiest ports to a grinding halt. In court documents filed on Monday, city officials, including Mayor Brandon Scott, say the ship's parent company, Grace Ocean Private Ltd, and its operator, Synergy Marine Group, were 'potentially criminally negligent'. The city claims the ship set sail despite 'alarms showing an inconsistent power supply' and accuses the boat's owner of supplying it with 'unseaworthy equipment, systems, and appurtenances'. The city of Baltimore is suing the owner and operator of the ship that crashed into Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, claiming the vessel was 'unseaworthy' when it left port Mayor Brandon Scott is seeking substantial but unspecified damages which could total well over $40million to replace the bridge and cover the cost of disruption to the port It also alleges that the 21-man crew, 20 of whom were Indian nationals, lacked proper skill and training and 'failed to comply with local navigation customs'. The boat had been piloted by specialized local pilots trained to avoid obstacles at ports. It is thought the vessel lost power after it left its port, causing it to veer off course and crash into a column supporting the bridge, although a formal report into the causes is yet to be completed. 'None of this should have happened,' the city's lawsuit says. 'Reporting has indicated that, even before leaving port, alarms showing an inconsistent power supply on the Dali had sounded. The Dali left port anyway, despite its clearly unseaworthy condition.' The claim adds that a back-up generator on board was not powerful enough to get the boat back under control after it lost power at 1.24am, meaning it hit the bridge at approximately 7 knots. Baltimore is seeking significant but unspecified damages to pay for the replacement of the bridge, the costs of the port closure, and increased expenditure of public service workers, among other costs. 'The City is pursuing its legal claims against those responsible for the Key Bridge catastrophe to ensure that the City, its residents, and its businesses are adequately compensated for their losses,' the Baltimore City Law Office said in a statement. A spokesman for Grace Ocean and Synergy said that it would be inappropriate to comment while U.S. Coast Guard and the FBI were still investigating the crash. Both companies filed a petition on April 1 in Maryland federal court to limit their liability to $42.5million. The petition cites a pre-Civil War protection that means their liability can be capped at the value of the vessel's remains after a casualty. It also categorically denied any wrongdoing on their part in the incident. 'The casualty was not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care on the part of petitioners [Grace Ocean and Synergy], the vessel, or any persons or entities for whose acts petitioners may be responsible,' the filing said. Mayor Scott has argued against any limit and the city will likely seek significantly more than $42.5million in damages. The claim will be decided by a federal court in Maryland. The 985-ft Dali vessel was manned by 'an incompetent crew' and set sail despite several prior warnings about its safety, the lawsuit states Six construction workers who fell into the river when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed are presumed dead as the Coast Guard calls of the search Last week, the FBI launched a criminal probe into whether any of the crew members, who remain on board, knew of serious problems with the Dali before setting sail. The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting its own inquiry into the cause of the crash. The initial stages of the probe are focusing on the electrical power system of the massive container ship that veered off course. Investigators are also examining the bridge design and how it could be built with better pier protection. Salvage crews are continuing to extract sections of the fallen bridge, including those entangled in a muddy mess at the bottom of the Patapsco River. Officials said they still expect to open a third temporary shipping channel by late April, which will allow significantly more commercial traffic to pass through the port of Baltimore. The east coast shipping hub has been closed to most maritime traffic since the bridge collapse, which blocked access to its main channel. Joe Biden called for the federal government to pay for the full cost of reconstructing the bridge and greenlighted Maryland's request of $60m to aid initial recovery efforts. Miguel Luna (left), 49, of Guatemala and Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes (right), 36, from Mexico were two of the six construction crew who died after the shipping container crashed into the Baltimore bridge they were working on in the early hours of March 26 The six men who were killed in the crash were part of a Central and South American construction crew fixing potholes on the bridge. The distraught mother of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 36, whose body was found inside of a red pickup truck that had sunk 25 feet into the river, told DailyMail.com she wished she had told him how much she loved him the last time they spoke. Obduelia Fuentes said her son, a father-of-four, had followed to her to the US from Mexico in 2006 because 'he couldnt bear to be without his mother'. His body was pulled from the pickup truck alongside that of Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Guatemala. Miguel Luna, 49, and Jose Mynor Lopez, 35, also of Guatemala, Maynor Suazo, 37, of Honduras, and Carlos Hernandez, of Mexico, were the other victims. Travellers are set to face Bank Holiday chaos as hundreds of workers at Heathrow Airport will go on strike for an entire week in a dispute over the outsourcing of jobs. The trade union Unite said a staggering 800 of its members will launch a week of strikes from May 7-13. The union claimed that workers in passenger services, who assist travellers to catch connecting flights, trolley operations and security guards, will have their jobs outsourced by June. It comes after Unite previously revealed that planes would be delayed and grounded during the 72-hour walk-out planned to begin at Heathrow on May 4. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Heathrow Airport's actions are deplorable. It is raking in massive profits for the bosses while trying to squeeze every last penny out of its workforce. Hundreds of workers at Heathrow Airport are to strike in a dispute over outsourcing of jobs (stock image) Trade union Unite claimed that workers in passenger services will have their jobs outsourced by June (stock image) 'Unite is fully focused on defending its members' jobs, pay and conditions, and our members at Heathrow will receive the union's unrelenting support during this dispute.' A Heathrow spokesman said: 'We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Worldwide eco plot to infiltrate airport jobs and sabotage holiday flights this summer in latest vile plan Advertisement 'There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted. 'Unite's threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly, just like we have in the past.' On Monday, Heathrow travellers were told they could face a Bank Holiday getaway nightmare after a three-day strike was declared by workers serving up to 70 airlines in a pay dispute. Some 50 members of staff at AFS, a company which refuels planes, are protesting about what the union called 'drastic' cuts to terms and conditions. Dozens of airlines face being affected, including major names such as Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Emirates, KLM, American Airlines, Air France and United Airlines. The union said the strikes were 'likely to lead to severe disruption to airline services for passengers' over the first May Bank Holiday weekend. Union chiefs previously revealed yesterday that there would be a 72-hour walk-out planned to begin at Britain's busiest airport, pictured, on May 4 (stock image) Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Heathrow Airport's actions are deplorable' (stock image) The proposed new measures, which Unite says involve reduced pension and sickness benefits, are set to apply to all employees recruited since January this year. AFS, a joint venture between Air BP, Total, Q8 Air and Valero, was accused of 'attacking the most vulnerable new staff in its workplace'. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'AFS is behaving appallingly by attacking the T&Cs of new members of staff those it views as the easiest to intimidate. 'But Unite will not stand for such bully-boy tactics and we will be backing our members in their fight for improved pensions and sick pay for all staff.' Unite regional officer Kevin Hall added: 'Our members recognise that if they allow this attack on their conditions to take place, before long this will become the norm. 'Unite won't allow that to happen and is standing firm with our members on the picket line. 'AFS will have to answer directly to the airlines and passengers for the disruption caused by their unmerited actions.' The Senate is on track to send the $95 billion foreign aid package to the president's desk this week after a vote to advance it passed Tuesday. The package that advanced 80 to 19 Tuesday afternoon ties together $60 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and Gaza and around $4 billion for the Indo-Pacific - and a measure that could see TikTok banned in the U.S. 'Getting this done is one of the greatest achievements of the Senate in years, perhaps decades,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said hours ahead of the bill's anticipated final passage. The bill passed the House on Saturday in four separate votes before being packaged together for the Senate. Speaker Mike Johnson risked his career to get Ukraine aid to the Senate - three Republicans have now signed onto a motion to oust him over the Ukraine aid. Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who is trying to steer the Republican Party away from its isolationist trend, celebrated the bill's passing and blamed anti-Ukraine sentiment on Tucker Carlson 'who, in my opinion, ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin,' he said. McConnell said that Carlson's 'enormous audience' convinced 'a lot of rank and file Republicans' that helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia is not important. The Ukraine bill includes $23 billion for replenishing U.S. stockpiles that have been depleted for the fight in Russia. Ukrainian soldiers carry shells to fire at Russian positions on the front line - they now will get a multi-billion infusion into their efforts thanks to Congress Some $11 billion would go to U.S. military operations in the region and $14 billion would go to procuring advanced weapons systems. Another $26 million would go to oversight and accountability of equipment given to Ukraine. Two separate economic assistance funds worth $7.85 billion and $1.58 billion would also be offered to Ukraine under a loan structure. 'Make no mistake: delay in providing Ukraine the weapons to defend itself has strained the prospects of defeating Russian aggression. Dithering and hesitation have compounded the challenges we face,' McConnell said ahead of the vote. The bill includes $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza. This photo shows aid packages dropped over the northern Gaza strip on April 23 'I will not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly.' The Israel security bill will offer $4 billion to replenish Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense system and billions more for weapons systems, artillery and munitions, as well as an additional $2.4 billion for U.S. operations in the region. Nine billion dollars in that bill goes to humanitarian relief for Palestinians in Gaza. Sen. Bernie Sanders sounded off after his amendment to strip out offensive aid for Israel was taken out of the bill. 'Hamas started this war, that is true. But this stopped being about defending Israel a long time ago,' he said on the Senate floor. 'I am very disappointed, but not surprised, that my amendment to end offensive military aid to Netanyahus war machine which has killed and wounded over 100,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of whom are women and children will not be considered.' Some 35,000 Palestinians have died in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, after 1,200 Israelis were killed on October 7. A fourth bill includes several measures such as requiring TikTok divest from its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance, an effort to obtain seized Russian assets and a lend-lease program for military aid to Ukraine. The House already passed a bill to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok, but the new catch-all legislation would give TikTok nine months rather than six months to separate itself from China. A smoke plume billows following Israeli bombardment north of Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on April 23, 2024 Attaching the measure to the foreign aid forced the Senate to vote on it after Schumer dragged his feet at putting it on the floor. The so-called 'side car' bill also includes a provision involving the REPO Act, meaning it would seize Russian assets that until now have only been frozen and repurpose them for Ukraine, and one that would involve the Lend-Lease Act, which would require Ukraine to give back U.S. military assets that are not destroyed in war. Johnson noted much of the bill is not going directly to any country but is going to backfill U.S. stockpiles that have been depleted for Ukraine and Israel. The U.S. was heavily involved in defending Israel against Iran's 300 missile strikes last week. Intelligence officials, meanwhile, have been warning members of Congress of Ukraine's urgent need for U.S. aid. CIA Director Bill Burns warned last week that Ukraine 'could lose on the battlefield by the end of 2024.' Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, urged voters ahead of the bill's advance: 'We Don't Have To Pass This Bill Tell Your Senators To Vote 'No!' #KillTheBill.' Lee has put forth an amendment to make sure the Ukrainian 'loan' provisions must be repaid (they are forgivable in the House version). The foreign aid package has laid to bare a rift within the GOP almost as vast as the on between the two parties. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., tore into Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance for his anti-Ukraine aid stance over the weekend. Vance had written in a New York Times op-ed that Ukraine could not win the fight against Russia even with U.S. aid. 'Ukraine's challenge is not the GOP; it's math. Ukraine needs more soldiers than it can field. And it needs more materiel than the United States can provide,' Vance wrote. 'That is garbage,' Graham shot back on Fox News Sunday. 'Go I just got back, I was there two weeks ago. They changed their conscription laws. They have all the manpower they need. They need the weapons,' he continued. 'It's one thing to talk about Ukraine over here; it's another thing to go.' Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., meanwhile raised concerns about a provision in the package that would force Chinese-owned ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a U.S. ban. 'The censors who abound in Congress will likely vote to ban TikTok or force a change in ownership,' he wrote in an op-ed for Reason. 'It would violate the First Amendment rights of over 100 million Americans who use TikTok to express themselves.' He sounded off about Democrats waving 'corrupt' Ukraine flags on the House floor as they voted on the package. 'Ukrainian flags fly in the chamber of the UNITED STATES House of Representatives as they vote to send more of your hard-earned money to a corrupt foreign regime. And just like that they shout 'UKRAINE! UKRAINE!'while happily working to secure Ukraine's borders, not ours.' Google has fired at least 20 more of its employees for protesting the technology its giving to Israel as the war in Gaza rages on. This comes after Google fired approximately 30 employees last week after they were arrested for staging sits-ins at the company's offices in Sunnyvale, California and New York City, bringing the total number terminated to around 50. Google said it fired the additional employees because after an internal investigation, the company identified other staffers who used masks and didn't carry their badges to hide their identities. No Tech For Apartheid, an organization critical of Google and Amazon's contract with Israel that the fired employees are thought to be associated with, released a statement following the latest terminations. 'Google's aims are clear: the corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers, and reassert its power over them,' organization spokesperson Jane Chung said in a press release. 'In its attempts to do so, Google has decided to unceremoniously, and without due process, upend the livelihoods of over 50 of its own workers.' Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai (pictured) responded indirectly to the protests last week in a blog post, condemning protestors for conduct that 'disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe' Search engine giant Google has now fired up to 50 of its employees after some were arrested for staging sits-ins at the companys offices to protest its contract with the Israeli government Google's reason for firing the additional employees was because after an investigation, the company identified more staffers who used masks and didn't carry their badges to hide their identities. A Google spokesperson had previously said that the protestors had been placed on administrative leave and their access to office systems was limited Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also alluded to last week's protest in an April 18 blog post, burying his response underneath some run-of-the-mill company announcements. 'We also need to be more focused in how we work, collaborate, discuss and even disagree,' Pichai wrote. 'This is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics.' The pro-Palestinian employees - some of whom were seen wearing traditional Arab headscarves - were protesting 'Project Nimbus,' a $1.2 billion contract wherein Google and Amazon jointly agreed to provide the Israeli government with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. The companies signed off on this massive contract in 2021, which predates the October 7 attack from Hamas and the months-long war in Gaza that continues. Protestors last week occupied Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian's office in Sunnyvale, livestreaming themselves on Twitch until they were taken into custody by police. The fired staffers are believed to be associated with a group called No Tech For Apartheid Several Google employees were arrested Tuesday after staging sit-ins at the company's offices in California and New York Police officers removed protestors from the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian as hundreds of people watched over a livestream Demonstrators protested Google's $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government, which supplies them with AI and cloud infrastructure Opponents fear the contract, known as Project Nimbus, lays the groundwork for the Israeli military to surveil Palestinians en masse Nine employees across both New York and Sunnyvale were arrested, though its not clear if those staffers were fired as well. No Tech For Apartheid also had a harsh response to Pichai and Kurian following the initial firings, calling them 'genocide profiteers.' 'We cannot comprehend how these men are able to sleep at night while their tech has enabled 100,000 Palestinians killed, reported missing, or wounded in the last six months of Israels genocide and counting,' the statement from No Tech For Apartheid read. Amazon workers seemingly haven't been as vocal as Google employees, since there aren't reports of mass firings at the company. Some Amazon employees did attend similar rallies last week though. Workers' main concern stems from a clause in the $1.2 billion deal with Israel that bars Google and Amazon from denying services to specific parts of the government, sparking speculation that the tech could be used by the Israeli Defense Forces. Protestors in the Sunnyvale office (pictured) were seen being led out of the office in handcuffs Workers' demands include the cancellation of the Project Nimbus contract and an end to 'the harassment, intimidation, bullying, silencing, and censorship of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim Googlers' A truck outside the New York office referenced a March report in which an Israeli official claimed Google Photos worked better than any alternative facial recognition technology Google, in addition to letting their employees go, condemned the protests wholly and completely. In Google vice president of global security Chris Rackow's companywide memo announcing the termination of the some 28 employees, he called the protestors' behavior 'unacceptable.' 'They took over office spaces, defaced our property, and physically impeded the work of other Googlers,' the memo reportedly read. 'Their behavior was unacceptable, extremely disruptive and made co-workers feel threatened. 'Behavior like this has no place in our workplace and we will not tolerate it. 'It clearly violates multiple policies that all employees must adhere to including our code of conduct and policy on harassment, discrimination, retaliation, standards of conduct, and workplace concerns.' Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said in a message to the school community Monday that she was 'deeply saddened' by what was happening on campus as hoards of students staged anti-Israel protests. 'To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,' Shafik wrote, noting that students who don't live on campus should stay away. In the wake of that decision, Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, tweeted that the president, who has only been in the role since the summer of 2023, had 'surrendered control of Columbia to an antisemitic fringe.' 'If you cannot ensure the safety of your students, then you have no business serving as President of any university... What Columbia University needs is not an appeaser of antisemitism but a leader who will fight with moral clarity against it,' Torres added. In addition to Torres, New York's Republican representatives in congress have called for Shafik to resign. In a letter, the GOP lawmakers said that Shafik had allowed 'anarchy to engulf' the Manhattan university. 'The situation unfolding on campus right now is a direct product of your policies and misguided decisions. Based on these recent events and your testimony in front of Congress, we have no confidence in your leadership of this once esteemed institution,' the letter continues. Columbia President Minouche Shafik answers questions in front of congress this week, the same day that new protests sprang up on the Manhattan campus Pro-Palestinian supporters set up a protest encampment on the campus eventually causing all classes to be held remotely In a statement Monday, Shafik said the Middle East conflict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress The protest encampment sprung up at Columbia on Wednesday, the same day that Shafik faced bruising criticism at a congressional hearing from Republicans who said she hadn't done enough to fight antisemitism. As a result of the growing protests, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced his intention to pull his funding for the school. Two other Ivy League presidents resigned months ago following widely criticized testimony they gave to the same committee. In a statement Monday, Shafik said the Middle East conflict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress. 'But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,' Shafik wrote. Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to find a resolution to the university crisis, noted Shafik, who didn't say when in-person classes would resume. U.S. House Republicans from New York urged Shafik to resign, saying in a letter Monday that she had failed to provide a safe learning environment in recent days as 'anarchy has engulfed the campus.' In her book, What We Owe Each Other, Shafik wrote about her view of what a healthy university campus looks like. 'The point of university is to be intellectually challenged and confronted with difference,' she wrote according to an excerpt that was published on the International Monetary Fund's website. In the article, it says that Shafik advocates for free speech adding that during her time as the director of the London School of Economics, nobody was 'barred from speaking because of views that some might consider offensive.' Shafik has received criticism from Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres this week That article sheds light on Shafik's background. Born in Egypt, her family fled the regime of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, first settling in Savannah, Georgia. The family moved around throughout the 1960 and 1970s. In third level education, Shafik attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the London School of Economics and Oxford. At 36, she became the youngest ever vice president of the World Bank. During her work there, she met her first husband, fellow Egyptian Mohamed El-Erian. In 2002, Shafik married her second husband, scientist Raffael Jovine. The couple shares two children and three step children. Their daughter, Olivia, is a 2015 graduate of Columbia's urban planning school. Between 2017 and 2023, Shafik served as vice chancellor and director of the London School of Economics in addition to being the deputy governor of the Bank of England and sitting on the board of directors of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Tensions remained high Monday at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside. U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, a Democrat from North Carolina who was visiting Columbia with three other Jewish members of Congress, told reporters after meeting with students from the Jewish Law Students Association that there was 'an enormous encampment of people' who had taken up about a third of the green. 'We saw signs indicating that Israel should be destroyed,' she said after leaving the Morningside Heights campus. Columbia announced Monday that courses at the Morningside campus will offer virtual options for students when possible, citing safety as their top priority. A woman inside the campus gates led about two dozen protesters on the street outside in a chant of, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!' a charged phrase that can mean vastly different things to different groups. A small group of pro-Israel counter demonstrators protested nearby. Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas deadly attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. During the ensuing war, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry, which doesnt distinguish between combatants and non-combatants but says at least two-thirds of the dead are children and women . A Montreal-area family is still holding out hope they can recover the body of their father, who died while on vacation in Cuba, after they received the corpse of another man. Faraj Allah Jarjour, 68, was swimming with daughter Miriam Jarjour, both from Laval, Canada, when he suffered a heart attack at a beach near Varadero. Miriam Jarjour revealed that a funeral service that was scheduled for Sunday and Monday was abruptly cancelled after the family noticed that they had received the remains of a Russian man about 20 years younger than her father. The body had a full head of hair and tattoo. The grief-stricken makeup artist said she has not been able to get a response from officials in an attempt to find her fathers body. 'Up until now we have no answer,' she said. 'Where is my father?' Miriam Jarjour said her father was pulled out of the water and immediately provided CPR. The family almost an hour before a doctor arrived and confirmed that he was dead. Faraj Allah Jarjour (second from right), pictured here with his daughter Miriam Jarjour (left), wife (second from left) and son Karam Jarjour (right), died while on vacation in Cuba on March 22 after he suffered a heart attack while swimming at a beach. The family postponed his funeral service after receiving the corpse of a Russian man The corpse of Faraj Allah Jarjour spent almost eight hours on the beach near Varadero, Cuba, before it was transported by car to Havana The boy remained on the beach for eight hours on a chair and covered with a blanket before authorities arrived and took it to Havana. 'Were sad because my father died,' Karam Jarjour told Global News. 'But were more sad because my father is we dont know where.' The family said it followed the guidance of the Canadian consulate and paid $7,300 to repatriate the body. The coffin arrived late last week with the body of a Russian man. His body has since been sent to Russia. Miriam Jarjour reached out to officials at the Canadian consulate, and they have blamed the company that manages the return of remains. She says she has been emailing other government officials, including her Member of Parliament, who has agreed to reach out to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly. 'Im honestly destroyed,' Miriam Jarjour said. 'Up until now, we have no answers. Were waiting. I dont know what to tell you.' Faraj Allah Jarjour died while on vacation in Cuba, but his family has been unable to hold a funeral service because they received the body of a Russian 20 years younger than him. The family has been in contact with Canadian consulate officials in hopes of locating his body Faraj Allah Jarjour (center) with his son Karam and daughter Miriam She remembered her Syrian-born father as someone who was active, didnt drink or smoke and was 'always smiling.' The incident has left her mother exhausted while she and her brother have been struggling through their own grief, trying to get answers from authorities who all seem to deny responsibility. So far, the family has spent $18,248, including $10,950 for funeral services that have been put on hold. Global Affairs Canada said in an email that consular officials are working with Cuban authorities and the family to resolve the issue. Miriam Jarjour doesnt feel she is getting the answers she needs and is hoping Joly will personally intervene to pressure Cuban authorities. 'What I want is someone to help me find my father,' she said. The head of an upstate school has hit out New York City for bussing dozens of asylum seeker students there last year and not coming good on promises to cover education costs that have hit $800,000. Superintendent Joseph D'Angelo of the Maryvale School District in the suburbs of Buffalo lashed out at Mayor Eric Adams' city for reimbursing 'not a penny' of the money it's used to teach 76 young migrants. State officials say the school has been reimbursed through a separate budget. Still, D'Angelo insists that his district has been shortchanged, hurting local taxpayers and forcing him to hold back on spending. The case spotlights tensions between such cities as New York that are overwhelmed by record migrant flows into the US, and seek to move newcomers on to other locations to free up much-needed bed spaces. Maryvale School District in the suburbs of Buffalo absorbed 76 asylum seeker late last year New York City was overwhelmed by asylum seekers and bussed families up to Erie County late last summer 'We've yet to see a penny from New York City,' D'Angelo told WGRZ. 'New York City promised to reimburse us for costs related to the asylum seekers, which went from 100 percent down to 50 percent. And we're fighting for 100 percent.' Poll Does the Biden administration have a grip on immigration? Yes No Not sure Does the Biden administration have a grip on immigration? Yes 390 votes No 17481 votes Not sure 148 votes Now share your opinion Mayor Adams' office did not answer DailyMail.com's request for comment. New York City arranged to bus migrant families up to Erie County late last summer. Back then, Adams was warning of an influx of 110,000 asylum seekers from the southern border that could 'destroy' the city. The newcomer students enrolled in Maryvale School District for the start of the school year in September. D'Angelo says they have been a welcome addition to the body of some 2,200 students. The problem is the money, he added. The initial estimated education cost of $400,000 has doubled, including transport and personnel costs, said D'Angelo. Superintendent Joseph D'Angelo wants New York City to pay him the promised $800,000 Mayor Eric Adams warned at the time that an influx of migrants would 'destroy' New York City State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace says Maryvale was made whole by a $1.7 budget top-up The superintendent says he can balance the budget this year, but it means cutting back on spending and keeping taxes high. State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace says Maryvale has been covered by a $1.7 million budget boost. But D'Angelo says the district is still short because Wallace's money is in a long-term operating budget. The row over Buffalo students underscores how America has battled record numbers of asylum seekers crossing the US-Mexico border since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. Many head to New York, Chicago, Washington DC and other major cities to join family members or find work. Immigration has emerged as a top voter concern, especially among Republicans ahead of the November 5 election pitting Biden, a Democrat, against his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. Trump says Biden's less restrictive policies have led to a rise in illegal immigration. The White House in recent months has considered issuing executive orders to stop migrants at the southern frontier if crossings hit a threshold, sparking criticism from some Democrats and campaigners. Houck is best known for having his home raided by the FBI in 2022 Fitzpatrick been in Congress since 2017 and has represented PA-01 since 2019 Anti-abortion activist Mark Houck is looking to unseat Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District Republican Primary on Tuesday A pro-life activist who adamantly opposes pornography and once had his home raided by the FBI is hoping to make it to Congress as battleground state Pennsylvania kicks off its primary election Tuesday. Mark Houck, founder of Catholic ministry The King's Men, is campaigning on his experience as the target of 'weaponization of the government.' He was the victim of a 2022 FBI raid where dozens of armed agents stormed his home with guns drawn at his family. Houck was arrested by agents in front of his wife and children. His crime, according to the FBI, was shoving a Planned Parenthood worker the year prior when he and his family were praying outside of the clinic. Houck, who claimed he was defending his young son at the time, was later acquitted of all wrongdoing. Republican House candidate Mark Houck addresses a crowd of GOP voters a week before Tuesday's primary election. He is attempting to unseat four-term Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick Houck had his home raided by FBI agents in the fall of 2022 after he pushed a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood worker the year earlier for yelling at he and his son, who was 12 at the time. The FBI agents had guns raised at Houck during his arrest. He was later acquitted of all wrongdoing Now, the anti-abortion activist is hoping to garner enough votes Tuesday to unseat a Republican who he brands as not being a true conservative. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Houck's opponent, is a four-term Congressman and former FBI agent in a district previously held by his late brother, Mike Fitzpatrick. His name recognition and backing from moderates and unions will make it tough for Houck to unseat him. Notably, Pennsylvania's 1st District is one of the few electorates that voted to send a Republican to the House of Representatives while also voting to put a Democrat, Joe Biden, in the White House in 2020. This closely divided, moderate area could prove to be too centrist for Houck's strong anti-abortion views. Meanwhile, Democrat Ashley Ehasz is running unopposed in the district and will be the party's presumptive nominee. She is a former Army helicopter pilot who lost to Fitzpatrick by 10 points in 2022. Additionally, Fitzpatrick has a cash advantage heading into Tuesday's vote. He reportedly has more cash on hand than both Houck and Ehasz combined. The former FBI agent has promised to bring 'independent leadership' to the Capitol where he often votes as a moderate. And his record backs up his claims. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has attacked Houck's past comments on his struggles with pornography Conservative non-profit Heritage Action has given Fitzpatrick a meager 34 percent rating on his conservatism scorecard for his lifetime voting record as a member of Congress. Houck has seen this as an opportunity. 'If you aren't strong enough to stand up for your constituents, it's time to get out of Washington,' Houck posted on X Monday evening. 'Let's say goodbye to Brian Fitzpatrick and hello to true conservative values. Time to save our republic' Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, has ran ads attacking Houck for not being as God-fearing as he puts on. The member's campaign has repeatedly targeted Houck for past comments about his struggles with pornography. 'I struggled with pornography and being exposed to it at a young age,' Houck told Jeff Garrett host of 'The Regular Catholic Guy Show' during a 2021 episode. 'Of course, that leads to, you know, sexual sin, masturbation and stuff. And so, that was a chronic habit that I had that just became a bad habit. Ultimately it was self-medication, I can say initially, and then it became a bad habit,' Houck said at the time. Houck has ripped Fitzpatrick for not having a 'true conservative values' But Houck has addressed the controversy head-on, saying, 'I have shared it many times online and in interviews and books. My past struggles are just that. They are a past from childhood into young adulthood.' He has also fired back at Fitzpatrick with culture war salvos, saying he 'spends more time at Pride Parades than safeguarding the Constitutional rights of his constituents.' Polls close in Pennsylvania at 8:00 p.m. local time. By Eugene Lee As the political drama of the recent general elections slowly winds down and gradually subsides, the question of what needs to be done next stands as urgent as ever, particularly in the sphere of international relations. South Korea, a leading technological innovator and economic force in the East Asian economy, has traditionally focused its international engagement on its immediate region and established allies like the United States. However, the escalating polarization between the U.S. and China, compounded by developments in Ukraine and the Middle East, present new challenges for South Korea. Analyzing economic data from the last five years, sourced from entities like The Economist or Korea Customs Service and incorporating insights from political analysts reveals several discernible trends. First of all, the trading world is not exactly what it used to be. The COVID-19 pandemic had its negative impact and economies are still trying to recuperate from it. As a result, the trade landscape appears quite tumultuous. Secondly, geopolitics also plays a significant role. As the countries are realigning their trading along their alliances, they tend to strengthen relations with certain partners while weakening ties with those who are siding with adversaries. The third one is the advancement in technology. Here I am talking about advanced technologies, like ultra-precision and micromanufacturing, nanoimprint lithography and AI semiconductors. Next come new energy technologies, like fast-charging and high-density EV batteries and advanced photovoltaics in production of efficient solar panels. Most of South Koreas partners have made big changes and, in some case, big advances look at the U.S. or China who are forging forward with their renewable energy projects. Japan and Taiwan are not far behind, with significant investments being made in bleeding-edge technologies. It seems Korea is somewhat lagging behind. The question that begs for an answer is why Korea hasn't been able to adjust to those changes effectively. Once again, most analysts would point towards domestic politics. The past three months have shown a critical gap in South Koreas foreign policy a neglect of fostering stronger ties with other states. For example, at the end of last month, the United Nations Security Council failed to extend the mechanism monitoring member states' compliance with and enforcement of the U.N. sanctions regime on North Korea, as Russia decided to veto the extension of the mandate. Some argue that this outcome was unavoidable, pointing to the rift between the U.S. and Russia. Indeed, there has been a noticeable deterioration in the U.N. sanctions regime since 2019. However, it is conceivable that preventive diplomacy could have mitigated this process. Even in the aftermath, it is still possible to sustain the effort by engaging countries and groups, for example the EU or G-7, directly. In other words, we need a more proactive state diplomacy. Speaking of the EU, in February President Yoon Suk Yeol canceled a state visit to Germany and Denmark. And that has played against South Koreas national interests. Germany currently is promoting its China Strategy which seeks to de-risk its ties with China, a lesson from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The visit could have been an opportunity to welcome German businesses seeking to relocate from China. In March, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with the Malaysian prime minister, Philippine president and Thai prime minister in one week resulting in cooperation agreements. The Danes were able to minimize the fallout by sending their delegation led by the Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities in return. The visit ended in signing an agreement to install offshore wind farms in Korea, a boon for the Danish businesses and promised energy returns six years later for South Korea. Then there is silence regarding the scheduled visit to Central Asia in April. Beyond their abundant natural resources, Central Asian states share interests in South Koreas technological advancements, education, labor, renewable energy and smart cities. While South Korea's current focus on trade with China is significant, it has left untapped potential for collaboration with Central Asia in these rapidly growing sectors. And then there was Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas visit to Washington a week ago. You might be wondering if it really matters? Actually, it does. The outcome was over 70 agreements in defense, business, culture and research. Among these, cooperation on the F-35 jet and space programs is exactly what Korea needs. In fact, some see this visit as the most important since World War II, as it raised the profile of Japan and also changed its stance in the global arena. The implications of this visit are critical for South Korean defense. For example, as it elevates the level of engagement between Japan and the U.S., it may change expectations regarding how U.S. assets located here are used in the event of a conflict involving Taiwan. This could be of paramount importance in case of any escalation on the peninsula. State visits are important events they are scheduled months in advance. It is like a complicated dance between two countries diplomats behind scenes work hard preparing and making them successful. And when they do take place, the president is like a big guarantor allows many business agreements to get a different scale support on intergovernmental level, and get government backing, i.e. it is like the best insurance one can get. Many business agreements may not be realized but if they do, they become pillars of relations between two countries. So, it should be our head of state traveling and getting the best deals for the country. It isn't that any inaction breeds trouble. I'd go a step further by saying, any inaction breeds prejudice towards you, and how other states treat you. So, ideas of "Korea passing" or "North Korea discount" are largely of our own making. If we want a better future for our country, we cannot just sit around we have to move, meet others and, by shaping those attitudes towards ourselves, make things happen. Eugene Lee (mreulee@gmail.com) is a lecturing professor at the Graduate School of Governance at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. Specializing in international relations and governance, his research and teaching focus on national and regional security, international development, government policies and Northeast and Central Asia. Tommy Robinson was joined by Laurence Fox as he told crowds to march through the streets for a day of action against 'two tier policing' after a St George's Day rally descended into chaos. Six people were arrested near Downing Street after police intervened when a group broke through a cordon made to stop people moving past the area allocated for the event. This led to scuffles breaking out, with one man arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after a police horse was reportedly 'targeted on Whitehall'. Another man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly. The melee happened just before the main rally at 3pm, where Robinson - former leader of the English Defence League - was joined by leader of the Reclaim Party Mr Fox as he gave a speech. Robinson was already in London having been acquitted of breaching a dispersal order while attending a pro-Israel protest on November 26 last year. He was cleared of the charge after it was admitted the dispersal order was possibly unlawful due to it having the wrong date on it. Tommy Robinson (right) was joined by Laurence Fox (left) as he told crowds to march through the streets for a St George's Day rally Officers from the Met Police clashed with protesters who attempted to force their way through police lines Far right activist Tommy Robinson speaks at a demonstration at Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, today Laurence Fox attending the St George's Day rally on Whitehall, in Westminster, central London Laurence Fox at the St George's Day rally in Westminster earlier today Hundreds of people descended on central London, with many thought to have travelled from across the UK Laurence Fox speaking to people attending a St George's Day rally on Whitehall, in Westminster Some of those who attended the rally dressed up in St George's fancy dress - including as the patron saint himself The court heard Inspector Parker-Phipps, whose laptop battery was 'dying' at the time, put the order in place at 10am on November 26, but accidentally dated the form for November 24. Robinson was arrested at the protest near the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Organisers had announced he was not welcome at the event. The former EDL leader claimed he was attending the march as 'a journalist'. The Met said officers were forced to respond when a group 'violently' forced through police blockades today. But it prompted claims of 'two-tier policing', with critics suggesting pro-Palestine marchers were treated more favourably. One X user wrote: 'Pity you don't practice this kind of policing when it comes to the abhorrent & disruptive pro-Palestine marches.' The Met shared a video that appears to show officers forming a cordon but a group, some waving flags and others wearing St George's flags, pushing past it before two mounted officers on horses intervene. Robinson attending the St George's Day rally on Whitehall in Westminster Robinson on his phone as he attends a St George's Day rally on Whitehall today Robinson smiles as he attends the St George's Day rally on Whitehall in Westminster today Robinson walks through the rally today for St George's Day Robinson is greeted as he attends a demonstration at Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, today obinson is greeted as he attends a demonstration earlier today Laurence Fox joined Tommy Robinson as he made his speech today People march with flags from Parliament Square along Whitehall on Saint George's Day eople march with flags from Parliament Square along Whitehall on Saint George's Day The mostly male attendees were pictured gathering outside Downing Street After the initial disorder, police said the event continued as planned and the road was reopened in both directions Pictures from the scene show officers attempting to regain control of the crowd, many of whom are draped in England flags Video footage from Whitehall shows protesters shouting at and scuffling with police officers The Met Police shared a map of the expected protest and instructed those in attendance to remain within the pink area on Richmond Terrace A spokesman said: 'The event is not due to start for an hour and regrettably officers are already dealing with disorder. 'There is an area allocated for this event in Richmond Terrace. This group went past it and continued up Whitehall. 'When officers formed a cordon and asked the group to turn round, they reacted by violently forcing their way through. Mounted officers intervened with horses to restore the cordon.' Crowds celebrating St George's Day climbed on to the plinth of Nelson's Column this evening waving flags and singing 'I'm England til I die'. Two hundred people flocked to the iconic London landmark in Trafalgar Square to hail England's patron saint. Some straddled the famous lions while others scaled nearby lampposts to hang the flag of St George. Rule Britannia and God Save the King rang out - as did chants of 'get Khan out' aimed at the London mayor - as passing cabbies and motorists honked their horns in support. Police kept a watchful eye following an earlier stand-off with crowds who had spilled out of The Clarence pub and into the middle of Whitehall blocking traffic for 15-minutes. Pubs on Whitehall - The Silver Cross, The Old Shades, The Horse & Guardsman and The Clarence have now closed early for the evening. The Metropolitan Police posted on X, formerly Twitter, earlier on Tuesday to say they expected 'far-right groups and groups linked to football clubs' to attend. An image was shared on X by the force which shows dozens of officers and multiple police vans near a crowd on a pavement. Covid-19 jab rivals face off in court today as a weeks-long trial begins over an infringement on the life-saving vaccine technology's patent. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and drug manufacturer BioNTech are locked in a legal dispute with vaccine maker Moderna at the High Court in London over the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology in coronavirus jabs amid parallel litigation in the US, Germany, the Netherlands and other countries. Moderna said in 2020 that it would not enforce its Covid-19 related patents while the pandemic continued. But the company said in March 2022, with vaccine supplies improving globally, that it was updating the pledge and expected its intellectual property to be respected in non-low and middle-income countries where supply was no longer a barrier to access. Now Moderna is suing American competitor Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for alleged patent infringement in relation to their Comirnaty vaccine, arguing it is due compensation for products manufactured after March 7 2022. Moderna is suing American competitor Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for alleged patent infringement in relation to their Comirnaty vaccine, arguing it is due compensation for products manufactured after March 7 2022 Employees working at the Pfizer factory. Moderna said in 2020 that it would not enforce its Covid-19 related patents while the pandemic continued London High Court (above). But the company said in March 2022, with vaccine supplies improving globally, that it was updating the pledge and expected its intellectual property to be respected in non-low and middle-income countries where supply was no longer a barrier to access Pfizer and BioNTech have denied infringement with both firms seeking the 'revocation' of two Moderna patents, claiming that they are 'invalid'. An expected three-and-a-half week trial before judge Mr Justice Meade started on Tuesday focusing on one of the patents at the heart of the legal dispute. The second patent is expected to be considered next week, when there is also expected to be a linked hearing before a different judge for arguments over Moderna's 'patent pledge'. Tom Mitcheson KC, representing Pfizer and BioNTech, said in written arguments that Moderna was seeking damages but not seeking a court injunction due to it 'recognising the public interest in the continued availability of the Comirnaty range of vaccines'. He said the challenge over the validity of one of the patents centred on an alleged 'lack of novelty' in relation to work done by Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman when at the University of Pennsylvania in the US. The pair won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discoveries that were 'critical for developing effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19 during the pandemic', the court was told. The second patent is expected to be considered next week, when there is also expected to be a linked hearing before a different judge for arguments over Moderna's 'patent pledge' Pfizer's vaccines during manufacture. Tom Mitcheson KC, representing Pfizer and BioNTech, said in written arguments that Moderna was seeking damages but not seeking a court injunction due to it 'recognising the public interest in the continued availability of the Comirnaty range of vaccines' Mr Mitcheson said that 'it is clear that even on Moderna's case the difference between the prior art and the patent is wafer thin'. Piers Acland KC, for Moderna, said in written submissions that the rival developers' arguments were 'not credible', adding: 'It does no disservice to Professors Kariko and Weissman's extraordinary contributions to acknowledge Moderna's extraordinary contribution too.' Moderna's Spikevax vaccine was the third jab to be approved for use in the UK in January 2021 after the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines were approved. How the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines work is by targeting the spike protein in Covid-19 which the virus uses to enter human cells. The Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines use synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA), a genetic material that contains information about the spike protein. The vaccines provide the body with instructions to produce a small amount of this protein which, once detected by the immune system, leads to a protective antibody response. The trial continues. A Cuban mercenary has issued a warning to his fellow countrymen against fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The unnamed man appears donning the Russian flag as he speaks in Spanish and in a Cuban accent about the situation at the front lines, claiming Cuban soldiers are not being paid what they were promised. 'This is a message for all the Cuban soldiers who are here in Ukraine,' he said. 'I've been here in the war for a while now and we are not being paid. Many of my friends have already been killed in combat and they don't pay us what they said they would.' Russia has recruited soldiers desperate to escape the Communist island by luring them with promises of salaries of $2,000 a month. The monthly average wage in Cuba is less than $20. A Cuban mercenary issued a warning to fellow Cubans against fighting for Russia in Ukraine Last May a Russia newspaper reported that several Cuban citizens had signed contracts with Russia's armed forces and had been shipped to Ukraine in return for Russian citizenship However, the Cuban soldier in Ukraine claimed: 'There are a lot of things they are doing wrong and I want to say that the salary that they are paying us is not what is supposed to be. 'Many of my friends died at the front line with no documentation, they don't want to give us documentation. 'They continue to scam us and lie to us and we keep dying and nobody does anything.' The soldier then spoke directly to those in his position, saying: 'For all my fellow Cubans who are in combat like me: don't let them keep lying to you. Don't take up arms. Don't lose your lives, brothers, I'm telling you. Put down the weapons. We are dying and not getting paid.' The soldier then appeared to address the risk he is likely taking by filming the video. He said: 'I would rather be sent to Moscow than lose my life and have my family receive no money.' Cuba and Russia are political allies and Cubans do not require a visa to travel to Russia. Many go there to study or to work. Marilin Vinent said that her son Dannys Castillo, 27, is one of the Cubans recruited in Russia Last year, Cuban officials arrested 17 people in connection with what they described as a network to recruit Cuban nationals to fight for Russia in Ukraine. In May 2023, a newspaper in the Russian region of Ryazan, about 100 miles southeast of Moscow, reported from a military enlistment office there that 'several citizens of the Cuba Republic' signed up to join the army. The Ryazanskiye Vedomosti newspaper quoted some Cubans as saying they were there to help Russia 'complete tasks in the special military operation zone.' It also said 'some of them in the future would like to become Russian citizens.' In Havana, prosecutor Jose Luis Reyes told state TV that suspects are being investigated for crimes, including being a mercenary or recruiting mercenaries, and could face sentences of up to 30 years or life in prison, or even the death penalty. Marilin Vinent, 60, said that her son Dannys Castillo, 27, is one of the Cubans recruited in Russia. From her home in Havana last September, she said her son and other Cubans traveled at the end of July to Russia after being promised work in a construction job. 'They were all deceived,' she said. Vinent showed reporters photos of her son in her cellphone, including some of him dressed in military fatigues. Gunners from 43rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fire at Russian position in the Kharkiv region earlier this month She said that her son told her he had accepted the offer to go to Russia because he wanted to economically help the family, as the island is suffering an economic crisis, with people facing shortages of some products. 'I don't know if my son is alive. We don't know anything,' she said. 'What I would like is to talk to him.' Cuban seamstress Yamidely Cervantes told Reuters her 49-year-old husband Enrique Gonzalez, a struggling bricklayer, left their home in the small town of La Federal on July 19, 2023, to fight for the Russian army in Ukraine. Days later, he wired her part of his signing-on bonus of about 200,000 rubles ($2,040) which she received in Cuban pesos, Cervantes told Reuters. That represents a windfall on the economically stricken communist-run island. It's more than 100 times the average monthly state salary of 4,209 pesos ($17 in the informal market), according to the national statistics office. Servicemen of the 1148th separate artillery brigade of Air Assault Troops of Ukraine fire a M777 howitzer towards Russian troops on April 20 Cervantes' husband Gonzalez, speaking via video call from a Russian military base outside the city of Tula, south of Moscow, told Reuters he was one of 119 Cubans training there. When he arrived in Russia, he said, he had signed a contract to work for the military, translated into Spanish. 'Everyone here knew what they were coming for,' he said, smiling in military garb as he gave Reuters a digital phone tour of the camp, ringed by pine trees. 'They came for the war.' The US State Department has said it's aware of the reports. 'We are deeply concerned that young Cubans may have been deceived and recruited to fight for Russia in its brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and we continue to monitor this situation closely,' it said. Russian law allows foreign nationals to enlist in its army, after signing a contract with the Defense Ministry. Since September 2022, foreigners who have served in the Russian army for at least one year are allowed to apply for Russian citizenship in a simplified procedure, without obtaining a residency permit first. A Moroccan asylum seeker has claimed stress made him 'lose his mind' moments before he stabbed a pensioner to death in the street. Ahmed Alid, 45, is charged with murdering Terence Carney, 70, in Hartlepool town centre, minutes after repeatedly knifing his sleeping housemate Javed Nouri, 31, in his bed. The jury at Teesside Crown Court was told by prosecutors that Alid was seeking 'revenge' for the Israel-Palestine conflict. He admits stabbing both men in the early hours of October 15, eight days after Hamas launched their attacks on Israel, but denies murder and attempted murder. A police handout photo of Ahmed Alid, who is charged with murdering Terence Carney, 70 Pictured is Alid being arrested in Hartlepool. He told the court he felt stressed moments before A CCTV grab of Alid holding a knife minutes before he allegedly murdered Terence Carney Under cross-examination by Jonathan Sandiford KC, Alid told Teesside Crown Court he was feeling stressed when he came across Mr Carney. He was left bleeding from his hand following the earlier confrontation with Mr Nouri, an Iranian who had converted to Christianity, at their shared asylum seekers' accommodation in Wharton Terrace. Speaking via an Arabic interpreter, he recalled the moment before he repeatedly stabbed the pensioner, saying the stress 'made me lose my temper, ]I] lost my mind, I didn't know what I was doing'. Alid explained there were previous disagreements with Mr Nouri and claimed he was tormented over several months. He had lost his passport in Greece and he wanted to leave the UK and go back to Spain. He denies murder, attempted murder and assaulting two female detectives after they interviewed him. Giving evidence from the witness box previously, Alid said he felt as if someone else was pushing him when he forced his way into Mr Nouri's room. After describing the struggle he had with the former body builder, he explained how a number of problems, including an issue with his father dating back to 2003, were on his mind. He also said he felt homesick, that he could not work in the UK and that he had argued with Mr Nouri previously. The scene in Javed Nouri's bedroom after he was allegedly stabbed by Ahmed Alid The scene at Wharton Terrace after the alleged incident took place The jury has heard how Mr Nouri clashed with Alid about the shared property being dirty when he moved in. After stabbing Mr Nouri, Alid claimed he left the asylum seekers' accommodation in the early hours of October 15, looking for a clinic as he had suffered a cut hand during the fight. He recalled seeing Mr Carney coming towards him and the defendant remembered shouting 'Free Palestine' in a loud voice. He claimed Mr Carney, whom he said he had seen out and about previously, said something like 'Go back to your country'. Via an Arabic interpreter, Alid told jurors: 'My hand was bleeding, I had lost a lot of blood and he came towards me. I felt like dizziness.' John Elvidge KC, defending, asked: 'Why did you stab him?' Alid replied: 'I was not feeling well. 'I thought I am going to faint and he will take the knife from me and he will stab me.' After he knifed the pensioner, Mr Carney fell and began to crawl on the ground, Alid said. The defendant told the jury he believed Mr Carney was looking for a stone with which to hit him. Mr Elvidge asked: 'Did you intend to cause him really serious harm?' Alid replied: 'No, he was an old man. 'Any normal person at that age would never talk to anyone at this time.' Earlier, Alid said he came to Europe in 2007 as there was a problem with the intelligence services monitoring his shop and they were 'harassing' him. He moved around the continent for years, spending time in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Austria, before he came to the UK in 2020 via a ferry, arriving in Middlesbrough. The court heard he was arrested by police as he did not have the correct papers and he applied for asylum. Asked by Mr Elvidge if that was successful, Alid said: 'I didn't have any answer.' He was allowed to work four hours a week, but that did not lead to him getting a job, the court heard. The case continues. This is the moment a 'prolific' Albanian people trafficker, who used WhatsApp to organise 31 small boat crossings for migrants including young children, is arrested. Mustaf Cunaj, who smuggled people in inflatable boats for thousands of pounds per migrant, was jailed today for nine years. The 41-year-old was part of a network of traffickers, which smuggled some 10,000 migrants into the UK. Now footage has emerged of the smuggler's arrest which sees plain clothes officers approach Cunaj on the side of the street at night. The trafficker, wearing an orange hoodie, then speaks to the officers who tell him that he 'conspired to facilitate an immigration breach'. This is the moment Albanian people trafficker Mustaf Cunaj (pictured, centre), who used WhatsApp to organise 31 small boat crossings for migrants including young children, is arrested A small boat pictured carrying migrants in a photo found on Cunaj's phone Cunaj (pictured), who smuggled people in inflatable boats for thousands of pounds per migrant, was jailed today for nine years The pair of officers then take Cunaj along the pavement, each holding one of his arms, before putting him into a black vehicle which is waiting down the road. After his arrest, the trafficker's phone was retrieved. Videos saved to the device included one of a boat being launched from a beach and another of migrants wearing life jackets on a boat at sea. A number of images sharing map locations in Calais and Dunkirk were also discovered on his phone, with one showing two users' locations in the Channel and the North Sea. Cunaj, who used the alias 'John Brown' in WhatsApp conversations with migrants and smugglers, arranged the crossings during a five week period between July and August 2022. In one conversation with another smuggler he arranged a crossing for a woman and two children, aged five and nine, at a price of 7,500 each. In another message Cunaj talked about buying inflatable boats for between 4,000 and 4,500 per boat. He also asked about lifejackets, telling his contact, 'I have five people, they don't know how [to wear a lifejacket] as they are small children'. Cunaj was first arrested in October 2022 and released under investigation before being arrested again in September 2023 and charged with people smuggling offences. The trafficker initially denied involvement in immigration crime, stating he only put family members in contact with others if they were interested in coming to the UK. He later admitted conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration at Kingston Crown Court and was jailed for nine years. The smuggling network in which Cunaj operated was linked to Iranian Hewa Rahimpur, 30, who ran the circle from his home in Ilford, east London, sourcing vessels in Turkey and delivering them to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Last October, Rahimpur was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a judge in Bruges. A picture, taken by someone on a boat carrying migrants, which was found on Cunaj's phone. The 41-year-old was part of a network of traffickers, which smuggled 10,000 migrants into the UK Footage has emerged of the smuggler's arrest which sees plain clothes officers approach Cunaj on the side of the street at night before taking him along the pavement to a car An image found on Cunaj's phone showing the location of a boat in the English channel A picture, found on Cunaj's phone, showing an inflatable boat on a beach. Cunaj was first arrested in October 2022 and released under investigation before being arrested again in September 2023 and charged with people smuggling offences NCA Senior Investigating Officer Andy MacGill said: 'Cunaj was prolific, swapping hundreds of messages in only two months with one people smuggler organising these dangerous crossings, and involved in the arrangement of many more. 'Entering the UK via small boat is extremely dangerous and evidence showed Cunaj had no regard for those he was smuggling, even arranging crossings for young children. 'The NCA is committed to tackling organised immigration crime as a priority and our work continues to stop people smugglers working both in the UK and overseas.' A drunk driver was allegedly speeding at 105mph in his souped-up Mustang when he smashed into a pick-up truck throwing its 33-year-old driver out and killing her. Police say Mustang driver David Lane, 66, was nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit when he crashed into Christina Diamond's Nissan on April 18 around 1am in Mesa, Arizona. The impact caused the Nissan to 'accelerate rapidly', roll over and smash into a fence, while the Mustang skidded on and hit a power pole before catching fire. Photos of the horror smash show the blue Mustang crumpled against a telephone pole with mangled debris lying on the floor. David Lane, 66, was allegedly nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit when he crashed into Christina Diamond's Nissan The impact caused the Nissan to 'accelerate rapidly', roll over and smash into a fence The crash happened around 1am on April 18 on University Drive near Crismon Road. Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputies arrived at the scene to find the mangled Ford Mustang and a Nissan Frontier. They believe that Lane was driving 105mph when he smashed into the back of Diamond's car. The impact sent her car into a roll which threw her from the vehicle before it crashed into a fence. The Mustang continued down the road for a quarter of a mile before it hit a power pole and caught fire. Lane and Diamond were both rushed to the hospital where Lane was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and Diamond died. At the hospital, deputies told AZFamily they tested Lane's blood and he was found to have a blood alcohol content of .23, which is nearly three times the legal limit. He is expected to be booked into the Maricopa County jail once he is out of the hospital, according to the outlet. Lane and Diamond were both rushed to the hospital where Lane was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and Diamond died Photos of the horror smash show the blue Mustang crumpled against a telephone pole with mangled debris lying on the floor Deputies were first called to reports that a man had crashed into a power pole. While they were on their way they were told a second vehicle had veered off the road and struck a fence nearby. Photos from the scene show the blue Mustang's door off the side of the road wrapped around a power pole with its hood ripped off. The door is open while debris is scattered around the side of the road. The back of the gray pick-up truck is also visible, crumpled and off to one side of the road. A disgraced cop who is on the run with his son after he allegedly shot dead his ex-wife and his teenage girlfriend has been spotted in Portland. Officers hunting Huizar had originally been searching for a silver Toyota Corolla, but said on Tuesday that he had been seen driving a black sedan in Portland, Oregon, overnight. Elias Huizar, 39, has been labeled as 'armed and dangerous' and police say he may commit more crimes as he tries to flee to Mexico. Huizar allegedly killed his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez at William Wiley Elementary school on Monday afternoon during dismissal, according to Washington State Police. Police searching for Huizar found a second victim, his girlfriend 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, dead in his home, which is on the same block as the school. Huizar, a former Yakima police officer, shared Roman with Santos, who was 15 year's old when she was impregnated, according to police. The former school cop was due in court Monday to face child rape charges; he is accused of raping his underaged girlfriend and her 16-year-old friend. Police believe that Amber Marie Rodriguez was shot dead by her estranged husband outside of the elementary school where she works on Monday afternoon Her brother Damien Santos wrote: 'It breaks my heart to write this but unfortunately my sister has passed away at the young age of 17 November 5 2006 - April 22 2024' Elias Huizar, 39, has been labeled as 'armed and dangerous' as police have connected him to the murder of his ex-wife and girlfriend In February, Huizar pleaded not guilty to rape charges. Days before the two murders, Rodriguez had filed for a new custody arrangement involving their two children. Rodriguez worked at the school where she was killed, according to the Washington State Police. In addition Rodriguez also worked as a real estate agent. Santos' family appeared to at first believe that she had been abducted alongside her son, asking people on Facebook for help finding them. However, hours later the family confirmed that Santos had been killed. Her brother Damien Santos wrote: 'It breaks my heart to write this but unfortunately my sister has passed away at the young age of 17 November 5 2006 - April 22 2024.' The former school cop was due in court accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old girl and his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he is believed to have impregnated when she was 15, according to multiple reports. Police did not confirm if the girlfriend Huizar is accused of raping and impregnating is the girlfriend found dead in his home or if he had moved on to a new relationship. In addition to working at the school, Rodriguez also worked as a real estate agent Her family has identified the second victim as 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, the mother of the one-year-old child abducted, Roman Huizar Police issued an AMBER alert for Huizar and his one-year-old son Roman on Monday night Santos' family has been frantically asking the public for help finding Roman Family has identified the second victim as 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos Huizar is on the run after the Monday afternoon shooting just outside of William Wiley Elementary School, where his ex-wife was shot and killed Authorities confirmed that a dead body had been found at Huizar's home as they were conducting a search. Police said he also killed his girlfriend Huizar and Rodriguez divorced in 2020 and share two children. Following the rape charges, Rodriguez filed to modify their custody agreement and had requested a protection order, because she believed he was a threat to her and their children. Rodriguez claimed Huizar has been harassing her since the divorce and says he was mentally and emotionally unstable. He also owns guns, she said. It was unclear what the result of the case was, a hearing had been set for May 14. Huizar served with the police department between 2014 and 2022 and was assigned to be a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima. It was not clear where he was employed after he'd left the department. On February 3, he was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland. Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a baby who was nine months old at the time of his February court appearance, according to the Tri-City Herald. Huizar served with the police department between 2014 and 2022 and was assigned to be a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima Police said they are searching for Huizar, who fled the scene in a 2009 Toyota Corolla with the license plate CBZ4745. They believe him to be armed and dangerous and may commit more crimes Huizar is a former school cop accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old and his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he impregnated when she was 15 The Tri-City Herald reported that Huizar secured a protection order against his teenage girlfriend in 2019 after she told friends they were in a relationship and the friends reported it to the school principal. The girl denied it and claimed her account had been hacked when social media posts about the alleged relationship were revealed. 'A criminal investigation was completed by the Attorney General's Office and the case was unfounded,' Huizar wrote in his petition for the protection order. '(She) was then expelled from school.' The petition claimed the girl had contacted Huizar's then wife, downloaded photos from the couple's Facebook pages, and taken 'numerous' covert photos of Huizar. Yakima County Judge Gayle Harthcock approved the protection order that prevented the girl from coming within 500 feet of him or his family for a year. The girl claims in the court documents that Huizar contacted her in 2022 when she was 15 and they began a relationship. Their child was born in April last year, and the pair began living together in the West Richland home when she was 17. The age of consent law in Washington is 16 years old, though police have been investigating whether he slept with her before that. On February 3, Huizar was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a nine-month-old baby Huizar's child was born in April last year, and the pair began living together in the West Richland home when she was 17. He has two children with his ex-wife, who divorced him in 2020 In the most recent alleged rape, the 17-year-old girlfriend had gone to sleep in a spare room next to her 16-year-old friend who was feeling sick after all three had spent the evening drinking at the home on February 3, court documents record. She then woke to find Huizar attacking her drunken friend before he left the room 'like nothing had happened', when she confronted him, according to the Tri-City Herald. Huizar was charged with second-degree rape, furnishing alcohol for minors, and third-degree rape over his relationship with the 17-year-old. His bail was set at $200,000 but he has since bonded out of jail with stipulations that he doesn't contact either of the teens or consume any alcohol. The opening date of his trial was set for Monday, according to a local NBC station. DailyMail.com has reached out to Huizar's defense attorney for comment. The school district in Richland, Washington, sent out an alert to parents that confirmed the shooting at William Wiley Elementary earlier Monday. The shooting occurred at 3:23pm local time during dismissal. Nobody else at the school was injured in the shooting there. Huizar has been charged with second-degree rape, furnishing alcohol for minors, and third-degree rape over his relationship with the 17-year-old A shooting at an elementary school in Washington state during dismissal has put the school on lockdown Richland Police confirmed in a Facebook post they were headed to the scene Monday afternoon A resident said he heard four to five gunshots while in his backyard Monday afternoon. 'I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didn't sound like a gun. Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot ,' Chris Worley told the Tri-City Herald. The school district sent an alert to parents, adding that any students still on campus were sent into a secure area, even those who were getting set to depart on the school bus. 'Students and staff at our schools have been moved inside the buildings and place into a critical lockdown.' 'If students were loaded on buses but still at the school, they were moved into the school building. We will update you once we have more information.' Richland Police confirmed in a Facebook post immediately after the shooting that officers were headed to the scene. 'There is an active incident in the area of William Wiley Elementary and South Highlands Blvd,' they wrote. The school district sent an alert to parents, adding that any students still on campus were sent into a secure area, even those who were getting set to depart on the school bus All after-school activities at the school were canceled 'Please stay clear of the area. We will post updates as they become available.' All after-school activities at the school were canceled. Around 4:45pm, police began getting the locked-down children out of the school. An app connected to the school is telling parents where they'll be reunited with their children. Because the road was completely blocked off, some parents are still waiting to get their vehicles back. Classes have been canceled at William Wiley Elementary on Tuesday. DailyMail.com has reached out to the West Richland Police Department, who are handling the investigation, for comment. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available This is the moment a 700ft cruise ship crunched into a dock at a Turkish port after desperately trying to slow down. The Celestyal Journey cruise ship was making a routine arrival into the port in Kusadasi, Turkey last week when it hit the concrete pier with its bow bulb. The crew miscalculated the speed and approached the pier too quickly, resulting in the collision, Cruise Hive reported. Members of the vessel's 597-person crew reportedly lowered the anchor in a bid to slow the approach, but despite their efforts the ship still crashed into the pier. The collision caused only minimal damage to the ship and pier. No injuries were reported onboard or on the shore. The Celestyal Journey cruise ship was making a routine arrival into the port in Kusadasi, Turkey last week when it hit the concrete pier with its bow bulb The Celestyal Journey struck a pier at Kusadasi Cruise Port on Monday last week at 12pm local time while crew were trying to dock. Passengers were still able to enjoy their day in Kusadasi, one of the most well-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world, as planned, according to Cruise Hive. The port, which has eight berths for large ships, is the most popular cruise port in Turkey. Officials say the incident has not negatively impacted operations. Celestyal Cruises, which operates the vessel and two other ships, did not have to alter any routes following the incident. The Celestyal Journey entered service in 1994 and initially sailed for Holland America Line as Ryndam. Celestyal Cruises acquired the cruise ship last year. The cruise liner has 630 cabins, including 149 that feature balconies, and offers guests access to seven exclusive restaurants, and eight bars and lounges, Haber7.com reported. Members of the vessel's 597-person crew reportedly lowered the anchor in a bid to slow the approach, but despite their efforts the ship still crashed into the pier Celestyal Journey is currently sailing seven-night cruises in the Aegean Sea region until late October 2024. However, unlike a typical closed-loop route, the Celestyal Journey's round-trip sailings overlap, allowing guests to embark and debark in Kusadasi, as well as various cities in Greece. Travellers can start their voyage in Heraklion, Crete Greece; Piraeus-Athens, Greece; or Thessaloniki, Greece. The ship's final journey in the Aegean Sea will embark on October 19 this year. It will be followed by a 14-day repositioning cruise from Athens to Doha, Qatar. Once it arrives in its new homeport in Doha, the Celestyal Journey will offer seven-night roundtrip sailings to the United Arab Emirates. A Celestyal spokesperson said: 'The Celestyal Journey encountered a minor incident while docking at Kusadasi, Turkey. 'The underside of the ship made contact with a ferry ramp located at the port. There have been no reported injuries onboard or ashore and the vessel has sustained no damage. 'An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident. The Celestyal Journey continued onto Crete as per the planned itinerary.' A Chicago judge has given the OK on a $12.25 million class action settlement that will see thousands of residents paid for a botched implosion at a former coal plant. Meant to be a controlled demolition, the malfunction took place at the former Crawford Power Plant just over four years ago, and sent a thick plume of smoke over the Little Village neighborhood of the city. It left the mostly Mexican-American nabe blanketed in dust, despite being planned by local officials. A subsequent inspector general's probe found fault with the company that commissioned the plant implosion. Identified in charging documents as Hilco Redevelopment, the firm on Tuesday agreed to the stark settlement. Residents affected, meanwhile, recalled to the US Northern District Court of Illinois how the cloud of dust suffocated them within seconds, after the 400-foot smoke stack set to be imploded fell. Some said they still have difficulty breathing, as the settlement means Hilco is now safe from any more suits. The firm has yet to comment on the development, after being subcontracted by the city for the ill-fated operation. Scroll down for video: Meant to be a demolition, the malfunction took place at the former Crawford Power Plant on April 11, 2020, and sent a thick plume of smoke over the Little Village neighborhood of the city The old coal plant chimney seconds before the disaster - which a local watchdog said local officials could have prevented. The company that commissioned the implosion, meanwhile, was subcontracted by the city, and agreed to fork over the sum to avoid more litigation 'Our clients held the corporations responsible,' said Scott Rauscher, a lawyer who represented the residents during proceedings in district court, where residents also claimed they were given short notice about the demolition on April 11, 2020 'It's a great result.' Juan Rangel - who is eligible for a cash payment - recalled to Fox 23 how he and others in the radius heard a large boom before being covered in soot. 'The neighborhood did not know that the implosion was going to take place,' he told the station immediately after the ruling. 'I came back that morning and found a flyer that was rolled up and just stuck in people's fences... basically letting people know there was going to be this implosion. 'But this was a flyer that was put there either in the late afternoon or the night before,' he disclaimed. 'So, nobody's gonna pick these up. 'I could only imagine people waking up the next day not know what had happened,' he concluded. Fellow Little Village resident Irma Morales recalled the horrors she and her neighbors faced that day, as dust descended on the 4.4 square mile neighborhood. Each claimant, officials said, will get some $317 in damages - .03 percent of the overall settlement 'I feel like it's a joke - they're laughing at us,' one resident said of the sums. 'It's not enough' Some families were refused payments - because they were just outside of the agreed upon payout boundary At the time of the disaster, photos on social media showed what appeared to be thick dust seeping into residential areas 'It was terrible,' she told the national news outlet. 'I have health issues headaches and since that time, the headaches are worse.' The local mom recalled how one of her sons warned her seconds before 'Mom, don't go outside, because it's happening' - and after that, being met with the implosion. She added that the per-person sum she and thousands of other property owners are now poised to reap is nowhere near enough, as documents show that more than 21,000 personal injury claims have been deemed to be valid Each person, officials said, will get approximately $317 in damages - .03 percent of the overall settlement. 'I feel like it's a joke - they're laughing at us,' she said of the awards. 'It's not enough.' 'Three hundred is the only one appointment for the doctor,' she added, visibly frustrated. 'So it's a joke. They're playing with us.' Shortly before, another resident, Elizabeth Rodriguez, told U.S. District Judge Young B. Kim how her husband still has difficulties breathing four years after the event. However, she and her family were left out of the Tuesday agreement - due to the fact she and her family reside just outside the agree-upon boundaries for the new payouts, which will see a total of $1 million will go to anyone who owned or leased a home or business within that area that was damaged by dust and debris. Residents stood outside the Illinois courthouse with signs critical of the city government in place at the time Some said the per-person sum she and thousands of other property owners are now poised to reap is nowhere near enough, as many remain hesitant to trust city officials 'Pollution and exploitation are not acceptable,' messages penned in Spanish asserted on activists' signs, as no more suits surrounding the incident will be allowed Irma Morales recalled the horrors she and her neighbors faced that day, as dust descended on the 4.4 square mile neighborhood Juan Rangel - among those eligible for a cash payment - recalled to Fox 23 how he and others in the radius heard a large boom before being covered in soot Edith Tovar, from the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, said the settlement is at least something, and a step toward someone taking accountability for what had occurred Another $7 million, meanwhile, is set go to anyone who was in the designated area on the day of the demolition and has proof, while the rest - more than $4million - will go toward attorney fees. Edith Tovar, from the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, told CBS the settlement is at least something, and a step toward someone taking accountability for what had occurred. 'It's bittersweet,' the Little Village resident said, as she and others stood outside the Illinois courthouse with signs critical of the city government that had been in place at the time of the demolition. 'This settlement case allowed us to voice our concerns in a courtroom, but it's still not enough for the long-term effects that our residents are bearing right now.' This comes almost four years to the day after former Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed the apparent failure on the developer the city had fired in Hilco, prior to the citys former inspector general claiming that it was city officials who oversaw the demolition who should take responsibility. Joe Ferguson went on to publish an in-depth report in 2021 that blamed two city officials specifically, claiming they had had been 'negligent' and showed 'incompetence' while planning, failing to protect the public from harm. The probe, which claimed the entire ordeal was completely 'avoidable', was finalized in 2021, but long kept secret by the former mayor's administration. This settlement come almost four years to the day after then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed the apparent failure on the developer the city had fired, prior to the citys old inspector general claiming that it was city officials who oversaw the demolition who should take responsibility She has since been replace by Brandon Johnson, who for most of his first year in office was tasked with cleaning up his fellow Democrat's mess She has since been replace by Brandon Johnson, who for most of his first year in office was tasked with cleaning up his fellow Democrat's mess. This included the implosion of the nearly 400-feet-tall chimney at the old Crawford coal-fired power plant, which could have been prevented by former Department of Buildings Staffer Marlene Hopkins and pubic health official David Graham, Ferguson found. Lightfoot declined to discipline Hopkins, while Graham reportedly received a written reprimand. Moreover, instead of being fired, Hopkins recently ascended to the highest position with the Department of Buildings, named commissioner back in March. At the time, new mayor Johnson hailed Hopkins as 'a proven leader', despite Ferguson finding she and other officials did not do enough to ensure that those who lived near the former power plant were informed about the planned implosion. During the ceremony celebrating her unanimous appointment on March 20, only Ald. David Moore seemed to hint at the disaster darkening Hopkins appointment. 'Are you perfect?' Moore asked at the time. 'No,' Hopkins answered. 'But you strive for perfection?' Moore questioned - to which an ecstatic Moore replied: 'Always.' Meanwhile, more than 20,000 are set to receive payments. Still, Kim Wasserman, executive director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, said the $12 sum is still pennies to Hilco, which has an estimated annual revenue of $146.5million per year. The father of the four-year-old girl who died trying to cross the channel to Britain in a small boat has been arrested on suspicion of people trafficking, the Mail has learned. The father, who was on the overloaded boat, collapsed in tears after he was rescued from the sea and brought back to shore by the French Coast Guard this morning. The girl was among five people who perished in the sea after the boats engine stopped a few hundred metres off the French coast and dozens of people fell into the sea. But now it has emerged that the unnamed father has been arrested on suspicion of people trafficking, together with the rest of the 47 survivors. Another 57 refused to leave the boat and were escorted towards Britain by the French navy They are all being held in detention in Calais by the French Border Police, who are known as the PAF. The French state prosecutor in Boulogne today launched a criminal investigation into the manslaughter of the five victims of small boat tragedy, as well as allegations of people smuggling and assisting illegal immigration. Earlier today Dany Patoux, of the French Osmose62 refugee, described how the man saw his little daughter die before his eyes. Migrants were seen beating back the French police using only wooden sticks and firecrackers Once the migrants were in the boat, the officers said there was no more they could do Today, a dingy crammed with migrants was seen arriving in Dover, escorted by a French warship. It is believed to be the boat containing the remaining survivors It is believed the boat arrived in Britain at around lunchtime today. Three search-and-rescue SAMU helicopters have been scouring the sea for survivors It was escorted by a French warship, while a lifeboat and a Border Force cutter picked it up as it crossed the channel Among the migrants as they arrived in Dover was a woman with a broken leg Many of the passengers' legs were hanging over the side as they precariously stayed inside A helicopter of the Emergency medical services takes off from Wimereux on April 23 Emergency vehicles were seen beside an ice cream shop on the beach at Wimereux in France this morning He said: We knew the little girl well. But now, everything is ruined. Her father fell into our arms right away. He was crying in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes. His colleague at the charity Olivier, which is based in Boulogne-Sur-Mer, added: The father is in police custody in Calais. He was arrested by the PAF [French Border Police] on suspicion of people trafficking. The PAF arrested all of the survivors. They are all being interrogated. Today, a dingy crammed with migrants was seen arriving in Dover at lunchtime. It is believed to be the boat containing the remaining survivors. Many of the passengers' legs were hanging over the side as they precariously stayed inside. Among the migrants as they arrived in Dover was a woman with a broken leg. It was escorted by a French warship, while a lifeboat and a Border Force cutter picked it up as it crossed the channel. French police were beaten back by migrants with sticks and firecrackers moments before the boat capsized in the Channel and left five people dead including the little girl. Three men, a woman and a four-year-old girl drowned after the dinghy they were on flipped over in the early hours of this morning off the coast of northern France, casting around 112 people into the Channel. An emergency SAMU air ambulance was one of three that responded to the tragedy A police officer looks on in Wimereux, near Calais, after migrants died in an attempt to cross the English Channel Rescue boats were also seen off the coast of northern France as emergency services searched for survivors Emergency workers rushed to the sea in a bid to save migrants who got in trouble while trying to cross the Channel It is thought the small boat was launched from Wimereux in northern France, between Boulogne and Calais Footage showed scores of people running towards the sea as they tried to beat back the French officers on Wimereux beach in northern France early this morning. Once the migrants were in the water, the French police said there was nothing more they could do as they didn't have a boat. Moments later, the boat hit a sandbank and caused panic that led to the boat capsizing and five people - including a little girl - drowning. Only then did French police scramble a boat to save the remaining survivors. However, when some of the migrants refused to be rescued and restarted the boat's engine, the French Navy instead escorted them onwards towards Britain, which they reached at around lunchtime today. The migrants had got into difficulty when the dinghy struck a sandbank exposed by the retreating tide. This sparked panic and caused people to stand up, which unbalanced the boat. People started falling into the water before the boat capsized, 'flinging everybody into the very cold sea,' a French maritime prefect said. The French Navy intervention tug the Abeille Normandie (the Normandy Bee) was scrambled and picked up 47 survivors. They were taken back to France, where four of them were arrested. Yet 57 people refused to leave the boat, restarted the engine and were escorted towards Britain by the French navy. One of the helicopters was seen flying low over the beach at Wimereux this morning Another air ambulance was seen landing at the side of the beach in Wimereux A member of the French Gendarmerie talks with a driver of a passing car in Wimereux, near Calais French police stopped another boat (pictured) from leaving northern France today It was one of four that French police stopped from launching this morning The furious Mayor of Wimereux Jean-Luc Dubaele (pictured) said the latest tragedy was all the fault of the British The regional governor of the Calais region, Prefet Jacques Billant (pictured), condemned the human traffickers who packed this morning's victims into the boat It is believed the boat arrived in Britain at around lunchtime today. Three search-and-rescue SAMU helicopters have been scouring the sea for survivors. By 11am, funeral directors could be seen collecting bodies around Boulogne, while migrants suffering from conditions such as hypothermia were taken to hospital. Most of the migrants on board were paying the equivalent of up to 1,000 per head for a voyage, meaning a single boat could be worth 100,000 to a smuggler. An investigating source based in Boulogne said 'at least five' overcrowded small boats were seen pushing from the beach at Wimereux at around 3am today. He said: 'Weather conditions were very calm, and hundreds of people were trying to get onto the boats at first light. 'Officers had already dispersed a number of them on Monday night, and confiscated nautical equipment including inflatable boats, outboard engines, life jackets and cans of fuel.' Despite the police operation, hundreds of men, women and children still managed to launch dinghies. The source added: 'All the boats were overcrowded, clearly because the people smugglers who organised them wanted to make as much money as possible. 'There were more than 100 people on single boats, which is incredibly dangerous, and the reason they capsized the boats just can't take the weight of all those people. 'There were lots of children on the boats, including a four-year-old girl who died.' The little girl's father was rescued by emergency services and taken to Wimereux beach, where he burst into tears and fell into the arms of refugee charity workers 'in a daze'. Another overloaded dinghy was pictured in French waters after the incident this morning Migrants, many of them in life jackets, were seen with their feet dangling in the water They were escorted by French patrol boat Minck and met in the Channel by a UK Border Force ship The regional governor of the Calais region, Prefet Jacques Billant, condemned the human traffickers who packed this morning's victims into the boat. He told MailOnline: 'Some 112 souls were packed into that boat. It was unseaworthy not properly inflated and completely overcrowded. 'To send people into the sea in a boat in that state is an act of murder. 'We arrested five people on human trafficking offences this morning.' Prefet Billant refused to offer comment on Britain's Rwanda deportation plan. He said simply: 'My job is to stop the people traffickers and I will use every resource at my disposal to do so.' An emergency services spokesman said: 'Weather conditions are good, and this is one of the reasons that so many small boats set off this morning.' A spokesman for the French coastguard said: 'The situation is ongoing and multiple search and rescue teams are in the area.' Olivier Ternicien, president of Osmose 62, which is based at Boulogne, said: 'A child has died. A third helicopter has just arrived, we fear the worst.' A criminal investigation into the deaths has been opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor. It came just hours after Rishi Sunak's Rwanda Bill to deter migrants from making the perilous crossing was passed in Parliament. Rishi Sunak vowed to let nothing 'stand in our way' today as he gears up to send Channel migrants to Rwanda within weeks after the Government's deportation plan was finally passed by Parliament. Last year, there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK. Of those, 29,437 came from people who arrived in small boats. The Rwanda scheme's capacity is 200 people per year. It means if the scheme had been running last year, it would have deported less than 0.7 per cent of small boat migrants. In terms of the cost of the journey per person, for the first 300 migrants sent to Rwanda, it will cost the Government 1.8million per head, Whitehall's official spending watchdog said. After the incident this morning, the Prime Minister said the 'tragic' incident reported in the Channel 'underscores' the need for the deterrent effect of the Rwanda plan. Several dinghies were seen being removed from the water after a series of crossings today Empty dinghies, believed to have carried migrants, are taken off a recovery boat at the Port of Dover A person is carried on a stretcher as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the RNLI following a small boat incident in the Channel He said: 'That is just a reminder of why our plan is so important because there's a certain element of compassion about everything that we're doing. 'We want to prevent people making these very dangerous crossings. If you look at what's happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people. They are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies. 'We've seen an enormous increase in the numbers per boat over the past few years. This is what tragically happens when they push people out to sea and that's why, for matters of compassion more than anything else, we must actually break this business model and end this unfairness of people coming to our country illegally. 'I just want to pay tribute to our Border Force and the French who have cooperated as they always do to rescue people.' 'But as I said it underscores why you need a deterrent very simply. People need to know that if they try and come here illegally they won't be able to stay, they'll be returned either to their own country or Rwanda. And I'm pleased that the Bill has passed through Parliament in the face of lots of Labour opposition, it was a late night.' Migrants were taken into Dover, Kent, for processing this morning British officials were seen guiding the migrants in life jackets from the boat A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the Border Force following a small boat incident in the Channel today However, the furious Mayor of Wimereux said the latest tragedy was all the fault of the British. Jean-Luc Dubaele said: 'Five dead in January, five dead in April. What are we waiting for? 'Why do the English welcome them? Why do they absolutely want to travel to England? These are the questions that need to be asked.' He told MailOnline: 'It is Britain who are responsible for the boats setting off across the English Channel and the deaths that occur in the sea. 'The English pay us to stop the boats setting off but they look after the migrants when they arrive on their shores. 'The English give them [migrants] accommodation, food, a bank account, and let them work without regulation. 'It is the English who are responsible for every boat that sails across the Channel to England. 'This has been going on for more than 20 years migrants crossing to England illegally. 'I have been mayor for four years and I've watched as more and more boats leave from these shores and more people die in the sea. 'This year 14 people have drowned in the sea so far. I've had enough. 'This latest plan to send migrants to Rwanda will do nothing to stop the traffic. 'If the English want to stop the migrants then they should stop looking after them. Stop the free housing, stop the free food, stop the bank accounts, stop letting them work. 'That is how to stop the boats, not making us spend all our resources [the police and the army] of stopping them set off from our beaches.' The outspoken mayor said he feared a huge increase in small boat crossings this summer when the French law and order authorities will be preoccupied with Olympic Games. He said: 'I fear what will happen here during the Olympic Games. All of the Forces of Order the police and the soldiers will be sent to Paris. So there will be no one to stop the human traffickers. 'There will be more boats, more migrants and more deaths. It will be a catastrophe.' Mr Dubaele has frequently described Britain as an 'immigrant El Dorado', saying easy access to benefits, and a chance to work in the UK's black economy, attracted thousands from around the world. Following a similar heartbreaking incident at Wimereux in January, Mr Dubaele said: 'At the political level, we will have to change the situation, and bang our fist on the table with the English. 'Migrants today want to go to England because they are well received there, they can work there without problem.' Today's deaths followed a night of frenzied activity by French police, as they tried to stop small boats being launched towards England. Mr Dubaele said four alleged people smugglers were arrested in he Wimereux areas. Officers confirmed they had confiscated nautical equipment including two boats at Wimereux. Posting a picture of them on Twitter X, they wrote: 'Last night at Wimereux, the police foiled two deliveries of nautical equipment (2 boats, 2 cans of fuel, 2 engines and life jackets) It was handed over to the police. Our objective - Save Lives'. The same force - France's National Police - also arrested an individual transporting 14 migrants in a single vehicle. 'He was taken into custody and faces charges,' said a police spokesman. There were so many people on board that the ship was extremely low in the water Dozens of migrants were seen on a boat (pictured) in Calais this morning. It is not believed to be the same boat that got into trouble Another boatload of migrants were seen on an RNLI ship today The migrants were guided to shore by volunteers from the lifeboat charity The first asylum seekers are expected to be rounded up and detained within days after a political tussle over the controversial law finally ended in the early hours of this morning. The House of Lords had been engaged in an extended tussle over the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Monday, sending it back to the Commons five times in a bid to secure changes. But they relented just after midnight, paving the way for it to become law and allow delayed flights to start in July, in a move Tories hope will boost the party's hopes of being re-elected later this year. The news did not appear to have filtered across the Channel, with more migrants boats filmed leaving the French coast near Dunkirk this morning heading for Britain. In a statement this morning the PM, who is in Poland, said: 'The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay. 'Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives.' Illegal Migration Minister Michael Tomlinson was on Good Morning Britain when it was reported that five migrants had died. He said he was 'absolutely stunned'. GMB presenter Susanna Reid suggested the Rwanda Bill would do little to stop the issue of migrants crossing in small boats. The Prime Minister has said 'nothing will stand in our way' of getting flights off the ground after the Government's Rwanda deportation plan passed through Parliament Your browser does not support iframes. Last year, there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK. Of those, 29,437 came from people who arrived in small boats. The Government claims the Rwanda scheme will act as a deterrent, however it only has the capacity to send 200 people a year to the East African country Planes have already been booked and migrants will soon be detained ahead of deportation, he revealed (pictured: staff boarding a plane which was set to be the first to transport migrants to Rwanda in June 2022) She said: 'If dying in the Channel isn't going to put them off, being sent to Rwanda's not going to defer them.' Mr Tomlinson said the threat of going to Rwanda was a deterrent. He said: 'I'm determined to stop the boats. The deterrent effect will be up and running.' 'We are doing lots with the French. We want to do more.' Referring to the tragedy this morning, he said: 'It is absolutely chilling to hear that. We have had fatalities now in the Channel for nine consecutive months.' The Refugee Council described reports of deaths in the English Channel as 'devastating' and 'all the more tragic' coming just hours after the Rwanda Bill was passed in Parliament. Enver Solomon, the council's chief executive, said: 'It is shocking to learn of the terrible loss of yet more lives in the Channel this morning. Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of those affected. 'This is another devastating human tragedy that could and should have been avoided - and for it to happen just hours after the Government's Rwanda Bill became law makes it all the more tragic. Pictured: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaving Parliament at 11.30pm last night 'The only sustainable way to reduce dangerous journeys across the world's busiest shipping lane is for the Government to reduce the need for desperate people to take desperate actions. 'Instead of hostile, headline-grabbing legislation, we need to see safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including more options for family reunion, refugee visas, and cooperation with our European neighbours. 'We don't need costly and unworkable laws - we need a fair and humane process that upholds the right to asylum, ensuring refugees are treated with dignity and respect.' It follows five migrants dying while trying to get to Britain on January 14. Some 29,000 people reached the UK in small boats in 2023, despite the British government saying that stopping them was a priority. In August last year, six people died after a boat carrying migrants sank in the Channel off the French coast, while n November 2021, at least 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident. By Ko Dong-hwan Representatives from 22 countries that have received training and guidance from agricultural experts of the Korean government gathered in Seoul to showcase their achievements. They are meeting with Korean officials to discuss strategies for further developing the agritech-based diplomatic network, according to the Rural Development Administration (RDA) on Tuesday. Developing countries in Asia, Africa and Central America, which have worked with the RDA's Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) initiative, dispatched envoys to Seoul for a two-day visit. Government officials from the countries, ambassadors from Korean embassies from the participating countries and agricultural experts who have engaged in KOPIA's official development assistance works have gathered. RDA Administrator Cho Chae-ho greeted the guests, who approximately numbered 100, while UN World Food Programme Seoul Global Office President Han Seok-jin and officials from the RDA and the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, delivered speeches about KOPIA 2.0, the second phase of the KOPIA initiative that is aimed at pushing for more advanced agritech innovation. Nguyen Hong Son, chief of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science, was among the event's keynote speakers. Vietnam is where the RDA established its first KOPIA center overseas in 2009. During the event, marking the 15th year of KOPIA, officials from Pakistan, Ghana and Paraguay shared their achievements in developing new crops with consistent production yields, thanks to the support of the RDA. Also, an official from the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council described how they have developed disease-free potato seeds. From Ghana, an expert from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research shared a story about the Rice Seed Production Improvement for Africa (RiceSPIA) initiative, part of the Korean government's K-Rice Belt Project, which develops ideal rice seeds specific to the soil conditions in these developing countries. An official from the Paraguayan Institute of Agrarian Technology spoke about how the country's production of sesame seeds has opened a new way for the South American country's agricultural industry. Envoys from the rest of the participating countries also shared how KOPIA's ODA projects have helped each of their countries. The speakers explained how KOPIA has led each of their countries into developing new policies, introducing new local brands and finding new needs for further agritech strategies for local communities. "On top of KOPIA marking the 15th anniversary of its kickoff this year, we're thrilled to see that agriculture has bound us all together," Yoo Eun-ha from the International Technology Cooperation Center under the RDA's Technology Cooperation Bureau said. "Through the achievement reports we've seen today, I hope we can find our global alliance tighter than ever." During the event, Pakistan and Mongolia each signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the RDA on obtaining KOPIA's support and guidance. Ecuador, meanwhile, signed another MOU with the RDA on joining the Korea-Latin America Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KoLFACI). The guests from overseas on Wednesday plan to witness the sites of Korea's latest agritech research and development at the RDA's office in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where the Korean authority exhibits technologies on farming, smart greenhouses and agricultural machines. The RDA launched KOPIA in 2009 to help nations overcome poverty and end starvation, which are among the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals. An autopsy found that the little boy was covered in over a dozen stab wounds She is accused of killing her son Ariel before tossing his body over a fence A Washington state woman quietly sobbed in court as she pled not guilty to the grisly stabbing death of her four-year-old son. Janet Ernestina Garcia, 27, was charged last week with first-degree murder with aggravating factors of domestic violence and a vulnerable victim. The charges came a month after Garcia was arrested in connection to the death of her son, Ariel. The little boy's lifeless body was found near a military base south of Tacoma. Prosecutors allege Garcia abandoned the toddler after stabbing him over a dozen times. An autopsy found over 16 'sharp-force' wounds on the front of his body and a 'cluster' of others injuries on his upper back. The Everett woman appeared in Snohomish County Superior Court Monday, unrestrained and clad in civilian clothes. She wept quietly after the plea reading and began to say something to the judge before her attorney stopped her. Janet Ernestina Garcia (right), 27, cried during a plea reading in Snohomish County Superior Court on Monday Garcia was charged with first-degree murder with aggravating factors of domestic violence and a vulnerable victim in connection to the death of her son, Ariel. The four-year-old's lifeless body was dumped over a fence at a military base last month, covered in stab wounds While defense attorney Kathryn Fraser (with Garcia) objected to probable cause for the murder charge, deputy prosecutor Martina Wong (far left) asserted that the boy's injuries showed the attack went on for a 'prolonged' period of time Garcia's lawyer, Kathryn Fraser, objected to probable cause for the murder charge, arguing that there wasnt enough evidence to show the killing was premeditated. But deputy prosecutor Martina Wong asserted that the little boy's stab wounds indicated the attack went on for a 'prolonged' period of time, and that Garcia had been exhibiting violent behavior days before his death. Wong also noted that defensive wounds were found on Ariel's arm. Judge Cindy Larsen ultimately decided that there was sufficient evidence to establish probable cause. Fraser also recommended Larsen knock down Garcias $5 million bail to $500,000. She argued the preschooler's murder wasn't 'brutal and cold-hearted,' but 'a tragic circumstance of the failure of meaningful access to addiction treatment and mental health resources.' Garcia had a history of 'suffering from mental illness and addiction' before Ariel's death, Fraser said. Larsen reduced Garcia's bail to $3 million, noting that it was 'unusually high.' Garcia had a history of 'suffering from mental illness and addiction' before Ariel's death, the defense attorney noted A day before Ariel's disappearance, the boy's grandmother had been granted emergency minor guardianship of him and his brother, claiming Garcia was unfit to care for the boys Garcia and her son were reported missing from an Everett apartment. Left in their wake was a large bloodstain and a bloody, child-sized handprint Ariel was reported missing on March 27. A day earlier, his maternal grandmother, Maria Garcia, had secured emergency guardianship of the little boy and his seven-year-old brother. The grandmother alleged that her daughter's drug habits had worsened and rendered her unable to care for her children. She described Garcia's behavior as 'very violent and unpredictable.' 'She is on drugs, she is not capable of parenting,' Maria Garcia wrote in her petition. 'Her want for drugs and alcohol makes her leave.' On March 28, the mother of Garcias ex-boyfriend reported Garcia and her son missing from the Everett apartment where she had been letting them stay. When police spoke with Maria Garcia, she said she had gone to the apartment to serve the guardianship papers when she spotted blood in the unit. A prosecuting attorney noted the presence of a large bloodstain with a child-sized bloody handprint beside it in court documents. Maria Garcia called her daughter, who told her she had put Ariel up for adoption and was in a rehab center near Vancouver. When a police officer spoke with the 27-year-old, she told a different story - claiming Ariel had fallen out of bed and injured his head, according to court documents. When asked where the little boy was, Garcia changed her answer three times: first saying Portland, then Seattle, then to stay with a 'friend' whose address she could not recall. She hung up on the officer. On the afternoon of March 28, Garcia pulled up alongside Joint Base Lewis-McChord in her Nissan Sentra. She retrieved a 'toddler-sized object' and left it in the woods Garcia claimed she'd taken Ariel to a hospital after he hit his head, but the 'wait was too long,' so she left him with a friend before taking a bus to Ridgefield. However, her sedan was later found in a parking lot in Ridgefield Garcia (pictured in court on Friday) originally had her bail set at $5 million, but the amount was reduced to $3 million on Monday At around 1:42 p.m. that day, Garcia pulled up alongside Joint Base Lewis-McChord in her Nissan Sentra. A security camera captured her stepping out of the car and retrieving a 'toddler-sized object' wrapped in white cloth. She walked into a wooded area and returned empty-handed. Around four hours later, Garcia was seen trespassing at a group home in Ridgefield with blood speckled on her clothes. Deputies from the Clark County Sheriff's Office arrested her. She gave answers that were 'inconsistent and difficult to follow' during questioning, police said. However, Garcia maintained that Ariel had fallen and hit his head that morning. She claimed that she'd taken him to a hospital in Everett, but the 'wait was too long,' so she dropped him off with a friend in Seattle before taking a bus to Ridgefield to attend addiction treatment. During the interview, deputies found her car in the parking lot of a bar in Ridgefield. Surveillance video showed a person who matched her appearance parking the car and walking north, police said. Garcias 7-year-old son also sat for an interview. He told detectives that his mother 'choked' and 'dragged' him down a staircase and off his bed, injuring his head.' The Clark County Sheriff's Office initially arrested Janet Garcia on a single charge of giving a false statement to a public servant. She was booked into the Clark County Jail on $1,000 bond, despite prosecutors' requests to set it at $50,000. The following night, Everett police found Ariel's body. He had been dumped over a fence line at the military base with stab wounds on his chest, abdomen and back, according to court documents. On March 29, Garcia was arrested on charges of murder in the first and second degree and assault of a child in the first degree. Those charges were adjusted last week. During Monday's hearing, the judge ordered Garcia to have no contact with her surviving son. She is to have no contact with minors if released on bail. Her trial is set to begin June 7. Harris said she was 'concerned' by growing antisemitism on college campuses but did not condemn protesters Kamala Harris claimed the Biden administration did not want to ban TikTok despite the White House confirming the president would sign the bill Vice President Kamala Harris continues trying to demonstrate her professed love for Gen-Z and young people on the campaign trail as she tries to reboot her image for the 2024 election. The Vice President tried to soften the administrations support of a bill that would ban TikTok, and took a delicate approach to antisemitism among college pro-Palestinian protests and even filmed a Buzzfeed video about her 'hair journey.' Harris claimed the Biden administration did not want to ban TikTok even though she said the president would absolutely sign the foreign aid package that includes the measure would ban TikTok if the Chinese company Bytedance fails to divest from the platform. Vice President Kamala Harris greets supporters after speaking at a Biden/Harris campaign event Let me be clear. We do not want to ban TikTok and that is not our intention at all, Harris said during an interview with local television in Wisconsin on Monday. The White House has said that Biden would sign the $95 billion aid package which includes the TikTok ban after it passes the Senate. But Harris tried to soften the messaging for young users of the social media platform, indicating hope that TikTok would comply with the new law. US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event People gather for a press conference about their opposition to a TikTok ban Were not trying to ban TikTok, were basically saying we gotta pay attention to who the owner of Tiktok is and pay attention to what that presents in terms of national security issues, she said. We do not want to ban TikTok at all. Harris also spoke delicately about the growing anti-semitism among college protesters at some of Americans most prestigious universities. I am very concerned about it, frankly, over what we have now seen since October 7 and were seeing it only grow and Im concerned deeply about it, she said, without condemning the young pro-Palestine protesters. As part of her ongoing push to attract young voters, Harris also participated in a Buzzfeed video about her hair journey. Kamala Harris details her 'hair journey' to Buzzfeed Harris spoke with Buzzfeed about her experience with her mother putting her hair into two braids when she was in grade-school and would take them out at school. In college, she explained, she cut her hair short out of convenience. It was just easy instead of having to deal with the amount of time it takes to do your own hair or get it done, which I really couldnt afford to do. It just was easy, when I was at college I just didnt want to have to put that kind of time into worrying about my hair, she said. She explained she grew out her hair longer after she was elected District Attorney in San Francisco and uses a round brush not a hot iron to style her hair. When asked for her message to black voters ahead of the election, Harris replied, Dont ever let anyone take your power from you, your vote matters. It is because people turned out in record numbers in 2020 to vote that I am the first president of the United States. US Vice President Kamala Harris greets supporters at a campaign event on April 4, 2024 Women hold signs as the listen to US Vice President Kamala Harris speak on abortion rights The Vice President continues focusing most of her attention on the campaign trail on the issue of abortion rights, speaking at another event Monday in Wisconsin to highlight the issue as it pertains to freedom. I am very optimistic about what we are capable of, I know what we are fighting for, were not fighting against something, were fighting for all that we believe in to be good and right about our country, she said to an audience Monday afternoon. We love our country, we love our country and we understand then what is at stake in terms of foundational fundamental principals and ideals including one of the most important, that of freedom. Harry Potter author JK Rowling has called on the Labour Party to apologise to an MP investigated over allegations of transphobia - after one of its frontbenchers said she agreed with the writer's views on biological sex. Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield was investigated by the party in a transphobia row after she liked a tweet by Father Ted writer Graham Linehan as he responded to Suzy Eddie Izzard about the treatment of trans people in Nazi Germany. Ms Duffield was cleared of the allegations in January, but she has previously spoken of feeling isolated from other Labour party members for her views regardless of being 'exonerated' in the probe. But she may yet have an ally in shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, who says she shares Rowling's view that biological sex is 'real and is immutable'. Mahmood's comments have prompted Rowling to call for an apology to Duffield. Following her first speech as shadow justice secretary on Monday, Ms Mahmood hit out at 'hashtag movements' that she claimed were being used to 'shut down debate'. JK Rowling has called for Labour to apologise to Rosie Duffield after it investigated her over allegations of transphobia (the pair pictured together in 2022) Shabana Mahmood said on Monday she agreed with JK Rowling's views on biological sex Rowling's comments and Ms Duffield's subsequent reactions (above) - including the revelation she had not been contacted by Sir Keir Starmer since Ms Mahmood made her comments In remarks reported by the Telegraph, she said women had to go to employment tribunals to defend their rights to their beliefs. Ms Mahmood told a reporter: 'To clarify their right to believe that, for example, because you referenced JK Rowling, clarify their right to say that biological sex is real and is immutable a position that I also agree with. 'But they shouldn't be in the position of losing their jobs for having views that are perfectly legal, and that they are perfectly entitled to express.' Following the reporting of those remarks, Rowling took to X, formerly Twitter, to call for Labour to issue an apology to the MP because of how she has allegedly been treated by her political stablemates. Rowling wrote on her profile: 'If senior opposition politicians agree with me that sex is real and immutable, I hope we'll soon see an apology to @RosieDuffield1, who believes exactly what I believe.' Responding to Ms Mahmood's comments, Ms Duffield said the intervention was 'great news'. She added on X: 'Perhaps there'll be fewer investigations from now on into the only Labour MP cast aside for years for holding the same views?' She also sent Rowling a separate tweet of a purple heart emoji - and suggested to another user of the site that she had not spoken to party leader Sir Keir Starmer since Ms Mahmood made her comments. She said: 'My colleague, the leader of the Labour Party has not spoken to me.' In recent months, Ms Duffield says she suffered 'low-level trauma' at being shunned by those within the Labour party who do not share her gender-critical views. Those with such views believe a person's sex cannot be changed, regardless of the gender they choose to identify by. They typically oppose allowing those who have changed their gender to use facilities such as bathrooms designated for the sex they identify with, arguing that allowing them to do so would put women at risk. Rowling has campaigned on the issue for several years in the name of women's safety, after disclosing she had suffered sexual assault and domestic abuse earlier in her life. She has strenuously denied allegations of transphobia. Ms Duffield is one of a number of Ms Rowling's political and academic allies who met for a boozy lunch in London in 2022. Other such allies include the SNP MP Joanna Cherry, gender critical author Helen Joyce and philosopher Kathleen Stock. Ms Duffield says she was shouted down by her own Labour colleagues in a parliamentary debate on Scotland's Gender Reform Bill in January 2023, which would have streamlined the process of changing legal gender north of the border. Rosie Duffield has claimed she is not being supported by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer She says she was shouted down during discussions of Scotland's Gender Reform Bill in January last year (pictured) The bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament but blocked by the UK Government, which exercised its Section 35 powers of the devolution act to put a stop to the legislation. Subsequent legal challenges to this have failed. Ms Duffield said during the debate veteran Labour MP Ben Bradshaw 'yelled his disapproval at me' and then his colleague Lloyd Russell-Moyle 'started to heckle every woman who spoke of their similar concerns'. She told the Daily Express a year ago she felt 'isolated, hounded and harassed' from other members of Labour during years of 'toxic' abuse for her views. Ms Duffield has strenuously denied she holds transphobic views. But last year Labour began an investigation after she liked a tweet from Graham Linehan the comedy writer had written to Suzy Eddie Izzard, the transgender comedian and political activist. Ms Izzard had written in a tweet that if she had lived in Nazi Germany as a trans woman she would have been 'murdered for it'. Ms Duffield liked Linehan's reply, which read: 'Ah yes, the Nazis, famously bigoted against straight white men with blonde hair'. Labour cleared her of transphobia in January; Ms Duffield said the probe had 'exonerated' her of any suggestion of transphobic behaviour. The Labour Party has been contacted for comment. The NHS has 'very serious criminal and ethical issues' to answer over reports that children were 'experimented on' using infected blood products, MPs have heard. Cabinet Office minister John Glen said reports on medical trials using infected blood products on children in the 1970s and 1980s demonstrate the 'unimaginable suffering of all those impacted by this dreadful scandal'. The infected blood scandal, has been dubbed the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, saw thousands of patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood and blood products. Reports from the BBC and The Sunday Times in the past week revealed that children as young as three were used as 'guinea pigs' in clinical trials to test wether contaminated blood products were safe to use. Many of these trials were carried out on children without thier parent's knowledge, while a majority of those who took part are now dead. Colin Smith, was among the victims of the infected blood scandal which saw thousands of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood and blood products Nicky Calder was given an infected blood product to treat haemophilia before being diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and dying in 1999 aged 25 Mike Dorricott was among the victims, dying aged 47 in 2015 after being infected in 1982 Demonstrators outside the Infected Blood inquiry in London last July held placards urging the Government to recognise all victims of the NHS scandal Dame Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull North, said the BBC had produced 'shocking evidence' about children 'being experimented on' without their parents' consent. She told the Commons: 'These disturbing revelations raise very serious criminal and ethical issues for the NHS and the medical profession - possibly breaches of the 1947 Nuremberg Code.' The Nuremberg Code outlines ethical research principles for human experimentation, including stressing the importance of consent. The SNP's Alison Thewliss said: 'These parents should not be kept burdened with this guilt. There's an estimated 380 children who were infected in a massive breach of trust and medical ethics. It is every parent's worst nightmare. 'So what does (Mr Glen) say to the parents of these children who were used as guinea pigs, an utterly despicable practice but made the worse by the lack of redress for those families?' Mr Glen replied: 'I recognise the distress is widespread, it's felt across individuals and families across the United Kingdom. 'My officials are working with prominent charities, organisations and support groups. I'm reaching out to them to share progress, to reassure the community I've heard their concerns, and seek their views in advance of May 20. I'm doing that out of deep respect for the suffering that they've experienced.' Cabinet Office minister John Glen said reports on medical trials using infected blood products on children demonstrate the 'unimaginable suffering' of those impacted by the scandal Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson has tabled a Commons amendment urging ministers to establish a compensation body inside three months of a new bill coming into force Last week, the Government set out the terms of reference for the group appointed to advise ministers on compensation for victims of the scandal. Dame Diana pressed the need for immediate compensation to victims of the infected blood scandal, telling the Commons: 'We know that over 3,000 people have already died in the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, another 680 have died since the public inquiry started in 2018, and with two people dying on average every week 100 people have died since Sir Brian (Langstaff) made his final recommendations on paying compensation in April 2023. 'He said wrongs have been done on an individual, collective and systemic level. He also said in all conscience he could not wait until his final report was published to tell the Government to start to pay compensation.' Dame Diana said more than 160 MPs back the campaign for immediate compensation, saying: 'The time to act is now.' Mr Glen said he has attempted to 'move forward everything I can' on compensation 'as quickly as possible' since taking on the role last November. He outlined the Government's move for a statutory duty to make an interim payment of 100,000 to the estates of the deceased infected people, adding: 'I have also put into legislation, with the consent of both Houses, the need to set up that arm's-length body and make it operational as soon as possible. 'My concern is to get that arm's-length body up and running as quickly as possible so there's a legal obligation to do so when royal assent is gained.' Former Conservative health secretary Matt Hancock said he had made the 'moral case' for a compensation scheme for victims when in his previous role. Mr Glen replied: 'I feel responsibility both to get the substantive announcement agreed as quickly as possible, but also to ensure that I've got clear communication to the infected and affected community, and clear expectations of what will happen following that announcement. 'I absolutely recognise, from all that I've read and all that my officials have briefed me on, that this is likely to be one of the biggest scandals that this country will ever have seen with respect to things that happened within the NHS.' Thousands of patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood transfusions in the 1970s and 1980s (stock image) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak came face to face with protesters and campaigners when he gave evidence to the inquiry on July 26 last year Protesters were seen outside the inquiry in central London calling for justice last July At least 2,900 NHS patients - including young children - died from being infected with HIV and hepatitis C. Infected donations came from US prisoners, sex workers and drug addicts, who were paid to give their blood to the manufacturers of the product called Factor VIII. Most victims had haemophilia a rare blood-clotting disorder and relied on regular injections of the products to survive. All surviving victims and their bereaved partners are entitled to an interim 100,000 pay-out. But the existing scheme leaves out parents who lost their children and kids orphaned when their parents died. Among the many victims were Colin Smith, who was infected in 1983 as a baby and died in 1990 aged seven after contracting HIV. Others included Mike Dorricott, infected in 1982 before dying in 2015 aged 47, and Nicky Calder who was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and died in 1999 aged 25. Colin's father, also named Colin, told the inquiry: 'We should be living our lives now, but we will never really be able to until we are given the full truth. 'I am not willing to have gone through all of this and be told that they did nothing wrong.' Nicky's mother Rosemary Calder, who chairs the Tainted Blood Bereaved Parent Support Group, has said that young haemophiliacs such as her son - treated at the age of three with infected blood - were used as 'guinea pigs'. She said: 'No consent was sought from parents, and we were kept totally in the dark about any risks involved with the treatment, and the research taking place.' Mr Dorricott, a mild haemophiliac, had been given Factor VIII when given surgery to have four wisdom teeth removed in December 1982 at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. He was later diagnosed with hepatitis C and died in 2015 from liver cancer linked to the disease, leaving behind wife Ann and two daughters Sarah and Eleanor. The Infected Blood Inquiry is due to publish its final report in May. Mr Sunak previously told the inquiry last July that the scandal was 'a tragedy which should not have happened and we must right the wrong'. He said in his witness statement: 'The Government is committed in responding to this inquiry's final report when it is published and I understand that work is underway across government to ensure that a substantial response on a full compensation scheme can be included. 'I am aware of the complexities of preparing an adequate compensation scheme, including the likely need for primary legislation. 'As is the usual process for managing policy decisions, this work is being led by other ministers and I will be sighted in relation to the scope of the scheme and intended response at the appropriate stage when they have a formal set of recommendations to make based on their expertise.' The man who broke into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' home over the weekend had a nervous breakdown while on drugs and thought he was being threatened and chased before he ran into the her mansion, his family claims. Ephraim Matthew Hunter, 29, was arrested Sunday morning after he broke into the famed Getty House on Irving Boulevard, the L.A. mayor's official residence. Hunter's mother, Josephine Duah, told DailyMail.com on Monday she spoke to her son, who is still in a L.A. jail on a $100,000 bail hold, according to L.A. County Sheriff's Department jail records. 'My son is losing his mind,' said Duah in tears. 'He thought people were chasing him and he ran into that house randomly. He wasn't trying to break into the mayor's house. Ephraim Matthew Hunter, 29, was arrested Sunday morning after he broke into the famed Getty House on Irving Boulevard, the L.A. mayor's official residence Family members said Ephraim Matthew Hunter, 29, had a mental breakdown and was on drugs the day he broke into LA Mayor Bass' home in the Windsor Square neighborhood. Karen Bass was inside the home with her family when Hunter broke a window and gained entry into the Getty House, which is the mayor's official residence Hunter had a troubled past with drugs and was arrested in 2015 in Massachusetts for kidnapping and attempted murder 'Thank God it wasn't someone who would've pulled a gun and shot him because he was just trying to run away from someone he thought was trying to get him. 'He didn't know where he was and what he was doing. The truth is, he needs mental help.' L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon announced on Tuesday afternoon that charges were filed against Hunter, including first-degree residential burglary with a person present and one count of vandalism causing $400 or more in damage. The charges filed against Hunter also include an allegation of a prior strike out of Massachusetts. Bass, her daughter, son-in-law and newborn grandson were at the home during the Sunday break-in, but were not harmed. Gascon added investigators believe Hunter targeted Bass and knew it was her home. Mayor Karen Bass has lived at the Getty home since taking office He appeared at a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday afternoon where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. Hunter was ordered to return to court on May 6 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial. He faces up to 13 years and four months in prison if convicted as charged. Hunter broke a glass window at about 6:40 a.m. Sunday while the mayor and her family were inside the home, triggering an alarm that alerted police, LAPD spokesman Officer Jeff Lee told DailyMail.com. Investigators said Hunter was cut by the glass and left blood stains throughout the residence. 'Mayor Bass and her family were not injured and are safe,' the mayor's office said in a statement. 'The Mayor is grateful to LAPD for responding and arresting the suspect.' At Hunter's court hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Chung told the judge the home's 'occupants' were sleeping when Hunter allegedly 'bodily' broke the rear door. He then tried to get into the bedroom doors and called 'out the name' of one of the occupants. Bass' name was not mentioned during the hearing. Damage was estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000, according to the Chung. Deputy Public Defender Carlos Bido told the judge his client wanted to either be released on his own recognizance or on house arrest, and added Hunter could not afford to post the $100,000 bail amount. LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi on Tuesday said the break-in happened during a security shift change, so there were no personnel guarding the home at the time of incident. Hunter's mother, Josephine Duah, told DailyMail.com her son moved to California to get away from his troubled past and bad influences. She said she was holding down a 'good paying job' before her son got into drugs again He added the LAPD detail at the mayor's home usually started at 7 a.m. Sunday and security was headed to the home when the back entrance break-in occurred. Choi said the scheduling 'gap' has since been addressed. Hunter was previously charged with kidnapping and attempted murder in Massachusetts in 2015, according to court records obtained by DailyMail.com. He was sentenced to five to seven years in custody after a conviction for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, possession of heroin and armed robbery on March 2, 2015. Hunter spent six years in jail and was released on probation on June 2021, according to court records. His family tried to provide him with support and even started a fundraiser to help Hunter get back on his feet once he got out of jail. 'The reason most people coming from prison return is due to lack of support,' wrote Hunter's brother, Joshua, on a GoFundMe post. 'Nothing to get them going back into society. Struggling to get a job, due to a record, some have no where else to turn but back in the streets. 'This is what we dont want to see for Ephraim. With help, we can provide him with the funds to be able to give him a small start to bettering himself.' The family was able to raise $4,846 for Hunter. Hunter's family tried to raise money for him on GoFundMe to help him get back on his feet once he got out of jail Hunter's mother said he had issues with drugs in Massachusetts and was hanging around with 'the wrong crowd' when he was arrested and charged in 2015. Old posts from his Instagram account showed a younger Hunter smoking marijuana and wads of cash next to some drugs. One post in 2012 showed Hunter with an ankle monitor on his leg. Duah said she thought moving to California would be a fresh start for her troubled son. 'He was doing very well in California,' she told DailyMail.com. 'He was working so much that we told him you can't work seven days a week. 'He was making very good money, so I know he didn't need to rob or take anything. He just took that drug and got him where he thought he was losing his mind.' Duah said her son doesn't live near Bass' home and told her he didn't know whose house he had entered. 'He had a problem with drugs before, but he went out to California and was doing great until it got to him again,' Duah said in tears. 'The issue is there are a lot of drugs available in California. 'Whatever that drug is, he was in this drug-induced state that made him scared of everything. I want people to understand that he wasn't trying to break in. He was in fear for his life.' Duah said her son was so mentally unstable that he thought she was outside of the mayor's home and calling out his name. 'He thought they were holding me and telling him to get outside the house, but of course I was not there,' said Duah, who lives in Massachusetts. 'He was all over the place and not making any sense. Josephine Duah said her son was so mentally unstable that he thought she was outside of Mayor Karen Bass' home and calling out his name. She blames drugs for her son's mental breakdown 'He needs help and that's the only reason why I'm talking. I'm his mom and I know he needs help. He's only been doing the drugs for weeks and it rapidly deteriorated him mentally. I really don't understand what made him do that because he was doing excellent. He just took that drug and got him to where he thought he was losing his mind.' Bass served as a Democratic member of Congress from 2011 until her election as the city's 43rd mayor in 2022. The former state Assembly leader is the first woman and second black person to hold the post, after former Mayor Tom Bradley, who held the position from 1973 to 1993. Mayor Bass has helped push progressive policies across the city including no-cash bail. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and her family were not harmed during Sunday's incident, LAPD officials said The no-bail policy was first implemented in Los Angeles during the COVID pandemic shutdown in 2020 to ease crowded city and county jails. Suspects arrested for nonviolent crimes were immediately released without having to pay bail before their arraignment. California law allows judges to set bail based on the defendants criminal record and the seriousness of the crime. The policy was reinstated in May 2023 after Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff ruled in favor of a group of activists who sued the county and claimed they had suffered under the cash bail system. Critics say the elimination of cash bail offenses is an invitation for those to continue to brazenly break the law. Sunday's incident is the second time in three years Bass has been the victim of a break-in. In 2022, while she was running for office, two men stole a pair of handguns from her Baldwin Vista home. They only took the two weapons leaving behind cash and electronics. Patricio Munoz and Juan Espinoza pleaded no contest last year to burglary and grand theft of a firearm. Both received prison sentences. With City News Service reports. An Idaho sheriff's deputy was tragically shot and killed during a routine traffic stop on Saturday night, authorities said. Deputy Tobin Bolter, 27, was approaching a driver's window when he was gunned down by a 65-year-old man whose identity has not yet been disclosed. Bolter was rushed to Saint Alphonsus Medical Regional Center in Boise, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on Sunday. Following the shooting, the 65-year-old suspect, who was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant, fled the scene in a gray Chevy Suburban, according to the Ada County Sheriff's Office. When the police tactical unit located the suspect outside a residence, he once again opened fire at officers, prompting an officer to return fire and shoot him dead. Deputy Tobin Bolter, 27, was tragically shot and killed during a routine traffic stop on Saturday night, authorities said Bolter was approaching a driver's window when he was gunned down by a 65-year-old man whose identity has not yet been disclosed. Authorities were seen on the shooting scene Bolter had seven years of law enforcement experience and had been with the sheriff's office since January 2024. Officers were seen in procession to honor Bolter During an emotional press conference, Sheriff Matt Clifford announced Deputy Bolter's death, noting that he was the first sheriff's deputy in Ada County to be killed in the line of duty. Bolter pulled over the gray Chevy Suburban at around 8:55 pm on Saturday evening, but he never made it to the window as the driver shot him and sped away. A witness who saw the brutal shooting called 911 and rushed to the deputy to perform CPR until medics arrived. Bolter was later pronounced dead. About 30 minutes after the shooting, Boise police were able to locate the suspect's vehicle unoccupied and found the 65-year-old outside a home. The suspect refused to surrender and opened fire at officers sometime after midnight. One officer returned fire and fatally shot the suspect. Nearby residents were either warned to stay inside or told to evacuate, Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said. Bolter had seven years of law enforcement experience and had been with the sheriff's office since January 2024, authorities said. Bolter worked with Meridian Police Department in Connecticut and Pleasant Hill Police Department in California before joining the force in Ada County. Clifford thanked the medical team and the citizen who performed CPR on Bolter and called law enforcement on Saturday. During an emotional press conference, Sheriff Matt Clifford announced Deputy Bolter's death, noting that he was the first sheriff's deputy in Ada County to be killed in the line of duty Family members and supporters of law enforcement officers were seen at a march to honor and remember Deputy Bolter Bolter worked with Meridian Police Department in Connecticut and Pleasant Hill Police Department in California before joining the force in Ada County. A temporary memorial featuring Deputy Bolters patrol vehicle was set up in front of the Ada County Sheriff's Office 'I think it goes to show what kind of community we live in where there are evil people that will do evil things but there are good people that help us and come to our aid,' he said. Across the state of Idaho, U.S. and Idaho flags have been lowered to half mast until the day following Bolter's memorial service. "Our hearts break for the family, loved ones, and law enforcement colleagues of Deputy Tobin Bolter,' Governor Brad Little said. 'Day in and day out, our brave men and women in blue put themselves in harm's way to protect us and keep our communities safe. Idaho is grieving this devastating loss,' he added. Speaker Mike Johnson revealed what he told Joe Biden after getting caught rolling his eyes during his State of the Union address. During the annual address before Congress, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and other distinguished guests, Speaker Johnson could be seen biting his lip, quietly taking in all President Biden had to say. Though he had instructed his conference to maintain decorum and not interrupt the 46th president, Johnson's facial expressions betrayed him. The Louisiana Republican could be seen furrowing his brow, posing perplexed looks and rolling his eyes as Biden simultaneously touted his own accomplishments while bashing the Republican's agenda. Just over a week later, at an event on Capitol Hill celebrating the relationship between Ireland and the U.S., Johnson stole a moment with Biden to 'apologize for the eye-roll memes that went around the world,' the speaker told Real Clear Politics. Speaker Mike Johnson sits stoically behind President Joe Biden during the annual State of the Union address as Vice President Kamala Harris applauds. Johnson caught viral fame later that evening for rolling his eyes as Biden addressed the nation Despite instructing his Republican conference to maintain decorum and not interrupt the president, Johnson could not help but expressing skeptical looks himself The apology made the president laugh, and Biden told Johnson that he appreciated the speaker's behavior. Biden noted Johnson's etiquette was better than that of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi during Donald Trump's final State of the Union address. 'Im just grateful you didnt rip my speech up,' Biden said to the speaker. Johnson shot back: 'Well, Mr. President, don't think my friends back home didn't want me to light it on fire.' The exchange between the two highlights Johnson's evergreen desire to be seen as a gentleman in addition to a politician. 'When I go home,' Johnson has said, 'I want to look my kids in the eye and tell them that daddy acted like a gentleman.' That may have played a role in why he sought to apologize to Biden, who he has frequently criticized. And Johnson usually doesn't pull his punches when aiming at the president. Speaker Mike Johnson made Joe Biden laugh when he apologized for rolling his eyes during the president's State of the Union address 'Joe Bidens foreign policy has been an absolute disaster,' Johnson said last week. 'Look, the Biden border catastrophe is the number one priority of House Republicans, and it remains the number one priority of the American people,' he said recently, hitting the president for his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. The speaker bashed Biden for his State of the Union address shortly after it concluded, calling it a 'campaign speech and a pretty vitriolic one at that.' When pressed on his facial expressions directly after the speech, Johnson thought he had played it cool. 'People are saying that I made funny facial expressions, I tried to keep a poker face, but it was very difficult,' he said at the time. His apology to Biden for his eye-rolling, however, confirmed he had second thoughts about his gentlemanly disposition. Still, as politics become more damaging for all those involved, Johnson's apology is a rare and welcome action in Washington. They were given food and medical attention as the US Coast Guard were called 27 Cuban nationals were rescued from a tiny craft around 20 miles off of Cuba A passenger aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship that picked up over two dozen Cuban migrants from a makeshift wooden craft revealed they were taken off board by armed Mexican authorities. The group of 27 migrants were rescued from the tiny dinghy on Sunday afternoon around 20 miles off the coast of Cuba, before passenger Frank White told DailyMail.com they spent two days aboard the cruise. Following the 48-hour stay on the 70,000-ton, 2,000 guest vessel, pictures provided by White showed the migrants being shuttled away from the ship by heavily armed Mexican police. He added that the cruise initially stopped in Roatan, Honduras on Monday, but Honduran authorities denied taking the migrants and they were forced to remain on the ship. Footage captured the moment over two dozen Cuban migrants were saved from a makeshift wooden craft around 20 miles off the coast of Cuba on Sunday A passenger aboard the ship revealed that armed Mexican authorities shuttled the migrants from the cruise ship, after Honduran officials rejected them on the first stop Footage captured the moment the migrants boarded the Carnival Paradise cruise ship on Sunday, which came after they reportedly signaled for help from out on the ocean. The cruise liner set off from Tampa, Florida on Sunday, but diverted its course hours later after crewmembers found the stranded refugees. The migrants, made up entirely of Cuban nationals, were helped aboard before they received food and medical attention, reports Fox13. The cruise is set to end in Florida on Thursday, where officials have typically repatriated Cuban nationals back to Cuba under similar circumstances. Before the rescue mission, the US Coast Guard said it had repatriated 348 migrants back to Cuba in the 2024 fiscal year, which began in October 2023. The group of migrants were offered food and medical attention as the US Coast Guard was called to the Carnival Paradise cruise liner The rescue mission came as crews aboard the 70,000-ton Carnival Paradise vessel - which houses over 2,100 guests and almost 1,000 staff - diverted course after spotting the migrants signaling for help Crews aboard the 70,000-ton Carnival Paradise vessel - which houses over 2,100 guests and almost 1,000 staffers - altered their course around 2:30pm while on route to Roatan. Despite the detour, the cruise arrived at its intended port at Mahogany Bay. Honduras on schedule on Monday, the cruise liner said. The vessel is next set to port at Cozumel, Mexico on Tuesday before concluding its trip in Tampa, Florida on Thursday. Trips on the five-day cruise start at $464. While it is unclear when the migrants were let off the cruise ship, one passenger remarked on Facebook that the group were 'cruising with us' after the rescue. The most recent heroics aboard the Carnival Paradise cruise ship were not the first time it has been used to save stranded migrants. In 2019, a sailor was rescued near Cozumel, Mexico, and over 20 migrants were saved in two separate incidents in 2022 by staff on board the cruise liner, according to Travel and Tour World. That same year, dramatic footage also captured a rescue mission aboard an 11-night Caribbean cruise from Rotterdam in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where 14 people were saved as a Category-1 storm rolled in. Earlier this month, another group of 16 migrants were saved from a makeshift craft close to the Florida coastline, as the US Coast Guard released a shocking image of the improvised vessel used. Sixteen migrants on board the craft made of planks of wood and scraps were picked up by officers before being repatriated back to Cuba. 'The Coast Guard's primary mission is to preserve human life at sea,' Lt. Matthew Miller, Coast Guard Seventh District, said at the time. Earlier this month, another group of 16 migrants were saved from a makeshift craft close to the Florida coastline, as the US Coast Guard released a shocking image of the improvised vessel used The Carnival Paradise cruise liner (pictured) has made similar rescue missions in years past, including saving over 20 migrants in two separate efforts in 2022 'The maritime environment is inherently dangerous. The Coast Guard and our HSTF-SE partners are committed to preventing unsafe voyages at sea and enforcing U.S. immigration laws and regulations,' Miller added. 'Do not take to the sea.' Following the rescue mission, the US Coast Guard said it had repatriated 348 migrants back to Cuba in the 2024 fiscal year, which began in October 2023. Efforts to enter the US illegally via boat have increased in recent years, with violence and unrest in neighboring Haiti causing a spike in daring attempts. On Friday, two days before the Carnival Paradise cruise rescue, a yacht was stopped by Miami-Dade County police marine patrol officers that turned out to be smuggling over 30 Haitian migrants. The stop near Key Biscayne, Florida, and was notably aboard a luxury 60-foot yacht, with migrants kept in a cramped cabin below the deck, reports the Miami Herald. A soldier has revealed the surprising reason he decided to leave the US Army and reenlist in the Marine Corps. Nicholas Brooklier, of Los Angeles, was a US Army captain before he decided to change branches and find a new life in the Marines. According to ZipRecruiter as of April 2024, a Marine Corp recruit in the US makes about $18.75 an hour. That is the equivalent of $37,500 a year. A US Army Captain with less than two years of experience makes more than $61,000 a year, while a captain with four years experience makes more than $81,000 a year, according to the US Army. 'I was kind of at a point in my life in the Army where I didn't really feel fulfilled,' Brooklier told Marine Corps. Nicholas Brooklier, of Los Angeles, was a US Army captain before he decided to change branches and reenlist in the US Marines Brooklier joined the Army as a transportation corps officer and left as a logistician. In 2018, he was commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at Washington State University. (pictrued: Brooklier in a Christmas video from 2021) 'So it was either get out and go to the civilian world, and to be honest, I did not want to do that. I felt like my time in the service wasn't over. I just felt like I needed a change in my environment.' He is scheduled to graduate from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego on Friday before he embarks on infantry training. His ultimate goal is to become a Marine infantry officer. Brooklier joined the Army as a transportation corps officer and left as a logistician. In 2018, he was commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at Washington State University. He was seen in a video sending a Christmas video to his family in December 2021. 'Just want to say thanks to all you guys back at home, I love you guys, happy holidays, go cougs,' he said. Instead of extending his contract with the Army, he decided to join the Marines after he met recruiter Lafayette Halmon. 'I respected his high-level of commitment and conviction,' Halmon said. He is scheduled to graduate from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego on Friday before he embarks on infantry training. His ultimate goal it to become a Marine infantry officer 'It was a slow process, but he was willing to step backwards, basically from scratch, to move forward and earn his way into the Marine Corps. It motivated me in a way to put in the work for him and give him the opportunity to earn his title.' After nearly a year of preparations, Brooklier set out for boot camp in January and within two weeks, he completed The Crucible, a Marine recruit training capstone event. The event must be completed by every recruit in order to become a Marine and consists of field exercises over the course of multiple days. According to Marine Recruit Depot San Diego, the training leads up to the moment where each recruit has an Eagle, Globe and Anchors pressed into their hand- something that Brooklier said is a reason why he 'chose the Marine Corps.' 'The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor means a lot to me to try to become a United States Marine.' 'I also realized that the Marine Corps is the nation's premier 9-1-1 Crisis Response Force, and that gave me a lot of purpose in my life, to continue down that path,' he said. With Sonny down, veterans, young guns step up game for Korea in World Cup qualifying win The daughter of one of Scotlands richest businessmen has been struck off as a nurse after a customer at her beauty salon suffered serious complications from a cosmetic procedure. Jennifer McLeish showed no evidence of remorse after a client had a possible vascular occlusion a blocked blood vessel following anti-wrinkle injections at the clinic in Glasgow. The 39-year-old daughter of railway maintenance tycoon Alan McLeish was suspended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and will now be struck off. The NMC panel said a finding that her fitness to practise was impaired was necessary to protect the public. Ms McLeish describes herself as an advanced cosmetic injector on networking site LinkedIn and used to run the House of Aesthetics, which has since shut down. Jennifer McLeish was struck off as a nurse after a client suffered a blocked blood vessel during an anti-wrinkle injection at her clinic She carried out hyaluronic injections a procedure to reduce facial lines on a client, known as Patient A, in September 2019. But she failed to tell the patient about the associated risks and did not get informed or any consent. She also provided no follow-up care when she was told the next day that the patient had suffered the rare complication. A vascular occlusion is a blockage to blood vessels which is a risk associated with lip or dermal fillers and requires urgent medical treatment. If untreated, it can lead to gangrene. Ms McLeish was suspended by the NMC for six months in 2022, which was extended twice before the panel took the decision to impose a striking-off order. In a decision published this month, the NMC stated: This panel noted that the original panel found that there has been no evidence provided by Ms McLeish that demonstrates her insight, reflection or remorse into her actions and the impact it had on Patient A, colleagues and the wider profession, as well as her understanding of the significance of her actions. McLeishs father, Alan, made his fortune after setting up railway contracting firm QTS, which he sold for 80 million six years ago Ms McLeish provided no follow- up care when she was told the next day that the patient had suffered a rare complication following anti-wrinkle injections This panel has found that there continues to be no evidence of Ms McLeish having insight or remorse into the charges found proved against her. She has not engaged with the NMC since November 2022. The panel noted she has not provided any evidence of taking steps to improve her practice. The panel found therefore that Ms McLeish was liable to repeat the matters found proved in the charges and concluded that a finding of current impairment is required in this case to protect the public. The panel determined that, in this case, a finding of continuing impairment on public interest grounds is also required. Ms McLeishs father made his fortune after setting up railway contracting firm QTS Group, which he sold for 80million in 2018. His daughter ran the House of Aesthetics salon in Glasgows East End but was forced to close it after it was ram-raided in 2020. After the attack on her clinic, she posted on social media: Due to recent events at the salon, I have taken the decision to close it permanently. After years of university to get into the aesthetics industry, while raising two little kids on my own and building two successful salons over the past five years, Ive recently been working less and less as Im happier at home just being a mum. Unlike Sam Bankman-Fried who founded fraudulent crypto exchange FTX and has become a household name, Do Kwon has gone more under the radar, even though his crypto scheme, Terra, wiped out tens of billions more dollars in comparison. But like Bankman-Fried and blood tech fraudster Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos, Kwon, 32, was an idiosyncratic leader that people all over the world were rooting for. He had tech bona-fides out the wazoo, having earned a degree from Stanford University in computer science in 2015. He went on to work for Apple and Microsoft. South Korea-born Kwon broke away and created Terraform Labs in 2018, supposedly applying his tech and coding genius to the wacky world of crypto, For this, he was featured in Forbes' 30 under 30 list in 2019 and was frequently among the who's who of crypto conferences all around the world. But now, both the US and South Korea are fighting over who will extradite the alleged crypto fraudster - who faces a slew of billion-dollar civil and criminal accusations - after the fugitive was finally apprehended in Montenegro in 2023. Do Kwon (pictured) founded Terraform Labs, a blockchain and payment company, in 2018 Montenegrin police officers escort Kwon (pictured center) after he served sentence in prison for document forgery on March 23, 2024. Kwon had fake Costa Rican passports in an attempt to flee Montenegro Pictured: Kwon marrying his wife in February 2021 in a glamorous ceremony, a little over a year before the Terra ecosystem went bust Kwon created the cryptocurrency Luna, earning him the unofficial title 'King of Lunatics' from Bloomberg. He even named his daughter Luna - announcing her birth in April 2022: 'My dearest creation named after my greatest invention.' He also created as TerraUSD, a so-called stablecoin that was pegged to the US dollar, meaning it was always supposed to be worth $1. At its peak in April 2022, Terra-related coins had a total market cap of around $60 billion, according to European crypto exchange Bitstamp. A month later, it practically went to zero. Signs of impending doom were definitely there for those paying attention and not simply riding the Luna token to the moon. One red-flag was the absurd, too-good-to-be-true 20 percent interest you could earn on the Terra blockchains lending-and-borrowing program. And in early May, the worst-case scenario unfolded when skeptical investors triggered the collapse of TerraUSD and Luna by selling the stablecoin en masse. By May 9, the TerraUSD was worth $0.35, not a dollar like it was supposed to be. And on May 12, Luna's price dropped 96 percent in a single day, leaving it at a measly $0.10. Although just months before the Terra ecosystem went bust, Kwon fit in time to wed his glamorous fiancee in a ceremony he doted over on social media. He now shares a young daughter with his wife. Kwon (pictured) walking around carefree in aviators, mere months after some investors lost their life savings in the Terra Luna scheme Kwon (pictured center) spent months tweeting and not facing consequences, criminal or civil, for what happened with Terra Kwon (pictured middle left) is taken outside court by police in Montenegro on June 16, 2023 with a shaved head Pictured: The wedding ceremony Kwon had just months before his crypto fund went bust Kwon is then placed into a police vehicle Big venture capital firms like Pantera Capital, Hack VC and the Winklevoss Twins' CMCC Capital were all wise to Kwon's scheme and got out months before the collapse in May. Pantera even said it made a 100-fold return on their $1.7 million investment in Luna, CNBC reported. Instead of facing the music right away, Kwon spent months tweeting and evading capture from US and South Korean authorities who both wanted to bring him up on fraud charges. That changed when he was arrested in Montenegro in March 2023, police catching him with fake Costa Rican travel documents before he could flee to Dubai. Kwon also faces a litany criminal charges from his home country South Korea and the Southern District of New York - the same office that prosecuted Bankman-Fried and got him locked him up for 25 years. Now both countries are in a bitter battle to extradite the Stanford grad. Amid a whirlwind of lawsuits and criminal charges against the 32-year-old crypto founder for his role in perpetuating the cliff dive of the Terra ecosystem, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered Kwon and Terraform Labs to pay $5.3 billion in penalties on April 19. Kwon (pictured left) faces a litany criminal charges from his home country South Korea and the Southern District of New York - the same office that prosecuted FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried Kwon (pictured left behind the banner) poses with Terraform Labs employees at an event in China Terraform Labs co-founders Daniel Shin (left) and Kwon (right) pictured together Kwon (pictured) is currently out on bail awaiting extradition from either the U.S. or South Korea The SEC also asked the court to ban Kwon from becoming an officer of director of any company that issues securities. The massive fine came after a Manhattan jury on April 5 found Kwon and his company civilly liable for misleading investors prior to the 2022 collapse, CNN reported. The SEC's lawsuit also revealed that Kwon allegedly lied by claiming that South Korean payment app Chai used Terraforms proprietary blockchain technology, when reality it used more traditional payment systems. Following the serious allegations lodged against him, commentators were quick to compared him to another former Forbes accoladed start-up CEO - Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes was famous for claiming that she ran Theranos blood tests on the company's own Edison machine. Behind the scenes, the Edison didn't work, and she was running tests on existing commercial machines. As of March 2024, Kwon is out on bail awaiting his extradition, CoinDesk reported. Kwon could face a much lengthier sentence if he is tried in the US - possibly 100 years - as opposed to South Korea. The prosecutor from his home country is reportedly seeking 40 years, which for the 32-year-old would still be a life-altering punishment. The drunk driver charged with the second-degree murder of two children appeared in court Tuesday with a cast on her right arm. Marshella Chidester, 66, has been accused of second-degree murder. She allegedly drove her SUV into the wall of Swan Creek Boat Club where a child's birthday party was being held on Saturday. Lana, eight, and Zayn, five, both died in the wreck in Berlin Township in Michigan, while their mother, Mariah Dodds and elder brother, Jayden, are fighting for their lives. When she entered the courtroom Tuesday, the livestream showed Chidester enter with a cast on her right arm, seemingly indicating that she suffered an injury during the incident. The suspect has been detained since the crash. The judge granted her bond at the $1.5 million that the prosecution had asked for, at the request of some of the victims' families. Marshella Chidester (pictured), 66, has been accused for second-degree murder for allegedly driving her SUV into the wall of Swan Creek Boat Club where a child's birthday party was being held on Saturday Lana, eight, and Zayn, five (seen together center) both died in the wreck, while their mother, Mariah (right), and elder brother, Jayden (left), are fighting for their lives Lana (left) and Zayn (right), the victims of the crash, are seen alongside their older brother Jayden in an earlier family photograph Surveillance footage showed the suspected drunk driver swerving erratically before crashing into a boat club hosting the children's party, which injured or killed a total of 15 Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey informed the court that Chidester had a history of substance misuse, which her friends and family had confirmed, in support of the $1.5 million bond. Bill Colovos, the defense lawyer, requested that the judge set Chidester's bond at $100,000. He claimed that she has suffered from 'epileptic-type seizures' in her legs' since November. He also claimed she had only consumed a bowl of chili and a glass of wine four hours prior to the collision. 'This is not a monster,' Colovos said. 'It's horrible what happened, but there are some things we don't have control over.' Chidester's lawyer also pointed out that she does not have a history of reckless driving or traffic tickets. Yorkey argued that Chidester showed no signs of having a seizure before the crash and that her blood alcohol level was 'significantly over the legal limit.' Raquel Smouthers (left), the aunt of the two deceased children, testified in court She was at the party when Chidester killed her niece and nephew The livestream of Chidester showed the accused walk into the courtroom with a cast on her right arm, indicating that she suffered an injury during the incident Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey (pictured left) informed the court that Chidester had a history of substance misuse, which her friends and family had confirmed, in support of the $1.5 million bond Bill Colovos (pictured left), the defense lawyer, requested that the judge set Chidester's bond at $100,000. He claimed that she has suffered from 'epileptic-type seizures' in her legs' sine November If the accused pays her bond, she will be forced to give up her passport, alcohol, wear a tether, and not drive. Chidester, who The Detroit News discovered was the former commodore of the boat club, is scheduled to appear in a probable cause conference scheduled for April 30 followed by a May 6 preliminary examination. The children's aunt, Raquel Smouthers, testified in court. She said she was at the party when Chidester killed her niece and nephew. 'They were sitting at that table eating, and this woman crashed her car through this building destroying all of our lives,' a nearly inconsolable Smouthers said. 'Nobody should ever have to go to a birthday party thinking that they're gonna die.' Chidester's lawyer pointed out that she does not have a history of reckless driving or traffic tickets If Chidester (seen in a photo from her Facebook) pays her $1.5 million bond, she will be forced to give up her passport, alcohol, wear a tether, and not drive Chidester's defense claimed she had only consumed a bowl of chili and a glass of wine four hours prior to the collision Dodds is suing Chidester and the tavern she allegedly drank at before getting back into her car, the law firm representing Dodds told AP News. She sustained broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and cuts and bruises while her son broke his legs, some of his ribs, and fractured his skull A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover funeral expenses for the children. Horrific images captured the aftermath as scattered balloons and party cups lay amongst rubble. Horrific images showed scattered balloons and party cups after a drunk driver smashed through a children's birthday party, killing two young siblings and leaving at least nine victims fighting for their lives (Pictured: broken wall at the venue) Flowers were left at the scene on Sunday, where the driver smashed through a wall at the Swan Boat Club during a child's birthday party the day before The horror unfolded Saturday around 3pm in Berlin Township, Michigan, as officials said the vehicle flew over 25 feet into the Swan Boat Club where the party was being held Helicopters were used to transport victims to nearby hospitals, with nine of the 13 surviving victims left in life-threatening condition Authorities respond to the Swan Creek Boat Club after a driver crashed a vehicle through a building where a children's birthday party was taking place The Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, where two children were killed and multiple other people were injured on Saturday afternoon At a press conference held by Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough, he explained how when the woman slammed her vehicle into the building, she travelled a further 25 feet inside because of her speed. A huge first responder presence raced to the scene just after 3pm, where Goodnough said it was 'extremely chaotic' with 'high level of emotions.' One child was reportedly pinned under the vehicle as it flew through the building, while the brother and sister who lost their lives were tragically pronounced dead at the scene. Helicopters and ambulances took nine victims to nearby hospitals, who were listed as being in life-threatening condition. Further victims were also taken to hospital in cars, Goodnough said. Some months ago, I spent an afternoon in the kitchen of former Scottish Green party leader Robin Harper at his flat in Edinburgh. While I was there, Robin now a sprightly 83 years old wanted to show me his latest gadget; a new air fryer he and his wife, Jenny, had bought. He was buzzing with pleasure. With just the two of them in the flat, it was the perfect size to cook small meals. And, he added, given they were no longer using their gas hob, it meant they were cutting back on their emissions to boot. Everyday, practical steps to reduce the carbon we emit into the atmosphere and save us all on our bills in the process should be the calling card of todays Green movement. Former Scottish Greens leader Robin Harper looked on in despair at the way the party has been led by successors Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater Challenges Its what still fires up Mr Harper, a life-long environmentalist who sends off daily emails and letters urging action on this greatest of human challenges. It is, however, no longer what the Green movement in Scotland is about. Culture wars not common progress have become its watchword. Ideological purity tests are more important than environmental goals. The Green agenda in Scotland has been hijacked since Mr Harpers time in charge. It is this little bit of the planet thats suffering. Mr Harpers verdict on the Green movement will, I suspect, mirror that of many others. A lifelong member of the Scottish Green party, he tore up his membership card last year in despair at the way it was being led by his successors Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater. He, like many of us, has watched on in bemusement as a party and a movement designed to promote the cause of environmentalism has instead set out to split the country into heretics and believers and often over issues that have no relevance to the planet whatsoever. Firstly, it happened with independence when, according to Scottish Green dogma, the cause of the planet became contingent on the creation of a border between Gretna and Berwick-upon-Tweed. More overtly in recent years, the Green cause diverted itself into the great national frenzy over gender ideology, again for no obvious environmental purpose. The juxtaposition has now become a full-blown cognitive assault. On the planet, Mr Harvie tells us we should stand by the evidence and follow the science on climate change. And amen to that. On gender and independence, however, were just supposed to believe. Last week, Hilary Casss detailed review into gender services concluded there was remarkably weak evidence behind treatments such as puberty blockers. Yet Mr Harvie refuses to give the findings his support. The man of science suddenly comes across like a Victorian bishop denying Darwinism. There is logic, however, and its on the brute politics. The Scottish Greens know their nationalist position will see pro-independence supporters voting for them tactically on the second list vote at Holyrood. Meanwhile, their position on gender rights also helps to signal their ultra-progressive credentials. Thats their choice, but the tragic upshot is that the great unifying cause of environmentalism has now been tarred with what has become a deeply divisive brush. No wonder middle Scotland is switching off from doing their bit. This divisive approach has had real-life consequences. As with their friends in the SNP, the Scottish Greens have in government been theologically averse to working as part of a wider UK team effort which is essential to dealing with Scotlands carbon emissions. Meanwhile, talk has become more important than action. As Chris Stark, the out-going chief executive of the Climate Change Committee declared last week: My strongest criticism of what the Scottish Governments done recently is that weve only had statements rather than proper plans and actions out in place. Its the plans and actions that matter in the end theres a convenience to blaming the UK Government when most of the policy issues now sit with Holyrood. We are left with the national embarrassment that was last weeks decision by the SNP-Green government to scrap Scotlands 2030 emissions target. Failure The Greens and the SNP are not known for their humility and self-awareness. But perhaps ten years of failure and broken promises might now lead to a shift in approach that the likes of Mr Harper and others like me would be happy to support. It would require something which often seems alien to Holyrood: a compromise with reality. For example, reality dictates that if we want to avoid civil war and the breakdown of modern society as we know it, we will still need oil and gas for some decades to come. Ordinary people who acknowledge this are not climate-change denying Trumpians. It is just a basic observation of facts. It is something SNP and Green ministers might want to acknowledge. Rather than over-promising and then under-delivering, ministers might also consider being honest about the limits of what can be achieved in the world as it is, not as we might like it to be. Most of us, for example, can see that not every home in tenement-heavy Scotland can have a heat pump attached to it; that few households can afford to pay as much as 10,000 each to replace their old boilers; and that governments must choose between competing priorities. Saying this, again, is not some kind of anti-environmentalist heresy. Divisive And ministers could, for once, make a conscious decision to avoid the divisive virtue signalling and instead focus relentlessly on practical solutions. Why, I ask, is the Scottish Government wasting everybodys time banning wood-burning stoves in new builds when it could be coming up with ideas to help millions of families insulate their houses better so that they can turn down the thermostat on cold winter nights, and in the process save money on their bills? Might that not be something the Green movement could champion? In these financially constrained times, helping people save cash and carbon should be the mantra of all politicians, not just Green ones. Their moralising and divisive approach is failing. Mr Harper may now be a pariah within the Green movement but he remains a perceptive politician. As he told them last year, they must listen as much as they shout, or the Green agenda will not progress. Hes absolutely right. Labour's candidate at a crucial mayoral election has been accused of 'cynically' pretending to live in the area he wants to run. Businessman Richard Parker has only recently started renting a flat in Birmingham, and neighbours and workmen told the Mail they had never seen him there. His main property is alleged to be the family home he has owned since 2005, which is in Worcestershire and so outside the boundaries of the West Midlands area he hopes to become mayor of next month. It risks fresh embarrassment for Labour as police investigate the party's deputy leader Angela Rayner over her former housing arrangements. Last night Conservative MP for Birmingham Northfield Gary Sambrook said: 'Just like their deputy leader, it looks like Labour's candidate in the West Midlands is not telling the whole truth about his living situation. Labour's West Midlands mayoral candidate Richard Parker has been thrust into a row over his home address ahead of the local elections Mr Parker has recently updated his address on the electoral register to list his home address as this block of flats in Birmingham However, he was until recently listed at his home of almost 20 years in Barnt Green, Worcestershire - outside the West Midlands Combined Authority area Conservative MP for Birmingham Northfield Gary Sambrook has accused Mr Parker of 'not telling the whole truth about his living situation' 'It is incredibly shocking to see Richard Parker cynically pretend to live in Birmingham for his own electoral gain, while his family live outside the constituency in Worcestershire. 'The people of the West Midlands deserve a mayor who's honest.' Ms Rayner has denied having done anything improper in connection with the sale of her house in Stockport. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: The house sale document that could nail Angela Rayner: Neighbour who called Labour deputy leader a liar talks to police as Mail reveals she signed key papers in two homes row Advertisement A Conservative party spokesman said: 'It seems that Richard Parker has parachuted himself into the constituency by getting a flat in Birmingham at the very last minute, while actually living in his family home in Worcestershire. 'Local people will want to know how committed he really is to the West Midlands when he only popped up a few weeks ago with what appears to be a temporary address.' Mr Parker, 60, grew up in Bristol and did live in Birmingham while working for the local council as a graduate, as well as working in the Birmingham office of consultancy giant PwC where he rose to the rank of partner. But in recent decades he has lived in the village of Barnt Green in Worcestershire, 10 miles from Birmingham city centre and outside the boundaries of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). He is still listed as a company director at his home, which he bought in 2005. However in June 2022 the registered address of his strategy firm was moved from Worcestershire to Solihull, within the West Midlands area, just before he announced his candidacy for the mayoral election. One of the eligibility requirements for mayoral candidates is: 'Your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been within the combined authority area.' He was on the electoral roll in Bromsgrove, Worcs, until recently and his wife and son are still listed there. But Mr Parker is now registered to vote in Birmingham after renting a flat in the city centre, and on his official nomination statement he lists it as his home address. The first-floor apartment is in a large, modern, gated complex next to the canal and appears to be popular with young professionals and Chinese students, with average rents around 1,000 a month. There was strong smell of cannabis when the Mail visited the complex yesterday. A construction worker said when shown a photograph of Mr Parker: 'We've been here three weeks and we've never seen.' A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said they had not seen him at the address. The questions over Mr Parker's home address come as Angela Rayner faces a police investigation over allegations she broke electoral law and may have underpaid tax Incumbent West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, who will be the Conservative candidate for the position again in next month's elections His large, detached family home is 11 miles south - across the border into Worcestershire - in the upmarket village of Barnt Green in Bromsgrove. A neighbour expressed shock yesterday when told he was standing in the election. 'I had no idea,' he said. 'He does live there. I haven't seen him for a while, I can't remember the last time I saw him but they do very much keep themselves to themselves.' Labour sources stressed that Mr Parker did have close links to Birmingham, having worked in the city for decades. Since 2016 he has been chairman of the West Midlands Labour Finance and Industry Group and while at PwC he worked on the deal that led to the creation of the WMCA. In 2022 his consultancy firm was even hired by mayor Andy Street, now his Conservative rival, to provide external advice on leadership. A Labour spokesman said: 'Richard Parker has lived and worked in the West Midlands for 40 years and is a respected business leader in the region. Even Andy Street hired him for leadership advice and his knowledge of the West Midlands. 'This is nothing but political gameplaying by a Conservative Mayor who is panicking because he's failed to deliver for eight years.' Humza Yousaf has been accused of running a zombie government while he waits to find out if the Greens will pull the plug on his coalition of chaos. Concerns were raised yesterday that the government will be in a state of paralysis until Green party members decide if they should scrap the Bute House Agreement. The First Minister is already under growing pressure from within his party to allow SNP members a vote on the issue, ahead of Green activists having their say next month. Now opponents raised concerns about the impact the vacuum will have on Mr Yousafs administration. It comes as Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie yesterday faced a motion of no confidence, and confirmed he would step down if his party votes to leave government. Humza Yousafs SNP is in limbo while he waits to find out if the Greens will pull the plug on the Bute House agreement Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: Scotland cant afford to endure weeks of a zombie government while Green members decide on the future of their pact with the SNP. This coalition of chaos has been a disaster for Scotland and its a measure of how painfully weak Humza Yousaf is that hes now at the mercy of another partys vote. If he had any backbone, hed be pulling the plug on the Bute House Agreement himself rather than leaving the country in limbo while others determine whether he leads a majority or minority government. The anti-growth Greens should never have been invited into government in the first place and so long as the First Minister is desperately trying to placate them as he did with the vacuous ministerial statement on the Cass review Scotland is in a state of paralysis. Scottish Labour business manager Martin Whitfield said: Any shred of credibility the Scottish Greens had left has been abandoned with Scotlands 2030 climate targets. Former SNP minister Ash Regan, who defected to Alba, yesterday lodged a no confidence motion in Mr Harvie, the Zero Carbon Buildings Minister, for siding with ideology over evidence by refusing to back the Cass review on child gender services and the pause on prescriptions of puberty blockers. But the move failed to win the support of opposition MSPs. Alba general secretary Chris McEleny later branded it utterly bizarre that Labour and the Conservatives were not supporting the motion. He said: The public will remember if, when it came to getting rid of Patrick Harvie or not, Labour and the Tories sat on their hands and kept him in his job. Mr Harvie said a vote by the Scottish Greens to end the Bute House Agreement, would be a mistake. He said that, if the Greens leave government, many people will think they are just a party that walks away when things get difficult. The issue was not discussed at yesterdays meeting of the Cabinet, despite Nationalist MP Joanna Cherry calling for her party to vote on it. A Scottish Government source said: The Scottish Government was urging calm, and for people to use the time and space between last week and the Green vote in May to consider the issue in a dispassionate manner: more light, less rushing to judgment in the heat of the moment. Id say its important not to make the end of the BHA a self-fulfilling prophecy. Students and faculty at NYU descended on Washington Square Park to demand a 'total academic boycott of Israel' - the day after over 100 were arrested in furious clashes with the NYPD. The huge cohort of keffiyeh-clad students and professors filled the Manhattan park on Tuesday, in echoes of pro-Gaza protests unfolding at Ivy League campuses across the country. Flyers shared by organizers stated four demands for the movement, including the 'end of all war profiteering and investment in genocide', and providing 'full amnesty to all students and faculty penalized for their pro-Palestine activism.' Amid backlash over the university's handling of the crisis, NYU professor Scot Galloway slammed activists for being easily 'manipulated' by anti-Israel TikTok creators. Large numbers took to the Manhattan park, with organizers putting forward demands including 'full amnesty to all students and faculty penalized for their pro-Palestine activism' Swathes of students protested in Washington Square Park on Tuesday A huge cohort of keffiyeh-clad NYU students and professors filled Washington Square Park on Tuesday to demand the 'end of all war profiteering and investment in genocide' The majority of the protesters were from NYU. In recent days, both of NYC's prestigious institutions have protested for justice in Gaza NYU professor says the quiet part out loud: "I think we are being manipulated specifically youth. Their frame for the world is TikTok, and if you look at TikTok there are 52 videos that are pro-Hamas or pro-Palestinian for every one served on Israel. pic.twitter.com/uwlUTfZRZm Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 23, 2024 An organizer who would not give her name told DailyMail.com they had been 'inspired' by the pro-Gaza encampment at nearby Columbia University where cops arrested hundreds of people at the weekend. 'We were inspired by our comrades at Columbia,' the senior student said, wearing a black face covering and a keffiyeh over her hair. She said protesters were calling on NYU to 'divest from companies who have interests in the Israeli occupation' and an 'academic boycott of Israeli institutions'. Students chanted 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' and 'NYU go to hell, NYPD go to hell' while beating drums and waving Palestinian flags. Chants of 'there is only one solution, intifada revolution' were also heard at the demonstrations. Other protesters whose faces were covered by keffiyehs - a monochrome scarf symbolic of Palestinian identity - refused to speak with the press while holding placards reading 'be brave'. The crowd ejected anyone seen filming their protest while chanting 'press to the back' and cheering as each cameraman moved themselves from the gathering. Students said the protest was organized by the NYU Palestine Solidarity Coalition. Alongside the NYU Faculty for Justice in Palestine, the group tweeted a list of its demands before the protest on Tuesday, which it said came as part of its 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' campaign. One student holds up the sign: 'Palestine is everywhere' Other protesters whose faces were covered by keffiyehs - a monochrome scarf symbolic of Palestinian identity - refused to speak with the press while holding placards reading 'be brave' An organizer who would not give her name told DailyMail.com they had been 'inspired' by the pro-Gaza encampment at nearby Columbia University where cops arrested hundreds of people at the weekend Anti-Israel protesters held up signs in the Manhattan park on Tuesday Many of the protesters are from NYU - which is based in downtown Manhattan - and we're inspired by their fellow Columbia University students uptown It came the day after over 100 pro-Palestine protestors were arrested in furious clashes with the NYPD at NYU's campus on Monday Organizers released flyers detailing their reasons for the demonstrations, calling for the whole nation to rise up in support of their movement The demands included ending all 'war profiteering' and 'investment in genocide', ordering NYU leadership to fully disclose and divest all of the college's finances from weapons manufacturers and 'companies with an interest in Israeli occupation.' Calling for a 'complete academic boycott of Israel', the groups were also demanding a NYU cuts all ties with Israeli academic institutions. This would include Tel Aviv University, with the group calling for the university to 'shut down its discriminatory NYU Tel Aviv campus.' Following furious clashes with police in recent days, another demand saw the group urge NYU to 'disclose the extent of its relationship with NYPD and remove its standing presence from NYU property immediately.' Recent protests have also seen a large number of arrests of East Coast college students - including Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter on Columbia's campus on Monday - leading the protests to demand 'full amnesty' for their activism. In remarks over the hundred-plus arrests on Monday night, the group's flyer stated: 'We want to underscore how this event demonstrated on a smaller scale the globalized violence of an institution like NYU.' 'We would like to remind everyone who showed up in solidarity why we launched our encampment and that the violence we faced it only a fraction of the violence that Palestinians face on the ground every day.' On Monday night, police finally made their move on the pro-Palestinian protestors at NYU after hours of warnings telling people to disperse from the Gaza Solidarity' encampment The protestors carried with them large signs in order to make their points Protestors were seen on campus chanting anti-Semitic slogans, including 'there is only one solution, intifada revolution' It comes a day after anti-Israel protestors armed with flares and Palestinian flags marched towards the headquarters of the NYPD only hours after officers wearing riot gear stormed an NYU 'Gaza Solidarity' encampment protest in Greenwich Village. More than 150 students, staff and faculty members were reportedly arrested by police last night after ignoring warnings to vacate the campus plaza where the protest was being held. But those who finally left had other ideas with the mob reconvening in another march - this time through New York's Chinatown and One Police Plaza the HQ of the NYPD. The streets were lit up in bright orange while holding flares in the air as marchers waved flags and carried anti-Israel signs and banging drums and blowing whistles as they walked downtown. Those carrying flares could be heard chanting 'Gaza' - while also being careful to wear face masks so as to conceal their true identity. Only hours earlier on the NYU campus in Greenwich Village, police officers in riot gear were forced to use zip ties to detain protesters, marching them onto police buses after warnings to leave the area were ignored. A Chicago man who had been reported missing was found dead inside his Medellin apartment, Colombian authorities said. Peter Jankus remains were in a state of decomposition when police entered the home in the upscale neighborhood of El Poblado on Monday. The 53-year-old had not been seen or heard of since April 5. Concerned neighbors called the Medellin Metropolitan Police on Monday after they sensed a foul odor emanating from the home. Chicago native Peter Jankus was found dead inside a Medellin apartment on Monday. Colombian law enforcement officials told DailyMail.com that the 53-year-old died from natural causes and that they are now awaiting the results of an autopsy At least nine Americans have died from natural causes or have been killed while vacationing in Medellin in 2024 Authorities said the local fire department assisted in opening the door for cops, who found Jankus lying in his bed. His body was removed from the residence by the Attorney Generals technical investigation team and transferred to the medical examiners office for an autopsy. A law enforcement official told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that Jankus died from natural causes. Another official told DailyMail.com that his body was transferred to the medical examiner's office and that they are awaiting the results of an autopsy. As of Tuesday, 17 foreigners have been reported in the Aburra Valley, including nine in Medellin, in 2024. Former American cop, William Barta died after falling from a balcony at the Ibis Hotel on March 27. Los Angeles native Josue Cardona was stabbed dead in a fight at an apartment on February 24. Authorities arrested two suspects as they attempted to flee the scene. Two suspects were arrested Saturday, moments after one of them stabbed U.S. citizen Josue Cardona to death and wounded Rafael Vega, a native of Venezuela, during a fight at an apartment in Medellin, Colombia Medellin cops escort two suspects linked to the murder of Cardona, who was stabbed dead at an apartment Saturday Three Americans were found dead in their hotel or Airbnb apartments within a span of five days earlier this month. Dakarai Cobb, 47, was found dead in his rental on February 5. His cell phone, credit cards and passport were reported missing. Anthony Lopez, 29, was discovered dead in his room on February 4, a day after he was seen entering the building with two women. Manly Conley, 37, died February 4 after he fell from the balcony of his 17th-floor Airbnb rental. In January, the United States Embassy in Colombia warned travelers about the use of dating apps. The advisory was issued following the deaths of eight Americans in Medellin between November 1 and December 31, 2023. The embassy said that several of the deaths pointed to 'possible drugging, robbery, and overdose and several involve the use of online dating applications.' American visitors were advised that they should 'strongly consider meeting only in public places and avoiding isolated locations, such as residences or hotel rooms, where crimes are most likely to occur.' 'It is also recommended that if Americans decide to invite a person they met to a home or hotel, they speak to the 'attendant/concierge beforehand and establish a policy as to what information your new visitor should provide before being authorized entry (photo of identification, etc.) and what process should be followed when your visitor departs,' the mission said. Tinder followed by issuing a safety advisory in January, recommending that users utilize extra caution when they decide to meet their dates. President Joe Biden traveled to Florida Tuesday to take on former President Donald Trump on his home turf - and on the issue of abortion. Biden appeared before supporters at a community college in Tampa, one week before Florida bans abortions past six weeks. He called out Trump, his 2024 general election opponent, as the sole person responsible for the 'cruelty and chaos' that's occurred after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. 'He described the Dobbs decision as a mircale,' Biden said of Trump. 'I think it's coming from that Bible he's trying to sell.' 'I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hell's in it,' Biden added of the $60 purchase. President Joe Biden traveled to Florida Tuesday to take on former President Donald Trump on his home turf and on the issue of abortion Supporters of President Joe Biden hold up signs reading 'Restore Roe' at the president's abortion-themed speech Tuesday at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida In January just days before the Iowa caucuses - which Trump easily won - the Republican ex-president participated in a Fox News town hall and boasted of the 'miracle' of ending the constitutional right for women to have an abortion. Former President Donald Trump, who was in court Tuesday, holds up a Bible he's selling for $60 Trump warned, though, that Republicans who back extreme bans are being 'decimated' in elections. Biden pointed out that political reality on Tuesday, noting that Trump is 'worried' voters plan to hold the presumptive GOP nominee 'accountable.' 'Donald Trump is worried that voters are going to hold him accountable for the cruelty and chaos he's created,' Biden said. 'The bad news for Trump is we are going to hold him accountable,' Biden continued. 'We are - he should be held accountable.' Florida voters have the ability to rescind the abortion ban if they approve Amendment 4 in November, which would allow abortions up to the time of viability, which is generally considered around 24 weeks. That measure needs 60% support from Florida voters. The Biden campaign is hoping that it will invigorate enough pro-choice voters to give the president a chance to flip the state. Trump won Florida by a 3.4-point margin in the 2020 campaign, improving on his performance four years earlier when he beat Hillary Clinton in the state by 1.6 points. 'I think Florida is in play, nationally,' Biden said after his prepared remarks. 'This election is a basic old fashioned election,' the president continued, explaining that it will all be about turnout. The Biden campaign is arguing that once Florida's law goes into place there will effectively be an abortion ban across the entire Southeastern part of the nation. Almost 7,000 women traveled from out of state last year to receive an abortion performed by doctors in Florida, according to a report from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida voters have the ability to rescind the abortion ban if they approve Amendment 4 in November, which would allow abortions up to the time of viability, which is generally considered around 24 weeks. That measure needs 60% support from voters. Trump has yet to say how he would vote on Amendment 4. Abortion is banned in most cases in 14 states. Another seven states have restrictions that prevent abortion between six and 18 weeks into a pregnancy. A 27-year-old killed his mother by strangulation during a psychotic episode triggered by a bout of paranoia, according to his family. Austin Hillier Graham was booked into Multnomah County jail in November, nearly three weeks after cops responded to a report that his mother had died. They would come across the body of Teresa Graham, whose husband said he laid witness to their son's worsening illness at the family's Portland home. Hunter Graham recalled on Monday how the pair had sought help, first noticing Austin's mental changes following a failed stint at college that left him back at home in 2018. After this, his decline accelerated, Hunter recalled - a descent that culminated with the unspeakable crime on October 20. Within weeks, Austin had confessed to murdering his mother, and is now being kept at an Oregon mental hospital. Scroll down for video: Austin Hillier Graham, 27, killed his mother Teresa Graham on October 20 at the family's home in Southwest Portland during a bout of psychosis spurred paranoia. He now resides at an Oregon mental hospital Austin's father, Hunter on Monday laid why he views his family's tragedy as evidence of Oregon's flawed mental health system, which waits for someone to commit a crime before mandating treatment Hunter, on Tuesday, told KGW: 'You shouldn't have to commit murder to get mental health care, but that's what our son Austin did to my beautiful wife. Sitting down with the local news station, he added: 'It's been really hard to tell whether his struggles were from pre-existing mental illness or as a result of the concussion or a mix of both.' Hunter went on to lay out why he views his family's tragedy as evidence of Oregon's flawed mental health system, which waits for someone to commit a crime before mandating treatment. Providing insight into her son's state of mind at the time, he said Austin firmly believed his mother was secretly poisoning his water, as well as the air around him. Civil court papers filed months before the murder, by Teresa, coincided with these claims, recalling years of mental decline from her son starting in 2018. The documents assert that Austin - seen posing with his mother in a photo in front of a poster showing off a scientific study about the effects of concussions on brain activity - suffered a traumatic brain injury. The injury was not specified, but it saw the parents successfully secure guardianship of Austin in August, after they told a court his mental health took a sharp turn for the worse in January 2023. She wrote how he was unable to work, and isolated in his bedroom in the family home while neglecting to eat or bathe. Hunter, on Tuesday, told KGW : 'You shouldn't have to commit murder to get mental health care, but that's what our son Austin did to my beautiful wife' During this period, Austin also suffered hallucinations, the parents said - with Teresa even writing that at one point, he thought people were coming to get him, leading him to brandish a knife. That incident did not lead to anything fatal, but the one a few months later did. Teresa said the family sought professional psychiatric care for her son within that span, but were foiled when he ran away to live on the streets for an unspecified period of time. Within three months, Teresa was dead, even after the couple told officials within the Multnomah County Circuit Court that Austin was in 'immediate and serious danger' and his mental health was 'decompensating rapidly.' Speaking to KGW, an emotional Hunter said it was clear that Austin needed help at this time - even though he repeatedly refused care 'Immediately we discovered what you've discovered in your (past) reporting, which is, involuntary commitment is almost impossible,' he told the station of laws that prohibited the parents from taking more pronounced action. 'He's 6-foot-6 like me, and even if you have the right to say you need to go to the hospital, if he refuses, that's a significant logistical problem,' Hunter added, revealing that getting guardianship still left them unable to get him to a hospital. Austin, meanwhile, is charged with murder and is now being held at the Oregon State Hospital, where he is also being treated. A local judge found him mentally unfit for trial Before that, in July, Austin was admitted to the Kaiser Permanente Brookside Center, Hunter revealed - speaking about a voluntary inpatient mental health hospital in nearby Clackamas. Hunter remembered how the doctors there were in over their heads when it came to Austin - categorizing him as 'beyond their capacity'. As they allegedly sought to transfer him somewhere else, Austin experienced a severe psychotic break, he said - describing how Austin grabbed a nurse's badge, ran away from the locked unit, and disappeared into the woods. Police eventually found him two days later with blackberry thorns in his feet, after which he refused medication. Soon enough, medical professionals determined Austin didn't meet Oregon's standards for involuntary treatment - and despite being diagnosed with psychoses, Austin was released back to the family home with a behavioral health plan. However, Hunter on Monday called that plan 'unenforceable' - as he recalled how his wife did not want him released. 'My wife in her wisdom did not want him released because we knew he was going to fail, that the behavioral health plan was set up to fail,' he said. During this period, Hunter also suffered hallucinations, the parents said - with Teresa even writing that at one point, he thought people were coming to get him, leading him to brandish a knife. That incident did not lead to anything fatal, but the one a few months later did 'We were always optimistic that we would get a handle on this and he would go back to the bright, articulate, promising son that he is and was.' However, as the spouses had predicted, the behavioral plan eventually failed -and Austin went on to strangle his mother a few weeks later. Hunter lamented not being home at the time, tearfully declaring 'The failure was that he killed her.' Cops were called, but in a bizarre oversight, officers from the Portland Police Department ruled that they saw no signs of foul play, and did not declare Austin a suspect as a result. However, detectives would return to the home on Southwest Menefee Drive, in the Hillsdale neighborhood of Southwest Portland a few days later - presumably following an autopsy. Two weeks later, Hunter was in another hospital with his son, where he phoned 911 and confessed to police. A probably cause affidavit claims the confessed killer told the 911 operator: 'I think I just killed my mom' and ' she died and I saw her die'. 'Treatment would have undoubtedly, in my mind, prevented this,' Hunter said Monday. 'Nobody should have to feel this way. The public, the legislature, health care workers, police, everybody needs to know how bad it can get so everybody is dedicated to fixing it' After police arrived on the scene to arrest him, he scrawled 'I killed my mom [and] strangled her with my bare hands' on the back of a document containing his Miranda rights. Austin, meanwhile, is charged with murder and is now being held at the Oregon State Hospital, where he is also being treated. A local judge found him mentally unfit for trial, and his father, a lawyer, on Monday remained adamant the state was at least somewhat responsible for his wife's murder 'Treatment would have undoubtedly, in my mind, prevented this,' Hunter said Monday, before breaking down in tears. 'Nobody should have to feel this way. The public, the legislature, health care workers, police, everybody needs to know how bad it can get so everybody is dedicated to fixing it.' By Baek Byung-yeul LG and Samsung SDI are taking part in the 37th International Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition (EVS37) in Seoul, showcasing EV battery technologies and the latest mobility technologies, the companies said Tuesday. EVS, which began in 1969, is known as the Olympics of the EV world, bringing together key international players from the EV industry and academic researchers. Korea is hosting this years four-day event, which takes place in Seoul from Tuesday to Friday, for the third time, following the event being held in Busan in 2002 and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province in 2015. LG Group has opened a promotional booth jointly through its four affiliates that are responsible for its automotive business LG Electronics, LG Energy Solution, LG Display and LG Innotek exhibiting technologies and products related to EV batteries and future mobility. LG Group aims to provide a comprehensive view of core technologies and products in the automotive industry, including batteries, powertrain systems, key components for autonomous driving such as cameras and LiDAR and in-vehicle displays to around 1,500 EV experts from 60 countries and officials from about 200 international mobility companies visiting the event. Additionally, I.P. Park, president of LG Sciencepark, will give a keynote speech on the topic of Delivering Future Mobility, and its researchers will share research results on topics such as software-defined vehicles and analysis of EV battery performance degradation. Joining the event is an opportunity for LG affiliates operating in battery and electronic systems to demonstrate the groups LG's stature in the EV sector, a spokesperson for LG Corp., a holding company of the group, said. "We will keep strengthening our capabilities to create business synergies." LG Energy Solution, the battery unit of LG Group, will be showcasing customizable pouch-type batteries and cylindrical batteries; cell-to-pack technology to make lighter and safer batteries with high energy efficiency and the B-Lifecare service that optimizes battery performance and lifespan. LG Electronics will be presenting its premium EV infotainment systems and an automotive content platform that allows passengers to enjoy high-quality videos and games inside the vehicle. LG Magna e-Powertrain, a joint company between LG Electronics and Magna International, will reveal its products such as the high-speed hairpin motor that can produce 250 kilowatt output using 800 volts. LG Display is exhibiting in-vehicle display products such as advanced thin OLED (ATO) for increased brightness, durability and freedom of display design, 3D instrument clusters that eliminate the need for separate glasses and viewing angle control technology. LG Innotek is presenting vehicle cameras, sensing products, communication modules and lighting products. Samsung Group's battery unit Samsung SDI aims to emphasize its outstanding technological capabilities through the EVS37 by showcasing innovative technologies, including solid-state batteries, which it plans to mass produce in 2027 and battery technologies. Regarding technology, Samsung SDI will be displaying battery technologies for ultra-fast charging and a longer lifespan. The company said it plans to develop ultra-fast charging technology that can charge up to 80 percent in just nine minutes by 2026, and battery technology that can last 20 years by 2029. Batteries with this technology are scheduled to be mass-produced in 2029, according to the company. Samsung SDI will be demonstrating to visitors solutions to prevent battery thermal runaway by minimizing heat transfer between batteries and technologies that increase energy density while reducing costs. The SNPs controversial bid to cut jury sizes and introduce judge-only rape trials faced a rebellion by its own MSPs in parliament yesterday. Humza Yousaf now faces an uphill battle to see the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill become law after it was slammed as clunky, confusing and unworkable. The Bill made it through its first vote yesterday, but with more MSPs abstaining than backing it, including six rebel SNP politicians. Fergus Ewing, Kate Forbes, Christine Graham, Michelle Thomson, Ivan McKee and Annabelle Ewing all sided with opposition parties by abstaining. The Bill proposes a series of reforms to the justice system, including the scrapping of the not proven verdict. Nationalist MSPs (clockwise from top left) Fergus Ewing, Kate Forbes, Christine Graham, Michelle Thomson, Ivan McKee and Annabelle Ewing all chose to side with opposition parties yesterday by abstaining But more contentious reforms have sparked outrage within the legal profession, including the piloting of juryless rape trials aimed at improving conviction rates. Other proposals include reducing the size of juries from 15 to 12 and introducing a victims commissioner. Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay said of the proposed legislation: Much of it is experimental, founded on wishful thinking rather than hard evidence. Justice Secretary Angela Constance has already been forced to delay the juryless rape trials plan for at least another four years. The Law Society of Scotland has said trial by jury for serious crimes is a basic right and the plan should be scrapped. Members of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association have threatened to boycott any pilot of juryless rape trials. Concerns were also raised that judges, mostly male, middle-aged and privately educated, should not decide rape trial verdicts on their own. It meant the first stage of the Bill process, an agreement on the principles, saw 60 vote for and 62 abstain. The Green party MSPs all voted in favour. Mr Findlay said the Bill was frankly far too big, telling MSPs that the Scottish Government has a track record of clunky, confusing, unworkable legislation. He questioned the need for another special commissioner, branding it a hugely expensive functionary producing reams of jargon. Despite the Bills emphasis on introducing trauma-informed practices to care for the mostly female victims, Mr Findlay said he was still not clear what it means. Comparing the draft legislation to a Rubiks cube you fix one side, and you realise youve messed up the rest of it he said the Government was experimenting in much the same way as a mad scientist. On juryless rape trials he said: We believe in the value of juries, which are the cornerstone of the justice system. Theres insufficient evidence to justify what would amount to an experiment with peoples lives. Labours Pauline McNeill said her party, too, was opposed to juryless rape trials. She added: We believe there is too much substantial reform in one Bill. Ms Constance conceded that the legislation would have to be amended but added that there was a consensus that the aims of the policy are needed. On doing away with juries for rape and attempted rape trials, she said the pilot would be focused on cases with just one alleged offence and one accused. She told MSPs: I believe the case for change is clear, I believe the time for change is now. It is incumbent on us to work together to deliver the justice system that our society needs and deserves. The city of San Francisco has finally unveiled its much-anticipated public toilet with much fanfare and celebration, after it was severely mocked for its hefty price tag. Estimated to cost $1.7 million but eventually built for much less, the metal toilet was installed in the Noe Valley neighborhood on April 20. About 100 people came together in the Noe Valley Town Square to celebrate the unveiling by dressing up as the Mario Brothers (who are plumbers by profession) and had a live jazz band that renamed itself 'American Standard' for the day. Leslie Crawford, the event organizer of the toilet-themed party titled 'Toilet Bowl' was heard telling the crowd: 'Noe Valley, let's hear it for our "not-1.7-million-dollar-bathroom."' The city of San Francisco has finally unveiled its much anticipated public toilet with much fanfare and celebration, after it was severely mocked for its hefty price tag Estimated to cost $1.7 million but eventually built for much less, the metal toilet was installed in the Noe Valley neighborhood on April 20 About 100 people came together in the Noe Valley Town Square to celebrate the unveiling Celebrators saw a group of acrobats juggled plungers and children circling a maypole clutching long strands of toilet paper. Talking about what inspired her to throw such a party, Crawford said: 'When everybody laughs at you, you've got to take the power back and laugh at yourself. 'This whole thing got so ridiculous, so why not be ridiculous?' Apart from the toilet, the public restroom also comes with a baby changing station. The installation comes three months after the public expressed outrage over the city's government being unable to install the toilet after two years of delay. Celebrators saw a group of acrobats juggled plungers and children circling a maypole clutching long strands of toilet paper Apart from the toilet, the public restroom also comes with a baby changing station The city was forced to appeal to the private sector to finish the job, but the two men who have promised to get it built have been frustrated by the city's lack of engagement and high building costs. Assemblyman Matt Haney had been planning for nearly a year to build the communal toilet in the Noe Valley Town Square in a 150-square-foot space after city officials said there was not enough funding to build a restroom when the square was constructed in 2016. So he secured funding from the Recreation and Parks Department, not questioning the $1.7 million price tag, which is nearly as high as what a single-family home in that area costs. But the plans were met with outrage when the price was revealed by the San Francisco Chronicle in October of 2022, prompting Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, who is also the former mayor of the city, threatened to block the funding. A planned public toilet in San Francisco that California Governor Gavin Newsom earmarked $1.7million in public funds for remains bogged down after more than two years of red tape and delays Somewhat shockingly, Newsom returned the $1.7 million to the city after officials promised to build at least two toilets rather than one but they had made 'little progress.' 'Why isn't there a toilet here? I just don't get it. Nobody does,' wondered local resident Ted Weinstein at the time. 'It's yet another example of the city that can't,' he told the New York Times. Residents have also long complained about worsening potholes that the city has failed to fix. Meanwhile the city's streets are overrun with homeless people who have turned parts of it into an open-air drug market and crime continues to spiral out of control. The lack of a bathroom is inconvenient because parents and their children often do enjoy the playground but have no way to relieve themselves. Excuses offered by local authorities include the high cost of building in the city, finding an architect and the process of getting the public's opinion. Noe Valley Town Square has needed a bathroom since it was opened in 2016 Assemblyman Matt Haney has been planning for nearly a year to build the communal toilet in the Noe Valley Town Square in a 150-square-foot space after city officials said there was not enough funding to build a restroom when the square was constructed in 2016 But the plans were met with outrage when the price was revealed by the San Francisco Chronicle in October of 2022, prompting Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, who is also the former mayor of the city, threatened to block the funding The city's massive amounts of red tape require funds as well to employ people to make sure the toilet is 'appropriate to its context in the urban environment.' The Times claims that it can take an average of 523 days for a developer to get an initial thumbs up to build housing and an additional 605 days to get permits, totaling nearly four years. The private sector has tried their own way to get the toilet built at the park in the months following its initial failure, to no avail, despite Mayor London Breed's vow to cut red tape. Vaughn Buckley, CEO of Volumetric Building Companies, agreed to do the architecture and engineering prep work for free after the city reached out to him. He and friend Chad Kaufman, who runs the Public Restroom Company and offered to donate a modular toilet, said they would pay local union workers themselves for installation. The city made an agreement with Volumetric in April of 2023 but Buckley claimed that talks had broken down with the Recreation and Parks Department in a December 22 letter where he cited both high costs to hire the workers and the city's unwillingness to make a deal. San Francisco Parks & Rec was equally disappointed in a letter written to Buckley in December of 2023. 'Your team was unresponsive to our repeated attempts to engage,' they wrote. 'We are receiving inquiries from citizens, journalists and local lawmakers on the status of this highly publicized project. We will need to answer questions.' Vaughn Buckley, CEO of Volumetric Building Companies promised to do the architecture and engineering prep work for free but has faced challenges from the city Private developers hope that the toilet can be finished in the town square by April but have been delayed by the city's unwillingness to engage them A Jewish NYU professor lashed out at student protesters as they descended on Washington Square Park to demand a 'total academic boycott of Israel' on Tuesday. Scott Galloway, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business expressed his views about the protests on MSNBC and said that he believes there is a 'double standard.' 'I can tell you, if I went into the NYU square with a white hood on and said, "lynch the blacks or burn the gays"- my ID would be shut off by that night,' Galloway said. 'And I would never work in academia again. There would be no need for the words context or nuance, I wouldn't be protected by the first amendment or free speech.' A huge cohort of keffiyeh-clad NYU students and professors filled the Manhattan park on Tuesday, in echoes of pro-Gaza protests unfolding at Ivy League campuses across the country. Scott Galloway, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business expressed his views about the protests on MSNBC and said that he believes there is a 'double standard.' A huge cohort of keffiyeh-clad NYU students and professors filled Washington Square Park on Tuesday to demand the 'end of all war profiteering and investment in genocide' When asked why he thinks there is a 'double standard,' Galloway said that 'it's complicated.' 'I think one, young people have a healthy gag reflex on what people our age think,' he told MSNBC reporter Willie Geist. 'Two, I don't think Israel has draped itself in glory the last 20 or 30 years, they've shifted from being kind of the David to the Goliath.' Galloway said that he also thinks that students on campus could 'incorrectly conflate the civil rights movement' as chaos continues to unfold in Palestine. He added that students have 'digressed' as they identify as the 'oppressed and 'oppressors.' 'And the easiest way to identify oppressors is how white and how rich they are,' he said. Amid backlash over the university's handling of the crisis, Galloway slammed activists for being easily 'manipulated' by anti-Israel TikTok creators. 'And if you look at TikTok, there are 52 videos that are pro-Hamas or pro-Palestine for every one served on Israel,' Galloway added. At Washington Square Park Tuesday, an organizer who would not give her name told DailyMail.com said they had been 'inspired' by the pro-Gaza encampment at nearby Columbia University where cops arrested hundreds of people over the weekend. 'We were inspired by our comrades at Columbia,' the senior student said, wearing a black face covering and a keffiyeh over her hair. She said protesters were calling on NYU to 'divest from companies who have interests in the Israeli occupation' and an 'academic boycott of Israeli institutions.' Large numbers took to the Manhattan park, with organizers putting forward demands including 'full amnesty to all students and faculty penalized for their pro-Palestine activism' Flyers shared by organizers during Tuesday's protest stated four demands for the movement, including the 'end of all war profiteering and investment in genocide', and providing 'full amnesty to all students and faculty penalized for their pro-Palestine activism.' Students chanted 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' and 'NYU go to hell, NYPD go to hell' while beating drums and waving Palestinian flags. Chants of 'there is only one solution, intifada revolution' were also heard at the demonstrations. Other protesters whose faces were covered by keffiyehs - a monochrome scarf symbolic of Palestinian identity - refused to speak with the press while holding placards reading 'be brave'. The crowd ejected anyone seen filming their protest while chanting 'press to the back' and cheering as each cameraman moved themselves from the gathering. Students said the protest was organized by the NYU Palestine Solidarity Coalition. As the protest unfolded at NYU, New York City's Mayor Eric Adams was confronted by a passenger on a plane as they accused him of 'supporting the genocide in Palestine.' A video of the interaction was posted on X, as the person recording approached Adams who was busy on his phone, sitting down. The person filming says: 'Are you Eric Adams?' as the mayor looks up from his phone with a bit of a blank face. 'Yeah, f*** you! You support the genocide in Palestine! There are homeless people all over New York,' the angry passenger says. As she berates him, a man dressed in a suit sitting next to Adams quickly gets up and tries to guard the mayor who remains seated and looks at the woman. Police officers in riot gear stormed onto the NYU campus in Greenwich Village on Monday night and were forced to use zip ties to detain protesters The protestors carried with them large signs in order to make their points "You support the genocide in Palestine!" Mayor of New York Eric Adams is confronted on a flight for his social policies and support for Israel.pic.twitter.com/bfPXTNM5mZ Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) April 23, 2024 'You're always partying, you don't actually care about the citizens of New York,' she says. She continues to scream and ask Adams why he is in Miami, and brings up other pressing issues in the Big Apple like homeless people, food costs and 'cutting the education budget to fund the police.' The video ends with the girl walking away and making her way down the aisle as a woman tries to calm her down. It comes a day after anti-Israel protesters armed with flares and Palestinian flags marched towards the headquarters of the NYPD only hours after officers wearing riot gear stormed an NYU 'Gaza Solidarity' encampment protest in Greenwich Village. More than 150 students, staff and faculty members were reportedly arrested by police Monday night after ignoring warnings to vacate the campus plaza where the protest was being held. Only hours earlier on the NYU campus in Greenwich Village, police officers in riot gear were forced to use zip ties to detain protesters, marching them onto police buses after warnings to leave the area were ignored. Scots pupils have been encouraged to wear pronoun badges amid claims activist groups are being allowed to indoctrinate them with transgender ideology. Teachers in Edinburgh, including in some primary schools, have been urged to celebrate International Pronouns Day and to give lessons on how harmful it is to assume a person uses he/him or she/her pronouns. Instead, children are presented with 40 terms including neo pronouns such as perself, xyr, vis and eirself in teaching materials developed by the SNP Government-funded charity LGBT Youth Scotland. In the lessons, it is suggested pupils make name and pronoun badges to share. According to newspaper PinkNews, ze, zir, zie and ze are all gender pronouns much like he/him, she/her and they/them that some transgender, non-binary or gender-non-conforming people might use. The 40 substitute terms schoolchildren in Edinburgh are presented with in teaching materials Tory MSP Stephen Kerr claimed some schools are indoctrinating rather than educating children Last night Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: Requiring children to bear the burden of adult neurosis about gender identity is a form of abuse. Robbing youngsters of their childhood in this way will aggravate an existing mental health crisis in schools. LGBT Youth Scotland has provided schools with pronoun name badge templates. It also supplies pronoun signs for teachers to display, with hundreds of schools taking part in the charter scheme. Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr is challenging the Scottish Government to overhaul guidance. He said: Rather than educate, some schools are welcoming in political activists to indoctrinate children. It needs to stop. In years to come, we will consider this to be what it is child abuse by institutions that are there to protect and educate, not indoctrinate and confuse. Scottish Government guidelines for schools, which LGBT Youth Scotland helped to write, tell teachers they should be affirming if a child says they want to change gender. The City of Edinburgh Council said the funding to deliver the pronoun charter scheme in secondary schools ended in March 2024. It added: Where primary schools have done the charter, it has been funded by the school themselves. LGBT Youth Scotland said: We share the Scottish Governments ambition to create the best country for LGBTQ+ people to grow up in. Sen. Ted Cruz and his Senate Republican colleagues were unflustered by explosive court testimony Tuesday by ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker about his 'secret deal' with Donald Trump as his paper cranked out brutal exposes on Trump's 2016 rivals. Pecker testified about what he said were near-daily contacts during the 2016 campaing with former Trump fixer Michael Cohen about which stories to run about Trump's GOP rivals and which ones to bury through 'catch-and-kill' payoffs. He said the contacts came around key events like presidential debates, and would take on candidates who were on the rise. 'Michael Cohen would call me and say we would like for you to run a negative article on a certain let's say it's on Ted Cruz. He would send me information about Ted Cruz or about Ben Carson or Marco Rubio, and that was the basis for our story,' he told a courtroom. Trump looked on while his longtime friend testified for the prosecution. 'We would embellish it from there,' he said. All three of those targets were running against Trump in the 2016 free-for-all for the Republican nomination. Cruz was the last rival standing in a race that featured repeated 'smears' on Cruz and his wife Heidi, as well as a thinly-sourced Enquirer story linking his Cuban immigrant father to Lee Harvey Oswald and the 1963 JFK assassination. 'Not interested in revisiting ancient history,' said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, on a day David Pecker delivered bombshell testimony about a 'deal' with Trump to suppress negative stories and go after Trump rivals in the National Enquirer. Headlines linked his dad to the JFK assassination and claimed he had 'five secret mistresses' 'We mashed the photos and the different picture with Lee Harvard Oswald,' Pecker said, describing an infamous black and white cover photo showing Rafael Cruz standing next to Oswald. 'We mashed the two together.' 'That's how that story was prepared created, I would say,' he testified. Cruz, who ripped the stories at the time as a 'smear' directed by Trump's 'henchmen,' brushed the matter off when asked about the new testimony, 'Not interested in revisiting ancient history,' he told reporters in the Capitol. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked Pecker who says Trump introduced him to Cohen in 2015 and made an arrangement to suppress stories that could be damaging to Trump who was the 'we' Cohen was speaking about when asking him to run a story. 'I assumed he was talking to Mr Trump,' he said. Pecker said Cohen often simply mentioned 'the boss,' which he took as a reference to Trump. Prosecutors read aloud Enquirer headlines that took on Trump's Republican rivals Another story covered a patient's complaint about former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson The paper also ran reports alleging Cruz carried on affairs. He furiously denied the claims at the time 'Donald, you're a sniveling coward, and leave Heidi the hell alone,' Cruz said in 2016 Prosecutors read aloud Enquirer headlines tearing into Trump rivals. Bungling surgeon Ben Carson left sponge in patients brain, read one story, which took on Carson as he was orienting his campaign around his life story to rise from poverty to become a top surgeon. 'Had Ben Carson been gaining in popularity in the polls then?' asked prosecutor Matthew Colangelo. 'Yes,' Pecker replied. 'Were these headlines run in accordance with your agreement stuck in Trump Tower in 2015?' the prosecutor followed up. 'Yes.' 'Ted Cruz Sex Scandal - 5 Secret Mistresses,' said another. 'Ted Cruz Shamed By Porn Star,' said one headline read in court. 'Perv Ted Cruz Caught Cheating,' was another. Trump allies in the Senate, including some who were themselves once Trump critics, also brushed off the new information. 'Am I concerned that an American presidential candidate used the media to criticize his opponents? No,' Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance told DailyMail.com. 'When you play at this level, sometimes people say mean things about you in the press, and that's just the price of doing business,' he said. ''I don't know anything about it,' 2016 Trump rally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told DailyMail.com. 'I've paid zero attention I think the whole trial's a bunch of bull****,' he added. The attacks on Trump rivals were just part of the arrangement. Suppressing potentially damaging stories about Trump including claims by former Playboy model Karen McDougal were another. Pecker described a 'highly confidential' deal with Cohen that he briefed to editor Dylan Howard. I said any stories that are out there about Donald Trump, his family, the election, whatever it might be. I want you to vet the stories, I want you to bring them to me,' Pecker recalled saying during his testimony. 'Well have to speak to Michael Cohen. Youll call him or I will, and well tell him what the stories are. Sometimes the hit pieces were linked to rivals' rising status against Trump, according to Pecker. 'After the Republican debates and based on some of the success some of the candidates had I would receive a call from Michael Cohen, and he would direct me on which candidate and which direction we should go. Thats the process,' he said. Cruz's low key reaction Tuesday contrasts with his fury in the final days of his primary campaign. At the time Cruz called the report about his Cuban-born father a 'garbage story in a tabloid full of garbage' while also dismissing the report claiming he had five affairs. 'It is a tabloid smear, and it is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen,' he said. Comes just days after bold emissions targets enshrined into QLD law Queensland Premier Steven Miles has sparked outrage by chartering two private jets to simultaneously travel to the same destination - just days after passing a bill enforcing a cut in carbon dioxide emissions. Mr Miles and staff flew in one jet while Police Minister Mark Ryan and Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski used another for a trip to Townsville to hold a press conference about youth crime. The private jets, which cost around $6500 an hour to hire, left Brisbane within 15 minutes of each other on Monday afternoon for the 2,800km round-trip. Mr Miles and his staff flew in a Embraer Phenom 300 while Mr Ryan and Mr Gollschewski travelled in a Cessna Citation CJ2+, the Courier Mail reports. After holding the press conference trumpeting new measures to address Queensland's youth crime epidemic, the trio returned to their separate jets and flew on to Cairns. Queensland Premier Steven Miles has been blasted for taking two jets to the same destination Mr Miles took a separate plane to Police Minister Mark Ryan and Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski (pictured) despite the jets taking identical routes on the 2800km round-trip Mr Miles appeared on breakfast TV on Tuesday morning before the trio returned to Townsville and travelled down the coast to Hervey Bay. The jets finally returned to Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon with plans for the premier to return to Cairns on Wednesday. A government spokeswoman said commercial flights were used when possible but had not been suitable for that journey and it was important he visit regional centres. 'Labor is a government for all of Queensland, not just the South East, so it's critical that both the Premier, ministers and the Commissioner travel into the regions,' she said. It comes just weeks after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Energy Minister Chris Bowen were blasted for taking separate jets to the same destination and just days after a new emissions bill was passed. Two bills passed in Queensland state parliament on Thursday, the Energy (renewable transformation and jobs) Bill and the Clean Economy Jobs Bill. The bill locks in 50 per cent emissions reductions targets by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2035. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seen boarding a private jet with his fiance Jodie Haydon An eagle eyed local revealed two Royal Australian Air Force planes waiting on the tarmac at Scone Airport on Thursday, sparking the saga (pictured) The reforms also lock in an 80 per cent renewable energy generation target by 2035 and entrench public ownership of energy assets. Mr Miles said the passing of the new legislation was a 'historic day for the Sunshine State' in a post to X on Thursday. 'For me, it's the combination of more than 16 years of work, first as an activist, then as a minister and now as the state's premier,' he said. 'Just as previous generations used our natural resources to lock in the prosperity that we enjoy today, we can use our renewable energy resources with deep storage to deliver that same kind of prosperity to future generations.' Mr Albanese and Mr Bowen took separate planes to a $1billion climate announcement late last month. Mr Bowen said the runway at Scone Airport was not sturdy enough for the prime minister's larger jet. He said the number of staff who accompanied the pair on the trip also had to be scaled back due to the weight restrictions. 'The Prime Minister always travels with the Royal Australian Air Force that's for security reasons and quite appropriate,' Mr Bowen said. 'The runway at Scone wasn't strong enough to take the large jet so the Air Force recommended, took a decision, for two small jets.' Aboriginal spears brought to England by Captain James Cook more than 250 years ago have been repatriated to Australia. The four weapons were presented in the Wren Library at Cambridge University's Trinity College for the 'historic day', with the three flags of Australia displayed at the front of the room. The permanent return of the spears to the La Perouse Aboriginal community was agreed in March last year, following a campaign and a formal repatriation request. However, it comes against the backlash of scrutiny against Captain Cook's methods of exploration in the 1700s, with many divided over whether he should be remembered as a heroic explorer who 'epitomised the Age of Enlightenment in which he lived' or if he should be seen as a symbol of colonial oppression. (L-R)Elisabeth Bowes, Leonard Hill, Stephen Smith and Noeleen Timbery with four Aboriginal spears that were brought to England by Captain James Cook more than 250 years ago and have now been repatriated to Australia in a ceremony at Trinity College in Cambridge The permanent return of the spears to the La Perouse Aboriginal community was agreed in March last year, following a campaign and a formal repatriation request When Cook landed on the shores at Kamay (Botany Bay) in 1770 his arrival was resisted by Gweagal men. Soon afterwards, the British crew took 40 spears from a local camp, of which four were later given to Trinity College in Cambridge When Cook landed on the shores at Kamay (Botany Bay) in 1770 his arrival was resisted by Gweagal men, the indigenous Australian people of the area. Soon afterwards, the British crew took 40 spears from a local camp, of which four were later given to Trinity College in Cambridge. They have been part of the college's collection since then, and from 1914 were cared for by Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA). Captain Cook, who was born in the Marton area of Middlesbrough, was the first European explorer to set foot in Australia. He also mapped areas including New Zealand and Hawaii, where he was stabbed to death following an altercation with islanders in 1779. However, Dame Sally Davies, the Master of Trinity, has agreed that it was the 'right decision' to return the spears. She added that Trinity College was 'committed to reviewing the complex legacies of the British empire, not least in our collections'. The four spears, which are all that remain of the original 40 spears, are regarded by the Gweagal as national treasures and the tribe still uses a very similar multi-pronged spear to fish today. Members of the La Perouse Aboriginal Community are presented with the so-called Gweagal Spears, in the presence of the Australian High Commissioner and representatives of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies They have been part of the college's collection since then, and from 1914 were cared for by Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Noeleen Timbery, La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and Dame Sally Davies, Master of Trinity look at the Gweagal Spears Ray Ingrey, of La Perouse Aboriginal community group the Gujaga Foundation, said it was a 'momentous occasion for our community'. He said there had been a 'long campaign to have the spears returned, there's been about three generations working on this'. 'We're finally here after all that time. We look forward to bringing them home.' Stephen Smith, Australian High Commissioner to the UK, said it was 'an historic day'. He continued: 'In the modern era, collecting institutions are much more amenable to discussions with indigenous communities whether they're from Australia or elsewhere. 'It's been a great feature of the time that I've spent in the Australian community that many collecting institutions in the UK are keen to engage in those discussions about return of artefacts or repatriation of remains.' Professor Nicholas Thomas, director of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Trinity Fellow, said that the spears were of 'exceptional significance' and were 'taken without the consent of the people'. 'It's right now that they go back,' he said. 'They will mean more, their significance will be enlarged when they're back in Australia.' The Gweagal Spears are displayed at Trinity College Cambridge. Professor Nicholas Thomas, director of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Trinity Fellow, said that the spears were of 'exceptional significance' and were 'taken without the consent of the people' The Gweagal Spears are displayed at Trinity College Cambridge. Some of the spears were returned temporarily to Australia in 2015, and again in 2020, for the first time since they were taken by Captain Cook Members of the La Perouse Aboriginal Community are presented with the Gweagal Spears. The spears will now be displayed at a new visitor centre which is to be built at Kurnell, Kamay Some of the spears were returned temporarily to Australia in 2015, and again in 2020, for the first time since they were taken by Captain Cook. They went on display at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, as part of two exhibitions exploring frontier encounters. The spears will now be displayed at a new visitor centre which is to be built at Kurnell, Kamay. Earlier this year, the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum signed agreements for the temporary return to Ghana of 32 objects they claim are 'indelibly linked to British colonial history'. Experts believe the deal could become a formula for handing over other disputed works, such as loaning the Elgin Marbles back to Athens. The adventures of Captain Cook have been criticed in recent years, and statues of the explorer have been torn down in both Australia and Canada during protests against colonialism. However, he remains a highly respected among some, British academic Robert Tombs said Cook 'epitomised the Age of Enlightenment in which he lived'. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized two of his prominent critics on Tuesday after the Senate voted to advance a $95 billion foreign aid package. McConnell specifically called out former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for opposing funding more foreign aid for Ukraine. 'Demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson - who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, interviewing Vladimir Putin,' McConnell told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, appearing to relish his victory. 'He had enormous audience which convinced a lot of rank and file Republicans.' McConnell specifically called out former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for opposing funding more foreign aid for Ukraine Mitch McConnell celebrated a Senate vote passing more aid for Ukraine and criticized Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump As a Fox News host, Carlson repeatedly questioned why the United States should fund the war in Ukraine as President Joe Biden and members of Congress directed more than $75 billion in assistance after the country was invaded by Russia. Carlson continued advocating against aid for Ukraine even after he was fired by Fox News in April 2023. After starting his own media company, Carlson interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin in February which further angered supporters of Ukraine. The Senate voted 80-19 on Tuesday to advance an additional $61 billion for Ukraine, despite 17 Senate Republicans voting against it. McConnell also took a shot at former President Donald Trump for helping sink a bipartisan Senate bill to secure the border in February. 'We all felt the border was a disaster,' he said. 'First there was an effort to make law which requires you to deal with Democrats. Then our nominee for President didnt seem to want us to anything at all.' In February, Trump helped kill a Senate foreign aid bill that included an additional $20 billion to secure the border and a number of concessions to Democrats on the immigration issue that angered Trump. Mitch McConnell announced he would step down as Senate Republican leader at the end of 2024 Donald Trump helped sink a Senate border bill that McConnell backed in February. Trump decried the bills as 'a great gift to the Democrats, and a Death Wish for The Republican Party.' 'Dont be STUPID!!! We need a separate Border and Immigration bill,' he added. 'It should not be tied to foreign aid in any way, shape or form!' After Trump sank the Senate bill in February, McConnell announced his intention to step aside from the position of Republican leader at the end of 2024. Despite endorsing Trump for president in March, McConnell vowed to fight what he described as a growing 'isolationist' trend in the Republican Party. 'Im particularly involved in actually fighting back against the isolationist movement in my own party,' McConnell said in an interview with a local Kentucky radio station. Troop numbers should be boosted and Typhoon fighter jets kept flying with the extra defence spending announced by the Prime Minister yesterday, senior defence figures say. They called for the expansion of the Armed Forces last night after Rishi Sunak promised an additional 75billion in military funds over the next six years. The Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force will share the desperately needed cash, meaning the services no longer have to cut capabilities. The money should also fill the 29billion 'black hole' in the Ministry of Defence's ten-year Equipment Plan. Last night, former defence minister James Heappey called for an increase in troops and for weapons stockpiles to be replenished as immediate priorities. He suggested that, in a few years, the UK should invest in an integrated air and missile defence system to protect it from enemies. Rishi Sunak promised an additional 75billion in military funds over the next six years Mr Heappey, who backed the Mail's Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign after leaving office, welcomed the opportunities the investment would bring, in the current period of global turbulence. Russia continues to recapture territory in eastern Ukraine, Iran is masterminding attacks against Western targets in the Middle East and China is rapidly expanding its military. Mr Heappey said: 'It was ridiculous that when the threat to the UK was increasing, the Ministry of Defence was having to look for savings. The additional 75billion over the remainder of the decade is an amazing boost. This is a seriously brave move by the Government, in particular in an election year. 'I would be looking at using the additional investment to replenish stockpiles and for some re-growth in our order of battle. Too many units have been hit by recent headcount restrictions.' The Army is due to shrink to just 73,000 regular troops by next year. With extra cash, the headcount could push back up towards 83,000. The Mail understands 10billion has already been set aside to pay for weapons to replace those gifted to Ukraine. The certainty that higher defence spending will continue through the 2020s and beyond should send a signal to defence manufacturers to increase their production lines. The investment will also underpin big-ticket defence projects such as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) a collaboration between the UK, Italy and Japan to create a sixth generation fighter jet. Troops could be in line for pay rises and should see more resources committed to their accommodation. Poor housing is considered to be one of the main reasons that personnel sign off. Former defence minister Mark Francois said some of the money should be spent on retaining 30 Tranche 1 Typhoon fighter jets, which are due to be withdrawn from service in 2025. The RAF has decided to ground the aircraft, five years ahead of schedule, to save money. The jets are expected to be cannibalised for spare parts so the RAF's remaining 107 Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 Typhoons can continue to fly. Given the threat to UK and Nato airspace posed by Russian aircraft, Mr Francois has likened the decision to 'selling off Spitfires before the Battle of Britain'. He said he 'warmly welcomes' the Prime Minister's announcement, adding: 'We need to use part of this significant new investment to rebuild our air defences.' The Royal Navy should now become more potent in the years ahead. The senior service wants to fit missiles that can strike targets inland to its latest generation submarines and surface ships. The Navy is also investing heavily in drones. Additional expenditure could help the service to address spending deficiencies in the wider submarine development and maintenance programmes. Biggest boost for defence in a generation By Jason Groves, Political Editor, in Warsaw Rishi Sunak yesterday unveiled a 75billion boost to put Britain's defence industry on a 'war footing'. Hailing a 'turning point' in national security, he said military spending would rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP by the end of the decade, securing the UK's place as 'by far the largest defence power in Europe'. It is a major victory for the Mail's Don't Leave Britain Defenceless Campaign, which was launched after military spending missed out in last month's budget. It also draws a potential election dividing line with Labour. Mr Sunak warned the world faces the most 'volatile and dangerous' situation in decades, with an 'axis' of adversaries including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea co-operating to undermine the West. Speaking alongside Nato's secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Warsaw, the PM said: 'We did not choose this moment, but it falls to us to meet it. Rishi Sunak yesterday unveiled a 75billion boost to put Britain's defence industry on a 'war footing' 'In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent. As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values. 'That is why today I am announcing the biggest strengthening of our national defence for a generation. 'We will increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 a plan that delivers an additional 75billion for defence by the end of the decade and secures our place as by far the largest defence power in Europe. 'Today is a turning point for European security and a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom. 'It is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad.' The move follows intense criticism from Tory MPs and defence experts who said the UK was moving too slowly to raise spending from its current level of 2.3 per cent of GDP. Despite the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East, Mr Sunak had refused to set out a timetable for shoring up Britain's defences. The commitment will be paid for in part by reducing civil service numbers by 70,000, taking them back to their pre-pandemic level. Writing in the Mail today, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps (pictured) hails this paper's 'brilliant' campaign on the issue Writing in the Mail today, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps hails this paper's 'brilliant' campaign on the issue. 'This fully funded commitment will mean we can defend our values by making sure our Armed Forces are fighting fit, now and in the future,' he says. Mr Sunak urged fellow Nato countries to increase their own defence spending, saying that raising the level to 2.5 per cent across the alliance would generate an extra 140billion a year. After Donald Trump's accusations that European Nato members failed to pay their way while he was in the White House, Mr Sunak said: 'We cannot keep expecting America to pay any price or bear any burden if we ourselves are unwilling to make greater sacrifices for our own security.' Government sources said the defence budget would now rise in real terms every year to the end of the decade, increasing from 64.6billion this year to 87.1billion by 2030. In a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday, Mr Sunak told the Ukrainian president that Britain would guarantee at least 3billion a year to help his country in its fight for survival against Russia. The PM and Mr Stoltenberg both argued yesterday that arming Ukraine was a vital part of Western defence. Mr Sunak said the crisis in the Middle East should not divert attention from the fact that Europe faces war on its own continent. The new cash will include 10billion to build up Britain's defence industry in order to increase the supply of munitions and restore stockpiles depleted by shipments to Ukraine. A new Defence Innovation Agency will co-ordinate work on a new generation of weapons, including lasers, hypersonic missiles and military space hardware. Renewed efforts will also be made to improve the UK's notoriously wasteful defence procurement systems. Mr Shapps said: 'We are living in a much more dangerous world. Between Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Iran and its proxies seeking to escalate deadly conflict, and China flexing its muscles, there can be no doubt that the era of the peace dividend is clearly over.' Labour welcomed the announcement of more support for Ukraine but said it wanted to 'examine the detail' of the wider spending announcement before deciding whether to match it. The party's defence spokesman John Healey said: 'Labour wants to see a fully funded plan to reach 2.5 per cent, but the Tories have shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted on defence and we will examine the detail of their announcement closely.' The Home Office has said it 'does not recognise' claims that staff on the Bibby Stockholm barge joked there was 'one less Muslim mouth to feed' after an asylum seeker on board died. The incident is said to have happened shortly after Leonard Farruku, an Albanian asylum seeker, died while living on board the barge in December. The 27-year-old is thought to have taken his own life. Alongside the allegation, multiple former residents told an inquiry conditions on the barge were like being 'in prison'. One said it made them feel like a 'zoo animal', while another claimed security staff had told them to 'keep your mouth shut'. A cleaner on the barge spoke at a meeting in Parliament and said she heard other staff 'talking about Leonard and laughing and joking 'Oh that is one less Muslim mouth to feed''. She said it was 'difficult' to raise concerns and added she was once given a 'verbal warning for being too 'friendly' after she stood near two of the residents. The ex-employee also claimed senior staff had made comments that were 'often hostile, and possibly racist'. Leonard Farruku (pictured) was found unresponsive on board the accommodation vessel People are seen carrying rucksacks and plastic bags as they climb aboard the Bibby Stockholm in August 2023. But the accommodation has come under fire by residents living onboard A man arranges a floral wreath on Leonard Farruku's grave as he was laid to rest in Tirana The 27-year-old Albanian was laid to rest at a funeral in Tirana, Albania, after being transported The Bibby Stockholm, moored off the coast of Portland in Dorset, is the only accommodation barge for migrants commissioned so far by ministers and has faced a series of setbacks since its arrival. The discovery of dangerous bacteria led to its evacuation last summer just days after the arrival of the first asylum seekers, and it remained vacant for two months. The Bibby Stockholm: A People's Inquiry spoke to a number of former residents for first-hand accounts of what life was like on the vessel. The report, produced by Care4Calais, Stand Up To Racism and the Portland Global Friendship Group, called for the immediate closure of the barge and no renewal of its contract, as well as investment in asylum claim decision-makers. Levana, who worked as a cleaner on the barge from its opening until late December, spoke at a meeting in Parliament launching the report. The ex-employee, who did not wish to give her surname, said she heard other staff 'talking about Leonard and laughing and joking "Oh that is one less Muslim mouth to feed".' 'It was just disgusting. That was the overall vibe from a lot of the workers there.' She added: 'And I was starting to think: why put these people that have these views and prejudice in charge of looking after hundreds of men who have come here for safe haven?' James Cleverly has claimed the closure of 150 asylum hotels shows the government is 'delivering' on its plan to phase out their use and switch over to cheaper accommodation The Bibby Stockholm, moored off the coast of Portland in Dorset, is the only accommodation barge for migrants commissioned so far by ministers and has faced a series of setbacks The barge has 222 cabins along narrow corridors (pictured) A view inside the gym onboard the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge Those onboard the Bibby Stockholm shared the first clips of the barge in operation Asked if she had raised the incident, which happened 'within a week' of Mr Farruku's death, she said she did not feel able to do so. 'Maybe I should have spoken out, but the position I was in at that time it was quite difficult to speak to them about anything and I know it was something they would have just dismissed,' she said. In testimony for the report, she said she was given a warning by a manager on December 12 last year after standing with two of the barge's residents on their break. 'I was told that I was being given a verbal warning because I should not be friendly with the service users in this way,' she said. READ MORE - Home Office boasts that 20,000 asylum seekers and refugees are being moved out of hotels - but most are being moved to private rented homes as young families battle to get accommodation Advertisement 'After this I worked one more booked shift and then was offered no further work, even though other staff were being offered shifts.' Levana said she had found the residents to be respectful, helpful and polite, but senior staff had made comments that were 'often hostile, and possibly racist'. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We do not recognise the claims made in this report. 'The Bibby Stockholm is part of the government's plan to reduce the use of expensive hotels and bring forward alternative accommodation options which are more cost effective, sustainable and manageable for the taxpayer and local communities. 'There are rigorous safeguarding processes in place on the barge. Residents have access to health and social care services, including mental health support. multiple former residents told an inquiry conditions on the barge were like being 'in prison' The Home Office has now secured around 16,000 rental properties for asylum seekers 'If concerns are raised about any aspect of the service delivered, we work with the provider to ensure these are swiftly addressed, and Migrant Help 24/7 is also available every day of the year.' The first initials of refugees who gave evidence for the report were used instead of their names, to protect their identity. Referred to only as A, a queer refugee who moved from the barge only after charities lodged safeguarding concerns said the conditions left them feeling paranoid and they 'felt like I was going insane as soon as I got there'. A said there was no privacy anywhere on vessel, adding: 'On the barge I sometimes just felt like a zoo animal.' Another former resident, S, told the inquiry: 'When leaving and entering we have to be scanned, like airport security. Many people don't go outside because of this. 'They stayed inside and tried to do something in the 'common rooms'. But there is not enough space for people. 'One day I was standing in the restaurant and I said the food was not good. The security staff said 'Keep your mouth shut and sit down'.' The Home Office shelved plans to procure more barges to hold asylum seekers in January. The Bibby Stockholm was accommodating just under half the number of migrants the Home Office expected would be the case at the end of that month. Campaigners brought bunches of flowers and welcome packs containing toiletries and other useful items to give them to asylum seekers arriving on the Bibby Stockholm barge Some of the brown card bags containing bunches of flowers given to asylum seekers It was reported previously that Leonard had 'conflicts with security guards' the day before his death. Other migrants said at the time that the man had hung himself in the barge's communal bathroom. They said he had been crying out for help the day before and asked for an emergency doctors appointment but 'didn't get any assistance'. He later went back to his room where he was heard 'screaming and punching the walls' before security intervened and 'told him to stop'. His roommate Yusuf Deen Kargbo, from Sierra Leone, said others on board were struggling to cope due to the confined conditions on the barge. Aan inquest heard Mr Farruku had died from 'compression of the neck' caused by 'suspension by ligature'. Mr Kargbo said his roommate's body went undiscovered for 12 hours. Mr Farruku, who was born just outside Durres, Albania's second largest city, had come to the UK to find work and secure indefinite leave to remain, his sister said. Other asylum seekers living with him on board the vessel reported he was 'screaming very loudly' at 3am and was seen banging against the walls of his cabin. Earlier this month, The Home Office announced it had moved 20,000 asylum seekers out of hotels, with most moved into private rented homes sourced by officials. Home Secretary James Cleverly claimed the closure of 150 asylum hotels shows the government is 'delivering' on its plan to phase out their use and switch over to cheaper accommodation. Some residents have moved into one of the government's two large accommodation centres, the Bibby Stockholm barge and MoD Wethersfield in Essex, but given both sites have a capacity of just 1306 most are now in residential homes. The Home Office has secured around 16,000 rental properties for asylum seekers, prompting controversy due to the acute shortage of homes for young Britons and families. For free, confidential help from Samaritans call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org Building China-Cambodia community with shared future enters new era: Chinese FM Xinhua) 13:09, April 23, 2024 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Kok Ky/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high level, high quality, and high standard. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on Monday afternoon. Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high level, high quality and high standard, Wang said, adding that this year marks the beginning of building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era and is also the China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year. Wang said China is willing to work with Cambodia to implement high-level consensus as the main line, inherit and carry forward China-Cambodia's fine traditions of high mutual trust, unity and collaboration, and mutual benefit, and promote the implementation of major projects such as the Industrial Development Corridor and the Fish and Rice Corridor as soon as possible. He added that China is ready to strengthen exchanges of experience in state governance, intensify cooperation between legislative bodies, and promote inter-party exchanges to a new level, so China-Cambodia friendship can bring more benefits to the two peoples. For his part, Hun Sen said China is Cambodia's close friend and strategic partner, and Cambodia remains determined to pursue friendly policies with China and to promote cooperation with China. He said the seventh meeting of the Cambodia-China Intergovernmental Coordination Committee was successfully held, with a lot of consensuses reached, which reflected the high degree of political mutual trust between the two sides and will provide vital impetus for the development of Cambodia. Hun Sen hopes that the two sides will further expand the areas of cooperation, enrich the connotation of cooperation, implement more major projects, and promote continuous new and positive progress towards building a community with a shared future for the two countries in the new era. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The former partner of a Russian oligarch dubbed 'Putin's banker' claims he attacked her then 'sedated and handcuffed' her when she tried to tell police. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, 50, said billionaire Sergei Pugachev subjected her to years of 'horrific' physical and emotional abuse before he was forced into exile in 2015. In an emotional interview, the Anglo-Russian aristocrat accused him of repeatedly hitting her, drugging her, isolating her from her friends and even trying to abduct their children. Countess Tolstoy, a travel writer who also runs a horse-riding holiday business, met Pugachev in 2008. They went on to have three children but Miss Tolstoy says her ex-partner has refused to pay a penny to support their sons, Alexei and Ivan, and daughter Maria over the past five years. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy with her former partner, billionaire oligarch Sergei Pugachev on holiday in 2013, two years before he was forced into exile Pugachev earned the nickname 'Putin's Banker' because of his close ties with the Russian president in the early 2000s (Putin and Pugachev pictured in 2000) Countess Tolstoy in London in 2016. She claims Pugachev would go 'absolutely mental, screaming at me, just the most appalling abuse' Sergei Pugachev pictured in Paris in 2015 after he fled to France following allegations around the legitimacy of his business ventures Countess Alexandra Tolstoy pictured at her Oxfordshire home in 2021. She claims Pugachev has had her family followed whilst in exile in France She also alleges that Pugachev, 61 who earned his 'Putin's banker' nickname over his close ties to the Russian president in the early 2000s has had her family followed, even though he now lives in France after his UK assets were frozen. Detailing the daily abuse she claims to have faced, the Dorset-born adventurer and broadcaster told Rachel Johnsons Difficult Women podcast: 'He went absolutely mental. Screaming at me, just the most appalling abuse 'There was a lot of testing how far can I go, what can I do? And once I was pregnant he knew there was not really any going back.' READ MORE: Countess Alexandra Tolstoy demands answers from NatWest after claiming it wrongly closed her account because of her Russian ex-husband Advertisement She added: 'I think the worst episode ever, we were in Moscow, and I went out with a girlfriend to dinner and when I came back he flew out of his room, ripped off my dress, and attacked me physically.' She said she was 'terrified' and ran to a police station: 'I said, 'Look, I've just been attacked', and they [said they] knew exactly who Sergei was and they were not going to help me.' Miss Tolstoy, who is distantly related to War and Peace author Leo Tolstoy, says Pugachev had her sedated after the incident. 'He then got a psychiatrist to come and inject me with a sedative and handcuff me because he said that I was mad When I came round I had bruises.' She said a similar incident took place in London shortly after, with Pugachev punching her in the face. The countess rang the police but says they asked her in front of Pugachev if she wanted to make a complaint. She was 'so frightened' she told them she did not. She hasn't seen Pugachev since he fled to France following allegations surrounding the legitimacy of his business ventures. Miss Tolstoy told the podcast: '(It wasn't) just verbal abuse but the abuse of completely gaslighting, taking over control of my life, cutting out my friends. He's tried to abduct the children all sorts of horrible, awful things.' Pugachev helped to finance Putin as he came to power. He controlled an empire of shipyards, a coal mine and luxury brands, but fell from grace when he was accused by the Kremlin of enriching himself through Mezhprombank, which he co-founded, before it collapsed in 2010. He made a deathbed confession that led authorities to their bodies on Monday Larry Webb was charged in connection to their disappearance in October 2023 A West Virginia man indicted for killing a mother and her daughter made a deathbed confession in the 24-year-old cold case. Larry Webb, who was in his 80s, was indicted on murder charges in October 2023 for the 2000 disappearance of Susan Carter, 41, and her 10-year-old daughter, Natasha 'Alex' Carter. The mother and daughter had not been seen since August 8, 2000, and had been living at Webb's house at the time of their disappearance. Police said Webb, who reportedly had dementia, suffered a medical episode on Monday at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex and made a confession that led authorities to find their bodies. 'It was a detailed, undeniable, unconflicted confession,' Raleigh County Prosecutor Ben Hatfield said. Webb indicated 'that he believed he had to shoot Alex Carter to avoid detection for having killed Susan Carter.' The remains of Susan Carter, 41, and her 10-year-old daughter, Natasha 'Alex' Carter (pictured), were discovered nearly 24 years after they went missing Larry Webb confessed to killing Susan (pictured) and her daughter on his deathbed Webb (pictured) suffered a medical episode on Monday at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex and made a confession that led authorities to find their bodies His confession led authorities to find their remains on Monday at Webb's home on the 100 block of Kyle Lane in Beckley, reported WSAZ. 'It's kind of a sad day, but also a happy day because I can bring my baby home,' said Rick Lafferty, Alex's father. Authorities said Webb shot Susan after allegedly discovering some money was missing from the home, then killed Alex to cover up Susan's murder. Webb wrapped the bodies in bed linens and placed them in his basement that night. Over the next two nights, Webb dug a shallow grave in the woods on his property, burying the mother and daughter in their clothes, Hatfield said. 'The way the crime was detailed to us by Larry Webb and the condition we found the bodies in confirmed for us with a high degree of certainty that the two bodies found are those of Susan and Alex Carter,' FBI Supervisory Special Agent Tony Rausa said. Before he died, Webb was brought to the excavation site, 'but his mind is not what it used to be,' Rausa said. 'He couldn't pinpoint the location. And with surgical precision, these two operators worked those excavators and literally went row by row by row.' Webb shot Susan after allegedly discovering some money was missing from the home, then killed Alex to cover up Susan's murder. He buried their bodies in his backyard Webb was pronounced dead at a hospital six hours before the remains were discovered. He was indicted in October on a murder charge in the girl's disappearance, but his incarceration was delayed until this month due to his deteriorating health. Police executed search warrants at Webb's home in 2022 and 2023. During one of those searches a bullet was extracted from a bedroom wall and DNA tests eventually confirmed blood on the bullet belonged to Alex. During one of those searches, Webb told WVNS he did not know what happened to the girl and did not know when he last saw her. 'I've looked for them, over the years, I even went to Cleveland and looked for them,' said Webb. 'I don't know. I just know I loved her with all my heart, and I loved that little girl, too.' Rishi Sunak will today unveil plans for deeper defence cooperation with Germany, as he hails a 'new chapter' in relations. The Prime Minister arrived in Berlin last night ahead of talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which are expected to focus on security, trade and migration. Speaking ahead of the meeting, the PM revealed plans for the two countries to develop a new generation of remote-controlled artillery designed for European defence. A Government source said the new 155mm howitzer would provide 'battle winning capabilities for future ground warfare' as well as creating hundreds or jobs in both countries. Mr Sunak said: 'The UK and Germany are European powerhouses. Together, we are stronger - whether that is defending against Russian aggression or driving economic growth and technological advance. Rishi Sunak will today unveil plans for deeper defence cooperation with Germany , as he hails a 'new chapter' in relations The Prime Minister arrived in Berlin last night ahead of talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (pictured), which are expected to focus on security, trade and migration 'Today we are opening a new chapter in our relationship, one that will make us safer and more prosperous. At this dangerous moment for the world, the UK and Germany are standing side by side to preserve security and prosperity at home and across our continent.' Today's visit is the first to Berlin since Mr Sunak became PM. It follows reports that German diplomats were unhappy that the PM had not appeared to make the country a priority. The two leaders will focus heavily on defence today, with both committed to big increases in military spending in the wake of Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. But sources said they would also discuss cooperation on renewable energy and other areas, with German firms like RWE committed to spending billions on developing new wind farms in Britain. Former President Donald Trump met with yet another foreign leader as he simultaneously seeks to reclaim the White House while sitting to hear tawdry testimony in the Stormy Daniels 'hush' money trial. Trump met former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso Tuesday, sitting down with one of the country's most influential politicians on a day he had to sit for hours in a Manhattan courthouse to hear testimony from longtime friend David Pecker about 'catch and kill' operations to bury embarrassing accusations. The two met at Trump Tower, where Trump has been making his near daily commute to the Manhattan courthouse. 'He's a highly respected man,' Trump said in brief remarks with Aso at Trump Tower. Then he talked up the late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. 'We love Shinzo,' Trump said, calling him a 'great man' who was 'highly respected. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump meets with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan in New York, hours after attending the Stormy Daniels trial nearby It was a welcome photo op for Trump, who heard prosecutors ask Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher, questions about efforts to suppress former Playboy model Karen McDougal's claims of an affair while working with Trump fixer Michael Cohen to run stories to take on Trump's GOP rivals. Aso is just the latest foreign leader to spend time with Trump in recent weeks as U.S. allies prepare for the possibility that he could win back the White House this November. 'Leaders from around the world know that with President Trump we had a safer, more peaceful world,' said Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes in a statement. 'Meetings and calls from world leaders reflect the recognition of what we already know here at home. Joe Biden is weak, and when President Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, the world will be more secure and America will be more prosperous.' FILE - Then Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan speaks with reporters during a news conference at the end of the financial summit in Washington, Nov. 15, 2008. Former President Donald Trump is meeting with another foreign leader while he's in New York for his criminal hush money trial. The presumptive GOP nominee will host former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso at Trump Tower Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the plans. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Trump met last week with Polish President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower and also met recently with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The White House earlier this month brushed off questions about Trump's meetings with the string of dignitaries. 'The UK noted earlier this week it is common for officials from other countries to meet with representatives of different parties. That includes the United States, as we routinely meet with political leaders of different parties as well,' said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Trump was close with Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese prime minister who was assassinated in 2022 and their relationship underscored the premium Trump puts on personal ties when it comes to foreign affairs. Aso, 83, served as deputy prime minister and finance minister under Abe and is now vice president of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party and considered a kingmaker in the country. His trip comes amid growing concern in Japan over the impact of a possible Trump victory on the country's trade relations and security ties with the U.S. Trump has threatened to impose broad new tariffs if he wins a second term and has generally approached international agreements with skepticism. Early Tuesday morning, Trump complained about the U.S. dollar reaching a new high against the Japanese yen, calling it 'a total disaster for the United States.' 'When I was President, I spent a good deal of time telling Japan and China, in particular, you cant do that,' he wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'It sounds good to stupid people, but it is a disaster for our manufacturers and others.' The U.S. dollar is trading at above 150 yen recently, up from 130-yen mark a year ago, which has made it more costly for Japan to import goods but has boosted exports. Aso visited the U.S. in January, when he met with Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee who served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan when Trump was in the White House. On Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa declined to comment on Asos trip, saying 'the government is not involved and its his personal activity' as a lawmaker. President Joe Biden hosted current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House for talks and a state dinner earlier this month. During the visit, the leaders announced plans to upgrade U.S.-Japan military relations, with both sides looking to tighten cooperation amid concerns about North Koreas nuclear program and Chinas increasing military assertiveness in the Pacific. ___ Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report from Tokyo. Elon Musk has branded Jacqui Lambie an 'enemy' of the Australian people for deleting her X account following her scathing tirade against the boss of the social media site. The war of words erupted when Lambie urged other politicians to boycott X, formerly Twitter, when the company refused to take down footage of the Wakeley church stabbing from the platform. Musk criticised the independent senator from Tasmania in posts overnight, writing: 'Absolutely. She (Jacqui Lambie) is an enemy of the Australian people.' In a separate post Musk added Lambie 'has utter contempt for the Australian people'. Lambie deleted her X account on Tuesday after using the online platform to unleash a scathing attack on the billionaire. Elon Musk (pictured) has slammed independent Senator Jacqui Lambie after she deleted her X account and urged other politicians to do the same The billionaire X boss labelled Senator Lambie as an 'enemy' to the Australian people (pictured) The senator called Musk an 'absolute friggin' disgrace', claiming he should be jailed for his refusal to remove content about the alleged stabbing at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in western Sydney. '(Elon Musk) is a social media knob with no social conscience. Someone like that should be in jail,' Senator Lambie told Sky News on Tuesday. 'I don't give a stuff about the platform. 'When you want to lead by example, it has to happen from here, so start switching off X.' The X account for Senator Lambie's party, the Jacqui Lambie Network, remains active on the platform despite the last post being published in 2022. It comes as Musk intensified his feud with Australian regulators this week. X was ordered by the Federal Court late on Monday to block all users from viewing footage related to an alleged terrorist attack by a 16-year-old boy on Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a live-streamed service on April 15 at Wakeley in western Sydney. X has temporarily complied with the order in Australia while taking out a two-day injunction - but argued a global takedown order violates the principle of free speech. 'We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA,' Musk posted to X. Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie (pictured) deleted her X account and urged other politicians to do the same after Musk refused to remove content of the alleged stabbing of a bishop in a Wakeley church A failure to comply with a court's ruling to remove posts could see X fined almost $800,000 a day and executives be held in contempt of court. On Tuesday, Musk shared a post stating Mr Albanese had only succeeded in giving X free advertising by complaining that that it was the only social media platform not to have bowed to the censorship demands of Australia's eSafety commissioner. 'I'd like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one,' Mr Musk said. 'Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian "eSafety Commissar" is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet. 'We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA. 'Should the eSafety Commissar (an unelected official) in Australia have authority over all countries on Earth?' Elon Musk thanked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for inadvertently promoting X as a free-speech haven by trying to force the platform to remove violent videos Mr Musk has openly mocked Mr Albanese on his social media platform X Mr Albanese branded Mr Musk as 'arrogant' for defying the demands of eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant - a former Twitter employee - which he said were only enforcing 'common decency'. 'He [Mr Musk] is someone who is totally out of touch with the values that Australian families have,' Mr Albanese said. 'He's putting his ego and putting his dollars towards taking a court case for the right to put more violent content on that will cause distress to people who are on his platform. 'Other social media operators have accepted the decision of the eSafety Commissioner. 'Surely social media needs to have some element of social responsibility. This is essentially a common sense position by the eSafety commissioner.' Mr Albanese said the eSafety Commissioner was 'doing her job to protect the interests of Australians'. 'The idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out of touch Mr Musk is,' Mr Albanese said. 'Social media needs to have social responsibility with it. Mr Musk is not showing any.' Asked whether the commissioner could be granted stronger powers or if access to X in Australia should be cut, the prime minister said the government was looking at what measures could be taken. 'No one wants censorship here - what we want, though, is the application of a bit of common sense so you don't show and propagate violence online,' Mr Albanese said. The disgraced former school cop who was on the run after shooting his ex-wife and 17-year-old girlfriend before kidnapping his one-year-old son was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Oregon State Police confirmed. Elias Huizar, 39, killed his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez at William Wiley Elementary school on Monday afternoon during dismissal, according to Washington State Police. The couple's nine-year-old son told police that he watched his father shoot his mother several times. Police searching for Huizar found a second victim, his girlfriend Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, dead in his home, which is on the same block as the West Richland school. First-degree murder charges were filed against him late Monday night, as well as an aggravated circumstance allegation of domestic violence and firearm enhancement. Police across Washington and Oregon, as well as federal law enforcement, had begun a manhunt that ended around 3pm local time Monday, when police vehicles began a pursuit. Eventually, Huizar crashed into a vehicle, spun into the median of the I-5 highway in Oregon and stopped his 2009 Toyota Corolla. Before police could establish contact, he'd shot himself in the head and was declared dead at the scene, Oregon State Trooper Kyle Kennedy confirmed at a press conference Tuesday night. His one-year-old son with the Santos, Roman, was found safe and is currently being cared for by officials. Elias Huizar, 39, the disgraced former school cop who was on the run after shooting his ex-wife and 17-year-old girlfriend before kidnapping his one-year-old son was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Oregon State Police confirmed His one-year-old son with the teenager, Roman Santos, was found safe. A spokesperson for Washington State Police confirmed to DailyMail.com that the Amber Alert has been canceled. Police were seen carrying the baby away from Huizar's alleged vehicle The troopers began chasing ex-Yakima, Washington officer Elias Huizar when they saw him driving southbound on Interstate 5 near Eugene, Oregon, at about 3pm local time Tuesday Law enforcement secures the scene of a traffic stop on Interstate 5 north of Eugene where Huizar was found dead 'Our goal has been to bring Roman Santos home safely. Roman is safe and in the care of Oregon officials,' Kennedy said. 'He is doing well and being cared for. We are very, very thankful.' Kennedy said at a media briefing Tuesday evening that Huizar fled after a trooper tried to pull over his vehicle. Troopers pursued Huizar's vehicle at high speeds and at one point exchanged gunfire with him, according to Kennedy. The pursuit, over about 25 miles, ended when Huizar's vehicle hit a commercial vehicle that was stopped on the interstate because of an unrelated crash. Huizar's vehicle spun and became immobile in the median, and when troopers tried to make contact with him, he shot himself and died at the scene, Kennedy said. There were no other injuries reported in connection with the chase and manhunt of Huizar. Huizar killed his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez at William Wiley Elementary school on Monday afternoon during dismissal, according to Washington State Police. This image provided by KEZI 9 News shows traffic on Interstate 5 on Tuesday A spokesman for the state police said at a media briefing Tuesday evening that Huizar fled after a trooper tried to pull over his vehicle The former couples nine-year-old son told officers that 'he observed his father, Elias Huizar, shoot his mother,' documents say. Rodriguez worked at the school, while Huizar had recently worked as a substitute teacher in the Richland School District, the district confirmed in a Facebook post Tuesday. Police searching for Huizar found a second victim, his girlfriend 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, dead in his home, which is on the same block as the school. According to court filings earlier this year, Huizar met the girl as a school resource officer in Yakima. She was 11 when they met, and 15 when he impregnated her, Rodriguez wrote in seeking a protection order against him. The Yakima Police Department said in a Facebook post Tuesday that Huizar left the department in 2021 'after receiving discipline.' It did not provide any other information. Huizar, a former Yakima police officer, shared Roman with Santos, who was 15 years old when she was impregnated, according to police. The former school cop was due in court Monday to face child rape charges; he is accused of raping his underaged girlfriend and her 16-year-old friend. Police believe that Amber Marie Rodriguez was shot dead by her estranged husband outside of the elementary school where she works on Monday afternoon Police searching for Huizar found a second victim, his girlfriend 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, dead in his home, which is on the same block as the school The troopers began chasing ex-Yakima, Washington officer Elias Huizar when they saw him driving southbound on Interstate 5 In February, Huizar pleaded not guilty to rape charges. Days before the two murders, Rodriguez had filed for a new custody arrangement involving their two children. Rodriguez wrote in her petition for a protection order that her divorce from Huizar became final last year, and she had not been aware that he was having a relationship with the same teen he had met as a resource officer until he was charged with rape. The ex-wife worked at the school where she was killed, according to the Washington State Police. In addition Rodriguez also worked as a real estate agent. She said she feared for the safety of her children, and said she would be seeking a modification of their parenting plan. Rodriguez filed for the modification last Friday, court records show. The protection order was issued in February and was to remain in effect for a year; under it, he was barred from possessing firearms. The Richland School District said it terminated Huizar's employment following his arrest in February. It said it had received recommendations from the Yakima School District before hiring him in 2022, and that he had passed background checks. 'We are extremely disheartened that information about Mr. Huizars past was not disclosed to us through the various processes we have in place to vet RSD candidates for employment,' the district said. 'It is the expectation for individuals who apply for employment with RSD to be forthcoming and truthful in their applications.' Rodriguez worked at the school where she was killed, according to the Washington State Police. In addition Rodriguez also worked as a real estate agent Angelica's brother Damien Santos wrote: 'It breaks my heart to write this but unfortunately my sister has passed away at the young age of 17 November 5 2006 - April 22 2024' Santos' family appeared to at first believe that she had been abducted alongside her son, asking people on Facebook for help finding them. However, hours later the family confirmed that Santos had been killed. Her brother Damien Santos wrote: 'It breaks my heart to write this but unfortunately my sister has passed away at the young age of 17 November 5 2006 - April 22 2024.' The former school cop was due in court accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old girl and his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he is believed to have impregnated when she was 15, according to multiple reports. Police did not confirm if the girlfriend Huizar is accused of raping and impregnating is the girlfriend found dead in his home or if he had moved on to a new relationship. Huizar and Rodriguez divorced in 2020 and share two children. Following the rape charges, Rodriguez filed to modify their custody agreement and had requested a protection order, because she believed he was a threat to her and their children. Rodriguez claimed Huizar has been harassing her since the divorce and says he was mentally and emotionally unstable. He also owns guns, she said. It was unclear what the result of the case was, a hearing had been set for May 14. Elias Huizar, 39, was labeled as 'armed and dangerous' as police have connected him to the murder of his ex-wife and girlfriend In addition to working at the school, Rodriguez also worked as a real estate agent Her family has identified the second victim as 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos, the mother of the one-year-old child abducted, Roman Huizar Family and friends have started Gofundme's for both Rodriguez and Santos. Huizar served with the police department between 2014 and 2022 and was assigned to be a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima. It was not clear where he was employed after he'd left the department. On February 3, he was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland. Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a baby who was nine months old at the time of his February court appearance, according to the Tri-City Herald. The Tri-City Herald reported that Huizar secured a protection order against his teenage girlfriend in 2019 after she told friends they were in a relationship and the friends reported it to the school principal. The girl denied it and claimed her account had been hacked when social media posts about the alleged relationship were revealed. 'A criminal investigation was completed by the Attorney General's Office and the case was unfounded,' Huizar wrote in his petition for the protection order. '(She) was then expelled from school.' Huizar was on the run after the Monday afternoon shooting just outside of William Wiley Elementary School, where his ex-wife was shot and killed Authorities confirmed that a dead body had been found at Huizar's home as they were conducting a search. Police said he also killed his girlfriend Family has identified the second victim as 17-year-old Angelica 'Jelly' Santos The petition claimed the girl had contacted Huizar's then wife, downloaded photos from the couple's Facebook pages, and taken 'numerous' covert photos of Huizar. Yakima County Judge Gayle Harthcock approved the protection order that prevented the girl from coming within 500 feet of him or his family for a year. The girl claims in the court documents that Huizar contacted her in 2022 when she was 15 and they began a relationship. Their child was born in April last year, and the pair began living together in the West Richland home when she was 17. The age of consent law in Washington is 16 years old, though police have been investigating whether he slept with her before that. In the most recent alleged rape, the 17-year-old girlfriend had gone to sleep in a spare room next to her 16-year-old friend who was feeling sick after all three had spent the evening drinking at the home on February 3, court documents record. She then woke to find Huizar attacking her drunken friend before he left the room 'like nothing had happened', when she confronted him, according to the Tri-City Herald. Huizar was charged with second-degree rape, furnishing alcohol for minors, and third-degree rape over his relationship with the 17-year-old. His bail was set at $200,000 but he has since bonded out of jail with stipulations that he doesn't contact either of the teens or consume any alcohol. On February 3, Huizar was arrested after his 17-year-old girlfriend reported him for the attack on her 16-year-old friend who was staying overnight at their home in West Richland Huizar and his underage girlfriend have a 1-year-old baby Richland Police confirmed in a Facebook post they were headed to the scene Monday afternoon The opening date of his trial was set for Monday, according to a local NBC station. DailyMail.com has reached out to Huizar's defense attorney for comment. The school district in Richland, Washington, sent out an alert to parents that confirmed the shooting at William Wiley Elementary earlier Monday. The shooting occurred at 3:23pm local time during dismissal. Nobody else at the school was injured in the shooting there. A resident said he heard four to five gunshots while in his backyard Monday afternoon. 'I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didn't sound like a gun. Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot ,' Chris Worley told the Tri-City Herald. Huizar is a former school cop accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old and his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he impregnated when she was 15 European human rights laws pose a 'real moral hazard' to democracy if they interfere with border control measures, James Cleverly warned last night. In his strongest criticism yet of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Home Secretary suggested legal bids to block immigration measures had been 'perverse'. He added that the Government's Rwanda scheme had faced 'judicial activism'. 'We've seen criticism of this plan and decisions about this plan which, in the UK Government's point of view, is out of step with reality,' Mr Cleverly said during a talk at a Rome-based think-tank. 'We've seen a large amount of judicial activism. It's really important that post-war institutions that we value enormously evolve and adapt to meet modern situations. European human rights laws pose a 'real moral hazard' to democracy if they interfere with border control measures, James Cleverly (pictured) warned last night Michael O'Flaherty (pictured), the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, said the policy of deporting migrants to Rwanda denied people the right to have their asylum claims examined and limited judges' powers 'There is a real moral hazard in saying to a nation state government that it cannot manage its own borders, or make decisions about who does and does not live inside the country. Because that undermines the integrity of the democratic process.' Yesterday a European human rights watchdog warned against deporting migrants to Rwanda. Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, said the policy denied people the right to have their asylum claims examined and limited judges' powers. A No 10 spokesman said: 'Parliament has passed the legislation and it will soon receive Royal Assent.' Illegal migrants facing Rwanda flights are skipping Home Office checks on their whereabouts to avoid being rounded up for removal. Fears grew last night that thousands in Britain may have gone missing during the first three months of this year. Figures, released in response to a Freedom of Information request, show 5,584 bailed migrants refused checks a total of 56,243 times between January 1 and March 31. Some 1,633 Albanians, included in the Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams' tally, avoided 16,028 of the checks, which take place regularly by phone, over the internet, or face to face at police stations. The Government said in late February that more than 33,000 illegal migrants were then on immigration bail, and therefore liable to be removed to Rwanda. Illegal migrants facing Rwanda flights are skipping Home Office checks to avoid being rounded up for removal. The Government said more than 33,000 illegal migrants were then on immigration bail, and therefore liable to be removed to Rwanda (pictured: staff board what was set to be the first plane to transport migrants to Rwanda in 2022) Last night the Home Office refused to give the current numbers of bailed migrants now living freely in the UK. The figure is likely to have increased since February's 33,085, because more are arriving (pictured: a dinghy in the Channel on Tuesday) This means that one in six of those likely to be sent on the flights to the East African country, due to start later this summer, have broken their bail rules and may have absconded. An official Home Office internal briefing document last year warned of the risk of migrants disappearing 'if the capacity to trace people is outstripped by demand'. It added: 'The time elapsed between losing contact with individuals and initiating efforts to locate them can be lengthy. The less time a person has spent in the UK, the smaller their footprint.' Tim Loughton, Tory MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, warned in February of the 'fairly strong possibility' that a significant number of the 33,085 bailed migrants at that date could go missing because they were not in secure deportation centres. The Home Office pointed out: 'Individuals who have failed to report once may report again in the following weeks.' Last night the Home Office refused to give the current numbers of bailed migrants now living freely in the UK. The figure is likely to have increased since February's 33,085, because more are arriving coupled with a lack of space in secure deportation centres. The Mail has learned of the identity of one illegal Albanian migrant aged 28, living 'off radar'. He is afraid of being put on a Rwanda flight for a second time after a narrow squeak last summer. Tim Loughton (pictured), Tory MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, warned in February of the 'fairly strong possibility' that a significant number of the 33,085 bailed migrants at that date could go missing because they were not in secure deportation centres He and six others were taken to the steps of a Home Office plane for deportation but the flight was cancelled after a last-minute European Court of Human Rights ruling. He had been refused asylum despite claiming to be a modern slavery victim who fled Albania to avoid being forced into a drugs gang, according to immigration court papers. He has deliberately lost contact with the Home Office. A woman has been found dead inside a home in northern Victoria with a man known to her assisting police with their inquiries. Emergency services were called to a property on Campbell Road at Cobram, on the NSW border, at about 2.15pm on Tuesday. A woman's body was discovered inside with authorities yet to formally identify her. Emergency responders located the gruesome discovery of a woman's body inside a home on Campbell Rd, Cobram on Tuesday READ MORE: Minister's gut-wrenching reaction after daughter suffered horrific abuse by her then-boyfriend Tanya Plibersek (pictured right with daughter Anna) hopes that victims of domestic abuse will receive greater support Advertisement A Cobram man, 39, is currently being questioned by police. Victoria Police believe the pair were known to each other. Homicide detectives have launched an investigation. 'Police are working to establish the exact circumstances around the death and the investigation remains ongoing,' a statement read. No charges have yet been laid. Anyone with information is urged to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Cobram is located along the Murray River on the border of Victoria and NSW, and has a population of 6,148. The Cobram death follows after the death of two women in regional towns, allegedly at the hands of their former partners. Hannah McGuire, 23 was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young in Clunes near Ballarat. Teaching assistant and mother-of-one Molly Ticehurst, 28, was found dead inside her home in the NSW town of Forbes early on Monday. Ms Ticehurst's ex-boyfriend Daniel Billings, 29, has been charged with her alleged murder. He was on bail for charges including rape, stalking and intimidation when he allegedly murdered Ms Ticehurst. Ms Ticehurst's death has renewed calls for stricter bail laws, which have been back by NSW Premier Chris Minns. Advertisement Rishi Sunak has said the tragic deaths of five people including a young child in the English Channel "underscores" the need for a deterrent offered by his Rwanda scheme. The Prime Minister said the tragedy served as a reminder to the importance of his new legislation which was passed by the Commons shortly after midnight. Speaking to reporters on a plane to Poland, Mr Sunak said: "There are reports of sadly yet more tragic deaths in the Channel this morning. I think that is just a reminder of why our plan is so important because theres a certain element of compassion about everything that were doing. We want to prevent people making these very dangerous crossings. If you look at whats happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people. They are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies." The tragedy was first reported by French media earlier today after the country's coastguard launched a major rescue operation off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Officials have confirmed three men had died alongside a woman and a child, believed to be a four-year-old girl. Our live coverage has now ended Policymakers vow to attract APAC headquarters of global firms By Park Jae-hyuk The government will continue to pursue regulatory reforms and thoroughly review policy suggestions that the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) sent to President Yoon Suk Yeol in February, in order to convince multinational companies to relocate their Asia-Pacific headquarters to Korea from Singapore and Hong Kong, the trade minister said Tuesday. Among AMCHAM's policy suggestions was a request to ease certain regulations that are idiosyncratic to Korea, such as its workplace safety act that can send a CEO to jail if a fatal industrial accident occurs. Expressing gratitude to the U.S. business lobby for its recent publication of a report on strategies to attract regional headquarters of global firms, Minister for Trade Cheong In-kyo emphasized the government's commitment to creating a business-friendly investment environment. The government will continue to pursue labor reforms and other deregulatory measures to satisfy global standards, as the president also clarified that the governments role is to help businesspeople work more freely, he said during a seminar hosted by AMCHAM. I also visited Singapore and Hong Kong 10 years ago to study diverse ways to attract the regional headquarters of global companies. Lee Min-young, director of the foreign investment policy division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy, added that despite previous unsuccessful attempts in 2006, 2013, and 2020, the government has persistently endeavored to attract the regional headquarters of global companies. Regional headquarters can strengthen Koreas supply chain as they accompany facilities for R&D, production and logistics, she said. They can also consolidate bilateral relations between Korea and the U.S. in the long run. The director asked Delta Airlines and other U.S. firms that moved their regional headquarters to Korea to keep providing feedback about what foreign companies need, in order to convince other businesses to move to Korea. Earlier this year, the business lobby sent Yoon a letter, urging the government to ease specific regulations unique to Korea. These include the workplace safety act, which holds CEOs accountable with jail sentences in case of fatal industrial accidents, along with cloud service restrictions and frequently changing tax laws. The chamber also called for a structured government program with targeted incentives to attract foreign investments and to help expatriates adapt to living in Korea. This request received a positive response from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok earlier this month. Given Koreas strengths in economic fundamentals and expertise in critical and emerging technologies, we believe that Korea stands at a significant juncture to establish itself as a regional headquarters in the Asia Pacific. Korea should not take a second seat to any country here in Asia, AMCHAM Chairman James Kim said at the seminar. U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg also said that Korea is at a moment of opportunity to position itself to attract more international businesses. Managing an economy as sophisticated as Koreas is not easy, and there is always room for improvement, he said. AMCHAMs report, along with the Department of States Investment Climate Statement, provide a roadmap to facilitate entry for companies considering regional investments. Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry Executive Vice Chairman Park Il-jun promised that the nations largest business lobby will continue to collaborate closely with foreign chambers to foster a favorable business environment for global companies. An Aussie manufacturing boss says it has become almost impossible to hire Gen Z workers because they 'dont want to get their hands dirty'. It comes as the Albanese government revealed its plan for the future of Australian manufacturing this month, with a $15billion National Reconstruction Fund designed to create jobs and diversify the economy. Stripco Sandblasting and Powder Coating boss Paul Bucciarelli said he is struggling to find young people who want to work at his southwest Sydney factory. 'We are in dire straits in this country when it comes to manufacturing,' he told A Current Affair on Sunday night. 'The problem is there's a stigma in Australia with young people about taking on jobs, rolling up their sleeves and getting your hands dirty.' Manufacturer Paul Bucciarelli said there's a 'stigma' in Australia about 'getting your hands dirty' in a job The Stripco Sandblasting and Powder Coating boss is struggling to find young workers and blames university education (pictured Stripco workers) Mr Bucciarelli said his employees are fast approaching retirement age and he is desperate to fill their jobs with a new generation of workers, but claimed the task was proving near impossible. 'We need a new generation to come through and we have not been able to find them,' he said. He blames an obsession with university education as a major reason why young people don't want to work in manufacturing jobs anymore. '[There are] too many people educated, earning very little money and too much competition in those areas, and in other areas like construction and getting your hands dirty, [there are] not enough people,' Mr Bucciarelli said. Mr Bucciarelli said there were 'too many people educated' and were receiving low salaries in their competitive white collar jobs. The boss blames parents for pushing children 'to educate themselves' Although he added that it is 'not necessarily their fault' and parents are responsible for 'pushing them to educate themselves'. 'Society, government [and] education institutions have educated them in that way,' Mr Bucciarelli said. 'And [pushed] them in that direction to feel like they're entitled.' Working Australians are now typically paying more than $18,000 a year in income taxes - with government revenue rising at a much faster pace than population growth. During the 2022-23 financial year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government collected $278.39billion from personal income taxes. This made up 45 per cent of the Commonwealth's $618.227billion in revenue. The 14.9 per cent annual rise was much steeper than the 2.4 per cent population growth as wages growth boosted tax collections, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Tuesday revealed. With Australia home to 15.13million taxpayers, that left an average income tax bill of $18,395. Working Australians are now typically paying more than $18,000 a year in income taxes - with government revenue rising at a much faster pace than population growth But that was far from the only tax on individuals, with revenue from the health insurance levy rising by 10.2 per cent to $22.273billion. Another $4.147billion was collected from fringe benefits taxes on things like a company car. All up, taxes levied on individuals added up to $304.811billion - or 49 per cent of the federal government's total tax collections. The 10 per cent Goods and Services Tax raised another $86.274billion - or 14 per cent of tax collections. Companies paid $154.883billion in tax - or a quarter of Commonwealth revenue. Treasury's Intergenerational Report in August warned Australians would pay more in personal income taxes unless higher immigration produced more working-age taxpayers to offset the ageing population. 'As the population ages, the personal income tax base is projected to continue to narrow in line with the projected decline in workforce participation,' it said. During the 2022-23 financial year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government collected $278.39billion from personal income taxes - a 14.9 per cent rise 'In the absence of policy change, projections show increasing reliance on personal income tax. 'Taxpayers have declined as a share of the total population since peaking in 200506 despite a similar employment-to-population ratio.' Treasury is still expecting personal income tax receipts to grow from 12 per cent of gross domestic product in 2022-23 to a bit above 14 per cent by 2062-63. Only 12 per cent of Australians aged 70 and over pay income tax, with this group now making up 12.2 per cent of the total population. The Duchess of Sussexs senior royal official, Samantha Cohen, has finally broken cover on the explosive bullying claims that first rocked Kensington Palace in 2021 and still reverberate today. Ms Cohen, a loyal and longstanding former palace aide, has confirmed to an Australian newspaper that she was, indeed, among those interviewed by the Palace in the wake of complaints about the duchesss alleged aggressive behaviour. A small step forward, you might think, but a significant one when it comes to an episode which officials have so far swept under the carpet. Samantha Cohen is not just any courtier, after all. An intelligent, charming Australian, she had been working with the late Queen for 20 years when she was asked to undertake a challenging new assignment. In 2017, Ms Cohen agreed to help the newly engaged Meghan acclimatise to the Royal Family and life in Kensington Palace. Samantha Cohen sits behind the late Queen and the Duchess of Sussex on a visit to Widnes, Cheshire, in June 2018 Her task was to persuade an ambitious, career-minded and outspoken Californian actress to embrace the Royal Familys immutable hierarchy and rigid protocols. Perhaps it was a tall order. Certainly, I believe that Ms Cohen was soon exasperated, within six months or so, and that Meghan either disagreed with, or failed to understand, the non-negotiable elements of royalty. I also believe that members of Samantha Cohens team viewed this as an irresponsible self-indulgence. Both sides would blame a clash of cultures. Could a 36-year-old with a profile adopt the British propensity for understatement? Could she ditch Hollywoods hyperbole in favour of the Palaces low-key, repetitive no comment? It seems not. One year later, after Harry and Meghans glorious May wedding in Windsor, Ms Cohen was in a mood to resign. Samantha Cohen attends Harry and Meghan's wedding in Windsor on May 19, 2018 The Queen honours Samantha Cohen by making her a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November 2016 According to Valentine Lows book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind The Crown, Ms Cohen complained, behind the scenes, that she felt shed been treated harshly and likened the job to working with teenagers. She doesnt go quite so far in her conversation with the Herald Sun, but Ms Cohen does say that she stayed in her role three times as long as she had planned because officials struggled to find a replacement for her. And that, intriguingly, when a new private secretary was eventually found, that person quit during Harry and Meghans tour of Africa in 2019. The Sun Herald quotes Ms Cohen as saying: I was only supposed to stay for six months but stayed for 18 we couldnt find a replacement for me and when we did, we took them on tour to Africa with Harry and Meghan to show them the ropes but they left as well while in Africa. Ms Cohen also confirmed that she was one of a number of courtiers who had been interviewed following a bullying complaint raised by Harry and Meghans communications secretary, Jason Knauf, in 2018 and first revealed by The Times in 2020. Jason Knauf, right, raised a bullying complaint when he was Harry and Meghan's communications secretary in 2018. Pictured with Harry, William and Kate It became clear that three women had formally told Mr Knauf that Meghan was allegedly bullying them. And that, as the complaints accumulated, Mr Knauf started to put together a file. According to leaked email correspondence, Mr Knauff alleged to the Palaces human resources department that Meghan bullied two PAs out of the household within the space of a year and was targeting other female staff. Mr Knauf noted that one departing member of staff had said her encounters with Meghan made her feel sick. I cant stop shaking was another comment cited, and I feel terrified. The correspondence suggested that Mr Knauf was concerned about Ms Cohen herself, indicating that she was experiencing extreme stress. The Sussexes have vigorously denied the allegations. When the bullying claims first emerged, representatives for Meghan said that she rejected the allegations as the 'latest attack on her character'. They said it was particularly unfair when the duchess had been the 'target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma'. In his best-selling memoir Spare, published in January last year, Harry railed against claims, saying: It was so outrageous that even though Meg and I demonstrated their lie with a 25-page report to human resources full of evidence, it was going to be very hard for me to ignore it. The awkward moment when Meghan told another woman not to pose next to Harry at a polo presentation in Florida on April 12 this year. Spectators described it as 'cringeworthy' The final report by the Palace was kept private to protect those taking part, but there is no doubt that there was a growing mood of concern or that the row was becoming personal. As I record in my book, Revenge, William told Harry that Meghans behaviour was unacceptable and that Ms Cohen and others had become suspicious that Meghan had never intended to give up her career and become a loyal member of the family. Did Meghan want to return to America, William wondered? As their conversation became heated, William mentioned staff complaints about being bullied by Meghan. Harry was outraged but the accusations, whether justified or not, were a matter of fact. So was a certain level of staff turnover. Katrina McKeever, a member of Kates communications team, had recently resigned. Kate believed that her departure had been provoked by Meghans criticism of her performance in the run-up to the wedding. After Katrina McKeever, pictured, resigned from the then Duchess of Cambridge's communications team, Kate believed criticism from Meghan had provoked it Melissa Toubati, a personal assistant pictured left, was allegedly 'traumatised' by Meghan's unreasonable behaviour to meet her unattainably precise demands Meghan denied she had been critical, supposedly saying: Its not my job to coddle people, according to The Times. Ms McKeevers grievances had been echoed by others to Jason Knauf. Melissa Toubati, another personal assistant, had also resigned. According to newspaper reports, Ms Toubati was allegedly traumatised by Meghans unreasonable behaviour to meet her unattainably precise demands. Her departure was blamed on a tirade from Meghan, angry that embroidered blankets for guests at a shooting weekend were not the right shade of red. The Sussexes were said not to be disappointed by Ms Toubatis departure but disagreed about the reasons. In 2021, Meghan told a worldwide audience on Oprah that, not only had palace officials done little to protect her, they had gone so far as to conspire against her and Harry. Such a claim will have been deeply disappointing to Ms Cohen and other former staff as they believed they had worked tirelessly to help the couple. It is hugely unfortunate that the bullying complaints have resulted in no resolution either way. To date, the palace lawyers investigation remains under lock and key, a situation which is hard on the accusers and unfair to the accused. Jason Knaufs leaked email correspondence have given us a starting point, but until a few days ago, Ms Cohen and fellow palace staff had remained silent. Now, finally, that dam has been breached and I have no doubt that more will now emerge. The trickle of information will, soon enough, become a stream. Thats not to prejudge the matter or say what the verdict will be. But its very much to the Palaces discredit that, whatever truth we arrive at, it should have to emerge in this painful and unsatisfactory way. Tom Bower is author of Revenge, Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors The 'pink-haired liberal' has become something of a stereotype, but AI can now predict someone's politics based solely on their looks. A new program can spot tiny nuances in people's facial features that correlate to their political leaning - with over 70 percent accuracy. It was trained on hundreds of photos and voting habits of Americans. The results found that liberals tended to have smaller lower faces, their chins were smaller and their lips and noses pointed downward, while conservatives have larger, wider features in the lower halves of their faces. Dr. Michal Kosinski, the study's lead author, warned that facial recognition tools are dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands because millions of people's information could be accessed without their consent. Researchers used facial recognition software to identify a person's political affiliation based on their characteristics. It found that conservatives tended to have wider lower faces while liberals had smaller lower faces and downturned lips and nose Slide me Former President Donald Trump - conservative (left) and President Joe Biden - liberal (right). Trump has a wider jaw line than Biden whose lower face is more narrow with the telltale slightly downturned lips that would label him as a liberal Slide me American conservative political commentator Candace Owens (left) and liberal television host Oprah Winfrey (right). Owens lower face is slightly wider than Winfrey's which is smaller and comes to a more pointed angle Kosinski and his team looked at expressionless facial images of 591 participants and natural images of 3,400 politicians from the US, UK and Canada and found a predictive model could accurately discern the person's political orientation. The study gives more insight into how facial recognition can be used to discern someone's private information from a Facebook photo - even if they haven't posted their views online. 'Our findings underscore the urgency for scholars, the public, and policymakers to recognize and address the potential risks of facial recognition technology to personal privacy,' the study warned. 'Even more worrisome, these algorithms can identify personal attributes that were, thus far, widely considered to be unrecognizable from faces,' it added. Kosinski told Fox News Digital that 'algorithms can be very easily applied to millions of people very quickly and cheaply' and that the study is 'more of a warning tale' about the technology 'that is in your phone and is very widely used everywhere.' The study had participants fill out a political orientation questionnaire which asked whether they tend to vote for more liberal or conservative political candidates and if they consider them to have one political affiliation over another. They were also asked to rank the extent at which they consider themselves to be liberal or conservative. Slide me Roseanne Barr (left) is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump and spoke out at a conservative event in December. Taylor Swift - democrat (right) endorsed Joe Biden during the last presidential election. Barr's wider smile goes straight across indicating she is a conservative while Swift has smaller lower facial features and angled lips Slide me Kid Rock (left) is a self-proclaimed conservative who has come under fire for encouraging other conservatives to boycott Bud Light after it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Lin-Manuel Miranda - democrat (right) endorsed Joe Biden in the last presidential election. Kid Rock's wider-set face would identify him as a conservative versus Miranda's smaller features After completing the 100-item questionnaire, the participants were photographed wearing a black T-shirt, removed all jewelry, shaved their facial hair or removed makeup (if necessary) and pulled back their hair so the software could only focus on their face. READ MORE: Conservative women are MORE attractive than liberals but left-wing men have a better poker face, according to study using AI While the AI determined that women with more attractive facial features were more likely to be politically conservative, it found no connection of the sort while analyzing its pool of male politician's photos. For both men and women, the AI was correct 61 percent of the time Advertisement The VGGFace2 - an AI facial recognition software created in 2017 - was used to examine the images and determined the participant's facial characteristics by cross-referencing them with other images stored in a database. Aside from the projected outlines of conservative versus liberal faces, the study found that all other 'outlines and faces are virtually identical, revealing no other obvious differences between liberals and conservatives, including in facial expression, grooming, skin color, or head orientation.' The findings took into account other factors like the participants' age, gender and ethnicity, but researchers found the connection between the person's political leanings was solely based on their facial characteristics. This follows a separate study Kosinski conducted in 2021 that found the VGGFace2 software could identify a person as liberal or conservative with 70 percent accuracy. At the time, he was unable to determine exactly what characteristics were associated with the person's political affiliation, but found trends like when a person looked directly at the camera they were labeled as liberal while those showing disgust were determined to be conservative. Democratic President Joe Biden and former republican President Donald Trump appear to fit the identifying characteristics alongside conservative celebrities like Kid Rock and Roseanne Barr versus liberal celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Taylor Swift. The celebrities' facial features fit the characteristics because of conservatives larger lower faces while liberals is much smaller by comparison and are more likely to have the downturned lips and noses. The researchers used a standardized facial image (pictured) in the study to represent the face of a person identified as a conservative The study focused on 590 participants who filled out a 100-item questionnaire about their political affiliation and other information about age, gender and ethnicity. The researchers found that the facial features played a primary role in identifying their political orientation DailyMail.com has reached out to Dr. Michal Kosinski for comment. Tucker Carlson has been mocked by experts after suggesting that Darwin's theory of evolution has been debunked. The broadcaster made the comments on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where he also claimed UFOs are piloted by 'spiritual entities' that have hidden headquarters on Earth. 'There's no evidence of evolution,' Carlson said. 'In fact, I think we've given up on the theory of evolution as articulated by Darwin. It's kind of not true.' Rogan pressed the issue, asking the broadcaster to explain his opinion, to which he claimed 'there is no evidence that people evolved seamlessly from a single cell amoeba.' Tucker Carlson argued that the theory of evolution has fallen out of favor. Scientists and even many Christians disagree. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution has been refined over time by modern scientists, but the central idea remains the same: Species change over time to adapt to their conditions The conversation about evolution began with an offhand comment from Rogan: 'If evolution is real,' at which point Carlson interrupted to ask, 'Is it real?' 'I don't know,' Rogan replied, kicking off the discussion. 'But it's visible. You can measure it in certain animals.' During his famous trip to the Galapagos Islands in the 1830s, Darwin measured evolution in certain animals - finding mockingbirds were different from island to island. Similarly, the finches he collected on different islands during the trip were so different from each other that they were clearly different species. READ MORE: Tucker Carlson says UFOs are piloted by 'spiritual entities' with bases 'under the ocean and the ground' UFOs and their pilots might not be 'extra-terrestrials' from a distant planet at all, but 'spiritual entities' who have inhabited Earth for as long as humanity itself, according to Tucker Carlson Advertisement They likely started out as the same bird species, Darwin concluded, but something changed when they migrated to new environments throughout the Galapagos. As they adapted to their new environments, each new species developed physical features that suited its survival. The finches had different beaks depending on their habits: Insect eaters had narrow beaks for scrounging in cracks, whereas nut eaters had thick beaks for cracking shells. Scientists still agree that Darwin was right about this point. 'You can measure adaptation, but there's no evidence that evo - in fact, I think we've kind of given up on the idea of evolution,' Carlson said. 'The theory of evolution as articulated by Darwin is like, kind of not true, right?' 'In what sense?' Rogan asked. 'Well in the most basic sense, the idea that all life emerged from a single-cell organism and over time there would be a fossil record of that, and there's not,' Carlson replied. Countering this point, Rogan noted that there is evidence in the fossil record of transitional species that have adapted to their environments. A prime example of this is the archaeopteryx, a bird-like dinosaur that provided some of the earliest evidence of transitional species between the groups known to science - in this case, between dinosaurs and modern birds. The archaeopteryx has a long tail and small teeth, like a dinosaur, but flight feathers and wings like a bird. Charles Darwin's finches have become a famous example of evolution. They likely started out as the same bird, but as they adapted to their new environments, each new species developed physical features that suited its survival Transitional species like the archaeopteryx provide strong evidence in support of the theory of evolution: This bird-like dinosaur had teeth and a tail like a dinosaur, but flight feathers and wings like a bird. Tucker Carlson dismissed transitional species as evidence of 'adaptation,' not evolution - a false distinction. It also possessed a bone called the furcula, which is a fused clavicle bone. Only birds and dinosaurs had this feature, suggesting strongly that the extinct species was related to both. Carlson, however, dismissed examples of 'adaptation,' saying they don't prove that people evolved from single-cell organisms. 'There's no evidence at all - none, zero - that people evolved seamlessly from a single-cell amoeba. No, there's not. There's no chain in the fossil record of that at all,' Carlson argued. 'And that's why you don't actually hear people - you hear them make reference to evolution because the theory of adaptation is clearly, obviously true. But Darwin's theory's totally unp - that's why it's still a theory, almost 200 years later.' Rogan did not press Carlson on the matter, except to ask what his theories are. 'God created people distinctly, and animals,' replied Carlson. He has not made public declarations about his faith, but Carlson tends to speak in support of Christian ideas. In this case, he cited the biblical book of Genesis, in which God created humans and animals. The fused clavicle of the archaeopteryx gave strong evidence for its shared relationship to dinosaurs and modern birds Tucker Carlson argued that humans were created, that we did not evolve from lower lifeforms like single-cell amoebas. The way Carlson frames the question, there is no room for discussion. But his simple answer actually belies how varied the views of Christians are when it comes to evolution. According to a 2019 Pew Research poll of Americans, between 32 and 62 percent of white evangelical Protestants said they believed humans evolved over time, rather than always existing in their present form. Among Catholic responders, the numbers were even higher: Between 71 and 87 percent agreed that humans evolved over time. Famed biologist E.O. Wilson has pointed out that fringe opponents of evolution cite Darwin to make it sound like evolution is an ideology that can be traced back to just one man, rather than a well-supported theory. 'It's a rhetorical device to make evolution seem like a kind of faith, like 'Maoism',' he said. 'Scientists don't call it 'Darwinism'.' Many Christians in the US actually do believe in evolution, according to a 2019 Pew research poll. People's responses depend on how the question is asked, though. And in truth, Darwin did not come up with the theory of evolution. Rather, he refined the ideas of scientists who came before him to develop his idea of 'survival of the fittest.' Carlson is not the first person to credit Darwin alone with the theory of evolution as a way to imply that it stands on equal footing with his own ideas about human origins. The broadcaster was quickly rebuked for his comments by scientists, who correctly pointed out that Carlson misrepresented what a scientific theory is, and that his comments ignore the mountains of evidence supporting the theory of evolution. The commentator's critics even included some of his frequent boosters like billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Scientists have refined their explanations since Charles Darwin proposed the theory in the 1800s, but the core idea is the same, and evolution remains the agreed-upon scientific explanation for how living things came to be the way they are. 'Tucker Carlson misunderstands that in everyday speech, 'theory' refers to a hunch or a speculation, but in science, it refers to a comprehensive explanation of nature,' wrote clinical psychologist Jonathan Stea on X. 'Many scientific theories are so well-established that no new evidence is likely to change them. E.g: evolution,' he said. Musk replied to multiple such posts on X criticizing Carlson, expressing his agreement with them. 'I dont agree with his views here, but he does make good points at times,' he wrote. There have been no fossil records found showing every stage in the evolutionary chain, but many experts say that is because it is very difficult to trace back microbial life. But DNA and RNA are so abundant in living things on Earth, another sign that we all evolved from one thing. A Tesla Cybertruck owner claims he has had to have four separate issues repaired on his EV in just over a month of ownership. Based in California, the driver claimed that the issues began with a flawed windshield, with a line right in his field of vision. After the local service center replaced the windshield, new issues with the gear selector, accelerator pedal, and tailgate appeared. The shifter fell from the windshield and dangled by a wire, the accelerator pedal was fixed improperly by a Tesla technician, and the tailgate won't open - or stay closed. The new issues come just a few days after the automaker issued a recall for the accelerator pedal on every single Cybertruck it had shipped so far - 3,878 vehicles. A new Cybertruck owner shared a photo of the gear selector hanging by a wire, just days after the company announced a recall for the vehicle's accelerator pedal. The unusual gear selector is located on a piece of trim that runs down the center of the windshield. The sun visors are attached to the sides of it with magnets. A former Tesla engineer told DailyMail.com that this poor design puts too much stress on the gear selector, which is not anchored firmly enough to handle it. The frustrated Cybertruck owner, who goes by the username kobratoldya, shared photos of the electric vehicle's problems to the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, in a post titled 'The issues are piling up...' READ MORE: Tesla RECALLS nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks A potentially fatal flaw with the accelerator pedal could cause it to get stuck down, causing uncontrolled acceleration. Advertisement 'Im starting to get a little frustrated with the problems Im having with the Cybertruck,' the post began. 'It started with an imperfection on my windshield that caused there to be a long line on my line of sight,' wrote kobratoldya. 'They replaced my windshield but I think something happened to the top gear selector panel. 'It dropped down and wont stay back up.' This problem with the gear selector comes down to poor design, former Tesla engineer Cristina Balan told DailyMail.com. The truck does not have gears, but the selector enables a driver to put the car in park, drive, neutral, and reverse. The issue, she said, is that the truck's sun visors attach to the gear selector with strong magnets, but the gear selector is not attached sturdily enough to take the stress the visors put on it. 'The visors are one of the parts in the car that take the most abuse,' Balan said. Whenever someone drives their Cybertruck in sunny weather, they will be flipping the visor down or adjusting it to block the glare. Every time they do, the magnet that attaches it to the gear selector will tug on the plastic housing, eventually pulling it out of place, as happened to kobratoldya. 'They've attached a moving part to another moving part,' said Balan. The gear selector is not meant to move, but because it is not anchored firmly to the windshield it will end up moving, she said. Balan noted that the gear selector is only attached with four clips to the trim running down the windshield - and zero screws. 'I'm really surprised that nobody caught that,' she said. 'It's critical! You have the gear in there!' The solution, she said, would be to attach the visors to the windshield trim that the gear selector attaches to, as pictured below. Former Tesla engineer Cristina Balan shared this and the following sketch with DailyMail.com, showing where the sun visors should have been attached. Because of the daily pressure put on the sun visors, Balan said, they should be attached to something more sturdy than the gear selector, which is not even screwed on. In Balan's proposed design, the sun visors would not be tugging on the gear selector every time a driver or passenger moves them. Another possible solution would be to make the gear selector less bulky, said Balan. Instead of a big plastic box, it could have just been buttons on a slim piece of trim. Two other commenters on the original post said their gear selectors had also come off. 'It seems that in this Cybertruck design, everything is backwards,' said Balan. And when it comes to kobratoldya's Cybertruck specifically, she confirmed, is that the accelerator pedal was fixed incorrectly. The accelerator pedal was the problem covered in the recall. A cover on the pedal could slip off, Tesla found, causing the pedal to get stuck pressed down, and potentially leading to uncontrolled acceleration. A simple repair, riveting the pedal cover to the pedal, took care of the issue. This Cybertruck accelerator pedal was improperly fixed (left), said a former Tesla engineer. The rivet should not be on the edge of the metal. This is how the pedal looked (right) after it was repaired a second time, prompting some Cybertruck Owners Club members to comment on the shoddy workmanship. These shop instructions from the Tesla recall bulletin show that whoever repaired this owner's Cybertruck accelerator pedal did not follow proper procedures. The rivet should have been placed higher up, and the pedal cover should have been moved lower down. When the company announced the recall, CEO Elon Musk claimed, 'There were no injuries or accidents because of this. We are just being very cautious.' While Musk claimed there were no accidents due to the issue, a Cybertruck owner reported they crashed into a pole mid-corner on April 4 when the vehicle refused to slow down - and the airbags did not go off. kobratoldya's posted a photo of his vehicle's pedal after a Tesla technician had performed the repair. The rivet had been incorrectly placed on the edge of the pedal cover, Balan confirmed. 'The guy said they are all like this but later at home I saw that mine was the only one on right on the edge,' wrote kobratoldya. In fact, according to the Tesla service bulletin on the recall, the pedal should have been replaced altogether because the pedal had cover had slipped out of place. A rivet is meant to be driven through the metal so it can hold it firmly in place. This is a basic technician error, she said, pointing out that Tesla recently laid off 10 percent of its staff. 'They fired thousands of people, and this is what they end up with.' This Cybertruck owner could not open the liftgate by pressing the button. He also confirmed he could not open it from the vehicle's touchscreen. Once he got the tailgate to open, it would not stay closed. He closed it, and it fell open. The same thing happened twice. 'Mr. Rivet should have been let go with the other 10%,' wrote one commenter. 'There is absolutely no excuse for that type of error.' Eventually the pedal was repaired correctly, but it ws damaged from the first poorly done fix. After a visit to the Long Beach Tesla dealer, the gear selector was repaired, and the replacement pedal was ordered - because now the new vehicle's accelerator had two holes in it. This Cybertruck's issues did not end with the pedal and the gear selector, though. The truck's liftgate also doesn't work as it is supposed to, wrote kobratoldya. In a video shared to the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, he showed that pressing the button on the bedrail did not open the liftgate. He also confirmed he could not open it from the vehicle's touchscreen or from the Tesla app. 'With persistence, I got the tailgate to open,' he wrote. 'But now it randomly and repeatedly opens. I closed it, went in the house and then it opened. Did this twice.' This issue makes the truck not drivable, he wrote. The service center offered to have him bring it in, and they would keep it until they had the right repair parts, he wrote. 'I feel like they are about to have my truck for a long time,' he concluded. SHOPPING Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Mail Best article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information. It's that time of the year again. As you begin to plan for some fun in the sun, make sure you aren't putting your skin at risk by baking for too long. Instead, get acquainted with Brunae Body. The Australian tanning and sun care brand specializes in naturally formulated products that leave skin healthy, nourished, soft, and glowing while boosting melanin production to lend your skin an intense bronze tone. Brunae Body Accelerating Tanning Bundle Here's all you need to enjoy your richest and most bronze glow yet! The Brunae Body bundle includes the brand's popular Accelerating Tanning Oil and a tub of Accelerating Tanning Moisturizer. Use the latter in the week leading up to sun exposure to get your skin as soft as possible, then use the oil on tanning days to maximize your glow. Shop As evidenced by the fact that one bottle sells every nine seconds, the Brunae Body Accelerating Tanning Oil is well worth all of the hype. The signature formula sets it apart. Not only does it contain deeply hydrating avocado and coconut oils, but it's also enriched with carrot seed oil. Let's get glowing: The Brunae Body collection contains everything you need to achieve a stunning, rich, bronze glow that will keep you looking radiant all season long This is a vital component that supports your body's ability to make melanin, which leaves skin looking darker and bronzer faster. Avocado, meanwhile, supports smooth, youthful skin, while coconut locks in moisturizer to prevent dryness related to excess sun exposure. Because of its natural composition, the tanning oil is ideal for use on all skin types. Even people with sensitive skin who can't typically use such products have found that this popular formula works well without causing discomfort. It's also non-greasy, offering a light texture that smooths on easily without leaving skin feeling tacky or sticky. One user shares, 'I was really pleased with my results and tanned faster and darker in just a few days. I have been fake tanning for the past year and have finally got my natural tan back from using Brunae Body.' 'I never usually tan, only burn,' says another. 'This has made a massive difference for me, and built a really nice natural tan- I havent used self tanner all summer!' Only the good stuff: Brunae Body formulates its products with natural ingredients, including avocado oil, coconut oil, wheat germ, aloe leaf juice, mango seed butter, and sweet almond extract For best results, pair the oil with the Brunae Body Accelerating Tanning Moisturizer. Loaded with ultra-hydrating ingredients like mango seed butter, rosehip and pumpkin seed oils, blackberry fruit extract, and collagen-boosting wheat germ oil, it's a powerhouse concoction that supports your skin's needs in the sun. Rich and creamy, it's formulated to prepare your skin for tanning while drenching your skin in moisture. This is vital, as harsh ultraviolet rays can leave your skin incredibly dehydrated. For best results, it's recommended to apply the moisturizer at least a week before you plan to be in the sun. This accelerates the softening process, priming your skin for optimal results especially when you pair it with the tanning oil. Once you see the gorgeous results for yourself, you'll wonder how you ever did without Brunae Body giving you that enviable bronzed glow. If you split the cost, the hefty price tag could cost less than an economy ticket Fancy travelling in style on a private jet for economy ticket money? Now you can. If you can share the cost. The Four Seasons private jet - a veritable palace in the sky - is now available to charter, and guests can set their own itineraries for $115,000 (92,497) a day. The luxuriously appointed Airbus A321neoLR (long range) was previously only available for set experiences, taking guests on round-the-world tours of Four Seasons resorts. The custom-designed jet has room for 48 guests inside - this means that if you split the cost, you could enjoy a tailor-made experience for 1,923 ($2,391) a day or, as we discovered, around the price of a one-way direct economy flight from London to New York in June. Four Seasons' private jet is now available for private charter bookings - and guests can set their own itineraries for $115,000 (92,497) a day The Airbus A321neoLR is equipped with 48 seats - meaning if you share the cost, you would pay 1,923 ($2,391) to travel in a hotel in the sky Or less than a flight to Australia. An off-peak economy ticket from London to Sydney with British Airways in July could cost up to 2,000 ($2,486), while a flight with American Airlines in the same month could set travellers back as much as 5,500 ($6,838). And this is without the luxurious amenities Four Seasons' Private Jet offers. The custom-designed jet is equipped with spacious leather flatbed seats, a large lounge, extra-large lavatories and global Wi-Fi availability. The custom-designed jet is equipped with spacious leather flatbed seats and guests can expect personalised iPads on board On board there is a large lounge, extra-large lavatories and global Wi-Fi available It includes service from ten in-flight crew members including three pilots, one engineer and six cabin crew. Guests can expect personalised iPads and an in-flight chef to whip up gourmet meals. Once booked, the Four Seasons team members will work with each party to create a customised itinerary. For an additional cost, the team can organize everything from ground transfers and accommodation to on-location meals and tours. Marc Speichert, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: 'We are delighted to offer this extraordinary opportunity to charter the Four Seasons Private Jet for the first time, in response to the many inquiries we have received from families and groups of friends interested in custom itineraries and travelling for celebratory events. The private jet experience includes service from ten in-flight crew members and an in-flight chef to whip up gourmet meals Once the jet is booked, Four Seasons team members will work with each party to create a customised itinerary 'With the added bonus of Four Seasons genuine care and service in the sky and on the ground, all one needs to do is sit back and enjoy the journey with your favourite people.' The Four Seasons private jet is available for a limited time only between August 4 to 26 and December 20 to 27. The UK-registered plane has an extended range of eight to nine hours for non-stop flights and is only allowed one point of entry and departure in the U.S. For inquiries contact fourseasonsjet@fourseasons.com or +1 866 557 4794. Brad Pitt's dragged out divorce from his estranged wife Angelina Jolie is impacting his relationship with Ines de Ramon, with the pair struggling to fully 'move on,' insiders have claimed. Brad and Angelina's convoluted break-up looks set to last almost as long as the relationship that preceded it, with the pair locked in a bitter legal battle since their shock split in 2016. Though the pair were deemed legally single in 2019, a contentious dispute - dubbed 'the war of the roses' - over their French property and winery, Chateau Miraval, has slowed down proceedings. Brad, 60, has since moved on with his live-in girlfriend Ines, 34 - whom he went public with in November 2022 - and insiders claim that the actor is desperate to sever all ties to his ex-wife for good in order to finally 'shake off' the demons from their marriage. 'Brad really wants this to be finalized more than anything,' a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'If it were up to him entirely, this would have been wrapped up a long time ago. Brad Pitt and his girlfriend Ines de Ramon are unable to progress with their relationship at the speed they would like due to the actor's lengthy divorce battle with Angelina Jolie Brad and Angelina split in 2016 and were deemed legally single in 2019, but they have been locked in a battle over their French property and winery, Chateau Miraval (pictured in 2015) Brad and Angelina pictured in 2011 with their children Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne Angelina, 48, accused her 'controlling' ex of 'financially draining her' through the protracted legal battle over the winery. However, a DailyMail.com investigation this week revealed that the actress' relationship with Brad has helped enrich her by close to $100million. The pair's former French home, a stunning 1,200 acre estate and vineyard was worth $60million when they bought it in 2008. Now, thanks to Brads effort and investment in the business, it is worth a staggering $164million. Angelina went on to sell her 50 percent stake in Chateau Miraval to Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, in 2021, without her estranged husband's consent. The source explained that Brad is eager to be free so he can continue to move forward in his life as things progress with Ines - who was this week unveiled as the star of the new spring/summer 2024 campaign for designer Philippe Uter. The insider continued: 'Brad wants to move forward with Ines, and he cant when he is technically still married to the mother of his children. Brad has moved on romantically with his live-in girlfriend Ines, 34 - whom he went public with in November 2022 (pictured in Los Angeles last week) DailyMail.com recently spied Ines in a new modeling campaign for UTER spring/summer 2024 'It is not an easy split, obviously, but it could have been wrapped in the last ten years. 'Brad has a great relationship with most of his kids who have met Ines. They are happy that their dad is happy, and Ines has taken kindly to the children.' Brad and Angelina remain in a contentious battle over their winery, Chateau Miraval Ines finalized the end of her three-year marriage to Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley, 41, earlier this month, which has reportedly been a driving force in Brad wanting to finally terminate his own marriage. 'Ines finalizing her divorce from her husband and moving in with Brad spurs him on to finalize with Angie more than ever,' the insider continued. 'Brad has fought hard to beat his demons that arose during his marriage to Angie. 'He does not drink, and he has become the man who deserves the type of love he is getting from Ines.' The couple were initially pictured spending time with one another at a Bono concert in Los Angeles in November 2022, where they were seen chatting with celebs including Sean Penn, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. It came two months after she separated from actor and director Paul, who she married in 2019. Ines, an executive for Anita Ko Jewelry, recently turned her hand to modelling, teaming up with UTER. Images released on Wednesday, show the brunette looking stylish in clothing by the designer as she poses in the backyard of a home in Palm Springs, California. In one shot her shirt is open revealing she was bra-free as she sat on a lounge chair with two men behind her. Before dating Brad, Ines - an executive for Anita Ko Jewelry - was married to Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley, 41, from August of 2018 until their split in September of 2022 A source stated: 'Ines finalizing her divorce from her husband and moving in with Brad spurs him on to finalize with Angie more than ever' Brad has been involved in two of Hollywood's most high-profile marriages over the past 25 years. He was wed to A-lister Jennifer Aniston from 2000 until their split in 2005, when he met Angelina while working on the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith. They dated for nine years before tying the knot in 2014. The former couple are parents to six children: Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15. As Brad and Angelina's war over the sale of the winery continues, Brad has landed several legal victories in recent months including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of Chateau Miraval's award-winning vineyard pending further hearings. Just last month he scored another win when LA Superior Court rejected Angelina's allegations that his suit was, 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.' Robert Irwin has just been honoured with a special tribute off the back of his hosting success on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Australia. The 20-year-old conservationist and television presenter took to Instagram on Monday to announce the news to his 5.8 million followers. 'Hey guys, I've got some really exciting news. A brand new species of snail that has just been discovered has been named after me,' the Wildlife Warrior began in a video. 'This is the Robert Irwin Banded Snail, have a look at him, isn't he cute?' he continued as an image of the creature appeared on screen. 'Some of the world's leading snail scientists, or malacologists as they're officially known, found this little bloke in southeast Queensland. Previously unknown to science and they decided to name him [after me]. What an honour.' Robert Irwin has just been honoured with a special tribute off the back of his hosting success on I'm A Celebrity ...Get Me Out of Here! Australia. Pictured Robert added that the tribute was 'particularly meaningful' to him because of his conservation work involving habitat protection. It comes just after the finale of the 2024 season of I'm A Celebrity, where Robert was praised for his co-hosting role with Julia Morris, after Dr Chris Brown's departure from the show. However, an insider has claimed the young presenter will not be back to host next year. 'This is the Robert Irwin Banded Snail, have a look at him, isn't he cute?' said Irwin, before saying it was an honour to have his name bestowed upon the animal. Pictured According to Woman's Day, the wildlife enthusiast is being poached back by rival network Seven. 'His easygoing and faultless live TV skills have won over the nation. But his career at Ten will only be short-lived, and he is heading back to Seven,' the source told the publication. The strategic negotiation is said to have been orchestrated by Robert's mother Terri Irwin, who has been hailed as the ultimate 'mumager'. 'The Irwins are very smart when it comes to negotiations,' the insider added. Robert Irwin received rave reviews for his co-hosting skills alongside Julia Morris on this season of I'm A Celebrity, but according to Woman's Day, the wildlife enthusiast is being poached back by rival network Seven Robert's departure from the popular show will mark the end of a partnership that brought fresh energy to the series. The magazine's source added that the decision to join IAC was seen as a one-off opportunity to elevate his mainstream television profile - a goal that has undoubtedly been achieved. Channel Seven is reportedly keen to welcome him back with open arms and a lucrative deal. 'Seven want Robert back and have thrown a king's ransom at him,' the source explained. By Park Jae-hyuk Samsung Heavy Industries filed a lawsuit recently against Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) to avoid taking responsibility for defective cargo holds installed in two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers sold to SK Shipping in 2018, the shipbuilder said Tuesday. The latest legal battle came as Samsung Heavy paid $290 million to SK Shipping earlier this month in compliance with the London Maritime Arbitrators Associations decision last December. Samsung Heavy claims that KOGAS should reimburse the entire amount as the state-owned natural gas company led the development of the problematic cargo holds, the exterior walls of which developed frost when sailing through cold regions. We are confident the money will be returned as the Seoul Central District Court ordered KOGAS last October to pay us 72.6 billion won ($53 million) in compensation for costs to repair the vessels and 115.4 billion won to SK Shipping in compensation for its loss from suspended operations of the ships, a Samsung Heavy official said. The shipbuilder added that it had initially sought a joint acquisition of the LNG carriers with KOGAS, instead of engaging in a legal battle with the gas firm. After a test operation following four rounds of repairs, a KOGAS subsidiary that designed the cargo hold said that a classification society concluded that the LNG carriers can sail if the sea temperature is 6 degrees Celsius or higher, the Samsung Heavy official said. We considered joint acquisition of the ships with KOGAS to continue domestic development of cargo holds for LNG carriers. Due to the difference in costs each company must bear, however, both sides failed to reach an agreement. KOGAS has cried foul over the local courts ruling forcing it to take complete responsibility for the defects. It claims that the defects may have resulted from a mistake on Samsung Heavys part in the construction of the vessels. This case was sent to an appellate court after we lodged an appeal last November, a KOGAS official said. We are doing our best to overturn the lower courts ruling. The cargo hold named KC-1 was designed by KC LNG Tech, a joint venture between KOGAS and Koreas three largest shipbuilders, in order to reduce dependence on foreign technologies. However, its defects have prompted multiple lawsuits here and overseas between companies that participated in the project. Adam Kay has become the second comedian this week to disrupt his own set and shame an audience member at his sold-out comedy show. The UK comedian, 43, followed in Arj Barker's footsteps on Monday night when he brought his Sydney show to a grinding halt over a disruptive fan who kept using their phone. He lost his temper at the sold-out Enmore Theatre, ending his set by shouting at an audience member after joking that he would also kick out a mother and her baby like Barker, 49, did over the weekend, reports news.com.au. One fan seated in the front row drew the former doctor's ire when they repeatedly used their phone throughout the set despite being told they were not allowed to. The author of best-selling book This is Going to Hurt reached his breaking point by the end of the night after asking the fan to put their phone away multiple times. Adam Kay, 43, (pictured) has become the second comedian this week to disrupt his own set and shame an audience member from his sold-out comedy show Despite warnings from the comic, and a message before the performance which said use of phones was strictly forbidden, the patron continued to use their device. Kay was wrapping up his hilarious show with a moving anecdote about the struggles he faced as an NHS doctor in Britain when tensions came to a head. Already emotional over his message emphasising the importance of checking in on friends who may be struggling with their mental health, Kay became frustrated when the disruptive patron took their phone out yet again. 'Put. Your. F**king. Phone. Away!' Kay shouted at the fan seated in the front row. Kay went on to immediately end his show, saying: 'You've been a wonderful audience... except for one person who's really f**ked me off.' 'Seriously, don't go to the theatre,' he told the patron. The UK comedian followed in comic Arj Barker's (pictured) footsteps on Monday night when he brought his Sydney show to a grinding halt over a disruptive fan who kept using their phone Just moments before, Kay poked fun at fellow comedian Barker who made headlines on Saturday night when he booted a breastfeeding mother from his show during the Melbourne Comedy Festival. When Kay spotted a mother with her baby in the crowd, the comic pointed them out and asked how old her child was. 'Three months? Awww,' he said. 'If I was Arj Barker you'd be f**king out of here.' Melbourne mother-of-three Trish Faranda and her seven-month-old baby, Clara, were kicked out of Barker's show over the weekend, sparking fierce debate about the American comic's actions. Faranda told The Project on Monday she had 'no idea things would turn out this way', when moments later, little Clara began to cry, prompting Faranda to breastfeed her during the live interview. He lost his temper at the sold-out Enmore Theatre, ending his set by shouting at an audience member after joking that he would also kick out a mother and her baby like Barker did over the weekend, reported news.com.au As the little one's tears continued, host Sarah Harris asked: 'Maybe she can go to dad for a quick second?' Faranda went on to say that she'd already planned to leave the comedy show she'd booked a month in advance if Clara started crying, but didn't appreciate the way Barker handled the situation. 'I thought it would be really nice to do something I hadn't done in a while and get back to a pre-baby me,' she said. 'He could've off-mic said, "It's really disrupting me, do you mind?" and I would've happily packed up and gone. 'Then he asked for support from the crowd, basically to say I should leave and they heckled a bit when we were leaving.' Melbourne mother-of-three Trish Faranda and her seven-month-old baby Clara (both pictured), were kicked out of Barker's show over the weekend. She appeared on The Project to slam Barker's decision, but struggled to keep her infant quiet during the interview Barker, who was just 15 minutes into his set when the drama unfolded, said in a statement that the show is strictly age 15 plus and is clearly stated on the ticket site. 'On behalf of the other 700 people who paid to see the gig, I politely told her the baby couldn't stay,' he earlier explained. 'She thought I was kidding, which made the exchange a bit awkward. I felt bad about the whole situation and stated this on the night more than once. 'I offered her a refund. Theatre staff should not have seated a baby in my audience in the first place.' A spokesman for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival said: 'Arj is independently produced and at a venue not managed by the Festival, however, any interaction between performers and their audiences requires sensitivity and respect. 'In our festival managed venues, babes in arms are generally allowed but we do ask people to sit up the back with their child so they can quickly and easily leave if the baby gets noisy so as not to disturb the artist and other patrons.' Ryan Gosling did an 'amazing' job of celebrating his longtime partner Eva Mendes' 50th birthday, according to People. An insider spoke to the media outlet and stated that the 43-year-old actor pulled out all the stops for the mother of his children during a celebration of her her special day that took place last month. They also stated that the Drive star - who recently referred to his partner as his 'hero' - made the actress' birthday 'very special.' The insider went on to state that Gosling 'constantly tells [Mendes] she's beautiful' and that she 'seemed very comfortable turning 50.' The source continued by speaking about how the performers had built a strong relationship over the years. Ryan Gosling did an 'amazing' job of celebrating his longtime partner Eva Mendes' 50th birthday, according to People; seen earlier this month 'Eva and Ryan are truly such a happy couple. They're very supportive of each other's passions. They're also grateful for the financial freedom their work gives them, and they're all about family time,' they stated. The source concluded by stating that the couple was 'great at balancing everything.' Gosling and Mendes initially met while working on the 2012 feature The Place Beyond The Pines, in which they costarred. The Only God Forgives star was formerly linked to Sandra Bullock and Rachel McAdams, with whom he costarred in Murder By Numbers and The Notebook, respectively. He eventually moved on with his now-partner, and they started their family with the birth of their daughter Esmeralda, nine, which took place in 2014. The happy couple subsequently added another daughter named Amada, seven, to their family in 2016. Mendes has largely stepped away from her acting career in order to raise her daughters, and she has not appeared on screen since 2014, when she was featured in Lost River, which happened to be her partner's directorial debut. The performer recently appeared on Today and spoke about how she was happy to be able to focus on the well-being of her children over the past decade. An insider spoke to the media outlet and stated that the 43-year-old actor pulled out all the stops for the mother of his children during a celebration of her her special day that took place last month; Mendes is seen in 2018 Gosling and Mendes initially met while working on the 2012 feature The Place Beyond The Pines, in which they costarred The performers started their family with the birth of their daughter Esmeralda, nine, which took place in 2014; seen in 2012 The happy couple subsequently added another daughter named Amada, seven, to their family in 2016; seen in 2013 'It was like a no-brainer. I'm so lucky if I could have this time with my children,' she said. Mendes also stated that acting as a profession 'takes you away' from family life, which she did not want to sacrifice for her career. The performer then stated that she was grateful that Gosling was willing to support his family by spending time away from his daughters. 'It was almost just like a non-verbal agreement that it was like, "Ok, he's going to work and I'm going to work. I'm just going to work here." He went and he did his job. He just happens to be really good at his job. And he did it and he came home,' she said. Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson are set to bring their top-rating breakfast show to Melbourne next week. And media personality Meshel Laurie has thrown her support behind the controversial move. In a lengthy post on her Instagram, Laurie, 50, gushed over the duo, telling followers that the Sydney-based radio stars were destined to make it to the 'number one' spot in the southern capital by October. 'As a proud Victorian and an ardent fan of Kyle and Jackie O, I have my reasons for tuning in to their show at the end of April,' Laurie said. Describing the pair as 'entertainers par excellence', Laurie added they were arguably the best [hosts] in Australia and commanded 'a significant presence on the global stage as well.' Media personality Meshel Laurie has thrown her support behind Kyle and Jackie O's Melbourne move ahead of their debut in the southern capital next week. Pictured: Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson 'Their show isnt about education or defining identities; its about two friends sharing laughs over everyday topicsthe kind youd discuss at a BBQ or over drinks with friends. Thats the kind of content I can get behind,' she continued. She ended her post with a fearless prediction. 'Im really excited for Kyle and Jackie O to bring their show to Melbourne and wish them continued success after 22 years of hard work. They truly deserve it. Melbourne has never heard a radio show like Kyle and Jackie O, and I think they will be number one by October. Will you listen?' 'As a proud Victorian and an ardent fan of Kyle and Jackie O, I have my reasons for tuning in to their show at the end of April,' Laurie said 'I love them! They're great,' one fan messaged, and added: 'But I love you more Meshel.' 'I already have all my smart devices set to KIIS FM in anticipation of this,' commented another fan. They continued: 'I love waking up hearing them talk the way real people actually talk behind closed doors, ha, ha, I'm all about it.' Fans respond to Kyle and Jackie O's controversial move into the Melbourne market However, one fan appeared to question why the Sydneysiders were taking the role of Melbourne broadcasters. 'No hate on Kyle and Jackie O, but surely we can invest in a bit of local talent and not centralise everything,' they said. KIIS FM Melbourne breakfast show Jase and Lauren was axed to accomodate Kyle and Jackie O's expansion into Melbourne. Kyle and Jackie O are neck-and-neck with Fifi, Fev and Nick in the latest survey, released this month, as each show takes out the number one spots in Sydney and Melbourne. (Fifi, Fev and Nick, all pictured) The show was dumped by parent company ARN to make way for a syndicated broadcast of The Kyle and Jackie O Show, as part of a $200million deal the pair signed in November. Meanwhile, the latest ratings indicate that Kyle and Jackie O have may strong rivals ahead of their Melbourne launch on April 29. The pair are neck-and-neck with Fifi, Fev and Nick in the latest survey, released this month, as each show takes out the number one spots in Sydney and Melbourne. KIIS FM Melbourne breakfast show Jase and Lauren was axed to accomodate Kyle and Jackie O's expansion into Melbourne According to GFK Radio Ratings, Kyle and Jackie O once again landed Sydney's #1 breakfast show in AM and FM for their 42nd consecutive survey, just over a week ahead of their expansion into Melbourne territory. But they have stiff competition ahead as 101.9 The Fox's Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody secured their own crown as Melbourne's most listened to FM breakfast show for their 11th consecutive survey. Married At First Sight's Ridge Barredo found himself at the centre of a controversial radio prank on Tuesday. The intruder groom was duped into promoting products linked to child labour in a segment which aired on The Kyle and Jackie O show. Barredo, a 27-year-old psychiatric nurse, was unsuspectingly targeted by rugby star-turned-radio producer Cooper Johns. Posing as a brand representative, Johns approached Barredo to endorse a fake clothing brand which was mass-produced in China in factories where children earned as little as $2 per hour. The prank took a dark turn when Ridge agreed to endorse the brand for a hefty $10,000 fee. Married At First Sight's Ridge Barredo found himself at the centre of a controversial radio prank on Tuesday 'Basically, the messaging of it is Aussie made, eco-friendly and stuff, but it is like a lot of other brands, they, it is actually being mass-produced overseas in China,' Johns explained to the reality star during the call. Barredo's response to the morally dubious proposition was alarming. 'Yeah, that's fine. I feel like it's pretty stock standard that everyone does it that way. Just in terms of, like, all the other big brands as well. But yeah, that's fine,' he said. The intruder groom was duped into promoting products linked to child labour in a segment which aired on The Kyle and Jackie O show. Barredo, a 27-year-old psychiatric nurse, was unsuspectingly targeted by rugby star-turned-radio producer Cooper Johns (pictured) Johns pushed the envelope further as he explained, 'At the end of the day, kids over there need work, otherwise they're not getting any money. Yeah, I agree. No, that's all fine with me.' The prank reached its climax when Barredo confidently repeated the ad's catchphrase provided by Johns. 'Hi guys, it's Ridge, the 'deece' guy from MAFS. I'm wearing Sweatbox, not made in a sweatshop,' he said. The prank took a dark turn when Ridge agreed to endorse the brand for a hefty $10,000 fee He was finally put out of his misery by Johns and the show's hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson. He confessed that the promise of a $10,000 payment had initially caught his attention. 'Cooper did well. He sold it, he said, "oh 10 grand". I was like, "that's what caught my eye",' Barredo admitted. Basement Jaxx are reportedly set to perform a number of massive shows to celebrate 30 years since their formation. The British dance duo - whose hits include Wheres Your Head At, Good Luck and Romeo - last released an album 10 years ago. While DJs Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe are not planning to put out any new music yet, that may change if their gigs are a success, according to The Sun. A source told the publication: 'Basement Jaxx got their name because of the club nights they put on in Brixton in 1994. 'They didnt release their debut album for another five years but for Felix and Simon, this year celebrates 30 years from where their music first started. Basement Jaxx are reportedly set to perform a number of massive shows to celebrate 30 years since their formation (L-R: Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton pictured in 2014) 'They are planning in the coming weeks to announce a handful of massive shows to mark the milestone. 'Last year Basement Jaxx only played a couple of times in the UK, and this will give fans more of a chance to see a full live show.' They added: 'If the shows are as successful as they think they might be, they could start working on some new music which would be really special.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Basement Jaxx for comment. In 2019, Felix said it was 'a good time' to release new music as he prepared to head out on an Australian tour with Simon. The pair had reportedly spoken about getting back in the studio just before the pandemic. Felix said there was a need for something authentic as 'pop music has been so shallow and stupid'. At the time, he referenced Donald Trump's appointment as US President and Brexit in the UK, saying there seemed to be a need for something authentic again. The British dance duo - whose hits include Wheres Your Head At, Good Luck and Romeo - last released an album 10 years ago (L-R: Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton pictured in 2009) While DJs Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe are not planning to put out any new music yet, that may change if their gigs are a success (pictured in September 2009) 'We've been living in a dumbed-down culture for ages, pop music has been so shallow and stupid,' he told the Herald Sun. 'Now feels like a good time to come back and funnily enough club music has gone back to what we were doing at the beginning,' Felix added. Simon previously said: 'I think it's time to get on and do some Basement Jaxx tunes, we both feel quite refreshed and ready for the next phase. 'We've got a few tunes which need finishing and they should result in an album. There is going to be another Basement Jaxx album, definitely.' Rachel McAdams teared up while taking her bow onstage after her special performance of Mary Jane at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City on Sunday. The 45-year-old actress received a bouquet of flowers and was moved by the star-studded audience's applause after her performance in her Broadway debut role. The Oscar-nominated Spotlight actress appeared overcome with joy after completing Sunday night's show with a scene alongside co-star April Matthis. The Notebook alum cradled her flowers as she stood onstage before later being joined by her talented co-stars. She and her castmates, Lily Santiago and Brenda Wehle to her left as well as Matthisi and Susan Pourfar to her right, all received big bouquets of flowers. Rachel McAdams teared up while taking her bow onstage after her special performance of Mary Jane at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City on Sunday. The 45-year-old actress received a bouquet of flowers and was moved by the audience's applause after her performance in her Broadway debut role She looked incredible during the curtain call ahead of her performance of the special show The Oscar-nominated Spotlight actress appeared overcome with joy after completing Sunday night's show with a scene alongside co-star April Matthis They received a standing ovation as they performed the play as Mary Jane premiered on Broadway this year. Afterwards, she opened up about how being on Broadway was her 'longtime dream' and how she gets nervous to perform onstage. 'I feel so honored to be here,' she said during an interview with People on the red carpet. 'Broadway was something I'd always wanted to do but felt really intimated by. So to be standing on that stage feels like the completion of a longtime dream.' She said she gets nervous even though she has done pre-shows multiple times already, but she 'embraces' a healthy amount to help make her performance 'more vibrant.' 'I'm less nervous now, but they're still there,' she explained. 'I still get nervous every night,' she added. 'And that's OK! We know that there's a certain amount of nerves that's good and propels you forward and just makes the performance that much more vibrant, so you want to keep some of them. 'I'm embracing the nerves! It's just new, right? It's like starting a new job you're always nervous the first day, no matter what it is, and then you get into the groove,' she continued. 'I feel like I'm finding my feet.' McAdams stars in the leading role of the dramatic stage play, which was written by Amy Herzog, as it makes its Broadway debut. During her heartwarming reaction to the audience, she appeared to have tears in her eyes. The Notebook star cradled her flowers as she stood onstage She and her castmates, Lily Santiago and Brenda Wehle to her left as well as Matthisi and Susan Pourfar to her right, all received big bouquets of flowers They received a standing ovation as they performed the play as Mary Jane premiered on Broadway this year They showed their support for each other onstage just as in the plot of the play The Manhattan Theatre Club play Mary Jane follows a single mother of a toddler with cerebral palsy. The story revolves around her and her relationship with her unlikely support system of women including her building superintendent, a Buddhist nun and a Facebook friend as they care for each other through the struggles. Wehle plays the roles of Ruthie and Tenkei; Matthis plays Sherry and Dr. Toros; Susan Pourfar plays Brianne and Chaya; and Lily Santiago plays Amelia and Kat. Mary Jane began performances at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre ahead its April 23 opening night at the beginning of the month. The limited run is scheduled to continue through June 2. Ahead of the preview performance, McAdams looked ethereal at the curtain call. She put on an elegant display in a baby pink crepe dress with a braided, waterfall detail along the front of the skirt. For the curtain call before taking the stage to perform the new Manhattan Theatre Club play, she teamed the sleeveless, stunning dress with a pair of metallic silver pumps. The Mean Girls star styled her ashy brunette hair in loose, blowout waves and went for a light, radiant makeup look to highlight her natural beauty. She accessorized with dainty hoop earrings as well as stacks of understated diamond rings The actress put on an elegant display in a baby pink crepe dress with a braided, waterfall detail along the front of the skirt The Mean Girls star who said she 'can't wait to see' The Notebook musical after starring in the hit romantic movie 20 years ago styled her ashy brunette hair in loose, blowout waves and went for a light, radiant makeup look to highlight her natural beauty. She accessorized with dainty hoop earrings as well as stacks of understated diamond rings. Ahead of the play, McAdams was seen greeting and posing for a sweet snap with Lynne Meadow, the longtime artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club. The About Time star also posed for a group photo with her co-stars Matthis, Pourfar, Wehle and Santiago. The five leading ladies also posed for a group snap with Megumi Nakamura, Susanna Guzman, Anne Kauffman and Katya Campbell. Ahead of the play, McAdams was seen greeting and posing for a sweet snap with Lynne Meadow, the longtime artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club The About Time star also posed for a group photo with her co-stars Matthis, Pourfar, Wehle and Santiago The five leading ladies also posed for a group snap; Megumi Nakamura, Susanna Guzman, April Matthis, Susan Pourfar, Anne Kauffman, Rachel McAdams, Lily Santiago, Katya Campbell and Brenda Wehle are seen from left to right For the curtain call, Wehle was eye-catching as she modeled a bright red, silk robe over an all-black ensemble. The Malcolm in the Middle actress, 77, turned up the glamour with a pair of dangling ruby earrings, a bold crimson lip and a glittering purple eyeshadow. Susan Pourfar wore a dark blue midi dress layered with a sheer, short-sleeved garment covered in gold polkadots. The Emelie star completed her look with matching, metallic sandal heels. Lily Santiago put on an elegant display in a cream blazer with matching, high-waisted trousers and a black, V-neck camisole. The La Brea actress threw up her hair into a voluminous updo and completed her look with platform sandals. April Matthis looked fabulous in a sequined blouse with the imagery of a butterfly across the front. The Obie Award-winning actress paired the standout top with black, high-waisted trousers and kitten heels. For the curtain call, Wehle was eye-catching as she modeled a bright red, silk robe over an all-black ensemble. The Malcolm in the Middle actress, 77, turned up the glamour with a pair of dangling ruby earrings, a bold crimson lip and a glittering purple eyeshadow Susan Pourfar wore a dark blue midi dress layered with a sheer, short-sleeved garment covered in gold polkadots. Lily Santiago put on an elegant display in a cream blazer with matching, high-waisted trousers and a black, V-neck camisole April Matthis looked fabulous in a sequined blouse with the imagery of a butterfly across the front. The Obie Award-winning actress paired the standout top with black, high-waisted trousers and kitten heels Miriam Silverman and Zoe Winters, 39, were a stylish pair in matching green ensembles as they posed on the red carpet. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star wore a forest green, silk dress with lime green pumps while Winters donned a knit camisole with a matching cardigan. The Succession star sported black, high-waisted dress pants with boots and a statement necklace with orange orbs. Martyna Majok, 39, looked stunning in a black, silk slip dress with a sexy keyhole detail and lace details across her midriff. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright donned nude sandal heels and accessorized with dainty gold hoop earrings. Michael Imperioli, 58, and his wife Victoria Imperioli donned matching all-black outfits to the show. Miriam Silverman and Zoe Winters, 39, were a stylish pair in matching green ensembles as they posed on the red carpet Martyna Majok, 39, looked stunning in a black, silk slip dress with a sexy keyhole detail and lace details across her midriff. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright donned nude sandal heels and accessorized with dainty gold hoop earrings Michael Imperioli, 58, and his wife Victoria Imperioli donned matching all-black outfits to the show The Sopranos actor layered a black, double-breasted leather jacket over a turtleneck and donned dark jeans and lace-up boots. Brian d'Arcy James, 55, looked dapper in a gray suit paired with a royal blue button-down and black, leather dress shoes The Sopranos actor layered a black, double-breasted leather jacket over a turtleneck and donned dark jeans and lace-up boots. His interior designer wife wore a peplum-style trench coat with a satin blouse and leather pants. Brian d'Arcy James, 55, looked dapper in a gray suit paired with a royal blue button-down and black, leather dress shoes. The four-time Tony-nominated actor previously starred alongside McAdams in Spotlight and was in attendance to support his former co-star. Footage of Bam Margera in a recent street fight in Los Angeles has surfaced online. A video obtained by TMZ shows the 44-year-old troubled star in a violent confrontation with an unidentified man. The Jackass personality appeared on Instagram on Monday to explain that he had been fighting in self-defense and complain that police never arrived, despite his making multiple calls. Margera uploaded a black and white video of himself on the phone as evidence, sharing it to Instagram. He wrote in the caption of the post on Monday, 'In regards to the bum fight, I called 911 8x times and waited nearly 3 hours and no cops ever showed the f**k up!' Footage of Bam Margera in a recent street fight in Los Angeles has surfaced online; pictured in an Instagram clip on Monday The Jackass personality appeared on Instagram on Monday to explain that he had been fighting in self-defense and complain that police never arrived, despite his making multiple calls He added that he was encouraged by 'the whole neighborhood' to engage in the altercation. '...and the whole neighborhood told me to go handle it and then they clapped when I was done because he finally shut the f**k up,' he finished before signing off with his name. In the outtake shared with his nearly 100,000 followers, Bam shouted into his iPhone that it had been 'two hours' and 'you guys have done nothing.' He warned the 911 operator, 'I'm filming this and I'm gonna send it to the news. You guys don't do sh**.' The expletive-laced recording showed Bam visibly irritated as he sat on a couch in a T-shirt and lounge pants. He pleaded during the phone call, 'Get a police officer here. Los Angeles Police Department is f*****g worthless.' Bam went on to say, 'It's been two hours of us trying to sleep and this dude's throwing sh*t evverywhere and nobody showed up.' The fight took place last week, per TMZ, who was in contact with his Margera's manager Margera Mike Quinn. Also on Monday, the former MTV star recorded himself after receiving a tattoo that was not to his liking Bam complained about his latest face tattoo being 'f*****g crooked' Quinn shared that the scuffle came after a stranger 'threatened to kill Bam and his entourage outside of the property where Bam was staying.' 'This individual, who had been pacing nearby for hours relentlessly, and causing disturbances by yelling and overturning trash cans, escalated the confrontation by punching Margera when he stepped outside to smoke,' he relayed. And Bam shared: 'I'm not going to be threatened or attacked without defending myself and my friends or people trying to just walk by this idiot, I aimed only to neutralize the threat and ensure the safety of my crew.' It was added that the fight quickly came to an end and the perpetrator left the scene without returning. Margera has since been posting scenes from a trip to Ireland on social media. On Monday, the former MTV star recorded himself after receiving a tattoo that was not to his liking. He began the video, which was recorded outside on a street, 'So here I am in Belfast, Northern Ireland and I just landed from Los Angeles and got a tattoo from Apollo from Santa Monica, who charged me $780 for something that took 12 minutes and it's f*****g crooked.' He panned to a business in front of him on the sidewalk as he explained, 'So now I'm here getting ready to fix it and he's talking all this s*** on Reddit, saying I didn't want to pay up and it took "two and a half hours."' Bam said the police were called and he ended up paying the tattoo artist $400. Following last week's brawl, Margera has since been posting scenes from a trip to Ireland on social media On Sunday he shared photos with his fiancee Dannii Marie Bam shared a photo of himself sitting alongside Mathew Pritchard on a stage in Dublin It comes after last month Bam denied relapsing after he was caught on camera having an argument with his fiancee Dannii. In a video, he was seen calling his partner, 35, a 'f*****g b***h' as the pair argued by a Nashville hotel. The star told TMZ the disagreement began when he stepped outside to smoke a cigarette, with his wife-to-be fearing he had left to use drugs. Marie was filmed apologizing as Margera said: 'If you were sorry you would be crying and hugging me, f*****g b***h!' He then told her to 'get a drug test,' to which she replied, 'I'm sorry and I love you.' Bam later said Marie was 'expressing concern' and that he appreciates her looking out for him as he credited her with keeping him sober. He also revealed he took a urine test that day to confirm to Marie he was still sober. His rep told TMZ: 'Good news, Bam remains sober. The personal incident outside a hotel, involving Bam and his fiancee, Dannii, stemmed from Dannii's concern for Bam's wellbeing. 'This misunderstanding between the couple was resolved positively, as expected moments later. Bam continues to take his regular voluntary urine tests to confirm his sobriety.' In March Bam denied relapsing after he was caught on camera having an argument with his fiancee Dannii Margera pictured in Pennsylvania in July 2023 Margera, estranged wife Nicole Boyd and their son Phoenix, five In December Margera was granted supervised visitation with his five-year-old son Phoenix, who he shares with estranged wife Nicole Boyd, by a California court. His visitation schedule issued by the family court was reviewed by The Blast, which reported that the visits are limited to California-based locations on Saturdays and Sundays for four hours at a time. Margera, who revealed his engagement to fitness model Marie in late 2023, must provide Boyd with a minimum notice of one week, according to court documents. According to the terms set by the court, Margera's visits with Phoenix have to be supervised by a third party who both he and Boyd agree to. If Margera and Boyd cannot come to accord, according to the court, the visits will be 'professionally supervised' by a party who Boyd chooses (out of three options), and Margera approves of within three days. Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's controversial star Mary Cosby is accused of using a cruel slur against Lisa Barlow's young son while filming season five of the hit show. Cosby allegedly called Barlow's child Henry, 12, the R-word during an explosive clash on camera. The 'crazy fight' happened earlier this month, with cast members Heather Gay (who recently said body positivity is a big lie) Whitney Rose, Meredith Marks and Angie Katsanevas said to be 'perturbed' by Cosby's remarks. 'The entire cast was beyond grossed out,' a source said, noting that Barlow was, 'very upset' about what Cosby said. A rep for Cosby said only that Mary 'is on hiatus right now' from the show. DailyMail.com has reached out to Bravo for further comment. A Bravo rep later clarified that Cosby is, 'on hiatus from her rep, not the show,' though would not comment further. Filming is under way on Season 5 of Bravo's Real Housewives of Salt Lake City , with a new report claiming a vulgar altercation took place. A new report from Page Six alleges that RHOSLC star Mary Cosby called Henry, the 12-year-old son of Lisa Barlow , the R-word. Barlow shares the 12-year-old (middle right) - who she affectionately calls 'Baby Gorgeous' - along with his older brother, 19-year-old Jack (middle left), with husband John Barlow (left). Barlow shares the 12-year-old - who she affectionately calls 'Baby Gorgeous' - along with his older brother, 19-year-old Jack, with husband John Barlow. Another source claims that both Cosby and Barlow have put the incident behind them, and they are both currently filming a cast trip in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 'They made amends over the situation and are moving on,' the insider contends of the incident. There is no indication yet if the incident will be featured this season when the show returns to Bravo. This is not the first time that Cosby has come under fire for insensitive remarks on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. She called former castmate Jen Shah a 'Mexican thug' in Season 2, though Shah is of both Hawaiian and Tongan descent. Cosby did apologize to Shah, who was later removed from the show after she was arrested for wire fraud and money laundering. 'I would like to take this opportunity to address a comment I made on the last episode of RHOSLC. I used poor judgment in my choice of words. Please accept my apologies,' Cosby said. 'I was not trying to single out the Mexican culture. I am African American and I know racism first hand,' she continued, adding her words were, 'reckless.' Just a month later, Cosby made another racially-insensitive remark, saying she liked Season 2 cast member Jennie Nguyen's, 'slanted' eyes. Lisa Barlow is all smiles with her 12-year-old son Jack Another source claims that both Cosby and Barlow have put the incident behind them, and they are both currently filming a cast trip in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico . 'They made amends over the situation and are moving on,' the insider contends of the incident This is not the first time that Cosby has come under fire for insensitive remarks on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Nguyen, who is of Vietnamese descent, said in confession, 'What the hell? Did Mary just say she likes my slanted eyes? Does she not know its inappropriate?' Nguyen, who is of Vietnamese descent, said in confession, 'What the hell? Did Mary just say she likes my slanted eyes? Does she not know its inappropriate?' Cosby has also been accused of running her church - Faith Temple Pentecostal Church - like a 'cult,' though she has denied those allegations. Cosby was a main cast member in Season 1 and 2, before leaving in Season 3 and returning as a 'friend' in Season 4. Her status for Season 5 has not yet been confirmed at this time, and it's unclear when it may debut on Bravo. Hilary Duff showcased her growing baby bump while stepping out in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon. The 36-year-old flashed a smile and was joined by a friend as she made the most of the pleasant spring weather and spent a bit of time in the sun. The Disney Channel alum - who recently won a $1.25 million-dollar lawsuit - donned a jet-black dress that conformed tightly to her stomach. Duff also accessorized with a pair of chic sunglasses, as well as silver hoop earrings as she stepped out. The Lizzie McGuire star's bright golden hair cascaded onto her shoulders and contrasted with the dark tone of her clothing. Hilary Duff showcased her growing baby bump while stepping out in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon The actress revealed that she would be kindly refusing to respond to messages concerning fourth child's due date in a message that was shared on her Instagram Story this past Sunday. The state of the actress' pregnancy has become the subject of attention from her longtime fans over the past few months, and many have reached out to inquire about how she had been holding up. Duff began by writing: 'Hi friends This is meant in the kindest tone (I promise) I am no longer responding to texts or dm's about "when baby is coming!"' The Agent Cody Banks actress went on to express that she was appreciative of the well wishes from her fans and that she was also counting down the days until her upcoming child's arrival. She wrote: 'I know everyone is checking in with love and humor, however, trust menobody wants it more than me!' The performer concluded by writing that she would keep her fans informed about the state of her pregnancy at her own rate. 'Babies come when they are ready. I am trying my best to be patient! The days are long and uncomfortable. Promise I will let you know,' she wrote. She previously shared photos from an acupuncture session to her Instagram Story last week while 'gently trying to give baby the eviction notice.' According to Hennepin Healthcare, weekly pre-birth acupuncture, beginning at 36 weeks, 'can help to prepare the body for labor and delivery and promote relaxation and restful sleep.' The 36-year-old Disney Channel alum flashed a smile and was joined by a friend as she made the most of the pleasant spring weather and spent a bit of time in the sun The state of the 36-year-old actress' pregnancy has become the subject of attention from her longtime fans over the past few months, and many have reached out to inquire about how she had been holding up Duff will share her fourth child with her husband of several years, Matthew Koma, whom she first met in 2015; seen in 2021 Duff revealed that she was expecting to welcome a fourth child by sharing an image on her Instagram account in December of last year The treatment typically uses five to 20 needles and is considered 'relatively safe for most pregnancies.' During her last pregnancy, Duff tried a salad that is 'supposed to make you go into labor,' writing on her Instagram Story: '@caioti_pizza don't let me down.' Duff will share her fourth child with her husband of several years, Matthew Koma, whom she first met in 2015. Prior to becoming involved with the 36-year-old musician, the actress was married to Mike Comrie from 2010 until 2016, and they welcomed a son named Luca, 12, in 2012. The performer moved on with the producer, and they welcomed a daughter named Banks, five, in 2018. The two went on to tie the knot during a wedding ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in 2019. The happy couple went on to add another daughter named Mae, three, to their family in 2021. Duff revealed that she was expecting to welcome a fourth child by sharing an image on her Instagram account in December of last year. Kate Ritchie cut a stylish figure as she was seen jetting back to Sydney Airport with her daughter Mae on Sunday. The former Home and Away star, 45, looked every inch the doting mother as she sweetly cuddled Mae, nine, whom she shares with her ex-husband Stuart Webb. She showed off her chic sense of style in a chestnut jumper and straight-leg jeans, which she paired with dark brown heeled Chelsea boots. She simply accessorised her casual look with a dainty gold necklace and toted her essentials in a brown leather handbag. The actress also clutched a small pink knitted toy in one hand as she chatted to her daughter after returning to Sydney following their holiday. Kate Ritchie cut a stylish figure as she was seen jetting back to Sydney Airport with her daughter Mae on Sunday The former Home and Away star, 45, looked every inch the doting mother as she sweetly cuddled Mae, nine, whom she shares with her ex-husband Stuart Webb Mae was her mum's mini-me in a white T-shirt and jeans, as the mother and daughter shared a warm embrace in the airport. The pair were arriving back in Sydney after spending a few days at Churchill Island in Victoria, with Kate sharing snaps from the getaway to her Instagram page. The holiday comes just weeks after Ritchie's stalker nightmare came to light earlier this month. It was revealed she made a phone call to NSW Police after receiving a message from Gerard Ryan, 71, which said he was in the suburb where she lives and hoped to find her. He had sent her 'hundreds' of messages from February 2022 through to April 2023, including 'numerous naked photographs of the accused and numerous videos of the accused masturbating', police facts, seen by the Daily Telegraph, claimed. Kate showed off her incredible sense of style in a chestnut jumper and straight leg jeans, which she paired with dark brown heeled Chelsea boots Ryan was arrested at a park in Sydney's eastern suburbs last month and charged with stalking charge, which he pleaded guilty to. He was also hit with an apprehended violence order banning him from approaching Ritchie. Waverley Local Court was told Ryan's obsession with the TV star began last year when he started posting on her social media accounts comments including, 'Hello Kate I love you so much'. Another post said: 'I just want to kiss you my heart is pounding for you I love you madly'. Ryan posted very explicit messages of a sexual nature about Ritchie on his own social media pages, and when she didn't respond it got worse. The mother and daughter arrived back in Sydney after jetting off to Churchill Island. The holiday comes just weeks after Ritchie's stalker nightmare came to light earlier this month The police facts also indicated Ryan had said he wanted to marry Ritchie and referenced her daughter, saying he would make 'a good stepfather'. In February, he sent a letter to her work address which included a Valentine's Day card. Ryan was sentenced to a 12-month Conditional Release Order and an AVO states he must not go within 500m of Ritchie's home or workplace. Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department's annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese counterparts. In a preface, Blinken said the report "documents ongoing grave human rights abuses in the People's Republic of China (PRC)." "For example, in Xinjiang, the PRC continues to carry out genocide, crimes against humanity, forced labor, and other human rights violations against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups," Blinken said in the preface. The section of Monday's report on China details the detention of more than one million people in camps and prisons and the use of re-education camps in Xinjiang, among other abuses committed against the broader Chinese population. China has vigorously denied abuses in Xinjiang and says it established "vocational training centers" to curb terrorism, separatism and religious radicalism. Blinken when he took office in 2021 endorsed a determination by his predecessor that China's actions amounted to genocide, and he has raised the issue in meetings with Chinese officials. The annual human rights report has in recent years echoed that position and said the genocide is ongoing, but Xinjiang has featured less prominently in direct contacts between U.S. and Chinese officials. A senior State Department official briefing reporters on Friday on Blinken's trip said human rights would be among the issues raised by Blinken with Chinese officials, but did not mention the situation in Xinjiang. (Reuters) Bondi Rescue star Harrison Reid has dedicated 11 years of his life to safeguarding Australia's most famous Bondi Beach. Now the 29-year-old is encouraging locals to keep it clean for Earth Day 2024. 'It's my backyard down here, and I always try and keep it clean,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, highlighting the struggle to protect its pristine beauty from rubbish left behind by tourists. 'It absolutely kills me. We want to show this beach off to everyone from around the world. It's one of the biggest tourist hotspots.' From reuniting lost kids with their parents to witnessing proposals and even funerals, Bondi's seen it all. Bondi Rescue star Harrison Reid has dedicated 11 years of his life to safeguarding Australia's most famous Bondi Beach. Now the 29-year-old, in conjunction with The Botanist Gin, is encouraging locals to keep it clean for Earth Day 2024 'It's a special place for a lot of people,' Reid said. While Reid adores his job, he dreads the aftermath of the festive season. 'I dread coming to work on Christmas Day, New Year's Day. When it's a lot of people who come down, eat, party, especially the backpackers. It's disgusting with the bottles and everything left behind,' he lamented, urging people to use bins or take their rubbish with them. Reid has seen all sorts in his time as a lifeguard, but there was one object he spied in the water which really took him by surprise. 'The most unusual item has probably been a sea sack (from Far North Queensland) got stuck down here in the current, so it was pretty interesting,' he recounted. 'It's my backyard down here, and I always try and keep it clean,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, highlighting the struggle to protect its pristine beauty from rubbish left behind by tourists. 'It absolutely kills me. We want to show this beach off to everyone from around the world. It's one of the biggest tourist hotspots' Looking back, Reid reckons if he wasn't a lifeguard, he'd still be working with people. 'Definitely be something being involved with people... 90% of being a lifeguard is actually customer service,' he said. This Earth Day, the message from Reid in a campaign with The Botanist Gin is clear - lets all do our bit and keep the beach looking beaut (and swim between the flags). While Reid adores his job, he dreads the aftermath of the festive season. 'I dread coming to work on Christmas Day, New Year's Day. When it's a lot of people who come down, eat, party, especially the backpackers. It's disgusting with the bottles and everything left behind,' he lamented, urging people to use bins or take their rubbish with them From reuniting lost kids with their parents to witnessing proposals and even funerals, Bondi's seen it all. 'It's a special place for a lot of people,' Reid mused As she continues to thrive in the wake of the most epic breakup ever, Ariana Madix is considering her options. The Vanderpump Rules star, 38, admitted she's unsure if she'll return to the Bravo reality show for season 12 as she appeared Sunday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. 'I can't or I won't say [if I'm returning] but I think that ultimately, it would have to make sense for me,' she explained, according to People. 'Our show has always thrived, it's always at its best when it is at its most authentic and its most real, and I have to be able to show up and be real and be authentic in order for it to make sense for me.' Madix added, 'So that's the question I would be asking myself going into it.' Ariana Madix admitted she's unsure if she'll return to Vanderpump Rules as she appeared Sunday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 'I can't or I won't say [if I'm returning] but I think that ultimately, it would have to make sense for me,' she explained She first appeared as a guest on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spin-off in season 1 before joining the main cast in season 3. The Dancing with the Stars alum also opened up about feeling like she 'could do anything' after going through her public breakup last year with Tom Sandoval, whose affair with Raquel Leviss was revealed on the show. 'That was one thing that I think even initially I was like, well, I felt like Superwoman,' she said. 'I felt like I could do anything because all of that, I thought I would never be able to handle something like that, and then I did,' added Madix. 'And I feel like that's something that a lot of us, when we go through hard things, we realize like, "Oh, I could do that."' Co-star Brittany Cartwright previously said that their fellow castmates are envious of the brand deals and opportunities Madix has received in the wake of 'Scandoval.' 'I think it's obvious that there's a little bit of jealousy going on in that show,' she said this week on the Not Skinny Not Fat podcast. 'I'm definitely happy for her and I know that they're all happy for her,' added Cartwright, 35. 'I think that everybody's just like, "Well, why isn't this happening to me!"' Her comments came after Madix's Broadway debut run as Roxie Hart in Chicago was extended back in February. She first appeared as a guest on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spin-off in season 1 before joining the main cast in season 3 Madix's latest appearance comes after her Broadway debut run as Roxie Hart in Chicago was extended back in February While at the LA Times Festival of Books, she promoted her latest book Single AF Cocktails Madix also confirmed last month that she's hosting the upcoming sixth season of Love Island's US adaptation. 'Talk about a bombshell. This summer, Im trading rhinestone buckles for bikinis,' she said in a video from the Ambassador Theatre in New York City. 'I'm hosting the next season of Love Island USA, streaming this summer on Peacock,' added Madix. 'I can't wait to stir up trouble in paradise.' Meanwhile, pal and business partner Katie Maloney teased last month that their West Hollywood sandwich shop Something About Her is 'coming very soon.' Madix's appearance at the LA Times Festival of Books comes as she promotes her latest book Single AF Cocktails. Mila Kunis has confirmed that she and husband Ashton Kutcher will not be returning as Jackie and Kelso in Season 2 of That 90s Show. Kunis, 40, and Kutcher, 46, both met on the set of their breakthrough show That 70s Show, which aired eight seasons from 1998 to 2006. The couple tied the knot in 2015, and both returned to reprise their roles as Jackie Burkhart and Michael Kelso in Netflix's That 90s Show, which debuted in January 2023. Netflix has already renewed That 90s Show for a second season, which is slated to return this summer, though no exact date was given. Kunis - who recently made her first red carpet appearance since the Danny Masterson controversy - was asked by ET if they plan on returning, which she denied. Mila Kunis has confirmed that she and husband Ashton Kutcher will not be returning as Jackie and Kelso in Season 2 of That 90s Show. Kunis, 40, and Kutcher, 46, both met on the set of their breakthrough show That 70s Show, which aired eight seasons from 1998 to 2006 'I mean, we did our thing. I think they introduced the son, right, like it was our son in the show,' she said, referring to Mace Coronel's Jay Kelso, their 16-year-old son. That 70s Show was set between the years of 1976 to 1979 in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin. That 90s Show shifts the story to 1995, 15 years after the end of the series, following Leia (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon). Leia goes to Point Place to spend the summer with her grandparents, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Donna Rupp). Jackie and Kelso's son Jay is the love interest of Leia in the first season, which also featured appearances from most of the main That 70s Show cast members. The series also stars Ashley Aufderheide as Gwen, Maxwell Donovan as Nate, Reyn Doi as Ozzie and Sam Morelos as Nikki. Original That 70s Show creators Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner return to create That 90s Show, executive producing alongside their daughter Lindsey Turner. Gregg Mettler serves as showrunner and executive produces with Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, Jessica Goldstein, Chrissy Pietrosh and Mandy Summers. 'I mean, we did our thing. I think they introduced the son, right, like it was our son in the show,' she said, referring to Mace Coronel's Jay Kelso, their 16-year-old son Leia goes to Point Place to spend the summer with her grandparents, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Donna Rupp) Kunis revealed recently that she met learned there were kids at their daycare who were named after the couple Kunis revealed recently that she met learned there were kids at their daycare who were named after the couple. 'I'll tell you a funny story. My kids were at daycare. It's a hundred years ago, and there was an Ashton and a Mila,' she said. 'They were not related people. They were two different little kids, two separate families,' she noted. Kunis added, 'This was first day, and Ashton and I walked in and there was a random Mila and a random baby Ashton, and I was like, "Oh, this is so cute."' Megan Thee Stallion set pulses racing by sharing a workout selfie on her Instagram Story on Monday afternoon. The 29-year-old rapper showed off the results of her hard work in the gym as she pushed out her rear end while posing for the snap. The hitmaker - who recently attended a star-studded gala - donned a bright blue bra top and a matching pair of shorts, both of which showed off her toned arms and legs. Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, completed her look with a dark beanie, and her gorgeous dark brunette hair fell onto her back. The WAP rapper is currently preparing to kick off her upcoming Hot Girl Summer Tour. Megan Thee Stallion set pulses racing by sharing a workout selfie on her Instagram Story on Monday afternoon The performer's upcoming run of shows will mark the first time that she has headlined a tour. Megan formerly served as a supporting act on Meek Mill and Future's Legendary Nights Tour in 2019, and Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia Tour in 2022. The hitmaker initially teased that she would be embarking on a tour during an interview with Good Morning America that was released in January. The performer stated: 'We're having the tour this year. The Hot Girl Summer Tour is gonna be 2024 summertime.' Megan went on to express that she was particularly excited to be headlining her very own run of shows, as opposed to being featured as a supporting act. 'I feel like I've never been able to be outside doing my own thing during the summer since, like, 2019,' she said. The Big Ole Freak rapper will be supported by GloRilla during her upcoming run of shows. The pair collaborated on a track entitled Wanna Be, which was featured on the Memphis rapper's first commercial mixtape, Ehhthang Ehhthang. The WAP rapper is currently preparing to kick off her upcoming Hot Girl Summer Tour; seen in 2022 The performer's upcoming run of shows will mark the first time that she has headlined a tour; seen in 2021 Megan is currently scheduled to kick off her run of shows with a performance at the Target Center in Minneapolis on May 14; seen in 2021 The performer will conclude her tour at the Audi Field in Washington, D.C. on July 27 during the Broccoli City Festival; seen in 2022 A formal announcement about the Hot Girl Summer Tour was released this past March. Several dates for the tour, including stops in Chicago and the rapper's hometown of Houston, were added that same month. Megan is currently scheduled to kick off her run of shows with a performance at the Target Center in Minneapolis on May 14. The performer will conclude her tour at the Audi Field in Washington, D.C. on July 27 during the Broccoli City Festival. Paris Hilton recently revealed the meaning behind her daughter's middle name and the significance of her birth date. The media personality, 43, opened up about her and husband Carter Reum's five-month-old baby girl who she finally introduced to the world in first snaps this past weekend. On a 'very special' episode of her iHeartRadio podcast I Am Paris released on Sunday, she said their daughter was born on 11/11 last year just shy of one year after they welcomed their first child, 15-month-old son Phoenix. The Simple Life star began by mentioning how just days earlier, she had unveiled her daughter's face for the first time in adorable family photos, introducing her by her full name London Marilyn Hilton-Reum. She then explained the special meaning behind the name they picked for her. Paris Hilton recently revealed the meaning behind her daughter's middle name and the significance of her birth date. The media personality, 43, opened up about her and husband Carter Reum's five-month-old baby girl who she finally introduced to the world in first snaps this past weekend On a 'very special' episode of her iHeartRadio podcast I Am Paris released on Sunday, she said their daughter was born on 11/11 last year. As for London's middle name Marilyn, she said she was inspired by her grandmother as well as a certain famous Hollywood icon 'I chose London as her name because it's one of my favorite cities in the world,' she began. 'And ever since I was a little girl, I just always dreamed of having a little daughter named London. I think it also sounds so cute together, Paris and London, and it's just such a beautiful and unique name,' she shared. As for London's middle name Marilyn, she said she was inspired by her grandmother as well as a certain famous Hollywood icon. The reality TV personality also noted that her son Phoenix was also named after her grandfather as well. 'I wanted to honor my grandmother, Marilyn. I think it's such a beautiful name,' she explained. 'And Phoenix, his middle name is Barron, which is my grandfather's name.' She continued: 'It was just an honor of both of them, and I love them so much. 'I love Marilyn Monroe as well,' the entrepreneur added. During her podcast episode, Hilton also explained the significance of her daughter's double number birthday and why it is 'so special' to her. The Simple Life star began by mentioning how just days earlier, she had unveiled her daughter's face for the first time in adorable family photos, introducing her by her full name London Marilyn Hilton-Reum She gushed over London's 'beautiful and unique' name. 'Ever since I was a little girl, I just always dreamed of having a little daughter named London,' she said before adding that she thought that their names 'sound so good together' Even though London is only five months old, Hilton said she sees 'early glimpses' of her personality, adding that she reminds her of her sister Nicky [Hilton] 'Obviously, as you all know, 11/11 is such an important date to me, [an] important time,' she said. 'Carter and I were married on 11/11. My media company is named 11:11 Media. I make a wish every single day at 11:11. So for my daughter to be born on that date was just magical and so special.' 'So perfect birthday for my little princess.' Even though London is only five months old, the DJ said she sees 'early glimpses' of her personality, adding that she resembles her sister Nicky [Hilton]. 'I can already tell that she is very serious and so sweet,' she said. 'She reminds me so much of my sister Nicky.' She noted that they look alike too. 'When I look at my baby pictures, Phoenix is my twin and then little London looks like Nikki.' In January 2023, Hilton and Reum welcomed Phoenix via surrogate. Less than a year later, London was born via surrogate in November 2023. The DJ noted that they look alike too. 'When I look at my baby pictures, Phoenix is my twin and then little London looks like Nikki' In January 2023, Hilton and Reum welcomed Phoenix via surrogate. Less than a year later, London was born via surrogate in November 2023 Just last week, Hilton shared the first family photo including her baby girl. She took to Instagram to share the cute pictures and gushed about her 'angel babies' in her caption while promoting her new collaborative song with Sia. 'Introducing London Marilyn Hilton-Reum,' she began. 'I've dreamed of having a daughter named London for as long as I can remember. I'm so grateful she is here. I truly cherish every moment I spend with her. 'Together with Phoenix, my angel babies have shown me a love that I never even knew could run so deep before I became their mother,' she continued. 'My incredible journey through motherhood has inspired a new, deeply personal song with my dear friend Sia called "Fame Won't Love You." 'The song serves as a reminder that the special bond I feel with my children, my husband and my family is more valuable than anything else in the world. It's an anthem that will empower you to hold your most sacred relationships even closer to your heart whether with family, friends, or yourself. I hope you love it as much as I do.' The Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar used by the late John Lennon in making the Beatles' iconic 1965 Help! album is expected to sell for up to $800,000 (650,000) in an upcoming auction slated for next month. Julien's Auctions said Tuesday in a news conference at London's Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus that the prized musical instrument will be for sale in its MUSIC ICONS auction slated for May 29-May 30. The guitar - described by the auction house as 'one of the most historically important Beatles guitars in rock history' - will be sold in an auction stemming from the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online at juliensauctions.com. The guitar was 'long forgotten and believed to have been lost' until it was 'recently found in an attic in the UK after being unseen for over 50 years,' according to Julien's. 'The discovery of John Lennon's Help! guitar that was believed to be lost is considered the greatest find of a Beatles guitar since Paul McCartney's lost 1961 Hofner bass guitar,' said Darren Julien, Julien's executive director and co-founder. The Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar used by the late John Lennon in making the Beatles ' iconic 1965 Help! album is expected to command up to $800,000 (650,000) in an upcoming auction slated for next month The guitar - described by the auction house as 'one of the most historically important Beatles guitars in rock history' - will be sold in an auction stemming from the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online at juliensauctions.com. Lennon pictured in 1965 Julien said that 'finding this remarkable instrument is like finding a lost Rembrandt or Picasso, and it still looks and plays like a dream after having been preserved in an attic for more than 50 years. 'To awaken this sleeping beauty is a sacred honor and is a great moment for music, Julien's, Beatles and auction history.' The auction house said that the sale of the instrument, amid the everlasting popularity of the Beatles, is projected to 'set a new world record for the highest-selling Beatles guitar.' Help!, which was the iconic quarter's fifth studio album, was the soundtrack to the film of the same titled released in August of 1965. Among the most prominent tracks on the record include Yesterday, Ticket to Ride and You're Going to Lose That Girl. The guitar was first seen in the mid-1960s, according to Julien's, as chronicled in the group's film and photos snapped by Sean O'Mahoney, who published the Beatles fan club magazine Beatle Monthly Book at the time, according to the auction house. The specific tracks the guitar can be heard on in the album include the title track, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, I've Just Seen A Face and It's Only Love, Julien's said. Other tracks the distinctive musical instrument can be heard on include the 1965 Beatles track Girl and Norwegian Wood, from the group's Rubber Soul album released in December of that year. The Beatles have past buoyed the auction house to world record sales, as previous sales include an acoustic guitar from Lennon that sold for $2.4 million; while Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum kit sold for $2.4 million; and a Ludwig Beatles Ed Sullivan Show drumhead sold for $2.1 million. The auction house said that the sale of the instrument is projected to 'set a new world record for the highest-selling Beatles guitar' The specific tracks the guitar can be heard on in the album include the title track, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, I've Just Seen A Face and It's Only Love, Julien's said The guitar was 'long forgotten and believed to have been lost' until it was 'recently found in an attic in the UK after being unseen for over 50 years,' according to Julien's. Lennon pictured in 1965 Help!, which was the iconic quarter's fifth studio album, was the soundtrack to the film of the same titled released in August of 1965 Among the most prominent tracks on the record include the title track, Yesterday, Ticket to Ride and You're Going to Lose That Girl Among the other items on sale include a cropped jacket with multi-color sequined decorations worn by rocker Joan Jett during her 1989 tour. The fashion item from the I Love Rock n Roll artist is projected to sell for between $5,000 - $7,000, Julien's said. A pair of black nylon Onitsuka Tiger brand High-Top sneakers owned by late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is among the items in the lot, Julien's said. The shoes, which the Bohemian Rhapsody vocalist wore onstage in 1979, are expected to sell for $20,000-$30,000. Buyers can take a ride on the wild side with a 1987 Kramer KM-1 electric guitar played by Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars. The autographed musical instrument has the font of the Girls Girls Girls album across the front, as Mars played it on the band's 1987-1988 world tour in support of the album. It's expected to sell for $60,000-$80,000. A Fender guitar Rose Sparkle P Bass guitar owned and played by U2's Adam Clayton is expected to sell for $50,000-$70,000. Clayton played the instrument on the shows the iconic band played at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Among the other items on sale include a cropped jacket with multi-color sequined decorations worn by rocker Joan Jett during her 1989 tour A pair of black nylon Onitsuka Tiger brand High-Top sneakers owned by late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is among the items in the lot Buyers can take a ride on the wild side with a 1987 Kramer KM-1 electric guitar played by Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars A custom Gianni Versace dress worn by late legend Tina Turner is expected to sell for between $4,000-$6,000 A black Fendi dress custom made for the late Amy Winehouse for a Fendi event in Paris is on sale A Fender guitar Rose Sparkle P Bass guitar owned and played by U2's Adam Clayton is expected to sell for $50,000-$70,000 A custom Gianni Versace dress worn by late legend Tina Turner is expected to sell for between $4,000-$6,000. The What's Love Got to Do with It vocalist wore the garment on her Wildest Dreams Tour in 1996 and 1997, according to Julien's. A black Fendi dress custom made for the late Amy Winehouse for a Fendi event in Paris is on sale. A former Home and Away star is on the run from police after he escaped from custody moments before he was meant to face court on assault charges. Orpheus Pledger, 30, was escorted by police from jail to Royal Melbourne Hospital, near the city's CBD, about 3.30am on Tuesday to undergo a mental health assessment. But a court heard he still had not been seen by doctors by about 9.10am. He is then alleged to have just got up and walked out, in breach of his bail conditions. Pledger now remains at large with police launching a manhunt for him after a warrant for his arrest was issued. Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger is on the run from police after escaping from a hospital to receive a mental health assessment while facing assault charges The alleged escape led Melbourne Magistrate Justin Foster to fume that he had 'bent over backwards' to approve the hospital visit in a hearing on Monday. The former actor - who played Mason Morgan on the soap for 339 episodes from 2016 to 2019 - had been remanded in custody since his arrest on March 27. The court heard Pledger had been arrested the day after he allegedly assaulted the same woman, who can't be identified for legal reasons, for a ninth time since 2021. Security footage of the incident allegedly showed Pledger grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground before stomping on her head. Pledger had been expected to undergo the assessment in hospital and return to court on Tuesday to have his bail conditions reassessed. But when his case was called by Magistrate Foster on Tuesday morning, he could not be found. Pledger's solicitor, Jasper MacCuspie, told the court his client had escaped the hospital after not being seen for almost six hours. Magistrate Foster had granted the order on Monday to have Pledger assessed when urged by Mr MacCuspie. His lawyers said the assessment could help 'mitigate future risks to the community' and have the accused receive the help 'experts say he needs'. But on Tuesday, Magistrate Foster told the court: 'This makes me query if I will ever grant this order again.' He said he was also outraged that a suspected mentally-ill patient had been left untreated and unattended for almost six hours. Pledger's bail was revoked and a warrant for his arrest issued. The court heard on Monday that a triple-0 call by Pledger's alleged assault victim warned police that he was in the midst of a mental health incident. The alleged victim was heard saying 'he's coming' before the line cut out, the court was told. She allegedly suffered a number of severe injuries from the March 25 incident, including haematomas to her forehead, cuts to her cheek and bruising to her neck, back of the hand and cheek. Pledger is accused of assaulting a woman on March 25 and had been remanded in custody since the following day. He remains at large She told police that she 'believes he will eventually kill her', the court was told, and supported police acting on the alleged assaults. Police prosecutor Olivia Sparrow had recommended that Pledger remain in custody as he was a 'unacceptable risk' to the community while homeless and allegedly suffering drug and mental health issues. Ms Sparrow also opposed an in-patient mental health assessment order made during a bail hearing last week, as staff can't physically prevent him from leaving. Magistrate Foster had also aired his concerns over the order as it meant Pledger could leave without being apprehended. Clinically he might get on his drugs and whatever treatment he needs and show improvement. Then he can be released into the community,' he said. The risk of something further happening and having dire consequences is striking. The case will return to court at a later date.. Francia Raisa is opening up about her kidney donation to her BFF Selena Gomez, once again shutting down rumors she was 'forced' to donate it. The 35-year-old actress donated one of her kidneys to her best friend Gomez, 31, back in 2017, though their once-bright friendship ultimately devolved over the years. The once-besties were said to be 'feuding' at one point before they ultimately reconciled in 2023. Raisa appeared on The Art of Kindness podcast with Robert Peterpaul, where she was asked what her biggest act of kindness was. 'Besides donating a kidney, what? It was definitely a personal choice. It was definitely just an act of kindness no matter what the rumors are,' she said. Francia Raisa is opening up about her kidney donation to her BFF Selena Gomez , once again shutting down rumors she was 'forced' to donate it The 35-year-old actress donated one of her kidneys to her best friend Gomez, 31, back in 2017, though their once-bright friendship ultimately devolved over the years 'It was something I just did because I really felt called to do it and I've been blessed since. My first audition right after surgery, two weeks, was Grown-Ish, and I booked it,' Raisa added. Raisa plays Ana Torres on the Freeform series Grown-Ish, which is wrapping up its run after six seasons, with the back half of the final season currently airing. 'I put myself in a position where people are interested in my personal life. I wish that wasn't so crazy as it has been,' she added. 'I've just been in my own journey ever since and my favorite thing about that is I've been able to talk to other potential donors, nobody really knows I do that,' she said. She adds that friends will ask her to talk to one of their friends who are thinking of donating and that leads to a two-hour conversation. When asked what she thinks her 'definition of kindness' is, Raisa said, 'Unconditional grace,' adding she, 'just made that up.' 'We all have trauma, we all go through stuff. I have my bad days. You have your bad days. I've learned a lot that when someone projects onto me, it's not personal, at all, it's something they're going through,' she said. 'Literally we all offend each other and I've just learned not to take it so personal, and if it's someone that's just not ready to grow, I just pull myself away. That doesn't mean that I don't care about them,' she said. 'It was something I just did because I really felt called to do it and I've been blessed since. My first audition right after surgery, two weeks, was Grown-Ish, and I booked it,' Raisa added 'I put myself in a position where people are interested in my personal life. I wish that wasn't so crazy as it has been,' she added 'I've just been in my own journey ever since and my favorite thing about that is I've been able to talk to other potential donors, nobody really knows I do that,' she said. Raisa and Gomez first met at a charity event in 2007 when Gomez was working for Disney and Raisa was on ABC's The Secret Live of an American Teenager. Gomez revealed in 2015 that she was diagnosed with Lupus, with the friends making headlines when Raisa donated her kidney to Gomez. 'There aren't words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis,' Gomez said at the time.' The friends reportedly had a rift when Gomez was seen partying and consuming alcohol and Raisa confronted her about her choices. Tensions also role in 2018 when Gomez said in an interview that her 'only friend' in the industry was Taylor Swift, which Raisa commented, 'Interesting.' Gomez also failed to mention Raisa as she spoke candidly about her mental and physical health in her Apple TV+ documentary My Mind And Me. Gomez did show appreciation for Raisa as she candidly discussed the life-saving transplant while appearing on the streamer's series Dear.... She revealed that the actress took it upon herself to get tested to see if she could be a kidney donor. 'I've just been in my own journey ever since and my favorite thing about that is I've been able to talk to other potential donors, nobody really knows I do that,' she said Tensions also role in 2018 when Gomez said in an interview that her 'only friend' in the industry was Taylor Swift, which Raisa commented, 'Interesting' Gomez later referred to Swift again as her 'best friend,' though Raisa wouldn't speak publicly on their friendship after she was asked. Still, Gomez gave Raisa a birthday shout-out back in July, stating, 'Happiest of birthdays to this special human beings. No matter where life takes us, I love you. @franciaraisa.' Raisa would later insist that she has no beef with Gomez, though back in December, she said in an interview that they hadn't spoken much in recent years. During a new interview with USA Today, the How I Met Your Father star, 35, shed light on her past 'tiff' with the two-time Grammy nominee, 31, and taking some 'time apart' from each other to grow. 'It's still crazy to me that people were invested in our friendship. I don't know why the timing happened the way it did, but I remember being in St. Tropez in June and I kept talking about her,' the actress told the outlet. 'We hadn't spoken much in six years. Especially the last year, we didn't speak at all.' After Gomez penned a heartfelt tribute to Raisa on her 35th birthday in July, she recalls feeling that 'the universe decided this timing' to bring them back together. Ultimately, the Los Angeles native revealed that the Only Murders in the Building star, 31, 'reached out and said, 'Let's talk.'' Over dinner, Raisa said they agreed they had 'no beef, just salsa.' Raisa would later insist that she has no beef with Gomez, though back in December, she said in an interview that they hadn't spoken much in recent years Raisa added: 'And obviously, you know, I gave the girl a kidney so everyone felt a certain way' 'We've never really had beef with each other. Nothing happened, and if you ask either of us, we don't know what happened but we needed that time apart. Then when you come back together, you're better people. She and I are still getting to know each other again,' the Bring It On: All or Nothing alum insisted. Raisa added: 'And obviously, you know, I gave the girl a kidney so everyone felt a certain way.' The performer noted that 'for years and years and years' that she's been asked if she regretted donating her kidney to Gomez, who suffers from lupus. 'No, the relationship has always been there,' stated of her decision to be a living organ donor. 'There was just a tiff.' Morning Live star Xand van Tulleken has become a dad for the second time after his wife Dolly gave birth on Monday. The TV doctor, who already has one child, Julian, from previous relationship, shared the happy news that he and his wife have welcomed a son, Rex Patrick Anthony van Hoogenhouck-Tulleken. Taking to Instagram, Dr Xand shared a heartfelt snap as he kissed his wife after she had given birth while she held the newborn. He captioned the snap: 'Our son, born on earth day. So proud of my amazing wife @dolitics'. Meanwhile the team at BBC Morning Live also sent their best wishes as they took to Twitter to share the news. Morning Live star Dr Xand van Tulleken has become a dad again after his wife Dolly gave birth to the couple's first son on Monday The TV doctor shared the happy news that he and his wife have welcomed a son, Rex Patrick Anthony van Hoogenhouck-Tulleken They wrote: 'Congratulations to @xandvt and @DollyvanT on the birth of their baby boy, with arguably the best name ever, Rex Patrick Anthony van Hoogenhouck-Tulleken. 'The Morning Live family has become even bigger and we can't wait to meet him!' Host Helen Skelton told viewers: 'We've got to jump in as we know we like to start the day with happy happy news. If you were watching yesterday you might have noticed there was an absentee at our breakfast bar. 'Often on a Monday we are joined by Dr Xand he wasn't here for a very good reason, he was alongside his lovely wife Dolly as they welcomed their son Rex Patrick Anthony van Hoogenhouck-Tulleken. Baby Rex is here!' Gethin Jones added: 'Named after his grandfathers. All doing really really well. Xand's smile beaming there isn't it wonderful.' 'I know you will join us all in wishing them the very best, congratulations Dolly, Xand and baby Rex,' continued Helen. The twin and television doctor first announced his engagement to Dolly back in 2022. Recalling how he popped the question, he shared: 'We had the most wonderful time. Taking to Instagram, Dr Xand shared a heartfelt snap as he kissed his wife after she had given birth while she held the newborn Host Helen Skelton told viewers: 'Often on a Monday we are joined by Dr Xand he wasn't here for a very good reason, he was alongside his lovely wife Dolly as they welcomed their son , Rex Patrick Anthony van Hoogenhouck-Tulleken. Baby Rex is here!' The pair tied the knot last May, as BBC Morning Live shared the news alongside a beaming snap of the pair 'I proposed to my now-betrothed, Dolly, and we experienced pure magic. We rode a tandem bicycle all over London, feeling like characters in a Richard Curtis movie.' The pair tied the knot last May, as BBC Morning Live shared the news alongside a beaming snap of the pair. They wrote: 'Huge congratulations to @avantulleken & @dolitics who got married yesterday in London! The whole Morning Live team send our love! Leave a comment for the happy couple!' Dr Xand is already a father to his son Julian who lives in Canada with his mum. Speaking about being a parent back in 2021 in a piece for The Guardian, he said of his son: 'Hes the best and most significant thing that has ever happened to me. 'He was also very much an unexpected surprise. I had a short relationship with his mum; we parted ways on great terms. 'Then one day out of the blue I got a call from North Korea, where she was working. She was pregnant. I was based in England, and she lived in Canada.' Dr Xand lived in North America for the first 10 years of his son's life before moving back to London. RnB superstar The Weeknd has officially cancelled his 'After Hours Til Dawn' Australian and New Zealand tour after initially postponing it in November. Ticketek informed ticketholders of the news on Tuesday, announcing that the Canadian-born musician, real name Abel Tesfaye, will not be making his highly anticipated trip Down Under. 'The Weeknd 'After Hours Til Dawn Tour' for Australia & New Zealand is still in process of being rescheduled,' Ticketek revealed. 'Whilst we continue to work through the rescheduling process with the artist, tickets for the existing 2023 tour will be cancelled. All purchased tickets will receive a full refund,' they continued. Ticketek is encouraging ticket holders to join the waitlist for a forthcoming announcement, as they will have access to a priority pre-sale. RnB superstar The Weeknd (pictured) has officially cancelled his 'After Hours Til Dawn' Australian and New Zealand tour after initially postponing it in November Fans quickly took to social media to share their dismay over the news. 'I HAD SUCH GOOD TICKETS FOR THE WEEKND IM SO P**SED UGHHHH,' one fan wrote. '@theweeknd, you come here once then announce a tour then POSTPONE with 2 weeks notice... and now you sack after almost 6 months???? Now we gotta go through hell to get tickets AGAIN if you even bother showing up.' 'NOT THE WEEKND CANCELLING,' another user wrote alongside a string of crying emojis. Ticketek informed ticket-holders of the news on Tuesday, announcing that the Canadian-born musician, real name Abel Tesfaye, will not be making his highly anticipated trip Down Under Concertgoers were also left devastated in November when it was announced that the artist had postponed the Australian and New Zealand leg of his world tour. The Grammy winner was originally scheduled to perform in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane across November and December. Fans suspected something was wrong when they discovered they could no longer purchase tickets to his show online. 'Whilst we continue to work through the rescheduling process with the artist, tickets for the existing 2023 tour will be cancelled. All purchased tickets will receive a full refund,' they announced Touring giant Live Nation Australia was quick to reassure fans they would announce the new tour dates as soon as possible. The Weeknd last performed in Australia as part of his Starboy World Tour in 2017. The superstar has already achieved massive success on his latest world tour so far. Fans quickly took to social media to share their dismay over the news Rolling Stone reports he recently filled London's stadium with 160,000 fans over two nights, which is a record attendance for the venue. The four-time Grammy award winning artist previously revealed his stage name originated from him dropping out of school, taking his mattress, 'leaving one weekend and never coming home.' It is missing the 'e' to avoid copyright issues as there was already a Canadian band called The Weekend. Ticketek is encouraging ticket holders to join the waitlist for a forthcoming announcement, as they will have access to a priority pre-sale New York prosecutors said on the first day of Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial that the former president broke the law and corrupted the 2016 election by trying to cover up sexual encounters with a porn star and a Playboy model, while his defense lawyer said he committed no crime. Jurors in the historic trial also heard briefly from the prosecution's first witness: former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who prosecutors say participated in a "catch and kill" scheme to suppress unflattering stories about Trump and help him get elected. In the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president, Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had 10 years earlier. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies the encounter took place. Prosecutors portrayed the payment as a criminal effort to deceive voters at a time when Trump was facing other accusations of crude sexual behavior. "This was a planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. "It was election fraud, pure and simple." Colangelo told the jury that they would hear Trump working out the details of the scheme in recorded conversations and see an extensive paper trail to back up the testimony of witnesses. Trump's lawyer told the jury that the former president did not commit any crimes and said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should not have brought the case. "There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy. They put something sinister on this idea, as if it's a crime," Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said. Wearing a blue tie and dark blue suit, the Republican presidential candidate watched the court proceedings and occasionally spoke to his lawyer. A Secret Service agent wearing an earpiece sat directly behind him. The lawyers made their opening statements in what may be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to go to trial before his Nov. 5 election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden. The case is seen by many legal experts as the least consequential of the Trump prosecutions, based on facts that have been public since 2018. A guilty verdict would not bar him from taking office, but it could hurt his candidacy. Reuters/Ipsos polling shows half of independent voters and one in four Republicans say they would not vote for Trump if he is convicted of a crime. Before proceedings got under way, Trump called on his supporters to peacefully protest nationwide, but few greeted him when he arrived at the downtown Manhattan courthouse. Trump blamed security restrictions for the poor turnout, though the surrounding streets were open to the public. Trump faces three other criminal indictments stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat and his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021. Trump has pleaded not guilty in those cases, and he portrays all of them as a broad-based effort by Biden's Democratic allies to undercut his campaign. With the 2024 election campaign in full swing, Trump now must juggle courtroom appearances and rallies. 34 criminal counts Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors say he falsified checks and invoices to disguise $420,000 in payments to his personal lawyer Michael Cohen as legal services, when in fact they were meant to reimburse him for paying off Daniels. Colangelo said those payments were part of a broader pattern by Trump, Cohen and Pecker to tamp down other unflattering stories and help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. According to prosecutors, Pecker agreed during an August 2015 meeting with Trump and Cohen to act as the campaign's "eyes and ears" by looking out for negative stories about Trump. "Pecker was not acting as a publisher, he was acting as a co-conspirator," Colangelo said. Pecker has not been charged with a crime. American Media, which published the National Enquirer, in 2018 admitted that it paid $150,000 to former Playboy magazine model Karen McDougal for rights to her story about a months-long affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007. American Media said it worked "in concert" with Trump's campaign, and it never published a story. The tabloid reached a similar deal to pay $30,000 to a doorman who was seeking to sell a story about Trump allegedly fathering a child out of wedlock, which turned out to be false, according to prosecutors. Trump has said the payments were personal and did not violate election law. He has also denied the affair with McDougal. Cohen's credibility as a witness is likely to be a crucial aspect of the trial, which could last six to eight weeks. He has pleaded guilty and served prison time on federal campaign-finance charges related to his role in the scheme. "He has a goal - an obsession - with getting Trump," Blanche said, adding that Cohen had lied under oath in other cases. "I submit to you that he cannot be trusted." Trump has criticized Cohen and others involved in the case, including prosecutors, Justice Juan Merchan and his daughter. Merchan has imposed a limited gag order and will consider on Tuesday whether to penalize Trump for violating that order. On Monday evening, Trump said in an interview to Real America's Voice that the jury "was picked so fast" and that the area was mostly Democrat. Pecker, 72, is also expected to retake the stand on Tuesday. (Reuters) Disney+'s 10-episode series Shogun has reached its conclusion and fans are calling for female lead Anna Sawai to be rewarded in the next awards season for a stellar performance. As lead character Lady Toda Mariko, Sawai, 31, stars as 'a woman with invaluable skills but dishonourable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance'. Shogun is an adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel by the same name, which is a fictionalisation of real people and events from 17th century Japan. As a result, Lady Makiro is actually based on a real person some 350 years ago. So, who is Anna Sawai, and what is the true story of her character? Disney+'s 10-episode series Shogun has reached its conclusion and fans are calling for female lead Anna Sawai (seen as Lady Toda Mariko) to be rewarded for a stellar performance Sawai took a break from acting when she was 21 to join a Japanese girl group, but has had a very successful return to screens Who is Anna Sawai? Anna Sawai was born on June 11, 1992, in Wellington, New Zealand, but launched her acting career aged 11 after moving to Japan the previous year. In 2004 she starred in a stage production in Tokyo, and five years later she made her film debut in martial arts film Ninja Assassin. However, Sawai took a break from acting roles when she was 21 as a lead vocalist in girl group FAKY, which rose her stardom in Japan. But she left the band after five years to go back to pursuing her acting career and landed a role in BBC crime series Giri/Hagi. Her next big role saw her on the Hollywood silver screen in 2021's Fast & Furious 9 as Elle Lue. Between then and being the female lead in Disney+ hit Shogun, Sawai has also featured in Apple TV's series Pachinko and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Sawai took a break from acting roles when she was 21 as a lead vocalist in girl group FAKY. Seen centre-right with bandmates (L-R) Lil' Fang, Akina and Mikako Returning from her musical hiatus, the actress (seen centre) landed a role on 2019 BBC crime series Giri/Hagi Sawai made her Hollywood debut in Fast & Furious 9. She is seen in the film with Sung Kang She also starred in Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (pictured) Is Lady Mariko in Shogun a real person? The real woman behind Lady Toda Mariko is Akechi Tama, also known as Hosokawa Gracia - a 16th century Japanese aristocrat and the daughter of General Akechi Mitsuhide (Akechi Jinsai in Shogun), who served under the first unifier of Japan, Lord Oda Nobunaga (Shogun's Kuroda). Age 15, Tama married the eldest son of Fujitaka Hosokawa (Toda Hiromatsu in Shogun) - Tadaoki (Toda Buntaro in the series) - another powerful warlord of the time. Tadaoki was a highly educated military commander, and he and Tama had five children. However, Tama was caught at the heart of a power struggle in 1582, when she was 19, when her father betrayed and assassinated Lord Nobunaga before being killed himself in battle a month later. Tama's reputation suffered and she spent two years in exile after which she lived in Osaka. We see the tension her reputation brings in episode six between Mariko and Ochiba No Kata (Fumi Nikaido). In Osaka, Tama converted to Catholicism and assumed her Christian name - Gracia - causing conflict with her husband according to documented history of the family. Christianity had been brought to Japan in the late 16th century by Spanish and Portuguese missionaries. Legends speak of how 'once the time came to put on her armor and mount her horse to face the enemy, Tama was no less in valor than a man'. When the Hosokawas joined forces with Tokugawa Ieyasu (Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun) in 1600, Tama remained in Osaka, but went on to play a pivotal role in the war to come. One untruth in Shogun is Mariko's relationship with John Blackthorne - who is based on William Adams, the first English sailor to reach Japan in 1600. While Adams maintained a friendship with Tokugawa, he apparently never met Tama, who by this point was known as Lady Gracia, as she was never Tokugawa's translator. While episode nine of Shogun overstates the real Lady Gracia's fight in her Osaka mansion, Ishida Mitsunari (Shogun's Ishido) did order for her and her children to be taken hostage. Lady Gracia refused capture, instead preferring suicide. However, as her faith determined suicide to be a sin, she ordered a servant to kill her, which he did. Though Ishida reportedly insisted he was not responsible for her death, the event shocked Osaka and principally her husband - who was fighting to the East. In the months that followed, Hosokawa and Tokugawa came out victorious in the Battle of Sekigahara - the largest in the history of feudal Japan - paving the way for two-and-a-half centuries of the Tokugawa's military rule of the country. Lady Mariko is based on real 16th century Japanese warlord's daughter Akechi Tama, better known now as Lady Hosokawa Gracia One falsehood in Shogun is that Tama never really met English sailor William Adams, who is presented in the series by Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne (pictured) Despite Shogun's success, its co-creator has implied that it will not be back for a second season, as the 10 episodes reach the end of the book it is inspired by Will there be a Shogun season 2? The Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) spelled the end of the volatile feudalist stage in Japan's history, and the epilogue of James Clavell's novel. FX is yet to renew Shogun despite its huge success and co-creator Justin Marks told The Direct in February 2024: 'I think we tell the complete story of the book. And we get to the end.' Marks also mentioned how much time - around five year - has gone into creating the 10-part series as reason to leave it be. The series has received an astonishing 99 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes amid global acclaim. She previously praised Sarah Snook for her acting skills in popular drama Succession after meeting on the red carpet at the 2021 AACTA Awards. And Rebel Wilson, 44, was thrilled to reunite with her fellow Australian actress, 36, on Tuesday, following the success of Snook's new theatre adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which has been playing at London's West End. Posting to Instagram, Rebel shared a photo of the two thespians posing arm-in-arm inside what looked to be Sarah's dressing room. 'Had to get a Picture with Dorian Gray! @sarah_snook you are exquisite! I can't believe how incredible this tour de force performance is! Wow!' Rebel captioned the image. The Pitch Perfect star was clearly thrilled to be in Sarah's company, sharing two more photos of the women smiling together to her Instagram Story, simply captioned: 'Wow! Sarah Snook!' Rebel Wilson, 44, (left) was thrilled to reunite with Sarah Snook, 36, (right) on Tuesday, following the success of Snook's new theatre adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which has been playing at London's West End It comes a week after Sarah won the best actress Olivier Award for her one-woman performance of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. In her acceptance speech, the mother-of-one said breastfeeding her daughter in the middle of the night gave her the window to learn the 60,000 words of the Oscar Wilde monologue which won her British theatre's biggest award. 'I just felt, "What am I doing? Why am I doing a 60,000 word monologue with an eight-month-old baby?" I felt so stupid,' she admitted. Posting to Instagram, Rebel shared a photo of the two thespians posing arm-in-arm inside what looked to be Sarah's dressing room It comes a week after Sarah won the best actress Olivier Award for her one-woman performance of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. (Pictured after winning the award) 'So I was doing a lot of night breastfeeding. And in the evening when I would wake up then, rather than being on my phone, and feeding her I would run over the lines.' 'I find that if you learn your lines at night and then sleep on them they do go in more effectively.' Sarah went head-to-head for the gong with fellow TV star Sarah Jessica Parker, 59, of Sex And The City as well as Sheridan Smith, 42, Sophie Okonedo, 55, and Laura Donnelly, 41. In her acceptance speech, the mother-of-one said breastfeeding her daughter in the middle of the night gave her the window to learn the 60,000 words of the Oscar Wilde monologue which won her British theatre's biggest award All Of Us Strangers has had viewers in tears since its release back in January with many believing it was overlooked at this year's award season. The emotional drama starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal ties together a beautiful romance with deep grief, as Andrew's character, Adam, remains deeply affected by the death of his parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell). Based on the 1987 novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada, screenwriter Adam struggles to move forward with his life as he remains preoccupied with memories of the past before he meets his mysterious neighbour Harry (Mescal). As the film blurs the line between life and death it becomes difficult to figure out what is real and what is a creation of Adam's mind. Here we take a deep dive into All Of Us Strangers as we explain the twists and turns of the gripping plot. The twists and turns of All Of Us Strangers REVEALED: From visiting ghosts to a blurry night out who and what is real in the emotional drama starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal Based on the 1987 Strangers by Taichi Yamada, screenwriter Adam struggles to move forward with his life as he remains preoccupied with memories of the past before he meets his mysterious neighbour Harry (Mescal) The film begins as we meet Adam living a life of solitude in his derelict high-rise city apartment in London. Watching Frankie Goes To Hollywood performing The Power Of Love on his TV, a motif that continues to recur throughout the film, Adam then gets a knock on the door as he meets his neighbour Harry. As Harry arrives drunk holding a bottle of whiskey he quotes the lyrics from the Frankie Goes To Hollywood hit, whispering: 'I'll protect you from the hooded claw/ Keep the vampires from your door'. After asking Adam whether he can join him for the night, Adam declines, but he later meets Harry in the lift, and the pair begin a passionate relationship. As Adam learns to love someone and let someone in, he remains deeply affected by the death of his parents after they both died in a car crash when he was 11 years old. Throughout the film, Andrew continues to visit his parents in his childhood home, which is just as he remembered them in the 1980s. His relationship with Harry develops, interspersed with these imaginary visits home, until tragedy strikes, and Adam finds his lover's dead body. After saying goodbye to his parents for the final time in a deeply emotional interaction, Adam appears ready to move on from his grief and begin a life with Harry. The film depicts a romance between Harry and Adam. However Harry dies the very night he meets Adam, as is discovered later in the film Throughout the film, Andrew continues to visit his parents in his childhood home, which is just as he remembered them in the 1980s (pictured Claire Foy who plays his mother) However, he returns to Harry's flat to discover his dead body beside the same bottle of whiskey he was carrying when he turned up at Adam's door that first night. As Adam stares in a state of shock at Harry's body, the door goes again and Harry enters wearing the same pink jumper from that first night as he asks: 'I'm in there, aren't I?' When he weeps in Adam's arms it becomes clear - Harry has been dead the entire film after he died the night Adam declined to spend the night with him. Yet once you realise, the clues throughout the film begin to present themselves. Firstly, on the night they meet Harry is holding the same Japanese whiskey he is found with when he dies, and is wearing the same ratty pink jumper. The pair are also the only two occupants in the building, and Harry mentions that the windows have been locked to stop people from jumping. Adam then visits his parents as we learn for the first time that he can see dead people and interact with them in an incredibly lifelike way. After his visit he meets Harry in the lift and their relationship begins. Growing closer throughout the film, the pair go on a blurry night out together and it gets increasingly difficult to make out what is real. This is where things become rather confusing as after Adam takes a huge dose of ketamine is unclear what is reality and what is part of his drug-fuelled trip. As lights flash and the music blares, Harry disappears and Adam's vision becomes distorted as he struggles to make out if Harry is really there or not. On the tube ride home Harry keeps appearing and disappearing as it becomes increasing difficult to keep a grasp of reality Adam visits his parents as we learn for the first time that he can see dead people and interact with them in an incredibly lifelike way (pictured Jamie Bell who plays his father) On the tube ride home Harry keeps appearing and disappearing as Adam loses his grasp of reality. At the end of the film, Adam enters Harry's flat and finds an empty bag of drugs and bottle of whiskey before he sees Harry's body and realises he has overdosed. It is implied that the body is in an advanced state of decomposition as Adam recoils from the smell - suggesting he has been dead for a long time and no one has noticed. However, is Adam dead too? Some theories suggest that the main character is also not alive, hence why he can interact with dead people so easily. Adam strangely lives in an empty apartment block, perhaps implying that there is a reason no one else resides there or he doesn't really live there at all. At the beginning of the film a fire alarm goes off, prompting one theory that Adam died in a fire that day, trapping his spirit with Harry. Speaking about this theory, director Andrew Haigh said: 'Someone asked me the other day if they'd all died when the building burnt down. They said, "Oh, did the building burn down at the beginning or the end?" And I'm like, "Building burned down?" However, is Adam dead too? Some theories suggest that the main character is also no longer living, hence why he can interact with dead people so easily Another theory is that Adam's parents and Harry aren't actual ghosts that Adam interacts with, however they could also just be figments of his imagination 'But it's because there's a fire alarm in the beginning, and I think someone thought that maybe when he went out and came back in again, they both burned to death in the apartment and the rest of it is some kind of purgatory. 'I kind of like that idea, actually. I know lots of people think that maybe Adam is not alive and I can understand why they might think that. The opening shot is a strange shot and there are sometimes times that I think that maybe he's not alive as well.' Another debate is whether the ghosts are real or not? There is a theory that Adam's parents and Harry aren't actual ghosts and could just be figments of Adam's imagination. Early on we learn that Adam is writing a script about his parents, therefore all the visits to his childhood home could be imagined as part of his project. However, this doesn't explain why Adam is unable to understand that Harry is also a ghost even though he knows this is true of his parents. Either way Adam has curated these figures in his life out of his own loneliness and grief as he struggles to move on from his childhood trauma and find his place in the world. Bruno Tonioli has revealed he will continue to star on Strictly Come Dancing's US spin off show Dancing With The Stars. Bruno, 68, has been on the judging panel of the hit US show since 2005 but last year made the move back to UK screens when he accepted a job on Britain's Got Talent. The professional dancer, who is currently appearing in the second series of BGT, has revealed he will be back in the US soon for DWTS. 'I'm still doing the American one, and I'm very passionate about it, but sometimes you have to try something new. It is good doing something different,' he told The Sun of his BGT role. Bruno Tonioli has revealed he will continue to star on Strictly Come Dancing 's US spin off show Dancing With The Stars Bruno, 68, has been on the judging panel of the hit US show since 2005 but last year made the move back to UK screens when he accepted a job on Britain's Got Talent Bruno was also a judge on Strictly, appearing on the panel from the first series in 2004 until 2019, when he quit as he could no longer juggle the exhausting schedule of flying between the US and UK to judge both dance shows. He explained though that his Strictly co-stars were extremely supportive of his new job on ITV's Britain's Got Talent. 'They have all been wonderful, Shirley, Craig, Anton, the producers, they're still my friends, they are so supportive, as I am of them. So are Tess and Claudia,' he gushed. Bruno's DWTS and Strictly co-star Len Goodman was also encouraging, with Bruno sharing that his close friend sent him 'a wonderful email' before he died in April 2023. 'I can't even speak about him not being here. But that email meant a lot to me,' Bruno shared. Bruno told the MailOnline last week that it is only now he has left Strictly that he can watch the smash hit show. He said: 'I never watched Strictly when I was in it. The show is fantastic. What they have done very well is not trying to do what we did. They're doing it their way. 'I do watch it now. I said to (current judges) Shirley (Ballas) and Anton (du Beke) to just be you. I am still very friendly with all of them. When we see each other, it is like the old days. Bruno was also a judge on Strictly, appearing on the panel from the first series in 2004 until 2019, when he quit as he could no longer juggle the exhausting schedule of flying between the US and UK He explained though that his Strictly co-stars were extremely supportive of his new job on ITV 's Britain's Got Talent alongside Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell He noted of the differences between Strictly and its ITV rival: 'With Britain's Got Talent you are getting a range of talent. You cannot compare anyone, everyone is singular. 'Strictly was different, everyone had to tick the same boxes. You can't compare the shows. 'In this show, I don't feel like I am judging but I am participating.' Hayley Atwell was all smiles as she posed alongside fiance Ned Wolfgang Kelly at TOD's event in Venice on Saturday, after sparking pregnancy rumours. The actress, 42, looked typically chic in a grey waist coat and trousers, teamed with a matching trench coat draped over her shoulders. She boosted her height in black heels and carried her belongings in a clutch bag. Meanwhile, Ned cut a dapper figure in a grey turtle neck sweater, teamed with a brown jacket and sandals. It comes after Hayley sparked pregnancy rumours on Saturday after flying to Venice with fiance Ned, a year after accepting his marriage proposal in the Italian city. Hayley Atwell was all smiles as she posed alongside fiance Ned Wolfgang Kelly at TOD's event in Venice on Saturday, after sparking pregnancy rumours The actress, 42, looked typically chic in a grey waist coat and trousers, teamed with a matching trench coat draped over her shoulders The star repeatedly placed a protective hand on her belly as the couple took selfies and browsed a local street market before settling down to an al fresco lunch. Hayley appeared to be taking full advantage of a break in the Mission: Impossible shooting schedule as she prepares to start work on the long-running franchise's eighth instalment with co-star and ex-boyfriend Tom Cruise , who has already been seen on set in London. Venturing out in the historic floating city after arriving for an event hosted by Italian fashion house TOD'S, the British star looked typically stylish in a white dress coat with distinctive dropped shoulders and double-breasted lapels. Hayley, best known for her recurring role as thief turned IMF agent Grace in the hit spy franchise, completed the look with a black sweater and matching leggings. Venice appears to be a favourite destination for the couple after Ned - a musician and composer - proposed to Hayley during a previous trip to the city in April 2023. It has also been used as a backdrop for the Mission: Impossible franchise, notably during the protracted filming of Dead Reckoning Part One in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Confirming their engagement last April, Ned told Instagram followers: 'Lucky me. Arrived in Venice at 10am, around midday the love of my life and I got engaged in the kitchen of this strange apartment surrounded by ducks, with a bloke outside the window murdering "My Way" on the accordion. 'A perfect start to the rest of our lives together. I'd never had any interest in getting married... until I met this extraordinary woman. Happy as a clam.' Hayley and Ned have kept their relationship away from the public eye and are rarely pictured together. The star repeatedly placed a protective hand on her belly as the couple took selfies and browsed a local street market before settling down to an al fresco lunch Hayley's former relationship with Mission: Impossible co-star Tom Cruise ended in 2022 The London-based artist's Instagram bio reads that he 'doesn't eat animals' and that he has been 'alcohol & drug free for over a decade'. Ned's website says he has produced commercial music for big brands such as Bud Light, Headspace and Samsung. He has also scored films, worked on the design side of various projects, and written articles. Speaking to The Sun shortly after the relationship was announced, an insider said: 'Hayley's happiness is written on her face right now. They get on like a house on fire and make a very handsome couple.' Hayley was said to have split from her Mission: Impossible co-star Tom for the second time in 2022. A source said: 'Unfortunately it hasnt worked out for them. They have now decided they are better as friends.' The insider also revealed that the fanfare around the couple after going public was too much to handle. 'They get on really well, and have fantastic chemistry, which is why they decided to quietly give the relationship another try earlier this year. 'What was working behind closed doors didnt work out so well when it was made public, and the fanfare around them as a couple exploded again,' the source stated. The source also insisted that the couple's romance was 'genuine', stating 'In spite of some rumours to the contrary, it was never just for the cameras.' Hayley and Tom began dating in 2020 after meeting on set of Mission: Impossible 7, and were first reported to be an item in December. Tom, who plays Ethan Hunt in the famous franchise, spent much of the last year shooting the movie across the UK, as well as in Rome, Venice, and Norway. Though the two had never expressly confirmed their romance, they were said to have become 'fairly inseparable' after they 'hit it off from day one' on the film. However, by September, the relationship was said to have 'run its course' for the pair. An insider told The Sun: 'It has been a very intense period of filming together. They really got on well but as the latest film winds down they've decided to go back to being friends. 'Their filming schedules are very full-on, and Tom has a number of other commitments coming up and is always shooting around by private helicopter and jet so it just ran its course. 'But they're still happy to work together. It's a shame, but just one of those things. They still get on well.' She never shies away from sharing sizzling snaps. And Demi Rose flaunted her bottom in a thong bikini as she celebrated Earth Day with a slew of racy snaps from her travels on Monday. The model, 29, wore a tiny metallic two piece consisting of a busty triangle top and tie side bottoms. Taking a dip in a hot tub, she posed for photos in front of the sunset in Cappadocia, Turkey and wrote: 'Happy Earth Day.' Demi later changed into a plunging green and yellow bikini for a selfie, opting for a subtle makeup look. Demi Rose, 29, flaunted her figure in a busty bikini as she celebrates Earth Day with a slew of racy snaps from her travels on Monday The glamour model - who dated Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga back in 2016 - then flaunted her very pert bottom while relaxing by the pool In the update from Brazil, she also shared a fun photo of herself hanging out of a window. The glamour model - who dated Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga back in 2016 - then flaunted her very pert bottom while relaxing by the pool. 'Realised I hadnt posted in a month oops,' she captioned the post. Demi previously revealed that in spite of having a figure most could only dream of, she still struggles with body insecurities after being relentlessly bullied as a teenager. Speaking to MailOnline in a 2020 interview, she explained: 'I never found my place in school, people were quite nasty and I guess I was just different, people were drawn to picking on me and since leaving, I've blossomed. 'Now I just block out any negative comments, I can't see anything that I don't want to see because I don't want that to impact my own thoughts about myself. I've had to grow a very thick skin. 'I'm comfortable in my skin, but I'm never going to be 100 per cent happy because everyone wants to be a certain way and we all have our own hang-ups, but I workout five to six times a week for my general health and wellbeing. 'I work out to feel good, and I eat properly. I avoid as many carbs as possible, I don't eat dairy, I don't eat meat, I don't do refined sugar. I like to glow from the inside out.' She later changed into a plunging green and yellow bikini for a selfie, opting for a subtle makeup look in a series of snaps from Brazil The model was seen in a tiny metallic two piece consisting of a triangle top and tie side bottoms in Cappadocia, Turkey In the update from Brazil, she also shared a fun photo of herself hanging out of a window Molly Smith has jetted off to Vegas as she prepares to celebrate her 30th birthday on Thursday. The Love Island winner treated her and her friends to business class tickets with British Airways as they travelled in style across the pond. Molly looked to be reaping the benefits of her six figure deal with Boohoo after she launched her clothing collection with the online brand last month. Treating her well the brand will be throwing a party for Molly during her time in Vegas as she marks the milestone birthday. The reality star has been incredible busy after launching her fitness programme Move With Molly earlier this week so will be looking forward to letting her hair down. Molly Smith has splashed out on business class flights for all her friends for her Vegas 30th birthday trip as she reaps the benefits of her six figure Boohoo deal While Molly wasn't joined with her boyfriend Tom Clare for the girls trip, she celebrated with him and her family a few days ago as they enjoyed an early birthday dinner The girls left for Manchester airport at 3am this morning to catch their flight, as Molly took to her Instagram Story to share a screenshot of her multiple alarms. She wrote: 'The only time this alarm is acceptable is for a holiday... Vegas in the morning. Roll on the birthday celebrations'. While Molly wasn't joined with her boyfriend Tom Clare for the girls trip, she celebrated with him and her family a few days ago as they enjoyed an early birthday dinner. Beaming in snaps together, Molly looked stunning in a purple blazer and matching skirt as she cosied up to Tom. Joined by her family and friends she wrote: 'Early birthday dinner with all the fam'. Molly signed exclusivity to Boohoo for a 12 month contract last month and released her first curated edit on March 28- just weeks after she scooped the 50,000 Love Island cash prize. The star wowed in a skimpy leopard mesh cut out dress from her collection as she showed off the range of stylish ensembles from her collection. It comes after Molly and Tom recently had a luxurious stay in Dubai as they enjoyed their first-ever holiday together earlier in the month. The Love Island winner treated her and her friends to business class tickets with British Airways as they travelled in style across the pond The girls left for Manchester airport at 3am this morning to catch their flight, as Molly took to her Instagram Story to share a screenshot of her multiple alarms It comes after Molly and Tom recently enjoyed a luxurious stay in Dubai as they enjoyed their first-ever holiday together earlier in the month Sharing snaps from the trip, Molly went braless in a green halterneck dress as the couple were joined in the photos by Tom's elder sister Laura Clare who is based in Dubai Sharing snaps from the trip, Molly went braless in the halterneck dress which had a keyhole cut out that showcased her ample cleavage. She teamed the look with gold heeled sandals and a gold handbag. Tom wore a cream collared T-shirt and loose-fitting dark cream linen trousers with a pair of white trainers. The couple were joined in the photos by Tom's elder sister Laura Clare who is based in Dubai. The Love Island: All Stars winners enjoyed their first getaway as girlfriend and boyfriend at the lavish five-star hotel Rixos Premium. Tom took to social media previously to share a series of photos as the couple were seen cosying up while soaking up the sun at the beach. He also shared a sweet picture of Molly throwing her arms in the air after he surprised her by decking out their hotel room. Tom had arranged the hotel to scatter white and gold balloons on the ceiling with white string attached. He also organised balloons to be delivered with their initials on. The couple jetted off to Dubai on 15k flights for their first holiday together post-villa and beamed for a selfie while enjoying their first class seats. During a Q&A on the flight Molly confirmed that she and Tom are officially boyfriend and girlfriend after he asked her 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'. John Cleese has revealed he is forking out up to 17,000 a year to pay for stem cell therapy to combat the side-effects of ageing. The 84 year old Fawlty Towers star said admitted the fee was hefty was claimed it's 'worth it if you're buying yourself a few extra years'. Cleese, who has been having the treatment for more than 20 years, is ensuring he doesn't 'look bad' for his age by getting the 'highest quality' cells from Switzerland. He told Saga magazine: 'These cells travel around the body and when they discover a place that needs repair, they'll then change into the cells that you want for repair, so they might become cartilage cells or liver cells. 'So I think that's why I don't look bad for 84.' John Cleese has revealed he is forking out up to 17,000 a year to pay for stem cell therapy to combat the side-effects of ageing The 84 year old Fawlty Towers star said admitted the fee was hefty was claimed it's 'worth it if you're buying yourself a few extra years' (pictured as a younger man in 1976) He admitted he was paying around 17,000 every 12-18 months, adding: 'But if you're buying yourself a few extra years, I think it's worth it. 'You must get the highest quality stem cells - the ones I have are from a place in Montreux, Switzerland, called La Prairie.' Cleese also credited his fourth wife, Jennifer Wade - who is more than 30 years his junior - for the spring in his step, but admitted it was 'sad' he would die 'some time' before her. He added: 'A lot of people comment and then the moment they actually see us together for two minutes they say 'oh, I get it' and it never arises again. 'What I love is that she's 30 years younger than I am, but she keeps me young. I mean, it is sad to think I shall die some time before she will, but I'm in pretty good health. 'I'm not fit, but the way I put it is the doctors don't yet know what I'm going to die of.' Cleese recently claimed he still communicates with his Monty Python co-star Graham Chapman - 35 years after his death. Chapman played the lead role in both the Holy Grail and Life of Brian films. He died from tonsil cancer in 1989. WHAT IS STEM CELL THERAPY? Stem cell therapy, also referred to as regenerative medicine, aids the repair of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or a derivative. The stems are grown in a laboratory setting before they are manipulated to specialise into various cells, among them heart muscles, blood and nerves. The cells can then be intravenously implanted into a person.* *Information provided by the Mayo Clinic Advertisement Cleese also credited his fourth wife, Jennifer Wade - who is more than 30 years his junior - for the spring in his step, but admitted it was 'sad' he would die 'some time' before her The actor recently claimed he still communicates with his Monty Python co-star Graham Chapman - 35 years after his death And Cleese claims he hired a psychic to 'explore his consciousness', but instead received a message from Chapman. He told the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher: 'She said, "Who's Graham?". I said, "Is he Graham Chapman?". She says, "He's going on about a pipe". I said, "Yes. He always smoked a pipe". Making a reference to their dead parrot sketch, the psychic said: 'Then she said, "He's rolling up his trouser leg". And I said, "Yes, that's a sketch we did about the Freemasons". I know she didn't see it. 'It was broadcast once or twice. She said, "He's waving a parrot at you"'. Cleese with his ex-wife and former co-star Connie Booth in a 1979 episode of Fawlty Towers Tom Cruise was in great spirits as he landed at a London heliport on Monday afternoon. The Hollywood star is in town shooting his eighth Mission Impossible movie, and was seen taking his usual commute home from set - piloting a helicopter into Battersea heliport. Tom has been mixing work and play during his extended trip to London, even partying the night away with his friends the Beckhams at Victoria's 50th birthday bash on Saturday night. While he was a VIP guest at Victoria's, Tom missed his daughter Suri's milestone 18th birthday last week. Tom Cruise was in great spirits as he arrived at a London heliport on Monday afternoon The Hollywood star is in town shooting his eighth Mission Impossible movie, and was seen taking his usual commute home from set - piloting a helicopter into Battersea heliport Tom has been estranged from his youngest child since 2013, one year after he and her mother, Katie Holmes divorced. Suri's 18th birthday also signals the end of Tom's reported $400,000 a year child support payment to Katie as per their divorce agreement. The last photo of the Top Gun actor out and about with his daughter was a trip to Disneyland in 2012, the year his divorce from Katie was finalised. At the time of their split, it was reported that Katie had chosen to end the couple's marriage over fears about raising her daughter as a Scientologist - the religion that Tom has been dedicated to for decades. It was reported last year that Suri is hoping to study fashion in New York from September. A source told Dailymail.com: 'Suri is applying to schools all over the place. [Katie] really does want her to stay in New York so they can be close to each other. 'Katie takes great pride in her but is also extremely overprotective.' While Suri looks forward to her future career Tom is still giving his all to his. Tom has been mixing work and play during his extended trip to London, even partying the night away with his friends the Beckhams at Victoria's 50th birthday bash on Saturday night. While he was a VIP guest at Victoria's, Tom missed his daughter Suri's milestone 18th birthday last week (Suri is pictured on her birthday) Tom has been estranged from his youngest child since 2013, one year after he and her mother, Katie Holmes divorced (pictured together in 2008) The Hollywood star has spent the past few weeks in the UK shooting Mission Impossible 8. The untitled film - which will likely be called Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part Two - is scheduled to come out May 23, 2025, after Dead Reckoning Part One was released in July last year. MI:8 was supposed to hit cinemas this summer, but production had already been delayed due to the Hollywood writers' strike. Production on the eighth film had originally halted so that the cast could promote Part One, and then the strike began causing further delays. Scenes for the eighth installment have been shot across Derbyshire, Surrey and central London at landmarks including the Natural History Museum in Kensington and Westminster Bridge. Sam Faiers bid an emotional farewell to her partner Paul and their children as she headed off on a work trip to Dubai on Tuesday. The former TOWIE star, 33, gave Paul Knightley an awkward kiss on the cheek after they arrived at the airport and hugged her eldest children Paul, seven, and Rosie, five, hugs goodbye. Sam is not travelling to Dubai alone as she took her and Paul's youngest child, one-year-old Edward, with her along with her mother Susie Wells. Sam's trip to the United Arab Emirates is likely in connection with her skinscare brand Revive Collagen. The star's beauty company specialises in award-winning ready to drink collagen and has been endorsed by celebrities such as Oti Mabuse, Paloma Faith and Amanda Holden, who is an ambassador for the brand. Sam Faiers bid an emotional farewell to her partner Paul and their children as she headed off on a work trip to Dubai on Tuesday The former TOWIE star, 33, gave Paul Knightley an awkward kiss on the cheek after they arrived at the airport and hugged her eldest children Paul, seven, and Rosie, five, hugs goodbye Sam looked emotional as she gave her eldest children a hug goodbye Sam was dressed casually for the flight in a dark green T-shirt and loose-fitting trousers. The reality star took to her Instagram Stories and shared a clip of her mother Susie taking Edward through the airport. She captioned the post: 'Booked mumma and Edward last minute. They will have a little holiday while I'm working.' Sam's skincare brand has raked in a staggering 13.2 million since it launched just three years ago. Since bowing out of the TV limelight, Sam has turned her fame into fortune by starting up multiple businesses and Revive Collagen has certainly proved a hit. The star's beauty company specialises in award-winning ready to drink collagen and has been endorsed by celebrities such as Oti Mabuse, Paloma Faith and Amanda Holden, who is an ambassador for the brand. A source exclusively told MailOnline: 'Sam is one savvy businesswoman. She risked it all by starting the business, especially during the uncertain times of the lockdown. 'She took no external investment and built the business from the ground up with her business partner. Sam is not travelling to Dubai alone as she took her and Paul's youngest child, one-year-old Edward, with her along with her mother Susie Wells Sam and Paul gave each other a warm embrace before she boarded her plane Sam's trip to the United Arab Emirates is likely in connection with her skinscare brand Revive Collagen Sam was dressed casually for the flight in a dark green T-shirt and loose-fitting trousers Sam's skincare brand has raked in a staggering 13.2 million since it launched just three years ago The star's beauty company specialises in award-winning ready to drink collagen The reality star took to her Instagram Stories and shared a clip of her mother Susie taking Edward through the airport Sam also shared a heartwarming photo of Edward as the trio prepared to board their plane 'With the business being profitable from day one and set to launch across the US next month, she firmly has her eyes set on becoming the global market leader in ingestible collagen. 'Whilst she's had a couple of business failures along the way, she's definitely struck gold with Revive Collagen.' Sam, 32, the co-founder of the brand, recently jetted across the pond in the hopes of expanding the business further. She took to Instagram in July to reveal that taking her business to America was 'a big dream come true'. Revive Collagen now claims to sell one box every 90 seconds and is stocked in over 2,000 stores across the UK, including high-profile retail locations like Harrods, Boots, and Holland & Barrett and is also stocked at Saks Fifth Avenue in the US. Her business partner, John Bailey, has transformed Sam's brands into a great success, which has generated more than 20 million across her various sponsorships and ventures, include Revive. Former President Donald Trump is meeting with another foreign leader while he's in New York for his criminal hush money trial. The presumptive GOP nominee will host former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at Trump Tower Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been formally announced. Aso is just the latest foreign leader to spend time with Trump in recent weeks as U.S. allies prepare for the possibility that he could win back the White House this November. Leaders from around the world know that with President Trump we had a safer, more peaceful world, said Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes in a statement. Meetings and calls from world leaders reflect the recognition of what we already know here at home. Joe Biden is weak, and when President Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, the world will be more secure and America will be more prosperous. Trump met last week with Polish President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower and also met recently with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Trump was close with Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese prime minister who was assassinated in 2022. Aso is vice president of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party and also served as deputy prime minister and finance minister under Abe. Trump has threatened to impose broad new tariffs if he wins a second term. Early Tuesday morning, he complained about the U.S. dollar reaching a new high against the Japanese yen, calling it "a total disaster for the United States." "When I was President, I spent a good deal of time telling Japan and China, in particular, you cant do that," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "It sounds good to stupid people, but it is a disaster for our manufacturers and others." The U.S. dollar is trading at above 150 yen recently, up from the 130-yen mark a year ago, which has made it more costly for Japan to import goods but has boosted exports. President Joe Biden hosted current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House for talks and a state dinner earlier this month. During the visit, the leaders announced plans to upgrade U.S.-Japan military relations, with both sides looking to tighten cooperation amid concerns about North Koreas nuclear program and Chinas increasing military assertiveness in the Pacific. (AP) Perth radio personality Kymba Cahill recalled her own stalker ordeal on Monday. The Mix94.5's Pete & Kymba for Breakfast host was discussing the new Netflix series 'Baby Reindeer', based on a comedian's experience with a stalker, when she opened up about her own encounter with a stalker. 'I don't know who the person was, and they kept coming into the reception area asking to see me or pretending they had a meeting booked to see me and that they had a time booked,' she revealed. 'He'd come back multiple times and it got to the point where they would call me and say 'don't come to work yet because he's here and he won't leave, because he's waiting for you'.' It wasn't long before security stepped in to escort Cahill to and from work. Perth radio personality Kymba Cahill (pictured) recalled her very own stalker ordeal on Monday 'Management arranged for security to follow me from home each day and drive me home every day, so that this person wasn't around.' 'We had the police involved; we had all the CCTV footage so I could see if I could recognise him,' she added. Cahill revealed that after two months, the stalker eventually disappeared. The Mix94.5's Pete & Kymba for Breakfast host was discussing the new Netflix series 'Baby Reindeer', based on a comedian's experience with a stalker, when she opened up about her own encounter with a stalker It comes just weeks after Kate Ritchie's stalker nightmare came to light earlier this month. It was revealed she made a phone call to NSW Police after receiving a message from Gerard Ryan, 71, which said he was in the suburb where she lives and hoped to find her. He had sent her 'hundreds' of messages from February 2022 through to April 2023, including 'numerous naked photographs of the accused and numerous videos of the accused masturbating', police facts, seen by the Daily Telegraph, claimed. 'I don't know who the person was, and they kept coming into the reception area asking to see me or pretending they had a meeting booked to see me and that they had a time booked,' she revealed Ryan was arrested at a park in Sydney's eastern suburbs last month and charged with stalking charge, tow which he pleaded guilty. He was also hit with an apprehended violence order banning him from approaching Ritchie. Ryan was sentenced to a 12-month Conditional Release Order and an AVO states he must not go within 500m of Ritchie's home or workplace. The police facts also indicated Ryan had said he wanted to marry Ritchie and referenced her daughter, saying he would make 'a good stepfather'. In February, he sent a letter to her work address which included a Valentine's Day card. Ryan was sentenced to a 12-month Conditional Release Order and an AVO states he must not go within 500m of Ritchie's home or workplace. Disney+ have smashed ratings with their new Japanese period drama Shogun as the tense family relations and regular gore have drawn comparisons to Game Of Thrones from critics. Based on James Clavell's 1975 novel fictionalising 17th century feudalist Japan, Shogun features brutal beheadings, people being blown to smithereens and execution by boiling alive. But the 10-part show has also received acclaim for its ability to build tension and develop characters, beyond the pure gore alone, earning it a near-perfect 99 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Having ended on April 23, fans of the show are already calling for its top stars to be rewarded with accolades when the next awards season comes around. Read on for a look back at some of the goriest, tensest and most powerful scenes Shogun had to offer - with a massive SPOILER warning. Disney+ have smashed ratings with their new Japanese period drama Shogun drawing comparisons to Game Of Thrones from critics Based on James Clavell's 1975 novel fictionalising 17th century feudalist Japan, it has earned a superb 99 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score Shogun started as it meant to go on where gore is concerned with a captured sailor being boiled alive in the first episode Sailor gets boiled alive in first episode Shogun started as it meant to go on where gore is concerned. The scene is set by English sailor John Blackthorne and his crew being captured by an ambitious warlord, Yabushige, after they wash up on the Japanese shore. While Yabushige is keen to keep hold of the ship's pilot as a bargaining chip, he nevertheless quenches his bloodlust by boiling one of Blackthorne's colleagues alive for piracy. After ordering guards to throw the sailor in a giant vat, the warlord gets entertained by Kiku - the region's most renowned courtesan - within earshot. Samurai massacred by cannons Episode four ended with the most graphic scene of the show to that point when young Yoshii Nagakodo ordered cannon fire to obliterate his father's rival in a gruesome display Episode four ended with the most graphic scene of the show to that point. Far from a beacon of innocence, Yoshii Nagakado - the young heir of military giant Yoshii Toranaga - ended this part of the drama by ordering some of Blackthorne's armoury to be used to kill his father's rival and protecting Samurai. The cannon fire rained in on the cluster of military men out of nowhere, leaving the primary target with an arm blown off but not dead as he lay among splattered bodies. Unphased, Nagakodo came in on foot to finish the job with his sword, in what is seen around the land as a declaration of war. Tense dinner between Blackthorne and Samurai A dinner party in episode five ends with Lady Toda Mariko nearly killed by a stray arrow - showing that violence is never far away in Shogun While dark violence unquestionably pervades through Shogun, it is set apart by an ability to interchange that with scenes of intense calm. One of the best examples of this came in episode five when the English sailor had dinner and sake - an alcoholic Japanese drink - with Lady Toda Mariko, samurai Buntaro and his niece Fuji. In an escalating display of one-upmanship the calm it broken as the sailor and the samurai tried to out-drink one another, driven by their unspoken rivalry for Mariko. After being goaded too far, Buntaro fired two shots of his crossbow and narrowly missed Mariko, as a reminder that violence is never far away in the world we see on screen, while avoiding the sense of this being a series based on brainless violence. Blackthorne shows his loyalty in earthquake English Sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis, pictured) is the lead character in Disney+'s new series Blackthorne proved his loyalty to his new boss in a breathless scene at the end of episode five when Toranaga is caught in a landslide At the end of the fifth episode, the fragility of all the lords' power was put into perspective when Toranaga got caught in a landslide and was nearly killed following an earthquake. Blackthorne was acting as an adopted general under Toranaga but proved he was not out to undermine and replace him when he chased his boss down the ruins of the landslide to dig him to safety. This was despite it clearly being the sailor's first experience of such a natural disaster. Blackthorne rescued Toranaga and offered him his swords as a display of respect to replace those which had been buried beneath. It is a stark contrast to earlier in episode five when Toranaga told his son in no uncertain terms to trust no-one, besides himself, and the later display of loyalty left him speechless. Toranaga is betrayed by his brother Saeki Pictured: Lord Toranaga (on a white horse) and his son Yoshii Nagakado (mounted behind) in episode one The plotting Toranaga was betrayed by his brother who rounded up his family and replaced him as Lord of Izu A dramatic seventh episode saw Lord Toranaga betrayed by his brother Saeki Nobutatsu who overthrew him as Lord of Izu. In another example of a rapid change from peace to violence, a seemingly humourous anecdote by Saeki developed into him announcing that he had done a deal with Lord Ishido to replace his brother, as his troops surrounded their base. On top of that, he issued Nagakado, his nephew, with an order to commit seppuku - ritual suicide -for murdering Jozen. Nagakado dies trying to assassinate his uncle The exchange between Toranaga, his brother Saeki and son Nagakado (seen), which ended with the latter dead, bore resemblance to Game Of Thrones' Red Wedding The night of Saeki revealing his betrayal, Nagakado sneaked into his uncle's quarters in an attempt to kill him. In a furied attack, he chased Saeki outside and across a stream, but when his uncle lay helpless in the mud, Nagakado slipped on a rock and died. The exchange drew comparisons with Game Of Thrones' 'Red Wedding' for its bloody family dispute, though co-creator Justin Marks told Decider that they were actually thinking of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and the sense of dread felt by the rebel alliance when Han Solo is revealed in carbonite. Mariko's epic fight trying to leave Osaka castle Despite the frequent violence and gore, it takes until episode nine of Shogun to see a proper battle between two sides Mariko's death would swing momentum away from her captor, as planned by her Lord, Toranaga Despite the frequent violence and gore, it takes until episode nine of Shogun to see a proper battle between two sides. Lord Toranaga planned for Mariko to expose his rival Ishido and Oshiba-no-kata for keeping her hostage and assembled her guards to try and leave the Osaka castle by force. The group were met by Ishido's own forces who killed the lady's entourage but had orders to keep her alive. Accepting her fate, Mariko turned around, but - denouncing Ishido - declared that she would commit seppuku since she could not honour her duty to Toranaga. This would lead to the same political result as Mariko dying in battle - Ishido would be exposed for keeping her hostage and momentum would turn against him. Baby Reindeer's Richard Gadd has missed out on the number one Netflix spot in Colombia. The hard-hitting series adaptation of the play by the same name sees the Scottish comedian retell his own traumatic true story of being stalked over the course of several years, as well as his harrowing account of sexual abuse. And while the series is currently number one in the Netflix charts in the UK, it just missed out in Colombia as it lost to hijacking true story Hijacking Of Flight 601. Taking to his Instagram Story Richard shared his disappointment that he had narrowly missed out on the top spot. Posting a picture of the rankings he wrote: 'And I would have done it, if it wasn't for that pesky Hijacking Of Flight 601!!!' Baby Reindeer's Richard Gadd has shared his disappointment aa his series misses out on number one Netflix spot in Colombia after it loses out to hijacking true story While the series is currently number one in the Netflix charts in the UK, it just missed out in Colombia as it lost out to hijacking true story Hijacking Of Flight 601 Hijacking Of Flight 601 tells a true story from 1973 when two armed and hooded assailants hijacked an airliner and put the Colombian government under pressure by demanding the release of 50 political prisoners and a large ransom. Meanwhile Baby Reindeer delves into Richard's harrowing real-life stalking ordeal and brutal sexual abuse as he plays a fictionalised version of himself, called Donny Dunn. Donny is flooded with 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 350 voicemails and 106 pages of letters from stalker Martha, played by Jess Gunning. The series also details Donny's horrifying rape at the hands of his comedy mentor Darrien (Tom Goodman-Hill). Earlier this month the actor, 34, opened up about what it was like to re-enact his trauma for the small screen - and how he hopes it will aid his healing process. On reliving his 'severe' twenties, Richard told Attitude: 'It's hugely challenging, but I hope for catharsis when the show comes out.' In an ending that shocked, and confused, many viewers, the shattering series sees Donny visit his rapist Darrien in the final episode in an attempt to process everything, but overcome with emotion he later collapses on the street. Donny then turns to the rambling, and sometimes complimentary, voicemails from now-convicted Martha for comfort. But the unexpected final scenes are how Richard was determined to end the show, he revealed, something that received some push-back. Baby Reindeer delves into Richard's harrowing real-life stalking ordeal and brutal sexual abuse as he plays a fictionalised version of himself, called Donny Dunn The actor, 34 told Attitude earlier this month of the 'triggering' act of reliving his trauma for the Netflix series - and revealed he fought to keep its ending (Pictured on Thursday) Donny is flooded with 40,000 emails, 740 tweets, 350 voicemails and hundreds of letters from stalker Martha, played by Jess Gunning (pictured) 'I always wanted to end the show that way because that's the cycle of trauma, and I fought so hard to keep it ending that way,' he said. Speaking to Forbes on Saturday, Richard, who is from Wormit in Fife, explained why the ending was so important. He said: 'I like the surprise of going back to Darrien's door. I love the surprise of listening to the voicemails. 'I just think there's a deep psychology to it that I really like the idea of someone being so lonely and so isolated that they decide to listen to their old stalker's voicemails.' Richard and his team went to 'great lengths' to protect the identities of those in the series, resulting in slight alterations to the story. But nevertheless the tale is completely his own, he says, adding: 'It's probably even more close to the truth than I'd care to admit in a lot of ways.' After offering a woman a free cup of tea at the pub where he pulled pints, Richard was flooded with communication in a harassment case that spanned over five years. Despite telling police, there was unfortunately not much they could do because the unwelcome communication was not 'obviously' threatening. Ashley Benson adopted a casual chic look for a lunch outing Monday - two months after welcoming her daughter. The new mom, 34, showcased her svelte form as she strolled in LA after giving birth to her first child whom she shares with husband Brandon Davis, 43. The Pretty Little Liars alum showcased her taut tummy via a beige crop sweater left unbuttoned at the bottom and a black bra top. The Wilderness star stepped out in a pair of high waist jeans with frayed hems and black sneakers with white stripes for her lunch at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills. Benson, who had let her hair go dark during her pregnancy, was back to being blonde and styled her long locks in a high loose bun. Ashley Benson, 34, showcased her taut tummy via a beige crop sweater left unbuttoned at the bottom and a black bra top Monday. Ashely welcomed a baby girl with her husband Brandon Davis, 43 - seen October 2023 Her makeup looked natural with a soft pink lip. The Mob Land actress wore dark sunglasses with square black frames. She carried a black shoulder bag with a gold chain strap. The actress and entrepreneur was honored recently at the New You beauty awards in Miami. Her perfume, Ash by Ashley Benson was named Best Fragrance Innovation. The magazine praised the fragrance known as The Eighth for its 'notes of bright bergamot, soft musk, and creamy cashmere woods.' Named for the eighth arrondissement in Paris, the voters said, 'This unisex Eau de Parfum takes you on a sensory journey through the streets of Paris, wherever you may be.' 'What an absolute honor to be the recipient of the New You Award for Innovation in Fragrance!' the founder wrote on social media. The actress, who had let her hair go dark during her pregnancy, was back to being blonde and styled her long locks in a high loose bun. Her makeup looked natural with a soft pink lip The actress and entrepreneur was honored recently at the New You beauty awards in Miami. Her perfume, Ash by Ashley Benson was named Best Fragrance Innovation (Pictured April 13 in Miami Beach) Benson's latest film, McVeigh, about Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh is scheduled to debut at the TriBeCa International Film Festival which opens June 5 in New York Benson is also a co-creator of a margarita line, at Thomas Ashbourne Crafted Spirits. She joined with her pals Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens to create the award winning Margalicious Margarita with flavors from limes, lemons and tangerines. Benson's latest film, McVeigh, about Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh is scheduled to debut at the TriBeCa International Film Festival which opens June 5 in New York. The actress stars as a woman named Cindy in the fact-based drama about the deadliest case of domestic terrorism in US history. Rebecca Minkoff's Real Housewives of New York City castmates are showing their support for the fashion designer following backlash over her connection to the Church of Scientology. The 43-year-old, who is a high level Scientologist, was pictured in a sprinter van with some of her new co-stars as they filmed a 'gal's trip' for the show's upcoming 17th season. A photo of the fun moment was shared to social media by Erin Lichy. Rebecca was sitting in the back of the van with Brynn Whitfield, while Erin was in the front seat sandwiched between Ubah Hassan and Jenna Lyons. The group seemed to be having an incredible time filming, with Jenna and Erin both giggling and smiling in the image. Rebecca Minkoff's Real Housewives of New York City castmates are showing their support for the fashion designer following backlash over her connection to the Church of Scientology The 43-year-old, who is a high level Scientologist, was pictured in a sprinter van with some of her new co-stars as they filmed a 'gal's trip' for the show's upcoming 17th season Rebecca later shared a short video of herself modelling her outfit for the girl's trip, which received gushing comments from both Erin and Sai De Silva. It comes as Rebecca has faced some backlash from fans after Dailymail.com uncovered her deep ties to Scientology. Not only is the fashionista and her entire family longtime members of the church and big money donors, her father was also implicated in the tragic death of Lisa McPherson. A number of RHONY fans have expressed their disappointment over Minkoff joining the new season, with one writing, 'Please don't cast a Scientologist!' Another wrote, 'I know many are excited about Rebecca Minkoff joining #RHONY, I'm not. She's a known Scientologist...' However, some viewers have expressed their excitement at a potentially juicy storyline involving the controversial church. 'Streets trying to "expose" Rebecca Minkoff for being a scientologist like that's not literally the reason why I'm gonna stan her,' posted one fan. Rebecca's family are devout Scientologists who have donated millions to the church. (Minkoff is pictured with Danny Masterson) Some RHONY fans have complained about the show's decision to cast a Scientologist 'Regardless of her Scientology cult, Im tuning in. Brynn or Ubah better grill her about it,' gushed another. While fans are no doubt anticipating an explosive Scientology subplot next season, there's no guarantee that it will even be featured on the show. Viewers may have to make do with enjoying Minkoff's impeccable wardrobe instead of diving into her religion. Bravo has already given fellow fashion designer-turned-Real Housewife Jenna Lyons special privileges to keep her relationship with partner Cass Bird off the show. 'I have a relationship, but I would like to not name her,' Lyons told the New York Times. 'I want to keep her out of the press. That is my commitment to her. Its off the table. I joined this process. She did not.' Ubah Hassan also kept her romance with Oliver Dachsel off the show last season and even portrayed herself as single on screen. Hollywood veteran Bijou Phillips has never looked better. The actress was vibrant in a long soft pink dress with a slit up one leg as she enjoyed a girls trip with her close friend Nicky Hilton as well as designer Stacey Bendet in Texas. They were all seen posing at the Children's Cancer Fund 34th Annual A Knight to Remember Gala at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The images were shared by Hilton to Instagram on Tuesday morning. The 44-year-old Bijou, who has acted in the films Almost Famous and Bully, has been learning to live her life as a single mother since her husband Danny Masterson of That 70s Show fame became incarcerated. The actor was convicted of rape and is serving time at California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. In March Bijou and their 10-year-old daughter Fianna were seen visiting him at the prison. Hollywood veteran Bijou Phillips has never looked better. The actress was vibrant in a long soft pink dress at the Children's Cancer Fund 34th Annual A Knight to Remember Gala at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas The star was with her close friend Nicky Hilton, right, as well as designer Stacey Bendet, left The fun-filled images were shared by Hilton to Instagram on Tuesday morning Exclusive DailyMail.com photos showed the mom-of-one arriving at the central California jail where Masterson is serving his 30-year sentence during the prison's weekend visiting hours. Masterson has been banged up since May when he was found guilty of two counts of forcible rape following a dramatic eight-day trial and immediately sent to the cells. In September, he was handed an indeterminate sentence of 30 years to life, with a devastated Phillips filing for divorce two days later, citing 'irreconcilable differences'. The surprise petition came after Phillips had penned an emotional letter to the court, describing Masterson 'as an amazing father' who worked to 'shield younger actors from temptation' while begging for leniency from LA County Judge Charlaine Olmedo. Phillips was handed full custody of their daughter in October unopposed by the rapist actor and has requested that he pay her spousal support. The mom-of-one has not been seen with her husband since fleeing the courtroom in tears after the sentencing hearing in September and has been keeping a low profile at the family ranch. The property, which was purchased for $1.27m in 2016, sits on 9.5 acres and has a four-bedroom main house along with separate accommodation for guests and a barn with room for five horses. Phillips is the sole owner which means, once her divorce is finalized, the property cannot be seized and sold to fund compensation claims against Masterson who is currently in the middle of a civil suit over his alleged harassment of the women he raped and several others. The beauty is seen far right with, from left, Kathy Hilton, Nicky, Tina Craig and Bendet Danny Masterson, Phillips and their daughter Fianna are pictured years before he was put on trial for rape Danny, far left, was on That 70's Show with Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, Mila Kunis and Wilmer Valderama Although in the process of divorcing the convicted rapist, Phillips has quietly cut ties with Scientology - ditching the religion in January after Masterson was kicked out by the church and declared a 'suppressive person'. That '70s Show actorMasterson was found guilty on two of three rape counts last May and sentenced to 30 years in prison Had Phillips remained a Scientologist, she and her daughter would have been allowed to have no contact with her estranged husband. In January, an insider with close ties to former Scientology members said Phillips did not want to cut off Masterson because of their daughter. The source told DailyMail.com: 'Bijou left a few weeks after she found out that Danny had been declared an SP for not living up to the standards of the church. It's never an easy decision to leave Scientology because you face being ripped apart from your family and friends who are still members. 'In Bijou's case, she had nothing to lose and wasn't about to cut ties with Danny, per Scientology's disconnection rules.' The mom-of-one has not been seen with her husband since fleeing the courtroom in tears after the sentencing hearing in September and has been keeping a low profile at the family ranch; seen in May 2023 'Bijou would never do that to her daughter, plus her sisters, her close friends - none of them are Scientologists. 'Chynna has been a rock for Bijou and even though she's passionate about her own religion, she would never force anything on to Bijou. She doesn't have to because she walks the talk.' Masterson arrived at the minimum to medium security California Men's Colony in late February after spending six weeks banged up at the maximum-security Corcoran State Prison 160 miles north of Los Angeles. Prior to that, he had been incarcerated in the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles and then North Kern State Prison. Victoria Beckham arrived in Girona via private jet on Tuesday as she got back to work after her 50th birthday celebrations. Her trip to the Catalonian city comes on the day of the launch of her new clothing collaboration with Spanish brand Mango. Tuesday night will see a catwalk show to celebrate the collection going live on the brand's website. She dressed casually in all-black as she disembarked the plane and made her way into the airport - with an assistant carrying her crutches for her as she continues to recover from a broken foot. Victoria completed her look with dark shades and comfortable trainers and wore her long brunette tresses loose. Victoria Beckham arrived in Girona via private jet on Tuesday as she got back to work after her 50th birthday celebrations Her trip to the Catalonian city comes on the day of the launch of her new clothing collaboration with Spanish brand Mango Her team were seen leaving the jet with various garment bags ahead of the important night. Victoria is looking forward with her fashion career after her designer items were caught in the fallout of the collapse of fashion group Matches this month. The Spice Girl is focusing on her 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. 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 an interview with Vogue last 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.' 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 benefits to both the designer and the high street shops. The prices for the new Victoria Beckham Mango collection Tuesday night will see a catwalk show to celebrate the collection going live on the brand's website '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.' She still also owns her Victoria Beckham clothing line and while she's finally making a profit from her cash-strapped line, Victoria's pricey designer pieces found themselves in trouble again last week. The Mail On Sunday revealed how the star has called in 'the mother of all returns' after the collapse of fashion group Matches. The star 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. 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' (seen at Paris fashion week last year) This coat retails at 300 and is part of the new high street collection This white suit is 295 for the jacket and trousers together This pretty white crochet dress retails at 115 '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. Victoria Beckham X Mango is now available to shop at Mango.com. Nico Tortorella and Bethany C. Meyers announced Tuesday they are expecting their second child - just 13 months after welcoming their first child, daughter Kilmer Dove Meyers Tortorella. The polyamorous married couple of six years - who identify as gender-fluid and use they/them pronouns - became pregnant the day they moved into their new Florida home in January 'where we can grow food year-round, run barefoot, chase lizards, and play in the ocean.' 'Really, it's true. It's funny how, when you commit to dreams and embrace changes, miracles unfold,' the 35-year-old Younger alum marveled to their 637K Instagram followers. 'Bethany, thank you for creating the space to continue to grow our family. We are nothing without you. I am constantly in awe of your strength and willingness to expand. And Kilmer Dove, get ready girl - it's big sister energy from here on out. I love you both. I love all of you. All of it is you.' The 33-year-old Be.come Project founder revealed they will welcome their second child sometime this October. Nico Tortorella and Bethany C. Meyers announced Tuesday they are expecting their second child - just 13 months after welcoming their first child, daughter Kilmer Dove Meyers Tortorella (pictured March 31) 'I can't wait to go down this path again - one that is both familiar and completely unknown,' Bethany wrote in their own post. 'Thank you [Nico] for being the ultimate belly-rubber, crepe-finder, and Kilmer-soother so I can tack on another 30 minutes to my nap. Kilmer Dove, you are my first, and I love you. But pretty soon, I'm gonna need you to stop jamming your finger into my belly button while yelling "BA BA!"' Meyers admitted it 'took years to conceive our' first child so they wanted to 'acknowledge that when you've experienced pregnancy loss or have struggled to conceive, pregnancy announcements always feel bittersweet, sometimes even your own.' 'It's not lost on me that some people reading this are still hoping for their first while I announce my second,' the I Am More Than My Body author explained. 'There are never any words that make it better, so I won't try to offer them. I will just let you know that you are seen and your sorrow is held, even in my joy.' Bethany originally began dating Tortorella in 2007 after meeting in college. The Binged to Death actor wed Meyers in 2018 during a two-minute, $25 ceremony at Manhattan City Hall's East Chapel in Lower Manhattan which involved no family, cake, reception, flowers, nor rings. On Tuesday, Random House Books for Young Readers published Nico's first 32-page children's book Olivette is You, which was illustrated by Melissa Kashiwagi. The polyamorous married couple of six years - who identify as gender-fluid and use they/them pronouns - became pregnant the day they moved into their new Florida home in January The 35-year-old Younger alum gushed: 'Bethany, thank you for creating the space to continue to grow our family. We are nothing without you. I am constantly in awe of your strength and willingness to expand. And Kilmer Dove, get ready girl - it's big sister energy from here on out. I love you both. I love all of you. All of it is you' The 33-year-old Be.come Project founder revealed they will welcome their second child sometime this October: 'I can't wait to go down this path again!' Bethany originally began dating Nico in 2007 after meeting in college Tortorella wed Meyers in 2018 during a two-minute, $25 ceremony at Manhattan City Hall's East Chapel in Lower Manhattan which involved no family, cake, reception, flowers, nor rings On Tuesday, Random House Books for Young Readers published the Binged to Death actor's (pictured April 3) first 32-page children's book Olivette is You, which was illustrated by Melissa Kashiwagi Nico - who's both demisexual and bisexual - will drop their nine-song album born. this Friday along with a 'very special music video all about being pregnant' Tortorella - who's both demisexual and bisexual - will drop their nine-song album born. this Friday along with a 'very special music video all about being pregnant.' The City on Fire star and Juan Pablo Di Pace will portray a gay couple in Andy Vallentine's indie dramedy The Mattachine Family, produced by Zach Braff, which is currently on the film festival circuit. Nico wrote of their upcoming projects: 'Seemingly none of that matters. Right now, this moment is a celebration of life at a time when life itself seems the most fragile.' Kourtney Kardashian showcased her bikini body in Instagram photos from her 45th birthday celebration. The new mom wrote, '45 trips around the sun ' next to the social media post Tuesday. The reality TV star began the carousel of snaps with a shot of her wearing a patterned red, blue, yellow and black Dior two piece while sitting on a bright blue bench outside a place called RJ's Water Sports. Several pigs were wandering around in the background. Her dark hair was is a high ponytail and she wore dark sunglasses. This comes after the wife of Travis Barker said that she loves her body the way it is after welcoming her fourth child, Rocky. Kourtney Kardashian showcased her bikini body in photos from her birthday celebration. '45 trips around the sun ' she wrote next to the social media post Tuesday There were several pigs in the background and a sign for RJ's Water Sports The Poosh founder has embraced her postpartum body after giving birth to son Rocky in November. She recently pushed back at a troll who criticized her new curves, declaring, 'I LOVE this body that gave me my 3 big babies and my little baby boy.' 'I love that body kourt!' posted one fan after seeing the photo. 'This body after 4 kids is stunning,' commented a follower. '45 never looked so good,' wrote her adoring husband. In other shots, The Kardashians star covered up in a red T-shirt in the bright sunshine as she sat on a dock. In one of the photos she was solo, in another she was joined by her son Reign, nine, who was covered up with a white T-shirt over his black swim trunks. A couple of piglets seemed to be enjoying the shade beneath the dock. The Kardashians star covered up in a red T-shirt in the bright sunshine as she sat on a dock. In one of the photos she was solo, in another she was joined by her son Reign, nine, who was covered up with a white T-shirt over his black swim trunks One sweet shot appears to show Kardashian's step-son Landon, 20, carrying her son Reign, nine, on his back to watch a fireworks display for the birthday party Another shows the reality star with her arm around husband Travis Barker, 48, as he holds baby Rocky, five months, during the pyrotechnics Other sweet photos show some of the kids from her blended family swimming in the pool of the house rented by Kardashian's husband, Travis Barker, 48, for the milestone celebration. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum shares Reign, Penelope, 11, and Mason, 14, with her ex-partner Scott Disick. Barker shares Alabama, 18, Landon, 20, and step-daughter Atiana De La Hoya, 25, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. The Lemme founder shared a photo of with some of her blended family in the pool of the house they rented for the celebration. After seeing the post, step-daughter Atiana De La Hoya, 25, referred to the trip as 'A dream!!' Kourtney said she loved this photo after Kim posted it for her birthday After seeing the post, Atiana referred to the trip as 'A dream!!' One snap appears to show Landon carrying Reign on his back to watch a fireworks display for the birthday party. Another shows the reality star with her arm around the rocker as he holds baby Rocky during the pyrotechnics. The couple will soon celebrate their second wedding anniversary. The pair were legally married at a courthouse ceremony May 15, 2022 before traveling to Portofino, Italy for a lavish ceremony seven days later. Minnie Driver says female film bosses are worse than men in mistreating actresses when it comes to seeing them as sex objects, ageism and unequal pay. The Good Will Hunting star revealed she was recently fired from a film by the woman in charge because she 'just decided she wanted her friend to be in my part'. Oscar-nominated Minnie, 54, said: 'It was about a week of me just feeling just incredibly disposable and awful and sad on a lot of levels that I was disposable and that women are still treating women as badly as we say men have been treating us.' Her comments come after Sydney Sweeney last week defended herself against a female producer, Carol Baum, who said of the White Lotus star: 'Shes not pretty, she cant act. Why is she so popular?' Carol held nothing back as she took aim Sydney while speaking to New York Times film critic Janet Maslin in front of a live audience, with MailOnline exclusively revealing that she had accused Sydney of not being able to act while branding her film Anyone But You 'unwatchable'. Minnie Driver says female film bosses are worse than men in mistreating actresses when it comes to seeing them as sex objects, ageism and unequal pay (pictured this month) The Good Will Hunting star revealed she was recently fired from a film by the woman in charge because she 'just decided she wanted her friend to be in my part' (pictured this month) Addressing her romcom Anything But You, in which she stars alongside Glen Powell, Baum said: 'I was watching on the plane Sydney Sweeney's movie because I wanted to watch it. 'I wanted to know who she is and why everybody's talking about her. I watched this unwatchable movie sorry to people who love this movie [this] romantic comedy where they hate each other.' In response to the Father of the Bride producer's comments, 26-year-old actress Sydney said: 'How sad that a woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman. 'If thats what shes learned in her decades in the industry and feels it is appropriate to teach to her students, thats shameful. 'To unjustly disparage a fellow female producer speaks volumes about Ms Baum's character.' But Minnie said that speaking up as a woman in the film industry affected her career after she refused to twice act out having an orgasm while eating chocolate in front of a room of leering men for an advert - leading the casting director to brand her 'very difficult'. Drawing on her 33 years in Hollywood, the British and American actress said: 'I wish I could say it was only men that Id noticed underwriting that particular kind of behaviour but there are so many women I've come across as well. 'We've [actresses] all agreed we don't want to be the one to step up and go, "This is wrong," because then you don't get the work. Her comments come after Sydney Sweeney defended herself against a producer, Carol Baum, who said of the White Lotus star: 'Shes not pretty, she cant act. Why is she so popular?' (Sydney pictured last month) Baum (pictured) held nothing back as she took aim at the actress in front of a live audience, accusing her of not being able to act and branding her film Anyone But You 'unwatchable' 'It's very Grapes of Wrath, it's very much if one person says they'll work for 20 cents a day. 'We have to band together and all say no.' Minnie shares a 16-year-old son from a brief relationship with the producer behind Law and Order, Timothy J. Lea in 1997 before dating Matt Damon for a year while filming Good Will Hunting in 1997. The mother-of-one lives in Los Angeles and has been in a relationship with the filmmaker Addison ODea since 2019. Action stars and longtime pals Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone admitted that they once competed to see who could shed more body fat during their action films heyday. In a clip obtained by Page Six from the upcoming special, TMZ Presents: Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons, the 76-year-old Terminator star and the 77-year-old Rocky actor shared their history of competing over their weight with host Harvey Levin. The Hollywood legends tried to outdo the other in their action films in other ways, especially during the peak of their career in the 1980s. Stallone admitted that back at the height of their popularity he was down to just 7 percent body fat, while Schwarzenegger was at 10 percent. 'So it became a competition of the body,' The Jingle All The Way star said. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have revealed they used to compete for lowest body fat in their heyday. Stallone told TMZ that at one point he was down to 7 percent body fat while Schwarzenegger was at 10 percent Schwarzenegger said 'it became a competition of the body.' The two stars are known for iconic action film roles, including Conan the Barbarian and Rocky Balboa The two action star were known for playing muscular heroes, like John Rambo and Conan the Barbarian. The former Governor of California was a bodybuilder before making the leap to Hollywood and the Rocky star worked out intensely to prepare for the demands of the role. Their on-screen competition went so far as to require them to try to top each other in numbers of slain villains. 'We ended up kind of like, "Well, you killed 28 people in the movie; I killed 32,"' Schwarzenegger said. 'I got to top that,' Stallone interjected. If Sly 'killed 80 people' in a movie, the Arnold had to 'kill 87.' When the Rambo star used machine guns, the Terminator wanted some himself, only larger. While filming Predator, he requested a gun that was normally mounted on a tank or a helicopter. When the logistics of using the weapon were raised, the Kindergarten Cop star said, 'Dont worry about it, I got to have a bigger gun, a bigger gun than Sly used in Rambo.' Their relationship, first a competition and later a friendship, began at the 34th annual Golden Globes when the two shared a table. Rocky was up for six awards and the former Mr. Universe was up for New Star of the Year for his role in Stay Hungry. He won and taunted the Italian Stallion about Rockys losses. When the film won for its screenplay, the Cobra star threw flowers at Schwarzenegger. The two went on to continue their rivalry in the press and on screen. The villainous, muscular Ivan Drago in Rocky IV has even been speculated to be a stand-in for the Schwarzenegger. If Sly 'killed 80 people' in a movie, the Arnold had to 'kill 87,' they explained to TMZ; Stallone pictured in Rocky II (1979) While filming Predator, Schwarzenegger requested a gun that was normally mounted on a tank or a helicopter; Schwarzenegger pictured in Predator The former rivals became good friends who later invested in Planet Hollywood together. Stallone even donated $15K to Schwarzenegger's California gubernatorial campaign; picturd together in 2015 TMZ Presents: Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons will air at 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday on Fox and be available on Hulu the next day Despite their on-screen sniping, the action stars buried the hatchet to become investors and promoters of the Planet Hollywood chain of restaurants, which opened its doors in the early 1990s. The Judge Dredd star even showed his support for his pal by donating $15,000 to his former rivals gubernatorial election campaign in 2005, and he was invited to several inauguration events during the Schwarzenegger's time in office. The two actors even starred together in The Expendables franchise later in their careers. TMZ Presents: Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons will air at 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday on Fox and be available on Hulu the next day. Kanye West and wife Bianca Censori put on a typically edgy style display as they stepped out on Sunday days after the rapper was named a battery suspect after he allegedly punched a man at Chateau Marmont. The 46-year-old rapper, who recently broke his silence over the incident on Justin LaBoy's The Download podcast, wore a cream hoodie, paired with baggy sweats, flashing his grey underwear as he strolled alongside his wife, 29 in LA. Bianca flashed her legs in a tiny mini dress paired with a gilet with striking structured shoulders. She wore her locks slicked back and wore quirky platform sandals. The couple were at Chateau Marmont on Wednesday, where West got into an altercation with a man Censori claims physically and sexually assaulted her. Kanye West and wife Bianca Censori put on a typically edgy style display as they stepped out on Sunday days after the rapper was named a battery suspect after he allegedly punched a man at Chateau Marmont In an attempt to set the record straight on Tuesday's episode of The Download podcast, the rapper went into detail about the incident for the first time. The father-of-four stated that after finding the man, who he alleged 'grabbed' his spouse claims he told the man that he had to 'leave right now.' 'I talked to the guy and said, 'You just, you need to leave right now, and he was like, 'Oh, 'it's okay.' And, it's like, no, it's not okay,'' the Stronger hitmaker recalled. 'It wasn't okay.' The ex-husband of Kardashian continued: 'He had to go to bed early... I tucked this n**ga in.' When asked if the man might still be sleeping, West looked down and said: 'I don't know what happened.' On Monday, a new report surfaced on TMZ, claiming West punched one half of a set of twins who own numerous L.A. bars and restaurants... adding West actually punched the wrong one. The twins involved in the drama are Mark and Jonnie Houston, who own L.A. hotspots such as No Vacancy, Good Times at Davey Wayne's, Black Rabbit Rose and Break Room 86. West and Censori are claiming that Censori bumped into one of the brothers and that he proceeded to assault her. The 46-year-old rapper wore a cream hoodie, paired with baggy sweats, flashing his grey underwear as he strolled alongside his wife, 29 in LA The star's trousers were falling down as he headed out Bianca flashed her legs in a tiny mini dress paired with a gilet with striking structured shoulders The star pulled his hood up as he stepped out with his wife However, sources are claiming there is no evidence to back up those claims, with TMZ's sources calling Censori's allegations, 'totally off base and simply not accurate.' Sources claim that a man bumped into Censori in the Chateau Marmont lobby, which was said to be quite busy at that time. The incident happened quickly and the man went on his way, heading outside to sit with some friends. Shortly thereafter, West came up to the table to confront the man, ultimately punching the man in the face. However, West apparently hit the wrong man - the other twin and not the one who bumped into his girlfriend in the lobby. Kanye looked somber as he strolled alongside his wife The pair donned complementing hues as they strolled In an attempt to set the record straight on Tuesday's episode of The Download podcast , the rapper went into detail about the incident for the first time (seen above) Just days after rapper West was named a battery suspect after an incident in Los Angeles , a new report claims he actually punched the wrong man The twins are Mark and Jonnie Houston, who own L.A. hotspots such as No Vacancy, Good Times at Davey Wayne's, Black Rabbit Rose and Break Room 86 It isn't clear at this time which of the twins ran into Censori and which one was ultimately punched by West. The Houston twins are said to frequent the Chateau Marmont quite a bit though it's unclear if they've interacted with West before. The rapper left the hotel after the incident, long before police arrived, with cops reportedly wanting to talk to West after the altercation. However, sources are claiming there is no evidence to back up those claims, with TMZ's sources calling Censori's allegations, 'totally off base and simply not accurate.' Sources claim that a man bumped into Censori in the Chateau Marmont lobby, which was said to be quite busy at that time. The Houston twins are said to frequent the Chateau Marmont quite a bit though it's unclear if they've interacted with West before West reportedly punched the wrong brother two times, with law enforcement sources failing to find any evidence that one of the brothers assaulted Censori in any way West reportedly punched the wrong brother two times, with law enforcement sources failing to find any evidence that one of the brothers assaulted Censori in any way. An investigation is under way, and it will be sent to the City Attorney for review to see if any official charges will be filed. Despite no evidence being found, West's team is adamant that Censori was assaulted that night. 'This was a physical, sexual assault and any attempt to undermine the seriousness of what happened is repellent and vile,' one of Kanye's reps said in a statement. The Valley star Michelle Lally has officially moved on from husband Jesse Lally. The luxury real estate agent is now dating financial advisor and entrepreneur Aaron Nosler - Dailymail.com can confirm. While Michelle, 36, has kept her new beau off her own Instagram page, Aaron hasn't been shy about publicly flaunting their relationship. He first shared a photo of himself and Michelle hanging out at a friend's house back in February, then shared another image of the pair looking lovey-dovey at an event in Beverly Hills in March. Viewers are currently watching Michelle's marriage to Jesse crumble on the first season of The Valley. The Valley star Michelle Lally now appears to be dating financial advisor and entrepreneur Aaron Nosler after splitting from husband Jesse The pair were pictured hanging out together as early as February, despite Michelle and Jesse not announcing their split until March In a recent episode, some of the cast questioned the brunette's faithfulness after she was caught spending time with an A-list director at celeb hotspot the Chateau Marmont. 'Michelle always claims she doesn't know who famous people are. But she was going out with that director, she was going out with him for a couple days straight,' co-star Jax Taylor told producers. 'She goes to the Chateau [Marmont] every day from her house and she happened to meet him at the pool and they get along,' he continued. 'It turned out to be another day. And then another day, Like, you don't think this is peculiar? I know she's a real estate agent so this is a potential customer. Jesse doesn't seem too bothered by it. I don't know whether I believe it or not.' While Bravo censored the director's name to protect his identity, it was implied that he was a huge name in Hollywood. A furious Michelle later shut down the rumors on social media after the episode went to air. 'Part of my job as a real estate agent is to network and build relationships. It had absolutely nothing to do with dating anyone,' she snapped. The former couple share three-year-old daughter Isabella Bunny In a recent episode, some of the cast questioned the brunette's faithfulness after she was caught spending time with an A-list director at celeb hotspot the Chateau Marmont Michelle and Jesse announced their split to Us Weekly last month right before The Valley premiered on Bravo. The former couple share three-year-old daughter Isabella Bunny. In a recent episode of The Valley, Michelle admitted that she'd been unhappy in the marriage since Isabella was born. The series has followed the pair as they attend therapy in a bid to save their marriage. Jesse broke down in tears on the show last week, telling his bride that he wanted their relationship to work. The Valley is a spin-off of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules and stars a number of familiar faces from the series, including Kristen Doute. Declan Rice's long-term girlfriend Lauren Fryer has deleted all of her Instagram pictures after receiving a barrage of abuse online over her appearance. Lauren, 25, who is the childhood sweetheart of Arsenal player Declan Rice, also 25, wiped all posts from her Instagram page in recent days after finding herself the target of cruel online trolls. She was taunted for her appearance, with the bullying first starting in December last year when an anonymous account told England international team member Declan he 'could do better'. Recently, Declan was told he had 'low standards' for being in a relationship with Lauren, who is the mother to their 20-month-old son, Jude. While Lauren still has 64,000 followers on Instagram and has kept her profile public rather than private, she has deleted all her pictures and videos amid the abuse, prompting reality star Liberty Poole, 24, to speak out. Love Island star Liberty Poole has shown her support for Declan Rice's girlfriend Lauren Fryer after the WAG received a barrage of abuse online (Lauren and Declan pictured) Liberty, 24 (pictured), felt compelled to speak out after Lauren was taunted for her appearance at the hands of cruel trolls Television personality Liberty, who appeared on the seventh series of Love Island in 2022 and Love Island All Stars earlier this year, wrote on her Instagram Stories: 'I think she's beautiful this is crazy. 'What happened to celebrating different body types and embracing how we are all individually made. 'Beauty standards these days are unrealistic and everyone's gone mad because of social media. 'I'm going to keep preaching about it till I die. Time for change, this can't continue.' In December fans rushed to Lauren's defence after a vile troll posted about Declan's 'low standards'. The account which posted the tweet has since been suspended after hundreds criticised the troll. 'Declan Rice is a successful, professional football player. He has a beautiful girlfriend who he has been with since they were both 17. They are also the parents to a beautiful child. He is happy and blessed,' one user wrote in a tweet that went viral, while others called the troll 'a disgrace to this fanbase.' More recently a false claim circulated online claiming that Declan defended Lauren during a press conference, which has only led to more focus on the couple's relationship. Sportsman Declan has been romantically involved with Lauren for nearly eight years, but the couple prefer to conduct their relationship away from the public eye. In August 2022, he appeared to confirm the birth of his first child with partner Lauren by revealing a tattoo dedicated to a newborn boy during a game when he played for West Ham United. He prompted speculation at the time that he had welcomed a son, named Jude, with his long-term girlfriend earlier that month by exposing a tattoo of the child's name and apparent birth date - August 7. Jude's star-sign, Leo - characterised as a symbol of self-confidence and attractiveness - also featured within the delicate inking on then West Ham captain Rice's lower left arm. Lauren, 25, who is the childhood sweetheart of Arsenal player Declan Rice, also 25, wiped all posts from her Instagram page in recent days after finding herself the target of abuse She was taunted for her appearance, with the bullying starting in December last year when an anonymous account told England international team member Declan he 'could do better' Recently, Declan was told he had 'low standards' for being in a relationship with Lauren, who is the mother to their 20-month-old son, Jude (pictured in December 2022) While Lauren still has 64,000 followers on Instagram and has kept her profile public rather than private, she has deleted all her pictures and videos amid the abuse Sportsman Declan has been romantically involved with Lauren for nearly eight years, but the couple prefer to conduct their relationship away from the public eye In August 2022, Declan appeared to confirm the birth of his first child with Lauren by revealing a tattoo dedicated to a newborn boy during a game when he played for West Ham United The tattoo, which circled the England international's lower left arm, revealed the name Jude, an apparent birthdate and a quote Despite a preference for privacy, the couple let their hair down during a rare public appearance at the Reading Festival in 2021. They were pictured rubbing shoulders with notorious former Oasis hellraiser Liam Gallagher following his headline performance at the annual event. Rice had previously admitted that his long-term girlfriend is jealous of his bond with Chelsea ace Mason Mount - a childhood friend from their time together at the west London club's academy. He told The Sun: 'My missus is quite worried. I'm genuinely being serious. She's quite worried. Oh she's just always: 'You two . . . you love him more than you love me'. 'Honestly. We just get it in the neck all the time. But they need to understand the friendship.' The footballer joined the famed West Ham Academy as a child and studied at the Robert Clack School, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, the largest secondary school in Europe. When he was crowned Young Player of the Year at the London Football Awards, she wrote on social media: 'Couldn't be more proud of my Dec winning young player of the year. You deserve everything and more.' When Lauren celebrated her 19th birthday, Rice wrote on his Instagram account: 'Happy 19th birthday to my gorgeous girlfriend Lauren Fryer. 'Looking forward to making many more memories with you, I love you.' Lauren isn't the only love of West Ham defender Declan Rice's life - she shares his affections with their adorable Cockapoo Raffa. It's believed the couple welcomed the cute pup into their after a romantic trip to Paris. Rice had previously admitted that his long-term girlfriend is jealous of his bond with Chelsea ace Mason Mount - a childhood friend from their time together at the club's academy He told The Sun: 'My missus is quite worried. I'm genuinely being serious. She's quite worried. Oh she's just always: 'You two . . . you love him more than you love me'' When he was crowned Young Player of the Year, she wrote on social media: 'Couldn't be more proud of my Dec winning young player of the year. You deserve everything and more' Despite a preference for privacy, the couple were pictured rubbing shoulders with notorious former Oasis hell-raiser Liam Gallagher at Reading Festival in 2021 Last month Harry Styles and James Corden threw a party to celebrate Declan claiming his 50th cap during England's 2-2 stalemate with Belgium. The Arsenal midfielder was also rewarded with the captain's armband for the friendly tie at Wembley, in a gesture that Rice described as leaving him 'speechless'. When Gareth Southgate let him know that he would be leading the side out against Domenico Tedesco's side, Rice said that he 'stood up, shook his hand, gave him a hug and said 'thank you so much'.' 'Since I've come into the side, he's put his trust and belief in me,' Rice added. And with cause for celebration, Corden - a vocal West Ham fan - and superstar Styles decided to commemorate the night in some style. Choosing A-list hotspot Chiltern Firehouse as their location, the trio partied until 4am before heading out into the early morning, in a party which included international team-mates James Maddison and Jordan Henderson. As well as a party hosted in his honour, Rice was also gifted a pair of bespoke adidas boots from fellow ex-Hammer Frank Lampard ahead of the tie. Former England midfielder Lampard - who scored 29 goals in 106 caps for England between 1999 and 2014 - met up with Rice in collaboration with Adidas ahead of the game to present him with a one-of-a-kind pair of boots. The design of the adidas Copa boot included the colours of England - red, white and blue - with a special 50 caps message on the side, while the national flag was also emblazoned across the bespoke design. When presenting Rice with the boots, Lampard shared a few words with the Arsenal man and hailed him for reaching the milestone. 'Declan shouldn't underestimate this achievement,' he said. 'Every kid playing football growing up dreams of playing for their country, so to hit 50 caps is something very special. 'I am excited to see what the summer brings for him and this young team going into the Euros.' Lauren isn't the only love of West Ham defender Declan Rice's life - she shares his affections with their adorable Cockapoo Raffa Last month Rice was handed a custom-made pair of boots by England legend Frank Lampard to commemorate his 50th cap The Chelsea legend was keen to stress that Rice should not 'underestimate' his reaching the milestone at such a young age Rice echoed these thoughts and added: 'It is a massive achievement for me to reach this milestone. 'Those close to me, know how much playing for my country means, so to hit 50 caps is incredible. I am excited to wear my new boots on the field to celebrate the moment.' At just 25, Rice is the fifth-youngest national team player to reach the milestone, behind boldfaced names such as Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, and Raheem Sterling. But the player was unable to see out a win on his half-century, after England fell behind the visitors twice before seeing out a late draw through gritted teeth. Home Improvement alum Zachery Ty Bryan was seen arriving for his arraignment with an attorney in Indio, California on Tuesday. For his appearance in court, the 42-year-old actor wore a dark gray dress shirt, a pair of light-wash jeans and black and white Nike sneakers. Upon meeting with his lawyer, the two men embraced before walking into the Larson Justice Center together. His attorney wore a light grey gingham suit with a light blue button-down and navy tie. In March, Bryan was officially charged with a felony stemming from his February 17th arrest for DUI and hit-and-run traffic collision. Home Improvement alum Zachery Ty Bryan was seen arriving for his arraignment this morning with an attorney at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, California on Tuesday For his appearance in court, the 42-year-old actor wore a dark gray dress shirt, a pair of light-wash jeans and black and white Nike sneakers La Quinta Police charged the troubled 42-year-old - whose 0.15 blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit - with 'driving under the influence with three or more priors within the last decade,' according to TMZ. Zachery - who posted a $50K bond - faces up to three years in prison for the alleged property damage he caused during his car accident, and he reportedly failed to stop to provide his name and address. DailyMail.com previously published photos of Bryan - who started drinking when he was 14 - hitting up the bars at Applebee's and Amigos in La Quinta, CA on February 20 - just three days after his arrest. Last year, Zachery served seven days in Lane County Jail in Eugene, OR and was sentenced to 36 months of supervised probation for domestic violence against an unidentified woman on July 28. In 2020, Bryan was sentenced to three years of bench probation and ordered to attend a batterer intervention program after being charged with domestic violence against his fiancee Johnnie Faye Cartwright at the same sherriff's office in Oregon. Worryingly, The Guardians of Justice actor has three small children - daughter Kennedy, 2; and twins Parker + Sequoia, 10 months - from his three-year relationship with Cartwright. 'I'll always want what's best for the father of my children,' the 30-year-old model told Us Weekly on August 1. 'Trauma can bring struggles in many shapes and forms. It's a horrible situation thats going to be spun in so many ways. I've learned firsthand the truth will never align with what's been put out there. I ask everyone to please be respectful of our privacy for the sake of the children and our families so the healing process can begin.' Upon meeting with his lawyer, the two men embraced before walking into the Larson Justice Center In March, he was officially charged with a felony stemming from his February 17th arrest for DUI and hit-and-run traffic collision On July 28, Zachery was charged with domestic violence against an unidentified woman in Eugene, OR three years after his prior domestic violence arrest (2020 mugshot pictured) against his fiancee Johnnie Faye Cartwright Zachery also fathered four children - twin daughters Gemma + Taylor, 9; daughter Jordana, 7; and son Pierce, 5 - during his 12-year marriage to high school sweetheart Carly Matros, who filed for divorce in 2020. And THR has published an expose last June accusing Bryan of earning $50K by running a fraudulent agriculture-technology start-up scheme. Zachery first found fame playing Tim Allen's onscreen son Brad Taylor in all eight seasons of the ABC sitcom Home Improvement spanning 19911999. After the wrapped, Bryan turned to film roles and earned guest cameos on TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He's also served as an executive producer on independent films, and most recently, has made a name for himself as a conservative commentator on platforms like FOX News and The Daily Wire. Bryan, who was born in Aurora, Colorado, has also appeared in the films True Heart and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Aaron Carter's twin sister Angel Carter shared her thoughts on potential factors behind the tragic passing of three of her siblings. The 36-year-old reality star acknowledged that both 'family dysfunction' and fame played a part in the deaths, which were linked to substance abuse issues, during a candid discussion with Gayle King on CBS Mornings on Wednesday. Leslie passed away in 2012 at the young age of 25 from an overdose, Aaron died at 34 in 2022 from drowning, attributed to the effects of Xanax, and inhaling difluoroethane and Bobbi Jean died at 41 in 2023 of 'intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine.' 'Theres certainly a generational dysfunction issue here that comes along with it,' Angel said of their deaths. 'But as far as growing up, there was a time where we were a really close family... there was a lot of love. 'But there was a lot of chaos going on at the same time,' she added. Aaron Carter 's twin sister Angel Carter shared her thoughts on the potential factors behind the untimely deaths of three of her siblings; Angel and Aaron in 2006 Bobbie Jean, like her brother Aaron and sister Leslie struggled with substance abuse. Leslie died of a drug overdose at age 25 in 2012. Leslie, (center) died of an drug overdose in 2012 at 25. Aaron passed away from an accidental drowning to his drug use in November 2022 (Pictured in 2006) 'Just fighting, she continued. 'My parents were just fighting all the time. Just dysfunction in the home. No boundaries. No stability. No one to talk to. It just felt like, if I had an issue going on I really couldn't have my parents to lean on to.' When asked if fame aggravated the family issues, Angel replied, 'I do.' Angel's brother Nick Carter soared to superstardom as a member of the Backstreet Boys, while Aaron's career skyrocketed with the 2000 chart-topper I Want Candy. 'I think it changed everything, honestly,' Angel added. 'Nick has been in Backstreet Boys since I was four or five years old. So, a really long time. 'We were a family that had no money. We were from upstate New York. My parents were poor. And they had never seen anything like this before. So, once the money started coming in, it just changed the dynamic because money became the moving force.' Angel also confided in Gayle that for years, she had held onto hope that Aaron would find his way to recovery, though she conceded that she had ultimately lost all hope during his final days. She shared her resolve to dismantle this pattern with her own child, aiming to grant them a sense of innocence that eluded Aaron throughout his life. 'Aaron did not have his innocence,' she explained. 'He was working like an adult from a very young age. And he just wanted to be home.' 'Theres certainly a generational dysfunction issue here that comes along with it,' Angel said of their deaths. 'But as far as growing up, there was a time where we were a really close family... there was a lot of love'; seen in 2006 When asked if fame aggravated the family issues, Angel replied, 'I do'; (Bobbie Jean pictured 2006) Angel's heartfelt interview comes 4 months after first responders found Bobbie Jean unresponsive in the bathroom of her Tampa, Florida home on the morning of December 23 and rushed her to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead. Bobbie Jean - who was a mother of one daughter, Bella, eight - was on probation for cocaine possession when she died according to law enforcement - but her roommates had told them that she had not used any narcotics since her prison release. Her official cause of death is intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner in Florida. Her death has been ruled accidental. The Medical Examiner's report states Bobbie's roommate last had contact with her at 6:30 AM on December 23 but around 7 AM, the roommate found Bobbie unresponsive on the bathroom floor and called 911. First responders tried life-saving measures on Bobbie before she was transported to a Tampa hospital, where, at 8:02 AM, she was pronounced dead.. Overdose deaths linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl jumped from nearly 10,000 in 2015 to nearly 20,000 in 2016 - surpassing common opioid painkillers and heroin for the first time. The ultra-strong opioid being cut with virtually every street drug in the country killed a record 75,000 Americans in 2021, the equivalent of 1,500 lives lost every week. Because it is cut into other popular drugs, many people who die of overdoses do not know they are taking fentanyl. Fentanyl has been partially blamed for America's sharp fall in life-expectancy over the past three years. Aaron's death was attributed to drowning after inhaling compressed difluoroethane, also known as huffing, and ingesting alprazolam, which is sold under the brand name Xanax The Carter family has been rocked by the premature deaths of the three siblings in just 11 years (BJ, Leslie and Aaron are pictured 2006) Bobbie Jean was laid to rest in a city outside of Tampa during a 'small, private ceremony' attended by family and friends last month. Nick broke his silence over the death of Bobbie Jean - writing that he is 'completely heartbroken' in emotional tribute on Instagram. 'It may take a lifetime to fully process the loss my family has endured over the years most recently, with the sudden passing of our sister Bobbie Jean,' the Backstreet Boys star wrote on Thursday. In June, Bobbie Jean was arrested on a shoplifting charge for an incident at Hobby Lobby and was put on a suicide watch after threatening to kill herself. Investigators discovered she was in possession of fentanyl at the time He also shared a vintage throwback picture of himself and with Bobbie Jean playing as children. Nick's post followed the report that Bobbie Jean's daughter Bella, eight, is in the custody of her grandmother, Schneck, 64. In a statement to TMZ the grieving mother spoke about her devastating loss. 'I am in shock from learning of the sudden death of my daughter, Bobbie Jean; and I will need time to process the terrible reality of this happening for the third time,' she began. 'When I am able to think clearly, Ill release a fuller statement; but until then I would request to be left to grieve in private.' She added: 'However deeply a parent feels the loss of a child, the suffering of a young child at the loss of a parent must be much greater.' 'So, I would ask the sympathetic to say a prayer for my precious eight year old granddaughter Bella, who previously lost her father and is now also left without her mother.' Fans may know Bobbie Jean from her appearance in the reality show House of Carters, which aired in 2006. She, like her late brother Aaron and late sister Leslie, struggled with substance abuse. Aaron died from an accidental drowning at his home in Lancaster, California, caused after his inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam, the generic form of brand-name Xanax. He was 34. Ruby Tuesday Matthews has made a desperate plea to her neighbours after a gang of youths targeted her Byron Bay property overnight. The Australian influencer, 30, took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday to reveal a group of teens broke into her car and house during the early hours of the morning. Sharing CCTV video from her Bangalow property, located 15 minutes south west of Bryon, two masked youths are seen walking up Ruby's driveway and passing her black Mercedes SUV before setting off the security sensor light. 'FYI Bangalow,' Ruby wrote alongside the clip. '4.30am whilst sleeping our house and cars were broken into.' 'Group of teens are targeting Bangalow as most of our street and surrounding streets were affected,' she added. 'Any information please DM me.' Ruby Tuesday Matthews has made a desperate plea to her neighbours after a gang of youths targeted her Byron Bay property overnight Ruby and her current fiance Shannan Dodd purchased the Byron Bay Shire property in 2022. Several celebrities are known to reside in the Byron Bay area, including Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky. Ruby has three sons and shares Rocket, five, Mars, four, and Holiday, one, with ex partner Ryan Heywood and Shannan. The Australian influencer, 30, took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday to share that a group of teens broke into her car and house during the early hours of the morning Sharing CCTV video from her Bangalow property, located 15 minutes south west of Bryon, two masked youths are seen walking up Ruby's driveway and passing her black Mercedes SUV before setting off the security sensor light She made headlines in October 2020 after she notoriously held up a Jetstar flight after leaving the airport to dine on oysters. At the time, Ruby was due to fly from Byron Bay to Sydney on a 5pm flight, but a technical issue caused the plane, flight JQ461, to be delayed. The budget airline asked travellers to stay put while waiting for an engineer, and told passengers the new departure time would likely be about 7.30pm. Ruby and her current fiance Shannan Dodd purchased the Byron Bay Shire property in 2022 But Ruby and her travel companion left the airport to grab a bite to eat at a beachside restaurant, leaving passengers waiting on the tarmac for 30 minutes for the pair to return. Ruby was then heckled by passengers after they eventually boarded the plane, before slamming the airline upon arrival in Sydney for allowing her to be 'bullied'. Another woman boarded the plane even later than Ruby, and immediately apologised to passengers who had been told not to make any comments to her. Jetstar released a statement saying they 'kept customers informed' throughout the delay, and asked them 'not to leave the airport should the flight be able to get away ahead of the revised time.' The Mar Vista, California home in which actress Anne Heche careened into nearly two years ago, leading to her tragic death at 53, has been restored and has hit the market for $1.35 million. Heche died on August 11 at the age of 53, six days after the crash that left her with injuries that would prove to be fatal. The home, which has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, was pictured Tuesday appearing to be fully restored in the wake of the August 5, 2022 crash. New images released of the home shows that some changes have been made from its initial presentation, as it's painted white and has a small front porch overlooking the yard. The latest asking price of $1.35 million is down from when it was initially put up for sale for $1.49 million in February, TMZ reported Tuesday. The Mar Vista, California home in which actress Anne Heche careened into nearly two years ago, leading to her tragic death at 53, has been restored and has hit the market for $1.35 million Heche died on August 11 at the age of 53, six days after the crash that left her with injuries that would prove to be fatal. Pictured in LA in November 2020 In the deadly incident, Heche drove her Mini Cooper into the west Los Angeles home just prior to 11 a.m., triggering a fire she wasn't freed from for around 45 minutes, according to Los Angeles City Fire Department records reviewed by KNBC. In the direct aftermath of the crash, Heche was initially transported to the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center emergency room, and subsequently taken to Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center. Heche was being probed for felony DUI in the incident, but authorities scuttled any legal maneuvers in that vein following her passing. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner ultimately determined Heche's cause of death was as result of injuries from the auto accident, E! News reported, citing official records. Heche suffered inhalation and thermal injuries, a fractured sternum, a lacerated kidney and severe burns to more than 10 percent of her body, coroners said. In nearly two years since the horrific crash, Heche's estate has been sued by a number of different parties in pertinence to damages from the incident, as well as in regards to unsettled business issues the actress had at her time of death. Heche is survived by son Homer, 22, from her former marriage to Coley Laffoon, 48, and son Atlas, 15, with former partner James Tupper, 58. Homer was named the executor of Heche's estate after battling in court with James Tupper over who would fill the role in the wake of Heche's untimely passing. The home appears to be fully restored in the wake of the August 5, 2022 crash Extensive work has been done on the west LA abode in the wake of the 2022 accident A realtor sight was in display by a fence on the property in Mar Vista, California First responders were seen at the scene of the crash on August 5, 2022 The aftermath of the crash was seen in a GoFundMe page posted by the owners of the home for the woman who was displaced by the tragic incident Significant damage to the home was seen after the actress careened her Mini Cooper into the structure Firefighters were seen sifting through the damaged area following the crash Among the pending legal issues Heche's estate is involved in include a $2 million lawsuit from Lynne Mishele, the woman who was residing at the home at the time of the crash. Mishele said in court docs that she was left 'traumatized' by Heche's actions and had been battling insomnia, anxiety and depression following the incident. She said that her possessions were destroyed amid the blaze. Jennifer and John Durand, the couple who own the refurbished home, have also filed a $2 million lawsuit against Heche's estate. The homeowners said they dealt with lost rental income and 'substantial damages as a result of Heche's irresponsible actions and behavior,' People reported in December 2022, citing legal docs. Heche's ex-boyfriend Thomas Jane in November of 2022 filed a suit against the estate claiming Heche died owing him around $150,000 from a previous loan he had made her. Another lawsuit brought against the estate was over an unpaid Citibank/Citi Mastercard credit card tab of around $36,000 the actress was responsible for at her time of death. Homer, in his role as executor of Heche's estate, told the court in a recent filing that 'actively engaged in attempts to negotiate appropriate settlement of the claims against the Estate,' and working through a number of complicated factors to reach a resolution for all parties, Radar reported Tuesday after reviewing court docs. Homer's attorneys told the court that the finances were difficult to keep track of amid his late mother's 'lack of records of financial organization,' and 'numerous sources of income' including 'royalty payments procedures in the entertainment industry.' The potential settlements were further muddled by the 'relatively unusual circumstances of' her death and 'resulting potential litigations.' 'It has taken a substantial amount of time and effort to move the administration forward,' Homer's legal team said, noting that Heche's total assets amounted to around $110,000. Homer's lawyers said he 'is cautiously optimistic that the creditor claims can all be resolved fairly and without litigation.' Heche was pictured with her eldest son Homer Laffoon in LA in November 2021. Homer later prevailed in a legal battle to be the executor of her estate, which has a number of legal claims against it Heche also gained notoriety for her romance with Ellen DeGeneres from 1997 to 2000, which Heche would later say had an adverse impact on her career. Pictured in LA in 1997 Heche had won a Daytime Emmy award for her work on the soap opera Another World, and went on to appear in a number of high-profile late 90s films, including Donnie Brasco, Wag the Dog, Six Days Seven Nights and Psycho. Heche also gained notoriety for her romance with Ellen DeGeneres from 1997 to 2000, which Heche would later say had an adverse impact on her show business career. Heche did not appear to be on good terms with DeGeneres in the years proceeding her death. She said on a June 2021 podcast that she warned DeGeneres' now-wife Portia DeRossi (who she knew from working with on the Fox series Ally McBeal) that dating the comic/talk show host was a bad idea. Following Heche's death, DeGeneres said on social media, 'This is a sad day. I'm sending Anne's children, family and friends all of my love.' Capital FM's Chris Stark revealed on air on Tuesday that he once almost missed out on an interview with Nicki Minaj because she had a huge diva moment. The radio DJ, 37, told his co-hosts Sian Welby and Jordan North that Nicki's team were so offended by the smell of his chips and beans, they demanded that the room be aired out fully before Nicki, now 41, went in. Chris began: 'I was waiting to interview Nicki Minaj, and she kept running late. They kept delaying it more and more. 'So, I got a bit hungry, darted downstairs to the canteen that was there for some chips and beans. 'I was just enjoying my chips and beans, I was in the moment, when a member of Nicki Minajs team approached me, questioned what I was up to because she thought it was a bit weird that I was eating chips and beans then asked me to leave. Capital FM's Chris Stark, 37, revealed on air on Tuesday that he once almost missed out on an interview with Nicki Minaj, 41, because she had a huge diva moment The radio DJ told co-hosts Sian Welby and Jordan North that Nicki's team demanded that the room be aired out fully before Nicki, now 41, went in because it smelled of his chippy lunch (pictured in 2012) Pregnant Sian Welby, 37, couldn't contain her laughter when Chris recalled being kicked out of the interview room Sian, 37, who is seven months pregnant, giggled: 'What, you looked that suspicious?' The star is expecting her first child with her fiance Jake Beckett and announced the news live on Capital Breakfast. Chris continued: 'I was just amazed at what was going on. I dont know why. This was a few years ago, she was like at the real height.' He added: 'They had to bring in candles and sprays and that, and I wasnt allowed in until that was properly sorted.' Nicki is currently on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, her fourth, and will perform in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday. She has already been to Canada since the tour began on March 1, and will hit the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, and more by the time it ends. Nicki is being supported on the tour by Monica, and has brought out the likes of Chris Brown and Travis Scott during her performances. During her Detroit leg, Nicki unfortunately became the latest celebrity to have an object thrown at her. Luckily, the Anaconda rapper blocked the bracelet with her hand before chucking it straight back in the direction of the thrower. Listen to Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark, and Sian Welby weekdays from 6 am to 10 am across the UK on air and on Global Player, the official Capital app Chris continued: They had to bring in candles and sprays and that, and I wasnt allowed in until that was properly sorted' and Jordan, 34 (pictured) said 'Brilliant' Nicki (pictured on Friday) is currently on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, her fourth, which kicked off on March 1 in California and will conclude on July 14 in Belgium Warwick Davis and his family have launched a JustGiving page in tribute to his late wife following his 'concerning' message to fans. The grief-stricken Harry Potter star, whose beloved wife and 'soul mate' Samantha died last month, is taking a break from social media following the heartbreaking news. Davis' children Annabelle 27, and Harrison, 21, used their father's account to tell fans this, as well as sharing they had started a JustGiving page, Sammys Helping Hands, to raise money for Little People UK. They wrote: 'Our Mum, the kindest, most inspirational and loving Mumma we could have wished for, devastatingly passed away on March 24. 'While it's a very difficult time for us, we're humbled by everyone who has reached out to offer support & to express how Sammy impacted their lives. Warwick Davis and his family have launched a JustGiving page in tribute to his late wife following his 'concerning' message to fans Davis' children Annabelle 27, and Harrison, 21, used their father's account to tell fans they had started a JustGiving page , Sammys Helping Hands, to raise money for Little People UK 'Dad wanted us to share the project that we have all started for Mum. Through her work with Little People UK, Sammy was passionate about helping younger members of the dwarfism community, in particular those of school age. 'In order to continue the amazing work she did, we have set up 'Sammy's Helping Hands', a Just Giving page. Find out more here. 'We understand times are hard, simply sharing this message helps us spread awareness for the charity and the work they do. 'Thank you again for your kindness, love and support. We send love to you and your families. The Davis' xx.' A total of 14,000 has already been raised for the chosen charity. It comes after Warwick apologised after sparking concern among fans with a late night social media post. He declared on social media platform X: 'I'm done here. Signing off' with a broken heart symbol. His children used their father's account to tell fans that he was taking some time away from social media - adding that he was sorry for causing 'any concern'. They wrote: 'Thank you everyone for looking out for our Dad, he is taking some time away from social media. He apologises if his last message caused anyone concern. We appreciate all of your love and support.' It comes after Warwick apologised after sparking concern among fans with a late night social media post Grief-stricken Warwick Davis has sparked concern among his fans after he made a late night post declaring 'I'm done here. Signing off' with a broken heart symbol His children later reassured fans on social media after a flood of worried comments Their children (all pictured) said they were 'honoured to have received a love like hers' Samantha, who was an actor herself, met her husband when she had an uncredited role in his 1988 film Willow. The last photo of the pair saw the couple enjoying a date night out together as they beamed in a cheeky selfie. Davis kept vigil at his wife Samantha's hospital bedside as she fought for her life against sepsis five years before her death aged 53. The couple, who had been together for nearly 30 years, had been through struggles before including losing two children. Their family had been gearing up for a caravan holiday in 2019 when Samantha suddenly fell ill with a mystery condition, something she put down to stress. However, within days she was at death's door with doctors telling her terrified husband that she had sepsis, a rare condition which sees the body's immune system attack its own organs and tissues. The thought of losing his 'soul mate' tortured Warwick and despite her battling hard to recover, he later admitted they still felt its effects as they refused to 'take life for granted' anymore. It was a motto the couple lived by, enjoying another five years of bliss with each other before Samantha tragically passed away at the age of 53 last month. In a touching statement released on Wednesday, Warwick said his late wife's passing had 'left a huge hole in our lives' and paid tribute to his 'favourite human'. He described Sammy, as he called her, as his 'most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career'. He said he felt like he could achieve anything with his wife by his side and that it felt like he had a 'superpower'. 'She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes,' Warwick said in a statement given to the BBC. Samantha Davis (pictured with Warwick), who met her husband on the set of his 1988 film Willow, tragically died aged 53 on March 24 In 2022 Warwick had opened up about Samantha's health issues, including her hard fought battle with sepsis which left her on the brink of death before making a remarkable recovery. In an emotional tribute to his 'favourite human', Davis said: 'Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs.' He described Sammy, as he called her, as his 'most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career'. He said he felt like he could achieve anything with his wife by his side and that it felt like he had a 'superpower'. 'She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes,' Davis said in a statement given to the BBC. Experts say you're better off using over the counter products or getting Botox Banana peels do have antimicrobial properties, but these won't help much Influencers on social media are slapping banana peels on their faces in the hope that it will give them tight, bright skin - a 'natural' alternative to antiaging Botox injections. Katie Jane Hughes, a makeup artist based in the New York with 286,000 followers, posted a video of herself trying the trend on April 7, in the hope of demonstrating its 'natural Botox effect'. Smearing the peel on her face made her skin feel softer, her pores tighter and her face overall more 'snatched', Ms Hughes said in her video, which has been viewed 750,000 times. The cosmetics influencer was so impressed by the results, she said she would try the trend again. However, doctors are not convinced. 'There's no topical or food supplement that is going to give you the same effect Botox can when you inject it,' Dr Geeta Yadav, a dermatologist based in Toronto, posted on TikTok in reaction to the trend. 'Theres no scientific evidence to suggest that rubbing a banana peel on your face is going to help' with wrinkles, dark circles or inflammation Dr Taylor Bullock, a dermatology resident at the Cleveland Clinic, said. Dr Yadav said that while banana peels do have antimicrobial properties, the benefits are so small that it's unlikely you'll notice them. Instead, she recommended an over the counter skin product like vitamin C serum. Despite doctors' opinions, social media users are big fans. User ruri123ds, commented on Ms Hughes video saying 'I use it all the time i LOVE IT [heart eyes emoji]'. 'My grandmother used egg wash at night, and banana or mango skin in the morning. That woman had zero wrinkles on her face,' user kiloalphayankeealpha also said. Banana peels are high in antioxidants, which can help protect your skin from sun damage. But there might be more efficient ways to get this into your skincare routine, expers say. Any skin benefits you might get from banana peels are thought to lie with the high quantity of antioxidants found in the fruit. Antioxidants are compounds that absorb harmful particles called free radicals that can cause stress and damage to DNA over time, according to Dr Bullock. They're found naturally in many foods like blueberries, green tea and cocoa, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Antioxidants can help fight cellular damage caused by UV ways from the sun, smoke and pollution. But banana peels probably aren't the most efficient way to increase your intake of antioxidants. Antioxidant products applied to the face, like vitamin C serums are probably more potent ways to get the skin benefits. 'In theory, you could probably get some antioxidants by rubbing the peel on your skin,' Dr Bullock said. 'If your goal is to have a skin care routine full of antioxidants, youre much better off applying an antioxidant-rich skin care product to your face instead.' Though Dr Bullock and Dr Yadav didn't recommend specific products, many different companies carry antioxidant serums and lotions that you can incorporate into your routine. They range in price from those found at the beauty store for $10 to those found at a medical spa for $182. The rule applies to advisors offering an IRA rollover or annuities At current they may steer savers to products they receive a commission from Clampdown means financial advisors must act in best interests of their clients The Biden administration has confirmed its crackdown on retirement plan 'junk fees' which could help boost around 5 million workers' savings. Under a new rule outlined by the US Department of Labor today, Americans will have more protections when they roll over money from a 401(K) into an individual retirement account (IRA). Agency officials said the final rule, which takes effect on September 23, will ensure financial advisors, brokers and insurance agents work in the best interests of their clients. The White House previously estimated it will affect 5 million savers and increase their returns by between 0.2 percent and 1.2 percent per year - or boost their lifetime savings by up to 20 percent. The Biden administration has confirmed its crackdown on retirement plan 'junk fees' which could help boost around 5 million workers' savings Under new rules outlined by the US Department of Labor, Americans will have more protections when they roll over money from a 401(K) into an individual retirement account (IRA) At current, a financial advisor can be paid a commission as high as 6.5 percent by a firm to recommend a particular product. It means they can direct savers to such investments - even though they might not offer the highest yields. Under the Employee Retirement Security Act (ERISA), a 1974 federal law, employers have a duty to manage 401(K) accounts in the best interest of employees - including vetting fees. This fiduciary standard, however, has not traditionally extended to IRA rollovers and purchases of insurance products like annuities - which the new rules will change. What is an IRA rollover? An IRA rollover are commonly done when somebody is switching jobs. They allow workers to move money from an old employer-sponsored plan such as 401(K) and into an IRA. When done correctly, it keeps its tax-deferred status and doesn't trigger taxes or early withdrawal penalties. Advertisement Previously a financial professional was only considered a fidicuary if they met criteria from a five-part test, with one part stating the person must provide advice on a regular basis. It left a loophole meaning an advisor making a one-time recommendation like a rollover did not have to adhere to the standards. Lisa Gomez, assistant secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, said this led to advice being tainted by 'significant conflicts of interest' as professionals had 'no obligation' to act in their clients' best interests. 'That's not right,' Gomez told a press conference Tuesday. 'For too many people the retirement savings they have through their job are by far the single biggest source of savings they have. 'These important and tax preferred savings deserve protection, and it is the Department of Labor's job to make sure they are protected.' The law resurrects a more stringent proposal under the Obama administration in 2016 which was struck down by an appeals court two years later. According to calculations by the Council of Economic Advisors, Americans rolled over around $79 billion from 401(K)-type plans into IRAs in 2022. At current, a financial advisor can be paid a commission as high as 6.5 percent by a firm to recommend a particular product. It means they can direct savers to such investments - even though they might not offer the highest yields The rule is also targeting financial advice in commodities or insurance products like fixed index annuities, which are often recommended to retirement savers. They are generally not covered by the Securities and Exchange Commission's regulation on best interest. The White House estimates that advice rooted in conflicts of interest regarding the sale of fixed index annuities may cost American savers as much as $5 billion per year. When the regulations were first proposed back in October, Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council, likened the 'hidden costs' of financial conflicts in retirement plans amount to 'junk fees.' They can reduce a middle-class household's retirement savings by 20 percent - amounting to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime, she said. It comes just hours ahead of the EV makers quarterly earnings call Tesla will lay off 2,688 employees working at its Texas factory, the EV maker revealed in a compulsory notice to the state. It comes just a week after the company said it would lay off 10 percent of its global workforce of around 140,000 employees, including almost 300 in Buffalo, New York. Tesla's 'Gigafactory' in Austin, Texas, is the manufacturing facility for the company's Model Y and Cybertruck. Tesla's notice said that the layoffs will start on June 14. The layoffs come just hours ahead of the company's quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, which will be live-streamed to X and during which it is expected to discuss its worst results in seven years. Cybertrucks are lined up at Tesla Giga Texas on Tuesday April 2, 2024. Tesla CEO Elon Musk will address investors during the company's quarterly earnings call on Tuesday at 4.30pm CT Tesla is coming under pressure from falling sales and an intensifying price war with Chinese EV makers. CEO Elon Musk will host the call at 4.30pm CT and attempt to assuage investors' concerns that the company is heading for a catastrophe. As of Tuesday, it was the second-worst performer in the S&P 500 this year. Its share price was down 41 percent to $145 - well below its all-time high of $410 in 2021. After news of the Texas layoffs, its share price was up more than two percent from when markets opened. Fueling the crisis at Tesla is reduced demand for EVs in the US, a price war with increasingly capable Chinese electric car makers, and a wave of issues surrounding its newly released Cybertruck. As of Tuesday, Tesla was the second-worst performer in the S&P 500. Its share price was down 41 percent to $145 Last week the automaker recalled nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks in order to fix an accelerator pedal fault that could cause the EV to accelerate at top speed. This month alone Tesla also announced it was laying off 10 percent of its staff and reported its global vehicle deliveries in the first quarter fell for the first time in nearly four years. It was also reported the company had abandoned plans to make the so-called 'Model 2' - a budget $27,000 car that it was hoping could capture the mass market. Musk said instead the company would focus on developing self-driving robo-taxis. Non-compete measures have increasingly been used for low paid workers Employers will be banned from using noncompete contracts to prevent workers from joining rival firms, regulators said today. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 to ban the measures which roughly affect one in five workers today. Historically non-compete measures have been associated with high-level executives at technology and financial companies but are increasingly used to target lower paid workers such as security guards and sandwich-shop employees. The agreements usually prohibit workers from jumping to a competing company for a prescribed period of time. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 to ban non-compete contracts which roughly affect one in five workers today. Pictured: FTC Commissioner Lina Khan A 2021 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found that more than one in 10 workers who earn $20 or less an hour are covered by noncompete agreements. When it proposed the ban in January 2023, FTC officials asserted that noncompete agreements harm workers by reducing their ability to switch jobs for higher pay, a step that often provides most workers with their biggest pay increases. By reducing overall churn in the job market, the agency argued, the measures also disadvantage workers who aren't covered by them because fewer jobs become available as fewer people leave jobs. They can also hurt the economy overall by limiting the ability of other businesses to hire needed employees, the FTC said. The agency received about 26,000 comments on the proposal, most of them in favor. The rule, which doesn't apply to workers at non-profits, is to take effect in four months unless it is blocked by legal challenges. 'We heard from employees who, because of noncompetes, were stuck in abusive workplaces,' said Lina Khan, chair of the FTC, said before the vote. Doctors have been prevented from practicing medicine after leaving practices, she added. Business groups have criticized the measure as casting too wide a net by blocking nearly all noncompetes and have questioned the FTC's authority to take the step. Historically non-compete measures have been associated with high-level executives at technology and financial companies but are increasingly used to target lower paid workers such as security guards and sandwich-shop employees Two Republican appointees to the FTC, Melissa Holyoak and Andrew Ferguson, voted against the proposal. They asserted that the agency was exceeding its authority by approving such a sweeping rule. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said it will sue to block the measure, a process that could prevent the rule from taking effect for months or years. And if former President Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, his administration could withdraw the rule. The FTC is banning noncompetes on the grounds that they constitute an 'unfair method of competition,' but the Chamber says the law doesn't authorize the agency to regulate on those grounds. 'If they were to start exercising that authority, youre really opening a Pandoras box,' said Neil Bradley, executive vice president at the Chamber. 'Theres literally no limitations on what people one day can decide is an unfair method of competition.' Noncompete agreements are banned in three states, including California, and some opponents of noncompetes argue that Californias ban has been a key contributor to that states innovative tech economy. John Lettieri, CEO of the Economic Innovation Group, a tech-backed think tank, argues that the ability of early innovators to leave one company and start a competitor was key to the development of the semiconductor industry. 'The birth of so many important foundational companies could not have happened, at least not in the same way or on the same timeline and definitely not in the same place, had it not been for the ability of entrepreneurs to spin out, start their own companies, or go to a better company,' Lettieri said. The leaders of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya agreed after a consultative meeting in Tunis to fight together against the impacts of illegal immigration and to unite their positions and their speeches on this issue . At the invitation of the Tunisian Head of State, Kais Saied, the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and the President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed Al-Menfi participated on Monday April 22 in a first consultative meeting at the presidential palace in Carthage, in the northern suburbs of Tunis. At the end of this meeting, the three leaders agreed to the formation of joint teams () which will be responsible for securing the common borders [of the three countries] from the danger and impacts of unorganized immigration, according to a statement read by Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar. In this joint declaration, they also insisted on uniting positions and discourse in their treatment of this subject with other brother and friend countries concerned by this phenomenon, added the minister. The three presidents also discussed the importance of periodically organizing consultative meetings not only to discuss political issues but also economic and social issues. Morocco and Mauritania were not invited to this event. Need to unify and intensify efforts The principle of a tripartite Maghreb meeting, organized every three months, was decided by the three leaders when they met on the sidelines of a gas summit in Algiers at the beginning of March. In a press release, the three countries stressed the need to unify and intensify efforts to meet economic and security challenges, in the service of the interests of their people. Moroccan media, such as Hespress and Le 360, have accused Algeria of wanting to form a Maghreb alliance against Morocco, its great regional rival, and denounced a maneuver intended to make people believe that Algeria is not isolated in its neighborhood. For his part, the head of Algerian diplomacy, Ahmed Attaf, defended these initiatives as intended to fill a void, while the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), created thirty-five years ago, is in the coma. The UMA was founded in Marrakech in 1989 with the ambition of strengthening political and economic ties between Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Tunisia and Libya, but recurring tensions between Rabat and Algiers caused a stalemate and the leaders latest summit dates back to 1994. Cocoa made in Ivory Coast is grown in Liberia. This is the conclusion of the report by the Ivorian NGO Initiatives for Community Development and Forest Conservation (IDEF), published Monday April 22. Based on surveys carried out between October 2023 and March 2024 in three Liberian villages, the study documents the existence of trafficking organized in particular by Ivorian and Burkinabe planters, without however commenting on the extent of the phenomenon. Installed in towns along the Cavally River, the natural border between Ivory Coast and Liberia, smugglers illegally transport their cocoa to sell it on the Ivorian side, particularly in the area around Grabo, in the southwest of the country. Investigators say they found that Liberian beans were included in local production intended for national sale. The same goes for production reserved for export: interviewed, the delegate of a cooperative which supplies cocoa to the American multinational Cargill admitted to sourcing Liberian beans. The agri-food giant is nevertheless a beneficiary of the Rainforest Alliance label, a certification for sustainable agriculture which commits companies to controlling the origin of their products and ensuring that they do not come, among other things, from deforestation. . Exodus of producers Ivory Coast, the worlds largest cocoa producer, has lost around 80% of its forest cover due to intensive cocoa cultivation. From 16 million hectares at the beginning of the 20th century, the forest now extends over only 2.9 million hectares, according to the UN program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to deforestation (REDD). A situation which would be at the origin of the migration of Ivorian cocoa farmers towards neighboring Liberia which is now home to more than half of West Africas tropical forests. There is a phenomenon of exodus of Ivorian producers towards Liberia. And given that there is very little road infrastructure in this country, those who produce cocoa in this area sell it in Ivory Coast, specifies Bakary Traore, director of the NGO and author of the report. In an article devoted to the movement of the cocoa loop from Ivory Coast to Liberia, economist Francois Ruf also speaks of a cocoa runoff due to the decline in yield of aging Ivorian cocoa trees. Planters, still owners of their plots, would in fact cross the border to establish new plantations. In the three Liberian villages mentioned in the report, residents say that 183 producers have been welcomed in recent years, including 60 for the period from December 2023 to January 2024 alone. These arrivals would have accelerated the clearing of the local primary forest with thirteen new plantations in 2018, eighteen in 2021 and five currently being created. Map the plots While cocoa prices are reaching historic highs exceeding $10,000 per tonne at the end of March on the benchmark New York market Europe adopted in June 2023 a regulation relating to products linked to deforestation and forest degradation (RDUE). From January 1, 2025, the importation and marketing of cocoa beans resulting from deforestation carried out after 2020 will in theory be prohibited within the European Union (EU). A unique chance to resolve the historic problems of deforestation in the cocoa sector, which the industry and certification systems have never managed to resolve voluntarily, believes Bakary Traore. Cocoa producing countries still need to accept the establishment of effective traceability systems. IDEF is therefore calling for a map of all production plots in Cote dIvoire with an estimate of the theoretical volume that each of them can produce. Currently, and due to the multiplicity of existing systems, the same plot can be presented several times as a source of production in order to launder cocoa from deforestation in Liberia, maintains the NGO. This recommends EU participation in financing the traceability system and that the Ivorian Ministry of Agriculture support producers in the renewal of their plantations. The Liberian authorities must work with the Ivorian authorities to combat cocoa smuggling on both sides of the border and also benefit from the experience of Cote dIvoire in organizing the marketing system, concludes the report. Strengthen traceability For its part, the Coffee-Cocoa Council (CCC) in Cote dIvoire, to which IDEF provided the report ahead of its publication, regrets the absence of figures making it possible to quantify the extent of the phenomenon described, the report does not not specifying the percentage of Liberian cocoa that would be present in the Ivorian sector. The regulatory body communicates on more than a million growers identified in its database and claims to have already distributed 730,000 electronic producer identification cards which make it possible to trace product purchases and their origins. And to add that its traceability system will be operational throughout the territory from October 1, 2024. If cocoa enters Ivory Coast illegally, the country is also faced with an escape of its beans to Liberia, Guinea and Togo. Since the launch of the 2023-2024 harvest, the Ivorian government estimates that 100,000 tonnes of cocoa have fraudulently left its territory. This traffic, fueled by price differences and differences in sales systems between countries, is not new. With the recent 50% increase in the selling price of a kilo of beans in Ivory Coast, from 1,000 to 1,500 CFA francs, Ghanaian farmers could be tempted to sell their stock to their neighbors. Ghana, the worlds second largest cocoa producer, is considering aligning its minimum selling price (currently 21 cedis, or 961 CFA francs) with that of Cote dIvoire in order to stem the smuggling of beans. These poignant stories have wisdom of the ages and lessons for all Once upon a time there lived a woman. She was struck with an unexpected tragedy as her husband passed away untimely. The lady was now left with only one son and precious jewellery. Since she was hounded by creditors to repay the debts accrued by her husband, she conjured a trick to hide the wealth. In sheer desperation to keep the jewellery safe from creditors, the lady wrapped the precious wealth in a piece of cloth and hid it under a tree. The mother and son lived in an impoverished State. Her mind was always disturbed by the fact that she did not share this piece of vital information with her only son. As it turned out, she carried this secret to the grave. Consequently, the son inherited plenty of debt, a barren hut and a cot. The son had to work hard for sustenance and to repay the ever-rising liabilities. He toiled hard to survive and regretted his misfortune. Property is not the sacred right. When a rich man becomes poor it is a misfortune, it is not a moral evil. When a poor man becomes destitute, it is a moral evil, teeming with consequences and is injurious to society and morality, opined Lord Acton. Indeed, the impoverishment of the poor is heart-wrenching. One day while cutting the branches of a tree, he stumbled upon the jewellery. Dumbfounded and stupefied, the strapping youngster hid the bijouterie in a pit he dug in the hut, petrified that the creditors would appropriate the wealth. He too committed the cardinal mistake of not sharing the secret with his wife and carried it to his grave. The mother and son were not mindful and wakeful enough to be in the Present Moment and remained prisoners of their past and future. Two Buddhist monks were once discussing a flag flapping in the wind. While one felt it was the wind moving, the other conjectured it was the flag fluttering. The imbroglio could not be resolved and they sought the intervention of a Zen Master. The master impassively said, It is the MIND that moves, neither the flag nor the wind. Humans need freedom from their past and future to be in the present. And being in the NOW or present is true enlightenment and mindfulness. The past is full of sorrows and regrets while the future brims with anxieties and worries and humans are caged in that mindset, thereby postponing their happiness quotient. To appreciate true happiness and joy, the human mind should not vacillate between the past and the future but remain in the present. A young monk was once travelling in pursuit of happiness and truth. During his travels, he encountered a massive river that he could not cross. A short while later, he saw a senior monk on the other side of the river. He hailed him and sought assistance to cross the river to reach the other side. The senior monk pondered and replied, You are already on the other side. This fact can be appreciated only when the mind is centred. Breathing techniques such as Sudarshan Kriya, Pranayama, Yoga, Meditation and Vipassana all help in dissolving the mind so that it becomes centred. True happiness is not possible without freedom. We have to learn the habit of being free. We do not allow our past, the future, our projects, or our fear to get hold of us. We are free. Every step is free. Every step is nourishment. Every step is healing. Every step is joy, says Thich Nhat Hanh. (The writer is the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd. and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd. He is a faculty of the Art of Living; views are personal) Against the backdrop of historical marginalisation and neglect, Ladakhs journey towards autonomy has been marked by struggle, negotiation and triumph The accession of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir to India on October 26, 1947, inflicted significant socio-economic and political setbacks on the Buddhist-dominated Leh district in the strategic Trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, renowned as the roof of the world and the land of the Lamas. Likewise, the predominantly Buddhist Zanskar tehsil in the Karil district of Ladakh bore the brunt of these consequences, enduring even greater hardships than its counterpart, Leh. The genesis of the Muslim-majority Kargil district in 1979 under Sheikh Abdullahs leadership aimed at fostering discord between his co-religionists and the Buddhists, aiming to thwart the latters aspirations for autonomy and union territory status for Ladakh. This move exacerbated the plight of the Buddhists, imperilling their religion, culture, societal fabric and demographic integrity due to two primary factors. Firstly, successive Kashmiri-dominated administrations viewed Ladakh as an appendage to Kashmir, disregarding the political and economic aspirations of its Buddhist populace. Ladakh, akin to Jammu province, was seen as a colony by Kashmiri rulers, perpetuating a sense of marginalisation among the Buddhists. Secondly, the pernicious influence of the Kashmiri elite over New Delhis corridors of power further marginalised the Buddhists voices, with central authorities consistently favouring Kashmiri interests and dismissing Ladakhs concerns. In response to this systemic neglect, under the astute leadership of Head Lama Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the Buddhists initiated protests in 1952, demanding meaningful political representation and autonomy. Despite their fervent appeals and warnings, both Srinagar and New Delhi brushed aside their grievances, exacerbating disillusionment among the Buddhist populace. The culmination of discontent erupted in October 1989, with widespread protests and clashes between Buddhists and authorities. The resultant Tripartite Agreement of October 29, 1989, brokered by the central Government, temporarily assuaged tensions by establishing the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) at Leh. However, this resolution faced vehement opposition from Kashmiri leaders, including Farooq Abdullah, who viewed it as a threat to Kashmiri hegemony. Despite the establishment of LAHDC Leh in 1995, the Buddhists remained dissatisfied due to continued interference from Kashmir-centric authorities, rendering the council ineffectual. Consequently, they intensified their agitation, advocating for Ladakhs Union Territory status and other demands, citing central rule as the sole recourse to address their grievances. The turning point came after June 19, 2018, when the central Government assumed direct control of Jammu and Kashmir, embarking on a series of measures to appease the Buddhist community. These included the establishment of the University of Ladakh, granting divisional status to Ladakh and ultimately, separating Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir to fulfil the long-standing demand for Union Territory status. Additionally, substantial budgetary allocations were made to bolster Ladakhs development. These initiatives underscored the efficacy of central rule in addressing the aspirations of the marginalised Buddhist population. Rather than pursuing Statehood, the Buddhists are urged to strengthen LAHDC Leh and collaborate with the Modi Government to safeguard their cultural heritage and counter demographic challenges. The period between 2018 and 2023 epitomises a transformative phase for Ladakh, wherein central intervention proved instrumental in redressing historical injustices and empowering its Buddhist populace. (The writer is former Dean of Jammu Universitys Faculty of Social Science; views are personal) In a world of fleeting attachments and transient experiences, one traveller finds solace and sustenance in the enduring sanctuaries of literature I dont normally do nostalgia. The present is a place where I live and thrive and although thoughts of the past serve as a pleasant escape from reality, I tend to be very much permanently in the here and now in former times, I used to be convinced that if the psyche tends to dwell on past and romanticise it then could it be that the present isnt our current happy place and I want the future to continue to excite me. Complicated. I know. Theatres, galleries and cinemas have come and gone in my life and as a rule, I have formed no specific sentimental attachment to them, even though much of my professional grown-up existence has been centred on these cultural havens. The one exception to that rule is the venerable bookshop. Of all these great edifices crucial to the health of our society the bookshop is the altar at which I worship and which holds a timeless allure for me which occasionally translates into a wistful homesickness for the best that I have known in my life. Having lived mostly a life of exile, first from my native Ireland and with more years in adulthood outside my native land than in it, from Belgrade to Munich and Paris to Istria and add to that the peripatetic life of the international film producer spending six months here in Prague, three months there in Iceland, Brazil and even India sourcing quality English language literature outside of the Anglosphere has become a lifelong passion and quest. My global peregrinations, whether as a writer, theatre director or film producer have allowed me to cultivate relationships with some of the most amazing bookshops across the earth - I dont mean the Blackwells, the Shakespeare and Cos, the Dussmanns, the Strands and the Foyles of this world. Im talking about havens much more intimate, personal and off the beaten track. Here are just a few of them as a taster: How I long for The Book Exchange, Amsterdam. This a canal-side, Dickensian warren on Kloveniers-burghal in the Venice of the Norths red-light district, presided over by the idiosyncratic Jeff Stone who took it over in 2005, having been founded in 1978. Its four long, thin, deep floors are home to an extraordinary collection of over 80,000 second-hand English language books sold at bargain prices, in a studious atmosphere marked by a chaotic Bohemian that is the antithesis of the Amazons of this world. The whiff of reefer as it wafts over from the Plug 3 coffeeshop improves greatly the William Burroughs and Paul Bowles sales, so Im told. Moving on from Paul Bowles and his palace in the Casbah, we arrive at the Luxor Book Palace, Prague. Last week, while prepping my new movie about Franz Kafka I took time out to visit this old friend on the famed Wenceslas Square I have been buying books here for the last 25 years and am always amazed by the laid-back atmosphere, the super helpful and smiling staff and the extraordinary selection of new books often at prices less than in the UK or New York. I dont know how they do it, but the self-styled Palace, which runs over 4 massive floors, manages to feel like a small privately run enterprise, full of nooks, crannies and all manner of Kafka-esque dead ends. I once ended up in the storeroom, looking for the young adult section. I was escorted back to where I belonged. In the foreign adult section. Speaking of being found, The Lost Bookstore, Chiang Mai is very easy to find in a highly prominent position on the Ratchamanka Road. I came across it when recceing a planned adaptation of an early Anthony Burgess novel and was shocked to come across such a richly sourced treasure trove for book lovers and a selection of 60,000 books, from old to new, from every genre imaginable. It was here found a dog-eared copy of John Griesemers Nobody Thinks of Greenland, an anti-war novel set in the Arctic which I eventually adapted into a feature film with American Pies Jason Biggs in the lead. In addition to these beauties, there are a few others around the globe that once visited always gave me the unique Proustian involuntary memory moments on my return. They are in no particular order: Book and Bed, Kyoto: sleeping inside a bookshelf is all part of the experience at this bookstore/ hostel and it rushes me back to the Japan distribution of my film Deathwatch and a junket I did there with Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot); the superb El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, was an oasis of high culture at the end of a two-month research odyssey from Valparaiso in Chile around the coast of Patagonia in Darwins reverse footsteps; Notting Hill Travel, London. I used to live around the corner from that lovely bookshop on Bleinheim Crescent. We all know the scene from the eponymous film in which Julia Roberts slowly pursues Hugh Grant between the shelves, followed by his infamous eye-turn and blushed slew of book recommendations. But it is to India that I return. A five-year-long relationship with a Keralite Malayali, many many years ago, brought me into contact with the wonderful and varied book stalls of Thiruvananthapuram way back in the eighties. I feel a deep nostalgia now as I write this for the timeless allure of the amazing book emporia of Palayam, next to the State Central Library, which at that time boasted 50-odd book stalls of all shapes sizes, creeds and colours. I could spend hours just sifting through the mazes of books just for the pleasure of discovering something, unique, precious and inspiring - something that no marketing campaign or advertising or critics review could ever find for me. It is the iconic book markets from all over India that bear witness to the extraordinarily diverse literary culture and heritage of the nation. Indias ever-popular book markets reveal a profound national love for literature from the Boi-Para in College Street in Kolkata to Moore Market in Chennai and Flora Fountain in Mumbai. Lets hear it for these affordable, yet rich havens for book lovers and seekers of literary gems and bargains. In the context of our theme of nostalgia and sentimentality - the huge success of the online book business may signal their death knell and they may not be with us for much longer. (The writer is Chair of the European Film Academy and President of the LUX Prize of the European Parliament; view are personal) India is the fourth largest military spender in the world with its military expenditure 83.6 billion dollars in year 2023. This is 4.2 per cent higher than in 2022, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its annual report released on Monday. The biggest spender is USA and other three nations are China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Total global military expenditure reached $2443 billion in 2023, an increase of 6.8 per cent in real terms from 2022. This was the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009. The 10 largest spenders in 2023led by the United States, China and Russiaall increased their military spending, according to SIPRI. World military expenditure rose for the ninth consecutive year to an all-time high of $2443 billion. For the first time since 2009, military expenditure went up in all five of the geographical regions defined by SIPRI, with particularly large increases recorded in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East. The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security, said Nan Tian, Senior Researcher with SIPRIs Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. States are prioritizing military strength but they risk an actionreaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape. Russias military spending increased by 24 per cent to an estimated $109 billion in 2023, marking a 57 per cent rise since 2014, the year that Russia annexed Crimea. In 2023 Russias military spending made up 16 per cent of total government spending and its military burden (military spending as a share of gross domestic product, GDP) was 5.9 per cent. Ukraine was the eighth largest spender in 2023, after a spending surge of 51 per cent to reach $64.8 billion. This gave Ukraine a military burden of 37 per cent and represented 58 per cent of total government spending. Ukraines military spending in 2023 was 59 per cent the size of Russias. However, Ukraine also received at least $35 billion in military aid during the year, including $25.4 billion from the USA. Combined, this aid and Ukraines own military spending were equivalent to about 91 per cent of Russian spending. In 2023, the 31 NATO members accounted for $1341 billion, equal to 55 per cent of the worlds military expenditure. Military spending by the USA rose by 2.3 per cent to reach $916 billion in 2023, representing 68 per cent of total NATO military spending. In 2023, most European NATO members increased their military expenditure. Their combined share of the NATO total was 28 per cent, the highest in a decade. The remaining 4 per cent came from Canada and Turkiye. For European NATO states, the past two years of war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed the security outlook, said Lorenzo Scarazzato, Researcher with SIPRIs Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. This shift in threat perceptions is reflected in growing shares of GDP being directed towards military spending, with the NATO target of 2 per cent increasingly being seen as a baseline rather than a threshold to reach. China, the worlds second largest military spender, allocated an estimated $296 billion to the military in 2023, an increase of 6.0 per cent from 2022. This was the 29th consecutive year-on-year rise in Chinas military expenditure. China accounted for half of total military spending across the Asia and Oceania region. Several of Chinas neighbours have linked their own spending increases to Chinas rising military expenditure. Japan allocated $50.2 billion to its military in 2023, which was 11 per cent more than in 2022. Taiwans military expenditure also grew by 11 per cent in 2023, reaching $16.6 billion. China is directing much of its growing military budget to boost the combat readiness of the Peoples Liberation Army, said Xiao Liang, Researcher with SIPRIs Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. This has prompted the governments of Japan, Taiwan and others to significantly build up their military capabilities, a trend that will accelerate further in the coming years. Estimated military expenditure in the Middle East increased by 9.0 per cent to $200 billion in 2023. This was the highest annual growth rate in the region seen in the past decade. Israels military spendingthe second largest in the region after Saudi Arabiagrew by 24 per cent to reach $27.5 billion in 2023. The spending increase was mainly driven by Israels large-scale offensive in Gaza in response to the attack on southern Israel by Hamas in October 2023. The large increase in military spending in the Middle East in 2023 reflected the rapidly shifting situation in the regionfrom the warming of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries in recent years to the outbreak of a major war in Gaza and fears of a region-wide conflict, said Diego Lopes da Silva, Senior Researcher with SIPRIs Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. Amid concerns over rising temperature given the forecast of above normal maximum temperatures and heatwaves in certain parts of the country, the Election Commission on Monday decided to set up a task force comprising officials from concerned agencies that will review the impact of heatwave and humidity, five days before each polling phase for any concerning developments and mitigatory measures, if necessary. This comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told the Election Commission that there is no major concern regarding heatwave for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls to be held on April 26. Director General, IMD, Mrutunjay Mohapatra also told the poll panel that the weather forecast is normal for the 13 States and Union Territories going to polls in phase two, according to an official statement. The Commission on Monday held a meeting with the agencies concerned involving Additional Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Head of Department, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and DG Meteorology, India Meteorological Department (IMD) to understand the developing weather situation and discuss measures to mitigate any risk due to hot weather conditions during the period of Lok Sabha polls ending on June 1. The meeting also comes amid concerns that heatwave could affect voter turnout. Notably, low turnout during the first phase of polling on April 19, is attributed to hot weather or heatwave conditions in especially Hindi belt regions Bihar, Western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharasthra and Chhattisgarh. The ECs data showed 65.5 per cent voter turnout for the first phase as compared to over 69 per cent in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The officials said that it is difficult to identify sections of the voters turned low this time. Low voting percentage in the Hindi belt Western Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand has become a cause of concern for the political parties. The Opposition claimed that BJP core voters did come to cast their vote while some section of BJP supporters say people did not come to vote as it was clear that Modi is coming to power for the third time. The Commission directed MoHFW to issue necessary instructions to health authorities in states to prepare for and extend assistance in case of heatwave conditions affecting election operations. The Commission will hold a separate review with State CEOs to ensure adequate arrangements at polling stations including shamiyana, drinking water, fans, and other assured minimum facilities, etc. as per its existing advisory dated March 16, 2024.. IEC (Information, Education and Communication) activities shall be carried out amongst the public for precautionary measures (Dos & Donts) to mitigate the heat wave impact in polling station areas, the EC said in a statement. At a time when extreme weather events such as long heat waves and extreme rainfall events are regular occurrences, the Commission has been closely monitoring the weather reports and will ensure the comfort and well-being of voters along with polling personnel and security forces, candidates and political party leaders. The IMD on Monday predicted the intense heat wave scorching large parts of east India will continue for another five days. The ongoing spell of heat wave, the second this month, is broiling parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. Increasing nighttime heat is even more common in cities because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings. The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches. A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal temperature exceeds 6.4 notches. Director General of Meteorology of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, IMD is in continuous touch with the Election Commission of India. Along with seasonal forecasts, we are doing monthly, week-wise and everyday forecasts and giving them forecasts about heat waves, and humidity levels. We are providing the ECI, inputs and forecasts about the places where elections are going to be held in different phases. Previously, on April 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a meeting to review preparedness for the ensuing heat wave season. The Prime Minister was briefed about the temperature outlook for the period from April to June 2024 including the forecasts for the upcoming hot weather season (April to June), the likelihood of above-normal maximum temperatures over most parts of the country, especially with high probability over Central India and western peninsular India. The Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday said it will support Indian National Lok Dal candidates in the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. The decision was taken at a meeting of the SAD's Haryana unit which was presided over by the party's state affairs in-charge Balwinder Singh Bhunder. The meeting held at the SAD's head office here was attended by the party's Haryana president Sharanjit Singh Sotha and INLD general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala. Chautala thanked the SAD for its decision to extend wholehearted support to the INLD in the Lok Sabha polls. Polling for the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will be held in the sixth round of the seven-phase general elections on May 25. In a statement, Chautala said the INLD and the SAD are traditional alliance partners and their unity in the forthcoming elections will help his party emerge victorious. The former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD is contesting all the 10 seats in the state. The party has announced candidates on six seats so far. According to the statement, Chautala highlighted "how an effort was on to marginalize and even finish off regional parties". "Only regional parties can fulfill the aspirations of the people of the region and I am confident that with the INLD and the SAD joining hands, the aspirations of the people of Haryana will be fulfilled," he said. SAD's Bhunder said, "The party has taken feedback from its cadre in Haryana and there is an overwhelming view that the SAD should support the INLD which alone stands in support of farmers, farm labourers as well as the poor and downtrodden." He said the SAD will soon depute its Haryana team in the field to support the INLD. BJP's Ab ki baar 400 paar mere slogan they won't cross 200 seats: Abhay Chautala INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala on Monday said BJP's "Ab ki baar 400 paar" is a mere slogan and claimed they won't cross 200 Lok Sabha seats. He also trained guns on the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as its former ally Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), alleging that for four-and-a-half years they "looted" the state. "400 paar is a mere slogan, they will not cross 200 seats this time. If you remember, in the 2019 Haryana Assembly polls too, the BJP had given the "Ab ki baar 75 paar" slogan (claimed to win 75 of the 90 seats), but ended up winning just 40," Chautala told reporters here. On the occasion, the party's state unit chief Rampal Majra announced the names of three more party candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. Party leader Sunil Tewatia will be the candidate from Faridabad, Anoop Singh Dahiya from Sonipat and Sandeep Lott will contest from Sirsa. On April 18, the INLD had announced Abhay Chautala's candidature from Kurukshetra. The party has so far announced the names of six candidates for the 10 seats, which includes its women wing leader Sunaina Chautala from Hisar while from Ambala reserved constituency, the party has fielded its youth leader Gurpreet Singh, a Sikh face. / In a surprising twist of political allegiances, Punjab Congress former heavyweight and seasoned parliamentarian Mohinder Singh Kaypee on Monday made a dramatic leap across party lines to join the ranks of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Amidst a flurry of recent defections shaking up the state's political landscape, Kaypees decision to switch sides has injected fresh intrigue into the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with the former Jalandhar MP now poised to contest from the pivotal Jalandhar constituency under the SAD banner. Kaypees decision dealt another blow to the Congress just two days after Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, the wife of the late Congress MP from Jalandhar Santokh Chaudhary, joined the BJP in New Delhi. This is second major defection from Congress in past three days in protest against former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channis candidature from Jalandhar. With this, Kaypee would find himself on a collision course with his own relative former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in what promises to be a riveting showdown for the Jalandhar reserve seat. Adding to the intrigue, Kaypees daughter is married to Channis nephew, setting the stage for a high-octane electoral battle infused with familial ties and political ambition. The transition was marked by a visit from SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to Kaypees residence in Jalandhar, where he warmly welcomed the veteran politician into the party fold. Sukhbir expressed his appreciation for Kaypees integrity and longstanding service to both civil society and the Dalit community, emphasizing the invaluable contribution he is expected to make to the Akali Dal. Before this, former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency Charanjit Singh Channi arrived at Kaypees home late Sunday night to persuade him. However, Channis efforts yielded no results. Following Channis elevation to the position of Chief Minister, there were expectations that Kaypees stature within the party would grow significantly. However, this anticipation did not come to fruition. Described as a reserved leader with a tranquil disposition, Kaypee is recognized for his subdued yet impactful presence in Punjabs political landscape. Despite Kaypee's bid for candidacy from Adampur during Channis tenure as the Chief Minister in 2022 state assembly polls, he was sidelined for the ticket, which was instead conferred upon Sukhwinder Singh Kotli. Kaypees decision to join SAD underscored his disillusionment with the Congress and his alignment with the SAD's vision for Punjab. He cited differences within the Congress as a primary factor behind his departure, signaling a growing discontent within the party ranks. The history of Congress and SAD is more than 100 years old. Congress did not value us. But the work done by the SAD raising Punjabs issues, Congress has failed to do thatCongress sidelined the sacrifices of my family. But Akali Dal understood that, which is why I am joining SAD today. People want to see Akali Dal back in power again, he said. Kaypee added: My family has served Congress since long. My father attained martyrdom when he was in Congress. But, Congress is treating the families of martyrs unfairly. That's why I left the party. Adding further, he said: Congress couldn't rectify its mistakes for two yearsIf Congress mistreats the families of martyrs, if they don't get the respect they deserve, it hurts me. I haven't left the partyit feels like the party has expelled us. The family was sidelined. I still remember the mistreatment during the 2022 elections. I remember how much it hurt me. A stalwart in Punjab politics, Kaypee brought with him a wealth of experience, having served as a Minister in the Congress Governments of 1992 and 1995. He previously represented the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, and his nomination for the Jalandhar (SC) seat is poised to invigorate SAD's presence in the region. After senior SAD leader Pawan Kumar Tinu shifted his allegiance to Aam Aadmi Party recently, finding candidates for Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur has become a challenging task for SAD. With a rich political legacy, Kaypees association with the SAD is expected to resonate strongly in the Doaba region, where he enjoys significant influence, particularly among Dalit communities. His father, the late Darshan Singh Kaypee, was a revered figure in Punjab politics, serving as a five-time MLA from Jalandhar until his tragic demise at the hands of militants in 1992. Kaypees decision to join SAD comes at a time of flux in Punjabs political landscape, with key players realigning their allegiances in the run-up to the upcoming elections. His defection from the Congress added momentum to the SAD's electoral campaign, positioning the party as a formidable contender in the Jalandhar constituency. A prominent Dalit leader, Kaypee became MP from Jalandhar constituency on the Congress ticket in 2009. Subsequently, in 2014, Congress fielded him from Hoshiarpur, where he had to face defeat against BJP candidate Vijay Sampla. He has also been elected a legislator thrice 1985, 1992, and 2002 from Jalandhar South assembly seat. In 2017, he lost to SAD candidate Pawan Kumar Tinu from the Adampur assembly seat. Mohali police arrest two for operating interstate arms cartel Chandigarh: A criminal and his accomplice, who were operating an interstate arms cartel, were arrested and weapons were recovered from them. Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the Mohali police has arrested Malkeet Singh alias Nawab, a member of the Gopi Ghanshampuria and the Harry Chatha gangs. He was also facing 30 criminal cases, the DGP said. He added that along with Nawab, Gamdoor Singh alias Vicky has also been arrested. In a major breakthrough, @sasnagarpolice apprehends Malkeet Singh @ Nawab operating an interstate arms cartel along with Gamdoor Singh @ vicky and recovers 6 pistols, 10 live cartridges and 10 pistol magazines from them, DGP Yadav said in a post on X. Accused Malkeet Singh @ Nawab is an associate and member of Gopi Ghanshampuria & Harry Chatha Gangs, he added. Gurugram 4 cyber criminals held for defrauding people of over Rs 4.5 crore Gurugram: The Gurugram cyber police have arrested four fraudsters for allegedly duping hundreds of people across the country of over Rs 4.5 crore. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Siddhant Jain said four mobile phones and Rs 32000 in cash were recovered from the accused. He added that after examining these SIM cards and reviewing the data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C), it was found that the fraud of about Rs 4.5 crore has been committed by these accused across the country. The accused have been identified as Nitish, resident of Chomu in Rajasthan; Monu from Bhonkarka village; Ravikant from Samastipur, Bihar; and Vikas Kumar from Vaishali district, Bihar, police said. "During the police interrogation, it was revealed that these accused committed fraud by making phone calls to people and cheating them in the name of transferring money online, investing in share market, offering online loans and getting money transferred by pretending to be experts," DCP Jain said. The police said 1,378 complaints and 64 cases are lodged against the accused. Of these, four cases are registered at Cyber Crime police station in Manesar. Ensure timely and hassle-free payment for farmers' crops: Hry Administrative Secretary Chandigarh: The District Administrative Secretary of the Haryana Government Vikas Gupta on Monday accompanied by DC Prashant Panwar, visited the Kaithal additional Grain Market, Kalayat Mandi, and silos. Instructing officials, Gupta emphasized the swift lifting of wheat to prevent congestion in the mandis. During the visit, he also engaged with Aadhtiyas and farmers, attentively addressing their concerns. He said that there must be no laxity in the lifting process, otherwise action will be taken against the concerned transporter and officer as per regulations. Ensuring timely payment for farmers' crops is paramount. Nodal officers are urged to fulfill their duties diligently and maintain vigilance over the procurement procedure. Gupta also personally assessed the moisture content of the crop using a moisture measuring device. He further instructed to ensure cleanliness and provision of basic amenities in the market. Gupta urged Aadhtiyas to extend their full cooperation in the wheat procurement process to mitigate any inconvenience to farmers. During his inspection of the silos, he directed officials to implement measures to reduce waiting times for farmers, ensuring efficient operations. Hry Right to Service Commission imposes Rs 20,000 fine on Junior Engineer for service delay Chandigarh: Taking cognizance of a complaint/appeal regarding electricity meter shifting, Haryana Right to Service Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on a Junior Engineer of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). A spokesperson for the Haryana Right to Service Commission said that under the chairmanship of Chief Commissioner TC Gupta, a hearing was conducted on April 5, 2024, regarding the case involving Kuldeep Singh Nehra, the XEN of Rewari Division under the DHBVN, Jatin Kumar, the SDO of Rewari Sub Division, and Junior Engineer (JE) Surendrer Sharma of Rewari SubDivision. JE Surender Sharma failed to attend the hearing, and the appellant, Saroj Yadav, also did not participate. However, the Commission received a written email from Saroj Yadav expressing gratitude for the intervention of the Haryana Right to Service Commission, acknowledging the assistance received. The Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on JE Surender Sharma for service negligence. Resentment against the North West Delhi candidate Udit Raj and North East candidate Kanhaiya Kumar of Congress came out in open on Monday as a number of partys former MLAs and Councillors protested outside the Delhi Congress office amid a Press conference where all three Lok Sabha contestants for Delhi were present. Congress workers raised slogans of Baahari ummeedwaar nahi chalega (external candidate will not work) while demonstrating their anger through a protest outside Delhi Congress office, against the partys candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 in the national Capital. The ruckus came couple of days after AICC incharge Deepak Babaria and former East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit had convened a separate meeting to discuss about candidatures before the party announced. The press conference was cut short with loud slogans hurled outside office while Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said that it is the only party that allows dissent in the open. It is being said that these were supporters of the former Delhi Minister Rajkumar Chauhan, who was also in the race for the reserved seat of North West Delhi. In response, Raj alleged the protesters were not of sound mind and should be expelled from the party. They are not of sound mind. I was an MP from 2014 to 2019 and now I have become an outsider. They have destroyed the party and should be expelled, Mr Raj said and added that he will win by a huge margin. JP Agarwal, who is a veteran leader and has won from the Chandni Chowk constituency thrice in 1984, 1989, and 1996, said that he has a relationship with every voter of the constituency. Attacking the BJP, he said that the MP of the saffron party has never made it a habit to regularly visit the constituencies. There are many problems that people face there, however nothing has been resolved. I will work towards them all. Udit Raj, who has been an MP of North West Delhi, is being called an outsider by Congress workers because he won the 2014 elections as a BJP candidate. However, he says that although he was an MP, where he worked towards some issues, many things couldnt be completed because his proposals were never passed by the BJP. Even when I was no longer an MP, I was active in the constituency, he said, adding that he will work for the vision of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge. Former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, who contested unsuccessfully from Bihars Begusarai against Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Communist Party of India (CPI) ticket, joined the grand old party in 2021. Kumar said that the INDIA alliance is fighting all 543 seats together to fight against the BJP regime.Inequality in the country is rising, poverty is rising. The work of the UPA government has been halted. We have a positive agenda for all the seats in which we are thinking about all sections of the society, he added. Attacking the two time MP Manoj Tiwari, he said that Tiwari talks about everything except what he has done for the constituency in the last 10 years as MP. Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modis comments on Congress appeasing the Muslims, Kumar quipped that he is happy to hear the question and said that the Press cant ask the same from the PM since he doesnt hold any press conference. Delhis seven Lok Sabha seats will go to the polls in the sixth phase on May 25. The BJP won all the seven seats in the 2014 and the 2019 elections. Barring two time MP Manoj Tiwari, all the faces are new. The saffron party has fielded Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi, Manoj Tiwari from East Delhi, Praveen Khandelwal from Chandni Chowk, Kamaljeet Sehrawat from West Delhi, Ramvir Bidhuri from South Delhi, Yogendra Chandolia from North West Delhi and harsh Malhotra from North East Delhi seat. AAP and the Congress -- both constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc -- are contesting the general elections in an alliance in the national capital this time. The Congress has fielded candidates in the North East Delhi, North West Delhi and the Chandni Chowk seats while AAP is contesting from East Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi and New Delhi. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the Congress is contesting elections to save democracy in the state, stressing that the defection by its six MLAs will be a major issue in the polls. Six Congress rebels, who were later disqualified and are now contesting on BJP ticket in the assembly bypolls, and three independents had voted in favour of the BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections held on February 27. ''Elections are being held, it is a festival of democracy and in Himachal Pradesh, we are contesting elections to save democracy. We are appealing to the general public why the leaders they elected for five years voted in favour of the BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls in 14 months and then got disqualified,'' Suku said while campaigning in Kangra district. The six Congress MLAs -- Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), Ravi Thakur (Lahaul and Spiti), Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Barsar), Chetanya Sharma (Gagret) and Devinder Kumar Bhutto (Kutlehar) -- were disqualified for defying a party whip to be present in Vidhan Sabha and vote in favour of the government during the passage of budget. ''It seems that in democracy when leaders are not elected by vote of the people, they want to snatch the chair by note (use of money) and it will be an issue in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and assembly by-elections,'' he added. ''We would tell the people to give a befitting reply to the BJP for stealing one Rajya Sabha seat by strengthening the democracy through their vote for the Congress in all the four Lok Sabha seats,'' the CM said. He said that the names of candidates from Hamirpur and Kangra parliament seats and six assembly constituencies where bypolls are being held would be announced soon. The Congress has so far named Vikramaditya Singh (public works minister who is also the sitting MLA from Shimla (Rural) assembly seat) from Mandi parliament seat and sitting MLA from Kasauli Vinod Sultanpuri from Shimla Lok Sabha seat. Congress to win all four Lok Sabha seats hit 'sixer' in assembly bypolls: Himachal minister The Congress will not only win all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh but also hit a "sixer" in the six assembly seats where bypolls are being held, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said on Monday. Thakur is the Congress' in-charge for the Shimla Lok Sabha seat. The assembly seats fell vacant after six Congress MLAs who abstained from voting on the cut motion and finance bill (Budget) in the assembly were disqualified for defying a party whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the government. Thakur alleged the BJP's Shimla candidate and incumbent MP Suresh Kashyap failed to ensure development for 400 of the 900 panchayats. The late Krishan Dutt Sultanpuri won from Shimla six consecutive times on a Congress ticket and his son, Vinod Sultanpuri, the party's candidate this time, is visiting every corner of the constituency, he said. Kashyap's tenure as the BJP's state unit chief was also disappointing and the saffron party lost the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and three assembly bypolls in 2021, the Himachal Pradesh minister said. BJP targets Sukhu govt over attack on college student in Palampur The Himachal Pradesh BJP Monday targeted the ruling Congress over an attack on a college student in Palampur two days back and alleged that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led dispensation wants to create a riot-like situation ahead of the election. The 21-year-old woman was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon by a man near the Palampur bus stand in Kangra district on Saturday. The man has since been arrested and booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) among others, according to Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri. In a statement, Himachal BJP president Rajiv Bindal alleged that the Chief Minister Sukhu-led government wants to create a riot-like situation. He claimed that Sukhu's statements at a public meeting about beating up and threatening an elected MLA gave free rein to goons in the state and as a result, the college student was brutally attacked. Bindal was referring to Sukhu's "Bhutto ko Kootto (beat Bhutto)" remark while addressing a gathering in Kutlehar on April 6. Devinder Kumar Bhutto, a former Congress MLA, is the BJP's candidate for the Kutlehar assembly bypoll. Meanwhile, the chief minister met with the family members of the student in Palampur on Monday and assured of strict action in the case. Investigations are underway and reasons leading to such an incident will also be probed, Sukhu said. The Congress leadership on Monday dismissed as fake a list of nine names of purported party candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections in Haryana. Talking to reporters in Chandigarh, Haryana Congress President Udai Bhan said that a fake list of party candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats from the State has been circulating on social media and termed it as a mischievous attempt to tarnish the party's image. On the Social Media Groups, the purported first list of candidates emerged under the guise of an AICC press release with the lines, The Central Election Committee (CEC) of party has selected the following persons as Congress candidates for the ensuing elections to the Lok Sabha. The fake list suggested that Varun Mulana will contest the Lok Sabha Election from Ambala SC while Kumari Selja from Sirsa-SC; Brijender Singh from Hisar; Virender Maratha from Karnal; Satpal Bharamchari from Sonipat; Asha Hooda from Rohtak, Rao Dhan Singh from Bhiwani- Mahendragarh; Raj Babbar from Gurgaon and Mahender Pratap Singh from Faridabad. The purported release carried the seal of AICC and bore a signature made to appear like that of KC Venu Gopal, senior Congress leader and General Secretary, AICC dated on April 22, 2024. The list featured several names that have the potential to trigger severe dissidence within the Congress. Udai Bhan said, A fake press releaseis being circulated on social media. I would like to clarify thatAICC has not issued any press release regarding this. Screening committee meetings are on. He said that the start of the nomination process is still a week away and the names of candidates will be announced before that. A list is being circulated over social media. It is a fake list, he said. BJP took the early initiative and announced its list of candidates on all the 10 Lok Sabha seats of the State a long time back. Over the past several days, Congress' rivals have targeted it over alleged delay in the announcement of candidates, saying it was running away from the contest. A political slugfest erupted on Monday over the Ghazipur landfill fire incident with the BJP attacking AAP-led MCD over the blaze which left local residents gasping for breath and racked with other health issues. Delhi cabinet minister Atishi said the incident will be investigated to ascertain its cause. Meanwhile, plumes of thick, dark smoke continued to rise from the Ghazipur landfill site in the national capital on Monday, hours after a major fire broke out there last evening.Several residents living close to the landfill complained about breathing difficulties and irritation in the eyes and throat. Delhi Minister Gopal Rai directed its environment department to submit a detailed report on the causes of fire at the Ghazipur landfill site and the action plan to prevent similar incidents at such sites in the summer season. The order issued by Delhi Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai directed the principal secretary of environment and forests to submit the report within 48 hours. A major fire broke out at the landfill site in east Delhi on Sunday evening. Officials cited hot and dry weather conditions as the likely trigger for the fire. Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons. According to police, a case under section 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) has been registered at Ghazipur Police Station and a probe has begun. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva visited the site and charged it was an example of corruption of the AAP government. The Ghazipur garbage dump is a direct example of corruption by the Kejriwal government. They had promised to remove this mountain of garbage by 2023 but another has risen here. This is because of the MCDs corruption. More than half of the machines are non functional. Why were they not repaired? Sachdeva said. It will be removed within a year after the day BJP forms government in Delhi, he added. AAP councilor and mayor Shelly Oberoi, who also went to the site, said this is not the time for politics. On Sunday, deputy mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal had also visited the site. A wall made of tin panels marking the boundary of the landfill also fell as a portion of garbage broke away. The several metres long wall was erected on the poultry market side. It has been 15 hours since the fire broke out. This smoke is not any common smoke, it is very poisonous. We are unable to keep our eyes open due to irritation and are experiencing difficulty in breathing, Ram Kumar from Gharoli village, close to the landfill, said. Several residents said that due to the smoke they were not able to send their children to school. They accused the MCD and the city government of not taking any action to give a better life to them. It has been 15 years. Ministers visit us only during elections. But after that not a single one returns to our door to know if we are facing any problem. This landfill is a curse for us. We are forced to suffer foul smells every day. And now this fire has caused several health problems for us. Why do they (ministers) want us to die? Ilayas Khan said. Rakesh Kumar, a heart patient, said he had to move to his relatives place because he could not bear the suffocation any longer. And this is not only my condition, several people are leaving their house due to the same reason, he said. Bilkis, another resident, said the landfill still sits where it does because politicians never fulfilled their promises. Now they will be here again, showing their concern just to take votes. Nothing will happen, she said. Mehfuz said when he purchased a house in the area around 20 years ago, the landfill wasnt this high. There was nothing such as this huge landfill now. Why is the government not able to find any proper solution? We are even unable to send our children to school due to smoke, he said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had, ahead of the 2022 MCD election, promised to clear the landfill site by December 31, 2023. All the same, the mountain of garbage continues to grow. In 2019, the height of the Ghazipur landfill was 65 metres, only eight metres less than the Qutub Minar. In 2017, a portion of the garbage at the dumping yard fell on an adjacent road, killing two people. Three incidents of fire were reported at the Ghazipur landfill in 2022, one of which, on March 28, took more than 50 hours to be doused. The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed with Rs 75,000 costs a public interest litigation by a law student seeking extraordinary interim bail for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in judicial custody in relation to a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan remarked that the petition was totally misconceived and that the court cannot grant extraordinary interim bail to a person holding a high office. This court is of the view that the petitioners claim of being custodian of people is devoid of any basis... The petitioner holds no power of attorney on behalf of the R5 to furnish any personal bond. In the present case R5( Kejriwal) has the means and wherewithal to file the case and proceedings which he has so done before this court as well as apex court. Consequently, this court is of the view that no relaxation of concept of locus standi is called for, the Court stated. Does he (the petitioner) attend classes in college? It seems he is not following principles of law, the bench also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora said. The court remarked that the AAP leader has the means to take steps to avail his legal remedies and the petitioner holds no power of attorney to make submissions on his behalf. Person is taking steps in accordance with law. Who are you? You have some exaggerated notion of yourself. You say you have veto power. That you will give an undertaking (to ensure Kejriwal does not influence witness), the court stated. The court emphasised that the concept of equality and Rule of Law were enshrined in the Constitution and Kejriwal was in judicial custody pursuant to judicial orders which were not challenged. Writ petition is dismissed with costs of Rs 75,000, the court ordered. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing of Kejriwal, said the PIL was ambush litigation which was not maintainable and the petitioner has no locus. The petitioners counsel sought extraordinary interim bail for the Delhi chief minister on the grounds that his safety was in danger as he was confined with hardcore criminals. The PIL said that to fulfil the responsibilities of the chief minister, Kejriwals physical presence was required in his office and home to take quick decisions on all issues and to pass orders in the welfare of the public at large. The petitioner, a law student, mentioned his name as, We, the people of India in the plea claiming that he does not want any name, fame or money from this matter. National Law Institute University (NLIU) Bhopal, on Monday took a unique initiative and organized D.E.A.R.(Drop Everything and Read). This program was organized by Gyan Mandir (The University Library) and Meaningless Club of NLIU to celebrate the upcoming World Book and Copyright Day in line with the UNESCO's theme "Read Your Way. This initiative saw a 30-minute reading session across campus, involving faculty, administrative staff, guards, and students engrossed in reading books, newspapers, magazines, or any material of their choice. The aim was to integrate reading into daily routines. The objective of this program was to reduce gap between books and readers which is happening due to addiction/over usage of social media and disruptive technologies. This Program aims to re-develop the habit of reading in the readers and attract them towards books. During this program from 04:00PM to 04:30 PM the entire university campus turned like a library in which any reader could sit anywhere as per their choice and read as per his wish and the reading material has distributed among all as per their choice. Further during this period, the entire university was declared a reading zone and all regular work/programs were postponed during the period. To make program popularized and meaningful Various selfie points were installed, a special board was set up with thought-provoking questions for participants to engage with, such as their favorite book/Character they relate most across genres and the hypothetical title of a book they would write. Further Bookmarks were distributed among the readers. Over 900 individuals enthusiastically participated in the event, indicating its success and potential for future iterations. In this program, all the officers, teachers, employees, Conservancy staff, security personnel, Students of the university participated enthusiastically. The outline of this initiative was given by Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor Prof.(Dr.) S.Surya Prakash and Registrar Vivek Bakshi and executed by Mohit Gupta, Library Incharge, along with all the library staff in collaboration with Meaningless Club Faculty Incharge Ranjan Kumar, Student Convenor Monish Raghuvanshi, and Saloni Agarwal and other members. In the past decade, the introduction of the NOTA (None of the Above) option by the Election Commission has reshaped the electoral landscape in Uttar Pradesh, with its impact becoming increasingly palpable. As voters exercise their right to reject all candidates, the figures from recent elections paint a compelling picture of NOTAs rising influence. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Robertsganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh witnessed a notable surge in NOTA votes and it secured the fourth position. Moreover, in Machhlishahr Lok Sabha constituency, where the margin between victory and defeat was a mere 181 votes, a staggering 10,830 voters opted for NOTA, underscoring its significance as a decisive factor. Across the 13 parliamentary constituencies of Purvanchal, the trend of rising NOTA votes has been evident year after year. For instance, in the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, while 2,051 votes were cast for NOTA in 2014, the number surged to 4,037 in 2019, resulting in the defeat of 22 candidates. Similarly, in Ballia, NOTA secured the fourth position with 9,615 votes, indicating a growing sentiment of discontent among voters. According to data from the Election Commission of India, the proportion of voters opting for NOTA in Uttar Pradesh increased from 0.71 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to 0.84 per cent in 2019. This shift signifies a rising disenchantment among voters with the available political options. In the 2014 elections, nine candidates in Ballia received fewer votes than NOTA, highlighting a significant rejection of traditional party candidates. Despite the presence of established parties and independents, NOTA emerged as a formidable contender, garnering 6,670 votes in the constituency. The electoral dynamics of Ballia further exemplify the evolving role of NOTA. With a voter turnout of 53.3 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and 15 candidates vying for the seat, Bharat Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party clinched victory with 3,59,758 votes, while Neeraj Shekhar of the Samajwadi Party secured the runner-up position with 2,20,324 votes. As NOTA continues to gain traction in Uttar Pradesh elections, it signifies a growing demand for better governance and representation, compelling political parties to introspect and address the concerns of the electorate. With its increasing prominence, NOTA has undeniably emerged as a significant force shaping the states political landscape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold roadshow in Bhopal on April 24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow on Wednesday evening in Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, a stronghold of the BJP, a party functionary said on Monday. It will be PM Modi's second roadshow in Madhya Pradesh and fifth visit to the state in the last 18 days. The prime minister kickstarted his poll campaign in MP on April 7 with a roadshow in Jabalpur constituency, another bastion of the BJP which it has been winning since 1996. BJP's Alok Sharma is pitted against Congress candidate Arun Shrivastava in the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, where polling will be held on May 7."Modi ji will lead the roadshow in the city on April 24 evening," Madhya Pradesh BJP's media cell chief Ashish Agrawal told. The roadshow would cover a distance of 1.5 km from the old Vidhan Sabha to New Market area. It will commence around 7 pm, Bhopal Commissioner of Police Harinarayanachari Mishra told media persons. Nearly 2,000 police personnel, including 24 IPS officers, will be deployed for security during the roadshow, he added. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 28 out of the total 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the Congress won only the Chhindwara constituency. This time, the BJP is aiming for a clean sweep in the state. The BJP has been winning the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat since 1989. According to the Election Commission, there are 23,29,892 voters in the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. East Singhbhum MLA Saryu Roy yet another time has thrown a solvo of questions against Dhanbad BJP candidate for Lok Sabha and has asked from BJP leaders are words mentioned in declaration made by BJP via news paper publication,as per Election commission norms are really true . Talking to media here Roy said , the BJP mentioned in its declaration that Dhulu Mahto happens to be the best choice among available party workers despite having several criminal cases pending against him in different police stations and court. Roy said as per publication made by BJP minimum 22 different sections under which case have been filed happen to be of grievous nature and if in any case Mahto is convicted would have to resign and Dhanbad would have to undergo a midterm election . And if a person of this nature has been given a ticket is surprising . He also met families whose land allegedly had been grabbed in Katras area by Dhullu Mahto . Rai said he had received phone calls from victims whose land had been allegedly grabbed by the Baghmara MLA. Meanwhile, in another move, state Janta Dal U has decided to support NDA candidates across Jharkhand. Talking to the media, national council member Sushil Kumar Singh said that as directed by national president Nitish Kumar, the party stands by the NDA candidates. Replying to a query Singh said , Dhullu Mahto happens to be a champion of poor sections of society . On criminal cases against BJP candidate Singh said all cases are not true . Giving his own example how he too was framed in a fake case , he said ,Some have been levelled out of bias . Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday vowed to eliminate Maoism from Chhattisgarh in two years. He told an election rally in Kanker that the Red menace has ended in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra and will be uprooted from Chhattisgarh too in two years if the BJP wins the Lok Sabha elections. He charged that four generations of the Gandhi family had ruled the country but had done nothing for the poor in Chhattisgarh. The Congress says the minority community has the first right over the countrys resources of the country but BJP says the Jal, Jungle and Jameen belong to the poor, Adivasis, Dalits and backwards," Shah said. He also said that Congress leaders did not attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla at the Ayodhya temple to continue their appeasement policy of the minorities. The Minister praised Modi's "good track record of 10 years and agenda for 25 years". Shah during his speech appealed to the people of Kanker to vote for the BJP's Lok Sabha seat candidate Bhojraj Nag. Polling in Kanker will be held on April 26 along with Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund. n The 4th Samarth Bharat Conclave 2024 was inaugurated by AISECT, India's leading social enterprise, at Kushabhau Thackeray Auditorium on Monday. The theme of this conclave is 'Role of skill development, financial inclusion and social entrepreneurship in building a developed India'. In this two-day conference, subject matter experts from reputed institutions of the country working in the field of banking and financial inclusion participated as special guests on the first day. This included State Bank of India General Manager Pramod Kumar Bansal, Central Bank of India Bhopal General Manager Tarsem Singh Zira, NABARD General Manager Qamar Javed, Reserve Bank of India Bhopal General Manager H.K. Soni, State Bank of India General Manager Neeraj Prasad, Canara Bank General Manager M. Bhaskar Chakraborty, AISECT Chairman Santosh Choubey, AISECT Executive Vice President Dr. Siddharth Chaturvedi and ISECT Director Anurag Gupta were prominently present. Apart from this, more than 1500 small entrepreneurs from across the country were also present in the program. During the programme, a presentation and film on Financial Inclusion was screened by AISECT and FI Brochure, Samarth and FI Kiosk Samvad and Jeet Ki Jashn 2024 campaign were launched. Besides, prominent entrepreneurs from across the country were also honored in the program for their excellent work. Speaking at the inaugural session, Pramod Kumar Bansal, General Manager, State Bank of India, in his statement said that 1 out of every 50 SBI accounts in Madhya Pradesh is opened through iSect FI centre. This shows the impact of the work being done by AISECT. Also, an upskilling initiative has been taken by ISECT for these centres, which is a commendable step taken in the direction of developed India. After this, General Manager of Central Bank of India, Bhopal, Tarsem Singh Zira said that AISECT is doing the work of taking the services provided under e-governance and financial inclusion to the last person. NABARD General Manager Qamar Javed, while talking to the entrepreneurs, mentioned the schemes of the Government of India and said that efforts should be made by the centers to create awareness about them among the people. As an example, he said that Madhyanchal Gramin Bank had established itself as a profitable bank through its model of financial inclusion. This shows the strength and possibilities of the rural area. Meanwhile, Reserve Bank of India General Manager H.K. Talking about Universal Access, Soni said that it was the effort of RBI that there should be an FI center within a radius of 5 km, which is now possible. He also told how by giving a dynamic form to the FI Center, various types of services can be provided and financial literacy can be spread in the rural parts of the country. Apart from this, Canara Bank General Manager M. Bhaskar Chakraborty gave many tips to FI centers to increase their income. In the presidential address of the session, ISECT Chairman Santosh Choubey said that to make India developed, we will have to focus mainly on the block and panchayat level, only then big change is possible. Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister and NISHAD Party national president Sanjay Nishad, along with his party workers, were attacked by 20-25 unknown assailants while returning from a late-night wedding ceremony in Sant Kabir Nagar on Sunday night. Supporters rushed him to the district hospital after Nishads nose started bleeding from the injury. Praveen Nishad, along with three party MLAs and supporters, also arrived at the district hospital, where they staged a sit-in protest, demanding action against the attackers. Superintendent of Police Satyajit Gupta also arrived after being informed and took the complaint, assuring action in the matter. Cabinet Minister Sanjay Nishad blamed members of the Samajwadi Party for the attack on him. The incident occurred in Mohammadpur Kathar village of the Kotwali police station area of the city. According to Sanjay Nishad, he attended a wedding ceremony on Sunday night, where some individuals met his son, Member of Parliament Praveen Nishad, and used abusive language about the party. They became aggressive when we objected and beat me and my supporters. I have suffered injuries, he said. Police said that they were scanning the video footage of the wedding to identify the attackers. The police registered a case on the complaint of the ministers personal security officer Vinod Kumar Yadav against the accused village head Radheshyam Yadav, Jaiprakash Yadav alias Kavi, Durgvijay Yadav, PAC constable Abhishek Yadav, Surendra Yadav, Gajendra Yadav, Subhash Yadav, Durg Vijay Yadav and many other unknown people. Along with this, the police arrested four named accused. After the incident, the cabinet minister sat on a dharna along with his son Praveen Nishad, MLA Sarwan Nishad and other party members. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday spoke to father of slain student Neha Hiremath over phone and said "sorry" over his daughter's killing, and assured that "we will be on your side". The Chief Minister also informed Niranjan Hiremath, who is also a Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, about the government's decision to hand over the murder case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and setting up a special court to fast-track trial. "Niranjan...Very sorry. We will be on your side," Siddaramaiah told Hiremath over the phone call during state's Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil's visit to Hiremath's house here. In the conversation on Patil's phone with speakers on, Siddaramaiah can be heard informing Hiremath about the CID probe and setting up a special court. "It is a serious offence...Setting up a special court we will ensure punishment for the accused person." Hiremath thanked Siddaramaiah on behalf of his family well-wishers and the community for handing over the case to CID and setting up a special court. "...Ensure there is an order at the earliest and provide us justice," he said, as he also thanked Patil, Home Minister G Parameshwara, local Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya and others for their support. Replying to this, Siddaramaiah said, "we will ensure it, at the earliest." In a shocking incident, Neha Hiremath (23), was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College last Thursday. The accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently. Neha was a first year Master of Computer Application (MCA) student and Fayaz was earlier her classmate. Siddaramaih on Monday had announced his government has decided to hand over the investigation into the incident to the Crime Investigation Department, and to set up a special court for speedy disposal of the case. The case of brutal murder, which sparked widespread outrage, has snowballed into a political slugfest between ruling Congress and opposition BJP. While the ruling party has tried to project it as an incident with personal angle, the saffron party has called it a "love jihad" case and has said it's a testimony of deterioration of law and order in the state. Earlier, Siddarmaiah's statement that the murder was due to "personal reasons" and Home Minister G Parameshwara's comments that the duo was in love, has elicited sharp reactions from Hiremath and family members and opposition parties. BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday promised to work for a separate state comprising districts of western Uttar Pradesh and fulfil the "longstanding demand" of setting up a bench of the Allahabad High Court in Meerut, if voted to power at the Centre. Addressing an election rally in support of her party nominee from the Meerut Lok Sabha seat, the BSP chief attacked the Congress and BJP and also targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) on the issue of reservation, alleging the SP does not want the people belonging to SC/ST communities to get quota benefits. She also said that her party, if voted to power, will work to fulfil the demands and address problems of the region. "We will take positive steps with regards to your longstanding demand of a Allahabad High Court bench here in Meerut like that in Lucknow," she said. "The central government has not been paying attention to it but when we come to power at the Centre, we will take positive steps in this regard," Mayawati said. Referring to how her government in Uttar Pradesh had passed a resolution for a separate state, which was sent to the Centre, she said, "Since the beginning, our party has been of the view that the western region should be made a separate state for better development of the region. "We had got a resolution passed by the state assembly and sent to the central government but they did not act on it. When our party comes to power at the Centre, your western UP will be made a separate state," she said. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that the quota facility meant for the Dalits, adivasis (STs) and OBCs in government jobs has not been filled up in the country for years and the quota in promotions for the SCs/STs has also been made ineffective. "I want to remind the members of the SCs/STs that when the SP was in power in Uttar Pradesh, it had ended reservation in promotions. Will the members of these sections give even a single vote to them and waste it on a party which is bent upon finishing their reservation. The SP does not want SC/ST people to get full benefits of reservation," she said. She also alleged that when an amendment bill for reservation in promotions was presented in the Rajya Sabha, the SP MPs had torn it. "Will such Samajwadi Party do good for the Dalits and shoshits (exploited class)? "Not only this, the districts, parks, universities that we (BSP government) had made in the name of great men belonging to these sections of society were mostly changed by the subsequent Samajwadi Party government," she said. She also alleged that like the Congress, the BJP's casteist and pro-capitalist thinking and policies have not helped in ensuring the real development and uplift of the poor, Dalits, adivasis, backwards, Muslims and other religious minorities among the "sarv samaj". Telling her voters that in these Lok Sabha elections, the Congress, BJP and their supporting parties have to be stopped from coming to power, she alleged their wrong policies and working style has been tried by all. She also warned against the "saam, daam, dand, bhed" policies allegedly being adopted by these parties to attain power. Seeking vote for her party nominee from Meerut, Mayawati said unlike the past elections when her party had fielded Muslim candidates, it has this time given ticket to Devvrat Tyagi. In Meerut, the BJP has fielded Arun Govil. Samajwadi Party's Sunita Verma and BSP's Devvrat Kumar Tyagi are the other prominent candidates in the fray. The BSP chief, who reached Aligarh several hours late due to bad weather, said that voters from the Aligarh Lok Sabha seat had many times made BJP's Brahmin community candidate successful, but the public was not satisfied with his working style. She said that had the public not got an alternative, they would have let him (BJP MP from Aligarh, Satish Gautam) win out of "compulsion", but by giving a candidate from the Brahmin community, "we have given an alternative to them, who stands with the public during their happiness and sorrows." Regarding Aligarh's BSP candidate Hitendra Upadhyay, she said that not only Brahmins, but people from all sections of society and the Muslim community also came to Lucknow and recommended his name for the party's ticket. In the Aligarh meeting itself, she also appealed for the victory of Hathras (SC) Lok Sabha seat candidate Hem Babu of the Dhangar community. Also, explaining the reason for fielding a Jat candidate from Mathura, Mayawati said the people of the constituency wanted that an educated local person should be their candidate, and not an outsider, "so we have made Suresh Singh the candidate from Mathura." In Aligarh, there are 14 candidates in the fray, including BJP's Satish Kumar Gautam, SP's Bijendra Singh and Hitendra Kumar Upadhyay of the BSP. Voting in the second phase will take place on April 26 and it will cover eight parliamentary constituencies of Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambuddh Nagar, Bulandshahr (SC), Aligarh and Mathura. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. Xi inspects southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Xinhua) 13:34, April 23, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in accelerating the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in west China while visiting an international logistics hub park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. During the inspection, Xi visited an international logistics hub park, a community in Jiulongpo District, and a digital urban operation and governance center. He learned about the municipality's efforts in accelerating the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in west China, carrying out urban renewal projects, ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing, and enhancing the modernization of city governance. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in accelerating the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in west China while visiting an international logistics hub park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an international logistics hub park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an international logistics hub park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an international logistics hub park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an international logistics hub park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an international logistics hub park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, communicates with residents while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, communicates with residents while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in enhancing the modernization of city governance while visiting a digital urban operation and governance center in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 23, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in enhancing the modernization of city governance while visiting a digital urban operation and governance center in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 23, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Taking a dig at the opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said it was a grouping of "corrupt dynasty" who were working to fulfil their selfish interests. Addressing an election rally in Bihar's Bhagalpur district, Singh said the RJD's lantern, its election symbol, was running out of fuel and will soon go off. "Both Congress and RJD deceived the people of the state in the name of development. Their alliance was basically a group of corrupt dynasts who were working to fulfil their selfish interests. I can say with full confidence that RJD's lantern is flickering. It is running out of fuel and it will soon go off," he said. "The NDA government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi is working for the overall growth of the country, and trying to make India the world's third-largest economy by 2027. But RJD is trying to pull Bihar back to the days of the lantern. They talk about the Charwaha model! That will not happen at all. PM Modi wants to make India a fully developed country by 2047," he added. Singh alleged that the only aim of the Mahagathbandhan leaders was to promote their family members. "On the other side, PM Modi's only aim is to take forward the poor, backward and every other section of the society. They did nothing in the name of social justice, neither in the country nor in Bihar," he claimed. Singh said the Modi government took several bold decisions in the last 10 years. "The decisions taken by the Modi government were never thought of earlier. A grand Ram temple was constructed at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. We fulfilled Syama Prasad Mookerjee's dream by abrogating Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. We wanted to protect the rights of Muslim women and so, the triple talaq was scrapped. We do not work for the vote bank, instead, we work for the people of the country," he said. "I salute the mothers of the Bihar Regiment's bravehearts who sacrificed their lives during a standoff with Chinese soldiers at the Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh. The soldiers of the Bihar Regiment not only made Bihar proud but also the entire country proud. I am confident that the people of Bihar are with PM Modi, and they will certainly ensure that the NDA gets all 40 seats in the state," he said. Singh was addressing the rally in support of JD(U)'s Bhagalpur MP Ajay Kumar Mandal, who is seeking re-election as an NDA nominee. Bhagalpur will go to the polls in the second phase on April 26. Eager for election, unelected autocrat Rishi Sunak has unveiled Sunak Airways where illegal immigrants who crossed the Channel in rubber dinghies will be given a one-way ticket to Rwanda at a cost of 1.8 million per immigrant. Fly Sunak Airways One Way to Rwanda is the new slogan. In a move that left many scratching their heads and others rolling on the floor laughing, the UK governments plan to tackle immigration: shipping illegal immigrants off to Rwanda at the bargain price of 1.8 million per ticket could cost over 4.8 billion all together. Yes, you heard that right. For the low, low cost of a small fortune, you too can send your unwanted migrants on a one-way trip to the heart of Africa. Fly Sunak Airways One Way to Rwanda In what can only be described as a stroke of bureaucratic genius or a Monty Python sketch gone awry, Tory officials have touted this as the solution to all of Britains immigration woes. Forget border patrols, forget detention centres, forget about actually stopping the blasted boats crossing the Channel. The Daily Squib even suggested the boats should be towed back to France, but that was summarily ignored, because it would take actual guts and a pair of swinging bollocks to achieve. Now, you might be wondering what exactly does Rwanda have to do with all of this? Well, apparently someone in Whitehall looked at a map, closed their eyes, and pointed to a random country, and Rwanda was the lucky winner. But fear not, dear taxpayers, because the government assures us that Rwanda is a perfectly lovely destination. I mean, who wouldnt want to trade dreary crime-ridden shithole London, or a 5-star luxury hotel room in Mayfair for the lush jungles of Rwanda, right? Imagine what someone could do with 1.8 million? In a press conference that left journalists struggling to stifle their laughter, Home Secretary James Cleverly defended the plan, declaring, This is a bold and innovative solution to a complex problem. Besides, have you seen the views in Rwanda? Simply breathtaking! Meanwhile, the residents of Rwanda are scratching their heads, wondering why theyre suddenly being inundated with a flood of confused illegal migrants wearing shell suits and complaining about the lack of 5-star hotel treatment and free money to spend on young English prostitutes. The House of Lords have passed the bill, now its up to the ECHR and UN courts to thwart the deal. Marie Brown, chief executive of Foyle Womens Aid said she was appalled a Derry mother fleeing domestic violence had had her hospital records illegally accessed. The young woman, who wished to remain anonymous, received written confirmation of the data breach from Western Health and Social Care Trust chief executive, Neil Guckian. In his letter of apology, Mr Guckian confirmed to the woman her records had been unlawfully accessed by a member of her ex-partners family, a Trust employee, seeking to discover her address. Foyle Womens Aid provides domestic abuse and sexual violence services in Derry, Strabane, Limavady and Dungiven and Ms Brown said she was hugely disappointed in the Trust. Speaking to Derry News, Ms Brown said having worked with a lot of victims of domestic violence, the womans situation must have been high risk when she took the precaution of moving house and putting her child and herself through a lot of upheaval. She added: I am disappointed in a Trust. We are already looking at the undermining of victims in the Western Trust and the lengths they have to go to to protect themselves. It is another case and it is disappointing is all I can say. Neil Guckian informed the woman concerned the staff member has been spoken to about the incident by senior staff and has been instructed to retake the Trusts Information Governance Awareness training. Marie Brown expressed concern at the leniency of the sanction. I think it was a very lenient sanction to be honest because it wasnt an accident, she said. Things can happen. Any one of us could accidentally press a button but this was a very intentional act, so there was no accident about it. There was no regard for a victim here. There was no regard for her safety, for her confidentiality. There was no regard for a childs confidentiality and safety either. We work with women all of the time who are facing risk and they are told they have to protect their children all of the time, sometimes when they are not in a position to do so. They are often scared and there are sanctions against them if they dont do it properly. However, when it comes to a professional working within a health service whose job it is to ensure child protection is in place, has a completely different view when it is their staff member. The Trust put this woman at risk. It had no regard for the victim. I can tell you it is very hard for a victim who is going through this, firstly to come forward and then to take steps like moving house. This would have been an upheaval for her and an upheaval for her child, and the Trust took no regard for all of the steps this woman took to protect herself and her child, said Marie Brown. Ms Brown described victims as the best measure of their own risk. She added: We can have risk assessments and people can have views but victims quite often are the best people because they know the situation. They know the other person. They know the risk they risk they have been in. For that reason, the Trusts disregard of that risk must have been devastating for her. As an organisation, Womens Aid would feel domestic violence isnt really taken seriously. Did nobody in the Trust think through what could have happened in that situation? What more has to happen? We have had 21 homicides in a period of three years. What has to happen for people to realise that this is very serious and we all need to take it seriously? For me it is about the womans confidentiality and I think it goes wider because what does that say about anybodys confidentiality when something like this can happen? What message is it giving out to others who do this? Will they think it is okay because it is just a soft sanction and really our records arent confidential? said Marie Brown. Ms Brown emphasised that victims of domestic violence work extremely hard to keep themselves safe and they are very frightened. I just think there has not been any thought given to the disappointment for that victim, she added. I can see why they are really, really upset and hurt. Where does that leave them? Are they still at risk? Do they have to move again? No thought has been given to any of that. I was just shocked at the sanction to be honest. If a family member had wanted to contact that person, there were other means of doing it. We live in a small area. You could go to a relative. The address was something that mother was trying to keep really private and this is what is done with that information. Who was it for really? Were there any questions asked around that? I dont believe that if someone wanted to find somebody in our local area they couldnt find them. There is a pattern. There is a behaviour. It was a family member or a relation for a period of time. Somebody could have been sent a message to say, I just want to get my grandchild something. There are ways and means of doing that without going in illegally and getting the information and breaching confidentiality. So, I wonder, were those questions asked? Were alternative methods sought because I am not accepting that either as an excuse? said Ms Brown. The Foyle Womens Aid chief executive said she was anxious to highlight the possible consequences of the Trust employees action. She added: What if this had ended up in a serious attack, as has happened? I just think it comes back to the fact domestic abuse isnt taken seriously. There aren't the safeguards in place that should be. A spokesperson for the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) said: Protecting patient confidentiality and privacy is a matter of the utmost importance to us. The Trust takes any breach of confidentiality extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with the Data Protection Act. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council welcomed a representative from UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning to Derry this week as part of their country-wide visit. Derry City and Strabane District Council is currently a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities and the Irish Network of Learning Cities alongside Belfast, Dublin, Limerick, Waterford and Cork. The global network sees cities around the world successfully promoting lifelong learning across their own communities, with a focus on learning ecosystems, skills for life and work, and inclusive learning. Katya Roemer, Communications Specialist with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, visited Ireland to spend time in some of the member cities where she included Derry in her travels. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Patricia Logue, hosted a meeting on Saturday 13th April in the Guildhall for Katya, alongside representatives of the Derry City and Strabane Learning City Network and Council officers. As a Council, we are committed to lifelong learning and dedicated to upholding the good practices and policy initiatives set out by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. I was delighted to meet with Katya and discuss the workings of the global network, while hearing how we can implement and develop these initiatives across our own city and district. We had a powerful meeting discussing our achievements to date while reflecting on the impact of lifelong learning locally with our membership of both the Global and the Irish Networks. We also looked at the priorities going forward and discussed the #ImALifeLongLearner campaign which continues to mobilise learners from every corner of the globe. We are immensely proud to be a part of this network and of our ongoing efforts to encourage all our communities across the city and wider region to embrace the practices and inspire others to embark on their own lifelong learning journeys. The aim of the Irish Network is to share a dedication to strengthening friendly relations and enhancing cooperation between the people of the cities and city region. Find out more about the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cites here: https://www.uil.unesco.org/en The portrait of the former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, William Hay, Lord Hay of Ballyore was unveiled today in Parliament Buildings. Painted in oil on canvas by local artist, Stephen Johnston, the portrait of Lord Hay, will join those of his predecessors, Eileen Bell and Lord Alderdice on public display in the Great Hall in Parliament Buildings. Todays unveiling ceremony was performed by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Edwin Poots. Following todays event, Speaker Poots said: I was delighted today, to unveil the official portrait of former Assembly Speaker, Lord Hay in Parliament Buildings. Lord Hay was the first Speaker to be elected by the Assembly itself and is the Assemblys longest serving Speaker, in post from 2007 2014. During his tenure, he was passionate about opening up Parliament Buildings to the public and spearheaded a number of important initiatives to encourage local people to actively engage with their Assembly. It is therefore very fitting that his portrait will now go on public display in the Great Hall. The Speaker continued: The artwork on display in Parliament Buildings, has been tremendously well received as part of the visitor experience in Parliament Buildings, and records the parliamentary history of the building across all traditions. The production of official portraits also provides an opportunity for Parliament Buildings to be a platform for local talent and I am pleased that we will be able to put this fine piece of work by Stephen Johnston on public display. The Speaker concluded: Lord Hay took office as Speaker in 2007 when devolution had been restored after many years of suspension. His approach of seeing himself as a broker and a fixer to try to work with all of the parties to keep Assembly business running was important to our politics at that time. The many MLAs and staff present today is indeed testament to the respect held for him throughout the Assembly and beyond. DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton said: "It was an honour to attend the unveiling of the Official Portrait of my friend and colleague, the former Speaker, Mr William Hay, Lord Hay of Ballyore. This was a special occasion at Stormont today with family, friends and colleagues in attendance." Lord Hay was elected to Londonderry City Council in Northern Ireland in 1981 for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He served as Mayor in 1993 and Deputy Mayor in 1992. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998 for Foyle. The Donegal born peer was elected Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly on May 8, 2007 following the restoration of devolution. He announced his retirement from the Northern Ireland Assembly as both MLA and Speaker in October 2014. Families bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic want truth, answers and accountability when decision-making in Northern Ireland is examined by the UK-wide inquiry, a solicitor has said. Enda McGarrity, who represents the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice (CBFFJ), was commenting ahead of the inquirys hearings in Belfast, which begin next Tuesday and will run for three weeks. The campaign group, which comprises 160 families who lost loved ones, has been designated as a core participant in the proceedings chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett. Mr McGarrity reiterated the groups concerns that three weeks will be insufficient to explore Stormonts handling of the pandemic, and he said there may yet be a need for a Northern Ireland-specific inquiry. Ahead of next weeks opening sitting, secretary to the inquiry Ben Connah was in Belfast on Tuesday as preparations for the Northern Ireland module intensify. He insisted the experience of the devolved nations was being examined at every stage of the inquiry, but said the forthcoming module in Belfast Module 2C would provide the opportunity to look in depth at the decisions taken in Northern Ireland. Former first minister Baroness Arlene Foster, current first minister Michelle ONeill (who was deputy first minister during the pandemic), and Health Minister Robin Swann are expected to be among those witnesses to give evidence. Key figures in Stormonts Department of Health, including Chief Medical Officer Sir Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Ian Young, are also expected to face questions at the inquiry. Mr McGarrity said the hearings marked a pivotal point for the families touched by the pandemic. Its a really significant moment for the bereaved families, notably because the inquiry came about as a result of their campaigning, he said. Since 2020, theyve been calling for an inquiry to investigate the handling of the pandemic. Theyre seeking the truth, and answers and accountability for their loved ones. And, more importantly, as well, theyre looking to learn lessons for the future so that others dont have to experience what they experienced. He said it was vital that the experiences of the families are central to the inquirys work. The impact on the bereaved is really instructive in that it really brings to bear how the decisions impacted the general public. And there were countless examples of really tragic stories where people have lost loved ones in care homes, in hospitals, and they really feel that those losses are the result of decisions that have been made from those in power at the time. He added: Theyve been waiting for this for a long time. Its the only time that the inquiry will sit in Belfast. So its a really pivotal point for them, they will have to relive the experience and thats always difficult. But they see it as a very vital step. And thats because they feel that it is the only way that change will happen. In regard to the three-week time allocation, Mr McGarrity said: Time will tell but its a tight timeframe to cover a significant period of time with some very significant decisions. We appreciate that there are some legitimate reasons for why it will be short, but really we would prefer to have had more time to properly ventilate the issues in Northern Ireland. On the issue of whether Northern Ireland needed its own inquiry, Mr McGarrity said a lot would depend on what the UK-wide probe could achieve in the coming three weeks. Well know a lot more after module 2C if they are able to comprehensively cover all Northern Ireland decision-making within three weeks, theyll be doing very well, he said. But well reassess that after module 2C and there may well be a need for a devolved inquiry here in Northern Ireland. On his visit to Belfast, inquiry secretary Mr Connah highlighted the inquirys Every Story Matters online platform for people affected by the pandemic to share their stories. He encouraged people in Northern Ireland to use the site to detail their experiences. The inquiry has already held hearings in England, Scotland and Wales. Mr Connah said it was crucial to examine the situation across all the UK nations. Its incredibly important that we hear from people right across the UK, we know that Covid affected people differently in different parts of the country, he said. And, of course, in a nation like ours with four different governments making different decisions, its really important that we hear about what decisions were being taken in those four capital cities. Asked if three weeks was sufficient to examine the pandemic in Northern Ireland, he said: Every single one of the chairs investigations during the life of this inquiry is going to look at Northern Ireland, just as it will look at Scotland, Wales and England. But were here in Belfast for three very intensive weeks of hearings, where were really going to get into depth about the core political decisions that were taken from March 2020 through the pandemic, about the restrictions that applied to all the people that live in Northern Ireland, the way that they were changed over time, and the other really important decisions that were taken there. At a preliminary hearing in December, it emerged that WhatsApp messages sent by former Stormont ministers during the pandemic have been lost after government-issued electronic devices were wiped. Those included the devices of Lady Foster and Ms ONeill. Asked about the absence of those messages, Mr Connah said: Weve heard a lot of evidence already in Edinburgh, in Cardiff and in London, about different aspects of the way decisions were taken, including the use of WhatsApp. So Im pretty confident that the hearings over the next three weeks will have access to a lot of the evidence that they need. The Covid-19 inquiry hearings will be held in the Clayton Hotel in central Belfast. The legal battlefield around legacy has led to a different approach being taken to prosecuting historical cases in Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher has told MPs. Explaining the lack of prosecutions arising from the Kenova interim report, the PSNI Chief Constable suggested prosecutors were worn down by the continual challenges to their decisions. Mr Boutcher said that if a similar approach to evidence had been taken when he worked in England, there would not have been prosecutions in a number of his high-profile investigations. However, a spokesman for the Public Prosecution Service said the same approach is taken in all cases, adding that decisions in the Kenova cases were informed by advice from a team of expert counsel. Kenova was a major investigation into the operation of the British Armys top agent inside the IRA, led by Mr Boutcher before he left to take up the PSNI role last year. Its interim findings found that more lives were probably lost than saved by the actions of Stakeknife, widely believed to be west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was 77 when he died. The probe, which was undertaken by Bedfordshire Police and ran for seven years at a cost of approximately 40 million, examined the role of the Armys prized agent embedded in the heart of the IRAs Internal Security Unit (ISU). Some 32 people, including former police, ex-military personnel and people linked with the IRA, were considered for prosecution on a range of charges from murder and abduction to misconduct in public office and perjury as a result of the Kenova investigation. However, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in Northern Ireland found there was insufficient evidence to pursue any cases. Mr Scappaticci died before any decision was made on the evidence files related to him. During a meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, SDLP MP Claire Hanna said the lack of any prosecutions had tested the confidence of many people in the PPS. Mr Boutcher said: I have dealt with some really, really complicated cases in the past involving international terrorism, organised crime. If the same approach had been applied that the PPS have applied to legacy cases, to those cases, many of which are very well documented as stated cases for prosecutions, my previous history of successfully prosecuting those cases wouldnt be that history, they wouldnt be prosecuted. I am very clear on that. The mechanism they adopted to look at these (Kenova) cases built in considerable delay and it did not build in the level of relationship and communication between the independent investigative team and the independent prosecution authority and the independent counsel appointed to look at the evidence. He added: Whenever you have got a case that is from some time ago there is inevitably going to be a challenge in showing the continuity of certain evidence, because people have passed away or there has been a break in the chain of the integrity of exhibits. I had a meeting with the PPS and we had independent counsel from London who was very clear, the commentary he used was Every day of the week at the Old Bailey I would get that hearsay evidence sent. And there was a different view from the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland. Now, whatever we might say about the same legal processes being in place, Northern Ireland has a different way of approaching some of that evidence because legacy has become so challenging. Every case faces either a judicial review or an appeal. In a way I think the imagination, the energy that I have engaged with with prosecution authorities around complicated cases, al Qaida or organised crime gangs, is absent on legacy because they are worn down by this legal battlefield that exists around if they make one decision or another. We didnt get, I dont think, to discuss and engage with each other about the details of that evidence in the way that I would have expected and hoped that we would. Sir Iain Livingstone, who replaced Mr Boutcher as head of Operation Kenova, told MPs that prosecutors tended to become involved in cases earlier in the rest of the UK. Mr Boutcher contrasted the approach taken in legacy cases with that following the shooting of senior PSNI detective John Caldwell last year. He said: If I look at the way that the investigation and prosecution relationship was with the attempted murder of John Caldwell last February, having arrived as the Chief Constable, that was more akin to the relationship that Iain has described that we would expect to see. I think, because of resources and because of their (PPS) capacity, they cant apply that standard, that level of responsiveness, for legacy cases. Probably based on the fact that, by and large and certainly in the cases we were dealing with, there was no obvious threat from the people we suspected of committing these crimes. They didnt need to deal with them in the same timely fashion they had to deal with other files they were looking at. Because of the bandwidth of the PPS they simply werent able to adopt that process. A spokesman for the PPS said it is confident that no alternative approach to early engagement in this case could have overcome the significant evidential challenges that led to the no prosecution decisions. A statement said: All decisions taken by the PPS in relation to Operation Kenova were informed by advice from a team of experienced counsel based in England. That team was led by former senior Treasury counsel who has extensive experience in advising on and conducting the most complex cases on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service. This expert advice would have applied equally to the prospects of conviction in England. The applicable rules of evidence and standard of proof does not differ between the two jurisdictions. The spokesman added: Whilst legacy work is challenging, great care was taken in respect of the Operation Kenova decisions and the standard that is applied to these cases is identical to all other case types. As is clear from the decisions that we have taken over many years, all types of legacy cases will be prosecuted by the PPS where the available evidence provides a reasonable prospect of conviction. It is a pretty fair assumption that MLA Mike Nesbitt will be Stormonts next health minister, Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has said. Current minister Robin Swann has said he will be stepping down from the position when the general election campaign begins. His party leader Mr Beattie said he could not confirm who would be his successor until the party decides selects a Westminster candidate for Strangford the constituency Mr Nesbitt represents at Stormont. North Antrim MLA Mr Swann returned to the job of earlier this year following the return of powersharing at Stormont. He previously held the portfolio during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the UUP had previously announced that Mr Swann would be switching constituencies to run as a candidate in South Antrim in the general election, expected later this year. Elected representatives are not allowed to hold seats at Stormont and Westminster at the same time. During an appearance on the BBC Talkback programme, Mr Beattie defended appointing Mr Swann as health minister despite plans for him to stand in the general election. He said: All the parties had the ability to take health. They didnt, we did. I took it with short notice. So in 24 hours I had to choose to go into government and also I had to then decide on health and who to go in there. Now, I made it clear I wanted to hit the ground running, if I put somebody in who didnt know the brief they would have to learn the brief, I didnt think we had time, so I put Robin Swann in. I then went straight into working through how I transition. Robin Swann can go in, Robin Swann can get the thing up and running, hit the ground running, be there for the programme for government negotiations, be there for the budget negotiations, train up a replacement, and when I feel the time is right it can be a seamless transition to somebody else. Mr Nesbitt has been widely tipped to be Mr Swanns replacement. But Mr Beattie said he could not confirm this ahead of the Strangford Westminster selection process. But he added: To say it is Mike Nesbitt is a pretty fair assumption. Northern Ireland has signed up to fast track to zero HIV diagnoses by 2030. There were 1,348 people 1,049 men and 299 women living with HIV in Northern Ireland in 2022, according to Public Health Agency figures. On Tuesday, it was officially declared a Fast Track Region following the signing of a United Nations Aids (UNAids) declaration aimed at reaching zero new HIV diagnoses by 2030. In doing so, Northern Ireland joined a global partnership involving cities and municipalities around the world. Jacquie Richardson, chief executive of Positive Life, a charity which supports those affected by HIV, described the move as the most exciting step forward for HIV in Northern Ireland for decades. While there have been improvements in diagnosis and care, we cannot be complacent, she said. There remains a real need for ongoing public awareness and education around the very serious health risks and impacts of HIV; secondly, a lot of work still needs to be done to break down the public stigma around HIV, which is based on many myths, prejudices and outdated misconceptions. UNAIDS has spearheaded a coordinated, multisectoral HIV response for nearly 30 years. To sustain progress in ending AIDS, we call on global financial leaders attending @WorldBank @IMFNews meetings to invest, fight inequalities, and save lives.#InvestInHealth #InvestInUNAIDS pic.twitter.com/j6qpOBJD7C UNAIDS (@UNAIDS) April 18, 2024 These deeply affect the way individuals with HIV and their families and friends live their lives. Finally, we need to keep up the drive for regular HIV testing, because the statistics show that one in three people diagnosed in Northern Ireland were diagnosed at a late stage, meaning that they had the virus for some years prior to diagnosis. By joining in this global movement and with a stronger focus at a grassroots, community public health level, we firmly believe that Northern Ireland could achieve the Fast Track Cities goal of zero new HIV diagnoses in Northern Ireland by 2030. The declaration was signed by was signed by Lord Mayor of Belfast Ryan Murphy and the Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jason Barr. Mr Murphy said: The more we talk about HIV, the more we reduce the stigma around it. Signing this pledge encourages conversation about the continued risk and impacts of HIV and the need for ongoing awareness. It also encourages those living with a HIV diagnosis to take advantage of the support that it is out there. Hydrogen hurdles: Taiwan firms seek government support In line with Taiwan's commitment to a net-zero transition by 2050, hydrogen plays a pivotal role in this vision. At the ITRI NET ZERO DAY 2024 forum on accelerating Taiwan's transition to hydrogen energy, top industry executives called for clear regulations, demonstration projects, and financial incentives from the government to overcome current obstacles. The 12 Key Strategies for Taiwan's 2050 Net-Zero Transition emphasize the integration of hydrogen energy in power generation as a key performance indicator. The target for hydrogen-powered electricity is to achieve 891MW by 2030 and an impressive 7,300MW by 2050. This is aimed at reaching a 9-12% contribution of hydrogen energy to the total power generation, supporting Taiwan's net-zero carbon emissions goal. "From Taipower's perspective, the main challenges are non-technical issues like speeding up complementary regulatory measures," said Teh-Chen Shen, deputy general manager at TaiPower Research Institute (TPRI). He suggested Taiwan could consider a "regulatory sandbox" similar to South Korea's Industrial Convergence Promotion Act to allow more flexibility for hydrogen R&D before full regulations are in place. Goa-Shee Leu, Director of CPC Corporation's Green Technology Research Institute, emphasized the pressing need for comprehensive hydrogen laws and standards. "Without rules for the industry to follow, it's very difficult," he said, noting the challenges CPC faced building Taiwan's first hydrogen refueling station. Leu called for government support on demonstration projects to accelerate adoption, as well as subsidies for refueling infrastructure, vehicles, and hydrogen production modeled after schemes in South Korea and Japan. At China Steel Corporation, Tsung-Rong Chen, Director of the Green Energy & System Integration R&D Department, discussed CSC's role as a major hydrogen user and the need for green electricity and hydrogen supply. He highlighted the challenges related to cost and suggested tax incentives and government support to reduce investment costs. Chen also emphasized the importance of green innovation, transformation, and the need for fuel price subsidies to maintain competitiveness. Robert Shen, CEO of Chung-Hsin Electric and Machinery Manufacturing (CHEM), pointed to land use regulations prohibiting refueling stations at transportation sites as a major roadblock. He praised Taipei's moves to allow renewable facilities at such locations and urged the central government to take swifter action. Shen also advocated modeling hydrogen subsidies on past solar power incentives. "The subsidies aren't charity, but an investment in decarbonization," he said. Source: International Energy Agency The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts global hydrogen demand will surpass 430 million tons by 2050, with global green hydrogen supply expected to reach 34% by 2030. Furthermore, high-efficiency electrolytic systems powered by renewable electricity are set to be developed in the near future. This momentum highlights the importance of hydrogen applications focusing on power generation, industry, and transportation. To bolster domestic hydrogen energy development, Taiwan's action plan will integrate and improve R&D capacity, establish basic environmental construction and regulations, cooperate with foreign countries for stable hydrogen supply, and eventually strengthen domestic technical advantages. As Taiwan strives to become a regional hydrogen hub, resolving policy gaps and providing transitional support emerged as key demands from the private sector. What did Tim Cook's SEA visit tell us? Apple CEO Tim Cook recently concluded his most extensive Southeast Asia (SEA) tour in years, visiting Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore from April 15-19. While the visits were brief, his meetings with the government leaders of these countries highlighted the purpose of this visit: to seek new growth markets and manufacturing sites to offset Apple's ongoing struggles in China. Cook's X (formerly Twitter) account has painted the trip as one where he met with local content creators and communities, but media reports pointed out that Cook has repeatedly stressed the SEA region's importance as both a market and emergent manufacturing base. In meetings with government leaders, Cook discussed furthering collaboration between Apple and their respective countries, ranging from additional investments for manufacturing to AI talent cultivation. Meeting government leaders The first stop of Cook's trip was to Vietnam, where he met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Pham pointed out that Apple has already created over 200,000 job opportunities in Vietnam in recent years. Cook stated that there will be increased cooperation with Vietnam, including buying more components and accessories from Vietnam's suppliers, a big boost to the country's goal of becoming a global manufacturing hub. Apple claimed it has invested approximately US$15.8 billion in the Vietnamese supply chain since 2019. Cook's next stop was in Indonesia, where he met with President Joko Widodo, popularly known as "Jokowi." Cook stated that they "talked about the president's desire to see manufacturing in the country," and has referred to the investment ability in Indonesia as "endless." The meeting with Cook is part of Jokowi's efforts to shift global manufacturing supply chains into Indonesia amidst geopolitical tensions. The country has already secured investments from automakers Hyundai and BYD. Besides Cook, Jokowi also met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2022 and may meet Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the end of this month. Cook's last stop on his trip was to Singapore, where he met Prime Minister-elect Lawrence Wong and his predecessor Lee Hsien Loong (Update: Lee couldn't attend the meeting due to catching the flu). Apple's relationship with Singapore runs deep, dating back to more than 40 years ago when Singapore manufactured Apple II PCs in the 1980s. Over the decades, Singapore has evolved to a point where it now serves as a key hub for Apple in the Asia-Pacific region. Right before the meeting with Wong, Apple announced on its website that it plans to invest US$250 million to expand its Ang Mo Kio campus, with a focus on expanding the AI talent pool. The company stated that it already employs more than 3,600 people in Singapore and the expansion "will provide more space for new roles in AI and other functions." In the statement, Cook referred to Singapore as "truly a one-of-a-kind place," and that they "can't wait for many more decades of innovation to come." Struggles in China and geopolitical concerns Cook's visit highlighted the company's growing emphasis on the SEA region, and it is largely due to the company's sluggish performance in the Chinese market and growing geopolitical tensions between China and the US. Apple's reliance on China has never been a secret, both as one of its largest foreign markets and its primary manufacturing/assembly site where its devices are produced. However, the company's biggest money maker, the iPhone, has been struggling in the Chinese market. According to Bloomberg, iPhone shipments in the Chinese market saw a 19% YoY decrease in the first quarter of 2024, the steepest for Apple since the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. One of the factors contributing to the decline is the return of Huawei in the high-end smartphone market, which was further exacerbated by geopolitics as the Chinese government bans the use of iPhones in government agencies and state-owned companies. This ban gave domestic brands like Huawei another boost in prospects and cast further uncertainty on Apple's prospects in China. To offset its struggles in China, Apple has been seeking out other markets. Among them is India, which has recently replaced China as the most populated country in the world. Tim Cook met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023 as the company began to expand and shift some of its manufacturing to India. A recent report from Bloomberg stated that Apple is already assembling around 1 in 7 of its iPhones in India, totaling an output of US$14 billion. Following the conclusion of another highly-publicized trip and meetings with government leaders by Tim Cook, it's likely safe to assume that the SEA region will undergo a similar increase in investments and attention from Apple in its quest to maintain growth without relying too much on the fickle market that is China. Taiwan's PCB and chip gear makers expanding presence in SEA market Taiwan's PCB and semiconductor equipment manufacturers are poised to enhance their footprint in Southeast Asia by establishing manufacturing operations or bolstering their customer base in the region. This initiative aligns with the efforts of PCB and semiconductor makers to increase their presence in Southeast Asia, aiming to tap into the vast business potential driven by the rapid growth of AI, electric vehicles, and satellite communication applications. Machvision president Chen Fu-sheng has said that over 30 PCB manufacturers intend to invest in establishing factories in Southeast Asia within the coming years, with 23 of them aiming to commercialize new production capacity in the region between 2024 and 2026. Machvision primarily provides machine-vision inspection and measurement systems tailored for PCB drilling and molding processes. Symtek Automation Asia anticipates a surge in demand for PCB equipment starting in the second half of 2024. Consequently, it is establishing a factory in Thailand, with its subsidiary investing THB150 million to acquire new land and a factory building. The company plans to advance its development and manufacturing of high-end automated production equipment in Thailand to broaden its presence in the Thai market. Symtek reported revenue of NT$474 million (US$14.53 million) in March 2024, representing a month-on-month increase of 27.62% but a year-on-year decline of 7.52%. Its first-quarter revenue totaled NT$1.273 billion, showing a sequential decrease of 7.92% and an annual decline of 18.82%. Looking ahead to 2024, the company's primary growth drivers are anticipated to be warehouse and automation equipment for domestic semiconductor wafer manufacturing and packaging, alongside increased demand for equipment for overseas semiconductor factories. Machvision recorded revenue of NT$93.41 million in March, rising 1.0% sequentially but falling 49.49% annually. The company remains committed to investing in the R&D of diverse testing equipment tailored for semiconductor manufacturing and packaging operations. It is reported that Machvision has recently supplied 20 sets of equipment to Taiwan's leading backend player, ASE Technology. This shipment is expected to substantially boost the company's revenue momentum in the second half of 2024. C Sun scored revenue of NT$1.08 billion in the first quarter of 2024, indicating a year-on-year increase of 11.7%. Net profit reached NT$172 million, surging 31.97% from a year earlier and setting a historic high for the same period. With the arrival of the AI server deployment wave and the active expansion of advanced packaging processes by semiconductor giants, this segment is anticipated to significantly contribute to the company's revenue in 2024 and beyond. Group Up Industrial saw its March 2024 revenue reach a 5-month high of NT$207 million, marking a sequential increase of 14% but a slight annual decline of 2.0%. The consolidated revenue for the first quarter reached NT$593 million, up 4.1% from a year earlier and a historical high for the same period. Moving forward, the company's strategic focus will be on seizing business opportunities in the interposer and ABF substrate equipment markets. BYD reportedly not eligible for Indian EV policy India introduced a policy to lower the tariffs on imported EVs to attract global EV manufacturers to set up manufacturing facilities in the country. Still, despite a growing presence in the global EV market, China-based EV manufacturers may not benefit from India's latest policy. India is looking to attract global companies, particularly Tesla, to invest in setting up EV plants by approving an EV policy in March. Companies investing a minimum of about US$500 million are eligible for lower basic customs duty on imported EVs. However, Chinese companies may miss out on these benefits. A senior government official told Moneycontrol that India remains cautious about foreign investments from Beijing due to national security worries. According to the report, the discounted import duty policy is tied to specific investment commitments. However, as EV projects from China-based EV manufacturers like BYD may not be cleared under India's current FDI policy, which requires prior approval before making investments, they are not eligible for the lowered duty on imported EVs. On March 15, India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry unveiled a new EV policy, which cuts import taxes for EVs but only if brands meet specific local production requirements. These include a minimum investment of US$500 million, a set timeline for local manufacturing, and meeting a certain domestic value addition rate within a specified timeframe. Additionally, India has set criteria for the EVs eligible for this import duty reduction. Only premium EVs valued above US$35,000 at CIF value qualify. There's also a yearly quota of 8,000 eligible EVs. The budget for these import duty reductions is capped at INR 64.84 billion (US$777 million), equivalent to India's Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for clean automobiles and auto components. India's EV policy was primarily aimed at attracting global EV majors like Tesla. However, a planned visit by Tesla CEO Elon Musk to India was postponed over the weekend due to "very heavy obligations." Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. This map shows the overlapping between the EU, NATO, and the European Political Community launched in 2022 in a format close to the Council of Europe. A few countries have specific statutes (UK and Norway NATO and non EU members, neutral EU countries not members of NATO, Kosovo non legally recognized by all States, Switzerland). The Schengen area for the free movement of persons is a bit more limited and the map also displays the Union for the Mediterranean which gathers EU members and mediterranean partners. The year 2024 will be a significant one for the European Union, marked by the election of representatives to the European Parliament in June. European citizens and candidates in the elections will find here material that will help deepen their thinking and feed their debates. Numerous institutions operate in cooperation and competition across geographical Europe. It is challenging to navigate this landscape, especially since these institutions schedules are not aligned. Without claiming that this map is exhaustive - which would make it unreadable - it provides a snapshot of the situation as of January 2024. For example, Denmark is shown as a member of a 31-member NATO, while Sweden is not listed in this way, because its membership is still in the process of being finalized (it will likely be finalized sometime in 2024). This map shows the member countries of the European Union, the candidates for EU membership, the countries that have applied to the EU, the members of NATO, neutral countries, the Schengen Area, the European Political Community and the Council of Europe. The countries part of the Union for the Mediterranean and the ones participating in the 5+5 initiative are indicated on the inset map. Thus, in about ten items, you have a clear cartographic view of the institutional architecture of Europe as of January 2024. Another map presents the Geopolitics of the European Union as of January 2024. Bonus cartographique Diploweb . See Map. Tectonics of the European Geopolitical Plate. When the Fracture of Geographical Europe Accelerates : The Consequences of the War in Ukraine (February 24, 2022 - April 2024) . Voir la carte 1/3 Tectonique de la plaque geopolitique europeenne. Ouverture du projet communautaire a de nouveaux Etats apres la dislocation du Bloc de lEst (1991-2023) . Voir la carte 2/3 Tectonique de la plaque geopolitique europeenne. Securiser sa sphere dinfluence jusqua se frotter a l etranger proche russe (1991-2024) ? . Voir la carte 3/3 Tectonique de la plaque geopolitique europeenne Quand le cisaillement de lEurope geographique saccelere : les consequences de la guerre en Ukraine (24 fevrier 2022-Avril 2024) 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. Plans will be drawn up to commemorate the Stardust disaster, as Taoiseach Simon Harris will today issue a State apology at 2pm to the families of the Stardust fire tragedy. Over 40 years after the blaze that ripped through the nightclub in north Dublin, Harris will deliver a state apology in the Dail this afternoon to the families of the victims in the fire, which claimed 48 lives. It is also expected that he will ask Justice Minister Helen McEntee and other ministers to report back on the implementation of the inquest jurys recommendations. After a more than 40-year campaign for justice, last week an inquest found that all of the victims had been unlawfully killed. The inquests, which began in April 2023 and involved 95 days of evidence, were the longest ever held in Ireland and came after decades of campaigning by the families and loved ones of those who perished. The Department of An Taoiseach will also be tasked with preparing plans to appropriately commemorate the disaster in consultation with the families. Mr Harris met the families on Saturday and apologised to them in person. In a recent video on TikTok, Harris said he had been "working intensively over the last few days" on Stardust. "I had a really important meeting with Stardust families on Saturday, I want to thank them for that. I found it to be extraordinarily useful, really important for me to listen to these families." A recent debate on Irish radio has sparked a divide in whether children in primary schools across the country should be taught about Gaza and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. People have flocked to social media as parents argue the issue with one another online. The debate was sparked when the group Teachers for Palestine proposed a two-week awareness campaign on national radio. The group has said the focus for younger age groups would be to bring a little bit of conversation about Palestine into at least one lesson. Conall ODufaigh from Teachers for Palestine said: Our goal is to bring awareness to the plight of Palestinians - this is something that has been raised with us by our students. We felt that there was a need there, especially given everything that's been happening in the news, to raise this issue in our schools and to allow space for materials to be brought in and discussed and debated, he said. However, backlash quickly followed with former Justice Minister Alan Shatter saying that the campaign would brainwash children and incite anti-Semitism. As well as this, parents and other social media users have flocked to online platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) to share their views. The students are small children. Political NGO's (non-government organisations) have no place in Irish primary schools. Teachers Unions keep the politics out of our classrooms - you're there to teach, not to push your NGO affiliations into the class room setting, one person said. Gardai in Dundalk are appealing for information in connection with an aggravated burglary at a private residence in the Ballymacscanlon area yesterday (Monday) 22nd April. Between 5:15pm and 5:45pm, three masked males entered the property armed with what are described as an iron bar and other tools. While no one physical harmed, several items were stolen before the suspects fled the scene in a car. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have information in relation to this incident to contact them. Any road users who were travelling in the vicinity of Ballymacscalon and surrounding areas yesterday evening between 4:00pm and 6:00pm and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) is asked to make this available to investigating Gardai. Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Dundalk Garda Station on 042 9388400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. On Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd May 2024, the RDS, Ballsbridge in Dublin will host Finding Common Ground, a festival on biodiversity and sustainability. As part of the two-day event, the RDS Irish Forest and Woodlands Awards which recognise and reward farmers and woodland owners that have adopted Climate-Smart Agricultural practices on their properties, will take place. John and Aine Woods from Dunleer are among those shortlisted in the production forestry category. John and Aine Woods have a 65 hectare forest which was planted in 1999 in an area now rich in biodiversity and archaeology. It has a new forest road in place which will facilitate local access for people to enjoy the well-being benefits attributed to being in a forest. The award aims to recognise excellence in the management of production forestry. While the focus is on the management of the area for wood production, judges also review the diversity of species. The awards ceremony takes place as part of the Finding Common Ground Festival on Friday 3rd May. The inaugural two-day event is being delivered as one of the RDS Foundation social impact programmes. It will incorporate presentations and panel discussions exploring how Ireland can harness the benefits of our natural resources and the circular economy with a view to creating increased awareness, education and identification of solutions to act on. Alongside this, a number of awards ceremonies will take place to celebrate best practice in these areas. Commenting on the upcoming event, Niamh De Loughry, Deputy Chief Executive, Foundation at RDS said, With social sustainability at its core, the RDS long-term vision for Ireland sees five key areas underpinning the island's culture and economy - Arts, Agriculture, Enterprise and Equestrian, Science and Technology. "Our objective is to harness the energy and ideas of people to identify needs, work to foster momentum and create scale to propel our culture and economy to new heights. There are many barriers to sustainable development in Ireland and the RDS is poised to play a role in addressing them alongside key partners through events and initiatives such as this upcoming festival. There was success for Louth and Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) at the Grassland AGRO AgKnowledge University Quiz. The award for Best Semi Final Individual Performance went to Louths Paddy McGuinness who was on the Dundalk Institute of Technology team that narrowly were defeated by University College Cork in the semi-final. The quiz pits the best Agricultural Science students from all over Ireland against each other in an inter-college competition. Hosted by RTEs Suzanne Campbell, the victors of the DkIT semi-final, University College Cork, went on to overall victory in the final defeating the ATU Donegal team of Jessica Duncan (captain), Catherine Grier, Daniel Bonner and Cathal Doherty with a score of 45 to 32. Dundalk Institute of Technology was represented by Conor Duignan (Captain), Jacqueline Brennan and the award winner, Paddy McGuinness. There was a mix of representation in the other individual prize winners in the Grassland AGRO AgKnowledge University Quiz. Wexfords James Higgins of University College Dublin (UCD) won the Best Captain Strategy Performance with a stellar captain's performance in a close fought semi-final contest with ATU Donegal. The overall award for Best Individual Student Performance went to UCCs Cavan native Barry Stratford. The quiz consisted of four rounds covering a broad range of agricultural knowledge topics including science, policy and current affairs. The quiz is designed as a platform for students to showcase their expertise, critical thinking skills and passion for the agricultural industry. The AgKnowledge University Quiz not only fosters healthy competition but also promotes team spirit among participants who share a common interest in advancing their understanding of agriculture. The success of the event stands as a testament to the importance of knowledge exchange and academic excellence in shaping the future of Ireland's agricultural sector. Winning Captain Matt Walsh, a fourth year student of Agricultural Science at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) in University College Cork, commented We are delighted to have won the Grassland AGRO AgKnowledge University Quiz. We really enjoyed it and it was great to put some of the knowledge learned from our 4 years of studying at UCC to work Grassland AGRO, a company who specialises in soil, plant and animal nutrition, were the sponsors of the inaugural competition. The semi-finals and final are available to view on Agri Insider TV. The potential extension of the Wild Atlantic Way into Northern Ireland is being considered to attract more tourists to the region. The scenic route currently extends 1,600 miles from Kinsale in Co Cork, along the west coast of Ireland taking in the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare, to the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal. Across the border in Northern Ireland, the Causeway Coastal Route starts in Londonderry and travels around the coastline to Belfast. In a speech to a Tourism NI conference in Belfast on Tuesday, Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy also mooted linking up the Hidden Heartlands in the Republic with Co Fermanagh, as well as Downpatrick and Armagh with Irelands Ancient East. Mr Murphy described tourism as a success story of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and pledged to support its further development. He said Tourism Irelands marketing of the island overseas is critical to further growth, and said that while his departments funding to the body had fallen behind in recent years, it will be properly funded this year. Mr Murphy said that around 70% of overseas holidaymakers who come to Northern Ireland travel from the Republic of Ireland. There are currently no transatlantic routes which fly into any of Northern Irelands airports. He said in a bid to increase this flow of travellers, discussions are currently under way on extending some of the Republics tourism brands into Northern Ireland. This will include consideration of rolling the Wild Atlantic Way into the Causeway Coastal Route, the Hidden Heartlands into Fermanagh, and places such as Downpatrick and Armagh in Irelands Ancient East, he said. Mr Murphy also said he met officials on Monday to discuss new research on strengthening air connectivity. I will also work with my colleague, Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald, to continue to make the case to the British Government for tourism and hospitality to harmonise the norths rate of VAT with the south. This will level the playing field across the island, he added. Meanwhile Mr Murphy warned huge growth potential in tourism is currently threatened by the Governments Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme. Under this scheme international visitors who want to travel to the north from the south will have to apply for, and pay for, permission to travel, he said. The hassle and cost of this will mean many visitors will simply not travel north. This would have a devastating impact and so I will lobby the British Government to abandon this policy. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood welcomed the words from Mr Murphy. He said he wrote to the Economy Minister earlier this month to request an assessment of the potential benefit of extending the Wild Atlantic Way to the Causeway Coast following the allocation of 6.5m from the Irish governments Shared Island Unity to link the two brands at the end of 2022. The brand power of the Wild Atlantic Way has been an extraordinary asset for communities along the west coast that are now benefitting to the tune of more than three billion euro (2.5 billion) every year in tourism revenue, he said. There is a huge opportunity to extend and expand the Wild Atlantic Way from Donegal through to the centre of Derry and on to the Causeway Coast. More than 6m has already been provided by the Shared Island Unit to link the two brands but my firm view is that deeper integration will deliver better outcomes for businesses and communities in the North West. I wrote to the Economy Minister this month asking for an assessment of the economic potential of extending the Wild Atlantic Way to Derry and the North West. It makes no sense as far as I can see to terminate such a successful brand at the border when we can maximise the benefit for everyone. We should be seeking to compliment the tourist product in the North West instead of needlessly competing with ourselves. IF you go down to the woods on Monday, May 6 - youre sure of a big surprise. Seanchai and artist Noelle Ni Riagain. from Kinsale, is heading to Glenbower Woods on the Bank Holiday May weekend as part of the Bealtaine spring celebrations. When I Was Your Age is the theme of her workshop, which brings older people and grandparents together with children aged 9-11. I am hosting an interactive session where both age groups learn from each other about the past, the present and the future, says Noelle, who is married to Cormac Mohally, one half of comedy dance double act, Lords of Strut. Noelle, who studied street theatre and is a mixed discipline artist, is a good storyteller. A lot of people taught me skills, she says. What makes a good storyteller? Being curious and interested in peoples lives and having conversations, talking and listening. Noelle is a people person. I am interested in peoples lives and in people themselves. Sharing stories is a wonderful thing. Noelle is an earthy woman who is comfortable and at one with the great outdoors. I like street theatre because you can perform for people outside where they hang out who may not have access to a theatre, she says. Glenbower Woods in Killeagh is a magical place where traditionally villagers enjoyed a variety of festivities in the scenic beauty spot on the first Sunday of May. Will Noelle weave her storytelling magic there when she brings old and young together? I hope so, she says. The wonderful scope of the forest will facilitate the sharing of stories and past traditions. We can learn a lot of things hearing stories present and past. I want people to learn from traditions and habits that older people have, that we may lose in the next generation because we are moving away from storytelling towards more digital means, says Noelle. Viral time has replaced real time. It is vital to have a connection in real time so people can really engage in topics, says Noelle. She gets a kick out of how young people can bring out stories from older people, using the line When I was your age... I tell Noelle that my dad used to tell us at our age he went to school with no shoes on through an orchard, where he robbed the apples on the way home! Those kind of stories need to be told to the younger generation, Noelle says. It would be such a shame if they died out. She is hoping lots of stories will be told by both old and young people at the event in the woods. I want people to put the phones away and learn how both ages get to school, what they do at school; how is it different, is it better, is it not? Noelle wants people to use their imaginations. I want the younger people to imagine what life would be like when they are the age of their grandparents for instance, she says. I want them to imagine what life will be like then. We can all imagine back in the day, when the owner of the Glenbower Woods estate, De Cappell Brooke, invited the entirety of the community to celebrate the first Sunday in May. This became a yearly event known as May Sunday. It was the only day the woods was open to the public. In the 1920s, the festival became very popular, spilling out of the wood and onto the main street. It was a colourful event which featured music, dancing, and the crowning of the May Queen. Maypole dancing always took place in the wood, which was amazing, says Jessica Bonenfant, of Greywood Arts Creative Hub and Artists Residency, who is the co-ordinator of the May Sunday Festival. These days, the festival is recognised as a celebration of history, creativity and ecology, adds Jessica, who has a fascinating story of her own. A former dance choreographer and New Yorker, Jessica and her husband, Hughie Coogan, took a giant leap of faith to pursue their dream to open an artist residency and workshop at Greywood in Killeagh, a former RIC barracks dating back to 1767. When we saw Greywood, it was love at first sight, says Jessica. It was the perfect place to welcome our neighbours, the community and everybody interested in connecting, conversing and swapping ideas. Jessica and Hughie welcomed Noelle to Greywood. I did a residency there and it was wonderful, says Noelle, who is interested in history, creativity and ecology. Jessica and I met years ago in Kilkenny, and we stayed in touch. I was thrilled when she invited me to Killeagh as part of the Bealtine Festival/ May Sunday Festival this year, to host a storytelling workshop in the wood. The pupils of the local primary school, and members of the Monday Club are delighted with the idea of talking about when I was your age. Pupils at the Primary school, St. Fergals, loved the idea, adds Jessica. We visited the school and told them all about Noelles workshop in a nice way. It is an opportunity to create a special social event and to let young people inspire older people and vice-versa. Members of the Monday Club were sold on the idea. The older people in the village were very interested and amused at the idea of talking about when I was your age, says Jessica. We all think it is a charming way to interact with different generations. School kids imagining life in 60 years time in a different world will be fascinating. How will pupils attend school then? Will they fly? They possibly may go to school by other modes of transport? Will they go by spaceship? says Jessica, laughing. The whole concept of talking about when I was your age invites using imagination and honing storytelling skills. Greywood Arts have an amazing line-up of gorgeous festivities for all ages, and all free. Storytelling is part of our history and is a big part our heritage says Noelle. See the programme at http//greywoodarts.org/may-sunday A FARMER whose careless driving of a tractor and trailer caused life-changing injuries for a motorcyclist faced sentencing for the offence yesterday. John Lordan, aged 23, of Lissacroneen, Ballineen, Co Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to the charge of careless driving causing serious harm to the other man near both of their homes at Derriga West, Ballineen. Judge John Martin noted the extremely Christian view of the injured man whose life had been affected so seriously. The injured party said he had no ill will towards the driver of the tractor and hoped that no sentence would inhibit him going forward as he is a young man starting out in life and did not intend harm to come to anyone that day. Sergeant Ruairi Gunn testified that the injuries sustained by the motorcyclist on June 15, 2021, resulted in his hospitalisation for 51 days with head injuries and numerous other injuries. The long-distance motorcyclist struggles with the fact that he is no longer able to engage fully in what was a passionate interest for him. He has travelled through Europe, India, and Africa by motorbike and was left to consider the fact that his life-changing injuries were sustained only a few miles from his home. He feels he will never truly be himself again. Judge Martin said a prison sentence would not be appropriate in the case where there were a number of mitigating factors and an absence of aggravating ones. One aggravating factor you cannot get away from is the consequences of your carelessness for the injured party, he said. The judge also acknowledged that there was no doubt the effect of the incident on the defendant also who was fully remorseful. Judge Martin said that in all the circumstances, a 3,000 fine was appropriate. FINANCE Minister and Cork South Central TD Michael McGrath wished councillors and other candidates well for the forthcoming local elections and hinted that the Dail election wouldnt be more than a number of months later. The minister spoke yesterday at a gathering of past and present councillors, political figures, and community leaders to mark the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Cork County Council. In his address, Mr McGrath, himself a former elected member, spoke about the centrality of local government in the functioning of Irish democracy and referred to the role the council played in tumultuous periods such as the War of Independence, the Civil War, and the founding of the Free State. He also referred to more recent periods of national trauma in which the council played a vital role. What a time it must have been to chart out the future of the County of Cork we owe all of those in those early days an enormous debt of gratitude for the work that they did, said Mr McGrath. We will all remember those dark days of the pandemic of covid-19, we saw the very best of Cork County Council in modern times when it harnessed that incredible wealth of resources we have at community level and through the Community Call initiative they brought together such a strong community network which was needed to guide the country through those very dark days I want to acknowledge and thank Cork County Council for that leadership role. He also referred to the councils role in helping businesses through rates waivers, restart grants, and other initiatives. They did a remarkable job during that period of time, he said. While there was an abundance of crested creme buns to be washed down with nothing stronger than tea or coffee for guests, there were also other goodies and a hint of something more substantial revealed in the finance ministers address. Tomorrow at Cabinet, my colleague, Housing and Local Government Minister Darragh OBrien, will bring a memo proposing the extension of the development charges waiver and the connection to Uisce Eireann fee waiver because that really helped to stimulate supply. He also acknowledged that the road network was under real strain a topic which has dominated the agendas of recent meetings of the council. Weve had such a prolonged period of bad weather, were still in recovery mode since Storm Babet and all the damage that was done, and we are discussing at national level, at Government level, what more can we do to help you youre a great council for spending money on road and infrastructure, he said. His Cork South Central Dail colleague and former fellow Cabinet minister Simon Coveney recalled his own brief three-year stint in Cork County Council. I was unusual, in fact, as I got elected to the Dail first and then decided to stand because a lot of people said that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and I wanted to prove I was both interested and committed, he said. Paying tribute to the late Fine Gael councillor Gerard Murphy, whose passing was also commented upon by Mr McGrath, and the volunteer efforts of many in the room, Mr Coveney told all those committed to public life that it was important to remember that politics was a force for good in Ireland, in society. Politicians dont always get things right, senior management in local government dont always get things right but they are driven by a positive mindset, to improve peoples lives, to provide opportunity for people and to try to ensure that the community they leave behind when they leave politics is a stronger, more positive, more progressive one than when they came in. Earlier during the council meeting, County Mayor Frank OFlynn had described as a privilege the opportunity to serve alongside dedicated councillors, committed staff, and a vibrant community of this great county of Cork. 125 years ago, a vision was set out by our predecessors to establish a local government that would serve the people of this great county of Cork with integrity, fairness and, above all, progress. Today, as we look back on our great history, we can probably say that their vision has not only endured but flourished. Council chief executive Valerie OSullivan said that local government was at the heart of peoples lives. It works closer to them and for them than any other arm of the State. It is also close to the hearts of those who work here, elected members and the executive, driving us to make a difference in the places we serve for the people we serve and we do that every day together in ways seen and unseen. Crews from Cork City Fire Brigade have responded to a bin lorry fire on the Lee Road. Four units from Anglesea St and Ballyvolane attended the scene after the alarm was raised shortly after 8am this morning. A spokesperson for Cork City Fire Brigade told The Echo that the fire began in the rubbish compartment of the lorry. Burnty Bin lorry currently being dealt with by @CorkCityFire at Lee road. #cork pic.twitter.com/TkeeOYIuIx Save Our Bride Otters (@savebrideotters) April 23, 2024 There were no injuries as a result of the incident and the fire has been extinguished. The road was closed for a time but has since been reopened and the vehicle has been removed. DISABILITIES Minister Anne Rabbitte has called for the Progressing Disabilities Services (PDS) model to be retired by the next government. This will be Fianna Fails position going into the next general election, and does not necessarily reflect the plans of the HSE or Department of Health. Ms Rabbittes comments came after Tanaiste Micheal Martin called for a new approach to therapies, citing lengthy waiting times for access. Speaking at the Fianna Fail ard fheis earlier this month, Mr Martin said: A core part of this is to provide new, multi-disciplinary therapy teams based in schools, starting with special schools. PDS, for children and young people, reconfigured childrens disability services five years ago, doing the exact opposite of the Tanaistes statement above. The new model saw clinicians, such as occupational therapists, speech-and-language therapists, and physios removed from schools and placed on childrens disability network teams (CDNTs). The aim of CDNTs was to provide multidisciplinary therapy services to children in need in their communities and local areas. However, the decision to remove therapists from schools was met with a backlash from parents and principals alike, and, in September 2021, Ms Rabbitte pledged to return therapists to special schools across Ireland. Also speaking at the Fianna Fail ard fheis in April 2024, the minister admitted this has proved to be more difficult than anticipated. She also highlighted difficulties in getting CDNTs and the PDS model working effectively. The HSE has struggled to get its childrens disability network teams on a stable footing. It would be disingenuous to say otherwise, Ms Rabbitte stated. The Progressing Disability Services programme was brought in under the last government without the scaffolding required to make it work. Having met numerous families, providers, clinicians, and the HSE at various levels, Ive been working non-stop to retrospectively fix it. Looking to the future, Fianna Fail can only but commit to permanently changing the direction of travel for childrens services. The status quo is not working as intended. One of the key mistakes made was the removal of therapists from special schools. This should not have happened, she added. Since 2021, Ive secured funding to reverse this, but it is taking longer than I would like to get the clinicians back in the schools where they need to be. Im currently finalising a pilot to be launched this year, which will see special schools given a grant to hire therapists themselves, giving them a secure and stable service for their pupils. In the next government, I would like to see this initiative stood up nationally and the broader PDS programme retired, as we work towards a school-centred therapy programme. The PDS programme is correct to say that parents play a key role, but we cannot ignore the simple fact that children spend most of their days in schools. Thats largely where children should be supported. And thats regardless of whether mainstream or special school status. An advisor for the minister told The Echo that Ms Rabbittes comments are in the context of what the party position will be in a general-election campaign. Anne Rabbitte, the disabilities minister, has admitted that the removal of therapists from schools was unwise. Picture: Moya Nolan As the Tanaiste said in his televised ard fheis speech, the aim would be to move towards a school-based model of therapy provision, the advisor stated. Having worked at the forefront of disabilities, Minister Rabbitte recognises the fact that children spend most of their time in schools, so we should be going where the children are. It would also bolster the ability to support teachers in the classroom. Some work had been done in this space through the Department of Educations School Inclusion Model pilot. To establish this approach, the PDS model would need to be retired over a period to ensure a smooth transition, the advisor added. In the more immediate term, the minister is currently finalising the establishment of a pilot where special schools would receive funding through the HSE to hire therapists to support the children attending the school. The minister hopes to have this over the line next month. Cork Parents Unite (CPU), a group of parents advocating for their children with additional needs who attend special schools in Cork, welcomed the ministers comments. Minister Rabbitte has listened to the concerns of CPU and has committed to changing the failing model of PDS, which removed therapists from special schools, and to provide grants to schools to directly employ therapists, a spokesperson for the group said. This is hugely welcome. CPU would like our schools Carrigaline Community Special School and Rochestown Community Special School to be part of the pilot programme Minister Rabbitte referred to. Being part of this pilot programme, we hope will be the first steps taken to address the failures of the PDS model. For CPU, the removal of therapists from special schools has been the biggest failure of this model and one which has had a devastating impact on our children, the spokesperson added. We are optimistic, but very cautious, due to the length of time it has taken to get to this stage. When full-time therapists walk through the doors of our schools, to provide one to one therapy for our children, then it will be a day of significance. Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould described Ms Rabbittes comments as shocking, and said her admissions highlight the need for a general election now. She makes clear that they introduced a plan with no substance and no real funding behind it, Mr Gould claimed. If, after four years with responsibility, the minister feels that Progressing Disability Services must be retired, then surely children should not be forced to wait a further 11 months for a general election before this happens. Children are now being failed by this government right now and the minister admits that, he added. He highlighted how Ms Rabbitte said the previous government did not put the scaffolding in place to support the PDS plan. She admits this catastrophic handling has failed children. Yet four days before she gave this speech, she voted for the man who was in charge of that failed introduction to become Taoiseach. Simon Harris was the senior minister in charge, who failed to put the scaffolding in place and Minister Rabbitte voted for him to become the head of government. I cannot wrap my head around that. The minister tries to lay a lot of blame on the HSE and they are, without a doubt, deserving of some. If the minister has a new plan, why say it has to be delayed for 11 months? If that new plan is more than an election slogan, if its more than just an attempt to hide from four years of failings, then the minister should stop the delays and support calls for a general election now. Deliberations have now been going on for almost 10 hours in the case against two young men accused of murdering a 29-year-old man in Carrigaline at Christmas of 2022. Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford asked for the jury to be brought back to court this afternoon and registrar Ruth Penny asked them if they had reached a verdict on which all of them agreed or on which at least ten of them agreed. It emerged that so far no verdict of any kind has been reached. The six women and six men of the jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork have now been deliberating for a total of exactly nine hours and 54 minutes. They were asked to return to court at 11am tomorrow to continue with those deliberations. This will be the 12th day of the trial. 21-year-old Ricardo Hoey of 7 Ardcarrig, Carrigaline, County Cork, and 19-year-old Jordan Deasy of 41 Ravensdale, Heron's Wood, both pleaded not guilty to the single charge against them, namely that on December 28, 2022 at Glenwood Estate, Carrigaline, County Cork, they did murder 29-year-old Matt ONeill, contrary to common law. Ms Justice Lankford said that the jury should approach the case as effectively being two separate trials and that in each one there were three possible verdicts open to them; guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter or not guilty. Psychiatrists for the prosecution and defence both agreed that the 43-year-old Carrigaline man accused of murdering his brother and attempting to murder his father was in an an acute psychotic state as a result of schizophrenic illness at the time. This evidence was presented in a case where the issue the jury will have to decide is whether the accused man is not guilty by reason of insanity. Today they heard evidence from clinical psychiatrists, Dr Stephen Monks and Dr Jamie Walsh, for the defence and prosecution, respectively, that the accused man, John Murphy jnr was in an acute psychotic state as a result of schizophrenic illness at the time, that his judgement was significantly impaired and he was suffering delusions and hallucinations and had lost touch with reality. Jane Hyland prosecution senior counsel told the jury that in effect there was agreement between the prosecution and defence about the psychiatric evidence in the case. In the course of her address to the jury she said that above anything else this was a family tragedy for the man who lost his life saving his fathers life, for the family who remain and indeed for the accused man himself. 43-year-old John Murphy Jnr of Seaview Avenue, Carrigaline, County Cork, is charged with the murder of his 27-year-old brother, Shane Murphy, and the attempted murder of his father, John Aloysius Weeshie Murphy Snr, who was 75 at the time at the family home on Saturday March 26 2022, contrary to Common Law. Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford will conclude her address to the jury of five women and seven men who will have to decide if the accused man is not guilty by reason of insanity. Detective Garda Ian Breen outlined the background to the events in the early hours of that morning when the accused man stabbed his brother nine times causing his death and stabbed his father multiple times too in attempted murder. When interviewed by gardai the accused man continuously accused gardai of manipulating airwaves in the interview room. He made a series of allegations against several members of his family, all of which gardai believed were without any basis. These included allegations that his life was being threatened. For instance he said that a week earlier the freezer had been defrosted and that the reason for this was because he was going to be killed and his body was going to be put into the freezer. As for placing the knife beside Shanes body in the bedroom, he said: I set up to make it look like Shane killed my dad. I am ashamed of that. As well as the murder and attempted murder charges he is charged with two counts of producing a knife during the incidents. A 40-year-old Cork man who went on a six-week crime spree has been jailed for two years. Judge John Martin said that is how he would categorise the latest crimes committed by Denis Foley who already had 125 previous convictions. The defendants barrister, Emmet Boyle, said the accused had completed courses related to drug rehabilitation and wellbeing but he did have a slip and regressed to criminal activities. The defendant also spoke up at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, saying: I would like to apologise to the victims of the crimes. I didnt mean for anyone to get hurt. I think if I am given a chance by this court I will do more good than harm. Judge Martin said: You sent on a considerable spree of burglaries and knowingly possessing stuff that was not yours. I am taking this as one prolonged spree that went on for six weeks. A sentence of two years and six months was imposed with the last six months suspended. Mr Foley of no fixed address admitted burglary at The Flying Enterprise, Barrack Street, Cork, on June 21 and assault causing harm to a member of staff, by throwing a bottle at him when he was caught at the scene. He also admitted that on June 13 he committed a burglary at a house at Park Villas and another at Kingston Avenue and stole a car at Victoria Road. He further admitted burgling a house at Green Hill, Boreenmanna Road, on June 17 and that on May 11 he was in possession of stolen property. WITNESSES to a road traffic collision in Cork this evening, which resulted in the death of a motorcyclist, are being sought by gardai. The man in his 20s died in the incident involving a motorbike and a van on the outskirts of the northside of Cork city. Gardai, four units from the Cork City Fire Brigade, and a team from the National Ambulance Service attended the scene at Ballinahina, White's Cross. The motorcyclist, understood to be aged 25, received medical treatment at the scene, but was pronounced dead. His body was transported to Cork University Hospital where a postmortem examination expected to take place. No other serious injuries were reported. Speaking to The Echo, Cork City Fire Brigade second officer Victor Shine said: Cork City Fire Brigade attended the scene where medical aid was rendered but unfortunately the casualty was pronounced deceased at the incident. The road remains closed tonight and is expected to remain closed for a period into tomorrow morning as forensic collision investigators conduct an examination of the scene. Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and were travelling in the Ballinahina area between 5:45pm and 6:10pm are asked to make this footage available to Gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Watercourse Road Garda Station on 021 4558260, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. This is the second motorcyclist killed on Cork roads in recent days. On Sunday evening a man in his 60s, named locally as Niall Murphy, from the Wilton Rd, was fatally injured following a single-vehicle collision which occurred at Glen South, Banteer. Kenneth Fox Videos of a protest by some 12 masked men outside Integration Minister Roderic OGormans home that sparked calls for new laws were sensationalised and edited, a garda policing the scene said. The videos, which were widely circulated on social media, were not a true and accurate representation of what happened and were disinformation, said Garda Mark Ferris, Garda Representative Association (GRA) representative for Dublin West. I want to be clear here, the video footage being sensationalised on social media qualify as disinformation in that it only shows a part of what happened, not the full timeline of events, said Garda Ferris ahead of the GRA annual conference, which is due to start in Westport, Co Mayo, on Tuesday. As the Irish Examiner reports, Garda Ferris claimed the placards had been erected before gardai had arrived. When gardai reacted to the situation, protesters were not outside the house. The placards were already there, so there was no arrestable offence there. We directed them to take it away so thats what they did. The protest, which was described as chilling by Taoiseach Simon Harris, has prompted calls for new legislation. The GRA has said that gardai lack personnel, equipment, training, and legislation to adequately police far-right protests, leaving members intimidated and fearing for their safety. GRA president Brendan OConnor said that protests are presenting huge challenges for the force and that the legislation on which gardai rely was drafted at a time when this sort of situation was not envisaged. Its a very complex issue, said Mr OConnor. Our members are struggling to provide a robust response because theyre second-guessing the legislation thats appropriate, and that comes back again to the level of training. Mr OConnor also said that while protests historically took place in city centres near better-resourced Garda stations, now these protests are in every small village and town. You have guards out on regular patrol and then they find themselves in this very hostile environment, very high-pressured. Theyre trying to decide whats appropriate under intense scrutiny, theyre worried about their own safety, theyre being intimidated. Its very challenging. Protests against Israels American-backed genocidal onslaught in Gaza are escalating on campuses across the country. On April 17, students at Columbia University in New York City set up the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, demanding the university divest from Israel and companies that profit off the slaughter. The protest coincided with Columbia President Minouche Shafiks appearance at a Congressional hearing aimed at slandering the Palestine solidarity movement as antisemitic. [Originally published at socialistrevolution.org] The next day, Shafik called in the NYPD. A phalanx of police in riot gear stormed the encampments, arresting over 100 students. The campus hasnt seen this kind of repression since the NYPD violently crushed anti-Vietnam protests in April and May of 1968. Student activists have also faced discipline from the university, including suspensions. This repression has only inspired further action and students continue occupying the campuss South Lawn. On Monday, April 22, Shafik canceled in-person classes and hundreds of teaching staff demonstrated against Shafik and the NYPD raid. Protests are spreading as thousands of students around the country have set up tents of their own. Hours after Shafik moved Columbia online, 47 activists were arrested when cops shut down an encampment at Yale University in Connecticut. They failed to break the will of the students who continue to demonstrate at a nearby intersection. Similar actions have hit the Boston area at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts, and Emerson. Anticipating solidarity protests, Harvards new interim President, Alan Garber, has closed the campus until Friday, April 26, and suspended the Palestine Solidarity Committee. Further demonstrations have hit Brown, Princeton, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Miami University, Ohio State, Northwestern, Temple, CUNY, and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Ivy League unmasked Prestigious Ivy League institutions like Columbia pose as paragons of liberal virtue and free inquiry. Relentless attacks on basic democratic rights in the months since Israels invasion have exposed their hypocritical perfidy. Students and workers have no say over how these institutions are run. Administrators with seven-figure salaries decide everything. In turn, these administrators are the loyal servants of billionaire donors who treat universities as their personal playthings. Back in November, Columbias administration banned pro-Palestine student organizations Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine in the name of protecting Jewish students. In light of events at Columbia, Genocide Joe Biden had this to say: This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerousand it has absolutely no place on college campuses or anywhere in our country. It is profoundly ironic that scores of Jewish students have played a prominent role in the Palestine solidarity movement and have received much of the backlash. One Jewish Columbia student told CNN: Columbia students organizing in solidarity with Palestineincluding Jewish studentshave faced harassment, doxxing, and now arrest by the NYPD. These are the main threats to the safety of Jewish Columbia students Saying that student protesters are a threat to Jewish students is a dangerous smear. Students have turned to encampments and occupations in an effort to escalate the fight against imperialist killing / Image: Shayoni Mitra, TwitterProtests against Israels war on Gaza have nothing to do with hatred of Jews. Young people are sickened by agonizing scenes of parents crying over the lifeless bodies of their children. Official figures show the Israeli regime has massacred over 34,000 people, the vast majority of them women and children. Famine and disease, actively orchestrated by the Zionist state, are spreading rapidly. And how do the imperialist powers respond to this unfathomable suffering? By declaring their unconditional support for Israeland backing their words with billions of dollars. The students disgust is only compounded by the shameful complicity of college administrations, which have launched their own repressive campaigns to complement those of the capitalist state and corporate media. Seven months of marches and demonstrations have failed to end the bloodletting, so students have turned to encampments and occupations in an effort to escalate the fight against imperialist killing. They are not alone. On the same day the NYPD stormed Columbia, 28 Google workers were fired for occupying offices in New York and California in protest against the tech giants assistance to the Israeli military. Only communism can end the horror Israels murderous offensive is one more confirmation of Lenins dictum, Capitalist society is and has always been horror without end. Support for Israel is nearly universal among both Democratic and Republican politicians and in all capitalist institutions because of the vital role Israel plays in helping the American imperialists control the Middle Easts valuable resources and markets. The struggle for Palestinian liberation, which has inspired tens of millions of workers and youth, strikes at the core of American and world capitalism. In the belly of the beast, college campuses have become a central mobilization point for the protest movement, echoing the great upsurge of students and workers against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s. History has proved, more than once, the revolutionary potential of students. But that potential can only be realized when students link up with the working class. In recent days, workers and students have adopted similar tactics but, so far, their efforts are too isolated and uncoordinated to strike a serious blow. A communist party is urgently needed to organize students and workers for a determined struggle to overthrow the bankers and billionaires. When organized, there is no greater force on earth than the working class. Workers alone have the power to shut down production, take the economy in hand, and starve the Israeli war machine. Dockworkers in India, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, and South Africa have shown the way by refusing to handle cargo that might aid Israels genocidal assault. Preparing for a successful socialist revolution in the US is the single greatest step American students and workers can take toward Palestinian liberation. It would also transform educational institutions from forces of oppression into forces for genuine liberty and learning, under the democratic control of students and workers. The only way forward is through the power of the working class, organized into a communist party to overthrow capitalism and imperialism in the US and around the world. Free Palestine! For student-worker solidarity! For socialist internationalism and world revolution! Intifada until victory! By Rebecca Black, PA The potential extension of the Wild Atlantic Way into the North is being considered to attract more tourists to the region. The scenic route currently extends 2,600km from Kinsale in Co Cork, along the west coast taking in the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare, to the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal. Across the Border, the Causeway Coastal Route starts in Derry and travels around the coastline to Belfast. In a speech to a Tourism NI conference in Belfast on Tuesday, Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy also mooted linking up the Hidden Heartlands in the Republic with Co Fermanagh, as well as Downpatrick and Armagh with Irelands Ancient East. The Giants Causeway on the Co Antrim coastline which forms part of the Causeway Coastal Route. Photo: PA. Mr Murphy described tourism as a success story of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and pledged to support its further development. He said Tourism Irelands marketing of the island overseas is critical to further growth, and said that while his departments funding to the body had fallen behind in recent years, it will be properly funded this year. Mr Murphy said that around 70 per cent of overseas holidaymakers who come to Northern Ireland travel from the Republic. There are currently no transatlantic routes which fly into any of the Norths airports. He said in a bid to increase this flow of travellers, discussions are currently under way on extending some of the Republics tourism brands into the North. This will include consideration of rolling the Wild Atlantic Way into the Causeway Coastal Route, the Hidden Heartlands into Fermanagh, and places such as Downpatrick and Armagh in Irelands Ancient East, he said. Northern Ireland Economy Minister Conor Murphy at Parliament Buildings. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA. Mr Murphy also said he met officials on Monday to discuss new research on strengthening air connectivity. I will also work with my colleague, Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald, to continue to make the case to the British government for tourism and hospitality to harmonise the Norths rate of VAT with the South. This will level the playing field across the island, he added. Meanwhile, Mr Murphy warned huge growth potential in tourism is currently threatened by the British governments Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme. Under this scheme international visitors who want to travel to the North from the South will have to apply for, and pay for, permission to travel, he said. The hassle and cost of this will mean many visitors will simply not travel north. This would have a devastating impact and so I will lobby the British government to abandon this policy. Bio-derived LYCRA fibre made with QIRA SPONSORED CONTENT - In a ground-breaking collaboration, the LYCRA Company has teamed up with Qore, a joint venture between Cargill, an expert in agricultural fermentation technologies, and HELM, a German chemical company to enable the worlds first large-scale commercial production of bio-derived elastane. The LYCRA Company invented the worlds first bio-derived elastane in 2014, and now, this patented solution will be available at scale in early 2025. A key ingredient in LYCRA fibre is BDO (1,4-butanediol), which today is produced from fossil-based resources. QIRA is a next-generation BDO made from annually renewable field corn grown in the US state of Iowa. QIRA will help reduce LYCRA fibres environmental footprint and dependence on fossil fuels, without compromising on quality or functionality.. A recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by Ramboll showed that Bio-derived LYCRA fibre made with QIRA has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 44%* versus traditional LYCRA fibre. This product will likewise enable The LYCRA Companys customers, including mills, brands and retailers, to reduce their own product footprints. And it is expected to deliver the same comfort and fit as original LYCRA fibre. The Qore facility at Cargills biotechnology campus and corn refining operation in Eddyville, Iowa, USA, will source most of the field corn from farms within a 100-mile radius of its location. The site will run on nearly 100% wind power and the corn used to make the BDO requires little to no irrigation. Together these factors can help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and water usage, while providing local farmers with a reliable market for their crops. Bio-derived LYCRA fibre made with QIRA can be blended with the same companion fibres used today to make a variety of garments. Wovens, circular knit and warp knit fabrics are all appropriate end uses, as well as hosiery and seamless garments. Brands and retailers will not have to re-engineer fabrics or patterns or processes because bio-derived LYCRA fibre will deliver equivalent performance, eliminating the need for any significant production changes. We are seeing a lot of interest across the globe from the leading brands and retailers we work with who are focused on finding sustainable solutions to help them achieve their own sustainability goals, said Nicolas Banyols, Chief Commercial Officer. Collaborating with Qore to accelerate the transition to renewable resources is not only exciting for the LYCRA Company but also important our customers. The LYCRA Company estimates that up to 30% of its current annual production will be replaced with the renewable QIRA ingredient. Bio-derived LYCRA fibre will be available at scale in early 2025, with test product available now. To learn more about this sustainable solution, visit lycra.com/qira. (Photos: Courtesy WCC)The abducted archbishops of Aleppo, bishop Boulod Yaziji and Mor Gregorious Youhanna Ibrahim. The World Council of Churches, in its morning prayers on April 22, focused on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, solemnly marking the 11th anniversary of the abduction of archbishops of Aleppo. The archbishops, Mor Gregorious Youhanna Ibrahim and Bishop Boulod Yaziji, were abducted on their way back from the Turkish border to their city of Aleppo. The capital of the Aleppo Governorate, Aleppo, is the most populous governorate of Syria. For more than a decade, there have been ongoing calls for the release of the church leaders. Aleppo suffered massive destruction between 2012 and 2016 during the Syrian civil war when the city was at the center of major clashes between Syrian government forces and the opposition according to the Getty Center. The WCC prayer asked for their comfort and that of their churches. "We pray too for the liberation of all clergy and people of faith, who are held captive all over the world, that they are freed for the glory of your name," people prayed at the WCC. "Grant rest where the righteous repose to the souls of all who have died as martyrs of the faith." As part of the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, the WCC and people worldwide prayed with and for the people and churches of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Nino Sadzaglishvili, a student at the WCC's Ecumenical Institute at Bossey from the Georgian Orthodox Church, offered a reflection. She explored how biblical shepherds, when caring for their flocks, were not practicing a passive form of lovebut an active one. "The laying down of the soul, the crucifixion, and the resurrection are voluntary, redemptive works of the Lord, just as the creation of the whole world is a work of love!" she said. "Active love = this is what the modern world needs." Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; it may have been inhabited since the sixth millennium BC, according to Wikipedia. More than 80 percent of Aleppo's inhabitants are Sunni Muslims, says the website. They are mainly Syrian Arabs, followed by Turkmens and Kurds. Other Muslim groups include small numbers of ethnic Circassians, Chechens, Albanians, Bosniaks, Greeks and Bulgarians. Until the beginning of the Battle of Aleppo in 2012, the city contained one of the largest Christian communities in the Middle East. There were many Oriental Orthodox Christian congregations, mainly Armenians and Assyrians (locally known as Syriacs). Historically, the city was the main center of French Catholic missionaries in Syria.[162] The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle takes the WCC through every region of the world over a year. Praying for each place on earth and its people at least once a year, the WCC affirms its solidarity with Christians all over the world, living in diverse situations, experiencing diverse problems and sharing diverse gifts. Aleppo lies about 120 kilometers (75 miles) inland from the Mediterranean Sea, on a plateau 380 meters (1,250 feet) above sea level, 45 km (28 miles) east of the Syrian-Turkish border checkpoint of Bab al-Hawa. The city is surrounded by farmlands from the north and the west, widely cultivated with olive and pistachio trees. To the east, Aleppo approaches the dry areas of the Syrian Desert. Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . If you're in the market for a new mechanical keyboard with some retro flair, here's a deal worth noting: the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is down to $70 at Amazon subsidiary Woot. That's the lowest price we've tracked. This offer has been live for a few days, but it comes in $30 below 8BitDo's list price and $10 below the wireless keyboard's previous low. Unfortunately, the deal only applies to the device's Fami Edition, which has a color scheme and Japanese characters inspired by the Famicom console Nintendo released in Japan during the '80s. 8BitDo sells another variant that's modeled after the US NES, but that one costs $20 more as of this writing. (A third model based on the Commodore 64 is also on the way.) Though it isn't a formal pick in our guide to the best mechanical keyboards, the Retro Mechanical Keyboard earned a spot in our retro gaming gift guide last year. The vintage aesthetic is the main reason to consider it: If you dig old tech, there aren't many options going for this kind of look. Still, this is a solid keyboard in its own right. Its tenkeyless form factor should be comfortable for most people, and it can connect over Bluetooth, a wireless dongle or a detachable USB-C cable. While it's made from plastic, the chassis doesn't come off as cheap. Its PBT keycaps are crisply textured, and its keys largely feel stable, with no major rattling on larger inputs like the space bar. It also comes with a goofy yet fun pair of NES-style "Super Buttons," which you can program to perform different commands. Be warned, though: It's on the louder side. The Retro Mechanical Keyboard ships with clicky Kailh Box White V2 switches, which are generally satisfying to press but have a high-pitch tone that your spouse or coworkers may find aggravating. This fits with the retro aesthetic, but the keyboard might be best kept tucked away in a home office. There's also no backlight or adjustable feet. The switches are hot-swappable, however, so it's easy to change them out for a different feel down the road. In the end, how much you enjoy the old-school styling will determine whether the Retro Mechanical Keyboard is worth getting. If you want something a little more subdued that costs less than $100, we recommend Keychron's V Max series in our buying guide. But 8BitDo's board is still a decent value, and this discount only furthers that. Woot says the offer will run for six more days or until the device sells out. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. Councilwoman Sharon Tucker was elected Saturday as the new mayor of Indiana's second most populated city, and has officially been sworn into office. Tucker, who will become the first Black leader of Fort Wayne, fills the shoes of the late mayor, Tom Henry, who died in March after a medical emergency related to stomach cancer. He was 72. The democrat will become the second woman to serve as mayor, being selected in the second round of voting during a democratic caucus, achieving 50% of votes plus one, or 47 minimum. The first Fort Wayne mayor was Cosette Simon. According to the Associated Press, she served 11 days as mayor in 1985 after Winfield Moses resigned as part of a plea agreement involving alleged campaign finance violations. Simon's term ended when Moses replaced himself after winning a party mayoral caucus. RELATED: ENSTARZ EXCLUSIVE: Bun B Talks 'Leading By Example' At 'Hip-Hop And The White House' Premiere "Now you've entrusted in me a heavy job, and it doesn't weigh light on my shoulders," Tucker explained to the excited crowd. "I know that I have a lot of responsibility, and I'm going to need every single one of you." Although the mayor is taking time to celebrate, she's also staying focused on continuing the success of the city and keeping her eyes on communities and improving the lives of residents. RELATED: ENSTARZ EXCLUSIVE: What 'Hip-Hop And The White House' Producer Jordan Benston Wants Artists Of 2024 To Know "The biggest thing that I'm concerned about is making sure that we are moving our city forward, continuing the success that we've seen from Mayor Henry, making sure that we are keeping our eye on our communities so that we can improve the quality of life for all of our residents," she explained. "And that part right now is probably the most important thing to me. And it is a little exciting to be the first lady mayor of the city for more than 11 days." According to the news outlet, Timothy Barbour, Tucker's husband, was overcome with joy following the results of the election. He also makes history as the city's first, first gentleman. The new mayor is a proud member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, AVOW (Advancing Voices of Women) and the NAACP, a press release from the city of Fort Wayne wrote. She "has also volunteered on the board of directors for the Allen County Public Library, Alliance Health Clinic, and SEED." Tucker is also a graduate of Indiana Tech, with two Bachelors of Science degrees in Management and Human Resources. Melania Trump is selling accessories for Mother's Day, but her new business venture has received mixed responses from the netizens. The former first lady is marking this year's Mother's Day by honoring and celebrating moms with the "Her Love & Gratitude" necklace. Melania announced the item on social media. "Let's honor and celebrate all mothers with love and gratitude," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, along with the link to the product. Lets honor and celebrate all mothers with love and gratitude. https://t.co/ESihnAQ8kg pic.twitter.com/Nj3IKfwzG1 MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) April 21, 2024 The grift never stops with this family. Melania Trump selling Mothers Day necklaces for $245. pic.twitter.com/VHvCwxDKgB Mike Sington (@MikeSington) April 21, 2024 Being a mother is one of the most important roles in life. For this Mothers Day, I have designed the Her Love & Gratitude necklace to express immense gratitude and honor all mothers, Trump also said of her new product in a statement obtained by The Hill over the weekend. According to Melania's website, the product is a customizable necklace designed by the ex-FLOTUS to honor moms. The 1-inch pendant can be engraved with names, initials, or significant dates for a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. It also comes with a 16- to 20-inch adjustable chain in gold vermeil. Each necklace also features Melania's signature. Those who will purchase the necklace will also receive a limited-edition digital collectible. However, not everyone was impressed by Melania's item. Several even criticized it for being too expensive. "The grift never stops with this family. Melania Trump selling Mother's Day necklaces for $245," wrote Mike Sington, a former senior executive at NBCUniversal and Hollywood insider. Another added, "She's grifting $245 dollars for this tiny necklace and pendant, and it's not even real gold." "And it's tacky. Looks cheaply made. But I wouldn't expect anything else from her. No thanks," a third person opined. "Jesus Christ. You filthy gold-digging grifter!" a fourth person commented on Melania's tweet. Despite the backlash, several netizens defended Donald Trump's wife and expressed their support for her. "We honor and love YOU, Melania," one commented. Another remarked, "God Bless you, Melania. Mothers should be Celebrated always.... We love our Mothers." "Absolutely! Mother's Day is a wonderful opportunity to honor and celebrate all mothers with love and gratitude," a third person agreed. "Agree, let us all hold hands and celebrate all mothers with love and gratitude!! Thank you, Melania," a fourth user opined. Melania's Mother's Day-inspired accessory comes months after her mom, Amalija Knavs, passed away in January. The ex-FLOTUS was very close to the latter. She announced her mother's death on social media and paid tribute to her mom as she mourned her passing. "It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija," Melania wrote on X. "Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy." NASA engineers have successfully received decipherable data from Voyager 1 for the first time in five months by devising a creative solution to address a communication issue on humanity's farthest spacecraft in the cosmos. Voyager 1, now positioned approximately 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) away from Earth and at the ripe age of 46, has exhibited various anomalies and signs of aging in recent years. The ordeal began in November 2023 when Voyager 1's telemetry modulation unit, responsible for transmitting data, started sending out a repetitive and incomprehensible code pattern. Typically, Voyager 1's flight data system compiles information from its scientific instruments along with engineering data to indicate its operational status. This data is transmitted to Earth in binary code, consisting of ones and zeroes. Since November, Voyager 1's flight data system has been trapped in a repetitive cycle, rendering the transmitted signal devoid of any meaningful data. Despite this, the probe has maintained a consistent radio signal connection with mission control on Earth. However, on April 20, the mission team finally received coherent data regarding Voyager 1's engineering systems, marking the first successful transmission of usable information in five months. Preliminary assessments suggest that Voyager 1 remains in good health and is functioning as intended. "Today was a great day for Voyager 1," remarked Linda Spilker, Voyager project scientist at JPL, in a statement on Saturday. "We're back in communication with the spacecraft. And we look forward to getting science data back." A breakthrough occurred through a clever process of trial and error, unraveling a mystery that ultimately led the trouble shooters to a single chip. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and according to actor Giancarlo Esposito, those measures included staging his own death to stay afloat. Per Variety, before the 'Breaking Bad' actor landed the role of Gus Fring, he considered arranging his own murder so that his children could have financial protection via his life insurance money. Esposito appeared on an episode of Sirius XM's 'Jim & Sam' where he detailed how he thought of the extreme measure prior to his iconic role in 2008, explaining that he "started scheming." RELATED: Alec Baldwin Often 'Loses Control' On Set, May Have Contributed To Fatal Safety Compromises: Prosecutor "My way out in my brain was, 'Hey, do you get life insurance if someone commits suicide? Do they get the bread?' My wife had no idea why I was asking this stuff...I started scheming," Esposito, 65, began. giancarlo esposito says that before he was cast as gus fring, he was severely broke and contemplated arranging his own murder to ensure his children would receive life insurance money. the light at the end of the tunnel was breaking bad video credits jimandsamshow pic.twitter.com/3FDEfNleSi (@alilmoonn) April 19, 2024 "If I got somebody to knock me off...death by misadventure, [my kids] would get the insurance. I had four kids. I wanted them to have a life. It was a hard moment in time," the actor revealed. "I literally thought of self-annihilation so they could survive. That's how low I was." RELATED: ENSTARZ EXCLUSIVE: What 'Hip-Hop And The White House' Producer Jordan Benston Wants Artists Of 2024 To Know The actor's concerns came just about a year before the award-winning TV drama series 'Breaking Bad' would undeniably change his life for the better, walking him into additional roles including 'The Mandalorian' (2019) and 'The Gentleman' (2019). "Then I started to think that's not viable because the pain I would cause them would be lifelong, and there'd be lifelong trauma that would just extend the generational trauma I'm trying to move away from," the Denmark native told Variety. "The light at the end of the tunnel was 'Breaking Bad.' " Today, Esposito, who made his acting debut on Broadway at the ripe age of eight in the play 'Maggie Flynn,' has won NAACP Image Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and Drama Desk Awards, in addition to 53 combined award nominations. Scientists led by Max Planck Institute and the Philipps University in Marburg have discovered the first fractal molecule found in nature partly using X-rays at the ESRF. The microbial enzyme spontaneously assembles into a pattern known as the Sierpinski triangle. Their research is published in Nature. From the jagged coastline to the delicate fern leaf or the romesco broccoli, fractals are mesmerising shapes that defy conventional geometry and are present at the macroscale in our natural world. They possess infinite detail, generated through iterative processes or mathematical equations. This is a story about fractals, but it doesnt start with fractals. Georg Hochberg, evolutionary biologist at Max-Planck Institut, had never worked in fractals but instead was studying the arrangement of protein subunits that form a functional enzyme complex (called quaternary assembly) to understand in what way -if any- such arrangements contribute to function. Romesco broccoli is a typical example of fractals in nature at the macroscale. We picked a microbial enzyme called citrate synthase from the cyanobacterium, which is a very simple system because it always does the same thing, explains Hochberg, corresponding author of the paper. The enzyme, present in most organisms catalyses the first step of the Krebs cycle, a metabolic pathway that most organisms use to break down nutrients such as sugars. Normally citrate synthases form relatively small and symmetrical assemblies. However, when Hochberg and his colleagues studied this protein using the technique of mass photometry, which weighs molecules with light, they realised that the molecule was unusually big. They subsequently used Cryo-EM and discovered that it self-assembled into a pattern that resembled a famous fractal form the Sierpinski triangle. This triangle is a geometric pattern that starts with an equilateral triangle and recursively removes smaller triangles from its centre. From the Cryo-EM data, they could observe that the molecule could go up to the second level of the Sierpinski triangle, but they couldnt see any further than that due to the limitations of the technique. In addition, when trying to put together the high resolution structure using Artificial Intelligence (AI), they found themselves stuck because AI classifies and finds repeating patterns in the data. And so AI gets really confused by fractals because it finds smaller structures and bigger structures, so the team had to manually assemble the data. SAXS to see beyond Cryo-EM In order to overcome the limitations of Cryo-EM, the team turned to Small Angle X-ray Scattering at the ESRFs beamline BM29. This technique doesnt solve the structure, but it tells you about the sizes, so we could show that these assemblies could replicate further in a pattern of continuous growth, at least part of which we strongly suspect they are Sierpinski triangles, says Hochberg. The ESRF was very important because it helped us show that these assemblies can keep growing infinitely, he adds. For Mark Tully, beamline scientist at BM29, the experiment on fractals was a first: I was intrigued when Georg discussed his experiment, having never measured a fractal molecule before. Then when I saw the SAXS patterns of the fractal shapes and how they assembled, I was amazed. Harmless evolutionary accident Do these fractals accomplish any function? The very large assemblies we discovered with ESRF would have trouble fitting into a bacterium, so we think they are probably non-physiological, but we initially thought the smaller fractals might have a use, says Hochberg. This was because the scientists found that when the enzyme is assembled into these fractal forms, it cant really catalyze the reaction it needs to catalyze, suggesting fractal assembly might regulate activity. But the scientists could not find any evidence that this regulation was in anyway important to the bacteria. Instead, the fractals may simply be a harmless quirk. In cyanobacteria citrate synthase is only needed during the day when they are photosynthesizing, but the fractals assemble only at night. During the day, the solution conditions in the cytoplasm of this organism are such that these assemblies fall apart, and the enzyme can dissociate into its active form. It is plausible that the fractals could be a kind of harmless evolutionary accident, adds Hochberg. Hochberg is enthusiastic about the follow-up of this research: Protein engineers have tried making protein Sierpinski fractals and declared them unofficially as unengineerable, but now that we know that this protein broke some rules that we thought were universal for how proteins assemble, theres a question as to what else you might be able to build, what kind of 2D materials you can make if you're allowed to break these rules. This could potentially lead to synthesis of systems that might have interesting material properties. Reference: Sendker, F.L., Lo, Y.K., Heimerl, T. et al. Emergence of fractal geometries in the evolution of a metabolic enzyme. Nature (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07287-2 Text by Montserrat Capellas Espuny. Getting a bug bite can be a creepy experience, especially if you dont know what tiny creature left you with that red, throbbing welt on your skin. Dont panic. Most bug bites and stings from common insects are harmless and heal quickly. But some bug bites and stings, like those from fire ants, wasps, hornets, and bees, may cause intense pain or even a serious allergic reaction. Others, like poisonous spider bites, require immediate emergency medical care. Symptoms of bug bites provide clues to the cause and severity. For example, most bug bites cause red bumps with pain, itching, or burning. Some bug bites also feature blisters or welts. Here are some common bug bite clues: Bedbugs leave a small bite mark on the skin that is red and itchy or, in rare cases, causes a serious allergic reaction. Bee stings cause a red skin bump with white around it. Flea bites leave an itchy welt on the skin, often on the ankles and legs. Mosquitoes leave a raised, itchy pink skin bump or, in rare cases, a severe allergic reaction. Spider bites cause minor symptoms like red skin, swelling, and pain at the site, or very serious symptoms that need emergency care. Ticks can carry Lyme disease, and their bite leaves a rash that looks like an expanding bulls-eye. RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Bug Bites and Disease Most bug bites are transmitted directly from the insect and occur outdoors. Two exceptions are bedbugs (tiny mites that live in and near beds) and lice, which spread through contact with an infected person, a comb, or clothing. Certain bug bites can also spread illnesses, such as Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, Dengue fever, and yellow fever (all transmitted by mosquitoes); Lyme disease (from ticks); Rocky Mountain spotted fever (from dogs or wood ticks); and Chagas disease (from a blood-sucking insect known as a kissing bug). If you have known allergies to bug bites, talk with your physician about emergency care. Some people with severe allergies to bug bites need to have allergy medicine, including epinephrine (such as an EpiPen), with them always. No matter what type of bug bite you have, it is good to know what bit you. Learning to identify a bug bite by how it looks and feels will help you know whether to treat the bug bite at home or seek immediate medical care. Here are 13 bug bites and what they look like: U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged Monday that the countrys first deportation flights to Rwanda could leave in 10-12 weeks as he promised to end the Parliamentary deadlock over a key policy promise before an election expected later this year. AHDB has announced it is participating in a promotional campaign in France to help drive demand for British lamb among younger French consumers. The levy board is partnering with Interbev the National Interprofessional of Livestock and Meat in France to deliver the Lets Change Lamb campaign in northern France. The new campaign aims to upskill butchers and focus on smaller cuts to help drive demand among younger French consumers. According to trade figures, France imports more than 50 percent of lamb consumed in the country. It is the UKs largest market for lamb, with exports of sheep meat in 2023 increasing by 23% in value on the year to 292m and 23% in volume 45,000 tonnes. The campaign will provide AHDBs team in France with the platform to further promote English lamb in a key market. A series of events will be held in the region over the next year, including seminars on how to maximise carcase value and adopting innovative merchandising techniques, as well as education on seam butchery to help improve yield. Around 50 butchers in Hauts de France - a region in northern France - sell St George-branded English lamb, a region which is also home to some major importers of English lamb. Lucille Brillaud, AHDB France marketing and communication manager, said the UK was a critical supplier of lamb to the French market. However, 77% of lamb consumed in France is eaten by the over 50s and which is why Lets Change Lamb is so important in repositioning it to help unlock demand among younger consumers. "As part of that it is important for butchers to change the cuts they are offering to align with meal solutions for modern tastes. Meat consumption in Hauts de France is strong and we are delighted to be partnering with Interbev on the next phase of its campaign which we hope will continue to drive demand for English lamb. Co-op has announced it will move to 100 percent British strawberries across its entire own brand range, becoming the first UK retailer to do so. The supermarket chain will offer only British fresh strawberries across its offering in all 2,400 UK stores and online. It said the move was part of its commitment to back British farmers and growers more following difficult weather conditions this year. Growers in Kent, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Hereford provide the convenience retailer with strawberries. Elizabeth Orme, fruit buyer at Co-op, said: "We're looking forward to offering our members and customers the finest homegrown strawberries earlier than ever. "Our partnership with local growers ensures great quality and supports British produce, helping to contribute to the growth of the local farming community which is something were passionate about." It comes as seven of the UKs major retailers have responded to a call to back the nations farmers by adding buy British tabs to their websites. Tesco is the latest national supermarket to join the campaign, after it recently launched a Best of British section to its website. Other supermarkets who have taken up the call to back Britains farmers include Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons, Aldi, Ocado and the Co-op. Labour has announced it will establish a rural crime strategy after warning that farmers and others were being hit by 'organised crime, rural theft and antisocial behaviour'. The party made the announcement today (23 April), pledging to 'protect' countryside communities and to 'stamp out' crime and disorder in those areas. The strategy would see a rise in rural police patrols, tougher measures to fight antisocial behaviour and stronger laws to prevent on-farm crimes and fly-tipping. According to Labour-commissioned research, rural crime has increased by 32% since 2011 compared to 24% for urban areas. Farming groups have frequently warned that rural communities do not feel adequately protected against criminals and organised crime gangs. Theft of large and small machinery, fly-tipping, dog attacks on livestock and hare coursing continue to blight farming communities. As a result, rural crime cost the UK 49.5 million in 2022, according to the latest figures by NFU Mutual. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said today: Our countryside towns and villages are part of our national identity, but also home to millions. "My Labour party knows the challenges they face, including crime rates surging faster than in urban areas, with organised crime, rural theft and antisocial behaviour blighting communities. As chief prosecutor I got to know all corners of our country, and committed to delivering justice for people in all communities. "With my changed Labour Party, Britains rural communities will be protected with the first ever government-backed rural crime strategy. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said it 'warmly welcomes' Labour's strategy pledge as it was "needed to protect people, communities and businesses". "Criminals are often emboldened by the isolation of rural communities," explained CLA President, Victoria Vyvyan. "As a result, rural crime is anything but petty, and it often comes with the explicit threat of violence from thugs linked to organised criminal gangs. "Expensive machinery is being stolen and moved abroad, hare-coursing is being live-streamed for illegal international betting markets, even crimes many thought of as being a thing of the past - such as sheep rustling - are increasingly common. "The first place to start must surely be ending the chronic underfunding of rural police forces." NFU Scotland has written to Scottish government with short and medium term asks against the backdrop of one of the most challenging springs on record. The union has called for numerous measures and interventions, including a temporary suspension of all farm-based inspection requirements, as well as the return of 46m of funds to Scotland's agriculture portfolio. Agricultural businesses, and the many businesses upstream and downstream that rely on them, continue to suffer as a result of sustained cold and wet weather. The letter points out that lambing and calving have been extremely challenging, and that losses, late turnout and additional feeding requirements have resulted in significant pressures. In the arable sectors, it warns that cereals and oilseeds businesses have been unable to get spring sown crops established. Winter sown crops have struggled so badly in some locations that they have been written off and will need resown, the letter says. And other routine but highly time-dependent tasks, such as fertiliser and plant protection product applications, have not been completed. NFU Scotland says this will result in yield and financial losses come harvest time, while "again, creating physical and financial pressures". The union's president Martin Kennedy writes: It is obvious that every agricultural business must adapt and build resilience in the face of more extreme and less predictable weather. In helping to achieve that, we consider that the Scottish government can and should act in the short and medium term to protect, then enhance our unique role in the provision of food and public goods. What is the union asking for? In the short term, NFU Scotland is asking for: A temporary suspension of all farm-based inspection requirements A pragmatic approach to enforcement of environmental regulations, including elements of the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC), the Diffuse Pollution General Binding Rules (GBRs) and the requirements of Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZs) Action Plans. A temporary derogation from Ecological Focus Area (EFA) Fallow requirements under Greening rules. A review of the the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (the CARs) to allow proactive water course management to protecting agricultural land from flooding risks. The creation of beaver exclusion zones on very productive agricultural land protected by floodbanks. In the medium term, it is asking for: The return of 46m of still outstanding uncommitted funds to the Agriculture and Rural Economy (ARE) portfolio. Of which, 40m be returned as resource via a top up to Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening payments - equating to a pro rata top up of approximately 9.5% which could be delivered as part of the BPS 2024 payments schedule. The remaining 6m to be spent as capital through a grant scheme open to all agricultural businesses to build resilience to weather extremes. Government interventions are needed to help Welsh farmers facing challenges due to the wet weather, the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) has said. Union officials recently met with the Welsh government to examine the impacts of the current prolonged wet weather. The meeting explored what interventions may be necessary from the supply chain to deal with the exceptional circumstances farmers are facing. Some of the interventions include derogations around scheme requirements, with the FUW saying that many Growing for the Environment contract holders had been unable to meet the required sowing dates due to the wet conditions. The union also warned that it had been impossible for some farmers to comply with their Small Grants Environment contracts due to both the weather and prescriptive dates for when certain works could be completed. Following the meeting, FUW President, Ian Rickman said: We welcome the opportunity to discuss these very timely issues farmers face following an extremely wet winter. "It was positive to see engagement from such a wide range of stakeholders from across the UK food supply chain." Other interventions required, in the FUWs view, include greater flexibility to cross compliance rules and farm inspections. The union also said there was a need to provide capital grant support to farmers for slurry infrastructure and yard coverings in line with reducing the burden on those who attempting to complete works to meet incoming regulatory requirements. And despite calls made by the industry to delay the third phase of the Control of Agricultural Pollution NVZ regulations until the review of the rules has been completed, the FUW warned the latest edition of wet weather had made it impossible for building contractors to continue with their work. "This means that the August deadline for increased slurry storage is looking as challenging as ever," Mr Rickman explained. Above all else, these past few months have demonstrated the need for any future financial support scheme to underpin the economic viability of our family farms so that they can continue to navigate such unforeseen circumstances in future." He added: Whilst we await news from the Welsh government on outcomes from the summit, it is recommended for any farmer facing extreme difficulties to seek support and speak with relevant organisations." Halle Bailey is so deep in the grip of severe postpartum depression she feels like shes drowning and suffers dissociation from her body. Halle Bailey is so deep in the grip of severe postpartum depression she feels like shes drowning and suffers dissociation from her body The Little Mermaid actress, 24, had her first child, a son named Halo, with her rapper and vlogger husband DDG, 26, in January and has now told fans she has been suffering a serious case of what some casually dub baby blues but which can be hormonal changes so serious they can spark anxiety, crying and restlessness that require urgent medical intervention. Halle said in a video posted on her Snapchat about her battle with the condition that even though she is with her perfect baby boy, she is stricken with a really bad case of the condition. She added: I have severe, severe postpartum (depression), and I don't know if any new moms can relate, but its to the point where its really bad, and its hard for me to be separated from my baby for more than 30 minutes at a time before I start to kind of freak out. Halle added her partner DDG real name Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr is the most amazing daddy in the world and has been supporting her through her struggle. She went on: Halo is a miracle. He is perfect. He is beautiful. When I look at him, I cry because of how special he is. The only thing that's been hard for me is feeling normal in my own body. I feel like a completely different person. When I look in the mirror, I just feel like Im in a whole new body. Like, I dont know who I am. Halle added about how she feels there is still a stigma surrounded depression in general: Before I had a child and I would hear people talk about postpartum, it would kind of just go in one ear and out the other. I didnt realise how serious of a thing it actually was. Now going through it, it almost feels like youre swimming in this ocean thats like the biggest waves youve ever felt and you're trying not to drown. And youre trying to come up for air. Halle stressed her depression had nothing to do with Halo, and admitted she had been triggered the day she made her video by seeing comments online about her and her family. Sydney Sweeney has jokingly apologised for having great breasts. Sydney Sweeney has jokingly apologised for having great breasts The 26-year-old actress who shot to fame playing hysterical schoolgirl Cassie Howard in HBOs shock teen drama Euphoria and who has previously opened up about how she considered getting chest reduction surgery when she was at high school made the gag by wearing a shirt emblazoned with a naughtily-worded message that said sorry she had a wonderful cleavage and correct opinions. Sydney stuck on the top during a recent holiday with friends in Mexico, and uploaded the image of her wearing her cheeky shirt in a carousel of images that also showed her flaunting her toned body in a brown bikini. There was also a snap of her dancing braless on a beach in a crop top as a mariachi band performed in the background. Sydneys fans flooded the comments section of her post about her breasts with praise for the gag, with one joking: Are you really sorry tho? Another of her supporters commented: That shirt says it all, greetings to haters haha. Sydneys latest display of body confidence on her Instagram comes after veteran Hollywood producer Carol Baum, 81, apologised for crapping on the actress by mocking her looks and acting ability. Carol last week told TMZ after she taunted Sydney she wished she never said the actress isnt pretty and cant act. She added: Crapping on an actor like that usually isnt (my) style. Her U-turn comes after Sydneys representative slammed the producer for targeting their client during a public talk. They told The New York Post: How sad that a woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman. If thats what shes learned in her decades in the industry and feels is appropriate to teach to her students, thats shameful. Carol who is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hit out at a Sydney on 16 April following a screening of her 1998 horror-drama film Dead Ringers, starring Jeremy Irons. She said: Theres an actress who everybody loves now Sydney Sweeney, I dont get Sydney Sweeney. I was watching on the plane Sydney Sweeneys movie (Anyone But You) because I wanted to watch it. I wanted to know who she is and why everybodys talking about her. Carol, who teaches acting at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, went on to brand Sydneys recent rom-com Anyone But You unwatchable and said she asked her students to explain to her why Sydney was considered so hot. Tiffany Haddish secretly taunts her trolls from a fake X account. Tiffany Haddish secretly taunts her trolls from a fake X account The 44-year-old comedian and actress who revealed last month she had been sober for more than two months after being charged with driving under the influence in November 2023 when she allegedly fell asleep at the wheel in Los Angeles says she started it as she felt the need to give her army of critics a taste of their own cruel medicine. She said during an appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California about the motivation behind her bogus X account: The Internet came out and people got the freedom to talk about whatever they want to talk about. And now I wish I was back to illiterate again. So people show me to talk about me. I dont know why yall talking about me so damn much, but thats okay. I like to talk about you too. (I) made me a fake page and now Im talking about (stuff) how about that? Why is this lady attacking me? You talk about what goes around comes around, dont worry. Tiffany added she had restricted her secret account to X formerly branded Twitter before 52-year-old Tesla boss Elon Musks $44 billion buyout of the platform. She said: I dont know about fake Instagram, but I definitely got fake Twitter I mean a fake X a fake X. Tiffany also said her upcoming memoir I Curse You With Joy, due out on 7 May, is full of the mistakes she has made in her life and career. She added at her book festival appearance she credits her high school drama teacher with realising she struggled at reading and took time to help catch her up. Tiffany added: I would come to her class and I would bring my food with me and I would read to her and it would be newspaper articles, books, different things she would get me to read. And I had to read it out loud to her and she would help me. My brain is different the way my brain works is a little different, so I needed somebody to be sitting there for me and guiding me. I needed guidance. (My teacher) gave me the fundamentals that I needed, and they were always there but I didnt know how to use them. So then she helped me learn how to use them. Tiffanys new book marks her second as an author following her 2017 debut The Last Black Unicorn, in which the comic first revealed she struggled with literacy until she was in high school. The Jamnagar Marine National Park in Gujarat is a little-explored sanctuary that hosts diverse marine species Not many of us know enough about the first marine park of India. Located in Gujarat along the Gulf of Kutch, the Jamnagar Marine National Park cocoons a rich biodiversity, supporting numerous marine species. The Jamnagar marine park is known for its unique ecosystem, which serves as a significant feed and breeding ground for the marine organisms it hosts. Established in 1982, the park is made up of an intricate network of mangroves, coral reefs, intertidal mudflats and seagrass beds, and is spread across 162 square kilometres. Its vibrant coral reefs among the few remaining in India are one of the main attractions of the marine national park. These coral reefs provide shelter to sea turtles, octopii, other invertebrates and colourful reef fish. The mangrove forests, on the other hand, support marine biodiversity and play a major role in protecting the coast. These brackish water forests provide habitat for migratory birds, while their root systems form the nurseries for fish and crustaceans, and help to reduce the impact of storm surges and coastal erosion. Visitors can take ferry rides through the mangrove channels to see the diverse wildlife and flora that thrives within the marine park. Birdwatchers and wildlife photographers, too, will be fascinated with the 70+ species of migratory and resident birds that throng the area, including flamingos, egrets, herons and sandpipers that come to the salt pans and mud flats. The marine park is constantly monitored by the forest department as well as other conservation organisations to ensure the health and protection of the marine ecosystem. The park uses responsible boating and walking practices to minimise disturbance to the habitats. Images: Shutterstock Also Read: Beyond Masai Mara: Unique Wildlife Crossings Around the World Have you ever lied in bed, tossing, turning and pondering the mysteries of the universe, or perhaps reminiscing about those cringe-worthy moments from your tumultuous teenage days? Its like you're starring in your own personal insomnia saga. But fear not, youre not the only sleepless warrior in town. A common challenge shared by many, sleep anxiety manifests as a nagging worry or unease about slipping into slumber and maintaining it. Its like your mind is racing with thoughts, making it hard to relax and drift off into dreamland, says Archana Singhal. If youre curious about the specific triggers or underlying factors that contribute to this phenomenon, youre in the right place. For instance, stressors from work or school, concerns about life events, or even unexplained nervousness, explains our expert. Additionally, factors such as excessive caffeine consumption, screen usage before bedtime, or an irregular sleep schedule can contribute to sleep anxiety. Ahead, Archana outlines 5 tips to overcome this: Stick To A Bedtime Routine: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body's internal clock. Create A Relaxing Bedtime Environment: Make your bedroom a cosy and comfortable space for sleep. Dim the lights, turn off screens, and try calming activities like reading or listening to soothing music before bed. Limit Caffeine And Screen Time: Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee or tea in the afternoon and evening, and try to avoid screens like phones, tablets, and computers at least an hour before bed. Practice Relaxation Techniques: Deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation can help calm your mind and body before bed. The best way is to try different relaxation techniques to find what works best for you. Seek Professional Help If Needed: If sleep anxiety is severely impacting your daily life, dont hesitate to reach out to a counsellor or therapist for support and guidance. They can help you explore underlying causes and develop personalised strategies to manage sleep anxiety effectively. Also Read: 5 Hacks For A Healthy Summer! The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) convened a crucial meeting with a visiting delegation from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) recently, aiming to secure support and cooperation from the US government. The primary agenda of the meeting was to advocate for the establishment of a fair minimum price for apparels and the implementation of a unified code of conduct for social audits within the industry. The BGMEA as a recent meeting with the visiting USTR delegation sought support and collaboration of the US government to ensure fair minimum price of apparel and unified code of conduct for social audits. The apparel trade body also urged the US government to reinstate GSP in favour of Bangladesh and include garment items in its GSP programme. During the meeting, the BGMEA emphasised the importance of reinstating the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) in favour of Bangladesh and urged the inclusion of garment items in the US GSP programme. Conversations between the USTR delegation and BGMEA representatives delved into the intricacies of a labour action plan proposed by the US government. Specifically, discussions centred on the necessary amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act to streamline the trade union registration process and address instances of unfair labour practices. Led by Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, the US delegation engaged in discussions on bilateral trade policies, workers' rights, well-being, and market access. BGMEA president SM Mannan Kochi spearheaded the discussion from the associations side, supported by senior officials. The BGMEA chair provided updates on advancements in workplace safety, workers rights, and ongoing labour law reforms within Bangladeshs readymade garment (RMG) industry even as he reiterated both the governments and the industrys commitment to advancing workers rights and welfare. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR) During a session of the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) Council, Bangladesh advocated for duty-free and quota-free access for its apparel made from US cotton into the American market. The appeal was made during the recent meeting between the Ministry of Commerce and a delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Leading the Bangladesh delegation was senior secretary of commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh, while the USTR delegation was headed by Brendan Lynch, assistant USTR for South and Central Asia. Bangladesh advocated for duty-free and quota-free access for its apparel made from US cotton into the American market. This appeal was made during a meeting between the Ministry of Commerce and a delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). US underlined the necessity for Bangladesh to enhance its labour rights situation. Notably, this marked the first US delegation visit to Bangladesh following the 12th national election held in January. During the discussions, Tapan Kanti Ghosh highlighted the absence of Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits for Bangladesh, contrasting it with the privileges enjoyed by the African region even as he underscored the potential benefits for Bangladeshi garment workers if GSP privileges were extended to the country. In response, Lynch emphasised the necessity for Bangladesh to enhance its labour rights situation. Media reports underlined this adding recent labour law amendments in Bangladesh were also brought to the table, with the USTR delegation requesting documentation of these changes in English. Among the legislative changes was the passing of the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill 2023, which increased maternity leave to 120 days from 112 days. Expanding beyond apparel, Bangladesh urged the US to consider imports of home appliances, leather goods, and medicine to diversify exports. Additionally, Bangladesh sought investment from the US International Development Finance Corporation and technological transfer support for agricultural development. The meeting also addressed concerns about fire and building safety standards in Bangladesh. The US emphasised the need for stringent measures even as the US side suggested that implementation of these measures could lead to Bangladesh regaining GSP benefits and accessing loans from the United States International Development Finance Corporation. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR) Economists argue that Bangladesh remained ensnared in a low-wage economic cycle despite visible development, largely driven by labourers in various sectors like agriculture, RMG, and migration even as they emphasised the need for institutional reform and a shift towards high-technology-based production to ensure sustainable development and economic prosperity. The observations were made at a recent book launch organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) even as they lamented the dysfunctional state of institutions, particularly in fiscal management. Professor Rehman Sobhan, co-editor of the book, highlighted the absence of functional institutions critical for development and expressed concerns over the advanced deterioration in the banking system, identifying bank defaults as a serious structural crisis while Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman emphasised Bangladeshs entrapment in the economic trap of cheap labour, urging a focus on quality education to cultivate qualified human capital and combat corruption. Bangladesh remains stuck in low-wage economic trap despite visible economic development, which has been largely contributed by labourers, including farmers, RMG workers, and migrants, economists say. They proposed transitioning to high-technology-based production and exports from labour-intensive industries. Observations made at a recent event in Dhaka. Eminent economists, including Rizwanul Islam and Professor Dr. MM Akash, underscored the crucial role of labourers in economic growth while noting declining real wages and increasing inequality. Dr. Zahid Hussain raised questions about shared prosperity amidst governance crises, particularly in the banking sector, highlighting the emergence of influential classes and their impact on governance and politics. Looking ahead, Professor Selim Raihan warned of challenges stemming from institutional weaknesses and stressed the need for transitioning to high-technology-based production to avoid falling into a debt trap. Dr. Mustafizur Rahman echoed this sentiment, emphasising the urgency of addressing generational challenges and transitioning from labour-intensive to technology-driven industries. He highlighted the stagnation in high-tech exports, contrasting it with Vietnams substantial increase. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR) Gita Gopinath, the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasised the challenging road ahead for Sri Lanka, stressing the critical need to maintain reform momentum. Following discussions with minister of state for finance Shehan Semasinghe, central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe, and treasury secretary Mahinda Siriwardena during the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, Gopinath underscored the significance of sustaining economic reforms. IMF's first deputy MD Gita Gopinath said Sri Lanka's future with many reforms are challenging, but it is critical to keep up with reform momentum. She said this following meeting with minister of state for finance Shehan Semasinghe, central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe, and treasury secretary Mahinda Siriwardena in Washington recently. Acknowledging Sri Lankas hard-won economic gains in the past year, Gopinath expressed her concerns about the formidable challenges ahead even as she highlighted the importance of continuous reform efforts to navigate through these challenges effectively. Emphasising the criticality of reform momentum, Gopinaths remarks underscored the ongoing commitment required from Sri Lanka to drive economic progress. Under President Ranil Wickremesinghes leadership, Sri Lanka has undertaken significant reforms, including measures such as tax increases, as part of its IMF programme. The decision to engage with the IMF came after Sri Lanka faced a sovereign debt default in April 2022, necessitating urgent economic stabilisation measures. State minister for finance, Semasinghe expressed gratitude to Gopinath for recognising Sri Lankas economic progress and described the discussions as insightful and productive. He reiterated Sri Lanka's steadfast commitment to its reform agenda and expressed eagerness for continued collaboration with the IMF to achieve shared objectives. Sri Lankas engagement with the IMF stems from a period of economic and political turmoil, including an unprecedented economic crisis followed by political upheaval. The IMF programme encompasses reforms in various sectors, including state-owned enterprises, the fiscal sector, and financial sectors, aimed at ensuring long-term debt sustainability. Furthermore, the IMF has pledged support to expedite Sri Lankas debt restructuring process with private creditors, including sovereign bond holders, indicating the global lenders commitment to facilitating the island nations economic recovery and stability. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR) Silk fibre, yarn, and fabrics were the leading categories in Vietnamese textile exports to India, with the country's total textile exports valued at $247.306 million in 2023. Silk products which includes silkworm cocoons suitable for reeling, raw silk, silk yarn, and woven fabrics of silk or silk waste and others, contributed $110.229 million, accounting for 44.57 per cent of the overall exports. According to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro, Vietnamese silk exports to India have seen a significant jump after the pandemic. The shipment was noted at $65.451 million in 2018, which increased by 11.22 per cent to $72.797 million in the following year, 2019. However, it decreased by 36.11 per cent to $46.513 million in 2020. It bounced back, jumping 60.41 per cent to reach $74.614 million in 2021. It continued to rise by 57.26 per cent to $117.338 million in 2022 but the trade eased by 6.06 per cent to $110.229 million in 2023. In 2023, Vietnamese silk exports to India led the textile trade, totalling $247.306 million, with silk products alone accounting for $110.229 million or 44.57 per cent of the total exports. Chapter 50, which includes various silk products, significantly contributed to this figure. Despite fluctuations, the silk trade has shown continued growth. The analysis of textile trade based on the type of material between the two countries shows that the shipment of man-made textiles was $68.099 million in 2023, which was 27.54 per cent of the total. Cotton textile exports to India were $53.717 million (21.72 per cent) in the same year. The shipment of textiles made from wool-animal hair was $0.175 million, flax $0.139 million, and others $14.945 million in the year, as per TexPro. Product-wise analysis shows that fibre exports to India from Vietnam dominated, with a share of 39.28 per cent of the total shipment. It was valued at $97.143 million in 2023. The shipment of fabric was $75.865 million (30.68 per cent) and yarn $74.298 million (30.04 per cent of the total). Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING AN EXTENSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 2.6(c) OF THE IRISH TAKEOVER PANEL ACT 1997, TAKEOVER RULES, 2022 (THE "IRISH TAKEOVER RULES") OF THE DEADLINE PROVIDED FOR IN RULE 2.6(a) OF THE IRISH TAKEOVER RULES. THIS IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE IRISH TAKEOVER RULES AND THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT AN OFFER WILL BE MADE OR AS TO THE TERMS ON WHICH ANY OFFER MIGHT BE MADE. The Board of MariaDB plc (NYSE: MRDB) ("MariaDB" or the "Company") confirms that the Irish Takeover Panel has consented, at the request of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") made in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Irish Takeover Rules, to a further 48 hour extension to 5:00 pm (New York time) on April 24, 2024 (the "Further Extended Deadline") of the deadline by which K1 Investment Management LLC ("K1") is to either (i) announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Irish Takeover Rules or (ii) announce that it does not intend to make an offer for the Company, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Irish Takeover Rules applies. The Board previously obtained an extension of this deadline to 5:00pm (New York time) on Friday, April 12, 2024, which was then further extended to 5:00pm (New York time) on Monday, April 22, 2024 to facilitate ongoing discussions between K1 and certain other key stakeholders and the Company, including relating to certain structural aspects of a possible offer. The Board have requested this additional 48 hour extension to facilitate further negotiations between K1 and those certain other key stakeholders and the Company. The Board understands that the K1 due diligence is substantially completed, negotiations are well progressed and expects that such discussions are capable of being concluded before the Further Extended Deadline. The continued discussions may or may not lead to an offer being made for the entire share capital of the Company. There can be no certainty that any offer will be made. A further announcement will be made if and when appropriate. In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Irish Takeover Rules, K1 is required, no later than the Further Extended Deadline to either (i) announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Irish Takeover Rules or (ii) announce that it does not intend to make an offer for the Company, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Irish Takeover Rules applies. The Further Extended Deadline will only be further extended with the consent of the Irish Takeover Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Takeover Rules, at the request of the Company. IMPORTANT NOTICES ABOUT MARIADB MariaDB is a new generation database company whose products are used by companies big and small, reaching more than a billion users through Linux distributions and have been downloaded over one billion times. Deployed in minutes and maintained with ease, leveraging cloud automation, MariaDB database products are engineered to support any workload, any cloud and any scale all while saving up to 90% of proprietary database costs. Trusted by organizations such as Bandwidth, DigiCert, InfoArmor, Oppenheimer and Samsung, MariaDB's software is the backbone of critical services that people rely on every day. For more information, please visit mariadb.com. RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS OF THE IRISH TAKEOVER RULES Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Irish Takeover Rules, any person who is 'interested' in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of the Company or a securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror which has announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an 'opening position disclosure' following the commencement of the 'offer period' and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An 'opening position disclosure' must contain, among other things, details of the person's 'interests' and 'short positions' in any 'relevant securities' of each of (i) the Company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An 'opening position disclosure' by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3:30 pm (New York time) on the day that is ten 'business days' following the commencement of the 'offer period' and, if appropriate, by no later than 3:30 pm (New York time) on the day that is ten 'business days' following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, 'interested' (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of the Company, all 'dealings' in any 'relevant securities' of the Company or any securities exchange offeror (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such 'relevant securities') must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 pm (New York time) on the 'business day' following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the 'offer period' ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an 'interest' in 'relevant securities' of the Company, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. A disclosure table, giving details of the companies in whose 'relevant securities' 'dealings' should be disclosed can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie. In general, interests in securities arise when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of the securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an 'interest' by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a 'dealing' under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel at telephone number +353 1 678 9020. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this announcement are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words indicating future events and actions, such as "will" and "may," and variations of such words, and similar expressions and future-looking language identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements in this announcement include statements regarding the Possible Offer and related actions and events. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events and actions, which may vary materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Differences may result from, among other things, actions taken by the Company or its management or board or third parties, including those beyond the Company's control. Such differences and uncertainties and related risks include, but are not limited to, the possibility that an offer will not be made, the possibility that even if an offer is made, the parties will not agree on a price or other terms or will not otherwise pursue a transaction or if pursued, that a transaction will not be consummated, any negative effects of this announcement or failure to consummate a transaction on the market price of the Ordinary Shares and other Company securities (including warrants), and potentially significant transaction and related costs. The foregoing list of differences and risks and uncertainties is illustrative, but by no means exhaustive. For more information on factors that may affect the Possible Offer and related actions and events, please review "Risk Factors" described in the Company's filings and records filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information provided herein. FURTHER INFORMATION In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Irish Takeover Rules, a copy of this announcement will be available on the Company's website at https://investors.mariadb.com/ by no later than 12:00 noon (New York time) on the business day following this announcement. The content of any website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into, and does not form part of, this announcement. This announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of (1) an offer or invitation to purchase or otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities; (2) the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase or otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities; or (3) the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to this announcement or otherwise. The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in, into, or from, certain jurisdictions other than Ireland may be restricted or affected by the laws of those jurisdictions. Accordingly, copies of this announcement are not being, and must not be, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into, or from any such jurisdiction. Therefore, persons who receive this announcement (including without limitation nominees, trustees and custodians) and are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than Ireland who are not resident in Ireland will need to inform themselves about, and observe any applicable restrictions or requirements. Any failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No statement in this announcement is intended to constitute a profit forecast for any period, nor should any statements be interpreted as an indication of what the Company's future financial or operating results may be, nor should any statements be interpreted to mean that earnings or earnings per share will necessarily be greater or lesser than those for the relevant preceding financial periods for the Company. No statement in this announcement constitutes an asset valuation. No statement in this announcement constitutes an estimate of the anticipated financial effects of an acquisition of the Company, whether for the Company or any other person. REQUESTING HARD COPY INFORMATION Any MariaDB shareholder may request a copy of this announcement in hard copy form by writing to Investor Relations via e-mail at ir@mariadb.com. Any written requests must include the identity of the MariaDB shareholder and any hard copy documents will be posted to the address of the MariaDB shareholder provided in the written request. A hard copy of this announcement will not be sent to MariaDB shareholders unless requested. Source: MariaDB View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422977673/en/ Contacts: Investors: ir@mariadb.com Media: pr@mariadb.com Global payments expansion in Indonesia; adds to recent successes in Korea and Thailand BANGKOK, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium , the global leader in real-time cross-border payments, today announced it will sign a partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Artajasa, one of Indonesia's leading payment infrastructure companies. Artajasa operates the switching services banks and fintechs use to facilitate fast, secure, and reliable electronic transactions. The partnership will ensure seamless, real-time, cross-border transfers between Indonesia and the world. The MOU will be signed tomorrow at Money 20/20 Asia in Bangkok by Nium's Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, Anupam Pahuja. The strategic collaboration demonstrates Nium's commitment to modernizing the world's cross-border payments infrastructure, bringing it into the real-time era. Under the leadership of Pahuja, who joined the company in 2023 , Nium has expanded significantly in the region. Today Nium announced that its partner, Jeonbuk Bank in Korea, has gone live with its real-time remittance service, enabling the bank to serve a growing number of immigrant clients better. In Thailand, Nium has proven to be the gold standard for cross-border payments, its platform powers four of the country's premier banks: Kasikorn Bank , Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya) , Krungthai Bank , and Siam Commercial Bank . These partnerships further underscore Nium's commitment to delivering innovative financial services and fostering long-term relationships with key industry players. "Nium's growth in APAC reflects our dedication to transforming the global financial landscape," said Anupam Pahuja, Regional Executive Vice President of APAC & MEA. "By partnering with leading institutions like Artajasa and JB Bank, we aim to help businesses accelerate their growth across the region with secure, efficient, and innovative financial solutions." "As an institution that has experience in providing solutions for various digital payment services in Indonesia, we certainly welcome the strategic collaboration established between Nium and Artajasa to expand cross-border payments, while encouraging digital penetration in Indonesia, regionally and globally. This collaboration will certainly further strengthen our commitment to providing integrated, easy, and secure payment solutions to answer customer needs," explained Heru Perwito, Director of Business, Artajasa. In addition to growth in the region, Nium recently launched a new data-backed white paper that addresses cross-border B2B payment challenges in APAC, current initiatives, and the important role of intermediaries, alongside Asia's leading payments, banking, and capital markets research firm, Kapronasia. Nium's extensive portfolio of licenses and registrations cover more than 40 countries globally. In 2024, Nium has received approvals / in-principle approvals for four licenses and registrations, including: Japan: Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider (FTSP) license from Japan's Financial Service Agency (FSA); Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider (FTSP) license from Japan's Financial Service Agency (FSA); India: Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); India: Payment Aggregator (PA) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); and, Payment Aggregator (PA) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); and, New Zealand: Registration on the Financial Service Provider Register (FSPR). About Nium Nium , the leader in real-time, cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance - independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore. About Artajasa: PT Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis (Artajasa), a trailblazing pioneer in the Indonesian banking infrastructure network and establishing itself as a market leader in switching services, including ATM Bersama, ATM Bersama Debit, ATM Bersama QR and connected to more than 80.000 ATMs with 98 bank members throughout Indonesia. Artajasa is also provide of Payment Services, Settlement Services and Managed Services for many industries, such telecommunications services, multi-finance, insurance, public services, energy, education, transportation, electronic money, credit cards, e-commerce, donations and so on. Artajasa continues to strengthen the payment system ecosystem as a form of Artajasa's support as a leading integrated cashless payment enabler company in Indonesia, by providing optimal services for various institutions, customers, and the public through various integrated payment system service solutions. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2333904/Nium_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nium-expands-regional-footprint-in-asia-signs-partnership-mou-with-indonesian-payments-infrastructure-leader-artajasa-302123859.html Popular Sanrio Character Kuromi Signed as 30th Anniversary BABY-G Ambassador TOKYO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio Computer Co., Ltd. announced today the release of new additions to its family of BABY-G shock-resistant watches. The new BGD-10K, available in four models, can be used as a wristwatch or a unique time-telling charm. This latest release, the BGD-10K, is a shock-resistant watch in a colorful pop design. It comes paired with a special holder with strap. The set works two different ways, either worn as a wristwatch or hung from the strap as a charm. To turn the watch into a charm that hangs from a bag or belt, just detach the bezel and band and place the center case into the special holder.[*1] This silicone holder can be decorated with stickers and other items for a truly personalized charm. The watch and special holder set come in pop color variations inspired by the trendy colors of Y2K fashion around the year 2000. Press the light button when the watch is in Timekeeping Mode and a series of pixel-art animations appear randomly on the LCD display for an extra playful touch. *1 Due to the glossy finish, wrinkle-like patterns may occur on the surface. The new BGD-10K is the first in the BABY-G+PLUS line, a series of BABY-G watches that Casio will offer with items that can be personalized to suit the user's own sense of style. Casio is also pleased to announce that the popular Sanrio character Kuromi will serve as BABY-G ambassador to commemorate the brand's 30th anniversary. The BABY-G promotional tagline, "Be you. Be me," means living life your own way, and Kuromi is promoting the KUROMIFYTHEWORLD project, a campaign to fill the world with KUROMIES who mirror her independent approach to life. BABY-G and Kuromi are both popular with teenage girls, making the two natural partners. 2024 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. L647957 Product website: https://www.casio.com/intl/watches/babyg/products/digital/bgd-10k/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2385224/2024_04_casioibuki_square_fix.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2385225/KUROMI.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/casio-to-release-two-way-baby-g-that-doubles-as-a-wristwatch-and-charm-302116417.html PUNE, India, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report titled "Virtual Cards Market by Card (Credit Card, Debit Card), Product (B2B Virtual Cards, B2C Remote Payment Virtual Cards, C2B POS Virtual Cards), Issuer Type, Application - Global Forecast 2024-2030" is now available on 360iResearch.com's offering, presents an analysis indicating that the market projected to grow from a size of $28.54 billion in 2023 to reach $89.93 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 17.81% over the forecast period. " Virtual Cards Revolutionize Secure Online Payments Globally " Virtual cards, the digital equivalents of traditional physical cards, are transforming the way online transactions are conducted with their unique blend of convenience and security. Virtual cards are created and utilized solely online, furnished with all essential details such as a card number, CVV, and an expiration date for immediate use upon issuance. This innovation in digital payment is emerging as a popular choice across the globe, from individual consumers to large corporations, owing to its ability to offer heightened security against fraud, streamline payment processes, and significantly improve financial management and oversight. In the Americas, particularly the USA and Canada, the surge in virtual card adoption is mainly attributed to the demand for safer online transaction methods. Similar growth trends are observed in South America, Europe, the MEA region, and Africa, primarily driven by digital transformation initiatives, regulatory support for secure payments, and the increasing desire for financial inclusion. The Asia-Pacific region exhibits rapid advancements in virtual card usage, powered by widespread smartphone usage, eCommerce growth, and fintech innovations. As the world continues to shift toward digital payment methods, virtual cards represent a significant step forward in ensuring transactional security and convenience on a global scale. Download Sample Report @ https://www.360iresearch.com/library/intelligence/virtual-cards " Revolutionizing Secure and Convenient Online Payments Amidst Growing Digital Transactions " The rapid transition to online shopping, digital services, and the need for secure, streamlined financial transactions have highlighted the significance of virtual cards in today's digital economy. As eCommerce and online marketplaces expand, making purchases more accessible, the necessity for payment solutions that are both secure and tailored becomes paramount. Virtual cards have emerged as a pivotal solution, offering enhanced security through unique card numbers for each transaction or merchant, effectively minimizing the risk of fraud and unauthorized access. This innovation is particularly vital in an era where cyber threats to personal and financial information are escalating. Moreover, the shift toward remote work and the digital consumption of services have highlighted the importance of having varied and secure online payment options. Virtual cards stand out for their convenience and ease of use, being readily generated, easily managed, and seamlessly integrated with mobile wallets and online payment platforms. Their ability to offer a safer, more efficient payment experience makes them a preferred choice for consumers and businesses, aligning with the demands for more secure and user-friendly payment methods in the digital transformation. " Enhancing Security and Convenience for Online Consumers " Virtual cards are revolutionizing the way consumers make online purchases and book travel, connecting directly to their credit line or bank account, depending on the card type. Virtual credit cards, against a pre-set credit limit, offer a layer of security by shielding the actual credit card information during online transactions, thus significantly reducing the risk of fraud. They are an ideal choice for those frequently shopping online, booking travel, or subscribing to services, which provide a safer and more convenient payment method. Virtual debit cards, which draw from the funds available in one's bank account, appeal to users prioritizing spending within their budget and relishing the benefits of digital payment solutions. These cards are perfect for online purchases, managing subscriptions, and certain bill payments. Virtual credit and debit cards are increasingly valuable to consumers navigating the digital marketplace by facilitating controlled spending and enhancing transaction security. Request Analyst Support @ https://www.360iresearch.com/library/intelligence/virtual-cards " American Express Company at the Forefront of Virtual Cards Market with a Strong 8.71% Market Share " The key players in the Virtual Cards Market include Mastercard International Incorporated, Wells Fargo & Company, American Express Company, Visa Inc., Citigroup Inc., and others. These prominent players focus on strategies such as expansions, acquisitions, joint ventures, and developing new products to strengthen their market positions. " Introducing ThinkMi: Revolutionizing Market Intelligence with AI-Powered Insights for the Virtual Cards Market " We proudly unveil ThinkMi, a cutting-edge AI product designed to transform how businesses interact with the Virtual Cards Market. ThinkMi stands out as your premier market intelligence partner, delivering unparalleled insights with the power of artificial intelligence. Whether deciphering market trends or offering actionable intelligence, ThinkMi is engineered to provide precise, relevant answers to your most critical business questions. This revolutionary tool is more than just an information source; it's a strategic asset that empowers your decision-making with up-to-the-minute data, ensuring you stay ahead in the fiercely competitive Virtual Cards Market. Embrace the future of market analysis with ThinkMi, where informed decisions lead to remarkable growth. Ask Question to ThinkMi @ https://app.360iresearch.com/library/intelligence/virtual-cards " Dive into the Virtual Cards Market Landscape: Explore 182 Pages of Insights, 370 Tables, and 24 Figures " Preface Research Methodology Executive Summary Market Overview Market Insights Virtual Cards Market, by Card Virtual Cards Market, by Product Virtual Cards Market, by Issuer Type Virtual Cards Market, by Application Americas Virtual Cards Market Asia-Pacific Virtual Cards Market Europe, Middle East & Africa Virtual Cards Market Competitive Landscape Competitive Portfolio Inquire Before Buying @ https://www.360iresearch.com/library/intelligence/virtual-cards Related Reports: Card Payments Market - Global Forecast 2024-2030 Smart Cards Market - Global Forecast 2024-2030 Contactless Smart Card Market - Global Forecast 2024-2030 About 360iResearch Founded in 2017, 360iResearch is a market research and business consulting company headquartered in India, with clients and focus markets spanning the globe. We are a dynamic, nimble company that believes in carving ambitious, purposeful goals and achieving them with the backing of our greatest asset - our people. Quick on our feet, we have our ear to the ground when it comes to market intelligence and volatility. Our market intelligence is diligent, real-time and tailored to your needs, and arms you with all the insight that empowers strategic decision-making. Our clientele encompasses about 80% of the Fortune Global 500, and leading consulting and research companies and academic institutions that rely on our expertise in compiling data in niche markets. Our meta-insights are intelligent, impactful and infinite, and translate into actionable data that support your quest for enhanced profitability, tapping into niche markets, and exploring new revenue opportunities. Contact 360iResearch Mr. Ketan Rohom 360iResearch Private Limited, Office No. 519, Nyati Empress, Opposite Phoenix Market City, Vimannagar, Pune, Maharashtra, India - 411014. Email: sales@360iresearch.com USA: +1-530-264-8485 India: +91-922-607-7550 To learn more, visit 360iresearch.com or follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , and Facebook . Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2359256/360iResearch_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/virtual-cards-market-projected-to-reach-89-93-billion-by-2030---exclusive-report-by-360iresearch-302123129.html Epique's newest free membership for Airvet and pets, promises to provide agents with a new level of support and peace of mind. Epique is thrilled and proud to introduce a groundbreaking new free benefit for agents, unveiled exclusively at the PowerCON event. With great excitement, Epique announces the launch of the Airvet Membership, setting a new standard in agent support and well-being. The pet-owning, animal loving co-founders of Epique who are passionate advocates for all animals and pets are so very excited to announce the most game-changing and memorable free benefit offered to agents and their beloved pets. With the new Airvet membership from Epique, agents can select a primary veterinarian who will call or message back as soon as they're available. Airvet is your pet care companion. As an Airvet member agents will have unlimited 24/7 video calls and chats. Whether facing urgent health issues, seeking routine care, or requiring prescription medications, agents can now rest assured knowing their furry companions are in capable hands. Pet ownership brings immeasurable joy, but it can also present challenges, both emotional and financial. Recognizing the growing importance of pet care accessibility and affordability, Epique strives to foster a pet-inclusive culture that supports the well-being of all family members. Airvet represents a significant step towards this goal, offering agents peace of mind and support when navigating the complexities of pet parenthood. Airvet's fundamental beliefs align closely with Epique's commitment to agent welfare and inclusivity. By providing more access and education for pet parents, Airvet aims to eliminate barriers to care and promote healthier, happier pets. Through direct access to trusted veterinary professionals and comprehensive virtual care, Airvet empowers agents to prioritize the well-being of their beloved companions without compromise. Airvet Fundamental Beliefs Align With Epique's Dedication to Agent Welfare: More access and education for pet parents can help eliminate and prevent chronic issues, eliminate uncertainty, and lead to healthier and happier pets. We shouldn't face financial or availability barriers to care and should have direct access to a trusted vet whenever they need it. We believe that complete pet care is more than just their physical wellbeing, and that their emotional health is just as important in their ongoing care. That more than just 50% of pets should see a vet every year. That every question about our pet's wellbeing should be answered by an expert instead of the internet. That pet parents shouldn't have to spend 6-8 hours in an urgent care queue waiting for answers when 80% of those visits can be avoided. Christopher Miller, COO and Co-Founder, Epique Realty, expressed his enthusiasm, "Epique is so immensely proud to provide our agents with the support they need for their cherished pets, who are integral members of our families. With Airvet, we want every agent to know that their pet family will always receive the care and attention they deserve, and especially when the unexpected arrives." As Epique Realty continues to redefine industry standards and champion agent success, the introduction of the Airvet membership underscores the brokerage's dedication to their agents' well-being. About Epique Realty Epique Realty isn't just a brokerage; it's a movement. Committed to providing agents with extraordinary benefits, support, and resources, Epique Realty empowers agents to thrive in today's digital age. With a focus on inclusion, innovation, and integrity, Epique Realty is redefining what it means to be a forward-thinking brokerage, reshaping the real estate landscape one success story at a time. BeEpique ### For media inquiries or further information, please contact: Barbara Simpson | PR and Communications | EpiqueRealty.com 281-773-7842 | Barbara@EpiqueRealty.com | JoinEpique SOURCE: Epique Realty View the original press release on accesswire.com A new Gallup report based on interviews in more than 130 countries shows the world order remained largely unchanged in 2023. With approval ratings stuck in the 40s, neither the U.S. nor Germany received a global endorsement of their leadership. However, both were still in much stronger positions than Russia whose approval rating remained near a record low after its invasion of Ukraine and China whose approval rating edged up slightly but is still on the lower end of its trend. Median approval of U.S. leadership stood at 49% before the often-criticized U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. However, the United States' overall rating slipped after that, and Biden ended his first year in office with a 45% approval rating and a 33% disapproval rating. Approval ratings declined further in Biden's second year, and since then, median approval of U.S. leadership abroad has been stuck at 41%. Disapproval crept up to 36% in 2023. Key findings from Gallup's Rating World Leaders2024 report include: U.S. leadership ratings around the world remained flat; Germany was the top power for the seventh straight year. There were double-digit decreases in U.S. leadership approval in nine countries including key regional partners between 2022 and 2023 and double-digit increases in 13 countries. Ratings for the U.S. slipped in Africa, while China and Russia gained ground. As Russia's war against Ukraine rages on, the majority of adults worldwide continue to disapprove of Russia's leadership. Disdain for Russia remained strong in Europe. However, there were signs of it softening elsewhere, particularly in Africa. A new analysis compares "soft power" indicators and looks at the soft power of U.S. leadership relative to China's. Implications Beyond 2024: The lack of change in approval ratings of major powers in 2023 could be the world holding its breath in anticipation of a potential shakeup in the global order. The world already knows it will have President Vladimir Putin to deal with for at least the next six years. What will happen in November 2024 in the U.S. is far less certain. The results could fundamentally reshape U.S. foreign policy again and change its role in the global order. The world could also see a change in Germany. Although Germany's elections will not take place until late next year, a resurgence of the country's far-right is raising questions about its future leadership role in Europe and abroad. About Gallup Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world. About Gallup World Poll The Gallup World Poll is the most comprehensive and farthest-reaching survey of the world. The survey connects with more than 98% of the world's adult population through annual, nationally representative surveys with comparable metrics across countries. The Gallup World Poll is used to measure and track progress on several U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and is the official statistic for work and life for 55+ indexes and metrics associated with the most important aspects of individuals' lives, their communities and their countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422024308/en/ Contacts: khorshied_nusratty@gallup.com JAKARTA, Apr 23, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - The Indonesian government, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), believes that the 10th World Water Forum in Bali will be able to generate political consensus among participating heads of state, and achieve the agreements necessary to address the global climate challenge.The Forum, the largest gathering in water sectors involving various stakeholders, is co-hosted by the World Water Council and a host city. Held every three years, it has been taking place since 1997, with participants from politics, multilateral institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector.The Government of the Republic of Indonesia will host the 10th World Water Forum in Bali from 18-25 May 2024. The National Organizing Committee (NOC) is chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut B. Pandjaitan, while the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono serves as the Daily Chairperson.This year's Forum will be attended by numerous heads of state, with several former world leaders expressing their intention to be present, considering it necessary to attend. These include the former Presidents of Chile, Hungary, Slovenia, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Costa Rica. The former Prime Ministers of Belgium, Korea, and Bhutan will also be present."With the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have been making efforts to ensure that as many world leaders are in attendance as possible," said Endra S. Atmawidjaja, Expert Member, Ministry of PUPR, in Jakarta. "Indonesia has achieved success in water governance with local cultural approaches. The forum involves various stakeholders in water governance, and therefore benefits from best practices implemented by Indonesia, which the government hopes will serve as a valuable example to the global community."For example, the Subak system in Bali, which has been recognized by UNESCO for its irrigation governance with local wisdom, or Lake Bratan, also in Bali. The Grand Forest Park (Tahura), and the importance of mangroves in supporting water management. These are examples that world leaders and delegates can directly observe," said Endra."Domestic and international media are crucial, as they contribute to the forum's success and serve as a bridge to disseminate the importance of water management for the sustainability of life in the future. We invite the media to observe and convey the many examples of water governance that we have implemented. From Indonesia to the world," he added.The 10th World Water Forum: Main ThemesThe 10th World Water Forum in Bali will carry a main theme of ?Water for Shared Prosperity.? This gathering of leaders will address and discuss water issues while seeking collective solutions to water governance challenges. The forum will produce a Ministerial Declaration (MD) as a main output, along with concrete deliverables (projects, initiatives, joint actions).?Indonesia will forward four proposals for the Ministerial Declaration (MD), including the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Water and Climate Resilience (COE), mainstreaming Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on Small Islands, and the designation of World Lake Day (WLD). Additionally, the MD will include a Compendium of Concrete Deliverables and Actions, an initiative for the follow-up to the 10th World Water Forum.The 10th WWF & Expo: Bali Itinerary, May 18 ~ 25The WWF's opening will take place on Saturday, 18 May at Melasti Beach, with a ?Balinese Water Purification Ceremony.? This event, to be attended by 1,500 people, includes Rahina Tumpek Uye (Balinese Hindu ceremony expressing gratitude to animals in human life) and Segara Kerthi (Balinese Hindu ceremony seeking blessings from the sea gods) ceremonies.The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park will host the Welcoming Gala Dinner on Sunday, 19 May. The event will be attended by 2,500 people and will consist of 500 VVIP and VIP invitations. 2,000 people have been invited to attend the second location at GWK Lotus Pond.The Opening Ceremony and High-Level Meeting commence on Monday, 20 May at the Bali International Convention Center (BICC), Nusa Dua. This will be followed immediately by meetings between responsible parties for the political, thematic, and regional processes, as well as bilateral meetings with several heads of state. 5,500 participants will attend.The Forum's Fair and Expo opening will be held at Nusa Dua Hall BNDCC on the same day, Monday, 20 May. The Fair and Expo venues will be spread across BNDCC, BICC, and Kuta Beach.The sessions for political, thematic, and regional processes will be held from 20 - 25 May. Meanwhile, High-Level Meetings and Ministerial Meetings will take place from 20 May to 21 May.The Cultural Night (Farewell) will be held at Taman Bhagawan on Friday, 24 May. This event will be attended by 3,000 participants who will be welcomed and presented with Indonesian traditional food, regional dances, and culture.Lastly, the Closing Ceremony will commence on Saturday, 25 May, at Mangupura Hall. After this event, participants will be taken on field trips, including the Water Museum in Tabanan, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jatiluwih, Lake Batur in Kintamani, and the Cultural Village in Ubud.Written by TR/Elvira Inda Sari/WW, ANTARA: https://en.antaranews.com.Visit:10th World Water Forum: https://worldwaterforum.org.On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldwaterforum10/On Twitter|X: https://twitter.com/WWaterForum10On YouTube? ?:?https://www.youtube.com/@10thWorldWaterForum/On Facebook? :?https://www.facebook.com/wwf10/?Please contact:Director General, Public Information and Communications, Ministry of Communications & Informatics (KOMINFO), Usman Kansong, t: +62 81 678 5320, e: humas@mail.kominfo.go.idFor daily news and information, please visit?https://infopublik.id.For Media registration, https://media.worldwaterforum.org/registration/login.Source: 10th World Water Forum, Bali 2024Copyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Regulatory News: BenevolentAI ("BenevolentAI" or the "Company") (Euronext Amsterdam: BAI), a leader in applying advanced AI to accelerate biopharma drug discovery, today announces an update on its business priorities. Going forward the Company will focus on its AI-driven drug discovery collaboration and proprietary pipeline revenue generating pillars, following recent successes in these areas. The Board believes this focus will likely bring the greatest potential return for shareholders. Following completion of the market assessment of its Knowledge Exploration Tools, as noted at the time of the Company's full year results on 14 March 2024, work on the Knowledge Exploration Tools will cease, given the investment needed to fully commercialise this SaaS product and the estimated timeframe to see a potential meaningful financial return. The impact of these changes will be a reduction in headcount by c.30%, with cash burn reduced by c.20%, extending the Company's cash runway to late Q3 25, even after partial reinvestment of the savings into Phase Ib/IIa enabling studies for lead asset BEN-8744, following positive results from the Phase Ia trial. Since September 2023, the Company has made significant operational progress on multiple fronts, including signing the collaboration with Merck KGaA with a potential $594m in revenue generation, and announcing positive top line Phase Ia data on its lead asset BEN-8744 for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC), as well as making significant changes to strengthen its Executive Leadership Team. The Company had communicated in March 2024 that a current market assessment was underway of its Knowledge Exploration Tools that would determine if, or how, this opportunity complemented its wider commercial strategy. Following completion of this assessment, which took into account the level of further investment needed to successfully commercialise these tools as well as the timeframe within which a meaningful financial return could be expected, the Company has concluded that resources allocated to the development of these tools would be better utilised focusing on the Company's two other revenue pillars, following on from recent successes in its AI driven drug discovery collaboration and proprietary pipeline pillars. As part of this evaluation of business priorities the overall headcount of the Company has been reviewed and following the decisions announced today, it is proposed that headcount will be reduced by around 30% and headcount is expected to end the year at c.180. Importantly, key skills, experience and capabilities have been retained and these reductions maintain the Company's ability to execute on existing, or sign new, collaborations and continue to develop its core pipeline programmes. Additionally, the Company will close its US office. It is imperative for the operational effectiveness of the Company to have strong integration between its technology and scientific teams, and management believes this can be best achieved over its two largest sites in London and Cambridge, UK. While investment will continue to be made into the Company's pipeline programmes and development of the BenevolentAI Platform, the amended business priorities outlined above will result in a reduced cash burn of c.20% which will extend the Company's cash runway to late Q3 2025. The Company will continue to explore all opportunities to fund the cash runway gap to year end 2025, at which time further larger milestones are expected to be received from existing partner programmes. These opportunities include potentially signing new drug discovery collaborations and out-licensing of the Company's proprietary pipeline assets, where ongoing discussions with third parties are making good progress. The Company remains committed to its previous guidance of signing at least one new collaboration and out-licensing at least one of its pipeline assets during 2024. The Company will also continue to investigate a broad range of options to expand its shareholder base and also improve liquidity in its shares. Dr. Joerg Moeller, Chief Executive Officer of BenevolentAI, said: "While these situations are always difficult, as a company we have a duty to our shareholders to optimise capital allocation in the areas where we believe the potential return is the greatest. BenevolentAI is an AI augmented drug discovery company uniting science and technology with the aim to develop life-changing medicines for patients. Therefore, I believe that focusing our organisation on furthering our drug discovery collaborations and progressing our proprietary pipeline is the best way to achieve both the goal, of delivering value creation for our shareholders and delivering innovative medicines to patients suffering from very serious medical conditions." Public disclosure of inside information in accordance with article 17(1) of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on market abuse (Market Abuse Regulation) About BenevolentAI At BenevolentAI (AMS: BAI), we serve patients by leveraging our proprietary and validated Benevolent Platform that integrates AI and science to uncover new biology, predict novel targets and develop first-in-class or best-in-class drugs for complex diseases. By applying proprietary advanced AI tools, in combination with in-house scientific expertise and wet-lab facilities, BenevolentAI is well-positioned to identify and accelerate novel drug discovery. The Company's business model presents multiple routes for value creation including discovery collaborations with pharma companies like AstraZeneca and Merck and advancing in-house pipelines to inflection points. Headquartered in London, with wet labs in Cambridge (UK) is at the forefront of reshaping the future of drug discovery and delivering innovative medicines. Forward-looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "plans", "targets", "aims", "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "will", "may", "should" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding objectives, goals, strategies, outlook and growth prospects; future plans, events or performance and potential for future growth; economic outlook and industry trends; developments in BenevolentAI's markets; the impact of regulatory initiatives; and/or the strength of BenevolentAI's competitors. These forward-looking statements reflect, at the time made, BenevolentAI's beliefs, intentions and current targets/aims. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions based on, without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in BenevolentAI's records, and third-party data. Although BenevolentAI believes these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond BenevolentAI's control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause the actual outcomes and the results of operations, financial condition and liquidity of BenevolentAI or the industry to differ materially from those results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. No representation or warranty is made that any of these forward- looking statements or forecasts will come to pass or that any forecast result will be achieved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422096220/en/ Contacts: Enquiries: Investors: Fleur Wood VP Investor Relations fleur.wood@benevolent.ai investors@benevolent.ai T: +44(0) 203 781 9360 Media: Rachel Gurney press@benevolent.ai T: +44(0) 203 781 9360 FTI Consulting: Ben Atwell/Simon Conway/Victoria Foster Mitchell T: +44 203 727 1000 BenevolentAI@fticonsulting.com PRESS RELEASE REGULATED INFORMATION 23 April 2024, 07:00 am CET Publication of Annual Report 2023 Ghent, Belgium - 23 April 2024- Sequana Medical NV (Euronext Brussels: SEQUA) (the "Company" or "SequanaMedical"), a pioneer in the treatment of fluid overload in liver disease, heart failure and cancer, today invites the holders of securities issued by the Company to attend the Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings of Shareholders on Thursday, 23 May 2024. The annual report for the financial year 2023 has been published on Sequana Medical's website and can be accessed here. The items on the agendas of the meetings include (among other) the proposed approval of a number of resolutions relating to the financial year ended 31 December 2023, the proposed approval of the revised remuneration policy, the proposed reappointment of the statutory auditor, the application of Article 7:151 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code, the proposed contribution in kind of certain receivables pursuant to the unsecured and subordinated convertible loan agreement entered into on 7 February 2024 between the Company and Partners in Equity and Rosetta Capital (the "Lenders") in the principal amount of EUR 3,041,507.59 (the "Convertible Loan Agreement") and the resulting proposed share capital increase, as well as the renewal of the authorization to the Board of Directors to increase the share capital within the framework of the authorised capital. The Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings of Shareholders will take place at the Company's registered offices in Ghent and will start at 09:00 am CET. The full convening notice with the agenda and proposed resolutions can be accessed on the Sequana Medical website: www.sequanamedical.com/investors/shareholder-information. The Company recommends the holders of its securities to use e-mail for all communications with the Company regarding the Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings of Shareholders. The Company's e-mail address for such communications is: IR@sequanamedical.com. Disclosures in accordance with Article 7:97, 4/1 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code The following information is provided, in as far as needed and applicable, pursuant to Article 7:97, 4/1 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code in connection with the proposed contribution in kind to the share capital of the Company of the receivables that are or will be due by the Company under the Convertible Loan Agreement to the Lenders (the "Convertible Receivables") (the "Transaction"). Partners in Equity and Rosetta Capital are both shareholders of the Company and are represented on the board of directors of the Company. As a result, Partners in Equity and Rosetta Capital could each be considered as a "related party" in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards, as adopted by the European Union (IFRS), as referred to in Article 7:97 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code. In view hereof, and in accordance with paragraph 2, 1 of Article 7:97 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code, the board of directors of the Company has applied the procedure of Article 7:97 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code in connection with the contemplated proposal of the board of directors to the extraordinary general meeting to contribute in kind the Convertible Receivables to the share capital of the Company. Ids van der Weij (a director of the Company representing Partners in Equity) and Kenneth Macleod (a director of the Company representing Rosetta Capital) did not participate in the deliberation and voting by the board of directors of the Company in relation to the approval of the Transaction. Consequently, a committee of three independent directors of the Company (the "Committee") issued an advice to the board of directors in which the Committee has assessed the proposal to the extraordinary general meeting to contribute in kind the Convertible Receivables. In its advice to the board of directors, the Committee concluded the following: "The Committee believes that (i) under the then existing circumstances and taking into account the then existing immediate working capital needs of the Company as well as the then available financing options, the provisions of the Convertible Loan Agreement, including the agreed provisions relating to the (mandatory) contribution in kind of Convertible Receivables, were in the interest of the Company, its shareholders and other stakeholders, given that without the Convertible Loan Agreement, the Company may not have been able to meet its short-term financing needs and the going concern of the Company could no longer be guaranteed; (ii) the proposed contribution in kind is in the interest of the Company, its shareholders and creditors, given that via the proposed contribution in kind the Company (x) can meet its obligation to settle the Convertible Receivables without having to use existing or new funds (in cash), which it can use to finance working capital needs and, in particular, the further development of its products and clinical trials, (y) reduce its indebtedness, and (z) improve its net equity position (as the amount of the share capital is strengthened); (iii) while an additional and significant potential dilution will be incurred by the holders of shares and share options of the Company as a result of the Transaction (in particular because of the agreed conversion price representing a high discount compared to the price of the Company's existing shares as they are currently traded at the date of this advice), the Transaction does not seem to be unreasonable and seems to be commensurate to the risks of investing in the Company and, in particular, the risks and opportunity costs of the Lenders to agree to the Convertible Loan Agreement). After consideration, the Committee is therefore of the opinion that the expected benefits of the proposed contribution in kind, taking into account the context in which this obligation had arisen, are in balance with the expected risks and disadvantages thereof. Accordingly, the Committee is of the opinion that the Transaction is in the interest of the Company, and in any event is not manifestly unlawful. In light of this, the Committee provides a favourable and approving advice to the board of directors of the Company." The board of directors of the Company did not deviate from the Committee's favourable and approving conclusion. The assessment by the Company's statutory auditor of the Committee's advice and the minutes of the meeting of the board of directors of the Company relating to the Transaction, is as follows: "Based on our assessment, nothing has come to our attention that leads us to believe that the financial and accounting information mentioned in the advice of the Ad Hoc Committee of independent directors dated 19 April 2024 and in the minutes of the board meeting dated 19 April 2024, which justify the intended transaction in writing and substantially, are not, in all material respects, fair and sufficient with the information available to us within the scope of our engagement. Our engagement was solely conducted within the framework of Article 7:97 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code, and therefore our report cannot be used in any other context." For more information, please contact: Sequana Medical Ian Crosbie Chief Executive Officer E: IR@sequanamedical.com T: +44 7973 42 99 17 About Sequana Medical Sequana Medical NV is a pioneer in treating fluid overload, a serious and frequent clinical complication in patients with liver disease, heart failure and cancer. This causes major medical issues including increased mortality, repeated hospitalizations, severe pain, difficulty breathing and restricted mobility. Although diuretics are standard of care, they become ineffective, untolerable or exacerbate the problem in many patients. There are limited effective treatment options, resulting in poor clinical outcomes, high costs and a major impact on their quality of life. Sequana Medical is seeking to provide innovative treatment options for this large and growing "diuretic-resistant" patient population. alfapump and DSR are Sequana Medical's proprietary platforms that work with the body to treat diuretic-resistant fluid overload, delivering major clinical and quality of life benefits for patients and reducing costs for healthcare systems. The Company's Premarket Approval (PMA) application for the alfapump was submitted to the US FDA in December 2023 and accepted for substantive review in January 2024, having reported positive primary and secondary endpoint data from the North American pivotal POSEIDON study in recurrent or refractory ascites due to liver cirrhosis. US market approval of the alfapump is anticipated by the end of Q3 2024. Results of the Company's RED DESERT and SAHARA proof-of-concept studies in heart failure support DSR's mechanism of action as breaking the vicious cycle of cardiorenal syndrome. All three patients from the non-randomized cohort of MOJAVE, a US randomized controlled multi-center Phase 1/2a clinical study, have been successfully treated with DSR, resulting in a dramatic improvement in diuretic response and virtual elimination of loop diuretic requirements. The independent Data Safety Monitoring Board approved the start of the randomized MOJAVE cohort of up to a further 30 patients, which is planned after alfapump US PMA approval. Sequana Medical is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Brussels. Important Regulatory Disclaimers The alfapump system is currently not approved in the United States or Canada. In the United States and Canada, the alfapump system is currently under clinical investigation (POSEIDON Trial) and is being studied in adult patients with refractory or recurrent ascites due to liver cirrhosis. DSR therapy is still in development and it should be noted that any statements regarding safety and efficacy arise from ongoing pre-clinical and clinical investigations which have yet to be completed. There is no link between DSR therapy and ongoing investigations with the alfapump system in Europe, the United States or Canada. Note: alfapump and DSR are registered trademarks. Forward-looking statements This press release may contain predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements represent the current judgment of Sequana Medical on what the future holds, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Sequana Medical expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release, except if specifically required to do so by law or regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of Sequana Medical only as of the date of this press release. Attachments CIEC Group, in tandem with the New Zealand Chinese Business Club and key New Zealand businesses, has finalized letters of intent and MoC for the upcoming 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo. WELLINGTON, New Zealand, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 19, Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), concluded a delegation's visit to New Zealand. The visit, highlighted by a session of the New Zealand - China Business Assembly Forum and a roadshow for the 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), witnessed the signing of several key agreements, including a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) and letters of intent for participation in the upcoming expo this November. The China International Exhibition Center Group Corporation (CIEC Group) and several New Zealand business organizations, including New Zealand Chinese Commerce Club, committed to the initiative, marking another step forward in the robust trade partnership between the two nations. The recent delegation to New Zealand, the largest of its kind from China in years, included more than 80 delegates from the CCPIT, regional and industry-specific promotion bodies, and corporate representatives. Throughout the visit, the delegates conducted extensive discussions with their New Zealand counterparts, participating in a comprehensive agenda of nearly 150 business discussions and promotional events. The CCPIT, which hosts CISCE, and its associated entities, secured multiple new cooperation agreements with New Zealand organizations, underscoring the growing business ties between the two countries. Mr. Ren shared updates on China's economic landscape and insights into China's efforts to advance Chinese modernization through quality-driven development and maintain a high level of openness and international engagement. His conversations were directed towards enhancing partnerships in cutting-edge and eco-friendly sectors, including renewable and alternative energies, smart vehicles, sustainable agriculture, and health-focused lifestyles. The visit also included tours of leading local businesses, such as AUNEW and Yili subsidiary Oceania Dairy. In addition, Ren participated in the inaugural celebration of the Federation of New Zealand Chinese Business Associations Incorporated, where he addressed the assembled guests. The 2nd CISCE, set to take place in Beijing from November 26 to 30, will expand its offerings to include new sections, promising enhanced trade and investment opportunities. For more information about the upcoming Expo, please visit https://en.cisce.org.cn/. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394468/image_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/largest-chinese-trade-delegation-in-years-secures-cooperative-intentions-in-new-zealand-302124110.html Kupfer wird oft als das Gold der Energiewende bezeichnet, weil es aufgrund seiner hervorragenden elektrischen Leitfahigkeit eine zentrale Rolle in vielen Technologien spielt, die fur nachhaltige Energiesysteme entscheidend sind. Experten gehen aufgrund der Angebotsknappheit von einem Superzyklus aus. Korrektur als Einstiegschance Nach Hochststanden im Mai korrigierte das rote Metall stark. Die Abwartsspirale verstarkte sich in den vergangenen Tagen aufgrund schwacher Konjunkturdaten aus den USA und China. Langfristig konnte sich die aktuell laufende Korrektur als exzellente Einstiegsmoglichkeit herausstellen. 3 Kupferaktien mit hohem Potential Im neuen, kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir drei aussichtsreiche Unternehmen vor, die bei einem weiteren Anstieg uberproportional profitieren konnten. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Significant sales growth in 2023, especially for BIOCERA-VET OSTEOSARCOMA Portfolio strengthened with 4 new products added in 2023, for a total of 15 products Cash position of 1.15 million at December 31, 2023, giving financial visibility up to november 2024 Several refinancing options under assessment Regulatory News: TheraVet (ISIN: BE0974387194 ticker: ALVET) (Paris:ALVET), a pioneering company in the management of osteoarticular diseases in pets, today announces its Full-Year results for the year to December 31, 2023. The Company also informs its shareholders and the entire financial community of the availability of the preparatory documents for the Ordinary General Meeting of the Company to be held on June 6, 2024 at 5 p.m. (CEST) at Anderlecht, Belgium. All documents relating to this General Meeting are available on request from the Company, or can be consulted on the Company's website under Shareholders General Meetings. Enrico Bastianelli, Chief Executive Officer of TheraVet, stated: "Despite a difficult socio-economic environment, sales in 2023 experienced significant growth, particularly for BIOCERA-VET OSTEOSARCOMA which increased by 70% compared to the previous year. We also continued to strengthen our portfolio with the launch of BIOCERA-VET ComboClean, a unique-of-its-kind product. Finally, in terms of new markets, since the announcement of the start of the evaluation of BIOCERA-VET in horse bone cysts in February 2023, our teams have devoted important efforts to develop and successfully launch in March 2024 the equine versions of our BIOCERA-VET product range. Our efforts are now focused primarily on the development of this market, in particular the competition horse segment, which is experiencinga good growth dynamic. Finally, the Company is studying different options to raise additional funds to ensure the Company's long-term future." Full-Year 2023 financial results (Belgian GAAP) December 23 December 22 Revenue 117,839 94,037 Other operating income 1,148,747 1,904,880 Stock of finished goods and work in progress (8,817) 144,524 Produced fixed assets 960,216 1,507,741 Operating grants 76,813 53,508 Other operating income 120,535 199,107 Total operating income 1,266,585 1,998,917 Purchases and expenses (2,377,685) (3,680,826) COGS (74,588) (211,396) R&D expenses (370,139) (593,224) Corporate and listed company related expenses (121,067) (190,573) Marketing Sales expenses (186,617) (240,268) G&A expenses (847,623) (1,317,502) Staff expenses (770,425) (1,124,566) Other operating charges (7,226) (3,297) EBITDA (1,111,100) (1,681,910) Depreciation and amortization (1,064,009) (1,094,792) EBIT (2,175,109) (2,776,702) Financial income 558,635 427,044 Profit/loss for the period before taxes (1,616,474) (2,349,658) Income taxes on the result 45,766 34,030 Net Profit/loss (1,570,708) (2,315,628) Net Cash 1,147,082 3,185,671 In 2023, TheraVet followed its marketing strategy started in 2022 with educational programs (webinars), clinical cases communication,mainly through social network and mailing,and participation in key local and international orthopaedic and oncology events. TheraVet's commercial strategy based on a mixed model of direct and indirect sales was pursued with the signing of new distribution agreements in Italy (post-cloture event), Norway, Czech republic Slovakia, and the intensification of joint promotional actions.In the United States, sales are currently only made directly, but following the official termination on April 22, 2024 of the agreement established with a defaulting distributor, advanced discussions with other distributors are underway to facilitate the penetration of the BIOCERA-VET range in the United States. TheraVet's portfolio has been significantly strengthened in 2023. It currently contains 15 products (including 4 added since January 2023) to meet the preferences (synthetic vs. biological) and indications (volume of products, strengthening action or bone filling) that orthopedic veterinarians are faced with. The Company generated 0.12 million of revenue, of which approximately 75% in Europe. A total of 741 units from the BIOCERA-VET range were sold. While the BIOCERA-VETBONE SURGERY line still accounts for 80% of total sales, a 50% increase compared to 2022, BIOCERA-VET OSTEOSARCOMA displayed strong growth in 2023, with an increase of almost 70% compared with 2022, underlining the interest aroused by this unique solution for the management of osteosarcoma in dogs. In the United States, sales, which only came from direct sales, gained momentum in 2023, with 173 units sold, representing a 5.7 -fold increase. The Company also generated 0.96 million of "produced fixed asset" as a result of the activation of R&D expenses related to the BIOCERA-VET and VISCO-VET programs. The development of preclinical and clinical programs as well as the marketing plan of BIOCERA-VET products are in accordance with the Company development plan and are reflected by the "Purchases and expenses" globally aligned with last year expenses COGS decreased by 0.14 million as compared to 2022 due to anticipated inventory stocking of products in 2022 to cover a large share of product sales in 2023; decreased by 0.14 million as compared to 2022 due to anticipated inventory stocking of products in 2022 to cover a large share of product sales in 2023; R&D expenses decreased by 0.22 million as compared to 2022, reaching 0.37 million. The decrease is driven by the shift in focus in 2023 to the commercialization of its recently developed product portfolio; decreased by 0.22 million as compared to 2022, reaching 0.37 million. The decrease is driven by the shift in focus in 2023 to the commercialization of its recently developed product portfolio; Corporate and listed company related expenses decreased by 0.07 million as compared to 2022, driven by a focus of the company on cost efficiency measures throughout 2023; decreased by 0.07 million as compared to 2022, driven by a focus of the company on cost efficiency measures throughout 2023; Marketing Sales expenses decreased by 0.05 million as compared to 2022, with a limited impact of cost efficiency measures in this cost category, driven by the active focus of the Company on marketing and sales of its product portfolio; decreased by 0.05 million as compared to 2022, with a limited impact of cost efficiency measures in this cost category, driven by the active focus of the Company on marketing and sales of its product portfolio; G&A expenses decreased by 0.47 milllion as compared to 2022, a significant reduction of 35%, reflecting the Company's focus on cost and organizational efficiency throughout 2023; decreased by 0.47 milllion as compared to 2022, a significant reduction of 35%, reflecting the Company's focus on cost and organizational efficiency throughout 2023; Staff expenses decreased by 0.35 million as compared to 2022, an equally significant reduction of 32%, as a result of the Company's ongoing organizational efficiency initiatives. Finally, the amortization of development expenses related to the BIOCERA-VET and VISCO-VET programs results in an operating loss of 2.2 million and a net loss of 1.6 million. The Company's cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2023 amounted at 1.15 million, enabling it to fund operations to November 2024. Post-closing Operational Highlights On January 09, 2024, the Company began distributing its BIOCERA-VET product range in Italy, Europe's fourth largest pet market. This distribution agreement comes after market evaluation and the start of several clinical trials in Italy with key opinion leaders. On January 17, 2024, the Company announced the official launch of its BIOCERA-VET product range in Germany. With a total population of 27 million pets (including 10.3 million dogs and 16.7 million cats), corresponding to 47% of owner households, Germany is the largest pet market in Europe. On February 20, 2024, the Company announced the recruitment of Brakke Consulting to help it develop its growth strategy for the US market. Brakke is one of the leading consultancies specialising in the veterinary sector and has extensive experience in developing companies in this sector in the US market. Brakke's objective will be to help develop TheraVet's presence and recognition as a major player in the US orthopaedic market. He will also assist the Company in identifying potential M&A opportunities. On March 13, 2024, the Company announced the launch of its equine business with the marketing of 2 new BIOCERA-VET products for orthopaedic and dental surgery in horses. This launch marks the Company's entry into the high added-value equine market. On March 20, 2024, the Company's Board of Directors decided to co-opt as a director the limited liability company FATAKI BV, whose permanent representative is Johan Dreesen, to replace Ms Julie Winand, who left her position within the Company and her directorship during the 2023 financial year. Confirmation of the appointment of FATAKI BV will be proposed at the next Ordinary General Meeting of the Company, scheduled for June 06, 2024. On April 22 2024, after 18 months of unfruitful attempts due to factors beyond its control to start the distribution operations with its partner in the United States, the Company has decided to terminate the agreement and to focus on other distributors for which advanced discussions are underway. Full-Year Report 2023 The 2023 Full-Year report for the year ended December 31, 2023 will be published today, 2024 and is available on the Company's website, www.theravet-finances.com. The statutory auditor has issued an unmodified report dated April 22, 2024 on the Company's Full-Year accounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, and has confirmed that the accounting data reported in the accompanying press release is consistent, in all material respects, with the accounts from which it has been derived. Going concern The financial statements were prepared on a going concern basis in accordance with the significant accounting policies set out below. During 2023, the Company's equity remained above the share capital. In addition, as the value of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment calculated on the basis of our discounted cash flow analysis was higher than their accounting value at December 31, 2023, these assets were not subject to any additional exceptional depreciation. As the Company's balance sheet shows a loss carried forward of -5,843,003 and a loss for more than two consecutive years, we are required to justify the application of the going concern accounting rules (article 3:66 of the Companies and Associations Code). The current accounting loss is due to the fixed costs of running the Company, and to the development costs of the VISCO-VET and BIOCERA-VET projects, which are not covered by a grant. Cash flow has been sufficient to cover these costs. Based on the current scope of its activities and best estimates of annual cash consumption, revenue and grants, as well as the absence of any significant impact of the political situation on its activities, the Company estimates that its cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2023 should be sufficient to finance its operations until November 2024. On the other hand, cash and cash equivalents may not be sufficient to meet the Company's working capital requirements for the twelve months following the date of release of the financial statements for fiscal year 2023. These circumstances indicate the existence of a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The Board of Directors nevertheless considers it appropriate to prepare the Company's financial statements on a going concern basis, while implementing a plan to secure a new financial contribution to the Company. The Company is currently considering several options for raising additional funds, whether through equity financing, collaboration, or a strategic tie-up with another player in the animal healthcare market. Based on its operating budgets, the management believes that the Company will be able to meet its financial obligations for the 7 months following the date of these financial statements. The management therefore believes that the going concern assumption is justified. Financial calendar 2024 Ordinary General Assembly: June 06, 2024 Half-year business update: July 11, 2024 Half-year financial results: September 12, 2024 About TheraVet SA TheraVet is a veterinary biotechnology company specialising in osteoarticular treatments for companion animals. The Company develops targeted, safe and effective treatments to improve the quality of life of pets suffering from joint and bone diseases. For pet owners, the health of their pets is a major concern and TheraVet's mission is to address the need for innovative and curative treatments. TheraVet works closely with international opinion leaders in order to provide a more effective response to ever-growing needs in the field of veterinary medicine. TheraVet is listed on Euronext Growth Paris and Brussels, has its head office in Belgium (Gosselies) with a US subsidiary. For more information, visit the TheraVet website or follow us on LinkedInFacebookTwitter Forward-looking statements This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the Company's plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, the safety and clinical activity of TheraVet's pipelines and financial condition, results of operation and business outlook. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there are risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, those listed and fully described in the "Risk Factors" section in the Annual Report. TheraVet expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation. Statements of operations and comprehensive loss 31.12.2023 31.12.2022 Operating 1,266,585 1,998,916 Revenue 117,839 94,037 Stocks of finished goods and work and contracts in progress: increase (decrease) -8,817 144,524 Produced fixed assets 960,216 1,507,741 Other operating income 197,348 252,615 Non-recurring operating charges Operating charges 3,441,694 4,775,618 Goods for resale, raw materials and consumables 74,588 211,396 Purchases 115,734 146,696 Stock: increase/decrease -41,146 64,700 Services and other goods 1,525,446 2,341,568 Remuneration, social security costs and pensions (+)/(-) 770,425 1,124,566 Amortisations of and other amounts written down on formation expenses, intangible and tangible fixed assets 1,064,009 908,651 Increase, decrease in amounts written off stocks contracts in progress and trade debtors: appropriations (write-backs) (+)/(-) 0 186,141 Provisions for risks and charges appropriations (uses and write-backs) (+)/(-) Other operating charges 7,226 3,297 Operation charges carried to assets as restructuring costs Non-recurring operating charges Operating profit (loss) (+)/(-) -2,175,109 - 2,776,702 31.12.2023 31.12.2022 Financial income 593,758 473,836 Recurring financial income 593,758 473,836 Non-recurring financial income Financial charges 35,124 46,792 Recurring financial charges 35,124 46,792 Non-recurring financial charges Profit (loss) for the period before taxes (+)/(-) -1,616,474 -2,349,658 Transfer fom postponed taxes Transfer to postponed taxes Income taxes (+)/(-) 45,767 34,030 Taxes 1,602 13,591 Adjustment of income taxes and write-back of provisions 47,369 47,621 Profit (loss) for the period (+)/(-) -1,570,707 -2,315,628 Transfer from untaxed reserves Transfer to untaxed reserves Profit (loss) for the period available for appropriation (+)/(-) -1,570,707 -2,315,628 Profit (loss) for the period (+)/(-) -1,570,707 Profit (loss) per share for the period (+)/(-) Direct -0.487 Profit (loss) per share for the period (+)/(-) Diluted -0.4661 1 This diluted EPS calculation excludes potential new shares to be issued in the future based on the convertible obligations issued by the Company on November 20th, 2023, as well as based on potential new tranches of convertible obligations that could be issued in the future in the context of the Equity Line put in place by the company during the 2023 fiscal year Statement of Financial Position ASSETS 31.12.2023 31.12.2022 FORMATION EXPENSES 451,855 635,415 FIXED ASSETS 5,435,044 5,306,204 Intangible fixed assets 5,212,569 5,084,070 Tangible fixed assets 21,686 28,578 Land and buildings Plant, machinery and equipment 19,816 23,064 Furniture and vehicles 1,870 5,514 Leasing and other rights Other tangible fixed assets Tangible assets under construction and advance payments made Financial fixed assets 200,790 193,556 Affiliated companies 192,233 181,631 Participating interests 8,749 8,749 Amounts receivable 183,484 172,882 Other financial fixed assets 8,557 11,925 Amounts receivable and cash guarantees 8,557 11,925 CURRENT ASSETS 1,647,291 3,560,167 Amounts receivable after more than one year Trade debtors Other amounts receivable Stocks and contracts in progress 123,342 91,013 Stocks 123,342 91,013 Raw materials and consumables Work in progress 4,409 13,226 Finished goods Goods purchased for resale 118,933 77,787 Contract in progress Amounts receivable within one year 334,308 235,098 Trade debtors 18,228 34,019 Other amounts receivable 316,079 201,079 Current investments Cash at bank and in hand 1,147,082 3,185,671 Deferred charges and accrued income 42,559 48,385 TOTAL ASSETS 7,534,190 9,501,785 LIABILITIES 31.12.2023 31.12.2022 EQUITY 6,049,198 7,521,135 Contributions 10,172,459 10,172,459 Available 322,394 322,394 Issued capital 322,394 322,394 Beyond capital 9,850,065 9,850,065 Share premium account 9,850,065 9,850,065 Revaluation surplues Reserves Legal reserve Reserve not available In respect of own shares held Others Untaxed reserves Available reserves Accumulated profits (+)/ losses (-) -5,843,002 -4,272,294 Investment grants 1,719,741 1,620,971 PROVISIONS AND DEFERRED TAXES Provisions for liabilities and charges Deferred taxes AMOUNT PAYABLE 1,484,993 1,980,651 Amounts payable after more than one year 1,000,600 897,058 Financial debts 1,000,600 897,058 Subordinated loans 12,500 37,500 Other loans 988,100 859,558 Trade debts Advances received on contracts in progress Other amounts payable Amounts payable within one year 477,493 1,075,548 Current potion of amounts payable after more than one year 159,267 151,033 Financial debts Credit institutions Other loans Trade debts 131,615 136,156 Suppliers 131,615 136,156 Bills of exchange payable Advances received on contracts in progress Taxes, remuneration and social security 100,527 239,943 Taxes 0 28,527 Remuneration and social security 100,527 211,415 Other amounts payable 86,084 548,415 Accruals and deferred income 6,900 8,045 TOTAL LIABALITIES 7,534,190 9,501,785 Cash Flow Statement Cash flow Statement 31.12.2023 31.12.2022 Free cashflow -538,996 -1,404,282 Net cash used in operations -679,148 373,092 Net cash (used in)/from investing activities -1,009,290 -1,554,457 Net cash (used in)/from financing activities 188,845 139,900 Net cash (decrease)/increase -2,038,589 -2,445,747 Cash cash equivalents at opening 3,185,671 5,631,418 Cash cash equivalents at closing 1,147,082 3,185,671 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422016529/en/ Contacts: TheraVet Chief Operating Officer Sabrina Ena investors@thera.vet Tel: +32 (0) 71 96 00 43 NewCap Investor Relations and Financial Communications Theo Martin Nicolas Fossiez theravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 Press Relations Arthur Rouille theravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15 NewCap Belgique Press Relations Laure-Eve Monfort lemonfort@newcap.fr Tel.: 32 (0) 489 57 76 52 i3 Energy plc (AIM:I3E)(TSX:ITE), an independent oil and gas company with assets and operations in the UK and Canada, announces that a Notice of Annual General Meeting (the "Circular") will be posted to Shareholders on 28 May 2024. This announcement, and the filing by the Company of a Notice of Annual General Meeting and Record Date on SEDAR+, is made earlier than required by the Companies Act 2006 in the UK in order to satisfy the requirements applicable to the Company under Canadian securities laws. The Circular will be available on the Company's website at https://i3.energy on the anticipated date of posting, 28 May 2024, and will be mailed to UK and Canadian shareholders where it has been requested. The Circular will also be filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website on the date of posting. The Annual General Meeting ("AGM") is to be held at the offices of W H Ireland Limited at 24 Martin Lane, London, EC4R 0DR at 11 a.m. (BST) on 27 June 2024. END Enquiries: i3 Energy plc Majid Shafiq (CEO) c/o Camarco Tel: +44 (0) 203 757 4980 WH Ireland Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker) James Joyce, Darshan Patel Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666 Tennyson Securities (Joint Broker) Peter Krens Tel: +44 (0) 207 186 9030 Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker) Ashton Clanfield, Callum Stewart Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 Camarco Andrew Turner, Violet Wilson, Sam Morris Tel: +44 (0) 203 757 4980 Notes to Editors: i3 Energy is an oil and gas Company with a low cost, diversified, growing production base in Canada's most prolific hydrocarbon region, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and appraisal assets in the North Sea with significant upside. The Company is well positioned to deliver future growth through the optimisation of its existing high working interest asset base and the acquisition of long life, low decline conventional production assets. i3 is dedicated to responsible corporate practices and the environment, and places high value on adhering to strong Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") practices. i3 is proud of its performance to date as a responsible steward of the environment, people, and capital management. The Company is committed to maintaining an ESG strategy, which has broader implications for long-term value creation, as these benefits extend beyond regulatory requirements. i3 Energy is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol I3E and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ITE. For further information on i3 Energy please visit https://i3.energy/. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: i3 Energy PLC View the original press release on accesswire.com BOSTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric haul trucks will be key to achieving meaningful emissions reduction in the mining industry and assisting mining companies to meet their sustainability objectives. Haul trucks make up almost a quarter of the global mining vehicle population but are by far the largest and most emitting vehicles, contributing to over 90% of vehicular emissions in mining or over 174 megatonnes of CO2 annually. Electrification of these vehicles is steadily progressing at a rate that is drawing the attention of key players across the industry, including mining companies, OEMs, and battery suppliers. IDTechEx's new report, "Electric Vehicles in Mining 2024-2044: Technologies, Players, and Forecasts", explores the facets drawing key stakeholders into the space, why electric haul trucks are expected to be a success, and what is still needed as part of the electric transition. Compared to other mining vehicles, and especially to on-highway vehicle segments, haul truck electrification is still in its nascent stages. Only one or two electric haul trucks have been made per year, and only in 2023 did the total number of these vehicles tip into the double digits. The majority of these have been prototypes and testing models developed by the mining companies themselves and independent retrofitters instead of OEMs. They repurpose existing diesel machines to install batteries or fuel cells for zero-emission operation. First Mode and WAE have been the two most active players in this area and are expanding their retrofitting capacities in the near term. More recently, major mining OEMs have moved into the electric haul truck space, seeking to develop and commercialize electric models of their existing vehicles in-house. This includes the two largest mining OEMs globally, Caterpillar and Komatsu. Caterpillar has built the 793 Electric prototype, currently in testing and with aims for commercialization by 2027. Komatsu is at a similar stage of development with its 830E electric, aiming for production pre-2030. What can electric haul trucks offer? The ramp-up in interest from OEMs in electric haul trucks can be attributed to the rising demand from mining companies. Many of the world's largest miners have signed agreements with retrofitters and now OEMs for the supply of EV haul trucks when the technology is commercially available. These companies are increasingly realizing that not only are electric haul trucks greener and provide safer working conditions, but they can also generate huge savings in total cost of ownership. The biggest chunk of the total cost of ownership savings comes from replacing diesel with much cheaper electricity. Haul trucks have the most intensive duty cycles of any vehicle in a mine, working 20-hour days on average and consuming massive amounts of diesel in the process. Any cost reductions will, therefore, compound greatly through the truck's 10-year lifetime. A single 150-tonne haul truck can save over US$5.5 million in energy costs alone. This is widely applicable across all vehicle weights, with heavier trucks providing even greater upside, highlighting the potential savings that can be generated when an entire fleet of haul trucks is electrified. Regardless of the costs that can be saved, electric haul trucks will come at a premium. Haul truck batteries are large and expensive and will need multiple replacements within a 10-year window. The question remains: will energy savings be sufficient to overturn the premiums paid for batteries? The large batteries needed for electric haul trucks have perhaps been the largest technological and financial bottlenecks inhibiting their adoption, but they are now sufficiently developed and competitively priced for wider use. These batteries regularly exceed 1 MWh, with the largest ones approaching 2 MWh. IDTechEx has collated a database of all existing EV haul truck models, showing that current vehicle runtimes remain under 6 hours on a single charge. For a 150-tonne haul truck to operate for this duration, it will require a battery pack of over 1700 kWh and cost over US$500 thousand. Energy savings will comfortably exceed the added cost of a single battery. However, IDTechEx expects electric haul trucks will need an additional five battery replacements per vehicle on average, costing an extra US$2.6 million. More cost factors also play into the total cost of ownership of electric haul trucks. On average, a 150-tonne truck will be able to save around US$340 thousand in maintenance costs in its lifetime. However, an electric driveline is needed for US$70 thousand, plus the labor of retrofitting which IDTechEx estimates at US$360 thousand. While these are relevant and substantial costs, they pale in comparison to the amounts spent on diesel or batteries and are not the key determinants in haul truck economics. Altogether, despite multiple expensive battery replacements, total ownership costs are strongly in favor of electrification. Mining companies will be able to save nearly US$2.5 million per haul truck electrified, and trucks will break even on their added CAPEX in under 3 years. Given that the volumes of electric haul trucks are still so small, there is plenty of room for the cost of batteries to fall below the US$300/kWh estimate by IDTechEx. Simultaneously, the frequency of battery replacements will decrease as cycle life improves. As these happen, the financial advantages of electric haul trucks over diesel ones will become even more significant. What do EVs still need? If electric haul trucks are so financially attractive, why are they not yet widespread? First and most importantly, batteries require size and endurance that are in line with the demands of haul truck duty cycles while still maintaining relative affordability. This aspect has only recently been achievable from battery suppliers such as CATL, ABB, and Northvolt, and the industry is now expanding in response. Development of haul truck batteries is in its infancy - a wide range of designs and chemistries are currently being employed to meet performance demands, and there is yet to be an industry-wide consensus. Productivity is another sticking point in the adoption of electric haul trucks. Currently, it is impossible for an electric truck to match the uptime of diesel. Where a diesel truck only needs 10 minutes a day to refuel, EVs need to be charged multiple times a day for two to three hours in total. Mining companies will not be willing to adopt a technology if it means sacrificing the productivity and output of their operations. Electric haul trucks can be over 10% more efficient than diesel trucks (through a combination of higher speeds and less maintenance time), which goes some way to minimizing the impact of electrification on productivity. Still, OEMs are looking to eliminate any impact entirely by extending battery runtimes as much as possible and by bringing in faster charging methods. Charging is an obstacle for electric haul trucks in its own right. To maintain the productivity that mining companies demand, haul trucks need to be charged at rates of 1 to 3C. High charging rates can compromise the cycle life of batteries, which would necessitate more frequent battery replacements. It remains to be seen if a wide array of battery technologies from various suppliers will be able to be consistently charged at such high rates. This will also come with an incredibly high energy requirement. To charge a 1700 kWh battery at 3C will require a 5 MW+ connection, equal to the output of two off-shore wind turbines! Charging at such rates would demand dedicated power plants and considerable upgrades to local power infrastructure at great expense to mines. Given that premiums for electric haul trucks are still high, mines might not be willing or able to afford the layout for vehicles and infrastructure together. However, IDTechEx expects that through the financial appeal of EV haul trucks and the wider electrification of mining vehicles and operations, that mines will increasingly implement this infrastructure. OEMs are committing to electric haul trucks in their long-term strategic visions and mining companies have shown willingness to adopt them at the soonest opportunity. The total cost of ownership benefits that they provide are too significant to ignore, and the continued development of batteries and chargers will negate many of the questions currently asked of these vehicles. Electric haul trucks are cheaper to operate, more productive, and far more environmentally friendly, making them the clear winner for the future of the mining industry. The IDTechEx report, "Electric Vehicles in Mining 2024-2044: Technologies, Players, and Forecasts", provides deeper analyses and quantification of these key cost factors in electrification, as well as integral players across the electric haul truck supply chain. It finds that electric haul trucks are on the cusp of significant growth, predicted to be a US$15 billion industry by 2044. To find out more about this IDTechEx report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/EVMining. For the full portfolio of electric vehicle market research from IDTechEx, please see www.IDTechEx.com/Research/EV. About IDTechEx: IDTechEx provides trusted independent research on emerging technologies and their markets. Since 1999, we have been helping our clients to understand new technologies, their supply chains, market requirements, opportunities and forecasts. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com. Images download: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/q02kqw8b7pfv1156b9ic2/h?rlkey=j5pgfvpcdsfk0y02zlr35csv5&dl=0 Media Contact: Lucy Rogers Sales and Marketing Administrator press@IDTechEx.com +44(0)1223 812300 Social Media Links: Twitter: www.twitter.com/IDTechEx LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/IDTechEx Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2389837/IDTechEx.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/478371/IDTechEx_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/idtechex-finds-electric-haul-trucks-to-become-a-us15-billion-industry-302119575.html LatticeFlow AI, the leading AI platform for building safe and trustworthy AI solutions, proudly joins the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC). Following a series of strategic engagements with U.S. government agencies and international standards organizations, including the ISO and NIST, LatticeFlow AI joins leading AI organizations to broaden and accelerate its efforts in ensuring the safe and responsible adoption of AI solutions. LatticeFlow AI, the leading platform empowering Artificial Intelligence (AI) teams to build performant, safe, and trustworthy AI solutions, proudly announces that it has joined the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC). LatticeFlow AI researchers will support Working Group #3, focusing on capability evaluations. Together with the National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) and other consortium members, LatticeFlow AI will support the development of methods, benchmarks, and testing environments that help organizations operationalize the practices outlined in NIST's AI Risk Management Framework (RMF). Dave Henry, SVP of Business Development at LatticeFlow AI, added: "AI safety programs are interdisciplinary in nature, requiring a broad range of management and technical skills to execute. The Consortium brings diverse experts together to create durable and innovative practices that promote trustworthy AI. We look forward to contributing our knowledge of AI model safety and collaborating on new approaches for scalable evaluations." Executive Demand for Trustworthy AI Despite the impressive accuracy of AI models demonstrated in pilots and proof-of-concept projects, building AI solutions that perform reliably on real-world data remains an immense challenge. This affects both technical teams building and delivering AI solutions as well as management teams that need to quantify risks and approve AI solutions for use in business-critical operations. As a result, 85% of the models never make it into production, and out of those that do, 91% degrade over time. "Unfortunately, high-value AI deployments are being delayed due to developer delay, insufficient good data governance and the inability to quantify possible risks associated with the use of their AI models," stated Randolph Kahn Esq., President of Kahn Consulting Inc. "Consortiums such as AISIC can produce detailed guidelines and best practices, and when coupled with LatticeFlow AI's technology, this can lead to a significant reduction of the time and cost required to complete thorough risk assessments and unlock the value of AI systems." The U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium AISIC was established by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to contribute to the priority actions outlined in U.S. President Biden's Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of AI. These include developing red-teaming guidelines, technical assessment standards, and risk management practices, among other key elements to the development of trustworthy AI and its responsible use. LatticeFlow AI's Contributions to Making AI Safe and Trustworthy LatticeFlow AI's association with AISIC follows a series of contributions made by the LatticeFlow AI team towards the goals outlined by AISIC and President Biden's Executive Order. Since 2020, LatticeFlow AI has been an invited technical contributor to key AI Safety initiatives at the International Organization for Standardization, where it has actively contributed to the working group focusing on the development and standards for Trustworthy AI. Earlier this year, LatticeFlow AI hosted renowned AI leaders at the World Economic Forum's AI House, gathering key figures in AI, including Gary Marcus (NYU), Apostol Vassilev (NIST), Kai Zenner (European Parliament), Matthias Bossardt (KPMG), Thomas Stauner (BMW), among other industry experts, to delve into the latest AI developments and discuss responsible AI adoption. From Standards to Practice: First AI Assessment for a Leading Swiss Bank Moving beyond the development of AI guidelines and standards, this year, LatticeFlow AI announced the first industry-pioneering technical AI Assessment for Migros Bank, a leading Swiss Bank, demonstrating how these AI standards are used in practice to mitigate risk and ensure regulatory compliance for business-critical AI solutions. The results of this assessment, alongside a concrete blueprint to implement AI governance and technical AI assessments at enterprises and governments, were presented at a dedicated event hosted at the ETH AI Center. LatticeFlow AI's Commitment to the U.S. and NIST's AI Safety Institute Consortium With its contributions to AISIC, LatticeFlow AI will continue its commitment to helping U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Army ensure the safety and trustworthiness of mission-critical AI systems. Last year, White House officials announced LatticeFlow AI as the first-place winner in the "red teaming" AI Privacy Prize Challenge category. Subsequently, the company announced a strategic expansion towards the US and a three-year strategic engagement with the U.S. Army to build next-generation resilient AI solutions for mission-critical defense use cases. "Joining AISIC will allow us to accelerate and broaden our impact by aligning our efforts towards ensuring AI trust and safety with global AI leaders, enterprises, and governments," said Petar Tsankov, Co-founder and CEO of LatticeFlow AI. Interested in learning more? Watch the replay of our event on AI Governance Audits:?Navigating AI Risks and Compliance. Visit our web page to learn how to manage your AI model risk with comprehensive technical AI assessments. If you are interested in conducting an AI assessment, book a meeting with a LatticeFlow AI expert. About LatticeFlow AI LatticeFlow AI offers a cutting edge AI platform that empowers enterprise teams to build performant, safe, and trustworthy AI at scale. Our platform is designed to unlock the full value of AI by systematically addressing critical model and data issues through automated processes and intelligent workflows across your entire AI lifecycle. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423153331/en/ Contacts: For media inquiries: media@latticeflow.ai On April 13, 2024, the 2024 ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge (ASC24) Finals drew to a close at Shanghai University after five days of intense competition. Peking University emerged as the undisputed overall champion, securing their place in ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge history. After ASC24 registration opened on November 16, 2023, over 300 teams from universities participated in the intense preliminary contests. As a result, the absolute best 25 teams ascended to the finals hosted at Shanghai University from April 9 to 13, 2024. This marked a groundbreaking moment in ASC history, with the highest number of teams ever qualifying for onsite finals since the competition's inception in 2012. During the finals, teams showcased their skills by designing and building cluster systems capped at a maximum power consumption of 3,000 W. They tackled a lineup of cutting-edge scientific and engineering applications, including HPL and HPCG benchmarks, Large Language Model (LLM), OpenCAEPoro, GoMars, and WannierTools. ASC24 featured again a group competition in which 25 teams, divided into 5 groups, explored the real-world application of ParaSeis. They simulated seismic wave propagation and refined algorithms through collaborative communication. The competition reached its pinnacle when Peking University ultimately seized the coveted Champion title. Their performance not only impressed everyone but also demonstrated exceptional proficiency across various tasks such as GoMars, LLM, and WannierTools. This showed their expertise and unequaled mastery of comprehensive supercomputing systems, applications, and top-tier optimization skills. The National Tsing Hua University team achieved significant results with the OpenCAEPoro task. They maximized the use of computing resources, executed large-scale parallel optimization of OpenCAEPoro while navigating power consumption constraints, and achieved the shortest run time, securing them the prestigious e Prize. A collaborative effort led by Shanghai University, in partnership with the Southern University of Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, achieved remarkable optimization of ParaSeis. Their commendable teamwork and dedication were duly recognized with the prestigious Group Competition Award. Additionally, the Zhejiang University team secured the Highest LINPACK Award, showcasing their exceptional computational prowess. Meanwhile, the outstanding performances of Shanxi University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University were properly honored with the coveted Application Innovation Award, recognizing their innovative contributions to the field. Jack Dongarra, a distinguished member of the US National Academy of Engineering and recipient of the prestigious Turing Award, as well as a Distinguished Professor at both Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, and Chair of the ASC Advisory Committee, shared his insights during the closing ceremony of the ASC24 Finals: "ASC challenges and inspires the next generation of HPC scientists and engineers to deliver innovative solutions using the most cutting-edge technologies. The competition has been described as the world's largest supercomputing hackathon, striving to foster the next generation of young talents to inspire exploration, innovation, and collaboration in Supercomputing and AI. About ASC The ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge stands as the globe's premier student supercomputer competition, with the generous support of experts and institutions spanning Asia, Europe, and America. ASC boasts a noble mission: to foster the exchange and cultivation of young supercomputing talent across borders, enhance supercomputing applications and research and development capabilities, propel the advancement of supercomputing technologies, and stimulate technical and industrial innovation. Since its inception in 2012, the ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge has grown every year, attracting over 10,000 undergraduates from every corner of the planet. To discover more about this impactful endeavor, visit the website. http://www.asc-events.net/StudentChallenge/index.html View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423424820/en/ Contacts: Media: media@asc-events.org Prof. Sir Brian J. Hoskins and Prof. John Michael Wallace in the Field of Resources, Energy, the Environment, and Social Infrastructure Prof. Ronald M. Evans in the Field of Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Science The Japan Prize Foundation (President: Hiroshi Komiyama) held an award ceremony on Tuesday, April 16 at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward to confer the Japan Prize on scientists who have made creative and dramatic achievements in the global scientific and technological fields and who have contributed significantly to realizing peace and prosperity for all humanity. Prof. Sir Brian J. Hoskins (UK) and Prof. John Michael Wallace (USA), the winners in the field of Resources, Energy, the Environment, and Social Infrastructure, and Prof. Ronald M. Evans (USA), the winner in the field of Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Science, were in attendance at the award ceremony, and each field was awarded 100 million Yen together with a certificate and a medal. Each year, the winners of the Japan prize are recommended by approximately 15,500 prominent scientists and engineers from around the world, and decided by a rigorous examination taking about 1 year. For 2024, The Foundation received 130 nominations for the fields of Resources, Energy, the Environment, and Social Infrastructure, and 198 nominations for the fields of Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Science. This year's winners were selected from that total of 328 candidates. The ceremony was attended by about 150 guests, starting with Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, heads of the three branches of government and other related officials, and representatives from various other elements of society. His Majesty the Emperor delivered remarks, followed by speeches by the three winners, and congratulatory remarks by Hidehisa Otsuji, President of the House of Councilors. This year's award ceremony can be viewed from the links below. Japanese Version: https://www.youtube.com/live/9u7k6Al_MlU?si=B8EhDuvEByzFlTKB English Version: https://www.youtube.com/live/FsNvb9V0ODo?si=vAlfPk94QvCq4Iac About the Japan Prize The establishment of the Japan Prize in 1981 was motivated by the Japanese government's desire to create an internationally recognized award that would contribute to scientific and technological development around the world. With the support of numerous donations, the Japan Prize Foundation received endorsement from the Cabinet Office in 1983. The Japan Prize is awarded to scientists and engineers from around the world, who have made creative and dramatic achievements that help progress their fields and contribute significantly to realizing peace and prosperity for all humanity. Researchers in all fields of science and technology are eligible for the award, with two fields selected each year in consideration of current trends in scientific and technological development. In principle, one individual in each field is recognized with the award, and receives a certificate, a medal, and a monetary prize. Each Award Ceremony is attended by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, heads of the three branches of government and other related officials, and representatives from various other elements of society. The original source-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the source-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240416718292/en/ Contacts: For inquiries about this release: The Japan Prize Public Relations Office E-mail: japanprize@ml.prap.co.jp LONDON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trickster, the alias of Austrian musician and entrepreneur Juergen Pichler, has only one rule: "Do it big, or don't do it." And so he is making his stirring new rendition of the UK national anthem available today, 23 April 2024, St George's Day. A brand new arrangement commissioned from the feted Callum Au, who also conducted the players, this version was recorded in Studio One at Abbey Road, and features an expanded line-up of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Trickster said, "So, yes I am Austrian, but I love the UK and I wanted to make something special. I hope that when he hears it, it brings some joy to King Charles, and of course the whole country." The process to create this incredible recording started before the news of the King's diagnosis, and is now intended as both a gift and a tribute to the head of state of a country to which Trickster has made contributions to both social and cultural life. Much of Trickster's music was recorded in legendary UK studios, Abbey Road itself, but also RAK, Angel, and more. The video for his swing-infused Christmas single "Silent Night v Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" was shot at Pinewood Studios - and racked up over a million YouTube views. Working at Pinewood Studios was a great experience, and Trickster is also now moving into filmmaking, his first project being an action movie - based on real life events - entitled Travel Agents. Trickster will feature in the film himself, and some big movie names are in the mix to join him. The Trickster philosophy also embraces the idea of challenging the old ways of doing things, and making a genuine difference. His motto is "Real change is no joke," and he has put his money where his mouth is with a string of large donations to foodbanks across the UK; in London he "out-gave" Tesco in 2022, and his most recent support has gone to the South West Belfast initiative. So, all rise please for "God Save The King," the first version to be recorded for the monarch by a foreign national. The next stage is to find the right occasion to perform it; Wembley Stadium perhaps, but of course Trickster would love to debut it at Buckingham Palace itself. Hear it now: https://open.spotify.com/album/3ViSPK792sseeSZyu1zBLl Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2393497/Trickster___Juergen_Pichler.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2393498/Callum_Au.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2393499/Callum_Au_and_Royal_Philharmonic_Orchestra.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2391989/Trickster_God_Save_The_King_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/austrian-maverick-trickster-releases-the-national-anthem-a-st-georges-day-gift-for-king-charles-iii-302124197.html BEIJING, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wuliangye, a reputed Chinese baijiu brand, gained popularity among Chilean people who attended activities of its "Harmony & Beauty" global cultural exchange tour in Santiago of Chile. Bringing Chilean liquor lovers its premier products, the company initiated the event, one of its thematic transnational cultural exchange activities, to enhance communication between people from different cultures. With Sichuan Opera and Cueca dance performances staged by turns in Wuliangye's exhibition zone in Santiago on April 19, some Chilean attendees were impressed by the refreshing flavor of Wuliangye-based special cocktail and the diverse Chinese cultural elements that decorated Wuliangye's booths. Zeng Congqin, board chairman of Wuliangye Group, said Chile and China's Sichuan have much in common such as profound history, abundant resources, life-loving people, and in particular the globally renowned liquors and hoped a mix of Chilean wine and Chinese baijiu would produce more fascinating flavors. "Harmony and Beauty" stands always for what the Chinese baijiu maker advocates. Wuliangye, made from five types of grains such as rice and sticky rice originated from China, sorghum originally from Africa, wheat from west Asia and corn originated from South America, served as a harmonious embodiment of different beauties. Zeng noted that Wuliangye Group planned to further leverage liquor, a universal language that transcends history and national boundaries, to boost mutual learning and appreciation of the Chinese and Chilean cultures and create more stories of harmonious friendships and development. During the event, Zeng and representatives from different circles of the two countries jointly stamped the scroll for Wuliangye's "Harmony and Beauty" global tour in Chile. After a local market survey, Wuliangye Group communicated with Chilean beverage firm CCU for potential cooperation in liquor products and launched a one week-long cultural activity with famous restaurants and bars in Santiago to engage Chilean consumers with the unique appeal of liquors and cuisines from China's Sichuan. Known for its fragrant, sweet and mellow flavor, Wuliangye is a forerunner among Chinese baijiu producers in "going global" and will continue to explore the global market through expanding the "Chinese cuisines plus Chinese baijiu"-based consumption scenarios. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/339835.html Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394588/Xinhua_Silk_Road.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xinhua-silk-road-chinese-baijiu-brand-wuliangye-illuminates-sino-chile-cultural-exchange-with-elaborate-global-tour-302124341.html New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - April 23, 2024) - Ring Premier, the esteemed purveyor of luxury diamond jewelry concierge services, is thrilled to announce the launch of its new website, poised to redefine the digital landscape of high-end jewelry experiences. Set to debut in May 2024, the new online platform promises an immersive journey into the world of exquisite craftsmanship and personalized elegance. Ring Premier To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9276/206519_c4348406344d0990_001full.jpg Since its inception in 2017, Ring Premier has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the fine jewelry industry, offering discerning clientele hyper-curated, high-end pieces and bespoke engagement rings. Founded by Manat Kaur, a distinguished Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and a luminary of the high fashion realm, Ring Premier has consistently embodied a commitment to excellence and unparalleled sophistication. At the heart of Ring Premier's ethos lies a dedication to crafting timeless treasures that transcend mere accessories, becoming cherished heirlooms for generations to come. Under the visionary leadership of Manat Kaur, the company has garnered acclaim for its meticulous attention to detail, unparalleled craftsmanship, and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. The launch of the new website represents a significant milestone for Ring Premier, marking a seamless fusion of traditional artistry with cutting-edge technology. Designed to offer an unparalleled online shopping experience, the platform will showcase an extensive array of luxury and affordable jewelry pieces, each meticulously crafted using only the finest quality precious metals and stones. From personalized masterpieces to ready-to-wear collections, the new website will serve as a virtual showcase of Ring Premier's exquisite creations, inviting customers to explore, discover, and indulge in the art of luxury jewelry. With intuitive navigation, enhanced customization options, and seamless checkout processes, the platform promises to elevate the online shopping experience to new heights of sophistication and convenience. As Ring Premier continues to redefine the boundaries of luxury jewelry craftsmanship, the launch of the new website reaffirms its commitment to innovation, excellence, and the timeless art of storytelling through exquisite design. For more information about Ring Premier and to explore its collection of luxury jewelry, please visit https://ringpremier.com. Contact Details: Ring Premier Manat Kaur info@ringpremier.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/206519 SOURCE: 500Newswire, LLC LONDON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To accelerate its growth in the United States and its presence in the fast-expanding online gaming market, Thunes , a global cross-border payments company, is proud to announce that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tilia LLC, an all-in-one payments platform. Tilia is licensed in 48 U.S. states and territories and offers payment solutions (acceptance and pay-outs) for online games, virtual worlds, creator economies, and in-app purchases. Upon closing of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Thunes' bespoke global network to accept and pay in real-time through four billion bank accounts, three billion digital wallets and 550 Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) will become available to merchants across the United States, including current Tilia customers. Using Tilia's technology, Thunes will be able to offer Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay acceptance to Thunes' customers. As part of the transaction, Thunes and Linden Research, Inc. ("Linden Lab"), the current majority owner of Tilia, have agreed to an exclusive five-year partnership in which, post closing, Thunes will provide payment processing and pay-outs to Linden Lab, leveraging Thunes' global network - allowing gamers to pay, and to receive money real-time, in a more cost-efficient way and with increased transparency. Floris de Kort, CEO of Thunes, says, "The acquisition of Tilia demonstrates our ambition in the United States. This investment will enable us to leverage Tilia's capabilities to provide merchants with direct money movement solutions in and out of the United States. Furthermore, Tilia's deep expertise in online gaming, virtual worlds and token-based payments will greatly accelerate our growth into that fast-growing, exciting industry." Brad Oberwager, CEO of Linden Lab, says, "Thunes is an exceptional company that directly connects nearly every payment method and market worldwide. The combination of Tilia and Thunes will give Linden Lab's customers more payment choices, and the ability to receive pay-outs in real time, anywhere, into the wallet or bank account of their choice. It will be business as usual for our people and our customers as we bring Tilia and Thunes together." Subject to regulatory approval, after the acquisition closes, Tilia will be rebranded as Thunes and will remain based in San Francisco. Contact: Flo Holt, PR Account Manager, Headland, fholt@headlandconsultancy.com, +44 (0)7311 369 938 Rebecca Hackworth, Director, Corporate Communications, Thunes, rebecca.hackworth@thunes.com, +44 (0)7447 459 656 About Thunes: Thunes is a global payment innovator enabling seamless, instant and transparent money movement for the 21st century. Through our expansive network, we empower our customers to Accept and Pay in real-time, closing the gap between payment systems worldwide. Thunes currently facilitates payments in 84 currencies across 133 countries, using over 550 payment methods, including 129 mobile wallets like PayPal, M Pesa and Orange Money, gig economy giants like Uber and Deliveroo and super-apps like Grab and WeChat. Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes has offices in 14 locations, including Beijing, Nairobi, Riyadh, Dubai, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, London, Paris, Barcelona and Manila. With a mission to connect the world's population so that commerce can operate in a borderless, frictionless way, Thunes' network is powering the next chapter of the digital economy. For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/ About Tilia: Tilia LLC is the all-in-one payments platform for digital economies. Through its payments infrastructure technology and as a licensed money transmitter in the U.S., Tilia is unlocking the full potential of online economies by providing secure, regulated transactions at massive scale. For more information, visit www.tilia.io. About Linden Lab: Linden Lab develops platforms that empower people to create, share, and benefit from virtual experiences. Founded in 1999, the company first launched Second Life, the ground-breaking virtual world enjoyed by millions around the globe, in 2003, which has since gone on to boast nearly two billion user creations and a vibrant $500 million (USD) economy. For more about Linden Lab, its products, and career opportunities, visit its website. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/thunes-announces-agreement-to-acquire-tilia-llc-302124371.html Nearly 100 key areas of natural resources receive household registration Global Times) 14:30, April 23, 2024 Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys are seen at the Yuhe area of the Giant Panda National Park in northwest China's Gansu Province, Oct. 14, 2023.(Xinhua/Zhang Xinxin) China has registered nearly 100 key areas of natural resource rights, said a report released by Ministry of Natural Resources on Monday. If we consider nature as one big family, then water flow, forests, mountains, grasslands, wastelands, mudflats, sea areas, uninhabited islands, and confirmed mineral resources are all members of the family, Hu Shanshun, director of the Natural Resources Registration Bureau under the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) said when releasing the report on Monday, which marks the Earth Day. To understand these family members, it is necessary to investigate their backgrounds, set up records, ensure rights registration, and give nature a "household registration," Hu noted. Among nearly 100 registered natural resource rights are Wuyi Mountain, the Giant Panda National Park, Dafeng Milu Nature Reserve, and Shandong Kunyu Mountain National Nature Reserve. The registration has covered different types of natural resources including nature reserves, forests, wetlands, grasslands, rivers, lakes, confirmed mineral reserves, sea areas, and uninhabited islands, according to the report. Either a single natural resource, such as oceans, deserts, wastelands, or a mix of various types of natural resource elements, such as national parks and other nature reserves, can be registered within natural ecological spaces, the report noted. China's establishment for registration of natural resource rights has gone through a long process, and Hu said that "it is a new reform initiative for which there is no existing experience at home or abroad." The pilot program for this initiative, first approved in 2016 at the 29th meeting of the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, was to be implemented across 32 pilot areas in 12 provinces including Northeast China's Jilin Province. Over the years, the ministry has also studied technical standards related to natural resource rights registration and established a nationwide unified registration information system. In 2019, the ministry and four other government agencies jointly issued the "Interim Measures for Unified Registration of Natural Resources Rights." In 2020, the "Operational Guidelines for Natural Resource Rights Registration (Trial)" were released. The "household registration" of natural resources will register their natural conditions, including the location, spatial range, area, type, quantity and quality, as well as the ownership status, including the subject of national natural resource ownership and the entity responsible for fulfilling the owner's responsibilities, the report said. Through the registration of natural resource rights, it is made clear who owns and manages natural resource assets, Hu noted. He also said the process helps address issues such as incomplete ownership, unclear ownership boundaries of one natural resources. The registration will provide property rights support for the protection of natural ecological spaces, the promotion of green and low-carbon development and ecological civilization construction, according to the report. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Bayland Capital and founding shareholder, CN Innovations Holdings Ltd, to invest $10M and $5.5M, respectively Investment will expand product development and scaling of the organization to meet increased demand for Organ-on-a-Chip (OOC) solutions CN Bio, a leading provider of single- and multi-organ microphysiological systems, today announced it has raised a $21 million investment in the first close of its Series B fundraising round. The funding has been secured from several new investors; including $10 million from Bayland Capital, and $5.5 million from founding shareholder, CN Innovations Holdings Ltd. The investment will be used to accelerate the Company's expanding product portfolio and to scale the business to support commercial expansion across key global markets. The global OOC market's CAGR is estimated at 30.94%1. This growth has been accelerated, in part, by the need for biopharmaceutical companies to improve the efficiency and success rate of innovative drug R&D and recent legislative changes, such as the US FDA Modernization Act 2.0. In response, CN Bio is delivering an ambitious expansion strategy to meet the increasing demand for its PhysioMimix OOC technology and research services, and to provide deeper, clinically-relevant insights into early-stage preclinical drug discovery in a wider range of application areas, whilst reducing reliance on animal models. Over the past year, this has included a series of high-profile appointments to expand the Company's leadership team in the UK and US, new product launches, and strategic industry collaborations. Notably, in December 20232, it was confirmed that PhysioMimix OOC and its associated NASH 'in-a-box' kit provided critical human-relevant compound efficacy data for Inipharm's INI-822, supporting regulatory approval to initiate clinical testing for metabolic liver disease a pivotal inflection point in CN Bio's development, and the broader industry. With the latest fundraising, CN Bio is well-positioned to continue its global expansion to meet the evolving needs of customers worldwide in key markets including toxicology, drug pharmacology and metabolic diseases. With 80% of clinical failures attributed to efficacy and toxicity issues, often derived from the poor predictiveness of animal and 2D cell culture models3, the industry demand for OOC solutions in these areas is growing. By expanding R&D in the space, CN Bio will enhance the depth and breadth of tools and applications available to optimize drug discovery and development workflows, enabling researchers to generate data with greater predictability, lower risks of late-stage failures, and accelerate time-to-market for a wide-range of novel therapeutics. Dr Paul Brooks, CEO, CN Bio, said: "We are seeing pivotal growth across our industry, whereby drug developers are increasingly recognising the potential of OOC technology to augment, supplement and optimize their workflows." He added: "We have strategically positioned ourselves accordingly to respond to the market needs and are proud to have received recognition from our major shareholder, CN Innovations, and new institutional investors such as Bayland Capital, to drive this vision forward. The investment is a testament to our team's hard work and dedication to best supporting our customers to bring drugs to patients more quickly, more cost-effectively, and through less animal experimentation." Yuexing Su, Founding Partner, Bayland Capital, commented: "OOC technology is an exciting market with compelling opportunity for growth. CN Bio has taken key steps to build a team with extensive industry expertise and robust networks across the industry, with a longstanding track record of success. We look forward to the continued success for the Company as it further capitalizes on this unique growth opportunity and delivers on its future expansion plans to remain at the cutting-edge of the field. We will leverage our networks and shareholders' base to further support and cement the leading position of CN Bio in OOC development." Charles Chong, Managing Director, CN Innovations, added: We are encouraged by CN Bio's ongoing success and, in particular, the team's achievements over the past years, during which conditions have been difficult in the broader economy. In this time, key milestones have been met, not just for the Company, but also the wider industry including CN Bio providing critical human-relevant compound efficacy data to support the FDA's approval for Inipharm's Phase 1 clinical trial for metabolic liver disease. We are pleased to be supporting CN Bio again as it looks ahead and strengthens its future growth plans, of which, expanding its product portfolio in markets that hold huge impact for the industry, such as metabolic disease modelling and toxicology, will be key." https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/organs-on-chips-market https://cn-bio.com/physiomimix-data-supports-inipharms-ini-822-for-metabolic-liver-disease-treatment/ Sun, D., Gao, W., Hu H. and Zhou, S. (2022) 'Why 90% of clinical drug development fails and how to improve it?' Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 12(7), pp 3049-3062. Notes to Editors For a high-resolution image please contact Zyme Communications. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423634634/en/ Contacts: Zyme Communications Lily Jeffery Tel: +44(0)7891477378 Email: lily.jeffery@zymecommunications.com Not for Distribution to United States News Wire Services or for Dissemination in the United States PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND BASE SHELF PROSPECTUS ACCESSIBLE ON SEDAR+ TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Western Alaska Minerals (the "Company" or "WAM") (TSXV:WAM) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated April 18, 2024, due to significant demand, the Company and Roth Canada, Inc. ("Roth"), as co-lead agent and sole bookrunner, Canaccord Genuity Corp., as co-lead agent with Roth and Agentis Capital Markets Limited Partnership, as agent, on their own behalf and on behalf of a syndicate of agents (collectively, the "Agents"), have increased the size of the Company's previously announced brokered offering from up to $5 million to up to $7 million. Under the upsized offering, the Agents have agreed to sell, on a commercially reasonable efforts basis, up to 10,769,231 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.65 per Unit (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $7 million (the "BrokeredOffering"). The Brokered Offering will be conducted by way of prospectus supplement dated April 22, 2024 (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's base shelf prospectus dated November 21, 2023 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus"). The Company has agreed to grant the Agents an option to increase the size of the Brokered Offering by up to 15% (the "Agents' Option"), exercisable in whole or in part at any time for a period of 30 days after the closing date of the Brokered Offering. As previously announced, the Company will also be conducting a non-brokered private placement of Units at the Offering Price for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1.5 million (the "Non-Brokered Offering" and together with the Brokered Offering, the "Offering"). Each Unit will be comprised of one subordinate voting share in the authorized share structure of the Company (a "Share") plus one Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.90 per Warrant Share for 36 months from the date of issuance. The Units issued pursuant to the Non-Brokered Offering will not be qualified for distribution by the Prospectus Supplement and will be subject to a four month hold period. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund the Company's 2024 exploration program, including step-out drilling at the LH and Warm Springs target zones that are new targets identified by the 2023-completed geophysical program, and for general corporate purposes. Closing of the Brokered Offering is expected to occur on or about April 26, 2024, and closing of the Non-Brokered Offering is expected to occur on or about May 3, 2024. Each closing is subject to certain customary conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Access to the Prospectus Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and any amendment to the documents is provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a shelf prospectus supplement, a base shelf prospectus and any amendment. The Prospectus Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus are accessible at www.sedarplus.ca. An electronic or paper copy of the Prospectus Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and any amendment to the documents may be obtained, without charge, from Roth Canada, Inc. by email at cbyers@rothcanada.ca and by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable. The securities being offered have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons or persons in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About WAM Our mission is to advance a mineable and scalable CRD, ultimately reshaping the mineral landscape of western Alaska and establishing a new CRD district. WAM's 100% owned claims cover 73,120 acres (114.25 square miles or 29,591 hectares), approximately 45 km east of an ocean barge-compatible section of the Yukon River. WAM's intact mineralized CRD system encompasses the (past producing) Illinois Creek gold-silver mine, the Waterpump Creek high-grade silver-lead-zinc deposit, open to the north, and the Honker gold prospect. Twenty-five kilometers northeast of the Illinois Creek CRD lies the Round Top copper and the TG North CRD prospects. All prospects were originally discovered by Anaconda Minerals Co. in the early 1980's. Since 2010, WAM, along with its precursor company, Western Alaska Copper & Gold, reassembled the Anaconda land package and has been engaged in exploring the district. Headquartered in both Alaska and Arizona, WAM brings together a team of seasoned professionals with a shared vision of pioneering new frontiers in mineral exploration. Our strategic approach is underpinned by cutting-edge technology, innovative techniques, and a deep understanding of the geological intricacies of the region. On behalf of the Company "Kit Marrs" Kit Marrs President & CEO Phone: 520-200-1667 For further information please contact: Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR at vanessa@westernalaskaminerals.com Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains "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 connation thereof. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the completion of the Offering; the expected closing dates of the Offering; the intended use of proceeds from the Offering; and the receipt of all necessary approvals for the completion of the Offering, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will complete Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, that the Company will be able to utilize the proceeds of the Offering in the manner intended, and that the Company will receive all necessary approvals for the completion of the Offering, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the failure to complete the Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, market conditions, metal prices, and risks relating to the Company not receiving all necessary approvals for the completion of the Offering, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. 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. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Western Alaska Minerals Corp View the original press release on accesswire.com FREYR Battery (NYSE: FREY) ("FREYR"), a developer of next-generation battery cell production capacity, will publish a press release detailing first quarter 2024 results and conduct a conference call on May 8, 2024. The first quarter 2024 press release will be issued by 6:00 am U.S. Daylight Time (12:00 pm Central European Time). The conference call is scheduled to begin at 8:30 am Eastern Daylight Time (2:30 pm Central European Time). To access the conference call, listeners should contact the conference call operator at the appropriate number listed below approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Participant conference call dial-in numbers: United States (646) 307-1963 United Kingdom +44.20.3481.4247 Norway +47.57.98.94.30 Denmark +45.32.74.07.10 Spain +34.910.489.958 Germany +49.69.589964217 Sweden +46.8.505.246.90 The participant passcode for the call is: 7135736 A webcast of the conference call will be broadcast simultaneously at https://app.webinar.net/J6PeRg4rGl5on a listen-only basis. Please log in at least 10 minutes in advance to register and download any necessary software. A replay of the webcast will be available at https://ir.freyrbattery.com/events-and-presentations/Events-Calendar/default.aspx About FREYR Battery FREYR Battery is a developer of next-generation battery cell production capacity. The Company's mission is to accelerate the decarbonization of global energy and transportation systems by producing clean, cost-competitive batteries. FREYR seeks to serve the primary markets of energy storage systems ("ESS") and commercial mobility, and the Company maintains an ambition to serve the passenger electric vehicles market ("EV"). FREYR is operating its Customer Qualification Plant ("CQP") for technology development in Mo i Rana, Norway, and the Company is commencing development of the Giga America battery manufacturing project in Coweta County, Georgia, in the U.S. To learn more about FREYR, please visit www.freyrbattery.com. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation with respect to the Company's operational performance and profitability. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual future events, results or achievements to be materially different from the Company's expectations and projections expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Important factors include, but are not limited to, actions of activist stockholders and those discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the "Form 10-K") and the Company's other filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423198750/en/ Contacts: Investor contact: Jeffrey Spittel Vice President, Investor Relations jeffrey.spittel@freyrbattery.com Tel: (+1) 409 599-5706 Media contact: Amy Jaick Global Head of Communications amy.jaick@freyrbattery.com Tel: (+1) 973 713-5585 BEIJING, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At 10:00 am on April 22, 2024, Milan time, Tan Xuguang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Italy's Ferretti Group, chaired the Ferretti Global Shareholders' Meeting in Beijing and addressed shareholders' inquiries. The primary location for the meeting was in Milan, with Tan Xuguang, the board of directors, board members, and shareholders worldwide participating virtually. During the meeting, the 2023 Financial Report and Consolidated Financial Report as well as the Report on Remuneration Policy and Remuneration Payment were reviewed and approved. Additionally, two new members were appointed to the board of directors. According to its subsequent announcement, Ferretti's operating income in 2023 reached 1.134 billion euros, marking a year-on-year increase of 10%. Net profit amounted to 83.5 million euros, reflecting a substantial year-on-year growth of 38%. The company's orders in hand totaled 1.491 billion euros, showing a notable year-on-year increase of 15%. Notably, the growth rate of net profit outpaced that of revenue, reaching the highest level in the company's history. Ferretti also achieved a significant milestone by successfully returning to the Milan Exchange for listing, thereby becoming the world's first company to be dual-listed in Hong Kong and Italy. The Ferretti Group is among the oldest and most esteemed Italian luxury yacht manufacturers, renowned as a leader in the global luxury yacht and leisure ship industry. The group boasts ownership of the world's most prestigious yacht brands, each offering unique and complementary advantages within the industry. In 2008, amidst the global financial crisis, Ferretti faced significant challenges and fell into a development dilemma primarily due to poor management. In 2012, Weichai Group, a globally recognized equipment manufacturing group, strategically reorganized Ferretti, initiating a journey of strategic cooperation between the two parties. Weichai Group leveraged its strong synergistic resources to assist Ferretti in swiftly reversing its development decline and setting out on a path of rapid and healthy growth. Tan Xuguang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Weichai Group and also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ferretti, was honored with the "Leonardo International Award" by the Italian government. This prestigious accolade recognized his outstanding contributions to the strategic reorganization of Ferretti and the fostering of economic exchanges between China and Italy. At the meeting, the participating shareholders expressed full affirmation of Ferretti's rapid development and conveyed high expectations for the company to maintain its leading position in the global yacht industry and further expand its edge in the industry in the future. Tan Xuguang emphasized that Weichai Group will continue to steadfastly support the development of Ferretti, working together to elevate Ferretti into an unequivocal standout in the global yacht industry. The aim is to continuously generate greater value for investors and stakeholders alike. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394636/FerrettiGroup.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/italy-ferretti-group-held-global-shareholders-meeting-302124462.html Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben? Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen. Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten! Verpassen Sie nicht diese Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Biotech-Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 3 Biotech-Aktien das riesige Potenzial haben, Ihren finanziellen Erfolg zu sichern. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen zukunftstrachtige Investments im Biotech-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! 9fin has bolstered its senior leadership team with an internal promotion for a newly created VP Content position The promotion demonstrates the strong bench of leadership talent at 9fin and will ensure the company's content offering continues to be best in class The company continues to expand with open roles in its US and UK offices NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 9fin (https://9fin.com/), a news and analytics platform for debt capital markets, has announced the promotion of Will Caiger-Smith to VP Content, as the business continues to scale rapidly across Europe and the US. Will was previously 9fin's US Managing Editor. In his new VP Content role, he joins Jen Speirs, who was promoted to VP Operations last year, in the company's growing leadership team. Both VP positions have global mandates and demonstrate 9fin's continued investment in people and its commitment to rapidly progressing talented leaders within the business. As VP Content, Will directs all news and analytics across the editorial, credit, legal and ESG teams. The promotion comes as 9fin has expanded from its core leveraged finance coverage into private credit, distressed debt, and structured credit (CLOs) across Europe and the US. These new verticals further the company's mission to be the #1 provider of data, news and analytics globally across debt capital markets. Will continues to report directly to 9fin's CEO and co-founder Steven Hunter. Will Caiger-Smith commented: "I joined 9fin because I believed the company and its founders had the vision and technology to build the comprehensive debt intelligence platform the market needs," said Will. "In my two and a half years at this company, that belief has only intensified. I'm delighted to be driving forward the content side of the business." Steven Hunter, CEO and co-founder of 9fin, said: "I've been incredibly impressed by Will's contributions to scaling 9fin in just a couple of years. He opened and scaled our US office from scratch and has built a world-class team. I am delighted to see him promoted into a new expanded role and join Jen as part of our VP level leadership. I am excited to work with them both to take 9fin to the next level" About 9fin 9fin is the faster, smarter way to find intelligence on leveraged credit. Our AI-powered data and analytics platform centralises everything that's needed to analyse a credit or win a mandate in one place, helping subscribers win business, outperform their peers, and save time. 9fin is trusted by the largest asset managers in the world, leading law firms and advisers in debt capital markets, and nine of the top 10 investment banks. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394643/9fin_leadership_team_vp_content.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/9fin-grows-leadership-team-with-vp-content-promotion-302124480.html BOSTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy is a universally familiar concept, but how it is stored may not be. Battery innovation underpins many sectors, including electric vehicles, sustainability, and renewable energy. In a recent episode of their technology podcast 'Tomorrow's Tech with IDTechEx', IDTechEx energy experts discussed the various uses for batteries, with Research Director Alex Holland explaining how the market is set for greater success in the near future, with innovation in battery technology set to play a key role in this success. Electric Vehicles Electric vehicle cost, range, charging times, and performance more generally, are all factors heavily affected by the battery inside the car. Electric vehicles have been up and coming since the 2010s, but it's battery technology that largely made this possible. While regulatory pressure and climate change acted as drivers for the market, with combustion engines being huge contributors to global warming and greenhouse gases, newly developed batteries have unlocked the potential for EVs to succeed. As batteries have developed to become more energy-dense with faster charging while being safer and cheaper to manufacture, they have become the perfect fit for the high demand of electric vehicles. Battery Advancements Cell designs and materials used in battery manufacturing are consistently evolving within the sector. Silicon anode materials replacing graphite within batteries is a successful innovation that can improve vehicle range and fast charging capabilities. This is due to the fact that silicon has a much higher capacity to store lithium compared to graphite. A small amount of silicon is already added to graphite in some batteries and the next generation of silicon materials and cell designs are currently being developed to enable a higher percentage to be used in the anode. Companies are advertising longer run times and faster charging as key benefits, benefitting not only electric vehicles but also household devices, power tools, and electronic devices. Solid-state batteries are on the horizon to replace liquid electrolytes, removing the highly flammable liquid material commonly used in the industry, making batteries a lot safer. Longer run times and longer ranges for electric vehicles can also be achieved with solid electrolytes, as they can also allow the use of more energy-dense materials such as lithium metal, which replace the typically used graphite. For more in-depth analysis, see IDTechEx's report "Solid-State and Polymer Batteries 2023-2033: Technology, Forecasts, Players". Challenges with solid-state batteries remain, such as maintaining contact between cell components and low manufacturing costs, but with the increased safety and potential for improved energy density, many automotive manufacturers consider it a key technology of the future. As smartphones increase in capacity with the incorporation of AI and better data connectivity, battery energy density will become even more important. Where a smartphone's full charge could currently last one day, in the future, companies could be looking at doubling that capacity with the use of new silicon or lithium metal materials, although commercial deployment will take time. Renewable Energy Pumped-hydro-energy storage has been a reliable source of renewable power and energy storage capacity for electricity grids for a long time, but a relative scarcity of suitable geographical sites has opened a window for batteries and other alternative energy storage technologies. Li-ion batteries are being used as an alternative to pumped-hydro and can be charged up from solar or wind power, storing energy at times of high electricity demand or excess production to limit curtailment. When the wind doesn't blow, and the sun doesn't shine, batteries provide a more reliable source of energy to make up for the intermittency of nature. In the case of a natural disaster and for improved grid capabilities for self-sufficient energy, batteries will play a huge role. IDTechEx predicts the stationary energy storage market to grow at a faster rate than the electric vehicle sector due to its critical role in electricity grid and energy decarbonization, as well as its growth from a much lower base. There is lots of space for innovation within this sector of alternative battery chemistries and energy storage technologies which includes various flow battery chemistries, zinc-air or iron-air batteries, or compressed-air energy storage systems, amongst various other technologies. The benefit of these systems often stems from their ability to scale energy storage capacity more easily than in Li-ion batteries. For example, where Li-ion batteries are contained within a single cell, redox flow batteries can keep the power generation and energy storage components separate as storage capacity is contained within the electrolyte, which is then flowed through an electrochemical cell to generate power. This allows energy capacity to be increased simply by increasing the size of the storage tanks and the electrolyte contained within them, offering the possibility of lower cost energy storage capacity. Sustainability Transparency within the supply chain is imperative within the battery industry so customers can make sure energy is being stored as cleanly as possible and with minimized waste. Mining of materials, including cobalt, lithium, nickel, and graphite, is known to come with social and environmental issues, but with the battery industry being aware of this issue, efforts are being made to make improvements. Batteries supplied to the European Union will start to require greater due diligence of supply chains, including information on carbon footprints, with the potential of a penalty upon failing to meet this standard. For grid-scale batteries, alternative technologies can play an important role in diversifying supply chains and utilizing more abundant materials. Large-scale batteries and grid batteries are key factors in environmental efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. Innovation is a great buzzword within the battery industry, with many future possibilities for new designs and deviations from current materials for use in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, power tools, and electricity grid markets. Dr Holland states that there is an understanding that the industry should move forward with some caution, as the bar for safety and development is high, but that companies are always on the lookout for new ideas. The future of battery technology is set to be one of success and diversification, with companies offering varying solutions for higher-performing, more sustainable, and lower-cost batteries. For more information, visit IDTechEx's latest report, "Advanced Li-ion Battery Technologies 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Forecasts", or for the full portfolio of battery and energy storage-related research, see www.IDTechEx.com/Research/ES. New episodes of 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx' are released monthly, with host Dr Tess Skyrme interviewing an array of industry experts from IDTechEx, offering listeners accessible insights into a range of technology innovations. See more at www.IDTechEx.com/Podcast. About IDTechEx IDTechEx provides trusted independent research on emerging technologies and their markets. Since 1999, we have been helping our clients to understand new technologies, their supply chains, market requirements, opportunities and forecasts. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com . Media Contact: Lucy Rogers Marketing and Sales Administrator press@IDTechEx.com +44(0)1223 812300 Social Media Links: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/IDTechEx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idtechex/ Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/478371/IDTechEx_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/advanced-batteries-and-sustainability--idtechex-experts-discuss-battery-technologies-302124507.html Lead program in severe hemophilia A aims to establish anticodon engineered tRNAs as breakthrough treatment option for 20 percent of patients with premature termination codon (PTC)-driven factor VIII deficiency Preclinical protein editing data demonstrate restoration of full-length factor VIII despite PTC in open reading frame Hemophilia A program aims to demonstrate proof of concept for a gene-agnostic approach across a wide range of diseases hC Bioscience, a biopharmaceutical company developing a fundamentally novel approach to treating genetic diseases through tRNA-based protein editing, today announced preclinical data supporting its lead program in severe hemophilia A at the World Federation of Hemophilia 2024 World Congress in Madrid, Spain. Jose Lora, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of hC Bioscience, unveiled the company's first development candidate, HCB-101, an anticodon engineered tRNA designed to suppress nonsense mutations. HCB-101 is delivered as a lipid nanoparticle to target the liver, the organ where Factor VIII is produced. The data presented demonstrate successful targeting of the liver in mice as well as successful in vitro production of full-length, functional factor VIII despite the presence of a premature termination codon (PTC) that would otherwise result in a truncated nonfunctional protein. This approach has the potential for application in about 20 percent of severe hemophilia A cases and could be extended across a broad spectrum of other diseases caused by nonsense mutations. "We're excited to develop tRNA-based protein editing as a potential new breakthrough treatment option for patients with severe hemophilia A. Our lead program is on track to rapidly move into the clinic, where we hope to establish our novel protein editing approach as an easily adaptable modality across a broad spectrum of genetically defined diseases," said Leslie Williams, CEO of hC Bioscience. "Because our therapies are gene agnostic, the engineered tRNA that reads through PTCs in hemophilia will recognize the same PTC in the context of hundreds of other genetic disorders as well. We see tRNAs as not just a novel modality, but a powerful, universal drug development platform that expands the potential of genomic medicine to improve the lives of patients." hC Bioscience will build on these preclinical data through IND-enabling studies with the goal of enrolling a Phase 1 clinical trial for severe hemophilia A in 2025. The company is holding a clinical advisory board meeting in conjunction with the World Federation of Hemophilia 2024 World Congress. About hC Bioscience, Inc. hC Bioscience is dedicated to improving the lives of patients through the development of first-in-class tRNA-based therapeutics that address a broad spectrum of genetically defined diseases and cancer. Our anticodon engineered tRNAs overwrite nonsense mutations that would otherwise result in truncated, nonfunctional proteins. This gene-agnostic approach is the foundation for a universal drug platform with potential to treat many mutated genes using the same therapy. Our lead program is directed at restoring full-length and functional FVIII protein in people with severe hemophilia A. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423476417/en/ Contacts: Justin Chen jchen@tenbridgecommunications.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 23, 2024) - Summa Silver Corp. (TSXV: SSVR) (OTCQX: SSVRF) (FSE: 48X) ("Summa" or the "Company") is pleased to provide assay results from its final two drill holes completed during the winter drill program at the high-grade silver-gold Mogollon Project, New Mexico (the "Mogollon Project"). Key Highlights Aggressive Step-Out Below the Eberle Mine: Strong mineralization was intersected 200 m below the Eberle Mine 1,133 g/t silver equivalent* (693 g/t Ag, 8.8 g/t Au) over 1.65 m from 482.5 m down hole ( 170 m vertical depth ) in hole MOG23-21. New Vein-Splay Drilled: This intersection is from a previously undrilled splay of the Queen Vein and opens new exploration potential into areas east of the main strand of vein. Size and Scale: This drill program successfully showed that strong mineralization exists along at least 2 km of the Queen Vein system. Additional Upside: Systematic follow up drilling is required on the Queen Vein and beyond which is expected to delineate significant zones of high-grade mineralization (see attached figures). *Silver equivalent is calculated using US$20/oz Ag, US$1,800/oz Au with metallurgical recoveries of Ag - 90%, Au - 95%. AgEq = (Ag grade x Ag recovery)+((Au grade x Au recovery) x (Au price / Ag price)). Galen McNamara, CEO, stated: "It is clear that the Queen Vein hosts significant concentrations of high-grade silver and gold. Mineralization on this vein is now confirmed over a minimum strike length of 2 km and it remains almost completely open to expansion. For perspective, there are an additional 75 km of cumulative vein strike length present on the Mogollon Project, most of which is unexplored by modern methods. We look forward to continuing work here in 2024." Mogollon Exploration Drill Program The winter drill program at the Mogollon Project was designed to test the silver and gold potential of two newly defined targets (South Queen and Eberle) dispersed along 350 m of the north-south trending Queen Vein, approximately 1.2 km south of the Consolidated target where Summa focused previous drill programs (Figure 2). The first hole of the program (MOG23-20) tested the South Queen target, located between the Deadwood and Eberle mines, and intersected 393 g/t silver equivalent (3.9 g/t Au and 64 g/t Ag) over 7.4 m including 2,735 g/t silver equivalent (28.6 g/t Au and 320 g/t Ag) over 0.5 m (see the Company's press release dated February 27th, 2024). Holes MOG23-21 and MOG24-22 tested the Eberle target, centered on the structural intersection between the east-west trending Maud S Vein and the Queen Vein system. The mine, developed on three levels, produced 10,000 tonnes of ore (pre-1916), where more recent underground channel samples assayed up to 5,173 g/t silver equivalent (see the Company's press release dated September 12, 2023). Figure 1: Collar map showing the location of hole MOG23-21 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7983/206473_079070fec4697a84_002full.jpg Figure 2: Long-section of the Queen Vein showing primary targets and the pierce point of MOG23-21 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7983/206473_079070fec4697a84_003full.jpg Hole MOG23-21 was collared 300 m southwest of the Eberle mine portal in the footwall of the Queen Vein. The hole was designed to test for un-mined extensions of high-grade silver and gold mineralization below the southern extent of underground developments of the Eberle mine (Figure 2). The hole intersected banded and locally brecciated and spherulitic rhyolite to 351 m down hole followed by interlayered porphyritic andesite and rhyolite to bottom of the hole at 495 m. Two intervals of strong silver-gold mineralization were intersected: an upper zone at 452.7 m in rhyolite consisting of pervasive silicification graded 124 g/t silver equivalent* (60 g/t Ag, 0.83 g/t Au) over 2.13 m, and a lower, high-grade zone at 482.5 m of 1,133 g/t silver equivalent* (421 g/t Ag, 8.9 g/t Au) over 1.65 m consisting of a sharp-walled, banded quartz-carbonate vein cross-cutting andesite. Due to the shallow dip of the hole, the lower high-grade vein was intersected approximately 170 m below surface. Hole MOG24-22 was collared on the same pad as MOG23-21 and was designed to further test the down-dip potential of the Queen Vein system below and east of the Eberle mine. The hole intersected similar lithologies to MOG23-21 comprised of rhyolite to 380 m down hole followed by porphyritic andesite to bottom of hole with a thin interlayered rhyolite unit at 399 m to 424 m. Local zones of moderate to strong quartz alteration were observed down hole, however, similar high-grade, vein-hosted mineralization was not intersected. Based on comprehensive modelling of all known veins in the district from historical reports and mapping, the veins intersected in hole MOG21-21 may represent new vein discoveries in the hanging wall to the Queen Vein or potential structural offsets of the eastern strand of the broader Queen Vein system. Further drilling, focused on investigating potential structural offsets and/or cross faults (e.g., MOG24-22) or parallel veins, is clearly warranted at the Eberle target to better define the structural controls and orientations of all vein-sets in the complex Queen Vein system. Results from hole MOG23-21 strongly supports the high-prospectivity of the Queen Vein system south of the Consolidated Mine target, located 1.2 km to the north. At Consolidated, the Company has systematically tested for un-mined extensions of mineralization across a strike length of approximately 500 m, where many holes returned significant zones of high-grade silver and gold mineralization (e.g., 448 g/t silver equivalent* (129 g/t Ag, 3.88 g/t Au) over 31 m of MOG22-05 and 640 g/t silver equivalent* (306 g/t Ag, 4.26 g/t Au) over 9.9 m of MOG22-10; see the Company's news releases dated May 3, 2022 and February 1, 2023) hosted in the broad, steeply dipping and complex Queen Vein system. A similar systematic approach to drilling is required at the Eberle and Queen South targets to better define the lateral and vertical extent of vein-hosted mineralization in this part of the vein system. Table 1: Assay Results Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AgEq (g/t) MOG23-21 452.7 454.9 2.2 0.8 59.0 124 and 482.5 484.1 1.6 8.8 421 1133 MOG24-22 No significant intervals Table 2: Collar Information Target Area Drill Hole Easting Northing Azimuth Dip Final Depth (m) Eberle MOG23-21 704180 3697234 75 -35 494.2 Eberle MOG24-22 704180 3697234 82 -35 609.6 Analytical and QA/QC Procedures Drill core was sawn in half at Summa's core logging and processing facilities at the Mogollon Project. All core samples were sent to Paragon Geochemical Laboratories in Sparks, Nevada for preparation and analysis. Paragon meets all requirements of the International Accreditation Service AC89 and demonstrates compliance with ISO/IEC Standard 17025:2017 for analytical procedures. Samples were analyzed for gold via fire assay with an AA finish and samples that assayed over 8 ppm were re-run via fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver, and trace elements were analyzed via inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy after four-acid digestion. Samples that assayed over 100 ppm Ag were re-run via fire assay for Ag with a gravimetric finish. In addition to Paragon quality assurance / quality control ("QA/QC") protocols, Summa implements an internal QA/QC program that includes the insertion of sample blanks, duplicates and certified reference materials at systematic and random points in the sample stream. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., the CEO of the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Summa Silver Corp. Summa Silver Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company. The Company owns a 100% interest in the Hughes Project located in central Nevada and the Mogollon Project located in southwestern New Mexico. The high-grade past-producing Belmont Mine, one of the most prolific silver producers in the United States between 1903 and 1929, is located on the Hughes Project. The Mogollon Project is the largest historic silver producer in New Mexico. Both projects have remained inactive since commercial production ceased and neither have seen modern exploration prior to the Company's involvement. Follow Summa Silver on Twitter: @summasilver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/summa-silver-corp/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Galen McNamara" Galen McNamara, Chief Executive Officer info@summasilver.com www.summasilver.com Investor Relations Contact: Giordy Belfiore Corporate Development and Investor Relations 604-288-8004 giordy@summasilver.com www.summasilver.com Summary Report on the Geology of the Mogollon Mining District and Challenge Mining Company, Prepared by Bighorn Exploration Inc. Challenge Mining Company Internal Report, 1986 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things the exploration and development of the Company's mineral exploration projects including completion of drilling activities. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual actions, events or results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: the requirement for regulatory approvals; enhanced uncertainty in global financial markets as a result of the public health crises; unquantifiable risks related to government actions and interventions; stock market volatility; regulatory restrictions; and other related risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such 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. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/206473 SOURCE: Summa Silver Corp. Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus. Im Schatten des Basispreises notieren Goldproduzenten aus der zweiten Reihe sowie Explorationsunternehmen noch weit weg von ihren historischen Hochststanden entfernt und bieten dadurch erhebliches Aufholpotential. In diesem kostenlosen Report geben wir Ihnen Favoriten an die Hand, die aufgrund von Sondersituation die Chance auf eine Kursvervielfachung besitzen. Handeln Sie Jetzt! Fordern Sie jetzt den brandneuen Spezialreport an und profitieren Sie von dem weiter steigenden Kurs des Edelmetalls. Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihren kostenfreien Report. Mondi Plc - 2023 Final Dividend euro/sterling Exchange Rate PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, April 23 Mondi plc Incorporated in England and Wales Registered number: 6209386 Tax registration number: 454 12394 14454 LEI: 213800LOZA69QFDC9N34 LSE share code: MNDI ISIN: GB00BMWC6P49 JSE share code: MNP 23 April 2024 Mondi Group - 2023 Final Dividend euro/sterling Exchange Rate On 22 February 2024 Mondi plc announced that it will, subject to shareholder approval at the AGM, pay a final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2023 of 46.67 euro cents per ordinary share on Tuesday 14 May 2024. The dividend will be paid in euro. However, ordinary shareholders resident in the United Kingdom will receive the final dividend in sterling (unless shareholders have elected to receive their dividends in euro). The last date for euro currency elections was 19 April 2024. It was stated in the announcement on 22 February that the exchange rate for the final dividend payment would be set today. Accordingly, it is confirmed that sterling dividend payments will be converted at a rate of EUR 1 to GBP 0.86262. Therefore, the equivalent final dividend in pence per ordinary share will be 40.25848. Mondi plc South African branch register shareholders will receive the final dividend in South African rand cents, converted at a rate of EUR 1 to ZAR 20.50179. Therefore, the equivalent gross final dividend in rand cents per ordinary share will be 956.81854. Information relating to the dividend tax applicable to Mondi plc South African branch register shareholders can be found in the ZAR/euro exchange rate announcement released by Mondi on 22 February 2024. About Mondi Mondi is a global leader in packaging and paper, contributing to a better world by producing products that are sustainable by design. We employ 22,000 people in more than 30 countries and operate an integrated business with expertise spanning the entire value chain, enabling us to offer our customers a broad range of innovative solutions for consumer and industrial end-use applications. Sustainability is at the centre of our strategy, with our ambitious commitments to 2030 focused on circular driven solutions, created by empowered people, taking action on climate. In 2023, Mondi had revenues of 7.3 billion and underlying EBITDA of 1.2 billion. Mondi has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (MNDI), where the Group is a FTSE100 constituent, and also has a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (MNP). Sponsor in South Africa: Merrill Lynch South Africa Proprietary Limited t/a BofA Securities. Groundbreaking Initiative Garners Statewide Support, Empowering Black Communities and Dismantling Barriers to Holistic Well-Being TACOMA, WA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Elevate Black Wellness, a groundbreaking organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering Black communities in Washington state, is proud to announce the resounding success of the inaugural Black Wellness Week, held from April 15-19, 2024. The week-long celebration, co-advocated for by Elevate Black Wellness Co-Founders Keith and Christina Blocker, was officially proclaimed by Governor Jay Inslee and recognized by numerous cities and counties across the state. Elevate Black Wellness Receives City of Tacoma Proclamation for Inaugural Black Wellness Week Co-founders of Elevate Black Wellness, Keith and Christina Blocker, proudly hold the City of Tacoma's official proclamation recognizing the inaugural Black Wellness Week. In addition to the Governor's proclamation, Black Wellness Week was celebrated through proclamations issued by the cities of Bremerton, Des Moines, Everett, Federal Way, Lakewood, Olympia, University Place, Tukwila, and Tacoma, as well as King County and Snohomish County. Organizations throughout Washington state hosted events in honor of Black Wellness Week, showcasing the power of community collaboration in promoting health equity. "The inaugural Black Wellness Week marks a significant milestone in our mission to uplift and empower Black communities through holistic wellness," said Keith Blocker, Co-Founder of Elevate Black Wellness. "We are thrilled to see organizations throughout the state hosting events in celebration of Black Wellness Week, demonstrating the power of community collaboration in promoting health equity," added Christina Blocker, Co-founder of Elevate Black Wellness. Since its founding in 2023, Elevate Black Wellness has made a tangible impact on the lives of Black Washingtonians, distributing over 60,200+ health and wellness resources and providing crucial support through initiatives like the microgrants program. The organization has achieved an impressive digital reach of over 24,000 individuals, reflecting its commitment to serving a diverse range of target audiences within Black communities. Elevate Black Wellness remains dedicated to promoting holistic wellness across the interconnected dimensions of physical, mental, spiritual, and economic health. By offering culturally relevant programs and resources that address the unique challenges faced by Black individuals and families, the organization is driving a powerful movement that celebrates Black joy, healing, and resilience. "The success of Black Wellness Week and the ongoing work of Elevate Black Wellness would not be possible without the support and engagement of our community partners," the Blockers noted. "We invite individuals and organizations to join us in this transformative movement to create lasting change." To learn more about Elevate Black Wellness, get involved, or support the organization's mission to dismantle systemic barriers and foster resilience in Black communities, please visit www.elevateblackwellness.com. ### Contact Information Christina Blocker Co-Founder of Elevate Black Wellness christina@elevateblackwellness.com 253-319-3003 SOURCE: Elevate Black Wellness View the original press release on newswire.com. Rubedo Life Sciences, a biotechnology company specializing in cellular senescence and anti-aging research, announced today a multi-year strategic partnership with German multinational beauty company Beiersdorf AG to develop innovative skin care products that address the effects of cellular aging. Beiersdorf additionally joins Rubedo as a strategic investor, having participated in its recent Series A financing round through its Oscar Paul Corporate Venture Capital Fund. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423657886/en/ Rubedo Life Sciences scientists (Photo: Business Wire) The partnership between Rubedo and Beiersdorf revolves around the exploration of novel compounds derived from Rubedo's extensive research programs, specifically targeting cellular senescence. Senescent cells accumulate with age and may contribute to age-related skin changes and pathologies. These compounds will be sourced from Rubedo's topical dermatology program, which have senolytic and anti-inflammatory properties. As part of the partnership, Beiersdorf will conduct in vitro and in silico studies, and will conduct rigorous assessments of the identified compounds from Rubedo. The collaborative effort will culminate in in vivo human studies, aimed at validating the efficacy of the selected compounds in cosmetic skin care formulations. Rubedo shall be eligible to receive milestones and royalty payments. "We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Beiersdorf, a recognized global leader in the cosmetics and skin care industry to develop new products that address skin aging," said Marco Quarta, CEO of Rubedo Life Sciences. "For over 140 years, Beiersdorf has been a worldwide leader in skin care with global brands like NIVEA, Eucerin, and La Prairie. By combining Rubedo's expertise in cellular senescence with Beiersdorf's complementary expertise in skin care innovation, this partnership may revolutionize the landscape of skin care products, offering consumers new solutions that treat cellular aging for healthy and youthful-looking skin." "Our mission is to define the future of skincare through breakthrough innovation," commented Beiersdorf CEO Vincent Warnery. "By partnering with Rubedo and combining cutting-edge expertise from both sides, we aim to redefine the standards in anti-age skincare." Rubedo's innovative approach to compound development, coupled with Beiersdorf's leading global brand platforms, is poised to set new standards in anti-aging skin care and develop new solutions for the multibillion face care market. About Rubedo Life Sciences Rubedo Life Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company developing a broad portfolio of innovative therapies engineered to target cells which drive chronic age-related diseases. Our proprietary ALEMBIC drug discovery platform has engineered novel first-in-class small molecules designed to selectively target senescent cells, which play a key role in the progression of pulmonary, dermatological, oncological, neurodegenerative, fibrotic and other chronic disorders. The Rubedo leadership team is composed of industry leaders and early pioneers in chemistry, technology, and life sciences, with expertise in drug development and commercialization from both large pharma and leading biotech companies. The company is based in Sunnyvale, CA. For additional information, visit www.rubedolife.com. About Beiersdorf AG Beiersdorf has stood for innovative, high-quality skin care products as well as pioneering skin research for more than 140 years. Leading international brands such as NIVEA, the world's no. 1 skin care brand*, Eucerin (dermocosmetics), La Prairie (selective cosmetics), and Hansaplast/Elastoplast (plasters and wound care) are cherished by millions of people around the world day after day. Renowned brands such as Aquaphor, Coppertone, Chantecaille, Labello, 8x4, atrix, Hidrofugal, Maestro, and Florena round off our extensive portfolio in the Consumer Business Segment. Through the wholly owned affiliate tesa SE, Beiersdorf is also a globally leading manufacturer of technical adhesive tapes and provides self-adhesive solutions to industry, craft businesses, and consumers. The Hamburg-based company generated sales of 9.5 billion as well as an operating result (EBIT) of 1.3 billion in fiscal year 2023. Beiersdorf has more than 21,000 employees worldwide, who are connected by shared core values, a strong corporate culture, and the Beiersdorf purpose Care Beyond Skin. With its business strategy, the company pursues a multi-year investment program focusing on competitive, sustainable growth. The program is consistent with the ambitious sustainability agenda, with which Beiersdorf is generating clear added value for consumers, society, and the environment. Source: Euromonitor International Limited; NIVEA by umbrella brand name in the categories Body Care, Face Care, and Hand Care; in retail value terms, 2022. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423657886/en/ Contacts: Media Kimberly Ha KKH Advisors 917-291-5744 kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com Largest digital assets exchange opens spot copy trading for lead trader registrations DUBAI, UAE, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Binance , the leading blockchain ecosystem behind the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume, today announced the launch of its highly-anticipated spot copy trading strategy tool. The feature is now available for experienced users who meet minimum portfolio asset size requirements to register as lead traders , and it will be rolled out fully for all users in May 2024. The launch of spot copy trading further increases Binance's diverse and popular offering of automated spot strategy trading tools, which includes Spot Grid Trading, Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) and Rebalancing Bot. Benefits of using automated trading tools such as spot copy trading include: 24/7 coverage: Automated trading tools allow the user better control over how they choose to participate in the crypto market which trades 24 hours and seven days a week. Automated trading tools allow the user better control over how they choose to participate in the crypto market which trades 24 hours and seven days a week. Speed and efficiency: Once a user has set their trading strategies and parameters, automated trading tools can process vast amounts of market data and execute orders within milliseconds, beyond what the individual user can otherwise do by themselves. Once a user has set their trading strategies and parameters, automated trading tools can process vast amounts of market data and execute orders within milliseconds, beyond what the individual user can otherwise do by themselves. Removes emotions from decision-making: Automated trading tools help the user to avoid emotional or impulsive trading as it operates according to predetermined trading strategies and parameters. Automated trading tools help the user to avoid emotional or impulsive trading as it operates according to predetermined trading strategies and parameters. Diversification and risk management: With a continuously growing range of automated trading tools, users have more diversification and risk management strategy tools at their disposal. Copy trading allows users to follow and automatically execute the same trades as those of the lead traders, enabling copy traders to leverage other users' experiences, trading techniques and risk management strategies. Lead traders can monetize their expertise when they make their portfolio available for copy trading. Rohit Wad, Chief Technology Officer at Binance, shared: "At Binance, we're always listening to our users and incorporating their feedback into our products. Our users give us great ideas because, very often, they know what works best for them. Spot copy trading is one such idea that came from community feedback. This is a great tool that automates trading for our users, and gives them the ability to try new trading strategies." Binance first launched copy trading for its highly liquid futures products in selected regions in October 2023. In markets where both spot and futures copy trading are available, users will have even greater flexibility in how they manage their trading strategies and overall portfolio. Users on Binance can simultaneously become lead and copy traders. Each user can have one lead trader account and copy up to ten lead trader portfolios. Lead traders receive 10 percent profit share and 10 percent trading commission rebate from copy traders who replicate their trades. Copy traders can review the lead traders' performance metrics such as profit & loss record, and choose the ones that they want to follow while setting their own risk controls. Binance spot copy trading benefits for lead traders include: Ease of Use: Simple to sign up with no lengthy registration required. Simple to sign up with no lengthy registration required. Revenue Sharing: 10% profit share and 10% commission rebate from followers. 10% profit share and 10% commission rebate from followers. Largest User Base: Millions of potential copy traders to engage with. Millions of potential copy traders to engage with. Regular Payouts: Payouts are sent weekly. Binance spot copy trading benefits for copy traders include: Ease of Use: User-friendly interface makes copy trading easy. User-friendly interface makes copy trading easy. Learning: Leverage experience of lead traders to learn about trading strategies. Leverage experience of lead traders to learn about trading strategies. Transparent: Lead trader performance metrics are readily available. Lead trader performance metrics are readily available. Highly accessible: Market-competitive fee structure makes trading accessible. Spot copy trading is available on the Binance website now for lead traders, and will be introduced on the Binance app gradually. Binance invites lead traders to start building up their portfolios and participate in a Lead Trading Tournament that will run from April 24 to May 8, 2024 . Disclaimer: Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance is not liable for any losses you may incur. Futures trading, in particular, is subject to high market risk and price volatility. All of your margin balance may be liquidated in the event of adverse price movement. You should only invest in products you are familiar with and where you understand the risks. You should carefully consider your investment experience, financial situation, investment objectives and risk tolerance and consult an independent financial adviser prior to making any investment. Trading by following and/or copying the trades of other traders involves a high level of risk, even when following and/or copying the top-performing traders. Such risks include the risk that you may be following/copying the trading decisions of possibly inexperienced/unprofessional traders, or traders whose ultimate purpose or intention, or financial status may differ from yours. Past performance is not a reliable predictor of future performance. Before trading, you should make an independent assessment of the appropriateness of the transaction in light of your own objectives and circumstances, including the risks and potential benefits. Consult your own advisers, where appropriate. This information should not be construed as financial or investment advice. To learn more about how to protect yourself, visit our Responsible Trading page. Copy trading is restricted in certain countries and to certain users. This content is not intended for users/countries to which restrictions apply. For more information, see our Terms of Use and Risk Warning. About Binance.com Binance is the world's leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider with a financial product suite that includes the largest digital asset exchange by volume. Trusted by millions worldwide, the Binance platform is dedicated to increasing the freedom of money for users, and features an unmatched portfolio of crypto products and offerings, including: trading and finance, education, data and research, social good, decentralization and infrastructure solutions, and more. For more information, visit: https://www.binance.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1773650/Binance_Logo_Yellow_4x_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/binance-expands-automated-strategy-trading-tools-announces-spot-copy-trading-302124499.html Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced that Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V. has chosen Soracom to add cellular connectivity to MELCloud, a next-generation, cloud-based remote management system for Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning, heating, and heat recovery/ventilation products. Demand for climate control systems that can maintain comfort while conserving energy is growing in Europe, driven both by recent increases in energy costs and by accelerating decarbonization efforts that go beyond the EU Emissions Trading System to include the introduction of a new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and new approaches to carbon pricing. In particular, demand for heat pump water heating continues to grow rapidly, as users seek an effective and energy-efficient alternative to existing combustion boilers. MELCloud offers a wide range of new capabilities designed to help optimize the performance and efficiency of Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning, heating, and heat recovery/ventilation systems. The MELCloud interface allows for remote operation of air conditioning and heating systems from a PC, tablet, or smartphone, in real time or programmatically with seasonal or weekly timers. Operating data, including detailed system status, energy consumption, temperature, airflow and more, is transmitted to the cloud for analysis and system optimization, with detailed logs and error notifications available. MELCloud is now available throughout Europe, with nearly 1 million units already registered to the service at the end of 2023. The addition of Soracom cellular connectivity supports seamless performance where dedicated Wi-Fi may not be available, reliable, or accessible, such as multi-unit residential locations like condominiums, apartments, and municipal public housing sites. Soracom was selected for this project based on extensive evaluation of its coverage in Europe, reliable access to networks with multi-carrier coverage, and powerful connectivity management platform. Worldwide, the Soracom IoT SIM now offers multi-carrier cellular connectivity in more than 180 countries and regions, across over 390 mobile operator networks. "Soracom's cloud-native connectivity was designed to support visionary enterprises like Mitsubishi Electric Europe as they deploy at scale," said Takashi Serizawa, Head of Europe Region for Soracom. "The MELCloud initiative shows how IoT technology and cloud computing are already advancing Europe's ambitious environmental goals." "MELCloud defines the state of the art for cloud-based control of air conditioning and heating systems," said Donald Daw, Vice LES President for Mitsubishi Electric Europe. "Adding Soracom's reliable multi-carrier cellular connectivity gives MELCloud customers across Europe the power to optimize both comfort and energy efficiency at any time, from anywhere." About Soracom Soracom is a technology partner to more than 20,000 startups, SMBs and enterprises, connecting more than 6 million IoT devices globally. Soracom offers robust solutions specifically designed to make it easy to build, operate, and scale IoT deployments. Customers trust Soracom for affordable, reliable connectivity that accelerates speed to market, makes it easy to connect to any cloud, and offers access to a worldwide partner ecosystem. More information is available at www.soracom.io. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423928648/en/ Contacts: Justine Schneider Calysto Communications jschneider@calysto.com O: 404-266-2060, ext. 507 Caristo's AI technology predicts heart attack risk for employee wellness initiative from respected centre of excellence OXFORD, England and SURREY, England , April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic (SCVC), Southern England's leading centre of excellence for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cancer issues, has partnered with Imaging provider VCL SURREY and Caristo Diagnostics , a leading cardiac disease diagnostics company, to offer the novel CaRi-Heart AI technology to predict patients' risk of developing potentially fatal coronary artery disease. SCVC will provide the CaRi-Heart AI-based cardiac assessment as a central part of the organisations 's employee wellness initiative for UK employers. Designed to provide industry-leading preventative care for employees and directors, the programme includes a package of advanced health screening tests delivered in SCVC's one-stop clinical diagnostic centre (CDC). In combination with the programme's other tests, Cari-Heart provides the ability to predict future heart attacks and atherosclerosis many years before symptoms occur. "It's well known that the earlier a patient at risk from heart disease, cancer and other common medical conditions can be identified, the more effective the prevention strategies become - yet much of healthcare around us remains largely reactive, not proactive," said Edward Leatham, MA Cantab, MBBS, MD, MRCP, director and founder of SCVC. "UK employers are eager for new options to keep their workers healthier longer, and we are excited to provide them our state-of-the-art health screening programme, featuring CaRi-Heart, the validated, individualised predictor of future cardiac events." An estimated 1 million adults in the UK present with chest pain every year1. Many will undergo a coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) scan to diagnose coronary artery disease caused by plaques that narrow or block the arteries that supply blood to the heart. However, three quarters of these patients undergoing CCTAs will display no clear sign of significant narrowing and would traditionally be seen as low risk of having a heart attack Yet, there are twice as many deaths or cardiac events in these "low risk" patients than in those identified as high-risk.2 A primary cause of these events is coronary inflammation, a crucial risk factor previously unseen in routine CCTAs. Now for the first time, coronary inflammation is detectable in routine CCTAs using Caristo's CaRi-Heart technology. Based on research originated at the University of Oxford, CaRi-Heart is a pioneering AI technology that predicts heart attack risk by assessing coronary inflammation and integrating plaque and clinical risk factors such as cholesterol levels. The technology provides a non-invasive Fat Attenuation Index ScoreTM (FAI-ScoreTM) as a patented biomarker for coronary inflammation. Research studies have shown that an abnormal FAI-Score is associated with a 20-fold increased risk of fatal heart attack and 6 times higher risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs)2. Based on the FAI-Score, CaRi-Heart predicts a patient's absolute risk of a fatal cardiac event over the next 8-10 years. "Early diagnosis and interventions have the potential to significantly improve health outcomes for thousands of patients at risk of coronary artery disease. We are pleased to announce our partnership with Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic and their imaging partner VCL Surrey to enhance accessibility to CaRi-Heart technology for employees throughout the UK," said Frank Cheng, CEO of Caristo Diagnostics. The CaRi-Heart technology is currently in clinical use in various NHS and private hospitals in the UK, as well as within the EU and Australia. About Caristo Diagnostics Caristo Diagnostics is a global leader in cardiac and vascular disease diagnostics and risk prediction. Founded in 2018 as a spin-out company from the University of Oxford, the world's #1 research university, Caristo has developed a portfolio of imaging-based and AI-assisted platforms that can be applied to aid the prediction and diagnosis of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Caristo was highlighted by Nature in 2020 as one of the most exciting science-based companies to have emerged from academic labs. Find Caristo online on its website , LinkedIn and X . About Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic SCVC was founded in 2006 by cardiologists Edward Leatham and Peter Clarkson, based on the concept that in the fast-moving area of cardiovascular medicine there needed to be an easily accessible centre of excellence in the South East of England, positioned outside hospitals. It brings together a multidisciplinary team of professionals and administration required for modern care. About Virtual Cath Lab (VCL) VCL was founded in 2019 by cardiologists Edward Leatham and Michael Hickman specifically to provide advanced one stop imaging solution to clinical diagnostic centres and remove barriers for clinicians to access world class imaging AI technology. VCLs first site is hosted by the Surrey Cardiovascular clinic in Guildford 1 https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2024/january/act-on-mystery-chest-pain-to-reduce-risk-of-heart-attack 2 - ORFAN data presented at American Heart Association Late Breaking Science Session 2023 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394804/Caristo_Logo.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394805/SCVC_Logo.jpg Caristo Diagnostics contact: Frank Cheng, CEO, Caristo Diagnostics Frank.Cheng@caristo.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/surrey-cardiovascular-clinic-and-caristo-diagnostics-launch-employee-heart-wellness-and-disease-prevention-program-for-uk-employers-302124584.html One year into the Correos Prepaid Mastercard program collaboration, Bnext positions Ouro brand portfolio for growth in Europe Ouro, a global consumer financial services and technology innovator, and Bnext, a pioneering Spanish fintech, today announced a strategic partnership designating Bnext as Ouro's strategic issuer in Europe for Ouro's portfolio of consumer financial brands and products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423392141/en/ Roy Sosa, co-founder and CEO of Ouro (Photo: Business Wire) Ouro's innovative payments portfolio includes its flagship Netspend brand that pioneered prepaid debit for underserved U.S. consumers looking for better access to payment products, and X World Wallet, its cashback-earning multicurrency wallet and payments app for international travelers and digital nomads looking for more convenience and value for their money. "The Bnext team has a proven track record of innovation and understanding of the customer needs of a growing European market for next generation payment products and services," said Ouro Co-founder and CEO Roy Sosa. "Their entrepreneurial spirit, combined with their technical capabilities and ability to deliver products across European markets make them a perfect partner for Ouro's ambitious goals," he added. Together, Ouro and Bnext will roll out a range of products, programs and partnerships developed and processed by Ouro's multilingual and multi-currency payments processing platform, and issued by Bnext including prepaid, debit, digital wallets and other innovative products under development in Spain and across Europe. The partnership supports Ouro's strategic focus on innovation, growth, and expansion to global markets. Bnext and Ouro began their collaboration last year with the launch and distribution of the Correos Prepaid Mastercard product across 2,389 Correos Spanish Post offices throughout Spain. Bnext holds an electronic money issuer license issued by the Bank of Spain and passports to the 27 member states in the EU and Norway. Bnext also holds a Principal Membership from Mastercard. "Our Correos experience demonstrated Ouro's sincere commitment to put financial services within reach for everyone, and the speed and impact our joint innovations can make on markets we serve," said Guillermo Vicandi, co-founder of Bnext. "We're excited about what the future holds as we work with more partners to deliver even more value to more consumers." Launched in March 2023, the Correos Prepaid Mastercard is a globally accepted, prepaid debit account customers can access with a card and mobile app to manage their finances, direct deposit salaries and government benefits, spend in stores and online, transfer funds, and open a Spanish bank account. They can also withdraw cash from ATMs and from Correos' network of offices throughout Spain. About Ouro Ouro is a global, vertically-integrated financial services and technology company dedicated to the delivery of innovative financial empowerment solutions to consumers worldwide. Ouro's financial products and services span prepaid, debit, cross-border payments, and loyalty solutions for consumers and enterprise partners. Since its founding in 1999 by industry pioneers Roy and Bertrand Sosa, Ouro products have processed almost a trillion dollars in transaction volume and served millions of customers worldwide. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas with regional offices across the world. For more information, visit www.ouro.com. About Bnext Bnext is an electronic money entity registered with the Bank of Spain. Within two years of its founding in 2017, Bnext reached a record 500,000 users. Bnext's growing range of products and services includes financial services, loyalty and refund programs, as well as third-party financial services. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423392141/en/ Contacts: Meredith DeSpain mdespain@legendlabs.com Offers Update on OTC Annual Report and Business Model Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC PINK:ENZC) ( enzolytics.com )(the "Company") today disclosed that on April 9, 2024, the US District Court of Nevada dismissed the lawsuit, 22-cv-00401-GMN-DJA brought by Dimitar Savov against IMMB bringing to an end the claims alleged in this suit. Originally filed on March 3, 2022 against the corporation that ENZC had its assets, including ITV-1, IMMB and ENZC have successfully defended their position against the plaintiff through 2 years of litigation. Enzolytics will continue to aggressively defend any litigation. Updating the progress on the December 31, 2023, OTC annual report the Company has completed its disclosure and financial statements and is waiting for an administrative issue to be resolved with OTC Markets. Because of the change of directors, a change in control had to be filed with OTC and the Company has done that, paid the fees, and is awaiting final approval. The Company is in contact with OTC Market representatives and expects the process to be completed with the uploading of the report to immediately following its resolution. The Company has discovered and corrected several other administrative issues in the past weeks and expects to resolve any remaining items soon. The ENZC website, which was taken down by someone other than the Company, is being brought back online as quickly as possible and will be updated shortly for the changes in directors and officers and a copy of the disclosures and financial statements for December 31, 2023, will be published there. The Company has a new X/Twitter profile: @EnzolyticsInc. Management has further defined the new direction being undertaken by ENZC. Negotiations have been entered into with potential partners and suppliers for the development of a strategy to provide sales, marketing and distribution services for Medical Devices, Nutraceutical and Medical Testing Technology. ENZC expects to enter into licensing, acquisition and partnership agreements from its current efforts. "This is a victory for ENZC and brings to a close a legal battle. ENZC will continue to defend itself against all claims made by any and all plaintiffs trying to harm the company and the underlying Shareholder value", said Steve Sharabura, Interim CEO. "I am also appreciative of the progress we, as a team, are making in the implementation of the new business model focusing licensing, acquiring and partnering with entities in the medical devices, medical testing and nutraceutical products markets." Enzolytics, Inc. Overview Enzolytics, Inc. is transitioning from a drug development company committed to commercializing its proprietary proteins and monoclonal antibodies to treat debilitating infectious diseases to a sales, marketing and distribution entity focusing on medical devices, medical testing and nutraceutical products. Forward Looking Statements S afe Harbor Statement : This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties associated with financial projections, budgets, milestone timelines, clinical development, regulatory approvals, and other risks described by Enzolytics, Inc. from time to time in its periodic reports filed with the SEC. While Enzolytics, Inc. believes that the forward-looking statements and underlying assumptions contained therein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, including, but not limited to, the ability of Enzolytics to identify acquisition targets and formulate a business strategy for implementation. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be accurate. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations. They involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of the statements made, and cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update the forward-looking statements or update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Company Contact: Enzolytics, Inc. 1101 Raintree Circle Allen, Texas 75013 www.enzolytics.com X/Twitter: @EnzolyticsInc SOURCE: Enzolytics, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com 73 percent lack confidence in their marketing strategies, and 81 percent are nervous the current economy could negatively impact their business. WALTHAM, Mass., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Constant Contact , a digital marketing and automation platform that has helped millions of small businesses and nonprofits globally, issued its latest Small Business Now report . Featuring insights from over 1,300 small businesses in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, the findings reveal most small businesses struggle to market themselves effectively due to low confidence, time constraints, and insufficient marketing knowledge. With more than 300 million small businesses (SMBs) in the world, marketing is essential for differentiation and conveying value to customers. However, Constant Contact's Small Business Now report reveals a concerning trend - many small businesses feel overwhelmed by marketing, and they are not confident that their current strategy is contributing to their business goals. Uncertainty about the best methods for communicating with customers and a lack of time to execute campaigns fuel a cycle of procrastination that prevents small businesses from reaching their potential. "Small business owners are usually much more passionate about their products and services than they are about marketing, but they still need to attract and retain customers to grow," said Sarah Jordan, chief marketing officer at Constant Contact. "Our research shows that while most SMBs recognize the importance of marketing, they often lack the time and expertise to be effective, especially in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Constant Contact is committed to providing easy, yet powerful, tools that automate marketing to help our customers achieve better results in less time." Confidence is Low, Driven in Part by Economic Concerns The economy is a bigger concern than in 2023 , and small businesses aren't sure their marketing is effective. To account for that uncertainty and keep up, they expect to spend more time and resources on marketing this year. 81 percent of SMBs surveyed are concerned the current economy could negatively impact their business. Small businesses in the UK report the highest level of concern about the economy (32 percent are very concerned) compared to other countries polled. 73 percent of small businesses surveyed show a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of their marketing strategy. 39 percent of SMBs surveyed plan to increase their marketing budgets this year, and 46% expect to spend at least 10% more. There Isn't Enough Time to Prioritize Marketing The daily responsibilities of small businesses often overshadow marketing efforts. When they do find the time, they say it takes too long, which leads them to procrastinate on the things that could make a big impact. 56 percent of SMBs surveyed say they only have an hour or less each day to spend on marketing, and 34 percent feel marketing more efficiently is an area of opportunity. Small businesses in Canada report the least time available for marketing of any country polled. 52 percent routinely put off marketing in favor of other activities, with Australian SMBs the most likely to procrastinate. Comparatively, their counterparts in the U.S. are least likely to put off marketing tasks. The most time-consuming marketing tasks are posting on social media (51 percent), planning and strategy (40 percent) and determining what's working (35 percent). Those are also the areas small businesses are most likely to avoid. Knowledge Gaps Prevent Growth Small businesses understand that they need to acquire customers, but they aren't sure which marketing channels to leverage, what strategy works best, or how to improve their campaigns. The top marketing challenges facing SMBs are acquiring new customers (60 percent), understanding what's working (33 percent), and lack of resources (32 percent) When asked how to improve ?their marketing this year, 37 percent of SMBs surveyed said using the right channels is their biggest area of opportunity. In fact, 41 percent plan to increase the number of marketing channels they use in 2024. 82 percent agree that using multiple marketing channels leads to better results, but just 16 percent are confident that they are using the correct channels to reach their customers. Australian SMBs cite lack of knowledge as the biggest obstacle preventing them from using more than one marketing channel. To learn more about the findings from Constant Contact's Small Business Now, download the report . Study Methodology: Constant Contact 's Small Business Now report analyzes insights from over 1,300 small business decision-makers at the Director level and above at companies with under 250 employees. Polls were conducted in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States and aggregated to determine global trends. All stats are representative of their associated demographics. The survey was conducted by Ascend2 in February 2024. About Constant Contact Constant Contact delivers everything small businesses and nonprofits need to build, grow and succeed. With powerful online marketing tools, contact management, sales features, and innovative AI capabilities, Constant Contact makes it easy to attract the right people, engage more customers, close more deals and grow. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1723105/ctct_ripple_logo_horizontal_blue_orange_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-research-from-constant-contact-reveals-small-businesses-struggle-to-market-effectively-due-to-low-confidence-limited-time-and-lack-of-knowledge-302123932.html Silverado Executives to Attend 36th Annual Global Conference in Krakow, Poland to Share Insights from the Accreditation Process Silverado Memory Care, a leading provider of innovative memory care for all stages of dementia, announced today its executives will travel to Krakow, Poland and share their experiences being recognized as the first organization in the United States to receive accreditation from Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), which is considered the global voice and authority on dementia. "The experience of memory loss and dementia is not specific to any one country, but instead prevalent across all cultures and regions of the world. This is why global collaboration is critical to effectively addressing the impact it has on individuals and their loved ones," said Loren Shook, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Silverado. "I'm honored by ADI's recognition of Silverado and the hard work of our talented teams and humbled by the ongoing opportunity to advance the care for those impacted by dementia together." Receiving accreditation entails meeting specific criteria related to staff training, quality of care and adherence to best practices in dementia care. It encompasses several stages, including an eligibility request, an accreditation visit by team members of the ADI Global Review Panel to assess the organization and its training programs and a final assessment report against ADI standards. Additionally, accredited organizations implement recommendations and suggestions from the Global Review Panel and are expected to provide annual updates to the organization. During the ADI 36th Global Conference, April 24-26, held in Krakow, Poland, experts from around the world will share insights on industry achievements and innovations in dementia research, care and policy. Both Shook and Kim Butrum, MS, RN, GNP, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Silverado will speak to attendees about Silverado's experiences going through the accreditation process and the importance of measuring our clinical model against ADI's core standards. Specifically, Butrum will speak on Silverado's early-stage brain health program, Nexus, which played a key role in securing the accreditation. This innovative program, focused on purposeful engagement and meaningful connection, has not only demonstrated industry leading clinical outcomes but has also garnered international recognition. Dr. Mette Andresen, a dementia care expert in Denmark, replicated and implemented Silverado's Nexus program with remarkable success in eight nursing homes in Denmark, prompting Shook and Butrum to visit the country before the conference to witness its transformative impact firsthand. "This year, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to present alongside Dr. Andresen on how she rolled out the Nexus program in Denmark and saw the same results that we saw in our communities in the United States," shared Butrum. "It's incredible to see how purpose and meaning can lead to such positive outcomes for both residents and staff, and we can't wait to share these results with the conference attendees." Through their accreditation journey, Silverado aims to inspire other organizations to pursue accreditation by ADI and ultimately enhance the quality of dementia care on a global scale. "It's amazing to see Silverado leading the way as the first in the country to achieve this accreditation. Hopefully, many more will follow, as the process helps organizations to review and update their curriculums and further their missions to help people living with dementia," said David Troxel, renowned dementia care writer, consultant and Alzheimer's Disease International volunteer. "The U.S. should be very proud we are a leader in so many areas including research, and there's still a lot to learn from our colleagues around the world." To learn more about Alzheimer's Disease International, visit www.alzint.org. For more information about Silverado and its memory care services, visit www.silverado.com. About Silverado Founded in 1996, Silverado is Great Place to Work-certified, with the goal of enriching the lives of those with memory loss by changing how the world cares for people with memory impairing diseases and empowering people to live life to the fullest until the end of life. This foundation allows Silverado and its associates to leave behind previous misconceptions and operate in a way that provides residents and patients with the utmost dignity, freedom, respect and quality of life. Silverado has grown to become a nationally and internationally recognized provider of memory care, assisted living and palliative and hospice services. With locations in California, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, the company strives to deliver world-class care and unmatched service. To learn more, visit silverado.com or call (866) 522-8125. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423463755/en/ Contacts: Jeff Frum, Senior Vice President jfrum@silverado.com Donation To Fund $5,000 Grants for Up To Ten Diverse Livestock Farmers Pursuing Sustainable Agriculture Practices BEDMINSTER, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / In its commitment to supporting the next generation of farmers, APPLEGATE, the nation's leading natural and organic meat brand, has announced a new partnership with American Farmland Trust (AFT) in a $50,000 donation to the AFT's Brighter Future Fund, a program that helps farmers and ranchers nationwide improve their viability, access, transfer, or permanently protect farmland, and adopt regenerative agricultural* practices. Applegate's donation will fund grants, valued up to $5,000, for livestock farmers or ranchers who are working to who are becoming more resilient and viable. "Young farmers and ranchers have a vision for a strong, sustainable and competitive food system. But making it a reality is anything but easy," said Joseph O'Connor, President of Applegate. "American Farmland Trust has a proven track record of advocacy and support to an incredible network of farmers. With our commitment to The Brighter Future Fund, Applegate aims to help new farmers build a more sustainable and secure foothold in the industry that allows them to fulfill their dreams and, in turn, helps us to make good on our mission: Changing The Meat We Eat." The Brighter Future Fund was launched in 2020 to help historically underserved farmers and ranchers build, grow, and sustain their operations despite forces impacting the food and agricultural system, including the COVID-19 pandemic, changing markets, severe weather, and climate change. In past years, BFF grants have helped livestock farmers to access land to expand their farms and ranches, purchase supplies to implement regenerative practices like compost spreaders and no-till drill planters, and improve their profitability with more efficient equipment for harvesting, storing and selling their crops and livestock like greenhouses, hoop houses and cooler vans. Applications for Brighter Future Fund grants open in early July and grantees will be announced in October. The impacts of Brighter Future Fund grants ripple beyond individual awardees. Grants help drive new solutions for resolving key challenges facing our society, by: Scaling up the adoption of regenerative practices and increasing the resilience of farms and ranches to climate change; Strengthening local food systems to be more resilient to disruptions caused by global events as well as providing equitable access to healthy food; Creating greater equity in opportunities for historically underserved farmers and ranchers; Ensuring the availability of sufficient clean water and habitat for threatened wildlife; Improving long-term farm viability and community vitality. "Oftentimes straightforward projects, like expanding or replacing fencing infrastructure, can make a huge difference for farmers or ranchers. Increasing rotational grazing capacity enhances pasture soil health, and ultimately improves the overall viability of a farm or ranch," said Ashley Brucker, Deputy Director of Agriculture Conservation Innovation at American Farmland Trust. "We're grateful for partners like Applegate for supporting and believing in the countless farmers and ranchers who do this vital work." "As a former farmer who has raised pastured livestock, I know firsthand how beneficial unrestricted grant funds are to a farm business," said Carolyn Gahn, Applegate's Senior Director of Mission and Advocacy. "Fencing, watering systems and animal shelters are all costly but necessary requirements to get an operation off the ground and keep it functioning sustainably. A move towards a regenerative future, means making farming a viable business model for family farms and first-generation farmers." Additional supporters of the 2024 fund include: Tractor Supply Company Foundation, iHeartMedia, Butcher Box, Giant Foods, and Domino's Pizza. Grant applications will be reviewed and awarded in the order the applications are received based on eligibility. To apply, farmers and ranchers should submit a completed electronic Brighter Future Fund Application to AFT. American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 7.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families. Learn more at www.farmland.org. *Regenerative agriculture is a series of continuous improvement principles and practices that prioritize soil health and manages a symbiotic relationship between plants and animals to have a positive impact on the land. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Hormel Foods Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Hormel Foods Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/hormel-foods-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Hormel Foods Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial. Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird. Nutzen Sie die Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! New report "Better Safe than Sorry" examines the evolution of exposed OT/ICS data from 2017 to 2024 and highlights a complete disregard for critical infrastructure threats and the possibility of a mass attack Internet exposure of Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) continues to be a critical infrastructure security issue despite decades of raising awareness, new regulations, and periodic government advisories. Forescout, a global cybersecurity leader, unveiled Better Safe Than Sorry, a seven-year analysis of internet-exposed OT/ICS data. The study was conducted by Forescout Research Vedere Labs, a leading global team dedicated to uncovering vulnerabilities in and threats to critical infrastructure. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423583235/en/ Better Safe Than Sorry April 2024; Forescout Research Vedere Labs (Graphic: Business Wire) In the Better Safe Than Sorry report,Forescout researchers examine the realistic opportunities for a mass target attack of internet-exposed OT/ICS devices. These devices are fertile ground for abuse as attackers look no further than using basic rationale driven by current events, copycat behavior, or the emergencies found in new, off-the-shelf capabilities or readily available hacking guides to create chaos. Forescout released Better Safe Than Sorry from HANNOVER MESSE, the world's leading trade fair for industrial technology. Forescout researchers can discuss these findings in Hall 16, Booth: A12 in the IT OT Circus, April 22-26. "If these warnings sound familiar, it's because they are. The looming potential for a mass target scenario is high," said Elisa Costante, VP of Research at Forescout Research Vedere Labs. "Forescout calls on vendors, service providers, and regulatory agencies to work collectively to prevent attacks on critical infrastructure that will spare no one." Top research highlights in the Better Safe Than Sorry report include: North America is making strides to close the gap, but there is still work to do around the world. The US and Canada significantly reduced the number of exposed devices during the study period by 47% in the US and 45% in Canada. The other top 10 countries increased the number of exposed devices: Spain: 82% Italy: 58% France: 26% Germany: 13% Russia: 10% Proactive, targeted notification is urgently required. The Unitronics hacking incidents and a combination of regulatory alerts and media coverage led to a 48% reduction in internet exposed Unitronics PLCs within two months. Notably, the decline in Unitronics device exposure in Israel started in early as 2022, coinciding with the initial reports of attacks on these devices. Conversely, in the United States, the decrease only began towards the end of 2023, following more recent attacks. Robust risk management strategies are critical. Many internet-exposed OT devices and protocols stem from common system integrator practices, such as delivering pre-packaged units that act as black boxes to asset owners and inadvertently expose multiple systems to the internet. Most asset owners are unaware that these packaged units contain exposed OT devices. This underscores the need for a precise and detailed software and hardware bill of materials as a critical part of a comprehensive risk management approach. Nearly half of the reported ports remain vulnerable to attack. After incidents targeting Modicon and Wago PLCs, Forescout researchers reexamined these exposed devices one year after reporting some to CISA. Approximately half of the reported PLCs retained the same open ports without any alterations or protective measures. Thirty percent were no longer exposed to the internet, while the remaining 20% remained exposed, but had closed the OT port under scrutiny. Still, some FTP and web interfaces were occasionally left vulnerable. Good news, there are now less than 1,000 exposed devices running Nucleus and approximately, 5,500 running NicheStack. This is a significant reduction after the exposure was revealed in the original Forescout research in Project Memoria. "Time and again, we've seen the dire consequences of ignoring critical infrastructure threats," adds Costante. "It's not a matter of if, but when, these vulnerabilities will be exploited. Let's heed the warnings and take proactive measures to safeguard our infrastructure before it's too late." Many asset owners are likely unaware that OT/ICS systems contain potentially vulnerable devices exposed to the internet, once again highlighting the need for an accurate and granular software and hardware bill of materials as part of a comprehensive risk management strategy. Download the full report, Better Safe Than Sorry, now at https://forescout.com/resources/better-safe-than-sorry-proactively-identifying-at-risk-internet-exposed-otics/. How Forescout Research Works Forescout Research employs its Adversary Engagement Environment (AEE) to conduct analysis, leveraging a blend of real and simulated connected devices. This dynamic environment functions as a robust tool, enabling the pinpointing of incidents and identifying intricate threat actor patterns at a granular level. The overarching objective is to elevate responses to complex critical infrastructure attacks by leveraging the detailed insights and understanding derived from this specialized deception environment. The AEE is maintained by Vedere Labs, a leading global team dedicated to uncovering vulnerabilities in and threats to critical infrastructure. Forescout products directly leverage this research, which is shared openly with vendors, agencies, and other researchers. About Forescout Forescout Technologies, Inc., a global cybersecurity leader, continuously identifies, protects and helps ensure the compliance of all managed and unmanaged connected cyber assets IT, IoT, IoMT and OT. For more than 20 years, Fortune 100 organizations and government agencies have trusted Forescout to provide vendor-agnostic, automated cybersecurity at scale. The Forescout Platform delivers comprehensive capabilities for network security, risk and exposure management, and threat detection and response. With seamless context sharing and workflow orchestration via ecosystem partners, it enables customers to more effectively manage cyber risk and mitigate threats. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423583235/en/ Contacts: Media: Kafka Kommunikation Markus Reck Regina Urich Mreck@kafka-kommunikation.de Rurich@kafka-kommunikation.de James Kenny RH Strategic for Forescout forescoutPR@rhstrategic.com Carmen Harris carmen.harris@forescout.com San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 23, 2024) - Direct Communication Solutions, Inc. (OTCQX: DCSX) (CSE: DCSI) (FSE: 7QU0) ("DCS" or the "Company"), a leading provider of information technology solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) market is pleased to report its year-end financial results for 2023 and highlight significant achievements and strategic initiatives. Highlights for the fiscal year 2023 include: Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings Direct Communication Solutions implemented cost-cutting measures to reduce employee overhead in 2023 and will continue the company's strategic restructuring efforts, aimed at focusing on high-margin, recurring Software as a Service (SaaS) and services revenue streams in 2024. The streamlined operational efficiencies and cost savings will position the company for enhanced productivity and sustainable long-term growth. Milestone Achievement in Recurring Revenue Growth In 2023 DCS grew its recurring revenue subscriber base to over 50,000. This milestone includes a diverse range of customers in both software and connectivity segments, contributing to the company's robust and sustainable revenue streams. Enhanced Profitability and Margin Expansion With a steadfast focus on recurring SaaS and solutions revenues, DCS has significantly increased its overall gross margins. The company anticipates that its margins for Q1 2024 will continue to grow as we execute on our strategic plan. This strategic emphasis on high-margin SaaS and services offerings has not only enhanced profitability but also strengthened the company's financial position for future growth and expansion. Expansion and Diversification of SaaS Sales Channel Expanded and diversified our SaaS sales channel by onboarding 7 new resellers, bringing our reseller channel to 19, and added 36 new direct SaaS customers. Our focus on SaaS recurring revenues in the second half of 2023 generated almost 15,000 new SaaS subscriptions from over 600 different accounts that rely on our SaaS and services solutions to run their businesses effectively and efficiently. The SaaS and services recurring revenue growth in 2023 will allow us to continue to execute our strategy of focusing on high-margin, long-term recurring revenues in 2024 and beyond. Video Telematics Provides High-Margin Growth Video telematics provided a significant contribution to our overall SaaS and services recurring revenue in 2023 and will continue to grow and add to our diverse and expanding customer base. We announced long-term agreements with ALSCO and Streamline Transportation for our video telematics solution offering and will continue to focus on this exciting vertical for continued future growth. CEO of Direct Communication Solutions, Chris Bursey, reports strong year-end revenues and growth, highlighted by the subsequent information: For the year ended December 31, 2023, gross margin were 34.0% (28.2% for 2022), representing USD $4.4 million estimated gross profit (USD $6.3 million for 2022 YTD). The 2023 EBITDA Loss was USD -$2.6 million compared to a USD$0.50 million 2022 EBITDA loss. Bursey commented on the company's year-end financial results, stating, "We are pleased to announce our strong performance for the fiscal year 2023, marked by significant achievements and strategic milestones. Our focus on operational efficiency, recurring revenue growth, and strategic partnerships has yielded positive results, positioning Direct Communication Solutions for continued success." He continued, "The operational cost reductions and strategic focus on our SaaS and services offerings represent a key milestone in our growth strategy, allowing us to offer enhanced IoT solutions to our customers. We look forward to building on this momentum in 2024 as we continue to innovate and deliver value to our stakeholders." About Direct Communication Services Inc. DCSI is a technology solutions integrator focusing on connecting the Internet of Things. We provide real solutions that solve real problems. Our software applications and scalable cloud services collect and assess business-critical data from all types of assets. DCSI is headquartered in San Diego, California and is publicly traded on the OTCQX ("DCSX"), Canadian Securities Exchange ("DCSI") and Frankfurt Stock Exchange ("7QU0"). For more information, visit www.dcsbusiness.com. DCSI and the DCSI logo are among the trademarks of DCSI in the United States. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Contacts Chris Bursey, CEO cbursey@dcsbusiness.com Ph: 858-525-2483 Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements reflecting management's current views of future events and operations. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially. DCS believes that these potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's dependence on third-party manufacturers, suppliers, technologies, and infrastructure; risks related to intellectual property; industry risks, including competition, online security, government regulation, and global economic conditions; and the Company's financial position and need for additional funding. Statements in this release should be evaluated in light of these factors. These risk factors and other important factors that could affect our business and financial results are discussed in our Management's Discussion and Analysis, periodic reports, and other public filings available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and posted with the OTC Disclosure and News Service. DCS undertakes no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/206534 SOURCE: Direct Communication Solutions, Inc. Contract renewals reflect high customer satisfaction with Cloud DX Connected Health products and services across North America. News in Summary On April 4, 2024, Cloud DX renewed a 12-month Master Deployment Agreement with an Ontario County Paramedic Service and on April 18, 2024, Cloud DX renewed a 24-month Master Deployment Agreement with the Guelph Wellington - City of Guelph Paramedic Service.? In Ontario, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) services are offered in the community under the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program (CPLTC). Cloud DX Connected Health RPM products and services allow Community Paramedics to monitor seniors where they live, extending the time they can stay at home in comfort and reducing pressure on nursing home waiting lists. ? Cloud DX has announced 24 new contracts and/or contract renewals, valued at $5,100,000 CAD so far in 2024. Notable announcements include new contracts with Ontario Paramedics, Ottawa University Research Institute, VHA Home HealthCare and Health PEI. Cloud DX will report Fiscal Year 2023 results and hold an Earnings call on Monday April 29, 2024. Please register for the Earnings Call HERE. KITCHENER, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Cloud DX (TSXV:CDX)(OTCQB:CDXFF), a leading North American provider of virtual care and remote patient monitoring platforms is pleased to announce the renewal on April 4, 2024 of the Master Deployment Agreement with an Ontario County Paramedic Service for 12 months. On April 18, 2024, the Company renewed the Master Deployment Agreement with Guelph Wellington - City of Guelph Paramedic Service for 24 months. In Ontario, Community Paramedic Services offer Cloud DX Connected Health RPM services to seniors who can benefit from daily monitoring of vital signs, physical symptoms and in many cases, chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF). Patients can interact with the Paramedics via the Cloud DX mobile app, allowing for close oversight and empowering patients to help manage their own care. The Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care (CPLTC) program is fully funded by the Ontario provincial government to provide additional care for seniors before admission into long-term care. Recently the province announced an additional $174 million CAD in funding to expand the CPLTC program from 2024 onwards. Including the purchase of products, subscriptions and bundled services, the aggregate value of these contracts is approximately $380,000 CAD. In their most recent financial statements Cloud DX reported gross margins of approximately 77%. Emily Cooper, Field Superintendent, Guelph Community Paramedicine stated: "Guelph Wellington Paramedic Service greatly values the ongoing partnership we have with Cloud DX, specifically through our Community Paramedicine program, and the healthcare benefits remote monitoring provides. Remote monitoring allows our Community Paramedicine team to catch and prevent health exacerbations and alert the client's circle of care to better support them to stay well, in their home." Cloud DX Founder and CEO Robert Kaul commented: "Contract renewals are a key sales metric for Cloud DX, and we are very pleased to be able to continue serving these very satisfied clients. Cloud DX has the distinction of announcing agreements with Community Paramedic Services in 10 Ontario counties and to date, at each opportunity our Master Service Agreements have been renewed and extended. That makes the CPLTC Program, in aggregate, one of our largest customers." In comments published by CBC News, Renfrew County Paramedic Chief Michael Nolan stated "Community paramedics can lower the likelihood that those higher-use populations will call 911 or go to the emergency department by up to 70%. Community paramedics can visit and support vulnerable populations without adding more strain on emergency providers - something that can be done in the patient's own home, not in a hospital bed." About Cloud DX Accelerating digital healthcare, Cloud DX is on a mission to make healthcare better for everyone. Our Connected Health remote patient monitoring platform is used by healthcare enterprises and care teams across North America to virtually manage chronic disease, enable aging in place, and deliver hospital-quality post-surgical care in the home. Our partners achieve better healthcare and patient outcomes, reduce the need for hospitalization or re-admission, and reduce healthcare delivery costs through more efficient use of resources. Cloud DX is the co-winner of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, winner of "2022 Top Innovator" from Canadian Business, a 2021 "Edison Award" winner, a Fast Company "World Changing Idea" finalist, and one of "Canada's Ten Most Prominent Telehealth Providers." Cloud DX is an exclusive partner to Medtronic Canada and Teladoc Health Canada. 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. Cloud DX Investor Site https://ir.clouddx.com/overview/default.aspx Social Links Twitter https://twitter.com/CloudDX Facebook https://www.facebook.com/clouddxinc/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-dx/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cloud.dx/ For media inquiries please contact: Marketing Enquiries? Phone 888-543-0944? marketing@clouddx.com For investor inquiries please contact: Jay Bedard?Cloud DX Investor Relations? Phone 647-881-8418? investors@clouddx.com Officer responsible for this Press Release: Robert Kaul? Chief Executive Officer? Phone 888-543-0944? ceo@clouddx.com Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. In particular, this news release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning the terms of the contract extension, the expected proceeds therefrom, as well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, the Company's the ability of the Company to fulfill the terms of and derive the benefits from the contract extension. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. A propos de Cloud DX Accelerant les soins de sante virtuels, Cloud DX a pour mission d'ameliorer les soins de sante pour tous. Notre plateforme de surveillance a distance des patients Connected HealthMC est utilisee par des entreprises de soins de sante et des equipes de soins partout en Amerique du Nord pour gerer virtuellement les maladies chroniques, permettre aux gens de vieillir chez eux et fournir des soins post-chirurgicaux de qualite hospitaliere a domicile. Nos partenaires obtiennent de meilleurs resultats pour les soins de sante et les patients, reduisent le besoin d'hospitalisation ou de readmission, et reduisent les couts de prestation des soins de sante grace a une utilisation plus efficace des ressources. Cloud DX est co-laureate du prix Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, laureate du prix Edison 2021, finaliste du concours World Changing Idea de Fast Company et un des dix plus importants fournisseurs de telesante au Canada. Site des relations avec les investisseurs de Cloud DX https://ir.clouddx.com/overview/default.aspx La Bourse de croissance TSX et son fournisseur de services de reglementation (tel que ce terme est defini dans les politiques de la Bourse de croissance TSX) n'assument aucune responsabilite quant a la pertinence ou a l'exactitude du present communique. Tous les enonces prospectifs sont assujettis a des risques et a des incertitudes, tels que ceux decrits dans les rapports periodiques de Medtronic deposes aupres de la Securities and Exchange Commission. Les resultats reels peuvent sensiblement differer des resultats anticipes. SOURCE: Cloud DX Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Contributed revenue stable at 247 million Reduced contribution from "spot" activities Impact of lower energy prices Growth targets confirmed for 2024 Regulatory News: Seche (Paris:SCHP) reported a satisfactory level of activity in most of its areas and businesses, except for spot pollution control and environmental emergency activities, which were down sharply in France and abroad compared with their high level in the 1er quarter of 2023. Revenue for the period were also impacted, as expected, by lower energy selling prices compared with Q1 2023, and to a lesser extent by a major maintenance operation. Seche confirms its growth targets for fiscal 2024. At March 31, 2024, contributed revenue amounted to 247.2 million, stable compared with Q1 2023 revenue (247.5 million). The period benefited from the solid contribution of acquisitions made in 2023 (+20.0 million). On a like-for-like basis, revenue fell by 7.4%. In persistently buoyant markets, this one-off downturn mainly reflects the lower contribution of "spot" decontamination and environmental emergency activities in France and internationally, compared with a high Q1 2023, and in France, the significant drop in energy revenue prices (steam and electricity), as well as the one-off impact of an anticipated maintenance operation on the Salaise incinerator. In France, revenue came to 171.9 million vs. 183.4 million a year earlier, down -6.3% on March 31, 2023. Adjusted for these factors, like-for-like revenue would have risen slightly by +2.9%, illustrating the strength of Seche's main markets. Outside France, revenue came to 75.3 million vs. 64.1 million a year earlier, up 17.5% on a reported basis, but down 10.6% on a like-for-like basis. Excluding the impact of soil remediation spot business, revenue would have risen by -2.0% over the period, mainly due to a lower contribution from the "Europe" zone. After this Q1 characterized by the relative decline in its "spot" soil remediation activities, Seche is confident that its main markets in France and abroad will continue to perform well over the coming months. The Group confirms its organic growth target of +5% over 2024, to aim for contributed revenue of around 1,100 million (including the contribution of acquisitions made at the end of 2023, estimated at +60 million). Comments on Q1 20024 revenue At March 31, 2024, Seche Environnement reported consolidated revenue of 262.9 million, compared with 263.9 million a year earlier. Reported revenue include non-contributed revenue, which break down as follows: In M At March 31 2023 2024 Investments IFRIC 12 2,2 0,8 General Tax on Polluting Activities (TGAP) 14,2 14,9 Non-contributed revenue 16,4 15,7 Contributed revenue came to 247.2 million, virtually unchanged from March 31, 2023 (247.2 million). Over the period, revenue recorded a scope effect of +20.0 million, reflecting the robust contribution of the acquisitions made in 2023: Seche Assainissement Rhone-Isere -ARI- (consolidated at July 1st, 2023): +0.3 million Furia (consolidated at October 1st, 2023): +16.8 million Essac (consolidated at October 1st, 2023): 1.1 million Rent-A-Drum (consolidated at January 1st, 2024): 1.8 million The negative currency effect came to (1.9) million vs. (2.4) million a year earlier, mainly due to the South African Rand's parity against the Euro. On a like-for-like basis, revenue amounted to 227.2 million, down -7.4% at constant exchange rates compared with March 31, 2023. Analysis by geographic scope Consolidated data in million At March 31 2023 2024 Gross change Organic change Subsidiaries in France 183,4 171,9 -6,3% -6,4% of which scope effect 0,3 International subsidiaries 64,1 75,3 +17,5% -10,6% of which scope effect 19,7 Contributed revenue 247,5 247,2 -0,1% -7,4% At March 31, 2023, revenue at constant exchange rates would have been 245.6, with a negative currency effect of 1.9 million over the period. Business trends over the period reflect the solidity of the main markets, apart from soil remediation activities (decontamination and environmental emergencies) and energy revenue, which had made a strong contribution to performance in Q1 2023. The period also saw the one-off impact of early maintenance on a treatment facility in France. In France, revenue amounted to 171.9 million, down -6.3% on March 31, 2023. The consolidation of Seche ARI had a perimeter effect of +0.3 million. In the context of solid, long-term markets with industry and local authorities, this change mainly reflects the lower contribution of spot activities in environmental remediation and emergency services (-8.7 million), and to a lesser extent, of energy recovery activities, penalized, as expected, by the decline in energy revenue prices impacting revenue by 3.9 million. Growth in France was also hampered by maintenance work on the Salaise incinerator, which was anticipated as early as this first quarter (instead of third quarter last year), with an impact of around -3.8 million. Adjusted for these items, which penalize the comparison with Q1 2023, organic growth for the scope of consolidation would be +2.9%, driven by the Circular Economy (materials recovery) and Hazard Management businesses. Outside France, revenue reached 75.3 million, up +17.5% on a reported basis. The scope of consolidation effect was +19.7 million, while exchange rates had a negative impact of -1.9 million. On a like-for-like basis, revenue was down 10.6% compared with March 31, 2023, significantly penalized by the one-off decline in soil remediation spot business in Peru and South Africa (down 6.2 million). Excluding these "spot" activities, revenue was down slightly (-2.0% at constant exchange rates), with most subsidiaries reporting positive business trends, except for certain European subsidiaries. Analysis by activity Consolidated data in million At March 31 2023 2024 Gross change Organic change Services 120,7 114,7 -5,0% -17,1% of which scope effect 16,2 Circular economy 77,6 84,5 +8,8% +4,1% of which scope effect 3,7 Hazard management 49,2 48,0 -2,5% -2,6% of which scope effect 0,1 Contributed revenue 247,5 247,2 -0,1% -7,4% Services activities were down -5.0% compared with Q1 2023 on a reported basis. They include a scope effect linked to Seche ARI, Furia, Essac and Rent-A-Drum. On a like-for-like basis, their significant contraction (-17.1%) mainly reflects the lower contribution of "spot" environmental clean-up and emergency activities in France and abroad (down 14.9 million). Circular Economy activities recorded significant growth on a reported basis (+8.8%). The scope effect includes contributions from Furia and Rent-A-Drum. On a like-for-like basis, growth was up +4.1%, driven by materials recovery activities (notably chemical purification), which offset the decline in "Energy" revenue in France (-3.9 million vs. Q1 2023), steam and electricity revenue prices for which were down sharply on the same period last year. Hazard Management activities were down slightly on a reported basis (-2.5%). The scope effect reflects the contribution of Rent-A-Drum. At constant scope and exchange rates, and against a backdrop of industrial and public authority markets that remain solid, particularly in France, the 2.6% decline in revenue essentially reflects the impact (3.8 million) of a maintenance operation brought forward to the first quarter (instead of the third quarter in previous years) on the Salaise incinerator. Analysis by sector Consolidated data in million At March 31 2023 2024 Gross change Organic change Hazardous waste 164,7 166,5 +1,1% -6,9% of which scope effect 13,8 Non-hazardous waste 82,8 80,7 -2,6% -8,6% of which scope effect 6,2 Contributed revenue 247,5 247,2 -0,1% -7,4% In markets that have remained buoyant over the long term, the growth of our sectors, particularly the Hazardous Waste sector, was mainly penalized by the decline in construction site activities and energy revenue. As a result The Hazardous Waste division generated revenue of 166.5 million, up +1.1% on Q1 2023 on a reported basis. It includes a scope effect linked to the contributions of Furia and Essac. On a like-for-like basis, the sector's revenue fell by 6.9%, reflecting the decline in the environmental emergency and remediation business (-14.9 M), the contraction in steam revenue prices (impacting revenue by -2.2 M), and the impact of early maintenance at Salaise (-3.8 M). The Non-Hazardous Waste division reported revenue of 80.7 million, down 2.6% on the period on a reported basis. The scope effect reflects the contributions of Seche ARI, Furia and Rent-A-Drum. On a like-for-like basis, the sector's decline was -8.6%, as the impact of lower energy revenue (mainly electricity) in France (-2.2 million) was not offset by the dynamic performance of other activities in other geographical areas. Growth prospects confirmed Seche Environnement is positioned in the sustainable growth markets of the circular economy, ecological transition, and environmental protection. On the strength of its offering, which meets the main challenges faced by its customers in terms of decarbonization and industrial and environmental risk management, the Group is confident in its ability to achieve better growth in the coming months in its main markets. Seche assumes a sharp fall in energy revenue prices in 2024 compared with 2023. After the strong base of Q1 2023, particularly in construction activities in France and internationally, and given the good availability of hazardous waste incineration facilities, particularly in the 2nd half-year compared with last year, growth should gradually accelerate over the course of the year, enabling the Group to achieve its organic growth target of 5% for the 2024 financial year, compared with adjusted revenue for 2023 (985 million1 Considering the contribution of subsidiaries acquired at the end of 2023 (around 60 million for the year in respect of acquisitions made at the end of 2023), revenue should reach a level close to 1,100 million in 2024. Conference call A conference call for financial analysts and investors will be held to comment on business for the Q1 2024, in French only, on April 23, 2024 at 6:00 pm (CET). To attend the conference, dial +33 (0)1 70 99 53 53 Code: 514 340 665 # A presentation is available from 5.45pm on the Seche website: www.groupe-seche.com A replay of the conference will be available from April 24, 2024 on the Seche website at the same address Upcoming events Annual General Meeting April 26, 2024 Consolidated results to June 30, 2024 September 4, 2024 after market close About Seche Environnement Seche Environnement is a leading player in waste management, including the most complex and hazardous waste, and in environmental services, particularly in the event of an environmental emergency. Thanks to its expertise in the creation of circular economy loops, decarbonization and hazard control, the group has been contributing to the ecological transition of industries and territories, as well as to the protection of the living world, for nearly 40 years. A French family-owned industrial group, Seche Environnement deploys the cutting edge technologies developed by its R&D department at the heart of territories, in more than 120 locations in 16 countries, including some fifty industrial sites in France. With more than 6,100 employees, including 2,900 in France, Seche Environnement generated a turnover of 1013,5 million in 2023, 26% of which was generated internationally. Seche Environnement is listed on Eurolist by Euronext (compartment B). It is eligible for equity savings funds dedicated to investment in SMEs and is included in the CAC Mid&Small, EnterNext Tech 40 and EnterNext PEA-PME 150 indexes. ISIN: FR 0000039139 Bloomberg: SCHP.FP Reuters: CCHE.PA 1 Cf. press release of March 11, 2024: contributed revenue net of the price effect on energy revenue and the scope effect of acquisitions made at the end of 2023. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423956519/en/ Contacts: SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT Analyst Investor Relations Manuel ANDERSEN Head of Investor Relations m.andersen@groupe-seche.com +33 (0)1 53 21 53 60 Media Relations Anna JAEGY Deputy Communications Director a.jaegy@groupe-seche.com +33 (0)1 53 21 53 53 In Regina, Mother Teresa Middle School's land-based curriculum and interventionist approach improves outcomes for Indigenous students Pride of self. Pride of identity. Pride of tradition. Taught alongside standard subjects like math and history, culture is embedded in the land-based learning curriculum at Mother Teresa Middle School in Regina, and helps young learners-70% of whom are Indigenous-know and connect with who they are through a commitment to truth and reconciliation. Here in the Saskatchewan capital, students pick sweetgrass, the sacred hair of Mother Earth, and learn smudging ceremonies for healing and peace. Together with the community, they scrape buffalo hide, learning to honour the animal while creating something new with its skins. They fabricate colourful beaded accessories, which adorn their clothes while they drum and recount the stories of songkeepers. "These programs cultivate a strong sense of cultural identity and pride," says Evie Koop Sawatzky, Director of Development at MTMS. "How powerful it is to see kids singing out in Cree and giving back to their community. It not only encourages other students, but it encourages the Elders that these songs and these stories will continue." An independent Catholic school, MTMS offers free education to about 60 students in Grades 6 through 8. In addition to offering its land-based learning curriculum, the school operates using an interventionist approach, providing wraparound care beyond what a typical school provides-they offer counselling, mentorship, family support, transportation, and two meals and snacks a day. If a student needs glasses, clothing, or extra auditory care, the school steps in. In a 2023 report, the provincial auditor explains that less than 44.7% of Indigenous students in Saskatchewan graduate from high school, which is why the school's support doesn't end after middle school. "Our program is 11 years long," she says. "Our greater mission is to help vulnerable students achieve high school graduation, and pursue post-secondary education if they choose, while also supporting their journey to find meaningful employment." But it's during their three years in middle school that the students develop a strong foundation for school, work, and life habits. "These are kids who are going somewhere and need support," Koop Sawatzky observes. "They're little seeds that are going to turn into something amazing. MTMS ignites a love of learning and empowers students to embrace their identities while overcoming obstacles." In support of MTMS' important mission, Enbridge contributed a $110,000 Fueling Futures grant in late 2023-$50,000 in support of the cultural and-based learning program, $50,000 to help purchase a new school bus, and $10,000 for the school's holiday fundraising campaign. The school is a leader in Indigenous engagement, inclusion and awareness. We're impressed with their work to shift awareness of Indigenous history, culture, rights, and inclusion, and empower youth at the same time. Their mission aligns with our long-held commitment to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and advance reconciliation, as outlined in our Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan. One key to MTMS' success is ensuring the students come to school. That's why our funding of the new school bus is integral to supporting education. Frequently, transportation is a barrier to attending school. Families move around, and children transfer from school to school, falling behind each time and losing the connection with their peers and instructors. "Some students at MTMS have attended 15 or more schools before they arrive," Koop Sawatzky says. "These buses are really a lifeline between the students and keeping those relationships going for three solid years. I'll never look at a bus the same way again." The transportation service is just one way the school builds trust. "The students know they can rely on us. They have a place that has their back. We want them to become all that they can be," Koop Sawatzky continues. "Because of supporters like Enbridge, we are making a lasting impact." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Enbridge Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridge Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Enbridge View the original press release on accesswire.com Strong growth for the Pierre Vacances Center Parcs Group brands With an 11.8% increase in the tourism businesses in Q2 2023/2024, the Pierre Vacances-Center Parcs Group stepped up its growth, posting an almost 9% rise infirst half revenue1relative to H1 2022/2023, across all brands. The Group expects full-year revenue growth in line with its targets and is confident in a sharp increase in operating profitability, driven especially by strict execution of the Reinvention plan. Regulatory News: Pierre Vacances-Center Parcs Group (Paris:VAC): Franck Gervais, CEO of Pierre Vacances Center Parcs, stated: "In H1 2023/2024, the Pierre Vacances Center Parcs Group continued to grow, posting an almost 9% increase in revenue from the tourism businesses. This performance validates the quality of the value proposition of each of our brands and the relevance of their strategies. It also rewards the work of our teams, who are committed on a daily basis to providing close support to our guests and confirms our ability to accelerate growth in our operating profitability over the year as a whole." 1] Revenue Under IFRS accounting, revenue for the first half of 2023/2024 totalled 778.6 million, compared with 741.8m in H1 2022/2023. The Group comments on its revenue and the associated financial indicators in compliance with its operational reporting, which is more representative of its business, i.e. (i) with the presentation of joint undertakings in proportional consolidation, and (ii) excluding the impact of IFRS16 application. A reconciliation table presenting revenue stemming from operational reporting and revenue under IFRS accounting is presented at the end of the press release. Revenue is also presented according to the following operational sectors defined in compliance with the IFRS 8 standard2, i.e.: Center Parcs covering both operation of the domains marketed under the Center Parcs, Sunparks and Villages Nature brands, and the building/renovation activities for tourism assets and property marketing in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium; Pierre Vacances covering the tourism businesses operated in France and Spain under the Pierre Vacances brand, the property development business in Spain and the Asset Management business line (responsible notably for relations with individual and institutional lessors); maeva.com (included in the Pierre Vacances3 operating sector until 30 September 2023), a distribution and services platform, operating the maeva.com, Campings maeva, maeva Home and La France du Nord au Sud brands on the French market and the Vacansoleil brand on European markets. Adagio, covering operation of the city residences leased by the Pierre Vacances-Center Parcs Group and entrusted to the Adagio SAS joint venture under management mandates, as well as operation of the sites directly leased by the joint venture; an operational sector covering the Major Projects business line responsible for construction and development of new assets on behalf of the Group in France, and Senioriales, the subsidiary specialised in property development and operation of non-medicalised residences for independent elderly people; the Corporate operational segment housing primarily the holding company activities. Q2 H1 m 23/24 22/23 Chg. 23/24 22/23 Chg. Center Parcs 239.9 233.0 +3.0% 494.9 494.9 +0.0% of which: Revenue from tourism businesses 229.7 202.4 +13.5% 479.0 436.7 +9.7% o/w accommodation revenue 175.9 155.5 +13.1% 372.2 340.5 +9.3% P&V 108.7 99.0* +9.8% 158.8 148.1* +7.2% of which: Revenue from tourism businesses 108.7 99.0 +9.8% 158.8 148.1 +7.2% o/w accommodation revenue 92.7 82.6 +12.2% 130.5 119.9 +8.8% Adagio 46.8 43.9 +6.7% 105.8 99.2 +6.6% of which: Revenue from tourism businesses 46.8 43.9 +6.7% 105.8 99.2 +6.6% o/w accommodation revenue 41.6 39.6 +5.0% 94.7 89.6 +5.7% maeva.com: 18.5 15.8 +16.9% 23.9 20.7 +15.3% of which: Revenue from tourism businesses 18.5 15.8 +16.9% 23.9 20.7 +15.3% Major Projects Seniorales 13.8 25.8 -46.6% 38.2 44.9 -14.9% Corporate 0.2 0.6 -61.6% 0.6 1.0 -38.8% Total 428.0 418.1 +2.4% 822.2 808.8 +1.7% Revenue from tourism businesses 403.8 361.1 +11.8% 767.5 704.7 +8.9% Accommodation revenue 310.2 277.7 +11.7% 597.4 550.1 +8.6% Supplementary income 93.6 83.4 +12.2% 170.2 154.7 +10.0% Other revenue 24.2 57.0 -57.5% 54.7 104.1 -47.4% *restated for the externalization of the maeva.com operating segment Revenue from the tourism businesses During Q2 2023/2024, the Group accelerated growth in its business with a revenue increase of 11.8% (+5.9% in Q1), bringing revenue from the tourism businesses to 767.5 million for the first half as a whole (+8.9%). Accommodation revenue Accommodation revenue totalled 597.4 million during the first half of 2023/2024, up 8.6% relative to the year-earlier period. Growth in revenue was driven by the rise in average letting rates (+5.7%) and the number of nights sold (+2.7%). The occupancy rate was up by 0.8 points to 70.1% over the period (vs. 69.3% in H1 2022/2023). RevPar4 was up 7.2% compared with H1 2022/2023. All brands contributed to the increase in revenue: Center Parcs: +9.3% Growth was driven by the Domains in the BNG5 region and was boosted by a rise in average letting rates (+7.5%) thanks to the premiumisation strategy and park renovation works, and by a rise in the number of nights sold (+1.6%). Business at the French Domains was penalised by the partial unavailability of cottages at Domaine des Hauts de Bruyeres and Domaine des Bois Francs, which were being renovated during the first half. The occupancy rate was down by 0.8 points to 71.2% over the period. RevPar was up 6.4%. Pierre Vacances: +8.8% Revenue at the brand was higher in both France and Spain. Revenue from the residences in France increased by 5.7%, despite a reduction6 in the stock operated by lease (-5.4% of nights offered relative to H1 of the previous period). On a constant stock basis, revenue was up (RevPar up 11.7%). Average letting rates were up 2.8% and the occupancy rate up 5.1 points to 71.2%. Revenue from the residences in Spain was up sharply (+41.4%), driven by both average letting rates (+7.1%) and a higher occupancy rate (+10.8 points). RevPar was up +33.0%. All destinations combined, the P&V brand recorded growth in the occupancy rate of 6.2 points to 67.4%. Average letting rates were stable over H1 (-0.3%), due in particular to a less favourable mix effect (high growth in revenue from seaside destinations (+15.1%), with lower average prices than mountain sites). RevPar was up 11.4%. Adagio: +5.7% Aparthotel revenue rose by 5.7% in the first half, driven by a 6.5% increase in average letting rates. The occupancy rate fell by 2.6 points to 70.8% (significant base effect with an occupancy rate up 8 points in the first half of 2022/2023 following the rebound in post-Covid activity). RevPar was up +3.0%. Supplementary income7 H1 supplementary income totalled 170.2 million, up 10.0% relative to H1 of the previous year, driven by higher onsite sales (+13.0%) reflecting our strategy to enrich the offer as well as growth in the maeva.com management and distribution business (+15.3% over the half-year period). Other revenue: H1 2023/2024 revenue from other businesses totalled 54.7 million compared with 104.1 million in H1 2022/2023 (decline with no significant impact on EBITDA), primarily made up of: Renovation operations at Center Parcs domains on behalf of owner-lessors, for 15.9 million (compared with 58.2 million in H1 2022/2023). Les Senioriales for 20.8 million (vs. 33.3 million in H1 2022/2023); the Major Projects business line: 17.4 million (of which 15.7 million related to the extension of the Villages Nature Paris domain (vs. 11.6 million in H1 2022/2023). 2] Change in operational KPIs RevPar Average letting rates (by night, for accommodation) Number of nights sold Occupancy rate (excl. tax) Chg. N-1 (excl. tax) Chg. N-1 Units Chg. N-1 Chg. Pts N-1 Chg. Pts N-1 Center Parcs 112.6 +10.7% 157.7 +9.2% 1,115 695 +3.6% 71.4% +0.9 pt Pierre Vacances 101.5 +11.8% 159.5 -0.3% 581,247 +12.6% 72.1% +6.8 pts Adagio 64.4 +3.3% 96.4 +5.6% 431,103 -0.6% 67.3% -1.7 pts Total Q2 2023/2024 revenue 99.4 +10.0% 145.8 +6.4% 2,128 045 +5.0% 70.8% +2.1 pts Center Parcs 117.8 +6.4% 165.5 +7.5% 2,248 981 +1.6% 71.2% -0.8 pt Pierre Vacances 80.1 +11.4% 134.9 -0.3% 966,911 +9.1% 67.4% +6.2 pts Adagio 72.6 +3.0% 103.3 +6.5% 917,263 -0.8% 70.8% -2.6 pts Total H1 2023/2024 revenue 98.0 +7.2% 144.5 +5.7% 4,133 155 +2.7% 70.1% +0.8 pt 3] Main events during H1 2023/2024 On 28 December 2023, the Group completed the disposal of its businesses operated by lease for 29 Senioriales residences to the ACAPACE Group, shareholder of the brands Jardins d'Arcadie (residences for the elderly) and Sandaya (open-air hotels). ACAPACE's takeover of this perimeter is effective from January 1, 2024. 4] Outlook The Group expects full-year revenue growth in line with its targets and is confident in a sharp increase in operating profitability, driven especially by strict execution of the Reinvention plan. 5] Financial calendar First half earnings for 2023/2024 will be published on 29 May 2024 after the market close. They will be discussed at a Capital Markets Day on 30 May 2024. The Group will also announce its updated financial targets at this event. 6] Reconciliation table between revenue stemming from operational reporting and revenue under IFRS accounting. Under IFRS accounting, revenue for the first half of 2023/2024 totalled 778.6 million, compared with 741.8m in H1 2022/2023, representing growth of 4.6% driven by the tourism businesses. Growth in revenue was driven by both the rise in average letting rates and the number of nights sold. millions 2023/2024 according to operating reporting Restatement IFRS11 Impact IFRS16 2023/2024 IFRS Center Parcs 494.9 -5.6 489.3 Pierre Vacances 158.8 158.8 Adagio 105.8 -25.5 80.3 maeva.com 23.9 23.9 Major Projects Seniorales 38.2 -7.0 -5.5 25.6 Corporate 0.6 0.6 Total H1 2023/2024 revenue 822.2 -32.5 -11.2 778.6 millions 2022/2023 according to operating reporting Restatement IFRS11 Impact IFRS16 2022/2023 IFRS Center Parcs 494.9 -6.4 -25.2 463.3 Pierre Vacances 148.1 148.1 Adagio 99.2 -23.5 75.8 maeva.com 20.7 20.7 Major Projects Seniorales 44.9 -11.6 -0.4 32.9 Corporate 1.0 1.0 Total H1 2022/2023 revenue 808.8 -41.4 -25.6 741.8 IFRS11 adjustments: for its operating reporting, the Group continues to integrate joint operations under the proportional integration method, considering that this presentation is a better reflection of its performance. In contrast, joint ventures are consolidated under equity associates in the consolidated IFRS accounts. Impact of IFRS16: The application of IFRS16 as of 1 October 2019 leads to the cancellation, in the financial statements, of a share of revenue and the capital gain for disposals undertaken under the framework of property operations with third-parties (given the Group's leasing contracts). See below for the impact on H1 revenue. 1according to operational reporting 2 See page 186 of the Universal Registration Document, filed with the AMF on 22 December 2022 and available on the Group's website: www.groupepvcp.com 3 The Group has externalized the maeva.com operating segment in order to improve the readability of the performance of this business line, and has consequently restated the historical comparative information presented in this press release. 4 RevPar =accommodation revenue divided by the number of nights offered 5 Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany 6 Reduction in stocks related to non renewal of leases 7 Revenue from onsite activities (catering, animation, stores, services etc.), co-ownership and multi-owner fees and management mandates, marketing margins and revenue generated by the maeva.com business line. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423750679/en/ Contacts: For further information: Investor Relations and Strategic Operations Emeline Laute: +33 (0) 1 58 21 54 76 info.fin@groupepvcp.com Press Relations Valerie Lauthier: +33 (0) 1 58 21 54 61 valerie.lauthier@groupepvcp.com Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, April 23 For immediate release 23 April 2024 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announce that it has today purchased 67,760 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 824.37 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 40,136,046; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 184,855,257. The figure of 184,855,257 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Location in Shibuya, Japan TOKYO, JAPAN / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Sushi Ginza Onodera, Inc. ("Sushi Onodera" or the "Company"), a food service company operating high-quality sushi, tempura, teppanyaki, and makiyaki restaurants across three regions, today launched the official grand opening of Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera Musuko Shibuya, marking its 16th restaurant. Located in Shibuya, a prominent special ward in Tokyo, Japan, the location is a major commercial and finance hub, housing two of the world's busiest railway stations in Shibuya Station and Shinjuku Station. Nested in the heart of one of Japan's most renowned downtown areas, the restaurant offers convenient proximity to the iconic Shibuya Scramble crossing, drawing in both tourists and locals with its prime location and high everyday foot traffic. "I am pleased to announce the opening of our 16th restaurant location in Shibuya, marking our 4th Kaiten Sushi establishment" said Sushi Onodera CEO Shinji Nagao. "Our continued strategic expansion into high foot traffic areas frequented by both locals and tourists remains integral to our ongoing growth and presence of the Ginza Onodera brand. Moving forward, our growth strategy will center around the expansion of new restaurants, with a particular focus on Kaiten Sushi establishments, which have consistently proven to be the most lucrative and profitable among our diverse portfolio of restaurants. With additional Kaiten Sushi restaurants slated to open this month in Honolulu, Hawaii and later this year in Houston, Texas, we look forward to driving our financial growth and expansion strategy to further establish our footprint in both the U.S. and Japanese markets." The restaurant is located at 1st basement Kusumoto Building 1-3-3 Dogenzaka Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0043, Japan. About Sushi Ginza Onodera, Inc. Sushi Onodera is a food service company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating sixteen premium sushi, tempura, teppanyaki, and makiyaki (firewood cuisine) restaurants in three regions around the world. Sushi Onodera is a wholly owned subsidiary of LEOC Co., Ltd., a Japan limited company, establishing the "Ginza Onodera" brand in 2013 and began operations in the U.S. and Tokyo. Sushi Ginza Onodera Los Angeles has been awarded a Michelin Star for four consecutive years and counting ('20 - '23). Makiyaki Ginza Onodera has been awarded a Michelin Star for four consecutive years and counting ('21 - '24). Sushi Ginza Onodera New York was awarded a Michelin Star for five years ('17, '18, '19, '21, '22). The slogan, "From Ginza to the World", embodies the Company mission of spreading refined Japanese culture throughout the world by providing every customer with high-quality dishes to create an authentic Japanese cuisine that immerses customers in a rich, traditional cultural experience. For more information, please visit https://www.sushionodera.com/. Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement reflects Sushi Ginza Onodera, Inc.'s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. Sushi Ginza assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Investor Relations Contact: John Yi and Steven Shinmachi Gateway Group, Inc. 949-574-3860 Onodera@gateway-grp.com SOURCE: Sushi Ginza Onodera View the original press release on accesswire.com Packed TOKEN2049 Dubai conference proves the resilience of the global crypto community, with attendees overcoming travel disruptions to participate Going from strength to strength, TOKEN2049 Singapore will return in September 2024 as the industry's largest international gathering of the year, with 20,000 attendees DUBAI, UAE, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TOKEN2049, the premier crypto event, saw record-breaking success for its inaugural Dubai conference, which took place from April 18-19, during TOKEN2049 Week. Throughout the event, attendees experienced an impressive range of panel discussions, keynotes, workshops, and exclusive networking opportunities, overcoming torrential rain to show up in force. Tickets for TOKEN2049 Dubai sold out nearly three weeks prior to the event, with 10,000 attendees expected. Despite the UAE's heaviest rainfall in 75 years, the conference opened to a full-house. Alex Fiskum, Co-Founder of TOKEN2049 said: "This week we witnessed the determination of the crypto industry first hand. Our team worked around the clock to ensure that the conference proceeded without any disruptions, maintaining the highest standards of hospitality for our attendees. Our programme proceeded and our doors opened as planned, welcoming attendees to a comfortable, immersive, and action-packed event. We are immensely proud of everyone who contributed to making TOKEN2049 Dubai an overwhelming success." TOKEN2049 Dubai was host to 90% international attendees hailing from over 160 countries worldwide. The global crypto community came out in full strength to participate, showcasing the growing reputation of Dubai as a hub for crypto innovation. The global representation also cemented TOKEN2049 as the marquee industry event in the crypto calendar, not to be missed. Travel disruptions early in the week saw large numbers of speakers and attendees diverted across the Middle East, all of whom surmounted significant obstacles to attend and participate at TOKEN2049 Dubai. Amongst the 200+ leading industry voices who took to the stage to share their insights, discuss the most prevalent topics in Web3, and unveil exciting news announcements were Pavel Durov, the visionary CEO of Telegram; Richard Teng, CEO of Binance; Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether; and Arthur Hayes, Co-Founder of BitMEX. Some standouts include a joint announcement onstage by Tether and Telegram that USDT will launch on The Open Network (TON) and Telegram wallet; Polkadot's Gavin Wood introduced a new JAM chain graypaper; Berachain announced a collaboration with Google Cloud; and Telos unveiled a partnership with Ponos Technology to develop a hardware-accelerated Ethereum L2 zkEVM network, amongst many more ground-breaking announcements. Fiskum continued: "We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from all participants across TOKEN2049 Dubai. Energized by this success, we now shift focus to prepare for the industry's largest event of the year - TOKEN2049 Singapore, taking place on September 18-19 before the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. TOKEN2049 Singapore will welcome 20,000 attendees to the iconic Marina Bay Sands, continuing to set new standards for the industry." TOKEN2049 Dubai will return in 2025, promising an even more immersive experience for prolific industry leaders, Web3 builders, global entrepreneurs, and tens of thousands of crypto enthusiasts. TOKEN2049 is hosted annually in Dubai and Singapore. For more information and updates on TOKEN2049, please visit: https://www.token2049.com. About TOKEN2049 TOKEN2049 is a global conference series, where decision-makers in the global crypto ecosystem connect to exchange ideas, network, and shape the industry. TOKEN2049 is a global meeting place for entrepreneurs, institutions, industry insiders, investors, builders, and those with a strong interest in the crypto and Web3 industry. TOKEN2049 is hosted annually in Dubai and Singapore. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2395260/TOKEN2049_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/token2049-dubai-hailed-as-an-outstanding-success-with-10-000-attendees-302125000.html QUZHOU, China, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From April 17-19, a significant Sino-American cultural exchange event commemorating the 82nd Anniversary of the heroic Doolittle Raid rescue took place at the Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall, located at No. 9 Shuiting Street, Kecheng District, Quzhou. This event, themed "Let the friendship forged by blood and flame be passed down from generation to generation," honors the profound bonds formed during one of World War II's most daring episodes. "There is a Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in Quzhou, Zhejiang. The descendants of the American soldiers who were rescued that year often come here to pay tribute to the righteous and courageous Chinese people." On November 15, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech at the joint welcome banquet held by American friendly organizations in San Francisco, specifically talking about the story of Chinese soldiers and civilians bravely rescuing American pilots during the Anti-Japanese War and the descendants of rescued American soldiers returning to the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in Quzhou. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on April 18, 1942, 80 pilots such as Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle of the United States flew 16 modified B-25 "Mitchell" bombers to attack Japan. Due to problems such as insufficient fuel on the way back, the pilots abandoned their planes to jump over China, where the Chinese military and civilians bravely rescued them. As a result, the Japanese army launched the Battle of Zhejiang and Jiangxi, killing 250,000 Chinese civilians. Since the 1990s, the pilots that are still alive of the "Doolittle Raiders Association" as well as the pilot descendants from the Association "Children of Doolittle Raiders" have returned to China many times to search for the rescuers. On the morning of April 17, Susan Ozuk, the daughter of navigator of the plane No. 3, Ozuk, once again came to the depths of the mountains in Zhangcun Township, Jiangshan City, Quzhou, and revisited the rammed earth room located at "Xiaonankengkou No. 3". Eighty-two years ago, the villager Liao Shiyuan's family took good care of her father here. In 2018, she donated $15,000 to renovate the old house. Since 2016, the Association Children of Doolittle Raiders has set up scholarships in Quzhou Second Middle School and organized English essay competitions around the "Doolittle Raid" for many times, sowing the seeds of peace-loving in the hearts of young students. On campus, a "friendship tree" jointly planted by Sino-American friends in September 2015 has been leafy and vibrant, and the stone tablet beside the tree is engraved with the message - "Succeeding the Doolittle Raid, a memorial to the legend and a new page in the Chinese-US friendship". Contact Person: Lan Chen Tel.: 0086-18057022000 Email: 45872601@qq.com Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByW7U_EDg68 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByW7U_EDg68 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2390088/4666314/City_of_Quzhou_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/celebrating-the-spirit-of-the-doolittle-raid-sino-american-cultural-exchange-marks-82nd-anniversary-302125028.html Betterment, a NYC-based independent digital investment advisor in the United States, announced that it has reached an agreement with Goldman Sachs to acquire Marcus Invests digital investing accounts. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Marcus Invest, which offers digitally customized investment portfolios to consumers, will transfer these accounts to Betterment in the coming months. Subject to customary closing conditions, the digital investing accounts will be transitioned to Betterment on or about June 29, 2024. Customers will have the option to opt out of this transfer if they choose to do so. Betterment will only be acquiring Marcus Invest accounts and assets under management; it will not be acquiring any additional accounts, technology, employees, or operations as a part of the transaction. Marcus Invest customers who transfer their accounts to Betterment will get access to automated investing, diversified portfolios, and valuable tax-smart tools. They will also have access to a range of account types, planning tools, educational resources and human advisors, if they wish. Commenting on the news Sarah Levy, CEO of Betterment, said: This acquisition further cements our leadership in the digital investing space. Launched in 2010, Betterment is an independent digital financial advisor, using automated technology empowered by human expertise to provide saving, investing, and retirement solutions. The company serves more than 850,000 customers to manage over $45 Billion with curated selections of investing portfolios, personalized guidance, and tax-smart tools. FinSMEs 23/04/2024 Summer Health, a NYC-based digital health company offering 24/7 pediatric support to parents, raised $11.65M in Series A Funding. The round was co-led by new investor 7wire Ventures and returning investor Lux Capital. Returning investors Sequoia Capital, Metrodora Ventures, Box Group, and Shrug Capital participated, with new participation from Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company and Leaps by Bayer. Alfred Lin of Sequoia Capital, Deena Shakir of Lux Capital, Alyssa Jaffee of 7wire Ventures, and Chelsea Clinton of Metrodora Ventures are also joining the Summer board. The company will use the funds to double down on its distribution via consumer and employer channels to combat this lack of abundant access to pediatricians, and to expand service offerings for parents. Led by CEO Ellen DaSilva, and Dr. Ali Alhassani, head of clinical, Summer Health is a text-based companion to a familys primary pediatrician, removing the need for unnecessary visits and serving as support anytime and anywhere. The companys flagship product, text-based care in under 15 minutes, has been used by thousands of parents to manage urgent medical guidance and prescribe medications as-needed since its launch in July 2022. In November 2023, the company expanded its longitudinal primary care model with lactation support, sleep training, developmental milestone tracking, and long-term pediatric care. FinSMEs 23/04/2024 Officials in elite US colleges such as Columbia, Yale, Harvard, MIT are scrambling to tamp down the latest round of protests which kicked off Wednesday against the Israel-Gaza war. Students have been arrested and in-person classes have been suspended as the showdown between authorities and protesters continues read more Amid the arrests, Columbia teachers, students and alumni have expressed concern about authorities restricting free speech. AP College students in elite US colleges continue to protest Israels war on Gaza. From Columbia and Yale to Berkley and MIT, officials are scrambling to tamp down on the latest round of protests which kicked off Wednesday. That came as students from groups such as Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace filled up Columbias South Lawn with green, blue and yellow tents. This, as Columbia president Nemat Shafik prepared to testify before Congress at a hearing in which she vowed to punish illegal demonstrations. Advertisement Lets take a look at how the institutes are trying and failing to contain the protests. Columbia According to The New York Times, Dr Shafik, a day after addressing lawmakers last week, invited the New York Police to clear the campus. Some of the arrested later told the newspaper their hands were tied and they were loaded onto buses. Meanwhile, Columbia teachers, students and alumni expressed concern about authorities clamping down on free speech. On Monday, Dr Shafik ordered classes to be shifted online to de-escalate the rancor. The university said courses at the Morningside campus will offer virtual options for students when possible, citing safety as their top priority. But things dont seem to be improving. Tensions remained high at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside. US Representative Kathy Manning, a Democrat from North Carolina who was visiting Columbia with three other Jewish members of Congress, told reporters after meeting with students from the Jewish Law Students Association that there was an enormous encampment of people who had taken up about a third of the green. We saw signs indicating that Israel should be destroyed, she said after leaving the Morningside Heights campus. Advertisement New York Police officers arrest a protester who participated in an encampment on the Columbia University campus. AP A woman inside the campus gates led about two dozen protesters on the street outside in a chant of, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! a charged phrase that can mean vastly different things to different groups. A small group of pro-Israel counter demonstrators protested nearby. Shafik said in a message to the school community Monday that she was deeply saddened by what was happening on campus. To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday, Shafik wrote. She added that students who dont live on campus should stay away. Advertisement BBC quoted Shafik as saying that unrest at Columbia was being exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas. On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Unions Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until its safer for them on campus. The latest developments came ahead of the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Nicholas Baum, a 19-year-old Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbias campus, said protesters over the weekend were calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel. He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students. Jews are scared at Columbia. Its as simple as that, he said. Theres been so much vilification of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vilification of Judaism. Advertisement But BBC quoted Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine as saying in a statement that they firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry. The group slammed inflammatory individuals who do not represent us. Yale The New York Times reported that protesters were arrested, zip tied and put on campus shuttles for trespassing. Police officers arrested about 45 protesters and charged them with misdemeanour trespassing, said Officer Christian Bruckhart, a New Haven police spokesperson. All were being released on promises to appear in court later, he said. Protesters set up tents on Beinecke Plaza in New Haven, Connecticut on Friday and demonstrated over the weekend, calling on Yale to end any investments in defence companies that do business with Israel. Advertisement Chants of we demand that Yale divests! and free Palestine! were heard. Students at Yale have demanded divestment in any defence companies that do business with Israel. AP In a statement to the campus community on Sunday, Yale president Peter Salovey said university officials had spoken to the student protesters multiple times about the schools policies and guidelines, including those regarding speech and allowing access to campus spaces. School officials said they gave protesters until the end of the weekend to leave Beinecke Plaza. Salovey told The New York Times that the university was concerned about reports that the campus environment had become increasingly difficult. Officials said they made the decision on arrests keeping the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community. Officials said they again warned protesters Monday morning and told them that they could face arrest and discipline, including suspension, before police moved in. A large group of demonstrators regathered after Mondays arrests at Yale and blocked a street near campus, Bruckhart said. There were no reports of any violence or injuries. Its pretty appalling that the reaction to students exercising their freedom of speech and engaging in peaceful protest on campus grounds which is supposed to be our community, our campus the way that Yale responds is by sending in the cops and having 50 students arrested, Chisato Kimura, a law student at Yale told the newspaper. Harvard Time Magazine quoted the Harvard Crimson as saying that the university had shuttered its yard ahead of expected pro-Palestinian protests. A sign, which said Harvard Yard was closed to the public Monday, noted that structures, including tents and tables, were only allowed into the yard with prior permission. Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action, the sign said. Security guards were checking people for school IDs. The same day, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee said the universitys administration suspended their group. In the suspension notice provided by the student organisation, the university wrote that the groups 19 April demonstration had violated school policy, and that the organisation failed to attend required trainings after they were previously put on probation. The Palestine Solidary Committee said in a statement that they were suspended over technicalities and that the university hadnt provided written clarification on the universitys policies when asked. Harvard on Monday shut its yard ahead of expected pro-Palestinian protests. AP Harvard has shown us time and again that Palestine remains the exception to free speech, the group wrote in a statement. The New York Times quoted the National Students for Justice in Palestine as saying Harvards move clearly intended to prevent students from replicating the solidarity encampments across the nation. Harvard, however, said it is committed to applying all policies in a content-neutral manner. MIT, Berkley, New York University Encampments have also emerged at other elite colleges Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California at Berkeley, and New York University. Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up a tent encampment on the schools Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus Sunday evening. They are calling for a cease-fire and are protesting what they describe as MITs complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, he said. MIT has not even called for a cease-fire, and thats a demand we have for sure, Iyengar said. As per the BBC, protesters put up tents across from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Demonstrators at the college called on authorities to disclose and divest its finances and endowments from weapons manufacturers and companies with an interest in the Israeli occupation. The outlet quoted authorities at New York University saying reports of intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents had come in. Students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have demanded that the university call for a cease-fire. They are are protesting what they describe as MITs complicity in the ongoing genocide. AP Police on Monday evening made a slew of arrests at the university and broke up a demonstration. The liberal arts Barnard College also saw many students suspended including lawmaker Ilhan Omars daughter Isra Hirsi, as per Time Magazine. I really am in limbo. We dont know when well be let back in, Hirsi told the outlet. I felt like I had to take a stand. Its not a Columbia moment. Its a moment for everybody, she says. Its important for all of us as students at prestigious universities to really shed light on what is going on. White House weighs in The White House, meanwhile, issued a statement condemning antisemitism on college campuses though it did not single out any university. While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous," White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said. They have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America." With inputs from agencies Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin, the 53rd Dai-al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras, has won the suit, with the Bombay High Court dismissing the challenge to his leadership by his relative, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin. The battle began in 2014 after the death of the then-spiritual head of the community, Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin, the father of the current leader read more Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (C), the spiritual leader of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims gives blessings to his followers outside a mosque in Mumbai, on 19 February 2014. Reuters File Photo The Bombay High Court has ruled there will be no change in the leadership of the Dawoodi Bohra community, paving the way for Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin to remain the spiritual head and dismissing the suit filed by his challenger Syedna Taher Fakhruddin. The court said on Tuesday (23 April) that it has kept the ruling as neutral as possible for personalities involved" and has only decided on the issue of proof. I dont want any upheavals. I have kept the judgment as neutral as possible. I have only decided on the issue of proof and not faith, a single bench of Justice Gautam Patel was quoted as saying by India Today. Advertisement With Tuesdays judgement, the Bombay High Court settled the suit filed in 2014. Who are the Dawoodi Bohras? What is the case? Lets understand. The Dawoodi Bohras The Dawoodi Bohras are Shia Muslims, who have traditionally been traders and entrepreneurs. The religious head of the community is known as the Dai-al-Mutlaq, noted Indian Express. The seat of the leader is in Mumbai. The Dawoodi Bohras come from the Mustali sect which originated in Egypt and later moved its religious centre to Yemen, as per Encyclopaedia Britannica. The community established its presence in India in the 11th Century. Dawoodi Bohra Muslims wait to take blessings from their new spiritual leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin outside a mosque in Mumbai, on 19 February 2014. Reuters File Photo The population of the Dawoodi Bohras in India is five lakh, while more than 10 lakh live in other parts of the world. The leader of the Dawoodi Bohras has been based in India for over 400 years, reported Indian Express. What is the dispute? In January 2014, Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin, the 52nd leader of the Dawoodi Bohras, died. His son, Mufaddal Saifuddin, succeeded him becoming the 53rd Dai-al-Mutlaq. Dawoodi Bohra Muslims participate in the funeral procession of their spiritual leader Syedna Mohamed Burhanuddin in Mumbai, on 18 January 2014. Reuters File Photo However, Khuzaima Qutbuddin, the half-brother of the late Syedna, challenged this in the Bombay High Court in April of that year. According to Dawoodi Bohra doctrine, divine inspiration is taken into consideration while choosing a successor. A nass or the conferment of succession can be bestowed on any deserving community member even if they are not family, reported Indian Express. However, it has become a common practice to pick a family member as a successor. Advertisement The legal battle Qutbuddin moved the Bombay High Court in April 2014, seeking to stop the late Syednas son from acting as the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community. He claimed that Burhanuddin, after becoming the Dai-al-Mutlaq in 1965, had appointed him as the mazoon or the second in command, as per the Indian Express report. Qutbuddin asserted that Syedna Burhanuddin had secretly conferred the nass on him before declaring him as the mazoon on 10 December 1965, the report added. Qutbuddin also said that his half-brother had asked him to keep his nass a secret, saying he followed this oath of secrecy till the death of the 52nd Dai. Advertisement He alleged that Saifuddin had taken over the leadership in a fraudulent manner. Thus, Qutbuddin sought the court to announce him as the 53rd Dai-al-Mutlaq, according to Indian Express. However, Qutbuddin died in the United States in 2016. Following this, Qutbuddins son, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin, became the plaintiff in the case. He claimed his father conferred the nass on him and he should be declared the 54th Dai, reported India Today. The defendant, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, argued that the nass of 1965 could not be accepted due to a lack of witnesses. Saifuddins lawyers said that as per established doctrines of the Dawoodi Bohra faith, nass could be changed and revoked. Advertisement His lawyers told the Bombay High Court that the 52nd Dai had bestowed nass on Syedna Saifuddin in June 2011 at a hospital in London, in the presence of witnesses. They also questioned Qutbuddins silence about his claim to the post of the Dai between 2011 and 2014, saying it was done as an afterthought after Burhanuddins demise, as per Indian Express. Bombay High Courts order Justice Patel concluded the hearing of the legal dispute on 5 April last year and reserved the verdict. The Dawoodi Bohra community hailed the Bombay High Courts Tuesday ruling as historic. The judg(e)ment has firmly dealt with and dismissed the misinterpretation and misleading portrayal by the plaintiffs of the facts and the religious doctrines of the Dawoodi Bohra faith, India Today cited a statement by the Dawoodi Bohra spokesperson as saying. Advertisement We have always believed and have had full faith and conviction in the judiciary, which has time and again affirmed the position of the Syedna and the Dawoodi Bohra communitys age-old beliefs, customs, practices and doctrines, the statement added. Anand Desai, a senior advocate representing Fakhruddin, also reacted to the verdict. Our suit has been dismissed. We will go through the detailed order and decide on appeal, he said, as per NDTV. With inputs from agencies Shoes for the Indian population may soon be made according to an Indian sizing system, proposed to be named Bha, for Bharat. We take an in-depth look at why the need for a new system was felt in India read more A new Indian shoe size system, Bha, may come in effect as early as 2025. Pixabay For anyone buying shoes in India, the go-to thing to tell the shopkeeper is their UK size. That might change as early as next year. Shoes for the Indian population may soon be made according to an Indian sizing system, proposed to be named Bha. The need for the new, localised system for shoe sizes comes from differences in foot shapes and sizes by region. We take an in-depth look at why the need for a new system was felt in India. Also explained is the research that went into creating Bha. Advertisement The need for a separate shoe sizing system in India The current Indian Standard for measuring shoe size (IS 1638:1969) is based on European and French standards. This is an issue because the anatomy of the foot is different for people of different ethnicities. Research of this extends back to at least the early 1990s. For example, Hawes et al. found that there are notable differences in the shape of the forefoot (the first half of the foot from toe onwards) of Caucasian North Americans and Japanese and Koreans. Luxury shoe brand Rupert Sanderson even attempted monetising on this as early as in 2011. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal that year, the brand had even created a special mould tailor-made for the Asian foot, which they pointed out was different from the American and European feet. More recently, Dr KJ Sreeram, the Director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Researchs (CSIR) Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), has pointed out that the shape of feet of the Indian population differs considerably from what is built in European and North American shoe moulds. He said that Indian feet are flatter and have a shorter forepart. The distance of the ballpoints (on the underside of the foot, just below the toes) from the heel is also relatively larger in Indian feet compared to European ones. Advertisement As a result of such differences, footwear made on European shoe moulds dont fit well on Indian feet. They also dont meet the full functional requirements of footwear. Indians, especially elderly women and diabetics, are vulnerable to foot injuries and health problems due to ill-fitting footwear. For more comfortable footwear, and better foot health, it was considered necessary to design and develop correct footwear exclusively for Indian population. The research behind Bha The work on making a new, Indian shoe-sizing system began in 2021. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) began the endeavour in consultation with CLRI. The project included anthropometric survey, statistical analysis and development of an Indian foot-sizing system. Anthropometry is the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body. In 2021, DPIIT had approved an expenditure of Rs. 10.8 crore for the project. Advertisement A pan-India survey on the feet sizes of Indians was recently carried out as part of a larger project for developing footwear. CLRI has led the research on shoe sizes among the Indian population. CLRI As part of the project, the foot measurements of over one lakh people from 79 locations across India were taken. The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) was involved, too. For the most accurate results, including not just the size but also the structure of the foot, 3D foot scanning machines were used. According to a report by Indian Express, Many Indians were wearing footwear that was either too long, too tight, or ill-fitted, leading to potential injuries and inconvenience, particularly with high-heeled womens shoes. For a good fit, men tied their shoelaces too tightly leading to poor blood circulation. Advertisement A statistical analysis of the data gathered from the survey found that a unified shoe sizing system could be implemented for Indians. Proposed sizes under bha Under the Bha system, standing for Bharat, proposes eight footwear sizes, marked by roman numberals. These sizes are for infants (0-1 year), babies (1-3 years), small children (4-6 years), children (7-11 years), girls (12-13 years), boys (12-14 years), women (14 years and above) and men (15 years and above). CLRI said that the shoe last size will have an additional 5mm foot length. The girth of the Bha system will be wider than current commercial footwear. The system, expected to be implemented sometime around 2025, can provide 85 per cent of the population with proper fit and greater comfort. Advertisement The departments have proposed that users should be given footwear manufactured according to Bhas new sizing systems for trial, testing and feedback. It is expected that Bha will completely revamp the existing sizing systems. More than 2,300 Ryanair flights have reported incidents of GPS interference since last August, along with 1,400 at Wizz Air, 82 at British Airways and four from easyJet. The suspect? Russia read more A Ryanair plane sits on the tarmac at the Bordeaux-Merignac airport in southwestern France. File image/AP Thousands of flights in the UK have been affected by what is described as extremely dangerous jamming, suspected to be orchestrated by Russia. These electronic attacks have disrupted satellite navigation (satnav) systems, making aircraft routes challenging to navigate. Pilots have reportedly encountered difficulties communicating their positions to colleagues in the air, leading to situations where planes have had to maneuver unexpectedly to avoid perceived obstacles that do not exist. The Sun highlighted that up until the end of March, a significant number of Ryanair and Wizz Air flights in the Baltic region experienced satnav problems, totaling 2,309 and 1,368 flights respectively. British Airways, Jet2, and EasyJet flights were also among those affected. Advertisement What is the scope of the issue? About 46,000 aircraft in total have logged problems with GPS over the Baltic Sea in the same time period, The Sun reported. But these disruptions, ranging from signal jamming to spoofing, have not only affected flights over the Baltic but also extended to regions like the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. Notably, the frequency of suspected attacks has risen alarmingly, with March alone recording a staggering 350 incidents. The source of these disruptions, traced through signal strength analysis, appears to emanate from Russia, particularly from its Topol electronic warfare complexes stationed in the Kaliningrad exclave, reported The Spectator. The jamming interferes with satellite signals, including GPS, thereby misleading pilots about their actual locations. Luc Tytgat, head of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), expressed concern about the escalating number of attacks on these systems, emphasizing the safety risks involved. We have seen a sharp rise in attacks on these systems, which poses a safety risk, Luc Tytgat, boss of EASA, told The Sun. Image used for representational purposes/Reuters A Ryanair spokesperson told The Guardian, In recent years there has been a rise in intermittent GPS interference which has affected all airlines. Ryanair aircraft have multiple systems to identify aircraft location, including GPS. If any of the location systems, such as GPS, are not functioning then the crew, as part of standard operating procedures, switch to one of the alternate systems. An easyJet spokesperson said there were multiple navigation systems onboard commercial aircraft as well as procedures in place which mitigate against issues with GPS that can occur for various reasons. Virgin Atlantic, which does not fly through the Baltic region, was the only major UK flight provider that was not affected. What may be Russias role in this? Russias proficiency in electronic warfare (EW) is well-documented, with recent developments showcasing its strategic deployment in conflicts such as Ukraine, reported The Spectator. In this arena, EW assets like the Krasukha battlefield signal jammer have emerged as high-priority targets, reflecting the evolving nature of modern warfare. Advertisement While selective jamming has been observed previously, the current trend towards widespread and indiscriminate disruption represents a concerning escalation. Image used for representational purposes/Reuters According to The Spectator, While some speculate about the geopolitical implications of Finland and potentially Swedens alignment with NATO, the overarching motive appears to be a broader campaign aimed at exerting pressure on Europe. The dependence on technology exposes Europe to multifaceted threats beyond Russian interference. The evolution of advanced systems like the Tirada-2 underscores the need for vigilance against emerging risks. Concerns extend beyond Russian actions, with instances of Chinese technological infiltration raising alarm bells regarding potential vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, reported The Spectator. Advertisement What do planes do in the event of a GPS malfunction? Ryanair stated that in the event of location system malfunctions like GPS, their crews switch to alternative systems. EasyJet also assured that they have procedures in place to address GPS issues. However, Glenn Bradley from the UK Civil Aviation Authority emphasised that despite the challenges posed by GPS jamming, flying remains one of the safest modes of travel. GPS jamming does not directly impact the navigation of an aircraft and while its a known issue, this does not mean an aircraft has been jammed deliberately, he said in a statement. While operators have mitigations in place to assure continued safe operations, we work closely with other aviation regulators, airlines and aircraft manufacturers to curb and mitigate any risks posed by jamming and continuously monitor incidents worldwide, the statement further said. Advertisement What have government officials said? A NATO official told the New Scientist last month, We have seen an increase in GPS jamming since the start of Russias war against Ukraine, and allies have publicly warned that Russia has been behind GPS jammingaffecting aviation and shipping." Russia has a track record of jamming GPS signals and has a range of capabilities for electronic warfare. Image used for representational purposes/Reuters Last month, there were reports that Russia jammed the satellite signal on an aircraft transporting British Defence Minister Grant Shapps from Poland to Britain. According to Reuters, the GPS signal was disrupted for approximately 30 minutes as the plane flew near Russias Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, citing government sources and journalists. Mobile phones could no longer connect to the internet and the aircraft was forced to use alternative methods to determine its location, the report said. A Downing Street spokesperson said, It didnt threaten the safety of the aircraft and it is not unusual for aircraft to experience GPS jamming near Kaliningrad, which is of course Russian territory. Advertisement A UK defence source told The Times at the time, While the RAF are well prepared to deal with this, it still puts an unnecessary risk on civilian aircraft and could potentially endanger peoples lives. There is no excuse for this and its wildly irresponsible on Russias part. The US is expected to block military aid to an Israeli army unit, citing Leahy law. Championed by former Vermont senator Patrick Leahy in the 1990s, it is a tool that the US can use to withhold military aid and training from foreign security units that are guilty of extrajudicial killings, rapes, torture, and other flagrant human rights abuses read more Cars are on fire after they were hit by rockets from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, Israel, on 7 October, 2023. File image/AP The US is expected to block military aid to an Israeli army unit. The reason: human rights abuses in the Israeli-occupied West Bank before the war in Gaza began six months ago. This action will be taken under a congressional act known as the Leahy law. The law, which was championed by former Vermont senator Patrick Leahy in the 1990s, provides a tool for the US to withhold military aid and training from foreign security units that are guilty of extrajudicial killings, rapes, torture, and other flagrant human rights abuses. Advertisement The move would mark the first time that a US administration has invoked a landmark 27-year-old congressional act against an Israeli military unit. It comes at the time when US-Israeli relationship is strained due to civilian casualties and suffering in Israels war against Hamas in Gaza. Heres a look at the Leahy law. How it work and what can Israel do about the cut off? What is the Leahy law? Former Vermont senator Patrick Leahy championed legislation that became the Leahy law in the 1990s, saying the US needed a tool to block American military aid and training to foreign security units guilty of extrajudicial killings, rapes, torture and other flagrant human rights abuses. One of the first targets of the 1997 law was typical of the kind of renegade units that Congress had in mind: a Colombian army unit accused of knowingly killing thousands of civilians in part to get bonuses that were then being offered for killing militants. Former Vermont senator Patrick Leahy championed legislation that became the Leahy law in the 1990s. File image/AP Other US laws are supposed to deal with other circumstances in which abuses would obligate blocking military support. Those include a February 2023 order by President Joe Biden dictating that no arms transfer will be authorised when the US finds that more likely than not a foreign power would use them to commit serious violations of the laws of war or human rights or other crimes, including serious acts of violence against children. Advertisement How does the Leahy law function? The law requires an automatic cutoff of aid to a military unit if the State Department finds credible evidence that it has committed gross abuses. A second Leahy law says the same for Defence Department training of foreign militaries. Rights groups long have accused US administrations, including Bidens, of shirking rigorous investigations of allegations of Israeli military killings and other abuses against Palestinians to avoid invoking such laws aimed at conditioning military aid to lawful behaviour by foreign forces. Israel says its security forces investigate abuses and its courts hold offenders accountable. Advertisement How frequently is the law invoked? Regularly when it comes to US security assistance to countries in the former Soviet Union and in Central and South America and Africa. Not often when it comes to strategically vital US allies. Pro-Palestinian activists demonstrate outside the Capitol in Washington. The speculations to invoke Leahy law comes as the US-Israeli relationship is under growing strain over civilian deaths and suffering in Israels war against Hamas in Gaza. File image/AP In 2022, for instance, the US found sufficient evidence of abuses to trigger the Leahy law for police and other forces in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico and the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia. The administration also has the option of notifying Congress of Leahy law incidents in classified settings to avoid embarrassing key partners. Administration veterans vouch that no US government has previously invoked it against Israel, says Sarah Elaine Harrison, a former Defence Department attorney who worked on Leahy law issues and now is a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. Advertisement What can Israel do about the cutoff? Harrison points to a 2021 treaty in which Israel stipulated it wouldnt share US military aid with any unit that the US had deemed credibly guilty of gross human rights abuses. US law points to one way out for an offender: A secretary of state can waive the Leahy law if he or she determines the government involved is taking effective steps to bring the offenders in the targeted unit to justice. The US still sends billions of dollars of funding and arms to Israel, including a new $26 billion (Rs 2.16 lakh crore) package to support Israels defence and provide relief for the growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The Senate is expected to pass that this week and Biden says he will sign. Advertisement With inputs from AP Parts of four states West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are likely to face a heatwave during the second phase of polling on 26 April. Heres what the India Meteorological Department has predicted and what the Election Commission is up to to mitigate the risks of extreme heat read more Women cover their faces to protect from heat as they arrive at a polling station to cast their votes during the first phase of the general election, in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, on 19 April 2024. Reuters File Photo Temperatures are rising and it is amid this unpleasant weather that India is heading to the second phase of its general elections. The Lok Sabha polls are being held in seven phases, with the counting of votes on 4 June. Extreme heat is being blamed for the low voter turnout in the first phase of polling on 19 April when 102 Lok Sabha seats spread across 21 states and Union Territories voted. A dip of 4.4 per cent was recorded in these seats, as the voter turnout stood at 65.5 per cent this year from 69.9 per cent in the 2019 general elections. Advertisement As 13 states and Union Territories go to polls on 26 April in the second phase, will the heatwave impact the voter turnout? Lets take a closer look. Which states are going to poll? The second phase of polling will cover 88 constituencies in 12 states and one Union Territory. Keralas all 20 Lok Sabha seats, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, six in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, three each in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh and one each in Tripura, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir. Are there heatwave predictions? There is a heatwave warning for parts of four states West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka going to polls in the second phase. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, hot and humid weather is expected in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Konkan, Goa, Coastal Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala and Mahe. Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions likely to prevail in some pockets over Gangetic West Bengal and in isolated pockets over Odisha; heatwave conditions in isolated pockets over Uttar Pradesh, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema, Telangana and interior Karnataka, as per the IMD. Advertisement Speaking to NDTV, Dr Naresh Kumar, senior scientist at the IMD, said that the weather agency has issued a red alert for West Bengal for the next three days. Temperatures in Bihar will exceed 40 degrees Celsius. A heatwave is expected in eastern Uttar Pradesh after 24 hours and in western Uttar Pradesh after two days. The temperature will remain hot and humid in Kerala too, he said. The IMD previously warned that heatwaves lasting 10 to 20 days, unlike the normal four to eight days, are expected between April and June. Heatwaves lasting 10 to 20 days, unlike the normal four to eight days, are expected between April and June. AP File Photo Gujarat, central Maharashtra and north Karnataka are most vulnerable to heatwaves, followed by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, north Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, as per the IMD. Advertisement What is the EC doing? A day back, the IMD Director General, Mrutunjay Mohapatra, assured the Election Commission of India (ECI) that heatwave is not a major concern for the second phase of elections. The ECI Monday (22 April) formed a task force consisting of officials from the IMD, the poll body, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to assess the impact of heatwave and humidity five days before each phase of polling. This came after the election commission held a meeting with the IMD and representatives of the Union Health Ministry to comprehend the developing weather situation and discuss mitigation measures. Advertisement People crowd a polling booth to vote just before the polling ends during the first round of polling of Indias national election in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 19 April 2024. AP File Photo The EC has asked the health ministry to issue necessary instructions to health authorities in states to prepare for and extend assistance in case of heatwave conditions affecting election operations, as per the press release by the poll body. A meeting with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the states will also be organised to take stock of arrangements at polling stations such as awnings, drinking water and fans to beat the heat. Will heatwaves affect voter turnout? It could. According to NDTV, data from Bihars Nawada and Gaya show that higher temperatures, especially above 40 degrees Celsius, affect voter turnout. On 11 April 2019, the voter turnout was 52.5 per cent in Nawada when the maximum temperature was 35 degrees Celsius. This dipped to 41.5 per cent on 19 April 2024 when the mercury was 42 degrees Celsius. Advertisement Similarly, the voter turnout in Gaya was 56 per cent in 2019, when the maximum temperature was 35 degrees Celsius. It dropped to 52 per cent on 19 April this year, when the maximum temperature was 42 degrees Celsius. If the mercury soars at the constituencies going to polls in the second phase, it might deter voters to take part in the electoral exercise. With inputs from agencies The jobs created during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections encompass a diverse range of roles catering to different aspects of the electoral process. However, these jobs are temporary, which means the surge in employment will not impact the existing job market read more Following the completion of the first phase of elections on 19 April, the stage is set for the next phase (on 26 April), which will include voting in 89 Lok Sabha constituencies across 12 states and one Union territory. Meanwhile, industry experts estimate that the process has resulted in the creation of up to nine lakh temporary jobs in various roles. Heres a closer look. Around two lakh jobs created, four lakh employed Advertisement The temporary jobs created during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections encompass a diverse range of roles catering to different aspects of the electoral process, WorkIndia CEO and co-founder Nilesh Dungarwal told PTI. The exact number of temporary jobs created during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections across the country would depend on various factors such as the scale of the election, the number of polling stations, and the requirements of election-related activities. However, on our platform, we anticipate at least nine lakh jobs during the elections, he said. He said some common positions include polling booth officials, election clerks, security personnel, data entry operators, transportation coordinators, and administrative staff, which are crucial for ensuring the smooth functioning of the electoral process and maintaining transparency throughout the elections. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, job roles that saw a significant increase on our platform were accounting (80 per cent), data entry jobs (64 per cent), security personnel (86 per cent), back office (70 per cent), delivery, drivers, field sales and retail (65 per cent), manual jobs (82 per cent), content writing (67 per cent) among others, he added. Advertisement A worker paints BJPs symbol on a wall in Murshidabad district. Experts say that over the past six months about two lakh temporary job positions have emerged as a result of the elections. PTI Echoing the view, CIEL HR Director and CEO Aditya Narayan Mishra said that over the past six months it is estimated that about two lakh temporary positions have emerged as contestants prepare for the upcoming elections. These roles span various sectors crucial for election preparation such as data analysis, planning, public relations, market survey, media relations, content design, content marketing, social media marketing, AI strategies and project management, he said. As the campaigning activities pick up, for a window of eight-13 weeks, until the end of the polls in the respective constituencies, we expect a huge pick-up of activities for event management, printing, transportation, food and beverages, catering, security, IT network management and analytics. The service providers will hire an estimated four lakh people on a temporary basis for these projects, he added. Advertisement No affect on job market Since these jobs are just for the elections, this surge in temporary employment will not impact the existing job market dynamics, given the prevailing imbalance between job supply and demand, noted Mishra. TeamLease Services CEO Staffing, Kartik Narayan said considering the vast scale of the upcoming elections, it is anticipated that a significant number of temporary positions will be created. A worker arranges election material of several parties, at a shop in Nagpur. Since these jobs are just for the elections, the surge in temporary employment will not impact the existing job market dynamics, given the prevailing imbalance between job supply and demand. PTI With over a million polling booths across India, each booth is expected to employ at least one-two temporary gig workers for the duration of the electoral process, he told PTI. When asked if these temporary jobs affect the job market, he said, the emergence of temporary employment opportunities during elections can transiently influence sectors accustomed to fostering such employment, notably logistics and e-commerce. Advertisement This effect is particularly pronounced during the summer season, characterised by heightened consumer demand for durable goods, which may intensify competition for labour with similar skill sets. Nevertheless, this impact tends to be localised and short-lived, given that election-related operations typically unfold over a brief timeframe and generally do not substantially disrupt broader employment patterns within these sectors, he stated. Also Read: How India held its first Lok Sabha election in 68 phases The duration of these temporary positions typically begins about one-two weeks prior to the start of the electoral proceedings and extends throughout the election period, which will be held in seven phases, Narayan said. Advertisement The majority of these roles will remain active until the completion of the election process in each respective location, he added. Genius Consultants CMD R P Yadav said a significant workforce of over one lakh temporary workers are required, who are needed to handle various tasks including food catering, maintaining vehicles, schedules, managing campaign materials like posters and microphones, and assisting in the construction of meeting podiums and barricades. Electricians, cleaners, social media campaigners, event managers, content writers, content creators among others are some of the jobs that are in high demand during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Yadav said. Talking about remuneration for these temporary jobs during the elections, he said, individual workers engaged for specific tasks may earn between Rs 15,000-40,000 based on their role and the scope of work involved. Additionally, drivers hired to provide transportation services during the campaign are paid on a per day basis, typically receiving between Rs 5,000-8,000 per day, he added. With inputs from PTI Indias top spice brands MDH and Everest are under the scanner after authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore recalled some of their spices due to the presence of ethylene oxide. It is a pesticide and long-term exposure to the chemical can increase the risk of cancer read more Some MDH and Everest spices have been withdrawn in Hong Kong and Singapore. Image Courtesy: Everest Spices (L)/MDH Spices (R) Indias powdered spices are under scanner. The countrys apex food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards of Authority India (FSSAI), has reportedly asked states to collect samples of different spices to carry out quality checks. The development comes after food regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore recalled several products of Indias top spice brands MDH and Everest after detecting the presence of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing chemical. What is the row? What has been the response? What is ethylene oxide? Advertisement Lets take a closer look. Singapore, Hong Kongs move Authorities in Hong Kong have withdrawn four spice blends MDHs Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder and Curry Powder and Everest Groups Fish Curry Masala. Hong Kongs Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said on its website early in April that it collected the above-mentioned samples from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui, respectively, for testing under its routine food surveillance programme. The test results showed that the samples contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide. The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected products, reported Hindustan Times (HT). It further warned about ethylene oxide, pointing out that the chemical has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has also ordered back Everests Fish Curry Masala after finding ethylene oxide at levels exceeding the permissible limit. The regulator asked Sp Muthiah & Sons, the importer of the spice, to recall the product. Ethylene oxide is a pesticide that is not authorised for use in food. It can be used to fumigate agricultural products to prevent microbial contamination. Under Singapores Food Regulations, ethylene oxide is allowed to be used in the sterilisation of spices, the SFA said in its press release. Advertisement Everest reacts Everest Food Products Pvt has responded to the controversy, saying its spices have not been banned in Hong Kong and Singapore. There have been reports of Everest being banned in Singapore and Hong Kong, but we want to clarify that this is false. Everest isnt banned in either country. Only one out of 60 Everest products has been held for examination, a company spokesperson told NDTV Profit. The spokesperson said one of Everests products has been temporarily put on hold in Singapore after Hong Kongs alert. The company asserted that its products are safe and of high quality. Everest upholds strict hygiene and safety standards in its manufacturing facilities, it added. Advertisement FSSAI to test samples of spices Following the action by Hong Kong and Singapore authorities, the FSSAI will test samples of spices from all the manufacturing units in India. Top government sources told NDTV, All the food commissioners of the country have been alerted. The process of collecting samples of spices has been started. The order has been given. In three to four days, samples will be collected from all the spice manufacturing units of the country. The report will be out from the lab in around 20 days, they said. The FSSAI will test samples of spices from all the manufacturing units in India. Pixabay (Image used for representational purposes only) As per a senior Indian official, these spices will be inspected for the presence of ethylene oxide, Reuters reported. Advertisement Ethylene oxide is banned in food products in India. Sources told NDTV that strict action will be taken if harmful substances are found in Indian spices. What is ethylene oxide? Ethylene oxide is a colourless, flammable gas at room temperature with a sweet odour. It is chiefly used to manufacture other chemicals, including ethylene glycol (antifreeze), as per the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It is also used to make textiles, detergents, polyurethane foam, medicine, adhesives and solvents. Ethylene oxide is used as a fumigant for food spices to prevent microbial contamination, such as E. coli and Salmonella. It can damage DNA which makes it an effective sterilising agent, according to NCI. The chemical is used in hospitals to sterilise surgical equipment. Advertisement People can be exposed to the chemical by inhaling contaminated air or via smoking tobacco. Workers like those involved in fumigation or production of the chemical can also be exposed to ethylene oxide, as per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Why is it so harmful? It is a chronic health hazard. The IARC lists ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen, which means it has enough evidence to conclude that it can cause cancer in humans. Those exposed to the chemical for a long time could face irritation of the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs, and damage to the brain and nervous system. Exposure to ethylene oxide can heighten the risk of lymphoid cancer, and breast cancer in women, according to EPA. It is a harmful pesticide that is not fit for human consumption. While the risk from occasional, low-level exposure may be minimal, spices and spice blends like those flagged are commonly used in household cooking across multiple dishes. This can lead to chronic, persistent exposure over time, which has been linked to an increased risk of cancers like leukemia, stomach cancer and breast cancer, Kanika Narang, nutritionist at Delhis Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, told Indian Express. With inputs from agencies Chiang Kai-shek is a controversial figure in Taiwan. Though he ruled the island with an iron fist for nearly three decades until his death in 1975 and was accused of imprisoning and executing dissidents, experts say he also put Taiwan on the path to modernisation. Now, a tussle over his legacy is on read more Chiang Kai-shek and his followers fled to Taiwan where they formed a government in exile after being defeated by Mao Zedongs Communist forces. Unknown author. Flickr Taiwan is making a break from the past. The self-governing island has announced it will bring down over 750 statues of Chiang Kai-shek. The move comes after Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party had in 2018 set up a panel to examine Chiangs reign. But who is Chiang? What do we know about him? Lets take a closer look: South Korea is one of the most overworked countries in the world with reports of loneliness and burnout among the young. So how are they tackling their daily stress? Well, the answer may rock you read more Pet rocks are more affordable compared to traditional pets ranging from 6,000 won (S$6) to 10,000 won. Image used for representational purposes/Pixabay A peculiar trend has been gaining momentum in South Korea, where adults are turning to pet rocks as a remedy for loneliness and workplace burnout. What once served as a novelty joke gift in 1970s America, popularised by advertisement executive Gary Dahl, has found a new purpose across the Pacific. The resurgence of pet rocks in Asia signifies a departure from their humorous origins. Instead, theyre perceived as a means to alleviate the pervasive sense of isolation and exhaustion prevalent in South Korean society. This renewed interest in stones resonates with cultural references, such as the stone slab featured in director Bong Joon-hos award-winning film Parasite, symbolising prosperity and fortune. Advertisement In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the allure of collecting stones has experienced a resurgence, albeit with a modern twist. Smaller stones, colloquially termed pet stones, have become the object of choice for individuals seeking companionship. These rocks, adorned with nicknames and personalised accessories, offer a semblance of comfort and connection in an increasingly isolated world. Suseok and its significance Central to this phenomenon is the concept of suseok, or scholars rock, renowned for its auspicious qualities during the Joseon Dynasty. Originally a symbol of prosperity and refinement, suseok regained popularity during South Koreas economic boom of the late 20th century. However, its contemporary resurgence is intertwined with a shift in perception, from a symbol of wealth to a source of solace amid modern challenges. Pet rocks or stones are more affordable compared to traditional pets or suseok, ranging from 6,000 won (S$6) to 10,000 won. Not just a stone WSJ spoke to millennials like Koo Ah-young, 33, who have embraced pet rocks as a coping mechanism for workplace stress and loneliness. Koo, who grappled with burnout in her new office job in Seoul, found solace in her pet rock, Bang-bang-i. She confides in the rock about her daily struggles and carries it with her as a source of reassurance during walks and gym sessions. i have a pet rock say hello pic.twitter.com/1Vb39vEWrt tabi (@miffyleaf) April 17, 2024 Advertisement I purchased a pet stone for the first time during the pandemic. I just wanted to have something by my side while I was working remotely. It provided me a sense of companionship, The Straits Times quoted Lim, a 29-year-old woman who owns a pet stone, said. Advertisement People who have pet stones tend to personify them. In many online social media posts, they put pictures of their pet stones as they would do with their pet animals. People also give the stones nicknames, prepare beds where they can rest, provide clothes and decorate them as if they were alive, reported The Strait Times. I would occasionally pick my stone up from its bed and pat it. I sometimes just talked to it as if I was talking to myself, Lim added. The burgeoning popularity of pet rocks is evident on social media platforms like TikTok, where users showcase their creative endeavors in decorating and caring for their stones. This online presence has catalysed a market for pet rocks, making them accessible to a wider audience. Advertisement Addressing social challenges Loneliness and burnout are not new phenomena in South Korea, with factors like financial strain and workplace pressures contributing to the issue. The rise of single-person households and the prevalence of overwork culture underscore the need for innovative solutions to tackle societal challenges. The therapeutic benefits of pet rocks extend beyond their symbolic value. Many South Koreans report feeling a sense of calm and tranquility when interacting with their pet rocks, whether through conversation, touch, or creative expression. The tactile sensation of holding a smooth stone, coupled with the rhythmic process of painting or decorating it, can be deeply grounding and meditative, providing a much-needed respite from the stresses of daily life. Advertisement According to an April 2023 report from South Koreas Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, approximately 3.1 per cent of Koreans aged between 19 and 39 are classified as reclusive lonely young people. This statistic, as translated by CNN, underscores the multifaceted nature of the problem, with various factors contributing to feelings of isolation and fatigue. Financial struggles, mental health challenges, family issues, and overall well-being are all cited as key factors exacerbating loneliness and burnout, as reported by CNN based on the ministrys findings. While those employed full-time in Seoul may not experience the same degree of isolation as individuals in other regions, the demanding nature of work in South Korea presents its own set of challenges. Bloombergs November 2023 report highlighted that more than 98% of grade-A offices in the capital are occupied, indicating a decline in remote work practices. Additionally, South Korean companies have a notorious history of overworking their employees. In March 2023, the government proposed increasing the workweek from 52 hours to 69 hours, eliciting significant backlash from Millennials, Gen Z, and labour unions. This pushback ultimately prompted a reconsideration of the plans. Data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) further illustrates the extent of overwork in South Korea. In 2022, South Korea ranked as the most overworked country in Asia and the fifth-most overworked country globally, according to OECD statistics. The adoption of pet stones represents a departure from traditional stone-collecting practices, reflecting a modern approach to combatting loneliness and fostering emotional well-being. As South Koreans navigate the complexities of contemporary life, pet rocks offer a tangible source of comfort and companionship in an increasingly digital world. With inputs from agencies A new survey of 187 scientists set to be published at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) congress in Barcelona says that the flu virus, also known as influenza, will likely spur the next pandemic. The previous century witnessed at least three flu pandemics with the 1918 Spanish Flu leaving 20 to 50 million people dead around the world read more Nearly 60 per cent of experts agree that a flu virus strain will likely spur the next global outbreak. Reuters While youve no doubt heard much talk about the dreaded Disease X, experts say the next pandemic will likely be caused by a much more common illness the flu virus. Thats the result of a new survey of 187 scientists set to be published this weekend at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) congress in Barcelona. Nearly 60 per cent of experts agree that a flu virus strain will likely spur the next global outbreak. Advertisement Cologne Universitys Jon Salmanton-Garcia, who undertook the study, said that thinking comes as a result of long-term research about influenza. Each winter influenza appears, Salmanton-Garcia said. You could describe these outbreaks as little pandemics. They are more or less controlled because the different strains that cause them are not virulent enough but that will not necessarily be the case for ever. As per The Guardian, scientists said the other likely causes of a pandemic are Disease X (21 per cent), Sars-CoV-2 (15 per cent). Meanwhile, just one and two per cent of scientists said Lassa, Nipah, Ebola and Zika viruses. Influenza remained by a very large degree, the number one threat in terms of its pandemic potential in the eyes of a large majority of world scientists, Salmanton-Garcia told the newspaper. But what is influenza? And where could such a virus spring up from? Lets take a closer look: What is it? According to the WHO, influenza, also known as the flu, is an acute respiratory infection. Caused by influenza viruses, these illnesses occur all across the planet. Its symptoms include Acute onset of fever Cough Sore throat Body pain Fatigue Children usually transmit the virus effectively. Advertisement Though kids between 5 and 9 are usually infected the most, it is the elderly and those with severe mobidity that are most at risk. Though most people shrug off the virus without medicine, getting vaccinated yearly remains the best way to curb the spread of influenza. The vaccine, though likely less effective in the elderly, reduces the severity of illness, complications and death. Those that should be vaccinated include: Pregnant women Children between six months and the age of 5 Those over 65 People suffering chronic illnesses Health workers. Interestingly, influenza viruses continuously evolve. Immunity from one infection does not guarantee protection from another. Advertisement Which is why new influenza outbreaks happen every year and new vaccines have to be formulated to blunt the impact of the disease. Though children between age 5 and 9 are usually infected the most, it is the elderly and those with severe mobidity that are most at risk. People can stay safe from influenza by Washing hands frequently Covering mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing Disposing of tissues properly Remaining at home when unwell Avoiding contact with ill Not touching eyes, nose and mouth There are four different types of influenza viruses in circulation at all times A, B, C and D. Though A and B cause acute respiratory illnesses, it is the type A which cause large epidemics and pandemics. So why should we worry? Because history shows that its just a matter of time before a deadly a new flu virus emerges. The previous century witnessed at least three flu pandemics. The most severe of these was the 1918 Flu Pandemic, also known as the Spanish Flu, which killed around 675,000 people in the United States and left 20 to 50 million people dead around the world. Some experts say the Kitum cave in Kenya could be the site from where the next pandemic kicks off. Advertisement The cave, located in Kenyas Mount Elgon National Park, is believed to be the spot where Ebola emerged. The salt found in the walls of the cave seemingly attract a whole host of animals, as per Unilad.com. According to NDTV, the animals that have been lured in by the salty cave include elephants buffaloes, antelope, leopards, and hyenas making it a breeding ground for zoonotic infections. The outlet quoted Science Times as reporting that fruit bats now live in the cave. The cave also has a dark history when it comes to disease. Advertisement A French engineer exploring the cave in 1980 contracted the Marburg virus. The man then died at a Nairobi hospital from viral hemorrhagic fever. A Danish boy on vacation also contracted the Ravn virus from the cave. Experts say H5N1 transmission to humans a concern The development also comes as experts worry about the avian influenza virus, known as H5N1, possibly spreading to humans. According to The Guardian, the H5N1 outbreak, which began in 2020, has killed millions of poultry and wild birds across the world. It has since spread to mammals in 12 states including domestic cattle. Daniel Goldhill, of the Royal Veterinary College in Hatfield, told the journal Nature the more mammalian species the virus infects, the more opportunities it has to evolve into a strain that is dangerous to humans. Virologist Ed Hutchinson, of Glasgow University, told The Guardian. Pigs can get avian flu but until recently cattle did not. They were infected with their own strains of the disease. So the appearance of H5N1 in cows was a shock. However, it is important to note that there have been no cases of human to human H5N1 transmission till date. Dr Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO), was quoted as saying that the virus has an extremely high mortality rate among the several hundred infected till date. Dairy cow herds in multiple US states have tested positive for bird flu. AP (Representational Image) H5N1 is (an) influenza infection, predominantly started in poultry and ducks and has spread effectively over the course of the last one or two years to become a global zoonotic animal pandemic, he said. The great concern, of course, is that in doing so and infecting ducks and chickens but now increasingly mammals that that virus now evolves and develops the ability to infect humans. And then critically, the ability to go from human-to-human transmission. The senior WHO official also urged health authorities in the US to keep an eye on H151 because it may evolve into transmitting in different ways. Do the milking structures of cows create aerosols? Is it the environment which theyre living in? Is it the transport system that is spreading this around the country?" he asked. This is a huge concern and I think we have to make sure that if H5N1 did come across to humans with human-to-human transmission that we were in a position to immediately respond with access equitably to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. With inputs from agencies Shareholders are often sidelined when it comes to their opinions and insights despite owning a bit of the company. Singapore is trying to change that read more The Singapore Exchange building in Singapore. Image used for representational purposes/Reuters In a bid to bolster corporate governance practices and foster greater shareholder empowerment, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) is advocating for a significant rule change. The proposed alteration, announced on Tuesday, seeks to streamline the process for shareholders to convene special general meetings, marking a pivotal development in the landscape of corporate governance within the city-state. What is the current landscape? Presently, Singapore-listed companies operate without a regulatory mandate to heed shareholder calls for special general meetings, a stance that has historically stifled shareholder initiatives. Advertisement What are the proposed amendments? SGX is championing a transformative shift, mandating that listed firms take concrete action within a 21-day window upon receipt of a requisition from shareholders. Even a solitary shareholder wielding a minimum 10% stake can trigger this mechanism, ushering in a newfound era of shareholder influence. Should a company contest the legitimacy of the notice, the proposal stipulates a swift recourse, necessitating a court intervention within the same timeframe. This stringent framework aims to expedite the process while ensuring procedural fairness. Public consultation on the proposal is open till 23 May. What have officials said? Tan Boon Gin, CEO of SGX Regulation, articulated the rationale behind the proposed overhaul, emphasising the symbiotic relationship between shareholder engagement and corporate responsiveness. If investors have a stronger say, companies will be more motivated to consider their interests by improving both operational performance and shareholder returns, stated Gin, underscoring the imperative for companies to align with market sentiments. Market analysts, including Yeap Jun Rong from IG, offered nuanced perspectives on the proposed reform. While acknowledging its potential to fortify corporate governance, Rong cautioned against potential burdens on companies stemming from frequent special meetings. The new rule could come as a positive step in trying to improve corporate governance given the declining trend in the number of SGX listings, the relatively weaker valuation and the perception of a general lack of liquidity in some areas of the markets, Reuters quoted Rong. What led to this move? Singapores proactive stance on corporate governance reform reflects a broader trend, fueled by escalating investor activism both domestically and internationally. Recent regulatory initiatives, such as enhanced CEO pay transparency and board strengthening efforts, underscore Singapores commitment to fostering a conducive environment for investors while fortifying market integrity. Furthermore, SGXs endeavors to revitalise local equities align with broader aspirations to bolster the competitiveness of Singapores capital markets. The proposed rule change signifies a pivotal milestone in this trajectory, poised to augment investor confidence and bolster market vibrancy. Advertisement What are the next steps? As the consultation period for the proposed rule change extends until May 23, stakeholders are invited to contribute their perspectives, ensuring a robust and inclusive deliberative process. In tandem, SGX Regulation is spearheading efforts to streamline logistical aspects, proposing mechanisms for seamless dissemination of relevant documents and ensuring requisite board participation at requisitioned meetings. With inputs from agencies Australian journalist Avani Dias has claimed that the Indian government denied her the permission to cover the ongoing Lok Sabha elections read more The claim of Australian journalist Avani Dias that the Indian government blocked the renewal of her visa and disallowed her from covering the ongoing Lok Sabha elections is incorrect, according to sources. Dias, a journalist with Australias ABC News, has claimed that she had to leave the country after the Indian government informed her that her visa would not be extended and it became too difficult to work in India as a journalist. Advertisement Such actions were taken by the Indian government after a journalistic project she was working on irked New Delhi, according to Dias. The news came days after the Indian government issued a takedown notice to YouTube for an episode of ABCs programme Foreign Correspondent that covered the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year, according to The Guardian. Nijjar was a designated terrorist who was the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a designated terrorist organisation. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had claimed at the time that there were credible allegations that the Indian government was involved. The New Delhi rejected the claim. Claims misleading & mischievous, she chose to leave India: Sources Refuting the allegations of Dias, sources said her visa was extended and she left at her own accord on April 20. They said her contention that she was not allowed to cover elections and was compelled to leave the country is not correct, misleading, and mischievous. The sources said that Dias had violated visa rules but her visa was still extended until June. Ms Dias was found to have violated visa rules while undertaking her professional pursuits. Inspite of this, on her request, she was assured that her visa would be extended for the coverage of the general elections. Her previous visa was valid till 20th April 2024. She paid the visa fee on 18th April and her visa was extended till end June the same day. She, however, chose to leave India on 20th April. At the time of her departure, she held a valid visa and her extension of visa stood approved, said the sources. As for the claim that she was not granted passes to cover the elections, the sources said passes are only required to access polling booths and counting stations. The sources added the request for passes could not be procedurally processed while her visa extension was under process and that her colleagues have already got their passes. Advertisement Her point about not been given permission to cover elections is also factually incorrect. Coverage of election activities outside of booths is permitted to all Journalist Visa holders. Authority letters are required only for access to polling booths and counting stations. This, however, cannot be processed while the visa extension is under process. It is pertinent to note that other ABC correspondents Meghna Bali and Som Patidar have already received their letters, said the sources. Indian govt made me feel uncomfortable to make me leave: Dias A report in The Guardian newspaper said that while the visa was extended around 24 hours before her scheduled departure from India, Dias had to leave as it had become too difficult to do her job in the country. In the report, she accused the Indian government of intentionally making it difficult for her in order to make her leave. Advertisement It felt too difficult to do my job in India. I was struggling to get into public events run by Modis party, the government wouldnt even give me the passes I need to cover the election and the ministry left it all so late, that we were already packed up and ready to go, Dias was quoted as saying. Dias further said, Its all by design. The Narendra Modi government has made me feel so uncomfortable that we decided to leave. Theres always a feeling of unease that this sort of backlash could come your way as a journalist in India, Ive felt it the whole time Ive been here, so have my colleagues from other publications. Attacking the Congress for toying with the basic spirit of the Constitution, PM Modi on Tuesday said that when the Congress-led UPA government came to power at the Centre in 2004, its first task was to provide reservations to Muslims by reducing SC/ST quotas in Andhra Pradesh and then implement this pilot project across the country read more Attacking the Congress for toying with the basic spirit of the Constitution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that when the Congress-led UPA government came to power at the Centre in 2004, its first task was to provide reservations to Muslims by reducing SC/ST quotas in Andhra Pradesh and then implement this pilot project across the country. Addressing a rally in Rajasthans Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, PM Modi said, Between 2004 and 2010, Congress tried four times to implement Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh. However, due to legal hurdles and awareness of the Supreme Court, they could not fulfill its plans. In 2011, Congress tried to implement it across the country. They snatched the rights given to SC/ST and OBC and gave them to others for vote-bank politics. Congress made all these efforts knowing that all this was against the basic spirit of the Constitution. But Congress did not care about the Constitution. Advertisement #WATCH | Addressing a public gathering in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...Congress party has toyed with the Constitution of the country. When the Constitution was drafted, reservation based on religion was opposed, so that SC, ST and OBC pic.twitter.com/tSBTsyO6Rk ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 He said that when the Constitution was drafted, reservation based on religion was opposed so that SC, ST and OBCs could get protection but the grand old party toyed with the Constitution of the country. Congress party has toyed with the Constitution of the country. When the Constitution was drafted, reservation based on religion was opposed, so that SC, ST and OBC castes could get protection. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his speech had said that Muslims have the first right on the countrys resources. This was Manmohan Singhs statement. Congresss thinking has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics, said the Prime Minister. Referring to his statement while slamming the Congress manifesto at a rally in Rajasthans Banswara on Sunday, PM Modi said that the grand old party went into panic mode and abused him when he exposed their politics. #WATCH | Addressing a public gathering in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The day before yesterday in Rajasthan I put forth some truth in front of the country and the entire Congress and INDI alliance went into a panic. I put forth the truth pic.twitter.com/5eDjBfVjNR ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 Advertisement The day before yesterday in Rajasthan I put forth some truth in front of the country and the entire Congress and INDI alliance went into a panic. I put forth the truth that Congress is plotting to snatch your property and distribute it to their special peopleWhen I exposed their politics, they got so angry that they started abusing ModiI want to know from Congress why are they so afraid of the truth? Why do they hide their policy so much, when you yourself made the policy then why are you afraid to accept it nowIf you have the courage then accept it, we are ready to face you, said the Prime Minister. Advertisement PM Modi on Sunday alleged that the opposition party was planning to give peoples hard-earned money and valuables to infiltrators and those who have more children and referred to former PM Manmohan Singhs speech in 2006 to contend he had said that Muslims have the first claim on the countrys resources. The Congress manifesto says they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, get information about it and then distribute that property. They will distribute it to whom - Manmohan Singhs government had said that Muslims have the first right on the countrys assets, PM Modi had said. This statement drew a sharp response from Opposition leaders, with senior Congress leader P Chidambaram saying that he cannot recall that any other PM had made such outrageous statements with each sentence outdoing the previous one in its absolute falsehood and brazen mendacity. Advertisement In a post on X, Chidambaram said, Will the BJP tell the world: when and where did the Congress say that we will distribute peoples land, gold and other valuables among Muslims? When and where did the Congress say that a survey will be conducted to value the property of individuals, gold held by women and silver owned by tribal families? the former Union minister said. When and where did the Congress say that land and cash belonging to government employees will also be distributed, he asked. The Prime Minister must have some respect for his predecessor. Dr Manmohan Singhs speech to the NDC in December 2006 has been reproduced in the Indian Express today. Dr Singh had said that the first claim on resources lies with SC, ST, OBC, minorities, women and children. It is scandalous to distort his words as Mr Modi has done, Chidambaram said. Advertisement The level of debate has sunk to a new low after April 21. It is a shame, he added. The Congress while urging the Election Commission to take action against Modi for his redistribution of wealth remarks made in Rajasthan, alleged they were divisive, malicious and targeted a particular religious community. Rejecting the allegations that triggered a political row, AICC general secretary in-charge of the Congress, KC Venugopal said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has sought an appointment with the prime minister to educate him about its poll promise document. PM Modi also attacked the Congress for banning Ram Navami in Rajasthan. #WATCH | Addressing a public gathering in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "In the rule of Congress, even listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes a crime. Rajasthan has been its sufferer...For the first time on Ram Navami this time, Shobha Yatra pic.twitter.com/KoSvGLs9vL ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 In the rule of Congress, even listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes a crime. Rajasthan has been its suffererFor the first time on Ram Navami this time, Shobha Yatra procession was taken out in RajasthanIn a state like Rajasthan where people chant Ram-Ram, Congress banned Ram Navami, said PM Modi. With inputs from agencies On Sunday, the prime minister invoked a 2006 speech where Manmohan Singh said that the first claim to Indias vast resources will be given to Muslims read more Two days after his comments triggered an uproar among the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the truth put forth the nation created panic in the INDIA bloc and Congress. The day before yesterday in Rajasthan I put forth some truth in front of the country and the entire Congress and INDI alliance went into a panic. I put forth the truth that Congress is plotting to snatch your property and distribute it to their special people, Modi said during a rally in Rajasthans Tonk-Sawai Madhopur. Advertisement On Sunday, the prime minister invoked a 2006 speech where Manmohan Singh said that the first claim to Indias vast resources will be given to Muslims. When I exposed their politics, they got so angry that they started abusing ModiI want to know from Congress why are they so afraid of the truth. Why do they hide their policy so much, when you yourself made the policy then why are you afraid to accept it nowIf you have the courage then accept it, we are ready to face you, Modi said on Tuesday. #WATCH | Addressing a public gathering in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The day before yesterday in Rajasthan I put forth some truth in front of the country and the entire Congress and INDI alliance went into a panic. I put forth the truth pic.twitter.com/5eDjBfVjNR ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 Congress wanted to give reservation to Muslims Advertisement Furthering his argument that the erstwhile Congress government prioritised the Muslim community, Modi said, The truth is that when the Congress and INDI Alliance were in power, they wanted to give separate reservation to their special vote bank by breaking into the reservation of Dalits and backward classes. Whereas the Constitution is completely against this. He added, The right to reservation which Baba Saheb gave to Dalits, backward classes and tribals, the Congress and INDI Alliance wanted to give it to Muslims on the basis of religion. What would have happened if Congress retained power in 2014? PM Modi gave a reality check by listing out instances of what the country would be like if Congress had been voted back to power in 2014. Advertisement In 2014, when you gave Modi the opportunity to serve in Delhi, the country took decisions that no one had imagined. But if the Congress had been in power, stones would still be pelted at our forces in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. #WATCH | Addressing a public gathering in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "In 2014, when you gave Modi the opportunity to serve in Delhi, the country took decisions that no one had imagined. But if the Congress had been in power, stones would pic.twitter.com/uGgEPnxPQl ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 Advertisement One Rank One Pension would not have been implemented for our soldiers, bomb blasts would have been taking place in the country if Congress was in power. Congress had committed the sin of protecting the Rajasthan serial blast accusedIf Congress was in power, it would have found new ways of corruption for itself, the Indian leader added. The by-elections, conducted on Sunday for 21 national and provincial assembly seats, were held under tight security measures, including the suspension of cellular and internet services in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan to uphold law and order. read more Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan participate in a protest against his arrest, in Peshawar, Pakistan. Reuters File Accusing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of orchestrating blatant rigging in the recent by-elections, Imran Khans party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced plans for nationwide protests. The by-elections, conducted on Sunday for 21 national and provincial assembly seats, were held under tight security measures, including the suspension of cellular and internet services in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan to uphold law and order, as reported by the media on Tuesday. Advertisement Unofficial results released on Monday indicate that the PML-N, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, emerged victorious in at least two national and 10 provincial assembly seats. Leaders of 71-year-old Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday said that April 21 will be remembered as a black day in the history of Pakistan, as open and blatant violations of law of a magnitude never observed in the countrys history were witnessed, the Dawn newspaper reported. [The] day of election is considered an accountability day, and people cast their votes with great zeal. However, on April 21, open and blatant violations of law were observed. The magnitude of the rigging and violation of law has never been observed in the history of Pakistan," party Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said. Gates of polling stations were closed, and at some polling stations, more votes were polled than the total registered votes, Gohar said, addressing a press conference. He alleged that the mandate thieves resorted to shameful tactics to manipulate the electoral process, including stuffing ballot boxes before voting even began and coercing people as well as officials to rig the by-polls in the presence of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) representatives, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Gohar said such actions were unheard of even in the darkest days of dictatorship. The party urged the ECP to withhold the notifications of results and announced a series of protests starting Friday. Gohar said that he and party leader Omar Ayub visited various polling stations and witnessed flagrant rigging first-hand. He said that even after the electoral watchdog was informed about the rigging incidents in Gujrat, no action had been taken despite 24 hours passing, the report said. Advertisement The Constitution, democracy, and the rule of law were virtually suspended in the country, he was quoted as saying in the report. Addressing the press conference, Ayub said that pre-poll rigging began with the suspension of the internet, alleging that Prime Minister Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz did not believe in transparency. On Saturday, the federal government announced that cellular services would remain temporarily suspended in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan during the by-elections. Ayub said police officials told them that intelligence agencies were not allowing voters to enter polling stations. He said that Sundays by-elections could not be called transparent as it was a complete farce in which only taxpayers money was wasted on a futile exercise. Advertisement Claiming that Sharif got fewer votes during the general elections than the candidate contesting on the PML-N ticket in the by-election, Ayub said, This is beyond comprehension. Sharing the partys plan for protests, he said, We will start protests, along with other parties, next Friday across the country. Then we will hold another protest in Faisalabad, followed by organising a public meeting in Karachi on May 5, and then a series of public meetings will be held across the country, the report quoted him as saying. Highlighting doubts about the top electoral watchdogs credibility, PTI Chairman Gohar questioned why the ECP didnt involve returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers from the judiciary. Advertisement Two seats each of the National Assembly in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and one seat in Sindh, while twelve seats of the Punjab Assembly and two each of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan assemblies were up for grabs. Major political parties, including the PML-N, the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) participated in the by-polls. However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl of Maulana Fazlur Rehman boycotted the polls. The general elections were held across the country on February 8 to elect representatives for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies. But polls were cancelled for one National Assembly, two Punjab Assembly and one seat of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, respectively. Advertisement With inputs from PTI. We need a revised universal lexicon that redefines the skewed metrics of evaluating democratic rankings away from the ones held by the West-centric V-Dem Index of Democracy or Press Freedom Index as the sole arbiters of democracies for 170 nations read more It is time India as the largest democracy stakes its claim amidst the comity of nations to reset the charter of democratic tenets in conformity to new age global yardsticks. Image: News 18 When prejudiced opinion posts masquerade as journalism, it violates one of the four foundational pillars of democracy. As mainstream media is pivotal in shaping popular perceptions and helps the voter make informed choices in an election year, much of the Western observers anti-India blitzkrieg must be discounted by the discerning voter due to its inherent bias and colonial mindset. A free, fair and thriving multi-party democracy is at work at the scale of 970 million, as Indians ready to exercise their franchise in the general elections. Stunningly ignoramus and half-informed foreign scribes that write for global media outlets, Wests India watchers, activists and NGOs are on overdrive to undermine the integrity of the Indian democratic process. Advertisement The woke brigade of journos who anoint themselves as upholders of liberal democracy are completely disconnected from the vox populi of the voting nation. Their feedback loops are through proxy, based on what they hear and perceive, and not by touring the expansive electoral terrain. The voter-on-the ground, primarily comprising rural and urban middle classes, neither read the likes of The Economist, New York Times, UK Guardian, Chatham House, Le Monde France, La Croix International Catholic News etc., nor hear the views on BBC, CNN or Bloomberg. Besides, in a country with 80 per cent of the population comprising Hindus, the resurgence of Hindu nationalism renders the opinions of the elitist Western collective as redundant and powerless to influence or impact Indias electoral outcomes. For too long, international institutions of the West have held sway in determining the pecking order of 170 nations, whether it is in determining their sovereign credit ratings or democratic credentials. In proportion to Indias growing heft, and being the largest democracy, it is a step in the right direction that India has set in motion the process of redefining the codes for an alternative Global Standard for Elections, and creating its own metrics of gauging the democracy ratings index in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation. Modi 3.0 is expected to be bigger, bolder, stronger Much has transformed during Modis decadal tenure. India has indeed emerged as the nation of the decade, and a critical player in just about every issue pivotal to playing peace-maker on geo-political tensions, or issues facing the planet. Indias inclusive economic growth under Modi and its expanding global ascendence has made it a formidable global power. Advertisement It is therefore no surprise that Modi as the front runner is poised for a successive third term, and is expected to return in a stronger avatar in 2024. Should that happen, the pace of economic reforms and saturation of flagship schemes is expected to accelerate. An industrial prime minister helming the fifth largest economy is an intimidating prospect for the US and Western nations, as the more the axis of economic power steadily shifts towards India, one expects negative news blitzes from foreign soil to further intensify. Why West fears a stronger India This is exactly what the Western mainstream media in cahoots with Indias opposition parties, and external lobbyists are striking at. They would prefer an electoral outcome that throws up a rag-a-tag coalition with a weakened prime minister, one who would be subservient to their business and political interests in preference to a strong, assertive and nationalist PM who would pursue nation-first interests, undaunted by the US or the Western powers. Advertisement We are living through a period of tumultuous change, as the global order crumbles, and the writ of multilateral institutions is ineffective in controlling geopolitical tensions. India needs a strong central leadership in order to negotiate resolutely with powerful countries, and pursue what is best for our national interest. Too big to ignore Free market economies do not thrive under totalitarian regimes. Nor do they invest in countries that indulge in curtailing civil liberties, nor can they do business with discriminatory regimes that persecute minorities or differentiate on grounds of religion, race or caste. Even Modis fiercest critics within and outside the country would be compelled to grudgingly capitulate and accede that during ten years of the Modi era, the BJP-led government has established India as a formidable global economic power and an investment destination of choice, which is one of the strongest testaments to the health of a free, fair and vibrant democracy. Advertisement Against projections of weakening GDP global growth pegged at 3.2 per cent, India is bucking the trend with the IMF expecting Indian GDP to achieve 6.8 per cent in FY 24-25. Multinationals are expanding their manufacturing base into India steadily due to predictability of policies and a stable political regime. Which is why we have Tesla, Apple, and Samsung lining up to invest in India. Why crackdown on money power is vital for free elections Why exactly is the overseas media, business lobbyists or Opposition parties like Congress and AAP targeting Indias democratic process? It is because the Modi-led government during its decadal regime has relentlessly cracked down on the parallel economy and the systemic opacity of electoral funding. This is not an India-centric concern alone. Big money and powerful countries do have a tendency to meddle and manoeuvre electoral outcomes across democracies. Advertisement Vested lobbyists then get shriller in accusing Indian media and institutions like the ED and CBI of becoming a cruel propaganda arm of the ruling party, and escalating the rhetoric of a crackdown on free speechthere will be no Constitution, and no elections in future if Modi wins etc. A distinct separation of powers The first principle of responsible journalism is to be constructively adversarial with the government of the day, as also to give the Opposition an equal platform for debate and dissent. Those who bemoan India as a flawed democracy, my rebuttal is that had government muzzled popular opinion: How then does the voter have access to the diversity of opinion expressed on mainstream and raucous social media? How has the ruling BJP lost state elections frequently if there was no level playing field for the opposition? If there was no separation of powers between the executive and judiciary, how then did the Supreme Court rule against electoral bonds? Indias electoral process Today, Indian election campaigns are fought in war-rooms of political parties on the back of solid and transparent data available to one and all in order to generate excel-sheets, power-point presentations, targeted content sharing, survey and analysis reports, down to poll-booth level data available for each constituency. For the Election Commission to function independently as the vigilant watchdog of this monumental exercise, and to seamlessly monitor and execute the size and scale of elections in a sub-continent sized country where people of diverse communities and religion come out and vote in larger numbers is reflective of a remarkable imposition of trust in a free and fair democratic process. Conclusion It is time India as the largest democracy stakes its claim amidst the comity of nations to reset the charter of democratic tenets in conformity to new age global yardsticks. This must be achieved through consultation with stakeholders who comprise the Global South. We need a revised universal lexicon that redefines the skewed metrics of evaluating democratic rankings away from the proprietary held by the West-centric V-Dem Index of Democracy or Press Freedom Index that act as the sole arbiters of democracies for 170 nations. Such an index would serve as a counter to the West-centric indexes who evaluate which nation is deemed a full democracy, half democracy or a autocratic democracy. India can then dispense with the Wests worldview on grading the standards of democracy in developing nations, as these nations come with their own complexities. The author is ex-Chairperson for the Committee for Financial Inclusion, Niti Aayog. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost. There is no doubt that soft power initiatives have their place in creating trust and familiarity through cultural diplomacy, but they by themselves are not enough read more There has been an India Out campaign brewing in Bangladesh, though mostly on social media. It is, however, indicative of the powers vested in ruining a good relationship enjoyed by both countries. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinain her Independence day speech, on March 26, 2024taking the campaign head-on and defending the longstanding camaraderie between her party, the Awami League, and Indiachallenged the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) fronting the campaign to burn the sarees of their wives that were bought in India. The campaign started in January but took on a political overtone after the BNP jumped in with the anti-India bandwagon. Advertisement Many in Bangladesh have alleged that the campaign was the brainchild of anti-Hasina and now-exiled Bangladeshi doctor Pinaki Bhattacharya. The BNP was lacking a foundation to gain traction against Hasina, and Bhattacharyas campaign found takers in the BNP fold. In recent times, it has not been uncommon to find countries using India to rouse nationalist sentiments in their own countries. It was under the same premise that President Muizzu of the Maldives was brought to power against the seemingly pro-India Ibrahim Solih. However, the anti-India campaign in the Maldives created a furore at the outset, only to die down quickly with the realisation that India is a much-needed partner. In Bangladesh politics, India is at the centre of political narratives. And since Hasina won her fourth term, rattling many who rallied against her re-election, it is not a surprise that the campaign was launched alleging Indian interference in the elections. Bhattacharya launched #BoycottIndia to his millions of followers on social media and was subsequently joined by Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNPs Joint Secretary General, who dramatically threw away his India-made shawl; however, he did not dare to burn his wifes India-made sarees. A point captured by Hasina. The youth wing leader of the BNP, Ershad Nabil Khan, also joined the fray alongside the BNPs youth wing for universitiesVoices for Democracy. It is well known that the divide that is seen today in Bangladesh vis-a-vis India is not a new phenomenon. Anti-liberation forces, primarily Jamaat-e-Islami and other stooges of Pakistan, have always been trying to mask their dubious role played before and during the Liberation War by pursuing an anti-India agenda. The BNP is a by-product of these anti-liberation forces and has forged close ties with Islamic extremists to pursue this agenda. This has resulted in its close links with the radical sections of Bangladeshi society, such as Jamaat-i-Islami that enjoyed Pakistani patronage and fiercely opposed Bangladeshi liberation. Advertisement However, the question today to be addressed in light of the #BoycottIndia campaign is not just one relevant to Bangladesh but to India as well. Needless to say, similarly to the Maldives, Bangladesh need not put itself in a position to jeopardise the robust economic ties it enjoys with India. Whether it can afford to do so or not is a call Bangladesh must take, but incidentally, even during the tenure of the BNP, Indian exports to Bangladesh increased substantially from $1.06 billion in 2001 to $1.66 billion in 2006. Even today, textiles take centre stage in the raw materials that are exported to Bangladesh from India, apart from refined petroleum, material for infrastructure, and daily use commodities such as garlic, factors that have added value to Bangladeshs impressive development trajectory under Sheikh Hasina. But the question that is looming large is not the economic or political fallout of such campaigns, but why such campaigns find ground considering there was a time when Bangladesh and its people found their trust in an India that supported them in their fight for independence. A whole generation of Bangladeshis held India and its people in high regard because the citizens of both countries had shed blood together during the Liberation War. The present government in Bangladesh has gone out of its way to acknowledge Indias contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh so that the new generations know about the close bonds between the two countries. The BNP is unfortunately trying to erode this sentimental attachment, having failed to garner Indias support to dislodge Sheikh Hasina and her government. Advertisement As India becomes a global superpower, it is unavoidable that opposition parties, such as those in the Maldives and Bangladesh, will use the anti-India factor to garner support. Its an old tactic with a new player. India may not be able to prevent the compulsions of opposition politics in the neighbourhood, but it surely can manage it. For starters, India can ramp up its on-ground public outreach. Even though both countries have made efforts such as launching major programmes coinciding with the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the occasion of 50 years of Bangladeshs independence, and 50 years of India-Bangladesh bilateral ties, there is clearly scope for more. Advertisement The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has increased the number of scholarships for Bangladeshi nationals to study in Indian institutions. Bangladesh, on the other hand, has started the Mujib Scholarship for the direct descendants of the Indian soldiers killed or grievously injured in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Student-teacher exchange programmes have also been initiated in both the countries, and much has been said about cultural diplomacy and soft power. However, the fact is that nationalism is an integral part of the nation-state. Jean Monnet, the French diplomat and the unifying force behind the European Union, saw nationalism as a curse to integration, a prophecy that today we see coming true in the deep political faultlines that are appearing in the EU post-BREXIT. Advertisement There is no doubt that soft power initiatives have their place in creating trust and familiarity through cultural diplomacy, but they by themselves are not enough. At the very least, it needs to be targeted at a population that will become leaders in Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries in the near future. Open dialogues for young leaders, lengthy youth camps with an immersive experience for youth of leadership grade, IIT scholarships, and allowing young civil officers to come to India for MBA programmes in our much-coveted IIMs. Send Indian youth leadership from other cities apart from Kolkata (Kolkata and Dhaka have a perennial sibling rivalry) to witness the Saraswati puja at the Jagannath hall of Dhaka University. Indian young leaders should meet with Hindu and Muslim leaders and pay respect to the great temples in Bangladesh. While infrastructural and transport connectivity such as the Akhaura-Agartala rail link and Maitri Setu are core pillars of strong neighbourhood relations, if we are to counter this new trend of making India a scapegoat, it is necessary for us to establish foundations that will bear fruit with the next generation of leaders. India cannot prevent India Out campaigns, but New Delhi can certainly counter them. The writer is an anthropologist and a scholar of the northeast region of India. She is a columnist and author and is presently a Distinguished Fellow at the India Foundation, New Delhi. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost. Purvanchalis, rather Biharis, have become a major political entity in the national capital. Today, there isnt a constituency in Delhi where the Chhath festival of Bihar is not celebrated read more The selection of Bihari candidates for the Lok Sabha polls from Delhi by both the major formations Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party-Congress alliance clearly indicate that Purvanchalis, rather Biharis, have become a major political entity in the national capital. Today, they are not just at par but more influential than other major electoral blocks like that of Punjabis, Vaishyas, Gujjars, Jats and minorities. Numerically, the two formations together have fielded two Vaishyas, two Gujjars, two Punjabis, one Jat, three Scheduled Caste (two from reserved seats) and four Biharis. The emergence of the Purvanchalis/Biharis as the most influential electoral community is a story of a long journey of struggle and perseverance. Advertisement During the watershed Assembly election in Delhi in 2013, the then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was looking forward to a fourth term. The confidence emanated from the development overhaul she carried out during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Though the Congress government at the Centre was mired in allegations of corruption, Dikshit felt assured of steering clear of it. However, then Congress member of Lok Sabha from West Delhi, Mahabal Mishra, had warned Dikshit about an impending defeat and had suggested to her that she could gamble by giving a large chunk of tickets to the party workers from Purvanchal (migrants from east UP and Bihar). Dikshit, who was never comfortable with Mishra, saw it as a ruse on the part of the Purvanchali leader to create a claim for himself as a rival to her. As the results came out, she was dismayed that her development drive was drowned in the cacophony let loose by the Anna Hazare movement, whose product is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The arrival of Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP marked the beginning of a new genre of politics. During the past three decades, Delhi has undergone a deep demographic change. The migrants arriving in the city, which is North Indias El Dorado, have given a new character to its social and cultural life. From being poor tenants in the unauthorised colonies, they are now proud holders of plots but have been fighting with successive governments for the assertion of their civic rights. Their struggle has not been limited to the recognition of their housing plots. They eke out a living fighting various forces of corruption aka government. The Congress and the BJP all those years instead of holding their hand depended on poll malpractices, exploiting their poverty to get their mandate. The migrants from the eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and some districts of Madhya Pradesh bordering these areas for long looked for a role in the politics of the national capital. When Kejriwal, during the campaign in 2015, said to accept liquor and money from the Congress and the BJP but vote for him, he showed that he had his ear to the ground. In that poll, the AAP had put up Purvanchali candidates in 15 out of 70 seats and they all romped home. Today, Mahabal Mishra is AAPs candidate from West Delhi. His son Vinay is an AAP MLA from their traditional Dwarka seat. For the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, for which voting is scheduled in Delhi on May 26, the BJP has fielded one Bihari candidate Manoj Tiwari, the sitting MP from the North East Delhi seat. AAP-Congress has fielded three Biharis Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi, Somnath Bharti from the New Delhi seat and the veteran Mahabal Mishra from the West Delhi seat. While Kanhaiya Kumar and Manoj Tiwari are imports into the capitals politics, Mahabal Mishra and Somnath Bharti have grown politically in the national capital. Advertisement One may recall that Mahabal Mishra was the first Bihari to win an electoral battle, winning a seat as a corporator from Nasirpur in Outer Delhi in 1996. Though before him, a Purvanchali, Lal Bihari Tiwari had won Assembly polls from the East Delhi seat of Ghonda and become a minister in the state BJP government. Later, Tiwari won three consecutive Lok Sabha polls in 1997 (bypoll), 1998 and 1999. However, there is a marked difference in the politics of Tiwari and the present-day Bihari politicians in the capital from meek submission to that of aggressive assertion. According to the data released by the Election Commission, Delhi has a total of 1,47,42,145 voters 79,98,652 male, 67,42,330 female and 1163 from the third gender. This is up by about 6.5 per cent from 1,38,46,482 in 2019. According to estimates, 33.5 per cent of the total 1.48 crore voters across the seven Lok Sabha constituencies are Purvanchalis. Their presence varies from 24 per cent in Chandni Chowk to 41 per cent in East Delhi. On the North East Delhi seat, they constitute 40 per cent of the votes, while they account for 37 per cent of votes in New Delhi, 34 per cent in West Delhi, 31 per cent in North West Delhi and 27 per cent in South Delhi. Today, there isnt a constituency in Delhi where the Chhath festival of Bihar is not celebrated. Advertisement But will the Biharis vote as a bloc or would have ideological preferences depending on their allegiance in the home state? This is something which the political parties, especially the BJP, would be accountable for. There are two other crucial seats New Delhi and West Delhi, where the BJP needs to crack the Bihari pot to sail through. The writer is an author and president, the Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Israeli limited response to Irans retaliatory attack seems to have averted the storm, but tensions continue. While any nation can start a war, its duration and intensity become indeterminate in the long run read more Rewriting the rules of engagement is challenging, but undoubtedly both Iran and Israel have made a symbolic statement and managed the escalation cycle wherein they have played to the gallery as far as their domestic audience is concerned. AFP On April 14, Iran launched its first direct military offensive against Israel. The attack consisted of over 300 Shahed drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. The launch was detected immediately, and the Israeli forces on high alert had approximately two hours of response time before the drones reached Israeli airspace. The strike was then taken apart as it moved across the Middle East by members of the US-led Middle East Air Defence Alliance, which included jets from the RAF, the Jordanian Air Forces, and the US Air Force. Most of the surviving munitions were then intercepted by Israels Air Defence Systems, which include the Iron Dome, Davids Sling, and Arrow 2 and 3. At least five penetrated through these defences and struck targets in and around an Nevatim Air Base in the Negev Desert. These five hits resulted in no casualties and caused only structural damage. Advertisement The world was on edge, and there was danger that a threatened Israeli retaliation would result in a regional, if not wider, conflict. Crude prices spiked, markets dropped across the globe, and gold reached new heights. For India, one of the major dangers of escalation was the blocking of the Straits of Hormuz, as it would result in disruption of both crude and natural gas. Israeli response The Israeli reaction took place within the week. On April 19, they struck a military airbase near the city of Isfahan, and Iranian officials also claimed to have shot down small drones near the northern city of Tabriz, but this was downplayed. Isfahan Province, in the centre of Iran, is home to significant Iranian military infrastructure, including a large air base, a major missile production complex, and nuclear facilities. As per reports in the Jerusalem Post, the Israelis were targeting an air defence radar site near Isfahan thats part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility. The choreography of missile strikes once again ensured that there were no casualties and, moreover, no targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities. Iranian media and officials described a small number of explosions, which they said resulted from air defences hitting three drones over Isfahan. They referred to the incident as an attack by infiltrators rather than by Israel, obviating the need for retaliation. The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, downplaying the attack, said, Theyre more like toys that our children play with, not drones. He also added, As long as there is no new adventurism by Israel against our interests, we are not going to have any new reactions." With Israel remaining deadlocked in Gaza, where around 130 Israeli hostages remain but have inflicted more than 34,000 civilian casualties, including women and children, the Iranian strikes must have seemed like a welcome relief as the narrative shifted from the humanitarian crisis Isael is causing in Gaza. Further, in a timing that cannot be a mere coincidence, the US House of Representatives quickly passed an aid package of $26.38 billion for Israel. Advertisement With no hostage deal or ceasefire mechanisms apparent, the risk of miscalculation remains high. The region remains in a uniquely dangerous position, in which Prime Minister Netanyahu may feel that he has little choice but to escalate with Iran in order to maintain public support. But responses to the strike within Israel have exposed the countrys political fissures. Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the strike on Iran as feeble or lame. In response, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for him to be sacked and said his remarks had ridiculed and embarrassed Israel. Things were going Irans way Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has taken an anti-Israeli posture and, as part of its deterrence strategy, has cultivated and financed support for the axis of resistance network in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine, surrounding Israels borders. Advertisement The Hamas attack on October 7 suited Irans agenda. Israel had suffered an unprecedented and humiliating setback; its much-lauded intelligence and defences had failed. Its subsequent actions in Gaza had received widespread condemnation and aligned the Middle Eastern countries against Israel. Israels war was steadily harming its image, simultaneously exposing the hypocrisy of its Western backers. Israel was getting increasingly isolated internationally due to its disastrous war in Gaza. The Palestinian cause in the region and around the world had been resurrected. Sympathy for Palestinians, particularly in the West, was more voluble. Iran did not need to intervene; its proxies acted on its behalf. Hezbollah had been routinely shelling Northern Israel, and the Houthis in Yemen have launched numerous unsuccessful missile and drone strikes against Israel, disrupting global shipping. Advertisement However, Israels attack against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Damascus forced Iranian officials to make a more difficult choice. Iran had two choices, it could refrain from overt retaliation and continue to benefit from the present situation. The spotlight would remain on the atrocities in Gaza. Retaliation with force would discourage Israel from crossing the boundaries the two countries had established through their shadow war. Both options carried their own risks and benefits. Iranian compulsions Iran felt it had to act post the Israeli strike on its Consulate in Damascus and frame its strike within international law, writing to the United Nations Security Council quoting Article 51 regarding its legitimate self-defence. It decided it had to violate the Napoleonic dictum, never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. Advertisement Its primary aim was to restore the balance of deterrence through its sub-threshold response strategy, a type of response that was meticulously crafted above deterrence but below escalation. Surprisingly, Iran even went against a key military principle of war, the element of surprise. It telegraphed its intentions to Washington and several Arab and European capitals, assuring them that its strike would be relatively limited. The use of its array of weapons to inflict the damage was more than mere symbolism, as it was aimed at reflecting Iranian capabilities. The Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri, stated, Our response will be much larger than tonights military action if Israel retaliates against Iran." This is indicative of weapons in their arsenal that were not used and could be used in the future. It also marks a shift in Iranian policy from strategic patience to active deterrence. Irans current strategy in the region was working well due to its proxies, which gave them strategic depth, operational flexibility, and plausible deniability. But its recent action has been driven by few aims; it has tried to demonstrate that it has the ability to alter the prevailing situation and that its missiles have the capability of reaching Israel and penetrating their air defence systems. The next is that the attack was directed at both Israel and the US, thereby conveying that they would not submit to a Western political vision out of a sense of fear, and finally, it has also conveyed a message to those countries in the region that were moving towards normalising relations with Israel. The attack showcased Irans growing might and its willingness to strike at its adversaries, to quote the Commander in Chief of the IRGC, Hossein Salami, We have decided to establish a new dynamic with Israel. Conclusion Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli Ambassador to the US, said, Israel tried to calibrate between the need to respond and a desire not to enter into a cycle of action and counter-reaction that would just escalate endlessly. The Israeli limited response seems to have averted the storm. Yet unfortunately, while a crisis has been abated, tensions continue to endure. The fact remains that, while any nation can start a war, its duration and intensity become indeterminate in the long run. Hence, the implications of crossing this red line during this cycle of violence will remain. The firing of missiles primarily to signal resolution rather than cause damage is difficult to design while ensuring the conflict goes no further. Rewriting the rules of engagement is challenging, but undoubtedly both sides have made a symbolic statement and managed the escalation cycle wherein they have played to the gallery as far as their domestic audience is concerned. They have responded while at the same time ensuring that a retaliatory strike will remain below the escalatory threshold. The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Despite the US ban on Chinese tech companies getting any access to top-end AI chips and hardware, China has been able to get their hands on some of NVIDIAs best AI hardware, by using server racks from made by Super Micro Computer Inc, Dell, and Gigabyte read more Despite sanctions, China has been able to find some way or the other to acquire NVIDIA's AI chips. Image Credit: Reuters Chinese universities and research institutes have recently obtained high-end NVIDIA artificial intelligence chips through resellers, despite the US expanding a ban last year on the sale of such technology to China. A review of hundreds of tender documents by Reuters reveals that 10 Chinese entities acquired advanced NVIDIA AI chips embedded in server products made by Super Micro Computer Inc., Dell, and Gigabyte, following the US embargo expansion on November 17. The servers had some of NVIDIAs most advanced AI data centre chips. This was found by studying previously unreported tenders fulfilled between November 20 and February 28. While the US prohibits NVIDIA and its partners from selling advanced chips to China, including via third parties, the sale and purchase of the chips are not illegal in China. Advertisement The 11 sellers of the chips were little-known Chinese retailers. It remains unclear whether they used stockpiles acquired before the US tightened chip-export restrictions in November. NVIDIA clarified that the tendered products were exported and widely available before the restrictions, stating that none of its partners violated export control rules. The server makers stated they complied with applicable laws or would investigate further. A series of transactions involving NVIDIA chips has drawn scrutiny, with concerns raised over potential breaches of US export controls. Among the entities involved were prominent Chinese institutions, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and various universities and research centres, alongside state-affiliated bodies and investment firms. NVIDIA chips may have been diverted to China without the manufacturers knowledge, because of a lack of transparency in downstream supply chains. NVIDIA reaffirmed its commitment to compliance, stressing that systems incorporating its GPUs and distributed by third parties must adhere to US restrictions. The company vowed to collaborate with customers to address any violations of export control regulations. Similarly, Super Micro asserted its compliance with US export requirements and pledged to investigate any instances of unauthorized exports or reexports of its products. Represented by US law firm Clare Locke, Super Micro highlighted its proactive measures to prevent customer violations of export curbs. Dell, on its part, stated no evidence of shipping products configured with restricted chips to the mentioned entities. However, it highlighted its distributors and resellers obligation to adhere to global regulations and export controls. Advertisement In response to inquiries by Reuters, Gigabyte said that they were adhering to Taiwanese laws and international regulations but refrained from addressing questions regarding tenders implicating its products in the procurement of banned NVIDIA chips. The disclosed transactions, found in a dozen tenders analyzed by Reuters from public databases cover only a fraction of Chinas state entity purchases. This indicates that China still has access to advanced chips that US officials claim could support AI for military applications, such as defence force modernization or developing weapons like hypersonic missiles. Each purchase was limited to several servers and several dozen banned chips. While their intended uses were not specified, analysts and industry executives suggested they could be useful for training models and conducting advanced research. Advertisement Under Chinese law, procuring agencies representing state or state-affiliated buyers must verify a suppliers ability to fulfil the tender before announcing them as the winner and signing a contract. Companies and individuals accused of violating US export controls may face civil or criminal penalties, including fines and prison sentences of up to 20 years for individuals. (With inputs from agencies) The government is currently testing a solution that enables banks to monitor both the registered address and geolocation of a customer where a one-time password (OTP) is being delivered. In case of inconsistencies customers will be alerted about a potential phishing attempt read more Indias Ministry of Home Affairs, SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd (SBI Card), and telecom operators have joined forces to develop an innovative solution aimed at combating the rising threat of cyber fraud and phishing attacks in the banking sector. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the government is currently testing a solution that enables banks to monitor both the registered address and geolocation of a customer where a one-time password (OTP) is being delivered. If any inconsistency is detected between the two locations, customers will be alerted about a potential phishing attempt. Advertisement The solution is in its testing phase; its early days, but the concept is to track the customers geolocation via telecom databases and ensure that the OTP is being sent to the correct area, a senior banker told the Economic Times. The Reserve Bank of India wanted to implement an additional layer of authentication for digital payment transactions to counter fraud. However, fraudsters have developed sophisticated methods to either steal OTPs from unsuspecting bank customers or divert OTPs to their own devices through fraudulent means, rendering the second factor of authentication ineffective in combating cybercrimes. In case of any discrepancy in the OTP delivery location, we can take two steps either issue an alert on the device or block the OTP altogether, an official explained. While the specifics of the solution are still being refined in collaboration with telecom companies, real-time verification of a customers SIM location can be cross-referenced with the geolocation of OTP delivery. Banks also possess customer residence data, necessitating the development of capabilities to triangulate the data in real time. For example, if a customer resides in Bengaluru but the OTP is being delivered in a location in Uttar Pradesh where they have never been or made recent calls from, indicating they are not travelling there; this would raise a red flag, the banker elaborated. Advertisement According to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (i4C), cybercriminals siphoned off as much as Rs 10,319 crore between April 2021 and December 2023. The majority of these crimes were traced back to China, Cambodia, and Myanmar, involving non-state actors. Under i4C, the government established the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, which has successfully prevented fraudulent transfers totalling about Rs 1,200 crore from over 470,000 citizen complaints received until February 2024. In calendar year 2023 alone, the registry received 1.12 million complaints amounting to Rs 7,488 crore in fraudulent transfers, as disclosed by the government body in February. (With inputs from agencies) SpaceX continues to be one the most hazardous space organisations to work at, for the second year running. SpaceXs Brownsville, Texas facility, for example, saw 5.9 injuries per 100 workers versus the industry average of 0.8 injuries read more Injury rates at SpaceX sites remained higher than the industry average in 2023, according to a recent analysis of safety data. The data, provided to US regulators by SpaceX, reveal that some facilities reported even worse injury rates compared to the previous year. As per a report by Reuters, SpaceXs Brownsville, Texas facility, for example, saw 5.9 injuries per 100 workers, surpassing the 2022 rate of 4.8 injuries and well above the industry average of 0.8 injuries. Advertisement These findings come after a Reuters investigation uncovered over 600 unreported worker injuries in 2023, some resulting in severe consequences like crushed limbs, amputations, and one fatality. Safety experts warn that these high injury rates should worry SpaceXs clients, particularly NASA, which has increasingly relied on SpaceXs services, having paid the company billions for various contracts. David Michaels, a former Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) administrator and current professor at the George Washington University, emphasised that high injury rates can signal poor production quality, urging NASA to take note of the situation. However, NASA declined to comment on the matter. Several experts have claimed the reason why SpaceX is consistently been able to undercut NASAs budget in launches is that they are able to cut corners and risk failures in a way that NASA, being publically funded, simply cannot afford. OSHA, the federal agency responsible for workplace safety, did not provide any response regarding SpaceXs injury rates. Reuters, using data from OSHA, calculated the latest injury rates, revealing that SpaceX reported injuries from eight major facilities in 2023, three more than in the previous year. One of the most alarming findings was at a SpaceX unit tasked with retrieving rocket boosters from the Pacific Ocean, which reported 7.6 injuries per 100 workers, significantly higher than the industry average. Advertisement Despite these concerning figures, neither SpaceX nor its CEO, Elon Musk, have publicly addressed the companys safety record in detail. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceXs chief operating officer, reiterated the companys commitment to safety, mentioning in a social media post that astronaut and personnel safety remains their top priority. As concerns persist regarding safety standards at SpaceX facilities, stakeholders continue to call for greater transparency and accountability to ensure the well-being of workers and the success of space missions. (With inputs from agencies) Airshow disasters from mid-air collisions to mechanical failures, including incidents that shook the aviation community in India and worldwide. A look at the stories behind these tragic events and their impacts. read more In yet another air disaster that killed at least 10 people after two of the Malaysian Navy helicopters collided mid-air during a military rehearsal for the Royal Malaysian Navy parade on Tuesday (April 23). On many occasions, such tragic accidents happened mid-air that shocked the world, some of which have resulted in significant loss of lives. Here is list of the worst air show disasters. Malaysia mid-air disaster (2024): As many as 10 people have been killed after two of the Malaysian Navy helicopters collided mid-air during a military rehearsal for the Royal Malaysian Navy parade on Tuesday (April 23). The incident happened around 9:30 am (local time) on Tuesday during a fly-over exercise at the TLDM stadium in Lumut, Perak. Advertisement Malaysia mid-air disaster Thai fighter jet disaster (2017): A Thai air force pilot has died when his fighter jet crashed at an air show during the countrys Childrens Day. The video footage shows the JAS 39 Gripen jet maneuvering over the Hat Yai air base in southern Thailand when it suddenly lost altitude and crashed in a ball of fire away from spectators. In this image made from video, a plume of smoke and fire rises from the site where a fighter jet crashed during and airshow in Hat Yai, southern Thailand. (AP Photo) Sknyliv Air Show Disaster (Ukraine, 2002): In one of the deadliest airshow accidents in history, a Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 crashed into spectators during an airshow in Lviv, Ukraine. At least 77 people were killed and over 500 injured in the incident. Sknyliv Air Show Disaster Dallas Airshow mid-air collision (2022): At least six people were dead following a collision that happened at a World War II air show in Dallas, in 2022. According to reports, one of the planes, a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, typically has a crew of four to five people. The other, a P-63 Kingcobra fighter plane, has a single pilot. It was unclear whether anyone survived the early afternoon crash at Dallas Executive Airport, which occurred during the Wings Over Dallas airshow. A historic military plane crashes after colliding with another plane during an airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas , Nov. 12, 2022.- AP Bengaluru aero show disaster: Tragedy struck in Bangaluru as two Hawk jet aircraft belonging to the Surya Kiran aerobatics team collided mid-air during a rehearsal for the upcoming Aero India air show. One Indian Air Force pilot lost their life in the crash, while the other two pilots onboard managed to eject safely. During Blinkens visit, China will focus on strengthening understanding and dialogue, managing differences and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and shared responsibilities, said the official read more A man walks past the national flags of China and the US before a meeting between China's Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at the Guangdong Zhudao Guest House, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, on 6 April, 2024. Reuters File Ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinkens visit to China, a Chinese foreign ministry official said on Tuesday that Beijing-Washington relations are showing signs of stabilisation, despite US activities perceived as detrimental to Chinese interests. According to a Reuters report, citing the state news agency Xinhua, the unnamed official, described as director-general of the foreign ministrys department of North American and Oceanian affairs, said while relations should advance on a sustainable path, Chinese interests and its bottom line must be safeguarded. Advertisement The United States stubbornly promotes the strategy of containing China, continuously adopts erroneous words and actions that interfere in Chinas internal affairs, smear Chinas image, and harm Chinas interests, the report quoted official as saying. During Blinkens visit, China will focus on strengthening understanding and dialogue, managing differences and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and shared responsibilities, the official added. The trip will be Blinkens first to China since June, when the United States was trying to restore high-level engagements after spy balloon incidents, and increased tensions around Taiwan were souring relations. Since then, friction has eased, but Blinken is expected to raise a number of concerns related to the South China Sea, the Russia-Ukraine war and the crisis in the Middle East, among others. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden recently held talks that touched on hot-button issues, most notably ongoing confrontations in the South China Sea, and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Xi had said ties between the China and the US were beginning to stabilize, but that they could slide into conflict or confrontation, according to Xinhua. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Numerous attacks against US forces in the Middle East have occurred since mid-October; however, after significant US air airstrikes on locations connected to Iran in early February, the cycle of drone and rocket attacks and sporadic retaliation strikes came to an end read more It came after another incident over the weekend in which rockets fired from northern Iraq were aimed against a Syrian base housing US-led coalition forces fighting the extremist Islamic State group According to a US defense official on Tuesday, US personnel were attacked at a base in western Iraq. This is the second attack on US troops in the nation following a break of more than two months. It came after another incident over the weekend in which rockets fired from northern Iraq were aimed against a Syrian base housing US-led coalition forces fighting the extremist Islamic State group. Numerous attacks against US forces in the Middle East have occurred since mid-October; however, after significant US air airstrikes on locations connected to Iran in early February, the cycle of drone and rocket attacks and sporadic retaliation strikes came to an end. Advertisement Yesterday there was an attack against Al-Asad Air Base that did not cause injuries or damage, the defense official said on condition of anonymity, without specifying the nature of the attack. This was the second attack against US forces since February 4, the official said. Not long after the most recent round of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas began, a wave of more than 165 attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria began in October. The attacks resulted in injuries but no US force casualties. However, in late January, three US soldiers were killed by a drone attack in Jordan; following this, the US launched strikes on numerous targets in Iraq and Syria that were connected to Iran. There was an offensive respite that persisted until the end of this month after the air raids. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose coalition of organizations supported by Iran enraged by US support for Israel, claimed responsibility for most of the attacks, although neither of this months bombings has had any claims made. Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, granted Bakus request last month to restore four frontier villages that were a part of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era read more The inhabitants of neighboring Armenian villages protested last week when the two nations reaffirmed their intention to move forward with border delimitation in the region using maps from the Soviet era Image Courtesy AFP As part of their efforts to normalize relations after decades of hostilities over territory, Armenia and Azerbaijan declared on Tuesday that they had begun work on mending their border. Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, granted Bakus request last month to restore four frontier villages that were a part of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era. The inhabitants of neighboring Armenian villages protested last week when the two nations reaffirmed their intention to move forward with border delimitation in the region using maps from the Soviet era. Advertisement On Tuesday, the two countries interior ministries announced the beginning of delimitation works on the ground. Azerbaijan said expert groups are conducting clarification of coordinates based on geodesic study of the terrain, while Armenia ruled out the transfer of any parts of Armenias sovereign territory to Baku as a result of the delimitation. Fresh rallies erupted in Armenia following the announcement. Dozens of protesters blocked the crucial Armenia-Georgia highway at several points, including near Lake Sevan and the town of Noyemberyan, close to the border with Azerbaijan, Armenian media reported. The four abandoned settlements which are to be returned to Azerbaijan Lower Askipara, Baghanis Ayrum, Kheirimly, and Gizilhajili were taken over by Armenian forces in the 1990s, forcing their ethnic Azerbaijani residents to flee. The residents of nearby Armenian villages fear they could end up isolated from the rest of the country and some houses could fall into territory controlled by Azerbaijan. The area has strategic importance for landlocked Armenia. Several small sections of the highway to Georgia vital for the countrys foreign trade could end up in the territory to be handed back to Azerbaijan. The delimited border will also run close to a major Russian gas pipeline, and the area has advantageous military positions. Advertisement Pashinyan has insisted on the need to resolve remaining border disputes with Azerbaijan to avoid a new war. On Saturday, he said Russian border guards deployed in the area since 1992 will be replaced by Armenian servicemen. Russian border guards will withdraw from the area and border guards of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be cooperating to guard the state border on their own. He also called border delimitation a significant change on the ground as the two countries now have a border and not a line of contact which is a sign of peace. Last autumn, Azerbaijani troops recaptured the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region from Armenian separatists in a lightning offensive that effectively ended a bloody three-decade standoff between the Caucasus neighbours over control of the mountainous region. Advertisement While both Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev say a wider peace agreement is within their reach, lingering territorial disputes pose a constant threat of a fresh flareup. Jenkins was a military assistant in the prime ministers No. 10 Downing Street office before becoming vice-head of the defense staff and chief of staff Tony Radakins deputy read more Jenkins is only the third full general in the history of the Royal Marines Prime Minister Rishi Sunak informed media on Tuesday that Gwyn Jenkins, one of the nations top generals, will take over as Britains next national security advisor. Jenkins was a military assistant in the prime ministers No. 10 Downing Street office before becoming vice-head of the defense staff and chief of staff Tony Radakins deputy. Im really pleased that Gwyn is going to do this job - in an incredibly uncertain and increasingly dangerous world, its important the person doing this job has the requisite set of skills to provide advice to me and to help navigate that landscape, Sunak told reporters during a trip to Poland. Advertisement Its the first time weve had someone with a military background in that job and obviously he has worked in No. 10 as well so has that policy experience, Sunak said. According to media reports, current National Security Advisor Tim Barrow may be appointed as Britains next ambassador to the United States. After receiving his commission as an officer in the Royal Marines in 1990, Jenkins participated in operations in Northern Ireland with 42 Commando and the Commando Logistics Regiment. In 2009, he was appointed Special Boat Service (SBS) commanding officer. When he wrote a report in 2011 accusing British soldiers of arbitrary executions in Afghanistan, he attracted both partisan praise and criticism. He was elevated to the position of commander of all British Special Forces in Afghanistan after the report was suppressed. He received his full promotion to brigadier when he was assigned as the British prime ministers military assistant in 2012. He was then named Commander of 3 Commando Brigade in 2017, Deputy National Security Adviser for Conflict, Stability, and Defense in 2016, and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy) in 2019. As the Vice Chief of the Defense Staff, he attained the title of general in August 2022, bypassing the lieutenant general rank. Jenkins is only the third full general in the history of the Royal Marines. There has been an almost complete de-dollarisation of bilateral economic relations with China, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said read more Russia and its ally China have almost completely ditched the US dollar to settle bilateral trade. Instead, they are using their own currencies, the yuan and rouble. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, more than 90 per cent of mutual payments between the two countries are being done in their national currencies. Russia-China trade actively developing At a meeting of the Council of Heads of Russian regions under the Foreign Ministry, Lavrov said: Russian-Chinese trade and economic cooperation are actively developing, despite the persistent attempts of the states of the collective West to put a spoke in the wheels. Advertisement There has been an almost complete de-dollarisation of bilateral economic relations. Today, more than 90 per cent of mutual payments have been transferred to national currency, he further said. Lavrov went on to say that the supply of Russian agricultural products to the Chinese market has been growing. Interaction in the energy sector is steadily advancing. Joint projects are being implemented in the investment and industrial areas. The mutual benefit from such cooperation is clearly felt on both sides of the Russian-Chinese border, the Russian Foreign Minister said. In November last year, Russias First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov also said that settlements in roubles and yuan in bilateral trade had reached 95 per cent. In February, Russian central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina had said Chinas yuan became the primary foreign currency for Russias overseas economic activity as Western sanctions choke Moscows economy. Now, foreign economic activity is very actively switching to the use of other currencies, primarily the yuan," Nabiullina told in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti. Advertisement For the unversed, China has for long been making efforts to boost the Yuans global appeal as an alternative to the US dollar for international settlements and as a reserve currency. Russia-China trade ties Trade between Russia and China reached a record high of over $200 billion in 2023. Russias Minister of Economic Development, Maksim Reshetnikov in December last year had said that between January and October 2023, 68 per cent of Russia-China trade was settled using the respective national currencies. Economic ties between Russia and China rose since Vladimir Putins troop invaded Ukraine in 2022 and the West imposed sanctions. As per reports Russia has been using the yuan in settling trade transactions with Mongolia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Tajikistan and Singapore. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The prosecutors have alleged that former US President Donald Trump has violated the gag orders against him 10 times so far read more Donald Trump is the first president, sitting or former, to face criminal trial in the US history (Photo: AP) The New York court holding former US President Donald Trumps trial in the hush money case will on Tuesday consider holding him in contempt. The prosecutors have alleged that Trump has violated gag orders imposed on him at least 10 times. Judge Juan Merchan has imposed two gag orders on Trump. The first order prevented him from speaking ill against the jurors, court staff, witnesses, and prosecutors. It was later expanded to include families of the judge and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Advertisement The prosecutors have said that Trump has violated the gag orders at least 10 times. Chris Conroy, one of the prosecutors, said these violations pose a very real threat to the case as they have an undertow effect on witnesses and make them afraid, according to The New York Times. The witness testimony in the hush money case will start once the contempt hearing is concluded. The case is related to Trumps alleged falsification of business records in the payment of $130,000 to buy the silence of adult film actor Stormy Daniels with whom he allegedly had an affair. Trump could be fined $10,000, will escape prison if held in contempt If he is held in contempt, Trump could be fined $10,000 for the 10 alleged violations of the gag orders. It is because the law in New York state allows for a maximum fine of $1,000 per violation. The prosecutors have not sought jail time for Trump, but asked the judge to remined him that future violations could lead to imprisonment of up to 30 days, according to The Times. Trump is accused of violating the gag orders by his own statements and by sharing quotes and articles on social media. These acts have put jurors and witnesses, including Michael Cohen, at risk of violence and harassment, according to prosecutors. Cohen is a former personal lawyer and fixer of Trump and is central to the hush money case. Advertisement On Monday, Trump at a fund-raiser said that he could be thrown in jail and Democrats will have free rein to destroy our country if he is held in contempt, according to the report. Images captured by Planet Labs show a marked build up of tents in a uniform pattern near Khan Younis, an area which has largely been levelled by Israels recent military incursion into Gaza, according to a report. read more This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows tents being constructed near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on 21 April, 2024. AP New satellite images appear to show an enormous tent city being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal plans for an offensive targeting the city of Rafah. According to Daily Mail report, images captured by Planet Labs show a marked build up of tents in a uniform pattern near Khan Younis, an area which has largely been levelled by Israels recent military incursion into Gaza. Advertisement These images, captured just three days apart on 18 April and 21 April, show a rapid expansion of white structures within a short timeframe. While the Israeli Defence Forces told Associated Press that they were not behind the construction of the tents, a Times of Israel report, citing Haaretz newspaper, reported that Egypt was constructing the tent compound ahead of a possible Rafah offensive by Israel. Before the commencement of a six-week military operation expected to start in May, Israel has said it plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah during an anticipated offensive on the southern city, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge during the war, now in its seventh month. According to a Wall Street Journal report, citing Egyptian officials, the first few weeks will be dedicated to evacuating refugees to Khan Younis and other areas equipped with shelters and medical facilities. Hamas preparing for full-scale regional war Preparations are underway as the US warns of Hamas preparing for a full-scale regional war. According to State Department spokesperson Matt Miller, Hamas was moving the goalposts in hostage and ceasefire negotiations, adding that the terrorist group rejected a very significant proposal, though the specifics of this proposal were not disclosed. It certainly does seem like Hamas is more interested in a full-scale regional war, Daily Mail quoted Miller as saying. It takes two to make an agreement, and right now Hamas has signalled that they dont want an agreement, he added. Miller urged Hamas to stay at the table, telling the group the ball was in their court. Advertisement Wider conflict The ongoing conflict has sparked regional unrest pitting Israel and the US against Iran and allied militant factions throughout the Middle East. Direct exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran this month have escalated concerns of a full-scale war. The conflict has drawn in various other groups, with the recent killing of a prominent Hezbollah commander in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. Mohammad Khalil Atiyeh was a member of the terror groups elite Radwan force. Hezbollah and its allies have been engaging Israeli forces along the border for over six months, amid Israels broader confrontation with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The conflict was triggered by a significant raid into southern Israel on October 7, during which Hamas and other militants killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostages. Advertisement Israel believes that militants still hold about 100 hostages and the remains of over 30 others. The Israel-Hamas conflict has claimed over 34,000 Palestinian lives, with local health officials claiming that about two-thirds of them were children and women. The destruction has been profound, particularly in Gazas major cities. On Tuesday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that local hospitals received the bodies of 32 individuals killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours, along with 59 wounded. This brings the total Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas conflict to at least 34,183, with 77,143 injured, according to the ministry. The ministrys tally does not differentiate between combatants and civilians but notes that women and children constitute the majority of casualties. Advertisement Approximately 80% of Gazas population have fled to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave. In response to the crisis, the US House of Representatives passed a $26 billion aid package on Saturday, including about $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza, which faces imminent famine, as well as substantial assistance for Israel. The US Senate is expected to approve the package soon, with President Joe Biden committed to signing it promptly. With inputs from agencies Despite a significant corporate exodus and multiple rounds of sanctions targeting various sectors of the Russian economy in response to the ongoing conflict, many international companies in sectors such as consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, retail, and manufacturing have opted to continue their operations in Russia. read more European companies still conducting business in Russia are facing challenges as they strive to comply with a new provision of EU sanctions that could significantly impact their operations in the country. The EU implemented multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia targeting various sectors since President Vladimir Putin deployed troops into Ukraine. These measures also include asset freezes and travel bans for Russian officials. One significant change is the potential loss of a provision that allowed multinational corporations to offer professional services, such as accounting and legal advice, to their Russian subsidiaries. This shift aims to close loopholes in the sanctions regime and limit the Kremlins financial resources for its military endeavors. Advertisement The new provision that will come in to effect in June will provide European regulators with a comprehensive understanding of Western companies activities in Russia. However, legal experts and business leaders caution that this change may inadvertently lead companies to either engage with Russian service providers or relocate these services outside the EU. There was no reason at all to throw out the exemption for the European subsidiaries . . . Nobody wanted to throw these companies into the arms of Russian consultants, one European executive in Moscow told FT. Despite a significant corporate exodus and multiple rounds of sanctions targeting various sectors of the Russian economy in response to the ongoing conflict, many international companies in sectors such as consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, retail, and manufacturing have opted to continue their operations in Russia. One key factor enabling their business activities in the country has been an exemption allowing companies to provide professional services exclusively to their own subsidiaries in Russia, while prohibited from offering the same services to other entities. However, the European Commission revealed in December that this exemption would be eliminated starting this year. The new sanctions will further enhance trade restrictions against entities linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, diplomats said. Additional bans on exports to Russia of highly technical components for drone production were adopted. While the specific lawmakers identity remains undisclosed, German magazine Der Spiegel has reported alleged ties to Maximilian Krah of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, slated as the partys top candidate in the upcoming European Parliament read more A staffer employed by a German lawmaker in the European Parliament was arrested Tuesday under suspicion of espionage for China, announced German prosecutors. The individual, identified solely as Jian G. in adherence to privacy regulations, was detained on Monday in Dresden, according to federal prosecutors. While the specific lawmakers identity remains undisclosed, German magazine Der Spiegel has reported alleged ties to Maximilian Krah of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, slated as the partys top candidate in the upcoming European Parliament election in early June. Advertisement Reports indicate that the suspect has been associated with Krah, a current German Member of the European Parliament, since 2019, with residences in both Brussels and Dresden. The accused is scheduled to appear before an investigating judge at Germanys Federal Court of Justice later on Tuesday, where a determination will be made regarding the issuance of an arrest warrant and the possibility of pre-trial detention. Reacting to the espionage allegations, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser highlighed the gravity of the situation, labeling it as extremely serious and warning that such acts constitute an assault on European democracy if verified. Faeser stressed the need for thorough investigation to illuminate all connections and backgrounds involved. The AfD party expressed concern over the arrest, deeming it very disturbing and urging patience for further investigations by federal prosecutors, as stated by party spokesman Michael Pfalzgraf. This development comes in the wake of German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs recent visit to China, during which he urged Beijing to adopt a firmer stance against Russia concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The arrest follows closely after three German nationals were apprehended for suspected collaboration with Chinas Ministry of State Security (MSS) in transferring technology potentially with military applications, underscoring heightened scrutiny over espionage activities. Advertisement With inputs from The Associated Press Michael OFlaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights expressed serious concerns about UKs Rwanda Bill and raised major issues about the rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law read more Europes highest rights body on Tuesday called on Britain to scrap a controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, after the measure cleared parliament. The United Kingdom government should refrain from removing people under the Rwanda policy and reverse the Bills effective infringement of judicial independence, the Council of Europes Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael OFlaherty, said in a statement. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the first flight carrying illegal migrants would depart for Rwanda within the next 10 to 12 weeks come what may and asserted that all necessary arrangements have been made to initiate the process once the long-awaited legislation clears Parliament. Advertisement Addressing a briefing at Downing Street, while refraining from disclosing sensitive operational specifics on Monday, Sunak disclosed about the departure of the first group of migrants to Kigali, where their asylum claims will be processed. No ifs, no buts, these flights are going to Rwanda, PTI quoted Sunak as saying. The first flight will leave in 10 to 12 weeks. Of course, that is later than we wanted but we have always been clear that processing will take time and if Labour peers had not spent weeks holding up the Bill in the House of Lords to try to block these flights altogether we would have begun this process weeks ago, he added. He said that the plans are in place and no foreign court can stop him from getting flights off. I can confirm that we have put an airfield on standby, booked commercial charter planes for specific slots and we have 500 highly trained individuals ready to escort illegal migrants all the way to Rwanda with 300 more trained in the coming weeks. We are ready. Plans are in place. And these flights will go come what may. No foreign court will stop us from getting flights off, Sunak added. The announcement coincided with the governments announcement that Parliament would convene overnight on Monday until the contentious Safety of Rwanda Bill completes all stages of legislative approval and becomes law. The bill, which seeks to prevent legal challenges by declaring Rwanda a safe country in law, has faced hurdles due to the House of Lords demanding amendments something Sunak blamed on the Opposition Labour Party. Advertisement After the first flight takes off, Sunak said he expects a steady rhythm of such journeys over the course of the following months to meet his pledge for the policy to act as a deterrent and stop the boats of illegal migrants landing on the countrys shores. The priority is being able to deliver a regular rhythm, a drum beat of multiple flights a month over the summer and beyond because that is how you build a systematic deterrent and that is how you will stop the boats, said Sunak. Asked if the UK would consider leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if the European court attempts to block such flights, Sunak did not rule out the possibility. Now is the time for the flights to go and I am not going to let a foreign court, given all of that, block us from getting flights up and this deterrent up and running, he said. The press conference followed his meeting with the governments Illegal Migration Operations Committee, which is to operationalise the governments flagship policy of cracking down on illegal migration ahead of a general election expected in the second half of the year. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Accompanied by his grandson Junaid Safdar and personal staff, Sharif boarded a Chinese Southern Airlines flight from Lahore airport, as disclosed by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), of which he is the supremo read more Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif departed for China Monday evening for a five-day private visit, maintaining a low-profile approach to the trip. Accompanied by his grandson Junaid Safdar and personal staff, Sharif boarded a Chinese Southern Airlines flight from Lahore airport, as disclosed by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), of which he is the supreme leader. However, specific details of Sharifs agenda during his stay in China were not disclosed by the party. Advertisement Reports from local media suggest that Sharif intends to undergo a medical examination in China and engage in meetings with Chinese companies concerning development projects in Punjab, where his daughter Maryam Nawaz serves as chief minister. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is also said to be accompanying him. Speculation within PML-N circles hints at the possibility of Sharif being on a special assignment during his time in China. Sharif never visited China in the past for medical reasons. He went to the United Kingdom on medical grounds in 2019 and stayed there in self-exile, before his return in 2023 after the fall of Imran Khans government. His younger brother Shehbaz Sharif is leading a six-party coalition at the Centre. After his dream of becoming prime minister for a fourth time shattered in the February election, Nawaz Sharif has been keeping a low profile. With inputs from PTI Numerous accounts indicating that the Chinese government or its representatives engaged in arbitrary or unlawful killings, including instances of extrajudicial executions, throughout 2023, predominantly against Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, a US report on human rights practices has revealed read more Ethnic Uyghur demonstrators near the Chinese consulate in Istanbul in 2023. Reuters File Genocide and crimes against humanity took place in China throughout 2023, predominantly against Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, a US report on human rights practices has revealed. The report titled 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which was released on Tuesday, sheds light on a series of human rights violations in China, including arbitrary arrests, restrictions on freedom of expression, and systemic abuses against ethnic minority groups. Advertisement From criminal prosecution of journalists to the prohibition of independent trade unions, the report underscores a troubling pattern of oppression and injustice. According to the report, significant human rights issues included credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings by the government; enforced disappearances by the government; torture by the government; involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices; harsh and life-threatening prison and detention conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention by the government including, since 2017, of more than one million Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim minority groups in extrajudicial internment camps, prisons, and an additional unknown number subjected to daytime-only re-education training; the lack of an independent judiciary and Communist Party control over the judicial and legal system; political prisoners; transnational repression against individuals in other countries, and arbitrary interference with privacy including pervasive and intrusive technical surveillance and monitoring. It also included serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including criminal prosecution of journalists, lawyers, writers, bloggers, dissidents, petitioners, and others, and serious restrictions on internet freedom, including site blocking, the report added. Moreover, Chinas human rights violations extend to various atrocities, such as targeted violence against national, racial, and ethnic minority groups like the Uyghurs, human trafficking including forced labor, the suppression of independent trade unions, and systematic constraints on workers right to association. Additionally, the country harbors some of the most egregious instances of child labor. Despite these grave concerns, the government has failed to take credible action to identify or penalise officials responsible for these abuses, the report said. Throughout 2023, there were numerous accounts indicating that the Chinese government or its representatives engaged in arbitrary or unlawful killings, including instances of extrajudicial executions. In many instances few or no details were available. There continued to be no government transparency or public statistics on executions, the report stated. In Xinjiang, there were reports of custodial deaths related to detentions in the internment camps. According to ANI news agency, citing Radio Free Asia (RFA), Tumshuq Prison in Xinjiangs Maralbeshi County released the bodies of at least 26 Uyghur inmates to their families before the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Advertisement Moreover, enforced disappearances through multiple means continued nationwide on a systemic scale. According to the report, the primary means by which authorities forcibly disappeared individuals for sustained periods was known as Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location (RSDL). RSDL codified in law the long-standing practice of detaining and removing from the public eye individuals the state deemed a risk to national security or intended to use as hostages. According to an April 2022 report by human rights nongovernmental organization (NGO) Safeguard Defenders, between 55,977 and 113,407 persons were placed into RSDL (and later faced trial) from 2015 to 2021. Highlighting the cases of arbitrary arrests and detention, the report stressed that lawyers, human rights activists, journalists, religious leaders and adherents, and former political prisoners and their family members continued to be targeted for arbitrary detention or arrest. Advertisement In March last year, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention rendered its opinion that the deprivation of liberty of Uyghurs Qurban Mamut, Ekpar Asat, and Gulshan Abbas was arbitrary, the report said. There were multiple reports authorities arrested or detained lawyers, religious leaders or adherents, petitioners, and other rights advocates for lengthy periods without officially issuing a charge or providing a reason. Moreover, authorities subjected many of these individuals to extralegal house arrest, denial of travel rights, or administrative detention in different types of extralegal detention facilities, including black jails. However, the law stated that the courts should exercise judicial power independently, without interference from administrative organs, social organizations, and individuals, but, the judiciary did not exercise judicial power independently. Advertisement Judges regularly received political guidance on pending cases, including instructions on how to rule, from national and local governments and the CCP, particularly in politically sensitive cases, the report noted. Corruption often influenced court decisions since safeguards against judicial corruption were vague and poorly enforced. A CCP-controlled committee decided most major cases, and the duty of trial and appellate court judges was to craft a legal justification for the committees decision. Furthermore, China has also been facing a lack of freedom of expression in the country, including for press members and other media. Leading to this, citizens often avoided discussing political matters, leaders, or sensitive topics for fear of official punishment. Advertisement Authorities routinely took harsh action against citizens who questioned the legitimacy of the CCP or criticized President Xi Jinping, the report stated. Moreover, some independent think tanks, study groups, and seminars also reported pressure to cancel sessions on sensitive topics. Those who made comments deemed politically sensitive in public speeches, performances, exhibitions, academic discussions, or remarks to media, or who posted sensitive comments online, remained subject to punitive measures, as did members of their families. The government extensively used mobile phone apps, cameras, and other electronics to monitor all speech and movement. Authorities in Xinjiang employed a comprehensive database that tracked the movements, mobile app usage, and even electricity and gasoline consumption of inhabitants in the region. Government officials used criminal prosecution, civil lawsuits, violence, detention, and other forms of harassment to intimidate authors and journalists and to prevent the dissemination of unsanctioned information on a wide range of topics, the report noted. Moreover, dozens of Uyghur relatives of overseas-based journalists working for RFAs Uyghur Service disappeared or were detained in Xinjiang. The report further noted the concerns regarding internet freedom and said that the law also permitted security agencies to cut communication networks across an entire geographic region during major security incidents. Domestic internet authorities led by the Cybersecurity Defence Bureau targeted individuals accused of defaming the government online, whether in public or private messages. The law required internet platform companies operating in the country to control content on their platforms or face penalties. According to Citizen Lab, China-based users of the WeChat platform were subjected to automatic filtering of chat messages and images, it added. Moreover, there were reports of child labour in the manufacturing, service, and retail sectors, despite the country has laws prohibiting all the worst forms of child labour. Children were reportedly found working at machine and electronic factories, beverage stores, and employed as waiters, the report added. With inputs from agencies The Israeli army withdrew from the area following a four-month military battle, and at least 283 bodies were discovered in a mass grave at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis, according to Gazas Civil Defence Agency read more Since Hamas' cross-border strike on October 7 that claimed almost 1,200 lives, Israel has launched a bloody military offensive on the Palestinian territory of Gaza Image Courtesy Agencies member nations of the Arab League would convene in an emergency session on Wednesday to discuss Israels deadly onslaught against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The meeting will discuss Israels continued genocidal war, the discovery of mass graves in Gaza and a US veto against a Palestinian application for full UN membership, Palestinian delegate to the Arab League, Muhannad Al-Aklouk, said in a statement. The Israeli army withdrew from the area following a four-month military battle, and at least 283 bodies were discovered in a mass grave at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis, according to Gazas Civil Defence Agency. Advertisement A draft resolution in the UN Security Council advocating for Palestines full membership in the UN was vetoed by the US last week. The purpose of the gathering on Wednesday was to talk about Israeli attacks in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza. Since Hamas cross-border strike on October 7 that claimed almost 1,200 lives, Israel has launched a bloody military offensive on the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Since then, there have been over 34,200 Palestinian deaths and over 77,000 injuries due to widespread devastation and acute shortages of basic supplies. As the Israeli assault enters its 200th day, 85% of Gazas population has been forced to flee internally due to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medication. The UN estimates that 60% of the enclaves infrastructure has been damaged or completely destroyed. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has accused Israel of genocide. In January, the ICJ issued an interim verdict ordering Israel to cease genocidal crimes and take steps to ensure that residents in Gaza receive humanitarian assistance. With the approval of the US, Qatar has been housing the political leadership of Hamas since 2012. The two countries have been holding secret negotiations for weeks over the possibility of a truce in Gaza and the swap of Palestinian detainees detained in Israeli jails for the release of Israeli hostages read more Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have frequently criticized Qatar, which is home to the biggest US military installation in the area, for its efforts at mediation Image Courtesy Reuters On Tuesday, Qatar declared that the political leadership of Hamas will remain in Doha as long as their presence benefited efforts to mediate an end to the conflict in Gaza. As long as their presence here in Doha, as we have always said, is useful and positive in this mediation effort, they will remain here, foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told a press conference. With the approval of the US, Qatar has been housing the political leadership of Hamas since 2012. The two countries have been holding secret negotiations for weeks over the possibility of a truce in Gaza and the swap of Palestinian detainees detained in Israeli jails for the release of Israeli hostages. Advertisement However, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani stated last week that Qatar was reevaluating its role after mediatorsincluding the US and Egyptfailed to bring about a break in hostilities during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Following the announcement, there were rumors that Hamas would be ordered to leave the Gulf state, which is rich in gas. Ansari stated that Qatar is still evaluating its role as a mediator and that a determination about the presence of Hamas members in Doha will not be taken unless we are finished with that reassessment. Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have frequently criticized Qatar, which is home to the biggest US military installation in the area, for its efforts at mediation. Ansari stated on Tuesday that the political criticism, including that of ministers in Netanyahus government, who spoke negatively about the Qatari mediation, was the driving force behind the decision to reexamine such efforts. He added: They all know what the Qatari role is, its nature, and its details during the previous stage and they lied. Advertisement The sole break in the Gaza War to far was a week-long truce in November that saw the release of numerous Israeli and foreign hostages, thanks to Qatars successful mediation efforts. The conflict started when Hamas launched an unprecedented onslaught on Israel that claimed roughly 1,170 lives, most of them civilians. According to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave, 34,183 individuals have died in Gaza as a result of Israels militarys retaliatory attack against Hamas, the majority of them were women and children. A Palestinian group attacked Israel on October 7 and took over 250 Israeli and foreign prisoners; however, during the week-long truce in November, many of the captives were freed. Advertisement According to Israel, 129 hostages are still in Gaza, 34 of whom the IDF claims are dead. A Hezbollah official told the media on Tuesday morning that an Israeli drone strike deep inside Lebanon killed an engineer working for the groups air defence forces while he was travelling in a vehicle read more The Israeli army had earlier on Tuesday claimed to have killed "two significant terrorists in Hezbollah's aerial unit" during the course of the previous day and night Image Courtesy AFP Hezbollah, an Islamist faction supported by Iran in Lebanon, claimed to have launched drone strikes on two facilities in northern Israel on Tuesday in retribution for the death of a fighter Israel deemed to be significant. Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been exchanging gunfire across the border almost every day since Hamass historic onslaught on Israel on October 7 that set off the Gaza War. Nonetheless, Hezbollah has increased the number of missile strikes it has launched on Israeli positions in recent days; the most recent attack was directed at a location outside the groups typical striking zone. Advertisement In a statement, Hezbollah claimed to have carried out a combined air attack using decoy and explosive drones that targeted two Israeli bases north of Acre; Israel, however, said the targets were not reached. According to the Lebanese group, the attack was carried out in response to an Israeli drone strike that claimed the life of one of its members earlier in the day in south Lebanon. Successfully intercepted two suspicious aerial targets off the northern coast, the Israeli army declared. A Hezbollah official told the media on Tuesday morning that an Israeli drone strike deep inside Lebanon killed an engineer working for the groups air defence forces while he was travelling in a vehicle. About 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the border, in the Abu al-Aswad neighborhood of Tyre, was where the strike occurred. The fighters car was totally destroyed in the strike. Hezbollah claimed that one of its militants had been killed by Israeli gunfire and that he lived in the neighborhood where the car was hit. In a statement released overnight, the group alleged that Israel had also murdered another fighter. The Israeli army had earlier on Tuesday claimed to have killed two significant terrorists in Hezbollahs aerial unit during the course of the previous day and night. Advertisement Heavily involved in the planning and execution of terrorist attacks against Israel, the statement said, described the fighter who was killed on Tuesday. Both parties claimed that Hezbollah shot down an Israeli drone on Sunday night. At least 378 people have died in Lebanon since October 7, the majority of whom were Hezbollah combatants but also 70 civilians. On its side of the border, Israel reports that eight civilians and eleven troops have died. In a signal that the invasion of Rafah is in the offing, reports have said that Israel has started working on a tent city in the town of Khan Younis to house civilians expected to be displaced from Rafah read more The evacuation of displaced Palestinians from Gaza Strips Rafah is not possible under current conditions, according to the Red Cross. The statement from the top humanitarian agency comes as Isarel has signalled that the invasion of Rafah is in the offing. The Israeli military considers Rafah in southern Gaza to be the last bastion of Hamas. The international community, however, has urged Israel to exercise restraint as more than a million Palestinians displaced from the war have taken refuge in the town and they fear an invasion would lead to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Advertisement Having seen the destruction from the war in Gaza, it is not clear where the people taking shelter in Rafah may go to, said Fabrizio Carboni, the top official of Red Cross in the Middle East in an interview with AFP news agency. While more than 1.5 million Palestinians had sheltered in Gaza, several thousands have moved northward to their homes as fighting elsewhere in the Palestinian enclave has largely stopped. We dont see evacuation as possible today: Red Cross Top Red Cross official Carboni has said it does appear to be possible to evacuate the Palestinians sheltering in Rafah under current conditions and it would be difficult to attempt in the timeframe of the expected Israeli invasion. Carboni said humanitarian workers have no knowledge of plans to evacuate Palestinians Rafah. The rumour is that the probability of a major operation in Rafah is increasing. When we see the level of destruction in the middle area (of Gaza) and in the north, its not clear to us where people will be moved to where they can have decent shelter and essential services. So today, with the information we have and from where we stand, we dont see this (massive evacuation) as possible, said Carboni, Middle East Regional Director for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on the sidelines of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference (DIHAD). Carboni further said, We dont see for the time being any plans for civilian evacuations. There is no condition for a military operation without devastating humanitarian consequences. Considering the level of destruction, considering that people are tired, some of them wounded and sick, and the limited access to food and essential services, I see (evacuations) as extremely challenging. Advertisement Separately, Jan Egeland, the chief of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), told AFP that everybody seems to be on a countdown to war across the largest displacement camp on earth, which is Rafah. He said an invasion of Rafah will create an apocalyptic situation. Israel signals Rafah invasion is in the offing A day after Netanyahu hinted that the invasion of Rafah is in the offing, reports said that Israel is creating a tent city in Khan Younis to house the Palestinians expected to be displaced by the fighting in Rafah. The Associated Press shared satellite images and said they appear to show such a city. Separately, the Haaretz newspaper reported that Egypt was constructing the compound. Advertisement In another report, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Israeli military plans to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah before the invasion. In a video message in Hebrew, Netanyahu on Sunday said as Hamas has hardened its stance on hostage talks, Israel will strike painful blows at the terrorist group to free the hostages. This was seen as a hint of an impending invasion of Rafah. While Netanyahu has indicated that Israel will invade Rafah and has said there will be an evacuation, he has not said where the people will be evacuated. In its report, the WSJ cited Israeli and Egyptian officials to report that the evacuation could take weeks and civilians will be evacuated in coordination with the United States, Egypt, and other Arab countries. The report added that the evacuation will involve moving civilians to Khan Younis among other areas where arrangements of shelters with tents, food, and medical facilities will be made. The NYPD late on Monday began their drive to clear out the liberated zone created by supporters of the Palestinian cause inside the NYU campus read more Protests continue in New York during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. Reuters The ramifications of the Israel-Gaza war are spilling over to top universities across the world with dozens of students being arrested by the police at the New York University (NYU) late on Monday for carrying out pro-Palestinian protests in an anti-Israel liberated zone set up on campus. Videos going viral on social media show the New York Police Department (NYPD) engaging in a scuffle with students to clear out the liberated zone at NYU. According to Fox News, student demonstrators were seen forming a human chain while police officials were heard saying, You have been warned by New York University to leave the area. Advertisement The war in Gaza has pitted students against each other, with pro-Palestinian students demanding their school collectively condemn Israels action in the region while Jewish students say they have been feeling unsafe on campuses and claim that anti-Israel protests have given rise to antisemitism. What happened at NYU? The NYPD late on Monday began their drive to clear out the liberated zone created by supporters of the Palestinian cause inside the NYU campus. NYUs Global Campus Safety said in a post on Instagram that the student protestors had breached the barriers set up at Gould Plaza, Fountain Walker. The one safety requirement we made was that no additional protestors could enter Gould Plaza. With the breach of the barricades early this afternoon, that requirement was violated, and we witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, the university said in a statement. BREAKING: Police have moved in to arrest students at the NYU encampment for Gaza. Hundreds of students and protesters locked arms to protect those who were praying from police. pic.twitter.com/X58AIfq85a BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) April 23, 2024 Advertisement It added, We cannot tolerate people getting hurt. You will need to clear the plaza by 4:00 pm. If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for todays actionsno discipline, no police. NOW: At jail support waiting for those arrested at the NYU student encampment to be released! Spirits are high! pic.twitter.com/Rz1YlAV1Ja Radio Free Amanda (@catcontentonly) April 23, 2024 Advertisement After protestors started acting deviant, police started to arrest students at 8:30 pm local time. Columbia Uni suspends in-person classes Meanwhile, New Yorks Columbia University considered the epicentre of pro-Palestinian protests, has suspended in-person classes and will hold hybrid classes until the end of the spring semester. Those who are afraid of this, are afraid of the status quo collapsing.#Gaza #ColumbiaUniversity pic.twitter.com/F1XvW74ZTt Assaf, MD (@_Assaf_MD) April 23, 2024 Advertisement Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students learning and all the required academic operations, the varsity said in a statement. White House condemns antisemitism The White House has condemned blatantly antisemitic statements during pro-Palestinian protests in universities. While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous, the White House said in a statement. And echoing the rhetoric of terrorist organisations, especially in the wake of the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, is despicable, it added. Internal UN investigators are conducting a separate inquiry into the Israeli charges against the 12 UNRWA staff members read more A Monday examination of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) neutrality revealed that Israel has not shown any proof to support its claims that hundreds of staff members are affiliated with terrorist organisations. This might lead some donor nations to reconsider funding freezes. In February, the United Nations appointed former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna to lead the UNRWA review of the organizations ability to maintain neutrality and respond to allegations of breaches, after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff members of participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks that triggered the Gaza war. Advertisement Internal UN investigators are conducting a separate inquiry into the Israeli charges against the 12 UNRWA staff members. Last week, the UN said that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has had a number of meetings and cooperation from the Israeli authorities on this. UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The review said UNRWA shares staff lists annually with the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The review said Israel had not raised any concerns with UNRWA, based on those staff lists, since 2011. Then in March 2024, Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this, the review said. Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying over 450 UNRWA staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups. UNRWA employs 32,000 people across its area of operations, 13,000 of them in Gaza. On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein accused more than 2,135 UNRWA workers of being members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He said the Colonna review of UNRWA was insufficient and an effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on. The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas infiltration of UNRWA, he said, adding that Israel calls on donors not to give money to UNRWA in Gaza and instead to fund other humanitarian organizations in the enclave. Advertisement Lifeline Colonna told reporters she had good relations with Israel during the review but was not surprised by the Israeli response. She said she had appealed to Israel to please take it on board, whatever we recommend - if implemented - will bring good. When asked about Marmorsteins comment, UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said: We encourage member states who have such information to share it with the ongoing investigation rather than with the media. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted the recommendations, his spokesperson said, calling on all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region. Advertisement Israels allegations against the dozen UNRWA staff led 16 states to pause or suspend funding of $450 million to UNRWA, a blow to an agency grappling with the humanitarian crisis that has swept Gaza since Israel launched its offensive there. UNRWA said 10 of those countries had resumed funding, but the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania had not. A UN spokesperson said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June. Following the Israeli allegations against UNRWA staff, the United States, UNRWAs biggest donor at $300-400 million a year, paused funding, then the U.S. Congress suspended contributions until at least March 2025. Advertisement Robust framework Israel has long complained about the agency, founded in 1949 to care for Palestinian refugees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for UNRWA to be shut down, saying it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees. Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting another 253, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities. UNRWA says it terminated the contracts of 10 of the 12 staff accused by Israel of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks, and that the other two are dead. Advertisement The Colonna review noted that UNRWA has a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or aid groups. Despite this robust framework, neutrality-related issues persist, it found. It said these included some staff publicly expressing political views, textbooks with problematic content being used in some UNRWA schools, and politicised staff unions making threats against UNRWA management and disrupting operations. In Gaza, UNRWAs neutrality challenges included the size of the operation, with most personnel being locally recruited and also recipients of UNRWA services, the review said. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday that UNRWA was developing an action plan to take forward the recommendations by Colonnas review. The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people, he said. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the recommendations to enhance UNRWAs already high standards of impartiality, humanity and neutrality were important and appealed to donors who paused funding to urgently reconsider their decisions. The Senate could pass the aid package, now combined back into one bill, as soon as Tuesday afternoon if senators are able to agree on the timing for a vote. If Republicans who oppose the legislation decide to protest and draw out the process, final votes would likely be Wednesday. read more Pro-Palestinian activists demonstrate outside the Capitol in Washington, as the House prepares to vote on approval of $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies. AP Photo The Senate is reconvening in Washington on Tuesday to vote on a $95 billion war aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of deliberations and internal debates within Congress over the extent of US involvement in global affairs with the legislation now poised to reach President Joe Bidens desk. Of the total amount, $61 billion is allocated to Ukraine, reflecting the urgent need for additional firepower in the face of escalating attacks by Russian forces. President Vladimir Putins intensified assaults have placed Ukrainian soldiers under immense pressure, leading to significant territorial losses for Ukraine. Advertisement In a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, President Biden assured him of the imminent delivery of crucial air defense weaponry. The House of Representatives endorsed the aid package through a series of votes on Saturday, prompting its return to the Senate for final approval. The President has assured me that the package will be approved quickly and that it will be powerful, strengthening our air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities, Zelenskyy said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The legislation also would send $26 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza, and $8 billion to counter China in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. In an effort to gain more votes, Republicans in the House majority also added a bill to the package that could ban the social media app TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese owners do not sell their stake within a year. The foreign aid portion of the bill is similar to what the Senate passed in February with some minor changes and additions, including the TikTok bill and a stipulation that $9 billion of the economic assistance to Ukraine is in the form of forgivable loans. The package has had broad congressional support since Biden first requested the money last summer. But congressional leaders had to navigate strong opposition from a growing number of conservatives who question U.S. involvement in foreign wars and argue that Congress should be focused instead on the surge of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Advertisement The growing fault line in the GOP between those conservatives who are skeptical of the aid and the more traditional, Reagan-era Republicans who strongly support it may prove to be career-defining for the two top Republican leaders. Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who has made the Ukraine aid a top priority, said last month that he would step down from leadership after becoming increasingly distanced from many in his conference on the issue and others. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who put the bills on the floor after praying for guidance, faces threats of an ouster after a majority of Republicans voted against them. Advertisement McConnell has made clear that stopping Putin is important enough for him to stake his political capital. The national security of the United States depends on the willingness of its leaders to build, sustain, and exercise hard power, McConnell said after House passage Saturday, adding, I make no apology for taking these linked threats seriously or for urging the Biden administration and my colleagues in Congress to do the same. Johnson said after House passage that we did our work here, and I think history will judge it well." The Senate could pass the aid package, now combined back into one bill, as soon as Tuesday afternoon if senators are able to agree on the timing for a vote. If Republicans who oppose the legislation decide to protest and draw out the process, final votes would likely be Wednesday. Advertisement The legislation was first passed by the Senate in February on a sweeping 70-29 vote, and it could get even more votes this time after the House added in the loan provisions. The idea for a loan started with former President Donald Trump, who had been opposed to the aid. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime GOP hawk who voted against it in February because it wasnt paired with legislation to stem migration at the border, praised Johnson after the vote and indicated he will vote for it this time. The idea that the United States will be safer if we pull the plug on our friends and allies overseas is wrong, he said on X. Advertisement The revised House package also included several Republican priorities that were acceptable to Democrats to get the bill passed. Those include proposals that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl; and could eventually ban TikTok in the U.S. if the owner, ByteDance Ltd., doesnt sell. That bill has wide bipartisan support in the House and Senate. Opponents in the Senate, like the House, are likely to include some left-wing senators who are opposed to aiding Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bombarded Gaza and killed thousands of civilians. Vermont Sens. Bernie Sanders, an independent, and Peter Welch, a Democrat, both voted against the package in February. This bill provides Netanyahu $10 billion more in unrestricted military aid for his horrific war against the Palestinian people, Sanders said on X just before that vote. That is unconscionable. With inputs from AP. In elections earlier this month, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzus Peoples National Congress (PNC) won a super majority by securing 70 of the 93 seats read more Two days after Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzus party won the parliamentary elections, his office said the country will continue with Chinese-backed infrastructure projects and evict Indian soldiers from the country. Since becoming the President of the Maldives last year, Muizzu has plunged the countrys relationship with India in troubled waters with his continuing embrace of China and rhetoric against India. In elections earlier this month, Muizzus Peoples National Congress (PNC) won a super majority by securing 70 of the 93 seats. The elections were held under the shadow of India-China rivalry and the shift in Muizzus foreign policy away from the countrys traditional partner India. Advertisement The vow to remove an Indian contingent of 89 soldiers from the country was part of Muizzus election platform. The soldiers were there to manage three aircraft engaged in humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) activities. Several of the soldiers have already left after handing over the operations of the assets and the complete withdrawal is supposed to take place by May 10. The AFP reported that the presidents office quoted Muizzu thanked voters for the landslide victory by his Peoples National Congress (PNC). He promised a boom in building apartments, bridges, and new airports with Chinese funding, as per the report. Without mentioning either India or China by name, Muizzu was quoted as saying: We will bid farewell to the enduring anguish of housing insecurity, a pressing and longstanding concern burdening the Maldivian populaceIt is important that Maldivians have sole authority over matters concerning our nation, to be addressed according to our desires. Muizzu has previously said that the deployment of Indian soldiers was an affront to the Maldivians, according to the report. In January, Muizzu entered into agreements with China to build around 30,000 apartments on an island to be reclaimed near the Maldivian capital Male. While Muizzu and his supporters have seen the embrace of China as a march towards growth and the presence of Indian soldiers as against the sovereignty of the country, there have been concerns that the Chinese projects could push the country into a debt trap like Sri Lanka. NATO began its biggest military exercise since the Cold War in January this year, with a US warship leaving the United States for transit across the Atlantic to alliance territory in Europe. read more Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that military and political tensions surged in Western and Northeastern strategic directions after Swedens accession to NATO Shoigu said that NATO reinforcement forces near Russian borders include up to 33,000 service people, about 300 tanks and more than 800 other armored vehicles. He said that a series of NATO drills to test supposedly impending Russian aggression are taking place right now and up to 90,000 personnel are participating in it Advertisement NATO began its biggest military exercise since the Cold War in January this year, with a US warship leaving the United States for transit across the Atlantic to alliance territory in Europe. President Vladimir Putins 2022 invasion of Ukraine has touched off the worst breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, according to Russian and US diplomats. The Western military alliance had said some 90,000 troops would take part in the months-long Steadfast Defender 24 exercise designed to test its defenses in the face of Russias war on Ukraine. The exercise the biggest since the 1988 Reforger drill during the Cold War comes as NATO has overhauled its defences since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The alliance had dispatched thousands of troops to its eastern flank and drawn up its most extensive plans since the collapse of the Soviet Union to protect itself from a Russian attack. Since the Russia launched attack in Ukraine, began, Moscow has repeatedly warned of rising nuclear risks - warnings which the United States says it has to take seriously, though US officials say they have seen no change in Russian nuclear posture. Putin casts the war as part of a centuries-old battle with a decadent West which he says humiliated Russia after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 by enlarging NATO and encroaching on what Moscow considers to be Russias historical sphere of influence. Advertisement Ukraine and its Western backers say the war is an imperial-style land grab by a corrupt dictatorship that will lead Russia into a strategic dead-end. Western leaders have vowed to work for a defeat of Russian forces in Ukraine while ruling out any deployment of NATO personnel there. As relations have deteriorated, Russia and the United States have both voiced regret about the disintegration of the web of arms-control treaties which sought to slow the Cold War arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war. Russia and the United States are by far the worlds biggest nuclear powers, holding more than 10,600 of the worlds 12,100 nuclear warheads. China has the third largest nuclear arsenal, followed by France and Britain. Advertisement Lavrov said that given the current crisis there was no basis for dialogue with the United States on arms control. Lavrov said the West was building a global missile defence system which could decapitate a rival, basing nuclear weapons in Europe, basing medium- and shorter-range missiles in regions around the world and preparing to deploy weapons in space. In February, Putin said Russia opposed the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and his defence minister denied Washingtons accusations that Russia was developing a nuclear capability for space. The United States says it is developing its defence capabilities in accordance with international agreements. It says it wants only the peaceful use of outer space and that its missile defence plans are defensive. Advertisement Lavrov also accused the West of waging a propaganda campaign to discredit Russia. The Wests goal is to divert attention of the international community from real threats in outer space, to achieve the allocation of additional financial resources to build up their national military space capabilities, Lavrov said. Our priority remains the development of an international legally binding instrument that establishes reliable guarantees to prevent the deployment of weapons in outer space. With inputs from agencies. During a two-year conflict between the government of Ethiopia and the provincial Tigrayan authority, Amhara soldiers took control of Raya Alamata in southern Tigray read more A woman displaced by ethnic violence carries an infant inside a temporary shelter at the Shire campus of Aksum University, which was turned into a temporary shelter for people displaced by conflict, in the town of Shire, Tigray region, Ethiopia. Reuters File The international world voiced worry about the violence involving combatants from different areas, and the United Nations reported that more than 50,000 people had been displaced by conflicts in a disputed territory in northern Ethiopia. The number of people displaced by the armed clashes in Alamata Town, and Raya Alamata, Zata and Ofla since 13/14 April has reached more than 50,000, the UN said late Monday, citing local authorities in the disputed area, which is claimed by Tigray and neighbouring Amhara. Advertisement The humanitarian situation is dire, with thousands of women and children in need of broad humanitarian support to survive, it added. During a two-year conflict between the government of Ethiopia and the provincial Tigrayan authority, Amhara soldiers took control of Raya Alamata in southern Tigray. After the agreement was reached in Pretoria in November 2022, Amhara forceswhich had supported federal troops during the conflictwere supposed to leave Raya Alamata as part of a peace pact between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds administration and Tigrayan authority. AFP demands for information were not answered by the Tigrayan authorities or the federal administration. Independent verification of the situation on the ground is not feasible because to the severe restrictions on media access to northern Ethiopia. Reports of the fighting have sparked alarm among the international community, with the embassies of several nations including the United States, Japan, Britain and France on Saturday calling for dialogue and urging the de-escalation and protection of civilians. During the war, Amhara forces occupied and remained in control of western Tigray, a disputed region that is claimed by both regions. Amhara, Ethiopias second most populous region, has been wracked by clashes since April 2023, when the federal governments decision to dismantle regional forces across the country triggered clashes. Amhara nationalists, who already felt betrayed by the Tigray peace deal, said the move would weaken their region. Kim reportedly guided a combined tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket artillerymen, according to the report read more A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's missiles launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. AP The latest in Pyongyangs series of tests this year, the rehearsal modelled a nuclear counterattack, and was overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the state-run KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. The report states that Monday was the day of the drill. Tokyo confirmed the Norths launch of multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Monday, which Seouls military had previously claimed. Kim reportedly guided a combined tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket artillerymen, according to the report. Advertisement It went on to say that the missiles hit their island target at a distance of around 352 kilometres (219 miles), and that Kim was expressing great satisfaction. South Koreas military said Monday that missiles flew from the Pyongyang area for about 300 kilometres before splashing down in the waters east of the Korean peninsula. It branded the launch a blatant provocation. Tokyo also confirmed the launch, with a government spokesman saying one missile had a maximum altitude of 50 kilometres and landed outside of the countrys EEZ. The launch is the second in less than a week by Pyongyang, which on Friday tested a super-large warhead designed for a strategic cruise missile, state media said. Seouls military confirmed it had detected cruise missile launches at the time. The launch comes after Pyongyangs ally Moscow in March used its United Nations Security Council veto to effectively end UN monitoring of sanctions violations on Kims government for its nuclear and weapons programme. Analysts have warned that North Korea could be testing cruise missiles ahead of sending them to Russia for use in Ukraine, with Washington and Seoul claiming Kim has already shipped weapons to Moscow, despite UN sanctions banning any such moves. Advertisement Seoul claims Pyongyang has sent around 7,000 containers of weapons to Moscow for use in Ukraine. The largely isolated country has recently bolstered military ties with Moscow, and this month it thanked Russia for its UN veto. It has also ramped up testing, claiming in early April to have tested a new medium-to-long-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile. Pyongyangs recent track record on launches indicates the North is trying to push its technical abilities, said Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification. Mondays launch appears to be a part of its weapons development programme that needs testing rather than ones that are fully developed, he told AFP. Advertisement Last year, the North conducted a record number of missile tests in defiance of UN sanctions in place since 2006 and despite warnings from Washington and Seoul. Pyongyang declared itself an irreversible nuclear weapons state in 2022. Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and other universities that are considered bastions of higher learning are battling to strike a balance between students demands for the freedom of expression and those who contend that universities are inciting hate speech and intimidation read more At Columbia University in New York, where the protests started last week, a sizable contingent of protesters set up a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on the campus Image Courtesy AFP Over 130 individuals were taken into custody during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at New York University throughout the course of the night, as student protests against the Israel-Hamas conflict gain momentum in the United States. In recent weeks, protesters have taken over quads and disrupted campus activities at some of the most famous colleges in America. The protests coincide with broad discussions against Israels invasion of Gaza after Hamass lethal incursion on October 7. Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and other universities that are considered bastions of higher learning are battling to strike a balance between students demands for the freedom of expression and those who contend that universities are inciting hate speech and intimidation. Advertisement As demonstrations at Yale, Columbia University, and other campuses get more intense, the New York Police Department informed AFP on Tuesday that 133 people had been arrested at NYU and freed after receiving court summonses. Monday night marked the start of the Passover holiday, and authorities started holding protestors who had earlier defied orders to leave a campsite at NYU. According to a representative for New York University, the decision to notify the police was made when more demonstratorsmany of whom were not believed to be NYU studentssuddenly broke through the barricades put up around the camp. According to a statement posted on the schools website on Monday, the spokesman said that this dramatically changed the situation, claiming disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior in addition to intimidated chants and several antisemitic incidents. According to the statement, the institution still supports student safety and freedom of speech. However, the demonstrations have become loud enough and disruptive enough to catch the attention of President Joe Biden and his administration. Spokesman for the New York Police Department has mentioned that their officers had been physically attacked by demonstrators at NYU. Advertisement Anti-Semitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable, US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona posted on X on Tuesday, expressing concern about the unrest. At Columbia University in New York, where the protests started last week, a sizable contingent of protesters set up a Gaza Solidarity Encampment on the campus. However, after university officials sent the police to Columbias campus on Thursday, more than a hundred demonstrators were taken into custody. This action appeared to heighten tensions and encourage a larger turnout over the weekend. Images posted on social media late on Monday night seemed to depict Jewish students who support Palestine having customary seder dinners inside of protest zones on various schools, including Columbia. Advertisement Additionally, there were protests at Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, where at least 47 people were detained on Monday for not complying with orders to disperse. Ana Estrada, aged 47, battled polymyositis, an incurable affliction causing muscular degeneration. Afflicted since her teenage years, she relied on a wheelchair from the age of 20. Despite these obstacles Estrada got a degree and became a therapist read more A Peruvian psychologist, plagued by an incurable ailment debilitating her muscles, passed away through euthanasia, according to her legal representative on Monday. This event marks the first case in Peru where an individual has secured the privilege to opt for assisted death. Ana Estrada, amid battling her disease which left her bedridden for several years, dedicated herself to advocating for the right to choose ones end with dignity. Despite the staunch conservatism regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide in the nation, Estrada persisted in her legal pursuit. Advertisement In 2022, Estrada received an extraordinary concession from Perus Supreme Court. The court validated a prior ruling by a lower judicial body, granting Estrada the authority to determine the timing of her demise, with assurances that those aiding her would not face legal repercussions. This landmark decision made Estrada the first one to attain the right to die with medical support in Peru. Josefina Miro Quesada, Estradas legal counsel, highlighted the profound impact of Estradas crusade, stating, Anas struggle for her right to die with dignity has helped to educate thousands of Peruvians about this right and the importance of defending it. Her struggle transcended our nations borders. Estrada, aged 47, battled polymyositis, an incurable affliction causing muscular degeneration. Afflicted since her teenage years, she relied on a wheelchair from the age of 20 due to the progressive loss of mobility. Despite these obstacles Estrada obtained a psychology degree and became a therapist. She earned enough money to buy her own apartment and became independent from her parents. By 2017 however, Estradas condition worsened and she could no longer get up from her bed. She had difficulty breathing and survived pneumonia. And even though she could not type, Estrada used transcription software to produce a blog called Ana for a death with dignity, where she discussed her struggles and her decision to seek euthanasia. Advertisement I am no longer free, she said in an interview with the Associated Press in 2018. I am not the same person I was before. With the help of Perus Human Rights Ombudsman, Estrada won a lawsuit that gave her the right to die with euthanasia. From her bed, she participated in court sessions through video conferences. Estrada told judges in 2022 that she valued life, and did not want to die immediately, but wanted to have the freedom to decide when to end her life. I want to accede to euthanasia when I can no longer sustain suffering in life, she said. And when I decide to bid farewell to my loved ones in peace and with tranquility. Advertisement Only a handful of countries have legalized euthanasia, including Canada, Belgium and Spain. Some U.S. states including Maine and Oregon allow physician-assisted suicide, where a doctor provides a terminally ill patient with the means to end life. Euthanasia is illegal in most Latin American countries, except for Colombia, which legalized it in 2015 and Ecuador, which decriminalized the practice in February. With inputs from The Associated Press Recent days have seen Guangdong hit by torrential rains, which have swollen waterways and stoked concerns of major floods that may be seen around once a century according to official media read more An aerial view of flooded buildings and streets after heavy rains in Qingyuan city, in Chinas southern Guangdong province. AFP More than 100,000 people have been evacuated in southern China due to heavy rain and catastrophic floods, with the government issuing its worst rainfall warning for the region on Tuesday. Recent days have seen Guangdong hit by torrential rains, which have swollen waterways and stoked concerns of major floods that may be seen around once a century according to official media. The megacity of Shenzhen was among the locations classified as receiving heavy to very heavy downpours on Tuesday, the citys meteorological observatory reported, adding that the potential of flash floods was very high. Advertisement Images from Qingyuan, a city in northern Guangdong that is part of the low-lying Pearl River Delta, showed a structure nearly fully drowned in a flooded park adjacent to a river. More than 45,000 people were evacuated from Qingyuan, which is located on the Bei River tributary, according to official media reports on Sunday. According to state news agency Xinhua, 110,000 residents in Guangdong have been displaced since the downpours began over the weekend. Four people have perished thus far, and ten remain missing, according to official media. Climate change caused by human-emitted greenhouse gases increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather occurrences, with China being the worlds largest emitter. Aerial shots from the province showed brown gashes in the side of a hill the aftermath of landslides that had occurred behind a town on the banks of a swollen river. Soldiers could be seen operating excavators in an attempt to clear away the muddy debris produced by the downpour. Take precautions Guangdong is Chinas manufacturing heartland, home to around 127 million people. Please quickly take precautions and stay away from dangerous areas such as low-lying areas prone to flooding, authorities in Shenzhen said in issuing Tuesdays red alert. Advertisement Pay attention to heavy rains and resulting disasters such as waterlogging, flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and ground caving in. Heavy rain is expected to continue in Shenzhen for the next two to three hours, authorities said. In recent years China has been hit by severe floods, grinding droughts and record heat. That has meant that authorities are typically very quick to deploy, making casualties much lower than in previous decades. Last September Shenzhen experienced the heaviest rains since records began in 1952, while the nearby semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong saw its heaviest rainfall in nearly 140 years. Asia was the worlds most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations has said, with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses. According to a statement, President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis for a conference during which he promised to strengthen military industry ties, including cooperative weapon manufacture read more Polish soldiers stand near K9 howitzers, delivered in the first batch of arms from South Korea under contracts signed in recent months, during a military drill at a military range in Wierzbiny near Orzysz, Poland. Reuters File Romanian and South Korean leaders pledged on Tuesday to strengthen their defence sector collaboration as Seoul attempts to become the worlds fourth-largest arms exporter and amid rumours of massive new contracts being negotiated. According to a statement, President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis for a conference during which he promised to strengthen military industry ties, including cooperative weapon manufacture. Shin Won-sik, the defence minister of South Korea, welcomed Pawel Bejda, the deputy defence minister of Poland, separately, amidst rumours of an upcoming contract for Hanwha Aerospace to provide more weaponry and talks on funding. Advertisement South Korea has emerged as a major player in global defence exports, with Russias invasion of Ukraine opening the door for its industries to sign large-scale contracts from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. South Koreas major defence manufacturer, Hanwha Aerospace, is working on a deal worth 1 trillion won ($725.7 million) to supply K9 howitzer to Romania in what would be the first defence contract with that country, the Korea Economic Daily reported this year. Hanwha declined to comment on the report. The company said during an earnings conference call in February it would announce a weapons export deal with Romania in the first quarter, but there was no announcement. Last year the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Romanias state-run defence company to export its K9 self-propelled howitzer and infantry fighting vehicle. Poland, which has been ramping up defence spending, has agreed to buy $22 billion worth of weapons from South Korea in the countrys largest ever arms sale. On Tuesday, South Koreas Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported, citing defence industry sources, that Poland would sign a contract this week for 70 additional Chunmoo rocket artillery units worth $1.6 billion to be supplied by Hanwha Aerospace. Hanwha declined to comment on the Dong-a report. The visit by the defence delegation from Warsaw comes as the two countries have worked to expand South Koreas financing of the weapons purchases. Statutory caps on credit to facilitate such deals have acted as a constraint. Advertisement In February, South Koreas parliament voted to ease restrictions on the state export financing bank, which could aid in negotiations for the second phase of the deal with Poland, sources have said. Poland has already agreed to buy more than 150 K9 howitzers for $2.6 billion and 288 Chunmoo rocket launchers. It has separately agreed to buy K2 tanks manufactured by Hyundai Rotem and fighter jets from Korea Aerospace Industries. The incident comes hours after dozens of pupils were arrested at New York University for carrying out protests at an anti-Israel liberated zone set up on campus read more After the US, pro-Palestinian protests have reached Australian universities. On Tuesday, a video of students holding anti-Israeli demonstrations at the Sydney University went viral. The incident comes hours after dozens of pupils were arrested at New York University for carrying out protests at an anti-Israel liberated zone set up on campus. BREAKING: Students for Palestine start an occupation of Sydney University in Australia.@V24Investigates pic.twitter.com/AndrRmjPJB Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) April 23, 2024 Advertisement In the video, students can be heard chanting Free Palestine. What happened at NYU? The NYPD late on Monday began their drive to clear out the liberated zone created by supporters of the Palestinian cause inside the NYU campus. NYUs Global Campus Safety said in a post on Instagram that the student protestors had breached the barriers set up at Gould Plaza, Fountain Walker. The one safety requirement we made was that no additional protestors could enter Gould Plaza. With the breach of the barricades early this afternoon, that requirement was violated, and we witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, the university said in a statement. Ports emerge as centre of pro-Palestinian protests In Australia, ports have emerged as the centre of pro-Palestinian rallies. Protestors here have targeted ships and vessels found to have links with Israel. I have family in Gaza and they have nowhere to go in the bombarded prison it has become, said Tasnim Mahmoud Sammak, a member of the Free Palestine Melbourne community. A number of activists and protestors have also faced arrests owing to their demonstrations. In exchange for large sums of money, the Tainan branch of the Taiwan High Court claimed that the two were induced by China to gather confidential defence documents since 2019 and recruit active servicemen to develop an organisation read more The Huangs were paid NT$1.7 million ($52,160) for spying for China, and it was claimed that they "disregarded national security" and that money had been seized Image Courtesy Reuters A Taiwanese father and son have both been handed eight years in prison for gathering secret military data and attempting to create a spying organization for China. In recent years, Beijing has increased political and military pressure on Taiwan, which it says is its own. Following a civil war, the two sides parted ways in 1949 and have been spies on one another ever since. In exchange for large sums of money, the Tainan branch of the Taiwan High Court claimed that the two were induced by China to gather confidential defence documents since 2019 and recruit active servicemen to develop an organisation. Advertisement It added in a statement that businessmen Huang Lung-lung and his son Huang Sheng-yu, who were previously located in China, were found guilty of buying off two soldiers from an air defense and missile unit in order to get them to divulge sensitive military intelligence. The soldiers, a lieutenant and a sergeant, were also given prison terms of seven and six years, respectively, by the court. The type of information that was released was not further described. The Huangs were paid NT$1.7 million ($52,160) for spying for China, and it was claimed that they disregarded national security and that money had been seized. The two were still at large while an appeal against the decision might be considered. The latest in a recent spate of eavesdropping cases on the island was the sentencing on Tuesday. In November, ten soldiers were charged with espionage for China; two of them had recorded a video in which they promised to surrender to the Chinese military. In October, a former air force colonel was found guilty of espionage for Beijing and giving out sensitive national security data, earning him a 20-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, Qatars Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said that there is no basis for Hamas to end its presence in Doha, especially at a time when the country is mediating deals between Israel and the terrorist group read more Is Hamas moving quarters from Qatar? Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not think so, saying that he has not seen any signs of shifting from Dohas part too. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Hamas recently sought permission from two regional governments if they could host the terrorist organisation as they plan to move their headquarters from Qatar. Meanwhile, Hamas has also had an office in Turkey since 2011. Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, have been lodging in Qatar since 2012. Advertisement Meanwhile, the WSJ said that in case Hamas moves out of Qatar, negotiating with them would become more difficult. No justification to end Hamass presence in Doha Meanwhile, Qatar seems to be disapproving of Hamass decision to shift from Doha. Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said that there is no basis for Hamas to end its presence in Doha, especially at a time when the country is mediating deals between Israel and the terrorist group. Ansari added that while Qatar remains committed to mediation, the country reiterates that it is reassessing its role in frustration with attacks on its efforts. Erdogan-Haniyeh meet Over the weekend, Turkish President Erdogan met Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul where the former urged Palestinians to unite amid Israels war in Gaza. Erdogan said Palestinian unity was vital following the talks at the Dolmabahce palace on the banks of the Bosphorus strait, which Turkish media reports said lasted more than two and a half hours. The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity, Erdogan said, according to a Turkish presidency statement. French police have said that the migrants were found dead at the Wimereux beach in northern France. The coastguard confirmed that the five individuals made a failed attempt at crossing the Channel as authorities were met with their lifeless bodies at the beach read more As many as five migrants, including one child, died in northern France on Tuesday as they were trying to cross the English Channel. French police have said that the migrants were found dead at the Wimereux beach in northern France. The coastguard confirmed that the five individuals made a failed attempt at crossing the Channel as authorities were met with their lifeless bodies at the beach. According to the French newspaper La Voix du Nord, helicopters and rescue boats were dispatched to the area to conduct searches. Advertisement Following the incident, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said, These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives. This Government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people smuggling gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk. These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives. This Government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people smuggling gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk. https://t.co/KtEYCDzJBi James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) April 23, 2024 The deaths of one child, a woman and three men occurred on an overcrowded small boat carrying around 110 people attempting to cross one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The French coastguard was still searching for survivors. After becoming initially stranded on the shore, the boat set out to sea again. A crowd movement apparently occurred in the overloaded boat, causing several victims, a coastguard official said. Advertisement The accident took place after the British Parliament passed legislation that would allow the government to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda rather than stay in Britain for processing. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak singled out an axis of authoritarian states in an apparent reference to Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China, and said we cannot be complacent at a time when the world is most dangerous in decades read more The United Kingdom will put its military industry on a war footing and increase its defence spending to 2.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 amid the Russian challenge to Europe, announced Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday. During a visit to Polands capital Warsaw, Sunak also announced British military funding of 500 million ($617 million) to Ukraine as its fight against the invading Russian forces grinds on in the third year. The announcement comes days after the US House of Representatives cleared a $61 billion aid package to Ukraine, which is expected to be passed by the Senate later this week. Advertisement Sunak was in Poland to meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. In the second leg of the visit, Sunak will go to Berlin where he will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday. We must do more to defend ourselves as our enemies align: Sunak In a speech with NATO chief Stoltenberg by his side, Sunak said they must do more to defend themselves as adversaries join ranks. Sunak singled out an axis of authoritarian states in an apparent reference to Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China, and said that we cannot be complacent at a time when the world is most dangerous in decades. In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the cold war, we cannot be complacent. As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values. Today is a turning point for European security and a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom. It is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad, said Sunak, according to AFP. While Sunak welcomed the advancing of the $61 billion Ukraine aid package in the US Congress, he said it does not take away from the need for Europeans to invest in their own security. Sunaks pledge to boost British defence spending comes at a time when the continent is alarmed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what they perceive to be Russian expansionism. The increasing alignment of Russia and China is also a concern as much of the West sees China has their principal strategic rival. Advertisement UKs defence spending to increase by 75 billion The military spending plan outlined by Sunak means that the UK will spend a cumulative extra 75 billion on core defence funding till 2030, according to a report in The Guardian. Sunak described the commitment as the biggest strengthening of our national defence in a generation. The plan will put the UK as among the top defence spenders among the NATO countries. The NATO countries have pledged to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence. The Guardian reported that the UK currently spends 2.32% of GDP on defence. The plan announced by Sunak includes an additional 10 billion over the next decade on munitions production, further pledges to reform defence procurement, and the creation of a new defence innovation agency with at least 5% of the defence budget to be committed to research and development, according to the report. The British aid convoy will deliver around 2,800 firefighting pieces to Ukraine comprising ladders, boats, breathing kits, road traffic collision equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE) read more The United Kingdom is sending the largest aid convoy so far to Ukraine containing firefighting aid. The convoy is set to depart on April 30. The Ukrainian firefighting infrastructure has suffered significant damage in the Russian attacks since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In more than two years, Russia has regularly targeted the critical systems of Ukraine such as firefighting and power infrastructures. Around 400 fire stations have been destroyed and 91 firefighters have been killed in over two years of war, according to figures released by Home Office. Advertisement UK to 2,800 firefighting pieces of aid to Ukraine The British aid convoy will deliver around 2,800 firefighting pieces to Ukraine, according to PA news agency. The aid will be delivered by 33 fire engines and more than 100 volunteers from 15 fire departments across the country and the NGO Fire Aid, as per the report. The firefighting aid to be delivered comprises ladders, boats, breathing kits, road traffic collision equipment, fire and water protective personal equipment (PPE), and safe working at height kits. So far, the UK has sent six tranches of aid to Ukraine by road and rail in a similar manner, according to BBC News. Impact of our donations to Ukraine clear David ONeill, Dhair of the NGO Fire Aid, has said that the impact the British donations have had in Ukraine is clear. The organisation is part of the efforts to deliver firefighting aid to Ukraine. The impact that our donations are already having in Ukraine is clear, but it provides more than physical protection for firefighters; it shows they are not alone and gives them hope and courage to continue risking their own lives to save others, said ONeill, as per PA. Separately, National Fire Chiefs Council Chairman Mark Hardingham said the efforts to bring this equipment together and get it to where it is needed most demonstrates the very best of UK fire and rescue services, according to BBC. Advertisement Home Office Minister Chris Philip dubbed the Russian invasion of Ukraine as barbaric and said every Western country must do everything it can to defeat the Russian invasion. The Home Office is sponsoring the convoy. Putins barbaric invasion of Ukraine has taken a toll on the brave people of Ukraines fire and rescue services, who have not just seen their equipment and buildings decimated, but (it has) also led to the loss of many heroic firefighters lives. We are now in the third year of this senseless conflict and todays donation shows our determination to support the people of Ukraine remains as strong as ever. Every western country must do everything they possibly can big and small to help Ukraine defeat Russias invasion. We cannot allow aggression to win," said Philip, as per PA. A copy of a letter signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha detailing the temporary suspension of consular services for men aged 18 to 60 who are located abroad was made public by the Ukrainian media outlet Dzerkalo Tyzhnia the day before read more Media reports claimed that services for men of military age were no longer provided by the Ukrainian consulates in Prague and Barcelona Image Courtesy AP Several Ukrainian consulates across Europe have announced a temporary suspension of their services for men of military age from the east European nation which is currently fighting an invasion by Russia. In a post on social media platform X on Monday, Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that he ordered measures to restore fair attitudes toward men of conscription age in Ukraine and abroad. A copy of a letter signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha detailing the temporary suspension of consular services for men aged 18 to 60 who are located abroad was made public by the Ukrainian media outlet Dzerkalo Tyzhnia the day before. Advertisement Media reports claimed that services for men of military age were no longer provided by the Ukrainian consulates in Prague and Barcelona. The action was taken a week after Ukraine finally approved a contentious mobilization statute in an effort to strengthen its military forces. Due to a labor crisis, Ukraine was forced to implement particularly harsh penalties for anyone who were thought to be avoiding the draft. Men of fighting age who have fled the nation throughout the conflict have also come under fire from Kuleba. How it looks like now: a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state, Kuleba said. It does not work this way. Our country is at war. Staying abroad does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the Homeland. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the BBC projected in November 2023 that about 650,000 men of military age from Ukraine had deserted the country for the EU. With a few exceptions, men in Ukraine between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the nation while martial law is in effect because they might be drafted into the military. Advertisement Kuleba stated that further clarifications on the procedure for obtaining consular services within the legal framework for men of conscription age would be provided shortly by the Foreign Ministry. The US State Department, in its annual human rights assessment, claimed that more than 60,000 people were displaced in Manipur between May and November last year read more The seal of the United States Department of State is seen in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017. REUTERS The US State Department in its annual human rights assessment claimed that there were significant abuses in Manipur last year and attacks on minorities, journalists and dissenting voices in the rest of India. What did US State Department report said about Manipur? In its report, the State Department claimed that more than 60,000 people were displaced in northeastern state of Manipur between May and November last year. It further said more than 200 people were killed in fierce fighting between tribal Kuki-Zo and majority Meitei populations after a court order suggested that Kukis minority privileges be extended to the Meitei. Advertisement Urge India to uphold human rights obligations, commitment Commenting after the release of the report, Robert S Gilchrist, senior official from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, told reporters that India and the US regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues. We strongly encourage, urge India to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. We also regularly meet with civil society representatives both in the US and India to hear their perspectives, and those sorts of perspectives inform the human rights report, and we encourage the government of India to consult and meet regularly with civil society organisations representing a diversity of people, Gilchrist further said. So, there are a number of steps. It remains a key component of our not just our dialogue but in terms of our engagement with India, he added. US claims of attacks on minorities in India The US State Department report further claimed in the rest of India, numerous instances were reported in which the government and its allies allegedly pressured or harassed media outlets critical of the government. The US in its assessment further claimed that religious minorities in India reported discrimination including calls for violence and spread of misinformation. Advertisement The claims have, however, been shunned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in India, which has been denying abuse of minorities and stating that the policies by the government aim to benefit all Indians. According to a report by Reuters, political analysts say Washington has restrained in its public criticism of New Delhi because the US hopes India will act as a counterweight to an expansionist China. With inputs from agencies The aid package, totaling $95 billion in military assistance to US allies, including allocations for Israel and Taiwan alongside the $61 billion designated for Ukraine, is expected to reach President Joe Bidens desk for approval by the end of the week read more The US Senate is poised to vote on a substantial aid package for Ukraine Tuesday, following broad bipartisan approval in the House of Representatives after months of negotiations. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed Saturday that an agreement had been reached for a vote on Tuesday, highlighting the urgency of the situation. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell echoed Schumers sentiment, saying The task before us is urgent. It is once again the Senates turn to make history. Advertisement The aid package, totaling $95 billion in military assistance to US allies, including allocations for Israel and Taiwan alongside the $61 billion designated for Ukraine, is expected to reach President Joe Bidens desk for approval by the end of the week. Unlike the challenges faced in the House, the Senate vote is anticipated to proceed more smoothly, devoid of the complex negotiations and disputes that characterized the process in the Republican-controlled chamber. President Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the swift arrival of assistance during a phone call on Monday, underscoring the critical support as Ukraine continues its ongoing battle against Russias invasion amid shortages of weapons and recruits. And circumstances are expected to worsen on the frontlines in the coming weeks, with Ukrainian intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov predicting a rather difficult situation beginning mid-May. - Security investment - Zelensky, after his conversation with Biden, said he is counting on the speedy delivery of a powerful aid shipment to strengthen Ukraines air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities. The debate over Ukraine aid has highlighted wide divisions between Democrats and Republicans in Congress but it has also revealed deep fissures within the conservative movement ahead of Novembers presidential match-up between Biden and Donald Trump. Advertisement Many lawmakers waved Ukrainian flags in the US House chamber after the vote Saturday but were met with boos from Trump-allied Republicans. Biden and the Democrats like to frame Ukraine aid as an investment in US security against Russian aggression. But Republicans have been hesitant, wary of sending money overseas, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has spent much of his six-month tenure blocking a vote on economic and military aid for Ukraine. He told reporters how he finally came around: To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys. My son is going to begin in the Naval Academy this fall. Advertisement In addition to money for Ukraine, Tuesdays vote will also decide on $13 billion for Israels war with Hamas, more than $9 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and elsewhere and $8 billion in military support for Taiwan as it faces down China. With inputs from AFP Homeless advocates argue that such bans constitute cruel and unusual punishment, violating the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution, particularly when there are no alternative sleeping options available read more The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday regarding whether cities have the authority to ban homeless individuals from sleeping outside, amid a nationwide surge in homelessness and limited shelter availability. The case revolves around regulations implemented in Grants Pass, Oregon, which prohibited camping or the use of bedding on public property due to overcrowding in public parks with tents, blankets, and cardboard shelters. Violators of the ban face fines and potential imprisonment for repeated offenses. Advertisement Homeless advocates argue that such bans constitute cruel and unusual punishment, violating the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution, particularly when there are no alternative sleeping options available. The decision of the nine Supreme Court justices, expected by June 30, carries significant implications as the country grapples with a record 653,100 homeless individuals, according to a 2023 count. According to Kelsi Corkran, representing the homeless, the ordinances effectively make it impossible for homeless individuals to reside in Grants Pass without facing fines and imprisonment, thereby shifting the citys homelessness issue to neighboring jurisdictions. In defense of Grants Pass, lawyer Theane Evangelis argued that the citys penalties are not uncommon and serve to address public order concerns. This court should reverse and end the Ninth Circuits failed experiment, Evangelis told the justices, referring to the appellate court which in 2022 blocked the citys regulations. Evangelis said the 2022 ruling had fueled the spread of encampments while harming those it purports to protect. Grants Pass, population 40,000, does not have a municipal homeless shelter and instead relies on private charities. Asked by Chief Justice John Roberts what the city would do if its appeal failed at the Supreme Court, Evangelis said its hands will be tied. Advertisement It will be forced to surrender its public spaces, she added. Roberts said that the citys ban was not necessarily a criminalization of homeless status since this could change, and instead was about conduct. You can remove the homeless status in an instant if you move to a shelter or situations otherwise change and of course it can be moved the other way as well if youre kicked out of the shelter, Roberts said. Elena Kagan, one of three liberal justices on the conservative-dominated bench, reproached the city authorities for criminalizing a biological necessity. You could say breathing is conduct too, but presumably, you would not think that its okay to criminalize breathing in public. And for a homeless person who has no place to go, sleeping in public is kind of like breathing in public. Advertisement In addition to poverty, drug addiction and a lack of shelter beds propelling homelessness, economists argue the countrys market-rate housing stock is woefully behind target leaving the United States short of millions of homes needed to meet demand and increasing prices for existing housing. With inputs from AFP Chinese police launch campaign to hunt down economic fugitives abroad Xinhua) 14:39, April 23, 2024 BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Public Security has made plans for this year's campaign to apprehend economic fugitives who have absconded overseas, according to the ministry. In a bid to safeguard national security and social stability, the campaign, code-named "Fox Hunt 2024," is expected to intensify the counter-corruption campaign, and forestall and defuse major risks, the ministry said. Over 10 consecutive years, since 2014, China's "Fox Hunt" operations have seen over 9,000 economic fugitives captured in over 120 countries and regions, and retrieved economic losses valued at nearly 49 billion yuan (about 6.8 billion U.S. dollars). (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Australian journalist Avani Dias on Tuesday claimed that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar had crossed a line read more A banner with the image of Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, site of his June 2023 killing, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Reuters File Australian journalist Avani Dias on Tuesday claimed that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar had crossed a line. Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting "crossed a line". After Australian Government intervention, I got a mere two-month extension ...less than 24 hours before my flight. 1/2 Avani Dias (@AvaniDias) April 22, 2024 Advertisement Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), said she had to leave India on April 19, the day the Lok Sabha elections started after the government objected to her reporting on Nijjar. Nijjar was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in Canadas Surrey on 18 June. The relationship between India and Canada soured following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus accusations of Indian complicity in the killing of the Khalistani terrorist on Canadian soil. Taking to X, Dias wrote, Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting crossed a line. We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls the mother of democracy, said Dias, who had been working in India for the past two-and-a-half years. We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls "the mother of democracy. Hear more on our podcast Looking for Modi: https://t.co/rn6wTkdI21 Avani Dias (@AvaniDias) April 22, 2024 Advertisement She said after intervention from the Australian government, her visa was extended for two months which was conveyed less than 24 hours before my flight. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said Dias was informed of the decision by an official from the Ministry of External Affairs, who said her most recent Foreign Correspondent episode crossed a line. ABC said YouTube has also blocked access in India to an episode of its news series Foreign Correspondent on the Nijjar killing. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024. amasan1 at 23-04-2024 08:25 PM (5 months ago) (m) The management of the University of Nigeria (UNN) has suspended lecturer, Mfonobong David Udoudom, a lecturer in its General Studies division, who was filmed after being accused of trying to sleep with a married woman. The management of the University of Nigeria (UNN) has suspended lecturer, Mfonobong David Udoudom, a lecturer in its General Studies division, who was filmed after being accused of trying to sleep with a married woman. Recall that Udoudom, from Akwa Ibom, was caught pants down while allegedly trying to have sex with the married student in his office located at the GSP complex on Monday, April 22. It was gathered that the lecturer allegedly demanded sex for grades from the student in exchange for grades. The student informed her husband and with the help of the Dean of Students Affairs and school security, they set a trap for the lecturer and caught him red-handed. Acting Public Relations Officer of the University, Dr Okwun Omeaku, in a statement on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, disclosed that the indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel constituted by the University to investigate the incident. The management of the University of Nigeria has suspended Mr (not a Professor) Mfonobong David Udoudom, a lecturer in our General Studies division, who was caught in a video allegedly harassing a female student, the statement read. "The indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel constituted by the University to investigate the incident. Acting Public Relations Officer of the University Okwun Omeaku, in a statement disclosed that the indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel constituted by the University to investigate the incident. For the records, the University of Nigeria has a zero tolerance for segxwal misconducts involving our staff and students "UNN is among the few universities in the country that has a segxwal Harassment Policy, which guides the relationship between our staff and students in particular and among our male and female staff As a university, we are committed to protecting our students from any form of abuse and exploitation, and the University Management will not hesitate to punish Mr Mfonobong David Udoudom, according to our rules, if he is found guilty by our disciplinary panel. Recall that Udoudom, from Akwa Ibom, was caught pants down while allegedly trying to have sex with the married student in his office located at the GSP complex on Monday, April 22.It was gathered that the lecturer allegedly demanded sex for grades from the student in exchange for grades.The student informed her husband and with the help of the Dean of Students Affairs and school security, they set a trap for the lecturer and caught him red-handed.Acting Public Relations Officer of the University, Dr Okwun Omeaku, in a statement on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, disclosed that the indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel constituted by the University to investigate the incident.The management of the University of Nigeria has suspended Mr (not a Professor) Mfonobong David Udoudom, a lecturer in our General Studies division, who was caught in a video allegedly harassing a female student, the statement read."The indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel constituted by the University to investigate the incident.Acting Public Relations Officer of the University Okwun Omeaku, in a statement disclosed that the indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel constituted by the University to investigate the incident.For the records, the University of Nigeria has a zero tolerance for segxwal misconducts involving our staff and students"UNN is among the few universities in the country that has a segxwal Harassment Policy, which guides the relationship between our staff and students in particular and among our male and female staffAs a university, we are committed to protecting our students from any form of abuse and exploitation, and the University Management will not hesitate to punish Mr Mfonobong David Udoudom, according to our rules, if he is found guilty by our disciplinary panel. Post Reply I am an investigative reporter at Gistmania, I conduct fact-finding investigative journalism. Posted: at 23-04-2024 08:25 PM (5 months ago) | Hero U.S. Navy Participates in NATO's Sea Shield 2024 in Constanta, Romania US Navy 20 April 2024 From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs CONSTANTA, Romania -- U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft joined NATO's exercise Sea Shield 2024, hosted by the Romanian Navy this week. The exercise kicked off in Constanta, Romania, April 15, and continues through the 21st. Sea Shield is a Black Sea-focused annual exercise, aimed at strengthening tactical interoperability and collaboration among the naval forces of participating nations. This year's exercise focuses on the seamless integration of conventional and unconventional warfare techniques, enhancing the proficiency of naval units and staff in executing complex maritime operations. This year's participants include Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and United States. Sea Shield aims to bolster mutual understanding and trust, reinforcing defense cooperation among allies. The exercise serves as a platform to refine NATO maritime command and control (C2) procedures and improve communication channels, ensuring cohesive operational tactics among member nations. During this year's exercise, Commander, Task Force 67 conducted two sorties flown by Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 45. These missions were crucial in testing and enhancing the communications systems, demonstrating effective coordination between the United States and its NATO partners in real-time operational scenarios. U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa is actively involved in maintaining security throughout the region. NAVEUR-NAVAF and U.S. 6th Fleet routinely conduct exercises with Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkiye, and other Black Sea partner nations, training maritime readiness and increasing interoperability capabilities. Commander, Task Force 68 routinely works with Allied and partner nations to construct logistics infrastructure, while training and exercising demining techniques throughout the region. Commander, Task Force 67's deploys maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8 Poseidon, to conduct patrols over the Black Sea and surrounding region. For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 21 USCENTCOM Conducts Humanitarian Airdrop into Gaza U.S. Central Command Press Release | April 21, 2024 USCENTCOM April 21,2024 Release Number 20240421- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAMPA, Fla. -- U.S. Central Command conducted a humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on April 21, 2024, at 11:56 A.M. (Gaza time) to provide essential relief to civilians in Gaza affected by the ongoing conflict. The joint operation included four U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft. The U.S. C-130's dropped 50,688 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in Northern Gaza. To date the U.S. has dropped nearly 1,001 tons of humanitarian assistance. During today's mission one bundle landed in the sea. USCENTCOM does not assess civilian harm or damage to infrastructure at this time but continues to monitor the situation. The DoD humanitarian airdrops contribute to ongoing U.S. and partner-nation government efforts to alleviate human suffering. These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial deliveries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kosovo*: Its Footnote Is Both A Blessing And A Curse By Doruntina Baftiu April 21, 2024 For years, a simple asterisk affixed to the word Kosovo on official international documents and reports has eased diplomatic life for the fledgling country and former Serbian region. That asterisk, which leads to a footnote stating that Kosovo's status still remains to be resolved under tenets of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, was described in 2012 by top Kosovar diplomat Edita Tahiri as a snowflake, but a snowflake that was about to melt. But even today, 12 years later, this little piece of bureaucratic annotation stubbornly remains, adorning documents and press releases on Kosovo. It is a reminder that Kosovo's final status remains unresolved largely due to talks that have dragged on for years on normalizing ties with Serbia, which has never recognized Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence. The declaration came after a bloody war in 1998 and 1999 between ethnic Albanians and Serbs and then a UN administration that lasted until the independence declaration in 2008. More than 100 UN members have recognized Kosovo's independence, but others have not, including several EU states, plus Russia and, of course, Serbia, which has worked actively to block Kosovo from joining any international organizations. Widespread acceptance by the UN is no guarantee of statehood. Palestine has been recognized by more than 130 states at the UN but is not formally recognized as such. After 2012, the practice of adding the asterisk was soon adopted by other international organizations. According to analysts, the annotation has allowed states and organizations, even ones that don't recognize Kosovo's independence, to engage and cooperate with Pristina. "Since the status of Kosovo is the most sensitive issue in this conflict between Belgrade and Pristina, if [that] is left aside with a footnote, then the UN can work on other things, from the state building of Kosovo to the peace-building process between Kosovo and Serbia," said Pol Bargues, senior researcher at the Barcelona Center for International Relations, in comments to RFE/RL's Balkan Service. This seemingly simple stroke also enabled Kosovo to cooperate with countries that did not recognize its independence, explained political analyst Donika Emini, and actually facilitated the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union. That key pact, widely regarded as the first step toward eventual EU membership, was signed by Pristina and Brussels in 2015. The Vote In The Council Of Europe The use of the "snowflake" came up again recently when the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted on April 16 to recommend membership for Kosovo, a potential move deemed a major milestone in the young country's international integration. That came after a recommendation from Council of Europe rapporteur Dora Bakoyannis, who drafted the "statutory opinion" recommending Kosovo's accession. In that document, Bakoyannis, whose own country, Greece, is one of five members of the EU not to recognize Kosovo as independent, actually makes mention of the asterisk, or footnote, as "obsolete." "The organization can no longer follow its neutral policy toward [Kosovo's] status once Kosovo is accepted as a member. As a result, the use of the footnote would not be necessary, thus rendering the current practice obsolete," it read. PACE voted 131 to 29 in favor of Kosovo's accession, with 11 abstentions. Before the April 16 vote took place, the representative from Kosovo's parliament, Enis Kervan, urged PACE members to vote in favor of the report's recommendation. "Membership of Kosovo in the Council of Europe is...a tangible step toward ensuring access to justice for all our citizens," said Kervan, a Kosovar parliamentary deputy from the Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo. The head of Serbia's delegation to the Council of Europe, Biljana Pantic Pilja, sharply opposed the report, pointing out that the establishment of a community of Serb municipalities -- a key sticking point -- is still an unfulfilled obligation on the part of Kosovo. "If you allow so-called Kosovo to join the Council of Europe without prior establishment of the Community of Serb Majority Municipalities -- the Community of Serb Majority Municipalities will never be established," said Pilja from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. A final decision on whether Kosovo is admitted to the Council of Europe will be made by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, a vote that is expected next month. Kosovo applied to join the council in May 2022, after Russia was expelled following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kosovo's chances improved in March when the government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti granted 24 hectares of disputed land in western Kosovo to a Serbian Orthodox monastery, ending an eight-year stalemate that had harmed the country's reputation for protecting minority rights. The Council of Europe has 46 member states, including all of the EU's own 27 members. What Is The Footnote Agreement? On February 24, 2012, within the dialogue for the normalization of relations, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on regional representation, which later became known as the "footnote agreement." Based on that, the asterisk would be addended to any mention of Kosovo in official documents. Doing so would allow Kosovo to be represented on the regional and international stages. Asterisk-designated Kosovo appeared on documents from the UN, EU, and other international institutions in the first years after Belgrade and Pristina reached agreement on it in 2012. However, that usage has slipped somewhat in recent years, with the asterisk, for example, not visible on resolutions of the European Parliament, or in the documents of the Ohrid Agreement, a 2023 deal on normalizing ties between Serbia and Kosovo. EU spokesman Peter Stano told RFE/RL that the asterisk is used in "all EU documents that reflect the official policies and positions of the EU" but not in the body's various statements to the media. The annotation is sometimes forgotten and sometimes left out of documents on purpose, said researcher Bargues, but "EU member states that do not recognize Kosovo, like Spain, always use it." Why Does It Matter? While the asterisk may be on its way out, Emini said it will only vanish completely once Serbia and Kosovo come to an agreement on normalizing their ties. "Until there is another agreement, it will remain, because it also reflects the status of Kosovo in the international system as a state without a seat in the UN," said Emini. Ker-Lindsay, who in 2012 wrote an article about the meaning of the footnote, said that it still matters -- both to Kosovo and Serbia. "Kosovo is not fully recognized on the world stage. But, at the same time, for Serbia, it represents a sign that Kosovo is not Serbia," said Ker-Lindsay. Bargues, meanwhile, argues that the degree to which foreign states and institutions have cooperated with Kosovo has made the footnote only a "formality." "The interaction with Kosovo reveals that these states that have not yet recognized Kosovo are gradually taking steps toward accepting Kosovo, even if they still use the footnote. The fact that Spain allowed visa liberalization is another step," he explained. Spain is one of the five EU countries -- along with Romania, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Greece -- that do not recognize Kosovo's independence. Earlier, Spain did not recognize Kosovar passports but changed its stance after the liberalization of visas for Kosovo on January 1 of this year, thus enabling Kosovars to travel to Spain. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-independence- asterisk-serbia-recognition/32912630.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 April 22, 2024 Transcript Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an Off-Camera, On-the-Record Press Briefing MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: All right, just a few things. First of all, happy Passover to those of you who celebrate. Secretary switching gears here, Secretary Austin, as you know, lauded the passage of the National Security Supplemental by the House of Representatives on Saturday. He issued a statement, which we have posted to the DOD website, underscoring how the legislation will make America more secure and save lives. We, of course, remain hopeful for a good passage by the Senate and subsequent signing into law. Separately, as I mentioned last week, Secretary Austin and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will host the Ukraine Defense Contact Group virtually on Friday of this week. This will be the 21st Contact Group meeting since the first session exactly two years ago. And I would say that it's notable that despite Russia's assumptions that the international community would fragment and lose interest in super supporting Ukraine over time, the opposite has been true, and some of and the some-50 nations of the UDCG have remained unified and resolute in our support for the Ukraine, plus you've seen the NATO alliance reflect the defense expand, underscoring international consensus that Ukraine's security matters to the security of all of our nations. For planning purposes, there will be a joint press conference afterwards, so we'll keep you updated on that. Also, just a quick update on Niger. We can confirm the beginning of discussions between the U.S. and Niger for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. The department is providing a small delegation from the Pentagon and U.S. Africa Command to participate in the discussions. In terms of departure timing, we're not going to speculate and get ahead of discussions, so we'll keep you updated on additional details as we have them to provide. And finally, today is also Earth Day, and DOD has announced the Secretary of Defense Environmental Award winners for 2024. The awards recognize installations, teams and individuals for their exceptional achievements and effective environmental management strategies that enhance installation resilience and mission readiness. We've posted a release on the DOD website with the list of winners, and want to congratulate all of them for their notable achievement in this accomplishment. And with that, I'll take your questions. Lita? Q: Has there been any change at all to the troop levels in Niger at this point? GEN. RYDER: No, no. Q: Okay. And do you expect a PDA this week? GEN. RYDER: We, you know, first step in the process is getting the National Security Supplemental signed into law. As I mentioned last week, we are poised and ready to support Ukraine with additional security assistance, and also, of course, again, we're eager to see that be signed into law. I don't have any specifics to provide right now in terms of timing, other than to say, again, we recognize Ukraine has urgent needs. We've been in constant contact throughout with Ukraine, our allies and partners on what those needs are, and so we'll certainly keep you updated. Liz? Q: On the reports of attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, can you confirm that there was an attack at al-Asad? And then was there an attack at Rumalyn? GEN. RYDER: Yeah, on Rumalyn, what I can tell you is that yesterday, a coalition fighter destroyed a launcher in self-defense after reports of a failed rocket attack near the coalition base at Rumalyn in Syria. No U.S. personnel were injured. For any other details, I'd refer you to CENTCOM. On al-Asad, I've seen those reports. I know CENTCOM's looking into them. No indication whether or not, you know, those were targeting al-Asad based on the reports. But again, we'll have more to follow. Q: So Rumalyn, so is this the first attack on a U.S. base since February 4th? GEN. RYDER: Again, CENTCOM's looking into that, so I would refer you to them. Thanks. Q: So just to clarify on Niger, so the discussions have started, or they're or just somebody has been a team has been dispatched to begin the discussions? GEN. RYDER: Discussions have begun. Q: Okay. And then can you provide any details on the Israeli attack on Iran last week? And did the U.S. play any type of role on that? GEN. RYDER: Yeah, I don't have anything on that. Q: Yes, thank you. So what is your understanding of the situation in Iraq and Syria after Rumalyn? And I understand that initially there was a report that K.H. issued a statement announcing the resumption of attacks on U.S. forces. Later that day I believe it was yesterday they denied issuing any statement. So what is your assessment of the situation? Are these, like, just one-off, you know, incidents, or do you have indication that U.S. forces will be under attack again? GEN. RYDER: Yeah, I honestly, Fadi, what I've provided is what I have, so I know CENTCOM's looking into those, you know. Once we have more to provide, we will, but whatever (inaudible) the facts as I know them right now. Q: Okay. On a separate topic, the reports about anticipated U.S. sanctions on the Israeli unit Netzah Yehuda in the West Bank, I know that I haven't you know, have been you have but was there any training or involvement of DOD in the activity of this unit prior to this anticipated announcement? GEN. RYDER: I don't have an answer to that question. You know, as it relates to the unit and what State Department has said in terms of potential sanctions, I'd have to refer you to them. GEN. RYDER: We can take the Q: Can you take the question, see if there was any relationship with this unit? GEN. RYDER: Sure, yeah, absolutely. Q: Thank you. Q: Thank you. Just to clarify on Niger, are is has there been agreement reached that U.S. troops will all leave? Or is that up for discussion? GEN. RYDER: No, it's like I highlighted, that we can confirm the beginning of discussions for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces. So again, more to follow; can't get ahead of those discussions at this point. Q: Has DOD been told to withdraw troops? GEN. RYDER: What I can say is that we can confirm the beginning of discussions, so for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces. So I'm not going to speak from here. Q: So it's just it's just very vague, and I just really would like to get some clarity on what that means. GEN. RYDER: Okay, yeah. Definitely will have more to follow. Obviously, that's kind of where we're at right now. Q: Yeah. Any update on the JLOTS do you have any idea if the Israeli side would have a role in controlling the project? When are we going to see the project done? GEN. RYDER: Yeah. So again, with the caveat we'll have much more to follow in the in the days ahead here, you know, relatively soon, we continue to assess that that JLOTS will become operational by the end of this month, or early May. In terms of security, as I've highlighted before, Israel has agreed to provide security on the ground in Gaza. Again, we'll have much more to provide on that. But now, when you said Israel will control, I mean, this is a U.S. military capability in terms of the causeway and the temporary pier that will be offshore and managing that. So the U.S. military will be managing the JLOTS system. Q: Without any Israeli footprint or cooperation? GEN. RYDER: In terms of management. I mean, it's a U.S. military capability. I mean, certainly, the Israelis, as I highlighted, will be supporting with Q: On shore? GEN. RYDER: on shore in terms of security, and as you know and we'll have more to follow. We'll we've made progress in terms of NGOs and working on the aid distribution portion. But again, I'm not going to get ahead of that. We'll have more in the coming days. All right, let me go to Missy and then I'll come to (inaudible). Q: Okay, just a quick follow-up to Fadi's question and then Joe's question. On the regarding the JLOTS, can you tell us, are the ships now in the Med? Are they still in transit or are they up in assembly)? GEN. RYDER: Yes, I don't Q: ...in initial assembly phases somewhere? GEN. RYDER: I don't I don't have a breakdown individually of ships. As I understand it, there are ships with JLOTS materials in theater standing by to begin construction. Again, I'll have more for you here in relatively near future. So, all the pieces and parts are nearly in place to begin the actual construction of the pier, but again Q: In theater would be in the Med, you mean? GEN. RYDER: Correct. Q: Okay, and then a follow-up on Fadi's question regarding if just to add to the taken question, if possible. So, you know, I know that State Department is has the lead on the Leahy designation. But there is because there is a DOD Leahy law, could you tell us whether or not there's any DOD participation in the evaluation of whether or not this does that include our other units would meet thegross violation determination? GEN. RYDER: Yes, well, we'll take that and add it to Fadi's question. Q: Thank you. GEN. RYDER: Go ahead, Bill. Q: A quick follow up on the pier, first of all. You said the Israelis are providing security. Who's going to be doing the anchoring, like when the pier has to be anchored to the beach, you know, or the shore, who's going to be doing that part? Is that the Israelis? And are you training the Israelis on how to carry out that part of the operation that was normally done by U.S. personnel? GEN. RYDER: Yes, so to make sure that we get you the most accurate information possible, what I don't want to do here is give a JLOTS operational briefing, other than to say, again, we are working with the Israelis. They will help play a role in terms of the security on the beach. We continue to conduct the planning with partners in the region in terms of, to your point, when the causeway is put onto the beach there will be no U.S. forces on the ground to receive the end of the causeway and to anchor it into the ground. So again, we'll have much more for you on that from here in the very near future. Q: And then on in Niger, you said, you know, when you were reading that, I know you have to keep close to the talking point on this one for now, but do you say GEN. RYDER: They're all in my words. Q: withdrawal. Well, then great. You said withdrawal, do you mean departure or withdrawal are those two words interchangeable? GEN. RYDER: Interchangeable. Q: Okay. Just doing the follow-up. So, you've had 24 hours since the attack in Syria. How come you can't say it that this was the first attack in a few months since the Iraqis have come up specific numbers? GEN. RYDER: Because the question specifically is, is it targeting U.S. forces. And as I understand it, in this particular case, you had a truck with rockets on it that was shooting rockets all over the place, some type of malfunction, failed rocket attack. And a coalition and aircraft took it out. So, you know, initial reports in all that, CENTCOM's going back and looking at this like what was this. What were they intending to do. And I just don't want to definitively say one way or another and make something up and give them the benefit of their analysis to provide you. Q: How close was the closest rocket to the base? GEN. RYDER: And again, I'd have to Q: General, was the truck inside Syria or Iraq? GEN. RYDER: I don't have that in front of me. Q: Okay. Q: Thanks. Has the government of Chad given the U.S. a formal eviction notice, saying that, you know, hey, you must your troops must leave this country? GEN. RYDER: Yes, thanks, Jeff. So, I'd refer to you State Department or the specifics. To my understanding that is not the case. There's discussions with Chad on in terms of the SOFA. But again, that's a question for State Department to Q: Is the DOD concerned at all that this coming after Niger shows that the U.S. military's presence in Africa is sign significantly diminishing? GEN. RYDER: Well, a couple things. So first of all, you know, at this time, to my knowledge, U.S. forces have not been asked to leave Chad, so don't want to get ahead of that. Second of all, you know, taking a step back here and looking at U.S. force presence in Africa, when it comes to counter-terrorism, we are going to continue to take counter-terror the terrorist threat seriously, and we're going to continue to work with partners throughout Africa on that front. You know, certainly, when it comes to places like Niger, we want to work with reliable partners to address the threat that affects countries and and citizens all throughout the region, and so we'll continue to work toward that. We'll continue to explore options to ensure that we can continue to conduct the kinds of counter-terrorism, advising, assisting and operations that we need to, so Q: Thanks, Pat. On Niger, can you speak at all to how much of a mission impact this withdrawal will have? GEN. RYDER: Well, as I just mentioned, if you look at the forest through the trees here, you know, obviously, there is a significant counter-terrorism consideration here throughout Western Africa, and it's something that we continue to work very hard on. So don't want to get ahead of the process here. We're in those discussions, but at the same time, we'll also continue to explore options on how we can ensure that we're able to continue to address potential counter or potential terrorist threats. Q: And just to follow up on that, has there been any conversation in terms of what's going to happen to the two bases in Niger if we withdraw? GEN. RYDER: Again, let's let these discussions take place, and we'll have more to follow. Q: Two follow-up questions. You said on Chad that there were discussions regarding U.S. force presence. Is that solely with State, or is DOD also involved? GEN. RYDER: State Department's got the lead as I understand, so I'll have to refer you to them. Q: And then also on exploring options for what the U.S. counter-terrorism mission could look like after a withdrawal occurs in Niger, what are those options? Could you go into that for us? GEN. RYDER: I really can't today, other than, again, you know, we obviously, this is something we've been looking at for a while, and as we have updates to provide, we will, so Q: Just to follow up on what you said about JLOTS, you said you have ships with JLOTS material in theater standing by. Is there some kind of holdup that they can't start initiating they can't initiate the construction? GEN. RYDER: No, I mean, you need to think of it like a checklist, right? So you're going to go in and you're going to set conditions to make sure that when you start to put this together, you have all the conditions right. It's sort of like when you've got your Lego set, you're not going to go to page five and start building that page. You know, you're going to start on page one, and you're going to go through the process in the right order so that when you implement it, all the things that need to be in place, to include security, distribution networks, all the agreements, everything's you know, the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. So I mean, this is, again, something that CENTCOM is working with JLOTS and all of the myriad partners involved to make sure that it's all done in the most effective and efficient way. Q: So those agreements are not set in stone yet? Is that what you're saying? And that's why they're standing by? GEN. RYDER: We are we're going through the checklist and and implementing it in order, and as I mentioned earlier, we're making progress on that front. Chris? Q: Thanks, Pat. I could I just clarify something on the fighter timeline and that rocket whatever was happening attack? Did this was this fighter up, and then responded to these rockets being fired? Or was this did these rockets fire, and then you guys took it out? Because in the past, there's been the dynamic GEN. RYDER: for that level of detail, I'd have to refer you to State. Q: Well, I mean, was this in a response to it or was this event happening and then the fighter happened? Because it's been or when they GEN. RYDER: Well, they clearly detected it, and so, took it out in self-defense. But, you know, again, I'd refer to you them for the timeline. Q: All right. GEN. RYDER: Anyone else? Q: Yes. Yes, I have a request and a follow-up. Can we get a briefing on the JLOT technology in more details on the capacity and exactly what they will be doing and how it's going to be set up and the whole operation specifically for that? GEN. RYDER: Yes, thanks, Fadi. Again, I'll take that request, and as I highlighted, I mean, we'll have much more information Q: Yes. Yes. GEN. RYDER: to provide here in the days ahead. Q: And then on Niger, is what is the thinking in the department? Are you looking for redeploying that force? And by the way, how many what is the size of the force right now in Niger? That you're looking to redeploy it somewhere in West Africa or take it out of the continent? GEN. RYDER: Yes, so right now, as you know, we have approximately 1,100 U.S. forces in Niger. Again, don't want to get ahead of the process other than to say we'll continue to explore options to address the terrorist threat as it relates to Nisahal in Western Africa and working with regional partners to help address that threat. So, don't have any additional, things to announce on that front, but we'll keep you updated. Q: Thank you. GEN. RYDER: All right all right, thanks very much everybody. Appreciate it. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3751125/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 22, 2024 By Jim Garamone, DOD News U.S. Poised to Begin Arms Delivery to Ukraine, Begins Talks on Niger Withdrawal U.S. officials are poised and ready to begin delivering needed military capabilities to Ukraine following passage of supplemental budget legislation by the House of Representatives Saturday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said today. The Senate must approve the bill and deliver it to President Joe Biden for his signature. Ryder said the legislation will make the United States and its allies and partners more secure. This new legislation is proof to Russian President Vladimir Putin that his supposition that the group supporting Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion would fall apart was absolutely wrong, the general said. On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will host the 21st meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The virtual meeting comes two years to the day from when Austin first convened the group. "I would say that it's notable that despite Russia's assumptions that the international community would fragment and lose interest in supporting Ukraine over time, the opposite has been true," Ryder said. The group is composed of 50 nations, and it has remained unified in opposition to Putin's invasion. Putin also thought his attack on Ukraine would somehow fracture the NATO alliance. "You've seen the NATO alliance for collective defense expand, underscoring international consensus that Ukraine's security matters to the security of all of our nations," the press secretary said. In West Africa, Ryder confirmed that discussions began between Niger and the United States on the withdrawal of American troops from Niger. "The department is providing a small delegation from the Pentagon and U.S. Africa Command to participate in the discussions," he said. "In terms of departure timing, we are not going to speculate and get ahead of the discussion." This does not mean the end of the counterterrorism mission in West Africa and the Sahel, Ryder said. "We continue to take the ... terrorist threat seriously," he said. "And we're going to continue to work with partners throughout Africa on that front." The U.S. military will continue to work with reliable partners to address the threat that affects countries and citizens all throughout the region. "We will continue to work toward that. We will continue to explore options to ensure that we can continue to conduct the kinds of counterterrorism advising, assisting and operations that we need to," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maritime Security: EU to become an observer of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 22 April 2024 The EU will soon become a 'Friend' (i.e., observer) of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment, a regional cooperation framework to tackle piracy, armed robbery, human trafficking and other illegal maritime activities in the North-Western Indian Ocean, including the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The Council today formally decided to accept the invitation from the Secretariat of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment. By becoming 'Friend' of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment, the EU signals its strong support for an effective regional maritime security architecture, while strengthening its presence and engagement as a global maritime security provider in the fight against illegal activities at sea. The North-Western Indian Ocean is one of the most dynamic centres of economic growth in the world. With 80% of the world's trade passing through the Indian Ocean, it is crucial to ensure freedom of navigation and protect the EU's and its partners' security and interests. Background The Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment was signed in 2017 by 17 signatory states in the North West Indian Ocean to promote regional cooperation and to boost signatory states' capacity to counter the growing threats to maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The EU has been a long-standing maritime security partner in the region. Since 2008, operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta has been fighting against piracy. More recently, with the launch of EUNAVFOR Aspides, the EU is protecting merchant vessels crossing the Red Sea. In parallel, the EU conducts capacity building missions, such as EUCAP Somalia, EUTM Somalia and EUTM Mozambique, as well as projects for maritime security such as CRIMARIO II and EC SAFE SEAS AFRICA. In 2022, the Council adopted conclusions on the launch of the Coordinated Maritime Presences concept in the North-Western Indian Ocean, a framework for a strengthened EU role as a maritime security provided in the region and for cooperation with coastal states and regional maritime security organisations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU-GCC: Opening speech by High Representative Josep Borrell at the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation European External Action Service (EEAS) 22.04.2024 Luxembourg EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Good evening to all our distinguished guests, it is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to the first-ever High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation [between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council]. I am particularly pleased by the high level of participation on both sides. This is testament of the importance that we attach to our relationship. It also reflects our common willingness to reinforce our dialogue on security and the cooperation between the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and our respective Member States. Of course, Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel one week ago is still on everybody's mind. This attack, as well as the one on the Iranian diplomatic installation in Damascus, were both strongly condemned from our side. These events can lead to further escalation in the region. And as you also did, the European Union unanimously calls for restraint. The EU Foreign Affairs Council has just politically agreed on sanctions [on Iran]. We need to do more - certainly. We should all focus on redoubling our efforts to de-escalate the very tense situation by using the channels we have with actors in the region. Our discussion - our meeting - is therefore a very timely occasion to see how concretely we can work collectively to calm the situation down. Let me stress that in times of turmoil and escalating tensions, peace and multilateralism are challenged in both our regions, and we need more than ever to work together to resolve the crises, to prevent escalation and support a safer, and more stable international environment. We, as the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council, share a lot of interests and we have converging views on many topics. We can do more together, we want do to more together. To achieve this goal, we need these kinds of dialogues in order to share perceptions and perspectives. On the EU side, we have adopted in May 2022 a Joint Communication on a strategic partnership with the Gulf, and appointed in June 2023 a new EU Special Representative for the Gulf, Luigi Di Maio, to whom I am thankful for having organised today's event. This reflects the high level of ambition that we have for our partnership on many topics, including - and in particular - security. We met last October in Muscat - these were dramatic days - for a successful Joint Council and organised our first EU-GCC Structured Security Dialogue in January. There are concrete avenues for increased cooperation in crucial sectors such as maritime security, cybersecurity, counter proliferation, fight against terrorism and disaster preparedness were identified. Today, we will have the opportunity to be even more operational and discuss openly cooperation and topics of shared interest in relation to our security including on the Middle East, the dramatic situation in Gaza, in Ukraine, the dangerous situation in the Red Sea, and many other issues. We will also have the opportunity to hear from our partners about the Gulf Cooperation Council's vision on regional security. We are very much waiting for this vision, we very much welcome this vision, that conveys a strong message of unity and lays the foundation for a strengthened cooperation of the GCC with its partners. And we are very much honoured to be one of them. We look forward to continuing our cooperation. In that regard, I am pleased to announce that, next month already, we will have the launch of a new "Young Leaders in Regional Diplomacy" Programme. For the first time, young diplomats from the GCC and the GCC Member States will participate in a joint training with diplomats from the European Union and the European Union Member States who are currently taking place at our recently created European Diplomatic Academy, close to Brussels, in the historic city of Bruges. As you can see, we are already laying the foundations for increased cooperation between our diplomats in the future. And this will be a cornerstone for getting closer to each other, to understand better each other and to work better together in the future. I would also like to mention and welcome the adoption by the [European] Commission this morning of decisions that will allow to harmonise the rules on the issuing of multiple-entry visas for GCC countries. I will stop here and leave the floor to my co-speakers but before that, I want to thank you all for being here today and tell you how much I am looking forward to our discussion. Because this is an important moment for our relations. Thank you. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-255934 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Affairs Council: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the meeting European External Action Service (EEAS) 22.04.2024 Luxembourg EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Well, [on Ukraine], this was a "Jumbo" format - Foreign and Defence Ministers together. We usually do not have this kind of meetings, but the fact that the Ministers met in this format underlines the urgency of speeding up our military support to Ukraine. First, we listened to the [Foreign] Minister [Dmytro] Kuleba and Defence Minister [Rustem] Umerov, who explained to us the difficult situation on the ground. The figures are really appalling. The way Russia is attacking Ukraine: with missiles, drones and guided bombs. Just on guided bombs, Ukrainians have reported 7,000 in four months [if this year], which is about 60 guided bombs a day. And there is the constant shelling in the east [of Ukraine]. It is part of Putin's strategy. On the other hand, it is clear that Ukraine lacks weapons for self-defense and to reject the Russian aggression. The impact on the electricity system of Ukraine is very high. I cannot give you a precise figure because it is very appalling, but the Ukrainian electricity [system] is paying the highest price. It is one of the most important targets of the Russian attack. You know why: because electricity is needed for everything and for everybody. Well, there is a clear sense of urgency for the European Union and all Ukraine's allies to act. The most important way of acting is providing air defence batteries and ammunition for these batteries, interceptors. Batteries without interceptors, launchers without interceptors are not useful, interceptors without launchers neither. The important thing is to supply interceptors and more support, in order to protect the most important Ukrainian cities. At the same time, we do not have to forget the lack of ammunition for conventional fights with 155 [millimeters] calibers. Many countries have been joining the Czech initiative in order to look for ammunitions - everywhere in the world. The first delivery will come [at the] end of May/first of June. And also, others have shown their readiness to participate in the German initiative to concentrate, coordinate and push for the [reinforcement of] anti-aerial capacities. This has to be coordinated, but the two targets, the two purposes, the two objectives - more air defence systems, and more ammunitions of caliber 155 [millimeters] - remain the most important targets for us. I am glad that some Member States indicated their will to make concrete contributions in terms of air defence, systems of interceptors, or to support an enlarged existing initiative, as the Czech one on ammunitions and the German one on the air defence. On the situation in Gaza - sorry, before going to Gaza, it is important to notice that we have reached a political agreement in order to enlarge and expand the existing drones [sanctions] regime to cover missiles and their potential transfer to Russia. The existing drones' regime to impose sanctions to Iran in order to cover missiles and their potentials - for the time being, it has not happened - but their potential transfer to Russia. This includes the same system that we did for Russia. It includes missiles production. Secondly, it expands the geographical area of this framework to cover drones and missiles deliveries, not only to Russia, but to the whole region of the Middle East and the Red Sea. And thirdly, to expand the list of prohibited drone components. Now, I go back to Gaza, where the situation [is dire]. There is no progress on the release of hostages, there is no prospect for a ceasefire, and there is no real easing of the humanitarian catastrophe. So, the three things that we need - release of hostages, ceasefire, [and easing of the] humanitarian catastrophe - [I am] sorry to say, there is no progress in any of them - no significant progress. Nothing on the release of hostages. No prospect for a ceasefire. And very little [progress on humanitarian aid] - the Commissioner in charge of humanitarian assistance [Janez Lenarcic] provided us with some examples of how the humanitarian support is being obstructed. We call for unhindered access, and it is clear that it is being hindered, he provided us with concrete examples. So, there is no easing of the humanitarian support, so the humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian people continues. I want to insist that there is not going to be lasting stability in the region, as long as, the war in Gaza continues. Ministers agreed to invite, once again, Israeli Foreign Minister [Israel] Katz, and the new Palestinian Prime Minister [Mohammad] Mustafa to the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council. On UNRWA, we were waiting for the report by the Independent Review Group led by Catherine Colonna. We are waiting for it. It is supposed to be delivered today. They issued it today, we are going to study it, but most donors have resumed funding of UNRWA. Most donors have already started funding UNRWA, and it is good that it is like this because the agency is facing a severe funding shortage, which may lead to the suspension of operations. Let's hope that the study of the Catherine Colonna's Review Group will allow everybody, and in particular, the funding coming from the European Commission, to go back to UNRWA. Then, we studied the situation in Sudan. The first anniversary of the outbreak of the war between the actors of the military coup in Sudan. On that occasion, we co-chaired last week with France and Germany the very successful International Humanitarian Conference [for Sudan and its neighbours], in Paris. We listened to the United Nations [Secretary's' General Personal] Envoy [for Sudan, Ramtane] Lamamra, former Foreign Minister of Algeria, and we discussed how to step up coordination with the United Nations. We want to contribute to a sustainable ceasefire; we want to support regional and international mediation efforts and we want to emphasise the importance of cooperation and coordination among various mediation initiatives. Then, we discussed about the situation in Georgia. Foreign Ministers expressed their concerns for the "Law on transparency of foreign influence" in Georgia. This law is being presented to the Parliament. There was a commitment by the Georgian government to withdraw this law - this project of law - and not to present it again [to the Parliament]. This has not been fulfilled. Commissioner [Oliver] Varhelyi and myself, we issued a statement last week, stressing that this law is incompatible with the European Union's values. I repeat: it is incompatible with the European Union's values. The [European] Commission will have to present an oral report on this development, but we are very much concerned about the fact that this law has been presented again to the Parliament. And now, we are going to have a High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council. I will be chairing it shortly together with the Prime Minister of Qatar [Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani]. I want to thank him, and all Ministers from the Gulf counties for coming here, to Luxembourg, to hold this meeting. This High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in the region gathers together the Gulf countries, and the European Union Ministers. It is an important milestone in our strategic partnership with the Gulf countries. It is the first-ever informal meeting in this setup. We want to reinforce the dialogue and cooperation on security between the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and our respective Member States. I do not have to tell you about the security implications of the latest developments and the tense situation around Gaza. [We want] to see how concretely we can work collectively to calm down the situation and to prevent further escalations. I also hope, to hear from partners their perspective on all the shared security concerns, security threats and challenges, and in particular their ideas about how to reinforce security in the Gulf region and beyond. You know that everybody is very much concerned about the situation in Gaza, the Red Sea, Iran. It is one of the hottest spots for security around the world, and it is very good that we could have this meeting with our friends from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU Member States. Q&A Q. High Representative, for those of us who are covering these meetings, this is now the third meeting in a few days where we hear how urgent the delivery of weapons, especially air-defence systems, to Ukraine is. The European Council, the G7, NATO Defence Ministerial by VTC and today, the "Jumbo" meeting. It is also the second time that we hear "Pledges have been made", or as you say, "Member States have indicated their will to contribute". But whenever we ask individual Ministers, no one would tell us concretely what their country commits to. Can you explain to us why that is? You are right. This is the third or the fourth time that we discuss about the situation and the need for Ukraine to increase their aerial capacity. It was discussed at NATO, and I can say exactly the same things that the Secretary General of NATO [Jens Stoltenberg] said after the meeting. That there is a common and clear understanding of the need to provide Ukraine with more aerial capacities. Aerial capacities are composed of different types of arms. As I said, there are launchers, and there are interceptors, there are radars, F-16s which are coming. There are long range, medium range and short range. There are at least 20 different types of anti-aerial capacities and we have been reviewing all of them: who has been doing what and what else can be done. Each Member States, some of them [Member States] took concrete proposals in the framework of the German alliance. Others went directly to the other issue, which is also important, which is the Czech initiative on ammunition. Others had to go back to their capitals to take final decisions. I think now it [has] matured. Everything has been said, and a lot of things have to be done. Q. My question is more or less the same. Now, after this meeting, what do you think about the possibility to fulfil the request of President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy who asked [for] seven Patriots, or maybe in some way you transform this request but in general, you can fulfil this general request? I am sorry but I do not have Patriots in Brussels. The Patriots are in the capitals, and it is up to them to take the decisions. I want to insist that a launcher without an interceptor is useless, and certainly, interceptors without launchers are also useless. So, we need both things: we need new launchers and a continued flow of interceptors in order to be used by the launchers. Member States came back to the capitals with a clear understanding of the request, of the needs, and I am sure they will take decisions about it. Q. Ma question concerne le Liban. On a vu durant le Sommet de la semaine passee, on a parle beaucoup du Liban, on a parle aussi d'un soutien a l'armee libanaise. Apres ca, il y a eu une visite du Premier ministre libanais a Paris, une rencontre avec M. [Emmanuel] Macron [President de la Republique francaise] et un retour du Premier ministre a Beyrouth. On a entendu des echos que les nouvelles propositions de Paris n'ont pas ete entendues au Liban. La position du Hezbollah est toujours la meme : pas de cessez-le-feu au Liban avant un cessez-le-feu a Gaza. Ma question : En quoi ca concerne aujourd'hui la position europeenne pour soutenir l'armee libanaise, et dans quel but ? Et qu'elle est l'alternative s'il n'y a pas de cessez-le-feu au Liban avant le cessez-le-feu a Gaza ? To tell the truth, we have not discussed in concrete terms the situation in Lebanon, but in the whole region. We focused our attention on the answer to Iran's attack on Israel, the sanctions' regime, the situation in Gaza, the need to improve humanitarian assistance to the population, stability of the whole region. But I cannot answer your question because we have not been discussing deeply the situation in Lebanon. Q. High Representative, just to go back to Ukraine, maybe to try again just to get an answer to the question of "why is it taking so long". What do the Member States, what do the capitals tell you when you impress this sense of urgency upon them? Why is it so difficult for them to provide these Patriots, as the Germans have done? Since this first plea was made by the Ukrainians, one European Union country has come forward - Germany - with one Patriot battery. So, why no more? You understand very well what is the role of the High Representative. It is not in my hands to take these decisions. What I am trying to do - what I am doing - is to put the question very high in the understanding of my colleagues, on the Ministers of the EU Member States. That is why we called both Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers: to take into consideration both, and simultaneously, the political dimension together with the defence capacities of the Member States. Because Foreign Affairs Ministers are not in charge of the armies and the armies have to take decisions on a general political framework. That is why both of them were here. Well, in some cases, it was only one, but the idea that it is a decision that affects the military capacity and the geopolitical environment in which foreign policy is being done. At the end, the army and the defence capacities are part of our foreign policy. Foreign and security and defence [policy] - I do not want to lose any opportunity to repeat it - is a competence of the Member States. It is not me, it is not the Commission, who have the capacity to decide what kind of military support the Member States want - or can - offer to Ukraine, depending on their own capacities and needs. But, today, I think that everything has been said, and everybody understood, and everybody is in a position to take decisions. But you know, I cannot take decisions instead of them. I think the meeting was useful because everybody was looking at the others: "What are you doing? What can we do? Which is the level of ammunitions that has to be provided?" Everybody has to take into consideration their own capacities and needs, and the need to support Ukraine. The work will continue, and the capitals will take the decision which they are entitled to take. I cannot take decisions instead of my colleagues. I just do what I can do - I would not say pressure because I do not pressure my colleagues - to try to explain and make everybody understand, and to be aware, and to feel not only concerned but ready to act. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-255933 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Affairs Council: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell upon arrival European External Action Service (EEAS) 22.04.2024 Luxembourg EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Good morning, Well, today we have [on the agenda] - as always - Ukraine and [the] Middle East. There is a Jumbo [format of the meeting] - together ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs - because we need to make the point on the capacity of the EU Member States to increase the support to Ukraine. You know that we have been giving a lot of warnings, letters, asking them to see what we can do. We need more ammunition. We need more launchers, [but] launchers without the interceptors is like a cannon [or] like a gun without ammunition. We need both. We need to supply interceptors to the batteries that they already have, and increase the number of batteries. And let's see what the Member States are able to supply, because in Brussels we do not have [it], it is the Member States who have it. Secondly, we have to talk about the Middle East. [Regarding] the Middle East, we will talk about the sanctions on Iran. There is a great package of sanctions, I hope Member States - all of them - will agree because you know, it needs unanimity. The situation in Gaza continues being exactly more or less the same thing and worse. Today there has been new bombings, a lot of civilian victims. In the West Bank, also the [settlers] attacks against the Palestinians are increasing. We have to look again at the sanctions against the violent settlers. We approved last week a small package. We will discuss about Sudan also, a war that everybody has forgotten. It is one of the deadliest wars in the world today. So, let's see what happens today. I hope that we will be able to take some decisions. Q&A Q. About Ukraine, Foreign Ministers - meeting after meeting - keep saying "We need to do more". Can we expect concrete steps today? I hope [so]. Q. How long is it taking for them to step up and do something more for Ukraine? Look, we are working for Ukraine every day, not only the day there is a Council. We prepare decisions, we inform the Member States, we analyse the situation, we present requests, we see what they can do. It is not just because there is a Council - and I understand that it is the day of the press - but to support Ukraine, we work every day. And today is the day for the Member States to see what they can do, which are the needs and if, definitely, they are able to present proposals. But I cannot tell you before, I will tell you after [the meeting]. Q. The Irish and Spanish Heads of Government asked the European Commission to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement under the human rights element. Is it your understanding that nothing has happened on the Commission side to carry out that review? Well, as far as I know, the Commission has still not answered to the two States who asked. [But to clarify, these States] They did not ask for a review of the Association Agreement, they asked to analyse if - "if", there is a big "if" - the behaviour of Israel is something that could lead to consider reviewing the Association Agreement. There is an "if" and a ["could"]. As far as I know, nothing has happened on the Commission side.On my side, I called for a political orientation debate [in the FAC], I made the proposal of calling for a meeting of the Association Council in order to discuss with our Israeli partners. This proposal was rejected. I made the proposal also to call on the Foreign Minister of Israel [Israel Katz] to come to the Foreign Affairs Council - the invitation was done, there is still no date. But we have a Special Envoy for Human Rights [Olof Skoog] and the United Nations is working with it. So, I am doing what I can in order to study the situation and come back to the Council at a certain moment. Q. The proposal was rejected by who? By the Council - the majority. Q. Is it your feeling that in Gaza, Israel is - anyway - going to invade Rafah? We are asking Israel in every possible manner that they should not attack Rafah, they should protect the civilians. I will insist once again: there is more than 1 million people, which will be massacred if there is an attack from Israel. So, I can only insist - and all the Member States insist - on this not happening. But I am not in the command of the Israeli army. Q. Will there be discussions on sanctions on the nuclear programme on Iran? The nuclear programme of Iran is not on the table today. Q. Mr Borrell, have you thought about sanctions against Iranian airplanes or spare parts? We are going to take measures with respect to the production, and exports of missiles and drones. This is what we are going to discuss today. Q. Mr Borrell, have you asked Spain - for the Spanish government - to give one of its Patriots to Ukraine? We have been asking all Member States to do whatever they can in order to increase the air defence capacity of Ukraine. Thank you. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-256331 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Landslide victory of Maldives ruling party injects more certainty into China-Maldives ties Global Times Election result shows public support for Muizzu's policies as Maldives needs economic development, not geopolitical games: experts By Chen Qingqing Published: Apr 22, 2024 08:35 PM Updated: Apr 22, 2024 11:10 PM China extended its congratulations on Monday on the "landslide" victory secured by Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC), which some Chinese experts said is beneficial for the smooth implementation of the current domestic and foreign policies of the Muizzu administration. It will contribute positively to the future development of Maldives-China ties by injecting more certainty into bilateral relation, they noted. However, some Western and Indian media have been closely watching this election and hyping up China's increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, which is driven by their "sour grapes" mentality, some experts noted. In fact, this election result indicated the Maldives' greater need for economic development rather than getting entangled in geopolitical conflicts, they said. Over 200,000 Maldivians voted in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, in which 326 candidates contested 93 seats in the next parliamentary assembly, including six new seats, local news site Sun Online reported. Preliminary results show that PNC won 68 seats, more than two-thirds of the Maldives parliament. The election drew widespread attention in the Western and Indian media. Reuters said Muizzu, elected last year, has pledged to end the country's "India First" policy, putting relations with New Delhi under strain. Indian media also pointed out that the vote is seen as "a crucial test" for Muizzu's plan to press ahead with closer economic and defense cooperation with China, and diverging from traditional ally India. The Maldivian Democratic Party, led by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is seen as pro-India, held 65 seats in the previous Parliament but won only 15 seats, the AP reported, citing Maldives news site Mihaaru.com. Strengthened presidential mandate "Before the election, the opposition party controlled the parliament, so Muizzu's presidency faced considerable pressures and challenges," Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Monday. But such an overwhelming electoral victory significantly strengthens Muizzu's presidential mandate, which is beneficial for the smooth implementation of his current domestic and foreign policies. It also contributes positively to the further development of Maldives-China relations by injecting certainty into this partnership, Qian said. We congratulate the Maldives on the successful parliamentary elections and fully respect the choice of the Maldivian people, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Monday. "China stands ready to work with the Maldives to carry forward traditional friendship, expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, deepen China-Maldives comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and speed up the building of a China-Maldives community with a shared future to deliver greater benefits to our two peoples," Wang said. "This election in the Maldives indicates its greater need for economic development rather than getting entangled in so-called geopolitical conflicts," Tian Guangqiang, an assistant research fellow with the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. As a small nation in terms of size and population, the Maldives' primary concerns are maintaining independence and promoting economic growth, and Muizzu's campaign focused heavily on economic development, Tian noted. "India's military presence in the Maldives poses a threat to the country's independence and sovereignty... This election reflects public support for the president's development agenda," Tian said. Muizzu has reportedly declared that no Indian military personnel, including those in civilian attire, will be permitted in his country after May 10, according to media reports. Muizzu has also accused his predecessor President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of acting on directives from a foreign ambassador without specifying the country or diplomat involved, some Indian media reported in March. In fact, President Muizzu's stance is quite clear: he aims to maintain good relations with both China and India, Liu Zongyi, secretary-general of the Research Center for China-South Asia Cooperation at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. His hope is to implement a balanced policy without choosing sides, he added. "However, India wants the Maldives to pick a side. While Indians might view Muizzu and the will of the Maldivian people through the lens of geostrategy and political competition, the Maldivians are primarily focused on achieving development," Liu said. Popular sentiment The election result also suggested that Maldivian people believe Muizzu's policies are correct, Liu said, noting that it also reflects the popular sentiment. In the eyes of many voters, the current development of Maldives-China relations not only aligns with the national interests of the Maldives but also with the personal interests of its citizens, Qian noted. "Thus, their choice to support this through their votes serves as a strong rebuttal to the recent criticisms of Muizzu by the opposition in the Maldives," Qian said. As some Indian media suggested that the Maldives is moving away from India, Chinese experts pointed out New Delhi should reflect on itself for the reason behind the cooling ties, which is mainly due to India's long-standing perception of the Maldives as being in its so-called "sphere of influence" and "diplomatic backyard," exhibiting a patronizing attitude in its dealings with the country. However, due to the Maldives' geographical proximity to India and historical ties in trade, culture, and human interactions, the Maldives will not actively seek to sabotage ties with India, Qian said, noting that the relationship can still be maintained if India undertakes a deeper review of its past policies and treats the Maldives as an equal, avoiding the perspective of major power games when viewing Maldives-China relations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'China not aware of specific reasons' why the Philippine Navy did not participate this year's Western Pacific Naval Symposium Global Times By Guo Yuandan in Qingdao Published: Apr 22, 2024 11:49 AM In response to why the Philippines did not attend the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), Liang Wei, a senior officer with China's Naval Research Academy (NRA) told media on Monday that China, as a member of WPNS, has invited the other 29 member countries and observer states and China is not aware of the specific reasons why the Philippine Navy did not participate in this forum. "We believe that this annual meeting will further promote international military cooperation and deepen mutual trust and friendship between the Chinese Navy and its counterparts from various countries," said Liang. The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) is held in Qingdao, Shandong Province from Sunday to Wednesday, with more than 180 foreign representatives from high-level delegations of 29 countries participating, including major leaders of the maritime defense departments of 20 countries. The Philippines is a member of the WPNS. Analysts noted that over 30 years of development, the WPNS has become the most fruitful, vibrant, and potentially largest regional multilateral cooperation mechanism among naval forces. In mid-January this year, the working group meeting for the WPNS 2024, hosted by the Chinese Navy, was held in East China's Nanjing. About 70 representatives from 30 countries engaged in friendly, candid, and constructive discussions over three days. They discussed the revision and renewal of relevant documents such as the WPNS Business Charter, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea and the Disaster Response Guide, as well as the symposium's future activities, according to media reports. Representatives from the Philippines attended the meeting and delivered speeches. The reason for the Philippines to choose to attend the January meeting but skip the ongoing forum is unknown. Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert who also attended the WPNS in Qingdao, told the Global Times on Monday that while making provocations at the South China Sea, the Philippines has consistently played as the "victim" to gain sympathy from the international community. "Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the Philippines deliberately abstained from attending the WPNS, hoping to continue generating flashpoints, attracting international attention, and disrupting the symposium. However, the Philippines' actions are doomed to fail," Zhang said. Zhang said that the WPNS is not just a regional forum for the Western Pacific, but has become an important platform for naval forces from multiple countries to enhance communication, build mutual trust, and deepen cooperation with its influence far exceeding the geographical scope of the region. "The Philippines' absence from the forum not only reduces the opportunity for exchanges between the Philippine Navy and navies of other countries including the Chinese Navy, but also shows that the Philippines' action contradicts the international rules and maritime order it has always advocated," said Zhang. On Monday, the Global Times reporter noticed that all member states of the WPNS expressed gratitude for China's thoughtful arrangements for this meeting at the forum venue. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler, who attended the WPNS on behalf of the US, also expressed his thanks to China in his speech, and mentioned that the WPNS provides an opportunity for naval leaders of various countries to communicate. The WPNS includes almost all countries in the Western Pacific region. Countries including Canada, which are in the Eastern Pacific, also participate. Some countries with significant connections or influences in the Pacific region are also included as observer countries. "It is puzzling that the Philippines, as a member state in the Asia-Pacific region, unreasonably abstained, which is baffling," Zhang said. Zhang noted that China has always insisted that disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through direct consultations between China and the parties concerned, and has advocated for China and ASEAN members to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. China has indisputable sovereignty over islands and reefs in the South China Sea, including Ren'ai Jiao and Huangyan Island. China has been committed to managing the situation on the ground through dialogue and consultation with the Philippines, while resolutely safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, said Zhang. "One of the topics related to the WPNS is global security initiatives and maritime peace and stability, which demonstrates that the Chinese Navy is willing to work with navies of various countries through exchanges and dialogues to jointly safeguard maritime security and stability and share the opportunities brought by maritime peace," said Zhang. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah's heavy attack on the headquarters of the Zionist army IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Hezbollah targeted the headquarters of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, the 91st Division of the Zionist Army in the "Ain Zeitim" base in northern occupied Palestinian territories by firing dozens of rockets. Lebanon's Hezbollah reiterated that this attack is in response to the Zionist regime's repeated attacks on villages and homes in southern Lebanon, and the latest attack on Sarifa, Udaisah, and Rab Talasin. The Zionist media quoted the spokesperson of the occupying army as saying that about 35 rockets fired from Lebanon hit Ain Zeitim. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kata'ib Hezbollah: We will resume attacks on US forces in Iraq IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iraqi resistance group Kata'ib Hezbollah has announced resumption of attacks on US forces in Iraq. In a statement, Kata'ib Hezbollah declared its intention to resume attacks against US forces in Iraq, citing dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in negotiations for the withdrawal of US troops, Al-Manar reported on Monday. It expressed disappointment with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani's failure to secure a timetable for the withdrawal of US forces during his recent visit to Washington. The group asserted that despite diplomatic efforts, it had become evident that foreign forces had no intention of leaving Iraq, prompting the decision to resume military operations against US forces. 6125**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zionist regime failed to achieve its goals in Gaza: Islamic Jihad official IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Deputy Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement has said that the Zionist regime failed to achieved any of its goals despite pounding the Gaza Strip relentlessly for over the last six months. Mohammed Al-Hindi said the occupiers will not be able to free a single Israeli captive from Gaza except through negotiations, IRNA's reported on Monday morning. We did not close the doors of negotiations and the resistance has presented its point of view with the aim of stopping the war on the Gaza Strip, he said. The resistance showed great flexibility in the negotiations and agreed to the gradual withdrawal of the occupying regime's army from the Gaza Strip. The Deputy Secretary General of Islamic Jihad accused Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of wanting to prolong the genocide in Gaza, he added, arguing that stopping the war would mean an end of Netanyahu's political career. "The occupying regime cannot achieve any of its goals in the Gaza Strip and as long as the aggression continues, the resistance will continue, al-Hindi stressed. In the end, he said that the Zionist will never be able to dominate the West Asia region as Netanyahu and his key backer the US government want. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thousands of martyrs still under the rubble: Gaza health ministry IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The spokesman of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday night that thousands of Palestinians remain unaccounted for following the Zionist regime's war on the besieged strip. Ashraf al-Qudra said that 11,000 Palestinians are still under the rubble of bombed-out buildings in Gaza, According to IRNA's report citing the Shihab news agency. The daily average of martyrs in Gaza reaches 172, including 70 children, he said. On Sunday, the Ministry of Health announced that the Zionist army killed at least 48 more Palestinian citizens and injured 79 others in the past 24 hours. With new fatalities, the number of martyrs in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza has reached 34, 097, mostly women and children. The ministry said that the number of wounded during this period was 76,980 in the regime's indiscriminate airstrikes and shelling since October 7 last year. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two US bases in northeastern Syria hit with missiles, drone IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Two US military bases in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasaka have come under fresh missile and drone attacks, news sources reported in the early hours of Monday. Lebanese media reports say four missiles hit the Al-Omar Oil Field base while three missiles and a drone targeted the Kharab al-Jir base, both facilities located in northeastern Syria. According to the Al-Mayadeen news network, an explosion occurred at the al-Omar oil field following the strike. The Russian news agency Sputnik has also confirmed that the attacks were carried out with a drone and missiles and hit the American military bases. The Reuters, citing two security sources, reported that five rockets were fired from Iraq's town of Zummar toward a US military base in northeastern Syria. US military facilities and bases in Syria have come under repeated attacks in recent months amid growing anti-American sentiment in the region. The latest attack against US forces, however, is the first since early February when an Iraqi resistance group targeted an American base in Jordan killing several troopers. Resistance groups in Iraq and elsewhere are outraged at the US military presence in the region, which they say is a source of instability, as well as Washington's support for the Israeli regime in its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah downs Israeli drone over southern Lebanon IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Resistance Movement, Hezbollah said on Sunday night that its fighters have shot down a Zionist drone over the southern part of the country. The Elbit Hermes 450 drone that was carrying out a combat mission over the Al Ashiyah areas in southern Lebanon was downed by Hezbollah, according to a report by Lebanon's Al-Manar TV. Hezbollah has downed several Israeli combat and spy drones in the past. The resistance group also intercepted and captured two Israeli drones, including SkyLark in February. The Israel military, in a statement, has confirmed that a drone operating in the skies of Lebanon was hit by a surface-to-air missile. The military also claimed that Israeli warplanes attacked the missile launch site after the drone was shot down. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it targeted two buildings used by the Zionist military in al-Mutla settlement area, located on the border of occupied Palestine. The Zionist media also reported on the sounding of alarm bells in al-Mutla and Kaffara Jaladi towns in the occupied territories. Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been engaged in exchanged fire amid rising tensions over the regime's genocidal war on Gaza. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who is in Russia on a working visit. April 22, 2024 15:30 The Kremlin, Moscow The two leaders continued their conversation over a working breakfast. Later on, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev met with veteran builders and current workers of the Baikal-Amur Mainline to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of its construction. * * * President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Aliyev, Thank you for coming. These days, we are marking the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Everyone knows very well that your father played a very significant role, that he headed a government commission and repeatedly visited the construction site. In effect, he was one of the organisers of this ambitious project that had a major significance for the entire Soviet Union. Not only do we know this, but we also remember this, we are extremely grateful to him, and we harbour fond memories of this. Today, we will also meet with veterans of the BAM construction, and we have a lot to discuss. As you probably know, we are currently developing the so-called Eastern Operating Domain, including the BAM, the Trans-Siberian Mainline and everything linked with this. Consequently, all this is of major significance for us nowadays. I believe, or rather I am confident that all efforts, all years of work invested by your father in the implementation of this gigantic project, continue to play a substantial role for Russia and the entire Commonwealth of Independent States. One way or another, many of our partners are using this transport artery. Of course, we will have an opportunity to discuss our high-level bilateral relations that continue to develop. Our trade turnover is growing and has already exceeded four billion US dollars. Russian investment in the economy of Azerbaijan stands at six billion in US dollar equivalent. An intergovernmental commission is working actively. There are many interesting areas for collaboration in the real economy, cooperation, and infrastructure - I think, some of them are in the centre of public attention in our countries. Certainly, we will discuss the situation with efforts to facilitate regional security. There are very many highly sensitive issues here. You and I have been briefed on each of them. We are extremely delighted to see you. Welcome. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev: Mr President, Thank you for the invitation, I am happy to meet with you again. I also extend my heartfelt gratitude for the invitation to participate in today's event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the commencement of construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. In Azerbaijan, we deeply value the reverence shown towards the memory of Heydar Aliyev by the Russian leadership and the general public alike. As you rightly pointed out, Heydar Aliyev played an active role in the implementation of this grand project, which, if memory serves me right, was referred to as the All-Union construction project. Thus, it is with great pleasure and honour that we join this event today, including the opportunity to meet others who also contributed to bringing this ambitious project to fruition. These memorable moments in history serve to deepen the bond between our countries and peoples, fostering the further progressive advancement of our relations. We are happy with the trajectory of our relationship. For over two years, we have been operating within the framework of the Declaration on Allied Interaction, signed here in the Kremlin in February 2022. This Declaration stands as the primary political document shaping the future development of our relations. As you noted, the agenda is quite comprehensive. We will also address the transportation aspect, including the North-South international transport corridor project. This project, which unites our countries and partners, holds global significance for ensuring the safety of cargo transportation and boosting trade relations among numerous countries. Regional security issues remain a consistent focus of our meetings, and we are happy with the progress in their resolution. Russia plays a pivotal role in ensuring regional security in the Caucasus and beyond. A lot depends on the actions and cooperation between our countries. We are committed to bolstering trust, cooperation, mutual understanding, and resolving issues in a spirit of collaboration and shared interests. Once again, I extend my sincere appreciation for today's meeting and am confident that it will give a new boost to the development of our relations. Thank you. Vladimir Putin: Thank you. <...> NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister of National Defence took part in an EU Foreign Affairs Council session with Defence Ministers in Luxembourg Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2024-04-22 International cooperation Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasciunas took part in the EU Foreign Affairs and Defence Minsters' meeting for addressing the EU military assistance to Ukraine. L. Kasciunas maintained at the session that he had just returned from Ukraine were he witnessed air defence as Ukraine's most pressing need. "Lithuania will aim to fill in one more gap in Ukraine's air defence with radar purchasing. We are reviewing our priorities looking for options to contribute air surveillance radars to Ukraine's security at the soonest. We have to consider every alternative for acquisitions in air defence and to do so without further delay," said L. Kasciunas to the EU Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers. Minister added it was obvious the Ukrainians lacked not just air defence systems but also every kind of ammunition which had to be addressed with a steady and certain supply. "We have an excellent opportunity opening, namely, joint acquisitions in international markets. Lithuania has already engaged in initiatives for joint acquisitions and will continue to do so in the future. Lithuania has joined the multilateral initiative for ammunition acquisition and transfer to Ukraine with plans to contribute with EUR 35 million," Minister of National Defence said. Ukraine will likely face shortage of ammunition within a few months again. Thus, it is a necessity to look for immediate ammunition supply options. According to Minister, such options happen to be in the international markets right now. According to L. Kasciunas, Ukraine's needs should be a factor for investment in the European defence industry. Therefore, we should aim to integrate Ukraine's defence industry to the European system, as well as innovation and technology testing on the battlefield. The session also addressed the importance of drones in the context of war in Ukraine. Lithuania is prepared to implement a national UAV programme and to increase assistance to Ukraine regarding UAV and anti-UAV technologies. Lithuania's long-term assistance to Ukraine has reached a billion euros, while the military assistance amounts to approx. EUR 610 million. Over this year approx. EUR 84 million of assistance has been provided already and the dynamic is planned to hold. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Safety First: OSCE enhances ammunition storage practices in the Kyrgyz Republic 22 April 2024 From April 15 to April 19, 2024, 20 border guard officials undertook a training course titled 'Storage of Ammunition in an Ammunition Bunker Site' in Osh, Kyrgyz Republic. This course aimed to enhance the storage practices of ammunition in bunker sites according to the International Ammunition Technical Guidance (IATG). The improper storage and handling of ammunition jeopardizes national security by increasing the risks of illicit trafficking and disaster. Adhering to IATG helps reduce unauthorized access, mishandling, and diversion into illegal channels, effectively mitigating those risks. The curriculum combined theory with hands-on training, incorporating OSCE and IATG standards along with Austrian expertise in ammunition logistics. Participants, including handlers and facility officers, gained practical insights into setting up and managing storage sites. Emphasis was placed on safety protocols, preventive measures, proper handling, emergency procedures, and operational guidelines. Additionally, they learnt to identify potential hazards and take preventative measures to mitigate risks associated with ammunition storage. Moreover, the training served as a crucial step in establishing a Physical Security and Stockpiles Management (PSSM)-oriented Training of Trainers (ToT) programme in the Kyrgyz Republic. This course was implemented within the framework of the ExB project 'Reducing the risk of illicit small arms and light weapons, ammunition and explosives proliferation across the border of the Kyrgyz Republic' funded by the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America. The Austrian Armed Forces are committed to providing in-kind contributions to the ExB project by delivering training courses on PSSM. This course was conducted jointly with representatives of the Austrian Armed Forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US occupation forces in Iraq, Syria targeted in two separate attacks in 24 hours Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 7:23 PM US occupation forces in Iraq and Syria have come under two separate attacks in the past 24 hours, the first such ones after a near three-month pause amid rising indignation in the region over Washington's support for Israel's barbaric war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The development was reported on Monday by Reuters, which cited unnamed Iraqi security sources and US officials as saying that the attacks on the American military bases had been carried out with the use of missiles and drones. According to an American official, at least one armed drone was launched at the Ain al-Asad air base hosting US troops in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. US and Iraqi officials also said five rockets had been fired from northern Iraq towards American forces at a base in Rimelan in remote northeastern Syria. There were no reports of casualties or the extent of damage from the attacks, and no groups or individuals have claimed responsibility for the strikes yet. The Iraqi resistance forces have 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 Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza. Israel waged a brutal war on the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7 after the Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for the regime's intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed at least 34,097 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 76,980 others. Over the past months, the administration of US President Joe Biden has supplied Israel with weapons and intelligence support and on multiple occasions vetoed UN resolutions demanding the Israeli regime stop its aggression on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel fails to provide evidence for allegations against UNRWA staff: Report Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 6:45 PM Israel has failed to provide evidence of claims that some workers with the UN relief agency UNRWA were affiliated with Palestinian resistance movements, an independent review for the UN says. The review, by an independent panel led by ex-French minister Catherine Colonna and published on Monday, underscored the lack of substantiation for broader allegations made by Israel that accused numerous UNRWA employees of affiliation with Hamas or Islamic Jihad resistance groups. "Israeli authorities have to date not provided any supporting evidence nor responded to letters from UNRWA in March, and again in April, requesting the names and supporting evidence that would enable UNRWA to open an investigation," the report stated. The Colonna report, which was commissioned by the UN in the wake of Israeli allegations, found that UNRWA has consistently supplied employee lists to Israel for vetting and that Israel "has not informed UNRWA of any concerns relating to any UNRWA staff based on these staff lists since 2011." The Colonna report also deemed UNRWA indispensable for providing essential humanitarian aid and services. "In the absence of a political solution between Israel and the Palestinians, UNRWA remains pivotal in providing life-saving humanitarian aid and essential social services, particularly in health and education, to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank," it said. Following Israel's allegations, Major donors cut their funding to the agency in January, which is the primary source of humanitarian aid not only to Gaza but also to Palestinian refugees throughout the region. Israeli authorities, without providing evidence, claim that at least 12 UNWRA staff participated in the Oct. 7 operation against Israel and that they used UN vehicles. US financial support of UNRWA has been blocked for at least a year in the wake of the allegations. UK ministers have also said they would wait for the Colonna report to make a decision on resuming funding. Most of the donor nations have resumed their funding in recent weeks. The funding was cut despite the dire needs of 2.3 million people in Gaza, most of whom have been forced from their homes by the Israeli savage military campaign since 7 October. Commenting on the report, Louis Charbonneau, the UN director at Human Rights Watch, said: "I don't think the findings in the Colonna report are particularly surprising. Governments who haven't should immediately resume full funding to UNRWA so it can deliver aid to desperate civilians. Many Palestinians are facing famine because of Israel's use of starvation as a weapon of war." Palestinians continue to endure a US-Israeli genocidal war in the besieged Gaza strip, the scene of death and destruction on a daily basis. At least 34,097 Palestinians have been killed; most of them women and children, and another 76,980 individuals have sustained injuries. More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced during the war as well. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines, US kick off drills in disputed waters of South China Sea Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 6:39 PM The United States and the Philippines have kicked off three weeks of joint military exercises in disputed waters of the South China Sea in a move that is likely to further escalate tensions between the military allies and Beijing. The annual military exercise, which began on Monday, will run until May 10 and involve more than 16,700 Filipino and US troops. More than 250 French and Australian forces will also take part in the military exercises, known as the Balikatan, which means "shoulder to shoulder" in Tagalog. Six vessels would participate, including four 44-meter multi-role response boats and two larger patrol vessels. The drills will involve a simulation of an armed recapture of an island off the western province of Palawan, near the South China Sea. The war games the longtime treaty allies' largest annual military drills will be extended for the first time beyond 12 nautical miles off the Philippine coast and into waters claimed by China. The Philippine military claims that the joint drills are not directed at a particular country, but some of their main conflict scenarios are set in or near the disputed waters. China has recently warned Manila against provocative actions in the waters, after the China Coast Guard intercepted a foreign vessel that "tried to forcefully intrude" into its territorial waters. China claims almost the entire South China Sea. Its claims to the sea overlap the ones by other countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam. The United States has no territorial claim over the waters or features, but supports Manila in its territorial disputes and regularly conducts patrols there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OIC calls for probe into 'war crime' over mass graves in Gaza's Khan Yunis Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 3:46 PM The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for a probe into the Israeli war crimes in Gaza's Nasser hospital where hundreds of civilian bodies have been recovered from mass graves. In a statement released on Monday, the 57-member bloc condemned the execution and mass burial of hundreds of Gazans in the courtyard of Nasser Medical Complex as "war crime, crime against humanity and organized state terrorism." It noted those executed were medical teams, patients and refugees taking shelter in Nasser Hospital. The organization further said that "hundreds of displaced, wounded, sick people and medical teams have been subjected to torture and abuse before being executed and buried collectively". The OIC has urged the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice to assume their responsibility in this regard. Civil service workers in Gaza have recovered the bodies of 283 Palestinians in several mass graves in Nasser Hospital yard, most of them women, children and the elderly. Some of those executed were blindfolded and handcuffed. The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has strongly condemned what it said was a "mass grave of those executed in cold blood and buried with military bulldozers in the hospital's courtyard." Hospitals in Gaza have not been spared in the Israeli war. The World Health Organization said on April 6 that the Palestinian territory's largest hospital, al-Shifa, had been reduced to ashes by an Israeli siege last month, leaving an "empty shell" containing many bodies. WHO staff who gained access to the devastated facility described horrifying scenes of bodies only partly buried, their limbs sticking out, and the stench of decomposition. Palestinians continue to endure a US-Israeli genocidal war in the besieged Gaza strip, the scene of death and destruction on a daily basis. At least 34,097 Palestinians have been killed; most of them women and children, and another 76,980 individuals have sustained injuries. More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced during the war as well. The Civil Defense Service in the Gaza Strip recently said hundreds of Palestinians were reported missing in various districts of the war-ravaged coastal territory following withdrawal of Israeli military forces from those regions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah unleashes missile strike on Israeli forces in fresh pro-Palestinian op. Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 9:44 AM Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has carried out a missile strike against a gathering of the Israeli regime's forces in southern Lebanon. The movement announced the development in a statement, saying it had targeted the forces near the town of al-Dhahira in the country's Tyre District on Monday. The missile strike set off missile sirens in Galilee in the northern part of the occupied territories, Qatar's Al Jazeera television network reported. Hezbollah said it had conducted the Monday operation "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance." The Israeli regime has been waging sporadic attacks against Lebanon since October 7, 2023, when it launched a genocidal war against Gaza. The attacks have prompted a firefight with Hezbollah. On Sunday, the resistance group released a video showing its fighters shooting down an advanced Israeli drone over southern Lebanon after it violated the Arab country's airspace. Hezbollah said in a statement that the Israeli Hermes 450 drone had been shot down when "it was attacking our...people." Also on Sunday, Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network said some 62,000 Israeli settlers had fled areas lying in the northern part of the occupied territories amid fear of strikes by Hezbollah. Hezbollah fought off two Israeli wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006, forcing a humiliating retreat upon the Tel Aviv regime's military on both occasions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel achieved no objectives; Gaza resistance will persist: Islamic Jihad Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 7:38 AM The Islamic Jihad resistance movement has highlighted Israel's failure to meet its objectives in the Gaza Strip through its genocidal war, stressing that Palestinian resistance will persist as long as the aggression rages on. The occupying regime "has not achieved any of its declared goals" in Gaza and it "will not be able to achieve" them, Al Jazeera quoted the Islamic Jihad's deputy chief Mohammad al-Hindi as saying on Monday. He also noted that Israel will not be able to return a single captive from Gaza except through negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. The resistance, he added, showed great flexibility in the truce talks and agreed to the withdrawal of the occupation forces in stages from the besieged Gaza. The Gaza resistance has not closed the door to negotiations, and thus presented its vision to end the Israeli genocide against Palestinians, Hindi said. "The resistance will not surrender," he asserted. "The cost of surrender is much greater than the cost of confrontation." The Islamic Jihad official further said that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to prolong the Gaza onslaught because stopping it, will end his political survival. "Israel will not be master of this region as Netanyahu and the American administration want," he added. Israel waged its brutal US-backed war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. However, 199 days into the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its declared objectives of "destroying Hamas" and finding Israeli captives despite killing at least 34,097 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 76,980 others. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 21: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 7:01 AM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 34,100 Palestinians so far, including more than 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 Sunday, April 21, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on April 21: (Lebanon) The Lebanese wing of the Al-Qassam Brigades shelled the "Shoumera Military Base" in the western sector of Upper Al-Jalil, northern occupied Palestine, from southern Lebanon with 20 Grad rockets. Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' operations on April 21: (Gaza Strip and West Bank) Bombed the occupied city of "Sderot" with a barrage of rockets. Targeted the Beit Sira checkpoint of the Israeli military near the occupied city of Ramallah with a heavy barrage of bullets and engaged in clashes with Israeli soldiers at the same location, causing direct hits among their ranks. Targeting the "Merav" settlement with a heavy barrage of bullets. Detonated an explosive device on a convoy of Israeli forces in the village of Jalboun on the outskirts of the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on April 21: (West Bank) Targeted Jalameh military checkpoint, Salem military checkpoint and "Mevo Dotan" settlement in response to the massacre in Nour Shams camp. Mujahideen Brigades' operations on April 21: (West Bank) Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli soldiers using appropriate weapons at the entrance to the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli regime forces invading the Al-Damj neighborhood in Nour Shams camp in the city of Tulkarem, occupied West Bank. Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on April 21: (Gaza Strip) Fired several heavy-caliber mortar shells at a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in the vicinity of the Turkish Hospital in Gaza a Al-Asifah Forces' operations on April 21: (Gaza Strip) Carried out an armed attack at Israeli forces stationed at the "Enab" checkpoint, resulting in direct hits and heavy casualties. Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades' operations on April 21: (West Bank) Hailed the Flag Ambush operation east of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah and considered it a qualitative development and renewed innovation recorded by the heroic resistance fighters in confronting the Israeli occupation. Hezbollah's operations on April 21: (Lebanon) Eastern sector: At around 14:30 local time, surveillance equipment at the Miskaf site was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 19:45 local time, Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Al-Asi site were targeted with artillery shells. At around 22:50 local time, an Israeli Hermes 450 drone was shot down above Al-Aishiya, southern Lebanon. At around 23:05 local time, Israeli soldiers in the Metula settlement were targeted with appropriate weapons. Western sector: At around 07:30 local time, the Israeli military building in the Shomera settlement was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 09:30 local time, surveillance equipment of the Israeli military in the vicinity of the Dovev Barracks was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 10:20 local time, Israeli soldiers south of the Jal al-Alam site were targeted with Burkan missiles. At around 17:15 local time, surveillance equipment at the Al-Malikiyah site was targeted with appropriate weapons. Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on April 21: (Iraq) Targeted a vital military site in the occupied Golan Heights with a barrage of drones. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 62,000 Israeli settlers flee northern Palestine amid Hezbollah strikes: Report Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 6:38 AM Some 62,000 Israeli settlers have fled areas in the northern sector of the 1948 Israeli-occupied lands amid fear of strikes by Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement in retaliation for the bloody onslaught on Gaza, latest reports have revealed. Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television news channel, citing Israeli media outlets, reported on Sunday evening that the number of settlers that have evacuated the area as a result of Hezbollah's operations now stands at a staggering 62,000. The report noted that 30,000 of the settlers have evacuated northern occupied Palestine on their own as fears are mounting among the residents that Hezbollah fighters continue to carry out daily operations with no signs that they are deterred by any action the Israeli army is taking. Israeli media outlets further noted that 40% of the evacuees are considering no return to the region. Moreover, 38% of those who voluntarily left the area, no longer intend to return to their previous places of residence in the northern occupied territories. This comes as Hezbollah targeted a facility housing Israeli soldiers in the Shomera settlement earlier on Sunday with a barrage of rockets. The Lebanese resistance group also struck surveillance devices newly installed around the Dovev military barracks, completely destroying the hardware. Hezbollah said in a statement that it attacked the deployment positions of Israeli soldiers south of the Jal al-Alam site, using heavy-caliber Burkan (Volcano) missiles. In another statement, the resistance group announced that its fighters struck surveillance equipment at the Misgav Am military site, which Israeli forces had lately re-positioned. Surveillance equipment at the al-Malkiya base was also targeted and destroyed, it said, adding that the operation was carried out with a salvo of rockets. The Israeli regime has repeatedly attacked southern Lebanon since October 7, when it launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed at least 34,097 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. 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 Missiles, drone hit two US military bases in eastern Syria Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 12:56 AM Two major military bases used by the occupying American forces in Syria have come under missile and drone attacks amid simmering anti-US sentiments in the region over Washington's support for the Tel Aviv regime's genocide in Gaza. According to Lebanon's al-Mayadeen news channel, the attacks came early Monday, targeting the US military base in the al-Omar oil field as well as Kharab al-Jir base, both in eastern Syria. The report added that the US base at the al-Omar oil field was targeted with four missiles, while the Kharab al-Jir base was targeted with three missiles and a drone. Al-Mayadeen said the two bases, which are the most important American bases in eastern Syria, were attacked less than an hour apart. There has been no immediate claim of responsibly for the attacks. There were also no reports on any possible casualties or the extent of damage at the two bases. Quoting two Iraqi security sources, Reuters said the missiles were launched from the town of Zummar in northern province of Nineveh. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, has claimed responsibility for most previous retaliatory strikes on US military bases in Iraq and neighboring Syria. The group has asserted that its strikes on American and Israeli military sites will continue as long as the Tel Aviv regime's genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip continues. Israel launched its brutal onslaught on Gaza, targeting hospitals, residences, and houses of worship after the territory's resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the usurping regime on October 7, 2023. At least, 34,097 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and 76,980 others sustained injuries in the regime's genocide. More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced as well. The United States has supplied Israel with weapons and intelligence support and blocked UN Security Council resolutions that called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines, US launch yearly large-scale military exercises The "Balikatan" drills will take place for the first time in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. By Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2024.04.22 -- Large-scale military drills between the United States and the Philippines began on Monday, with a portion of this year's "Balikatan" exercise expected to take place for the first time in Manila's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea - a move that could anger Beijing. At least 16,000 troops - 11,000 from the U.S. and 5,000 from the Philippine side - are taking part in the drills, along with hundreds of troops from Australia and France, who were invited to be direct participants in the 2024 Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) Exercise. This year's iteration will incorporate new aspects, with part of the exercise taking place outside the Philippines'12 nautical-mile territorial waters and in the EEZ, where tensions have risen lately between Manila and Beijing over their contending claims in the South China Sea. This year, the Philippine Coast Guard has also been invited to participate, the first time in 39 years that a civilian entity has been asked to join the drills. Drills on deterring a ground invasion will take place in Batanes, the northernmost Philippine island chain that lies just across the strait from Taiwan, officials said, but they declined to give other details about that portion of the drills closed to press coverage. "This exercise represents the essence of unity, collective responsibility and enduring partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America and other partners," Filipino military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said as he declared the three-week drills open. "It is not a partnership of convenience but rather a clear reflection of our shared history, unwavering commitment to democracy and respect for international law in our pursuit of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," he said. Brawner emphasized that both nations are coastal states that "understand the importance of maritime cooperation in addressing the complex challenges that threaten peace and security in our region." This was an obvious reference to China, which has of late allegedly ramped up its harassment of Filipino boats delivering supplies to an old navy ship that Manila purposely grounded on Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) to serve as its outpost in the area. Last month, three crew members of a Philippine supply boat were injured when the China Coast Guard fired water cannons to block its advance. The Philippines and the United States are mutual defense treaty partners, and Washington has said repeatedly that it will come to Manila's aid in case of an armed attack on any of its military and civilian ships. Lt. Gen. Willian Jurney, the commander of the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific, who is in charge of the American side, said this year's drills were more expansive. "If you are not getting better, you are getting worse. Each year, we work closely with our partners to make Balikatan more challenging," he said. "We're building military readiness across the full range of combined and joint operations. When we get better, the Philippines gets stronger, safer and more secure." This time around, the Balikatan drills will also welcome observers from other Southeast Asian neighbors, Britain, Canada, South Korea, India, Japan, New Zealand and Germany, Brawner said. Philippine move pays off Ray Powell, a maritime security analyst at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University, said China's "bullying" in the South China Sea had pushed the Philippines closer into the embrace of its defense ally, the United States. "China's escalations - intended to cow Manila into submission - have instead served to galvanize the Philippines' friends and allies by reminding them of the near and present danger [that] its expansionist agenda presents to the international order," he told BenarNews. Powell also noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appeared to have come away from a trilateral summit with his U.S. and Japan counterparts in Washington earlier this month with some victories - foremost among them, the securing of economic and defense backing by the two allies. China has protested the drills, saying that its position on the South China Sea remained clear and that it blamed Manila for allegedly provoking hostilities by infringing on its territory. This year, the Americans have dedicated ships, aircraft including their F-22 Raptor fighter jets, and medium-range capability weapons system, among others, for the exercise. The Philippine military will be showcasing some of the military hardware it acquired for its modernization program, including a frigate, FA-50 fighter jets, and Super Tucano light attack aircraft. One of the major events under this year's Balikatan is a joint sail among ships from the Philippines, U.S. and France in the South China Sea, from April 25 to May 4. These vessels will be conducting gunnery drills and other training activities during the joint sail. Another major event is a maritime strike or ship sinking exercise which will be held off Ilocos Norte province in the northern Philippines on May 8. Jeoffrey Maitem, Mark Navales and Jojo Rinoza contributed to this report by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 Vietnam police arrest assistant to National Assembly chairman Pham Thai Ha was detained following allegations of corruption in connection with construction projects. By RFA Vietnamese 2024.04.22 -- Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has arrested Pham Thai Ha, deputy head of the country's National Assembly office and assistant to the assembly chairman, state media reported Monday. The ministry's Police Investigation Agency said it had ordered Ha's temporary detention for "abusing his position and power to influence others for personal gain," in connection with the bidding for construction projects in Bac Giang province. It said the order to prosecute him was issued on Sunday and approved by the Supreme People's Procuracy the following day. On Monday, the Investigation Agency searched his home and workplace. Ha was appointed deputy head of the National Assembly Office and assistant to National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in May 2022. An agency spokesperson said his detention comes in connection with an expanded investigation into the Hanoi-based Thuan An Group Joint Stock Company, whose chairman Nguyen Duy Hung was arrested on April 15. Hung is being investigated for bribery and violating bidding regulations. Thuan An Joint Stock Company's general director Tran Anh Quang has already been charged with bribery in connection with the case. Thuan An Group deputy general director Nguyen Khac Man is also being held and investigated for bribery and violating bidding regulations. Nguyen Van Thao and Dam Van Cuong, members of the Management Board of Construction Investment Projects for Transport and Agricultural Works in Bac Giang province are also under investigation, both accused of violating bidding regulations and Thao also being investigated for taking bribes, state media said. Thuan An Group is an infrastructure investment and construction company involved in road, bridge and agricultural works projects in Bac Giang province and elsewhere in Vietnam. The arrests are the latest in Vietnam's long-running "blazing furnace" crackdown on corruption which has netted hundreds of national and regional officials and prominent business leaders. Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. 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 Wider Europe Briefing: Why Doesn't The EU Sanction Corrupt Politicians? By Rikard Jozwiak April 22, 2024 Brief #1: Can The EU Pass Another Round Of Sanctions On The Kremlin? What You Need To Know: The European Commission will start sounding out officials from EU member states this week on another round of sanctions on Russia. Some countries -- notably the Baltic trio of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as Poland -- are pushing for a 14th package of sanctions against the Kremlin. The problem is that they need to get all other EU member states on board -- and that needs to happen in the next 10 weeks. In July, Hungary, the most sanction-skeptic member of the European Union, will take over the bloc's rotating presidency. A few diplomats I have spoken to have said that they don't believe that Hungary is keen to adopt more measures against Russia during the country's six months at the helm. But there is also another obstacle: European Parliament elections are just around the corner. That means the jockeying for top EU positions in the European Commission and European Council will officially start after that vote in early June -- and is already under way in the corridors of power in Brussels and in other European capitals. There is an illustrative example here: Ursula von der Leyen is hoping to be selected again as European Commission president for another five years and has appointed the head of her cabinet, Bjorn Seibert, to lead her campaign team. Seibert is essentially tasked with persuading the 27 heads of state and government to endorse von der Leyen for another mandate. The issue there is that Seibert -- often described as something of an eminence grise -- is the sanctions person in the European Commission, the body in the EU that initiates the measures for member states to eventually agree on. With Seibert busy securing political backing for his boss, will anyone else be able to push through more sanctions? Deep Background: Then there is the question of what to sanction, apart from blacklisting more people. The obvious answer would be the Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear sectors. But, collectively, there is not enough appetite among EU member states to target Russian energy, as fears still persist inside the bloc that energy prices could spike again just like last year. Banning the import of aluminum could possibly fly, especially as the EU's own aluminum industry would be in favor of such a move. But it would require that countries such as Greece, which are heavily reliant on Russian aluminum, be on board. Another potential and realistic target is to go after Russian helium exports. While the country only gets about $1 billion a year from exporting the gas, the EU has increased its imports substantially over the last couple of years, and Moscow has the ambition to become one of the world's biggest helium suppliers in the future. Some EU officials I have spoken to believe that more can be done to limit IT services provided by EU companies in Russia. The current ban, introduced in a previous sanctions package, targets mainly the prohibition of European consultancy services to install computer hardware and software, but services such as cloud computing remain largely untouched. This could be included in a future package. Drilling Down In the future, EU officials are expected to focus on plugging loopholes in the already existing sanctions. When EU leaders met in March, they unanimously agreed on conclusions stating that "Russia's access to sensitive items and technologies with battlefield relevance must be restricted to the maximum extent possible, including by targeting entities in third countries enabling this circumvention." The EU has drawn up the legal framework to sanction third countries -- as well as companies operating in third countries -- that the bloc believes are circumventing EU sanctions and aiding Russia. So far, the framework hasn't been utilized, but one place to start targeting firms could be Central Asia.Trade between the EU and Central Asian states such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has risen dramatically in recent years. Much of that trade is luxury goods and components that can be used for airplanes, helicopters, and drones. There are other ways that the process could be tightened. Right now, the EU's legal framework allows member states to prevent imports if they have a strong suspicion that the goods originated in Russia. But there isn't a similar provision preventing the export of goods where there is a good chance they'll end up in Russia. There are plenty of loopholes, for example, goods checked by customs have to be exported within a certain time frame. In practice, that means that goods can be substituted for others after the cargo has been checked. Another loophole is businesses bypassing the EU's ban on flights to Russia. To get around the ban, new aviation companies have popped up in other countries, using quick stopovers in places like Armenia, Georgia, or Turkey. Flight plans are closed at the layover, and then new ones are opened for the final destination, Russia. There are even so-called "fake ambulance flights" where an elderly "medical" passenger is accompanied by several "friends and family members." Perhaps one of the biggest sanctions prizes would be targeting the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs. Most of those assets are in trustee and nominee services, where the ownership is concealed and notoriously hard to trace. There are almost 800 companies and trusts registered in tax havens or places with a high degree of financial secrecy that are owned or controlled by Russians who have been sanctioned by the EU, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. But there might not be enough political will in the EU and among the G7 partners to go after these assets. Brief #2: Will Corruption Ever Be Sanctioned In The EU? What You Need To Know: Whatever happened to the European Commission proposal that the EU should impose sanctions on people and entities guilty of serious corruption? The short answer: not much. Since the proposal was announced amid much fanfare in May 2023, there were hopes the EU would finally have something similar to the so-called "Magnitsky sanctions," which are already in place in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Those measures allow these countries to target corrupt businesspeople and compromised officials. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had raised the idea in a big speech back in the fall of 2022, has not spoken much about the issue in recent months. But the main reason the proposal has stalled -- as happens so often when it comes to the bloc's sanctions policy -- is due to the member states themselves and the need to find consensus. Deep Background: When the EU adopted a new sanctions regime in 2020 targeting human rights abuses globally, corruption was omitted as a sanctionable offense. Hungary said that it would not support the proposal if it included references to corruption, while other member states, particularly in Luxembourg and in southern Europe, also expressed reservations. The story is still pretty much the same. The issue has languished in various lower-level diplomatic working groups ever since the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, presented the draft law nearly a year ago to the European Council, which defines the political direction and priorities of the bloc. Sweden, which held the council's rotating presidency when the European Commission announced its proposal, only had weeks left in its stint at the helm and decided not to touch the issue. Spain, which wasn't overjoyed about the proposal, also decided not to put it on the agenda during its presidency in the second half of the year. For Belgium, which currently holds the European Council Presidency, it will probably be a similar story. Belgian officials have indicated that there is no chance of moving forward with the issue when no consensus among member states exists. With the EU gearing up for European Parliament elections, the proposal will only gather more dust. There are many legitimate concerns about making corruption a sanctionable offense. Some European politicians are worried that the restrictive measures could be used domestically to punish political opponents. There are also questions about how far Brussels could go when it comes to interfering in what is largely a domestic issue in third countries. Some diplomats I have spoken to note that most of the sanctions the EU imposes don't deal with what can broadly be described as "economic crimes" but instead concern more "classical" abuses of power. For instance, actively supporting the undermining of a country's territorial integrity has led to asset freezes and visa bans, primarily levied against Russian nationals in recent years following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Or cases involving killings, torture, and mistreatment, which are included in the EU's global human rights sanctions regime. Drilling Down There is another obstacle: the need to obtain enough credible evidence to impose sanctions in the first place. Brussels can only target people and companies via publicly available information, and, of course, corruption is an incredibly opaque business. The EU also didn't have much luck with perhaps its biggest corruption-related sanctions regime so far: the 2014 decision to impose punitive measures on the Ukrainian ex-president, Viktor Yanukovych, and 17 of his closest associates over the "misappropriation of Ukrainian state funds." Ten years down the line, only three people remain on the blacklist, with the others managing to get delisted through the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Brussels officials have already conceded -- as have ECJ judges -- that much of the evidence they had at the time was a little flimsy and the sanctions were adopted in haste. Ten years down the line, only three people remain on the blacklist, with the others managing to get delisted through the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Brussels officials have already conceded -- as have ECJ judges -- that much of the evidence they had at the time was a little flimsy and the sanctions were adopted in haste. The EU's legal troubles with the ECJ were further highlighted recently when some Russian citizens who had been sanctioned over the war in Ukraine managed to win in the Luxembourg-based court. This is where diplomats in favor of corruption-focused sanctions have one of their strongest arguments. As legal decisions have shown, it can sometimes be hard to prove connections to the Russian war effort. If corruption was a sanctionable offense along with other infractions, there would likely be more evidence and a greater likelihood of individuals staying on the blacklist. Those in favor of corruption sanctions say that creating a working party on the issue within the Council of the European Union, where ministers from member states meet to discuss, amend, and adopt laws, would help. There is a precedent: Cyberattacks on the EU are considered sanctionable offenses, and a working group has been set up on precisely this issue. The actual European Commission's draft proposal, seen by RFE/RL, is quite limited in scope -- which could actually help its chances. Under the proposal, three categories would be targeted: active bribery, meaning "the promise, offering, or giving, to a public official, directly or indirectly, of an undue advantage, for the official himself or herself or another person or entity"; passive bribery, which is the acceptance by a public official of such an offer; and embezzlement and misappropriation of property by a public official. Looking Ahead The EU's foreign and defense ministers gather in Luxembourg on April 22. They will mainly discuss how to give Ukraine more air defense capabilities, but they could also take stock of the situation in Georgia, where the government is trying to pass a controversial "foreign agents" bill that the bloc has already signaled its displeasure with. Also this week, European Union ambassadors could finally clinch a deal on sending the profits from frozen Russian state assets to Ukraine. The main issue to overcome is how to deal with the taxation on these extra profits and where that money should end up. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-foreign-agent- law-russia-journalism/32915946.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.K.'s Cameron Seeks To Define Common Interests On Visit To Kyrgyzstan By Kubat Kasymbekov April 22, 2024 BISHKEK -- British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he's seeking to highlight the common interests of Britain and Kyrgyzstan on his first visit to the Central Asian country in his new job as foreign secretary. Cameron told RFE/RL in an interview on April 22 that he believes the two countries had "a whole series" of common interests on their agendas, particularly the areas of climate change, trade, education, and security. The former British prime minister, who 11 years ago was the first British leader to visit Kyrgyzstan, also said his meetings with President Sadyr Japarov covered the importance of healthy and functioning democracies, and that this is in the interest of both Britain and Kyrgyzstan. Cameron noted that the world has become a more competitive and contested place in which "big powers are muscling around" trying to win partners. Without naming any country in particular, he said his message to Kyrgyzstan was that it doesn't have to choose one partner over another or reject partners it already has. "We're saying we are a new partner that is keen to work with you with common interests, where we can make success together," Cameron told RFE/RL. He noted that Kyrgyzstan was "investing hugely" in education, while Britain believes in the "importance of the English language" and wants to help promote that. Asked about concerns over the deteriorating state of press freedom and the shrinking civic space in Kyrgyzstan, a country that was once called "an island of democracy in Central Asia," and other states in the region, Cameron said he raised these issues in his meeting with Japarov. "We talked about the importance of voluntary bodies, charities, nongovernmental organizations, civil society organizations," he said. Countries should always respect each other's differences and approaches, but he said that in his view, civil society organizations play a role in "helping to make our democracies work better, and that's the approach very much that we take in the United Kingdom." On Russia's war in Ukraine, Cameron said his message was that it's wrong because Ukraine is an independent sovereign country just like Kyrgyzstan, and Britain is helping Ukraine to fight off the illegal invasion. "But I think there's a broader message for everyone about the importance of sovereignty, the importance of borders, the importance of respecting those things, and I think that's a message that people want to hear [and are] very receptive to hear," he said. Cameron visited Israel before arriving in Central Asia. He said his message there was that Britain wants the fighting to stop and the hostages released. "Our message is one of: let's have a pause in the fighting. Let's turn that into the hostage release. Let's turn that into a sustainable cease-fire where we deal with the problems of the conflict," he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-uk-cameron- interview/32916233.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 350 Healthcare Workers Killed in Gaza Since October 7 - UN Special Rapporteur Sputnik News 20240422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least 350 healthcare workers have been killed and 520 others injured in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, when the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health Tlaleng Mofokeng said on Monday. "We know that 520 healthcare professionals have been injured, and we know that 350 healthcare professionals, including allied healthcare workers, have been killed," Mofokeng told a press briefing. A number of teenagers used to assist medical workers in Gazan hospitals to help them deal with the growing number of those injured and killed, but the adolescents have not been enlisted among the casualties as they were not officially registered as medical workers, the UN special rapporteur added. "The health system in Gaza has been completely obliterated and the right to health has been decimated at every level. The conditions are incompatible with the realization of everyone to the highest attainable state of physical and mental health. The attacks, the harassment, the killings of many of my own colleagues, healthcare workers, the destruction of health facilities and the destruction of humanitarian aid organizations continue to catapult to proportions yet to be fully quantified if at all possible," Mofokeng said. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. On April 7, a new round of the Israel-Hamas talks started in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. The ceasefire proposal made at the talks provided for the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners as a part of a three-stage plan adopted by international mediators. Hamas largely rejected the proposal, saying it would present its own plan for a permanent end to the conflict in the region. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Military Base in Syria Attacked For First Time in Months Sputnik News 20240422 Svetlana Ekimenko The new rocket attack comes after a lull in such strikes since February and against the background of heightened tensions in the region between Israel and Iran. An estimated five rockets were launched from Iraq towards a US military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, according to Iraqi security sources and a US official cited by Reuters. It is believed the attack was launched from Zummar, an Iraqi town on the border with Syria. An unnamed US official said a "failed rocket attack" targeted a coalition base in Rumalyn, but no American personnel were injured. It was not clear if the rockets failed to hit the base or were destroyed. A search operation launched by Iraqi forces deployed in the area led to the discovery of a vehicle described as a small truck that they claim was used in the attack. The truck with a rocket launcher fixed on its back was parked in Zummar and ignited in a blast from unfired rockets, according to a cited army official, who added that there were warplanes in the sky at the same time. The aforementioned American official claimed that US-led coalition aircraft in Iraq and Syria carried out a strike against the launcher. The rocket strike on the US base is the first since early February, when a lull occurred in attacks on American troops attributed by Washington to Iran-backed militias. This comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani returned from a visit to the United States, where he met with President Joe Biden at the White House. Shortly after the rocket attack, a Monday post on a Telegram group affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah claimed that, "What happened a short while ago is the beginning." The post added that armed factions in Iraq intend to resume attacks due to the lack of progress on talks to facilitate the exit of US troops during Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's visit to the US. Since October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian-Israeli conflict intensified, attacks on both US-led international coalition bases in Iraq and American troops in Syria noticeably escalated, with Shia armed groups in Iraq claiming responsibility for them. However, in light of ongoing talks about the future of the US forces in Iraq, they were put on pause. Since the US formally ended its combat mission in Iraq in 2021, it has maintained around 2,500 soldiers deployed there as part of so-called "train and assist" personnel. The Iraqi government announced plans to start formal talks with Washington about ending the American-led anti-terrorism coalition's mission in the country in January after a US airstrike killed militia commander Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi. Al-Saidi was the leader of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces-affiliated militia that helped rout IS* and other terrorists across Syria and Iraq between 2013 and 2017. According to varying sources, there are anywhere between 900 and 2,000 US soldiers in Syria to ostensibly conduct counterterrorism operations against IS. Syria has repeatedly demanded that the US end its occupation, with Damascus and its allies emphasizing that the presence of American troops is "illegal." A recent joint statement by Biden and al-Sudani said that, "The two leaders affirmed they would review [...] factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end." The current rocket strike comes after a huge blast occurred at a military base in Iraq early on Saturday. It killed a member of an Iraqi security force. The explosion took place at the Kalsu military base in Babylon province, where regular army, police, and members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, or Hashed Al-Shaabi, are stationed, as per Iraqi security forces cited by Arab media. *IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL, is a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah Downs Israeli Drone Over Southern Lebanon Sputnik News 20240422 BEIRUT, (Sputnik) - Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said on Sunday it had shot down an Israeli drone over the country's south. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that its drone had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Lebanon. "Islamic resistance fighters shot down an enemy drone over the Al Aishiyeh area in southern Lebanon at 10:50 p.m. [19:50 GMT] on Sunday," the statement read. Hezbollah identified the drone as a Hermes 450, which is a multi-role combat drone produced by Haifa-based Elbit Systems. It is designed for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that its drone had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Lebanon. "IAF [Israeli air force] fighter jets struck the launch site from which the missile was fired," the IDF added in a statement on Telegram. The Israeli military also said that it would continue to operate in Lebanese airspace to "protect the state of Israel." Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging airstrikes regularly since October 2023, as the situation in the region deteriorated dramatically after Israel launched military operations in the Gaza Strip following the October 7 attack by Palestinian movement Hamas. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senior Bureau Official for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Ambassador Robert Gilchrist on the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices US Department of State Special Briefing Robert S. Gilchrist, Senior Bureau Official Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Washington, DC April 22, 2024 AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Good afternoon to you all, and I express my thanks to Secretary Blinken and to Spokesperson Matt Miller for their great remarks and for the introduction. My name is Robert Gilchrist, Ambassador Robert Gilchrist, and I am the Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. I am honored to be here with you all today to release the 48th Annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices, which was submitted to Congress earlier today. This congressionally mandated report, colloquially known as the Human Rights Report, has been a flagship effort of the DRL Bureau since 1977. It is completed only through the significant expertise and effort brought by the State Department's dedicated public servants in U.S. missions abroad and in Washington, for which I and the Department of State are grateful. Human rights belong to everyone, and this report is one way we demonstrate our commitment to these universal rights. Even though our human rights are universal, they are far from universally respected, and the United States recognizes that standing up for these rights is often dangerous. Human rights defenders and civil society leaders around the world often work at great personal risk to improve the lives of all. That is especially the case for those whose work includes protecting women and girls; members of racial, ethnic, and religious minority groups; LGBTQI+; and persons with disabilities. Members of these groups - and those who press for the protection of human rights - are often targeted with threats and harassment, arrest, and violence. The brave individuals across the globe who risk their own life and freedom to champion the human rights and dignity of others deserve our deep thanks. In the nearly 50 years since the United States first rolled out the Human Rights Report, we have seen significant changes in respect for human rights around the world. There have been tragedies, but also triumphs. There have been times when U.S. leadership on human rights has been heralded, and times when it has been questioned. But as we look to the future, just a few months after the 75th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one thing is clear: U.S. global leadership in defense and support of human rights is as necessary as ever. This is not a responsibility we take lightly or for granted; we know leadership is earned. The report - unparalleled by any government in its comprehensive approach to human rights worldwide - is one of the tools towards that end. The Human Rights Report does not seek to catalog every human rights abuse or violation throughout the year, nor does it reach legal conclusions. What it does, uniquely, is present for each country a credible, carefully vetted report that provides the world with a clear window into the human rights conditions in every corner of the globe. This objective reporting is more essential than ever in a world where we increasingly see facts smeared as lies, lies presented as facts, and information manipulated to disturbing ends by autocrats and other malign actors. By shining a light on the human rights conditions of our adversaries and our partners equally, and by lifting up the selfless efforts of human rights defenders and civil society groups working to improve respect for those rights, the United States is helping contribute to a world where those rights are better protected for everyone. Although the report documents human rights conditions in countries around the world, the Biden-Harris Administration has made clear that human rights must be safeguarded at home as well. The administration has emphasized since taking office in 2021 that U.S. credibility and standing on human rights internationally depend on how well we are living up to our own obligations and commitments to advance human rights domestically. So we speak of the need to protect and respect human rights for everyone - and when we say that, we mean everyone. At the conclusion of this briefing, the State Department's website will have the 2023 Human Rights Report available for the public. I very much appreciate your attendance today, and I am happy also to take a few questions. MR MILLER: Guita. QUESTION: Thank you. Hello, Guita Aryan from Voice of America. I have a question on Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran has cracked down on women's compulsory hijab since late March and on, and as of the day it attacked Israel, it has even intensified that crackdown. At the same time, there is legislation on Capitol Hill mandating that the administration sanction higher leadership officials - the supreme leader, the president. Now with this report, which this report is about last year 2023, and this year there is - I'm sure there's a lot more you may have. Isn't it not time to sanction the higher officials, and would you be able - should the legislation pass and become an act, it requires its - the first report within 90 days. Would you be able to fulfill that? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I guess there are a few things to respond - in my response. First of all, with regard to any legislation, of course, the department remains committed to fully implementing every law that is passed by Congress. And so there is certainly a commitment by the department to fulfilling the law. As you pointed out, this report refers to 2023. However, in 2023, Iran's dismal human rights record continued to deteriorate. The regime increasingly targeted members of religious and ethnic minority groups, human rights lawyers, journalists, and civil society activists. And as you pointed out, the situation with regard to women continued to deteriorate as well. Iranian women faced increased discrimination through expanded application of punishments against people who violated the mandatory dress code, as you pointed out, leading to protests and widespread acts of civil disobedience. And many women and human rights activists received additional prison sentences for their activism, and they remain behind bars. The authorities continue to detain, sentence, and execute people in an effort to suppress the peaceful protests that began after the Mahsa Jina Amini's September 22 death while in custody of the morality police. So the United States also continues to work in multinational arena. With regard to sanctions, we have applied sanctions. With regard to any future sanctions, I can't provide and I'm not going to speculate about what may happen in the future. But the department has already actively used visa restrictions and economic sanctions to promote accountability for Iranian authorities' human rights violations since the most recent crackdown following the 2022 riots. MR MILLER: Said. QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you, Matt. Thank you, sir. The last three reports have shown steadily declining human rights conditions for the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. I want to - and on all aspects. I want to ask you about one aspect, which is administrative detention. The Israelis have put in practice since 1967 something called administrative detention, where they arrest people without charges. They keep them in prison for months, years, sometimes decades, without ever charging them, including children. I want to ask you: Is that a violation of international human rights, in your view? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Well, I'll refer you to the Human Rights Report in terms of what we say on that specific issue. With regard to Israel, again, we have been clear with Israel on the moral obligations and strategic imperative it has to protect civilians and the human rights of civilians. And in addition, we've been firm in stating that Israel must abide by international humanitarian law, investigate allegations of wrongdoing, including wrongful detentions, and ensure accountability. And that remains the U.S. commitment. QUESTION: So is it, in the view of the United States, that the administrative detention practiced by Israel - as practiced by Israel - are a violation of the international human rights? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I said with regard to the Human Rights Reports, the Human Rights Reports do not trigger any sanctions, do not provide any analysis, but rather provide an assessment of the facts on the ground as they are reported to our embassy. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Missy Ryan. QUESTION: Hi, Missy Ryan from The Washington Post. I wanted to ask you a little bit more about the assessment regarding Israel's response to alleged human rights abuses by members of the government or the security forces. In the 2022 report, it says that the Israeli military and civilian justice systems have rarely found members of the security forces to have committed abuses, and then it says that some steps were taken. In the '23 report, it just says that some credible steps were taken to identify and punish. Is the U.S. assessment no longer that Israel rarely takes action against the security forces? Could you somehow provide AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I think regarding that specific language QUESTION: Yeah. AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I don't have details with regard to that. But we can certainly get back to you with that. QUESTION: Could you give us some sort of assessment of the - to what extent - some steps were taken. To what extent were those steps taken? Was it occasionally? Do you feel like - how far did it go to what you feel like would be an adequate standard? If you could provide any context there. AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I think in the framework of the reports we don't provide sort of a qualitative assessment of a particular situation or how things have evolved regarding that language. I can see if we have additional details I can provide you with it. I can say that, as I've said - as I just said, that we raise these issues with the Israeli Government continuously, and including at the highest levels, with the firm belief that Israel has a moral obligation and an imperative to protect civilians and the rights of individuals in Israel and the occupied territories. But I don't have any further specifics with regard to that language. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Janne. QUESTION: Thank you, sir. On China, regarding the Chinese Government labor exploitation of North Korean defectors and their repatriation to North Korea, have you discussed this measure - I mean this matter with China, and what measures is the United States currently taking on this? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Well, as has been announced, the Secretary will soon be traveling to the PRC this week, and he will, as he does in all of his engagements with the PRC, raise human rights at the highest levels and in the clearest way. And that means with regard to the full array of concerns that we have with the PRC. I won't go into details with regard to specific conversations, but of course this is an issue that remains of concern and is one that we raise with our Chinese counterparts. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Humeyra. QUESTION: Just one thing on the numbers that you've used. In this report you have more than 21,000 Palestinians. That's obviously - I understand you had a cutoff at the end of the year 2023. What are those - what is the source for that number? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Our embassy and the U.S. Government used diverse sources. With regard to that specific source, that's something we can get back to you. But we rely on - we rely on a range of sources for the information that we're able to pull together for the Human Rights Reports. QUESTION: And within those range of sources, do you use Gaza's health ministry? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I - with regard to that specific number, I would say that we use a broad range of sources, including from local authorities, as well as from international organizations and NGOs. QUESTION: So it does include Gaza's health ministry? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I can't - I'm not saying that specifically. I'm providing a broader answer. QUESTION: You said local authorities, though. AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: But I'm providing a broader assessment in terms of where the numbers come from for our Human Rights Reports. MR MILLER: Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. On Bangladesh - thank you for doing this - given the significant human rights abuse highlighted in your reports, including arbitrary killings, torture, and political imprisonment, particularly with reference to the case of former prime minister and leader of the opposition - as you mentioned, this is a political ploy to remove her from the political process. So how do you ensure these reports lead to tangible changes and that the regime responsible faces - face consequences for their extreme human rights violations? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Well, I think QUESTION: And one more on India. AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I think ensuring anything will happen can be challenging. Certainly our hope with the Human Rights Report is by shining a light on specific issues and specific human rights concerns, we're able to help facilitate a change by governments and regimes in a positive direction. With regard to Bangladesh, we had the visa restriction policy that was announced in May 2023, implemented before the elections with the hope of reducing violence to deter actions that could undermine the democratic election process. I have nothing new to announce at this time, but as is our longstanding practice, we don't often preview actions with regard to policy or with regard to visas. But we have repeatedly expressed concern about the efforts by the government to repress freedom of expression - including from members of the press - freedom of association, and other fundamental freedoms and human rights, and that remains a continued concern of the United States. QUESTION: So one more on India. Your report's finding significant human rights issues, including credible reports of arbitrary unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings and the attack of the press. And you mentioned that the government took minimum - "minimal credible steps or action to identify and punish officials who may - " - "who have committed human rights abuses." I am quoting from your report. So what action you are taking to make the government accountable, as India is your very strategic partner of the United States? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: What I will say is the U.S. and India regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues. We strongly encourage, urge India to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. We also regularly meet with civil society representatives, both in the U.S. and India, to hear their perspectives, and those sorts of perspectives inform the Human Rights Report. And we encourage the Government of India to consult and meet regularly with civil society organizations representing a diversity of people. So there are a number of steps. It remains a key component of our - not just our dialogue but in terms of our engagement with India. MR MILLER: Nadia? QUESTION: I just have a technical question, actually. Do you - when you said you have multiple sources of gathering information, do you rely on Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations, especially B'Tselem? And does the embassy in Jerusalem have some kind of a final say on if - do they omit information, do they block certain information, or is the State Department basically the one who makes the final decision? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: I would say, I mean, well, our embassy in Jerusalem is part of the State Department. So certainly the reports are pulled together in the field with information that's compiled from our embassy but also in Washington, and in the end what this represents is the voice of the entire State Department. So - and it comes from a multitude of - we pull from a multitude of sources, including from within government and outside of government. MR MILLER: Alex. QUESTION: Thanks so much. Moving to South Caucasus, I have two questions. One is on Georgia. The report reflects last year Georgian Government's attempt - failed attempt - to push a foreign agent law. Can you just put it in the context given the current events going on in the country? Why was it wrong back then, in your opinion, and why is it wrong right now? And second, on Azerbaijan, the Secretary last year spoke with President Aliyev and he raised human rights concerns in the country multiple times, but yet we see the report reflects 254 political prisoners in the country. Is it a reflection of the fact that you guys don't have enough tools to move the needle? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Well, with regard to the foreign agents law in Georgia, the U.S. remains deeply concerned that, if enacted, this draft legislation would harm civil society and civil society organizations that are working to improve the lives of Georgian citizens, and will derail Georgia from its European path. We are equally concerned this draft legislation would impede independent media organizations working to provide access for Georgian citizens to high-quality information. With regard to Azerbaijan, the - we have significant concerns, as pointed out in the Human Rights Report, regarding credible reports of significant human rights abuses, including torture and other physical abuses, political prisoners, and a lack of independent judiciary. Further, law enforcement officials arrested an unprecedented number of people for having alleged links to Iran. The United States promotes respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms when meeting with Azerbaijani officials at all levels, and through U.S. Government statements, statements of international organizations, and meetings with human rights advocates. For example, we continue to call publicly for the expeditious release of all unjustly detained political prisoners and detainees, including independent journalists, civil society activists, and government critics. We also employ social media - for example, the department's Without Just Cause campaign to release unjustly detained political prisoners, including an Azerbaijani individual, until he was released during the year. So this remains, of course, something that we're engaged on. MR MILLER: Okay, we'll take one more in the back. QUESTION: Me? MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. QUESTION: Okay, thank you very much for this opportunity. How do we describe human rights situation in Iran, especially in Kurdistan and Baluchistan regions, after Jina Amini's revelations? AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Okay, let's see. Well, thank you for your question. Well, I'll say it bluntly: Iran's dismal human rights record further deteriorated in 2023, as the regime increasingly targeted members of religious and ethnic minority groups, human rights lawyers, journalists, and civil society activists with intimidation, arrests, lengthy prison sentences, and used sexual violence and torture against prisoners and detainees. The Iranian regime, as I said earlier, expanded its discriminatory measures against women and increased its use of the death penalty, which was often applied after sham trials against defendants who lacked legal counsel. And this was disproportionately applied against members of the Baluchi and Kurdish ethnic minorities. The Iranian regime continued to project its repression abroad, intimidating, harassing, and silencing perceived dissidents beyond its border. The State Department used visa restrictions and economic sanctions to promote accountability for Iran's authorities - Iranian authorities' human rights violations since the most recent crackdown following the 2022 protests. We have taken action to restrict visas or impose sanctions on over 100 Iranian entities and individuals connected to human rights abuses, including the violent suppression of peaceful assembly. We provided support to help Iranians connect internet with anti-censorship tools, with 30 million Iranians used at the height - which they used this internet that we were able to help with at the height of the 2022 protests. We issued General License D-2, allowing U.S. companies to offer new internet services to Iranians. In the multilateral arena, the U.S. continued to support the fact-finding mission at the UN Human Rights Council that we helped stand up in November 2022. We were also instrumental in working with allies and partners to kick Iran off the UN Commission on the Status of Women. And regarding transnational repression, we worked across the U.S. Government to share information and coordinate action, collaborated with likeminded governments and international organizations, conducted outreach to affected individuals and communities, and raised TNR in international fora. So I would say we've been quite engaged. MR MILLER: Thank you, Ambassador. AMBASSADOR GILCHRIST: Okay, thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Antony J. Blinken On the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices US Department of State Remarks Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Harry S. Truman Building Washington, D.C. April 22, 2024 MR MILLER: Good afternoon, everyone. Let me give you the - I'm going to start with - by giving you the run of show today for the release of the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The Secretary will open it up with some opening comments, then take a couple of questions. He will be followed by Ambassador Robert Gilchrist, the senior official in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, who will give additional comments and then stay to take your questions about the report. And then I will follow up with any additional questions you have about the rest of the world. With that, I'll turn it over to the Secretary. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, Matt. Hey, good afternoon, everyone. QUESTION: Good afternoon. SECRETARY BLINKEN: So I am pleased to be here to launch the 2023 Human Rights Report. At the end of last year, we marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, affirming the fundamental idea that "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Those words 75 years ago enshrined a wide range of universal rights - civil and political, economic, social, cultural - the right to express ourselves freely, to choose our leaders, to worship as we wish, the right to education, to just labor conditions. Standing up for freedom and human rights is simply the right thing to do. But defending and promoting this inalienable and universal rights is also profoundly in our national interest. Countries that respect human rights are more likely to be peaceful, prosperous, stable. The report that we're putting out today presents a factual, systematic account of human rights records across nearly 200 countries and territories. Each one is held to the same standard - developed and developing countries, competitors, as well as allies and partners. While the report focuses on human rights challenges abroad, we recognize that the United States faces its own shortcomings. The strength of democracies like ours is that we address those shortcomings, those imperfections openly, without sweeping them under the rug. The report illustrates that there is much work to be done to uphold the rights set out in the Universal Declaration. We once again see human rights and the rule of law under stress in more ways and in more places across the globe. Governments continue to lock up citizens who challenge those in power and call for a better future, from Belarus to Venezuela. Many are young. Of the roughly 1,000 political prisoners in Cuba, the average age is just 32. Tragically, as we saw with Aleksey Navalny's unjust imprisonment in a Russian penal colony, incarceration can come with horrific conditions - with abuse, even death. Governments like Russia also arbitrarily detain foreign nationals for political purposes, using human beings as bargaining chips. Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and every unjustly held individual deserves to go free. The United States and our many partners will keep working every day to reunite them with their families and to hold accountable governments that engage in this deplorable practice. At the same time, the report shows that governments are extending their abuses beyond their own borders. Nicaragua - attempting to pressure and punish exiled activists by seizing their assets. Tajikistan - working with other countries to forcibly return human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists who've fled abroad. The report documents atrocities reminiscent of humanity's darkest moments. In Sudan, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have committed war crimes. Rohingya in Burma, Uyghurs in Xinjiang - each victims of genocide and crimes against humanity. The United States will continue to raise our deep concerns directly with the governments responsible. This year's report also captures human rights abuses against members of vulnerable communities. In Afghanistan, the Taliban have limited work opportunities for women, shuttered institutions found educating girls, and increasing floggings for women and men accused of, quote, "immoral behavior," end quote. Uganda passed a draconian and discriminatory Anti-Homosexuality Act, threatening LGBTQI+ individuals with life imprisonment, even death, simply for being with the person they loved. Across countries and regions, authorities are increasingly using technology to intimidate, to censor, to surveil. Governments are deploying artifical intelligence to spread disinformation, and even tracking people based on their DNA. They're cutting off and throttling internet access, as Iran did to suppress protests sparked by the death of Mahsa "Zhina" Amini. The Assad regime and others are abusing commercial spyware to target journalists and activists. The United States is also actively working to ensure that emerging technologies are used to bolster rights, not undermine them; to make sure that technology is used to advance equal opportunity, not to discriminate against people. Just to cite one example, we've mobilized a coalition of likeminded governments to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. Today, as part of our government-wide effort, we're imposing visa restrictions on more than a dozen individuals who contributed to human rights abuses by helping to develop and sell these tools. Hamas's horrific attacks on Israel on October 7th last year, and the devastating loss of civilian life in Gaza as Israel exercises its right to ensure that those attacks never happen again, have also raised deeply troubling human rights concerns. We continue to work every day to bring the fighting to an end, to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and other groups, to uphold international humanitarian law, to prevent further suffering, to create a path toward a more peaceful and secure future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. These are just a few illustrations from the many countries covered in this report. And the report itself is just one of numerous ways that the United States is working to promote respect for rights and the dignity of all people. We also leveraged bipartisan legislation, like the Global Magnitsky Act, and tools like the Khashoggi Ban to hold to account those who perpetrate or profit from human rights abuses. Thanks in part to efforts like these, especially by advocates and citizens who are on the front lines, 2023 also saw some encouraging developments. Despite the proliferation of anti-LGBTI+ laws in some parts of the world, countries from Estonia to Japan to Mauricius made important strides in advancing the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals. Even as labor activists have been targeted, locked up, and killed, unions from South Africa to Mexico to Brazil improved working conditions and advanced workers organizing themselves - key objectives of the global labor directive that President Biden issued last November. Jordan took steps to ensure that children with disabilities could attend school and receive the support that they need. These bright spots are an important reminder that progress on human rights is indeed possible, as long as committed individuals in every part of the globe continue to work to uphold fundamental dignity for all people. On that note, let me just close by thanking a remarkably dedicated team across this department - here in this building, at our posts around the world - who have spent months painstakingly compiling this report. I also want to recognize everyone who helped document the incidents that make up this important resource - journalists, human rights defenders, citizens - often at great personal risk. Because of each of you, we have a clearer picture of human rights conditions as they are, as well as a renewed determination to strengthen them for the future. So with that, let me take a few questions, and then I'll turn it back over to Bob and to Matt. MR MILLER: Humeyra. QUESTION: Hello, Mr. Secretary. I have two questions; one is about the report, but let me quickly go to your phone calls last night. You had two important phone calls with Israel's Benny Gantz and Yoav Gallant, who both strongly objected to upcoming punitive action from U.S. on specific Israeli military unit over human rights allegations. Have those phone calls changed your mind? When will you announce the action? And then coming back to the report again, in this report you have a sentence saying Israelis operating in Gaza took no publicly visible steps to identify and punish officials accused of committing rights abuses. The accusations about IDF's military conduct in Gaza have piled up; they include using food as a weapon, targeting civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate bombing - something even the President has said is taking place. So I'm wondering, we know you've got ongoing processes about this, but could you tell us why is it taking so long to make a definitive assessment about these? And the fact that it's taken so long triggers, like - leads a lot of people suggesting that U.S. has a double standard when it comes to applying the law with Israel. Does the U.S. have a double standard? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Great. Thanks, Humeyra. Let me start with the last part of the question: Do we have a double standard? The answer is no. As this report makes clear, in general, as we're looking at human rights and the condition of human rights around the world, we apply the same standard to everyone, and that doesn't change whether the country in question is an adversary, a competitor, a friend, or an ally. And that's hugely important. With regard to the Leahy Law report that I think you were referring to at the outset, this is a - I think a good example of a process that is very deliberate, that seeks to get the facts, to get all the information, that has to be done carefully, and that's exactly how we proceeded, as we proceed with any country that is the recipient of military assistance from the United States. And again, the same standard applies. I don't have more to say about it today, but I think you'll see in the days ahead that we will have more to say, so please stay tuned on that. On Gaza itself, a few things. First, from day one, we've been working to do everything we can to try to increase protection for civilians as well as to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance for the Gazans who so desperately need it. When it comes to allegations of incidents of - whether it's violations of international humanitarian law, rights abuses, you name it, we have processes within the department that are looking at incidents that have been raised. Those processes are ongoing. And here, again, it's important that we take the time to do our best to get the facts, to get the information, to do the analysis. It's very challenging to do this in real time. And most - as you'll see if you look back at other places where we've made determinations ourselves, it usually takes time to do that to get the - to get the information. QUESTION: Can you at least provide a timeline for any of that? SECRETARY BLINKEN: So I'm not going to give you a timeline except to say that these efforts are ongoing. And when we feel that we've made the - that we have the facts, we've been able to do the analysis, we'll make known the findings. Similarly, though, when we see reports of incidents, we also take these directly to - in this case - the Israeli Government and ask for an explanation, information about what did or didn't happen. That too is an ongoing process, and it's, I think, very important to make sure that countries know that we're watching this very, very carefully. But as I say on the Leahy piece of this, more to come in the coming days. MR MILLER: Kylie. QUESTION: Thank you for doing this, Secretary. I have a question on the report as well with regard to what it says about Gaza, and it says that war crimes have been committed by Israel and Hamas. And I wonder if this building is actually looking into those allegations to determine their validity, like you guys looked into allegations of war crimes in Ukraine; and if there isn't an assessment happening in this building, who the U.S. Government is relying on for that assessment to be made. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yeah, so Kylie, as I said, we are looking into reports, incidents that are brought to our attention, and we have a process to do that, particularly if there are questions about whether U.S. arms have been involved, and that is ongoing. And we are continuing to be focused on that. Every situation, every country is different. For example, the case of Ukraine, where we have made certain determinations, totally different situation than in Gaza. The Ukrainians, first of all, themselves were not in any way a legitimate target the way, of course, Hamas is in Gaza. They were also not embedding themselves with civilians, hiding in and under apartment buildings, mosques, hospitals, you name it. And in addition, in the case of Ukraine, when Russian forces, for example, withdrew from Bucha, we were able to see, the world was able to see very plainly what had happened, and we were able to get the evidence. So each of these situations is different, and we have to do our best to collect the facts and follow the facts, and that's what we're doing. QUESTION: So ultimately, just to be clear, this building will make its own determination if war crimes are being committed by Israel or Hamas or any of those other groups? SECRETARY BLINKEN: We will - we make our own determinations, and of course there may be other bodies that do the same, but we make our own determinations. But importantly in the case of Israel, Israel has and has demonstrated the capacity also to look at itself. And again, this is what separates democracies from other countries - the ability, the willingness, the determination to look at themselves. It's my understanding that they have many open investigations based on reports that have been - that have come forward with allegations about abuses of human rights or abuse of international humanitarian law, laws of war, et cetera. So in the first instance, I think that's the most important thing, that any of our democracies have to make sure that we're policing ourselves, holding ourselves to the standards that we're asking of others. I believe Israel is in the process of doing that based, on knowledge of open investigations that they have. And as I said, when incidents are brought to our attention, we look at them, and particularly if there's a possibility that U.S. arms were used in those incidents. Thanks. MR MILLER: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, does the Geneva Convention apply to Gaza? Reporters have been asking this for months and not gotten an answer. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint Statement on U.S. - Poland Strategic Dialogue US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson April 22, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Poland on the occasion of U.S. - Poland Strategic Dialogue. Begin Text: The Governments of the United States and Poland held the 15th session of the U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue in Washington on April 22, 2024. The Strategic Dialogue took place one year after the previous session in Warsaw and two years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Dialogue focused on shared values and interests, reaffirming the strong, steady, and broad bilateral cooperation between the United States and Poland. The working groups of the Dialogue discussed regional security and collective defense; political-military issues; energy security, including nuclear energy cooperation; economic prosperity; and renewing democracy and rule of law at home and regionally in Eurasia. The United States and Poland reiterate our unwavering commitment to defend every inch of NATO territory. We discussed security arrangements on NATO's eastern flank and further developing capabilities and forces that will reinforce NATO's interoperability, readiness, and modernization. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense, especially in light of the latest NATO airspace violations. The United States congratulates Poland on the recent 25th anniversary of Poland's accession to NATO on March 12, which was marked by the historic visit of President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk to the White House, reinforcing our shared commitment to NATO and the democratic values it underpins. Both sides look forward to the July 2024 NATO Washington Summit marking 75 years of the most successful and enduring alliance in history and reaffirming Allied unity in the wake of Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine. The United States welcomes Poland's leadership and commitment to robust defense spending - at a level equivalent to four percent of Polish GDP - and its ongoing efforts to modernize its military, including through the use of U.S. Foreign Military Financing loans to purchase cutting-edge military equipment and technology. Both sides seek to further strengthen defense industrial cooperation. The United States and Poland are committed to ensuring Russia's aggression against Ukraine remains a strategic failure. We affirmed our support to Ukraine's self-defense, humanitarian relief efforts, and Ukraine's economic recovery. The United States and Poland will continue to cooperate closely with Allies and partners in support of Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia's invasion and win the war. We reiterate our commitment to continued joint efforts to address Ukraine's critical energy security needs. The United States welcomes Poland's longstanding bilateral military assistance to Ukraine, signing of the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, Poland's commitment to negotiate a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine, and Poland's close coordination with the European Union on Ukraine, as well as Polish financial and material contribution to EU support to Ukraine. The United States commends the continued strong support of Poland and Polish society for Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, welcoming about one million into their homes. By the same token, Poland commends the strong U.S. support for Ukraine and continued U.S. leadership in aiding Ukraine's defense. Both sides underline the necessity to secure sustainable financial and military support for Ukraine. The two welcomed recent efforts to shield European states from Russian influence operations seeking to undermine European Parliament elections and faith in democracy. We are determined to apply economic sanctions to continue raising the cost to Russia while it wages war against Ukraine. We will continue consultations and cooperation on further restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus, bilaterally and within other formats, such as the G7+. To bolster the sanctions regime targeting Russia, we are committed to identifying and tracking the practice of sanctions circumvention through third countries' jurisdictions, especially in Belarus, which provides support to Russia both in circumventing sanctions and as a logistical base for Russian activities in Ukraine. By imposing further restrictive measures and ensuring their implementation, we continue to demonstrate to Russia, its enablers, and other potential aggressors that starting a war is not only morally wrong, but also leads to economic consequences. We will continue to stand together against Russia's attempts to destroy the rules-based international order. The U.S.-Polish economic and trade partnership is strong, resilient, and expanding. The United States and Poland strive to strengthen cooperation on energy security, increase bilateral and transatlantic trade and investment, and improve supply chain resiliency in key sectors. Our governments welcome deepening collaboration with the private sector to bolster commercial ties, boost economic prosperity, and address collective challenges. Participants in the Dialogue discussed immediate energy security concerns and the imperative of the transition to clean, safe, and sustainable energy to combat the climate crisis. The United States and Poland reaffirm their readiness to further develop our already strong cooperation in the civil-nuclear energy field. The participants welcomed progress under our Intergovernmental Agreement advancing the construction of the first large nuclear power plant in Poland by a U.S.-led consortium and Polish consideration of future sites to develop further reactor projects. Participants also took note of the efforts by private sector partnerships to develop and deploy other advanced technologies especially small modular reactors under the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation, including through the support of the State Department's Project Phoenix. The participants welcomed the recent launching of the Polish-U.S. Regional Clean Energy Training Center, which can contribute to the development of skills and competency of Polish workforce needed for the successful implementation of the Polish nuclear power projects. The United States and Poland intend to continue to work together to further diversify Europe's natural gas supplies and to encourage partners in the region to follow Poland's example in reducing dependence on Russian fossil fuels as part of its clean energy transition. The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in the field of innovation and technology and the importance of secure 5G networks and telecommunications infrastructure. Participants welcomed opportunities for further engagement on robust, transparent investment screening to protect sensitive assets from potential national security risks that may arise as a result of certain foreign direct investments. In view of the rapidly evolving cyberthreat landscape, the United States and Poland are steadily strengthening and extending cooperation in cybersecurity in bilateral and multilateral formats and fora, including through cross-agency cyber consultations. The United States and Poland reiterated their deep commitment to the protection and promotion of democracy, rule of law, and human rights, including support to civil society. Both parties discussed their concerns about deepening authoritarianism in Russia and Belarus, and their shared commitment to the human rights of those facing repression. The United States and Poland affirmed their commitment to expand collaboration to counter the malign influence of foreign state-sponsored information manipulation based on common approaches, such as dedicated strategies, joint initiatives, and multilateral engagement. The two sides also exchanged views on the current situation in the Indo-Pacific and the mounting challenges the region faces, particularly those which undermine the rules-based international order. In the face of those challenges, we reaffirm our commitment to work with our partners in and beyond the region. The 15th U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue was hosted by the U.S. Department of State and included interagency and inter-ministerial representatives from both governments. Polish Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Robert Kupiecki and U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet jointly opened the Strategic Dialogue, which featured representatives from the Polish Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defense. On the American side, representatives participated from the Departments of State, Defense, Commerce, and Energy. Both sides expressed a strong interest in deepening the bilateral strategic partnership in the year ahead and through future strategic dialogues. We aim to hold the next annual meeting in Warsaw in early 2025. End Text. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Criminal armed gangs cannot be allowed to hold Haiti hostage: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Haiti. 22 April 2024 Thank you, President. I thank SRSG Salvador, Executive Director Waly, and Executive Director Russell for briefing us today. And I also welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Haiti as well as the Foreign Minister Alvarez Gil of the Dominican Republic. I would like to express our gratitude to SRSG Salvador and her team for their steadfast commitment to the Haitian people during these difficult times. We pay tribute to the UN's efforts, especially the establishment of a humanitarian airbridge to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies and personnel. President, we commend the courage of the Haitian national police. Criminal armed gangs cannot be allowed to hold the country hostage and to continue this appalling violence against the Haitian people. There are continued reports of indiscriminate killing, burning of camps for internally displaced people, and sexual and gender-based violence. We hear chilling accounts of girls facing collective rape by gangs on their way to school. No child should have to choose between their personal safety and education. We are calling on all those with influence over the gangs to rein them in now, for the good of the Haitian people. And we should use our UN sanctions regime to change the behaviour of those who are destabilising Haiti. The United Kingdom will continue to work with all Council members to this end. A political solution remains critical to resolving this crisis. We commend the efforts of CARICOM to secure an agreement on a new power-sharing transitional government. This transitional government should be in place as soon as possible to begin its work towards inclusive, free, and fair legislative and presidential elections. President, the United Kingdom will continue to support the rapid deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission to help deliver the security the Haitian people deserve. We thank Kenya for leading these efforts and thank all countries that have contributed personnel and funds. These efforts are critical, and the United Kingdom has pledged over $6 million dollars to the UN Trust Fund. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The UK is a long-standing supporter of Kosovo's sovereignty and independence: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on Kosovo. 22 April 2024 Let me say at the outset that the UK welcomes the clear commitments to peace and dialogue that we heard today from both Serbia and Kosovo. Despite the differences, we believe that is the only approach that can bring stability and prosperity to the region. President, the UK is a long-standing supporter of Kosovo's sovereignty and independence. We commend the government's efforts to strengthen the rule of law and welcome the implementation of the 2016 Constitutional Court ruling on the Decani Monastery's property. This commitment to reform brought Kosovo a step closer to realising its aspiration to join the Council of Europe. This will bring tangible benefits for all of Kosovo's citizens. The UK looks forward to working with Kosovo on the next steps towards a positive decision by the Committee of Ministers. Yet the absence of a comprehensive and conclusive normalisation agreement between Kosovo and Serbia continues to have negative implications across the region. While we welcome the progress in December on the energy roadmap and licence plates, fundamental issues remain unresolved. We encourage both sides to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated Dialogue, delivering on their respective obligations, including establishing an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities. This needs to be accompanied by a commitment to build a conducive environment for further progress on the Dialogue. In our view, three factors are particularly important: First, this means Kosovo should exercise its sovereign powers in a way which reflects its multiethnic population, demonstrating sufficient regard for Kosovo's non-majority communities. We urge the parties to work with EUSR to identify technical solutions to ongoing challenges around the implementation of the new regulation on foreign currencies. Second, it means Srpska Lista and other Kosovo-Serb political actors should not stand in the way of Kosovo-Serbs exercising their democratic rights and having their voices heard. We believe that the boycott of the mayoral recall votes in the four northern municipalities yesterday has only left us further away from restoring the representative democracy that the local population deserves. And finally, it means justice for any, and all, violence. Serbia should ensure that the perpetrators of the shocking events in Banjska last September, and the attacks on NATO KFOR personnel last May, are held to account. And in that context, as a long-standing supporter of international action and accountability for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, let me on behalf of the UK salute the immense courage of all those who speak out about their own personal experiences. In closing, I'd like to express the UK's gratitude to the Special Representative and all Mission staff who have contributed to UNMIK's work over the last 25 years. With conditions on the ground now unrecognisable from 1999, we believe it is a good moment for the Council to review UNMIK's role and responsibilities. This will ensure it can continue to effectively support security, stability and human rights in Kosovo, in a way that reflects the world of 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guterres upholds UNRWA as a 'lifeline' following receipt of independent panel's report 22 April 2024 - UN chief Antonio Guterres issued an appeal on Monday to "actively support" the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, adding that he accepted the final findings of an independent probe into the organisation, launched amid serious unconfirmed allegations of UNRWA collusion with Hamas fighters and as part of efforts to assess whether the agency was doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality. The final report, led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, was due to be released later on Monday. Ms. Colonna was also preparing to speak to journalists at a scheduled noon briefing in New York as Chair of the Independent Review Group on UNRWA. "The Secretary-General accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonna's report," Mr. Guterres's Spokesperson said in a statement. "He has agreed with (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini that UNRWA - with the Secretary-General's support - will establish an action plan to implement the recommendations contained in the final report." The statement concluded that "moving forward, the Secretary-General appeals to all stakeholders to actively support UNRWA, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region." The review group presented interim report findings and recommendations to the UN Secretary-General four weeks ago. These included evidence that UNRWA had "a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the humanitarian principle of neutrality" although "critical areas...still need to be addressed," Mr. Guterres's office noted at the time. The review panel - working with respected research organisations the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, the Michelsen Institute and the Danish Institute for Human Rights - announced that it would proceed with developing concrete and realistic recommendations to strengthen and improve the agency. Gaza, West Bank violence unabated The development came amid reports of further Israeli bombardment across Gaza at the weekend and concerning levels of violence in the West Bank. In Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, reported on Monday that a baby had been saved by emergency Caesarean section after its mother was critically injured in an airstrike and later died. "Doctors in Gaza were able to save the life of the baby from the womb of the mother as she passed away from the head injury she'd sustained," said Dominic Allen, UNFPA Representative for Palestine. The mother was 30 weeks pregnant when she died, along with her husband and the baby's siblings, Mr. Allen noted. Waiting for bombs to fall In Geneva, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health highlighted the huge toll on mental health that recent months and decades of violence have taken on the enclave's besieged population and medical professionals. "Imagine living under the constant anticipation of a bomb or a gun, or being shot while you're trying to get food or water or play. That is in itself a form of violence," said Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng. "To anticipate that your life could be extinguished in any moment and for children to grow up with that level of trauma is not normal. But, for decades, that has been normalised for the people of Occupied Palestinian Territory." On a daily basis, life continues to worsen for ordinary Gazans after nearly seven months of constant Israeli bombardment and a ground operation, launched in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage. A child dies every 10 minutes in the enclave, UNRWA said at the weekend, in a fresh call to end the violence and allow desperately needed humanitarian aid into the enclave. To date, Gazan health authorities report that more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and some 77,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October. Underscoring the looming health dangers from warmer spring conditions, UNRWA expressed renewed concerns over poor waste management and disease. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Scott Anderson, Senior Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, warned that substandard water and sanitation were far below what the population needed to stay healthy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Rising West Bank violence, dialogue critical in Kosovo, free Afghan activist 22 April 2024 - The UN Middle East envoy has expressed concern about increased levels of violence in the West Bank, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists in New York on Monday. Stability in the West Bank is vital to the prospects of peace in Gaza, UN Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said over the weekend, warning against further escalation. He also said civilian attacks, including settler violence, need to end. Meanwhile, the new Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, visited Gaza for the first time on Sunday since taking up the post earlier in April. "He saw firsthand the catastrophic situation in Gaza and how the ongoing hostilities are affecting people," Mr. Dujarric said. Mr. Hadi visited sites in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah, including a shelter for displaced people and a health centre, and spoke with members of the community. He also spent the night in Rafah, where 1.4 million people are sheltering in dire living conditions, lacking basic necessities, including water, food, shelter and healthcare. UN partners were able to provide hot meals, bread and flour to people in Gaza last week, with support from the World Food Programme (WFP). Further, two emergency medical teams have been positioned in northern Gaza to support Kamal Adwan and Al Awda hospitals. Good faith dialogue critical to move forward in Kosovo The UN Special Representative in Kosovo has highlighted the importance of open communication and dialogue in resolving long-standing issues between Belgrade and Pristina and between Kosovo Serb communities and the Pristina authorities. Caroline Ziadeh, who also heads the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), delivered her biennial briefing to the Security Council in New York on Monday. "One of the key common observations is dissatisfaction with the level of progress being achieved through political dialogue and the direct effects this has upon the security situation. The level of mistrust unfortunately remains high and must be addressed," she said. Ms. Ziadeh reported on recent setbacks that hamper efforts to build trust among Kosovo's ethnic communities through political dialogue. She underlined the importance of the full implementation of the European Union-facilitated agreements and for the sides to remain committed to constructive engagement and finding practical compromises. "Good faith dialogue, communication and mutual understanding mark the path forward. Progress is born from actions undertaken with the willingness to forge compromises," she said. Afghanistan: Rights experts call for release of detained activist Seven independent UN experts are calling for the immediate release of Afghan human rights defender Ahmad Fahim Azimi, who has been detained for more than six months. Mr. Azimi was imprisoned on 17 October by the de facto authorities along with his colleague Siddiqullah Afghan, who was recently released. In addition to being a human rights defender, Mr. Azimi advocates for girls' education and is the head of the Better Thinking Centre and director of the Digital Citizen Lab in Afghanistan. The experts have been communicating with the Afghan authorities regarding this case. "We urge the de facto authorities to also release Mr. Azimi without delay. There is no justification for his detention," they said. The experts also expressed concern over the arrests of multiple human rights defenders and education activists in Afghanistan, seemingly for their advocacy for women and girls' education. "Access to education is a fundamental right. It is essential that those who strive to expand this right are supported and protected, not persecuted," they said. The experts were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues. They serve in their individual capacity, are not UN staff, are independent of any government or organization and are not compensated for their work. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The independent review on UNRWA adherence to the humanitarian principle of neutrality from Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General UNRWA 22 Apr 2024 NEW YORK/AMMAN, "UNRWA welcomes the findings and recommendations of the independent review on the Agency's adherence to the humanitarian principle of neutrality. "UNRWA is firmly dedicated to applying UN values and humanitarian principles. The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people. "The report confirms that UNRWA has established - over many years - policies, mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the principle of neutrality. The report confirms that the Agency has systems to address allegations of neutrality breaches, including through disciplinary sanctions. It also confirms that between 2022 and 2024, the Agency reviewed all external allegations and opened investigations when evidence of misconduct was present. "Safeguarding the neutrality of the Agency is central to our ability to continue saving lives and contributing to the human development of Palestine Refugees in the Gaza Strip as it faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, and in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. "The report recognizes the complexity of UNRWA's mandate within a highly political context. It makes a series of recommendations that the Agency commits to act upon, namely in the areas relating to engagement with donors, governance, management and internal oversight, neutrality of staff and installations, education, staff unions and enhanced cooperation with UN Agencies. "UNRWA commits to working on expanding internal oversight, and engage with partners, including donors, host countries, other UN agencies in constructive ways towards the common goal of increasing impact and adherence to humanitarian principles. "UNRWA will continue to strive towards providing equitable and quality education, regularly reviewing and improving the content of its education programme to ensure that it adheres to values that contribute to peace, tolerance and human rights. "UNRWA is developing an action plan, with a timeline and budget to take forward the report's recommendations. Implementing some of the recommendations will require extensive engagement with staff and partners, including member states, hosts and donor countries. The Agency looks forward to cooperating with all concerned stakeholders to implement the recommendations. ENDs- Notes to Editors: The independent review commissioned by the Secretary-General in consultation with the UNRWA Commissioner-General on 5 February, responds to allegations made over the course of many years by external actors. Prior to the announcement of the independent review by the UNSG, the UNRWA Commissioner General had already committed, on 17 January, to launch a review of the Agency's internal processes and guidelines. The Independent Review Group was led by Catherine Colonna, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, who worked with three research organizations: The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Sweden), the Chr. Michelsen Institute (Norway), and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. The report recognizes the concrete steps UNRWA has taken at the technical level including the creation of a Neutrality Framework, a dedicated Humanitarian Principles Team, and the prioritization of humanitarian principles, integrity, accountability and oversight. The work of the independent review group was conducted in parallel to the UN's internal investigation into the allegations concerning the involvement of UNRWA employees in Gaza in the 7 October attacks against Israel. That investigation is ongoing and is being undertaken by the UN Office for Internal Oversight Services, the highest investigative body of the United Nations. Background Information: UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on. UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security Council Hears Briefings on Situation in Haiti Meetings Coverage Security Council 9613th Meeting (PM) SC/15674 22 April 2024 (Note: Due to the financial liquidity crisis affecting the United Nations and the resulting time constraints, the full press release will be published at a later date.) The Security Council met this afternoon on the situation in Haiti. Briefing the Council were Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti; Ghada Waly, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; and Catherine Russell, Inter-Agency Principal Advocate for Haiti and Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund. THE QUESTION CONCERNING HAITI Briefings MARIA ISABEL SALVADOR, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), said that "some of the worst scenarios for Haiti have become realities in recent months and weeks." In early March, gangs mounted coordinated attacks targeting key State infrastructure, including multiple police stations and two of the main prisons in Port-au-Prince, as well as educational and health facilities, and religious sites. During the first quarter of 2024, around 2,500 persons were killed or injured as a result of gang violence a 53 per cent increase as compared to the previous reporting period, making that 3-month period the most violent since BINUH's Human Rights Section started recording statistics in January 2022. "The severity of the current crisis underscores the gaps in capacity within the national structures and the urgent need for international assistance, namely through the immediate deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission," she said. On the political front, she noted the commitment made on 11 March to establish a Transitional Presidential Council to pave the way towards democratic stability. Its priorities should include an action plan for near-term security and the organization of credible, participatory and inclusive elections. She also recognized Prime Minister Ariel Henry's intention to resign after the installation of that Council. A month-long consultation finally led to the designation of its seven voting members and two observers. However, there is only one woman member. Noting that its non-renewable mandate runs up to 7 February 2026 by which a new President is to be inaugurated and all elected authorities to be sworn in, she stressed the need to ensure that women, youth and minority groups have their rightful participation in all decision-making bodies that will define the future of Haiti for years to come. All Haitian stakeholders must put in place the envisaged transitional governance arrangements as swiftly as possible, especially the appointment of an interim Prime Minister and Government, and the prompt nomination of the Provisional Electoral Council. However, gang leaders and other spoilers have stated their intention to violently disrupt the current political process. "I cannot stress enough the need to assist Haiti with its efforts to reestablish security," she said, calling for the urgent deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission, which was authorized by the Security Council more than six months ago. The sanctions regime is also an effective tool to discourage destabilization attempts by spoilers and criminals. BINUH continues to be engaged with stakeholders, she said, urging Haitian stakeholders to put their differences aside and deliver for the people of Haiti through the implementation of a sustainable, time-bound and commonly accepted road map. Statement from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to come. CATHERINE RUSSELL, Inter-Agency Principal Advocate for Haiti and Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), described the situation in Haiti as "catastrophic", and noted that the humanitarian situation grows worse and worse. Five and half million people, including 3 million children need humanitarian assistance. In many areas, essential services have collapsed while people lose access to food and safe drinking water, and in some communities, life is more dangerous than it has ever been. "At its heart, the crisis in Haiti is a protection crisis," she said. "Years of political turmoil and devastating economic condition have led to the proliferation of armed groups." Today, an estimated 2.7 million people live in areas under their effective control. She recounted seeing first-hand how horrific violence and fear are tearing apart the fabric that binds communities together. Children are recruited or are joining armed groups out of desperation. Thirty to 50 per cent of armed groups have children in their ranks, she said, adding that women and girls continue to be targeted with extreme levels of gender-based and sexual violence. Since the start of the war, more than 2,500 people have been killed, injured or kidnapped, and the UN has verified over 400 grave rights violations against children, she said. More than 180,000 children are now internally displaced with many cut off from life-saving aid as the Martissant road, the only humanitarian corridor from Port-au-Prince to the southern regions, is blocked and in danger of severe malnutrition, she said, adding cholera has also reemerged. The UN's access to the port of Port-au-Prince has been cut off because of armed groups operating in the area leaving nearly 300 containers with lifesaving humanitarian supplies stranded including 17 UNICEF containers. The capital is now almost completely sealed off because of air, sea and land blockades. Despite these constraints, the UN and its aid partners are still reaching the most vulnerable children and families. "Together we are doing our utmost to provide nutrition and health services, to respond to the cholera outbreak, and to support mobile child protection teams," she said. Humanitarian partners are creating a logistics platform in Cap-Haitien, where a secondary international airport and a port remain operational, and new supply lines outside of Port-au-Prince have been opened. However, only 8 per cent of the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Haiti, which requires $674 million to reach 3.6 million people, has been funded. "Quite simply, we need more support," she said, calling for donors and Member States to urgently increase flexible funding that will help provide life-saving aid and longer-term solutions for development and resilience-building. She asked the Council to use its leverage with State actors and armed groups to protect human rights and to create safety and security for the Haitian people. "We can only reach all people in need across the country through sustained humanitarian dialogue with all armed actors," she said. The humanitarian response must be perceived as being independent from political and security objectives. The Support Mission must avoid using force in and around populated areas, and it must only use the least harmful means required and proportionate to legitimate law enforcement aims. Preventing sexual exploitation and abuse will require thorough pre-deployment and on-the-ground training. All children associated with armed groups encountered by security forces must be treated primarily as victims and safely handed over to child protection actors. "The time for action is long overdue," she said. "The Haitian people need an immediate scale up in both regional and international support, without which the situation could become unrecoverable." Statements The representative of the United States welcomed the announcement of a Transitional Presidential Council, which brings together most of the major political parties in Haiti, as well as key stakeholders from the private sector, religious communities, and civil society. "This announcement is a much-needed glimmer of hope for the Haitian people, who continue to suffer from indiscriminate violence and horrific human rights abuses," he said. The deployment of a Multinational Security Support Mission will help prevent, mitigate and address human rights abuses while engaging with Haitian civil society and communities to build trust. It will help stabilize security and humanitarian conditions, while the Transitional Presidential Council works to pave the way for free and fair elections. But to succeed, the Mission needs financial and in-kind support. Expressing support for the renewal of the BINUH mandate, he urged: "Let us work to not only address the crisis facing Haiti today, but tackle its root causes, encouraging wider participation and engagement." The representative of Ecuador , voicing concern about the increasing coordination of criminal gangs in Haiti, urged the rapid deployment of the Support Mission. The international community's support is also vital, both in contributions to the Trust Fund and in personnel. The sanctions list must be updated in line with Council resolutions 2653 (2022) and 2700 (2022), and States must adopt the necessary measures to prevent the supply, sale or transfer of arms to non-authority actors in Haiti. The judicial system and the capacity of Haitian security forces must be strengthened to bring perpetrators of crimes to justice. Gang threats against human rights defenders, journalists and people affiliated with State institutions must be investigated and punished as well. He welcomed the recent adoption of the decree that formally established the Transitional Presidential Council and appointed its members. All dialogue processes must ensure the active, meaningful participation of women and young people, he said, underscoring BINUH's efforts in that regard. The representative of Ecuador , voicing concern about the increasing coordination of criminal gangs in Haiti, urged the rapid deployment of the Support Mission. The international community's support is also vital, both in contributions to the Trust Fund and in personnel. The sanctions list must be updated in line with Council resolutions 2653 (2022) and 2700 (2022), and States must adopt the necessary measures to prevent the supply, sale or transfer of arms to non-authority actors in Haiti. The judicial system and the capacity of Haitian security forces must be strengthened to bring perpetrators of crimes to justice. Gang threats against human rights defenders, journalists and people affiliated with State institutions must be investigated and punished as well. He welcomed the recent adoption of the decree that formally establish the Transitional Presidential Council and appointed its members. All dialogue processes must ensure the active, meaningful participation of women and young people, he said, underscoring BINUH's efforts in that regard. The representative of Slovenia said Haiti once again finds itself trapped in an endless cycle of human suffering, condemning in the strongest possible terms the coordinated gang attacks against state institutions and critical infrastructure. "These attacks have not only severely challenged the State's authority but also fostered unprecedented chaos and terror within the civilian population," she said, echoing the call for the Support Mission's swift deployment and enhancement of the Haitian criminal justice sector to ensure accountability for serious human rights violations and abuses. She added progress is simultaneously critical on both the political and security front. She urged all actors to hold nationwide dialogue and to cooperate with the goal of achieving peace and noted the recent establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council, encouraging its swift operationalization. She also condemned in the strongest possible terms any sexual or gender-based violence, and she expressed alarm over the increased recruitment of children to perpetuate crimes. ... NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Whiteman AFB demonstrates readiness during Spirit Vigilance Published April 22, 2024 By Phill Stuart 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. (AFNS) -- The 509th and 131st Bomb Wings capped off the most recent iteration of exercise Spirit Vigilance by performing a mass fly-off of 12 B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, April 15 at Whiteman Air Force Base. Spirit Vigilance is one of a series of routine exercises held by Air Force global strike bases across the enterprise that focus on the training and readiness of Airmen. These exercises are regularly planned and are conducted to continuously evaluate and enhance U.S. deterrence capabilities. "I'm proud of the dedication shown by our Airmen and civilians in ensuring the success of this exercise," said Col. Keith Butler, 509th Bomb Wing commander. "Exercises are both critical to our readiness and a powerful tool to demonstrate to the world that the B-2 is a credible and reliable strategic deterrent." Visual displays of power can serve as a reminder to potential adversaries of the overwhelming air power that the B-2 can bring to bear. "As the world's most strategic aircraft, the B-2 has an outsized effect on Great Power Competition," said Col. Geoffrey Steeves, 509th Operations Group commander. "The 509th and 131st Bomb Wings are charged with delivering the nation's most powerful weapons, and the B-2 is the only aircraft on the planet that combines stealth, payload, and long-range strike." According to Chief Master Sgt. Frank Espinoza, 509th Maintenance Group wing weapons manager, exercises like this are valuable for Airmen and for the wing's mission. "Overall, exercises focused on rapidly generating airpower, play a crucial role in enhancing our readiness, responsiveness, and effectiveness, while also promoting deterrence, reassurance, and interoperability among allied and partner nations," Espinoza said. While the B-2 itself is a powerful deterrent, Steeves emphasized that the people behind it are just as important to the mission. "Our Airmen are responsible for making this platform lethal," Steeves said. "In addition to the operators charged to fly into combat, our mission requires defenders to protect the aircraft, medics to maintain our health and maintainers to make sure this platform remains combat ready. Our Airmen set us apart from our adversaries. We trust and empower them to creatively solve problems and ensure mission success." As the Air Force shifts its focus toward Great Power Competition, the mission at Whiteman AFB plays a vital role in the nation's defense strategy. "The B-2 stealth bomber has never been more relevant than it is right now," Steeves said. "It was conceived at the height of the Cold War but fielded at the same time the Berlin Wall crumbled and Soviet Union collapsed. Now, more than 30 years later, the B-2 is fulfilling the role for which it was created: great power competition." The Airmen with the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings validated the B-2's role in that competition during Spirit Vigilance. "The American public and our international partners can rest assured that we possess unparalleled air power to support them," Butler said. "Moreover, we effectively deter our near-peer competitors by consistently showcasing our ability to deliver overwhelming global strike capabilities anytime, anywhere." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US begins talks on withdrawal of troops from Niger By VOA News April 22, 2024 A Pentagon spokesman said Monday the U.S. has begun discussions with the military government of Niger about withdrawing of some 1,000 U.S. troop from two air bases in the nation. Last month, the military junta that controls Niger announced it was ending the military agreement between the two nations and Pentagon officials agreed to the withdrawal late last week. Monday, Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder confirmed discussions had begun between the U.S. and Niger for "the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. Ryder said the U.S. Defense Department will send a small delegation that will include members of the U.S. Africa Command to Niger for the talks. He said he could not speculate on a timeline for the withdrawal and there has been no change in the number of troops currently stationed in Niger. The U.S. has about 1,000 soldiers divvied up between the two air bases in Niger - one in the capital, Niamey, and the other, a $110 million drone base built in the northern city of Agadez. The two bases are key to U.S. efforts to fighting terrorism in the region, and drone missions from the Agadez base target militants in the area. The withdrawal decision is not a surprise. The commander of U.S. Air Forces Africa, General James Hecker told reporters in August about three weeks following the coup that put the military junta in power that his teams were already planning for a scenario in which the troops stationed there would have to leave. Meanwhile, hundreds of Nigeriens marched through the streets of Agadez Sunday calling for the U.S. troops to leave. The protesters carried banners and chanted slogans. Reports say the march was staged shortly after the withdrawal agreement was reached. Some information from this report was provided by Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey hosted Hamas leader amid growing criticism over inaction in Gaza By Hilmi Hacaloglu, Ezel Sahinkaya April 22, 2024 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and his delegation last weekend in Istanbul amid growing criticism in Turkey of his government's stance on the Israel-Hamas war. There was no news conference after the meeting. Erdogan's office released a statement on the topics discussed with Haniyeh, who lives in exile in Qatar. According to the statement, Erdogan and the Hamas leader talked about "Israel's attacks on Palestinian territory, especially Gaza, what needs to be done to ensure adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region." Erdogan also emphasized the importance of Palestinians acting in unity, which he called "the most robust response to Israel and the way to victory go through unity and integrity." In another statement, Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) revealed that a Hamas delegation, including key members of the militant group, was present in the meeting. Haniyeh's visit came at a time when Erdogan's stance on the Israel-Hamas war and his support for the Palestinian people were questioned by the Islamist New Welfare Party, which came in third nationally in the local elections last month. On April 9, Turkey's Trade Ministry announced export restrictions of several product groups to Israel as a response growing calls in Turkey for a boycott. Some analysts think that Erdogan's meeting with Haniyeh is to consolidate his base. "AKP and Erdogan have been very worn out recently regarding the Palestine issue after it was revealed that there was trade with Israel," Erhan Kelesoglu, an Istanbul-based Middle East expert, told VOA. "Meeting with Hamas leaders actually provides President [Erdogan] with the opportunity to refresh his image before the public. It shows that he is behind the Palestinian cause and Hamas," Kelesoglu added. On April 17, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan went to Doha, Qatar, where he met Haniyeh. Later in a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Fidan said that Hamas has accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders. "They have told me that following the establishment of the Palestinian state, Hamas would no longer need an armed wing and they would continue as a political party," Fidan said. Some experts view Ankara's recent involvement with Hamas as its intent to play a mediator role. "Turkey intends to reassert its influence in the region by playing a mediator role, particularly as Qatar's mediating capacity reaches its limits, and Turkey has recently emerged as one of the intermediary countries in relations with Iran," Evren Balta, a non-resident scholar at Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, wrote in an analysis for MEI's blog. "However, it is unlikely that either Israel or the United States will agree to the role that Turkey wishes to play or see the dissolution of the military wing of Hamas as a sufficient move to engage with the organization," Balta added. Israel's reaction Following the meeting on April 20, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz shared a photo of Erdogan shaking hands with Haniyeh on his X account. "Erdogan, shame on you," Katz wrote in a post in Turkish. He also listed his allegations of "rape, murder, and the desecration of corpses" committed by "the Muslim Brotherhood." Hamas shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Erdogan's AKP also backed in the past. Oncu Keceli, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, reacted to Katz's statement on X, saying, "It is the Israeli authorities who should be ashamed. They have massacred nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children." "Turkiye's priority is to bring the massacre in Gaza to an end, and the establishment of a Palestinian state to ensure lasting peace in our region," Keceli added. More than 34,000 people have been killed, Palestinian health authorities say, since the beginning of the war in Gaza last October. Comparison with Turkish militia On April 17, in his ruling AKP's parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan accused critics of his handling of the Israel-Gaza war of slandering him, his party, his government, and the Turkish Republic. "Some of our steps may not be visible. We may not be able to explain some of what we do. However, those who question our sensitivity on Palestine will sooner or later be embarrassed and disgraced," Erdogan said. "I say it very clearly and openly: Hamas is the same as Kuva-yi Milliye in Turkey during the war of independence," Erdogan added. He also called Hamas "a group of mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people" in the past after the Oct. 7 attack. Mujahideen is an Arabic word meaning those who fight for Islam. The U.S., the U.K. and European Union have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Kuva-yi Milliye, founded in 1918, is the name of the Turkish militia forces that fought in the early period of Turkey's War of Independence and was later organized under the command of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Erdogan's statement stirred a debate in Turkey as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) rejected such a similarity between Turkish national forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. "Identifying Hamas with Kuva-yi Milliye means 'the Palestinian cause started with Hamas.' However, everyone knows very well that the [Palestinian] struggle is a struggle that has lasted for decades. And it certainly did not start with Hamas," Oguz Kaan Salici, CHP's Istanbul deputy and a Turkish Parliament's Commission of Foreign Affairs member, told VOA. CHP calls for a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli military intelligence chief resigns in connection with October Hamas attack By VOA News April 22, 2024 Israel's military announced Monday the resignation of the head of its intelligence directorate in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Major General Aharon Haliva had already publicly taken responsibility for intelligence failures that led to the attack in which Israel says Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took about 250 people hostage. The military released a resignation letter Monday from Haliva and said he would step down and retire as soon as a replacement is appointed. "The intelligence directorate under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with. I carry that black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the pain with me forever," Haliva said in the letter. Haliva is the first high-ranking official to resign in connection with the attack. Israel responded with a campaign in the Gaza Strip that it says is aimed at eliminating Hamas and ensuring the militants cannot carry out another attack on Israel. The Israeli campaign has left much of Gaza in ruins and forced about three-quarters of Gaza's population from their homes, according to the United Nations. Gaza's health ministry says Israeli military actions have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Sunday, on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Passover, to "deliver additional and painful blows" on Hamas to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. "In the coming days we will increase the military and political pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to free our hostages," Netanyahu said without offering any details. The Israeli army has said some of the hostages abducted during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel are being held in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to unleash a military offensive on Rafah, claiming members of the terror group Hamas are holed up there. The threat comes despite calls for restraint from the international community, including from the United States Israel's main ally. International concern has focused on the safety of Palestinian civilians in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population has sought shelter after fleeing Israeli military assaults in other parts of Gaza. West Bank Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians Sunday in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military said the three Palestinians attacked Israeli soldiers in two different locations. In the first incident, at a junction near the Palestinian city of Hebron, Israeli troops were shot at by one man, while another attempted to stab them, before the military opened fire on both individuals. In the second incident, at a checkpoint farther north in the West Bank, the military said a woman tried to stab soldiers who then responded with live fire. Violence in the West Bank has escalated since the Israel-Hamas war started, with Israel's frequent army raids on militant groups, rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages, and deadly Palestinian street ambushes on Israeli soldiers. Netanyahu said Sunday he would fight sanctions being imposed on any Israeli military units for alleged rights violations in the West Bank, after media reports said Washington was planning such a step. Axios news site reported Saturday that Washington was planning to impose sanctions on Israel's Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has operated in the occupied West Bank, although the Israeli military said it was not aware of any such measures. On Friday, the United States announced a series of sanctions against organizations funding attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank. This is the latest sign of growing U.S. frustration with the policies of Netanyahu, whose coalition government relies on settler parties. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Pakistan urge Gaza cease-fire By Ayaz Gul April 22, 2024 Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi started an official visit to neighboring Pakistan on Monday, where he denounced Israel for the alleged "genocide" in Gaza. Raisi's three-day trip comes days after Tehran and Israel carried out unprecedented direct attacks against each other, raising concerns of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Soon after arriving in the capital, Islamabad, the Iranian president held delegation-level talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and oversaw the signing of several pacts and memorandums of understanding to strengthen mutual ties. The two leaders later addressed a nationally televised joint news conference where Sharif commended Tehran's "resolute position" on the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza and the "unprecedented brutality" being inflicted on Palestinians there. "We respect the people and the government of Pakistan who are fed up with the oppression being committed against ... the people of Gaza, and the genocide and the child-killing ... by the Israeli Zionist regime with the support of the United States and other Western countries," Raisi stated. Sharif urged all the Muslim nations to work together through various international platforms, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to bring an end to the hostilities in Gaza, which erupted six months ago. "Even today, the (United Nations) Security Council resolution is being flouted and the world is silent on it," said the Pakistani leader, referring to the Security Council resolution adopted March 25 demanding an "immediate" cease-fire in Gaza. Pakistan is among the countries that do not recognize Israel nor have direct channels of communication with the Jewish state over the issue of Palestinian statehood. Raisi's visit comes more than a week after Iran's direct attack on Israel with more than 300 drones and missiles. Tehran said the military action was a response to an April 1 suspected Israeli strike against an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria that killed seven members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, including two generals. Israel declared war on Hamas after the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and leading to the capture of about 250 hostages. Inside Gaza, Israel's counteroffensive has killed nearly 34,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, Gaza health officials say. Israel says the death toll includes thousands of Hamas fighters. Speaking Monday, the Iranian president said that in talks with Pakistani hosts, both countries agreed to increase bilateral trade and emphasized the need to jointly combat terrorism, organized crime, and drugs. "The current level of economic and commercial ties between Iran and Pakistan by no means acceptable," Raisi said. "Therefore, we have decided to increase the trade volume ... to $10 billion annually in the first step," he added. Bilateral trade between the two countries currently stands at around $2 billion. Both countries have in the past publicly vowed to boost their trade ties but have failed to deliver on those pledges. Sharif and Raisi did not mention the status of a long-delayed plan to link the two countries through a pipeline to export Iranian natural gas to Pakistan. While Tehran claims it has completed construction of 1,100 kilometers of the pipeline on its side of the border since signing an agreement with Islamabad in 2009, work has not started on the Pakistani side because Islamabad fears the project would invite U.S. sanctions for importing Iranian gas. Washington has imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran's energy sector over its nuclear program. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to sue Islamabad in international arbitration and impose a penalty of around $18 billion for breach of contract. Iran and Pakistan share a 900-kilometer border and have a history of strained relations. The countries accuse each other of allowing fugitive militants to shelter on their respective lands and launch cross-border terrorist attacks. The border tensions escalated in January this year when Iranian security forces launched missiles against what they said were anti-Iran militant hideouts in the southwestern Pakistani border province of Baluchistan. Islamabad condemned Iran's violation of Pakistan's territorial integrity and retaliated with strikes on bases of anti-Pakistan militants operating from Iranian soil. The unprecedented exchange of so-called counterterrorism strikes raised concerns about a larger conflict between the two Muslim countries. But tensions have since been largely defused and Raisi's visit is part of diplomatic efforts the two countries have undertaken to mend bilateral relations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BDS applications facilitate Chinas Antarctic survey: head of Chinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping 16:07, April 23, 2024 By Deng Xiaoci ( Global Times This photo taken on April 10, 2024 shows China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 in Hong Kong, south China. China's first domestically made icebreaker Xuelong 2 arrived in Hong Kong for a five-day visit, expecting to receive 8,500 visitors. Xuelong 2, which came to Hong Kong for the very first time, entered the Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui on Monday morning after completing China's 40th Antarctic expedition. (Photo: Xinhua) Applications of the China's home-developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, or known as the BDS, has played an important role in addressing various challenges during China's 40th Antarctic scientific expedition that just successfully completed earlier in April, Zhang Xiaohong, director of the Chinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping (CACSM) at the Wuhan University, told the Global Times on Monday. "Our Antarctic research team of four faculty and student members have just returned from the mission," Zhang said during a media event organized by the China National Space Administration, ahead of the upcoming China Space Day. According to the CACSM director, the main applications of the BDS included monitoring the real-time movement of snow vehicles in high-latitude polar regions, and establishing a continuously operating reference site at Kunlun Station to monitor the dynamic changes of ice bands in real-time. Moreover, during self-research tasks, snow vehicles need to travel nearly 1,000 kilometers, relying on BDS for navigation. And BDS navigation technology is also used in conducting drone surveys and other tasks at the research base, Zhang revealed. Zhang highlighted Wuhan University's achievements in Antarctic scientific research, stating that the university has been participating in Antarctic scientific expeditions since 1984, contributing to China's Antarctic scientific endeavors for 40 years. He emphasized that Antarctica has become part of China's national strategy, serving as a new route for maritime transportation, a new source of resources, and a new frontier for technological competition. Wuhan University and its team at the Hubei Luojia Laboratory play a crucial role in surveying, remote sensing, and navigation technologies research and development, enabling the country to conduct extensive scientific research in Antarctica. Zhang further pointed out the entire Antarctic is covered by over 14 million square kilometers of ice and snow, making monitoring changes in the Antarctic region crucial. With the accelerating global climate change, the melting of the Antarctic ice cap could lead to a rise in sea levels of approximately 60 meters, which would have far-reaching implications for human survival. To monitor these changes, China must rely on surveying and remote sensing methods. For many years, the team from Wuhan University has been making efforts in this regard and has conducted extensive surveying work in Antarctica He also mentioned China's establishment of several first-of-their-kind overseas BDS tracking stations in Antarctica, contributing significantly to the construction of the BDS-2 system and ensuring the accuracy of satellite orbits. China's satellites, including ocean satellites, meteorological satellites, and BDS satellites, play a crucial role in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. In the past, China relied on foreign data, but now it can rely on domestically produced satellites, making polar work more independent and controllable. Therefore, in the future, more domestically produced products will play an important role in Arctic and Antarctic regions, Zhang said. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Independent investigation finds UNRWA's neutrality strong, but could be improved By Margaret Besheer April 22, 2024 An external review of the neutrality of the U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees has concluded that the agency has a number of procedures and mechanisms in place to ensure its neutrality, but there is room for improvement. "There is always room for improvement and some issues related to neutrality persist; this is why this mission was created," Catherine Colonna, the commission's chair, told reporters at a briefing at the United Nations in New York. Of the agency known as UNRWA, she cited instances of staff publicly taking sides, school books that had some "problematic content," and a politicized staff union that she said made operational disruptions and threatened management. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commissioned the former French foreign minister to head up an external review of UNRWA in early February, following accusations from Israeli officials that a dozen of the agency's staffers was involved in the deadly October 7 terror attacks inside Israel. Nine of the staffers were immediately fired, one was confirmed dead, and officials were clarifying the identity of two others. Colonna worked with experts from three Scandinavian research groups -- the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Christian Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. She handed over her report to Guterres on Saturday, along with a list of about 50 recommendations. "I am confident that implementing these recommendations will help UNRWA fulfill its mandate and restore confidence where needed," Colonna told reporters. Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein rejected the report. "The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas' infiltration of UNRWA," he said in a press release. "This is not what a genuine and thorough review looks like. This is what an effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on looks like." Saying UNRWA is part of the problem in Gaza, he called on donors not to fund the agency and instead to give their money to other aid organizations working in Gaza. UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the report's findings and said he is working on an action plan to implement its recommendations. "Safeguarding the neutrality of the agency is central to our ability to continue saving lives and contributing to the human development of Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip as it faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, and in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Syria, Lebanon and Jordan," he said in a statement. Conclusions The commission concluded that while the agency has made changes and improvements since 2017, more could be done, including strengthening its internal oversight capacity, better vetting of staff, building trust with donors and improving neutrality in its education system. While Israel verbally informed UNRWA leadership of the allegations against the 12 staffers, the commission found that while UNRWA shares the names of its staffers with Israel, Israel had not relayed any concerns to UNRWA about any staffers since 2011. The commission also said that while Israel has since made claims about a "significant number" of UNRWA employees being members of terrorist organizations, it "has yet to provide supporting evidence of this." Colonna was clear that her team's mandate did not involve the allegations involving the dozen staffers - that is being handled by an internal U.N. investigation. Israel for many years has accused UNRWA of allowing its premises to be misused for political or military purposes, including by Hamas. The commission concluded that the operating procedures for regular inspections of premises "appear to be appropriate," but recommended that they happen more frequently than the current four times per year. On allegations that UNRWA schools use textbooks containing anti-Semitic or anti-Israel language, the commission said the most recent review of school books from the Palestinian Authority from 2022-2023, found that 3.85% of all pages contained "issues of concern to "U.N. values, guidance, or U.N. positions on the conflict." "Even if marginal, these issues constitute a grave violation of neutrality," the commission's report said, adding more work needs to be done between UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority to avoid promotion of discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence and the spreading of anti-Semitic views. "The Secretary-General accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonna's report," Guterres' spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said. "He has agreed with Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini that UNRWA, with the Secretary-General's support, will establish an action plan to implement the recommendations contained in the Final Report." Guterres urged donors, staff and UNRWA host countries to fully cooperate in the implementation of the recommendations. "Moving forward, the Secretary-General appeals to all stakeholders to actively support UNRWA, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region," Dujarric said. Following the allegations against the staffers, 16 donors, including top contributor the United States, suspended contributions totaling around $450 million. Since then, some have resumed, and some new donors have contributed. Last week, the agency's chief said they have funding to cover operations through June. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNICEF: 3 million children suffering brunt of Haitian gang violence By Margaret Besheer April 22, 2024 The head of the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, said Monday that 3 million Haitian children impacted by rampant gang violence need humanitarian assistance, including thousands who are at risk of death from severe malnutrition. "Each day, children are being injured or killed," Catherine Russell told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. "Some are being recruited, or they are joining armed groups out of sheer desperation." The murder rate in Haiti has soared this year, with 2,505 people killed or injured in violence between January and March a 53% increase over the final three months of 2023. Recent UNICEF data indicate between 30% and 50% of Haiti's gangs have children in their ranks. Nearly half the population, almost 5 million people, is acutely food insecure, as gangs block major roads from agricultural areas to the capital, food prices rise, and the country's main airport has been closed since March 3 because of gang activity around it. The country relies on imports for half of its food. "Recent findings from the IPC analysis indicate an alarming 19% increase in the number of children projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Haiti this year," Russell said, referring to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a U.N.-backed food analysis index. "The analysis also showed that 1.64 million people are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity, which increases the risk of child wasting and malnutrition." She said the growing insecurity in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has made it nearly impossible for critical health and nutrition supplies to reach at least 58,000 children suffering from severe wasting - the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. "The Martissant road, the only humanitarian corridor from Port-au-Prince to the southern regions, remains blocked, leaving an estimated 15,000 children suffering from malnutrition at risk of death," she said. As services break down and clean water becomes less available, cholera has returned and the numbers are growing, with 80,000 suspected cases. "The situation in Haiti is catastrophic, and it grows worse by the day," Russell said. Aid workers are continuing to deliver when they can, despite insecurity and a massive funding gap. Haiti's U.N. envoy said the situation "is going from bad to worse." On top of hunger and violence, Ambassador Antonio Rodrigue told the Security Council that gangs are looting private companies, especially medical companies. "This has resulted in a serious shortage of medicines and medical products, hospital beds and blood products, including in the capital," he said. "Movement restrictions due to insecurity and improvised roadblocks are serious obstacles to the delivery of urgent medical equipment and medicines." He called for the rapid deployment of the multinational support force that the council authorized in October 2023 to support Haiti's police. Kenya has offered to lead the non-U.N. force and several countries have offered to contribute personnel, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, Jamaica and Suriname. The force has been beset with delays, including court challenges in Kenya and a shortage of funding. In a positive development, Haiti's political process appears to be moving forward, with the publication on April 12 and 16 of executive decrees establishing the Transitional Presidential Council and appointing its members. An interim prime minister and government still need to be appointed and the Provisional Electoral Council members nominated. However, gang leaders have threatened to violently disrupt the nascent political process. Haiti has been in turmoil since the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his home in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Petion-Ville. Armed gangs now control much of the capital and have spread to other parts of the country, where they have carried out massacres, kidnappings, human trafficking and sexual violence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US State Department outlines pressing threats to global human rights By VOA News April 22, 2024 The U.S. State Department on Monday released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, outlining Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the civil war in Sudan and the Israel-Hamas war as just some of the major global human rights concerns. "In compiling these ... [reports] we have drawn from a variety of credible, fact-based sources, including reporting from government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and media," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an online statement. The year covered by the reports, 2023, coincided with the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The reports are based on internationally recognized human rights outlined in the declaration, among other agreements. In the reports' preface, Blinken first outlined Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a significant breach of human rights. "The Kremlin's disregard and contempt for human rights are on full display," he said, referencing its use of violence on citizens as a "tool of warfare." He also discussed the civil war in Sudan as a significant threat to human rights, adding that both parties in the conflict "have unleashed horrific violence, death, and destruction." The Israel-Hamas conflict also raises "deeply troubling concerns for human rights," Blinken said. He added that the U.S. has condemned the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks while urging Israel to minimize civilian harm in its response. Blinken also discussed Iran's suppression of its citizens particularly women as threats to human rights. He added that the report covers the suppression of women's rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, China's treatment of its majority-Muslim Uyghur population, and the mistreatment of political prisoners in Cuba. Despite these human rights abuses, "encouraging developments also can be found in this report," Blinken said. Blinken described progress made by Kenya, Japan, Estonia and Slovenia in advancing LGBTQI+ rights, as well as progress made by Jordan to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. He also referenced Mexico's progress in enacting labor reforms to improve working conditions. Blinken discussed these developments during a news conference Monday. "These bright spots are an important reminder that progress on human rights is indeed possible, as long as committed individuals in every part of the globe continue to work to uphold fundamental dignity for all people," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 22 April 2024 - Day 789 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that the husband of prominent Russian influencer Yelena Blinovskaya has joined the Russian Armed Forces military campaign in Ukraine in an effort to stop Blinovskaya going to prison on tax evasion charges. On 16 April 2024, Blinovskaya's husband, Alexei Blinovsky, was pictured serving in a specially created military unit of the Russian Armed Forces, known as the Bars Kaskad, near Ukraine. This unit was reportedly set up by Russian State Duma Defence deputy chairman, Dimitry Sablin. The unit is predominantly involved in Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle operations normally away from the frontline. It has been active since October 2022 and has had at least 10 United Russia Party members, and sons of Kremlin VIPs enlist. Enlisted VIPs are reportedly given a protection detail. Enlistment with Bars Kaskad likely allows Russian elite figures to sidestep statutory Russian military service requirements with guaranteed safety and potentially curry favour with the Kremlin. Blinovsky's case is the first recorded time where an individual has joined the unit to help a family member to avoid prison. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 22, there were 62x tactical engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 4x missile and 58x air strikes, 100x MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the russian areas bordering Ukraine. Russia conducts subversion, continues shelling of Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the concentration of mining operations along the state border of Ukraine. More than 10x settlements, including Oleksiivka, Myropil's'ke, Stepok (Sumy oblast) came under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces conducted no offensives. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Sen'kove (Kharkiv oblast). The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Kotlyarivka (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 14x attacks in the vicinities of Novojehorivka, Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Yampolivka, Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 12x attacks in the vicinities of Zolotarivka, Spirne, Vyimka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Andriivka (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian adversary attempted to improve its tactical position. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast). Around 20x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Hryhorivka, Kalynivka, Chasiv Yar, Stupochky (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 10x attacks in the vicinities of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka, Umans'ke, Yasnobrodivka and Netailove (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces, using air attacks, made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novokalynove, Berdychi, Oleksandropil', Semenivka, Illinka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Umans'ke (Donetsk oblast). Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to block Russian forces near Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces made 12x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. The Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Kostyantynivka, Novomykhailivka and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Kostyantynivka, Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast). Orikhiv axis: Russian forces, with air support, launched 1x attack on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 15x settlements, including Chervone, Novodanylivka, P'yatykhatky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kherson axis: Russia does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River. In particular during the day of April 22, Russian forces executed 4x unsuccessful attacks on positions of the Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of Krynky (Kherson oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novoberyslav and Beryslav (Kherson oblast). The occupiers fired artillery and mortars at around 20 settlements, including Ivanivka, L'vove, Ol'hivka, Tokarivka (Kherson oblast). During the day of April 22, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 2x anti-aircraft missile systems, 13x concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment. The Ukrainian Missile Forces hit 1x command post, 2x air defense systems, 1x concentration of Russian troops. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Yug Group of Forces units have fully liberated Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic) as a result of the successful actions, and improved their tactical position along the front line. Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the 10th Mountain Assault, 79th, 92nd air assault, 46th, 81st airmobile, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 41st, 93rd mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Belogorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Spornoye, Minkovka, Kleshcheyevka, Chasov Yar, Andreyevka, and Ostroye (Donetsk People's Republic). Three counter-attacks launched by the AFU 33rd mechanised, 80th air assault brigades were repelled close to Bogdanovka and Pobeda (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 410 Ukrainian troops, nine motor vehicles, and one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. One Anklav electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot were also eliminated. The Zapad Group of Forces' units captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on the 21st mechanised and 95th air assault brigades of the AFU near Terny (Donetsk People's Republic). Four counter-attacks launched by the 12th Special Forces Brigade (Azov) have been repelled near Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses included up to 25 Ukrainian troops, two pickup trucks, and one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. The Tsentr Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation and repelled nine counter-attacks launched by the assault groups of the 25th air assault, 68th, 71st jaeger, 59th motorised infantry, 24th, 47th, 100th, and 115th mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Pervomayskoye, Semyonovka, Netaylovo, and Berdychi (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 365 Ukrainian troops, one German-made Marder infantry fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, as well as three electronic warfare stations: Nota and Bukovel-AD. The Vostok Group of Forces' units captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on the units of the 58th motorised infantry, 72nd mechanised brigades of the AFU, 102nd and 128th territorial defence brigades near Staromayorskoye, Ugledar, Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonoye (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 95 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, and one UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzer. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the AFU 141st infantry, 65th mechanised, and 128th mountain assault brigades near Rabotino, Novoandreyevka, and Stepovoye (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 45 Ukrainian troops and two pickup trucks. Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged one air defence positioning area, one storage point for uncrewed surface vehicles, manpower and hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 142 areas. Air defence systems shot down 240 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles during the day. In total, 592 airplanes, 270 helicopters, 22,529 unmanned aerial vehicles, 508 air-to-air missile systems, 15,817 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,269 MLRS combat vehicles, 9,040 field artillery guns and mortars, and 21,232 special military vehicles have been neutralised since the beginning of the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 23 April 2024 - Day 790 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 22 April, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed their forces had taken control of Novmykhalivka. The town is situated south of Marinka and north-east of Vulhedar, Donetsk. Novomykhalivka, has limited military strategic significance but lies on roads to further settlements that straddle both sides of the Sukhiy Yaly river in southern Donetsk. Russian forces reportedly entered the town on 9 February 2024, and reached the middle of the town by 24 March. The 79th Separate Air Assault Tavriia Brigade reportedly stated this required a force of 30,000 Russian personnel, with a loss of 300 pieces of equipment in the six months of fighting on the approach to the town. From entering to clearing the town, a total distance of under 5km, took Russian forces 73 days. That was with the benefit of additional operational reserves. This demonstrates the slow but incremental advances Russian forces are making. On this axis, Russian forces will likely seek to advance towards the town of Kostyantynivka, 2km west from Novomykhalivka. Further advances north of Vulhedar could eventually allow Vulhedar's defences to be bypassed. Those defences have caused extremely high casualties for Russian ground forces. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 23, there were 60x tactical engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 4x missile and 60x air strikes, 46x MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the russian areas bordering Ukraine. Russia conducts subversion, continues shelling of Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the concentration of mining operations along the state border of Ukraine. More than 20x settlements, including Klyusy and Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast), Velyka Berizka, Prohres, Vilna Sloboda, Ulanove, Popivka, Stukalivka, Pavlivka, Obody, Novomykolaivka, Myropil's'ke, Stepok, Pokrovka (Sumy oblast) came under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces conducted 1x attack on Ukrainian positions in the vicinity of Berestove (Kharkiv oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Ivanivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Stepova Novoselivka (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 10x attacks in the vicinities of Hrekivka (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Yampolivka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian occupiers launched an air strike in the area of Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Makiivka, Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Yampolivka, Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 14x attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Novyi, Spirne, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian adversary, using air attacks, attempted to improve its tactical position. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Pivnichne (Donetsk oblast). Around 20x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Hryhorivka, Kalynivka, Chasiv Yar, Stupochky (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 14x attacks in the vicinities of Novokalynove, Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Yasnobrodivka, Netailove, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Semenivka, Selydove, Karlivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 15x settlements, including Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Umans'ke (Donetsk oblast). Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to block Russian forces near Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodyane, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian invaders, with air support, made 17x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Kostyantynivka, Krasnohorivka, Pobjeda (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Heorhiivka, Paraskoviivka, Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast). Orikhiv axis: Russian forces, with air support, launched 2x attacks on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Around 15x settlements, including Chervone, Shcherbaky, Novodanylivka, P'yatykhatky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kherson axis: Russia does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River. In particular during the day of April 23, Russian forces, using air attacks, executed 1x unsuccessful assault on positions of Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of Krynky (Kherson oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 20 settlements, including Odradokam'yanka, Ol'hivka, L'vove, Tyahynka, Ivanivka, Novotyahynka, Bilozerka, Veletens'ke, Kizomys (Kherson oblast) as well as the city of Kherson. During the day of April 23, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 15x concentrations of Russian troops. The Ukrainian Missile Forces hit 1x UAVs ground control station, 1x air defense system, 1x concentration of Russian troops, and 1x other important target. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Zapad Group of Forces' units seized more advantageous lines and inflicted fire damage on the 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 20 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, and one 152-mm D-20 howitzer. The Yug Group of Forces units improved the tactical position along the front line as a result of active actions and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 79th Air Assault and 46th Airmobile brigades near Konstantinovka, Paraskoviyevka, and Ostroye (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 500 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, an infantry fighting vehicle, five motor vehicles, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, as well as three field ammunition depots. The Tsentr Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation and repelled nine counter-attacks of the assault groups of the 25th Airborne, 59th Motorised Infantry, 68th and 71st jaeger, 23rd, 24th, 100th and 115th mechanised brigades of the AFU near Rozovka, Umanskoye, Novobakhmutovka, Pervomayskoye, Ocheretino, Netaylovo, Berdychi, and Semyonovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses included up to 360 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 105-mm U.S.-made M101 gun. The Vostok Group of Forces' units captured more advantageous lines and defeated the 59th Motorised Infantry, 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 128th Territorial Defence Brigades close to Staromayorskoye, Vodyanoye, and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 95 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one 155-mm French-made CAESAR self-propelled artillery system, as well as one Nota electronic warfare station. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, 121st and 126th territorial defence brigades close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region), Berislav and Zolotaya Balka (Kherson region). The enemy lost up to 70 Ukrainian troops, one armoured personnel carrier and two pick-up trucks, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have obliterated one U.S.-made MIM23 HAWK anti-aircraft missile launcher and hit a drone depot of the 113th Territorial Defence Brigade, AFU manpower and hardware in 115 areas. Air defence systems shot down 104 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, one Tochka-U tactical missile, six U.S.-made HIMARS and Olkha missiles, as well as four French-made Hammer guided air-to-surface bombs during the day. In total, 592 airplanes, 270 helicopters, 22,633 unmanned aerial vehicles, 509 air-to-air missile systems, 15,824 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,269 MLRS combat vehicles, 9,065 field artillery guns and mortars, and 21,252 special military vehicles have been neutralised since the beginning of the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Plan to power up the air domain 22 April 2024 Air Force will have enhanced strike and air-mobility options across the north-east Indian Ocean through to the Pacific, thanks to large funding commitments in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program. About $28 billion to $33 billion is earmarked to bolster RAAF capabilities to support Defence's new strategy of deterring potential adversaries from moving against Australia, as well as providing aerial surveillance of maritime approaches. More than $10 billion will go to air mobility, with a focus on acquiring 20 C-130J Hercules aircraft to replace the current fleet of 12 older-model Hercules aircraft. An estimated $10 billion to $12 billion will continue combat aircraft upgrades to mitigate threats and maintain interoperability with partners and allies. This includes lethality and survivability enhancements for the F-35A Lightning II, F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growlers. About $5 billion to $7 billion will go to air-launched strike weapons, including the development of hypersonic missiles. An investment of more than $4 billion will help develop and acquire uncrewed air systems, including the MQ-28A Ghost Bat. The next stage of development of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat is already approved, which will progress the MQ-28A's integration with crewed aircraft, and the MQ-28A's mission payloads, integrated combat system and autonomous systems. Air intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance will receive nearly $4 billion for P-8A Poseidon sustainment and upgrades, acquisition of a fourth MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft and delivery of an MC-55A Peregrine fleet. Much of the more than $14 billion in missile defence will go towards the joint air battle management system, airborne early warning and control systems and the Jindalee Operational Radar Network. Northern air base infrastructure will benefit from about $6 billion, and about $4 billion will go towards bolstering resilience of fuel supplies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Western Pacific Naval Symposium opens in Qingdao, looks to bridge differences Global Times By Yang Sheng in Beijing and Guo Yuandan in Qingdao Published: Apr 22, 2024 10:49 PM Updated: Apr 22, 2024 11:26 PM Senior naval officers from around the world on Monday witnessed the opening of a naval symposium in China which is aimed at bridging differences and seeking global governance on maritime issues, while a senior Chinese defense official reaffirmed China's commitment to resolving disputes with directly involved countries through friendly consultation, but also vowed "countermeasures" against unwarranted provocations. The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) opened on Monday in the port city of Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the event and delivered an address, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Zhang said that China's armed forces have actively participated in international cooperation of maritime security and provided maritime public security goods, adding that China will play a more positive and open role in international military cooperation. "We should resolutely abandon the Cold War mentality, join hands to create peace and stability, bridge differences through dialogue and consultation, jointly discuss and establish rules for governance, and push maritime security governance to a new level with practical results." China has been committed to resolving maritime disputes peacefully through friendly consultation with countries directly concerned, but it will safeguard its legitimate rights in the face of deliberate violation of its sovereignty and it will take firm countermeasures against unreasonable provocations, he said. "We will not make trouble and will not be afraid of trouble. China's armed forces will resolutely safeguard national unity and interests," said Zhang. Platform for talks The biennial meeting, attended by naval commanders and delegates from around the world, themed "Oceans with a Shared Future" this year, and the four-day meeting will sea the participation of over 180 navy representatives from 29 countries. This is the second time the WPNS was held in China after the country first hosted the event in 2014. Delegates to the meeting will review activities taking place under the symposium's framework since its 18th biennial meeting, set the future agenda, and discuss and vote on issues such as the WPNS Business Charter, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), and unmanned systems, Xinhua reported on Sunday. Foreign naval leaders will be invited to discuss the Global Security Initiative and maritime peace, maritime order based on maritime security cooperation and international laws, and global maritime governance. Liang Wei, a senior officer with China's Naval Research Academy (NRA), said the attendance at this meeting and the ranks of participating officers from other countries are high. "This not only demonstrates the vigor of the symposium but also reflects the influence and appeal of the Chinese navy," Liang said, Xinhua reported. Reuters reported on Monday that "The symposium is a rare opportunity for countries with opposing regional interests to exchange views. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler is attending from the US. Other delegations include Australia, France, India, Russia and Britain." The Global Times reporters at the symposium found that media outlets were very keen to interview US delegates, but unfortunately representatives of the US navy refused to answer any questions. Drills in South China Sea On the same day of the opening of the WPNS, thousands of Philippine and American troops kicked off their annual Balikatan or "shoulder to shoulder" military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, the VOA reported on Sunday, adding as a pretext that "Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region raises fears of a conflict." Chinese analysts said on Monday that there was no conflict at all in the region during the time of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, and after the current regime in Manila took office, President Romualdez Marcos Jr, due to meddling from the US, has abandoned the "gentlemen's arrangement" that his predecessor reached with China that ensured peace and stability in the region. This is the real cause of the current tension, not China's "growing assertiveness," as China's stance and sincerity on managing the disputes has remained the same. The US-Philippines drills will be concentrated in the northern and western parts of the archipelago nation, "near the potential flashpoints of the South China Sea and Taiwan," the VOA reported. Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday that there is no doubt that the role the US played in the region is destructive and harmful, and Washington is a troublemaker and provocateur disrupting peace and stability there. "The US' policy in the region will one day backfire, as instability is not in line with US interests either." The US is using regional disputes to legitimize its military presence in the region, and for Washington, the Philippines is "just a pawn on the chessboard," and if the US provokes a direct military conflict with China, the US fleets and military forces can simply walk away if the situation takes an undesirable turn, but the Philippines will stay where it is, and this is why no other regional countries want to be used by the US, said a Chinese military expert and attendee of the WPNS who asked for anonymity, urging Manila to realize the consequences as soon as possible. In response to why the Philippines did not attend the 19th WPNS, Liang, the senior officer with the NRA, told media on Monday that "China, as a member of the WPNS, has invited the other 29 member countries and observer states and China is not aware of the specific reasons why the Philippine Navy did not participate in this forum." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US ratchets up pressure on China ahead of Blinken visit in typical hegemonic approach Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Apr 22, 2024 07:48 PM Updated: Apr 22, 2024 11:00 PM US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will reportedly warn that Washington will take punitive steps against Beijing over its "weapon-related exports to Russia" during his visit scheduled this week. Observers said the rhetoric, in addition to the recent hype of "overcapacity" regarding exports of Chinese new energy product and numerous restrictions slapped on Chinese high-tech industries, shows that the US has been ratcheting up pressure on China in a wider range of military, economic and trade fields. The recent bizarre narratives on China are all essentially disguises to justify the US weaponizing economic issues, in order to shift the blame away from the Biden administration's policy failures, analysts pointed out. While those moves are somewhat typical US tactics of aggression first and backing off later, analysts said the amassing of more Washington-instigated "negative factors" will create more discords in bilateral relations, which remain "extremely fragile" despite certain progress toward stabilization. If Washington, which has recently engaged in growing interactions with Beijing, is sincerely looking to ensure that bilateral relations stay the course, it should abandon its domineering approach and communicate with China on an equal footing, analysts warned, otherwise bilateral tensions are at the risk of escalating into a broader conflict. Blinken does not plan to reveal what measures the US will take during his visit to China, which is scheduled from April 24 to 26, but several people familiar with the situation said it is considering sanctions on Chinese financial institutions and other entities, according to a Financial Times report. LA Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday that Blinken's threat is a typical hegemonic approach used by Washington toward China - gaining "the upper hand" by showing aggression before actually engaging in discussion, then easing up during the interaction process so that it appears to show goodwill. Blinken's visit also comes after the approval of a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine by the US House, as the Biden administration desperately attempts to cover up its inability to handle international issues ahead of the US presidential elections, while blaming China for alleged "military exports to Russia" is also an excuse in this regard. With the US' stepped-up smearing of normal trade ties between China and Russia as well as hype on a slew of issues that undermine China's sovereignty, security and industrial development, observers pointed out that the atmosphere shaping Blinken's China visit is growing more intense compared with Yellen's visit in early April. "Bilateral tensions are more palpable," LA said. Analysts said that it remains to be seen whether "negative factors" will be amplified and dominate relations between the world's two largest economies. "We need to be vigilant of Washington's provocations up until Election Day, as candidates are preparing to appear tough on China-related issues to curry favor from certain political groups," LA noted. Both sides are making greater efforts to stabilize relations, but the current situation is "extremely fragile," and once the negative factors culminate to a tipping point, bilateral tensions could escalate into conflicts across a range of field, although a full-scale confrontation is unlikely, observers warned. In recent months, US politicians and media outlets have also gone to great lengths to launch a new fear-mongering campaign against China, putting a newly coined "overcapacity" tag on advantageous Chinese industries such as new energy exports. Using the "overcapacity" excuse, US President Joe Biden reportedly pushed for tariffs to be tripled on Chinese steel and aluminum last week. The office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) also announced last week that it was launching a new Section 301 investigation into China's trade practices in the shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors. Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng hit back at the "overcapacity" claim over the weekend. During a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the Harvard Kennedy School China Conference 2024, he pointed out that the problem now is not "overcapacity," but "over-anxiety." One of the malicious intentions behind the move is to blame Chinese exports for US new energy industries' lack of competitiveness, as well as the Biden administration's inability to create more jobs, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday. With the "overcapacity" rhetoric seeking to suppress the rise of China's advantageous industries and hinder their global cooperation, it also appeared that the tag could create a pretext for the arbitrary imposition of punitive and protectionist policies, such as tariffs, against Chinese industries that the US perceives as a threat, Li noted. In addition to new energy, the US' crackdown on a variety of Chinese tech industries shows no sign of abating. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo reportedly said she's "focused on preventing the Chinese government from obtaining US-designed advanced microchips," citing national security concerns. "US officials' recent frequent China trips show that Washington wants to cooperate with China on major issues. If it is really looking for pragmatic cooperation, it needs to show more sincerity," Li said. He called on the US to conduct dialogue with China on an equal footing, and immediately stop overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing economic rules, which threaten the stability of the global supply chain. Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the US could work with China on a list of areas that are of mutual interest, such as anti-money laundering cooperation, tackling global climate change and jointly safeguarding global financial stability. In mid-April, Mayor of San Francisco London Breed wrapped up her China visit, a fresh sign that exchanges at local level between China and the US are strengthening despite lingering uncertainties in high-level communication. "The regional level is more pragmatic and their exchanges with China are not characterized by ideological conflicts. There are immense economic benefits to be tapped into by building on the economic and trade ties with Chinese localities," Gao noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address G7 Foreign Ministers' statement blatant interference in China's internal affairs: FM Global Times By Global Times Published: Apr 22, 2024 09:45 PM China strongly deplores and firmly rejects the manipulation of China-related issues at the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The comments from the meeting are a deliberate mischaracterization of the facts and truth, and a blatant interference in China's internal affairs, said a spokesperson from Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday, in response to the statement related to China released by the G7 foreign ministers regarding the South China Sea and other issues. The G7 foreign ministers' statement after their meeting in Italy on Friday expressed concerns regarding the situation in the East and South China Seas, and reiterated "opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo." While smearing China's lawful actions to protect its maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea as "dangerous," the group also expressed its concerns over the human rights situation in China's Xinjiang and Xizang, as well as civil and political rights in Hong Kong. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular press conference on Monday that China's position on relevant issues is consistent and clear. The most effective way to ensure cross-Straits peace and stability is to uphold the one-China principle and oppose "Taiwan independence." With the concerted efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the South China Sea has been generally peaceful and stable and there is no issue with freedom of navigation. China always puts the people at the center of its endeavors and strives to deliver the benefit of development to all Chinese people. Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive, and Xinjiang and Xizang enjoy social harmony, prosperity and stability where people of all ethnic groups live a happy life, said Wang. He noted that a survey by a renowned international institution shows that the Chinese government's satisfaction rate among the Chinese people has been above 90 percent for years running. China advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and believes in open cooperation and mutual benefit, said Wang. He noted that the G7, however, has held fast to the Cold-War mentality, cobbled together small exclusive groupings, and escalated regional tensions and conflicts. It has also engaged in trade protectionism and disrupted world economic order under the pretext of de-risking and less reliance. We urge the G7 to change the habit of deflecting blame, stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs and holding back other countries' development at once, and work with the rest of the world to uphold peace, enhance cooperation and advance development, Wang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese envoy calls on U.S. to find right way to get along with China in new era People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:59, April 22, 2024 WASHINGTON, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy has called on the United States to work with China and find the right way to get along in the new era, based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. "Amidst the raging torrents, we need to pull together, not pull apart. China's choice is clear and firm: At home, we will focus on achieving Chinese modernization; internationally, we will forge a community with a shared future for mankind," said Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the United States, in a speech during the opening ceremony of the Harvard Kennedy School China Conference 2024 on Saturday. For both pursuing Chinese modernization and building a community with a shared future for mankind, a peaceful international environment is necessary, and a stable China-U.S. relationship is vital, he said. China is ready to make joint efforts with the U.S. side and take concrete actions to implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, so as to turn the "San Francisco Vision" into reality, and steer the relationship forward along the track of sound, stable and sustainable development, said the envoy. Xie made five points regarding the China-U.S. relationship, saying that the two sides should jointly develop the right perception toward each other, manage disagreements effectively, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, shoulder responsibilities as major countries and promote people-to-people exchanges. China-U.S. relationship cannot go back to the old days, but the two countries can jointly usher in a brighter future for it. The hope lies in the youth, who are known for vitality, creativity, and the will to act, Xie said. He encouraged American youngsters to travel to China, contribute wisdom to how the two countries can get along, and promote exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, so as to create a future featuring lasting peace and prosperity for all. Present at the conference were more than 300 people, including representatives from the political, business, and academic circles, Harvard University faculty and students as well as Chinese students studying in the United States. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 22, 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China 2024-04-22 19:13 At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan will pay an official visit to China from April 23 to 25. At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China from April 24 to 26. Shenzhen TV: Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid an official visit to Papua New Guinea on April 20 at PNG's invitation. Can you tell us more about the visit? Wang Wenbin: From April 20 to 21, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi visited Papua New Guinea, during which he had a meeting with the country's Prime Minister James Marape and had talks and met the press together with Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko. Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted China always views and values the role of PNG from a strategic height. China will continue working with the PNG to deliver on the important common understandings reached by the two countries' leaders, maintain high-level exchanges, start negotiations on a free trade agreement as soon as possible, enhance cooperation in sectors including trade and investment, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fishery, clean energy and climate response and further raise the height and quality of our comprehensive strategic partnership.a The PNG noted that China has been a sincere and good friend of Pacific Island countries. The cooperation between China and South Pacific Island countries contributes to regional development. PNG will not waver from its firm commitment to the one-China policy, and will maintain friendship with China under all circumstances. The two sides reached broad common understandings. They agreed that China and PNG will continue to trust and support each other, and firmly uphold and grow the comprehensive strategic partnership. China firmly supports PNG in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and supports PNG in finding a successful development path that suits its national conditions. The two sides agreed to always focus on development, deliver better lives for the people and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. Thanks to concerted efforts, China and the PNG opened a direct flight, the first between the Chinese mainland and a PIC. The free trade agreement to be negotiated, which is also expected to be the first between China and a PIC is truly something to look forward to. The two sides are committed to advancing practical cooperation with higher quality, faster speed and for greater results in such priority areas as disaster relief, telecommunications, agricultural trade and energy. Both sides believe that the internal affairs of PICs brook no external interference, their right to independent development should not be denied and the peace and stability must be safeguarded. PICs have the right to carry out friendly cooperation with all development partners. China and PICs are all members of the Global South and the developing world. Between China and PICs, to help each other and deepen South-South cooperation is simply natural, fully justified and always done above-board. China sees PICs as indispensable partners in building a community with a shared future for mankind and always develops its relations with PICs under the principles proposed by President Xi Jinping, namely fully respecting the PICs' sovereignty and independence, and their will, cultural traditions and effort to seek strength through unity. In providing assistance to PICs, China never attaches any political strings to such assistance, never imposes our will on others and never makes empty promises. Foreign Minister Wang underscored that the island nations are the homeland of their peoples, not the "backyard" of any major country. Through AUKUS, the US is bent on bringing the development of nuclear submarine into the region, which violates the purposes of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and creates severe risks of nuclear proliferation. Recently, the US has sought to bring even more countries into the grouping under false pretext. China has always opposed bloc confrontation in this region, for this is entirely the opposite of what PICs urgently need, nor is this consistent with the development trend of the world. AFP: The World Anti-Doping Agency has confirmed on Saturday that nearly half of the swimming team that China sent to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 tested positive for banned drug before the competition. Chinese state media have accused Western countries of conspiring against China. What's your comment? Wang Wenbin: I believe you have seen the explicit response from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The story you had seen in the press is false information and reporting. After a full and thorough investigation into the incident in 2021, China Anti-Doping Agency concluded that, given that relevant athletes tested positive had ingested the substance unwittingly from tainted food, the Chinese swimmers concerned would be held to have no fault or negligence and the case did not constitute anti-doping rule violation. WADA after its review process recognizes China Anti-Doping Agency's investigation results. I wish to emphasize that the Chinese government has a zero-tolerance attitude toward doping and strictly abides by the World Anti-Doping Code. China is committed to protecting the physical and mental wellness of our athletes, ensuring fair competition in sport and contributing to the global anti-doping campaign. Beijing Youth Daily: It's reported that according to preliminary results released by the elections commission of the Maldives, People's National Congress, the governing party led by President Mohamed Muizzu, won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. What's China's comment? Wang Wenbin: We congratulate the Maldives on the successful parliamentary elections and fully respect the choice of the Maldivian people. China stands ready to work with the Maldives to carry forward traditional friendship, expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, deepen China-Maldives comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and speed up the building of a China-Maldives community with a shared future to deliver greater benefits to our two peoples. TASS: Foreign ministers of the G7 issued a communiquA after their meeting in Italy last Friday, saying they are "concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas" and reiterate their "opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo." The communiquA also mentioned issues related to Xizang, Hong Kong and Taiwan. What is the Foreign Ministry's comment on this? Wang Wenbin: We strongly deplore and firmly reject the manipulation of China-related issues at the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The comments from the meeting are a deliberate mischaracterization of the facts and truth, and a blatant interference in China's internal affairs. China's position on relevant issues is consistent and clear. The most effective way to ensure cross-Strait peace and stability is to uphold the one-China principle and oppose "Taiwan independence." With the concerted efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the South China Sea has been generally peaceful and stable and there is no issue with freedom of navigation. China always puts the people at the center of its endeavors and strives to deliver the benefit of development to all Chinese people. Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive, and Xinjiang and Xizang enjoy social harmony, prosperity and stability where people of all ethnic groups live a happy life. A survey by a renowned international institution shows that the Chinese government's satisfaction rate among the Chinese people has been above 90 percent for years running. As the largest developing country, China is committed to the welfare of the world while working hard to achieve its own development. According to the World Bank, China's contribution to global economic growth has long been higher than that of the G7 countries combined. China advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and believes in open cooperation and mutual benefit. The G7, however, has held fast to the Cold-War mentality, cobbled together small exclusive groupings, and escalated regional tensions and conflicts. It has also engaged in trade protectionism and disrupted world economic order under the pretext of de-risking and less reliance. We urge the G7 to change the habit of deflecting blame, stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs and holding back other countries' development at once, and work with the rest of the world to uphold peace, enhance cooperation and advance development. Hubei Media Group: It's reported that the "Annual Spring Rites" of the Yasukuni Shrine began on April 21. On that day, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the House of Councillors sent ritual offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine. Some Cabinet members visited and paid respects to the Shrine. What's China's comment? Wang Wenbin: The Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists responsible for the war of aggression. The place honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals with grave responsibilities for the war crimes committed during that war of aggression. China firmly rejects Japan's negative moves concerning the Yasukuni Shrine. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy in Japan have respectively lodged serious dAmarches to the Japanese side. China urges Japan to earnestly honor its words and commitments of facing squarely and reflecting on the history of aggression, make a clean break with militarism and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete actions.a NHK: It's been reported that a professor from a university in Japan has become unreachable since he returned to China last year. Does the Foreign Ministry know his whereabouts? Wang Wenbin: I do not have information on that. CCTV: It's reported that in a statement released on April 20, Philippine's National Security Adviser Eduardo AAo said this administration is not aware of any secret or gentleman agreement with China and if there was such done under a previous administration, the same has been rescinded. He added that the discourse has been used to sow divisions in the Philippines and weaken its resolve in asserting the sovereignty in the South China Sea. He called on all Filipinos to stand their ground and push back against these corrosive narratives. What's China's comment? Wang Wenbin: China and the Philippines reached common understandings on properly handling the situation at Ren'ai Jiao. These common understandings were reached not only during the Philippines' previous administration but also its current administration. This is the plain fact, as evidenced by the Philippines' media reports, statements of officials in the previous administration and how China and the Philippines handled the Ren'ai Jiao issue. The Philippines keeps denying these common understandings. What exactly is their issue? Is there something they are trying to hide? It is in both China and the Philippines' interest to keep the situation at Ren'ai Jiao stable, which is achievable if both sides observe those common understandings. Breach of commitments and provocations will only escalate the situation and eventually backfire on the Philippines itself. We hope the Philippines will face that squarely and decide sensibly what its action should be.a NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Apple takes down WhatsApp, Threads from China app store Encrypted apps Telegram and Signal are also unavailable in the China app store, according to a censorship tracker. By Yitong Wu and Kwong Wing for RFA Cantonese 2024.04.22 -- Apple's app store in China has taken down at least four chat apps that are widely used internationally, sparking concerns over the impact on the free flow of information and freedom of speech among users of its products in the country. Apple told Reuters on Friday that it had removed Meta Platforms' messaging apps WhatsApp and Threads from the China App Store on orders from the government due to "national security" concerns. The app-tracking site Apple Censorship showed that the two apps were no longer available in China, while two other encrypted messaging apps -- Telegram and Signal -- were also taken down from the store on Friday. Commentators told Radio Free Asia that the move could be a preemptive form of retaliation ahead of the passage of a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday that targets the Chinese social media app TikTok. The removal also comes as the ruling Chinese Communist Party under Xi Jinping steps up a "national security" political campaign encouraging members of the public to look out for suspicious activity by potential foreign-backed actors in their everyday lives. According to Apple Censorship, Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, all Meta products, were still available to download as of 1230 GMT on Monday, as were YouTube and X. "The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns," Apple said in an emailed statement to Reuters on Friday. "We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree," the statement said, but didn't explain how the apps could have generated national security concerns. The Cyberspace Administration of China also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters or specialist media TechCrunch. However, the agency announced last August that all app stores would need to go through a registration process to continue operating in China, and the move could be a part of that process. A tech industry worker who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals said he was disappointed in Apple over the takedown of the apps. "The reason we all like Apple's products is that its high level of technology can offer us freedom of information," the worker said. "But when it comes to China, Apple just kneels down." While Apple products, particularly devices bought outside of China, have a reputation as a relatively secure option for anyone wishing to evade government monitoring, questions remain about their ability to protect users' privacy in an all-encompassing surveillance state like China. The tech industry worker cited the example of Apple's AirDrop file sharing system, long regarded by the authorities as problematic because it offers a way for people to share content without going through the country's tightly monitored and heavily censored internet. The Beijing municipal judicial affairs bureau said on Jan. 8, 2024 that it had managed to de-anonymize AirDrop users, sending a warning to anyone hoping to share banned content without triggering censorship alerts or leaving evidence that might be used to target them in criminal proceedings. "Apple continues to castrate itself," the tech industry worker said. "Is this the same Apple that refused to hand over user data to the FBI in the United States? They are using double standards so as to access the Chinese market." He said it was possible that the move is a form of retaliation for current attempts to ban TikTok in the United States. "I suspect that the Chinese government is taking this opportunity to retaliate," they said. "Apple has become a tool of the Chinese government." U.S.-based legal scholar Teng Biao agreed. "TikTok is of strategic significance to the Chinese Communist Party ... so it's inevitable that they will find ways to fight back," Teng said. But he said there is a big difference between the national security concerns cited in the United States TikTok bill, and those cited by China. "In Chinese Communist Party strategic discourse, national security actually means the security of the Chinese Communist Party," Teng said. "So according to that logic, using WhatsApp or any other app to spread information freely would allow more liberal and democratic ideas to spread, which would threaten the Communist Party's grip on power." He said the breaking of AirDrop for Chinese users came after lone protester Peng Lifa hung banners calling for democratic government and for Xi Jinping to step down from a traffic flyover in Beijing in October 2022, just days before the 20th party congress nodded through an unprecedented third and indefinite term in office for Xi. "This approach may be to [Apple's] economic benefit in the short term, but will harm them in the long term," Teng said. The controversy over app store takedowns comes after Apple's Tim Cook visited China last month, underscoring the country's importance to the company, which was the country's top seller of smartphones, holding 17.3% of market share, according to IDC Research. Yet Chinese iPhone sales slumped 24% from a year ago in the first few weeks of 2024, according to research from Counterpoint Research. In February 2023, Apple took down Damus, a Twitter-like social media app linked to Jack Dorsey's Nostr social media platform, after the Chinese authorities said it had failed a security assessment. That app was likely banned because of its lack of content moderation, and because it offered access to trading platforms for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which are technically banned in China, industry analysts said at the time. Shares in Apple tumbled in September 2023 after the Chinese authorities reportedly banned the use of foreign-made electronics including Apple's iPhone for government business. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Eugene Whong. 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 MOFA condemns North Korea for missile firing ROC Central News Agency 04/22/2024 10:31 PM Taipei, April 22 (CNA) Taiwan has condemned North Korea's test firing of several short-range ballistic missiles on Monday afternoon as a "reckless" action "disrupting regional stability." In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said it would continue to monitor North Korea's "provocative actions" and work with like-minded countries to stop authoritarianism and protect the freedom, prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. North Korea fired the missiles at 3:01 p.m. (2:01 p.m. Taiwan time) in the direction of the Sea of Japan, the second time it has done so since April 2, according to the statement. (By Henry Wu and Wu Kuan-hsien) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea files short-range ballistic missiles toward east coast: South The launch comes after Pyongyang test-fired a cruise missile to test a large warhead on Friday. By RFA Staff 2024.04.22 -- North Korea fired several rounds of short-range ballistic missiles toward its east coast on Monday, according to South Korea's military, three days after Pyongyang launched a strategic cruise missile to test a large warhead. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected what appeared to be several short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang region at 3:01 p.m "The North Korean missiles flew about 300 kilometers [186 miles] and splashed into the sea," the JCS said in a text message to reporters, without providing further details. Denouncing the North's missile launch as "a clear provocation" that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, the JCS added it is closely working with the U.S. and Japan, while maintaining heightened vigilance against additional launches. The Japanese government also announced that the ballistic missile, which is estimated to have a range of 250 kilometers and a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers, landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula. "North Korea's actions, including its repeated launches of ballistic missiles, threaten the peace and security of Japan and the regional and international community," Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, said at a regular press conference on the same day. "These launches are in violation of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious matter of concern for the safety of our people," he added. The reports of the launch came as Seoul said its top military officer, Adm. Kim Myung-soo, had hosted the commander of U.S. Space Command, General Stephen Whiting, on Monday to discuss the North's reconnaissance satellite development and growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. North Korea has been accused of providing weapons to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine after a summit between the leaders of the two nations in September of last year, though both reject the accusation. Monday's launch comes three days after Pyongyang test-fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead. The North said it conducted a "super-large warhead" power test for a strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile in the Yellow Sea on Friday. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2016, 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 North Korea Fires Unidentified Ballistic Missile Towards Sea of Japan - S Korean Military Sputnik News 20240422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korea has launched another unidentified ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Monday. "The North launched an unidentified ballistic missile towards [the Sea of Japan]," the South Korean military said in a statement, without providing other details. A ballistic missile presumably launched by North Korea has already fallen, the Japan Coast Guard said. "An object believed to be a ballistic missile fired from North Korea has already fallen, according to the Defense Ministry. Vessels should monitor subsequent information and, if wreckage is detected, not approach it, but report the relevant information to the coast guard," the coast guard said in a statement. The ballistic missile, presumably fired by North Korea toward Japan, has fallen out of Japan's exclusive economic zone, the NHK broadcaster reported, citing Japanese government sources. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Following North Korea's ballistic missile launch on Monday 22 April, an FCDO spokesperson gave a statement. 22 April 2024 An FCDO spokesperson said: North Korea's ballistic missile launch on 22 April is another breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Unlawful ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. The UK strongly urges North Korea to stop such provocations, return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation. German warship departs Red Sea as EU 'naval mission' fails to confront Yemen Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 9:56 AM Germany has withdrawn a warship that was deployed to the Red Sea as part of an EU military mission amid the failure of the alliance to confront Yemen's maritime campaign in support of the Gaza Strip. The German military said that the Hessen frigate, with a crew of 240 on board, had left the Red Sea on Saturday morning. The frigate had been deployed in the strategic waterway in February as part of the EU naval operation called Aspides ("shield" in ancient Greek) in the face of pro-Palestine operations by the Yemeni armed forces. Germany is expected to send the Hamburg frigate to the Red Sea in August, but military analysts say the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza may not continue until then. 'Step in right direction' Yemen's Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein al-Ezzi hailed the departure of the German frigate from the Red Sea as a "step in the right direction." He also expressed Yemen's readiness to maintain the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, the narrow but pivotal body of water that connects Europe to Asia. On Thursday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement, called on European countries to withdraw their warships from the Red Sea. He also emphasized that the European vessels, which are not going to the occupied territories, are not at risk. Israel waged its bloody war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 following a historic operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group against the usurping regime. In solidarity with the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza, Yemeni forces have targeted ships going to and from ports in the occupied lands, or whose owners are linked to Israel, in the southern Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden, and even in the Arabian Sea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran president, Pakistan senate speaker discuss bilateral ties IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Islamabad, IRNA -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Chairman of Pakistan's Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani in a meeting in Islamabad called for the expansion of bilateral ties. During the meeting, the two sides underlined the need for the development of mutual cooperation. Earlier, President Raisi in a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad discussed bilateral ties and regional developments. The meeting between the Iranian and Pakistani Presidents took place at the presidential in Islamabad. Previously, meetings were held between President Raisi and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, as well as the members of the high-ranking delegations of the two countries. Also, during this trip, 8 cooperation documents were signed between the ministers of the governments of Iran and Pakistan in commercial, economic, security, transportation, judicial, cultural, etc. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's nuclear facilities 100% secure: Nuclear chief IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Bushehr, IRNA -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami says the country's nuclear power plants are 100% secure due to a "powerful defense and security system" guarding the facilities. "With a powerful security system in place, the security of the country's nuclear power plants and centers is now 100% established, and there is no concern in this regard," Eslami told reporters in the southern city of Bushehr on Monday. He vowed that Iran's Armed Forces will counter any attack on the country's nuclear facilities. The comment comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran and the Israeli regime following an unprecedented missile and drone strike by the Iranian armed forces against Israeli military and intelligence targets deep inside the occupied territories earlier this month. 4353**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raisi: US officials admit failure of maximum pressure on Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that the US officials have acknowledged the failure of their maximum pressure policy against Iran, noting that Iran never left the negotiating table and resisted the pressures and sanctions imposed upon it. President Raisi, who heads a high-ranking political and economic delegation in Pakistan, met and held talks with the Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, on Monday evening. The Iranian president highlighted the significant and effective role of the two countries' parliaments in facilitating and accelerating the broadening of mutual ties during his trip to Pakistan. President Raisi emphasized that Iran did not leave diplomacy and the negotiating table when faced enemies, and chose to resist the pressures and sanctions of the Americans instead of surrendering, noting that thanks to such an approach, Iran's economy has grown by 6 percent today, and American officials admit that their policy of maximum pressure against Iran has failed. Pointing to the country's capabilities, including in automobile manufacturing, and the activities of more than 10,000 knowledge-based companies, Raisi expressed Iran's readiness to share its capabilities and achievements in various fields with Pakistan as a friend and brother country. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, for his part, underlined that none of the Pakistani parties, whether aligned with the government or opposition parties, is against friendly relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. He described the cooperation, memorandum of understanding (MoU), and common standpoints between the officials of the two countries as unparalleled, noting that Pakistan is interested in expanding relations with Iran, especially in the fields of energy, development of border markets, economic cooperation, and trade. 3266**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Pakistan interior ministers discuss bilateral ties in Islamabad IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Islamabad, IRNA -- The interior ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan met and discussed bilateral ties during an official meeting. Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran, met with his Pakistani counterpart after the official meeting between the leaders of Iran and Pakistan and the signing of a cooperation agreement. Sayed Mohsen Reza Naqvi and Ahmed Vahidi are currently negotiating the latest developments related to bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries. Referring to his constructive talks with his Pakistani counterpart regarding border, security and counter-trafficking cooperation, the Iranian interior minister emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan are serious in dealing with rampant terrorism in the region. Ahmad Vahidi today (Monday) after meeting with Pakistan's interior minister in aaIslamabad, in an exclusive interview with IRNA correspondent, said unbridled terrorism is one of the main threats facing the region, which leads to the development of insecurity in the entire region. "We had a constructive conversation with the Minister of Interior of Pakistan about the threat of terrorism and we believe that both neighboring countries are serious in fighting terrorism," he told IRNA reporter. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU ministers agree on new Iran sanctions after attacks on Israel Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 6:21 PM European Union (EU) foreign ministers have agreed to impose new sanctions on Iran that would cover the alleged supply of missiles to other countries and entities following an Iranian military operation against the Israeli regime earlier this month in retaliation for the killing of senior Iranian generals in Syria. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that members of the bloc had agreed in principle during a meeting in Luxembourg to expand the EU's current drone-related sanctions on Iran to cover missiles and their transfers out of the country. "We have reached a political agreement in order to enlarge and expand the existing drone (sanctions) regime in order to cover missiles and their potential ... transfer to Russia," Borrell said, adding that the bans would also be expanded beyond Russia to cover alleged supply of missiles to regional groups deemed to be allied to Iran. He said, however, that the EU must do more work to develop a legal framework to prepare the ground for the implementation of the new sanctions on Iran. Iran has denied it has supplied drones or missiles to regional groups while reiterating on numerous occasions that drones supplied to Russia that have reportedly been used in its war against Ukraine were delivered to Moscow long before the Ukraine war started in February 2022. Tehran has also lashed out at the EU for preparing new sanctions because of an Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel in mid-April that was meant to respond to Israel's bombardment of the Iranian consulate in Syria's Damascus on April 1. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani had warned earlier on Monday that any move to impose new sanctions on Iran following legitimate attacks on Israel would be viewed as a reward for the occupying Zionist regime. Kanaani said in a weekly press briefing that new EU sanctions on Iran will go down in history as a "shameful move". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Inseparable bonds': Raeisi says Iran, Pakistan resolved to boost all-level ties Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 11:32 AM Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says Iran and Pakistan have "inseparable" bonds and are determined to bolster their relations in different fields at all levels. Raeisi made the remarks in a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Monday. He said Iran and Pakistan should make use of their great capacities to serve the interests of the two states and nations, adding that both sides agreed to improve relations in the economic, political, commercial and cultural fields. He emphasized that Tehran and Islamabad share the same stance on fighting terrorism, insecurity, organized crimes and illicit drugs. The two countries' key focus is on strengthening bilateral, regional and international cooperation with the purpose of defending human rights, the Iranian chief executive stated. He pointed to the "unacceptable" level of trade and economic relations between the two countries and expressed both sides' determination to increase exchanges to $10 billion. Raeisi noted that the Iranian nation has succeeded in turning cruel Western sanctions into an opportunity for the country's development and added that Tehran is ready to transfer its experience in the fields of science and technology, transportation and transit to Islamabad. Intl. bodies, so-called rights advocates lost efficiency: Raeisi Elsewhere in the presser, Raeisi commended the Pakistani people's unrelenting support for Islamic values and the oppressed people of Palestine and Gaza. He said the world is saddened over the fact that the international organizations and the so-called advocates of human rights have lost their efficiency while the United Nations Security Council refrains from fulfilling its duties. Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Raeisi arrived in the Pakistani capital on Monday on a key official visit aimed at promoting security and trade ties. He is scheduled to wrap up his visit on Wednesday and head for Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Iran, Pakistan call on world to end Israel's genocide in Gaza: Sharif The Pakistani prime minister, for his part, said Tehran and Islamabad have expressed their concern over Israel's war in Gaza and asked the world to immediately put an end to the regime's act of genocide in the strip. Sharif added that an independent Palestinian country with al-Quds as its capital should be established. He praised Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei's legitimate support for the Palestinian people. Israel waged its brutal US-backed war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. However, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its declared objectives of "destroying Hamas" and finding Israeli captives despite killing at least 34,151 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 77,084 others. Iran, Pakistan sign 8 documents of cooperation In the presence of Raeisi and Sharif, the Iranian and Pakistani officials signed eight documents for promoting cooperation in various fields. According to the documents, Tehran and Islamabad will boost cooperation in the sectors of trade, science and technology, agriculture, health and culture as well as legal and judicial affairs. The establishment of free trade zones along with the common border crossings, cooperation in the cinema and media sector, animal health, security, cooperatives and social welfare, standard, legal and judicial assistance in civil and commercial affairs were among main issues of the documents signed between the two sides. Iran, Pakistan share same stance on establishing endurable security, fighting terrorism: Raeisi President Raeisi said Iran and Pakistan share the same stance on the importance of establishing sustainable security and fighting all types of terrorism as well as supporting human rights with no discrimination. Addressing a session of high-ranking delegations of Iran and Pakistan on Monday, he added that the two countries enjoy appropriate grounds for the expansion of cooperation, particularly in the energy sector. Despite certain opposition, top Iranian and Pakistani officials are determined to consolidate relations, he emphasized and noted that his current trip to Islamabad can be considered a turning point in ties. Raeisi stressed the importance of exchanging trade and economic delegations and activating the two countries' joint economic committee in order to remove obstacles in the way of increasing cooperation. The Iranian president said strengthening cooperation between Iran and Pakistan, as two important Muslim countries in the region, can play an effective role in solving regional problems. On the contrary, "the presence of foreigners in the region will not only fail to help solve the problems, but will also cause more complicated problems," Raeisi pointed out. He also urged all Muslim countries to forge unity and coherence, saying Israel is committing crimes against the oppressed but strong people of Palestine, particularly in Gaza, due to the lack of solidarity among Muslim nations. The president added that Iran-Pakistan cooperation can pave the way for Muslim states to reinforce their unity. For his part, Sharif said Pakistan supports multilateral logistics infrastructure cooperation projects. The Pakistani prime minister hailed Iran's steadfastness in supporting the liberation of al-Quds and defending the oppressed Palestinian people. Unity and coherence among Muslim countries will be the most important element to deter Israel from committing crimes against the Palestinian people, he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah hails Iran's Op. True Promise as turning point in anti-Israel struggle Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 10:41 AM A senior official with the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has hailed Iran's recent retaliatory operation against Israel, describing the extensive missile and drone strikes as a historic development in the course of the struggle against the occupying Tel Aviv regime. Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic of Iran has long been a staunch advocate of resistance movements, stressing that the Axis of Resistance is deeply indebted to the country's generous support in this regard. "Throughout the retaliatory operation that the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out against the occupying enemy, scores of Iranian missiles and drones filled the skies over the occupied Palestinian territories. This was a historic development and presented a fine and outstanding example of what will soon unravel in support of Palestine," he noted. Safieddine added that Iran's retaliatory strikes came as the country simply employed only a tiny fraction of its military strength, and did not bring its sophisticated indigenous munitions into action. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched extensive missile and drone strikes last week on the Israeli-occupied territories. The retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise, inflicted damage on Israeli military bases across the occupied lands. It came after the Israeli attack on April 1 against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, located next to the embassy building in Damascus's Mezzeh district. The airstrike killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers. Elsewhere in his remarks, Safieddine described Israel as the outward symbol of cruelty and criminality in the world. He continued to assert that the United States and the Israeli regime have clinched an agreement in order for the latter to be given carte blanche for genocide against Palestinians. "Nowadays, tyrants have gained control over world affairs, and are trying to impose their hideous culture on nations. What we are seeing these days proves the rightness of the mottos of the resistance front. These mottos emphasize the great and titanic struggle against the evil and oppressive Zionist enemy. "We are witnessing the daily massacre of innocent people, most of whom are women and children, in Gaza. These crimes are being carried out in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces whilst the world's conscience is asleep," the top Hezbollah official said. He termed the Axis of Resistance as the only force which can stand up to aggressors, and never allow oppression to take root. Lebanese MP: Operation True Promise wrecked Israel's deterrent power Meanwhile, Lebanese lawmaker Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah's Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc in the parliament, stated that Iran's Operation True Promise shattered the deterrent power of the Israeli military. "It is over seven months that the Zionist enemy is bogged down in Gaza quagmire, and caught in conflict with steadfast local residents and heroic resistance fighters. Gazans have demonstrated unprecedented levels of courage, strength and strategic and tactical initiatives in their battles," Raad said. He noted that the situation has reached a tipping point, where the Zionist enemy is trying to escape from confrontation due to increased pressure from Lebanon and Gaza fronts. Raad underscored that Israel made a huge mistake by targeting a number of Iranian military advisers in Syria and prompting Tehran to respond. "The most important thing concerning Iran's response was that the deterrence power of Iran was maintained, while that of the Zionist enemy was wrecked. This has strategic importance at the level of regional conflicts," the senior Lebanese legislator said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Pakistan Hold First Talks Since Cross-Border Strikes By RFE/RL April 22, 2024 Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 22 in Islamabad in their first meeting since their countries exchanged missile strikes in February. Raisi's three-day trip to neighboring Pakistan is part of efforts by both countries to mend relations that were strained earlier this year. Iran and Pakistan share a porous 900-kilometer border where separatists opposed to the governments in Tehran and Pakistan operate. In February, Iran struck what it described as bases used by Iranian Baluch separatists in Pakistan. Islamabad responded by targeting locations in Iran it said were used by Pakistani Baluch separatists. The Iranian president was greeted at the airport by Housing Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada before receiving a formal welcome from Sharif. Authorities have deployed hundreds of additional police and paramilitary forces to ensure security during the visit as Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence. According to a statement released by the premier's office, Sharif and Raisi discussed a range of issues to promote bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields and vowed to cooperate to fight terrorism. They are also expected to hold a joint news conference later on April 22. Iran's official news agency IRNA said eight cooperation documents will be signed during Raisi's visit. The two sides will also discuss a multibillion gas pipeline project, which has been on hold since 2014. The project -- opposed by Washington for what it says is a violation of sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program -- was launched in 2013 to supply much-needed Iranian natural gas to energy-starved Pakistan. Raisi is accompanied by his wife and a high-level delegation. He plans to visit Karachi, the country's biggest city, and Lahore, where he will meet with the Pakistan's recently elected first female chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Raisi will travel to Sri Lanka after wrapping up his Pakistan visit. With reporting by AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-president-pakistan-visit-- raisi-sharif-cross-border-strikes/32915601.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 Iraq won't tolerate violation of its sovereignty, PM tells Erdogan Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 4:14 PM Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani has told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Arab country would not tolerate any violation of its territorial integrity in a clear reference to Turkey's sporadic attacks on suspected hideouts of Kurdish militants in north and northwestern Iraq. Sudani made the remarks in a joint press conference after a meeting with Erdogan in Baghdad on Monday. He said that Iraq will also prevent any use of its territory for attacks on other countries. Sundai's reference to Turkey's attacks on Iraqi soil came hours after Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid made similar remarks in a meeting with Erdogan, where he urged respect for Iraq's sovereignty and security. Erdogan's visit to Baghdad which began earlier on Monday is a first for the Turkish president since 2011. For years, authorities in the central Iraqi government have been at odds with Erdogan over his way of handling the issue of Kurdish militancy and his oil dealings with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq. Iraqi media reports said Sudani and Erdogan had discussed security along with a series of key economic and trade issues, including the building of a $17-billion road project from south to north of Iraq as well as issues related to Iraq's share of water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which originate in Turkey. Erdogan said in the press conference with Sudani that his country is determined to boost relations with Iraq in a way that guarantees the rights of the Arab country as a neighbor. The two also reiterated their condemnations of the ongoing Israeli onslaught against the Palestinians in Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Call with Israeli Minister Gantz US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson April 21, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz today. The Secretary underscored the United States' commitment to Israel's security and discussed measures to increase life-saving humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the need for an immediate ceasefire that secures the release of hostages, and additional steps to minimize harm to civilians. Secretary Blinken and Minister Gantz also discussed efforts to ensure the conflict in Gaza does not spread. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zionist military intelligence chief resigns amid tensions with Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Major-General Aharon Haliva, head of the Zionist military intelligence, has announced his resignation, according to local media. The resignation has been attributed to the failure to stop October 7 Hamas surprise attack on the occupied lands while it came amid heightened tensions between the Israeli Zionist regime and Iran. In a statement, the Zionist military said: "The head of the Intelligence Division, Major General Aharon Haliva, in coordination with the Chief of Staff, requested to end his position following his command responsibility as head of the National Security Agency in the events of October 7." Shortly following the October 7 attack, Haliva was reported saying: "Already that morning I understood that it was over." Many believe that his resignation may be connected to recent tensions with Iran for his miscalculations of Tehran's response to an air strike against its consular building in Damascus which resulted in a barrage missiles against the Israeli-occupied territories by Iran last week. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zionist regime to deploy thousands of forces amid Passover holidays IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- On the occasion of the Passover (Pesach) holidays, the Zionist regime's forces have intensified security measures throughout the occupied territories, especially the city of al-Quds. The "Kan" television channel of the Zionist regime announced on Monday that more than 3,000 police officers will be deployed across the country, with a focus on al-Quds, in preparation for and during the Passover. Passover is the first Eid celebrated in the occupied territories after Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, which was carried out last October. Strict security measures could not guarantee the safety of the occupiers during the Jewish Eid, and the Zionist army radio announced today the occurrence of anti-Zionist operations in the occupied city of al-Quds. 6125**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah targets Israeli military base with rockets IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Islamic resistance movement Hezbollah says it has targeted another military base of the Israeli regime. In a statement on Monday, Hezbollah said that it has targeted the military base in Hanita with rockets in support of the Palestinian people and their strong resistance, Al Manar news network reported. Earlier, Hezbollah confirmed a strike against the Zionist regime's military gathering in the vicinity of Al-Zahirah. In a related development, the Lebanese resistance group published scenes of downing an Israeli Hermes drone over southern Lebanon on April 7. The resistance groups across the region have announced they will continue operations against the Israeli regime till it stops bombarding Gaza and killing people in the besieged territory. Since the onset of the war in October last year, over 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza. 1483**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israelis disappointed with Netanyahu's failure in Gaza: Poll IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 22, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- A poll conducted by a Zionist media outlet shows an overwhelming number of Israelis are disappointed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war on the Gaza Strip. The poll by Channel 13 of the Zionist regime showed that 68 percent of its audience surveyed said that Netanyahu cannot win in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Sama news agency. The survey follows reports that the Zionist regime's talks with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on the prisoner exchange has reached a dead end, with no clear sign of its resumption. Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet are under intense pressure as they have failed so far to achieve any of their goals in the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. They are also facing backlash from the Israeli political circles which remain divided over Netanyahu's policies. Ordinary Israelis have also been taking to the streets almost on a daily basis to demand the prime minister and his cabinet quit over their failure to get Israeli captives freed. Meanwhile, the Hebrew newspaper Ha'aretz reported, citing sources that the regime is now counting on a possible normalization deal with Saudi Arabia to stop the war on Gaza. According to this report, the US government has set the end of May to reach normalization between the Israeli regime and Saudi Arabia. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel's military spy chief resigns over Oct. 7 failures Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 2:01 PM The spy chief of Israel's military has resigned after accepting responsibility for the failure to stop Hamas's unprecedented attack of October 7 last year. Major General Aharon Haliva wrote in his resignation letter Monday, "After more than six months, and at the same time as the investigations begin, I would like to resign from my position." Haliva, who had previously taken public responsibility for the failures, has become the first senior Israel figure to acknowledge that Tel Aviv had failed to foresee and prevent Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, "whose consequences are severe and painful." "The intelligence division under my command did not live up to the task assigned to it," he wrote. "I have carried that black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the horrible pain of the war with me for ever." The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement carried out the operation against Israel in retaliation for the regime's intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. During that operation, the resistance fighters captured an unprecedented number of Israeli soldiers. In the event, the regime's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel's military forces to attack the besieged Gaza Strip with a force "like never before." More than six months into the genocidal war that has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, Haliva has now called for a commission of inquiry to investigate the failures. "I am convinced ... that it is appropriate to set up a state inquiry commission that can thoroughly, deeply, comprehensively and critically investigate all the factors and circumstances that led to the tragic events." While he has accepted blame for the failures, others have stopped short, most notably Netanyahu who has never acknowledged direct responsibility for his failures. Netanyahu has also not indicated that he will step down, although a growing protest movement is demanding that elections be held soon. Observers say Haliva's resignation could set the stage for more resignations among the regime's senior figures. The Israeli media reported that the military's Central Command chief, Yehuda Fuchs, is also expected to step down in the summer. Fuchs, according to the reports, notified the military chief of staff on Monday of his intention to resign at the end of his three-year term in August. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli Intelligence Chief Resigns Over Failure to Prevent Hamas October Attack - IDF Sputnik News 20240422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The head of the Israeli Directorate of Military Intelligence, Aharon Haliva, on Monday announced his resignation because of the reconnaissance department's failure to prevent the attack of Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7, 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. "In coordination with the Chief of the General Staff [Herzi Halevi], the Head of the Intelligence Directorate, MG Aharon Haliva, has requested to end his position, following his leadership responsibility as the Head of the Intelligence Directorate for the events of October 7," the IDF said on X. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 34,000 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. On April 7, a new round of the Israeli-Hamas talks started in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. The ceasefire proposal made at the talks provided for the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners as a part of a three-stage plan adopted by international mediators. Hamas largely rejected the proposal, saying it would present its own plan for a permanent end to the conflict in the region. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Additional Rescue Teams Sent To West Kazakhstan To Tackle Flood Situation By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service April 22, 2024 ASTANA -- The Kazakh government has sent additional rescue teams to West Kazakhstan Province to deal with ongoing floods, which have hit much of the country's north and west. Meanwhile, across the border in southern Russia, officials braced for the Ishim River to crest. The Kazakh government said in a statement on April 22 that 600 military personnel and experts from the Emergencies Ministry had been deployed to the region, where the water level in the Zhaiyq River in the regional capital, Oral, reached 8.5 meters a day earlier, which is above the point where it is considered "dangerous." Emergencies Ministry spokesman Asqar Sharip said on April 22 that 23,085 people returned to their houses after water levels went down in the northern provinces of Amola, Aqtobe, Atyrau, and North Kazakhstan. According to Sharip, 8,872 people, including 3,852 children, remain in temporary shelters. "The water was diverted from 4,554 private houses and 2,767 households. More than 11.4 million cubic meters of water have been pumped out, 5.3 million sand sacks were used to stop the water," Sharip said. "Works to divert and pump out water from 5,842 private houses and 1,061 households are under way in the four regions named." Kazakh officials said earlier that at least seven people died and two went missing in the floods. In neighboring Russia, emergency officials said on April 22 that the situation remains tense in several regions flooded by a combination of heavy rains and a massive snowmelt sparked by unseasonably warm weather. Flooding has washed across the region, forcing tens of thousands to seek shelter and clean water supplies. The Foundation for Public Control over Environmental and Population Safety said on April 22 that in the Russian region of Kurgan that borders Kazakhstan, floodwaters had pushed uranium waste from the defunct Dobrovolnoye uranium field into the Tobol River. Subsidiaries of Russia's state nuclear agency Rosatom produced uranium at Dobrovolnoye and on April 16 it said the floods didn't pose a threat to the uranium mines in Dobrovolnoye. Rosatom said four days later that the floods had bypassed the uranium mines. However, the foundation on April 22 issued a video showing that the territory in the area between the villages of Trud-i-Znaniye and Zverinogolovskoye were completely underwater, undercutting Rosatom's claim. Adding to that, Andrei Ozharovsky of the Radioactive Waste Safety program said uranium salts had been washed into the Tobol River and will cause an increase in radiation-related illnesses in the region. The situation also remains especially dramatic in the Russian regions of Tyumen and Orenburg, officials said, with thousands of people forced to leave their homes. "The situation with flooding in the Tyumen region remains tense," regional Governor Aleksandr Moor said on Telegram. "The Ishim River in the city has exceeded 10.5 meters. The rise over the last 24 hours was 140 centimeters. But the intensity of the increase has subsided and we expect the maximum water level to be hit in the near future," he said, adding that the river could crest as early as late on April 22. As of April 22, officials said 14,743 private houses remain under water in 190 towns and villages in Russia's southern regions bordering Kazakhstan. With reporting by Tengrinews Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-floods-rescue-teams- russia-ishim-river-crests/32915653.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 Junta forces Rohingyas to protest ethnic rebels in Myanmar's Rakhine state Those who refuse to denounce the Arakan Army are made to pay fines. By RFA Burmese 2024.04.22 -- Junta authorities in western Myanmar forced hundreds of Rohingya Muslims to protest an ethnic rebel offensive that has the military on the ropes in Rakhine state - and fining them if they didn't participate, residents said Monday. It's the latest bid by the junta to stoke ethnic tensions in the region, where a military clearance operation in 2017 killed thousands of Rohingyas and sent nearly 1 million fleeing into neighboring Bangladesh. Authorities have been pressing those who remain in a patchwork of villages and camps for the displaced into military service in recent weeks. A participant in Monday's protest said authorities forced around 1,000 Rohingyas from Rathedaung township's Bar Sar Ra village and Bu May village in the state capital Sittwe to hold signboards denouncing the ethnic Arakan Army, or AA, and call for an end to the conflict or face fines and other punishment. "If we don't take part in the protests, we will have to pay 50,000 kyats (US$1.40) per household, and our village will be cut off as punishment," said the protest participant who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity citing security concerns. "We all fear such threats, and we cannot afford to pay this fine as all of us are facing various hardships in our daily lives. So, we had no option but to join the protest," he told RFA Burmese. The Rohingyas were also made to sign a petition saying that they don't want the region to be governed by the AA, which has seized six of Rakhine's 17 townships and several smaller towns since launching an offensive against the military on Nov. 13, 2023. As of early April, the AA had captured some 170 junta camps and posts, as well as several larger bases, battalion headquarters, and training facilities in Rakhine state. Earlier protests Monday's protest follows similar ones in Sittwe on March 21 and in Buthidaung township on March 19 - both of which included hundreds of Rohingyas. Rohingya elders thwarted a protest scheduled to take place in Maungdaw township last month, a resident told RFA. Rohingya activist Nay San Lwin said that the protests were orchestrated by the junta in Rakhine state. "We have learned that the state police commander forced Rohingyas to stage the protests," he said. "He [the commander] organized a meeting with the local elders and ordered them to take part in the protest with at least one person from each household." Nay San Lwin expressed concern that junta pressure could lead to communal conflicts between Rakhine and Rohingya people in the state. Also on Monday, around 30 junta troops entered Munaung township's Thit Pon village and forced villagers to sign a petition against the AA, according to residents. A Munaung resident, who also declined to be named, told RFA that villagers were scared and could not refuse. "They [the junta soldiers] went to Thit Pon village and held a village meeting," he said. "They forced us to make signboards that said 'The AA is not welcome.' If we refused, we would have been arrested and they would have fired artillery at our village." Repeated attempts by RFA to contact Attorney General Hla Thein, the junta spokesperson for Rakhine state, for more information about the protests went unanswered Monday. The AA accused the junta in late March of creating racial and religious conflict in Rakhine state with protests to divert public attention from military defeats in the region. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 US report: 'Ethnic cleansing' of Rohingya took place last year The annual US human rights report also says that Uyghurs remain in internment camps in China. By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.04.22 -- Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state were subjected to "ethnic cleansing" by security forces working with vigilante groups in 2023, says a report released by the United States on Monday. About 1 million Rohingya refugees have lived in Bangladesh since 2017, when an operation by Myanmar's military drove them across the border. Hundreds of thousands more, though, remain in Myanmar, and have been designated as "stateless" by the United Nations. In its annual human rights country reports, which detail the rights situation in each of the world's countries and were released Monday, the State Department says the Rohingya remaining in Myanmar continue to face "severe discrimination based on their ethnicity." In many cases, the Myanmar country report says, Rohingya civilians are even taken to be fair targets for military operations amid the country's civil war, which has hit the ethnic minority hard. On Aug. 25, it notes, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army claimed responsibility for attacks on a series of security outposts in northern Rakhine state, which led to the deaths of 12 security personnel. In response, the security forces and "local vigilante groups" then "committed widespread atrocities against Rohingya villagers." The atrocities included "extrajudicial killings, disappearances, rape, torture, arbitrary arrest, and burning of tens of thousands of homes and some religious structures and other buildings." "These atrocities and associated events forced more than 655,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh as of December," says the report, "and constituted ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya." Uyghur genocide The China country report noted that many of the 1.8 million Uyghurs who have been "detained in the government's mass arbitrary detention campaign" still "remain imprisoned" to this day, despite the Chinese government's claims that most of the camps have now closed. China's government says that the camps, which it claims are in fact vocational training centers, were mostly closed in mid-2019, with the detained Uyghurs having graduated and found employment. U.S. officials have said in the past that the claims are questionable. The 2023 human rights country report for China says that the genocide against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang continued last year, with "forced disappearances" against Uyghurs also not abating. "Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year in China against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang," the report says. In many cases, family members of Uyghurs who are subjected to "forced disappearances" and not even informed as to the location of the person detained, or the length of time they will be detained. For other RFA target countries - including North Korea, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - the 2023 report noted few overall changes. "There were no significant changes in the human rights situation," the reports for those countries say, even if the situation remains poor. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 In Myanmar, paying bribes to evade the draft Administrators must meet junta quotas and are enriching themselves in the process. By Khin Khin Ei for RFA Burmese 2024.04.22 -- Myanmar's military draft has created a cottage industry of corruption as administrators across the country offer eligible citizens a way out of fighting in exchange for a price, Radio Free Asia has learned. Desperate to shore up its dwindling ranks amid mounting losses to rebel groups and mass surrenders, the junta enacted a conscription law that came into effect in April, three years after the military seized power in a coup d'etat. Now anyone aged 18-35 can be forced to serve for up to five years - and local administrators in charge of carrying out the draft are enriching themselves in the process. "Eligible people ... are entered into a lottery and the names that are selected have to serve," said a resident of eastern Mandalay region's Pathein Gyi township who, like others interviewed, asked not to be identified for security concerns. "We're told that if we don't want to go, we can pay them [the administrators] money to arrange for a replacement," she said, adding that the option to pay a bribe is not publicly disclosed, but common knowledge. Sources RFA Burmese spoke to said bribes to avoid service range from 500,000 kyats (US$240) to a staggering 50 million kyats (US$23,830), depending on the area and draft quota requirements. Even the low end of the range represents several times the monthly income of the average worker in Myanmar. A young man from Hinthada township in the southern region of Ayeyarwaddy told RFA that he was even approached by the regional governor to pay money to avoid service after he was selected in a lottery. "He told me that I could make substitutions with others, but I'd need to pay him 3 million kyats (US$1,430) for this," he said. "So, I gave him the money." Fleeing and assassinating The conscription law has prompted thousands of youth to flee Myanmar's cities for the countryside, where many say they would rather fight for rebel groups, or to leave the country entirely. Rebel groups have fought back, assassinating administrators for abetting the military regime. In some cases, local officials have resigned, caught between the wrath of the public and junta pressure to meet draft quotas. The solicitation of bribes has contributed to the opacity of the draft process, further angering a public that is already turning against the military. RFA has received numerous reports that administrators are omitting draft-eligible individuals from the lottery process without providing any explanation. Authorities are also coercing the youth of poor, squatter families in Yangon and other cities into military service and forcing other households in the community to support the families financially and pay their salaries. Multiple attempts to contact junta spokespersons for a response to claims of draft-related corruption went unanswered by the time of publication. Drafting the hardly eligible Under Myanmar's military conscription law, anyone aged 18-35 can be called up to serve for up to five years. Junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun recently announced that, based on the country's 2019 census, at least 13 million people - or nearly one quarter of Myanmar's population - are eligible. The junta has said it will conduct military training once a month for 5,000 trainees from around the country each time. A total of 50,000 people will be recruited in the first year, retroactive to the enactment of the law. A 34-year-old man from Yangon's North Dagon Myothit township said that he was selected in a draft lottery despite only having one year of eligibility left. "I don't want to run away and I refuse to join the service, so I had to ask for help from local authorities to get my name off of this year's list," he said. "I had to pay them a 1.4 million-kyat (US$670) bribe." RFA has also received reports of authorities entering some residents into draft lotteries who are well outside of age eligibility. In one village in eastern Bago region, eight people were recently selected to be drafted, including one 59-year-old man. A resident of the village told RFA that the man asked authorities whether a younger person could take his place, but they refused. "Instead the administrator said he would substitute his underlings for the eight people selected in the draft and demanded that they each pay him 2.5 million kyats (US$1,190)," a resident said. The resident advised the 59-year-old not to pay the bribe, but he said the administrator threatened to confiscate his home if he refused, so he agreed. Join or go into debt Local administrators - obliged to provide fresh recruits for junta officials in the capital Nay Pyi Daw - are subject to little oversight, and appear more than willing to enrich themselves in the process. Those families who lack the means to buy their way out of military service have few options, while for others, paying the bribes can mean a lifetime of crushing debt. A widow in Bago region's Daik-U township recently petitioned authorities to spare her son after he was selected in a draft lottery, as he was her sole means of support, according to a close friend of the young man. "They offered to take 50 million kyats for her son to avoid service," he said. "She borrowed the money and gave it to the officials, but they asked for another 3 million kyats (US$1,430)." The friend said that the widow was able to borrow the additional money, but the young man was wracked with guilt and later took his own life. Translated by Aung Naing and Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 Nearly 80 die in 3 weeks at Myanmar refugee camps: aid workers A lack of clean water, food and medical resources are among the main reasons. By RFA Burmese 2024.04.22 -- Nearly 80 people at refugee camps in western Myanmar have died in only three weeks due to poor living conditions, displaced people and aid workers told Radio Free Asia. Seventy-six people have died at six camps for internally displaced individuals near the capital of Rakhine state, Sittwe, according to civil society groups. The highest fatalities were recorded at Ohn Taw Gyi camp with 38 deaths and Say Tha Mar Gyi camp with 27 deaths. "Every day, two or three children die the same way," one worker said, declining to be named to protect their work in the area. The most deadly symptoms of unclean water were diarrhea and vomiting, which largely affected children, a displaced person told RFA, adding that it is difficult to know what water-borne illnesses are affecting the camps' residents due to a lack of doctors in the area. "Living in the camp for internally displaced people is quite tough. One house to another house is quite close and people live together," he said, declining to be named for security reasons. "The water is not clean. Food is not as free as before. "People in camps have to eat food depending on availability. All the children, including newborn babies, as well as one or two-year-old children, vomit and suffer from diarrhea and stomach aches." The death toll has risen due to the lack of available doctors to treat symptoms and the absence of accessible medicine for refugees, he said, noting that only short-term medications are available for children and elderly people because of the shortage in Sittwe. While symptoms like these are common in refugee camps, the death toll is at an all-time high because there is nothing they can do to prevent it, people residing in the camps told RFA. Stricter blockades, fewer options Fighting in Rakhine state between the Arakan Army and the junta has left locals stranded after fleeing from battle zones and international aid organizations unable to remain in the conflicted state. Most of the displaced people in the camps are ethnically persecuted Rohingya or other Muslim minorities in Rakhine state, who are often suffering from few rights and limited mobility. It is difficult to pay for medical treatment because Muslim refugees are not allowed to move freely and earn money, said one aid worker. "There are children who died [without medical treatment] due to lack of money in the camps. They are facing such a bad situation," he said, declining to be named for fear of reprisals. "The military junta does not provide these people with basic human necessities and does not arrange for the international humanitarian organizations to help them out." He added that even though civil organizations are eager to assist, they are unable to do so effectively due to the lack of medicine. He attributed this to blockades that prevent supplies from reaching major parts of the Rakhine state. Predominantly Muslim villages and refugee camps in western Sittwe have been restricted from importing and transporting food and medicine since 2012, and residents face strict travel restrictions. In early November 2023, the junta placed wider restrictions on transporting food products and medicine into the region. Kaman and Rohingya residents live together in about 15 camps near Sittwe, but aid workers have only been able to learn the casualties from six, meaning the death toll could be significantly higher, aid workers said. Free Rohingya Coalition founder Nay San Lwin told RFA that Muslim refugees are facing a dire situation because of the blockade. "If such problems arise either in the camps or villages, at least people could get permission to go to the hospital and clinic. Now it is in the worst situation," he told RFA on Sunday. "All of these problems are because of the junta's blockage and people are facing this situation. This is not yet the end of the military council committing genocide against our Rohingyas." Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Taejun Kang. 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 Injured sent to Thai border hospital following Myanmar clash Civilians, junta troops and rebel forces are among those seeking care, Thai officials said. By Pimuk Rakkanam for RFA and RFA Burmese 2024.04.22 -- A Thai border hospital received nearly 40 injured people for treatment after a battle in neighboring Myanmar, according to Thai officials on Monday. At least 38 were admitted in total, Thai public health minister Cholnan Srikaew said during a news conference at Mae Sot General Hospital on Monday. Mae Sot is a Thai city that shares a border with Myanmar to the west. It is notable as a trade hub and for its substantial population of Burmese migrants and refugees. "We treat them according to their conditions, mostly involving surgery," he said. "There were 22 people admitted on Saturday. Another 16 gradually came on Sunday." Cholnan declined to disclose how many junta troops and rebel soldiers were included among the injured. "We do not discriminate which group they are," he said, adding that foreign nationals would be referred to relevant security agencies following their treatment. Weekend fighting The armed branch of the Karen National Union, called the Karen National Liberation Army, and its allies captured junta Infantry Battalion 275 in Myawaddy, a Burmese town that shares a border with Mae Sot, on April 10. After rebel forces intercepted a junta convoy and injured over 100 soldiers on its way to recapture Myawaddy on Thursday, junta helicopters bombed the town in retaliation on Saturday around 3 a.m. Gunfire between junta troops and rebel forces and airstrikes could be heard late into late Sunday morning, Thai soldiers and Mae Sot residents told Radio Free Asia. Since the rebel capture of Battalion 275, about 200 junta troops have been stranded at a customs compound near the border's Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 2, roughly 10 km (six miles) north of Mae Sot. RFA couldn't confirm if these troops were among those admitted to Mae Sot's hospital. Following Saturday and Sunday's battles, about 3,000 people were evacuated and several hundred refugees were taken to Rujira ranch a few kilometers north of Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 2, according to Thai officials. The evacuees were predominantly from Myanmar, said Thai soldiers, in addition to some Thai nationals working in Myanmar. Thai authorities provided refugees with food and medical services. Thailand's concerns Thailand's prime minister, meanwhile, has established a high-level committee to manage the situation, officials in Bangkok said on Monday. The committee was formed amid growing concerns about the conflict's potential impact on Thailand through irregular migration, border clashes, and disrupted trade, according to BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news organization. "Currently, the unrest in Myanmar tends to escalate, which may affect Thailand in many dimensions, including security, economy, and society, especially the problem of irregular migration, border clashes and disrupted border trade," a government order stated. Amid escalating tensions in late March, the Thai government launched the Humanitarian Assistance Corridor project for Myanmar citizens affected by the fighting, delivering 4,000 relief bags containing rice, dried food and other essential supplies for about 20,000 people in Kayin state. As of Monday, about 2,000 displaced people have crossed back into Myanmar since fighting calmed in Myawaddy, the Bangkok Post reported on Monday, adding that Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 1, which is used for immigration, remains open. The newspaper cited a Thai military officer as saying that negotiations between the junta and the Karen rebel force and its allies have begun. Padoh Saw Taw Nee, a Karen National Union spokesperson, told RFA that the group is reviewing the military and public welfare situation since fighting has calmed. Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn. Updated to add details on newly formed Thai government committee. 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 Analysts: ASEAN must 'find its backbone' in Myanmar By Luke Hunt April 22, 2024 ASEAN has been viewed by the international community as the ideal political bloc to negotiate a resolution to the conflict that has beset Myanmar since its military, led by Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, ousted an elected government in early 2021 and sparked a civil war. But the five-point consensus on ending the Myanmar crisis put forward by ASEAN a the Association of Southeast Asian Nations a has been discredited by analysts and anti-regime forces who argue the 10-nation bloc has quietly backed the junta and ignored all other parties in the conflict. "The five-point consensus has been a dismal failure," said Ross Milosevic, a risk consultant who conducts field research in Myanmar. But he added, recent unprecedented battlefield defeats of the military a also known as Tatmadaw a and elections within ASEAN members were rewriting the political equation. The five point-consensus is a roadmap for peace insisted upon by ASEAN, calling for an immediate end to violence; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy's visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties. The turning point After a bitter, five-month dry season offensive, ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and the opposition-led National Unity Government's People's Defence Force (PDF) are in control of nearly all ethnic territories and states and Myanmar's borders with Thailand, Laos, China, India and Bangladesh. Despite ongoing military aerial bombardments, the ethnic Karen in the southeast along the Thai border and the Shan, which share a border with China in Myanmar's north, are asserting political control, and Milosevic said the Mon, Kachin and Arakan are following. That leaves Tatmadaw encircled but heavily fortified within central Barma state and in control of the all-important corridors linking Yangon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay. "Those battlefield successes have not only spooked the Tatmadaw generals but also many within ASEAN's political leadership," Milosevic said, adding the junta's greatest loss was Myawaddy, a border trading hub which sits adjacent to Mae Sot in Thailand. "It remains to be seen whether the civil war will continue till the end of the year, it may even fall sooner than expected," he said. "I hope that Thailand will lead the charge in trying to put forth a real solution to the fighting, death and destruction that's been caused in the last three years." Among the 50 wars tracked globally by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, Myanmar is considered the most violent with at least 50,000 people killed since the coup, including 8,000 civilians. Reshaping ASEAN politics ASEAN has been divided between democratically elected governments and autocratic one-party states, with countries like Cambodia and current chair Laos accused of blocking policies over a range of issues, including Myanmar, out of their own interests. Charles Santiago, from ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, has consistently criticized the bloc and individual members for being too soft on the junta while ignoring the plight of their victims. "ASEAN has to get a backbone and be guided by a clear policy. Given Laos' leadership, I don't think it's going to happen. Laos hasn't shown, not even mentioned, what they're doing and ASEAN hasn't said what their plans are," he said. Shortly before Myawaddy fell to the Karen National Liberation Army on April 10 a one of about 20 EAOs battling Tatmadaw alongside the PDF a former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen offered to open talks with Hlaing, now chairman of the State Administration Council, "aimed at resolving the crisis in Myanmar." General Hlaing has not responded but on the third anniversary of the coup he again claimed 2020 elections a when the ruling National League for Democracy won more than 80% of seats in parliament a were rigged and insisted his political objectives were to hold fair elections and ensure a permanent peace. One PDF source said Cambodia's Hun Sen was unacceptable as a negotiator because of his close ties with Hlaing, noting the pair had described themselves as "god brothers" after holding talks in 2022 when Phnom Penh occupied the ASEAN chair. "They wouldn't speak to us," said the source, who declined to be named. "Indonesia and Singapore are acceptable because they have tried to include us in their efforts to find a resolution." He also said that with a change in governments in Thailand and the Philippines, and with Malaysia assuming the ASEAN chair next year, negotiations focused on independence for ethnic states were possible but would not include the military. Santiago agreed, saying an ASEAN group led by Malaysia with the backing of Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand could work on negotiations. "ASEAN can deliver results that could stabilize the situation in Myanmar by sending in some form of peacekeeping force and holding the military junta to account a and to help reestablish democratic rule which is supposed to be part of their own ASEAN Charter," Milosevic added. Shortly after Myawaddy fell, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin signaled a change in attitude, telling Reuters news agency "the current regime is starting to lose some strength" and that "maybe it's time to reach out and make a deal" with Myanmar. The junta then announced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former president U Win Myint would be transferred from prison to house arrest and Thailand upped the ante by calling for their "immediate full release." What prospects? The EAOs-PDF and the NUG have made it clear they will not negotiate with the Tatmadaw, insisting senior generals be tried for war crimes. Michael Martin, adjunct fellow with the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Washington, said a return to the precoup situation is highly unlikely. Instead, ethnic groups, in particular Karen and Shan, will push ahead with establishing their own states and political order, which could snowball among other ethnic states and leave Tatmadaw-controlled Barma state isolated and surrounded. "For ASEAN, I think one of the questions is going to be; to what extent can they continue to say, 'oh we're looking for a negotiated settlement, we're going to continue to keep working with the military junta and other interested parties?' "Or are they eventually going to say, 'OK that ship has sailed, that's over, that's not going to happen' and start working with various EAOs." he told VOA. He stressed EAOs had fought for independence, not the pre-war order or the NUG, while the PDF also consisted of state-based militias who coordinate with EAOs and held shared ethnic sympathies. Ei Ei contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FUKUOKA, Apr 23 (News On Japan) - In Hakata Ward of Fukuoka City, a pioneering educational institute, The "eSports High Academy," has officially opened its doors at Hakata Marui in Fukuoka, dedicated to the competitive world of eSports -- where video games are played as competitive sports. The popularity of eSports has surged globally, featuring international competitions that have elevated gaming to a recognized sport. The eSports High Academy aims to nurture talent not only for professional players but also for those interested in various aspects of the gaming industry, including game development, tournament organization, and streaming technologies. The inaugural cohort of six students expressed their enthusiasm for combining regular academics with gaming. Many aspire to become future content creators or streamers on platforms like YouTube. The school promises to provide a comprehensive three-year educational program, ensuring students receive a well-rounded education that equips them for the myriad opportunities in the fast-evolving field of eSports. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's response to a question from the Rossiya Segodnya news agency regarding Polish President Andrzej Duda's statement on the readiness to deploy US nuclear weapons on Polish territory 22 April 2024 14:48 747-22-04-2024 Question: In an interview with Fakt, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the Polish authorities are ready to accept the deployment of US nuclear weapons on their territory. How would you comment on this? Maria Zakharova: Such provocative statements by the Polish leadership are not new. The Polish authorities have long made no secret of their ambitions to "snuggle up" to the US nuclear weapons deployed in Europe and have been actively weaving them into their deeply hostile policy towards Russia. It is clearly not enough for Poland that it is already a member of NATO, which arbitrarily positions itself as a "nuclear alliance." Moreover, Warsaw is intensively involved in the practice of the so-called "joint nuclear missions" of the North Atlantic bloc as a state that provides direct support to such operations. All this together leads to the fact that in our own military planning we treat Poland with special attention and in view of the threats that arise for Russia with the involvement of this country. The Polish factor was certainly also taken into account by us and our Belarusian friends in taking additional measures to strengthen the security of the Union State. However, Warsaw seems to be maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff. It is not difficult to assume that in the event US nuclear weapons appear on Polish territory, the relevant facilities will immediately be added to the list of legitimate targets for engagement in a situation of direct military confrontation with NATO. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's video address to participants in the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference 22 April 2024 10:10 739-22-04-2024 Colleagues, I would like to welcome participants to the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference (MNC) organised by the Centre for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS). You are meeting in a difficult situation of crisis in the system of arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation, which reflects unprecedented degradation in the sphere of international security. Today, the United States and their NATO client states are still dreaming of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia and are ready to carry on with their policy of deterring our country "to the last Ukrainian." At the same time, the West is balancing on the dangerous edge of a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers, which could have catastrophic consequences. We are especially concerned that the three Western nuclear powers are among the main sponsors of the criminal Kiev regime and the main organisers of various provocations. This could create serious strategic risks and increase the level of nuclear threat. The US-led "collective West" is cynically complementing the deliberate destruction of balanced and equal agreements that do not suit Washington with the promotion of apparently dishonest schemes that would create advantages for the United States. Their obvious goal is to create a unilateral military advantage for themselves by setting new limits for nuclear arsenals while formalising the aggregate Western superiority in the sphere of non-nuclear capabilities. Striving to attain decisive military superiority, Washington and its allies are enlarging the network of alliances directed against third countries. They are working energetically to implement a number of highly destabilising military-technical programmes. They include the creation of a global ballistic missile defence system coupled with the stockpiling of precision weapons for delivering preemptive and decapitation "global strikes," the forward basing of US nuclear arsenals in Europe and their destabilising development within the framework of NATO's "joint nuclear missions," as well as preparations to deploy weapons in space and ground-launched intermediate and shorter-range missions throughout the world. A matter of profound concern is the emerging partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, AUKUS, which is increasingly similar to a military bloc, alongside with the growing military spending by the NATO countries and US allies, and Britain's plans to build up its nuclear potential. There is no basis whatsoever for an arms control and strategic stability dialogue with the United States in the face of a total hybrid war being waged against our country. This agenda cannot be artificially separated from the general international segment and be considered in isolation from other aspects of interstate relations, as Washington is seeking to present. It will be possible to discuss these topics only after the US authorities renounce their openly hostile anti-Russian policy. Any hypothetical effort to reduce the conflict potential should be comprehensive in nature and based on removing what we regard as the central problem, to wit, NATO's aggressive eastward expansion. We see no alternative to these fundamental approaches. Moves to undermine the existing arms control and non-proliferation system are affecting the stability of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Problems involved in the implementation of the NPT are not only persisting but also tend to mount. The latest two NPT review cycles culminated in their final documents being blocked. In the first case, this was done by the US, Canada, and the UK. In the second, we witnessed a disgusting "spectacle," where the collective West (including the abovementioned countries) took to filling the documents with patently unacceptable formulas having no relation to the NPT, something that led to their inevitable blocking. The main problem is that the Western countries have used the treaty for years to address political agendas unrelated to nuclear non-proliferation. In other words, they sought to bring pressure to bear on or stage direct interventions against "dissenting" countries and step up their control over nuclear programmes of non-members of the Western bloc. These actions are evoking a response from non-nuclear states, which put forward exorbitant nuclear disarmament requirements. We can also count in the initiatives by certain NATO countries trying to increase their control over the Russian and Chinese nuclear arsenals under the guise of disarmament. It is impossible to analyse the state of affairs on the nuclear disarmament track in isolation from the current military-political and strategic realities, especially since Article VI and the NPT Preamble clearly put this issue into the context of general and complete disarmament. It is essential to reach these goals in a package, by concerted efforts of nuclear and non-nuclear countries and without artificial removal of certain elements from the relevant NPT commitments. I would like to specifically address the situation with The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). As early as in 1999, US Congress refused to ratify it under far-fetched pretexts. Since then, Washington has not taken any practical action in this area. We believe its explanation that it cannot get Congress's approval for the treaty's ratification is a flimsy excuse. Hence, we conclude that the US political establishment is not interested in the CTBT. Russia's withdrawal of the CBTB ratification became a logical response to the destructive moves by the US and other Western countries. That said, we remain a full-fledged party to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Not so long ago, we completed the formation of our segment of the International Monitoring System. We are ready to return to the issue of its ratification as soon as the US does this. The attempts of the Western countries to tailor the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to their vested interests are a source of serious concern. The Western states have already turned this prestigious and strictly technical international agency into an instrument for implementing their geopolitical interests in the Middle East and beyond by privatising the OPCW Secretariat. These destructive activities caused a split in the OPCW. It lost its independent status and authority as a universally recognised expert venue on chemical disarmament and non-proliferation. Supported by its allies, the US continues its propaganda campaign to discredit Russia's space activities and our initiatives on preventing an arms race in outer space. They want to sidetrack the attention of the international community from the real threats in space and receive additional funds for the buildup of their national military space potentials. Washington's anti-Russia throw-ins have reached the point of absurdity. It is hurling at Russia unsubstantiated accusations of some activities in space that are threatening international security and are linked with "the deployment of nuclear weapons there." These allegations are completely divorced from reality. Russia is firmly committed to its international legal obligations, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. We are consistently advocating the preservation of space as a venue for exclusively peaceful activities of all states on an equitable basis. Our priority is to elaborate an international legally binding instrument that would establish reliable guarantees to prevent the deployment of weapons in space and the use or threat of force as regards space facilities. There exists a foundation for this - a relevant draft treaty submitted by Russia and China to the Disarmament Conference. The US is continuously engaged in military biological activities throughout the world in violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). In this context, it is essential for the international community to enhance the convention, primarily by supplementing it with a legally binding protocol that would envisage an efficient verification mechanism. Russia has also made a number of initiatives to upgrade the convention regulations. We look forward to real progress in this area based on the activities of the specialised Working Group established by the decision of the Ninth BTWC Review Conference. NATO countries and their satellites continue supplying the Kiev regime with arms and ammunition on a mass scale, thereby violating their previous international commitments to control the exports of military technology and equipment. We consider important the problem of controlling international exchanges of conventional arms. It is important in this context for all countries to observe strictly at national level the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons and the UN Register of Conventional Arms. We are convinced that to prevent further degradation of the world situation, maintain durable stability and create a realistic disarmament, all countries should pool their efforts to upgrade the international security system relying on the principles of multilateralism, equality and indivisibility. This is the only way of reducing interstate conflicts and ensuring real progress in arms control. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief takes part in opening ceremony Western Pacific Naval Symposium in China 22.04.2024 Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev participated in the opening ceremony of the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium as part of his visit to the People's Republic of China. The ceremony took place in Qingdao (China). The Symposium is attended by more than 180 representatives of naval forces from 29 countries. The participants of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) will discuss the events that have taken place within the framework of the Symposium since its 18th meeting and will determine the future agenda. The Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief is going to address to the participants of the Symposium. On 21 April, Admiral Aleksandr Moseyev, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, held a meeting with Admiral Hu Zhongming, the Commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Russian and Chinese sides discussed a wide range of issues of naval cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. Following the results of the meeting, Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, and Admiral Hu Zhongming, the Commander of the PLA Navy, signed an additional Memorandum of Understanding in the field of search and rescue at Sea. The sides emphasised the importance of further developing cooperation between the fleets of the two countries in the interests of security and stability in the World Ocean. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev has arrived in the People's Republic of China on 20 April to participate in the Western Pacific Naval Symposium. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 2 stealth missile corvettes to be commissioned into Navy in May ROC Central News Agency 04/22/2024 03:49 PM Taipei, April 22 (CNA) Taiwan's Navy is expected to commission two more domestically-built Tou Jiang-class stealth missile corvettes into service next month, meaning they will be officially ready to safeguard the waters around Taiwan, a source told CNA Monday. The unnamed source familiar with the matter said that the two corvettes, the Hsu Jiang (PGG-621) and the Wu Jiang (PGG-623), will be officially commissioned into the Navy in an early May ceremony. The two corvettes, launched in February and June 2023, respectively, were delivered to the Navy this February. They are the third and fourth mass-produced Tou Jiang-class stealth missile corvettes. The Tuo Jiang-class corvette is a Taiwan-designed and manufactured class of fast and stealthy multi-purpose corvette built for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy. Other than the prototype, Tuo Jiang (PGG-618), which was commissioned in 2015, the first batch comprised six corvettes, with the fifth and sixth, An Jiang and Wan Jiang, set to be delivered to the Navy soon, the unnamed source added. The Navy is set to build a total of 11 Tuo Jiang-class corvettes by the end of 2026. The Tuo Jiang-class corvette has a wave-piercing catamaran design, is 60.4 meters in length and 14 meters in width, and is capable of a top speed of 30-plus knots and a range of 1,800 nautical miles, according to the Navy. The corvette is fitted with subsonic Hsiung Feng-II (HF-2) missiles, supersonic Hsiung Feng-III (HF-3) anti-ship missiles, a 76mm cannon and Sea Sword II carrier-based medium-range air defense missiles, giving them the ability to hit air and sea targets simultaneously, Navy data shows. (By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "We have the political will to enhance our relations with Iraq" Presidency of The Republic of Turkey 22.04.2024 Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Al Sudani of Iraq, President ErdoAYan said: "Iraq is one of our neighbors with which we have common historical, social and cultural ties, and to which we attribute strategical value. We have the political will to enhance our relations with Iraq on the basis of mutual respect and good-neighbor principle by upholding our common interests. I believe that both my visit and the agreements just signed will be a new milestone in the TArkiye-Iraq relations." President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan held a joint press conference with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani following their bilateral meeting and the meeting between the delegations. Thanking Prime Minister Al Sudani for their hospitality, President ErdoAYan said: "Iraq is one of our neighbors with which we have common historical, social and cultural ties, and to which we attribute strategical value. We have the political will to enhance our relations with Iraq on the basis of mutual respect and good-neighbor principle by upholding our common interests. I believe that both my visit and the agreements just signed will be a new milestone in the TArkiye-Iraq relations." "WE WELCOME THE DESIGNATION OF PKK AS A 'BANNED ORGANIZATION' IN IRAQ" Stating that during the talks they have thoroughly discussed the TArkiye-Iraq relations, President ErdoAYan noted: "Security and cooperation in the fight against terror have been the most important items on the agenda of our talks. We have exchanged our views on potential joint steps against PKK terrorist organization and its extensions that target TArkiye. We welcome the designation of PKK as a 'banned organization' in Iraq." Voicing his belief that PKK will officially be designated as a terrorist organization and its presence on the Iraqi territories will end as soon as possible, President ErdoAYan added: "This is a requirement of our neighborly and brotherly relations as well. We stand ready to provide any support to the Iraqi government in every step they will take to that end. In this sense, our expectations regarding joint fight against FETO have been one of the items on the agenda." "WE WANT TO ELEVATE OUR TRADE VOLUME TO HIGHER LEVELS" "Iraq is one of our leading trade partners. We want to elevate our trade volume, which approximated 20 billion dollars last year, to higher levels. We have addressed the steps that could be taken in this regard with Mr. Prime Minister. We have discussed what we can do to lift the artificial obstacles before our trade. We have touched upon the vital importance of the Development Road Project in terms of this goal. With the Memorandum of Understanding we have signed, we have strengthened our determination on this strategic plan that will significantly contribute to the stability and prosperity of our entire region, Iraq in particular." "THE KEY TO REGIONAL PEACE IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT AND GEOGRAPHICALLY-INTEGRATED PALESTINIAN STATE" Drawing attention to the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Palestine, President ErdoAYan went on to say: "We are doing our best to stop the bloodshed in Gaza. We have addressed with our counterparts the repercussions on our region of the conflict and the oppression Israel has been carrying out in Palestine. We have discussed potential joint steps. The developments taking place on the axis of Israel and Iran are increasing the risk of the expansion and escalation of the war, what is more they are pushing the massacre in Palestine into the background. Our Iraqi brothers and sisters are being adversely affected by the tension as well. I would hereby like to remind all the parties my suggestion of avoiding steps that would escalate the tension. The key to regional peace is the establishment of an independent, sovereign and geographically-integrated Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East al-Quds as its capital. We as TArkiye continue to work to that end. We have shown that we stand by our brothers and sisters in Gaza by sending more than 45 thousand tons of humanitarian aid so far. We will mobilize all our means for our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Palestine from now on as well." "WE HIGHLY VALUE IRAQ'S DEMOGRAPHICAL RICHNESS" Stating that they will go to Erbil as well as part of the Iraq visit, President ErdoAYan continued as follows: "Before that we will meet with our Turkmen brothers and sisters, who are an essential part of Iraq. We will discuss additional means for cooperation in Erbil. On this occasion, I would like it to be known that we do not make any discrimination among different ethnic, sectarian or religious groups in our policies towards Iraq. The Iraqi people are our brothers and sisters, and friends regardless of their ethnic origin or sect. We see the entire Iraq as a whole and highly value Iraq's demographical richness. We will inshallah continue to look our relations with Iraq from the perspective of friendship, brotherhood and neighborhood. We will continue to stand by our Iraqi brothers and sisters in their good and bad times, as has been the case so far. I believe that my visit, which is taking place in a critical period in terms of regional developments, will inshallah conduce to new beginnings." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sunak: First migrant flights to Rwanda begin in '10-12 weeks' By VOA News April 22, 2024 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday the first flights carrying asylum-seekers to Rwanda will leave in 10 to 12 weeks, as he seeks to make good on a campaign promise to address the problem of illegal migrants. At a news conference Monday, Sunak said the flights are booked, Rwanda is ready, and the flights relocating asylum-seekers to the central African nation will proceed. The prime minister said legislation that has been tied up for about two months in the unelected House of Lords a which sought to add safeguards to the deportation plan a will be taken up by the House of Commons later Monday. "Parliament will sit there tonight and vote no matter how late it goes," Sunak said. Sunak's government first reached a five-year, $150 million deal with Rwanda in April 2022 to send an unspecified number of asylum-seekers arriving across the English Channel in small boats to Kigali for processing. Since 2018, migrants, crossing in small boats from France, have arrived in Britain in record numbers. When he became prime minister in 2022, Sunak listed "stopping the boats" as one of his five priorities. The Rwandan government had constructed reception centers and accommodations in the capital to house the migrants, and the first flight was just minutes from takeoff in June 2022, when it was blocked by an injunction from the European Court of Human Rights, which barred any removals until the conclusion of legal action in Britain. Then last November, Britain's Supreme Court ruled that the policy of sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda for processing was illegal, as it did not guarantee the safety of the migrants. The bill moving slowly through parliament is meant to address those issues. Sunak said Monday the government will begin the process of removing those designated for the first flight "starting from the moment that the bill passes." He said they have 200 case workers "ready and waiting to process claims," and have increased detention spaces to a total of 2,200, to detain the illegal migrants until they can be flown to Rwanda. Sunak said for the plan to deter migrants from coming to Britain, it cannot rest on one flight alone. He said it must be a "relentless, continual process" of flights removing people to Rwanda "until the boats are stopped." The prime minister said he was confident the plan complied with all of Britain's internal and international legal obligations. He added, "If it ever comes to a choice between our national security, securing our borders and membership of a foreign court, I'm, of course, always going to prioritize on national security." Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address oreign Minister Tsahkna: The Ukraine package is a significant step by the USA towards using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22.04.2024 The comment by Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on the approval of the Ukraine package in the US House of Representatives, which is a significant step by the USA towards using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine: "With the Ukraine package adopted in the House of Representatives, the United States took a major step towards using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. I welcome this significant decision that creates a legal basis for the USA to use Russia's sovereign assets to help Ukraine. The bill allows the US president to confiscate frozen assets and establish a support fund for Ukraine, where frozen assets and profits earned from these assets will be deposited. The aim of the fund is to offset the damages caused to Ukraine with Russia's inhumane war. To secure Ukraine's victory, we must prove convincingly that time is not working in the aggressor's favour. Profuse assurances are not enough, we need real steps that would demonstrate that our policy to counter the aggression is irreversible. The USA is taking a major step towards using frozen Russian assets. US leadership in this political decision is crucial in the G7 summit in June, when the decision should be taken to use frozen Russian assets. This would serve three purposes: helping Ukraine, sending a tough message to Russia and oligarchs that things will not go back to business as usual, and assuring our taxpayers that it is the aggressor who has to pay, not us. I also expect quick progress in the European Union to first use the profits earned from frozen Russian assets, but also real assets because the majority of Russia's sovereign assets with an estimated worth of a300 billion are in Europe. Estonia can contribute here. We have been pioneering this issue for a year now, and we would like to establish a precedent that Europe could then use. While we have no sovereign assets of Russia, we do have frozen assets of private legal entities. These assets have been frozen in direct connection with Russia's aggression and the close ties of these persons with the state and politics of Russia. These assets can and should be used to help offset the war damages caused to Ukraine. In the coming weeks, the bill on frozen assets should be submitted for a second reading in the Estonian Parliament. I hope we can make quick progress with it to hold Russia and individuals linked to its aggression accountable for the destruction caused in Ukraine." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Baiba BraAe: assistance devoted to Ukraine must not decrease Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22.04.2024 On 22 April 2024 in Luxembourg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba BraAe, took part in the meeting of the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council, its agenda highlights including the EU's military support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia's aggression, the situation in the Middle East, and a discussion on Sudan. In a joint session by EU Foreign Affairs Ministers and Defence Ministers on support for Ukraine, Ministers were unanimous in their position on a robust and urgent further assistance, in particular, by strengthening Ukraine's anti-aircraft defence capabilities. "The EU must take action immediately: assistance to Ukraine must not decrease. By supporting Ukraine, we are strengthening the security, defence and military capabilities of the Euro-Atlantic space," the Latvian Foreign Minister noted, "Latvia has already signed a bilateral agreement with Ukraine on long-term support and security commitments, which envisages providing every possible support." Baiba BraAe made it clear that the undermining of Russia's capabilities should continue with an effective sanctions policy: "Latvia expects the 14th round of EU sanctions against Russia to include a ban on the exports and transit of manganese ore and aluminium oxide. It is important to align EU sanctions on Belarus with the regime of sanctions against Russia." The Latvian Foreign Minister also called for the issue of circumvention of the oil price cap to be addressed, as well as for an agreement to use the profits of Russia's frozen assets in keeping with Ukraine's priorities, especially its military needs. Latvia also expressed support for the proposal of Finland and Italy to launch a discussion on the establishment of effective mechanisms to combat the instrumentalisation of migration. The discussion on the Middle East followed up on the discussion initiated at the informal extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers Affairs on 16 April, with particular attention being paid to Iran's attack on Israel, regional issues, and efforts to achieve a solution to the humanitarian crisis. "Iran escalated the situation by attacking Israel. Therefore, the EU must therefore take a resolute action to expand Iran's drone sanctions regime to include ballistic missiles, thereby reducing Iran's destabilising behaviour in the region and its support for Russian aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, there must be a clear focus on the crisis in Gaza and the political process for a two-state solution," the Minister underlined. After the conclusion of the Foreign Affairs Council, the Minister will participate in a High Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation, which gathers EU Foreign Ministers and their counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council Member States for a discussion on the regional and global security issues, including the conflict in Gaza, Iran, and Russia's war in Ukraine. Latvia supports building closer relations with the Gulf Region due to its significant political and economic influence. Background information: The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, established in 1981, comprises six member states: the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lithuania handed over an L-39ZA Albatros light ground attack support aircraft to Ukraine Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2024-04-22 International cooperation Ukraine received the latest shipment of military assistance from the Ministry of National Defence: on April 20 the Lithuanian Armed Forces turned over to Ukrainian colleagues a disassembled L-39ZA Albatros light ground attack support aircraft. The L-39ZA Albatros have been used for training Lithuanian Armed Forces fighter pilots with an emphasis on their combat readiness for adverse meteorological conditions during any part of the day. Responding to Ukraine's requests, this year Lithuania has delivered to Ukraine 155 mm ammunition, M577 armored personnel carriers, drone jamming equipment, power generators, cold season gear and tens of thousands of warm clothing sets, thousands of Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle rounds, RISE-1 long-range smart initiation system. Lithuania's long-term assistance to Ukraine has reached over a billion euros to date, while the military assistance this far amounts to over EUR 610 million. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia: West military support for Ukraine could lead to confrontation between world's nuclear powers Iran Press TV Monday, 22 April 2024 2:22 PM Moscow has warned of a direct confrontation between Russian troops and Western forces over the conflict in Ukraine that could end in catastrophe. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday the United States and NATO countries were obsessed with the idea of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia, adding that their military support for Ukraine has pushed the world to the brink of a direct clash between the world's biggest nuclear powers that could end in catastrophe. "The Westerners are teetering dangerously on the brink of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences," Lavrov said at a conference on non-proliferation in Moscow. "Of particular concern is the fact that it is the 'troika' of Western nuclear states [US, Britain and France] that are among the key sponsors of the criminal Kiev regime, the main initiators of various provocative steps. We see serious strategic risks in this, leading to an increase in the level of nuclear danger," Lavrov warned. Lavrov said that the Western countries were building a global missile system capable of eliminating rivals. He added that the US-led Western countries were placing nuclear weapons in military bases all across Europe, while medium- and shorter-range missiles were being planted in other regions across the globe and preparations were made to deploy nuclear weapons into space. According to both Russian and US diplomats, the present clash between the West and Russia over Ukraine is the worst breakdown of diplomatic relations by the two sides in decades, ever since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis cut bilateral ties. Despite the risky tension, Western leaders have vowed to continue to work with and to provide support to Kiev to cause "strategic defeat" of Russian forces in Ukraine, while ruling out any deployment of American or European troops in the former Soviet republic. Lavrov's remarks come just two days after US lawmakers approved billions of dollars in additional military aid to Ukraine. Since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 to prevent NATO's eastward expansion, it has repeatedly warned the US-led Western counties against arming Kiev and the rising nuclear risks - warnings which the US leadership says it has to take seriously, though the officials say they have seen no change in Russian nuclear posture. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OSAKA, Apr 23 (News On Japan) - JR West is set to revise its fare system to a uniform distance-based pricing model by next spring, potentially leading to higher fares on routes such as the Osaka Loop Line. Currently, JR West generally charges fares based on distance traveled. However, in heavily trafficked urban areas of the Keihanshin region, some sections have historically had lower or varied fares due to the remnants of the old national railway pricing. The company is addressing the discrepancies in fare rates that still exist in certain sections. By standardizing the fare system, JR West aims to eliminate these inconsistencies. If implemented, this change would result in increased fares in parts of urban areas like the Osaka Loop, Kyoto, and Kobe Lines, while some suburban areas might see decreased fares. This adjustment is part of JR West's ongoing efforts to streamline operations and provide clearer pricing for passengers. Source: MBS Biden Assures Zelenskiy That He Will Sign Military-Aid Bill Immediately By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 22, 2024 U.S. President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a phone call on April 22 that he will immediately sign legislation providing military aid as soon as it reaches his desk, and the aid will be dispatched quickly to Ukraine. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a massive national security aid package that includes more than $60 billion for Ukraine on April 23 and send it to Biden for his signature. Zelenskiy said on X that Biden assured him during their phone call that the package of aid would include the type of aid that Ukraine needs to fend off advancing Russian forces. "I have the president's assurance that it will be fast and powerful and will strengthen our anti-aircraft, long-range, and artillery capabilities," Zelenskiy said. He also told Biden "about Russia's air terror using thousands of missiles, drones, and bombs," including an attack on the Kharkiv TV tower just a few minutes before their conversation. The digital television broadcasting signal was disrupted, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said. A video circulating on social media showed the main 240-meter-tall mast of the tower breaking off and falling. It was unclear what hit the tower, but Kharkiv prosecutors said Russia had likely used a Kh-59 cruise missile in the attack. The television tower, which went into operation in 1981, provides the region with radio and television reception and is located 6 kilometers from the city center. The northeastern Ukrainian city, with a population of more than 1 million, has been under heavy Russian fire since mid-March. The power supply has already been disrupted and electricity is only available on an hourly basis. "Russia clearly signals its intention to make the city uninhabitable," Zelenskiy said in his post on X on his call with Biden. Russian forces also shelled areas near the village of Yurchenkove in the Kharkiv region, killing a man who was driving an excavator, according to the regional prosecutor's office. "A direct hit was recorded on an excavator driven by a 34-year-old driver. A fire broke out, the man died on the spot," the prosecutor's office said on Facebook. Russian troops also shelled the town of Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, killing a 70-year-old woman, said the head of the regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, adding that three high-rise buildings were also damaged in the attack. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces had captured Novomykhailivka, a village in the eastern Donetsk region, where its forces have steadily been gaining ground. The claim of Novomykhaylivka's capture came as the Ukrainian military repelled 14 attacks in the area of Lyman and 12 in the area of Bakhmut, according to the April 22 evening summary of the General Staff of the Ukrainian military. There were a total of 62 combat clashes recorded during the day, the General Staff said. The assessment did not confirm the Russian claim that Novomykhaylivka had been captured. It said the Ukrainian military "continues to restrain" Russian forces in the areas of Novomykhaylivka and two other settlements west of Avdiyivka, which Russian forces captured in February. Military analysts have said that Vuhledar, which lies south of Novomykhaylivka, is the next target for Russian forces in this area. With reporting by Reuters and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-us-aid- zelenskiy-biden/32916196.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Expects War Situation To Worsen From May As EU Considers Aid By RFE/RL April 22, 2024 European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss bolstering the bloc's support for Kyiv as the head of Ukraine's military intelligence warned the situation in the war with Russia could worsen amid intensifying air attacks. EU foreign ministers were scheduled to meet on April 22 to discuss strengthening Ukraine's air defenses as Russia continues to target Ukraine with drones and missiles. Russia has stepped up its air attacks on energy infrastructure and other targets, putting pressure on the EU to supply more air defenses to Ukraine. Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, told the BBC that his country faced "a rather difficult situation" on the front line against the Russians from mid-May. "But it is not catastrophic, and we need to understand that," he added. "Armageddon will not happen, as many people are now saying." Budanov's comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with U.S. broadcaster NBC on April 21 that Russia wants to occupy Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region before May 9, the day Russia celebrates as Victory Day to mark the defeat of Germany in World War II. The meeting in Luxembourg comes after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a package worth more than $60 billion in Ukrainian aid that will head to the Senate for discussion this week, clearing the way for President Joe Biden to sign it into law. Western leaders welcomed the approval of the package, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that "Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia." Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked House Speaker Mike Johnson, while also noting the holdup in Congress. "Better late than too late. And I hope it is not too late for Ukraine." The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said the complicated logistics of getting U.S. assistance to the front line would mean that "Ukrainian forces may suffer additional setbacks" while waiting for it to arrive. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States, Britain, and France on April 22 of risking a "direct military clash" between nuclear powers by bolstering their support for Ukraine. Hours before the meeting in Luxembourg, Russia launched seven Shahed-type kamikaze drones at Ukraine, most of which were shot down. Odesa's regional governor, Oleh Kiper, said drones targeted a farm, where they damaged a warehouse and some machinery. The Shahed drones are cheap and effective unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) made by Iran. Tehran insists that it is not supplying Russia with drones to use against Ukraine. Iran used the same drones on April 14 to target Israel in an unprecedented attack that included more than 300 UAVs and missiles. During their meeting in Luxembourg, EU foreign ministers also agreed to expand the bloc's sanctions on Iran for its attack on Israel, which Tehran says was retaliation for the bombing of its embassy complex in Syria earlier this month. The attack, which Iran blames on Israel, killed seven military officers, including two generals. Many EU countries have called for widening the drone-related sanctions regime to cover missiles and transfers to Iranian proxy forces in the Middle East. With reporting by Reuters and the AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-eu-foreign-ministers- discuss-military-aid-aerial-attacks-russia/32915533.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 Zelenskiy Says Russia Wants To Capture Chasiv Yar By May 9 By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 22, 2024 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with a U.S. broadcaster on April 21 that Russia wants to occupy Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region before May 9, the day that Russia celebrates as Victory Day to mark the defeat of Germany in World War II. Zelenskiy said on NBC that he expects an influx of weapons will arrive in Ukraine "in time," and its forces will to be able to "repel the enemy, and then defeat the plans of the Russian Federation for full-scale counteroffensive actions in June." Zelenskiy was interviewed the day after the U.S. House of Representatives finally approved $61 billion in new U.S. aid, giving Ukraine and its soldiers on the battlefield a morale boost just as Russian forces claimed territorial gains near Chasiv Yar. Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, recently said that top Russian military leaders set the capture of Chasiv Yar as a goal for its troops by May 9. Ukrainian forces currently are holding out in the Chasiv Yar area despite a lack the necessary weapons, according to Zelenskiy. "I was recently in the region. I spoke with the fighters," he said, reiterating their need for equipment "to fight against Russian reconnaissance drones, which are correcting Russia's artillery fire." Maksym Zhorin, the commander on the front line in the area, told national television on April 21 that all positions around Chasiv Yar were under Ukrainian control. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on April 21 that Russian forces had taken control of Bohdanivka, located just to the west of the Russian-held city of Bakhmut. Ukraine has described Bohdanivka as an important post in keeping the Russians from advancing westward through the Donetsk region to the cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. In its evening report on April 21, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military mentioned the town of Bohdanivka as one of a series of villages where it said Ukrainian forces repelled 13 enemy attacks. It said about 20 settlements in the Donetsk region, including Chasiv Yar, came under artillery and mortar fire. Ukraine's Defense Ministry denied last week that Russia had captured all of Bohdanivka, while acknowledging it had lost some positions in the village in eastern Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military also said in its evening report that its forces shot down two Kh-59 cruise missiles and repelled nine attacks in the area of Terna in the Donetsk region. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-chasiv-yar-zelenskiy-may- 9-victory-day/32915234.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by Russian Defence Ministry 22.04.2024 At around 12:00 Moscow time, the Russian Armed Forces have foiled the Kiev regime's attempt to launch a terrorist attack using a fixed-wing UAV against the facilities in the Russian Federation. One Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down by alerted air defence systems over Belgorod region. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Pressuring Greece and Spain to Give Europe's Remaining Air Defense Systems Away to Ukraine Sputnik News 20240422 Ilya Tsukanov Russia dramatically ramped up its air and missile strikes inside Ukraine in March in the wake of a coordinated campaign by the Ukrainian military targeting Russian infrastructure using drone warfare. The strikes created large holes in Ukraine's air defenses, which Kiev's NATO patrons are now hoping to patch up. Officials in the European Union and NATO have launched a pressure campaign targeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to give their advanced air defense systems away to Ukraine. "We all know who has them, we all know where they are, and we all know who really needs them," a person briefed on the campaign told London-based business media in an article published Monday. The campaign mirrors increasingly loud appeals by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asking NATO allies to donate their air defenses to Kiev amid Russia's strikes. "Patriots can only be called air defense systems if they work and save lives rather than standing immobile somewhere in storage bases," Zelensky wrote in an X post on Sunday. Germany agreed to give one additional Patriot to Kiev, but other countries, among them Greece and Spain, have hesitated, reportedly sharing more than a dozen Patriots and a handful of S-300 launchers between them (the latter bought by Greece in the 1990s). Greece previously ruled out handing off its S-300s to Ukraine, citing the need to keep its forces balanced with the capabilities of Turkiye - which possesses Russian-made S-400s. Mitsotakis and Sanchez were reportedly asked to give up their air defense systems to Ukraine at a summit in Brussels last week, and pressure was expected to "intensify" at a Monday meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers, according to officials. "There are countries that are not in an immediate need of their air defense systems, to be very honest. Each country is being asked to decide what it can spare," an EU diplomat involved in Monday's negotiations said. "The most important discussion will be to identify what member states can do to support Ukraine's air defense. That's the most important thing," a senior EU official said. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell confirmed to reporters on Monday that Brussels has been "asking all member states to do whatever they can in order to increase the air defense capacity of Ukraine." NATO has engaged in its own push lobbying members to surrender their air defense systems, with alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg announcing Friday at a defense ministers meeting attended by Zelensky that allies had agreed to provide additional air defense support. "NATO has mapped out existing capabilities across the alliance and there are systems that could be made available to Ukraine," Stoltenberg said, elaborating that "this mapping confirms that there are systems including Patriot systems available to be provided to Ukraine." Weeks of Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian military positions, defense factories, ammunition depots, and electricity-generating infrastructure have left Ukraine's air defense network in a shambles, with the national air defense system disintegrating and forces reduced to operating on a local level. "Their [unified] radar field has been completely lost, and the automated control system has been lost. Their air defenses act locally: what they see, they shoot down. That is, there is no centralized leadership there, like we have with a central command post," former Commonwealth of Independent States' Integrated Air Defense System deputy commander Aytech Bizhev told Sputnik last week. Russia's Defense Ministry says it has destroyed over 508 pieces of Ukrainian air defense equipment since February 2022, including 63 systems destroyed since the start of the current year. Along with Patriots and S-300s, Russia has targeted an array of other systems, from mobile tracked Flakpanzer Gepard anti-air artillery to SAMP-T extended range air defense systems, IRIS-T short-range SAMs, NASAMS short-to-medium-range air defense systems, AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radars, and other equipment. The NATO and EU pressure campaign asking members to throw even more pricy air defense equipment into the Ukraine crisis contrasts sharply with claims by bloc officials that Russia may be preparing to attack European countries, and warnings from military officials in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, and other countries that the depletion of weapons and ammo stocks has left allies with enough supplies to last just days in case of a full-scale conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed Monday that the risk of a direct clash between Russia and the West exists, but said this was the result of NATO's continued sponsorship of the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Troops Improving Positions During Special Operation in Ukraine - Kremlin Sputnik News 20240422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian troops have been improving their positions along the front line, the Kremlin spokesperson said Monday in a comment on a new Ukraine aid package that passed the US Congress over the weekend. "The Russian armed forces involved in the special military operation have been improving their positions, and the general dynamic is absolutely clear to everyone," Dmitry Peskov told reporters. The spokesperson added that the passage of the $61-billion aid package by the House of Representatives would have no significant impact on facts on the ground. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he hoped the upper house of Congress would have a vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday before it is sent to the president's desk for signing. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner said the United States could resume military supplies to Ukraine by the end of next week. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on his visit to Poland. 22 April 2024 PM to travel to Poland and Germany to cement security, trade and diplomatic ties with key European allies He is expected to announce a A500m boost for Ukraine and largest-ever provision of vital munitions, including some 400 vehicles, 1,600 munitions and 4 million rounds of ammunition PM to discuss the threat from Russia and UK efforts to support European security with Prime Minister Tusk and the Nato Secretary-General in Warsaw The Prime Minister will travel to Poland today [Tuesday 23 April] to announce a massive uplift in military support for Ukraine, including A500m in additional military funding and our largest-ever delivery of vital equipment. He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. Ukraine is facing an existential threat as Russia continues its barbaric invasion, risking the security and stability of all of Europe. The A500 million additional funding announced today - which takes us to A3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial year - will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains. The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air. It includes: 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles. More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility 'Husky' vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles. Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border. "I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit critical new military support for Ukraine's defence. Ukraine's armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support - and they need it now. Today's package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia. "The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our Nato allies." Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: "This record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe. "The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles. "Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our enduring support, they will win." In his first in-person meeting with new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister will also seek to deepen UK-Poland ties across a range of issues. Building on existing strong defence and security cooperation, he will offer to deploy an RAF Typhoon Squadron to carry out Nato Air Policing over Poland next year. To further boost trade and support UK companies looking to invest in Poland, the Prime Minister will also announce today an intention to triple UK Export Finance funding available for Poland from A5 million to A15 million - our most generous offer to a partner country to date. Bilateral trade between the UK and Poland has doubled in the last decade to reach A30.6bn, with 45 million bottles of Scotch whisky bought in Poland last year and UK firms bidding for A5bn worth of Polish opportunities across energy, defence, healthcare, and infrastructure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Issue Number One Is Air Defense: President at the Meeting with U.S. Congressmen President of Ukraine 22 April 2024 - 21:46 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a bipartisan delegation of the United States Congress that is on a visit to Ukraine. The Head of State thanked the congressmen for the visit and noted that they had arrived in Kyiv after an extremely powerful and critically important decision for us. "Thank you again for this. The people of Ukraine were counting on this decision. We are glad that the United States remains with Ukraine, that you remain our main powerful ally," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The President told the congressmen that he had spoken on the phone with U.S. President Joseph Biden before their meeting. The heads of state discussed, in particular, the possibility of speeding up the provision of a military assistance package to Ukraine. "The number one issue is air defense. We are in absolute need of air defense. Once the decision is passed, we urgently need concrete assistance with this. We also need very specific weapons to help the military and protect civilians. Of course, we are talking about the need for weapons with a longer range. Artillery shells are also very important," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. During the meeting, the parties discussed in detail macro-financial and military assistance, including the need for artillery shells, long-range missiles, electronic warfare and UAVs, combat aircraft, and support for the development of the Ukrainian defense industry. They also focused on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets, support for Ukraine on its path to NATO, security commitments, the Ukrainian Peace Formula, and U.S. participation in the inaugural Peace Summit. For their part, the congressmen assured that they would continue to stand with the people of Ukraine in this fight against Russian aggression for the ideals of peace, goodness, and democracy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President of Ukraine Had a Phone Call with the President of the United States President of Ukraine 22 April 2024 - 20:57 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with President of the United States Joseph Biden. "On behalf of all Ukrainians, I thank you personally, your administration, both parties of the Congress and the entire American nation for the decision that certainly brings our common victory closer. We look forward to the swift completion of this process in the Senate," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. The Head of State informed of the situation on the frontline and today's attack on Kharkiv resulting in the destruction of the TV tower. "This has once again accentuated Ukraine's critical need for air defense systems that must reliably shield Ukrainian cities and villages," the President emphasized. The leaders discussed in detail the possibility of supplying Ukraine with such systems, including with the participation of international partners. The parties also discussed joint defense production and U.S. participation in the Air Force Capability Coalition. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the effectiveness of Ukraine's use of long-range weapons. "The United States is working dynamically to use Russia's frozen assets for the benefit of Ukraine. This will reduce the financial burden on the United States and other partners, as well as limit the aggressor's resources for waging war. We are grateful for this," the Head of State noted. The parties discussed signing a security agreement with the United States, preparations for the inaugural Peace Summit and the NATO Anniversary Summit in Washington in July 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Support for Ukraine and Preparation of the Security Agreement: Meeting with the Assistant Secretary of State at the Office of the President President of Ukraine 22 April 2024 - 17:30 Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien. Andriy Yermak thanked President Joseph Biden, his administration, both houses of the U.S. Congress and the entire American people for helping our country. "This is a very important decision for Ukraine, for our people. We are grateful for endorsing the aid package," said the Head of the Presidential Office. During the meeting, the parties discussed the preparation of a security agreement between Ukraine and the United States and coordinated steps to further develop this document. They also focused on tightening sanctions against the banking sector, defense industry, and nuclear industry of the aggressor state, Russia, and using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. Andriy Yermak informed about the preparations for the first Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland in June this year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KYOTO, Apr 23 (News On Japan) - A cherry tree located at one of Kyoto's busiest pedestrian streets, Sanneizaka, a main pathway to Kiyomizu Temple, suddenly fell at 11:45 AM on Tuesday, trapping a school teacher beneath. The tree, estimated to be over 100 years old, stood approximately 9.1 meters high with a diameter of around 40 centimeters. A nearby restaurant owner described the moment: "I heard a woman's scream, a loud crash, and thought, 'What's happening?' I was shocked to see the scene unfold." Another local commented, "When I came out, there was a man already on the ground, not exactly pinned but likely hit by the tree. He was breathing, so I hope he wasn't critically injured." A souvenir shop owner nearby noted, "When I passed by, he seemed unconscious, and didn't respond when I asked if he was okay." The victim, a 62-year-old high school teacher from Mie Prefecture, was supervising a student excursion when the accident occurred. He suffered fractures to his collarbone, lumbar spine, and legs, requiring several months for recovery. Fortunately, none of the students were injured. Photos taken before the accident show the cherry tree, a weeping sakura, looming over Sanneizaka. Another souvenir shop owner mentioned, "There were no signs that the tree was going to fall; it was sudden." At the time of the incident, Sanneizaka was bustling with tourists, described by a witness as "packed like a crowded train." One tourist expressed surprise at the size of the tree. The removal of the tree was completed by Tuesday afternoon, and Sanneizaka was reopened to the public. Authorities are investigating the cause of the tree's collapse. Source: ANN US mulls sending more military advisers to Ukraine By Carla Babb April 22, 2024 The United States may send additional military advisers to its embassy in Kyiv to advise and support the Ukrainian government and military, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told VOA Monday. The troops would serve in a "non-combat" role, Ryder said. "Throughout this conflict, the DOD (Department of Defense) has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country, as security conditions have evolved. Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisers to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the embassy," Ryder said in a statement. Two U.S. defense officials, speaking to VOA on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that were not finalized, said the number of advisers was "small" and could fluctuate slightly based on embassy requirements. A source familiar with the considerations said the number of troops was "fewer than two dozen." The troops could advise on missions ranging from logistics, maintenance, communications and sustainment, the defense officials added. Per the Pentagon, the ODC performs a variety of advisory and support missions and is embedded within the U.S. Embassy under the chief of the mission. Politico was first to report the additional troop consideration. The Pentagon's latest troop discussion comes after the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday passed a four-part, $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, structured the bills so that they could be combined into one after each bill was approved, to prevent opposition to any one piece from derailing the entire deal. Johnson had declined to bring the aid packages to the floor for a vote for months. The Senate had passed a supplemental aid bill in February, as Ukraine said ammunition shortages were causing its forces to pull back in areas. The newly-passed House legislation includes $61 billion for Kyiv's ongoing war against Moscow's invasion, as well as $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza, and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. President Joe Biden in a statement Saturday urged the Senate to "quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law, and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs." He said the bills advanced U.S. national security interests and sends "a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine reports downing 5 Russian drones as US Senate nears vote on aid bill By VOA News April 22, 2024 Ukraine's military said Monday that Russia attacked the country overnight with seven drones and three guided missiles. The Ukrainian air force said air defenses shot down five of the drones, with all of the intercepts taking place over southern Ukraine's Odesa region. Oleh Kiper, the regional governor in Odesa, said on Telegram the aerial attacks damaged warehouse buildings and agricultural machinery among other things. Kiper said there were no reported injuries. The latest attack comes as the U.S. Senate is expected give its approval this week to legislation that includes $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. The measure has already passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and has the support of President Joe Biden. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday that the package includes "items that our warriors on the front lines expect so much." Zelenskyy said the time between passage of the bill and the military aid getting into the hands of Ukrainian troops "must be as short as possible." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of President Biden's Call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine April 22, 2024 President Biden spoke today with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine to underscore the United States' lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine's urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law. President Biden also underscored that the U.S. economic assistance will help maintain financial stability, build back critical infrastructure following Russian attacks, and support reform as Ukraine moves forward on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Washington, D.C., April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the New Civil Liberties Alliance filed an amicus curiae brief asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to set aside the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions partial affirmance of a sanction the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) illegally imposed on a North Carolina securities firm and its principal owner. FINRA investigates, prosecutes, and punishes hundreds of securities firms and brokers every year for alleged violations of federal securities laws and rules, all without meaningful supervision by a presidentially appointed federal officer. In Black v. SEC and FINRA, NCLA urges the Fourth Circuit to end this dumbfounding, extra-constitutional exercise of unsupervised governmental power. FINRA is a nominally private, nonprofit corporation that regulates the securities brokerage industry, subject to oversight by SEC. It wields vast legislative, executive, and adjudicatory powers over more than 600,000 individual brokers and thousands of broker-dealer firms nationwide. In a typical year FINRA bars hundreds of brokers from the securities industry and imposes tens of millions of dollars in aggregate fines against industry participants. FINRA claims it is not a state actorleaving it unbound by most constitutional restraints when it investigates, prosecutes, and punishes alleged wrongdoers. But when private actors wield substantial executive power ordinarily performed by government officials, as FINRA does, Article II of the Constitution and the so-called private nondelegation doctrine demand pervasive governmental supervision and oversight. That oversight and supervision is woefully lacking during FINRA enforcement investigations and disciplinary proceedings. SEC provides virtually no real-time supervision or direction of FINRAs law enforcement activities. Indeed, in most cases, SEC commissioners are entirely oblivious to FINRAs investigatory and prosecutorial activities, even as those activities routinely threaten fines and other career-altering sanctions against American citizens. FINRA cannot have it both ways. It cannot evade the Constitutions appointment, removal, due process, and jury-trial requirements by claiming to be a mere private actor, while simultaneously wielding vast, unsupervised governmental power. The Fourth Circuit should recognize that if FINRA insists on being treated as a purely private actor, its unsupervised investigation, prosecution, and punishment of Frank Black and his securities firm were blatantly unconstitutionaland its resulting FINRA sanctions should be cancelled. NCLA released the following statements: FINRA operates a private law enforcement regime, with no real supervision by SEC. The Fourth Circuit should take this opportunity to end this unconstitutional arrangement. Andrew Morris, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA FINRA conducts its investigative and disciplinary proceedings with no meaningful direction or supervision by SEC or any other presidentially appointed government official, resulting in hundreds of punitive fines and other career-ending sanctions. Most FINRA targets eventually settle or default before SEC is even aware of their cases. For the tiny handful who endure the whole process and seek after-the-fact SEC review, that review is too little, too late. The Court should end this pernicious and extra-constitutional system of private prosecution. Russ Ryan, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA For more information visit the amicus page here. ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. ### Lehi, Utah, April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Young Living Essential Oils , a global leader in essential oils and oil-infused wellness products, is celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd by highlighting how their pollinator-friendly farming practices foster bee diversity. The study , recently published in the scientific journal Diversity, marks the first comprehensive survey conducted in North America on bees visiting lavender. Conducted from May through October 2022 at the Mt. Nebo Botanical Farm and Distillery in Utah, this study sheds light on lavenders role in supporting a wide variety of bee species and showcasing how responsible agricultural practices can foster robust bee communities. Tyler Wilson, Senior Scientist at Young Living Essential Oils, emphasized the company's commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainable farming practices, and advancing products responsibly. "Young Livings farms serve as a testament to the symbiotic relationship that can exist between agriculture and biodiversity," Wilson explains. Our commitment goes beyond high-quality products; it's about how we cultivate them, our reverence for nature, and our unwavering dedication to enhancing our already exemplary farming practices. Planting lavender is often recommended to support pollinators, yet there is limited knowledge about which bee species visit lavender, particularly in western North America. The study represents one of the first attempts to compile a comprehensive list of bee species attracted to lavender in the region. The primary goals of the study were to document bee diversity at the Mt. Nebo Botanical Farm and Distillery and to explore which bee species are drawn to the farm's flagship crop, lavender. Utilizing meticulous sampling techniques, researchers targeted wild bees across 34 different plant species and various locations, using aerial nets to collect bees directly from flowers. Each data entry included details such as the location of bee collection, date of collection, and observed flower visitation. Key findings from the study include the following: Rich bee diversity: A total of 566 bee specimens were collected, representing 68 distinct species. Many of these bee species were distinct from each other, underscoring the farm's status as a haven for diverse bee communities. A total of 566 bee specimens were collected, representing 68 distinct species. Many of these bee species were distinct from each other, underscoring the farm's status as a haven for diverse bee communities. Lavender acts as a bee magnet: Among the numerous flower species at the farm, lavender emerged as a primary attractant, with 149 bees collected from cultivated lavender fields spanning 32 different species. Among the numerous flower species at the farm, lavender emerged as a primary attractant, with 149 bees collected from cultivated lavender fields spanning 32 different species. Prominence of pollinator-friendly farming practices: The study highlights the importance of agricultural lands, particularly those implementing pollinator-friendly farming practices like Young Living, in supporting diverse bee communities. These practices include diversifying crops, not using pesticides, land conservation, and providing space for nesting sites. The study highlights the importance of agricultural lands, particularly those implementing pollinator-friendly farming practices like Young Living, in supporting diverse bee communities. These practices include diversifying crops, not using pesticides, land conservation, and providing space for nesting sites. Conservation land as an oasis: Of the 68 bee species collected, 29 were found in the conservation area and 59 species in the cultivated farm area. These findings suggest that both areas play vital roles in maintaining diverse bee communities. Conservation land plots, designed to mimic natural habitats (lands undisturbed by machinery, exposed soil, abundance of native grasses, flowers, bushes, trees, dead trees, etc.), serve as nesting sites. Their proximity to cultivated farmland allows bees to forage throughout the farm. Of the 68 bee species collected, 29 were found in the conservation area and 59 species in the cultivated farm area. These findings suggest that both areas play vital roles in maintaining diverse bee communities. Conservation land plots, designed to mimic natural habitats (lands undisturbed by machinery, exposed soil, abundance of native grasses, flowers, bushes, trees, dead trees, etc.), serve as nesting sites. Their proximity to cultivated farmland allows bees to forage throughout the farm. Nectar versus pollen collection: Most bees collected on lavender were male specimens (103 male, 46 female). This data may indicate that lavender plays an important role as a nectar resource for bees on the farm and is not simply utilized for pollen collection. "At Young Living, were trailblazers who continually push the boundaries of what's possible," states Jacob Young, Director of Business Development at Young Living and co-author of the study. "Our research has sparked interest from scientists worldwide, fostering potential collaborations. There's still so much to learn and discover down the road, particularly regarding the pivotal role bees play in the quality of our essential oils." By providing valuable baseline data for future pollinator studies and conservation insights into bee behavior, Young Living propels the field toward a deeper understanding of bee biodiversity and preservation efforts involving agricultural landscapes. Through the harmonious coexistence of lavender and bees, Young Living exemplifies its dedication to environmental sustainability and biodiversity preservation. Explore a video showcasing the various efforts taking place in Young Living's lavender fields that foster bee diversity. Plus, stay connected with #YLEarthMonth on social media to discover ways that you can support the bees in your own backyard. To learn more about Young Livings Lavender essential oil and farms, visit www.youngliving.com/us/en/product/lavender-essential-oil . About Young Living Essential Oils Young Living Essential Oils , LC, based in Lehi, Utah, is the world leader in essential oils, offering the highest-quality oil-infused products available. Young Living takes its industry leadership seriously, setting the standard with its proprietary Seed to Seal quality commitment. This guiding principle helps Young Living protect the planet and provide authentic products that its Brand Partners and Customers can feel confident using and sharing with friends and family. Young Livings productssourced from corporate-owned farms, partner farms, and other trusted suppliersnot only support a healthy lifestyle but also provide opportunities for customers to find a sense of purpose and whole-life wellness by aligning their work with the Young Living values and passions. For more information, visit YoungLiving.com , follow @youngliving on Instagram, or like us on Facebook . Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Sky Minerals Corp. (AUEN.V) (Golden Sky or The Company) is pleased to announce that it has commenced a 15-line kilometre geophysical induced-polarization (IP) survey at the Rayfield Target zone on its 100%-owned Rayfield Copper-Gold Property in south-central British Columbia, Canada (Figures 1 & 2). The geophysical program is designed to test the core of the 3.0 km x 1.5 km soil geochemical anomaly to a depth of up to 700 m (Figure 3). Phase 2 will consist of up to 3,000 metres of diamond drilling to test the geochemical anomalies and geophysical anomalies identified from the IP survey. The 35,000-hectare Rayfield property is located in the Quesnel Trough, British Columbias primary copper-producing belt, which hosts Teck Resources Highland Valley Mine, Imperial Metals Mount Polley Mine, Centerra Golds Mount Milligan Mine, and Kodiak Coppers MPD Project (see Figure 1). The road-accessible Rayfield copper-gold property is located approximately 20 kilometers east of the town of 70 Mile House, British Columbia, and is accessible year-round by well-maintained service and logging roads extending from BC Highway 97. John Newell, President and CEO of Golden Sky Minerals, states: The management, directors, and geological team at Golden Sky Minerals are pleased to announce the commencement of an IP Survey at our Rayfield property. Upon completion, we will share the valuable insights gained from this survey with the market. These insights will also be integrated into our exploration database, which already includes meticulously compiled exploration data from the past 30 months. This information will be instrumental in planning our upcoming drill program scheduled for later this year. With current record-high gold prices and a recent strong rebound in copper prices from their recent lows suggest to us that the progress and advancements made at the Rayfield Copper-Gold Project over the past two years have been and should continue to be well-timed. Our staking activities and other developments on this highly prospective district-scale property have potentially positioned us strategically to participate in stronger metals markets. Golden Sky Minerals looks forward to conducting a comprehensive range of exploration activities in the 2024 field season, including our inaugural diamond drilling program, to further advance this promising property. Rayfield Property Highlights The Rayfield Property contains the late Triassic alkalic Rayfield River Pluton, speculated to be part of the highly prospective Upper Triassic Copper Mountain Magmatic Belt, which includes the Copper Mountain, New Afton and Mount Polley copper deposits (Figure 1). In 2006, the Geological Survey of Canada conducted a geophysical program, which included magnetic and radiometric surveys, over the Rayfield Property. The resulting elevated magnetic and potassic anomalies are largely underexplored and show similar characteristics to those signifying other alkalic copper-gold porphyries in the Quesnel Terrane. Fieldwork by Golden Sky has confirmed a close correlation between the volume of sheeted and stockwork quartz veining and magnetic low features. These magnetic lows are also coincident with elevated values of the pathfinder elements manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), vanadium (V,) and barium (Ba), which are commonly associated with sericitic/propylitic alteration typically bounding the core of a porphyry system. Recent fieldwork by Golden Sky has outlined a 3.0 km x 1.5 km copper-in-soil geochemical anomaly that remains open to the northwest and to the southeast (Figure 3). Within this anomaly are several soil samples that assayed up to ~4,000 ppm Cu, and rock samples that assayed up to 6,319 ppm (0.63%) Cu and 245.5 ppb Au (Sample 118884; see Oct 31, 2023 news release). Historic exploration on the Property has been largely constrained to a ~505-hectare zone hosting an extensive copper-gold porphyry system outlined by soil sampling, historic drilling, and shallow-penetration radiometric and IP geophysical surveying. Mineralization in several historic drillholes extends from surface to end of hole, at approximately 150-300 m of depth, which suggests that the mineralized porphyry system remains open at depth. Previous exploration programs were unable to definitively identify the exact orientation of the porphyry system, but mapping by Golden Sky has confirmed at least two main orientations of mineralized quartz veins in the area. These are a northwest striking, steeply northeast dipping set, and an east-west striking, moderately north-dipping set. In 1989, a 34 line-kilometer IP survey on the Rayfield Target zone outlined several chargeability high zones, which were subsequently tested by drilling programs in 1989, 1990, and 2008. Importantly, due to the shallow response of the survey (limited to ~125 m depth), these anomalies are interpreted to remain open at depth. Golden Sky believes that, with modern exploration methods, there is significant potential to discover additional mineralized zones at depth (Figure 4). Exploration drilling on the property from the 1970s to the early 2000s totalled just 60 holes (7,774.2 meters), with the majority being shallow percussion holes typically <60 m in depth. Historic drilling outlined a broad footprint (450 m x 2,100 m) of low-grade copper mineralization and hydrothermal alteration indicating potential for a robust copper-gold porphyry system. 1970 Exploration Program: 31 percussion holes totalling 1,748 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.42% Cu over 6.1m 1989 Exploration Program: 8 diamond drillholes totalling 1,141 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.18% Cu and 71 ppb Au over 33.9 m; 0.14% Cu and 30 ppb Au over 66.7 m 1990 Exploration Program: 14 diamond drillholes totalling 3,337 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.13% Cu and 35 ppb Au over 152 m (EOH) 2008 Exploration Program: 7 diamond drillholes totalling 1,548.2 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.13% Cu and <10 ppb Au over 67 m Many shallow historical drill intercepts on the Rayfield Property have similar grades to historic holes reported during early exploration phases on some neighboring alkalic copper-gold porphyries within the Quesnel Terrane. Further drilling is warranted to explore zones of mineralization along strike and to depth. Figure 1: The ~35,000-hectare Rayfield Cu-Au Property is located within the Quesnel Trough, British Columbias primary copper-producing belt. Figure 2: The Rayfield target zone is defined by a large 3.0 km x 1.5 km multi-element soil geochemical anomaly. The Rayfield target zone is highly prospective, with anomalous copper-in-soil values grading up to ~0.40%, and rock samples grading up to 0.63% Cu and 245 ppb Au. Numerous other target zones also exist across the extensive 35,000-hectare Rayfield Property. Figure 3: Copper-in-soil assays (2021-2022) overlying TMI Aeromagnetic survey. Elevated values in copper also coincide with pathfinder geochemical elements commonly associated with deeper sericitic and/or propylitic alteration, typically bounding the higher-grade core of porphyry systems. See Figure 4 for cross section A-A. Figure 4: Cross-section A-A outlined in Figure 3. Historical diamond drill results with interpreted potassic zone of the porphyry system flanked by lower-grade copper within propylitic/phyllic zones. Historical induced polarization surveys extend only to ~125m of depth and many of the historical drill holes ended in mineralization. Mineralization is interpreted to remain open along strike and at depth. About Golden Sky Minerals Corp. Golden Sky Minerals Corp. is a well-funded junior grassroots explorer engaged in the acquisition, assessment, exploration, and development of mineral properties located in highly prospective areas and mining-friendly districts. Golden Skys mandate is to develop its portfolio of Properties to the mineral resource stage through systematic exploration. The drill-ready properties include Hotspot and Lucky Strike, both in Yukon, Canada. In addition, the drill-ready Rayfield Copper-Gold Property in southern British Columbia, and the staking of the Auden Property in Ontario, add to the companys substantial early-stage Canadian property pipeline. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. More information can be found at the Companys website at www.goldenskyminerals.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD John Newell, President and Chief Executive Officer Carl Schulze, P. Geo., Consulting Geologist with Aurora Geosciences Ltd, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Golden Skys British Columbia exploration projects, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release. For new information from the Company's programs, please visit Golden Sky's website at www.GoldenSkyMinerals.com or contact John Newell by telephone (604) 568-8807 or by email at info@goldenskyminerals.com or john.newell@goldenskyminerals.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively, Forward-Looking Information) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as anticipates, expects, understanding, has agreed to or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results would, occur or be achieved. Although Golden Sky has attempted to identify important factors and risks that could affect Golden Sky and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors and risks that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, without limitation: inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties; the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other exploration data; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with Golden Skys expectations; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title and permitting matters; labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in operations; fluctuating metal prices; unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on its projects; that Golden Sky may not be able to confirm historical exploration results and other risks set forth in Golden Sky's public filings at www.sedar.com. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, Golden Sky has applied several material assumptions, including the assumption that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Golden Sky does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Wilmington, Delaware , April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, Global Water Treatment Chemicals Market by Type (Coagulants, pH Adjusters & Softeners, Flocculants, Biocides & Disinfectants, Scale Inhibitors & Dispersants, Corrosion Inhibitors, and Others) and End-use Industry (Industrial and Municipal): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032. According to the report, the global water treatment chemicals market was valued at $37.5 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $53.8 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 3.8% from 2023 to 2032 Prime determinants of growth The growth of the global water treatment chemicals market is majorly driven by surge in demand for chemically treated water in various end-use industries, including power generation, refineries, pulp & paper, metal & mining, food & beverages, oil & gas, and sugar. Moreover, implementation of regulatory mandates on wastewater treatment drives the market growth. However, the availability of alternative water treatment technologies hinders the market growth. On the contrary, usage of 3R method of sustainability is expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the global water treatment chemicals market. Download Sample Pages of Research Overview: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1038 Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $37.5 Billion Market Size in 2032 $53.8 Billion CAGR 3.8% No. of Pages in Report 1108 Segments covered Type, End-use Industry, and Region Drivers Surge in demand for chemically treated water in various end-use industries Regulatory mandates on wastewater treatment Opportunities Utilization of the 3R method of sustainability Restraints Availability of alternative water treatment technologies Socioeconomic Impact on the Global Water Treatment Chemicals Market The global water treatment chemicals market has been significantly impacted by the RussiaUkraine war and the persistent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conflict has disrupted supply chains, leading to volatility in commodity prices, including essential water treatment chemicals. Uncertainty about the availability of raw materials has resulted in supply chain disruptions and increased production costs, subsequently raising prices for water treatment chemicals. Simultaneously, the pandemic has heightened the demand for these chemicals in the sectors such as healthcare and municipal water treatment. However, lockdowns, travel restrictions, and workforce shortages have hindered production and distribution, causing supplydemand imbalances. Economic downturns triggered by the pandemic have constrained budgets for municipalities and industrial facilities, affecting their ability to invest in water treatment solutions. Navigating this complex landscape requires industry stakeholders to adapt to shifting dynamics, balancing the need for effective water treatment with economic constraints imposed by geopolitical uncertainties and the ongoing health crisis. The scale inhibitors & dispersants segment is expected to grow faster throughout the forecast period. Depending on the type, the corrosion inhibitors segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-fifth of the global water treatment chemicals market revenue, and is likely to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the fact that corrosion inhibitors in water treatment are chemical compounds designed to mitigate the destructive effects of corrosion on metal surfaces in contact with water. These inhibitors function by forming a protective layer on the metal, preventing corrosive agents from causing damage. Widely used in industrial settings, such as cooling water systems and pipelines, corrosion inhibitors help prolong the service life of equipment, reduce maintenance costs, and enhance overall system efficiency. However, the scale inhibitors & dispersants segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 4.4% from 2023 to 2032. This is attributed to the fact that scale inhibitors and dispersants are crucial components in water treatment processes. Moreover, scale inhibitors prevent the formation of mineral deposits, such as calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate, on surfaces like pipes and equipment, which can impair efficiency. By disrupting the crystallization process, scale inhibitors ensure smooth water flow and extend the service life of industrial systems. On the other hand, dispersants enhance the dispersion of suspended particles in water, preventing their agglomeration and facilitating their removal. This aids in the prevention of sludge formation and reduces the risk of equipment fouling. Procure Complete Report (1108 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/water-treatment-chemicals-market The industrial segment is expected to lead the trial by 2032. By end-use industry, the industrial segment was the major shareholder in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global water treatment chemicals market revenue and is likely to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the fact that the water treatment chemicals play a crucial role in the industrial sector by ensuring the quality and safety of water used in various processes. Chemicals such as coagulants, flocculants, and disinfectants help remove impurities, suspended solids, and contaminants from industrial water sources. In manufacturing, water treatment chemicals enhance efficiency by preventing scale formation, corrosion, and microbial growth in cooling towers and boilers. In addition, they facilitate compliance with environmental regulations by minimizing the release of pollutants. However, the municipal segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.0% from 2023 to 2032. This is attributed to the fact that the water treatment chemicals play a crucial role in the municipal industry by ensuring the quality and safety of water supplies. Chlorine-based disinfectants, such as chlorine gas or sodium hypochlorite, are commonly used to inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms. Coagulants such as aluminum sulfate or ferric chloride help in the removal of suspended particles through the formation of larger, easier-to-remove flocs. In addition, corrosion inhibitors such as orthophosphates protect distribution pipelines, preventing metal leaching. pH adjusters, such as lime or caustic soda, maintain water within optimal ranges. Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032. Region wise, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for around two-fifths of the global water treatment chemicals market revenue, and is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast timeframe. The increasing industrialization, population growth, and urbanization in the Asia-Pacific region have heightened the demand for water treatment chemicals. Stricter environmental regulations and rising awareness about water quality issues further contribute to the growing need for effective water treatment solutions in the region. Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/water-treatment-chemicals-market/purchase-options Players: - Akzo Nobel N.V. Baker Hughes Company BASF SE Cortec Corporation Ecolab Italmatch Chemicals spa Canadian Clear Dober Kemira Hydrite Chemical Dow Lonza Nouryon Solenis Solvay American Water Chemicals, Inc. Kurita Water Industries Ltd. SNF US WATER SYSTEMS INC. Veolia The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global water treatment chemicals market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, and agreements to strengthen their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Blog: https://www.newsguards.com/ Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Dublin, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Mobile Banking Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Platform (Android, iOS, and Others), By Transaction (Consumer-to-business, and Consumer-to-consumer), By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2024 - 2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Mobile Banking Market size is forecast to reach $5.7 billion by 2031, rising at a market growth of 16.5% CAGR during the forecast period. The banking sector in Europe is undergoing a digital transformation driven by technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and regulatory initiatives such as the Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2). Consequently, the European region would acquire nearly 30% market share by 2031. Banks and financial institutions are investing in digital banking solutions, including banking apps, to meet the growing demand for convenient, accessible, and innovative banking services. The major strategies followed by the market participants are Acquisitions as the key developmental strategy to keep pace with the changing demands of end users. For instance, in February, 2024, HSBC announced the acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank's UK subsidiary. The acquisition strengthens HSBC's commercial banking franchise and enhances its ability to serve innovative and fast-growing firms, particularly in the technology and life science sectors, in the UK and globally. Moreover, in July, 2023, BNP Paribas announced the acquisition of Kantox, a leading fintech specializing in the automation of currency risk management. The acquisition is part of BNP Paribas' Growth Technology Sustainability 2025 plan, aiming to enhance technological innovations, customer experience, and capabilities for clients. Market Growth Factors With people leading increasingly busy lives, there is a growing preference for services that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Moreover, this banking eliminates the need for customers to visit physical bank branches or ATMs for routine transactions. Therefore, increasing demand for convenient products and services drives the market's growth. Traditional brick-and-mortar bank branches require substantial investments in real estate, construction, maintenance, and staffing. Furthermore, this banking streamlines various banking processes, such as account management, transaction processing, and customer support. Thus, cost efficiency for banks and consumers is propelling the market's growth. Market Restraining Factors This banking involves transmitting sensitive financial information over networks, which can make it vulnerable to data breaches and hacking attempts. Likewise, mobile devices are susceptible to malware infections and other malicious software that can compromise the security of banking applications. Hence, security concerns related to this banking are impeding the market's growth. Market Segmentation By Platform Analysis Based on platform, the market is divided into Android, iOS, and others. The iOS segment attained a 25% revenue share in the market in 2023. iOS devices like iPhones and iPads are generally associated with a more affluent user base. Users of iOS devices often have higher disposable incomes and greater purchasing power, making them attractive customers for financial institutions offering premium banking services and products. By Transaction Analysis On the basis of transaction, the market is segmented into consumer-to-business and consumer-to-consumer. In 2023, the consumer-to-consumer segment attained a 20% revenue share in the market. The availability of peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps integrated into banking platforms has significantly contributed to the growth of the C2C segment. These apps enable users to transfer funds directly to friends, family members, or acquaintances using their mobile devices, eliminating the need for cash or checks. By Regional Analysis Region-wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and LAMEA. The North America region witnessed 34% revenue share in the market in 2023. North America has one of the highest smartphone penetration rates globally, with a significant portion of the population owning smartphones. The widespread adoption of smartphones provides a robust foundation for banking usage, as consumers increasingly rely on their mobile devices for various activities, including banking. Market Competition and Attributes The market is fiercely competitive, with traditional banks, fintech firms, and tech giants battling for supremacy. Innovations like mobile check deposits and AI-driven services are key battlegrounds. Strong emphasis on security, user experience, regulatory compliance, and global expansion define strategies in this dynamic and rapidly evolving industry. Recent Strategies Deployed in the Market Feb-2024: BNP Paribas came into partnership with Orange, France's largest telecommunications company. Under the partnership, BNP Paribas would offer its services to Orange Bank's customers in France and Spain. Feb-2023: Wells Fargo & Company launched LifeSync, a personalized digital tool for its Wells Fargo Mobile app for Wealth & Investment Management (WIM) clients. LifeSync aims to align clients' financial goals with their money, providing a convenient and intuitive digital experience. Nov-2022: HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC) signed an agreement to fully acquire L&T Investment Management Limited (LTIM), a mutual fund company. The acquisition aids HSBC in its strategy of becoming a leading wealth manager in Asia. Aug-2022: J.P. Morgan took over Global Shares, a leading provider of cloud-based share plan management software. This acquisition strengthens J.P. Morgan's position as a top provider of employee ownership solutions globally. Key Companies Profiled Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Wells Fargo & Company BNP Paribas American Express Company HSBC Holdings UBS Capital One Financial The Bank of America Citigroup Market Report Segmentation By Platform Android iOS Others By Transaction Consumer-to-business Consumer-to-consumer By Geography North America US Canada Mexico Rest of North America Europe Germany UK France Russia Spain Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Singapore Malaysia Rest of Asia Pacific LAMEA Brazil Argentina UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Nigeria Rest of LAMEA For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qz6rbn About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachments COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetBet Denmark, a leading name in the iGaming sector, has signed an agreement with Wazdan as it continues to expand its portfolio of games that can be enjoyed. As part of this newly-forged partnership, NetBet Denmark is set to integrate the full spectrum of Wazdan's cutting-edge games into its platform. Players at NetBet can now indulge in an array of thrilling titles, including popular offerings such as 9 Coins Grand Diamond Edition, Mighty Wild: Panther, and 16 Coins Grand Gold Edition. This collaboration aligns with operators commitment to providing its players with an unparalleled gaming environment, marked by innovation and a diverse selection of top-quality games. Wazdan's reputation for delivering engaging and high-quality gaming content makes them the perfect partner for NetBet. Players at NetBet can seamlessly access and enjoy the new additions to their gaming repertoire by visiting the official NetBet Denmark website. The integration of Wazdan's games is expected to enhance the overall gaming experience for the operators players, offering them a broader selection of titles that cater to various preferences and playstyles. NetBet Denmarks PR manager, Claudia Georgevici, said: "Wazdan have come a long way since their founding back in 2010, developing rapidly to propel the company to the forefront of the iGaming industry. As well as innovation, the company has always prioritised enjoyment and responsible gambling in equal measure - making them an ideal partner to help NetBet expand our operations in the Danish market." Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: "It brings us great excitement to forge a partnership with NetBet, a well-established presence in the thriving landscape of Danish iGaming. The potential in Denmark is vast, and our collaboration with NetBet is poised to fortify our standing in this dynamic market." NetBet players can now explore the thrilling new titles from Wazdan by visiting the official NetBet Denmark website. For more information, contact: press@netbet.com About NetBet.com/dk/ NetBet.com/dk is licensed to operate in Denmark, giving players access to thousands of industry-leading casino games, from Slots to Live Games. With so much to offer to customers, NetBet.com/dk has evolved into one of the nations favourite online gaming brands. For more information please visit: www.netbet.com/dk/ About Wazdan Wazdan boasts over 10 years of game development accolades. Fuelled by passion and driven by constant innovation, we elevate casino grids with the highest-quality online slots and tools that boost player engagement and deliver proven results. Our titles are certified in over 20 jurisdictions worldwide: Malta, United Kingdom, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Ontario, Sweden, Romania, Greece, Estonia, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Switzerland, Colombia, Portugal, Italy, Belarus, the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. With a diversified portfolio of over 180 highly engaging HTML5 slots and over 40 annual releases, we contribute to the modern iGaming industry, elevating the standards of immersion, customisation, and player experience. Our top-performing titles include Magic Spins, Sun of Fortune, 9 Coins, Fortune Reels, 9 Lions, Mighty Symbols: Crowns, and Power of Gods: Hades. Wazdans games portfolio is ever-growing, with novelty releases quickly outperforming our previously best titles. We continuously expand our top-tier player engagement suite, offering innovative features such as Hold the Jackpot, Collect to Infinity, Cash Infinity, Chance Level, and more. Wazdan is on a quest to supply state-of-the-art mechanics and cutting-edge solutions to provide maximum value to players and partners. To learn more about Wazdan, please visit https://www.wazdan.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube . VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solaris Resources Inc. (TSX: SLS; NYSE: SLSR) (Solaris or the Company) is pleased to report the first drill results from its 2024 drilling program and an exploration update at its Warintza Project (Warintza or the Project) in southeastern Ecuador. Highlights are listed below, with a corresponding image in Figures 1-2 and results in Tables 1-2. Highlights Drilling activities ramped up through the first quarter rainy season with six rigs now in operation at Warintza Central, East and Southeast and drilling expected to continue throughout the year in support of expanding and upgrading resources. In addition, follow-up exploration drilling is set to commence at the Patrimonio discovery and regional exploration is underway at the promising Caya epithermal gold target. SLS-76 was collared on the northeastern limit of the Northeast Extension zone and drilled northwest, returning 150m of 0.67% CuEq within a broader interval of 384m of 0.51% CuEq , before the hole was terminated in lower grade mineralization , before the hole was terminated in lower grade mineralization SLSE-31 was collared on the southern margin of Warintza Southeast and drilled east to the ~300m depth capacity of the KD-200 rig, returning 284m of 0.53% CuEq from near surface, with the final 10m averaging 0.75% CuEq and remaining open for extension drilling with a larger rig SLS-75, drilled northeast from a new 200m step-out platform at Northeast Extension zone, returned 26m of 0.52% CuEq and 46m of 0.66% CuEq within a low-grade section from surface with a post-mineral dyke before a final 62m mineralized interval averaging 0.51% CuEq SLSE-32 was collared on the northern margin of Warintza East and drilled north, returning 380m of 0.31% CuEq from surface within a broader interval of 634m of 0.27% CuEq where the hole cut the contact of the primary host lithology with bordering lower grade volcanic rock where the hole cut the contact of the primary host lithology with bordering lower grade volcanic rock Exploration drilling is underway at Patrimonio to follow up on the discovery holes (144m of 0.50% CuEq and 148m of 0.52% CuEq, respectively refer to press release dated September 12, 2023) while field crews expand sampling coverage over the highest grade part of the anomaly to the south and down-dip of the replacement mineralization to locate the potential porphyry source to follow up on the discovery holes (144m of 0.50% CuEq and 148m of 0.52% CuEq, respectively refer to press release dated September 12, 2023) while field crews expand sampling coverage over the highest grade part of the anomaly to the south and down-dip of the replacement mineralization to locate the potential porphyry source Regional exploration programs are underway at the promising Caya epithermal gold target, located 6km to the northeast of Warintza East, where field crews are expanding sampling and alteration mapping to the west to cover an area where evidence of historical artisanal mining has been identified located 6km to the northeast of Warintza East, where field crews are expanding sampling and alteration mapping to the west to cover an area where evidence of historical artisanal mining has been identified Funded for 2024 and 2025 programs with the offtake financing package announced in December, with plans to aggressively expand activities and consolidate the surrounding district with funds from closing the strategic investment announced in January 2024 Drilling Program and Funding The 2024 drilling program has progressively ramped up over the rainy season with approximately 700m drilled in January, 1800m in February, 3800m in March, and on track for 5,200m in April with six rigs now in operation. A minimum of 30km of drilling is planned in 2024, with a Mineral Resource Update expected by the end of June, and drilling planned to continue thereafter. The Company is funded for its 2024 and 2025 programs with the offtake financing package announced in December. As at December 31, 2023, the Company had approximately US$39 million in cash and equivalents, with an additional US$40 million expected from its offtake financing package (refer to press release dated December 11, 2023). The Company plans to aggressively expand activities and consolidate the surrounding district with funding from the closing of the strategic investment (refer to press release dated January 11, 2024). The parties are continuing to work through the Canadian regulatory process to close the transaction and Solaris will update the market when it has a material update to provide. Regional Exploration: Caya Epithermal Gold Target Field crews have recently been active at the Caya target (refer to Figure 2), where stream sediment sampling has identified a 5km x 3km gold anomaly, 6km northeast of Warintza East. Soil sampling has defined an open-ended area of 0.7km x 1.3km in which anomalous gold and other epithermal pathfinder elements are concentrated and obscured by an overlying stratigraphic unit. The soil anomaly coincides with clay alteration in which dickite is enclosed by high-crystalinity koalinite that grades outward into clay minerals that were developed at successively lower temperature. Such hydrothermal alteration zoning, combined with sporadic occurrences of vuggy silica that have been found, are typical of high sulphidation epithermal systems. The target is relatively flat-lying mineralization in permeable strata adjacent to feeder faults. Sampling conducted over the last month has extended the soil grid to the west to cover an area of historical disturbance from past artisanal mining. Given the flat-lying nature of the conceptual target, additional spectral work is being done to refine the alteration zoning in the volcanosedimentary layers that overlie the target. The Company expects to report on the results of this work in more detail in June. Figure 1 Plan View of Drilling to Date Figure 2 Caya Epithermal Gold Target Table 1 Assay Results Hole ID Date Reported From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Cu (%) Mo (%) Au (g/t) CuEq (%) SLS-76 Apr 23, 2024 78 462 384 0.35 0.03 0.07 0.51 Including 78 228 150 0.46 0.04 0.08 0.67 SLS-75 16 42 26 0.38 0.02 0.11 0.52 Including 130 176 46 0.49 0.02 0.15 0.66 Including 472 534 62 0.43 0.01 0.09 0.51 SLSE-32 4 638 634 0.21 0.01 0.02 0.27 Including 4 384 380 0.25 0.01 0.03 0.31 SLSE-31 26 310 284 0.44 0.02 0.05 0.53 Including 300 310 10 0.64 0.02 0.05 0.75 Notes to table: True widths are interpreted to be very close to drilled widths due to the bulk-porphyry style mineralized zones at Warintza. Table 2 - Collar Locations Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation (m) Depth (m) Azimuth (degrees) Dip (degrees) SLS-76 800350 9648417 1351 493 330 -80 SLS-75 800531 9648518 1261 534 60 -85 SLSE-32 801483 9648241 1170 860 0 -78 SLSE-31 801395 9647790 1184 310 90 -80 Notes to table: The coordinates are in WGS84 17S Datum. Endnotes Copper-equivalence calculated as: CuEq (%) = Cu (%) + 4.0476 Mo (%) + 0.487 Au (g/t), utilizing metal prices of US$3.50/lb Cu, US$15.00/lb Mo, and US$1,500/oz Au, and assumes recoveries of 90% Cu, 85% Mo, and 70% Au based on preliminary metallurgical test work. For additional details on the intervals, refer to press release dated September 12, 2023 for SLSP-01: 144m of 0.50% CuEq (0.34% Cu, 0.03% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au) and SLSP-02: 148m of 0.52% CuEq (0.38% Cu, 0.02% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au). Technical Information and Quality Control & Quality Assurance Sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control/quality assurance (QA/QC) program that includes the insertion of blind certified reference materials (standards), blanks and field duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at a secured Company facility located in Quito, Ecuador. Drill core is cut in half on site and samples are securely transported to ALS Labs in Quito. Sample pulps are sent to ALS Labs in Lima, Peru and Vancouver, Canada for analysis. Total copper and molybdenum contents are determined by four-acid digestion with AAS finish. Gold is determined by fire assay of a 30-gram charge. In addition, selected pulp check samples are sent to Bureau Veritas lab in Lima, Peru. Both ALS Labs and Bureau Veritas lab are independent of Solaris. Solaris is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. Details on the surface sampling conducted at the Project are set out in the technical report titled, NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Warintza Project, Ecuador (Amended) with an effective date of April 1, 2022, prepared by Mario E. Rossi and available on the Companys SEDAR+ profile and website. The drillhole data has been verified by Jorge Fierro, M.Sc., DIC, PG, using data validation and quality assurance procedures under high industry standards. Qualified Person The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jorge Fierro, M.Sc., DIC, PG, Vice President Exploration of Solaris who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Jorge Fierro is a Registered Professional Geologist through the SME (registered member #4279075). On behalf of the Board of Solaris Resources Inc. Daniel Earle President & CEO, Director For Further Information Jacqueline Wagenaar, VP Investor Relations Direct: 416-366-5678 Ext. 203 Email: jwagenaar@solarisresources.com About Solaris Resources Inc. Solaris is advancing a portfolio of copper and gold assets in the Americas, which includes a world class copper resource with expansion and discovery potential at its Warintza Project in Ecuador; a series of grass roots exploration projects with discovery potential in Peru and Chile; and significant leverage to increasing copper prices through its 60% interest in the La Verde joint-venture project with a subsidiary of Teck Resources in Mexico. Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively forward-looking statements). The use of the words will and expected and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include statements that drilling is expected to continue throughout the year in support of expanding and upgrading resources, follow-up exploration drilling is set to commence at the Patrimonio discovery and regional exploration is underway at the promising Caya epithermal gold target, a minimum of 30km of drilling is planned in 2024, with a Mineral Resource Update expected by the end of June, and drilling planned to continue thereafter, the Company is funded for its 2024 and 2025 programs with the offtake financing package announced in December, additional US$40 million expected from its offtake financing package, the Company plans to aggressively expand activities and consolidate the surrounding district with funding from the closing of the strategic investment, the Company expects to report on the Caya results in more detail in June. Although Solaris believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, readers are cautioned that actual results may vary from the forward-looking statements. The Company has based these forward-looking statements and information on the Companys current expectations and assumptions about future events including assumptions regarding the exploration and regional programs, 2024 and 2025 baseline programs and funding, that all conditions required to draw down the remaining US$40 million of offtake financing will be obtained, that such remaining US$40 million of offtake financing will close, that all conditions required to close the Companys strategic financing will be obtained including (i) receipt of the requisite approval of the TSX, (ii) receipt of regulatory approval under the Investment Canada Act, and (iii) receipt of regulatory approval from the relevant authorities in the Peoples Republic of China, and that closing of the strategic financing will occur. These statements also involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Solaris Managements Discussion and Analysis, for the year ended December 31, 2023 available at www.sedarplus.ca. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and Solaris does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc87c609-33bf-4757-a881-0d5bbef3c7a2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/984d2e6c-fdf0-4302-98d5-739b84bb7b2b Zurich, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hitachi Energy today revealed investments of over $1.5 billion to ramp up its global transformer manufacturing capacity to keep pace with the growing demand and support the long-term plans and electrification efforts. The investments will gradually expand the companys global transformer capacity by 2027 and are in addition to the $3 billion already announced to progress on the electrification of the energy system driven by the energy transition. "The demand for transformers and electrical equipment has grown at an unprecedented scale, and we are investing to address our customers' mid- and long-term needs. We are developing our global footprint and capacity and progressing in digitalization and technology to deliver even more sustainable and reliable solutions," said Bruno Melles, Managing Director of the Transformers Business at Hitachi Energy, during the company's flagship customer event, Energy & Transformers Days in Rome, Italy. Today, the company is also announcing an investment of around $180 million in a new state-of-the-art transformer factory in the Vaasa region, Finland. This top-notch 30,000-square-meter campus will be a testament to Hitachi Energy's dedication to innovation, quality, and environmental stewardship. The investments complement Hitachi Energy's broader growth efforts, which include the recently announced larger than $30 million expansion in Bad Honnef, Germany. Leveraging the companys global footprint, additional investments will follow in Europe, the Americas, and Asia to meet the growing demand for power and distribution transformers. Hitachi Energys transformer facility expansions include the ongoing project in South Boston, Virginia, US, and other recently completed projects at Jefferson City, Missouri, US, and Dos Quebradas, Colombia. In addition, the company has inaugurated new cutting-edge factories in Chongqing, China, and Hanoi, Vietnam, together with a new transformer service center in Welshpool, Australia. Our global investments, including the new transformer campus in Finland, underline our commitment to co-create with our utility and industry customers and partners the path to accelerate the energy transition. By strategically leveraging our global footprint, technology, and the expertise of our teams, we are not only poised to meet the global demand for sustainable energy solutions but also to drive the innovation necessary for a carbon-neutral future, Melles added. Transformers play a key role across the power value chain, enabling efficient transmission and distribution of electricity. They are a key component for applications such as integrating renewables, grid interconnections, powering data centers and electrifying transportation, facilitating the decarbonization of energy systems. Hitachi Energy is the world's largest transformer manufacturer in terms of installed base, portfolio range, manufacturing capacity, and market coverage, with over 60 transformer factories and service centers across the world. Growing the service and digital capabilities is part of the company's efforts to help utilities and industries operate and maintain their electrical assets. Digitalization enables efficient operations across the whole value chain, enabling reliability-centered asset management programs to help our customers extend the transformers' life cycle, support sustainability, and allow delayed investments in new equipment. All the announced transformer investments include sustainable and innovative manufacturing technologies for operational efficiency while ensuring high standards for safety and quality. They are advancing the company's efforts to become carbon-neutral by 2030 and aim to create positive economic and social impact in the local communities. Hitachi Energy employs over 17,000 people across the globe in its Transformer business and plans to increase its workforce by adding 4,000 new jobs to the industry. - End - About Hitachi Energy Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. We integrate more than 150 GW of HVDC links into the power system, helping our customers enable more wind and solar. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ more than 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of over $10 billion USD. https://www.hitachienergy.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of "Digital Systems & Services" - supporting our customers' digital transformation; "Green Energy & Mobility" - contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and "Connective Industries" - connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com. Attachment PHILADELPHIA, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a climate of economic recalibration and cautious investor sentiment, Keiretsu Forum's Mid-Atlantic, South-East, and Texas (K4 MA-SE-TX) regions stand out, witnessing a modest decline of 5% in 2023 compared to the previous year's investments, markedly ahead of the industry trend. In 2023, K4 MA-SE-TX regions curated investment portfolio maintained a confident stance within an otherwise retreating investment ecosystem, demonstrating a notable resistance to an industry 2023-2021 downturn of up to 51% and a 2023- 2022 delta of 29.6%, as documented by industry leader PitchBook. Howard Lubert, Keiretsu Area President, attributes this resilience "as a testament to our member investors and their commitment to funding innovation, particularly within the Life Science sector, renowned as our region's stronghold." K4 MA-SE-TX's investment encompasses a broad spectrum of sectors, with 2023 figures showcasing $12.8 million 43% of which bolstered Life Science ventures, a slight decrease from the preceding year's 49%. Despite the overall industry downturn, this minor contraction within Keiretsu Forum reflects an unwavering commitment to innovative advancements and visionary leadership. While this marks the first decline in the thriving 13-year history of the Mid-Atlantic, South-East, and Texas regions, Keiretsu Forum's portfolio is characterized by its principled diversification while 70% of the investment dollars stay in region, about 30% of investments reach beyond the regional borders, supporting transformative initiatives and exceptional entrepreneurial talent on a wider scale. Lubert comments optimistically, "Although we invest significantly within our regions, our willingness to back extraordinary innovation across North America is a distinct characteristic that sets us apart from many other angel groups." Keiretsu Forum has sustained as an industry leader through an unrelenting focus on quality deal flow, vigorous due diligence processes, and a highly collaborative approach to investment selection. This tailored approach is reinforced by a network of members, partners, and strategic alliances, enabling access to top-tier entrepreneurs and investment opportunities. About Keiretsu Forum: Keiretsu Forum is the worlds largest private equity angel investment network with 2000+ accredited investors in 34 North American and 23 International chapters, who have invested more than $1B in early-stage companies in the last 23 years. The Keiretsu Forum portfolio features Entrepreneurs and Companies from Technology-(Internet, Software, Cyber Security, SaaS, Mobile Systems, IoT, etc.), Life Sciences-(Pharma, Medical Devices, Health IT, etc.), FinServ/FinTech, Consumer Products, Clean-Green Energy, Consumer Products, & more! Media Contact: Cindi Sutera cindis@amscommunications.net, 610-613-2773 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68945629-9771-4970-a734-7ec33b6feade TORONTO and NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- illumin Holdings Inc. (TSX: ILLM) (illumin or the Company), a journey advertising technology company that empowers marketers to make smarter decisions about communicating with online consumers, today announced the relaunch of illumin Elect with a direct, in platform integration to L2s comprehensive voter database. This new integration dramatically reduces the turnaround time for building and utilizing custom audiences for political campaigns, revolutionizing the landscape of political campaign marketing. illumin Elect maximizes the capabilities of its existing connected journey advertising platform, facilitating efficient customization of political advertisements. Marketers gain access to integrated social media campaigns across Facebook and Instagram, enabling tailored political campaigns that engage voters throughout the entire marketing journey. Campaigns can efficiently reach custom audiences with precise targeting options, including first-party data uploads for retargeting and Point of Interest targeting for location-based segmentation. Additionally, illumin integrates with leading email service providers, empowering campaigns to target their specific first-party donor and supporter lists accurately. Overall, this makes illumin Elect a powerful tool for increasing ROI of every campaign. Through this unique partnership with L2, illumin Elect will herald a new era in the efficient orchestration of political campaign management, said Rachel Kapcan, Chief Product Officer at illumin. This relaunch enhances our innovative, custom audience building capability with industry leading US voter records data, empowering marketers to navigate the complexities of the modern political landscapes with unprecedented efficiency. It's not just a tool; it's the catalyst for how campaigns are run, connecting people, ideas, and movements like never before. In collaborating with illumin Elect, we are igniting a revolution in data-driven campaigning," stated Paul Westcott, Executive Vice President of L2, Inc. "Our partnership amplifies the power of precise voter insights, arming strategists with the unparalleled ability to target, engage, and mobilize with unprecedented precision. This isn't just about information; it's about empowerment, reshaping the landscape of political strategy and redefining the boundaries of possibility in modern campaigning. About illumin illumin is a journey advertising platform that enables marketers to reach consumers at every stage of their journey by leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms and real-time data analytics. The Companys mission is to illuminate the path for brands to connect with their customers through the power of data-driven advertising. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, illumin serves clients across North America, Latin America, and Europe. About L2, Inc For over 50 years, L2 has set the industry standard for having the highest quality and most comprehensive voter and consumer file available. L2's 53 point hygiene and enhancement process remains unparalleled. For further information, please contact: Steve Hosein, Investor Relations Coordinator illumin | investors@illumin.com Babak Pedram, Investor Relations Canada Virtus Advisory Group Inc. | bpedram@virtusadvisory.com David Hanover, Investor Relations U.S. KCSA Strategic Communications | dhanover@kcsa.com Disclaimer in regard to forward-looking statements: Certain statements included herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, illumin does not intend, and undertakes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect, in particular, new information or future events. Dublin, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Progressive Keratoconus - Pipeline Insight, 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report presents a rigorous analysis of current clinical developments and the potential growth prospects for the Progressive Keratoconus market. It incorporates a broad overview of the disease, including therapeutic guidelines and a detailed assessment of commercial and clinical progression of pipeline products. An anticipated change in the Progressive Keratoconus market landscape is on the horizon, driven by increased disease awareness and healthcare investments. The projected launch of emerging therapies is believed to significantly impact market dynamics and address unmet needs. This comprehensive analysis will be an asset for those seeking to understand the broader context of Progressive Keratoconus research and development. Pipeline Development Activities The recent findings give light to the fervent activities by numerous companies, each advancing therapies to address the treatment of Progressive Keratoconus. From early to late-stage development, these therapeutic candidates demonstrate a dynamic and diverse pipeline. Key industry participants are identified, with insights into their active and dormant projects. The report features an analysis of drug development by stage, administration routes, therapeutic potential, and molecular types, along with in-depth examination of collaborations, funding, and other related activities. Commercial and Clinical Assessments Providing more than just a pipeline review, the report also conducts a thorough commercial assessment of drugs, including a detailed examination of market collaborations, licensing trends, and acquisitions. From a clinical perspective, the report compares products based on multiple factors such as development stage and mechanism of action. Together, this commercial and clinical assessment supports stakeholders in strategic decision-making. Scope and Highlights of the Report The report spans the whole development cycle of Progressive Keratoconus therapies, highlighting therapeutic pipeline activity and offering a comparative therapeutic assessment. It provides comprehensive profiles on the progression of various products, detailing research and development stages, technology, and key collaborations. Additionally, it includes analyses of dormant and discontinued projects. Implications for the Progressive Keratoconus Market Addressing Key Questions This analysis delves into the current treatment landscape, the number of therapies in development, and the strategies employed by companies in the market. It also explores the reasons behind dormant and discontinued products, underscoring the unmet needs within existing treatments and the pursuit of novel therapeutic approaches. The report also details the status of clinical studies and their outcomes, focusing on safety and efficacy, along with designated emerging therapies. The findings presented in the report will provide valuable insights for entities invested in the Progressive Keratoconus market, from healthcare professionals to industry stakeholders and investors, catering to an informed understanding of the condition's trajectory. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cqa694 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. TORONTO, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Altus Group Limited (Altus Group or the Company) (TSX: AIF), a leading provider of asset and fund intelligence for commercial real estate (CRE), is pleased to announce the 2024 winners of its 15th annual ARGUS University Challenge. Teams of aspiring real estate professionals from leading universities across the world competed for scholarship awards by identifying the top commercial real estate investment opportunities. Leveraging the powerful analytics of ARGUS Enterprise (AE), they presented their investment case based on a hypothetical real estate opportunity. With over 85 students from 20 universities competing, the 2024 ARGUS University Challenge winners were: 1st place: University of San Diego Team: Kevin Dixon, Dillard Harvey, Hunter Loncar, Grant Neeley, Sandis Seale Professor: Charles Tu 2nd place: International Real Estate Business School (IREBS) - University of Regensburg Team: Lars Baur, Michele Cirillo, Clara-Maria Hamberger, Antonia Radmacher, Konstantin Muratov Professor: Wolfgang Schaefers 3rd place: Cornell University Team: Chloe Xiang, Rohit Vilas Kharche, Kai Yang, Abdullah Syarifuddin Professor: Daniel Lebret and Chris de Mestre 4th place: Baruch College Team: Aditya Agarwal, Sixi Chen, Shubham Jadhao Professor: Zoey Tang This years ARGUS University Challenge participants demonstrated an impressive proficiency in utilizing market data in their scenario analysis, said Ernest Clark, Chief Marketing Officer at Altus Group. This emerging generation of talent possesses remarkable potential, highlighting the CRE industrys strides in enhancing the skill sets of future professionals amid unprecedented industry transformation. As a company committed to fostering talent and innovation, we are proud to offer the ARGUS University Challenge and look forward to seeing how these students shape the future of our industry." The teams were evaluated on their ability to leverage ARGUS Enterprise to present a summary investment recommendation based on a hypothetical case study. The AE valuation model is based on a discounted cash flow (DCF) methodology and includes factual and assumptive inputs. Its capabilities range from property and portfolio valuation analysis to financial modelling, scenario analysis, and reporting. With over 30 years of industry presence, AEs valuation methodology is deeply integrated in the industry and is taught in over 200 academic institutions worldwide. Each team prepared a report encompassing a comprehensive analysis of the property's performance for the next ten years, considering building, pre-letting, financing, development, and market data, along with personal assumptions. The winners were selected by a judging panel consisting of leading industry experts including: Christopher Bourn, Bayes Business School; Gary Brown, Partners Real Estate; Mike Goode, CRE Consultant; and Ray Wong, Altus Group. For more information on the ARGUS University Challenge, please visit: https://www.altusgroup.com/argus/argus-university-challenge/ About Altus Group Altus Group is a leading provider of asset and fund intelligence for commercial real estate. We deliver intelligence as a service to our global client base through a connected platform of industry-leading technology, advanced analytics, and advisory services. Trusted by the largest CRE leaders, our capabilities help commercial real estate investors, developers, proprietors, lenders, and advisors manage risks and improve performance returns throughout the asset and fund lifecycle. Altus Group is a global company headquartered in Toronto with approximately 3,000 employees across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. For more information about Altus Group (TSX: AIF) please visit altusgroup.com. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Elizabeth Lambe Director, Global Communications, Altus Group (416) 641-9787 Elizabeth.Lambe@altusgroup.com ATLANTA, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monarch Private Capital, a nationally recognized impact investment firm that develops, finances, and manages a diversified portfolio of projects generating both federal and state tax credits, and Elawan Energy, a global operator in the renewable energy industry, are pleased to announce the substantial completion of two utility-scale solar projects in Q4 2023. The projects, located in Hill County and Bosque County, Texas, mark a significant milestone in the companies' commitment to clean energy and sustainability. The projects include Pitts Dudik, which boasts a capacity of 60.26 MWdc, and Dileo, which contributes an additional 86.67 MWdc. Together, these projects represent a total capacity of approximately 147 MWdc, providing clean and renewable energy to the region. "Were proud to have joined forces with Elawan Energy on these strategically-sited solar projects," said Bryan Didier, Partner & Managing Director of Renewable Energy at Monarch. "Pitts Dudik and Dileo are great examples of tax credit equity investments. Not only are they accelerating the energy transition to sustainable resources, but they are also fostering economic growth, job creation and innovation in their Texas communities." The positive impacts of these projects extend beyond clean energy generation. Over the next 40 years, the projects are expected to abate 4,688,232 CO2e MT, equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from over a million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year, and will create nearly 600 jobs. Delighted to announce the completion of two solar projects in partnership with Monarch, bringing clean and renewable energy to Hill and Bosque counties, said Gonzalo Rodriguez Tortosa, Business Development Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Elawan Energy North America. We want to thank both counties for their continued support and are very happy that the projects will have a positive impact on the local communities, helping not only from an economic perspective but also in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For more information on Monarchs renewable energy tax equity investments, please contact Bryan Didier by emailing bdidier@monarchprivate.com. For more information on Elawans integrated solutions, please contact Gonzalo Rodriguez Tortosa by emailing gonzalo.rodriguez@elawan.com. About Monarch Private Capital Monarch Private Capital manages impact investment funds that positively impact communities by creating clean power, jobs, and homes. The funds provide predictable returns through the generation of federal and state tax credits. The Company offers innovative tax credit equity investments for affordable housing, historic rehabilitations, renewable energy, film, and other qualified projects. Monarch Private Capital has long-term relationships with institutional and individual investors, developers, and lenders participating in these federal and state programs. Headquartered in Atlanta, Monarch has offices and professionals located throughout the United States. About Elawan Energy Elawan Energy is a global player in the renewable energy sector, providing integrated solutions throughout the green energy lifecycle, including promotion, development, construction, operation, maintenance, and sale of energy produced by solar, wind, and mini-hydro power plants. Operating in 14 countries and employing over 150 people, Elawan Energy is a part of ORIX Corporation. CONTACT Jane Rafeedie Monarch Private Capital jrafeedie@monarchprivate.com 470-283-8431 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d53959ed-d4d6-4921-846d-478d370f4161 SAN DIEGO, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers of Snowflake Inc. (NYSE: SNOW) Class A common stock between September 16, 2020 and March 2, 2022, all dates inclusive (the Class Period), have until April 29, 2024 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Snowflake class action lawsuit. Captioned Flannery v. Snowflake Inc., No. 24-cv-01234 (N.D. Cal.), the Snowflake class action lawsuit charges Snowflake as well as certain of its top executive officers with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Snowflake class action lawsuit, please provide your information here: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-snowflake-inc-class-action-lawsuit-snow.html You can also contact attorneys J.C. Sanchez or Jennifer N. Caringal of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at info@rgrdlaw.com. Lead plaintiff motions for the Snowflake class action lawsuit must be filed with the court no later than April 29, 2024. CASE ALLEGATIONS: Snowflake is a cloud data platform that enables its enterprise customers to consolidate data into a single source to build data-driven applications and share data. The Snowflake class action lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Snowflake had systematically oversold capacity to customers which created a misleading appearance of the demand for Snowflakes products and services; (ii) Snowflake had provided significant discounts to its customers prior to its initial public offering (IPO) that temporarily boosted sales but would not be sustainable after the IPO and/or necessitate platform efficiency adjustments that negatively impacted client consumption and Snowflakes revenue and profit margins; (iii) as a result, Snowflakes customers were poised to roll over a material amount of unused credits (and thereby cannibalize future sales) at the end of their contracts terms or to refuse to renew their contracts at prior consumption levels or at all; and (iv) consequently, Snowflakes product revenue and remaining performance obligations had been artificially inflated leading up to and during the Class Period. On March 2, 2022, Snowflake revealed that its product revenue growth rate for fiscal 2023 was projected to be slashed to a range of 65% to 67%, far below the triple-digit growth and purportedly ongoing favorable business trends highlighted by defendants during the Class Period. On a related earnings call also held on March 2, 2022, Snowflake CFO, defendant Michael P. Scarpelli, further revealed that Snowflake customers were consuming at a reduced rate, which he blamed on platform enhancements . . . which lowered credit consumption. On this news, the price of Snowflake Class A common stock fell nearly 28% over several trading sessions, damaging investors. The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has extensive experience in prosecuting investor class actions including actions involving financial fraud. You can view a copy of the complaint by clicking here. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased Snowflake Class A common stock during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Snowflake class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Snowflake class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Snowflake class action lawsuit. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery of the Snowflake class action lawsuit is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller is one of the worlds leading complex class action firms representing plaintiffs in securities fraud cases. The Firm is ranked #1 on the most recent ISS Securities Class Action Services Top 50 Report for recovering more than $1.75 billion for investors in 2022 the third year in a row Robbins Geller tops the list. And in those three years alone, Robbins Geller recovered nearly $5.3 billion for investors, more than double the amount recovered by any other plaintiffs firm. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs firms in the world and the Firms attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest securities class action recovery ever $7.2 billion in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Contact: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP J.C. Sanchez, Jennifer N. Caringal 655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101 800-449-4900 info@rgrdlaw.com NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against agilon health, inc. (agilon or the Company) (NYSE: AGL) and reminds investors of the May 20, 2024 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $100,000 In Agilon To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you suffered losses exceeding $100,000 investing in (a) purchased or otherwise acquired agilon common stock between April 15, 2021 and February 27, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). (b) all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired agilon common stock pursuant, or traceable, or both, to materials issued in connection with the Companys secondary public offering (the SPO Materials) that occurred on or about May 16, 2023 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). You may also click here for additional information: www.faruqilaw.com/AGL. Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com. As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) touting the Companys purported visibility into utilization trends and medical costs; (2) failing to disclose increased medical costs that agilon had incurred prior to and during the Class Period due to higher utilization of healthcare by MA patients; (3) falsely stating that its accounting reserves for higher-than-expected medical costs were adequate; (4) making false and misleading statements about the effectiveness of its business model; (5) issuing overly optimistic financial guidance; and (6) issuing risk disclosures that were materially false and misleading because they characterized adverse facts that had already materialized as mere possibilities. The truth about the higher medical costs that agilon had been facing began to emerge on November 2, 2023. On that date, agilon reported lower-than-expected third quarter 2023 results due to increased utilization and medical costs. Defendants also lowered the Companys 2023 full-year revenue outlook and informed investors that agilon had increased its accounting reserve for prior period medical expenses. On this news, agilons stock price fell $2.23, or 13.2 percent, to close at $14.66 on November 3, 2023. Then, on January 5, 2024, agilon surprised investors again by lowering its 2023 profit forecasts. agilon also announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Timothy Bensley would retire and be replaced later in the year. On this news, agilons stock fell $3.45, or 28.6 percent, to close at $8.63 on January 5, 2024. The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding agilons conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/651833af-6916-45a9-b77c-84648deb4669 COSTA MESA, Calif., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rodedawg International Industries, Inc. (OTC: RWGI) is pleased to announce the appointment of new officers to lead its subsidiary, Elixicure, Inc. Chris Swartz, CEO, states: Last year, Rodedawg acquired Elixicures assets of brands, manufacturing equipment, trade secrets, and online stores. According to Future Market Insights research, as the world continues to face chronic pain disorder burden, efficient and relieving topical pain relief becomes paramount for managing this condition. Given this, global demand for topical pain relief is anticipated to surge at a 5.6% CAGR through 2034. The market value is projected to increase from US$ 11 billion in 2024 to US$ 19 billion by 2034. The market was valued at US$ 10 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to exhibit a Y-o-Y growth of 5.2% in 2024. With this kind of growth and opportunity, the Company is now ready to rapidly expand Elixicure. Effective immediately, the following executives will assume key roles: *Jeff Byrne joins as the new Head of Operations for Elixicure, Inc. With a proven track record in operational management, Jeff will be instrumental in driving efficiency and excellence in Elixicure's day-to-day functions. *Don Dedo assumes the responsibility of overseeing online sales, affiliates sales, and international sales for Elixicure, Inc. His extensive experience in sales and marketing will be pivotal in expanding Elixicure's reach and market presence. These appointments reflect Rodedawg Ind. Intl., Inc.'s commitment to strengthening its leadership team and positioning Elixicure, Inc. for continued growth and success in the topical pain relief industry. We are thrilled to welcome Jeff Byrne and Don Dedo to lead Elixicure, Inc. Their leadership and expertise will play a vital role in driving Elixicure's growth and success, said Chris Swartz, CEO of Rodedawg International Industries, Inc. We are confident that with their guidance, Elixicure, Inc. will continue to thrive in the evolving cannabis market. To help oversee and manage Rodedawg Operations, John Stippick will be bringing his expertise to further enhance operational effectiveness within the organization. Chris Swartz, concludes, Rodedawg International Industries, Inc. remains dedicated to growth through management services, acquisitions, and restructuring resources throughout the regulated California cannabis market. The company continues to uphold its commitment to delivering value to shareholders and driving growth opportunities within the industry. Our team will continue to provide updates on our key initiatives for share cancellation, key acquisitions, and upcoming audit initiative. About Rodedawg International Industries, Inc. Rodedawg International Industries, Inc. (OTC: RWGI) is focused on providing management services, acquisitions, and restructuring resources throughout the regulated California cannabis market. We are a trusted partner and asset to licensed cultivation, distributors, manufacturers, and retail dispensaries. Please note the company's Twitter address is https://twitter.com/RWGImerger for regular updates. About Budding Horizon, LLC Budding Horizon, LLC is a California Limited Liability Company with offices in Orange County, California. The company is focused to providing management services for the licensed cannabis industry and seeks to leverage its expertise in the real estate acquisitions to acquire and develop a portfolio of assets. The company website is https://buddinghorizon.com/ About Brother Buds Brother Buds is a cannabis delivery service based in Costa Mesa, California. During the month of July 2023, the Rodedawg will operate Brother Buds under a non-storefront cannabis delivery license. The cannabis delivery service will focus on Los Angeles County, Orange County, and norther San Diego County in the demographic area of 23.86 million in 2019. The company is focused to providing management services for the licensed cannabis industry and seeks to leverage its expertise in the real estate acquisitions to acquire and develop a portfolio of assets. The company website is https://BrotherBuds.com Make sure to follow us at: https://twitter.com/BrotherBudsOC About Elixicure Elixicure is a leading provider of manufacturing and capsule encapsulation services. We offer a wide range of services to meet the diverse needs of our clients, including capsule encapsulation, formulation, manufacturing, labeling and bottle filling. Our state-of-the-art facilities and experienced team of professionals allow us to deliver high-quality products and exceptional customer service. Whether you are looking for small-scale or large-scale production, we have the expertise and capabilities to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your manufacturing and encapsulation needs. The company website is https://elixicure.com/ Make sure to follow us at: https://twitter.com/Elixicure Contact Information: Rodedawg International Industries, Inc. 1-800-793-0355 ir@buddinghorizon.com Safe Harbor Statement: In addition to historical information, this press release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include the intent, belief, or expectations of the Company and members of its management team with respect to the Company's future business operations and the assumptions upon which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to, failure to complete anticipated sales under negotiations, lack of revenue growth, client discontinuances, failure to realize improvements in performance, efficiency and profitability, and adverse developments with respect to litigation or increased litigation costs, the operation or performance of the Company's business units or the market price of its common stock. Additional factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated within this press release can also be found on the Company's website. The Company disclaims any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Rodedawg International Industries, Inc. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5a721635-b40e-4aef-af40-690b061adf61 The annual report can be downloaded from the Companys website: https://www.auriant.com/investor-relations/#section-reports-and-releases The printed version of the Annual Report can be ordered by telephone +46 707 277 097 or by e-mail: ir@auriant.com . For more information, please contact: Danilo Lange, CEO Tel.: +7 495 109 02 82 E-mail: d.lange@auriant.com Company name: Auriant Mining AB Short name: AUR ISIN-code: SE0001337213 Website: www.auriant.com Auriant Mining AB (AUR) is a Swedish junior mining company focused on gold exploration and production in Russia, primarily in the Republic of Tyva, Zabaikalye and the Republic of Khakassia. The company has currently four assets, including two operating mines (Tardan and Alluvial at Staroverinskaya), one early stage exploration asset and one development asset. Since July 19, 2010, Auriant Minings shares are traded on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market under the short name AUR. For more information, please visit www.auriant.com. G&W Fondkommission is Certified Adviser to Auriant, for more information please visit www.gwkapital.se . Attachments CINCINNATI, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HealthSource of Ohio announced today the appointment of Jody Prather, MD as its next President and Chief Executive Officer following an extensive, nationwide search process. Dr. Prather succeeds Kim Patton, who announced in May 2023 her intention to retire from HealthSource. Dr. Prather will officially take over as CEO effective May 30, 2024. We are delighted to welcome Jody as our new President and Chief Executive Officer, said Mark A. McAndrew, HealthSource Board Chair & Partner at Taft. His extensive experience as a primary care physician and his innovative approach to healthcare leadership make him the ideal choice to drive HealthSources mission forward. His dedication to enhancing patient wellness and healthcare access in rural communities builds upon the solid foundation laid by Kim Patton, whose leadership of HealthSource for over 30 years has left HealthSource well-positioned for continued success. Having known Jody Prather for most of my life, I've always been aware of his commitment to service, but during my years as Governor, as we have worked together closely on multiple fronts ranging from the pandemic to development of health care access across the Commonwealth, I've gotten to see his leadership ability, as well as his forward-looking vision for developing the next generation of healthcare solutions, said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. I certainly wish him well, and I know that HealthSource and the patients it serves will benefit from Jodys skill set and passion for high quality healthcare. Previously, Dr. Prather served as the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer with Baptist Health, a nine-hospital health system headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. In that role, he developed strategic initiatives for business development, growth, strategic partnerships, and innovation. He oversaw Baptist Healths marketing and communications strategies, including digital engagement, advertising, public relations, and internal communications. Dr. Prather has led the system through significant growth focused on expanding access to medical care, adding advanced technology, and meeting the distinctive health needs of each of Baptist Healths communities. Born and raised in rural Hardin County, Kentucky, Dr. Prather attended Centre College and earned his medical degree from the University of Louisville. After completing a family medicine residency at the Trover Clinic in Madisonville, Kentucky, he began his career in private practice in Elizabethtown. He joined Hardin Memorial Health, a regional health system serving a nine-county service area in central Kentucky, as its first vice president and chief medical officer in 2010 where he provided operational, clinical, and strategic oversight, while building the systems first employed medical group. Following that position, Dr. Prather was named vice president and chief medical officer for Baptist Health, serving as the systems first chief medical officer overseeing system-wide quality initiatives. He rejoined Hardin Memorial as vice president for population health and chief medical officer for Hardin Memorial Health Medical Group in 2013, assuming additional responsibilities as chief strategy officer in 2017, before returning to the system role in oversight of strategy in 2018. Its a genuine honor to have the opportunity to follow Kims strong, longtime leadership, said Dr. Prather. Kim certainly left the organization in a place where we are well-positioned to move forward into the next generation of healthcare, and Im privileged to have the opportunity to play a role in shaping that vision and direction. I am extremely excited to be joining the HealthSource team, and working with all our leaders, clinicians, and other team members to continue the incredible trajectory the organization is on. Dr. Prather and his wife, Missy, a retired registered nurse, have three children. About HealthSource of Ohio HealthSource of Ohio is Ohios largest community health center which is nationally recognized for its excellence. HealthSource of Ohio is comprised of 22 sites that provide comprehensive primary care to nearly 100,000 patients in southern Ohio and employs more than 400 clinicians and employees. HealthSource of Ohio's service area includes eight counties in Southern Ohio: Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Fayette, Hamilton, Highland, and Warren. For more information, visit HealthSourceofOhio.org. Contact: Lisa Jackson, HealthSource of Ohio (513) 707-4005 | LJackson@hsohio.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e3fae29-0000-4084-ab6b-b8c3981603d1 ALPHARETTA, Ga., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phorcys Capital Partners, LLC ("PCP"), the investment advisor to Phorcys Senior Housing Recovery Fund LP (SHRF), has announced its acquisition of a 160-unit assisted living facility in Wickliffe, Ohio, through a trustee-directed short sale for $13.0 million. The community will be rebranded as Prosper at Wickliffe and will be managed by Prosper Life Care. Prosper at Wickliffe We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Prosper at Wickliffe and look forward to our shared goal with Prosper to bring affordable top-rate care for seniors in the surrounding community, said Vasileios Sfyris, Managing Partner of PCP. This is our second investment in SHRF, and we will continue to focus on the winding down of muni-financed bond transactions to add additional assets to our senior living portfolio. Prosper at Wickliffe is an assisted living facility, comprised of 160 studio and one-bedroom units. It is located in Wickliffe, Ohio, a community situated on the shoreline of Lake Erie. Prosper Life Care aims to provide affordable care that not only improves the quality of life for its residents, but for the staff as well. Prosper at Wickliffe will continue the tradition of providing outstanding care to the residents of Wickliffe, OH and surrounding communities, said Prosper Life Care President Russ Papia. Our partnership with Phorcys Capital Partners allows us to carry out our company's mission of providing affordable housing and care through reasonable rental prices and Medicaid assistance programs. About Phorcys Capital Partners LLC PCP is an alternative asset manager, with a focus on investing in distressed municipal bonds and acquiring the real assets secured by municipal bonds. PCP has historically focused on senior living, multifamily housing, student housing, and hospitality. Since inception, PCP has invested approximately $125 million in senior living and approximately $400 million across all sectors. About Phorcys Senior Living Recovery Fund LP SHRF is a closed-end vehicle that acquires distressed and/or overleveraged senior living assets, which include but are not limited to age-restricted apartments, assisted living, and CCRCs, which were originally financed by municipal bonds or bank loans. SHRF focuses on investing opportunistically in newer vintage assets that require limited capital expenditures. The Fund was launched in July 2023. About Prosper Life Care Prosper Life Care is a healthcare management company specializing in affordable assisted living and memory care. With a passion for providing exceptional care for its residents, Prosper Life Care is focused on improving the quality of life for its residents and care teams. With more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, Prosper Life Care (prosperlifecare.com) operates senior care homes in Massachusetts and Ohio. Phorcys Capital Partners, LLC Matt Doss 770-777-9373 mdoss@phorcyscp.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/25a97dce-cdf1-49d1-8ed6-e22070c03557 COCKBURN TOWN, Turks and Caicos, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We are pleased to announce that CardnPay newest affiliate, Turks and Caicos Banking Company (TCBC), will be issuing new international Mastercard Black and Platinum debit cards starting in April 2024. The Mastercard Black and Platinum Debit Cards represent the pinnacle of sophistication and functionality, designed to cater to the discerning needs of individuals seeking superior payment experiences. With their sleek designs and advanced security features, these cards epitomize excellence in banking and elevate the standard of financial services in the region. "We are thrilled to collaborate with TCBC in bringing the Mastercard Black and Platinum Debit Cards to the Turks and Caicos Islands," said Mr. Barry Walsh, President of CardnPay Limited. "This partnership allows us to combine our expertise in payment processing with TCBC's commitment to innovation, delivering unmatched value and convenience. Turks and Caicos Banking Company is excited to launch Mastercard Black and Platinum Debit Card in partnership with CardnPay Limited, said Mr. David Bee, Chief Executive Officer at TCBC. This collaboration allows us to leverage our expertise in financial services and CardnPay's cutting-edge payment processing technology to offer a truly elite banking experience." TCBC (www.turksandcaicos-banking.com) is a private Bank focused on efficient and convenient customer service. Established in 1980, Turks & Caicos Banking Company has been evolving alongside the Turks and Caicos Islands. CardnPay Ltd. (www.cardnpay.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bevertec CST Inc. and a Mastercard principal member. The company offers a Mastercard Affiliate Program to financial service providers in the Caribbean. The program comprises Mastercard licensing, card issuing, ATM acquiring, 3D Secure, Tokenization, payment processing and other value-added services on a subscription basis. For more information please contact: Nathaly Gutierrez Business Development Manager ngutierrez@cardnpay.com Canada: Office : +1 416 695 7525 x2268 CRANBURY, N.J., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targeted Oncology, a multimedia resource that offers engaging content and expert opinions on standard and emerging treatments in the field of oncology, is thrilled to announce the newest recipient of the Oncology Icons award program. This program recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the field of oncology through their expertise, dedication and innovation. Targeted Oncology is pleased to announce that this years first recipient is an individual who has showcased outstanding leadership and a profound dedication to enhancing cancer care and actively serves as a source of inspiration for the entire oncology community. Sanjay K. Juneja, M.D., of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, is a medical oncologist in his hometown of Baton Rouge, at the Baton Rouge General location. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor of science degree in biology and earned his doctor of medicine degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport. Dr. Juneja completed a hematology/oncology fellowship at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center in Shreveport. He is triple-board-certified in hematology, medical oncology and internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Junejas professional memberships include the Louisiana Oncology Society and Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana. He served as the chief of Baton Rouge Generals oncology service line from 2021-2023. Dr. Juneja believes listening to and learning from patients is central. I am hoping that we have the grace...to be OK with patients knowing and learning about their cancers and asking questions. It is not only humbling, but it feeds that sense of responsibility that I feel all the time, Juneja said. As a social media influencer, he partners with various organizations using the handle @TheOncDoc, and often participates in local and national media interviews and speaking engagements. On his first nomination, Dr. Juneja was recognized in the Baton Rouge Business Reports Forty Under 40 list in November 2021. To read more about Dr. Junejas notable involvement in the oncology community, click here. We are honored to recognize the remarkable contributions made by this years first Oncology Icons recipient, Dr. Sanjay K. Juneja, said Bobby Goldsmith, senior vice president, corporate development. Dr. Juneja exemplifies the pinnacle of dedication, innovation and compassion in the field of cancer care, and we commend his unwavering commitment. Targeted Oncology showcases detailed profiles of the recipients through an article published in Targeted Therapies in Oncology and on the Targeted Oncology website. This offers readers a valuable chance to gain insights into their exceptional journeys and contributions to the oncology community. Submissions for the next 2024 Targeted Oncology Icons Award are open. Nominate a physician making significant contributions as a community oncologist here. About Targeted Oncology Targeted Oncology, a leading resource for oncologists and hematologists, empowers practice-changing outcomes through innovative learning formats and peer engagements. Its journals, Targeted Therapies in Oncology and Peers & Perspectives in Oncology, are delivered 18 times a year. TargetedOnc.com offers daily content and an e-newsletter subscription and hosts 500-plus virtual and in-person events annually, fostering engaging discussions among oncology peers. Targeted Oncology is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America delivering trusted health care news. Media Contact Julia Paradizova MJH Life Sciences jparadizova@mjhlifesciences.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9ef2cd5c-b0ea-475b-ab76-8aca897a5588 LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN IBN, a multifaceted communications organization engaged in connecting public companies to the investment community, is pleased to announce the release of the latest episode of The Bell2Bell Podcast as part of its sustained effort to provide specialized content distribution via widespread syndication channels. The Bell2Bell Podcast delivers informative updates and exclusive interviews with executives operating in fast-moving industries. Bell2Bells latest podcast features Hank Wang, CEO of SUIC Worldwide Holdings Ltd. (OTC: SUIC), a provider of research and development, venture financing and investment for private and public companies. To begin the interview, Wang provided an introduction to SUIC Worldwide Holdings and its business model. SUIC Worldwide Holdings targets opportunities to enhance and streamline existing supply chain and financial processes. SUIC is the majority and U.S. operating shareholder of Beneway Holdings Group, which is planning to file an S-1 for an IPO this year. Through its I.Hart Group subsidiary, Beneway operates 150 global chain and franchise locations of a variety of brands, and it is planning to replicate this unique brand model in the U.S. Wang then discussed his role with the company and those of the SUIC management team. I am the CEO of SUIC and have been the CEO of the I.Hart Group since 2018. Elena Lin is associate CFO of SUIC. She previously served as CEO of Monga Chicken. In 2015, she was recognized as one of Taiwan's Top 100 Managers of the Year. Elton Han is associate CTO of SUIC. He is also currently Director of Food and Beverage Development for the I.Hart Group. Wang next provided insight into SUICs global reach and client base. Our clients include top e-commerce companies, global listing companies and global hotel chains, among others. Our products export to the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and countries throughout Southeast Asia. Join IBNs Stuart Smith and Hank Wang, CEO of SUIC Worldwide Holdings Ltd. (OTC: SUIC), to learn more about the companys recent milestones and operational goals for 2024 and beyond. To hear the episode and subscribe for future podcasts, visit https://podcast.bell2bell.com . The latest installment of The Bell2Bell Podcast continues to reinforce IBNs commitment to the expansion of its robust network of brands, client partners, followers, and the growing IBN Podcast Series . For more than 18 years, IBN has leveraged this commitment to provide unparalleled distribution and corporate messaging solutions to 500+ public and private companies . To learn more about IBNs achievements and milestones via a visual timeline, visit: https://IBN.fm/TimeLine About SUIC Worldwide Holdings Ltd. SUIC Worldwide Holdings Ltd. provides research and development, venture financing for and investing in private enterprises and the public sector that develop products and services adopting core capabilities of the Internet of Things, cloud computing, mobile payment, Big Data, Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence, to enhance and streamline existing processes, and establish new and exciting business models that will create revolutionary products and services. Shareholders of SUIC will be exposed to the diverse application of advanced services in various parts of the economy. Additionally, existing and potential customers can benefit from this company's diversified portfolio of technologies. As one of the pioneering publicly traded technology companies, SUIC will help build tech-enabled businesses of the future. For more information, visit the companys website at www.SINOUnitedCo.com About IBN IBN consists of financial brands introduced to the investment public over the course of 18+ years. With IBN, we have amassed a collective audience of millions of social media followers. These distinctive investor brands aim to fulfill the unique needs of a growing base of client-partners. IBN will continue to expand our branded network of highly influential properties, leveraging the knowledge and energy of specialized teams of experts to serve our increasingly diversified list of clients. Through our Dynamic Brand Portfolio (DBP), IBN provides: (1) access to a network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets; (3) Press Release Enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) full-scale distribution to a growing social media audience; (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions; and (6) total news coverage solutions. For more information, please visit https://www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the InvestorBrandNetwork website applicable to all content provided by IBN, wherever published or re-published: http://IBN.fm/Disclaimer Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Corporate Communications IBN Los Angeles, California www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com 310.299.1717 Office Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com Dublin, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Palletizing Robot Global Market Report 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The palletizing robot market size has grown from $3.04 billion in 2023 to $3.23 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3%. Businesses have focused on improving operational efficiency and flexibility, enabling them to adapt to changing market conditions and customer demands. The growth of e-commerce has created new opportunities for businesses to reach customers globally, driving demand for logistics and supply chain solutions. The proliferation of e-commerce platforms has made it easier for businesses to sell their products online, further fueling growth. Additionally, the growth of emerging economies has created new markets for businesses to expand into, driving overall growth in the industry. The palletizing robot market size is expected to see continued growth in the next few years, reaching $4.96 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 11.35%. The growth in the forecast period is driven by the rising demand for automation, enhanced efficiency in material handling and logistics, growing emphasis on safety protocols, increasing demand for automated solutions, and cost-effectiveness. Major trends in the forecast period include advancements in robotic technologies, a growing emphasis on safety protocols and cost-effectiveness, the adoption of collaborative palletizing robots, and the integration of Industry 4 principles in the industry. The growing demand for manufacturing is expected to drive the expansion of the palletizing robot market. Manufacturing involves the conversion of raw materials or components into finished products, and palletizing robots play a crucial role in streamlining this process. They improve efficiency and scalability, particularly in response to increasing production and storage needs. For example, a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics noted significant growth in manufacturing industry EBITDA, IVA, and income from 2021 to 2022, indicating a positive trend in the sector. This growth in manufacturing activities is fueling the demand for palletizing robots as companies seek to optimize their production processes. Major companies in the palletizing robot market are innovating with cobot palletizing solutions to enhance their market competitiveness. A cobot palletizing solution involves the use of collaborative robots (cobots) designed for palletizing tasks, such as stacking and organizing products on pallets. Omron Corporation, for example, launched the OMRON TM20 cobot palletizing solution in March 2023. This solution is equipped with the necessary tools to handle large payloads and automate palletizing, machine tending, and material handling tasks. The OMRON TM20 is known for its reliability, safety features, and user-friendly design. It can seamlessly integrate with other Omron products, including sensors, controllers, and software, to provide industrial customers with a comprehensive automation solution. The compact size and 1.3-meter reach of the OMRON TM20 make it suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. Additionally, its integration capabilities with mobile robots enhance its flexibility and productivity in industrial environments. Rockwell Automation Inc., a US-based company specializing in industrial automation and digital transformation, acquired Clearpath Robotics Inc., a Canada-based provider of palletizing robots, in October 2023. The acquisition, made for an undisclosed amount, is expected to accelerate Rockwell's development of end-to-end autonomous production logistics solutions. This acquisition will enable Rockwell Automation to offer safer and more efficient manufacturing environments for its customers. Palletizing robots come in several types, including SCARA, cobots, deltas, articulated robots, and gantry robots. SCARA robots, for example, are commonly used for tasks such as palletizing cases, boxes, bags, bundles, and more across various industries such as manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, food, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and warehousing. The palletizing robot market consists of sales of robotic palletizing systems, end of arm tooling, conveyors and material handling systems, and replacement parts. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods. The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. Report Scope Markets Covered: By Robot Type: Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA); Cobots; Deltas; Articulated Robots; Gantry Robot. By Application: Cases and Boxes Palletizing; Bags and Sacks Palletizing; Bundles Palletizing; Other applications. By End-Use: Discrete Manufacturing; Chemicals and Materials; Electricals and Electronics; Food and Beverages; Pharmaceutical and Healthcare; Transportation and warehousing; Other End users. Key Companies Mentioned: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Honeywell International Inc.; ABB Ltd.; Fuji Yusoki Kogyo Co. Ltd.; KION Group AG Countries: Australia; Brazil; China; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Russia; South Korea; UK; USA; Canada; Italy; Spain Regions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa Time Series: Five years historic and ten years forecast. Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets, GDP proportions, expenditure per capita. Data Segmentation: Country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 175 Forecast Period 2024 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $3.23 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $4.96 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 11.3% Regions Covered Global Companies Profiled: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Honeywell International Inc. ABB Ltd. Fuji Yusoki Kogyo KION Group Kawasaki Heavy Industries Fanuc Corporation Yaskawa Electric Krones KUKA John Bean Technologies Schaefer Systems International Inc. Premier Tech Chronos Rockwell International Gebo Cermex Bastian Solutions Wynright Corporation Hamer-Fischbein RMH System Inc. Chantland MHS C&D Skilled Robotics Inc. MMCI Automation DAN-Palletiser Remtec Automation Newlong Machine Works Ltd. Columbia Okura For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xzxm64 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment DURHAM, N.C., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation has named Dr. Alessandro Catenazzi as its new Half-Earth Chair. Catenazzi is a Swiss-Peruvian herpetologist with a strong interest in conservation biology. Much of his work is based in the Andes-Amazon of Peru, focusing on the existence of the Chytrid fungus in amphibians. He is an Associate Professor at Florida International University in Miami. Catenazzi follows the inaugural Half-Earth Chair Piotr Naskrecki. The Foundation is thankful for Naskreckis ongoing leadership, which has seen him mentor seven young Mozambiquan scientists in Gorongosa National Park. Together, they discovered 100 new species to science, identified 25 endemic to Gorongosa, and collected data for 750 species on the IUCN Red List. These Scholars have gone on to pursue and complete advanced research degrees in wildlife conservation and have become regional leaders in protecting Mozambiques unique flora and fauna. Naskrecki will continue to work as associate director of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique and as Half-Earth Chairs, has a permanent role on the Half-Earth Council. Program Director of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation Brooks Bonner remarked, I hope the next Half-Earth Chair will build on the incredible foundation established by the inaugural Chair, Dr. Piotr Naskrecki. Piotrs efforts in Gorongosa National Park championed local insights and provided trainings so that the next generation of biodiversity scientists will have the knowledge and technical skills to pave a new path in preserving Mozambiques incredible biodiversity. Half-Earth Chairs are selected for their research leadership and ability to act as role models and mentors for the next generation of biodiversity scientists. Half-Earth Scholars are mentored by Half-Earth Chairs to advance their learning and research and empower local stewardship of biodiversity. Half-Earth Chairs are eligible for $30,000 of funding per year for up to 4 years in support of their research or program activities. The Half-Earth Chairs & Scholars program is supported by ADM (NYSE: ADM), a global leader in human and animal nutrition. Through ADM Cares, the company's corporate social investment program, ADM directs funding to initiatives and organizations driving meaningful social, economic, and environmental progress. We at ADM are absolutely thrilled to work with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation to support the Half-Earth Chairs & Scholars program, and to help provide a pathway for the next generation of biodiversity scientists to thrive through hands-on research experiences and technical skill development, said Jennifer Ballinger, director, ADM Cares. Strategic partnerships such as this are key to delivering on ADMs purpose of unlocking the power of nature to enrich the quality of life, and by championing the Half-Earth Chairs & Scholars program, we can help drive future biodiversity stewardship. Catenazzi was selected by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundations Half-Earth Chairs & Scholars Advisory Board. They include Krithi Karanth, CEO and chief conservation scientist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies; Tom Lalampaa, CEO of the Northern Rangelands Trust; Lesley de Souza, lead conservation scientist at the Field Museum; Brooks Bonner, program director at the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation; along with Dr. Paula Ehrlich, president and CEO of the Foundation; and Dr. Walter Jetz, scientific chair of the Foundation. Additionally, the Foundation has named Jetz as the first Jack and Laura Dangermond Scientific Chair of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, a title that honors the Dangermond familys continued support of the Foundation and its programs. The announcement was made on March 16 during a gathering of environmental advocates and philanthropists at the Dangermond Preserve in California. Jack and Laura Dangermond hosted the event to raise awareness of and support for the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and the Half-Earth Project. Longtime advocates for protecting the environment and natural habitats for plant and animal life, Jack and Laura Dangermond have been the lead supporters of the Half-Earth Project which aims to conserve half the Earths land and sea areas to reverse the extinction crisis and safeguard the bulk of biodiversity for future generations. Their company Esri, a global market leader in geographic information system software, location intelligence, and mapping, is a key partner of the Half-Earth Project Map which utilizes geospatial species distribution data and analytics to identify which locations on Earth have the best opportunity to conserve the most species. We have paid tribute to Jack and Laura Dangermond by naming the role Walter Jetz currently holds in our organization for them, said Ehrlich. Our leadership team created this title to honor the extraordinary way Jack and Laura Dangermond have supported our organization and its aspirations. Jetz brings an outstanding record of active scholarly engagement to the role, according to Jack Dangermond. We are delighted to support Dr. Jetzs work through the naming of this Chair, Dangermond said. I am thrilled about this new naming of my role, added Jetz, who also serves as a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and environment at the Yale School of the Environment. Through their tremendous leadership around technology, Jack and Laura Dangermond have, for decades, been supporting a more effective decision-making process for conservation. And through their exemplary philanthropic engagement, they are securing land and seascapes vital for biodiversity and people for future generations. I am honored by their recognition. About the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation's mission is to reimagine the way we care for our planet. The Foundations major initiative, the Half-Earth Project, is working to inspire informed collective action to save the biosphere. Visit www.eowilsonfoundation.org to learn more. About ADM ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. Were a premier global human and animal nutrition company, delivering solutions today with an eye to the future. Were blazing new trails in health and well-being as our scientists develop groundbreaking products to support healthier living. Were a cutting-edge innovator leading the way to a new future of plant-based consumer and industrial solutions to replace petroleum-based products. Were an unmatched agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. And were a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize our industry and safeguard our planet. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional and sustainability challenges of today and tomorrow. Learn more at www.adm.com. Media Contacts: E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation Niquole Esters Vice President of Strategic Engagement nesters@eowilsonfoundation.org (510) 631-7571 ADM Jackie Anderson Director, External Communications media@adm.com (312) 634-8484 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/36d41849-0b15-4bca-a95a-473a14994013 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8aa3c1d-1c6d-41c3-8a21-7b9534b70997 ISELIN, N.J., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Provident Bank, a leading New Jersey-based financial institution, is proud to announce the donation of its original bookkeeping ledgers to the Jersey City Free Public Library. These ledgers, which date back to the beginning of Provident Bank, represent a significant piece of the banks history. Provident Bank was established in 1839 in a one-room office in Jersey City, and it holds the distinction of being the oldest New Jersey-based bank. Its first day's deposits totaled just $227. The ledgers will be on display at the Jersey City Free Public Library, where they will be carefully cataloged, preserved and made accessible to the community. "The Jersey City Free Public Library is pleased to accept this donation and continue our ongoing relationship with Provident Bank, which dates back to the origins of the library," said John Beekman, chief librarian for the Jersey City Free Public Library. "The local history collection held in the Librarys New Jersey Room benefits from the thoughtfulness of individuals and organizations like Provident Bank, which take the time to ensure the records of the city's past are preserved. "Consistent with our commitment to the communities we serve, it is only fitting that we share a piece of our rich history with the city where Provident Bank was founded in 1839," said Keith Buscio, FVP, director of public relations & communications at Provident Bank. I hope residents will visit the Jersey City Free Public Library to experience a part of Providents and Jersey Citys past. For information about the Jersey City Free Public Library, visit https://www.jclibrary.org/. About Provident Bank Provident Bank, a community-oriented financial institution offering "Commitment you can count on" since 1839, is the wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PFS), which reported assets of $14.13 billion as of March 31, 2024. With $10.10 billion in deposits, Provident Bank provides a comprehensive suite of financial products and services through its network of branches throughout northern and central New Jersey, as well as Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Nassau and Queens Counties in New York. The Bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company, and insurance services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Provident Protection Plus, Inc. For more information about Provident Bank, visit www.provident.bank or join the conversations on Facebook (ProvidentBank) and Twitter (@ProvidentBank). Media Contact: Lauren Stralo PR Supervisor lstralo@levlane.com 484-747-0172 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5177ec3c-d3fe-4837-93ef-8468183ec0f4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a039adf-605d-4f83-b37b-7b08fc906c71 Ordinary general meeting of shareholders, 24th May 2024 Arrangements for making preparatory documents available and consulting them Paris, 23 April 2024 The Ordinary General Meeting of shareholders of Amundi will be held at 10. a.m. Paris time on Friday, 24th May 2024 at the companys head office at 91-93, boulevard Pasteur, 75015 PARIS. The notice of meeting, including the agenda and the draft resolutions, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires (BALO, French gazette for compulsory legal announcements) of 19th April 2024 and may be accessed on the companys website (https://about.amundi.com/general-meetings). The convening notice will be published in the BALO of 3rd May 2024 and will also be made available on the companys website. The documents and information relating to the general meeting, including those listed in article R. 225-83 of the French Commercial Code, are included in the notice of meeting and in the companys 2023 Universal Registration Document, also available on the companys website (http://about.amundi.com) Other documents and information relating to the general meeting will be kept available to shareholders in accordance with the applicable regulatory provisions at the companys head office at 91-93, boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris. For more information, please contact the financial communication department at investor.relations@amundi.com About Amundi Amundi, the leading European asset manager, ranking among the top 10 global players1, offers its 100 million clients - retail, institutional and corporate - a complete range of savings and investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional or real assets. This offering is enhanced with IT tools and services to cover the entire savings value chain. A subsidiary of the Credit Agricole group and listed on the stock exchange, Amundi currently manages more than 2 trillion of assets2. With its six international investment hubs3, financial and extra-financial research capabilities and long-standing commitment to responsible investment, Amundi is a key player in the asset management landscape. Amundi clients benefit from the expertise and advice of 5,500 employees in 35 countries. Amundi, a trusted partner, working every day in the interest of its clients and society www.amundi.com Press contacts: Investor contacts: Natacha Andermahr Corentin Henry Cyril Meilland, CFA Thomas Lapeyre Tel. +33 1 76 37 86 05 Tel. +33 1 76 32 26 96 Tel. +33 1 76 32 62 67 Tel. +33 1 76 33 70 54 natacha.andermahr@amundi.com corentin.henry@amundi.com cyril.meilland@amundi.com thomas.lapeyre@amundi.com 1 Source: IPE Top 500 Asset Managers published in June 2023, based on assets under management as at 31/12/2022 2 Amundi data as at 31/12/2023 3 Boston, Dublin, London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo Attachment PHILADELPHIA, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Victory Bancorp, Inc. is proud to announce the addition of Laurie E. Tolle, managing partner of Maillie LLP, to its Board of Directors. Tolle brings a wealth of expertise in accounting, auditing, and professional services, along with a distinguished career of nearly three decades in the accounting industry. Tolle's role as managing partner of Maillie LLP, a firm recognized as a Top 300 firm in America by Inside Public Accounting, is a testament to her leadership and vision in the field of accounting. She has been instrumental in incorporating technology into the firm's operations, driving greater efficiency and effectiveness, and fostering professional development and specialization. Before joining Maillie LLP, Tolle held key positions in public accounting firms and served as the Director of Professional and Technical Services for the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, where she managed the state's peer review program and liaised with various committees. A graduate of Villanova University, Tolle has been a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania since 1994. She is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and is a founding member of Women on Course. Victory Bancorp is excited to have Laurie E. Tolle join its Board of Directors and looks forward to her valuable contributions in shaping the future of the company. Joseph Major, Chairman of the Board and Bank Leader stated, I'm thrilled to welcome Laurie Tolle to our board. Laurie brings a wealth of leadership experience and a visionary outlook that will undoubtedly propel our company forward. Victory Bancorp, Inc. is traded on the OTCQX market under the symbol VTYB (https://www.otcmarkets.com) and is the parent company of The Victory Bank, a Pennsylvania state-chartered commercial bank, headquartered in Limerick, Pennsylvania, which is located just outside the Philadelphia market in Montgomery County. The Victory Bank was established in 2008 as a specialized business lender that provides high-quality banking services to small and mid-sized businesses and professionals through its three offices located in Montgomery and Berks Counties, Pennsylvania. Additional information about Victory Bancorp is available on its website, VictoryBank.com. Contact: Joseph W. Major, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 484-791-3407 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16f3ac65-0a38-449e-9200-029943dc1a29 York, Pa., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Officials from WellSpan Health, one of the nations most dynamic healthcare organizations, and Emerus, the nations leading developer of small-format hospitals, today held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the much-anticipated WellSpan Shrewsbury Hospital, which will elevate healthcare access for residents in York County, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding region. As WellSpan reimagines healthcare, making high-quality care more accessible to our friends and neighbors is a key priority, said Roxanna Gapstur, Ph.D., R.N., president and CEO, WellSpan Health. The new WellSpan Shrewsbury Hospital promises exceptional clinical care and experience close-to-home for this fast-growing community. Vic Schmerbeck, CEO of Emerus, said, We are proud to partner with WellSpan, one of the nations leading hospital systems. Were excited to help bring sustainable, compassionate, high-quality health care that will meet the needs of Pennsylvanians, now, and in the future. The innovative WellSpan Shrewsbury Hospital at 13515 Wolfe Road in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, will include an emergency department as well as 10 inpatient beds in a smaller, more accessible footprint than traditional hospitals. Shrewsbury Hospital will be conveniently located in a fast growing part of the region, ensuring essential medical services are readily available no matter where an individual may live, work and play. It will operate 24/7, 365 days a year and is projected to open in late 2025. It is the one of three new hospitals WellSpan is building in partnership with Emerus over the next two years, including facilities in Carlisle and Newberry Township, Pennsylvania. The sites were chosen because of their extensive distance from current hospital services. The improved access to care and wide range of services streamlined in a smaller setting should greatly improve the patient experience. WellSpan and Emerus have enthusiastically embraced their collaboration as a way to provide patients with long-term, high-quality health care services. Small-format hospitals are able to see, treat and discharge patients in far less time, on average, than traditional larger hospitals, without a reduction in services or quality. In addition to inpatient and emergency care, WellSpan Shrewsbury Hospital will provide diagnostic capabilities including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), X-ray and laboratory services. The emergency department will treat common emergency care needs such as falls, injuries, burns and infections. All three of the new hospitals, including Shrewsbury, will be fully licensed and offer high-quality patient services, in alignment with the quality provided at other WellSpan locations. Emerus has numerous similar partnerships with leading healthcare systems including Baptist Health System, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dignity Health and MultiCare. To learn more about Emerus approach to these innovative hospitals, visit www.emerus.com. For details on WellSpans other six acute care hospitals across South Central Pennsylvania, visit www.WellSpan.org/Hospital. Attachments HAMILTON, Ontario, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is calling on Mayor Andrea Horwath to uphold the public interest by voting against the proposed privatization of Hamiltons Light Rail Transit (LRT) line. On April 24, the Hamilton City Council will vote on a 10-year public-private partnership, aimed at outsourcing operations and maintenance to a private contractor. Ontario unions have long supported Andrea Horwath for her opposition to privatization, including her robust defence of public services from the profit-driven agenda of Doug Fords government We fully expect her to uphold this principled stanceand protect public services and the good union jobs that sustain them. For 150 years, the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) have successfully operated and maintained Hamiltons transit system. Given the proven capabilities and track record of the HSR and ATU, there is absolutely no justification for privatizing the Hamilton LRT, Walton added. Municipalities across Ontario have suffered enough from flawed public-private partnerships, as seen in Ottawa and Toronto. Privatization often compromises quality and safety for supposed cost savings, Walton continued. The Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto has experienced 12 years of construction, billions in cost overruns, and a lack of accountability. Similarly, the O-Train in Ottawa has faced derailments, delivery delays, and severe operational issues, along with numerous safety concerns. We must learn from these failures and prevent them from happening again, Walton added. The OFL reminds Hamilton City Councillors of their 2017 commitment to keep the LRT public under the HSRs operation. The labour movement calls on Mayor Horwath and the City Council to do the right thingkeep transit public in Hamilton to prevent placing an untenable financial burden on Hamiltonians for years to come. The Ontario Federation of Labour represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. It is the largest provincial labour federation in Canada. Visit OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. For more information, please contact: Jenny Sellathurai Interim Director of Communications Ontario Federation of Labour jsellathurai@ofl.ca | 416-894-3456 cj/COPE343 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pervasip Corp. (OTCPK: PVSP) (Pervasip or the Company), a developer of companies and technologies in high value emerging markets, today announced its 2024 first quarter financial results. Key Highlights Gross Profit for the quarter ending February 29, 2024 totaled $831,079 on $3,347,086 in revenues, compared to gross profits of $716,213 during the same period in 2023. Gross Margins increased from 20% to 25%, a 25% increase. The improved gross margin reflects increases in production yields and gains in production efficiencies. Revenues of $3.34 million decreased slightly from 2023 first quarter revenues of $3.66 million, achieved in a market that continues to battle over supply and price compression. Operating Loss for the quarter increased to $618,623, deeper than the $501,283 loss reported in the first quarter of 2023. This increase is attributable to one-time expenses related to the restructuring of operational staff and completion of the companys 2022 audit. Operating cashflow for the quarter ending February 29, 2024 totaled $98,320 compared to negative cashflow of ($38,044) during the same period in 2023. Generated first retail sales in Oregon recreational market, fulfilling companys goal of expanding its retail brand on the West Coast. The Company initiated its debt and operational restructuring, continuing to reduce low yielding real estate footprint, entering into a voluntary debt restructuring, consolidating operations, and exiting one of its largest facilities which had seen 65% utilization over the past years. With a focus on higher margin products, operational objectives focus on improving gross and operating margins in preparation for the spin out of all of the Companys cannabis assets. We are entering our final phase of restructuring which involves making difficult decisions to ensure additional expense reductions and separating the Company from assets it has held for many years, said German Burtscher, Pervasips president and chief executive officer. As part of the restructuring, George Jordan has resigned from his duties as CFO and COO of the company and will stay on as an advisor, supporting management through its final phase of changes in preparation of the spin out of Artizen Corporation. The Company has engaged with Frucci & Associates for the completion of the fiscal 2023 audit of the Company and of Artizen Corporation, which is needed for a spinout and uplisting of Artizen Corporation to OTCQB. In the meanwhile, the Company also has entered into negotiations with several parties to bring to Pervasip certain technologies and related opportunities once the spinout is complete. The basic and diluted loss per share remained constant at $(0.00), with the weighted average number of shares outstanding increasing slightly to 5,429,231,963 from 5,329,231,963. As we continue our efforts to streamline operations and focus on higher-margin products, these quarterly figures reflect both the challenges and the ongoing strategic adjustments being undertaken by the company. Our commitment to improving our financial performance remains steadfast as we prepare for the strategic spin-out of Artizen Corporation and engage in new opportunities that align with Pervasip's growth trajectory. Pervasip Corporation Pervasip Corp., a developer of companies and technologies in high value emerging markets, owns Artizen Corporation and its subsidiary, Zen Asset Management LLC, a diversified asset management company founded to acquire, develop, and support companies and technologies in the cannabis industry. ZAMs existing clients operate four licensed cannabis cultivation and one processing facility in Washington. Most of the biomass produced by these independent cultivators has been sold historically under the Artizen brand, including all-time top selling products in flower in Washington state. Additional information on Artizen-branded products is available online at www.artizencannabis.com . Additional information on Pervasip can be found at www.pervasip.net . Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives, or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as may, would, could, will, likely, except, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, forecast, project, estimate, outlook, or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the objectives and business plans of the Company; ability to realize benefits from its recent corporate appointments; ability to retain its key personnel; the intention to grow the Companys business and operations; the competitive conditions of the industries in which the Company operates; and laws and any amendments thereto applicable to the Company. Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, key personnel and qualified employees continuing their involvement with the Company; and the Companys ability to secure financing on reasonable terms. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks relating to the future business plans of the Company; risks that the Company will not be able to retain its key personnel; risks that the Company will not be able to secure financing on reasonable terms or at all, as well as all of the other risks as described in the Companys periodic disclosure statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Companys management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information or events after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law, including securities laws. For further information, please contact: T: 206-590-2408, Extension 102 E: info@pervasip.net Washington, DC, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The James A. Garfield Presidential Silver Medal will be available for purchase directly from the United States Mint (Mint) starting on April 30 at noon EDT. Garfield was the nations 20th President, serving from March 1881 until his death in September 1881 after being shot by an assassin in July of that year. The Department of the Treasury has a long-standing tradition of honoring each President of the United States with an official bronze medal struck by the Mint. The Mint is now replicating this series of medals in 99.9 percent fine silver, each measuring 1.598 inches in diameter. The obverse (heads) and reverse (tails) designs of the silver medal honoring the 20th U.S. President are by sculptor Charles E. Barber, who was the Mints sixth Chief Engraver. The obverse depicts a portrait of James A. Garfield with the inscription JAMES A. GARFIELD. The reverse shows a wreath of laurel and oak leaves wrapped in crossed ribbons. Inside the wreath are the inscriptions INAUGURATED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 4, 1881, ASSASSINATED JULY 2, 1881, and DIED SEPT 19, 1881. Each medal is encapsulated and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. The James A. Garfield Presidential Silver Medal is priced at $75. To set up a REMIND ME alert for this product, visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/james-a-garfield-presidential-silver-medal-S820.html/ (product code S820). To view additional medals in this series, visit: https://catalog.usmint.gov/medals/presidential/silver-presidential-medals/. Presidential Silver Medals are also available for purchase via the Mints Product Enrollment Program. Enrollments work like a magazine subscription. After you are enrolled, you will receive the next product released in the series and continue to receive products until you end your enrollment. Visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/presidential-silver-medal-enrollment-RJ.html to learn more. About the United States Mint Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nations sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers. Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of April 30, 2024, at noon EDT. The Presidential Silver Medals are also available from the Mints sales centers at the Philadelphia Mint, 151 N. Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (on 5th Street between Arch Street and Race Street); at the Denver Mint, 320 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 (on Cherokee Street, between West Colfax Avenue and West 14th Avenue); and from the Mint Headquarters Coin Store in Washington, D.C., 801 9th St. NW, Washington, DC 20220. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Visit https://www.usmint.gov/about for information about the United States Mint. Visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/email-signup to subscribe to United States Mint electronic product notifications, news releases, public statements, and our monthly educational newsletter, Lessons That Make Cents . . Sign up for RSS Feeds from the United States Mint and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram. ### United States Mint Connecting America through Coins All dollar amounts shown in United States dollars, unless otherwise indicated. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX, NYSE American: EQX) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding share purchase agreement (the SPA) with certain funds managed by Orion Mine Finance Management LP (Orion) to acquire Orions 40% interest in Greenstone Gold Mine GP Inc., giving Equinox Gold 100% ownership of the Greenstone Mine (Greenstone) in Ontario, Canada (the Transaction). Under the terms of the SPA, Equinox Gold will pay $995 million to acquire Orions 40% interest in Greenstone, payable as follows: 42.0 million common shares of Equinox Gold valued at $250 million; $705 million in cash payable on closing; and $40 million in cash payable by December 31, 2024. Equinox Gold will fund the cash consideration with net proceeds from both a new $500 million three-year term loan and a bought deal equity financing of common shares of Equinox Gold for approximately $260 million. Anticipated Benefits to Equinox Gold Shareholders Rare opportunity to consolidate a world-class gold mine Consolidates 100% ownership of Greenstone, one of the largest and highest-grade open pit gold mines in Canada, a top mining jurisdiction, at the beginning of its expected 14+ year mine life and into a historically strong gold price environment. Consolidates 100% ownership of Greenstone, one of the largest and highest-grade open pit gold mines in Canada, a top mining jurisdiction, at the beginning of its expected 14+ year mine life and into a historically strong gold price environment. Increases production and is significantly accretive to near-term EBITDA and cash flow Increases the Companys annual gold production by an expected 160,000 low-cost ounces per year with significant near-term EBITDA and cash flow per share accretion. Consolidated Greenstone will be Equinox Golds largest mine, producing an expected average of 400,000 ounces of gold per year over the first five years, and is expected to be one of the worlds lowest-cost open-pit gold mines, with cash costs in the industrys lower quartile. Delivers substantial growth and exploration potential Consolidates the Greenstone underground deposit, a key expansion opportunity at Greenstone, as well as multiple gold deposits in a highly prospective land package over a 100-km trend to the west of Greenstone, enhancing the Companys long-term growth profile with both expansion and exploration potential. Ross Beaty, Chairman of Equinox Gold, stated: When we acquired our 60% interest in Greenstone in 2021, our goal was to ultimately own the whole mine. Consolidating 100% of Greenstone into Equinox Gold delivers our shareholders full exposure to a mine of outstanding scale and quality, in one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world, while meaningfully growing our expected production, cash flow and reserves. Greg Smith, President and CEO of Equinox Gold, commented: Opportunities to own gold mines like Greenstone are incredibly rare in our industry, and the Greenstone Mine will now be the foundation for long-term value creation in our company. I also welcome Orion as a shareholder of Equinox Gold and thank them for being a great partner over the last few years, as together with the Greenstone team we have executed a very successful mine build. Greenstone is well into hot commissioning, with first gold in sight. Now, as full owners, we remain focused on advancing Greenstone to commercial production and look forward to surfacing its full potential. Istvan Zollei, Managing Partner of Orion, stated: Orion has been an investor in the Greenstone gold project since 2016, and collaborative joint venture partners with Equinox Gold since 2021. Weve been very pleased to see the crucial construction and operational milestones being delivered by the team and look forward to seeing the mine achieve its full potential. Our partnership with Equinox Gold has been outstanding and synergistic, and we look forward to our ongoing cooperation with the Equinox Gold team as a supportive shareholder. Transaction Funding A syndicate of banks comprising The Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal, ING Capital LLC and National Bank of Canada have provided underwritten commitments for a term loan of $500 million to be used to partially fund the cash consideration pursuant to the SPA (the Term Loan). The Term Loan will have a three-year term with no principal payments during the first two years. Commencing two years after the closing date, the Term Loan will be repaid in quarterly installments equal to 10% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan, with the remaining principal amount to be repaid at maturity. Interest, covenants and other terms are substantially consistent with the Companys existing revolving credit facility. The Term Loan is expected to be completed in connection with closing of the Transaction. In addition, Equinox Gold has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters led by BMO Capital Markets, National Bank Financial Inc. and Scotiabank as joint book-runners (collectively, the Underwriters), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, 49,060,000 common shares of Equinox Gold (the Common Shares) at a price of $5.30 per Common Share (the Offering Price), for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $260 million (the Offering). The Company has granted the Underwriters an over-allotment option, exercisable in whole or in part at any time at the Offering Price up to 30 days after closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 15% of the number of Common Shares issued pursuant to the Offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund a portion of the cash consideration pursuant to the SPA due at closing of the Transaction with any excess net proceeds used for general working capital and corporate purposes, including repayment of certain indebtedness. Closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about April 26, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of all necessary approvals of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the TSX) and the NYSE American in accordance with their applicable listing requirements. The Offering will be made in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, other than Quebec, by way of a prospectus supplement (the Prospectus Supplement) to the Companys short form base shelf prospectus dated November 21, 2022 (the Base Shelf Prospectus). The Company has filed a registration statement on Form F-10 (the Registration Statement) (including the Base Shelf Prospectus) and the Prospectus Supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) in accordance with the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system established between Canada and the United States for the Offering. The Offering may also be made on a private placement basis in other international jurisdictions in reliance on applicable private placement exemptions. Before investing, prospective investors should read the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, when available, the documents incorporated by reference therein, the Registration Statement containing such documents and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. When available, these documents may be accessed for free on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SECs Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of these documents, when available, may be obtained upon request by contacting BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. by mail at Brampton Distribution Centre c/o The Data Group of Companies, 9195 Torbram Road, Brampton, ON, L6S 6H2, by telephone at 905-791-3151 Ext 4312, or by email at torbramwarehouse@datagroup.ca, and in the United States by contacting BMO Capital Markets Corp. by mail at 151 W 42nd Street, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10036, Attn: Equity Syndicate Department, by telephone at 1-800-414-3627, or by email at bmoprospectus@bmo.com. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction. Additional Transaction Details Completion of the Transaction is expected to occur in Q2 2024 and is subject to customary closing conditions and receipt of certain regulatory and other approvals. The Transaction does not require shareholder approval. Pursuant to and in compliance with U.S. securities laws, the Company is restricted from marketing activities related to the Transaction prior to closing of the Offering. Advisors and Counsel GenCap Mining Advisory Ltd. is acting as financial and debt advisor and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP are serving as legal counsel to Equinox Gold. RBC Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor and Torys LLP is serving as legal counsel to Orion. Equinox Gold Contacts Greg Smith, President & CEO Rhylin Bailie, Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: +1 604-558-0560 Email: ir@equinoxgold.com About Equinox Gold Equinox Gold is a growth-focused Canadian mining company with seven operating gold mines, commissioning underway at a new mine, and a plan to achieve more than one million ounces of annual gold production by advancing a pipeline of expansion projects. Equinox Golds common shares are listed on the TSX and the NYSE American under the trading symbol EQX. Cautionary Notes This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information in this news release relate to, among other things: the Companys ability to successfully complete the Transaction and the timing thereof, including receipt of all required regulatory approvals and financing; the proposed benefits of the Transaction to the Companys business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and to its shareholders being attained, including with respect to life of mine, production, cash flow, EBITDA and cash costs estimates, and with respect to exploration and growth opportunities; the completion of the Offering, including the receipt of TSX and NYSE American; approval; the intended use of net proceeds from the Offering; the completion and closing of the Term Loan; the use of funds available pursuant to the Term Loan; the anticipated costs of the Transaction; the Companys expectations for the operation of Greenstone, including production capabilities and future financial or operating performance; the strategic vision for the Company and expectations regarding exploration potential, production capabilities and future financial or operating performance; and the Companys ability to successfully advance its growth and development projects. Forward-looking statements or information generally identified by the use of the words will, advance, plan, expect, achieve, on track, on schedule, target, continue, and similar expressions and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results could, would or should, or the negative connotation of such terms, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements as the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company has based these forward-looking statements and information on the Companys current expectations and projections about future events and these assumptions include, but are not limited to: commissioning at Greenstone being completed and performed in accordance with current expectations, including estimated capital costs remaining as expected; availability of funds for the Companys projects and future cash requirements; Greenstone Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates and the assumptions on which they are based; Equinox Golds ability to achieve the production, cost and development expectations for its respective operations and projects; prices for gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; no labour-related disruptions and no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled commissioning, construction, development and production, including by blockade; the expansion projects at Los Filos, Castle Mountain and Aurizona being completed and performed in accordance with current expectations; tonnage of ore to be mined and processed; ore grades and recoveries remaining consistent with mine plans; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; successful relationships between the Company and its joint venture partner and between the Company and its Indigenous partners at Greenstone; and the Companys ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services; fluctuations in currency markets; operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental risks, geotechnical failures, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities and Indigenous partners; the Companys ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner or at all; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mining; increased competition in the mining industry; and those factors identified in the section titled Risks and Uncertainties in Equinox Golds Managements Discussion & Analysis dated February 21, 2024 for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in the section titled Risks Related to the Business in Equinox Golds most recently filed Annual Information Form, both of which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand managements views with respect to future events and speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law, Equinox Gold assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement or information contained or incorporated by reference to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements and information. If Equinox Gold updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that Equinox Gold will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. SAN DIEGO, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Johnson Fistel, LLP (www.johnsonfistel.com), a shareholder rights law firm, announces its continuing investigation of whether certain directors and officers of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) breached their fiduciary duties to CRL and its shareholders. What can I do? If you are a current Charles River shareholder, you may have legal claims that may be brought on behalf of the company, against CRLs directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this notice or your legal rights, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker (jimb@johnsonfistel.com) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number. If you have continuously owned Charles River Laboratories International, shares, you can click or copy and paste the link below in a browser to join: https://www.johnsonfistel.com/investigations/charles-river-laboratories What is this about? In February 2023, Charles River was informed by the Department of Justice that in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it had commenced a grand jury investigation into the companys conduct regarding several shipments of non-human primates. In May 2023, the company also received an inquiry from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requesting information related to its sourcing of non-human primates. Thereafter, on November 14, 2023, the lead plaintiffs in a securities fraud class action filed their amended complaint alleging that Charles Rivers most senior officers misrepresented the companys connection to indicted suppliers of Cambodian non-human primates (long-tailed macaques), while at the same time unloading more than $67 million of their personally held CRL shares. Johnson Fistel LLPs investigation seeks to determine whether Charles Rivers senior officers or members of its board of directors harmed the company by breaching their fiduciary duties or otherwise violating securities laws in connection with the foregoing alleged conduct. About Johnson Fistel, LLP : Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York, Georgia, and Colorado. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Johnson Fistel, LLP has paid for the dissemination of this promotional communication, and Frank J. Johnson is the attorney responsible for its content. Contact: Johnson Fistel, LLP 501 W. Broadway, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101 James Baker, Investor Relations or Frank J. Johnson, Esq., (619) 814-4471 jimb@johnsonfistel.com or fjohnson@johnsonfistel.com Newark, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Brainy Insights estimates that the USD 650 million in 2023 global bio-based leather market will reach USD 1164.05 million in 2033. Vegan or plant-based leather are other names for bio-based leather. It is cruelty-free and sustainable as an alternative to conventional leather obtained from animals. Bio-based leather is made from sustainable plant materials, including apple peels, pineapple leaves, cork, mushrooms and agricultural waste like soybeans or maize husks. Fibres from these plant sources are usually extracted and then processed into a suitable material to create bio-based leather. Because bio-based leather uses less energy and water and produces less pollution, it mitigates the environmental effects of traditional leather production. Because bio-based leather provides an alternative free from animal cruelty, it also complies with ethical concerns about animal welfare. It is also adaptable, enabling personalization. Bio-based leather can be used in a variety of sectors and contexts. It is utilized in accessories, purses, shoes, and apparel. Automakers also utilize it for interior car components, and it is starting to be used in furniture upholstery. Wallets and phone cases are among the consumer products that employ bio-based leather. Bio-based leather presents a viable resolution to the ecological and moral dilemmas linked to conventional leather manufacturing. It lessens the environmental impact, supports animal welfare, and offers versatility across various sectors by utilizing renewable plant-based components. Download Report Sample (230+ Pages PDF with Insights) at: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/sample-request/14195 Key Insight of the Global Bio-based Leather Market Europe will dominate the market during the forecast period. Europe has strict environmental laws and sustainability targets, pushing businesses to look at greener options like leather made from biobased materials. This regulatory framework fosters the adoption of sustainable practices and innovation. Europe's heavy expenditure greatly aids progress in the research and development of bio-based leather. Funding initiatives and supportive policies from European governments and institutions fuel the expansion of the bio-based leather industry. The demand for products made ethically, including alternatives to leather, is driven by European customers' growing environmental consciousness. In 2023, the pineapple segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 38% and revenue of 60.80 million. The source segment is divided into mushrooms, pineapple, cork, leftover fruits, and others. In 2023, the pineapple segment dominated the market with a 38% market share and revenue of 60.80 million. In 2023, the footwear segment dominated the market with the largest share of 41% and revenue of 65.60 million. The application segment is divided into footwear, furnishing, automotive, clothing and accessories, sports, electronics, and others. In 2023, the footwear segment dominated the market with the largest share of 41% and revenue of 65.60 million. Advancement in market At the Guangzhou Auto Show, GAC showcased the production version of their hydrogen ERA concept vehicle. The hydrogen concept car uses repurposed materials for its body and is a cross between an SUV and a four-wheel drive vehicle. The body of GAC's ERA is moulded to produce frequently edgy edges surrounding the overall aesthetics of the hydrogen concept car. It is built with an aerodynamic kit constructed from marine recycled plastic, seaweed, and bio-based components. Market Dynamics Driver: favourable regulations. Governments worldwide are implementing regulations to address environmental issues and encourage sustainable business practices. Bio-based leather is an environmentally acceptable substitute that complies with these criteria. It is made from renewable plant sources. Regulations requiring sustainable sourcing force companies to guarantee accountability for these actions, which raises the demand for bio-based leather that satisfies these standards. Businesses use cleaner production techniques to reduce their carbon footprint in response to emissions reduction requirements. Bio-based leather helps businesses achieve these goals while fostering environmental sustainability because it uses less energy and produces fewer greenhouse gases than traditional leather production. Growing customer knowledge of the advantages and necessity of utilizing eco-friendly products will also push companies to use bio-based leather, expanding the industry. Regulation pressure encourages companies to prioritize sustainability, which in turn fuels the expansion of the bio-based leather market by creating a favourable climate for its adoption. Restraints: Limitations of leather made from biobased materials. Because this business is still in its early stages of development, there are restrictions on the availability and diversity of bio-based leather. This restricted supply can result in increased prices and fewer options for customers. Variety is further limited because the spectrum of plant-based sources employed in manufacturing bio-based leather is smaller than that of animal hides. The strength and longevity of traditional leather might not be matched by bio-based leather. Compared to regular leather, it performs worse in some situations, such as high humidity or harsh temperatures. Thus, the clear drawbacks of bio-based leather over animal substitutes in terms of availability, variety, durability, and performance will restrict the market's growth even despite the eco-friendly aspects of bio-based leather. Opportunities: inventions and breakthroughs in technology. Technological innovation is increasing the quality, durability, and versatility of bio-based leather while also broadening its spectrum of plant-based sources. Researchers are always developing novel processing methods, such as surface treatments and additives, which enhance bio-based leather's functionalities and visual appeal and make it appropriate for various uses. Developing bio-based leather with improved mechanical qualities and resistance to deterioration is made possible by developments in biocomposites and nanomaterials. By increasing its quality, technical innovation extends the use of bio-based leather, which will support its growth during the projection period. Challenges: Environmental considerations. Production of bio-based leather is resource-intensive as some materials require significant agricultural practices, water usage, and energy inputs. Chemical usage in manufacturing processes poses risks to pollution and environmental degradation. Land use and deforestation for crop cultivation, potentially leading to habitat loss, biodiversity depletion, and displacement of communities for sourcing plants for producing leather, are a cause of concern. Therefore, the environmental considerations regarding the agricultural practices used for cultivating plant sources of leather will challenge the adoption of bio-based leather in the market. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/buying-inquiry/14195 Some of the major players operating in the global bio-based leather market are: Ananas Anam Bolt Threads Inc. ECCO Leather Fruitleather Rotterdam Modern Meadows MycoWorks Natural Fiber Welding Inc. Toray Industries Inc. Ultrafabrics VEGEA Key Segments covered in the market: By Source Mushroom Pineapple Cork Leftover Fruits Others By Application Footwear Furnishing Automotive Clothing and Accessories Sports Electronics Others By Region North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC) South America (Brazil and the Rest of South America) The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA) Inquire for Customized Data: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/request-customization/14195 About the report: The market is analyzed based on value (USD Million). All the segments have been analyzed on a worldwide, regional, and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each part. The report analyses driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges to gain critical market insight. The study includes Porter's five forces model, attractiveness analysis, Product analysis, supply and demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution, and marketing channels analysis. About The Brainy Insights: The Brainy Insights is a market research company that provides actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. They have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the client's objectives of high-quality output within a short period. They provide both customized (client-specific) and syndicate reports. Their repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Their customized solutions meet the client's requirements whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market. Contact Us Avinash D Head of Business Development Phone: +1-315-215-1633 Email: sales@thebrainyinsights.com Web: http://www.thebrainyinsights.com Mitchell, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mitchell, South Dakota - Precision Reloading is thrilled to announce the inclusion of Wilson Neck Expanding Dies in its extensive lineup. This development is a boon for shooting aficionados, hunters, and competitive shooters who prioritize precision in their reloading practices. The decision to incorporate these dies into their product range exemplifies Precision Reloading's ongoing dedication to offering top-notch reloading equipment and components. Engineered to elevate the precision and consistency of reloaded ammunition, the Wilson Neck Expanding Dies are indispensable for achieving the ideal neck tension. These high-quality dies are now accessible for acquisition via Precision Reloadings easily navigable online store. Recognized for its vast array of reloading gear, including dies, bullets, hulls, wads, and powder, Precision Reloading caters to a diverse array of shooting disciplines. By introducing the Wilson Neck Expanding Dies, the company further establishes itself as the go-to source for reloaders in search of dependable and effective tools. These dies are meticulously designed to expand the neck of cartridge casings with precision, facilitating the insertion of a new bullet. This essential phase in the reloading procedure is critical in preserving uniform case neck tension, a key factor in guaranteeing consistent accuracy of each reloaded round. A spokesperson from Precision Reloading remarked on the new offering, saying, At Precision Reloading, our commitment to the reloading community drives us to supply products that enhance their craft. The addition of Wilson Neck Expanding Dies to our inventory is a reflection of our dedication to quality and precision. These dies demonstrate our efforts to assist shooters in producing ammunition that meets their stringent standards. We are excited to equip our customers with tools that surpass their expectations in terms of reliability and performance. The online platform of Precision Reloading offers a seamless shopping experience, enabling customers to browse an extensive collection of reloading supplies. In-depth product information and imagery assist users in choosing the right products for their specific reloading requirements. With the introduction of the Wilson Neck Expanding Dies, the company reiterates its commitment to providing not just goods, but solutions that markedly enhance the reloading process. The spokesperson further elaborated, Reloading is as much an art as it is a science, and every detail is crucial. That is why we advocate for products like the Wilson Neck Expanding Dies that aid in creating superior quality ammunition. Our team is committed to supporting our customers' reloading endeavors, offering not only the necessary tools but also comprehensive knowledge and support. Our dedication to excellence is manifested in the products we provide, and we look forward to seeing our customers reach their objectives with the Wilson Neck Expanding Dies. For those interested in discovering the potential of the Wilson Neck Expanding Dies or in search of other premium reloading gear, Precision Reloading encourages them to visit their online store at https://www.precisionreloading.com/. Devoted to the reloading community, Precision Reloading continues to assemble a selection of products that adhere to the highest standards of quality and efficiency, ensuring customers have access to the finest tools for honing their reloading expertise. RECENT NEWS: Precision Reloading's New Hornady Hit Target Impact Indicator: Hitting the Bullseye on Accuracy and Immediate Impact Feedback https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B8XcqCVp88 ### For more information about Precision Reloading, contact the company here: Precision Reloading Precision Reloading 605-996-9984 Orders@precisionreloading.com 1700 W. Cedar Ave. Mitchell, SD 57301 Perth, April 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MARCH 2024 QUARTER REPORT Perseus Mining Delivers Another Impressive Quarter PERTH, Western Australia/ April 24, 2024/Perseus Mining Limited (Perseus or the Company) (TSX & ASX: PRU) reports on its activities for the three months period ended March 31, 2024 (the Quarter). Key operating indicators and highlights for the March 2024 quarter include: PERFORMANCE INDICATOR UNIT SEPTEMBER 2023 QUARTER DECEMBER 2023 QUARTER MARCH 2024 QUARTER FINANCIAL YEAR (FY) 2024 TO DATE Gold recovered Ounces 132,804 128,773 127,471 389,048 Gold poured Ounces 132,717 128,339 128,356 389,412 Production Cost US$/ounce 805 862 923 862 All-In Site Cost (AISC) US$/ounce 937 1,023 1,091 1,016 Gold sales Ounces 115,954 135,137 115,648 366,739 Average sales price US$/ounce 1,936 1,963 2,025 1,974 Notional Cashflow US$ million 132 122 119 373 Gold production of 127,471 ounces in the March 2024 quarter, with financial year to date gold production of 389,048 ounces. March 2024 quarter weighted average AISC of US$1,091 per ounce, slightly above the prior quarter, as foreshadowed last quarter. Perseuss strong operating performance is expected to continue for the remainder of the June 2024 Half Year with gold production and AISC guidance unchanged at 226,000-254,000 ounces at an AISC of US$1,180 to US$1,340. Average gold sales price increased 3% quarter on quarter to US$2,025 per ounce, while the quantity of gold sold reduced to 115,648 ounces due to the timing of gold shipments and sales. Average quarterly cash margin of US$934 per ounce of gold resulted in notional operating cashflow of US$119 million in the quarter or US$373 million for the nine-month period to March 31, 2024. Available cash and bullion balance of US$702 million, plus US$74 million of listed securities at quarter-end. Zero debt and US$300 million of undrawn debt capacity available. Group 12-month rolling average TRIFR at 1.02, slightly up from 0.89 in the December 2023 quarter. A Cooperation Agreement was signed with Ajlan & Bros Mining & Metals Company, the mining division of a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia based investment conglomerate company, Ajlan & Bros, to investigate exploration and development opportunities on the Nubian and Arabian Shield regions. Perseuss takeover offer for OreCorp Limited advanced materially during the quarter with the OreCorp Board endorsing the offer. Subsequent to quarter end, Perseuss ownership of OreCorp advanced beyond 90% enabling compulsory acquisition of outstanding shares to begin. Group Gold Production and Cost Market Guidance Forecast group gold production and AISC for the June 2024 half year and full 2024 financial year are shown in Table 1 below. This guidance is unchanged from what was previously provided to the market. Table 1: Production and Cost Guidance PARAMETER UNITS DECEMBER 2023 HALF YEAR (ACTUAL) JUNE 2024 HALF YEAR FORECAST 2024 FINANCIAL YEAR FORECAST Yaoure Gold Mine Production Ounces 134,379 100,000 to 113,000 235,000 to 247,000 All-in Site Cost USD per ounce 805 $1,150 to $1,300 $900 to $1,000 Sissingue Gold Mine Production Ounces 28,551 36,000 to 41,000 65,000 to 69,000 All-in Site Cost USD per ounce 1,719 $1,450 to $1,650 $1,400 to $1,500 Edikan Gold Mine Production Ounces 98,647 90,000 to 100,000 191,000 to 201,000 All-in Site Cost USD per ounce 1,003 $1,100 to $1,250 $1,000 to $1,100 PERSEUS GROUP Production Ounces 261,577 226,000 to 254,000 491,000 to 517,000 All-in Site Cost USD per ounce 979 $1,180 to $1,340 $1,000 to $1,100 Competent Person Statement All production targets referred to in this release are underpinned by estimated Ore Reserves which have been prepared by competent persons in accordance with the requirements of the JORC Code. Edikan The information in this release that relates to the Open Pit and Underground Mineral Resources and Ore Reserve at Edikan was updated by the Company in a market announcement Perseus Mining updates Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves released on 24 August 2023. The Company confirms that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, in that market release continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Edikan Gold Mine, Ghana dated 7 April 2022 continue to apply. Sissingue, Fimbiasso and Bagoe The information in this release that relates to the Mineral Resources and Ore Reserve at the Sissingue complex was updated by the Company in a market announcement Perseus Mining updates Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves released on 24 August 2023. The Company confirms that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, in that market release continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Sissingue Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 29 May 2015 continue to apply. Yaoure The information in this release that relates to the Open Pit and Underground Mineral Resources and Ore Reserve at Yaoure was updated by the Company in a market announcement Perseus Mining announces Open Pit and Underground Ore Reserve update at Yaoure released on 23 August 2023. The Company confirms that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, in that market release continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Yaoure Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 19 December 2023 continue to apply. Meyas Sand Gold Project The information in this report that relates to the mineral resources and probable reserves of the Meyas Sand Gold Project was first reported by the Company in a market announcement Perseus Enters Into Agreement to Acquire Orca Gold Inc. released on 28 February 2022. The Company confirms it is not in possession of any new information or data relating to those estimates that materially impacts of the reliability of the estimate of the Companys ability to verify the estimate as a mineral resource or ore reserve in accordance with Appendix 5A (JORC Code) and the information in that original market release continues to apply and have not materially changed. These estimates are prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 standards and have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the resource in accordance with the JORC Code and it is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration work that the estimate will be able to be reported as a mineral resource or ore reserve in accordance with the JORC Code. This release and all technical information regarding Orcas NI 43-101 have been reviewed and approved by Adrian Ralph, a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information: This report contains forward-looking information which is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made by the Company regarding, among other things: the price of gold, continuing commercial production at the Yaoure Gold Mine, the Edikan Gold Mine and the Sissingue Gold Mine without any major disruption, the receipt of required governmental approvals, the accuracy of capital and operating cost estimates, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used by the Company. Although management believes that the assumptions made by the Company and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual market price of gold, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Companys ability to carry on its exploration and development activities, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Perseus does not undertake to update forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. ASX/TSX CODE: PRU CAPITAL STRUCTURE: Ordinary shares: 1,373,791,215 Performance rights: 9,969,110 REGISTERED OFFICE: Level 2 437 Roberts Road Subiaco WA 6008 Telephone: +61 8 6144 1700 www.perseusmining.com DIRECTORS: Mr Jeff Quartermaine Chairman & CEO Ms Amber Banfield Non-Executive Director Ms Elissa Cornelius Non-Executive Director Mr Dan Lougher Non-Executive Director Mr John McGloin Non-Executive Director Mr David Ransom Non-Executive Director CONTACTS: Jeff Quartermaine Chairman & CEO jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com Stephen Forman Investor Relations +61 484 036 681 stephen.forman@perseusmining.com Nathan Ryan Corporate Relations +61 420 582 887 nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au Attachment 75 years on, a stronger PLA Navy to contribute more to world peace Xinhua) 16:45, April 23, 2024 The 46th fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy sets sail from a military port in Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 21, 2024. (Photo by Yang Jie/Xinhua) BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Min Jiangtao, a 34-year-old junior officer in China's navy, has witnessed the launch of all three aircraft carriers of China, dubbed Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian. About seven decades ago when the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy had just been established, then naval commander Xiao Jinguang had to take a fishing boat to inspect Liugong Island, about 2.1 nautical miles from the coast of China's Shandong Province, a fact recorded in a stele inscription on the island. This year marks the 75th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy. Over the decades, the PLA Navy has undergone steady development, starting from scratch and growing into a strategic force consisting of five services, armed with both nuclear and conventional weapons. Poised to become a world-class naval force, the PLA Navy is determined to gain the capability to fulfill its missions and tasks in the new era, and to contribute more to maintaining peace in the world. TOWARD A WORLD-CLASS NAVY The PLA Navy's weaponry and equipment development has come a long way. In the early days of the establishment of the navy, the total tonnage of its vessels was just a few thousand tonnes, which was less than a single destroyer in the navy of a major power. The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 marked the start of a "golden period" for the navy's development. The achievements included the launching of the first amphibious assault ship independently developed by China in September 2019 and the commissioning of the new 10,000-tonne destroyer Nanchang in January 2020. In June 2022, the first ejection aircraft carrier independently designed and built by China, the Fujian, was launched and named. COMMITMENT TO PEACE The Chinese Navy owes its development to peace and is going beyond the national borders for peace. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, a commerce and trade hub in east China's Zhejiang Province, has witnessed the many departures of the Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" on its various humanitarian missions. The ship has provided medical services for more than 290,000 patients from 45 countries and regions since its commissioning in 2008. As the main maritime force of the country, the PLA Navy plays an active role in maritime public affairs, maintaining maritime peace, tranquility and order, while continuously providing public security products to the international community. In April 2023, the Chinese navy participated in the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Sudan following the outbreak of armed conflict in the country. It was the third overseas evacuation of civilians carried out by the Chinese navy in recent years, following two previous operations in Libya and Yemen in 2011 and 2015, respectively. During the overseas evacuation of civilians, the Chinese navy demonstrated its commitment to international humanitarian assistance by helping hundreds of foreigners leave the crisis-torn countries. Over the years, the Chinese navy has been active in carrying out the country's assistance to other countries, including delivering 960 tonnes of fresh water to the Maldives during a water crisis caused by a fire incident in 2014, and sailing over 5,200 nautical miles to assist in disaster relief efforts in the wake of a volcanic eruption in Tonga in 2022. In the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia, Chinese naval ships have been carrying out vessel protection operations since December 2008. Over the years, 46 consecutive fleets with over 150 vessels of the PLA Navy have joined the efforts, escorting more than 7,200 Chinese and foreign vessels, helping transform the area once known as "the world's most dangerous area" into a "golden waterway." The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) is being held in east China's port city of Qingdao, gathering delegations from 29 countries. This is the second time the WPNS has been held in China after the country first hosted the event in 2014. Addressing the opening event on Monday, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that China's armed forces have actively participated in international cooperation of maritime security and provided maritime public security goods, adding that China will play a more positive and open role in international military cooperation. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) VANCOUVER, March 28, 2024 - Europacific Metals Inc. (TSXV:EUP)(OTCQB:AUCCF) (the "Company" or "Europacific") is pleased to announce that it has awarded a drilling contract to SPI, Sondeos Y Perforaciones Industriales del Bierzo, SA, one of the most active drilling companies in Spain and Portugal with a vast working experience. SPI possesses international environmental and quality management certifications, respectively ISO1 4001 and ISO 9001. The Company is planning for the immediate commencement of drilling and is preparing the drill pad locations. "We're making preparations at the drill site for the immediate commencement of drill operations at the Miguel Vacas Copper project, over the last few months we have completed a reinterpretation and geological modelling along with further sampling. This has enabled us to generate a very compelling drill target model at Miguel Vacas. The drill program will focus on and confirm the extensions and the quality of the oxidized blanket for an open pit heap leaching operation. If successful, this will allow us to come up and confirm an initial resource estimation and enable a bulk sample operation in the short term while the sulfide parts of the system are assessed by deeper drilling at a later stage. We have a very experienced technical team and are looking forward to boots on the ground next week." stated Karim Rayani, Chief Executive Officer. The campaign will be initially focused on Miguel Vacas Copper advanced copper project which is located approximately 180 km east by road from Lisbon and approximately 70 km east from Evora, the Alentejo region capital. Miguel Vacas open pit copper deposit which produced 1.9 million lbs of copper from the oxide zone of a shear zone in schists at least 2,000 meters along strike and 10 to 20 meters in width. Drilling priority will be focused in this phase on the evaluation of the shallow (<80m) open pittable section of the deposit which consists mainly of oxidised copper ore amenable to heap leaching. Historical near surface drilling (60 to 71.63m) intercepted 1.79 % Cu over 10.54m including 2.29% Cu over 7.30 m. An in-house resource estimation based on 20 historical holes carried out by Rio Narcea came up with a total of 1.2 Mt @ 1.23% Cu for the supergene blanket and 4.4 Mt @ 1.24% Cu for the sulphide ore, respectively from 0 to 80m and >80m to 250m over a drilled strike length of approximately 1.1km. The mineralized system extends on at least 2 km along l strike and is open at depth. These drilling data has been compiled from reports from a Portuguese private company, EMIL-Empresa de Mineracao S.A. in the seventies of the previous century and Colt Resources, a Canadian junior, during the period 2014-2015. Highlights of these results are depicted in the table below: The plan includes a total of 11 shallow holes to confirm previous results and detail the morphology of the oxidized blanket in order to outline an initial resource estimation. A deep undercut hole is also planned to confirm the deeper sulphide zone for further follow-up. All relevant authorizations from the public authorities and landowners have all been cleared and drilling platforms have been concluded. Work is scheduled to start effectively in the first week of April 2024. Borba 2 projects have a well-documented potential to host precious and base metals mineralization often enhanced by the presence of abundant Au and /or Cu mineral occurrences in shear zones hosted in Devonian and Silurian metasediments and in epithermal systems associated with intra-Ordovician volcanics. About Europacific Metals Inc. Europacific Metals Inc. is a Canadian public company listed on TSXV and in US on OTCQB. The Company holds brownfield gold, and copper-gold projects located in Portugal. The Company is focused on exploration in highly prospective geological settings in Europe jurisdictions. EuroPacific Metals ("EUP") owns a total of 100% equity interest in EVX Portugal, a private Portugal based company, that holds the legal exploration rights from the Portugal Government on the Borba 2 ("Borba 2") exploration properties, covering approximately 328 square kilometers in the Alentejo region in Southern Portugal. Miguel Vacas is the most advanced prospect within the Borba 2 license. Qualified Person Technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 and approved for inclusion by Mr. Jose Mario Castelo Branco, EuroGeol, who is a "qualified person" with over 35 years' experience in the Exploration and Mining Geology industry. Mr. Castelo Branco holds a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Porto in Portugal. He is also a member of the Portuguese Association of Geologists, the European Federation of Geologists, Member of the Prospectors and Developers of Canada, the Society of Economic Geologists and the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits. On behalf of the Board of Directors Europacific Metals Inc. Mr. Karim Rayani, Chief Executive Officer 11th Floor - 1111 Melville Street Vancouver, BC V6E 3V6 E: k@r7.capital www.europacific.ca This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the exploration potential of the Company's properties. Generally forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "anticipate", "will", "expect", "may", "continue", "could", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, results of future exploration and development activities, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government approvals, changes in commodity prices and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations. Although the Company believes current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered are appropriate and that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct or enduring. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any forward-looking statements that are contained or incorporated in this press release. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The readers should not rely on any historical estimates. The Company and the QP have not done sufficient work to classify historical estimate as a current resource. The Company is not treating the historical estimate as a current resource. Additional work including drilling will be required to verify and upgrade historical estimates. SOURCE: Europacific Metals Inc. VANCOUVER, April 22, 2024 - Golden Sky Minerals Corp. (AUEN.V) ("Golden Sky" or "The Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced a 15-line kilometre geophysical induced-polarization (IP) survey at the Rayfield Target zone on its 100%-owned Rayfield Copper-Gold Property in south-central British Columbia, Canada (Figures 1 & 2). The geophysical program is designed to test the core of the 3.0 km x 1.5 km soil geochemical anomaly to a depth of up to 700 m (Figure 3). Phase 2 will consist of up to 3,000 metres of diamond drilling to test the geochemical anomalies and geophysical anomalies identified from the IP survey. The 35,000-hectare Rayfield property is located in the Quesnel Trough, British Columbia's primary copper-producing belt, which hosts Teck Resources' Highland Valley Mine, Imperial Metals' Mount Polley Mine, Centerra Gold's Mount Milligan Mine, and Kodiak Copper's MPD Project (see Figure 1). The road-accessible Rayfield copper-gold property is located approximately 20 kilometers east of the town of 70 Mile House, British Columbia, and is accessible year-round by well-maintained service and logging roads extending from BC Highway 97. John Newell, President and CEO of Golden Sky Minerals, states: "The management, directors, and geological team at Golden Sky Minerals are pleased to announce the commencement of an IP Survey at our Rayfield property. Upon completion, we will share the valuable insights gained from this survey with the market. These insights will also be integrated into our exploration database, which already includes meticulously compiled exploration data from the past 30 months. This information will be instrumental in planning our upcoming drill program scheduled for later this year. With current record-high gold prices and a recent strong rebound in copper prices from their recent lows suggest to us that the progress and advancements made at the Rayfield Copper-Gold Project over the past two years have been and should continue to be well-timed. Our staking activities and other developments on this highly prospective district-scale property have potentially positioned us strategically to participate in stronger metals markets. Golden Sky Minerals looks forward to conducting a comprehensive range of exploration activities in the 2024 field season, including our inaugural diamond drilling program, to further advance this promising property. Rayfield Property Highlights The Rayfield Property contains the late Triassic alkalic Rayfield River Pluton, speculated to be part of the highly prospective Upper Triassic Copper Mountain Magmatic Belt, which includes the Copper Mountain, New Afton and Mount Polley copper deposits (Figure 1). In 2006, the Geological Survey of Canada conducted a geophysical program, which included magnetic and radiometric surveys, over the Rayfield Property. The resulting elevated magnetic and potassic anomalies are largely underexplored and show similar characteristics to those signifying other alkalic copper-gold porphyries in the Quesnel Terrane. Fieldwork by Golden Sky has confirmed a close correlation between the volume of sheeted and stockwork quartz veining and magnetic low features. These magnetic lows are also coincident with elevated values of the pathfinder elements manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), vanadium (V,) and barium (Ba), which are commonly associated with sericitic/propylitic alteration typically bounding the core of a porphyry system. Recent fieldwork by Golden Sky has outlined a 3.0 km x 1.5 km copper-in-soil geochemical anomaly that remains open to the northwest and to the southeast (Figure 3). Within this anomaly are several soil samples that assayed up to ~4,000 ppm Cu, and rock samples that assayed up to 6,319 ppm (0.63%) Cu and 245.5 ppb Au (Sample 118884; see Oct 31, 2023 news release). Historic exploration on the Property has been largely constrained to a ~505-hectare zone hosting an extensive copper-gold porphyry system outlined by soil sampling, historic drilling, and shallow-penetration radiometric and IP geophysical surveying. Mineralization in several historic drillholes extends from surface to end of hole, at approximately 150-300 m of depth, which suggests that the mineralized porphyry system remains open at depth. Previous exploration programs were unable to definitively identify the exact orientation of the porphyry system, but mapping by Golden Sky has confirmed at least two main orientations of mineralized quartz veins in the area. These are a northwest striking, steeply northeast dipping set, and an east-west striking, moderately north-dipping set. In 1989, a 34 line-kilometer IP survey on the Rayfield Target zone outlined several chargeability "high" zones, which were subsequently tested by drilling programs in 1989, 1990, and 2008. Importantly, due to the shallow response of the survey (limited to ~125 m depth), these anomalies are interpreted to remain open at depth. Golden Sky believes that, with modern exploration methods, there is significant potential to discover additional mineralized zones at depth (Figure 4). Exploration drilling on the property from the 1970s to the early 2000s totalled just 60 holes (7,774.2 meters), with the majority being shallow percussion holes typically <60 m in depth. Historic drilling outlined a broad footprint (450 m x 2,100 m) of low-grade copper mineralization and hydrothermal alteration indicating potential for a robust copper-gold porphyry system. 1970 Exploration Program: 31 percussion holes totalling 1,748 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.42% Cu over 6.1m 1989 Exploration Program: 8 diamond drillholes totalling 1,141 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.18% Cu and 71 ppb Au over 33.9 m; 0.14% Cu and 30 ppb Au over 66.7 m 1990 Exploration Program: 14 diamond drillholes totalling 3,337 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.13% Cu and 35 ppb Au over 152 m (EOH) 2008 Exploration Program: 7 diamond drillholes totalling 1,548.2 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.13% Cu and <10 ppb Au over 67 m Many shallow historical drill intercepts on the Rayfield Property have similar grades to historic holes reported during early exploration phases on some neighboring alkalic copper-gold porphyries within the Quesnel Terrane. Further drilling is warranted to explore zones of mineralization along strike and to depth. Figure 1: The ~35,000-hectare Rayfield Cu-Au Property is located within the Quesnel Trough, British Columbia's primary copper-producing belt. Figure 2: The Rayfield target zone is defined by a large 3.0 km x 1.5 km multi-element soil geochemical anomaly. The Rayfield target zone is highly prospective, with anomalous copper-in-soil values grading up to ~0.40%, and rock samples grading up to 0.63% Cu and 245 ppb Au. Numerous other target zones also exist across the extensive 35,000-hectare Rayfield Property. Figure 3: Copper-in-soil assays (2021-2022) overlying TMI Aeromagnetic survey. Elevated values in copper also coincide with pathfinder geochemical elements commonly associated with deeper sericitic and/or propylitic alteration, typically bounding the higher-grade core of porphyry systems. See Figure 4 for cross section A-A'. Figure 4: Cross-section A-A' outlined in Figure 3. Historical diamond drill results with interpreted potassic zone of the porphyry system flanked by lower-grade copper within propylitic/phyllic zones. Historical induced polarization surveys extend only to ~125m of depth and many of the historical drill holes ended in mineralization. Mineralization is interpreted to remain open along strike and at depth. About Golden Sky Minerals Corp. Golden Sky Minerals Corp. is a well-funded junior grassroots explorer engaged in the acquisition, assessment, exploration, and development of mineral properties located in highly prospective areas and mining-friendly districts. Golden Sky's mandate is to develop its portfolio of Properties to the mineral resource stage through systematic exploration. The drill-ready properties include Hotspot and Lucky Strike, both in Yukon, Canada. In addition, the drill-ready Rayfield Copper-Gold Property in southern British Columbia, and the staking of the Auden Property in Ontario, add to the company's substantial early-stage Canadian property pipeline. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. More information can be found at the Company's website at www.goldenskyminerals.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD John Newell, President and Chief Executive Officer Carl Schulze, P. Geo., Consulting Geologist with Aurora Geosciences Ltd, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Golden Sky's British Columbia exploration projects, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release. For new information from the Company's programs, please visit Golden Sky's website at www.GoldenSkyMinerals.com or contact John Newell by telephone (604) 568-8807 or by email at info@goldenskyminerals.com or john.newell@goldenskyminerals.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipates", "expects", "understanding", "has agreed to" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "would", "occur" or "be achieved". Although Golden Sky has attempted to identify important factors and risks that could affect Golden Sky and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors and risks that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, without limitation: inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties; the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other exploration data; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with Golden Sky's expectations; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title and permitting matters; labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in operations; fluctuating metal prices; unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on its projects; that Golden Sky may not be able to confirm historical exploration results and other risks set forth in Golden Sky's public filings at www.sedar.com. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, Golden Sky has applied several material assumptions, including the assumption that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Golden Sky does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. LONDON, April 23, 2024 - Abitibi Metals Corp. (CSE: AMQ) (OTCQB: AMQFF) (FSE: FW0) ("Abitibi" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed its Phase 1 maiden drill program at the B26 Polymetallic Deposit ("B26", the "Project" or the "Deposit"). On November 16th, 2023, the Company entered into an option agreement on the B26 Polymetallic Deposit to earn 80% over 7 years from SOQUEM Inc. ("SOQUEM"), a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec (see news release dated November 16, 2023). 44 diamond drill holes were completed totalling 13,502 metres under the first phase of a fully funded 50,000metre, 2024-2025 drill program. To-date, assay results from the first 10 holes have been released; assay results for the remaining 34 drill holes are expected over the coming weeks and will be released once received and compiled. The Company intends to recommence drilling activities in early June once the winter break-up concludes and Phase 2 targeting is finalized. Highlights from the Phase 1 Program include: B26 Main Deposit: 36 holes were completed, totalling 10,469.5 metres, to evaluate the open pit potential and potential up-dip near-surface extensions of the Main Deposit to the north and infill gaps in the model. Satellite West: 5 holes were completed, totalling 1,716 metres, targeting the geometric continuity of a potential satellite zone 500 metres to the west of the Main Deposit. Eastern Extension: 3 holes were completed, totalling 1,317 metres, targeting the expansion of the main deposit to the east where 2.45% Cu Eq over 26.7 metres, including 4.74% CuEq over 11.7 metres (1274-14-167) was intercepted in historical drilling. Phase 1 highlight intervals to date include: #1274-24-293: 2.6% CuEq over 37.0 metres beginning at 106 metres depth, including 6.3% CuEq over 10.6 metres #1274-24-294: 2.5% CuEq over 61.3 metres beginning at 128.6 metres depth, including 11.4% CuEq over 10.6 metres #1274-24-300: 5.35% CuEq over 8.1 metres beginning at 251.5 metres depth #1274-24-301: 1.47% CuEq over 97.5 metres beginning at 30.5 metres depth, including 3.9% CuEq over 21.9 metres Jonathon Deluce, CEO of Abitibi Metals, commented, "We are thrilled with these initial results of our maiden drill program at the B26 Polymetallic Copper Deposit. We had initially planned to drill 2,750 metres but with the continued success in drilling and support from our shareholders, we expanded our maiden program to 13,500 metres, larger than our initial total program for 2024." Mr. Deluce continued: "The significance of this program cannot be understated. Part of our thesis when we optioned B26 was to assess the potential open-pit component that could be added to the historical underground resource. Our strategy for this maiden program was to primarily concentrate on high-priority targets within the Main Deposit to a depth of 300 metres, and the results from #293, #294, #300 and #301, which identified significant near-surface high metal factor zones, support our thesis of assessing the open-pit potential at B26 further. With the recently completed financing bringing our total treasury to approximately $19 million, we are well-positioned to build on this maiden program with a further 36,500 metres to be drilled into 2025. I look forward to sharing the remaining results in the coming weeks as we prepare for the next phase of drilling in the Spring of 2024." The Company's 2024 strategy moving forward to develop B26 will be focused on five milestones: 16,500+ metres of drilling. With 13,500 metres completed, the Company anticipates drilling a further 16,500 metres in 2024 as part of the total 50,000 metres fully funded into 2025. Updated Internal Resource & 3D Model: The Company recently announced its first 3D model of the Project, integrating data from its maiden program with the 115,000+ metres drilled by SOQUEM. The new 3D geological model represents a fundamental evolution in the understanding of the geological controls of mineralization within the B26 Deposit, and is expected to inform and improve confidence in an updated internal mineral resource estimate, which is currently underway. Gravity Survey: The Company is planning a Gravity Survey grid to cover extensions of the VMS contact to help model the geology, primarily the mafic-felsic contacts and sulphide-rich environment, in order to target new mineralized extensions and satellites close to the surface and at a moderate depth (300 to 600 metres). This is aligned with our first-year objective of improving our understanding of the Project. Eventually, an integrated geophysics approach could deliver additional discoveries on the property. Evaluation of Assay Preparation: In the 2018 resource estimate, SGS recommended QAQC protocols to explain the replicability for the four metals (Au-Cu-Ag-Zn). The Company has set up a series of assaying protocols with the objective to control QAQC issues from the beginning of the project. As a result, samples are crushed finer with 95% of particles passing 1.7 mm and a large split of 1 kg is pulverized down to 106 m (150 mesh). The Company believes that these adjustments will help to better evaluate the higher-grade areas of the deposit as shown in the results of drillhole 1274-24-293 which represents the potential opportunity to increase the grade within areas of the deposit. The Company is reviewing historical intercepts to determine areas for re-assaying to be able to define more precisely higher grade lenses inside the deposit Additional Sampling of Historical Core: In the 2018 resource estimate, SGS identified 8,300 metres of historical unassayed core within the mineralized corridor. The Company plans to start assaying these identified areas to complete the model and help better determine the boundaries of the deposit. Beschefer Drilling Update: The Company is pleased to announce that drilling continues at the Beschefer Gold Project 7 km to the northeast of the B26 Deposit. To date, the Company has focused drilling on the "East Zone", where 5 holes totalling 1,679 metres have been completed as of April 22, 2024 and is on track to complete 2,975 metres across 10 holes. The East Zone hosts some of the highest historical intercepts, including 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 metres and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 metres. B26 Polymetallic Deposit Summary Located within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt, B26 comprises 66 claims covering 3,328 hectares in the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James territory and represents a substantial opportunity to develop a copper, zinc, gold, and silver Polymetallic Deposit in a region with a rich history of base and precious metal production, which includes the Detour and Casa Berardi Mines. There is year-round road access with a power line running through the Project. Abitibi is the first public company with the option to earn into the B26 Deposit, which has a strike length of 1 km and depth extent of 0.8 km, both of which are open to expansion. Abitibi will focus on delivering shareholder value with an aggressive exploration approach, including a fully financed approximate 50,000 metres of drilling in 2024 and 2025 that will focus on advancing the historical 2018 resource1 while testing its open-pit potential. Property Highlights Include: Historical 2018 resource prepared by SGS Canada Inc. for SOQUEM Inc. that includes 254 holes over 115,311 meters, advancing the asset to a significant resource that includes, across all categories, 400 million pounds of copper, 286,000 ounces of gold, and significant zinc silver exposure. B26 Historical Resource Summary1 (2018) Indicated: 6.97 Mt at 2.94% Cu Eq (1.32% Cu, 1.80% Zn, 0.60 g/t Au and 43 g/t Ag) Inferred: 4.41 Mt at 2.97% Cu Eq (2.03% Cu, 0.22% Zn, 1.07 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag) Historical drilling by SOQUEM has established the continuity down to a vertical depth of 800 meters and the deposit remains open at depth and laterally with strong historical intercepts including: 2.32% Cu Eq over 89.5 metres (1274-13-117) 3.05% Cu Eq over 48.1 metres (1274-16-224) 8.95% Cu Eq over 11.5 metres (1274-14-152) The B26 deposit is situated within 7 km of the historical Selbaie Mine, a Polymetallic Deposit with a variety of mineralization styles and element combination, that had a historical resource of 56.9 Mt @ 0.87% Cu, 1.85% Zn, 0.55 g/t Au, 39 g/t Ag (CONSOREM 2012). Reference to this nearby property is for information only, and there are no assurances that the Company will achieve the same results at the B26 Deposit. Qualified Person Information contained in this press release was reviewed and approved by Martin Demers, P.Geo., OGQ No. 770, who is a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, and responsible for the technical information provided in this news release. Abitibi Metals Corp. is a Quebec-focused mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality base and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Abitibi's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and includes the option to earn 80% of the high-grade B26 Polymetallic Deposit, which hosts a historical resource estimate1 of 7.0MT @ 2.94% Cu Eq (Ind) & 4.4MT @ 2.97% Cu Eq (Inf), and the Beschefer Gold Project, where historical drilling has identified 4 historical intercepts with a metal factor of over 100 g/t gold highlighted by 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 metres and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 metres amongst four modelled zones. About SOQUEM: SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec, is dedicated to promoting the exploration, discovery and development of mining properties in Quebec. SOQUEM also contributes to maintaining strong local economies. Proud partner and ambassador for the development of Quebec's mineral wealth, SOQUEM relies on innovation, research and strategic minerals to be well-positioned for the future. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jonathon Deluce, Chief Executive Officer The Company also maintains an active presence on various social media platforms to keep stakeholders and the general public informed and encourages shareholders and interested parties to follow and engage with the Company through the following channels to stay updated with the latest news, industry insights, and corporate announcements: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbitibiMetals LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abitibi-metals-corp-amq-c/ Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Note 1: A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The issuer is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Source: Rapport Technique NI 43-101 Estimation des Ressources Projet B26, Quebec, For SOQUEM Inc., By SGS Canada Inc., Yann Camus, ing., Olivier Vadnais-Leblanc, geo., SGS Canada - Geostat., Effective Date: April 18, 2018, Date of Report : May 11, 2018 Note 2: Copper Equivalent values were calculated using metal prices of $4.00/lb Cu, $1.50/lb Zn, $20.00/ounce Ag and $1,800/ounce Au. Metal recoveries of 100% are applied in the copper equivalent calculation. The application of a copper equivalent is a comparison measure used to level variable metal ratios. Results are not related to the recoveries and by virtue of the value of a mining production. Note 3 - Sources: Fayard, Q, Mercier-Langevin, P., Wodicka, N., Daigneault, R., & Perreault, S. (2020). The B26 Cu-Zn-Ag-Au Project, Brouillan Volcanic Complex, Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Part 1: Geological Setting and Geochronology. Fayard, Q. (2020). CONTROLES VOLCANIQUES, HYDROTHERMAUX ET STRUCTURAUX SUR LA NATURE ET LA DISTRIBUTION DES METAUX USUELS ET PRECIEUX DANS LES ZONES MINERALISEES DU PROJET B26, COMPLEXE VOLCANIQUE DE BROUILLAN, ABITIBI, QUEBEC. Forward-looking statement: This news release contains certain statements, which may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information involves statements that are not based on historical information but rather relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments on the B26 Project or otherwise. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions, which are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company's control and many of which, regarding future business decisions, are subject to change. These uncertainties and contingencies can affect actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on the Company's behalf. Although Abitibi has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. All factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Abitibi's forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects," "estimates," "anticipates," or variations of such words and phrases (including negative and grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "might" or "occur. Mineral exploration and development are highly speculative and are characterized by a number of significant inherent risks, which may result in the inability of the Company to successfully develop current or proposed projects for commercial, technical, political, regulatory or financial reasons, or if successfully developed, may not remain economically viable for their mine life owing to any of the foregoing reasons, among others. There is no assurance that the Company will be successful in achieving commercial mineral production and the likelihood of success must be considered in light of the stage of operations. SOURCE Abitibi Metals Corp. Kuya Targeting Commencement of Production at Bethania in H1 2024 Toronto, April 23, 2024 - Kuya Silver Corp. (CSE: KUYA) (OTCQB: KUYAF) (FSE: 6MR1) (the "Company" or "Kuya Silver") is pleased to discuss ongoing development and reconditioning of the underground workings of the Bethania Mine, Peru, in preparation for mine reopening, and to present high-grade silver assay results from the Tito PH area, a newly identified 630+ metre, strongly mineralized vein zone which is located 1.5 km south of the Bethania Mine. Highlights: Bethania Mine Prepares for Resumption of Operations Underground development and reconditioning is progressing well and within budget with more than 550 m prepared for operation underground. Significant improvements have been made to the above-ground infrastructure. Bethania Mine progressing towards commencement of production in H1 2024 Large, newly recognized vein system, known as Tito PH, is located 1.5 km south of the Bethania Mine and hosts at least 6 mineralized veins. A single vein was traced for 630 m in length and remains open along strike: Widespread and high-grade mineralization identified in 39 grab samples of veins and blast pits Up to 2,085 g/t Ag Eq in samples with 12 of 39 reporting more than 1,000 g/t AgEq* and Tito PH appears to be comparable in size, grade and number of veins, with a similar structural setting to the Bethania Mine property At Carmelitas Norte, an additional 35 samples have confirmed silver mineralization and identified high-grade gold mineralization Up to 1,211 g/t silver equivalent, with 12 samples in excess of 500 g/t AgEq* High-grade gold zone identified including 5.47 g/t and 5.07 g/t gold within a larger 50 m interval with all sampling >0.5 g/t gold along trend Kuya Silver to present a Bethania Mine update on Thursday, April 25 th at 11:00 am PT / 2:00 pm ET. Webinar Registration: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/303/klxqgcm0 at 11:00 am PT / 2:00 pm ET. Christian Aramayo, Kuya Silver's COO, commented: "We are very pleased with the progress made so far in redeveloping the Bethania Mine, which is advancing well and within budget (Figure 1). Our team in Peru is eager and excited to resume mining production in the coming months, which will be just the beginning for this project. Over the next year, we aim to incrementally ramp up production while prioritizing safety and targeting sustainable mining practices." David Lewis, Kuya Silver's VP Exploration, remarked, "In conjunction with the Bethania mine work, our exploration efforts are reinforcing the district scale potential of this property (Figure 2). Early-stage work at our new Tito PH prospect is extremely encouraging, especially given the similar grades, dimensions and vein density to the Bethania mine site. Our current understanding suggests that the Tito PH zone is a parallel zone to the mineralization at the Bethania Mine, with potential for new mineralized veins between the two, and this updated understanding hints at a far larger mineralized system than the current mineral estimate at the Bethania Mine. I look forward to continued exploration work to expand the scale of silver mineralization in the Bethania district." Figure 1: Photograph of underground rehabilitation work currently being done at the Bethania silver mine, Peru. Here, workers are transporting support timbers though a newly-reconditioned section of the mine. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5945/206307_dcb1d12ba43f5bb3_001full.jpg Bethania Mine development and reconditioning progress Reconditioning of the Bethania mine workings in preparation for production is progressing well, with 550 m of lateral workings on the 12 de Mayo vein system being the current focus (Figure 1). This work is being done in advance of mine development and new production, which is within budget, and targeting re-opening in the next few months. Development of access for stopes within the Espanola and Victoria vein systems will continue as production commences and ramps up. In addition to underground development, important progress has been made to improve surface infrastructure including warehouses, enhancement of accommodation facilities, optimizing connectivity and preparation of ancillary areas for production. Target Area Sample ID Sample Location Ag g/t Au g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % AgEq* g/t AgEq* oz/t Tito PH 1071 Blast pit/muckpile 195 0.05 0.2 7.6 12.5 794 25.5 1073 Blast pit/muckpile 632 0.04 0.0 >20.0** 3.2 1,212 39.0 1078 Vein 490 0.03 0.0 19.1 0.7 969 31.2 1081 Vein 338 0.09 0.6 8.7 20.8 1,267 40.7 1083 Blast pit/muckpile 167 0.15 0.2 8.4 >30.0** 1,334 42.9 1087 Blast pit/muckpile 883 0.47 0.3 19.9 2.7 1,511 48.6 1088 Blast pit/muckpile 837 0.16 0.3 >20.0** 8.6 1,622 52.2 1090 Vein 94 0.06 0.1 7.3 16.7 803 25.8 1091 Blast pit/muckpile 241 0.09 0.1 18.6 24.6 1,464 47.1 1092 Blast pit/muckpile 94 0.13 0.2 4.2 21.3 886 28.5 1093 Blast pit/muckpile 183 0.06 0.3 8.3 20.2 1,042 33.5 1096 Blast pit/muckpile 629 0.23 0.8 >20.0** 5.7 1,385 44.5 1099 Blast pit/muckpile 712 0.07 0.1 >20.0** 7.2 1,422 45.7 1108 Blast pit/muckpile 352 0.15 0.2 9.6 18.3 1,189 38.2 1109 Blast pit/muckpile 906 0.11 0.7 >20.0** 20.0 2,085 67.0 1110 Blast pit/muckpile >1,500** 0.08 0.1 >20.0** 1.4 2,038 65.5 Carmelitas Norte 1116 Vein 143 5.07 0.0 1.5 4.1 738 23.7 1117 Vein 145 5.47 0.0 0.6 2.6 702 22.6 1121 Vein 232 0.82 0.0 2.6 7.4 594 19.1 1122 Vein 419 0.00 0.0 3.6 7.8 750 24.1 1124 Blast pit/muckpile 398 0.01 0.0 2.4 13.4 874 28.1 1126 Vein 741 0.00 0.0 4.9 11.2 1,211 38.9 1127 Vein 319 0.88 0.1 5.4 9.7 836 26.9 1128 Vein 377 0.12 0.0 1.5 6.4 623 20.0 1129 Vein 80 0.01 0.0 5.8 9.1 502 16.1 1140 Vein 324 0.04 0.0 3.1 6.6 606 19.5 1142 Vein 334 0.23 0.0 2.2 6.7 615 19.8 1144 Vein 143 0.20 0.0 0.9 13.0 588 18.9 Table 1: Assay data for grab samples of veins and vein material from blast pits, Tito PH and Carmelitas Norte area. *Silver Equivalency (AgEq) was calculated using silver ($28.30 USD/troy oz), gold ($2,383.70 USD/troy oz), copper ($9,582.50 USD/tonne), lead ($2,155.50 USD/tonne) and zinc ($2,839.00 USD/tonne) values, obtained on April 18, 2024, and do not consider metal recovery. **Samples were processed with overlimit ranges of >200 to 1,500 g/t silver, >10 to 20% lead, and >10 to 30% zinc; some grab samples exceeded these new limits and were not processed further. See Quality Assurance and Quality Control section for further details. Tito PH Prospect Signficantly Expands Known Mineralization in the Bethania District Mapping and sampling was done on two target areas (Tito PH and Carmelitas Norte) near the Bethania Mine. The grades, dimensions and density of veins at both of these target areas are extremely promising, as they are comparable to the Bethania mine site. Interestingly, the Bethania/Tito PH and Carmelitas Main/Norte targets appear to be mirrored mineralized structures within the larger 7 by 15 km Bethania volcanic basin. The Tito PH zone was previously documented by Peruvian government geologists and hosts some artisanal workings, including trenching, blast pits and two small adits, but was only recently identified as an exploration target by Kuya Silver. Six mineralized veins were traced and sampled on surface, with the longest vein being traced for 630 m and remaining open along strike (note that the entire Bethania mineral resource occupies a strike length of approximately 500 m; see news release dated January 6, 2022). Veins and vein material from blast pits were sampled and assay data is presented in Table 1, with 16 of 39 samples yielding in excess of 500 g/t AgEq*. The area appears to host a series of relatively tightly spaced (300-400 m) parallel faults with associated veins (Figure 2), which may host additional undiscovered veins. Very importantly, early-stage work suggests that these mineralizing faults repeat across strike to the north and are part of a larger system that includes the Bethania mine site. Mineralization was first documented at the Carmelitas Norte target zone by Kuya Silver geologists in 2022 (see November 17, 2022 news release), but mapping and sampling did not fully characterize the surface expression of veins. This area was mapped and sampled in more detail (Figure 2), and 12 of 35 samples yielded in excess of 500 g/t AgEq* (Table 1). Figure 2: Regional map of the Bethania Project area, with detailed maps of recent sampling at the Tito PH and Carmelitas Norte areas. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5945/206307_dcb1d12ba43f5bb3_002full.jpg Bethania Mine Webinar The Company is also pleased to announce that President and CEO, David Stein, and COO, Christian Aramayo, will be presenting the latest update from the Bethania Mine in a live webinar taking place on Thursday, April 25th at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET. To register for the event please click the link below. Registration: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/303/klxqgcm0 Quality Assurance and Quality Control A total of 74 grab samples (plus QA/QC) were collected in January and February 2024. The coordinates of the locations of each sample were measured by handheld GPS and the samples dispatched to the ALS Peru S.A. laboratory in Lima for geochemical analysis. The analyses were carried out using the following methods: ME-OG61a - Multi-acid digestion and ICP-AES detection for 33 elements, Au-AA23 - Fire Assay, and Ag-OG62 - four acid digestion and ICP-AES for overlimit silver. ALS Peru S.A. laboratory in Lima has international certifications OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 and is accredited by INACAL under the NTP-ISO / IEC 17025. All QA/QC standards were acceptable and within two standard deviations of certified values. *Silver Equivalency (AgEq) was calculated using silver ($28.30 USD/troy oz), gold ($2,383.70 USD/troy oz), copper ($9,582.50 USD/tonne), lead ($2,155.50 USD/tonne) and zinc ($2,839.00 USD/tonne) values, obtained on April 18, 2024, and do not consider metal recovery. ** Samples were processed with overlimit ranges of >200 to 1,500 g/t silver, >10 to 20% lead, and >10 to 30% zinc and some grab samples exceeded these new limits and were not processed further. As these samples were early-stage grab samples and do not include details on vein width, they are not fully representative of total vein mineralization. Channel saw sampling, which will be deployed in subsequent programs and which will sample the entire width of vein, is more representative of mineralization. National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. David Lewis, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of Kuya Silver and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Kuya Silver Corporation Kuya Silver is a Canadianbased mineral exploration and development company with a focus on acquiring, exploring, and advancing precious metals assets in Peru and Canada. For more information, please contact: David Stein, President and Chief Executive Officer Telephone: (604) 3984493 info@kuyasilver.com www.kuyasilver.com Reader Advisory This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information," including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may," "would," "could," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "must," "next," "propose," "new," "potential," "prospective," "target," "future," "verge," "favourable," "implications," and "ongoing," and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking information. Investors are cautioned that statements including forward-looking information are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking information as a result of various factors, including but not limited to fluctuations in market prices, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market, and business conditions. There can be no assurances that such forward-looking information will prove accurate, and therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of the risks and uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/206307 CALGARY, April 23, 2024 - Ashley Gold Corp. (CSE:ASHL) ("Ashley" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to the news release dated March 4, 2024, it has executed a property option agreement dated April 22, 2024 (the "Agreement") with San Rafael Resources LLC ("San Rafael") to acquire a 100%-interest in the Sahara uranium-vanadium property, located in Emery County, Utah. (the "Property"). Darcy Christian, CEO of Ashley comments "This is a defining moment for the Company as Ashley now has line of sight for production cash-flow to continue to develop its existing assets and provide capital for new opportunities. In addition, we have solidified a relationship with San Rafael and Greg Kofford, the Optionor, bringing his capital experience and knowledge to the table. Mr. Kofford is going to be aligned with the shareholders for the long-haul, participating in financings alongside new and existing shareholders, with the intent to grow Ashley into one of the largest public multi-district producers in North America." Option Agreement Terms Under the terms of the Agreement, Ashley has the right to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Property through staged cash and share payments, plus minimum work expenditures totaling USD $10 million over a three-year period, as summarized below: 4,500,000 Ashley common shares within 30 days of Ashley completing a private placement financing for first stage earn-in. Terms and conditions of the private placement will be disclosed in a future press release when finalized. Ashley previously issued 500,000 common shares to San Rafael as a deposit upon execution of the letter of intent. 1,000m drill program and completion of National Instrument 43-101 Report on the Property within 30 days of the first anniversary To earn an initial 30% interest to the Property: issue 18,500,000 common shares; and pay USD $100,000 cash to San Rafael. To earn a 50% interest to the Property: issue 20,000,000 common shares; and complete expenditures of USD $3,000,000 on the Property. To earn 100% of the Property: issue to San Rafael, the greater of 36,500,000 common shares and the number of Ashley common shares that would result in the aggregate number of common shares issued to San Rafael pursuant to the Agreement representing 40% of the issued and outstanding common shares; pay USD $1,000,000 cash; and USD $7,000,000 of expenditures on the Property. In addition to the 100% earn-in, Ashley has agreed to issue additional common shares to San Rafael based on certain economic Uranium Resource identified in a Preliminary Economic Assessment, as follows: 10 million pounds of uranium in Preliminary Economic Assessment - 15,000,000 common shares and USD $500,000; and 30 million pounds of uranium in Preliminary Economic Assessment - 35,000,000 common shares and USD $2,500,000. Upon completion of the acquisition of a 100% interest in the Property, Ashley will grant a 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty (the "NSR") to San Rafael. Ashley will have the option to buy back 50% of the NSR for USD $2,000,000 prior to the commencement of commercial production. As a prerequisite to executing the Agreement, Ashley has entered in to an investor rights agreement with San Rafael which gives San Rafael the right to participate in future financings on equal terms as well as the right to top up their equity position in any dilutive issuance (i.e., convertible securities) at the average 20-day Volume Weighted Average Price to maintain minimum ownership percentage. San Rafael shall also have the right to nominate a director to join the Board of Directors as Chairman upon initial earn-in, subject to regulatory approval. About the Sahara Property The Property represents 402 Federal claims and 3 State Claims locate in Emery County Utah. The Property is located 12 miles southwest of Green River, Utah and consists of over 10,000 acres. The region has produced 4,000,000 lbs of Uranium and 5,000,000 lbs of Vanadium with some historical production occuring on the Property until 1980. The Property is located one mile off of the I-70 and is accessed by all weather gravel roads. Water wells are located on the property and power is located less than a mile away to the northeast. In addition, a nearby telecommunicaions tower and fibre optics at the property provide internet and phone access. The Property has over 900 historical drill holes over the Sahara, Jessies Twist and Acheson discoveries. Mineralization occurs in the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation within fluvial sandstones. Additional targets have been identified with surficial gamma-ray spectrometry readings across the property. In additon, bulk tonnage targets have been identified for drilling as well as the hydrodynamic conditions for roll-front bluesky potential. Click Image To View Full Size Figure 1 - Ariel image of the Sahara Uranium-Vanadium Property with respect to Green River, Utah ABOUT ASHLEY GOLD CORP. Ashley Gold Corp. is focused on creating substantive, long-term value for its shareholders through the discovery and development of world class gold deposits. Ashley has acquired, 100% of the Tabor Lake Lease subject to a 1.5% royalty, 100% of the Santa Maria Project subject to a 1.75% royalty, 100% interest in the Howie Lake Project subject to a 0.5% royalty, 100% interest in the Alto-Gardnar Project subject to a 0.5% royalty, 100% interest in the Burnthut Property subject to a 1.5% NSR, and an option to earn 100% of the Sakoose claims subject to a 1.5% NSR. In addition, Ashley has entered into a Option to earn 100% of the Sahara Uranium-Vanadium property in Emery County, Utah subject to a 2% NSR. Ashley Gold Corp. is an early-stage natural resource company engaged primarily in the acquisition, exploration, and if warranted, development of mineral projects. The Corporation's objective is to conduct efficient and economical exploration on its growing portfolio of high-quality gold projects, currently focused in northwestern Ontario within the Eagle-Wabigoon-Manitou Lakes Greenstone Belts. In addition, Ashley has entered into a LOI to earn 100% of the Sahara Uranium-Vanadium property in Emery County, Utah subject to a 2% NSR. Qualified Person The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Darcy Christian, P.Geo., President of Ashley, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Ashley Gold Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Factors which cause results to differ materially are set out in the Company's documents filed on SEDAR. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward looking statements". VANCOUVER, April 23, 2024 - Endeavour Silver Corp. ("Endeavour" or the "Company") (NYSE: EXK; TSX: EDR) is pleased to provide a Q1 2024 construction progress update for its Terronera Project in Jalisco state, Mexico. A photo gallery presentation accompanies this news release and can be found here or on the Company website at Terronera Project Progress Photos. All dollar ($) references in this news release are United States dollars. The Terronera project made significant progress in the first quarter, as concrete work was nearly complete on the Upper Plant Platform and erection of structural steel advanced for areas including crushing, coarse-ore storage, grinding, flotation, and thickening. Mechanical installation of major equipment continued to advance on schedule and the project remains on track for commissioning in Q4 2024. "Site activities ramped up rapidly, as overall construction surpassed the halfway milestone," commented Don Gray, Chief Operating Officer. "We've been very pleased with progress of structural steel erection and major equipment installation including the semi-autogenous grinding ("SAG") and ball mills, apron feeders and flotation cells. Our procurement and materials management planning has been effective in keeping pace with site construction. We've been able to install many components upon immediate arrival to site, while making use of the limited laydown area. Underground mine development continues advancing very well, and we anticipate initial ore access in Q2. We are exceptionally pleased with the progress our Terronera team is making and remain committed to successfully completing and operating Endeavour's next core asset." Q1 2024 Construction and Development Highlights As of March 31, 2024, site works and activities included: Safety - A strong onsite safety focus has enabled a notable 60% reduction in the lost-time injury frequency rate since Q2 2023, during a substantial increase in the workforce. Ongoing initiatives such as mandatory certification for working-at-heights, frequent field audits and inspections, rescue-team training, and regular emergency drills continue. Progress - Overall project progress reached 53% completion, with more than $158 million (1) of the project's budget spent to date. Project commitments total $225 million (1,2) which is 83% of the $271 million capital budget. of the project's budget spent to date. Project commitments total $225 million which is 83% of the $271 million capital budget. Engineering - Efforts have been transitioning over to construction support. Detail design was completed for the Tailing Storage Facility ("TSF"), Portal 2 waste dump, and Lower Platform excavation. Mine Development - During the quarter, over 1,000 metres of underground mine development was completed, bringing the total to over 3,200 metres. Mine crews continue working in Portal 1, 2, and 4 declines with excavations well advanced for the explosives magazines and the main pump-station sump system. Upper Platform Plant Site - Surface mill and infrastructure construction is 56% complete and progressing on schedule. Concrete work is 83% complete, and structural steel erection is 80% complete. Primary Crusher - Structural and mechanical construction was initiated on the conveyor and apron feeder support steel, and the apron feeder was placed in position. Course Ore Stockpile and Reclaim ("COS") Tunnel - Two apron feeders were installed in the COS tunnel along with structural steel support, which opened the area to install the SAG feed conveyor. Grinding - All major SAG and Ball Mill components were assembled. The high-pressure hydraulic pump was used for mounting the main bearings (spherical roller bearings), and all four bearings were installed under vendor supervision. Structural steel and pump installations continued. Flotation - All flotation cell tanks were set in place and installation of the drive decks and structural steel installation continued. Several drive decks were assembled on the ground and lifted as complete units for each flotation cell tank. The regrind mill was set in place. Tailing Thickener - The floor foundation and wall concrete were completed and erection of steel commenced together with the installation of the thickener tank floor. Lower Facilities Platform and TSF - Excavation for the TSF embankment key trench was nearly 60% complete, and the lower platform area was nearly 45% complete, with the excavated material suitable to use in the TSF key trench and as embankment fill. Concrete work on the lower platform is anticipated to start in Q2. Procurement - Bulk materials procurement purchase orders have been released and lead times are aligned with the current schedule. The Procurement team has focused on critical path purchases, such as electrical components and transfer chutes, and reducing bulk material lead times to increase schedule float. Onsite Personnel - The workforce increased to 150 employees and over 400 contractor workers. Community Relations - Supporting the local municipality continues to be a major commitment. A new miner training program for local community members was established to provide training and employment. The Company also sponsored English and computer skills for local communities. Environmental - Environmental and social assessment initiatives continue according to schedule as outlined under the Equator Principal requirements for project loan financing. Next Steps and Planning The Terronera Project is on track for commissioning in Q4 2024. For Q2 2024, surface construction will continue focusing on mechanical installations and initial electrical work for the crushing, coarse-ore stockpile, grinding, flotation and tailing thickener areas. Excavation of the Lower Platform is anticipated to be complete in the coming months. Concrete work is expected to be initiated for the LNG and power generation and concentrate and tailing filtration. Concentrate and tailing filtration structural, mechanical, and electrical installations will commence in early Q3. Mine development in Portal 1, 2 and 4 declines will continue with first ore development anticipated in Q2. Initial long-hole mining is planned for Q3 followed by cut-and-fill mining; ore will be stockpiled for mill ramp up. Development activities at La Luz are anticipated to begin in Q2 with portal construction and ramp advance to ore access anticipated in Q4. The critical path remains the TSF and lower platform construction and advancing underground mine, where development is meeting expectations. Visit www.terronera.com, our dedicated project website, to stay informed on the ongoing development at Terronera. Explore updates, learn about our commitment to environmental stewardship, and discover the positive impacts on local communities. About Endeavour Silver: Endeavour is a mid-tier precious metals company with a strong commitment to sustainable and responsible mining practices. With operations in Mexico and the development of the new cornerstone mine in Jalisco state, the Company aims to contribute positively to the mining industry and the communities in which it operates. In addition, Endeavour has a portfolio of exploration projects in Mexico, Chile and the United States to facilitate its goal to become a premier senior silver producer. Contact Information Galina Meleger, VP, Investor Relations Email: gmeleger@edrsilver.com Website: www.edrsilver.com Follow Endeavour Silver on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn Footnote: Financial figures are based on a preliminary estimate. Final audited figures will be released with the Q1 2024 financial statements on May 9, 2024. Project commitments are inclusive of total project expenditures. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release 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. Such forward-looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the development and financing of the Terronera Project including: capital cost estimates, anticipated timing of the project construction; anticipated timing of drawdown under the project loan debt facility, Terronera's forecasted operations, costs and expenditures, and the timing and results of various related activities. The Company does not intend to and does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, production levels, performance or achievements of Endeavour and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include but are not limited changes in production and costs guidance; the ongoing effects of inflation and supply chain issues on mine economics; national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada, Chile, the U.S.A and Mexico; financial risks due to precious metals prices; operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, development and mining activities; risks and hazards of mineral exploration, development and mining; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits; satisfaction of conditions precedent to drawdown under the project loan debt facility; the ongoing effects of inflation and supply chain issues on the Terronera Project economics; fluctuations in the prices of silver and gold, fluctuations in the currency markets (particularly the Mexican peso, Chilean peso, Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar); and challenges to the Company's title to properties; as well as those factors described in the section "risk factors" contained in the Company's most recent form 40F/Annual Information Form filed with the S.E.C. and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to: the continued operation of the Company's mining operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, forecasted Terronera mine economics as of 2024, mining operations will operate and the mining products will be completed in accordance with management's expectations and achieve their stated production outcomes, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Anjelica Huston at the release party for The Only Place to Be in 1982. Photo: Sonia Moskowitz/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images For New Yorks anniversary, we are celebrating the history of the citys restaurants with a series of posts throughout the month. Read all of our Who Ate Where stories here. If you were a big-shot writer, editor, publisher, newscaster, or novelist in the 1980s, you went to Elios on 84th and Second Avenue. David Halberstam, Barbara Walters, Walter Cronkite, Arthur Punch Sulzberger, George Plimpton, Carl Bernstein, Kurt Vonnegut they all went there. Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne were the most loyal of regulars and could be found many nights dining up front, at table one, by the window. Elios was the descendant of another Upper East Side media canteen, Elaines, up on 88th and Second. But the food was bad. A waiter there named Elio Guaitolini he had been the very first waiter, in fact decided to split and do his own thing. He partnered with Anne Isaak, who was married to an editor at Random House named Joe Fox, whose writers included John Irving, Ralph Ellison, Philip Roth, and Truman Capote. It opened in 1981. Sometimes people would say, Dont tell Elaine that we had dinner here, says Anne Isaak, who was married to Fox and today owns the place. Lewis Lapham would come in a lot Big smoker, says Isaak and S.I. Newhouse, too. What was he like? Very quiet, says Giovanni Bertagnoli, the restaurants original manager who recently returned to work there. This became the Times place not the younger set but the Sulzbergers, the Gelbs. Abe Rosenthal and his wife, Shirley, they came at least once a week, says Isaak. The Sulzbergers used to sit on table two all the time, says Bertagnoli, adding that Punch Sulzberger was perhaps the most respectful guest hes ever served. Less so was Sumner Redstone, who once threw a fit because he couldnt have table one or two. Six months later, Redstones secretary called the restaurant. She said, He really wants to come back. Do you think you could write him a letter to invite him back? Isaak declined. Shortly after it opened, Elios hosted a buzzy book party for Joan Juliet Buck (future editor of French Vogue), who was publishing her first novel. I said it had to be at Elios, cause thats where I ate dinner every night, said Buck. The day before, Anjelica Huston and I went to the basement to help Anne make tartufos for dessert. Elio put the books title, The Only Place to Be, on the awning, ordered ice sculptures, and hired klieg lights two gigantic 20th Century Fox searchlights that rotated on a truck parked outside the restaurant. Isaak says, It was a very splashy crowd Carrie Fisher, Lauren Bacall, Andy Warhol. Society took notice and started to come to Elios. Casey Ribicoff, the Erteguns, Jerry Zipkin, the famous walker, says Bertagnoli. Nancy Reagan used to come all the time. But then the restaurant established a rule that it wouldnt shut down for private parties; it wasnt worth it to turn away the regulars. Years later, the rule was broken for one special regular who asked to throw her 40th birthday party in the restaurant: Gwyneth Paltrow. This was after our heyday, explains Isaak, but when she was growing up, Gwyneth Paltrow came here because she went to school down the street, and her parents, Blythe Danner and Bruce Paltrow, would bring the kids in. I could tell you about fistfights, I could tell you about drunks, I could tell you about people trying to snort cocaine on table two, says Isaak. There are a million stories, but unfortunately, youre not going to get them. This post has been corrected to clarify Anne Isaaks role. Illustration: Naomi Otsu Thanks to dropping rents and the arrival of some younger residents, the UESs reputation as a sleepy restaurant desert is changing. Take Hoexters, a tavern that mixes martinis with smashburgers and mortadella plates in a room adorned with a 17-foot mural that once hung in the original Hoexters Market (it was around the corner), depicting that restaurants regulars. Alexandra Shapiros father owned that spot, and with his blessing, she revived the name in an effort to recapture a bit of that bygone energy. Whats the biggest thing thats changed since then? Probably less drugs, she says, from what I understand about the 70s. Here, a handful of places that are helping to shake up the neighborhood a little more. 1. 1825 Second Ave., nr. 95th St.; soledadnyc.com Toloache chef Julian Medinas upscale Michoacan spot, with lobster birria tacos and duck carnitas in mole. His take on pasta seca is Mexican-style dan dan noodles with longaniza sausage and chipotles. 2. 1725 Second Ave., nr. 89th St.; albadawinyc.com This expansion of the Brooklyn-originated chain brings in Palestinian classics like mansaf and ouzi. Also of note: Its BYOB. 3. 300 E. 88th St., nr. Second Ave.; reginasgrocery.com Every sandwich is named for a member of the family at this sandwich-counter mini-empire. Take an Uncle Jimmy prosciutto, soppressata, mozzarella, sweet peppers, and Calabrian chile on stirato bread to eat in Central Park. 4. 1712 First Ave., nr. 89th St.; hollybrooklane.co The homestyle southern kitchen serves a fiery Cajun chicken sando and jambalaya remixed as arancini in a comfortable space that feels like a friends living room. 5. 151 E. 82nd St., nr. Lexington Ave.; amarenanyc.com Nonna-grade pastas, chicken parm, and cracker-thin, Roman-style pizzas also from chef Medina. Get a pie with soppressata and peaches. 6. 174 E. 82nd St., nr. Third Ave.; hoexters.com With its crowded front bar, secluded back dining room, and menu of American standards, the mood at this revamped throwback might be best described as Raouls North. 7. 1553 Second Ave., nr. 81st St.; thaphraya.com The regional Thai menu features whole branzino in a spicy and sour curry of shrimp paste, chile, and tamarind. Its served in a palatial setting inspired by the Wat Arun temple in Bangkok. 8. 140 E. 74th St., nr. Lexington Ave.; chezfifinyc.com A Parisian restaurant with Basque sympathies like the San Sebastian deviled-crab dish known as txangurro a la donostiarra will open this summer from the owners of Sushi Noz. 9. 1007 Lexington Ave., nr. 73rd St.; mariamulatanyc.com The house specialty is bandeja paisa, a traditional Colombian mixed grill; the passion-fruit mojitos, arepa plates, and tropical decor bolster the vacation vibes. Todu i Tiempo i Pas Para Hita or Peace for us always is the theme for the 80th commemoration of Guams Liberation this July, the Office of the Governor of Guam, along with the Mayors Council of Guam and the Guam Visitors Bureau, announced on Tuesday. Every July 21, Guam celebrates the anniversary of the liberation of Guam from Japanese occupation during World War II. The 80th Liberation Day themes words are lifted from the Guam Hymn, composed by the revered Ramon Manalisay Sablan in 1919. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said Todu i Tiempo i Pas Para Hita serves not only as a theme but as a fervent prayer for enduring peace, boundless prosperity, and unbreakable unity for all who call Guam home. It encapsulates the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of every person who calls Guam home, echoing across generations as a testament to our shared heritage and collective destiny, the governor said. The logo: What it means Frank Perez developed the 80th Liberation logo concept to complement the theme. The portrayal of Lady Liberty holds the flame of peace high above the land, which is illustrated by the slingstone shape of the Great Seal of Guam and the islands native flower, the gaosali. The radiance of the flower displays the beauty and perseverance of the CHamoru people to overcome challenges of wartime adversities as well as present-day trials and tribulations, Adelup said. The final symbol, the latte stone, portrays the strength and endurance to live with mutual understanding and respect for one another. As we approach this momentous occasion, we are reminded of the indomitable courage and sacrifice of our service men and women, who stood as beacons of hope in our darkest hours. Their valor and unwavering dedication to our freedom continue to inspire us, guiding our steps as we journey forward, Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio said. From solemn ceremonies to vibrant cultural celebrations, we will stand together as one community, honoring our veterans, cherishing our culture, and embracing our shared journey towards a brighter tomorrow. Festivities Mayors Council of Guam president and Piti Mayor Jesse Alig said the mayors council is excited to partner with the governors office and GVB to appropriately execute these festivities. As we prepare to commemorate and celebrate this milestone year, may we learn from the hardships and struggles of our people in their quest for peace as we brave our present-day challenges, Alig said. Official festivities to commemorate the islands 80th liberation are scheduled for July 19, 20, and 21. They include a unified memorial ceremony, liberation Mass, block party, and the annual Liberation Day parade. More information will be published as it becomes available. For updates, visit mcog.guam.gov. Tulane University students and faculty voiced their safety concerns at a town hall meeting on Monday, April 22, following an on-campus shooting by a medical school employee on Friday. The meeting was held in the Hutchinson Memorial Building the same facility where, three days prior, an animal care technician brought a gun into the building and shot himself on the ninth floor. He survived the gunshot and was transported to University Medical Center. The shooter was surrounded by police when he attempted suicide, confirmed Kirk Bouyelas, the associate vice president for public safety at the university. At the town hall, students referenced reports that the employee might have brought the gun intending to harm a coworker. There has been talk around the school that there was another target in the building, a third-year medical student said. We are concerned about the process of reporting incidents with coworkers, reporting incidents of stalking and harassment. Police have not yet released a motive for the incident, nor stated whether others were targeted. Several minutes after a 911 call was placed at 7:41 a.m. to report a discharged firearm in the Hutchinson Memorial Building, another call was placed to report a hostage situation in the same block. It was not confirmed whether the incidents are related. The employee shot himself around 7:50 a.m., according to a university announcement. An emergency alert was sent out following the incident. However, several students said they hope to see improvements in the communication system. At 7:51 a.m., an email alert was sent to all Tulane University students with the subject line, TU Alert: Police Action School of Medicine and the body Police Activity, stay away from area until all clear has been sent. The email did not specify which building in the School of Medicine was affected. At 8:15 a.m., a follow-up email said: No active threat at this time however police activity remains, please continue to avoid the School of Medicine until all clear is sent. At 8:48 a.m., students were told that the Hutchinson Memorial Building would reopen at 9 a.m., but that the ninth floor would be closed until further notice. Text alerts also were sent to students who had opted into the service. A third-year student who was in the building said that her classroom of 70 students was sent into chaos while trying to get to safety. (After hearing that there was a shooter), there were about 50 of us trying to get down the narrow stairway from the sixth floor down to, initially, the first floor. ... The vague message sent us into a panic. We did not know what we were going into. Being told to evacuate without being told where the shooter was left us as sitting ducks in that hallway, she said at the town hall. Other students brought up the issue that, while in labs, they are unable to access their phones to read alerts if they received alerts at all. I also did not get the text alerts, another third-year student shared. And later we were told in an email that you had to manually go into Gibson (a Tulane University online portal), click a box, and then you would be notified by text. ... I dont know of a single person who would not want to be notified of that. Tulane administrators floated the idea of creating an Amber Alert-like system that would notify students more effectively. Although the shooter in this incident was an employee, they also discussed ways to make buildings more secure from outsiders. At the meeting, Erica Woodley, the dean of students, urged people who were dealing with stalkers or harassment to tell administrators as soon as possible. I do think it comes down to letting us know as soon as youre concerned about something, Woodley said. Sometimes it isnt an immediate response because we try to go forward from a support perspective first, so if you say someones struggling were gonna try to help them. There are points at which it violates the law, and then we work with TUPD (Tulane University Police Department) to address those concerns. Woodley said that students are able to report harassment and stalking while remaining anonymous. Tulane University students seeking 24-hour crisis support after the shooting can call 504-920-9900. Employees can call 1-800-624-5544. Haiti - FLASH : The First Lady of Kenya spoke with Barbecue The First Lady of Kenya, Rachel Ruto, her staff and a group of Kenyan, Haitian and American pastors reportedly met earlier in April with the "Leader" of the "viv ansanm" coalition, Jimmy Cherizier alias "Barbecue", in a video conference via Zoom, according to Serge Musasilwa, National Director of a ministry in central Kenya (Segera Mission) and member of the Kenyan delegation which traveled to the United States to meet with church leaders and of companies, American and Haitian officials, as well as representatives of law enforcement and the army, reported the media "Christianity Today". According to Musasilwa, this approach is in fact a request from Kenyan President William Ruto, who wishes to control the context in order to ensure the success of the mission. "President Ruto tasked the team to provide context to inform law enforcement and increase the chances of success of the security mission." This exchange with the Haitian gang leader was part of Kenya's desire to hear all stakeholders in the Haitian crisis in order to better understand the challenges to which Kenyan police officers will be exposed once the multinational support mission to the security deployed in Haiti. The Kenyan delegation is expected to submit its report by the end of April, ahead of a presidential trip by William Ruto to the United States in May. Let's recall that the first lady of Kenya created a prayer group last month, including Kenyan, Haitian and American pastors to intercede for the success of the Kenyan mission in Haiti. As for the deployment of the security mission, the Kenyan President indicated that it will be deployed once new authorities are installed in Haiti. The Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), officially created Download the official decree (PDF in French) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Decret-portant-creation-du-Conseil-presidentiel-de-transition.pdf and its appointed members Download the complete official decree (French PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/moniteur-No15-16-04-2024.pdf The CPT does not yet have an installation date, but should take place shortly, probably this week according to our sources... S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy vandalized and looted On the night of Saturday April 20 to Sunday April 21, 2024, heavily armed individuals vandalized and looted the premises of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (FMP) of the State University of Haiti (UEH), in downtown of Port-au-Prince. The Rectorate of the State University of Haiti (RUEH) underlines in a denunciation note "[...] the damage remains to be assessed. However, they risk being simply unsustainable. According to initial information, it was noted that almost all of the institution's solar panels and electrical equipment, cafeteria equipment and several service vehicles were stolen. The Rectorate joins the deanship of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy to denounce and vehemently condemn these acts of vandalism and looting against this heritage represented by this entity of the UEH which has trained and continues to train health professionals high level serving all segments of the population. [...] These systematic attacks against UEH entities are unacceptable and incomprehensible. Perplexed, the Rectorate wonders who has an interest in destroying the largest public university center in the country ? Could this destructive machine be part of a plot against the Haitian intelligentsia ? [...]" See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42026-haiti-security-the-ecole-normale-superieure-in-the-downtown-set-on-fire.html https://www.icihaiti.com/article-41889-icihaiti-ueh-la-faculte-des-sciencesattacke-vandalisee-et-pillee.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41869-haiti-ueh-catastrophic-partial-assessment-of-the-looting-of-the-famv.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Security Council : Periodic presentation on the situation in Haiti Monday April 22, 2024 at the session of the UN Security Council, Maria Isabel Salvador, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) presented by videoconference her periodic presentation of the situation in Haiti. Summary of her presentation : "One year ago, almost to the day, I briefed this Council for the first time as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of BINUH. At that time and in briefings since, I have been speaking about the multiple protracted crises affecting Haiti and pleading for the urgent need for action. "[...] Today, it pains me to note that all speeches and callings had not avoided that some of the worst scenarios for Haiti have become realitiesin recent months and weeks [...] It is impossible to overstate the increase in gang activity across Port-au-Prince and beyond, the deterioration of the human rights situationand the deepening of the humanitarian crisis." Recalling that only 8.1% of the $674 million of the Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti for 2024 has been funded. She urged all Member States to continue funding this humanitarian response plan. Download the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti (PDF in French 59 pages) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Haiti_HNRP_2024_FR_version-finale.pdf Regarding the deployment of the multinational security support mission, Maria Isabel Salvador appealed to the international community to confirm the promises made regarding this deployment, painting a grim picture of the situation in Haiti. Recalling that gang leaders and other troublemakers have declared their intention to violently disrupt the current political process "I cannot stress enough the need to assist Haiti with its efforts to reestablish security". Concerning the political situation, she noted that "[...] Haitian stakeholders have been working on putting differences aside towards a common path for the restoration of democratic institutions. in particular with the creation of a Presidential Transitional Council after the announcement of the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry." She welcomed the publication, on April 12, of the decree creating the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT Download the official decree (PDF in French) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Decret-portant-creation-du-Conseil-presidentiel-de-transition.pdf and the appointment of its 9 members Download the complete official decree (French PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/moniteur-No15-16-04-2024.pdf She urged all Haitian stakeholders "to put in place the envisaged transitional governance arrangementsas swiftly as possible, especially the appointment of an interim Prime Minister and government, and the prompt nomination of the Provisional Electoral Council. (CEP)" Download the full intervention by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti Maria Isabel Salvador : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Maria-Isabel-Salvador-22-04-2024-EN.pdf HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - UN : Intervention on Haiti by American Ambassador Robert Wood Monday April 22, 2024, after the presentation on the situation in Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42179-haiti-security-council-periodic-presentation-on-the-situation-in-haiti.html by videoconference of Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) before the United Nations Security Council, American Ambassador Robert Wood, Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs to the UN is declared in a speech : "[...] Madam President. And thank you, SRSG Salvador, UNODC Executive Director Waly, and UNICEF Executive Director Russell, for your briefings today, and for all the work you and your teams are doing often in challenging, even dangerous conditions to foster a more secure Haiti. I also welcome the representative of Haiti and the Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic to this meeting. Madam President. Since we last met on this topic, we have seen signs of progress in Haiti. The United States commends the Haitian National Police, including its specialized units who have conducted successful counter-gang operations, who continue to improve coordination and incident management. And we welcome the announcement of a Transitional Presidential Council. This inclusive, broad-based TPC brings together most of the major political parties in Haiti, as well as key stakeholders from the private sector, religious communities, and civil society. And its establishment is a positive step towards resolving Haitis political and security crisis, laying the groundwork for free and fair elections, and deploying the MSS mission. Much work lies ahead. Still, this announcement is a much-needed glimmer of hope for the Haitian people, who continue to suffer from indiscriminate violence and horrific human rights abuses. Today, power-hungry gangs continue to attack civilians, police units, and critical infrastructure. Gang control of key transport routes and economic activity has restricted freedom of movement, while increasing the difficulty, cost, and risk involved with obtaining necessary goods and services. As a result, a growing number of Haitians face food insecurity. Its clear that the people of Haiti need humanitarian assistance. They need the violence to abate. And they need a more stable political situation, with a clear return to a democratic path. The deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission will help achieve these goals. This mission seeks to build capacity and provide operational support to the Haitian National Police, helping them counter gangs and improve security conditions. It will help prevent, mitigate, and address human rights abuses, while engaging with Haitian civil society and communities to build trust. And it will operate with accountability and oversight, including measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, and meaningfully include women-led and civil society organizations. In other words, it will help stabilize security and humanitarian conditions, while the TPC works to pave the way for free and fair elections. But in order for the MSS mission to succeed, it needs your support, both financial and in-kind. And so, as we look towards the future, let us all commit to rallying international assistance for this effort, and supporting partners like CARICOM as they work to improve the situation on the ground. Let us back the renewal of the BINUH mandate as a sign of support and solidarity with the Haitian people. And let us work to not only address the crisis facing Haiti today, but tackle its root causes, encouraging wider participation and engagement. Together, we can help efforts like the MSS succeed, and set the country back on the path to stability and democracy. The people of Haiti deserve nothing less. Thank you, Madam President." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... The Immaculate Conception Chapel vandalized and ransacked During the night of Saturday April 20 to Sunday April 21. The Immaculee Conception chapel located at the general hospital and the midwifery school were vandalized and ransacked by armed men within the perimeter of the National Palace, confirms Father Franzy Petit-Homme, priest of the Immaculee chapel Design. Refusal to negotiate with the gangs Dr. Ernst Pierre Vincent, Special Advisor to the conference of Haitian pastors, rejects out of hand any proposal for political negotiations with armed gangs which, he emphasizes, "have no ideological motive." Pastor Vincent, an expert in conflict resolution, recommends using strong means to force bandits to lay down their arms, if they do not want to do so voluntarily themselves. The installation of the CPT is getting closer Monday afternoon, intense automatic weapons fire was reported around the National Palace between bandits and law enforcement during the visit to the National Palace of presidential advisor Leslie Voltaire delegated by his colleagues from the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), to get an idea of the situation, as part of the preparations for the installation of the 9 advisors. This Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the members of the Presidential Transitional Council should decide on the date and place of their installation. According to generally well-informed sources, this installation could take place tomorrow Wednesday at the National Palace in the presence of around a hundred guests, but nothing is official yet. The Episcopal Commission condemns The National Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace (Ce-Jilap) vehemently condemns the acts of vandalism perpetrated against the country's educational infrastructure, including university faculties. Ce-Jilap fears that these actions will have serious consequences on the learning of pupils and students. World Earth Day On this World Earth Day, the Odette Roy Fombrun Foundation for Education wishes to celebrate with you the beauty and richness of our environment, while recalling the crucial importance of solidarity and "konbitism" for its preservation. Urgency to continue humanitarian aid Haitian Ambassador Gandy Thomas, permanently representing the Organization of American States (OAS), met with senior officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) including Sophie Orr, Regional Director for the Americas, and Marisela Silva Chau, Country Director for Haiti, particularly on the urgency of continuing humanitarian aid. HL/ HaitiLibre The government outlines in related documents that the supplementary funding is intended to promote research and development in creative fields and the commercialisation of research-based innovations in arts and culture. THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) announced last week after its framework session that it has earmarked supplementary funding for creative fields. The funding is to be allocated by Business Finland. Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday reported, though, that the documents neglect to specify that effectively the government is shifting funding away from existing companies in the culture space toward technology-driven research and development activity toward channels that traditionally have benefited a limited number of creative companies. Petra Tarjanne, an official at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, confirmed to the newspaper that the government did not allocate additional funding for creative fields. The government process for funding creative fields is so complicated that not even all policy makers understand it, she said. What is key is that the government has committed to raising research and development spending to four per cent of gross domestic product by the end of the decade, a commitment it reaffirmed at the framework session with a decision to increase research and development funding by 280 million euros a year in 20252028. Few projects in the culture space qualify for the funding. Business Finland is presently providing about one million euros a year in research-and-innovation funding for the creative fields, whereas other funding for the fields has added up to about 30 million euros. Decisions made at the framework session indicate that the former is set to increase, the latter to decrease by 20 million euros in 2025, Tarjanne told Helsingin Sanomat. Kari Komulainen, a senior director of grants at Business Finland, outlined to the newspaper that the research and development-oriented funding can be allocated to innovations that, for example, take advantage of artificial intelligence or augmented reality technologies. Although the public organisation channels the funding, it does not dictate how it should be used, he added, stressing that the funding is not synonymous with funding for technology-driven innovations. Sakarias Sokka, a special researcher at the Centre for Cultural Policy Research (Cupore), said Business Finland is already applying funding criteria that channel state support only to a small group of operators in the culture space. The creation of artistic content falls largely outside the scope of business subsidies, he summed up. Even if artists are engaged in business-like operations, the operations tend to either be too small to satisfy the criteria or lack the international aspirations required from projects launched by start-ups, for example. The gamut of business subsidies doesnt presently provide any respite from the kind of cultural policy that has been carried out in recent years, stated Sokka. The Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Helsinki, he added, should sit down to review their efforts to develop operations in the culture space. He is concerned, though, whether the officials devising the funding mechanisms have a sufficient understanding of the space in future. Aleksi Teivainen HT In a significant stride towards ensuring essential water and sanitation infrastructure throughout Indian Country, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Indian Health Service (IHS) announced $700 million in funding allocation from President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and a newly signed memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) at the first-ever White House Clean Water Summit today. This collaboration further supports President Bidens Executive Order which directs federal agencies to work together to remove barriers and streamline Tribal access to resources. It is critically important that Tribal communities have clean drinking water sources, reliable sewage systems, and effective solid waste disposal facilities. Investing in critical infrastructure helps to improve health and safety for children and families, and advances economic opportunities throughout Tribal communities, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Thanks to President Bidens leadership, we can help to repair and revitalize facilities throughout Indian Country. This is just one of the many ways HHS and the Biden-Harris Administration are partnering with Tribes to improve the health and wellbeing of Tribal people and communities. Building upon the momentum set by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $3.5 billion to the IHS between FY 2022 and 2026, this funding supports efforts to develop critical infrastructure, including robust drinking water sources, reliable sewage systems, and effective solid waste disposal facilities. Through a whole-of-government approach, the memorandum of understanding between the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Reclamation will allow the agencies to better collaborate to complete studies, planning, design, construction drawings and technical specifications that can be used to construct domestic water infrastructure projects. The purpose of this collaboration is to accelerate completion of Tribal facilities in communities that do not have reliable access to a domestic water supplies, and to promote resources available to Tribes, including through the BORs Tribal Domestic Water Supplies Program. The projects funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are making substantial improvements in clean water and sanitation systems in our Tribal communities, said IHS Director Roselyn Tso. To date, IHS BIL funding has supported over 765 projects across all IHS areas. As we enter the third year of BIL funding, the IHS is delighted to partner with the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure safe drinking water, reliable sewage systems, and solid waste disposal facilities are made available to Tribal communities throughout Indian Country. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding The outcome of this funding is substantial more than 36,000 American Indian and Alaska Native households will benefit by gaining access to essential services. Notably, improved sanitation facilities can reduce inpatient and outpatient visits related to respiratory, skin and soft tissue, and gastroenteric disease. Based on 2020 data, the IHS estimates each dollar invested in water and sewer infrastructure could yield savings of $1.18 in avoided direct health care costs for these diseases. In FY 2024, the IHS will allocate approximately $653.4 million to support project construction, of which $613.8 million is FY 2024 BIL funding and $39.6 million is FY 2024 enacted appropriations, which includes Congressionally Directed Spending projects. When combined, the FY 2024 BIL funding and annual appropriations will enable IHS to fully fund construction costs for 91 projects. These allocations align with recommendations from Tribal leaders, prioritizing projects that have progressed through planning phases and can seamlessly transition into the design and construction stages. The commitment to securing adequate funding for planning and design activities remains paramount. Partnership with Bureau of Reclamation This historic partnership between IHS and BOR will support strategic collaboration to accelerate completion of Tribal facilities and more effectively promote awareness and access to resources available to Tribes. As part of the initial actions under the historic partnership between IHS and BOR, IHS launched an interactive website in April 2023 to furnish insights into projects funded through the BIL. This dynamic platform will continue to offer updated information, encompassing project-funding amounts, Tribes served, homes impacted, and project statuses. Projects funded through FY 2024 BIL and the FY 2024 enacted appropriations will be included after the funds are transferred to the IHS Areas. A pilot project under this agreement has been identified with the Yakama Nation in Washington State. After an IHS engineering investigation confirmed high levels of arsenic in the water system of the small community of Georgeville, the Yakama Nation and IHS agreed to construct a treatment system to remove arsenic from the water supply using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. The MOU allows the Bureau of Reclamation to seamlessly provide technical support for this and future projects. Partnership with United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps The IHS also entered a partnership with the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps to expand the skilled workforce needed to address these critical needs within American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The USPHS Commissioned Corps is one of the nations uniformed services located within the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health with oversight by the Office of the Surgeon General. The service, comprised of almost 6,000 officers, is committed to the protection, promotion advancement of health throughout the nation. Together IHS and the USPHS Commissioned Corps, developed a seven-year strategic plan to improve recruitment and retention of Public Health Service officers with expertise in engineering, environmental health, and health services. By increasing immediate support staff for the sanitation programs at IHS, the partnership will cultivate a talent pool that reflects the diversity and skills needed to address public health needs and improve wellbeing within American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It will also fortify a commitment to improve essential infrastructure, advance health equity and increase opportunities for communities to thrive. The Indian Health Service, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized Tribes in 37 states. Follow the agency via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Public-private collaboration results in new 10-year strategy for the first time in over a decade Today, the Biden Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy) and accompanying Federal Action Plan. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), led the development of these critical deliverables which support the Biden-Harris Administrations priorities to address the overdose and mental health crises, key pillars of the Biden-Harris Unity Agenda. An Interagency Work Group (IWG), comprised of over 20 agencies in 10 federal departments across the government contributed to the development of the National Strategy. Suicide is an urgent and growing public health crisis. More than 49,000 people in the United States died by suicide in 2022. Thats one death every 11 minutes. Addressing this crisis requires a bold new strategy, and the first-ever Federal Action Plan to put the strategy into action and drive results. The National Strategy is a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to suicide prevention. The National Strategy outlines concrete recommendations for addressing gaps and meeting the needs of at-risk populations. It is accompanied by the first-ever Federal Action Plan, which identifies 200 discrete actions to be initiated and evaluated over the next three years. Actions include, for example, identifying ways to address substance use and suicide risk together in the clinical setting, funding a mobile crisis locator for use by 988 crisis centers, increasing support for survivors of suicide loss and others whose lives have been impacted by suicide, and evaluating promising community-based suicide prevention strategies. Each of these actions will be monitored and evaluated regularly to determine progress and success, and to further identify barriers to successful suicide prevention. For the first time, the nations suicide prevention strategy will include a pillar prioritizing equity, an essential requirement to meet the specific and urgent need to address populations disproportionately impacted by suicide. This coordinated and comprehensive approach to suicide prevention at the national, state, tribal, local, and territorial levels relies upon critical partnerships across the public and private sectors. To ensure effective actions are advanced in accordance with the Federal Action Plan, people with lived experience have been and remain critical to the implementation of this strategy. Suicide is a complex public health problem, tragically impacting our friends, family members, neighbors and community members nationwide, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. The Biden-Harris Administration has consistently prioritized the health and well-being of Americans and this strategyand the unprecedented interagency coordination demonstrated in the federal action plancommits to the American people that we are here for you. Suicide can touch any of us, and leave behind heartbroken families and communities, said HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm. The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to transforming our behavioral health system and reducing rates of suicide across the country. This includes integrating suicide prevention into our health and social systems, our communities and our workplaces. The National Strategy builds on our work across government to provide prevention, intervention and recovery services for those in need, and represents our continued commitment to bring all of government together on this critical issue, in partnership with our state, tribal, local and territorial partners. The urgency and need for the National Strategy and Federal Action Plan are further illustrated by additional data. For example, every year millions of people think about, plan, or attempt suicide. The problem is particularly stark among youth. In 2021, 22% of high school students seriously considered suicide, with nearly 1 in 10 having attempted suicide. Populations disproportionately impacted include Veterans, certain racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ populations, youth, middle-aged, and older adults, individuals with serious mental illness, and certain occupational groups, among others. For example, between 2018 and 2021, suicide rates rapidly increased among non-Hispanic Black or African American populations ages 1024 (+36.6% increase) and 2544 years (+22.9%), non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native populations ages 2544 (+33.7%), non-Hispanic multiracial populations ages 2544 years (+20.6%), and Hispanic populations ages 2544 years (+19.4%). We are pleased to release this National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, updated for the first time in more than a decade, with the best knowledge and practices to date that we have to offer, said HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., and the leader of SAMHSA. The need for this strategy is reflected in the heart-breaking and alarmingly high statistics surrounding suicide and suicidal ideation. This strategy is the product of an ongoing commitment, and we stand, hand-in-hand with people with lived experience, federal and private sector partners, and everyone committed to this work that will ultimately save lives. Improving mental health and preventing suicides requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, said CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH. At CDC we are bringing timely data-driven strategies that can be implemented through partnerships and investments at the national, state, and local level. Todays national suicide prevention strategy outlines how we can work together to build resilient communities, protect health, and save lives. Suicide takes an insurmountable toll on families and communities across our nation, said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken unprecedented steps to address the mental health crisis that has plagued our country for decades. The National Strategy and Action Plan are critical parts of those efforts. They recognize that issues such as the impact of social media on mental health, the intersection of suicide and substance use, and the unique challenges faced by historically marginalized communities demand our immediate attention. This new strategy will enable us to do more to prevent these tragic deaths and build healthier, more connected communities. The National Strategy seeks to prevent suicide risk in the first place; identify and support people with increased risk through treatment and crisis intervention; prevent reattempts; promote long-term recovery; and support survivors. It incorporates advances in the field, addresses emerging issues, and is designed to guide, motivate, and promote a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to suicide prevention in communities across the country. It focuses on addressing the many risk and protective factors associated with suicide, with the recognition that there is no single solution to this complex challenge. Health equity in suicide prevention is not only a strategic direction but is also integrated throughout the entire National Strategy to better focus on populations disproportionately affected by suicide and suicide attempts throughout the full continuum of care. This National Strategy offers a renewed focus and clear commitment to reducing suicide in the United States. The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention is committed to leveraging its role as the nations public-private partnership for suicide prevention to activate its diverse network of public and private sector leaders to implement this National Strategy, said Colleen Carr, MPH, Director of the Action Alliance. There is both an urgent need and unique opportunity to make significant and measurable progress around suicide prevention in the U.S., and doing so will require collaboration, coordination, and a shared commitment by federal agencies and private sector organizations. To learn more about the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan, visit www.hhs.gov/nssp. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357). About the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) is the public-private partnership working to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and make suicide prevention a national priority. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), through the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) grant, provides funding to the Education Development Center (EDC) to operate and manage the Secretariat for the Action Alliance, which was launched in 2010. Learn more at theactionalliance.org and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following the Action Alliance on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. About the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is the only federally supported resource center devoted to building nationwide capacity to implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SPRC is supported by a grant from SAMHSA. Find up-to-date publications and professional development to support effective suicide prevention efforts in communities, states, Tribes, and health care systems at sprc.org and on X, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Tuesday April 23, 2024 An aerial view shows a flooded area in Ombaka Village, Kisumu, Kenya, April 17, 2024. BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI Deadly floods are wreaking havoc in many parts of East Africa that face torrential rainfall, with Burundi calling for international help to deal with the aftermath. Lake Tanganyika's rising waters have invaded the port of Bujumbura, Burundi's economic capital, disrupting business there and elsewhere in the country that relies heavily on donor support to run government programs. Between September and April 7, some 203,944 people were affected by flooding, with 19,250 homes and 209 classrooms destroyed. The number of people internally displaced by flooding rose by 25%, reaching over 98,000, according to Violet Kenyana Kakyomya, the U.N. resident coordinator in Burundi.Burundi is one of the world's poorest countries, with 80% of its 13 million people employed in agriculture, according to the World Bank.Flooding there has created surreal scenes like game rangers entering the waterlogged Rusizi National Park in a canoe. The Boulevard du Japon, a major highway in Bujumbura, has been flooded in recent days.Climate experts say flooding in Burundi and elsewhere in the region is part of extreme conditions linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon.It must be said directly that these floods are associated with climate changes that affect Burundi like other countries in the region, said Jean Marie Sabushimike, a geographer and disaster management expert who teaches at the University of Burundi.While climate change is the trigger, the impact of the flooding is exacerbated by poor land-use planning that does not take into account areas at very high risk of flooding, he said.The rising waters of Lake Tanganyika have caused the Kanyosha river to overflow, damaging homes and other property in Bujumbura. Some in the city have been unable to return to their homes or leave.Joachim Ntirampeba, resident of the village of Gatumba near the Congo border, said that while he had witnessed many flooding events over the years, this time its terrible."He said it's the first time he's seen such heavy flooding.Meanwhile, in Kenya 35 people have died since mid-March in flooding events that have affected more than 100,000 people, according to the U.N., which cites Red Cross figures in the most recent update.Some residential areas in Nairobi, the capital, flooded as rivers broke their banks Sunday night.The Kenyan government agency in charge of roads warned Nairobi residents to avoid flooded highways, including one to the coastal city of Mombasa. Those who live by the Nairobi river were urged to move to higher ground.Flooding and mudslides have also been reported in western Kenya. In the northern region, a passenger bus was swept away by floodwaters on a bridge earlier in April, with disaster avoided after 51 passengers were rescued.Kenya's meteorology department predicts that rainfall will peak this week. Hassan Istiila Tuesday April 23, 2024 Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) has issued early flood warnings expected to affect the country in the final week of April. In a statement released on Monday, SoDMA highlighted that the floods are likely to impact districts such as Jowhar, Beledweyn, Buulaburde, Luuq, Dolow, and other major towns where rivers do not pass, particularly in the regions of Bay, Bakool, Gedo, and Lower Juba. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Sunday, the upcoming heavier-than-normal Gu rains and floods in 22 districts of Somalia are expected to affect some 770,000 people. The April-to-June Gu rains have started in most regions of the country, with heavy rains in some areas, though no flash or riverine flooding has been reported yet. The UN agency stated that 51 boats are available to evacuate people and deliver assistance in priority locations along the Shabelle and Juba rivers and to deliver assistance to areas that may be cut off or evacuate people who may be marooned. In late 2023, heavy Deyr (October to December) rains and flooding displaced 1.6 million people from their homes, according to the UN. Delhi rains: On Tuesday, residents of Delhi found relief from the sweltering heat as rains and strong winds lashed parts of the city. Rainbow seen over India Gate at Kartavaya Path after sudden strom and rains.(HT Photo/Vipin Kumar) A Western Disturbance coupled with a cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan and northeast Rajasthan is influencing weather patterns, Indian Meterological Department said. From April 26, a new Western Disturbance is expected to impact northwest India. IMD had predicted thunderstorms with the possibility of hailstorm/precipitation over and adjoining areas of Gohana, Meham, Rohtak, and Bhiwani (Haryana), as well as Amroha and Garhmukteshwar (Uttar Pradesh). ALSO READ- Task force to review heatwave impact during Lok Sabha polls: Election Commission Thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds (speed: 30-40 km/h) were forecasted over and adjoining areas of NCR (Ballabhgarh), Safidon, Jind, Panipat, Gannaur, Sonipat, Tosham, Kharkhoda, Rewari, and Bawal (Haryana), as well as Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, and Billari (Uttar Pradesh), and Bhiwari and Kotputli (Rajasthan). IMD expected light to moderate intensity rain over and adjoining areas of isolated places in Delhi (Narela, Bawana, Alipur, Burari, Kanjhawala, Rohini, Badili, and Model Town), NCR (Gurugram, Manesar), Kaithal, Narwana, Karnal, Rajaund, Assandh, Hansi, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Sohana, Palwal, Nuh, and Aurangabad, Hodal (Haryana), Gangoh, Shamli, Kandhla, Baraut, Bagpat, Khekra, Siyana, Milak, Chandausi, Anupshahar, Bahajoi, Bareilly, Shikarpur, Khurja, and Jattari (Uttar Pradesh), Tizara, and Khairthal (Rajasthan) in the next 2 hours. ALSO READ- The science behind predicting heat waves Weather forecast for this week On April 23: Isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall/snowfall with thunderstorm and lightning likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad; Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. From April 26 to 28: Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall/snowfall with thunderstorm, lightning, and possible hailstorm over the same regions. ALSO READ- Heatwave foods: 7 summer-friendly foods to beat the heat and nourish the body Isolated heavy rainfall forecasted for Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad on April 27. Isolated rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) likely over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, East Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in the week. Isolated hailstorm expected over Punjab and Haryana on April 26 and 27. Shah Rukh Khan and Chunky Panday are close friends in the industry. Chunky's daughter Ananya Panday is also friends with Shah Rukh's daughter Suhana Khan. In a new interview with Lehren Retro, Chunky opened up about staying at a hotel over Shah Rukh's house during their vacations in London or Dubai. (Also read: Chunky Panday reacts to daughter Ananya Panday talking openly about Aditya Roy Kapur: 'She is free to do what she wants') Chunky Panday shared that he is very proud of Shah Rukh Khan. What Chunky said In the interview, Chunky said: "Yes, Bhavana [Panday, his wife] and others have all stayed in Shah Rukhs house in London and Dubai. I have also stayed at his house a couple of times but of course, I like to stay at a hotel. I would love to stay in someones house, but I am messy and I know that they will throw me out of their house in two days. I have stayed at Shah Rukhs house though. He has lovely houses. I am very proud of him. He further continued that he has turned into a miser. I used to feel left out, nobody was talking about me. I was like, Let's become kanjoos (miser), at least people will speak about me. In those days, everybody used to smoke cigarettes and everybody also wanted to quit cigarettes. So nobody brought them to the sets. But I didnt want to leave it, so I took my own pack to the sets. And everybody used to take cigarettes from my pack. I realised five to six packets of my cigarettes used to finish every day. My kanjoosi started there, he added. More details In the same interview, Chunky also reacted to daughter Ananya Panday talking openly about her relationship with actor Aditya Roy Kapur. Chunky shared that her daughter is free to do what she wants and he is okay with that. Chunky shared that he was proud of her when she chose to do her first film at the age of 18 and did it all by herself. Ananya had marked her acting debut with Student of the Year 2 in 2019. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Manindra Das, 72, from Assam's Cachar district was arrested as an illegal migrant by the border police in 2019 after a Foreigners Tribunal (FT) snatched his Indian citizenship in a judgement the year before. Ironically, even if he was declared a foreigner and detained, Dass name was in all three drafts of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and also in the voters list prepared by the Election Commission (EC). Das said he had been a regular voter in Assam and had also received a grant under the central government's Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Since his release from the Silchar Detention Centre in 2021 on a bail bond, he continues to visit the local police station once a week as directed by the FT. Das believes that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will eventually grant him citizenship and he had voted for BJP in the past on this hope. Driven by the same hope, he has decided to vote for the BJP again this year. A fisherman by profession, Das said his father fled East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1964 and after reaching Assam, they received a refugee registration card that year. "I am not denying that my family migrated from Bangladesh and I am going to apply for citizenship with the new law (Citizenship Amendment Act) that Modi has brought to save us. I am not afraid of declaring myself as a migrant," he said. Social activist Kamal Chakraborty, who is helping Das and other families struggling with citizenship issues in their legal battle, said that most among those declared foreigners have the right to vote and they end up voting for ruling parties hoping that they'll be accepted as Indians in return. "People like Manindra are victims of a trap that revolves around FTs and police stations. In most of the cases, the victims don't receive the notice and the FTs declare them foreigners in ex-parte (one-sided) judgements. But they keep voting because their names remain in the voters' list," Chakraborty said. According to Kishore Kumar Bhattacharjee from the Assam-based organisation, Citizens Right Preservation Committee (CRPC), the D Voters issue, NRC and now CAA, all are instruments of the government to create fear among the common people. "D Voters" or Doubtful Voters, according to the Assam government, are those identified during electoral roll revision as D Voters, cases of which are pending with the FT or as declared as foreigners by the Tribunal. Bhattacharjee said after the Illegal Migrants Determination by Tribunals (IMDT) Act was abolished by the Supreme Court in 2005, the citizenship issue became a serious problem for those who had to prove that they were Indians. "A large section was already struggling and later the NRC added pressure by excluding 19 lakh people from citizenship. Now CAA is trying to create another class of questionable citizens. All these are mechanisms of creating fear, which gives the ruling party an advantage," Bhattacharjee said. Also read: Ecostani | Notification of CAA rules just days before announcement of national elections is a political signal The situation in Barak Valley Assam's Barak Valley which includes three districts (Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi), has two Lok Sabha seats, Silchar and Karimganj. Karimganj was a reserved seat for scheduled caste candidates since independence but the EC made it an open seat after last year's delimitation process. However, the Silchar seat was designated reserved following the same process. A large percentage of Barak Valley's population are Bengali-speaking and they celebrated when the Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed in both Houses in 2019. A large part of Barak Valleys population are migrants from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In 1961, 11 youths died in a firing during a protest against the Assam government's Language Act 1960, after which the state government announced Bengali as the official language of three Barak Valley districts. People of Barak Valley were waiting for CAA rules, but when it was announced earlier this year, many expressed disappointment because the rule says whoever wants to apply for citizenship under it, the person has to prove that his/her ancestors were living in Bangladesh, Pakistan or Afghanistan. Organisations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-backed All Assam Bengali Hindu Association (AABHA) wrote letters to the central government to amend the rules to make the process easier. Basudev Sharma from AABHA said: We wanted unconditional citizenship for Hindus but with these rules, it is not possible. We have appealed to the Prime Minister to allow self-declaration as a valid document because most victims of partition could not bring their documents while leaving East Pakistan due to religious persecution. The BJP's 2019 Lok Sabha candidate from Silchar, Rajdeep Roy, said that his grandfather was a victim of religious persecution in East Pakistan and they took shelter in India in the 1950s. Roy won the election in 2019 defeating Congress's Sushmita Dev by a large margin. He is unable to contest the election this year because of delimitation but he is campaigning for the party's candidate Parimal Suklabaidya. Roy said that CAA has given BJP an electoral advantage because Hindus are now feeling safe under BJP. However, opposition leaders say that people are supporting the BJP because of the fear they have created over the rules. Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev said that though one section of the people has realised that NRC and CAA are fake promises, one section still believes and depends on the BJP. "The BJP failed to complete NRC and later they came up with CAA, which also failed because Bengali Hindus are not happy with the rules. They are using these issues to gain votes in elections. One section is voting for them too but people are slowly realising (the reality), which at one point will go against them," Dev, who is from Trinamool Congress (TMC), said. Rajya Sabha MP and senior journalist, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said that with CAA and NRC, BJP is trying to suppress the voices of common people, especially the Hindus. "After the CAA rules were announced, the Hindus in Assam waiting for it, felt betrayed. I don't know if this will reflect in this year's general elections but in the long run, this will go against the BJP," Bhuyan, who heads the regional party, Anchalik Gana Morcha, said. West Bengal chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee recently visited Silchar and she promised to ban CAA and withdraw NRC if the TMC was voted to power. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma was quick to criticise her and said that BJP will solve the D Voters issue in Assam in the next six months. Silchar Lok Sabha seat has over 13 lakh voters and around 40% of it is Muslim, according to the BJP. In Karimganj's 14 lakh voters, around 65% of it is Muslim, the party has said. The chief of BJP's Karimganj district committee, Subrata Bhattacharjee, said that CAA has put the party in a strong position. "The Hindus have been outnumbered by other communities due to illegal migration in Barak Valley but CAA has changed this. Now we can proudly say that BJP has kept its promise to protect the Hindus (and) people are happy here," he said. CM Sarma has said that until now, only one person from Assam has applied for citizenship, arguing that it shows people are depending on the BJP instead of the law. Suklabidya explained that many people want to apply under the provisions of the CAA but have not yet done it because of the complicated process. Congress party candidate from Karimganj, Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, who is also a senior advocate at the Gauhati high court, claimed that with CAA and delimitation, the BJP has triggered anger among Hindus in the Barak Valley. Choudhry said the BJP is trying to create different classes based on religion and language but this attempt might not work anymore. "People have suffered a lot that they are now aware of the false promises, especially after CAA rules. We can see the anger among the common people. The primary reason for me to contest this year's election is to represent this class of society and I'll raise my voice in the Parliament if I win," he said. In the slum areas of Silchar town, including Tapoban Nagar, Malini Beel and Kalibari Char, many people expressed dissatisfaction over NRC and CAA. Requesting anonymity, they said that they would vote for the BJP because they don't see any other alternative. "It is a fact that we are suffering because of citizenship issues but it wasn't created by the BJP, as we read in newspapers. We expected Modi to solve it because he promised but he didn't. Still, we'll vote for him because he at least is trying, a 60-year-old daily wage earner said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress for refusing to attend the Ayodhya Ram temple's pran pratishtha ceremony on January 22 this year. Addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa, the prime minister said,"Congress leaders consider themselves above Lord Ram and denied invitation for Pran Pratishtha at Ram Temple. Is it not a disrespect for Chhattisgarh? It is 'Nanihal of Lord Ram'. Is it not a disrespect of Mata Shabri? Congress keeps on doing appeasement politics, it is in their DNA." They will not hesitate to take rights of Dalits, poor and Adivasis for appeasement politics. Our priority is poor, youth, women, Modi said. ALSO READ: Amid Muslims remark row, PM Narendra Modi claims 'Hanuman Chalisa a crime' under Congress rule During the rally, PM Modi again attacked the Congress over its BJP will change constitution claim. Whenever the election approaches, the Congress leaders repeat the same old lines. They say that the BJP will come to power and end the constitution and abolish reservation. How long will you keep peddling lies? he said. Nobody can change Constitution, it wont happen even if Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar were to come and insist on it, the prime minister added. Congress people say that they will break Modi's head. As long as the mothers and sisters of my country are with me, no one can do anything to Modi. These mothers and sisters are my Raksha Kavach Modi said. ALSO READ: PM Modi jabs Congress with panja, mangalsutra barbs in Aligarh The prime minister also slammed the Congress after its South Goa candidate Viriato Fernandes claimed the Indian Constitution was "forced" on Goa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of appeasement politics, saying it is in the grand old party's 'DNA'..(X/BJP) On April 17, a spokesperson of the Myanmar military government stated that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars most popular leader, and former president U Win Myint were moved from prison to house arrest. As part of the Thingyan festival celebrations, over 30,000 political prisoners have also been granted amnesty and were being released. But these developments, though welcome, do not conceal the fact that, three years after the coup, the political and security situation in Myanmar has markedly deteriorated. Peaceful agitation against the coup gave way to a countrywide outbreak of armed clashes with police and army personnel. The junta responded with aerial bombardment of villages and towns by the air force. October 2023 opened a new era of a string of defeats of the army by the Resistance comprising ethnic armed groups and peoples militia units. The fall, one by one, of Laukkaing in the north, Paletwa in the west, Ramree in the south, and Myawaddy in the east to the Opposition forces represents a truly dark chapter in the history of the Tatmadaw. Fighting continues unabated in several parts of the country, especially in the sensitive and strategically important Rakhine state. All eyes are now set on the port town of Sittwe. If it falls, it could be a serious blow to the military government. New Delhis recent decision to withdraw its consulate from there and relocate it to Yangon which hosts the diplomatic corps is an indicator of the grave situation. Myanmar will no longer be the same as it was before 2021 as the ethnic armed organisations are changing the internal configuration of Myanmar, said Soe Myint, editor-in-chief of Mizzima News. These organisations control most of the countrys international borders with China, India, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Dispatches from the battle fronts reveal a consistent story of an ascending Resistance and a weakening military. Before the coup, the Myanmar military personnel numbered, according to experts, some 370,000. Three years of fighting with its people has depleted the militarys strength, firepower and morale. Troops now number about 150,000 of which roughly 70,000 are combat soldiers, according to Ye Myo Hein of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). This explains the juntas latest decision to impose conscription, compelling young people both men and women to join the Army. It has triggered a huge exodus of the youth to foreign lands. For this author who spent years working and travelling in Myanmar, it is heartbreaking to see the nation crumbling from the inside. What are the prospects of the raging conflict giving way to conciliation in the coming months? As the country stands virtually divided today into two parts, namely the regions still controlled by the Army and those areas where the Resistance is in charge, neither side considers a peaceful settlement through dialogue an option. At the same time, neither side seems confident of a total victory over the other soon. This implies that one of the three scenarios, or a mixture of sorts, may come about. First, a protracted conflict and civil war that results in more bloodshed, displacement of people, their untold suffering, and further damage to the economy. Second, another major defeat for the Army, such as the loss of a big town like Mandalay, could be a game-changer. Third, a radical decision by the junta to effect a change in leadership or release Aung San Suu Kyi, which results in a dramatic reshuffling of cards in the political game. Myanmars internal challenges can be addressed and resolved only by its people. But they cannot do it alone, without external assistance. Endeavours by the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary Generals special envoy, Japans special envoy Yohei Sasakawa, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have all failed to deliver. The Five Point Consensus (FPC), crafted by the ASEAN three years ago, raised hopes but it could not achieve any success because of the wide chasm between the junta and the Opposition. Only one country China seems active in mediatory efforts now. After a few hiccups, it succeeded in helping the warring sides to agree to a ceasefire in the Shan state along the Myanmar-China border. The new Thai government desires to undertake a similar effort in the Myanmar-Thailand border region. Prudence demands that a studied engagement of a few select ASEAN States and all five neighbours of Myanmar as potential mediators or facilitators be given a chance. They should first agree among themselves on a broad approach to resolving major differences on key political issues. Thereafter, they could attempt to offer their vision to the regime and the Resistance. Issues on the agenda should include the cessation of fighting, delivery of humanitarian assistance, re-building of the economy, and launch of a national dialogue. It must encompass an agreement on the vision of a new Myanmar, a nation with a federal democracy where the Army withdraws, within a short time frame, from the domain of governance. To assist the government of select ASEAN States and five neighbours, reputed experts on Myanmar from the region bear a special responsibility. Their reading of Burmese history and the national character of the Myanmar people, and their expertise in comprehending the diversities, challenges and potential of this remarkable nation, should be put to effective use. Let the experts come up with a peace proposal first, and then the concerned governments can pick up the baton and run with it. Rajiv Bhatia is distinguished fellow, Gateway House, former ambassador to Myanmar and author of India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours. The views expressed are personal It has become a morbid sort of trivia game. Which country has the worlds largest population of internal refugees? The highest number of people facing famine? And where do aid agencies have the biggest humanitarian load, but until this week were short of 95% of the funding they need? The answer is not, as many might assume, Gaza or Ukraine. It is Sudan. When the conflict in Africas third-largest country began a year ago it might have been mistaken for a clear-cut fight between two generals, each vying for control of the central state. On one side were the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan; on the other the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary unit under the command of Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (a Darfuri warlord universally known as Hemedti). Even after fighting exploded in the capital, Khartoum, and quickly spread to Darfur, some observers still imagined it could be contained or that the two sides would grind themselves to a stalemate, and then strike a power-sharing deal. Instead, the conflict has metastasised into a nationwide conflagration so vast and anarchic it could yet destabilise several of Sudans neighbours. If there were, at first, two broadly coherent armed blocs under identifiable leadership, now there is a mosaic of competing militias and rebel movements, each with its own interests and agendas. Arms and mercenaries are pouring over the border from Chad, Libya and the Central African Republic, and across the Red Sea (see map). Even fighters from as far afield as Russia and Ukraine have reportedly joined the fray. With neither side having managed to land a decisive blow, both the SAF and the RSF have begun to splinter. We are hurtling towards a failed state, frets Tom Perriello, Americas recently appointed special envoy. There is a real risk of a 20- to 25-year setback for the people of Sudan and the wider region. More immediate is the risk of mass starvation. The situation is catastrophic, says Michael Dunford, the head of the UNs World Food Programme in east Africa. When you look at the sheer size and scale, were desperately concerned about where this is headed. On April 15th donors pledged around $2.1bn to fund humanitarian efforts. Yet this may already be too late to avert a famine, which is expected by June and may kill 500,000 people, according to the most likely scenario in a study by the Clingendael Institute, a Dutch think-tank. In its extreme scenario forecast, up to a million may perish. Because of the war, large parts of Sudanin particular Darfurcollected almost no harvest in 2023. National cereal production collapsed by almost half; the price of basic food commodities shot up by as much as 83%. These trends are set to worsen with fighting having now reached the breadbasket state of Gezira. Though the UN has yet to declare a famine, few experts doubt that one is already under way in parts of Sudan. In the worst-affected areas, which include the capital, people are eating leaves to survive. Children are already beginning to die from malnutrition or related diseases. Some 70% of health facilities in war-stricken areas are no longer functional, according to Deepmala Mahla of CARE, an aid group. For most of last year refugees arriving in Chad, which borders Darfur, said they were escaping a fearsome campaign of ethnic cleansing unleashed by RSF troops and allied Arab militias against local black Africans. Now the new arrivals tell aid workers they are fleeing hunger. Both sides are obstructing humanitarian assistance. RSF fighters regularly attack aid lorries and loot warehouses belonging to NGOs. In February the SAF banned aid agencies from delivering supplies via Chad. Since then it has partially relented, but it continues to withhold visas and travel permits for aid workers. Crossing the lines between territory controlled by the SAF and RSF to deliver assistance is cumbersome and deliberately time-consuming, notes a UN official. As a result, whole regions have for months been cut off from emergency supplies. Previous food crises in Sudan were localised, argues Alex de Waal, an expert on famines at Tufts University. Now we are witnessing something we havent seen since the 19th century: a nationwide food emergency. Consider el-Fasher, North Darfurs capital and the SAFs last major holdout in the west. Before the war, the city was a sanctuary for those escaping violence and hunger elsewhere: tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of civilians, had sheltered there since the previous round of ethnic cleansing in Darfur 20 years ago. Yet these days it is a microcosm of the chaos that prevails elsewhere in Sudan. In theory, the national army remains in charge, with several thousand troops holed up in barracks in the city centre. But in reality, rebels from the local Zaghawa ethnic group provide most of the security, while much of the outskirts is under the control of the RSF and affiliated militias. Crossing from one side of the city to the other means navigating multiple checkpoints, each manned by a different armed group. Though the SAF conducts frequent air strikes on RSF positions, they often end up hitting civilian areas, including those under the armys control. With movement in, out and around el-Fasher so costly and dangerous, life inside is growing desperate. We are already too late, says Justine Muzik of Solidarites International, a French humanitarian charity. Dengue fever and malaria are running rampant. Every two hours in Zamzam, a refugee camp on the southwestern side, a child dies from lack of food or medical care, says Medecins Sans Frontieres, another French charity. With new arrivals streaming into the city from other parts of Darfur, basic supplies are dwindling. Though food is still available in the market, a sack of rice can cost almost eight times what it did before the war. Across large parts of the country soldiers from both sides are raping women and girls, in some cases because of their ethnicity. In Khartoum state alone more than 1,000 rapes have taken place, according to lawyers and doctors. Ghada Abbas, a human-rights lawyer who recently fled Sudan, describes an incident in which soldiers violated three sisters aged 12, 16 and 18 in Omdurman, a city close to the capital. Although people heard their cries, nobody dared to go out, she says. Elsewhere there are some hopeful signs. Discreet ceasefire talks are underway in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. A separate process backed by America is also to resume in Saudi Arabia soon. However, in recent weeks the regular army has reversed some of the RSFs earlier gains in Khartoum, raising hopes among its supporters of a decisive victory. Just a few weeks before it had been the RSF that appeared triumphant. What this looks like now is musical chairs, not a genuine sea-change, argues Kholood Khair of Confluence Advisory, a Sudanese think-tank. With both sides still determined to gain the upper hand, the prospect of peace is slim. Sign up to the Middle East Dispatch, a weekly newsletter that keeps you in the loop on a fascinating, complex and consequential part of the world. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Washington casino-goers where left shocked when a stranger stabbed a fellow gambler to death at a table in a "completely random" attack, according to a report. The Auburn Police Department said it happened around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort. Officers found the 29-year-old victim with a stab wound to the neck. First responders attempted life-saving measures but he died at the scene. Police say the victim, who was not identified, was standing at one of the tables and the suspect walked up behind him and stabbed him in the neck. Detectives do not believe the victim and suspect had any contact before the attack. "It's a scary and terrible situation that occurred and this person had no idea what was going to happen to them," police spokesperson, Kolby Crossley told KCPQ-TV. "This happened at the casino on the casino floor. So, there were a lot of people around, there were cameras." Ricky Josh Fuentes, 31, was arrested without incident and was booked into King County Jail on homicide charges. A court date was not immediately set for him to make an initial appearance. There is no known motive for the attack. State-run KCNA news agency confirmed on Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a drill simulating a "nuclear counterattack," the latest in a volley of tests by Pyongyang this year. Seoul's military had earlier claimed that the North had fired several short-range ballistic missiles on Monday, with Tokyo confirming the launch. According to the report, Kim guided a combined tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket artillerymen. The rockets "hit their island target" about 352 kilometers (219 miles) away, and Kim was described as "expressing great satisfaction." On Monday, South Korea's military reported that missiles launched from the Pyongyang region traveled over 300 kilometers before exploding in the waters to the east of the Korean peninsula. It called the launch a "blatant provocation." A government spokesman in Tokyo has also confirmed the launch, saying that one missile reached a maximum height of 50 kilometers and landed outside the country's EEZ. Pyongyang conducted its second launch in less than a week on Friday, testing a "super-large warhead" intended for a strategic cruise missile. Military personnel in Seoul at the time confirmed that it had seen cruise missile launches. The launch follows Moscow, an ally of Pyongyang, effectively ending UN monitoring of sanctions violations against Kim's government for its nuclear and weapons development in March by using its veto power in the UN Security Council. Analysts said that North Korea may be testing cruise missiles before transferring them to Russia for use in Ukraine. Washington and Seoul think Kim has already sent weapons to Moscow, even though UN sanctions ban such actions. It has also increased testing, saying it tested a new solid-fuel, medium-to-long-range hypersonic missile in early April. The Kremlin has warned Poland to reconsider its move to accept nuclear weapons on its territory, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying that Russian military authorities would "take the necessary steps to guarantee the security of the state." Peskov was reacting to a recent statement by Polish President Andrzej Duda on Monday (Apr. 22) that his country was ready to accept nuclear weapons from fellow NATO nations, particularly those coming from the United States, onto its territory. "If there was such a decision by our allies to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing, also on our territory, to strengthen the security of NATO's eastern flank, then we are ready for it," Duda told local newspaper Fakt. The Polish president deemed that the action was necessary as "Russia is increasingly militarizing the Kaliningrad region" and recently relocated its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus and allowed Belarus to incorporate it into its military doctrine. It was also earlier reported that Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed the US approval for sending over advanced missile systems to Poland. "The military will analyze the situation," Peskov said in response to Duda's statements. "If these plans are implemented, all necessary steps will be taken to ensure our security." Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added that the possible deployment of American nuclear weapons in Poland "will immediately attract the attention of the General Staff of the Russian Army and will be taken into account in war planning," and these facilities "will be on the list of authorized attack targets in the event of a direct conflict with NATO." Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that he was waiting for Duda's invitation for a meeting to thoroughly understand the president's intentions. "I am looking forward to meeting President Duda, because this matter directly and very clearly concerns Polish security," he said, as quoted by TVP. He also spoke about the "need for all of the initiatives to be meticulously prepared by all those responsible" and for "all to be convinced that this is what we want." He added, "This is a massive and serious undertaking, so I would have to know all the circumstances that prompted the president to make this declaration." On Monday, the European Union started legal action against ByteDance's TikTok, in which it threatened to halt its recently released TikTok Lite rewards program. TikTok Lite was launched in France and Spain in March. Through the app's reward system, users who are 18 or older can earn points that can be redeemed for products like vouchers or gift cards. In a statement released on Monday, the European Commission expressed its concerns about the app's "risks of serious damage to the mental health of users," especially minors. TikTok Lite is a smaller version of the famous TikTok app that runs better over slower internet connections and requires less smartphone memory. Last week, the commission said that TikTok failed to deliver a risk assessment for the spinoff app by an April 18 deadline, demanding that the company offer it by Tuesday. It threatens to implement temporary measures, such as suspending the EU awards program "while the program's safety is evaluated." TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, has until Wednesday to file a formal defense against the proposed measure. The commission also threatened to impose fines of up to one percent of TikTok's global turnover or total annual income and periodic penalties of up to five percent of the company's average daily revenue or global turnover if the company did not respond to the request. Furthermore, TikTok said it would continue its talks with the commission and that children could not participate in the rewards program. The investigation is the EU's second against TikTok under a comprehensive new law, the Digital Services Act (DSA), that requires digital companies to monitor more content online. Thierry Breton, the European Commission's top tech enforcer, has suspected TikTok Lite as toxic and addictive as cigarettes' light. Philippine commercial broadcaster ABS-CBN is set to return to its former channel slot almost four years after the country's National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) ordered it to sign off the airwaves. The return was marked by a contract-signing event at the Brittany Hotel in Bacoor, Cavite, about 25 kilometers south of Manila, on Tuesday (Apr. 23) with Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS), a media firm owned and operated by the Villar family, of which some of its members are currently serving in the Philippine government. Several members of the Villar family, including businessman and former senator Manny Villar and his childrenCamille, an incumbent representative in the country's parliament, and Mark, who currently serves as Public Works Secretary under Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s cabinetwere present at the contract signing. ABS-CBN's president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, COO Cory Vidanes, Lopez Group CFO Rick Tan, and chief partnership officer Bobby Barreiro attended the signing, as well as members of the Lopez family, which owns the network. While some of the comments on ABS-CBN's livestream welcomed the move, others expressed disappointment about how the network purportedly "lost its dignity" and sold out its credibility to the highest bidder after the media heartbreak of 2020, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Other comments also highlighted that Camille Villar was one of the Filipino lawmakers who denied ABS-CBN's franchise renewal when it applied for such and that after AMBS received its franchise, they now needed ABS-CBN to survive. "There's a bit of a sentimental note for us today, because we're bringing one of our longest-running programs, TV Patrol, back to Channel 2," Katigbak said in a speech before the contract signing, referring to ABS-CBN's evening primetime news program. "I know there are some who feel some pain over our return to our former channel, the home that was once ours. But in all humility, let's try [to] put all of the past behind us and embrace instead our mission to serve the Filipino, wherever they may be." ABS-CBNformerly broadcasting on the channel 2 free-to-air slot in Metro Manilastarted its operations in the 1950s, with the relatives of former Philippine President Elpidio Quirino as its first owners. The network eventually went to the hands of the Lopezes until the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. shut it down for the first time in 1972, which coincided with the country's martial law era. The network only returned to the airwaves in the 1980s after the older Marcos was toppled from power. The network had a renewed prominence from the 1990s to the early 2010s. Still, the quality of its programs and other content has been significantly altered by the advent of social media, which it harnessed to its fullest capacity by the time it was forced off the air on May 5, 2020, by the Duterte administration. Since then, ABS-CBN has had multiple content broadcasting agreements with other major players in the local industry, including block time agreements with Zoe Broadcasting Network to create "A2Z" on channel 11, content agreements with TV5, and even with its main rival, GMA. Prior to the signing agreement, AMBS had broadcast several legacy ABS-CBN series and TV Patrol on its channel ALLTV since Apr. 15. The contract solidified the blocktime agreement, which would take effect on May 13. At least five migrants died in an attempt to cross the English Channel from France to the UK, according to French local media. Reuters cited local newspaper La Voix du Nord when it reported that the migrants began their attempt from an area near Wimereux. The French coast guard confirmed that there was a failed attempt to cross the channel, saying that police were operating at a beach following the incident on Tuesday morning (Apr. 23) and that several "lifeless bodies" were discovered. Local police did not immediately reply to reporters' requests for comment. The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, and the strong currents make crossing on small boats dangerous. People smugglers typically overload rickety dinghies, leaving them barely afloat and at risk of being lashed by the waves as they try to reach British shores. The incident also happened as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill, which stipulated an alleged deterrent to migrants and asylum seekers, passed at the country's parliament at Westminster and awaited royal permission from Buckingham Palace. Tabloid publisher David Pecker was back on the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money case in Manhattan. Prosecutors started by asking him to talk about his relationship with Trump. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked him to identify him in the courtroom. Pecker smiled, pointed over to the defense table and said, according to CNN, "He's sitting, wearing, I think, a dark blue suit." Trump reportedly smirked at Pecker as he pointed to Trump. He testified that Trump would feed him stories from his TV show, "The Apprentice" that he could publish in his magazines free of charge, the Associated Press reported. Pecker said his contact with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen increased after Trump announced his run for the White House. He said he was invited to a meeting about how he could help the campaign. Pecker said he would continue running negative stories about Bill and Hillary Clinton and publish positive articles about Trump. Pecker testified that he alerted Cohen about women trying to sell stories about Trump so that he could buy and not publish them. He was asked questions about the National Enquirer allegedly squashing unflattering stories about Trump during the 2016 campaign. Pecker said they had an agreement but it was not put into writing. Prosecutors say Pecker, a longtime Trump friend, worked with Cohen to buy up and then kill negative stories about the businessman. They allege that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race by preventing damaging stories about him from becoming public. Trump allegedly made payments to kill any coverage of an alleged affair Trump had with adult film star Stormy Daniels. The accounting of those payments is the basis for the prosecution's case against Trump. Trump is charged with 34 felonies for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up payments made to Daniels. He could face up to four years in prison if convicted. The former president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case. On Monday, Pecker was questioned about the National Enquirer's use of "checkbook journalism," which includes paying sources for stories. Pecker has been granted immunity in exchange for his testimony, according to the Associated Press. Other prosecution witnesses expected to be called are former press aid Hope Hicks, Cohen and Daniels. It's unclear if the defense would call on Trump to testify, which would allow the prosecution to cross-examine him. A recent poll finds that just 35 percent of U.S. adults say Trump did something illegal in the case. During opening statements, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jury the is "about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up." Trump's attorney Todd Blanche told the jury, "President Trump is innocent" and that "none of this was a crime." Also on Tuesday, prosecutors are expected to ask the judge to hold Trump in contempt over posts on his Truth Social platform. They claim they violate a gag order in the case. Disturbing information against four people accused of killing two Kansas moms was revealed in court documents filed by the district attorney in a request to hold them without bail. Tifany Adams, 54; boyfriend Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; and her husband Cole Twombly, 50, are accused of brutally murdering Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley. The four were members of a small anti-government group who called themselves "God's Misfits." Adams was in a bitter custody dispute with Bulter. Bulter had been married to Adam's son and she was the grandmother of the two children involved in the long-running dispute. Prosecutors say Adams helped orchestrate the killings to keep Butler from gaining custody of the children. Kelley was not an original target but was apparently killed because she was driving with Butler to pick up her children as part of a court ordered visitation plan. Butler and Kelley disappeared on March 30 during a drive from Hugoton, Kansas, to Eva, Oklahoma, to pick up Butler's children from Adams. They were planning to take the children to a birthday party. The killings were "complex and involved extensive preparation," according to court documents. And they apparently were ready to take out the judge in the custody case, if needed. The prosecutor claims the members of "Gods Misfits" also said their problem would be taken care of because along with killing Veronica "they knew the path the Judge walked to work." Prosecutors said the group had also previously had developed a plot to kill Bulter by throwing an anvil through her car windshield. Police investigators said Adams and Cullum had a history of violent interactions, "including death threats and intimidation against individuals who disagree with their ideas." They went on to state, "They abide by their own philosophy and have no regard for the sanctity of human life." Butler and Kelley's bodies were discovered in a hay-covered hole on a property rented out by Cullum, two weeks after they mysteriously disappeared. The judge entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of the defendants and denied them bail. Columbia will offer hybrid classes for the remainder of the semester, the university announced on Monday evening, as tensions over pro-Palestine activism continue to dominate campus life. In a letter addressed to "members of the Columbia community," Provost Angela V. Olinto wrote that it was "vital that teaching and learning continue during this time" but made no specific references to the protests themselves. More than a hundred Columbia and Barnard students, including Representative Ilhan Omar's daughter, were arrested last week at the behest of university President Minouche Shafik. After the university suspended the detained protestors, more than a hundred faculty members participated in a walk-out. Members of the Columbia Chapter of the American Association of University Professors are expected to move to censure Shafik, in response to her asking the New York Police Department to arrest the students. The protests coincide with the Jewish religious holiday of Passover - which more than 100 Jewish students and faculty members celebrated from within the encampment, while participating in pro-Palestinian activism, the New York Times reported. Other Jewish students, however, allege that the protests have led to a spike in on-campus antisemitism. One rabbi, associated with Columbia's Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative urged Jewish students "return home as soon as possible and remain home." In Olinto's letter to the campus community, she explained that any faculty members teaching classes at Columbia's main Morningside Heights campus were told to provide virtual learning opportunities to students who "need them." Any class that cannot be taught in a hybrid format will be required to go remote if students request the option. If class cannot be held remotely, faculty members are expected to grant student accommodations "liberally." An Oklahoma father is believed to have fatally shot his wife and three of their children in a grisly murder-sucide that authorities labeled a "mystery," according to a report Tuesday. Police officers found the five family members dead in their home in the Czech Hall Estates neighborhood of Oklahoma City after getting a call around 9:35 a.m. Monday. An unidentified 10-year-old boy discovered the bodies, the Oklahoman newspaper reported, citing a law enforcement official who disclosed details from a search warrant. A gun was lying on top of the dead father, identified as Jonathon Candy, 42. Investigators believe Candy killed his wife, Lindsay Candy, 39, and sons Dylan, 18, Ethan, 14, and Lucas, 12, before fatally shooting himself. A fourth child in the home was unharmed and was placed in the care of relatives. "It remains a mystery as to what caused Mr. Candy to murder his wife and three of his children," police said in a prepared statement Tuesday, according to the Oklahoman. The superintendent of the Mustang school district said in an email to parents Monday that the two of the slain children were students and the third graduated last year. "We are shocked, and our hearts are broken; this tragedy simply defies understanding," superintendent Charles Bradley wrote. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org An Illinois woman found drowned had been scammed out of $1.5M and ominously warned that she "would end up dead," according to a report. Laura Kowal had reportedly decided to start dating again after the death of her longtime husband. She decided to online date because she thought it was safer, her daughter Kelly Gowe told CBS News. Kowal had a nearly two-year online relationship with a Swedish businessman named Frank Borg, or at least that is who she thought she was dating. A federal investigator messaged Gowe on Aug. 7, 2020, warning that her mom was feared to be the victim "in a fraud scam." Kowal disappeared a short time later. Gowe says she had an uneasy feeling and searched her mother's home. She found an undated note addressed to her. It said: "I've been living a double life this past year. It has left me broke and broken. Yes, it involves Frank, the man I met through online dating. I tried to stop this, many times, but I knew I would end up dead." The note gave access to her mother's emails, which detailed her relationship and how she was tricked into sending more than $1.5 million to a phony company. Kowal's body was found floating in the Mississippi River two days later. Police ruled she had died from drowning. The family is not convinced it was suicide. "It's the criminals behind those emails. It's Frank Borg," Gowe said. "He killed my mom." "Frank's" emails were sent from Ghana. His dating photos were stolen from a doctor in Chile. Gowe thinks her mother was threatened and felt trapped by the scammer. She has dedicated herself to telling her mother's stories to warn other women about the dangers of online dating scams. A mistrial was declared in the case against an Arizona farmer who was accused of using an AK-47 to shoot and kill a migrant who trespassed on his property near the Mexican border. George Alan Kelly, 75, was charged with the second-degree murder of Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea. The 48-year-old victim resided in the Mexican border city of Nogales. Defense Attorney Kathy Lowthorp told reporters outside the courthouse that seven jurors voted for acquittal, while one believed he was guilty. Deliberations began on Thursday and lasted for more than two days. Law enforcement alleges that Cuen-Buitimea and other migrants were attempting to re-enter Mexico, when they spotted border patrol agents and fled. The victim and fellow migrant Daniel Ramirez entered Kelly's property while they were trying to leave the United States. Prosecutors allege that Kelly shot the unarmed migrant in the back from 115 yards away. He then allegedly gave inconsistent answers to law enforcement officers who questioned him about Cuen-Buitimea's death. "When you see two unarmed migrants walking southbound beyond two fence lines and you take your AK-47, you walk out and don't say a word, point it at them and you shoot, would that be what a reasonable person would do in that situation," prosecutor Mike Jette asked the jury. "The answer has to be no." The prosecution also pointed to Kelly's text messages as proof of his attitude towards migrants. The suspect allegedly told friends that his AK-47 was getting "a lot of work" due to the presence of migrants in the area. He also allegedly sent messages where he said he planned to spend Thanksgiving "patroln [sic] the border." "Shoot straight," the friend responded. "OR SHOOT MANY ROUNDS!" Kelly said. Kelly's attorneys claimed that he was acting in self defense and fired warning shots at the migrants - arguing that law enforcement failed to follow other leads. They also alleged that police incorrectly claimed that Kelly admitted to shooting at multiple migrants. "That was not true, Alan never said that. Law enforcement wasn't listening and they didn't care, they already decided that he was guilty," attorney Brenna Larkin said. Kelly's wife, Wanda, wrote that her husband was "accused of a serious crime, killing a Cartel member on our property and he is innocent," on the fundraising platform GiveSendGo. Ramirez denied that the men were moving drugs during his testimony, while admitting he had brought marijuana into the United States in the past. Kelly was also charged with aggravated assault against Ramirez. A former cop in Washington state is believed to be on the run and may be headed to Mexico after allegedly killing his ex-wife and 17-year-old girlfriend while facing a rape charge. Elias Huizar, 39, is also suspected of abducting his 1-year-old son, Roman, according to an Amber Alert issued by the Washington State Patrol on Monday night. Authorities have said the fugitive ex-cop should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the Tri-City Herald, which identified Roman's mother as the slain girlfriend. Huizar, who was a police officer in Yakima, Washington, from 2014 to 2022, is accused of fatally shooting ex-wife Amber Rodriguez, a paraeducator, outside the school where she worked as students were being dismissed around 3:20 p.m. Monday. Chris Worley, who lives near the William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, Washington, told the Tri-City Herald said he was in his backyard at the time and heard four or five shots. "I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didn't sound like a gun," Worley said. "Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot." Authorities later searched Huizar's home, on the same block of the school, and found the body of his girlfriend, who relatives identified as Angelica Santos, according to the New York Post. The rape charge against Huizar was filed Feb. 3 and involves an alleged attack on a friend of Santos' after the teenage victim passed out following a night of drinking with the couple. Huizar's relationship with Santos was also being investigated to determine whether she was underage it began, according to the Tri-City Herald. In addition to his child with Santos, Huizar had two sons with Rodriguez before they divorced in 2020 and she filed a for an order of protection following his rape arrest. On Friday, Rodriguez filed for a change in custody of their kids, ages 5 and 9, the Tri-City Herald said, citing court documents. Officials ceremonially kicked off construction a $12 billion high-speed rail line that's expected to carry passengers between Las Vegas and Southern California about two hours -- half the time of driving. During a Monday event in Sin City, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and others stood behind a table and hammered bright yellow spikes into gravel to mark the groundbreaking of the Brightline West project. "I'm convinced that the first time Americans actually experience American high-speed rail on U.S. soil, there's going to be no going back and people are going to expect and demand it all across the country," Buttigieg told CNBC. Brightline plans to lay 218 miles of track in the median of Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, which is connected to downtown Los Angeles by the Metrolink commuter rail system. The Brightline trains are expected to operate at speeds of up to 200 mph, which is about the same as high-speed trains in Europe and Japan. It's also one-third faster than Amtrak's Acela trains, which run between Washington, D.C., and Boston, and are America's speediest. Amtrak has said a new fleet of Acela trains to be introduced this year will feature a top speed of 160 mph, up from 150 mph. The Brighline West project is slated to be finished by 2028, in time for that year's Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. President Joe Biden's $550 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide $3 billion in funding, with the remainder of the cost to be privately funded, according to the Brightline, which is owned by the Fortress Investment Group. In 2018, Brightline began operating trains between Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida, marking the first new private intercity passenger rail service in the U.S. in a century. Columbia University classes go remote as U.S. campuses divided over Israel-Hamas conflict Xinhua) 16:59, April 23, 2024 NEW YORK, April 22 (Xinhua) -- All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. The university's president Minouche Shafik urged relevant parties to "sit down and talk and argue and find ways to compromise on solutions" and announced that all classes would go virtual. Shafik sent a letter to the New York Police Department (NYPD) on April 18 requesting that the police help remove individuals who had occupied the South Lawn of the university's Morningside Heights campus a day earlier. The students with "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" opposed Israeli military action in Gaza and demanded the university divest from companies that "profit from Israeli apartheid." "The continued encampment raises safety concerns for the individuals involved and the entire community," said Shafik in the letter. He added that the encampment and related disruptions pose a clear and present danger to Columbia University's substantial functioning. The NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters from the campus of the university in the afternoon on April 18. Shafik denounced antisemitic behavior by students and professors at the university and pledged consequences for those actions at the hearings by the House of Representatives on antisemitism on April 17. The university also suspended students who participated in unauthorized protests and terminated a professor who supported the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. In a statement on Saturday, the Barnard and Columbia chapters of the American Association of University Professors condemned the suspension of students engaged in peaceful protest and their arrest by the NYPD. "During the coming days, a working group of deans, university administrators and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution," said Shafik. Security guards at Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus on Monday required ID issued by the university before granting access to the campus. Around ten students from the university approached by Xinhua on Monday refused to comment on the encampment. On Monday, the NYPD had a strong presence around the campus, while more than 100 outside protesters and agitators within the campus rallied at a gate by Columbia University Bookstore on Broadway. "What I see is nothing but division. I don't know what the university is trying to do to facilitate people coming together," said an alumnus of Columbia University who identified himself as Max. Max said the administration could do more to bring people together and help them understand each other. "The authorities at this university have lost control...It's become a one-sided conversation. There is no dialogue," said Ross, who is Jewish and living in New York City. The students should have meetings, discussions and debates, but not take over the campus, said Ross, who declined to give his full name. "We saw this as an unacceptable escalation of repression," said Carl Dix, a representative of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, of the police who were called in on the students. "And we had to stand with the students against that." "Opposing genocidal attacks is right. It's correct, and it's not anti-semitism. In fact, the people in the ruling class who run all this stuff about the Jewish conspiracy. They're the ones who are anti-Semitic, not these students here," said Dix. According to media reports, students from Yale University, New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, and the University of North Carolina also staged encampments in solidarity with their peers at Columbia University. Over 40 students from Yale University, who occupied Beinecke Plaza at the center of campus starting Friday night, were arrested on Monday, according to the local police department. New York University ordered scores of student protesters to disperse on Monday afternoon after "a breach in the barriers set up at Gould Plaza." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) AKA, a global leader in luxury hospitality and the creator of the World's Most Livable Hotels continues to invest in the DMV metro area and today announces the opening of Hotel AKA Washington Circle. The 151-room property is the newest addition to the AKA portfolio after undergoing a full interior design transformation. Globally renowned firm Gensler, the architect of record and design architect, led the redesign of the exterior and reimagined public spaces. Located in the vibrant Foggy Bottom/West End neighborhood, which is situated in downtown Washington, D.C., it's steps away from the nation's top educational and medical institutions such as George Washington University and Hospital, global embassies, as well as historical and cultural landmarks. Hotel AKA Washington Circle represents major growth for AKA, becoming the brand's third property in the Washington D.C. area. "Hotel AKA Washington Circle exemplifies a significant milestone in our brand's evolution, highlighting both the burgeoning demand and our unwavering dedication to excellence within the DMV region," said Larry Korman, CEO of AKA. "By seamlessly blending modern elegance with our distinctive residential ethos, we are positioned to provide an elevated luxury experience at the epicenter of D.C. As with all AKA properties, we are proud to offer self-sufficient sanctuaries, ensuring our guests experience a true sense of comfort." The Stay Experience + Amenities Hotel AKA Washington Circle's design embodies neutral, modern elements aimed to create a peaceful sanctuary in the center of the nation's capital. Offering luxury accommodations tailored for both short-term visits and longer stays, the hotel boasts an array of options including king and queen guestrooms, one-bedroom suites and expansive penthouses, many of which feature balconies or terraces. Each guestroom and suite are adorned with elegant modern furnishings, complemented by upscale amenities and floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests can enjoy the convenience of a pantry, kitchenette, or full kitchen, equipped with Nespresso coffee machines for a refreshing start to the day. Plush bedding ensures a restful night's sleep, while luxurious baths offer a tranquil space perfect for relaxation. The hotel offers an array of amenities, including a chic lobby lounge replete with ample seating and abundant natural light. More than just a reception area, the lounge serves as a multifunctional space to cultivate relationships through meetings, work sessions and relaxation. Additionally, guests have access to a state-of-the-art Technogym Fitness Center, an Executive Conference Room with AV capabilities, a private a.cinema offering curated movie screenings, and debuting in late spring, a landscaped terrace and brand-new restaurant from the esteemed 2023 recipient of the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Restaurateur" award, Ellen Yin. Food & Beverage Hotel AKA Washington Circle welcomes Ellen Yin, founder and co-owner of High Street Hospitality Group, to operate the remarkable dining experience at a.kitchen+bar. Expanding upon the success of their collaboration at AKA Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, where Yin's High Street Hospitality Group operates a.kitchen and a.bar, this marks the third exciting partnership between AKA and the renowned restaurateur. The a.kitchen+bar at Hotel AKA Washington Circle will showcase a hyper-seasonal menu of American-inspired small plates created by Executive Chef Eli Collins. The menu will be complemented and expertly paired with a curated wine and cocktail program crafted by the Philadelphia-based team renowned for their exceptional achievements recognized by Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and most recently, a 2024 semifinalist nomination from the James Beard Foundation Awards for "Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program." Centralized Location Situated in Washington D.C.'s historic Foggy Bottom neighborhood and directly on Washington Circle, Hotel AKA Washington Circle is located within walking distance to numerous landmarks and cultural points of interest such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and The Lincoln Memorial. Nearby, visitors, students, legal and medical professionals amongst others will find convenient access to George Washington University, the George Washington University Hospital, American College of Cardiology, and many other esteemed institutions. As AKA's third property in the DMV, Hotel AKA Washington Circle joins AKA White House, and Hotel AKA Alexandria, which opened in April 2023. AKA White House is a hotel residence ideal for travelers looking to stay in Washington D.C. for a week or longer, offering fully furnished accommodations with residential-like features. Alternatively, Hotel AKA Alexandria, designed by Piero Lissoni, is located just 20 minutes away in Old Town Alexandria and offers visitors a peaceful, urban retreat immersed in a cultural, historic city. Hotel AKA Washington Circle is a perfect blend of the two, catering to domestic and international travelers looking to explore Washington D.C. whether it be for a few nights, weeks, or months. Hotel AKA Washington Circle is the brand's sixteenth property, amongst recently opened Hotel AKA NoMad, Hotel AKA Alexandria, Hotel AKA Brickell and others. In addition to recent openings, the brand also unveiled its newest lifestyle membership club, Access AKA, which was designed especially for guests looking for the very best way to fully experience the AKA lifestyle. An annual membership unlocks the best value, including special rates and perks like early check in, late check out, private amenity access, guestroom upgrades, welcome amenities and invitations to private events. Hotel website Over 220 hotels, resorts and palaces in the Green Collection are committed to creating a more sustainable future to protect the people and the planet 15% increase in the Green Collection hotel portfolio compared to 2023 US$1 donation to charitable causes for every Green Collection hotel booking made via GHA DISCOVERY channels until 30 April 2024 Dubai, UAE - Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the worlds largest alliance of independent hotel brands, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary, has been helping consumers make conscious accommodation choices with Green Collection, a carefully curated portfolio of over 220 hotels, resorts and palaces in the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme that demonstrate commitment to protecting the planet and people. As we mark one year of success for this collection, launched in March 2023, we applaud all the hotels, resorts and palaces who have come together to make a difference. Not only was Green Collection designed to help consumers, it was also meant to help hotels start or continue their sustainable journey by working together, sharing success stories and best practices, and providing guidance on initiatives to undertake to expand the collective impact. Jelena Kezika, Senior Director of Strategy at GHA Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, each Green Collection property is committed to creating a more sustainable future by attaining at least one certification from 18 globally recognised organisations such as EarthCheck, Green Growth 2050, Green Globe, Green Key, FuturePlus and more. These are aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Councils standards for sustainable travel and tourism, which guide the development of the hospitality industry for a more sustainable future, with each hotel certification assessing and targeting improvement in multiple areas, including effective sustainable planning, reduction of negative environmental impact, maximising social and economic benefits and protecting cultural heritage. There has been a 15% increase in hotel qualification for Green Collection since its inception, with the recent addition of NH Collection Dubai The Palm, Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort and Pan Pacific London, to name a few. In 2023, there was also an 85% higher average spend per stay at Green Collection properties compared to other hotels in the programme, a signal that consumers are willing to spend more for properties that align with their values. From leisure to business, urban to seaside, there is a Green Collection property available with sustainable practices to protect nature and benefit local communities where they operate. The collection is geographically diverse and is present in 44 countries and 121 destinations, spanning every region across 23 brands with hotels, resorts and palaces such as Djibouti Palace Kempinski Hotel, Corinthia Palace Hotel, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort and Capella Ubud. Each brand also implements best practice initiatives such as coral planting, mangrove clean-up or urban farming. 26 million of GHA DISCOVERY programme members can choose from over 220 international properties in the Green Collection, including newly joined brands like Lore Group and ASMALLWORLD. In celebration of the first anniversary of Green Collection, GHA DISCOVERY will donate US$1 for every Green Collection stay booked through www.ghadiscovery.com or the GHA DISCOVERY mobile app for the month of April 2024 to the charities it supports as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, which includes programmes dedicated to Environmental Protection, Healthcare & Wellbeing, Children & Youth, and Animal Welfare. The podcast series "Hotel Sustainability Stories #BeyondCOP28" will feature sustainability stories of participating Green Collection hotels, hosted by Radhika Arapally. In the inaugural episode, now on air, Jelena Kezika introduces Green Collection which is followed by 11 hotel specific episodes. We remain dedicated to doing our part to show the commitment toward a more sustainable future, from our corporate office in Dubai, UAE, to each of our Green Collection properties worldwide, says Kezika. For more information on Green Collection, including the full list of globally recognised certifying bodies and examples of how GHA hotel brands are making a difference, visit www.ghadiscovery.com/explore-green-collection. For more information on GHA and its loyalty programme, visit Global Hotel Alliance and GHA DISCOVERY. GHA DISCOVERY is complimentary to join, and travellers can sign up online or download the GHA DISCOVERY app and register on their mobile phones. Travellers can also connect with GHA DISCOVERY on Instagram and Facebook. About Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) brings together a diverse collection of independent hospitality brands with GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme leveraging a shared technology platform. Through membership in GHA, brands expand their global reach, drive incremental revenue, and reduce dependence on third-party channels, all while maintaining management independence and individual positioning. GHA represents a collection of 40 brands with more than 800 hotels in 100 countries. The award-winning GHA DISCOVERY programme serves 26 million members and generated $2.3 billion in revenue and 10 million room nights in 2023. GHA's brands currently include Anantara, Araiya, ASMALLWORLD, Avani, Bristoria, Capella, Corinthia, Divani, Doyle, Elewana, JA Resorts, Kempinski, Leela, Lore, Lungarno, Maqo, Marco Polo, Mysk, NH Collection, NH Hotels, nhow, Niccolo, Nikki Beach, NUO, Oaks, OUTRIGGER, Pan Pacific, PARKROYAL COLLECTION, PARKROYAL, Patina, The Residence by Cenizaro, The Set Collection, Shaza, Sukhothai, Sun International, Tivoli, Ultratravel Collection and Viceroy. For more information, visit www.globalhotelalliance.com. About GHA DISCOVERY Launched in 2010, GHA DISCOVERY is the world's largest loyalty program for independent hotel brands, featuring more than 800 hotels, resorts, and palaces across 40 brands. Members enjoy VIP recognition, thoughtful benefits and generous rewards at home or away. GHA DISCOVERY members earn and spend DISCOVERY Dollars (D$), an exclusive rewards currency. They also enjoy member-only Experiences curated by each hotel, plus they have access to properties close to home, without a stay, through member-only Local Offers. For more information, visit ghadiscovery.com. Andrea Krenn Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) Brussels - 2023 was an exceptional year for Radisson Hotel Groups award-winning Responsible Business program. The Group made significant progress on its Net Zero by 2050 transition, achieved important milestones in employee engagement and diversity, and continued to look beyond its borders to convene the hospitality industry in meeting the growing demand of consumers for green travel. The release of Radisson Hotel Groups 2023 Responsible Business report marks the 35th anniversary since the Group issued its first pioneering environmental policy the first ever in the industry. The 2023 report outlines key initiatives and milestones the Group achieved throughout the last year in the areas of Think People, Planet, and Community, and the progress in its transformation to become Net Zero by 2050. As a global Responsible Business Leader, the Group continues to transform its hotels and processes to be more sustainable and meet the growing demand of consumers for green travel, including the roll out of the Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB). Following the approval of its near-term science-based carbon emission reduction targets for 2030 by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), the Group received validation of its Net Zero science based targets, aligning company targets with the private sectors contribution to worldwide COP21 climate goals. This validation supports Radisson Hotel Groups vision to decouple carbon emissions from business growth, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% by 2030, and progress towards Net Zero by 2050. The Groups efforts have already yielded significant results, with a notable 35% reduction in carbon footprint per square meter since 2019. The Groups carbon footprint emission results were verified by TUV Rheinland, including the assessment of evidence relevant to the voluntary reporting of emission information, on a sample basis. A key priority for Radisson Hotel Group remains looking beyond its company borders to play a bigger role in the hospitality industry by encouraging hotels and travelers around the world on their sustainability journey. As a leading supporter of the cross-industry Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality and the Hotel Sustainability Basics, as well as a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration and advocate of the Nature Positive vision for the hospitality industry, Radisson Hotel Group is placed amongst the leading companies driving the hospitality industrys sustainability transformation. Radisson Hotel Group is fully committed to the roll out of trusted sustainability labels in all its hotels and is proceeding with the roll-out of the Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB). Currently 50% of the Groups hotels are in the process of verification and 179 hotels are fully HSB verified, whereas another 165 hotels are certified with an eco-label. Sustainability is a core part of our Strategic 5-year Plan and is closely connected to other key initiatives, driving our vision as a meaningful brand for guests, owners, and talent. We continue to invest in ESG and focus on cost efficiencies, as well as the revenue opportunities of being a responsible business. Together with key stakeholders and associations, we believe in driving and growing sustainable travel and making sustainability an intrinsic part of our 10 leading brands. Federico J. Gonzalez, Executive Vice Chairman, Radisson Hotel Group Key achievements include: Think People: As a diverse and inclusive employer, Radisson Hotel Group offers meaningful career moments and advancement to inspire team members and help them grow both professionally and personally. In 2023, team members took part in more than 1.5M hours of training and development. For the third consecutive year, the Group was recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the Worlds Best Employers in the Travel and Leisure industry. Additional key Think People highlights include: 83% Radisson Listens overall team member engagement score 32% women in leadership positions 8th slavery and human trafficking statement issued 188 hotels certified by Safehotels Think Community: Radisson Hotel Group partners with multiple organizations to give back to the local communities where it operates. The Groups long-standing partnerships with global organizations like SOS Childrens Villages International and Just a Drop have transformed thousands of peoples day-to-day lives around the world. Additional key Think Community highlights include: 36,700 volunteer hours from corporate office and hotel team members 29,500 people provided with safe drinking water for life through the Groups towel re-use and green housekeeping programs 1.3M donated in cash and in-kind by corporate offices and hotels to nonprofit organizations 670K+ donated in cash to SOS Childrens Villages since the start of the partnership Think Planet: Aligned with its commitment to Net Zero by 2050, Radisson Hotel Group continues to implement concrete action towards net zero, biodiversity protection, and an equitable world. Additional key Think Planet highlights and results from 2023 include: 35% reduction in carbon footprint per square meter since 2019 67 hotels use 100% renewable electricity and significant progress was made on activating the companys renewable energy strategy All meetings are fully carbon compensated, having offset 87,000 tons of carbon since 2019 970 electric car charging stations groupwide Read the full Responsible Business 2023 report here. About Radisson Hotel Group Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,600 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The Group's overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos. The Radisson Hotel Group portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels. Radisson Rewards is our international rewards program that delivers unique and personalized ways to create memorable moments that matter to our guests. Radisson Rewards offers an exceptional experience for our guests, meeting planners, and travel agents at over 550 hotels in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Radisson Meetings provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely 100% Carbon Neutral. The health and safety of guests and team members remain a top priority for Radisson Hotel Group. All properties across the Group's portfolio are subject to stringent health and safety requirements, as outlined in the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol. More than 100,000 team members work at Radisson Hotel Group and at the hotels licensed to operate in its systems. For more information, visit our corporate website. Or connect with Radisson Hotels on: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube With the spotlight on sustainability like never before, the hospitality industry the world over can and is playing a key role in supporting government ESG initiatives and green goals. The Saudi Green Initiative, launched in 2021 by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, focuses on combating climate change, improving quality of life and protecting the environment for future generations, all in support of Saudi Arabias ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2060. Since its launch, 77 initiatives, with an investment of over US$186 billion, have been activated to drive sustainable growth in line with Vision 2030. ESG is a key focus of the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia, taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, 29 April 1 May, with a range of panel debates, expert opinion and initiatives on how KSAs hospitality and tourism industry of today can play a pivotal role in a sustainable tomorrow. ESG plays such a critical role in the future of hospitality, which is why its at the forefront of the FHS programme again this year. Its vital that we come together as an industry and engage in dialogue to drive sustainable development and investment, and integrate sustainable practices in our business strategies, said Jonathan Worsley, Chairman, The Bench, organisers of the Future Hospitality Summit. Ahead of FHS Saudi Arabia, key leaders in the countrys hospitality and tourism sector share insight on how the Kingdom aims to meet its ESG goals, and what their organisation is doing to play its part. With input from Qusai Al-Fakhri, Chief Executive Officer, TDF; Elie Milky, Vice President Business Development Middle East, Pakistan, Cyprus, and Greece, Radisson Hotel Group; Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim, CEO, Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA; Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer Middle East, Marriott International; and Gautam Sashittal, CEO, King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). With the spotlight on ESG and sustainable travel, tourism and hospitality ever growing, what steps are being taken to ensure that Saudi Arabias future developments meet the countrys ESG goals? Qusai Al-Fakhri, Chief Executive Officer, TDF: The global spotlight ESG practices is reaching every industry, and tourism is no exception. Recognising this shift, Saudi Arabia is taking significant steps to ensure its future tourism developments align with its ambitious Vision 2030 and national ESG goals. Travellers are increasingly seeking destinations that prioritise sustainability. A 2023 study by Booking.com found that 73% of global travellers would be more likely to choose a stay if they knew it followed sustainable practices. The growing public awareness of environmental issues drives this trend and a desire for travel that benefits local communities. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 recognises the importance of a diversified economy that is less reliant on oil. Tourism is a key pillar of this strategy, and sustainable practices are central to its success. The vision emphasises preserving the country's unique cultural heritage and natural beauty for future generations. The Ministry of Tourism and the National Development Fund play vital roles in promoting sustainable practices within the tourism industry. The Ministry has set a target to increase tourism's contribution to the GDP, with a focus on sustainable tourism experiences. The Tourism Development Fund, through its mandate and ESG strategy, also contributes to the national goal of sustainable tourism. Saudi Arabia's flagship tourism projects, like NEOM and The Red Sea Project, are prime examples of this commitment. NEOM, a futuristic city under development, plans to be powered by 100% renewable energy. The Red Sea Project, a luxury tourism destination, aims to achieve a 90% reduction in waste sent to landfills and is committed to coral reef conservation. These developments directly contribute to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) and life below water (SDG 14). By prioritising sustainability across its tourism sector, Saudi Arabia is working towards ensuring its future developments meet the countrys ESG goals as a leader in responsible travel. Elie Milky, Vice President Business Development Middle East, Pakistan, Cyprus, and Greece, Radisson Hotel Group: With Saudi Arabias significant milestone in their tourism transformation reaching 100 million tourists seven years ahead of schedule the country is taking significant steps to ensure its future developments meet the country's ESG goals, this includes the introduction of guidelines encouraging listed companies to disclose ESG-related information and through initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by over 270 million tons per year. The Vision 2030 strategy underscores the importance of environmental protection, clean energy adoption and climate change mitigation, and with the Saudi Green Initiative, the country is making strides towards achieving its ESG goals. Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim, CEO, Millennium Hotels and Resort MEA: Millennium Hotels & Resorts is deeply committed to aligning its developments in Saudi Arabia with the country's ESG goals. Our "Millenniums Green Path Brand Playbook" embodies this dedication by establishing ambitious targets, including a 27% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Through partnerships with local SMEs, we prioritise sourcing goods and services sustainably, fostering community relationships, and minimising our environmental footprint. As active stewards of unforgettable experiences, we joyfully embrace this journey toward sustainability, ensuring that every aspect of our operations reflects our commitment to the planet and the well-being of future generations. At Millennium, sustainability isn't just a concept; it's our guiding principle. Gautam Sashittal, CEO, King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD): Saudi Arabia has witnessed increasing momentum in terms of the adoption of ESG initiatives. While tourism globally contributes a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions, exceeding 8%, Saudi Arabia has managed to keep its tourism-related emissions growth rate at a low 2.5% annually between 2010 and 2019, a positive sign for a sector in which the Kingdom is investing close to US $800 billion. For that to continue, well need to keep prioritising circular economy principles and green building practices, leveraging Saudi Arabia's rich natural landscapes as well as maintaining the collaboration between the government, private sector, and international partners to promote eco-friendly tourism practices. Environmental considerations are becoming more and more important among travellers, how is Saudi Arabias hospitality offering attracting green-thinking visitors now and in the future? Qusai Al-Fakhri: Environmental considerations are a major deciding factor for today's travellers. Recognising this, Saudi Arabia's hospitality sector is undergoing a transformation to attract eco- conscious visitors. This is achieved through eco-initiatives such as sustainable developments, ecotourism experiences, and a strong focus on conservation to safeguard wildlife and natural habitats. The future of sustainable hospitality will see the adoption of internationally-recognised green certifications, renewable energy integration, and community-based tourism. Saudi Arabias hospitality sector is embracing sustainability, with around 85% of LEED-certified hotels in the MENA region being in KSA under various stages of development (as of June 2023). With green hotels on the rise, KSA can position itself as a destination of choice for conscious travellers, attracting visitors who seek transformative trips while minimising their environmental impact. In recognition of the significant role that consumer demand plays in hospitality, the Tourism Development Fund (TDF) promotes the construction of green buildings across its portfolio of leading hotels and other tourism sector participants to provide sustainable offerings for visitors from within KSA and across the globe. Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer Middle East, Marriott International,says thatalmost eight in 10 travellers from KSA say they would happily pay more to stay in environmentally friendly accommodation, and 79% say that accommodation providers and holiday companies have a responsibility to support the local communities where they offer holidays. The 2024 Marriott Bonvoy Travel Trends Research study for Saudi Arabia and the UAE shows that, over the next three years, sustainability will be on the agenda like never before. Saudi Arabia saw SAR53 billion worth of foreign direct investment in the first nine months of 2023, according to latest data. What role is the tourism and hospitality sector playing in encouraging green investment in line with Vision 2030? Elie Milky: While all facets of sustainability are essential, the most pressing priority for our industry is the need to address our environmental footprint, given the scale and nature of our operations. This includes reducing carbon emissions, minimising waste, and conserving resources. As an industry that primarily revolves around physical locations, buildings, and transportation, we have a significant role in driving forward green building practices, efficient energy consumption, and sustainable transportation solutions for our guests. Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim:The tourism and hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia is instrumental in driving green investment aligned with Vision 2030. Through initiatives such as the "Hospitality Investment Enablers," developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, efficiency in business operations is elevated, and project success is bolstered. This initiative aims to streamline processes, reduce barriers to entry, and provide necessary support for investors, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the sector for sustainable investment. With a total of 106.2 million tourists in 2023, reflecting a 56% increase from 2019 and a 12% rise from 2022, the sector demonstrates its potential to drive both economic growth and environmental sustainability. This synergy between tourism development and green investment not only enhances Saudi Arabia's tourism appeal but also accelerates progress towards a more sustainable future, in line with Vision 2030 objectives. Gautam Sashittal: The sector has emerged as a key driver of economic growth and sustainability initiatives, surpassing Vision 2030 expectations seven years ahead of schedule, welcoming over 100 million tourists. This presents ample opportunities for green investment, particularly due to the countrys focused efforts towards eco-friendly infrastructure, driving innovation in sustainable tourism practices, and investments in renewable energy projects, including the recent announcement of a US $270 billion investment in low-carbon energy projects by 2030. This commitment to sustainability incentivises responsible investors who prioritise sustainability and ethical considerations to be a part of this environmentally conscious destination. What is your organisations biggest focus/priority when it comes to sustainable development, green investment and/or regenerative tourism in 2024 and beyond? Qusai Al-Fakhri: As a development fund, TDFs primary focus lies in enhancing and fostering the growth of key destinations throughout the Kingdom. TDF understands that the development of KSAs tourism sector should balance economic growth with environmental preservation and social prosperity, and, as such, has created an ESG strategy that will drive its operations and investment decisions in line with local agendas such as the Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and global frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The ESG strategy includes critical areas such as promoting green buildings, renewable energy, waste & circular economy, local businesses and diversity & inclusion. By integrating sustainability into the funds long-term purpose, TDF aims to be a leading player in the sustainable development of KSAs tourism sector. Elie Milky: Radisson Hotel Group has a history of responsible business since our first environmental policy in 1989. We aim to be Net Zero by 2050 with science-based targets, focusing on enhancing energy efficiency and transitioning to renewables. We offer our guests carbon-neutral meetings and EV charging networks in India and Europe. Our commitment extends to business ethics, supply chain sustainability, reducing carbon footprints, and supporting employability programs. Beyond our boundaries, we lead industry initiatives like Hotel Sustainability Basics and the Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality. Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim: In today's dynamic hospitality landscape, consumers are placing increased importance on sustainability, transforming it from a "nice-to-have" credential to a critical consideration. Guests now explicitly evaluate a brand's green credentials, scrutinising energy-saving measures, waste reduction initiatives, utilisation of renewable resources, and engagement in community and environmental conservation efforts. Aligning with these expectations, we incorporate sustainable practices into our operations, contributing to a greener, more eco-conscious future. In 2024 and beyond, our foremost focus lies in fostering regenerative tourism practices. Recognising the imperative to mitigate environmental impact while maximising socio-economic benefits, we prioritise initiatives that rejuvenate ecosystems, preserve biodiversity, and empower local communities. By embracing sustainable development principles, such as carbon neutrality, waste reduction, and ethical tourism, we aim to set new standards for responsible travel. Through targeted green investments and collaborations, we aim to drive positive transformation in the tourism sector, crafting destinations where visitors and nature coexist harmoniously, securing a lasting legacy of ecological resilience and community well-being for future generations. Gautam Sashittal: As a key enabler of Saudi Vision 2030, we realised we had to take bold steps towards energy consumption and climate change for a healthier, more livable urban space and a net zero future. From the outset, we have built KAFD around sustainability, ingrained into every aspect of its design and operations. We're developing an ESG framework for KAFD, focusing on reducing carbon emissions, from energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy sources, and waste management to green spaces and eco-friendly mobility, serving as a model for sustainable development. Our buildings rooftops have a high Solar Reflectance Index, boasting energy savings between 10-15% when compared to conventional consumption. Weve established key collaborations with international conglomerates and local leaders in the field, such as working with Sumitomo to implement their eco-friendly Solar Heat Reflective coating, SIRC to develop state-of-the-art waste management infrastructure, and Saudi Tabreed to implement district cooling facilities. We are proud that KAFD is the largest LEED-ND certified mixed-use business district in the world and over 40 of our buildings are LEED-certified. Our priority remains steadfast: reduce energy consumption and combat climate change with smart technologies, greenification, smart mobility, and more to improve our customer and tourist experience in KAFD. Sandeep Walia : At Marriott International, we have a responsibility and vested interest in helping to address some of the worlds most pressing social, environmental and economic issues. With our size and global scale, we are well positioned to be part of the solution. As we move forward in this rapidly evolving world, Marriott continues to serve our world by supporting the communities in which we operate. Our sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which puts our core value, Serve Our World, into action, provides a framework to guide our efforts through 2025. Looking at KSA specifically, Riyadh Marriott Hotel has a solar panel project designed to supply usable solar power, reducing its CO2 emissions annually by 99 per cent; and our properties with the Red Sea Resort align with the initiatives of the destination. For example, at The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, food is sourced locally, guests are transported in hydrogen-powered sea planes and electric cars, the interior design follows guidelines for LEED platinum certification and theres a plastic-free policy on the island. Commenting on regenerative tourism specifically, Dr. Fahad Bin Mushayt, Chief Executive Officer,The Saudi Tourism Investment Company (ASFAR), says that regenerative tourism that preserves Saudis unique culture and heritage, is ASFARs very purpose. We aim to unlock the full potential of promising tourism destinations, while supporting and maintaining the social infrastructure and culture of their communities. With this community development approach, we identify prime activation destinations, design sympathetic developments, and work closely with our partners, investors and local communities to create a sustainable local tourism ecosystem to support them and benefit the regional economy. We endeavor to use local resources in human capital, suppliers and materials in our developments, in line with the sustainability goals of Vision 2030, he said. About The Bench The Benchhas established a legacy for delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these platforms has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way business connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meeting spaces for the industry. For over two decades - government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events for their respective objectives. These include AHIC, AHIF, FHS, AHF, IDEEA, AviaDev and RENEW where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right opportunities and knowledge. Learn more on thebench.com About FHS World Dates: 30 September 2 October 2024 Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE Sponsors: Jumeirah as Host Sponsor; Italia Hospitality, Maldives Fund Management Corporation, Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development-SMIT and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority as Country Pavilion Sponsors; Aseer Development Authority, Hilton, NEOM, New Murabba, Radisson Hotel Group and Taiba Investments as Platinum sponsors; Accor, Club Med, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Minor Hotels, Red Sea Global and Rotana Hotels and Resorts as Emerald Sponsors; Action Hotels, Adyen, Aleph Hospitality, ARC International Design Consultants, Ark People Solutions, AtkinsRealis, Barriere Group, CBRE, Colliers, Compass Project Consulting, Dusit International, Elaf Group, Emaar Hospitality Group, Enterprise Greece, HVS, Hyatt, IHCL, JLL, JT+Partners, Kearney, Knight Frank, LEVA Hotels, Livit Consulting & Design, Louvre Hotels Group, Prologic First, PwC, Quo, Rikas Hospitality Group, roboSculptor, Rove Hotels, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Sommet Education, The Ascott Limited, TUI Hotels & Resorts, United Hospitality Management, Unox and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Gold Sponsors; Aldar, Conran Business Group, COREcruitment, EHL, H World International, Shaza Hotels, STR, and Time Hotels as Silver Sponsors; SOHO Hospitality as Gold Sponsor - Restaurant Invest; Forsite Creative as Data Partner - Restaurant Invest; Lokalee as Start-up Exhibitor; Lock Stock & Barrel as After Party Host; BE WTR as Water Station Sponsor; Considerate Group, HAMA, Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, The Emirates Culinary Guild, UAE Restaurants Group, UN Tourism and World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as Supporters. . Anne Bleeker In2 Consulting +971 56 603 0886 The Bench In the interview with Gary London, Bob Rauch discusses various aspects of the hotel industry in 2024, particularly focusing on the United States and Southern California, with an emphasis on San Diego. Listen as we dive into the resilience of the hotel market, technology improvements, and labor challenges within the industry. Resilience of the Hotel Market Despite facing challenges such as 9/11, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel market has stayed resilient, with periods of strong growth interspersed between downturns. San Diego, in particular, has managed to capture markets even during weaker periods due to its coastal location and strong visitor appeal. Impact of Technology in the Hotel Industry Technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, has played a significant role in the hotel sector. For example, the implementation of service robots for tasks like delivering towels and food items to guests, as well as using AI for revenue management and guest communication. Technology is a key driver for enhancing guest experiences and operational efficiency. Labor Challenges in Hospitality Labor-related issues consistently pose challenges in the hotel industry. From managing diverse employee needs and conflicts to ensuring guest satisfaction through empowered staff, labor remains a critical aspect of hotel operations. Technology adoption, including robotics, can mitigate some labor-related challenges but also underscores the importance of well-managed human resources. The interplay between technology, labor management, and market resilience is shaping the industrys trajectory, with a specific focus on San Diegos hotel landscape. Hospitality professionals should continuously adapt and adjust strategies based on market conditions and changing consumer preferences. If you enjoy content like this, subscribe to Hospitality Innsights to stay up to date. About R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc. With more than 40 years of hospitality-related management experience and excellence, R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc. offers hospitality management and consulting services to hotel and resort owners, developers, lenders, and investors. The company is a leader for creative, customized hotel management consulting services specializing in market share improvement and analysis, operational efficiencies, strategic planning, marketing strategies, and reducing and controlling expenses. Founded by Bob Rauch, the Hotel Guru, R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc. is a source for hospitality insights and expertise. Headquartered in San Diego, R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc. has a hotel presence in Southern California with a hotel portfolio specializing in Marriott, Hilton and IHG hotels. Robert A. Rauch +1 858 663 8998 R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc. Rendering of the Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove Rendering of the Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove Rendering of the Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove Rendering of the Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove In partnership with Florida developers Fort Partners and CMC Group, latest Four Seasons luxury residential offering launches sales and invites homeowners to experience legendary living in one of Miami's most sought-after neighbourhoods Real estate development firms CMC Group and Fort Partners, together with leading luxury hospitality and branded residential company Four Seasons, announce the highly anticipated Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove. Set within one of Miamis most historic neighbourhoods and building on the success of Four Seasons residential portfolio in South Florida and around the globe, this groundbreaking development will be the first Four Seasons standalone offering in the state, delivering legendary service and experiences outside of a hotel or resort. "Four Seasons is the standard-bearer for luxury around the world and has captivated the real estate market with its leading branded residences, says Nadim Ashi, CEO of Fort Partners. We are thrilled to continue our proven relationship with the esteemed brand and forge a new partnership with the highly successful CMC Group on developing this first-of-its-kind offering in the coveted Coconut Grove neighbourhood." A world-class team has been selected to bring the vision to life, with acclaimed Florentine designer Michele Bonan at the helm of the interiors and Miami-based Luis Revuelta crafting the architecture. Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will offer 70 homes ranging from two- to four-bedrooms and spanning up to 3,980 square feet (370 square metres). Four penthouse residences will range from nearly 6,430 to 9,690 square feet (597 to 900 square metres). The distinctive property will rise 20 storeys, providing future-residents with unobstructed ocean views overlooking Biscayne Bay. Inspired by Coconut Groves beloved landscape, a sanctuary beneath the shade of banyan and mahogany trees, the buildings facade is softly curved to blend into the lands natural rhythm while creating a defining presence within the skyline. "With our growing standalone residential portfolio, Four Seasons is elevating luxury living for discerning buyers by blending personalized service alongside prime real estate in the best locations worldwide. In a competitive branded residential market like Miami, the trust and credibility of our brand will no doubt drive demand for this exceptional project in Coconut Grove, says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development, Portfolio Management, and Residential, Four Seasons. Together with our esteemed partners at Fort and CMC, we look forward to welcoming this spectacular project to our dynamic portfolio of Four Seasons Private Residences across South Florida. "With over 35 years of experience, our luxury condos have set the standard in the South Florida market, says Ugo Colombo, CEO of CMC Group. Fifteen years ago, CMC Group pioneered luxury living in the Grove with Grovenor House, and now with Four Seasons Coconut Grove, we're raising the bar yet again. By integrating the renowned Four Seasons service, we're not just resetting standards; we're redefining luxury living. Our commitment to quality remains unwavering, ensuring that our buildings continue to be the benchmark for excellence in the industry." Advertisement The spaces designed by Michele Bonan reflect the renowned architects signature style, with a blend of timeless elegance and contemporary aesthetics. Bonan creates a cohesive connection between the interiors and the natural beauty of Coconut Grove, with design inspired by the verdant tropics, the ocean, and the quintessential charm of Miami. The homes are crafted to be as polished as they are welcoming, exuding a sense of enduring sophistication achieved through classic lines, elegant furnishings, and a palette dominated by neutral tones. The essence of Coconut Grove and the cultural significance of the location's past, including the gorgeous climate, spectacular views and exceptional quality of life, guided each step of the design process, shares Michele Bonan. Whether through design elements influenced by the rhythm of the ocean or patterns created in the sand, we maintained fluidity between the surroundings and the interiors to allow residents to relax and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the space. Homes at Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will feature nearly 11-foot (3.35 metre) ceilings throughout, complementing the spacious, open floor plans. Custom Italian-style kitchens designed by Molteni and Bonan feature top-of-the-line Miele appliances and European finishes, while bathrooms include cabinetry and panelling by Noorth complemented by Margraf marble finishes. Each home will be accessed via private elevator, creating an intimate arrival experience, and will feature the latest in-home automation systems and lighting controls. Designed to provide a luxurious and intimate residential experience, Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will offer an extensive amenities collection for residents, including a restaurant, library, state-of-the-art gym and yoga room, spa with cold plunge and hammam, childrens area and private event room, as well as an expansive pool deck and bar lounge serviced by Four Seasons. Residents will also enjoy the benefits of legendary Four Seasons service even without a hotel, including a dedicated Director of Residences, concierge, housekeeping and butler services, in-residence dining, valet and wellness programming, among other offerings. Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will reflect the neighbourhoods refined, serene atmosphere, steeped in culture and connectedness. Residents will be in close proximity to the water and situated among the towns beloved local boutiques, restaurants and some of the nations leading schools, creating a close-knit community and well-rounded walkable lifestyle. The collaboration between CMC Group and Fort Partners is driven by the pairs shared ambition to elevate the standard of living in a market that is yearning for true world-class real estate and hospitality. CMC Group has for years played a pioneering role in developing Miamis skyline and reshaping the greater condo market in South Florida, while Fort Partners longstanding partnership with Four Seasons includes the development of the iconic Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at The Surf Club, Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale, and ownership of Four Seasons Hotel Miami. Forthcoming developments under the Four Seasons flag are planned throughout Europe and the United States. CDL Acquired Hilton Paris Opera for EUR244 Million Weekly Hotel Industry Asia Pacific News Roundup from HVS CDL Acquired Hilton Paris Opera for EUR244 Million Singapore-based City Developments Ltd (CDL) has agreed to purchase the Hilton Paris Opera from US-based Blackstone Real Estate Partners (BREP) Europe IV for EUR244 million. This acquisition, timed for the Paris Olympic Games, expands CDL's European real estate portfolio. This marks CDL's third major acquisition from Blackstone, following its purchase of the St Katharine Docks complex in London last year. The 268-key Hilton Paris Opera, acquired by Blackstone in 2013, underwent a significant renovation before reopening in 2015. With Paris hotels experiencing high demand due to the upcoming Olympics and the city's tourism appeal, the transaction reflects the growing investment activity in the French hospitality sector. Shakespeare Property Group Acquired Woolstore 1888 hotel for AUD55 Million Shakespeare Property Group (Shakespeare), the sister company of Australia-based fund manager Prime Value Asset Management, has acquired Woolstore 1888 hotel for AUD55 million from Hong Kong-based Ovolo Group Limited (Ovolo). Situated in Darling Harbour, Sydney, the 90-key property sits on 626 square metres site, and features one food & beverage outlet and a 24-hour gym. Ovolo has acquired the property for AUD33 million in 2014, and Shakespeare is currently in negotiation with another hotel operator to replace Ovolo. Worlds Largest Mercure Hotel Opens in Singapore France-based Accor SA (Accor) has opened the worlds largest Mercure Hotel in Singapore. Located in Club Street, the property is centrally located in the central business district and minutes away from Telok Ayer Station. Developed by Singapore-based Worldwide Hotels, the 989-key property features three food and beverage outlets, an indoor gym, a swimming pool, and a launderette. This property is the second hotel that Worldwide Hotels have partnered with Accor, after the 543-key Novotel Singapore on Kitchener was rebranded from the former Park Royal brand. Tokyo Announced Redevelopment Plan for Former Site of Tsukiji Fish Market Tokyo Metropolitan Government has chosen the Japan-based Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.-led consortium to redevelop the former site of the Tsukiji Fish Market. According to the development plan, the approximately 20-hectare site will build a stadium that has a capacity of 50,000, with an exhibition facility to attract world-class events with other convention centres. The area will also include other commercial facilities, offices, hotels, and residential areas. Most of the facilities including the stadium will be completed in 2032, with the entire redevelopment project to be completed in 2038. It is forecasted that the entire project will require a total cost of JPY900 billion. Singapore is Launching the First Co-living Train Hotel in One-North Singapore-based Tiny Pod Pte Ltd (TP) is launching Singapores first co-living train hotel with the support of JTC Corporation. Situated at a carpark next to Block 69 Ayer Rajah Crescent, One-North, the decommissioned SMRT train carriage will feature eight 7.5 square metres en-suite rooms, communal areas, food and beverage vending machines, and bicycle racks. There will be no hotel staff stationed in the hotel, but the housekeeping team will provide cleaning services for room turnovers. This project is also an extension of TPs existing shipping container hotel at LaunchPad @ one-north. About HVS HVS is the world's leading consulting and valuation services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries. Established in 1980, the company performs more than 4,500 assignments per year for virtually every major industry participant. HVS principals are regarded as the leading professionals in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of over 50 offices staffed by 300 experienced industry professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and specifics about our services, please visit www.hvs.com. As cybersecurity remains a persistent concern for governments, companies, and individuals, 2024 has brought new challenges. From ransomware, phishing schemes, and supply chain attacks to critical national infrastructure threats, the cybersecurity landscape is fraught with peril. Organizations must confront the growing threat of AI-led cyberattacks, while numerous national elections, including those in the US, are susceptible to cyber disruption. The ongoing geopolitical cyber repercussions from the Russia-Ukraine conflict add to the complexity. In addition, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a magnet for cyberattacks, warns GlobalData. Against this backdrop, GlobalDatas Thematic Intelligence and Technology teams invite you to attend their Tackling 2024s Cybersecurity Challenges webinar on Thursday, 25 April 2024 at 4pm British Summer Time (BST). During this webinar, our panel of experts: David Bicknell, Principal Thematic Intelligence Analyst; Amy Larsen DeCarlo, Principal Security and Data Center Services Analyst at GlobalData; and Bjrn Rasmussen, Chief Technology Officer of Orange Cyberdefense Norway, will discuss the state of cybersecurity in challenging times. Bicknell comments: The future of cybersecurity is complex and challenging. These days, all organisations will suffer cyberattacks. The key question is how resilient they can be to those attacks? How quickly can they recover? We have recently seen law enforcement start to take down ransomware groups. But at the same time, hackers are varying their approach. Ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated. 2023 was notable for relentless cyberattacks globally, and the cyber threat landscape saw an evolution in the execution of ransomware threats. Some criminals started copying and stealing data, demanding payment for not making it public, and then offering it for sale on the dark web. The likelihood is that 2024 will be another difficult year: with attacks on infrastructure, supply chains, elections, and events like the Paris Olympics. Larsen DeCarlo comments: AI and analytics promise to elevate cybersecurity through better threat intelligence and incident mitigation. But conversely, opportunistic threat actors see elements like synthetic AI as weapons in their social engineering-driven campaigns. It is critical that enterprises stay ahead of the curve on leveraging AI for security and hardening these models to prevent misleading output. The webinar will cover 10 key questions in cybersecurity, including How do enterprises and governments prepare for AI-driven attacks that loom on the horizon? How much of a threat are cyberattacks to the Olympics? How can businesses defeat socially engineered cyberattacks? How is law enforcement taking action against hackers and what lessons are being learned from it? What steps should organizations take to make their operations more resilient? What lessons are being learned on the way to making zero-trust a success? Register now for GlobalDatas Tackling 2024s Cybersecurity Challenges webinar on Thursday, 25 April 2024, 4pm British Summer Time (BST). 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 }} For a while, the name Inigo Philbrick was as good an investment as any in the gilded world of high-end art sales. The London-born collectors meteoric rise and perilous fall remains one of the industrys most sensational tales. A Gatsby-like figure whose fluency in the language of art matched his gift for the art of the deal. But as the lies piled up and the cash ran dry, the picture Philbrick had painted was exposed and the biggest art scammer in history finally crashed back down to earth. Philbricks crimes included selling paintings without their owners consent and creating paper trails to drive up their value before flipping them all over again. He charmed and tricked. For years he lived lavishly while talking friends out of fortunes. According to those in the art world, he was a constant presence at the most sought-after auctions, bidding and buying until all that was left was 69m worth of debts and an arrest warrant to his name. Now the convicted fraudster, 36, has returned to high society having served four of his seven-year sentence behind bars at the Allenwood Federal Correctional Institute, in rural Pennsylvania. The disgraced art dealer has lovingly shared snaps alongside his partner, the glamorous socialite Victoria Baker-Harber, a household name in the UK thanks to Channel 4s reality show Made in Chelsea. And Philbrick is completely unrepentant, hoping his second act can gloss over the tragedy of his first. Here The Independent lays bare the rise and fall of Inigo Philbrick, art scammer extraordinaire. The biggest art scammer in history is unrepentant ( Getty ) Origins Philbrick was born into a family with strong connections to the art world, and his maternal grandfather founded the company responsible for creating the gold Oscar statue. Meanwhile, his mother, Jane Philbrick, was a playwright and artist. His father, Harry Philbrick, a painter, was also the former director of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut. All of this inspired him to follow in their footsteps, with his mum bagging him a coveted internship at the White Cube Gallery in London in 2006. Early on I spent a lot of time in artists studios, Philbrick told Vanity Fair. I became fluent in [the art] world and enjoyed seeing what artists were working on. I wanted to be a lawyer, but I was soon fascinated by the commerce of the gallery world. Launch into the art world Following a successful internship, Philbrick studied art at Goldsmiths, the University of London, famed for its connections to this often niche trade. He then quickly worked his way up in the business from a modest 28,000 starting salary to the point where he was earning six figures, scaling up his already privileged lifestyle to match. This saw him develop a penchant for designer suits, fine wine and illicit substances including cocaine and ketamine, which he credits, in part, to some of his short-lived success. He told Vanity Fair: I always drank too much, but would always stagger away with a couple of deals done I spent money on clothes, but theres no unshod art dealer, and private planes were a great setting for closing deals. A friend added: The kind of things he was doing on a weekly basis would keep me up nights on end. He would take a private jet in the way that I would take a bus. We would have dinners quite frequently, the two of us, which would end up costing what I took home in a month. The turning point The year 2016 sparked the beginning of the end for the dealer, but it was also the year he met his wife, Made in Chelsea star Victoria Baker-Harber, 35. The pairs paths crossed on a yacht trip with mutual friends, and the meeting had a profound impact Philbrick, who soon eventually left the mother of his eldest child and took up with TV star. This was also the year when he reportedly began selling shares in art that equated to more than 100 percent of their value. The fraud paid too, at least in the short term, and by 2017, the business he owned reported a turnover of 105m. The beginning of the end Despite experiencing such huge surface-level success, by 2019, the fraud that had been fuelling his monetary gain since 2016 was beginning to become known. The situation was exacerbated when Philbrick realised that people were no longer as keen to buy art from those he represented, and he scaled up his crimes in response. The Art Newspaper reported: To keep up appearances and maintain his lifestyle, the art dealer misrepresented the ownership of certain works for his benefit, sold shares of works to multiple investors for totals that exceeded 100 per cent, used some of those works to secure loans for himself and forged consignment documents. This soon resulted in the dealer being hit with multiple lawsuits, and he decided that his best bet was simply to go on the run, and he completely abandoned his galleries in London in Miami. On the run Philbrick proceeded to travel to Australia, girlfriend in toe, before the pair visited various other countries including Japan and New Caledonia. After stopping in Vanuatu in the South Pacific in 2020, he was finally apprehended by law enforcement while visiting a market with Baker-Harber, who was pregnant at the time. Charges The art dealer was subsequently charged with wire fraud equating to 69m and ordered to repay the sum and spend seven years behind bars. Philbrick did not go down alone, and he was also sentenced alongside his business partner, Robert Newland, who also pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said: By taking advantage of the lack of transparency in the art market, Philbrick and Newland defrauded art collectors, investors, and lenders by lying about the true ownership interests of artworks and selling or pledging as collateral over 100% of numerous artworks. As the financial adviser, Newland appeared to give legitimacy to Philbricks art business, but in reality, he perpetuated the fraud. [Their sentences send] a message to anyone who facilitates fraud in the art market that they will face serious consequences. But Philbrick, who also pled guilty, stressed to Vanity Fair that what he did was a victimless crime. The fraudster said that no one so much as a missed a meal or was unable to send their children to university as he operated in such a high-end market citing his crimes as nothing more than greed and ambition. Release from prison Despite being separated from his wife and then-unborn child for four years, Baker-Harber stood by Philbricks side throughout his prison sentence. She has now welcomed him back into her and their daughters lives following his release in February. Reflecting on why he did it, Philbrick added: I think greed is a natural human state. Id feel a lot more guilt if I had been drink-driving or if Id been selling drugs and someone had died. Speaking of how Philbrick pulled it off at the time, one of his victims, Kenny Schachter, admitted that it was a combination of his personality and sheer ability to differentiate a good piece of art from a bad one. He was cute, he was funny, he charmed the pants off me, and he knew the difference [between a good painting and a bad one], Kenny told Tatler in 2020. A return to the art world The dealer returned to social media in March and was met with a mixed response when he shared a picture of his electronic tag. The former art dealer is now determined to return to the respected position he once held even though, as part of his punishment, he now has to pay 15 percent of his monthly income to authorities. Im 36, still a young man, and a second act is going to require my having been upfront and sincere, but also not a martyr... I did things the wrong way. But creatively and with the best of intentions, he told Vanity Fair. Ill have to tick the box for the felony. But I believe the art world is sophisticated enough to understand I wasnt Bernie Madoff (who never made an actual investment). Despite now living in an undisclosed part of the US, he and his long-term partner are reportedly working on a series about their lives with the BBC. Not only that but its been reported that various film and TV outlets are vying for the rights to the biggest example of art fraud in history. However, it will be a further two years before he is truly a free man as he has been released to home confinement, which severely limits his movements. 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 Perhaps Richard Gadd was naive? Maybe he didnt realise Baby Reindeer, his limited series for Netflix inspired by his own stalking, would cause such a stir. That he could smudge the facts of his traumas just enough to protect the people involved. Perhaps he thought better of us. The success of Gadds series has been startling; strong reviews and word-of-mouth praise have helped it sit at number one on the streamers UK and US charts more than two weeks after its release. In recent days, though, the show has careened into its inevitable second act. The armchair detectives have arrived. The seven-episode series concluded with a nine-month prison sentence and a restraining order for Gadds stalker, his aspiring stand-up Donny looking on as Martha (Jessica Gunning), the woman whod terrorised him and his loved ones for four years, was led away in handcuffs, her face wan with guilt. Whether this actually happened has been kept deliberately vague. Gadd has always declined to speak of the real Marthas present-day whereabouts, and how her harassment campaign came to an end. While doing press for Baby Reindeer as well as his earlier one-man show at the Edinburgh Fringe about his experiences he has only ever said that the stalking ended. How is unclear. I didnt want to throw someone who was that level of mentally unwell in prison, Gadd told The Times earlier this month. For some, though, this hasnt been an acceptable climax. Despite Gadd insisting that the Martha of Baby Reindeer is different for legal reasons from his real stalker, social media accounts purportedly belonging to the woman who inspired the character have been found and scoured for information. Historic tweets have been unearthed for cheap laughs. Side-by-side comparisons of the womans face and that of Gunnings have gone viral. Separately, attempts have been made to identify the man who raped Gadd, in a sexual assault that is recreated with horrifying specificity in Baby Reindeers fourth episode and that he explored in 2016 in his award-winning one-man show Monkey See, Monkey Do. An actor and director named Sean Foley has indicated that he has contacted police over defamatory, abusive and threatening posts following speculation made about him in connection to the show. On his Instagram, Gadd has already urged viewers to stop. People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly caught up in speculation. Please dont speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. Thats not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard x X. But why, as viewers, do we feel the need to do this? It feels like a go-to response to lots of pop culture right now. Trauma is content. Storytelling is a mystery to solve. A backstory is a clue. It has been seen in responses to Quiet on Set, the recent US documentary series about sexual abuse and misconduct at Nickelodeon and other childrens TV channels. Its also been seen in responses to sexual misconduct allegations against high-profile stars such as Sean Diddy Combs, and the reactions to Kate Middletons health both before and after her cancer announcement. We see social media accounts pledging to unearth more wince-inducing claims, embroider real experiences of trauma until they become baroque and fantastical, and cast shadows of suspicion around people who choose for whatever reason not to comment. More victims, more allegations, more horror. Sequel. Sequel. Sequel. Depressingly, much of this gets couched in the language of empathy. A misguided logic when it comes to Baby Reindeer is that its a good thing to expose the people involved in Gadds past. That a digital calling-out is a form of karmic retribution. But beyond the dangers of getting it wrong and accusing entirely random individuals of being rapists and stalkers, its also deeply cruel to Gadd himself. His series serves as an open and often deeply mortifying excavation of his worst experiences. Attempting to go after those involved sends a message that this wasnt good enough that, actually, hes tackled his trauma the wrong way. We need names! Dates! Loud, public, screaming accountability! open image in gallery Richard Gadd in Baby Reindeer ( Netflix ) All of this said, its a bit too simplistic to lay sole blame on the internet here. While perhaps no one involved in Baby Reindeer could have seen its success coming, it doesnt quite justify how wildly unprepared everyone seems to have been when it comes to the real Martha. Gadds approach in interviews has been to slightly side-step questions about her we dont know who she was, where she is now, or how their relationship came to an end. He has said that the facts of his case have been slightly changed for TV and that he only cast Gunning as she captured the essence of the real woman. But these are also incredibly ambiguous statements, to a degree that its not especially surprising that people have tried to dig further into the story. The disconnect between Gadds intentions and the publics response to the show is echoed in Baby Reindeer itself. He has repeatedly said that he wrote Martha as a sympathetic character, at odds with typical femme fatale depictions of female stalkers in film and television. I felt like [the real Martha] was a vulnerable person who genuinely couldnt stop, he told Variety. It is a mental illness and I wanted to portray that. I did see someone who I felt sorry for. 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 Baby Reindeer trailer But Martha, by the very nature of Donny being the shows central point of view, isnt particularly well-defined as a character. We only ever know as much about her as Donny does, and claims that the show is a two-hander between a pair of broken souls feels untruthful. That we have empathy for Martha is entirely down to Gunnings remarkable performance, which pivots masterfully between sorrow, desperation, and violent antagonism. There isnt, on paper at least, much else there for us to latch onto. Donny gets an inner monologue, and the opportunity every episode to articulate his own thoughtlessness and cruelty in voiceover, he lambasts himself for the shame he feels for dating a trans woman, and acknowledges his slight complicity in Marthas obsessions, indulging the fact that hes become the centre of her universe. Baby Reindeer is set up for us to see all of Donnys messy parts, to tut disapprovingly at his failings. Martha isnt afforded quite the same luxury. Yes, she is a woman adrift in mental illness. But first and foremost she is a demonic aggressor, who assaults his girlfriend, tells his parents that hes died, and invades the home of his exs mother. Whatever Gadd says, the show isnt as morally ambiguous as he seems to think it is. This tension of who is to blame here, of Gadd as both a victim of a horrible act of stalking and a maker of his own mythology does ultimately make Baby Reindeer one of the most fascinating shows of the year. But it requires responsibility on our part as viewers, too, and an understanding that its not a series that can be squeezed into a simple box. Gadd hasnt created a true crime documentary, or a puzzle for armchair detectives to solve. Reducing it as such both diminishes its power and harms everyone involved. And particularly the woman who wherever she is doesnt need an army of strangers mocking her face and her hair and insisting she feel abject guilt over some of the worst years of her mental illness. Gadd has every right to speak about his experiences and turn them into art. But the real Martha has the right to be quiet, too. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Abderrahman Hamada, Director of the Department of European Affairs at the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on Monday chaired an online meeting between officials of the Commission of the European Union (EU) and Libya to discuss developments in the fight against illegal immigration 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 Aaron Taylor-Johnson has addressed rumours he could be the next James Bond. The Tenet actor made headlines when it was reported that franchise producers were awaiting his response after making a formal offer for him to replace Daniel Craig as 007. Taylor-Johnson, 33, was first rumoured for the role in January 2023 after it was reported that producer Barbara Broccoli had been left impressed by a screen test with the actor, whose credits include Kick-Ass, Bullet Train and Nowhere Boy. Former Bond stars including James Pryce, Pierce Brosnan, and George Lazenby have all offered their support for the Nowhere Boy actor, saying they believe he could be the right candidate. Now, months after awkwardly swerving questions about the rumours, he appears to be sick of the topic. Attending the London premiere for his latest film The Fall Guy on Monday (22 April), he was asked whether he was sick of being asked about Bond by the Associated Press. After a tense pause, he replied with a strained laugh: You sick of asking the question? I want to know, so no, quipped the reporter in return. open image in gallery Aaron Taylor-Johnson addressed rumours once again ( Associated Press ) Taylor-Johnson retorted: Alright, have a good one. He is then seen walking away, shutting down any further conversation. Other contenders to replace Craig as Bond included Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Tom Hardy and Bridgerton actor Rege-Jean Page. open image in gallery Aaron Taylor-Johnson appears to be sick of being asked about James Bond ( Getty Images / Eon Productions ) Seven months before Taylor-Johnson was allegedly offered the role, he appeared to address rumours without confirming or denying them in an interview with Esquire. The interviewer pointed out that he was one of the bookies favourites to play the role, with Johnson stating: But this is the thing, right? As Ive already told you, I have to go by the beat of my own drum. Its my own path, what feels intuitive to me. He continued Ive never made a decision based on other peoples perspectives, or their judgments, or their expectations. You lose your f***ing mind if you do that. Your sense of worth and soul is gone. You need to understand what is integral to you and what feels right, and youve got to stay on track with whats present in front of you. Kraven is whats in front of me. 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 Ive spent two years making Kraven. So all that hard work we put into trying to get that to where it is thats where Im at right now. Asked if it was exciting to consider what could come next, he responded: I just focus on the things I can have in my hands right now. Whats in front of me right now. 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 Dominic West has opened up about the furore over photos of him appearing to kiss his The Pursuit of Love co-star Lily James in 2020, as he reflected on how the scandal affected him and his family. West, who has been married to Irish aristocrat Catherine FitzGerald, Viscountess Lambton, since 2010, was pictured with James in Rome while they were filming the BBCs adaptation of Nancy Mitfords 1945 novel of the same name. After the photos emerged, West and FitzGerald addressed paparazzi gathered outside their home, sharing a kiss and placing a handwritten sign outside their property that said: Our marriage is strong and were very much still together. Thank you. Catherine and Dominic. Since then, both West, 54, and James, 35, have largely avoided any explicit mention of the media frenzy surrounding the photos. In a new interview with The Sunday Times, however, West spoke about how he related to his role as the then-Prince Charles in Netflixs hit royal drama The Crown. Id had a very acute understanding of what its like to feel the horror of your name or your photograph coming up in the newspapers, he said. There is that dreadful freezing moment when something is being revealed about you. I think anyone can understand how that feels. But Id been through it a couple of years previously and it must have informed how I approached it. That gut feeling of horror isnt something you get inured to. open image in gallery West (right) with James (pink dress) in a still from the BBCs The Pursuit of Love ( Theodora Films Limited & Moonage Pictures Limited/Robert Viglasky ) West portrays Charles in seasons five and six of The Crown, which covers events including the late Queen Elizabeth IIs annus horribilus in 1992, Princess Dianas Panorama interview, and Charles and Dianas divorce. He stars opposite Imelda Staunton as the Queen, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, and Elizabeth Debicki as Diana. 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 open image in gallery Dominic West as Charles with Olivia Williams as Camilla in The Crown ( Justin Downing/Netflix ) In the ST interview, West revealed that he and FitzGerald, with whom he shares three four children, are occasionally able to joke about the media furore surrounding the photos of him with James. I hesitate to speak on my wifes behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her, he said. But we do joke about it sometimes. Because whenever we went out together, the papers would always say we were putting on a show of unity. Even if wed just been rowing about parking the car or whatever, even if that couldnt be further from the truth. And so when we go out we do sort of say, Shall we go out and have a show of unity up in London? open image in gallery Catherine FitzGerald and Dominic West at the Met Gala on 4 May 2015 in New York City ( Larry Busacca/Getty Images ) It was an absurd situation, the actor continued. It was deeply stressful for my wife and my kids, but there were lighter moments. That was the best that came out of it, really. West is starring in A View from the Bridge at the Theatre Royal Haymarket between 22 May to 3 August. 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 John Cleese has joked about how his $20m divorce has resulted in him having to work in his eighties. The Monty Python star and co-creator, 84, will soon celebrate the opening of a Fawlty Towers stage show in Londons West End, adapted from three episodes of his and Connie Booths seminal British sitcom. In addition, Cleese is also working on a stage show based on the Monty Python film Life of Brian, a musical version of A Fish Called Wanda, and recently hosted a programme on GB News called The Dinosaur Hour. In a forthcoming interview with Saga, the comic discusses his reasons for working on new projects as opposed to resting and mentions the costly end of his third marriage as one of the main motivations. Cleese was married to Alyce Faye Eichelberger, an American psychotherapist, for 16 years before their split in 2008. Eichelberger received a $20m (16m) divorce settlement, after which Cleese travelled the world with The Alimony Tour to raise the money. When the interviewer notes Cleeses continued busy work schedule despite his elevated age, he refers to Eichelberger in his response: Well, you're quite right, but theres only one person responsible for that. Cleese continues: Can you believe when I met her, I had a beautiful house in Holland Park and no mortgage and when I broke up with her, I had a flat in Sloane Square and a full mortgage? How they figured out she was worth $20m, I have no idea. open image in gallery John Cleese ( Getty Images ) However, the TV star notes that he moved on from the previous negative feelings he has towards the situation. I had to let go of the anger and what helped me was that it was so ridiculous, so absurd, he says. 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 The interview also touches upon Cleese not owning a car or property, having handed over the short lease of his flat to his current wife, Jennifer Wade. Although he states that this decision made a huge difference to Wade, Cleeses view on the importance of assets differs to his wife. But Im surprisingly poor, he said. I never thought it was necessary to own a great deal. The most important thing is to have enough money to have some really good food, buy clothes twice a year and have nice holidays. The May 2024 edition of Saga Magazine will be released next week. 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 Nymphia Wind has sparked celebrations in Taiwan and won praise from the islands president after becoming the first Taiwanese and East Asian drag queen to win RuPauls Drag Race. Wind, who is also the first non-American to win the crown, was congratulated by president Tsai Ing-Wen and incoming president Lai Ching-te. Wind, the drag persona of designer Leo Tsao, 28, was declared the winner as the 16th season of the Emmy award-winning drag queen reality competition came to a close on Saturday. For Taiwan, Winds win is significant. Its not just Winds personal triumph, but also a cultural milestone. The country doesnt have a United Nations membership, competes under a Chinese Taipei flag at the Olympics, and only has 11 diplomatic allies. Taiwans capital Taipei hosts Asias largest Pride march in October and last year even Lai participated, becoming the most senior government leader ever to march at Pride. Tsai and Lais Democratic Progressive Party has also promoted queer rights, legalising same sex marriage in 2019, a first for Asia, and amending the law to allow same-sex couples to adopt children in 2023. Congratulations to you, Nymphia Wind, for being so accomplished in the difficult art form of drag, and for being the first Taiwanese to take the stage and win on RuPauls Drag Race, Tsai wrote on Instagram. Right after being crowned queen, you said Taiwan, this is for you. Taiwan thanks you for living fearlessly. Taiwans drag scene and openness on LGBTQ+ issues stands in contrast to China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. 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 While Winds win may have become a source of national pride for Taiwan with large crowds gathering every week for live viewing parties of the show at Taipeis Ximending Red House complex Wind herself tied her performance to her Asian and Taiwanese identity. Yellow represents the colour of my skin, she said in an interview ahead of the finale, referring to the colour she wore most often in the competition. By wearing yellow, I hope to raise more Asian awareness and appreciation. Wind also incorporated Asian and Taiwanese elements such as bubble tea, Chinese opera and Taiwanese temples in her performances and outfits on the show, reminding viewers at all times where she came from. Her self-designed outfits heightened her popularity and even earned her a nickname Banana Buddha and fans called themselves Banana Believers. open image in gallery Nymphia Wind attends RuPauls Drag Race Season 16 finale screening event in New York City ( Getty ) On her finale outfit, she told Vulture: I wanted to do outfits that represented my country So I thought, what other ways could I do it? Lets just make a bubble tea outfit, because bubble tea is the national drink of Taiwan. On social media, her bubble tea dress was said to symbolise the Milk Tea alliance, an online democracy and human rights movement. She told Vulture it was the first time she had heard of it but looked it up during the interview and simply said, Interesting. Maybe I should join that. Wind, who grew up in Taiwan and Hong Kong, developed a love for fashion and drag when she studied fashion design in London. She performed drag for the first time in a Taipei competition in 2018 and hasnt looked back since. She has been part of several documentaries and television programmes and will represent Taiwan as a performer at the Paris Olympics this year. Winds efforts to promote drag culture across Asia and infuse Asian influence within the subculture will continue. The concept of modern drag queens is very Western, so I think I need to use drag to show more Asian perspectives, she said in an interview to The Washington Post. I just wanted to showcase more Asian drag aesthetic. Giving everything an Asian twist. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A court in India has extended the pre-trial detention of leading opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal until 7 May in an alleged corruption case. Mr Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi state and head of Aam Aadmi Party (common mans party), is accused of accepting bribes to favour certain private retailers in a now-scrapped liquor policy. He was arrested on 21 March by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an agency controlled by prime minister Narendra Modis federal government. Mr Kerjriwal, who has been lodged in the notorious Tihar Jail in Delhi, has denied wrongdoing. His arrest, just weeks before the national elections, sparked a backlash from opposition parties that denounced the move as political vendetta by the Modi administration. open image in gallery File: Arvind Kejriwal speaks during a public rally in Guwahati ( AFP via Getty ) Mr Kejriwal was on Wednesday produced through video conferencing before special judge Kaveri Baweja, who extended his custody. Mr Kejriwal had been administered an insulin jab on Monday night after a court rejected his plea asking for Tihar Jail authorities to let him virtually consult a doctor for 15 minutes daily. He was given a low-dose insulin jab after his blood sugar spiked to 320mg/dL, more than double the normal range of 70-100mg/dL. The injection came after the court ordered doctors from Delhis Aiims hospital to determine Mr Kejriwals medication. Mr Kejriwal, a diabetic, has criticised the Tihar authorities for failing to provide him with insulin despite multiple requests. The chief minister, in a letter to prison authorities on Monday, claimed he had been demanding insulin for 10 days. "I showed my high sugar levels to every doctor who came to see me," Mr Kejriwal said. "Almost every day, I demanded insulin. Then how could you make such a statement that I never raised the issue of insulin? The ED last week accused Mr Kejriwal of eating mangoes, sweets and drinking tea with added sugar to deliberately spike his blood sugar in a bid to create grounds for his bail. He is consciously consuming items like tea with sugar, banana, sweets (one or two pieces), poori, aloo sabzi (potato curry with fried bread), on a regular basis, despite being a patient of diabetes mellitus type 2 and knowing very well that consumption of such items results in an increase in blood sugar, the agency told had judge Bajwa. Mr Kejriwals party refuted the allegations, saying the federal agency was resorting to fabrications in order to keep the chief minister from receiving home-cooked food. "Today it is clear that the chief minister was right, he needed insulin. But the officials under the Bharatiya Janata Partys central government were deliberately not treating him," Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Wednesday. Mr Kejriwal is among three leaders of his party who have been arrested on corruption charges. He is also the first serving chief minister to be arrested in independent India. His arrest deepened fears of a constitutional crisis under the Modi government and sparked protests in Delhi and the northern state of Punjab, which is also ruled by Mr Kejriwals party. It also drew the attention of the United States and Germany, both of which called for a free and fair election in India. Mr Kejriwals party is contesting the ongoing elections as part of the 27-party opposition alliance called INDIA, but early opinion polls favour Mr Modis ruling BJP. 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 An Australian journalist had to leave India abruptly after allegedly being told by the Narendra Modi government that she had crossed a line, deepening concerns about sliding press freedom in the country. Avani Dias, the South Asia bureau chief of Australias national broadcaster ABC News, claimed that the Hindu nationalist government had made it too difficult for her to report from the country, including on the national elections that kicked off last week. "Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi government told me my visa extension would be denied," she said on X. "After Australian government intervention, I got a mere two-month extension ... less than 24 hours before my flight." We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls the mother of democracy. In the final episode of her podcast, Looking for Modi, Ms Dias, who has worked in India since January 2022, said an official from Indias Foreign Ministry had called her to inform that her visa would not be renewed and she would have to leave the country in a couple of weeks. She was reportedly told the decision was prompted by her coverage of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader who was shot dead in Canada last year. He specifically said it was because of my Sikh separatist story, saying It had gone too far, Ms Dias said. Nijjars killing strained ties between India and Canada after prime minister Justin Trudeau said his government had credible evidence of the involvement of Indian operatives in the 18 June assassination. India has denied the allegations. It felt too difficult to do my job in India. I was struggling to get into public events run by Modis party, the journalist said on the podcast. The government wouldnt even give me the passes I need to cover the election, and the ministry left it all so late that we were already packed up and ready to go. Its by design. The Narendra Modi government has made me feel so uncomfortable that we decided to leave. Mr Modi is tipped to win a rare third term in the ongoing elections as he remains popular among the countrys Hindu majority. open image in gallery Avani Dias has lived in India since 2022 ( Avani Dias/Twitter ) The decision to allegedly block Ms Diass visa came after the Indian government issued a notice to YouTube to take down an episode of Foreign Correspondent, the ABCs flagship international news programme, where she reported on Nijjars killing. Now when you try to watch it on YouTube in India, it says, This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order, the reporter said on her podcast, adding that similar work from other publications had also been taken down earlier. An Indian government source has called the allegations misleading and mischievous, according to NDTV. Ms Dias was found to have violated visa rules while undertaking her professional pursuits, the source said. Inspite of this, on her request, she was assured that her visa would be extended for the coverage of the general elections. Her previous visa was valid till 20th April 2024, it added. ABC managing director David Anderson said the broadcaster stood by Ms Diass reporting. The ABC fully backs and stands by the important and impactful reporting by Avani Dias during her time as ABC correspondent in India, he said. Avani joins the Four Corners team as a reporter in coming weeks. The ABC believes strongly in the role of independent journalism across the globe, and freedom of the press outside Australia. Ms Diass departure comes amid rising concerns over Indias crackdown on the media. Foreign journalists and news organisations have reported coming under increased pressure from the Modi government, which has used its discretion over grant and renewal of visas as a stick against them. Last year, tax authorities raided the offices of BBC in Delhi and Mumbai after the British broadcaster aired a documentary investigating Mr Modis role in the 2002 Gujarat riots that killed 800 Mulisms and 200 Hindus. Mr Modi was the states chief minister at the time. There are currently at least seven journalists in jail in India, according to a 2023 report by the Committee to Protect Journalists. open image in gallery A police officer stands outside the BBC office in Delhi while Indian tax authorities conduct a raid ( AFP via Getty ) In January this year, French journalist Vanessa Dougnact announced she was leaving India after almost two decades. Ms Dougnact claimed that she was being prevented from working as a journalist in the country despite having Overseas Citizenship of India, a form of permanent residency, because the government deemed her reporting malicious and critical. The World Press Freedom Index 2022 ranked India 161 among 180 countries in 2023. The Independent has reached out to Indias Foreign Ministry for a comment. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy New York City-based influencer Eva Evans has died by suicide at the age of 29. The TikTok star was found in her apartment on Saturday evening by a friend who had a key to her apartment, law enforcement sources told TMZ on 23 April. Evans friend reportedly told police they didnt know her to be struggling with her mental health, and a note was left behind. Evans sister, Lila, took to Instagram on 21 April to reveal that the influencer had passed away. In the posts caption which featured a snap of Evans wearing a colourful dress and smiling Lila praised her sister and detailed the devastating news. open image in gallery New York influencer Eva Evans dies aged 29 ( itsevaevans / Instagram ) Please share this post so that it reaches everyone it needs to, she wrote. Yesterday my family received news that our sweet, fabulous, creative, caring, hilarious Eva, my beautiful sister, has died. Lila went on to speak candidly about her grief, before showing her support for Evans fans, adding: After 24 hours, I still find myself in a constant cycle of denial and acceptance, so I know how unbelievable and hard to process this news will be. She specified that a celebration of Eva will be held in lower Manhattan on 23 April. She also told fans that they could message her for details on how to attend the event. Lila concluded her caption by acknowledging how much she loves and misses her sister. She also noted that shes taking a step back from posting on social media, as shes planning the celebration of Evans. I wish I had Eva here now to refer to because she would have better words and know how to say what I dont, she wrote. I am keeping this brief, so we can plan for the next few days, but youll be hearing a lot more from me on how much Eva means to me and just how different the world will be without her. Many fans and fellow influencers took to the comments to send their condolences to Evans family. They also expressed how much they admired the TikTok star. I am so sorry for your loss. Ill light a candle for her tonight. Sending you and everyone who loved her my deepest condolences. Ill tell my grandparents to show her around, TikTok star Tefi Pessoa wrote. I am so sorry for your loss Lila. I am sending so much love to you and your family, model Lameka Fox wrote. The loss is unfathomable, to those of us lucky enough to have known her brilliance and goodness, but also to the world, which is not the place it was meant to be without her. Godspeed, Lila, and love, a third fan added. Uncut Gems star Julia Fox also took to TikTok to share an emotional tribute to Evans. She was a TikTok star and a New York icon. I always saw her like a little sister and I know she looked up to me, Fox said, with tears in her eyes. Thats the kind of person she was, always sticking up for me, and she passed away. She was so young. Still had so much to do in life. But she lived life to the fullest. She continued to express her love for Evans in the caption, writing: RIP EVA. NYC will *never* be the same without you. Evans had more than 300,000 followers on TikTok, where she posted hilarious content about her life in New York City as a woman in her twenties. Her videos ranged from tips on things to do in New York to her candid advice on how to handle a breakup. The influencer also had her own show, Club Rat, on Amazon Prime, of which there were five episodes. According to the synopsis, the program is about a self-absorbed influencer attempts to re-enter the chaotic New York City dating scene after a candid video of her humiliating breakup goes viral. The Independent has contacted Evans family for comment. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Michael Douglas has opened up about the ups and downs of being a parent later in life. In an interview with the Telegraph published on 20 April, the 79-year-old actor described the challenges of raising children into his 70s. Speaking to the outlet, the Basic Instinct star recalled a moment when he was confused for his childs grandfather while visiting them at college. This is not grandfathers day, this is parents day. I say, I am a parent! he said. That was a rough one. The Oscar-winning actor shares two children son Dylan, 23, and daughter Carys, 20 with his wife of nearly 25 years, actor Catherine Zeta-Jones. Douglas is also a father to his 45-year-old son, Cameron Douglas, whom he welcomed with his ex-wife, Diandra Luker. The Fatal Attraction star, who became a father for the second time when he was over 50 years old, admitted that having a second family later in life allowed him to be a better father than he was to his son Cameron. Cameron suffered a lot from that time, Douglas told the outlet, noting that he was overwhelmed and overloaded by his career while raising his eldest son. He explained that his family life had taken third place in his list of priorities at the time, as opposed to when he started a family with Zeta-Jones. And youve done enough work already that you were looking more to enjoy the opportunity and the kids, Douglas acknowledged. Although the Wall Street star admitted that he struggled to keep up with Dylan and Carys when they were younger, he said that he and his wife now enjoy being empty nesters. This has been a great time for me but Ive been very fortunate, Douglas shared. Catherine and I have been together, itll be 25 years this year. So its been a good ride and Ive been very fortunate, happy with the choices that Ive made and now am kind of really backing off and smelling the roses a little more, travelling more. The Golden Globe winner also thanked his children for being extraordinary beings and a joy to have in his life. They brought both Catherine and I just a tremendous amount of joy, he added. Douglas began dating the Welsh actor in 1999 after meeting at the Deauville American Film Festival in France. The couple were married one year later at the iconic Plaza Hotel in New York City. Since then, the actors have never shied away from celebrating their love on social media, where the Wednesday actor often posts photos honouring her decades-long relationship with Douglas. In November 2023, she marked their 23rd wedding anniversary by posting a series of photos of the couple over the years. Today we celebrate 23 years of marriage, she captioned the Instagram post. The first image in the slideshow showed Zeta-Jones and Douglas sharing a kiss at their wedding, along with another photo of them walking down the aisle. Darling Michael, your Nobel Peace Prize awaits, she jokingly added. I love you from your darling wife, a gold star Medal of Honour recipient. Despite being married for more than two decades, Zeta-Jones hasnt missed an opportunity to poke fun at their 25-year age gap. In 2022, the Chicago star appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers where she spoke about their 22nd wedding anniversary. I know. Can you imagine 22 years? And we have the same birthday. So 25 September is our same birthday, she told the audience, before noting: 25 years difference. Not the same day. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Out of air and pinned by an alligator to the bottom of the river, Will Georgitis decided his only chance to survive might be to lose his arm. The alligator had fixed his jaws around Georgitis' arm and after he tried to escape by stabbing it with the screwdriver he uses to pry fossilized megalodon and other shark teeth off the riverbed, the gator shook the diver and dragged him 50 feet (15 meters) down, Georgitis. I knew I was going to die right then and there, he told the Charleston newspaper. is only chance to survive might be to lose his arm. The alligator had fixed his jaws around Georgitis arm and after he tried to escape by stabbing it with the screwdriver he uses to pry fossilized shark teeth off the riverbed, the gator shook the diver and dragged him 50 feet (15 meters) down, Georgitis. I knew I was going to die right then and there, he told the Charleston newspaper. The alligator attacked Georgitis on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gators jaws crushing the arm he put up in defense. Georgitis figured he had one last chance. open image in gallery Will Georgitis holds up a megalodon tooth he found the day he was attacked by an alligator ( The Post and Courier/2024 ) I put my feet up against him just launched back as hard as I possibly could and somehow ripped my arm out and not off, Georgitis told ABCs Good Morning America. Georgitis frantically swam to a friends waiting boat and was taken to shore and the hospital. His arm was broken and he needed a ton of staples to close up the wounds from the alligators teeth, he said. There are probably several surgeries and a six months of recovery. His family has set up a page on GoFundMe to raise money to pay his medical bills. Every moment from here on out is a blessing to me, Georgitis told Good Morning America. I put my feet up against him just launched back as hard as I possibly could and somehow ripped my arm out and not of. Georgitis frantically swam to a friend's waiting boat and was taken to shore and the hospital. His arm was broken and he needed "a ton" of staples to close up the wounds from the alligator's teeth, he said. There are probably several surgeries and a six months of recovery. His family has set up a page on GoFundMe to raise money to pay his medical bills. Every moment from here on out is a blessing to me, Georgitis told Good Morning America. Georgitis frequently dives looking for shark teeth and other fossils in the waters around Charleston. He has been to the spot where he was attacked at least 30 times and while he has seen alligators before, they usually are sunning on the back or stay far away. He was stunned this one made a beeline for him as soon as he surfaced. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is aware of the attack and is investigating. South Carolina has about 100,000 alligators, which are federally protected species and have strict rules about when they can be removed or killed, wildlife officials said. Attacks are rare and usually take place on land when alligators attack pets or someone falls into a pond. South Carolina has had at least six fatal alligator attacks since 2016. A 550-pound (250-kilogram) alligator attacked and tore off the arm of a snorkeler in 2007 in Lake Moultire. He staggered shore looking for help and five nurses at a picnic were able to give him first aid until paramedics arrived. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kevin Hart has confirmed his exact measurements after years of making jokes about his height. On 21 April, 60 Minutes Anderson Cooper finally got the 44-year-old actor to settle the longstanding debate during an interview for the weekly special. Cooper pointed out how GQ, LA Times, and other media outlets have described his height differently. GQ said he was 55, while the LA Times published 54. GQ finally got it right, the Lift star told Cooper. Five-foot-five. Like, with a shoe on, like with a sneaker. Now if I put a boot on, I can get to 55 and a half, he added with a smirk. Hart has never been afraid to put himself in the hot seat during his comedy sets. In a clip added to the 60 Minutes episode, the Jumanji lead is seen quipping on stage about how tall he is. To him, being able to laugh at yourself over insecurities or fears is a healthy way to accept them. Hart explained: Its talking about the things that you arent afraid to laugh at about yourself. Im really confident that the laugh that Im getting, youre not laughing necessarily at me as if Im a joke, youre laughing at the experience, he continued. Im giving you an experience through a story that is relatable and more importantly, Im saying things that other people just dont have the heart to say. Later in the interview, Hart opened up about his comic journey. According to the Hollywood favourite, his mom gave him one year to figure it out when he was trying to jumpstart his career. He moved into his own apartment and struggled making money. My mom kept asking me: Did you read your Bible? he admitted. And I was like: No. Mom, this isnt the time for me to be reading my Bible like Im going through it. One day, Hart gave in. The on-screen regular decided to pick up his Bible and read it to tell her he had. To his surprise, several checks fell from the pages. He admitted: The rest of the years rent checks were in the Bible. Hart credited his success to the hardships he went through growing up where he did Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I would not change anything, he noted of his upbringing. Every piece of good. Every piece of bad. You feel like things are supposed to happen, and its supposed to be perfect, but its not supposed to be. Freetown, Sierra Leone (PANA) Despite tightened macroeconomic policies in 2023 and into the first quarter of 2024, Sierra Leone requires significant adjustment to keep its debt on a sustainable path, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Lindsay Mendez enlisted her Merrily We Roll Along co-stars Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe to play two special roles during her recent wedding to actor J Alex Brinson. The Broadway star, 41, recently tied the knot during an intimate ceremony in New York City. For the Central Park nuptials, Groff served as officiant while the Harry Potter actor was cast as ring bearer. In photos and videos shared to Instagram, the Frozen actor could be seen standing between the bride and groom in the parks Bethesda Terrace as he pronounced the couple husband and wife. Another photo showed Radcliffe, dressed in a blue suit with high-top sneakers, handing the two wedding bands to Brinson. Mendezs three-year-old daughter Lucy, from a previous relationship, also stood alongside her mother as a flower girl. Mendez and Brinson, who met on the set of the CBS series All Rise, announced their engagement on Christmas Day in December 2023. Their nuptials came just one month after announcing they were expecting their first child together. open image in gallery Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe serve as wedding officiant and ring bearer, respectively, at Merrily We Roll Along co-star Lindsay Mendezs NYC wedding ( Instagram / @dyandraraye ) Our family band is expanding! And we are bursting with joy! J and I cant wait to make Lucy a big sister and welcome our new baby this fall, Mendez captioned her Instagram post, which featured three pairs of colourful graphic sneakers lined up next to some crocheted yellow booties. Im also so grateful for the unrelenting support of my @merrilyonbway producers and company. Together, they have made it so that I can happily work safely, all while growing this true Broadway baby. During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers earlier this month, the Tony Award winner opened up about the excitement of expecting a baby while simultaneously taking the Broadway stage. I keep thinking that theyre going to know Uncle Dan and Uncle Jons voices, she told host Seth Meyers. Theyre going to know a [Stephen] Sondheim score when they come out of the womb, thats pretty cool. Mendez, Groff, and Radcliffe star alongside each other in Broadways first revival of Merrily We Roll Along at the Hudson Theatre. The musical follows three best friends over the course of 20 years: Broadway composer-turned-film producer Franklin Shepard (Groff), playwright and lyricist Charley Kringas (Radcliffe), and theatre critic Mary Flynn (Mendez). The revival, directed by Maria Friedman, made its way to Broadway in October 2023 following a sold-out off Broadway run at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2022. Performances are scheduled until July 2024. Meanwhile, Radcliffe has his own reason to celebrate after becoming a first-time father last year. The 34-year-old British actor, who welcomed a little boy with his longtime girlfriend Erin Darke in April 2023, previously shared how fatherhood has been the best thing thats ever happened to him. Hes very cute, Radcliffe told Extra. Weve moved into a less screaming phase and hes now giving us little smiles and giggling. Its been a crazy few months, as anyone whos been through parenthood would attest, Radcliffe added. But its also the literal best thing thats ever happened, so its great. I feel very lucky to be able to have this time with him. Its awesome. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rebel Wilson has claimed she almost lost her virginity in a drug-fuelled orgy with a member of the Royal family. Writing in her memoir Rebel Rising, the actor said she was invited to a tech billionaires party at a huge ranch just outside LA by an unnamed Royal who was fifteenth or twentieth in line to the British throne. Wilson, best known for Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids, said that she did not realise the medieval-themed party was an orgy until 2am when a tray of molly, the slang term for MDMA, was passed around. The actor, who documents her experiences as a late bloomer having remained a virgin until she was 35 years old, explained the invite was extended by a male friend who had been informed by the Royal that the party was in desperate need of more girls. Keen to finally get some action, Wilson recounted how she tried to make herself as physically appealing as possible. I watch the British royal flounder around whilst I continuously hike up my boobs. They are my best physical asset, she recalls. Theres a huge private fireworks display and then all of a sudden, its two a.m. Wilson continued: A guy comes out with a large tray piled with what looks like a ton of candy. Im like, Ooooh, is that candy? and the guy holding the tray says, No, this is the molly. He says, Oh, its for the orgy . . . its about to start . . . the orgies normally start at these things about this time. open image in gallery Rebel Wilson claims she felt sexually harassed by Sacha Baron Cohen on Grimsby (Doug Peters/PA) ( PA Archive ) As a then-virgin, Wilson unsurprisingly felt very much out of her depth, and she suddenly understood why the unidentified member of The Firm was so keen to invite more women to the party last minute. She continued: Now the comment by the Windsor about needing more girls started to make a lot more sense. They werent talking about a boy-girl ratio like it was a year-eight disco. They were talking about an ORGY! So Im like two minutes away from being in an orgy... for my first sexual experience! Wilson began to search for her non-Royal friend, admitting that she was looking for help with the unexpected situation shed found herself in but she was unable to find him. While the actor considered returning to her designated room at the lavish party, she ultimately decided against it in case she walked into a pile of heaving bodies. So, she simply ran away. She recalled: I also get this weird feeling that maybe all this is being filmed by hidden cameras but thats just a gut instinct. open image in gallery ( Grimsby/Sony Pictures ) Needless to say, I hike up my damsel dress and run out of there as fast as I can not looking back for fear Ill witness some insane centipede of tech guys and Hollywood wispies around the fire pit. Some of my friends have subsequently told me that I shouldve just tried the orgy. But that wouldve been like going from zero to a thousand. Rebel told PEOPLE that she is hoping that by speaking candidly about her experiences in her memoir, young people will feel less pressure to lose their virginity at an early age. People can wait till theyre ready or wait till theyre a bit more mature, she said. And I think that could be a positive message. You obviously dont have to wait until youre in your thirties like me, but you shouldnt feel pressure as a young person. The actress admitted that shed previously lied and said she lost her virginity at the age of 23 and even then people acted like that was old. She explained: There was one vague time, I think I told my best friend, Oh, yeah, I just did it to just get it over with when I was like 23. Just to really avoid the questions. And then the people said, Oh, at 24, its so late. And then Im sitting here thinking, Oh my God, my numbers 35. What the hell? Im going to look like the biggest loser. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As King Charles III battles a form of cancer, The Independent has taken a look at the current line of succession to the British throne. This comes amid a tumultuous time for the Royal Family, with the Princess of Wales revealing last month that she is also undergoing treatment for the disease. As a result, there are just nine senior working Royals left the majority of whom are elderly and unknown. A statement from the Palace said Charles, 75, has commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. His Majesty ascended the throne in September 2022 after the death of his mother. He was crowned in May 2023. The royal line of succession has decided who will be the next king or queen of Great Britain for hundreds of years, and now with a new generation of royals, there is a long list of people who could be our next monarch some of whom are relatively unfamiliar to the general public. So, from Prince William to Princess Eugenie and everyone in between, here is everyone who is closest in line for the British throne. Prince William, Prince of Wales Prince William, 41, is first in line to the British throne after his father became king. open image in gallery Prince William and his three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, are next in line for the throne ( Getty Images ) Formerly the Duke of Cambridge, William is now known as the Prince of Wales after the Queens death. He is the first child of King Charles III and when he becomes king his wife, Kate, 42, the Princess of Wales, will be known as Queen Consort. Prince George Prince William and Princess Kates first son, Prince George, is second in line to the throne after his father. The ten-year-old will be known as King George VII when he becomes monarch one day, but until then, his parents want him to have as normal an upbringing as possible. open image in gallery Charles has been receiving treatment in hospital ( AFP via Getty Images ) Princess Charlotte After an amendment made to the Succession to the Crown Act in 2013 (which means eldest children, regardless of sex, will succeed the throne first), Princess Charlotte, eight, is third in line to the throne after her big brother. Before the Acts amendment, her younger brother, Louis, would have been ahead of her in the line of succession simply because of his gender. But if Prince George has children one day, they will slot in behind him in the line of succession. Prince Louis Six-year-old Prince Louis, the third child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, is currently fourth in line to the throne after his older siblings. Prince Harry open image in gallery Prince Harry and his two children, Archie and Lilibet, are fifth, sixth and seventh in line for the throne ( Getty Images ) As the second child of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, Prince Harry, 39, is fifth in line for the throne after his brother, nephews and niece. His wife, Meghan Markle, is not in line for the throne much like the Duchess of Cambridge but their two children are. Prince Archie Mountbatten-Windsor Four-year-old Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs first child, is sixth in line to the throne after his father, uncle and cousins. Princess Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor The Duke and Duchess of Sussexs second child, Lilibet, two, is seventh in line to the throne. The toddlers name is a nod to the Royal Familys nickname for the late Queen Elizabeth II, and her middle name is Diana, after Harrys late mother, Princess Diana. Prince Andrew, the Duke of York open image in gallery Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and Prince Andrew, Duke of York (L-R) are also in the royal line of succession ( Getty ) Prince Andrew, 64, Queen Elizabeth IIs third child and King Charles IIIs younger brother, is eighth in line to the throne. The royal, who has denied allegations of sexual abuse, has two children with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. His children are also in the line of succession, as well as his grandchildren. Princess Beatrice of York Princess Beatrice, 35, is ninth in line to the throne. Miss Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi Her daughter, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, two, who she shares with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, is 10th in line. Princess Eugenie of York Princess Eugenie, 34, Princess Beatrices younger sister and daughter to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, is 11th in line to the throne. Master August Brooksbank Eugenies son with husband Jack Brooksbank, August Brooksbank, three, is 12th in line. Master Ernest Brooksbank August is followed in the line of succession by his younger brother, Ernest, born May 2023, who is 13th in line to the throne. Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh Following the Princesses of York and their children in succession is Prince Edward, 60, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is now 14th in line to the throne. James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex The 15th in line to the throne is Prince Edwards youngest son, James, 17, who is also the Queens youngest grandchild. The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor The Earl of Wessex is followed in the line of succession by his older sister, Louise, 20, who is 16th in line to the throne. The Princess Royal The Princess Royal, 73, also known as Princess Anne, is the 17th in line to the throne. Mr Peter Phillips Princess Anne is followed in the line of succession by her eldest son, Peter Philips, 46, who is 18th in line to the throne. Miss Savannah Phillips Savannah Phillips, 13, Peters eldest daughter, is 19th in line to the throne. Miss Isla Phillips The position of 20th in line to the throne is held by Princess Annes youngest granddaughter, Isla Philips, 12. Zara Tindall The Queens eldest grandchild, Zara Tindall, 41, is 21st in line to the throne. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy French fashion designer Simon Jacquemus and his husband Marco Maestri have announced the birth of their twins. On Monday 22 April, the designer took to Instagram to share a photo of their two children, one boy and one girl, with white hospital bracelets on their arms designating their names as Mia and Sun. The bracelets also included their birthdate written as Saturday 20 April. MIA et SUN, the caption began. Welcome to earth, our love. We love you so much. Our dream has come true with you. Papa Marco and Pape Simon. After making the announcement, many people took to the comments section to wish the Jacquemus founder and his husband the best on becoming fathers. Simon and Marco, so happy for you both, one comment began. Love to the kids. Thank you for continuing to be an inspiration. Mia and Sun are lucky as they will be surrounded by amazing parents, abundance of love and impeccable style. Dolce Vita. Another commenter agreed, writing: The best! Mia and Sun you have a wonderful warm loving family, you will feel the love each and every day, hour, minute, second. Love openly and freely as you are pure joy for your parents. The couple has been married for more than two years after a year-long engagement and living together since 2018. Simon, known for his fashion brand Jacquemus, recently reflected in an interview with GQ about the evolution of his brand, which he started when he was only 19. Everyone is buying our shirt for summer, and my bucket hat, he told the outlet, noting that it is more well-known for being a summer brand. Its fine, but I want to send a different message. Because we do have tailoring. We do have beautiful jackets. The main focus this season was saying: We do have products, guys. Jacquemus added that for him, it all comes down to the physical designs hes making and not the way it sells. People say I am a marketing genius, whatever you call it, I dont care. I dont like the marketing thing, he said. We have ideas and they meet the audience, but its not marketing when Im drawing. He continued: I know how to make noise, but we also have the best factories in Italy, so please watch our product. And then we are going to have fun. Were going to do more fun campaigns and stories. But people have been buying our products for 15 years. Instagram is what makes us successful, but this season as a designer in the studio, I was more picky, to be honest. I was like, all the details matter. I was very obsessive. 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 jealous ex has been jailed for stabbing his former girlfriends new lover to death while he lay in bed. Kaydon Prior, 23, had also punched his former partner Alicia Parrin while he repeatedly knifed Harrison Tomkins, 25, with a hunting blade. Appearing on Tuesday at Brighton Crown Court, both Prior and his accomplice Jason Curtis were locked behind bars for a minimum of 28 and 22 years respectively for the horrific attack. Speaking in court, Ms Parrin said she would never recover from the trauma of watching Mr Tomkins die, and said that Prior would likely taken pleasure in how he has pulled my life apart. Kaydon Prior being arrested by police at his home shortly after the murder ( Sussex Police ) Jurors heard that Ms Parrin and Prior had been in a relationship in which he had been jealous and controlling, and had threatened to kill her if she was ever with anyone else. In July 2023, she obtained her own flat in a bid to escape his clutches, yet he refused to believe the relationship was over. On 13 August last year, the two killers had been out in Chelsea, London, to celebrate Curtis birthday but had made their way back to Crawley at around 1.30am. During this period, they discovered that Priors ex-girlfriend was out in the town centre with Tomkins, with the two then seen on CCTV outside Medusa cocktail bar at around 3am looking for her. The duo then took a taxi to her flat in Arthur Road and gained entry to the communal area, where they heard her and Mr Tomkins inside her property. Prior had burst into his ex-girlfriends flat in a jealous rage ( Surrey Police ) This prompted Prior to call a taxi to return to his home address to retrieve the key to his ex-girlfriends flat in order to carry out the attack, while Curtis stayed behind to keep watch. At 5.30am, the two burst into her flat, and stabbed defenceless lifeguard Mr Tomkins multiple times while he lay in bed. Jurors heard how Prior dropped the knife in the bedroom, punched Ms Parrin, and walked out of the building where he rejoined Curtis, telling him to burn his clothes as they escaped. Police were called and a major search too place, with Prior arrested at his home address and Curtis found hiding in bushes nearby. When arrested, he told officers: Whos been murdered? Ive been on a night out as its my birthday. Mr Tomkins was taken by surprise and defenceless ( PA ) Judge Jeremy Gold KC said Curtis played a full part in the lead-up to this dreadful crime by assisting Prior. The court heard how Ms Parrin sent messages to Prior on the day before the murder saying go f*** yourself dont ever contact me again, but he still believed they were in a relationship. Ms Parrin and Mr Tomkins had got to know each other by working at the K2 leisure centre, and things had got flirtier between them in the weeks leading up to August 12, when the pair decided to meet at a work colleagues leaving do. They were spotted at a pub and club in Crawley town centre by a mutual connection, Ella Stanford, who messaged Curtis on Snapchat that Ms Parrin was out with friends. Curtis replied: Kaydon says to keep an eye out for her and see what she is doing. Jurors heard that Prior was also sent a video of Ms Parrin, kissing another man in a club that night and he messaged her saying: Letting guys kiss you and that thats absolutely wrong I can literally see you. Prior and Curtis seen together plotting the attack after travelling from London to Crawley ( Sussex Police ) During his trial, Prior claimed that he had gone to Ms Parrins flat as he didnt like sleeping on arguments before a fight broke out between him and Mr Tomkins, with both reaching for the knife. However, Ms Parrin said Prior was the instigator and that she had not realised he was repeatedly stabbing his victim until she saw there was blood everywhere. She said: I used to use sleep as a way of getting out of scary situations. As soon as I close my eyes I see him coming into my room and doing the unthinkable again. Despite denying murder charges, they were both found guilty at the conclusion of a four-week trial. Sentencing the pair, Judge Gold said: This was a carefully planned and executed killing of a young man who neither of you knew or had any sensible reason to want to hurt, let alone kill. This brutal murder was born out of utter obsession by you, Kaydon Prior, with Alicia Parrin. She was understandably exhausted by your increasingly coercive and controlling behaviour over the last few weeks of your relationship. The two travelled to Ms Parrins flat after searching for her in Crawley town centre ( Sussex Police ) She made it clear to you she no longer put up with it, you could not and would not accept that simple fact. In a statement, Mr Tomkins family said: Harrison was innocent in all of this, taken by surprise and killed as he laid in bed, with no time to defend himself. We knew our son and he didnt move in any of these circles or know this way of life. We were an amazing family, completely content, loving, supportive and protective. Except in August last year our family was destroyed that fateful day - the day I could not protect my son. Jason Curtis was found guilty of murdering for plotting the attack with Prior ( Surrey Police ) Harrison, our first born son and brother to his two adoring sisters was just the greatest, he saw the best in everyone he met. He was a lover of life. Nothing said or done can help justify this senseless loss of life. Case Officer Detective Police Constable Elliott Lander, of the Major Crime Team, said: I am pleased that we have been able to get the justice that Harrison richly deserves today. I never got to meet Harrison, but I have learned so much about him and have seen how greatly loved he was by all who knew him. Harrison was killed in a frenzied attack that he had no chance to defend himself from. Prior and Curtis will both rightly now have to live with the devastating consequences of their actions for a considerable period of their lives in prison. On behalf of Harrison and all his family and friends, Id like to thank those who came forward and supported our investigation. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails 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 man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a nine-year-old girl outside a luxury department store in Londons Knightsbridge area. The Metropolitan Police were called shortly before 3pm on Monday to reports of a missing child at Brompton Road, where staff at Harrods are said to have helped officers with an incident outside the famous shop. A young girl had become separated from her family, and a CCTV image of the child in the company of a man was rapidly circulated to officers, the force said. The suspect and the child were stopped by officers three hours later. They were found two kilometres away at Old Court Place, near Kensington Palace, police said. A 56-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of child kidnap. The suspect was taken to a west London police station, where he remains, Scotland Yard said in a statement on Tuesday. The child and her family are being supported by specialist officers. At this time detectives believe this to be an isolated incident with no other persons involved, the Met said. View more A spokesperson for Harrods added: We supported the Metropolitan police with an incident outside Harrods that has now thankfully been resolved. We cannot comment any further on the details as it is a police matter, but are thankful the Met Polices swift actions led to this safe resolution. More follows... For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The children of a woman found dead at a luxury five-star spa hotel in Surrey said there is no finer example of a Mum. Mother-of-two Samantha Mickleburgh, 55, from Axminister, found dead at the 600 a night Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot at about 8.40am on Sunday, 14 April. Estate agent James Cartwright, 60, also from Axminster in Devon, has been charged with her murder as well as controlling and coercive behaviour after being arrested on Friday. Ms Mickleburghs two children said: Nothing can prepare you to face the world without your parents at a young age. Our mother had been both parents to us since the loss of our father and she was doing such an amazing job at it. No finer example of a Mum could there be, we will feel the loss in every aspect of our lives. We are grateful to be such a close family and for the support we continue to receive from those who knew Samantha. We as a family wish for privacy at this impossibly difficult time. Her body was discovered at the luxury Pennyhill Park Hotel ( Roger/Geograph ) In a statement, her family added: We are devastated by the loss of Samantha, an incredible mother, beautiful, much-cherished daughter, and friend. Loved by many, she was a true example of class, integrity, and dedication to those around her. Lighting up any room she entered with her vivacious personality and endearing smile. No words can truly capture all her beloved qualities and nothing will ever fill the hole left in the lives of those who loved her. Ms Mickleburgh was described as an entrepreneur after launching startups in fashion and retail. The Pennyhill Park Hotel is frequently used by the England rugby team ahead of the Six Nations tournament and is just two miles from Bagshot Park, which is the home of Prince Edward. A spokesman for Surrey Polices Major Crime Team said on Sunday: A 60-year-old man has been charged in connection with the ongoing murder investigation in Bagshot. James Cartwright, of Axminster, in Devon, was charged with murder and controlling and coercive behaviour after being arrested on Friday. He has been remanded in police custody to appear at Guildford magistrates court on Monday. If anyone has any further information that may help us with our investigation, please contact us. 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 }} Tommy Robinson has been cleared of refusing to leave Westminster after he was arrested during an antisemitism march last November. It comes after a senior Metropolitan Police officer who signed the dispersal order admitted it may not have been lawful after he used the wrong date on the paperwork. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, had denied failing to comply with a direction when he was arrested by police officers opposite the Royal Courts of Justice. Giving his ruling, District Judge Daniel Sternberg said: I am not satisfied there was a legal authorisation. There is no case for you to answer. ( AFP via Getty Images ) The Met Police have since that they will review the procedural errors and the judges findings, to ensure any changes can be implemented. The English Defence League founder had attended central London to participate in the demonstration, which came in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, despite being warned by organisers he would not be welcome. Inspector Steve Parker-Phipps, responsible for policing certain aspects of the protest, imposed a Section 35 order under the Crime and Policing Act 2014 when he thought a right-wing group could potentially be attending, the trial at Westminster Magistrates Court heard. The court heard Inspector Parker-Phipps, whose laptop battery was dying, put the order in place at 10am on November 26, but accidentally dated the form for November 24. Mr Robinsons defence lawyer Alisdair Williamson KC told the court there had been a litany of catastrophic errors in the Mets handling of the incident. Questioning the inspector, Mr Williamson KC said: This document is not correct is it? Can we have any confidence that there was a lawful order in place? After a pause, the officer replied: No. Robinson was arrested in a cafe on the Strand a short while later, with the court told he became resistant and was arrested. He was subsequently sprayed with synthetic pepper spray and handcuffed, with Robinson later uploading a video of himslef with partially closed eyes to social media. During his arrest, he also repeatedly claimed to officers that he was a present as a journalist at the march. The trial was attended by numerous supporters of Mr Robinson who filled the public gallery. In response to the verdict, a Met Police spokesperson said: Stephen Lennon had been charged with failing to comply with an order to disperse from the vicinity of the March Against Antisemitism as it formed up on the Strand on Saturday, 26 November. The court has found Mr Lennon has no case to answer, owing to a number of procedural errors by the police. We will review the finding to ensure any changes to our approach can be implemented without delay. The decision to impose a dispersal order on that day was taken to provide officers with the powers to keep groups or individuals with opposing views apart, ensuring public safety and minimising the risk of disorder. They added that dispersal orders are commonly used in public order policing, which has become increasingly challenging in recent months. We will continue to take the actions necessary to keep the peace, balancing individual rights including the right to protest with the need to keep the public safe and prevent serious disruption and disorder, they said. 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 }} Police have said they are confident they will catch whoever killed a dogwalker shot on a remote path more than two months ago as the murder inquiry continues. Officers have visited 478 properties and interviewed more than 800 people as they investigate the murder of Brian Low in February. Mr Low, 65, who had been walking his dog, was found dead on a remote track in Pitilie near Aberfeldy, Perthshire, at around 8.30am on Saturday February 17, with his black Labrador safe by his side. His death was initially treated as medical or non-suspicious however, concerns around the wound Mr Low had suffered were raised on Wednesday February 21 during an initial medical examination, and the police major investigation team was called in. A post-mortem examination on February 23 established Mr Low had sustained a fatal gunshot and a murder inquiry was launched. Detective Superintendent Lorna Ferguson, who is leading the investigation, said police are keeping an open mind, but she believes the answer lies in the community. Brian Low was found dead more than two months ago (Andrew Milligan/PA) ( PA Wire ) She said: Its obviously quite an extensive investigation. We are keeping an open mind, theres obviously quite an extensive inquiry, weve got a lot of work weve done, weve got a lot of work ongoing, were speaking to locals in the village as well. Ms Ferguson, of the Major Investigation Team, added: I believe the answer lies in the community. Somebody out there knows who has done this and they need to come forward. Asked whether she is confident police will catch whoever killed Mr Low she replied: Yes. She said: Brians family are still coming to terms with what has happened and continue to be supported by specialist officers. They wish their privacy to be respected. Finding who did this is paramount. If you know anything that could help, please do the right thing and speak to police. Police at the scene in the Pitilie area on the outskirts of Aberfeldy ( Andrew Milligan/PA Wire ) Mr Low died from gunshot wounds to the chest and neck, according to his death certificate. Detectives were carrying out door-to-door inquiries in Aberfeldy on Tuesday as officers try to piece together what happened. They have identified more than 2,400 hours of CCTV footage which are currently being worked through as part of the investigation, known as Operation Newlane. Brian Low was found dead next to his dog, he had suffered a fatal gun shot wound ( Andrew Milligan/PA Wire ) More than 30 officers are involved in the probe. Detective Superintendent Ferguson said officers remain in the area to reassure the community. She said: I think weve got to remember that Aberfeldy is a safe place to live and work. These incidents are thankfully very rare. There are officers patrolling the village and they will continue to do so to give that reassurance, and I would say to anyone who has information to contact us. We have spoken to quite a number of people but anyone who hasnt spoken to us or has information can come forward and speak to the inquiry team. Appeal leaflets are held as police officers make door-to-door enquiries in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross ( Andrew Milligan/PA Wire ) As well as speaking to officers, people can submit information online at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/SCOT24S04-PO1, call 101, quoting reference number 0884 of February 17, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained. Scotlands police watchdog the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Low in the wake of the delay in treating his death as murder. Detectives previously admitted evidence may have been lost amid the delay in setting up a crime scene which did not happen until four days after Mr Lows body was discovered. 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 }} A seven-year-old girl is among five migrants who died after being crushed on an overcrowded boat during an attempt to cross the English Channel, just hours after Rishi Sunaks flagship Rwanda bill was passed by Parliament. Mr Sunak said the tragic deaths underlined the need for the deterrent of the controversial scheme, but senior figures at the United Nations and the Council of Europe have continued to strongly condemn the plan. The five migrants appeared to have been caught in a panic on board when the small boat, carrying 112 people, ran aground on a sandbank not long after leaving Plage des Allemands beach in Wimereux in northern France. French navy sailors discovered them unconscious and in a serious condition before taking them ashore where, despite resuscitation attempts, they died, local official Jacques Billant told reporters. Others were helped from the water during the early morning incident. Mr Billant said emergency services rescued 47 migrants, with four taken to hospital. He added that more than 50 people decided to remain on the boat and continue their journey toward England. The five dead included a woman and three men. Mr Billant, who is the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, said: The sailors were able to observe the presence on the boat of several people who were unconscious and in serious condition. Six people were immediately picked up within the patrol boat for initial treatment before being dropped off as quickly as possible on the beach of Wimereux to be rescued by firefighters. Despite attempts at resuscitation, five of them died. Footage from BBC News shows migrants in small boat at Dunkirk on Tuesday morning after the French coat guard confirmed at least five people had died attempting to cross the English Channel ( BBC ) Pictures taken at Dover on Tuesday showed suspected migrants being brought ashore by Border Force, with news agency Reuters reporting that around 200 were believed to have disembarked. Its not yet clear if any of them were on the same boat as the five people who died. Despite the complex and delicate situation, 57 people were still in the inflatable, they remained on board, not wishing to be rescued, they managed to restart the engine and continued their sea route, towards the UK, under surveillance by the navy, Mr Billant added, One aid worker, who witnessed the return to the French coast of some of the migrants, said the survivors included the father of the girl who had died. Dany Patoux, of charity Osmose 62, added: [He] fell into our arms right away. He was crying, in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes. Several people did appear to make the crossing on Tuesday morning with pictures showing suspected migrants being brought ahsore in Dover by the Border Force ( PA ) The tragedy happened as at least five small boats reportedly took to the water from the region around Wimereux on Tuesday morning with the mild weather conditions making the crossing attempt more favourable. During the night before, French police officers had intercepted two boats, two fuel cans, two engines and life jackets before they could be put to sea. The mayor of Wimereux, Jean-Luc Dubaele, said migrants could still get jobs in Britain, which made it an attractive destination regardless. The English are responsible for the situation, he said. The deaths came just hours after the governments controversial Rwanda bill was passed, with the legislation set to see asylum seekers flown to the African country to have their claims processed. Mr Sunak has vowed that the Rwanda scheme will deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs organising the boats. Reacting to the five deaths on Tuesday morning, he told reporters: There are reports of sadly yet more tragic deaths in the Channel this morning. I think that is just a reminder of why our plan is so important it underscores why you need a deterrent very simply. Home Secretary James Cleverly said these tragedies have to stop and insisted the Government is doing everything we can to stop the boats. The governments flagship immigration bill was passed by Parliament after the House of Lords withdrew its amendment to the legislation, conceding it must now acknowledge the primacy of the elected house. Police officers patrol the beach of Wimereux, on the northern coast of France, where migrants leave to often attempt small boat crossing to the UK ( AFP/Getty ) The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill wil see around 150 asylum seekers boarded on to flights to Kigali from July. Charter planes are expected to leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, with Mr Sunak promising multiple flights a month, although minsters conceded numbers being sent to Kigali will be small at first. The cost of putting each migrant on a plane is expected to reach 11,000, while Rwanda will get 20,000 for each asylum seeker relocated there and a 120 million top-up once 300 have arrived. Under the bill, Rwanda has been designated a safe country - but there are many human rights groups who say the programme will put refugees at risk, while others say it will have little impact on the number of boat crossings. Senior United Nations figures have urged Rishi Sunak to reconsider the Rwanda scheme, which they say shifts responsbility for refugee protection. The Council of Europes human rights watchdog also has condemned the scheme, saying it raised major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law. On BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday morning, Michael Tomlinson, the minister for illegal migration, and BBC Radio 4 presenter Mishael Husain took part in a heated exchange on the issue, with Mr Tomlinson telling Ms Husain he was frustated with her questions on details for the flights. Appearing to be rattled, Mr Tomlinson struggled to keep his composure as Ms Husain repeatedly interrupted him. At one point she said his arguments were irrelevant. Accusing her of trying to stop him giving an explanation, he said: You asked a question with an incredulous tone. I am trying to answer it. Then you interrupt me. There were more fireworks when she asked how long it would take to carry out the Governments plan to send 50,000 illegal migrants already in the UK to Rwanda.I havent done the mathematics, Im sure you can, snapped Mr Tomlinson. She interrupted: No, no I cant because you wont tell me how many will go each month. Mr Tomlinson told her: Thats because I cant tell you at the moment. The deaths come following a week of no recorded boat crossings by the Home Office - but come after a weekend earlier this month when 748 migrants arrived in Kent after crossing the English Channel. Figures published by the government department showed there were 214 people brought ashore from five boats on 13 April, and 534 on 10 boats on 14 April - that brough the total number of migrants arriving in the UK in small boats to 6,265 for 2024. The data does not include migrants who have failed to reach Britain. A Home Office spokesperson said: We remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year, including tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and stop the boats. Stars and Stripes News, April 17, 2024 Wahab Raofi My sister Malala called me from Afghanistan: Mom is in the final days of her life and wishes to see you and the rest of the family. The call abruptly ended. I couldnt shake the feeling that both the U.S. and the Taliban were monitoring incoming and outgoing calls. Are you going to throw yourself to the wolves? my daughter Shabnam said, referring to the Taliban. We have lived safely in the United States for many years now. Sandwiched between my children and my dying mom, I made the decision. My flight into Kabul International Airport arrived shortly before 8 in the morning. It was early fall, and off in the distance, the first rays of sunlight had kissed the snowcapped Hindu Kush, the sky in that direction bathed in gentle hues of lavender and pastel pink. I had reasons to be fearful, the first being that I had returned to Afghanistan without growing a beard. I felt naked. Worse still, I had once been an interpreter for the American forces. The Talibans supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, was said to have offered amnesty to all former Afghan army and civilian officials living abroad, especially those of higher authority, but Afghans learned from bitter experience that those were hollow words. Upon arriving, they would be arrested, tortured and killed. The Taliban were determined to eliminate all perceived enemies, past and present. As former Uganda President Idi Amin famously once said, Eat your enemy before they eat you. My taxi driver, Sultan, constantly honked his horn at bicyclists and defiant beggars and pedestrians. Women were nowhere to be seen, and gun-toting Taliban were standing guard. Ah, you smell it, Sultan said, having noticed me wincing from the foul odor outside. The sewage system in the city no longer functions. Worse, the local farmers now use the waste to fertilize their fields. The scent is everywhere. As we drove, I witnessed raw sewage all along the roadside. The Americans had once spoke of bombing Afghanistan back into the Dark Ages. The Taliban have done that job for them. If the Taliban stops us, I will say Im from Nuristan. I can pass as Nuristani, Sultan said. They have blue eyes, just like me. I would never bring up that I am from Panjshir. We are Muqawamat (the resistance) to them for resisting Taliban rule. Thousands of our young men are still being held in Taliban prisons. As for you, if you speak Pashto, you will be in good shape. His remarks reflected an aspect of the Afghan War: The Taliban, predominantly Pashtuns from the southern and eastern regions of the country, have systematically excluded other ethnic groups from their share of power. I stayed in confinement for a week or so to grow a beard to be in conformity with the Talibans imposed dress code. Sultan became not only my driver for the next two months, but also my eyes and ears for all the current events and gossip in Afghanistan. During my self-imposed time, neighbors welcomed me as part of their community. They were predominantly Tajiks, including some former members of the former Afghan government or retirees who failed to flee after the arrival of the Taliban in August of 2022. Every evening, each carrying a thermos of green tea, they gathered on the corner, sitting on a plastic carpet, discussing the realities of daily life: the pervasive joblessness, the looming specter of insecurity and the palpable fear instilled by the Khadamat-e Aetlaat-e Dawlati, the Talibans secret service. This organization, reminiscent of a Gestapo-style force, casts a chilling shadow over the populace, evoking profound dread and apprehension. My new neighbors whom I name The Blue Cell, asked me a long list of questions: Why did the U.S. leave? Why has the free world turned a blind eye to a Taliban regime that has imposed draconian rule on Afghans, especially women a regime that stifles any voice of peaceful dissent by intimidation, imprisonment or even assassination? It has become a total eclipse of civility, they tell me. The Talibans rule in Afghanistan has plunged the nation into a state reminiscent of the Dark Ages. They vehemently oppose Western education, viewing it as incompatible with Islamic teachings; they have declared jihad against womens rights, and they have failed to implement any coherent economic plan, leaving the country in dire straits. Their teachings of Islam have declared jihad against womens rights and voided any chance of an economic plan. Lately, their leader Mullah Haibatullah has vowed to start stoning women to death in public as he declared, We will soon implement the punishment for adultery. We will flog women in public. We will stone them to death in public. The Vice and Virtue police will apprehend young women on the streets, allegedly for violating their imposed dress code, only to release them upon payment of 20 thousand Afghanis (the Afghan currency equivalent of $250). My Blue Cell tells me that it was now the Talibans standard operating procedure to kill off their supposed enemies and brand them as members of Daesh (literally, one who crushes something underfoot). Hora Sadat, a female YouTuber, recently met the same fate. Her only sin was to have built a large social media following for her light-hearted videos about life in Afghanistan. In 2005, I had embarked on a private visit to Afghanistan. Surprisingly, the atmosphere was relatively calm, and the postwar economy showed signs of booming. Americans were perceived as liberators rather than invaders, in stark contrast to the view held toward the Russians in the 1980s. The Taliban were decimated, and there was no public support for their return. What went wrong? First, it was the absence of good governance in Afghanistan, as Sarah Chayes observed in her book Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security, rampant corruption in government was eroding the foundation of the Afghan government. Second, the Pakistani governments support for the Taliban provided haven, enabling them to conduct hit-and-run operations and destabilize the U.S.-backed Afghan government. I served as an interpreter in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2020, and I can say with certainty that without the support from Pakistan, the defeat of the Taliban would have been achieved much earlier, thanks to U.S. technological superiority and intel capabilities. But Pakistan strategically utilized the Taliban to exert pressure on the Afghan government, aiming to hinder or sever its close ties with India, while also seeking to establish a pro-Pakistani regime in Kabul, which they eventually achieved. With regard to the U.S., there is no doubt in my mind that the U.S. had its own shortcomings. Military operations such as night raids and civilian casualties resulting from incorrect intelligence played into the hands of the Taliban. The Taliban were able to garner support from those who had suffered directly at the hands of U.S. forces or were dissatisfied with the Afghan government. As an interpreter and cultural adviser, whenever I was asked by my team for my opinion regarding Afghan culture, I consistently advocated for prioritizing winning the hearts and minds of civilians while avoiding the creation of new adversaries. But the prevailing mentality often leaned toward aggressive action. However, the U.S. should not be blamed for the calamities of Afghanistan. The country has been embroiled in internal conflict for much of its 300-year history. I agree with Carter Malkasian who, in his book The American War in Afghanistan: A History, writes that that tribal rivalries and Islam have been deeply ingrained in Afghan society, which makes it hard to bring change and achieve peace in this country. The World Food Program (WFP) in Afghanistan has sounded the alarm on a surge in malnutrition cases, particularly among women and children.According to WFP reports, an alarming 1.2 million women are now grappling with malnutrition across the country. Through a poignant social media video, the organization also underscores the escalating malnutrition crisis among Afghan children. The day before my departure, my new friends told me that their hope was to leave the country, and I was lucky to be able to do so. One told me, You must have been very smart to have left so long ago. The United States and the rest of the free world should exert pressure on the Taliban. They should not engage with a regime that disregards established norms, including respecting the universal rights of its citizens, womens rights and upholding free elections. Since I returned from Afghanistan, my takeaway is clear: The Taliban lack genuine grassroots support. They maintain control through coercion, employing tactics such as violence, torture and the imprisonment of human rights activists. High levels of unemployment and the oppressive treatment of women, who are often confined to their homes, render the country uninhabitable. The nation of my birth is silently witnessing its death. As I departed from Kabul Airport, I glanced out of my window, reflecting on my mothers dignified passing. Yet, amid my thoughts, I cannot help but ponder the silent suffering of countless women under the Taliban regime. Every day, their voices go unheard as they perish unnoticed. I write this piece with the hope of shedding light on their plight. However, mere foreign graciousness alone cannot resolve the Afghan conflict as long as one group seeks to impose its will on others. This is primarily exemplified by the Taliban, predominantly composed of Pashtun tribes from the southern and eastern regions, operating under the guise of Islam. Wahab Raofi, an Afghan-born American, is a graduate of Kabul Law School. He formerly worked as an interpreter for NATO forces in Afghanistan. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A new photograph of Prince Louis taken by the Princess of Wales has been released by Kensington Palace to mark his sixth birthday. The unedited close-up image, showing Louis grinning at the camera as he lies barefoot on a blanket on the grass, was taken in the last few days at Windsor by Kate, who announced last month that she is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. It was posted on Kensington Palaces social media accounts, some six weeks after the furore surrounding the Mothers Day portrait which the princess admitted editing. William and Kate thanked royal fans for the birthday messages they received for their youngest child. The post read: Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today. The image was followed by a camera emoji and attributed to the Princess of Wales. The Wales family have had a challenging start to the year, with the princesss major abdominal surgery, cancer diagnosis and treatment. The release of the portrait marks a change in the way William and Kate usually issue images for their childrens birthdays. It was posted straight to social media on Louis actual birthday on Tuesday, rather than under embargo to the press the day before, as was the established pattern William and Kate have followed each year for all three of their children since they were born. It is understood to be due to the unprecedented time the family is experiencing. William and Kate are said to be cognisant of the fact that they have asked for privacy during the princesss recovery, but wanted to share the photograph on social media as a way to thank those who have sent birthday wishes. The same process is expected to be followed for Princess Charlottes birthday in May. Kate issued a public apology last month when an image William took of the princess with Prince George, Charlotte and Louis was found to have been digitally altered. The family Mothers Day portrait the first official one showing Kate since her surgery was withdrawn by picture agencies over concerns it had been manipulated after discrepancies were spotted in the photograph. It fuelled the escalating conspiracy theories online over Kates health and her whereabouts. The princess took the blame and said sorry for the confusion with a statement saying she had been experimenting with editing. Less than two weeks later, she issued an emotional video message to the nation, announcing she was undergoing chemotherapy after post-op tests found cancer had been present. William and Kate took the time to sensitively share the princesss diagnosis with their children ahead of the Easter holidays, giving them time to process the information. Louis was last seen in public on Christmas Day when the royal family made their traditional festive appearance on the Kings Sandringham Estate to walk to church. He was pictured holding hands with Zara and Mike Tindalls eldest daughter Mia on one side and grasping his fathers fingers with his other hand. Earlier that month the young prince joined his older brother George, 10, and eight-year-old sister Charlotte at the annual Westminster Abbey carol concert staged by their mother. And a few weeks before the festive event, Louis and his siblings were taken volunteering by Kate, visiting the Baby Bank in Holyport near Maidenhead and getting stuck in, sifting through donated goods. Other notable appearances for Louis during the past 12 months include his balcony appearance with the royal family at the conclusion of Trooping the Colour last June. The young prince stole the show when he seemed to pretend to ride a motorcycle or bike with his arms outstretched and covered his ears as planes roared overhead during the fly-past. And when he travelled in a carriage with his siblings and mother, Louis held his nose to possibly ward off the smell of horse manure from the many military mounts. In July, William and Kates children got the chance to tour a C-17 aircraft during a visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. Louis goes to Lambrook School in Berkshire with his brother and sister and has recently returned to the classroom after the Easter break. It is likely a family birthday celebration, perhaps involving the princes grandparents, Carole and Michael Middleton, will be held after the youngsters school day is over. William and Kates youngest child is fourth in line to the throne and was born on St Georges Day, April 23, 2018, at the private Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz. He was christened Louis Arthur Charles at 11 weeks old, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in the Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace, in front of friends and family. 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 }} Asylum seekers on the Bibbly Stockholm have said they feel like prisoners, are searched every time they go outside, and are unable to see friends because of detention-like conditions on the barge. A cleaner who worked on the controversial barge has also claimed that she was unfairly dismissed for being too friendly to residents, a new report on the asylum accommodation reveals. A report into the Bibby Stockholm, published by local refugee support groups and charity Care4Calais, found that asylum seekers are being extensively searched when they come off and on the barge - leaving them feeling trapped and unable to get support from friends outside. Campaigners are concerned about the ongoing isolation of the asylum seekers on board, which is berthed at Portland port in Dorset, and the detention-like conditions they are in. The report comes after an Albanian asylum seeker, Leonard Farruku, died on the barge in December 2023. His family have called for an independent investigation into his death and raised concerns about the conditions on the barge, including the vulnerability and complex mental health needs of those on board. Leonards sister Jola Dushku said: He was a lovely person who came to the UK to build a new life full of hope. We feel the UK government should be held responsible for Leonards death. Leonard Farruku died on the Bibby Stockholm barge in December 2023 ( Supplied ) One resident who is gender fluid described his experience on the Bibby Stockholm, saying: I am visibly queer and my very bad experiences were the main reason for leaving my country. I am gender fluid and this makes me a target. I was the victim of a hate crime where I was before I came to the barge, which resulted in a prison sentence for the man who did it. Because I am gender fluid, I am an obvious target which always put me in danger. The Home Office was aware of all of this, but I was still moved to the Bibby Stockholm where everyone is male and has to share a room. Another Bibby resident said that they were not allowed to have friends come and visit them. With the barge being inside an operational port there are restrictions on movement, which the resident said makes the barge feel like a prison. One asylum seeker described the restrictions, saying: When leaving and entering we have to be scanned, like airport security. Many people dont go outside because of this. They stayed inside and tried to do something in the common rooms. But there is not enough space for people. The Bibby Stockholm in Dorset is being used to house asylum seekers ( PA Wire ) When there were only 39 people, the staffs behaviour was very good. When the number increased, the behaviour of the staff was not good. Another asylum seeker told researchers: They search everything - we have to remove belts, caps, jackets, then go through the scanner and luggage would go through the machine. If we have liquids, they check this. I tried to avoid the staff all the time. If they said something rude I kept silent. If you do something, they make reports. Because of this, when I was there I didnt go outside of the barge for 14 days, for two weeks. I just stayed in the room, because of the depression. I was so stressed because of my case. One asylum seeker said that some of the staff members dont speak English because they are from Ukraine, creating an extra layer of language barrier. One cleaner who worked on the Bibby Stockholm also told the charity that she had been sacked for being too friendly to the residents. Levana, who worked on the barge in 2023, said she found the asylum seekers on the barge respectful, helpful and polite towards me, and I felt sympathy for their situation. She added: This did not appear to be the attitude of some of the senior staff, who made comments about the service users that were often hostile, and possibly racist. They told me I should be careful of them because they were illegal. The cleaner said that she was given a verbal warning by her manager on 12 December 2023 when she and another member of staff stood outside on their break with two of the barge residents who were smoking. She explained: I was told that I was being given a verbal warning because I should not be friendly with the service users in this wayafter this, I worked one more booked shift and then was offered no further work, even though other staff were being offered shifts. She added: I believe I was unfairly dismissed and have suffered discrimination because I was courteous to the Bibby Stockholm residents. Lynne Hubbard, at Stand Up to Racism Dorset, said that Black people locally have experienced increased racism from people opposed to the barge. She said: Before refugees had even arrived, photographs of local people who were not white were circulated online, suggesting they were asylum seekers and were a threat to local children and girls. She said they started to fear for the safety of those onboard when horrible threats against them circulated online. Grafton Straker, joint chair of Stand up to Racism Dorset, said: As a black person who has lived in Weymouth for many years, I am also angry that the way the barge has been dumped on local people has allowed the far right to try and exploit the situation. This has increased racial tension in the whole area. Steve Smith, CEO of Care4Calais said: People should not be accommodated in these prison-like conditions. Thats particularly true of people who have survived horrors of torture and modern slavery. He called for a halt on new arrivals and for the barge to be closed. A Home Office spokesperson said: We do not recognise the claims made in this report. The Bibby Stockholm is part of the governments plan to reduce the use of expensive hotels and bring forward alternative accommodation options which are more cost-effective, sustainable and manageable for the taxpayer and local communities. There are rigorous safeguarding processes in place on the barge. Residents have access to health and social care services, including mental health support. If concerns are raised about any aspect of the service delivered, we work with the provider to ensure these are swiftly addressed, and Migrant Help 24/7 is also available every day of the year. 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 }} Boris Johnson said he wished he was black on the night Barack Obama was elected as US president, a journalist has claimed. Afua Hirsch, of British-Ghanian heritage, claimed Mr Johnson demanded to know where she was from at a drinks party on the night of Obamas victory in 2008. In an interview with Mr Johnsons ex-wife Marina Wheeler, the journalist wrote: She was still married to Johnson, who was there with her, and who true to form made some problematic remarks about my own racial heritage. After demanding to know where I was from, he commented that he wished he was Black, Ms Hirsch wrote in Vogue magazine. Ms Hirsch said his ex-wife couldnt remember the interaction, but groaned when told about it. Ms Wheeler, 59, said her divorce from Mr Johnson, which was finalised in 2020 after separating in 2018, did free her. I suppose I do feel that, as you become more senior as a woman, and, I guess, post-divorce, if Im honest, it does free you up, she said. You can look at the world again and do things that can make a difference. Afua Hirsch, of British-Ghanian heritage, claimed Mr Johnson made the comments at a drinks party in 2008 ( Getty ) She married Mr Johnson in 1993. In October, barrister Ms Wheeler was appointed Labours new whistleblowing tsar to oversee plans to improve protections and employment rights for women against workplace harassment, abuse and sexual assault. Ms Hirsch, a best-selling author, was born in Norway to a British father and Ghanaian mother and raised in Wimbledon. She studied PPE at Oxford and qualified as a barrister before moving into journalism, working for both The Guardian and Sky News. She has previously accused Mr Johnson of making a litany of racist statements and claimed his oafish stupidity was part of his electoral brand. Previously, Mr Johnson has admitted to writing terrible things about climate change when he was a journalist and that he was a massive sceptic. He also said that during his time as mayor of London and prime minister, he thought it was possible that climate change was a load of nonsense, but decided to get behind it. 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 }} Londoners went to the polls on Thursday, 2 May to elect a mayor and 25 London Assembly members. Around six million people were registered to vote in this years election, which decides who will be in charge of the capital for the next four years. The ballot boxes were moved from more than 3,600 polling stations across the capital, staffed by around 12,000 people, to 14 counting centres in the city overnight. But the results are unlikely to be declared until late on Saturday, as verification of the votes does not start until Friday morning at 9am. Counting of the votes then starts at 9am on Saturday, with three ballot papers needing to be counted. The mayoral votes will be counted first, followed by the constituency London Assembly members, and then the London-wide Assembly members. The first results should emerge around midday and it is thought the winner may be clear by as early as 1.30pm on Saturday. But the official announcement is expected to take place in the late afternoon or evening at City Hall - and could be pushed back if there are any delays. This year there was a new voting system, first past the post (FPTP), similar to what is used in general elections. In previous mayoral elections voters could make a first and second choice for mayor, however this time people only received one vote. The London mayoral candidates were officially announced on Thursday 28 March, with 13 candidates running for office. Here are all the candidates below. Sadiq Khan Labour Party Sadiq Khan ( PA Wire ) Sadiq Khan was running for his third term as London mayor after first being elected in 2016. The Labour incumbent launched his re-election campaign on Monday 18 March and accused the Conservatives of an abject failure on housing. He pledged to build 40,000 new council homes by the end of the decade to unleash the greatest council housebuilding drive in a generation if voted back in. He said the capital would go much further, much faster with Labour running both Downing Street and City Hall and without the Tories holding us back. The mayor vowed to deliver a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make real inroads into solving Londons housing crisis and end the scandal of rough sleeping. The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez), one of Khans flagship policies, has been the centre of controversy in recent years. First introduced in the capital in 2019 to tackle air pollution, Ulez was expanded to every borough in August 2023 despite vocal backlash. Many of the other mayoral candidates vow to scrap the scheme if elected. Susan Hall Conservative Party Susan Hall ( PA Wire ) Susan Hall is a London Assembly member and former council leader. If she defeats Mr Khan, she will become the first woman to lead London as mayor. Ms Hall has a five-point plan for London. She vows to reduce crime, scrap Ulez, build family homes, and make London a cleaner and greener city. The Tory candidate has been a controversial choice since her selection last year. She previously apologised for liking a string of tweets including Islamophobic abuse of Mr Khan and images of former Conservative politician Enoch Powell, best known for his infamous rivers of blood immigration speech that was widely blamed for heightening racial tensions in the 1960s. Ms Hall also admitted she does not know the price of bus fares in London. Rob Blackie Liberal Democrats Rob Blackie ( Andrew King/Rob Blackie ) Rob Blackie is an anti-Brexit campaigner and digital marketer who advises start-up tech companies. The Lib Dem candidate launched his election campaign on Tuesday 18 March, saying his top priority is crime and policing. Sadiq Khans failure on those issues is the main reason I am standing against him, he said. Violent crime has risen by 30 per cent in London since Mr Khan has been in office. Sexual offence clear-up rates have halved in the last eight years Sadiq Khan blames everyone else for this but himself. The buck stops with him and we will call him out in this campaign. Mr Blackie also described Conservative candidate Ms Hall as beyond the pale. Zoe Garbett Green Party Zoe Garbett ( Zoe Garbett/Green Party/X ) Zoe Garbett is a councillor for Dalston and Hackney. She tweeted in February: Im overjoyed to have been chosen to be the Green Party candidate for London Mayor. Huge thank you to London Green Party for your support and cant wait to start the campaign. Ms Garbett called for a two-year rent freeze as one of her main priorities. Vying to become Londons first Green mayor, she said: If people want to vote Green, they can and should! The Green Party has consistently come third in London and we are a growing force nationally. Green Assembly members have a track record of delivering for Londoners. A Green mayor would be much more ambitious tackling the issues that really matter to voters: dealing with the housing crisis, making our city more affordable and a more accountable police service. Howard Cox Reform UK Howard Cox at an anti-Ulez protest in London ( George Lithgow/PA Wire ) Howard Cox is the founder of Fair Fuel UK campaign and Reform UKs candidate for mayor. Mr Cox has pledged to scrap Ulez as well as low-traffic neighbourhoods. At an anti-Ulez protest earlier this year, the Reform candidate said: Good, decent, honest, taxpaying, hardworking people are being impacted by Ulez. Its such a sad thing because we do not need Ulez. Science proves we dont need it. Stop picking on the motorists, theyre the commercial heartbeat of the economy. Amy Gallagher - Social Democrat Party Amy Gallagher is an NHS nurse and psychotherapist. Ms Gallagher told the BBC she was standing in the election to push back on woke ideology. Ms Gallagher said London had become more divided and that Sadiq Khan was spending too much money on campaigns that are all about virtue signalling. If elected, her top priority would be to defund divisive diversity and inclusive spending. She added: Poor living conditions, lack of community, division, increases in crime, unreliable public transport: many people feel like politicians have let them down and they never get the change they were promised. Ms Gallagher garnered media attention after bringing legal action against the NHS, accusing it of forcing critical race theory on people. Count Binface Independent Count Binface ( PA Archive ) Count Binface describes himself as an intergalactic space warrior. He previously ran in the 2021 London election and came ninth. He pledges to enforce a price cap on croissants, rename London Bridge to Phoebe Waller-Bridge and bring back Ceefax. He also vows to ban loud snacks from theatres and give royal palaces to the homeless. Other candidates Brian Rose London Real Party Femy Amin Animal Welfare Party People, Animals, Environment Nick Scanlon Britain First No To Immigration Natalie Campbell Former Conservative hopeful Tarun Ghulati Investment banker Andreas Michli Health and fitness entrepreneur 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 }} Rishi Sunak has promised to boost Britains defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 despite critics raising concerns about how he will pay for the promise. At a press conference alongside Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, the prime minister promised an extra 75bn in defence spending over the next six years. He warned that the world is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, and pledged to put Britains defence industry on a war footing. And Mr Sunak repeated a promise made by Boris Johnson in 2022 to hit the 2.5 per cent of GDP target for defence spending this decade. Sunak with PM of Poland Donald Tusk and Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg ( PA ) But economist Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank, said the promise was a lot easier to announce than deliver. And Labour said the Conservatives cannot be trusted on defence, adding: The British public will judge ministers by what they do, not what they say. It was the latest statement in a flurry of activity by the PM as he seeks to close the polling gap with Labour ahead of a general election this year. Last Friday he made a speech promising to end Britains sick note culture, while on Monday he held a rare Downing Street press conference to set out details of how his Rwanda deportation plan will work. Mr Sunaks announcement was supported by backbench Conservative MPs, with former defence minister James Heappey describing it as much needed. Mr Heappey, who quit last month and called for a boost to defence spending, added that it was enormous news. Former chair of the defence committee Tobias Ellwood welcomed the announcement, saying: We should be under no illusion how the global threat picture is changing. Speaking on a visit to Poland, the prime minister set out his plan to meet the target by 2030. Mr Sunak said it would amount to the biggest strengthening of our national defence for a generation. The UK currently spends just over 2 per cent of its GDP on defence. But critics cast doubt on the announcement, noting that Mr Johnson promised at a Nato summit in 2022 to increase Britains defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP this decade. Mr Bell pointed to post-election spending cuts that have already been pencilled in to fund Mr Sunaks national insurance tax cuts, adding that it would be totally impossible to deliver these while raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP. The degree of fiscal commitments/fictions being built up for after this election is a real problem, he added. The prime minister promised the spending pledge would come without any increases in borrowing or debt. It is understood that two-thirds of the uplift in defence spending will be paid for by reducing the civil service headcount to pre-Covid levels. The government has announced plans to cut the equivalent of 70,000 jobs with 2.9bn of savings being redirected to the defence budget. Mr Sunak stressed that the UK is not on the brink of war, but warned about the threats facing the world from an axis of authoritarian states including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Sunak said authoritarian states are causing more instability, more quickly, in more places at once ( Getty ) He said: The danger they pose is not new, but what is new is that these countries or their proxies are causing more instability, more quickly, in more places at once. And theyre increasingly acting together, making common cause in an attempt to reshape the world order. The PM said that although some people might think these are far-away problems, they pose real risks to the United Kingdoms security and prosperity. In 2014, Nato heads of state agreed to commit at least 2 per cent of GDP to spending on either their own armed forces or those of Nato allies or the alliance itself. The prime minister and the chancellor Jeremy Hunt had previously said only that the 2.5 per cent goal would be met when the economic conditions allowed. While the announcement was welcomed by some Tory MPs, others would have liked the prime minister to go further. Defence secretary Grant Shapps has called for Britain to spend 3 per cent of its GDP on defence against the backdrop of Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine. And three former defence secretaries, Michael Fallon, Gavin Williamson and Ben Wallace, last month called on the PM to promise an increase in spending to 3 per cent of GDP. Under the new spending plan, the UK defence budget will increase immediately and then rise steadily to reach 87bn by the end of the decade. Mr Sunak said: In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent. As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values. That is why today I am announcing the biggest strengthening of our national defence for a generation. We will increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 a plan that delivers an additional 75bn for defence by the end of the decade and secures our place as by far the largest defence power in Europe. Today is a turning point for European security and a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom. It is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad. Keir Starmer has confirmed his own ambition to boost the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP ( Danny Lawson/PA ) Mr Sunaks announcement comes just weeks after Sir Keir Starmer confirmed his own ambition to boost the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP. Responding to the PMs statement, shadow defence secretary John Healey said the Conservatives have shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted on defence. He added: The British public will judge ministers by what they do, not what they say. Labour will conduct a strategic defence and security review in the first year in government to get to grips with the threats we face, the state of our armed forces, and the resources required. 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 }} Watch as Rishi Sunak meets Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg and Polish prime minister Donald Tusk at a military base in Warsaw on Tuesday, 23 April, after his controversial Rwanda bill was given the green light in parliament. The group will visit the Warsaw Armoured Brigade before a delegation meeting. Mr Sunak and Mr Stoltenberg will then give a press conference. The British PM will pledge a record package of military aid for Ukraine as he travels to Warsaw and Berlin to meet the leaders of Poland, Germany, and Nato. Warning that Vladimir Putin will not stop at the Polish border if his assault on Ukraine is not thwarted, Mr Sunak will announce 500m in extra military funding and the UKs largest-ever donation of key equipment. Mr Sunak will travel to Germany to hold one-on-one talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday. It comes after the PM's Rwanda legislation faced a final parliamentary showdown on Monday. The bill was finally given the green light in the evening after the House of Lords gave up their fight with the House of Commons over amending the legislation. Mr Sunaks bill is aimed at making the plan to send asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda legally watertight. 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 }} Rishi Sunaks Rwanda deportation plan is poised to become law after peers ended their protracted tussle over the policy. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration Bill) cleared Parliament shortly after midnight on Monday following a lengthy back and forth with the House of Lords in the last few months over amendments to the scheme. The unelected chamber ended the deadlock after MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to Parliament to that effect. Preparations for the first flights to Rwanda are expected to begin within days, with asylum seekers who could be relocated being identified and potentially detained. Charter planes are expected to leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, with Mr Sunak promising multiple flights a month, although ministers conceded numbers being sent to Kigali will be small at first. The Independent has revealed everything we know so far about the cost of the governments flagship immigration plan Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to get flights off the ground this summer ( PA Wire ) How much will it cost? The government has already committed 290 million to the troubled scheme, with a further 100 million set to be spent on it over the next two years. The cost of Mr Sunaks flagship scheme is expected to soar to half a billion pounds, an investigation by Whitehalls spending watchdog found. The government has refused to say how much more money, on top of the 290 million already confirmed, the UK had agreed to pay Rwanda under the deal. The National Audit Office (NAO) report revealed millions more in spending, including 11,000 for each migrants plane ticket, while Rwanda will get 20,000 for each asylum seeker relocated there and a 120 million top-up once 300 have arrived. When questioned by MPs last week, the Home Offices most senior civil servant, permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft, indicated officials were seeking a drop in migrant Channel crossings of about 10,000 people to consider the Rwanda scheme value for money. Dan Hobbs, the departments director general for migration and borders, told the Public Accounts Committee: It was never intended that this would be sought to be done at significantly lower cost to the UK. This was about having a quality scheme that delivered for the individuals and gave a five-year package of support. There are higher costs at the beginning due to the processing of the individuals and their assimilation and integration into Rwanda. Over the period of the five years, we would expect them to become more self-sufficient. A Boeing 767 aircraft pictured at MoD Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, was believed to be the plane set to take asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda in 2022 ( PA Archive ) What has Rishi Sunak said? The prime minister said: The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration. We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them. The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay. Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives. What criticism has the scheme faced? Despite Mr Sunaks relief at getting the legislation passed, his deportation plan has been roundly criticised by human rights groups as a breach of international law. The charity Freedom from Torture, alongside Amnesty International and Liberty, criticised the government for ignoring the findings of the Supreme Court, which ruled the policy was unlawful in November. The groups said the Bill poses a significant threat to the rule of law by undermining what protects people from an abuse of power by the state, and described Parliament as a crime scene. They added that the UK is increasingly gaining a reputation for playing fast and loose with its international obligations and called for the asylum system to be rebuilt. Additional reporting by PA 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 }} Labour will not deport a single asylum seeker to Rwanda, Yvette Cooper confirmed on Tuesday. Hours after the controversial deportation bill passed through parliament, the shadow home secretary reiterated Labours promise to scrap the scheme if it wins the next election. Ms Cooper said the party would replace the Rwanda scheme with cross-border policing and a new returns and enforcement unit. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said shoplifters had been encouraged by changes to how the offence was dealt with (Jeff Moore/PA) ( PA Wire ) And, pressed by Sky News on whether in the interim a Labour government could send asylum seekers to Rwanda, Ms Cooper said no, that is not our plan. She added: We are not going to do the Rwanda scheme, because every time you do, you have to write more cheques. The intervention came as five migrants died in an attempt to cross the English Channel just hours after Rishi Sunaks flagship Rwanda bill was passed by parliament. The French coast guard confirmed there was a failed attempt to cross the Channel on Tuesday morning. A spokesperson said its agents were still operating at sea after what the official called a busy morning, with several crossing attempts. The Safety of Rwanda bill cleared parliament shortly after midnight after peers backed down, ending resistance to the scheme. Mr Sunak said on Tuesday that "nothing will stand in the way" of ministers getting flights to Kigali off the ground. Preparations for the first flights will begin within days, with asylum seekers who could be relocated being identified and potentially detained. Charter planes are expected to leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, with Mr Sunak promising "multiple flights a month", although ministers have conceded numbers being sent to Kigali would be small at first. Responding to the bill passing parliament, Ms Cooper said: The new Rwanda law is an extortionately expensive gimmick rather than a serious plan to tackle dangerous boat crossings. This is the third new law the Tories have passed on Channel crossings in two years - each one has made the chaos worse and even senior Tory MPs dont believe this third law will work. Rishi Sunak has moved to end the parliamentary deadlock over his Rwanda Bill which will pave the way for deportation flights to get off the ground once it becomes law (PA) ( PA Wire ) Her comments came as the illegal migration minister confirmed victims of torture and trafficking will be eligible for deportation to Rwanda. In a tetchy interview after the controversial asylum bill passed through parliament, Michael Tomlinson insisted Rwanda is a safe country and confirmed it will be possible to send torture and trafficking victims to the east African nation. And, under pressure from BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Tomlinson refused to answer a whole raft of questions about who would be covered by the scheme. Speaking to the BBCs Mishal Husain, Mr Tomlinson said there would be a whole range of legal challenges to the bill, but insisted we will meet them and the planes will take off. Ms Husain asked: If you are a victim of torture, can you still be removed under this? Mr Tomlinson said: Rwanda is a safe country, and yes it will be possible to remove those to Rwanda. Migration Cyprus Lebanon Syria ( Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Asked about victims of trafficking, Mr Tomlinson again said Rwanda is a safe country, but said furiously that Im not going to go through a whole raft of this. This is rather frustrating, you have asked me a question, you can ask me a series of questions. Could you do this challenge? Could you do that? You could ask me an infinite number of challenges. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping the boat one of the key pledges of his leadership (PA) ( PA Wire ) Youre not going to get that clarity, because the act hasnt yet come into force. He added: Im not going to go through line by line of the possibilities of the ins and outs of all the multifarious legal challenges that there possibly could be. There will be legal challenges, we will meet them and the planes will take off. 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 Prime Minister has said nothing will stand in our way of getting flights off the ground after the Governments Rwanda deportation plan passed through Parliament. The House of Lords had been engaged in an extended tussle over the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Monday, sending it back to the Commons five times in a bid to secure changes. The unelected chamber ended the deadlock after MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to Parliament to that effect. So what happens now the flagship Rwanda plan has passed the Lords? There will reportedly be around 150 asylum seekers on the first two or three flights to Kigali, with flights expected to start in July. We have prepared for this moment... Weve increased detention spaces to 2,200, Mr Sunak announced. The prime minister said the government had put an airfield on standby and booked commercial charter planes for specific slots to remove the asylum seekers to Rwanda. He added that 500 highly trained individuals had been found to escort migrants all the way to Rwanda with 300 more trained in the coming weeks. The prime minister said that the first flight would leave in 10-12 weeks and he committed to regular flights over the summer until the boats are stopped. Rishi Sunaks Rwanda Bill is finally set to become law after weeks of parliamentary deadlock, paving the way for deportation flights to get off the ground ( PA Wire ) Will this plan face any legal challenges? Refugee charities are poised to support individual asylum seekers chosen to take part in the first flight and to challenge their deportation in the courts. The bill restricts asylum seekers abilities to challenge the policy as a whole, or to challenge the notion that Rwanda is safe, but there may be room for a legal challenge based on their own personal circumstances - such as a history of trafficking, or being LGBTQ+. After being notified of their removal to Rwanda, an asylum seeker would have seven days to seek to appeal their deportation. A proportion of these appeals will go to the upper immigration tribunal, which then must determine each case within 22 days. The government has recruited a pool of judges to deal with these appeals so that flights can get off the ground in the summer. These individual challenges could in theory be taken all the way to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where judges could then issue a ruling that the deportation of that person would be unlawful. Countries signed up to the ECHR are not bound by these rulings, even though they very rarely ignore them. Mr Sunak has already indicated that he will ignore any ECHR ruling that tries to stop flights to Rwanda. The civil service union, the FDA, is also considering a legal challenge to the bill . General secretary Dave Penman said the bill left civil servants in an invidious position, where a minister could instruct them to break international law but their professional obligation, as set out in the civil service code, prohibits them from doing so. Mr Sunak said civil servants must deliver instructions from ministers to ignore ECHR rulings. He said he had amended guidance for civil servants to make it clear that they need to follow directions from ministers, even if the directions go against international law. A Boeing 767 aircraft pictured at MoD Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, which was set to take asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda in 2022 ( PA Archive ) Who else could be sent to Rwanda? There are more than 55,500 asylum seekers who are in the UK after arriving irregularly since March 2023. These migrants have had their cases paused by the Home Office as the government waits to see if its policy of sending people to Rwanda will succeed. The perma-backlog has been caused by the governments Illegal Migration Act, which bans ministers from granting asylum to anyone who entered the UK illegally on or after 7 March 2023. The act also requires the government to remove illegal migrants who entered the country after 20 July 2023, when the act received royal assent. Thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research has estimated that more than 55,000 people are stuck in this limbo. More than 24,000 of them have been issued with letters warning them that they are being considered for removal from the UK. How much does this all cost? The spending watchdog the National Audit Office recently said that if 300 people are eventually sent to Rwanda, the cost will amount to 1.9m per person. The UK government had paid 240m to Rwanda by the end of 2023, however the NAO says that the total cost will be at least 370m over five years. Britain will spend as much as 150,874 on processing and operational costs for each asylum seeker sent to Rwanda. Where will the asylum seekers stay when they get to Rwanda? Asylum seekers who arrive in Kigali will be housed in the Hope hostel, which has capacity for 200. The government had promised that after three months in this hostel the asylum seekers would then be moved on to more permanent homes. However it emerged this month that a number of homes earmarked for migrants had been sold to locals. Some 70 per cent of the 163 homes thought to be for UK asylum seekers have now reportedly been sold. 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 }} Rishi Sunaks Rwanda bill will become law after a night of parliamentary ping-pong between the Commons and Lords. MPs and Lords were at loggerheads on Monday night over an amendments made by peers to the prime ministers controversial Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. Peers finally caved with Lord Anderson of Ipswich saying: The time has now come to acknowledge the primacy of the elected house. Downing Street had warned it would not make concessions over the amendments, which saw peers demand that an independent monitoring committee must declare Rwanda safe before asylum-seekers can be sent there. Peers caved on a separate amendment that called for Afghans who served with British forces to be exempt from deportations. It came after Mr Sunak claimed that flights to Rwanda had been booked and would take off by July, no ifs, no buts, despite his struggles in passing the necessary legislation into law and a host of remaining practical barriers in physically implementing the policies. Mr Sunak told a surprise No 10 press conference on Monday that the first flight carrying asylum seekers would leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, hours before the Bill appeared before parliamentarians once again. Peers had repeatedly blocked the legislation with a series of amendments, stretching debate on the emergency legislation over more than four months and delaying flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda. You can use the tool below to find out how your MP voted on the legislation: If your MP is listed as voting aye they have voted for the Rwanda bill, and if they are listed as no they will have voted against it. 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 }} A girl aged seven was among five migrants who died as they tried to cross the English Channel hours after parliament passed Rishi Sunaks flagship Rwanda bill. The tragic deaths prompted senior figures in the United Nations to urge the prime minister to reconsider his controversial plan to send asylum seekers who arrive on small boats on a one-way flight to Rwanda. The victims were caught up in a panicked crush when their small craft, vastly overloaded with 112 people, ran aground on a sandbank shortly after setting off from the French coast. French navy sailors found them and took them ashore as they rescued 47 survivors from the stricken vessel. More than 50 others left on board managed to get the engine working again and continued towards Britain. Mr Sunak said the tragedy underscored the need for his Rwanda plan, which he hopes will create a deterrent effect. But leading lawyers, a former national security adviser, and opposition MPs said the plan was doomed to fail as it would not stop migrants from making the journey. Hours after the tragedy, boats similarly packed with asylum seekers were photographed leaving French shores. Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said the legislation marks a further step away from the UKs long tradition of providing refuge to those in need, in breach of the Refugee Convention. The human rights arm of the Council of Europe whose institutions include the European Court of Human Rights, whose oversight Mr Sunak has threatened to withdraw from over the policy said it raised major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law. Lawyer and crossbench peer Alex Carlile told The Independent that Mr Sunak should think again and drop the politics and the boasts. There is no evidence that this scheme will do more than remove about 1 per cent of the unresolved refugees, he said. Former national security adviser Peter Ricketts, who is also a crossbench peer, said he did not think the Rwanda bill would make the slightest difference to the number of desperate people risking their lives to get here. Sir Keir Starmer said there is no doubt that we have to stop these small boat crossings but he added that he would build up our border security, to take down the gangs that are running this vile trade and stop those boats arriving in the first place. Not a gimmick which nobody thinks is going to work. Labour also made clear that it does not plan to send any asylum seekers to Rwanda if it enters Downing Street, not even as an interim measure while it scraps the scheme. Prime minister Rishi Sunak addresses a press conference in Downing Street this week ( PA Wire ) But Tory MPs called on ministers to act swiftly to get planes in the air. Former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent: I agree with the prime minister: stopping the boats will prevent such tragedies, and the sooner the flights start the better. The plan is set to become law later this week, clearing the way for flights to Rwanda to begin within 12 weeks. However, the government is braced for a series of legal challenges. Aside from the seven-year-old girl, the other migrants who died on Tuesday were a woman and three men. The victims appear to have been caught up in a panic when a small boat ran aground on a sandbank not long after leaving the Plage des Allemands beach in Wimereux, near Boulogne-sur-Mer. An aid worker who witnessed the return of the survivors said that the group included the father of the little girl who died. Dany Patoux, of charity Osmose 62, said: [He] fell into our arms right away. He was crying, in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes. French navy sailors discovered the victims unconscious and in a serious condition before taking them ashore where, despite resuscitation attempts, they died, according to Pas-de-Calais prefect Jacques Billant. Those rescued included Syrians, Iraqis, Turks and Iranians, he said. Guirec Le Bras, the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor, said an enquiry had been launched into manslaugher, criminal association, and the assistance of foreigners in an irregular situation. Some alleged smugglers had been arrested before the tragedy and their nautical equipment confiscated, he said. He also confirmed that police had fought running battles with some migrants in the lead up to the drownings. Video footage showed groups heading towards the English Channel as they tried to evade the officers at around 3am. Once the migants were in the water, police retreated, in accordance with safety protocols, leaving around five boats to head towards England, including the one that became briefly stranded. Other migrants arriving in England on Tuesday after the Channel tragedy ( PA ) Mr Sunak has promised multiple flights a month to Rwanda, but ministers concede that the number of people sent to Kigali will be small at first, with chartered aircraft expected to be used. The PM has come under fire for pushing through a bill that designates Rwanda a safe country despite a damning ruling from the Supreme Court late last year that it was not a safe place to send refugees. The cost of putting each migrant on a plane is expected to be around 11,000, while Rwanda will get 20,000 for each asylum seeker relocated there and a 120m top-up once 300 have arrived. Steve Valdez-Symonds, from Amnesty International UK, said: We've already seen the government attempt to use these tragedies at sea as an excuse to brazenly push ahead with its cruel and reckless scheme to forcibly transport people seeking asylum to Rwanda. The Rwanda scheme wont save lives, and despite all the empty claims it was never designed to. Rwanda is raw politics from a government that has totally lost sight of the people directly affected by its asylum policy. During one weekend this month, 748 migrants arrived in Kent after crossing the channel on small boats. Official figures show that 6,265 migrants have come to the UK in small boats so far this year. Michael Tomlinson, the minister for illegal migration, said the government is braced for a series of legal challenges to the flights. 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 }} Parliament has finally passed Rishi Sunaks emergency Rwanda bill but the controversial legislation is set to run into legal challenges that could still delay flights. Mr Sunak has said that the first flight would take off in 10-12 weeks and regular trips will take place over the Summer until the boats are stopped. His plan was finally given the green light on Monday evening after peers in the House of Lords gave up their fight with MPs over amending the legislation. Lords had been trying to force the government to exempt Afghans who supported British troops overseas from being deported to Rwanda. They had also pushed an amendment that would have made sure the terms of the UKs treaty with Rwanda were met and that it was assessed to be a safe country before flights took off. However the government refused to cave to pressure and didnt include the changes to the bill. Mr Sunak had already paid 240m to Rwanda by the end of 2023, and spending watchdog the National Audit Office says that the total cost of the plan will be at least 370m over five years. Labour peers didnt press the Afghan amendment on Monday night after Home Office minister Lord Sharpe said they would not deport members of Afghan special forces units who had been given the right to live and work in the UK by the Ministry of Defence. But they did vote in favour once for the amendment on assessing the safety of Rwanda. Home Office minister Michael Tomlinson told the Lords that their final amendment was not necessary, adding: These amendments have already been rejected, enough is enough. Labours shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinncok said it was staggering that the government refused to concede on the clause ensuring the safety of Rwanda. He added: This is a post-truth bill. You cannot possibly legislate for something which is in the lap of the gods. SNP MP Alison Thewliss criticised Labour peers for not pushing the flights exemption for Afghans who supported British troops. She told MPs: If they think this is some kind of concession Ive got some magic beans to sell them. Rishi Sunak had pledged to get flights to Rwanda off this Spring but now says planes will get off the ground in July ( AFP/PA ) Despite the bill finally passing through parliament, it will likely face additional legal hurdles before flights actually take off. Charities and unions will now see whether they can bring any legal challenges to the bill itself. One union, the FDA, is considering a challenge over the whether civil servants would have to ignore their professional code to follow ministers instructions to ignore directions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Refugee charities will support asylum seekers who are chosen to go on the first flights to challenge their deportation. Although the courts will not be able to consider whether Rwanda is safe, they may be able to consider how a Rwanda deportation would affect each asylum seeker personally - for example if the asylum seeker is a victim of trafficking, or is LGBTQ+. If they are unable to find a hearing in the UK courts, cases could go all the way to the ECHR - with Strasbourg judges ruling whether deportation is lawful. Mr Sunak has already said he will ignore a ruling from the ECHR and press ahead anyway. The prime minister said in a press conference on Monday that the government had already booked commercial charter planes for specific slots to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda. He said some 500 escorts had already been trained for the job of removing people, and there were 2,200 spaces in detention ready. Mr Sunak, who has made stopping the boats one of his five key pledges, was left scrambling to save his flagship plan after the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful late last year. In a damning judgement, the highest court in the land found that there was a real risk asylum seekers sent to Rwanda could be returned to their home countries to face persecution or other inhumane treatment. In response, Mr Sunak pledged new emergency legislation to get flights in the air. But a public call for parliament not to thwart his plans backfired as the government was defeated again and again in the House of Lords, leading to months of bitter wrangling. Labours Stephen Kinncok said the Rwanda Bill was deeply damaging to the UK ( PA ) Labours Mr Kinnock called the bill deeply damaging to the UK and said it was unconscionable that Britain might now send brave Afghans who fought alongside UK armed forces to Rwanda. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Rwanda scheme was an extortionate gimmick. She added: The prime minister knows this scheme wont work, thats why he tried to cancel it when he was Chancellor, and why even now he wont say how many people will be on the token flights. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak has awkwardly stepped in to prevent the head of Nato from answering a reporters question about the military alliances preparations for how the upcoming general election could affect Britains defence commitments. During a joint press conference in Warsaw with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, the prime minister promised to boost Britains defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 in a pledge costing taxpayers 75bn over the next six years. Mr Sunak warned that the world is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, and pledged to put Britains defence industry on a war footing, in what marked the latest flurry of activity by the PM as he seeks to close the polling gap with Labour ahead of this years election. ( Henry Nicholls/PA Wire ) But in a jarring exchange, Mr Sunak in effect blocked Mr Stoltenberg from answering a question on whether Nato has had discussions with Labour on whether it would stick to the pledge answering for the Nato chief that it wouldnt be appropriate for him to comment on the UKs domestic politics. Instead, Mr Sunak then used the stage in Poland to paint his pledge as signifying a choice for voters between the Tories and Labour, while launching a political attack on Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn, claiming the latter wanted to turn the army into the peace corps. The bizarre moment came after The Guardians Pippa Crerar asked Mr Sunak about his welfare reform plans before putting to Mr Stoltenberg: All the polls in the UK suggest we may end up having a different government after the election. How reassured are you by this really important defence commitment given by Mr Sunak if he then ends up finding himself out of office later this year? Have you had discussions because of that, taking the precautionary principle, with the British opposition? Concluding his response, Mr Sunak said: Ill let Jens talk probably not right to draw Jens into domestic politics actually, given that wouldnt be appropriate for him. But what I would say is, were very clear that this is a choice we [the UK government] have made a choice that Ive made. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (right) and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak inspect weaponry at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade in Warsaw, Poland. Picture date: Tuesday April 23, 2024. ( PA Wire ) When the general election comes there will be a choice on this topic. Keir Starmer is someone who not once but twice asked the British people to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister. Jeremy Corbyn wanted to leave Nato, get rid of our nuclear deterrent and turn the army into the peace corps, he said, adding: So thats the choice at the next election. Before turning to a question from the Telegraph, he continued: The right thing to do today is increase [defence spending] to 2.5 per cent. Thats what you get with us, were consistent about this. You all know where we stand. I think that choice will be very clear come the election. Later wrapping up the joint conference, Mr Sunak repeatedly said, perfect after two of the Nato chiefs final answers to a reporter, before ushering Mr Stoltenberg off the stage with a nod of his head. Mr Sunaks announcement comes just weeks after Sir Keir Starmer confirmed his own ambition to boost the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP, a pledge initially made by Boris Johnson in 2022 after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Responding to the PMs statement, shadow defence secretary John Healey said the Conservatives have shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted on defence. He added: The British public will judge ministers by what they do, not what they say. Labour will conduct a strategic defence and security review in the first year in government to get to grips with the threats we face, the state of our armed forces, and the resources required. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The city of Baltimore is suing the owner of the ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, claiming that the vessel was unseaworthy, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court on Monday and obtained by The Independent. The Dali hit the structure on 26 March 2024 after it lost power, sending at least seven construction workers into the Patapsco River below. Six of the men died, while one was saved from the waters. Attorneys representing the Baltimore mayor and city council claim that the incident should not have happened and the crew on board the ship knew that the vessels power supply was down. Even before leaving port, alarms showing an inconsistent power supply on the Dali had sounded, the suit states. The Dali left port anyway, despite its clearly unseaworthy condition. Salvage work continues on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. ( AP ) The filing alleges that the alarms came from the ships refrigerated containers, showing that the vessel had been experiencing an inconsistent power supply that was not fixed. The ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private Limited and managed by Synergy Marine Pte Ltd at the time of the incident. It had been chartered by Maersk and was on its way to Sri Lanka. The Independent has emailed an attorney for Grace Ocean Private Limited for comment. Maersk is not named as a defendant in the suit. Earlier this month, the companies filed a petition in the US District Court District of Maryland Northern Division seeking to limit their legal liability to $43.1m, citing a Titanic-era law that allows ship owners to limit their liability for certain claims to the value of the vessel and its cargo at the end of its journey. The port of Baltimore supports at least 51,000 jobs, according to a 2023 economic impact study produced for the Maryland Port Administration. Authorities estimate that the Port of Baltimore, which runs through the Fort McHenry Channel, may reopen to full capacity at the end of May. But the filing claims that it could take years for the area to fully recover. The lawsuit did not include a specific monetary amount being sought, but the filing states that officials are seeking damages relating to the cost of replacing the bridge, clearing the Patapsco River, increased road traffic and management, and loss of taxes, among other expenses. So far, the federal government has approved $60m in emergency funding. Maryland governor Wes Moore signed an executive order last month allocating an additional $60m to repair costs. For all intents and purposes, petitioners negligence caused them to destroy the Key Bridge and single handedly shut down the Port of Baltimore, a source of jobs, municipal revenue, and no small amount of pride for the City of Baltimore and its residents, the claim states. The attorneys are seeking a jury trial to determine a final amount of damages. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An organisation of Columbia University and Barnard College professors is calling to censure the schools president over her handling of pro-Palestine student protests. The Columbia and Barnard chapter of the American Association of University Professors will submit a censure proposal to the universitys senate, according to the Columbia Spectator, a student newspaper. The university senate, a policy-making body for the school, is made up of administrators, faculty, staff, alumni and students. They are expected to vote as soon as Wednesday on the censure submitted by the faculty members. The censure condemns university president Minouche Shafiks decision to ask the New York City Police Department to remove and arrest students staging a Gaza Solidarity Encampment on the campus. Officers arrested some 100 students on Thursday. This decision violated the fundamental obligations of shared governance, the censure text, obtained by The Independent, reads. We are calling for the censure of President Shafik, not for her resignation, the censure reads. We are calling for a recommitment to our core values on the part of our president, her administration, and the Board of Trustees. At the same time we condemn unequivocally any political interference in the governance of our university. That power rightfully belongs in the first instance to the faculty. Meanwhile, Ms Shafik is focused on deescalating the rancor on Columbias campus, a university spokesperson told The Independent. She is working across campus with members of the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees, and with state, city, and community leaders, and appreciates their support, the spokesperson said. Columbia University faculty members staged a demonstration on Monday, condemning last weeks arrests of some 100 pro-Palestine student protestors ( Reuters ) The authors of the censure also rejected Ms Shafiks claim, made to the NYPD, that the protesting students posed a clear and present danger to university operations. NYPD chief John Chell admitted late last week that the students arrested were protesting peacefully. Last week marked the first time the NYPD has been called to the campus for protests since 1996. While students at Columbia have been protesting against the Israel-Hamas war since it began on 7 October last year, pro-Palestinian demonstrations ramped up last week. Last Wednesday, Ms Shafik and other school officials testified before Congress about the pro-Palestine protests and reports of antisemitism on the schools campus. Ms Shafik, in an effort to show the schools commitment to battling antisemitism, told lawmakers that 15 students had been suspended and one visiting professor was fired for their comments about the Israel-Hamas war. The next day, students erected the pro-Palestine encampment and began staging protests. During a weekend of more protests, some Jewish students reported antisemitic harassment and even physical assaults. Students and community members stage a pro-Palestine protest on Columbias campus ( AP ) One rabbi affiliated with Columbia told some 300 Jewish students to leave campus over the weekend ahead of Passover on Monday for fear of antisemitic harassment. However, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the schools centre for Jewish life, said on Twitter/X that it does not believe students need to leave campus. But the organisation did say school officials and police must do more to ensure the safety of Jewish students. Robert Kraft, a major Columbia University donor, also said he was pulling funding to the school because he is no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff. NYPD officers detain pro-Palestinian students and protesters at New York University ( AFP via Getty ) Now, pro-Palestine protests are erupting at other universities in the area and across the country. On Monday night, NYPD officers arrested 150 pro-Palestine student protestors at New York University. Meanwhile, pro-Palestine encampments and demonstrations in solidarity with students at Columbia are cropping up at Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley. The Independent has contacted Ms Shafiks office for comment. 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 }} For over two decades, a West Virginia father has fought for answers after his 10-year-old daughter and the girls mother vanished in August 2000 amid a heated custody dispute. Now, Rick Lafferty can finally bring her home, after state police and the FBI announced on Tuesday that the remains of Susan Carter and their daughter Natasha Alex Carter, were found at the house of Larry Webb, on Monday the same day Webb died while detained. Its kind of a sad day, but also a happy day because I can finally bring my baby home, Lafferty said at the press conference. After 24 years, and after this case went cold so many times, I almost lost hope so many times. Webb, who was in his 80s, suffered a medical episode at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex on Monday morning, where he was being held without bond after having been arrested earlier this month in connection with the girls death, West Virginia State Police announced on Tuesday. On his deathbed, Webb confessed to the killings, according to the prosecuting attorney. He admitted to shooting Susan Carter during an argument over cash inside the home that he believed she had spent. Alex Carter was 10 years old when she vanished in August 2000 ( FBI ) He then told investigators that after shooting Carter he knew he had ruined his life forever so decided he also had to shoot and kill her 10-year-old daughter Alex to avoid detection. Webb detailed how after he murdered the girl and mother, he then wrapped their bodies. For two days, their bodies were left on his basement floor while he dug shallow graves in his backyard, where they remain buried for over two and a half decades. Six hours after Webb was pronounced dead, the remains of the mother and daughter were discovered in shallow graves in the backyard of his Beckley, West Virginia home. Susan Carter is pictured in what she looked like in 2000 (inset) along with an age-progressed photo ( FBI ) It was later that same afternoon when we found Susan and Alex Carter, Beckley Police Department Deputy Chief Dave Allard said. A bit of a poetic ending that not even I could write. According to the FBI, back in August 2000, Carter and Lafferty were in a contentious custody battle over their child, Alex. There were reports that the mother and daughter left and were staying at Webbs home before they were murdered. The case went cold for years until 2021 with a renewed push for answers in the case. In 2023, West Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Marshalls executed search warrants at Webbs house, where they uncovered DNA and other evidence which led them to charge Webb with Alexs murder. Larry Webb confessed to the killings on his death bed ( WVNS 59News/YouTube ) During the 2023 searches, Webb told local news outlets that he did not know what happened to the girl nor when he last saw her. I dont remember, Webb said at the time. I have dementia. I cant say exactly. But now Alexs father finally has answers and he encouraged others with missing loved ones or unsolved cases to keep trying. For others in my situation, I just want to tell them to never give up hope, Lafferty said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday for a former cop after his ex-wife was gunned down outside an elementary school and his teenage girlfriend shot dead. Elias Huizar, 39, is believed to have abducted his baby son and is on the run towards Mexico, police said. Officials confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday that Amber Rodriguez, 31, was killed at Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, Washington on Monday as children were let out for the day. He was behind a portable area and knew that she would be out there, apparently, and then shot her there, Richland School District superintendent Dr Shelley Redinger said. It was definitely targeted. Elias Huizar, 39, is armed and dangerous and believed to be fleeing for the US-Mexico border with his baby son ( West Richland Police Department ) Police later found a second victim, the suspects girlfriend, dead at his nearby home. Officials said they were not identifying her at this time. Eric Eisinger, the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney, issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Mr Huizar for first-degree, premeditated murder. Washington State Patrol had said Mr Huizar was suspected of murdering his ex-wife and girlfriend in the Amber Alert but did not name them. The elementary schools website lists Ms Rodriguez as a paraeducator, with the district posting a statement on Facebook saying that it was deeply saddened by events. Ms Rodriguez had filed for a change in custody of her two sons, aged five and nine, with Mr Huizar, only days before the shooting, according to the Tri-City Herald. Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert for missing Roman Huizar ( Washington State Patrol ) Mr Huizar fled the area in a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington plates CBZ4745. He is described as 5ft 6in tall, with brown hair and brown eyes, according to the Amber Alert. He was later reported to have been spotted driving a black sedan in Portland, Oregon. The investigation is ongoing. Mr Huizar had been due to be in court on Monday to face child rape allegations in relation to a teenage girl who was sleeping at his home, KNDU reported. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges in February. The former police officer was reportedly caught with the teenage girl by his 17-year-old girlfriend, who reported him to police, KNDU said. Mr Huizar was an officer with the Yakima Police Department, around 70 miles from West Richland, between June 2013 and February 2022. Richland Schools sent a message out to parents, confirming that there had been a shooting. Classes were cancelled on Tuesday. In a statement on Tuesday, the school district said that Mr Huizar had been a substitute teacher between February 2022 and June 2023. Following his arrest earlier this year, the suspect was removed from the districts subs list. There are no words to express how deeply saddened we are by the targeted, domestic violence incidents that took place yesterday at William Wiley Elementary and in the surrounding neighborhood that resulted in the death of one of our staff members and another individual. This is a tragedy no community should have to experience, the statement read. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man has been charged with kidnap after a woman was seen on doorbell camera screaming, Please help me before being dragged off a porch and bundled into a pickup truck. The attack took place in Hillsboro, Oregon, at around 11pm on Sunday night, according to police. After being captured on camera, the bearded man bundled the woman into the vehicle and drove away. The homeowners sounded the alarm, and police were able to track down the victim, who has not been named. HILLSBORO POLICE MAKE ARREST IN KIDNAPPING CASE pic.twitter.com/MWmUAFPpDP Hillsboro Police Dept (@HillsboroPolice) April 23, 2024 Police did not say where or when the woman was found. Its thought that the two people involved were known to each other before the kidnapping, police said, without specifying the relationship between them. The suspect and victim knew each other and this was not a random attack, officials said in a news release. There is no danger to the public. A woman ran up to a doorbell camera and screamed Please help me on Sunday in Hillsboro, Oregon ( HPD ) An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Officials said they are not releasing the name of the suspect or the victim at this time. The woman who lived at the residence with the doorbell camera told KGW8 that she didnt know either of the people involved. A woman ran up to a doorbell camera and screamed Please help me before she was kidnapped by an unidentified bearded man on Sunday in Hillsboro, Oregon ( HPD ) She looked scared, the woman, who identified herself as Marisol, said. In her voice, you could tell she was frantic, and she needed help, and the way she grabbed onto the door in the video when you see it, that is like, not normal. Authorities thanked members of the community for helping them identify and locate the victim. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mother of a three-year-old Wisconsin boy who has been missing for over two months is trying once more to get out of jail, where she is being held on child neglect charges. Katrina Baur, 31, has been in jail since the day after her son Elijah Vue was reported missing on 20 February. In a filing with Manitowoc County Court on Monday, seen by WBAY, Ms Baurs attorney asked for her release on a personal recognizance bond, meaning she cannot pay the $15,000 set by the judge. This marks the second time Ms Baur has asked to be set free. In early March, she argued that she would not stray far and would show up for court hearings. After hearing a statement from Ms Baurs mother, in which she begged for her daughter to remain in jail, Judge Robert Dewane said the bond was set right where it needs to be. Ms Baur is accused of chronic child neglect and two counts of resisting or obstructing an officer, in relation to Elijah, as well as child neglect relating to another child believed to be her six-year-old daughter. Elijah Vue, 3, was last seen in Two Rivers Wisconsin on 20 February 2024 ( Two Rivers Police Department ) Earlier in February, Ms Baur allegedly sent her son to live with her friend Jesse Vang in Two Rivers, around a 2.5 hour drive from their Wisconsin Dells home. She did this, court documents say, for disciplinary reasons, asking Mr Vang, 39, to teach her son to be a man. Mr Vang told police after he reported Elijah missing that he had subjected the boy to lengthy time-outs and threatened him with cold showers if he misbehaved. On the morning Elijah disappeared, Mr Vue said he went for a nap at 8am and told the boy to stand at the foot of his bed. When he woke up, Elijah was gone. Mr Vang is also facing chronic child neglect charges. Elijah is yet to be found, with few leads in the case over two months on. Ms Baurs next court dates are this Friday, for further proceedings and 30 April for a motion hearing. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the Sex and the City TV series has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia. Nancy Gonzalez was arrested in 2022 in Cali, Colombia, and later extradited to the US for running a sprawling multiyear conspiracy that involved recruiting couriers to transport her handbags on commercial flights to high-end showrooms and New York fashion events all in violation of US wildlife laws. Its all driven by the money, said Assistant US Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald, who compared Gonzalezs behaviour to that of drug traffickers. If you want to deter the conduct, you want the cocaine kingpin, not the person in the field. Lawyers for Gonzalez sought leniency for the celebrity designer, describing her journey as a divorced single mother of two children who designed belts on a home sewing machine in Cali for friends into a fashion icon who outcompeted the likes of Dior, Prada and Gucci. She was determined to show her children and the world that women, including minority women like herself, can pursue their dreams successfully, and become financially independent, they wrote in a memo prior to Mondays hearing. Against all odds, this tiny but mighty woman was able to create the very first luxury, high-end fashion company from a third world country. Celebrity handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez hides under an umbrella as she walks with her lawyer Andrea Lopez outside the federal courthouse Monday, April 22, 2024, in Miami. ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The attorneys said the 71-year-old designer has already paid dearly for her crimes. The Colombian company she built, which once employed 300 mostly female employees, declared bankruptcy and stopped operating after her arrest. They also argued that only 1 per cent of the merchandise she imported into the US lacked proper authorization and were samples for New York Fashion Week and other events. Gonzalez, addressing the court before sentencing, said she deeply regretted not meticulously complying with US laws and that her only wish is to hug once more her 103-year-old mother. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to the United States of America. I never intended to offend a country to which I owe immense gratitude, she said holding back tears. Under pressure, I made poor decisions. Prosecutors countered that Gonzalez had acquired great wealth and an opulent lifestyle, which contrasted with the couriers she recruited to smuggle her merchandise into the United States. The couriers were instructed to say that the items were gifts for their relatives if they were asked any questions by customs agents. Handbag designer to the stars gets 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile bags from Colombia ( Nancygonzalez-ny.com ) Her mission turned into producing felons, said Watts-Fitzgerald. "She tried to rewrite the law for herself, to do it her way." According to the testimony of her co-defendants and former employees, ahead of important fashion events, Gonzalez, described as a micro-manager, would recruit as many as 40 passengers to carry four designer handbags each on commercial flights. In this way, prosecutors estimate that she smuggled goods that fetched as much as $2 million in the U.S. Gonzalez's attorneys disputed the claim and said each skin cost only around $140. All of the hides were from caiman and pythons bred in captivity. Nonetheless, on some occasions, she failed to obtain the proper import authorizations from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, required under a widely ratified international treaty governing the trade in endangered and threatened wildlife species. In 2016 and 2017, she was warned by U.S. officials against sidestepping such rules, making her conduct particularly egregious, Judge Robert Scola said in handing down his sentence. Prosecutors had been seeking a stiffer sentence of 30 to 37 months. But Scola said he was taking into account the nearly 14 months she spent in harsher conditions in a Colombian prison awaiting extradition. Gonzalez, who has been free on a bond under confinement at her daughter's home in Miami, must surrender on June 6 to begin her sentence. Photo is of handbags designed by Nancy Gonzalez and displayed in the Gzuniga Ltd. showroom ( Department of Justice ) Although trade in the skins used by Gonzalez was not prohibited, they came from protected wildlife that requires close monitoring under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known by its initials as CITES. Salma Hayek, Britney Spears and Victoria Beckham are among the celebrities who bought Gonzalez's carefully crafted handbags. Her work also was included in a 2008 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Gonzalez's attorneys showed in court a video, from 2019, of top buyers from Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and others praising the designers creativity, productivity and humanity comments prosecutor Watts-Fitzgerald said the retailers likely regret today. They must be regretting they were ever put up to that and if they heard it was presented in court they would cringe," said Watts-Fitzgerald. "They have their own brand to protect. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A New Jersey man has been charged with a federal hate crime after property belonging to an Islamic centre at Rutgers University was vandalised and destroyed during the Eid holiday. Jacob Beacher, 24, was arrested on Monday after the Centre of Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) found their Muslim Chaplaincy, situated on the university campus, destroyed and wrecked over a week ago. Art pieces were smashed, windows were shattered, TVs were vandalised, printers were broken and a Palestinian flag was subject to destruction during the break-in at the chaplaincy, the CILRU claimed on their social media on 10 April. Following the incident, Mr Beacher was charged with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities, the New Jersey District Attorneys office said in a news release. Mr Beacher is not affiliated with Rutgers University, a university spokesperson told CNN. Damage at the Centre of Islamic Life at Rutgers University, New Jersey ( Courtesy of Centre for Islamic Life at Rutgers Univesity ) During the Eid al-Fitr holiday on 10 April, an important celebration on the Islamic calendar marking the end of Ramadan, Mr Beacher allegedly broke into the CILRU at around 2.41am. He purportedly damaged the CILRU property, including several religious artefacts, such as Turbah stones used in prayer and objects with holy language from the Quran. The complaint against Mr Beacher said that the total damages amassed to approximately $40,000, and also alleges that he stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the Islamic centre. The charity box was found four days later in a park near the campus, the complaint added, saying that cell site data showed Mr Beachers phone was located at the same park shortly after the break-in. Mr Beacher was allegedly caught by surveillance video near the centre, the court documents claim. The complaint against Beacher states that a glass pane on the door was broken ( Courtesy of Centre for Islamic Life at Rutgers Univesity ) The suspect voluntarily agreed to speak to law enforcement two days after the vandalism, and while he admitted to being the person in surveillance footage captured at a nearby business and the universitys Student Centre, he denied breaking into the CILRU. Over the past week, the community has started to replace and repair property that was damaged during the vandalism at the CILRU, including a TV monitor and a printer that were gifted to them, the centre said on social media. We are humbled by the amazing and generous outpouring from the Rutgers community and the community at large, the CILRU said in a statement on Monday. The Islamic centre also acknowledged the arrest of Mr Beacher, saying they have been kept informed throughout the authorities investigation. We express a sense of relief and safety knowing that the suspect is in custody, they wrote. We look forward to the process of justice being meted out. The vandalism damaged several religious artefacts ( Courtesy of Centre for Islamic Life at Rutgers Univesity ) After the incident, some Muslim campus members told WABC that they now feel their safety is at risk. "Its so disheartening and scary because it just solidifies the fact that we arent safe here," student Nehad Ali told the outlet a day after the incident. However, the CILRU said that this act of terror will not intimidate or break our community. This incident did not occur in a vacuum. We condemn those that are stoking lies and hate on our campus and those who are engaging in doublespeak that have led to this violence, other acts of hate and bigotry on our campus and in particular against our students, they added. Since the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, there has been an uptick in hate towards Muslim and Jewish Americans. Antisemitic, Islamophobic and anti-Arab hate incidents have climbed to unprecedented levels, according to civil rights advocates. In the eight weeks following 7 October, the Council on American-Islamic Relations tracked 2,171 requests for help and reports of bias, with the Anti-Defamation League reporting that there has been a 140 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023 compared to the previous year. In a statement to CNN, Rutgers University said the school condemns this act of violence against the RutgersNew Brunswick Muslim community and the desecration of a religious and community space. Such acts of hatred and bigotry against anyone in our community have no place at Rutgers, the university said. We abhor all forms of intolerance based on religion, national origin, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or political views. Mr Beacher had his initial appearance at court in Newark on Monday before US Magistrate Judge Andre M Espinosa. The Independent has contacted the CILRU, Rutgers University and an attorney for Mr Beacher for comment. 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 }} Police in Chicago have released video footage of a person of interest in the fatal shooting of an officer who was killed outside his home two days before his 31st birthday. In CCTV footage from what appears to be two local bodegas, the man can be seen wearing thick clothing and a hat and carrying a rucksack. Chicago PD warned members of the public not to approach the individual. Officer Luis Huesca had been returning home following a shift in the early hours of Sunday, and was still wearing his uniform at the time of the incident, according to the department. Fellow members of the CPD responded to a "gunshot detection" alert at 2.53am in the 5500 block of South Kedzie Avenue, in the citys Gage Park neighbourhood, where they found Huesca, who had been shot multiple times. He was taken to University of Chicago Hospital where he was pronounced dead. On Monday, CPD released the footage of the person of interest. On Tuesday the force promised to carry on his legacy of service and kindness. On what would have been his 31st birthday, we are mourning the loss of Officer Huesca in the line of duty to the violence he worked to protect our city from. We will forever support his family and carry on his legacy of service and kindness, the post read. Huesca a six-year veteran of the CPD who worked in the forces 5th District as a member of the Priority Response Team is survived by his mother and an uncle, according to CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling. In a statement posted to X/Twitter, Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson said that the entire city was grieving the unspeakable loss of Huesca. "We are deeply mourning the death of Officer Luis M Huesca of the 5th District/Priority Response Team following an act of unconscionable gun violence in our city. No family or community should ever have to suffer such pain, he wrote on Sunday. Chicago PD has warned members of the public not to approach the individual and to contact police if he is spotted ( Chicago Police Department ) I met with Officer Huescas mother and uncle this morning and assured them that they have the full support of my administration as they deal with this unspeakable loss. Our city is grieving, and our condolences go out to their entire family as well as Luis fellow officers and community. My Office of Community Safety, in collaboration with Supt Larry Snelling and the Chicago Police Department, is committed to putting every resource available toward apprehending anyone involved in this mornings shooting and bringing them to justice. A procession for the fallen officer was also held on Sunday morning. Supt Snelling described Huesca as "just a great officer, a great human being. "We really need to keep the family, his mother, in our prayers," he said. "These are senseless, senseless crimes that have taken the lives of our community members, today one of our officers." "There are people who are brazen and cowardly in the way that they go about their days, and carry out these violent acts against decent, hard-working people in this city. Were just trying to live their lives the right way. An investigation into the fatal shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information on the person of interest is advised to contact contact the Area One Detective Division at 312-747-8380 or submit an anonymous tip online. 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 }} Blood found at the home of a man accused of killing Sade Robinson after a first date, did not belong to the 19-year-old, according to a report. Robinson was last seen on 1 April, when she sent a Snapchat message to a friend at a bar near a seafood restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was supposed to meet 33-year-old Maxwell Anderson. A missing persons search began the next day the same day that a severed leg was recovered on the beach at Warnimont Park. Anderson was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson charges relating to Robinsons death. He pleaded not guilty on Monday, the same day that prosecutors amended the complaint against him, writing that the blood discovered in his home did not belong to Robinson. Preliminary testing indicates there is no support for inclusion of Robinsons DNA in the blood or swabs that have been tested, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan wrote in the amended complaint. Its not immediately clear whose blood was found. Maxwell Anderson in Milwaukee County Court on Monday ( Wisconsin Court Systems livestream ) The revelation came in the form of a footnote after the complaint noted that investigators had found blood at Andersons home, including in his bedding and on the walls leading to the basement. It also comes after Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball said on Friday that we dont believe there are any other victims out there at this point. Investigators have said that preliminary results show that blood found on the severed leg which appeared to have been sawn off belonged to Robinson. Sade Robinson, 19, sent a friend a Snap from a first date. Her remains have been found in and around Lake Michigan ( Milwaukee Police Department ) More body parts, including a torso and an arm, have washed up on Lake Michigans shoreline in the weeks since her disappearance. Police said they believe the remains belong to Robinson, but had not yet formally confirmed it. Anderson appeared in person in Milwaukee County Court on Monday to formally waive his preliminary hearing. He is next due in court on 16 May. There was also evidence showing that Robinsons car had been burned out. A witness had told investigators that she had seen a white man exit the drivers door of Robinsons Honda Civic early on the morning of 2 April. The witness said she then spotted the man toss a lighter into the drivers door window of the vehicle. Investigators later recovered clothes from the Honda that were consistent with what Robinson had been wearing. The Milwaukee County DAs office declined to comment. 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 }} More than 150 people have been arrested at New York University amid a wave of pro-Palestine protests across college campuses. Students, faculty and others were arrested after hundreds of protestors gathered on Gould Plaza on NYUs Manhattan campus on Monday night. Protestors are demanding that universities divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Police warned NYU protestors that they would face consequences if they failed to vacate the plaza after some were seen breaking through barriers that had been set up around the area. Police detain pro-Palestine protesters who had set up an encampment on the campus of New York University ( AFP via Getty Images ) If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for todays actionsno discipline, no police, safety officials told those in the plaza. The same message was shared on the universitys official social media channels. Protestors were also seen throwing objects at police. After the police moved in, many protesters relocated to a location on West 3rd Street in Greenwich Village, not far from the Stern School of Business. Others carrying signs started marching peacefully in Lower Manhattan. Earlier on Monday, nearly 50 people were arrested at Yale University in Connecticut when police in riot gear stormed the campus during a pro-Palestine protest. The protestors had been camped out on Beinecke Plaza on the universitys campus for three days. A wave of pro-Palestine protests are sweeping US college campuses in response to Israels war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. Encampments have been built by protesters at Columbia, Yale, Tufts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emerson College, Boston University, the University of California Berkeley, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The protests began at Columbia University last week, where more than 100 people, including many students, were arrested. The demonstrators are demanding that the university divest from companies complicit in genocide. Hundreds of faculty members at Columbia University have walked out to protest against the presidents handling of the situation. NYPD officers stand by after detaining demonstrators and clearing an encampment set up by pro-Palestine protesters on the campus of New York University ( AFP via Getty Images ) Isra Hirsi, daughter of Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar, was among those arrested. She was also suspended from the university. In my 3 years at @BarnardCollege I have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings, Isra Hirsi, who is an organiser for Columbia Universitys Apartheid Divest group, wrote on X. I just received notice that I am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide. She continued: Those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated. We will stand resolute until our demands are met. Our demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbias investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression. Protesters chant near city hall in lower Manhattan after attending an occupation at New York University ( REUTERS ) The NYPD reported that 108 people, including Ms Hirsi, were charged with trespassing at Columbia. Two people were also charged with obstructing government administration. On Monday, Columbia University cancelled in-person classes to reset the situation and deescalate the rancor. There is a pattern of behavior occurring on campuses across our nation, in which individuals attempt to occupy a space in defiance of school policy, Kaz Daughtry, NYPDs deputy commissioner for operations, said in a social media post. Rest assured, in NYC the NYPD stands ready to address these prohibited and subsequently illegal actions whenever we are called upon. Meanwhile, some Jewish students have reported antisemitic harassment and even physical assaults during the protests. One Jewish student at Columbia claimed that protesters told him to go back to Poland after he arrived at their protest with Israeli and American flags. Another student at Yale who was covering a protest on Saturday as a student journalist said that she was hit in the eye with a Palestinian flag after the attacker realised she was Jewish, resulting in a hospital visit. Yale University is investigating the incident. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The decomposed body of a 12-year-old boy has been found months after his mother passed away without knowing what happened to her son. The body of Jaylen Griffin was found last Friday in a home in upstate New York. The location is around five miles from where he was last seen on 4 August 2020 leaving his home in the Central Terminal area of Buffalo. Jaylens body was found a week before what would have been his 16th birthday, police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said at a news conference. Mr Gramaglia said they believed the body had been up there in the house for a significant amount of time. Jaylens 48-year-old mother, Joann Ponzo, died in September before finding out what happened to her son. She told People in 2021 that he disappeared shortly after taking his new puppy on a walk. We live near a few stores and he would carry peoples bags, and theyd give him change, she said. Earlier this month, officers responded to a report of a dead body at the home, concluding an exhaustive years-long search for the boy, police said. While they could not give a clear timeline of how long the body had been there, it had deteriorated to the point where the boys identity was confirmed by dental records. The medical examiner has ruled the death as a homicide but police did not provide further details of the manner or cause. Jaylen Griffins body was discovered by police on 12 April, 2024 in a home on Sheffield Avenue, Buffalo, New York ( Jaylen Griffin ) Mr Gramaglia described finding the boys body as nothing short of a tragedy after a nearly four-year investigation. He did not confirm if there were any suspects or persons of interest. Police are offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to the arrest or indictment of anyone responsible. Jaylen was last seen leaving his home in the Central Terminal area. His body was found at a home on the 100 block of Sheffield Avenue, only a short drive away. His mother died last year after her health deteriorated following her sons disappearance, according to Buffalo News. Jaylens mother and father, Joann Ponzo and Brian Griffin ( Spectrum News ) Three months after Jaylens disapperance, her 18-year-old son, Jawann Griffin, was shot dead steps from his home, the outlet reports. She struggled, said Kareema Morris, founder of Bury the Violence, who supported Ponzo and helped publicize Jaylens disappearance. She did the best she knew how. She loved her children. Ms Morris also told WKBW that she believed Ponzo had died of a broken heart over the tragedies. Joann Ponzo died in September 2023 without finding out what happened to her son who went missing in 2020 ( Supplied ) Jaylens family and the Buffalo community gathered together to celebrate him at a birthday memorial this week after authorities announced his remains had been found. Brian Griffin, Jaylens father, told WKBW that he wished Ms Ponzo had gotten closure before she died. I just wish she was here with me at this present time, but I know that theyre all together and its a blessing... like I say, I got confirmation, he said. Its still a long road to recovery; Im just looking for justice now. Brian Griffin (left) next to local pastor Tim Newkirk at Jaylens birthday memorial this week ( Spectrum News ) The police commissioner sent his condolences to the boys family. "I do want to extend my sincerest sympathies to the family of Jaylen," Mr Gramaglia said. "This department has conducted extensive searches, and I want Jaylens family to know that we are working diligently to bring the next closure for the family." Police asked anyone with information leading to the arrest or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this incident please contact Crime Stoppers WNY at 716 867 6161. The Independent has contacted the Buffalo Police Department for further information. 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 will be the commencement speaker at Morehouse College in Georgia, giving the Democrat a key spotlight on one of the nations preeminent historically Black campuses but potentially exposing him to uncomfortable protests as he seeks reelection against former President Donald Trump. The White House confirmed Tuesday that Biden would speak May 19 at the alma mater of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., and then address the graduating class at the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 25. The Morehouse announcement has drawn some backlash among the school's faculty and supporters who are critical of Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war. That could put the White House and Biden's reelection campaign in a difficult position as the president works to shore up the racially diverse coalition that propelled him to the Oval Office. By Tuesday afternoon some Morehouse alumni were circulating an online letter that condemns the administration's invitation to Biden and seeking signatures to pressure Morehouse President David Thomas to rescind it. The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, claimed Biden's approach to Israel effectively supports genocide in Gaza and runs counter to the pacifism that King expressed with his opposition to the Vietnam War. In inviting President Biden to campus, the college affirms a cruel standard that complicity in genocide merits no sanction from the institution that produced one of the towering advocates for nonviolence of the twentieth century, the letter states, emphasizing King's stance that war is a hell that diminishes humanity as a whole. If the college cannot affirm this noble tradition of justice by rescinding its invitation to President Biden, then the college should reconsider its attachment to Dr. King. Late last week, before the school and the White House formally announced commencement plans, Morehouse Provost Kendrick Brown, Thomas' top lieutenant, sent an email to all faculty acknowledging concerns about rumors and affirming that the school issued the invitation to Biden last September. That would have been before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, spurring the sustained counter-offensive that the Morehouse alumni letter called an act of genocide against Palestinians. Brown's email did not reference anything about the Middle East conflict. Brown invited faculty to an online forum, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, to discuss the matter. But, he added: Please know going into this conversation that the College does not plan to rescind its accepted invitation to President Biden. Morehouse officials have not responded to an Associated Press inquiry. Earlier Tuesday, Thomas released a statement to BET.com that, like the provost's faculty letter, highlighted the September timing of the invitation to Biden. Thomas said Morehouse officials eagerly anticipate the president's visit, which he called a reminder of our institutions enduring legacy and impact, as well as our continued commitment to excellence, progress and positive change. The Rev. Stephen Green, pastor of the St. Luke AME Church in Harlem and an author of the alumni letter, said in an interview that his group has reached out to several Morehouse trustees and hopes to speak with Thomas. Green, who graduated in 2014, called the effort part of a common thread of protest and activism in the Morehouse tradition of social and political engagement. We hope this would send a strong message that we are serious about the values were were taught, Green said, adding that he wants to see Biden forcefully advocate for a Palestinian state and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Beyond any dissatisfaction over Israel, polling suggests Biden may have work to do with Black Americans generally. More than half of Black adults approve of how he is handling his job as president, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in March, but thats down significantly from when he took office and 94% approved of his performance. Biden has increasingly encountered protests this year from progressives who assert that he is too supportive of Israel. The issue has proven vexing for the president. He has long joined the U.S. foreign policy establishment in embracing Israel as an indispensable Middle East ally. Yet he also has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for mounting civilian deaths in Gaza and told him that future U.S. aid depends on Israel taking steps to protect civilians. The approach has left Biden with vocal critics to his left and right at a time when he has little margin for error in battleground states, including Georgia, that are expected to decide his rematch with Trump. Biden's speech at Morehouse will mark the second consecutive spring that the president has spoken to the graduating class of a historically Black school. In 2023, he delivered the commencement address at Howard University. The Washington, D.C., school is the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold that office. Morehouse, a private all-male school that is part of the multi-campus Atlanta University Center, also is the alma mater of Sen. Raphael Warnock, Georgia's first Black U.S. senator. Warnock, who also is senior pastor of King's Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, sidestepped any consternation on campus. I could not be more thrilled and honored to see President Biden return to our great state, the senator said in a statement. I know the president will have a timely, poignant, forward-looking message for the men of Morehouse. The controversy threatens to overshadow the policy priorities that Biden and Democrats have highlighted for months on HBCU campuses around the country. Harris and Cabinet members have spoken on several campuses. Among other policy achievements and priorities, the White House touts increases in federal money support for HBCUs; Biden's efforts to forgive up to $10,000 in student loan burden per borrower and increase Pell Grants for low-income students; energy investments to combat the climate crisis, and Democrats' support for abortion rights and decriminalizing marijuana possession. Warnock, in his reaction to Biden's invitation, played up his work with the president to address the high costs of higher education. Reflecting the nation's overall racial gaps in income and net worth, Black college students are disproportionately dependent on Pell Grants, which typically cover only a fraction of college costs, and student loans. According to Federal Reserve data, about 1 out of 3 Black households has student loan debt, compared to about 1 in 5 white households. The average Black borrower also is carrying about $10,000 more in debt than the average white borrower. Additionally, federal statistics show about 60% of Black undergraduates receive Pell Grants, compared to about 40% of the overall undergraduate population and a third of white students. In 2020, Biden won Georgia by fewer than 12,000 votes over Trump out of about 5 million ballots cast. The combined enrollment at Morehouse and its adjoining schools that make up the Atlanta University Center is about 9,000 students. Bidens margin in Wisconsin was less than 21,000 votes. The president had more comfortable margins in Michigan and Pennsylvania but cannot afford to lose Black support across the metro areas of Detroit and Philadelphia. Among states Trump won, Biden is targeting North Carolina, which has a notable Black college student population. Trumps margin there was about 75,000 votes. ___ Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter Darren Sands contributed. 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 }} Work has finally begun on a $12bn high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, with officials projecting millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. Brightline West, whose sister company already operates a fast train between Miami and Orlando in Florida, aims to lay 218 miles of new track between a terminal to be built just south of the Las Vegas Strip and another new facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Almost the full distance is to be built in the median of Interstate 15, with a station stop in San Bernardino Countys Victorville area. In a statement on Monday, Brightline Holdings founder and Chairperson Wes Edens called the moment the foundation for a new industry. Brightline aims to link other US cities that are too near to each other for flying between them to make sense and too far for people to drive the distance, Mr Edens said. CEO Mike Reininger has said the goal is to have trains operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. A Brightline train is shown at a station in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 11, 2018. ( Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took part in Monday's groundbreaking. Brightline received $6.5bn in backing from the Biden administration, including a $3bn grant from federal infrastructure funds and approval to sell another $2.5bn in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1bn in similar bonds. The project is touted as the first true high-speed passenger rail line in the nation, designed to reach speeds of 186 mph (300 kph), comparable to Japans Shinkansen bullet trains. The route between Vegas and Los Angeles is largely open space, with no convenient alternate to I-15. Brightlines Southern California terminal will be at a commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles. This photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, shows the site of a proposed station for a high-speed rail line to Las Vegas, background, at the end of the Dale Evans Parkway exit from Interstate 15 ( AP ) The project outline says electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours. Forecasts are for 11 million one-way passengers per year, or some 30,000 per day, with fares well below airline travel costs. The trains will offer rest rooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage. Las Vegas is a popular driving destination for Southern Californians. Officials hope the train line will relieve congestion on I-15, where motorists often sit in miles of crawling traffic while returning home from a Las Vegas weekend. US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, center, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, right, drive rail spikes into a symbolic rail, on Monday, April 22, 2024, in Las Vegas ( AP ) The Las Vegas area, now approaching 3 million residents, draws more than 40 million visitors per year. Passenger traffic at the city's Harry Reid International Airport set a record of 57.6 million people in 2023. An average of more than 44,000 automobiles per day crossed the California-Nevada state line on I-15 in 2023, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data. Florida-based Brightline Holdings already operates the Miami-to-Orlando line with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph (200 kph). It launched service in 2018 and expanded service to Orlando International Airport last September. It offers 16 round-trips per day, with one-way tickets for the 235-mile (378-kilometer) distance costing about $80. The Las Vegas strip is shown behind the groundbreaking sight of a high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles on Monday, April 22, 2024, in Las Vega ( AP ) Other fast trains in the U.S. include Amtraks Acela, which can top 150 mph (241 kph) while sharing tracks with freight and commuter service between Boston and Washington, D.C. Ideas for connecting other U.S. cities with high-speed passenger trains have been floated in recent years, including Dallas to Houston; Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina; and Chicago to St. Louis. Most have faced delays. In California, voters in 2008 approved a proposed 500-mile (805-kilometer) rail line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the plan has been beset by rising costs and routing disputes. A 2022 business plan by the California High-Speed Rail Authority projected the cost had more than tripled to $105 billion. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Maryland high school and middle school were placed on lockdown due to a threat of possible violence on Tuesday morning. A possible threat was reported at Severna Park High School, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Nearby Severna Park Middle School was also put on lockdown during the investigation. The lockdown has since been lifted after the threat was deemed non-credible by authorities. Severna Park High School in Maryland was put on lockdown after threats of violence were placed at the school ( Google Maps ) The high school had received a call at around 9.30am about a possible threat nearby, a police spokesperson told the Capital Gazette. Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) reported that the schools were on hold status, meaning no one was allowed to move about the building, or enter or leave the buildings. AACPS added that all students and staff were safe. Two other schools, Benfield Elementary and Broadneck High School, were also placed under hold status. All schools are within a three-mile radius of Severna Park, except for Broadneck High School, which is located in nearby Cape St Claire. Heavy police presence surrounded the outside of the school after reports of possible violence ( Google Maps ) Police fanned out across the area, but no evidence of weapons were found on school property. The hold status for all four schools was lifted at around 11.05am, police said. AACPS is the fourth largest school system in Maryland, and the 36th largest in the United States. A neighbouring Maryland county also reported a threat to a high school on Tuesday morning, although it is unclear if the two incidents are related. At 10.30am, police in Montgomery County reported that Wootton High School was told to shelter-in-place and Albert Einstein High School was evacuated after bomb threats. The shelter-in-place status was lifted and students were allowed to return after the threats were later deemed non-credible, police said. The Independent has contacted the AACPS and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for further information. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The husband of a Montana woman who died after she allegedly ate uncooked mushrooms from a sushi restaurant has renewed his calls for accountability in her death. Donna Ventura, 64, spent 12 days in the intensive care unit after she was rushed to the hospital for what her husband thought was a normal case of food poisoning following a lunch at Daves Sushi in Bozeman. The woman went into cardiac arrest when she entered the hospital and ultimately passed away from liver and kidney failure on 29 April 2023. The illness also did damage to her oesophagus and trachea, the husband said. It was surreal to think that the simple act of going out to lunch would end up putting her in the intensive care unit, Jon Ventura, 63, the womans husband, told KBZK, a local news station. Jon Ventura, 63, lost his wife Donna, 64, after she became ill from allegedly eating uncooked morel mushrooms at a sushi restaurant. ( KBZK Bozeman Montana ) The womans doctors tried various efforts to save her life, he said, including obtaining special authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration to administer a drug that could fight mushroom toxicity, the Montana Free Press reported. In her final days, her husband gave her white paper and red magic markers that allowed her to write messages. Some of those messages were: Im not sure I can go on much longer. How are we going to manage? I cant stand the pain, he told the outlet. The last couple of messages she wrote were to her husband and to her son, telling them how much she loved them, he continued. The woman later refused a feeding tube despite her husbands opposition, the outlet reported. At one point, she lost the ability to breathe on her own and needed a ventilator. The husband now wears the couples wedding rings fused together on a chain around his neck. I told my wife on her deathbed that one of my jobs would be to hold those accountable for what theyve done to her, he said. Mr Ventura has since launched a wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant. If he receives damages, he hopes to open a scholarship in his wifes name at Montana State University. In July, the state and county health departments released a report stating that 50 people who ate at the restaurant got sick from eating morel mushrooms. One other person, William Lewis, 74, died. Three out of the 50 people were hospitalised. Officials were unable to determine what element inside the mushrooms caused the reactions. A routine restaurant inspection conducted by county officials found additional violations at the sushi establishment. The citations included unsafe temperatures in a sample of raw fish and issues with the dishwasher that were corrected on the same day, the Montana Free Press noted. Aaron Parker, the owner of Daves Sushi, acknowledged that his restaurant was at fault for the deaths of the people who consumed the food from his establishment. We served the food that led to the illnesses, he said. Absolutely. 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 }} PEN America has cancelled its annual award ceremony after dozens of nominated writers withdrew their work in protest against Israel's six-month-long war in Gaza. The literary group announced the cancellation on Tuesday after nine of the ten nominated writers for a PEN book award pulled out their books from consideration due to PEN's alleged lack of support for Palestinian writers. The organisation, which is dedicated to protecting free expression, said of the 61 authors and translators nominated for a prize, 28 writers decided to withdraw their books from consideration. The award ceremony was scheduled to take place on 29 April at the Town Hall in New York City. The event now stands cancelled, the group said in a statement. At least 34,183 Palestinians have been killed and 77,143 injured in Israel's incessant retaliatory bombing of the Strip, the health ministry in Gaza said on Tuesday. Israel declared war on Hamas following the militant groups 7 October attack in southern Israel where at least 1,200 civilians were killed and 253 abducted as hostages. Authors who have asked for their names to be withdrawn include Jean Stein nominee Camonghne Felix, poetry finalist Eugenia Leigh and short story nominee Ghassan Zeineddine. Authors including Naomi Klein and Michelle Alexander last month signed an open letter claiming PEN had not launched any substantial coordinated support for the writers in Gaza or Palestinian speech broadly. The letter also said PEN had betrayed the organisations professed commitment to peace and equality for all, and to freedom and security for writers everywhere. PEN responded to the allegations, citing they stand alongside the writers of Gaza, had called for an immediate ceasefire and reiterated their expansion of support for Palestinian writers through a PEN emergency fund. Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, PEN Americas literary programming chief officer, announced the "difficult decision", saying: "We greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees in their respective categories or not. We regret that this unprecedented situation has taken away the spotlight from the extraordinary work selected by esteemed, insightful and hard-working judges across all categories. "As an organisation dedicated to freedom of expression and writers, our commitment to recognizing and honoring outstanding authors and the literary community is steadfast. The estate of late US author Jean Stein also directed PEN America to donate the $75,000 (61,000) prize for the award in her name to the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund to honour the nine out of 10 nominated writers who withdrew their work for the award. In a statement, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Wendy Vanden Heuvel, and Bill Clegg, on behalf of the foundation and the literary estate of Jean Stein, said: Jean Stein was a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights who published, supported, and celebrated Palestinian writers and visual artists. While she established the PEN America award in her name to bring attention to and provide meaningful support to writers of the highest literary achievement, we know she would have respected the stance and sacrifice of the writers who have withdrawn from contention this year. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An aeroplane carrying two passengers crashed into icy waters and burst into flames near Fairbanks, Alaska, shortly after taking off on Tuesday morning, authorities have said. The plane, a Douglas DC-4, smashed into the Tanana River near to the Fairbanks International Airport at around 10.40am local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told The Independent. No survivors have been found. According to Alaska State Troopers, the plane crashed about seven mils from the airport and then slid into a steep hill on the bank of the river where it caught fire. Pictures shared with The Associated Press showed a flaming wreckage, with a tall plume of smoke rising into the area. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will lead investigations into the incident, said the plane was being operated by Alaska Air Fuel as a Part 91 fuel transport flight. It crashed on the river under unknown circumstances. NTSB investigators are en route to the scene and expected to arrive shortly, a spokesperson told The Independent. Once on scene, they will begin the process of documenting the site and examining the aircraft. Once that work is complete, the aircraft will be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation. Pictures showed a flaming wreckage, with a tall plume of smoke rising into the area, near to the Tanana River ( AP ) The conditions of the two individuals on board were not made immediately clear, though AP reported there being no survivors. The NTSB added that it has no role in the release of the identities of accident victims and/or the extent and number of injuries. The organisation also does not release the identities of those injured or killed in such incidents. That is handled by local authorities, the NTSB said. The website www.airlines.net said standard passenger seating for a DC-4 was 44 during its heyday, but most have now been converted to freighters. The plane model was first commissioned during World War II, with numerous aircraft used during the Berlin Airlift of 1948 to 1949. There are very few left in service, though Alaska Air Fuel reportedly operates two of the aircraft out of Palmer, Alaska. The plane, a Douglas DC-4, was carrying two people when it crashed on Tuesday morning, shortly after taking off from Fairbanks International Airport ( AP ) A spokesperson for Alaska Air Fuel previously confirmed to The Independent that the company operated the aircraft, but said they were unaware of a crash. Alaska State Troopers said in a statement that people should avoid the area of the crash though a spokesperson, did not provide further information. NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of this process, investigators will gather information including aircraft maintenance records, weather forecasts, pilot background checks and any available surveillance video, among other records. Any witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB online. During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident, a spokesperson told The Indpendent. 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 }} Donald Trump is on the cusp of a major financial bonus at least on paper as long as the share price of Trump Media & Technology Group doesnt spectacularly fall by the end of trading today. Trump is on track to receive another 36 million shares as the owner of his social media site Truth Social, worth around $1.25 billion at Mondays price. The former president set for the earnout shares as long the trading price of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, does not fall below $17.50. It is currently trading for around double that price. Trump is the majority shareholder of Trump Media & Technology Group, holding 78.75 million shares. The 36 million shares extra shares would be on top of that. This would make his total stake in Trump Media more than $4bn on paper when the earnout shares are added, according to CNBC. However, any shares that he owns are subject to a lock-up that prohibits him from selling them within the next six months. Trump is currently in court for the ongoing hush money criminal trial. But he is also dealing with hefty monetary judgements against him as well as continued spending on his presidential campaign. So far this year, Mr Trump has been ordered to pay out more than $500m by two separate New York judges in different court cases. He was ordered to pay a $454m fine plus interest in a ruling that found him, his sons and his former Trump Organization associates guilty of misrepresenting assets, and was also ordered in a separate case to pay $83.3m in defamation damages to writer E Jean Carroll. Donald Trump speaks to the media ahead of Mondays opening statements in court for the hush money trial in New York City ( Getty Images ) The board of Trump Media could decide to amend the lock-up provision, but no such actions have been taken to do so. With more than $200 million in the bank and zero debt, Trump Media is fulfilling all its obligations related to the merger and rapidly moving forward with its business plan, a company spokesperson told CNBC when asked about the earnout shares. Trump Media was trading at $35.50 per share when it closed Monday. The earnout is obtained on the condition that various benchmarks are hit 20 trading days in a row within a 30-trading-day period that began on 25 March. As Tuesday is the 20th day, it is unlikely that the DJT ticker will fall below the benchmark by the end of the day. Trump Media, has the authority to issue a total of 40 million earnout shares as part of the merger deals that combined the company with a publicly traded shell corporation, Digital World Acquisition Corp. Assuming the full issuance of the Earnout Shares, President Donald J. Trump will receive 36,000,000 Earnout Shares, the company said in a securities filing. The merged company started publicly trading under the DJT ticker on 26 March, opening with the price of around $70 per share. That day, the price rose to a high of nearly $80, seeing the company earning market capitalisation of around $9bn for a time. However, since that momentary peak, the share price of Trump Media has started to nosedive. While stock prices made a jump upwards last week, the Trump Media was still trading on Monday at around 50 per cent lower than the price they opened with. 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 }} One of the Republicans star witnesses in the impeachment hearings of Joe Biden is suing House Democrat Jamie Raskin for $20m for alleged defamatory comments that deliberately and maliciously besmirched his character. Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of the presidents son Hunter Biden, was called by House Republicans to testify against the Bidens as part of their probe into the familys business dealings, seeking to impeach the president. Mr Raskin has been an outspoken critic of the impeachment proceedings, including writing to Mr Bobulinskis attorney in February to say that his clients interview was chaotic to the point of burlesque. "Mr. Bobulinski did not offer any evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden," Raskin said in his letter. "He also did not provide any evidence that President Biden was involved in his familys business dealings." A criminal complaint seen by The Daily Beast pointed to social media posts by Mr Raskin, in which he sought to discredit Mr Bobulinskis testimony to the House Oversight Committee, while also appearing to claim he had links to Russian or Chinese agents. Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) ( Getty Images ) The lawsuit claims all of these were false statements, also pointing to an interview Mr Raskin had on MSNBC, which he shared on social media republishing his false statements to an entirely new audience. Mr Bobulinskis attorneys also point to other instances of the Democrat reposting statements from the Oversight Committee Democrats X page, including one in which he called the witness Donald Trumps political pawn. Then, on March 6, 2024, Defendant issued a statement that House Oversight Democrats posted on X, and Defendant reposted, in which he called Mr. Bobulinski a bitterly frustrated would-be business partner who collaborated with the Trump campaign, the lawsuit says, The Daily Beast reported. Mr Bobulinskis team argues that he has nothing to do with the Trump campaign and he has never lied to Congress. On 20 March, Mr Bobulinski said that it was, in fact, Mr Raskin and fellow congressman Dan Goldman who had been lying by sharing multiple social media posts targeting him. This weeks filing continues those claims, saying that Mr Raskin has been working in tag-team fashion with fellow Oversight Committee member, Rep. Dan Goldman, in a social media blitz of defamatory posts deliberately and maliciously besmirching the character of Mr. Bobulinski. The lawsuit is one of several reportedly filed by Mr Bobulinski in recent months. He is suing former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson for $10m for mentioning his meeting with the former presidents Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in 2020 in her book. He is also asking for $30m in a case against Fox News pundit Jessica Tarlov, who issued a correction rather than an apology over claims she made on air that a Trump-associated political action committee had paid for his legal fees. In the case against Mr Raskin, Mr Bobulinski is suing for $20m. The Independent has reached out to Mr Rakin and Mr Bobulinski for comment. 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 }} George Santos had dropped out of his independent bid for a second spot in the House of Representatives months after being ousted from his New York seat. I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1, Mr Santos wrote on X on Tuesday evening. The former representative first announced his bid for the seat representing Long Island in March. The news came after Mr Santos made a surprise appearance at President Joe Bidens 2024 State of the Union address, despite being expelled from Congress just months earlier. George Santos pictured in March attending the State of the Union. One month after announcing his bid for a second congressional seat, Mr Santos has dropped out of the race ( AFP via Getty Images ) I dont want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota Although Nick and I dont have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I dont want to split the ticket and be responsible for handing the house to Dems, Mr Santos continued. His incumbent GOP opponent, Mr Lalota, was first elected in 2023. I will continue to participate in the public policy discussion and will do my part I will always strive to stand on the right side of history, Mr Santos wrote. Announcement! I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1 I dont want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota Although Nick and I dont have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I dont want to split the George Santos (@MrSantosNY) April 23, 2024 Meanwhile, Mr Santos is currently facing 23 federal criminal charges, including charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds. In March 2023, the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into the then-New York lawmaker, who was first elected in 2022. Two months later, the Department of Justice handed him the first thirteen indictments and he was arrested the next day. In October, Mr Santos was then hit with a 23-count superseding indictment, adding another ten charges to his total. The former congressman has denied all the allegations and has pleaded not guilty. Mr Santos was subsequently expelled from the US House of Representatives in a 311 to 114 vote on 1 December 2023. The former congressman made headlines just last week after making a mysterious appearance outside of former president Donald Trumps criminal trial in New York. Mr Santos was passing by the Manhattan Criminal Court on his way to a hearing in his own court case: A lawsuit against late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The former congressman alleges Mr Kimmel deceived him into making more than a dozen videos on Cameo a mobile app that allows users to pay for personalised videos from celebrities that Mr Kimmel then played on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! Despite facing many legal woes already, Mr Santos sued him in February for copyright infringement, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. 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 Trumps former fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen has raged that no one is above the law and vowed that truth will prevail over the former presidents incessant lying, as he prepares to take the stand to testify in the historic hush money trial. On Tuesday morning, Judge Juan Merchan presided over a hearing to determine whether Mr Trump has violated the gag order in the case. Manhattan prosecutors have argued that the former president has breached the order at least 10 times in posts on his Truth Social account and on his campaign website, following a series of attacks on Cohen as well as adult film star Stormy Daniels both of whom are likely prosecution witnesses in the landmark case. Cohen, a frequent subject of the former presidents wrath, often discusses on his podcasts the death threats he has faced in the lead-up to the trial, showcasing the toll that being cast out of Trumpworld has taken on his life. As the judge weighed the potential gag order violations, Cohen told The Independent by text message that in the face of the attacks he is stronger than I ever imagined. After the Trump administration had me remanded to solitary confinement for a total of 51 days, I learned that I am much stronger than I ever imagined, he said. Strong enough to ensure that truth will prevail over Donald and his acolytes incessant lying and denigration of me. In the court hallways or his UNtruth Social platform. Regardless, Cohen continued, no one is above the law. The hush money trial is now in its second week, with the first witness David Pecker returning to the stand for a second day on Tuesday morning. Cohen is considered to be a star witness in the case, having admitted to giving Ms Daniels $130,000 in so-called hush money payments to conceal an alleged affair with Mr Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He has claimed he handed over the money at the direction of Mr Trump. The payments were labeled as legal fees. Although Cohen was once a close ally, attorney and so-called fixer of the former president, their relationship has since soured, with the two men turning on each other. In recent weeks, Mr Trump has repeatedly attacked his former lawyers credibility. Michael Cohen enters New York Supreme Court on 25 October 2023 in New York ( AP ) Mr Trump and his legal team have cited the fact that Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to making false statements to Congress on matters unrelated to the current criminal case. Mr Trump and his team have also recently pointed out how a judge recently denied Cohen an early end to his supervised release after suggesting that Cohen committed perjury. Just two days before the trials start, Mr Trump posted on Truth Social wondering whether his former attorney had been prosecuted for LYING? In a separate Truth Social post, the former president referred to Cohen and Ms Daniels as two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly! For his part, Cohen has also been posting frequently about his former client. On Monday, as the second week of the historic trial kicked off, Cohen gave Mr Trump an unflattering new nickname. Hey Von S***zInPantzyour attacks of me stink of desperation. We are all hoping that you take the stand in your defense, Cohen posted, alongside a photo of Mr Trump sitting at the defence table in Manhattan criminal court. Judge Merchan is expected to make a decision around the potential gag order violations at a later date. The DAs office has asked the judge to hit Mr Trump with $10,000 in financial penalties and to force the former president to take down the offending posts. The prosecutors noted they are not yet asking for jail time. Although Mr Trumps lawyer Todd Blanche argued that there was absolutely no willful violation of the gag order and that his client was merely responding to political attacks, he fell short of pointing to the posts that Mr Trump was reacting to. You presented nothing, Judge Merchan shot back. Youre losing all credibility. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen has escalated his social media war with the former president, handing him an unflattering nickname ahead of his testimony in the hush money trial. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, Cohen called Mr Trump Von S***zInPantz and claimed he stinks of desperation. Hey Von S***zInPantzyour attacks of me stink of desperation. We are all hoping that you take the stand in your defense, Cohen posted, alongside a photo of Mr Trump sitting at the defence table in Manhattan criminal court. Earlier on Monday, Cohen also posted on X: As the trial begins, Donald von S***zInPantz better stock up on Imodium and Gas-X, referring to claims from Meidas Touch Networks Ben Meiselas citing credible sources who told him that Mr Trump was farting in court. Cohen has previoulsy used that nickname to lash out at his former close ally and client in his podcast. The remark comes as Mr Trump has repeatedly bashed Cohens credibility ahead of his looming testimony in the the historic hush money trial, which has now entered its second week. As recently as Monday, the former president fumed about his former ally-turned-nemesis: The things he got in trouble for were things that had nothing to do with me. He got in trouble. He went to jail. This has nothing to do with me. The attacks on Cohen could be a violation of a gag order imposed against Mr Trump, since Cohen is a witness in the case. Judge Juan Merchan held a hearing on Tuesday morning over the potential violations of the gag order, and is expected to rule on the matter at a later date. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office plans to file another motion on Tuesday arguing another gag order violation, after Mr Trump attacked Cohen during one of his daily conducted press conferences on his way into and out of this courtroom on Monday which the state claims again violated the gag order on camera. Michael Cohen and Donald Trump at an event in Ohio on 21 September 2016 ( REUTERS ) Cohen is considered a star witness in the landmark case the first in US history to have a former president stand trial. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to so-called hush money payments given to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to cover up her alleged affair with the then-presidential candidate. The payments were labeled as legal fees. Cohen has previously claimed that he gave Ms Daniels the $130,000 at the direction of Mr Trump and was then reimbursed by him. Although the former president has denied the affair and denied any wrongdoing, Mr Trump has previously admitted to reimbursing Cohen for the payment. The former fixer pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to the hush money scheme. He was sentenced to three years in prison most of which he spent in home confinement. Cohen sought an early end to his supervised release, but last month, a judge rejected it, suggesting that the former attorney had committed perjury. His supervised release is set to end in November. Michael Cohen stands behind Donald Trump at an event in Ohio on 21 September 2016 while the latter was running for president ( REUTERS ) Also in 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress on matters unrelated to the hush money scheme. Mr Trump and his legal team have capitalised on Cohens history, seeking to discredit him as a witness in the case. In opening statements, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors that Cohen cannot be trusted and that his financial livelihood depends on President Trumps destruction. Cohen and Mr Trump were one-time close allies, before their friendship descended into a feud. In 2017, Cohen once said he would take a bullet for Mr Trump. But everything changed after his 2018 guilty plea. When he testified before Congress in February 2019, Mr Trumps former lawyer completely changed his tune. He called his former client a racist, a con man, and a cheat, adding: I have lied, but I am not a liar. I have done bad things, but I am not a bad man. I have fixed things, but I am no longer your fixer, Mr Trump. On his podcasts leading up to the start of the criminal trial, Cohen has repeatedly discussed the barrage of death threats hes received since leaving Trumpworld. He recently told MSNBC that he was stressed due to the former presidents tendency to attack anyone and everyone including the judges daughter. 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 }} A Minnesota state senator has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and is currently being held in police custody. Democratic Farmer Labour Party (DFL) state Senator Nicole Mitchell, 49, was found inside a home in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, in the early hours of Monday morning, Detroit Lakes Police said. Chief Steve Todd told The Associated Press that the homeowner called 911 at 4.45am about an active burglary in process at her residence. Officers arrived on the scene and arrested the DFL lawmaker, Chief Todd told the outlet. She was booked on 22 April into Becker County Jail, jail records show. The investigation into the incident is ongoing with the police chief saying that the Becker County Attorneys office would determine the charges. Minnesota state Senator Nicole Mitchell arrested ( Becker County Jail ) The Independent has reached out to the county attorneys office and Ms Mitchells office for comment. Mark Johnson, the Minnesota Senate minority leader, told The Associated Press: The public expects Legislators to meet a high standard of conduct. The Republican lawmaker added: As information comes out, we expect the consequences to meet the actions, both in the court of law, and in her role at the legislature. In pics: Beautiful pear flowers attract tourists in NW China's Qinghai People's Daily Online) 10:10, April 23, 2024 Photo shows blooming pear flowers on a tree in Xiazhai village, Ledu district, Haidong city, northwest China's Qinghai Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Liping) Old pear trees planted on around 100 mu (6.67 hectares) of land are in bloom in Xiazhai village, Ledu district, Haidong city, northwest China's Qinghai Province. The gentle spring breeze carries the sweet fragrance, and attracts a steady flow of tourists who come to admire and capture the beauty of the flowers. In recent years, Ledu district has leveraged its ecological advantages by promoting the growth of the flower, fruit, vegetable, sightseeing, and leisure tourism industries. This strategic approach has not only boosted the incomes of local farmers but also revitalized the rural area. 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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 }} Perhaps the ultimate totem of Senate Minority Mitch McConnells power is that nobody forces him to speak. Where reporters stick their arms out to grab quotes from his fellow Republicans or his gabby Democratic counterpart Chuck Schumer, the same cant be said for when McConnell takes the handful of steps from his office off the Senate floor to speak in the chamber. Most of the time, journalists dont bother him at all they know better. When he does speak, the mercurial Kentuckian rarely emotes and only gives the bare minimum in terms of information. Thats made McConnells remarks both on the Senate floor and during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon so surprising. On Tuesday, the Senate teed up what McConnell hopes to be his defining legacy item before he steps aside as Republican leader later this year: aid to Ukraine as it seeks to push back against Vladimir Putins assault. After nearly six months of opposition, largely from his own party, to assisting Ukraine, the bill was finally advanced. And McConnell did not mince words when asked why it took so long for Republicans to get behind it. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should've been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. And so he had an enormous audience, which convinced rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake. The words were a shock for many. Former speaker John Boehner whom nine years ago said enough after dealing with GOP extremists once said McConnell holds his feelings, thoughts, and emotions in a lockbox closed so tightly that whenever one of them seeps out, bystanders are struck silent. McConnells not entirely wrong. Carlson the former Fox News provocateur who now hosts a show on Twitter/X where he did interview the Russian president, some might say with kid gloves has routinely spoken out against the idea of the US supporting Ukraine. When Ron DeSantis called the war in Ukraine a territorial dispute, he did so in response to a questionnaire from Carlson. But the hostility to Ukraine also runs much deeper than the words of a gadfly like Carlson. Many other conservative consiglieres such as Steve Bannon, aide to former president Donald Trump have expressed similar sentiments, preferring instead to posture about America First. Indeed, it was Republican revulsion at supprorting Ukraine that prompted McConnell to dispatch conservative Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma to negotiate with Democrats over an aid bill in the first place. Lankford was able to negotiate tightened restrictions on immigration and more security provisions at the US-Mexico border before Trump ultimately killed the bill off entirely. But McConnell has tried to avoid speaking Trumps name ever since the former president incited a riot at the Capitol that threatened his life. As a result, he discussed the contours of those negotiations while dancing around the former president. I think the former president had sort of mixed views on it, he told reporters. We all felt the border is a complete disaster, myself included. While McConnell would like to see himself as a vanguard of protecting democracy abroad, the last six months have revealed how little power he has left. Once, he had an iron grip on the Senate Republican conference that allowed him to block Barack Obamas agenda and rapidly confirm Trumps judges a move that ultimately led to the death of Roe v Wade. But on Tuesday, he found himself in the same position that House Speaker Mike Johnson has recently: relying on Democrats to pass aid to Ukraine. While 30 Senate Republicans voted to allow for cloture compared to a minority of Republicans in the House, he still had to grapple with the fact that he no longer represents a party that champions a robust prohibitive foreign policy. McConnell also criticised those in his party who did not want to support Ukraine, including some of the candidates whom he hopes will hand the Senate to the Republican Party when he steps aside later this year. I think weve turned the corner on the isolationist movement, he told reporters. Ive noticed how uncomfortable proponents of that are, when you call them isolationists. But the fact remains that the isolationist wing of the GOP will most likely continue to grow. And any of McConnells potential successors will not have the skill, the tools or the gravitas to temper that wing as well as McConnell. Should Trump re-assume the Oval Office, those isolationists will have a powerful ally in the White House who can negate even would-be McConnells. Indeed, the Democrats now see themselves as more willing to use American might to defend its values abroad than Republicans (albeit Democrats divide on Israel shows they debate when and where to use it). As Ive said before and will repeat perpetually, the isolationist and Trump wing of the GOP would not be as strong had McConnell not accommodated Trump at every step of the way. Liberals will likely say it will be his decision to acquit Trump after January 6 despite his open disdain for the former president that is his biggest legacy, rather than aid to Ukraine. But the two are in fact intertwined. Had McConnell not let Trump off the hook, then Trump would not still be an influential force in the party. 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 }} Pennsylvanias primaries take place on Tuesday and although Joe Biden and Donald Trump already have their respective partys presidential nominations sewn up, there are still plenty of interesting congressional and state races to keep an eye on. An important swing state come November, the Keystone States April primary is expected to offer important insights into two key issues set to define the race for the White House later this year: abortion and Israels war against Hamas. President Biden, who has recently been out campaigning in his hometown of Scranton, won the state in 2020 by a mere 80,000 ballots and could again suffer a protest vote, as he did in Michigan earlier this year, as grassroots organisers call for Democratic voters to write uncommitted on their ballot papers as a warning to the incumbent to do more to bring an end to the bloodshed in Gaza or risk losing their support at a more crucial stage. Mr Trump could also suffer a protest vote, of a sort, should voters decide to mark an X next to the name of Nikki Haley, his former opponent, who suspended her campaign last month but nevertheless picked up 13 per cent of the vote in Wisconsin recently, a warning to the brash former president that not all conservatives can be relied upon to fall into line and back him. Further down the ballot in Pennsylvania, Democrats hope to hold onto their narrow 102-101 majority in the state House of Representatives and eat into the Republicans 28-22 majority in the state senate, with the party needing to flip just three seats in the latter to take it to 25-25 and enjoy a majority thanks to Democratic lieutenant governor Austin Daviss tie-breaking vote. All 17 members of the states congressional delegation are running for re-election this year and one of the key House races to look out for sees progressive Democratic squad member Summer Lee being challenged by local council member Bhavini Patel over her advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza, which Ms Lees more moderate rival argues is a position that could cost President Biden re-election in November and does not best represent the Jewish community of Pittsburghs 12th district. In the 7th district, three Republicans are fighting it out for the chance to take on incumbent Democrat Susan Wild in November and, in the 10th, six Democrats are battling it out with a view to ultimately ousting Scott Perry, former chair of the Republican Freedom Caucus DC home to such Maga stalwarts as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz with news anchor Janelle Stelson and fighter pilot Mike OBrien thought to have the strongest case. In the 1st district, meanwhile, Republican congressman Brian Fitzpatrick is facing off against GOP anti-abortion activist Mark Houck, who accuses the incumbent of being too centrist. Joe Biden campaigning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 17 April ( Getty ) Pennsylvanias senate race sees Bob Casey and Dave McCormick running unopposed to be the Democratic and Republican candidates, the latter having lost out to Dr Mehmet Oz in the 2022 midterms, only for the Trump-backed celebrity physician to lose to Democrat John Fetterman when the long-predicted red wave failed to materialise. Seven challengers, five Democrats and two Republicans, are also battling it out to become the states next attorney general, a position occupied by Democrat Josh Shapiro until he was elected governor in 2022 and which has since been held by Michelle Henry, who completed his term but has decided not to run again. All five Democrats for that post have committed themselves to protecting the right to abortion and access to medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, including mifepristone. Their Republican rivals, however, have said they do not believe the state constitution guarantees the right to an abortion and would leave the issue for the state legislature to decide should either become attorney general. The polls close at 8pm ET this evening and promise to tell us much about which way the wind is blowing. 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 }} Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is running as an Independent in the 2024 presidential race, said he wants to put the "US budget on blockchain," the technology used by Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to keep track of transactions. Im going to put the entire US budget on blockchain so that any American every American can look at every budget item in the entire budget anytime they want 24 hours a day, Mr Kennedy said on Sunday during a rally in Michigan, The Hill reports. While Mr Kennedy's plan would theoretically provide a greater amount of transparency to the national budget, moving the totality of the nation's spending to the blockchain would likely be a daunting task. In December 2022, the Office of Management and Budget gave federal agencies a deadline of June 2024 to fully digitise their records, as many offices still use paper documents, according to FedScoop. The other problem with Mr Kennedy's plan is that it is a solution to a non-existent problem; the federal budget is already public, as federal spending is tracked and documented in the public record. Were gonna have 300 million eyeballs on our budget, and if somebody is spending $16,000 for a toilet seat, everybodys gonna know about it, Mr Kennedy said. Mr Kennedy has already stated he wants to back the US dollar with Bitcoin rather than its current fiat value, and he has accepted campaign donations in Bitcoin over the last year. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent candidate for President of the United States, said he wants to put the US budget on blockchain ( EPA ) While he is a proponent of modern digital currencies, he has opposed a central bank digital currency, something that the Federal Reserve is "exploring". A central bank digital currency, or CBDC, would essentially create a new currency, controlled by the Federal Reserve, for use in digital transactions by a nations citizens. Republicans, including Donald Trump, have largely opposed a central bank digital currency, arguing it would give the government unprecedented power over and insight into Americans digital spending. Several nations have expressed interest and are in the process of developing or already have launched CBDCs, like the UKs digital pound. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the bank will only create one if it is ordered to via congressional legislation. Mr Kennedy has been praised for being "strongly supportive" of cryptocurrencies by Stand With Crypto, a nonprofit controlled by advocates and currency exchange Coinbase that advocates for "common-sense regulations" for the digital currency industry. The same group rates Mr Trump as "supportive" and Joe Biden as "against" cryptocurrencies. Mr Kennedy spoke at ETHDenver, a cryptocurrency conference in Denver in early March, where he likened "transactional freedom" to freedom of speech. "Transactional freedom is as important as freedom of expression," he told the crowd, Axios reports. He told the crowd that, if elected, he would issue executive orders preventing the establishment of a central bank digital currency, going so far as to say they threaten Americans "constitutional rights." "I don't think there's anybody using a podium or a bully pulpit to explain to the American public how inconsistent central bank digital currencies are with our values and how threatening they are to our constitutional rights," he said. Mr Kennedy even attempted to adopt a meme popular with cryptocurrency enthusiasts "HODL," which is a misspelling of "hold," meaning to hold onto one's crypto assets and refuse to sell based on the belief that the price will continue to rise. In his version of the "HODL" meme, Mr Kennedy aped Mr Biden's "Build Back Better" slogan, saying he wants to "BUIDL Back Better." 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 Supreme Court is hearing arguments this week with profound legal and political consequences: whether former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in a federal case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In addition to establishing a potentially historic ruling about the scope of presidential power, the courts decision whenever it comes will undoubtedly go a long way in determining a trial date for Trump in one of the four criminal prosecutions that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee faces. A quick decision in the Justice Departments favor could conceivably put the case on track for trial this fall. But if the court takes until late June to resolve the question, then the likelihood rises substantially that the November presidential election will happen without a jury ever being asked to decide whether Trump is criminally responsible for efforts to undo an election he lost in the weeks leading up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. A look at whats ahead: WHAT IS THE COURT DECIDING? A straightforward but legally untested question: whether a former president is immune from federal prosecution for official acts. Trump is the first ex-president to face criminal charges, making his appeal the first time in the countrys history that the Supreme Court has had occasion to weigh in on this issue. Though Justice Department policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president, theres no bar against charging a former one. Special counsel Jack Smiths team says the Founding Fathers never intended for presidents to be above the law and that, in any event, the acts Trump is charged with including participating in a scheme to enlist fake electors in battleground states won by President Joe Biden arent in any way part of a presidents official duties. Trumps lawyers, by contrast, say former presidents are entitled to absolute immunity. They warn of a potential floodgate of prosecutions against former presidents if theyre not entitled to immunity and say the office cannot function if the commander-in-chief has to be worried about criminal charges. And they cite a previous Supreme Court ruling that presidents are immune from civil liability for official acts, saying the same analysis should apply in a criminal context. HOW DID THIS ISSUE REACH THE COURT? The Supreme Court will actually be the third set of judges to address the question in the last six months. Trumps lawyers last October asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, the trial judge overseeing the case, to dismiss the indictment on presidential immunity grounds. The judge squarely rejected Trumps claims of absolute immunity, saying in December that the office of the presidency does not confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass. An appeals court in February held the same, with a three-judge panel saying that for the purposes of this case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. Trump appealed to the high court, which after several weeks, announced that it would consider whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. WHAT ARE THE COURTS OPTIONS? The justices have multiple paths to decide the case. Theyll probably meet in private a short time after arguments to take a preliminary vote on the outcome. Chief Justice John Roberts would be a prime candidate to take on the opinion for the court, assuming he is in the majority. They could simply reject Trumps immunity claim outright, permitting the prosecution to move forward and returning the case to Chutkan to set a trial date. They could also reverse the lower courts by declaring for the first time that former presidents may not be prosecuted for conduct related to official acts during their time in office. Such a decision would stop the prosecution in its tracks. There are other options, too, including ruling that former presidents do retain some immunity for their official actions but that, wherever that line is drawn, Trumps actions fall way beyond it. Yet another possibility is that the court sends the case back to Chutkan with an assignment to decide whether the actions Trump is alleged to have taken to stay in power constitute official acts. A court ruling in Trumps favor should have no bearing on the hush-money trial now underway in New York in part because that state-level case involves actions Trump took before he became president. And though Trumps lawyers have made the same immunity argument in a federal case in Florida charging him with hoarding classified documents, that case accuses Trump of illegally retaining the records and obstructing efforts to get them back after he left office rather than during his presidency. HOW WILL THE RULING BEAR ON A TRIAL DATE? How quickly the court moves after arguments could depend on how much agreement there is among the justices. Unanimous opinions almost always take less time to write than those that sharply divide the court. If the justices rule against Trump and in favor of the government, the case would be returned to Chutkan, who would then be empowered to restart the clock on trial preparations and set a trial date. Any trial would still be several months away, in part because of Chutkans decision last December to effectively freeze the case pending the outcome of Trumps appeal. Shes also committed to giving prosecutors and defense lawyers time to get ready for trial if the case returns to her court. That means that outstanding legal disputes that have been unresolved for months will again take center stage, not to mention new arguments and court fights that have yet to even surface but will also take up time on the calendar. The trial is likely to take months, meaning it would likely threaten to run up against the election if it doesnt begin by August. Smiths team has said the governments case should take no longer than four to six weeks, but that doesnt include any defense Trump could put on. And jury selection alone could take weeks. WHY DOES TRUMP WANT TO DELAY THE TRIAL? The timing of the trial and whether Trump will be forced to sit in a Washington courtroom in the weeks leading up to the election carries enormous political ramifications. If Trump secures the GOP nomination and defeats Biden in November, he could potentially try to order a new attorney general to dismiss the federal cases against him or he could even seek a pardon for himself though that is a legally untested proposition. Smiths team didnt mention the election in its filing urging the Supreme Court to reject Trumps effort to further delay the case. But prosecutors noted that the case has unique national importance, adding that delay in the resolution of these charges threatens to frustrate the public interest in a speedy and fair verdict. Trump, meanwhile, has accused Smith of trying to rush the case to trial for political reasons. Trumps lawyers told the Supreme Court in their filing that holding the trial at the height of election season will radically disrupt President Trumps ability to campaign against President Biden which appears to be the whole point of the Special Counsels persistent demands for expedition. 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 }} Few people generate as many headlines as Taylor Swift. Her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and subsequent appearances at his games, including the Super Bowl, created bad blood among many right-wingers. Meanwhile, Democrats hope that an endorsement of Joe Biden by Swift would make him untouchable. But while the lavender haze of the primaries wears off, only a handful of states remain, including Swifts home state of Pennsylvania. Particularly, her birthplace, Berks County, explains plenty about the 2024 election. Heres how Berks County will drop everything now for Trump or speak now for Biden (and bonus points for anyone who finds all the hidden references). Swift was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, similar to Pennsylvanias junior senator John Fetterman who, like the subject of Swifts Wildest Dreams, is so tall, though well leave whether hes handsome as hell to the reader. But Swift spent the majority of her childhood in nearby Wyomissing. This is likely the area that inspired her song Christmas Tree Farm. In 2008, West Reading voted for Barack Obama, along with the rest of Berks County, making him the first Democrat to win Berks since Lyndon Johnson. Similarly, all but one of the precincts in Wyomissing broke for Obama that same year. But by 2012, driven by the Great Recession, everything had changed. Berks voted for Mitt Romney, and it broke Hillary Clinton like a promise when it voted for Donald Trump by roughly the same margin by which it had voted for Obama in 2008, as did Wyomissing. It did so again in 2020 by a slightly larger margin, despite Bidens Pennsylvania roots. Like many of the regions where Trump performed his best, Berks has a low college-degree attainment. According to the US Census Bureau, only 26.8 per cent of residents have a bachelors degree or higher. By comparison, neighbouring Montgomery County, which includes the suburbs of Philadelphia and voted for Biden, has a 51.4 per cent bachelors degree attainment rate, meaning its residents likely took a class in the Tortured Poets Department at one of the Commonwealths many fine universities. Similarly, in 2012, Democratic senator Bob Casey a childhood friend of Bidens who, as the son of a popular former governor, is part of the last great American dynasty won the county. He did so again in 2018, showing that, despite moving right, Berks voters had a hard time adjusting to voting for Republican Senate candidates. At the same time, there was a sign that Democrats were bound to become suburban legends. In 2016, West Reading voted for Clinton, and it did so again in 2020 suddenly enchanted to meet a Democratic candidate. Similarly, in 2018, after the states Supreme Court mandated new congressional districts be drawn, West Reading elected Democratic representative Chrissy Houlahan, who has held the seat ever since. In the coming election, the biggest phenomenon people are watching is that of the double-hater, which is to say voters who dont like either Biden or Trump. In an election where candidates should be celebrated, it appears that most voters have decided they have to simply tolerate it. Given the lingering anger over the Supreme Courts Dobbs v Jackson decision, Republicans no longer seem to be writing off the standard college-educated female voter as a madwoman. Those female voters particularly the college-educated voters and their daughters who packed arenas during Swifts Eras tour last year continue to show their salience as a political demographic. And theyve made it clear that they dont take kindly to having their reproductive freedoms interfered with. Which should make them ask candidates: Whos afraid of little old me? The answer might be: The GOP. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has branded the pro-Palestine protests sweeping college campuses across the US a disgrace as Jewish students are warned to stay home and the Columbia president faces calls to resign. The former president waded in on the drama as he headed into court for day six of his hush money trial in Manhattan. Speaking to reporters outside the court, he blamed the escalating protests across college campuses on President Joe Biden, claiming he has been putting out the wrong signal on Israels ongoing conflict in Gaza. He has the wrong tone. Hes got the wrong words. He doesnt know who hes backing. And its a mess, Mr Trump told reporters outside the court. He continued: The signals he puts out are so bad. And I can tell you hes no friend of Israel, thats for sure, and hes no friend of the Arab world. Once again, Mr Trump compared what he said was a large police presence keeping his supporters away from the court in Lower Manhattan to his perceived lack of law enforcement presence as protests have grown tense at nearby Columbia University and New York University in New York. A Pro-Palestine protestor is arrested at the gates of Columbia University on 22 April 2024 in New York City ( Getty Images ) We have more police presence here than anyones ever seen, for blocks you cant get near this courthouse, he said. And yet you have nobody up in a college, where you have very radical people wanting to rip the colleges down, the universities down. And thats a shame. There have been multiple reports of police, including riot squads, in attendance outside colleges in recent days, with many officers cordoning off areas around campuses. Over 100 arrests were made at Columbia University, over 150 at NYU, not to mention dozens at Yale University in Connecticut. New York University students set up a Liberated Zone tent encampment in Gould Plaza at NYU Stern School of Business on 22 April ( Getty Images ) At NYU, leaders requested the New York Police Departments presence to deal with disorderly conduct on Monday, saying students were trespassing and behaving in a disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing manner. Students have been protesting the ties their schools have to Israel, arguing that they need to cut off financial backers who are also aiding in the countrys conflict. However, there have been multiple reports of antisemitic rhetoric during these protests, with the White House saying that calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous. Jewish leaders have urged students to stay away from Columbias campus while the protests take place and the college has switched to hybrid learning until the end of semester. Former US President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at Manhattan criminal court for his hush money trial on 23 April 2024 ( Getty Images ) Earlier this month, Mr Trump said that Israel was losing the PR war and urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get it over with and stop killing people. His latest comments came before the former president entered the courtroom in Manhattan on Tuesday morning. Mr Trump is charged with 34 felony charges over hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her over an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. Mr Trump denies the affair took place and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial is one of four criminal cases against the former president. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump risked breaking the gag order in his hush money trial by lashing out at what he claimed to be the very unfair jury just hours before a hearing to determine whether he should be held in contempt of court. On Monday evening, the former president called into conservative radio show Outside the Beltway on the Real Americas Voice to complain about his trial. This judge who is a totally conflicted person, by the way, he should not be the judge of this case, hes so conflicted, nobodys ever been as conflicted as him, just about but this judge said I cant get away from the trial, Mr Trump moaned to host John Fredericks. You know hes rushing the trial. That jury was picked so fast 95 per cent Democrats. The area is mostly all Democrats. You think of it as just a purely Democrat area. Its a very unfair situation, that I can tell you. The former president made the comments just hours before Judge Juan Merchan was set to hear a complaint from the prosecution about his alleged violations of the gag order in the case. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is asking the judge to hold the criminal defendant in contempt of court and fine him for what they argue was at least seven different violations of the gag order. Its ridiculous, and it has to stop, assistant district attorney Christopher Conroy told the judge on Thursday, pointing to Mr Trumps continued posts about the trial on his Truth Social platform. Donald Trump in court on 22 April 2024 before opening arguments got under way in his Manhattan criminal trial ( AP ) The former president was previously hit with a gag order in the case following hhis repeated public outbursts railing against Mr Bragg, Judge Merchan and even the justices daughter alleging political bias against them without evidence. Last week, one of Mr Trumps social media posts featured a clip of Fox News personality Jesse Watters speculating about the prospect of undercover left-wing activists among the pool of New Yorkers being considered for jury duty. Prosecutors slammed the label as disturbing. Such was the concern about the former presidents social media activity among lawyers from the Manhattan District Attorneys Office that they last week declined to tell the defence in advance who their witnesses would be, preferring to shield them from Mr Trumps wrath. Despite the prospect of financial penalties hanging over his head if he is found to have violated the terms of the order, the defendant again ranted outside court on Monday about the injustice he claims he is facing and accused prosecution witness Michael Cohen, his estranged former personal attorney, of lying. He also later labelled Mr Bragg an election denier on Truth Social in what may be another potential violation. Speaking on MSNBC about Mr Trumps comments, legal analyst Andrew Weissmann said: The fact that hes doing something that appears by all accounts to be a direct violation of the order as late as tonight in advance of a 9.30am hearing on violations with respect to witnesses and a violation with respect to jurors both are things that a judge is going to care tremendously about. He could impose the fine that is obviously negligible and saber-rattle about whats next, Mr Weissmann added, but recommended that the judge instead leave aside politics and treat Mr Trumps conduct just like that of any other defendant. He continued: We have seen the legal system bend over so far to accommodate Donald Trump. He is not being treated worse. He is being treated so much better, whether youre talking about [the Department of Justice] or whether youre talking about all of the criminal cases. Opening statements got under way in the trial on Monday and the first prosecution witness former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker took the stand to testify about the so-called catch-and-kill scheme. He will return to the stand on Tuesday after the gag order hearing. Mr Trump is expected to be on trial in New York for six to eight weeks after being indicted last year by Mr Bragg, who accused him of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in order to silence her about an alleged affair they had in 2006. The defendant, running for the presidency once more in 2024, denies the affair and has pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts against him. He has repeatedly attacked the case as a scam and a witch hunt designed by his political enemies to stop him campaigning for the White House against Joe Biden. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal hush money trial in New York appeared unconvinced by his attorneys defence against allegations that the former president repeatedly and willfully violated a gag order that prevents him from attacking witnesses in the historic case. Manhattan prosecutors have accused Mr Trump of breaching the gag order through at least 10 different posts on his Truth Social platform and campaign website, including posts targeting Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels likely witnesses in the trial. Defence attorney Todd Blanche has argued that Mr Trumps posts were responding to political attacks but failed to offer up any examples of what, exactly, Mr Trump was responding to. You presented nothing, New York Justice Juan Merchan said at the conclusion of an hour-long hearing on Tuesday, as he grew increasingly frustrated with Mr Blanches defence. Youre losing all credibility, Ill tell you that right now, he added. Lawyers with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office have argued that Mr Trump violated a nearly month-old gag order in the case at least 10 times. On the trials second day, while jury selection was underway, the judge also warned Mr Trump directly against intimidating jurors in his courtroom. Judge Merchan first implemented a gag order in March, banning Mr Trump from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and others connected with the case. The order was expanded one week later to also include public statements about the families of the judge and DA Bragg. Prosecutors now want the judge to hold Mr Trump in contempt, fine him $10,000, and order him to remove the offending posts. They are not yet asking for jail time, prosecutors said. Judge Merchan will issue a decision at another time. Donald Trump appears in a Manhattan criminal courthouse on 23 April ( REUTERS ) On his Truth Social platform on 15 April, Mr Trump took aim at his former lawyer and fixer Cohen, posting a column from The New York Post that labelled him a serial perjurer who will try to prove an old misdemeanor against Trump in an embarrassment for the New York legal system. Mr Trumps campaign website also posted the headline and linked to the column. The former president and his campaign shared the post again the next day. Mr Trumps Truth Social account also posted a column with a picture of Mr Cohen titled: No, Cohens Guilty Plea Does Not Prove Trump Committed Campaign Finance-Crimes. On 17 April, after seven jurors had been sworn in to hear the case, his Truth Social posted a baseless statement attributed to Fox News personality Jesse Watters. They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury, it read. The very next morning, Juror No 2 returned to court to tell the judge that aspects of her identity released in the media had prompted some of her friends, colleagues and family members to ask her about the case. I dont believe, at this point, that I can be fair and unbiased, and let the outside influences not affect my thinking in the courtroom, she told the judge. She was excused from the case. Moments later, Manhattan prosecutors alerted the judge to Mr Trumps disturbing Truth Social post quoting Watters. Its ridiculous, and it has to stop, Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy told the judge. During Tuesdays hearing, Mr Conroy said Mr Trump has a habit of saying whatever he wants to say to get the results he wants. Here, he is knowingly and willfully breaching the crystal clear, unequivocal lines drawn up by the court in the protective order, he said. The courts gag orders are an unequivocal mandate to restrict Mr Trumps statements about known witnesses and jurors, prosecutors wrote in a filing last week. Mr Trumps very public statements should be seen as attempts to intimidate witnesses to stay quiet, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said last week. This effort continues to this very day. Donald Trump with his attorney Todd Blance (right) in a hallway outside a criminal courtroom in Manhattan on 23 April ( REUTERS ) Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged hush money scheme to silence adult film star Ms Daniels to stop her from going public ahead of the 2016 election about an alleged affair she had with Mr Trump in 2006. Prosecutors allege that the case is about election interference and a wider scheme to block the release of potentially compromising stories about Mr Trump and his affairs in the leadup to the 2016 presidential election. The gag order in his criminal trial follows gag orders in his civil fraud case and in his federal election interference case, where prosecutors warned that his social media bully pulpit could be used to fuel attacks. Special counsel Jack Smiths team, which is overseeing Mr Trumps federal criminal cases, described that dynamic in court documents as part of a pattern, stretching back years, in which people publicly targeted by Mr Trump are subject to harassment, threats, and intimidation. The former president seeks to use this well-known dynamic to his advantage, the filing added, and it has continued unabated as this case and other unrelated cases involving the defendant have progressed. Gag orders in the fraud case in New York block Mr Trump, his attorneys and all other parties in the case from disparaging court staff. A state appeals court allowed the orders to stand after court filings outlined a wave of credible death threats and abusive messages that followed Mr Trumps attacks against court employees and others. An official with the New York court systems Department of Public Safety wrote in an affidavit last year that the implementation of the limited gag orders in the fraud case resulted in a decrease in the number of threats, harassment, and disparaging messages that the judge and his staff received. The threats against New York Justice Arthur Engoron and his clerk Allison Greenfield were serious and credible and not hypothetical or speculative, he wrote. 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 }} Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has wildly claimed, without any evidence, that Democrats want Donald Trump to be murdered in jail. The right-wing lawmaker made the remarks during an interview with Infowars host Alex Jones, in which she suggested that the four criminal cases Mr Trump is facing - including an ongoing trial where he has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts relating to alleged hush money payments - are an intentional effort by his political rivals to imprison the former president until he dies. She added that Democrats are also attempting to strip Mr Trump of his presidential Secret Service detail to accomplish their goal. They want to lock him up in jail for the rest of his life so that he dies in jail, she told Jones, a conspiracy theorist who owes the families of Sandy Hook victims $1.5bn. And they want to take away his Secret Service protection so that he is murdered somewhere in jail, possibly. This is how serious they are, she added. Ms Greene was referencing a bill proposed last week by Mississippi Democrat Rep Bennie Thompson - the former chairman of the House January 6 Select Committee - that aims to strip Secret Service protections from former government officials convicted of a felony. Firebrand Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed that Democrats want Donald Trump to be murdered in jail ( Getty Images ) The bill, titled the DISGRACED Act, was co-signed by eight other Democrats and would force the Secret Service to relinquish protective duties to prison personnel. Unfortunately, current law doesnt anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee - even a former President, Rep Thompson said in a statement in April. Therefore, it is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatmentand that those who are sentenced to prison will indeed serve the time required of them. It is not the first time Ms Greene has suggested that the criminal cases against the former president were manufactured by Democrats to kill him by putting him behind bars. Bidens DOJ is trying to put [President] Trump in prison for the rest of his life which would be a death sentence, she wrote in a post on X in February. Mr Trump, 77, is currently on trial in New York accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an alleged bid to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He allegedly paid Ms Daniels, 45, $130,000 in October 2016 in exchange for her silence over a 2006 affair the actress claimed they had. Mr Trump denies the affair and all of the charges brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. If he is convicted of all 34 counts, he could theoretically face more than a decade in prison, according to CNN chief legal analyst Laura Coates. He is also involved in two other criminal cases related to his alleged attempts to conspire to overturn the result of the 2020 election and another case related to retaining classified documents. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him, and has slammed the legal proceedings as a witch hunt. This sentiment was echoed by Ms Greene during her interview this week, in which she called the criminal cases against Mr Trump rigged. Ms Greene, who is also a conspiracy theorist, has historically been one of Mr Trumps most vocal supporters. She previously claimed that the 2020 election was stolen but admitted she had no evidence of election fraud. Meanwhile, during a town hall meeting last year, Ms Greene seemingly approved of a call to execute her political opponents for treason. Before being elected to Congress in 2020, she accused then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of being guilty of treason, noting that it is a crime punishable by death. 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 }} This week was Donald Trumps second week on criminal trial the first of courtroom testimony and it was certainly eventful. Jurors heard from the prosecutions first witnesses in the case including lengthy testimony from tabloid mogul David Pecker, who outlined the catch and kill scheme at the heart of the hush money case. The former president faced calls for $10,000 fines over gag order violations over his continued attacks on witnesses. And Americans heard Mr Trump both fume about the landmark trial and use it as a campaign platform on Truth Social and in the courthouse corridors. Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, in order to stop her coming forward with allegations of a 2006 affair. Here are the key takeaways from the week: Day one Prosecutors lay out criminal conspiracy and cover-up During opening statements on Monday, prosecutors were direct in laying out the heart of the case, with Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo speaks during a hearing ( REUTERS ) telling jurors it was about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up. The defendant Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his business records, over and over and over again, Mr Colangelo continued. The prosecutor then laid out the catch-and-kill scheme, arranged between Mr Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen and Mr Pecker to block negative press about Mr Trump. Mr Colangelo told the jury that while no politician wants bad press, evidence will show this was a planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy. It was election fraud. Pure and simple, he said. Defence tries to humanise Trump In the defences opening statement, lead attorney Todd Blanche tried to humanise Mr Trump while still vowing to refer to him as President Trump. This is a title he has earned, Mr Blanche said. But hes not just the former president, the defence attorney continued. Hes not just Donald Trump that youve seen on TV or read about or seen photos of. Hes also a man, hes a husband, hes a father. And just like me, said Mr Blanche. Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court and delivers remarks to the media ( AP ) President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan District Attorneys office should have never brought this case. Mr Blanche also tried to discredit the prosecutions star witness in the case, Michael Cohen, stressing his 2018 guilty plea for lying to Congress and that he had been found liable for perjury in the past. On top of this, Mr Blanche argued that Cohen is obsessed with Mr Trump. Cohens financial livelihood depends on President Trumps destruction, according to Mr Blanche. He cannot be trusted. Day two Potential gag order violations Judge Juan Merchan held an hour-long hearing around potential gag order violations. Prosecutors accused Mr Trump of violating the gag order, which bars him from making public statements about potential witnesses, court staff and the families of the judge and DA, on at least 10 different occasions. Defence attorney Todd Blanche meanwhile argued that Mr Trumps posts were responding to political attacks. However, he failed to provide any example of what Mr Trump was responding to, leading to a scolding from the judge. You presented nothing, a frustrated Judge Merchan said. Youre losing all credibility, Ill tell you that right now. The judge also warned Mr Trump directly against intimidating jurors in his courtroom. The judge has yet to make a ruling on the alleged gag order breaches. Prosecutors suggested imposing a $10,000 fine against Mr Trump and ordering him to remove the offending posts, noting they have not yet asked for jail time. The threat of penalty hasnt deterred Mr Trump from continuing to rant about the case on Truth Social and to reporters as he enters and exits the courtroom. A behind-the-scenes look at tabloid journalism In his testimony, Mr Pecker provided a peek behind the curtain on what was happening at some of his tabloids. Mr Pecker described a mutually beneficial scheme to keep the National Enquirer jam-packed with stories boosting Mr Trumps 2016 election odds while ensuring negative stories never saw the light of day. As part of the arrangement, Mr Pecker would notify Cohen of any unflattering stories about the candidate particularly those involving women. Since Mr Trump was well-known as the most eligible bachelor, dating the most beautiful women, and it was clear based on my past experiences that when someone is running for office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try and sell their stories, the former publisher testified. Writing positive stories about Mr Trump and negative stories about his opponents would help him and it would help me, Mr Pecker explained as it would help him sell his tabloids. Jurors were shown a number of positive National Enquirer headlines and covers about Mr Trump, like DONALD TRUMP: HEALTHIEST INDIVIDUAL EVER ELECTED! They were also shown negative ones about his 2016 GOP primary opponents, like DONALD TRUMP BLASTS TED CRUZS DAD FOR PHOTO WITH JFK ASSASSIN. Pecker is questioned by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass ( REUTERS ) Doormans story about a love child Jurors heard how the scheme was first put into practice after a former Trump World Tower doorman, Dino Sajudin, claimed that the then-2016 candidate had a love child with a maid working at Trump Tower. Mr Pecker testified that Dylan Howard, then editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer, told him that Dino was in the market for selling a story and so he called Cohen to tell him. Cohen told Mr Pecker it was absolutely not true but that he would look into it, he testified. I asked Dylan to negotiate a price, negotiate a number, to buy the story and take it off the market, he said. Mr Pecker told the court they agreed upon $30,000 for the story and Cohen told him that the boss was very pleased, referring to Mr Trump. I thought it was very important that Dino wouldnt be shopping the story to other media outlets, he told the court. However, he then revealed his more selfish motivation for the transaction if he could have verified the story, he would have published it. It would probably be the biggest sale of the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley, Mr Pecker said. Day three How Playboy model affair story unfolded During the third day of testimony, Mr Pecker shed light on how he came across former Playboy model Karen McDougals story that she had a 10-month affair with Mr Trump in 2006, one year after he had married Melania. Mr Howard had interviewed Ms McDougal, learning of the alleged affair and how Mr Trump apparently called her a 12 out of 10, Mr Pecker told the court. Although Mr Howard warned there was no corroborating evidence, Mr Pecker said he believed the story to be true. He testified that he initially offered the former model $10,000 to buy the story but she turned it down. Mr Howard later told Mr Pecker that ABC was interested in buying Ms McDougals story, but that I knew from my experience that ABC doesnt buy stories. Mr Howard had concluded that Ms McDougal didnt want the story to be published. She said she didnt want to be the next Monica Lewinsky, Mr Pecker added. The boss will take care of it During testimony about buying the rights to these stories, Mr Pecker told the court about his interactions with Mr Trump on the matters directly linking the criminal defendant to the arrangements. Cohen had given Mr Pecker the green light to pay the former Playboy model $150,000 for the rights to her story, Mr Pecker told the court. Dont worry about it. Im your friend. The boss will take care of it, Mr Pecker recalled Cohen telling him, inferring that the boss meant Mr Trump. Mr Pecker recalled another occasion after he had won the 2016 election, when Mr Trump asked him: Hows our girl? referring to Ms McDougal. Mr Trump also thanked him for handling the McDougal story and the doorman situation, he told the court. He said the stories would be very embarrassing to him, his family and the campaign, Mr Pecker testified. Mr Trump even invited the former tabloid boss to a thank you dinner at the White House to show his gratitude for killing damaging stories, Mr Pecker testified testimony that shone a light on how the former president used his position in the White House to manage blowback from the scheme. An unhappy-looking Trump appears in criminal court ( EPA ) Trump was very upset when McDougal affair story leaked Despite the substantial efforts to block other outlets from getting access to Ms McDougals story, it did eventually become public and, according to Mr Pecker, this made Mr Trump very upset. The Wall Street Journal published an article just days before Election Day in 2016, unleashing the blockbuster story. Mr Pecker recalled Mr Trump phoning him, very upset, saying, How could this happen? I thought you had this under control. Mr Pecker testified that AMIs deal with Ms McDougal was for the lifetime rights to her story. Mr Pecker recalled then telling Cohen that the deal was off after his conversations with counsel about the transaction. He was very, very angry, very upset, screaming basically at me, Mr Pecker said. He recalled Cohen saying: The boss will be very angry with you. To this day, the publisher has never been reimbursed, Mr Pecker said on the stand. Celebrities dragged into the case During the former AMI chiefs testimony, several celebrities and high-profile figures were dragged into the case, including Rahm Emanuel, Mark Wahlberg and Tiger Woods. But one person in particular set the stage for Mr Peckers wariness to conceal politically-linked stories: The Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr Pecker said he had struck up an arrangement with the actor to conceal compromising stories about him when he was campaigning to become governor of California long before the publishers dealings with Mr Trump. Mr Pecker recalled Schwarzenegger saying: I plan on running for governor and I would like you to not publish any negative stories about me now and in the future, and Ill continue being the editor of Muscle & Fitness and Flex and be a spokesperson. Mr Pecker said he agreed to the arrangement. When the actor announced his gubernatorial bid, a number of women called up the National Enquirer with stories to sell on different relationships, or contacts, or sexual harassment that they felt that Arnold Schwarzenegger did, the former publisher testified. Mr Pecker outlined the agreement: I would call him and advise [Schwarzenegger] of other stories that were out there and I wouldbuy them for a period of time. This experience made me sensitive about buying any stories in the future. Thats how I became sensitive about this topic, Mr Pecker told the court. None of the celebrities are accused of any wrongdoing in the case. First mention of Stormy Daniels Stormy Daniels name cropped up in Mr Peckers testimony for the first time on Thursday when he told the court that Cohen had come to him asking for his help to get Mr Trump to pay him his bonus. I understood he was complaining that he had not been repaid, Mr Pecker said. Michael Cohen had paid Stormy Daniels out of his own funds, which is the first time that I had heard of that. I wasnt involved in that transaction, the former publisher testified. Stormy Daniels, speaks outside US Federal Court with her lawyer Michael Avenatti in 2018 ( AFP via Getty Images ) So Mr Pecker approached Mr Trump, telling him: Michael Cohen is very concerned about this bonus this year and I want you to know hes very loyal, hes been working very hard from my perspective, I believe hed throw himself in front of a bus for you. The former publisher recalled Mr Trump saying: I dont know what youre talking about. Michael Cohen has multiple apartments in my buildings. He owns 15 taxi medallions. Mr Pecker testified Mr Trump then added: Dont worry about it. Ill take care of it. Day four Two sides spar over whether Trump deserves title of president Early in the day on Friday, the two sides briefly sparred over whether or not Mr Trump deserves to go by the title of president during his trial. The moment came about as Mr Trumps defence attorney Emil Bove repeatedly referred to the defendant as President Trump when speaking about events prior to him taking office. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass tried to object saying: He wasnt president in June 2016. In opening statements on Monday, defence attorney Todd Blanche had told the jury that his legal team planned on referring to their client as President Trump because its a title he has earned. Trump attorneys try to poke holes in Peckers testimony During cross-examination, Mr Bove tried to cast doubt on the former tabloid bosss lengthy testimony about the catch and kill scheme. But despite multiple attempts to impeach Mr Peckers credibility, the former publisher repeatedly affirmed his under-oath descriptions of his meetings with Mr Trump. At one point on Friday, Mr Bove tried to get Mr Pecker to admit that he either lied on the witness stand or to federal law enforcement about Mr Trump thanking him for his help burying stories of Mr Trumps alleged affairs. Pecker being questioned on the stand ( AP ) Was that a mistake? Mr Bove asked. Do you believe Trump said that to you as we sit here right now? Mr Bove then handed Mr Pecker a report from his interview with federal prosecutors and the FBI in 2018, alleging that Mr Peckers prior testimony contradicted his earlier interview. This is the FBIs interview, is that correct? These are the FBI notes? The FBI notes, some of these here, are wrong. I know what I testified to yesterday, Mr Pecker said. I know what the truth is, he added. I cant state why its written this way. Pecker doubles down that McDougal payment was made to help Trumps election odds Mr Pecker previously called his relationship with Mr Trump mutually beneficial using his tabloid empire to identify negative stories about the then-2016 candidate in an effort to boost Mr Trumps election chances. However, the former AMI chief testified on Friday that one aspect of the agreement did not benefit him at all: the Karen McDougal story. That story was killed and the payment made with the sole purpose of helping Mr Trumps election odds, he testified, Mr Pecker repeatedly testified that stories about Mr Trump were big sellers for the National Enquirer. Burying Ms McDougals story was against his own business interest, prosecutors sought to point out. Karen McDougal speaking to CNN about Donald Trump ( CNN ) Had you published a story about a Playboy model having a yearlong sexual affair while he was married Would that have sold magazines? Mr Joshua Steinglass asked. That would be like, National Enquirer gold. Mr Pecker agreed. At the time you entered into that agreement, you had zero intention of publishing that story, Mr Steinglass said. You killed the story because it helped candidate Donald Trump. Yes, Mr Pecker said. Stormy Daniels Trump Tower visit - and Apprentice plans - revealed Two new witnesses briefly took the stand on Friday. The first was Rhona Graff, Mr Trumps former personal assistant at the Trump Organization, who testified that she has a vague recollection of seeing Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower before his 2016 presidential campaign. She assumed that Ms Daniels may have been at the office to discuss a role with The Celebrity Apprentice, Mr Trumps former hit reality TV competition series on NBC, she said. The network severed ties with Mr Trump in 2015 after his presidential campaign launch and his derogatory comments about immigrants. Ms Graff recalled that Mr Trump believed Ms Daniels would be a good contestant on the show. I cant remember a specific incident when I heard it. It was part of the office chatter, she said. Third witness takes the stand Gary Farro, a banker assigned to Cohen at First Republic Bank, testified that Cohen urgently asked for his help setting up an LLC shell company while negotiating a hush money payment to Ms Daniels in 2016. That account, Essential Consultants LLC, was used to wire Ms Daniels the $130,000 payment at the heart of the presidents criminal case. Mr Farro will resume his testimony on Tuesday. Elsewhere in Trumpworld Beyond the courtroom, there was a lot of other happenings in Trumpworld this week. Civil fraud bond deal On Monday, lawyers for Mr Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia Jamess office reached a deal around the payment of his $175m bond in his civil fraud case, so long as the collateral remains in cash. The AGs office had previously expressed concerns about the underwriter Knight Specialty Insurance Company. E Jean Carroll On Thursday, a federal court upheld the verdict in former Elle columnist E Jean Carrolls $83m defamation case against Mr Trump rejecting his request for a new trial. In May 2023, Mr Trump was found liable for sexually abusing Ms Carroll, and earlier this year, a jury determined that Mr Trump had defamed Ms Carroll, awarding her $65m in punitive damages and $18m in compensatory damages. Supreme Court immunity case The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Thursday in the landmark case involving the former presidents claims of presidential immunity from prosecution. During oral arguments, the justices appeared poised to allow some, but not absolute, immunity. The case stems from special counsel Jack Smiths federal indictment against Mr Trump, accusing him of engaging in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and stay in the White House. 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 }} Prosecutors in Donald Trumps historic hush money trial have refused to hand over a list of witnesses in the case in a bid to save them from Truth Social attacks by the former president. Mr Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election, in exchange for her silence over an alleged affair back in 2006. On Thursday 18 April before the first witness, David Pecker, took the stand on Monday Mr Trumps attorney Susan Necheles asked for the name of at least one witness that prosecutors intended on introducing the following week. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass explained that his office would normally hand over such information to the defence, but that they were reluctant to do so in this high-profile case because of Mr Trumps penchant for lashing out online at witnesses and others involved in the case. Mr Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses, he said. Were not telling him who the witnesses are. After the defence voiced some disappointment, Judge Merchan responded: I cant fault them for that. Whether you get the name or not, youre not going to delay the trial. You wont, he added said, promising that he wouldnt order the prosecution to turn over the list. Prosecutors did, however, agree to provide the name of a witness the day before that person is likely to testify. But this promise came with a caveat: if the former president publicly discusses that person, prosecutors wouldnt continue to share the witnesses ahead of time. Even without the witness list, Mr Trump has already publicly disparaged his former fixer Michael Cohen and Ms Daniels, both of whom are considered likely, if not star, witnesses in the criminal case. During the trials first week, the former president referred to the two as two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly! On Tuesday, Judge Merchan held a hearing to determine whether Mr Trump violated a gag order at least 10 times by posting on his Truth Social platform and campaign website, attacking the likes of Cohen and Ms Daniels. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy accused Mr Trump of knowingly and willfully breaching the crystal clear, unequivocal lines drawn up by the court. Prosecutors have asked for a $10,000 fine, stressing they havent asked for jail time yet. Former US President Donald Trump watches as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass questions David Pecker before Justice Juan Merchan on 23 April ( REUTERS ) On the other hand, defence attorney Todd Blanche argued that there was absolutely no willful violation of the gag order in the offending posts. The witnesses themselves can constantly comment on whatever they want ... and Trump, in theory, cannot respond, Mr Blanche told the court. He added that his client was responding to a barrage of political attacks however he failed to cite the posts that Mr Trump was allegedly reacting to. Eventually, Judge Merchan seemed to become frustrated, telling the Trump attorney that he was losing all credibility. The judge is yet to issue a decision on the matter. But the prosecutions decision to keep the list private seems to have stayed relevant, given Mr Trump continues to post relentlessly on Truth Social throughout the trial. On Tuesday, just minutes after the hearing over potential gag order violations, the former president took to his favourite social media platform to bash Judge Merchan. He claimed the judge was HIGHLY CONFLICTED, TO PUT IT MILDLY and was running a KANGAROO COURT. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on the judge in his New York hush money trial on Truth Social on Tuesday morning moments after his attorneys were forced to defend his posts in a hearing to determine whether he had violated the gag order in the case. Before trial testimony resumed on Tuesday, New York Justice Juan Merchan heard arguments from the prosecution and the defence about the former presidents Truth Social posts. Manhattan prosecutors have accused Mr Trump of violating a trial gag order at least 10 times in online attacks against potential witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. The gag order prohibits any statements about witnesses, jurors, lawyers, court staff and their families, made with the intent to materially interfere with any work in the case but does not include prosecutors or the judge. On the trials first day, Mr Trumps Truth Social account posted seemingly while he was inside the courtroom about Cohen and Ms Daniels, calling them two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly! On Tuesday, Judge Merchan told the two sides that he would make a decision on the matter at a later date. Despite the looming threat of a potential $10,000 fine, Mr Trump lashed out at the judge moments after leaving the courtroom. At 10.57am ET, shortly after the gag order hearing ended, his Truth Social account fired off a new post railing against the judge and his kangaroo court. Every single Legal Scholar and Expert said that Soros backed prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, has no case, he posted. Mr Trump continued: SO WHY WONT THEY DROP THIS CASE? Alvin Bragg never wanted to bring it - thought it was a joke. Was furious at lawyer MARK POMERANTZ (will he be prosecuted?) for what he did! Three minutes later, the former president blasted in his signature all-caps style: HIGHLY CONFLICTED, TO PUT IT MILDLY, JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN, HAS TAKEN AWAY MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH. EVERYBODY IS ALLOWED TO TALK AND LIE ABOUT ME, BUT I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DEFEND MYSELF. THIS IS A KANGAROO COURT, AND THE JUDGE SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF! The judge has not yet reacted to the criminal defendants most recent Truth Social posts. In the gag order hearing, Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy accused Mr Trump of knowingly and willfully breaching the crystal clear, unequivocal lines drawn up by the court. Donald Trump returns to Manhattan criminal court during his hush money trial on Tuesday ( Getty Images ) Meanwhile, defence attorney Todd Blanche argued that there was absolutely no willful violation of the gag order in the offending posts. The witnesses themselves can constantly comment on whatever they want ... and Trump, in theory, cannot respond, Mr Blanche argued. He added that his client was responding to a barrage of political attacks but failed to cite the posts that Mr Trump was allegedly reacting to. Ive asked you eight or nine times to show me the exact post and youve not been able to show me even once, the judge told him. Youre losing all credibility, Ill tell you that right now, he later added. Mr Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to Ms Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Mr Trump in 2006 when he was married to Melania. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing and denies the affair took place. The former president made history on 15 April when he became the first former or sitting president to stand criminal trial. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump's valet, Walt Nauta, was reportedly told he would be pardoned during a potential second Trump administration if he was charged with lying to the FBI. Mr Nauta was charged in June 2023 for lying to the FBI and for obstructing the agency's investigation into the classified government documents Mr Trump had stored at Mar-a-Lago after his presidency. Mr Trump was also charged with obstruction and with mishandling classified national defence information. Both men have pleaded not guilty. On Monday, court filings made public a set of heavily redacted interviews concerning an FBI witness named "Person 16". The witness is described in the summary as having been interviewed by the FBI in November 2022 and as having been someone who formerly worked in Mr Trump's White House, CNN reports. It is unclear who Person 16 is, or how they came to learn of the pardon. They reportedly told the FBI that Mr Trump was offering to extend a pardon to Mr Nauta during his possible second term. NAUTA was told by [Mr Trumps] people that his investigation was not going anywhere, that it was politically motivated and much ado about nothing, the interview summary states. NAUTA was also told that even if he gets charged with lying to the FBI, FPOTUS will pardon him in 2024. The witness, Person 16, said they had not spoken with Nauta since Donald Trump was elected in 2016. They reportedly refused to be recorded by the agency during their interview. Walt Nauta, personal aide to former US president Donald Trump who faces charges of being Mr Trumps co-conspirator in the alleged mishandling of classified documents, fixes his collar ( Reuters ) Person 16 reportedly visited Mar-a-Lago on numerous occasions in 2020 and said they advised Mr Trump to return "whatever" documents he had back to the National Archives. Dont give them a noble reason to indict you, because they will, Person 16 reportedly told Mr Trump. Mr Trump has insisted since the August 2022 FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago that he has done nothing wrong, that the documents recovered are his, and that even if he had done something wrong, he has "presidential immunity" to protect him anyway. Since Mr Nauta does not have a former presidency to fall back on, he had to cut a different path toward exculpation. In May 2022, Mr Nauta had an interview with the FBI, during which he said that he assumed the boxes filled with classified documents were actually filled with hairspray, shampoo, picture frames, and other assorted junk. Prosecutors said they have video footage of Mr Nauta moving boxes of documents into and out of a storage room, including on the day before the FBI raid. The boxes were reportedly moved at Mr Trump's direction, the indictment alleges. Mr Nauta tried to have his obstruction charges thrown out, but Judge Aileen Cannon rejected the effort. Ms Cannon wrote in a ruling that she disagreed with Mr Nauta's counsel characterising the charges against him as legally flawed. They argued in the filing that ongoing disagreements between judges over the definition of the word "corruptly" in the obstruction statute should make clear that the original law was unconstitutionally vague, CNN reports. The judge said that while the arguments were "worthy of serious consideration," they did not "lead this Court to conclude that dismissal of the obstruction counts is warranted". For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The emir of Qatar landed in Nepal Tuesday on his first-ever visit to the South Asian country, after visiting Bangladesh and the Philippines, where improving migrant workers' conditions in the Gulf state and a Nepali student still held hostage by Hamas are expected to be on the agenda. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is set to meet Nepali dignitaries, including President Ram Chandra Poudyal and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during his two-day visit. Qatar hosts an estimated 400,000 Nepali workers, most in construction and manual labor. Concerns about working in extreme heat that could reach over 40 C (104 F) inadequate living facilities and abuse have risen in recent years. New York-based Human Rights Watch called on Qatar, Nepal and Bangladesh in a statement Sunday to prioritize labor protection for migrant workers during the emir's visit. It is important ... to go beyond exchanging diplomatic pleasantries over their longstanding labor ties and seize this moment to publicly commit to concrete, enforceable protections that address the serious abuses that migrant workers in Qatar continue to face, the statement quoted Michael Page, the agencys deputy Middle East and North Africa director, as saying. The statement added that while Qatar-based jobs have allowed migrant workers to send remittances back home to their families, many experience abuse, including wage theft, contract violations, and chronic illness linked to unsafe working conditions. Nepali officials are also likely to seek Al Thani's help in freeing a local, Bipin Joshi, who is held hostage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Joshi was part of 17 Nepali students studying agriculture in Alumim kibbutz, near the Gaza Strip when Hamas attacked Southern Israel on Oct.7. Ten of the students were killed, six injured and Joshi was held captive. Though there has been no information on his condition or whereabouts, Nepali officials said they believed he was still alive. France and Qatar mediated a deal in January for the shipment of medicine for the dozens of hostages held captive by Hamas. Hamas' sudden attack killed 1,200 people and some 250 others hostage were taken hostage. This has sparked a war that has so far killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the local health ministry. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The arrest in Germany of a European Parliament aide on suspicion of especially severe espionage for China is the latest in a series of incidents involving allegations of Chinese spying in Europe. Beijing has denied wrongdoing. Jitters about alleged Chinese spying have mounted across Western Europe in recent months. Following is a rundown of recent notable recent cases. Germany April 23 - German prosecutors said a man they named as Jian G. had been arrested on suspicion of passing information about discussions in the European Union legislature to Chinese intelligence. The website of Maximilian Krah, the top candidate of the German far-right AfD party in Junes election to the assembly, lists Jian Guo as one of his assistants. Krah said he had learned of Guos arrest from the media and would stop working with him if the charges were proven. Jian G, who lived in Brussels and the German city of Dresden, also spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany, prosecutors said. He is accused of an especially severe case of working for a foreign secret service, a statement said. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that if the charges were proven, it was an attack on European democracy from within. Germany had massively increased counter-espionage, she said, due to Russian hybrid threats and Chinese snooping. The Chinese embassy did not immediately reply on Tuesday to requests for comment. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said reports of Chinese espionage in Europe were hype and intended to discredit and suppress China. April 22 - Germanys Justice Ministry said three Germans had been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technology that could be used for military purposes, in particular Beijings navy. In response to those arrests, the Chinese embassy in Berlin said Beijing firmly rejected accusations that it carried out such espionage in Germany. Britain April 22 - Two men were charged in Britain with spying for China, including one reported to have worked as parliamentary researcher for a prominent lawmaker in the governing Conservative Party. The pair, aged 32 and 29, were charged with providing prejudicial information to China in breach of Britains Official Secrets Act and are to appear in court on Friday. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Command at the Metropolitan Police, said the investigation had been extremely complex and the allegations very serious. Beijings embassy in London said the allegation that China was trying to steal British intelligence was completely fabricated. March 25 - Britain accused Chinese hackers of trying to break into email accounts of British lawmakers critical of Beijing and said a separate Chinese entity was behind a hack of its electoral watchdog that compromised the data of millions of people. The Chinese embassy in London said the claims wereAAAcompletely fabricated and malicious slanders. Netherlands April 18 - The Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD said in its annual report that Chinese spies had targeted the Dutch semiconductor, aerospace and maritime industries to try to strengthen Beijings armed forces China wants to be independent from Western knowledge and technology (and) wants to build a military that can match any other, the MIVD report said. To do so, it needs advanced technology it doesnt yet fully possess. It tries to get this abroad, using legal means such as research and investments, but also through its intelligence agencies. Belgium December 20, 2023 - Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo described China as a sometimes very hostile country after allegations Beijing had recruited a member of the Belgian far-right party Vlaams Belang as an intelligence asset. The leader of Vlaams Belang, which favours Flemish independence, expelled the party member in question over the allegations. (Compiled by Mark Heinrich; Editing by William Maclean) For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Dutch national intelligence agency said Tuesday that threats targeting the Netherlands are increasingly connected to worldwide turmoil, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Although the number of terror attacks across Europe has been down in recent years, the General Intelligence and Security Service in its annual report said the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the destruction of a Quran outside parliament last year are trigger events for extremists. The terrorist threat is serious at this moment, the agencys director-general, Erik Akerboom, told The Associated Press. Akerboom said he is particularly concerned about big events, noting that the agency is working closely with French authorities to prevent incidents during the Paris Olympics this summer. In December, the Dutch counterterrorism agency increased the countrys threat alert to its second-highest level because of concerns about the Islamic State group's Khorasan affiliates, Akerboom said. IS-K, a Central Asian affiliate, was responsible for the attack at a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people in March. According to the new report, global jihadism has been the greatest terrorist threat for years in the Netherlands. Incidents such as the one last April, when an anti-Islam activist tore pages from the Quran in front of the Dutch parliament building, put the Netherlands on the map of targets. About a dozen terror attacks were thwarted by authorities in Europe last year and in four cases, suspects were arrested in the Netherlands, the report said. None of those attacks was focused on the Netherlands, according to Akerboom. The Dutch also see threats from China, in particular cyberattacks, as a major concern. Akerboom said China is producing more hackers to break into Dutch systems than the Dutch can produce to defend them. The security service has cited China as the biggest threat to the countrys economic security. Russia also continues to pose a risk to the Netherlands amid Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. So-called peace protests in Amsterdam which call for the Dutch to stop sending arms to Ukraine have included demonstrators paid by Russian sources to attend and given prefabricated slogans, the security service has asserted. The Netherlands is of particular interest to Moscow in part because of the international institutions housed here, including the International Criminal Court. The Hague-based court is investigating crimes in Ukraine and has issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and other Russians. 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 }} Italian Premier Giorgia Melonis far-right-led government wants to allow anti-abortion groups access to women considering ending their pregnancies, reviving tensions around abortion in Italy 46 years after it was legalised in the overwhelmingly Catholic country. The Senate on Tuesday was voting on legislation tied to European Union COVID-19 recovery funds that includes an amendment sponsored by Melonis Brothers of Italy party. The text, already passed by the lower Chamber of Deputies, allows regions to permit groups with a qualified experience supporting motherhood to have access to public support centers where women considering abortions go to receive counseling. For the right, the amendment merely fulfills the original intent of the 1978 law legalising abortion, known as Law 194, which includes provisions to prevent the procedure and support motherhood. For the left-wing opposition, the amendment marks a chipping away of abortion rights that opponents warned would follow Melonis 2022 election. The government should realise that they keep saying they absolutely do not want to boycott or touch Law 194, but the truth is that the right-wing opposes womens reproductive autonomy, fears womens choices regarding motherhood, sexuality, and abortion, Cecilia DElia, a Democratic Party senator, said at a protest this week against the legislation. Under the 1978 law, Italy allows abortion on request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, or later if a womans health or life is endangered. It provides for publicly funded counseling centers to advise pregnant women of their rights and services offered if they want to terminate the pregnancies. People stage a protest on 'International Safe Abortion Day' to ask for more guarantees on the enforcement of the abortion law that they claim is seriously endangered by the high rate of doctors' conscientious objection in the country, in Rome, ( Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) But easy access to abortion isn't always guaranteed. The law allows health care personnel to register as conscientious objectors and refuse to perform abortions, and many have, meaning women sometimes have to travel far to have the procedure. Meloni, who campaigned on a slogan of God, fatherland and family, has insisted she wont roll back the 1978 law and merely wants to implement it fully. But she has also prioritised encouraging women to have babies to reverse Italys demographic crisis. Italys birthrate, already one of the lowest in the world, has been falling steadily for about 15 years and reached a record low last year with 379,000 babies born. Melonis conservative forces, backed strongly by the Vatican, have mounted a campaign to encourage at least 500,000 births annually by 2033, a rate that demographers say is necessary to prevent the economy from collapsing under the weight of Italy's aging population. Meloni has called the left-wing opposition to the proposed amendment fake news, recalling that Law 194 provides for measures to prevent abortions, which would include counselling pregnant women about alternatives. The amendment specifically allows anti-abortion groups, or groups "supporting motherhood," to be among the volunteer groups that can work in the counseling centers. I think we have to guarantee a free choice, Meloni said recently. And to guarantee a free choice you have to have all information and opportunities available. And thats what the Law 194 provides. The new tensions over abortion in Italy come against the backdrop of developments elsewhere in Europe going somewhat in the opposite direction. France marked International Women's Day by inscribing the guaranteed right to abortion into its constitution. Last year, overwhelmingly Catholic Malta voted to ease the strictest abortion laws in the EU. Polish lawmakers moved forward with proposals to lift a near-total ban on abortion enacted by the country's previous right-wing government. At the same time, Italy's left fears the country might go the way of the U.S., where states are restricting access after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down landmark legislation that had guaranteed access to abortion nationwide. Elly Schlein, head of Italy's opposition Democratic Party, told a conference on women Tuesday that the country needs to establish an obligatory percentage of doctors willing to perform abortions in public hospitals, otherwise these rights remain on paper only. There has been relief across Ukraine that the US House of Representatives has passed fresh military aid after months of political infighting but as Vladimir Putins forces step up attacks in the east of the country, Kyiv is fearful of a Russian offensive before those weapons and ammunition arrive. A Ukrainian major, Taras, eating dinner in the city of Kramatorsk, just after the vote in Congress at the weekend, said: You can hear the Russians are very angry [with drone and shelling attacks on the increase]. As the lack of American ammunition and other supplies got worse in recent weeks and the Russians have advanced we have all been very worried. We are grateful to America and other countries for their help and we need the US to send those supplies as fast as possible. It means the difference between life and death to our soldiers and for our ability to not only stop Russians advancing but to retake territory they have captured, he added. Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky, the countrys military commander, Oleksandr Sirskyi, and the military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, have all predicted a big Russian offensive starting next month or by June. But there is a widespread belief among troops that Moscow isnt going to wait until the US supplies are back in full flow and Ukrainian forces are preparing for pre-emptive powerful Russian strikes. Ukrainian military spokesman Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk said: Its difficult to analyse what our enemys tactics will be. And we know that the Russians are prone to impulsive decisions and can adopt unexpected plans. So to predict what theyre going to do is difficult and you have to bear in mind. Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky ( AFP via Getty Images ) Of course, any intensification of Russian attacks will make our work more complex, and we preparing for any eventualities. At the same time local authorities [military and civil] have for the last months been building new, and reinforcing existing, fortifications all along the front lines. In an interview published by the BBCs Ukrainian service on Monday, Lt Gen Budanov said: A rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future. But it is not catastrophic, this must also be understood. Armageddon will not happen, as many are now beginning to say. But there will be problems from mid-May. The Russians will use a comprehensive approach. They conduct a complex operation ... it will be a difficult period. Mid-May, early June, he added. President Zelensky, during an American TV interview on Sunday, pleaded for the US to send military supplies as soon as possible and that Ukraine was preparing for an offensive. We are preparing, the Ukrainian leader said, reiterating Syrskyis warning that Russia aims to capture the Chasiv Yar in the next couple of weeks. Chasiv Yar is a heavily fortified hilltop town and forward artillery base for the Ukrainian army, providing protection for some of the areas largest cities, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. I hope we will be able to stay, and the weapons will come on time, and we will repel the enemy, and then well break the plans of the Russian Federation with regards to this full-scale offensive, Mr Zelensky said. A Ukrainian tank of the 17th Tank Brigade fires at Russian positions in Chasiv Yar ( AP ) Kyivs armed forces were dangerously hampered in their ability to defend 600 miles of front line by a lack of ammunition for artillery and missile systems necessary to fend off Russian infantry and armoured assaults and to provide cover for Ukrainian troops. Ukraines reserves of ammunition for air defences have also run dangerously low and, in recent weeks, it has been able to destroy far fewer Russian weapons launched from the air such as ballistic and other missiles, drones and glide bombs (enhanced conventional aerial bombs). That has allowed Russia to destroy large amounts of Ukrainian infrastructure, such as power stations. On Sunday, the Kremlin claimed its forces took the settlement of Bohdanivka on the approach to Chasiv Yar. Kyiv previously admitted Bohdanivka had been in a precarious situation. An officer involved in the fighting told The Independent last week that Ukrainian forces had lost and then regained parts of Bohdanivka multiple times but warned that his comrades had suffered many casualties and were unlikely to be able to withstand the relentless attacks much longer. On Monday, Russia also claimed its forces had taken control of the village of Novomykhailivka, near the city of Donetsk, in another part of the front line, about 85 miles from Chasiv Yar. The Russians have expended large numbers of lives trying to capture Chasiv Yar in infantry assaults backed by armoured vehicles. However, the continuous Russian attacks have tired and caused painful casualties to Ukrainian defenders. Ukrainian morale has been hit as soldiers have watched American supplies diminish. Some have also been dismayed at the indifference they saw in Washington, despite the US being a key ally. Pro-Ukrainian supporters demonstrate outside the US Capitol ( Reuters ) The rumble of artillery and mortars has been the constant soundtrack around Chasiv Yar but on Saturday night, after news of the Congressional vote became known, there was a loud upsurge in Russian bombardment of the town and surrounding area, with missiles and drones also exploding close to Kramatorsk. A Pentagon spokesperson said that the first new US supplies could arrive before the end of April. The US could send in weapons already in the bases of its own forces stationed in Europe and replenish them later. The Independent has travelled extensively over the past three weeks across northern and eastern areas and seen large numbers of Ukrainian armoured vehicles and weapons moving towards the conflict zone, while troops create fallback defences miles behind the present Ukrainian lines. One effect of the reduction of US military aid is that it has jolted Nato members and other Ukraine allies into increasing their own supplies to Kyiv. Germany has taken the lead in providing air defence weapons, including its arsenal of US-made Patriot missile systems. Berlin launched an Immediate Action on Air Defense (IAAD) initiative calling on other countries to donate some of their own air defence weapons or provide cash for their purchase. The IAAD scheme also seeks to provide other powerful air defence systems, such as the Soviet-era S-300 and Western-manufactured SAMP/T. The Netherlands and Denmark seem likely to join IAAD and Germany said other countries were investigating joining the scheme. IAAD is similar to an initiative created by the Czech Republic earlier this year to search in other countries around the world for supplies for Ukraines artillery and rocket systems. Ukraine badly needs 152mm shells for its Soviet-era artillery and Nato-calibre 155mm artillery shells and rockets for Western 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 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 }} Bodies with their hands tied and without clothes were reportedly found among hundreds of corpses discovered in mass graves in Gaza, the United Nations said. The organisation said it was reviewing claims more than 300 bodies were discovered at two different burial sites outside the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals, some of whom were women and elderly people. It warned of potential serious violations of humanitarian law after the bodies were found buried deep in the ground and covered with waste. The Israeli military said the claim was baseless and unfounded. Among the deceased were allegedly older people, women and wounded, while others were found tied with their hands and stripped of their clothes, a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson said. This of course indicates serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and these need to be subjected to further investigations. The UN said it was reviewing claims more than 300 bodies were discovered at two different mass graves in Gaza ( EPA ) Meanwhile, Israel bombarded northern Gaza overnight in some of its heaviest shelling in weeks, flattening areas which the Israeli military had previously withdrawn from. On Tuesday, thick black smoke could be seen rising in northern Gaza as Israeli tanks rolled into the east of Beit Hanoun on the edge of the Gaza Strip. Residents reported witnessing at least 10 strikes along a main road in Zeitoun, one of Gaza Citys oldest suburbs, with Hamas-affiliated media claiming several people were injured in a strike on a mosque. In Israel, where government offices and businesses were shut to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday, incoming rocket alerts sounded in southern border towns, although no casualties were reported. The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, a group allied to Hamas, claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks on Sderot and Nir Am. The bodies were reportedly found buried deep in the ground and covered with waste, the UN said ( Anadolu/Getty ) Meanwhile, the Israeli military seems to have doubled down on its plans to invade Rafah, southern Gaza, where it claims the last few battalions of Hamas militants are hiding. It intends to evacuate civilians from the area head of the offensive, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had already taken refuge during the assault on the north. The evacuation will reportedly involve moving civilians to the nearby city of Khan Younis, among other areas in Gaza, where Israel will set up shelters with tents, food and medical facilities. Egyptian officials said the fighting in Rafah was expected to last at least six weeks, though the timing of the operation remains uncertain. The US also warned Hamas had moved the goalposts over hostage and ceasefire negotiations and was aiming for a full-scale regional war. A smoke plume billows following Israeli bombardment north of Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip ( AFP/Getty ) In a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the militant group had made demands that Israel moved some way to meeting before they were changed. It certainly does seem like Hamas is more interested in a full-scale regional war, he said, adding that it had declined a very significant proposal that had been tabled. At least 34,097 Palestinians have been killed and 76,980 injured in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war on 7 October the enclaves Hamas-run health ministry said. On 7 October 2023, more than 250 Israelis were kidnapped into Gaza by Hamas in a surprise terror attack. The Israeli government believes that in the more than 200 days since then, only 100 are still alive with the remains of 30 others still thought to be held by militants. An Israeli military spokesperson told The Independent: The claim that the IDF buried Palestinian bodies is baseless and unfounded. During the IDFs operation in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance [with] the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined. The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages. The examination was carried out respectfully while maintaining the dignity of the deceased. Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place. At the end of February, IDF forces conducted a precise and targeted operation against the terrorist organisation Hamas in the Nasser Hospital area. During the operation, about 200 terrorists who were in the hospital were apprehended, medicines intended for Israeli hostages were found undelivered and unused, and a great deal of ammunition was confiscated. The activity was done in a targeted manner and without harming the hospital, the patients and the medical staff. 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. French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated the call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza during his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Monday, Macron expressed his solidarity with the Israeli people following the attack launched by Iran against Israel on the night of April 13-14, according to a French presidency press release. The French president "reiterated his firm opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza, which would only aggravate an already catastrophic situation in Gaza and increase the risks of escalation," Xinhua news agency reported. He also spoke of the absolute urgency of guaranteeing a massive influx of humanitarian aid through all access points to the Gaza Strip and emphasized France's priority of an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. He reiterated the two-state solution is the only way to ensure lasting peace in the Middle East. Macron held a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the Middle East situation the same day. Earlier this month also, he has called for immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza. 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 }} Israel has yet to provide evidence that employees of the United Nationss Palestinian refugee Agency (UNRWA) are members of terrorist organisations, according to an independent review led by the French former minister Catherine Colonna. The UN appointed Ms Colonna to lead the UNRWA neutrality review in February after Israel alleged that 12 of its staffers took part in the Hamas-led October 7 attack, during which militants killed around 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage. The Hamas attack triggered Israels devastating war on Gaza, which Palestinian health officials say has killed more than 33,000 people, and UN aid agencies say sparked a man-made famine. The Independent reviewed a copy of the 48-page report, into the neutrality of the UN agency, which found that Israel never expressed concern about anyone on the staff lists it has received annually since 2011. The report also found that UNRWA had robust frameworks in place to maintain neutrality in Gaza which were more developed than other similar UN groups, but that neutrality-related issues persist. It cited instances of staff publicly expressing political views, host-country textbooks with problematic content and politicised staff unions making threats against UNRWA management and causing operational disruptions. Israel, which has long condemned UNRWA and has lobbied to have it shut down, stepped up its accusations in March, saying more than 450 agency staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups. These allegations led 16 states, including the UK and the US, to pause or suspend funding of $450 million, a crippling blow to the agency already struggling to respond to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has ravaged Gaza. UNRWA, which employs roughly 13,000 people in Gaza, is the biggest aid provider in the enclave. The UNs secretary general, Antonio Antonio Guterres, said in statement that he accepts the recommendations contained in Ms Colonna's report to improve UNRWA's capacity to monitor and address neutrality issues. He urged all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is "a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region". Palestinians inspect the debris after Israeli bombardment at Al-Daraj neighbourhood in Gaza City ( AFP via Getty Images ) A separate investigation is being carried out into the 7 October attack by the UNs Office of Internal Oversight Services. In response to the report by Ms Colonna, Israel's Foreign Ministry called on donor countries to avoid sending money to the organization. "The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas' infiltration of UNRWA," ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said. "This is not what a genuine and thorough review looks like. This is what an effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on looks like." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the agency to be shut down, saying it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini in March warned of "a deliberate and concerted campaign" to end its operations which are essential to the besieged strip. Mr Lazzarini said they fired 10 of the 12 UNRWA staffers alleged to have participated in the Oct. 7 attacks while the other two are dead. Two investigations were also ordered, including the one led by Ms Colonna and one looking into the Israeli allegations against the 12 UNRWA staff. In a key section on the neutrality of staff, Colonnas report said UNRWA shares lists of staff with host countries including Lebanon and Syria as well as Israel and the US for its 32,000 staff, including about 13,000 in Gaza. The reports said It is then the responsibility of these states to alert UNRWA of any information that may deem a staff member unworthy of diplomatic immunity. But it said Israeli officials never expressed concern. The Israeli Foreign Ministry informed the review panel that until March 2024 the staff lists did not include Palestinian identification numbers, the report said. On the basis of the March 2024 list of staff, which contained Palestinian ID numbers, Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organisations. However, Israeli authorities have to date not provided any supporting evidence nor responded to letters from UNRWA in March, and again in April, requesting the names and supporting evidence that would enable UNRWA to open an investigation, the report concluded. According to UNRWA, the Israeli government has not informed UNRWA of any concrete concerns relating to UNRWA staff since 2011. The reports acknowledged that UNRWA has "a more developed approach" to neutrality than other similar UN. or aid groups, "despite this robust framework, neutrality-related issues persist. In Gaza, UNRWA's neutrality challenges included the size of the operation, with most personnel being locally recruited and also recipients of UNRWA services, the review said. The report recommended establishing "a continuous vetting process, especially in the event of staff promotion". It called UNRWA "irreplaceable and indispensable to Palestinians' human and economic development". Following the publication of the independent review into UNRWA, rights urged countries to resume aid Julia Rosell Jackson, who works for ActionAid UK, said that given the scale of the devastation in Gaza it is imperative that the UK restores funding to Unrwa, the largest humanitarian actor in the strip, "It makes little sense for the UK to provide aid to Gaza while simultaneously withholding funding from the key organisation which is best placed to coordinate and support its distribution Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy AI could have profound implications for national security including posing a host of risks, a new government-commissioned report warns. Artificial intelligence is a valuable tool to help senior officials in government and intelligence make decisions, it says. But it could also lead to inaccuracies, confusion and other dangers, it warns. Senior officials must be trained to spot those problems, and there is a critical need for any AI systems to be carefully watched and continuously monitored to ensure they dont lead to more bias and errors, it warns. Problems may arise, for instance, because some officials believe that AI is far more capable and certain than it actually is. In fact, artificial intelligence often works on probabilities and can be wildly wrong, it warns. Choosing not use AI comes with its own risks, including missing patterns across data that could be central to keeping people safe, the report says. But the vast risks of using it also means that there could be more bias and uncertainty. There is a critical need for careful design, continuous monitoring, and regular adjustment of AI systems to mitigate the risk of amplifying human biases and errors in intelligence assessment, the report says. Those are the conclusions of the new report from the Alan Turing Institute, the UKs national research organisation for AI. It was commissioned by British intelligence agencies, the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) and Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ). The official report did not give any information on how much AI is currently used by intelligence agencies, or how mature that technology is. But it urged that work to counteract the potentially major dangers should begin immediately, to ensure that any future introduction of AI is done safely. The government said that it would consider the recommendations of the report and that it was already working on combating the potential dangers that the technology could bring. We are already taking decisive action to ensure we harness AI safely and effectively, including hosting the inaugural AI Safety Summit and the recent signing of our AI Compact at the Summit for Democracy in South Korea, said Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister. We will carefully consider the findings of this report to inform national security decision makers to make the best use of AI in their work protecting the country. The report was written by the Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS), which is based within the Alan Turing Institute. Officials there noted the importance of decision makers ensuring that they understand the nature of information that has been informed by artificial intelligence. Our research has found that AI is a critical tool for the intelligence analysis and assessment community. But it also introduces new dimensions of uncertainty, which must be effectively communicated to those making high-stakes decisions based on AI-enriched insights, said Alexander Babuta, director of The Alan Turing Institutes Centre for Emerging Technology and Security. As the national institute for AI, we will continue to support the UK intelligence community with independent, evidence-based research, to maximise the many opportunities that AI offers to help keep the country safe. GCHQ, which jointly commissioned the report, said that it saw great potential in AI but that it was important to work on safe uses of it too. AI is not new to GCHQ or the intelligence assessment community, but the accelerating pace of change is, said Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ. In an increasingly contested and volatile world, we need to continue to exploit AI to identify threats and emerging risks, alongside our important contribution to ensuring AI safety and security. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese called X owner Elon Musk an arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law as tensions between the country and the social media platform deepened over the removal of a violent video. Mr Musk lashed out at the Australian PM after an overnight court ruling in the country ordered X to take down footage of a violent stabbing in a Sydney church a move the Tesla and SpaceX chief called censorship. In the ruling, Australias federal court ordered X formerly Twitter to temporarily hide videos of a week-old incident in which a teenager was charged with terrorism for knifing an Assyrian priest and others. While X said it blocked the posts for the platforms Australian users, Australias e-Safety Commissioner called for the videos to be taken down for all users of X since they showed explicit violence. Social media companies need to do the right thing ... We are prepared to take whatever action is necessary to haul these companies into line, the Australian prime minister said. Mr Musk then posted a meme on the platform showing that X stood for free speech and truth while others represented censorship and propaganda. Dont take my word for it, just ask the Australian PM! he said. Id like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one, the Tesla boss added. In another post, Mr Musk said the companys concern is that if any country is allowed to censor content for all countries, which is what the Australian eSafety Commissar is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet? We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA, he said. Tesla Plans To Give Musk The Biggest Pay Package In History But the e-Safety Commissioner argued that these posts were still available outside Australia as well as to Australian users accessing X via a virtual private network (VPN). Taking a jibe at Mr Musk, the Australian prime minister responded that the country would do whats necessary to take on this arrogant billionaire who thinks hes above the law, but also above common decency. The idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out-of-touch Mr Musk is, Mr Albanese told ABC News. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Google has fired more employees who protested against its $1.2bn contract with Israel, the company confirmed to The Independent on Tuesday. The company declined to say how many employees had been let go but The Washington Post reported that the number is around 20. This is on top of the 28 employees who lost their jobs last week after staging demonstrations, bringing the total to nearly 50. Our investigation into these events is now concluded, and we have terminated the employment of additional employees who were found to have been directly involved in disruptive activity, a Google spokesperson told The Independent on Tuesday. The protests took place inside Googles offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California on 16 April with workers demanding that the company end its huge cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. In Sunnyvale, the staff entered Google Cloud boss Thomas Kurians office, according to No Tech For Apartheid, the group which organised the demonstration. Google employees protest company's work with Israel A small number of employee protesters entered and disrupted a few of our locations. Physically impeding other employees work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and completely unacceptable behaviour, a Google spokesperson said last week. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had warned employees that while debate and discussions are encouraged, there were limits, and the office is not a place to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics in a company blog post. We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action...But ultimately we are a workplace and our policies and expectations are clear: this is a business, he said. No Tech for Apartheid has claimed that Google indiscriminately fired workers, including those who did not directly participate in protests. Pro-Palestine protests have swept the United States in recent weeks including at a number of university campuses like Yale, Columbia and MIT. The protests are in response to Israels attacks on Gaza which have left more than 33,000 people dead, according to the Palestinian health ministry. On 7 October, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 200 hostages. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tesla experienced a 55 per cent decline in profits this quarter compared to the same period last year, according to the EV companys latest financial disclosures. During that same period, revenues fell nine per cent, to $21.3bn, according to the filing on Tuesday. Its the largest decline in revenue the company has reported since 2012, CNBC reports. In a summary alongside the disclosure, the company described a host of challenges in recent months. We experienced numerous challenges in the [first quarter] from the Red Sea conflict and the arson attack at Gigafactory Berlin, to the gradual ramp of the updated Model 3 in Fremont, the company wrote. Global EV sales continue to be under pressure as many carmakers prioritize hybrids over EVs. The figures are the latest sign of difficulties at the electric carmaker. This month, the company, facing increased competition from other EV manufacturers, reported that sales in the first quarter of 2024 were down 8.5 per cent compared to the previous year. Thats a steeper decline than during the last major slump in 2020, amid the worst of the Covid pandemic. Deliveries, meanwhile, are also down 20 per cent compared to the previous quarter, according to Tesla. If that wasnt enough, the company announced last week it would recall all of the nearly 4,000 of the hotly-anticipated Cybertruck models it had recently delivered to customers, citing issues with the acceleration pedal. open image in gallery Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pictured during a visit at the companys electric car plant in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany, on 13 March 2024, as employees resumed work after production had to be halted due to a suspected arson attack that caused a power outage ( AFP via Getty Images ) Tesla pushed electrification and created this momentum. But now their growth is definitely slowing down and they havent had a fresh new product, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive, told The Washington Post on Tuesday in response to the numbers. To make matters worse, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told staff this month that an estimated 14,000 people, around 10 per cent of the companys workforce, would face layoffs, with Mr Musk calling the cuts a tough but necessary step to make the company lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle. The company has said it hopes to turn things around with the launch of new models, including more affordable offerings. Mr Musk has also claimed that the company will unveil an autonomous robo-taxi this summer. Mr Musk did not appear to react to the news with any comments on X, and Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent. The earnings report is a far cry from just a few years ago, when in 2021 Tesla became the first automobile company to be valued at over $1 trillion. 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 Greeces wide scattering of differently sized, culturally distinct islands makes it a dream for a multi-stop trip. Come May and June, ferry services ramp up for summer, with hops between different islands taking as little as 20 minutes. Some islands are vast and ripe for exploring, requiring a taxi, hire car or moped to get across their width. In others, youll simply find a bijou port and a forested interior, fringed by rocky or sandy coves you can stroll to. Wherever you go, youll find waterfront tavernas, petite churches, hushed beaches and sunkissed portside bars. Plus, there are Greek Isles hotels that will seriously make you want to linger. But where to start? Greeces ferry networks are complex, with different services available at different times of year; its best to use a journey planner such as Ferryhopper.com to check ahead for timings and operators. Services can run late, so leave plenty of time between your last ferry and your flight home an easy (and stressful!) first-time mistake to make. Read more on Greece travel: Best for first timers: The Argo-Saronics Route: Athens-Poros-Hydra-Spetses Close to the capital of Athens and its port, Piraeus, these islands huddled around the Greek mainland are fab for a first go if youre not sure island hopping is for you. Spend a few cultured nights in the capital, then hop on the ferry to nearby Poros, just over an hour away: here youll find a smart little red-roofed port topped with a clock tower and a handful of hotels and apartments. Dine by the waterfront, then go off in search of the emerald waters at Love Bay. open image in gallery Hydra: Tiny but glamorous ( GNTO_Y Porfiropoulos ) Just 35 minutes boat-ride from here is Hydra, a tiny but glamorous speck which has attracted artists, musicians and photographers since the Sixties. Bask in its romantic port and sunset bars, then walk the coast road to find secret pebble bays, or take a boat trip to its quietest corners. Next up is Spetses, 40 minutes away the mellow, car-free island where recent film The Lost Daughter was shot. Seek out its Cave of Bekiris, tiny whitewashed churches and one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece; then take the 2hr 50min catamaran all the way back to Piraeus for a flight out of Athens. When to go These undiscovered islands dont get as much footfall as the Cyclades (below) so you can go in peak July and not feel too much of a crush. However, September is a delightful, quieter time to visit. Where to stay In Athens, historic Asomaton is walking distance from the sights. Read more: Best Greek island hotels On Poros, try the mellow Saga Hotel for a bougainvillea-draped pool. On Hydra, guesthouse Hydra Icons has 360-degree views from its rooftop. On Spetses, Niriides Guesthouse is a chic three-star with a family-run feel. For classic looks: The Cyclades Route: Santorini-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos-Paros-Mykonos There are two key ingredients for a successful island-hopping adventure: cheap and plentiful flights into and out of your start and end point, and plenty of ferry links in between. In the Cyclades, where the houses are tiny and whitewashed and the cliffs and bays dramatic and undeveloped, there are UK flights to both Mykonos and Santorini so compare prices and consider flying into one and out of the other. You could start on Santorini for its jaw-dropping cliffside views, killer sunsets and upmarket dinners, taking the two-hour Seajets ferry on to Milos after two or three days. open image in gallery Santorini for its jaw-dropping cliffside views ( YSkoulas ) Klimas brightly painted fishermans houses are the top sight here, but head to lunar-like Sarakiniko Beach, too (this island is beach central) and take a boat to the Caves of Milos. Next up is Sifnos, 40 minutes away, where youre spoilt for pretty whitewashed villages to potter around (dont miss Chrissopigi Monastery); then to Serifos, 20 minutes on, an unspoiled spot with a particularly beautiful Chora, or port town. Youve just got time for a stop on Paros (a 90-minute service that runs every few days) which has a slightly more modern feel and a bit of nightlife before a 40-minute boat on to Mykonos, for ample flights home. Best time to go These islands fill up during July and August, so go in early June or mid-September for the best combo of weather and quiet-ish landscapes. Where to stay On Santorini, the delightful Vasilicos guesthouse is family-run and tailored to you. On Milos, Milos Summer Time is all cerulean-painted shutters and sea views; on Sifnos, the Sigma Residences are the trendy pad du jour. On Serifos, the team at stylish Nostos Boutique Hotel will help you get out and explore On Paros, affordable Ayeri Hotel is slightly out of the port crush. On Mykonos, Marisso Hotel is a chilled overnight before a flight home. For unspoiled nature: The Ionians Route: Lefkada-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Kefalonia-Zakynthos Substantially larger, with more towns and trails to dig into, these forested isles are some of the nearest to the UK. Flights into Preveza (connected to Lefkada island), Kefalonia and Zakynthos give you flexibility on route and order. Wed suggest flying into Preveza for the first few nights on Lefkada, staying in relaxed Nidri or Vasiliki for boat trips out to its mind-blowingly beautiful beaches. From Vasiliki you can take the West Ferry to Fiskardo on Kefalonias north coast (1hr 45m), then spend up to a week seeing undeveloped beaches, pine forests and gorgeous Venetian towns on this dazzling island. open image in gallery Agiofili Beach on Lefkada ( Lucy Thackray ) Heading east to Sami port, take the 20-minute boat on to Ithaca, a petite, forgotten-feeling speck of gorgeous wild beaches, tiny port towns and chic guesthouses. From here, you could nip back to Kefalonia and fly home; or voyage 3hr 45m onward to Zakynthos, home to some of the Ionians most beautiful beaches. Take in its poster-child Shipwreck Beach, Navagio, snorkel with loggerhead turtles or take boats to vivid caves before flying home. Best time to go Ferries run between May and September, so go May to early June or September for the best chance of quieter bays and plenty of ferry seats. Where to stay On Lefkada, chilled out apartments like Santa Emelia cost from as little as 75 a night. On Kefalonia, Anthis Beach Apartments fit in with the tranquil vibe of Fiskardo. Further south on Kefalonia, southerly F Zeen is a fitness-focused splurge. On Ithaca, Korina Gallery Hotel is near the restaurants and boats of Vathy harbour. On Zakynthos, try the chic Tsamis Zante Suites. Read more: The best hotels in Athens 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 Indian customs officials have arrested a passenger accused of smuggling 10 yellow anacondas concealed in his checked-in bag. The Customs Department at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, the capital of Indias southern state of Karnataka, said they had intercepted the passenger and that an investigation was underway. The passenger was flying in from Bangkok in Thailand. Wildlife trafficking will not be tolerated, the officials said. India has been part of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora) since 1976, and still remains among the top 20 countries for wildlife smuggling and among the top 10 for wildlife trafficking by air, a report on Mongabay says. Due to its megadiverse nature (India has 8 per cent of the worlds wildlife), and dense human population (which makes tracing illegal goods very difficult once they have entered domestic markets), India serves as both, a source, as well as a transit country for illegal wildlife and wildlife products, says the report. Under the Customs Act of 1962, wildlife traffickers can be imprisoned for anywhere between two years to seven years under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In September 2023, officials recovered six Capuchin monkeys, 55 ball pythons in various colour variations, and 17 king cobras in the luggage of a passenger coming from Bangkok. The primates were found dead, while the snakes were still alive and subsequently deported to their country of origin. In a similar incident in August 2023, Bengaluru customs officials rescued 234 animals, including pythons, chameleons, iguanas, turtles, alligators, and even a baby kangaroo. The kangaroo, which was stuffed inside a plastic box, did not survive, and the passenger was arrested. In this incident too, the passenger was on his way from Bangkok. Thailand is a major transit hub for illegal wildlife smuggling due to its geographical location and well-connected transportation networks. In March 2024, six Indian nationals were arrested at the Bangkok airport after an endangered red panda and 87 other exotic animals and birds were seized from their luggage in a major wildlife trafficking bust. 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 Passengers at Heathrow, the UKs busiest airport, face major disruption as 800 members of the Unite union prepare to walk out for a week. Unite is calling out firefighters and staff in airside operations, passenger services, trolley operations and campus security from Tuesday 7 May to Monday 13 May. The dispute is over plans for outsourcing what the union calls hundreds of roles in an exercise designed to save 40m. Unites regional co-ordinating officer, Wayne King, said: Strike action will inevitably cause widespread disruption across the airport, leading to delays and disruption. However, this is a dispute that HAL [Heathrow Airport Ltd] has brought on itself. Unite is committed to ending the race to the bottom that HAL appears to be set on and that is best achieved through introducing multilateral collective bargaining on pay and conditions for groups of workers at Heathrow regardless of their employer. The union says the airport plans to outsource work in passenger services (assisting travellers to catch connecting flights), trolley operations, and campus security (the security guards check vehicles and staff) by 1 June. Firefighters and airside operations staff plan to walk out in support, says the union, because they fear they may be next in line. Unites general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: Heathrow airports actions are deplorable. It is raking in massive profits for the bosses while trying to squeeze every last penny out of its workforce. The airport says it has robust contingency plans in place for each of these individual areas and anticipates no impact on passenger journeys. A Heathrow spokesperson said: We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers. There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted. Unites threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly just like we have in the past. In a separate dispute, Unite members at the airline refuelling firm AFS are planning to strike on 4, 5 and 6 May. 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 Royal Caribbean has cancelled all of its planned cruises to a popular Caribbean destination for the entire month of May. The cruise operator will not sail to Labadee in Haiti amid the countrys ongoing political turmoil. Royal Caribbean initially suspended voyages to the peninsula in mid-March, and has now extended the cancellations until at least the end of May. A company spokesperson said that Royal Caribbean are temporarily making adjustments to sailings visiting Labadee, and the Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti. The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority. We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly. Several planned itineraries will be disrupted, with ships including Allure of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas all scheduled to dock at Labadee in May. The Express adds that passengers may get another day at sea, or may alternatively head to Royal Caribbeans private resort in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Though Labadee is a private resort leased by Royal Caribbean since the mid-1980s, Haiti still has jurisdiction over the peninsula. The country is currently in a state of turmoil amid the resignation of prime minister Ariel Henry and a surge in gang violence. Rising levels of violence have caused many deaths, with parts of the country on the brink of collapse. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Haiti due to the volatile security situation. It said: There are currently no British consular officials in Haiti and our ability to provide consular assistance is severely limited and cannot be delivered in person in Haiti. If you choose to travel to or stay in Haiti against FCDO advice, try to avoid all crowds and public events, and take appropriate security precautions. Travel-related chaos has been extensive in recent weeks and months, with recent flooding in Dubai leaving dozens of flights delayed and cancelled, and the ongoing situation in the Middle East causing concern among aviation passengers. Alec Baldwin smacked the phone out of the hands of an ambush interviewer after she berated him over the fatal Rust shooting and the Israel-Hamas conflict while he was in a New York coffee shop. The actor, 66, was confronted by a content creator who calls herself Crackhead Barney. Why did you kill that lady? You killed that lady and got no jail time, the woman says, appearing to refer to Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who died on the set of the western film in 2021 when a gun held by Baldwin discharged a live bullet during rehearsal. Baldwin, who also served as a producer on the film, is currently set to face trial in July over an involuntary manslaughter charge. The actor has pleaded not guilty. The Independent contacted Baldwins representative for comment. By Robert Cantu Columnist A taxpayer who needs more time to complete his or her 2015 individual tax return can request an automatic six-month extension. The extension is obtained by filing IRS Form 4868 on or before the April 18, 2016 deadline. The extension gives the taxpayer until October 17, 2016 to file a return and avoid the late filing penalty. Normally these due dates fall on the 15th day of the month. However, when they fall on a holiday or a weekend, they are automatically extended to the next business day. April 15, 2016 falls on a Friday, but that is Emancipation Day, a holiday in the District of Columbia. Thus, the due date becomes Monday, April 18, even for taxpayers who dont live in D.C. October 15, 2016 falls on a weekend, so the extended due date is Monday, October 17, 2016. There are several issues you may need to consider when filing an extension: LATE PAYMENT PENALTY: The extension will give you extra time to file a tax return but not extra time to pay any taxes owed. If you end up owing when you do file your tax return, you will be subject to the late payment penalty of 0.5% per month (maximum 25%), plus interest on the unpaid amount. Thus, filing an extension but delaying payment can add a substantial amount to what is owed. The 4868 extension form includes the ability to make a payment toward ones tax liability. To avoid substantial late payment penalties, it is generally a good idea to estimate your tax liability, including any shortfall in withholding or estimated tax prepayments, with Form 4868. TAXPAYERS ABROAD: June 15, 2016 is the filing due date for U.S. citizens and resident aliens who live and work abroad, as well as for members of the military on duty outside the U.S. As a caution, note that even though these taxpayers are allowed two extra months to file a return, all their tax payments are still due on April 15. Interest will be charged from the April 18, 2016 due date until the date the tax is paid. This 2-month extension is not available to citizens and resident aliens who are merely traveling outside the country on the normal due date. Members of the military and others serving in combat zones have until 180 days after they leave those zones to file returns and pay any taxes due. RETIREMENT PLAN CONTRIBUTIONS: April 18, 2016 is the last day that 2015 contributions can be made to a Roth or traditional IRA, even if an extension is filed. However, 2015 contributions can be made to self-employment retirement plans through the October 17, 2016 extended due date. Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, and Grant Shapps arrived in Warsaw on Tuesday (23 April) just hours after the governments controversial Rwanda Bill was passed. The prime minister is expected to unveil an extra 500 million of military funding to Ukraine and announce the largests supply of munitions as he reinforces his ties with key European allies. The largest package of munitions is expected to include a mix of 1,600 strike and air defence missiles; an unspecified number of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, one of the most powerful weapons; and 400 all-terrain and armoured vehicles. Mr Sunak will meet his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, as well as Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of Nato, to discuss European security and support to Ukraine. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has said not a single asylum seeker will go to Rwanda under a Labour government. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration Bill) cleared Parliament shortly after midnight today (23 April) after peers backed down, ending resistance to the scheme. The prime minister hopes the Rwanda scheme will deter migrants from seeking to cross the English Channel, Ms Cooper called the Bill an extortionately expensive gimmick rather than a serious plan to tackle dangerous boat crossings during an interview with Sky News. When asked by presenter Kay Burley: So no one during a Labour government will go to Rwanda?, Ms Cooper replied: No, that's not our plan. A Tory immigration minister appeared to bang the table during a heated BBC Radio 4 interview discussing Rishi Sunak's controversial Rwanda bill. Michael Tomlinson spoke to Mishal Husain a day after the plan to deport asylum seekers to the African nation was given the green light after peers caved to pressure. When pressed on whether victims of torture or human trafficking would be sent to Rwanda under the legislation, Mr Tomlinson insisted the nation is a "safe country." "You could ask me an infinite number of challenges... You're not going to get that clarity because the act hasn't yet come into force," he added in the tense exchange. A Tory immigration minister was grilled on immigration figures as migrants were seen travelling through the Channel on a boat live on air. Michael Tomlinson was questioned on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, 23 April, after Rishi Sunaks controversial Rwanda bill was given the green light in parliament the day before. People crossing the channel... have known that they could be sent to Rwanda... What were seeing right now... on BBC Breakfast is people still prepared to take that risk. They are not deterred, host Jon Kay said. Mr Tomlinson pushed back that the deterrent effect would take time. Hardly anyone is getting on a small boat now from Albania because the deterrent effect has come in, he insisted. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper swore live on air during a heated Good Morning Britain debate over the governments controversial Rwanda Bill. Presenter Susanna Reid was forced to apologise to viewers after the Labour MP described the Bill as bat****, during a live interview on Tuesday (23 April). After confirming that Labour would scrap the plans if they came into power in the general election this year, Ms Cooper described the policy as a gimmick. She then went on to say: The home secretary himself has described it as bats***. Ms Reid quickly interrupted: Sorry, we can't use that word on television. Ms Cooper hastily apologised. The stake Gavin Hydes controls is worth 10.5m Gavin Hydes, the chief executive of Joe Duffy Motors, has lifted his stake in the UKs fourth-largest car dealer. Filings for stock market-listed Vertu Motors show that Mr Hydes has increased his stake from 3.3pc to 4.1pc. The holding is currently valued at about 9m (10.5m). Mr Hydes has made the investment in Vertu Motors via an Irish company called Nivag Holdings that is wholly owned by him. He also controls Joe Duffy Motors via Nivag and shares held directly in his name. The businessman initially passed a 3pc ownership threshold in Vertu in November last year, when it was reported to the stock exchange that Nivag owned 3.3pc. Investors must notify the stock market when they pass a 3pc ownership level in a listed company. Since the end of November, shares in Vertu, which are listed on Londons Alternative Investment Market, have declined by about 22pc. As of yesterday, the company had a market capitalisation of 223m. Yesterdays regulatory announcement shows that Nivag raised its stake in Vertu Motors last Friday. Vertu was formed in 2006 to acquire and consolidate UK motor retail businesses. It now has a chain across the UK of 188 franchised and non-franchised motor dealerships for cars and commercial vehicles. They operate as Vertu Motors, Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors. In Scotland, it owns the Macklin Motors brand, which deals in marques including Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Toyota. Vertu generated revenue of just over 4bn in the year to the end of February 2023, compared with 3.6bn in the previous financial year. However, its adjusted profit before tax plunged by 50pc to 39.3m. The company said last month that used-vehicle values in the UK have stabilised at a lower level following a downturn in recent months. It also said new vehicle sales in the UK had declined year-on-year, with manufacturers discounting prices and enhancing offers in an effort to boost sales. Despite the impact of the complex market dynamics on the short-term performance of the business, the current market presents opportunities for Vertu with our strong balance sheet providing financial flexibility, said chief executive Robert Forrester at the time. Joe Duffy Motors bills itself as Irelands largest car dealership network. It represents 17 brands and has more than 20 locations across the country. The firm made a profit after tax of 18.7m in 2022, up from 15.2m in 2021, the most recently publicly available accounts for the business show. Its revenue increased to 545m from 457.3m. Energy costs have fallen significantly since the height of the crisis. Stock image: Getty Consumers could be in line for energy price cuts of up to 20pc after wholesale energy costs fell to a fraction of what they were during the height of the energy crisis two years ago. Figures released by the Central Statistics Office show that wholesale electricity prices were down 40pc last month over the past year. The wholesale cost of electricity is now 87 per megawatt hour, a fall of 78pc since its peak at the height of the crisis in the autumn of 2022. While there was a slight rise in wholesale prices in March, the market has remained steady. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd However, Daragh Cassidy of price comparison site Bonkers.ie, said not all of the wholesale price increase was passed on in the first place. He said: Wholesale electricity prices remained largely steady in March and close to the three-year lows that were reached in February. Wholesale prices are now a fraction of what they were at the height of the energy crisis. However, despite the recent large falls, wholesale prices are still around double pre-energy crisis levels. Mr Cassidy said that given where wholesale prices currently are, it is highly likely we will get another round of price cuts in the second half of this year of between 10pc and 20pc. This comes on the back of two rounds of price cuts introduced since last September that have slashed energy bills by around 20pc to 25pc. New electricity provider Yuno Energy has announced four cuts in its prices this year. However, households face uncertainty around whether the Government will go ahead with energy credits again next winter. Mr Cassidy encouraged anyone who is not on an energy contract to consider switching supplier. Figures released last week by the energy regulator, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU), show that savings of up to 500 a year can be made from switching rates. Mr Cassidy said: Anyone on standard rates will be paying around 37c or 38c per kilowatt hour, including Vat, for their electricity at present. But rates as low as 26c to 27c are now on offer from several suppliers to new customers, which equates to a saving of around 500 for the average household. And its similar for gas. The CRUs Estimated Annual Bill Update for March shows that huge savings can be made from shopping around. This is despite the fact that gas and electricity prices are still around 80pc to 90pc above where they were in late 2020 and early 2021. Mr Cassidy said: Households can save themselves big money by switching. He said a household on standard electricity rates with Energia that used an average amount of electricity, and that switched to Flogas, for example, would save more than 500 a year. The Electricity Association of Ireland, which represents suppliers, said that since wholesale electricity costs peaked in 2022 they had fallen back, but remained nearly twice as high as the pre-crisis levels. The association said that when the CRU did a detailed analysis of retail electricity prices in 2022 it found no evidence of excess profits in the retail market sector. It added Irish wholesale prices for electricity were typically higher than our European counterparts. This was due to our current reliance on gas for electricity production, it said. Ireland also had higher network costs per capita due to our disbursed population. The association said: Acknowledging that Irish prices are higher than other European countries, energy suppliers are committed to helping customers who may be having difficulty with their energy bills. The move will see some homes that get a paper bill, or want to pay through a call centre, pay 12 extra instead of 6 extra for the same billing period Eir is doubling the cost to pay using a paper bill, paying by phone or by credit card without direct debit for a small portion of its customers. The move will see some Eir customers pay 12 instead of 6 for the same billing period, if they require a paper bill or want to pay through a call centre. The hikes affect customers being moved from bi-monthly to monthly billing cycles, a cohort that Eir describes as small in number, without giving figures. The penalty for late payment will also increase for customers being moved from bimonthly to monthly bills, from 18.45 to 36.90 for the same billing period as before. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd The new billing rules will also include a 2 additional charge every month, instead of 2 every two months, if customers pay their bills online using a credit card or debit card or in an Eir store without having a direct debit system already set up. The price increases, which are due to kick in on Wednesday, come a week after the company was branded a disgrace by a Dublin District Court judge for hiding complaints information from customers. Last year, Eir received a 2.45m fine for overcharging its customers. "Your billing period will move from bimonthly to monthly, Eirs billing updated terms tell some customers. "This means you will receive a monthly bill instead of a bill every two months. If you do not have direct debit set up on your account, a 2 charge will be added to your monthly bill. You can avoid this charge by adding direct debit details to your account through self-serve on my eir app or by phone. The move was described by one Eir customer online as disenfranchising elderly people, who may not have online systems set up to the same degree as younger customers. However, customers over 65 can avail of paper billing free of charge, according to Eir. The vast majority of eir customers are on a monthly billing cycle, a spokesperson said. "A small percentage of customers are currently on bimonthly billing. In line with industry standards, we are transitioning these accounts to a monthly billing cycle. A 2 fee applies for non-direct debit payments due to higher processing costs. We encourage direct debit to avoid this charge. Registered Age Friendly customers, those aged 65 and over, or individuals with accessibility issues, are not charged for paper bills. Customers over 65 can verify their date of birth with our dedicated Age Friendly Care team at 1800 252 252. The main losses in milk supply are expected to be largely concentrated in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium. Photo: Stock image Ireland will be one of the few countries in Europe that will see stabilisation of its milk supply, as Europes dairy herds and milk supply are set to fall between now and 2035. EU and UK milk production is showing signs of a structural decline, with production growth at a standstill since 2020, according to Richard Scheper, Dairy Analyst with Rabobank. He told a recent Bord Bia conference on dairy markets that the total EU dairy herd is expected to decline by 3.7 million head (1.6pc annually) by 2035. However, Irelands milk production, he said, will stabilise around the current nine million tonnes, with the main losses in milk supply expected to be largely concentrated in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium. Water quality and biodiversity arguably have the largest current and near-term impact on milk volumes, he said. Ultimately, regulations with regard to water quality and biodiversity point towards a smaller dairy herd, while productivity and efficiency gains will likely level off as the focus on extensification increases, he said. Uncertainty around EU policy, margins and labour issues are all impacting production, he said, with improved margins solely needed at the farm gate. The decline in milk volumes of 7.2 million tonnes in north west Europe will, he said, nearly erase all growth since 2010. Dairy companies will be looking to add value to compensate for loses in revenue, higher costs at farm and factory gates. Strategies are increasingly centred around (protein) ingredients, (branded) consumer products, cheese and the domestic EU and UK markets. This will also mean more milk going into cheese and whey, while a loss of competitiveness in exports may cause a sharp drop in the production of condensed milk, WMP and SMP. Further, he said, this will require a consolidation and rebalancing of processing capacity. With EU and UK milk production growth at a standstill since 2020, production has fallen by 1.8pc in France and 0.3pc in Germany, while growth has been centred around north-west Europe in countries such as Ireland and Poland. The region accounts for 39pc of total milk supply growth since 2010, with milk volume growth largely driven by efficiency gains, except for Ireland where the removal of milk quotas was the main catalyst for growth. Increased yields per cow were significant in Poland, while Irish yield per cow has increased at a much slower rate, but the growth in herd size in Ireland has been more pronounced than other EU countries. Inquest hears Aoife could have been saved had she received antibiotics in timeAssistant Director of Nursing Nicola Quinn fought back tears as she revealed how she exhausted all options for available staffTwo consultants were asked to attend UHL and one refused Inquest hears prescriptions were given by nurses to patients unsigned by doctors, a practice which is commonplace 16-year-old Aoife Johnston died at University Hospital Limerick in 2022 after waiting over 12 hours for medical attention Aoife Johnston lying on a makeshift bed made up from two chairs in UHL's overcrowded A&E hours before she died (L to R) Aoife's sister Kate, parents James and Carol and Aoife's other sister Meagan outside the coroners court today (Pic: Brendan Gleeson) An inquest into the death of Aoife Johnston (16) heard how University Hospital Limerick (UHL) emergency department staff were so worried at the threat of the unit being overwhelmed by a flood of seriously ill patients they requested surge measures be triggered. It also heard how nurses and nurse managers considered whether an emergency department consultant who refused to attend the hospital - could be compelled to come in, but non had the power to do so. The death of Aoife - who was almost 12 hours in a UHL A&E storage room while awaiting assessment - is "troubling and haunting" for her devoted family as it emerged her meningitis and sepsis was fully treatable with antibiotics had they only been administered in time. The revelation came as senior UHL nursing manager Nicola Quinn described as "a miss" the fact that there was no mention of Aoife in the medical handover notes on December 18 2022, over 12 hours after she arrived at UHL, despite the fact she was critically ill. A junior doctor who fought to save Aoife's life warned that medical staff faced "an impossible situation" in the UHL emergency department because of chronic overcrowding in December 2022. Aoife died from sepsis after waiting over 12 hours for treatment - despite having arrived at UHL with a letter from a ShannonDoc GP stressing that she required urgent care because of suspected sepsis. A Limerick Coroner's Court inquest, Coroner John McNamara was told by counsel for the Johnston family, Damien Tansey SC, that microbiology tests subsequently showed that the meningitis which Aoife contracted "was capable of being eradicated by all of the conventional antibiotics." Aoife Johnston lying on a makeshift bed made up from two chairs in UHL's overcrowded A&E hours before she died Aoife arrived at UHL at 5.40pm on December 17 - but didn't receive the critical antibiotics until around 7am on December 18, a delay with tragic consequences. She was not seen by a doctor until after 6am despite pleas from her family. Mr Tansey warned the inquest that Aoife's family finds it "troubling and haunting" that Aoife could and should have been saved had she received prompt treatment, It emerged that several nurses and nurse managers had desperately sought clinical support measures given the spiralling pressure on the emergency department over that 48-hour period on December 17/18 2022. Nurse Katherine Skelly rang two consultants asking them to attend UHL as she escalated the situation. Clinical Nurse Manager Allison Nolan said they sought urgent measures in a bid to ease pressure on frontline staff. "(We needed) not just leadership but clinical cover." Senior staff learned that Emergency Consultant Dr Jim Gray had declined to attend. Nurses and UHL Executive on Call Fiona Steed considered whether Dr Gray could be compelled to attend UHL - but none had the power to do so. Mr Tansey queried whether they were aware if the matter of the refusal to attend had been referred to the UHL medical director. Ms Nolan said she "absolutely" was unhappy as nurses were pleading for clinical support. "There were patients that needed care. They needed a doctor. Aoife needed a doctor. Of course I was unhappy." Mr Tansey said that three separate opportunities to intervene to save Aoife were missed. "She slipped through all the cracks. She was missed all the way along - from handover, registrar meetings and the various reports done." Assistant Director of Nursing, Nicola Quinn, fought back tears as she said the emergency department was overwhelmed that night by an unprecedented flood of seriously ill Category Two patients. Ms Quinn said UHL was down 22 nursing staff on December 17 and 17 nursing staff on December 18. "I exhausted all options for available staff," she said as she confirmed she had desperately contacted nursing agencies and even off-duty UHL staff for cover. The numbers in the emergency department soared from 101 to 191 patients in just over 24 hours. "Aoife was never brought to my attention that day (December 17). It wasn't just the emergency department that was busy. The whole hospital was busy. I can't make ten of myself. Do you think I don't regret that day? Of course I do," she said as she fought back tears. She told the inquest the Category Two patients should have been re-triaged to allow the focus to be placed on the most seriously ill. "That is where Aoife was let down - there were so many Category Two (patients) coming in in such a short time...it was a conveyor belt. They just kept coming in. That (re-triage) is what should have happened. It was too busy - they did not do it." "She (Aoife) needed antibiotics (but didn't get them in time)." Aoife's heartbroken mother Carol has told of the family's horrendous experience Two doctors confirmed that such was the sheer scale of overcrowding, that doctors would sign prescriptions for medicines to deal with symptomatic issues such as nausea and diarrhoea on the recommendation of a triage nurse and without having actually seen the patient. The inquest heard that some prescriptions where medicines were given by nurses to patients were unsigned by a doctor. Senior House Officers Dr Leandri Card and Dr Claire Leatham both warned that it was not in accordance with best practice and not ideal - but was unavoidable given the serious overcrowding situation in UHL's emergency department that staff were battling to cope with. Both doctors agreed that the situation in the emergency department that weekend was "akin to a warzone. Dr Card said the practice was commonplace in the emergency department because of chronic overcrowding. "It happens on every shift, every day," she told the inquest. Dr Card, who is from South Africa, wiped away tears as she confirmed she no longer works for the HSE and is now employed in a private urgent care centre. Registrar Dr Manoj Kumar Budhauliya said he treated Aoife when she was taken to the resuscitation room and fought to save her with antibiotics and scans to determine the nature and extent of her infection. But Mr Tansey warned that, by this stage, it was too late. "She was beyond recovery or repair by the time of your intervention," Mr Tansey said. Registrar Dr Muhammed Bilal told the inquest he could not recall any conversation with a triage nurse who had flagged hours earlier that there was a sepsis concern over Aoife. "There was an exceptionally high volume of patients. There were prolonged waiting times. I spent most of my time in resuscitation. It was a very busy day. I cannot recall. I don't remember them coming to me to tell me about her (Aoife) and asking me to see the patient." Dr Pandeep Maheshwari said the emergency department was chaotic and like a warzone that weekend. When he saw Aoife in the resuscitation room she was flailing around and incoherent as the infection spread from her blood to her brain. Dr Lauren Fernandes, a Senior House Officer, fought back tears as she recalled seeing Aoife's parents beside their critically ill daughter and telling her how much they loved her. "I felt helpless - knowing there was little I could say to comfort them," she said. The Johnston family asked for Dr Fernandes to be publicly thanked for how she fought to save Aoife when she came on duty. "In Aoife's case you did everything conceivably and humanly possible to preserve (her) life," Mr Tansey said. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd Aoife's parents James and Carol fought back tears as they revealed how they repeatedly begged UHL doctors and nurses to help their daughter as her mother Carol warned she watched helplessly as her daughter was dying in front of her eyes. Aoife's parents, James and Carol, attended the Kimallock inquest alongside her sisters, Meagan and Kate. Framed photographs of Aoife were placed on the table before the coroner. "We watched our daughter die," Carol told the hushed Kilmallock courtroom when the inquest opened yesterday. Aoife, who was from Shannon in Co Clare, died at UHL on December 19 2022 after contracting bacterial meningitis and then sepsis - but had been waiting for over 12 hours for treatment. The inquest, is expected to conclude on Thursday. A judge has ordered controversial landlord Marc Godart to file an affidavit explaining why he failed to comply with court directions to fully disclose his directorships and convictions recorded against his companies. Mr Justice Brian Cregan made the order after it emerged affidavits previously filed by Mr Godart (35) failed to list four of his company directorships and what the judge described as serious convictions in relation to fire safety. John Murphy Jr blamed airwave manipulation for the alleged attack. John Murphy Jr is charged with the murder of Shane Murphy (left) and the attempted murder of his father John 'Weeshie' Murphy (right). A forensic psychiatrist who assessed a man charged with the murder of his brother and the attempted murder of his father has said that the accused was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when the attack occurred and blamed airwave manipulation for his actions. John Murphy Jnr of Seaview in Carrigaline, Co Cork went on trial yesterday at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork charged with the murder of his brother Shane (27) and the attempted murder of his father John Aloysius Weeshie Murphy Senior. Mr Murphy Snr, who is a widower, was 75 years old when the attack occurred. Mother avoids jail after daughter hospitalised for severe head lice found crawling on her face and hoodie Court heard her daughter was left home alone for a period of time with just 100 for food Stock image Isabel Hayes Tue 23 Apr 2024 at 17:21 A mother who neglected her daughter who was hospitalised twice due to severe head lice that left her with matted hair which took weeks to untangle has been given a suspended sentence. More than 80pc of people seeking asylum in Ireland cross the Northern Ireland border to enter the State, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said. Ms McEntee was speaking before the Joint Oireachtas Commitee on Justice. Responding to a question from Fianna Fail Senator Robbie Gallagher, she said a significant proportion of all asylum seekers coming to Ireland are crossing the land border with Northern Ireland. This is the challenge that we have, that we have advocated for no border on this island. But it is absolutely a challenge, Ms McEntee said. "Thats particularly worrying, Mr Gallagher said. The minister said there is engagement with UK authorities on a regular basis and a common travel area committee meets on a quarterly basis. The Police Service of Northern Ireland and gardai engage regularly, she said. Ms McEntee said more than 5,000 people have applied for asylum here this year and more than half of those were via secondary movements. Under new EU migration regulations, Ireland would have an option to pay a set amount to not take in additional asylum seekers, she said. "It could be the case that if we dont apply all of these new measures that we would be seen as a country that would be of greater benefit for people to come to," she said of the new regulations. So we could actually see an increase in people coming here because they might think they wont be processed as quickly or that we cant return them to other countries. "We have to look at it in the context of what the figures are now but if we were to apply the new systems, how would that potentially impact the overall figures. Under the solidarity mechanism to be introduced in 2026, 30,000 asylum seekers will be relocated within the EU, 648 of which will be to Ireland. The solidarity mechanism is intended to share the responsibility for asylum applicants across the EU and to assist countries on the edges of the bloc. Ms McEntee said Ireland could opt to pay around 12m instead of taking in those asylum seekers. She said the 648 applicants who would come to Ireland under the mechanism are separate from asylum seekers travelling directly into the State currently. There is a huge amount of disinformation out there, Ms McEntee said, and it is a priority of the Government to explain to the public what the new mechanism will mean for Ireland. He earned the nickname as one of Ireland's leading heroin traffickers in the 1980s and 1990s. He earned the nickname as one of Ireland's leading heroin traffickers in the 1980s and 1990s. Heroin had become the scourge of inner-city Dublin and Felloni had no shame about how he made his money. In the 1960s, he exploited young naive women trying to make their way in Dublin, getting them drunk, taking compromising photos and extorting their wages from them. As a burglar and thief, he spent a lot of his life behind prison bar before getting into the drugs trade. He fulfilled Christy Bronco Dunnes infamous prediction, If you think we were bad wait til to see whats coming behind us. Originally from Lower Dominick St, Dublin, Felloni was blamed for making the capital's heroin problem in the 1980s a lot worse. The convicted wife-beater was considered by gardai to be a key dealer for two decades and was one of the first major criminals to be targeted by CAB after it was set up. The Criminal Assets Bureau spent 14-years chasing his money and property eventually taking almost 500,000 from him. Despite being involved in importing large quantities of the drug, he was also known to sell bags of heroin directly to addicts from his family corporation flat, not willing to share any profits. He didnt care about the effects his drug dealing had on his own family with his children falling victim to the drug. During Felloni's trial for heroin dealing in 1996 it was heard how he used some of his children in his drug dealing business and introduced them to the drug. His brazen activities, having been caught three times while on bail, were also a factor in the referendum vote to change bail laws. Tight-fisted and mean with his money, there were few tears for him when he was sentenced to 20 years, which he mostly served in Portlaoise Prison. At the time, it was considered one of the toughest sentences handed down for drug dealing and upheld on appeal. Behind bars he was close to John Gilligan, also serving a lengthy sentence for drug dealing at the time. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd On his release in January 2011 there was nobody there to meet him when he left Mountjoy Prison Training Unit and he was driven into the city centre by a probation worker before fleeing into Temple Bar. He was effectively homeless and for a while stayed with a son in Stoneybatter when it was realised he had nowhere else to go. He kept a low profile subsequently, although his name would crop up when any of his off-spring appeared in court. His son, Luigi Felloni, was also jailed for heroin dealing in 1996, and his daughter Regina Felloni was jailed for six years and nine months for heroin dealing. The reality was that King Scum had spent so long in prison he no longer had the contacts or the resources to get back into the business. It is unlikely any self-respecting drug dealers would have wanted anything to do with him thanks to his reputation. In 2017, the Sunday World photographed him looking old and frail outside the Four Courts where he was trying to sue five prisons for having to slop-out during his time inside. His criminal record began at the Childrens Court in 1959 for theft with dozens following over the next 20 years for assault, demanding money with menaces and burglary. His first drugs conviction was for four years in the UK in 1981, then 10 years in Ireland for the sale and supply of heroin in Ireland in 1986, before his 20-year sentence imposed in 1996. Fellonis death brings close to a particularly sordid chapter in the annals of Irish crime. Northern Ireland woman Rosemary Coogan has gained her astronaut wings, graduating from space training as a new European Space Agency (Esa) astronaut. After completing one year of rigorous basic astronaut training, Ms Coogan, along with Sophie Adenot, Pablo Alvarez Fernandez, Raphael Liegeois, Marco Sieber and Australian Space Agency astronaut candidate Katherine Bennell-Pegg received astronaut certification. After receiving the certification at ESAs European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, the astronauts have become eligible for spaceflight. 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 An astrophysicist with two masters degrees from Durham University and an astronomy doctorate from Sussex, Ms Coogan was selected to join the ESAs astronaut training programme in 2022, after beating more than 22,500 applicants. Born in Northern Ireland, she will become the UKs third astronaut, following Helen Sharman, who became the first Briton in space in 1989, and Tim Peake, who went to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015. Basic astronaut training involved honing skills in spacecraft systems, spacewalking, flight engineering, robotics and life support systems, as well as survival and medical training. They will now move on to the phases of pre-assignment and mission-specific training, paving the way for future missions to the ISS and beyond. Speaking at the graduation, Ms Coogan said it had been a long-standing dream of hers to become an astronaut. She added: We are often asked, I think all of us have been asked When was the moment you decided that you wanted to become an astronaut? When was the moment you decided you wanted to do it?. And I cant speak for everyone, but for myself, and for a lot of us, it really has been something that has always been in our heads. Perhaps if we didnt always know exactly where it was going to lead, exactly how it was going to come to this stage, I personally have always been fascinated in space. And now to find out that, as an astronaut, you can go there and you can do this fantastic science and bring that back, its everything come together as a dream. The astronaut class of 2022 has been dubbed the Hoppers, being given the name from their predecessors the Shenanigans of Esas 2009 class. The UK Space Agencys head of space exploration, Libby Jackson, said: It is absolutely fantastic to see British astronauts a part of the European Space Agency programme. Were a very proud contributor to the European Space Agency, and a strong contributor to the overall human and robotic missions. Astronauts are the very visible part of the whole space sector. So its really important for the UK that our astronauts Rosemary, John and Meg they are champions not just for human spaceflight, but for everything that goes on in the UK across space. Former Paralympian John McFall is part of a feasibility study to see if he can fly as a disabled astronaut, while Meganne Christian is a reserve astronaut who could join the programme if someone else drops out. For now, all five new European astronauts will be assigned for missions to the International Space Station to carry out scientific experiments. Until being assigned to their space flight mission and advancing to the next training phases, they will take part in operational tasks within Esa. They will also undergo refresher training sessions, maintain physical fitness, participate in public relations efforts, and contribute to education and outreach activities. NI Space, which supports the development of the regional cluster, said Ms Coogans graduation is a truly momentous occasion for the space sector in Northern Ireland. Robert Hill, space adviser and cluster manager at NI Space, said they hope Ms Coogans appointment will encourage more future astronauts from the region. Northern Ireland is quickly becoming a global leader in the sector and has been involved in a number of high-profile projects recently, including the James Webb Space Telescope, and to have Rosemary representing Northern Ireland as our first-ever astronaut is the icing on top of the cake, he said. With rapid expansions in science and technology that enable us to explore more of our universe, there has never been a more exciting time to be part of the space sector. We hope that Rosemarys appointment to the ESA will inspire more and more young people in Northern Ireland to consider a career in the industry, which provides endless opportunities. Were really looking forward to following Rosemarys journey and will be cheering her on during her first mission. The Tanaiste is on a trip to the Middle East and will visit the Rafah crossing today Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said there was a "rush to judgment" by some Western countries after Israel accused the UN Gaza relief agency UNRWA of harbouring terrorists who took part in the October 7 attacks. He said Israel wanted to undermine the body, which provides humanitarian supplies, and to "take it out of the equation," in some of his strongest commentary yet on the Gaza situation. Mr Martin was commenting after an independent French-led report said Israel had provided no evidence for its claims that 12 named individuals were involved. He said the employees had been suspended, "without any evidence being brought forward," and assessments were still going on by the agency. "I think the most worrying aspect of that was that there was a very sudden rush to judgment in terms of the entirety of the UNRWA organisation," Mr Martin said in Cairo on a visit to the Middle East, where he will visit the Rafah crossing today. "I think, some fail to grasp the absolute centrality of UNRWA to providing aid to the Palestinians, not just in Gaza, but in the West Bank, in Jordan, in Syria and in Lebanon," he said, after Britain, the US and other countries either suspended or heavily reduced funding in the wake of Israel's allegations. "There's a political element to this as well, because UNRWA in many ways reflects the principle the right of return for Palestinians in the event of a final two-state solution," the Tanaiste explained. "So if you undermine UNRWA and essentially remove it, you remove the right to return. So in our view, there was a desire in Israel to both undermine UNRWA and to take it out of the equation for both political reasons and other reasons which we found unacceptable given the role that UNRWA plays in humanitarian supplies." Mr Martin said also that it would be a natural consequence of Ireland's recognition of Palestinian statehood, expected to come this summer, that a full Embassy would be opened in Ramallah, instead of just a representation mission. Ireland always felt that the optimal timing of co-ordinated recognition with other countries such as Belgium, Spain, Malta and Slovenia would have been around publication of the Arab peace plan, "with some degree of acceptance of that plan by US and Europe," he said, joined to an immediate ceasefire. He said he would be meeting Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to that end today, having already received "a certain steer" from the Qatari Prime Minister. Another dimension was that the United Nations General Assembly had voted on admitting Palestine to the United Nations. "That is an important context as well." He added: "We're working with Spain, Slovenia and others, and we intend to do it (recognition) together." Ireland since the beginning of 2023 has allocated about 56 million to Palestine overall, Mr Martin said, compared to a normal annual average of about 15 million. Ursula von der Leyen welcomes Simon Harris in Brussels "But we're very conscious that many, many people have been very critical of the pace at which aid is getting into Gaza. Even at the foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg om Monday we heard from the commissioner on humanitarian affairs in terms of the incredible delays." In going to Rafah today, Mr Martin said he wanted "to see it for myself and to hear first-hand from people who are in Gaza." He added: "We need a surge of humanitarian aid to deal with the crisis that's there." On the political track, Egypt and Jordan are critical to progress, he said, referring to the two countries involved in his trip. The Tanaiste visits Amman tomorrow. Both countries had been central to the original peace plan agreed at Oslo with President Clinton, he said. He said he wanted their read of the situation as to the challenges and security risks "that are entailed in a regional escalation" that could break out after hostilities between Israel and Iran. Ireland took an opposite view to most countries on UNRWA after the Israeli claims, he said. "We actually increase our aid. And I'm hoping now, as a result of the publication of this report, that some countries who have paused their support will resume, he said. Tanaiste Micheal Martin is to travel to Egypt and Jordan to push for the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and support efforts for a two-state solution. The visit comes as tensions in the Middle East soar following attacks between Israel and Iran, and after a strike on the densely populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza, in which 18 children and four adults were killed. Israel has said it will carry out a ground offensive on the city located at the Egyptian border, despite international calls for restraint including from the US and Ireland. Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said his visit would aim to put the focus back on the brutal conflict amid increased instability in the region. Mr Martin is due to meet this week with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo and with Jordanian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ayman Safadi in Amman. I very much look forward to meeting my counterparts in Egypt and Jordan, he said ahead of the trip. Both countries have been at the forefront of international efforts to bring about a desperately needed ceasefire and address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, while maintaining a focus on longer-term political solutions. We will continue our discussions on how Ireland and other like-minded countries in Europe can support the resolution of this brutal conflict, including through the recognition of a Palestinian state and support for UN membership for Palestine. It is vital that we use any political capital that we have to generate momentum for a comprehensive regional peace, along the lines envisaged by the Arab peace plan. A two-state solution remains the only vision of the future that can ensure peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Mr Martin is also due to travel to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to meet humanitarian partners and to visit UNRWA programmes supporting Palestinian refugees in Jordan. Against a backdrop of increased regional instability, we cannot lose sight of the urgency of addressing the current crisis in Gaza and the wider Israeli/Palestinian issue, he said. My visit to Egypt and Jordan will focus on continuing my discussions with key partners on the need for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza. I will also focus on how Ireland can support regional efforts to return to a political pathway towards a sustainable and peaceful resolution of this conflict and a two-state solution. Speaking about Gaza, Mr Martin said: We cannot and must not lose focus on the situation in Gaza, which remains extremely grave. Brian Cox: I was talking to Ryan Tubridy about the Famine he wants to do a programme on it and so do I Annie the peregrine falcon entwines talons with the second chick of her new clutch born Monday atop UC Berkeleys Campanile bell tower. Courtesy UC Berkeley / Cal Falcon Cam Two tiny new falcons on Monday pecked their way out of their eggs and into the world high atop the Campanile at UC Berkeley. The Earth Day chicks were the first to hatch from four reddish eggs laid by Annie, half of the peregrine falcon couple that resides two floors above the Campaniles carillon. The first chick emerged about 8 a.m., according to experts posts to the Cal Falcon Cam account on X, formerly Twitter. The second hatched about 10:30 a.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The newest arrivals have not yet been named, and its not known exactly when the final two chicks will emerge from their eggs. Peregrine falcons Annie and Archie are shown after the first chick of their recent clutch hatched Monday at UC Berkeleys Campanile tower. Courtesy UC Berkeley / Cal Falcon Cam Photos taken from the three live cameras on the campus bell tower showed Archie, the birds father, perched nervously watching Annie incubating the eggs on Sunday. After their birth, the cameras show him trying to get a peek at his new progeny as Annie insists on keeping them warm and safe beneath her. The webcams can be viewed at calfalcons.berkeley.edu/webcams/. After Annie laid the four eggs on March 25, campus bird experts predicted they would hatch on Wednesday and scheduled a big-screen viewing at the campus Pacific Film Archive. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Peregrine falcon Annie is shown with the first chick of her new clutch, still damp after hatching Monday at UC Berkeleys Campanile bell tower. According to bird experts with Cal Falcon Cam, Annie will sometimes nibble on egg shells to help regain calcium that she expended to create her eggs. Courtesy UC Berkeley / Cal Falcon Cam Since the eggs arrival, the parent couple have tended to them, taking turns sitting atop them in a process dubbed enfluffeling, said Cal Falcons, a volunteer group of scientists, educators and conservationists at UC Berkeley. (The group says the term is not quite scientific.) Inside, the embryo was already capable of movement, the brain, eyes, heart and blood vessels had started to develop, and sex differentiation had occurred, according to the X posts. Peregrine falcon father Archie meets the two new chicks hatched by his mate, Annie, atop UC Berkeleys Campanile on Monday. Courtesy UC Berkeley / Cal Falcon Cam A photo posted about 3 p.m., shows Archie finally meeting the new peregrine pair and remarks that he seems very unsure at what is happening. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If the past is any indication, the falcon chicks may be named in a public competition. Annie first claimed the Campanile as home in 2016 along with then-partner Grinnell. Grinnell was found dead in downtown Berkeley in 2022, apparently hit by a car. He was followed by Alden and Lou, both of whom subsequently disappeared, making room for Archie. With Mondays new arrivals, Annie has hatched 20 chicks atop the Campanile, according to Cal Falcons. There are currently 96 gardai suspended from the force for a number of alleged infractions. The figure is down from 115 in 2022, with no fresh suspensions this year, new figures show. These figures were provided by Garda Headquarters as the Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual conference gets underway in Westport, Co Mayo. The association, which represents over 10,000 garda members, has accused Garda Commissioner Drew Harris of being overzealous in the application of the disciplinary regulations. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd It comes after a garda stationed in the midlands was investigated and suspended for three years after he provided a pensioner with an unclaimed bicycle during the Covid-19 pandemic. The deeply private detective is a member of the GRA but was not present last night when delegates gathered for the event. The conference this week has been overshadowed by the decision of Justice Minister Helen McEntee to not attend following the public snub of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris by the GRA. That refusal to invite the commissioner came in the wake of the associations unprecedented vote of no confidence in Mr Harris last year. The vote of no confidence was passed by 98.7pc in favour to 1.3pc against. Despite his absence in Co Mayo, a garda spokesperson outlined some key points that the Garda Commissioner would have raised at the conference. The garda spokesperson said the resignation rate in An Garda Siochana is one per cent, while statistics provided by Garda HQ show the international average is 10 per cent. There have also been 120 extensions of service granted by garda management in last two years and there are currently the highest number of sergeants and inspectors appointed by garda senior management in the history of the organisation. Garda HQ pointed to an independent Policing Authority report based on interviews with gardai, which found, In the main, the general view was not one of concern that the Garda Siochana is facing a retention crisis or an exodus of good people. It comes as GRA president Brenan OConnor today is expected to tell delegates that deteriorating morale is a huge issue among rank-and file gardai who, he says, feel abandoned and exposed. Mr OConnor will say there is an atmosphere of fear and an overwhelming disconnect between frontline gardai and senior management. He will say that garda numbers remain dangerously below strength and that issues surrounding recruitment and retention continue to place extra workload, stress and pressure on their members. He will tell delegates that not all the attacks on rank-and-file gardai have been from external sources, with overzealous oversight and the use of internal discipline as a training tool, making many of members second guess their policing methods. People are making too much out of Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins providing a character reference for a convicted sex offender, the partys new European candidate Niall Boylan has said. The Classic Hits FM radio presenter is running to be an MEP for the party in the Dublin constituency. In his first newspaper interview, Mr Boylan said his party leader, Mr Collins accepted he was wrong for writing the letter at the time and people were making too much of it. Mr Collins is the leader of Independent Ireland, a new party set up by him and Limerick TD Richard O Donoghue, as well as Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice. The Southern Star newspaper reported in 2015 that Mr Collins wrote the letter for a man who was subsequently convicted of underage sex. The Cork TD wrote the letter in 2013, before he was a politician. He has apologised several times for writing the letter, saying he would not write it today. Michael Collins Asked if Mr Collins writing the letter was okay, Mr Boylan said he accepted his apology. In his own view, it wasnt okay, because he said he regrets doing it at the time, and he wasnt a TD at the time, obviously. I dont have any other comment to make in relation to it. I think, you know, people are making too much of it as it is. You know, I think the man said he regrets it, we all make mistakes in our lives, do things that we regret. Mr Boylan is the latest European candidate announced for the party, joining former RTE broadcaster Ciaran Mullooly, who is running to be an MEP for the Midlands North West constituency. Mr Boylan said he would keep doing his podcast while running for the position and if elected as MEP. However, he will no longer present his show, Nite Time Talk with Niall Boylan on Classic Hits FM and said he only gave a definite yes to the party that he will run in the last two weeks. He said under Commisiun na Mean guidelines, it is not appropriate for candidates seeking election to be on air but every station can make their own decision based on programming. He said he has been covering topics on his show, Nite Time Talk with Niall Boylan which are less political in recent weeks. The full interview with Mr Boylan can be read in tomorrows Irish Independent. President Higgins is embraced by his wife Sabina upon receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester. Photo: Maxwells Photography. President Michael D Higgins has been conferred with an honorary doctorate from his alma mater the University of Manchester, which he said he accepted not just for himself but for all migrants and for those who study and care for them. Mr Higgins studied at the university during the late 1960s, times he described as full of hope and promise as he discussed his family links to the city on Tuesday evening. He was conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Nazir Afzal, in recognition of his contributions to literature and public life. This honour that you have bestowed on me has a particularly personal resonance, given my family connections with Manchester, he told guests at the Whitworth Gallery. My two sisters came to Manchester in the late 1950s and married and reared their families here. This was followed by my experience as a postgraduate student at this University in the late 1960s, which were times of hope and promise in so many parts of the world. Mr Higgins paid tribute to those who have researched and documented the Irish connection to the city, telling those gathered about the many Irish who lived and died building the Manchester Shipping Canal. That project, 36 miles long, is symbolic of the great contribution of the Irish navvies who lived and died building it, along with the railways, roads, mines and towns of Britain, he said. What characterised this Manchester of 200 years ago, was a city that personified the industrial revolution underway, the lead industrial city in a new world...It was a city of hubris for its obvious achievements, but also of migration, extreme poverty and inequality, as so many have written. President Higgins remembered Valdo Pons, a sociologist who later became a friend and external examiner at Galway University, from whom he took courses while at university on urban sociology and the life of migrants in cities. Mr Higgins said this time was vital in giving him a profound and lifelong academic interest in migration and he would go on to teach some of the first sociology of migration classes in Ireland at University College Galway. Dear friends, I accept and appreciate the honour you conferred upon me today, not just for myself, but for all migrants and for those who study and care for them. An image of a worker bee, the emblem of Manchester and part of the University coat of arms, was displayed beside the podium from which Mr Higgins delivered his conferral address. He said the insects should be cherished and he is confident that the university will continue to play a crucial role in tackling the interlocked crises we face on our burning planet. Mr Higgins has been conferred with several such awards from institutions across the world, including at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Athens and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. His visit to Manchester is one of his first engagements abroad since he was discharged from hospital after a brief stay last month. It coincides with the tenth anniversary of his State Visit to the United Kingdom in 2014. President Michael D Higgins is set to receive an honorary doctorate from his alma mater the University of Manchester. It is one of the first engagements Mr Higgins will attend abroad since he was discharged from hospital following a brief stay last month. His visit Manchester this week coincides with the tenth anniversary of his State Visit to the United Kingdom in April 2014. Mr Higgins will be conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Nazir Afzal OBE, this evening. It is in recognition of his contributions to literature and public life, with Mr Higgins having a strong connection with the university where he studied from 1968 to 1971. Mr Higgins has been conferred with several such awards from institutions across the world, including at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Athens and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. The conferral ceremony, with a dinner in the Presidents honour, will take place at the Whitworth Art Gallery, which forms part of the University and will be attended by Mr Higgins and Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell. Tomorrow, he will deliver the inaugural lecture in a new annual series of lectures which will run at the University of Manchester for five years, titled the John Kennedy Lecture Series. The title of the inaugural lecture, presented by President Higgins is: Of the consciousness our times need in responding to interacting crises and the role of Universities as spaces of discourse in facilitating it. Mr Higgins will meet with a number of contacts in universities and other institutions in Manchester over the course of his visit, including some of those he previously collaborated with on academic projects and members of the Irish community who have been invited to attend the public lecture. It will be the first in a number of major lectures which Mr Higgins will deliver over the coming months. He will deliver an address at Aras an Uachtarain when he receives the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisations Agricola Medal at a ceremony on June 7. It will focus on models of food security, building on previous speeches he has delivered on the same subject at the second Dakar Summit on food sovereignty and resilience in Senegal last January and at the World Food Forum in Rome last October. Fifteen women reported being targeted by rogue crisis pregnancy agencies between 2018 and 2021, according to the Department of Health. It comes after a recent investigation found that anti-abortion campaign groups are continuing to run unregulated agencies, which give women misleading advice. There is no regulation of crisis pregnancy agencies in Ireland and no requirement for someone who offers advice to women to have any qualifications at all. Eight years ago, the then health minister Simon Harris vowed to regulate crisis pregnancy agencies following an undercover newspaper investigation into clinics run by anti-abortion activists. While the Government moved to introduce regulations that would cover crisis pregnancy agencies in 2017, seven years later they are still not in place. A Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) was appointed in February 2019 and held its inaugural meeting in May 2019, but the profession of crisis pregnancy counsellor is still not regulated. In response to a parliamentary question from Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that owing to a significant body of preparatory work that the CPRB is required to undertake, and the complexity of introducing regulation to this profession, it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the profession of counsellor will be fully regulated. Between 2018 and 2022, there were 15 reported incidents of service users attending the above services having been in prior contact with a rogue agency. However, none of these incidents occurred in 2022. The HSEs website advises service users that they should only visit a HSE-funded unplanned pregnancy counselling service, Mr Donnelly said. Last week, RTE broadcast a documentary on abortion services in Ireland, more than five years since Irelands abortion laws came into effect. The documentary included undercover footage taken at two crisis pregnancy agencies, and one retreat for women suffering from post-abortion trauma. All three are run by anti-abortion campaign groups. In the footage, a woman is told by one agency that having an abortion could lead to pre-term births if she went on to have another pregnancy. She was also told she could suffer from regret, depression and that she may seek out a replacement baby. Another agency told a woman that abortion carried serious mental health risks, and that she may not be able to continue working with children afterwards. Ms Bacik said: Rogue crisis pregnancy agencies lie to women at a time of exceptional vulnerability. Any agency which provides counselling to women experiencing crisis pregnancies must be registered and regulated. She said that in 2016, her party had brought forward a private members bill that sought to regulate such agencies. Yet we are now still being told it will take years to regulate. Women in crisis cant wait, she said. It is imperative that the Minister for Health bring in regulations to ensure that these agencies are no longer able to give dangerous advice to vulnerable women. They are interfering with reproductive health decisions and womens autonomy. Plans will be drawn up to commemorate the Stardust disaster, Taoiseach Simon Harris will tell the Cabinet today. Mr Harris will deliver a state apology in the Dail this afternoon to the families of the victims in the fire, which claimed 48 lives. He will ask Justice Minister Helen McEntee and other ministers to report back on the implementation of the inquest jurys recommendations. The Department of An Taoiseach will also be tasked with preparing plans to appropriately commemorate the disaster in consultation with the families. Mr Harris met the families on Saturday and apologised to them in person. It is understood a redress scheme will also be drawn up. However, a senior Government source said it will not be part of Mr Harriss apology in the Dail today or his update to the Cabinet. Meanwhile, further tightening of the States immigration rules will kick in from today. Nigerian asylum-seekers will be fast-tracked and have their cases decided within 90 days, Ms McEntee will tell the Cabinet. This is because the State has seen the highest amount of international protection applicants coming here from Nigeria over the last three months. Every three months, the country from which the highest amounts of asylum-seekers are coming into Ireland will be assessed and applicants from that country fast-tracked. This is in line with the International Protections Act, a Government source said. The number of asylum-seekers coming in from countries which have been deemed as safe has halved since fast-track processes were brought in. People coming to Ireland from those countries who apply for international protection, but instead are coming here for economic reasons, see that it is not worth it as they do not want to risk a refusal and deportation order, the source said. Currently, Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and South Africa have been designated as safe countries, and Ms McEntee is looking at adding up to eight extra countries. Latest data shows 33.8pc of all international protection applications this year were from Nigeria, 7.8pc were from Bangladesh, 7.3pc came from Pakistan and 6.7pc were from Somalia. Figures from the Department of Justice also show the low numbers of asylum-seekers from so-called safe countries. So far this year, only 3.3pc were from Georgia, with the same percentage from South Africa. President has refused to put conditions on military aid, despite criticism of the bombing campaign in Gaza Americans have increasingly turned against Israels war in Gaza. For the first time since Hamass October 7 attack, a majority of Americans said last month that they disapproved of Israels military actions. Opposition to the war is most pronounced among Democrats, with 75pc disapproving. President Joe Biden appears to share some of these misgivings; he has criticised Israels bombing campaign as indiscriminate. Reports of his conversations with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu show a president at his wits end, irritated and even angry at his counterparts intransigence. But his criticisms have been made mostly in private settings, and there have been no major changes in policy. Biden has refused to put conditions on military aid to Israel. The Democratic Party leadership has largely followed suit. Fair play to Fionnan Sheahan for cutting away the undergrowth to reveal the true success of the Green Party against the more wildly held perception that they have been a disaster for the country (Life of Ryan: plenty of Green critics, but all party is doing is fulfilling its promises, Irish Independent, April 22). Ive written to Eamon Ryan a few times over the years on local issues and he has always replied through his department in a timely manner. Likewise, the ire and abuse levelled at Roderic OGorman is in contrast to the millions of euro private and not-so-private landlords have made on the back of his refugee placement policies. Of course the Healy-Raes always make the headlines with their anti-green agenda, but they remind me of House Republicans in the United States. They make a song and dance in Dail Eireann to get on the front pages, but then they are indulged by the local media back in the Kingdom for some of the very policies they rail against. Pairc Naisiunta na Mara, which is the new national park about to be unveiled at the Conor Pass, Co Kerry, is a case in point. Michael Healy-Rae said the money should have been spent on housing instead of buying 1,400 acres of wilderness. A big-budget advertisement is currently running in cinemas with the repeated line, Its our future we are talking about. It is fronted by children from diverse ethnic backgrounds referencing the impact of climate change on their futures. They ask that this totally solvable problem be fixed by the adults in the room for all of our sakes. As we get nearer to a general election, perhaps the national media might sift through the chaff more often. Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry Message that we must all do more is just not hitting home with most people Too many people continue to throw non-biodegradable waste down a chute or flush pollutants down the toilet. Societally, we still discharge out of elevated exhaust pipes and sky-high jet engines and do so like its all absorbed into the natural environment without repercussion. Many drivers of huge gas-guzzling vehicles seem to consider it a basic human right to drive such a thing. Then there are the corporate-scale toxic-contaminant spills in rarely visited wilderness. With this in mind, every day of the year needs the kind of action called for on World Earth Day, which fell yesterday. We desperately need a genuine and serious effort to tackle these challenges instead of tokenism. Frank Sterle Jr, White Rock, BC, Canada SF criticism of oncology service fails to account for delicate variables at play While I appreciate Sinn Feins position as the main opposition party, its criticism of the oncology service is unfair. Bloods are done the day before scheduled chemotherapy, usually in a local centre for reasons of convenience. They are prioritised for early results. If all is deemed as it should be, chemotherapy goes ahead. But if the white cell count is low, the chemotherapy is postponed. I am not sure how practical it would be to get a replacement patient at such short notice. The rescheduling will then have a knock-on effect on patients booked for the following week. This happens all the time and, unfortunately, cannot be avoided. It is also important to remember hospitals only have so many beds and a finite number of oncology specialist nurses providing this excellent service. Dr Michael Foley, Rathmines, Dublin 6 Billy Keane is a chip off the old block and his column is what we need in hard times I love Billy Keanes weekly column in your wonderful newspaper. I especially enjoyed last Saturdays contribution (As the frowning farmers keep their fingers crossed for a dry spell, all we are saying is give peas a chance, Irish Independent, April 20). In an era when we are bombarded on all sides with so much news, most of it very depressing, this column is touched by genius. Billy is a chip off the old block. Keep up the good work. John ORourke, Address with editor Relying on international forces to bring about peace will never be the solution There was a certain amusement in reading Joseph Kielys proposals for peace-making in Gaza (US obstruction of official recognition for Palestine tells its own murky story, Irish Independent, Letters, April 20). I say this as his proposals were very similar to the failed arrangements in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 relating to the Lebanese-Israel border. International forces do not prevent anything if one of the parties wishes to infiltrate or fire rockets at an area. They are only good to save the faces of those whose aggressions have been defeated. The bottom line of peace-making is that it has to be made between the principals. Frank Adam, Prestwich, UK Continued murder and starvation appears certain to embitter next generation I applaud the Irish Independent for unequivocally stating that the indiscriminate use of force will sow seeds of hatred and vengeance among future generations (Humanitarian cost of tit-for-tat reprisals would be calamitous, Editorial, April 20). Since October 7, we have been overwhelmed with horrible imagery of mass graves, torture, starvation, famine, indiscriminate killings and wanton destruction of civilian infrastructures. This is an intolerable denial of basic human rights. The continuing failure to reach a humanitarian ceasefire will further erode trust in international organisations and Western governments, and push more people towards oblivion. Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob, London We encourage empathy towards all people, except those affected by abortion Mary Stewart rightly points out the flaws in the RTE documentary regarding the problems with Irelands abortion legislation (Softening of rules and biased messaging on terminations suits agenda, Irish Independent, Letters, April 22). However, given that we now intend to teach empathy in school, what are the chances of those affected by abortion actually being listened to? Peter Declan OHalloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan As the political situation in the Middle East hangs on a knife edge, world leaders are trying to second guess the next move of Israels longest-serving prime minister. Scandal and controversy have dogged Benjamin Netanyahus political career, yet still he clings to power. We go behind the headlines to examine the man at the centre of global politics today, and ask what his end game is. As the political situation in the Middle East continues to escalate, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows no signs of tempering his hardline stance. Washington is actively considering imposing sanctions on the Israeli Defence Forces for alleged human rights violations. Netanyahu has vowed to fight such plans, despite his reliance on the US to send substantial military aid. This has led world leaders to ask: what is Netanyahus end game? He has been given various nicknames and labels over the years, from King Bibi to Mr Security to The Magician. His political career has seen him navigate crises and challenges, including corruption charges and fallout from controversial comments about the Holocaust. Today on the Indo Daily, Fionnan Sheahan is joined by John Downing, Political Correspondent with the Irish Independent, to look at the life of Netanyahu. They discuss if his past political decisions can help us pre-empt his next move as the Middle East conflict teeters on the brink. Jamie is described as being approximately six foot in height Jamie Murphy was last seen in Cork city on Tuesday, April 16. Gardai are appealing to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 26-year-old Jamie Murphy, who was last seen in Cork city on Tuesday, April 16. Jamie is described as being approximately six foot in height with a medium build, red/blonde hair and brown eyes. It is unknown what Jamie was wearing at the time he went missing. Anyone with any information on Jamie's whereabouts is asked to contact Anglesea Street Garda Station on 021 452 2000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Rescue crews search for a missing person in the Russian River at Steelhead Beach in Forestville. The teenager who drowned was identified as Justin Huang, a 14-year-old from San Francisco. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle The teen who drowned after being swept into Sonoma Countys Russian River this month was identified as 14-year-old Justin Huang of San Francisco, authorities said Tuesday. Huang and a friend went missing in the river on April 11, prompting an extensive search by the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office and other agencies. His body was recovered the following day, authorities said. The friend was able to get out of the water and was taken to a hospital. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The event was the main event of a transition year project focused on domestic violence Participants in the event were greeted with sunny weather by the time they got to the finish line. 'Great fun' was had at the colour run according to a teacher. Through holding the colour run, transition year students intended to raise awareness of the issue of domestic abuse in Ireland. Participants paid an entry fee into the event and funds raised will go to two charities which support domestic abuse victims. Nearly 200 first-years and transition year students took part in the colour run event. There was great fun had at St Marys Secondary School last Friday, when almost 200 students participated in a special colour run organised by a group of transition year students hoping to raise awareness of the issue of domestic abuse in Ireland. The event, held by passionate transition year students completing a Young Social Innovators (YSI) project focused on domestic violence, saw dozens of first-year and TY students participate alongside their teachers. Those who took part each paid an entrance fee into the run and funds raised will go to the Womens Aid and Mens Aid charities, which support those who have experienced domestic violence. Eoin Hilliard, a teacher and YSI guide at St Marys, told The Corkman that the event was a huge success which was boosted by sunny afternoon weather. Great fun was had by all with a number of students also winning prizes kindly donated by local businesses as part of the group's fundraising effort, Mr Hilliard said. Before the event took place, TY students also listened to the experiences of Ainie Granger, a domestic abuse survivor from Dublin who spoke about the prevalence of domestic abuse in Ireland and what to do if one finds themselves experiencing the issue. Mr Hilliard said that his YSI students hoped to raise awareness about the issue of domestic abuse and the help available to victims through a number of actions they have taken this year. Since beginning their project, the transition year students have researched the issue of domestic abuse, spoken to politicians about improving policy on the issue and made a Speak Out presentation on their project at Cork City Hall last month. Last Fridays talk and colour run marked the main event of the students project according to Mr Hilliard. Its to help make it socially acceptable to speak up about it and go to the Gardai and organisations that can prosecute people for it, the teacher said. In Ireland, its a problem that hasnt been at the top of social agendas and political agendas and it should be - thats what we found through our research. Well done to all involved including staff, management and especially the YSI group themselves who spearheaded the initiatives. If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, call Womens Aid on Freephone 1800 34 19 00 (email helpline@womensaid.ie or see womensaid.ie) or call Mens Aid Ireland on 01 554 3811 (email hello@mensaid.ie or see mensaid.ie). Communities across Cork are crying out for more visible policing a Sinn Fein local area representative has claimed. Joe Lynch, who is a Sinn Fein local election candidate for Cork City South West said that communities across Cork are crying out for better and more visible policing. Mr Lynch also described the year-on-year decrease of 44 gardai across Cork city and county as 'nothing short of scandalous'. He made the comments as Sinn Fein published its 'Policing in Cork: Keeping Communities Safe' proposals at Cork City Hall this week. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The Ballincollig based politician said people are feeling less safe in their communities. "It is a sad reality that there are less gardai in Cork city and county than there were a year ago. The result of this is people feeling less safe in their communities and increasing levels of some very serious crimes; including assaults, robbery and fraud. The gardai we have do their level-best, but they can't be expected to tackle crime adequately without the necessary resources or numbers, he said. Across Cork city and county, there are 44 less gardai than there were a year ago, said Mr Lynch. This is nothing short of scandalous. In Ballincollig, we have a garda station that opens for a grand total of fifteen hours a week if we're lucky, so it is little wonder that the feeling on the ground is that there is less visible policing in the community. "Sinn Fein recognise that communities are crying out for better, more visible policing and we have published a credible, comprehensive policy document aimed at increasing garda numbers in Cork; which would allow gardai to carry out more visible patrolling duties, properly staff stations and bring more criminals to justice, he added. Mr Lynch continued: Sinn Fein are listening to the real concerns of citizens in our communities, and are planning accordingly; something those in government have failed, and are failing, to do." Marathon charity cycle in aid of those suffering from the painful skin condition EB 10 of Kalebh's family and friends have signed up to do the cycle in memory of Aaron Kalebh Fynes, from Ballyboughal, is taking on a 230km cycle this May bank holiday weekend A Dubliner will embark on a mammoth cycle across the country this May bank holiday in memory of his brother, who passed away from a rare skin condition. Kalebh Fynes (29) will set off from Portmarnock on May 3 and cycle 230km to Salthill in Galway in memory of his brother Aaron, who was born with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as butterfly skin. Aaron was just 16 when he died from the genetic skin condition, which is caused by the absence of proteins that bind the skin layers together and can cause blisters at the slightest touch. The funds raised will go to a charity called Debra, the national charity supporting those with EB in Ireland. At the moment, ten of us have signed up to do it, but all are welcome to join, whether youre an experienced cyclist or just up for the challenge, Kalebh said. Kalebh, from Ballyboughal, was just six years old when Aaron died in 2001, and this will be his second challenge in memory of his brother, as he climbed Kilimanjaro last year for the same cause. 10 of Kalebh's family and friends have signed up to do the cycle in memory of Aaron I missed out on getting to know Aaron on a mature level, but I feel now, through Debra and events such as this, that I can connect with him, he said. I still look up to him, and he still influences my life and the lives of others around me. He will set off on Friday, May 3, and cycle to Athlone, where they will camp for the night and cover the remaining distance to Galway on Saturday. Kalebhs dad, Val, will drive a support van alongside the team, transporting the bikes back to Dublin, while his other sibling, Isaiah, will follow in a car filled with refreshments and first aid. Kalebhs mother and extended family will be waiting for them at the finish line during their final stretch. Debras care and personnel, and the families affected by EB that need assistance, are spread thin, said Kalebh. There are two reasons why I do these fundraisers: firstly, in memory of Aaron, and secondly, to raise awareness and funds for Debra. I also want to be able to reflect on every year when Im old and grey, with a marker of something that I have done. Its a way to remember each year, and what better reason than in memory of Aaron? Id also like to thank everyone who supports me and helps me raise funds each year. Sydney Mulhall (9) on her day as a zookeeper at Dublin Zoo A young girl, who has a gene mutation that has left her needing a wheelchair and being non-verbal, got to live her dream as a zookeeper for the day at Dublin Zoo. Sydney Mulhall (9) suffers from complications such as epilepsy, scoliosis, and an intellectual disability. Her mum, Natasha Hughes, told Make-A-Wish Ireland that the zoo is a calming place for her daughter. She had a blast on her wish day, joined by her sisters, who know lots about animals. Sydney loves elephants, and these were one of the animals she got to know a bit better by feeding them on the day. Make-A-Wish Ireland said that Sydneys excitement was palpable and that at some points, she decided not to use her wheelchair and explore areas of the zoo on her own. Speaking on Newstalk, Sydneys mum said that it was a carefree day of attention for everybody and made her daughter feel special. These are things we dont get to do on a daily basis as life is busy; it can be hard and stressful, she said. Sydney loves going to the zoo, but because of her chair, we would generally stand at the back, and we wouldnt see much - but she was out of her chair most of the day this time and just full of joy. The nine-year-old loves elephants and got to feed them at Dublin Zoo The young animal lover and her sisters made their best animal calls and got to see lots of animals up close, including the big cats, who came right up to the fence. Even the new snow leopard came the closest to the glass the zookeepers say they had ever seen. The big day out for Sydney and her family was preceded with a night away at the Castleknock Hotel where she enjoyed a big jacuzzi bath and was greeted with little hampers on their beds. Natasha shared their experience on Wish Week, an annual fundraising initiative by Make-A-Wish Ireland, aimed at granting wishes to children facing life-threatening illnesses. This years event runs from April 22 to April 26 and aims to raise awareness and funds to complete the wishes of these children. It involves various activities such as street collections and much more. The famous photo of Hollywood star Matt Damon and his shopping bag taken four years ago in Dalkey, has now been immortalised by the local SuperValu. After shooting in the south of France in February of 2020, the cast and crew of the movie, The Last Duel, moved to Ireland for filming in Wicklow, Meath, Kilkenny and Dublin. However, the first Covid-19 lockdown intervened, leaving Matt Damon and his family trapped in the south Dublin seaside town. He quickly became a local curiosity and was spotted in various local restaurants, cafes, and shops before a photo of him visiting the Vico Baths with a shopping bag went viral. Speculation on social media quickly moved to whether Matt had gone full-Irish and was carrying a bag of cans, before the star himself revealed in an interview with local Dublin radio station Spin that it was only his swimming gear in the SuperValu bag. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd Now, to make sure nobody forgets that significant moment, Rushes SuperValu in Dalkey has released a new reusable bag with a drawing of the famous Matt Damon photo. Fans of the Hollywood actor were delighted with one saying: They should sell cloth tote bags of that. Id buy one. Another added: I just picked up two. 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 Jason Bourne star previously spoke to the Irish Independent about lockdown, Dalkey and shopping in Supervalu. I had no idea that would be such a thing, he laughed. But to be fair, where else do you shop in Dalkey? He has fond memories of that magical Vico Road bathing spot so cherished by locals. Its incredible there, its just beautiful, I had no idea. We got so lucky, and we really fell in love with it in Dalkey, he said. What a part of the world that is, and the community just kind of absorbed us, it was really a bit like a fairytale. So, I had nothing to complain about, that first lockdown was fantastic. It was unbelievably fortuitous, the way things worked out for my family because we ended up in Dalkey right as everything locked down, and by coincidence, my kids were with me, he added. The new equine centre at the ChildVision campus in Drumcondra will be named in memory of Jack de Bromhead A new equine centre in Dublin will be named in memory of Jack de Bromhead, the young jockey who died at the age of 13 after an accident at a beach race. The centre will be built this year for ChildVision in Drumcondcra, a specialist therapy and education centre for children with visual impairment, who are in need of a new indoor equine therapeutic facility. The new Equine Centre will have stables for up to 10 horses and ponies, changing facilities, offices, a viewing area/learning space, and all ancillary accommodation. The building will provide services in all weather and on dark evenings in an environment that will offer comfort and safety to its users. This is possible due to donations from a group of family and friends of the de Bromhead family. Henry de Bromhead, wife Heather and their daughters Mia and Georgia, said they are looking forward to the opening of the centre. The equine centre will be a wonderful legacy for our beloved Jack, a hugely missed son and brother, they said. Horses are a huge part of our lives, and we know the physical experience of riding a horse offers so many potential benefits, especially helping address a host of physical, social and emotional issues. More so, it will be a place of learning and hope, full of laughter and joy, traits that were such a part of Jack, all facilitated by the much-treasured horses and ponies that call the ChildVision stables home. Jack de Bromhead died in a racing accident aged just 13 We are looking forward to following the development and construction of the new equine therapeutic centre and being there to cut the ribbon when it is completed. We are forever grateful to those who came on board to support us we know Jack would be really proud of what this life-changing generosity will enable. The new indoor facility at the ChildVision campus will give children who are blind, multi-disabled and neurodiverse access to equine activities in a supportive and purpose designed environment. It will also allow the ChildVision team and volunteers to extend their services to reach more children over more hours which will make a life-changing difference, especially through the winter months and in bad weather conditions. Barry Sheridan, ChildVision CEO, said this initiative would not be possible without the generosity of Jacks family. We have an ambitious plan for the ChildVision campus and front and centre was trying to secure funding for an equine therapeutic centre, he said. We had already raised over 500,000 but without this extraordinary fundraising support we would not have been in a position to break ground in 2024 on this vital facility. We would like to thank the de Bromhead family, Chris Jones, and the other wonderful benefactors for enabling our dream to come true. We will ensure that Jacks legacy and that of his loving family, who so generously agreed to share his name with us, will live on for generations to come. Along with the de Bromhead family, well-known racehorse owner Chris Jones helped make this dream become a reality for many. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit ChildVision last summer and to see first-hand the therapeutic impact that equine can have on children with complex needs, Mr Jones said. I knew that Henry and Heather already had a connection to ChildVision and knowing that many friends and family members wanted to find some way to mark Jacks love of horses in a tangible way, the Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre concept came to fruition. The response to my call for donations was unbelievably kind and generous. Its a testament to the high regard the de Bromheads are held in, that we are in a position to make the equine centre at ChildVision in Jacks name, a reality. To continue fundraising for ChildVisions equine programme, Kenny Alexander, owner of Honeysuckle, has donated the racing colours worn by Rachael Blackmore during four Cheltenham victories and nine Irish Grade 1 winners. The iconic silks, signed by Rachael, Henry and Kenny, will be auctioned at the Goffs sale at the Punchestown Festival on Thursday, May 2. Honeysuckle gave me some of the best days of my career - her colours hold a lot of very special memories, Ms Blackmore said. I wore them on all of Honeysuckles big days at Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Punchestown. All money raised will be donated to the operating costs of the new Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre. The donation will make a lasting difference to those children and their families who will benefit so much from the amazing work that they do at ChildVision, where hopefully many more great memories will be made. Gardai are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward following a road traffic collision in Longford town on Saturday as investigations into a separate single-vehicle crash in north Longford that left a teenager in a critical condition in hospital continue. Gardai have renewed their public appeal for information in connection to a road traffic collision in Longford at the weekend that left a motorcyclist having to be airlifted to hospital. The male motorcyclist was taken to Tallaght Hospital in Dublin as a result of a collision with a car along the main N4, just off the midlands towns Red Cow roundabout at around 4:30pm on Saturday afternoon. Follow Independent Longford on Facebook The man, aged is in his 40s, sustained serious injuries, prompting gardai to launch an appeal for information in a bid to determine the cause of the crash. Gardai in Longford continue to appeal for witnesses following a serious road traffic collision in Longford town, on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, said a garda spokesperson. Gardai urge anyone who witnessed the collision or who was traveling on the N4 in the Aghadegan area at the time to come forward. Those with camera footage, including dashcam footage, are particularly encouraged to share it with investigating Gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Longford Garda Station at (043) 3350570, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. That appeal comes as gardai press ahead with a separate investigation following a single vehicle collision that occurred in Aughnacliffe, Co Longford just hours earlier. A man in his late teens and who is from the locality remains in a critical condition in Dublins Beaumont Hospital after the car he was driving was involved in a collision on the L1049 in the townland of Culray during the early hours of Saturday morning. A garda spokesperson confirmed an examination of the scene was undertaken on Saturday by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators as investigations into the cause of the incident continue. Frank Gildea, a resident of Ballynarry, Riverstown, was recently honoured for his dedication and voluntary work with Fianna Fail for over 70 years. The recognition came in the form of a presentation of a piece of crystal by European Midlands/North West party election candidate, Senator Niall Blaney, in front of a large crowd at Tommy Macs, Riverstown. Senator Blaney praised Frank for his unwavering commitment to the party and highlighted the crucial role that volunteers play in ensuring that politics remains deeply rooted in local communities. This is Sligo Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Sligo newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Franks contributions have been invaluable, having supported and canvassed for numerous local, general, and European candidates, including five TDs in his local area. Despite his long service, Frank remains as enthusiastic as ever, planning to offer his support for the upcoming local and European elections on June 7th. The award, originally presented at the national Fianna Fail Ard Fheis, was a testament to Franks remarkable dedication, and local Fianna Fail party activists were keen to acknowledge his outstanding contribution and celebrate his success at the grassroots level. 88-year-old Frank told The Sligo Champion that he was proud to have been involved with Fianna Fail since he was an 18-year-old back in 1954. I suppose 70 years is a long time to be involved with the party and I have seen them all come and go. I remember Jim Gallagher TD in the mid 1950s and I campaigned with him all over the place. My father was a great Fianna Fail man so it was very much in the blood. He added: Back in the 1960s when there was an election on I used to drive people to the polling stations no matter whether they were Fianna Fail or Fine Gael. Some of the Fine Gael ones would travel in the car with me but the dedicated ones would not. In later years Frank was a staunch campaigner for former TD Mattie Brennan and he has met many of the leading figures in the party. Frank lives on the shores of Lough Arrow in a scenic spot and he was a radio officer for the first part of his life at sea. I was working with the Marconi Radio Company and I enjoyed it and I travelled around the world for seven years. After that he worked as an auctioneer in Riverstown. When asked how he found this very different occupation, he said: It was quiet enough, but I survived. You need to be a bit of a wheeler dealer, but I wasnt tough enough for that, he quipped. I spent over 30 years at the auctioneering and I got to know a fair bit of the county in my time. But Frank is less than happy with the growing cynicism towards politicians in recent years. I think it is not right the abuse they get these days and it is keeping good people from going forward forward for the job and it is worse it is getting lately. Martin Baker has stood down as the local Fianna Fail representative and Frank paid him a heartfelt tribute. Yes, he was a very good man and I am glad to see him out canvassing now with Liam Brennan who is standing for the party in this area. Frank has met with previous Fianna Fail leaders like Charlie Haughey and Bertie Ahern. And he does not hold back in his assessment of both famous political figures. Charlie Haughey was full of plamas and Bertie Ahern was cute. Frank added that none of the main parties are as popular as they were and believes that if Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens stick together they will stay in power after the next general election. Eddie Fitzachary (60s) died tragically following a farm accident in Co Carlow on Saturday Mourners at the funeral of a Carlow dad-of-five killed tragically in a farm accident over the weekend were told of how he was loved and renowned for his jokes and sense of humour. Eddie Fitzachary (60s) of Tullow, Co Carlow and formerly of Bunclody, Co Wexford and Rathfarnham, Co Dublin died tragically following a farm accident in Co Carlow on Saturday. Gardai were alerted to a fatal workplace incident at a premises in Hacketstown, Co. Carlow on Saturday April 20, 2024. A male in his 60s was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was taken to the mortuary at University Hospital Waterford where a post-mortem examination took place. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have been notified and attended the scene and a file has been prepared for the Coroner. Mr. Fitzacharys eldest son Barry paid to tribute to his dads sense of humour, which he said was always accompanied with a glint of devilment in his eyes". "I look forward to hearing stories about my dad in the coming days, months and I hope years. He was a devil, chuckled an emotional Barry. We have heard about how my dad was involved in construction and farming, but one thing he also did was restore some tractors. This was something he did meticulously. They looked beautiful leaving the yard. "When he fixed things he would always puff out his chest and proudly say well what do you think of your old dad?. "But to fix things, sometimes you have to break them first which he was very good at. When the car came to collect my dad after the accident, true to dads form that car broke down and the guys got a great laugh out of that because it was such an Eddie thing to happen. He gave us a lot over the years, added Barry. Three things I can point out in particular is his work ethic, his sense of humour and a surname were going to have to spell for the rest of our lives. As Barry came to the end of his dads eulogy his voice started to crack as he became overwhelmed with emotion. "I stand here having to honour my dad but I also have to stand here and honour my family, people who I am very proud to call my family, every single one of them. Mam, I wont say too much but just so you know we are all truly proud of you and we love you so much. "And finally, I just want to say, I love you dad, concluded Barry as he tearfully paused with his hand on his dads coffin as father and son shared one final moment together. Along with flowers and a photo of Mr. Fitzachary, a tractor and Eddie's favourite mug were placed on his coffin. The tractor represented Mr. Fitzacharys love for tractors. He was never far from the tractor, whether on his way to or from a job, he was always seen in his tractor. Next to the tractor sat Mr. Fitzachary's favourite mug which symbolised a hot mug of tea. Mr. Fitzachary always had to have a big mug for his tea and usually had about five mugs of tea before he had even left the house. Death whenever it comes is never welcome but a sudden death by accident is an enormous shock to the immediate family, sympathised parish priest of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity Bunclody, Fr Laurence OConnor as he addressed the congregation. "It is difficult to come to terms with a sudden death. It shakes our faith and belief and challenges our understanding of life and lifes purpose. "We lose someone who is always there for us as things that were normal for us are no longer possible such as conversation, good fun and laughter with that person. He added: Eddie was a good man. Work was the main feature of his life and he worked energetically over the years as a mechanic, as a contractor and as a farmer. A farm accident was the cause of his death. "He loved to have a laugh and was renowned for his jokes and funny stories and causing trouble. He had a marvellous sense of humour. "On Saturday Eddie took his sudden, unexpected leave from us. We now take the opportunity to thank Eddie for the many ways he was a blessing to many people during his time with us. Mr. Fitzachary is the beloved husband of Audrey, loving father of Nikki, Alex, Barry, David and Evan, and loving son of Mai, brother of Paddy, Paul, Philip, Marie, Annette and Bridget, read his death notice on RIP.ie. Deeply regretted by his loving wife, sons, daughters, mother, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, close friend Mick Gahan, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, neighbours, relatives and friends". The Ballymitty committee, Willie Fitzharris Paul Kehoe TD Cllr Frank Staples at the announcement of 1.4 million for Ballymitty. An architectural drawing of what Riverchapel Community Centre will look like. An architectural drawing of what Ballymitty Community Centre will look like. More than 3.2m in funding has been announced for community centres in two Co Wexford communities as part of the first ever dedicated fund for shovel-ready community projects in Ireland. Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe announced the unprecedented investment for Riverchapel and Ballymitty community centres. Riverchapel Community Complex secured planning permission for a brand new 2 million community centre last June. 1,797,919 has been provided in Government funding. The plans involve the construction of a single storey Community Centre Building to consist of two childcare rooms with facilities including designated external play areas, a Youth Cafe, a Digital Hub and meeting room, two team changing room facilities, indoor sports, recreation and an events hall. 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 Meanwhile Ballymitty Community Development have been awarded 1,398,035 for their new community centre. Deputy Kehoe said: This news for Ballymitty and Riverchapel is a gamechanger for these communities. Two state of the art community centres will be delivered, benefitting the communities for years for come. Deputy Kehoes announcement follows an investment of over 30 million by Minister Heather Humphreys, which will deliver 12 new community centres nationwide. Its the first time in the history of the State that a dedicated fund has been set up to deliver new-build community centres in rural Ireland. The Community Centres Investment Fund was launched in March 2023 to provide investment for new and ambitious community projects in our towns and villages. After providing funding of 45.8m to over 860 projects for refurbishments, Minister Humphreys decided to put a renewed focus on supporting communities that have no community centre at all. Making the announcement, Minister Humphreys said: I am delighted to announce details of the successful projects under the Community Centre Investment Fund 2023. Our community centres bring people of all ages together, whether it be for sporting, educational or social occasions. They are vital for engaging with those who may find themselves marginalised and they give everyone in the community a great sense of belonging. They build, stronger, more vibrant communities places that for so many people act as a home from home. You could say that the community centre is the cornerstone of community life in many towns, villages and cities around the country. An architectural drawing of what Riverchapel Community Centre will look like. Minister Humphreys added: When I launched this fund last year with a 20m allocation, I expected to approve five or six projects. Taking account of the quality of the applications and the identified needs, I am approving funding for 12 of the applications received with funding of over 30m. This funding will assist community groups striving to build their own community centre to service local needs and the level of interest has shown that these centres, when complete, will be the heart of many a community, she added. The successful projects are all on brown or green field sites and have all the necessary planning and consents secured so they are already at an advanced stage and ready to commence following a tender process. This fund targets areas without an appropriate facility to meet their communitys needs. The centres range in size from single storey to two-storey buildings and will be located in rural and urban settings across nine counties. The Ballymitty committee, Willie Fitzharris Paul Kehoe TD Cllr Frank Staples at the announcement of 1.4 million for Ballymitty. Rosslare municipal district candidate, Willie Fitzharris welcomed the funding for Ballymitty, saying political parties do deliver. Senator Malcolm Byrne has described the decision of Government to award 1,797,919 toward the development of the planned Community Centre at Riverchapel as transformational and welcomed the investment in Co Wexfords fifth largest urban settlement. This is a fantastic development and will provide a much needed facility for an area that has grown rapidly over the last quarter century, he said. I was happy to have played a small role in this but the real credit must go to Craig Lang and the team of volunteers who worked hard to bring this vision to this stage. I would also praise the work of Wexford Local Development and Wexford County Council in providing support. As Courtown/Riverchapel grew, we didnt see community infrastructure keep pace with that growth. It was deeply frustrating especially when there was a young community crying out for it to be built. The development of the complex now along with this planned amazing building will provide real opportunities in the area. Sen Byrne thanked Minister Heather Humphreys who made the announcement on Saturday. She gets why building communities is important and her personal interest in projects like this makes a difference. The scale of this investment by government will allow for real change. Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Cllr Fionntan O Suilleabhain said: Great news this morning for Riverchapel Community Complex who are set to receive 1,797,919 in funding to develop a new community centre! Huge thanks to the many down the years who have campaigned to have a community centre in this long-neglected community, in what has become Wexfords fifth town. However, an urban area without the services of a town. Huge thanks to all who made this happen, including Craig Lang, members of the Riverchapel Community Complex Committee, Architect Mick Molloy, Wexford Local Development, and members of the Economic Development, Community, Planning and Municipal sections of Wexford County Council." The cioppino at Scoma's in San Francisco MacKenzie Chung Fegan / The Chronicle Last week, Cesar Hernandez and I dropped our list of the best classic restaurants in San Francisco. As a new resident of the city, I adored this assignment and the opportunity it presented to learn a bit more about S.F.s history. Did you know that Bavarian beer hall Schroeders maintained a no women allowed lunch policy until 1970? Or that before Tommy and Elmy Bermejo began serving enchiladas and tacos, Tommys Mexican was Tommys Barbecue? I particularly enjoyed my lunch at Scomas with the Chronicles urban design critic John King, whose relationship with the restaurant, from childhood trips with his dad to Fishermans Wharf to his daughters high school graduation dinner, spans decades. It wasnt all AP History. Much eating transpired as well. Here are the three best things I ate while scouting the classic S.F. restaurants we all know and love. Sour cream cake at Cinderella Bakery: The pastry display case at Cinderella is overwhelming to navigate. Do you go for something flaky like a cream horn or strudel? Get a grab bag of cookies and hamantaschen? I panic-ordered a slice of something called sour cream cake, and it was an incredible decision. Five layers of moist chocolate cake alternate with a tangy sour cream-based filling scented with vanilla and nutmeg, and the whole thing is shellacked with more chocolate. I believe its also known as chocolate spartak cake in Russia, but dont quote me on that. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cioppino at Scomas: Im a real Goldilocks when it comes to the tomato base of cioppino. Some are too thin and brothy, others too thick and saucy. Who wants to eat marinara sauce with a soup spoon? But Scomas is my juuust right. I also appreciated that each piece of fish seemed to have been cooked according to its wants and needs (something also true of the cioppino at Sams Grill) instead of clams and calamari and white fish all going into the pot at the same time. And the garlic bread? Not an afterthought, legitimately delicious in its own right. Khaman dhokla at Greens: The culinary references at vegetarian restaurant Greens are all over the map; on the evening I visited, okonomiyaki, chili and fried yuca all shared table space a real Model U.N. But the star of my meal was this Gujarati dish described on the menu as a savory turmeric and English pea steamed cake. Ethereally fluffy, the round of khaman dhokla was a delicate, spongy base for grilled asparagus, maitake mushrooms and peas. Present at the signing of contracts for the new Rosslare Community Centre were Tommy O'Brien, Bernie Mullen, Micheal Delaney, Gary Murphy (contractor), Cllr Ger Carthy, Alan Murphy (Chair of Development Group), Maeve O'Brien, Norin Cummins (District Manager Rosslare Municipal District) and Liam Bohan. Thumbs up as contracts are finally signed to deliver a community centre for Rosslare Harbour in the old Bank of Ireland building. In October of 2021, as Bank of Ireland staff closed up the bank building in Rosslare Harbour for the final time, there were major fears that the local community would be left looking at another derelict building long into the future. Sadly, it had become a growing trend in the village which is now described as the gateway to Europe, which had seen businesses, buildings and houses boarded up and left to blight an otherwise picturesque seaside community. It was at this point that Independent councillor Ger Carthy began to apply some pressure. Having directed some pointed criticism towards Bank of Ireland for the decision to close the Rosslare branch in the first place, he publicly called for the bank building to be handed over for use by a community filled with loyal customers stretching back years. 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 Exerting his influence with then Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, he urged the council to do some kind of deal with the bank to acquire the building and finally put in place some kind of community centre for a growing population. There were one or two raised eyebrows when the Ladys Island man publicly discouraged potential investors for bidding against Wexford County Council on the old bank, but it was a means to an end as the building was finally secured for around 150,000. Theres been a lot of work and discussion since between the local authority, the councillor and the Rosslare Harbour Development Team under the Chairmanship of Alan Murphy. Thursday was a momentous day in the village, however, as contracts were finally signed with GJM Contracts to deliver a long-awaited community centre and enterprise centre for the village. "The goal has always been to provide a state of the art community facility for the people in this area, Cllr Carthy said. A whole host of different community groups will now have somewhere to call home and to meet and grow. People have been left so long without an appropriate community centre in Rosslare. "But, he continued, throwing a smile the in direction of contactor Gary Murphy. In seven months time Id be hopeful that we'll be cutting the ribbon on a state of the art building that will change all that. Figuring highly in the councillors praise was former council Chief Tom Enright, the Bank of Ireland, who he says saw the light and decided to sell to the community and Alan Murphy and the Development Group. Present at the signing of contracts for the new Rosslare Community Centre were Tommy O'Brien, Bernie Mullen, Micheal Delaney, Gary Murphy (contractor), Cllr Ger Carthy, Alan Murphy (Chair of Development Group), Maeve O'Brien, Norin Cummins (District Manager Rosslare Municipal District) and Liam Bohan. For his part, Mr Murphy was delighted to see a positive step for the local community. "Its taken a lot of work to get to this point, he said. Rosslare Harbour has been badly neglected over the past 20 years. Weve had to deal with a lot of dereliction and other issues down here. What this represents is a massive step towards providing proper services and community facilities for a growing population. When you scratch just below the surface, while the contract signing was a hugely positive step, these frustrations are commonly held. "Look at other villages around the place, Micheal Delaney of the local Environment Group said. Look at Murrintown, Ladys Island, Piercestown, places like that. They all have amazing community facilities. Rosslare Harbour has been left behind for years. Having voiced concerns in relation to the state of play in the village, Cllr Carthy feels that a corner has now been turned and with work to get under way on developing the old bank building, the future looks that bit brighter. "This is only the start, he said, teasing another major project to be announced in the coming weeks. Im delighted to be in a position to see contracts signed today with a local contractor who knows the importance of this project to the local community. "Im confident that therell be more positive developments for the village in the coming weeks. Two special schools in Bray have been named among almost 90 across Ireland that will benefit from increased post-primary teaching hours, as part of an 11million project to improve education for this cohort. Both Newcourt Special School and Marino School are to get an increased allocation of post-primary teaching hours from September 2024, which will mean they will be able to offer a greater range of national curriculum subjects at junior and senior cycle. In addition, Marino School is among 89 in Ireland that will gain an administrative deputy principal. This moves comes after the removal of the current 15 teacher threshold for the appointment of such a role in special schools, and will bring welcome assistance for current principals in the areas of management, learning, and parental and community engagement. This is Wicklow Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The news of these boosts come just days after confirmation that an extra Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) has been allocated for Wicklow to support parents, students and schools in the county. Wicklow Taoiseach Simon Harris has been campaigning for all of the above, and said: Back in October I visited Newcourt Special School in Bray where I met with a number of students and staff. I listened carefully to their needs and those of other schools in Wicklow I have visited over the past year and have been determined to improve special education delivery across the county. Today I am delighted to say Newcourt Special School and Marino School in Bray have received an increased allocation of teaching hours, allowing for more personalised and effective educational classes for those with extra needs. On top of this Marino School in Bray is getting a new administrative deputy principal. This role will be vital in supporting principals to boost student learning experiences and increasing engagement with community and parents. He added: What I want to see is schools delivering across the county comprehensive national curriculum subjects at both junior and senior cycles, which are specifically designed to build on individual strengths, fostering progression and smooth transitions for students. One of my core values is equality of opportunity and the people of Wicklow can count on me to deliver on my promise for a more equal Ireland. Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Hildegarde Naughton T.D., explained further how the schemes will work. "Each special school will be aligned with their local ETB, providing access to a support model for teacher supply in relevant curricular areas, she said. All matters relating to the recruitment, assignment and payment of the teachers concerned will be managed by the designated ETB. I am particularly pleased at the opportunities this support model will provide for in terms of the potential for teachers and students to work across both special and mainstream schools/classes facilitating the potential for building capacity and sharing of expertise across mainstream and special school settings. "The provision of these additional post-primary teaching posts will also assist special schools in being ready to offer the new senior cycle level 1 and level 2 modules which are currently in development as part of senior cycle redevelopment. These new posts and curriculum pathways at senior cycle will also support students in our special schools to transition to available further education and training opportunities and employment opportunities after school. County Wicklow will receive over 1.2 million for improvement works on non-public rural roads and laneways under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS). Wicklow will get a total of 1,279,015 in funding as part of an overall national package of 40 million announced by the Department of Rural and Community Development. Wicklow County Council will be responsible for identifying and prioritising roads for improvement works under the scheme, in consultation with residents and landowners. The funding provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development will be complemented by a local financial contribution from landowners and householders, as well as local authority resources. This is Wicklow Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Taoiseach Simon Harris welcomed the funding and stated: Working with Government colleagues over the past few weeks its been so important to me that we place a particular focus on roads and roads infrastructure. Thats why in my first few days as Taoiseach I met with the Roads Safety Authority to discuss road safety around the country. Today Im delighted to announce over 1 million in funding to improve access to homes and remote places in County Wicklow. With an additional and 40 million being announced today for all of Ireland, the total allocated under LIS is now up to 170 million, having helped to improve over 4,000 roads across the country since 2017. LIS has clearly worked over the past few years and I intend on making sure we continue to better fund and improve our roads infrastructure. People across Wicklow will know the impact of this funding on roads and we must continue to identify where the repairs are needed to work on them as soon as possible. I want to thank my colleague Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys who is delivering the funding today. She has worked tirelessly in that Department to ensure our roads are repaired and improved and most importantly has worked day in and day out to ensure Ireland continues to offer a thriving and inclusive rural landscape under Our Rural Future, a whole of government policy dedicated to Rural Ireland. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker has revealed she is a fan of an RTE radio show. The American actress shared a screenshot of her listening to Lyric Through the Night on Lyric FM. The Sex and The City star (59) captioned the post: Nice. I try to remember. Cause its always so lovely. X, SJ. She also used the hashtag RTERadio. The actress is a frequent visitor to Ireland, making regular trips with her husband Matthew Broderick and her children, son James (21) and surrogate twins Tabitha and Marion (14), every summer. She has been holidaying in Ireland for the past 30 years and last year praised the local pubs in her parish of Kilcar, in Co Donegal. 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 Last month she revealed how she uses Kerrygold butter on her potatoes, which she said turns her food into heaven. She was speaking about her favourite foods on the Ruthies Table 4 podcast with host Ruth Rogers, a British chef who owns the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant The River Cafe in Hammersmith, London. "Yes - pork chops. We use Kerrygold butter. Anyone know Kerrygold butter? Parker asked. Ruth replied that indeed we all do. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd Parker, famous for playing Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, then detailed her recipe for enjoying the much loved Irish brand. So, I use Kerrygold butter and just a touch of olive oil so the butter doesn't burn. There's so much unsalted butter in London, it's kind of hard to find the salted. "You can taste all the fat, you can smell the fat. Put them in the pan with olive oil and salt and pepper and ah - heaven, she said. "We are crazy about potatoes and butter. Rebel Wilson has revealed she almost lost her virginity in an orgy with a member of the British royal family. The 44-year-old actress made the shocking claim in her new memoir, Rebel Rising, where she documented her experiences as a late bloomer having remained a virgin until she was 35 years old. She explains that she was invited to a tech billionaires party at a huge ranch just outside LA by an unnamed royal who she described as 15th or 20th in line to the British throne. The Pitch Perfect star was extended the invite by a male friend, who had been informed by the royal that the party was in desperate need of more girls. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 23rd Keen to finally have sex, Wilson recounted how she tried to make herself as physically appealing as possible. I watch the British royal flounder around whilst I continuously hike up my boobs. They are my best physical asset, she recalls. Theres a huge private fireworks display and then all of a sudden, its 2am. Wilson continued: A guy comes out with a large tray piled with what looks like a ton of candy. Im like, Ooooh, is that candy? and the guy holding the tray says, No, this is the molly [MDMA]. He says, Oh, its for the orgy . . . its about to start . . . the orgies normally start at these things about this time. As a then-virgin, Wilson unsurprisingly felt very much out of her depth, and she suddenly understood why the unidentified member of The Firm was so keen to invite more women to the party last minute. She continued: Now the comment by the Windsor about needing more girls started to make a lot more sense. They werent talking about a boy-girl ratio like it was a year-eight disco. They were talking about an ORGY! So Im like two minutes away from being in an orgy... for my first sexual experience! Wilson began to search for her non-royal friend, admitting that she was looking for help with the unexpected situation shed found herself in but she was unable to find him. While the actress considered returning to her designated room at the lavish party, she ultimately decided against it in case she walked into a pile of heaving bodies. So she simply ran away. She recalled: I also get this weird feeling that maybe all this is being filmed by hidden cameras but thats just a gut instinct. Needless to say, I hike up my damsel dress and run out of there as fast as I can not looking back for fear Ill witness some insane centipede of tech guys and Hollywood wispies around the fire pit. Some of my friends have subsequently told me that I shouldve just tried the orgy. But that wouldve been like going from zero to a thousand. Rebel told People magazine that she is hoping that by speaking candidly about her experiences in her memoir, young people will feel less pressure to lose their virginity at an early age. People can wait till theyre ready or wait till theyre a bit more mature, she said. And I think that could be a positive message. You obviously dont have to wait until youre in your thirties like me, but you shouldnt feel pressure as a young person. The actress admitted that shed previously lied and said she lost her virginity at the age of 23 and even then people acted like that was old. She explained: There was one vague time, I think I told my best friend, Oh, yeah, I just did it to just get it over with when I was like 23. Just to really avoid the questions. And then the people said, Oh, at 24, its so late. And then Im sitting here thinking, Oh my God, my numbers 35. What the hell? Im going to look like the biggest loser. Woman who murdered her parents and lived with their bodies for four years is jailed for life European ministers said yesterday they were looking urgently at how to provide more air defence to Ukraine, but they stopped short of concrete pledges of the Patriot systems that Kyiv values most. Meeting in Luxembourg, foreign and defence ministers from the EU said the US House of Representatives vote to approve a $60bn Ukraine package at the weekend should not lead to any complacency on their part. Europe Africans recruited to work in Russia say they were duped into building drones for use in Ukraine A Palestinian man mourns next to the body of a child killed in Israeli strikes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem The spokesperson for Hamas' armed al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, called on Tuesday for an escalation across all fronts in a televised speech marking 200 days since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip on October 7. Israel says it is seeking to eradicate Hamas, which controls the enclave, in a war that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians thus far. The war started when the militant group attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Chef Elliott Armstrong checks on a pizza in a PizzaMaster electric oven as a pesto pizza cools off at Flour + Water Pizzeria in San Francisco. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Chef Elliott Armstrong removes a pizza from a PizzaMaster electric oven at Flour + Water Pizzeria. The ovens have proven highly capable, owners said. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Pedro Koh checks on a pizza in a Pizza Master electric oven at Flour + Water Pizzeria in San Francisco. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle When Thomas McNaughton, chef and co-founder of San Francisco Italian restaurant Flour+Water, first heard about electric ovens being used in pizza restaurants instead of traditional wood or gas, he dismissed the idea. The first thing that came to mind is an Easy-Bake oven, he said. But today, Flour+Water Pizzeria in North Beach has two shiny electric PizzaMaster ovens in which staff bake East Coast-style pies with a crispy thin crust. In a nod to the original Flour+Waters wood oven pizza, theres a bit of charring on the crust, achieved by raising the temperature on the top of the deck. These things generate so much power and have easy controls. We are 1,000% pro PizzaMaster now, McNaughton said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Like Flour+Water, many of the Bay Areas buzziest new pizzerias are going electric with their ovens. The appeal, proponents say, includes modern controls and consistent high temperatures. And the PizzaMaster brand in particular, made by Swedish manufacturer Svenska BakePartner AB, seems to be the top choice among local restaurants. Chef Elliott Armstrong slices a pizza at Flour + Water Pizzeria in San Francisco. The restaurant uses electric ovens. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle The PizzaMaster line includes over 80 models in varying sizes, features and decks from countertop models to large ovens for industrial and retail uses. Some can reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit and have several temperature controls, allowing staff to distribute heat from different directions. Connor Reardon is the director of culinary and marketing for MPM Food Equipment Group, the exclusive U.S. distributor of PizzaMaster ovens in the U.S. In the last six months, demand for kitchen demos using PizzaMaster ovens has increased, he said so much so in the western U.S. that his company launched test kitchens in Anaheim, Phoenix, Denver and Seattle, some in conjunction with utility providers like Southern California Edison, for example. These are very flexible and can get to people who want to open a new place very quickly, Reardon said. They also fit within any restrictions that they have, he added. Advertisement Article continues below this ad More than 70 California municipalities, led by Berkeley, have taken steps to discourage or restrict gas in new buildings, which could promote more electric ovens. But pending a lawsuit to block the rule filed by the California Restaurant Association, the future of such policies is uncertain. In a settlement announced in March, Berkeley agreed to repeal its gas ordinance. As a precaution, however, Mario Volera, the chef of new Berkeley pizzeria Three One Four, tested out the PizzaMaster oven. Once an electric oven skeptic, he was blown away. I was a big preacher of only wood fire, Volera previously told the Chronicle. Thats the original pizza. We need wood! But hes since recanted. At Three One Four, his PizzaMaster oven is steadily churning out crispy pies with a Neapolitan-style sourdough crust. Executive chef Mario Vallera prepares a pizza crust at Three One Four pizza restaurant in Berkeley, beside a PizzaMaster electric oven. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle In San Franciscos Portola neighborhood, the new bar and restaurant Out the Road also has a three-deck PizzaMaster oven in the kitchen, which can shuffle 12 pizzas around at a time. A few weeks after its opening, customers and neighbors are raving about the mushroom pizza: a crispy-bubbly pie with a white sauce made from Grana Padano cheese topped with maitake mushroom florets. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Owner Chris Lawrence says that he considered a gas pizza oven, but shifting hot spots and temperature fluctuation from opening doors were weak spots. Gas ovens that could power his projected needs were also prohibitively expensive. In his research, he observed PizzaMaster ovens more reasonably priced, though still expensive around the citys newest spots. When consulting with his kitchen adviser Josh DeClercq, the chef at Heirloom Cafe, he found it was easier for staff to learn to bake with these ovens. It seemed like it was a trendy option because of the efficiencies that it offers, Lawrence said. The pizzas at Out the Road in S.F. are a cross between New York and Neapolitan pizza, and are also made in a PizzaMaster electric oven. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to The Chronicle Operators dont know for sure if the electric ovens are cheaper to operate, especially as the price of utilities surges. The Flour+Water team say their kitchen pulls in huge amounts of power, which requires high-amperage capacity on the property. McNaughton and Flour+Water co-chef Ryan Pollnow would like to expand to more locations with all-electric kitchen equipment. But because not every location is equipped with the gear needed to handle the electric volume, extra work may have to be done to prepare a kitchen. The novel ovens do have their drawbacks. Repairs on electric ovens are not as simple as gas ovens, and specialized technicians are not widely available for several models, PizzaMasters included. McNaughton and Pollnow joked about being able to improvise a fix for a gas oven successfully, but wouldnt know where to begin on their electric ovens. Gas and wood ovens can still operate during power outages, too. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the past, other drawbacks of electric ovens included slower heating times and less efficient systems. But Tony Gemignani, best known for his North Beach restaurants Tonys Pizza Napoletana and Slice House, said electric pizza ovens have greatly improved in the last 15 years, and tech support for some oven brands is now more available. He believes he was the first to install electric pizza ovens in San Francisco, with a pair of double stack Cuppone ovens at Tonys. Electric ovens have been popular in Italy for 20 years or more, with pizzaiolo competitions having special categories for them, Gemignani said. He ties todays renaissance for electric ovens in the U.S. to a wider variety of models from several manufacturers becoming available. Of course, purists say true Neapolitan pizza will always demand wood fire. Alessandro Uccelli says the wood oven at his Berkeley pizzeria Lucias is the pulsing heart of the restaurant. At its peak, the domed Neapolitan oven built by revered artisan Stefano Ferrara, can put out up to 100 pizzas per hour. But Uccelli recognizes electric is here to stay, noting several renowned Italian oven makers have developed efficient electric models that can deliver the delectable char and delicate crust many seek in their pizza. If I were to do it all over again and I had enough power in the building, I would go with the electrical ovens myself, he said. Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson at Capitol Hill in Washington. Photo: Reuters Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has demanded speaker Mike Johnsons resignation as the Republican infighting continued over Congresss approval of $61bn (57bn) in military aid for Ukraine. The US House of Representatives on Saturday voted 311-112 to pass a $95bn (89bn) aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Western allies in the Indo-Pacific as Democrats and Republicans banded together to overcome months of right-wing resistance to renewed American support for Ukraines war effort. Powering Indias Green Energy Ambitions Through Nuclear Energy India aims to solidify its status as an economic powerhouse by prioritizing renewable energy sources. The global trend towards low-carbon energy, such as nuclear, wind, solar, and hydropower, aligns with this vision. India plans to catalyze its nuclear energy sector by leveraging public-private partnerships, aiming to attract $26 billion in private investments. Countries around the world are making significant investments to expand their nuclear energy supply. Hence, it is imperative to assess Indias energy requirement and the role nuclear power can play to meet the demand. India has established its goal to increase its nuclear power capacity by 2047, up from the present 7.5 GW to a notable 100 GW. In April 2024, the countrys Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, A. K. Mohanty, spoke in detail about Indias overall energy transformation strategy. The central government released a report on April 3, 2024, Synchronizing Energy Transitions Towards Possible Net Zero for India: Affordable and Clean Energy for All (energy transition report), detailing the nations broader energy transition strategy. The Department of Atomic Energy (DEA) is considering the use of breeder reactors to generate 3 GW of nuclear power, collaborating with other countries to establish light reactors capable of producing 17.6 GW, and also utilizing pressurized heavy water reactors to contribute 40 to 45 GW. About the report The energy transition report, addressing key concerns regarding Indias energy trajectory, was released by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Central Government. It stems from a comprehensive investigation aimed at reducing electricity costs for consumers and identifying the optimal energy mix to achieve net-zero emissions. A team of specialists from diverse energy sectors, curated by the Office of the PSA, contributed to the reports findings. Tata Consulting Engineers Limited (TCEL) subsequently conducted an independent evaluation of the study. The report assesses Indias energy needs to achieve a high Human Development Index (HDI) and outlines strategies to reach that goal. It projects the energy mix until 2070, forecasts end-user electricity costs, and predicts carbon emissions over that period. Moreover, it outlines the investments necessary to achieve net-zero energy by 2070, along with the opportunities and challenges inherent in this transition process. The report also underlines Indias need to develop a strategy for developing its nuclear capability while also establishing a strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to offset the risks associated with potential disruptions in fuel supply. Key findings To achieve net-zero emissions, various methods and technologies must be employed in the energy mix. Coal is anticipated to remain a significant component of Indias energy landscape for the next two decades. Substantial nuclear and renewable energy production is essential to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. Prioritizing cleaner electricity well in advance is necessary to meet this target. By 2070, Indias emissions are projected to range between 0.56 and 1.0 btCO2. Afforestation and tree planting will be utilized to offset any excess emissions, following nationally determined contributions (NDCs). To reduce coal usage, policies regarding critical minerals and carbon dioxide removal technologies are imperative. Access to clean and affordable electricity, particularly sourced from nuclear and renewable energies, is crucial for achieving net-zero emissions. Increased utilization of electricity across all sectors is vital, with the goal of it constituting nearly half of total energy consumption by 2070. Financial requirements from 2020 to 2070 are estimated at INR 150 billion (US$1.8 billion), with significant contributions expected from international players. Understanding Indias energy generation capacity Data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) show that during the past four years, Indias power generation landscape has undergone significant transformation. The monthly generation of power grew by 26 percent between April 2019 and December 2023. From April 2019 to December 2023, the figure climbed significantly from 91 billion units (BU) to 115 BU. Moreover, India is the worlds third-largest energy consumer, behind the United States and China. While coal continues to be the main energy generating source, accounting for 49 percent of the total capacity, approximately 30.20 percent of power generation comes from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. Indias nuclear energy capacity As of May 2023, nuclear energy in the country generated 6,780 MU of power, constituting a share of 1.6 percent of total energy generation. Nuclear power plants in India (Operational) Location Operator Capacity (MWe) Kakrapar Atomic Power Station 1993 Gujarat NPCIL 440 (Kalpakkam) Madras Atomic Power Station 1984 Tamil Nadu NPCIL 440 Narora Atomic Power Station- 1991 Uttar Pradesh NPCIL 440 Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant -2000 Karnataka NPCIL 880 Rajasthan Atomic Power Station 1973 Rajasthan NPCIL 1,180 Tarapur Atomic Power Station 1969 Maharashtra NPCIL 1,400 Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant 2013 Tamil Nadu NPCIL 2,000 India views the growth of its nuclear power program as essential for achieving energy security and sustainable development goals. As of March 2024, India has progressed to the second phase of its nuclear program, marked by the initiation of Core Loading at the indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor located in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. India has developed extensive capabilities across the nuclear fuel cycle. In 2003, approval was granted for Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (BHAVINI) to design, construct, and operate the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), which became Indias most advanced nuclear reactor. It was done in close collaboration with over 200 Indian industries, including MSMEs. Once operational, India will become the second country after Russia to have a commercial Fast Breeder Reactor. Nuclear power plants in India under Construction Location Operator Capacity (MWe) Madras (Kalpakkam) Tamil Nadu BHAVINI 500 Rajasthan Unit 7 and 8 Rajasthan NPCIL 1,400 Kakrapar Unit 3 and 4 Gujarat NPCIL 1,400 Kudankulam Unit 3 and 4 Tamil Nadu NPCIL 2,000 Increase in appetite for energy consumption On Indias energy usage, the governments tank body Niti Ayog notes that commercial and industrial sectors experienced an overall increase in electricity consumption of 115.12 percent between 2006 and 2022. Given this context, nuclear energy investment is important for India to diversify its energy sources and to mitigate rising costs of procuring fossil fuels. By 2050, the country hopes to have 25 percent of its electricity from nuclear sources, for which a base-load capacity of 1094 GWe is required. Under Indias foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, foreign investment in the atomic energy sector is prohibited. On the other hand, 100 percent FDI is allow in the sector that produces nuclear parts and equipment for nuclear power plants and other related facilities. Indias Atomic Energy Act 1962 outlines nuclear energy laws, while the central government plays a pivotal role in the development, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. In 2023, a NITI Aayog panel recommended that the central government allow FDI into Indias atomic sector. The policy change is yet to be approved. Currently, the government operates 22 reactors across multiple states. The most recent additions in 2017 in Tamil Nadu have a gross power of 1000 MWe each. India plans to increase nuclear power capacity from 7480 MWe to 22,480 MWe by 2031-32 with the development of 10 reactors totaling 8000 MWe across several states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. Nuclear power plants in India (Future projects) Location Capacity (MWe) Tarapur Maharashtra 300 Madras Tamil Nadu 1,200 Kaiga Karnataka 1,400 Chutka Madhya Pradesh 1,400 Gorakhpur Haryana 2,800 Bhimpur Madhya Pradesh 2,800 Mahi Banswara Rajasthan 2,800 Haripur West Bengal 4,000 Mithi Virdi (Viradi) Gujarat 6,000 Kovvada Andhra Pradesh 6,600 Jaitapur Maharashtra 9,900 At the inaugural nuclear energy summit in Brussels, held between 21-22 March 2024, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty stated that India intends to triple its nuclear power generation capacity by 2030. He added that by 2047the year of Indias 100th anniversary of independencenuclear energy would be a major component of the nations energy mix. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limiteds (NPCIL) Chairman, B.C. Pathak has also announced an ambitious goal to commission a nuclear power reactor every year. Key takeaways India aims to attract approximately US$26 billion in private investment into its nuclear energy sector. This move is anticipated to benefit private companies by allowing them to earn revenue from electricity sales generated by the power plants, while the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) would oversee project management for a fee. However, India has faced challenges in meeting its nuclear power capacity expansion targets, primarily due to difficulties in securing nuclear fuel supplies. The current FDI policy categorizes atomic energy as a prohibited sector. Nevertheless, there are no restrictions on FDI in the nuclear industry for equipment manufacturing or supplying other materials for nuclear power plants and associated facilities. Private companies are also permitted to undertake construction contracts for activities beyond reactor operations. Energy industry experts are advocating for a hybrid model of nuclear power project development that could offer innovative approaches to accelerate nuclear capacity expansion. To prevent delays in project completion and operation, the nation must also address hurdles in acquiring land for nuclear power plant construction. (US$ 1= INR 83.34) Photo courtesy: X/@BJP4Gujarat Surat/IBNS: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stunned the political landscape in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's homestate Gujarat by pulling off a miraculous uncontested win in the Surat constituency even before a single vote is polled. BJP's Mukeshkumar Chandrakant Dalal also received the winning certificate on Monday, almost two weeks before the scheduled date for polling (May 7). As many as 15 candidates had filed nominations from the seat. 8 of 15 candidates including the Independents withdrew their nominations. The candidates who withdrew their nominations also included two Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates, a second BJP candidate in the name of Kachhadiya Janakkumar. The Election Commission of India (ECI) rejected the remaining six nominations including two from Congress and their replacement candidate, paving the way for Dalal to emerge as the winner, citing technical reasons. The filing of nominations for the upcoming polls went on from April 15 to 19. The last date for withdrawal of nominations was April 22. Reportedly, this is the first time since 1989, a Lok Sabha candidate in India won unopposed. In 1989, National Conference candidate Mohammad Shafi Bhat had won from the Srinagar seat unopposed. While Congress so far has won unopposed on 22 occasions since 1977, this is the first time for the BJP, which is seeking its third straight term, to win an election in this manner. Gujarat, which has 26 Lok Sabha seats, will go to polls in a single phase on May 7. Photo courtesy: www.amu.ac.in Aligarh/New Delhi/IBNS: In its history of 123 years, the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) got its first woman Vice-Chancellor in the form of its Professor Naima Khatoon on Monday, media reports said. AMU has become the third central university after Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University to have a woman Vice-Chancellor. Khatoon was appointed by the Ministry of Education with the approval of President Droupadi Murmu. The permission was also sought from the Election Commission of India (ECI) as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in place due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Khatoon, a Phd. in Psychology from AMU, joined the same institution in 1988 as a lecturer and continued holding the post until she was promoted to a Professor in 2006. For 8 years, Khatoon continued as the AMU Professor until she became the Principal of the Women's College in 2014. Khatoon's husband Professor Mohammad Gulrez became the acting Vice-Chancellor of the university after Tariq Mansoor resigned from the post. Khatoon being selected as one of the probables to become the Vice-Chancellor had stirred a row last year as her husband also chaired the meeting triggering the conflict of interest debate. In 1920, Begum Sultan Jahan was appointed as the AMU Chancellor. Jahan has remained the only woman to hold the post of one of the country's oldest universities. Najma Akhtar and Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit were appointed as the first Vice-Chancellors of the Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU in 2019 and 2022 respectively. Image posted by BJP4India on X New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi over remarks by the party's South Goa candidate, accusing them of insulting BR Ambedkar's Constitution while attempting to break the country. Addressing a public meeting on Monday, Congress's South Goa candidate Viriato Fernandes had said the Indian Constitution was "forced" on Goa after its liberation from Portuguese rule and that he had conveyed his concern to senior party leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Referring to the remarks, PM Modi at a rally in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund on Tuesday, said: "The Congress's Goa candidate is saying that the Constitution of India does not apply to the state. He has clearly said the Constitution was forced upon Goa and that he had said this to Congress' 'shahzada' (prince) in the past." PM Modi has been regularly using the 'shahzada' jibe, as a reference to the Congress' "dynastic politics" and its MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi. "Is this not an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution? Is this not meddling with the Constitution? This is all part of a well-thought-out conspiracy to break the country. Today, they are negating the Constitution in Goa, tomorrow they will try to negate BR Ambedkar's Constitution all over India," PM Modi said. The PM's remarks drew significance, especially in the wake of the Congress's allegations that the BJP wants to change the Constitution if it is elected for a third term. This was also stated by BJP's six-time MP from the Uttara Kannada constituency, Anant Hegde, who had said the party had set a target of 400 Lok Sabha seats for the NDA so that the Constitution could be amended. Following the comment, Hegde was kept out of the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. Countering the Congress' charge, PM Modi said, "Leave aside the BJP, even Babasaheb Ambedkar himself cannot abolish the Constitution." Fernandes, who had met Rahul Gandhi as part of an NGO, 'Goencho Away', which was pressing for dual citizenship for Goans who have opted for Portuguese passports, had said, "We (during a meeting with the Congress leader in a hotel near Panaji) raised 12 demands before Mr Gandhi, and one of them was about (granting) dual citizenship. Mr Gandhi asked me whether the demand was constitutional. We said no." He said the senior Congress leader had told the delegation that the demand would not be considered if it was not constitutional. Photo courtesy: SheejithKrishna.com Chennai/IBNS: Former faculty of Chennai's Kalakshetra Foundation Sheejith Krishna was on Tuesday arrested on charges of sexual harassment by former students. A renowned dancer, Krishna had resigned on his own from Kalakshetra and started his own dance academy. Krishna's team is yet to respond to the allegations. The former students, now settled abroad, had moved the Madras High Court, alleging that Krishna had sexually harassed them when they were on campus between 1996 and 2001. The court had directed the Chennai Police Commissioner to act on the complaint. Confirming the arrest, a senior police officer told NDTV "The former students allege Sheejith used them". UNRWA teams continue to provide medical care in eight operational health centres and shelters in Gaza. Photo Courtesy: UNRWA UN chief Antonio Guterres issued an appeal on Monday to actively support the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, adding that he accepted the final findings of an independent probe into the organisation, launched amid serious unconfirmed allegations of UNRWA collusion with Hamas fighters and as part of efforts to assess whether the agency was doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality. The final report, led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, was due to be released later on Monday. Ms. Colonna was also preparing to speak to journalists at a scheduled noon briefing in New York as Chair of the Independent Review Group on UNRWA. The Secretary-General accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonna's report, Mr. Guterress Spokesperson said in a statement. He has agreed with (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini that UNRWA with the Secretary-Generals support will establish an action plan to implement the recommendations contained in the final report. The statement concluded that "moving forward, the Secretary-General appeals to all stakeholders to actively support UNRWA, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region." The review group presented interim report findings and recommendations to the UN Secretary-General four weeks ago. These included evidence that UNRWA had a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the humanitarian principle of neutrality although critical areasstill need to be addressed, Mr. Guterress office noted at the time. The review panel working with respected research organisations the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, the Michelsen Institute and the Danish Institute for Human Rights announced that it would proceed with developing concrete and realistic recommendations to strengthen and improve the agency. Gaza, West Bank violence unabated The development came amid reports of further Israeli bombardment across Gaza at the weekend and concerning levels of violence in the West Bank. Tweet URL In Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, reported on Monday that a baby had been saved by emergency Caesarean section after its mother was critically injured in an airstrike and later died. Doctors in Gaza were able to save the life of the baby from the womb of the mother as she passed away from the head injury she'd sustained, said Dominic Allen, UNFPA Representative for Palestine. The mother was 30 weeks pregnant when she died, along with her husband and the babys siblings, Mr. Allen noted. Waiting for bombs to fall In Geneva, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health highlighted the huge toll on mental health that recent months and decades of violence have taken on the enclaves besieged population and medical professionals. Imagine living under the constant anticipation of a bomb or a gun, or being shot while you're trying to get food or water or play. That is in itself a form of violence, said Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng. To anticipate that your life could be extinguished in any moment and for children to grow up with that level of trauma is not normal. But, for decades, that has been normalised for the people of Occupied Palestinian Territory. On a daily basis, life continues to worsen for ordinary Gazans after nearly seven months of constant Israeli bombardment and a ground operation, launched in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage. A child dies every 10 minutes in the enclave, UNRWA said at the weekend, in a fresh call to end the violence and allow desperately needed humanitarian aid into the enclave. To date, Gazan health authorities report that more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and some 77,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October. Underscoring the looming health dangers from warmer spring conditions, UNRWA expressed renewed concerns over poor waste management and disease. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Scott Anderson, Senior Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, warned that substandard water and sanitation were far below what the population needed to stay healthy. The Sustainable Development Goals projected onto UN Headquarters, in New York. Photo Courtesy: UN Photo/Cia Pak Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday emphasised the need for a strengthened and updated United Nations to better reach and support people around the world. Amid multifaceted crises ranging from conflicts and climate to poverty and inequality, the world looks to the UN to help deliver the better, safer and greener world we need, Mr. Guterres said. But, we cannot solve 21st century problems with 20th century tools. We need a UN 2.0, he stressed in a message opening the UN 2.0 week. The transformation in skills and culture, encapsulated in the UN chiefs vision of a UN 2.0, is focused on fostering cutting-edge capabilities in data, digital solutions, innovation, foresight and behavioural science to deliver stronger results and help countries accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Secretary-Generals vision is elaborated in a policy brief launched last September. Forward-thinking culture In his message on Monday, Mr. Guterres also underlined the need for a forward-thinking culture at the Organization, powered by rapid technological advances. He said this was particularly important, given the fundamental changes proposed in Our Common Agenda, his vision for global cooperation and getting the SDGs back on track, as well as the Summit of the Future, which will be convened on 22 and 23 September in New York. Were already seeing what is possible: From online resources for remote schools to humanitarian aid based on real-time data and technology that helps countries forecast and build resilience to disasters, the UN chief said. Ultimately, UN 2.0 will make us better partners for countries as they achieve results for their people. What is UN 2.0? Also speaking at the opening, Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed explained that UN 2.0 is the Organizations response to how we will pivot and meet the world where it is at and where it needs to go. Thinking about what that means for investing in our staff, but also attending to many of the quintet of change issues, she added, pointing to the five topics data, digital solutions, innovation, foresight and behavioural science. She expressed hope that the transformations will make the UN more fit for purpose. That we can actually get out there and raise the ambitions and be more responsive for the needs, she added. UN 2.0 Week Taking place from 22 to 26 April, UN 2.0 Week showcases a series of virtual events, including panel discussions and best practice sharing dialogues. Over 40 speakers from across the UN system and partner organisations are slated to speak. Meaningful action to prevent the use of explosive weapons in populated areas could reduce the number of child casualties in conflicts by nearly half, the UN Childrens Fund ( UNICEF ) said on Monday. UNICEF warned that as urban warfare increases, the use of weapons designed for open battlefields are now a common reality in cities, towns and villages, with devastating effects on their young residents. Between 2018 and 2022, explosive weapons were responsible for 49.8 per cent of the more than 47,500 instances of children killed and maimed that were verified by the UN in more than 24 conflict zones globally, with the vast majority occurring in populated areas. Irrefutable evidence The evidence is irrefutable. When explosive weapons are used in populated areas, children suffer profoundly, not just physically but in every aspect of their lives, said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban. Thousands of young lives are abruptly ended or forever altered each year, he added. Beyond childrens physical injuries and scars lie additional often less visible psychological, educational and social impacts, that can persist throughout their lifetimes, creating cycles of hardship and suffering. The use of explosive weapons also has broader social, economic and environmental impacts that severely affect childrens access to healthcare, education, clean water and other essential services. In addition, the destruction of infrastructure has long-term consequences for their development and the health of the community at large. Prevention is critical UNICEF is working on the ground in conflict zones to mitigate impacts, delivering aid and support to the children most at risk. However, the agency stressed the critical need for prevention, which requires a robust and sustained international response. It is sounding the alarm as countries meet this week in Oslo for the first international follow-up conference to the Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA), adopted in November 2022. More than 85 countries have endorsed the Declaration, which commits States to take steps to avoid civilian harm when conducting military operations in populated areas. Protect future generations UNICEF called on all warring parties, and those with influence over them, to protect and ensure respect for childrens rights, including by ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. All countries are urged to sign the EWIPA Declaration, while those that are already signatories should identify and adopt military measures, policies and practices that reduce harm to children. Other areas for action include providing sustained financial support for programmes and interventions that will protect children, for example, through injury surveillance, victim assistance and conflict preparedness and protection. Member States should also refrain from transferring explosive weapons to warring parties that are likely to use them against civilians and civilian objects in line with the Arms Trade Treaty. Mr. Chaiban said ongoing commitment by leaders and implementation of the EWIPA Declaration are critical. "As the international community continues to witness the unspeakable harm these weapons cause, we must take decisive action to protect our future generations. The cost of inaction is too high, a price paid by our children, he said. Photo Courtesy: UNRWA An independent panel released its much-awaited report on Monday about the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), providing 50 recommendations and noting that Israeli authorities have yet to provide proof of their claims that UN staff are involved with terrorist organisations. Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organisations. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this, according to the 54-page final report, Independent review of mechanisms and procedures to ensure adherence by UNRWA to the humanitarian principle of neutrality. The UN Secretary-General, who received the final report at the weekend, had appointed the independent review group days after Israel announced the allegations against UNRWA, which employees 30,000 people and serves 5.9 million Palestine refugees in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and war-torn Gaza. The much-awaited final report found that UNRWA, established by the General Assembly in 1949, has extensive tools in place to ensure it remains unbiased in its work and routinely provides Israel with employee lists and the Israeli Government has not informed UNRWA of any concerns relating to any UNRWA staff based on these staff lists since 2011. UNRWA has most elaborate rules within UN system The set of rules and the mechanisms and procedures in place [at UNRWA] are the most elaborate within the UN system, precisely because it is such a difficult issue to work in such a complex and sensitive environment, Catherine Colonna, former French foreign minister and head of the review group, told journalists at UN Headquarters following the reports launch. What needs to be improved will be improved. Im confident that implementing these measures will help UNRWA deliver on its mandate. Strongly encouraging "the international community to work side by side with the agency so it can perform its mission and overcome the challenges when they are there", she said this is the purpose of the review. In its nine-week-long review of existing mechanisms, the group conducted more than 200 interviews, met with Israeli and Palestinian authorities and directly contacted 47 countries and organisations, presenting a set of 50 recommendations on issues ranging from education to fresh vetting processes for recruiting staff. Report steers new UN action plan The reports recommendations include creating a centralised neutrality investigations unit, rolling out an updated Code of Ethics and associated training to all staff, and identifying and implementing additional ways to screen UNRWA applicants at an early stage of the recruitment process. The report also suggested exploring the possibility of third-party monitoring for sensitive projects and establishing a framework with interested donors to ensure transparency. In a statement on Monday, the UN Secretary-Generals Spokesperson said the UN chief accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonnas report. He has agreed with Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini that UNRWA, with the Secretary-Generals support, will establish an action plan to implement the recommendations contained in the final report. Claims financially hobbled UNRWA According to the review groups final report, Israels claims against UNRWA triggered the suspension of funding amounting to around $450 million. The direct impact of Israels allegations swiftly hobbled UNRWAs ability to continue its work. Operating solely on voluntary donations, UNRWA saw major donors, including the United States, cancelling or suspending funds for the agency. In April, Washington banned funding for UNRWA until at least 2025, but other donors have pledged additional funding or restored their donations. The new report recommended increasing the frequency and strengthening the transparency of UNRWAs communication with donors on its financial situation and on neutrality allegations and breaches. The review group suggested regular updates and integrity briefings for donors interested in supporting UNRWA on integrity and related issues. Findings on UNRWA schools The UN agency delivers on its obligation to ensure neutrality of its 1,000 installations, including schools, healthcare centres and warehouses, according to the report, which also stated that security and capacity challenges may hamper existing due diligence mechanisms. The review group said UNRWA has consistently worked on ensuring neutrality in education as it provides elementary and preparatory education for 500,000 pupils in 706 schools with 20,000 educational staff, including in Gaza, where right now all children are out of school following attacks destroying the enclaves education system amid the ongoing conflict. Claims of anti-Semitic textbooks Investigating sustained criticism, mainly from Israel, about the alleged presence of hate speech, incitement to violence and anti-Semitism in Palestinian Authority educational material, the review group examined three major international assessments and studies. The new report showed that two identified bias and non-compliant content, but did not provide evidence of anti-Semitic reference. A third, the Eckert report, identified two examples that displayed anti-Semitic content, but noted that one had already been removed and the other significantly altered. As such, the report recommended several actions, including the review of the content of all textbooks with host countries, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. UNRWA remains a pivotal lifeline for Palestine The report stated that in the absence of a political solution between Israel and the Palestinians, UNRWA remains pivotal in providing lifesaving humanitarian aid and essential social services, particularly in health and education, to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and is irreplaceable and indispensable to Palestinians human and economic development. In addition, many view UNRWA as a humanitarian lifeline, according to the report. The UN chief on Monday said he counted on the cooperation of the donor community, the host countries and the staff to fully cooperate in the implementation of the new reports final recommendations, the UN Spokesperson said. Moving forward, the Secretary-General appeals to all stakeholders to actively support UNRWA, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region, he said. Other top UN officials have voiced strong support for the agency, calling on donors to reverse funding cuts and allow UNRWA to perform its work, especially in Gaza. In late March, Israel announced it would reject UNRWAs requests to deliver aid into northern Gaza, where a famine is unfolding as Israeli authorities continue to block or severely delay lifesaving aid shipments, according to UN officials, who launched an appeal last week for emergency funding. Lazzarini: Report will further strengthen UNRWA UNRWA chief Lazzarini welcomed the reports findings and recommendations. UNRWA is developing an action plan, with a timeline and budget to take forward the reports recommendations, he said in a statement on Monday. He said implementing some of the recommendations will require extensive engagement with staff and partners, including Member States, host nations and donor countries, adding that the UN agency looks forward to cooperating with all concerned stakeholders to implement the recommendations. UNRWA is firmly dedicated to applying UN values and humanitarian principles, he said. The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people. First of two investigations Following Israels allegations against UNRWA in late January, the UN agency immediately fired the staff members in question and requested a swift, impartial investigation. The UN chief ordered two. Days later, the Secretary-General appointed an independent review team, led by Ms. Colonna and researched by Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Michelsen Institute in Norway and the Danish Institute for Human Rights, to investigate the UNRWAs process of ensuring neutrality in its work. At the same time, the UN chief ordered the UNs top watchdog, the Office of Internal Oversight (OIOS), to investigate the veracity of Israels claims against the 12 UNRWA staff members. At the outset, OIOS investigators reached out to Member States concerned, visited UNRWA headquarters in Jordan and reviewed initial information received by the agency from Israeli authorities and from a variety of sources, including that released through the media and other public outlets. That investigation is ongoing. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash A Saudi national has been allegedly kidnapped in Pakistan's Islamabad region, media reports said. According to the FIR registered with Margalla police station on April 18, Saudi diplomat Badar Al Haribi informed the police that a Saudi citizen, Hannan Abdullah, was kidnapped from F-8 sector in Islamabad, reported Dawn News. The diplomat alleged that a man named Abdul Wahid Shahid Khan was responsible for the kidnapping and requested the police to take strict action against him and recover the Saudi citizen, the newspaper reported. Pakistan has been witnessing a spike in terrorism and criminal activities over the past several months. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding details have been revealed and as expected it is going to be a grand affair! If the reports are to be believed Mukesh Ambani's youngest son who got engaged to a business tycoon Viren Merchant's daughter in January 2023 and celebrated pre-wedding festivities in the presence of Bollywood and Hollywood stars in March have decided their wedding destination! Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding destination Instagram Anant and Radhika will reportedly tie the knot in London. It is said that Stoke Park estate has already been booked for one of the functions. It is said that Nita Ambani is actively looking into all the wedding preparations and details. Earlier, rumours were rife that the two would get married in Dubai after they were spotted in the UAE city. The bride and groom-to-be were there for their wedding shopping. They were spotted with an international wedding planner that set the tongues wagging. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant sangeet venue Instagram Now, as per another report, it is said that the Ambani's Sangeet ceremony will take place in Abu Dhabi. However, there's no official announcement on the same as of yet. Anant Ambani's wedding guest list If you thought that Bollywood stars give this wedding a miss, you're wrong. After the three-day pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar, Anant and Radhika's wedding is also going to be a grand affair. It is said that a wedding invitation has already been sent out to the guests along with a nine page dress code. From Shah Rukh Khan to Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, from Ananya Panday to Sara Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor, all the A-list stars are expected to attend the bash. It remains to be seen who all from the business world and Hollywood will attend the bash. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding date Instagram While earlier it was said that the much-in-love couple would tie the knot in June, now it is said that their wedding will take place in July. It will sure be an extravagant affair. While last time Rihanna set the stage on fire during pre-wedding celebrations, who do you think will perform at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding? Let us know in the comments section below. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding details are out. It is said that Mukesh Ambani's youngest son will get married on July 12 in London. The Ambanis have chosen an international wedding destination and all guests including the Bollywood celebrities have already been invited. The Stoke Park estate has reportedly been booked for one of the functions and Nita Ambani is actively looking into all the wedding preparations and details. Why Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant choose July 12 as their wedding date? BCCL July 12 is quite an auspicious day. Firstly, Saptami Tithi, or the seventh day in the lunar fortnight according to the Hindu calendar, will start from 12:32 on the day. Saptami Tithi is considered auspicious for certain activities like starting new ventures, conducting religious ceremonies, or embarking on journeys. Furthermore, the Ravi Yoga, which is believed to enhance positive energies and bring about favorable outcomes, is also falling on the same day. Ravi Yoga is considered highly auspicious for starting new ventures, business activities, investments, marriages, and other significant undertakings. It is believed that actions initiated during Ravi Yoga have the potential to yield successful results and prosperity. BCCL Hasta Nakshatra will also be on Anant Ambani's wedding day, July 12. Hasta Nakshatra is considered auspicious for activities related to handiwork, craftsmanship, arts, and healing modalities. It is also believed to be favorable for starting new projects, making investments, and seeking spiritual growth. Furthermore, July 12 is a Friday. In Indian astrology, Friday (Shukravar) holds significance for marriages, especially in Hindu culture. Venus (Shukra) is the ruling planet of Friday, and it is associated with love, beauty, harmony, and relationships. Anant Ambani's wedding details and guest list BCCL While the wedding is taking place in London, some reports suggest that the Sangeet ceremony will take place in Dubai. The guest list includes celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, the Kapoors including Ranbir, Kareena, the Bachchans, Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma and more. It is said that a wedding invitation has already been sent out to the guests along with a nine page dress code. It's going to be an extravagant affair! For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Happy Raksha Bandhan 2024: Raksha Bandhan is one of the most sacred Hindu festivals about brothers and sisters showing love and protection for each other. It happens on the full moon day in August. Sisters tie a special thread called a "Rakhi" around their brothers' wrists to wish them well. Brothers give gifts and promise to take care of their sisters. The festival is not just for biological siblings but for cousins, close friends, and adopted siblings too. It's all about showing love and care within the family. Families get together on Raksha Bandhan. Sisters do a special ritual for their brothers, tie the Rakhi, give sweets and gifts, and pray for their brothers' long and happy lives. Brothers also give presents to their sisters to show they care. It's a happy time with lots of laughter, strengthening the bond between siblings. Raksha Bandhan 2024 image | Photo: Canva In recent times, Raksha Bandhan has become more inclusive, with people from different religions and cultures celebrating it as a symbol of love and togetherness. It's not just for Hindus anymore; people from all over India and the world join in the celebration. When is Raksha Bandhan 2024? Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that is dedicated to brothers and sisters or we can say celebrates the bond of love and protection between siblings. Every year the festival is observed on Purnima Tithi (Full Moon day) in the month of Shravan. This year Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on Monday, August 19, as per Drikpachang. Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) 2024 shubh muhurat Raksha Bandhan 2024 Timings Raksha Bandhan thread ceremony time 01:30 PM to 09:08 PM Aparahna time Raksha Bandhan muhurat 01:43 PM to 04:20 PM Pradosh Time Raksha Bandhan Muhurat 06:56 PM to 09:08 PM Raksha Bandhan Bhadra end time 01:30 PM Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Punchha 09:51 AM to 10:53 AM Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Mukha 10:53 AM to 12:37 PM Purnima Tithi begins at 03:04 AM on August 19, 2024 Purnima Tithi ends at 11:55 PM on August 19, 2024 Time to avoid for Rakhi tying ceremony People must avoid the Bhadra period, which usually falls in the early first half of Purnima day. Meaning of Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan is a traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. The festival's name comes from the Sanskrit words "Raksha" meaning "protection" and "Bandhan" meaning "bond" or "tie." Raksha Bandhan history Raksha Bandhan has stories from history and mythology that explain its importance. One story says that in old times, queens would send threads to kings as a sign of friendship and protection. Though the exact origins aren't clear, there are many tales linked to the festival: Indra and Indrani: In this myth, when the god Indra was in trouble, his wife, Sachi (also called Indrani), tied a thread around his wrist to protect him in battle. With her help, Indra won, and this tradition of tying a thread became a symbol of sibling love and protection. Krishna and Draupadi: In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna hurt his finger in a fight. Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, used her saree to stop the bleeding. Touched by her care, Krishna promised to help her whenever she needed. This story shows the bond between siblings. Yama and Yamuna: Another tale tells of Yamuna, the river goddess, tying a thread to her brother Yama, the god of death. Yama was moved by her love and promised that any brother who gets a thread from his sister and vows to protect her will live forever. King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi: According to another legend, King Bali was blessed by Goddess Lakshmi, who disguised herself as a Brahmin woman and tied a thread on his wrist. Touched by her gesture, Bali promised to protect her. This story highlights the bond between siblings and the duty to care for each other. These stories add meaning to Raksha Bandhan. On this day, sisters tie threads (Rakhis) around their brothers' wrists, and brothers promise to protect them. It's a day to celebrate love, care, and the bond between siblings. Raksha Bandhan Significance Raksha Bandhan is a significant festival celebrated in India and other parts of the Indian subcontinent, particularly by Hindus. It's a traditional Hindu festival that honours the bond between brothers and sisters. The term "Raksha Bandhan" translates to "the bond of protection" or "a knot of protection." This festival holds several key significances. Firstly, it celebrates the unique relationship between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie a sacred thread called a "Rakhi" around their brothers' wrists as a symbol of love, protection, and goodwill, signifying the unbreakable bond of love and the duty of brothers to protect their sisters. Secondly, the Rakhi thread symbolizes the sister's prayers for her brother's well-being and serves as a reminder for him to safeguard and protect her from any harm, believed to have protective powers warding off evil influences. Thirdly, Raksha Bandhan provides an opportunity for siblings to express their love, care, and affection for each other through the exchange of gifts and promises. Additionally, it brings families together, regardless of geographical distances, strengthening familial ties. Moreover, Raksha Bandhan promotes harmony and unity in society, encouraging individuals to care for and protect one another. Lastly, the festival has historical and mythological roots, believed to have been practised since ancient times, with stories of queens and women sending Rakhis to neighbouring kings for protection during times of war, and myths like the tale of Lord Krishna and Draupadi, emphasizing its significance. Overall, Raksha Bandhan is a time to cherish family bonds, express love, and promote unity within communities. Raksha Bandhan 2024 Puja Vidhi Take a bath and wear clean clothes as a sign of purity before starting the puja. Take a thali (plate) and place the following items on it - Rakhi threads, Rice grains, Kumkum (vermilion) or sandalwood paste, Akshat (unbroken rice grains), Sweets or any other offerings, Diya (lamp) and incense sticks Light the Diya: Light the diya and the incense sticks as a symbol of divine presence. Offer prayers to Lord Ganesha and seek his blessings for a successful and auspicious ceremony. You can chant the Ganesh mantra or any other prayers that you are familiar with. Apply tilak (kumkum or sandalwood paste) on your brother's forehead and perform aarti by rotating the thali around him in a clockwise direction while chanting aarti mantras or singing devotional songs. Take the Rakhi thread and tie it around your brother's right wrist. You can also express your love and affection for your brother while tying the Rakhi. After tying the Rakhi, give gifts and sweets to your brother as a token of your love and appreciation. In return, your brother may also offer you gifts or a token of love. A younger brother should take blessings from his sister and touch her feet as a mark of respect and gratitude. Prepare a special meal or favourite dishes for your brother and enjoy a meal together as a family. These are general guidelines for performing the Raksha Bandhan puja. The specific rituals and customs may vary based on regional traditions and family preferences. It is always a good idea to consult with elders or family members for any specific customs or rituals that may be followed in your family. Raksha Bandhan 2023: Mantra While tying Rakhi to brother, sister should chant below mantra: Yen Badho Balli Raja, Danvendro Mahabalah Ten Tvaamabhibadhnaami Rakshe Maachal Maachal.' The meaning of Raksha Mantra is as following - "I tie you with the same Raksha thread which tied the most powerful, the king of courage, the king of demons, Bali. O Raksha (Raksha Sutra), please don't ove and keep fixed throughout the year." Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Are you planning your next summer vacation in Europe? Then there is some good news for you, and pack your bags right now. That is because the European Union has eased the norms for multiple-entry Schengen visas for Indians travelling to Europe for business and tourism purposes. The EU on Monday announced that Indian nationals can now apply for a multiple-entry Schengen visa with a validity of up to five years. Pexels Multiple entry visa for Indians "On April 18, 2024, the European Commission adopted specific rules on the issuing of multiple entry visas to Indian nationals, which are more favourable than the standard rules of the Visa Code that applied to date," the EU said in a statement. "This new visa 'cascade' regime for Indian nationals residing in India who apply for Schengen (short-stay) visas in India will provide easier access to visas with multi-year validity for travellers with an established travel history, if the passport validity allows," it added. Schengen visas valid for five years According to the newly adopted visa 'cascade' regime for India, Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years. Pexels The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals. What is Schengen visa Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work. The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries (of which 25 are EU states) -- Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. IiStock Rise in Indian tourists in EU According to the EU, the decision comes in the context of strengthened relations under the EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, which seeks comprehensive cooperation on migration policy between the EU and India, with facilitation of people-to-people contacts being of key aspect due to the importance of India as a partner for the EU. In recent years, the number of Indians visiting European countries has increased significantly and according to the industry, the trend is going to continue in the coming years. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Cabin crew members and pilots often have to face the ire of passengers upset about long delays. But recently, a heartwarming act was highlighted by SpiceJets Vice President. He shared a story about crew members and passengers helping an elderly woman who had soiled the aisle multiple times. Disoriented old woman defecates on flight Virendra Malhotra, Vice President of Flight Operations at SpiceJet, recently posted on LinkedIn to commend the commitment of crew members in serving passengers in a recent incident. The incident occurred on an April 12 flight bound for Jeddah from Kozhikode, where a 72-year-old woman defecated in the aisle multiple times about 40 minutes after take-off. "The incidents occurred from the 17th to the 21st row, and later from the second-to-last row leading into the lavatory. The lady was accompanied by her family who were unable to offer necessary assistance. The lady stood in the lavatory disoriented, probably unsure of what to do next," Malhotra wrote. The Print Crew member Akshay then sprang into action. He approached two fellow passengers and persuaded them to provide spare clothes and an adult diaper to help the woman. Not only did these passengers offer their assistance, but they also joined Akshay in cleaning up the mess. Once the woman was cleaned up, they escorted her back to her seat. SpiceJet crew member Akshay/ LinkedIn However, the challenges didn't end there. The floor of the cabin needed to be thoroughly cleaned of the feces that had spread and become stuck to the carpet. Additionally, the foul odor in the aft cabin had to be swiftly eliminated to prevent discomfort to other passengers. Akshay wasted no time gathering supplies and personally took on the task of cleaning the mess. With the assistance of another crew member, Ms. Sreega, Akshay worked diligently using disposable gloves, antiseptic, and sanitiser to clean and sanitise the floor, ensuring a hygienic environment for all passengers. SpiceJet crew member Sreega/ LinkedIn Going above and beyond, commend netizens Malhotra praised Akshay and Sreega for their strong commitment and dedication to serving the passengers. Social media echoed the same sentiment. "I had to read Mr Malhotra's post twice to make sure that this unbelievable story was real! Firstly my sympathies to the poor old lady passenger and then my heartfelt appreciation for the prompt action taken by the two cabin crew members who went out of their way to take care of the situation. SpiceJet should be very proud of them," one user wrote. Another wrote, "Kudos to the 2 cabin crew, AKshay & Sreega. This is literally going above & beyond." For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Loud quitting is when someone leaves their job in a dramatic and noisy way, often to show they're unhappy or to highlight issues at work. This article looks into why people do it, what it means for the workplace, and how to stop it. It also compares it with quiet quitting, where someone leaves more quietly. Quitting a job is common, especially now after the pandemic. But not everyone leaves the same way. Some prefer to leave quietly, while others make a big noise about it. Loud quitting has become more noticeable lately as more workers publicly express their unhappiness, often on social media or by arguing at work. But what exactly is loud quitting, and why do some people do it? How does it affect the company and the staff who stay? And what can bosses do to stop it? What Is Loud Quitting? Loud quitting is when someone leaves their job in a loud and public way, often causing a scene. They might make a big announcement, rant on social media, or argue with their boss or colleagues. The main reason for leaving loudly is to show everyone how unhappy they are, often to highlight problems at work or to seek justice. Explained: What Is 'Loud Quitting' - The New Viral Workplace Trend | Unsplash What Is Quiet Quitting? Quiet quitting is different from loud quitting because it's more subtle. Quiet quitters slowly back away from their job, reduce their work, or look for other opportunities quietly. They might not say they're unhappy or planning to leave. Quiet quitters usually want to avoid conflict or damaging their professional reputation. ALSO READ: New Trend In Job Market: The 'Shift Shock' Explained Causes Of Loud Quitting Loud quitting can happen for many reasons, like bad working conditions, low pay, feeling undervalued, unfair treatment, a toxic atmosphere, or personal issues. Loud quitters often have things in common, like high expectations, strong feelings, low patience, or struggles to control their emotions. They might also feel they have nothing to lose by leaving loudly or feel they need to speak up for themselves or others. How Does Loud Quitting Impact The Workplace? Loud quitting can be bad for the company and the staff who stay. It can damage the company's image, reputation, and brand. It might also show the public or customers its problems or scandals. If the employee makes serious accusations or shares confidential information, the company might face legal issues or investigations. The remaining staff might feel demoralised, distrustful, or less engaged, and it might make them worry, anxious, or want to leave. Loud quitting can sometimes create a negative atmosphere or make people feel hostile towards each other. How To Prevent Loud Quitting In The Workplace? To stop loud quitting, companies should encourage open communication, feedback, and recognition. They should deal with staff problems early, before they become public quitting. They should also support staff dealing with work or personal issues and train managers to handle staff unhappiness and quitting professionally. Finally, they should ask departing staff why they're leaving and learn from their feedback. Loud quitting hurts both the company and the staff who stay. To stop it, companies should create an open, supportive, and learning environment. This helps keep staff happy and motivated, and it's good for business too. ALSO READ: What Is 'Dry Promotion'? All About This Silent Threat To Employee Satisfaction & Loyalty For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here MDH and Everest spices have become the eye of the storm. Singapore authority SFA(Singapore Food Authority) recalled Everest Fish Curry Masala after finding ethylene oxide in it at levels exceeding the permissible limit. This was followed by Hong Kong authorities withdrawing four spice blends namely MDH Madras Curry Powder, MDH Sambhar Masala Powder, MDH Curry Powder and Everest Fish Curry Masala. Both the countries cited the same reason - ethylene oxide. Hong Kong And Singapore Take The Masala Mixes Off Their Shelves Delishably/ Representational Image Hong Kongs Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department mentioned on its website that it collected the above-mentioned samples from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui, respectively, for testing under its routine food surveillance programme. The test results showed that the samples contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide. The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected products, reported Hindustan Times. The CFS instructed vendors to take down the impacted products from their shelves and initiated an inquiry. The regulatory body also suggested that "suitable measures" could be implemented. On the other hand, SFA (Singapore Food Authority) did clarify that there was no immediate risk from consumption but if done in a prolonged period, it could pose health risks due to the presence of the said chemical. Have Spice Brands MDH, Everest Reacted To The Ban? MDH Everest Food Products Pvt has addressed the controversy, asserting that its spices have not faced a ban in Hong Kong and Singapore. "There have been rumors of Everest being prohibited in Singapore and Hong Kong, but we would like to clarify that this is untrue. Everest has not been banned in either country. Only one out of the 60 Everest products has been retained for examination," a spokesperson for the company informed NDTV Profit. The spokesperson mentioned that one of Everest's products has been "temporarily" suspended in Singapore following the alert issued by Hong Kong. The company reaffirmed that its products are "safe and of high quality." "Everest maintains stringent hygiene and safety standards in its manufacturing facilities," it emphasized. India Seeks Details From Food Regulators Of Singapore, Hong Kong India has requested information from food safety authorities in Singapore and Hong Kong. Additionally, the commerce ministry has instructed Indian embassies in Singapore and Hong Kong to provide a comprehensive report on the situation. Also Read: With 7 Houses & A Helipad, This Scottish Island Is Up For Sale At Just Rs 26 Cr The ministry has also requested details from the Indian firms MDH and Everest, whose products have been banned for allegedly containing the pesticide 'ethylene oxide' beyond permissible limits. "Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned," a commerce ministry official said, as reported by PTI. What Is Ethylene Oxide? Ethylene oxide is a colorless, flammable gas with a sweet odor at room temperature. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), it is primarily utilized in the production of various chemicals, including ethylene glycol (used as antifreeze). Additionally, ethylene oxide is employed in the manufacturing of textiles, detergents, polyurethane foam, medications, adhesives, and solvents. As a fumigant, it is utilized in food spices to prevent microbial contamination, such as E. coli and Salmonella. According to NCI, ethylene oxide is capable of damaging DNA, making it an effective sterilizing agent. Consequently, it is utilized in hospitals for sterilization of surgical equipment. Exposure to ethylene oxide can increase the risk of lymphoid cancer and breast cancer in women, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a harmful pesticide, it is deemed unsuitable for human consumption. Also Read: Zepto Aadit Palicha's Journey From Dropout To Rs 10k Crore Startup Kitchen King ho ya garam masala, paav bhaji ya chunky chaat masala. Asli masale sach sach, MDH MDH If you sang the above line instead of reading it, then you my friend, belong to the elite class! Remember Spice King and MDH uncle Dharampal Gulati, who was regularly seen in MDH masala ads? He has been an unforgettable part of our collective childhoods. MDH Dharampal Gulati, born on March 27, 1923, in Sialkot (now Pakistan), came from a family with strong ties to the spice industry. His father owned a well-known spice shop called Mahashian Di Hatti(MDH), famously known as Deggi Mirch Wale. However, when he was 24 years old, the traumatic events of Partition disrupted their lives, compelling them to abandon their ancestral home and business due to the violent upheavals and riots. Dharampal Gulatis Early Struggles Upon arriving in Delhi, Gulati encountered the daunting task of rebuilding his life, resorting to various odd jobs to sustain his family. Despite the formidable challenges, he drew upon his heritage and eventually founded the renowned MDH spice brand, marking a remarkable return to his roots in the spice trade. Building His Spice Empire - MDH As per The Financial Express report, Gulati embarked on his entrepreneurial journey with just Rs. 1500, exploring diverse business avenues until he secured a modest shop in Karol Bagh, Delhi. This marked the inception of Mahashian Di Hatti, later renowned as MDH, earning the moniker "DEGGI MIRCH WALE." TOI In the course of time, MDH ascended to prominence, emerging as India's second-largest spice producer and distributor, boasting a significant market share of 12 percent. With a diverse portfolio comprising over 60 products, exported to 100 nations, MDH garnered acclaim for its superior quality and rich flavor, enhancing both culinary experiences and international relations. Gulati Was Bestowed With The Prestigious Padma Bhushan Award Gulati's remarkable contributions to the spice industry were recognized with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award in 2019, underscoring his enduring commitment and profound influence. Moreover, he garnered attention as the highest-paid CEO in the FMCG sector at the remarkable age of 94, surpassing established industry figures. On December 3, 2020, at the age of 97, Dharampal Gulati passed away, leaving behind an enduring legacy of entrepreneurship and philanthropy. Despite his demise, MDH, valued between Rs 10,000-15,000 crore according to various media reports, continues to flourish, serving as a testament to Gulati's visionary leadership and enduring legacy. MDH Masalas Court Controversy Pinterest The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the food safety regulator, has mandated quality inspections on the products of well-known Indian spice brands MDH and Everest Group. This directive comes in response to allegations of these products containing a cancer-causing pesticide. If you want to know more about, read this - Explained: Why Are MDH And Everest Spices Under The Spotlight? What Is Ethylene Oxide?" Explained: Why Are MDH And Everest Spices Under The Spotlight? What Is Ethylene Oxide?/b> Eco-friendly crab breeding demonstration park in China's Suzhou realizes zero tailwater discharge People's Daily Online) 11:18, April 23, 2024 Photo shows aquaculture tailwater purification ponds at an eco-friendly crab breeding demonstration park in Qidu township, Wujiang district, Suzhou city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Pan Lan) A farmer harvests crabs at an eco-friendly crab breeding demonstration park in Qidu township, Wujiang district, Suzhou city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Wu Qixuan) Photo shows the smart platform of an eco-friendly crab breeding demonstration park in Qidu township, Wujiang district, Suzhou city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Shen Mengyi) Suzhou city in east China's Jiangsu Province has built an eco-friendly crab breeding demonstration park for the standardized breeding of crabs, achieving zero discharge of aquaculture tailwater. With a core area of 4,225 mu (about 281.67 hectares), the demonstration park, located near Taihu Lake in Qidu township, Wujiang district has realized efficient and eco-friendly crab farming. Zhang Jianliang, a 53-year-old crab farmer in Ronglan village, Qidu township, has been engaged in crab farming for over 20 years. Several years ago, he contracted 100 mu of crab breeding ponds at the demonstration park. "Crab farming here is tech-driven, which is completely different from in the past," Zhang said. Zhang introduced an automatic control system for aquaculture supported by Internet of Things (IoT) technology at the demonstration park. "The biggest concern in crab farming is low dissolved oxygen levels in water, which was previously assessed based on experience," Zhang said, noting that now, real-time parameters like dissolved oxygen, pH value, and water temperature are displayed on an electronic screen. For instance, the system automatically analyzes real-time data collected by sensors under the water surface, and will turn on the oxygenation equipment to prevent hypoxia in water if data falls below the preset "red line." In addition, unmanned automatic feeding boats, and IoT-based facilities in water make crab farming more efficient. The demonstration park has invited experts from agricultural universities and companies to provide on-site training on breeding techniques for farmers, according to Cao Jianzhong, who is in charge of the demonstration park. Under the experts' guidance, Zhang has adopted a shrimp-crab co-culture mode, which increases the output value per mu by over 2,000 yuan (about $276.19). "Technological methods have made oxygenation and feeding more precise, saved labor costs, and boosted farmers' confidence," Zhang said, adding that thanks to the standardized breeding in the demonstration park, he can earn 200,000 to 300,000 yuan a year. The demonstration park has an overall planned area of 27,255 mu, and its total annual output value reaches approximately 400 million yuan. In addition, the demonstration park adopts an eco-friendly aquaculture tailwater treatment system designed by the Institute of Hydrobiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, according to Xi Bin, a manager at the demonstration park. The treated tailwater can reach the required standard and flow back into crab ponds through an extensive network of pipes, which means that it will not be discharged into Taihu Lake, Xi said. The demonstration park boasts three aquaculture tailwater purification zones covering an area of 362 mu, which can purify 500 cubic meters of tailwater per hour. To provide comprehensive support services to crab farmers, the demonstration park has deployed technologies such as IoT, cloud computing, and big data to ensure intelligent farming. It has a smart platform that integrates functions like an overview of the park, smart aquaculture, quality control, and daily management and serves as a "smart brain." Shen Mengyi, a staff member at the demonstration park, said that various sensors are deployed in the parks crab ponds, providing data support for science-based aquaculture. The demonstration park also leverages various types of automated equipment in its logistics and distribution center and guides farmers and rural entrepreneurs to increase their incomes by adopting a model for the production, supply and sales of crabs. Zhu Changnan, a 63-year-old crab farmer in Qidu township, and his youngest son are engaged in e-commerce in the demonstration park. Their annual e-commerce sales volume exceeds 20 million yuan, compared to 300,000 to 400,000 yuan before they moved their business to the park. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Bryan Huntley, 11, sits on a cooler outside his tent at Riverside Park in Grants Pass, Ore. The citys case before the Supreme Court could affect policies on homelessness across the country. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case that reaches deep into the nuances of the countrys homelessness crisis and what freedoms local jurisdictions have when creating and enforcing laws that cite people living on the street. For nearly 2 hours, the nine justices considered arguments in an appeal by Grants Pass, Ore., a small town an hour north of the California border. At issue? Whether the town can cite people for sleeping outdoors on public property and whether enforcing anti-camping ordinances when no shelter space is available violates the Constitutions Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Grants Pass is not alone in its quest for the freedom to handle these issues as it sees fit. Cities across the nation are wrestling with questions about what laws they can institute that would remove homeless people from public spaces without violating their constitutional rights. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whether this should have gone to the Supreme Court at all is another matter. Like other cities, San Francisco has struggled to obtain clarity on what laws it has the right to pass and enforce when it comes to homeless camps in public spaces. In 2022, the Coalition on Homelessness sued the city, alleging its policing of those sleeping outdoors violates not just the rights of people experiencing homelessness, state and federal law, but also its own policies. That case is now on hold pending the Supreme Courts ruling. Its possible the Supreme Court will provide clarity on the issue, depending on how broadly or narrowly it rules on the case. However, its also possible the court could reinterpret what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. If the court reduced the scope of the Eighth Amendment, it could impact core human rights issues beyond Grants Pass. Could, for example, this ruling affect what constitutes torture? Could it undo rulings stating that prisoners deserve medical care, food and clothing or permit the sentencing of juveniles who didnt commit homicides to life without parole? Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu didnt want the case to end up in the Supreme Court, pushing instead for a summary reversal in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on Grants Pass. His office argued against disrupting the Eighth Amendment precedent on cruel and unusual punishment but did push for local control over laws and their enforcement. Calling for a reversal instead of a Supreme Court ruling set San Francisco apart from other major cities, such as Seattle and Honolulu. Even the state of California requested the court review Grants Pass. It doesnt appear from the justices questioning that the Supreme Court intends to rewrite rules on cruel and unusual punishment. But they could. If that happens, California politics will have contributed to a key erosion of the nations Constitutional protections. It seems more likely that the court majority will provide cities the freedom to enforce their camping laws. Despite an intense round of questioning from liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, the conservative majority appears to be leaning toward supporting autonomy for cities to determine when and how to enforce anti-camping laws. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The justices did appear skeptical about whether the nuanced and numerous questions on homelessness should be decided by the courts, Chiu told the Editorial Board in a statement after Mondays hearing. Many pointed out that local policymakers and local communities are better equipped to decide these day-to-day issues. What will all this mean for San Francisco? We still have a while to wait for a final verdict. A ruling isnt expected until the end of June. With so much still in the air, city officials are treading carefully. We cant opine because we dont know what will be decided, Jeff Cretan, spokesperson for Mayor London Breed, told the Editorial Board. It could be broad in scope either way or narrow in scope. We dont want to speculate. We are following the case closely. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whichever way the court goes on the issue, nothing in the Grants Pass case will protect people from evictions, lower barriers to entering existing housing or lead to the construction of new, affordable homes or even shelters. Localities and governments dont need to wait for a ruling from the Supreme Court, Nisha Kashyap, director of racial justice at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, told the Editorial Board after the hearing. The group represents the Coalition on Homelessness in its suit against the city. You have what you need already. You have the authority, and you need to implement those real solutions that we want. That process should have started yesterday. About Opinion The editorial positions of The Chronicle, including election recommendations, represent the consensus of the editorial board, consisting of the publisher, the editorial page editor and staff members of the opinion pages. Its judgments are made independent of the news operation, which covers the news without consideration of our editorial positions. This doesnt mean the conversations happening locally and at the Supreme Court have no value. Cities and counties need clarity about what they can legally do to address homelessness in their parks and streets. We cannot let large encampments take over our public spaces; even if housing is the solution, those fixes do not happen overnight. We need to hit a balance between solving the problem and ensuring our streets and parks can be used safely by everyone. San Francisco has to wait for clarity on what freedoms it has in instituting laws that penalize homelessness. That doesnt mean key work to address the problem should halt. No Tech for Genocide! SJSU Boycott Rally Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Time: 4:30 PM - 4:30 PM Event Type: Other Organizer/Author: Students for a Democratic Society SJSU Location Details: San Jose State University Student Union Patio Join students, faculty, staff, and San Jose community members on *Wednesday, April 24th at 4:30PM* as San Jose State Associated Students votes on a resolution to boycott Dell, HPE, and any company that aid in human rights abuses in Palestine as dictated by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. If passed it will be the first legislation of its kind within the California State University system. Show solidarity with Palestinian and Muslim students, faculty, and organizers who faced mass suppression, cyber attacks, assault, doxxing, arrest, suspension, and demotion. All at the hands of Zionist students, faculty, and administration like Jonathan Roth, a history department professor who has still not been fired after attempting to doxx students and then assaulting a hijabi woman all on camera! And who called upon sympathetic media outlets to call us "terrorists"! And Linda Landau, an English department professor, who called student protesters "radicalized Iranians", again, on camera. And SJSU Police Department who arrested Omar R, an 18-year-old Palestinian freshman last semester, for assault and a hate crime against SJSU Students Supporting Israel with the only evidence being an empty Capri-sun juice packet. Though, these charges were dismissed in court, SJSU has still not released a retraction of the mass email that went out lying about the incident, nor issued an apology, nor cleared the suspension off Omar's record! Show the Zionist sympathetic establishment that when the people dare to struggle, they take on the dare to win! And that our student fees at the People's University will not take part in this genocide! A substantial cache of AK47 rifles and other weaponry has been surrendered to the Plateau State government by bandits operating in Wase Local Government Area of the State. This move comes as a result of ongoing negotiations aimed at fostering peace in the region. Advertisement Bridger General Gakji Shippi, Special Adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Security and Commander of Operation Rainbow, revealed the breakthrough during a press briefing in Jos on Monday. READ ALSO: Lawyer Refutes Claims Of Appealing Bobriskys Conviction According to Shippi, the weapons were handed over through an intermediary, reflecting the bandits apprehension about direct engagement with government forces. The disarmament is a clear indication of the bandits commitment to peace, Shippi stated, noting that various categories of firearms, in addition to the AK47 rifles, were also surrendered and have been rendered inoperative. This action is part of a broader strategy by the Plateau State Government to reduce hostilities and encourage more bandits to lay down their arms voluntarily. Recall that Plateau State in the past few months has suffered numerous attacks. The Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Usman NaAbba, on Monday, reversed the orders affirming the suspension of Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Justice Naabba had last week granted the prayer of the Assistant Secretary of Ganduje ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area, Laminu Sani and Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs) for an order to affirm the suspension of the former Kano State Governor. Advertisement The plaintiffs were part of the nine ward executives who suspended Abdullahi Ganduje over anti-party activities. However in a new development, the Presiding Judge, squashed and reversed the order suspending Ganduje and granted a fresh interim injunction staying the execution of the order issued by the court on April 17. READ ALSO: Rivers Assembly Overrides Fubara, Enacts Local Government Bill He vacated his earlier order upon reading a Motion Ex-Parte together with 27-paragraph affidavit in support and a written address dated the 22nd day of April, 2024 sworn to by one Glory Adah a litigation secretary in the 4th respondent solicitors law firm. And after hearing, Mr. L. O. Oyewo Esq, with A. Falana Esq and J. Essiet Esq counsels of the 4th Respondent/Applicant. An order of interim injunction is hereby granted staying the execution of the order of interim injunction contained in the ruling of the court delivered on the 17th April, 2024 directing parties to maintain status quo ante as at the 15th day of April, 2024 in relation to the suspension of the 4th respondent/applicant from the 1st respondent by the Ganduje Ward Executive Committee pending the hearing and determination of the 4th respondent/applicant Motion on Notice, the Justice said. The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, reportedly arrested a former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over alleged 8bn Nigeria Air fraud. It was gathered that Sirika arrived at the Federal Capital Territory Command of the EFCC at about 1:00 pm on today. Also confirming the development, in a chat with newsmen on Tuesday, the anti-graft chairman Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that the EFCC has been investigating the Aviation and Humanitarian Affairs ministries, saying the probe has not been about only Sirika and Betta Edu but everything about the two ministries. Advertisement He said: It is the system I am investigating and whosoever is now found culpable along the line, those are the names you will hear. Meanwhile, another anti-graft source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, because they were not authorised to speak, confirmed the report to PUNCH. READ MORE: Former Aviation Minister Sirika in DSS Custody Over Nigeria Air Launch He said: Yes, that was Hadi Sirika who was taken into our FCT custody. He is currently meeting with EFCC investigators over the alleged N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud, a source revealed. The officials of the Federal Competition and Consumer and Protection Commission (FCCPC) has reportedly sealed up a Chinese owned supermarket, located at the China General Chamber of Commerce, Abuja. It was gathered that the FCCPC shut the store when they stormed the premises on Monday. The development is coming, after the commissions representatives interrogated Nigerian workers at the supermarket. Advertisement READ MORE: FG Seals Popular 4U Supermarket In Abuja Over Unfair Practices (Pictures) INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that, some angry Nigerians on Sunday, via social media had raised alarm over a discriminatory policy implemented by the Chinese Supermarket which restricted entry exclusively to its citizens and barred Nigerians. Confirming the allegation, the facility manager of the complex, Shaibu Sanusi said that only Nigerians within can access the supermarket. Shaibu said: Nigerians outside the premises were denied entry, while those within were allowed access to the supermarkets offerings. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to include students of private universities among beneficiaries of the Student Loan Scheme. Obasanjo, however, raised doubt over the running of the scheme without recording corrupt practices. Advertisement The former president spoke at the inauguration of the Asiwaju Onafowokan, Coleman Wires and Cables building at Bells Universitys College of Postgraduate Studies in Ota, Ogun State. READ ALSO: Two Officers, Four Soldiers Killed In Niger Terrorist Attack His words: The Vice-Chancellor has spoken about the need to include students in private universities as beneficiaries of the Student Loan Scheme. I urge the government to listen to that and take heed to include them too. I doubt if the scheme will be run without corruption, that is another matter entirely. The proprietor of Bell University of Technology, opined that the loan scheme was crucial to the development of the society and the welfare of the citizens and that excluding a group of people would be counterproductive. Recall that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, said students in private institutions would not benefit from the loan scheme. Deji Adeyanju, a human rights activist and lawyer, has rejected claims that he had appealed the conviction of popular cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky. In an exclusive telephone conversation with Punch on Monday, Adeyanju stated that he is not Bobriskys attorney nor has he filed an appeal on his behalf. Adeyanju said, I didnt file any appeal on Bobriskys behalf. I am not representing Bobrisky on any matter. Advertisement It would be recalled that Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced the cross-dresser to six months imprisonment over naira abuse on April 12, 2024, with no option of fine. READ MORE: Crossdresser Bobrisky Files Appeal Against Sentence However, on Monday, it was reported that the convicted crossdresser had filed an appeal, seeking the appellate court to overturn the six-month sentence. Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, says he is ready to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja to answer to the 19-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). However, according to him, he is afraid of getting arrested. Advertisement Although the former governor was not present for his arraignment on Tuesday, he briefed his team of lawyers who addressed the court. Adeola Adedipe, one of the lawyers in his legal team, told the court that Bello would have made himself available for the proceedings, but was afraid that he would be arrested. READ ALSO: Again, Dangote crashes diesel, and Aviation fuel prices further to N940, N980 respectively The defendant wants to come to court but he is afraid that there is an order of arrest hanging on his head, Adedipe said. Consequently, he prayed the court to set aside the ex parte order of arrest it earlier issued against Bello. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted that it was only at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday that the court okayed substituted service of the charge on the defendant, through his lawyer. As at the time the warrant was issued, the order for substituted service had not been made. That order was just made this morning. A warrant of arrest should not be hanging on his neck when we leave this court, he added. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price put all 35 of her countys death sentences on hold Monday after evidence emerged that prosecutors had previously excluded Black and Jewish jurors. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price put all 35 of her countys death sentences on hold Monday and said there was evidence that prosecutors in a 30-year-old case had removed all Jewish and Black people from the jury. When you intentionally exclude any juror based on their race, their religion, their gender or any protected category, it violates the Constitution, Price said at a news conference. The evidence that we collected suggests plainly that many people did not receive a fair trial in Alameda County. She cited only one case, in which Ernest Dykes of Oakland was convicted in 1993 of murdering his landladys 9-year-old grandson, Lance Clark, and trying to murder landlady Bernice Clark during an attempted robbery. But Price said there was evidence that the same discriminatory conduct took place in a number of cases and was not limited to one or two prosecutors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Price was acting at the direction of U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of San Francisco, who is hearing Dykes federal appeal, known as habeas corpus, after the state Supreme Court upheld his convictions and death sentence. In a document filed Monday, Chhabria said Prices office, consistent with its legal and ethical obligations, had shown him and Dykes lawyers notes from jury selection from the prosecutors at Dykes trial. These notes especially when considered in conjunction with evidence presented in other cases constitute strong evidence that, in prior decades, prosecutors from the office were engaged in a pattern of serious misconduct, automatically excluding Jewish and African American jurors in death penalty cases, Chhabria wrote. Prosecutors and defense lawyers are allowed to remove a number of prospective jurors 20 in capital cases without stating a reason, but are barred by law from doing so because of race, religion, ethnicity or gender. Price, a former civil rights lawyer, took office in 2023 after a campaign in which she promised not to seek the death penalty or other sentences she considered excessive. Opponents have accused her of being soft on crime and have submitted enough signatures on petitions to place a recall election on the county ballot. Ann-Kathryn Tria, a lawyer for Dykes, said defense attorneys are trying to reach an agreement with Price to resolve the case. She said Dykes, who was 20 at the time of the crimes, has expressed remorse for his actions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its always been denied by prosecutors, but (discrimination in jury selection) has been a huge issue in Alameda County for decades, Tria said. Tom Orloff, who served as the countys district attorney from 1995 until he retired in 2009, said Monday he was unfamiliar with details of Dykes case, which was tried before he took office. But he said Price did not need to put all 35 cases on hold. There is a whole legal process for assessing those issues, which she apparently wishes to ignore, Orloff said, referring to post-appellate review in habeas corpus proceedings. Similar allegations of improper juror challenges were raised in another Alameda County case in 2003 when a former prosecutor, Jack Quatman, said removal of Jews and African American women from death penalty juries had been standard practice in the office in 1987, when he was the lead prosecutor in the case of Fred Freeman. Quatman said in a declaration that the trial judge, Stanley Golde, a former prosecutor who was Jewish, had called him into his chambers during jury selection and asked why he hadnt removed a Jewish person from the jury pool, since Jews would never vote for a death sentence. Quatman said he used three of his challenges to remove Jews from the jury, which convicted Freeman and sentenced him to death. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Nigerian Army has dismissed two of its personnel with immediate effect for allegedly stealing armoured cables at Dangote refinery in Lagos. The Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu made this known in a statement released on Monday. Onyeama disclosed that the two soldiers identified as Corporal Innocent Joseph and Lance Corporal Jacob Gani, had been handed over to the police for further investigation. Advertisement He said: As a demonstration of NAs zero-tolerance for misconduct and criminality within its ranks, the two soldiers have been dismissed from the NA with immediate effect and handed over to relevant authorities for further prosecution. The two soldiers were found to have abandoned their duty post and to be in unauthorized possession of the materials. Subsequently, they were both charged for Failure to Perform Military Duties punishable under section 57, sub section (1) and Other Civil Offences punishable under section 114, sub section (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20, the Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. READ MORE: Man Electrocuted While Vandalising, Stealing Cables From Transformer In Edo They were summarily tried. During the trial, the evidence against them was presented and they were given the opportunity to present their cases and defend themselves, but were however found guilty of the charges levelled against them in accordance with military laws. We remain resolute in our duty to protect and serve the nation with honor and dignity. The operatives of Enugu state police command have arrested at least six individuals, suspected to be engaging in criminal activities, such as one chance robbery, unlawful possession and trafficking of suspected cocaine, weed (Ghana Loud), theft of a motor vehicle battery, a tricycle (Keke), and a church organ keyboard This was contained in a statement made available to the public by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, on Monday. The statement partly reads: Police operatives serving in different divisions of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested a total of six male suspects for the offences of one chance robbery, unlawful possession and peddling of suspected cocaine, stealing of a motor vehicle battery, a tricycle (Keke), and a church organ keyboard. Advertisement Two tricycles, one motor vehicle battery, one organ keyboard, wraps of substances suspected to be cocaine, and quantities of weeds suspected to be Ghana Loud were recovered from the suspects. READ MORE: Enugu Govt Vows To Give Mr Ibu, Junior Pope Befitting Burial Accordingly, police operatives serving in the Independence Layout Police Division of the Command, working with law-abiding citizens, on April 18, 2024, around 10am., arrested one Edeh Chibuike m, aged 44, and recovered a yello-coloured Bajaj tricycle with registration number NSK 218 QA. The suspect and his cohorts who escaped, operating in the recovered tricycle, are alleged to have robbed their female victim and passenger of her iPhone and Banks ATM Card at Nwakanwa Street, Independence Layout, Enugu. *The suspect and gang members were given a hot chase by law-abiding citizens, which caused their keke to skid off the road into a fence, leading to his arrest while others escaped. The suspect confessed to the crime, stating that his criminal gang has been in the business of one chance robbery and fraud on unsuspecting victims within the Enugu metropolis. The Senate Committee on Power, on Monday, summoned the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and the National Electricity Regulatory Commissions (NERC) leadership over the recent electricity tariff hike. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, made this known during the committees oversight function and a familiarisation tour to the Minister. Abaribe who stated that the Minister and NERC officials would appear before the committee for investigative hearing, expressed worry over the poor power situation in the country despite the huge sums of money injected into the power sector. Advertisement He said, The Senate has already authorised an investigative hearing scheduled for the 29th of April, 2024. The major agencies of government will answer. We have summoned the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). We will give them opportunity to speak to the electricity tariff hike. The minister of power is of course, expected. READ ALSO: Yahaya Bello: EFCC Denies Disobeying Court Order, Says Criminal Charge Different From Rights Enforcement Senator Abaribe expressed worry that the key players still lamented an avalanche of challenges and questioned why the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other agencies in the power sector had consistently allowed the power grid to collapse over the years. He, however, said the committee would report to the Senate, as requested by the TCN top echelon, to see if there could be a review of its annual budget for improved service delivery. During the visit, the Senate committee inspected a power project on the premises of the ministry and held an oversight with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on the issue of power generation and transmission. In his remarks, the minister enumerated the challenges affecting the power sector, including poor funding, vandalism, issues of right-of-way, and a lack of gas, among many others, and asked the committee to support the power ministry in achieving its mandate. Today (Tuesday) is Primary Day in Pennsylvania. This is one of only 10 closed-primary states, meaning (among other things) that independents like me, currently are locked out of the process of picking general-election candidates, which I think is wrong. But if you are a registered Democrat or Republican, please vote today. Faith in our elections is what keeps this whole enterprise going. If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. With the truth up for grabs, Columbias young journalists are getting the story For a few tense moments, the student broadcasters behind Columbia Universitys radio station WKCR whove dropped their normal, mostly jazz programming for dramatic live reporting of protests that have rocked their Upper Manhattan campus must have wondered if they were at an Ivy League university or in the war-torn capital of a banana republic. Advertisement At roughly 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night, as tensions were peaking with student demonstrators pushing the university to divest from Israel over the war in Gaza and defying the Columbia administrations orders to shut down their campus encampment school security officers raced into the radio stations studios and told the on-air staff they would need to leave the building and shut down their broadcast. As the on-air announcer told the audience which, thanks to internet streaming, was listening to the protests from all over the world that shutting down WKCR would be unprecedented, things abruptly changed again. The security officers, apparently seeking to close a cluster of buildings because of a perceived threat, realized taking a radio station off the air would be a mistake especially at the school that administers journalisms Pulitzer Prizes. That was scary, a student broadcaster said, her voice shaking (according to a journalist who was listening live), with some nervous laughter behind her. Were going to cut to music now! Buoyed by the realization WKCR still has not been ordered closed in a history that goes back to the primitive days of radio in 1908, the young broadcasters were soon back doing live reports from the protest, reading the latest bulletins from the administration, and airing other vital news for a campus facing its most tumultuous unrest in 56 years. Is Columbia in crisis? asked a headline from the Columbia Spectator student newspaper in a rare moment of understatement by student journalists. At a time when an ex-U.S. president is facing a criminal trial for the first time, and with Congress breaking a logjam on foreign aid, the campus protests have nevertheless riveted the nation especially on social media, where students protesting events in the Middle East have touched a string of hot wires around war and peace, religion and prejudice. The showdown exploded last week after embattled Columbia president Minouche Shafik faced hostile questions in Congress about reported incidents of antisemitism, then ordered the New York Police Department on campus, where officers arrested more than 100 students from the pro-Palestinian tent encampment. The arrests only poured gasoline on the fire. The Biden White House condemned new antisemitic incidents many on the fringe of campus, not involving students while many Columbia professors lashed out at an assault on free speech. In a social-media age when videos from campus lacking context or the most basic information can get several million views, factual information from the Columbia campus is essential for fighting this flood of disinformation, some intended and some accidental. Regrettably, both mainstream and professional freelance journalists have struggled amid the chaos and harsh rules from the university to get access to report from the scene. Thats made student journalists, who have the ID badges needed to get onto campus, even more essential than usual. Thankfully, the young cub reporters for the Spectator, WKCR, and other campus outlets havent merely met the challenge. Much of their work as been stellar. While the denizens of X and other social media sites were yelling back and forth over the severity of antisemitic incidents in and around campus since the encampment began last Wednesday, the reporters at the Spectator, using their on-scene access and doing some shoe-leather reporting, produced a piece that analyzed the alleged incidents, where they occurred and, where possible, who was involved. The story found many although not all tirades or threats against Jewish students came from non-students or happened just off campus, but their piece also made it clear why some students feel unsafe, and why the chaos has vexed authorities seeking calm. Good journalism means actually talking to folks, fact-checking, and setting the record straight, wherever those facts lead which is exactly what the Spectators reporting on antisemitism achieved. But having the best facts can also form the basis for powerful opinion journalism. And while opinions on whats happening at Columbia, and whether Shafik should resign, are a dime a dozen, the Spectator editorial board used both its journalism and its lived experience at the university to craft a truly powerful defense of the free speech that is currently under attack. In their Is Columbia in crisis? editorial, they wrote: The administration has ignored our countless pleas to engage meaningfully with students, opting instead to continue down a path of surveillance, oppression, and authoritarian policies. Columbia should encourage free discourse on campus, not censor marginalized voices under the guise of safety and protection. Academic freedom, free speech, and freedom of the press are essentially first-cousins in the battle for open expression. Shafik has already tried to terrorize students and chill dissent by calling the NYPD onto the Columbia campus a low moment in an ongoing war against young peoples liberty to speak out. But the fearless reporting and powerful moral stands taken by young people at WKCR and the Spectator are essential reminders of why we need the First Amendment more today than ever. It once seemed like a relic from 1968 to talk about a generation gap in American society, but the still-boiling Israel-Gaza conflict and a new era of campus unrest has brought it back with a vengeance, as get-off-my-lawn boomers complain about the younger generation and its politics. I always believe in our young people, and find their passion for changing the world a welcome break from the cynicism of so-called grown-ups. The around-the-clock student journalists at Columbia have only reaffirmed my sense that, despite everything youve heard, the kids are alright. Yo, do this! Dont it always seem to go, that you dont know what youve got til its gone? Consider the late conservative icon William F. Buckley and his 33-year run (still a record) with TVs Firing Line. Growing up, it seemed like Buckleys PBS (after 1971) show was on constantly, and I always turned the knob right past it. Today, in a TV time of staged yelling and pundit predictability, Buckleys erudite and often surprising debates with ideological foes like Black Panthers and Marxists are sorely missed. Heather Hendershot, the historian who wrote the ultimate account of how 1968s Democratic National Convention redefined modern media, takes us back to that era and fills in what us non-watchers missed in her book Open to Debate: How William F. Buckley Put Liberal America on the Firing Line. I highly recommend it. Maybe blame this weeks obsessions with the Donald Trump trial and campus protests, but Earth Day 2024 seemed very muted. Why not celebrate belatedly on Thursday when American University sociologist Dana R. Fisher, an expert on protests and friend of the newsletter, comes to Phillys Penn campus for a 2 p.m. event at the Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics, 133 S. 36th St.? Shell be talking with Penn prof Parrish Bergquist about her excellent new book: Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shock to Climate Action. Ask me anything Question: Were now seeing the horrific effects of red state abortion bans with women being turned away from ERs and bleeding out from miscarriages. Why isnt Biden using executive power to codify Roe? We sure as hell know Trump will use that power. Via kayhay (@kuhayden) on X/Twitter Answer: Theres no question about the imperative to act, not only to preserve reproductive rights, but also basic womens health in todays chaotic post-Roe environment. Biden, it should be noted, has taken some administrative steps to advance federal protections for women, such as this August 2022 order aimed at protecting women traveling out-of-state for abortions, among other things. Hes probably looking at more between now and November. But taking action without Congress is always a double-edged sword. Democrats like Biden and Barack Obama faced some understandable blowback for executive orders on issues they couldnt win on Capitol Hill, like protecting immigrant Dreamers or reducing student loans. The best protection for women is to elect more pro-choice lawmakers. What youre saying about ... Oops. The brief flurry of missiles and airstrikes between Iran and Israel seemed like it was going to be a big deal 10 days ago, but the mostly non-deadly military back-and-forth has proved to be performance art, not the start of World War III which explains why nobody had a strong opinion on it. Ill try going forward to focus on the topics that Ive learned get bigger responses. Such as ... This weeks question: In the most tumultuous spring for campus protest since 1970 (when six students were killed at Kent State and Jackson State), college administrators called in the cops on pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia, Yale, and NYU ... so far. Are university presidents doing the right thing in shutting down these protests, typically in the name of safety for Jewish students claiming harassment, or is this a dangerous assault on free speech? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me your answer. Please put Campus arrests in the subject line. Backstory on why RFK Jr. seems to be taking votes from Trump, not Biden When President Joe Biden came to Philadelphia last week, he made the centerpiece an endorsement from 15 count em, 15! members of Americas version of a royal family, the Kennedys. Philly seemed like a fitting locale John F. Kennedys popularity in the city, especially with Catholics, was a key part of his narrow 1960 victory but thats not why the move turned some heads. The Kennedy choir was sending a message to its wayward son, independent president candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that his own siblings and cousins reject his conspiracy-minded campaign. The endorsement also reflected a broader sense in the Biden campaign that third-party rivals, but especially RFK Jr., threaten to take votes from some of the people who picked Biden in 2020 when he and then-President Donald Trump were the only major candidates. I wonder, though, if times have changed and Team Biden should be reconsidering its strategy. A couple of new polls released over the weekend suggest the Kennedys presence in the race is now hurting the GOPs Trump more than the incumbent president. For example, an NBC News survey found Trump up by two points over Biden in a head-to-head matchup, but when RFK Jr. is thrown into the mix along with two left-wing candidates, Cornel West and Jill Stein, the results are reversed and now Biden leads by two points. Wasnt it Trumps people including his behind-the-scenes guru Steve Bannon, as well as a major donor or two encouraging the son of slain 1968 candidate Robert F. Kennedy to run, as some sort of chaos agent? What if the chaos is blowing back on Trump? When RFK Jr. entered the race last year, running for a time as a Democrat, it was reasonable to think that so-called low-information voters with fond memories of the candidates father, and looking for an alternative, would gravitate away from Biden, whose approval ratings were at rock bottom. But the strange campaign of the anti-vaccine and sometimes anti-science Kennedy has now gotten enough attention that liberal-minded voters have figured out this is not your fathers RFK, while some conspiracy-minded, Trump-y voters are now intrigued. Third-party candidates get votes from people looking for excuses not to vote for a major-party candidate. With Trump starting to look weaker and ineffectual as he sits in his Manhattan hush-money trial, Bannons chaos agent is now giving voters an alternative to a shrinking Republican. The GOP should be pressing the panic button. What I wrote on this date in 2009 The debate over the usefulness of so-called balanced, on-one-hand-on-the-other-hand journalism didnt start with the both sides coverage of Donald Trumps threat to American democracy. On this date 15 years ago, the dirty tricks pulled by the fossil-fuel industry to bamboozle the public around climate change was the canary in the coal mine for the rise of disinformation. I wrote about a New York Times investigation into the Global Climate Coalition, which, despite its nice name, was a front group for Big Oil and its bought-off scientists. I wrote: Journalists have to weigh many things in striving for the truth but the ultimate mile marker must always be objective facts where they exist, and not a juggling act of talking heads, especially when one of the heads doesnt even believe its own baloney its putting out there. Read the rest: How balanced journalism helped the climate change deniers. Recommended Inquirer reading Timing is everything, but especially in journalism. A few weeks back, I started picking up on an about-to-boil uproar over the growing clampdown on protesting and free speech on college campuses all around the country. So, I spent some time on the campus at Penn one of the epicenters of the crisis and talked to protesters at other schools like Columbia as well as experts on academic freedom. My piece aiming to show the magnitude of the threat, and to explain why the hard-won gains of 1960s activists are disappearing, dropped on Thursday literally at the moment NYPD cops were arresting more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia. Over the weekend, I went to the movies (!), explaining how, in seeking to pay tribute to journalism, the dystopian thriller Civil War actually reveals how the media is failing in the real world. Covering the development beat in Philly may not sound like as much fun as, say, the work of a full-time Taylor Swift reporter. But with the local economy on the upswing, and readers fascinated by the next high-rise, or posh condos in newly gentrified neighborhoods, The Inquirers Jake Blumgart might be the most widely read reporter in the newsroom (also, the tallest ... but I digress). And in a rising Philadelphia, sometimes economic development actually is fun. Blumgarts most recent scoop revealed a scheme by the University City District for a sandy beach, a large-sized swimming pool, and a giant slide where you would literally expect it least overhanging the (hopefully) formerly polluted Schuylkill River, literally in the shadows of 30th Street Station. The concept seems too perfect for Americas strangest large city, and Philadelphia Daily News (yes, it still exists!) front-page genius Joe Berkery went to town, calling the plan a Wooder Park in his classic Page One, Town-a-Shore? If you only subscribe to the Brand X journalism that comes from a tower on Manhattans Eighth Avenue, you have no clue whats happening here in Philly. So subscribe to The Inquirer, climb over that paywall, and hit the beach! By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. Leroy Brahm III was sentenced to life in prison Monday after a hearing in West Chester before Chester County Court Judge Alita A. Rovito. Read more An East Vincent Township man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for beating his girlfriend to death in an attack that Chester County prosecutors described as slow, tortuous, painful, and degrading. Leroy Brahm III, 33, was convicted of first-degree murder for the December 2021 killing of Annabel Meenan, 21, after a weeklong trial in February. Brahm brutally attacked Meenan in the home they shared, punching, kicking, and stomping her body during an hours-long assault. The attack was captured by home surveillance cameras prosecutors said he had set up to monitor Meenan when he wasnt home. Advertisement That surveillance, and the paranoia behind it, betrayed the fraying of the couples tumultuous, abusive relationship, Deputy District Attorney Kate Wright said Monday. Brahm, Wright said, had manipulated and controlled Meenans life since he first met her when she was 17 years old. One lifetime is simply not enough for him, Wright said Monday as she described the severe injuries that Brahm inflicted on Meenan. Annabel deserved a life, and now the only thing we can give her is justice. Brahms attorney, Scott McIntosh, argued at trial that his client never intended to kill Meenan. He snapped while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, giving in to his anger and losing control. At Mondays proceeding, McIntosh told Chester County Court Judge Alita Rovito the jury didnt buy that theory of the case, and said his client was prepared for the mandatory life sentence that came with a first-degree murder conviction. Rovito, however, didnt seem to buy McIntoshs explanation either: She sentenced Brahm to an additional 18-to-40 years in state prison for two counts of aggravated assault Brahm had also been convicted of at trial for prior injuries he had inflicted on Meenan. Rovito, in passing down that sentence, made her feelings clear, saying Brahm had beaten Annabel like a caged animal and showed no remorse during the trial, even laughing and smiling during testimony. I am generally an optimist. I like to give a chance to see the good in people, Rovito said. You have given me no chance. I do not believe you can be rehabilitated. Brahm and Meenan had argued for months over her relationship with Kevin Walters, a regular at the Black Horse Tavern in Phoenixville, the bar the couple often drank at. Brahm had brought Walters into their relationship, encouraging Meenan to have sex with him. That arrangement later led to jealousy, as Brahm saw that Meenan was spending more time with Walters, and seemed to prefer him to Brahm, prosecutors said. On Dec. 3, 2021, after a night of drinking at the tavern, Brahm and Meenan got into an argument in their home on Buttonwood Avenue, Wright said. Brahm punched Meenan more than 80 times and slammed her head into their cats litter box. Brahm dragged Meenan by her hair throughout the house, then jumped and stomped on her body, hard enough at one point to knock a hole into the drywall. He later knocked Meenan off the couch she had been sitting on, and flipped the piece of furniture on top of her. He then sat on the couch, eventually falling asleep. He awoke the next morning to find her dead, and called police, telling them her injuries were due to rough sex. But it was far from the first time Brahm had hurt her. During one assault in November 2021, Brahm kicked Meenan hard enough in her leg that he fractured her fibula, prosecutors said. A week later, he choked her to the point of unconsciousness. Members of Meenans family and some of her closest friends crowded Rovitos courtroom in West Chester for the sentencing. They described, through tears, how Brahm had slowly twisted Meenan against them, preventing her from speaking or spending time with her loved ones as a means of controlling her. Her father, Brian, said that his life ended when hers did, describing himself as a shell of who he once was. He lamented that his daughter had never experienced true love, and would forever be robbed of marriage and a family of her own. A loss like this is like the loss of a limb, he said. You never truly heal. You just learn to adjust to a new existence. Even after her death, Meenans legacy lived on, her family said. Her coworkers at Rothman Orthopedics organized fundraisers for womens shelters and dedicated a bench in her name. Other women in abusive relationships heard Meenans story and left their own toxic partners. Speaking now, two-and-a-half years after Meenans death, her family said they wished she couldve done the same. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, speaking during a 2023 news conference in Trenton, recently proposed new rules to better protect patients from sexual misconduct by doctors. Read more New Jersey is proposing new rules to better protect patients from sexual misconduct in doctors offices. The rules would require doctors to confirm that patients have read and understood their right to have another licensed medical professional present as an observer before proceeding with a sensitive examination, including breast, pelvic, genitalia, and rectal exams. Doctors would also be required to take continuing education on topics related to sexual misconduct prevention. Advertisement New Jersey is committed to rooting out and preventing sexual misconduct and abuse in professional settings, including doctors offices, where such breaches cause lasting harm to patients and tarnish the integrity of the medical profession, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement last week. Platkins proposed changes are part of New Jerseys ongoing effort to reduce the risk of physician sexual misconduct in the wake of high-profile cases. Earlier this month, the State Board of Medical Examiners revoked the license of a North Jersey cardiologist who was accused of fondling and groping six female patients between 2008 and 2014. The cardiologist hasnt practiced medicine in New Jersey since 2015, when authorities brought criminal charges. Trust is the cornerstone of the doctor-patient relationship, and patients suffer immeasurable harm when doctors abuse that trust for their own sexual gratification, said Cari Fais, acting director of the state Division of Consumer Affairs. READ MORE: Pa. suspended a weight-loss doctor who performed intimate exams on women. His medical license remains active in New Jersey and New York. Pennsylvania doesnt mandate a patients right to an observer, according to a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State, which licenses doctors. New Jersey patients have long had the right to have a chaperone in an exam room. Doctors are currently required to make patients aware of that right in writing or with a sign posted prominently in their office. The revamped rules would change the name from chaperone to observer. Doctors would have to offer notice both with posted signage and by providing the patient a form. Those notifications must be available in English, Spanish, and other languages common in New Jersey. Any reference to males or females would be removed from notices to clarify that all patients, regardless of gender identity or expression, have the right to an observer. One significant change would require the observer to be a health-care professional, such as another doctor or a nurse licensed to practice in the state, or certified as a medical assistant. Its a good step because there are power dynamics in the office, said Robert Baran, co-director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of survivors. Perhaps somebody in a role thats not also a medical role might feel less comfortable challenging a doctor in an exam room. The new rules would also clarify protections for doctors. The proposed amendments would make clear that a doctor can decline to perform an exam or refuse to provide treatment for which the examination is necessary if an observer isnt available or if the physician wishes to have an observer and the patient declines to have one present. Members of the Medical Society of New Jersey, which represents about 9,000 doctors statewide, generally favor having an observer present, said Josh Bengal, a lawyer and lobbyist for the advocacy group. Its helpful to them. Its protective, and it makes the patient feels more comfortable, Bengal said. The amendments, which would be enforced by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners, are open to public comment until June 14. Former labor leader John Dougherty stops to talk to reporters outside the federal courthouse in Reading on April 17 after proceedings in his federal extortion trial. Read more READING For days, jurors in former labor leader John Doughertys extortion trial have sat through testimony exhaustively cataloging his nephews troubled work history, the mans August 2020 assault on one of his bosses in a dispute over pay, and threats he allegedly made to punish the supervisors he felt had wronged him. But so far, those testifying have had little to say about the actions of the ex-union chief himself. Advertisement That changed Monday as federal prosecutors shifted their focus toward detailing Doughertys reactions to news of nephew Greg Fioccas workplace outburst with a series of witnesses who spoke directly to the former head of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in the hours after the attack. Fran Rothwein a Local 98 foreman on the construction of the Live! Casino and Hotel in South Philadelphia, where the job site assault occurred told jurors that Dougherty was screaming mad at the projects management after learning theyd docked Fioccas pay citing repeated absences and, after the assault on a supervisor, were pushing to have him booted from the job. Dougherty threatened to pull all Local 98 electricians from the site, effectively shutting down the project, and to interfere with the contractors ability to land future work in the city, Rothwein said. (The foreman later walked back that testimony under cross-examination, saying a frustrated Dougherty was merely saying he could do those things not necessarily vowing that he would.) Nonetheless, the contractor on the receiving end of those threats Ray Palmieri, whose company oversaw electrical work at the casino testified they were still enough to spook him. READ MORE: As it happened: Witnesses detail Doughertys talk of pulling workers from casino job after nephews fight Despite his reservations, Palmieri told jurors, he continued to employ Fiocca out of concern for what might happen if he didnt. I was worried about losing men off the job to complete the project, he said, adding later: I was worried about my employees and [had] to complete this project. That testimony which kicked off the trials second week offered the most direct evidence to date to support the governments case that Dougherty extorted Palmieri with threats of economic harm to keep Fiocca on the job. READ MORE: Were pulling everyone off the job: Jurors hear recording of the heated exchange at the heart of Johnny Docs extortion case But the day in court didnt entirely play out exactly as prosecutors might have hoped. Throughout the trial, defense lawyers Greg Pagano and Rocco Cipparone Jr. have argued that Fioccas Aug. 19, 2020, assault came after months of harassment from supervisors singling him out and second-guessing his every move. Dougherty, theyve maintained, was simply doing his job backing up a member of his union who felt hed been unfairly shorted on pay he was owed. Pagano, an attorney for Dougherty, pressed Rothwein to acknowledge that he knew the union chief wouldnt pull his workers from the casino project no matter what he might have said in the heat of the moment in the hours after Fioccas attack. You knew he had the ability to, the defense lawyer asked the foreman, but you knew he wouldnt. You knew as business manager of the Philadelphia Building Trades hed be biting off his own nose to spite his face. Hed be hurting his members. Rothwein agreed. Even Palmieri, when pressed under cross-examination, admitted that when he spoke directly to Dougherty in the hours after the dustup between Fiocca and his supervisor, the union head never directly conveyed any threats to him. He had only heard them from Rothwein, Palmieri said. And despite what Dougherty might have told Rothwein about his ability to block the contractor from other work in the city, Palmieri still managed to land a $26 million contract with Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia in the weeks following that blow-up. Still, in his own questioning of the contractor Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Grenell stressed that the fact that Dougherty never followed through on the alleged threats was exactly the point. He didnt have to; Palmieris fear of repercussions was enough to keep Fiocca on the job, the prosecutor said. It was a decision I had to make, the contractor told jurors. I had a project to get done. James Foy, then Local 98s assistant business manager, was dispatched to the casino job site by an aggressive and aggravated Dougherty after the union leader learned of his nephews confrontation with his bosses. But while police had been called and Palmieri, the employee Fiocca attacked and Local 98s own foremen on the project agreed that Doughertys nephew had to go, Foy said his instructions from the union leader were clear even before he arrived: Fiocca was to remain in his post. It was not my decision to make, Foy told the jury. It would be Johns. The former mayor of Wildwood faces new criminal charges for allegedly abusing his official position while serving as a commissioner in the Shore town and for failing to pay state taxes. The indictment, delivered by a New Jersey grand jury last week, is the latest in a series of criminal filings against Peter J. Byron, who resigned in September after he was sentenced for pleading guilty to tax fraud in federal court. Advertisement The seven-count indictment issued last Tuesday, accuses the 68-year-old of official misconduct, tampering with public records, falsifying or tampering with records, failure to pay tax, and filing a fraudulent return, according to a statement from the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General. The most serious of those offenses, a second-degree official misconduct charge, carries a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison and a $150,000 fine. Byron did not immediately return a request for comment. The indictment was handed up on April 16, the day after Atlantic County prosecutors accused Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife of having physically and emotionally abused their teenage daughter on multiple occasions this winter. For Byron, its the second case pursued by the office of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin since the beginning of 2023. That includes another grand jury indictment, delivered last fall, over Byrons alleged fraudulent participation in a state benefits program that cost taxpayers over $600,000. As alleged, the former mayor inappropriately used his power and influence for unlawful personal financial gain, betraying the publics trust, Platkin said Monday. Elected officeholders are expected to serve the public, not use their authority to line their own pockets. For those who followed Byrons federal case, some of the allegations raised in New Jerseys latest indictment will be familiar. State prosecutors allege that in 2017, Byron abused his position as Wildwoods commissioner by requesting an unspecified job from a city attorney, and then failed to report the earnings from that New Jersey-based job to the state that year and in 2018. Those allegations mirrored federal prosecutors accusations, which included Byrons omission of over $40,000 in income from the consulting job hed solicited. An unidentified Gloucester City lawyer, according to prosecutors, procured the job for Byron by establishing a new business with the state Department of Treasury and offering the then-commissioner a position, complete with a forged signature from the lawyers firm. Byron pleaded guilty to those charges in March 2023. In August, a federal judge sentenced Byron to three years probation and ordered him to pay over $21,000 in fines. After telling the federal judge in Camden that he was humbled by his courtroom experience, Byron had vowed to stay on as Wildwoods mayor and was met with fervent support from locals and allies despite his legal woes. But the next month, Byron resigned with little explanation beyond what he wrote to an Inquirer reporter via text message: Politics sucks !! I was between a rock and a hard place. People who know me still believe in me. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office announced in the fall that a Trenton jury had again indicted Byron and two others for allegedly fraudulently participating in the State Health Benefits Program by lying about working a full-time, 35-hour week. For Byron, who had served on the three-member Wildwood commissioners board since 2011, that added up to $608,900 in premiums and claims, according to the Attorney Generals Office. He also was charged with official misconduct, theft by unlawful taking, tampering with public records and falsifying or tampering with records, in a case that remains pending. A Superior Court judge had previously dismissed a similar indictment on what prosecutors said was a technicality. Platkins office later said the reindictment demonstrates the sufficiency of the evidence supporting these charges and the validity of this case. Brookhaven Borough officials have announced that they have placed their police chief on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of internal workplace complaints within the police department by an outside law firm. It was the latest in a recent series of very public and acrimonious developments involving the police department and the council, particularly between Police Chief Michael L. Vice and Council President Terry Heller, who was arrested by a borough police officer but ultimately not charged with driving under the influence in March. Advertisement Heller claimed afterward in an interview with the Delaware County Daily Times that he was targeted by police and that the officer who stopped him had recently been turned down for a pay raise. The police chief responded publicly by calling Heller allegations baseless lies. Borough officials made their announcement about the police chief on Friday and included a letter dated Thursday from Christopher Eiserman, president of the Delaware County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27, the union representing Brookhavens police officers, calling for the mayor and borough council to to take immediate action against the police chief. Eiserman called the police chief spiteful, vindictive, and retaliatory to officers who are lawfully exercising their workplace rights. Vice, Heller, and the rest of the council and the mayor could not be reached for comment Monday. The boroughs announcement last said Vice would be placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of an independent, internal investigation and performance review of the police department by a Philadelphia-based law firm highly qualified and experienced to perform such work. A law firm was not named in the announcement. Officials in the borough of 8,200 said they were taking the action after multiple police officers came forward to report upon the current climate and working conditions within the department. The announcement said borough officials were contacted by the police union regarding concerns about the well-being of our police officers and to confirm that the borough is fulfilling its obligation to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all law enforcement personnel. Borough officials said they will work diligently to expedite an objective, fair, and impartial assessment of the police department, including the chief of police, with the investigative attorneys to be assigned to this matter. They said that borough residents may rest assured that our dedicated police officers will continue to faithfully fulfill their core mission to protect and serve the Brookhaven community. Eiserman, the police union president, said in his letter that he was aware of a current investigation into the alleged improprieties committed by Vice and that several Brookhaven Borough police officers have cooperated with the investigation and provided valuable testimony and insight into the current climate and working conditions within the police department. It was unclear if Eiserman was referring to the investigation by the law firm. Eiserman mentioned some situations involving former and current officers but did not elaborate except to criticize the police chief. Brookhaven Borough, as an employer, has an obligation and a duty to provide a safe and healthy work environment while ensuring employees who assert their workplace rights suffer from no adverse actions, Eiserman wrote. There was no mention in either the borough announcement or the union letter of the council presidents arrest on March 8. I was hunted, Heller said in an interview with the Daily Times published on March 11 after posting on Facebook his version of what happened. Ive got to get out ahead of it and tell the truth. Heller said the officer who stopped and arrested him had been denied a pay raise. He said he believed he was targeted for that, and for spending by the police department that Heller had questioned. Vice said in a March 26 news release that Heller was the subject of a traffic stop when the officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the vehicle operators breath and person. Heller was given a field sobriety test, which Heller did not satisfactorily complete and was taken to a hospital for a blood test, and then released. Vice said he asked the Delaware County District Attorneys Office to conduct its own investigation, which found that the officer had probable cause to arrest Heller, but that the council presidents blood-alcohol test showed he had been slightly under the legal limit. The criminal case was closed and Heller would be issued summary traffic-code violations, Vice said. As I have stated, I fully support the traffic stop and the proper actions that were taken by our officer, Vice said. On March 27, an online petition was launched calling for Hellers resignation. As of Monday, it had 550 signatures. This month, Vice attended a council meeting Heller was not present and said that the statements and allegations made by Mr. Heller on social media and to multiple news outlets are untrue. Baseless lies. His statements can never be undone. His statements will have long-lasting effects and the safety of our officers is a very serious concern to me, The Spirit weekly newspaper reported. A police sergeant also spoke out at the meeting against Heller, the newspaper reported. On April 14, Vice wrote on Facebook that the borough council had ordered the police department to remove its Facebook account. Vice said public safety information would be handled by a central borough account. The building at 995 Market St. in San Francisco has been purchased at about a 90% discount of its pre-pandemic value. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Deeply discounted office towers have become the norm in San Francisco over the past year, but no recent deal has been as radical as one that closed in the citys struggling Mid-Market neighborhood this month: An empty 16-story tower traded for just $6.5 million. The $72-per-square-foot pricing for the tower at 995 Market St., which anchors the corner at Sixth and Market streets, represents a 90% drop in value from when the building last sold in 2016, for roughly $62 million. S.F. Bay Area property map: Heres who owns every building in the region Advertisement Article continues below this ad The April 18 sale comes after the towers former owner, Bridgeton Holdings, last year defaulted on a $45 million loan tied to the property. Public records show the building is now in the hands of Florida real estate investment firm LNR Partners LLC an affiliate of private real estate investor Starwood Capital Group. LNR has been serving as the special servicer appointed to oversee the towers distressed loan, and has essentially been in control of the property for the past eight months. The building sold at a public auction, but real estate market participants with insight into the situation told the Chronicle LNR took over the property beforehand. The San Francisco Business Times first reported on the sale on Monday. Those individuals said that Bridgeton originally intended to buy back its tower out of auction, in an effort to control it with a new loan structure and at a lower cost a la the 115 Sansome deal last year, in which that buildings lender brought it to market, received offers to test its market value, but ultimately allowed its owner to pay off the loan at a discount to its face value. But Bridgeton was unsuccessful in striking a deal with its lender, those individuals said. A plaque regarding ownership and management is seen on the building at 995 Market St. in San Francisco. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Part of the issue is that the lenders and the owners have no idea what these assets are worth right now, one individual said, explaining that the best way to measure the current value of a building is by putting a property up for sale. Even the brokers have no idea. Advertisement Article continues below this ad With office vacancy in San Francisco estimated at 36.6% four years after the pandemic, there is no shortage of deals to be had in the city. One office broker told the Chronicle last year that almost every office property in the city is on sale. While waning demand for office space has pushed institutional investors into retreat, local buyers with patient capital those who are not expecting to make a quick return on their investments are stepping in. A number of San Francisco office buildings sold over the past year at discounts ranging from 50% to 75% of their pre-pandemic values to local, private investors and family offices. And just because an owner loses a building due to significant vacancy and maturing debt, it does not mean that said owner is no longer betting on office space in San Francisco. A sale that occurred on April 17 exemplifies the ownership shuffle thats taking place in the citys downtown core: A 78,000-square-foot office building at 410 Townsend St. in South of Market that was once known as a hotbed for startups as tech boomed in San Francisco in the years before COVID-19 sold for less than one-third of the $82 million that it was worth in 2019. Its buyer was none other than Bridgeton, which, a day later, lost the 995 Market tower. Bridgeton partnered with New York Life Real Estate Investors to acquire 410 Townsend, and their plan for the property is to lease it up with office tenants once demand returns. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Edgar Ramirez of Philatinos Radio installs a Philibros bookshelf on a stand outside Alma del Mar in South Philadelphia on April 10, 2021. Ramirez is one of the organizers of the Philibros World Book Day celebration at the Mexican Cultural Center in Philadelphia on April 23, 2024. Read more Back in 2021, Pew Research Center released a study that said that 38% of the Latinos it surveyed had not read a book in the past year. But that doesnt deter Edgar Ramirez, Leity Rodriguez, or Andrea Garcia, who together intend to celebrate local Latino authors and the love of reading at Tuesdays celebration of World Book Day at Philadelphias Mexican Cultural Center. Advertisement It isnt the first time the three have partnered to highlight Latino books and foster reading in Philadelphia. READ MORE: Spanish readers now have colorful community libraries in South Philly Rodriguez, a member of Accion Colombia, and Ramirez, the founder of Philatinos Radio, are also founders and organizers of the annual Latin American Book Fair that takes place in the city in October. Garcias Philibros project which puts colorful sharing libraries called huacalibreros in local Latino businesses is officially hosting the World Book Day gathering. The April 23 event is smaller in scope than the other events the trio has brought together for the community, but Ramirez said the impetus is the same. We want people to know that, yes, we read, Ramirez said via Facebook messenger. The event will include five-minute presentations by Rodriguez and Garcia, along with presentations from other members of Philadelphias Latino book and author community, including Booktitlan Podcaster Dayesla Ixtil; Norma Corrales-Martin, who runs a poetry for peace festival; and childrens book author Ana Omana and poet Roger Santibanez, among others. READ MORE: The Latin American Book Fair is back with more events. Here is what to expect. The celebration of World Book Day in Philadelphia will be bilingual and help preserve and celebrate the cultural richness of the [Spanish] language, Ramirez told The Inquirer via email in Spanish. We want to create synergy in the community. Edgar Ramirez The emphasis on bilingualism fits in neatly with the original choice for the date of World Book Day, which UNESCO established in 1995 as a way promote the enjoyment of books and reading worldwide: 23 April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This date was a natural [...] to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books. UNESCO We want to create synergy in the community, establish meaningful connections that unite people around reading, Ramirez said. [Our interest is to] promote reading in Spanish and [use] it as a tool of integration between immigrants and first-generation Latino Americans. Philibross Dia Internacional del Libro takes place April 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Mexican Cultural Center, 901 Market St. State Rep. Kevin Boyle, a Democrat, is seeking an eighth term to represent parts of Northeast Philadelphia. Read more The Philadelphia District Attorneys office withdrew the arrest warrant issued last week for State Rep. Kevin Boyle, after officials learned Monday that there is no active protection from abuse order that he could have violated. Law enforcement officials on Monday did not have a clear explanation as to how a gaffe of this magnitude walking back allegations against a sitting elected official the day before an election could happen. Boyle is seeking an eighth term to represent parts of Northeast Philadelphia in a contested primary against fellow Democrat Sean Dougherty. Advertisement The matter is now under internal investigation, said Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. District Attorney Larry Krasner said that he believed investigators acted in good faith, and did not know the PFA was no longer active until Monday morning. As best we can tell, nobody lied. There is simply a gap in the information, Krasner said. Boyles family said last week that the 44-year-old state representative has been struggling with a serious mental health condition, and family members have been desperate to get him into treatment, which he has refused. Law enforcement officials sought to charge Boyle with violating a PFA by communication last week after investigators reviewed a copy of what they believed was an active PFA, issued in January 2022 between Boyle and his ex-wife. Boyle had texted his ex-wife, Caitlyn Boyle, on April 12, demanding to see their children, according to Diana Schimmel, her attorney. Boyles ex-wife currently has sole custody of their two children. Boyle is only allowed supervised visitation with their daughters when he meets specific mental health requirements, Schimmel said, which he hadnt met in months. After Boyle was told that he could not see the children, he threatened to go to Schimmels home, Schimmel said. Boyle did not make threats of physical violence, but the remark was part of a history and pattern of sustained mental illness, Schimmel said in an interview Friday. Schimmel said she believed the PFA between Boyle and his ex-wife was valid until January 2025. She and her client provided a Philadelphia police detective with a copy, who presented it to the District Attorneys Office to approve the charges. But the PFA was no longer active. The order was vacated in April 2022 after Boyles criminal case from 2021, in which he was arrested for violating the couples PFA at the time, was expunged. Boyles attorney, Andrew Montroy, said the flawed warrant and media coverage surrounding it, in the final days before election day has caused tremendous professional damage to my client. Mondays developments raised questions as to why law enforcement did not seek clarity on the validity of the PFA before charges were even filed. It was not clear whether the detective or prosecutors assigned to the case, despite having a physical copy of what they believed to be a valid order, checked the online system or with court administrators to confirm it was still active before issuing a warrant for Boyles arrest. Bethel said he did not know whether the detective did that in this case, and said the matter is now under internal investigation. Generally, he said, detectives are expected to verify PFAs, but he or she is also expected to move beyond that and not just rely on a sole source that an order may no longer be active. Krasner said receiving confirmation that the PFA was no longer active took time, and that his office did not receive it until Monday morning. No politics were involved the decision to file or withdraw charges, Krasner said, noting that he sought to correct the record as soon as the status of the PFA was confirmed Monday. While I see no bad faith on the part of the police department or on the part of our office, there may be some lessons to be learned here, Krasner said. He did not specify what those lessons are, or what checks and balances may be added to the process for the future, saying that he was under legal restrictions. Schimmel said Monday that she and her client were disappointed but they continue to cooperate with police to get Boyle the help he needs. We hope that this doesnt embolden Kevin to do anything that may harm himself or others, Schimmel added. Krasner said Boyle remained under investigation. It was unclear what, if any, charges he could face in the future. The Inquirer began raising questions about the validity of the PFA last week, after reporters requested a copy of the records. Representatives from the courts said Wednesday the day after the warrant was issued that no such record existed. When reporters questioned the District Attorneys Office beginning on Thursday and continuing into the weekend, officials said that there was a legitimate PFA. Reporters continued to seek proof that such an order existed until Monday, when law enforcement officially walked back the claims. I commend the fact that journalists were diligent about checking into it, Krasner said. As of Monday, Boyles whereabouts remained unknown. State police visited his apartment in Harrisburg over the weekend in search of him, but he was not there, according to a law enforcement source. Pennsylvania House Democrats have spent more than $200,000 in support of Boyles Democratic primary opponent, Sean Dougherty. News of the warrant also had an impact last week in the state House, as Democratic leaders continued to vote on Boyles behalf even though his whereabouts were unknown. House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) took the first step Thursday to try to expel Boyle from the House. Bradford said Monday that the days developments do not change the incapacity issues that he believes Boyle is facing. Hes our friend, Bradford said. He needs help. All of the theater and the drama doesnt change what needs to happen, which is Kevin needs to get well. Abraham Meth returns his mail ballot at a dropbox outside the Pelbano Recreation Center in Northeast Philadelphia Monday, April 22, 2024, the day before Pennsylvania primary election day. Read more Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter Pennsylvanias primary election day will be a beautiful one sunny with temps in the high 60s. Polling sites are open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters who requested and havent yet returned mail ballots should deliver them in person to ensure theyre received in time to be counted. Advertisement You can pop over to Inquirer.com throughout the day to see the latest on whats happening at the polls. In the meantime, scroll for a full rundown on the biggest races of this election, and on the most important political storylines were watching. Plus, whats the right way to say Passyunk? We rounded up the most common pronunciations for an explainer on how the uniquely Philadelphian word came to be. Julie Zeglen (@juliezeglen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Happy primary election day, Philly. The 2024 primaries determine who will be on the ballot in the fall representing the major U.S. parties. Because Pennsylvania has a closed primary, voters can vote only for candidates in the parties for which theyre registered (i.e. Democrats can vote only for Democrats, Republicans can vote only for Republicans, and independent voters will have to wait for November). The presidential race is set, with a repeat matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump all but certain in November. That means in purple Pennsylvania, the primary races with the highest stakes are for several key state and congressional races. U.S. Senate: This falls race is already determined, too, but its an interesting one. Pennsylvania Democrats pick is incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, who has spent nearly 18 years in office. Republicans have Dave McCormick, the former hedge fund CEO who narrowly lost the 2022 primary. U.S. House of Representatives: The state has a number of competitive congressional races. On the Republican side, that includes U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick vs. anti-abortion activist Mark Houck in Bucks County, as well as three candidates vying to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valley. For Democrats, theres U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans vs. former Philly Register of Wills Tracey Gordon in the citys 3rd District, U.S. Rep Summer Lee vs. Bhavini Patel in Pittsburgh, and six candidates competing to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in Dauphin County. Attorney general: State AGs have played an increasingly important role in national politics in recent years. Pennsylvania has five Democrats and two Republicans running. Also of interest: Keep an eye on the races for state auditor general, West Phillys 10th District state House seat, and the Far Northeasts 172nd District state House seat. And a grab bag of explainers on election-related topics: what the single ballot question means, who The Inquirers editorial board is endorsing, which businesses and city services are affected today, how to become a poll worker, and how to recycle campaign lawn signs. Well have a good sense of the results of most races later tonight. Now, off to the polls! PASS-ee-unk? PASH-unk? PASS-yunk? PASH-ee-unk? Ask five Philadelphians and they may all say something different. The word that describes the modern South Philly avenue and neighborhood is also the Lenape word for in the valley (ies). The original pronunciation was likely something like Pah-SIGH-unk, per one expert. But of course, language evolves. The Inquirers team identified five pronunciations of the word, all of which surely have strong defenders. Check out our interactive story to hear them all. What you should know today Trivia time Energy prices have stabilized in Philadelphia, but routine rate adjustments are coming. How much should residents expect their utility bills gas, water, and electric combined to increase per month by the end of 2024? A) $2 B) $12 C) $42 D) $102 Think you know? Check your answer. What we're... Thanking: The Philly Typewriter team for explaining this probably-not-an-Easter-egg found on The Tortured Poets Department. Celebrating: World Book Day at Philadelphias Mexican Cultural Center. Hoping: Praying, begging for Abbott Elementary to fulfill this perfect casting dream. Unscramble the anagram This annual sporting event will bring some of the worlds best track and field talent to the University of Pennsylvanias Franklin Field this week. ANN PRESLEY Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Jen Ragen, who solved Mondays anagram: The Starting Line. The local pop punk band got name-dropped on Berks County native Taylor Swifts new album. Photo of the day An Earth Day festival in West Philly held space for a land acknowledgement and ceremonial performance by Indigenous community members. The photos are a sight to behold. Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer, and happy voting. By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. An election worker time-stamps a mail ballot at the Chester County Government Services Building in West Chester in this 2022 file photo. Read more A Chester County judge rejected a legal motion from local Republicans that could have blocked some mail ballots from counting in Tuesdays Pennsylvania primary. Chester County County Court Judge Anthony Verwey said the Republican Committee of Chester Countys request for an injunction against the county election board would amount to preemptively disenfranchising voters. Advertisement The lawsuit, filed Thursday, contended that in 2023 the county had incorrectly interpreted the states mail ballot law with regards to ballots collected from a long-term care facility. The law limits ballot returns on behalf of disabled voters to one per person unless all the voters are in the same household. The law, the GOP committee argued, clearly explains that long-term care facilities should not be considered a single household, meaning residents cannot use the same staff member or volunteer to return their ballots. The local GOP had asked the judge to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the county from counting ballots in these cases. The injunction proposed in this matter would disenfranchise and, therefore, harm voters who are unable to submit their ballots on their own and have already provided their mail-in ballot to a designated agent, Verwey said in his ruling that denied the preliminary injunction while the broader lawsuit progresses. Chester County said Pennsylvania case law gives the power to determine what constitutes a household to the election board and that a long-term care facility could reasonably be determined to be one as residents share the same address. The party also wanted the judge to force the county to allow Republican committee people on the ballot to act as poll watchers, as they have in previous elections. Verwey said the party had not proved anyone would be harmed by policy blocking committee people on the ballot from serving. In a statement Chester County GOP chair Raffi Terzian expressed frustration with the ruling and said it reflected a double standard against Republicans. We are disappointed, and quite frankly surprised, with the outcome of the ruling today, Terzian said. During this election cycle, with all eyes on Pennsylvania, it should be of paramount interest to all voters that there be fairness in the electoral process and this is precisely what we asked for today. Following the ruling a spokeswoman for Chester County said the county was committed to safe and secure elections. The County remains committed to open communication and transparency, not just with voters, but with representatives of all parties, spokeswoman Becky Brain said in a statement. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro shows his ballot to election officials before he drops it in the box, after casting his primary ballot early at a Montgomery County in-person satellite voting site in Willow Grove. Read more Though Tuesdays presidential primary is a foregone conclusion with former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden having already secured their parties nominations, Pennsylvania voters will still decide nominees for several key state and congressional races. The Inquirers mission in 2024 is what it has always been: to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information as possible. That includes letting you know when a race has been called by The Associated Press; providing the latest vote counts, along with contextual information to help understand those numbers; explaining the vote count as it occurs; and covering any developments that arise. Advertisement Here are some key things to know about how were reporting the results of the April 23 primary election, that includes primaries for President, U.S. Senate and House, State Attorney General, row offices and state General Assembly seats. Our results come from the Associated Press and county election offices The Inquirers results page is powered by data from the Associated Press. Those numbers are usually updated right after county election offices, which oversee counting, release new vote totals to its website. Results for races across the state, including the presidential primary, are compiled by the AP through a combination of methods, including having workers across the state calling in county election results as they come in. Elections are run by counties, which then report results to the Pennsylvania Department of State throughout the night. The state displays those results on its unofficial election returns page, but that feed often lags behind the real-time vote count in many counties. Philadelphia, for example, reports its vote totals on its own page, which is usually far ahead of the states compilation. We rely on the AP to call winners To call races, The Inquirer relies primarily on the AP, which has a long track record of accurately declaring winners in even the closest of elections. Those race calls arent a projection of a likely outcome. The AP only declares a winner when its clear a candidate has won. If our race callers cannot definitively say a candidate has won, we do not engage in speculation, the AP says in its guide to its process. The AP said it plans to call the primary winners for these races: President U.S. Senate U.S. House districts Attorney General Auditor General Treasurer State Senate districts State House districts For the race on the Philadelphia ballot that the AP does not call the ballot question The Inquirer will declare a winner only if it is certain of that result, based on on-the-ground reporting of the vote count and reporters and editors analysis of the voting patterns. When the result is still uncertain, our goal is to report on the results and contextualize them so readers can make sense of the numbers. It takes time to count votes, which is why the numbers are unofficial until theyre certified three weeks after Election Day Its important to remember that race calls are unofficial declarations from news organizations. That doesnt make them unreliable the AP was 100% accurate in calling the presidential and congressional races in every state in 2020. It just means the final official result takes time. Votes always take time to count, which is why Pennsylvanias vote certification doesnt occur until 20 days after Election Day. Pennsylvania has far fewer mail ballots than in 2020, and the vote count should be significantly faster. Most votes cast this election should be counted within a few hours of polls closing. Thats partly because most votes will be cast in person, with those results reported on election night. Elections workers will begin counting mail ballots at 7 a.m., when state law allows them to start, and run their vote counts around the clock until theyre done. The use of electronic poll books will also speed up the count. But a small number of votes wont be counted for days. There will be a number of paper ballots that have to be manually adjudicated, with county elections boards deciding what to do with them. In the past, for example, officials have had to decide what to do with ballots that voters returned to the wrong county. There are also always some votes that need to be counted by hand because of issues with the ballots themselves, such as having stray marks or coffee stains on them. There are provisional ballots, too, which counties cant start counting until Friday. And overseas and military ballots can arrive up to one week after Election Day if theyre postmarked in time. Were reporting the results based on the expected overall totals. No percentage of precincts reporting. When we present election results, youll see a percentage of expected votes that have been reported. That gives a sense of how far along in the vote count we are. Those expected vote counts come from the AP, and those estimates change throughout the night. They become more accurate as votes are counted, giving a clearer and clearer picture of how much is left. The numbers will shift, going up or down as the expected vote count is adjusted. That doesnt mean something nefarious is going on it just means the AP is updating its estimate to reflect new information. If the percentage of expected votes counted suddenly goes down, for example, all that means is the AP has increased its estimated vote total. We use that expected vote number to present each candidates vote share. So in the first moments after polls close, if only 1% of the expected votes are in, we wont say that a candidate has won 50% of the vote so far that would be misleading. Instead, well tell you the candidate has won 0.5% of the expected vote so far. One thing you wont see: the term precincts reporting. In the past, when 95% or so of Pennsylvanias votes were cast in person, knowing how many precincts had reported their in-person results was a handy way of knowing where the count stood. Now that a significant portion of votes are cast by mail, were using the expected vote count instead. Correction: This story was updated to clarify that the APs numbers come from county election offices. Keep reading by creating a free account or signing in. Tuesdays primary will determine the major party nominees in several key congressional races throughout the state. As we await results, here are the races to watch from a GOP battle in Bucks County to a test of progressive strength in Pittsburgh. This story will be updated throughout the night with live results. The race between Rep. Brian Fizpatrick and Mark Houck in Bucks County READ MORE: UPDATE: Incumbent Republican Brian Fitzpatrick defeats challenger Mark Houck. Advertisement Political newcomer and anti-abortion activist Mark Houck is challenging four-term U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick for the GOP nomination for the 1st Congressional District, which covers Bucks County and a small portion of Montgomery County. Fitzpatrick ran a low-key primary campaign that avoided national and local media, refusing to say whether he would attend a fundraiser for former President Donald J. Trump in the weeks before the election. The moderate Republican was first elected to Congress in 2016. Houck has sought to capitalize on frustrations among some on the right that Fitzpatrick is not conservative enough. The Kintersville Republican rose to notoriety in right-wing circles in 2021 when he was criminally charged then acquitted on federal charges after he shoved a Planned Parenthood escort. The winner of the race will go on to face Democrat Ashley Ehasz, a former military helicopter pilot who unsuccessfully challenged Fitzpatrick in 2022. Rep. Dwight Evans faces challenge from Tracey Gordon in Philly READ MORE: UPDATE: Rep. Dwight Evans has defeated Tracey Gordon, will cruise to another term in the House. U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, an incumbent seeking his fifth term, is facing a challenge from former Philadelphia Register of Wills Tracey Gordon. Gordon, who has had a limited campaign, lost reelection to the Register of Wills office last year after a series of controversies including several lawsuits alleging she inappropriately fired staff members who did not help her reelection bid. The winner of the primary is likely to represent Pennsylvanias 3rd District in Congress as no Republican is running for the seat. The crowded GOP primary looking to oust Rep. Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valley READ MORE: UPDATE: State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie will take on Democratic Rep. Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valley Three Republicans are fighting for the nomination to take on Democratic Rep. Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valleys key swing district. Kevin Dellicker, Maria Montero, and State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie have all aligned themselves closely with former President Donald Trump and called for reduced government spending as they campaign in the key battleground. Wild, a moderate Democrat, was first elected in 2018 but retained her seat in the 7th District by just 2 points in 2022 after redistricting. Who will be Rep. Scott Perrys Democratic challenger will be in November? READ MORE: UPDATE: Rep. Scott Perry will face TV anchor Janelle Stelson in November Six Democrats are fighting for the nomination to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in a Central Pennsylvania race that will be closely watched across the country. Former broadcast journalist Janelle Stelson and Top Gun military veteran Mike OBrien have been viewed as the front-runners in the race, significantly outraising their primary opponents. The other candidates include Shamaine Daniels, Rick Coplen, Blake Lynch, and John Broadhurst. The Democratic Party is hoping to convince voters that Perry is too extreme for the politically mixed district, which leans Republican but has split the ticket in the past, including in 2022 when it went for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. The race between Rep. Summer Lee and Bhavini Patel in the Pittsburgh area READ MORE: UPDATE: Progressive Rep. Summer Lee defeats primary challenger Bhavini Patel Bhavini Patel, who worked as an aide in Pittsburgh area politics, is challenging U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a progressive Democrat who represents parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Lee, the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, won her first primary in 2022 by less than 1,000 votes. In her reelection campaign, she has emphasized constituent services and projects she brought home to her district. Patel, the daughter of a single mother who immigrated from India, has framed herself as a moderate alternative to Lee who would be a better ally to President Joe Biden. The winner of the race will likely face Republican business executive James Hayes in November. The presidential primary election winners in Pennsylvania may be a foregone conclusion but there are still plenty of other storylines to watch for on Tuesday. What turnout looks like in the state, how voters in different geographic areas turn out relative to past years, and whether voters sit out of the presidential election could offer clues for both parties in a critical swing state ahead of November. What does Pennsylvania turnout look like? Three statewide races the battles for attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer have contested primaries this year. But higher-profile primary races for president, Senate, and most congressional contests across the state are uncontested. That means the voters who come out for this primary are the ultra-motivated ones whom both parties can likely count on to return in November. Advertisement How turnout compares to past primaries will give a sense more broadly of whether people are more or less motivated than they were at this point in 2020, when former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden were on the ballot and had each secured their parties nominations. Turnout in Philadelphia is always scrutinized, given its importance to Democrats in statewide races. A stronger showing in the city in a slow primary would be a positive sign for Biden and Sen. Bob Casey, both of whom are wary of a steady drop in the citys share of the statewide Democratic vote count. A boost in turnout in more Republican areas could emphasize Trumps grip on his base, which has traditionally been especially motivated when he is on the ballot. What does the uncommitted backlash against President Joe Biden look like in Pennsylvania? Progressive activists upset at Biden over his support of Israels military operation in Gaza have been encouraging voters to vote uncommitted in the Democratic primaries in protest. Activists across the country followed the lead of a group of activists in Michigan who helped secure enough uncommitted votes to be represented at the Democratic National Convention. Voting uncommitted is not an option in Pennsylvania, but an initiative funded by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) called Vote Uncommitted PA is encouraging people to write in uncommitted in the Democratic primary. Since Pennsylvania has closed primaries, voters must be registered as a Democrat to participate. The group has said its goal is to get 40,000 people to write in uncommitted, on the Democratic presidential line. Biden won the state by just over 80,000 votes in 2020. Unlike states where uncommitted is a listed option, the total number of write-in votes for the phrase wont be immediately known on election night. Pro-Palestinian protesters have shown up at Bidens events in Pennsylvania habitually and a high number of uncommitted write-in votes for him here would emphasize his weakened support in polls with younger voters. Do some voters sit out the presidential race? Both Biden and Trump are broadly unpopular with voters. But what does that look like when people show up to vote? Do some voters sit out the presidential race but vote down the ballot for Senate and other offices? Its a question that will be particularly interesting for Democratic incumbent Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick, who are endorsed by Biden and Trump, but also trying to appeal to swing voters unhappy with the presidential picks. Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley will also appear on the ballot and could net some protest votes against Trump from Republican primary voters. What happens in the attorney generals race? State attorneys general have played an increasingly important role in national politics in recent years. GOP attorneys general have thwarted Bidens student debt relief plan and other policies, while Democratic attorneys general led the legal fight against Trump during his presidency, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was Pennsylvania attorney general at the time. Five Democrats are vying for the open Democratic nomination: State Rep. Jared Solomon, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, Philadelphias former chief public defender Keir Bradford-Grey, former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, and former Bucks County Solicitor Joe Khan. There are also two Republicans on the ballot: York County District Attorney Dave Sunday and State Rep. Craig Williams (R., Delaware). Sunday is the state partys endorsed candidate. Crime was a major issue in the Philadelphia mayors race and is consistently something voters rank among their top issues, especially when combined with border security at the national level. Crime in the city has already emerged as a key focus in the attorney general race for candidates of both parties. And this primary sets up a high-stakes contest for the fall. Whoever wins in November will be seen as a top contender for governor in future years. Do Pennsylvanias incumbent members of Congress fend off primary challengers? U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D., Pa.) is Pennsylvanias most progressive representative and the states lone Democratic incumbent facing a serious challenger in the primary. Her race has centered on contrasting views of the war in Gaza and is a microcosm of the debate between progressive and moderate Democrats headed into the November general election. A freshman Democrat and the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress, Lee is hoping to win reelection in the Western Pennsylvania district by focusing on constituent services and money shes brought home for projects. Lees primary challenger, Bhavini Patel, argues that shes too extreme for the district and an antagonist to Biden, a message that has been buoyed by an outside group funded by Pennsylvania billionaire Jeffrey Yass. Lee is favored to hold onto her seat but if she loses, it would be a major blow to the progressive movement and cease-fire activists as well as a victory for Republican groups meddling in Democratic primaries. In Bucks County, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is the lone Republican still representing one of Philadelphias collar counties and one of 18 House Republicans elected in districts where voters backed Biden in 2020. The district is a bellwether for the state and a place where divisions between the Republican Partys Trump loyalists and more moderate members have been playing out for years. Mark Houck, who made a name for himself after getting arrested protesting at a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood clinic, is a long-shot candidate, who has argued Fitzpatrick isnt conservative enough for the district. Fitzpatrick has not said whether he will endorse Trump, the partys presumptive nominee, or vote for him ahead of the Pennsylvania primary. Hes also running a very low-key primary race of his own, avoiding national and local media. If Houck prevails, its not only a sign of how Trump-aligned the Republican Party has become in Bucks but could be good news for Democrats who have eyed the seat for years and would be running against a more extreme candidate in a tightly contested district. Staff writers Aliya Schneider and Gillian McGoldrick contributed to this article. A person incarcerated at San Francisco General Hospital briefly escaped custody, according to an official with knowledge of the situation. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle An incarcerated man briefly escaped from a room at San Francisco General Hospital on Tuesday after climbing through the ceiling, according to an official with the San Francisco sheriffs deputies union. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was being held at the jail ward at the hospital when he fled, according to Ken Lomba, president of the Deputy Sheriffs Association. People suspected of crimes in San Francisco who need medical treatment are first taken to S.F. General before being booked into jail. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sheriffs deputies oversee security at the hospital. Lomba, who received information from union members, said the escape prompted an emergency response that deployed deputies and San Francisco police officers to track down the escaped person. The man was detained shortly after the escape, Lomba said. A spokesperson for the sheriffs office said in a statement that deputies discovered the person was not in his cell around 9:45 a.m. Based on the quick actions of the deputies assigned to this unit, they were able to thwart any possible escape by immediately locating the suspect within a secure area of the facility, where he eventually surrendered peacefully, the spokesperson said. The man was detained again by 10:21 a.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Prasidium has a strong record of growth and will enhance our trade credit capabilities in Australia," said J. 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Read on to learn the basics of cloud-native software and its growing popularity within the insurance industry. What is cloud-native software? iCloud, Google Cloud, Dropbox, just to name a few: Were all familiar with cloud storage in our daily lives, if for no other reason than its where our photos and music live so we can access them from our phones, tablets, and computers without carrying around a hard drive. But what does it mean for a software to actually be cloud-native? Just like it sounds, cloud-native refers to a software application that was built specifically to function in a cloud (distributed and web-based) environment, rather than living on a physical drive or server. As opposed to older applications that evolved to incorporate cloud components, cloud-native software originates in its cloud-based form. For example, you cant download a version of QuickBooks Online to your computer no matter how much you want to, because it only exists in the cloud. Often, tech products that are sold as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and require an ongoing subscription rather than a one-time purchase are cloud-native. AgentSync is no exception. One of cloud-native softwares defining factors is its ability to be deployed quickly, and receive ongoing updates and improvements that can be released in real-time, without requiring down-time or negatively impacting the softwares other functions. Key features of cloud-native software include: Microservices architecture: You can think of cloud-native software as a collection of microservices or microapplications. Google Cloud defines this as individual, loosely coupled components meaning that instead of one large program, the way we used to think of a piece of software, cloud-native software is built by a number of individually functioning parts that form the whole. Containerization: Because of this microservices architecture, cloud-native software can benefit from its developers ability to work on small pieces at a time, upgrading or fixing specific functions, without impacting the software as a whole. This is known as containerization. Continuous integration: Due to how its built, cloud-native software can accommodate ongoing improvements, bug fixes, and new integrations that arent possible with legacy technologies. Its the difference between having to take your car into the shop for a new tire and being able to patch a quick hole while on the run. The latter, like cloud-native infrastructure, causes less disruption and very little downtime compared to needing to shut down an entire system to perform upgrades or fixes. API-first approach: Since cloud-native software is inherently built on a foundation of microservices that integrate, using APIs to connect one software to another is a given. Security and compliance: The largest cloud computing providers, who bring along top-of-the-line data security and compliance practices, power most cloud-native software. Big names like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure offer their business customers assurance that the data they host for different cloud-native applications is safe and secure. For many insurance businesses, the peace of mind that a company as robust as Amazon is handling their data security is more comforting than the idea of being responsible for it in-house. The rise of cloud-native applications in insurance As more and more software moves to cloud-based infrastructure, so does the technology that powers the insurance industry. Even though cloud-native insurance software has been readily available since the early 2000s, insurance businesses havent all been quick to retire their legacy systems and adopt cloud-native infrastructure. This seems to be changing, and changing more rapidly, as we approach the first quarter-century mark. According to a 2022 report by McKinsey & Company, insurers project a 32 percent annual growth in their use of cloud services by 2025. With a lot of room for growth in its overall use of cloud services, the insurance industry is also near the top of the list of industries that can reap the highest economic rewards. Examples of cloud-native software in insurance Nearly every, if not every, type of product or service an insurance business uses daily can be found as a cloud-native application. That doesnt mean most insurance carriers, agencies, or MGAs have adopted cloud-native versions of their day-to-day software, but the choice to do so exists over a large portion of the integral insurance functions. Some of the most common examples of cloud-native software in insurance include: Agency management systems Claims management systems Policy administration systems Comparative rating software Customer relationship management systems Email marketing platforms Insurance compliance management systems Benefits of cloud-native software for insurance professionals and businesses One of the most significant benefits of cloud-native insurance technology is its ability to integrate with other applications via APIs, thus enabling companies to automate once-manual tasks and processes. Other benefits that insurance businesses and the professionals working at them enjoy include: Scalability: Cloud-native software can support one, 100, or 1 million users (assuming its built on solid infrastructure). This allows companies that invest in cloud-native technology products to expand and contract quickly, without interruption to their daily operations. Theres no waiting on purchasing a new software license or installing the product. Its usually as simple as the admin user inviting someone to join an existing platform. Or, on the other hand, deactivating a user instantaneously, when needed. This is particularly applicable in the insurance industry, where companies have seasonal fluctuations and need to quickly onboard new producers or adjusters to meet their demands. Flexibility: One of the biggest advantages of cloud-native software for insurance professionals and their employers is the flexibility it gives people to work from anywhere. An insurance agent or claims adjuster can theoretically log into the system they use to perform their work from anywhere with internet access. The same cant be said for legacy systems that require a user to be connected to a hard-wired network or pull data from an on-premises server. Enhanced customer experience: This benefit bleeds over into one for insurance consumers too, but it most definitely benefits insurance businesses and professionals when they can provide a better customer experience. Just one way cloud-native software can do this is by being more reliable for people whose job it is to interface with customers. An insurance customer service representative or licensed agent wont lose access to a customers policy information because of a local power outage or server crash. Cloud-native software is built with redundancy in mind, and with resources spread out over many points to allow for a degree of operational malfunction without causing a major snafu. Try that with a legacy system that relies entirely on the power and internet working in one specific building at all times. Reduced costs and resource use: What sounds like a better use of an insurance organizations money: paying for multiple staff members to maintain legacy technology and on-prem servers, or paying the same number of employees to sell policies and service customers? The answer should be obvious. Moving to cloud-native insurtech can free up staffs time and the companys money to invest in things thatll really move the needle on revenue and customer satisfaction not just help maintain the status quo. Innovation and competitive advantage: With most new tech innovations happening in the world of cloud-native software, insurance organizations that are equipped to embrace cloud technology will be best positioned to take advantage of new developments. Innovation can snowball as a company thats already implemented a primary cloud-based technology can more easily adopt others as they become available (not to mention, they can integrate the new ones into the existing ones for even greater efficiency gains). Beyond the ability to leverage new technology as it comes out, these businesses will also gain a competitive advantage in the battle for younger insurance talent by providing a tech-forward employee experience. Benefits of cloud-native software for insurance consumers Insurance businesses arent the only ones benefiting from cloud-native technology. Consumers (and thats literally every one of us!) get to reap the benefits, too. From better customer service, quicker claims processing, and the ability to get instant insurance quotes from multiple insurers, we all see the advantages of modern cloud-based software in our everyday insurance interactions. Challenges of cloud-native insurance technology No innovation is without its challenges and potential downsides. For cloud-native software, many of these arent inherent flaws in the technology itself. Rather, the challenges come largely from organizational and cultural preferences that permeate such a longstanding industry. Legacy system replacement or integration: It can be no small challenge for an organization to revamp the way it does things. Moving from legacy technology to cloud-native insurance infrastructure can be time-consuming, costly, and include a lot of headaches. And, if an organization doesnt move all of its systems to cloud-native software, its left with the challenge of integrating the new ones into the old (which werent built with seamless integration in mind). Adoption and buy-in: People dont always love change, even when the result promises to be a huge improvement. It can be hard on an organization, especially one in the insurance industry thats been around for over a hundred years, to make a giant technological leap forward. If leaderships buy-in isnt the challenge, it can still be a hurdle to get users to adopt a new way of doing things. Skill gaps and training needs: For the best adoption rates, and the best return on investment, its vital that insurance businesses moving towards cloud-native software provide the support their users will need to reap the benefits of the new technology. Initial costs: Even though cloud-native software can be extremely cost-saving in the long run, theres always a price to purchase and implement it. Smart insurance businesses will weigh the long-term costs and benefits and usually see that the initial cost will be recouped many times over. But for some companies, the price of moving towards a fully cloud-based tech stack just seems too high to overcome. Security and compliance: You thought this was a benefit, right? It is, but it can also be a challenge. Not all cloud-native technologies are created equal. Some prioritize security and compliance and somenot so much. Luckily, therere industry standards that quickly tell you if a software company is going to take security concerns off your plate, or add to them. Read more about the SOC II and why its important. Despite these challenges, the future is absolutely going to be more cloud-native than not. Organizations that make the move towards a cloud-native tech stack will start getting the benefits sooner and be more prepared to innovate when the opportunity arises. Go cloud-native with your insurance compliance If youre thinking that these benefits, like scalability, flexibility, security, and user experience would be great additions to your license compliance management processes, weve got great news! AgentSync is a cloud-native solution that makes managing the entire compliance lifecycle for producers, agents, broker-dealers, and adjusters quick and easy. Contact us today to learn how AgentSync can help your organization, or read about how weve already helped insurance carriers, agencies, and MGAs transform their compliance practices. An insurance agency has won another chance at proving a law firm was negligent in defending it in a non-compete dispute with another agency, a dispute it ended up settling for $1.2 million. The Delaware Supreme Court has reversed a Superior Court ruling of summary judgment for the law firm, Margolis Edelstein, which GMG Insurance Agency alleged committed legal malpractice. The Supreme Court found that the Superior Court erred in granting summary judgment because there are questions of fact concerning whether the lawyers breached the standard of care for a Delaware attorney. The high court returned the case to the lower court for consideration of the law firms competence in its discovery process, its legal briefing of a tortious interference claim, and its representation of both an employer and the employee involved in the litigation. Margolis Edelstein defended both GMG and its employee, Harold Wilson, in the Court of Chancery against a complaint brought by Lyons, another insurance agency where Wilson last worked. Lyons alleged that Wilsons employment with GMG breached its non-compete agreement with Lyons. Lyons brought multiple causes of action including breach of contract against Wilson; breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing against Wilson; aiding and abetting against GMG; unjust enrichment against Wilson and GMG; and tortious interference with contract and prospective economic relations against GMG. Margolis Edelstein managed to win summary judgment in Court of Chancery for GMG and Wilson on all of the claims except the tortious interference claim against GMG. As to that claim, the Court of Chancery held that the factual record was not sufficiently developed as to whether GMGs actions satisfied the remainder of the tortious interference requirements. That claim was then flagged to go to trial. After the failure to have the tortious interference dismissed, GMG fired the Margolis firm and hired new counsel. The new counsel informed Wilson he would need to get his own attorney. Also, through its discovery, the new firm uncovered important documents tending to show that GMC partners had relied on the advice of previous counsel in making the decision to hire Wilson despite his non-compete obligations. Following the production of these documents, Lyons moved for sanctions, arguing that the newly disclosed evidence revealed pre-planning of Wilsons hiring in connection with GMGs obtaining the business of Lyonss clients or prospects. Lyons said the evidence was wrongfully withheld and had it been previously disclosed the tortious interference count would have been resolved in its favor at summary judgment. The Court of Chancery declined to decide on an appropriate sanction until after trial. However, it acknowledged the significance of the newly produced information, noting that the information should have clearly been produced, given its extraordinary importance to the underlying theories of the case. The court also recognized that the information could have affected the courts resolution of the summary judgment motion. On the eve of trial, Wilson recanted his prior testimony and submitted a new affidavit with testimony that was drastically inconsistent with his prior testimony and unfavorable to GMG. Wilson stated that he, GMG, and a large client had a series of meetings and calls, during which they agreed that the client would change brokers to GMG. Wilson also stated that they collectively agreed that GMG would hire Wilson to service the account and other clients as soon as a previous injunction against Wilson by a third agency had been lifted. Wilson also stated that GMG said it would cover this defense cost and have done so to date. Shortly after hearing Wilsons revised testimony, Lyons and GMG reached a $1.2 million settlement. GMG then sued Margolis in Superior Court for legal malpractice, arguing that but for Margoliss negligent representation in the Court of Chancery, GMG would not have been exposed to the consequences of Wilsons pre-trial eleventh-hour change in testimony. In response to Margoliss motion for summary judgment, GMG claimed that because Lyonss tortious interference claim survived summary judgment in the Court of Chancery, GMG incurred significant damages in the form of fees and costs and the $1.2 million settlement, which, but for Margoliss negligence, would not have been incurred. The Superior Court did not squarely address the newly revealed evidence. Instead, sidestepping the Court of Chancerys acknowledgement of the potential effect of Margoliss discovery deficiencies on the summary judgment proceedings, the Superior Court pointed to Margoliss success on the claims that were dismissed as proof that there had been no legal malpractice. It ruled in favor of Margolis. GMG appealed. The state Supreme Court has now said the Superior Court erred in failing to recognize evidence that supported an inference that Margoliss performance did not meet the standard of care owed by a Delaware attorney. Overall, the high court found there was evidence that Margolis attorneys breached the standard of care in three ways: by failing to competently handle discovery and develop the record; by failing to adequately brief and argue in favor of dismissing the tortious interference claim against their client; and by simultaneously representing GMG and Wilson despite a potential conflict of interest. GMG cited evidence including Margoliss internal communications suggesting that the delayed production was attributable solely to its own failures and acknowledging the lawyers inexperience with Delawares comprehensive e-discovery requirements. In one email a Margolis lawyer wrote, [I]t has become clear to me that I am wholly inexperienced with how to handle litigation in the Court of Chancery. GMG further alleged that during discovery, Margoliss attorneys failed to ask GMGs principals if they consulted with an attorney prior to hiring Wilson, and specifically if they had any discussions about whether the hiring would violate the non- compete agreement. For its part, Margolis asserted that it fulfilled its discovery obligations and that, in any case, any deficiency did not proximately cause any harm as alleged by GMG. The firm also disputed that testimony from the attorney who consulted with GMGs principals would have been highly probative or helpful in any way to GMG. GMC provided evidence that Margolis did not adequately brief and argue on behalf of dismissal of the tortious interference charge. The Supreme Court tended to agree: As GMG points out, the summary judgment briefing Margolis authored on Lyonss tortious interference claim in the Chancery litigation is cursory at best. Margolis claimed that further record development would not be as consequential as GMG suggests. The high court also found there was a genuine dispute as to whether Margolis breached the standard of care by simultaneously representing GMG and Wilson. Margolis disputed that its representation of both GMG and Wilson was problematic. It argued that at the time, their interests appeared to be completely aligned. Margolis also argued that GMG failed to explain how it was harmed by Margoliss joint representation. GMG said Margolis failed to advise GMG that it was unwise for Margolis to represent both GMG and Wilson. GMG claimed that upon viewing Lyons allegations in the Chancery litigation, it should have been readily apparent to Margolis that there was a significant possibility that Wilson was in breach of the non-compete agreement, which GMG argued was a circumstance directly contrary to its interests. The Supreme Court further concluded that the Superior Court erred by failing to address GMGs contention that, but for Margoliss negligence, none of Lyonss claims would have survived GMGs summary judgment motion in the Chancery litigation. If that claim has merit, then it seems that GMG would have a viable claim for damages given that it incurred considerable fees and costs and paid to settle the case after the Court of Chancery denied its motion as to its tortious interference claim, thus keeping the Chancery litigation alive, the high court concluded. Walid Algahim stands in the doorway of his convenience store Plaza Snacks and Deli in San Franciscos Tenderloin. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Outside of Walid and Ray Algahims corner store at McAllister and Seventh streets, more than 100 people gather nightly. They pack the sidewalks on the backside of Civic Center Plaza hawking stolen goods, dealing and using illicit drugs, talking with friends and blaring music. Throughout the night, people from the crowd cycle in and out of Plaza Snacks and Deli buying chips, soda and coffee as well as glass smoking pipes and lighters, though the stores top-selling products, according to Walid, are milk and cereal. They then flood back into the crowd, where most will socialize and enjoy their munchies until the early morning hours. Advertisement Article continues below this ad City officials now want to hold store owners like the Algahim brothers partly responsible for this scene, which replays night after night. Mayor London Breed introduced legislation Tuesday that targets corner stores such as Plaza Snacks and Deli for perhaps unintentionally contributing to the drug market and late-night crowds that instill feelings of fear in residents, according to her office. A man uses drugs outside Plaza Snacks and Deli in San Franciscos Tenderloin. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The proposed regulation backed by some residents and community leaders would prohibit certain Tenderloin corner stores from operating from midnight to 5 a.m. The premise of the legislation is that closing the stores early would reduce late-night crowds, which officials say often engage in illicit activities, leading to criminal behavior and increasing trash and syringes discarded on sidewalks. Our store has nothing to do with the people who are outside, Walid said, adding that the store doesnt sell alcohol or tobacco products. What the city needs is more officers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night, Breed said in a statement. We are working with and listening to the community as we continue our efforts to make the Tenderloin safer for everyone. This is an idea for the community, from the community. Mohamed Algahim, 18, sits on a ladder to monitor people shopping in his familys convenience store, Plaza Snacks and Deli, in San Franciscos Tenderloin. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The statement called the proposal a balance that supports the shops and the community with only a minimal disruption to the businesses. The legislation would apply to roughly a dozen corner stores bounded by OFarrell, McAllister, Polk and Jones streets, an area at the epicenter of the crisis that sell prepackaged food, tobacco products or liquor. That includes Plaza Snacks and Deli, located at 77 McAllister St. and open until 3 a.m. Restaurants, bars and event halls would be exempt. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Stores could face fines of up to $1,000 for each hour they operate in violation of the ordinance. The Algahim brothers say its a misguided effort that will only hurt small businesses and drive them out of the city. A crowd gathers outside Plaza Snacks and Deli in San Franciscos Tenderloin. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle They can go back five, six, 20 years, and theyll see the same stuff around here, Walid said. Its not the businesses. Thats for sure. Other community leaders and business owners see it as a positive step toward revitalizing the neighborhood. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The enhanced coordination we are seeing amongst city partners is yielding tangible results, especially in the daytime, and this renewed focus on quelling known nighttime trouble spots will put us on a renewed path towards a sustainable future for residents, Kate Robinson, executive director of the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, said in a statement. The late-night crowds that collect outside the corner store and neighboring condominium building have forced residents to make changes to their lifestyle. Chris Van Wyk, 44, quit his late-night smoke breaks and cranks up ambient noise, praying he can fall asleep without calling the cops again. Chris Van Wyk checks email in his apartment in San Franciscos Tenderloin. At night, hundreds of people gather outside his building to buy and sell stolen goods and use drugs. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Amy Smith, 40, stopped running or walking when the sun wasnt up. And Miki Ilaw, 70, refrains from going to the opera or theater after 7 p.m. when Urban Alchemy ambassadors wrap up their shift unless she has a companion to escort her. The ambassadors walk the streets of the Tenderloin and adjoining neighborhoods to keep streets calm, clean and free of crowds. Smith and her husband became first-time homeowners in June 2020. They were drawn to the condominium building for its central location and unique characteristics a renovated historic building that offers a mix of classic architecture and contemporary loft features. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But since they moved in, she said the crowds outside at night have swelled each year. People have reportedly made their way inside the condo building to pry open mailboxes and vandalize the lobby. Fires sparked by people outside for warmth often trigger the buildings fire alarm. Two months ago, a man living in the building was physically assaulted while attempting to get inside, according to Smith. After years of trying to address the situation and alleviate safety concerns from residents, the condos homeowners association late last month installed a fence around a paved patio in front of the condo building and Arsicault bakery, a popular establishment on the buildings ground floor. People pass an apartment in San Franciscos Tenderloin, where a fence was recently placed. At night, hundreds of people gather outside the building to buy and sell stolen goods and use drugs. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Residents say the fence has made it easier to access the building and improved their sense of safety. But theyre not all convinced that closing corner stores early would have the same impact. I feel like at this point everyone is kind of throwing spaghetti at the wall and trying to see if something works, Smith said, adding that she thinks extending the hours of Urban Alchemy, or prohibiting the sale of drug paraphernalia such as butane lighters and glass pipes, may be a better solution. Brandy Gans and her boyfriend, Marcus Jackson, are often among those in the crowd outside selling goods. With or without the corner store, they said theyd be there. On Thursday night, Gans pulled lipstick from her purse and wrote Everything $1 on a piece of cardboard. Laid out in front of her was an eclectic assortment of goods, including sunglasses, a can of tuna and a Minnie Mouse headband. Brandy Gans uses lipstick to make a sign while selling goods at U.N. Plaza in San Franciscos Tenderloin. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Gans and Jackson, who have beds at a nearby shelter but dont always sleep there, said that on a good night they make $10. Some of that they might spend on snacks and soda at the corner store, with $3 left to sustain their addiction to crack. Nothing we can live off of, but something is better than nothing, Jackson said. The Algahim brothers were notified this month that the Civic Center Community Benefits District is asking city officials to reconsider the brothers business permit. In an appeal filed, the Civic Center Community Benefits District said that Plaza Snacks and Deli was a problem retail store that caters to the drug market and stolen goods market, though the filing didnt elaborate further. People sell a variety of goods outside an apartment building in San Franciscos Tenderloin. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The brothers argue that the area in and around Civic Center Plaza was the site of drug and stolen goods markets long before they opened Plaza Snacks and Deli about six months ago. A hearing before the San Francisco Board of Appeals is scheduled for June 12. The Civic Center Community Benefits District did not return calls and emails for comment. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump and the New York attorney general on Monday agreed to changes in the terms of the $175 million surety bond Trump secured with Knight Specialty Insurance Co. (KSIC). Attorney General Letitia James had objected to KSIC as the underwriter of Trumps bond. Among other concerns, she questioned whether the amount of the bond is sufficiently collateralized and controlled by KSIC. Why New Yorks Attorney General Objects to Trumps Bond Insurer Trumps Bond Insurer Tells Judge Shortfall Is Inconceivable In the original $175 million bond proposal, the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust granted KSIC a priority lien on a Charles Schwab brokerage account with just over $175 million in it. But the trust retained control of the account and would be able withdraw funds or make trades in the account unless KSIC objects within two business days after receiving notice of the proposed transaction. According to the attorney general, the terms allowed for exchanging the cash for other less secure forms of collateral such as mutual funds that can fluctuate in value. The lawyers, appearing before Judge Arthur Engoron of the New York County Supreme Court on Monday to debate the bond, got together during a short break in the proceedings and came to an agreement on changes. Mainly, they agreed that the Schwab account will be under the exclusive control of KSIC and that Trump will submit a monthly statement certifying that the account has sufficient cash to cover the bond. The collateral will remain as cash and will not be swapped for mutual funds or other financial instruments. California-based KSIC had said that a shortfall on the bond is inconceivable because in addition to the lien on the Schwab account, it has $539 million in assets, $138 million in equity, and access to billions more through a reinsurance agreement with its parent company, Knight Insurance Co. But the attorney generals office maintained that KSIC had never written a surety bond in New York or in the prior two years in any other jurisdiction, and questioned whether policyholder surplus of $138 million is enough. The attorney general also expressed concern that KSIC affiliated companies have been found in violation of federal law on several occasions. They also agreed that the agreement between Trump and KSIC cannot be amended without approval from the court. Also, KSIC will waive its right to move a case to federal court or another jurisdiction, and will officially designate an agent of process in New York. That means that KSIC, though based in California, will officially designate someone who is able to accept legal service on its behalf in New York. Charles Schwab has to agree to the changes to Trumps account. The agreement should be officially entered into the court record by Thursday. Trump needs the appeal bond to prevent enforcement of a $454 million penalty levied against him in February by Engoron while he appeals a civil fraud judgment for misrepresenting his assets for years to get better financial deals. Should Trump lose his appeal in the civil fraud case and not pay the full penalty, the bond is a promise to cover $175 million of the judgment. Topics New York Fraud Wildfires erupted across Canadas main oil producing province of Alberta and an evacuation order was issued as the region braces for a repeat of last years unprecedented season. Members of the indigenous first nation community of Cold Lake Number 149, northeast of Edmonton on the Saskatchewan border, were told to evacuate, according to a notice issued at 4:49 pm local time. Other regions west of the Cold Lake blaze were put on standby, with three wildfires in the province listed as out of control as of late Monday. More than 65% of Canada was abnormally parched or in drought at the end of March, leading the nation to brace for another smoke-filled summer. Unusually hot, dry weather contributed to the countrys worst-ever wildfire season last year, darkening skies over New York and other US cities and prompting Alberta oil and gas drillers to shut as much as 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day of production. An evacuation alert for residents of Saprae Creek, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of the oil sands capital of Fort McMurray, was canceled. Massive forest fires burned down swathes of Fort McMurray eight years ago, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate and temporarily shutting more than 1 million barrels a day of oil production. Photograph: Smoke rises from the Cameron Bluffs wildfire near Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Photo credit: James MacDonald/Bloomberg Related: Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Energy Oil Gas Canada An Ohio subsidiary of one of the worlds largest automotive suppliers could have prevented a 26-year-old employee in Franklin from being fatally crushed in October 2023 if the company had provided proper machine guarding. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration responded after being informed of the incident by Faurecia Emissions Control Systems NA LLC, one of 29 facilities operated by Faurecia North America to manufacture components in the U.S. OSHA learned the worker, on the job for about a year, was placing cardboard under a machine that bends vehicle exhaust pipes when the incident happened. OSHA issued 10 instance-by-instance citations after finding the company did not properly train employees including temporary workers under Faurecias control in lockout/tagout procedures. OSHA also issued a machine guarding violation. Investigators determined the employer failed to include detailed steps for lockout/tagout procedures, test its safety procedures annually and guard machines adequately. Based on these alleged violations, Faurecia exposed machine operators to struck-by and caught-between hazards. In 2022, the agency cited the company for similar violations at the same location. The company faces $314,555 in proposed OSHA penalties for its recent infractions. Faurecia Emissions Control Systems could have prevented this tragedy by having proper machine guarding that would have protected employees from contact with moving machine parts, said OSHA Area Director Ken Montgomery in Cincinnati. Safety requirements are just that, required. This company failed in its legal responsibility to ensure workers were protected from workplace hazards. Since 2019, OSHA has opened nearly 1,700 Ohio inspections related to machine hazards. Safety must never be an afterthought, Montgomery added. Safety has to be a core company value, especially in the manufacturing industry. Faurecia Emissions Control Systems NA LLC is part of Faurecia North America based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. In 2022, Faurecia and Hella combined to form Forvia, one of the worlds top 10 largest automotive suppliers with more than 150,000 workers in more than 40 countries. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Source: OSHA Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance Ohio Manufacturing A Michigan doctor was bound over last week in the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills on charges stemming from an allegedly fraudulent disability insurance claim and subsequent years of receiving fraudulent payments, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nesse announced. She will stand trial in the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County. Dr. Rainna Furnari Brazil, 57, of Sylvan Lake applied for and received disability insurance payments from the Unum Life Insurance Company of America. Brazil, a licensed osteopathic physician, allegedly continued working as a physician while receiving over $400,000 in disability insurance payments from 2017 through 2021, contrary to the terms of her insurance. Brazil is alleged to have lied repeatedly to the insurance company, denying that she had been working as a physician for compensation. This matter was referred to the Department of Attorney General by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Fraud Investigation Unit. Brazil is charged with: Three counts of False Pretenses $100,000 or More, a felony punishable by 20 years and/or a fine of $35,000; Two counts of False Pretenses $20,000 or More But Less Than $50,000, a felony punishable by 15 years and/or a fine of $15,000; Two counts of Taxes Failure to File, a felony punishable by five years; and One count of Insurance Fraud, a felony punishable by four years and/or a fine of $50,0000. The DIFS Fraud Investigation Unit investigates criminal and fraudulent activity related to the insurance and financial markets and works with the Attorney General and other law enforcement to prosecute these crimes. Source: DIFS Topics Fraud Michigan Pregnant employees have the right to a wide range of accommodations under new federal regulations for enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that supporters say could change workplace culture for millions of people. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency in charge of enforcing the law, adopted an expansive view of conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth in its proposed regulations, including a controversial decision to include abortion, fertility treatment and birth control as medical issues requiring job protections. The rules, which were adopted on a 3-2 vote along partisan lines, were published last week and offer extensive guidelines for addressing more routine difficulties of pregnancy, such as morning sickness, back pain and needing to avoid heavy lifting. Labor advocates say the law will be especially transformative for pregnant women in low-wage jobs, who are often denied simple requests like more bathroom breaks. Heres what to know about the law and the EEOC regulations. WHAT IS THE PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT? Congress passed the law with bipartisan support in December 2022 following a decade-long campaign by womens rights and labor advocates, who argued that the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act did little to guarantee women would receive the accommodations they might need at work. The law stated only that pregnant workers should be treated the same as other employees, not that they deserved special consideration. To get their requests met, many pregnant workers therefore needed to demonstrate they had physical limitations covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act, often creating insurmountable hurdles. The new law treats pregnancy and related conditions as themselves deserving of reasonable accommodations and places the burden on employers to prove undue hardships for denying any requests. The law applies to employers of at least 15 workers. The EEOC estimates it will cover roughly 1.5 million pregnant workers in any given year. The EEOC regulations published April 15 are set to go into effect in June. WHAT ARE WORKERS ENTITLED TO? The EEOCs 400-page document encompasses a wide array of conditions and relevant advice for employers. It states that workers are entitled to unpaid time off for situations such as prenatal appointments, fertility treatments, abortion, miscarriage, postpartum depression and mastitis, an infection that arises from breastfeeding. This includes workers who are not covered by federal family leave laws and those who have not been on the job long enough to accrue time off. Workers can ask for flexible working arrangements to deal with morning sickness, such as a later start time, clearance to work from home or permission to carry snacks in workplaces where eating is typically prohibited. If they cant sit or stand for extended periods due to sciatica, which is common in late pregnancy, they can request a schedule adjustment so their commutes happen during less crowded hours. The regulations also allow workers to be exempted from tasks such as climbing ladders or heavy lifting. If those duties are essential to their jobs, they can still request a temporary dispensation, according to the EEOC. Employers dont have to accommodate workers exactly as requested but they must offer reasonable alternatives. They cannot deny a request without clearing a high bar to prove doing so would cause undue hardships for the organizations finances or operations. They cannot force workers to take unpaid leave if a reasonable accommodation is available. HOW SHOULD WORKERS REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS? The EEOC emphasizes that it should not be complicated or difficult for pregnant workers to request accommodations. Workers dont have to make requests in writing, use specific words, cite any laws, or in most cases, provide documentation such as doctors notes. Employers must respond quickly and have a conversation about how to reasonably accommodate a workers needs. Still, legal experts advise both workers and employers to document the process. A Better Balance, the non-profit that spearheaded the 10-year campaign for the laws passage, advises workers to familiarize themselves with their legal rights and be as specific as possible about their limitations and the changes they they need. Workers who believe a request was denied illegally can file a complaint with the EEOC. They have 180 days to do so, though the deadline can be extended in some states. WHAT DO THE EEOC RULES SAY ABOUT ABORTION? The EEOC included abortion among the conditions covered under the law. The rules state, however, that employers are not obligated to cover expenses related to the procedure or to offer health insurance that does. The EEOC regulations argue that including abortion is consistent with the agencys longstanding interpretation of other laws under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, including the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. But the decision drew condemnation from Republican lawmakers who had championed the laws passage. The five-member EEOCs two Republican members voted against the regulations. In a statement explaining her dissent, Commissioner Andrea Lucas said the agency broadened the scope of the law to reach virtually every condition, circumstance, or procedure that relates to any aspect of the female reproductive system in ways that cannot reasonably be reconciled with the text of the law. Melissa Losch, a labor and employment attorney at the New Orleans-based firm McGlinchey Stafford, said she expects the regulations to give rise to further litigation. Losch cited the example of a worker living in a state with a restrictive abortion law requesting time off to undergo the procedure in another state. The EEOC rules provide no good answer about whether granting such a request would conflict with restrictive state abortion laws, she added. ARE WORKERS IN TEXAS COVERED? On February 27, a federal judge blocked enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act for Texas state employees, a ruling that came in response to a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton argued the law was unconstitutional because it was part of a spending bill that passed in the House without a majority of members present, and the judge ruled in his favor. Gedmark, of A Better Balance, said she was optimistic the Biden administration would prevail in its expected appeal of the ruling. In the meantime, federal and private sectors workers in Texas are covered by the law. But in her dissenting statement, Lucas warned that if the Texas case or any future lawsuits succeed in overturning the law, the EEOCs divisive rules have all but extinguished the chances of a bipartisan effort to reenact it. WHAT HAS THE LAWS IMPACT BEEN SO FAR? Employers have been obligated to abide by the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act since it took effect on June 27, 2023, though the EEOC regulations provided guidance on how to do so. The law swiftly made a difference to many low-wage workers, according to Gedmark. A Better Balance, which operates a helpline, has heard an overwhelmingly positive experience from workers, she said. Last summer, the organization worked with some women whose employers stopped resisting requests for accommodations as soon as the law took effect, Gedmark said. Some workers reported their employers were still operating under the old legal framework, handing them pages of disability paperwork to fill out in response to requests. The EEOC said it received almost 200 complaints alleging violations of the law by the time the fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, 2023. Gedmark said the success of the law will depend on enforcement and raising awareness. If workers dont know about the law and dont know about their rights, then it really undermines the purpose of the law, she said. Photo: AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Lawmakers in Oklahoma are having second thoughts about anti-ESG legislation that limits which Wall Street banks local governments can do business with. A Republican-introduced bill that would narrow the scope of a state law that blacklisted financial firms for their restrictions on lending to oil, gas and coal companies, is making its way through Oklahomas legislature. The proposal comes as concerns mount that the 2022 law is driving up municipalities borrowing costs in the state. Three major municipal-bond underwriters Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are on a state list of companies considered to boycott the fossil fuels industry. A new study published Monday from the Oklahoma Rural Association a group representing smaller communities found that the state is incurring avoidable costs as a result of the law. According to Oklahomas Energy Discrimination Elimination Act, state agencies and political subdivisions cant contract with a company unless it provides a written verification that it doesnt boycott energy companies. In the 17 months since the law went into effect its cost the state and its governments $185 million in additional expenses, the study estimated. This increase in borrowing costs imposes an unnecessary financial burden on Oklahoma municipalities, potentially forcing them to cut spending on important public services or infrastructure projects, or raise taxes, according to the reports author, Travis Roach, an economics professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. The estimate is conservative, he noted. The GOP stronghold is one of a handful of US states, including Texas, that enacted legislation targeting environmental, social and governance corporate policies in recent years, driving upheaval in local muni markets. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan are among the six companies considered energy boycotters by Oklahomas Republican State Treasurer Todd Russ. Since the law went into effect, the firms have seen their public finance business in the state dry up. Bank of America was Oklahomas top muni bond underwriter in 2021 and has since ceded its spot to Robert W. Baird & Co., according to data compiled by Bloomberg. JPMorgan and Wells Fargo also once major underwriters in Oklahoma have also seen their public finance business there dwindle. Free Market Barrier Roachs study compared the average coupon rate on muni bonds sold in Oklahoma against those of states without a similar law. He found that Oklahomas coupon rates are now 59 basis points higher than they would have been if the law didnt pass. This number will continue to grow for as long as the EDEA policy restricts municipalities from participating in a free market and selecting banks that meet their economic needs, he said. Oklahomas Senate Bill 1510, would rein in the energy law so it only applies to state agencies and no longer applies to cities and counties. The bill was introduced by Republican state senator Chuck Hall, who is the chief executive officer of Exchange Bank and Trust Co. He told the Oklahoma Voice that he didnt think the law should pre-empt local decision-making. The legislation has advanced to the state house. John Collison, director of the Oklahoma Rural Association, said that the bill is a step in the right direction and the group hopes it passes. Still, he said he would like to see more work done on the issue. The ideal outcome would be to get back to where we were two years ago and let the lending institutions lend to cities and municipalities and the state of Oklahoma at the best rate possible, he said. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Topics Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A man was arrested after being accused of punching an Oklahoma City bus driver and causing the bus to crash into a building. Oklahoma City police reported only minor injuries stemming from the Saturday wreck. Authorities said the passenger asked the driver to let him off at an unauthorized stop in northwest Oklahoma City. When the driver declined, the passenger started hitting him. The suspect then began punching the driver in the face and removed him from the driver seat. This caused the bus to leave the roadway, said Lt. Jeff Cooper with the Oklahoma City Police Department. The bus crashed into a lumber business. Two people inside the building were unhurt, police said. Five passengers were on the bus when it crashed and one was hospitalized with minor injuries, police said. The driver was also hospitalized with minor injuries, Cooper said. The man accused of assaulting the driver was taken into custody. Police did not immediately release his name or details on what charges he will face. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Personal Auto Oklahoma Three investment firms connected to some of the best-known names on Wall Street have upped the ante in a legal dispute over now-insolvent Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp., based in Tampa. Fortinbras Enterprises, the managing partner of which is the well-known Ben Black; two Silver Rock funds, once affiliated with famous fund manager Michael Milken; and HT Investments last week filed a new lawsuit against former Lighthouse CEO Patrick White and his father, Lawrence White, alleging that the Whites misled the investment firms about the extent of Lighthouse financial trouble after Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana in 2021. In a separate lawsuit filed in New York, the investors charge that TigerRisk Partners, now part of Howden, the global insurance brokerage, also misled investors in an effort to raise capital shortly before Lighthouse was put into receivership in 2022. The legal actions come six months after the funds charged that One Florida Bank had insider connections with Lawrence White when it loaned Lighthouse $19 million in 2019. The bank was repaid but the investment funds lost much of their $65 million investment, the suit argues. That suit is still pending in Orange County, Florida, Circuit Court. The Whites and TigerRisk were not named as defendants in the 2023 lawsuit, but the complaint goes into detail about their alleged deceptive actions and lack of communication. The new complaint against the Whites reiterate the allegations and the Florida complaint asks a judge to place a constructive trust over family trusts managed by Patrick White. Patrick White declined to comment about the latest suit, except to say that the plaintiffs have little to stand on. The funds already were assigned some of the remaining assets of Lighthouse after it was deemed insolvent in 2022. The trusts may be tied up in the receivership, he noted. Theyve got nothing, really, White said. The defendants have yet to file an answer or motion to dismiss in the latest lawsuits. In the One Florida Bank case, the banks attorneys said the suit is misguided, and that the investment fund managers knew all along that the bank would be repaid on its $19 million loan. Plaintiffs rolled the dice: They made a risky bet by investing in struggling insurance entities in the wake of a major hurricane, a defense motion reads. Fortinbras Enterprises last week took the unusual step of sending out a press release on the latest lawsuits, charging that the Whites worked with TigerRisk to misrepresent and obscure facts about the Lighthouse losses and that the insurer had quietly been placed into conservatorship by Louisiana regulators before the investment deal was inked. Topics Lawsuits Florida The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted the city of Cape Coral a 30-day extension to provide more information on rebuilding in the area after Hurricane Ian. The announcement came Monday, three weeks after FEMA notified local officials in southwest Florida that communities would lose their 25% discount on National Flood Insurance Program premiums because local governments had inappropriately loosened the rules on buildings that were heavily damaged in the storm. That relaxation had allowed many property owners to stay below the FEMA requirement to rebuild to higher standards or to elevate homes that suffered more than a 50% loss from storm surge or flooding. Local officials last month decried FEMAs unexpected notification, with Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter calling FEMA the villain. But after meeting with FEMA representatives, Gunter said at a news conference Monday that the federal agency had pushed back its deadline, from May 27 to June 10, on providing clarifying information. The city near Fort Myers plans to go ahead and compile the data by May 9, Gunter said in a Facebook posting. The information will include building permits, enforcement actions, demolition permits and damage letters. FEMA also said earlier this month that it was pausing its March 27 decision to revoke the community rating discounts for surrounding Lee County, a move that could affect more than 125,000 properties, E&E News reported. The community rating system provides NFIP discounts for properties in cities and counties that take steps to reduce flood damage to homes and buildings, such as discouraging building in low areas. Critics have charged that FEMA in recent years had not done enough to enforce the CRS. So last months announcement caught many in southwest Florida off guard. Photo: Some of the damage from Ian near Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it. Submit No Thanks Google has fired more employees who were involved in protests over the tech companys cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The workers held sit-ins at the companys offices in California and New York over Googles $1.2 billion contract to provide custom tools for Israelis military. Terry Chea/Associated Press Google has fired an additional 20 employees who participated in a protest last week against the companys defense contract with the Israeli government. This brings the total number of employees laid off due to the protest to 50, according to the group that organized the demonstrations, No Tech for Apartheid. Jane Chung, a spokesperson for the group, said some of the dismissed employees were nonparticipating bystanders during the sit-in protests held on April 16 at Googles offices in Sunnyvale and New York. The group labeled the tech giants action as an aggressive and desperate act of retaliation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While Google confirmed the additional layoffs on Tuesday, it did not provide a specific number. The Mountain View company had previously described the in-office protests as completely unacceptable behavior that hindered some employees access to their facilities, damaged property and created a threatening environment. A Google spokesperson said that the company has concluded its investigation into the incident, adding, We have terminated the employment of additional employees who were found to have been directly involved in disruptive activity. About 80 people participated in the protest at the Google building on Borregas Avenue in Sunnyvale, police spokesperson Dzanh Le said. Most protesters dispersed shortly after noon, but five remained inside the facility and refused to leave, resulting in their arrests. Google disputed No Tech for Apartheids claim that the company dismissed anyone physically in the vicinity of the protest, including those not actively participating in the demonstration. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To reiterate, every single one of those whose employment was terminated was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings, the Google spokesperson said. We carefully confirmed and reconfirmed this. The protests were the latest demonstrations against the companys $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. Thousands of people protest outside Google offices in San Francisco in December. Demonstrators protested Googles contract with Israel that provides facial recognition and other technologies, amid the Israel-Hamas war. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Google defended its contract, stating it is crucial for infrastructure purposes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We have been very clear that the Nimbus contract is for workloads running on our commercial cloud by Israeli government ministries, who agree to comply with our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy, the company said. This work is not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services. The protests came more than six months after an attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel, according to Lior Haiat, a spokesperson for the countrys foreign ministry. Additionally, Israels counteroffensive attacks in Gaza have led to nearly 35,000 deaths, according to the latest count from the Palestinian health ministry. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has urged employees to keep politics out of the workplace and to adhere to the companys policies of acceptable behavior. Chronicle staff writers Nora Mishanec and Jordan Parker contributed to this report. BNSF Railway attorneys told a Montana jury that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town, one of the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. Attorneys for the company say the corporate predecessors of the railroad, owned by Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, didnt know the vermiculite they hauled over decades from a nearby mine was filled with hazardous microscopic asbestos fibers or that asbestos was dangerous. BNSF attorney Chad Knight said the railroad could only be held liable if it could have foreseen the health hazards of asbestos based on information available decades ago when the alleged exposures happened. In the 50s, 60s and 70s no one in the public suspected there might be health concerns, Knight said. The case in federal civil court is the first of numerous lawsuits against the Texas-based railroad corporation to reach trial over its past operations in Libby, Montana. Current and former residents of the small town near the U.S.-Canada border want BNSF held accountable for its alleged role in asbestos exposure that health officials say has killed several hundred people and sickened thousands. The seven-member jury met briefly Friday and planned to resume deliberations on Monday morning. They were instructed to decide if the railroad was at fault in the deaths and if so, the amount of damages to award to their estates. If the jurors find that the railroad should also face punitive damages, a separate hearing would determine that amount. Looming over the proceedings is W.R. Grace & Co., a chemical company that operated a mountaintop vermiculite mine 7 miles outside of Libby until it was closed 1990. The Maryland-based company played a central role in Libbys tragedy and has paid significant settlements to victims. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris has referred to the the chemical company as the elephant in the room in the BNSF trial. He reminded jurors several times that the case was about the railroads conduct, not W.R. Graces separate liability. How much W.R. Grace revealed about the asbestos dangers to Texas-based BNSF and its corporate predecessors has been sharply disputed. The plaintiffs argued that railroad higher-ups were aware, but that workers on the ground in Libby were left out of the loop. Were here to make a party that accepts zero responsibility accept an appropriate amount of responsibility, plaintiffs attorney Mark Lanier said. This is the fault of the bigwigs in the corporate office. The judge instructed the jury it could only find the railroad negligent based on its actions in the Libby Railyard, not for hauling the vermiculite. The railroad said it was obliged under law to ship the vermiculite, which was used in insulation and for other commercial purposes. It said W.R. Grace employees had concealed the health hazards from the railroad. Former railroad workers said during testimony and in depositions that they knew nothing about the risks of asbestos. They said Grace employees were responsible for loading the hopper cars, plugging the holes of any cars leaking vermiculite and occasionally cleaned up material that spilled in the rail yard. The estates of the two deceased plaintiffs have argued that the W.R. Graces actions dont absolve BNSF of its responsibility for failing to clean up the vermiculite that spilled in the railyard in the heart of the community. Their attorneys said BNSF should have known about the dangers because Grace put signs on rail cars carrying vermiculite warning of potential health risks. They showed jurors an image of a warning label allegedly attached to rail cars in the late 1970s that advised against inhaling the asbestos dust because it could cause bodily harm. Family members of Tom Wells and Joyce Walder testified that their lives ended soon after they were diagnosed with mesothelioma. The families said the dust blowing from the rail yard sickened and killed them. In a March 2020 video of Wells played for jurors and recorded the day before he died, he lay in a home hospital bed, struggling to breathe. Ive been placed in a horrible spot here, and the best chance I see at release relief for everybody is to just get it over with, he said. Its just not something I want to try and play hero through because I dont think that theres a miracle waiting. The Environmental Protection Agency descended on Libby after the 1999 news reports. In 2009 it declared in Libby the nations first ever public health emergency under the federal Superfund cleanup program. The pollution in Libby has been cleaned up, largely at public expense. Yet the long timeframe over which asbestos-related diseases develop means people previously exposed are likely to continue getting sick for years to come, health officials say. Brown reported from Billings, Montana. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Pro-Palestine activists gathered outside the offices of Axa Insurance on Tuesday to protest the French insurance giant's alleged ties to firms operating in Israeli settlements. Demonstrations organised by the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign (CPSC) took place outside the insurer's offices on South Mall where concerns were raised about the companys alleged links to several Israeli banks operating in occupied Palestine. Protestors described Tuesday as a "national day of action," with Axa branches throughout the country being picketed by demonstrators. The CSPC are one division of the wider Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign which has organised protests against Axa in 13 counties. Axa's South Mall office remained shut on Tuesday, with a notice on the building stating the branch "is currently closed for staff training." The CPSC has claimed that Axa invests in Israeli firms that finance the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Axa said it has no investments in these firms. However, according to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, a Palestinian-led initiative targeting companies economically involved in Israel, Axa had invested in three Israeli banks operating in occupied Palestine. Earlier this month, the BDS movement announced that Axa had divested around 9.4m of shares from two of these banks, the Israel Discount Bank and Bank Leumi at the end of 2023, but that it still owned shares of around 2.6m in Israeli-owned Bank Hapoalim. Speaking at the demonstrations on Tuesday, members of the pro-Palestine movement told the Irish Examiner they were pushing for Axa's "complete divestment" from banks operating in occupied territory. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, a spokesperson for Axa said it has "no investments in any of the banks cited in recent calls for boycott." "The Axa Group is committed to conducting business to the highest ethical standard," the spokesperson added. "AXAs investments comply with all applicable laws and regulations and respect all internationally recognised human rights principles. This is also the case for AXAs investment in the Middle East Region." 'Proof needed' Speaking at the protests, Sinn Fein Councillor Mick Nugent said evidence of Axa's full divestment needs to be provided. "The BDS Campaign states otherwise," said Mr Nugent. "The BDS Movement states Axa and the companies it is aligned with are providing funding to Israel. Until that is comprehensively disproved, Axa remains on the BDS list." Mr Nugent added that Cork City Council had adopted several motions in support of the BDS Movement, with demonstrations outside Axa "part of that same campaign which was endorsed by the City Council." In its Human Rights Policy, the Axa group says it recognises that, "as one of the worlds largest companies, our business may involve potential adverse Human Rights impacts." "We are determined to respect Human Rights both in our own operations and in our insurance and investment business." It added that the policy "aims at preventing Human Rights abuses and reflects AXA Group's adherence to general and sectoral international standards." Pro-Palestine activists have protested for months against major companies, criticising their activity during the conflict in Gaza. Earlier this month, CPSC protestors staged demonstrations outside the Cork branch of RTX-owned Collins Aerospace amid claims that its parent company produces weapons used by Israel against civilians in Gaza. Up until earlier this month, the Irish State had more than 4m invested in companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements, however, Finance Minister Michael McGrath announced at the start of April that it would divest from six of these companies "as soon as possible" over the coming weeks. In the six months since the war in Gaza erupted, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks. A plan by troubled Boeing to buy back supplier Spirit AeroSystems has become mired in protracted discussions over pricing for factories that make components for Airbus, including the Belfast plant, complicating the US plane makers efforts to get the deal done. Airbus appears to be in no rush to strike a quick deal for the sites, which would expand the holdings of its aero structures division, sources told Bloomberg. Among Airbus's concerns is that the Toulouse-based manufacturer would have to shoulder any operating losses at plants like Spirits composite wing factory in east Belfast, adding to the financial drain from the A220 programme. Spirit completed the purchase of the Belfast manufacturing plant, formerly known as Shorts, from Canadian plane maker Bombardier about four years ago. Given the complexity of reaching an agreement with its biggest rival, Boeing is considering moving forward with the Spirit takeover without the Airbus deal in place, one of the people familiar with the deal has said. Since Boeing first confirmed its intention in early March to re-integrate Spirit, talks have only progressed slowly and dont appear anywhere close to completion. Untangling Spirit is complicated because the company makes parts not just for Boeing, but also for arch-rival Airbus as well as manufacturers including Northrop Grumman, the sources said. The US plane maker had sought to quickly forge a deal with its struggling former aero structures unit, which builds 737 Max fuselages, as it works to improve quality under the close scrutiny of US regulators. Buying back Spirit, which Boeing spun off in 2005, would mark a dramatic step to stabilise its supply chain amid the crisis facing the company. Talks between the parties have not broken down, and the companies involved remain willing to reach an accord, the people said. Boeing declined to comment. Airbus said its in early stage discussions on a variety of options, including acquiring from Spirit Aerosystems some of the activities that they carry out for Airbus. The company declined further comment on the status of negotiations. As negotiations continue, our focus remains on providing our customers with the highest-quality product, Spirit spokesman Joe Buccino said. Analysts will seek more details during a conference call with Boeing executives when the company reports earnings on Wednesday, including how the cash-strapped company intends to finance the deal. Reintegrating its former Kansas hub wont resolve the US manufacturers near-term crisis, but could prove beneficial over the longer term, Ken Herbert, analyst with RBC Capital Markets, has said. Bloomberg and Irish Examiner With an intriguing location close to Plassey Technological Park and the University of Limerick, a 33-acre high-quality land holding is to be sold at auction on Wednesday, May 1, at the offices of REA John Lee in Newport, County Tipperary. The lands are in Limericks Golden Vale but their location with extensive road frontage suggests the they will be a very interesting long-term punt for any investor. Former head of drama and theatre studies at UCC and now a freelance writer and director, Ger FitzGibbon has just published his debut novel, Songs for a Burning City. It is set on the evening of December 11, 1920 when a production of The Gondoliers is in full swing at the Cork Opera House. Word comes through that the Crown forces are rampaging through the streets of Cork, setting buildings on fire. The novel is an imagined history as seen through the eyes of cast members and the audience at the Gilbert & Sullivan opera. For some, its an opportunity for looting, or even romance. For others, the dramatic night will change the direction of their lives. With an extensive dramatis personae (helpfully included in the publication), FitzGibbon was keen to focus on ordinary bystanders and how the terrible events affected them. Its worth remembering that in all of County Cork, there were less than 500 active IRA members in this period, says FitzGibbon. There were, however, a great many passive supporters, or people on the periphery. The vast majority of people were non-combatants, with a very wide variety of political opinions and none. "I guess, in part, writing a book like this allows you to explore that diversity of possible reactions and responses. In the course of the novel, several characters undergo real challenges and changes as they deal with whats unfolding around them. Up to now, the former lecturer has been a professionally-produced playwright. Writing a novel wasnt something I had really planned. I think covid turned a lot of things around in that people were writing and finding new ways of expressing themselves. This book arose from a project that Id been involved in with a few other people. We were trying to persuade City Council to do something big and spectacular around the burning of the city for its 100th year commemoration. It needed substantial seed funding to get the thing planned. We were looking at a major event in the centre of town. Best known for his theatre work, former UCC lecturer Ger FitzGibbon has just published his debut novel. But the pandemic put a stop to the ambitious plan being expedited. However, not one to waste an idea and a lot of research, FitzGibbon started to write his novel. I just found it fascinating. Im interested in Irish history, particularly in the first 20 years or so of the 20th century, the period leading up to the Rising and the Civil War. I had written a play about that period called Johnnos Wars. And the stuff about the burning of Cork intersected with my own family history. My mothers family (her maiden name was Murray) grew up in Mary Street. Her father was a cabinet maker. There was a big family of them. "An interesting thing about them was that my mothers sister was in Cumann na mBan. Two of her brothers were in the Cork Operatic Society. I discovered that there was a bit of tension between them because the brothers didnt want their social lives disrupted by the sisters activities, so to speak. I just thought that was an interesting dynamic in a household. In the novel, just one woman from Cumann na mBan makes an appearance. FitzGibbon says that getting the period detail right was a hard slog. "I read newspapers from the time and checked what people were wearing. Theres interesting photographs in St Peters on North Main Street from around that period. One is of a Michael Collins gathering on Patrick Street and another is of a De Valera gathering on the street. "You realise that in the De Valera gathering, the vast majority of men are wearing caps whereas in the Michael Collins photo, the men are wearing hats. Theres a slight class distinction there as the cap is the working mans badge... I was very conscious of wanting a wide spread of different classes of people in the novel. One man in the narrative that wears his new hat proudly is Larry McDonald, a clerk. He rather fancies himself. He is part of a love triangle. He and his quieter, stammering brother, Tom, have designs on Minnie Barriscale, a member of the chorus in the opera. Fitzgibbon says the dialogue in the novel came easily to him thanks to his experience of crafting plays, but he found it difficult to maintain a structure as there are multiple narratives occurring on the one night. He credits novelist Mary Morrissy with giving him plenty help along the way. "She mentored me during the process of putting it together, finding a shape that would encompass all of it. Horror is like a scalpel. In one persons hand it can hack, slash, and devastate. In anothers it has the precision of an artist. Get you a writer who can do both. Like one of the most iconic authors of all time, Stephen King, who has just marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of his first book, Carrie, about a teenage outcast with telekinetic powers who destroys an entire town after bullying and being humiliated with a particularly nasty prank. Reread that sentence and youll appreciate how it became popular. How many bullied or outcast kids have entertained some thought of revenge, though perhaps not as catastrophically devastating as Carries. Even if, as one of the characters notes: Kids dont know what theyre doing. Kids dont even know their reactions really, actually, hurt other people. A first edition cover of Carrie, by Stephen King The book not only launched Kings career in earnest but made horror mainstream again. And to think it almost didnt come to pass. King had given up on it until his wife encouraged him to finish the book. Horrors adaptability as a genre means it has never wholly gone out of fashion, reinvigorated from time to time with some new or bitingly relevant take (think Halloween, Scream, and more recently Get Out). The filmmaker Dario Argento said, People are boring. Horror is like a serpent; always shedding its skin, always changing. And it always comes back. Indeed, horror is in a golden era at the moment, with sales of novels soaring since the pandemic in the face of a deeply uncertain and troubling world and new subgenres such as eco-horror thriving. Feminist and neurodiverse authors are publishing an array of innovative books and stories. Ireland even has its own dedicated publisher for speculative fiction from scifi to horror, Temple Dark Books. Perhaps Kings greatest gift is not just a knack for telling stories in an engaging and accessible way, its his ability to integrate the ordinary alongside the horror. The Shining is as much about an alcoholics last chance as it is about a haunted hotel. Misery, Dolores Claiborne, and Geralds Game are all very much rooted in humans being the horror (something he has in common with the likes of Shirley Jackson). That doesnt mean he cant do supernatural or cosmic horror when he wants to IT owes a debt to HP Lovecraft, as does the idea of a shared universe where a huge number of Kings stories relate in some way to his Dark Tower series, which he calls the Jupiter of his literary solar system. And in recent years he has pivoted more toward suspense novels than horror such as The Outsider, which goes to show youre never too old or set in your ways to mix things up. Sissy Spacek in the film version of Carrie. To say he has made an explosive, defining, and indelible cultural impact feels like an understatement. You have possibly read one of his books. You definitely know their names. You have almost certainly seen at least one film based on them (It, Misery, The Shining, Doctor Sleep, The Green Mile). Looking back at his bibliography, it is incredible to see how many iconic books he produced as he exploded onto the scene from 1974. Imagine one collection of novellas 1982s Different Seasons, the first time he wrote non-horror producing not only some of his finest stories but inspiring two of the finest films of the past 50 years (The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me). Personally, King wasnt my introduction to horror that was a Penguin hardback anthology edited by JA Cuddon but he was the first horror writer whose novels I read and became a devoted fan of. Like a gateway drug I went on to the wider genre. King, Wollstonecraft Shelley, Lovecraft, Poe: this is the culture that made me, alongside the likes Philip K Dick, Arthur C Clarke, the Eddingses and Neil Gaiman. Insomnia was the first book of his that I bought; in part, I think, because of my own trouble sleeping. And its wonderfully inventive, in that while there are horrible humans in it there is real terror and horror in the role of the three Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, who slice a persons lifeline (with a scalpel, as it happens). A fairy tale it aint, but then life isnt one either. Where does the genre go from here? Anywhere it needs to really, like King himself. At 76, he is still creating at a prolific pace. And while there is a treasure trove to look back on, both of his oeuvre and the genres, there is a lot more to come. Five classic horror books (and one new author you should try) Frankenstein: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was just 18 when she started writing the book that would help define Gothic horror, body horror, and science fiction. A cultural phenomenon from a writer who also wrote an early apocalyptic/dystopian novel, The Last Man. For Frankenstein, favour the 1818 first edition rather than the rewritten 1831 second edition. In a Glass Darkly (Carmilla): More than two decades before Bram Stokers Dracula, there was Carmilla, the lesbian vampire creation of Dublin-born ghost story genius Sheridan le Fanu. Collected with four other stories as In a Glass Darkly it remains one of his most enduring works, haunting and groundbreaking. Haunting of Hill House Haunting of Hill House: Shirley Jackson made numerous superb studies of the darker or more troubled side of human nature and this endlessly re-readable novel asks the question: Whats worse, a haunted house (its not necessarily a ghost) or the loneliness in the human heart? I Am Legend: Horror meets science fiction in Richard Mathesons seminal 1959 work, perhaps the first where vampirism is not rooted in the supernatural but in disease. It also deals with survivor guilt and the nature of evil (hint: It depends on what side youre on). Ghost Story, Peter Straub. Ghost Story: Stephen King called Peter Straubs 1979 book one of the greatest supernatural books of the past 100 years and Straub in turn said he was inspired to write it by Kings 1975 vampire novel Salems Lot. A group of friends meets to tell ghost stories, only they dont just stay stories. Divides readers. Caitlin Marceau: A gifted Canadian storyteller who has exploded onto the horror scene in recent years with work that can be a delight to read while carrying both nuance and an emotional punch. Her collection A Blackness Absolute is a triumph. Irelands Laureate na nOg Patricia Forde is halfway through her Whole Wide World Bus Tour. The childrens author is joined by 35 other Irish writers and illustrators as they make their way from Donegal to Cork, stopping off to meet young book lovers in schools, libraries, bookshops, and cultural venues along the way. They are travelling in a brightly-coloured bus and hosting workshops, storytelling sessions, and artist events at each pitstop. Children can meet the writers and artists behind their favourite books, listen to stories, and nurture a love of literature and creativity. Over the coming days, this one-of-a-kind roadshow will visit locations in Limerick, Kerry, and Cork before concluding its tour at Kinsale Library on Sunday. See: childrenslaureate.ie to find out if it will be anywhere near you. Elaves Junior Intensive Cream with Camomile, 9.45 Skin-kind Parents of preteen girls, are you being bombarded with constant requests for expensive skincare products? Thanks to the influence of beauty content creators on TikTok, many young girls believe they should have skincare routines and are pestering their parents for products often unsuitable for their sensitive skin. Rather than giving in to their demands for age-inappropriate products, ask them to try Elaves Junior Intensive Cream with Camomile, 9.45. Its medically approved and soothes skin prone to eczema and dermatitis. The Irish skincare brand offers a range of cleansers, moisturisers, shampoos, conditioners, and shaving products ideal for young skin. Baby products reborn First-time parents are often shocked by how much stuff they need to buy for their babies. Dee Peacock, a mother of two from Dublin, certainly was. She was even more taken aback when she realised so much of that stuff is only used once or twice before its obsolete. So she set up rebornireland.com to do something about this. Its an online baby marketplace where parents can buy and sell quality-used baby items. Youll find everything from cots and Moses baskets to pushchairs, monitors, toys, and clothes, with sizes ranging from newborn to 5+. Parental support It can be distressing for families when a child has to spend time in hospital. Not to mention exhausting too. This is why Children in Hospital Ireland, the national organisation that works to ease the experience of hospitalisation for children and their families, has launched a new guide to hospital admissions. Created in partnership with parents who have experience of being in hospital with their child, this free publication offers tips, advice, and information on everything from preparing for admission to getting ready for discharge. It also details the supports that are available to parents. The guide is available to order or download at the information hub. See: childreninhospital.ie Career guidance Many teenagers choose Leaving Cert subjects before they have a clear idea of what career path they would like to follow. Others can struggle to decide what courses they should list on their CAO application. The education system has changed so much in recent years that it can also be difficult for parents to know how to help. Niamh Dwyer of @mycareerplan.ie on Instagram helps to makes sense of it all. A career guidance counsellor based near Killarney, her account contains posts on everything from making study plans and the opportunities offered by apprenticeships and post Leaving Cert courses to applying for a SUSI grant. She even has a section for parents outlining how they can support their child through the Leaving Cert and beyond. Taoiseach Simon Harris will on Tuesday offer a State apology to the families, victims, and survivors of the Stardust tragedy. Some 48 people lost their lives in the February 1981 fire at a disco in north Dublin. At an inquest last week, a jury returned a verdict that they were unlawfully killed. It came after four decades of campaigning by families and survivors. Mr Harris is set to tell Cabinet colleagues ahead of his speech in the Dail that he intends to offer a State apology and will note that the Government accepts the verdict and recommendations of the inquest jury and ask the minister for justice and other relevant ministers to report back on their implementation. Mr Harris is also set to task the Department of the Taoiseach with preparing proposals to "appropriately commemorate" the disaster as requested by and in consultation with the families. After the meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin, campaigners said they had been invited to the Dail on Tuesday for an official apology. They said families will also receive individual written apologies. In a statement after meeting survivors and the families of the victims of the Stardust fire, Mr Harris said: It was a humbling and emotional meeting. I want to thank every person who attended for what they told me, both as a group and in private, individual conversations. More than 70 people came to the Department of the Taoiseach today. However, I am acutely aware that the numbers affected by Stardust is many, many multiples of that. That includes those injured, the people working in Stardust, the frontline workers who fought to save lives on the night." Speaking at a Fianna Fail event in Dublin on Sunday, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the families of the victims have been through an enormous trauma. He said nothing could ever console their loss, but said that he was supportive of a redress scheme. We will certainly, in addition to an apology, look at the entirety of all of that and see how the State can respond in consultation with the families and all the loved ones of the victims," said Mr Martin. Because there will be further consultations in the time ahead with them, but certainly, you know, were gonna give it a very serious consideration." Asked if he would support a redress scheme, he said: I think we have to do whats right by the families in particular, and I certainly will be proactive in that regard and have a positive disposition towards that. Videos of a protest by some 12 masked men outside Integration Minister Roderic OGormans home that sparked calls for new laws were sensationalised and edited, a garda policing the scene said. The videos, which were widely circulated on social media, were not a true and accurate representation of what happened and were disinformation, said Garda Mark Ferris, Garda Representative Association (GRA) representative for Dublin West. I want to be clear here, the video footage being sensationalised on social media qualify as disinformation in that it only shows a part of what happened, not the full timeline of events, said Garda Ferris ahead of the GRA annual conference, which is due to start in Westport, Co Mayo, on Tuesday. Garda Ferris claimed the placards had been erected before gardai had arrived. When gardai reacted to the situation, protesters were not outside the house. The placards were already there, so there was no arrestable offence there. We directed them to take it away so thats what they did. The protest, which was described as chilling by Taoiseach Simon Harris, has prompted calls for new legislation. The GRA has said that gardai lack personnel, equipment, training, and legislation to adequately police far-right protests, leaving members intimidated and fearing for their safety. GRA president Brendan OConnor said that protests are presenting huge challenges for the force and that the legislation on which gardai rely was drafted at a time when this sort of situation was not envisaged. Its a very complex issue, said Mr OConnor. Our members are struggling to provide a robust response because theyre second-guessing the legislation thats appropriate, and that comes back again to the level of training. Mr OConnor also said that while protests historically took place in city centres near better-resourced Garda stations, now these protests are in every small village and town. You have guards out on regular patrol and then they find themselves in this very hostile environment, very high-pressured. Theyre trying to decide whats appropriate under intense scrutiny, theyre worried about their own safety, theyre being intimidated. Its very challenging. Taoiseach Simon Harris told RTE that he wants to see gardai feel empowered to police and new legislation may be considered to provide more clarity and protection when policing protests. Mr OConnor said the GRA welcomed the Taoiseachs comments. James Morrisroe of the GRAs central executive committee said that despite the rise in protests across the country and the carnage witnessed during the Dublin riots, frontline members do not receive the training they need to respond to these incidents. He said that if another incident like the Dublin riots was to erupt, gardai would again be left struggling to find resources. Only specialist units receive public order training but all frontline members should, he added. Mr OConnor said basic public order training for every Garda member ceased in recent years. Were not prepared, were not educated, and were not trained to deal with the challenges of policing a modern society, said Mr OConnor. He said that on the day of the Dublin riots, gardai were detailed to go into a hostile environment with no headgear while builders would not be allowed onto a building site without a helmet. Increased assaults and intimidation of gardai both online and in person and an emboldened far-right is now making policing in Ireland even tougher, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) has heard. Gardai are now feeling abandoned and exposed on many fronts, outgoing GRA President Brendan OConnor told delegates at the 46th annual conference at the Castlecourt Hotel in Westport, Co Mayo. But not all attacks on gardai have been from external sources, Mr OConnor said, with overzealous oversight and the use of internal discipline as a training tool making many members second guess their policing methods. Gardai in crime-ridden urban locations are afraid to pursue fleeing suspects and criminals for fear of being prosecuted while community Gardai are fearful of using discretion and common sense when helping out vulnerable citizens, he said. Garda numbers also remain dangerously below strength placing extra workload, stress and pressure on our members, Mr OConnor said. The government plans to recruit 1,000 new gardai, growing the force from 14,000 to 15,000 over the coming years. But the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors estimated at its recent annual conference that 18,000 gardai were now needed to police Irelands growing population effectively. Morale has continued to fall, Mr OConnor said, with gardai feeling abandoned and exposed on many fronts. The GRA described the recent move to have all uniform gardai provide 30 minutes of roads policing while on duty as a PR exercise. Following record road deaths with 64 so far this year the garda commissioner recently announced the new initiative which garda management said is based on international research. 'Waste of resources' But Mr OConnor said the move may be nothing more than a statistical exercise with gardai being told to record what they were already doing, diverting more time to paperwork and away from patrolling. Gardai already performed this function while on duty, he said, but now gardai would have to go back to stations, sit on the phone to a call centre in Mayo to record the details of a patrol that may not have resulted in anything, just so the job can issue a statement in three months time, saying so many thousand patrols were carried out. There may be benefits but its just recording what were already doing, he said. The organisation has become so statistically obsessed. James Morrisroe, GRA Central Executive Committee member, said that the move was a waste of garda time. Gardai are already fulfilling this function, he said, but now they will have to log it online even when theres nothing to report, creating extra work for an already overstretched force. It is a PR exercise, he said. Its a waste of resources. The GRA also said that theres obviously going to be a lack of enforcement on the roads when garda numbers are 1,000 below what they should be and the roads policing unit is chronically understaffed. Todays changes to unworkable and expensive regulations mark the end of the war on farming, says Federated Farmers freshwater spokesperson Colin Hurst. "These impractical rules have been a complete nightmare since the day they were introduced and farmers will be pleased to see the back of them," Hurst says. "They were rushed through before the 2020 election by overzealous regulators with a complete disregard for those who would actually need to implement them behind the farm gate. "Farmers are always looking to improve environmental outcomes on their properties and to care for the land, but regulation needs to be practical, pragmatic and affordable. "These rules failed on all three counts. They were completely disconnected from the reality of farming, devoid of all commonsense, and heaped on a tonne of unnecessary costs for farmers." Hurst says farming rules were so poorly thought through they had to be amended eight times in just three years, and even then they remained totally unworkable and confusing for farmers. "The constant chopping and changing has been incredibly confusing and has completely undermined farmers confidence to invest in their businesses," Hurst says. "The previous Government should have listened when farmers told them a one-size-fits-all approach was never going to work. Its like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole." Winter grazing rules would have required over 10,000 farmers around the country to get a resource consent just to feed a winter crop to their stock. "Even if farmers had complied, the councils wouldnt have had the capacity to process that number of consents." Hurst is also deeply critical of flawed stock exclusion rules that currently require extensive sheep and beef properties to fence their waterways by July 2025. "Fencing streams on extensive properties with low stocking rates has the potential to cost farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars, for very little environmental gain," Hurst says. "It makes no sense to have a blanket rule requiring fences on these vast properties with difficult terrain and a very low stocking rate. "The previous Government had two attempts at mapping out where sheep and beef farmers needed to fence streams, and they still couldnt get it right. "Fences dont go up overnight, so the reality is that those farmers couldnt comply with the current rules by July next year, even if they wanted to. "Farmers are New Zealands leading conservationists. I cant think of any group of people who are doing more to protect and enhance our countries biodiversity. "We need to be empowering farmers and supporting them to make further improvements on their properties instead of tying them up in needless red tape." Federated Farmers strongly believe that winter grazing, stock exclusion and on-farm biodiversity can be better managed through the upcoming rollout of farm plans. "Farm plans allow farmers and rural communities to tailor their environmental improvement actions to match their specific local needs," Hurst says. "This will always lead to much better outcomes, and more community buy-in, than impractical and expensive one-size-fits-all rules driven out of Wellington." ENDS Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. 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Related News: TRU - WHO Agency UNITAID Features TRU in Tech Landscape Report PaySauce Quarterly Market Update - September 2024 October 2nd Morning Report Rua Releases Annual Report for Year Ended 30 June 2024 SCL - Settlement of orchard sales The Warehouse Group 2024 ASM and Director Nominations AIR - Update on Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Comvita Limited - Annual Report 2024 September 27th Morning Report Spark announces departure of Finance Director A mural celebrating the 1845 visit to Cork of the great American anti-slavery leader, Frederick Douglass, one of Barack Obamas political heroes, has been unveiled in the city centre. Douglasss great-great-great-grandson, Kenneth B Morris, was the guest of honour at the unveiling of the striking piece of street art on a wall in the courtyard of the historic Unitarian Church on Princes St on Monday night. Members of the Unitarian church helped arrange Douglasss visit to Cork almost 180 years ago. The citys mayor at the time, Richard Dowden, a noted philanthropist and an associate of Fr Theobald Mathew, was also a member of the church. Minister of the Unitarian Church, Rev Mike OSullivan, said the church community said yes immediately when the city council approached them with a view to using the wall for the mural. It was just a plain wall and now its an amazing bright, colourful and welcoming mural, he said. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading We are a very inclusive church, and Douglasss message rhymes with our message, it fits our ethos as an inclusive, welcoming church. Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran McCarthy at the unveiling of the Frederick Douglass mural at the Unitarian Church on Cork's Prince's St with Douglass's great-great-great-grandson, Kenneth B Morris. The mural, by the artist Zabou, was created in association with the Walls Project, thanks to funding from Creative Ireland. Mr Morris, who continues his familys legacy of anti-slavery and educational work as cofounder and president of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, a nonprofit organisation based in Rochester, New York, said he likes to think that the spirit of his famous ancestor lives in all of us. Referring to Douglasss 1845 published autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, he said: That book became a bestseller and its been impacting the lives of countless people all over the world ever since it was published more than 175 years ago. Ive seen the way his life and legacy impacts on people. People are still interested in Frederick Douglass, interested in what he has to say to us, in the times in which we live. Theres a lot of conflict in the world, certainly where I live in the US with the political climate and the divisiveness. But Douglass has always transcended any kind of conflict. His spirit, I believe, can be a healing balm on the wounds that we all feel and suffer. Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran McCarthy at the unveiling of the Frederick Douglass mural at the Unitarian Church on Cork's Prince's St with Douglass's great-great-great-grandson, Kenneth B Morris. And so when you see a mural like this, its a reminder, if you know who he is, that this is somebody that inspired me to believe that I can do, and be anything possible. And if you dont know who he is, then youre going to start asking questions, and when you see artwork like this, its something that will inspire you to connect to that legacy. Frederick Douglass was one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement in America. An orator and writer who fought against slavery and for womens rights, he was the first African-American citizen appointed to high ranks in the US government. He spent time in Cork during the Famine where he made three very important public appearances which attracted thousands of people. During his term as US President, Barack Obama referred to Douglasss legacy, and described him as one of his political heroes. Many observers also drew parallels between Douglasss skills as an orator and Obamas inspirational campaign speeches. Did I ever think living in a 6x6 box room in Gurranabraher watching all the planes come in, that I would have had these opportunities? These are the words of Cork explorer Pat Falvey, after he received the Shackleton Global Award in recognition of his exploration feats. The 67-year-old, self-proclaimed proud Norrie expressed his disbelief after being presented with the award by Prince Albert at a gala event in Monaco. The award commemorates the esteemed Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton on his 150th anniversary. This year's award acknowledges Mr Falveys various achievements, including being the first person to lead an Irish team to the South Pole. Often regarded as one of the most renowned explorers of the age of exploration, Shackleton led a total of three expeditions through the South Pole most famously on board his ship, the Endurance. Mr Falvey holds the title of being the first person to complete the seven summits twice and scaling the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. He said he was honoured to have been chosen for the very prestigious award. In his acceptance speech, Mr Falvey paid tribute to the spirit of exploration that lives on in all of us. It's about inspiring the next generation to push the boundaries of what is possible, to embrace the unknown with courage and determination, he added. Explorer Pat Falvey paid tribute 'to the spirit of exploration that lives on in all of us'. The adventurer described his past experiences as an incredible journey from the icy wastes of the South Pole to the towering heights of Everest. The award is given by the Atlantic Group Trust, a charitable organisation aiming to link young people with the sea and adventure. President of the charity, Enda OCoineen, described Pat as a role model for the young people involved in the organisation. Our mission is to connect youth with the ocean and adventure, he said. Mr Falvey, who now lives by the Gap of Dunloe in Kerry, uses his proximity to Carrauntoohil which he has climbed over 2,500 times. He admits the reality of his achievements is often difficult to accept. Sometimes I have to pinch myself in relation to the accolades that I have been receiving over the last number of years, he said. With over 185 expeditions completed to date, Mr Falvey has a long list of future expeditions to tick off, beginning with visits to Africa and Asia over the next few months. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunities to have these experiences, adding he is grateful and humbled for his life each day. Taoiseach Simon Harris has apologised to the victims, families and survivors of the Stardust tragedy, telling the Dail that families had been through a "living nightmare". Some 48 people lost their lives in the February 1981 fire at a disco in north Dublin. At an inquest last week, a jury returned a verdict that they were unlawfully killed. It came after four decades of campaigning by families and survivors. Mr Harris welcomed the families of those who died and said that there had been "many, many days" when they did not think it would happen. He said that he is "deeply sorry" that families had to wait 43 years for justice. Taoiseach Simon Harris apologised to the families of the victims of the Stardust tragedy in the Dail on Monday. Picture: Oireachtas TV "Today we say formally and without equivocation - we are sorry. We failed you when you needed us most from the very beginning. We have stood with you, but instead we forced you to stand against us." Mr Harris said that he hoped that the State "which rubbed salt in the wounds" of families would now "start to help you heal". He said that he hoped that last week's verdicts would be a "turning point" for both the families and the state. He said that the victims were "more than numbers" and were "bright, young people". Mr Harris continued to read the names and ages of each of the 48 victims out, along with pen portraits supplied by families. He said that families had suffered "stigma heaped upon sorrow" as their loved ones were accused of having set the fire deliberately. Mr Harris said that it was "to our great shame" that the state's processes had heaped "misery upon tragedy" for the family. He said that he was "so deeply sorry" that the first bid for justice in 1981 had ended with "suspicion being cast on those who died". He said that as Taoiseach, he apologised with no reservations. "I apologise to the families that those present on that night were wrongly criminalised through the allegation of arson, which was an attack on their reputations. "I say clearly that every person there was innocent. I say today that the truth is now known. And I say not only were they innocent, they were unlawfully killed." Mr Harris paid tribute to the families and quoted Christine Keegan, mother of two of those who died, who asked what the families had ever done to receive the treatment they had. "Today, I answer that question - you did nothing wrong. The institutions of the state failed you. The institutions of the state let you down. These brave families should never had to walk alone." 'Sobering' Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said that while it is an important day for the Stardust families, a sense of relief would be tempered by due to the amount of time they waited to hear the apology. The organs of the Irish State did not respond when repeatedly confronted by contradictory evidence, Mr Ryan said. It is a sobering indictment of our integrity as a nation and one we must reflect upon, uncomfortable though it may be for many of us in the most powerful positions. Mr Ryan described the conclusion of the Keane Tribunal, which said the fire was caused deliberately, as clearly flawed. He added that families had every right to be angry at the State as it had denied them the truth for so long. Housing Minister Darragh OBrien said that the State did not live up to the principes of justice, its core values nor the decency we owe each and every person in responding to the Stardust tragedy. He said that the State response was utterly lacking in both compassion and understanding, while compounding trauma with grievous mistakes. The baseless finding of probable arson that cast scurrilous aspersions of guilt on an entire community. The paucity and complexity of state compensation. The sheer amount of time it has taken us to get to todays apology, Mr OBrien said. A process wrung out through gimlet eyes of a system blind to suffering. We owed you all so much more. Mr OBrien said that the families and friends were a living tribute to those who died in the Stardust tragedy. He said that more must be done for the families, including the creation of a memorial and that the recommendations from the inquest on building standards and inspections must be implemented. Photo shows Antoinette Keegan with members of the Stardust families meeting Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald after the verdict of unlawful killing was announced last week. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/ RollingNews.ie Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald described the impact of the big lie - that the fire was started by arson on the families throughout the years. The nation's newspaper headlines screamed "Arson". It was a lie repeated over and over again, Ms McDonald said This smeared and criminalised the victims and survivors, suggesting that one of their number was responsible. It was a lie that devastated families and further traumatised survivors. Ms McDonald said that this lie then became the States official position following the Keane Tribunal, which remained on the public record for decades after. At each and every turn the State abused its power to bully, intimidate, pressure and coerce heartbroken mothers, grieving fathers and devastated families, Ms McDonald said. Instead of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Stardust families, the State lined up against them again and again. Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday, killing all 10 people on board, the navy said. The helicopters were rehearsing at a naval base in northern Perak state for the navys 90th anniversary celebration next month when the accident occurred, the navy said in a brief statement. Human rights groups have condemned the UK governments newly passed Rwanda deportation plan as a breach of international law. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill finally passed through the UK parliament early on Tuesday morning after numerous disagreements led to lengthy ping-pong between the two Houses. The charity Freedom from Torture, alongside Amnesty International and Liberty, criticised the UK government for ignoring the findings of the UK Supreme Court, which ruled the policy was unlawful in November. This shameful bill trashes the constitution and international law whilst putting torture survivors and other refugees at risk of an unsafe future in Rwanda The groups said the bill poses a significant threat to the rule of law by undermining what protects people from an abuse of power by the state, and described Westminster as a crime scene. They added the UK was increasingly gaining a reputation for playing fast and loose with its international obligations and called for the asylum system to be rebuilt. Rishi Sunak believes sending asylum seekers on the one-way trip to Rwanda could be a strong deterrent to people seeking to cross the English Channel in small boats. A spokesperson for the organisations said: We all deserve the chance to live a safe life, and to seek protection when we need it most. This shameful Bill trashes the constitution and international law whilst putting torture survivors and other refugees at risk of an unsafe future in Rwanda. No matter how many times the prime minister says so, we know this is not the will of the people. Caring people up and down the UK want to see men, women and children whove fled war, persecution and torture given protection and security, so they can recover and rebuild their lives in safety. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (James Manning/PA) Instead of punishing people whove already been through so much, we need compassionate and protection-focused policies. Its time for those in power to stop demonising and scapegoating some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and to restore the right to asylum in the UK and uphold vital international protections. Kolbassia Haoussou, director of survivor leadership and influencing at Freedom from Torture, said: When I fled torture in my homeland, the UK granted me sanctuary and a chance to rebuild my life. But now, people like me could be sped onto planes to face an unsafe future in Rwanda, and denied the safety and security needed for their recovery. We know from the work we do in our therapy rooms everyday how terrified survivors are, and weve seen first-hand the awful toll it has taken on peoples mental health. We urgently need the UK government to start treating refugees with decency and stop trying to send them thousands of miles away. Denisa Delic, director of advocacy at International Rescue Committee UK, said: Rather than outsourcing its responsibilities under international law, we urge the Government to abandon this misguided plan and instead focus on delivering a more humane and orderly immigration system at home. This includes scaling up safe routes, such as resettlement and family reunion, and upholding the right to seek asylum. Sending refugees to Rwanda, or anywhere else, will never be an effective solution. At the very heart of this brutal law are people simply seeking a safe life with their families, and children hoping to escape the horrors of war. Dr Wanda Wyporska, chief executive officer at Safe Passage International, called the Bill unbelievably cruel and shameful. She said: Not only does it undermine international and UK human rights laws, but it simply wont work to deter people from making dangerous Channel crossings, as refugees have no other way to reach safety and family here. At the very heart of this brutal law are people simply seeking a safe life with their families, and children hoping to escape the horrors of war. The reality is, that the UK government has chosen to deny refugees safe ways to reach the UK to ask for protection, yet its determined to punish people whose only option is to risk their lives to get here. Rather than tearing apart families and inflicting further misery on people who have fled war and persecution, this government should stop wasting resources on getting planes to Rwanda. Instead, it should focus on opening safe routes, such as a refugee visa, for people to reach protection safely." A veteran tabloid publisher told a court in New York on Tuesday that he pledged to be Donald Trumps eyes and ears during his 2016 presidential campaign. David Pecker recounted how he promised the then-candidate that he would help suppress stories that had the potential to harm the Republicans election bid. The evidence from Mr Pecker was designed to bolster prosecutors assertions of a decades-long friendship between Trump and the former publisher of the National Enquirer that culminated in an agreement to give the candidate a heads-up on negative tips and stories so they could be quashed. Mr Pecker is the first witness in Trumps historic hush money trial in Manhattan, where he faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments meant to prevent harmful stories from surfacing during the final days of the 2016 campaign. The stories included an adult film actors claims of an extramarital sexual encounter a decade earlier. The effort to suppress unflattering information was designed to influence the election, prosecutors have alleged in seeking to elevate the gravity of the first trial of a former American president. Mr Pecker described for jurors a pivotal August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower involving Trump, his lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen, and another aide, Hope Hicks, in which he was asked what he and the magazines he led could do for the campaign. Mr Pecker said he volunteered to publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents. But that was not all, he said, telling jurors how he told Trump: I will be your eyes and ears. I said that anything I hear in the marketplace, if I hear anything negative about yourself, or if I hear about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen, so that the rights could be purchased and the stories could be killed. So they would not get published? prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked. So they would not get published, Mr Pecker replied. Judge Juan Merchan ruled that the former president must pay a fine and remove several posts from his social media (Elizabeth Williams via AP) Mr Peckers resumption of evidence on Tuesday followed a hearing earlier in the day in which prosecutors urged Judge Juan Merchan to hold Trump in contempt and fine him $1,000 (939) for each of 10 social media posts that they say violated an earlier gag order barring attacks on witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case. Judge Merchan did not immediately rule, but he appeared sceptical of a defence lawyers arguments that Trump was merely responding in his posts to others attacks and had been trying to comply with the order. Mr Peckers testimony began on Monday after opening statements that offered the 12-person jury and the voting public radically divergent roadmaps for a case that will unfold against the backdrop of a closely contested White House race in which Trump is not only the presumptive Republican nominee but also a criminal defendant facing the prospect of a felony conviction and prison. Prosecutors allege that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race through a practice known in the tabloid industry as catch-and-kill catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else. In this case, that included a $130,000 (122,000) payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter that Trump denies. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records a charge punishable by up to four years in prison. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. 1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241 A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Excerpted from Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction Available from City Lights The center of the world, where recorded civilization got its start over 7,000 years ago, can be found in southwestern Asia, in ancient Mesopotamia. It can be found in The Epic of Gilgamesh, in the Torah and the Talmud, in The Odyssey and The Iliad of Homer; in Zoroastrianism, which predated the Quran by over 2,000 years; in A Thousand and One Nights and in the literature of 20th-century poets and writers, among them Khalil Gibran and Naguib Mahfouz, Hanan Al-Shaykh, Ahdaf Souief, Nizar Qabbani, Ghassan Kanafani, Mahmood Darwish, Forugh Farrokhzad, Amin Maalouf, Edward Said, Hisham Matar, Assia Djebar, Kateb Yacine and too many more to name. Eventually nationalism took root, as it did in Europe, and the ancient civilizations became identified as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and the many other countries, small and large, that stretch from the Mashriq to the Maghreb as far east as Pakistan and Afghanistan to Morocco in the west. But in 1902, American naval historian and retired admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan expressed a hegemonic vision of the world in an argument he published in the National Review. In The Persian Gulf and International Relations, Mahan described the western Asian region from the Gulf to the Mediterranean as the Middle East, suggesting that whichever navy controlled that part of the world would hold the key to world domination. After World War I, Europeans jumped into the fray with the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement, which divvied up the region after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, with several countries coming under British or French influence. The domino effect of outsiders meddling in the affairs of west Asian nations led to the Balfour Declaration, the San Remo Conference, the partition of Palestine, the creation of Trans-Jordan (a British protectorate for 25 years), the division of Greater Syria into Syria and Lebanon, then the end of Palestine and the establishment of Israel . . . right up to the year 1953, when the CIA with the machinations of MI6, succeeded in fomenting the overthrow of Irans democratically elected leader, Mohammad Mossadegh, which would lead to the anti-Shah uprising 26 years later that became known as the Iranian or Islamic Revolution. Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction, edited by Jordan Elgrably. Click here to buy. All of this to say that the Middle East or the Near East are akin to exonyms, terms used by outsiders to define others as they often do not define themselves; they are convenient catch phrases that continue to cause consternation today among those of us who are from the center of the world. Lebanese poet and translator Huda Fakhreddine calls the Middle East a trap a made-up thing, a construct of history and treacherous geography, the Middle East as an American trope, a stage for identity politics. To be sure, neither Rear Admiral Mahan nor Lord Balfour, much less Mark Sykes, Francois Georges-Picot, or any of the other many thousands of Western politicians, secret agents, generals, businessmen and other meddlers have ever given much thought or exhibited empathy when it comes to what it means to be Iraqi or Syrian or Iranian or Egyptian, or Palestinian. Geopolitics has been capitalisms overlord and nationalisms emperor, serving agendas that have little to do with the needs of real people. It is a given that governments prefer borders and passports, shored up by flags and patriotism, while people will always find a way to relate to one another, in spite of their nationalities. Personally, I prefer the metaphor of the mosaic or the salad when it comes to parsing identity: just as it takes several colors to create a mosaic, and a salad contains diverse ingredients, we are all the sum of multiple parts, and each of us is much more than our national identity card. I became closer to my own North African roots as a result of living in Spain in the lead-up to the 1992 Quincentennial, when there was a lot of talk about the Spanish Muslims and Jews who were effectively exiled as a result of the Inquisition in 1492. They left a powerful imprint on the soul of the country, as Marie Rosa Menocal so elegantly describes in her classic work, The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain (2002). But the convivencia that Menocal described was not merely a period of Spanish history; this cultural entente was innate to southwest Asian societies, which had long been comprised of a mix of religious, cultural and ethnic communities. In the aftermath of the postWorld War II reconfiguration, the Nakba, the Islamic Revolution and the Iraq War, however, the region has lost much of its organic diversity, and current economic strife and climate devastation continue what Western meddlers started over a hundred years ago. Not all is doom and gloom when it comes to the center of the world today, however, because despite the failures of the Green Movement, the Arab Spring and the Syrian civil war, what has not changed is West Asias geopolitical centrality, as Chas Freeman has written. It is where Africa, Asia, and Europe and the routes that connect them meet. The regions cultures cast a deep shadow across northern Africa, Central, South and Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean. It is the epicenter of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the three Abrahamic religions that together shape the faiths and moral standards of over three-fifths of humankind. This gives the region global reach. This is the time for the original voices of people from the region to be heard for Arabs, Iranians, Kurds, Middle Eastern Jews, Armenians, Turks, Afghans, Pakistanis, the Amazigh and Kabyl peoples, Druze, Assyrians, Copts, Yezidis et alia to speak up, and speak out. # # # VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP. (Azincourt or the Company) (TSX.V: AAZ), is pleased to announce it has closed a first tranche of its non-brokered private placement consisting of 10,714,356 flow-through units (the FT Units) offered at a price of $0.035 per FT Unit (the Offering) for gross proceeds of $375,002.50. The Company is also pleased to announce an upsize to the Offering and will now raise aggregate gross proceeds of up to $500,000. Each FT Unit is comprised of one flow-through common share (a FT Share) and one common share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each Warrant is exercisable at a price of $0.05 into one common share for a period of 36 months from the date of closing of the Offering. The gross proceeds of the Offering will be applied to the drilling, exploration and development of the Companys East Preston Property, located in the Athabasca region of Saskatchewan, Canada and the Big Hill lithium project, located in southwestern Newfoundland. Proceeds of the Offering will not be used for payments to non-arms length parties or to persons conducting investor relations activities. In connection with the closing of the first tranche of the Offering, the Company paid finders fees totaling $21,000.18 and issued a total of 350,000 finders warrants. Each finders warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of $0.05 until April 22, 2027. The securities issued under the Offering are subject to a hold period under applicable securities laws in Canada expiring four months and one day from the date of closing of the Offering and are subject to certain closing conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The FT Shares will qualify as flow-through shares (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the Tax Act)). An amount equal to the gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares will be used to incur eligible resource exploration expenses which will qualify as (i) Canadian exploration expenses (as defined in the Tax Act), and (ii) as flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures (as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act) (collectively, the Qualifying Expenditures). Qualifying Expenditures in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the FT Shares will be incurred (or deemed to be incurred) by the Company on or before December 31, 2025 and will be renounced by the Company to the initial purchasers of the FT Shares with an effective date no later than December 31, 2024. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Azincourt Energy Corp. Azincourt is a Canadian-based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration, and development of alternative energy/fuel projects, including uranium, lithium, and other critical clean energy elements. The Company is currently active at its joint venture East Preston uranium project located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, and the Big Hill lithium project, located in southwestern Newfoundland. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP. Alex Klenman Alex Klenman, President & CEO For further information please contact: Alex Klenman, President & CEO This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Azincourt Energy Corp. 1012 1030 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6E 2Y3 www.azincourtenergy.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the use of proceeds and completion of the Private Placement. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are highlighted in the Risks and Uncertainties in the Companys management discussion and analysis for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, dated January 24, 2024, and also include the risks that the Offering does not complete as contemplated, or at all; that the Company does not complete any further offerings; that the Company does not carry out exploration activities in respect of its mineral project as planned (or at all); and that the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Companys actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation: the future price of minerals; anticipated costs and the Companys ability to raise additional capital if and when necessary; volatility in the market price of the Companys securities; future sales of the Companys securities; the Companys ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the success of exploration, development and operations activities; the timing and results of drilling programs; the discovery of mineral resources on the Companys mineral properties; the costs of operating and exploration expenditures; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); uncertainties related to title to mineral properties; assessments by taxation authorities; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking statements and the assumptions made with respect thereto are made as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. VANCOUVER, CANADA TheNewswire - April 23, 2024: Sitka Gold Corp. (Sitka or the Company) (TSXV:SIG) (FSE:1RF) (OTCQB:SITKF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an amending agreement (the "Amendment") dated April 12, 2024 to acquire a 100% ownership in the Barney Ridge Property (Barney Ridge or the Property), one of the underlying properties that comprise the Companys road accessible, 386 square kilometre RC Gold Project (RC Gold or the Project) located in Yukons Tombstone Gold Belt. The Barney Ridge Property is adjacent to the Clear Creek property which hosts the Blackjack and Eiger gold deposits (see Figure 1). The Company has completed all the exploration requirements and has made all property cash and share payments pursuant to the Barney Ridge Property option agreement (see news release dated June 26, 2020) subject to the Amendment whereby the balance of future exploration expenditures will be waived and the Company will make a final payment of $60,000 cash and issue 550,000 shares (the Consideration Shares) to acquire a 100% interest in the Property on or before May 15, 2024. The Amendment and the issuance of the Consideration Shares remain subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Barney Ridge is a 17.8 square kilometre contiguous claim group that contains the Barney Stock, a mid Cretaceous intrusion that has a signature of approximately 2 km by 1 km (see Figure 1 and 3). The intrusion related gold mineralization identified to date at Barney Ridge has a similar composition to the intrusive bodies that comprise the proximal Clear Creek Intrusive Complex where the Company has recently defined a mineral resource estimate (the MRE) of 1.34 million ounces of gold (1) within and around the Saddle and Eiger intrusive stocks (see Figure 2). The Saddle and Eiger stocks are associated with the Blackjack and Eiger intrusion related gold deposits which comprise the MRE, remain open in all directions and contain 900,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 0.83 g/t and 440,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 0.50 g/t respectively(1). The intrusion related gold deposit targets at Barney Ridge have never been drilled, are road accessible and exhibit gold mineralization that is analogous to the gold mineralization present at the nearby Blackjack and Eiger gold deposits. We are very pleased to have reached an agreement whereby Sitka will obtain 100% ownership of the Barney Ridge Property, stated Cor Coe, CEO and Director. The Barney intrusive stock has a very large surface footprint and exhibits many of the same mineral characteristics as the nearby intrusions present at our expanding Blackjack and Eiger gold deposits. The Barney Ridge Property, which has never been drilled, was always a key component of the consolidated RC Gold Project land package and we are eager to unlock value there with expanded exploration efforts as we continue to grow the initial mineral resource estimate and pursue additional new discoveries across our district-scale RC Gold Project. Figure 1: Map of the RC Gold Project showing Barney Ridge Property location Figure 2: Plan map of the Northern Extent of the Clear Creek Intrusive Complex where several drill intervals and surface samples have demonstrated the high-grade nature of the Reduced Intrusion Related Gold System present. Yellow stars indicate where outcrop rock samples or drill hole intervals have returned >10 g/t gold. Several additional targets with the potential to host intrusion related gold deposits of significant size and grade have yet to be drilled within this approximately 3 km x 5 km area. The Saddle Zone target area remains largely untested by drilling and contains the largest and strongest gold-in-soil anomaly on the property. Exploration completed on the Property to date has consisted of limited soil sampling, prospecting and trenching along with an airborne magnetic (MAG) survey (see Figures 3 and 4). This work has identified 3 areas of significant gold mineralization within or peripheral to the 2 km by 1 km Barney Stock; the Clover Zone, the Lucky Charm Zone and the Leprechaun Zone (Figure 3). At the Clover Zone, rock sampling has returned grab samples from quartz veins with gold values ranging from detection up to 2.87 g/t Au within an 800 m by 500 m area on the northern margin of the Barney Stock. At the 600 m by 125 m Lucky Charm Zone, prospecting has returned samples ranging from detection up to 7.61 g/t Au and trench sampling returned up to 7.0 m of 0.65 g/t gold and 0.8 m of 7.72 g/t gold. This zone remains open in all directions. The Leprechaun Zone occurs within hornfelsed metasedimentary rocks on the east of the Barney Stock and is defined by a 1.5 km by 0.5 km > 30 ppb Au soil anomaly. Prospecting within the anomaly has returned rock samples ranging from detection up to 2.07 g/t Au. Figure 3: Work map highlighting rock and soil sample results with significant gold values at Barney Ridge. Figure 4: Airborne MAG survey of Barney Ridge showing total mag intensity and rock grab sample results. About the flagship RC Gold Project The RC Gold Project consists of a 386 square kilometre contiguous district-scale land package located in the heart of Yukon's Tombstone Gold Belt. The project is located approximately 100 kilometres east of Dawson City, which has a 5,000 foot paved runway, and is accessed via a secondary gravel road from the Klondike Highway which is usable year-round and is an approximate 2 hour drive from Dawson. It is the largest consolidated land package strategically positioned mid-way between Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine - Yukons newest gold mine which reached commercial production in the summer of 2020 - and Victoria Golds former producing Brewery Creek Gold Mine. On January 19, 2023 Sitka Gold announced an Initial Mineral Resource Estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) guidelines for the RC Gold Property of 1,340,000 ounces of gold(1). The road accessible, pit constrained Mineral Resource is classified as inferred and is contained in two zones: The Blackjack and Eiger deposits. Both of these deposits are at/near surface, are potentially open pit minable and amenable to heap leaching, with initial bottle roll tests indicating that the gold is not refractory and has high gold recoveries of up to 94% with minimal NaCN consumption (see News Release July 13, 2022). The Mineral Resource estimate is presented in the following table at a base case cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au: RC Gold Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate COG g/t Au Blackjack Zone Eiger Zone Combined Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's 0.20 35,798 0.80 921 32,523 0.45 471 68,321 0.63 1,391 0.25 33,743 0.83 900 27,362 0.50 440 61,105 0.68 1,340 0.30 31,282 0.88 885 22,253 0.55 393 53,535 0.74 1,279 0.35 29,065 0.92 860 17,817 0.60 344 46,882 0.80 1,203 0.40 26,975 0.96 833 14,506 0.66 308 41,481 0.86 1,140 Notes 1. Mineral resource estimate prepared by Ronald G. Simpson of GeoSim Services Inc. with an effective date of January 19, 2023. Mineral Resources are classified using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards. 2. The cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au is believed to provide a reasonable margin over operating and sustaining costs for open-pit mining and processing 3. Mineral resources are constrained by an optimised pit shell using the following assumptions: US$1800/oz Au price; a 45 pit slope; assumed metallurgical recovery of 85%; mining costs of US$2.00 per tonne; processing costs of US$8.00 per tonne; G&A of US$1.50/t. 4. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding. To date, 56 diamond drill holes have been drilled into this system for a total of approximately 19,962 metres including 16 drill holes totalling 6,515 metres completed in 2023 focused on expanding the initial resource. The drilling in 2023 produced results of up to 219.0 m of 1.34 g/t gold including 124.8 m of 2.01 g/t gold and 55.0 m of 3.11 g/t gold in drill hole DDRCCC-23-047 at Blackjack (see news release dated September 26, 2023). The Company recently completed two drill holes totalling 1,085 metres during the winter phase of a planned 15,000 metre diamond drilling program at the RC Gold Project for 2024. All core samples for these drill holes have been delivered to the lab and assays are currently pending. *For more detailed information on the underlying properties please visit our website at www.sitkagoldcorp.com RC Gold Deposit Model Exploration on the Property has mainly focused on identifying an intrusion-related gold system (IRGS). The property is within the Tombstone Gold Belt which is the prominent host to IRGS deposits within the Tintina Gold Province in Yukon and Alaska. Notable deposits from the belt include: Fort Knox Mine in Alaska with current Proven and Probable Reserves of 230 million tonnes at 0.3 g/t Au (2.471 million ounces; Sims 2018)(1); Eagle Gold Mine with current Measured and Indicated Resources of 233 million tonnes at a grade of 0.57 g/t Au at the Eagle Main Zone (4.303 million ounces; Harvey et al, 2022)(2); the Brewery Creek deposit with current Indicated Mineral Resource of 22.2 million tonnes at a gold grade of 1.11 g/t (0.789 million ounces; Hulse et al. 2020)(3); the Florin Gold deposit, located adjacent to Sitkas RC Gold project, with a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 170.99 million tonnes grading 0.45 g/t (2.47 million ounces; Simpson 2021)(4) and the AurMac Project with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 347.49 million tonnes grading 0.63 gram per tonne gold (7.00 million ounces)(5). (1) Sims J. Fort Knox Mine Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report. June 11, 2018. https://s2.q4cdn.com/496390694/files/doc_downloads/2018/Fort-Knox-June-2018-Technical-Report.pdf (2) Harvey N., Gray P., Winterton J., Jutras M., Levy M.,Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine, Yukon Territory, Canada. Victoria Gold Corp. December 31, 2022. https://vgcx.com/site/assets/files/6534/vgcx_-_2023_eagle_mine_technical_report_final.pdf (3) Hulse D, Emanuel C, Cook C. NI 43-101 Technical Report on Mineral Resources. Gustavson Associates. May 31, 2020. https://www.goldenpredator.com/_resources/Brewery-Creek_NI-43-101-05OCT2020-File.pdf (4) Simpson R. Florin Gold Project NI 43-101 Technical Report. Geosim Services Inc. April 21, 2021. https://sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00005795&issuerType=03&projectNo=03236138&docI d=4984158 (5) Banyan Gold News Release Dated February 7, 2023 (Technical Report to be filed within 45 days of news release) https://banyangold.com/news-releases/2024/banyan-announces-7-million-ounce-gold-updated-mineral-resource-estimate-aurma c-project-yukon-canada/ Upcoming Events Sitka Gold will be attending and/or presenting at the following events*: 121 Mining Investment Conference, London, England: May 15 - 16, 2024 Yukon Mining Alliance Property Tours, Dawson City, Yukon: June 20 - 26, 2024 Takestock Investor Forum, Stampede Event, Calgary, Alberta: July 3, 2024 Precious Metals Summit, Beaver Creek, Colorado: September 10 - 13, 2-024 *All events are subject to change. About Sitka Gold Corp. Sitka Gold Corp. is a well-funded mineral exploration company headquartered in Canada. The Company is managed by a team of experienced industry professionals and is focused on exploring for economically viable mineral deposits with its primary emphasis on gold, silver and copper mineral properties of merit. Sitka currently has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the RC, Barney Ridge, Clear Creek and OGI properties in the Yukon and the Burro Creek Gold property in Arizona. Sitka owns a 100% interest in its Alpha Gold property in Nevada, its Mahtin Gold property in the Yukon and its Coppermine River project in Nunavut. The Company recently announced an NI 43-101 compliant initial inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 1,340,000 ounces of gold(1) beginning at surface and grading 0.68 g/t at its RC Gold Project in Yukon (see news release dated January 19, 2023). A total of approximately 7,585 metres of additional diamond drilling within 18 drill holes has been completed at RC Gold since the announcement of the Mineral Resource Estimate. Simpson, R. January 19, 2023. Clear Creek Property, RC Gold Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Cor Coe, P.Geo., Director and CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SITKA GOLD CORP. Donald Penner President and Director For more information contact: Donald Penner President & Director 778-212-1950 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Cor Coe CEO & Director 604-817-4753 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this news release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to the TSX Venture Exchanges approval of the Amendment and the issuance of the Consideration Shares. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions of management, including, without limitation, that the TSX Venture Exchange will approve of the Amendment and the issuance of the Consideration Shares. Additionally, forward-looking information involve a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: (a) the failure of the Company to obtain approval of the TSX Venture Exchange to the Amendment and the issuance of the Consideration Shares, and (b) unanticipated costs. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this news release. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this news release by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this news release. LONDON, ON, April 23, 2024 /CNW/ - Abitibi Metals Corp. (CSE: AMQ) (OTCQB: AMQFF) (FSE: FW0) ("Abitibi" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed its Phase 1 maiden drill program at the B26 Polymetallic Deposit ("B26", the "Project" or the "Deposit"). On November 16th, 2023, the Company entered into an option agreement on the B26 Polymetallic Deposit to earn 80% over 7 years from SOQUEM Inc. ("SOQUEM"), a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec (see news release dated November 16, 2023). 44 diamond drill holes were completed totalling 13,502 metres under the first phase of a fully funded 50,000metre, 2024-2025 drill program. To-date, assay results from the first 10 holes have been released; assay results for the remaining 34 drill holes are expected over the coming weeks and will be released once received and compiled. The Company intends to recommence drilling activities in early June once the winter break-up concludes and Phase 2 targeting is finalized. Highlights from the Phase 1 Program include: B26 Main Deposit: 36 holes were completed, totalling 10,469.5 metres, to evaluate the open pit potential and potential up-dip near-surface extensions of the Main Deposit to the north and infill gaps in the model. Satellite West: 5 holes were completed, totalling 1,716 metres, targeting the geometric continuity of a potential satellite zone 500 metres to the west of the Main Deposit. Eastern Extension: 3 holes were completed, totalling 1,317 metres, targeting the expansion of the main deposit to the east where 2.45% Cu Eq over 26.7 metres, including 4.74% CuEq over 11.7 metres (1274-14-167) was intercepted in historical drilling. Phase 1 highlight intervals to date include: #1274-24-293: 2.6% CuEq over 37.0 metres beginning at 106 metres depth, including 6.3% CuEq over 10.6 metres #1274-24-294: 2.5% CuEq over 61.3 metres beginning at 128.6 metres depth, including 11.4% CuEq over 10.6 metres #1274-24-300: 5.35% CuEq over 8.1 metres beginning at 251.5 metres depth #1274-24-301: 1.47% CuEq over 97.5 metres beginning at 30.5 metres depth, including 3.9% CuEq over 21.9 metres Jonathon Deluce, CEO of Abitibi Metals, commented, "We are thrilled with these initial results of our maiden drill program at the B26 Polymetallic Copper Deposit. We had initially planned to drill 2,750 metres but with the continued success in drilling and support from our shareholders, we expanded our maiden program to 13,500 metres, larger than our initial total program for 2024." Mr. Deluce continued: "The significance of this program cannot be understated. Part of our thesis when we optioned B26 was to assess the potential open-pit component that could be added to the historical underground resource. Our strategy for this maiden program was to primarily concentrate on high-priority targets within the Main Deposit to a depth of 300 metres, and the results from #293, #294, #300 and #301, which identified significant near-surface high metal factor zones, support our thesis of assessing the open-pit potential at B26 further. With the recently completed financing bringing our total treasury to approximately $19 million, we are well-positioned to build on this maiden program with a further 36,500 metres to be drilled into 2025. I look forward to sharing the remaining results in the coming weeks as we prepare for the next phase of drilling in the Spring of 2024." The Company's 2024 strategy moving forward to develop B26 will be focused on five milestones: 16,500+ metres of drilling. With 13,500 metres completed, the Company anticipates drilling a further 16,500 metres in 2024 as part of the total 50,000 metres fully funded into 2025. Updated Internal Resource & 3D Model: The Company recently announced its first 3D model of the Project, integrating data from its maiden program with the 115,000+ metres drilled by SOQUEM. The new 3D geological model represents a fundamental evolution in the understanding of the geological controls of mineralization within the B26 Deposit, and is expected to inform and improve confidence in an updated internal mineral resource estimate, which is currently underway. Gravity Survey: The Company is planning a Gravity Survey grid to cover extensions of the VMS contact to help model the geology, primarily the mafic-felsic contacts and sulphide-rich environment, in order to target new mineralized extensions and satellites close to the surface and at a moderate depth (300 to 600 metres). This is aligned with our first-year objective of improving our understanding of the Project. Eventually, an integrated geophysics approach could deliver additional discoveries on the property. Evaluation of Assay Preparation: In the 2018 resource estimate, SGS recommended QAQC protocols to explain the replicability for the four metals (Au-Cu-Ag-Zn). The Company has set up a series of assaying protocols with the objective to control QAQC issues from the beginning of the project. As a result, samples are crushed finer with 95% of particles passing 1.7 mm and a large split of 1 kg is pulverized down to 106 m (150 mesh). The Company believes that these adjustments will help to better evaluate the higher-grade areas of the deposit as shown in the results of drillhole 1274-24-293 which represents the potential opportunity to increase the grade within areas of the deposit. The Company is reviewing historical intercepts to determine areas for re-assaying to be able to define more precisely higher grade lenses inside the deposit Additional Sampling of Historical Core: In the 2018 resource estimate, SGS identified 8,300 metres of historical unassayed core within the mineralized corridor. The Company plans to start assaying these identified areas to complete the model and help better determine the boundaries of the deposit. Beschefer Drilling Update The Company is pleased to announce that drilling continues at the Beschefer Gold Project 7 km to the northeast of the B26 Deposit. To date, the Company has focused drilling on the "East Zone", where 5 holes totalling 1,679 metres have been completed as of April 22, 2024 and is on track to complete 2,975 metres across 10 holes. The East Zone hosts some of the highest historical intercepts, including 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 metres and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 metres. B26 Polymetallic Deposit Summary Located within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt, B26 comprises 66 claims covering 3,328 hectares in the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James territory and represents a substantial opportunity to develop a copper, zinc, gold, and silver Polymetallic Deposit in a region with a rich history of base and precious metal production, which includes the Detour and Casa Berardi Mines. There is year-round road access with a power line running through the Project. Abitibi is the first public company with the option to earn into the B26 Deposit, which has a strike length of 1 km and depth extent of 0.8 km, both of which are open to expansion. Abitibi will focus on delivering shareholder value with an aggressive exploration approach, including a fully financed approximate 50,000 metres of drilling in 2024 and 2025 that will focus on advancing the historical 2018 resource1 while testing its open-pit potential. Property Highlights Include: Historical 2018 resource prepared by SGS Canada Inc. for SOQUEM Inc. that includes 254 holes over 115,311 meters, advancing the asset to a significant resource that includes, across all categories, 400 million pounds of copper, 286,000 ounces of gold, and significant zinc silver exposure. B26 Historical Resource Summary1 (2018) Indicated: 6.97 Mt at 2.94% Cu Eq (1.32% Cu, 1.80% Zn, 0.60 g/t Au and 43 g/t Ag) Inferred: 4.41 Mt at 2.97% Cu Eq (2.03% Cu, 0.22% Zn, 1.07 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag) Historical drilling by SOQUEM has established the continuity down to a vertical depth of 800 meters and the deposit remains open at depth and laterally with strong historical intercepts including: 2.32% Cu Eq over 89.5 metres (1274-13-117) 3.05% Cu Eq over 48.1 metres (1274-16-224) 8.95% Cu Eq over 11.5 metres (1274-14-152) The B26 deposit is situated within 7 km of the historical Selbaie Mine, a Polymetallic Deposit with a variety of mineralization styles and element combination, that had a historical resource of 56.9 Mt @ 0.87% Cu, 1.85% Zn, 0.55 g/t Au, 39 g/t Ag (CONSOREM 2012). Reference to this nearby property is for information only, and there are no assurances that the Company will achieve the same results at the B26 Deposit. Qualified Person Information contained in this press release was reviewed and approved by Martin Demers, P.Geo., OGQ No. 770, who is a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, and responsible for the technical information provided in this news release. About Abitibi Metals Corp Abitibi Metals Corp. is a Quebec-focused mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality base and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Abitibi's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and includes the option to earn 80% of the high-grade B26 Polymetallic Deposit, which hosts a historical resource estimate1 of 7.0MT @ 2.94% Cu Eq (Ind) & 4.4MT @ 2.97% Cu Eq (Inf), and the Beschefer Gold Project, where historical drilling has identified 4 historical intercepts with a metal factor of over 100 g/t gold highlighted by 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 metres and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 metres amongst four modelled zones. About SOQUEM SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec, is dedicated to promoting the exploration, discovery and development of mining properties in Quebec. SOQUEM also contributes to maintaining strong local economies. Proud partner and ambassador for the development of Quebec's mineral wealth, SOQUEM relies on innovation, research and strategic minerals to be well-positioned for the future. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jonathon Deluce, Chief Executive Officer The Company also maintains an active presence on various social media platforms to keep stakeholders and the general public informed and encourages shareholders and interested parties to follow and engage with the Company through the following channels to stay updated with the latest news, industry insights, and corporate announcements: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbitibiMetals LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abitibi-metals-corp-amq-c/ Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Note 1: A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The issuer is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Source: Rapport Technique NI 43-101 Estimation des Ressources Projet B26, Quebec, For SOQUEM Inc., By SGS Canada Inc., Yann Camus, ing., Olivier Vadnais-Leblanc, geo., SGS Canada Geostat., Effective Date: April 18, 2018, Date of Report : May 11, 2018 Note 2: Copper Equivalent values were calculated using metal prices of $4.00/lb Cu, $1.50/lb Zn, $20.00/ounce Ag and $1,800/ounce Au. Metal recoveries of 100% are applied in the copper equivalent calculation. The application of a copper equivalent is a comparison measure used to level variable metal ratios. Results are not related to the recoveries and by virtue of the value of a mining production. Note 3 - Sources: Fayard, Q, Mercier-Langevin, P., Wodicka, N., Daigneault, R., & Perreault, S. (2020). The B26 Cu-Zn-Ag-Au Project, Brouillan Volcanic Complex, Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Part 1: Geological Setting and Geochronology. Fayard, Q. (2020). CONTROLES VOLCANIQUES, HYDROTHERMAUX ET STRUCTURAUX SUR LA NATURE ET LA DISTRIBUTION DES METAUX USUELS ET PRECIEUX DANS LES ZONES MINERALISEES DU PROJET B26, COMPLEXE VOLCANIQUE DE BROUILLAN, ABITIBI, QUEBEC. Forward-looking statement This news release contains certain statements, which may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information involves statements that are not based on historical information but rather relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments on the B26 Project or otherwise. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions, which are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company's control and many of which, regarding future business decisions, are subject to change. These uncertainties and contingencies can affect actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on the Company's behalf. Although Abitibi has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. All factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Abitibi's forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects," "estimates," "anticipates," or variations of such words and phrases (including negative and grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "might" or "occur. Mineral exploration and development are highly speculative and are characterized by a number of significant inherent risks, which may result in the inability of the Company to successfully develop current or proposed projects for commercial, technical, political, regulatory or financial reasons, or if successfully developed, may not remain economically viable for their mine life owing to any of the foregoing reasons, among others. There is no assurance that the Company will be successful in achieving commercial mineral production and the likelihood of success must be considered in light of the stage of operations. VANCOUVER, BC / TheNewswire / April 23, 2024 Element79 Gold Corp. (CSE: ELEM) (OTC: ELMGF) (FSE: 7YS0) ("Element79", the "Company) reports additional results from the most recent underground and surface sampling of its flagship Lucero property. These geochemical assays of exploration samples continue to support the immense potential housed within Element 79s crown jewel. The data obtained is not just promising; it's the cornerstone upon which our future endeavors will be built, said James Tworek, CEO of Element 79. These recent results coupled with historical data represent the bedrock upon which we are advancing our Lucero project. Among a total of 97 samples were sent for assays, 56 of which returned greater than 0.1 g/t gold (up to 8.55 g/t gold and 523 g/t silver) which are shown in Table 1. Several samples also were also rich in base metals (up to 23.7% lead and 9.9% zinc), all of which underscores the richness of our project further supporting the Companys belief a robust resource base can be delineated. Figure 1. Fall 2023 Sample locations (yellow stars), mapped workings (crosses), with selected Samples highlighted. Table 1. Samples returning >0.1 g/t gold from the fall 2023 sampling program, C (channel sample), G (grab sample), S (surface), U (underground). Sampel Type Origin WGS84 Z18S Easting WGS84 Z18S Northing length (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % 2101 C S 803,491 8,296,553 0.80 0.30 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 2103 C S 803,493 8,296,666 1.00 0.53 8.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 2104 C S 803,658 8,296,620 0.30 0.15 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 2108 C S 803,700 8,296,468 0.60 0.12 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 2109 C S 803,700 8,296,469 0.50 0.30 6.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 2113 C S 803,730 8,296,446 1.00 0.25 40.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 2117 C S 803,481 8,296,736 1.10 0.12 3.8 0.0 0.1 0.0 2119 C S 803,457 8,296,803 0.50 0.58 2.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 2120 C S 803,456 8,296,803 0.60 1.57 9.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 2123 C S 803,399 8,296,787 0.50 2.77 9.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 2124 C S 803,399 8,296,788 0.80 0.27 5.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 2125 C S 803,298 8,297,044 0.35 1.70 57.7 0.0 0.1 0.1 2126 C S 803,298 8,297,043 0.60 6.22 33.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 2127 C S 803,189 8,297,146 0.35 5.01 138.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 2128 C S 803,303 8,296,978 0.80 0.27 17.4 0.0 0.1 0.1 2129 C S 803,257 8,297,133 0.40 1.75 84.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 2130 C S 803,256 8,297,133 0.85 0.65 42.6 0.0 0.0 0.1 2134 C S 803,594 8,297,072 0.60 0.18 26.2 0.0 0.4 0.1 2139 G U 801,951 8,294,338 N/A 6.96 81.4 0.1 0.4 0.8 2140 G U 801,929 8,294,348 N/A 1.06 23.1 0.0 0.7 1.2 2141 C U 801,882 8,294,362 0.30 0.12 5.5 0.0 0.0 0.1 2143 C U 801,832 8,294,389 0.30 0.90 29.1 0.0 0.1 0.3 2145 G U 801,809 8,294,390 N/A 8.55 523.0 0.0 0.4 0.2 2149 C U 801,824 8,294,392 0.45 6.19 97.0 0.1 0.4 0.4 2150 C U 802,276 8,293,072 0.90 0.14 40.1 0.1 2.1 1.3 2152 C U 802,297 8,293,075 0.30 2.11 48.5 0.0 1.6 3.6 2154 C U 802,297 8,293,075 0.50 0.11 6.3 0.0 0.3 0.8 2156 C U 802,374 8,293,117 0.90 0.18 6.6 0.1 0.2 0.4 2157 C U 802,382 8,293,119 1.50 0.16 13.7 0.1 0.3 2.2 2159 C U 802,412 8,293,119 0.40 0.16 22.7 0.0 2.7 1.6 2160 C U 802,439 8,293,126 0.80 0.10 34.1 0.2 2.3 2.7 2162 G U 802,498 8,293,150 N/A 0.60 5.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 2163 C U 802,520 8,293,161 0.65 0.24 7.2 0.0 0.5 1.0 2165 C U 802,542 8,293,167 0.30 0.11 2.9 0.0 0.2 0.2 2166 C U 802,596 8,293,176 0.55 0.29 2.4 0.0 0.1 0.2 2167 C U 802,595 8,293,175 0.60 0.20 23.5 0.0 2.9 2.2 2169 C U 802,327 8,293,090 0.55 0.27 4.3 0.0 0.0 0.1 2171 C U 802,327 8,293,091 0.50 0.43 29.4 0.0 0.6 0.7 2173 C U 802,367 8,293,108 0.45 0.37 14.7 0.0 0.6 0.3 2175 C U 802,385 8,293,111 0.90 0.32 69.0 0.6 3.8 2.6 2176 C U 802,405 8,293,113 0.35 1.22 60.8 0.2 3.7 2.7 2178 C U 802,424 8,293,116 0.55 0.17 5.8 0.0 0.2 0.3 2179 C U 802,424 8,293,115 0.40 0.49 210.0 0.3 23.7 9.9 2181 C U 802,424 8,293,115 0.70 0.16 35.3 0.1 0.1 1.0 2182 C U 802,453 8,293,126 0.75 0.17 7.8 0.0 0.2 0.2 2183 C U 802,510 8,293,155 0.80 0.25 6.6 0.0 0.2 0.5 2184 C U 802,509 8,293,156 0.50 0.65 30.5 0.1 1.8 6.1 2185 C U 802,629 8,293,181 0.40 0.12 5.7 0.1 0.1 0.3 2187 C U 802,676 8,293,176 0.55 0.54 10.6 0.0 0.4 0.8 2188 C U 802,676 8,293,176 0.35 0.27 15.9 0.1 1.6 0.6 2189 C U 802,331 8,293,090 2.00 0.40 12.9 0.0 0.5 0.3 2200 C U 802,361 8,293,107 0.40 0.19 3.3 0.0 0.3 0.4 2202 C U 802,371 8,293,108 0.70 0.12 5.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 2203 C U 802,371 8,293,107 0.65 0.11 9.1 0.0 0.9 0.2 2206 C U 802,375 8,293,108 1.60 0.16 2.4 0.0 0.1 0.2 2209 C U 802,383 8,293,111 0.30 0.13 23.0 0.1 0.6 0.8 All Samples were sent for To CERTIMIN S.A. Laboratories, Lima, Peru for analysis. Standards and duplicates were inserted every 10th samples. Recent data from assay results is pivotal for Element 79. Firstly, it will serve as the foundation for the Companys resource development and future mine planning. These reports are both essential steps the mine evaluation process and highlights crucial milestones in demonstrating the project's viability. Secondly, this data will inform the direction of the Companys upcoming 2024 drill program, which will be guided by a 3D modelling of both geology and historic mine workings, designed to maximize efficiency and accuracy. The 3D model will harness the comprehensive dataset that has been amassed, including historic data compilation from the past-producing era leading up to 2005, current surface and underground geochemistry, review and channel sampling of underground workings, mapping (both underground and surface), geophysical surveys, as well as cross-sectional and longitudinal interpretations. Tworek continues: This data helps to prove from a methodical and unbiased perspective where both the ore is as much as where the ore isnt. When modelled in conjunction with past sampling data and historical production data, this proves that the current underground addits and open veins as well as their surface level expressions are strong economically, where future exploration and drilling campaigns will highlight where we will focus for ore extraction. As the Element79 team moves forward, its confidence is both in the skill and experience of its team as well as the continued positive results its work programs have yielded. The Companys mission is to maximize shareholder value through continued development of the Lucero project, by bringing it back into commercial production, in a safe, ethical, sustainable and profitable fashion. Qualified Person The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Director of Element79 Gold and a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Element79 Gold Corp. Element79 Gold is a mining company focused on gold and silver committed to maximizing shareholder value through responsible mining practices and sustainable development of its projects. Element79 Gold's focus is on developing its past-producing, high-grade gold and silver mine, the Lucero project located in Arequipa, Peru, with the intent to restart production in 2024. The Company also holds a portfolio of 5 properties along the Battle Mountain trend in Nevada, with the Clover and West Whistler projects believed to have significant potential for near-term resource development. Three properties in the Battle Mountain Portfolio are under contract for sale to Valdo Minerals Ltd., with an anticipated closing date in the first half of 2024. The Company has also signed an Option Agreement to sell the Maverick Springs project, an advanced-stage exploratory property with an Inferred Resource of 3.71MMoz AuEq (1.37MMoz Au and 175MMoz Ag) (see 43-101 technical report titled: Amended Technical Report on the Maverick Springs Project, Nevada, USA, by Allan Armitage, PhD., P.Geo, and Rohan Millar, B.Sc. P.Geo., dated October 7, 2022, available on SEDAR) and anticipates completing this sale on or before July 21, 2024. In British Columbia, Element79 Gold has executed a Letter of Intent and funded a drilling program to acquire a private company that holds the option to 100% interest of the Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project, which consists of 10 mineral claims located in Central British Columbia, approximately 20km west of Fort St. James. The Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Dale Property, 90 unpatented mining claims located approximately 100 km southwest of Timmins, Ontario, and has recently announced that it has transferred this project to its wholly owned subsidiary, Synergy Metals Corp, and is advancing through the Plan of Arrangement spin-out process. For more information about the Company, please visit www.element79.gold Contact Information For corporate matters, please contact: James C. Tworek, Chief Executive Officer E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For investor relations inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations Department Phone: +1.403.850.8050 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press contains "forwardlooking information" and "forward-looking statements" under applicable securities laws (collectively, "forwardlooking statements"). These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management made considering management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the Company's business strategy; future planning processes; exploration activities; the timing and result of exploration activities; capital projects and exploration activities and the possible results thereof; acquisition opportunities; and the impact of acquisitions, if any, on the Company. Assumptions may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Consequently, forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed. As such, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, assumptions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forwardlooking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "forecast", "potential", "target", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forwardlooking statements". Actual results may vary from forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the duration and effects of the coronavirus and COVID-19; risks related to the integration of acquisitions; actual results of exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; commodity prices; variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; actual performance of plant, equipment or processes relative to specifications and expectations; accidents; labour relations; relations with local communities; changes in national or local governments; changes in applicable legislation or application thereof; delays in obtaining approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; exchange rate fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; government regulation; environmental risks; reclamation expenses; outcomes of pending litigation; limitations on insurance coverage as well as those factors discussed in the Company's other public disclosure documents, available on www.sedarplus.ca. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forwardlooking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forwardlooking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND BASE SHELF PROSPECTUS ACCESSIBLE ON SEDAR+ TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Western Alaska Minerals (the "Company" or "WAM") (TSXV:WAM) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated April 18, 2024, due to significant demand, the Company and Roth Canada, Inc. ("Roth"), as co-lead agent and sole bookrunner, Canaccord Genuity Corp., as co-lead agent with Roth and Agentis Capital Markets Limited Partnership, as agent, on their own behalf and on behalf of a syndicate of agents (collectively, the "Agents"), have increased the size of the Company's previously announced brokered offering from up to $5 million to up to $7 million. Under the upsized offering, the Agents have agreed to sell, on a commercially reasonable efforts basis, up to 10,769,231 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.65 per Unit (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $7 million (the "BrokeredOffering"). The Brokered Offering will be conducted by way of prospectus supplement dated April 22, 2024 (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's base shelf prospectus dated November 21, 2023 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus"). The Company has agreed to grant the Agents an option to increase the size of the Brokered Offering by up to 15% (the "Agents' Option"), exercisable in whole or in part at any time for a period of 30 days after the closing date of the Brokered Offering. As previously announced, the Company will also be conducting a non-brokered private placement of Units at the Offering Price for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1.5 million (the "Non-Brokered Offering" and together with the Brokered Offering, the "Offering"). Each Unit will be comprised of one subordinate voting share in the authorized share structure of the Company (a "Share") plus one Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.90 per Warrant Share for 36 months from the date of issuance. The Units issued pursuant to the Non-Brokered Offering will not be qualified for distribution by the Prospectus Supplement and will be subject to a four month hold period. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund the Company's 2024 exploration program, including step-out drilling at the LH and Warm Springs target zones that are new targets identified by the 2023-completed geophysical program, and for general corporate purposes. Closing of the Brokered Offering is expected to occur on or about April 26, 2024, and closing of the Non-Brokered Offering is expected to occur on or about May 3, 2024. Each closing is subject to certain customary conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Access to the Prospectus Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and any amendment to the documents is provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a shelf prospectus supplement, a base shelf prospectus and any amendment. The Prospectus Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus are accessible at www.sedarplus.ca. An electronic or paper copy of the Prospectus Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and any amendment to the documents may be obtained, without charge, from Roth Canada, Inc. by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable. The securities being offered have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons or persons in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About WAM Our mission is to advance a mineable and scalable CRD, ultimately reshaping the mineral landscape of western Alaska and establishing a new CRD district. WAM's 100% owned claims cover 73,120 acres (114.25 square miles or 29,591 hectares), approximately 45 km east of an ocean barge-compatible section of the Yukon River. WAM's intact mineralized CRD system encompasses the (past producing) Illinois Creek gold-silver mine, the Waterpump Creek high-grade silver-lead-zinc deposit, open to the north, and the Honker gold prospect. Twenty-five kilometers northeast of the Illinois Creek CRD lies the Round Top copper and the TG North CRD prospects. All prospects were originally discovered by Anaconda Minerals Co. in the early 1980's. Since 2010, WAM, along with its precursor company, Western Alaska Copper & Gold, reassembled the Anaconda land package and has been engaged in exploring the district. Headquartered in both Alaska and Arizona, WAM brings together a team of seasoned professionals with a shared vision of pioneering new frontiers in mineral exploration. Our strategic approach is underpinned by cutting-edge technology, innovative techniques, and a deep understanding of the geological intricacies of the region. On behalf of the Company "Kit Marrs" Kit Marrs President & CEO Phone: 520-200-1667 For further information please contact: Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains "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 connation thereof. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the completion of the Offering; the expected closing dates of the Offering; the intended use of proceeds from the Offering; and the receipt of all necessary approvals for the completion of the Offering, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will complete Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, that the Company will be able to utilize the proceeds of the Offering in the manner intended, and that the Company will receive all necessary approvals for the completion of the Offering, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the failure to complete the Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, market conditions, metal prices, and risks relating to the Company not receiving all necessary approvals for the completion of the Offering, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. 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. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 23, 2024) - Canter Resources Corp. (CSE: CRC) (OTC Pink: CNRCF) (FSE: 6O1) ("Canter" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the Company has commenced a 10-hole Geoprobe drill program at the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project ("Columbus" or the "Project"), located near Tonopah, Nevada. Drilling will focus on a substantial sub-surface 5 by 10-kilometre (<1 ohm-metre) brine target identified by the interpretation of significant geophysical data and 3D modeling. The low-impact and low-cost Geoprobe drilling, ideal for near-surface analysis, has been designed to collect both sediment and water samples from surface to depths exceeding 30 metres (m) (100 foot target depth). Data from this initial program is expected to provide additional stratigraphic and geochemical data that will further inform the Companys geological model, while targeting lithium, boron and potassium concentrations from the shallowest brine generation layer within the primary target area (see Figure 1). The program is expected to take approximately 10 days to complete with Cascade Drilling LP as the selected contractor (see Image 1 and press release dated March 27, 2024). "This is an exciting step for the Company as we have commenced our first phase of drilling at Columbus," commented Canter CEO Joness Lang. "The Geoprobe drilling will test a shallow subset of the favourable stratigraphic units at Columbus, and we are keen to see results from this highly conductive layer of the basin in an area that has very limited geochemical results to-date." Geoprobe drilling is a highly effective approach to hydrologic and geological assessments using advanced drilling technology that enables precise and versatile subsurface sampling. This program offers significant advantages over traditional drilling methods for shallow subsurface testing, including faster data collection and the ability to perform a variety of sampling techniques. The Company's primary goal of this program is to obtain a range of water samples within the upper 30 m interval; however, sediment samples will also be collected as part of the campaign. Figure 1: Plan view highlighting <0.5 ohm-metre HSAMT anomaly, geochemical surface sampling results and planned Geoprobe locations (black) positioned along pre-existing N-S and E-W roads. Image 1: Cascade Drilling LP arriving at Columbus with Geoprobe drill Qualified Person (QP) The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Eric Saderholm P.Geo, Director and Technical Advisor of Canter Resources, a Qualified Person (QP), as defined under National Instrument 43- 101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Canter Resources Corp. Canter Resources Corp. is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company advancing the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada, USA and the Beaver Creek Lithium Property in Montana, USA. The Company is completing Phase I exploration and drilling at Columbus to test a highly prospective lithium-brine target and plans to leverage the Company's critical metals targeting database to generate a portfolio of high-quality projects with the aim of defining mineral resources that support the domestic clean energy supply chain in North America. For further information contact: Joness Lang Chief Executive Officer Canter Resources Corp. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For investor inquiries contact: Kristina Pillon, High Tide Consulting Corp. Tel: 604.908.1695 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. CALGARY, ALBERTA TheNewswire - April 23, 2024 - Ashley Gold Corp. (CSE:ASHL) (Ashley or the Company) is pleased to announce that, further to the news release dated March 4, 2024, it has executed a property option agreement dated April 22, 2024 (the Agreement) with San Rafael Resources LLC (San Rafael) to acquire a 100%-interest in the Sahara uranium-vanadium property, located in Emery County, Utah. (the Property). Darcy Christian, CEO of Ashley comments This is a defining moment for the Company as Ashley now has line of sight for production cash-flow to continue to develop its existing assets and provide capital for new opportunities. In addition, we have solidified a relationship with San Rafael and Greg Kofford, the Optionor, bringing his capital experience and knowledge to the table. Mr. Kofford is going to be aligned with the shareholders for the long-haul, participating in financings alongside new and existing shareholders, with the intent to grow Ashley into one of the largest public multi-district producers in North America. Option Agreement Terms Under the terms of the Agreement, Ashley has the right to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Property through staged cash and share payments, plus minimum work expenditures totaling USD $10 million over a three-year period, as summarized below: 4,500,000 Ashley common shares within 30 days of Ashley completing a private placement financing for first stage earn-in. Terms and conditions of the private placement will be disclosed in a future press release when finalized. Ashley previously issued 500,000 common shares to San Rafael as a deposit upon execution of the letter of intent. 1,000m drill program and completion of National Instrument 43-101 Report on the Property within 30 days of the first anniversary To earn an initial 30% interest to the Property: issue 18,500,000 common shares; and pay USD $100,000 cash to San Rafael. To earn a 50% interest to the Property: issue 20,000,000 common shares; and complete expenditures of USD $3,000,000 on the Property. To earn 100% of the Property: issue to San Rafael, the greater of 36,500,000 common shares and the number of Ashley common shares that would result in the aggregate number of common shares issued to San Rafael pursuant to the Agreement representing 40% of the issued and outstanding common shares; pay USD $1,000,000 cash; and USD $7,000,000 of expenditures on the Property. In addition to the 100% earn-in, Ashley has agreed to issue additional common shares to San Rafael based on certain economic Uranium Resource identified in a Preliminary Economic Assessment, as follows: 10 million pounds of uranium in Preliminary Economic Assessment 15,000,000 common shares and USD $500,000; and 30 million pounds of uranium in Preliminary Economic Assessment 35,000,000 common shares and USD $2,500,000. Upon completion of the acquisition of a 100% interest in the Property, Ashley will grant a 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty (the NSR) to San Rafael. Ashley will have the option to buy back 50% of the NSR for USD $2,000,000 prior to the commencement of commercial production. As a prerequisite to executing the Agreement, Ashley has entered in to an investor rights agreement with San Rafael which gives San Rafael the right to participate in future financings on equal terms as well as the right to top up their equity position in any dilutive issuance (i.e., convertible securities) at the average 20-day Volume Weighted Average Price to maintain minimum ownership percentage. San Rafael shall also have the right to nominate a director to join the Board of Directors as Chairman upon initial earn-in, subject to regulatory approval. About the Sahara Property The Property represents 402 Federal claims and 3 State Claims locate in Emery County Utah. The Property is located 12 miles southwest of Green River, Utah and consists of over 10,000 acres. The region has produced 4,000,000 lbs of Uranium and 5,000,000 lbs of Vanadium with some historical production occuring on the Property until 1980. The Property is located one mile off of the I-70 and is accessed by all weather gravel roads. Water wells are located on the property and power is located less than a mile away to the northeast. In addition, a nearby telecommunicaions tower and fibre optics at the property provide internet and phone access. The Property has over 900 historical drill holes over the Sahara, Jessies Twist and Acheson discoveries. Mineralization occurs in the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation within fluvial sandstones. Additional targets have been identified with surficial gamma-ray spectrometry readings across the property. In additon, bulk tonnage targets have been identified for drilling as well as the hydrodynamic conditions for roll-front bluesky potential. Figure 1 - Ariel image of the Sahara Uranium-Vanadium Property with respect to Green River, Utah ABOUT ASHLEY GOLD CORP. Ashley Gold Corp. is focused on creating substantive, long-term value for its shareholders through the discovery and development of world class gold deposits. Ashley has acquired, 100% of the Tabor Lake Lease subject to a 1.5% royalty, 100% of the Santa Maria Project subject to a 1.75% royalty, 100% interest in the Howie Lake Project subject to a 0.5% royalty, 100% interest in the Alto-Gardnar Project subject to a 0.5% royalty, 100% interest in the Burnthut Property subject to a 1.5% NSR, and an option to earn 100% of the Sakoose claims subject to a 1.5% NSR. In addition, Ashley has entered into a Option to earn 100% of the Sahara Uranium-Vanadium property in Emery County, Utah subject to a 2% NSR. Ashley Gold Corp. is an early-stage natural resource company engaged primarily in the acquisition, exploration, and if warranted, development of mineral projects. The Corporations objective is to conduct efficient and economical exploration on its growing portfolio of high-quality gold projects, currently focused in northwestern Ontario within the Eagle-Wabigoon-Manitou Lakes Greenstone Belts. In addition, Ashley has entered into a LOI to earn 100% of the Sahara Uranium-Vanadium property in Emery County, Utah subject to a 2% NSR. Qualified Person The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Darcy Christian, P.Geo., President of Ashley, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain forward-looking statements which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Ashley Gold Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Factors which cause results to differ materially are set out in the Companys documents filed on SEDAR. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward looking statements. Highlights: New multiple high-grade gold intercepts in both expansion and infill drilling. Expansion drilling within and around the Monique conceptual pit intersected significant intervals of mineralization grading up to 4.3 g/t Au over 16.0 metres; 4.2 g/t Au over 14.7 metres and 1.8 g/t Au over 34.0 metres . within and around the Monique conceptual pit intersected significant intervals of mineralization grading up to . Infill drilling continues to confirm gold zones inside and just under the conceptual pit, yielding up to 23.1 g/t Au over 3.1 metres ; 8.3 g/t Au over 4.0 metres ; and 1.5 g/t Au over 20.0 metres. continues to confirm gold zones inside and just under the conceptual pit, yielding ; ; and 1.5 g/t Au over 20.0 metres. Successfully completed 28,000 metres of winter drilling at Novador in Q1 2024. at Novador in Q1 2024. A 10,000-metre exploration drill program will begin in May at Novador. TORONTO, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PROBE GOLD INC. (TSX: PRB) (OTCQB: PROBF) (Probe or the Company) is pleased to announce the final set of results from the 2023 Monique drill program on its 100%-owned Novador property (the Property) near Val-dOr, Quebec. The results from twenty-eight (28) drill holes, totaling 10,239 metres, revealed significant high-grade mineralized intersections under and inside the modeled Monique gold zones from surface to a depth of 450 metres (refer to Figure 1 and the table of selected drill results below). The new results show impressive gold grades and thicknesses, continuing to demonstrate strong continuity and growth of gold mineralization at the Monique deposit. A new resource drill program comprised a total of 28,000 metres within and surrounding the conceptual pits of the Monique and Courvan deposits was completed in Q1 2024. Further results from this program will be released as they are received and interpreted. David Palmer, President and CEO of Probe, states Our 2023 Monique expansion program continues to demonstrate impressive results, and improvement, with the majority of the intersections at or above the current resource grade. With the completion of the winter resource expansion program, we will now focus on two things, the updated resource, expected later in the year, and the commencement of the 2024 exploration drilling programs. We have consolidated an exceptional land package in Val-dOr, all of which is vastly underexplored, and all of which has tremendous exploration upside. The most recent PEA has solidified Novador as a robust development project and with our newly acquired exploration projects, Beaufour, McKenzie Break, and Croinor, all within trucking distance of the conceptual mill, we plan to initiate exploration programs to continue adding value while simultaneously de-risking the project by expediting the permitting timeline. We are also advancing our Detour project with follow-up work programs on the previously identified copper-mineralized systems at La Peltrie and larger-scale regional exploration work along our boundary with Agnico Eagles Detour Lake Mine. All twenty-eight (28) expansion and infill holes returned gold intercepts over 0.42 g/t Au, which is above the cut-off grade used in the current pit-constrained resource estimate. Eighteen (18) of these holes returned gold intercepts with a grade times thickness above 10.0 g/t-m Au. The Monique Gold Trend zones remain open along strike and at depth. Gold mineralization intersected is mainly associated with deformation zones that cross the deposit at an orientation of 280 - 300 and a 75- 80 dip to the north. This gold mineralization is defined by a network of quartz/carbonate/albite/tourmaline veins and veinlets, along with disseminated pyrite in the altered wall rocks. Selected drill results from hole MO-651 to 678 at the Monique deposit drilling program are, as follows: Hole Number From (m) To (m) Length (m) Gold (g/t) Zone MO-651 216.8 228.7 11.9 2.1 I / Expansion MO-654 376.0 378.0 2.0 10.4 A / Expansion MO-654 427.0 433.0 6.0 2.0 New/ Expansion MO-659 54.5 58.0 3.5 3.4 J / Expansion MO-663 265.5 280.2 14.7 4.2 E / Expansion including 265.5 267.0 1.5 36.4 E / Expansion MO-665 270.5 284.0 13.5 1.1 A / Expansion MO-666 262.0 296.0 34.0 1.8 A/ Expansion MO-667 480.2 492.6 12.4 1.0 B / Expansion MO-667 524.3 527.4 3.1 23.1 I / Infill including 524.3 525.4 1.1 62.2 I / Infill MO-667 599.0 612.5 13.5 1.3 M / Expansion MO668 261.0 267.0 6.0 3.1 B / Expansion MO-669 183.0 202.0 19.0 1.2 E / Expansion MO-669 259.9 287.5 27.6 1.0 A / Expansion MO-670 353.0 368.0 15.0 1.5 M North/ Exp. MO-671 163.0 181.0 18.0 0.9 New/ Expansion MO-671 247.0 263.0 16.0 1.0 I/ Expansion MO-671 275.0 290.0 15.0 0.8 I-FW/ Expansion MO-672 524.1 530.1 6.0 2.0 B1 / Expansion MO-672 604.7 632.0 27.3 1.3 M / Expansion MO-673 226.0 242.0 16.0 4.3 B / Expansion Including 233.5 234.5 1.0 62.9 B / Expansion MO-673 359.0 398.0 39.0 1.1 M North / Exp. MO-674 294.3 309.0 14.7 1.7 A / Infill MO-674 450.0 465.5 15.5 0.8 B / Expansion MO-674 541.0 551.5 10.5 1.9 M / Expansion MO-675 506.0 526.0 20.0 1.5 B / Infill MO-676 353.0 357.0 4.0 8.3 A / Infill including 353.7 354.3 0.6 45.6 A / Infill MO-677 332.0 339.7 7.7 1.2 A / Expansion MO-678 295.6 302.0 6.4 1.5 A / Expansion All the new analytical results reported in this release and in this table, are presented in core length and cut to 100 g/t Au when needed. True width is estimated between 65 to 95 % of core length. Only grade times thickness above 10.0 g/t Au * m is reported. Figure 1: Surface Map Monique deposit new drilling results (holes MO-651 to 678) About Probes Novador Project Since 2016, Probe Gold has been consolidating its land position in the highly prospective Val-dOr East area in the province of Quebec with a district-scale land package of 685 square kilometres that represents one of the largest land holdings in the Val-dOr mining camp. The Novador project is a sub-set of properties totaling 175 square kilometres hosting three past producing mines (Beliveau Mine, Bussiere Mine and Monique Mine) and falls along three regional mine trends. Novador is situated in a politically stable and low-cost mining environment that hosts numerous active producers and mills. Val-dOr properties include gold resources totaling 3,793,900 ounces in the Measured and Indicated category and 1,418,700 ounces in the Inferred category along all trends and deposits (news release dated July 19, 2023). Qualified Person The scientific and technical content of this press release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Mr. Marco Gagnon, P.Geo, Executive Vice President, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Quality Control During the last drilling program, assay samples were taken from the NQ core by sawing the drill core in half, with one-half sent to a certified commercial laboratory and the other half retained for future reference. A strict QA/QC program was applied to all samples; which includes insertion of mineralized standards and blank samples for each batch of 20 samples. The gold analyses were completed by fire-assayed with an atomic absorption finish on 50 grams of materials. Repeats were carried out by fire-assay followed by gravimetric testing on each sample containing 3.0 g/t gold or more. Total gold analyses (Metallic Sieve) were carried out on the samples which presented a great variation of their gold contents or the presence of visible gold. About Probe Gold Probe Gold Inc. is a leading Canadian company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of highly prospective gold properties. The Company is well-funded and dedicated to exploring and developing high-quality gold projects. Notably, it owns 100% of its flagship asset, the multimillion-ounce Novador Gold Project in Quebec, as well as an early-stage Detour Gold Quebec project. Probe controls a large land package of approximately 1685-square-kilometres of exploration ground within some of the most prolific gold belts in Quebec. The Companys recent Novador PEA outlines a robust mining plan with an average annual gold production of 255,000 ounces over a 12.6-year mine life. On behalf of Probe Gold Inc., Dr. David Palmer, President & Chief Executive Officer For further information: Please visit our website at www.probegold.com or contact: Seema Sindwani Vice-President of Investor Relations This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +1.416.777.9467 Forward-Looking Statements Dozens of people wait under hot metal sheeting in the small courtyard before the building of the Association of Victims of Hissene Habre's Crimes (AVCHH) in a central district of the Chadian capital N'Djamena. Mahamat Babikir crouches against the wall of the association's headquarters, where it casts a bit of shade. He has been waiting for an hour, despite the 45-degree heat. My family is on the list, here's the document. We're just waiting for them to call the right people, he says. His parents were imprisoned during the regime of Hissene Habre, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990. So like thousands of Chadians, he is eligible for financial aid promised after the former leaders trial. But no one knows when the compensation will be paid. The crowd waits under the sun. Some grumble, others try to grab an official. Suddenly the associations president, Adoumbaye Dam Pierre, emerges from his office, preceded by three Chadian army bodyguards, and gets into his vehicle: an appointment awaits him. An old man knocks on the window: I've come from the south of the country to collect the compensation. I've been waiting in N'Djamena for a month. You've got to do something, Mr. President! The association president asks why he didn't stay at home, assuring him that the commissions responsible for paying out compensation would be visiting the provinces. He asks him to go back. But at the insistence of the man, whose face is dripping with sweat, he gives this man the mobile number of an official. This scene, witnessed on Friday April 5, reflects the slow and tedious process of obtaining financial compensation for the victims of Habres regime. Eight years without compensation Two sentences -- in N'Djamena in 2015 of 24 former agents of Habres political police, and in Dakar in 2016 of Hissene Habre -- provided for the payment of compensation to his victims: 82 billion CFA francs to be paid by the former president, and 75 billion by his former agents, i.e. a total of 157 billion CFA francs (around 240 million euros). Activists, lawyers and victims associations waited a long time for the decision to be implemented. After Habre's trial and conviction, the joy didnt last long, explains Clement Abaifouta, who was arrested by Habres political police in 1985 and forced to work as a gravedigger during his detention. We waited and asked, but nothing came. The Court of Appeal of the Extraordinary African Chambers in Dakar, the special court backed by the African Union (AU) which convicted Habre, had planned to set up a victims compensation fund, modelled on the existing Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court (ICC). According to Delphine Djiraibe, one of the victims lawyers, this fund was to organize compensation for the victims. But nothing went according to plan. The fund was never really set up, and Habre (the lion of Chad) died without his assets having been sold. Abaifouta, who sits on the funds board of directors, asserts that he and the other members went around the world lobbying for compensation funds, convincing everyone to participate. Many were ready, but everyone was waiting for Chad to act. After the Dakar trial, an initial contribution from the AU was paid into the fund's bank account, together with the balance of unused money from the trial, for a total of less than 10 billion CFA francs, say the lawyers and Abaifouta. They hoped to get other countries and international organizations to contribute to the reparations once Chad had made its contribution. Not the right procedure Nothing happened for eight years. Chad paid not a single franc into the funds account. In early 2024, Chad's transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby, son of former president Idriss Deby Itno who died in 2021, decided to step up the pace. After meeting with victims associations on February 22, he decided that Chad will pay its share, and announced the payment of 10 billion CFA francs to victims, or just over 15 million euros. This was a relief for the victims. They will now be compensated, but not according to the right procedure, regrets Djiraibe, who speaks of a coup de theatre which we learned about on the airwaves. This is because the money will be paid directly, and not via the dedicated fund. If Chad wanted to put money in, it should have been put in the dedicated fund for proper distribution, but that's obviously not the case here, she adds. Abaifouta agrees: It's all becoming farcical. The president's approach of wanting to pay the money to the victims is to be welcomed, he says, but it's not the right approach. Has he been badly advised? Abaifouta asks. Only 6% of expected reparations Out of a total of 157 billion CFA francs in compensation awarded by the courts in the two trials, the Chadian governments share should be higher. Indeed, the 10 billion announced by the Chadian President represents only 6.3% of the reparations awarded in NDjamena and Dakar. But assembling such a sum is already a headache for Chad, a country under assistance from the International Monetary Fund, with a high risk of over-indebtedness. It is also dependent on foreign aid, notably recent and substantial aid from the United Arab Emirates. Relations between N'Djamena and Abu Dhabi are very good indeed: the Chadian President recently visited the Emirates at the invitation of his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The compensation process is steered by the Chadian Ministry of Finance, explains Dam Pierre of AVCHH which is responsible, along with other associations, for making the payments in liaison with the authorities. They took the Dakar decision and worked on the lists [of victims] from the trial, he explains. This payment will still bring some relief to the victims, some of whom are dying and getting old. According to him, a total of 10,700 victims have been identified, and the ministry has cut the cake fairly: each will receive 925,241 francs (CFA), or around 1,400 euros. Victims dying But what about the victims compensation fund set up by the Extraordinary African Chambers in Dakar? They never came to N'Djamena, says an exasperated Dam Pierre. When we met President [Deby] in February, we told him we had to stop the bleeding, that victims were dying and had received nothing, and he heard our appeal. In particular, he argues, the decision was taken by the National Sovereign and Inclusive Dialogue (DNIS), which took place in Chad in 2022 and officially designated General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno as president. Among other recommendations, the DNIS urged the new president to execute court rulings on compensation for victims of the regime of former president Hissene Habre and examine modalities for the repatriation of the remains of the latter, who died in Senegal in 2021. A refugee in Senegal after being ousted from power in 1990, Habre was arrested, charged, tried, convicted of crimes against humanity (rape, executions, slavery and kidnapping) and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served his sentence in Senegal, where he succumbed to Covid-19 in August 2021, at the age of 79, and was buried there. It's now up to the other players, says Dam Pierre, to do their part and pay up. But, wonders Abaifouta, will this be the case now that Chad is paying compensation outside the dedicated fund? To make the right corrections, you need the right corrector", he says, meaning in his view the ad hoc fund. Repatriating Habre's remains? Payments, which began in March, are proceeding at a snail's pace in the April heat, and are likely to continue for several more weeks, while Chadians go to the polls on May 6 to elect their next president. This presidential election will mark the end of the political transition begun after the death of President Idriss Deby Itno. Habre's family is still very present in Chadian politics, they have influence, they are pushing for his remains to be returned and for us to stop all this talk of compensation, and the Palace doesn't want to alienate them, says an executive from a political party supporting the ruling MPS, speaking on condition of anonymity. Gondeu Ladiba, an anthropologist at the University of N'Djamena, notes that this compensation issue has become very political. The regime needed to be able to say that the son is not the father, and that the current president wants to purge the past so as to be able to start on a new footing, including with those close to Hissene Habre. He thinks the payment of 10 billion CFA francs is a way for NDjamena to turn the page on compensation and open the door to the return of Habre's remains. There is no question that this payment will mark the end of the story for the victims, insists Abaifouta, who has since become a deputy on the National Transition Council. This trial, these victims, are my whole life. I can't have worked for 33 years for it to end like this, for all our efforts to result in nothing. And he promises that he will continue to fight so that finally the victims receive the money that is due to them, in full. On the morning of April 22nd, South Korean actress Han So-hee set social media ablaze with a perplexing "couple photo" upload, prompting fervent speculation among her followers. The image depicted two heads leaning closely together, hinting at an intimate moment shared between two individuals. Prior to this intriguing post, Han So-hee had also shared another picture adorned with a sticker declaring "I like you," further adding to the mystery surrounding the identities of those involved. Unveiling the Mystery: Jeon Jong-seo's Identity Revealed After much speculation, Han So-hee provided some clarity by tagging actress Jeon Jong-seo in the post. Not two of my fav actress hanging out together I wonnnnn Han sohee and Jeon jong-seo Queens pic.twitter.com/P9uj1n9pcL Iris (@IrisBarryAllen) April 22, 2024 However, this revelation did not quell the ensuing controversy, as Jeon Jong-seo had recently been embroiled in a school violence scandal, eliciting mixed reactions from fans and followers alike. K-drama actress Jeon Jong-seo faces accusations of school bullying https://t.co/MW4jQKGauD Straits Times Life (@ST_LifeTweets) April 7, 2024 This isn't the first time Han So-hee has found herself at the center of attention due to her romantic entanglements. Previously, she garnered headlines for her involvement in a "love drama" with actor Ryu Jun-yeol and his ex-partner Hyeri. [Exclusive] Han So-hee will also have a photo shoot tomorrow.. No disruption to her activities after breaking up with RJY Actress Han So-hee continues to smoothly carry out her schedule even after breaking up with Ryu Jun-yeol, whom she was in a public relationship with. https://t.co/ul1RQcbT2p pic.twitter.com/UQ7ZXLMJ4X Sofie (@adoring_sohee) April 1, 2024 The situation escalated when Han So-hee engaged in a public exchange with Hyeri, leading to speculation about her role in the couple's breakup. Evaluating Han So-hee's Controversial Actions Despite the conclusion of the love triangle, Han So-hee's behavior has continued to attract scrutiny. There are many netizens and fans who think there is no problem with Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol's relationship. I chose it well because of the haters. I hope you cheer up and have a pretty relationship https://t.co/OnIZdmO5fg (@mhbePFYETWRTEmv) March 17, 2024 While Hyeri and Ryu Jun-yeol maintained a relatively low profile, Han So-hee's erratic social media activity, including deleting and reposting content and leaving cryptic comments, has drawn criticism from both fans and the public alike. ALSO READ : Han So Hee Spotted Handing Out Special Gift for Fans in Paris KdramaStars owns this. Written by: Joan Cabigas The long wait is over for fans as the first "Wonderland" trailer has been released! Starring Park Bo Gum, Bae Suzy, and more, the movie is expected to hit theaters this June. 'Wonderland' Trailer: Park Bo Gum & Suzy's Movie Shares First Look After years of waiting, fans will finally get to see the roster of top stars headlining the romance sci-fi film "Wonderland." It depicts the story of people who use a mobile service called Wonderland to connect with their loved ones. Unlike the usual service that we have today, Wonderland has the ability to reunite users with their deceased family, friends, or special someone through artificial intelligence. On April 23, ACEMAKER MOVIEWORKS, the film's distributor, delivered the first look of "Wonderland" with a 41-second teaser. The trailer introduces the mobile service Wonderland, showcasing a brand advertising concept that promises connection where users can "meet again anytime, anywhere" after "eternal separation from your loved one." The "Wonderland" trailer also featured the scenario of different people sharing their daily lives through video calls. Since the announcement in 2020, "Wonderland" has attracted a lot of attention for showcasing a brilliant cast lineup. As mentioned, Bae Suzy and Park Bo Gum join as main characters and will portray a young couple whose love story was cut short after an incident. Adding to the list of "Wonderland" cast members are Jung Yu Mi and Choi Woo Shik, who play significant roles in controlling Wonderland. Gong Yoo returns to the big screen as he plays as a grieving husband who misses his wife, portrayed by award-winning actress Tang Wei. Read also: Park Bo Gum Accommodates Fans as He Heads to Japan for 2023 MAMA Awards Helmed by "Late Autumn" director Kim Tae Yong, "Wonderland" is set to hit theaters on June 5. Netizens Show Excitement for 'Wonderland' Release Following the release of the "Wonderland" trailer, fans and netizens expressed their excitement to see a variety of stars in one frame. Through the movie's first look, viewers are expecting that this will be a heartbreaking film. wonderland is about reuniting with the person they may not meet in real life by using AI, its going to be so heartbreaking #Wonderland #Suzy #ParkBoGum pic.twitter.com/ENm5ejGDVn (@leedoonas) April 22, 2024 suzy & park bogum in wonderland, they are gonna hurt us so bad pic.twitter.com/ANcPgce1ix (@leedoonas) April 22, 2024 Other than the upcoming movie, Park Bo Gum and Bae Suzy will reunite at an upcoming event. The duo will return as MCs for the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards with comedian Shin Dong Yup. This will be Bae Suzy's ninth year as host, while Park Bo Gum celebrates his sixth year as the ceremony's MC. Meanwhile, Shin Dong Yup marks his 10th year as host of the Baeksang Arts Awards. Fans will get to see the trio entertain the crowd with their wit, charm, and stage presence as the highly-coveted award-giving ceremony takes place at Coex Hall D on May 7 at 5 p.m. KST. The 60th Baeksang Arts Awards will air live on JTBC, JTBC 2, and JTBC 4. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores About three dozen Kelowna farmers who use the city-owned non-potable water system for their irrigation exceeded their allotment usage in 2023. They won't be able to do so again this year, city council has decided, as concerns rise about another year of drought. Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - A family is mourning the death of their kin, a Kenya Air Force Officer, who passed away in a head-on collision involving two motorbikes. Reports indicate that the officer, identified as Paytone Mitch Opiyo, was carrying his brother when the crash occurred on Sunday night. The officer died on the spot together with the rider of the other motorbike involved. The accident occurred along Bondo-Usenge Road. Siaya County Police Commander Cleti Kimaiyo confirmed the crash to the press noting that two pillion passengers sustained injuries in the process. The two were taken to Siaya County Referral Hospital for specialized treatment while the bodies of the deceased were transferred to the morgue. The accidents come barely a week after the Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla perished alongside nine others when a chopper ferrying them crashed. The accident occurred shortly after a working tour the KDF boss had taken in the Rift Valley region on Thursday. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday April 23, 2024 Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is now on his own. This is after President William Rutos party, UDA, authorized the removal of his allies from key positions in the Nairobi County Assembly; something that will leave him badly exposed. UDAs internal dispute resolution committee concluded the case over the change of leadership of the minority side in the Nairobi County Assembly. In its findings, the committee said the removal of Waithaka MCA, Anthony Kiragu Karanja, as Minority Leader and that of Minority Whip Mark Mugambi was in order based on the Standing Orders prompted by the minutes and resolutions of the meeting held on October 17, 2023. This means that Nairobi South MCA, Waithera Chege, will be confirmed as the UDA Minority Leader in the Assembly, subject to communication from the Speaker. Githurai Ward MCA, Mr Deonysias Mwangi, will be the next Deputy Minority Leader while UDA nominated member, Ms Joyce Muthoni, will be the Minority Whip. The changes will also see Clay City MCA, Mr Samora Mwaura, take over the role of Deputy Minority Whip. The changes were prompted by the meeting called by over 35 UDA MCAs who expressed dissatisfaction with Mr Kiragus leadership due to his close relationship with Sakaja. They accused him of failing to play his role in scrutinizing Sakajas office, despite calls by some of them for the Governor to be held accountable for his actions in line with his manifesto. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has explained why several underpasses along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, including Waiyaki, have not been completed for years. In a statement, Murkomen revealed that the contractor had abandoned the highway due to budgetary constraints as Treasury had yet to release money to finish the project. Murkomen noted that the underpasses are affected by floods and suffer from poor drainage due to incomplete projects which include the construction of dams. "James Gichuru to Rironi underpasses do flood because their respective outfall drains have not been completed," he explained. "Unfinished work includes service roads, Kangemi overpass, Gitaru interchange, the various other underpasses. Outfall drains also plus street lights and footbridges." The CS further revealed that a section of the highway, stretching from James Gichuru to Rironi, was under an active development contract and faced mounting pending bills. He explained that the situation was worsened by the law which stipulated that a road with an active development contract cant be allocated maintenance funds. The contractor had also left the site and was awaiting payment before agreeing to resume the site. To unlock the funding, Murkomen has already met leaders of Kiambu led by the Majority Leader National Assembly and Nairobi leaders including Governor Johnson Sakaja. Other leaders who attended the meeting included members of Parliament from Westlands, Kabete, Kikuyu, Kiambaa, Limuru, and Lari as well as the Woman Representative and Senator of Kiambu County. Later, the Cabinet Secretary confirmed that his Ministry would commence work on the critical areas within the next four weeks. His assurance comes as floods continue to wreak havoc across the country displacing over 300 families and claiming 20 lives. In Nairobi alone, the floods killed one person and the search for a missing child is still underway with motorists cautioned against the use of several roads such as Raila Odinga. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 23,2024 - Mumias East Member of Parliament, Peter Salasya, has slammed his Alego Usoga counterpart, Sam Atandi, for refusing to recognise him during Sundays burial of the late Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla. Ogolla was laid to rest in his Siaya home in a ceremony attended by President William Ruto who is the Commander in Chief of Armed Forces. According to Salaysa, Atandi refused to recognise him when he was given a chance to introduce MPs who attended the burial. It was intentional because we had personal differences on our 13th parliament Whats App group until the Clerk of the National Assembly called me to cool down," Salasya said. This is not the first time that Salasya has caused bad blood between him and his counterparts. The Mumias East MP engaged in an online spat with Embakasi East MP, Babu Owino, over the findings of a survey that ranked lawmakers according to their performance. The first time lawmaker argued that he had performed better than Babu Owino who had been ranked as the second best-performing lawmaker after Kiharu MP, Ndindi Nyoro. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - The hearing of the murder case against former Migori Governor Okoth Obado over the killing of university student Sharon Otieno was adjourned to May 6, 2024, to allow his personal assistant, Caspal Obiero, who is among the suspects, to bury his wife, mother, and child. When the case came up for hearing, Caspal sought an adjournment saying he was bereaved and needed time to bury his wife, mother, and child. In seeking the adjournment, defence lawyer Meso Ogada said Obiero lost his wife, mother, and child in a road accident in March this year. The accident happened in March 2024 and the reason why they are burying the two people in May is because of financial constraints and also the Luo culture which has pre and post-rituals to be performed especially when you lose a wife, Obiero prayed. His lawyers told the court that Obiero was unable to appear in court and participate in the proceedings because he was preparing for the burial. Obiero pleaded with the court and the prosecution to indulge him as he worked on giving his family a befitting send-off. The prosecution did not oppose the request. Justice Githua then ordered that the matter be resumed for hearing on May 6. Below are photos of the grisly road accident that claimed the lives of Obieros wife, mother, and child. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Tuesday April 23, 2024 - President William Ruto may be forced to apologize to Nairobians on behalf of Governor Johnson Sakaja for the mess he has caused in the city. This is after he gave him the node to vie for the city Governorship on his UDA party ticket despite Sakajas questionable merit. According to Education analyst Janet Ouko, Nairobi's management has been lamentable under Governor Johnson Sakaja's rule, noting that it has attracted questions on his proficiency. She also pointed out that Sakaja, despite having doubtful academic qualifications, was still granted a green light by the UDA party to contest and city dwellers are now bearing the brunt of that decision. "It is in the public domain that the Governor of Nairobi had issues with the academic certificates. The role of that administration is clearing people to come out and apologise to Nairobians," said Ouko stated. "We expect UDA to take responsibility for the kind of leadership they have ensured sits at City Hall. If they feel that this governor is not articulating the UDA manifesto as it's supposed to be done then there is something we expect them to do." This comes against the backdrop of the city experiencing paralysed service delivery and poor infrastructure as most parts of the city remain submerged for days following heavy rains. Political noise from residents and some Members of Parliament has also been witnessed as many have questioned why there are widespread sewerage problems, garbage mountains in residential areas, water shortages amidst flooding, and poorly planned high-rise constructions On March 19, a section of Nairobi County UDA leaders slammed Sakaja, accusing his administration of being the "most incompetent and morally degenerate" County Government. Led by Dagoretti South MP, John Kiarie, the leaders accused Sakaja's administration of contributing to Nairobi County's deteriorating state. Sakaja's academic qualifications were in doubt and he was taken to court in the run-up to the 2022 General Elections on accusations that his certificates were fake. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - Controversial lawyer, Miguna Miguna, has stated that he has received a dossier showing how Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja and his cartels are looting from public coffers. In a tweet on Tuesday morning, the 'general' as he is referred to among his peers, stated that he had received a dossier showing how City Hall colluded with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers to loot Nairobi county accounts dry. The outspoken lawyer further stated he has correspondences showing how Nairobi MCAs plan to loot the money with Nairobi County Speaker Kennedy Ngondi. "Good morning, Nairobi. I have been given piles of files showing more than a zillion thefts. Just reading the dossier makes my head hurt. "Piles of documents proving fraud correspondence between some MCAs and Nairobi County Speaker seeking accountability" reads part of Miguna's post on X. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday April 23, 2024 After toying with the idea of extending President William Rutos term, a UDA Senator has thrown a spanner in the works. This is after he crafted a Bill ready to be tabled in the Senate seeking to extend the presidential term limit. According to preliminary information on the bill, an amendment is suggested to increase the Presidential term period from five years to seven. Additionally, Members of Parliament, Governors and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) will also enjoy the extended term period of 7 years if the bill passes. Further, the bill proposes to legally establish the Office of the Prime Minister in the constitution. As it stands Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader, Musalia Mudavadi, is the country's Prime Cabinet Secretary but the 2010 constitution does not provide for this post. The bill sponsored by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei further proposes that the Senate should have a role in the vetting of Cabinet Secretaries, the Attorney General and the Auditor General. Cherargei also wants the Senate to be granted powers to vet the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice and judges. If the piece of legislation is passed, counties could also be in line to benefit as the bill proposes to have the devolved units get 40 per cent of national revenue as equitable share up from 15 per cent. Another key highlight of the bill includes having both the National Assembly and the Senate approve the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to foreign nations. Samson Cherargei, who is expected to table the bill, has also proposed that an impeachment case filed against a Governor and Deputy Governor should be challenged at the Supreme Court only. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - A politician who unsuccessfully vied for a parliamentary seat in 2022 was arrested over the weekend on suspicion that he had become a serial conman. Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives based at the Integrity Centre, Nairobi, traced the politician to his Kitui home where he was hiding. The politician was found to be masquerading as an EACC top official and conning unsuspecting Kenyans. In a report, it was indicated that the former MP aspirant was issuing fake integrity clearance certificates to vulnerable Kenyans. An armed and dangerous criminal who has been conning Kenyans while impersonating EACC Detectives, as well as issuing fake Integrity Clearance Certificates to job seekers at a fee, in the names of top EACC officials, has been arrested, an EACC official revealed. EACC further revealed that the politician was a serial impostor who had a conviction history. He was immediately taken to Nairobi where he is being detained at Kilimani Police Station. It was further reported that during the arrest, the politician was found with a firearm as well as seven mobile phones. The mobile phones will now be subjected to forensics to determine if they were used to commit the crimes. EACC has warned Kenyans who impersonate its officers that they are breaking the law and risk being arrested and jailed. Additionally, members of the public are advised to report any suspicious individuals purporting to represent EACC using any of the readily available channels. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday April 23, 2024 - Council of Governors chairperson, Anne Waiguru, has urged the striking doctors to resume work or face dire consequences. Speaking on Tuesday, Waiguru who is also the Kirinyaga County Governor said if doctors fail to resume work, they will leave some Counties with no option but to take necessary action against them. Waiguru said issues that had been raised by the doctors had since been agreed upon, hence no need for the strike to go on. This, she said, was after a series of meetings that have been taking place between the Government and the union. "We have been sitting here long days and in various other forums and we have gone the whole mile. On the counties' side, we have given into everything and still, we are at this place for no good reason," Waiguru said. "For that, every county will take the necessary action as they deem fit and it will not be specific to a county but I am sure you will be seeing the necessary action as we go forward," she added. Waiguru said each county has an HR policy and is independent, adding that they had agreed unanimously to take whatever necessary action is required to stop the suffering of Kenyans. The CoG chair further noted that the counties are ready to receive the medical interns who are willing to report and begin their training. Elaborating on the matter of stipends, Waiguru said this was a new contract and the new rates will not affect those who were earning more than that. She said the new terms of payment have been stipulated by the current economic times. "This is a new term of contracts, we need to communicate clearly that there is no intern who is in place who was earning 200,000 and then it was reduced," Waiguru said. "The counties on our side we are ready to receive the interns who are willing to come and complete their training so that they can be certified," she noted. The Kenyan DAILY POST I hate to say that we should follow the Fox Mulder School of Paranoia on this one, but the evidence is clear. You can go to prison for what others do with your credentials. Being a doctor comes with incredible privileges, or at least it used to. Now, with the corporate takeover of medical care, we get to work ourselves to death and be hung out to dry if someones unhappy or has a bad outcome. And sometimes, even if they dont. Lets look at the case of Dr. Wendell Lewis Randall first. Dr. Randall is a 71-year-old doctor from North Carolina. Dr. Randall had his own independent medical practice as well as working for a group of pain clinics owned by L5 Medical Holdings. These clinics had contacted Dr. Randall, asking if he would serve as their medical director. This role would require him to review some protocols and procedures, but he would not need to work there in person. This sounds like a great role for an older physician with decades of experience. The problem that most doctors dont realize is that these companies may not actually want anything from you besides your credentials. Once you fill out all the forms, they have everything they need, including your DEA number and a copy of your signature (on the contract). Now, if they choose to, they can start calling in medications for patients through telemedicine. I put these in quotes not because there is anything wrong with telemedicine. It is a wonderful way to provide about 70 percent of patient care. And patients are in quotes because, during COVID, many companies popped up looking to make a fast buck. These companies would COVID test the same people daily for weeks or would offer ADD and pain medications online without an in-person visit. Again. Dont get me wrong. Many legitimate companies offer these services and I have nothing against companies making money. The problem comes when corporate management starts telling doctors how to practice medicine or, worse yet, goes around them. Where I do draw the line is when a company takes a physicians information and starts phoning in medications in their name without the doctors knowledge. This happened to Dr. Terry Sasaki, a young physician of Japanese descent working at New York University. Dr. Sasaki was embroiled in a whistleblower lawsuit with the university when he found evidence of physicians overbilling for VA care not provided. His reward for calling this out was to be dismissed from a prestigious combined neurology-radiology residency just before graduation. Basically, he is putting his entire medical career on hold. To stay busy and earn some income, Dr. Sasaki agreed to review charts for a telemedicine company. Let me be clear. He never authorized anyone to prescribe anything in his name. But this didnt stop the telemedicine company from doing so, using the DEA number of Dr. Sasaki with their complicit pharmacy. Now, pharmacies are being blamed for filling controlled medication prescriptions under the argument that they should have known the prescriptions were not necessary. This illustrates either a profound ignorance or willful blindness to the truth on the part of the government. No pharmacist can ever say which patient needs what medication or how much. Only an MD is qualified to do this with schedule II medications. While ANPs and PAs can prescribe schedule III, etc., a few pharmacists go on to become clinical pharmacists and would have this knowledge, but most do not. MDs are THE experts on who needs which medication. That being said, it doesnt take a business genius to know that many more people want certain medications than should have them. To the business, these are lost income opportunities; to the physician, these are patients who do not need those medications; and to the authorities, these are good excuses to lock up as many people as possible if they end up getting a prescription. In the case of Dr. Randall, the government claims that he knew his credentials were being used wrongly and that he rented them out to L5 with full knowledge that it was a crime. I think it is much more likely that when the DEA came to the owners, Greg Barnes and Duane Dixon, they folded and agreed to rope in Dr. Randall, sending texts saying in effect, you know this was illegal, right? To which he would text back, Oh god! I hope the DEA doesnt find out! which, of course, is why texting was invented. So they can track your every thought, I guess. This would give the DEA everything they needed to argue mens rea, a guilty mind, on the part of the doctor. In this case, a nurse practitioner and another employee named Charles Wilson Adams, Jr. were also convicted. It is said that Dr. Randall received over $300,000 for renting out his credentials. This is hard to square. Why would a professional in their 70s be willing to risk incarceration for so little reward? They go on to say that some of the medications were schedule II, like oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, etc. While they also complain about Suboxone being prescribed. Suboxone is a schedule III partial opioid agonist that is considered by many to be the safest medication for opioid use disorder or addiction. The article said that Dr. Randall allowed unqualified medical personnel to prescribe for him and treat opioid dependence. This is an issue. When you prescribe a schedule II medication, the patient must be sitting in front of you, and you must wet sign a paper prescription or electronically send one. Make sure that no one has access to your crypto key and login, etc., for the electronic system. You can postdate prescriptions, and while this is easy for paper ones, those are easier to forge; electronic prescriptions can be post-dated also and should be created the day you see the patient. They should also clearly say, Do not fill until xxx date. When we had paper prescriptions, I ordered embossing seals like a notary uses and told the pharmacies not to accept anything submitted without the seal pressed into the prescription. Dr. Randall will be spending 18 of his remaining months behind bars in a federal prison. The others will likely be there longer, especially an unnamed defendant charged with drug conspiracy, health care fraud, wire fraud, and false statements. Thats not good, as Buster Scruggs once said. Also, remember to run a reverse check on your name using your states and all other available prescription monitoring programs. Have your staff compare names against your patient list and look closely at the locations, too. An Rx for 250 Ritalin to someone in Hollywood, CA, when you are from Kentucky, should stand out. Lastly, trust no one, not even the DEA. Heres why. When Dr. Sasaki became aware that the company he had been just reviewing records for was using his identity to prescribe medications, he called the DEA immediately. They said come on down and tell us all about it. He did, telling them the truth about everything. But just because he told the truth doesnt mean everyone else involved will. If a patient gets caught with a bottle that has your name on it, he can say, I forged a prescription to make sure he goes away for even longer, or he can say, The doctor told me I could and took cash! and get out of jail free. Now a protected witness, a victim even, of a rogue and dastardly doctor. I dont want to say that the DEA always encourages people to lie to get convictions because sometimes, they are willing to lie themselves. Two years after Dr. Sasaki spoke to the DEA, he found himself indicted and rolled in with everyone else in the company. There was absolutely no evidence against him, but one DEA agent said he confessed to taking money for the scam. How hard is it to conflate took money to review charts to took money to look the other way. They can always say he knew, should have known, or was willfully blind. Arguing to a jury that you would never throw away your medical career for so paltry a sum implies that you would do so if the price were right. You cant win. Which is why you should not play at all. Do not try to match wits with the DEA. They are trained in both deception and the Reid technique. A method of coercing confessions is based on the premise that the suspect is always guilty. Call your attorney. Talk to no one else. The stakes are just too high to get this wrong. Let a professional health care specialist attorney with criminal trial experience fight for you. You wouldnt refer a patient to a dermatologist for brain surgery, so dont put yourself in the wrong hands. Mulder was right: Trust no one. L. Joseph Parker is a distinguished professional with a diverse and accomplished career spanning the fields of science, military service, and medical practice. He currently serves as the chief science officer and operations officer, Advanced Research Concepts LLC, a pioneering company dedicated to propelling humanity into the realms of space exploration. At Advanced Research Concepts LLC, Dr. Parker leads a team of experts committed to developing innovative solutions for the complex challenges of space travel, including space transportation, energy storage, radiation shielding, artificial gravity, and space-related medical issues. He can be reached on LinkedIn and YouTube. As summer looms, Irish holidaymakers are beginning to make their way abroad to popular destinations including France, Spain and Portugal. However, despite the relaxing setting of many of these holiday hotspots, this year's holidaymakers may receive a different welcome in Spain to the one they're used to. What's happening? Tens of thousands of residents of the Canary Islands - an archipelago of eight main islands including Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, among others - have taken to the streets to protest the consequences of mass tourism. According to Sky News, locals are calling for a temporary limit on the number of tourists arriving on the islands in the hopes of pausing the availability of short-term holiday rentals, which are reportedly driving up housing costs. Protesters on the islands are also reportedly being joined by Spanish citizens on mainland Spain as well. Thousands of people protested in Tenerife, calling for the Spanish island to temporarily limit tourist arrivals to stem a boom in short-term holiday rentals and hotel construction that is driving up housing costs for locals https://t.co/oKew0xXgSW pic.twitter.com/fqvhtsQy7L Reuters (@Reuters) April 21, 2024 Placards and signs with slogans such as 'Stop hotels' and 'Canaries not for sale' can be seen in pictures and videos online showing huge crowds of protesters. Protesters can also be heard chanting slogans, including, "The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended." One local told Red, "The Canary Islands are being exploited, a lot of hotels are being built, licences are being handed out in a very liberal way, the beaches are being polluted, and there is no housing for the people of the Canary Islands either." Are the protests anti-tourist? Some holidaymakers have criticised locals for protesting due to tourism being a major chunk of the islands' economy. It comes following the appearance of graffiti on buildings across the Canary Islands demanding tourists 'go home'. However, the protests - which are being framed by some commentators as solely 'anti-tourist' - are also underway to address legitimate concerns such as low wages for workers and over-development of the islands. Approximately 14 million people descend upon the Canary Islands every year, despite the overall population of the islands amounting to just over 2 million people. According to The Irish Times, 700,000 Irish tourists holiday in the Canary Islands annually, making up over a third of the islands' native population. Should I cancel my holiday? The islands' president, Fernando Clavijo, has acknowledged changes need to be made but urged holidaymakers to continue coming. According to the Irish Sun, he said, "We are worried because tourism is our main source of income and I think that whoever comes here to enjoy, to spend a few days and to leave their money in the Canary Islands, shouldnt be rebuked or face insults." The organisers behind the protests, the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature, have reportedly said, "Voices will be heard calling out against the destruction of natural spaces, as well as others suggesting a halt to overpopulation, complaining against the illegal construction of dwellings on non urban land and the excessive occupation of the territory, or warning of the abusive use of holiday rentals and the massive sale of land and properties for speculative use. "These are all challenges that have been affecting the Islands for years and to which our leaders have shown no intention of finding a solution." The Canary Tourist Board reportedly told the Irish Sun they are encouraging holidaymakers to visit and urge them not to cancel plans. They said, "In terms of tourists, the situation they see on the eight islands is absolutely normal. "We are aware that there has been some isolated and specific event, but this has not altered at any time the enjoyment of the holidays of those who visit us." A Ryanair flight from the UK appeared to lose contact with Dublin Approach on Monday evening, prompting an emergency guard call. The commercial Ryanair flight from Liverpool to Dublin experienced a technical issue when entering Irish airspace, but managed to regain contact and safely land. Irish aviation journalist Shaun Dunne (Shaun's Aviation) alerted followers on Twitter of the incident. According to Dunne, following the handover from the Irish Sea Air Traffic Control (ATC) to Dublin Approach ATC, the Ryanair pilot's communications were abruptly cut off and contact was not possible. For a short period of time, the pilot and Dublin Approach ATC were not in communication. Incident#FR443 / #RYR22BV has appeared to lose contact with Dublin Approach. They lost contact during handover and after a few minutes trying to gain contact, Dublin ATC have put a call out on Guard (emergency frequency) to no avail. Update to follow.#aviation #avgeek pic.twitter.com/4DWj95rDCF Shauns_Aviation (@Shauns_Aviation) April 22, 2024 After a minute or two of ATC trying to reach out to the pilot in question, a call was put out to be 'on Guard', the emergency frequency that all planes monitor for distress messages. ATC were heard on Monday evening making the call, saying This is Dublin Tower calling on Guard, can Ryanair 2 2 Bravo Victor, please contact Dublin Approach on 121.1 After about a minute or two, the Ryanair aircraft was once again able to contact ATC, and it was started that they had an "issue with the frequency". Normal contact resumed after this, and the flight thankfully landed safely. It's possible that the pilot may have been on the wrong frequency, and there may be an investigative process by either Ryanair or AirNav Ireland before a full explanation is revealed. Ryanair and AirNav Ireland have been contacted for further information. Niall Boylan is to stand down as a late night presenter on Classic Hits FM as he is to run for election in this year's European elections "with immediate effect". The broadcaster has announced he will contest this year's European Parliament elections as a candidate for newly founded party Independent Ireland. In a statement broadcast shortly after 9pm on the Nighttime Talks show on Classic Hits FM, the station's chief executive Kevin Brannigan said that "it has been decided that Niall will stand down as presenter of Nighttime Talks with immediate effect." "As one of the largest commercial radio stations in the country, we have a responsibility to be fair to all candidates," Mr Brannigan said. He went on to say he admired Niall "for having the courage of his convictions and putting himself forward like this", and wished him "the very best in his bid" Mr Boylanto stand as a candidate in the four seat Dublin constituency, and was registered on the list of candidates this Monday, April 22. He appeared on air as a guest this Tuesday night, with Gareth O'Callaghan taking over as host. Though not able to discuss political matters, in the interest of fairness, Niall spoke instead about his reasons for leaving radio for politics. "I feel like that particularly the Nighttime Talk is like a big family," he said. "It's like a family and I feel like I'm leaving them or abandoning them or something. But I want to let them know that I'm not abandoning them, what I want to do is I want to make a difference in their lives," he continued. EirGrid, the operator of Irelands electricity grid, is now inviting community groups and not-for-profit organisations in Laois and Kilkenny to apply for the latest phase of its community benefit fund initiative. The fund, which comes in conjunction with the wider upgrade and reinforcement of the local electricity grid, totals 511,500 across three installments. 40% of that overall total was awarded to successful applicants during Phase 1, with a further 30% [153,450] now being opened up to applications. This fund signals EirGrids intention to support local communities throughout the lifetime of its projects, specifically those situated along the line between Coolnabacky in County Laois and Ballyragget, County Kilkenny. The scheme provides grants to community groups, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises who strive to positively impact their locality. In a similar way to Phase 1, any project that can showcase these potential benefits is eligible for funding in this second phase, with priority given to those within three kilometres of the development. We recognise the crucial role which local communities play in facilitating and supporting this kind of vital grid infrastructure, said Sinead Dooley, EirGrids Head of Public Engagement. That is why we are committed to ensuring that the benefits are widespread and long-lasting. In addition to supporting social and economic growth via improved infrastructure, EirGrids stated aim is to leave a positive legacy through community engagements such as these. This was demonstrated by the variety of groups across Laois and Kilkenny which benefited from Phase 1 of our fund. As we open up this second phase today, were excited to welcome a whole new set of community groups to shape their locality with imaginative and collaborative proposals. To ensure that these grants are distributed in a transparent, participatory and inclusive manner, independent facilitator M-CO will again be responsible for administering the fund. M-CO, who are experienced in collaborating with communities and organisations, have been working closely with community forum members to develop criteria which best meets the needs of local residents. Additional supports for applicants will also be available going forward, and will come in the form of information evenings, one-to-one project development meetings, and grant application workshops. Updates on these will be available at eirgrid.ie/Laois-Kilkenny, along with further information about the project at large. For queries relating to the fund, potential applicants are encouraged to contact MCO at communitybenefitfund@mco.ie, or by phone on 01 887 0630. Five special schools in Kilkenny can apply for the application of additional targeted supports including increased post primary hours and an additional administrative deputy principal as part of an 11 million project. Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Hildegarde Naughton announced the details of the arrangements of the supports for special schools which were announced in Budget 2024 this week. The additional post-primary teaching posts will facilitate special schools to deliver a greater range of national curriculum subjects at junior and senior cycle, providing access to programmes that are age and stage appropriate, and that build on individual strengths and promote progression and transition. Locally Deputy John McGuinness welcomed the additional supports which he said will have a massive and positive impact on the schools involved and will allow for a greater range if subjects for students. Kilkenny schools who will benefit are St Patricks School, Kells Road; Saplings Special School, Gorebridge; The Jonah Special School, Slieverue; Mother of Fair Love, James Street, Kilkenny and the School of the Holy Spirit, Callan Road, Kilkenny. The additional posts have been converted into a bank of post-primary teaching hours (co-operation hours) and will be allocated to schools on a pro-rata basis, in accordance with the number of students aged 13 and over in the school. The Minister said that there are a number of special schools who already have the benefit from and have access to post-primary co-operation hours and or post-primary specialist hours. In the interest of fairness, any pre-existing allocation will form part of the consideration to determine any future allocations to schools. If the allocation of the additional hours determines that the number of post-primary aged students in these schools warrants an additional allocation, the existing hours available to the school will be increased accordingly. The Minister also acknowledged the support of Education and Training Boards Ireland who, together with the National Council for Special Education, have partnered with the Department to support the delivery of the additional post-primary posts to special schools. Each special school will be aligned with their local ETB, providing access to a support model for teacher supply in relevant curricular areas. All matters relating to the recruitment, assignment and payment of the teachers concerned will be managed by the designated ETB. Nationally 88 special schools will benefit from a new or increased allocation of post-primary teaching hours. A Supreme Court case Tuesday involving Starbucks and the National Labor Relations Board could limit the powers of the agency to seek the rehiring of employees that the agency finds were wrongly fired for engaging in protected union activity. By Max Hastings Democracy is ailing. Around the world, strongmen seem all the rage. Chinas Xi, Russias Putin, Hungarys Orban, Indias Modi and a clutch of Latin Americans, together with the rise of the right in Western Europe, attest to peoples increasing willingness to embrace ruthless, mendacious leaders whom they credulously think can get things done, while eliminating their enemies (real or imagined). There was once a widely held belief in Europe, which became a cliche, that Italys 1922-43 Duce, Benito Mussolini, made the trains run on time. It was supposed, falsely, that pre-World War II strongmen offered administrative efficiency and economic success. Many commentators, not least in the U.S., see a resurgence of that eras fascism. Immigrants, Muslims and foreigners have taken the place formerly occupied by Jews as scapegoats for misfortune and modernity. Conspiracy theories flourish while public services languish. Between the two wars, communism remained an ideology cherished by a minority and left-wing elites. But fascism, with its uniforms and mass rallies, calls to eliminate anti-social elements and patriotic bombast, was more genuinely popular. Might was seen as a virtue, the law as an instrument to be manipulated. Donald Trump today promises to be a dictator if voters buy what hes selling. He has spoken well of Hitler. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present," says Trump is pursuing a campaign designed to convince Americans that authoritarian rule is superior to democracy. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey in 24 countries showed that enthusiasm for freely elected leaders is flagging, and a median 59 percent is dissatisfied with how their democracy is functioning. Three-quarters of those polled believe that elected officials dont care what ordinary people think, while strongmen do. For those of us with an acute consciousness of the past, especially the European past, it is terrifying to see so many people oblivious to the horrors committed by the 1930s dictators. Its also dismaying to see history repeat itself, in the willingness of many of the worlds haves to endorse tyrants. I was once asked about the politics of a tycoon whom I knew. I responded that he simply wanted to make the world a safe place for rich people no more, no less. He was, and remains, a cheerleader for Trump, who granted him a pardon for a U.S. fraud conviction. The same was equally true of the haves of the 1930s. Much of the British aristocracy, including most notoriously Lord Redesdale and two of his daughters the celebrated Mitford sisters embraced Hitler. Diana married Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Fascist Party. Her sister Unity became so besotted with Hitler, with whom she forged a friendship, that she shot herself in the head not fatally in despair when World War II broke out. If Churchill had not shown favoritism to his own class by leaving them at liberty, by my reckoning at least four British dukes Westminster, Wellington, Buccleuch and Bedford would have been interned during the war for their links to Nazism. Why did they do it? Because, like many of Europes rich and much of the City of London, they were haunted by an imagined Bolshevik takeover, which they feared would cost them their fortunes. They embraced the fascists as enemies of communism. In Berlin, in April 1939, the Duke of Buccleuch planned to attend Hitlers 50th birthday party, until the British Embassy induced him instead to go home. Even after war broke out, the duke pestered Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to seek a face-saving peace that would have allowed Nazi Germany to remain a Great Power. As late as July 1940, when Churchill had taken over, Buccleuch urged the Conservative chief whip to press the government to parley with Hitler. All this was an embarrassment to Buckingham Palace. Buccleuch was George VIs most senior courtier, Lord Steward of the Household. Only belatedly did the King acknowledge that Buccleuchs politics mad him an outcast, and ask him to resign. A British historian has recently written that Buccleuch believed world war might bring revolution to Britain: It was almost bound to lead to higher taxation and an end to the aristocratic way of life that had somehow survived World War I. His desire to preserve a strong Germany even a Nazi one to counter the spread of communismwas shared by a number of his fellow-magnates. Lord Rothermere, proprietor of Britains Daily Mail, was a notorious pre-war Nazi sympathizer. The historian and biographer of Hitler, Ian Kershaw, was once given a private guided tour of Mount Stewart, the former Northern Ireland home of Lord Londonderry, an appeaser who served as a minister in several 1930s Conservative governments. In Londonderrys study, Kershaw was fascinated to spot a white Meissen statuette of an SS stormtrooper carrying a Nazi flag. It had been presented to the British peer in 1936 by Joachim von Ribbentrop, then Hitlers ambassador in London, when he stayed at Mount Stewart as an honored guest. The diaries of U.S.-born British MP Sir Henry Chips Channon testify to a commitment to appeasement at any price. When somebody said at Londonderrys 1949 memorial service that perhaps the dead apologist for the Nazis had been right all along, the shameless Channon said: Of course he was. The dictators offered the only thing for which such people cared security for their own kind.Not much appears to have changed. In the U.S., it is terrifying to behold so many educated people enthuse about the prospect of strongman rule. The historian Timothy Snyder recently penned a notable essay denouncing the folly, as well as evil, of embracing such a course. Essential to the strongman myth, he writes, is the idea that a strongman will be your strongman. He wont. Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of The National Interest and author of a new book "America Last: The Rights Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators," argues that Trumpism the GOP standard-bearers enthusiasm for the likes of Putin and Orban is only the tip of the iceberg in a long history of U.S. right-wing admiration for demagogues and despots elsewhere. Trump is rebranding odious doctrines from the past as something new and shiny and attractive, the author concludes. President Joe Bidens gravest electoral vulnerability is that he appears weak. The recent Pew poll shows half of its respondents, in half the middle-income nations surveyed, enthused about adopting a form of government in which a strong leader can make decisions without interference from parliament or the courts. The pernicious appeal of strongmen is that they profess to offer magical solutions. Yet most of us spend lifetimes learning that no such things exist that our governments can only realistically aspire to manage intractable difficulties, not banish them. The solutions that Donald Trump offers are as simplistic as those of an old frontier gunfighter. Their spurious plausibility is perhaps unsurprising in a society ever-more poisoned by private ownership of firearms. But in truth Trump is a weak man masquerading as a strong one. In the White House, he would be powerless to achieve the outcomes that he promises because they represent fantasies. Its terrifying that our greatest democracy should be within range of possibility of re-electing as its president a self-proclaimed would-be dictator, who thinks that Adolf Hitler did some good things. Max Hastings is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is author, most recently, of The Abyss: Nuclear Crisis Cuba 1962. This article was published in the Bloomberg News and distributed by Tribune Content Agency. 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. During the short, 30-minute press conference, held at The Star Theatre on 13 April 2024, 4 hours ahead of his "Just One 10 Minute [Mystery Elevator]" fan concert in Singapore, Cha Eun Woo repeatedly mentioned that he would like to visit the Marina Bay Sands. During his fan sign event in Korea, many Singaporean fans had requested for him to bring his solo fan concert to Singapore, which he has finally fulfilled their wishes. Having just reached the sunny island on Friday night, he had already eaten one of his favourite local dish - chilli crab. He wanted to try pepper crab and chicken rice after the fan concert. Although he liked both types of crabs, he disclosed that he is not able to take too spicy food. When asked about inspiration for writing songs and lyrics, the ASTRO member said he takes notes whenever he feels the "moment," be it on a plane or on his rest days. He will later combine all these moments to complete a song. Cha Eun Woo had just released his first solo album Entity in February 2024, where he wrote the lyrics for all 6 songs. While he has no preference on any specific musical or acting genre, he has a greed to try everything. He loves both drama or movie, and will choose based on the characters that are offered to him. He recalled having an interesting shoot for his drama A Good Day to be a Dog where he had to hold a snack on his lips in order to film the scene where he is kissing the dog. Cha Eun Woo's biggest goal at the moment is to find a good acting project and produce good music, adding that he hope his fans will enjoy the night's event with him. If he is given 10 minutes to do anything he wants in the world, he shyly claimed, "Since I am in Singapore, for the 10 minutes, I want to swim at (the Infinity Pool) at Marina Bay (Sands)." On how he can encourage fans who are feeling down, he said, "There are definitely good people around you, don't take it too hard on yourself, take care and love yourself." He then added that the songs from his mini album contains his sincere feelings which he hopes can heal those who are in pain. He takes care of himself by visiting pretty cafes, spending time with friends and loved ones, and having a good nap. As part of the Viu Scream Dates series, Cha Eun Woo's first solo fan concert Just One 10 Minute (Mystery Elevator), presented by Viu, started promptly at 7PM, amidst screaming from the predominantly female fans. He began the performance with a group of dancers, sashaying to Lee Hyori's 2003 smash hit, 10 Minutes. While singing the next song F***ing Great Time, the crowd shrieked every time he showed his torso. While lying on the stage floor after the first 2 songs, he spoke in English, "It's really hot in Singapore, hotter than Korea. Since it's my fist time to have a solo concert in Singapore, I'm excited. You guys are welcoming me more than I expected. I've had concerts in different countries but it feels really different in Singapore, let's have fun tonight." After bantering with the emcee on the song list from his first mini-album, he proceeded to sing Stay, a pop song with a calm yet strong acoustic guitar performance at the intro. The lyrics contain a message of comfort to everyone who is sad after parting with a loved one. Cha Eun Woo enlightened the title Mystery Elevator, is a service that can bring Aroha (name of ASTRO's fandom) to go on a journey with him. The elevator stopped at 97F, Cha Eun Woo's concept shop where the idol completes a mission every time he picked an outfit or accessory that is on display. During this segment, Cha Eun Woo was taught Singlish, "Aiyo, Shiok and Walau Eh," while he tried different looks, ranging from angelic with a pair of wings, sexy poses while biting a rose, nerdy look with black rimmed spectacles to a starry-eyed prince with a blue tuxedo-like jacket and wooden sword. The multi-faceted artist sang a new song Jealousy, which he composed for this fan concert, thereafter praising his fans. He said, "Whenever I spend time with you guys, time really flies, and whenever I see your expressions from stage, I think you guys look really beautiful." After singing Love Sailing, the OST from his 2022 screen debut Decibel, Cha Eun Woo mentioned, "I want to sail forever with you guys. Even though we speak a different language, I hope you feel what I feel." The last floor that the mystery elevator reached - 413F, where the artist collects a constellation for every country where his fan meet was held, from Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Tokyo, to Singapore. Since the last ASTRO concert was in Singapore in 2017, he shared, "7 years ago or now, you guys always welcome me, my heart is so warm now. This concert means so much to me and I have a gut feeling that we will see each other more often in the future." The night ended with You're So Fine, the OST from True Beauty, his 2020 drama. Prior to the concert, fans were delighted to receive treats from brands that the coveted idol endorses, such as Cornetto ice cream, Skechers photo booth images, and Ricola pocket photo cards. See the videos of Cha Eun Woo's exclusive press conference and performance below! Special thanks to Viu for inviting KpopStarz to cover CHA EUN-WOO's "Just One 10 Minute [Mystery Elevator] in Singapore" press conference and fan concert. Writer: Wang | Photo Credits: Viu and Melin | Video Credits: Melin A fan asked Sandara an NSFW question, and her response left her fans in stitches! Through the years, 2NE1 Sandara Park has become more open and honest about her love life. She's confessed on several shows that she turned down several celebrity men who tried to approach her, as well as her aspirations to start dating now that she's getting older. However, the idol has reached a whole new level of honesty! Keep on reading for all the details. 2NE1 Sandara NSFW Shirt Garners Attention On April 21, 2024, Sandara Park released a series of photos of her in Paris, France. In her photos, she is seen wearing an oversized graphic white tee with red long sleeves on the inside. The female idol accessorized her overall casual look with designer sunglasses. In her post, Sandara Park is seen on the balcony of a building in France. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 2NE1 Sandara Park Apologizes To All The Men She Turned Down: 'I Should Have Met Them...' While Sandara Park earned praise for her beauty in her photos, there was another thing that caught people's attention: the graphic on her shirt! Her photo is from the popular streetwear brand Supreme. The graphic shows several green and red skeletons wearing a Christmas hat. The skeletons are seen acting out various sexual poses. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: Dara Gets Teary-Eyed as She Recalls Life as Breadwinner at 19: 'I Cried a Lot, It Was Hard...' Soon, the photo of Sandara Park went viral, with a fan asking her an NSFW question. 2NE1 Sandara Park Hilariously Responds To Fans' NSFW Question That same day, a fan shared a close-up photo of Sandara Park and her shirt. In Tagalog (Filipino), a fan asked the female idol, "Unnie, what is your favorite position?" The fan did not tag Sandara Park in their post. Despite that, the idol still saw the post. And unlike most K-pop idols, she responded to the risque question. CHECK THIS OUT: 2NE1 Comeback? BLACKJACKs Speculate the Iconic Group Will Return Her response? The idol simply said "all of the above" with a crying-laughing emoji. Her response, as of this writing, the tweet has been viewed over 229.3k times. All of the above April 22, 2024 Many were shocked at Sandara's response, but found it absolutely hilarious! Filipino fans called her out for being "messy," while others joked that Sandara Park has commented on how much she loves working out, but she might have meant a different kind of exercise. FOR YOU: 2NE1 Dara Recalls Almost Joining SM, Visualizes Debuting in Girls' Generation It looks like Sandara Park has no problem being 100% honest! What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below! ALSO READ: Sandara Park Reveals She Once Hated Lee Hyori After Being Ignored, Latter Clarifies Misunderstanding KpopStarz Owns This Written by Alexa Lopez OT9 Eris, rejoice! Recently, the sightings of complete, nine EXO members (yes, with Lay!) were confirmed by various accounts, leaving the fandom in an emotional overdose. Here's what Eris are saying. EXO OT9 Spotted Having Dinner Together In April, EXO Lay returned to Korea to promote his latest Korean single, "Psychic," released on the 17th. This became a special gift to the fandom, given that his group just celebrated its 12th debut anniversary on the 8th of the same month. After years of actively promoting in China solely, Lay finally made his much-awaited return to Korea and started his full-fledged activities by attending music broadcasts. During his stages, EXO-Ls filled the venue with cheers and warm welcome to the idol, who wasn't able to step on Korean shows for a long time. Indeed, Lay didn't disappoint with his skills as EXO's main dancer, and through the song, the artist also flaunted his exceptional songwriting and live singing skills. ALSO READ: EXO Lauded for Unchanging Looks Following Their 12th Anniversary Fan Meeting: 'They Are Forever a Visual Feast' While fans were truly happy with just seeing Lay again on the stage, deep down, EXO-Ls were hoping that he would meet with his co-members, who recently held a fan meeting to commemorate their 12th year as a group. Just then, this wishful thinking became a reality when Chinese EXO-Ls reported on Weibo that they saw the 9 members having dinner! This means that Lay, including Kai and Sehun who are currently in the military, met with the other six members Suho, Xiumin, Chen, D.O., Baekhyun, and Chanyeol. A paparazzi Weibo post talked about EXO having dinner together. Yes, with Lay & I'm not sure how legit this is but is this FINALLY the OT9 CRUMBS WE NEED??!?!?! https://t.co/kcSPYNRhII pic.twitter.com/7X66olnqu7 BEATI (@bmariaerigom) April 19, 2024 chines exols on weibo said that exo had a dinner together yesterday !!!!!!! We dont ask for much just want a photo update like this ! exo pls we beg you pic.twitter.com/wWcgOUdgGG military wife (@u_han94) April 19, 2024 According to the rumor, the nine members went to a barbecue restaurant, and aside from sharing a meal, the members also had a midnight drink. It was around 5AM when the members went home. Based on the timeline, this happened after Lay's music broadcast on Mnet's "M! Countdown." When he recently held a live broadcast, the Chinese member attested to fans that he didn't lose contact with EXO, and it was speculated that they then decided to meet through a dinner. There is no photo released yet that can certify this reunion, but fans are holding on to this since the main source is Chinese paparazzi. EXO-Ls Happily Celebrate OT9 Crumbs With just the report alone, Eris all over the world couldn't hide their happiness and excitement, expressing all of their feelings on SNS including X. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY EXO OT9 DINNER YESTERDAY??? SO YOU MEAN AFTER THE MCDOWN, ALL OF THEM MET???? LIKE OT9??? WHO WILL POST THE PHOTO!!!???? L | (@Lyykkkieee) April 19, 2024 Me after learning that ALL NINE MEMBERS of EXO had dinner together yesterday: pic.twitter.com/nD1fY8QrGQ Ana Blossom BAB (@kyunginess) April 19, 2024 EXO OT9 HAD DINNER TOGETHER YESTERDAY????? OMG IM ABOUT CRY AF April 19, 2024 EXO WILL ALWAYS BE NINE!! BELIEVE ME. AND THERES A POST CIRCULATING THAT OT9 HAD DINNER LAST NIGHT. ITS REALLY POSSIBLE YALL ALL OF THEM ARE IN KOREA RN https://t.co/JSKqiGwb8c aster (@joyiiieeee_) April 19, 2024 With this rumor, fans can't help but increase their hope that Lay will be joining EXO's future comeback once Kai and Sehun are out of the military. This rumor also soothes some fans' concerns that Lay already left EXO and has no intention of going back to the group anymore. READ MORE: EXO Lay, Chanyeol Leaves Eris in Tears Is OT9 Comeback on the Horizon? For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dela Cruz IVE Jang Wonyoung revealed that one of the songs in the group's upcoming album touches on the scrutiny female idols face. On April 22, 2024, Nylon released an exclusive interview with girl group IVE. During the interview, IVE touched on several different topics, such as their recent concerts in America, their upcoming album, and their highly-anticipated Lollapalooza performance. However, one topic that stood out is how one of their upcoming songs touches on a highly sensitive topic in the K-pop world. Keep on reading for all the details. IVE Jang Wonyoung Reveals Upcoming Song Touches on Scrutiny Female Idols Endure During the group's interview with Nylon, it is mentioned that Jang Wonyoung earned her sixth songwriting credit with a song called "Blue Heart," a b-sidetrack from their upcoming mini-album. When asked what inspired her to work on the song, she stated that she was inspired by her work in the K-pop industry. According to Nylon, Jang Wonyoung alluded to how idols, especially female idols, are always hyperscrutinized by the media and netizens. They are always watched with a magnifying glass, with people waiting for them to make a mistake. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: IVE Upcoming Lollapalooza Appearance Sparks Debate: 'The Next LE SSERAFIM?' She stated that people are always very aggressive with them, so female idols chose to harden themselves instead of being warm so that they could protect themselves. She said, "People in the world are very aggressive toward us, so some girls choose to have an icy blue heart rather than a warm red heart so they can be strong." YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: 5th-Gen Idol Dubbed 'Little Jang Wonyoung' Due to Visual Similarities to IVE Member - Who Is She? IVE is slated to make their comeback with their upcoming extended play, "IVE SWITCH," on April 29. The album will include two lead singles: "Accendio" and "Heya." According to Jang Wonyoung, "Accendio" is highly reminiscent of their 2022 hit, "LOVE DIVE," but more mature. It is dark and witchy, with lyrics alluding to magic. "Heya" is a rap track inspired by a folk story told by the members of IVE themselves called "The Tiger Who Loved the Sun." According to the group, the music video is meant to showcase South Korea's beauty. CHECK THIS OUT: Viral Plastic Surgeon Draws Backlash for Inappropriate Comments About Jang Wonyoung During IVE Concert What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below! IVE Recent Activities On March 29, it was announced that they would be singing the new opening theme song "Will" for Pokemon Horizons. On April 12, "Will" was released on various music distribution platforms, and the opening video was released on Pokemon's official YouTube channel. FOR YOU: IVE Jang Wonyoung Phone Number Sold for $6? Private Information of Idols Listed Online Sparks Concern On April 3, it was officially announced that IVE would be releasing their second extended play, "IVE SWITCH," on April 29. KpopStarz Owns This Written by Alexa Lopez MBABANE Following that the Eswatini cattle population, both beef and dairy, have dropped below levels of self-regeneration, countries free of foot and mouth disease have been urged to allow Eswatini access to import. The plea was made by Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka during the session of transformation of agri-food systems, held on the sidelines of the FAO 33rd Africa Conference and Moroccan International Trade Fair, last week. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) meeting started on Thursday and was closed on Saturday. The minister was attending this meetings along with his counterpart in Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Simelane the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture Sydney Simelane. He first told the meeting that climate change for Eswatini was real, as indicated by the fact that this year, for instance, crops were decimated by a combination of drought and hailstorms, hence the country was going to need international assistance to deal with this and future climate change related challenges. The minister then spoke about the transformation of Eswatinis agri-food systems, where he mentioned four pillars: * Building of dams to transform the countrys farming systems from being predominantly rain fed to rely more on irrigation. * Climate smart agriculture such as protected farming to safeguard high value crops. * Value addition involving agri-processing, development of value chains, developing high return markets, research and development and finance. * Development of climate change resilience especially among vulnerable communities. He mentioned that Eswatini had submitted two concept notes to FAO requesting for funding in this regard, which he enumerated and said that he hoped they would be considered favourably. Tshawuka also spoke on the discussion of the blue economy or aquatic food systems where, after he paid homage to Morocco and FAO for staging the conference and told the meeting that His Majesty King Mswati III commissioned the new government to end hunger and poverty within the shortest time possible. Access The minister also highlighted that Africa had 21 countries without coastlines, hence no direct access to the ocean, Eswatini being one of them. He, therefore, asked the meeting and those countries with coastlines to find a way for the landlocked countries to participate in this economy or food system. He asked FAO to assist Eswatini develop its fisheries and aquatic food system as part of a programme they had just showcased in that session. The minister further requested those countries with coastlines to combat unused and uncontrolled fishing, over-fishing and bycatch, because if not, there would be nothing on the menu by the time some of the landlocked countries get a seat at the table. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Asserting that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is "patently discriminatory", senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday said his party's position is that it must go and be replaced by a law of asylum which is consistent with international treaties to which India is a party. His remarks came in response to Home Minister Amit Shah's criticism of the Congress over its stand on the controversial CAA. Also Read | Think Twice and Vote for Country, Development': Priyanka Gandhi Appeal Karnataka Voters Not To Get Provoked by Hate Speeches. A day after Chidambaram said his party will repeal the CAA if voted to power, Shah had said on Monday that the Congress is "hell-bent on harming" Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Sikh and Parsi communities to appease its vote bank. Asked about Shah's criticism of his remarks, Chidambaram told PTI, "It is not only my remark. Several Congress leaders have stated the position. We oppose the CAA when it was introduced in Parliament. Our members have visited the Shaheen Bagh protest. I myself visited the Kolkata protest and we stand in solidarity with those who protested against the CAA." Also Read | Thane Water Cut News: 24-Hour Supply Disruption on April 25-26 in Peak Summer; Areas Like Akashganga, Panchganga, and Uthalsar To Be Affected. "The CAA is patently discriminatory. We are restraint because the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court but our views are quite clear, the CAA is patently discriminatory, it selects three countries and six religious groups, for example, it leaves out the Tamils of Sri Lanka, it leaves out the Tamils of Myanmar. Why?" he said. "The Tamils are Tamil-speaking, they are Hindus, Muslims. Why is the Tamil Hindu in Sri Lanka who is subject to oppression not allowed to migrate to India if he satisfies the conditions of asylum? Therefore, our position is the CAA must go, we must replace it by a law of asylum which is consistent with international treaties to which India is a party," the former home minister said. On Shah's remarks that one needs to be in government to change laws and it's not possible for the Congress to become even the main opposition party, Chidambaram said, "Thank God the Election Commission of India is different from the Ministry of Home Affairs and thank god the people of India are independent of the Election commission of India." Chidambaram said there is a long list of laws, for example the Prevention of Money Laundering Act,2002, that need to be reviewed, repealed or amended. He said the PMLA law has to be repealed and re-enacted in order to be consistent with international conventions on money laundering. "Our law is clearly in violation of Indian law as well as the international convention," he said on PMLA. "Similarly, there are many laws which they have made that have diluted the purpose of the law, which have distorted the laws, for example environmental laws have been amended, forest laws have been amended, all that has to be reversed. We have said so in a chapter (in the manifesto) in reversing the damage," Chidambaram said. "We did not want to add a list as it runs into at least two pages. Several laws have to be reviewed, some will be repealed, some will be repealed and re-enacted and some will be amended," 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) New Delhi [India], April 23 (ANI): The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has received bids from seven bidders under global tender for the re-bidding of Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) for 10 GWh Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing announced on January 24, 2024, an official release said on Tuesday. According to the release, the pre-bid meeting was held on February 12, 2024. The last date for receiving applications was April 22, 2024, on the CPP portal and the technical bids opened on April 23, 2024. Also Read | UK Dog Attack: Womans Face Brutally Mauled By Friends Pet Dachshund. The list of bidders (in alphabetical order) who have submitted bids in response to this tender are ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Limited, Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Private Limited, Anvi Power Industries Private Limited, JSW Neo Energy Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, Lucas TVS Limited, and Waaree Energies Limited, for a cumulative capacity of 70 GWh, added the statement. In May 2021, the Cabinet approved the technology-agnostic PLI Scheme on 'National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage' for achieving a manufacturing capacity of fifty (50) gigawatt hours (GWh) of ACC with an outlay of Rs 18,100 crore. Also Read | YouTube Inspired Gang Budding Criminals Arrested for Firing Attempt to Murder, Extortion Bid in Delhi. The first round of the ACC PLI bidding was concluded in March 2022, and three beneficiary firms were allocated a total capacity of thirty (30) gigawatt hours (GWh), and the programme agreement with selected beneficiary firms was signed in July 2022. Further, MHI, Government of India, released a Request for Proposal (RfP) on January 24, 2024 for the shortlisting and selection of bidders under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 'National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage' for setting up ACC Manufacturing Units with a total manufacturing capacity of 10 Giga Watt Hour (GWh) with a maximum budgetary outlay of Rs. 3,620 crore. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thrissur (Kerala) [India], April 24: Kerala's Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, where high-profile candidates are in the fray this time, is going to witness a fierce triangular contest between BJP, Congress and the CPI. BJP has fielded actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi for the second time, hoping that his charisma as an actor will bring the party more votes beyond what they get from the traditional BJP supporters. Sensing the heat of the competition, Congress and the Left announced candidates who enjoy strong grass-level support. While Congress has fielded K Muralidharan, son of the late Congress doyen K Karunakaran whose pocket borough was once Thrissur, the ruling Left Democratic Front nominated former Agriculture Minister in the previous LDF government in the state, VS Sunilkumar. Thrissur Lok Sabha Election 2024: BJP Candidate Suresh Gopi Courts Trouble Over Poster With Late Star Innocent; To Face Congress K Muraleedharan and CPIs VS Sunil Kumar in This Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala. The constituency, where both Congress-led UDF and CPM-led LDF interchangeably won multiple times in the past seven decades, is currently held by Congress. Though the Congress's first choice for Thrissur was its sitting MP TN Prathapan, it had to rethink the choice when K Padmaja Venugopal, Karunakaran's daughter, defected to the BJP. Muralidharan was shifted from Vatakara, another constituency in Kerala where he is sitting MP, to Thrissur. Padmaja is quite active in the Constituency campaigning for Suresh Gopi. In the 2019 general election, Prathapan won the constituency garnering 39.83 per cent of vote share. Rajaji Mathew Thomas of CPI came second. Though Suresh Gopi came third, he garnered nearly 30 per cent of the polled votes despite the late announcement of his candidature giving him hardly 20 days for the election campaign. However, this time BJP started campaigning early with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding his first roadshow in Thrissur. PM Modi also made another visit to the constituency to attend the wedding of Gopi's daughter at Guruvayoor Srikrishna Temple. Though LDF's Sunilkumar is quite popular in the constituency, the scam in the CPI (M) controlled Karuvannur Cooperative Bank is being raised in the campaigns of others in the fray. PM Modi himself raised this issue while he campaigned for the BJP candidate. The UDF also put the LDF on the defensive by making this a campaign issue. The parliamentary constituency consists of assembly constituencies such as Thrissur, Ollur, Pudukkad, Irinjalakuda, Manalur, Nattika and Guruvayur. The constituency has a considerable Christian population with the Catholic community accounting for 35 per cent of the region's population. Kasargod Lok Sabha Election 2024: BJP Candidate ML Ashwini Pins Hope on Modi Governments Welfare Schemes in This Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala. BJP hopes that its leaders' including the Prime Minister's recent reach out to the Christian community will give them a political dividend. However, UDF and LDF hit back at the BJP pointing out the Manipur riots, where, they allege, many Christian churches were demolished by the rioters in "collaboration" with the BJP government in the state. All 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala will go to the polls on April 26. The results will be announced 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) By Hemanta Kumar Nath Nagaon (Assam) [India], April 23 (ANI): Flagging concerns over duplicates flooding the market and being sold with impunity in neighbouring states, more than half of the population of Ranthali village in Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, which is engaged in the manufacture of traditional jewellery, have demanded that the government crack down on fakes and safeguard their interests ahead of polling for the second phase on April 26. Also Read | Panchayati Raj Diwas 2024: Ministry of Panchayati Raj Organises National Colloquium on Grassroots Governance To Mark National Panchayati Raj Day. Ranthali is the only village in BJP-ruled Assam that is majorly into the crafting of traditional jewellery. One-half of the village's population earns their bread from this craft. Speaking to ANI, a local involved in this craft, said, "Almost the entire village is involved in this profession. Ours is the only village in the entire country where such pieces of jewellery are crafted. We design pure Assamese jewellery, which is native to Ranthali. The jewellery reflects our traditional craftsmanship. The base material for our ornaments is silver, on which we layer a range of stones. The stones are laid through casting. A layer of 24-carat gold is used on the jewellery pieces. Our ornaments also come with a historic value." Also Read | National Panchayati Raj Day 2024 Date: Know History and Significance of the Day That Marks the Beginning of the Panchayati Raj System in India. However, he said fakes, which are often hard to tell from the original pieces, have taken over markets, adding that the duplicates were manufactured in other states and also being pushed in from neighbouring China. "Our jewellery pieces don't come with GI tags. We have been asking for it since 2013. Fake pieces that are flooding the markets and are made in neighbouring states, as well as China, are a major cause of worry for the goldsmiths here. As many as 500 people are engaged in this craft. Apart from safeguarding our interests, the new government at the Centre should also work towards developing Ranthali as a tourist destination. We need more development in this region and Assamese jewellery should be given the same importance as those in Rajasthan," he added. Another local, who is also into designing traditional jewellery pieces, demanded that the government ban duplicate jewellery pieces from Kolkata and grant GT to the traditional pieces designed in Ranthali. "Our ancestors were also involved in this work. We are doing well but have to offset losses incurred due to fakes from China and Kolkata flooding the market. The whole village is into jewellery designing. We demand that whoever forms the new government crack down on these fakes and get us a GI tag. Our youth are keen to take this art to other states as well," he told ANI. The Lok Sabha elections in Assam are being conducted in three phases, with the first going off peacefully on April 19. As many as 75.95 per cent of voters in the five parliamentary constituencies of Assam--Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh and Jorhat, came out to exercise their franchise in the first phase. Polling for the second phase will be held for five more seats--Silchar, Karimganj, Diphu, Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri. Voting for Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Barpeta and Guwahati will be held on May 7, during the third and final phase of polling in the BJP-ruled state. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Sir, I understand how a lot of women feel about the Christian religion versus modern times. Times have changed, so did we as a people. We cannot for sure know when Christianity began, the Bible speaks of Adam; was he a Christian? We dont know. But, the early people began life observing many protocols that guided their decisions and roles. Women had their roles in society, and so did men. I am a Christian but I am not submissive to some things. To me, a woman dressed demurely in knee covering outfits is a real woman. The Bible supports me in that and our traditional religion also endorses that. Challenged But then, it was Murphys Law that was going to be challenged over time, women could dress anyhow and how they want. That is great; I do not challenge that at all. Having mentioned that, do we then not see that quite a lot of pastors used to shun or not allow us, as the children of God, to attend a church service wearing clothes revealing sensual body parts biblically meant to be seen by only a wedded husband and wife in their privacy. If a pastor can stand on one leg in the pulpit on the point that God wants the heart and not the soul, do we as reasoning human beings think that the person cares at all about us as Christians? Let me break it further down. The women who wear miniskirts at brothels are luring men to sexual intercourse, a mini dress is not a call for a spiritual sermon, it is to wake a mans natural ability to make love; that is a fact. Revealing Now imagine a nubile woman revealing her breasts and thighs in church, and since God wants the heart, fine He will have the heart of that woman, but what about the disturbed men who do not see that heart but a call to make love. Is it his fault he is a man? No. Do you think the pastor cared about that? No. We can lie to ourselves as much as we can, but the way a person dresses is not just for themselves, it communicates with people. Deuteronomy states: Women should not dress in garments of men. Modern Christians are so intelligent in twisting words put clearly by the Bible to be sweeter and digestible. In the early days, boys wore trousers and women wore tunics and respectable skirts. Now, quite a number of schools permit the wearing of pants by girls. It has now become a norm for women to wear pants. It came as a fad that seemed cool but stayed and seemed so. The problem is not in the wearing of pants, the issue is what it does. A lot of preachers twist the truth to get followers but the truth remains, it is alluring to see women wearing tight jeans that accentuate their backs or hips, some even go to the extent of wearing such that they accentuate their private parts. I am not perfect but it would be great if in all our imperfections we know the truth, what is right and what is wrong. It is better if we would know the truth and not massage it to suite us. All clothes that press out all our private belongings are not holy. It would be considerable if dressing according to the Bible is considered by all women and men, in every garment worn, we could remember, this body is the temple of God, and it should reflect that. Kannur (Kerala) [India], April 23 (ANI): As the voting day in Kerala for the 2024 election nears, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday continued his attack against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a non-serious and immature politician. "Many times when serious political developments happened in the Country, Rahul Gandhi was not here. It is the experience of the people in the country that he is not a serious politician. We refrained from commenting on it because he is from another party and it is their internal issue. But during the time of the general election, coming here and making comments in support of central investigation agencies is highly immature," Vijayan said during a press conference here. Also Read | Carcinogenic Ingredient in MDH and Everest Masala: India Seeks Details from Food Regulators of Singapore, Hong Kong. Earlier during his campaign speech in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi had asked why CM Vijayan was being scot-free by the Central investigation agencies for the various scandals against his government though other Opposition leaders are being hounded by them. Vijayan also refused to criticise the remarks of LDF MLA PV Anvar who asked to examine Rahul Gandhi's DNA to determine whether he was a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal, BRS Leader K Kavithas Judicial Custody Extended Till May 7 in Delhi Excise Policy Case. The Chief Minister said that one gets strong hitbacks for what one says and acts. Earlier In a scathing attack, Anvar said that Rahul Gandhi has stooped to such a low level that he lost the right to use the surname of Gandhi. He said that a person who was born into the Nehru-Gandhi family can not act like Rahul. Meanwhile, CM Vijayan also said that the remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Muslim community during the election campaign in Rajasthan's Banswara are defamatory and aimed at communal polarization. "The derogatory reference to intruders and 'hoarders' is untrue and part of their ideological code. The fact that the Prime Minister himself has come forward to take political advantage by saying communalism during the elections is an illustration of the challenges facing democratic and secular values in the country," he said during a press conference in Kannur. In an election rally in Rajasthan's Banswara Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed that the Congress manifesto talks about redistributing wealth to Muslims. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad, Apr 23 (PTI) Jailed former Pakistan premier Imran Khan's party has alleged that "blatant rigging" took place in the recently held by-elections in which the ruling PML-N got the lion's share, as it announced a plan for countrywide protests, a media report said on Tuesday. By-elections were held on Sunday to 21 national and provincial assembly seats amidst tight security and suspension of cellular and internet services in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan to maintain law and order. Also Read | Elon Musk Hits Out at Australia Over Attempts To Ban Footage of Sydney Church Stabbing on His Social Media Platform X. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won at least two national and 10 provincial assembly seats, according to the unofficial results on Monday. Leaders of 71-year-old Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday said that April 21 will be remembered as a black day in the history of Pakistan, as "open and blatant violations of law" of a magnitude never observed in the country's history were witnessed, the Dawn newspaper reported. Also Read | Chinese Woman Dies After Falling 250 Feet Into Ijen Volcano in Indonesia While Posing for Photo. [The] day of election is considered an accountability day, and people cast their votes with great zeal. However, on April 21, open and blatant violations of law were observed. The magnitude of the rigging and violation of law has never been observed in the history of Pakistan," party Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said. "Gates of polling stations were closed, and at some polling stations, more votes were polled than the total registered votes, Gohar said, addressing a press conference. He alleged that the "mandate thieves" resorted to shameful tactics to manipulate the electoral process, including stuffing ballot boxes before voting even began and coercing people as well as officials to rig the by-polls in the presence of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) representatives, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Gohar said such actions were unheard of even in the darkest days of dictatorship. The party urged the ECP to withhold the notifications of results and announced a series of protests starting Friday. Gohar said that he and party leader Omar Ayub visited various polling stations and witnessed flagrant rigging first-hand. He said that even after the electoral watchdog was informed about the rigging incidents in Gujrat, no action had been taken despite 24 hours passing, the report said. The Constitution, democracy, and the rule of law were virtually suspended in the country, he was quoted as saying in the report. Addressing the press conference, Ayub said that pre-poll rigging began with the suspension of the internet, alleging that Prime Minister Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz did not believe in transparency. On Saturday, the federal government announced that cellular services would remain temporarily suspended in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan during the by-elections. Ayub said police officials told them that intelligence agencies were not allowing voters to enter polling stations. He said that Sunday's by-elections could not be called transparent as it was a complete farce in which only taxpayers' money was wasted on a futile exercise. Claiming that Sharif got fewer votes during the general elections than the candidate contesting on the PML-N ticket in the by-election, Ayub said, "This is beyond comprehension.'' Sharing the party's plan for protests, he said, We will start protests, along with other parties, next Friday across the country." "'Then we will hold another protest in Faisalabad, followed by organising a public meeting in Karachi on May 5, and then a series of public meetings will be held across the country, the report quoted him as saying. Highlighting doubts about the top electoral watchdog's credibility, PTI Chairman Gohar questioned why the ECP didn't involve returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers from the judiciary. Two seats each of the National Assembly in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and one seat in Sindh, while twelve seats of the Punjab Assembly and two each of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan assemblies were up for grabs. Major political parties, including the PML-N, the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) participated in the by-polls. However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl of Maulana Fazlur Rehman boycotted the polls. The general elections were held across the country on February 8 to elect representatives for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies. But polls were cancelled for one National Assembly, two Punjab Assembly and one seat of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, respectively. (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 23 (PTI) Two Indian students' teams from the New Delhi area and Mumbai have won awards from the NASA for the Human Exploration Rover Challenge. The KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR has won the award in the "Crash and Burn" category of the annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) award, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Monday. Also Read | New York Civil Fraud Case: Donald Trump's USD 175 Million Bond in Civil Fraud Judgment Case Is Settled With Cash Promise. The Kanakia International School from Mumbai was given the "Rookie of the Year" award. More than 600 students with 72 teams from around the world participated as the HERC celebrated its 30th anniversary as a NASA competition. Parish Episcopal School from Dallas in the United States secured the first place in the high school division and the University of Alabama in Huntsville captured the college/university title. Also Read | Gridr LGBTQ+ Dating App Sued in London for Allegedly Sharing Private, Sensitive Information of Users' HIV Status With Third-Party Advertisers: Report. The annual engineering competition -- one of the NASA's longest-standing challenges -- held its concluding event on April 19 and April 20 at the US Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, near the NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre. The participating teams represented 42 colleges and universities and 30 high schools from 24 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 13 other countries, including India, from around the world. The teams were awarded points based on navigating a half-mile obstacle course, conducting mission-specific task challenges and completing multiple safety and design reviews with NASA engineers, a media release said. "This student design challenge encourages the next generation of scientists and engineers to engage in the design process by providing innovative concepts and unique perspectives," said Vemitra Alexander, HERC activity lead for the NASA's Office of STEM Engagement. "While celebrating the 30th anniversary of the challenge, HERC also continues NASA's legacy of providing valuable experiences to students who may be responsible for planning future space missions, including crewed missions to other worlds," Alexander added. The HERC is one of the NASA's eight Artemis Student Challenges reflecting the goals of the Artemis programme, which seeks to land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon while establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration. The NASA uses such challenges to encourage students to pursue degrees and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. (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 23 (ANI): Pakistan has been witnessing some significant human rights issues including, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention among many others. However, their government rarely took credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed these abuses, the US said in a report. The US released a report "2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" on Tuesday, highlighting the human rights abuses in various countries. Also Read | New York Civil Fraud Case: Donald Trump's USD 175 Million Bond in Civil Fraud Judgment Case Is Settled With Cash Promise. "Promoting respect for human rights and defending fundamental freedoms is central to who we are as a country. The United States will always support those around the world struggling for human dignity and liberty," the US State Department stated. The 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -- required by US law to be submitted to Congress, documents the status of respect for human rights and worker rights in nearly 200 countries and territories. Also Read | Gridr LGBTQ+ Dating App Sued in London for Allegedly Sharing Private, Sensitive Information of Users' HIV Status With Third-Party Advertisers: Report. Some of the significant human rights issues in Pakistan included credible reports of, unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance; degrading treatment or punishment by the government or its agents; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary detention; political prisoners and transnational repression against individuals in another country. It further included unlawful civilian deaths and enforced disappearance; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence against journalists, unjustified arrests and disappearances of journalists; serious restrictions on internet freedom; restrictions of religious freedom; serious government corruption; serious government restrictions on domestic and international human rights organizations; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting members of religious, racial and ethnic minorities including members of the Pashtun and Hazara communities and threats of violence motivated by antisemitism. However, "the government rarely took credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses," the report stated. Highlighting arbitrary and unlawful killings, the report stated that the human rights organizations claimed that the government agents continued the policy of "kill and dump" in Balochistan, where dissidents were kidnapped, tortured, and killed. "Security forces reportedly committed extrajudicial killings in connection with conflicts throughout the country," the report stated. Moreover, there was a significant increase in attacks against police and security forces. According to the independent think tank Center for Research and Security Studies, there were at least 386 reported deaths of police and military personnel in terrorist attacks and counterterror operations during the first three quarters of 2023. Additionally, the number of attacks and casualties was higher than in 2022 or 2021. Another ongoing human rights concern in Pakistan includes "Disappearances". According to Human rights organizations, the authorities arrested and caused the disappearance of Pashtun, Sindhi, and Baloch human rights activists, as well as Sindhi and Baloch nationalists, without cause or warrant. They also alleged that the children were detained to pressure their parents. Reportedly, activists claimed 500 Sindhis were missing, with more than 142 disappearing in 2022 alone. The Voice for Sindhi Missing Persons reported 80 Sindhi persons disappeared in Sindh Province alone between January and August. Meanwhile, activists said most of the victims were affiliated with Sindhi nationalist parties, according to the report. "According to the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, 177 Baloch persons disappeared in the province between January and July, with an alleged 6,808 persons forcibly disappeared since 2000. The Human Rights Council of Balochistan claimed 351 individuals were forcibly disappeared (including 63 students)," the report noted. Pakistan has been significantly witnessing cases of arbitrary detention. According to the US report, police reportedly detained individuals to extort bribes for their release or detained relatives of wanted individuals to compel suspects to surrender. Specifically, ethnic minorities, stateless persons, Afghans, and refugees in the country who lacked official identification documents reported arbitrary arrests, requests for bribes, and harassment by police authorities. "Afghans, including those legally present and documented, and stateless populations alleged police routinely arrested relatives for the sole purpose of obtaining bribes from family and community members," the report stated. Balochistan human rights groups asserted that the police engaged in hostage arrests, the practice of detaining family members of wanted individuals. 'They reported siblings and parents were most commonly arrested to provide leverage against Baloch nationalists in hiding," the report added. The freedom of speech has been affected in Pakistan for years. The journalists suffered high levels of violence, or threats of violence, from state and non-state actors, including political parties. However, the law permitted citizens to criticize the government publicly or privately, but court decisions interpreted the constitution as prohibiting criticism of the military and judiciary. "In urban and rural areas, journalists continued to face serious crimes, including a report of an acid attack on a woman media worker. According to Freedom Network, a domestic media rights watchdog that tracks violence against journalists and attacks on freedom of expression, between May 2022 and March, there were 140 cases of attacks and other forms of violence against journalists and other media workers," the report stressed. The report added, "Both local and foreign journalists reported harassment and intimidation by government officials. Blasphemy and anti-Ahmadi laws (laws prohibiting Ahmadis from self-identifying as Muslims) restricted publication on these topics." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], April 23 (ANI): A day after the results of Pakistan by-elections were declared, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have raised serious allegations, asserting the involvement of intelligence and security agencies in orchestrating election rigging, Dawn reported. Describing April 21 as a "black day" in the annals of Pakistan's history, the PTI has called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to suspend the declaration of results and has announced a series of protests set to commence from the upcoming Friday. Also Read | Elon Musk Hits Out at Australia Over Attempts To Ban Footage of Sydney Church Stabbing on His Social Media Platform X. "[The] day of election is considered an accountability day, and people cast their votes with great zeal. However, on April 21, open and blatant violations of law were observed. The magnitude of the rigging and violation of law has never been observed in the history of Pakistan. Gates of polling stations were closed, and at some polling stations, more votes were polled than the total registered votes," PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan told a press conference, as reported by Dawn. Accompanied by prominent party figures including Omar Ayub, the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Raoof Hasan, Central Information Secretary, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Chief of Sunni Ittehad Council, Khan recounted instances of malpractice. Also Read | Chinese Woman Dies After Falling 250 Feet Into Ijen Volcano in Indonesia While Posing for Photo. "At one polling station, the candidate's father informed us that votes were already cast even though polling time had not yet begun. We have reported all complaints to the ECP, but the election watchdog took no action. We demand that the ECP conduct an inquiry and also share that how it will ensure that such rigging will not be repeated next time," he said. Questioning the efficacy of the ECP, Khan called for a comprehensive inquiry into the reported irregularities. He criticized the exclusion of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers from the judiciary, casting doubt on the ECP's credibility. "We went to another polling station but found out that our polling agents were forced to leave," Barrister Gohar said. Omar Ayub echoed Khan's sentiments, alleging pre-poll rigging facilitated by the suspension of internet services. He accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of undermining transparency in the electoral process. Ayub presented a letter allegedly penned by the RO of NA-8 Bajaur, accusing an intelligence official of assaulting election staff. However, the authenticity of the letter was subsequently contested by the Bajaur administration. "Punjab police picked up and badly beat journalists. We also heard reports of agency personnel wearing Punjab police uniforms. Police also misbehaved with us and claimed they were helpless. We will take legal action against the DIG Gujrat, SP Investigation, DSP and SHOs... who also assaulted journalists," he said, according to Dawn. Ayub also said that Shehbaz Sharif got lesser votes during the general elections than the candidate contesting on the PML-N ticket in by-election. ''This is beyond comprehension. "We will start protests, along with other parties, next Friday across the country. Then we will hold another protest in Faisalabad, followed by organising a public meeting in Karachi on May 5, and then a series of public meetings will be held across the country," he said. In response to these allegations, the PTI announced plans for nationwide protests, starting with demonstrations scheduled for the forthcoming Friday. Ayub outlined a series of planned actions, including protests in Faisalabad and Karachi, followed by a succession of public meetings across the country. He maintained that intelligence agencies obstructed voters from accessing polling stations, further exacerbating concerns regarding electoral integrity, Dawn reported. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) On 22 April Mexicos Presidentdismissed as propaganda a video in which masked men urged, the frontrunner in the 2 June presidential elections, to address violence in the southern state of Chiapas. End of preview - This article contains approximately 402 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 22 April Panamas government led by Presidentrecalled its ambassador to Nicaragua,, for consultations. End of preview - This article contains approximately 390 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 22 April Brazils leading indigenous organisations took to the streets in Brasilia on the first day of a five-day demonstration known as the Acampamento Terra Livre (ATL), the countrys largest annual indigenous march. End of preview - This article contains approximately 377 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 22 April Argentinas Presidentcelebrated achieving a fiscal surplus in the first quarter of 2024. End of preview - This article contains approximately 359 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Sir, The wage bill is a topical issue of government expenditure because of two simple reasons. The first is that government cannot afford it anymore because the public revenue base has been eroding, which means government has less money than it used to have before. Secondly, the wages are crowding out other types of government expenditure that could be dedicated to quality service delivery, especially in areas of health, education and infrastructure. Adjust If government can adjust the wage bill into a more affordable and sustainable level, then more money would be free to tar gravel roads, pay elderly grants and provide adequate medication in hospitals, among many other critical service delivery needs. So what is most likely happening is that government operates month to month on a frenzy of collecting the little bit of money that is available to meet the huge salary obligations at the expense of other critical services. To address the issue of the ballooning wage bill, government has two options: One is to adjust the wage bill so that it decreases permanently over time. The other option is to be deliberate and cut down the wage bill by leaning out a lot of government positions to achieve fiscal sustainability. In fact, leaning out the positions is probably the most important aspect of building a more sustainable civil service wage bill. Goals Government has to be more effective and efficient in implementing the different development goals within a set and sustainable structure. The reality is that the real increase in the cost of the civil service is due to expansion of government positions, the employee head counts. The point is not to put people out of jobs, especially given the fact that most of the civil servants, like many employees in urban areas of Eswatini, provide financial support to rural communities who would otherwise have nothing to sustain their daily needs. Part of the civil service wage bill also contributes to the aggregate demand for goods and services in the economy, and thus prevents the economy from total collapse. So it is clear that we need people working for government, and these employees are also an integral part of the economy, because they too spend their salaries in the economy and thus keep the economy going. However, the civil service wage bill cannot keep growing forever. More government money needs to be focused on delivering key services that will benefit the nation as a whole. It makes sense to get loans for some of our capital projects, but it is irresponsible to borrow money just to pay people to occupy offices. Lets make our money pay for the things that matter, and not to fill pockets that will suck us dry. Ecuador's President, Daniel Noboa, achieved a significant victory in a recent referendum aimed at combating escalating violence attributed to criminal gangs. The electorate overwhelmingly supported nine out of eleven proposed measures, predominantly focusing on bolstering security protocols, AP News reports. These results underscore public backing for Noboa's administration and its war on crime efforts to address the surging violence, particularly in the wake of incidents such as the hostile takeover of a television station by masked gunmen. Early Results Favor Noboa's Security Measures Initial reports from Ecuador's referendum point towards a favorable reception of President Daniel Noboa's security strategies. The National Electoral Council's data suggests strong support for nine out of the eleven propositions presented, notably endorsing key security initiatives. Notably, the proposal to empower the military to collaborate with law enforcement in combating organized crime garnered significant approval, with 72% of early voters in favor, according to CNN. Similarly, 65% expressed support for allowing extradition under specific conditions, a measure aimed at facilitating the prosecution of Ecuadorian nationals involved in criminal activities abroad. However, two proposed measures - the introduction of hourly employment contracts and recognition of international arbitration for investment disputes - appear poised for rejection by the public. Nonetheless, these initial results signal a triumph for Noboa, who assumed office with a pledge to tackle rampant criminality, which has marred Ecuador's reputation for tranquility. READ NEXT: Ecuador Referendum Targets Crime at Polls Arrest of Alleged Gang Leader and Context of Referendum The referendum's context reflects Ecuador's transition from relative peace to grappling with the highest homicide rates in Latin America. Notably, among the approved measures are provisions for longer prison terms and the extradition of violent offenders. Nonetheless, human rights organizations have expressed apprehension regarding potential abuses stemming from these measures, BBC noted. President Daniel Noboa called for the referendum amid a string of high-profile assassinations, including the targeted killing of a presidential candidate and several mayors. The escalating gang violence, underscored by approximately 8,000 recorded violent deaths in 2023, prompted Noboa to declare a state of emergency and deploy military forces to confront criminal syndicates and restore order in the prison system. While many voters perceive heightened military presence positively, citing improved street safety, others harbor reservations. Carmen Elena Simbana, whose brother fell victim to gang violence, voted against militarization, advocating instead for investments in youth development programs to address the root causes of crime. Conversely, testimonies like that of "El Gato," a former drug dealer, shed light on the complex interplay between socioeconomic factors and criminality. Despite acknowledging his own culpability, "El Gato" supports stringent security measures, emphasizing the pervasive influence of crime and drugs in inhibiting personal rehabilitation efforts. Similarly, David Rodriguez, a victim of multiple kidnappings, echoes the call for enhanced security measures, emphasizing the urgent need for societal reprieve from prevalent criminal activities. Ecuador's resounding endorsement of security measures in the recent referendum underscores the nation's collective resolve to address escalating gang violence attributed to criminal organizations. While the outcome reflects widespread support for President Daniel Noboa's administration, concerns linger regarding potential human rights implications and the need for comprehensive strategies to tackle the underlying socioeconomic drivers of crime. As Ecuador navigates this pivotal juncture, sustained efforts towards fostering community resilience and bolstering law enforcement capabilities will be imperative in fostering enduring peace and stability. READ MORE: Colombians Rally Against President Petro's Reform This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Ecuadoreans give nod to tightened security amid persisting gang violence - From Al Jazeera English The Mexico elections have been dominated by news of candidates being killed left and right, though this has not affected the presidential race that much with frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum continuing her presidential campaign like normal but this was stopped when masked men approached her and asked for her help to stem the rising violence in the country. The former Mexico City mayor was traveling between campaign stops when the vehicle she was traveling in was stopped by several masked men on Sunday. They did not harm her or her staff, but they did ask the leading presidential candidate how she would address the violence in the southern state of Chiapas. The Morena Party candidate remained in the front passenger seat and listened to the masked men calmly with her window down, according to the Associated Press. The masked men reportedly filmed the interaction on their phone cameras and she was seen shaking the hand of one of them. Sheinbaum is the handpicked successor to current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and she is currently leading in the polls, with conservative opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez trailing behind her. The masked men let her move on soon after the interaction. The masked men reportedly identified themselves as local residents who claimed that they felt "powerless" in the midst of drug-related violence. They blamed the government for not doing enough to provide security for people like them and they asked Sheinbaum to take action should she be elected president. The township they were talking about is Motozintla, which is located near the Mexico-Guatemala border, with the masked men asking her not to let it become a "disaster" like other communities in the region. Mexico Elections Presidential Frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum Pledges Energy Investments Sheinbaum is the clear favorite to win as Galves is trailing far behind her in various polls. One of the reasons she is popular is her energy policy as she recently outlined a plan to invest $13.57 billion in new energy generation projects. READ MORE: Mexico Elections: Yet Another Mayoral Candidate Killed, 16th Candidate Death as June 16 Vote Approaches Reuters described this as an ambitious plan on the part of the former Mexico City mayor, whose energy plan includes increasing wind and solar power generation. She also plans to modernize five hydroelectric plants with that promised $13.57 billion investment. This focus on renewable energy is a massive shift from her mentor, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who prioritized strengthening state oil company Pemex over renewables. Claudia Sheinbaum May Become 1st Mexico President With Jewish Background Despite Mexico being a heavily Catholic country, Sheinbaum is not one of them and because she is the likeliest to win according to the polls, she may very well be Mexico's first leader with a Jewish background after the elections on June 2. Sheinbaum has always identified herself as not religiously observant and often approached her Jewish background with caution, per the Associated Press. Her campaign team has often stated that she considers herself a woman of faith, but she is not religiously affiliated. All four of her grandparents were Jews who immigrated from Lithuania and Bulgaria. However, she was born and raised in Mexico City and her parents did not raise her under any religion. It should be noted that there is a sizeable Jewish community in Mexico, though not as large as in Argentina or the US. READ MORE: Mexico Elections Primer: Who Are the Top 3 Candidates Vying to Replace AMLO? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Leadership Spotlight with Claudia Sheinbaum, Head of Government of Mexico City, Mexico - AtlanticCouncil Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, condemned President Joe Biden's recent remarks, implying that his uncle was consumed by cannibals during World War II. Marape expressed disappointment over the careless characterization of his nation and emphasized that Papua New Guinea was unwillingly drawn into the global conflict in the 1940s, the New York Post reports. Papua New Guinea PM Marape urged for respectful recognition of the country's historical context, highlighting the nation's pivotal role during World War II. He emphasized the need for the United States to acknowledge the sacrifices made by Papua New Guineans and called for efforts to locate the remains of servicemen, including Biden's uncle, who lost their lives in the Pacific theater. The remnants of World War II continue to shape Papua New Guinea's landscape, with scattered human remains, wreckage, and unexploded ordnance serving as reminders of the conflict's enduring impact. Marape underscored the ongoing challenges faced by Papua New Guinea citizens, including the presence of active bombs and the need for comprehensive efforts to address the legacy of war. READ NEXT: Major News Outlets Call on Biden, Trump for Presidential Debate Commitment White House Responds to Criticism In response to criticism, the White House defended President Joe Biden's comments, attributing them to an "emotional moment" as he reflected on his uncle's military service. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated Biden's commitment to honoring veterans and their families, emphasizing the president's pride in his uncle's service. While Biden's remarks lacked substantiation from official records, they underscored his personal connection to his uncle's service and the sacrifices made by servicemen during World War II, according to Fox News. Official records confirm Ambrose J. Finnegan's presence aboard a plane that crashed in the Pacific, highlighting the ongoing quest to locate missing servicemen and provide closure to their families. Biden's Remarks and Public Scrutiny President Biden's cannibal remarks garnered scrutiny from US media and raised questions about his accuracy and judgment. Despite Biden's clarification and the White House's defense, his comments ignited a debate over his fitness for office, with critics questioning his mental acuity and suitability for re-election at the age of 81, BBC noted. Comparisons with political rivals, such as former President Donald Trump, further fueled discussions about leadership capabilities and cognitive fitness. Biden's comments on historical events, like the Battle of Gettysburg, invited comparisons to Trump's own lapses, highlighting broader concerns about age and competency in presidential candidates. As political discourse surrounding Biden's remarks persists, the focus remains on his administration's diplomatic relations and the importance of factual accuracy in public statements. Papua New Guinea PM James Marape's rebuke underscores the significance of respectful discourse in international relations and the need for leaders to uphold historical accuracy while honoring the sacrifices of past generations. President Joe Biden's cannibal remarks on Papua New Guinea have sparked a diplomatic controversy, prompting reflections on historical accuracy, leadership, and international relations. As scrutiny intensifies, the White House's response and ongoing discussions underscore the complexities of political discourse in an era of heightened global interconnectedness and historical remembrance. READ MORE: Kennedy Family Endorses Joe Biden This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Biden says uncle's remains not recovered in WWII because of cannibals - From POLITICO International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan is in Caracas and actually met with the man he is investigating for human rights abuses, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, who is known for his brutal crackdowns against the opposition or any dissidents in the South American country. Nicolas Maduro and his leftist Bolivarian regime are currently under investigation by the UN tribunal over his alleged crimes against humanity as he and his allies tried to repress any opposition against his power or dissent from the citizenry. According to ABC News, this is already ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan's fourth visit to Venezuela regarding his crimes against humanity investigation against Nicolas Maduro. His latest visit there came almost two months after an appeals panel ruled that his investigation regarding Maduro's human rights abuses could move forward. The investigation was heavily objected to by the Venezuelan government but lauded by Maduro's opponents. The ICC prosecutor noted that even with the independent investigation continuing, the ICC could supply technical assistance to Venezuelan authorities for the country to receive "meaningful justice." "I think there is unity on a central truth: that the dark cloud of suspicion or allegations will not lift without the gentle breeze or winds of credible investigations," he said after a meeting with Venezuelan authorities, including the country's chief prosecutor. US Supports ICC Investigation on Venezuela Human Rights Abuses Even If It Is Not Part of It Meanwhile, the United States has notedly been very supportive of the case by Khan against Venezuela, even though it is not a party to the International Criminal Court, according to the Associated Press. READ MORE: Venezuela Starts a New Feud, This Time Against the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights The US previously withdrew its signature from the ICC back in May 2002. It does have a working relationship with the international body and often acts like an observer for various cases. The case itself was brought by several countries in the Americas, including Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru. They accuse Maduro of being responsible for various human rights abuses, including "arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence committed by security forces deployed to quell protests in 2017." Previously, the panel of appeals court judges ruled that while Venezuela did investigate reported human rights abuses in the country to some extent, the Maduro regime only took on low-level perpetrators and not the ones in the upper echelons of the Maduro regime. Venezuela Intensified Human Rights Abuses This Year as Elections Approached, Says Rights Group Human rights advocacy group Amnesty International has been sounding the alarm on the human rights abuses in Venezuela for years, and they have noted that Nicolas Maduro has only intensified his campaign against the opposition and other dissidents. "In Venezuela, Maduro's government has started the year with an alarming intensification of the policy of repression that it uses to try to curtail civic space, critical voices, and political opposition," said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, in a statement on the group's website. "The international community needs to know that these are not new or isolated events. They're part of a state policy against anyone who might be considered a threat to the current government's continued grip on power. These events could be included in the investigation into crimes against humanity being conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court." she added. READ MORE: Venezuela Elections: Three Times Nicolas Maduro Undermined Democracy During an Election Year This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: ICC investigates crimes against humanity in Venezuela - Al Jazeera English Michigan authorities released new information regarding a devastating car crash that occurred at Berlin Township's Swan Boat Club over the weekend. The incident, which took place on Saturday afternoon, resulted in the tragic deaths of two young siblings and left at least ten others injured. The driver, a 66-year-old Michigan woman suspected of driving under the influence, crashed into the building, causing extensive damage, Fox News reports. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office identified the deceased children as Alanah Phillips, 8 years old, and Zayn Phillips, initially reported as 5 years old but identified by authorities as 4 years old. The conditions of the injured, including the Michigan siblings' mother and brother, range from critical to serious, with some still receiving medical treatment. The chaotic scene prompted a swift response from first responders who provided aid to the wounded. READ NEXT: Car Crash at Texas Hospital ER Leaves 1 Dead, 5 Injured Investigation and Charges Officials announced that charges against the suspect would be disclosed on Tuesday, with the Michigan woman currently held at Monroe County Jail. Monroe County Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey emphasized the need for a thorough investigation before determining charges, highlighting the gravity of the decision-making process. The tragedy unfolded during a child's birthday party, adding to the sorrow of the community, according to ABC News. The Flat Rock school district offered counseling services to students and staff to cope with the emotional aftermath of the incident. Superintendent Andrew Brodie expressed profound sadness over the loss and extended condolences to the affected families. A GoFundMe campaign was initiated to assist with funeral expenses for the children and medical costs for their family members. As authorities continue their investigation into the Michigan car crash, the community rallies together to support the grieving families. Updates on the conditions of the injured provide hope amidst the tragedy. The profound impact of the incident reverberates throughout the community, underscoring the importance of solidarity and compassion in times of adversity. Prosecutor Awaits Further Investigation for Charging Decision Monroe County Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey underscored the need for additional investigation before determining charges in the tragic Michigan car crash that claimed the lives of two young Michigan siblings. Yorkey assured the public that a charging decision would be made after thorough deliberation, emphasizing the significance of gathering all relevant information. The Michigan woman, suspected of driving under the influence, remains in custody as authorities await the completion of the investigation. The gravity of the incident underscores the importance of ensuring accountability while respecting due process. The community awaits updates on the legal proceedings and remains vigilant in supporting the affected families, Detroit Free Press noted. Witnesses described the harrowing scene at the Swan Boat Club, with screams echoing as first responders rushed to aid the injured. The tragic loss of life and the severity of the injuries inflicted cast a somber shadow over the community. Efforts to provide support and comfort to those affected highlight the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. As the investigation unfolds, the community stands united in offering solace to the grieving families. The outpouring of support through fundraising efforts and counseling services reflects a collective determination to navigate through this challenging time together. Despite the profound grief, there remains a glimmer of hope in the bonds of compassion and solidarity forged amidst tragedy. READ MORE: Chicago Police Officer Killed in Violent Carjacking This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Driver kills 2 children at Michigan birthday party, police say - From ABC News The failure to pass a bipartisan border package supported by many Republicans has been blamed on none other than far-right Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and the House Freedom Caucus as the infighting in the party continues as the election approaches fast. This comes amid a string of Democratic victories in the House as the bill to fund Ukraine was passed even though several prominent Republicans led by Greene have been very vocal about opposing it. Her ultra-conservative wing of the GOP has led the Republican backlash against the bill, with Greene even leading a failed attempt to kick Republican Speaker Mike Johnson out of his position. Because Greene pushed Johnson enough that he sought help from Democrats to save his position, many members of the Republican Party believe they could have gotten concessions from the Democrats on border policy in exchange for Ukraine funding. This suggestion was blown up by the party's more conservative members, according to Axios. It was actually the Republican leadership that brought these border security provisions up in addition to the foreign aid package to Ukraine, but other Republicans blocked it from reaching the House floor under normal rules. After it failed to get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the House under suspension of the rules, House Republicans were quick to blame one another for its failure, with Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky stating, "If you were a true conservative, you would actually advance border security, but what they want to do is they want to blow up border security." "The members who scream the loudest about border security were actively and knowingly preventing us from getting it done," another member told the outlet, while another stated, "They're making us the most bipartisan Congress ever because they are unwilling to compromise just a little bit in a divided government, they force us to make bigger concessions and deals with the Dems." READ MORE: Kevin McCarthy Says He Is Not Speaker of the House Anymore Because Matt Gaetz 'Slept With a 17-Year-Old' Marjorie Taylor Greene Called an 'Idiot' by Conservative News Outlets Because of her rabid opposition to the Ukraine aid bill, Marjorie Taylor Greene has earned the ridicule of some of her conservative colleagues, with the Murdoch-owned New York Post ridiculing her on its Sunday paper front page, calling her "Moscow Marjorie." Another Murdoch arm, Fox News, also ridiculed Greene, with columnist Liz Peek calling her an "idiot." She added that the Georgia Republican needs to "turn all that bombastic self-serving showmanship and drama queen energy on Democrats." The Wall Street Journal, also owned by the conservative Murdoch family, called her "Rep. Mayhem Taylor Greene" and even accused her and her far-right allies of being "most interested in TV hits and internet donors." Russia Praises Marjorie Taylor Greene, Leading to More Ridicule With her opposition to the Ukraine bill, Russian state media has praised Marjorie Taylor Greene, with Russian propaganda going into overdrive to use her words in their favor, with a state-sanctioned TV host saying, "She believes that Americans should help Putin win. Yes, you heard that right. To help him win in Ukraine." Russian propagandists have also lauded her claims that the US is "supporting Nazis in Ukraine." This praise from the Russians led to Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz mocking the Georgia representative and stating that he wants her appointed "as Vladimir Putin's Special Envoy to the United States Congress." READ MORE: Marjorie Taylor Greene Roasted After Admitting Republican House Majority Failed This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: 'Moscow Marjorie has reached a new low': Ex-GOP lawmaker reacts to Russian media coverage of MTG - CNN In a massive victory for Mexico in its War on Drugs, authorities have arrested Abraham Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "Don Rodo," a leader for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). He is also the brother of the most wanted drug kingpin in the world, CJNG leader Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, the infamous "El Mencho" himself. Don Rodo is one of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel's top bosses and helped El Mencho run his drug empire. His arrest was described as a huge blow to the cartel's leadership as El Mencho's inner circle continues to shrink as more and more of his top lieutenants get either arrested or killed. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed the El Mencho brother's arrest during his daily press conference on Monday. He stated that the CJNG boss was arrested by Mexican authorities in the early hours of Sunday morning during an operation in the CJNG's home state of Jalisco. According to The Daily Star, videos circulated around social media of Don Rodo being taken away by Mexican police. He was previously arrested in both the US and Mexico over drug-related charges, and he was also accused of murder in 2013. However, charges against him were dropped. The arrested El Mencho brother was an important cog in the CJNG's operations as he was reportedly not just in charge of administrative tasks within the notorious cartel, but he also oversaw drug shipments to the US, according to several reports. READ MORE: Mexico: 5 Bodies Found Inside SUV in Jalisco New Generation Cartel-controlled Jalisco State, Near Arizona Border El Mencho Brother Arrested Through Joint Operation by Military and the Mexico National Guard Abraham Oseguera, also known as Don Rodo, was considered armed and dangerous, and so were his bodyguards. It took a joint effort by the Mexican Army and the Mexico National Guard just to detain him, according to Reuters. The operation took place in the early hours of Sunday morning in Autlan de Navarro, Jalisco. He was later found in possession of a couple of firearms and several ammunition cartridges. He was known to have operated around the area where he was arrested. After his arrest, the CJNG leader and brother of El Mencho was later transferred by the country's Air Force to Mexico City. As a result of his arrest, the entire state of Jalisco is now on high alert for fear of retaliation from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is often regarded as the most violent cartel in Mexico. Jalisco New Generation Cartel Leader El Mencho Has Massive Bounty Set by US Government As the leader of the CJNG, El Mencho has a massive bounty on his arrest from the US government, and it is worth $10 million, making him one of the most wanted men on the planet and the most wanted drug lord on Earth. The DEA has warned that "Fugitive may be armed and dangerous. Do not attempt to apprehend this individual" and that citizens who spot him must immediately report it to the authorities. He has been described to be around 5' 7 with black hair and brown eyes. READ MORE: Mexico Explosion Leaves 6 Police Dead; Governor Slams 'Cowardly Attack' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Mexico's Most Wanted Drug Kingpin | The War on Drugs - VICE DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been slowly slogging through grad school -- one course a semester -- and after four long years, Im finally going to graduate. I work in the industry Im going to school for, and Id like to invite some of my co-workers out to dinner to celebrate. While Id love to foot the bill for everyone, Im not financially able to do so. How can I tactfully word the invitation so everyone knows Im inviting them to dinner, not treating them to one? I dont want anyone to be embarrassed due to assumptions or expectations. GENTLE READER: Here is a lesson about the real world: If you cannot afford to do something, you cannot do it. It is true that getting others to pay your bills has become a national sport, whether it is through gift registries, fundraising drives or by charging people you claim to entertain. The ruse of come and honor me at your expense is a common ploy. Miss Manners will not help you do that. Why didnt you ask, instead, how you could entertain your colleagues inexpensively? Perhaps you could treat them all to a toast in the office cafeteria, or in a bar after work. Or invite them to a weekend tea party. Or you could just bubble over about how happy you are to be graduating and to have a great job working with people you admire. Then perhaps someone might think of toasting you. *** DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is there any way to politely back out of an invitation one has already accepted? I know this is done all too frequently for any reason, but there are some situations where something more important truly does come up. Is there a mannerly way to handle this? GENTLE READER: Disease and death are excuses that any host should recognize as valid for canceling an invitation. Something more important is not. Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.) Pennsylvanias 2024 primary election is Tuesday, April 23. The states Democrats and Republicans can head to the polls or submit mail-in ballots to decide on nominees. Because its a closed primary, neither independents nor voters registered to third parties can weigh in, except in special circumstances like local ballot questions. The headline race in the Lehigh Valley is the Republican primary for the partys nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in the 7th Congressional District serving the Lehigh Valley. In one of the bigger races on the Democratic side, Pennsylvania state Rep. Bob Freeman, the Easton-areas longtime representative in Harrisburg, is facing a rare primary challenge from Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana. For those who are voting in Tuesdays Pa. primary, heres a quick rundown with essential information on candidates, polling-place hours, how to return your mail-in ballot and how to find a sample ballot. When are polls open for the Pa. primary? Pennsylvania polling hours on Tuesday are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If youre in line when polls close, you can still vote. Do I need to show ID to vote in the Pa. primary? Only first-time voters and those voting for the first time in a new precinct will need to show ID. Other voters will sign in to verify eligibility and that they are at the correct polling place. Where am I registered to vote? If you are unsure where your polling place is, the Pennsylvania state department has an online polling-place lookup tool and lots of other information at Vote.Pa.gov. You can also check your voter registration status and party affiliation. Where can I drop off my mail-in ballot? Pennsylvania primary mail-in ballots must be received by your county elections board by the time polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Its too late to mail it, so voters who still have their ballot have three options: Deliver it directly to the county board of elections Deposit it in a ballot drop box (see below). Turn in all ballot materials, including envelopes, at their polling place to vote in person. If you dont have a requested ballot, you can vote in person via a provisional ballot. Be sure to closely follow the instructions on mail-in ballots or your vote may be invalidated. You can only return your own mail-in ballot, except in special circumstances that require a specific form. Click here for ballot drop box locations in Lehigh County. Click here for ballot drop box locations in Northampton County, including three new locations for this election. Who are the 2024 Pa. primary candidates? Lehighvalleylive.com, Armchair Lehigh Valley, Spotlight PA, our sister website pennlive.com and our other media partners have highlighted select local races in the 2024 primary. Notable contests include: Republican primary for 7th Congressional District: Kevin Dellicker, a business owner and veteran from Heidelberg Township, state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Lower Macungie Township and Maria Montero, a lawyer who lives in Easton, are facing each other in Tuesdays Republican primary for the 7th Congressional District. The winner will face Wild, the Democratic incumbent who is uncontested in the primary. Democratic primary for 136th state House District: Freeman, who was first elected to the seat in 1982, faces Sultana, who was elected to Easton City Council in 2021. There are no Republicans on the primary ballot in the 136th. Republican primary for 183rd House District: Four-term incumbent Republican Zachary Mako is facing a primary challenge from Zachari Halkias, a 22-year-old member of Slatington Borough Council. Joseph Lenzi of Northampton is the only candidate seeking the Democratic nomination in the 183rd. Democratic primary for 131st state House District: Jay Santos is facing Meriam Sabih for the Democratic nomination. The seat is held by Republican Milou Mackenzie, who is seeking a third term in the House. She is not facing a primary opponent. Democratic and Republican primaries for state Attorney General: Five Democrats and two Republicans are running for their partys nomination and will appear on the April 23 primary ballot. Democratic primary for state Auditor General: Incumbent Tim DeFoor is the only candidate on the Republican ballot. Democrats will choose between two candidates Philadelphia state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley. Democratic primary for state Treasurer: Republican Treasurer Stacy Garrity seeks a second term. Two Democrats are running to unseat her: state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro from Erie County and Erin McClelland, a former substance abuse counselor and project manager for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. When will we have Pa. primary election results? Lehighvalleylive.com will have election results coverage on Tuesday evening after polls close at 8 p.m. The Pennsylvania state department will begin posting live results online at electionreturns.pa.gov as counties report them. Problems at the polls? The state department says to report issues to the on-site judge of elections at your polling place. If the issue is not resolved, the issue can be reported to your county elections board through the states online complaint form or through the voter hotline at 877-868-3772. Potential violations are investigated by the county elections board, district attorney or the Pennsylvania attorney general. Voters can only be challenged if a poll worker, poll watcher or another voter doubts your identity or believes you do not live in the precinct. It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin or spoken language, or for anyone to intimidate or coerce others into voting for or against a particular candidate. The state department has more on voting rights and how to report violations at Vote.Pa.gov/Your-Rights. Armchair Lehigh Valley, Spotlight PA and pennlive.com contributed to this report. Defense attorneys for a man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho students can resume phone surveys of potential jurors in the case, a judge has ruled. Bryan Kohberger faces four murder charges in connection with the November 2022 stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. A judge has entered a not guilty plea on Kohbergers behalf, and prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Kohbergers defense team hired a consultant to survey potential jurors living near the university about things they might have seen, heard or read about the case. The phone survey included questions about Kohbergers arrest, the type of car he owns, DNA evidence and a knife sheath found near one of the bodies. It also included questions about whether the person being surveyed had watched true crime-style shows about the case or other things they might have heard. When prosecutors became aware of the survey earlier this year, they asked 2nd District Judge John Judge to order the defense team to stop, arguing that the surveys violated a broad gag order the judge had issued in the case. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said some of the questions could prejudice people who could be called to serve as jurors when the case goes to trial. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge said the surveys could continue as long as the questions do not violate his gag order. Most of the questions included information already publicly available through court documents, the judge wrote in the ruling, and so did not violate the order. Other questions about rumors people might have heard or crime documentaries they might have seen about the case were not part of the public record when the surveys began, but they have since been debated and discussed in open court which means they, too, are now part of the public record and can be included in future surveys, Judge said. The bodies of the four University of Idaho students were found at a rental home near campus on Nov. 13, 2022. Then a 29-year-old graduate student at nearby Washington State University, Kohberger was arrested Dec. 30, 2022, at his parents home in Monroe County. He had graduated from Northampton Community College in Bethlehem Township with an associates degree in psychology in 2018 and received a bachelors degree in 2020 from DeSales University in Upper Saucon Township, where he completed graduate studies in June 2022. By REBECCA BOONE Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. A member of the Leinster Express/Laois Live team and his sister are taking on a massive challenge for Debra. Advertising Operations Manager Shane Dowd and his sister Sophia will take on the 2024 Debra Kerry Challenge from May 17 to 19 in Dingle. They are embarking on 2 Day hike in the mountains in Dingle, County Kerry to raise money for Debra Ireland. Debra Ireland is a charity working with families with loved ones suffering from a rare genetic skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa or E.B. Sophia said, "children who are born with this condition are called 'Butterflies' because they are missing the layer of protective collagen underneath the outer layer of skin leaving their skin wafer thin, like butterfly wings. "The slightest touch to their delicate skin can cause blisters, cuts and sores.We're trying to raise as much money as we can for this wonderful charity." she continued. "It's not out first time taking part in the Debra Challenge in Kerry and although the scenery is beautiful the challenge ahead is tough, but we know its for a worthwhile cause" said Shane "If anyone can donate anything to this wonderful charity we both would really appreciate it" All funds raised will go directly to Debra Ireland. Accommodation and meals will be paid for by Shane and Sophia You can CLICK HERE to donate on Shane and Sophia's fundraising page Three special schools in Laois will receive additional supports from the government, including more teaching posts, following an announcement on Tuesday. St. Francis Special School and Kolbe Special School, both in Portlaoise, and Saplings Special School, Graiguecullen, will all benefit from additional teaching posts targeted at post-primary aged students. Kolbe and Saplings Special Schools will also be allocated a new Administrative Deputy Principal in each school. Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Hildegarde Naughton T.D. announced details of the arrangements to apply for the application of the additional targeted supports for special schools announced in Budget 2024. The Minister said these additional funds will further enhance the investment in our education system and reflect the Governments commitment to a quality inclusive school system and improved learning outcomes for every student. Welcoming the announcement Sean Fleming TD, Minister of State, said: "These additional teaching roles will help to deliver access to more subjects in the junior and senior school curricula for the young people in these three schools. "These new deputy principal posts will assist the school principals with administrative and management work and support learning, parental and community engagement and support principals carry out the tremendous amount of work they do. "This is really good news for the children, parents and staff of St. Francis, Kolbe and Saplings Special Schools. The students will really benefit from learning and undertaking a wider curriculum and realise their full potential." Laois County Council has set the deadline for politicians to confirm their candidacy for the 2024 local elections. With 19 seats on offer across three municipal districts the latest time to submit nomination papers to the Returning Officer in County Hall Portlaoise is 12 noon on Saturday, May 18. The council says that a person may nominate himself/herself as a candidate or may, with his/her consent, be nominated by a proposer who is registered as a local government elector in the local electoral area of the local authority for which he/she proposes to nominate the candidate. A nomination paper from a candidate of a registered political party must have a certificate of political affiliation attached which must be produced to me with his/her completed nomination paper. If no certificate is attached, the candidate must, before the latest time for receiving nominations, either: Secure 15 assents to the nomination by way of statutory declarations by local government electors registered in the relevant local electoral area (forms available from me or the registration authority), or Make a deposit of 100 (deposit may also be made on the candidates behalf). Completed nomination papers may be delivered to the Donal Brennan, Returning Officer, in person by the candidate or his/her proposer at any time from 10 am on Saturday, May 11 until 12 noon on the last day for receiving nominations. The returning officer is required by law to attend to receive nominations between 10 am and 12 noon and between 2 pm and 5 pm on May 17 and between 10 am and 12 noon on May 18. The local elections take place on June 7 with voters able to cast their votes between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm at polling stations around the county. The Green Party is targeting a big breakthrough at the June local elections in Laois with the aim of taking a seat in each of the county's electoral areas. Minister Pippa Hackett and Midlands North West European Parliament candidate Senator Pauline O'Reilly were in the county recently to jointly launch two additional Green Party candidates for the local elections in June - Fiona Dunne and Charlie Hackett. Minister Pippa Hackett was pleased to announce the candidates who have entered the race to win seats on Laois County Council. I am delighted to announce this brilliant news for Laois," she said. A statement said Fiona Dunne is a Laois local with extensive experience of working in the voluntary and community sector who will be a "great asset" to the Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick Municipal District. "Her passion and drive for local vibrant communities and for nature will deliver in spades for people in this area, and across Laois," she said. Ms Hacket said Charlie Hackett will run in the Graiguecullen/Portarlington area. "While our young people are very interested in environmental issues and rightly concerned about climate change, engaging young voters is never easy, so having Charlie, who is currently a student in UL, is a great boost to the Laois team, she said. MORE BELOW PICTURE. Pictured: Pippa Hackett, Charlie Hackett and Senator Pauline O'Reilly in Portarlington. Both candidates will join Ballinakill woman, Rosie Palmer, who is running in the Portlaoise area. Having candidates in all three electoral areas offers real choice to voters and an opportunity to get a strong green voice into local politics. It is so important to be able to build on the work that hardworking communities across Laois are engaged in; and we know from other counties with elected green councillors that this makes a significant difference at local level," said the Minsister of State at the Department of Agriculture. Sen O'Reilly, who is campaigning for a seat in the European elections, spoke about her Laois roots. MORE BELOW PICTURE. Pictured: Rosie Palmer, Sen O'Reilly, Minister Hackett and Fiona Dunne. Laois is very special to me as my mothers family have their roots just over the Laois border in Gathabawn and I spent a lot of my childhood in Cullahill and Durrow. When Im out campaigning people often ask me how I do it? To see inspirational projects like Solas in Portarlington, Mountmellick Embroidery Museum and the Abbeyleix Bog Project on my visit, is part of the reason that I want to work for this area the Midwest - in Europe. "Learning for example that the Abbeyleix Bog Project was showcased in the recent Nature Restoration campaign in the EU makes me very proud of what our communities are achieving. Given the right resources and support we can continue to punch above our weight on the European stage, OReilly concluded. The Local and European Elections are being held on Friday, June 7 2024. MBABANE Incoming Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Futhi Tembe promises to push the conversion of the fund to a pension fund and maintain a culture of excellence and transparency. Tembe was announced yesterday as the substantive CEO for the ENPF, also known as Lidlelantfongeni by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi. Tembes appointment came after the funds long-serving CEO, Prince Lonkhokhela who was about to retire, was appointed by His Majesty King Mswati III to Senate, where he was also appointed to be the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy. Following the princes appointment, Tembe acted in the position for almost six months. The minister, who was accompanied by senior officials of the ministry and the ENPF Board, highlighted that Tembe was not new to ENPF as she had been part of the organisation for quite some time. He mentioned that she was working closely with the former CEO, hence she was the perfect person for the position. Buthelezi added that the new CEO was not appointed based on favouritism or as a form of pity, but her work experience and level of education made her a cut-above-the-rest. The recruitment process went through all the stages, including Cabinet where she was endorsed as the new CEO. She is occupying the chair on merit, she has all the credentials and we are confident as a ministry, as the government and as the board, since they did the shortlisting. She is not new to the parastatal, she served in several positions, including being a chief financial officer (CFO). We strongly believe she has the dreams and objectives the King had when he established the ENPF, and through the assistance of the board and stakeholders, including the members, she would continue and grow the fund to serve all the financial needs of emaSwati, he said. The minister said he was hopeful that the CEO would bring in innovations that would grow the fund and compete even outside the borders of Eswatini. Terms The minister said she would occupy the position for three years and hinted that if she performed according to expectations, she might be considered for more terms. As she was delivering her maiden speech, the new CEO said she was deeply honoured and humbled to be trusted with the power to lead the fund. I would like to take this moment to express my profound gratitude to the honourable minister of labour and Social Security and ministries officials, Cabinet and ENPF Board for entrusting me with this huge and significant leadership role, she said. She said the faith placed in her inspires and motivates her to collaborate with all stakeholders to safeguard the financial future and well-being of the funds members. She said she was committed to leading with the greatest humility and a vision for a bigger and brighter future for all stakeholders, starting with the members of the fund. She assured that she would listen actively to the members needs, foster a culture of transparency and trust and implement strategies that will prioritise their well-being and success. As I take up this role, I pledge that I shall lead the ENPF, ensuring our actions as the staff of ENPF always resonate with the heart of service.In concordance with His Majestys declaration of this year as a year of creating opportunities for all, to stimulate economic growth, I am privileged to steer the ENPF towards contributing to this grand national goal. I commit to championing inclusive financial empowerment and spearheading innovative investment strategies that are robustly grounded in environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, she said. Tembe said it would be their collective endeavour to foster economic growth, forge pathways to prosperity for all and build a brighter future for the nation in alignment with his majestys visionary objectives. Sesitovele sitsi Nkwe siLindlelantfongeni, she said. Further, Tembe said one of the urgent key strategic initiatives under her stewardship would be to continue to push the conversion of the fund to a pension fund. The CEO said this transformation would secure a financially stable future for the funds members and generate significant economic benefits, versus the once-off payment or benefit offered by a provident fund. At an organisational level, she said her goal would be to cultivate a culture of Nkwe, personal accountability, collective excellence, innovation and an open-door policy. We will nature ideas and ensure that the voices of ENPF members, stakeholders and our staff, remain at the forefront. Our people are our greatest asset, and I am committed to creating an environment where every team member can realise their potential and contribute to our shared vision, she said. Tembe extended her sincerest appreciation to her predecessor, Prince Lonkhokhela, for his wisdom, guidance and mentorship as he nurtured them to be leaders. His leadership has laid a strong foundation upon which we will continue to build, she said. She appreciated the ENPF Board, executive team, management and the entire staff at ENPF for their commitment to achieving the vision of the fund and the support they gave her during her acting tenure. Meanwhile, ENPF Board Chairperson Mduduzi Gina said they were grateful for the trust that the leadership of the country, cabinet and the minister had on the board. He said they felt that the new CEO was part of the history of the fund. We are grateful to be one, if not the first social security fund to be led by a woman, he said. Gina emphasised that the CEO was chosen on merit. The chairperson added that Tembe was not going to get any favours from the board they would continue being tough on her like they were to the previous CEO, as well as ensure to be the eyes and ears of the stakeholders. The Irish premier is to issue a State apology to the families of the victims of the Stardust fire. Forty-eight people were killed when the blaze ripped through the Dublin nightclub in 1981. After a more than 40-year campaign for justice, last week an inquest found that the 48 victims had been unlawfully killed. A previous finding in 1982 said the fire had been started deliberately, a theory the families never accepted. That ruling was dismissed in 2009, leading to the latest inquests for the victims, who were aged from 16 to 27 and mostly came from the surrounding north Dublin area. On Saturday, Taoiseach Simon Harris apologised unreservedly to the families at a meeting with them in Government Buildings. On Tuesday, he will issue a State apology in the Irish Parliament. Families have been invited to attend, and the names of the victims will be read out in the Dail chamber. Speaking on Tuesday morning on his way in to Cabinet, Mr Harris said he is keen to deliver the apology to the victims, survivors and families. I think these are families that have been failed for over four decades, they are families that have looked for answers for over four decades, they are families who have all too often found these (government) gates shut to them and governments not listening to them, Mr Harris said. I have had really important, heartfelt and emotional engagement with many of the families over the last few days. I was very pleased to visit the Stardust memorial in Artane last night, and I wanted to be there and be at the spot of where this fire happened in advance of delivering the apology today and let the apology speak for itself. I do really hope it is an apology that can help with the healing process. I have worked really hard to try and capture what the families have raised with me, so I dont want to preview the apology other than to say the State failed these families and the impact of that failure has been devastating. It has heaped pain and misery on top of tragedy, and I want try and capture that today. Today, the State finally apologises to the families of those unlawfully killed in the Stardust Fire, and to those who survived. For forty-eight years, the state and successive governments blocked you at every turn but you ensured the truth prevailed. Today is the families' day. pic.twitter.com/WNJNar9fu7 Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) April 23, 2024 He said he will discuss with Cabinet how the State can publicly commemorate and acknowledge it. That is something I am very eager to do with the families. Deputy Irish premier Micheal Martin also expressed support for a redress scheme for the families. Labour TD Duncan Smith said the apology is long overdue. The Dublin Fingal TD said the fire tragedy has hung over north Dublin like a dark cloud for the last 43 years. The families want to see a robust and sincere apology and that is what we want to see, he added. Even though the event took place before the Taoiseach was born, even before myself was born, it is something that we are all familiar with as a long overdue quest for justice. Hopefully the families get what they are looking for today. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said that it was a hugely momentous and emotional day for the families. The key thing is that the government have to genuinely listen to the families of those who lost their lives and those who survived, he said. They are best placed to set out what it is they want and the important thing is the government truly listens and provides a meaningful apology, and follows through with the actions that the families want so that the long struggle for truth and justice is finally received. There is enormous hurt and anger over the way successive governments frustrated them at every turn in their struggle for truth and justice, rather than helping these families, they did everything everything to frustrate their efforts to achieve truth and justice. Last Thursday, the jury in the inquest returned a verdict that all 48 victims were unlawfully killed. A majority decision from the seven women and five men found that the blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Valentines Day 1981, was caused by an electrical fault in the hot press of the bar. A member of a group protesting against asylum seekers being placed in a local hotel in Ballina has said they are willing to bring their protest to Dublin. Hundreds of people gathered at the Twin Trees Hotel in Ballina on Saturday in opposition to the hotel being used for International Protection Applicants (IPAs). Alan Flannery was among those who addressed the gathering at the Twin Trees Hotel before the gathering walked through Ballina peacefully, finishing at the Market Square before dispersing. Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday (Monday April 22), Mr Flannery said the demonstrators were concerned about the impact on local tourism and services from accommodating an extra 120 people. When the ongoing shortage of accommodation for asylum seekers was pointed out to him, Mr Flannery said that asylum seekers should be accommodated in State run, state-managed facilities. Fed up At present, over 1,700 asylum seekers in Ireland are registered as homeless. Under plans brought to Government last week by the Minister for Intergration Roderic OGorman, the Government is committed to building out a core of accommodation comprising 14,000 beds in State-owned facilities by 2028. We [Ireland] take them [IPAs] in based on how many places are in these facilities, we train them, we integrate them, we teach them English, we look after them and we give them genuine care. Then we integrate them into the communities, said Mr Flannery. We might be able to take 50,000 asylum seekers based on our population if we get State-run facilities up and running, but these are commercial hotels that are just being turned over overnight to make individuals very wealthy. Mr Flannery, who is not affiliated with any political party, said that protesters in Ballina would be willing to bring their protest to Dublin if necessary. Recent demonstrations against the use of the Twin Trees Hotel for asylum seekers were organised by a group called Ballina Says No. If I dont get any contacts from the Government I am going to try and set up communities around the country, because theres more communities than Ballina that are fed up with all of this, Flannery said. There needs to be a committee set up in every town and village in the country to be proactive so that, whenever anything like this happens, we are able to air our concerns straight away. I know there is a national march on the 4th of May on the Bank Holiday weekend, so if we have to bring our protest with us up to the capital well then so be it. Facilities and services Marie Loftus, a local business owner and mother-of-two, said that local women had registered with GPs in Castlebar and Sligo due to the lack of GPs in Ballina. Ms Loftus said that teachers in schools were struggling to get to grips with delivering lesson plans in multiple languages with no additional funding aids. Marie Loftus pictured at the demonstration against the use of the Twin Trees Hotel for asylum seekers (Pic: Conor McKeown) From most recent government statistics, Georgia, Nigeria and Algeria are all countries deemed safe, yet these are the top three countries that claim asylum in Ireland. This begs the question, are we as towns and villages around the country being taken advantage of? she told the gathering. Echoing concerns expressed by local representatives, Ms Loftus said that the local tourism industry was on its knees due to the lack of accommodation. At present, the Ice House Hotel, Ballina Manor Hotel and Belleek Castle are all fully operational for tourists. The Great National Hotel and Mount Falcon Hotel are 50 percent occupied on an ongoing basis, while the Downhill Inn is fully occupied. The Ballina area is also served by a number of B&Bs. This is not a discussion of race or ethnicity This is a discussion of facts; cold hard facts. No matter how you dress this up we just do not have the facilities or services required to adequately provide for the Irish people, and we certainly do not have the additional resources to provide for a large number of International Protection Applicants, said Ms Loftus. We are asking the Irish government to put the Irish people first. Enough is enough. A young Laois girl with hearing loss has written a piece in a new book that she launched recently at Portlaoise Library. Jessie Condon Egan was accompanied by her family and school friends for the launch of 'the Magic Within Our Ears' at the library. The book is a beautiful collection of stories, illustrations and poems crafted by Irish children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They invite everyone to share in the beauty of their unique perspectives. The inspiring compilation is proudly supported by the Children and Family Team at Chime, the National Charity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. Rose Looman is the Children and Family Support Worker for Chime, which is based in Tullamore. "We recently had the pleasure of holding a book launch in the local library in Portlaoise for Jessie Condon Egan. Jessie participated In our book. The turnout of family and school friends was absolutely fantastic, and we could not be more grateful for the warm reception," she told the Leinster Express / Laois Live. The Magic Within Our Ears is available to buy on the Chime website. It costs 8.99 and every purchase goes towards supporting Chimes essential services. Chime offers help to people of every age who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, or living with tinnitus. They offer support, guidance, advice, a welcoming community, and also campaign for better Government supports. The RDS, Ballsbridge in Dublin will host Finding Common Ground, a festival on biodiversity and sustainability on May 3 and 4. As part of the two-day event, the RDS Circular Economy Awards which recognise and celebrate the organisations, entrepreneurs, and innovators, making a difference in this space, will take place. Refillz Zero Waste in Naas have been shortlisted in for the Emerging Award in this category. Refillz is a zero waste refill shop based in Naas, Co. Kildare and Portarlington, Co. Laois. It sells wholefoods such as nuts, seeds, cereals, rice and pasta, household cleaning and personal care products for refill. Also, a selection of eco-friendly products. The awards ceremony takes place as part of the Finding Common Ground Festival on Friday, May 3. The inaugural two-day event is being delivered as one of the RDS Foundation social impact programmes. It will incorporate presentations and panel discussions exploring how Ireland can harness the benefits of our natural resources and the circular economy with a view to creating increased awareness, education and identification of solutions to act on. Alongside this, a number of awards ceremonies will take place to celebrate best practice in these areas. Niamh De Loughry, Deputy Chief Executive, Foundation at RDS said, With social sustainability at its core, the RDS long-term vision for Ireland sees five key areas underpinning the island's culture and economy - Arts, Agriculture, Enterprise and Equestrian, Science and Technology. Our objective is to harness the energy and ideas of people to identify needs, work to foster momentum and create scale to propel our culture and economy to new heights. There are many barriers to sustainable development in Ireland and the RDS is poised to play a role in addressing them alongside key partners through events and initiatives such as this upcoming festival. Today ChildVision, the specialist therapy and education centre for children with visual impairment, announced that a much-needed new indoor equine therapeutic centre, named in memory of Jack de Bromhead, will be built this year as a result of generous donations from a group of family and friends of the de Bromhead family. Young Jack (13) died in a pony riding accident at Glenbeigh Beach, Co Kerry in September 2022. To continue to donate towards the running costs of ChildVisions equine programme, Kenny Alexander, owner of equine superstar Honeysuckle, which was trained by Henry, has donated the racing colours that Rachael Blackmore wore in all of their major races including four Cheltenham Festival victories and nine Irish Grade 1 winners. The iconic silks, signed by Rachael, Henry and Kenny, will be auctioned at the Goffs sale at the Punchestown Festival on Thursday, May 2. The new indoor facility at the ChildVision campus will give children who are blind, multi-disabled and neurodiverse access to the best global equine activities in a supportive and purpose designed environment and will allow the ChildVision equine team and volunteers to extend their services to reach more children over more hours making a life-changing difference, especially through the winter months and in bad weather conditions. Spearheaded by de Bromhead family friend and well-known racehorse owner Chris Jones, and with the blessing of Jacks parents Heather and Henry, the 1,000,000 donation target required to complete the equine therapeutic centre, was reached last December. The de Bromhead family Henry, Heather and their daughters Mia and Georgia, said of todays announcement: The equine centre will be a wonderful legacy for our beloved Jack, a hugely missed son and brother. Horses are a huge part of our lives, and we know the physical experience of riding a horse offers so many potential benefits, especially helping address a host of physical, social and emotional issues. More so, it will be a place of learning and hope, full of laughter and joy, traits that were such a part of Jack, all facilitated by the much-treasured horses and ponies that call the ChildVision stables home. We are looking forward to following the development and construction of the new equine therapeutic centre and being there to cut the ribbon when it is completed. We are forever grateful to those who came on board to support us we know Jack would be really proud of what this life-changing generosity will enable. Speaking about how the idea came about, Chris Jones, said: I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit ChildVision last summer and to see first-hand the therapeutic impact that equine can have on children with complex needs. I knew that Henry and Heather already had a connection to ChildVision and knowing that many friends and family members wanted to find some way to mark Jacks love of horses in a tangible way, the Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre concept came to fruition. The response to my call for donations was unbelievably kind and generous. Its a testament to the high regard the de Bromheads are held in, that we are in a position to make the equine centre at ChildVision in Jacks name, a reality. Barry Sheridan, ChildVision CEO, commented: We have an ambitious plan for the ChildVision campus and front and centre was trying to secure funding for an equine therapeutic centre. We had already raised over 500,000 but without this extraordinary fundraising support we would not have been in a position to break ground in 2024 on this vital facility. We would like to thank the de Bromhead family, Chris Jones and the other wonderful benefactors for enabling our dream to come true. We will ensure that Jacks legacy and that of his loving family, who so generously agreed to share his name with us, will live on for generations to come. Speaking about the Honeysuckle colours to be auctioned at the Punchestown Festival, Rachael Blackmore, said: Honeysuckle gave me some of the best days of my career - her colours hold a lot of very special memories. Zoe, Henrys travelling head girl, always kept this one special set aside just for Honeysuckle and I wore them in all of Honeysuckles big days at Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Punchestown. They are going to be auctioned at the Goffs sale on day three of the Punchestown Festival, Thursday May 2 and all money raised will be donated to the operating costs of the new Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre. The donation will make a lasting difference to those children and their families who will benefit so much from the amazing work that they do at ChildVision, where hopefully many more great memories will be made. Garvan Hanley of Hanley Taite Design Partnership based in Virginia, County Cavan has been commissioned by ChildVision to design the new centre on the campus. The new equine centre is a contemporary, tensile fabric curved roofed building with timber and brick clad walls providing an enclosed sand arena, stables for up to 10 horses and ponies, changing facilities, offices, a viewing area/learning space and all ancillary accommodation. The building extends to 1375 sq.m. and will provide services in all weathers and on dark evenings in an environment that will offer comfort and safety to its users. A man shouted abuse and threw stones at his girlfriend's house, Naas District Court was told. The man was before the court for breaching a court order. The court was told that the gardai are concerned and while these incidents were relatively minor, other incidents were not. The court was told that the man breached the order within a week. Read more Kildare news Cairbre Finan said there has been some communication between the pair and they have matching tattoos. The court heard the gardai have concerns for the injured party, who is living in the family home. The man told the court he is living in a field, has no money and is not receiving social welfare. He said he had started taking cannabis when he was 12 or 13. Judge Desmond Zaidan said the man should get counselling to help him move on. He said there is something wrong with a system which wont pay social welfare because the applicant does not have an address or provide rehab treatment until someone with addiction issues has been off substances for five weeks. This is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world, he said. The judge adjourned the matter to July 4, urging that the gardai endeavour to find accommodation for the man. The former speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said that Irish unity is an exciting idea but that it is up to the Irish people. Speaking at the residence of the US ambassador to Ireland, in Dublins Phoenix Park, Ms Pelosi said it is important how the British and Irish governments arrive at at united Ireland. Ms Pelosi is in Dublin for a couple of days and is attending various events. On Sunday, she became the inaugural recipient of the Fulbright Ireland Public Service Award, and later on Monday she will receive the Sutherland Leadership Award at University College Dublin. The Sutherland Leadership Award was established in 2018 to recognise outstanding international leaders. Ms Pelosi, who says she does not have Irish grandparents but has three Irish grandchildren, was asked whether she would like to see a united Ireland in her lifetime. Well, thats a question for Ireland, she said. As a schoolgirl in America, I would have thought that that was a great idea and why not do that? So I carry that with me. What would be important about (that path) is how you arrive at it and I think its an exciting idea, but its up to the Irish to decide that. When you think of the Brits and their role in this and so much that has been overcome. As I said, when I was first coming here 30 years ago there were fisticuffs like were going to go outside, not in the room, were going to go outside and settle this kind of thing. And now theres been so much progress. Ms Pelosi also said she was very excited to see the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive. In February, devolution in Northern Ireland was restored following a two-year stalemate over post-Brexit trading arrangements. During the Brexit negotiations, Ms Pelosi told Britain there could be no US-UK trade deal if it proceeded with plans unilaterally to scrap some of the rules governing trade with Northern Ireland. On Monday, she said that while she was sorry it took years to restore the Executive, she is glad to see it return. She said: Were very excited about the restoration of the Executive in Northern Ireland. Its long overdue. To see an Executive, and Im sorry it took so long, but Im glad its there. We had to make it clear to the Brits and thats what I said if you think that messing with the border is going to be a path to having a bilateral with the United States, forget about it. (Years ago) I went to the border, and saw (the road markings) was just a different colour yellow and white lines to distinguish one place to another. I would not have appreciated that had I not been to the border. While Ireland is basking in sunshine at the moment, a weather forecaster says it may be "under threat" by the weekend. The recent good weather comes due to an area of high pressure settling in, though this looks to be less promising as we move towards the weekend. According to weather expert Alan O'Reilly of Carlow Weather, latest models suggest that this weekend could see the return of rain across parts of Ireland as a potential low could visit our shores. He wrote on X: "Ohhh latest ECMWF wants to send the low to Portugal next weekend! However GFS wants to blow it up over Ireland. Let's hope ECMWF is on to something here." It has been forecast to continue in the 10-14 degrees range this week, while some weather models predict that Thursday will see some light rainfall in parts of Ireland. Ohhh latest ECMWF wants to send the low to Portugal next weekend! However GFS wants to blow it up over Ireland. Lets hope ECMWF is on to something here Total rainfall for next 7 days shown from both models also. Will keep you updated through the week. pic.twitter.com/gJa2l6HxoL Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) April 21, 2024 Met Eireann forecasts that it will be mainly dry until next weekend. However, it will turn cooler after that. The outlook for next weekend is uncertain, Met Eireann forecasts. "At the moment it looks like there will be a fair mount of dry weather on Saturday with a few showers. Sunday looks like being a cloudier day with outbreaks of rain. It will continue cool with temperatures of around 9 to 12 degrees," Met Eireann predicts. Poetry Day Ireland 2024 and Eat the Storms, the poetry podcast, in association with Poetry Ireland and RTE Arts, will host an All-Ireland Poetic Relay Race on Thursday, April 25. This special episode of the international podcast will feature 32 poets reading one poem to represent each of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland. This years theme is Good Sports, and the episode will be on more than 12 platforms, including Spotify, Apple, Google, Pocketcast, Castbox & Podbean. Kevin McManus from Carrigallen has been selected as the poet to represent Leitrim in this event. In 2021, he published a poetry collection entitled The Hawthorn Tree with Lapwing Publishers, Belfast. A new edition of his first poetry collection called Spirits in the Forest is now available on Amazon and all other major online retailers. He has also published poems in several international journals, including the London Grip, the Californian Catamaran, the Honest Ulsterman, the Fortnightly Review and the Galway Review. In 2022, his poem Lost Souls was adapted into a short film and won the Blissfest film festival in Chicago. Kevin has also published eight fiction novels, including his latest, Darkness at the Edge of Town, published by Book Hub. A third poetry collection, A cold wind from the lake, will be published this Summer. The funeral of a seven-year-old boy who drowned in a hotel swimming pool in Co Clare will take place on Wednesday. Shay Lynch, from OBriensbridge near Clonlara in Co Clare, died following the incident in Killaloe on Saturday. Shay was transported from the scene to University Hospital Limerick, where he was later pronounced dead. In a funeral post online, his family said he died in a tragic accident. It said that he is survived by his heartbroken family, parents James and Tania, sister Abi, grandparents Jerome, Joe and Kathleen, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, neighbours and his many friends. His funeral will take place on Wednesday at St Senans Church in Clonlara at 11am. Tributes have been paid to the youngster following his death. Scoil Seanain Naofa in Clonlara said that the first class pupil had a bright smile and a warm heart. He will be greatly missed, it said. The school said it had put psychological supports in place for its pupils in the wake of the tragedy. Clonlara GAA Club said Shay was a talented, loved and valued member of our U9s team. All club activities have been suspended over the coming days as a mark of respect to his family. Taoiseach Simon Harris said the news was absolutely heartbreaking. He said: I know people right across Ireland are keeping this family and the community of Clonlara in Co Clare in their thoughts and prayers at such a sad and difficult time. Gardai and emergency services said they responded to the incident at a swimming pool in Killaloe, Co Clare, shortly before 3pm on Saturday. The Irish premier has apologised to the victims, survivors and families of the Stardust fire tragedy, saying the state failed them. Forty-eight people were killed when the blaze ripped through the nightclub in Dublin in 1981. After a more than 40-year campaign for justice, last week an inquest found that the 48 victims had been unlawfully killed. On Tuesday, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the state failed the families of the Stardust tragedy when you needed us the most. Politicians and others gathered in the Irish parliament applauded and got to their feet to welcome the Stardust families who had gathered in the public gallery and the distinguished visitors gallery I know there have been many times when you thought this day would never come, Mr Harris told them. I know you were forced to endure a living nightmare which began when your loved ones were snatched from you in a devastating fire. Their unfinished stories became your story. The defining story of your lives and the lives of your parents and other family members who left this life before ever seeing justice. I am deeply sorry you were made to fight for so long that they went to their graves never knowing the truth. Today we say formally and without any equivocation, we are sorry. We failed you when you needed us the most, from the very beginning we should have stood with you but instead we forced you to stand against us. Mr Harris said he hoped the apology and statements in the Dail help the Stardust families heal. I truly hope that the days since last Thursday have marked a turning point and here today in Dail Eireann we finally begin to put things right, he said. To bring you in from the cold and end the neglect of 43 years waiting and fighting for the only thing you ever wanted, the truth. Nothing else. No other agenda, just the truth. He continued: I am so deeply sorry that your first bid for justice ended with suspicion being cast on those who had died or survived on that catastrophic night, with your pain and your grief compounded by stigma and rejection. Families were forced to fight for decades to obtain the vindication that you won last Thursday when the inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing in the case of your 48 family members. For all of this, as Taoiseach on behalf of this state, I apologise unreservedly to all the families of the Stardust victims and all the survivors for the hurt that was done to them and for the profoundly painful years of struggle for the truth. Minister for Transport and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan described an incredibly important day for the families. However, he said he is conscious that any sense of relief brought by the official apology to the families in the Irish parliament is tempered by the fact that they (the families) had to wait for far, far too long to hear it. The organs of the Irish state didnt respond when repeatedly confronted by contradictory evidence, Mr Ryan said. Its a sobering indictment of our integrity as a nation and one that we must reflect upon, uncomfortable though it may be for many of us in the most powerful positions. He said last weeks inquest findings confirmed what the families had known for decades, that their loved ones had been unlawfully killed. A previous finding in 1982 said the fire had been started deliberately, a theory the families never accepted. That ruling was dismissed in 2009, leading to the latest inquests for the victims, who were aged from 16 to 27 and mostly came from the surrounding north Dublin area. Last Thursday, the jury in the inquest returned a verdict that all 48 victims were unlawfully killed. A majority decision from the seven women and five men found that the blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Valentines Day 1981, was caused by an electrical fault in the hot press of the bar. Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien said it is right and fitting for the Irish parliament to apologise, however late in the day. In responding to the Stardust tragedy our state did not live up to the principles of justice, its core values, nor on the decency that we owe every person, the Dublin Fingal TD said. The victims, their families, their friends, and their community were let down. This failure is a matter of deep and lasting regret and shame for our state and all of us who represent it. The states response was utterly lacking in compassion and understanding. Even worse, it compounded the trauma with grievous mistakes, the baseless findings of probable arson that cast scurrilous aspersions of guilt on an entire community. The paucity and the complexity of the state compensation, the sheer amount of time it has taken us to get to todays apology. We owed all of you so much more. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that the big lie that the fire had been caused by arson began to spread soon after the fire. It was a lie repeated over and over, Ms McDonald said. It smeared, it criminalised the victims and survivors suggesting that one of their number was responsible. It was a lie that devastated families and further traumatised survivors. To this day those families and survivors still ask who crafted that lie? Who spun it, who spread it and why? What was their motive? And who were they protecting? Forty-three years on and they still dont have the answer to those questions. In November 1981, the original tribunal presided over by Justice Ronan Keane concluded that the fire was probably caused by arson. The big lie then became the states official position. Lisa Lawlor, who was 17 months old when her parents Francis and Maureen Lawlor died in the Stardust fire, said she is very, very happy with the Taoiseachs apology. Ms Lawlor carried 49 red roses into the Dail to represent the 48 victims as well as the unborn baby of Caroline Carey, who was four-and-a-half months pregnant when she died. I am very honoured to be here. We have waited so long for this and have waited so long for something like this, especially me the Stardust baby, the only orphan, Ms Lawlor said. Losing both of them on the one night has been horrific. I cant describe it to you but I am vindicated and I know they are and I know they are around me. She said that Mr Harris struck the right tone. Ms Lawlor added: We will discuss with our lawyers the next move but I am very happy with today. The Stardust families must have another day in court, the Dail was told, as calls echoed for justice for the 48 victims who were unlawfully killed in the fire. Members of opposition parties were united in their praise for the families and survivors of the 1981 tragedy, and their long fight for truth and justice. Taoiseach Simon Harris issued a state apology to the families of the Stardust disaster, some 43 years after the blaze ripped through the busy nightclub. In the Dail on Tuesday, there were calls for accountability of who was responsible for the unlawful deaths. For forty-three years, the families of the victims of the Stardust fire faced the contempt of the state. Their fight for truth and justice was blocked again and again. They faced it all and they never gave in. For the 48 young people who went out to the Stardust and never came pic.twitter.com/j4gkxluibD Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) April 23, 2024 Opposition politicians told the government that the apology should be followed up by a redress scheme for the families. Successive governments and former taoisigh were widely criticised for failing the families. Labour TD for Dublin Bay North Aodhan O Riordain said it was time for the gardai, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to do what is right. If those you loved were unlawfully killed, then someone unlawfully killed them, he said. What would happen in any other case of corporate manslaughter in any other part of the city? There must be another day in court. Stardust will always be a scar. A tale of greed. A tale of recklessness. A tale of horror. Of poisonous lies. But of resilience. Of hope. Of campaigning and of truth. The Stardust families are heroes of this Republic. We are honoured to be in their presence today. They would much rather not be here. They would much rather have seen their loved ones grow older in the last 43 years. But you have made all of us want to be better. To work harder. To campaign more. To listen more. To judge less. And to speak the truth. Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald said the state finally apologised to the families of those killed in the Stardust fire tragedy because they didnt give up, adding now let justice flow like a river. They (the families) are here today in the public gallery of the Dail and they are here in victory, she said. When the verdict came through last Thursday, it confirmed what the people of Ireland already knew unlawful killing, unlawful killing 48 times. It wasnt arson. None of the young people who went to the Valentines dance were responsible. Now the big lie that cast a shadow over your lives since the 13th of February 1981 has been lifted once and for all. So this moment, this victory, this vindication is first and foremost for those unlawfully killed, for the survivors, for the courageous families who have lived for years with the pain of their lives, with the ghosts of unanswered questions and with the sorrow of the empty chair. For the 48 young people who never came home, finally, the truth is revealed. For the survivors who have endured a lifetime of suffering, finally, the truth has prevailed and you, their families, brought the truth home for them and now let justice flow like a river. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said there must be engagement about a redress scheme for the families. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said he hopes the delivery of a state apology is the beginning of the truth for the families of the Stardust fire tragedy. I hope today is the beginning of the truth because its certainly, I think, not the end. An apology is not enough, there has to be true justice and true accountability for those that frustrated your fight for truth and for justice for your loved ones, he said. The state has to explain and own up to its own responsibility in all of this. He commended the families of those killed in the tragedy for their campaigning. I just want to commend you. This is your day. Were only here because of what you have done in your ceaseless fight for justice because of the love you had for your family members who lost their lives, who were killed, he said. This is your day, and I hope this is the beginning, and all I will say to the government is this must be led by the families. What follows from here must be led by the families. Only they know what truth and justice means and to provide that for their loved ones and those who survived this terrible tragedy and injustice. Donegal artist Oisin Leech's concert takes place on Friday, April 26, at The Glens Arts Centre, showcasing his first debut album' Cold Sea.' Oisin Leech's new album, produced by Steve Gunn, is coming out on Outside Music/Tremone Records (out March 8). While Oisin may be a familiar name in some circles due to his two-decade career as one half of revered Irish folk duo The Lost Brothers and his brilliant radio show Caravan Radio, 'Cold Sea' is his first solo offering. Recorded in Malin, in an old sea-facing schoolhouse that Leech and Gunn transformed into a working studio, the album features contributions from M. Ward, Donal Lunny, Roisin McGrory, and Tony Garnier, a long-time member of Bob Dylan's touring band. In January 2024, Oisin shared the second single from the record, a track called "Colour of the Rain." The new track is a follow-up to last autumn's debut solo single 'October Sun', which garnered widespread radio airplay from BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Ulster and RTE Radio 1. Featuring synths from Gunn and bass from Garnier, 'Colour of the Rain' has a transportive power, using a combination of closely mic'ed acoustic instruments and electronic textures to build a sonic landscape that feels intimate yet other-worldly. "My aim with this album was to write a collection of songs that told a complete story, and to record them near the ocean, using the sea as a kind of mirror for the songs," Oisin explains. He added: "'Colour of the Rain'I spent weeks writing, maybe longer, with each verse addressing a stage in my life. It touches on forgiveness. Looking at the past and moving on." Steve adds, "Reflecting landscapes in song is integral to so much musical tradition, and I always try to keep this in mind when working on my own music. "I think this new record reflects both the landscape and the time we had beside the ocean beautifully. To be there with Oisin as he crafted his great songs in an old schoolhouse turned studio, was just wonderful and a significant experience for me." In support of his debut, Oisin has announced the Maiden Voyage Concert series, during which he will play a run of dates in Ireland and overseas. Tickets are 18/15 and available at https://glenscentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873656419. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd - Binding Term Sheet for Gas Sales Agreement to supply pilot gas to the Northern Territory Government Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. ("Falcon") Binding Term Sheet for Gas Sales Agreement to supply pilot gas to the Northern Territory Government 23 April 2024 - Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSXV: FO, AIM: FOG) is pleased to announce that the Beetaloo Joint venture (BJV) has signed a Binding Agreement for a long-term Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) to supply the Northern Territory Government (Buyer) with 14.6 PJ (13.8 BCF) per annum from the proposed Shenandoah South Pilot Project for an initial term of nine years, with a Buyer's option to extend for a further six-and-a-half years. Details of the Binding Agreement are as follows: Gas will be delivered to the APA-owned Amadeus Gas Pipeline (AGP) on a take-or-pay basis at a market-competitive gas price, escalating at 100% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Buyer's extension option is at a slightly discounted price. The Agreement is a binding supply commitment conditional on the BJV entering into a binding Gas Transportation Agreement with APA on the proposed Sturt Plateau Pipeline, a binding Gas Processing Agreement for the proposed Sturt Plateau Compression Facility, reaching a Final Investment Decision (FID) on upstream drilling activity and receiving all necessary approvals to proceed with these projects. The BJV is targeting FID on the proposed 40 TJ (38,000 MCF/D) per day upstream drilling program in mid-2024, subject to securing funding and key regulatory and stakeholder approvals. First gas flow is planned for H1 2026. Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited holds a 5% working interest in the 51,200-acre area that will include the wells required to deliver the proposed Pilot Project volumes. Philip O'Quigley, CEO of Falcon commented: "This is a significant development for Beetaloo Joint Venture, and represents a major milestone and puts the Beetaloo Joint Venture on a path where revenue from gas sales will support funding our future development phases, including supply to the East Coast and LNG gas markets." Ends. CONTACT DETAILS: Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. +353 1 676 8702 Philip O'Quigley, CEO +353 87 814 7042 Anne Flynn, CFO +353 1 676 9162 Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (NOMAD & Joint Broker) Neil McDonald / Adam Rae +44 131 220 9771 Tennyson Securities (Joint Broker) Peter Krens +44 20 7186 9033 About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is an international oil & gas company engaged in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia, South Africa and Hungary. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with a technical team based in Budapest, Hungary. Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited is a c. 98% subsidiary of Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. For further information on Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. please visit www.falconoilandgas.com. About Beetaloo Joint Venture ("BJV") (EP 76, 98 and 117) EP 98/117 interests Company Interest Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited 77.5% Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia) 22.5% Total 100.0% Shenandoah South-1 DSU ? 20,480 acres Company Interest Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited 77.5% Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia) 22.5% Total 100.0% Shenandoah South-2 DSU ? 51,200 acres Company Interest Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited 95.0% Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia) 5.0% Total 100.0% Glossary BCF Billion cubic feet FID Final investment decision MCF/D Thousand cubic feet per day PJ PetaJoules TJ Terajoule About Tamboran B2 Pty Limited Tamboran (B1) Pty Limited is the 100% holder of Tamboran B2 Pty Limited, with Tamboran B1 being a 50:50 joint venture between a subsidiary of Tamboran Resources Limited and Daly Waters Energy, LP. Tamboran Resources Limited, is a natural gas company listed on the ASX (TBN) and U.S. OTC markets (TBNNY). Tamboran is focused on playing a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future, by developing the significant low CO 2 gas resource within the Beetaloo Basin through cutting-edge drilling and completion design technology as well as management's experience in successfully commercialising unconventional shale in North America. Bryan Sheffield of Daly Waters Energy, LP is a highly successful investor and has made significant returns in the US unconventional energy sector in the past. He was Founder of Parsley Energy Inc. ("PE"), an independent unconventional oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin, Texas and previously served as its Chairman and CEO. PE was acquired for over US$7 billion by Pioneer Natural Resources Company ("Pioneer"), itself a leading independent oil and gas company and with the PE acquisition became a Permian pure play company. Pioneer has a current market capitalisation of c. US$53 billion. Advisory regarding forward looking statements Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "projects", "dependent", "consider" "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "outlook", "budget", "hope", "suggest", "support" "planned", "approximately", "potential" or the negative of those terms or similar words suggesting future outcomes. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, information relating to the signed Binding Agreement for a long-term GSA suppling the Buyer with 14.6 PJ (13.8 BCF) per annum from the proposed Shenandoah South Pilot Project for an initial term of nine years, with a Buyer's option to extend for a further six-and-a-half years, to gas being delivered to the APA-owned AGP on a take-or-pay basis at a market-competitive gas price, escalating at 100% of the CPI, the Buyer's extension option being at a slightly discounted price, the Agreement being a binding supply commitment conditional on the BJV entering into a binding Gas Transportation Agreement with the APA on the proposed Sturt Plateau Pipeline, a binding Gas Processing Agreement for the proposed Sturt Plateau Compression Facility, reaching a FID on upstream drilling activity and receiving all necessary approvals to proceed with these projects, targeting FID on the proposed 40 TJ (38,000 MCF/D) per day upstream drilling program in mid-2024, to securing funding, key regulatory and stakeholder approvals and to the first gas flow planned for H1 2026. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The risks, assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results include risks associated with fluctuations in market prices for shale gas; risks related to the exploration, development and production of shale gas reserves; general economic, market and business conditions; substantial capital requirements; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and resources; extent of, and cost of compliance with, government laws and regulations and the effect of changes in such laws and regulations; the need to obtain regulatory approvals before development commences; environmental risks and hazards and the cost of compliance with environmental regulations; aboriginal claims; inherent risks and hazards with operations such as mechanical or pipe failure, cratering and other dangerous conditions; potential cost overruns, drilling wells is speculative, often involving significant costs that may be more than estimated and may not result in any discoveries; variations in foreign exchange rates; competition for capital, equipment, new leases, pipeline capacity and skilled personnel; the failure of the holder of licenses, leases and permits to meet requirements of such; changes in royalty regimes; failure to accurately estimate abandonment and reclamation costs; inaccurate estimates and assumptions by management and their joint venture partners; effectiveness of internal controls; the potential lack of available drilling equipment; failure to obtain or keep key personnel; title deficiencies; geo-political risks; and risk of litigation. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive and that these factors and risks are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Falcon assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Falcon. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Falcon's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com, including under "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 23 april 2024 at 02:00 News published onand distributed by: Solaris Reports First Drilling Results from 2024 Program and Exploration Update, Including 150m of 0.67% CuEq within 384m of 0.51% CuEq and 284m of 0.53% CuEq from Near Surface VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solaris Resources Inc. (TSX: SLS; NYSE: SLSR) ("Solaris" or the "Company") is pleased to report the first drill results from its 2024 drilling program and an exploration update at its Warintza Project ("Warintza" or "the Project") in southeastern Ecuador. Highlights are listed below, with a corresponding image in Figures 1-2 and results in Tables 1-2. Highlights Drilling activities ramped up through the first quarter rainy season with six rigs now in operation at Warintza Central, East and Southeast and drilling expected to continue throughout the year in support of expanding and upgrading resources. In addition, follow-up exploration drilling is set to commence at the Patrimonio discovery and regional exploration is underway at the promising Caya epithermal gold target. SLS-76 was collared on the northeastern limit of the Northeast Extension zone and drilled northwest, returning 150m of 0.67% CuEq within a broader interval of 384m of 0.51% CuEq , before the hole was terminated in lower grade mineralization , before the hole was terminated in lower grade mineralization SLSE-31 was collared on the southern margin of Warintza Southeast and drilled east to the ~300m depth capacity of the KD-200 rig, returning 284m of 0.53% CuEq from near surface, with the final 10m averaging 0.75% CuEq and remaining open for extension drilling with a larger rig SLS-75, drilled northeast from a new 200m step-out platform at Northeast Extension zone, returned 26m of 0.52% CuEq and 46m of 0.66% CuEq within a low-grade section from surface with a post-mineral dyke before a final 62m mineralized interval averaging 0.51% CuEq SLSE-32 was collared on the northern margin of Warintza East and drilled north, returning 380m of 0.31% CuEq from surface within a broader interval of 634m of 0.27% CuEq where the hole cut the contact of the primary host lithology with bordering lower grade volcanic rock where the hole cut the contact of the primary host lithology with bordering lower grade volcanic rock Exploration drilling is underway at Patrimonio to follow up on the discovery holes (144m of 0.50% CuEq and 148m of 0.52% CuEq, respectively ? refer to press release dated September 12, 2023) while field crews expand sampling coverage over the highest grade part of the anomaly to the south and down-dip of the replacement mineralization to locate the potential porphyry source to follow up on the discovery holes (144m of 0.50% CuEq and 148m of 0.52% CuEq, respectively ? refer to press release dated September 12, 2023) while field crews expand sampling coverage over the highest grade part of the anomaly to the south and down-dip of the replacement mineralization to locate the potential porphyry source Regional exploration programs are underway at the promising Caya epithermal gold target, located 6km to the northeast of Warintza East, where field crews are expanding sampling and alteration mapping to the west to cover an area where evidence of historical artisanal mining has been identified located 6km to the northeast of Warintza East, where field crews are expanding sampling and alteration mapping to the west to cover an area where evidence of historical artisanal mining has been identified Funded for 2024 and 2025 programs with the offtake financing package announced in December, with plans to aggressively expand activities and consolidate the surrounding district with funds from closing the strategic investment announced in January 2024 Drilling Program and Funding The 2024 drilling program has progressively ramped up over the rainy season with approximately 700m drilled in January, 1800m in February, 3800m in March, and on track for 5,200m in April with six rigs now in operation. A minimum of 30km of drilling is planned in 2024, with a Mineral Resource Update expected by the end of June, and drilling planned to continue thereafter. The Company is funded for its 2024 and 2025 programs with the offtake financing package announced in December. As at December 31, 2023, the Company had approximately US$39 million in cash and equivalents, with an additional US$40 million expected from its offtake financing package (refer to press release dated December 11, 2023). The Company plans to aggressively expand activities and consolidate the surrounding district with funding from the closing of the strategic investment (refer to press release dated January 11, 2024). The parties are continuing to work through the Canadian regulatory process to close the transaction and Solaris will update the market when it has a material update to provide. Regional Exploration: Caya Epithermal Gold Target Field crews have recently been active at the Caya target (refer to Figure 2), where stream sediment sampling has identified a 5km x 3km gold anomaly, 6km northeast of Warintza East. Soil sampling has defined an open-ended area of 0.7km x 1.3km in which anomalous gold and other epithermal pathfinder elements are concentrated and obscured by an overlying stratigraphic unit. The soil anomaly coincides with clay alteration in which dickite is enclosed by high-crystalinity koalinite that grades outward into clay minerals that were developed at successively lower temperature. Such hydrothermal alteration zoning, combined with sporadic occurrences of vuggy silica that have been found, are typical of high sulphidation epithermal systems. The target is relatively flat-lying mineralization in permeable strata adjacent to feeder faults. Sampling conducted over the last month has extended the soil grid to the west to cover an area of historical disturbance from past artisanal mining. Given the flat-lying nature of the conceptual target, additional spectral work is being done to refine the alteration zoning in the volcanosedimentary layers that overlie the target. The Company expects to report on the results of this work in more detail in June. Figure 1 ? Plan View of Drilling to Date Figure 2 ? Caya Epithermal Gold Target Table 1 ? Assay Results Hole ID Date Reported From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Cu (%) Mo (%) Au (g/t) CuEq (%) SLS-76 Apr 23, 2024 78 462 384 0.35 0.03 0.07 0.51 Including 78 228 150 0.46 0.04 0.08 0.67 SLS-75 16 42 26 0.38 0.02 0.11 0.52 Including 130 176 46 0.49 0.02 0.15 0.66 Including 472 534 62 0.43 0.01 0.09 0.51 SLSE-32 4 638 634 0.21 0.01 0.02 0.27 Including 4 384 380 0.25 0.01 0.03 0.31 SLSE-31 26 310 284 0.44 0.02 0.05 0.53 Including 300 310 10 0.64 0.02 0.05 0.75 Notes to table: True widths are interpreted to be very close to drilled widths due to the bulk-porphyry style mineralized zones at Warintza. Table 2 - Collar Locations Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation (m) Depth (m) Azimuth (degrees) Dip (degrees) SLS-76 800350 9648417 1351 493 330 -80 SLS-75 800531 9648518 1261 534 60 -85 SLSE-32 801483 9648241 1170 860 0 -78 SLSE-31 801395 9647790 1184 310 90 -80 Notes to table: The coordinates are in WGS84 17S Datum. Endnotes Copper-equivalence calculated as: CuEq (%) = Cu (%) + 4.0476 Mo (%) + 0.487 Au (g/t), utilizing metal prices of US$3.50/lb Cu, US$15.00/lb Mo, and US$1,500/oz Au, and assumes recoveries of 90% Cu, 85% Mo, and 70% Au based on preliminary metallurgical test work. For additional details on the intervals, refer to press release dated September 12, 2023 for SLSP-01: 144m of 0.50% CuEq (0.34% Cu, 0.03% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au) and SLSP-02: 148m of 0.52% CuEq (0.38% Cu, 0.02% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au). Technical Information and Quality Control & Quality Assurance Sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control/quality assurance ("QA/QC") program that includes the insertion of blind certified reference materials (standards), blanks and field duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at a secured Company facility located in Quito, Ecuador. Drill core is cut in half on site and samples are securely transported to ALS Labs in Quito. Sample pulps are sent to ALS Labs in Lima, Peru and Vancouver, Canada for analysis. Total copper and molybdenum contents are determined by four-acid digestion with AAS finish. Gold is determined by fire assay of a 30-gram charge. In addition, selected pulp check samples are sent to Bureau Veritas lab in Lima, Peru. Both ALS Labs and Bureau Veritas lab are independent of Solaris. Solaris is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. Details on the surface sampling conducted at the Project are set out in the technical report titled, "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Warintza Project, Ecuador (Amended)" with an effective date of April 1, 2022, prepared by Mario E. Rossi and available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile and website. The drillhole data has been verified by Jorge Fierro, M.Sc., DIC, PG, using data validation and quality assurance procedures under high industry standards. Qualified Person The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jorge Fierro, M.Sc., DIC, PG, Vice President Exploration of Solaris who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Jorge Fierro is a Registered Professional Geologist through the SME (registered member #4279075). On behalf of the Board of Solaris Resources Inc. "Daniel Earle" President & CEO, Director For Further Information Jacqueline Wagenaar, VP Investor Relations Direct: 416-366-5678 Ext. 203 Email: [email protected] About Solaris Resources Inc. Solaris is advancing a portfolio of copper and gold assets in the Americas, which includes a world class copper resource with expansion and discovery potential at its Warintza Project in Ecuador; a series of grass roots exploration projects with discovery potential in Peru and Chile; and significant leverage to increasing copper prices through its 60% interest in the La Verde joint-venture project with a subsidiary of Teck Resources in Mexico. Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of the words "will" and "expected" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include statements that drilling is expected to continue throughout the year in support of expanding and upgrading resources, follow-up exploration drilling is set to commence at the Patrimonio discovery and regional exploration is underway at the promising Caya epithermal gold target, a minimum of 30km of drilling is planned in 2024, with a Mineral Resource Update expected by the end of June, and drilling planned to continue thereafter, the Company is funded for its 2024 and 2025 programs with the offtake financing package announced in December, additional US$40 million expected from its offtake financing package, the Company plans to aggressively expand activities and consolidate the surrounding district with funding from the closing of the strategic investment, the Company expects to report on the Caya results in more detail in June. Although Solaris believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, readers are cautioned that actual results may vary from the forward-looking statements. The Company has based these forward-looking statements and information on the Company's current expectations and assumptions about future events including assumptions regarding the exploration and regional programs, 2024 and 2025 baseline programs and funding, that all conditions required to draw down the remaining US$40 million of offtake financing will be obtained, that such remaining US$40 million of offtake financing will close, that all conditions required to close the Company's strategic financing will be obtained including (i) receipt of the requisite approval of the TSX, (ii) receipt of regulatory approval under the Investment Canada Act, and (iii) receipt of regulatory approval from the relevant authorities in the People's Republic of China, and that closing of the strategic financing will occur. These statements also involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Solaris Management's Discussion and Analysis, for the year ended December 31, 2023 available at www.sedarplus.ca. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and Solaris does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc87c609-33bf-4757-a881-0d5bbef3c7a2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/984d2e6c-fdf0-4302-98d5-739b84bb7b2b 23 april 2024 at 07:00 News published onand distributed by: Vital Battery Metals Announces 2024 Exploration & Drilling Program on its Sting Copper Project VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vital Battery Metals Inc. ("Vital" or the "Company") (CSE: VBAM | OTC: VBAMF | FRA: C0O), is pleased to announce upcoming comprehensive summer Work Programs (the "Programs") at the Company's Sting Copper Project ("Project" or "Sting") located in western Newfoundland. Vital holds a commanding 123 km2 land package within 7 claim blocks located north of the Bay of Islands which contain northerly extensions of the lithologic units host to the past producing York Harbour Mine (recent drilling of up to 5.25% Cu over 29m, York Harbour Metals news release March 26, 2022) found southwards from the Property (Figure 1, readers are cautioned that mineralization hosted on nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Vital's claim block)*. The exploration programs will be led by Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. ("Dahrouge"). In preparation for the spring/summer 2024 field exploration programs at Sting, Dahrouge has reviewed historical and recently acquired exploration data, which have indicated that the rocks within the Property have the potential to contain both copper and gold mineralization as Cyprus-type Cu-Zn (+/- Au, Ag) VMS deposits as well as structurally controlled Cu and Au mineralization. The 2024 field exploration will target three prospective Areas within two claim blocks (Jumbo-Lode and North Sting; Figure 2). A first phase of exploration will include mapping and sampling over both claim blocks as well as an IP survey at Jumbo-Lode. Following receipt and interpretation of results from the first phase a follow-up drilling program is targeted for the fall of 2024 at Jumbo-Lode. Highlights of the proposed 2024 work program include: Jumbo-Lode Claim Block Follow-up soil sampling and prospecting, close to the historical, previously channel sampled, Jumbo (9.0% Cu across 9.1m), Red Lode (2.5% Cu across 1.8m) (Assessment File 012G/08/0002), and Friar Tuck (3.7 g/t Au over 0.9 m, Assessment File 012G/08/0078) showings will confirm mineralized trends and highlight targets for future drilling (Areas 1 and 2, Fig. 2). The Lode 9 copper occurrence has also been channel sampled (6.1% Cu across 2.8m, Assessment File 012G/08/0078) and is located <250m to the north of the Jumbo-Lode Claim Block (readers are cautioned that mineralization hosted on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Vital's claim block). An IP survey in the southwest and northeast corners of the claim block will focus on areas with anomalous Cu and Au soil samples results and further aid in drill targeting (Fig. 3). As previously reported (company news release, October 26, 2023), outcrop samples with quartz veining downslope of the Red Lode showing returned up to 9.51 g/t Au and up to 2.53% Cu .These outcrops will be channel sampled and re-examined to aid in drill targeting. North Sting Claim Block The North Sting Claim Block hosts the northerly extension of the prospective mineralized trend within the Jumbo-Lode Claim Block. The company considers this area to be underexplored and prospective for further discoveries. Additional soil geochemical surveys and prospecting will be completed in this area (Fig. 4). A VTEM survey will be flown over this claim block to define prospective areas for more detailed targeting. Figure 1: Sting Copper Project Location Map Drill Program It is anticipated that the company will complete a fall 2024 drill program, pending receipt of drill permits at the Jumbo-Lode Claim Block and after data from the 2024 surface exploration program has been received. Drilling at the Jumbo-Lode Claim Block will test the subsurface extent of multiple targets, including historic showings, soil anomalies, and mineralized outcrops. Previous drilling results obtained outside of the Sting Property include (a) 2.12% Cu across 7.2m (DDH GR-91-2), immediately adjacent to the Lode 9 mineral occurrence (Assessment file 012G/08/0098) and (b) 1.19g/t Au, 10.2g/t Ag, 1.05% Zn, and 0.78% Cu over 8.29 m (DDH GGR-06-04) near the boundary of Sting Group Claims) to the northeast of Red Lode in 2006 (Assessment file 012G/08/0127, readers are cautioned that mineralization hosted on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Vital's claim block). The Drilling Program will test for extensions of these mineralized zones within the Sting Property. Figure 2: Sting Copper Project Areas of Planned Work Figure 3: Jumbo-Lode Claim Block Planned Work and Historical Soil Sample Results Figure 4: North Sting Planned Soil Sampling Adrian Lamoureux, Vital's Chief Executive Officer and President, comments, "The upcoming exploration programs represent the next step in advancing the Sting Project and to build upon the favorable results obtained in 2023. The Work Programs present us with an opportunity to define the scope of mineralization at the project and continue unlocking its full potential." Historical and recently acquired field data both support mineralized zones in the Jumbo-Lode Claim Block having northerly trends and moderate to steep westerly dips. Field teams will work within the Project to confirm these observations. Future Drill Programs will target the approximate true widths of this mineralization. References: All assessment file data referenced above can be sourced at the following Newfoundland and Labrador web link: https://gis.geosurv.gov.nl.ca/ Qualified Person The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed by Glen Prior, Ph.D., P.Geo. of Dahrouge Geological Consulting, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101. The results discussed in this document are historical. A Qualified Person has not performed sufficient work or data verification to validate these results in accordance with NI 43-101. Although the historical results may not be reliable, Vital Battery Metals Inc. nevertheless believes that they provide an indication of the property's potential and are relevant for any future exploration program. About Vital Battery Metals Inc. Vital Battery Metals Inc. (CSE: VBAM |OTC: VBAMF | FRA: C0O) is a mineral exploration company dedicated to the development of strategic projects comprised of battery, base and precious metals in stable jurisdictions. The Company is working to advance its Schofield Lithium, Dickson Lake Lithium, Sting Copper Project, and Vent Copper-Gold Projects. The Sting Copper Project covers approximately 12,700 hectares and hosts multiple historic Newfoundland and Labrador Government documented mineral occurrences and is located within a 50 km corridor known for significant volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS), copper quartz vein lode and low sulphation epithermal gold showings. The Vent Copper-Gold project covers 1,562 hectares in British Columbia. Vital continues to evaluate value-add assets to bolster its project portfolio. The Schofield Lithium Project covers 8,824 hectares and is adjacent to Brunswick Exploration's Hearst Lithium Project. The Schofield Lithium Project is located ~60 km south of Hearst, Ontario. The Dickson Lake Lithium Project covers 464 single-cell mining claims and approximately 9,780 hectares and is near a Brunswick Exploration Lithium Project, Imagine Lithium's Jackpot Deposit and Rock Tech's Georgia Lake Deposit. For more information, visit www.vitalbatterymetals.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Adrian Lamoureux Chief Executive Officer, Director +1 (604) 229-9772 [email protected] Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the Project acquisition bringing a low-risk opportunity, the Company building a strong battery metals portfolio with low-risk opportunities that positively impact the Company and its shareholders and the Company providing an initial work plan are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Sting Project and its mineralization potential; the Company's objectives, goals or future plans with respect to the Sting Project; the commencement of drilling or exploration programs in the future; the anticipated results of any drilling or exploration programs conducted in the future. These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b61ceeef-178e-4327-8fc0-6537d0f115d8 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7aef49b-4547-4c24-8b73-7deca43b2031 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b3ff568-bad2-4f52-a349-9448daa39bf8 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1f6803f7-2b98-430b-9a99-28b50ae22faf 23 april 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Hanwha Ocean, Amogy and Hanwha Aerospace Forge Partnership to Decarbonize Maritime Sector with Ammonia as a Zero-Emission Fuel Hanwha Ocean, a global leader in deployment of green technologies in the maritime sector, Amogy, a provider of scalable and efficient ammonia-to-power solutions, and Hanwha Aerospace, a provider of highly durable and efficient hydrogen fuel cell system, are excited to announce a partnership aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of the maritime industry through the deployment of Amogy's zero-emission ammonia-to-power technology for ammonia-powered vessels. Through their shared vision for a sustainable maritime future, Hanwha Ocean has signed a contract to purchase Amogy's ammonia-to-electrical power system including Hanwha Aerospace's hydrogen fuel cell system. The three companies will work together to deploy the technology, leading the way in driving industry-wide transformation. With the maritime sector facing increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, the partnership among Amogy, Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Aerospace represents a timely and significant commitment to sustainable innovation. "Our partnership with Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Aerospace is a testament to our shared belief in the power of innovation to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges," said Seonghoon Woo, CEO at Amogy. "By combining our ammonia-to-power technology with Hanwha Ocean's industry-leading shipbuilding capabilities and Hanwha Aerospace's fuel cell system expertise, we are setting a new standard for clean energy in the maritime sector." The collaboration is poised to deliver substantial environmental benefits, showcasing a scalable and impactful solution for reducing the maritime industry's carbon footprint. The use of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel not only promises to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions but also serves as a beacon for other sectors striving for sustainability. "Ammonia stands out as an eco-friendly energy source including strengths in storage and transportation, it is also an important energy source of Hanwha Ocean's pioneering maritime decarbonization solutions. Through this partnership, and with Amogy's ammonia-to-electrical power system and Hanwha Aerospace's hydrogen fuel cell system, we move toward a more sustainable and carbon-neutral future, taking a significant stride forward," said Hyoung Seog Kim, Executive Vice President at Hanwha Ocean. "As hydrogen fuel cell systems integrated with ammonia systems are essential for decarbonization in the marine industry, we will maximize synergy through this partnership with Hanwha Ocean and Amogy. This technology can play an important role in the net zero ecosystem for maritime transportation," said Seunghak Moon, Head of E-Propulsion System Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace. About Hanwha Ocean Hanwha Ocean, formerly known as DSME, was officially rebranded as a Global Ocean Solution Provider pioneering the global marine defense market based on ultra-gap technology and leading the ship market with various eco-friendly products and technologies in response to strengthening environmental regulations. Equipped with top-notch Shipyard facilities that span roughly 4.9 million square meters in Geoje, Hanwha Ocean produces high-quality ships and offshore plants. Moving forward, Hanwha Ocean is committed to utilizing advanced technology to provide solutions that will drive change and help the world fight climate change. About Hanwha Aerospace Hanwha Aerospace focus on developing core-technology that foster sustainable growth, improving human life, protecting our community and Earth. For maritime application, the company develops ESS and Fuel Cell tailored to each application and key electrification parts based on ultimate stability and technological expertise, thereby enhancing SI capabilities for future mobility and propulsion system. About Amogy Amogy provides carbon-free energy solutions to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as maritime, power generation and heavy industry. Proven in real-world applications, its patented ammonia cracking technology is mature, scalable and a highly efficient method for splitting liquid ammonia, generating electrical power in combination with hydrogen fuel cells at five times the energy density of lithium batteries. Amogy is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, with additional locations including Houston, Texas, Stavanger, Norway, and Singapore. Amogy is backed by investors including Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, Temasek, SK Innovation, Aramco Ventures, Mitsubishi Corporation and AP Ventures. For more information, follow Amogy on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and YouTube, or visit www.amogy.co. 23 april 2024 at 08:10 News published onand distributed by: EIG's MidOcean Energy Completes Acquisition of 20 Percent Stake in Peru LNG MidOcean Energy ("MidOcean" or the "Company"), a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company formed and managed by EIG, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, today announced the completion of its previously announced agreement to acquire SK earthon's ("SK") 20 percent interest in Peru LNG ("PLNG"), owner and operator of the first LNG export facility in South America. PLNG's assets comprise a natural gas liquefaction plant with 4.45 mmtpa processing capacity, a fully-owned 408km-long pipeline with 1,290 mmcf/d capacity, two 130,000 m3 storage tanks, a fully-owned 1.4 km-long marine terminal and a truck loading facility with capacity of up to 19.2 mmcf/d. PLNG, operated by Hunt Oil Company, is one of only two LNG production facilities in Latin America, located in Pampa Melchorita, 170km south of Lima. De la Rey Venter, MidOcean Energy's CEO, said, "The completion of this investment is an important milestone in our efforts to create a global, diversified and resilient portfolio of LNG assets. As the only LNG export facility in South America, PLNG is uniquely positioned in the global marketplace. PLNG also plays an important role in providing gas and LNG to customers in Peru. We look forward to a strong partnership with the PLNG co-venturers and our work towards sustaining PLNG's positive impact for many years to come." The completion of this transaction follows MidOcean's recent announcement of a strategic investment by Mitsubishi Corporation and the completion of its acquisition of Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd.'s interests in a portfolio of Australian integrated LNG projects. Morgan Stanley acted as exclusive financial advisor to MidOcean on the transaction. Latham & Watkins acted as legal advisor to MidOcean on the transaction. About EIG EIG is a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors with $22.9 billion under management as of December 31, 2023. EIG specializes in private investments in energy and energy-related infrastructure on a global basis. During its 41-year history, EIG has committed over $47.1 billion to the energy sector through over 405 projects or companies in 42 countries on six continents. EIG's clients include many of the leading pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds in the U.S., Asia and Europe. EIG is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Houston, London, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong and Seoul. About MidOcean Energy MidOcean Energy, an LNG company formed and managed by EIG, seeks to build a diversified, resilient, cost and carbon competitive global LNG portfolio. It reflects EIG's belief in LNG as a critical enabler of the energy transition and the growing importance of LNG as a geopolitically strategic energy resource. MidOcean Energy is headed by De la Rey Venter, a 26-year industry veteran who has held a variety of senior executive roles, including Global Head of LNG for Shell Plc. For additional information, please visit EIG's website at www.eigpartners.com or MidOcean Energy's website at www.midoceanenergy.com. 23 april 2024 at 08:25 News published onand distributed by: Minister Champagne highlights budget investments in Indigenous reconciliation LA TUQUE, QC, April 23, 2024 /CNW/ - The federal government recently delivered Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation. It is a plan to build a Canada that works better for everyone, where younger generations can get ahead, where their hard work pays off, and where they can buy a home?where everyone has a fair chance at a good middle-class life. Today, the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, visited La Tuque, Quebec, to highlight Budget 2024 investments in Indigenous reconciliation. The Minister spoke about the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program, which will offer up to $5 billion in loan guarantees to unlock access to capital for Indigenous communities, enabling them to share in the benefits of natural resource and energy projects in their territories and on their own terms. He also spoke about the Indigenous Housing and Community Infrastructure investments of $918 million beyond the $5 billion already available for communities in 2024?2025 to accelerate work to narrow housing and infrastructure gaps in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities. This is in addition to unlocking pathways to post-secondary education by investing nearly $243 million for the next generation of First Nations university, college and post-secondary students, building on the $487.5 million over 10 years invested in Inuit and Metis post-secondary education strategies through Budget 2019. Budget 2024 is a plan to deliver fairness for every generation. First, the budget takes bold action to build more homes. Because the best way to make home prices more affordable is to increase supply?and quickly. It lays out a strategy to unlock 3.87 million new homes by 2031. Key measures include launching the new Public Lands for Homes Plan and Canada Rental Protection Fund, enhancing the Canadian Mortgage Charter, and creating a new Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights. Second, it will help make life cost less. The budget builds on the government's transformative expansion of Canada's social safety net?$10-a-day child care, dental care for uninsured Canadians, the first phase of universal pharmacare?and advances the government's work to lower everyday costs for Canadians. This includes helping to stabilize the cost of groceries, cracking down on junk fees and lowering the costs of banking. Budget 2024 also makes transformative new investments, including a National School Food Program and the Canada Disability Benefit. Third, this year's budget will grow the economy in a way that's shared by all. The government's plan will increase investment, enhance productivity and encourage innovation. It will create well-paying and meaningful jobs, keep Canada at the economic forefront, and deliver new support to empower more of our best entrepreneurs and innovators. This includes attracting more investment in the net-zero economy by expanding and delivering the major economic investment tax credits, securing Canada's advantage as a leader in artificial intelligence, and investing in enhanced research grants that will provide younger generations with good jobs and new opportunities. And it means ensuring Indigenous Peoples share in this growth in a way that works for them. Budget 2024 will also make Canada's tax system fairer by asking the wealthiest to pay a bit more so that the government can invest in prosperity for every generation, and because it would be irresponsible and unfair to pass on more debt to the next generations. Budget 2024 is a responsible economic plan that upholds the fiscal objectives outlined in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement and sees Canada maintain the lowest deficit- and net debt-to-GDP ratios in the G7. Quotes "For the Canadian economy to achieve its full potential, Indigenous communities must have the chance to make their full contribution. I am pleased to be in La Tuque to highlight the Budget 2024 measures that will help Indigenous communities pursue opportunities and create economic benefits. With this budget, Canada is on its way to fairness for every generation." ? The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Related products Stay connected Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media. X (Twitter): @ISED_CA | Facebook: Canadian Innovation | Instagram: @cdninnovation | LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 23 april 2024 at 10:30 News published onand distributed by: NowVertical Group Announces Amendment to Acrotrend Obligations TORONTO, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NowVertical Group Inc. (TSXV: NOW) (OTCQB: NOWVF), ("NOW" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that Acrotrend Solutions Limited ("Acrotrend") has achieved Adjusted EBITDA of US$2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. In addition, in an effort to further align the interests of management with shareholders, the Company has entered into an agreement to settle its ongoing obligations in connection with NOW's prior acquisition of Acrotrend pursuant to a share purchase agreement dated December 9, 2022, as amended (the "SPA"). "As we articulated to shareholders earlier this year, the Board has been engaged in a renegotiation of commitments with key business unit stakeholders. Today, we are pleased to announce an agreement has been reached with the sellers of Acrotrend that enables NowVertical to improve its balance sheet through the reduction of its overall cash payment obligations, repaying a substantial portion of the 2023 earn out consideration due to the Acrotrend sellers in shares, and deferring and capping certain future payments," said Board Chair Elaine Kunda. "One of the Board's key objectives in 2024 is to create an environment where all of the Company's stakeholders are working towards the same metrics that are relevant to the Company as a whole and not just the individual business units. Through this amendment, the Acrotrend sellers, including NowVertical's CEO, Sandeep Mendiratta, will increase their direct ownership of NowVertical, in a clear demonstration of their alignment with NowVertical and our shareholders. Since his appointment in January, Sandeep has been laser focused on driving the integration of our business units, the identification of customer and market opportunities, and aggressive execution on growth opportunities," continued Ms. Kunda. "Our leadership team is dedicated to fostering a culture of 'operator-first mindset', in line with the vision set by the Board, prioritizing alignment across our entire business. By empowering our business unit leaders and strategically organizing our teams, we're primed for dynamic growth. This approach is already yielding tangible benefits, and my choice to receive a substantial portion of earn-out proceeds in NowVertical shares reflects the growth potential I see in the integrated business and my confidence in our leadership team's ability to architect our collective future," said Sandeep Mendiratta, the Company's CEO. Pursuant to the terms of the SPA, the former shareholders of Acrotrend (together, the "Sellers") are currently entitled to receive more than US$2,160,000, including an earn out in the amount of US$1,255,000 to which the Sellers are entitled for Acrotrend's positive performance during the year ended December 31, 2023 (the "2023 Earn-Out Amount") and excluding the potential earn outs to which the Sellers may be entitled for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2025. Specifically, pursuant to the terms of the SPA, the Sellers are entitled to receive: a holdback in the amount of US$410,000 (the " Holdback Amount "), plus interest accrued thereon since January 12, 2024; "), plus interest accrued thereon since January 12, 2024; a top-up amount equal the difference between the price of the 750,000 Class A subordinate voting shares in the capital of the Company (the " Subordinate Voting Shares ") received by the Sellers in connection with the transaction and the market price of such shares on the date when the Sellers elect to exercise their top-up entitlement, with an estimated value of US$558,116.24 (the " Top-Up Consideration "); ") received by the Sellers in connection with the transaction and the market price of such shares on the date when the Sellers elect to exercise their top-up entitlement, with an estimated value of US$558,116.24 (the " "); the 2023 Earn-Out Amount of $1,255,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023; and future earn-out payments for the financial years ending December 31, 2024 and 2025 (the "Future Earn-Outs"). Following negotiations between the independent directors of the Company and the Sellers, the Company and the Sellers have agreed to certain adjustments to the obligations of the Company under the SPA to better align the interests the Seller with all stakeholders. In addition, the adjustments significantly reduce and defer cash payments required to be paid to the Sellers by the Company over the next two years, enhancing the Company's liquidity. To crystallize the adjustments, the Company and the Sellers have entered into a deed of amendment (the "Deed") whereby, subject to certain conditions precedent, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the Company and the Sellers have agreed that: the payment of the Holdback Amount by the Company will be deferred and paid in installments by December 1, 2024, with the Sellers waiving all accrued and unpaid interest thereon if the Company adheres to certain of its other obligations under the Deed; the Company will issue up to 2,835,277 Subordinate Voting Shares in settlement of the Sellers' potential entitlement to Top-Up Consideration at a price per share equal to the greater of: (i) CAD$0.27; and (ii) the Discounted Market Price (as such term is defined under the policies of the TSXV) on the date that is two (2) trading days following the filing of the Company's unaudited interim financial statements for the interim period ended March 31, 2024 on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com (such price being, the " Share Issue Price "); "); the Company will pay US$100,000 of the 2023 Earn-Out Amount in cash to the Sellers and will issue up to 5,000,000 Subordinate Voting Shares in settlement of US$1,155,000 of the 2023 Earn-Out Amount at a price per share equal to the Share Issue Price, with any remaining portion of the 2023 Earn-Out Amount to be settled through the issuance of Subordinate Voting Shares at the Discounted Market Price on the date that is two (2) trading days following the filing of the unaudited interim financial statements for the interim period ended March 31, 2024 on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com; and the Future Earn-Outs will be settled through a cash payment by the Company equal to US$990,000, payable to the Sellers on or before January 1, 2026. Until such amounts are paid through the issuance of Subordinate Voting Shares or through cash payments, as applicable, the Holdback Amount, the Top-Up Consideration, the 2023 Earn-Out Amount and the Future Earn-Outs shall bear interest at a rate of up to 8% above the base rate of the Bank of England, provided that, upon the issuance of the Subordinate Voting Shares in settlement of the Top-Up Consideration and the portion of the 2023 Earn-Out Amount to be settled in shares, interest on certain of such amounts shall be waived. In addition, certain of the Company's subsidiaries have agreed to guarantee the Company's obligations to the Sellers and in certain circumstances, including where the Company and certain of its subsidiaries fail to abide by the terms of the Deed, the Sellers may accelerate the payment of certain amounts and elect to receive two-thirds (2/3) of the Top-Up Consideration and the 2023 Earn-Out Amount in cash with the remainder to be settled through the issuance of Subordinate Voting Shares. Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ? Protection of Minority Security Holders in Related Party Transactions The Sellers include Sandeep Mendiratta, the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Company (the "Related Party"), and the remaining vendors consist of arm's length parties. As a result, the entering into of the Deed and certain of the transactions contemplated thereby are considered to be a "related party transaction", subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ? Protection of Minority Security Holders in Related Party Transaction ("MI 61-101"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company is exempt from the formal valuation requirement per sections 5.5(a) and 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of the transactions, nor the fair market value of the consideration for those transactions, insofar as it involves interested parties, exceeds 25% percent of the Company's market capitalization and Company is not listed on any of the exchanges specified in 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, and the Company confirms that it has not obtained any valuations relevant to the transactions in the 24 months preceding entering into the Deed. In addition, the Company is exempt from the requirement to obtain minority shareholder approval per section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, exceeds 25% percent of the Company's market capitalization. The terms of the Deed were settled through arm's length negotiations between the independent directors of the Company and the Related Party, with each separately represented by legal counsel. The entering into of the Deed and the transactions contemplated thereby was considered and unanimously recommended to the Company's board of directors by the independent members of the Company's board of directors, having regard to, among other things, the impact of the transactions on the Company's balance sheet, liquidity and overall stability, and, upon such recommendation, the board of directors unanimously approved the transaction with Sandeep Mendiratta declaring his interest and recusing himself from any deliberations or voting on the transactions. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days in advance of implementing the transactions as the negotiations were only recently concluded. About NowVertical Group Inc. NowVertical Group is a Vertical Intelligence (VI) software and services provider that delivers vertically-specific data, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications to industry and governments through its global platform. NOW's proprietary solutions sit at the foundation of the modern enterprise by transforming AI investments into VI, enabling its customers to minimize their risk, accelerate the time to value, and reduce costs. NOW is rapidly growing organically and through targeted acquisitions. For more information about NOW, visit www.nowvertical.com. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information, please contact: Andre Garber, Chief Development Officer [email protected] Glen Nelson, Investor Relations and Communications e: [email protected] t: (403) 763-9797 Non-IFRS Measures This news release refers to certain non-international financial reporting standards ("IFRS") measures, including "Adjusted EBITDA". For the purposes of this news release, Adjusted EBITDA is defined as the consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. These measures are not recognized measures under IFRS, do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of the Company's results of operations from management's perspective. The Company's definitions of non-IFRS measures used in this news release may not be the same as the definitions for such measures used by other companies in their reporting. Non-IFRS measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of the Company's financial information reported under IFRS. These non-IFRS measures are used to provide investors with supplemental measures of our operating performance and to eliminate items that have less bearing on our operational performance or operating conditions and thus highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS measures. The Company believes that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS financial measures in the evaluation of issuers. The Company's management also uses non-IFRS financial measures to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period and prepare annual budgets and forecasts. Reconciliation of 2023 Acrotrend Adjusted EBITDA Revenue $ 5,921,425 Income from operations 1,497,993 GAAP Adjustments Expenses incurred in connection with acquisitions 201,195 Foreign exchange realized loss 10,828 Depreciation and amortization 18,154 Non-GAAP Adjustments Compensation and benefits related to other CGUs 428,127 Income from operations annualized 13,060 Adjusted EBITDA $ 2,156,296 Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (together "forward-looking statements"), including, without limitation regarding the settlement of obligations owing to the Sellers, the form and amount of future payments to be made by the Company, the number of Subordinate Voting Shares issuable and the price at which such shares will be issuable, the payment of the Future Earn-Outs, the alignment of management and the business unit leaders, the approval of the TSXV, the ability and timing of certain payments by the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following: direct and indirect material adverse effects from the COVID-19 pandemic; timing and receipt of regulatory approvals, adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the data analytics and artificial intelligence sectors in general; regulatory and legislative changes; that future results may vary from historical results; inability to obtain any requisite future financing on suitable terms; any inability to realize the expected benefits and synergies of acquisitions; that market competition may affect the business, results and financial condition of the Company and other risk factors identified in documents filed by the Company under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca, including the Company's managements' discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022 dated April 28, 2023 and the prospectus supplement (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) dated February 22, 2023. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. All of the forward-looking statement contained in this press release are qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements, and there can be no guarantee that the results or developments that we anticipate will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences or effects on our business, financial condition or results of operation. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking statements contained herein are provided as of the date hereof, and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update the forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. Investors are cautioned that, trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. 23 april 2024 at 12:45 News published onand distributed by: ALFA reports 1Q24 EBITDA of US $425 million SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA, N.L. Mexico, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ALFAA) ("ALFA") announced today its unaudited results for the first quarter of 2024 ("1Q24"). All figures have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). 1Q24 HIGHLIGHTS ALFA ? Alvaro Fernandez Garza appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors, in addition to his position as CEO of ALFA ? Alejandra Palacios Prieto appointed Independent Member of the Board of Directors, with her mandate beginning on May 15, 2024 ? Paid US $48 million cash dividend as approved at Annual Shareholders' meeting ? 1Q24 Comparable EBITDA of US $411 million, up 4% year-on-year, supported by volume growth at Sigma and Alpek Sigma ? Twelfth consecutive quarter of year-on-year sales growth supported by record first quarter volume of 449 ktons, up 5% versus 1Q23 ? Record quarterly EBITDA of US $264 million, up 38% year-on-year led by Mexico, U.S. and Europe ? Sustained improvement in Net Debt to EBITDA ratio; 2.2 times driven by strong EBITDA generation (US $965 million last twelve months) Alpek ? Alvaro Fernandez Garza appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors ? 1Q24 volume up 4% year-on-year and 9% higher quarter-on-quarter, mainly driven by the Polyester segment ? Comparable EBITDA of US $154 million, on track to reach full-year Guidance of US $600 million ? Net Debt up 5% versus 4Q23 driven by investment in Net Working Capital amid rising feedstock prices; reaffirm commitment to reduce net leverage ratio of 3.7 times towards 2.5 times by year-end Message from ALFA's Chairman & CEO "With enthusiasm, I assumed the additional role as Chairman of the Board during the first quarter. I greatly appreciate our Shareholders' support for entrusting me with this important responsibility. We stand at a special time as ALFA celebrates its 50th Anniversary and focuses on completing its transformation. Over the past half-century, our Company has built a legacy that transcends both industry and community. It is a privilege to continue working with ALFA's Board and the entire team to fulfill our transformational vision which is based on independent Business Units. In terms of consolidated results, 1Q24 represents a better-than-expected start to the year, highlighted by double-digit EBITDA growth as our two key businesses benefitted from solid demand. Alpek reported higher 1Q24 volume driven by its Polyester segment. In addition, Asian reference polyester margins posted a slight sequential improvement even as feedstock prices rose versus 4Q23. Moreover, Alpek is on track with the implementation of its comprehensive plan to capture efficiencies across administrative functions and production facilities. First quarter Comparable EBITDA of US $154 million is in line with our petrochemical business' full-year guidance. Sigma reported its 12th consecutive quarter of year-on-year increase in Revenues and achieved an all-time high quarterly EBITDA of US $264 million. Robust growth across all regions contributed to this good performance. Record volume, a stronger Mexican Peso and favorable poultry prices were among the main drivers in 1Q24. Preferred brands are a crucial force behind Sigma's results by region. It is exciting to see Sigma further strengthening its portfolio by adding three of its dairy brands to the select group generating annual sales higher than US $100 million. La Chona, Los Altos and Nochebuena recently surpassed this meaningful sales milestone, increasing the total number of 'Hundred-Million-Dollar' brands to 14 from 11. Another noteworthy Sigma development was the successful placement of Ps $10,000 million (approx. US $600 million) in local notes, also known as Certificados Bursatiles. The issuance was oversubscribed by 2.7 times and marks Sigma's return to the Mexican debt market after more than 15 years. Sigma is already working to place a new issuance under the same program during the second quarter to refinance a larger portion of its outstanding debt and extend its maturity profile. Sigma's robust financial position is fundamental to complete ALFA's transformation process. Moreover, Alpek is prepared to advance as an independent entity, given that the planned separation would not have any financial or operational impact on our petrochemical business. Debt reduction is a key element of ALFA's final transformation phase. Consolidated debt at the close of 1Q24 was US $5.094 billion, comprised of US $1.807 billion at Alpek and US $3.287 billion aggregate debt at ALFA and Sigma. The aggregate debt outside of Alpek needs to be reduced to maintain a healthy leverage supported by Sigma's EBITDA generation. ALFA is advancing on the selective monetization of non-core assets to reach the desired financial conditions, with various formal sale processes currently underway. Additionally, ALFA Shareholders approved a lower dividend payout at the Annual Shareholders' meeting. On the Corporate Governance front, ALFA Shareholders also approved the appointment of Alejandra Palacios Prieto as an Independent Member of the Board of Directors, with her mandate beginning on May 15, 2024. We look forward to enhancing ALFA's Board with Alejandra's perspective on the global business landscape. Looking ahead for 2024, we are committed to continue building upon our 50-year legacy by driving to realize ALFA's full value potential. Thank you for your support and trust." All the best, Alvaro Fernandez Important note on changes to ALFA's Consolidated Financial Statements ALFA's shareholders approved to spin-off ALFA's share ownership of Axtel into a new, listed entity called "Controladora Axtel" on July 12, 2022. The shares of "Controladora Axtel" were distributed to ALFA shareholders and began trading on the Mexican Stock Exchange on May 29, 2023. In accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Axtel meets the definition of a "Discontinued Operation" for purposes of ALFA's Consolidated Financial Statements. "Discontinued Operations" are the net results of an entity that is either being held for disposal or which has already been disposed of. The changes in ALFA's Consolidated Financial Statements are as follows: The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position presents Axtel's assets as "Current assets from discontinued operations" and its liabilities as "Current liabilities from discontinued operations" at the close of 1Q23. Prior periods are not restated. The Consolidated Statement of Income presents Axtel's net revenues and expenses as a single line item "Profit (loss) from discontinued operations" as follows: 1Q23: accumulated figures for the three months ended March 31, 2023 4Q23: no figures presented related to Axtel 1Q24: no figures presented related to Axtel The Change in Net Debt presents Axtel's net inflows and outflows as a single line item "Decrease (Increase) in Net Debt from discontinued operations" as follows: 1Q23: accumulated figures for the three months ended March 31, 2023 4Q23: no figures presented related to Axtel 1Q24: no figures presented related to Axtel SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (US $ MILLION) (%) 1Q24 vs. 1Q24 4Q23 1Q23 4Q23 1Q23 ALFA & Subs ALFA Revenues 4,106 3,885 4,085 6 1 Alpek 1,903 1,691 2,062 13 (8) Sigma 2,170 2,161 1,991 - 9 ALFA EBITDA1 425 282 376 51 13 Alpek 168 53 187 217 (10) Sigma 264 229 192 15 38 ALFA Comparable EBITDA2 411 395 396 4 4 Alpek 154 167 207 (8) (26) Sigma 264 229 192 15 38 Majority Net Income3 60 (652) (14) 109 520 CAPEX & Acquisitions4 75 192 86 61 13 ALFA Net Debt 5,094 4,919 5,049 4 1 Alpek 1,807 1,729 2,082 5 (13) Sigma 2,084 2,025 1,840 3 13 ALFA Net Debt/EBITDA5 3.5 3.5 2.7 ALFA Interest Coverage6 3.6 3.5 5.3 1 EBITDA = Operating Income + depreciation and amortization + impairment of assets 2 Comparable EBITDA = Operating Income + depreciation and amortization + impairment of assets + extraordinary items 3 Majority Net Income includes Majority Net Income from Discontinued Operations (Axtel) for 1Q23 4 Includes divestments 5 Times. LTM= Last 12 months. Ratio calculated with Discontinued Operations for all periods 6 Times. LTM= Last 12 months. Interest Coverage= EBITDA/Net Financial Expenses with Discontinued Operations for all periods 1Q24 EARNINGS CALL INFORMATION Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT (NY) / 11:00 a.m. CST (CDMX) Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_htlSXobxQSmHHBgeFqxxYA Replay: https://www.alfa.com.mx/en/events/ About ALFA ALFA is comprised mainly of two businesses with global operations: Sigma, a leading multinational food company, focuses on the production, marketing, and distribution of quality foods through recognized brands in Mexico, Europe, the United States, and Latin America. Alpek is one of the world's top producers of Polyester (PTA, PET, PET sheet and rPET), and the leader in the Mexican market for Polypropylene (PP) and Expandable Polystyrene (EPS). In 2023, ALFA reported revenues of Ps $291,207 million (US $16.4 billion), and EBITDA of Ps $24,783 million (US $1.4 billion). ALFA's shares are quoted on the Mexican Stock Exchange and on Latibex, the market for Latin American shares of the Madrid Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.alfa.com.mx Disclaimer This release may contain forward-looking information based on numerous variables and assumptions that are inherently uncertain. They involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and financial market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately. Accordingly, future results could vary from those set forth in this release. The report presents unaudited financial information. Figures are presented in Mexican pesos or U.S. dollars, as indicated. Where applicable, peso amounts were translated into U.S. dollars using the average exchange rate of the months during which the operations were recorded. Financial ratios are calculated in U.S. dollars. Due to the rounding up of figures, small differences may occur when calculating percent changes from one period to the other. SOURCE ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V. 23 april 2024 at 16:13 News published onand distributed by: At least five migrants, including a child, died overnight during an attempt to cross the Channel from France to Britain, a French police source said on Tuesday, April 23. The source, who did not wish to be named, said the circumstances of their death around the beach in the town of Wimereux, close to the resort of Boulogne-sur-Mer, were not immediately clear. It is just the latest such tragedy as migrants, many from the Middle East and Africa, attempt the perilous sea crossing for what they hope will be a better future in Britain. On March 3, a seven-year-old girl drowned in the capsizing of an overcrowded migrant boat in the Aa canal, around 30 kilometers from France's northern coast. Read more Subscribers only The story of 7-year-old Rola Al Mayali, who drowned while her family was trying to cross to England People attempting to reach Britain have increasingly been boarding boats on inland waterways to avoid stepped-up patrols on the French coast. In late February, a 22-year-old Turkish man died and two more people went missing in the Channel off Calais. In January, five people including a 14-year-old Syrian died in Wimereux as they waded through chilly seawater to reach a boat off the coast. Twelve migrants lost their lives last year trying to cross the Channel, French authorities say. British officials processed 5,373 migrants landing on the shores of southeast England in the first three months of this year after crossing the Channel in small vessels, the British interior ministry says. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government has been under mounting pressure to stem the number of crossings, particularly following a promise of a tougher approach to immigration after the United Kingdom left the European Union. The news of the latest migrant deaths comes after controversial UK government plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda cleared a final hurdle in parliament on Monday. The United Nations and Europe's highest rights body have urged Britain to scrap the plan. Read more Subscribers only UK passes bill to send asylum seekers to Rwanda Identity check on a street in Chenove (Cote-d'Or department, northeastern France), March 25, 2024 ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP On Thursday, April 11, two international NGOs and three French associations filed a complaint with the United Nations to put an end to what they call "racial profiling" in France. In their complaint, Amnesty International France and Human Rights Watch, as well as Pazapas, the Reseau Egalite, Antidiscrimination, Interdisciplinary Justice Network (REAJI) and the Community House for Solidarity Development (MCDS) said they were acting "because of the absence of concrete, effective and relevant measures to put an end to the practice of discriminatory identity checks." According to the plaintiffs, France is not complying with the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which it signed in 1971. France is, however, far from the only European country where the practice of identity checks both the hallmark of police activity and the Gordian knot of its relationship with the public is the subject of lively public debate. The title of an article published by Futuribles magazine in March and co-authored by Jacques de Maillard, director of the Centre for Sociological Research on Law and Criminal Justice Institutions (CESDIP), and Mike Rowe, senior lecturer in public management at the University of Liverpool, is enough to sum up the issues at stake: "Police Stop-and-Search Policies in Europe: Recurring Protests, Limited Reforms." The work was informed by the findings of an extensive study carried out between 2018 and 2023 by 80 researchers in 27 European states, and brought together within the COST research network (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), funded by the European Union. Admittedly, the terms of the debate vary significantly from country to country, depending on local situations fed by police culture, history, public policy or more contemporary current events. As a result, each country has its own particular bias: "over-control of populations of immigrant descent" in France, Belgium, the Netherlands or Great Britain; of migrants in Germany or Spain; of minorities such as the Roma in Hungary; or an instrument for limiting protest movements in Poland. Read more Who oversees police forces in Europe? Nevertheless, the fact remains that both the controversies and the reflections of public stakeholders, be they institutional, political or non-governmental (since the early 2000s, citizens' associations have played a crucial role in publicizing the problems associated with police checks), enable us to draw three lessons that are shared from one country to the next. You have 62.11% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. THE OLD Crescent RFC flag was proudly unfurled on top of one of the highest mountain tops in the world. The Rosbrien clubs media officer Paul Donnellan took part in a week-long trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro, and raised more than 7,000 for good causes in the process. He collected a total of 7,247 for the IRFU Charitable Trust, which exists to help seriously-injured rugby players. It was at the end of January when Paul reached Uhuru Peak, at the summit of Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. READ MORE: Limerick hairstylist helps Cillian Murphy among others get glam for IFTAs He joined 16 other Irish climbers on the adventure, which was organised by Earths Edge, an adventure travel operator based in Wicklow. As delighted as he is with his achievement, Paul says hes in no hurry to choose his next adventure just yet. For now, he will remain at sea level watching his beloved Old Crescent! THE ROSE of Tralee contestants are used to taking to the stage in their finest ball gowns but this month they will take on a challenge that will see them dust off their hiking boots. The Rose of Tralee International Festival have announced a partnership with Clionas Foundation that will see a cohort of Roses and Rose Escorts walking the Camino De Santiago to raise funds and awareness. Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley will be leading the charge with all funds raised will go directly to providing financial support to the families that Clionas support. Clionas is a national charity providing financial assistance directly to parents of seriously sick children with life-limiting or chronic complex care needs across Ireland to help with the non-medical expenses related to caring for their child. The foundation was set up by Brendan and Terry Ring, following the death of their daughter Cliona, from an inoperable brain tumour in 2006 aged 15. Over the years, as Cliona underwent numerous different hospital treatments, Brendan and Terry were struck by the number of families, facing enormous financial hardship, on the brink of financial free-fall, blindsided by non-medical expenses piling up. They saw at first-hand the enormous toll it took on these families, already struggling to cope with the nightmare of having a seriously ill child. Joining the Roses from Arizona, Wexford, Boston New England, Toronto, Carlow will be Escorts from Mayo, Limerick, Kilkenny and the USA and co-founder of Clionas Foundation, Terry Ring. The route the Roses and Rose Escorts will walk is 120kms, beginning in the Portuguese city of Valenca and finishing in the Spanish city at the Cathedral in Santiago De Compostela. At the launch of the walk, Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley was delighted to meet the Howards, one of the families that Cliona's has assisted. Their two year old son Sean was recently diagnosed with a progressive genetic condition which means he needs a lot of care. Commenting on the visit, Roisin said: I am very proud to be an ambassador for Clionas and to support such a worthy cause. "The Howards are such a wonderful family, Sean is a bright and loving boy. It was a real privilege to spend time with them and to learn about the love and care they give to Sean and his brother Dan. I am so excited to be walking the Camino to raise much needed funds for Clionas Foundation to help families throughout the country. To support the Roses and Rose Escorts, please visit this link: https://www.idonate.ie/ fundraiser/ CaminoForClionasROTIF CLARE TD Michael McNamara has announced he will be contesting next month's European Parliament elections in the Ireland South constituency as an Independent candidate. The newly-declared candidate says agriculture and renewable energy will be key issues for him should he be elected on June 7. Commenting following the announcement of his candidacy, Mr McNamara said: When the Irish people voted for greater integration of the European Union, they voted to opt out of justice / immigration measures for reasons as valid now as then. This government is intent on ceding these key areas of national sovereignty to Brussels. "Thats why, more than ever, we will need representation in Europe asking the difficult questions. READ ALSO: Two new candidates for local elections announced Mr McNamara, who was first elected as a TD for Clare in 2011 and again in 2020, added: Over the past few years, many people have felt unrepresented in the making of decisions that affect their lives. "I have questioned the Government and tried to make them explain the decisions they make, and I will be asking people for their support to do the same in Europe where more and more of the decisions that affect us in Ireland are made. Eighteen candidates have now declared their intention to seek election in the four-seat Ireland South constituency. Deputy McNamara, who is a farmer and barrister, is the third candidate from Clare to confirm their candidacy ahead of polling day - the others being Independent candidate Eddie Punch from Cratloe and Michael Leahy of the Irish Freedom Party. Q4 Results Today: A total of 16 companies are scheduled to release their financial results for the fourth quarter of FY24 (Q4 FY24) today, April 23 (Tuesday). Companies to post Q4 results today Tata Consumer Products Ltd, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Comp Ltd, Tata Elxsi Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd, Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd, Cyient DLM Ltd, Huhtamaki India Ltd, Nelco Ltd, Axita Cotton Ltd, Artson Engineering Ltd, Mahindra EPC Irrigation Ltd, LKP Securities Ltd, ARO Granite Industries Ltd, Jindal Hotels Ltd, Netlink Solutions (India) Ltd, and Bkm Industries Ltd are the 16 companies that will release their Q4 results today, April 23. Shares of these 16 companies will likely react to their Q4 results on Tuesday. India Inc. is expected to report moderate earnings for the March quarter of the last financial year led by domestic cyclical, such as auto and BFSI, while global cyclical, such as oil & gas and metal lagging. Stock markets On Monday, equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty climbed nearly 1 per cent each amid a rally in Asian and European markets, decline in Brent crude oil prices and buying by foreign investors. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 560.29 points or 0.77 per cent to settle at 73,648.62. During the day, it advanced 679.47 points or 0.92 per cent to 73,767.80. The NSE Nifty went up by 189.40 points or 0.86 per cent to 22,336.40. In the broader market, the BSE smallcap gauge climbed 1.26 per cent and midcap index rallied 0.93 per cent. Among the sectoral indices, consumer durables advanced 2.53 per cent, industrials (1.93 per cent), capital goods (1.65 per cent), telecommunication (1.17 per cent), financial services (1.04 per cent) and consumer discretionary (1.02 per cent). NEW DELHI : Indian companies directly or indirectly in business with European firms face a twin hurdle as Germany tightens its screws on a new law aimed at ensuring fair labour standards and environmental requirements. For Indian businesses already subject to Europes carbon tax, Germanys supply chain rules would mean additional compliance and reporting costs, apart from fines and loss of business opportunities for any violations, industry experts told Mint. Germanys Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (SCDDA) is aimed at ensuring that labour and contractual requirements are maintained across supply chains for businesses operating in the country. The Act, which was tightened in early 2024 after it was enforced last year, requires companies to identify, assess, prevent, and remedy any potential human rights and environmental violations, even if indirectly, across their operations and supply chains. Companies must also provide ways for workers to file complaints about labour or environmental violations, even if these workers are employed with suppliers with whom the businesses dont have a direct commercial relationship. All exporting nations including India, China and Vietnam will have to comply with Germanys new regulation as well as with the European Unions Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to do business in the continent, said Biswajit Dhar, a professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University. Market access for Indian companies can be impacted if they dont follow strict labour standards laid out by Germany, which is likely to become a model for supply chains across the EU," he added. According to the Consulate General of India (Germany), Indian companies operate in Germany across sectors like information technology, automotive, pharmaceuticals, biotech and manufacturing. Spokespersons of Indias commerce ministry, and the German embassy in New Delhi didnt respond to emailed queries. Hefty consequences for violations Germanys supply chain Act requires companies to obtain contractual assurances from direct suppliers that they will comply with the standards defined under the law, including control mechanisms for their enforcement, said P.S. Easwaran, partner and supply chain leader at Deloitte South Asia. Hence, even if an existing supplier from India may already be compliant, the cost to formalise the deployment of SCDDA-specific standards and reporting will increase," he said. "It will also impact the viability of the Indian supply chain to Germany because of the need (for a German company) to ensure that it has conducted a risk analysis and implemented preventive and remedial measures for its indirect suppliers," Easwaran added. Possible consequences for violations include fines of up to 800,000 (about 7 crore) or up to 2% of a companys average annual global turnover, as well as exclusion from public contracts in Germany for up to three years. German companies with more than 1,000 employees, or German-registered branches of foreign companies with more than 1,000 employees, have to comply with the SCDDA. Last year, this regulation applied only to companies with more than 3,000 employees. Germanys new supply chain regulations are closely followed by the European Union, which is negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) with India. The EU wants its trade partners to make commitments in labour standards. It is coming up with a new regulation, as some countries (like Germany) are coming up with their regulations," said Arpita Mukherjee, professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. The third-party assessment is difficult, especially for Indian MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises). It may increase their cost of doing business," Mukherjee added. Twin impact European countries are increasingly looking at labour and environmental standards across their supply chain, which is evident from measures such as Germanys SCDDA and the European Unions CBAM. As things stand, India is yet to ratify two fundamental International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventionsthe Right to Organise Convention, 1948, and the Right to Organisation and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949. The main reason for India not ratifying these conventions is because these would involve allowing Government employees to conduct strikes and openly criticise state policies, which are prohibited under Indian statutory rules. CBAM, the first-of-its-kind tax imposed by the European Union, is applicable on the import of carbon-intensive goods to the continent as the EU aims to become a climate-neutral or net-zero carbon economy by 2050. During the transitional phase of the CBAM, between October 2023 to December 2025, Indian firms are required to provide extensive production and emissions data on products exported to the EU. The CBAM will initially apply for carbon-intensive industries such as cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity, and hydrogen. Their exports to the EU will be taxed from 1 January 2026. By 2034, all goods imported into the EU will be included under the CBAM regime. Rising exports to Europe Indian companies with a strong presence in Germany include HCL Technologies Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Infosys Ltd, Wipro Ltd, Bharat Forge Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Hinduja Group, Tata Steel Ltd, Ranbaxy Ltd, Biocon Ltd, and Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd, as mentioned on the Consulate General of India (Germany) website. In financial year 2023-24, Indias merchandise exports to Europe increased 1.47% to $98.88 billion. The staples of Indian exports to Europegems and jewellery, ready-made garments, chemicals, cotton yarn, and handloom productsdeclined FY24, but engineering goods, petroleum products, drugs and pharmaceuticals, and electronic goods exports increased during the year. Indias exports to Europe have been steadily rising since FY21, in tandem with the global economy emerging from the pandemic. Exports to Europe in value terms stood at $55.32 billion in FY21, gradually improving to $85.20 billion in FY22, $97.45 billion in FY23, and $98.88 billion in FY24. Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the world's largest aluminium smelters, has announced a significant milestone towards the commercial operation of its Power Station 5 (PS 5) Block 4 Project with the First Fire of the Mitsubishi Power M701JAC Gas Turbine (GT) achieved today (April 23). Alba's PS5 Block 4 is a new 680.9-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant that expands the existing PS5 facility. This state-of-the-art J-class gas turbine addition boasts superior efficiency compared to Power Stations 3 and 4. Scheduled for completion in Q4 2024, Block 4 will boost PS5's total capacity to 2,481 MW, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of aluminium produced. A consortium of Mitsubishi Power and SEPCOIII is responsible for the entire project lifecycle, from design and engineering to construction and commissioning. Alba said this achievement marks a key step towards the project's on-schedule completion in Q4 2024. Notably, it also comes just six months after the GT unit's delivery to site in October 2023, it stated. A celebratory ceremony was held at the Block 4 Project site, attended by high-level officials from Alba including the Chairman of the Board Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali, Chief Power Officer Amin Sultan and Alba's Executive Management Team. Takashi Tozawa, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)s Senior Vice President and Vice President (Energy Systems) and Kong Lingfeng, the SEPCOIIIs Vice President, were also present along with senior officials from ESBI. In his remarks, Alba's Chairman Khalid Al Rumaihi highlighted the significance of the First Fire milestone, said: "This achievement marks the commencement of commissioning activities for Block 4 which upon completion will set a new standard for sustainable and efficient power generation within the aluminium industry." Al Rumaihi, further emphasising Alba's commitment to environmental responsibility, said: "The Block 4 Project translates our proactive approach to integrating energy operational efficiency with environmental standards to align with Bahrain's Net Zero Emissions target by 2060." Adding to the celebration, Al Baqali expressed his pride in achieving this milestone safely with more than 3.8 million safe working hours. Pointing out the project's direct alignment with Albas ESG Roadmap, he said: "With the successful First Fire of the advanced Gas Turbine, Alba is now closer to achieving its goals of reducing its environmental footprint and ensuring a sustainable future for the aluminium industry." He also commended the collaborative efforts of the owner teams from Alba, MHI, SEPCOIII, and ESBI, reiterating confidence in delivering the project on schedule. On the key achievement, Tozawa said: "Mitsubishi Power is honoured to support Alba and the Kingdom of Bahrain as we celebrate the successful achievement of first firing for gas turbine ahead of the schedule and the start of the hot commissioning of Albas new CCGT Block 4 in Power Station 5 with our partners SEPCOIII." "Today's success is testament to our unwavering commitment to using the latest innovation to deliver industry-leading and reliable solutions to our partners," he stated. Tozawa pointed out that the advanced, hydrogen-ready M701 JAC gas turbine technology provided for this project also underscores Mitsubishi Power's dedication to advancing low carbon power generation worldwide. "As Bahrain progresses towards its ambitious growth targets outlined in the Economic Vision 2030, we take great pride in working together with Alba to provide uninterrupted and efficient power to support the country on its journey to sustainable growth," he noted. Adding further, Lingfeng said: "As SEPCOIII, we proudly celebrate the successful first firing of the gas turbine and the start of hot commissioning for Alba's new CCGT Block 4 at Power Station 5 in Bahrain." "This milestone showcases our dedication to innovative solutions, reflecting our commitment to global low-carbon power generation. Collaborating with Alba, we deliver reliable, sustainable power, supporting Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030," he noted. Alba said the PS5 Block 4 Expansion Project was the addition of a fourth Block of similar combined cycle configuration with 680.9 megawatts (MW) M701JAC Gas Turbine Combined Cycle and includes tie into the existing 220kV Substation. Once operational in Q4 2024, Block 4 will increase the nameplate capacity of PS5 Complex from 1,800 MW to 2,481 MW and reduce its overall GHG emissions intensity ratio by 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per 1 tonne of aluminium produced, it added.-TradeArabia News Service NEW DELHI : Microsoft Corp.'s new family of AI models unveiled on Tuesday is targeted at finding use in devices such as smartphones and other consumer-end applications, including in situations where users are offline. The new AI models will find usage for resource constrained environments and offline environments where local inference may be needed", said Sebastien Bubeck, senior vice-president of Microsoft Generative AI, in an interview with Mint. With the first of the new AI models, called Phi-3 Mini, Microsoft will look to find usage in devices such as smartphones, Bubeck said. Microsoft introduced its new AI models less than a week after rival Meta Platforms unveiled its own new generation of a small AI model. The launch of the Phi-3 Mini comes amid an influx of small AI models that consume fewer resources to run on consumer-end devices, thereby making them viable for common use cases such as photo and video editing, creative illustrations, note-taking, voice transcription and more. On 18 April, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Llama-3, in which the smallest model has 8 billion data parametres. Microsoft's Phi-3 Mini has 3.8 billion data parametres. Citing internal benchmarks and tests, Bubeck said the Phi-3 model can outperform competing AI models that are twice as large as it. At the moment, the smallest model on Microsofts platform will be available for enterprises from its own Azure cloud platform as well as third-party sources. Bubeck did not specify if the models will become available in any consumer-facing interfaces as yet. We do a lot of work to make our models available to consumers, but we cannot divulge any details on this just yet," he said. The case for small AI models OpenAIs generative pre-trained transformer, the GPT-3 AI model, which popularized the generative AI, or GenAI, industry and began a rat-race for AI adoption around the world, had 175 billion data parameters. The latest version, GPT-4, is stated to have nearly 3 trillion data points in its training database. Such large models, however, are extremely difficult to run locally on devices. Even on the cloud, usage of such models is expensive, and thus not viable for commercial operations among enterprises and consumers alike. In September, Mint reported that 2024 would be the year when large tech vendors will begin offering smaller AI models that would run locally on devices to bring monetizable generative AI services to more userswhich Microsoft now hopes to tap with the Phi-3 Mini. We are looking to make it easier for developers to deploy AI models," Bubeck said. With Azure AI, were bringing a selection of high-performing open and frontier models to enterprise customers to help them create responsible, cost-efficient, multimodal generative AI solutions that benefit people and organizations." Also read: Inside the race to build desi GPTs However, the model will not quite be ready for usage with India-specific regional language models. Phi-3 Mini was predominantly trained and optimized for English. Its capabilities in other languages are limited, meaning it could understand but will not be as fluent as English," Bubeck said. It is for this reason that the central government, on 7 March, notified the India AI Mission. The 10,372-crore AI mission seeks to develop indigenous AI models that are natively trained in local languages and can be deployed across a range of consumer-facing public platforms. Microsoft, meanwhile, will likely find an audience for its Phi-3 Mini model among developers looking to build applications that will run natively on smartphones, but can offer generative content despite running without internet connectivity. While such platforms have over time raised questions regarding usage of copyrighted data, Bubeck said the training of the Phi-3 series of AI models used a variety of data sources, including publicly available information, in a manner consistent with copyright and intellectual property laws to responsibly scale AI." However, new laws may revise how such regulations work. Earlier this month, US senator Adam Schiff introduced a Bill that seeks to compensate creators for their work being used by Big Tech firms in training AI models. The Bill also seeks to penalize and hold tech firms accountable for failing to do so. Apples smartphone sales in China dropped sharply in the first quarter, hurt by the popularity of local rivals and the return of Huawei Technologies to the high-end segment, data from a closely followed research firm showed. Apples iPhone sales fell 19% on year in the worlds largest smartphone market, placing the company third overall behind Vivo and Honor, Counterpoint Research said Tuesday. Sales by No. 4 seller Huawei, which had suffered from limited access to advanced chips a year ago, rose 70% on year, helped by the successful launch of its 5G-capable Mate 60 series, Counterpoint said. Oppo and Xiaomi rounded out the top six places for the quarter. Counterpoint described the period as the most competitive quarter ever," with market shares of the top seller and the sixth-best seller differing by less than 3.0 percentage points. Promotions and holiday demand pushed overall smartphone sales 1.5% higher on year in China, marking a second straight quarter of growth, Counterpoint said. For the full year, it forecast growth in the low single-digits, with more Chinese brands integrating artificial intelligence features into their flagship devices. Apples iPhone sales accounted for more than half of total revenue in the companys October-to-December quarter, expanding nearly 6% on year to post $69.70 billion in sales. Investors have been concerned that growth in a critical segment for the Cupertino, California-based company is under pressure. Preliminary data from research firm International Data Corporation showed last week that Apples global smartphone shipments had fallen 9.6% on year in the first quarter, toppling the iPhone maker from its perch as the worlds largest phone maker. Write to Jiahui Huang at Jiahui.Huang@wsj.com Byju Raveendran, founder and CEO of Byjus, has reportedly secured a private debt of approximately 30 crore to cover the March salaries of employees amidst financial challenges faced by the edtech company, Business Standard reported. While senior-level staff received partial payments, teachers and lower-ranking employees were paid in full for March, it added. The firm had previously disbursed partial salaries for February and delayed payments for March, but now both February and March salaries have been partially settled, as per the report. Byjus, with about 15,000 employees, has a total salary expenditure ranging between 40 and 50 crore, sources told the paper. Delay Tied to Locked Funds Amid Investor Dispute The delay in salary payments is linked to funds raised through a recent rights issue, which have been locked in a separate account due to an ongoing dispute with investors. Earlier on April 8, Byju's started paying salaries for March after delaying it for two months. In an e-mail sent to its employees, the edtech company said that it has arranged an alternative line of credit to pay salaries on time. The salaries got credited on Saturday. Byju Raveendran raised more personal debt to pay salaries this month. The rights issue money is still blocked by foreign investors. Tomorrow is the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) hearing, and the firm may request the tribunal to release the funds," one source said. In the employee email too, Byju's had said it is yet to secure any approval to access the rights issue funds. Adding that the company is not allowed to use the proceeds of recently floated rights issue. Byjus management, including Raveendran, assured employees that regardless of the court verdict, they would receive their March salary through a parallel line of credit. NCLT Dispute - The Details Byju's investors including Prosus NV, Peak XV Partners, General Atlantic, and Sofina SA, have filed a plea challenging the company's decision to raise $200 million at a post-money valuation of $225 million. Following this, the NCLT ordered Byju's to retain the funds from the rights issue in an escrow account until the plea is resolved, resulting in staff salaries getting delayed. The company also sought arbitration in its dispute with its key investors. The NCLT has given Byju's 10 days to file its response in the matter. The case will be next heard on April 23. On April 5, an arbitrator asked Byju's to not sell the shares of a group firm after it breached the terms of loans worth $42 million. The NCLT Bengaluru bench, on April 18 also granted Byju's a week to negotiate a settlement with Teleperformance Business Services regarding its payment default, aimed at preventing new insolvency proceedings against the struggling edtech firm. Teleperformance Business Services, an operational creditor, had initiated insolvency proceedings after Byju's failed to make a 5 crore payment. Meanwhile, Byju Raveendran received an extended relief from the Karnataka High Court, which allowed him to remain at the helm of Byjus, amid a volley of charges and countercharges between his troubled edtech company and its investors. Everest Food Products, manufacturer of popular spice mixes on April 23 reassured consumers that its products remain safe for consumption. This statement followed directions from authorities in Singapore asking an importer to recall a product for inspection after Hong Kong banned the sale of the product due to cancer risk concerns. Following regulatory actions taken in both Hong Kong and Singapore, Indian food authorities also initiated quality checks on Everest products on April 22. "Exports are cleared only after receiving necessary clearances and approval from the laboratories of the Spice Board of India. Singapore held only one of 60 Everest products for examination," company director Rajiv Shah said. He added that the company's products are safe and ruled out the need for concern. Concerns About Cancer-Causing Pesticide The catalyst for regulatory action was Everest's fish curry masala, which was alleged to contain elevated levels of a cancer-causing pesticide. Singapore's food agency issued a warning on April 18 regarding Everest's fish curry spice mix, advising that "consumers who have purchased the implicated product are advised not to consume it". Also Read | Singapore recalls Everest fish curry masala imported from India as presence of pesticides exceed permissible limits This development coincided with Hong Kong's suspension of sales this month of three spice blends from another prominent company, MDH, which is also undergoing quality checks in India. Hong Kong and Singaporean authorities highlighted concerns this month regarding alleged high levels of ethylene oxide in some products from Everest and MDH. Also Read | India to test masala brands for cancer-causing pesticide Ethylene oxide is deemed unsuitable for human consumption, with prolonged exposure posing a cancer risk. Spices from both Everest and MDH have been staples in home and restaurant kitchens across the Indian subcontinent for many years. Everest's spice mixes are also exported to various regions including Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expanded the case of misleading advertisements against yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved, directing Union ministries and authorities to take action against fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies indulging in false campaigns. The bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice A. Amanullah asked the Centre to submit an affidavit explaining the steps taken against companies that have been issuing misleading health cure advertisements since 2018. The court also ordered the consumer affairs, information and broadcasting, and IT ministries to examine the violations of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and the Consumer Protection Act. It has directed the ministries to become parties in the ongoing case against Ramdev initiated by the Indian Medical Association regarding misleading health cures. Also Read: Patanjali ads case: SC asks Ramdev, Balkrishna to issue public apology The top court also sought an explanation from the Centre regarding a letter issued by the Ayush ministry asking states to refrain from taking action against the advertisement of Ayush products as per Rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The court noted that FMCG firms were publishing misleading ads, affecting the public, especially children and the elderly. It emphasized that the case was of public interest and its scope should extend beyond one company. Now we are looking at everything we are looking at children, babies, women, and no one can be taken for a ride and the Union government must wake up to this," the SC observed. The court adjourned the case till 30 April. Ramdev's apology Appearing for Ramdev, advocate Mukul Rohatgi told the court that Patanjali had issued a public apology via 61 publications. The court asked Patanjali to present the actual newspaper clippings on record on the next day of hearing. The court asked the company if the apology was the same size as the advertisements the company had published in newspapers. "Cut the actual newspaper clippings and keep them handy. For you to photocopy by enlarging, it may not impress us. We want to see the actual size of the ad. When you issue an apology, it does not mean that we have to see it by a microscope," Justice Kohli said. IMA criticized The court also came down heavily on the petitioner, the Indian Medical Association, stating that its members also engage in recommending unnecessary and expensive medicines. It pointed out to several complaints alleging unethical conduct of the IMA. Put your house in order before pointing fingers at others, the court told IMA. Also Read: Advertisements crafted by AI neednt be short of consumer insights Patanjali ads case so far On 16 April, the court had given Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna of Patanjali a week to tender a public apology for issuing misleading advertisements for health cures. The top court was hearing a lawsuit filed by the IIMA, which had urged action against Patanjali for advertisements that promoted the Ayush treatment system while undermining modern, evidence-based medicine. The plea had highlighted concerns about the systematic spread of misinformation disparaging modern medicine and argued that Patanjali's unverified claims violated drugs & remedies and consumer protection acts. It also cited controversial statements by Ramdev, including derogatory remarks about modern medicine and unfounded claims about covid-19 vaccines and oxygen cylinders during the pandemic's second wave. Also Read: Crackdown on IAS coaching centres: No candidate details in ads without consent On 21 November, the court warned Patanjali that a fine of 1 crore could be imposed if it did not stop circulating misleading claims and advertisements against modern medicine. Despite the court's ruling, Patanjali issued a media statement the following day denying any misleading claims about its products. On 27 February this year, the court issued a contempt notice to Ramdev and Balkrishna for persisting in distributing misleading health cure advertisements, barring Patanjali from promoting products with unsubstantiated claims of curing diseases like heart conditions and asthma. It also prohibited Patanjali and its officials from disparaging any medical system in any form of media. On 19 March, they were directed to personally appear before the court to respond to the contempt proceedings for continuing to issue misleading health cure advertisements. RJ Corp, a $3-billion enterprise headed by Ravi Jaipuria, has announced a formal strategic succession plan that places his children, Varun and Devyani, at the forefront, charting the destiny of the conglomerate in the future, as per Economic Times. In this plan, Varun Jaipuria would take over the mantle of the food and beverage division, whereas Devyani Jaipuria would head the health and education sectors. Livemint could not independently verify this news development. Succession planning at RJ Corp has been established that includes a roadmap for Varun and Devyani to take on strategic leadership roles, Ravi Jaipuria told ET. He said, Daily operations will continue to be run by professionals, thereby giving enough indication of the long-term commitment of the company amidst the ongoing change to professional management, as quoted by ET. Varun Jaipuria, 36, is poised to lead Varun Beverages Limited (VBL) and Devyani International Limited (DIL), which are part of the RJ Corp portfolio and named after Jaipuria's kids. VBL is the second largest bottler of PepsiCo across the globe after the US, while DIL operates leading brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and Costa Coffee in India, the report added. His sister, 39-year-old Devyani Jaipuria, will head the group's foray into healthcare, which includes the high-end premium chain Cocoon for maternity hospitals and stem cell banking, among other things. The group also encompasses partnerships with eminent institutions like Delhi Public Schools in Gurgaon and Jaipur and many other educational institutions, as per the report. The founder, on his part, will continue as the chairman of RJ Corp, now focusing on large growth, policies, and strategic expansion. This framework is designed to ensure continuity and stability of the company while infusing fresh perspectives into new leadership, explained the 70-year-old Jaipuria, reiterating that this plan would help his children focus on the larger strategic initiatives and the corporation's long-term vision. Central to our strategy is the role played by our professional team managing the daily operational aspects, Jaipuria said. In fact, the role of professional management, combined with strategic leadership, preeminently drives the company ahead to ensure that it remains on course for agility and innovation central to operations at RJ Corp, as quoted by ET. Starbucks heads to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a bid to limit a government labor board that has been eager to support union drives, a case that comes as other top companies are mounting aggressive defenses against the agency. In the Biden-era, the National Labor Relations Board has pursued the boldest enforcement agenda in recent memory to bolster worker protections. The board, which referees disputes between employers and workers, has expanded pathways for forming a union and made it easier for employees to challenge workplace practices. It also has broadened the types of remedial compensation workers can receive if an employer treats them unfairly. The NLRB has brought a dozen cases seeking court injunctions against Starbucks alone, challenging the coffee chains responses to unionization efforts. With an aggressive board, union organizing has increased across the U.S. In 2023, more than 100,000 workers organized in NLRB-conducted elections, the largest in a single year since 2000. The organizing push in recent years has expanded beyond traditional manufacturing settings into the technology sector, major retail chains and other areas. The amount of union activity is surging where you would not expect to see it," said Steven Suflas, who practices employment law at Holland & Hart. And some of the companies suing have acrimonious relationships with the NLRB these days. You hit me, I hit you. Its a recipe for chaos." From Memphis coffeehouse to high court The Starbucks case at the Supreme Court is an outgrowth of an employee unionizing campaign at a store in Memphis, Tenn. The union alleged the company engaged in a series of unlawful tactics to stifle the campaign, culminating with the firing of seven union activists. The NLRB filed a complaint alleging unfair labor practices and asked a federal court to issue a temporary injunction to restrain Starbucks. A judge among other things ordered the interim reinstatement of the terminated employees. An appeals court affirmed that order. Starbucks said the fired employees broke several company policies, including by allowing a news crew into the store after hours to promote the unionization drive. The company petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case on the grounds that some lower courtsincluding the judges in this litigationhave followed a legal standard that makes it too easy for the NLRB to win injunctions. The company said that if the courts had followed a more traditional and stringent standard, We believe this case would have come out differently." William Gould, a former NLRB chair and law professor at Stanford University, said the specific legal question before the courtwhether a two-part or four-part legal test should be usedmay not have a huge impact, but he said the justices interest in the case has broader significance. The fact that they took this case indicates they are listening to Starbucks, and they think the board should somehow be reined in," he said. The Supreme Courts attention suggests in some way that it might make it more difficult for this particular provision to be employed in the future." Starbucks recently agreed to new discussions with Workers United on a labor agreement. It will resume collective bargaining talks with the union this week. Workers at hundreds of stores have voted to unionize. Companies lawyer up The Supreme Court case comes as some companies are making arguments against the NLRB in litigation, including that the boards entire structure is unconstitutional. SpaceX, which faces a board complaint for allegedly firing workers who criticized Elon Musk, is pressing this claim in a federal lawsuit against the board, a five-member body that currently has three Democrats and one Republican, with one seat vacant. Most initial labor complaints and election petitions are handled by regional administrative law judges. The company said this structure violates its right to a jury trial and says there should be more executive oversight of board members. In defending labor board complaints against them, Amazon.com, Trader Joes and Starbucks are also making this argument. The NLRB has said those claims are meritless. The agency also points to a 1937 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the board. In other recent litigation, the board has seen its share of both wins and losses. It beat Starbucks in another case in March, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a decision that found a store committed a labor violation when it stopped workers from distributing union buttons. Among the NLRBs defeats, the New Orleans-based Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the board acted irrationally when it concluded that Tesla violated employees rights by barring them from wearing union T-shirts instead of company-issued uniforms at work. Critical time for NLRB The NLRBs policies and enforcement can vary considerably between administrations. The pendulum swing has been particularly pronounced since President Bidens nominees replaced the leadership team put in place by former President Donald Trump. We are in a critical moment," NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in an interview, citing workers interest in organizing. Youre seeing deep-pocketed, low-road employers who are breaking the law, and then trying to prevent us from enforcing the statute. And unfortunately, they are doing it because they have money." Abruzzo, a longtime NLRB official who took her post after a stint with the Communications Workers of America, has issued guidance memos expanding the range of ways workers should be protected. She has pushed for college athletes to have the right to organize, to allow workers to use their work email for organizing and to prohibit employers from holding mandatory antiunion meetings. Speaking on a public panel this month, Abruzzo said the agency wont succumb to pressures from the lawsuits. We have to be able to operate," Abruzzo said. Even some who focus on employer interests have publicly said there would be chaos in the workplace without a functioning NLRB, and I completely agree with that." Write to Erin Mulvaney at erin.mulvaney@wsj.com A piece of shrapnel from a Russian missile hangs on the wall of Citigroup banker Alexander McWhorters office in Kyiv. He got it from a client whose factory was struck early in the war, a token of their long relationship and their plans to rebuild. Two years into the Ukrainian war, Citigroup is the only U.S. bank around, navigating a sometimes treacherous landscape. McWhorter, the banks top executive in the country, juggles keeping Citis staff alive with the role of helping giant companies such as McDonalds and Unilever stay open. Citigroups identity is based on being a global bank. The worlds biggest companies turn to it to store money and pay employees across their empires. Few rivals can match the number of countries where Citi can operate (some 160) and the reach is at the center of Chief Executive Jane Frasers plans to strengthen the bank. That footprint also sometimes puts Citigroup in the way of war and turmoil, dictators and disasters, economic booms and busts. Today, Ukraine is in a perilous spot, and so is Citigroup. The bank staff have all survived but face a constant risk of Russian attacks and regularly hunker down in a bank vault in Kyiv. Its loans are to companies that could be blown up or forced to flee tanks. Its profits are trapped inside the county by martial law. American support has turned into a political debate, but the House of Representatives passed a bill to send $60 billion in fresh aid. Ukraines chances of pushing Russia out have been sliding, and the aid is crucial for its defense. Russia is making advances and a victory could see the whole Citigroup operation lost, forcing the bank to write off exposures and leave the country as it did in Russia. At the same time, a postwar Ukraine would need an estimated $1 trillion to rebuild, and Citigroup would be the international pipeline. If Ukraine succeeds in joining the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, global investment might pile in to a newly protected fresh land of opportunity. There is a renewed Ukrainian vigor to clean up a reputation for corruption that slowed global investment before the war. To Citigroup executives, there was little choice but to stay and help their clients. There was never get everyone out, shut the door and hand the keys back," said David Livingstone, who was Citis head of all of Europe when Russia invaded in February 2022. Not even for a second." Other foreign banks including Deutsche Bank, Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas have operations in Ukraine, the latter two including consumer banks, that Citi doesnt run. All of them have remained open as well. Citis executives are hesitant to make predictions and, like many Ukrainians, are preparing for the war to grind on indefinitely. But they say clients are laying the groundwork to invest in Ukraine. A flood of nongovernment organizations and charities have opened new accounts to enter Ukraine and help it rebuild, including World Vision International, a Christian relief organization focused on children, the bankers say. Theres a large interest in postwar Ukraine," McWhorter said. We believe that we should be the largest private player in the reconstruction." The run-up to the invasion Ukraine is a relatively tiny country for Citigroup. The bank has no consumer operations there and only serves big corporate clients and public entities, many of which are foreign-based. Before the war, it had about $1 billion in total exposure, not much in the grand scheme of a $2.4 trillion bank. (Citi had about $8 billion in Russian exposures which is being wound down.) In late 2021, Citis security executives grew nervous watching Russian troop movements, especially when they noticed medical supplies being stockpiled at the border. Amy-Anne Fairhurst, who runs Citis Global Crisis Management Program, and Livingstone, the CEO for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, opened their crisis playbooks. An early step was simply studying maps. They noticed their contingency plans werent good enough. Citigroup had backup offices for natural disasters but they were too close to Kyiv if Russia invaded. The maps guided them west to Lviv, near the Polish border. Citi has a large Polish presence, so there would be nearby infrastructure and help. Plus, they hoped, being near a NATO country would cause Russia to pause before firing too many missiles at Lviv. The bank paid a Lviv hotel an upfront fee for the right to reserve half the rooms and the conference rooms for a full month. At the time, the hotel appeared to be getting a great deal. One of my jobs, really, is to ask the absolute unreasonable of people," Fairhurst said. This is that kind of thing." In December, 2021, Citi gave each employee in Ukraine a $5,000 bonus in cash. McWhorter told them to hold on to it but said they could spend it on a family vacation if nothing happened. The bank started stockpiling supplies such as blankets, satellite phones and power sources. Foreigners and their families left. McWhorter, an American, sent his family back to the U.S. but stayed himself. Livingstone warned that he would not allow McWhorter, the country head, to be put at risk. I had a conversation with Alex and said Alex, I will call you one day and Ill tell you to leave." Livingstone said. And I said When I do make that callits not a discussion. Itll be a decision and you will just say yes." When Livingstone made that call in February, McWhorter wasnt happy. I wanted to at least go to Lviv, to be with the team there," McWhorter said. In hindsight, given the situation, it was the right call." McWhorter currently divides his time between Kyiv, his base in Warsaw and his family, now in London. Dont worry about paying us When Russia invaded in February 2022, McWhorter and Fairhurst were both woken in the middle of the night. Their first priority was the staff. They realized they had to ensure the safety of more people than they were planning for. While they knew how many employees they had, about 240, Citi suddenly felt responsible for wider families, support staff who werent direct employees and others. The count ballooned to 850. Then they werent sure where they all were. Employees around the world took shifts monitoring and messaging staff on the ground 24 hours a day. They tracked the Ukraine team and their families, guiding them through traffic to Lviv and border crossings while delivering real-time warnings of troop movements and bombardments. They sent information about where to find food and fuel and diapers. One helpful surprise: Citi had expected to lose all communications with staff, but Ukraine managed to keep cellphones and the internet working. Citi ran convoys of employees to Lviv and to the Polish border. The trips were arduous and some convoys had to turn back, faced with fuel shortages, traffic and breakdowns. Employees from Warsaw drove to the border and slept in their cars to bring their Ukrainian colleagues to safety in the Polish capital. In Warsaw, McWhorter tried to manage the people and the business. Within hours, he had approval from top executives to pause collecting loan payments from clients, and forgo interest that accumulated. Look, dont worry about paying us," McWhorter told clients. Worry about your own employees and your own operations." Clients called wanting to rush cash into employee accounts, others needed bigger credit lines. Some clients worried about accounts in Russian-held territory where the signers couldnt be reached. Could Russia or those employees get access to the money? Could Citi freeze the accounts or get new authorizations? We would be, essentially, out of business McWhorter said he told staff to focus on their families and safety, but they kept logging in to work anyway. At the top of his work concerns was Citigroups own stability if its Kyiv office were hit in an attack. Russian troops got within a few kilometers of a backup site, forcing Citi to shut it down and leaving the bank exposed. If we lost control or those locations were damaged, we would be, essentially, out of business," McWhorter said. Ukraine, like other countries, restricts banks from moving servers and information across borders. The National Bank of Ukraine needed to pass emergency measures to let Citi and others move to cloud servers. That approval came and Citi moved to European data centers. Once our systems were no longer fully dependent on Kyiv, we knew we were going to survive as a bank," McWhorter said. At that point, it was a little less existential for us." Hiding in the vault Citigroup staff have settled into a difficult existence. No Citigroup employee has been killed in the war. Some are living as refugees in Poland; family members are on the front line; homes have been hit by missiles. Bankers were deemed essential workers by the government and exempted from the first mobilizations. Those exceptions have been pared back, but so far none of the employees have been called up. Every holiday since the invasion has been canceled. They have turned to work as their part of the resistance. Staffers rotate in and out of Kyiv on shifts. When the air-raid sirens ring, they hunker down in the bank vault in the basement of the headquarters. The bank has removed the contents of the vault and moved in desks and tables and some more comfortable seating options such as beanbag chairs. The bank limits the number of people in the office to how many could safely hide in the vault. Its not always the most comfortable thing, but we try to make it as comfortable as we can," McWhorter said. He said life goes on inside Kyiv, he even saw a new Italian restaurant open recently. But people remain on edge and all plans include determining access to bomb shelters. The bank is building a more permanent setting in Lviv, but a nearby missile strike now has it behind schedule. Theyre not giving up Business results are mixed. The Ukrainian economy fell 30% in the first year of the war, though it has risen from those lows. Investments are rare as long as bombs are still flying. Lending is down and the loans on the books are more problematic. Citigroup said in 2022 it no longer expected to collect on 16% of loans, about $28 million, and the banks filings warn more losses could occur if the war worsens. Keeping the bank open is racking up costs, including the millions of dollars a year the bank is paying for employee shelter. Ukraines central bank imposed strict constraints on moving money out of the country, part of enforcing martial law. That means clients are sitting flush with cash they normally would have sent abroad, so have little need to borrow funds from the bank. But all that trapped money has flooded Citis coffers: deposits are up 90% since the start of the war. And the bank has built new teams to advise clients on complying with the capital rules. Profits rose by more than 50% in 2022. But the Ukrainian government has passed a bill to take 50% of bank profits, which are being inflated by the capital controls. And the rules mean the income is stuck inside the country instead of being paid to Citigroup. McWhorter said most of the big international clients with operations in Ukraine are trying to remain in the country. Of Citis 500 corporate clients, McWhorter said only two have closed and that is because their entire operations are in Russian-held territory. McWhorter said client relationships are different now. Meetings start with war stories and hugs. Coca-Cola Hellenic, a global bottler for the soda giant and longtime client, operates a plant on the outskirts of Kyiv that was hit early in the war by Russian missiles. The company had to pause production while Russia briefly occupied the town. After rebuilding, they sent McWhorter the piece of the rocket. They told him they wanted it to be history but they were moving forward. Not everyone is doing well, but theyre all up and running," McWhorter said. Theyre not giving up. Theyre not trying to walk away from their businesses. They are trying to make it work." Write to David Benoit at David.Benoit@wsj.com Chinas finance ministry has said it is in favor of the central bank resuming trading Treasury bonds, a move that would see the monetary authority dust off a rarely used tool in its policy kit. Officials at the ministry said that they would support the Peoples Bank of China gradually restarting to trade Treasury bonds in open-market operations as they look to better coordinate the countrys fiscal and monetary policies. The remarks, published in the state-run Peoples Daily on Tuesday, come after the publication of a months-old speech by President Xi Jinping sparked speculation about whether the central bank would resort to the measure to help boost liquidity in the still-fragile economy. Chinas central bank officials havent made any treasury bond trades since October last year and have mostly refrained from making bond-related comments recently. Last week, the central bank cautioned against large-scale monetary easing after recent data pointed to a slowdown in bank lending. It reiterated a wary stance on injecting big amounts of liquidity into the economy, saying it isnt a case of the more, the better." There was no specific mention of Treasury bonds. For many economists, it seems unlikely that Chinas central bank will launch U.S.-style quantitative easing, in which a central bank loads up on government bonds and other assets to push down yields. It still has room to ease monetary policy via more traditional means, and also needs to take into account tepid borrowing demand, narrowing profit margins at banks, a weak currency and the uncertain timeline of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, economists say. Earlier this month, PBOC-affiliated newspaper Financial News said the bank may revisit trading Treasury bonds to better manage liquidity, but an unnamed expert interviewed by the newspaper stressed that if this happens, it would be fundamentally different from the big-scale bond buying done by central banks in Europe and the U.S. The ministry officials said in Tuesdays article that they will look to increase the variety and scale of government bond issuances, pledging to better leverage the role of the government bond yield curve as a pricing benchmark, and improve the efficiency of capital allocation. Chinas finance ministry and central bank have a history of clashing over how to tackle the countrys economic issues. Recently, authorities have been stressing the need to improve fiscal and monetary policy coordination. Write to Singapore Editors at singaporeeditors@dowjones.com IPU CET 2024: Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) has released the admit card for the Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test (IPU CET) exam 2024. Candidates who applied for the IPU CET 2024 exam can download their admit cards from the official website of the university ipu.ac.in. Currently, the admit cards are released only for exams on April 27 and April 28 covering Bachelor of Technology (BTech), Bachelor of Science (BSc) in yoga science, BSc in nursing, master of arts in English, master of computer application and some other programmes. Candidates can download their admit card from the official website of IP University by entering their login credentials like mobile number, DOB and security PIN. Also Read | TS Inter results 2024 highlights: TSBIE announces official date of 1st, 2nd year result declaration. Check details IPU CET 2024: Exam Schedule and Counselling Date As per the GGSIPU notification, the IPU CET 2024 exam is scheduled to be held from April 27 to May 14 for various programmes in offline mode. The counselling of successful candidates will start in the first week of June and end by July 31, 2024. IPU CET 2024 entrance exam is scheduled to be held in two sessions. The first session will start at 10.30 am and will end at 1.00 pm. The second session will start at 3.00 pm and end at 5:30 pm. Also Read | MP Board 5th, 8th result declared; here's how to check scores IPU CET 2024: Eligibility The candidates should be at least 17 years old and have passed Class 12 with a minimum of 55% marks. International Humanitarian City has revealed its new identity and rebranded as Dubai Humanitarian during the Global Meeting at The Meydan Hotel, Dubai. Hosted by Dubai Humanitarian (DXBH), formerly known as International Humanitarian City (IHC), the event celebrated two decades of impactful humanitarian initiatives from Dubai while also introduced a new vision for the future. This transformation solidifies the humanitarian hubs position as a global leader in humanitarian endeavours, reflecting a renewed commitment to serving humanity and fostering sustainable development. Forging partnerships Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Chairman of Dubai Humanitarian, said: "Today marks a significant milestone in our humanitarian journey. As we unveil Dubai Humanitarian, we embark on a new era, extending our hands in aid across global borders for the benefit of humankind. Our commitment goes beyond mere assistance; it's about forging partnerships, leveraging innovation and amplifying impact. With a growing number of simultaneous crises and operations, and given our dedication to sustainability, we stand poised to serve humanity with greater efficiency and efficacy. Together, let us write a new chapter of hope and resilience as Dubai Humanitarian leads the way in helping build a much-needed better tomorrow for our world." More than 250 distinguished guests attended the event, representing a diverse spectrum of stakeholders. Among them were esteemed delegates from various countries, including representatives from other partner humanitarian hubs such as Panama, Italy, Spain, Jordan, Kenya, government agencies, and key players in the humanitarian sector. Additionally, partners from the private sector and academia contributed to the rich tapestry of attendees, all coming together to highlight the collaborative spirit embodied by Dubai Humanitarian. Transformative impact In his opening address, Abdulla Al Shaibani, Board Member of Dubai Humanitarian, reflected on the journey and achievements of the past two decades, emphasising the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the transformative impact of Dubai's humanitarian initiatives on a global scale. The event featured a compelling panel with prominent figures in the humanitarian field including: Alex Marianelli, Director of Global Supply Chain Support Center at the World Food Programme (WFP); Rick Brennan, Regional Emergency Director for the World Health Organisations Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO); Dr Enrique Steiger, Board Member and Swisscross Founder and Chair; Dr Gustavo Antonio Montero, University Professor and Former Director at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; and Giuseppe Saba, CEO of Dubai Humanitarian. The discussion was moderated by Caroline Faraj, VP of Arabic Services, CNN. Strategic announcements Global Safety Net: To strengthen collaboration among nations hosting humanitarian hubs. By connecting these hubs through the Humanitarian Logistics Databank, the goal is to track and manage the availability and flow of relief resources more effectively. This not only improves emergency preparedness but also fosters a more sustainable approach to humanitarian aid worldwide. Knowledge and Development Center: The establishment of a new facility within Dubai Humanitarian's warehouse compound signifies a commitment to knowledge sharing and capacity building in the humanitarian sector. This space will serve as a hub for various activities aimed at enhancing the skills and expertise of humanitarian workers, ultimately improving their effectiveness in delivering aid. Major partnership expansion initiatives: The World Food Programme is officially scaling up its global programme and supply chain operations with direct support from the Dubai Government. Dubai Humanitarian, formerly known as the International Humanitarian City, is the largest humanitarian hub in the world. As the only non-profit, independent, humanitarian free-zone Authority, Dubai Humanitarian is home to a diverse community of approximately 80 members. This community comprises international entities such as UN organisations, non-profits, non-governmental organisations, and commercial companies, collectively working to advance humanitarian and development efforts worldwide.--TradeArabia News Service The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 is all set to take place on April 26. In the crucial state of Karnataka, the polling would take place in two phases, on April 26 and May 7. The southern Indian state has 28 Lok Sabha seats, of which voters in 14 constituencies will cast their votes on April 26. The Congress-ruled state is likely to witness important political battles, with the Bharatiya Janata Party aiming to win maximum seats, after its drubbing in the assembly elections last year. Key constituencies in Karnataka to vote in the second phase on April 26: Bengaluru Rural Bengaluru North Bengaluru Central Bengaluru South Mandya Mysore In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had won 25 seats in Karnataka with a vote share of 51.2 per cent, while the Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) and an Independent candidate won one seat each. For the 2024 general elections, the saffron party is contesting on 25 seats, with its ally in the state, JD(S), contesting in the remaining 3 seats Hassan, Mandya, and Kolar. Polling will be held in all three constituencies the JD(S) is contesting in the second phase of LS polls on April 26. Key Karnataka candidates to look out for in the second phase on April 26: Mandya Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) is facing Venkataramane Gowda of the Congress. Hassan JDS leader Prajwal Revanna is up against Shreyas Patel Gowda of the Congress. Bengaluru South BJP's youth leader Tejasvi Surya is seeking re-election from Bengaluru South. Mysuru Yaduveer Wadiyar, the royal scion of Mysuru, is contesting on the BJP ticket. He was the saffron party's choice in place of sitting MP Pratap Simha. The Lok Sabha elections 2024 are being fought across the country in a high-octane environment. While major political parties and alliances the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc are immersed in an intense battle to woo voters corporate India is not way far behind. Incidentally, many corporate groups recently came under the scanner for contributing donations via the now-defunct electoral bonds to national and state parties, as per the data shared by the State Bank of India on the directions of the Supreme Court. However, there is one fledgling political party which is completely backed by a corporate group. Kitex Garments- backed Twenty20 party in Kerala has made a foray into the Lok Sabha polls by fielding two candidates. The party's two candidates are Charley Paul from Chalakkudy and Antony Judy from Ernakulam. Keralas 20 Lok Sabha constituencies will go to the polls on April 26 during the second phase of elections. Interestingly, the Twenty20 party's participation in elections is expected to cast a shadow on the prospects of mainstream parties. In the 2021 Assembly polls, Twenty20 received 42,701 votes, (27.56 per cent) in Kunnathunad which led to the defeat of the Congress candidate. Partys track record The Twenty20 party is not a completely new political outfit. It is supported by Kitex Group, which is one of the largest producers of childrens garments in the country. This party was formed as part of the CSR initiatives of the Kitex Group in Kochi. It forayed into electoral politics through municipal elections and fought polls on the anti-alcohol movement, as it promised to make Kizhakkambalam an alcohol-free village. During the 2020 Kerala local body elections, the party secured nine seats in Aikkaranadu panchayat, five seats in Kunnathunad and five seats in Mazhuvannur. This party had a tie-up with Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. However, the alliance ended in December 2023 over ideological differences. Electoral bonds Interestingly, in the recently released electoral bonds data, it was revealed that Twenty20 had also contributed 25 crore in political funding through the now-defunct electoral bond scheme. Sabu M Jacob, chairman of Twenty20, clarified that he was forced to buy electoral bonds to give contributions to mainstream political parties as it was important for the survival of his business ventures. Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not allowing refugees to get Indian citizenship by opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Addressing a roadshow in the Malda South, Shah, while urging the people of Bengal to vote to the saffron party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claimed infiltration was continuing unabated in the state under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime and it could only be stopped if they vote for the BJP. "Under the Trinamool Congress rule, infiltration is continuing unabated. Mamata didi is opposing the CAA and not allowing refugees to get citizenship. If you want to stop infiltration and corruption, vote for the BJP, he said. Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Tuesday held a roadshow in West Bengals Malda, weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the district. The Malda South roadshow started from Head Post office More to the Rabindra statue. Shah, standing atop a decorated lorry along with state BJP leaders, was seen waving at the crowd. BJP supporters shouted slogans in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, as hundreds of people gathered on both sides of the road. At Karandighi rally, Shah said neither Congress nor Mamata Banerjee can dare to interfere with CAA. The CAA grants citizenship to undocumented migrants of all religions -- except Muslims -- from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. The Union Minister, in Karandighi, said cut money culture and corruption must stop in Bengal, TMC cannot do it. We have set a target of winning 35 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal, Shah added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Monday that the Congress would steal the gold of mothers and sisters if it was elected to power. The remarks made during an election rally in Aligarh echoed claims made on Sunday about the Congress manifesto. The Opposition party has since approached the Election Commission to seek action against the seriously, ridiculously objectionable statement. I want to warn the countrymen. Congress and the INDI alliance have their eyes on your earnings and your property. The 'Shehzada' of Congress says that if their government comes to power, they will investigate who earns how much, who has how many properties...Our mothers and sisters have gold. It is 'stree dhan', it is considered sacred, the law also protects it. Now these people's eyes are on the 'Mangalsutra' of women. Their intention is to steal the gold of mothers and sisters..." the PM reiterated during a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh. Modi dubbed it a Maovadi or communist way of thinking and warned the people of Aligarh that such a policy had already ruined many countries. "If you have an old ancestor's home in your village and you also purchased a small flat in your city for the future of your children. Then they will take away one of the two...This same policy the Congress Party and INDI alliance want to implement in India, he added. The Congress had also approached the Election Commission on Monday to seek appropriate action against the PM irrespective of the status of the person. A delegation led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi flagged 16 issues including the use of religious symbols during campaign and the uncontested victory of a BJP candidate from Gujarat. "This has always been his (PM Modi) tactic to divide. How to take the country forward is important. Leaving this aside, he is talking about Hindu-Muslim, Scheduled Caste, and Other Backward Caste. He is doing all this for votes, not for the benefit of the country," said party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Bank Holidays in April 2024: All banks in India, including the State Bank of India (SBI), will be functioning as usual today on April 23. Since Hanuman Jayanti is not a scheduled or gazetted holiday as per the Government of India today will be a working day for all government employees, including bank staff. Notably, banks in the country have holidays every second and fourth Saturday of the month, which means the next bank holiday this month is on April 27 and 28. Overall, the banks in India have a total holiday count of 12 days in April 2024. And this will differ in each state as per the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) calendar, for reasons like public holidays, regional holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Thus we advise customers to check with their nearest bank branches to confirm the dates. See | Maharashtra Bank Holidays in 2024 Below is the full list of other bank holidays in April 2024 April 5 bank holiday: On account of Babu Jagjivan Rams Birthday/Jumat-ul-Vida, banks will remain shut in Telangana and Jammu On account of Babu Jagjivan Rams Birthday/Jumat-ul-Vida, banks will remain shut in Telangana and Jammu April 9 bank holiday: Banks in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Goa, Jammu and Srinagar will be closed for Gudhi Padwa/Ugadi Festival/Telugu New Year's Day/Sajibu Nongmapanba (Cheiraoba)/1st Navratra. Banks in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Goa, Jammu and Srinagar will be closed for Gudhi Padwa/Ugadi Festival/Telugu New Year's Day/Sajibu Nongmapanba (Cheiraoba)/1st Navratra. April 10 bank holiday: Banks will be closed in Tripura, Assam, Manipur, Jammu, and Srinagar because of the Bohag Bihu/Cheiraoba/Baisakhi/Biju festivals. Also Read | Bank Holidays in 2024. Check the full list here April 15 bank holiday: On this day, banks will suspend offline operations for customers in Assam and Himachal Pradesh due to Bohag Bihu and Himachal Day. On this day, banks will suspend offline operations for customers in Assam and Himachal Pradesh due to Bohag Bihu and Himachal Day. April 16 bank holiday: On the occasion of Ram Navami, banks will be closed in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh. On the occasion of Ram Navami, banks will be closed in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh. April 20 bank holiday: Banks' branches in Tripura will be shut for Garia Puja festival. Regular Bank Closures Banks will be closed on the second Saturday: April 13 Banks will be closed on the fourth Saturday: April 27 Bank holiday on Sundays: April 7, 14, 21 and 28 Customers Can Use Online Banking Facilities, ATMs Online banking services will continue as usual regardless of holidays or weekends. Customers can conduct their banking activities via banks' websites, mobile apps or ATMs for urgent transactions. However, in case of work needing bank staff assistance, it is imperative to be cognizant of the bank holiday schedule and plan visits around the non-working dates. NEW DELHI : Are cars safe in India? Some of them are, going by past crash test results, but some continue to fall short of safety standards under global crash test protocols. The latest round of test results from Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) has found serious safety shortcomings in some car models, prompting calls for industry-wide action to prioritize occupant and vehicle safety. The GNCAP test report, released on Tuesday, announced crash test results for two models of Kia Carens, Honda Amaze and Mahindra's Bolero Neo. The Honda Amaze and Mahindra Bolero Neo disappointed with dismal safety ratings of two stars and one star, respectively, for adult occupant safety, and zero and one star, respectively, for child occupant safety. Kia's Carens showed improvement in a retest, achieving three stars for adult safety and an impressive five stars for child occupants. However, concerns linger over the Carens' driver neck performance despite standard inclusion of six airbags, a release by the GNCAP said. Safety concerns Despite initiatives like GNCAP and the country's own crash-test programme Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP), some car manufacturers have fallen short in standardizing critical safety features, raising concerns about the preservation of human life on Indian roads. The BNCAP, an indigenous programme developed by the Indian government in collaboration with its testing agencies and various other stakeholders, was launch last August, and is a voluntary testing program. BNCAP protocols are defined along the lines of the GNCAP, with the advantage that the cars can be tested by Indian agencies within the country, and at lower cost. Cars such as Tata Harrier and Safari secured five stars in BNCAP on both adult and child safety parameters. Other manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India have announced plans to put some of their cars through this test as well. Despite the profusion of tests and increasing public glare on their results, some cars continue to remain unsafe. Piyush Tewari, founder of SaveLife Foundation, emphasized the importance of addressing passenger compartment intrusion, a leading cause of fatalities or severe injuries in car crashes. As part of the forensic investigation of crashes that we undertake, we see that in six out of 10 cases, passenger compartment intrusion is the major cause of death or disability," said Tewari. We find in many cases that happens at relatively low speeds, which tells us that vehicular safety aspects remain fairly weak in large parts of the country, including for people who don't use very expensive cars." India saw 168,000 deaths from road accidents in 2022, a jump from 155,000 fatalities reported in 2021, according to data released by the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH). Secondly, despite a high GNCAP rating leading to better sales, many car companies havent taken care to standardize these safety features; policy following innovation is now an old school of thought that doesn't hold anymore," Tewari added. OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have the capacity and responsibility to lead the way for policy changes by prioritizing safety enhancements and implementing life-saving technologies without waiting for regulatory mandates." He stressed that the evidence from vehicle testing results is clear: safety features like seat belts, ABS and airbags save lives, and where these features arent possible to install, surrogate safety measures should be installedan initiative OEMs should proactively take. Short of expectations Alejandro Furas, Global NCAP secretary general, expressed disappointment with the Bolero Neo's safety rating, emphasizing the importance of maintaining higher safety standards. The Bolero Neo offers side seating benches, which pose a significant risk for all occupants. Mahindra falls disappointingly short of Global NCAPs safety expectations with the continued use of this type of seating," he said in a statement. The agenda for safety was set in India around 2019 when Indian OEMs started sending cars for the GNCAP tests. With customer awareness increasing and both OEMs and the government starting to pay attention to safety, some Indian brands have also started articulating safety as one of the key dimensions of their brand. The government has also moved on that path and introduced BNCAP, which could guide Indian OEMs to safer cars," Ravi Bhatia, president, JATO Dynamics India said. Since 2022, JATO has also started tracking car safety as part of our intelligence service, as safety becomes an important discussion globally. While technologies like ADAS will take time to become mainstream, mechanical and structural interventions to improve safety are paramount." Carmakers reiterate commitment In response to the GNCAP ratings, OEMs emphasized their commitment to safety and ongoing efforts to enhance vehicle safety standards. Mahindra said that it is prioritizing customer safety, highlighting the safety ratings of models like the Thar, XUV700, XUV300, and Scorpio-N, which have received high ratings from GNCAP. The Bolero Neo is the trusted utility vehicle of choice in India, owing to its robust build, highly dependable nature, and its innate capability to handle a variety of usage conditions," the company said in a statement. Bolero Neo has always complied with safety regulations that have been introduced over time and continues to be fully compliant with the latest Indian safety standards. As we are constantly innovating and improving our vehicles to exceed safety regulations, we want to assure our customers and stakeholders that Mahindra has significantly enhanced safety features in all our recent launches." The South Africa spec 2nd Generation Amaze has already been tested as 4-star by GNCAP in 2019," Honda Cars India said in a statement. The latest test basis new protocol shows that the total score is of 5-star level. However, mainly due to requirement of certain equipment like electronic stability control and side curtain airbags, it resulted in lower rating." Carmakers in India have often been caught practising the double standard of shipping out vehicles for exports with a high level of safety equipment and selling the same models in India with much lower consideration for safety," Tewari said. The challenge has been that a lot of companies have failed to see the major causal factors of crashes. In rural areas, a large number of crashes occur because of rear-end collisions. So, if an OEM is unable to provide seat belts, then they must provide surrogate safety measureslike speed limitations. The question to ask is whether there have been enough consultations with stakeholders before saying a certain solution isnt possible? Without adequate consultation, saying that an OEM is catering for a particular socio-economic environment isnt a valid argument anymore," he added. Hindustan Zinc Ltds (HZL) revenue fell by 11% year-on-year to 7,550 crore in the March quarter (Q4FY24) thanks to lower realizations and subdued volume growth. The decline in Ebitda was steeper at 14%. The stock has gained almost 40% since 28 March, possibly in anticipation of a better FY25. However, the run-up in the share price doesnt leave much upside. The stock also faces uncertainty around the eventual exit of the government of India, which holds about 30% in the company. The current public holding is just about 2% and the sale could substantially boost market liquidity. HZL produces three metals, zinc, lead and silver. Its profits rely most heavily on zinc, which contributed almost two-thirds of revenue in Q4FY24. A fall of nearly 25% in average zinc prices to about $2,500 a tonne in FY24 took a toll on HZL, causing Ebitda to drop 22%. While zinc prices were a drag, the company reduced its cost of production by 11% year-on-year in FY24, helped by production of better grades, higher availability of low-cost coal, and softer commodity prices. Still, Ebitda margin contracted to 47% in FY24 from 51% in FY23. The domestic zinc market remained strong, with 20% growth in consumption in FY24, the company said in the earnings call. This is expected to continue thanks to robust growth in demand for steel (zinc is used as a coating for stainless steel). Moreover, zinc prices could rise in 2024 owing to a marginal deficit in supplies, against a surplus in 2023. Prices have already risen to almost $2,800 a tonne from a low of $2,400 near the end of March. Continued strength in demand and a potential upturn in zinc prices could help HZL reap rich rewards. Nuvama Institutional Equities expects the company's Ebitda to increase by 20% for FY25 and FY26. Its cash position has weakened in recent years, but HZL should still be able to meet its capex needs. At the end of FY24, cash & cash equivalents stood at 10,186 crore against debt of 8,455 crore. For perspective, at the end of FY22, total cash & cash equivalents stood at over 20,000 crore, while debt was much lower at 2,823 crore. The change in the cash position is due to a large dividend payout of 32,000 crore in FY23. In FY25, HZL expects capex to be about 2,500 crore and more than 3,000 crore after that. The company is also looking to ramp up its mining capacity over the next five years. While the cash position doesnt pose an imminent threat, investors should keep a close eye on it. MCX, the stock exchange with India's largest commodity derivatives segment (CDS), recently allowed Sebi-registered foreign portfolio investors (FPI) under the categories of corporate, individual and family offices to trade in oil and natural gas derivatives, which made up 77% of its March turnover. MCX did this to widen the participation of investors in the commodity derivatives segment, which largely comprises hedgers and retail traders in bullion and base metals derivatives. But how effective will this move prove in deepening the market? Mint joins the dots. What are commodity derivatives contracts? Commodity derivatives contracts are those backed by underlying commodities such as gold, silver, crude, and copper. Unlike in the equities markets, where securities exchanged between two counterparties are not in physical form, most commodity derivatives contracts result in the delivery of a physical commodity such as gold or silver bars or copper rods. However, energy products such as crude oil and natural gas are settled in cash. When was trading in commodity derivatives launched? The government in 2003 re-introduced forward trading in commodities after a four-decade ban, and established the National Multi-Commodity Exchange, the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, and the Multi Commodity Exchange of India. While the NMCE and the NCDEX specialised in spice/plantation and farm products, the MCX was conceptualised as an energy and metals bourse. These exchanges were regulated by the Forward Markets Commission, which was merged with the Securities and Exchange Board of India in 2015. Later, the NSE and the BSE too launched trading in the commodity derivatives segment in 2018. The MCX is the leader in the commodity derivatives segment, accounting for 97% of the turnover in February. The NSE has a 2.6% market share, followed by NCDEX at 0.4% and BSE at 0.00006%. What is the purpose of allowing more categories of FPIs to trade in the commodity derivatives segment? Sebi wants to deepen the market with broader participation from retail, wholesale and institutional traders. Currently, participation is restricted to a few companies, and retail and wholesale traders. To increase institutional trade in the segment, as in the equities cash markets, Sebi in 2017 permitted Category III alternative investment funds, mutual funds, and portfolio management services to trade in commodity derivatives. So a mutual fund launching a gold exchange-traded fund could hedge on MCX gold or silver. Similarly, AIFs that are long on metal stocks could take opposite positions on MCX metals or crude. However, this hasnt played out as expected. In foreign exchanges such as those on the Chicago-headquartered CME Group, the worlds leading derivatives marketplace, hedge funds take contrarian bets to actual users such as oil and metals producers. Also read: MCX makes another stab at getting more FPIs on board On Indian commodity exchanges, its a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, say market players. Institutions enter when there is liquidity as their positions tend to be huge. But if they dont enter then the liquidity will not increase. Which is why Sebi is pushing hard to widen participation in the commodity derivatives segment. What happened with earlier attempts to widen participation? In October 2018, Sebi allowed eligible foreign entities (EFEs) having actual exposure to Indian commodities to participate in the commodity derivatives segment for hedging, but that also came a cropper. In September 2022, Sebi discontinued the EFE route and foreign investors were allowed to participate in the segment through the FPI route prescribed by the regulator. To begin with, Sebi restricted their trading to cash-settled commodities and indices based on cash-settled commodities . It laid out two categories of FPIs: Foreign portfolio investors excluding individuals, family offices and companies could trade in the commodity derivatives segment with the same positional limits applicable to eligible domestic clients. The other three categories were allowed to trade only up to 20% of the position limit reserved for clients. A position limit is the maximum quantity a client can trade in a commodity. For instance, in crude, the positional limit is 480,000 barrels across contracts (many contracts run concurrently), and in natural gas it is 6 million mmBTU. Since the first category of FPI, which includes AIFs, banks, financial institutions, foreign depositories, venture capital firms, and partnership firms, didnt hop on to the bandwagon as desired, MCX on 20 April opened up its commodity derivatives segment to the other three categories. MCX now hopes that FPIs under the categories of corporate, individual and family offices will use direct market access to increase trade in crude and natural gas, which accounted for 77% of MCXs total turnover of 26.83 trillion in March. Reliance share price ended in the red on Tuesday, April 23, a day after the company reported its March quarter scorecard. Reliance share price ended 1.36 per cent lower at 2,919.50 apiece on NSE while the benchmark Nifty 50 ended with a gain of 0.14 per cent. Reliance share price has risen about 37 per cent over the last year, outperforming the equity benchmark Nifty 50 which has gained nearly 27 per cent in the same period. Reliance share price hit its 52-week high of 3,024.90 on March 4 this year while its 52-week low level is 2,220.30 which it hit on October 26 last year. On a monthly scale, Reliance share price has been flat in April so far following five consecutive months of gains. Reliance Q4 result Reliance's gross revenue increased by 10.8 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 2,64,834 crore. However, profit after tax (PAT) remained almost flat at 21,243 crore against 21,327 crore in the same quarter last year. The company said its EBITDA increased by 14.3 per cent YoY to 47,150 crore with all businesses contributing strongly. Should you buy, sell or hold? Most brokerage firms retained their positive views on Reliance after the company's March quarter earnings. Some of them have raised their target prices for the stock as they believe the company is done with its capital expenditure cycle. Motilal Oswal Financial Services Motilal retained its buy rating on RIL with a target price of 3,245, citing the Q4FY24 EBITDA and PAT of RIL were above estimates primarily due to the growth in the O2C (oil-to-chemicals) segment, which was partly offset by lower-thanestimated performance in the retail segment. The brokerage firm has raised its capex estimates to 1.2 lakh crore for FY25E and FY26E each. "Using our SoTP approach, we value the refining and petrochemical segment at eight times FY26E EV/EBITDA to arrive at a per share valuation of 1,029 for the standalone business. We ascribe an equity valuation of 810 per share to RJio and 1,593 per share to Reliance Retail as well as 37 per share towards the new energy business," said Motilal Oswal. Nuvama Wealth Management The brokerage firm raised its target price by 10 per cent to 3,500 keeping a 'buy' recommendation on the stock. It expects RIL's consumer business (digital and retail) to contribute nearly 50 per cent to EBITDA from FY25 given its strong expansion and customer base. "We are now ascribing a rich valuation to Jio and Reliance Retail seeing their huge potential while remaining positive on the core O2C business (both refining and chemicals). We believe refining margins in Asia would rise due to a paradigm shift in regional refining dynamics from West to East, which are favourable for a complex refiner like Reliance," Nuvama said. "RIL is almost done with its capex cycle, investing in world-scale projects such as petcoke gasification, off-gas crackers and telecoms, which are expected to drive future growth in months to come. RIL has started commissioning and remaining projects of KG-D6, which shall enhance overall gas production. RILs foray into the new energy business shall unleash the next leg of growth, besides aiding its conventional business," the brokerage firm said. Kotak Institutional Equities Kotak maintained an 'add' call on the RIL with a revised fair value of 3,200, up 10 per cent from 2,900 earlier. "We marginally lower FY2025-26E EBITDA by nearly 1-2 per cent on lower subscriber additions in RJio after Vodafone Ideas fundraising. However, we revise our fair value to 3,200 from 2,900, driven by the roll-forward to March 2026E (from December 2025E), higher long-term ARPU estimates in RJio, nearly 45 per share contribution from Disney-Viacom JV, lower net debt and moderation in capex intensity," Kotak said. Kotak said while it remains optimistic about RIL's earnings growth (nearly 14 per cent three-year consolidated EBITDA CAGR), the upside seems limited at the current market price. Emkay Global Financial Services Emkay retained its 'add' call on the stock with a target price of 3,200. The brokerage firm is positive about Jio tariff hikes while it expects oil and gas and retail to remain steady. It has raised FY25-26E earnings by 2-5 per cent each and SOTP-based target price by 8 per cent to 3,200 on the back of higher profitability in Jio (due to ARPUs) and roll-over to Mar-26E. Apart from the above domestic brokerage firms, top global brokerage firms including Jefferies and Morgan Stanley also retained their positive views on the stock. Jefferies maintained a buy call on Reliance with a target price of 3,380. It raised FY25 and FY26 EBITDA estimates by 3 per cent and 1 per cent respectively, according to CNBC-TV18. Morgan Stanley maintained an overweight call on Reliance with a target price of 3,046, reported CNBC-TV18. "See multiple catalysts for re-rating across verticals as the company exits fourth investment cycle," CNBC-TV18 quoted Morgan Stanley saying so about Reliance. Read all market-related news here Some renewable energy stocks, such as Inox Wind Energy and KPI Green Energy, have surged 450-500 per cent over the last year. Some others, such as SRM Energy, SJVN, JP Power Ventures and Adani Power have jumped 200-350 per cent in the same period. There are over 15 stocks in the renewable energy space that have jumped more than 100 per cent in the last one year. What explains this steep rise in renewable energy stocks? Renewable energy as a sector is witnessing strong tailwinds. As the world is moving full throttle towards the goal of zero carbon emissions, so is India. India has set an ambitious goal of having 50 per cent of its electricity generation from non-fossil fuels by 2030. By 2070, India wants to achieve the goal of 'net zero' and for that, it has drawn up plans to aggressively focus on clean energy. Strong government support for decarbonisation strategy goals is an important factor that has raised investors' interest in the sector. Sehul Bhatt, Director Research, CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics, pointed out that the government has provided direct capital subsidies (especially for solar rooftop, storage and hydro), created dedicated nodal agencies (such as Solar Energy Corporation of India, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, Power Finance Corporation, REC and International Solar Alliance) and added solar supply chain to Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The government has also taken proactive measures to solve the challenges the sector is facing. The governments continuous monitoring of the sector and measures taken to establish the required infrastructure (40 GW solar park initiative, 500 GW RE integration, Green Energy Corridor) indicate the criticality of the sector, Bhatt said. A long-term growth story? Experts are positive about the renewable energy space for the long term. Renewable energy is expected to remain a focus of the new government after the Lok Sabha election. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its Lok Sabha election manifesto 'Sankalp Patra,' emphasized that India will achieve energy independence by 2047 and the government will harness India's renewable energy potential. "We will achieve energy independence for Bharat by 2047 and reduce petroleum imports through a mix of electric mobility, network of charging stations, renewable energy production and improving energy efficiency," the BJP manifesto says. "We will harness Bharats renewable energy potential, targeting 500 GW of renewable energy through the establishment of mega solar parks, wind parks and the Green Energy Corridor project among others." Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities believes the policy continuity indicated in the BJP manifesto will bring in greater clarity, scale and confidence among the business community and investors both global and local. "We may witness greater aggression in execution and new reform measures from the new government. Although the results of these measures may time to fructify, the markets tend to discount the triggers in advance. The GDP and in turn corporate profitability may grow at a faster pace and the valuations also may nudge up a bit reflecting greater visibility of sales and profitability growth," said Jasani. According to Bhatt of CRISIL, by 2030, India will likely have a non-fossil installed base of 510-520 GW, forming 60-65 per cent of total power capacity and 45-47 per cent of electricity generation. That will be 2.5-3 times in terms of installed capacity base and 2.5-3 times the share in electricity generation from the current level. Renewable energy stocks to buy The outlook for the renewable energy sector appears attractive from a medium to long-term perspective due to strong government initiatives such as favourable incentives, cheaper financing options and ease of setting up of business in the sector. Manish Chowdhury, Head of Research at StoxBox underscored that robust power demand from end-users which is expected to grow at 8 per cent per annum in the near future and increasing awareness about the environment are additional tailwinds for the sector. "With an expected addition of about 40 GW cumulatively in the renewable sector over the next two years, we sense that companies across the value chain should benefit from this trend. We remain positive on SJVN and Sterling & Wilson Solar and expect about 20 per cent returns from a 12-month timeframe," said Chowdhury. Pravesh Gour, Senior Technical Analyst, Swastika Investmart is of the view that companies specialising in solar power, wind energy, and energy storage solutions have benefited from favourable government policies and increasing environmental awareness. Long-term investors can take positions in stocks like Tata Power, Waaree Renewables, Reliance, etc., said Gour. Read all market-related news here The upcoming 10th World Water Forum in Bali is expected to generate political consensus among heads of state and achieve the agreements necessary to address the global climate challenge. Indonesia will host the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) in Bali from May 18 to 25, 2024. The National Organising Committee (NOC) is chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut B. Pandjaitan, while the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Basuki Hadimuljono, will serve as Daily Chairperson. WWF is the largest gathering in the water sector involving various stakeholders, and is co-hosted by the World Water Council and a host city. Held every three years, it has been taking place since 1997, with participants from politics, multilateral institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector. Heads of state This year's Forum will be attended by numerous heads of state, with several former world leaders expressing their intention to be present, considering it necessary to attend. These include the former Presidents of Chile, Hungary, Slovenia, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Costa Rica. The former Prime Ministers of Belgium, Korea, and Bhutan will also be present. "With the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have been making efforts to ensure that as many world leaders are in attendance as possible," said Endra S. Atmawidjaja, Expert Member at the Ministry of PUPR, in Jakarta. "Indonesia has achieved success in water governance with local cultural approaches. The WWF involves the various stakeholders, and therefore benefits from best practices implemented by Indonesia, an example for the global community. "For example, the Subak system in Bali, which has been recognised by UNESCO for its irrigation governance with local wisdom, or Lake Bratan, also in Bali. The Grand Forest Park (Tahura), and the importance of mangroves in supporting water management. These are examples that world leaders and delegates can directly observe," said Endra. Main themes The 10th WWF in Bali will carry the main theme of "Water for Shared Prosperity." This gathering of leaders will address and discuss water issues while seeking collective solutions to water governance challenges. The forum will produce a Ministerial Declaration (MD) as a main output, along with concrete deliverables (projects, initiatives, joint actions). Indonesia will forward four proposals for the Ministerial Declaration (MD), including the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Water and Climate Resilience (COE), mainstreaming Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on Small Islands, and the designation of World Lake Day (WLD). Additionally, the MD will include a Compendium of Concrete Deliverables and Actions, an initiative for the follow-up to the 10th WWF. The WWF 2024 opening will take place on May 18 at Melasti Beach, with a Balinese Water Purification Ceremony. This event, to be attended by 1,500 people, includes Rahina Tumpek Uye (Balinese Hindu ceremony expressing gratitude to animals in human life) and Segara Kerthi (Balinese Hindu ceremony seeking blessings from the sea gods) ceremonies. The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park will host the Welcoming Gala Dinner on May 19. The event will be attended by 2,500 people and will consist of 500 VVIP and VIP invitations. 2,000 people have been invited to attend the second location at GWK Lotus Pond. Opening ceremony The Opening Ceremony and High-Level Meeting commence on May 20 at the Bali International Convention Centre (BICC), Nusa Dua. This will be followed immediately by meetings between responsible parties for the political, thematic, and regional processes, as well as bilateral meetings with several heads of state. 5,500 participants will attend. The WWF Fair & Expo 2014 opening will be held at Nusa Dua Hall BNDCC on the same day. The Fair & Expo venues will be spread across BNDCC, BICC, and Kuta Beach. The sessions for political, thematic, and regional processes will be held from May 20 to 25. Meanwhile, the High-Level Meetings and Ministerial Meetings will take place from May 20 to 21. The Cultural Night (Farewell) will be held at Taman Bhagawan on May 24. This event will be attended by 3,000 participants who will be welcomed and presented with Indonesian traditional food, regional dances, and culture. Lastly, the Closing Ceremony will commence on May 25, at Mangupura Hall. After this event, participants will be taken on field trips, including the Water Museum in Tabanan, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jatiluwih, Lake Batur in Kintamani, and the Cultural Village in Ubud.--TradeArabia News Service Following a 17% rally in the previous trading session, shares of Tejas Networks, a Tata Group backed company, jumped another 15.5% in today's early morning trade to hit a new all-time high of 1,046.95 apiece. This stellar rise was in response to the company's stellar performance in Q4FY24, which was released post-market hours on Monday. In the quarter ending in March (Q4FY24), the company achieved profitability with a net profit of 147 crore, marking a significant turnaround after nine consecutive quarters of net losses. Revenue from operations during this period came in at 1,171 crore, representing a remarkable 343% year-on-year increase. Looking at the company's performance for the full fiscal year FY24, net profit amounted to 63 crore, showcasing a substantial improvement from net losses of 36 crore and 63 crore reported in FY23 and FY22, respectively. Additionally, revenue from operations for FY24 surged by 168% year-on-year to 2,471 crore. At the close of FY24, the company's order book reached 8,221 crore. According to its investor presentation, progress is underway for the installation of 4G/5G RAN for BSNLs nationwide network, with equipment shipped to over 10,000 sites. In March, the company entered into an agreement with Telecom Egypt, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency, and the National Telecom Institute to replicate its success in implementing Bharatnet and NKN projects in Egypt. The company secured strategic wins for DWDM and switching and routing products in the critical infrastructure sector during the quarter. During the quarter, the company received 32.66 crore as incentives for FY 2022-23 under the PLI Scheme for Telecom and Networking Products. Additionally, Saankhya Labs was approved under the semiconductor DLI scheme. Tejas Networks, part of the Tata Group, designs and manufactures high-performance wireline and wireless networking products for telecommunications service providers, internet service providers, utilities, defense, and government entities in over 75 countries. Starting your stock market journey by opening a demat account unlocks various opportunities and benefits that pave the way for seamless participation in the world of investing. From facilitating the easy buying and selling of securities to providing a secure platform for holding your investments electronically, a demat account serves as the foundation for your investment endeavors. With a demat account, you gain access to a wide range of investment options, including stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), bonds, and more. Additionally, it empowers you to track your investment portfolio efficiently, receive dividends and interest directly into your account, and participate in corporate actions such as bonus issues and rights offerings with ease. Demat accounts are offered by the Depository Participants (DPs) who are registered with depositories such as CDSL and NSDL. DPs act as intermediaries between you and other key entities in the financial ecosystem, including depositories, stock exchanges, and clearing corporations. They play a crucial role in facilitating the smooth functioning of your demat account and ensuring seamless transactions in the securities market. While the majority of DPs adhere to strict rules and regulations prescribed by SEBI and depositories, disputes may occasionally arise between DPs and demat account holders. These disputes can range from issues related to the non-transfer of shares to discrepancies in account statements or unauthorised transactions. In such instances, demat account holders have recourse to file complaints or grievances with market participants to seek resolution and safeguard their rights as investors. However, if the market participants don't resolve your disputes in a timely manner, investors can find additional support and avenues for resolution through initiatives like the Common Online Dispute Resolution Portal (ODR Portal), introduced by SEBI. This platform facilitates online conciliation and arbitration to efficiently address disputes within the Indian securities market, further enhancing investor protection and confidence. Also Read: How to update personal details in my demat account? Named SMART ODR Portal, Securities Market Approach for Resolution Through ODR, it reflects extensive public consultations and concerted efforts to prioritise investor interests. This article will explore the dispute resolution process using the 'SMART ODR' Portal and outline the steps to file a dispute that may arise between investors and regulated entities. What is 'SMART ODR'? In its commitment to enhancing investor protection, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has continuously refined its dispute resolution mechanisms. In 2011, SEBI introduced the SEBI Complaints Redress System (SCORES), a centralised web-based platform aimed at addressing actionable grievances promptly by overseeing regulatory compliance and intermediary accountability. While SCORES effectively resolved a significant portion of the filed cases, the need for continued improvement led to the development of an enhanced version, SCORES Version 2.0. While SCORES provided investors with a platform to voice their concerns, the resolution process remained beyond the regulator's direct oversight. Also Read: How to manage a demat account efficiently? Here are 5 ways To address this gap, SEBI introduced SMART ODR, a collaborative initiative involving seven market infrastructure institutions (MIIs) such as NSE, BSE, MSE, CDSL, NSDL, MCX, and NCDEX. SMART ODR aims to streamline the resolution process for disputes in the securities market by harnessing the capabilities of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) institutions. The SMART ODR Portal is being made available for investors and Intermediaries at https://smartodr.in/login. When should investors turn to SMART ODR? Before submitting a complaint on the 'SMART ODR' platform, ensure that you have directly addressed the issue with the intermediary. SEBI mandates every intermediary to have a grievance redressal mechanism. Also Read: How does share transfer work in case account holder passes away? MintGenie explains If you've already raised the dispute with the intermediary, escalate it through SCORES. Only if you've attempted both steps and remain dissatisfied with the resolution can you proceed to file the dispute on 'SMART ODR'. Steps to resolve a dispute through the SMART ODR portal: Step 1: Register on the SMART ODR Portal: Start by clicking on Create Account to register on the platform. Step 2: File a New Dispute: Proceed by clicking on File New Dispute to initiate the process. Step 3: Select Intermediary: Choose the specific intermediary against whom you intend to file the dispute. Step 4: Select Category: Identify the relevant categories that best describe your dispute. Step 5: Enter Dispute Details: Provide all necessary details regarding the dispute and attach any relevant files or documents. Step 6: Track Resolution Progress: After filing your dispute, monitor its progress under the Dispute Resolution section. FAQs What are the benefits of opening a demat account for stock market investment? Opening a demat account provides numerous advantages, including easy buying and selling of securities, secure electronic storage of investments, access to a wide range of investment options, efficient portfolio tracking, and participation in corporate actions like dividends and bonus issues. How are demat accounts offered, and what role do depository participants (DPs) play? Demat accounts are offered by Depository Participants (DPs) registered with depositories like CDSL and NSDL. DPs act as intermediaries between investors and entities like depositories, stock exchanges, and clearing corporations, facilitating seamless transactions in the securities market. What should investors do if disputes arise regarding their demat accounts? In case of disputes, investors can file complaints or grievances with market participants to seek resolution and protect their rights. If the issues aren't resolved satisfactorily, investors can turn to initiatives like the Common Online Dispute Resolution Portal (ODR Portal) introduced by SEBI for additional support. What is the 'SMART ODR' Portal, and when should investors approach it? The 'SMART ODR' Portal is an initiative by SEBI and seven market infrastructure institutions to streamline dispute resolution in the securities market using Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) institutions. Investors should approach SMART ODR if grievances aren't resolved through other channels or if they're dissatisfied with the outcome. SpaceX founder and Tesla chief Elon Musk has escalated his fight with an Australian regulator, demanding to know whether the country's eSafety Commissar should have authority to order censorship of content on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) beyond its borders. Elon Musk, who termed Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant as the Australian censorship commissar," in a post on X stated, That is exactly the issue. Should the eSafety Commissar (an unelected official) in Australia have authority over all countries on Earth? This censorship row gained momentum after an Australian judge on Monday, April 22, gave the judgement that social media platform X must block every user in the world from accessing the video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. The move, as per Musk, has extended the prohibition on content beyond the geographical boundaries of Australia. Also read: Elon Musk postpones India visit over 'very heavy Tesla obligations' Elon Musk last week announced that he would take up a legal battle against the order related to taking down posts on X that showed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed in an Assyrian Orthodox church on April 15. The video, widely circulated online, was geo-blocked in Australia, but could be accessed elsewhere around the world. Also read: Elon Musk puts off India visit to later, Internet says, No rush! We'll hold off on chai-samosa plans Australias eSafety Commission describes itself as the worlds first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online. The regulator applied to the Federal Court in Sydney for a temporary global ban on sharing the video of the knife attack on the Bishop. Justice Geoffrey Kennett will hear the petition for a permanent ban on Wednesday, April 24, but till then the footage has been suppressed from all X users. The judge had ruled X has 24 hours to hide the footage from users. Also read: Tesla's Tumultuous Path: Elon Musk to address investor concerns in pivotal earnings report The regulator's lawyer, Stephen Tran, had said the footage was a graphic and violent video that would cause irreparable harm if it's continuing to circulate" arguing that geo-blocking Australia was not equivalent to removal of the footage under Australian law. Elon Musk's lawyer Marcus Hoyne said he "had been unable to get instructions from his San Francisco-based client because it was early Monday morning in the United States. After some varieties of MDH and Everest masala were banned from Singapore and Hong Kong due to quality concerns, the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday sought details from the food safety regulators of the two countries to determine the 'root cause of rejection'. The ministry has directed Indian embassies in both Singapore and Hong Kong to send a detailed report on the cause of ban. It has also sought details from MDH and Everest, whose products have been banned. Also read: Everest says spice mixes are safe for consumption' after regulator order in Singapore, ban in Hong Kong The food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong have alleged that four spice-mix products of MDH and Everest masalas containing pesticide 'ethylene oxide' beyond permissible limits. "Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned," a commerce ministry official said. Also read: Do MDH, Everest masala cause cancer? Why have Hong Kong, Singapore banned some Indian spices? Explained According to news agency PTI's report citing an official, the commerce ministry has sought technical details, analytical reports and the details of the exporters whose consignments have been rejected. Details from Singapore Food Agency and Centre for Food Safety, and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong have also been sought, the official said. The ministry official, according to the report, said that an industry consultation is also scheduled to discuss the issue of mandatory testing of ethylene oxide in spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong. India is world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices. The Spices Board of India is also looking into the ban. The Food safety regulator of Hong Kong has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, while the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of the products. India on Tuesday successfully launched a new version of Medium-Range Ballistic Missile capable of striking targets at distances exceeding 250 km. A successful launch of the new variant of a Medium-Range Ballistic Missile was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command on April 23, 2024. The user launch has proven the operational capability of the Command and validated new technologies. The Defence Ministry in a release said the user launch has proven the operational capability of the missile with new technologies. Also Read | Turnout likely to drop amid heatwave alert. What voters should do The test firing was conducted under the aegis of the strategic forces command, the release further added. Meanwhile, news agency PTI reported that the new version of Medium-Range Ballistic Missile is not from the 'Agni' family of weapons systems. Also Read | Indians can now stay in Switzerland, Amsterdam for up to 2 years like visa-free nationals on Schengen visa Earlier on April 18, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a test flight of an Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. During the test, all subsystems performed as per expectation. The missile performance was monitored by several Range Sensors like Radar, Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS) and Telemetry deployed by ITR at different locations to ensure complete coverage of the flight path. The missile followed the desired path using waypoint navigation and demonstrated very low altitude sea-skimming flight," the Defence Ministry said in a release. The Customs department at Mumbai airport found diamonds in noodle packets and gold hidden in passengers and their bags. The total value of these items is 6.46 crore, PTI reported while citing an official. Customs officials arrested eight passengers who had over 6.815 kg of gold worth 4.44 crore and diamonds valued at 2.02 crore last weekend, according to a statement released late April 22 night. An Indian traveller going from Mumbai to Bangkok was caught with diamonds hidden in noodle packets inside his suitcase. He was arrested, an official reported. A foreign traveller flying from Colombo to Mumbai was caught with gold bars and a small piece, weighing 321 grams in total, hidden in her underwear. Ten Indian nationals coming from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat, Bangkok and Singapore were caught carrying over 6 kilograms of gold, worth about 4.04 crore rupees, hidden in their rectums, on their bodies, and in their luggage. Three of them were arrested. Further details were not provided. During 15-18 April, 2024, Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III seized over 9.482 Kg Gold valued @ Rs. 5.71 Cr across 14 cases. Gold was found concealed in rectum, on body, in hand bag and cavities in undergarments of pax. Eight Pax were arrested, Mumbai Customs said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Seized gold items The seized gold items include gold chains, bracelets, rings, kada and discs concealed in clothes and luggage; gold chains and plates hidden in mobile phones and clothing; gold dust in wax hidden in rectums; and melted gold bars hidden in undergarments, ANI reported. On April 19, the officers of APSC Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone III intercepted and seized 2.314 Kg of coloured pills appearing to be MDMA valued at 4.62 Crores, concealed in 02 cloth organizers. A controlled delivery operation led to the arrest of an Indian and a Foreign National. Thick plumes of smoke continued to rise at the Ghazipur landfill site on Tuesday morning after a fire break out that caused breathing problems for local people. The Ghazipur landfill fire also triggered a political debate between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the AAP-led MCD with the BJP accusing Kejriwal-led MCD of criminal negligence. The fire started at the east Delhi landfill on Sunday evening. Authorities stated that the fire was most likely triggered by hot, and dry weather conditions. Here are top 10 updates on Ghazipur landfill fire, 1) The Delhi government on Monday instructed its environment department to present a thorough report outlining the fire's causes along with a plan of action to avoid reoccurring events at these locations. 2) The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, in a late night statement, said 90% of the fire has been doused and around 40-50 small isolated flames remain in the 3,000 sqm area which saw the fire, PTI reported. 3) The city body has chosen a two-pronged strategy to douse the fire: employing fire tenders to extinguish the flames and deploying inert materials and construction and demolition trash to smother the fire. 4) "Around 600 MT of inert and C&D waste was used to extinguish the fire. Sixteen excavators, two bulldozers and six fire tenders were pressed into service to stamp out the fire. Sprinklers are continually working to ensure that no dust or ash is spread in the neighbourhood," the statement read. 5) A case has been registered against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) at Ghazipur police station. 6) In addition, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said the MCD will launch an inquiry into the incident. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that the fire was caused by the AAP-led MCD's criminal negligence. 7) Delhi Congress head Arvinder Singh Lovely emphasized the need of putting aside small-time politics and urged all parties involved to work together to put out the landfill fire, which is seriously affecting people's health and air quality. 8) Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai issued an order directed the principal secretary, environment and forests, to submit a report on the cause of the fire within 48 hours, as per PTI reports. 9) Rai also instructed the principal secretary to ensure that every detail regarding the origin of the fire and the quick actions made by several organizations to put it out was covered in the report. 10) It also sought information about the department's summertime action plan to stop these kinds of accidents at all Delhi garbage sites. The Delhi traffic police on Tuesday issued a traffic advisory in view of Hanuman Jayanti, providing guidance for commuters to ensure a hassle-free journey. In an official release, the officials noted that the Hanuman Janmotsav' is being celebrated by the Hanuman Mandir Committee on Tuesday at Hanuman Mandir located on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. During the day expected gathering is approx. 50,000-60,000. Beside this, Shobha Yatra will also be carried out from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM in which 1,000-1,500 persons along with 07 Rath's and Band Parties will be participating, which may affect the traffic on surrounding roads, it added. Traffic restrictions and diversions To ensure smooth traffic management in the vicinity, the following measures will be taken: No vehicle will be allowed to halt or park anywhere on Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Outer CC, Connaught Place. Vehicles found parked on the above roads shall be towed away and prosecuted as per law. Towed vehicles would be parked in Traffic Pit located as Kali Badi Marg, near CNG Pump. Diversion Points Outer CC Baba Kharak Singh Marg Roundabout GPO Roundabout Patel Chowk Roundabout Windsor Place Routes to avoid Roundabout GPO to Outer CC, Baba Karak Singh Marg Outer CC Connaught Place Panchkuiyan Road Mandir Marg Kali Badi Marg Ashok Road Janpath The official statement further read, People who are going towards ISBT/Railway Stations/Airports are advised to carefully plan their travel with sufficient time at hand. Hanuman Jayanti is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Hanuman, one of the revered figures in the Ramayana epic. The day is observed in various ways across India, with customs differing by region, season, and local traditions. With the European Union (EU) adopting favourable Schengen visa rules for Indians, the strength of Indian passports is arguably set to grow with travel to 29 European countries getting seamless and hassle-free. Incidentally, Indian passports are currently ranked at 85, as per Henley Passport Index for 2024 that ranks 199 nations based on the strength of their passports. Our neighbouring country Pakistan is ranked at 106, while Bangladesh at 102. Under the new Schengen visa regime, Indians will now be able to enter any of these European countries multiple times for two years, which is further extendable by 5 years, and stay there like visa-free nationals. This is a stark departure from the current practice. Until now, when Indians intend to travel to one or more European countries, they are meant to apply for the much sought-after Schengen visa, which is given for a maximum of three months. But now, under the cascade regime -- guess what? You can stay in Switzerland, Amsterdam, and/ or any other European countries such as Austria, Hungary, Poland, Belgium, Germany, France, among others, for as long as two years, which is extendable, without any hiccups. According to a report in Aug 2023, Scandinavian regions in Europe saw a substantial growth of 140 percent as of August 2023 in comparison to pre-COVID levels in 2020, according to insights from MakeMyTrip. Let us understand how this will work: How will this work? This is primarily beneficial for those Indians who frequently travel to one or more European countries. And if you have travelled to Europe on a Schengen visa for two times in the past three years, then you are eligible for this new visa category cascade regime under which you will be given two-year multi entry visa and you can travel and stay in any of these countries just like an individual who does not require a visa to be there. But the only catch is that you wont be allowed to work and earn there like a local citizen. This two-year visa will then be followed by a five-year visa so long as the passport has sufficient validity. For example, if the passport is set to expire three years later, then the visa seeker wont be able to get the Schengen visa extended by five years. Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work. "The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals," reads the statement shared by Herve Delphin, Ambassador, Delegation of European Union to India on X Platform. 5-year post-study visa in France This Schengen move is testimony to the growing partnership between Europe and India. Last year, France also eased its visa rules for inbound Indian students. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France in July 2023, the European nation extended a five-year post-study visa to Indian students who had completed their master's degree there. Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal on Monday launched the company's operations at Ayodhya airport to assist travellers and ensure a hassle-free journey in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh. Aggarwal emphasized Ayodhya's rising prominence as one of India's most rapidly expanding cultural and tourism hubs, drawing millions of tourists each year. He expressed optimism that Ola's entry into places such as Ayodhya will open up significant growth prospects and improve transport for both tourists and devotees. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bhavish Aggarwal wrote, Namaste Ayodhya! Thrilled to launch @olacabsoperations at Ayodhya Airport! Ram Nagri Ayodhya is the fastest growing cultural, tourist hub in India, welcoming millions of tourists annually. Hope to help make this spiritual journey for us Indians more convenient and accessible! the Ola founder added. The company's entry into Ayodhya is consistent with its overarching goal of serving one billion Indians. This came after Ola's impressive financial performance with its India mobility business reporting a notable turnaround. The company made a profit of 250 crore in the fiscal year 20222023, a considerable improvement over the 66 crore loss in the previous fiscal year. Ola saw an incredible 58 per cent increase in revenue, which rose to 2,135 crore in the fiscal year 20222023 from 1,350 crore in the preceding year. Meanwhile, Ola Cabs aims to secure $500 million through its initial public offering (IPO), targeting a valuation of approximately $5 billion. This marks Ola's second try at going public, following a failed attempt in 2021 to raise $1 billion. In 2021, Ola was valued at $7 billion during a fundraising round. However, its investors have since reduced its valuation in internal assessments. Vanguard, a shareholder of Ola, decreased its internal valuation of the company to $1.9 billion in February. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to submit a report on the Murshidabad violence during Ram Navami and urged the Election Commission (EC) to delay elections in Berhampur. The move comes after a petition was filed at the high court. The petition seeks a probe by the National Investigation Agency into the issue. The next hearing is scheduled for April 26. The Calcutta High Court said, "If people cannot enjoy and celebrate in peace, any festival, even for 8 hours, we will recommend the Election Commission of India not to hold parliamentary elections in such constituencies. If despite model code of conduct being invoked, two sets of people are fighting with each other they do not have any right to vote their representative." On the occasion of Ram Navami, a woman was injured in a blast at a rally at Saktipur in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, police said. The woman was taken to the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. "The blast happened this evening. One woman was injured in it. We are investigating the incident," the police officer had told PTI. The officer, however, did not clarify whether the blast was due to a bomb or some other reason. The very next day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the violence was "pre-planned" and accused the BJP of orchestrating it ahead of polling for the Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the BJP reacted, saying Banerjee should be held accountable for failing to protect Bengali Hindus. All you need to know about Berhampur constituency: While Baharampur is dominated by over 66 per cent Muslim population, the constituency is also inhabited by minorities like Christians (0.25 per cent), Jains (0.04 per cent) and Sikhs (0.01 per cent). Besides the religious spread, 13.2 per cent of the total population in Baharampur belongs to the Scheduled Castes (SC) category and 0.9 per cent to Scheduled Tribes (ST). The Lok Sabha constituency has seven assembly segments -- Burwan (SC), Kandi, Bharatpur, Rejinagar, Beldanga, Baharampur, and Naoda -- all in the Murshidabad district. The seven-phase polls started on Friday and West Bengal will vote in all the phases -- April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. In Baharampur, polling is scheduled for May 13. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. The Mumbai police's crime branch has made significant discovery during their ongoing operation to retrieve firearms believed to be connected to the firing incident outside Salman Khan's residence, PTI reported. Search efforts in Gujarat's Tapi River have yielded two pistols, three magazines and 13 bullets, an official told the wire agency on April 23. A dedicated team comprising 12 officials, including senior police inspector Daya Nayak, known as the "encounter specialist", is continuing their search at the site. The assistance of scuba divers is also being utilised, the official added. Arrested Suspects and Recovery Details Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21), the two suspects apprehended in connection with the firing incident outside Galaxy Apartment on April 14, were reported to have fled the scene on a motorcycle. They were subsequently arrested on April 16 in Mata No Madh near Bhuj town, Gujarat, following a joint effort by the Mumbai and Kutch police teams. During interrogation, the suspects disclosed that they disposed of the weapons into the Tapi River from a railway bridge while en route to Bhuj after fleeing Mumbai. According to police sources, the duo's primary motive behind the shooting seems to be creating "terror". Mumbai police have identified gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi as "wanted accused" in connection with the incident. It is alleged that Gupta and Pal were acting under the instructions of the Bishnoi brothers. While Lawrence is currently incarcerated at Sabarmati Central Prison in Gujarat for another case, his brother Anmol is believed to be residing in either Canada or the United States, as per official statements. Two Malaysian navy helicopters collided into each other in midair in Lumut, Malaysia, on Tuesday, April 23, leaving all the ten crew of the choppers dead, the Perak Fire and Rescue Department confirmed. The two helicopters--HOM (M503-3) and Fennec (M502-6)--collided and subsequently crashed at 9:32 am, the Royal Malaysian Navy reported. The video of the air crash, which occurred near the Malaysian town of Lumut, is viral on social media. All the crew members aboard the two helicopters succumbed to the injuries, leaving no survivors, Malaysian news media outlets reported. The video footage of the collision and the subsequent crash shows one of the helicopters getting stuck to the rotor of the other, leading to the crash. As per media reports, one of the choppers crashed onto a track while the other crashed into a swimming pool nearby. Also read: Malaysia may renew hunt for missing flight MH370, 10 years after its disappearance The department was alerted to an emergency call at 9.50 am regarding a helicopter incident at the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy stadium in Manjung, Perak, the Malaysian rescue department was quoted as saying. As per the Royal Malaysian Navy's statement, the helicopters were rehearsing for the Navys 90th anniversary event that was scheduled from May 3 to May 5. The statement further mentioned that the HOM (M503-3) helicopter was carrying seven people and the remaining three were aboard the Fennec (M502-6) helicopter. Alsop read: Malaysia's billionaire Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar sworn in as the new king The press release stated, All the victims were confirmed dead at the scene and were subsequently transported to the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy Base military hospital for identification purposes. An American YouTuber recently received a head massage in Delhi's Nehru Place following which he recommended Elon Musk, the SpaceX founder, to hire the barber. "I just went to space," Max recalled his fabulous experience. The YouTube sensation, called Max, posted a video of his encounter with Delhi barber. The video gained traction on social media and amassed over 2 lakh views and 5,500 likes. His YouTube channel, Daily Max, has 1.2 million subscribers. Also read: Tesla's Tumultuous Path: Elon Musk to address investor concerns in pivotal earnings report In the nine-minute video clip posted on Sunday, April 21, the American national gets a head and shoulder massage. The video titled Cosmic Indian head massage makes me see stars show cases the work of a barber named Muhammad Waris. Approaching the barber, the youtuber said, So I saw this man. He's working hard, he's making it look good; I am excited to get a head massage from this guy. This is gonna be a good massage, I saw him already. The video clip began with the barber giving head massage and later moving onto shoulders and hands. Amazed by the barber's skills, Max remarked, Elon Musk needs to hire this guy cause I just went to space. Netizens were strong to react to the video as one user stated, "Mohammed deserved every penny for that experience. That was an EXPERT massage." A second user remarked, max just tipped him 3000-5000rs As i can look at the bunch of 500's, So kind of you max. He will remember the day for the rest of his life. A government official on Tuesday denied Australian journalist Avani Dias' claim of being compelled to leave India because of her reporting on Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing, saying that she had violated visa rules. The official dismissed her claims as "mischievous and misleading". According to news agency PTI's report citing official sources, Dias was found to have violated visa rules while undertaking her professional pursuits. Earlier on Tuesday, the South Asia correspondent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), who left India on April 19, claimed that she was denied an extension of her visa by the Modi government because her reports "crossed a line". The PTI report quoting the official said despite all this, on Dias' request, she was assured that her visa would be extended for the coverage of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The source also told PTI that the journalist's previous visa was valid till April 20. "The contention of Avani Dias, the South Asia Correspondent of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), that she was not allowed to cover elections and was compelled to leave the country is not correct, misleading and mischievous," PTI reported citing a source. The PTI report further added that Dias paid the visa fee on April 18 and her visa was extended till June-end the same day. She, however, chose to leave India on April 20, the PTI report said adding that at the time of her departure Dias held a valid visa and her extension of visa stood approved. The PTI sources also dismissed her claims of not being allowed to cover elections as factually incorrect. According to the PTI report citing sources, coverage of election activities outside of booths is permitted to all Journalist Visa holders. "Authority letters are required only for access to polling booths and counting stations. This, however, cannot be processed while the visa extension is under process," the source told PTI. (Rewrites first paragraph, updates share price, adds comments from conference call in paragraphs 9-14) By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Deborah Mary Sophia April 23 (Reuters) - JetBlue Airways on Tuesday warned it no longer expects to break even on an adjusted operating margin basis this year as bloated industry capacity in Latin America has depressed its revenue. The New York-based airline said it is also facing higher operating costs as ongoing inspections of Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines have grounded a number of its aircraft. JetBlue's shares were down about 17% at $6.25 in afternoon trading. Latin America accounts for 35% of JetBlue's total capacity. The company has had to cut fares as industry capacity in Latin leisure markets has increased over 60% since 2019 and has been growing double digits a quarter since the second half of 2023. It has cut some of its routes and markets that were unprofitable, including Bogota in Colombia and Lima in Peru, and reallocated resources to better-performing regions. The company is trying to drive up ancillary revenue and trimming capacity in the autumn to better match supply with demand. Still, JetBlue expects revenue in the second quarter to fall as much as 10.5% from a year ago. Full-year revenue in 2024 is estimated to decline in the low-single-digit percentage range, compared with its prior forecast for revenue to be roughly flat. It reported an adjusted loss of 43 cents per share in the March quarter. Analysts on average were expecting a loss of 52 cents, according to LSEG data. ENGINE ISSUES JetBlue said it is seeking compensation from Pratt & Whitney because of the engine issues, which are expected to keep an average of 11 aircraft out of service throughout the year. It called the situation "frustratingly fluid." Chief Executive Joanna Geraghty said the airline also needs to cut costs to the current operating environment. "A key component of our work to return our business to profitability is ensuring we maintain a low cost base in a year where we are not growing," she said on an earnings call. As part of the cost-cut effort, JetBlue said it was reducing its real estate footprint at several airports such as LaGuardia in New York and LAX in Los Angeles. It has deferred about $2.5 billion in aircraft capital expenditure and offered buyouts to employees in corporate, airport and customer support functions. The measures are estimated to deliver savings of $175 million to $200 million by the end of the year. Last year, Pratt & Whitney's parent company RTX said a rare powder metal defect that can lead to cracks in some engine components could ground hundreds of Airbus jets in coming years. To mitigate the impact of the issues with the Pratt & Whitney engines, JetBlue is purchasing 12 of its leased Airbus A320 aircraft that were set for return. It also has an option to defer the retirements of about 30 A320 jets, which make up about 10% of its total fleet. (Adds quotes from justices) By Andrew Chung and John Kruzel WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday signaled support for Starbucks in the coffee chain's challenge to a judicial order requiring it to rehire seven employees at a Memphis cafe who were fired as they pursued unionization. The justices heard arguments in the Seattle-based company's appeal of a lower court's approval of an injunction sought by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordering reinstatement of the workers. The case could make it harder to quickly halt labor practices challenged as unfair under federal law while the NLRB resolves complaints. The dispute centers on the legal standard that federal courts must use to issue a preliminary injunction requested by the NLRB under a federal law called the National Labor Relations Act. Such orders are intended as an interim tool to halt unfair labor practices while a case proceeds before the board. Under that law's section 10(j), a court may grant an injunction if it is deemed "just and proper." Starbucks has argued that the judge who granted the injunction should have used a stringent four-factor test to weigh the bid for an injunction, as courts typically do in non-labor disputes. This test includes an assessment of whether the side seeking relief would suffer irreparable harm and is likely to succeed on the merits of the case. Some justices appeared to agree that courts, not the NLRB, should have the primary role in determining the likelihood of success in a case before issuing an injunction. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch told Justice Department lawyer Austin Raynor, who was defending the Starbucks injunction, that other federal agencies are subject to the stricter standard. "In all sorts of alphabet soup agencies, we don't do this," Gorsuch said, using a term describing agencies known by their initials. "District courts apply the 'likelihood of success' test as we normally conceive it. So why is this particular statutory regime different than so many others?" Liberal Justice Elena Kagan pressed Raynor to explain "why courts should apply a lower standard." Raynor said the reason is "structural" because in unfair labor disputes, Congress intended through the National Labor Relations Act for the NLRB to be the primary adjudicator, not the courts. "But it also gave this power over injunctions to the court," Kagan replied. Starbucks contends that if the lower courts had applied stricter criteria, this case would have come out differently. About 400 Starbucks locations in the United States have unionized, involving more than 10,000 employees. Both sides at times have accused the other of unlawful or improper conduct. Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the NLRB accusing Starbucks of unlawful labor practices such as firing union supporters, spying on workers and closing stores during labor campaigns. Denying wrongdoing, Starbucks has said it respects the right of workers to choose whether to unionize. In a break from the acrimony, both sides in February agreed to create a "framework" to guide organizing and collective bargaining and potentially settle scores of pending legal disputes. 'CREAM OF THE CROP' Raynor told the justices that the NLRB seeks 10(j) injunctions in very few "cream of the crop" cases, last year requesting just seven even though it receives 20,000 unfair labor charges annually. "This is an expert agency that has said, 'We think these are the most deserving of relief,'" Raynor added. But conservative Chief Justice John Roberts said that "I don't know why the inference isn't the exact opposite." Roberts said these could be the cases that the board feels "are the most vulnerable." Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett emphasized to Raynor that federal courts serve as "an independent check" on the NLRB's power. "We acknowledge this isn't a rubber stamp," Raynor replied. Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also noted the relatively small number of injunctions the NLRB seeks annually. "This is not sounding like a huge problem," Jackson said. "Whether or not it's a huge problem, what petitioner (Starbucks) wants is just a level playing field," Blatt responded. The case began in 2022, when the workers at the Memphis Poplar Avenue store became among the first to unionize. They let a television news crew into the Starbucks cafe after hours to talk about the union campaign. Seven workers present that evening were fired, including some belonging to the union organizing committee. Employees there eventually voted to join the Workers United union. The union filed NLRB unfair labor charges over the firings and other discipline by managers. The agency sought an injunction, alleging Starbucks unlawfully fired the workers for supporting unionization and to send a message to other workers. U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman granted the injunction in 2022. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld it in 2023. The Supreme Court's ruling is expected by the end of June. Oxford Internationals Student Global Mobility Index (SGMI) report revealed that the United States emerged as the top choice among Indian students aspiring to study abroad. The SGMI report published on April 22 stated that 45 per cent of students surveyed cited the quality of education as one of the prime factors while considering higher education destinations abroad. Among the surveyed Indian students, 69 per cent of them sought higher education in the US while 54 per cent of them opted for the United Kingdom. The third spot was occupied by Canada with 43 per cent opting for it as a location to pursue higher education while 27 per cent of respondents voted for Australia. Also read: Study abroad: How much money do you need to study at a US university? While delivering interesting insights into the student migration trend, the report revealed that respondents expressed concerns over affordability, safety and security while voting for the most favoured destination to pursue higher education. Also read: Study abroad: MBA at a top US university can cost you over 2 crore. Details here Key findings from SGMI report: The motivating factors to study in the US were the quality of education cited by 45 per cent of students and the reputation of universities cited by 42 per cent of respondents. The report further suggested that 71 per cent of Indian students consider their parents or guardians as the primary influencers who significantly contribute to making the final decision about pursuing education abroad. A similar trend was observed in students from other countries, including Nigeria (72 per cent), Pakistan (71 per cent) and Vietnam (62 per cent). Also read: Financing your path to success: All you need to know about education loans Considering the affordable fees parameter, 28 per cent of Indian students selected the UK for higher education, which was followed by Australia (20 per cent), Canada (18 per cent), and the US (9 per cent). Scholarships also played an integral role in determining the country for higher studies, more than 34 per cent of students surveyed selected Australia which was followed by Canada (32 per cent), the UK (27 per cent) and the US (23 per cent). Managing Director at Oxford International Education Services Mohit Gambir remarked, The survey has ranked the US as the most preferred study destination followed by the UK as the second most preferred one." Google has reportedly terminated 20 more employees following an internal protest regarding the companys contract with Israel's defence sector, protest organisers told The Verge. Jane Chung, spokesperson for No Tech for Apartheid, which organised Googlers' sit-in, in an email said those fired included individuals who did not actively participate in the protest or "non-participating bystanders". Chung added that the recent dismissals bring the total number of fired employees to more than 50. Google has yet to respond to queries, the report added. Livemint could not independently confirm the development. Also Read | Google Consolidates Teams With Aim to Create AI Products Faster 28 Googlers Fired Last Week The tech giant dismissed 28 employees on April 17 for demonstrating against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion defence contract between Google and Israel. The "sit-in" protests at Google's offices in New York and Sunnyvale (California) lasted eight hours on April 16 and resulted in the arrest of nine employees. Google said the employees were terminated for "completely unacceptable behaviour", creating a threatening atmosphere and hindering other workers from doing their jobs. It also said that investigations are still on, indicating more firings, as per AP. No Tech For Apartheid has in a blog post stated that the protests were "peaceful" and received overwhelming support from other employees who were not participating. This flagrant act of retaliation is a clear indication that Google values its $1.2 billion contract with the genocidal Israeli government and military more than its own workers, No Tech For Apartheid said. Office No Place for Politics, Says Sundar Pichai Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a blog post on April 18 said the company is powering ahead with its AI initiatives, calling this a pivotal moment in the industry. This is a business and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics. This is too important a moment as a company for us to be distracted," Pichai wrote. Project Nimbus: Why Are Googlers Up in Arms? Project Nimbus, signed in 2021, has become a "hot-button issue" due to its alleged use by the Israeli government in the Gaza offensive, AP reported. As per the contract, Google and Amazon provide Israel with cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) services. There have been multiple reports of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) using AI to attack and fire at targets in Gaza. Concerns have thus emerged that Google's tech is enabling this system. However, Google has said that its technology is not being deployed for weapons or intelligence gathering. Many other workers told Bloomberg that internal debate on the Israel-Gaza issue is being stifled. A Google employee said that after the protests, posts on internal Google forums featured a mix of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli sentiment, with many other workers saying they felt the topic was inappropriate for the workplace. Moderators locked down some threads on the subject, saying prior discussions had gotten too heated, the employee added. Despite Googles response, employees demonstrating against Project Nimbus have seen an uptick in support since the sit-in, one of the fired workers told Bloomberg. Not The First Protest In 2018, Googlers protested and forced the company to drop Project Maven a US defence department contract that would help the military analyse videos. There was also a walkout in the same year over the company's handling of sexual assault allegations, where workers say they were punished, as per a Bloomberg report. Further, four other employees who opposed Google's work with federal Customs and Border Protection also faced consequences. Notably, US labour law gives employees the right to engage in collective action related to working conditions. Tech workers are not like other kinds of workers. You can make an argument in this case that having some sort of say or control or ability to protest about how their work product is being used is actually a sort of key issue," John Logan, a professor of labour at San Francisco State University told Bloomberg. Russias complete embrace of North Korea could increase Kim Jong Uns appetite for risk when it comes to threatening South Korea and exporting weapons abroad, as well as helping Pyongyang ignore Washingtons call to return to nuclear talks, a senior Biden administration official said. As North Korea ships weapons to help power President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, Pyongyang has benefited from the whole gamut of improved diplomatic ties with Russia, from economic and security assistance to high-profile visits by top Russian officials, the State Departments senior official for North Korea, Jung Pak, said in an interview Monday. This could lend this once-isolated country the luster of legitimacy that it does not deserve, and it should not have, Pak said. Were concerned about what that might do to make Kim think that his leash is longer than it really is, and how that might figure into Kims risk calculus. North Korea has so far shipped around 11,000 containers of munitions to Russia as well as 40 ballistic missiles used in Ukraine, Pak said. That has bolstered Putins forces after they got bogged down when their initial advance failed to take Kyiv, and as Russias defense industrial base was eroded by a wave of Western sanctions aimed at damaging Russias economy. South Koreas Defense Minister Shin Wonsik has said that Seoul estimates the containers could hold about 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells used by the Kremlin in its bombardment of Ukraine. This has bolstered Putins arms stocks while Kyivs ammunition supplies have dwindled as military aid has been held up in the US Congress. Russia in return is providing North Korea with food, raw materials and parts used in weapons manufacturing, Shin said. The food aid has helped Kim stabilize prices for necessities and the military aid could increase Pyongyangs threat to the region, he added. The value of the artillery alone is likely several billion dollars and the aid from Russia could represent the biggest boost to North Koreas economy since Kim took power. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the arms transfers accusations despite a multitude of satellite photos released by research groups and the US government showing the flow of weapons from North Korea to Russia and then to munitions dumps near the border with Ukraine. One substantial way North Korea has benefited diplomatically from its burgeoning relationship with Moscow has been Russias veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution to extend a panel of experts that has reported on North Koreas development of its nuclear arsenal for 15 years, Pak said. There is now a real risk the high-profile nature of North Koreas relationship with Russia could make its armaments more appealing to other groups around the world, Pak said. South Korea has already said that North Korean weapons have been used by Hamas, a US-designated terrorist group, against Israel as the war in Gaza drags on. The luster of legitimacy could give other bad actors ideas about North Koreas weapon systems, she said. And North Korea has had a long history of proliferation in the Middle East, Africa, elsewhere. And we dont want that to start blossoming into other proliferation relationships. So this is not just a Northeast Asia problem. Kim has shown off some of his newest weapons systems by displaying tests on state media. North Koreas propaganda apparatus on Tuesday lauded its latest test overseen by Kim a day earlier of a simultaneous launch of short-range ballistic missiles in what it billed as its quick counterattack capability in a nuclear trigger system. While North Korea has flouted Western sanctions and efforts to halt Russias war machine, Chinese firms have also been crucial to reestablishing the Kremlins defense industrial base with dual-use technologies and other components, the US has said. Chinese companies and banks have also been blamed for facilitating payments to North Korean entities, with that money funding Kims nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to bring up North Koreas provocations when he visits China in the coming days, department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at a news briefing. While Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, on a recent trip to China, threatened Chinese financial institutions that aided Russias war with sanctions, it wasnt clear whether the US would take similar actions when it comes to Chinese banks that are involved with North Korea. Over 100,000 displaced due to rain-related disasters in Sri Lanka 13 Oct 2024 | 1:15 PM Colombo, Oct 13 (UNI) Over 100,000 people have been displaced in 12 districts in Sri Lanka due to rain-related disasters from Oct. 7 until Sunday morning, the country's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. see more.. Pakistan: Man sentenced to death in blasphemy case 13 Oct 2024 | 12:50 PM Islamabad, Oct 13 (UNI) A man found guilty of blasphemy by a Pakistani special court has been sentenced to death in the Rawalpindi city of Punjab province, according to media sources. see more.. Islamic Resistance in Iraq attacks Israeli military site in Golan Heights 13 Oct 2024 | 11:39 AM Damascus, Oct 13 (UNI) The Islamic Resistance in Iraq carried out a drone strike targeting an Israeli military site in the occupied Golan Heights early Sunday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. see more.. Chinese premier to attend SCO meeting, visit Pakistan 13 Oct 2024 | 11:34 AM Beijing, Oct 13 (UNI) Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be held in Islamabad and pay an official visit to Pakistan from October 14 to 17, at the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Sunday. see more.. (Bloomberg) -- The Senate advanced a $95 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine and other besieged US allies, putting the bill on track for final congressional approval. The Defense Department is prepared to begin shipping arms to Ukraine within days, allowing long-delayed weaponry to reach the battlefield within weeks, a White House official said. The popular TikTok social media app also faces a US ban under the legislation unless Bytedance Ltd divests within 360 days, a provision the China-based corporate parent says it will fight in US courts. Read More: TikTok Ready to Fight US Ban With 170 Million Users at Stake Senate passage of the bill would end an impasse over aid President Joe Biden requested six months ago, a delay that has highlighted growing isolationism in the Republican party and undermined the credibility of US global strategic commitments. The 80-19 procedural vote Tuesday to limit debate on the aid package, which also includes assistance for Israel and Taiwan, forces a final Senate vote by Wednesday. Republican opponents are expected to allow a vote late Tuesday evening. The bipartisan vote should put some wind in the sails of those on the ground, doing the fighting, said Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy. Senate approval of the package was a foregone conclusion after the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 311 to 112 bipartisan vote. Speaker Mike Johnson pressed forward with legislation even though a majority of lawmakers in his own Republican party opposed it. The $61 billion for Ukraine includes $13 billion to replenish US stockpiles for weapons already given to Ukraine and $14 billion for US-made defense systems to be provided to Ukraine. It also has $7 billion for US military operations in the region. The bills $9.5 billion in economic assistance to Ukraine comes in the form of a loan that the president can fully forgive after the next election. The loan idea was first floated by Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and was a key tweak to the legislation made by House GOP leaders. That bill also allows the confiscation of Russian dollar assets to help fund assistance to Ukraine. Read More: US House Passes $95 Billion to Aid Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com One of the many things to appreciate about our home planet is that buried in its layers of rock is a kind of time machine. These strata tell us about our tumultuous history of glaciers, volcanoes and asteroid impacts, as well as the plants and animals that lived, evolved and died over aeons. Theres no doubt that future scientists will find much to study in the layer being laid down right now weird materials from plastic to plutonium and dramatic changes in the nature of fossilized plants and animals. And yet, a group of scientists rejected a proposal to give this epoch a new name: the Anthropocene, derived from the Greek word for human. Thats too bad. Its a fitting name but seems to have been dismissed over technicalities. The approach of dividing deep time into segments began before we knew how old our planet was. Geologists in the late 1700s and early 1800s saw layers of rock with different materials and fossils. These sometimes changed at abrupt boundaries. They began to consider that the Earth might be millions of years old, but it wasnt until the 1950s that researchers established that our planets age is around 4.5 billion years. By the early 1800s, we had time frames. The biggest units were aeons, within which were eras, periods and epochs. Thanks to our love of dinosaur movies, some people are familiar with the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, each spanning tens of millions of years, the latter ending with a catastrophic asteroid impact. Our current period is called the Quaternary, and within that are two epochsthe Pleistocene, which started 2.5 million years ago, and is known for periodic ice ages, and the Holocene, which started just 11,700 years ago and is known as a relatively stable and mild period that let humanity go global. Many of the previous periods are named after geographic locations where rock formations or fossils were identified. The name Anthropocene was proposed in 2000 by chemist Paul Crutzen, who won a Nobel Prize for his part in the discovery that human activities were threatening Earths protective ozone layer. In 2009, a team of known as the Anthropocene Working Group set out to pick a date when the Holocene ended and the Anthropocene began. Should it start with the lead pollution of the Roman Empire, captured in ice sheets? The colonization of the Americas and Australia, which changed those continents biota? They settled on 1952, when humanity added plutonium and other detectable by-products of atomic bomb testing to our planets surface. The recency of that date seemed to be a sticking point for the scientists who rejected the Anthropocene concept. Some also argued that what were calling the Anthropocene is not so much an epoch as an eventa rapid environmental change that might or might not kick off a new epoch. Some also thought it sounded too negative. Stephen Lezak, a professor at Cambridge and Oxford, argues that the name sends a pessimistic message that were defining the era by human-caused environmental disaster" and that we wont be getting out of this mess any time soon." But our influence doesnt have to be seen as purely destructive. Its downright optimistic to expect someone doing science millennia in the future looking to study what we left behind. A future scientist could be someone like Richard Alley, a professor at Penn State University and author of The Two Mile Time Machine, about drilling into Earths ice caps to understand the planets past. Alley says that since the Anthropocene just got started and represents only a sliver on the Earths top crust, geologists dont need it for mapping purposes. But if you appreciate that the lines the early geologists drew through different eras represented upheavals, then whats going on easily qualifies. The Anthropocene very clearly is another one," he said. Barring some spectacular technological intervention, the carbon dioxide thats come from burning fossil fuels could take 100,000 to 500,000 years to be re-absorbed by Earth, said Alley. In the meantime, the resulting glacier loss and sea level rise will affect people for thousands of years. So however long our species lasts, the influence of recent decades will reverberate through time. Historically, people have had trouble believing we could change something as powerful and vast as Earths climate. And human beings couldnt have known, at first, that they were changing the planets atmosphere. Of course, we now know that humanity is leaving a big mark in the strata. What we dont know is how future scientists will judge us. Naming this era the Anthropocene could be seen as a positive statement about our speciesthat we had the foresight and self-awareness to recognize our growing impact on our vast but limited Earth. bloomberg Finally, the United States polity has found the resolve to pass a much-delayed aid package for Ukraine after wrangling over it for months, even as the situation for Ukraine has been going from bad to worse on the battlefield against Russia. This much-needed $61 billion package, which includes air defence systems, mid- to long-range missiles and artillery shells, along with more than $9 billion of economic assistance, got the approval of the US House of Representatives last week by 311 votes to 112. Though this support looks strong, it obscures a bitter divide within the Republican party. American President Joe Biden commended the bipartisan effort to answer historys call" and asked the Senate to approve it quickly, so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs." But the Republican opposition to the legislation is striking, as more Republicans voted by 112 to 101 against the bill than in its support. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson managed to push the bill, but now it is his survival as speaker thats at stake with several members of his party calling for his ouster. Johnson argued that a failure to secure the aid lifeline to Ukraine would bolster the emerging de facto axis of totalitarianism between Russia, Iran and China. But in so doing, he challenged the dominant strain of foreign policy thinking in todays Republican Party that doesnt view support for Ukraine as a vital national interest of the United States. There is no doubt that fatigue is setting in within the US electorate over the Ukraine war and a sharp ideological divide has been emerging. Recent US opinion polls have shown that Republican voters are increasingly resistant to sending any additional aid to Ukraine, even as Democrats and independents are more favourably inclined. Former US president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has also been a vocal critic of continuing aid to Ukraine. But in recent days, he has signalled that he is open to considering a loan to Ukraine, and that also may have helped Johnson in going for broke. However, for many Republicans, the US-Mexico border crisis is of greater concern than the Ukrainians being shelled by Russian forces. It has been clear for months that Ukraine, which is heavily dependent on Western armaments, urgently requires assistance as it faces a formidable Russian power that has been gaining consistently in recent weeks. The Ukrainian military has lately been warning that its situation on the eastern front has been getting worse, with Russian assaults increasing in intensity and potency. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky has been repeatedly underscoring the urgency of US aid, arguing that swift provision of appropriate weaponry could significantly alter the dynamics on the frontline. Other Western nations have not been able to fill the void left by the American inability to make adequate provisions to sustain Ukrainian war efforts. Ukraines challenges on the battlefield are not only a function of Russias superior military capabilities, including advanced weaponry and extensive resources.It lacks consistent support, so the resultant limits on its access to modern equipment and supplies are also a constraint. Without robust US support, Ukraine has found itself increasingly isolated, which has emboldened Russia to escalate its military actions, leading to further loss of Ukrainian territory. But there are costs for the US as well, since its global credibility is under threat. Insufficiently strong American support has the potential to undermine the The North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (Nato) credibility and cohesion. Ukraines desire for closer ties with the West has been a point of contention between Nato and Russia, and wavering support from the US could weaken Natos ability to deter further Russian aggression in eastern Europe. Central and east European nations have been the most vocal supporters of Ukraine and the need for the US to do most of the heavy lifting. A diminished US commitment to Ukraine could strain relations between the US and its European allies that have also provided support to Ukraine and view Russian aggression in eastern Europe as a threat to regional stability. Domestic politics in America, however, is rapidly evolving and the internationalist segment of the Republican Party is increasingly finding itself in a minority. On the ascendant, it would seem, is a Make America Great Again (MAGA) foreign policy, promoted by Donald Trump during his presidency and which prioritized an America first approach. The latest effort by the US Congress to channel billions of dollars in new aid to Ukrainian war efforts may be adequate for the immediate future, but a change of guard in the White House or a Republican majority in the US Congress in upcoming elections would make the continuance of US support unlikely. Both Ukraine and the wider West will need to prepare for that eventuality as well. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi only criticizes others and doesn't speak about the work done by his government in the last ten years, while saying that former PMs worked to make a new India. PM Jawaharlal Nehru's contribution to the country cannot be questioned, said Pawar while addressing a Lok Sabha election campaign in Amravati for a Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate. I saw the operations of around every Prime Minister including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh. They wanted to create a new India, but the current PM just offers criticism, he said. He asserted that some BJP leaders had made public remarks regarding amending the Constitution and urged the people to prevent the emergence of autocracy in India, PTI reported. Pawar said he has come to apologize to the people of Amravati for the mistake he had committed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by supporting Navneet Rana. "In the last elections, I had sought the support of people and made an appeal (to elect Rana). People elected the candidate I had appealed for. Time has come to amend that mistake," he said as quoted by PTI. A high-profile election contest is developing between the BJP's Navneet Rana, the current MP who emerged victorious in the 2019 elections as an Independent, and the Congressman Balwant Wankhede in the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency. Congress leader Wankhede is contesting as a candidate of the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and Congress. "No one in history can forget the contribution of former PM Jawaharlal Nehru but PM continuously criticizes him. Instead of telling what the Central government did in the last ten years, he (Modi) keeps criticising others. We fear that a new Putin is in the making in India", he said. He hailed Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray for "shouldering the responsibility to protect the national interest" by working closely with the Congress and the NCP (SP) like in the past. NASAs Voyager 1, the most distant human-made spacecraft, recently sent an update about the health and status of its onboard engineering systems after a pause of nearly five months. The spacecraft resumed its function of sending usable data about the health and status of its onboard engineering systems for the first time in nine months. For the first time since November, the US space agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is set to enable the spacecraft to yield science data again and resume operation. As per NASA's report, Voyager 1's last message was on November 14. However, the spacecraft continued to receive the space agency's commands and operate normally. Also read: Saturns ocean moon Enceladus appears to have 'ingredients' to support life: Report Later, in March, it was discovered that the issue was tied to one of Voyager's three onboard computers, called the flight data subsystem (FDS). The FDS packages the science and engineering data before transmitting it to Earth. The engineering team at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory located in Southern California discovered that the chip responsible for storing a portion of the FDS memory was not working, in which the FDS computers software code was also stored. NASA said, The loss of that code rendered the science and engineering data unusable. Unable to repair the chip, the team decided to place the affected code elsewhere in the FDS memory." The space agency further noted, But no single location is large enough to hold the section of code in its entirety. Also read: NASA Mars Mission: Space agency seeks cost-cutting solutions for Mars soil sample return amid budget trims Subsequently, the mission controllers devised a plan to divide the affected code into sections and store those sections in different places in the FDS. A radio signal was sent to Voyager 1 on April 18. The mission flight team successfully received a message from the spacecraft on April 20, following certain modifications to the code that worked. In January 2020 Alec Ash, an English writer living in Beijing, arrived in the small mountain town of Dali in south-western China. He and his fiancee had split up just two months before their wedding, and he wanted to escape. So he chose a mountain refuge to which a growing number of Chinese were fleeing, seeking a different kind of Chinese dream. The ancient town became known as Dalifornia". Some of the new arrivals were writers and political dissidents, but many were refugees from modernity. The reason most of them left cities, writes Mr Ash, is not communist control so much as capitalist excess". Chinas boom has improved peoples lives. But now some citizens are stepping back from the gospel of development" and asking, What was it all for? Im richer, but am I happy?" The numbers are still small, but the trickle represents a rejection of what upwardly mobile Chinese held dear for four decades: It had taken just two generations for a Chinese family to pass from pre-industrial agrarianism to post-material urban malaise." For years farmers migrated to cities and tried to shift their hukou (household registration) to get better health care and education. Now urbanites are doing the reverse. Some are hippies. Others are Chinese yuppies fed up with the social expectations of earning more and pushing their children to achieve, part of a trend known as fugu (a return to old ways). All are taking advantage of Dalis remoteness. The books title invokes an old saying, The mountains are high and the emperor far away." The author sets out to reinvent himself, too. What could have been a laboured tale of a foreigner in rural China is mercifully kept as a sideshow. Mr Ash (who used to be a contributor to The Economist ) emerges from the year a changed man. China, less so. The paradox of Dali was that we were trying to find freedom in an unfree state," he writes. The parties continue, but so does the Communist Party. Those who can get from Dalifornia to California still do. For more on the latest books, films, TV shows, albums and controversies, sign up to Plot Twist, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com A week after firing 28 employees for sit-in protests, Google has laid off at least 20 more from its workforce for protesting the company's deal with Israel amid its conflict with Palestine, The Verge reported. The employees were reportedly protesting Google's $1.2 billion cloud computing project Project Nimbus with the Israeli government. With these layoffs, the total number of employees fired for protesting Project Nimbus has now gone up to almost 50, the report said. According to The Verge report, Jane Chung, a spokesperson for No Tech for Apartheid said that the tech giant fired non-participating bystanders". Reports said that nine of Google employees protesting in office premises were arrested earlier. Soon after, Google's head of security Chris Rackow condemned the demonstrations saying that their behaviour was unacceptable, disruptive, and made coworkers feel threatened. On investigating the incident, Google terminated the employment of 28 employees. If you're one of the few tempted to think we're going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again," he said. What did Sundar Pichai said on the protesting employees? Sundar Pichai warned its employees saying that the company has an open culture where debate and discussions are encouraged but there are limitations to the same. We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action. That's important to preserve," the Google CEO said. "This is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics," he added. A Google spokesperson also told Hindustan Times that every single one of those whose were fired were "personally and definitively" involved in disruptive activity inside office buildings. As we indicated, we continued our investigation into the physical disruption inside our buildings on April 16, looking at additional details provided by coworkers who were physically disrupted, as well as those employees who took longer to identify because their identity was partly concealedlike by wearing a mask without their badgewhile engaged in the disruption," the spokesperson said. "Our investigation into these events is now concluded, and we have terminated the employment of additional employees who were found to have been directly involved in disruptive activity. To reiterate, every single one of those whose employment was terminated was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings. We carefully confirmed and reconfirmed this," they added. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. 3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India's undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updates here! MOSCOW -- Latah County District Judge John Judge is allowing Bryan Kohbergers defense to continue asking potential jurors to participate in a survey regarding the quadruple murder case. On Friday, Judge officially lifted his previous order banning the defense from contacting prospective jurors in Latah County and other Idaho counties. Judge made his decision following two April hearings on the matter. The defense, led by public defender Anne Taylor, is preparing to argue for moving Kohbergers trial to another county in Idaho. The defense hired trial consultant Bryan Edelman to create a survey that aims to measure bias among potential jurors. Around 400 people responded to the survey. Edelman said during the April 10 hearing that the purpose of the survey is to assess what residents have read, seen or heard about the Kohberger case in the media, and their opinions on the case. He said the information that has been widely disseminated by the media. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson argued this survey violates a nondissemination order put into place last year. The order prohibits people involved in the case from publicly disseminating certain information about evidence outside the courtroom. Thompson accused Edelmans survey of including loaded questions that introduce information including false information about the case to the survey takers. A bond to rebuild Lewistons Main Street could be put before voters in May 2025. The Lewiston City Council approved awarding a $881,000 contract to the engineering firm Welch Comer on Monday to create a preliminary design and estimate for the project. That information would be used in putting the bond on the ballot. The vote split 3-2. Council President Jim Kleeburg was in the majority along with councilors Kassee Forsmann and Kathy Schroeder. Councilors John Spickelmire and Jessica Klein voted against the measure. Councilor Hannah Liedkie was not at the meeting because of unanticipated travel delays. The project would focus on a portion of Main Street from the Interstate Bridge to the intersection of Main, D and 11th streets where Main Street turns into a two-way road. The underground portion of the work would include water, wastewater, storm water and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as remediation of sidewalk vaults, said Lewiston City Engineer Luke Antonich. Above ground, the present plan is for Main Street to be turned into a two-way road from the Interstate Bridge to Main, D and 11th streets to help slow traffic and make downtown more of a destination, Antonich said. Whether D Street would be one way or two ways is part of what will be examined in this phase of the work, he said. Road surfaces would be redone along with curbs, gutters, signs, striping and pedestrian access, while roundabouts could be installed, Antonich said. The community will be heavily involved in deciding what the design will look like with opportunities for public comments running from about June through October, he said. This project is not simple, Antonich said. It involves every utility that we have in the city. ... Main Street (is) one of our highest capacity streets. Once Welch Comer completes its work, the citys elected officials will have adequate information to make an informed decision about the next step, Antonich said. Much of this is 100 years old plus, he said. This is the old infrastructure. Theres lots of stuff in the ground that we are uncertain of. ... Theres guaranteed to be some unseen things that crop up. The Clarkston branch of Walla Walla Community College is offering financial aid assistance for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the May 1 deadline. Appointments for one-on-one help in Clarkston can be made by calling (509) 758-3339 or emailing warrioradvising@wwcc.edu. Reasons to stop Biden In her April 7 letter, Janet Marugg asked, When Republicans campaign on stopping Biden, I want to know, from what? Anyone with a shred of common sense wants to stop Joe Biden. Here are five reasons: 1. His open-border policy brings millions of migrants into the U.S. illegally. 2. Biden uses Americans tax money to transport, feed and house the migrants. 3. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows unconstitutional warrantless full-time surveillance of all Americans. 4. Deficit spending. At present, interest on the $34 trillion national debt is $1 trillion annually. (If Marugg wants to pay it, many thanks). 5. By limiting free speech, Biden violates his oath of office and the U.S. Constitution. He and his family are influence peddlers with zero loyalty to the U.S. and no sense of shame. Space limitations prevent describing the other 399 reasons. Never could resist a hanging curve right over the plate. Bridger Barnett Clarkston Unprofessional actions Recently I witnessed surprisingly hostile interactions between the U.S. Postal Service carrier and two of my neighbors. Cars were parked obstructing the carrier from accessing the mailbox while in his truck. One neighbors apology was met with expletives, anger and shouting, and the other neighbors interaction resulted in threats of violence heard down the street. When the carrier was told he would be reported, he replied, Dont matter. They wont do anything. Go ahead. When I went to the post office to report the behavior to the postmaster, the clerk essentially dismissed me, telling me the big man is here today but he wont talk to me. He compared postal carriers to police, in that they sometimes just snap. I replied that it is well within their purview to not deliver the mail if the box is obstructed. It is unprofessional and inappropriate to be cursed and yelled at for the inconvenience. This editorial was published in The Columbian of Vancouver, Wash. A proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is not only startling, but triggers questions about the power of humans to control our natural environment. The federal bureaus latest plan to save the northern spotted owl involves killing nearly a half-million barred owls over the next three decades. The scheme adds to the oversized impact spotted owls have had on environmental policy in the Northwest for roughly 30 years. Concern over the spotted owl a species that is designated as threatened contributed to a sharp reduction in the harvesting of old-growth forests and the creation of the Northwest Forest Plan. The forests, typically more than 120 years old, serve as habitat for the species. Today, however, experts say the spotted owl is facing an equally imposing threat the barred owl, which is slightly larger and is more aggressive. In 2021, a 17-year study led by Oregon State University concluded that removal of invasive barred owls arrested the population decline of the northern spotted owl. That is the impetus behind the proposal to kill barred owls. As Kessina Lee, supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife office in Oregon, told Oregon Public Broadcasting: Rather than choosing to conserve one bird over the other, this is about conserving two species. Spotted owls are fighting for their existence right now. Whereas, even if the service was able to remove that number of barred owls over the next 30 years, that would represent less than 1% of the global population of barred owls. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: April 23 2024 Proceeds from the event will benefit PRPLI student scholarships. Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI) will honor five exceptional professionals from the Nasau-Suffolk region at its 33rd annual awards luncheon on May 15, 2024 at Westbury Manor in Westbury. As the leading organization for public relations, marketing, and communications practitioners on Long Island, PRPLI's prestigious awards program supports its mission to offer networking, learning, mentoring, and career advancement opportunities. Proceeds from the event will benefit PRPLI student scholarships. The luncheon will celebrate the remarkable achievements of media and public relations professionals through several awards, including a lifetime achievement award, a media member honor, an outstanding mentor award, and a rising star recognition in the public relations field. Additionally, the Long Island Achievement Award will be presented to an individual or organization that has significantly advocated for the bi-county region. Each year, we are privileged to acknowledge a group of Long Islands finest communicators who have consistently excelled in promoting a diverse array of local institutions including non-profits, healthcare, education, private industry, and more, said Theresa Jacobellis, president of PRPLI and director of communications solutions at IPRO. Their dedication not only enhances our community but also sets a high standard for professionalism and creativity in our industry. The 2024 PRPLI award honorees include: Jack Rettaliata Lifetime Achievement Award: Hilary JM Topper, MPA, President and CEO, HJMT PR Hilary JM Topper is the president and CEO of HJMT PR, a public relations and social media marketing firm celebrating over three decades of service. A prominent blogger and podcaster, Hilarys influential online presence includes blogs with over 50,000 readers and a podcast boasting more than 200,000 listeners. A published author of three books, including the recent "Branding in a Digital World," Hilary is a respected fitness influencer and an adjunct professor at Hofstra University. Long Island Achievement Award: Long Island Health Collaborative Established in 2013, the Long Island Health Collaborative is a vital organization that fosters partnerships that improve the health of Long Islanders. The collaborative's strategic approach focuses on combating chronic diseases and enhancing mental health through research and critical public reports. Its efforts underscore a commitment to advancing health outcomes across local communities. Outstanding Media Award: James T. Madore, Economic Writer, Newsday James T. Madore is a highly respected economics writer at Newsday, renowned for his insightful coverage of the Nassau-Suffolk business community. His career includes accolades such as the National Headliner Award and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award. A Columbia University graduate, James journalistic passion began early, and today he serves on the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing Board of Governors where he also serves as vice chair of the First Amendment Committee and chair of the Finance Committee. Howard M. Blankman Outstanding Mentor Award: Nina McCann, Manager, Business Development and Marketing, Harris Beach PLLC Nina McCann, an accomplished marketing and public relations specialist, has over two decades of experience in the professional services sector. Currently a manager at the prestigious Harris Beach PLLC law firm, her strategic acumen and leadership extend to her active involvement with multiple industry associations, significantly impacting the marketing and PR landscape. Rising Star Award: Lola Rivera, Assistant Account Executive, ZE Creative Communications Emerging PR professional Lola Rivera has quickly made her mark at ZE Creative Communications by leading promotional efforts for significant municipal and nonprofit clients. Her multifaceted skills were honed at New York Institute of Technology and through various high-impact internships, making her a promising leader in community-oriented communication. For tickets, advertising, and sponsorship information, visit www.prpli.org or email info@prpli.org. About PRPLI Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI) is a regional trade association that provides members with the opportunity to network, learn and advance in their careers. Founded in 1990, PRPLI is the premier organization for individuals working in public relations, publicity, media relations, marketing, corporate communications, advertising, event planning, government relations, and community affairs. PRPLI members include PR practitioners from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, as well as independent communicators. For more information, go to www.prpli.org. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: April 23 2024 Judah Karkowsky used a knowingly falsified court transcript from a hearing on a misdemeanor sex abuse case against to file multiple Notices of Claim against the Woodmere Fire District and Nassau County. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced a former Commissioner of the Woodmere Fire District was convicted yesterday of sending a knowingly falsified court transcript to a representative of his synagogue to attempt to regain access after a misdemeanor sex abuse case against him was dismissed on procedural grounds. The defendant also used language from the falsified transcript in several Notices of Claim he filed with the Woodmere Fire District and Fire Department as well as Nassau County seeking tens of millions of dollars in compensation. Judah Karkowsky, 43, was convicted Thursday after a jury trial before Judge Robert A. Schwartz of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (a D felony); three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (an E felony); two counts of Making an Apparently Sworn False Statement in the First Degree (an E felony); and two counts of Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree (an A misdemeanor). Karkowsky is due back in court for sentencing on June 20, 2024, and faces up to 2-1/3 to 7 years in prison. In more than three decades of prosecuting cases, I have never seen a defendant go to the lengths this defendant did to stand by his blatant fraud. Through his actions, Judah Karkowsky launched a brazen attack on the integrity of the criminal justice system. Karkowskys earlier sex abuse case had been dismissed on procedural grounds, but he wanted so badly to have the charges dismissed on their merits, that he doctored the courts official transcript. Karkowsky invented language, attributed it to a sitting District Court judge, and then distributed the fraudulent transcript, said DA Donnelly. Whats more, this defendant was determined to go to trial despite the existence of an audio recording of the dismissal proceedings that clearly and concretely refuted his sham and exposed his guilt. Even after his indictment, instead of withdrawing his duplicitous Notices of Claim, this defendant pushed forward and filed his lawsuit in federal court, DA Donnelly continued. I will not stand for our system of justice that I hold sacred to ever be manipulated or exploited as was this defendants intention. DA Donnelly said that Judah Karkowsky, a former Commissioner of the Woodmere Fire District, and a volunteer EMT in the Woodmere Fire Department, was arrested on September 23, 2021, for two misdemeanor offenses, including a sex abuse charge. After his arrest, Karkowsky was suspended from the Fire Department. The misdemeanor case against Karkowsky was dismissed on May 6, 2022, due to a violation of CPL 30.30, which required the people to be ready for trial within 90 days of the defendants arraignment on the charges. Karkowsky ordered a copy of the minutes, or court transcript, from the May 6, 2022 court appearance in which Nassau County District Court Judge Douglas Lerose ordered that the case be dismissed and explained the procedural grounds for the dismissal. On May 16, 2022, Karkowsky sent a photograph of a page of the minutes to the co-chairman of the board of trustees at his synagogue that included a sentence that did not appear in the original, official minutes of the proceeding. The sentence said, Notwithstanding, this court has believed for some time that the Peoples case lacked substance and should not have reached this point. Karkowsky intended to use the forged minutes to convince the leadership of the synagogue that his case was dismissed on merit, that he was innocent of the charges, and that he should be welcomed back to the synagogue. Karkowsky was reinstated to the Woodmere Fire Department after his case was dismissed but was not allowed to return to the synagogue. On August 4, 2022, Karkowsky served a Notice of Claim on the Woodmere Fire District and Fire Department seeking $15 million in compensation, claiming that members of the Fire Department caused him to be falsely arrested. The Notice of Claim quoted the fraudulent statement attributed to Judge Lerose from the May 6, 2022 minutes as evidence of Karkowskys innocence. Karkowsky swore before a Public Notary to the contents of the statements in the Notice of Claim. On August 1, 2022, Karkowsky served a Notice of Claim on Nassau County seeking another $15 million in compensation, alleging that members of the Nassau County Police Department and Nassau County District Attorneys Office willfully ignored exculpatory evidence. Again, Karkowsky made a false statement about the comments made by Judge Lerose on May 6, 2022. Karkowsky was arrested on these charges on November 9, 2022. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: April 23 2024 Were supporting downtown businesses and keeping our local economy vibrant by hosting Oyster Bay Day in partnership with the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, said Supervisor Saladino. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Town Clerk Rich LaMarca invite residents to Oyster Bay Day, a family-fun community event sponsored by the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce on the streets of Oyster Bay hamlet. The all-day street fair will showcase local businesses and include live music, carnival games, axe throwing, vendors, food trucks, inflatables and a video game truck for children. Were supporting downtown businesses and keeping our local economy vibrant by hosting Oyster Bay Day in partnership with the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, said Supervisor Saladino. Oyster Bay Day is a great opportunity for residents to come out and support local business while enjoying a family-fun day on Long Island. Stroll our beautiful streets, enjoy some great live music, and stop to enjoy a snack or meal at one of our fine eateries, said Town Clerk LaMarca. Anyone looking for a family-fun outing should stop by historical Oyster Bay for the day and enjoy this celebration! Oyster Bay Day will be set up along Audrey Avenue, from South Street through lower Audrey Avenue to the Railroad Museum and to Maxwell Avenue, as well as Spring Street from West Main to lower Audrey Avenue. The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce at www.visitoysterbay.com. Thank you to the following sponsors: News 12 Long Island, Nassau Financial Credit Union, Optimum, Brooks Robb & Callahan, New York Life, Mill-Max, Oyster Bay Community Rowing, Glen Cove Hospital/Northwell Health, Oyster Bay Manor, Jovia Financial Credit Union, WBAB 102.3, BLI 106.1, Game Truck, East Woods School, Long Island Propane, Sabrinas Candy & Creamery, Foam with Us, and Stellina Bakery & Cafe. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: April 23 2024 Arrests Include Aggravated DWI, Speeding Over 100mph; Additional Arrest Made For Street Racing. Over the past weekend, Suffolk County Sheriffs Office Deputies arrested five impaired drivers for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). One of these drivers was charged with Aggravated DWI as one driver fled the scene speeding, and multiple drivers had high blood alcohol count (BAC.) These arrests were among six drivers arrested over the last week, including an additional arrest for street racing. As part of ongoing DWI enforcement by the Sheriffs Office, deputies are always out patrolling for those who are making poor choices when it comes to driving home. Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. has increased DWI enforcement and has taken to social media to remind residents, young and old, to drink responsibly and have a designated driver or call for a ride if they have been drinking. Suffolk County Sheriff Dr. Errol D. Toulon, Jr. thanks his Deputies for their hard work. I commend my staff for their hard work in safely removing these impaired and dangerous drivers from our streets so residents who drive responsibly can arrive home safe. AGGRAVATED DWI On April 20, Maria Vendetti, 58, left her car in the roadway. When Deputies went to check on the vehicle, stopped in the roadway the driver, Vendetti, was found to be intoxicated. She was arrested for DWI, consented to a breath test, and registered a BAC of .21. Due to the high BAC, she was charged with aggravated DWI. She was also charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, due to her suspended license, and multiple traffic infractions. STREET RACING ARREST On April 22nd, Suffolk Sheriffs Deputies observed two vehicles, an Infiniti G35 and a black Mercedes sedan engaging in a street race on the LIE North Service road east of Holbrook Road. The Deputy managed to stop the Infiniti, although the Mercedes fled the scene. The driver of the Infiniti, Elahi Faizan, 21, of Bronx was issued an Appearance Ticket for Unlawful Speed Contest, as well as summonses for Driving Too Slow/Impeding Traffic and Speeding. The driver's vehicle was also subject to impound for engaging in a speed contest. ADDITIONAL DWI ARRESTS INCLUDE: Ricardo Viera, 40, of Islip Terrace, on 04/20/24, was stopped while traveling on Sunrise Highway by exit 52 in North Patchogue, for failure to maintain lane and speeding. He demonstrated clues while performing standardized field sobriety tests indicating he was intoxicated. Viera was arrested and submitted to a chemical breath test resulting in a .12 BAC. Kera Stellato, 41, of Lindenhurst, on 04/20/24, was stopped while traveling on Sunrise Highway by exit 48, in Bohemia, for failing to maintain a single lane of travel by swerving over the lines separating lanes of travel in the roadway. She was found to be intoxicated. Stellato was arrested for DWI, consented to a breath test, and registered a BAC of .10. Satya Bhanu Rohith Kesani, 32, of Holtsville, on 04/22/24, was stopped while traveling on the Long Island Expressway, South Service Road, by Nicholls Road, for Speeding, at approximately 100 miles per hour, and for failing to maintain a single lane of travel by swerving over the lines separating lanes of travel in the roadway, and failure to use signal light when switching lanes. He was found to be intoxicated. Satya was arrested for DWI, consented to a breath test, and registered a BAC of .10. Kursat Erdemirt, 40, of Lake Grove, on 04/21/24, was stopped while traveling on Patchogue-Holbrook Rd. by Union Ave for speeding and driving with expired registration. was found to be intoxicated. Kursat was arrested for DWI, consented to a breath test, and registered a BAC of .11. All information contained in this release has been provided for general informational purposes only. To the extent that pending criminal matters are discussed, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: April 23 2024 Sotirios Spanos was driving approximately 100 mph on Northern Boulevard when he struck Ismenia and Odalis Urenas vehicle head-on and killed them. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Syosset man pleaded guilty today to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and related charges for an August 2023 high-speed crash in Laurel Hollow that killed a husband and wife. Sotirios Spanos, 33, pleaded guilty today before Judge Howard Sturim to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a B felony); two counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a C felony); two counts of Assault in the Second Degree (a D violent felony); and Driving While Intoxicated (an unclassified misdemeanor). The defendant is due back in court on June 17, 2024, and is expected to be sentenced to 7 to 21 years in prison. Ismenia and Odalis Urena were a young, successful couple with two daughters and many years of happiness ahead of them, but all of that was erased when this defendant struck the Urenas vehicle head-on that August morning and killed them, said DA Donnelly. Sotirios Spanos was hurtling around the curves of Northern Boulevard at 100 miles an hour while two times the legal limit for alcohol. His reckless and selfish choices orphaned two girls and shattered a family. Our thoughts are with all of Ismenia and Odalis Urenas friends and loved ones who continue to suffer the pain of their senseless and tragic loss. DA Donnelly said that, on August 12, 2023, at approximately 12:31 a.m., Odalis and Ismenia Urena, both 37, were traveling in a convertible heading westbound on Northern Boulevard approaching Moores Hill Road in Laurel Hollow. The defendant was traveling in a 2023 Acura MDX eastbound on Northern Boulevard at a high rate of speed and while intoxicated. At that time Spanos crossed into oncoming traffic, struck the front passenger side of the Urenas vehicle head-on, and drove over the vehicle. According to the event data recorder inside the Acura, the defendant was driving approximately 100 miles per hour only 2.5 seconds before the collision. He began braking 1.5 seconds before impact and struck the victims vehicle at approximately 84.5 miles per hour. Ismenia Urena was pronounced dead at the scene. Odalis Urena was taken to Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:32 a.m. The defendant was twice the legal limit for alcohol more than three hours after the collision. Spanos was arrested by members of the Oyster Bay Cove Police Department and Nassau County Police Departments Homicide Squad on August 12, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images) Violent explosions rocked the Kalsu base in Iraq on April 19 , resulting in at least one fatality and eight wounded, but it remains unclear who exactly is responsible as U.S. Forces and Israel both denied participation in the attack. While no party has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the base, its ramifications on the current conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as the mounting pressure on the U.S. presence in both nations, are noteworthy. Situated near the international highway in the Babil governorate, south of Baghdads capital, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the Iraqi army currently occupy the base. The blast impacted the armored corps headquarters of the PMF. The explosions followed reported Israeli attacks targeting a sensitive site in the Iranian city of Isfahan, allegedly in response to Irans recent drone and missile attack targeting Israel. The United States Central Command denied responsibility for the operation, stating in a release: We are aware of reports claiming that the United States conducted airstrikes in Iraq today. Those reports are not true. The United States has not conducted air strikes in Iraq today. Similarly, Israel distanced itself from the incident and denied that it struck the base. The Iraqi Air Defense Command confirmed no sighting of drones or fighter jets in the airspace of the Babil governorate before or during the explosion. Abu Fadak al-Mohammedawi, Chief of Staff of the PMF, visited the base, where he inspected the explosion site and was briefed on the investigative committees at the site of the attack. In addition, immediately after the attack, the head of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Abu Alaa al-Walai, vowed to retaliate against whoever is behind this heinous attack on the PMF site, whoever they may be. Linked to the attack on the base, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of Iranian-backed Shia Islamist militias, claimed that they targeted a vital target in Eilat using a drone in response to the Zionist massacres against Palestinian civilians, and the Zionist enemys violation of Iraqi sovereignty by its cowardly targeting of PMF camps. Besides publishing footage showing a drone launch, there is little evidence they targeted Eilat, nor have there been reports of Tzeva Adom (Red Alert) sirens in the area following the attack. This method of taking responsibility for attacks against Israel with minimal evidence to support the claim has become typical of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. American and Iraqi Security officials told Reuters that in the last 24 hours, U.S. soldiers were subjected to separate attacks using missiles and drones at the Kharab al-Jir base in northeast Syria and the al-Asad base in western Iraq. These attacks come after a nearly three-month hiatus in targeting U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Before the strikes, reports were suggesting that Kataib Hezbollah intended to restart its attacks on U.S. forces. This decision most likely stemmed from Prime Minister Sudanis visit to the United States, which failed to make any significant progress towards meeting the demands of Iran-backed militias regarding the withdrawal of U.S. military presence from Iraq; instead, agreements reached were entirely contrary to the interests of Iran and its proxies, resembling deals between the Iraqi side and several U.S. companies regarding cooperation in the energy sector. Kataib Hezbollah later denied this, which could be seen as an attempt to avoid a U.S. response. It also could be exemplified by the disagreement among Iraqi militias towards Americans. One faction advocated for giving Sudanis government and parliament enough time to request the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. This faction is represented by Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Badr Organization, both influential in the government and parliament. Other factions view military action as the best option. These factions include Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. In the coming days, we will learn the results of the investigations conducted at the Kalsu base and whether these findings will impact the resurgence of attacks against the U.S. presence in Syria and Iraq. Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the levant. New Delhi, April 23 (UNI) The 5th Annual High-Level Meeting between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard (ROPCG) took place here on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts to combat transnational illegal activities at sea and promote regional cooperation. The discussions were led by Director General Rakesh Pal from the ICG and the ROPCG delegation was headed by Assistant Officer Commanding Colonel Abdul Aziz Mohammed Ali Al Jabri, a Defence Ministry statement said. The meeting focused on bolstering bilateral engagements through a capacity-building programme, cross ships visit, implementation of Sea Rider programme, establishing professional linkages between pollution reporting centres and other collaborative arrangements. Both sides expressed their commitment to enhancing mutual cooperation in addressing maritime challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security framework in the region. A meeting between an ROPCG delegation and representatives from Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers is planned in the National Capital on Friday to acquaint it with India's shipbuilding capabilities under Aatmanirbhar Bharat. UNI RBE CS1733 Download Image: Web Lycoming Colleges annually published, student-run literary journal, The Tributary released its second national issue this afternoon. Managing editor Aiden Brown writes in the Letter from the Editor, The Tributary is ecstatic to produce the second installment of our national journal. This issue deals with personal turmoil and growth. Everyone will end up in situations that are not ideal; how you grow from and deal with the situation is what matters. Allow yourself to blossom into your true skin. We at The Tributary hope you enjoy this issue. "Everyone will end up in situations that are not ideal; how you grow from and deal with the situation is what matters." This year, the journal operated fully online and published two issues, the first of which was open to Lycoming College students, and the second gained submissions from around the country. These two issues were worked on by a wonderful team of students and advisor, Phoebe Wagner, Ph.D., 14, assistant professor of English at Lycoming. Managing Editor: Aiden Brown 24 Fiction Editors: Liz Shaffer `24 and Colt Walker 25 Nonfiction Editor: Caylin Dimisa 25 Poetry Editors: Marcus Helminiak 24 and Sarah Lanphear 25 In the Fall 2023 issue geared toward Lycoming College students, the editors decided to exclude themselves from submitting, which is a new step for the journal. This gave the editors a more professional experience and opened doors of opportunity for themselves as well as for more Lycoming College students. Regardless of major, The Tributary welcomes everyone to Follow Where Your Creativity Leads. See the latest issue and learn how to submit here: www.lycoming.edu/tributary. Malaria Consortium honoured by Ugandan government for contribution to combat malaria 23 April 2024 Malaria Consortium has been honoured for its groundbreaking efforts in malaria prevention, both within Uganda and internationally, at the annual World Malaria Day Scientific Colloquium 2024. Malaria Consortium Uganda team members with award at World Malaria Day Scientific Colloquium, April 2024 Organised by the Ugandan Ministry of Health on 1819 April, the event brought together notable public figures, including the Vice President of Uganda, Jessica Alupo, the State Minister of Health General Duties, Hon. Anifa Kawooya, and the Permanent Secretary for Minister of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, alongside esteemed researchers and scientists. Dr Jimmy Opigo, the head of the National Malaria Control Division at the Ministry of Health, presented the award to Dr Godfrey Magumba, Malaria Consortiums East and Southern Africa Director. Dr Opigo commended Malaria Consortiums innovative contributions to integrated community case management, enhanced surveillance and the introduction of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in the Karamoja region. He also emphasised how crucial these initiatives have been in advancing Ugandas fight against malaria, The strategic initiatives implemented by Malaria Consortium are not only commendable but transformative. Their efforts in Karamoja and beyond are setting a benchmark in malaria prevention, profoundly impacting our national health landscape. The Scientific Colloquium kicked off the start of celebrations for World Malaria Day 2024 in Uganda under the theme Say no to malaria deaths. The colloquium was followed by Ugandas Malaria Walk on 20 April, the second in the countrys history, convened by the Parliament of Uganda in partnership with Malaria Consortium, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders. Led by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, and the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the walk symbolised a united front against malaria. It also served as a platform for advocacy and mobilisation, rallying stakeholders especially the government to commit to innovative health financing and domestic resource allocation for to tackle malaria. In March 2024, the Ministers of Health of High Burden High Impact (HBHI) countries in Africa, including Uganda, made a declaration and commitment that no one shall die from malaria. One of the key pillars of this renewed commitment is the bolstering of domestic resources to bridge the funding gaps in malaria control efforts. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa pledged the commitment of Parliament to support these efforts, stating, The fight against malaria is not just a matter of public health; it is a matter of national urgency. Our commitment is unwavering, and we pledge to mobilise all necessary resources to eradicate this disease from Uganda. Dr Godfrey Magumba, Malaria Consortiums East and Southern Africa Director, with award Minister Aceng commended Parliament for promoting and investing in malaria prevention, particularly in light of funding cuts for malaria control and prevention. It is time for Uganda to mobilise its own domestic resources to end malaria. We are re-strategising and re-focusing all our resources, she said. Dr Anthony Nuwa, Malaria Consortiums Senior Country Technical Coordinator, reaffirmed the organisations commitment and leadership in delivering evidence-based approaches that work at scale, pioneering work in integrated community case management, social and behaviour change, and seasonal malaria chemoprevention. He commented, As we forge ahead in our battle against malaria, our focus remains steadfast on implementing scientifically backed strategies that promise real results. Our commitment at Malaria Consortium is to not only fight malaria but to lead by example, pioneering innovative practices in community health management and prevention that can be replicated and scaled across regions most in need. Be part of the solution to end malaria this World Malaria Day Related content The newly opened F1 Arcade in Bostons Seaport district is your first chance to climb into the virtual cockpit of some of the most incredible driving machines on the planet and push them to the limit at hundreds of miles an hour, emulating the thrill of high-speed racing in a fully immersive environment. Its also a chance to crash into your friends, drive backward and generally cause chaos all while drinking cocktails and eating snacks. Now open in Bostons Seaport, the new F1 Arcade is a bar that doubles as a suped-up arcade where you can climb into one of the dozens of racing simulators, available by appointment or walk-in (pending availability). The Boston location is the first F1 Arcade to open up in the United States, marking the latest step in Formula 1 racings popularity as a sport worldwide. The simulators are essentially fancy versions of racing games youll find at arcades. The difference is that these start-of-the-air rigs are incredibly accurate and immersive. The pedals and steering wheel have heft and feedback that make it feel like youre driving a real car on an F1 track. Meanwhile, your seat will rumble and rock as you drive, mimicking the feeling of high-speed turns (and some bumps when you accidentally hit the car in front of you). The sleek, vivid space filled with the big, imposing racing rigs can seem posh at first like a Rolex turned into a bar. But dont let that stop you from having fun. Sure, you can step inside to live out your dreams of showing off James Bond-level driving skills. Or you can just go in and have fun with your friends like youre playing Mario Kart. Guests have the option of choosing a difficulty setting when they hop in, ranging from rookie to elite. The easy settings provide plenty of assistance to create a simple driving experience. The harder modes are for experts only, leaving you on your own as if you were an actual F1 driver (complete with manual gear shifts). Think of it like a bowling alley. You can try to bowl for strikes. Or you can throw the bumpers on. Speaking of bumpers, kids can drive the simulators, no license necessary. You may notice theres a second screen on each rig. Thats so your friends behind you can watch you race and cheer you on (or chuckle when you crash). Heres the kicker: You can order food and drinks right to your car during your session. F1 Arcade Bostons menu ranges from typical pub grub to high-end luxury. On one end, you have the Glizzys, which are a crispy, delicious sort of corn dog with a Korean barbecue spin for $13. They also have tacos ($16-19), flatbreads ($15-19) and burgers ($17). On the other end, there are some indulgent options that may give you sticker shock. Its one thing to have a $28 Wagyu burger or a $39 order of mini lobster rolls. But theres also the choice to go all out for the $110 Seafood Tower, which comes with a half-pound of lobster, three crab claws, five jumbo shrimp and a half-dozen oysters. If that wasnt enough, you can add caviar to that for $110. Good news for families: There is a kids menu where you can order simpler fare along with cookies and a drink for $10. As for drinks, F1 Arcade has a full bar and a wide-ranging cocktail menu as well mocktails. I tried the Rising Sun ($16), a delightfully bright and tart peach-orange vodka cocktail that also tied in sake, cherry and lime. They also have a draft beer list (including local draft options) in the $8-10 range. Meanwhile, a bottle of Miller Lite or Coors Lite will run you $6. Its recommended that visitors book driving simulators ahead of time, especially during peak hours. You can reserve spots for groups of 2-16 people on the F1 Arcade website. They do allow walk-ins, but you may have trouble getting a spot if theres a crowd. To be clear: The driving simulators are a separate booking from the bar/restaurant. You dont need an appointment or anything to stop in for food and drinks. A stint in the simulator will run you $20 per person for three races, which takes about three minutes. Note: That rate goes up to $25 per person during peak hours. They also do private events for larger groups. F1 Arcade Boston is officially open as of April 22. Theyre open Sunday-Wednesday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. According to their website, all ages are welcome, however, guests should be 7 years old to race. Guests under 21 years old are welcome until 7 p.m. daily. Check out the F1 Arcade Boston website for more information. BOSTON Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke came off the ice shaking his hand after being hit with a shot late in the second period of Game 2 of the first-round playoff series between Boston and Toronto. He didnt play in the final minutes of the second and didnt return for the third period. 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) There was no immediate update on his condition, but his absence left the Bruins shorthanded on defense in a tied playoff game with Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk and Kevin Shattenkirk all asked to play extra minutes. Peeke has been a regular on the Bruins penalty kill as well. He had played 19 shifts over 10 minutes, 20 seconds before the injury. If his absence stretches beyond Game 2, the Bruins could turn to either Parker Wotherspoon or even Derek Forbort, who returned from a conditioning loan to Providence on Monday. SPRINGFIELD Freddie likes to hang out where two hallways intersect at AMR American Medical Response on Cottage Street. All the better to leap up tail wagging, eyes alert to greet people as they arrive or possibly head over to a classroom to make his rounds among the EMTs as they train. Hell also mosey over to the folks responsible for taking 911 calls or visit the truck bays where crews pull in with ambulances. You might have had a long shift, said Andrew Aldrich, an operations supervisor. And you get back here, and there is a dog that is happy to see you and wants to play. It makes this seem more like a home. "Freddie" the emotional support therapy dog spends his days at American Medical Response headquarters in Springfield where he provides support services to first responders and others. Melissa Piscatellil is Freddie's handler as well as Operations Manager for AMR. April 30th is National Animal Therapy Day. (Don Treeger / The Republican) 4/23/2024The Republican Freddie and handler Melissa Piscatelli, operations manager at AMR, met with reporters Tuesday to mark National Animal Therapy Day, coming up on April 30. There are more than 400 employees at AMRs regional headquarters here, including 911 staffers, paramedics and EMTs who head out in ambulances and drive chair vans. All of them, the EMTs and paramedics especially, are subject to more stress than most workplaces, Piscatelli said. They see people on the worst days of their lives, she said. Thats why its important to have a bit of a stress reliever, a calming distraction, Aldrich said. Especially before heading into a important debriefing session after a major incident. "Freddie" the emotional support therapy dog spends his days at American Medical Response headquarters in Springfield where he provides support services to first responders and others. April 30th is National Animal Therapy Day. (Don Treeger / The Republican) 4/23/2024The Republican On Tuesday, Freddie, a 4-year-old goldendoodle, also got to help out teaching responders how and where to take a dogs pulse (you feel under a rear leg). Neros Law, passed in 2022, requires that EMTs at all levels complete a training course of at least three hours covering how to treat and safely transport injured police dogs. Freddie also heads out to schools and community events. Hes visited Baystate Medical Center and gotten to know the therapy dog there. Hes good with children and likes to visit schools. On the serious side of their work, Freddie and Piscatelli respond to mass casualty incidents, critical incident stress management debriefings, natural disasters and large-scale events. They recently headed to a Police Department on Long Island, where officers suffered a loss. We will go anywhere we are invited, said Piscatelli. Andrew Aldrich, operations supervisor for American Medical Response, gives some loving to "Freddie" the emotional support therapy dog that calls AMR in Springfield home. Freddie provides support services to first responders and others. April 30th is National Animal Therapy Day. (Don Treeger / The Republican) 4/23/2024 The Republican As his handler, Freddie goes home at night with her. Hell check in with Piscatelli at her desk during the day. But often its just a part of his rounds. There are leashes at the doors. He knows if he goes by a door and sits, hell cajole someone into taking him for a walk. Freddie arrived as a 12-week-old puppy in January 2020, and his training involved basic obedience and getting accustomed to crowds and equipment no small task during early COVID, when most places were shut down. Jews around the world are partaking in the sacred tradition of celebrating the Israelites journey to freedom from Egypt in 13 BCE this week. And those engaging in the festivities may notice the celebration comes a little later this year than in years past. In 2024, Passover Seder, or Pesach in Hebrew, started at nightfall on April 22, and will end on the evening of April 29, or April 30, depending on where it is celebrated. This years celebration comes two weeks later than in 2023, when it started on April 5, and a week later than in 2022, when it started on April 15. But why? According to the Farmers Almanac, Passover Seder follows a schedule that aligns with the phases of the Moon and the Suns position in the sky, known as the lunisolar calendar. Celebrants take part in a Passover Seder at the Ariel International Center in Cleveland, 2023. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.comDavid Petkiewicz, cleveland.com How the Hebrew calendar works: determining Passover Seder Passover Seder celebration dates are usually determined by the 15th of the month of Nisan, which is the first night of a full moon after the spring equinox during the first month of the Jewish calendar. According to Chabad.org, towards the beginning of the Moons cycle, it appears as a thin crescent which signals a new Jewish month. It grows until it is full towards the middle of the month, and wanes throughout the month until it is no longer visible. It is invisible for about two days and once the crescent reappears, the cycle begins again, marking the start of a new month. Passover Seder is celebrated for seven or eight days because, although Jews left Egypt on the first day of Passover, they were pursued by Egyptians until the parting of the Red Sea, which occurred seven days later, according to Chabad.org. This story of redemption from slavery is considered master-story, of the Jewish people, by California-based Peninsula Jewish Community Center, and is credited for shaping Jewish consciousness and values. Celebrants take part in a Passover Seder at the Ariel International Center in Cleveland, 2023. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.comDavid Petkiewicz, cleveland.com Passover Seder traditions Usually, on the first two nights of Passover Seder, family and friends gather for the Seder. The Seder, which is the Hebrew word for order, is a festive religious meal. At this feast, the Haggadah a religious text is recited to retell the story of the Jewish peoples exodus from Egypt. Its really a very, very special time on the Jewish calendar, Steven Schimmel, the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts told MassLive. I think some people would say its the most special time. Its a holiday universally observed and celebrated by Jews, whether theyre very religious or not religious. The Seder usually begins with the familys youngest child asking four traditional questions that help explain the story of Passover Seder, according to Chabad.com. During the dinner, six symbolic meals that signify the Israelites liberation are prepared during Seder. Atraditional seder plate, 2023. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.comDavid Petkiewicz, cleveland.com A lot of this has to do with being enslaved and having the redemption of gaining freedom because that is what the story of Exodus is about, Schimmel said. These meals include matzah, shank bone, an egg, bitter herbs, charoset and vegetables. Matzah, an unleavened bread, is served to represent what Israelites would have made in haste as they were running away from Pharaohs army in the story of exodus, and vegetables dipped in salt water are served to represent the tears of the enslaved and the backbreaking work of slavery. The egg is served to represent the rebirth of spring, and bitter herbs are served to represent the bitterness of slavery. During Seder, certain foods made with leavened bread and grain are avoided as it represents having an ego. Some Jews go to the extent of clearing their whole house of any leavened bread products before Passover Seder, said Schimmel. Passover, 2023, David Petkiewicz, cleveland.comDavid Petkiewicz, cleveland.com Where to celebrate in Mass. With students setting up camp near two Boston-area colleges over the weekend as a form of protest demanding their schools divest from Israel amidst the war in Gaza, the ACLU of Massachusetts cautions school leaders to let democracy play out. Students at Emerson College in Boston and MIT in Cambridge joined a growing national trend over the weekend by setting up encampments near the school to protest the schools involvement with Israel and show support for pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested at Columbia University in New York last week. As tensions mount, ACLU of Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose called for campus administrators and law enforcement to exercise restraint in a statement released on Monday. In a democracy, its essential that universities remain a marketplace of ideas and expression where viewpoints are explored and debate is encouraged, Rose said. Indeed, the experience of our countrys universities during the McCarthy era makes clear that efforts to silence speech on campus destroy the foundation on which academic communities, and our democracy, are built. Of course, all students deserve equal access to education, free from discrimination based on religion, race, and ethnicity, Rose continued. Schools have a responsibility to keep students protected from violence and discrimination as well as from censorship. To this end, she said, the ACLU urges campus administrators and law enforcement to exercise restraint in interfering with student demonstrations and encampments. Colleges and universities also must resist heavy-handed pressure from Congress and others to clamp down on student protest even when issues are contentious and remain firm in their commitment to free speech, open debate, and peaceful dissent on campus. The principles on which this country was founded demand no less. At the same time, we encourage students to obtain and review their schools policies regarding demonstrations and protests, and to otherwise know their rights, Rose concluded. The encampments were launched in part to show solidarity for the more-than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia who were arrested after setting up their own encampments last week. These protests stem from the growing war in Gaza, which began following the attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by the terrorist group Hamas. Since then, 1,139 Israelis were killed while 34,151 Palestinians have been killed in attacks led by the Israel Defense Forces, or the IDF, according to Al Jazeera. This has prompted a large response not only from Muslim and Palestinian Americans but also from Jewish Americans who are against the war and against Israels government, leading to demonstrations in the United States. In a statement, Emerson officials said the encampment was set up Sunday night by the unaffiliated student organization Students for Justice in Palestine in the Boylston Place alley on the schools downtown Boston campus. A spokesperson, Rosemary Lavery, said Monday morning that a small number of protesters stayed in the alley, but much fewer than the number when the protest was initiated. Emerson strongly supports its students right to protest, officials wrote in a statement posted to the schools news website, Emerson Today, adding that the right comes with the responsibility of doing so without bigotry or hatred in any form. Students at MIT set up an encampment on the schools Kresge Lawn Sunday, according to posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. Francesca Riccio-Ackerman, a PhD student at MIT, wrote on the social media platform that MIT had received more than $11 million in funding from Israels Ministry of Defense since 2015, and said activists would not rest until MIT cuts research ties with the Israeli military. Riccio-Ackerman did not reply to MassLives request for comment. An MIT spokesperson said school officials were aware of the tents and were determining next steps with a focus on ensuring campus is physically safe and fully functioning. The spokesperson said MIT police were in the area throughout the night and would remain there Monday. A former Weymouth police officer pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a single charge of deprivation of rights under color of law in connection with the violent arrest of a man in 2022, acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levys office announced. Justin Chappell, 43, reached the plea agreement on Monday, federal court records show. He is set to be sentenced on July 16, and the U.S. attorneys office agreed to recommend a sentence of no prison time for Chappell, according to the records. In January, Chappell was the 10th police officer decertified by the Massachusetts Peace Office Standards and Training (POST) Commission. On July 2, 2022, while working as a Weymouth police officer, Chappell responded to a call regarding a man police believed was intoxicated causing a disturbance at a home in Weymouth. Chappell arrested the man and while attempting to get him inside a police cruiser, punched the man approximately 13 times with a closed fist without legal justification. The punches left the man with obvious pain and visible injuries to his head, Levys office said in a statement. The charge Chappell pleaded guilty to carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal judge will ultimately determine his sentence. The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee announced on social media Tuesday that it had been suspended by the university after being placed on an illegitimate and retroactive probation. A university spokesperson confirmed the suspension to The Boston Globe, which described the committee as the leading pro-Palestinian student group on Havards campus. MassLive has contacted a Havard spokesperson to confirm the suspension. In an Instagram post announcing the suspension, the committee said it had faced unprecedented repression as it has protested what it dubbed the ongoing genocide in Gaza. An email obtained by The Harvard Crimson, the universitys student-run newspaper, shows the school told the committee it must cease all organizational activities for the remainder of the Spring 2024 term or risk expulsion. The committee said suspending the organization would not silence calls for Harvard to divest itself from apartheid, occupation, and genocide. The suspension comes amid increasingly rising pro-Palestinian sentiment on college campuses in Massachusetts and beyond, marked by students at several area universities establishing encampments to show solidarity with protesters arrested at Columbia last week. Tension and volatility has roiled college campuses since Hamas deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry. Since the war began, colleges and universities have struggled to balance campus safety with free speech rights amid intense student debate and protests. Many schools that tolerated protests and other disruptions for months are now doling out more heavy-handed discipline. A series of recent campus crackdowns on student protesters have included suspensions and, in some cases, expulsions. The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday called for schools to show restraint amid the protests. The ACLU urges campus administrators and law enforcement to exercise restraint in interfering with student demonstrations and encampments, ACLU of Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose said in a statement. Colleges and universities also must resist heavy-handed pressure from Congress and others to clamp down on student protest even when issues are contentious and remain firm in their commitment to free speech, open debate, and peaceful dissent on campus. The principles on which this country was founded demand no less. (*This story was updated at 4:56 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. One of the suspects identified in this story is accused of misidentifying himself to police. The story has been updated to include the name of the suspect who is actually facing charges.) A male 15-year-old from Lawrence is facing a slew of charges in connection with a car chase during which Massachusetts State Police pursued a stolen Lexus through several MetroWest towns Monday afternoon, according to state police. The teen was the driver of the stolen Lexus IS involved in the chase, state police said Tuesday. He is facing charges of leaving the scene of a car crash causing property damage, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes and breakdown lane violation. The teen was released to his mother on Monday after being booked at state police barracks, state police said. He was due to be arraigned Tuesday in Worcester Juvenile Court. Two other people who were passengers in the Lexus are also facing charges in connection with the chase, state police said. One is 20-year-old Fitchburg resident Kyan Perez, who has been charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle, according to state police. He was initially identified as 21-year-old Methuen resident Ibrahim Hasbum, but state police spokesperson Dave Procopio later issued an update saying that Perez had misidentified himself to police and would be further charged with providing a false name to police. Additionally, Beverly police plan to charge Perez with two counts of larceny of a motor vehicle and one count each of receiving a stolen motor vehicle and receiving stolen property (a credit card) for crimes committed on April 17 and 21, state police said. He was held without bail overnight and was due to be arraigned Tuesday. A 20-year-old Danvers woman was also charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle in connection with the chace, state police said. The department chose not to release her name, as she was not arrested and will be receiving a summons instead. The chase began on April 22 around 2 p.m. when a state police helicopter noticed the Lexus and began following it as it drove through Ashland, state police said previously. The car had been stolen in Peabody, and the driver had already eluded officers from several MetroWest police departments. Troopers in the helicopter informed those on the ground that the Lexus was traveling west on Route 9, leading to a car chase through several towns, state police said previously. The troopers eventually set up stop sticks near I-290 west in Marlborough, and when the stolen car hit them, it crashed into another vehicle before coming to rest in the median. Footage of the chase and crash released by state police shows the white Lexus hit the stop sticks and then fly leftward across all three lanes of I-290 into the median. As the car slides across the highway, it appears to almost hit a dark-colored vehicle before just barely scraping a white car and forcing it into the median. Numerous troopers converged on the Lexus and secured the driver and his two passengers, state police said previously. No one in the vehicle that was hit was injured during the crash. Hasbun and the Danvers woman were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, state police said. They were later released. State police later learned that the Lexus had been involved in a prior crash. It is unclear if any of the three people facing charges in connection with the car chase were involved in that crash. Patriots owner Robert Kraft appeared on the Fox News show Hannity Monday evening after issuing a statement earlier in the day sharply criticizing his alma mater, Columbia University, saying the school needed to take corrective action. Kraft, for whom the schools Center for Jewish Life is named, said he was deeply saddened by the virulent hate that has spread on the universitys campus. I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken, Kraft said in a statement posted to the page for Stand Up to Jewish Hate on X, formerly Twitter. It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of many of us who have lost faith in the institution, Kraft continued. Read more: Patriots owner calls on alma mater Columbia to end pro-Palestinian protests His comments came after Columbia canceled classes on Monday, a decision made by university officials after police last week arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had set up an encampment. During his appearance on Hannity, Kraft said he was stunned by what he saw as the spread of antisemitism in the U.S. The nation cant have this intimidation thats filtering through all these colleges and the hate continue to grow and multiply the way it is, he told Sean Hannity, the programs host. Its very sad to me. Kraft called for better education and said Americans needed to make their voices heard in support of Jews. Columbia is far from the only college campus to see protests spring up in the wake of Hamas deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry, which doesnt distinguish between combatants and non-combatants but says at least two-thirds of the dead are children and women. Kraft, who attended Columbia from 1959 to 1963, said when he attended the university it was a place where people listened, were empathetic [and] had compassion. Now ... we have professors who instead of teaching how to think theyre trying to tell our young people what they should think, Kraft said, adding that he felt tenured professors at universities were not able to be held accountable. While Kraft has largely withdrawn his support for Columbia pending corrective action, which he did not specify during the appearance on Hannity, he said his support for the center in his name remained, calling it a haven for professors and students who feel unsafe on the college campus. Read more: Harvard suspends Palestinian advocacy group as encampments remain at area schools Kraft also complimented New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the citys police department, and New York Gov.Kathy Hochul. Thats made me feel good to see that there are people like this who arent afraid to stand up and have the courage to say the right thing, he said. Qinxuan Pan, the former Massachusetts Institute of Technology student who pleaded guilty in February to the 2021 killing of Kevin Jiang, a student at Yale University, in New Haven, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday, NBC10 Boston reported. The Connecticut States Attorneys office could not immediately be reached by MassLive to confirm the sentence. Pan pleaded guilty on Feb. 29 to a charge of murder in New Haven Superior Court, according to the states attorneys office. Sample HTML block On Feb. 6, 2021, New Haven police went to the intersection of Lawrence and Nicoll streets after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a person had been shot. When police arrived, they found Jiang had been shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. On the day Jiang was murdered, Pan went to a car dealership in Mansfield to test drive a GMC terrain, but never returned it, James P. Roane, the owner of the dealership told The Boston Globe. Police say Pan crashed the car into the back of a Prius being driven by Jiang before shooting him. Pan fled to Alabama after the shooting, and remained on the run for three months while a nationwide manhunt for him took place. While he was on the run, Pan lived with Kitchener Harding, who told The Boston Globe in 2021 that he introduced himself as Henry Cai and appeared to be a totally normal guy. Pan received undergraduate degrees from MIT in June 2014 and began a graduate program there in September 2014, The Boston Globe reported, citing a spokesperson for the university. He had met Jiangs fiancee, Zion Perry, at the school in 2019. Perry never had a relationship with Pan but told police she did get a feeling he was interested in her during that time, according to a police report. The couple got engaged a week before the murder, and posted photos and videos of their engagement on Facebook, where Pan was friends with Perry. I feel sorry for what my actions caused and for everyone affected, Pan said during his sentencing, according to NBC10 Boston. I feel very bad for what happened, he added. I fully accept my penalties. The man suspected of breaking into the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has a criminal history in Massachusetts that includes kidnapping and attempted murder, according to court documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Ephraim Hunter, 29, was charged in connection with breaking into the Getty House, the official home of the citys mayor, at around 6:40 a.m. on Sunday while Bass and other relatives were home, the Times wrote. Hunter broke in during a shift change between security guards at Bass home, NBC4 Los Angeles reported. Hunter, now a Los Angeles resident, was booked on suspicion of burglary and was being held on $100,000 bail, according to KABC-TV. But Hunter has a criminal history in Massachusetts, the Times wrote. Hunter was one of four people arrested in Millis in 2015 who used a hammer and a snow brush to beat a man until he was unconscious. With two men, Hunter dragged the man into the van. Police found the man with no pants on, blood on his left leg and blood on his head, the Times said citing a Millis Police Department report. In court, Hunter served seven years in state prison after he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, the Times wrote. In an interview with a woman who identified herself as Hunters mother, the Times said after Hunter left state prison, he went to Los Angeles to live with his brother. During a press conference on Monday, Bass told reporters she was fine. My family is fine. And we are going to do everything we can to keep Angelenos safe when asked about her safety. Bass has seen two break-ins at her home over the last three years, the Times reported. Editors note: This story was updated at 6 a.m. on April 24 to correct the name of the highest-rated school in Massachusetts. Its Boston Latin School. Some schools in Massachusetts didnt perform nearly as well as their counterparts at the top of the U.S. News & World Reports latest rankings, placing toward the bottom of the list both in the state and nationwide. While Massachusetts did have the highest percentage of schools land in the top quarter of the rankings, the state did have 47 schools land between 13,242 and 17,655 in the rankings. Schools are not individually ranked that low in the rankings. The rankings place emphasis on graduation rate, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams, and proficiency in math, science, and reading. The worst-performing Massachusetts school in the rankings was Another Course to College in Hyde Park, with a graduation rate of 86% and just 3% of students passing at least one Advanced Placement exam. The rankings also rated Argosy Collegiate Charter School in Fall River poorly, though that school did not share data on students performance on Advanced Placement exams, leaving just subject proficiency and graduation rate for review. Bartlett Junior Senior High School in Webster, Baystate Academy Charter Public School in Springfield, and Boston Community Leadership Academy in Hyde Park, were all also rated poorly by the rankings. Nationwide, the rankings rated a number of virtual and online schools poorly, including two in Minnesota. The highest-ranking high school in the state, according to the site, is Boston Latin School, which placed 27th on the national list. Another high school in Mass., the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, placed in the top 100. The top-ranked school nationwide was BASIS Peoria in Arizona, with Signature School in Evansville, Indiana, Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, Washington, Julia R. Masterman Secondary School in Philadelphia, and Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago rounding out the top five. Global retailer Uniqlo is opening its fourth store in Boston at the South Shore Plaza on Friday, according to the Simon Property Group, which owns and manages the mall. The new Uniqlo store will open on April 26 with events that highlight the stores commitment to the community, according to Simon. The new store, which is over 9,000 square feet, will show Uniqlos unique guest experience with the LifeWear lineup for men, women and kids, Simon stated. The opening will also feature a weekend of festivities for the community such as limited-time offers, special gifts for shoppers and exclusive Boston-inspired UTme! t-shirts designed by artist Lauren Martin, Simon said in its press release. Uniqlos grand opening will also include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a performance by Wellesley Aiko, Wellesley Colleges Taiko drumming group, and free Japanese carp streamer art kids from the Museum of Fine Arts, Uniqlos longtime partner, according to Simon Each day through Grand Opening weekend April 26 to April 28 , the first 100 customers in line will get free knot bags filled with specialty treats, Simon stated. The first 100 customers will get a chance to win a free pair of tickets to the Boston MFA. Read More: Crumbl opens new cookie store at Liberty Tree Mall Customers can also spin the Garapon Wheel, a large spinning wheel, to win prizes, Simon stated. They can also get a personalized Japanese calligraphy piece by artist Michiko Imai, and enjoy free drinks from ITO EN, a Japanese beverage company, and snacks from Japonaise Bakery, a Japanese bakery in Brookline, until 10:30 a.m. each morning. We are honored to welcome Uniqlo to South Shore Plaza, Allen Smith, the general manager of the South Shore Plaza, said in a statement. Their commitment to quality and innovation aligns perfectly with our vision for the center. Uniqlos arrival will enrich our retail mix, reinforcing South Shore Plaza as the go-to shopping destination in our community. The South Shore Plaza is located at 250 Granite St. in Braintree. The plaza is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Two of Massachusetts most senior elected officials will head to Rome next month, where theyre expected to tout the progress the Bay State has made on climate change and meet with other global leaders on the issue. Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu both are slated to attend the Vatican Climate Summit, which runs from May 15 to May 17. The event is organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences under the leadership of University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suarez-Orozco and Ram Ramanathan, a renowned researcher who discovered the greenhouse gas effect of halocarbons in the 1970s. Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer is also scheduled to speak at the summit, State House News Service reported. Speaking to WBURs Radio Boston program on Tuesday, Healey said she looked forward to showcasing the progress the Bay State has made on such fronts as wind energy and the hiring of the states first climate czar. Im really excited to have this opportunity. Its a really significant convening, Healey told the station. This is an opportunity to join with other leaders around the world on climate change, and discuss what they have they have accomplished, and can accomplish in the future, Healey said. In a separate interview with WBUR on Monday, Wu offered a similar sentiment. We have a lot to share, both in terms of what is possible, and how urgent [climate change] is, Wu said, referring to the citys challenges as a coastal city. Wus office announced last week that it had tapped Brian Swett, a city hall veteran, as Bostons first chief climate officer, WBUR and other outlets reported. We have firm 2030 targets in a lot of different areas that need to be met in order for us to really bend the curve in a positive direction on climate action, Swett said, according to WBUR. And I think the alignment of city, state and federal is phenomenal right now. You know, so if we cant do this in Boston, where else in the country or the world can we? The conferences website also hits on those themes, noting that the Climate Crisis is upon us. It will get lot worse over the next few decades as planetary heating shoots past 1.5C by early 2030s. The warming curve is likely to bend around the latter half of this century in response to global scale actions to mitigate emissions of the heat trapping pollutants, the Vaticans website further asserted. We no longer have the luxury of relying just on mitigation of emissions, the Vatican said on its website. We need to embark on building climate resilience so that people can bend the emissions curve and bounce back from the climate crisis safer, healthier, wealthier to a sustainable world. A suspect wanted for murder by Greenfield, Massachusetts, police was arrested early Tuesday morning at Albany International Airport in New York, according to the Albany County Sheriffs Department. Sheriffs deputies began looking for 42-year-old Taaniel Herberger-Brown a little after 12:20 a.m. after partner agencies from Massachusetts asked them to search the airport for him, the sheriffs department said in a press release. The deputies soon found Herberger-Browns vehicle unoccupied in the airports parking garage. After checking security cameras, the deputies located Herberger-Brown in an a pre-security checkpoint area of the airport, the sheriffs department said. He is wanted for murder in connection with an ongoing death investigation out of Greenfield. SPRINGFIELD A 35-year-old man died after crashing a scooter at a slow speed on Sunday night. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of his death, and the Police Departments Traffic Bureau is also investigating the incident, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman. The man was driving the scooter at about 8:10 p.m. near the corner of High and School streets, when he hit the curb and fell. He was wearing a helmet at the time, he said. SPRINGFIELD U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal is feeling gratified that a $95 billion foreign aid package including $61 billion for gallant Ukraine as it fights against a two-year-long Russian invasion passed in the House over the weekend. But he fears the Republican Party will make it hard, if not impossible, to pass any more major legislation between now and the November election. The House GOPs majority which split over the aid package is down to just one vote come Friday, when a representative from Wisconsin is expected to resign. People in record numbers are lashing out in anger at health care workers, as recent coverage in The Republican documented. More needs to be done to protect doctors, nurses and physician assistants from this random workplace violence. Thats the message of a January 2023 report by the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. The report contains sensible recommendations to curb this unacceptable behavior, such as better security, panic alarms and enhanced emergency communication all geared toward maximizing the ability of health care workers to protect themselves if attacked. Dignemar Figueroa, a Worcester resident who drives for companies such as DoorDash and Uber, does not dream of a life where she works full-time. As a mother of two young children and as someone taking classes at Quigsmond Community College, Figueroa told MassLive her schedule could not accommodate an eight-hour workday as an employee. As an independent contractor, however, Figueroa said her work, studies and family life are all balanced. And she intends to keep it that way. I have a lot to do, Figueroa said. Im the SGA president, I have to take care of my girls and I have to make money so I go from one company to another. As a full-time employee, you cant do that and you can only work for one company. Figueroa, 29, and more than 20 drivers gathered at Worcester City Hall on Tuesday to support a proposed ballot question that would officially classify app-based drivers as independent contractors while also giving them new benefits such as paid time off and healthcare stipends. The rally was hosted by Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers, an organization that supported an identical ballot question in 2022 but failed to win approval from voters. Conor Yunits, a spokesman for the organization, told MassLive that the ballot question represented a compromise between drivers who want more benefits given to employees and those who want more flexibility in their work schedule. In addition to paid time off and healthcare stipends, Yunits said drivers would be guaranteed $18 an hour during a job as soon as a driver accepts a ride or delivery request to when they finish and reach their destination. Our group found that 80% of drivers drive fewer than 20 hours per week, Yuntis said. This is something that they do around their other jobs or their classes. Its a gig economy. The summary of the question The ballot question, supported by ride-share companies Uber and Lyft, is one of two possible questions Massachusetts residents may vote on in this years general election scheduled for Nov. 5, 2024. The second ballot question, backed by labor unions, asks voters to decide if ride-share drivers can form a union. Both ballot questions are being reviewed by the state Legislature, which could either take no action and give voters a chance to decide during the election or approve the questions into law without having them go before the voters. The push among drivers and organizations to ensure they are considered independent contractors comes amidst an ongoing lawsuit filed by then-Attorney General Maura Healey in 2020. According to the attorney generals website, Healey accused ride-share companies of denying drivers benefits by having them classified as independent contractors rather than employees. Current state Attorney General Andrea Campbell plans to seek damages and reimbursements and expand the benefits of drivers in the Bay State if the Supreme Judicial Court rules in favor of the lawsuit, WGBH reported. Despite the efforts of Healey and Campbell, Yunits said having control over your schedule matters more to many than having all the benefits of a full-time employee. Yunits told MassLive the ballot question is popular among drivers and offers a compromise that he thinks everyone can support. Thats what drivers have told us, he said. Riders prefer working on their own time Many drivers at the rally, such as Lisa McRobbie, said working as an independent contractor has been beneficial for her wellness and becoming a full-time employee would put her at a disadvantage. McRobbie, 59, has multiple clients in Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire and Connecticut. As an independent contractor, she said that she managed to build a schedule that accommodates not only herself but her blind 88-year-old mother and her ten grandchildren. This gives me the flexibility I need to make my own schedule, McRobbie said. Its important for our drivers to be flexible just as it is for our customers to be flexible. I deliver to a lot of people who are elderly and disabled and they are grateful for our service. Worcester restaurant owners, such as John Piccolo of Piccolos on 157 Shrewsbury St, supported the initiative at the rally. Piccolo told MassLive that a significant number of restaurants on Shrewsbury Street benefit from having drivers work as independent contractors, as it gives owners flexibility about whom they can assign deliveries. At the rally, Piccolo advocated for more rights for the drivers and viewed them as a necessary component in keeping Worcesters economy and businesses alive. These people are indispensable, Piccolo said. We need them and we need to support them. Thats all I have to say. According to Yunits, the ballot question will likely be put before the voters and Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers will need to convince individuals to vote yes on its passage this November. A rally supporting the ballot question was held in Springfield on March 18, Yunits said. One voter, Pete Wise of Worcester, was unsure about the question when he arrived at Tuesdays rally. After listening to the drivers testimonials, Wise told MassLive he would gladly vote in favor of the question, arguing it would give drivers more flexibility as independent contractors than as full-time employees. Im a driver too, Wise said. I work four gigs and I need that flexibility. I cant do a full-time job I need to earn money on my own time. The City of Worcester is home to the third-worst real estate market for renters in the United States, according to a recent study released by Forbes Advisor. Forbes found that the Worcester, MA-CT Metro Area, which encompasses all of Worcester County and parts of northeast Connecticut, has the third most-competitive rental market in the country, based on data from the first quarter of 2023 through the first quarter of 2024. The report cites the citys low vacancy rates and high median rent as the reason for its ranking as the number of housing units that are available for rent are becoming scarce in the heart of the Bay State. Forbes found that the first and second-worst real estate markets for renters in the country were the metro areas Virginia Beach and New York City, respectively. According to the report, Worcester has the second-lowest vacancy rate in the country. Only 1.7% of all available apartments in the area are currently unoccupied well below the average vacancy rate of 6.3%. Out of 100,000 households that are in Worcester, the study found an average of 94 units are currently available, making Worcester the seventh-worst area in the country regarding available houses for rent. With extremely low vacancy rates and some of the worst availability of rental units, Worcester metro area renters are battling a tough rental market, the report reads. Read More: Mass. launches program to convert unused office space to housing The study also found that Worcester renters saw the third-highest increase in rental prices at $163 year over year. The median price for renting an apartment unit in Worcester is $1,995 higher than the national average of $1,804. In comparison, Forbes found that the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH vacancy rate was 2.7% while rental prices increased by $200 year over year. The Department of Housing and Urban Development states that an acceptable vacancy rate for any metropolitan area in the United States is 5% a rate that neither Worcester nor Boston currently have. Local data supports Forbes claims Leah Bradley, the director of programs of the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, told MassLive on Monday that Forbes data is accurate and is a sobering reminder that there is not enough market-rate and affordable housing for Massachusetts residents. A low vacancy rate and a high median rent, which Worcester currently has, are the primary indicators of a rise in homelessness, Bradley said. We are seeing folks with higher and higher incomes, those at or below $85,000, not being able to afford rent resulting in more households experiencing homelessness. According to Bradley, Worcesters low vacancy rate and increasing median rents are the products of a housing market with high demand and low amounts of available housing stock. She said the demand for housing is so high right now that individuals with incomes at or above $85,000 are scrambling to rent any available units including those specifically built for people who make incomes lower than them. Additionally, Bradley said those currently living in market-rate apartments cannot move out to buy a house, as the price of single-family homes throughout Massachusetts continues to increase yearly. A report released by RedFin in April found that the cost of a single-family home in Worcester increased from $260,000 to $451,000 over the past five years. Bradley said this combination of units being sold to bidders with the highest income, renters choosing to stay put because of unaffordable single-family housing units and the lack of additional market-rate and affordable housing are the main drivers for the low vacancy rates and increasing median rent that is fueling the housing crisis in Worcester and Massachusetts. We have seen a rise in seniors who entering the homeless system and college graduates who are unable to move out on their own, Bradley said. The result is increased homelessness, and middle-income families, our workforce, moving out of the state. What is the state doing about housing issues? In an attempt to jump-start the construction of more housing, Gov. Maura Healeys administration is searching for solutions to build more housing in the Bay State. Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll have been pushing the state legislature to pass the Affordable Homes Act, a $4.12 billion housing bond bill filed in 2023 that would provide for the creation or preservation of 70,000 homes throughout the state. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Bonding and has not received a full vote in the House or Senate. In March, Healey announced in Worcester that the state set aside $1 million in grants that will go to cities and towns who are planning to redevelop office space into residential units. This includes the planned conversion of two buildings on Chestnut and Elm streets in Worcester into 198 market-rate apartments and 22 condos that will be rented to residents making 80% or less of the areas median income. Bradley said she supports Healeys bill and initiatives but acknowledged that more must be done to address the housing crisis as more people experience homeless in Worcester year after year. We need to preserve existing low-income housing and produce more housing, especially of rental housing for our lower-income families and more importantly, we need all communities to welcome rental housing into their neighborhoods and help us solve this crisis, she said. This housing crisis has long-term economic impacts for our state and we need every community to do its part. MODERN intercounty managers are forever playing down the hype. In a reversal of the much-maligned practice, Kevin McStay has issued a call to arms to the people of Mayo. In his latest unprompted message to be shoehorned into a post-match press conference, the Mayo manager called for a show of force against the old enemy in the Connacht final. If we come out of that as the champions, well then weve a massive opening position in the round robin and if we come out number two were still in a pretty decent position. Its not fatal or anything but we want to win it, began McStay. Thats all well and good, says you. Even our fans need to understand what winning the Connacht means as well. Theres a lot of young players that need that support. We didnt hear it today for whatever reason, it was a bit subdued we felt. That last sentence caught our attention. We really want our supporters to come out now in big numbers for this final against Galway, McStay continued. Its a significant moment for the group. It really is a significant moment for the group. Was Kevin McStay disappointed with the 13,967 attendance? No, I think we were all a bit cautious. Mayo Inc. was a bit cautious, replied McStay, coining a new term. The players, maybe management was cautious, the way we went about it. I felt the crowd never, never just got to where we know they can get to when theyre back. Were a new group, weve moved on from where they were ten years ago. This is another iteration of Mayo and we want to get that support, we have to earn it, we understand that. Were in the final now, lets see where it brings us. The army man turned General of The Subdued covered all bases by reiterating his cri de coeur in a video for Mayo GAAs social media. As his troops feasted inside a local hotel, General McStay said: I really believe that the Mayo roar, the Mayo support, is going to mean an awful lot to us in Salthill in a fortnights time so Im asking everybody to do their very best to get behind them. Mayo Inc is on the march to Salthill. The Basking Sharks are back off the Achill coast and the children of a local national school created a message for the locals and tourists on Earth Day to respect these gentle giants. As part of their Marine Institutes Explorers Healthy Ocean Project, the pupils of Dooagh NS on Achill Island created two life size sharks with a message on Keel beach on Monday which was Earth Day. The message called for locals and tourists to respect the local wildlife and keep their distance from Basking Sharks when they are swimming close to the shore. The Basking Shark is the second largest shark in the world and is a regular sight off the Mayo coast at this time of year as it follows the plankton which it feeds on. A number of the sharks were spotted off the Achill coast over the weekend which resulted in a number of people trying to get close to the placid creature. This practice of getting close to the sharks is not encouraged which was the message from the pupils of Dooagh NS. Irene Patten, Dooagh NS Principal, congratulated the children on their life size basking shark measuring eight metres long made of sand and rocks and importantly, the message using rocks for everyone to see: 'Please respect our Sharks'. The children are celebrating the work that they have done over the last couple of months learning about sharks as part of the Explorers school project, focusing on creating a healthy ocean. With so many basking sharks seen feeding in the water around Achill this week, it is wonderful to make the connection that we all need to care for our ocean and the animals that live there. It was wonderful to see the children spend a very enjoyable morning at Keel Beach where they showed great creativity and teamwork in making two life-size basking sharks from pebbles on the beach and a message to help protect the gentle giants who deserve their safe space in the waters around Achill, Ms Patten said. Sorsha Kennedy, Explorers Education officer added: The Irish saying: Chomh samh le liamhan greine, which means As tranquil as a basking shark, is important to remember when we see the sharks bathing in the sun and feeding. They are the second largest shark in the world, measuring in average between five to seven metres in length. Some have been recorded at eleven metres. Although they may seem gentle, they are busy feeding on plankton and can filter 2,000 tons of water per hour as they swim along with their mouths wide open. Basking Sharks have been granted legal protection under Ireland's Wildlife Act as they are listed as globally Endangered with the IUCN. We are therefore very lucky to see these sharks around Achill each summer, which are best observed safely and peacefully from land. The children are very excited about protecting their sharks back and to complete their outing on the seashore they carried out a beach clean where they collected and removed ten bags of plastic that had been washed ashore. Today the Dooagh NS students left some very important healthy ocean messages, to respect wildlife, observe sharks from a safe distance and help keep plastics from the ocean, Sorsha added. Pupils of Dooagh NS on Achill Island create a life size Basking Shark from stones on Keel Beach The Irish Basking Shark Group (www.baskingshark.ie) has created a Code of Conduct to help prevent harmful interactions between people and Basking Sharks recommending that people stay at least four metres away and they should not try to approach the animals. They encourage people to take photos at a distance and to record the location at time sharks were observed. This helps scientists ensure that they are monitored and are given the necessary protection while in Irish waters. For further information on Basking Sharks in Irish waters contact the Irish Basking Shark Group or The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. FUNDING which has been approved for an extension to a national school on Achill Island has been welcomed by local TDs. Saula National School on Achill Island has been approved funding for an extension from the Department of Education, under the Additional Accommodation Scheme. The extension will consist of one mainstream classroom and one special education teacher (SET) classroom. The approval of funding was welcomed by local Fine Gael TD Michael Ring. This is very welcome news and I am sure that the teachers and students will benefit from the additional accommodation being provided. Capital funding in our education system is vital to improve the learning environment for all children, said the Westport-based deputy. His party colleague Alan Dillon also welcomed the approval of the new extension to the Gaeltacht school. I am delighted that initial project approval has been granted to this popular Achill school. I will continue to work with the building department, principal and school staff to ensure additional accommodation for mainstream and those with special educational needs in 2024. I am committed to ensuring the further development of this school into the future to meet the needs of the local community. I want to wish principal John Gallagher, staff, pupils and Board of Management the very best for the year ahead, the Minister of State said. A member of a group protesting against asylum seekers being placed in a local hotel in Ballina has said they are willing to bring their protest to Dublin. Hundreds of people gathered at the Twin Trees Hotel in Ballina on Saturday in opposition to the hotel being used for International Protection Applicants (IPAs). Alan Flannery was among those who addressed the gathering at the Twin Trees Hotel before the gathering walked through Ballina peacefully, finishing a Market Square before dispersing. Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday (Monday), Mr Flannery said the demonstrators were concerned about the impact on local tourism and services from accommodating an extra 120 people. When the ongoing shortage of accommodation for asylum seekers was pointed out to him, Mr Flannery said that asylum seekers should be accommodated in State run, State-managed facilities. Fed up At present, over 1,700 asylum seekers in Ireland are registered as homeless. Under plans brought to Government last week by Minister for Intergration Roderic OGorman, the Government is committed to building out a core of accommodation comprising 14,000 beds in State-owned facilities by 2028. We [Ireland] take them [IPAs] in based on how many places are in these facilities, we train them, we integrate them, we teach them English, we look after them and we give them genuine care. Then we integrate them into the communities, said Mr Flannery. We might be able to take 50,000 asylum seekers based on our population if we get State-run facilities up and running, but these are commercial hotels that are just being turned over overnight to make individuals very wealthy. Mr Flannery, who is not affiliated with any political party, said that protesters in Ballina would be willing to bring their protest in Dublin if necessary. Recent demonstrations against the use of the Twin Trees Hotel for asylum seekers were organised by a group called Ballina Says No. If I dont get any contacts from the Government I am going to try and set up communities around the country, because theres more communities than Ballina that are fed up with all of this, Flannery said. There needs to be a committee set up in every town and village in the country to be proactive so that, whenever anything like this happens, we are able to air our concerns straight away. I know there is a national march on the 4th of May on the Bank Holiday weekend, so if we have to bring our protest with us up to the capital well then so be it. Facilities and services Marie Loftus, a local business owner and mother-of-two, said that local women had registered with GPs in Castlebar and Sligo due to the lack of GPs in Ballina. Ms Loftus said that teachers in schools were struggling to get to grips with delivering lesson plans in multiple languages with no additional funding aids. Marie Loftus pictured at the demonstration against the use of the Twin Trees Hotel for asylum seekers (Pic: Conor McKeown) From most recent government statistics, Georgia, Nigeria and Algeria are all countries deemed safe, yet these are the top three countries that claim asylum in Ireland. This begs the question, are we as towns and villages around the country being taken advantage of? she told the gathering. Echoing concerns expressed by local representatives, Ms Loftus said that the local tourism industry was on its knees due to the lack of accommodation. At present, the Ice House Hotel, Ballina Manor Hotel and Belleek Castle are all fully operational for tourists. The Great National Hotel and Mount Falcon Hotel are 50 percent occupied on an ongoing basis, while the Downhill Inn is fully occupied. The Ballina area is also served by a number of B&Bs. This is not a discussion of race or ethnicity This is a discussion of facts; cold hard facts. No matter how you dress this up we just do not have the facilities or services required to adequately provide for the Irish people, and we certainly do not have the additional resources to provide for a large number of International Protection Applicants, said Ms Loftus. We are asking the Irish government to put the Irish people first. Enough is enough. A Mayo farmer has been shortlisted for the RDS Irish Forest and Woodlands Awards. Paul Maguire from Claremorris is among those shortlisted in the Teagasc Farm Forestry Awards category, which recognises working farmers who are integrating forestry and farming for environmental, social and economic benefits. The RDS will host the two-day festival on biodiversity and sustainability Finding Common Ground on Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3. As part of the two-day event, the RDS Irish Forest and Woodlands Awards, which recognise and reward farmers and woodland owners that have adopted Climate-Smart Agricultural practices on their properties, will take place. Mr Maguire farms 72 acres of forest, made up of Oak 15 percent, Alder 20 percent, Birch 30 percent, Larch eight percent, Spruce 25 percent and Apple two percent. He also keeps dry stock cattle and is a participant in the National Parks and Wildlife Farm Scheme. An iron smelting furnace has been an integral part of the farm over a number of generations. The newly planted forest is transforming the landscape back to how it may have looked when the furnace was constructed in 1738. The mature native woodlands, which comprise 12 acres of the land, were used for wintering cattle, and it is these practices that Mr Maguire wishes to continue. The Claremorris man has welcomed visitors for more than fifteen years, sharing the knowledge of the land, woodland and furnace. He has conducted Social Farming workshops for participants with intellectual and physical disabilities. Although the land and forestry is privately owned, he will continually open it up to the public for healing, knowledge, woodwork projects and pure enjoyment. Commenting on the upcoming event, Deputy Chief Executive, Foundation at RDS, Niamh De Loughry, said: With social sustainability at its core, the RDS long-term vision for Ireland sees five key areas underpinning the island's culture and economy - Arts, Agriculture, Enterprise and Equestrian, Science and Technology. Our objective is to harness the energy and ideas of people to identify needs, work to foster momentum and create scale to propel our culture and economy to new heights. There are many barriers to sustainable development in Ireland and the RDS is poised to play a role in addressing them alongside key partners through events and initiatives such as this upcoming festival, she concluded. The awards ceremony will take place on May 3, with the event being delivered as one of the RDS Foundation social impact programmes. It will incorporate presentations and panel discussions exploring how Ireland can harness the benefits of our natural resources and the circular economy with a view to creating increased awareness, education and identification of solutions to act on. Alongside this, a number of awards ceremonies will take place to celebrate best practice in these areas. A Mayo students company has been recognised with the Goodbody Sustainability Award. Final year student at Trinity College Dublin, 22-year-old Anthony Walsh from Belmullet is over outreach and client relationships for Saor Water. Saor Water were presented with the Goodbody Sustainability Award at the Irish Student Entrepreneurship Forum (ISEF) grand final event. Annually, at the final, students pitch their best business ideas. As part of this multi-stage competition, Goodbody asks students to focus on sustainability and award the top environmentally-friendly submission with the Goodbody Sustainability Award. Currently, a business and economics final year student at Trinity College Dublin, Mr Walsh joined the company last November after seeing the potential to help brands make the switch away from plastic. The former St Brendans College student has been key in educating Saor Waters audience on why they should switch, and has worked closely with clients to solve the issues they faced with the lack of viable branded sustainable options for water; that is according to the companys founder, Ryan Ormonde. Saor Water is Irelands first free beverage company with a mission to empower brands to form genuine, lasting connections with their audience. By offering a free, sustainable, and customisable beverage experience, the brand's innovative and sustainable approach to marketing has created a niche market for the company. Just recently, the company took part in a Mayo students sustainability initiative. Commenting on the award, Mr Ormonde, said: It was a great honour to receive the Goodbody Sustainability Award on behalf of Saor Water at the ISEF Grand Final last week. Sustainability has always been at the heart of our mission, so it is great to be recognised with this award, with thanks to Goodbody and the event organisers, ISEF. With 75 percent of the aluminium that was produced in history still in circulation today, the founder said the brands mission is to help brands ditch the bottle and move to a better alternative, aluminium. Over the last 8 months, weve found that were not alone in wanting to ditch the bottle! Since our launch, we have helped companies across the UK and Ireland embrace sustainability and ditch plastic across many industries from cinema, radio, car dealerships and local food cafes through our bespoke branded aluminium canned water, helping to elevate their branded experience and their commitment to our planet, he continued. Laura Edgerton, Head of Internal Communications and Employer Branding at Goodbody said they were very happy to award Saor Water with the Goodbody Sustainability Award at the ISEF Grand Final this year. As part of our companys commitment to the environment, we have an in-house working group who voted for this years winner, rating four projects on innovation, sustainability, business model, demand and feasibility of implementation. Saor Water came out on top, with a special nod to their branding and marketing along with all the other factors we considered. Goodbody has supported the ISEF for several years now, as we work closely with entrepreneurs in all aspects of our business, and we want to ensure were supporting future talent, so Irish innovation and industry can thrive. Saor Water showed strong potential to us and they align closely with our commitment to sustainability as a firm, she concluded. by Fern Siegel , April 23, 2024 Leo Burnett Chicago named Kate Jeffers as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 15. Jeffers will head the agency's flagship Chicago office and key brand partnerships, including Bank of America, Beam Suntory, Kelloggs and Nintendo. She reports to Publicis Groupe Creative U.S. CEO Susie Nam. Few agencies have a 90-year track record of consistently innovating to build brands at mass scale, to activate audiences, and to impact culture," said Jeffers. Previously, she spent two decades at creative agency Venables Bell + Partners, which counts Audi, Chipotle and Intel on its rosters, where she served as partner and president. In addition, she led the agencys early adoption of AI and its AI consultancy, Braive. Before that, Jeffers held posts at Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles and Paris, TBWA/Chiat/Day and Goodby Silverstein & Partners, launching both the Apple iPod and Toyota Prius. Nam cited Jeffers' record of building an agency culture that inspires creativity and nurtures innovation. When you combine that with Leo Burnetts consumer acumen, range and expertise in building brands for the masses, it puts Leo Burnett on a trajectory to assert its right to lead the industry creatively. Euthanasia: Right to life vs right to die Trusted Source The Navy has convicted a chief petty officer of attempted espionage, among other charges, at a court-martial in San Diego after the sailor was charged with sharing classified documents under the guise of writing research papers. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service said in a press release Friday that, following a seven-day trial, Chief Petty Officer Bryce Pedicini, who was previously assigned to the USS Higgins, was found guilty at a general court-martial of attempted espionage, failure to obey a lawful order, and attempted violation of a lawful general order. The conviction comes at a time when a growing number of sailors appear to be falling for Chinese efforts to recruit spies and obtain classified information and, while it is not known what country Pedicini tried to spy for, he is at least the third sailor in about a year to face espionage-related charges. Read Next: Vandenberg Space Force Base Deemed Contaminant Free Amid Rising Cancer Concerns Among Missile Personnel Pedicini is set to be sentenced by a military judge on May 7, according to NCIS. Charging documents released by the Navy showed that Pedicini was accused of delivering two sets of classified national defense documents -- referred to as "Article 1112" and "Article 1223" in the legal paperwork -- to "a citizen and employee of a foreign government" between November 2022 and February 2023 in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The charging documents go on to say that the pair of articles were made up of several sections and Pedicini delivered them both over several instances. In its statement, NCIS said that "Pedicini engaged with the foreign government representative under the guise of writing research papers" and noted that this is "a tactic increasingly used by foreign adversaries to obtain classified and unclassified national defense information." The charging documents also say that Pedicini provided "images of a [secret-level classification] computer screen to a citizen and employee of a foreign government" in mid-May in Yokosuka, Japan. Yokosuka is the Japanese city just outside of Tokyo that hosts a U.S. Navy base as well as Pedicini's former ship, the Higgins. According to records provided by the Navy, Pedicini is originally from Tennessee and enlisted in the service in 2008. His awards include a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, three Good Conduct Medals, and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. NCIS Director Omar Lopez said in the statement that "this guilty verdict holds Mr. Pedicini to account for his betrayal of his country and fellow service members" and that "although the overwhelming majority of Department of the Navy service members are honorable and faithful public servants, NCIS stands ready to expose those who are not." In August, the Department of Justice announced that Petty Officer Second Class Wenheng Zhao -- who went by the name Thomas Zhao -- was arrested for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer. Zhao had sent more than 50 technical and mechanical manuals for various systems of the USS Essex and similar ships to his Chinese handlers, court documents said. Zhao was sentenced to just over two years in federal prison in January. In the same August announcement, the Justice Department also said it had arrested and charged Jinchao Wei, a machinist's mate who was also assigned to the Essex, and charged him with multiple counts of conspiring and sending defense information to a foreign citizen. Wei's trial is currently set to begin in December, according to court records. Court records claim that both sailors received thousands of dollars for their activities and that Wei even "boasted that while other U.S. Navy sailors were driving cabs to make extra money, all he had to do was leak secrets." Related: Trial of Navy Chief Petty Officer Accused of Espionage Kicks Off in San Diego The rise of commercially viable generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform a vast range of sectors. This transformation will be particularly profound in contemporary military education. Generative AI will fundamentally reshape war gaming analytical games that simulate aspects of warfare at tactical, operational or strategic levels by allowing senior military and political leaders to pursue better tactical solutions to unexpected crises, solve more complex logistical and operational challenges and deepen their strategic thinking. The art of war gaming From its inception, war gaming has been intended to offer realistic training to commanders that could otherwise only be gained through real-world experience. Initially instituted by Prussian staff officers in the early 1800s and involving highly detailed scale models and complex charts to calculate casualties, war games often serve as educational exercises intended to allow commanders to gain experience against a live adversary. By forcing commanders to adapt to an opponents tactics and rely on their own intuition to confront unexpected situations, war games are an attempt to mirror the human experience of combat. War gaming also offers a way to test operational plans, allowing leaders to gain experience planning large-scale operations and work through complex logistical challenges. By allowing vast distances to be visualized on a single board, operational war games allow for doctrines to be tested at scales impossible to replicate for most professional military forces. From Japans strikes on Midway, which were practised and planned primarily using war games, to NATOs long-running naval war-game series, such exercises are often a critical part of operational planning. Lastly, war games provide the foundation for a common strategic culture within a countrys military and national security institutions. Because these exercises are often reflections of the most likely crises faced by senior military and political leaders, war games offer the opportunity for officers to share their perspectives. Lawmakers in a new House select committee on China from left, Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., committee Chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., gather for a tabletop war game exercise in the House Ways and Means Committee room on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Washington. The exercise examined American diplomatic, economic and military options if the U.S. and China were ever to reach the brink of war over Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. (AP Photo/Ellen Knickmeyer) Generative AI AI is already being employed in active conflict situations, including by Israel in Gaza. The rise of generative AI is also poised to profoundly transform the practice of war gaming as an exercise to train human commanders, perfect operational plans and doctrines and develop stronger strategic cultures. As with other strategy games like chess, Risk and Go, generative AI will be capable of challenging commanders handling of battlefield tactics. Rather than relying on human intuition, AI commanders will be able to model an adversarys tactics almost flawlessly, allowing opposing officers to train against a range of contemporary forces at nearly no cost. Given that AI systems have become increasingly customizable, commanders will also be able to train against facsimiles of themselves, helping them overcome their own weaknesses. This process may even eventually extend to human-machine interactions. Advances in AI could allow military leaders to gain additional competencies in handling sophisticated military AI and receive tactical advice from a broader range of perspectives. Along with training commanders to confront the battlefields of the future, AI-enhanced war games may also spur significant improvements in operational planning. Borrowing from commercial industries, AI may be capable of directing equipment and personnel to support specific campaign objectives while optimizing for flexibility to respond to unexpected threats. Given its vast computing power, AI war games will also allow professional military planners to test their assumptions against a near endless range of possible contingencies, strengthening internal decision-making processes and fine-tuning pre-existing models. Lastly, generative AI will allow war games to incorporate more strategy, providing invaluable insights and experience to both military and political leaders. Preparing for uncertainty In generating a broader range of underlying scenarios to guide game play, AI will also allow participants to consider a multitude of possible developments, each branching out into near-limitless possibilities. This will allow participants to adapt to changes in each players strategic calculations, including alliance structure, economic considerations, political developments and societal trends, all of which exert pressures on real-world military strategy. AIs capacity to introduce new developments into game play, including through its faulty assumptions, will force commanders to prepare for uncertainty and the fog of war, an increasingly necessary skill in the complex environment of contemporary combat. AI-enhanced strategic war games will also increase the likelihood of senior leaders being forced to contend with doubts regarding their own strategic doctrines, contributing to deeper discussions within their respective organizations. Military science revolution The use of war gaming as a tactical, operational and strategic exercise has been a hallmark of advanced militaries since the First World War and has allowed political and military leaders to carry out wars that possess complexities that were unimaginable only a generation ago. The rise of generative AI and its contribution to war gaming will likely prompt yet another revolution in the field of military science. These games will improve the realism of training exercises and prepare leaders for the future of conflict, solve complex logistical challenges and spark new innovations in overarching military strategy. As contemporary combat grows ever more chaotic and complex, properly teaching the art of war has become even more crucial. John Long Burnham is Senior Policy Research Analyst, Defence, University of Alberta This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Women in the military could have a higher risk of giving birth to low-weight babies than their civilian counterparts, according to a scientific review published this week. The review, which analyzed 21 separate studies of pregnancies in the U.S. military from 1979 to 2023, found that about two-thirds of the studies concluded that active-duty servicewomen may be at heightened risk of having babies with a low birth weight. Still, the review did not find clear evidence that servicewomen have an increased risk of stillbirth or premature births. Read Next: Navy Chief Petty Officer Convicted of Attempted Espionage at San Diego Court-Martial The review, which was written by U.K. researchers and published in the journal BMJ Military Health, "highlights a need for female-specific research in other armed forces" beyond the U.S. military, the authors concluded. "From the service perspective, promoting the health of mother and baby can contribute to operational effectiveness through faster return to duty, retention in the service and increased deployability," the researchers, led by Kirsten Morris of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, wrote in the review published Monday. "Hence, improved pregnancy outcomes are important both for the families concerned and for the service as a whole." While the researchers were focused on the implications of the review on militaries outside the United States, U.S. policymakers have also been concerned about maternal health in the military in recent years. Concern in the U.S. has focused both on how the unique stressors of military life could affect pregnancy as well as on a lack of access to maternity care within the military health system. Staffing shortages in general at military treatment facilities have left expectant mothers struggling to find a doctor. The issue has been a particular worry in areas where local doctors don't have the capacity to handle an influx of military patients, as well as for those stationed overseas where treatment may differ from what U.S. patients expect. A 2023 study also found that patient satisfaction ratings for obstetric care in military health facilities are low compared to medical and surgical care. Meanwhile, evidence has accumulated showing the stress of military life hits pregnant service members particularly hard. For example, a 2022 Government Accountability Office report found service members face mental health conditions during the perinatal period at a higher rate than civilians. U.S. lawmakers have proposed fixes, including mandating a comprehensive study of access to maternity care and creating a perinatal mental health program. Women's health was also one of the specialty areas of health care that a bipartisan House panel on military quality-of-life recently recommended taking steps to increase access to. The scientific review released Monday also noted that a growing body of research shows that stress both before conception and during pregnancy is associated with birth complications, including low birth weight and premature birth. Low birth weight is considered anything less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces, and is associated with health concerns, including breathing issues, developmental disabilities and chronic diseases later in life, according to nonprofit maternal health organization March of Dimes. The 21 studies that the researchers analyzed covered the experiences of more than 650,000 U.S. servicewomen, according to the review. In addition to finding that U.S. service members in general appeared at greater risk of having babies with low birth weight than civilians, the researchers noted both studies they examined from the Air Force indicated a higher prevalence of low birth weight specifically in that service. The researchers also stressed several limitations with their review, including that many of the studies didn't have a control group and relied on national statistics for comparison, and that few of the studies looked at other risk factors such as smoking habits. Still, the researchers concluded that their findings could be used to "inform military maternity pathways and policies in ways that safeguard mothers and their babies while enhancing military readiness." Related: With Hourlong Drives and Weeks Until Appointments, Pregnant Military Women Feel Pain of Medical Reforms The Diamondbacks announced a pair of acquisitions Tuesday: left-hander Joe Jacques was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox, while infielder Sergio Alcantara was acquired from the Pirates in exchange for cash. Both players are headed to Triple-A Reno. Jacques is on the 40-man roster, but Alcantara whod signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh is not. Arizonas 40-man roster is now at capacity. Jacques, 29, appeared in just one game for the Red Sox this season, allowing a run in 1 2/3 innings. He yielded three hits but didnt issue a walk and also picked up a pair of strikeouts. Dating back to last seasons MLB debut, hes pitched to a 5.08 earned run average in 28 1/3 innings with a 16.8% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate and massive 64.8% ground-ball rate. Although the sidearming leftys track record in the big leagues is minimal, Jacques has pitched in parts of four Triple-A seasons and worked to a 3.93 ERA in 128 1/3 innings. Boston originally acquired the former 10th-rounder from the Pirates in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. He was designated for assignment Friday when the Sox selected the contract of fellow left-hander Cam Booser from Triple-A Worcester. Arizona currently has three lefties in the big league bullpen: Joe Mantiply, Kyle Nelson and Logan Allen. Neither Mantiply nor Nelson has pitched especially well in 2024, and while Allens lone appearance yielded solid results, the former Guardians, Rockies and Orioles left-hander has a spotty track record in the big leagues, to put it mildly. Jacques will add a depth option whos had success in Triple-A and who can potentially pile up grounders in Chase Field, which has been quite homer-happy for right-handed hitters in the early stages of the 2024 season. Jacques is in the second of his three option years and thus gives the D-backs some flexibility in the pen. As for Alcantara, hes no stranger to the Diamondbacks organization. The now-27-year-old infielder spent the bulk of the 2022 season there, appearing in 71 big league games and batting .241/.283/.406 in 186 trips to the plate. Hes a career .209/.281/.343 batter in 502 MLB plate appearances whos drawn strong defensive grades at shortstop, per both Defensive Runs Saved (4) and Outs Above Average (7). Those strong marks have come in a sample of just 530 plate appearances. The Diamondbacks recently lost starting shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to a torn meniscus. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar suffered a torn ligament in his thumb late in spring training an injury thats expected to shelve him for several months. With that pair of injuries, have been using hot-hitting rookie Blaze Alexander and glove-first veteran Kevin Newman as the primary options at short. Alcantara will give them some depth at the Triple-A level, where hes a career .268/.386/.397 hitter in 548 trips to the plate. Alcantara is out of minor league options, so if the Diamondbacks end up selecting him to the 40-man roster, hell have to either stick in the majors or else be passed through waivers. Upon clearing, hed have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency. The Orioles announced a few roster moves before this evenings game against the Angels. Baltimore placed outfielder Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday, due to a left calf strain. They selected catcher David Banuelos onto the MLB roster in a corresponding move. To create space on the 40-man roster for Banuelos, the Os designated outfielder Peyton Burdick for assignment. Banuelos finds his way to the majors for the second time. Baltimore called him up for one day last week when a roster spot opened with Tyler Wells heading to the injured list. The seven-year minor league veteran came off the bench to make his big league debut. Baltimore designated him for assignment and outrighted him off the roster a day later. Its possible well see a similar course of events this week. Banuelos previous call was spurred largely by his availability, as he has been traveling with the team as a member of the taxi squad. Hell offer extra catching depth behind Adley Rutschman and James McCann in the short term, collecting a prorated MLB minimum salary in the process. Hays has had a tough start to the year, picking up only five hits and four walks in his first 45 plate appearances. Colton Cowser has quickly hit his way into the lineup alongside Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander. Hays, a 2023 All-Star, has only started 11 of Baltimores first 21 games. Hell now be out of action at least into the middle of next week. Skipper Brandon Hyde told reporters the team expects Hays will be back not long after the minimal 10 days (X link via Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com). That outfield depth has helped keep Burdick off the MLB roster entirely since the Os claimed him on waivers last month. The right-handed hitter has spent the year on optional assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. Burdick has gotten out to a tough start there, hitting .182/.333/.455 in 16 games. He has hit four homers and taken plenty of walks, yet hes also gone down on strikes 28 times. Its still an open question whether Burdick can make consistent enough contact to establish himself at the MLB level. Prospect evaluators have credited him with plus raw power, which hes translated into 43 homers in just over 1000 Triple-A plate appearances. That has come with huge swing-and-miss rates. Burdick has punched out in nearly a third of his trips to the dish in Triple-A. He fanned more than 38% of the time in 46 big league contests with the Marlins between 2022-23. Burdick has gone from Miami to the Os to the White Sox and back to Baltimore within the past couple months. The Orioles will need to trade or waive him again within the next week. Hes in his second of three option years, so another team could keep him in Triple-A without exposing him to waivers if they were to give him a spot on the 40-man roster. Now heres some hopeful news: Monarch butterflies will soon be back. After spending the winter in Mexicos Sierra Madre Mountains, Eastern monarch butterflies are currently making their way north to spend the warmer months across the eastern U.S. and Canada. These tiny, delicate insects will fly up to 100 miles a day, with some traveling as far as 3,000 miles before reaching their destination. If youre excited about the return of these black-and-orange beauties, you can follow their migration in nearly real time via the University of Wisconsin-Madisons Journey North website, which uses citizen-reported sightings to share maps and updates tracking monarchs and other North American migratory species. RELATED: Love monarchs? What to grow this year to see more butterflies in your yard The spring 2024 map for Eastern monarchs has been tracking the butterflies migration since late winter, with the northernmost sightings so far appearing in West Virginia, Virginia, Missouri and Kentucky. Last year, Journey Norths earliest sightings of monarch butterflies in Michigan were reported in mid-April. Both Western and Eastern monarch populations have declined in the past two decades, with experts citing habitat loss, the widespread use of pesticides and insecticides, and effects of climate change as contributing factors. Volunteer-reported observations of monarchs as well as the presence of milkweed, a hardy plant that monarchs need to survive, allows Journey North to collect data that in turn helps researchers and conservation work. See the Journey North monarch butterfly map here. To report a monarch butterfly sighting, visit journeynorth.org/sightings. Learn more about Journey North at journeynorth.org HOLLAND, MI - A man evading police crashed his car into the side of a Holland townhouse on Saturday night, police said. Officers responded to a reported domestic assault around 9:30 p.m., April 20 on the Meadow Lanes Townhomes complex on Ramblewood Court, according to the Holland Department of Public Safety. Upon arrival, officers spoke to the 40-year-old Holland woman who reported that her 31-year-old Holland boyfriend assaulted her at the residence, police said. The man left the residence prior to officers arriving, police said. Officers found the mans suspect vehicle parked on Cabill Drive off M-40, and the suspect fled the scene as officers attempted to stop him, police said. The suspect drove the car onto westbound I-196 from M-40, entering the Authorized Vehicle Only turn at the median to drive on the other side of the highway in the wrong direction, police said. The police chase was ended due to safety concerns, and the suspect information was referred to the Allegan County Sheriffs Office, police said. Deputies later found the suspect vehicle on I-196 driving back to Holland, and initiated a pursuit when the vehicle again evaded a traffic stop, police said. The vehicle drove back to the Meadow Lane complex, where Holland city officers were still on the scene, police said. The suspect drove the car into the side of the townhouse, police said. He was arrested and later taken to Holland Hospital for treatment of minor injuries suffered in the crash, police said. The man was lodged for domestic assault and OWI charges, police said. The woman suffered minor injuries and took her own transportation to Holland Hospital, police said. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. SUTTONS BAY, MI The owner of a barge best known for repeatedly sinking in Lake Michigan pleaded guilty to polluting Great Lakes waters in a settlement that gives him another year to move the beleaguered industrial vessel. On Monday, Donald Moses Balcom, 89, of Traverse City, pleaded guilty in 13th Circuit Court in Suttons Bay to a single count of water resources protections violation. The charge was connected to the first sinking of the barge in November 2020 when petrochemicals spilled into Grand Traverse Bay near Greilickville. Balcoms conviction carries a two-year penalty, but sentencing was deferred in a plea bargain that allows Balcom one year to finally move the barge and crane. If the barge is permanently moved to a legal location, the conviction will convert to a misdemeanor. This matter is not yet resolved, said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in a released statement. Conditions of the plea agreement state that if Balcom fails to relocate the barge within a year, he will be sentenced on the felony conviction. Also, the state would at that time salvage the vessel and seek restitution from Balcom. We have made it abundantly clear he cannot treat the bay as his own personal junkyard, and if he does not resolve the issue, the state will, Nessel said. The vessel currently rests partially ashore just south of Suttons Bay. Thats where contractors dragged it ashore last fall so repairs could be made. Traverse City-based defense attorney Thomas Seger, who represents Balcom, could not be reached for comment. Balcom initially faced seven criminal charges, including misdemeanors or trespass, marine safety violations, and placing the barge on Great Lakes bottomlands. The additional charges were all dropped as part of the plea bargain. The series of criminal charges came from years of maritime events in Grand Traverse Bay. After the November 2020 sinking, the barge later grounded in Northport Bay in 2022 after being anchored offshore for months along the Leelanau County coastline. It remained grounded there until October last year when it was hauled partially ashore. Balcom previously said he has had interest in the vessel from possible buyers after months of advertising its sale. Related articles: Up-north barge hasnt budged; criminal charges against owner proceed Judge orders barge must be sold or removed from Great Lakes waters by Dec. 8 Owner of barge notorious for sinking arraigned on Great Lakes violations Owner of derelict barge criminal charged in Great Lakes saga For two years, Michigan largely dodged a deadly bird flu. By the end of last year, the highly pathogenic avian influenza had infected a couple dozen backyard flocks and was detected three times at turkey farms. But in the past month, the death toll of Michigan birds has skyrocketed, and dairy cows are starting to get sick. A recent infection in Ionia County dealt the biggest blow: nearly 6.5 million dead chickens. Obviously when you get an outbreak of a disease like this, it raises a lot of questions and were taking it very, very seriously, said Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring. This strain of the avian flu, H5N1, started spreading in the United States after it was first detected in two South Carolina wild ducks in January 2022. Since then, its become the deadliest bird flu in history, affecting more than 90 million birds. Its so contagious that farms with even one infected bird are required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to depopulate, or kill, their entire flock. But many commercial farms, including in Michigan, have been relying on what critics call an inhumane method to kill their flocks that prolongs animal suffering. Avian flu tears through egg farms Herbrucks Poultry Ranch faced its worst-case scenario at the end of March. A farmworker at Herbrucks, the biggest egg producer in the state that supplies eggs to every McDonalds restaurant east of the Mississippi, noticed sick birds at the farms Ionia County organic facility. Testing confirmed their fears. Herbrucks is heartbroken by the loss of any hen, and we were devastated to learn that some of the hens at our Green Meadow Organics facility are infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, CEO Greg Herbruck said in a statement earlier this month. The fourth-generation family farm, which has 10 million egg-laying hens across three states, did not confirm how many birds were impacted. But federal data shows almost 6.5 million chickens at Ionia County egg farms were depopulated between April 3 and April 16 making it one of the biggest cullings in the country. Related: Avian flu strikes Michigans largest egg producer Michigan now ranks fifth for avian flu-related deaths behind Iowa, Ohio, California and Nebraska. Over the course of the last two years, as weve seen this outbreak spread across the country, nearly every state has been affected. And many states have had some of the large commercial detections like weve had most recently, said Kim Dodd, director of Michigan State Universitys Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which does avian flu testing. Its hit egg producers particularly hard. Egg farms have depopulated 63 million birds with the 39 largest mass killings in the country, federal data shows. That includes two producers in Iowa that each killed 5 million birds in spring 2022. And Cal-Maine Foods, the largest egg producer, idled a Texas facility earlier this month after depopulating 1.6 million birds, about 3.6% of its total flock. Outbreaks like these drove egg prices to record highs last year, hitting an average of nearly $5 a dozen. Herbruck says his egg farm has been working around the clock to follow federal protocols and disinfect facilities before production can start again. The company plans to lean on its unaffected farms and a supplier network to keep distributing eggs. To compensate losses, the USDA pays farms for birds and eggs that need to be destroyed because of the flu. As of January, more than $1 billion had reportedly been spent on these indemnity payments. Youre looking at a commercial operation that is forced with depopulating the entire flock, and its a significant economic hit, Boring said. Health officials emphasize no eggs from infected animals will enter the food supply and the flu carries a low risk for humans only two people who had contact with farm animals have gotten sick. How are birds depopulated? Depopulation is the main tool used to contain an infection. Affected farms need to act quickly because the flu is particularly vicious for chickens and turkeys. It can rapidly multiply and infect every bird in a single day. Sickened birds will then struggle to breathe, gasping for air, suffering from extreme diarrhea and likely dying within two days. I think its important to remember that our domestic poultry get very sick with this infection, Dodd said. So, in this case, we are not stamping out the infection just to eliminate the virus. Its also a welfare issue. Related: A chicken started gasping for air. Three days later, more than 60 birds were dead. After the last outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2015, the USDA determined one of the most critical problems was how long it took to kill an infected flock. Methods like water-based foam or carbon dioxide gassing can require outside contractors and supplies. This gave the virus, which spreads easily though farm equipment, clothing and even dust particles, more opportunity to circulate. With speed a priority, the USDA set a goal of depopulating birds within 24 to 48 hours by allowing farms to use a method called ventilation shutdown plus. Research shows this process takes around 2 hours. A depopulation delay creates a serious biosecurity challenge for responders, who must consider sick birds, their feces, and everything in contact with those materials as infectious, the federal agency says in its ventilation shutdown plus policy. This method involves sealing vents, pumping heat into barns and raising the temperature to between 104 and 110 degrees until the animals have died from hyperthermia. In some cases, carbon dioxide is also used. The American Veterinary Medical Association, which developed the depopulation guidelines, advises this should only be used in constrained circumstances when other methods are not available or the virus poses a significant threat of further spread. But analysis from the Animal Welfare Institute, an advocacy organization, found that over 81% of avian flu depopulations used ventilation shutdown plus through December 2023. It was also used to kill pigs when slaughterhouses were shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, its really become entrenched and a standard method, said Gwendolen Reyes-Illg, a veterinary medicine consultant for the Animal Welfare Institutes farm animal program. Related: Bird flu spreads to 3 more Michigan commercial dairy farms More than 2,000 veterinarians have signed a letter urging companies to use less cruel methods. And the Animal Welfare Institute has petitioned the USDA to make indemnity payments contingent on farms having a plan for humanely depopulating animals. In Michigan, though, commercial farms have leaned on ventilation shutdown plus. The three infected Muskegon County turkey farms used it, according to records obtained from Our Honor, an animal advocacy organization. And the USDA confirmed the millions of chickens depopulated in Ionia County died from ventilation shutdown plus. The USDA understands the concerns from animal rights advocates, spokesperson Shilo Wier said in an email, but ventilation shutdown can be more effective and humane than a process that takes longer because birds will also endure agonizing flu symptoms. Ultimately, the producer may make the difficult decision to shut off the ventilation fans and heat the buildings in the operation to depopulate the birds quickly and end their suffering from the disease, Weir said. Avian influenza still spreading After two years and millions of dead birds, avian flu is not slowing down. At the end of March, the flu was detected for the first time in a herd of Texas dairy cattle a surprise to scientists. Thousands of dead sea elephants lined an Argentinian beach after a large outbreak last fall. And its continued to sicken wild birds and mammals. We see that the high path avian influenza strain kind of goes away when we hit winter, Dodd said. But weve had fairly mild winters and so weve continued to see it circulating across the country. This worries Reyes-Illg. I think that if we really were serious about wanting to rein in avian influenza, we would be looking at some of these big picture issues: vaccination, farm size, farm density and the conditions on the farm that make animals more at risk of infection and of infection spreading rapidly, she said. To address the ongoing threat, the USDA started vaccine trials for several flu strains last year. But significant challenges remain in developing, approving and deploying a vaccine for domestic birds. For one, vaccinated birds might not get as sick, but they could still spread the virus. There are also trade restrictions on vaccinated poultry being imported or exported between countries. Related: A deadly bird flu raised egg prices. Michigan farms vigilantly protect flocks. For now, biosecurity remains king: keeping flocks away from wild birds, limiting visitors and disinfecting clothes, shoes, vehicles and farm equipment. The USDA calls it an every day, every time approach. Our priority is really trying to ensure that we minimize interaction between wild birds and our domestic poultry flocks, including our backyard flocks as well, Dodd said. Michigan poultry farms have been on high alert for over two years, deploying strict biosecurity measures like requiring workers to wear protective Tyvek suits, replacing dirt with concrete and fogging trucks with disinfectant. Boring says this hypervigilance is why Michigan had not seen a major outbreak until recent weeks. This is a cautionary tale of ensuring that all those biosecurity practices remain in place and at the highest level, he said. As Michiganders, we should be used to this: Spring forecasts can have some weird weather combinations. Tuesday will be no exception, as parts of Michigan could see thunderstorms switching to snow as temperatures tumble Tuesday night. And there could be a little hail tossed in there, too. The culprit behind this fast switch is a cold front that is moving into the area on Tuesday, bringing a chance of rain for most of Michigan. While really severe weather is not expected, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Grand Rapids said the most active weather pattern could happen between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. During that time, damaging winds are possible. So is half-inch to one-inch hail. In the Lower Peninsula, the northern half - in a line from Fremont to Alma east to The Thumb and northward - has an elevated risk compared to the southern half. Winds and hail are in the forecast for Tuesday, April 22. Image provided by the National Weather Service.NWS The NWS office in Gaylord describes Tuesdays potential active weather pattern this way: Chances for rain move in tonight as a cold front approaches from the west. Isolated chances for thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and evening could lead to brief moderate to heavy rainfall, lightning, and gusty winds at times. Precipitation will eventually change to light snow as winds turn northwest and sub freezing temperatures move in. Cold temperatures overnight into early Wednesday morning. Low temperatures across the Upper Peninsula could fall to 15 degrees Tuesday night into Wednesday, with clear skies making the air feel even colder. The next system brings rain showers later tonight ahead of a strong cold front on Tuesday that sends temperatures tumbling and changes lingering rain showers over to snow, the NWS office in Marquette said. Expect breezy northerly winds Tuesday. Overnight lows on Tuesday night are expected to range from the teens to twenties under mostly clear skies. Another cool day is in store for Wednesday under sunny skies. You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Follow us on: MP Board 10th & 12th Result 2024 Date and Time: MPBSE Class 10th, 12th results to be out tomorrow at mpresults.nic.in OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All RSKMP result 2024 for class 5th, 8th results announced, Check here for direct link Follow us on: Battleground Karnataka: Polling on April 26, key constituencies to watch out for in the high-stakes battle DP Satish is Group Editorial Advisor - South, Network 18. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Follow us on: Kerala Lok Sabha polls: Why majority of parties are jostling for minority votes Christin Mathew Philip is an Assistant editor at moneycontrol.com. Based in Bengaluru, he writes on mobility, infrastructure and start-ups. He is a Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awardee. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/ChristinMP_ Nearly 26,000 teachers lose their job in Bengal it may be significant turn in the Lok Sabha election Follow us on: PM Modi's 'wealth to infiltrators' offensive: What did Rahul Gandhi, Congress manifesto really say on wealth redistribution? 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. 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Here are his words: The past six months have shone an uncomfortably bright light on the moral rot festering on Americas university campuses. Just yesterday, the president of Columbia University hedged when asked whether chants of, from the river to the sea and long live the intifada are properly considered anti-Semitism. This comes after numerous incidents on her campus, including a student club president issuing an email that read, white Jewish people today and always have been the oppressors of all brown people. And, When I say the Holocaust wasnt special, I mean that. Of course, the light of truth doesnt discriminate. And its uncovered much more than an alarming taste for the worlds oldest form of hate. Last month, a federal judge found that an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School had committed plagiarism in a report submitted on behalf of plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit. And if this werent enough, Harvards Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging recently announced they will host racially segregated affinity celebrations during their 2024 commencement. These are the institutions that President Biden wants working Americans to underwrite? These are the degrees that President Biden wants taxpayers to subsidize? Last summer, the Supreme Court ruled that the Presidents initial attempt at student loan socialism was unconstitutional. Nevertheless, Washington Democrats continue to double down. Earlier this week, the Biden Administration proposed yet another nearly $150 billion-dollar round of student loan transfers. Thats on top of more than $150 billion dollars theyve already rolled out. At a most basic level, the proposal betrays a staggering disdain for working Americans both those who have paid off their debt and those who opted not to take on debt in the first place. It will transfer the loans of the highest earning members of Washington Democrats base to working taxpayers. And its already driving up tuition costs for future students. But the Biden Administration has made it pretty clear that they dont care about future students. Just look at the way they are handling the current round of FAFSA applications! Last week, the Education Department admitted that its own data and processing errors had compromised up to 30% of federal financial aid applications. Just as prospective students and their families are facing enrollment deadlines, Washington Democrats apparently couldnt care less whether prospective students make informed decisions. Apparently, hefty tuition costs dont matter much if taxpayers will be the ones footing the bill. Well, I expect that working Americans across the country will have something to say about this in the fall. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Governor Gavin Newsom plants a tree at Dos Rios View Photo Modesto, CA Californias newest state park will be located near the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers. Dos Rios is spread across 1,600 acres, surrounded by almond orchards and dairy pastures, eight miles west of Modesto. The 281st state park will open on June 12 and Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom hosted a dedication ceremony on Monday, Earth Day. Newsom stated that the property is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California and will restore habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife. The park will allow for hiking and picnicking initially, with plans to later add swimming and boating access. Newsom used the dedication to also talk about new efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions on natural lands as part of an effort to become carbon neutral by 2045, or remove as many carbon emissions from the atmosphere as it emits. The park is referred to as Dos Rios, but it was noted that a new name will be unveiled prior to its official opening in the summer. It will be Californias first new state park in a decade. Ecuador was one of the first countries to reject international investment arbitration, back in 2008. Its new ultra neo-liberal government just tried to reverse that. Voters refused to let it. As we reported in March, the left-leaning government of the small Central American country of Honduras recently shocked the world by announcing its departure from the World Banks International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), arguing that the court was infringing illegally on Honduran sovereignty. In the end, it came down to a choice between walking away from the worlds most powerful arbitration court or waiting for the imposition of crippling fines that would almost certainly bankrupt the country. Thats not to say that Honduras is out of the woods just yet. As a 2023 article by Bretton Woods Project notes, even if Honduras does withdraw from ICSID over Prosperas claim, ISDS cases could still be brought against the country: It would still have to defend Prosperas $11 billion claim, and any others filed within a six-month window of formal withdrawal notification. Honduras could also potentially be subject to further cases through one of the eight bilateral investment treaties it has signed that refers arbitration to ICSID. For those unfamiliar with this topic, investor state dispute settlements, or ISDS, clauses are what give most bilateral or multilateral investment treaties their claws and their teeth, essentially enabling foreign investors to ride roughshod over domestic laws and regulations. As the piece in Bretton Woods Project puts it, they are pervasive, difficult to evade and of no discernible benefit, apart from to giant corporations. Put simply, foreign companies and investors get to sue governments for any loss of profit, including profits not yet earned, resulting from new laws and regulations. As no doubt intended, they have a chilling effect on public-interest regulatory action, particularly in areas such as environmental protection and public health. The cases are decided by secret panels staffed by highly-paid, investor-friendly arbitrators and are always brought by corporations against governments, never the other way round. As a recent letter signed by 100 international organisations notes, the host State can only defend itself. In short, it is a mechanism created by and for investors, giving them access to a private, parallel and privileged judicial channel, bypassing national justice. A Rare Victory Over the weekend, the global investor-state dispute settlement system suffered its second major setback so far this year when the people of Ecuador voted in a referendum to, among other things, preserve Article 422 of the countrys 2008 constitution, which bans the Ecuadorian state from ceding its sovereign jurisdiction to international arbitration bodies. Ecuadors new ultra neo-liberal government had surreptitiously slipped a proposal to bring back ISDS clauses into an 11-question referendum ostensibly on national security issues, presumably hoping that no one would notice. But voters cottoned on to the ruse, largely because of the furor caused by opposition parties, NGOs and indigenous groups. In the end, sixty-three percent voted against the reimposition of ISDS clauses in trade agreements. A large majority also voted unanimously to reject a government proposal to introduce hourly work contracts. All of the other proposals, relating to the countrys security crisis, were passed, meaning that Ecuadors army can now operate alongside the police without the government needing to declare a state of emergency. The extradition to the United States of organised crime bosses was also approved. The resulting constitutional amendments will essentially normalise the state of internal armed conflict that President Noboa declared in the country in January. But Noboa could not get his two economic proposals passed. This is the second time the Ecuadorian people have voted to reject ISDS and its arbitration courts by means of a direct vote at the ballot box, notes Guillaume Long, a former minister in the Rafael Correa government that introduced Article 422 in the new constitution and spent the next nine years implementing it: The first time was in the 2008 constitutional referendum when a new constitution, including article 422 banning ISDS, was submitted to a popular vote. Then came the hard task of exiting ISDS commitments which the government and legislators managed to do. But it took 8 years to fully achieve this, in the face of powerful lobbies doing their utmost to uphold ISDS. Ecuador first withdrew from ICSID and then terminated 24 bilateral investment treaties. Im proud to have notified Ecuadors withdrawal from 16 such investment treaties. Before deciding to abandon its ISDS commitments and extricating itself from those 24 bilateral investment treaties, Ecuador had been on the receiving end of a string of costly compensation awards. In total, foreign investors have presented 29 ISDS claims against Ecuador, half of them related to activities in the extractive sectors (hydrocarbons and mining). In two-thirds of the concluded cases (14 out of 21) Ecuador lost. In 2008, the global oil and gas services company Perenco, with headquarters in London and Paris, demanded $1.42 billion in compensation equivalent to 2.27% of Ecuadors GDP for trying to impose a windfall tax during a sharp spike in global oil prices. In 2012, a tribunal ordered Ecuador to pay the U.S. oil company Occidental over $1.5 billion, one of the largest amounts a state had ever been ordered to pay. Ecuador contended that the amount of the award represented almost 9% of Ecuadors 2012 annual budget, 59% of its annual education budget, and 135% of the countrys annual healthcare budget. Even more controversial was what happened with Chevron-Texaco after an Ecuadorian provincial court ruled in 2011 against the oil company, sentencing it to pay $9.5 billion dollars for contaminating soil and water for decades with its deliberate dumping of billions of gallons of cancer-causing waste into the Amazon. Not only was the Ecuadorian court unable to enforce the sentence but Chevron Texaco subsequently brought its own ISDS case against Ecuador. The resulting arbitration tribunal found in favor of the company and ordered Ecuador to pay millions in damages as well as annul the sentence of the Sucumbios court, which it considered unlawful. The farce reached full force in October, 2021 when US District Judge Loretta Preska in New York City sentenced Steven Donziger, the human rights lawyer who had filed a lawsuit against Chevron-Texaco decades ago, to six months in prison following more than two years of house arrest. Rick Claypool, research director for Public Citizen, tweeted that Donzigers case perfectly encapsulates how corporate power has twisted the U.S. justice system to protect corporate interests and punish their enemies adding that as Donziger was ordered to prison for six months, members of the Sackler family won immunity from opioid lawsuits targeting their private company, Purdue Pharma. Back in Ecuador: After the Correa government enshrined Article 422 in the new constitution and undertook the arduous work of extricating Ecuador from all two dozen of the bilateral trade agreements it had signed containing ISDS clauses, his presidential successors, Lenin Moreno, Guillermo Lasso and now Daniel Noboa, the son of Ecuadors richest man, the banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, have made it their job to overthrow the ban and reintroduce arbitration. The Moreno government reapplied to join ICSID and tried, via the Constitutional Court, to return to the bilateral treaties, to no avail. This is why the rejection of question D of the referendum is so important, says Long: [It reads:] Do you agree that the Ecuadorian State should recognize international arbitration ()? And the answer was No: a hammer blow to the corruption of the investor-State arbitration system, with national, regional and global repercussions. A Gathering Global Trend Currently 165 countries in the world are part of the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), but two already withdrew between 2007 and 2009: Ecuador and Bolivia. Then, in February this year Honduras became the first Central American country to announce its departure from ICSID. Weeks later, 30 US representatives and senators signed a letter calling attention to the egregious case of US company Prospera suing Honduras for $11 billion (two thirds of the countrys annual budget) over repeal of a law allowing for private charter cities. Until now, Latin America has been a hugely lucrative source of income for (mostly Western) corporations seeking legal damages against governments for passing laws or regulations that threaten their bottom line as well as the international arbitration lawyers that argue the cases. From an article I wrote in 2016: [O]ver the last ten years, the region has been one of the primary sources of their exorbitant fees, which can range from $375 to $700 per hour depending on where the arbitration takes place. By 2008, more than half of all registered claims at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) were pending against Latin American countries. In 2012, around one-quarter of all new ICSID disputes involved a Latin American state. But countries in Latin America and elsewhere, including even Europe, are gradually turning their back on ISDS. Some never bothered in the first place, including two of the BRICS founder nations, India and Brazil, as notes a letter signed by 100 international organisations urging Ecuadorians not to vote for question D: Brazil, which does not have any investment protection treaties, is the main recipient of foreign investment in the region. India has exited all of its investment treaties, and currently signs treaties that do not include the traditional ISDS mechanism. Still, India is the fifth largest recipient of investment in the world. In the last 10 years, we have seen many governments move away from this mechanism. Countries, such as South Africa, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Bolivia, have exited or renegotiated their investment treaties and no longer negotiate ones that include the ISDS mechanism. In fact, many European countries and the EU itself have recently announced their intention to withdraw from an ISDS treaty called the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) or have already left it. The ISDS mechanism included in the ECT protects investors in the energy sector, and is being used by fossil fuel corporations to slow down the energy transition. In the US, President Biden has followed through with his commitment to exclude ISDS clauses from any new trade agreements. But dozens of existing U.S. trade and investment agreements still retain the ISDS mechanism [and] thus continue to enable private companies to challenge public interest policies, resulting in squandered tax revenue and regulatory chill, notes a letter to the White House signed by 300 professors of law and economics. One of the signatories was the Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, who wrote: Ecuador was a world leader in rejecting international investment arbitration that perpetuate what is often quite rightly referred to as corporate colonialism. Now, even the countries that initially promoted the system, including the European countries and even the United States, have taken measures to distance themselves from international arbitration. Canadian Mining Connection The Ecuadorian publics rejection of the proposal to bring back ISDS part of a referendum consisting of 11 questions, including on security matters could upset the ultra neo-liberal Noboa governments plan to open the country wide open to global mining interests. In early March, President Daniel Noboa and some of his senior ministers visited Canada, the largest mining investor in Ecuador, to attend one of the largest mining fairs in the world, the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) in Toronto. From Radio Canada International (machine translated): During his speech at the annual meeting of mining prospectors and investors, Daniel Noboa highlighted the rich geological potential of Ecuador. He emphasized the importance of transparency, environmental management and social responsibility in the extractive industry, assuring investors of Ecuadors dedication to fostering a mutually beneficial partnership. The Ecuadorian presidency said that President Noboas participation in the event reflects Ecuadors proactive approach to engaging with global mining . The government signed contracts for six projects worth more than $4.8 billion, an amount never before seen in the country. The Ecuadorian and Canadian governments have repeatedly reiterated their interest in signing a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) over the past two years. Such an agreement would naturally include ISDS clauses, which, of course, is not possible by Ecuadorian law. Which is why the Noboa government was so keen to include a question about reigniting Ecuadors adherence to ISDS clauses in a referendum ostensibly about security matters. From InDepthNews: Addressing parliamentary meetings [in Ottawa] about [the possible BIT], Canadas ambassador to Ecuador said, The government of Ecuador wants ISDS as part of this agreement, while a Canadian Foreign Ministry official said investment is a particular area of interest, and ISDS is a key interest for Canadian industry stakeholders, as it has proven to be an investment attraction vehicle. As we reported in February 2023, Canadian companies have been engaging in unsavoury practices in Latin America for a long time. A landmark report published by the Project for Justice and Corporate Responsibility in 2016 found that 28 Canadian companies were implicated in forty-four deaths, 403 injuries, and 709 criminalization cases in thirteen Latin American countries over a fifteen-year period. Indigenous groups in Ecuador, as in neighbouring Peru, have organised waves of protests over the past two years over Canadian mining activities. According to the RCI article, they are also drawing criticism in Ecuador and Canada: In a growing diplomatic and environmental standoff, opposition in Canada is intensifying against Canadian mining operations in Ecuador. Concerned citizens, environmentalists and indigenous groups have come together to denounce the alleged ecological damage and human rights violations associated with Canadian mining companies in the South American country. The central point of this opposition is the controversial presence of Canadian mining companies, whose operations in Ecuador have sparked outrage. Critics maintain that the corporations activities are primarily focused on gold and copper extraction, causing significant environmental degradation, such as deforestation, water pollution and habitat destruction. On February 13, Amnesty International Canada testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade as part of its study of free trade negotiations between Canada and Ecuador. At the hearing, Amnesty International Canada drew attention to a persistent pattern of serious human rights violations in Ecuador and called for measures to be taken to ensure that any free trade agreement between the two countries was compatible with Canadas international human rights obligations. Ironically, senior Canadian officials have also singled out ISDS for criticism in the past. In 2018, during a speech about the renegotiated NAFTA, then foreign minister (now deputy prime minister and finance minister, not to mention World Economic Forum trustee) Chrystia Freeland said: ISDS elevates the rights of corporations over those of sovereign governments. In removing it, we have strengthened our governments right to regulate in the public interest, to protect public health and the environment. As always, what is good for the North is too good for the South. Many US papers are giving front-page, above the fold treatment to university administrators going wild and calling in the cops on peaceful campus protests, first at Columbia, followed by Yale and NYU. Harvard, in a profile in courage, closed its campus to prevent a spectacle. Demonstrations are taking hold at other campuses, including MIT, Emerson, and Tufts. This is an overly dynamic situation, so I am not sure it makes sense to engage in detailed coverage. However, some things seem noteworthy. First, in typical US hothouse fashion, the press is treating protests as if they were a bigger deal than the ongoing genocide in Gaza. I am not the only one to notice this. From Parapraxis (hat tip guurst; bear with the authors leisurely set-up): I am employed as a non-tenure-track professor in a university department dedicated to teaching and research about Jews, Judaism, and Jewishness. One day, I arrived at work to find security cameras installed in my departments hallway. I read in an email that these cameras had been installed after an antisemitic poster was discovered affixed to a colleagues office door. I was never shown this poster. Like the cameras, I learned of it only belatedly. Despite the fact that the poster apparently constituted so great a danger to the members of my department as to warrant increased security, nobody bothered to inform me about it. By the time I was aware that there was a threat in which I was ostensibly implicated, the decision had already been madeby whom, exactly, I dont knowabout which measures were necessary to protect me from it. My knowledge, consent, and perspective were irrelevant to the process The prolepsis of the decision did more than protect meif, indeed, it really did that. It interpellated my coworkers and myself as people in need of protection. I was unwittingly transformed, literally overnight, into the type of person to whom something might happen. My employer has a campusthree, actuallymeaning that it has a physical plant. I navigate one of these campuses as my workplace, but it almost never figures for me as the campus. In fact, the first time since beginning the job when I felt myself caught up in an affective relation, not to the particular institution where I work, but rather to the campus was when I looked up into that security camera and felt myself being watched by it. Only then did I think, a couple of months into my temporary contract, that I was not just at my workplace. Now I was on the campus. This incident with the poster and the camera occurred, of course, some weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the onset of Israels retaliatory military campaign in Gaza. Against so horrific a backdrop, and relative to the intimidation and retaliation to which those who speak out against the war (includingindeed, especiallyin the academy) have been subjected, my story sounds banal. And it is. In its very ordinariness, however, the anecdote is quite representative: first, of how decisions get made at contemporary institutions of higher education (generally speaking, without the input of those whom they impact); and second, of the logic of a peculiarly American phenomenon I call campus panic. The months since October 7 have aggravated the most extreme campus panic I have witnessed. To judge by the American mass media, the campus is the most urgent scene of political struggle in the world. What is happening on campus often seems of greater concern than what is happening in Gaza, where every single university campus has been razed by the IDF. When all the Palestinian dead have been counted, it seems likely that these months will be recorded as having inflamed a campus panic no less intense than the one that accompanied the Vietnam War. Second, many otherwise fine stories, like Columbia in crisis, again by the Columbia Journalism Review, and Columbia University protests and the lessons of Gym Crow by Judd at Popular Information, start off with the 1968 protests at Columbia as a point of departure. And again, consistent with the Parapraxis account and being old enough to remember the Vietnam War, I find the comparison to be overdone. Yes, there are some telling similarities, like the role of right-wing pressure in getting campus administrators to call out the cops, the device of dwelling on the earlier uprising seems to obscure more than it reveals. The Vietnam War, unlike Gaza, tore the US apart. Todays campus students are, with only the comparatively small contingent of Palestinian students, acting to protest US support of slaughter in Gaza. In 1968, for many, the stake were more personal. The risk of young men having to serve was real. Similarly, conservatives then supported the military and were typically proud of their or any family members service. Draft dodging and demonization of armed forces leaders was close to unconscionable. It took years of the major television networks and the two authoritative magazines, Time and Newsweek, showing what the war looked like, and intimating that the US was not succeeding, that shifted mass opinion. And even the initial 1968 protests were more disruptive. The first wave at Columbia occupied some campus buildings, presumably disrputing operations. Todays were encampments, as in outdoors. So they were more analogous to Occupy Wall Street, where the ongoing rebellion was an offense to authority even if it caused harm. But worse, the ones at Columbia and other schools now are by elites in training, and not presumed loser riff-raff. So the aggressiveness of the crackdown looks like very insecure leadership. For instance, why escalate to calling in the NYPD immediately, as opposed to campus police, when the citys cops reported everyone cooperated with the arrests? This takes us to the third issues, that it isnt just the students who oppose the stifling of protest, but also faculty. From the Popular Information article: [President] Shafiks actions were blasted in a statement issued on Friday by the Columbia and Barnard College chapters of the American Association of University Professors: The American Association of University Professors has defined two central pillars of higher education in America: academic freedom and shared governanceIn the last three days, Columbia University President Shafik and her administration have seriously violated both. We are shocked at her failure to mount any defense of the free inquiry central to the educational mission of a university in a democratic society and at her willingness to appease legislators seeking to interfere in university affairs. She has demonstrated flagrant disregard of shared governance in her acceptance of partisan charges that anti-war demonstrators are violent and antisemitic and in her unilateral and wildly disproportionate punishment of peacefully protesting students. Shafik also drew a rebuke from the Columbia student council. In a statement, the council said that students possess the inherent right to engage in peaceful protest without fear of retribution or harm and called for the preservation of freedom of speech and expression among students. Popular Information also points out how the Biden Administration is, natch, whipping up fear about possible dangers to Jews while ignoring that Muslims have been on the receiving end. Recall that ex-IDF soldiers who attacked pro-Palestinian protestors at Columbia in January went unpunished. Again from Popular Information: On Sunday, the White House released a statement in response to the protests at Columbia, denouncing calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students: While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America. What incidents prompted this statement? A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But some media outlets are interpreting it as a response to this video , in which two unidentified men promise more terrorist attacks against Israel. According to the individual who posted the video, the incident did not occur on Columbias campus. There is no evidence that Columbia students were involved. An NBC reporter, Antonia Hylton, who was on Columbias campus with protesters, reported no instances of violence or aggression among students. Now well turn to Rajiv Sethi, who as a professor at Barnard, has, for better or worse, a front row seat on the turmoil. By Rajiv Sethi, professor of economics at Barnard College. Originally published at his website My campus is in turmoil, and its hard to think or write about anything else. Dozens of students have been suspended, arrested, and barred from the premises. Others have been advised to leave for their own safety. Most entrances are closed altogether, and the few that remain open are guarded to prevent entry of non-affiliates. Calls for the resignation of leaders are coming from multiple quarterssome concerned about excessively punitive measures and others about inadequate enforcement and protection. There are several reports on social media of harassment, intimidation, and the glorification of violence. Such reports often conflate what is happening outside the gatesinvolving people who may not be affiliates and who are on ground over which the university has no jurisdictionwith the protests on the South Lawn. Based on what I have seen personally, the latter protests have been peaceful, prayerful, and even joyful at times. I did see one sign directed at President Shafik that I felt was offensive and ill-advised. And there is one phraserecently deemed anti-Semitic by an act of Congressthat has been repeated loudly and frequently within the gates. This post is about the meaning of that phrase, and about meanings and messages in general. While on stage at a political convention in July 2015, Martin OMalley said the following: Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter. Taken literally, these words are entirely unobjectionable, even laudable. But OMalley apologized for them within hours, saying: That was a mistake on my part and I meant no disrespect. Why was the apology deemed necessary? OMalley was running for the Democratic presidential nomination at the time, and to many of the voters he was courting, the words all lives matter had come to mean something else entirelyan expression of indifference to racial inequality at best, and perhaps even a racist dog whistle. As phrases come to be endowed with new meanings, some people respond by carefully avoiding them, while others are motivated to adopt them with relish. This further entrenches the new meaning and reinforces the process of selective abandonment and adoption. Thus Democrat Party can come to be intended and perceived as an epithet, and the seemingly harmless chant Lets Go Brandon! a vulgarity. This process is decentralized and largely uncoordinated, and there is little that legislation can do to enforce the attachment of meanings to messages. Of course, this hasnt prevented our elected officials from trying. On April 16, by a vote of 377-44, the House passed Resolution 883: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the slogan, from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free is antisemitic and its use must be condemned. One day later, Columbia President Minouche Shafik was asked by Congresswoman Lisa McClain whether she agreed that such statements were indeed anti-Semitic. President Shafik answered as follows: I hear them as such, some people dont. The problem with this response is that it suggests that listeners are free to assign meanings to expressions, regardless of the identities and intentions of speakers. But meanings are created jointly by speakers and listeners, and the same message can carry different meanings depending on what is known about the parties engaged in communication. People have often appropriated and de-fanged racist, misogynistic, and homophopic insults aimed at the groups to which they belong. Even the most vile and vicious slur in the American language carries a different connotation when used by Randall Kennedy in conversation. The meanings of messages cannot be established independently of the indentities of those who use them. They cannot be established by listeners alone. Thus the attempt by the House of Representatives to define the meaning of a phrase is likely to be futile. The meaning will evolve over time based on the process of selective avoidance and adoption. And this meaning is vigorously contested at present. Consider, for instance, the Jerusalem Declaration on Anti-Semitism. This document states clearly that denying the right of Jews in the State of Israel to exist and flourish, collectively and individually, as Jews, in accordance with the principle of equality is anti-Semitic. However, it also proclaims: It is not antisemitic to support arrangements that accord full equality to all inhabitants between the river and the sea, whether in two states, a binational state, unitary democratic state, federal state, or in whatever form. President Shafik could have referenced the above in pushing back against the idea that meanings can be assigned by elected representatives or college administrators. I understand the pressure she was under, and it is difficult to give thoughtful responses under such circumstances. But it is important that moving forward, the use of this phrase alone not be used as a basis for disciplinary action. One organization that I have come to admire over the past few years is the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which has been admirably consistent in defending freedom of speech on and off campus. On this phrase in particular, FIREs position is the following: If students at a peaceful protest chant anti-Israel slogans like From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, that speech, taken alone, is protected political expression. Even if some understand the phrase to call for the destruction of Israel, it is stillabsent moreprotected as political speech, advocating in general terms for violence elsewhere at an unspecified time against a broadly defined target But context is determinative: Were the same statement to be directed at a specific Jewish student by a student or group moving threateningly towards him, during a protest that has turned violent and unstable, it may arguably constitute a true threat. This is the right position to take and I hope that Barnard and Columbia will adopt it. The keynote by Killer Mike at the 2023 FIRE Gala explains in the clearest possible terms the value of this perspective, and it will join the Reith lecture by Chimamanda Adichie and the Stanford Memo by Jenny Martinez (along with the Kalven Report and the Chicago Principles) as a classic in the pantheon of free speech advocacy. Among the people who have addressed the students on the South lawn are Madmood Mamdani and Norman Finkelstein; I caught the tail end of the latters speech but couldnt hear much because amplification was limited and he tends to speak quite softly. I do hope that the students who invited him will read his latest book, which is as fierce a critique of identity politics as one is likely to find anywhere. Norman Finkelstein addresses student protestors at Columbia on April 19th, 2024 I received a response to this post from Seth Weissman, whom I first met when he was a graduate student at Columbia many years ago. I remember Seth fondly, and have enormous respect for him. His message is posted (with permission) below: Like a film in my mind: hyperphantasia and the quest to understand vivid imaginations Guardian (Kevin W) Scientists push new paradigm of animal consciousness, saying even insects may be sentient NBC (Dr. Kevin). So the Jains are right. The universe may be dominated by particles that break causality and move faster than light, new paper suggests Live Science (Dr. Kevin) Norway women bring seaweed to culinary heights in Europe PhysOrg The Bird Flu Outbreak Is Alarming. And the Government Is Stumbling. Bloomberg #COVID-19 Climate/Environment China? India Old Blighty Africa State Department To Delay Withdrawal Of U.S. Troops From Niger Moon of Alabama (Kevin W) Gaza Red Heifer Watch Police detain 13 trying to smuggle goats onto Temple Mount for sacrifice ritual Times of Israel (Kevin W) Note the sought-after effective date of the application to bring knives and whatnot to the site was April 22. That did not necessarily mean the sacrifice would take place then. April 22 was the first day of Passover. Perhaps this is still on for today? Or tomorrow, after the second Seder? BREAKING RED HEIFER SACRIFICE TODAY? LOOK AT THIS ALTAR. WHAT A DISGRACE IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING FROM A RODEO CARNIVAL OR A NASA LAUNCHPAD. CERTAINLY NOT SOMETHING TO WELCOME YOUR BELOVED MESSIAH AND CREATOR OF ALL. There is a rumor going around that the red heifer pic.twitter.com/RxVwxKazed Matt Baker (@slave_2_liberty) April 22, 2024 Note also the killing of the heifers does not mean an immediate attack on Al Aqsa. The sacrifice and preparation of ritual purifying water is the final precursor. And the heifer-murder spot is not in Al Aqsa but very near by. New Not-So-Cold War Yves here. Freedom flotilla seems both a bit generic and neoliberal for an urgent sea-borne mission to bring food and supplies to starving people in Gaza. The anodyne name is even more striking when you read below the real physical risks the member of the relief team are taking. Ray McGovern, who participated in a stymied 2011 mission, recounted long form on one of his many YouTubes (this one I think was with Nima) on how the Greek government found repeated lame excuses for barring the ship from leaving port, the last being it was unfit to travel because one of its air conditioners was malfunctioning. When the captain defied the edict and tried leaving (I presume at high) it was quickly pursued and surrounded, with the officials saying they would board it if its crew did not return to port. The captain relented, concerned not just for the ship but also the crew and passengers, since (as the history below shows), previous relief efforts have resulted in Israeli forces killing people on board. By Medea Benjamin, the cofounder of CODEPINK for Peace, and the author of several books, including Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran Photo credit: Medea Benjamin The non-violence training to join the Freedom Flotilla Coalitions ships to Gaza has been intense. As hundreds of us from 32 countries gathered in Istanbul, we were briefed about what we might encounter on this voyage. We have to be ready for every possibility, our trainers insisted. The best scenario, they said, is that our three shipsone carrying 5,500 tons of humanitarian aid and two carrying the passengerswill reach Gaza and accomplish our mission. Another scenario would be that the Turkish government might cave to pressure from Israel, the United States and Germany, and prevent the boats from even leaving Istanbul. This happened in 2011, when the Greek government buckled under pressure and ten boats were stalled in Greece. With our boats docked in Istanbul today, we fear that Turkish President Erdogan, who recently suffered a crushing blow in local elections, is vulnerable to any economic blackmail the Western powers might be threatening. Another possibility is that the ships take off but the Israelis illegally hijack us in international waters, confiscate our boats and supplies, arrest and imprison us, and eventually deport us. This happened on several other voyages to Gaza, one of them with deadly consequences. In 2010, a flotilla of six boats was stopped by the Israeli military in international waters. They boarded the biggest boat, the Mavi Marmara. According to a UN report, the Israelis opened fire with live rounds from a helicopter hovering above the ship and from commando boats along the side of the ship. In a horrific display of force, nine passengers were killed, and one more later succumbed to his wounds. To try to prevent another nightmare like that, potential passengers on this flotilla have to undergo rigorous training. We watched a video of what we might facefrom extremely potent tear gas to ear-splitting concussion grenadesand we were told that the Israeli commandos will be armed with weapons with live rounds. Then we divided up into small groups to discuss how best to react, non-violently, to such an attack. Do we sit, stand, or lie down? Do we link arms? Do we put our hands up in the air to show we are unarmed? The most frightening part of the training was a simulation replete with deafening booms of gunfire and exploding percussion grenades and masked soldiers screaming at us, hitting us with simulated rifles, dragging us across the floor, and arresting us. It was indeed sobering to get a glimpse of what might await us. Equally sobering are Israeli media reports indicating that the Israeli military has begun security preparations, including preparations for taking over the flotilla. Thats why everyone who has signed up for this mission deserves tremendous credit. The largest group of passengers are from Turkey, and many are affiliated with the humanitarian group, IHH, an enormous Turkish NGO with 82 offices throughout the country. It has consultative status at the UN and does charity work in 115 countries. Through IHH, millions of supporters donated money to buy and stock the ships. Israel, however, has designated this very respected charity as a terrorist group. The next largest group comes from Malaysia, some of them affiliated with another very large humanitarian group called MyCARE. MyCARE, known for helping out in emergency situations such as floods and other natural disasters, has contributed millions of dollars in emergency aid to Gaza over the years. From the U.S., there are about 35 participants. Leading the group, and key to the international coalition, is 77-year-old retired U.S. Army colonel and State Department diplomat Ann Wright. After quitting the State Department in protest over the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Wright has put her diplomatic skills to good use in helping to pull together a motley group of internationals. Her co-organizer from the U.S. is Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American attorney who is a co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement and who ran for congress in 2022. Arraf was key to organizing the very first flotillas that started in 2008. So far, there have been about 15 attempts to get to Gaza by boat, only five of them successful. The incredible breadth of participants is evident in our nightly meetings, where you can hear clusters of groups chatting away in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Malay, French, Italian, and English in diverse accents from Australian to Welsh. The ages range from students in their 20s to an 86-year-old Argentine medical doctor. What brings us together is our outrage that the world community is allowing this genocide in Gaza to happen, and a burning desire to do more than we have been doing to stop people from being murdered, maimed and starved. The aid we are bringing is enormousit is the equivalent of over 100 trucksbut that is not the only purpose of this trip. This is an aid mission to bring food to hungry people, said Huwaida Arraf, but Palestinians do not want to live on charity. So we are also challenging Israeli policies that make them dependent on aid. We are trying to break the siege. Israels vicious attacks on the people of Gaza, its blocking of aid deliveries and its targeting of relief organizations have fueled a massive humanitarian crisis. The killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers by Israeli forces on April 1 highlighted the dangerous environment in which relief agencies operate, which has forced many of them to shut down their operations. The U.S. government is building a temporary port for aid that is supposed to be finished in early May, but this is the same government that provides weapons and diplomatic cover for the Israelis. And while President Biden expresses concern for the suffering Palestinians, he has suspended aid to UNRWA, the main UN agency responsible for helping them, after Israel made unsubstantiated claims that 12 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza participated in the October 7 attacks. Given the urgency and danger this moment presents, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is entering rough and uncharted waters. We are calling on countries around the world to pressure Israel to allow us free and safe passage to Gaza. In the U.S., we are asking for help from our Congress, but having just approved another $26 billion to Israel, it is doubtful that we can count on their support. And even if our governments did pressure Israel, would Israel pay attention? Their defiance of international law and world opinion during the past seven months indicates otherwise. But still, we will push forward. The people of Gaza are the wind in our sails. Freedom for Palestine is our North Star. We are determined to reach Gaza with food, medicines and, most of all, our solidarity and love. NATOs annual Nuclear Policy Symposium got underway on Tuesday (23 April 2024). Representatives from NATO, Allied governments, and experts from academia are in Skopje, North Macedonia to discuss current nuclear policy issues. This year, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the strongest and most successful Alliance and we are proud to be part of this family, said Slavjanka Petrovska, Minister of Defence of the Republic of North Macedonia, in her opening remarks. In that spirit, North Macedonia is pleased to be able to host, for the first time, the NATO Nuclear Policy Symposium. NATOs Director of Nuclear Policy Jim Stokes stressed that the anniversary provides Allies with an occasion to reflect on the importance of nuclear deterrence as the foundation of the Alliances mutual security guarantee and collective defence. Looking towards the Washington Summit and beyond, he added that NATO and Allies will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the credibility, effectiveness, safety and security of the nuclear deterrence mission. Held annually since 1992, the main objective of the NATO Nuclear Policy Symposium is to foster a deeper and more comprehensive knowledge of the fundamental challenges to NATO nuclear deterrence. This year, experts will discuss issues ranging from escalation management, strategic communications, and emerging challenges for nuclear deterrence. GENERAL An informal meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs will be held in Prague, Czechia, on 30-31 May 2024. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. This media advisory marks the opening of online registration for accreditation. VENUE The ministerial meeting will take place at the Czernin Palace, Loretanske namesti 5, Prague 1, 118 00. The media centre will be located nearby, in a temporary construction. Press conferences will take place at the Hrzan Palace (located within walking distance), Loretanska 9, Prague 1, 118 00. The media accreditation office will be located at Tuscany Palace, Hradcanske namesti 5, Prague 1, 118 00. These locations are reachable by public transport. Please note no parking facilities will be availble to the media. MEDIA ACCREDITATION Media representatives who wish to cover this meeting need to seek accreditation. To do that, please register via NATOs media accreditation platform: https://my.hq.nato.int. An annual NATO accreditation badge or other accreditation documents will not give access to the event. The deadline for accreditation is Friday 17 May 2024 at midnight. Please apply for accreditation as soon as possible, to allow sufficient time to process your request. Due to space restrictions, there may be limitations on the number of media representatives allowed to cover the event. Media representatives whose accreditation request is successful will receive confirmation by email. Please bring a printout of the confirmation email when collecting your badge in Prague. Accreditation requests submitted after the deadline may be unsuccessful. In accordance with NATO media accreditation procedures, NATO reserves the right to deny or withdraw accreditation of media representatives who put the accreditation to improper use. Media passes must be collected in person from the Accreditation Office, upon presentation of the confirmation email, as well as the ID documents used to apply for accreditation The Accreditation Office will be located at Tuscany Palace, Hradcanske namesti 5, Prague 1, 118 00 Media passes must be visible at all times. Please arrive early to clear security checks. Security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects on site. PROGRAMME View programme agenda with links to media resources or download the detailed media programme (PDF/215 kb). Information about individual ministers media programmes should be sought directly from their national delegation(s). Please contact the NATO Press Office to obtain the list of national press officers. BROADCAST Czech National TV will serve as Host TV and will cover all public components of the event. Those will be broadcast in the Media Centre, and on the NATO website. A live satellite world-feed of the main media events, such as the doorsteps and press conference of the NATO Secretary General, will be provided by NATO free of charge without encryption or downlink charges. The video and audio may be used only for appropriate news and public affairs purposes. After each event, the videos are available for free download from NATO Multimedia. POOLS Access to certain events during the ministerial meeting will be open only for small media pools, by invitation only. When a media representative accepts a NATO pool position they must share immediately all information and material collected while in the pool with any accredited media that request it. The media representative in the pool will share the material at no charge and with no restriction on the use of the material for news purposes. Media representatives can only accept the pool accreditation if they have the agreement of their employer to all of the conditions on providing pool material listed above. Media organisations that want pooled images should first contact the wire service / photo agency of which they are a member / client. Media representatives and news organisations must identify that it is pooled material every time it is used. Pooled material can only be used for legitimate news purposes and it cannot be sold. Photos of all the media events, taken by host and NATO photographers, will be posted on the NATO website. MEDIA FACILITIES The Media Centre will include: A filing centre (including TV/radio editing area), with electricity (230V), access to video and audio feeds, cabled and Wi-Fi internet. Working spaces cannot be booked in advance; Information Desk; An area for indoor and outdoor stand-ups, for rotational use; Internal Television Circuit for live and recorded broadcasts, information about the programme, press conferences schedules and other information; Catering. Press conferences will take place at the Hrzan Palace where several briefing rooms and spaces for media huddles will be set up. Due to space limitations, in the main press conference room priority will be given to journalists. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE MEDIA ACCREDITATION OFFICE AND MEDIA CENTRE Day Media Centre Accreditation Office 29 May Closed Open 30 May Open Open 31 May Open Open ACCOMMODATION, TRANSPORT, TRAVEL Media should make their own arrangements. All foreign citizens who wish to travel to the Czech Republic must be in possession of a valid travel document, accepted by the Czech Republic. If you are required to hold a visa, this must be granted and affixed to the travel document prior to arrival. To know if you are required to hold a valid visa when travelling to the Czech Republic, please visit: For countries whose citizens enjoy visa free regime to the Schengen area, please see https://mzv.gov.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/ short_stay_visa/list_of_states_whose_citizens_are_exempt/index.html short_stay_visa/list_of_states_whose_citizens_are_exempt/index.html For countries whose citizens need visas to the Schengen area, please see https://mzv.gov.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/ short_stay_visa/list_of_states_whose_citizens_are/index.html CONTACT POINTS Overall Coordination Ms Alina Coca NATO Media Coordinator, NATO natomediaoperations[at]hq.nato.int Ms Aneta Kovarova - Media Coordinator, Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aneta.Kovarova[at]mzv.gov.cz Accreditation Ms Virginie Wembey NatoAccreditations[at]hq.nato.int Broadcast arrangements Mr Bart Vandendorpe Vandendorpe.Bart[at]hq.nato.int Host broadcaster Iva.Keharova[at]ceskatelevize.cz (As delivered) Thanks so much. Prime Minister Sunak, dear Rishi, It is great to be here in Poland together with you today. The United Kingdom is a highly valued and staunch and essential NATO Ally. Contributing greatly to our shared security in so many different ways. You lead NATO forces in Estonia. British jets help guard the skies over our Eastern flank. The Royal Navy helps keep critical sea-lanes open. The United Kingdom is also at the centre of Exercise Steadfast Defender, currently underway and involving more than 16,000 British military personnel. And we are today, here in Poland with British troops, a physical embodiment of your commitment to NATO. So, thank you to all of you. Prime Minister, your announcement today confirms the vital role the UK plays in our Alliance. The United Kingdom will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030. Allies agreed at our Summit in Vilnius last year that 2% is a minimum. And, once again, the UK is leading by example. Just as you did in 2014, after the illegal annexation of Crimea, when you were one of the first Allies to provide training and military support to Ukraine. And after the full-scale invasion in 2022, you stepped up significantly, training thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and providing billions of pounds of military assistance. And today, your announcement of additional support, including more ammunition, air defence and deep precision strike capabilities shows once again, the British people's commitment to Ukraine. I welcome your cast iron commitment to continue these levels of support to Ukraine for as long as needed. In NATO, we are now addressing how to put our support for Ukraine on a more robust and predictable footing, including with a multi-year financial commitment. So Prime Minister, your commitment sets us on the right direction. I also welcome that other Allies are taking action, not least Poland, which provides key capabilities to Ukraine, and hosts 1 million Ukrainian refugees. Over the weekend, the US House of Representatives approved a major aid package for Ukraine. This will enable the US to provide substantial additional support to Ukraine quickly. And last Friday, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to further bolster Ukraine's air defences. Germany's delivery of another Patriot system is imminent, and other Allies made concrete commitments in that NATO meeting, with deliveries expected soon. Faced with the biggest conflict on the European continent since the Second World War, our decisions today will have consequences for generations to come. We must not falter. We live in a more dangerous world, authoritarian powers are increasingly aligned. Russia is receiving support for its war of aggression from China, Iran and North Korea. This reminds us that security is not regional, security is global. And we must work with our like-minded partners around the world to preserve and protect transatlantic security. NATO is a defensive alliance. We do not seek conflict with Russia. But we will keep our 1 billion people safe. The ten thousand NATO troops based here in Poland, send an unmistakable message that NATO will protect and defend all Allies. So Prime Minister Sunak, thank you again, for the UKs vital contributions to NATO. Thank you. [question from ITV and answer from Prime Minister Sunak] Question (Daily Mail): The sort of crisis in the Middle East has kind of taken the spotlight a little bit off Ukraine. You mentioned NATO's Article Five. Just to be clear, youre ready to take Britain to war if Russian troops set one boot in this country or any other NATO Ally, is that right? And Mr Stoltenberg, can I ask you, you had a pretty bumpy time with Donald Trump last time around, are you What do you feel about working with him again? [answer from Prime Minister Sunak] NATO Secretary General: Before I answer the question, let me just express my deepest condolences to the loved ones of the Spanish corporal who died here in Poland during NATO's Saber Strike exercise. I expressed my condolences to the Spanish government, I'm in touch with the Spanish authorities, and we owe him and all NATO's men and women in uniform our eternal gratitude. Then, to the question. A strong NATO is good for Europe, but a strong NATO is also good for the United States. And I expect that regardless of the outcome of the elections in the US later this year, the US will remain a staunch and loyal Ally, at least for three reasons. It is in the security interest of the United States to have NATO and to have more than 30 friends and Allies. That makes also the United States stronger and safer. The United States is a big Ally, they represent 25% of the world's GDP, but together with all NATO Allies together, we represent 50%, twice as much, of the world's GDP. And together we represent 50% of the world's military might. So NATO is making the US safer and stronger. It is in the interest of the United States to keep NATO and therefore I believe they will remain a staunch and loyal Ally. Second, it is broad bipartisan support for NATO in the United States, in the US Congress and in the US public if you look at the results from the opinion polls. And thirdly, the criticism we have heard from the United States, not only from former President Donald Trump but also from others, is that it has not primarily been a criticism against NATO Allies it has been a criticism against NATO Allies not spending enough on NATO. And that is changing. When we made the defence investment pledge, the pledge to defence more, back at the NATO Summit in Cardiff in Wales in 2014, only three Allies spent 2% or more on defence. This year I expect two thirds, 20 or perhaps even more Allies, to spend 2% of GDP on defence. And then you have Allies like the United Kingdom, spending not 2% but two and a half percent, committing to spend two and a half percent of GDP, and by far the biggest defence investor among the European Allies, and with a clear margin the biggest defence budget in the Alliance after the United States, and contributing in so many different ways to different NATO missions and operations. So I think that European Allies, again, not least with the example of the United Kingdom, are demonstrating to the United States that we do this together, and the United States know that they have never been at war since the Second World War without Allies, from the Korean War to the war in Afghanistan. So for these reasons I'm confident that, yes there may be discussions, there may be differences on some issues, but fundamentally the United States, Europe and North America, will stand together, also after the US elections. [question from the Guardian and answer from Prime Minister Sunak] Question (Telegraph): Thank you, Prime Minister. You had some very strong words about the threat from China at the start of your speech, and you link those directly to this extra money that you're putting into defence and protecting Britain. Is it now time, as a lot your MPs want, to designate China officially as a threat? And will you put it on the enhanced tier list of countries? Mr Stoltenberg, you mentioned Patriots, defence systems. At a meeting yesterday European defence ministers fell short of signing off on sending those to Ukraine. Will you use this announcement by the UK to put pressure on those European countries who are still holding out on weapons supplies? Thank you. [answer from Prime Minister Sunak] NATO Secretary General: So first on air defence. Of course, I welcome the announcement from the United Kingdom, from Rishi, here today, for many reasons but not least because it also makes it possible to deliver more air defence from the United Kingdom to Ukraine that is urgently needed. And I welcome the announcement also for that reason. Then we are working in NATO actively with NATO Allies to provide even more, and in particular the different types of Patriot systems. We had a meeting on Friday, last Friday, NATO defence ministers together with President Zelenskyy and [Defence] Minister Umerov, and Allies agreed that we need to do more. We have the German announcement of another Patriot battery. Other Allies also made clear commitments, I expect them to announce that in the near future. Then of course we also have the US decision in the US House of Representatives that will also enable more delivery of advanced air defence systems to Ukraine. And then we also have to remember that the F16s, where Allies now are training pilots and delivering F16s, will also significantly strengthen the air defence of Ukraine. So we are working on this and we also [are], as we prepare for the NATO Summit, looking for a more robust and predictable framework for more long term support to Ukraine that also will enable more delivery of air defence Then briefly on China. So China The war in Ukraine demonstrates how intertwined, how interlinked our security is. Because China is propping up the Russian war economy. Iran is delivering drones and ammunition to Russia, North Korea is delivering ammunition to Russia, and in return Moscow is mortgaging its future to Beijing and Moscow is delivering technology to North Korea and Iran to help them develop their missile and nuclear programmes. So this is really a demonstration of how what happens in Asia matters for Europe, and what happens in Europe matters for Asia. And that's the reason why also we are now stepping up our cooperation with our partners in the region South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Australia just to make sure that we are working closely with them. Chris Mason (BBC News): Thank you. Chris Mason, BBC News. A question to both of you, if I may. Is it time to be candid now with people that the costs of supporting Ukraine are going to run into the billions and billions for years and years to come? Could this last another decade? And Prime Minister if I may, I wonder what your reaction is to the news today of the deaths in the English Channel. Thank you. [answer from Prime Minister Sunak] NATO Secretary General: On the cost of the support to Ukraine. I think you have to remember that it has a cost to have Russia as a neighbour. It has a cost to ensure that Ukraine prevails. There is no way we can run away from that cost. We have to pay. Not least because we need to understand that the most expensive alternative is to allow Putin to win in Ukraine. Because then we will actually live in a much more dangerous world, then our security will really be challenged. And then we will have to invest significantly more in our defence compared to the support we now deliver to Ukraine. So the reality is that it has a cost to have an aggressive neighbour, and we have a very aggressive neighbour. There's no way you can run away from that cost. You can only invest now in Ukraines security. That's good for them, it's good for us, and that actually reduces the overall cost of coping with Russia as a neighbour. If we allow Putin to win, then the cost will go up, not down. And second, we have to remember that even though we now, all Allies, are providing unprecedented significant support to Ukraine, its only a fraction of our defence budgets. We speak about 2%. This is less than 0.2% of our defence of our GDP. And we have no NATO soldiers in harm's way, no British, no Norwegian, no NATO soldiers at all. So by providing support to Ukraine, we help them to destroy Russian combat capabilities that could potentially be a threat against us. Support to Ukraine is not charity. Support to Ukraine is an investment in our own security and the alternative is more expensive. Beth Rigby (Sky News): Thank you, Prime Minister. Beth Rigby, Sky News. A question for you both, please. You talk about Europe being at a turning point and this spending putting the UK on a war footing. Have we entered a pre-war era? And you also talk about an axis of authoritarian states working together. We have long known of their hostility. Has something changed suddenly that is particularly concerning you? Thank you. [answer from Prime Minister Sunak] NATO Secretary General: Just briefly on this issue of whether we live in a pre-war period. Well, we live in a more dangerous world. We see that Russia is willing to use military force against a neighbour, Ukraine, to achieve their goals. At the same time, I think we need to remember that NATO is there with one core purpose and that is to prevent war, preserve peace. That's why NATO is established, that's why we exist. And NATO has successfully been able to prevent any armed attack against any NATO Ally for 75 years, even during the coldest and most difficult period of the Cold War, we preserved peace. And our aim is to continue to do so. And I'm absolutely confident that we will be able to do that, as long as we stand together, North America and Europe. And we have Allies like the United Kingdom which is now investing more and taking this seriously. So that also applies for those authoritarian powers which are now becoming more and more closely aligned. Of course, we take that seriously. That's why we address it in NATO, that's why we are investing more, why we're working with our Asia Pacific partners. But again, we just NATO Allies, we are 50% of the world's military power. We are by far the strongest military power in the world. And if you then add our partners Japan, South Korea and others which are very much together with us in addressing these challenges, we are safe as long as we stand together. I cannot tell you exactly what the next crisis or the next war will be. But what I can tell you is that if we stand together, we will be able to protect and preserve peace for NATO Allies. Question (GB News): Secretary General, you've said that we can't expect America to always bear the burden and pay up. And although Donald Trump put it very bluntly, he is right, isn't he, that Poland is paying their way, you know, Britain is. But there's many members of NATO not paying 2%. How do you get them actually to pay their fair share? And also Prime Minister, lots of brave servicemen and women here today, but there is a crisis in recruitment of the military, isn't there? How do you counter that? How do you encourage people to realise that this is a career worth having? NATO Secretary General: First of all, several US presidents have called for more defence spending from NATO Allies in Europe and Canada. We have a beautiful quote from John F. Kennedy asking European Allies to spend more. And it was actually President Biden, who was the [Vice] President of the United States when we were in Wales at the Cardiff Summit and agreed to spend more as Allies together at that Summit. Then, of course, President Trump also expressed this very strongly to NATO Allies, as President Biden has done. So this has been a consistent US message, actually was a UK message, that those Allies who are spending less than 2% should spend more. And the good news is that we over the last year have had a significant increase. I will give you final numbers in July ahead of the NATO Summit, but I expect it will be two thirds of Allies will be at the 2%, which is not all but significantly better than just a few years ago. And I expect all Allies who are not yet at 2%... First of all, they have moved closer to 2%. Every Ally has increased and I expect that also Allies who are not yet at 2% will have clear plans in place to be there very soon. So therefore we have much fairer burden sharing among NATO Allies now than just a few years ago. [answer from Prime Minister Sunak] Question (The Sun): Thank you very much, Prime Minister. And on your announcement today, what do you say to critics who will recall you resisting calls for the 2.5% pledge by Boris Johnson in 2022, and will now inevitably think that you're doing it in an election year? And do you and the Secretary General There have been reports today that Germany isn't happy with the level of defence spending by the UK. Is that a fair criticism from a country which until recently had been seeming to be slacking in its NATO commitments? [answer from Prime Minister Sunak] NATO Secretary General: Just to briefly add to that. The United Kingdom has been leading by example, both when it comes to defence spending within the Alliance and when it comes to providing support to Ukraine. I welcome of course the significant announcement today of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence. That will make a difference, it will demonstrate the United Kingdoms leading role in the Alliance, and add to the many capabilities you are already providing to our shared security and to our collective defence. And then I of course also welcome the fact that Germany has now also started to really step up and are spending Germany is spending 2% of GDP on defence this year. In totality that makes a huge difference because as Rishi said, the UK is the biggest European defence spender and then Germany is the second largest. So together this is a really big moment that matters for the Alliance. And then on Ukraine, first on main battle tanks, first on the precision strike, and actually first on training Ukrainian soldiers and first on training pilots. So this is a huge difference and that's the reason also why UK really is a staunch and highly valued NATO Ally. Question (Polish Press Agency): [inaudible] Polish Press Agency. I'd like to ask, are there any talks in NATO countries about expanding the nuclear sharing programme? Thank you very much. NATO Secretary General: No, there are no plans to expand the NATO sharing arrangements, no plans to deploy any more nuclear weapons in any additional NATO countries. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation trying to undermine British report that details the dangers of transgender interventions on children The taxpayer-funded Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is trying to undermine the findings of the United Kingdom's National Health Services' Cass Review detailing the dangers of medical transgender interventions on children by citing contradicting findings from international medical bodies. Cass Review is the world's largest review into transgender interventions for minors. Hilary Cass, a pediatrician commissioned by the U.K.'s NHS to review available transgender services for dysphoric minors, found that "gender medicine" is "built on shaky foundations" and that while these drastic interventions should be done with extreme vigilance, "quite the reverse happened in the field of gender care for children." (Related: Top North Carolina health systems push transgender mutilation of children: report.) "While a considerable amount of research has been published in this field, systematic evidence reviews demonstrated the poor quality of the published studies, meaning there is not a reliable evidence base upon which to make clinical decisions or for children and their families to make informed choices," Cass wrote in the report. The report also includes key findings, such as: The rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear, with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria, mental or psychosocial health. The effect on cognitive and psychosexual development remains unknown. The use of masculinizing/feminizing hormones in those under the age of 18 also presents many unknowns, despite their longstanding use in the adult transgender population. The lack of long-term follow-up data on those commencing treatment at an earlier age means we have inadequate information about the range of outcomes for this group. 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. Clinicians are unable to determine with any certainty which children and young people will go on to have an enduring trans identity. Moreover, Cass commissioned the University of York in northern England to conduct several analyses as part of the review. As it turned out, the researchers found that 23 reviewed clinical guidelines "were not independent or "evidence-based" because those studies were written by activists driven by ideology, not medicine. But the CBC has tried to downplay the revelations in its article. It argued that the findings contradict the recommended standard of care endorsed by various international medical organizations. The CBC even interviewed Canadian doctors who dispute the findings that there is a lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of puberty blockers. "There actually is a lot of evidence, just not in the form of randomized clinical trials," said Dr. Jake Donaldson, a family physician in Calgary specializing in transgender care. "That would be kind of like saying for a pregnant woman since we lacked randomized clinical trials for the care of people in pregnancy, were not going to provide care for you Its completely unethical." Van Maren: CBC fails to acknowledge extremely relevant facts against transgender care Jonathon Van Maren, a public speaker, writer and pro-life activist, argued in his article written for the Life Site News that the CBC did not explain why many European countries are turning away from these treatments. For instance, Belgium and the Netherlands have joined the growing list of European countries reconsidering the use of puberty blockers, particularly in children after the publication of the Cass Review. In Belgium, medical professionals are advocating for reforms in gender care for children and adolescents, urging a shift akin to the practices observed in Sweden and Finland. These countries view hormonal treatments as a last resort, rather than relying on puberty blockers as a primary intervention. Similar pressure is mounting in the Netherlands, where parliament has initiated research into the physical and mental health impacts of puberty blockers on adolescents. Even institutions like the Amsterdam Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, which previously supported the Dutch protocol, are now reconsidering their stance. Britain, which has recently restricted the use of puberty blockers to individuals under 18, followed suit. Originally integrated into gender treatments, these blockers were widely adopted based on the "Dutch protocol," pioneered in the Netherlands in 1998. However, recent scrutiny has led to a reassessment of their efficacy and safety. This shift is reflected in the recent actions of countries like Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, which have implemented tighter restrictions on hormone treatments for adolescents. Watch the video below that talks about protecting the youth from transgenderism's false ideology. This video is from the Flyover Conservatives channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Far-left Human Rights Campaign partnered with Pfizer to push transgender mutilation on children. Protecting children from LGBT indoctrination, transgender mutilation now considered by leftists to constitute "hate." Psychotherapists announce plans to "eradicate" critics of transgender mutilation from medical profession. Whistleblower exposes Kaiser Permanente for performing genital mutilation procedures on children at its Southern California hospitals. Matt Walsh blows lid on transgender body-butchering industry that mostly targets children. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com 1 Cass.Independent-Review.uk LifeSiteNews.com 2 Telegraph.co.uk Brighteon.com An eye for an eye: Iran warns that it will destroy Israeli nuclear facilities if its own are targeted A senior officer from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a warning, stating that Tehran possesses the capability to target Israeli nuclear facilities if its own are attacked, as reported by local media. Tensions in the Middle East have heightened this month following an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria on April 1, resulting in the deaths of seven IRGC officers, including a general with the special forces unit the Quds Force. In retaliation, Tehran launched a substantial barrage of over 300 drones and missiles, with most reportedly intercepted by Israel and its Western allies. IRGC Brig. Gen. Ahmad Haghtalab, responsible for safeguarding Iranian sites, said: "The Israeli nuclear compounds are identified, and we possess the necessary information about all the targets to respond. We have the capability to launch powerful missiles and destroy those targets." While Tehran has declared the incident resolved, Israel has vowed to retaliate without disclosing specifics. Reports are suggesting that the Israeli Defense Forces is contemplating further military action, potentially targeting Iran's nuclear industry. Haghtalab hinted at the possibility of hitting the Israeli nuclear industry in retaliation. (Related: Iran threatens larger attack if Israel doesn't back off with its aggression.) The Israeli nuclear industry comprises both a public civilian aspect and a military dimension, Israel, per government policy, refuses to confirm or deny the latter's existence. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel is estimated to possess around 80 nuclear weapons, including 30 gravity bombs and 50 warheads that can be launched by medium-range ballistic missiles. However, Haghtalab did not specify which specific sites Iran might target in its hypothetical operation. 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. Israel has long accused Iran of clandestinely developing its nuclear capabilities. Israel's representative at the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, claimed recently that Tehran was mere weeks away from constructing a nuclear weapon. However, these assertions were refuted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Iranian leadership has consistently emphasized its stance against weapons of mass destruction, considering them incompatible with Islamic principles. Nevertheless, Haghtalab suggested that Tehran might reconsider its nuclear doctrine and policies if Israel continues to threaten its nuclear facilities. Haghtalab highlighted the norm that nuclear sites are typically considered off-limits for military action. However, he argued that Israel's attack on the embassy, a diplomatic mission protected by international law, demonstrates its disregard for established norms and rules of engagement. Israel may be targeting Iranian nuclear sites Meanwhile, Iran claims to have intercepted three quadcopters launched within its borders, while reports indicate explosions at military sites in Syria, signaling potential Israeli retaliation for recent missile and drone attacks on its territory. The quadcopters were allegedly shot down in Iran's central province of Isfahan, home to military bases and the country's primary nuclear facilities at Natanz. However, the IAEA confirmed that Iran's nuclear sites remained unaffected. Conflicting reports emerged, with the United States suggesting an Israeli missile attack, Iran denying the use of missiles and stating only small crafts were shot down, while Israel remained silent. Despite Iran's preemptive strike last week, which it claimed exceeded expectations, Israel may hesitate to directly target Iranian nuclear sites. Strategic and tactical considerations suggest Israel would likely operate alone, as the U.S. has refrained from active participation in such attacks and publicly cautioned against them. Tehran's warnings to Washington and summoning of the Swiss envoy underscore Iran's determination to deter foreign intervention. Moreover, Iranian nuclear facilities are fortified, with some located deep underground, making them challenging targets. Recent satellite imagery suggests progress in constructing new underground sites resistant to conventional airstrikes. Even if Israeli jets breach Iranian defenses, the extent of potential damage remains uncertain, as Iran has advanced its nuclear capabilities despite past sabotage attempts. Watch this video claiming to be an attempted Israeli attack on an Iranian military base thwarted by air defenses. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israel vows to retaliate against Iran with new devastating strike (World War 3). TIT FOR TAT: Israel vows to respond to Iran's retaliatory missile and drone strikes. Iran strikes Israel as region plunges into escalation cycle that could end in NUCLEAR WAR. Iran warns of retaliation against U.S. forces in the Middle East if Biden supports Israel militarily. Israel to destroy Iran's NUCLEAR facilities if Tehran follows through on retaliation threats. Sources include: InfoWars.com AlJazeera.com Brighteon.com Joe Biden wants to force employers to provide abortions for their workers The administration of President Joe Biden has come out with a new, 400-page rule requiring employers to cover abortion under the 2022 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) . This move has ignited fiery debates on religious liberties, conscience rights and the administration's stance on abortion. On April 15, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the implementation of the new rule for PWFA, a law that mandates employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, unless deemed an undue hardship on business operations. Notably, it explicitly includes abortion and contraception among the covered accommodations, with the term "abortion" appearing 348 times in the rule. (Related: Biden attacks Trump on abortion, healthcare.) However, critics argue that such a provision oversteps boundaries and infringes upon the religious beliefs of employers who oppose abortion on moral grounds. Julie Marie Blake, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, condemned the rule and argued that the administration is imposing "pro-abortion regulations" on employers nationwide, disregarding religious convictions regarding the sanctity of life. "This rule is just the latest example of the Biden administration abusing its power to advance abortion. The new rule seeks to punish the speech of pro-life employers and restrict their hiring practices. The Biden administration and the EEOC dont have the legal authority to smuggle this illegitimate rule into a law that was created to protect and support women and that had nothing to do with abortion," Blake stated. 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. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, echoed these sentiments. Foxx denounced the interpretation of the administration of the PWFA. "Adding this controversial provision into the PWFA is wrong. Period. Abortion is not a medical condition related to pregnancy; it is the opposite. Leave it to the Biden administration to think terminating a pregnancy and ending the life of an unborn child addresses the needs of pregnant workers," Foxx said. "This rule also goes well beyond EEOCs authority." Furthermore, critics argue that the overly broad and impractical regulation would lead to confusion and turmoil among workers and employers. This could also burden businesses that are already grappling with the economic policies of the Biden administration. New PWFA rule could lead to more unborn lives ended Before the implementation of the PWFA, Republican congresspeople and religious liberties already warned the public that it would cover abortion. In October, Foxx, along with Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), wrote a letter addressed to EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows. The Republican representatives warned EEOC that the then-proposed law includes language equating pregnancy-related conditions with the decision to have or not have an abortion. "Abortion is not a medical condition related to pregnancy; it is the opposite. It terminates the pregnancy, tragically ending the life of an unborn child. Similarly, abortion is not related to childbirth; it ends the possibility of childbirth," Foxx and Miller wrote. "EEOC cannot add such a controversial provision to the law that Congress omitted. The U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization holding there is no constitutional right to an abortion was handed down a mere six months before the PWFA was enacted. Congress was well aware of the ongoing national debate over abortion and could have included the term in the law if it so chose. Its absence speaks volumes," the representatives continued. Erika Ahern of Catholic Vote also warned that such an interpretation could lead to lawsuits against pro-life organizations for failing to provide special leave for abortions. "The EEOC does not typically act in a way that aligns with pro-life or Catholic views. In general, the EEOC has interpreted 'pregnancy-related' discrimination issues to include protecting workers' 'right' to abortion," Ahern said at that time. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) also warned of potential infringements on religious freedom before its enactment. He fears that "the bill could force religious employers to provide accommodations that arise from an abortion, which could violate the free exercise of their religious beliefs." But despite all these warnings, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, along with Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion company in America, still supported the PWFA legislation. In turn, the EEOC always proudly mentioned this support when introducing the proposed pro-abortion regulations implementing the now-passed law. Head over to Abortions.news for similar stories. Watch Planned Parenthood insiders exposing the organization's twisted infanticide practices in the clip below. This video is from the RED PILLED channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Abortion rates in North Carolina drop by over 30% following implementation of PRO-LIFE LAW. Abortions in the U.S. HAVE INCREASED since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Abortions in Illinois surge 54% as neighboring states enact pro-life legislation. NO TO "ABORTION TRAFFICKING": Lubbock County Commissioners Court approves anti-abortion transport ban. Report: 76 Christian universities promoting ABORTION and Planned Parenthood. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com DailySignal.com Brighteon.com BREAKING: Man who lit himself on fire outside of NYC Trump trial IDd as antifascist agitator Max Azzarello, final post was singing Start a F*cking Revolution The man who set himself on fire in front of the courthouse in NYC where Trump's trial is being has been identified as 37-year-old Max Azzarello. (Article by Thomas Stevenson republished from ThePostMillennial.com) He dropped a stack of papers that led observers to his Substack called the "Ponzi Papers." At the top of his latest article, he wrote, "My name is Max Azzarello, and I am an investigative researcher who has set himself on fire outside of the Trump trial in Manhattan. This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup." In a final video before the fire posted to his Instagram, he said he wanted to "start a f*cking revolution." A copy of the papers dropped on the sidewalk where he lit himself on fire was also posted to his social media. In a video before he lit himself on fire in front of the courthouse in New York, Azzarello pitched the booklet about many different conspiracy theories in a video on his social media, largely about cryptocurrency. In the video he alleged that cryptocurrency was a "ponzi scheme" that would lead to the collapse of the economy and that the government "kleptocracy" is the only organization that stands to benefit. He pitched the booklet as a way for others to help "bend history" in face of the scheme. In his last Substack article he also added, "To my friends and family, witnesses and first responders, I deeply apologize for inflicting this pain upon you. But I assure you it is a drop in the bucket compared to what our government intends to inflict. Because these words are true, this is an act of revolution." On his LinkedIn page, Azzarellos profile photo was of him and Bill Clinton. Max Azzarellos LinkedIn profile photo before he self-immolated in front of Trump trial was set to a picture of him and Bill Clinton. pic.twitter.com/OW9YaEMNik The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 19, 2024 He also sued the former president along with more than 100 others. The suit was later thrown out. In terms of his political views, Azzarellos posted on Anarchocommunist Reddit pages. I've scraped Max Azzarello's Reddit history. Max stated on Reddit he was an Anarcho-Communist. https://t.co/lGYppf7IOPpic.twitter.com/Qe3P9hoZuO Reddit Lies (@reddit_lies) April 19, 2024 "I'm a huge proponent of left unity, and believe that only the left has the power to build a united movement to enact meaningful change. I wish more leftists realized that shouting ACAB and memeing about guillotines and molotovs is precisely what our criminal government would want them to do. In my eyes, the only thing 'ACAB' stands for is 'All Cops Are Brainwashed.' I worship Mother Earth magazine to the high heavens," he posted at one point. Max Azzarello, the man who lit himself on fire outside the Trump trial, wrote this unhinged rant against Donald Trump. He suffered from serious TDS. TDS can be very harmful and deadly! pic.twitter.com/I9GFT5jmSc Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 19, 2024 Highlights from his stories on Instagram also shed more light into his political beliefs. One of his last Instagram stories before lighting himself on fire was of the repeated line, I love you. Read more at: ThePostMillennial.com Polish national arrested for allegedly plotting the assassination of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky A Polish national identified by authorities under the pseudonym "Pawel K" has been arrested on charges related to an alleged plot to help Russians assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky The arrest, conducted within Poland, was announced by the Polish National Public Prosecutor's Office, which formally charged Pawel K with "collaborating with foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland." According to reports, Pawel K was purportedly tasked with acquiring military intelligence on behalf of Russia, particularly focusing on security measures at Poland's Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland. The intention behind gathering such information was allegedly to aid in planning an attack targeting Zelensky. A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office elaborates, stating, "The investigation indicates that the suspect Pawel K expressed his willingness to cooperate with the military intelligence of the Russian Federation, establishing direct contacts with individuals from Russia actively involved in the conflict in Ukraine. His duties allegedly encompassed collecting and furnishing military intelligence to Russia, including details concerning the security arrangements at Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport." Moreover, it has been alleged that Pawel K's involvement extended to assisting Russian intelligence services in plotting a potential assault on the life of Ukraine's head of state. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office alerted their Polish counterparts to the potential criminal activity of Pawe? K, initiating a collaborative investigation. 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. Substantial evidence was reportedly gathered from Ukrainian authorities through legal channels, significantly strengthening the case against Pawel K. The prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation with the help of Poland's Internal Security Agency. The spokesperson emphasized the effective cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, highlighting the successful acquisition of evidence from beyond Poland's borders. As the investigation progresses, further details are expected to emerge regarding the extent of Pawel K's alleged involvement and any additional individuals implicated in the plot. (Related: Russian source: Elite Ukrainian military units mulling COUP against Zelensky.) While authorities did not specify whether Pawel K actually shared any gathered information, he could face up to eight years in prison if convicted. Currently held in custody, the suspect awaits further developments in the ongoing investigation. Russia may have wanted to assassinate Zelensky at Polish airport It is unclear how Pawel K's alleged Russian contacts would have carried out an assassination against Zelensky, but Pawel K's objective of gathering information on the Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport suggests that the Russians would have tried to target Zelensky during his latest visit to Poland, which occurred on April 5. Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, once a modest regional facility, has now evolved into a pivotal logistics center for supplying Western military aid to Ukraine, particularly following the full-scale invasion. Military and cargo aircraft from various nations, including the United States and across Europe, frequently utilize the airport to transport supplies destined for the Ukrainian border, a journey spanning approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles). Given the closure of Ukrainian airspace to most flights, leaders traveling to and from Ukraine often opt to land in neighboring countries like Poland before continuing their journey to Kyiv by land. Notably, Zelensky has been documented flying out of Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport on foreign visits, including a return from Washington in December 2022. Other foreign dignitaries, such as U.S. President Joe Biden, have also utilized the airport when they plan state visits to Ukraine. The incident with Pawel K follows previous reports from Polish authorities regarding the arrest of a group of foreign individuals suspected of acting as spies for Russia. The individuals were alleged to have installed numerous surveillance cameras around the area surrounding the airport, including some very close. Additionally, neighboring Germany recently apprehended two individuals suspected of being Russian spies, accused of planning to sabotage German military aid intended for Ukraine. Watch this clip from "Redacted" as hosts Natali and Clayton Morris discuss how the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is going poorly and Zelensky is no longer able to hide it. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: New "hate speech" law in Poland would punish people who "insult" LGBT ideology with 3 years in prison. Nationwide farmer protests in Poland force government to negotiate over Ukrainian food imports. KENNEDY SYNDROME: Macron fears he could be assassinated like JFK. U.S. drone forced to make an emergency landing in Poland; Russian GPS jamming weapon blamed. Assassination attempts ON THE RISE around the world and a target in the United States COULD BE NEXT. Sources include: DailyStar.co.uk BBC.com Edition.CNN.com Brighteon.com South Dakota Republicans: Universal Basic Income program disincentivizes work South Dakota state Sen. John Wiik and other Republicans have criticized the Universal Basic Income (UBI) program. They argue that handing out "no-strings-attached cash" disincentivizes work Wiik likes to think of himself as a lookout of sorts. He keeps an eye on new laws, programs and ideas brewing across the states. "I don't bring a ton of legislation," he said. "The main thing I like to do is try and stay ahead of trends and try and prevent bad things from coming into our state." "The economic gut punch of the pandemic and related assistance efforts such as the expanded child tax credit popularized the idea of directly handing cash to people in need," Stateline reported. According to the news agency, advocates think the programs can be administered more efficiently than traditional government assistance programs, and research suggests they increase not only financial stability but also mental and physical health. (Related: JOBS CRISIS: Almost 107 million Americans are not in the labor force.) UBI has been around for decades. However, in a 2019 experiment in Stockton, California, a major expansion was set off. One hundred twenty-five individuals received $500 per month with no strings attached for two years. Independent researchers found the program improved financial stability and health, but concluded that the pandemic dampened those effects. GOP lawmakers think experimental programs like UBI could set a dangerous precedent. "What did Ronald Reagan say, 'the closest thing to eternal life on this planet is a government program?'" Wiik said. "So, if you get people addicted to just getting a check from the government, its going to be really hard to take that away." 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. Democrats don't want people to be self-sufficient Blue state lawmakers, meanwhile, seek to expand pilot programs. The Land of 10,000 Lakes could become the nation's first to fund a statewide program. Meanwhile, elected officials in red states are working to thwart such efforts, not only by fighting statewide efforts but also by preventing local communities from starting their own basic income programs. Moreover, democratic governors in Arizona and Wisconsin recently vetoed Republican legislation banning basic income programs. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Harris County earlier this month to block a pilot program that would provide $500 per month to 1,900 low-income people in the states largest county. Paxton argued the program is illegal because it violates a state constitutional provision that says local governments cannot grant public money to individuals. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, a Democrat, called Paxton's move "nothing more than an attack on local government and an attempt to make headlines." Meanwhile, Washington state lawmakers have debated a statewide basic income bill during this year's short session. Minnesota lawmakers have also debated whether to spend $100 million to roll out one of the nations first statewide pilot programs. The public's natural reaction is to fear that free cash would dissuade people from working. That hasn't been the case, said Sara Kimberlin, the executive director and senior research scholar at Stanford University's Center on Poverty and Inequality. "There isn't anywhere in the United States where you can live off of $500 a month," she said. "At the same time, $500 a month makes a tremendous difference for someone who is living close to the edge." Kimberlin said the research on basic income programs has so far been promising, though it's unclear how long the benefits may persist once programs conclude. Still, she said, plenty of research shows how critical economic stability in childhood is to stability in adulthood something both the basic income programs and the pandemic-era child tax credit seek to address. But many people say beneficiaries may simply blow their funds on drugs and alcohol and encourage them to quit their jobs. Visit BigGovernment.news to read more stories like this. Watch the video below that talks about 200 plus cities that already signed the UBI. This video is from the SecureLife on Brighteon.com. More related stories: CLOT SHOT COERCION: In Brazil, all Universal Basic Income (UBI) recipients must show proof of vaccination. Nearly 107 million Americans do not have a job right now. Chicago holds JOB FAIR for MIGRANTS amid rising number of unemployed Black residents in the city. Sources include: SDLegislature.gov Sstateline.org Brighteon.com In the name of supporting Israel, U.S. is now being turned into anti-free speech tyrannical DICTATORSHIP As Zionists everywhere come to the stark realization that they do not have nearly the support they thought they did to move forward with their genocidal plan for Gaza, those in positions of public service and media are increasingly pushing for the abolition of the First Amendment. One of them is NPR editor Uri Berliner, who wants the FBI and the NYPD to illegally spy on pro-Palestine activists. Berliner is also still pushing the "40 beheaded babies" hoax to make October 7 sound much worse than it actually was. Berliner retweeted an anti-free speech message of fellow Zionist Walter Russell Mead, who on Oct. 16, 2023, called for law enforcement to "tak[e] pictures and [get] names" of those demonstrating in defense of Gaza and its people. "Opportunities like this are hard to come by!" Mead wrote about his desire for the U.S. deep state to illicitly persecute Americans who oppose Israel's genocide in Gaza. (Related: Israel is about to have a rude awakening once it launches another attack on Iran.) Zionism is dying Another Zionist infiltrator pushing for free speech abolition is Barak Ravid, who tweeted one day before Mead's tweet that tried to make supporters of Palestine look like rabid terrorists because opposing genocide makes you dangerous, according to the Zionists. Dr. Einat Wilf is yet another Zionist infiltrator who is pushing the lie that the Palestinian people have become "the receptacles of the world's failed ideologies from Nazism to Soviet Communism, from Jihadi and Iranian Islamism to Western Left-wing extremism." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. The irony of Wilf's statement here is that all of these things are true about she and other Zionists, who if they are not behaving like Nazis or communists themselves are constantly pushing these political frameworks on their targets, in this case the Palestinian people who live in the Israeli-made open-air concentration camp known as the Gaza Strip. Then we have Bari Weiss, a Zionist who actually quit working for The New York Times because in her eyes it is, get this: not pro-Israel enough. Berliner, by the way, is following Weiss' lead by quitting NPR, which he also says is not pro-Israel enough. On April 9, 2024, NPR published a piece by Berliner that whines and complains about how he thinks too many people these days are rejecting the Zionist lies being peddled by the likes of himself in major media outlets like NPR. "There's an unspoken consensus about the stories we should pursue and how they should be framed," Berliner wrote, almost sounding as if he was fuming as he typed it about how the world is breaking the Zionist mold. "It's frictionless one story after another about instances of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad, and the dire threat of Republican policies. It's almost like an assembly line." Berliner would go on in that same piece to talk about Israel's genocidal response to the events of October 7, which he and many other Zionists embellished and, in many cases, flat-out lied about in a failed attempt to drum up public support for the Israeli genocide of the people of Gaza. It is a good thing that Berliner and others like him are quitting writing because that means there will be a whole lot less of their propaganda in circulation. Berliner's articles and the many things he tweets and retweets actually violate the "Accuracy" standards of NPR, a publicly funded media outlet, which opposes the spread of misinformation. "Berliner and Weiss are both lying, overrated hypocrites," one commenter wrote. "They love open borders (for America, not Israel) and they love affirmative action (as long as Jews are not counted) and they even love war (if it's good for their agenda)." "These two (and countless others like them) are subversive Israelis, masquerading as Americans. America First! Free Palestine! End all U.S. aid to Israel!" Israel's genocide in Gaza is like the Holocaust 2.0. Learn more at Genocide.news. Sources for this article include: InformationLiberation.com NaturalNews.com Telegram founder says FBI wanted a backdoor in messaging app so they can spy on users The U.S. government pushed for the developers of the messaging app Telegram to include a backdoor that would allow them to spy on users, according to the platforms founder, Pavel Durov. Speaking to Tucker Carlson, Durov explained how this unwanted attention from the FBI was one of the reasons the Russian-born developer abandoned his plan to set up his company in San Francisco. Durov and his brother, Nikolay, founded the Russian version of Facebook, VK, before coming up with the idea for Telegram, which is considered one of the best-protected and safest communication apps available today. After refusing to comply with demands by Russia to shut down opposition communities on VK, he sold his stake in the platform and left the country and lived several other places while searching for the ideal base for Telegram. He told Carlson that he went to the U.S. several times while making his decision, even meeting with Twitters former CEO, Jack Dorsey, on one occasion. However, he reports that he felt uneasy in the U.S. because the FBI was keeping tabs on him, characterizing the experience as alarming. According to Durov, one of his best employees came to him and said he had been approached by the American government. He explained: There was a secret attempt to hire my engineer behind my back by cybersecurity officers. They were trying to persuade him to use certain open-source tools that he would then integrate into Telegrams code that, in my understanding, would serve as backdoors. He said he had also experienced that pressure himself after being approached by law enforcement officials on multiple occasions. 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. Whenever I would go to the U.S., I would have two FBI agents greeting me at the airport, asking questions. One time, I was having breakfast at 9 am and the FBI showed up at the house that I was renting, he added. His experience in the U.S. ultimately led him to decide against setting up a base there, choosing Dubai as Telegram's home instead. My understanding is that they wanted to establish a relationship to control Telegram better. I understand that they were doing their job. [But] for us, running a privacy-focused social media platform, that probably wasnt the best environment to be in, he noted. Durov says Google and Apple are biggest threats to freedom of speech Although this attention from the FBI made him uncomfortable, he said that he doesnt consider governments to be the main challengers to freedom of speech; instead, he identified competitors such as Google and Apple as the biggest threats. "Those two platforms, they could basically censor everything you can read, access on your smart phone," he noted, adding that they told Telegram it would be removed from their online stores if it did not comply with their guidelines. Durov said that his aim is to keep the platform politically neutral, although he admitted that some protest organizers have used it in different countries. He told Carlson he believes they will attract 1 billion active users a month within a year; Metas WhatsApp, meanwhile, has more than 2 billion monthly active users. Telegram is especially influential in countries that used to be part of the former Soviet Union. This behavior on the part of the FBI should come as no surprise as they already have a backdoor into popular social media apps such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Moreover, an internal FBI guide from 2021 showing law enforcement agencies what type of data they can request from the nine most popular messaging apps stated that it is particularly easy to obtain data from Facebooks WhatsApp and Apples iMessage, as long as they have a subpoena or warrant. Sources for this article include: RT.com Reuters.com RollingStone.com Man posing as a woman found GUILTY of sexually assaulting a mentally disabled teen A Wisconsin transgender has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl with learning disabilities, and is currently under investigation for strangling a man to death. "Sabrina" Hetke, a 35-year-old transgender who now identifies as a woman, was jailed twice for sex offenses in 2007. But despite authorities warning that he has a "high probability to re-offend," Hetke was still released from prison in 2016. He immediately went back to prison, but was released again in November 2020 after completing his latest sentence for sexual assault. Just five months after his release, he bullied and killed Vydale Thompson-Moody, a 28-year-old man with learning difficulties. Thompson-Moody was found dead in Hetke's house the following morning with a 15-foot electrical cord underneath him and marks to his neck and forehead. (Related: Half of trans-identifying biological male inmates in Wisconsin have been convicted of sex crimes so why are they allowed to move to womens prisons?) "I killed him. God can't bring him back, but I can because I'm the devil," Hetke confessed. However, it was only after Hetke assaulted a 16-year-old girl that Hetke was arrested for murder. In July 2021, Hetke followed the teenager home from a gas station in Waukesha, threatened her with a knife before sexually assaulting her. The incident led the victim to jump out of her bedroom window in fear. The authorities had no choice but to re-interview witnesses and gather additional evidence after the assault. Police re-arrested Hetke and charged him with first-degree sexual assault with a dangerous weapon and second-degree sexual assault of a mentally disabled person. Hetke was also charged with homicide for killing Thompson-Moody. 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. A hearing for the Thompson-Moody case is set for April 30 and Hetke's sentencing will be on June 7. Persistence of Thompson-Moody's mother led to the arrest of Hetke Serena Thompson, the mother of Thompson-Moody, has played an important role in the arrest of Hetke. Hetke was initially arrested on a preliminary charge of first-degree intentional homicide. Yet, following a week in the county jail, Hetke was released under administrative discharge. When Thompson learned that Hetke was released without any filed charges, she started making phone calls and sending direct messages to the witnesses of her son's death over social media. Thompson also tracked down the friends of her son on social media to have someone to talk to. Fortunately, someone helped Thompson get in touch with one of the witnesses, a woman identified only by a first name and last name's initial in the criminal complaint. According to the criminal complaint, the witness revealed that Hetke had expressed a desire to kill Thompson-Moody for disrespect. She recounted how Hetke had looped a cord around his neck and witnesses intervened as Thompson-Moody struggled to free himself. This unsettling sequence repeated until everyone in the house retired for the night. The witness presumed Thompson-Moody had departed after she drifted off, but she discovered him unresponsive the following morning. Thompson recorded the phone call and handed the recording to the police. However, the prosecutors still took two months to file homicide charges, which in turn, led to another assault. Until the last minute, it looked like the prosecutors were still trying to favor Hetke when he was given two examinations to check whether he could plead not guilty due to mental disease or defect. Fortunately, both examinations found he was sane. Visit Gender.news for more stories about the breakdown of society due to transgenderism. Watch Gabor "Gabe" Zolna talking about transgender inmates sexually assaulting biological women in prison below. This video is from the zolnareport.com channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Police and crime commissioner: Suspect in alleged assault of a teenage boy in England is a TRANSGENDER, not a woman. WHO appoints former prostitute, other transgender activists to transgender task force. Drag queen feted by Kamala Harris accused of multiple sexual assaults. Scottish police say rapes committed by men will be logged as rapes by "women" if offenders are trans. Pedophile who raped multiple children avoids prison after he tells 'woke' judge that hes transgender Judge rules it would be 'too difficult to cope with.' Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com DailyMail.co.uk JSOnline.com Brighteon.com Which major city will completely collapse first Los Angeles, Chicago or New York City? In 2024, virtually all major U.S. cities have certain things in common. First of all, if you visit the downtown area of one of our major cities you are likely to see garbage, human excrement and graffiti all over the place. As you will see below, some of our core urban areas literally look like they belong in a third world country. Most of our politicians dont seem too concerned about doing anything to clean up all the filth, and so it shouldnt be a surprise that rat populations are absolutely exploding all over the country. In some of our largest cities, the total rat population is numbered in the millions. Meanwhile, rampant theft, out of control violence, endless migration, predatory gangs and the worst drug crisis in the entire history of our nation have combined to create a perfect storm of social decay that is unlike anything that any of us have ever seen before. Millions of law-abiding citizens and countless businesses have been fleeing Americas largest cities, and property values in our core urban areas have been absolutely crashing . We really are in the early stages of a full-blown societal collapse, and things just keep getting worse with each passing day. (Article by Michael republished from EndOfTheAmericanDream.com) In this article, I want to focus on the three largest metropolitan areas in the United States: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. John Williams recently took his camera with him as he walked through downtown Los Angeles, and he described what he witnessed as hell Decades of failed policies have transformed one of the greatest cities in the entire country into one of the worst. At this point, theft has become so rampant that even the ultra-progressive politicians in California have come to the conclusion that something must be done. So several bills that would crack down on shoplifting have been introduced in the state legislature Shoplifters beware. The California Assembly has introduced a comprehensive package of seven bills aimed at addressing the rising concerns over retail theft across the state. One of the key initiatives is Assembly Bill 2943, jointly authored by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D) and Speaker Robert Rivas (D). The bill targets serial retail thieves by introducing a new crime with penalties of up to three years behind bars for possession of stolen property with intent to resell. It also allows for the aggregation of similar thefts from different victims to charge grand theft, under specific criteria. Hopefully something will get done, because right now a criminal in the state of California can literally walk into a retail store every single day of the year and steaI $949 worth of merchandise and never spend a single minute in jail. "You can literally walk into a retail store every single day of the year and steaI $949 worth of merchandise" "And you will NEVER do a minute in jail" "Under California law, assauIt on a peace officer with anything other than a fully automatic weapon is not a vioIent crime" pic.twitter.com/jX0l4OK6pA Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) April 19, 2024 Los Angeles has become a paradise for shoplifters, but many would argue that things are even worse in the Big Apple. As I discussed a few days ago, New York City has a $4.4 billion shoplifting economy. And approximately 90,000 packages are stolen in New York City every single day This is just one of the reasons why we have seen a mass exodus. Read more at: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com Why GLUTEN is so much WORSE for your health than you might have thought (op-ed) Walk around in any street markets in France, Italy or Spain, and you'll find lots of choices for bread that is baked daily, fresh and "clean" without insane softening "agents," without bleach and without ingredients that have industrial applications. Yet, walk into almost any American grocery store or supermarket, and the majority of the bread is made to last for weeks on end, in that tight plastic bag or wrapping, ensuring a very long shelf life, while shortening human life for those who consume it regularly. This requires careful consideration. In America, research regarding the safety of food for humans to consume is done by certainly one of the most corrupt government-run agencies ever, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Even the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) aren't quite as insidious and nefarious, responsible for leading more humans down the path of self-destruction through adulterated food and contaminated medicine. Gluten research is polluted with Google-driven misinformation and AI-driven disinformation. Most American gluten contains a whole laundry list of known carcinogens that the European Union bans, to protect consumers across the board. American gluten has entire categories of diseases associated with it, including irritable bowel syndrome, Celiac disease, diverticulosis, ulcers, polyps and the list goes on. Plus, gluten is already sticky from the wheat heads, so it often remains in the human digestive track long past the 24 hours within which all food should be expelled, or it becomes toxic. So constipation is a huge enemy of the American consumer's lifestyle, driving chronic inflammation, digestive disorders, cancer of the colon and of course, obesity. 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. You don't have to have "gluten intolerance" to become unhealthy from consistently eating American gluten Some people are essentially allergic to gluten, where their body senses it is chock full of toxic ingredients, causing their immune cells to overreact and attack it, creating a perpetual battle ground in their intestines, resulting in chronic inflammation that exacerbates just about every illness, sickness, disease and disorder known to man. The average American loaf of bread contains ingredients with industrial applications, like those used to manufacture explosives, petroleum products, pesticides and even yoga mats. Got fast food disease? Everyone is "intolerant" to eating ingredients that cause explosions and fuel tractors, but the FDA claims everything is "Gras" or generally recognized as safe to eat, though plenty of experts around the globe completely and utterly disagree. Has the FDA any science to back up these false claims? No. That's not all, folks. Some of these bread and dough chemicals are used in plastics, like for vinyl, or to bleach the plastic white. And potassium bromate, used to help bread rise, is linked to thyroid and kidney cancers in animals. Don't forget, humans are animals too. Got cancer? Maybe it's from all that azodicarbonamide (ACA), a chemical that forms bubbles in plastics and foams, used in American dough. Yep. ACA has been banned for consumption by the European Union for years. They know and must care, unlike the FDA. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) released a list of more than 500 U.S. products that contain azodicarbonamide. What bread are you eating regularly? Cancer bread? You see, when ACA is heated or baked, it breaks down into two chemicals: Urethane is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Oops. Then there's BHA and BHT, which are both subject to stringent restrictions in the EU, that the FDA all but says are fantastic for Americans to eat all day, every day. Remember the nefarious "food pyramid?" The only thing these additives are "preserving" is a tombstone for each regular consumer. Tune your food news frequency to FoodSupply.news and get updates on more toxic American foods for sale now and FDA-approved that are "on sale" at stores near you. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com TheGuardian.com CDC suppresses data on self-defense gun use after private meeting with GUN CONTROL advocates The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reportedly removed figures for self-defense gun use following a private meeting with gun control advocates. According to Law Enforcement Today (LET), the public health agency's purview "encompasses the study of factors contributing to injury and mortality, including incidents involving firearms." It added: "Over the years, the agency has commissioned research aimed at shedding light on various aspects of gun violence, seeking to inform prevention strategies and public health interventions." But recent revelations have disclosed the CDC's deliberate deliberate suppression of data concerning defensive gun use (DGU), in turn raising concerns about transparency and the potential politicization of research. This suppression was brought to light through correspondence obtained by means of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, which uncovered a lobbying effort aimed at influencing the public health agency's messaging on DGU. According to the correspondences, the CDC commissioned the National Academy of Medicine and the National Research Council for several studies on the matter. While the resulting papers acknowledged DGUs as a "common occurrence," the CDC notably opted to omit references to DGU statistics from its public materials. This move drew scrutiny after evidence of pressure from gun-control advocates to diminish or remove mentions of DGUs emerged. Notable gun control advocates were involved in this effort to suppress the CDC. They were supported by introductions from the White House and from the office of Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). Some of the advocates were as follows: 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. Mark Bryant , co-founder of the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) , co-founder of the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) Devin Hughes , founder and president of GVPedia , founder and president of GVPedia Po Murray, founder and chairwoman of the Newtown Action Alliance With Murray facilitating discussions, the gun control advocates engaged with top CDC officials to challenge the depiction of studies estimating DGUs, ranging from 60,000 to 2.5 million occurrences annually in the United States. (Related: State of Washington Democrats propose overreaching bill prohibiting self-defense weapons in public areas such as bus stops.) CDC yields to censorship demands despite second thoughts on GDU numbers Bryant, among the vocal attendees firmly criticized the 2.5 million figure. The GVA co-founder staunchly advocated for its removal. "That statistic needs to be killed, buried, dug up, killed again and buried again," Bryant bluntly stated in an email to CDC officials following their meeting. "It is highly misleading, used out of context and holds zero value even as an outlier in honest discussions surrounding DGUs." Despite its initial hesitation and an acknowledgement of varied estimates regarding DGUs, CDC officials ultimately agreed to remove references to DGUs from its publications. According to LET, the CDC's compliance with external pressure underscores the delicate balance between scientific inquiry and ideological influence. "By prioritizing political ideals over academic rigor, the agency risks compromising its reputation as an evidence-based research institution and eroding public trust in its findings," the police-owned media outlet reported. Gary Kleck, a professor emeritus of criminology at Florida State University, denounced the CDC's decision to remove DGU figures from its publications. His research on DGU that spans decades has consistently demonstrated a minimum of 760,000 annual incidents. "CDC is just aligning itself with the gun control advocacy groups," Kleck emphasized. "It's just saying, 'We are their tool, and we will do their bidding.' And that's not what a government agency should do." Visit CDC.news for more stories about the U.S. public health agency. Watch Dr. Judy Mikovits explaining why forming the CDC has been wrong all along. This video is from The Real Dr. Judy channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: SMOKING GUN: CDC altered definition of breakthrough COVID infections following emails about vaccine failure. CDC recommends new COVID-19 boosters a day after FDAs emergency use authorization. Gun rights group sues New Mexico Gov. Michelle Grisham for declaring a gun violence public emergency. Supreme Court to review challenge to Illinois semi-automatic gun ban. French rioting demonstrates how gun control laws are failing law-abiding citizens. Sources include: LawEnforceentToday.com Brighteon.com Rep. Grothman: DHS monitoring over 600,000 illegals with CRIMINAL RECORDS The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly aware of and monitoring more than 600,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records who managed to enter the country. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) chairman of the House National Security, Border and Foreign Affairs (NSBFA) Subcommittee disclosed this during an April 11 hearing. The NSBFA Subcommittee is under the larger House Oversight Committee led by its chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-KY). According to Grothman, 617,000 illegals of the more than six million permitted into the U.S. since President Joe Biden took office have either criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. He subsequently blasted this alarming finding during the same hearing. "The fact is that illegal aliens should not be in the country in the first place and able to commit these crimes," said the Wisconsin congressman. He also cited an analysis conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety revealing that such people "are more likely to be convicted of homicide, sexual assault, and kidnapping than the average Texan." "The solutions aren't hard. Secure the border, stop releasing illegal aliens into the country in droves. When an illegal alien commits a crime in the community, turn them over to ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], enforce the law and remove them. It's just that simple." Bill Waybourn, sheriff of Tarrant County in Texas, also testified during the April 16 hearing. He told lawmakers that 264 illegals from at least 15 countries are currently being held in jails across the county. These 264 illegals in custody, the sheriff added, are accused of committing violent crimes including eight murders; 38 counts of assault with a deadly weapon; five counts of sexual assault and two counts of child pornography. 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. "I feel certain that every single sheriff in America is concerned with the border and its impact on their communities," said Waybourn. Population of border crossers EXCEEDS those of 36 states, analysis finds Meanwhile, a separate analysis by Fox News found that the number of illegals who have entered the U.S. since President Joe Biden took office in 2021 has exceeded the population of 36 states. The analysis, which the New York Post wrote about in February, cited data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Based on the agency's data, almost 73 million illegal immigrants have entered through the U.S. under the Biden administration and its open borders policy. If that number were to create a city, it would rank second in size behind New York City, the Post noted. Furthermore, the figure does not account for the estimated 1.8 million known "gotaways" who have eluded authorities, which added to the total would surpass the Big Apple's population. (Related: Illegal Alien Invasion: All the big U.S. land grabs by China and globalists may be for housing illegal immigrants.) In comparison to the highest populated states in the U.S., the 7.3 million figure represents approximately 18.7 percent of California's population of 39 million, 23.9 percent of Texas's 31 million population, 32.3 percent of Florida's population, and 37.3 percent of New York's. There have already been nearly one million illegal immigrant encounters since the start of fiscal year 2024, which began in October. If illegal immigration continues at its current rate, the number of illegal entries will exceed last year's historic record of 2.4 million. "This unprecedented surge in illegal immigration isn't an accident, said Erik Ruark, director of research for the non-profit Numbers USA that advocates for immigration restrictions. "It is the result of deliberate policy choices by the Biden administration." "The administration has refused to enforce existing immigration law and taken every opportunity to aid and abet illegal border crossings. In actual effect, the U.S. government is completing the human smuggling and trafficking process for the Mexican cartels." Visit BorderSecurity.news for similar stories. Watch this video of an illegal being sentenced in Michigan for a sex crime. This video is from the Justin Barclay channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: MOBS of Chinese illegal immigrants SWARM California border. Rep. Gaetz raises national security concerns about Delta Air Lines transporting illegal immigrants across the country as part of invasion placement activities. New York City provides prepaid debit cards to illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants leaving U.S. hospitals with BILLIONS in unpaid medical bills. NYC Mayor Eric Adams warns illegal immigrants will DESTROY the city. Sources include: ThePostMillennial.com NYPost.com Brighteon.com Iran mocks Israels weak attempt at an attack: Like toys, not drones Western media outlets would have the world believe that Israel's attack on Iran was substantial, but Iran is telling a different story Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told NBC that Western news is lying about the limited strike, which was centered on the city of Isfahan. "What happened last night was not a strike," the top Iranian diplomat said about the attack, which occurred in the early morning hours of Friday, April 19. Two or three small UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) were all that Israel deployed in the attack, which Amir-Abdollahian mocked by calling them "more like toys that our children play with, not drones." Iran's anti-air defenses easily took out the UAVs, and Amir-Abdollahian says they appear to have taken off from inside Iran, the suggestion being that they were launched by proxy. As the attack was still unfolding, Iranian state television reported that "three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan," and that "the air defense system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky." After it was revealed that the attack involved play-toy drones, the Israeli media, including The New York Times, rephrased the attack as a mere symbolic message from Israel that the Zionist state can inflict severe damage if it wants to at a later date. (Related: Iran is not playing around. If Israel does not stop launching attacks, Iran will retaliate accordingly.) Israel asking for its own doom One of the Israeli strikes targeted an area near an Iranian nuclear facility in the city of Natanz. The Times and Israel described the attack near the nuclear site as including "a high-tech missile that was able to evade Iran's radar systems" in a move "calibrated to make Iran think twice" before launching another counterattack on 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. Western media of course described Iran's counterattack as an "attack," failing to mention that Israel provoked all this in the first place by bombing Iran's embassy in Damascus, Syria, in order to make Iran appear as the aggressor. Israel and its worshippers really want to launch a full-scale war on Iran, and they have wanted this for decades. The problem is that nobody i.e., the United States wants to do it on Israel's behalf, which is what Israel wants and quite frankly needs if it has any chance at winning. Even with America's help, Israel is treading on dangerous ground by provoking Iran, especially since Russia has promised to back Iran should the U.S. get involved by siding with Israel on this one. The Times of Israel really tried to hype up the attack, claiming it damaged the radar system of an S-300 missile system installed at the Eighth Shekari Air Base in Isfahan. Other media told a different story, describing the attack as doing almost nothing in terms of serious damage. "There does not appear to be any extensive damage at an air base purportedly targeted by an Israeli military strike," reported CNN, citing "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." Then there is all the speculation as to whether or not any fighter jet-launched missiles were even used in the attack like Israel claimed since Iran has not yet confirmed or denied such claims. Iran is clearly trying to downplay the attack while Israel is hyping it up. Perhaps only God really knows what is going on anymore in the Middle East as the powers that be attempt to drag us all into yet another world war to keep themselves rich. Israel's pride is leading to its inevitable fall. Learn more at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com Israel strikes Rafah where all remaining Gaza refugees fled: 22 DEAD, most of them CHILDREN Just hours after the corrupt dinosaur clown show known as the United States Congress authorized billions more in aid for Israel, the Zionist state bombed Rafah in Gaza , killing "mostly children." Rafah, where all of the Palestinian refugees still alive in Gaza were forced by Israel to flee, is the last remaining place in Gaza that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is salivating at the thought of destroying. All in all, the strike killed 22 people, 18 of them children, according to health officials. And there are many more deaths to come now that Israel is once again flush with cash extorted by Congress from U.S. taxpayers. The latest reports indicate that Israel is bombing Rafah almost every day now. Soon, if Netanyahu and his comrades get their way, there will also be a ground offensive in Gaza. "In the coming days, we will increase the political and military pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to bring back our hostages and achieve victory," Netanyahu announced with that iconic grimace. We will land more and painful blows on Hamas soon." (Related: Did you know that your tax dollars are paying for Israel to commit genocide in Gaza?) Israeli genocide in Gaza most documented in history The very first Israeli strike on Rafah resulted in the death of a man, his wife and their three-year-old child, according to the nearby Kuwaiti Hospital that received their bodies. The wife was pregnant with another child, which praise be to God was saved by doctors. However, the chances of that child surviving in the coming days is slim as Israel plans to fully ethnically cleanse the entire Gaza Strip, Holocaust-style. 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. "These children were sleeping," said Umm Kareem, one of the family's relatives. "What did they do? What was their fault?" Also among the dead was Rasha, the daughter of Mohammed el-Beheiri, along with her six children, the youngest of whom was just 18 months old. The bodies of another woman and her three children were still under the rubble as of publishing time. BREAKING| Rescue teams pull out a wounded little girl following an Israeli strike on eastern Rafah, Gaza. pic.twitter.com/OCLR0bO6t6 Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 20, 2024 "This is the most documented genocide in history and our government is funding it with our tax dollars and supplying Israel with their bombs," wrote Chris Menahan of Information Liberation about the horrors taking place in Gaza right now, compliments of Israel. We also now know that Israel surgically bombed yet another international humanitarian aid truck, the last one against World Food Kitchen supposedly being an "accident." Israel got away with besieging & destroying al-Shifa hospital & starving infants in incubators to death, then proceeded to besiege, bomb, destroy & burn every hospital in every city they invaded. They got away with killing the WCK team, & now this:https://t.co/A16akDe2ux Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) April 21, 2024 Mass graves discovered at Nassir hospital in Khan Younis containing 100s of Gazans & patients massacred & covered up by Israel Over 190 bodies found, 100s more expected Again, I CANNOT find a single headline in any mainstream media about this! Imagine it was Ukraine? or Israel? pic.twitter.com/e5g7K8LVVa Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) April 21, 2024 "The Synagogue of Satan is doing the works of their father," one commenter wrote about Israel, citing scripture from Revelation 2:9. "'America' will not be satisfied until its 'gods' have slaughtered every single Palestinian!" wrote another, expressing discouragement about the rampant evils Israel and its best friend the United States are perpetrating against innocent people. All of this was foretold, and the judgment that comes next will not be fun for Israel. Learn more at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: InformationLiberation.com NaturalNews.com BlueLetterBible.org Moreover, single veterans living at the facility were mandated to pay $30 per day for nursing home care, with $300 personal income exemption. Meanwhile, those who do not require nursing home or memory care were charged $10 per day, with $300 personal exemption. The illegal immigrants, on the other hand, receive housing and meals at no cost. (Related: Illegal Alien Invasion: All the big U.S. land grabs by China and globalists may be for housing illegal immigrants.) Instead, the illegals only need to prove that they are applying for work authorizations, learning English and searching for permanent housing. But they will need to reapply monthly to retain their accommodations at the shelter, which is projected to remain operational from six months to a year. 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. Residents have raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding these decisions and their potential impact on community safety and cohesion. Denise Levy, a social media user who read the post on Facebook earlier this month, questioned why migrants would be housed at the facility for free while the veterans "who fought for our country are paying to live there." She wrote: "Disgusting!!!" "I can't believe the Chelsea Soldiers' Home which is for the vets is going to [be] used for the immigrants overflow. How about taking care of the homeless vets first? I am all for helping people but how about taking care of those already here and homeless," George Belmonte, a Massachusetts resident, also commented on Facebook. Massachusetts and Chelsea officials are gaslighting the public Man who set himself ON FIRE outside Trump trial in New York positively identified as a far-left antifascist The man who self-immolated outside of a courthouse in New York City, where former President Donald Trump's trial is taking place, has been identified as a left-wing antifascist agitator Maxwell Crosby "Max" Azzarello, 37, set himself on fire in a designated protest area in Collect Pond Park in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan on Friday, April 19. Trump was in court across the street, standing trial for a hush money case. (Related: Donald Trump may be forced to miss his son Barron's high school graduation due to New York trial.) According to the New York Police Department, Azzarello entered the park at around 1:30 p.m. Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey told reporters that Azzarello walked to the center of the park, shuffled around his clothes, opened a backpack and took out and threw numerous pamphlets on the ground. He then pulled out a canister filled with liquid accelerant from his backpack, poured it all over himself and then lit himself on fire. Videos taken of the self-immolation show Azzarello standing and even walking around for several seconds before he knelt on the ground and tried to stay still. After a few more seconds, he could be seen fully on the ground shaking in pain. It took around a minute before police and court officers were able to get to the scene to intervene with a fire extinguisher. Azzarello was rushed to the burn unit of Weill Cornell Medical Center where he died several hours later. Azzarello was a far-left "anarcho-communist" Azzarello, identified as a resident of St. Augustine, Florida, was described by officials as a "conspiracy theorist," and the pamphlets he spread right before self-immolating to be "propaganda based." 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. Hours before he self-immolated, he published an article on his personal Substack blog called the "Ponzi Papers," where he wrote what seems to be a manifesto and suicide note. This appears to be a copy of the papers he threw in the air right before he lit himself on fire. A copy of this manifesto was also posted to his social media accounts. This 2,700-page manifesto proves that Azzarello was mainly concerned with fascism and the coming "apocalyptic fascist world coup" that he claimed Trump was participating in with President Joe Biden. On his LinkedIn page, Azzarello's profile photo was of him with shorter hair next to former Democratic President Bill Clinton. A deep dive into his online presence also proves that Azzarello is a leftist, with him stating plainly in his account on the social media platform Reddit that he is an "anarcho-communist," a far-left political philosophy that advocates for communism without governments. "I'm a huge proponent of left unity, and believe that only the left has the power to build a united movement to enact meaningful change," he wrote. "I wish more leftists realized that shouting ACAB [all cops are b-------] and memeing about guillotines and Molotovs [Molotov cocktails] is precisely what our criminal government would want them to do." Watch this episode of "Maverick News" as host Rick Walker discusses why Max Azzarello set himself on fire and his final words before he succumbed. This video is from the Maverick News channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump hush money trial is blatant election interference designed to keep him off the campaign trail. RINOs Paul Singer and Kevin McCarthy behind orchestrated removal of Trump from 2024 ballot. ELECTION INTERFERENCE: Daughter of judge in Trump case boasts Kamala Harris, Adam Schiff as corporate clients. Daughter of judge on Trump's "hush money" case posts a picture of Trump in jail after gag order. The democracy-hating fascist Left is on a collision course with Trump's election victory here's why America will be turned into an active WAR ZONE in the next 12 months. Sources include: ThePostMillennial.com ABCNews.go.com NBCNews.com Brighteon.com BIDENSURGENCY: Top 6 Ways to PREVENT the Democrats from STEALING the November POTUS election The " New World Order " as George H.W. "Poppy" Bush put it, is in full effect right now, and these Satanists want the Republic of the United States to look like a God-forsaken Banana Republic as soon as possible. If you believe this is some kind of wild conspiracy theory, then you may want stop gulping the (fake news) Kool-aid and try some filtered water instead. First off, there is no way sleepy, creepy Joe Biden received 80 million votes after a lackluster campaign that involved about a dozen stops in high school auditoriums with about 15 paid goons sitting in Covid-friendly circles with their face diapers firmly in place. The USA is now 3-and-a-half years deep into the Bidensurgency where communists run the corrupt polls, news, military and DC gulags for "election deniers" The insurgency of Washington DC by the CCP puppets was carefully orchestrated well in advance of the 2020 fake election to overthrow President Donald J. Trump. Like never before in the Republic, the President was so rich himself he had no desire or need to embezzle billions and trillions of dollars through Big Government, the Military Industrial Complex or even Big Pharma. Sure, Trump pushed for Covid vaccines, but remember, the majority of Americans, including the majority of conservatives, believe that vaccines are good for health safety, not the other way around. Over 270 million Americans rushed out to get jabbed with the most dangerous injections ever created, and now millions are suffering the consequences. The pandemic was eventually -- and justifiably -- nicknamed the plandemic and the scamdemic, as it assisted in the biggest election "steal" in the history of the world. Have no doubt -- the Demonic Democrats are planning a repeat. They aim to increase and propagate the Bidensurgency of communists in Washington DC and across the country come November, and this may just be the final election ever for the Banana Republic of America. But wait, it's not too late yet. You can step up, with all other conservatives, independents, Republicans, Libertarians and anyone else who isn't too dumbed-down with clot shots, fluoride and canola oil. Here's how we can prevent the big 2024 steal the Dems have planned. 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. Top 6 ways to stop the steal this November, before it's too late for us all #1. Denounce Plandemic II that's sure to be sweeping the nation and world within the next 6 months. that's sure to be sweeping the nation and world within the next 6 months. #2. Have thousands of legitimate poll watchers oversee the counting of votes in November. oversee the counting of votes in November. #3. Get out and vote Republican across the board (while praying the RINOs don't take over) -- too many Americans think their vote won't matter, but it matters a lot (makes it tougher if it's a total Red landslide for the Left to cheat it). across the board (while praying the RINOs don't take over) -- too many Americans think their vote won't matter, but it matters a lot (makes it tougher if it's a total Red landslide for the Left to cheat it). #4. Get your smart device out and video record any and all "smurfs" (Soros-paid Leftists and criminals) dropping more than one ballot in a drop box at a time. (Soros-paid Leftists and criminals) dropping more than one ballot in a drop box at a time. #5. Vote against any legislation that helps allow illegal immigrants to vote in our American elections (because they're likely to vote for more free stuff and not Constitutional rights). that helps allow illegal immigrants to vote in our American elections (because they're likely to vote for more free stuff and not Constitutional rights). #6. Do NOT support fake pandemics that help the Left cheat on election day and night (as they kick out conservative poll watchers claiming "Covid" safety) while mailing in about 40 million faked (CCP-manufactured) NWO ballots. Every day, Biden imports about a hundred thousand illegal immigrants into our country in order to shift the vote in November. Every single one of them will surely be granted "emergency amnesty" by October 31st, so they can all vote for free stuff, while replacing American citizens who are dying "unexpectedly" and "unexplainably" from the Wuhan Virus clot shots. We already know that mail-in ballots are the number one way that the 2020 election was a huge steal for the Bidensurgency. These ballots are so easily counterfeited, as they have no watermarks, no serial numbers, no security threads. It's almost to the point where the fake news media can simply say any number on election night and the masses will believe it's true. Realize that what the Bidensurgency called "the most secure election in U.S. history" was exactly the opposite, the most CORRUPT election in U.S. history. It's always opposite day when it comes to fake news. Don't let this November rob the Republic of democracy and freedom. Keep your truth news in check by adding Preparedness.news to your favorites list and tuning in daily for updates on the demonic Democrats trying to steal another election with fake votes, fake people and fake virus tests. #Bidensurgency Sources for this article include: Censored.news TheGatewayPundit.com NaturalNews.com ZeroHedge.com Bren Smith, a pioneer in the US seaweed farming industry, is on a mission to cultivate a more sustainable future. Through his organization, GreenWave, Smith is not only building a network of seaweed farmers but also demonstrating the environmental and economic potential of this underutilized crop. Seaweed farming has emerged as a promising solution to combat climate change. Seaweed is a marine plant that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. GreenWave's seaweed farms operate without pesticides or herbicides, making them a sustainable alternative to traditional farming practices. GreenWave: A Model for Sustainable Ocean Farming GreenWave's seaweed farming model is based on regenerative principles. The organization's seaweed farms not only capture carbon dioxide but also help to improve water quality. Seaweed filters pollutants and creates habitat for marine life. In addition, GreenWave cultivates mussels and oysters alongside seaweed. These shellfish further purify the water by removing excess nutrients. The economic potential of seaweed farming is also significant. Seaweed is a versatile crop that can be used in a variety of products, including food, cosmetics, and fertilizer. GreenWave is working to connect seaweed farmers with markets, ensuring that they can reap the financial rewards of their work. Bren Smith's vision for the future of seaweed farming is one of large-scale ocean farms that provide environmental and economic benefits. GreenWave's innovative approach to seaweed farming is helping to pave the way for a more sustainable future. Bren Smith's GreenWave Revolutionizes Ocean Farming Bren Smith's GreenWave is revolutionizing ocean farming by using ropes suspended in the Atlantic Ocean to cultivate seaweed without pesticides or herbicides. This method is not only environmentally friendly but also highly productive, allowing GreenWave to harvest tons of algae each year. GreenWave's seaweed is used in a variety of products, including food, cosmetics, and fertilizer. The organization is also working to train others to become seaweed farmers, with the goal of creating a new generation of ocean stewards. Bren Smith's vision for the future of seaweed farming is ambitious. He believes that large-scale ocean farms can play a significant role in mitigating climate change and improving water quality. GreenWave is working to make this vision a reality by developing innovative farming techniques and building a network of seaweed farmers across the United States. Also Read: 50% of Marine Snails Vulnerable to Ocean Warming in Strait of Georgia, Report Warns Deeper Dive: GreenWave's Seaweed Farm Off the Coast of Connecticut GreenWave's seaweed farm off the coast of Connecticut is a prime example of the organization's innovative approach to seaweed farming. The farm uses a system of ropes suspended in the water column to cultivate kelp, a type of seaweed that can grow up to 30 feet long in a single season. This method allows GreenWave to farm seaweed in deep water, away from the sensitive ecosystems of the seabed. GreenWave's seaweed farm is not only productive but also environmentally friendly. The seaweed helps to improve water quality by absorbing excess nutrients and filtering out pollutants. The farm also creates habitat for a variety of marine life, including fish, shellfish, and crabs. The Economic Potential of Seaweed Farming The economic potential of seaweed farming is significant, but the exact figures are difficult to quantify. Seaweed is a versatile crop that can be used in a variety of products. Some of the most promising markets for seaweed include: Food: Seaweed can be eaten fresh, dried, or powdered. It is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Seaweed is also used in a variety of food products, such as soups, salads, and snacks. Cosmetics: Seaweed is a natural ingredient that can be used in a variety of cosmetic products, such as lotions, creams, and soaps. Seaweed is known for its moisturizing and anti-aging properties. Fertilizer: Seaweed can be used as a natural fertilizer for crops. Seaweed is a good source of nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. GreenWave is working to connect seaweed farmers with markets, ensuring that they can reap the financial rewards of their work. The organization is also developing new products and applications for seaweed. Bren Smith's vision for the future of seaweed farming is one where this sustainable crop plays a major role in our economy and environment. GreenWave's innovative approach to seaweed farming is helping to make this vision a reality. Related article: Expansion of Worldwide Seaweed Farming Might Contribute Significantly To Solving the World's Issues Ever wondered how monkeys navigate through the jungle to find food? A recent study published in Nature sheds light on the neural mechanisms underlying foraging behavior in monkeys. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, implanted wireless brain recording devices in macaques to monitor their brain activity as they foraged for food in a controlled environment. Past Rewards and the Promise of Future Feasts Traditionally, research on foraging behavior in animals has relied on observing their choices in simplified settings. This new study, however, provides a more nuanced understanding of how monkeys make decisions in the wild. The macaques in the study were allowed to freely roam and search for hidden food rewards. The researchers observed that the monkeys' choices were influenced by both their past experiences and their expectations of future rewards. The study's findings suggest that monkeys develop a mental model of the reward system in their environment. This mental model takes into account not only the location of past rewards but also the time it takes to find them. By considering these factors, the monkeys can optimize their foraging strategies and make more efficient choices about where to search for food. Also Read: Monkeys can Do Math, Study Finds A New Window into the Minds of Our Primate Cousins This research has important implications for our understanding of primate cognition. It suggests that monkeys, like humans, are capable of complex decision-making based on past experiences and expectations of future outcomes. The study also paves the way for further research into how social interactions influence foraging behavior in monkeys. In future studies, the researchers plan to investigate how monkeys forage in groups. By studying how monkeys coordinate their foraging strategies, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social cognition of these intelligent animals. This is just the beginning of our exploration into the fascinating world of monkey decision-making. With continued research, we may one day be able to fully decode the neural mechanisms that underlie these complex behaviors. The researchers made a significant breakthrough by allowing the macaques to forage freely. This more natural setting allowed them to observe the complex interplay between the monkeys' past experiences, their current environment, and their decision-making processes. Dozens of neurons in the frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for planning and decision-making, were found to be active during foraging. These neurons fired in response to specific cues, such as the sight of a potential food reward or the sound of a rustling leaf that might indicate hidden food. The study also suggests that monkeys update their mental model of the reward system on a continual basis. When a monkey makes a choice that leads to a reward, the neurons in the frontal lobe fire more intensely. This suggests that the monkey is reinforcing the positive association between that location and the likelihood of finding food there. Conversely, if a monkey's choice does not lead to a reward, the firing of the neurons is weaker. This suggests that the monkey is weakening the association between that location and food. This ability to learn and adapt is what allows monkeys to optimize their foraging strategies over time. By constantly updating their mental model of the reward system, monkeys can focus their search efforts on the areas that are most likely to yield food. This research has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of primate cognition. It provides new insights into how monkeys make decisions, navigate their environment, and learn from their experiences. By continuing to study the neural mechanisms underlying foraging behavior, we may one day be able to unlock the secrets of the monkey mind. Related article: These Nut Cracking Monkeys Would Make Great Blacksmiths - Use a Hammer and Anvil With Deft Life as we know consists of a complex hierarchical structure and groups defined in the taxonomic database. Despite biodiversity, ranging from animals to plants and microorganisms, the origin of life remains a mystery in the field of biology and science as a whole. Various theories have explained where we came from. However, scientists can only look at potential clues from the past. The origin of life on Earth has been considered by scientists as an unsolved puzzle due to a simple fact; no one has been around to document it. Yet, there is growing evidence that many, not few, factors paved the way for the emergence and evolution of life. A study earlier this month revealed that humans may have "volcanic origins" following the discovery of lava as a building block of life. Volcanic Origins of Humans In the study published in the journal Life on April 11, researchers from the University of Cambridge in England assert that, among the many building blocks of life, humans may have volcanic origins. This theory comes after the key ingredients of life such as nitriles and isonitriles were linked as emerging from graphite-rich volcanic vents during the newly formed Earth approximately 4.3 billion years ago. Scientists called this timeline the Hadean eon, Earth's earliest period in history, and they believe that an object of a similar size to the Moon struck our planet, causing the space object's iron to react with water. According to Oliver Shorttle, a professor at Cambridge and co-author of the research paper, the Moon-sized object deposited large amounts of iron and other metals to early Earth. Following these impacts, ancient magma rose from the Earth's crust filled with graphite and resulted in significant quantities of nitriles and isonitriles, which are relevant for prebiotic chemistry. This phenomenon suggests that lava could also be a building block of life for ancient microbes, which turned out to our first ancestors. The volcanic origins discovery of life as presented in the April 2024 study does not exclude other proven building blocks of life like carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Also Read: Starlight Origin of Building Blocks of Life Origin of Life Mystery According to scientists the exact origins of life cannot be determined chronologically or dated precisely. However, they pointed out that there is evidence of bacteria-like organisms that lived on Earth 3.5 billion years ago and may have existed earlier. Other research in recent years has shown that the earliest forms of microbial life lived on ancient Earth almost 4 billion years ago. There are various standpoints in which scientists view the origin of life. Some of them include the information theory, RNA replication theory, and meteorite impact theory. Regardless of the approach, the common denominator for the building blocks of life are the chemicals, environmental, and climatic conditions present at a time when Earth's environment was hostile to life. Related Article: Cyanide May Have Been a Primordial Soup to the Origin of Life on Earth: New Study Parts of the Carolinas experienced a huge hailstorm due to a severe weather outlook in the region, causing extensive damage. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) reports that potential thunderstorms and showers could unload in the Northeast, Great Plains, and Lower Mississippi Valley this week. Recently, the NWS forecast warned of severe thunderstorms in parts of southeast Florida, bringing risks of damaging winds and hail. The threat of poor weather conditions reached portions of central Texas and the Southeast US, warning of heavy rains and isolated flash flooding. Carolinas Severe Weather Impacts According to a weather report, a huge hailstorm impacted portions of the Carolinas, causing extensive damage to cars and homes. About 4.6 inches in diameter of hail were recorded in Lumberton, North Carolina, while 4.0 in South Carolina. For residents, keeping updated with the forecasts is important to avoid potential dangers due to severe weather. When storms exacerbate, it's best to stay at home until the weather improves. In addition to hail, severe weather threats can also unload damaging winds, thunderstorms, heavy rains, flooding, and isolated tornadoes. Also Read: Wyoming Weather Forecast: Patch Dense Fog, Elevated Fire Risk Likely This Week Due to Drier Conditions Central US Weather Forecast: Threats of Severe Thunderstorms In the Central US, the latest weather report warns of strong storm conditions in the region this late week. Homeowners should anticipate flooding concerns and tornadoes, impacting parts of the Gulf of Mexico to the central Plains. On Thursday, large hail and localized damaging winds are likely. The severe weather is forecast in the following areas: Kearney Lincoln Kansas City Dodge City Wichita Tulsa Wichita Falls In Kansas City, breezy and warm conditions are likely in the region, with wind gusts reaching 30 to 40 mph. Elevated fire weather risks are likely in central Missouri. In the late week, the severe weather is expected to continue in the following areas: Austin Des Moines Kansas City Wichita Little Rock Dallas Shreveport Springfield St. Louis Chicago In Little Rock, a frost advisory was issued in northern Arkansas. Residents should stay alert for a chilly start to the week. Meanwhile, Chicago residents can expect rainy and scattered showers on Interstate 80. In the midweek, people can expect a quiet weather outlook, and the storm can likely erupt in the late week. A larger system is likely in Des Moines this week, causing showers and thunderstorms on Thursday. The threat of severe weather could unload on Friday. Due to potential severe weather, commuters should check for the latest forecasts in the central US. Nocturnal tornadoes can threaten at night. Slower commutes and travel disruptions are likely, especially for affected areas in the U.S. Related article: Florida Peninsula Weather Forecast: Severe Thunderstorms to Bring Few Tornadoes, Hail, Strong Wind Gusts For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News The report discovered that the savannah-like biome in Brazil declined, and showed weakening resistance to wildfires and drought, warning that it could become less likely resilient to threats of climate change. The report highlights that poor forest formation and management have significant effects on Brazil's savannah-like biome, which could become cerradao. The research conducted for over 14 years raised concerns about the need for conservation and protection efforts to protect the country's biome and biodiversity. The research findings were published in the Forest Ecology and Management journal, studying the cerrado, also known as woodland savannah. Understanding the changes in vegetation will help predict the potential impacts on ecosystems, providing new insights into conservation efforts. Brazil Savanna-Like Biome Impacts Based on the 14-year study focusing on Brazil's cerrado, the researchers highlight the transformation into a cerrado, blaming poor forest management. It can lead to a forest type that is less biodiverse. The researchers warned of irreversible changes to ecosystems and biodiversity. While there is fire protection management in the region, the study finds that tree density decreased. In addition, the basic area managed to increase. The report warns that failure to manage cerradao could be devastating While there are challenges in understanding forest dynamics, forest regeneration will help people become more resilient to wildfires and drought. Authorities need to improve proper forest management to protect the biodiversity and wildlife in the region. Additionally, the researchers struggled against the study's site size, which is up to 10 hectares. This is in addition to challenges posed by forest changes, requiring discipline and monitoring from researchers to collect data and understand the problem. "If many trees die, the carbon stored in them returns to the atmosphere, and large amounts of dead timber increase the probability of catastrophic fires. Unlike typical Cerrado vegetation, cerradao isn't adapted to fire. If it burns in extreme conditions, it starts functioning as degraded forest," Professor Giselda Durigan, from the State University of Campinas's Institute of Biology (IB-UNICAMP), said, as quoted in a report. The report urged for comprehensive conservation policies and sustainable ecosystems in protecting the savannah-like biomes. With the growing threats of climate change and global warming, understanding forest adaptation is crucial. Also Read: Amazon Wildfires Could Become 'More Flammable' Due to Severe Drought and El Nino Phenomenon Threats of Amazon Wildfires Due to Severe Drought, El Nino In a recent Nature World News (NWN) report, researchers warned of more flammable Amazon wildfires in South America, indicating an increasing fire intensity exacerbated by climate change and El Nino. The combination of impacts can lead to frequent fires fueled by high temperatures and drought. Wildfires and communities can likely become vulnerable to threats and population decline. Related Article: Climate Burden on Farms: Study Reveals Rising Financial Costs of Climate Change for Agriculture For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News. The race to secure lithium, a key component of electric vehicle batteries, has reached a critical juncture in Nevada. A proposed lithium mine in the state has ignited a fierce conflict between environmentalists and proponents of clean energy technology. The Biden administration is fast-tracking the environmental review of the mine, despite concerns that it could devastate the habitat of a rare wildflower. A Fight for Survival: Protecting the Tiehm's Buckwheat The tiny Tiehm's buckwheat, a low-growing yellow flower, is endemic to Nevada. Unfortunately, its existence is under threat by the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine. Conservationists argue that the mine's construction would destroy a significant portion of the wildflower's critical habitat, potentially pushing it closer to extinction. The Center for Biological Diversity has been a vocal critic of the project, emphasizing the importance of protecting endangered species and their habitats. Tiehm's buckwheat is a rare wildflower that grows in eight sub-populations that combined cover approximately 10 acres (4 hectares). It is found halfway between Reno and Las Vegas in a high-desert oasis. The Fish and Wildlife Service added the flower to the list of U.S. endangered species on Dec. 14, 2022, citing mining as the biggest threat to its survival. Conservationists say that the Bureau of Land Management's plan to reduce destruction of critical habitat from 38% to 22% is not enough. They argue that any destruction of the flower's habitat is unacceptable, and that the mine would violate the Endangered Species Act. While acknowledging the environmental concerns, the mining company asserts that it can minimize its impact and coexist with the Tiehm's buckwheat. They have outlined plans to mitigate the damage caused by the mine and have pledged to restore some of the wildflower's habitat. However, conservationists remain skeptical, arguing that the company's promises are not enough to safeguard the flower's future. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) outlining three options for the project. One of the options would destroy around 22% of the Tiehm's buckwheat's critical habitat. Conservationists have condemned this option, emphasizing that any destruction of the flower's habitat is unacceptable. The Biden administration's decision to expedite the environmental review process has also drawn criticism from environmental groups. They argue that a rushed review will not adequately assess the potential ecological consequences of the mine. Also Read: Wildflower Meadow Helps Local Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation The Race for Lithium Heats Up in Nevada The Thacker Pass lithium mine is located in Humboldt County, Nevada, about 200 miles northeast of Reno. The mine is being proposed by Ioneer, an Australian mining company. Lithium is a key component of electric vehicle batteries, and the demand for the metal is expected to soar in the coming years as more and more people switch to electric cars. The Thacker Pass mine is one of the largest lithium deposits in the United States, and Ioneer says it has the potential to supply enough lithium to power millions of electric vehicles. The Biden administration is expediting the environmental review of the Thacker Pass lithium mine. The administration is under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition the country away from fossil fuels. Electric vehicles are seen as a key part of this strategy, and lithium is essential for making electric vehicle batteries. However, the administration is also facing pressure from environmental groups to protect endangered species. The Bureau of Land Management released a draft environmental impact statement outlining three options for the project. One option would allow for the destruction of 22% of the Tiehm's buckwheat's critical habitat. The other two options would have a lesser impact on the flower, but they would also produce less lithium. The Bureau of Land Management is expected to make a final decision on the project later this year. The fight over the Thacker Pass lithium mine highlights the complex challenges associated with the clean energy transition. Lithium is essential for electric vehicles, which are seen as a key solution to climate change. However, mining lithium can have a significant environmental impact. The case of the Thacker Pass mine underscores the need to balance the demands of clean energy production with the protection of biodiversity. Related article: 'Extinctus,' Long-Lost South American Wildflower Has Finally Been Found After 40 Years Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. Tamil superstar Vijayakanth conferred Padma Bhushan posthumously P rofessional squash player from Tamil Nadu, Joshna Chinappa on Monday received the prestigious Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian award in the country. Chennai/New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Tamil superstar-turned-politician Vijayakanth, known in the Tamil film industry as "Captain" and "Karuppu MGR" or "Black MGR" and appreciated by fans for his movies that dealt with social issues, was posthumously conferred the Padma Bhushan on Monday. "Doorathu Idi Muzhakkam" (1980) gave Vijayakanth aka Vijayaraj Alagarswam the much-needed break in the Tamil tinsel world after several back-to-back flops and "Sattam Oru Iruttarai" (1981) became a super hit and catapulted him to superstar status. He also proved his prowess in movies like "Sivappu Malli" and "Jaadhikkoru Needhi" (both 1981). He acted in over 150 films in his acting career and won two Filmfare awards and three Tamil Nadu state awards. Vijayakanth was awarded the Kalaimani Award, the highest civilian award in Tamil Nadu. The actor later entered politics by floating the DMDK and later became the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly from 2011-2016. He passed away in Chennai on December 28, 2023, aged 71. Tamil superstar Vijayakanth conferred Padma Bhushan posthumously Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Air India, All Nippon Airways sign codeshare agreement T ata-owned Air India and Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways have signed a codeshare agreement connecting their networks, enhancing flight selections between India and Japan. With this agreement, effective for travel from May 23, Air India and All Nippon Airways guests will fly to their desired destination by combining those flights between India and Japan with a single ticket. In addition, guests of both airlines flying on codeshare flights will enjoy premium services such as lounge access and priority boarding that Star Alliance offers to its premium members. Available for sale from 23 April 2024, Air India will add its AI designator code on ANAs flights between Tokyo Haneda and Delhi as well as Tokyo Narita and Mumbai, while All Nippon Airways will add its NH designator code on Air India's flight between Tokyo Narita and Delhi. This codeshare agreement with All Nippon Airways marks an important step forward in connecting India and Japan," said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India. This collaboration broadens our network connectivity and offers our guests seamless travel experiences and a wider choice of flights between the two countries. We look forward to a successful collaboration with ANA and exploring further avenues for cooperation in the future, said Aggarwal. Katsuya Goto, Member of the Board and Executive Vice President of Alliances and International Affairs, All Nippon Airways said that this collaboration is a testament to ANA's commitment to improving the air travel experience for all of its travellers. We hope this will lead to a seamless travel environment between our two nations, said Goto. Air India, All Nippon Airways sign codeshare agreement Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! French Prez calls again for immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza F rench President Emmanuel Macron reiterated the call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza during his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Monday, Macron expressed his solidarity with the Israeli people following the attack launched by Iran against Israel on the night of April 13-14, according to a French presidency press release. The French president "reiterated his firm opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza, which would only aggravate an already catastrophic situation in Gaza and increase the risks of escalation," Xinhua news agency reported. He also spoke of the absolute urgency of guaranteeing a massive influx of humanitarian aid through all access points to the Gaza Strip and emphasized France's priority of an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. He reiterated the two-state solution is the only way to ensure lasting peace in the Middle East. Macron held a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the Middle East situation the same day. Earlier this month also, he has called for immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza. French Prez calls again for immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Hansal Mehta catches up with Shekhar Kapur during Gandhi shoot in UK A cclaimed filmmaker Hansal Mehta is currently occupied with the shooting of his upcoming series 'Gandhi', starring Pratik Gandhi in the titular role. Hansal, who recently delivered another impressive show with 'Lootere, met legendary filmmaker Shekhar Kapur in London. The 'Aligarh' director took to Instagram and shared pictures from their meeting. Shekhar visited the sets of 'Gandhi' in London and chatted with Hansal, gaining insight into how the show was coming together. The two also took a stroll through the streets of London. In the caption, Hansal wrote: "Look who visited our sets today! Thank you @shekharkapur for inspiring us. #Gandhi." Shekhar is one of the influential Indian filmmakers who has left a global impact. The filmmaker made his directorial debut with the cult-classic 'Masoom', adapted from the Erich Segal novel 'Man, Woman and Child'. He went on to dole out films like Mr. India, Bandit Queen, and Elizabeth, which received seven nods at the 71st Academy Awards. Earlier, Hansal took to his Instagram and shared pictures from the shoot. He flaunted his sartorial choice in the pictures, wearing baggy pants, a white shirt, and a cream-coloured jacket. In the first picture, the director is surrounded by his crew at an undisclosed location, against the backdrop of Victorian architecture. The second picture shows the director briefing his actors inside an atrium, with a staircase running next to him. Hansal Mehta catches up with Shekhar Kapur during Gandhi shoot in UK Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! 'Nothing will stand in way' of Rwanda flights after Bill passes: UK PM U K Prime Minster Rishi Sunak said "nothing will stand in our way" of getting flights to Rwanda off the ground, as the government braced itself for legal challenges to the scheme to send asylum seekers to the east African country. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration Bill) cleared Parliament shortly post midnight after peers backed down, ending resistance to the scheme. Sunak hopes the Rwanda scheme will deter migrants from seeking to cross the English Channel, but on Tuesday morning a small boat was seen leaving the Calais shoreline with French police looking on. Preparations for the first flights to Rwanda will begin within days, with asylum seekers who could be relocated being identified and potentially detained. Charter planes are expected to leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, with Sunak promising "multiple flights a month", although ministers conceded numbers being sent to Kigali would be small at first. The prime minister said: "The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration. "We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them. "The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay. "Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives. Sunak has insisted that he will not let the European Court of Human Rights block flights to Rwanda. The court is an institution of the Council of Europe, which urged Sunak to abandon the Rwanda plan. The council's human rights commissioner Michael O'Flaherty said: "The adoption of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill by the UK Parliament raises major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law more generally. "The UK Government should refrain from removing people under the Rwanda policy and reverse the Bills effective infringement of judicial independence." The charity Freedom from Torture, alongside Amnesty International and Liberty, criticised the Government for ignoring the findings of the Supreme Court, which ruled the policy was unlawful in November. The groups said the Bill posed "a significant threat to the rule of law by undermining what protected people from an abuse of power by the state, and described Parliament as a "crime scene". Ministers are braced for legal challenges to the scheme, and the judiciary has made 25 courtrooms available to deal with cases. Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson told Times Radio: "It's inevitable, I'm afraid, that there will be challenges." However, ministers believe that the new law will dramatically restrict the ability of migrants to legally avoid being sent to Rwanda. Tomlinson suggested that thousands of people could eventually be sent to Rwanda, comparing it to the deal signed to return Albanians to their home country. After the Safety of Rwanda Bill receives royal assent expected in the coming days the process of ratifying a treaty drawn up with Rwanda will begin. Home Secretary James Cleverly said: The Act will prevent people from abusing the law by using false human rights claims to block removals. "And it makes clear that the UK Parliament is sovereign, giving the Government the power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts. "I promised to do what was necessary to clear the path for the first flight. "That's what we have done. "Now we're working day in and day out to get flights off the ground." The unelected chamber ended the parliamentary deadlock after MPs rejected a requirement that Rwanda could not be treated as safe until the secretary of state, having consulted an independent monitoring body, made a statement to Parliament to that effect. Lord Anderson, the crossbench peer responsible for the call, said: "The time has now come to acknowledge the primacy of the elected House and to withdraw from the fray." Earlier in the upper House, Labour did not press its demand for the Bill to include an exemption from removal for Afghan nationals who assisted British troops, after what critics hailed as a concession. The Government promised it would not send those who were eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) to Rwanda. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called the Bill an extortionately expensive gimmick rather than a serious plan to tackle dangerous boat crossings. "The Rwanda scheme will cost more than half-a-billion pounds for just 300 people, less than 1% of asylum seekers here in the UK and there is no plan for the 99 per cent," she said. "Instead of spending $2.4 million per asylum seeker on this failing scheme, they should be putting that money into boosting our border security instead that is Labour's practical plan." Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said: We are pleased that the Bill has been passed by the UK Parliament. "However, it doesn't alter what we have always known to be true: we have worked hard over the last 30 years to make Rwanda a safe and secure country for Rwandans and non-Rwandans alike. "This is why we are able to offer safety to the over 130,000 refugees already in Rwanda, and why we partner with the UNHCR to bring migrants stuck in Libya to safety in our country. "We are committed to the migration and economic development partnership with the UK and look forward to welcoming those relocated to Rwanda." 'Nothing will stand in way' of Rwanda flights after Bill passes: UK PM Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! SL captain Athapaththu returns to top of women's ODI batting rankings F ollowing a knock of 195 not out in the third ODI against South Africa in Potchefstroom, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu returned to the top in the latest ICC Women's ODI batting rankings, released on Tuesday. Athapaththu's ninth ODI century, which is the highest score in a successful chase in Womens ODIs, helped her overtake England all-rounder Natalie Sciver-Brunt to the top spot. The left-hander had earlier been number one from July 3 to 12, 2023 before Beth Mooney and then Sciver-Brunt overtook her, ICC reports. The Sri Lankan also jumped two spots in the all-rounder rankings to enter the top 10 at ninth position. Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa moved up two places to third position after scoring an unbeaten 184 that helped her side post a huge total of 301 for five in the third ODI. West Indies captain Hayley Mathews, following her knocks of 140 not out and 44 in Pakistan, jumped seven places to be placed joint-eleventh in the batting rankings. She also jumped three places in the ODI all-rounder rankings to go second behind South Africa's Marizanne Kapp. Former captains Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies (up two places to 18th) and Bismah Maroof of Pakistan (up one place to 27th) are other notable gainers in the batting rankings. Pakistans left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal has progressed from 23rd to 17th position after grabbing three wickets in the first two matches against the West Indies. Kavisha Dilhari of Sri Lanka (up seven places to 48th) and Umm-e-Hani of Pakistan (up nine places to 60th) are others to move up the bowling rankings. SL captain Athapaththu returns to top of women's ODI batting rankings Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causal agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A recent eClinicalMedicine study investigates whether people with diabetes are more prone to develop long COVID, which is defined as the prolonged persistence of symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Study: The prevalence of long COVID in people with diabetes mellitusevidence from a UK cohort. Image Credit: Dragana Gordic / Shutterstock.com What causes long COVID? Long COVID has been described as the persistence of symptoms or development of a multi-system syndrome after recovering from the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. Some common features of long COVID include muscle weakness, concentration impairment/brain fog, fatigue, and malaise. Other less frequent symptoms of long COVID are chest pain, headaches, excess perspiration, anxiety, and sore throat. Although scientists have identified several factors that contribute to the development of long COVID, few studies have explored the prevalence of long COVID at the population level. Understanding whether this prevalence varies by a specific comorbidity is essential. About the study The current retrospective observational cohort study explored the prevalence of long COVID in the United Kingdom population. The researchers were particularly interested in studying people with diabetes, as several studies have confirmed that people with a history of diabetes mellitus are at a greater risk of developing adverse sequelae of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. All relevant electronic health record (EHR) data were obtained from the Greater Manchester Care Record (GMCR). This database hosts the Primary Health Care records of approximately 2.87 million people in Greater Manchester. The current study investigated whether people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or T2D were susceptible to developing long COVID following SARS-CoV-2 infection. To this end, individuals with a history of T1D or T2D and COVID-19 confirmed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were considered. Each participant with T1D or T2D was matched by age and sex with healthy or non-diabetic controls. Importantly, all study participants tested positive for COVID-19, even 28 days after recovering from the initial infection. Study findings A total of 3,087 T1D individuals were matched with 14,077 non-diabetic controls, whereas 3,087 individuals with T2D were matched with 14,077 non-diabetes controls. The mean age of individuals diagnosed with T1D and T2D was 47 and 65, respectively. All patients with T1D were treated with insulin, whereas those with T2D were treated with insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents. The researchers assumed that individuals with T2D regularly attend general practices to monitor their condition. This increases the likelihood of being diagnosed with long COVID more efficiently. A lower number of long COVID diagnoses or referrals were associated with people with T1D at 0.33% as compared to 0.48% for matched controls. Compared to men with T2D, matched non-T2D controls were less likely to develop long COVID. The prevalence of long COVID was higher in matched controls as compared to women with T2D. Both males and females with T2D exhibited a similar prevalence of long COVID. A bidirectional association was observed between long COVID, T2D, and acute COVID-19. Those with a higher body mass index (BMI), younger females, or of mixed ethnicity who were diagnosed with T2D were at a greater risk of developing long COVID. It is possible that younger females with T2D were more susceptible to long COVID due to the tendency of this group to visit general practices more frequently than males. Strengths and limitations The current study's key strength is its cohort, which included all general practices in Greater Manchester. Furthermore, only participants accurately diagnosed with diabetes were considered for the analysis. Another strength of this study is the consideration of the wide-ranging COVID-19 pandemic period from its onset to September 2023. Consistent with previous reports, the current study also acknowledges that the diagnosis of long COVID is a subject of variability. Although it is possible to underreport people with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, the number of diabetic and non-diabetic people remained constant. Another limitation is the exclusion of people with other forms of diabetes, such as diabetes due to maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) or secondary to pancreatitis. Despite these limitations, the current study highlighted that individuals with T2D develop long COVID at a higher rate. Thus, more research is needed to identify the different factors that increase the risk of developing long COVID. In a recent study published in BMJ Military Health, researchers evaluated the prevalence of preterm labor (PTL), low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery (PTD), and stillbirth among active-duty servicewomen (ADSW). Study: Effect of active-duty military service on neonatal birth outcomes: a systematic review. Image Credit: Bumble Dee/Shutterstock.com Background Females have increasingly served in the armed forces across multiple countries over the past decades. For instance, 11.5% of the United Kingdom (UK) armed forces were female by April 2023, and 16.5% of Canadian reserve and regular troops were female in 2023. These figures are slated to grow in the future. In the United States (US), over 14,500 children were born to ADSW between 2003 and 2014. Several studies suggest a higher frequency of PTD and LBW in ADSW. Many premature newborns are at risk of long-term disability, with neurodevelopmental disability being the most common. Further, evidence suggests that stress before and during pregnancy can have a negative impact on birth outcomes. The military lifestyle exposes service persons to diverse stressors that may influence birth outcomes. Adverse outcomes can impact the development and health of newborns and cause occupational, emotional, and emotional challenges for parents. About the study In the present study, researchers reviewed the evidence on the impact of active military service on PTL, PTD, stillbirth, and LBW frequency in ADSW. They searched the Web of Science, Medline, Global Health, the Cumulative Index to Allied and Nursing Literature (CINAHL) Plus, and EMBASE databases for relevant studies. Eligible studies included pregnant females serving in marine, land, maritime, or air military forces. High-risk pregnancies and studies on military reservists and veterans were excluded. Titles/abstracts were screened, and full texts were reviewed. Relevant data were extracted using a structured form and Cochrane Handbook methods. The studies included were appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute prevalence critical appraisal tool. The outcomes were PTD (delivery before 37 gestational weeks), LBW (birth weight < 2500 g), PTL (labor before 37 gestational weeks), and stillbirth (baby with no signs of life who died after 23 gestational weeks). The researchers performed a narrative synthesis as studies were highly heterogeneous. Findings Database searches identified 2342 records, and 42 were selected for full-text reviews. Overall, 21 studies were eligible for inclusion. These studies, with 650,628 participants, were published between 1979 and 2023 and were conducted in the US military. Ten studies included non-serving control populations. Active-duty service persons wives constituted the most common control group. For studies without non-active-duty controls, National Vital Statistics data were used. Fifteen studies, with 273,015 births, reported PTD; eight indicated a lower prevalence of PTD in ADSW, while six indicated a higher prevalence. Further, eight studies described LBW frequency; three reported a decreased frequency of LBW in ADSW, and five reported an increased frequency. PTL was reported in nine studies, but none defined it, preventing meaningful comparison and interpretation; PTL frequency in ADSW ranged from 2.1% to 17.7%. Of the four studies reporting stillbirths, three were excluded. The only remaining study reported a stillbirth frequency of 0.3% in ADSW during 200314. Overall, the evidence reviewed in this analysis was consistent with no increased PTD frequency in ADSW. Contrastingly, the risk of an LBW child was higher in ADSW, with 62% of studies supporting this conclusion. A rudimentary assessment showed no relationship between the branch of service and higher PTD risk. Further, 38% and 53% of studies on LBW and PTD lacked controls, respectively; thus, a proxy control group from national data was required. As such, using the general population as a control likely skew the results toward the null hypothesis. Conclusions This systematic review suggested that LBW may be more prevalent in ADSW than in non-active-duty populations. Meanwhile, there was no evidence of increased stillbirths, PTL, or PTD in ADSW. All included studies were conducted in the US military, which limits generalizability. Moreover, the high methodological heterogeneity between studies limits the generation of meaningful and robust conclusions. With measles cases rising in Canada and internationally, it is important for clinicians to understand the disease and the role of vaccination against measles. Two practice articles in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.240415 https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.240371 provide succinct overviews of this highly infectious disease. Many clinicians may not have direct experience with measles diagnosis and treatment as Canada achieved measles elimination status in 1998. The increase in measles activity globally and in Canada is a reminder of the importance of immunization. Routine childhood vaccines, including measles, that were missed during the COVID-19 pandemic should be urgently caught up. Clinicians should also be on the alert for measles when evaluating patients, especially those with a history of travel or those who might have been exposed in local outbreaks" Dr. Sarah Wilson, author, physician at Public Health Ontario Measles is one of the most contagious respiratory infectious diseases. Individuals with measles develop fever, cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis. A rash that starts on the face and spreads throughout the body can then follow, about 4 days later. Complications from measles infection are reported in 30% of cases. These can include ear infections, pneumonia, pregnancy complications, and neurologic complications, including encephalitis. Measles can also cause temporary secondary immunodeficiency. Most measles cases in Canada occur in unvaccinated people, especially children. Given how infectious measles is, health care providers should pre-emptively contact health care facilities if they are referring suspect cases to be evaluated or tested, to ensure that appropriate infection prevention and control measures are used to avoid exposing other patients and staff. Despite effective vaccination programs, measles outbreaks are increasing, emphasizing the need for heightened vaccination efforts. The Canadian Immunization Guide recommends the administration of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine for all individuals in Canada, with specific dosing schedules and catch-up recommendations. For travel or outbreaks, MMR vaccination can occur beyond standard schedules, with guidelines provided for accelerated vaccination and postexposure prophylaxis. Adults without measles immunity or vaccination records can receive 12 doses of the MMR vaccine, depending on their age, travel history, and risk factors. The MMR vaccine is safe and effective. However, individuals with immunocompromised conditions require careful consideration. "Measles is highly contagious and making a comeback worldwide. The measles vaccine is effective and safe. However, those who are immunocompromised or pregnant are not able to receive it. Herd immunity through mass vaccination is therefore critically important. Our paper summarizes who should get the vaccine outside of the typically recommended schedule, particularly children, who are particularly vulnerable to measles complications. We also provide guidance for adults to receive 1 or more doses of the vaccine, depending on their year of birth, travel or residence in an area affected by outbreaks, and occupation," says Dr. Samira Jeimy, program director and assistant professor, Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Western University, London, Ontario. Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson were awarded a $1.8 million grant by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a division of the National Institutes of Health, to learn how human papillomavirus makes its way to a cell's nucleus. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause warts and certain cancers, has been with us since the dawn of humanity and causes about 5% of cancers worldwide. It also is an important source of information about human biology, according to Samuel K. Campos, PhD, an associate professor of immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson and member of the BIO5 Institute. "These viruses take advantage of pathways the cell has and tweak them. What better cell biologists to teach us how cells work than the viruses that have evolved with us for eons?" Campos said about how HPV illuminates the inner workings of our bodies. "Follow the biology of the virus, and we'll learn some cool new cell biology." Campos said there are more than 600 known strains of human papillomavirus, with more yet to be discovered. His lab mainly focuses on HPV16, the type that causes the majority of cervical, anal and head and neck cancers. HPV has found its niche in certain types of epithelial cells, which cover our body as skin and line our body cavities as mucous membranes. The virus moves from the lower layers of the epithelium to the upper layers and once it's close to the surface, replication kicks into high gear as it prepares for to leave one body and infect another. We are constantly shedding dead skin -; it just comes off our body. That is how HPVs have so successfully spread throughout the human population." Samuel K. Campos, PhD, associate professor of immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson HPV's genes are packaged in a protein shell. The Campos Lab focuses on the role of one of these shell proteins, L2, which can insert itself into the membranes of our cells, like a key into a lock, and let itself inside. Upon entry, the virus is escorted along a twisted path to the nucleus, where it hijacks the cell to make copies of itself. Campos said his lab's prior research revealed that, from the cell's point of view, L2 looks like another part of the cell. "We learned that the virus is really sneaky," Campos said. "L2 can actually stick through the cell membrane without rupturing it, and HPV stays hidden behind these membranes. It's able to avoid sensors that detect danger signals, like a wolf in sheep's clothing." Previous research published by the Campos Lab and other groups suggested that HPV may be able to hide until the cell's machinery whirs into action during cell division, at which point it sheds its "sheep's clothing" and hitches a ride to the nucleus. "Once the virus has successfully delivered its DNA genome into the nucleus, it can begin expressing its own genes to take over the cell," Campos said. "That will lead to immune evasion, alteration of the cell cycle, the generation of new viral particles and transmission to another host. If the virus sticks around long enough, these infections can sometimes alter the cell in a way that leads to cancer." The five-year, R35 grant Campos received is reserved for scientists with outstanding research records and the potential to make major contributions to their fields. It gives investigators the flexibility to follow their research in whatever direction it takes them. The grant will support the Campos Lab as researchers attempt to uncover how HPV takes advantage of cell division to move from its hiding place in the cell to the nucleus. "It's a complete black box. It'd be really neat to figure that out," Campos said, adding that following the virus's path will shed light on the intricacies of cell division and how things move in and out of cells. These unknowns are what keep Campos coming to work each day. "It's tough and it's frustrating, but it's also satisfying -; like solving a puzzle," he said. "You don't know where the science will take you. You don't know what the ending is going to be. That's exciting." A recent study published in the journal Nature Aging reports that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in plasma from young mice counteract preexisting aging. Study: Small extracellular vesicles from young plasma reverse age-related functional declines by improving mitochondrial energy metabolism. Image Credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com Can aging be reversed? Recent studies have demonstrated that blood from young mice can rejuvenate the brain, liver, bone, skeletal muscle, pancreas, and heart of aged mice by connecting their circulatory systems through heterochronic parabiosis. Likewise, plasma infusions can recapitulate the phenotypes conferred by blood exchange in heterochronic parabiosis. Intensive efforts to identify the plasma factors implicated in reversing age-related impairments have led to the discovery of rejuvenation, pro-youth, or anti-aging factors; however, their mechanisms of action remain unclear. About the study EVs are nano-sized membranous vesicles that circulate throughout the bloodstream and serve as intercellular messengers by exchanging cargoes between cells. In the current study, researchers explored the rejuvenating effects of sEVs. Researchers initially purified sEVs from young and aged male mice that were two and 20 months old, respectively. Young plasma sEVs were then evaluated for their ability to potentially increase the lifespan of old mice. Aged mice received an equal volume of intravenous young plasma sEVs or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) once weekly until death. Study findings Young sEV administration significantly increased the frailty index score and median lifespan of aged mice by 12.4%. Furthermore, the estimated biological age of sEV-treated mice was 15.1 months, compared to their chronological age of 24 months. Treatment with young sEVs improved testosterone levels, sperm counts, motility, and sperm chromatin integrity, as well as decreased sperm DNA fragmentation. Fertile female mice were mated with young or aged mice, followed by the visual examination of embryo implantation 4.5 days later. Mating with young males resulted in 7.7 implantation sites/pregnant females, whereas aged mice failed to establish implantation sites. Nevertheless, treatment of aged mice with young sEVs significantly improved fertility defects, with 3.4 sites/pregnant female. Aged male mice (20 months) were intravenously injected with 200 l of PBS or young sEVs (2 months) once a week, and they were monitored to determine either the survival time or whole-body physiology. Young male mice (2 months) were simultaneously injected with PBS to serve as a control group. a, KaplanMeier survival curves in each group (n = 89). b, Representative images of mice in each group after 7 months of treatment. c, Mean frailty index scores in each group after 4 months of treatment (n = 10). d,e, Sperm counts and motility in each group (n = 5). f,g, The number of implantation sites visible as blue bands in the uterus of female mice that were mated with the male mice from each group. Representative images (red arrows indicate implantation sites) and quantitative data (n = 3 for PBS Young; n = 5 for else) are shown. h, The number of offspring sired by the male mice in each group (n = 5). i, Indirect calorimetry measurements of O 2 consumption, CO 2 release, heat production and locomotor activity in each group (n = 5 for PBS Young; n = 6 for else). jl, Echocardiographic measurements of cardiac dimensions and indices of cardiac function in each group. Representative M-mode echocardiographs and quantitative values of LV mass and EF (n = 8) are shown. mo, Micro-CT analysis of the trabecular microarchitecture of the proximal femur in each group. Representative 3D images of the proximal femur and quantitative values of BV/TV and Tb.N (n = 8) are shown. pr, MRI-based morphometric analyses of the hippocampus and cortex in each group. A representative MRI scan of a slice is shown, and the volume ratios (hippocampus/whole brain and cortex/whole brain) were calculated (n = 8). Significance was determined using the log-rank test in a and using one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnetts multiple comparison test in ce, gi, k, l, n, o, q and r. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.005. Following continuous mating for one month, young and aged males produced eight and four pups/litter, respectively. Furthermore, treating aged mice with young sEVs produced nearly as many pups as young males. Aged mice treated with young sEVs also exhibited higher oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production than PBS recipients, thus suggesting partial restoration of metabolic health to the levels of young mice. Treatment also significantly improved echocardiography parameters and bone architecture in aged mice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed cortical atrophy in aged mice, which was mitigated upon treatment with young sEVs. Aged mice exhibited increased senescence-associated -galactosidase (SA--gal) activity in the spleen, kidney, liver, lung, testis, and hippocampus compared to young mice. However, treating aged mice with young sEVs, even for two weeks, led to a rapid reduction in SA--gal levels in these organs. Young sEV treatment also restored intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in aged mice to those observed in young mice and eliminated the accumulation of excess advanced glycation end products. Proteomic analyses indicated that young sEVs might reverse age-associated degenerative changes and exert rejuvenating effects. The researchers also evaluated the effects of treatment with sEVs isolated from young humans on age-related impairments in mice. To this end, treating aged mice with sEVs from young humans effectively ameliorated their cognitive deficits, enhanced endurance capacity, and supported the recovery of mitochondrial activity in the muscle. While sEVs efficiently transport nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, most studies have focused on the ribonucleic acid (RNA) component of sEVs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs). To elucidate the role of certain miRNAs in plasma sEVs, the differential expression of miRNAs was assessed in plasma between young and aged mice through small RNA deep sequencing. Additional experiments identified representative miRNA cargoes of young and aged sEVs. More specifically, miR-455-3p, miR-144-3p, and miR-149-5p represented the young state, whereas miR-34a-5p, miR-29a-3p, and miR-29c-3p represented the aged state. Notably, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator 1 (PGC-1) was a common target negatively regulated by miR-34a-5p, miR-29a-3p, and miR-29c-3p. Furthermore, miR-455-3p, miR-144-3p, and miR-149-5p could be indirect stimulators of PGC-1, as their downstream target genes show an inverse correlation with PGC-1. Aged mice exhibited significantly reduced levels of PGC-1 expression in the muscle and hippocampus compared to young mice, and young sEV treatment of aged mice increased its expression. Silencing PGC-1 using a small-interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly diminished the benefits observed with young sEV treatment on mitochondrial respiration. Additional investigations confirmed that miR-455-3p, miR-144-3p, and miR-149-5p in young sEVs were rejuvenating miRNAs, whereas miR-34a-5p, miR-29a-3p, and miR-29c-3p in aged sEVs were pro-aging miRNAs. Conclusions Repeated administration of young sEVs enhanced the physiologic function and physical performance of aged mice. In the short term, young sEV treatment rapidly improved the whole body. In contrast, young sEV treatment revitalized the performance and properties of aged tissues to levels observed in young mice over longer periods. Taken together, the study findings indicate that young sEVs could lead to promising opportunities to rejuvenate aging tissues and improve well-being and lifespan. California state lawmakers this year are continuing their progressive tilt on health policy with dozens of proposals including a ban on a Froot Loops ingredient and free condoms for high schoolers. As states increasingly fracture along partisan lines, California Democrats are stamping their supermajority on legislation that they will consider until they adjourn at the end of August. But the cost of these proposals will be a major factor given the enormity of the state's deficit, currently estimated at between $38 billion and $73 billion. Health coverage Lawmakers are again considering whether to create a government-run, single-payer health care system for all Californians. AB 2200 is Democratic Assembly member Ash Kalra's second such attempt, after a similar bill failed in 2022. The price tag would be enormous, though proponents say there would also be related savings. The high potential cost left Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and others skeptical it could become law while the state faces a deficit. AB 4 would require Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, to offer health insurance policies to people who are otherwise not able to obtain coverage because of their immigration status, to the extent it can under federal law. That could eventually lead to subsidized insurance premiums similar to those offered in Colorado and Washington. Medical debt Health care providers and collection agencies would be barred from sharing patients' medical debt with credit reporting agencies under SB 1061. The bill would also prohibit credit reporting agencies from accepting, storing, or sharing any such information without consumer consent. Last year, the Biden administration announced plans to develop federal rules barring unpaid medical bills from affecting patients' credit scores. California would be the third state to remove medical bills from consumer credit reports. The Medi-Cal program, which provides health care for low-income people, would be required to cover medically supportive food and nutrition starting July 1, 2026, under AB 1975. The bill builds on an existing but limited pilot program. The legislation says Californians of color could benefit from adequate food and nutrition to combat largely preventable chronic health conditions, and it's one of 14 measures sought by the California Legislative Black Caucus as part of reparations for racial injustice. More than 1.6 million California residents, disproportionately Latinos, have been kicked off Medi-Cal since the state resumed annual eligibility checks that were halted during the covid-19 pandemic. AB 2956 would have the state seek federal approval to slow those disenrollments by taking steps such as letting people 19 and older keep their coverage automatically for 12 months. Violence prevention An increase in attacks on health workers is prompting lawmakers to consider boosting criminal penalties. In California, simple assault against workers inside an ER is considered the same as simple assault against almost anyone else, and carries a maximum punishment of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. In contrast, simple assault against emergency medical workers in the field, such as an EMT responding to a 911 call, carries maximum penalties of a $2,000 fine and a year in jail. AB 977 would set the same maximum penalties for assaulting emergency health care workers on the job, whether they are in the field or an ER. California could toughen penalties for interfering with reproductive health care services. Posting personal information or photographs of a patient or provider would be a felony if one of them is injured as a result. AB 2099 also boosts penalties for intimidation or obstruction. Under SB 53, gun owners would have to lock up their weapons in state-approved safes or lockboxes where they would be inaccessible to anyone but the owner or another lawfully authorized user. Democratic Sen. Anthony Portantino, the bill's author, says that would make it tougher for anyone, including children, to use guns to harm themselves or others or use the weapons to commit crimes. Critics say it would make it harder to access the weapon when it's needed, such as to counter a home invasion. Relatedly, AB 2621 and AB 2917 address gun violence restraining orders. Substance use The spike in drug overdoses has prompted several responses: AB 3073 would require the state's public health department to partner with local public health agencies, wastewater treatment facilities, and others to pilot wastewater testing for traces of dangerous drugs in an effort to pinpoint drug hot spots and identify new drugs. AB 1976 would require workplace first-aid kits to include naloxone nasal spray, which can reverse opioid overdoses. And senators have proposed at least nine bills aimed at curbing overdose deaths, particularly from the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. Youth welfare Under AB 2229, backed by a "Know Your Period" campaign, school districts' sex education curricula would have to include menstrual health. There was no registered opposition. Public schools would have to make free condoms available to all pupils in grades nine to 12 under SB 954, which would help prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, according to the author, Democratic Sen. Caroline Menjivar. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar bill last year. Reality show star Paris Hilton is backing a bipartisan bill to require more reporting on the treatment of youth in state-licensed short-term residential therapeutic programs. SB 1043 would require the state Department of Social Services to post information on the use of restraints and seclusion rooms on a public dashboard. California would expand its regulation of hemp products, which have become increasingly popular among youths as a way to bypass the state's adults-only restrictions on legal cannabis. AB 2223 would build on a 2021 law that Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry said in hindsight didn't go far enough. Public schools would, under AB 2316, generally be barred from providing food containing red dye 40, titanium dioxide, and other potentially harmful substances, which are currently used in products including Froot Loops and Flamin' Hot Cheetos. It's Democratic Assembly member Jesse Gabriel's follow-up to his legislation last year that attempted to ban a chemical used in Skittles. Women's health AB 2515 would ban the sale of menstrual products with intentionally added PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals." PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to serious health problems. Newsom vetoed a previous attempt. Public grade schools and community colleges would, under AB 2901, have to provide 14 weeks of paid leave for pregnancies, miscarriages, childbirth, termination of pregnancies, or recovery. Newsom vetoed a similar bill in 2019. AB 2319 would improve enforcement of a 2019 law aimed at reducing the disproportionate rate of maternal mortality among Black women and other pregnant women of color. Social media Social media companies could face substantial penalties if they don't do enough to protect children, under AB 3172. The measure would allow financial damages of up to $1 million for each child under age 18 who proves in court they were harmed, or three times the amount of the child's actual damages. The industry opposes the bill, calling it harmful censorship. Cyberbullies could face civil liabilities up to $75,000 under SB 1504, and those damages could be sought by anyone. Under current law, damages are capped at $7,500 and may be pursued only by the state attorney general. Wellness Bosses could be fined for repeatedly contacting employees after working hours under AB 2751, a "right to disconnect" bill patterned after similar restrictions in 13 countries. The bill's author, Democratic Assembly member Matt Haney, said despite the advent of smartphones that "have blurred the boundaries between work and home life," employees shouldn't be expected to work around the clock. The measure is opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce. Finally, Democrat Anthony Rendon, a long-serving state Assembly speaker, is spending his last year in the chamber leading a first-in-the-nation Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes. The committee isn't planning any legislation but intends to issue a report after lawmakers adjourn in August. Digital memory test and a blood sample - this combination will be tested for its potential to identify early Alzheimer's disease in a new research study. Over a hundred healthcare centers are part of the study that is now inviting participants to sign up. At least 3,000, preferably many more participants are needed for the study to be successful. The REAL AD study is the first of its kind in terms of focus and scope. Principal investigators are the University of Gothenburg and the Vastra Gotaland Region, VGR, which represents a model region for Swedish healthcare. All hundred-plus care centers within VGR Narhalsan, one of the largest primary care providers in Sweden, are included in the study, together with some additional sampling sites. REAL AD addresses all people aged 50-80 who do not have a diagnosis of dementia and who can go to a care center within VGR Narhalsan. Anyone who meets the criteria can participate regardless of which health center they are listed at. Tests of memory and thinking ability at home Starting point is a digital study portal, available in Swedish, English, Finnish and Arabic, where participants receive all information about the study and clear instructions about the next steps. First, cognition, i.e. memory and thinking ability, is tested at home using digital tools for three months. Participants are then invited to provide a blood sample at any of the 111 sampling points around VGR. Participants can complete the digital cognition tests in three additional rounds, after 18, 27 and 36 months, and provide a second blood sample after 18 months. The tests are relatively quick and can be done in all four languages. The study is led by Michael Scholl, professor at Gothenburg University and research group leader in close collaboration with the co-investigators and a team of project leaders. - REAL AD is a seriously ambitious project, and it has been an enormous challenge to democratize the study design. It must reflect both urban and rural areas, be accessible to as many participants as possible and involve the entire VGR Narhalsan, which means that even the most remote healthcare centers must be able to participate in terms of sample handling and transport, he says. Signs of Alzheimer's in a simple blood test Central hub of the study is the internationally renowned research and laboratory environment in neurochemistry, located at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and the Sahlgrenska University Hospital Molndal, with professors Kaj Blennow and Henrik Zetterberg at the helm. The researchers will study so-called Alzheimer's biomarkers in the participants' blood samples, which have been shown to be early signs of the disease. In addition, a separate study will then be conducted enrolling a smaller number of randomly selected participants who are also thoroughly examined clinically at Sahlgrenska University Hospital to confirm the results of the digital cognition tests and blood analyses. The clinical part of the study is carried out at the university hospital memory clinic in collaboration with professor and senior physician Silke Kern. Knowledge base for healthcare and research The research focuses on the potential for early diagnosis based on digital cognitive tests and blood markers. If the combination of the tools works to detect early signs of disease in the general population, the hope is that they will be used in primary care in the future to follow individuals over time and identify Alzheimer's with greater certainty and much earlier than is often the case today. The need for earlier diagnosis is widely accepted, also in view of the new treatments that are around the corner. Many if not most diagnoses are made in primary care in Sweden, so diagnostics must be strengthened there, and knowledge is needed about whether it will be feasible to screen for Alzheimer's in the general population. In the short term, society does not have the resources to establish a lot of new specialized memory clinics." Michael Scholl, Professor, Gothenburg University "The study is important, and the timing is perfect. We are closer than ever before to a treatment option for Alzheimer's, but we are not sufficiently prepared," he says. The study needs at least 3,000 participants but has capacity to enroll up to 10,000 volunteers. It is accompanied by information via Narhalsan and several other marketing efforts. Research ethics do not allow researchers to share individual information with participants since experimental tools are used. Individuals do thus not receive a cognitive rating or diagnosis, and their participation is unpaid. "What we are offering is participation in a community where we will actively inform about progresses in Alzheimer's research, also via information meetings, which we know many people are asking for. By participating in the study, you also help our healthcare to prepare for an enormous challenge", concludes Michael Scholl. In a recent study published in Nature Medicine, researchers introduced a new cardiovascular risk prediction algorithm. Study: Development and validation of a new algorithm for improved cardiovascular risk prediction. Image Credit: Basicdog/Shutterstock.com Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. International guidelines recommend using risk prediction tools targeting at-risk populations for interventions. European, the United States (US), and the United Kingdom (UK) guidelines recommend systematic coronary risk evaluation 2 (SCORE2), atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) score, and QRISK3, respectively. Notably, recent studies have highlighted conditions linked to high CVD risk, such as cancer, down syndrome, and learning disability, among others, that these tools do not capture. Current tools will underestimate risk if these conditions are independently associated with higher CVD risk. As such, people diagnosed with these conditions may not have the opportunity for beneficial interventions. Moreover, if overestimated, people may receive unnecessary interventions. The study and findings In the present study, researchers developed and validated a new CVD risk prediction tool, QR4. They used the data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD and QResearch databases. Derivation and validation cohorts were generated using QResearch practices in England. In addition, a second validation cohort was formed using the CPRD GOLD practices from Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Individuals aged 1884 between 2010 and 2021 were included. Subjects with preexisting CVD, those missing deprivation data, and those taking statins were excluded. Participants were followed up until the diagnosis of CVD, death, or the end of the study. The primary outcome was incident CVD, i.e., non-fatal or fatal myocardial infarction, transient ischemic stroke, ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke, or ischemic heart disease. Secondary outcomes included coronary heart disease-related death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal or fatal stroke. Tertiary outcomes were similar to secondary outcomes but additionally included cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, and fatal congestive cardiac failure. The performance of QR4, ASCVD, and SCORE2 was compared using three outcome definitions. Established risk factors from SCORE2, ASCVD, and QRISK3, as well as new candidate variables from the literature, were included as predictor variables. Cause-specific Cox models estimated the 10-year CVD risk, accounting for non-CVD mortality as a competing risk for males and females. Besides, three additional models (AC) were developed. Model A covered QRISK3 parameters without accounting for competing risks, and model B was similar to the main model, but the follow-up ended before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In contrast, time since cancer diagnosis was included as a predictor variable in model C. A decision curve analysis evaluated the net benefit of QR4 relative to model A and QRISK3, accounting for competing risks. Findings The QResearch derivation and validation cohorts comprised more than 9.97 and 3.24 million individuals, respectively, while the CPRD validation cohort comprised 3.54 million subjects. The cohorts were generally similar, except that the QResearch cohorts had more complete data on body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, smoking, and ethnicity than the CPRD cohort. Within the derivation cohort, there were 202,424 cases of incident CVD. In 2020, CVD rates were lower at 4.03 per 1,000 person-years but returned to pre-COVID-19 levels (4.31) in 2021. Non-CVD mortality rates increased between 2019 (3.45 per 1000 person-years) and 2020 (3.84) and remained elevated in 2021. The team identified seven novel CVD predictors for females and males lung, blood, brain, and oral cancers, learning disability, Down syndrome, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Further, there were two additional predictors for females postnatal depression and preeclampsia. CVD risk in both sexes was not associated with asthma, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, among others. In females, CVD risk was not associated with endometriosis, in vitro fertilization, miscarriage, gestational diabetes, placental abruption, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. The adjusted hazard ratios for several predictors, except for lung cancer, were higher at younger ages in females. The adjusted hazard ratios for blood and brain cancers declined with age in males. Estimates from the three additional models were similar to the main model. The decision curve analysis suggested a slightly greater net benefit with QR4 than models A and QRISK3. QR4 was also more accurate than SCORE2 and ASCVD risk scores. Conclusions The researchers developed and validated QR4, a new CVD risk score incorporating nine novel predictors. It can predict the 10-year CVD risk in both males and females. Its performance was more accurate than other CVD risk scores. Besides, QR4 accounts for competing risks (non-CVD death), reducing the overprediction of risks. Overall, these findings may lead to significant improvements in health outcomes. Cleveland Clinic researchers are using artificial intelligence to uncover the link between the gut microbiome and Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies showed that Alzheimer's disease patients have changes in their gut bacteria as the disease develops. The newly published Cell Reports study outlines a computational method to determine how bacterial byproducts called metabolites interact with receptors on cells and contribute to Alzheimer's disease. Feixiong Cheng, PhD, inaugural director of the Cleveland Clinic Genome Center worked in close collaboration with the Luo Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Center for Microbiome and Human Health (CMHH). The study ranks metabolites and receptors by the likelihood they will interact with each other, and the likelihood that the pair will influence Alzheimer's disease. The data provides one of the most comprehensive roadmaps to studying metabolite-associated diseases to date. Bacteria release metabolites into our systems as they break down the food we eat for energy. The metabolites then interact with and influence cells, fueling cellular processes that can be helpful or detrimental to health. In addition to Alzheimer's disease, researchers have connected metabolites to heart disease, infertility, cancers and autoimmune disorders and allergies. Preventing harmful interactions between metabolites and our cells could help fight disease. Researchers are working to develop drugs to activate or block metabolites from connecting with receptors on the cell surface. Progress with this approach is slow because of the sheer amount of information needed to identify a target receptor. Gut metabolites are the key to many physiological processes in our bodies, and for every key there is a lock for human health and disease. The problem is that we have tens of thousands of receptors and thousands of metabolites in our system, so manually figuring out which key goes into which lock has been slow and costly. That's why we decided to use AI." Feixiong Cheng, PhD, Inaugural Director, Genome Center, Cleveland Clinic Dr. Cheng's team tested whether well-known gut metabolites in the human body with existing safety profiles may offer effective prevention or even intervention approaches for Alzheimer's disease or other complex diseases if broadly applied. Study first author and Cheng Lab postdoctoral fellow Yunguang Qiu, PhD spearheaded a team that included J. Mark Brown, PhD, Director of Research, CMMH; James Leverenz, MD, Director of Cleveland Clinic Luo Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Director of the Cleveland Alzheimer's Disease Research Center; and neuropsychologist Jessica Caldwell, PhD, ABPP/CN. Director of the Women's Alzheimer's Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic Nevada. The team used a form of AI called machine learning to analyze over 1.09 million potential metabolite-receptor pairs and predict the likelihood that each interaction contributed to Alzheimer's disease. The analyses integrated: genetic and proteomic data from human and preclinical Alzheimer's disease studies different receptor (protein structures) and metabolite shapes how different metabolites affect patient-derived brain cells The team investigated the metabolite-receptor pairs with the highest likelihood of influencing Alzheimer's disease in brain cells derived from patients with Alzheimer's disease. One molecule they focused on is a protective metabolite called agmatine, thought to shield brain cells from inflammation and associated damage. The study found agmatine was most likely to interact with a receptor called CA3R in Alzheimer's disease. Treating Alzheimer's-affected neurons with agmatine directly reduced CA3R levels, indicating metabolite and receptor influence each other. Treated neurons by agmatine also had lower levels of phosphorylated tau proteins, a marker for Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Cheng says these experiments demonstrate how his team's AI algorithms can pave the way for new research avenues into many diseases beyond Alzheimer's. "We specifically focused on Alzheimer's disease, but metabolite-receptor interactions play a role in almost every disease that involves gut microbes," he said. "We hope that our methods can provide a framework to progress the entire field of metabolite-associated diseases and human health." Now, Dr. Cheng and his team are further developing and applying these AI technologies to study interactions between genetic and environmental factors (including food and gut metabolites) on human health and diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and other complex diseases. Dry Eye Disease (DED) is one of the more common eye diseases, affecting up to 30% of the world's population. This disease can affect many different types of people and can wind up being a great hindrance to their overall quality of life. Early screening and prognosis is vital to the patient's progression with the disease. However, this can be difficult. In this study, researchers aim to use artificial intelligence (AI) to aid in early screening and prognosis of DED. Not only can the use of AI make screening more accessible for individuals, but it can also aid patients in personalized therapeutic intervention. Researchers published their results in Big Data Mining and Analytics on April 22. DED can affect a wide array of people, including those who wear contact lenses, makeup, stay up late, look at screens for a long time and are over 30 years old. Symptoms of this disease are dry eyes, irritation and burning, tears, eye fatigue and pain. One can easily see how this disease has the potential to drastically impact a large portion of the modern world's population. Here is where the combined efforts of ophthalmic disease detection and the world of computer scientists and engineers can help. By addressing challenges, imparting insights, and delineating future research pathways, it contributes substantially to the advancement of ophthalmic disease detection through sophisticated technological modalities." Mini Han Wang, author and researcher There are seven facets to this AI-based disease detection. Timely intervention via the AI screening process and correct prognosis is the first part. The use of exhaustive surveys for DED through AI is another, and this is a supporting principle to ensure a level of thoroughness and trustworthiness throughout the process. A systematic approach follows, as well as the marriage of computer science and engineering with ophthalmology. Then, the standards for DED detection must be devised and upheld for future researchers and practitioners, which will naturally lead to the advancement of the field. Finally, all the research, methodologies and tools must be compiled so researchers, scholars and practitioners can have all of the information currently out there available to them. While the ophthalmologists set the guidelines regarding the framework of the disease and flags for diagnosis, the AI does a lot of the heavy lifting. Ideally, this AI would use images and videos taken from a user's cell phone to help reach users across the world. The AI can then utilize these images, as well as risk factors in the patient's life, to make a smart and well-informed prognosis. Further, AI continuously learns and can help propel research forward by contributing to predictive models for DED. The use of AI detection for DED holds a lot of promise, especially considering the risk factors are often normal activities in many people's everyday lives. To make the detection methods accessible enough and accurate enough, further research needs to be done. "However, there are still challenges for engineers to select the diagnostic standards and combinations of different types of datasets. By using trustworthy algorithms, images and videos captured from phones for accessibility purposes, a holistic approach to healthcare for early screening is possible," said Wang. With continued testing and collaboration between engineers and ophthalmologists, there is great potential for this method of testing to be useful in contributing to early screening of DED and subsequent therapeutic actions taken for the patient to reduce a worsening condition or to recover some quality of life. Mini Han Wang and Xiangrong Yu of the Zhuhai People's Hospital with Mini Han Wang also of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Faculty of Data Sciences at City University of Macau and the Department of big data at the Zhuhai Institute of Advanced Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lumin Xing of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Yi Pan of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Feng Gu of the College of Staten Island at the City University of New York, Junbin Fang at the Department of Optoelectronic Engineering at Jinan University, Chi Pui Pang, Kelvin KL Chong, Carol Yim-Lui Cheung and Xulin Liao of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Xiaoxiao Fang with the Zhuhai Aier Eye Hospital, Jie Yang of the College of Artificial Intelligence at Chongqing Industry and Trade Polytechnic, Ruoyu Zhou and Wenjian Liu with the Faculty of Data Science at City University of Macao, Xiaoshu Zhou with the Centre for Science and Technology Exchange and Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries, and Fengling Wang with the School of Artificial Intelligence at Hezhou Univeristy contributed to this research. The National Natural Science Foundation of China Natural, the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Intelligent Bioinformatics, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Program, the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, the Zhuhai Technology and Research Foundation, the Project of Humanities and Social Science of MOE, the Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission and the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing China made this research possible. Active military service may heighten a woman's risk of having a low birthweight baby, suggests a review of the available scientific evidence published online in the journal BMJ Military Health. The findings highlight the need for more research specifically focused on women in the armed forces, and their reproductive health in particular, conclude the study authors. Worldwide, increasing numbers of women are on active service in their country's armed forces. The UK Armed Forces, for example, has set a target of 30% female representation by 2030. And more and more countries are deploying women in combat units, and in other challenging environments, such as submarines, note the study authors. Mounting evidence suggests that stress experienced during pregnancy is associated with birth complications, such as preterm delivery and low birthweight. And a military career and lifestyle expose service personnel to a wide range of physical, mental, and environmental stressors that could potentially influence pregnancy outcomes. The study authors therefore wanted to explore the potential impact of active military service on the risks of preterm labour and birth, low birthweight, and stillbirth. They scoured research databases for relevant studies, and included 21 that met all the eligibility criteria in their analysis. The studies, which involved 650,628 women serving in the US military, were all published between 1979 and 2023. Ten of the studies included a comparison groupusually the wives of active service personnel. By way of a proxy for those that didn't include a comparator, the study authors drew on national data from the US National Vital Statistics for any given year. Analysis of the study results indicated no heightened risk of preterm birth among pregnant active service women. But there were significant methodological differences; most studies had a moderate to high risk of bias; and several included only small sample sizes, caution the study authors. There was no observed association between branch of military service and increased risk of preterm birth, although again this should be interpreted cautiously as 5 studies included mixed service samples and the study design varied considerably, say the study authors. There was no clear evidence for an increased risk of stillbirth among women on active military service, either. But nearly two thirds (62.5%) of the studies concluded that women on active service may be at heightened risk of having a low birthweight baby, including one study with the lowest risk of bias. And 4 of the 5 studies that included a comparison group also indicated an increased risk of low birthweight. Seven of the 8 studies reporting on low birthweight were carried out in single-service settings. Both of those from the US Air Force suggested a higher prevalence of low birthweight babies born to active duty military personnel. But some 53% and 38% of the studies reporting on preterm birth and low birthweight, respectively, didn't have a matched comparison group and relied on a proxy drawn from national statistical data. This introduces a risk of systematic error as the baseline characteristics of the two groups are inherently different, caution the study authors. Women on active military service will also be medically screened before any tours of duty and will have fewer co existing conditions, while national data will include high risk and multiple pregnancies, they explain. Only observational studies were included in the review, and the data collection methods and/or adjustment for influential factors varied, acknowledge the study authors. Only 8 studies reported on smoking status despite a high prevalence of smoking in the military and the fact that smoking is associated with several health issues before and during pregnancy. The data also focused exclusively on the US military, which although unsurprising given that it is one of the largest in the world, this does limit the generalisability of the findings to armed forces personnel elsewhere, highlight the study authors. Nevertheless, they conclude: This review highlights a need for more female-specific research in armed forces, beyond the US military setting, to inform military maternity pathways and policies in ways that safeguard mothers and their babies while enhancing military readiness." A new study from the University of South Australia is putting peoples experiences of pelvic pain at the front of pain education to develop better pain management strategies and improved outcomes. Persistent pelvic pain is an umbrella term for pain in the pelvic area (below the belly button) which may be accompanied by symptoms suggestive of gynaecological, lower urinary tract, bowel, sexual, and pelvic floor dysfunction. In Australia, one in two women and people assigned female at birth experience persistent pelvic pain, with one in four reporting that pelvic pain affects their ability to undertake daily activities such as work, study, or exercise. This study is hoping to improve this reality through pain education concepts that have been designed for and by females with persistent pelvic pain. Using semi-structured interviews, the consumer-centric, qualitative study captures rich and nuanced experiences of 20 females with pelvic pain who had engaged in pain science education and seen improvements. The study identified four important pain concepts that females say can help with pain management: A sensitised nervous system can lead to overprotective pain - this concept is important as it provides a biological explanation for pelvic pain and validates that pain is real, and not in your head. Pain doesn't always mean my pelvis is damaged (although sometimes it does) it is important because it provides reassurance that not every flare up means your pelvis is damaged or getting worse and that tissue pathology (like endometriosis lesions) is just one piece of the pelvic pain puzzle. How I think, feel, and 'see' my pain can make it worse this concept speaks of how there are many factors that can influence pelvic pain. As such, there are many ways to manage pain beyond just medication or surgery. I can change my pain... slowly - this concept was important because it provided hope and empowerment to pursue pain improvement as a viable goal. The findings follow the announcement for a landmark South Australian inquiry into endometriosis, and the Australian Governments 2022-23 Budget commitment of $58.3 million commitment to improving womens health, in particular endometriosis and pelvic pain. UniSA researcher and PhD candidate Amelia Mardon says educating people about pain can help improve pain conditions. Learning how pain works is pivotal to managing persistent pain. But while preliminary evidence suggests that pain science education can help women with persistent pelvic pain, there has been little information about what these consumers value learning, Mardon says. This study addresses this gap by capturing peoples experiences of persistent pelvic pain and identifying what knowledge could help others. By putting consumers voices, experiences, and opinions at the forefront of any intervention, were ensuring that pain education is relevant and aligned with their needs or priorities. Without that, it will just miss the mark. Senior researcher, UniSAs Professor Lorimer Moseley says that learning how pain works, legitimizes and makes sense of pain experiences. Validating pain may be particularly poignant for women with pelvic pain because of the extensive history of prejudice and dismissal of their pain, especially by healthcare professionals, Prof Moseley says. When youre told that your pain is all in your head, its incredibly disempowering which can have significant effects on physical and mental health. Pain is complex. Understanding that there is a biological explanation for persistent pain even when we cant see it can reframe perspectives of pain and potentially change outcomes. Professor Lorimer Moseley, Senior researcher, UniSA While further research is needed with more diverse samples, including expert clinicians, this study hopes to provide clinicians with better supports to help women with persistent pelvic pain. On a cold February morning at the Flathead Warming Center, Tashya Evans waited for help with her Medicaid application as others at the shelter got ready for the day in this northwestern Montana city. Evans said she lost Medicaid coverage in September because she hadn't received paperwork after moving from Great Falls, Montana. She has had to forgo the blood pressure medication she can no longer pay for since losing coverage. She has also had to put off needed dental work. "The teeth broke off. My gums hurt. There's some times where I'm not feeling good, I don't want to eat," she said. Evans is one of about 130,000 Montanans who have lost Medicaid coverage as the state reevaluates everyone's eligibility following a pause in disenrollments during the covid-19 pandemic. About two-thirds of those who were kicked off state Medicaid rolls lost coverage for technical reasons, such as incorrectly filling out paperwork. That's one of the highest procedural disenrollment rates in the nation, according to a KFF analysis. Even unsheltered people like Evans are losing their coverage, despite state officials saying they would automatically renew people who should still qualify by using Social Security and disability data. As other guests filtered out of the shelter that February morning, Evans sat down in a spare office with an application counselor from Greater Valley Health Clinic, which serves much of the homeless population here, and recounted her struggle to reenroll. She said that she had asked for help at the state public assistance office, but that the staff didn't have time to answer her questions about which forms she needed to fill out or to walk her through the paperwork. She tried the state's help line, but couldn't get through. "You just get to the point where you're like, 'I'm frustrated right now. I just have other things that are more important, and let's not deal with it,'" she said. Evans has a job and spends her free time finding a place to sleep since she doesn't have housing. Waiting on the phone most of the day isn't feasible. There's no public data on how many unhoused people in Montana or nationwide have lost Medicaid, but homeless service providers and experts say it's a big problem. Those assisting unsheltered people who have lost coverage say they spend much of their time helping people contact the Montana Medicaid office. Sorting through paperwork mistakes is also a headache, said Crystal Baker, a case manager at HRDC, a homeless shelter in Bozeman. "We're getting mail that's like, 'Oh, this needs to be turned in by this date,' and that's already two weeks past. So, now we have to start the process all over again," she said. "Now, they have to wait two to three months without insurance." Montana health officials told NPR and KFF Health News in a statement that they provided training to help homeless service agencies prepare their clients for redetermination. Federal health officials have warned Montana and some other conservative states against disenrolling high rates of people for technicalities, also known as procedural disenrollment. They also warned states about unreasonable barriers to accessing help, such as long hold times on help lines. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said if states don't reduce the rate of procedural disenrollments, the agency could force them to halt their redetermination process altogether. So far, CMS hasn't taken that step. Charlie Brereton, the director of the Montana health department, resisted calls from Democratic state lawmakers to pause the redetermination process. Redetermination ended in January, four months ahead of the federal deadline. "I'm confident in our redetermination process," Brereton told lawmakers in December. "I do believe that many of the Medicaid members who've been disenrolled were disenrolled correctly. Health industry observers say that both liberal-leaning and conservative-leaning states are kicking homeless people off their rolls and that the redetermination process has been chaotic everywhere. Because of the barriers that unsheltered people face, it's easy for them to fall through the cracks. Margot Kushel, a physician and a homeless researcher at the University of California-San Francisco, said it may not seem like a big deal to fill out paperwork. But, she said, "put yourself in the position of an elder experiencing homelessness," especially those without access to a computer, phone, or car. If they still qualify, people can usually get their Medicaid coverage renewed eventually and it may reimburse patients retroactively for care received while they were unenrolled. Kushel said being without Medicaid for any period can be particularly dangerous for people who are homeless. This population tends to have high rates of chronic health conditions. "Being out of your asthma medicine for three days can be life-threatening. If you have high blood pressure and you suddenly stop your medicine, your blood pressure shoots up, and your risk of having a heart attack goes way up," she said. When people don't understand why they're losing coverage or how to get it back, that erodes their trust in the medical system, Kushel said. Evans, the homeless woman, was able to get help with her application and is likely to regain coverage. Agencies that serve unhoused people said it could take years to get everyone who lost coverage back on Medicaid. They worry that those who go without coverage will resort to using the emergency room rather than managing their health conditions proactively. Baker, the case manager at the Bozeman shelter, set up several callbacks from the state Medicaid office for one client. The state needed to interview him to make sure he still qualified, but the state never called. "He waited all day long. By the fifth time, it was so stressful for him, he just gave up," she said. That client ended up leaving the Bozeman area before Baker could convince him it was worth trying to regain Medicaid. Baker worries his poor health will catch up with him before he decides to try again. A new study shows community pharmacies may play a key role in helping people quit smoking. The findings came out in the article Closing the Tobacco Treatment Gap, published in the 10th anniversary special issue of Pharmacy. The results provide valuable insights into the implementation of tobacco cessation services within community pharmacies while identifying barriers to further improvements. Tobacco use remains a leading preventable cause of death. Although two thirds of people who smoke would like to quit, many individuals trying to quit on their own are not successful. To address this gap, the study explored how pharmacists and pharmacy technicians could assist in providing tobacco cessation support. Led by researchers at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and other academic institutions across the country, the study involved seven independent community pharmacies in California affiliated with the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network. A total of 22 California pharmacists and 26 pharmacy technicians who underwent tobacco cessation training participated. "Community pharmacies are important partners to expand access to tobacco cessation services," said Elisa Tong, a UC Davis Health internist and director of the cancer center's Tobacco Cessation Policy Research Center. "By state law, pharmacists can furnish all forms of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) without a provider prescription." California's law allowing pharmacists to provide the cessation tool took effect in 2014. Eligible pharmacists must complete two hours of tobacco training and follow the state-approved protocol, which consists of reviewing patients' current tobacco use and prior quit attempts, screening for appropriateness of NRT, providing medication counseling, and addressing or referring patients for behavioral counseling. Tobacco cessation has been integrated into the curricula of California pharmacy schools since 2000, and many other training programs are available for pharmacies. After completing tobacco treatment training, our research showed that pharmacies successfully initiated cessation services. Compatibility with existing workflows, staff buy-in and the crucial role of pharmacy technicians significantly helped." Karen Hudmon, Study Senior Author, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University Continued research efforts are underway to study policy implementation strategies, especially for pharmacist reimbursement. California's law authorizes Medi-Cal and private insurance to pay pharmacies for enhanced services including education and medication management. "Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians play a pivotal role in providing effective support for tobacco treatment and other related health issues," said Robin Corelli, a UC San Francisco pharmacy faculty member and study co-author. "Being part of the local community is important and we need sustainable models for providing these services." Solving barriers could help pharmacies reach more people Given that 89% of Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy, they can be convenient locations for receiving health care services. Pharmacists have shown to be effective in helping patients quit. They can reach uninsured and under-resourced patients as well as patients living in rural areas who might experience barriers to accessing primary care. However, the study showed certain barriers exist to making pharmacy cessation programs effective. The research showed that billing complexities, software limitations and training gaps for handling complicated patient cases all pose challenges to successful implementation of tobacco cessation services at pharmacies. However, the data collected implied a forward-thinking health care model where the pharmacists and their staff can play a fundamental and dynamic role in local health management, and ultimately, in cultivating a healthier population. The study serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, health care professionals and stakeholders in population health efforts to combat tobacco use. This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute (R25 CA236637 to K Hudmon) and the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, which also supports the Tobacco Cessation Policy Research Center at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. The cancer center's new Tobacco Cessation Policy Research Center will continue to examine the role of pharmacies in helping people quit smoking. The center is also studying the integration of tobacco treatment at substance use disorder facilities. Other tobacco-related research focuses on equal access to tobacco treatment provided by public insurance plans and engaging with enforcement of flavored tobacco sales restrictions. Air India, a top airline in India, and All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japans biggest carrier, have teamed up to make traveling between the two countries easier and more convenient. This new partnership, called a codeshare agreement, means that travelers can now choose from a wider range of flights when going from India to Japan or vice versa. As per the Press Release, starting May 23, 2024, passengers of both airlines can book their entire journey with just one ticket, combining flights from Air India and ANA. This means less hassle and smoother transitions for travelers. Plus, passengers flying on codeshare flights will get access to perks like lounge access and priority boarding. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer at Air India, says, This codeshare agreement with All Nippon Airways marks an important step forward in connecting India and Japan. Air India will add its AI code to ANA flights between Tokyo Haneda and Delhi, as well as Tokyo Narita and Mumbai. On the other hand, ANA will add its NH code to Air Indias flight between Tokyo Narita and Delhi. Both airlines are also looking into adding more routes to their partnership in the future. You can book codeshare flights through both airlines websites, reservation systems, and travel agencies. Katsuya Goto, from All Nippon Airways, adds, We look forward to building this strategic partnership with Air India, as it is a significant step towards furthering stronger air connectivity and enhancing customer experience between Japan and India. This partnership not only makes travel more convenient but also strengthens the ties between India and Japan. And for travelers, it opens up new opportunities to explore both countries with ease. The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) has announced that French firm Enia Design has won the Detailed Design Consultant (DDC) contract DDC-03, marking a significant advancement in the 43.8km Nagpur Metro Phase 2 project. According to TOI, DDC-03 is responsible for the design of eight elevated stations on the Orange Line between Jamtha and Butibori. These stations will be built in Ashokvan, Mohgaon, Dongargaon, Meghdoot MIDC, Butibori Police Station, MHADA Colony, MIDC KEC, and MIDC ESR. In addition, the contract duration is three years. Enia Design made a bid of Rs 3.08 crore, which is much less than Maha Metros estimate, reports add. As a result, a contract is expected to be negotiated once the Lok Sabha model code of conduct expires. Three of the four DDCs for Metro Phase 2 have been allotted; two of these have been given to Enia Design, a division of Enia Architects in France. Having previously won the design package DDC-02 for 11 stations, this is Enias second consecutive successful bid in Nagpur metro phase 2. Meanwhile, LKT Engineering Consultants is in charge of Package DDC-01, one of the other packages. With this bidding, we are now all set for the 3 DDCs with only 1 left, which we will finalise soon, said a Maha metro official as quoted by The Times of India. Reportedly, the projected value of the consultant services, which were up for bid in November 2023, was Rs 5.20 crore. Also, six bidders submitted technical bids, which were opened in December 2023. However, Structcon Designs Pvt. Ltd. was excluded from the competition for not fulfilling the requirements. Ayesa India Pvt. Ltd., Composites Combine Technocrats Pvt. Ltd., STUP Consultants Pvt. Ltd., and TYPSA India Pvt. Ltd. were among the other bidders. Below are the financial positions of all bidders: Fintech platform BharatPe on Tuesday announced the launch of a new offering. BharatPe One is an all-in-one payment product that integrates POS, QR, and speaker into one device. The company plans to launch the product in 100+ cities in the first phase. It will further scale it to 450+ cities over the next 6 months. According to the company, the product is designed to streamline transactions for merchants, offering versatile payment acceptance options including dynamic and static QR code, tap-and-pay and traditional card payment options, across a wide range of debit and credit cards. With real-time transaction updates and instant voice payment confirmation, BharatPe One takes the payment experience at retail outlets to the next level. It offers a smooth and hassle-free experience for both merchants and customers alike, the company said in a statement. Equipped with a high-definition touchscreen display, 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity, and powered by the latest Android operating system, BharatPe One delivers enhanced performance and security, the statement added. Nalin Negi, CEO, BharatPe, said, With BharatPe One, we bring another disruptive product that will transform the digital payments landscape, enhancing efficiency and convenience for millions of offline merchants across the country. By combining multiple functionalities into one cost-effective device, were providing a comprehensive solution tailored to the varied needs of small and medium businesses across diverse sectors. BharatPe is a merchant-first company and this state-of-the-art device underscores our commitment to be a preferred partner for offline merchants, delivering value and empowering their business growth. Rijish Raghavan, CBO, PoS Solutions, BharatPe, added, BharatPe One has been designed as the one-stop device to offer a unified and seamless payment experience to our merchant partners. I am confident that this device, which is Indias first all-in-one payment device, will help merchants ensure an enhanced customer experience, in turn, ensuring customer delight. We have received an overwhelming response from our merchants in the pilot phase and we reckon that this will be another game changer for the digital payments ecosystem, further consolidating our position as a trailblazer in the fintech industry. Gold Rate Today In India: Gold and silver prices retreated from record high levels in Delhi on Monday, with the precious metal plunging by around Rs 450 per 10 grams, due to weak global trends and easing tensions in West Asia. On April 23, the rate for 10 grams of gold remained at around Rs 73,000. Pure gold (24-carat) was trading at Rs 73,680 per 10 grams, whereas 22-carat gold was valued at approximately Rs 67,540. Simultaneously, the silver market experienced a downward trajectory, reaching Rs 85,400 per kilogram. Gold rate today in India: Retail gold price on April 23 Gold Rate Today In Mumbai 22 Carat Currently in Mumbai, the price of 10 grams of 22-carat gold stands at Rs 67,540, while the equivalent amount of 24-carat gold is valued at Rs 73,680. Gold Rate Today In Delhi As of April 23, 2024, the price of 10 grams of 22-carat gold in Delhi is approximately Rs 67,690, while the rate for 10 grams of 24-carat gold stands at roughly Rs 73,830. Gold Rate Today In Ahmedabad In Ahmedabad, the price for 10 grams of 22-carat gold is Rs 67,590, and for the same amount of 24-carat gold, its Rs 73,730. Check gold rates today in different cities on April 23, 2024; (In Rs/10 grams) City 22 Carat Gold Price 24-Carat Gold Price Chennai 68,440 74,660 Kolkata 67,540 73,680 Gurugram 67,690 73,830 Lucknow 67,690 73,830 Bengaluru 67,540 73,680 Jaipur 67,690 73,830 Patna 67,590 73,730 Bhubaneshwar 67,540 73,680 Hyderabad 67,540 73,680 Multi Commodity Exchange On April 23, 2024, the MCX saw active trading in gold futures contracts expiring on June 5, 2024. These contracts were priced at Rs 70,430 per 10 grams. Additionally, silver futures contracts expiring on May 3, 2024, were quoted at Rs 79,813 on the MCX. Investors and traders kept a close eye on these developments amidst the continuing market fluctuations. Stay tuned for more updates on this unfolding narrative. Retail Cost of Gold The gold price in India, often referred to as the retail gold price, reflects the final cost per unit weight paid by consumers when purchasing gold. This price is influenced by numerous factors beyond the inherent value of the metal. Gold carries great significance in India because of its cultural importance, its role as a valuable investment, and its traditional connection with weddings and festivals. M&M Finance has postponed its scheduled board meeting, originally planned for April 23, to discuss its fourth-quarter results. This came after the non-bank lender, informed the exchanges late on Monday that a fraud to the extent of Rs 150 crore was detected at one of the companys branches in the North East region. The fraud involved forgery of KYC documents related to retail vehicle loans, resulting in the misappropriation of company funds. According to M&M Finances notification to the stock exchange, the fraudulent activity has led to the misappropriation of company funds. The estimated financial impact of this deception is anticipated to be within Rs 150 crore, as stated in the exchange filing. In response to the situation, the company has promptly initiated necessary corrective measures. The company has identified necessary corrective actions and has informed exchanges that a few persons involved have been arrested. The Audit Committee and Board Meeting on the same date will address other agenda items, including discussions on raising aggregate borrowing limits and issuing Non-convertible debentures. Additionally, the annual earnings conference call has been deferred. The matter has also been reported to the Reserve Bank of Indias central fraud monitoring cell. The company also said that investigations are already underway and are at an advanced stage. The necessary corrective action, identified by the company, is in various stages of implementation. Shares of Mahindra & Mahindra Finance around 9:37 am were trading 4.5% lower on Tuesday at Rs 266.15. The scrip touched an intraday low of 7 per cent. Shares of the non-bank lender have had a subdued last 12 months, gaining close to 10% but underperforming most of its peers. Drawing from the travel searches conducted by over 100 million active users annually, MakeMyTrip has compiled key behaviours of Indian travellers in its inaugural India Travel Trends Report. The report sheds light on the destinations, timing, and preferences of Indian travellers, highlighting top trends derived from millions of journeys, both at a national level and regionally. From Backpackers to Bon-Vivants and everything in between Indian travellers are not just reshaping the realm of domestic tourism but also commanding an increasingly important role in the ambit of international travel, leaving no corner of the globe too out of reach. Also Read: Industry Keenly Awaiting Implementation of 30% UPI Market Share Cap By NPCI According to the report, UPI is the most preferred payment method for booking travel, making close to 40% of all transaction types, followed by use of credit cards. Credit card is the most used payment mode for high value transactions such as for booking international hotels and flights. This can be attributed to the benefits associated with credit card payments. Some key insights from the report are as below Where India Travels Number of people taking more than 3 trips per year has grown by 25% in 2023 as compared to 2019. Tier-2 and tier-3 cities are embracing spiritual journeys, with searches for destinations with or around religious spots growing 97% in the last two years. Searches for Ayodhya grew by 585%, Ujjain by 359% and Badrinath by 343% in 2023 as compared to 2022. Weekend getaways continue to curry favour with Indian travellers Searches for Jim Corbett grew by 131% in 2023 as compared to 2022; Ooty and Munnar are other favourites in this context. 30% of all international travel searches from India are for Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore while London, Toronto and New York are the most searched long-haul destinations. Searches for emerging international destinations grew multi-fold in 2023 hot favourites include Hong Kong, Almaty, Paro, Baku, Da Nang and Tbilisi. Rajesh Magow, co-founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, As India emerges as a formidable force in the tourism sector, these insights can help bridge the demand and supply gaps in the travel and hospitality space. This means crafting policies, identifying destinations, and creating experiences that resonate with the travellers unique travel preferences and aspirations. Recognising and catering to each travellers diverse behaviour will not only enhance travel experiences but also contribute significantly to the growth and development of the tourism industry. When, With Whom And How India Travels Family vs Solo Family travel bookings surged by 64% in 2023 as compared to 2022, followed by solo traveller booking growth at 23% for the same comparative period. Flight booking preferences 50% of all domestic flyers pick flights between 9 am and 6 pm irrespective of destination or origin. A significant portion of travel bookings in India are made spontaneously, with 46% of domestic flights booked less than a week before the travel date. In contrast, about half of all international bookings are made at least two weeks in advance. Only one-third of international bookings are made more than a month before the travel date, suggesting a flexible approach to international travel planning among Indian travellers. Women prefer to pre-book window seats, while men pick aisle seats. Tomato Cucumber Cheese Lettuce Sandwich is the most ordered in-flight meal on domestic flights. Accommodation booking preferences 56% of domestic leisure hotel bookings on the platform are made less than a week before the day of travel. 33% of international hotel bookings are made at least 30 days before the date of travel. Alternative accommodations on the platform recorded 24% growth in bookings in 2023 For Hostels and Apartments, the preference is for those less than Rs 2,500 per night but for Villas, it is higher. Close to 20% of family travellers searched for properties with tariffs over Rs 10,000 per night. The gift of travel Wedding gift cards in the denominations of Rs 5000 and 10000 are the most gifted. 1 out of 2 travel gift cards being purchased are being gifted as wedding shagun. United Nations (UN) English Language Day is a momentous occasion celebrated annually on April 23. This date coincides with the birth and death anniversary of William Shakespeare, the most renowned playwright in the English language. Shakespeares contributions not only solidified his status as a literary giant, but also profoundly influenced the evolution of modern English. Today, English stands as a global language, with approximately one in four individuals worldwide speaking the language. It serves as a bridge, enabling communication between individuals with diverse native languages. Lets take a look at the days significance, history and more. English Language Day: Quotes To Share The English language is nobodys special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself. Derek Walcott Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going. Rita Mae Brown To have another language is to possess a second soul. Charlemagne English is not a language. Its three languages wearing a trenchcoat pretending to be one. Unknown The English language is like a broad river on whose bank a few favoured people are privileged to stand. The great mass of humanity, on the other hand, stands on the opposite shore.Cyril Connolly English Language Day: Wishes Lets join the UN mission to promote multilingualism on English Language Day. A very Happy English Language Day to you and your family. Keep Learning! Lets celebrate English Language Day by showing respect for the language and the eminent writer William Shakespeare. This day is to honour the language that has helped everyone communicate in a common language. Happy English Language Day. What adds glory to the occasion of English Language Day is the birth anniversary of William Shakespeare. Wishing you all a very pleasant English Language Day. Lets celebrate the English Language Day by reading the best of the work in English. English Language Day: History The inception of English Language Day can be traced back to 2010 when the Department of Global Communications initiated language days dedicated to each of the Organisations six official languages. The primary objective of these language days is to celebrate linguistic diversity and multiculturalism, while advocating for the equitable use of all six official languages within the United Nations. The selection of April 23 as English Language Day is particularly symbolic, as it is believed to be Shakespeares birth and death anniversary. During the 16th and 17th centuries when Shakespeare was prolific, the English language underwent significant transformation. His innovative use of language introduced hundreds of new words and phrases that continue to enrich English vocabulary. English Language Day: Significance The significance of English Language Day extends beyond honouring Shakespeares legacy; it underscores the pivotal role of English as a facilitator of effective communication and cultural exchange. English is not only a crucial language for international diplomacy and business but also serves as a gateway to knowledge and global opportunities. This annual observance emphasises the importance of acquiring proficiency in English to actively engage in the global community, broaden ones horizons, and leverage the myriad benefits it offers. English Language Day serves as a platform to celebrate the diversity and richness of the language and its cultural heritage, encouraging individuals to utilise it as a tool for fostering understanding and building connections with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. When the new session begins, the first thing students check in their school diaries is the dates for the summer vacation. These breaks generally begin in May and end in mid-June. This year, the temperatures are soaring high, with many states facing heatwave alerts. Owing to this situation, some states have decided to declare an early summer vacation. Notices also have been issued to change the timings of the school, so that students can beat the heat and enter their homes safely before the loo begins. Lets take a look. Jharkhand As per the new schedule, from April 22 till further notice, students from kindergarten to class 8 will be attending schools from 7 am to 11:30 am. Students from Class 9th to 12th will attend classes till noon. The notice clarified that this adjustment is applied to government, non-government-aided, unaided and private schools in the state. Odisha: The temperature in Odisha ranged from 40 to 45.2 degrees Celsius. The Odisha government on Sunday declared summer vacations in all schools from April 25, due to the heatwave conditions. The announcement will apply to all schools including those run by the government, government-aided and private, in Odisha. Schools will be run from 6:30 am to 10:30 am from April 22 to April 24. Bihar In Bihar, at least 11 places have recorded more than 42 degrees temperature. An order was issued by the District Magistrate of Patna stating that all schools in the state capital have been instructed to change the timings of school. It will be from 6:30 am to 11:30 am. It has prohibited academic activities from 11:30 am to 4 pm for all classes up to class 10th of private and government schools including pre-schools and Anganwadi centres of the district. This will remain effective till April 30. West Bengal The West Bengal government too took a step to protect school-going children and staff from heatstroke. The government announced summer vacation starting April 22. This has been implemented in all government and government-aided schools of West Bengal. These orders will not be implemented in Kalimpong and Darjeeling. Chhattisgarh The Chhattisgarh government also announced summer vacation for school students from April 22 to June 15. This has been implemented in all government-aided, unaided and private schools. Earlier, summer vacation was declared from May 1 to June 15. Now a new order has been issued by making partial changes to it. In Maharashtra, summer vacation has already begun in all primary, middle and higher secondary schools affiliated with the Government of Maharashtra, from April 18 onwards. Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. Union Minister Anurag Thakur joined the viral look between X and Y on your keyboard trend that has been gaining traction on microblogging site X and used to it to taunt the Congress party on former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the Jammu and Kashmir issue. Nehru gave away a part of _____ to China and Pakistan. Look between H and L on your keyboard, Thakur said in his X post. Nehru gave away a part of _____ to China and PakistanLook between H and L on your keypad Anurag Thakur ( ) (@ianuragthakur) April 23, 2024 This comes amid the long-standing debate over the blunders committed by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, that led to India losing parts of Jammu and Kashmir to China and Pakistan. Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the Congress icon had committed a blunder by implementing Article 370 in the valley. This wasnt the first time that Shah blamed Nehru for the issues in J&K. Addressing the Lok Sabha in December 2023, Shah had said that Kashmir suffered due to two blunders committed by the countrys first PM Jawaharlal Nehru. The Home Minister blamed Nehru for declaring a ceasefire without winning the entire Kashmir and taking the issue to the United Nations, which led to the sufferings of the people of J&K. He also said if the ceasefire would have been declared three days later, PoK would have been part of India. Kashmir had to suffer due to Nehruvian blunders. One was that when our Army was winning and as soon as Punjab area was reached, ceasefire was declared and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was born. If the ceasefire would have been (declared) three days later, PoK would have been part of India, Shah said. He also blamed Nehru for losing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the neighbouring nation. Had Jawaharlal Nehru taken right steps, PoK would have been part of India now. It was historic blunder, he added. BJP TELANGANA JOINS THE NEW X TREND Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Partys Telangana unit also joined the X trend. Its post on X said, Modi Ji: Who are all voting for BJP? Indians: Look at your keyboard between Q and R. #AbkiBaar400Paar. Ji : Who all are voting for ?Indians : Look at your Keyboard between and #AbkiBaar400Paar pic.twitter.com/KJL8nvWvzx BJP Telangana (@BJP4Telangana) April 23, 2024 WHAT IS THIS NEW X TREND? The meme has been making its way through a sea of other memes on X. It says to look between x and y on your keyboard. But, theres actually not much when you look between those letters, all you see is the letter f. Whats the catch here? The meme started back in May 2021 when a post featuring a character from K-On with the caption look between t and o on youre key bored (the meme was misspelt on purpose). The letters between t and o were y, u and i, Yui, which was a character from an anime series about high school girls forming a band. Since then users have been showing off their version of the trend. For example, someone wrote, The only person who can make your life better is Look between Y and I of your keyboard Yah, U (You). And just like that, the meme craze took off, poking fun at everything from RCB fans to referencing Luckys u, a, e, o from the Golmaal series. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Ahead of a rally of opposition leaders, Union minister Narayan Rane has warned that if anybody used abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the person will not be allowed to return home. Rane, the BJP candidate from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency in coastal Maharashtra, was speaking at a campaign rally in Sindhudurg district on Monday. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his partys MP Sanjay Raut criticise Modi while not understanding what they are talking about, said the minister, a former Shiv Sena leader himself. I learnt that opposition parties will be holding a rally in Sindhudurg soon. It is part of democracy, so they are welcome here. But if anyone uses abusive language against our leader, prime minister Narendra Modi, we will not allow that person to return from here, Rane said. The BJP leader, who left the Shiv Sena after falling out with Uddhav Thackeray in 2005, claimed that Uddhav was never his father Bal Thackerays choice for the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister. Had Uddhav been his choice, Balasaheb would have made him CM instead of me in 1999. Uddhav is a zero-performance person, said Rane, who was chief minister for less than a year. He also alleged that during the coronavirus pandemic, Uddhav Thackeray, then chief minister, tried to get 15 percent commission on vaccine procurement, and inquiry into such corruption of his government was going on. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Balurghat is one of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. While six of the assembly segments of Balurghat constituency are in Dakshin Dinajpur district, one is in Uttar Dinajpur. Although reserved for Scheduled Castes until 2009, it has been a general seat since. Balurghat comprises the following assembly segments: Itahar (TMC), Kushmandi (TMC), Kumarganj (TMC), Balurghat (BJP), Tapan (BJP), Gangarampur (BJP), and Harirampur (TMC). Dr Sukanta Majumdar from the Bharatiya Janata Party is the incumbent MP here and is set to defend the seat. The other key candidates are Biplab Mitra of the Trinamool Congress and Joydeb Siddhanta of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Polling will take place on April 26, in the second of the seven phases in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Political Dynamics For the BJP, winning Balurghat is a matter of prestige, since its state president Dr Sukanta Majumdar is on the ballot here. In 2019, the BJP had won the seat, but with a margin of just about 33,000 votes. In a Lok Sabha constituency witnessing a battle of heavyweights, that is not a very impressive figure. More importantly, it signals that the seat still has the potential of being wrested by the TMC. It is therefore not surprising that the BJPs single-point agenda in Balurghat is to not just win the seat, but increase Dr Majumdars victory margin to over 1 lakh votes. Inputs from the ground suggest that the battle for Balurghat is tied between the BJP and TMC, although the saffron party holds a slight edge. This is mostly because Dr Sukanta Majumdar is largely seen as an MP who has been active on the ground for the past year, and has brought positive change to his constituency. Among Majumdars biggest achievements as MP has been the improvement and expansion of railway connectivity in Balurghat. The BJP state president, who was previously a professor, is confident that his efforts to connect Balurghat and neighbouring regions in north Bengal to the railway network, including the launch of the Sealdah-Balurghat Express and other train services, will contribute significantly to securing victory by a margin exceeding one lakh votes. The BJP has meanwhile accused the TMC of neglecting Balurghat and not caring about its development since it is an interior constituency. Besides, Majumdar is also credited for getting development funds from the Centre for the betterment of Balurghat. In terms of attacking the TMC, among the biggest issues being raised by the BJP are corruption, lawlessness and the ruling partys indecisiveness to act against criminal elements. The events that have unfolded in Sandeshkhali, and the manner in which attempts were made to protect the alleged perpetrator of it all, Shajahan Sheikh, are among the focus points of the BJPs campaign. The BJP also realises that the fight in Balurghat this time around is perhaps more difficult than in 2019. Sukanta Majumdar, despite being the state BJP president, has been forced to concentrate on his constituency alone in the run-up to two election phases. Essentially, the TMC has been able to contain Sukanta Majumdar to Balurghat at least until April 26, which is when the constituency goes to vote. Since the BJP fielded Sukanta Majumdar, who is a political heavyweight in West Bengal, it became necessary for the TMC to match the tempo. This is why the TMC has fielded state minister Biplab Mitra from Balurghat. The Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency has been switching hands since 2014. Once a bastion of the Left and its allies, Balurghat voted for the Revolutionary Socialist Party continuously from 1977 to 2009. Finally, in 2014, TMCs Arpita Ghosh breached the Left citadel and won the seat for Mamata Banerjee. In 2019, the seat flipped again, and went to the BJPs Sukanta Majumdar. Given how Balurghat has voted incumbents out in two consecutive general elections now, the TMC is hopeful it can edge Majumdar out this time. The TMC is relying on some of its flagship schemes to swing the most crucial voters to its side. Trinamools unique selling proposition this time is the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which was launched in 2021 to provide women belonging to the general category with a stipend of Rs 500 every month, while the amount for SC and ST women was fixed at Rs 1,000. In the state budget for this year, however, TMC chose to go down the road of populism and increased the allowance for general women under the scheme to Rs 1,000 and for SC/ST women to Rs 1,200. Ever since, the party has been going door to door explaining the hike in allowance for women and how this is Mamata Banerjees gift. Observers on the ground say the SC, ST and OBC vote will be split between the BJP and TMC this time around, with the saffron party possibly getting about 30% of the votes from these communities. In Balurghat, the winning vote share is usually about 45%. Both the TMC and BJP are said to have a solid 40% vote bank, and the fight really is for swinging an additional 5_6% of the vote to win the seat. TMCs cash doles for women will definitely help the party. The TMC is relying primarily on its alleged claims that the BJP government at the Centre has withheld funds for MGNREGA and PM Awas schemes. The TMC cadre is trying to take this message to every house across West Bengal and paint the image that the BJP is against the states development. Trinamools sustained campaign on this issue has made it among the biggest talking points this election season. On the other hand, the BJP, and PM Narendra Modi himself have alleged that the funds for these schemes have been swindled by the TMC and that their corruption is to be blamed for Bengal not developing fast. Balurghat has about 29% Muslim voters, most of whom are expected to vote for the TMC. There are a few factors that could work to Biplab Mitras disadvantage. First, he is an MLA from Harirampur and as such, his influence across Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency is yet to be tested. Second, Mitra joined the BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but switched sides and returned to the TMC before the assembly polls of 2021. This has created an impression that he is a turncoat in politics. Key Issues Corruption: For the BJP, the TMCs alleged corrupt practices in West Bengal are a major poll plank. The local-level corruption allegedly perpetrated by Trinamool is steadily becoming a major issue in all parts of the state Balurghat included. The BJP, led by PM Modi himself, is going out of its way to highlight the corruption prevalent within the TMC and how it is impacting the lives of ordinary citizens. With the Prime Minister himself countering the TMC allegations that the Centre has stopped PM Awas and MGNREGA funds for the state, and saying that the ruling party in Bengal has swindled the money meant for these schemes, corruption promises to be one of the defining factors this election season. Rail Connectivity: The BJP accuses the TMC of ignoring the demands of the people of Balurghat, who for long have been asking for additional train services from the constituency. It is largely believed that BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar played a crucial role in securing the Sealdah-Balurghat direct train. The BJP is set to benefit from securing this train service for the people of Balurghat. Hindutva: Being a constituency that borders Bangladesh, the BJP has made it a point to accuse the TMC of promoting illegal infiltration. Additionally, it is also raising the issue of CAA, and promising citizenship to Hindus and other Indic minorities who fled Bangladesh and are now settled in Balurghat. Recently, union home minister Amit Shah himself attacked the TMC, saying Mamata Banerjee had been misleading people on the issue and that people can apply for citizenship without fear. The BJP is also highlighting the abrogation of Article 370 sections in Jammu and Kashmir and the ban on triple talaq. As such, religious polarisation continues to remain a focus in West Bengal. The TMC, on the other hand, is trying to consolidate its hold over the Muslim community by claiming that the CAA-NRC combine will be used for ulterior purposes by the BJP. Water Shortage: The TMC has been raising the issue of people in Balurghat, Gangarampur, and Kushmandi facing a severe water crisis due to the embankment in the Atreyee River. It has also been blaming the BJP for the problem. Demographics Total Voters: 14,29,783 Rural Voters: 1,276,796 (89.3%) Urban Voters: 152,987 (10.7%) SC Voters: 408,918 (28.6%) ST Voters: 218,757 (15.3%) Muslims: 422,057 (29.5%) Development In March, PM Modi dedicated multiple developmental projects in the rail and road sectors worth more than Rs 4500 crore in north Bengal. The projects include Eklakhi- Balurghat section, Barsoi-Radhikapur section, Raninagar Jalpaiguri-Haldibari section, Siliguri-Aluabari section via Bagdogra, and Siliguri-Sivok-Alipurduar Jn-Samuktala (including Alipurduar Jn-New Cooch Behar) section. In 2022, funds worth Rs 2.5 crore had been allocated for the upgradation of Balurghat railway station. Meanwhile, in February this year, PM Modi laid the foundation for the redevelopment of 23 railway stations in six states in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone at a cost of Rs 685.32 crore, including the Balurghat railway station. The Balurghat airport is also expected to commence operations this year, bringing air connectivity to one of the more interior regions of West Bengal where mobility and lack of sufficient facilities have been a raging issue among the people. In January, after much delay, the Balurghat-Hili Rail extension project was restarted by the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway. Railways had given around Rs 298 crore to the district administration to acquire land for the extension of this line. Interestingly, the project was announced when Mamata Banerjee was the countrys rail minister, but work came to a halt due to complications caused by the land acquisition process. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. The Congress manifesto has become a tug-of-war topic between the grand old party and the BJP. Following his wealth redistribution remark, the Congress reported Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Election Commission of India accusing him of using diversionary tactics. In fact, the party is planning to send copies of its manifesto to the prime minister to make a point that he lied about the Congress promising special benefits to Muslims. The party said Prime Minister Modi is nervous about losing the Lok Sabha elections. This, especially after senior leader Rahul Gandhi said a survey on wealth accumulation will be conducted in the country, so that the benefits are not enjoyed by only a few. But, the BJP has now scored a point by stepping back in history. It is making a reference to the Communal Violence Bill, as it was called, or the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011. The UPA government had to shelve it under pressure from the BJP and Left parties, as it was seen as being used ahead of the elections to woo the Muslims and score political points. According to the BJP and other parties, this law, if passed, would give unfettered rights to the government. For example, it allowed action against the state governments if it failed to prevent communal riots. The bill was the brainchild of the national advisory council headed by Sonia Gandhi. Then too, the BJP said the entire bill was focused on violence or crime against one group; and this group as per the BJP is the minority. Arun Jaitley, who had argued against this bill in Rajya Sabha, had then said: It is an obnoxious legislation, which presumes that all crimes are committed against the minorities. Critics of the bill said by nature it is communal or has communal connotations. For example, it describes the target of crime as a group which means religious or linguistic minority in any state or SC and ST. Also, while defending the Bill when it was introduced in Parliament, the Congress cited the Gujarat riots as one example why it was needed. The BJP had then accused the Congress of a witch hunt and presenting a politically motivated bill. The UPA had defended itself saying it was needed to protect all, and that it was a fact that the backward communities and minorities were most vulnerable. When News18 spoke to senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was in the UPA government, he said: Forget the bills, the people of the country know what is happening on the ground. The Bill is being shown by the BJP as another evidence how the Congress has played the minority appeasement card and ended up causing polarisation. And not, in fact, the BJP. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Dakshina Kannada is one of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka that will vote in the second phase of Lok Sabha Election on April 26. It covers the entire Dakshina Kannada district, including the city of Mangalore. The seat comprises eight Legislative Assembly segments including Belthangady, Moodabidri, Mangalore City North, Mangalore City South, Mangalore, Bantval, Puttur, and Sullia (SC). Political Dynamics BJP vs Congress: Its a two-way contest between the BJP and the Congress in Dakshina Kannada. For the first time in over four decades, the constituency is witnessing a contest between two new faces from the BJP and the Congress. Capt. Brijesh Chowta, a former Indian Army Captain, is pitted against Congress R Padmaraj who is an advocate. Historically, elections in the area have featured battles between political veterans or between a veteran and a newcomer. 2023 Assembly Elections: The BJP secured 6 seats while the Congress won 2 from the Dakshina Kannada Parliament Constituency. BJP MLAs include Harish Poonja from Belthangady, Umanatha Kotian from Moodabidri, Bharath Shetty Y from Mangalore City North, D Vedavyasa Kamath from Mangalore City South, Rajesh Naik U from Bantval, and Bhagirathi Murulya from Sullia (SC). The two Congress MLAs are UT Khader Fareed from Mangalore and Ashok Kumar Rai from Puttur. BJP Fears Anti-Incumbency: BJP, which first secured Dakshina Kannada constituency (formerly Mangaluru constituency), from the Congress in 1991 has maintained control of the seat for eight consecutive terms. The party aims to secure victory for the ninth term with a target margin of over 3 lakh votes. In the previous Lok Sabha elections, party candidate Nalin Kateel, a three-term MP since 2009, won by a margin of 2.74 lakh votes. BJPs decision to deny a ticket to Kateel was reportedly influenced by the anti-incumbency factor. Capt. Brijesh Chowta is a 43-year-old ex-serviceman and secretary of the state party unit. Chowta has served as general secretary of Dakshina Kannada unit of the party from 2016 to 2019. He has also held positions general secretary of Dakshina Kannada District Yuva Morcha and District Executive Committee Member. For the past six years, Chowta has been actively involved in organising the Mangaluru Kambala and has also been associated with the organisation of the Mangaluru Litfest. Captain Chowtas engagement extends beyond the realm of politics, evident in his active involvement in various social, educational, religious, and cultural endeavours. He has vowed to remain committed to Hindutva and development in the area. Nalin Kateel Factor: The three-time sitting MP from the seat has outwardly welcomed the decision to confer the party ticket to Capt. Chowta. But on the count of anti-incumbency, Kateel maintains he had brought in projects worth about Rs 1 lakh crore in the last 10 years to the constituency. Kateel has been perceived as an accessible and popular leader in the past and has a decent connection with masses in urban areas. His endorsement of Chowta would hopefully ensure a smooth transition. Numbers in Favour: As per the 2023 elections, the BJP holds 6 out of 8 assembly seats in the LS constituency. The party had a total vote share of 48.6% against Congress 42.4%, while JD(S) had 0.8%. Strongholds include Belthangady, Moodabidri, Mangalore City North and South and Sullia (SC) where the party secured a winning margin larger than 15,000 votes. Hindu voters, including the SC population, lean strongly towards the BJP here. Modi Factor and Hindutva: Even as the BJP lost the state in 2023, it maintained its position in Dakshina Kannada largely due to the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Modi factor definitely plays a major role in the Lok Sabha elections. Hindutva issues such as Ram Mandir and Love Jihad have resonated strongly with the Hindu population. High-voltage friction with Muslim community over the Hijab ban and cases of alleged moral policing in recent years has further driven religious polarisation. Fresh Candidate: Congress has also introduced a new candidate for this election, aiming to wrest the seat from the BJP after a prolonged period of three decades. Padmaraj R is an advocate who has held the position of treasurer of the Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple managing committee. He has vowed to bring development projects, and harmony to the region. He is leveraging his two-decade association with Gokarnanatha temple to woo the Hindu voter base. Congress Eyes Opportunity: With power in the state, Congress finds itself in a relatively better position than in the past. It aims to cash in on sentiments of anti-incumbency against the BJP, but most importantly its performance is hinged on the 21.8 lakh Muslim voters in this politically charged constituency. Moreover, a major share of the Christian vote will also tilt in favour of the party boosting its vote share. The Mangalore and Puttur seats are currently also under Congress MLAs who won in 2023 with margins greater than 20,000 votes. Communal Politics: The Congress decision to do away with the anti-conversion bill introduced by the previous government has split the electorate. It has been received well by minority communities. The Siddaramaiah government has also cracked down on incidents of communal strife and moral policing. Its stand on the Hijab ban is sure to swing votes from the Muslim community in the partys favour. Reports say the decision to not take part in Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony will also help consolidate its position among this core vote bank here. Second Place on the Cards: The party seeks to improve its vote share on grounds of anti-incumbency and polarisation of Muslim votes, while leveraging its ruling position in the state government. Current MP: Nalin Kumar Kateel of the BJP from 2009 Candidates: Capt. Brijesh Chowta (BJP), Padmaraj R (INC) Polling Date: Phase 2, April 26, 2024 Key Constituency Issues Communal Issues: The region has witnessed several instances of violence and unrest, including attacks on Christian churches and the infamous pub incident in 2009, which have contributed to a sense of fear and mistrust between communities. In 2023, state home minister G. Parameshwara said an anti-communal wing would be set up shortly in Mangaluru Police Commissionerate to look at effectively addressing moral policing, and also other incidents that disturb communal harmony in the region. Apart from these, the issue of religious conversions and Love Jihad have found prevalence in political conversations. Recent cases such as a lady doctor along with two others allegedly trying to forcibly convert a young woman to Islam have fanned the issue. Moreover, the opposition by the entire Christian leadership to the proposed anti-conversion bill, introduced by the BJP government and scrapped by the Congress, has led to suspicion among the majority, especially as a religious conversion racket was busted by the police in Haleyangadi gram panchayat in 2011. Tensions over the Hijab ban in schools and colleges have also impacted communal sensitivities in the region, especially spilling over from Udupi. Welfare Schemes: A lack of awareness among eligible individuals, particularly women from minority communities, hinders their access to these vital programmes. Despite the state government initiatives aimed at empowering minority women, their success has been limited. Bureaucratic hurdles have discouraged participation, while allegations of corruption and mismanagement raise concerns about the efficient and equitable distribution of resources. A key concern is the low level of financial independence among these women, highlighting the need for targeted financial support and skill development programs. The recently introduced Gig worker social security scheme in the state has provided life and accidental insurance coverage for gig workers, addressing a critical gap. However, concerns remain regarding the funding mechanism and the exclusion of certain categories of gig workers. Concerns have been raised about the low number of beneficiaries from minority communities receiving support under government schemes such as the Shram Shakthi Loan Scheme. Traffic Congestion: Buses often bypass designated service roads and stop on highways, impeding the flow of traffic. Additionally, fish transport vehicles spilling wastewater on roads pose a safety hazard and create unsanitary conditions. The lack of adherence to parking norms by commercial establishments and apartment complexes further exacerbates the problem, leading to vehicles being parked haphazardly on streets. Residents of areas like Bajpe and Akashabhavana face the lack of adequate public transportation, particularly during evening hours, forcing people to rely on private vehicles. Other issues raised included the closure of bus bays, the placement of ineffective barricades, and the conversion of basement parking areas into commercial spaces. Environmental Issues: Mangalore also faces significant environmental challenges, with a recent tree count research report raising serious concerns about the citys future sustainability. The report, conducted by NUCSER Nitte Biomedical Science College, revealed a concerning decline in the citys tree cover, with only 6.24% of trees remaining in many wards and public spaces. This depletion of green spaces has dire implications for the citys environment and the health of its residents. One of the primary causes of this decline is the rampant felling of trees in the name of development projects. The Mangalore City Corporation has failed to adequately compensate for the loss of trees by planting new ones, leading to a significant imbalance in the ecosystem. Development Issues: Mangalores development projects have faced funding delays, and political disagreements. While the Smart City project has brought some positive changes, concerns linger about the overall pace and sustainability of these developments. Several key projects have come to a standstill, leaving residents questioning the citys future. The ambitious Jalasiri project, aimed at providing round-the-clock water supply, has encountered significant setbacks. Similarly, crucial infrastructure initiatives, such as underground drainage renewal, road improvements, and storm-water drainage upgrades, have stalled due to the state governments failure to release necessary funds. Coastal communities remain vulnerable to the damaging effects of sea erosion, as efforts to mitigate the issue have been hampered by delays in both funding and approvals. Political shifts have further complicated the situation. The proposed Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scheme, intended to facilitate land acquisition and road widening, has been met with concerns regarding its implementation and potential consequences for residents. Additionally, allegations of political bias in tender processes and scholarship allocations raise questions about transparency and equitable distribution of resources. Since the new state government came to power, it is alleged that no foundation stone for any new project has been laid in any assembly constituency in this area. Voter Demographics Total Voters (2019): 17,24,460 Urban Voters: 820,843 (47.6%) Rural Voters: 903,617 (52.4%) Social Composition SC: 122,437 (7.1%) ST: 67,254 (3.9%) Religious Composition Hindu: 71.2% Muslim: 21.8% Christian: 6.8% Jain: 0.5% Key Infrastructural Developments Six Lane Road: The government has come up with an ambitious plan to transform the existing four-lane highway from BC Road to Mukka into a six-lane road. The highlight of this development includes an elevated highway from Kuloor Bridge to Baikampady within Mangaluru City. The estimated cost for this extensive 91.20 km project is Rs 3,931.04 crore. It will help with the traffic congestion in Mangalore. Plastic Park: The Plastic Park is being set up by the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers on 104 acres of land at a cost of Rs 62 crore. The central government has allotted Rs 31 crore for the plastic park with an equal amount from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board. It will create 1000 jobs in the constituency. Development of Mangalore Railway Station: Mangaluru Central railway station is set for a major transformation as part of a redevelopment project. The plan envisions a modern, multi-functional hub with commercial spaces, including shops, restaurants, and a cinema. Passengers will benefit from enhanced amenities like spacious waiting halls and ample parking facilities. While the platforms remain at ground level, a new concourse on the first floor will offer improved circulation and connectivity. This ambitious project aims to create a vibrant urban centre that seamlessly integrates transportation and commercial activities. High-speed rail corridor: The Mangaluru Bengaluru Integrated Greenfield High-Speed Corridor aims to contribute to the overall development of Mangaluru and other cities along the route, as well as attract more investments to the coastal city. The project will also benefit the commerce and industry sector in the region by providing major connectivity to the New Mangalore Port. Smart City Projects: 33 projects under Smart City Mission are under progress in the city, four of which are being taken up under PPP mode under Smart City. 55 projects have already been completed. Of the Rs 1,000 crore grants received under Smart City Mission, Rs 745 crore has been utilised. The construction of the road underbridge (RuB) at the Jeppu Mahakalipadpu railway-level crossing which was a long-pending demand is in progress. The RuB is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 49.95 crore. The railways have promised to complete the work on RuB at Mahakalipadpu by May 2024 while the approach road is said to be completed by April 2024 as per the tender conditions. Riverfront Project: The project is being taken up at a cost of Rs 185.48 crore. The major features of the project are promenade development from Nethravati railway bridge (near Morgans Gate) to Bolar Sea face to a distance of 2.1 km. Further, a water jetty will come up, Sulthan Bathery area will be developed, a hanging bridge will be constructed at Sulthan Bathery, and other tasks will be taken up. Seven jetties will be taken up under the first phase of river front project from Nethravati bridge till Kuloor. Damoh Lok Sabha constituency, located in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, is one of the 29 parliamentary constituencies in the state. Classified as a General category seat, it encompasses parts of Chhatarpur and Sagar districts, as well as the entire Damoh district. The constituency comprises eight legislative Assembly segments, including Deori, Rehli, Banda, Malhara, Pathariya, Damoh, Jabera and Hatta (SC). The constituency will vote in phase two on April 26. Current MP: Prahlad Singh Patel of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014, preceded by Shivraj Bhaiya of BJP Candidates: Rahul Lodhi (BJP), Tarwar Singh Lodhi (Congress) POLITICAL DYNAMICS Its a two-way contest between the BJP and the Congress in Damoh. While this seat has remained a BJP bastion since 1989, what makes this contest interesting is that up against each other are former friends. In the 2023 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP scored seven seats, while the Congress bagged one. Where the BJP stands: Damoh has been a BJP bastion for the past 35 years. Ruled by Ramkrishna Kusmaria through the 90s and until 2004, Damoh was led by Chandrabandhan Bhaiya until 2009 and Shivraj Bhaiya until 2014. In 2014, Patel took over and went on to serve for the next 10 years. In 2014, Patel won the seat with a lead of 2.13 lakh votes and a vote share of 25.75%. In 2019, he humbled his Congress rival with a lead of 3.53 lakh votes and a vote share of 60.5%. Patel is a five-time MP twice from Seoni, once from Balaghat and twice from Damoh. He is a political heavyweight with tremendous sway among the electorate. It is often said that winning Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh is more difficult than winning a Lok Sabha seat. In 2023, when the BJP prioritised retaining the state at all costs, several MPs were roped in to leverage their heft at the state level. The Narsinghpur-born advocate was fielded in Narsinghpur, which he successfully secured for the party and was appointed as the Panchayat Rural Development and Labour Minister in the state cabinet. Rahul Lodhi: The BJP has picked former Congress leader Rahul Singh Lodhi as its candidate from Damoh. Lodhi is up against his old friend Tarwar Singh Lodhi from the Congress. Rahul Lodhi is a former MLA from the Khargapur assembly seat, which he won in 2018 on a Congress ticket, defeating BJP leader Jayant Malaiya by a very close margin of 798 votes. He switched to the BJP during Jyotiraditya Scindias split from the Congress. He later lost a by-poll for Damoh Assembly seat in 2020 to Congresss Ajay Tandon by 17,000 votes. Lodhi accused Jayant Malaiya of sabotaging his election. The BJP took disciplinary action against Malaiya and his son for anti-party activities. It is said that Lodhi is close to Patel and was roped in to cut Malaiya to size. This may explain why he was selected as Patels Lok Sabha successor. Lodhi is campaigning door-to-door in an energetic campaign bolstered by BJP cadres. In its campaign, the Congress has deemed Rahul Lodhi as a saleable candidate, however, there is little damage to the BJPs campaign owing to the larger Modi factor. Modi factor and Hindutva: There is a strong Modi wave at play here in Damoh and the Congresss anti-Hindu image has not helped it. People in Damoh are highly religious and lean strongly towards PM Modi as they relate to his religious side. The Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony was celebrated in every nook and corner in Damoh. Welfare schemes such as Awas Yojana, free ration, Ayushman Bharat and Kisan Samman Nidhi have made a significant impact in favour of the Modi wave. The Ladli Behna Yojana initiated by the state, where women receive Rs 1,250 per month, is another major contributor to the positive atmosphere for the BJP. What may help BJP: The Lodhi vote bank, often touted as the deciding factor in elections, is leaning largely towards the BJP. ST voters, comprising 13% of the electorate, will split between parties with a larger chunk falling in the BJPs kitty. Traditionally, a vote bank of the Congress, the ST communities in Damoh have been drawn to the BJP for its outreach, favourable schemes and to the nations President who comes from the Murmu ST community. In 2023, the BJP bagged seven of the eight Assembly seats, with heavy winning margins. In total, the party secured 51.1% of the vote share, while the Congress had 33.8%. This trend is expected to continue in 2024. Where Congress stands: The Congress has appointed Tarvar Singh Lodhi as its candidate from Damoh. Lodhi is a former MLA from Banda seat in Damoh, which he held between 2018 and 2023. He later lost the seat to BJPs Virendra Lodhi by a huge margin of 35,000 votes. He is said to be close to Congress leader Kamal Nath and well-known Congress leader Jitu Patwari has been campaigning for him. Lodhi recently got emotional at one such rally, reflecting his soft image. He is perceived as a polite and honourable leader, a factor which is expected to pull votes for him. However, unlike his opponent who is bolstered by Modi magic, Lodhi does not have a strong national leadership to rely on. In fact, the leadership of the Congress is perceived to be anti-Hindu here, which dampens the chances of local candidates. While the Congress refused to attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony earlier this year, local leaders were found, in stark contrast, organising events and pujas to woo Hindu voters. Another challenge facing Lodhi is a purported lack of funds to sustain a grand campaign and compete with the BJP. What may help Congress: The Malhara seat, led by Congress MLA Bahin Ramsiya Bharti, is expected to lean towards the party. Moreover, the Muslim vote bank is also expected to vote for the Congress. However, constituting only about 3.1% of the total voter population, the Muslim vote bank will not be the deciding factor in Damoh. A section of Lodhis will vote for the Congress owing to Tarwar Singhs appeal. KEY ELECTION ISSUES Unemployment and migration: Unemployment is a major issue in Damoh, a largely rural state, with no industries to account for. Four-five lakh people migrate from the constituency to other parts of the country to find jobs, leaving their aged parents behind in the villages. Lack of industries: There is an acute lack of industries in Damoh. The Mycem Cement factory is the only major factory set up here, however, it faces allegations that not enough locals are given employment in the factory. Rail connectivity: Several Assembly constituencies here are not connected by rail and better connectivity has been a long-standing demand of people. People also demand trains to Nagpur where many have found employment opportunities as well as an option for medical treatment. Air connectivity: Air connectivity is another issue as the closest airport is over 100 kilometres away in Jabalpur. Farmers issues: There is some notable discontent in the farmer community which seeks better revenues and better MSPs for their crop. Moreover, the crop insurance scheme they avail is not sufficient to alleviate their woes during crop failure. Poor irrigation facilities worsen their struggles. Debt is another problem that leads to farmer suicides in Damoh. Drinking water issues: High fluoride and iron content in groundwater which is used directly for drinking purposes causes health issues in villages across the region. Health and education infrastructure also lie in poor health in the constituency. DEMOGRAPHICS Total Voters (2019): 17,62,359 Urban Voters: 18.3% Rural Voters: 81.8% Literacy Rate: 60.63% Social Composition SC: 19.5% ST: 13% Religious Composition Hindu: 94% Muslim: 3.1% Jain: 2.07% INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an election rally in Rajasthan, hit out at the Karnataka government over the incident of a shopkeeper being brutally beaten for playing Hanuman Chalisa at his shop. He also reiterated that the Congress manifesto promised redistribution of wealth among infiltrators. PM Modi added that after his speech, Congress ko mirchi lag gayi (sarcastic way of saying that they were offended). Charged that it is difficult to follow ones faith under Congress rule, PM Narendra Modi told a public gathering in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Even listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes crime under Congress rule. Rajasthan has been its suffererFor the first time on Ram Navami this time, Shobha Yatra procession was taken out in Rajasthan. In a state like Rajasthan where people chant Ram-Ram, Congress banned Ram Navami. His remarks come on a day when the country is celebrating Hanuman Jayanti. Referring to the redistribution of wealth remarks made by him at a rally in Rajasthans Banswara on Sunday, the prime minister said it has angered the Congress and INDI Alliance so much that they have started abusing Modi everywhere I have put forth the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your wealth and distribute it among the select people, he said at a rally in Tonk. Two-three days ago, I exposed this vote bank politics of Congress as appeasement politics; this has angered Congress and its INDI Alliance so much that they have started abusing Modi everywhere, he said while asking why the Congress is scared of the truth and hiding its policies. It is written in their manifesto that they will survey the wealth. Their leader had said in a speech that X-ray of wealth will be done, he said, adding, When Modi exposed the secret, your hidden agenda came out and you are trembling. (with inputs from PTI) Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Home to the famous Mount Abu, the Jalore Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 25 parliamentary constituencies in Rajasthan, and is categorised as a general seat. It encompasses the Jalore, Sirohi and Sanchore districts. Currently, the Jalore Lok Sabha constituency consists of eight Legislative Assembly segments, including Ahore, Jalore (SC), Bhinmal, Sanchore, Raniwara, Sirohi, Pindwara-Abu (ST), and Reodar (SC). The constituency will vote in phase two on April 26. Current MP: Devji Patel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2009, preceded by B Susheela of BJP (2004) and Buta Singh of Congress (1998-2004) Candidates: Lumbaram Choudhary (BJP) and Vaibhav Gehlot (Congress) POLITICAL DYNAMICS Its a close contest between the BJP and Congress in the Lok Sabha seat of Jalore. While the Congress has fielded a high-profile candidate former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots son, Vaibhav, the BJP has nominated a low-profile grassroots level leader with humble beginnings. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP bagged four seats, the Congress bagged one and one went to an independent candidate who later extended his support to the BJP. The contest was tight in every seat, with the Congress scoring a total vote share of 42.1%, slightly higher than the BJPs 41.6%. BJP bastion: Jalore has been with the BJP for the past two decades. In 1989, the BJP breached what had been a Congress bastion for decades, under Kailash Meghwal. Then in 2004, the BJPs B Susheela defeated Congress three-time MP and popular leader Buta Singh. In 2009, Devji Patel took over and went on to serve three consecutive terms. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Devji Patel secured victory over Congresss Ratan Dewasi with a substantial margin of 2,61,110 votes. Patel garnered 56.76% of the total votes, while Dewasi secured 37.58%. Anti-incumbency against Patel had been brewing for quite some time in Jalore. This time around, Devji Patel was denied a ticket after he faced a crushing defeat at the hands of independent candidate Jivaram Choudhary in the Sanchore Assembly seat last year. Patel lost his security deposit, slipping to third place. Jivaram Choudhary later extended his support to the BJP, however, he maintained an anti-Patel stance, which is said to have influenced the partys decision to deny the three-time MP another run. Fresh candidate: The BJP has chosen Lumbaram Choudhary as its candidate from Jalore, which came as a surprise to many, including those in the party. Choudhary is from the crucial Choudhary-Patel community and has served in the party for decades since the eighties. He has been a pradhan of the Sirohi Panchayat Samiti and is a two-time president of BJPs Sirohi unit. He is a grassroots leader who comes from a humble background. Choudhary is said to have waited patiently for his chance and was not miffed when he was denied a ticket in the Assembly elections last year. It is a well-known fact that his wife and he live a frugal village life, which has propelled him into the image of a desirable, non-controversial candidate. Choudharys association with the Kisan Morcha and his decades-long work in the Jalore-Sirohi region are powerful factors working in his favour. Modi Magic and Hindutva: In this part of Rajasthan, the Modi wave remains strong. Jat issues, such as those reverberating in the Shekhawati belt, do not find resonance here. Instead, political winds from neighbouring Gujarat have substantial influence here. Welfare schemes such as Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Kisan Samman Nidhi and others have nurtured the Prime Ministers image as a PM whose work shows. Development-wise, too, Jalore has seen significant improvements, including improved highway connectivity. Hindutva politics also resonates with a large portion of voters with the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony finding approval among masses. Strongholds: An estimated 4-5 lakh votes, where the Patel-Choudhary community swings, are often a deciding factor in the elections. Lumbaram Choudhary comes from this community and will draw the bulk of this vote against his opponent who is from the Mali community. Rajput, Rajpurohit and Brahmin voters, being a core constituency of the BJP, comprise a considerable share of votes. The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (including Rabaris), together forming 35.5% of the vote, may split largely in favour of the BJP. The party can expect substantial support from the Assembly seats of Jalore (SC), Sirohi and Pindwara-Abu (ST), which it secured with large margins in 2023. It has also found support in Sanchore. Challenges for BJP: So far, the Congress campaign is going exceptionally well. The Congress is attempting to stir up an anti-Chaudhary Patel sentiment with hopes to polarise voters from other communities. The Congress has also cultivated goodwill among non-resident people from Jalore, which may spell trouble for the BJP. Anti-incumbency is a serious concern for the party. The BJPs grip over this bastion has progressively declined, with seven assembly seats in 2013 dropping to six in 2018 and four in 2023, while the Congress makes inroads. Where Congress stands: The Congress has fielded former state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots son, Vaibhav Gehlot, as its candidate from Jalore. 44-year-old Vaibhav Gehlot has come to Jalore after losing to Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. With Vaibhav Gehlots political career yet to take off, his father is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a victory. Ashok Gehlot has focused most of his campaign energy on this seat to ensure that his son is elected. Vaibhav Gehlot has launched a charm-offensive of late. Most recently, he touched his opponent, Lumabaram Choudharys feet when they came face-to-face in Chotila village. Moreover, in an innovative move, Gehlot has shared a Vachan Patra, or a manifesto for Jalore. The manifesto covers promises such as sending 20 meritorious students abroad for higher education, 10,000 jobs every six months, a central university, rail line between Jalore and Sirohi, air strips, special granite trains, 100 new start-ups and more. Strengths: Anti-incumbency against the BJP may benefit Gehlot as the constituency seeks a serious leader who can finally bring development to the seat. So far, Jalore has produced very few leaders who made a mark in state politics. The former chief ministers direct interest in the otherwise neglected Jalore offers people a rare chance at claiming their place on the states map. Interestingly, Gehlot said that his manifesto accommodates all suggestions of non-resident people from Jalore constituency. Non-resident or Pravasi people from Jalore and Sirohi districts form a very large and affluent community, which is invested in the political happenings in their homeland. Not only do they return to cast their votes in election season, but they also donate to party funds, playing a pivotal role in election outcomes. Observers report that Ashok Gehlot has cultivated goodwill among the Pravasis, who could swing the election in his sons favour. In fact, many members of the Gehlot family are actively campaigning for Vaibhav. Their pitch is focused on electing a leader from the Mali community for a change as against the Choudhary-Patel community. Three-time CM Ashok Gehlot is a favourite of the Mali community and is expected to draw most of the Mali votes which are estimated to stand at a little under a lakh votes. Moreover, Gehlot is expected to pull the 9.7% Muslim vote. He is also relying on parts of the SC and ST vote share, with the hopes that his government, formerly in power between 2018 and 2023, may have cultivated goodwill with its many schemes focused on their benefit. One notable scheme of the previous government was the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance scheme for free medical treatment of up to Rs 25 lakh. Seats like Raniwara where the Congress won with a large margin in 2023, will lean towards it. Challenges: The BJP is raising the issue of dynasty politics and putting to question Vaibhav Gehlots credibility before an experienced Choudhary. Suspicions of corruption also affect his image. Last year, the Enforcement Directorate questioned Vaibhav Gehlot in a foreign exchange violation case against Triton Hotels and Resorts and Vardha Enterprises. KEY ISSUES Dependence on Gujarat: Sharing its border with Gujarat, the Jalore LS constituency is excessively dependent on the neighbouring state for solutions to their problems as subsequent state leaderships fail to take up their issues. Jalore is dominated by communities whose main source of income is dairy farming, including Dewasis, Rebari, Meghwal Lohars and Bhils. These communities rely on Gujarat to sell their produce as Rajasthan lacks the policies to push for milk processing units locally. People here also travel outside to find work or medical treatment in Gujarat. Low literacy rate among women: Jalore and Sirohi districts report very low literacy rates, especially among women. As per the 2011 census, females in Jalore had a literacy rate of 38, which is the lowest in Rajasthan. Sirohi presented a similar number at 39.73%. Drinking water crisis: As is the case in many rural areas of the country, the problem of high fluoride content in drinking water is a matter of serious concern for the people. Farmers issues: Insufficient MSP and crop insurance benefits are concerns for farmers here. Irrigation facilities are also found lacking substantially, affecting farmers incomes. Poor rail connectivity: Sirohi is yet to be connected by rail. Neither the BJP nor the Congress governments have so far managed to connect the two towns of Jalore and Sirohi by rail, which cause significant issues for the public as well as administrative challenges. Poor road connectivity: Jalore, Sanchore and Sirohi still lack proper bus transportation infrastructure, leaving residents facing daily hardships. Many villages in the district suffer from inadequate roadways and bus facilities, hindering access to public welfare schemes. These include provisions for free travel for women and fare discounts. Moreover, college students from villages like Bagoda, have to go through a lot of hardships to reach their destination every day. No focus on Tourism: Jalore and Sirohi districts in Rajasthan are renowned for their religious tourism, boasting of famous temples. In fact, the city of Sirohi is called Dev Nagri owing to its many ancient temples and religious sites. However, the region lacks essential facilities such as an airport, which hampers the promotion of tourism. Unfortunately, elected representatives have made little effort to address this pressing issue. Demand for airport: The nearest airport is in Jodhpur. It has been a longstanding demand of the people, especially the well-off non-resident community, so they can travel back and forth easily. An airport would also significantly boost tourism here. Voter Demographics (2011 Census) Total Voters (2019): 20,60,030 Urban Voters: 12.5% Rural Voters: 87.5% Literacy Rate: 45.61% Social Composition SC: 19.7% ST: 15.8% Religious Composition Hindu: 89.7% Muslim: 9.7% Jain: 0.6% Infrastructure Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Name Of Those Who Donated Remained Anonymous, Says Congress Leader Priyanka Gandhi Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi spoke about electoral bonds while addressing a public meeting in Bengaluru. Recently electoral bonds scheme was brought and no matter how much chanda vasooli they did, the name of those who used to donate remained anonymous, she said. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Efforts To Weaken Democracy, Says Priyanka Gandhi Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, while addressing a public rally in Bengaluru, said, Every year theres efforts to weaken democracy, reduce your power. They are speaking about changing the constitution. Throught this your power will be reduced because our Constitution says everyone is equal. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Kiren Rijiju, Nisith Pramanik & Suvendu Adhikari Hold Roadshow In Siliguri's Hill Cart Road #WATCH | West Bengal: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister Nisith Pramanik and West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari hold a roadshow at Siliguri's Hill cart road in support of Raju Bista, BJP candidate from Darjeeling constituency. pic.twitter.com/mVb2LLSwhW ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: NDA Going To Get 400 Seats, Says Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari hit out at the opposition and said, They question the EVM. The EVM was fine when the Congress won the elections in Karnataka and Telangana. NDA is going to get 400 seats Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Kerala MLA Demands Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi's DNA Test An Independent Kerala MLA, PV Anwar, backed by ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) stirred controversy after he termed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to be a low-level citizen, asking him to undergo a DNA test. Irked by Gandhis comments against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, the Nilambur MLA said, I am part of Wayanad, which is Rahul Gandhis constituency. I cant call him by the surname of Gandhi. He has turned into such a low-level citizen who does not deserve to be called by the Gandhi surname, India Today reported. He said that its not him who is saying so, rather it is the people of the nation who have been saying this for the last couple of days. He further attacked the Congress leader and said, Will there be members like this in the Nehru family? Can someone, who was born in the Nehru family, say that? I have high doubts about it. I am of the opinion that Rahul Gandhis DNA should be tested. Rahul did not have any right to grow as Jawaharlal Nehrus grandson. Things have come to a point where we should think whether Rahul Gandhi is an agent of PM Modi, Anwar was quoted as saying. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Scaring Minorities To Get Votes Is Congress' Old Strategy, Says Himanta Biswa Sarma Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while addressing a public rally in Nagaon LS constituency, said that scaring Muslims and getting their votes is an old strategy of Congress, which is not working this time. Nagaon Lok Sabha pic.twitter.com/kccGV9ADnL Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) April 23, 2024 Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar Holds Roadshow In Brother's Support Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar held a roadshow in support of his brother and Congress Bangalore rural candidate DK Suresh on Tuesday. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Police Conduct Flag March In Mangaluru Ahead Of Polls Police conducted a flag march on the streets of Mangaluru city ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: BJP Mandi Candidate Kangana Ranaut Holds Roadshow In Pali BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut held a roadshow in Rajasthans Pali on Tuesday. #WATCH | BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut holds roadshow in Pali, Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/D1gZ7wqDGa ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: How Many People Will Congress Expel For Supporting PM Modi? Asks Amit Malviya BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya took a swipe at the Congress for expelling WB Congress State General secretary Binoy Tamang for six years. This came after Tamang extended support to BJP Darjeeling LS candidate Raju Bista instead of Congress candidate. How many people will Congress expel for supporting Prime Minister Modi? Malviya asked. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Congress Expels West Bengal General Secretary For Anti-Party Activities The Congress has expelled its West Bengal general secretary Binoy Tamang for six years for anti-party activities. This came just moments after Tamang pledged support for the BJP, 72 hours before Darjeeling polling. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Congress Completely Swept, BJP Winning, Says UP Deputy CM UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that the Congress party is completely swept. The BJP is winning in Amethi with a huge majority again The record of the previous election would be broken Samajwadi Partys PDA is Parivar Development Authority. Samajwadi Party is derailed and delusional. They do not have a policy or agenda, he added. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Sachin Pilot Confidence Of INDIA Bloc's Performance; Says BJP On Back Foot Congress leader Sachin Pilot said that he is confident of the Congress party, the UDF and the INDIA blocs performace in the elections, adding that the first round of elections have shown that the BJP is on the back foot. The real core issues of people matter. By distracting the people and talking about contentious issues, divisive issues will not yield any benefits, Pilot added. The speeches of the BJP leaders are also very alarmist and we know that they have sensed something is wrong. Therefore they all talk about religion and Hindu-Muslim is only a ploy to distract the people. In Kerala, with the peoples blessings, we hope to win all 20 seats the Congress leader. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Have To Win All Seats, Says Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy Interacting with YSRCP party cadre in Visakhapatnams Pedipalem district, Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy said, We have to win all 25 MP seats and 175 Assembly seats. Not even a single seat can be lost. Even if there are plots and conspiracies against your brother Jagan, he has no fear. The god is above and below it is you all who are standing with your brother. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Public Has Trust Only On BJP, Says PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Mahasamund, said, Voting for Bastar seat was held in our Chhattisgarh on 19th April. Voting was also held in other states of the country and the first phase of voting has made things clear. The mind of the country speaks to make a powerful developed India and a strong government has to be formed, hence the public has trust only on BJP, he said. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: BJP Announces Tashi Gyalson As Ladakh Candidate The BJP announced Tashi Gyalson to be the candidate from Ladakh constituency, replacing the current MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal from the seat. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Rahul Gandhi Leader Of Entire Country, Says Mallikarjun Kharge Addressing a rally in Wayanad, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said that Rahul Gandhis leadership is not only limited to Wayanad, but he is leader of the entire country. Today we stand at a crucial junction in our nations history where the very soul of our country is under attack, Kharge said, adding that Accounts of the Congress party have been frozen while the BJP has illegally collected Rs 13,000 crores in donations through the illegal electoral bonds Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: PM Modi Slams Congress In Chhattisgarh Addressing a public rally in Chhattisgarhs Mahasamund, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that how can Chhattisgarh trust Congress, when even Delhi doesnt trust it anymore. Jis Congress se Delhi ka bharosa tak uth gaya ho, uspar Chhattisgarh bharosa kaise kar sakta hai? Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Clean Sweep For NDA, Says BJP TN Chief Annamalai BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai exuded confidence over the partys win in Karnataka and said that we are seeing a very clear positive trend that this time it will be a clean sweep for NDA. We will get 28 out of 28 seats. The reason is very simple, the people of Karnataka love PM Modi. This will be the best-ever performance of NDA in the Southern part of our countryOn June 4, PM Modi is going to win across all states and in all corners of the country he added. BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday promised to work for a separate state comprising districts of western Uttar Pradesh and fulfil the longstanding demand of setting up a bench of the Allahabad High Court in Meerut, if voted to power at the Centre. Addressing an election rally in support of her party nominee from the Meerut Lok Sabha seat, the BSP chief attacked the Congress and BJP and also targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) on the issue of reservation, alleging the SP does not want the people belonging to SC/ST communities to get quota benefits. She also said that her party, if voted to power, will work to fulfil the demands and address problems of the region. We will take positive steps with regards to your longstanding demand of a Allahabad High Court bench here in Meerut like that in Lucknow, she said. The central government has not been paying attention to it but when we come to power at the Centre, we will take positive steps in this regard, Mayawati said. Referring to how her government in Uttar Pradesh had passed a resolution for a separate state, which was sent to the Centre, she said, Since the beginning, our party has been of the view that the western region should be made a separate state for better development of the region. We had got a resolution passed by the state assembly and sent to the central government but they did not act on it. When our party comes to power at the Centre, your western UP will be made a separate state, she said. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that the quota facility meant for the Dalits, adivasis (STs) and OBCs in government jobs has not been filled up in the country for years and the quota in promotions for the SCs/STs has also been made ineffective. I want to remind the members of the SCs/STs that when the SP was in power in Uttar Pradesh, it had ended reservation in promotions. Will the members of these sections give even a single vote to them and waste it on a party which is bent upon finishing their reservation. The SP does not want SC/ST people to get full benefits of reservation, she said. She also alleged that when an amendment bill for reservation in promotions was presented in the Rajya Sabha, the SP MPs had torn it. Will such Samajwadi Party do good for the Dalits and shoshits (exploited class)? Not only this, the districts, parks, universities that we (BSP government) had made in the name of great men belonging to these sections of society were mostly changed by the subsequent Samajwadi Party government, she said. She also alleged that like the Congress, the BJPs casteist and pro-capitalist thinking and policies have not helped in ensuring the real development and uplift of the poor, Dalits, adivasis, backwards, Muslims and other religious minorities among the sarv samaj. Telling her voters that in these Lok Sabha elections, the Congress, BJP and their supporting parties have to be stopped from coming to power, she alleged their wrong policies and working style has been tried by all. She also warned against the saam, daam, dand, bhed policies allegedly being adopted by these parties to attain power. Seeking vote for her party nominee from Meerut, Mayawati said unlike the past elections when her party had fielded Muslim candidates, it has this time given ticket to Devvrat Tyagi. In Meerut, the BJP has fielded Arun Govil. Samajwadi Partys Sunita Verma and BSPs Devvrat Kumar Tyagi are the other prominent candidates in the fray. The BSP chief, who reached Aligarh several hours late due to bad weather, said that voters from the Aligarh Lok Sabha seat had many times made BJPs Brahmin community candidate successful, but the public was not satisfied with his working style. She said that had the public not got an alternative, they would have let him (BJP MP from Aligarh, Satish Gautam) win out of compulsion, but by giving a candidate from the Brahmin community, we have given an alternative to them, who stands with the public during their happiness and sorrows. Regarding Aligarhs BSP candidate Hitendra Upadhyay, she said that not only Brahmins, but people from all sections of society and the Muslim community also came to Lucknow and recommended his name for the partys ticket. In the Aligarh meeting itself, she also appealed for the victory of Hathras (SC) Lok Sabha seat candidate Hem Babu of the Dhangar community. Also, explaining the reason for fielding a Jat candidate from Mathura, Mayawati said the people of the constituency wanted that an educated local person should be their candidate, and not an outsider, so we have made Suresh Singh the candidate from Mathura. In Aligarh, there are 14 candidates in the fray, including BJPs Satish Kumar Gautam, SPs Bijendra Singh and Hitendra Kumar Upadhyay of the BSP. Voting in the second phase will take place on April 26 and it will cover eight parliamentary constituencies of Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambuddh Nagar, Bulandshahr (SC), Aligarh and Mathura. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees tirade against her INDIA bloc allies continues at the state level, but had the opposition front been successful in convincing the Trinamool Congress, it could have been in pole position in six Lok Sabha seats as part of the seat-sharing pact. The BJP has two eyes in Bengal, the Congress and CPM, who want to divide minority vote, the chief minister said on Tuesday, in a fresh attack against the Congress and Left, which is contesting together in the state. But, the division of minority votes among INDIA bloc allies is a cause for concern in the face of a major challenge by the BJP. Experts said a favourable seat-sharing pact could have got the INDIA bloc Murshidabad, Malda North, Malda South, Raiganj, Jangipur and Baharampur in northern Bengal. The TMC, as well as the Congress and CPM are putting in all effort into these six seats, as the minority factor will play a significant role. In fact, the Congress and Left can even think of winning one of them. These six seats will go to polls in the second, third and fourth phases of the Lok Sabha elections. What is the history of Malda-Murshidabad-Dinajpur belt? Traditionally, these seats were a Congress stronghold. In Baharampur, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury still holds the fort, while Jangipur belonged to former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee; but, his son Abhijit Mukherjee came third last time. Raiganj was the constituency of Congress minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi while Malda essentially voted in the name of former minister ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. However, except Baharampur, the Congress ceased to exist in any of these seats and lost its dominance, but still gets some votes out of this area. Experts further said last time, too, the minority votes were divided to an extent and the BJP gained from Raiganj and Malda North. Last time, when Khagen Murmu won from Malda North, the BJP won by a margin of over 84,298 votes. The TMC won 4,25,226 votes while the Congress won 3,05,270 and the Left won 50,401. Now, if we add all the votes that the TMC, Congress and Left won in 2019, it would be more than the number of votes the BJP received. So, had the alliance been successful, there was a big chance of defeating the BJP here. In these seats, the Congress and Left are fighting together, and it looks like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Md Salim may win from Baharampur and Jangipur, respectively. But, the TMC is leaving no stone unturned to campaign that the anti-BJP vote should not go to the Congress and Left. On Eid, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said: Dont give vote to others as they are here with the BJP. The INDIA alliance is in Delhi, but here we are only fighting against the BJP. Why is the TMC campaigning against the Congress? Though the Congress strength has reduced from this area, a sudden win by the party in the Sagardighi bypoll in 2023 projected another side. The TMC has got most of the minority vote since 2011, and the results in 130 minority-dominated seats show its domination. Sagardighi, which is in Jangipur constituency of Murshidabad, has more than 60 per cent minority domination and suddenly chose to favour the Congress. This was a cause for alarm within the TMC. The Congress vote share in the bypoll was 47 per cent. Until then, the grand old party had no representation in the state legislative assembly. The bypoll was necessitated after the death of Sagardighis TMC MLA in 2022. Bayron Biswas of the Congress won the seat, but soon joined the TMC thereafter. Now, it remains to be seen if the minority votes go to INDIA bloc this time. Though Chowdhury has been winning from the Baharampur seat since 1999, the TMC was leading in four out seven assembly segments in his constituency in 2019. But, since he had a massive lead in Baharampur, it helped him win the seat. This is why the TMC has fielded Yusuf Pathan here to give a good fight to Chowdhury, experts said. In 2019, Chowdhury got 45 per cent of the votes and, in 2014, 50 per cent. So, the third phase of the elections will be interesting as the TMC, Congress and the Left will give a tough fight to each other, while the BJP waits in the wings to derive maximum benefits. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his gold and mangalsutra remarks, saying her mother Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her mangalsutra for the country. What talks are happening in this country? Two days back there were speeches that Congress wants to snatch your mangalsutra. This country has been free for the past 75 years, and 55 years Congress was in power. Did Congress ever snatch your gold or mangalsutra?, she asked at an election rally here. Priyanka was referring to Modis allegations that the Congress plans to give peoples hard-earned money and valuables to infiltrators and those who have more children alluding to Muslims in his campaign speech in Rajasthan yesterday and would steal the gold of mothers and sisters if voted to power. In a sharp attack on Modi, Priyanka said: When there was war, Indira Gandhi (her grandmother and former prime minister) donated her gold. She further said, My mothers mangalsutra was sacrificed for this country, referring to the assassination of her father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by terrorists. Had Narendra Modi understood the importance of mangalsutra, he would not have spoken such unethical things, she added. Priyanka said womens spirit of service is the foundation of all traditions of India. The women do not sleep until everyone is asleep in the family and when there is trouble in the family, women mortgage their ornaments, she said. Women will prefer sleeping hungry rather than letting others sleep on an empty stomach. These people (BJP) do not know her struggle. When the farmer is in debt, his wife mortgages her mangalsutra. When there is a daughters marriage or health problems in the family, the woman mortgages her jewels, she underlined. Remarking that Modi does not understand the struggle of women, Priyanka asked where he was when womens savings were taken away and they were asked to deposit it in the banks because of his action of imposing the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes in November 2016. She asked where the prime minister was when migrant workers were stuck in many cities due to Covid-induced lockdowns without food, and women had to mortgage their jewels. During the farmers agitation, 600 farmers died. Did Modi give a thought on the mangalsutra of those women? When a woman was paraded naked in Manipur before the entire nation, why was Modi silent and not think of her mangalsutra? Priyanka asked. Today, only for the election you are talking about women like this, only to scare them to get their votes, she said, directing her remarks at Modi. He should be ashamed, the Congress leader said. Lamenting that cheap talk is going on in the country when the enormity of problems is immense, Priyanka asked people to decide what kind of politics they want. You have to decide whether you want Naitik Rajniti (politics of ethics) or Natak Rajniti (politics of drama); Satta ki Rajniti (power politics) or Satya Ki Rajniti (politics of truth); Paropakar (beneficence) or Ahamkar (ego), the Congress general secretary said. She said the time has come for people to think because if you dont wake up, this country will go to the ditch. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala is made up of seven assembly segments: Kanjirappally, Poonjar, Thiruvalla, Ranni, Aranmula, Konni, and Adoor. The seat will have voting on April 26, in the second round of the ongoing seven-phase elections. Anto Antony from the Congress is the incumbent MP here. Voting Factors This is perhaps the only constituency in the state where three Catholics are up against each other. Christians constitute a major chunk of the vote. The BJP aims to unite its appeal among Hindu voters with new Christian votes to increase its vote share. The Hindu population is almost guaranteed to vote for the BJP as per ground reports. However, the big question is whether enough Christians will vote for the party. The Sabarimala temple issue had dominated the 2019 elections, but did not help the BJP win a seat despite the party leading massive protests in the constituency. However, the BJP had seen a drastic increase in vote share from 16% to 29%. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already visited Kerala thrice this year and each time to a huge response. His visit to Pathanamthitta is sure to elicit a good response, especially considering the fact that BJP controls the Pandalam municipality and has support of the erstwhile Pandhalam royal family. In 2019, BJP state president K Surendran put up an impressive performance here, getting over 2 lakh votes. This time, the partys decision to field former Congress chief minister AK Antonys son Anil Antony is being viewed with mixed enthusiasm by cadres and voters. Antony is 37 years of age, an engineer by education, and does not have any proven political record. He has also spent a sizable chunk of his adult life in Delhi, and has very little local connection. His ability to garner Christian votes is questionable. Anils candidacy has evidently miffed Poonjar strongman PC George, who recently joined the BJP in the hope of getting a Lok Sabha berth. George is an outspoken leader and has a good connection with the church. But he is erratic, and neither the UDF nor LDF want him in their fold. George claims he will help Anil Antony connect with voters. But this may be taken with a pinch of salt, say observers. Anil is neither an orator nor seen as someone with original ideas, critics say. His laborious speeches in Malayalam are being made into memes by the cyber trolls of the CPI(M). Anil is competing against Anto Antony, a three-time Congress MP, who is well respected and known for his allegiance to Anils father AK Antony. This may confuse Congress voters, but not by too much. Who AK Antony publicly endorses would be interesting to see. Anto Antony is a strong candidate. He won the seat in 2009 and retained it through the 2014 and 2019 elections. He is well known to have been in the forefront of rescue and relief operations during the 2019 floods, which hit Pathanamthitta very hard. He even turned his house into a distribution centre of relief materials. LDF has fielded former state finance minister Thomas Isaac in the seat. Isaac is a well-known and well-liked person. Although not a native of Pathanamthitta, its likely that he will find strong support among the Christian population. However, ground reports suggest that the LDF is not very confident about Isaacs victory. For one, there is a fear that Anil Antony may not poll as many votes as K Surendran did in 2019. This means that a chunk of these erstwhile BJP votes could move to Anto Antony. There is also palpable anger against the misrule of the Pinarayi Vijayan government. The issue of delayed wages and pensions will have a big impact. Isaac is also facing central probes over the issue of masala bonds during his tenure as finance minister to fund ambitious infrastructure projects through KIIFB. This could work against him. LDF had won all the assembly segments in the constituency during the 2021 state elections, thanks to Kerala Congress (M) switching sides. The Left is hopeful that this would help it in the 2024 election. But among political observers there is also a sense that Vijayan has forced Isaac from virtual retirement to contest, knowing well that he may not win. Isaacs popularity is a matter of discomfiture for Vijayan who has been sidelining most of his rivals in the party. Antos wife belongs to the Pentecostal community from Thiruvalla. A big credit to his past wins can go to this section of votes for him. It is likely that this community will continue to vote for him. Although all the three candidates in the fray are Catholics, the town of Pathanamthitta itself and nearby areas have a strong Orthodox population. The LDF governments move to bring legislation to end a century-old dispute between Orthodox and Jacobites could have some implication in the way this community votes. Voter Demographics Total number of voters (2019): 1,361,358 Urban: 136,136 (10%) Rural: 1,225,222 (90%) SC: 167,447 (12.3%) ST: 13,614 (1%) Christian: 39.66% Hindu: ~55% Muslim: 5.12% Key Constituency Issues Anto Antony has stirred controversy saying that Pakistan had no part in the Pulwama terror attack. This could backfire on him. The MP has claimed that the BJP sacrificed 42 jawans to win the 2019 elections and that the explosives stockpile reached Pulwama with the governments knowledge. Anil Antony has already attacked him for his comments. Sabarimala and its management are a key issue in the constituency. Complete mismanagement by the Travancore Devaswom Board is an old story. But last year, authorities at the shrine struggled to manage huge crowds. A proposal to float a Sabarimala Development Authority is yet to materialise. The shrine has been suffering from unscientific constructions, littering and pollution by pilgrims, and apathy of a state government that only considers it a cash cow. The development of feeder points like Erumeli, Nilackal, etc, has not progressed satisfactorily. Although every year the state budget sets aside a liberal amount for the Sabarimala master plan, much of the work does not materialise due to inefficiencies. Little thought has also gone into whether the eco-sensitive Sabarimala temple can handle the huge number of pilgrims who visit during the November-December season. Keralas fifth airport is coming up in the hills of Erumely. The Rs 3,900-crore project could become a boon for the locals and millions of pilgrims if implemented well. But there is fear that the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport project could go the way of the state governments much touted Silver Line railway project which turned out to be a dud. In 2020, BJP won the Pandalam Municipality, its first municipality win in southern Kerala. Pandalam holds the distinction of being the pilgrimage hub for devotees of Lord Ayyappa. In 2022, despite an outright majority, internal squabbles led to an administrative gridlock in the civic body. Theres an ongoing factional conflict between Susheela Santosh, the municipal chairperson, and councillor KV Prabha. This may negatively impact BJPs fortunes in 2024. Pathanamthitta is one of the few districts in India to have negative growth in population. It has a high population of the elderly, and a high level of migration by Christians who seek greener pastures in Europe and the US. This change in demographics is a matter of great concern as the community loses political weight. Controversies have been ignited by leaders like PC George who have raised an alarm over high birth rate among Muslims, but low ones among Christians and Hindus. He had highlighted Erattupetta as an example where he claims the total population is 40,000 while 38,500 of them are Muslims. While his comments were attacked by the Left and Congress, it has no doubt touched a chord among the Christian population. Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt in Pala in the neighbouring district of Kottayam had faced massive protests in 2021 after his comments on love and narcotics jihad. There have allegedly been some instances of attacks on priests, the latest being in February. Incidentally, PC Georges stronghold Poonjar falls under the Pala Diocese. BJP has been highlighting how the Congress and LDF are silent over the issue. Incidentally, the Muslim community in Pathanamthitta is itself upset with the LDF. The Muslim Jamaat Committee here had earlier declined to participate in CM Pinarayi Vijayans Nava Kerala Sadas mass contact programme. There was also controversy over the fact that no one from the state cabinet came to pay the last respects to the late Justice Fathima Beevi, the first woman Supreme Court Justice. The intrusion of wildlife into farms and residences is a huge issue in this region due to high forest cover. Three weeks ago, a family was attacked by a wild elephant. Last week, a woman fell into a well after being chased by a wild boar. Last year the fear of a tiger had gripped villages near forests. Around 1,200 families who have settled in the Ponthanpuzha-Valiyakavu forest area are facing threat of eviction after the High Court declared the forest as private property. Activists blame it on the state governments failure to present a proper case. The contentious forest area spans about 7,000 acres over Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts. The tribal communities living in forest areas are in abject poverty and facing water scarcity. They also face the threat of eviction which is adding to their woes. One example is the Malapandaram tribe in the Manathodu colony in Pathanamthitta whose members have been evicted from the forests and are living in shacks, without power and at the mercy of government doles. They also face the threat of wild animal attacks. The agricultural sector has suffered badly. The constituency is a major rubber producer. However, farmers are upset over falling prices for the commodity. They feel the LDF government has not done enough to get them fair prices. Like many other parts of Kerala, Pathanamthitta residents are facing a shortage of tap water, especially during the summer months. This is despite the district having some major rivers like Pampa, Achan Kovil and Kallar. Drinking water scarcity has led to calls for modern water treatment plants in the constituency. Key Infrastructure Projects The Sabarimala Greenfield Airport is envisioned as a game-changer for central Travancore. It will serve districts like Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Sabarimala, and Ranni. However, the fruition of this project is under a big question as it is likely to rival both the Adani-run Trivandrum Airport and Cochin International Airport. Pathanamthitta Municipality has submitted a DPR for a transit hub to the central government. It will be constructed under the PPP model at a cost of Rs 100 crore. It will function as a transit hub to all major places including Sabarimala and the proposed Greenfield airport, etc. In January this year, the state government announced a series of development initiatives for Sabarimala. In total, six projects amounting to Rs 376.42 crore have been proposed. These projects encompass the building of bridges at Sannidhanam and Pamba. In 2019, PM Modi announced the Development of Spiritual Circuit: Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple-Aranmula-Sabarimala being implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, GOI. Pathanamthitta General Hospital is set for a facelift as a new multi-storied complex is to be built at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Kerala is also getting a third national highway that will connect Thiruvananthapuram to the central districts including Pathanamthitta. The proposed 257-km-long highway, built by NHAI, will pass through Konni and Ranni. Key State Issues CAA: The response to the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, could have far-reaching implications in these elections. 2019 had marked aggressive protests sponsored by Islamist outfits. This led to fear among Christians and Hindus. If similar protests break out after the CAA notification, there is a risk of a similar situation arising. However, some Muslim leaders in Kerala have been advocating against protests, preferring to challenge the law in court. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayans declaration that the CAA will not be implemented in Kerala, is simply bluster as he lacks the authority to refuse to implement a law passed by Parliament. Pinarayi Losing Goodwill: Pinarayi Vijayans government has squandered away the praise it earned for its handling of the 2018 floods and Covid-19 pandemic. Despite achieving a repeat mandate in 2021, dissatisfaction with the current administration is palpable among the electorate. The CMs brusque communication style has drawn criticism. Attempts to engage with the public, such as the Nava Kerala Sadas have backfired. These factors have contributed to a decline in the governments popularity. Runaway Exchequer: A significant issue affecting the upcoming elections is the state governments inability to pay salaries, leading to widespread discontent among government employees. While the Kerala government blames the Centre, it has struggled to convince voters. Excessive spending has exacerbated financial strain. Scams and Scandals: Since 2020, Pinarayi Vijayans administration has faced mounting allegations of corruption and misconduct. Accusations related to the gold smuggling scandal and misuse of power by government officials have tarnished the governments reputation. The alleged involvement of the CMs family members in controversial dealings has triggered a political uproar and legal scrutiny. Crime & Political High-handedness: Incidents of political violence and police inaction have marred Pinarayi Vijayans tenure as chief minister. High-profile cases, including assaults on opposition activists and suppression of dissent, have raised concerns about the governments commitment to upholding law and order. Campus Violence: Political violence on college campuses has become a pervasive issue, reflecting broader tensions within Keralas higher education sector. Incidents of student harassment and intimidation have raised questions about the role of political parties in shaping campus dynamics. CM vs Governor: Tensions between Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and the state government have intensified, primarily over political appointments and campus governance. Disputes over legislative bills and administrative decisions have strained the relationship between the two offices, leading to administrative gridlock. Civic Issues & Infrastructure: Despite Keralas high urban population, civic issues such as garbage disposal, stray dogs, and flooding remain pressing concerns in many areas including Palakkad and Pathanamthitta. Migration and Demographic Shifts: Kerala has witnessed significant outward migration over the years, leading to demographic changes and social shifts within the state. Theres a noticeable demographic shift, with increasing Islamic influence on Keralas business landscape and a rise in radicalisation within the Muslim community. Man vs Wild: Recent incidents of human-wildlife conflict have emerged as significant issues impacting the elections. Rampant conflicts between humans and wildlife, particularly in constituencies like Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Wayanad, and Kannur, have become emotive topics for political discourse. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. The Sangli Lok Sabha seat will see a triangular fight between the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances, as well as rebel Congress leader Vishal Patil, who will be contesting as an independent candidate. This seat had since the beginning of talks remained a bone of contention for allies Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Sangli will vote on May 7, in the third round of the ongoing seven-phase elections, for which the last date to withdraw nomination forms was April 22. Some expected that Vishal Patil would take back his nomination form and help the MVA fight against BJPs Sanjaykaka Patil from the Mahayuti. However, Vishal Patil decided that he would be in the fray as an independent contestant. Sangli was for years seen as a bastion of the Congress, but BJPs Sanjaykaka Patil wrested the seat in 2014 and retained it in 2019. So Uddhav Thackeray decided that his party Shiv Sena (UBT) would contest the seat this time from the MVA. While declaring a candidate, Thackeray purportedly did not inform other members of the alliance, which angered many local Congress leaders who approached the party high command for a solution. However, when on April 9, the day of Gudi Padwa, MVA allies announced their seat-sharing formula, Shiv Sena (UBT) kept the Sangli seat. This development left Congress leaders from Sangli like Vishwajeet Kadam, Vishal Patil, and others miffed, said observers. Patil decided to file his nomination and wait for the partys AB form to contest. But when he didnt get the form from the party, he decided to fight the election as an independent candidate. Sources said local Congress leaders were asked by the top leadership to convince Vishal Patil, but their efforts failed. MVA insiders feel that Vishal Patil may split the votes and ultimately help BJP candidate Sanjaykaka Patil. Sources within the Congress said that on April 25, the state leadership of the party will hold a meeting in Sangli. Its the prerogative of the state chief of the Congress to take any action against a leader if he or she doesnt follow the party line. So a decision on Vishal Patils rebellion may emerge at the event. Patil told News18, There was no official communication from the Congress party about withdrawing the form. I am not even contesting against any candidate of the Congress party. Also, I have the full support of the partys local cadre. If someone feels that they have more for the party compared to me and my family, let them say it. About the meeting of the Maharashtra Congress on the 25th of April in Sangli, I have not received any invitation. I have got to know about this meeting through the media. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, most pre-poll surveys predicted a tough fight between Congresss incumbent MP Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Partys Smriti Irani for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. The election result only confirmed this. Rahul lost to Smriti by around 6% of votes. Raebareli and Amethi were two Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh seen as the Gandhi familys bastions for years. 2019 added the Amethi chapter to the Congresss political downfall in the state. Will Raebareli add another chapter this year, with its larger pan-India reflection, as seen with Amethis loss in 2019? Sonia Gandhi, who was the MP from Raebareli till recently, decided not to contest the election this time. She is now a Rajya Sabha member. The seat has been represented in the past by Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi as well. Priyanka Gandhi Vadras name is doing the rounds for this years election to replace Sonia Gandhi, though the Congress is yet to finalise a candidate for this seat. Polls for Amethi and Raebareli are scheduled to take place on May 20, in the fifth round of the ongoing seven-phase elections. If we look at the electoral trends in Amethi over the years in its Lok Sabha and assembly polls, we see figures that will not offer comfort to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. The 2019 result only reflected this. Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani was Rahuls rival in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. That year, Rahuls winning margin was significantly reduced. BJP chose to make Amethi a base for Smriti following that 2014 election. She remained there as an active political worker and won the next election, marking the biggest electoral setback of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The win was driven by many factors, like anti-incumbency for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance since 2014, the Narendra Modi wave in 2014 and 2019, the return of stable non-Congress governments in the state, BJPs emergence as Uttar Pradeshs ruling government in 2017 following its stunning victory in the assembly polls, and the Congresss ground-level political disconnect in the Amethi parliamentary constituency (PC), as shown by the previous electoral outcomes here. The Amethi parliamentary constituency, created in 1967, was a Congress bastion before the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Till then, it was ruled by non-Congress parties only twice, and that too only for four years. First, it was post-Emergency in 1977, when a Janata Party candidate won and remained its representative in Lok Sabha till 1980. Then party-hopper and Amethi prince Sanjay Sinh won on a BJP ticket in 1998. But being a prince was no guarantee for ground connect in Amethi with its Nehru-Gandhi rapport. Sanjay Sinh became Lok Sabha MP from Amethi when the Congress was going through a tough phase with no Gandhi leader at the top. Sonia Gandhi, who had earlier refused to enter politics, had only recently joined the party, and Sanjay Sinh had a chance. But when Sonia decided to contest from Amethi in 1999, history was going to repeat itself, as it had done in the past. Sinh, who had earlier seen a massive defeat against Rajiv Gandhi in 1989, faced a huge electoral loss from a Gandhi once again. Sonia Gandhi won by over 300,000 votes, with a victory margin of 48%. When Rahul decided to join politics, Amethi was chosen as his constituency and Sonia Gandhi shifted to Raebareli. Rahul won his first Lok Sabha election from Amethi handsomely, with a winning margin of 49%, and went on to amplify his victory margin in 2009 to 57%. It was around this time that electoral politics saw a significant change in the state, following years of unstable governments and coalition politics. The electorate of the state decided to opt for and elect stable governments, giving them the complete majority they needed. Bahujan Samaj Partys Mayawati was chief minister from 2007 to 2012, and Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav from 2012 to 2017. Following that, Yogi Adityanath from the BJP became the CM. His first term was from 2017 to 2022, and he is in the middle of his second. First the SP and BSP, then the BJP, SP, and BSP. UPs politics started revolving around these three parties. The Congress, already on a political downfall in the state, was further reduced to the electoral margins, and Amethi was no exception. The party that had once ruled the state for decades, was reduced to a few seats and an abysmal vote share for political survival. The Amethi parliamentary constituency has five assembly seats Tiloi, Salon, Jagadishpur, Gauriganj, and Amethi. On average, the Congress won 34% of votes in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in these five seats. The partys votes were gradually reduced to 30% in the 2012 assembly elections, 25% in 2017, and just 14% in 2022. In 2007, the Congress won three assembly seats falling under the Lok Sabha constituency while it was in second place in the other two. In 2012, it was two wins followed by three runner-up positions. The party could not win any seats in 2017 and 2022. In 2017, it was the first runner-up in three assembly segments, the second runner-up in one, and the third runner-up in another. In 2022, the first runner-up position was reduced to just one assembly seat while it was the second runner-up in another four. Can assembly election results impact the outcome of the corresponding Lok Sabha seat or vice versa? It is debatable, with electoral outcome analysis saying sometimes it matters and sometimes it doesnt. But in the case of Amethi, the Congresss slide on the performance marker has been a trend election after election for a long time. The party was gradually losing its assembly seats and votes and when a strong candidate like Smriti Irani was fielded again against Rahul Gandhi in 2019 after giving a tough fight in 2014, there was a clear possibility that the Amethi result could turn out in any way. Also, it coincided with the Congress getting historically low numbers, 44 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and 52 in 2019, with many assembly election losses in between, showing the partys and cadres poor morale. While the 2014 contest between Rahul and Smriti saw the Congress leaders winning margin reduced to 12% from 57% five years ago, the 2019 outcome was the grand old partys biggest setback since Indira Gandhis electoral loss in 1977. Rahul coming back to Amethi for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is always a possibility, but these factors will always be in the minds of the partys strategists despite the SP-Congress coalition under the INDIA bloc this time. Add to it other electoral concerns. SPs Akhilesh Yadav is leading his first electoral battle following the demise of his father and one of the political stalwarts of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP and Congress fought the 2017 assembly elections together, but it turned out to be a bad political experiment. Their cadres were not united, and both parties failed to appeal to each others traditional vote banks. Besides, there is the impact of the January Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya, one of the most significant election issues in Uttar Pradesh and in many other states. The Congress decided not to attend the ceremony, a decision that received criticism from various quarters. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Imlie is a popular television series that has captured the hearts of viewers with its storyline and characters. Currently, Sai Ketan Rao and Adrija Roy are seen as the leads. As the story flows, Sai Ketan has been entertaining viewers with double roles in the daily soap. He was initially seen as Agastya Singh Chaudhary and now as Surya Pratap. Recently, the actor was injured while shooting some adventurous scenes in the show. However, despite sustaining injuries, the actor continued to shoot. As per a report by Times Now, Sai Ketan Rao suffered an accident while shooting for a crucial scene in a moving bus. Despite taking safety measures into account, the actor got hit by a tree. Although the crew immediately took action, Sai Ketan suffered minor bruises and cuts around his eyes. Reportedly, the shoot was halted, and the actor was taken to the onset medical team for first aid. However, the actor soon resumed shooting after his initial treatment was done. The publication quoted a source as saying, The safety and well being of our cast and crew are our utmost priority, and we are taking all necessary precautions to ensure a swift recovery for Sai. Meanwhile, speaking about the scene and the injury, Sai Ketan Rao told ETimes, I was filming a scene on top of a moving bus and was talking to Adrija Roy who is playing the role of Imlie. While the bus was on the move, a tree branch hit me in the face, causing a lot of pain, swelling near my eye on my foreheads side, and some scratches. The tree branches were at the same height as the bus, which led to the accident. He added that the production team helped him and he was treated immediately. He stated, I felt better and returned to continue the scene. I told the director, Im ready to shoot, sir.He asked if I was sure, and I said, Yes, lets do it. The show Imlie launched in 2020, with Sumbul Touqeer and Fahmaan Khan as the key performers. However, they eventually left the show and a massive 18-year generation leap was introduced. During this time, Megha Chakraborty and Karan Vohra took on the primary roles. As the second leap was introduced last year, Sai Ketan Rao and Adrija Roy took over as leads. Why have people in metropolitan cities not been coming out to vote in Parliamentary, assembly and municipal elections over the years? Data from the Election Commission (EC) shows 17 out of 50 Lok Sabha constituencies, mostly in metropolitan cities and urban centres, reported lowest voter turnout in the 2019 elections. In the previous election, Hyderabad reported a mere 44.84% voter turnout, ranked fourth on the list, trailing behind Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla, which had the lowest voter turnout percentages at 8.98%, 14.43% and 34.60%, respectively. Other major cities, including Pune (49.89%), Mumbai South (51%) and Bangalore South (53.70%), were also on the list. Cities such as Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow and Nagpur failed to surpass the 55% voter participation. Delhis 56.87% turnout in the last Lok Sabha election was hardly noteworthy, and Chennai parliamentary constituency does not feature in the lowest list. In the Phase 1 of 2024 Lok Sabha Election on April 19, three constituencies in Chennai recorded a lower turnout than in the previous three elections. Chennai Central registered the lowest at 53.91%, against 58.75 % in 2019. Experts and electoral officers have blamed urban apathy for the lack of enthusiasm among voters. What is Urban Apathy? The EC has said there is a worrying trend of disengagement among urban voters. Laziness, lack of interest, and lack of awareness were the various reasons why people dont vote. According to an Opinion piece in Deccan Herald by former deputy mayor of Shimla, Urban apathy is not a result of individuals subjectivity, but a manifestation of the depoliticised environment and the belief that nothing will change. As a result, people lack interest in urban issues and problems, such as poverty, crime, environment degradation, and politics, which affects the cities and its residents. This phenomenon is also a reflection of the large scale informalisation of the major sectors that provide employment in the cities, making it a daunting task for individuals to survive and obtain bare minimum. The complexity of urban issues can make residents feel overwhelmed and helpless. Additionally, anonymity and disconnection are widespread in large cities, leaving individuals with a lack of belonging, it added. A sense of alienation is another factor for people not interesting in voting. Curbing Low Turnout The Election Commission has recently said it has identified 266 parliamentary constituencies, including 215 in rural areas, with low voter turnout and has planned targeted intervention to enhance voting percentage in the upcoming polls. ECs You are the One campaign seeks to recognise importance of different stakeholders in the election process, including polling machinery, in ensuring that no voter is left behind. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has identified around 2,000 polling booths with a dismal voter turnout of 50% or less where challenges such as removing ineligible voters from electoral rolls and relocating thousands of voters to resolve split voter issues have been addressed, as mentioned in a report by Hindustan Times. The corporation has employed measures such as door-to-door engagement with residents, targeted SMS campaigns using property taxpayer data, signature campaigns and flash mobs at malls to amplify voter awareness. The Election Commissions flagship programme Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) is to educate voters and citizens about the electoral process to increase awareness and promote their participation. SVEEP is designed according to the socio-economic, cultural, and demographic profile of the state as well as history of electoral participation in previous rounds of elections, as per the EC website. In Bengaluru, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has collaborated with IT-BT companies to promote voting awareness among employees and has requested them to provide paid leave on polling day. Bengaluru has historically seen low voter turnout during elections, and we are trying to change that by creating a conducive environment through interacting with RWAs, using social media, organizing various events such as Cyclothons, padayatras, two-wheeler and three-wheeler rallies. This time, voter slips will also have QR codes that will give the location of the polling stations, said Tushar Giri Nath, BBMP commissioner, as quoted by the Hindustan Times report. The Pune district election office has issued instructions to target constituencies which had low voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. For example, special attention is being given to registering students to vote, and engaging young people in the age group of 20 to 29 years. A senior Pune district election official said they are focusing on increasing the turnout of women voters in slum areas through self-help groups. Workers in industrial areas are receiving counselling, house visits have been conducted to engage voters. Awareness campaigns through banners, posters, and rallies have been launched in villages, as mentioned in the Hindustan Times report. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in a press conference on Low Voter Turnout early April directed municipal commissioners (MCs), District Election Officers (DEOs) and state Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to prepare a booth wise action plan for enhanced participation and behaviour change. Kumar asked all MCs and DEOs to prepare different strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly for different target audiences. He stressed that the one size fits all approach will not yield results. So, authorities should act in a manner that instils pride among the voters in participating in the democratic festivities, he added. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been given two-point low doses of insulin after his blood sugar level spiked, sources at the Tihar jail said. A source added that the dose was administered by a Tihar medical practitioner on suggestion of an AIIMS doctor, following which CMs sugar levels are under control. His blood sugar level reading was found to be 217 around 7 pm on Monday, following which the doctors at Tihar looking gave him the insulin, an official was quoted by news agency PTI. AIIMS specialists, during a video conference with the chief minister on April 20, had advised Tihar doctors that insulin could be given to him if his sugar level crosses a certain level, he added. Meanwhile, AAP sources said Kejriwals blood sugar level had crossed 320 in Tihar. They said this is the first time that insulin has been given to him in the jail even as his sugar level had been increasing for some time. It was said that Kejriwal does not require insulin, but now it has been administered. CMs sugar levels had been crossing 300-level, and he had been stating this over-and-over again. Yet the authorities did not give him insulin and we had to approach court for it, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said. Does any prisoner who falls sick knock courts door for treatment? In order to put Arvind Kejriwal in trouble, there are conspiracies to harm him. Today the BJP completely stands exposed, Bharadwaj alleged. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that the AAP leaders only political hope was to create public sympathy over the health of Kejriwal in view of the Lok Sabha elections. No doubt Arvind Kejriwal is a diabetic but his sugar is under control in jail as he didnt raise demand for insulin in the video consultation with the doctors of AIIMS, he said. Rebuking the charges, the CM, in a letter to the jail administration, said he has raised the issue of insulin for 10 days, every day, multiple times. I showed my high sugar levels to every doctor who came to see me. I showed them that there were 3 peaks in the sugar level every day between 250-320, he said in his letter. I also showed them that my fasting sugar level was in the range of 160-200 every day. Almost every day, I demanded insulin. Then how could you make such a statement that I never raised the issue of insulin? Kejriwal asked. The chief minister alleged that the Tihar administration issued a false and misleading statement under political pressure. The Delhi chief minister was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi governments now-scrapped excise policy. He is lodged in Tihar jail since April 1. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday claimed that some Congress leaders in Kerala held discussions with him about forming a regional party in the southern state after breaking away from the grand old party. He said discussions were held in Delhi, with plans for the regional party to align with the BJP for the 2026 assembly elections in the state. However, the talks were put on hold and are likely to be resumed after the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP leader added. We had two or three rounds of discussions in Delhi but we decided not to discuss it prior to the Lok Sabha elections. The discussions can be resumed after the Lok Sabha polls. I am sure the discussions will happen after the polls, Sarma, who is in Kerala to campaign for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates, told the Asianet news channel. Earlier, addressing multiple poll rallies, Sarma asserted that a uniform civil code is imperative for the country and only Prime Minister Narendra Modi possesses the determination to enact it. Criticising the Congress and the Left parties, Sarma claimed that they lack the resolve to introduce a uniform civil code. A uniform civil code is necessary for this country. The Congress and the Left parties do not have the guts to bring a uniform civil code. Only Narendra Modi has the courage to introduce a uniform civil code in this country, Sarma said at a rally in Kochi. He also claimed there were attempts to spread falsehood about the situation in Manipur. The violence in the northeastern state was an issue between two communities and not Hindus and Christians, he said. At another rally, the BJP leader alleged that Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi had asked Congress workers not to raise the party flag during his campaign in the hill constituency. If the Congress waves its flag, then the Muslim League will also take out its flags. Now what happened? Both of them are not using their flags. But BJP workers will never do that, Sarma said, taking a dig at the Muslim League and the Congress. He also highlighted Gandhis remarks at an election rally, asking why Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had not been arrested despite several allegations against him. Sarma said Gandhi would ask why Arvind Kejriwal was not arrested. Now, when Kejriwal was arrested, Gandhi became close to him. The same will happen if Vijayan is arrested, Sarma claimed. Polling for Keralas 20 Lok Sabha seats will be held on April 26. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Devastating floods claimed the maximum number of lives across Asia, as compared to any other extreme weather event, said the World Meteorological Organization in its State of the Climate in Asia 2023. A high number of fatalities were reported from countries, including India, Yemen and Pakistan. According to the report, while floods accounted for 60 per cent of the total fatalities, intense storms affected the largest number of people and caused the most economic damage in 2023. Overall, more than nine million people were directly affected by these disaster events across the continent. For India, 2023 was the second-warmest year on record with prolonged heat waves, deficient monsoon and, at the same time, devastating floods up north in July. Despite these extreme weather events increasing in intensity, frequency and duration due to global warming, only 60 per cent (12) of the Asian countries are covered by early warning systems, the report stated. Extreme heat becoming more severe The report said Asia is the worlds most disaster-prone region. The continent with the largest land mass, has warmed faster than the global land and ocean average. This means that the temperature increase over land is even larger than the temperature increase over the ocean. Overall, a warming of nearly 0.91 degrees Celsius was recorded in Asia last year, above the 1991-2020 reference period. The year had unusually prolonged heat waves impacting large parts of India in April and June, leading to 110 deaths due to heatstroke. This was followed by the driest and warmest August since 1901. The rainfall deficit crossed 36 per cent, at a crucial time when farmers count on monsoon rains to irrigate their crops. For the second consecutive year, the Ganges catchment and the lower course of the Brahmaputra received less than normal rainfall last year. The report highlights the profound vulnerabilities of the region to the escalating threats of climate change. Developing countries in Asia bear the brunt of climate-related adversities without adequate means to combat foreseeable disasters. International solidarity and financial support from wealthier nations are imperative to empower these countries to build resilience and respond effectively to inequitable climate impacts, said climate activist Harjeet Singh, who is the global engagement director of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. Increasing risk to coastal areas The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said rising temperatures have led global mean sea levels to increase by nearly 4.77 mm per year between 2014 and 2023 reaching a new record high in 2023 when the ocean heat content was the highest on record. This could have long-ranging repercussions for all the low-lying coastal areas along Indias 7,500-km coastline, which also faces the threat of intense cyclones. The North Indian Ocean witnessed six tropical cyclones in 2023, as compared to 5.4 cyclones per year, each with maximum sustained wind speeds of (greater than or equal to) 63 kmph. Four out of the six cyclones formed over the Bay of Bengal (Mocha, Hamoon, Midhili and Michaung), and two formed over the Arabian Sea (Biparjoy and Tej). Cyclone Michaung, which made landfall in southern Andhra Pradesh on December 5 claimed 22 lives. In fact, the ocean warming has been noted to be particularly strong more than three times faster than the global mean upper-ocean warming rate in the North-Western Arabian Sea. As the waters of the Indian Ocean warm, it supplies more heat and moisture for weather systems to intensify. The number of cyclones in the Arabian Sea has increased by 50% during the last four decades, and more extremely severe cyclones like Tauktae and Amphan are projected to form in the future. The monsoon that sources its energy and moisture from the Indian Ocean has become more erratic, with short spells of heavy rains and long dry periods, causing floods and dry seasons in the same season, said Roxy Mathew Koll, senior scientist at the Indian Institute for Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune. Decreasing snow cover, melting glaciers The report further stated that the extent of snow cover over Asia from March to May has also shown a decreasing trend of 2.5 lakh sqkm per decade. It cites the glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in Sikkims South Lhonak last October, and highlighted that such disasters are increasingly observed because of climate change-induced glacier retreat. Glacial lakes formed by retreating glaciers, exemplified by the reduced expanse of South Lhonak lake, pose threats that span across regions in Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Overall, a total of 3,612 disasters have been attributed to weather, climate and water extreme events across Asia from 1970 to 2021, which have led to 9.8 lakh deaths and economic losses worth $1.4 trillion (based on the analysis of data from the international disaster database, EM-DAT). Between 1970 and 2021, the region accounted for 47 per cent of all reported deaths worldwide, with tropical cyclones being the leading cause. But, over the years, the number of casualties due to tropical storms have significantly dropped due to better forecasting skills. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a 2014 suit challenging the position and appointment of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra Community. The court has only decided on the issue of proof and not faith, a single bench of Justice Gautam Patel said and dismissed the suit initially filed by Khuzaima Qutbuddin soon after his brother and the then Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin passed away in January 2014 at the age of 102. Burhanuddins second son Mufaddal Saifuddin then took over as the Syedna. In 2016, after Qutbuddin passed away, his son Taher Fakhruddin took over the suit claiming his father had conferred the powers on him. The suit sought the court to restrain Saifuddin from discharging his duties as Syedna. Qutbuddin had in his suit claimed his brother Burhanuddin appointed him as the mazoon (second in command) and privately anointed him as his successor through a secret nass (conferment of succession), prior to the mazoon announcement on December 10, 1965. Fakhruddin claimed that his father before dying conferred and appointed him for the position. Justice Patel, while dismissing the suit, said, I dont want any upheavals. I have kept the judgment as neutral as possible. I have only decided on the issue of proof and not faith. The Dawoodi Bohras are a religious denomination among Shia Muslims. Traditionally a community of traders and entrepreneurs, it has more than 5 lakh members in India and over 10 lakh across the world. The communitys top religious leader is known as the Dai-al-Mutlaq (most senior). As per faith and Dawoodi Bohra doctrine, a successor is appointed through divine inspiration. A nass can be conferred upon any deserving member of the community and not necessarily a family member of the current Dai, although the latter is often the practice. The suit had sought the HC to restrain Saifuddin from acting as the Dai-al-Mutlaq. It also sought an entry to Saifi Manzil, the house of the Syedna in Mumbai, alleging that Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin had taken over the leadership role in a fraudulent manner. Qutbuddin claimed that after Burhanuddin became the new Dai-al-Mutlaq, taking over from his father Syedna Taher Saifuddin in 1965, he publicly appointed his half brother as the mazoon (second in command) and privately anointed him as his successor through a secret nass. Burhanuddin asked him to keep the private nass a secret, Qutbuddin claimed. He maintained that he abided by the oath of secrecy given to him by the 52nd Dai till his death. Syedna Saifuddin opposed the suit, claiming the nass of 1965 lacked witnesses and could not be accepted. He claimed that as per the established and prevalent doctrines of the Dawoodi Bohra faith, nass could be changed and revoked. As per the Syednas claims, on June 4, 2011, the 52nd Dai conferred nass on Syedna Saifuddin in the presence of witnesses at the Bupa Cromwell Hospital in London, where he was admitted after suffering a stroke. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. The Karnataka Police have arrested eight individuals connected to the murder of four people in Gadag town last week. Among the accused is Vinayak Bakale, believed to be the mastermind behind the botched plan. Vinayak is also the half-brother of one of the victims, Karthik Bakale. According to the police, the incident unfolded as a contract killing stemming from a property dispute between Vinayak and his father, Prakash Bakale. However, tragically, in a case of mistaken identity, three of Karthiks relatives lost their lives. On April 19, Karthik, along with Parashuram Hadimani (55), his wife Lakshmi (45), and their daughter Akanksha (16), were brutally murdered in the early hours at the Bakales residence in Dasara Oni, Gadag town. The police stated that the Hadimani family had come to attend Karthiks engagement ceremony but tragically fell victim to the attackers, who mistook them for the Bakale family, as per The Indian Express report. Discussing the case, IG (Northern Range) Vikash Kumar revealed that Karthik, 27, was the son of Prakash Bakale, the vice-president of the Gadag-Betgeri city municipal council, and his second wife, Sunanda. Vinayak, 31, was Prakashs son from his first marriage and was purportedly the mastermind behind the attack. He allegedly hired contract killers with the intent to eliminate Karthik, Prakash, and Sunanda. The IG said that Vinayak, who works as a realtor, collaborated with one Jishan to strike a deal with a gang based in Maharashtra. They promised the gang Rs 65 lakh as payment for carrying out the killings, commonly known as supari in criminal circles. Vinayak had already paid Rs 2 lakh in advance as part of the agreement. In addition to Vinayak, the other individuals who were arrested from Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka have been identified as Fairoz (29), Jishan (24), Sahil Ashpak Khaji (19), Sohail Ashpak Khaji (19), Sultan Jilani Sheikh (23), Mahesh Jagannath Salunke (21), and Waheed Liyaqat Bepart (21), according to the police. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Under scanner in Singapore and Hong Kong for cancer-causing agents in masalas, Indian spice brand Everest said that their products are safe for consumption. The company clarified that their spices have not been banned in either of the countries. A report in Times of India quoted the company as saying that all its products go through stringent checks before dispatch and before export. Every shipment goes through quality inspection by the Spice Board of India, it was quoted as saying, adding that they are awaiting an official communication to understand the issue and our quality control team will look into the matter. NDTV quoted a spokesperson from Everest as saying that their spices have not been banned in either Singapore or Hong Kong. Singapores food safety authority referred to Hong Kongs recall alert and asked our Singapore importer to recall and temporarily hold the product for further inspection, the spokesperson was further quoted while clarifying on the row. A report in Reuters quoted company director Rajiv Shah as saying, Exports are cleared only after receiving necessary clearances and approval from the laboratories of the Spice Board of India. He added that Everests products were safe and ruled out need for concern. Everest is a 57-year-old spice brand founded by late Vadilal Bhai Shah. The company is said to be Indias largest manufacturer of pure and blended spices, and is present in more than 80 countries globally. Along with Everest, spices of Mahashian Di Hatti, popularly known as MDH, is also embroiled in the controversy. Even as Everest spoke to the national daily, News18 so far has not been able to get a statement from MDH on the issue. MDH is an Indian spice producer and seller based in New Delhi, and is the second largest leader in the Indian market after Everest. What is the Everest and MDH Controversy? Hong Kong and Singapore have imposed restrictions on the sale of four spices-mix products of Indian brands MDH and Everest, which allegedly contain pesticide ethylene oxide beyond permissible limits. The Hong Kongs Center for Food Safety (CFS) has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, while the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of such spices. According to the CFS report, A food for human consumption containing pesticide residue may only be sold if consumption of the food is not dangerous or prejudicial to health. Spices Banned in Singapore and Hong Kong Singapore has recalled Everest fish curry masala Hong Kong has asked consumers not to buy MDHs Madras Curry Powder (spice blend for Madras curry), Everest Fish Curry Masala, MDH Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder, and MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder. Amid the Row, FSSAI to Check Quality of Spices Sold in India Food safety regulator FSSAI has started taking samples of spices in powder form of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from across the country in view of quality concerns flagged by Singapore and Hong Kong. In view of the current development, FSSAI is taking samples of spices of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from the market to check whether they meet the FSSAI norms, a government source was quoted by news agency PTI. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) does not regulate quality of exported spices, they said. We are looking into the matter. We are at it, Spices Board of India Director A B Rema Shree told PTI. FSSAI, which operates under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, takes samples of spices regularly from the market to check the quality of product sold in the domestic market. India Seeks Details from Food Regulators of Singapore, Hong Kong Meanwhile, India, the worlds largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, has sought details from food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong on the controversy. The commerce ministry has also directed Indian embassies in both Singapore and Hong Kong to send a detailed report on the matter. The ministry has also sought details from the Indian firms MDH and Everest over alleged use of pesticide ethylene oxide beyond permissible limits. Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned, a commerce ministry official said. Technical details, analytical reports and the details of the exporters whose consignments have been rejected have been sought from Embassies at Singapore and Hong Kong, the official said. Details have also been sought from Singapore Food Agency and Centre for Food Safety, and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong, the official added. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Karnataka Congress corporator Niranjan Hiremath on Tuesday apologised for speaking against the Karnataka government after his 23-year-old daughter, Neha, was killed inside her college campus. He demanded that a law be formulated to deal with cases like his daughters, and the fast-track court be named after Neha Hiremath. Encounter or hang to death is the only option (for the accused). I have promised my Neha on her grave that I wont give up, Niranjan said. The daughter of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation was stabbed to death by her former classmate Fayaz Khondunaik on the campus of BVB College on April 18. As communal allegations were made, Siddaramaiah clarified that personal reasons were behind the murder while Parameshwara said there was no love jihad angle as alleged by the BJP. Earlier, Niranjan Hiremath had claimed his daughter was murdered due to love jihad. If this is not Love Jihad, then what is? Hiremath asked, adding that forced marital religious conversions have been spreading a lot. Incidents of this sort have been happening. I see various cases, and their cruelty is increasing. Why are youngsters going astray? Things have come to a point where I cannot hesitate to say this. Because I know the pain of losing a daughter. I have seen in various cases now, of parents losing children, the Corporator said. On the other hand, the mother of Fayaz (the 23-year-old who allegedly killed Neha) refuted Niranjan Hiremaths claim of an attempt of forced marital religious conversion. She told reporters that her son and Neha were in love. The mother claimed that the deceased herself took Fayazs number when he became University Blue in a body-building competition, and she made the first move. They were in love with each other I have known about this for the last year, Mumtaz told reporters. 8-Member CID Team Reaches Hubballi, Asked to Submit Report Within 10-12 Days After Karnataka government handed over the Hubballi murder case to CID, an eight member of the agency, headed by deputy SP Venkatesh, reached the city on Tuesday. Officials said the team will visit the place of murder, collect necessary case information from the police station and later take a statement from Nehas parents. The team has been tasked to submit the report to the government within 10-12 days. The father has said four-five people are behind it. Whatever it might be, the case will be investigated and the report will be handed over to the government within 10-12 days. They must not take months together. They must submit the report as soon as possible. The government order has already been passed. I have faith that Nehas parents will get justice and the truth will be out, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Hello readers, todays evening digest brings you the latest stories: PM Modi Reiterates Jibe on Wealth Redistribution, Claims Congress Wants To Share It Among Their Special People; Promised Her on the Grave: Neha Hiremaths Father Apologises to Karnataka Govt; and other top stories. PM Modi Reiterates Jibe on Wealth Redistribution, Claims Congress Wants To Share It Among Their Special People Controversy continues to rage following Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks regarding the Congress partys wealth redistribution promise. Despite the Congress lodging a complaint with the Election Commission of India (SECI) over the Prime Ministers assertion that the party aims to redistribute wealth among Muslims, Modi shows no signs of relenting. READ MORE Promised Her on the Grave: Neha Hiremaths Father Apologises to Karnataka Govt Karnataka Congress corporator Niranjan Hiremath on Tuesday apologised for speaking against the Karnataka government after his 23-year-old daughter, Neha, was killed inside her college campus. He demanded that a law be formulated to deal with cases like his daughters, and the fast-track court be named after Neha Hiremath. READ MORE Hyderabad: Techie Dies After Slipping Into Open Underground Sump At Hostel; Incident Caught On Cam A 25-year-old techie died after he accidentally fell into an open underground water sump inside a private hostel in Hyderabads Raidurg area. The deceased, Shaik Akmal Sufuyan, was living at Shanmukh Mens PG (paid guest) hostel in Gachibowlis Anjaiah Nagar. READ MORE United By BJP, Divided By IPL: Tejasvi Surya And Annamalais Take On RCB Vs CSK Will Give You ROFL Moment The united leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya and Tamil Nadu unit chief K Annamalai, found themselves on the opposing sides when it came to supporting a team of the Indian Premiere League (IPL). READ MORE CSK vs LSG Live Score, IPL Match Today: LSG 45/2 (6 overs) Mustafizur Removes KL Rahul as LSG Go Down Two Wickets Early Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Match 39 of IPL 2024 between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai on Tuesday. Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul won the toss and opted to bowl against Ruturaj Gaikwads Chennai Super Kings. Matt Henry got Ajinkya Rahane in the first over as Daryl Mitchell fell to Yash Thakur, thanks to a stunning catch from Deepak Hooda. LIVE Scores Here. Whos OG Zinda Banda? Superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Mohanlal Banter Over Dance, Meals In Viral Posts Malayalam superstar Mohanlal wowed everyone at an award show in Kochi with his energetic dance to songs by Shah Rukh Khan and Rajinikanth. A video of his performance is going viral on social media. Mohanlal, 63, impressed with his dance moves, grabbing everyones attention, including Shah Rukh Khans. What followed is a social media banter that is going viral. READ MORE Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. In a world adorned with innovation and creativity, there exists a day dedicated solely to honoring the ingenious minds behind the scenes International Creators Day. This day, marked on April 23rd each year, serves as a global celebration of the individuals who breathe life into art, literature, technology, and every facet of human endeavor through their boundless creativity. From the strokes of a painters brush to the lines of code in a software program, creators shape the world around us. They are the architects of our imagination, the pioneers of our future, and the custodians of our culture. Whether they express themselves through visual arts, music, literature, film, or any other medium, creators infuse their unique perspectives and insights into their work, enriching our lives in profound ways. Creators Day is a celebration of the boundless potential within each of us. Its a day to honor the artists, the innovators, and the dreamers who dare to carve their own path in the digital landscape. As we gather to commemorate this occasion, let us remember that our uniqueness is our greatest asset. In a world where conformity often reigns supreme, its our individuality that sets us apart and propels us forward. Each of us is a masterpiece in the making, a canvas waiting to be painted with the vibrant hues of our imagination. As we embark on this journey of creation, let us remember that the power to inspire, to uplift, and to transform lies within each of us. So, let us unleash our creativity with boundless enthusiasm and unwavering determination, for today and every day, we are the architects of our own destiny, says Ayush Wadhwa, Content Creator and Founder, OWLED Media. At the heart of International Creators Day lies a recognition of the importance of nurturing and celebrating creativity in all its forms. It is a day to acknowledge the tireless dedication, passion, and ingenuity that creators pour into their craft. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the transformative power of creativity to inspire, educate, and unite people across the globe. Rahul Prabhakar, an accidental Content Creator opines, I stand in awe of the boundless opportunities that content creation has bestowed upon me. I had not planned on the whole journey of becoming a creator but the avenues in content are far and wide. Through the lens of creativity, lets embark on this day to celebrate the countless creators around the globe who dare to dream, create, and make their mark on the world. Adding to the above, Mayuri Dhote, a Bangalore based Fitness and Lifestyle influencer shares, Content creation has done wonders for us as creators, it has given a free hand to our ideas and imaginations to flourish. It has given me a platform to share my stories, passions, and expertise with the world. Creators like me have found a sense of purpose and fulfillment, as we can connect with audiences who resonate with our work. It has opened doors to endless possibilities, from collaborations and partnerships to new avenues of growth and success. Moreover, International Creators Day underscores the importance of fostering an environment that nurtures and empowers creators from all walks of life. It is a call to action to break down barriers to entry, promote diversity and inclusion, and provide platforms for voices that have traditionally been marginalized or underrepresented. By championing a culture of creativity that values diverse perspectives and fosters collaboration, we can unleash the full potential of human ingenuity and innovation. Understanding the importance of influencers in the world of marketing, Anushree Jain, Cofounder, SocialTAG, an influencer marketing agency says, As we celebrate Creators Day, Im reminded of the profound journey that led me to founding our influencer marketing agency. It began with a spark of inspiration, fueled by a deep appreciation for the creativity and authenticity inherent in every individuals story. Each creator we collaborate with embodies a unique narrative, a powerful voice that shapes cultures and ignites conversations. Today, we honor not only their talent but also their unwavering dedication to authenticity. Together, were not just forging partnerships; were crafting experiences that inspire, empower, and leave a lasting impact. Happy Creators Day to all the visionaries, storytellers, and influencers shaping the digital landscape with their passion and authenticity, adds Jain. As we celebrate International Creators Day, let us also acknowledge the profound impact that creators have on society. Through their work, creators have the power to challenge norms, provoke thought, and spark meaningful dialogue about the pressing issues of our time. Whether they are shining a light on social injustice, exploring the depths of the human experience, or envisioning alternative futures, creators have the ability to shape hearts and minds in ways that transcend borders and cultures. Ultimately, International Creators Day is a testament to the enduring power of human creativity to inspire, uplift, and transform the world. It is a day to recognize the countless individuals who dare to dream, to imagine, and to create, leaving an indelible mark on our collective consciousness. So, let us take a moment to honor the creators among us and to celebrate the boundless potential of the human imagination. Happy International Creators Day! Hanuman Jayanti marks the birth of Lord Hanuman. This year, the auspicious occasion will be commemorated on April 23. Lord Hanuman, also known as Sankatmochan by his devotees, was born on the full moon of Shukla Paksha in Chaitra month. Lord Hanuman, a symbol of power and energy, is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Devotees also call him Bajrangbali, Pawanputra, Hanumanta, Sankatmochan, Dukhbhanjan, and Kesari Nandan. On Hanuman Jayanti, heres a collection of wishes, greetings and messages to send to your loved ones. Hanuman Jayanti 2024 Wishes Hanuman is revered as a sign of physical strength, perseverance, and devotion; may Lord Hanuman give you his strength, bless you with his perseverance, and grant you the art of devotion as he did to Lord Rama! Happy Hanuman Jayanti. On this auspicious anniversary of Hanuman Jayanti, let us pray to Pawan Putra Hanuman for blessings and success in our lives. I wish you a nice Hanuman Jayanti. Jai Hanuman! Lord Hanuman is the biggest devotee of Lord Rama. May he bestow his heavenly blessings on you and your family this Hanuman Jayanti. Let wisdom guide your thinking. And may your might be put to good use. Happy Hanuman Jayanti! Lord Hanuman is the epitome of strength, devotion, and selfless service. He is the most ardent devotee of Lord Ram. May we be like him. Happy Hanuman Jayanti! 2024 Hanuman Jayanti Messages Let your activities be pure and selfless. May you always be a symbol of strength to your family. Happy Hanuman Jayanti! May Lord Hanuman bless you with pleasure, serenity, and prosperity. Wishing everyone a very happy Hanuman Jayanti! I hope you have a joyful and harmonious year. I wish you a joyful Hanuman Jayanti! On Hanuman Jayanti, I wish you and your family love, harmony, happiness, and prosperity. Warm greetings on Hanuman Jayanti! Let us constantly keep Lord Hanuman in our hearts. He will carry us through the ocean of sadness and lift our spirits. Read More | Top 10 Wish-Fulfilling Lord Hanuman Temples in India Happy Hanuman Jayanti 2024 Quotes Strength without devotion is like a fire without heat. May the blessings of Lord Hanuman fill your life with strength, courage, and unwavering devotion. Happy Hanuman Jayanti! With the monkey god Hanuman by your side, no obstacle is too big to overcome. Let us celebrate the birth of Lord Hanuman, who embodies courage, devotion, and the ability to overcome any challenge. May Lord Hanumans wisdom guide you on the path of righteousness and truth. Happy Hanuman Jayanti! Like Hanuman, may we all find the strength to serve selflessly and follow the path of dharma. Hanuman Jayanti WhatsApp and Facebook Status Jai Hanuman! May his blessings bring strength and devotion. Celebrating the birth of Lord Hanuman, the embodiment of courage and service. Bowing down to Lord Hanuman on this auspicious occasion. May Lord Hanumans unwavering devotion and strength guide us all. May the teachings of Hanuman inspire us to overcome challenges and serve selflessly. Happy Hanuman Janmotsav Sending warm wishes on Hanuman Jayanti. May his blessings fill your life with joy and prosperity. 10 POPULAR NAMES OF LORD HANUMAN AND THEIR MEANING HanumanThis is the most common name, derived from Sanskrit words hanu (jaw) and man (disfigured), referring to an incident from his childhood. It symbolizes his fearlessness and invincibility. MarutiDerived from Marut, meaning wind, this name signifies Lord Hanumans exceptional speed and agility, like the wind. BajrangbaliTranslates to the strong one with limbs like thunder. It emphasizes his immense strength and ability to conquer any obstacle. Sankat MochanMeaning the reliever of troubles, devotees chant this name seeking relief from lifes challenges, as Hanuman is believed to remove obstacles. Anjaneya PutraRefers to son of Anjana, honoring his mother and highlighting his humility and devotion to her. PavanputraSignifies son of the wind god, acknowledging his father, Vayu, and symbolizing his close association with the element of air. MahaviraTranslates to the great warrior, celebrating his courage, valor, and unwavering determination showcased in the Ramayana. RudraRepresents Lord Hanumans fierce and formidable aspect, highlighting his ability to combat evil and protect devotees. KesarinandanSon of Kesari, his foster father, acknowledging another facet of his divine lineage. Vanara DharmaMeaning the righteous monkey, signifying his wisdom and adherence to dharma (righteous conduct) despite his monkey form. HANUMAN JAYANTI FAQ What is Hanuman Jayanti? Hanuman Jayanti, also known as Hanuman Janmotsav, is a Hindu festival celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Hanuman, the revered deity known for his strength, devotion, and unwavering loyalty to Lord Rama. When is Hanuman Jayanti celebrated? Theres a slight variation in the observance of Hanuman Jayanti across regions in India. Primarily, it is observed on the full moon day (Purnima) of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra, which typically falls in March or April according to the Gregorian calendar. This year, it will be celebrated on April 23. In some regions, particularly South India, it is observed on Kartik Chaturdashi (the fourteenth day of the Krishna Paksh in the month of Kartik). Why is Lord Hanuman so important? Lord Hanuman is a central figure in the epic Ramayana. He is considered the epitome of devotion, courage, selflessness, and service. His unwavering dedication to Lord Rama and his remarkable feats are celebrated throughout Hinduism. How is Hanuman Jayanti celebrated? Devotees throng temples dedicated to Hanuman, where special prayers and rituals are conducted. People offer flowers, fruits, sweets, and sing hymns in praise of Hanuman.Many devotees observe fasts and perform special pujas seeking blessings for strength, courage, and protection. Reading Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional text dedicated to Hanuman, is a common practice. Is there anything else I should know? Lord Hanuman is also known as Anjaneya, Maruti, and Bajrangbali. He is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Hanuman Jayanti is a joyous occasion marked by religious fervour and community celebrations. Are Banks Closed Today On Hanuman Jayanti 2024? On April 23, all banks across India will operate normally since Hanuman Jayanti is not included in the list of scheduled or gazetted holidays provided by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. In response to Hong Kongs recent ban on certain products from popular Indian spice brands MDH and Everest Group due to alleged contamination with a cancer-causing pesticide, Indias food safety regulator is gearing up for quality checks. The ban has raised significant alarm, prompting officials to take swift action to ensure the safety of consumers. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Indian official revealed that inspections would be conducted to test for the presence of ethylene oxide, a harmful pesticide deemed unfit for human consumption. This move comes in the wake of mounting concerns over the potential health risks posed by contaminated spice products. Suparna Mukherjee, Charge of Clinical Nutrition, Narayana Health City, Bangalore, expressed deep concern over the findings. She highlighted the toxicity of ethylene oxide, emphasizing its classification as a top-level carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Mukherjee underscored the heightened risk of cancer associated with prolonged exposure to ethylene oxide through contaminated food products, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Dr. Priyanshu Choudhary, Consultant Medical Oncology, Ivy Hospital Mohali, reiterated the gravity of the situation. He emphasized that ethylene oxide has been classified as a known human carcinogen by both the IARC and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Choudhary highlighted the types of cancers most commonly associated with ethylene oxide exposure, including lymphoma, leukemia, and breast cancer, often stemming from occupational hazards or product sterilization processes. The concerns raised by experts serve as a stark reminder of the importance of stringent food safety regulations to safeguard public health. As investigations unfold and regulatory measures are implemented, consumers are urged to exercise caution, particularly those in high-risk groups. The need for vigilance in monitoring food safety standards is paramount to prevent potential health hazards associated with the consumption of contaminated products. In light of these developments, it is imperative for authorities to take proactive steps to address the issue and ensure the integrity of the food supply chain. Only through collective efforts can we mitigate the risks posed by harmful contaminants and uphold the well-being of consumers. Aamir Khans son, Junaid Khan, has once again been winning the hearts on the internet for being humble and down-to-earth. The star kid was spotted taking an auto ride in Mumbai on Tuesday evening. He greeted the paparazzi with a big smile. Netizens were impressed by Junaids humility and pointed out how he believes in living a simple life despite his father being a superstar in Hindi film industry with reported net worth of Rs 1,862 crore. Junaid opted for a very casual look for the outing. He donned a half-sleeves black t-shirt and blue jeans. In a video, shared by Bollywood paparazzo Viral Bhayani on Instagram, he seemed visibly shy when paps tried to click his pics. One user commented, Good boy. Another one said, Genuine here! Junaid has been prepping for his acting debut for a while now. He is often spotted in public along with his father and sister, Ira Khan. A few weeks ago, he was spotted outside Mumbais renowned Prithvi theatre in Juhu area. However, what grabbed everyones attention was that Junaid was wearing heavy eye makeup and even had a black teeka on his forehead. It seemed he was rehearsing for some play. Abhi bhi makeup mein hu bhai log, Junaid sweetly told the paparazzi who were clicking his photos. He then posed for the photographers, before telling them, Im going to remove it now. Junaid will make his acting debut with the Netflix film Maharaja. Last month, Netflix released a video featuring glimpses of three films, including Junaids debut, Vijay 69 and Mandala Murders. While the video revealed the characters faces in the latter two films, Junaids look in Maharaj remained a mystery, hinting at the films grand scale. Maharaj, co-starring Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari Wagh and Shalini Pandey in pivotal roles, is said to be inspired by the 1862 Maharaja Libel Case. It revolves around a religious leader who sued a newspaper for alleging inappropriate relationships with his female followers. Junaid reportedly portrays a journalist in the movie. In an interview with News18 Showsha, Shalini had opened up on her experience of working with Junaid. She had said, Junaid is a very easy breezy human being. Hes a good co-actor to work with. I had a lot of fun working with him. Were in the same age group, so we had a blast during the shoot. Maharaj is one of his first few projects and so is mine. Thats why we had a very similar energy on set. Adil Khan Durrani is certain that his ex-wife, Rakhi Sawant, will be arrested as soon as she comes back to India from Dubai for allegedly sharing sexually explicit videos involving him without consent. Adil claimed that the Supreme Court has dismissed Rakhis plea, seeking anticipatory bail to evade possible arrest in the alleged leaked video case. He spoke to News18 Showsha exclusively and said that the apex court has directed Rakhi to surrender before the Mumbai police within four weeks. She first applied for an anticipatory bail in a magistrate court, but it was rejected. Later, her plea was dismissed twice in the High Court. They then moved to the Supreme Court but now it has also been rejected and the court has asked her to surrender in four weeks. This happened two days back, Adil told us. Rakhi has also filed multiple cases against Adil, accusing him of being involved in extramarital affairs. However, Adil has claimed that Rakhi is trying to frame him. The court isnt saying that I am not guilty but Rakhi is equally guilty, and therefore, she should surrender, he added. Adil further claimed that Rakhi has been absconding in Dubai. She has a warrant against her. She has multiple cases against her. She will be arrested as soon as she lands in India. Rakhi Sawant has been booked for offences under Sections 500, 504 and 34, pertaining to defamation and complicity in criminal intent respectively of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with Section 67(A) of the Information and Technology Act (IT Act) for electronically disseminating sexually explicit material. Last year in January, Rakhi had announced her marriage to Adil. However, a few weeks later, she filed a complaint against him, accusing him of domestic violence and torturing her. She also claimed that he cheated on her. Adil was arrested by the Mumbai police in February 2023. He was granted bail after spending five months in jail. Adil is now married to Somi Khan, known for her appearance on Bigg Boss 12. Amitabh Bachchan has bought land worth Rs 10 crore in Alibaug, latest reports claim. The actor, who had reportedly invested in a parcel of land in Ayodhya earlier this year, has reportedly bought a 10,000 sq ft land from The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL). The land was allegedly bought in a project called A Alibaug. The actor is yet to comment on the purchase. A source told Hindustan Times that the actor registered the transaction late last week. Amitabh joined the league of actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma who own properties in Alibaug. Meanwhile, in January this year, it was reported that Amitabh Bachchan bought a parcel of land in Ayodhya for Rs 14.5 Cr. A Hindustan Times report stated at the time that Big B bought land spread across 10,000 square feet and has a value of Rs 14.5 crore. The purchase took place shortly before the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. The Sarayu is spread over 51 acres. Speaking about the property investment, Bachchan said in a statement, I am looking forward to embark on this journey with The House of Abhinandan Lodha for The Sarayu in Ayodhya, a city that holds a special place in my heart. The timeless spirituality and cultural richness of Ayodhya have forged an emotional connection that transcends geographical boundaries. This is a start of a heartfelt journey into the soul of Ayodhya, where tradition and modernity seamlessly co-exist, creating an emotional tapestry that resonates with me deeply. I am looking forward to building my home in the global spiritual capital. Amitabh also has properties in Mumbai. The actor lives in a duplex bungalow, called Jalsa, in Mumbai. The house is spread across 10,125 square feet. The superstar spends most of his time at Jalsa and meets his fans outside the property every Sunday, as part of his Sunday Darshan ritual. Videos and photos from the meet often go viral on social media. He also owns the 8000 square feet property situated behind Jalsa, his third property Prateeksha where Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai got married, his work space named Janak, and Vatsa, which has been leased out to Citibank India. Alec Baldwin lost his cool after an anti-Israel protestor hounded the actor to say free Palestine on camera in a New York coffee shop. In a video shared online, the rabble-rouser took Alec by surprise when she pulled out the phone and demanded Alec to say free Palestine on camera. When Alec refused to engaged with her, she began instigated him by bringing up the Rust shooting incident. She accused him of sending an innocent crew member to jail and serving no jail time in the case. Alec, can you please say free Palestine one time. Why did you kill that lady? You killed that lady and got no jail time? No jail time Alec? You are putting innocent people in jail, Alec Baldwin. Free Palestine, Alec, just one time, and I will leave you. I will leave you alone, I swear, the woman instigated Alec while he ignored her. Eventually, Alec lost his cool and asked her to leave the coffee shop. Get out, a visibly angry Alec said as he stood with the open door. He asked the barista to call the police while the woman continued to harass him. The woman refused to leave him alone and eventually, Alec hit her camera. The woman shared the video on X with the claim, White devil Alec Baldwin attacked me. While I was trying to get coffeee. White devil Alec Baldwin attacked meWhile I was trying to get coffeee pic.twitter.com/qebME0V4Wl Crackhead Barney & Friends (@CHBAF) April 22, 2024 Social media users slammed the woman for harassing the actor. I dont even like him and I wouldve helped HIM not you, a social media user wrote. I dont care much for Alec Baldwin, but in this case hes my hero, added another. I dont even like the guy, but totally support his actions here, a third user wrote. For the unversed, Alec Baldwin came under the scanner after a loaded gun in his care shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the sets of the film Rust in 2021. Earlier this month, it was reported that the chief weapons handler for the Western movie Rust, Hannah Gutierrez, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday in connection with the death. Former Bigg Boss contestant Arti Singh couldnt contain her excitement as she danced her heart out at her Sangeet ceremony on Tuesday night in Mumbai. Arti is all set to tie the knot with her fiance Dipak Chauhan, a businessman based in Navi Mumbai, on April 25, 2024. The wedding ceremony will take place at ISKCON temple. The couple hosted a grand Sangeet ceremony last night and several TV celebrities including Ankita Lokhande and husband Vicky Jain, Mahira Sharma, Yuvika Chaudhary and Bharti Singh among others, attended the function. Multiple videos from the ceremony have made their way to social media, and fans cant stop drooling over Artis pre-wedding festivities. In a video, shared by paparazzo Viral Bhayani on Instagram, Arti can be seen cutting a massive three tier cake with Dipak. In another video, Arti, her actor-brother Krushna Abhishek and sister-in-law Kashmera Shah are seen distributing sweets to the paps and greeting them with folded hands. However, Artis uncle and actor, Govinda, skipped the ceremony. In her recent interview, Arti had said that Govinda would be attending her wedding. This wedding is going to be full of love because the entire family will come under one roof. They all will be there to bless me. Govinda mama, is very happy seeing me happy. I just know that hes (Govinda) coming to give his blessings to me and Im very happy about it. Hes was very happy. Hes my Chi Chi mama he was very happy, Arti told Times of India.com. While Govinda has given the Sangeet a miss, fans are hopeful that he would be there at his nieces D-day. In 2018, Govindas wife Sunita Ahuja had called out Kashmera Shah for her tweet about some people who dance for money. Sunita had alleged that Kashmera was referring to Govinda, and the couple decided to cut off ties with the two. Krushna had later clarified that it was meant for his sister Arti Singh, but it didnt change anything. The whole fiasco resulted in a public fallout between the two families. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Kashmera made a request to Govinda to attend Artis wedding. He might have been angry at us, but he is not angry at Arti. And it is not Krushnas wedding. If he had not come to our wedding, we would have understood as he is upset with us. But it is Arti and she really wants him there. I would request him to come as it is Arti, and not take our anger out on her, Kashmera told HT. Amid the confusion regarding Bigg Boss OTT 3, it has now been reported that the upcoming season of the reality show has not been cancelled. Recently, the popular X handle The Khabri reported that the reports regarding the cancellation of Bigg Boss OTT 3 are false. It claimed that the show is likely to premiere in the first week of June. This means that Salman Khan will return as the host of the show despite the firing incident. Last week, Bigg Boss production house Endemol Shine India took to its official Instagram handle to announce Bigg Boss OTT 3. They shared a poster in which Salman was seen pointing towards the audience as he also asked, Who do you want to see in Bigg Boss OTT. However, the post was deleted later. This had left netizens wondering if Bigg Boss OTT 3 had been cancelled due to Salman Khans security reasons. EXCLUSIVE AND CONFIRMED by #TheKhabriFinally #BiggBossOTT3 is Coming, and this time with many twists and turns for the audience tooo Premiere expected by first week of June. The Khabri (@TheKhabriTweets) April 22, 2024 On April 14, gunshots were fired outside Khans Galaxy Apartments in Mumbais Bandra area. The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested the two accused from Gujarats Bhuj later and brought them to Mumbai. The accused were identified as Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal. Top Mumbai Police sources also told News18 that Lawrences gang was behind the attack and it was carried out by Rohit Godara, who operates the Bishnoi gang in Rajasthan. Later, Salman Khans security was also increased. The actor earlier had two PSOs. Now, two commandos, two escort vehicles and 11 cops under the Y+ category security have also been provided to him. Additionally, personnel in the security convoy will carry two automatic guns. It should be noted that Salman Khan has not issued any statement regarding the firing incident as of now. However, previously, his father Salim Khan spoke to India Today about the incident when he said, Whats there to talk about ye jaahil log jo kehte hain maar denge tab pata lagega na (These illiterate people say youll learn your lesson when well kill you). Weve been given extra police protection. Theyve (Mumbai Police) assured protection for us and our friends. If theyve arrested two people today, that means theyre on it. Esha Deol recently visited Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan with her sister Ahana Deol. This comes at a time when their actress-turned-politician mother, Hema Malini is contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Mathura as a BJP candidate. Following her visit to the city in Uttar Pradesh, Esha was seen speaking to the media, a video of which went viral on social media. However, it has left netizens shocked and disappointed for a different reason. In a video that the news agency ANI shared on X, Esha Deol was asked about her views on development in Mathura. This place has developed a lot. The heritage and tourism are maintained and preserved here There are a lot of supporters in Mathura. The people here, want my mother to win and stay in Mathura She still has a lot more to do We are meeting the youth of Mathura and spreading awareness to vote, the actress said. #WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: BJP candidate from Mathura constituency Hema Malinis daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol visit Mathura.Actress Esha Deol says, This place has developed a lot. The heritage and tourism are maintained and preserved here There are a lot of supporters pic.twitter.com/dGNNeyR7TD ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2024 However, soon after the video was shared, several social media users reacted to it and asked Esha if she had got her lip job done. Netizens expressed disappointment with Eshas alleged lip job. Once upon a time, Esha Deol looked beautiful. What happened to her now? one of the users wrote. Why do I feel like a dog has bitten Esha Deol on her lips???? another added. Thats how you shouldnt do a lip job, a third comment read. Meanwhile, Esha Deol announced her divorce from her husband, Bharat Takhtani in February this year. The two, who got married in 2012, parted ways after being together for 11 years. In a joint statement that Isha and Bharat issued, they revealed that they have decided to separate mutually and amicably. We have mutually and amicably decided to part ways. Through this shift in our lives, the best interests and welfare of our two children is and will be of utmost importance to us. Wed appreciate our privacy is respected, their statement read. Isha and Bharat are parents to their daughters Radhya and Miraya, who are six and four years old respectively. Bollywoods Fabulous Wives Maheep Kapoor, Bhavana Pandey, Neelam Soni, and Seema Sajdeh recently embarked on a trip to Sydney, Australia for a meet and greet with their fans. Maheep has now treated her followers to a tantalising peek into their memorable journey. Her post features multiple photos and videos. In the first photo, the B-town ladies strike a pose together on stairs, radiating elegance and style in their glamorous attire. The next two photos feature Maheep in casual attire, posing against the iconic backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Additionally, there are pictures of the group enjoying themselves at the bridge. A video showcases Maheep capturing moments of her girl gang from inside the car, as they share a joyful time. Another video captures Maheep looking stunning in a cream mirror work blazer set. Maheep captioned the post, Fabulous us take on Sydney, AUand it was amazing! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maheep Kapoor (@maheepkapoor) Neelam Soni left a comment on Maheeps post, referring to the group as The Fab Four while Seema Sajdeh expressed her thoughts with, What a trip! Fans and followers also inundated the comments section with love and admiration for the quartet. A user exclaimed, Oh my gosh! I love you ladies so much, while another simply stated, Awesome click. Now, the OG Bollywood wives, Maheep, Neelam, Bhavana and Seema are in Singapore. Seema posted a photo on her Instagram story with a caption that read, So happy to be in Singapore. Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives centers on the personal and professional lives of Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, and Seema Kiran Sajdeh. The series premiered on November 27, 2020, on Netflix, with a second season debuting on September 2, 2022. Meanwhile, the release date for Season 3 is yet to be announced. The upcoming season will introduce three new faces: Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, daughter of Neetu Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor, Kalyani Saha Chawla, an entrepreneur, and Shalini Passi, a philanthropist and Founder of Mash India. Social media has become an inseparable part of an actors career today. Their follower base on various platforms often determines the brand endorsements that come their way. And in the last few years, it has also become a factor for casting directors to approach actors some of whove often spoken up on how influencers have been chosen over them for projects solely for having a higher follower count on their social media accounts. And now, in an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Jaideep Ahlawat opens up on how he too has been at the receiving end of the same advice for not being very active on these platforms. The actor, who has carved a niche for himself with author-backed roles over the years, reveals that at the time of filming Raazi, he was asked to make his social media game stronger. However, he shut them down. He tells us, Ive been told to pay money to increase my social media following. This had happened during Raazi. It really shocked me. When I asked them what kind of fruit that would bear, they just reiterated that it would drive up my follower count. And when I kept prodding them, they were also confused about how that would benefit my career. I didnt want to increase my social media mileage by doing these things. Jaideep shares that he has never felt the need to succumb to the pressures of the film industry such as attending film parties and encouraging gossips being written about him. But that has never stopped people from showering him with free advice to gain commercial stardom. Thank god, gossips have never been written about me. I was also told to buy a bigger car. And as for my social media, if the number of followers has to increase someday, it will happen on its own, he states. So, how does he deal with the paparazzi culture? So many people feel the need to put out which gym they go to and what they had for lunch. Those who feel like it is necessary to get spotted and captured by the paparazzi at gyms and airports, its their choice and it works for them. I too wanted to succumb to it out of anger, says the Jaane Jaan actor. He adds that he has often been advised by his team to jump onto the bandwagon and tip off photographers. And while he did make up his mind to do the same, he eventually backed out. Sometimes, my team motivates me to do it too and I tell them that Ill start doing it from the next day. I tell them, Kal se bula lena. Main jahan bhi jaaunga, wahan bula lena. But that tomorrow never comes (laughs). Youve to think of so many things like what to wear if youre calling the paparazzi, reveals Jaideep, who will soon be seen in the Zee5 series The Broken News 2 co-starring Sonali Bendre and Shriya Pilgaonkar. They may have been in a relationship with Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor at different points in their lives but both Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone are long past their animosity and discomfort with each other. Ranbir is married to actress Alia Bhatt now. They are proud parents to a baby girl, named Raha. In a throwback interview with Elle India in 2019, Katrina was asked about how she managed to be friends with Alia, who was then dating Ranbir, and her cordial equation with Deepika, who had broken up with the Animal star in 2009. It comes from realising that these things dont matter. Me holding on to resentment or a grudge isnt going to change the situation. It boils down to logic. But Im human. Yeah, I feel bad, I cry. I feel devastated. And then, I get back up and say, its fine. Somethings coming, somethings coming. As for the uncomfortable equation I once had with Deepika I just react to instinct. I dont feel that animosity or discomfort between us anymore. I felt happy to let that go, Katrina had told film critic Rajeev Masand. Katrina had also attended Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singhs wedding reception in 2018. Deepika, whod invited her to her Mumbai reception, had told Filmfare at the time, A lot of water has flown under the bridge. For me, just the fact that she came and was very present was gracious. Ive always been fond of her. You know, just the way that shes been over the years, and with her work and I have a lot of respect for that. I made my peace with her, she had said. Earlier this year, Deepika and Katrina posed together for a rare photo at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants pre-wedding bash in Jamnagar. Ranveer and Vicky Kaushal also joined them for the priceless photo. Katrina is happily married to Vicky Kaushal now. The couple tied the knot in a dreamy wedding at the Six Senses Fort Barwara in Ranthambore, Rajasthan, on December 9, 2021. In an exciting piece of news, Prabhas has donated a sum of Rs 35 lakh to the Telugu Film Directors Association (TFDA). The kind gesture has been welcomed by the association, highlighting Prabhass commitment to supporting the film industry. They even thanked the actor. India Today reported the news. As mentioned by India Today, a press conference was held by TFDA where they announced the Directors Day celebration. At the event, the members of the association announced that Prabhas had contributed to them. Chiranjeevi, Nani, Nithiin, Allari Naresh and several other actors were also invited to grace the occasion. Talking about Prabhas work, he has been grabbing headlines for his next film Kalki 2898 AD. The makers have released the full look of Amitabh Bachchan recently. Touted as the biggest Indian film of the year, Kalki 2898 AD is a multilingual film helmed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies. The magnum opus made waves after its groundbreaking debut at San Diego Comic-Con last year, earning massive global acclaim. The films highly anticipated release has captivated audiences worldwide, creating eager anticipation as it promises to transport viewers into a futuristic world filled with intrigue. It also stars Deepika Padukone. Prabhas fans are eagerly anticipating his role in Kalki 2898 AD, a distinctive blend of the Mahabharat epic with time travel concepts. The makers assure an unparalleled cinematic experience, with the film scheduled for a May 8 theatrical release. Santhosh Narayanan serves as the music director and the high-budget production is under the helm of producer C Ashwani Dutt, associated with the esteemed Vyjayanthi Movies banner. In a remarkable move, the creators of Kalki 2898 AD orchestrated an elaborate release date announcement with raiders across various Pan-India cities, such as Varanasi, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Madurai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Bhimavaram, Kashmir and Vijayawada. The raiders marched in unison, creating excitement and uniquely unveiled the scroll, proclaiming the films release on May 9, 2024. Besides, Kalki 2898 AD garnered global acclaim with its groundbreaking debut at San Diego Comic-Con last year. The films highly anticipated release has captivated audiences worldwide, creating eager anticipation as it promises to transport viewers into a futuristic world filled with intrigue. The legal battle between Rakhi Sawant and her former husband Adil Khan Durrani has been going on for a long time now. On Monday, Adil took to his Instagram stories and dropped a video in which he claimed that the trouble has increased for Rakhi. He argued that the Supreme Court rejected Rakhis anticipatory bail plea and asked her to surrender before the Mumbai police in four weeks. Reportedly, the top court told Rakhi that her bail plea would be heard only after she surrenders. The Bigg Boss fame is currently in Dubai. Iska matlab simple form mien bata du ki apko jail jana padega uske baad bail milegi (In simple words, she has to go to jail first, only then she will get the bail), Adil said and added that he has full faith in the Indian judiciary system. In March this year, Adil Khan Durrani claimed that Rakhi had been in Dubai for the last four months. He was speaking to Bollywood Bubble when he argued that he had filed multiple FIRs against Rakhi and claimed that she would be arrested as and when she returned to India. Bahut saari FIR file ki hai maine Rakhi ke against. (I have filed a lot of FIRs against Rakhi). Why she is in Dubai you know? Because uske upar jo humne case kiya hai uski wajah se usko bail nahi mil rahi hai. She is absconding from India from last 4.5 months. That is why she is in Dubai, Adil said. If she comes to India, she will be behind the bars in next 2 hours. She is not able to get a bail as magistrate, 67 A ka FIR jo humne kiya hai magistrate, sessions and hight court have rejected her plea. She has even applied for bail in supreme court but her application has not put up yet, he added. Adil Khan Durrani was previously married to Rakhi Sawant. However, they parted ways last year after the Bigg Boss fame levelled several allegations against him and accused him of being involved in extramarital affairs. Adil was then picked up from Rakhis residence and arrested on February 7, 2023. He was released after spending five months in jail. Adil is now married to Bigg Boss 12 fame Somi Khan. Rebel Wilson recently made a personal revelation about a royal family member which has caught the attention of the masses. In her latest memoir titled Rebel Rising, the actress claimed that back in 2014, she was invited to a drug-fuelled orgy by a member of the British royal family in South California. According to the content inside the memoir, Rebel Wilson refrained from disclosing the name of the person, who came to her with the explicit offer. She, however, spilled the beans that the individual was a fifteenth or twentieth in line to the British throne. I got thrown a last-minute invite to a tech billionaires party the guy who invited me, whos like fifteenth or twentieth in line to the British throne, had said to my male friend, We need more girls read an excerpt from the book Rebel Rising, as cited by People. After a flashy display of fireworks post-midnight, a man arrived holding a tray, piled with what seemed like lots of candy. When Wilson enquired what they were, she found that it was molly, a type of ecstasy drug. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson) Now the comment by the Windsor about needing more girls started to make a lot more sense. They werent talking about a boy-girl ratio like it was a year-eight disco. They were talking about an ORGY! wrote Rebel Wilson in the memoir. Realising that she did not want to be a part of the session, the actress made her exit from the place as soon as possible. Disclosing some insights about the location, Rebel Wilson said that it was a ranch somewhere in the exteriors of Los Angeles. She arrived at the venue, decked up in a buxom damsel ensemble, coupled with a cone hat. Calling the place a vibe Wilson added that there were men jousting on horses in a field, and women in mermaid costumes enjoyed a pool outing. Since the property was huge, the guests had pre-assigned rooms for the night. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson) On the work front, Rebel Wilson has taken the directors chair for an upcoming Musical Comedy titled The Deb. The feature film will start rolling in September in Australia, reports Variety. Shivaji Doltades directorial, Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patil, was all set to hit the cinema halls on April 26, 2024. Headlined by Rohan Patil, this film is based on Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil. Now, the release date is postponed due to the model code of conduct imposed by the Election Commission for the upcoming Loksabha Elections 2024. Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patil will now be released at the cinema halls on June 21, 2024. The delay in the release has disappointed the cast. The male lead, Rohan, talked about it in an interview with a portal. Expressing his displeasure at the delay, Rohan said that there is no political angle in the film. According to him, this film is based on a true incident and whoever has decided to postpone it, is unaware of the real issues. According to the Dhumas actor, his community has suffered injustice, and now the films unit has suffered a massive financial loss with the delay. Despite the loss, Rohan said that Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patils unit respected the decision made to postpone their film. The Dhumas actor said that the films unit will adhere to the decision and release it on June 21 without further delay. As per many viewers, the major attraction of the movie is veteran actor Mohan Joshis role as Jarange Patils father, which is poised to add depth and authenticity to the narrative. The Vaastav: The Reality actor is known for adding versatility to his roles, spanning from antagonists to character-driven narratives. This brings a lot of experience to the screen. Through his portrayal of Patils father, the audience is expected to watch the struggles, sacrifices and fathers aspirations navigating the socio-political landscape of Maharashtra. The film is expected to resonate deeply with the viewers. Another USP of the Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patil is actor Rohans character. As per the latest reports, Rohan has been working in Marathi cinema for a long time. He has previously worked in popular films like Dhumas, Redu, and Manju. He last acted in the 2023 Marathi romantic drama film Musandi. Shahid Kapoor is currently busy with the shooting of Deva. He has been sharing a lot of updates on his social media. Today, Shahid was spotted in the city looking effortlessly handsome in a casual ensemble. He was captured stepping out of a restaurant and fans couldnt help but react with excitement. In the video, shared by Instant Bollywood, we can see Shahid wearing a tee and jogger pants. He is looking handsome as he heads towards his car. Many fans called him Kabir Singh in the comment section. On Sunday night, the Bollywood star was spotted enjoying a romantic dinner date with his wife, Mira Kapoor. However, the actor appeared to lose his cool when he was exiting the restaurant along with Mira. Watch the video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood) Coming back to the incident, Shahid got upset when paparazzi, stationed outside the restaurant, began clicking their pics as soon as they stepped out of the posh eatery. Guys, can you stop it? Can you behave yourself please? An angry Shahid was heard saying in a video shared by Filmygyan on its Instagram handle. Shahid opted for black t-shirt and jeans, while Mira complemented the actor in a colour-coordinated dress. Netizens were quick to react to the video which has been going viral on the internet. A few days ago, a screenshot of an email regarding Shahids travel plans was doing the rounds on the Internet. The email stated that all bookings will be taken care of by his friend (wink emoji). Mira also took to her Instagram story to react to the viral screenshot. When the Internet cares more about your husbands travel plans than you do. Btw, when are you making me meet this friend Shahid Kapoor??? Aper the email, Shahid Kapoors travelling dates included from April 23 to May 16, covering Delhi, Tokyo, Sydney, New York, Paris, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi. Fans of Marathi actor Chinmay Mandlekar were left distraught after he decided to hang his boots in the context of playing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the eight-part film series named Shivraj Ashtak. Chinmays decision to bid farewell to the role was the result of him being subjected to trolling for naming his son Jehangir, after a Mughal emperor. Highly perturbed by the trolling, the actor, in an Instagram post, announced his decision to step down from the role for the remaining two films of the Ashtak. His decision led to widespread appeal from his fans to reconsider the decision as they refused to reimagine someone else as Chhatrapati Shivaji in the remaining films. Now, finally, the director of Shivraj Ashtak, Digpal Lanjekar, has reacted to this decision of Chinmay. In a recent interview with Lokmat Filmi, director Digpal Lanjekar said, I havent had any discussion with Chinmay about it yet. We have been communicating through brief messages. However, he did not have any detailed conversation with me before making this decision. We plan to have discussions soon. In my view, Chinmay will continue playing the role of Shivaji Maharaj in Shivraj Ashtak once I talk to him. Once we have our discussion, we will have a clearer picture of the outcome. Currently, Im not in a position to elaborate, and there are many uncertainties. He continued, Shivraj Ashtak is not just cinema. It is an emotion and is about peoples feelings. Any decision regarding the movie series has to be taken very intricately. Therefore, it would be wrong to say anything without proper discussion with Chinmay It remains to be seen whether Digpal Lanjekar can convince Chinmay Mandlekar to stick to the role and fans can see him in the avatar of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj again. Chinmay has appeared in 6 films in the series already and was last seen in this years Shivrayancha Chhava. Anne Hathaways captivating onscreen presence has been lauded throughout her career, from her chemistry with Robert Schwartzman and Chris Pine in The Princess Diaries series to her compelling chemistry with Jake Gyllenhaal in Love & Other Drugs. Now, in The Idea of You, Hathaways romantic connection with Nicholas Galitzine is garnering attention. However, Anne Hathaways journey to achieving such onscreen chemistry hasnt been without its challenges. In a recent interview with V Magazine, the actress opened up about her early days in Hollywood, recalling a particularly uncomfortable experience during an audition. She recounted being asked to engage in kissing scenes with ten different men as part of a chemistry test, an ordeal she described as unsettling and distasteful. Hathaway said, Back in the 2000s and this did happen to me, it was considered normal to ask an actor to make out with other actors to test for chemistry. Which is actually the worst way to do it. I was told, We have ten guys coming today and youre cast. Arent you excited to make out with all of them? And I thought, Is there something wrong with me? because I wasnt excited. I thought it sounded gross and I was so young and terribly aware how easy it was to lose everything by being labelled difficult, so I just pretended I was excited and got on with it. It wasnt a power play, no one was trying to be awful or hurt me. It was just a very different time and now we know better. In her latest film, The Idea of You, where Anne Hathaway has turned producer, she took the actors chemistry tests in a unique manner. She explained, We asked each of the actors coming in to choose a song that they felt their character would love, that they would put on to get my character to dance and then wed do a short little improv. I was sitting in a chair like we had come in from dinner or a walk or something, we pressed play and we just started dancing together. In the film, based on Robinne Lees 2017 novel, Anne Hathaway plays the role of a 40-year-old single mother who develops a romantic connection with a 24-year-old international artist, played by Nicholas Galitzine. During Galitzines audition, he chose a song by The Alabama Shakes and Hathaway recalled that the audition process felt natural. Upon hearing the music, she couldnt help but smile and the two artists spontaneously began dancing together. During the moment, they shared an authentic connection and she even noticed the director, Michael Showalter smiling. Controversy continues to rage following Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks regarding the Congress partys wealth redistribution promise. Despite the Congress lodging a complaint with the Election Commission of India (SECI) over the Prime Ministers assertion that the party aims to redistribute wealth among Muslims, Modi shows no signs of relenting. In fact, he is intensifying his criticism of the Congress on this matter while speaking at his rallies on Wednesday. On Monday, the Prime Minister returned to Rajasthan, just two days after first addressing the issue in the same state. PM Modi stated that he had put some truths before the nation during a 90-second segment of his speech in Rajasthan, leading to a stir within the Congress. The Prime Minister reiterated that the Congress aims to seize property from the people and distribute it among their khaas log. He referred to this as the Congress hidden agenda, exposing it as vote bank politics. While the Congress and its leaders claim that their manifesto does not mention the Wealth Redistribution Survey, the BJP is pointing to a video of Rahul Gandhis speech on April 6, where he made a similar statement at the manifesto launch event. The Prime Minister is now referencing Gandhis statement, asserting that their neta publicly declared their intention to redistribute wealth during a speech. Modi further escalated his attack by bringing the reservation issue, alleging that the Congress had previously pursued Muslim reservation, casting doubt on their intentions. He claimed that between 2004 and 2010, the Congress in Andhra Pradesh made several attempts to implement reservation for Muslims as a pilot project, with plans for nationwide implementation. But the Supreme Court did not permit it, he added. Taking a jibe, Modi asserted that the Congress intends to give reservation to their khaas jamaat, which he said was unconstitutional as it involved reducing SC-ST reservation while allocating a portion to Muslims, benefitting them unfairly. The Prime Minister emphasised that reservation for backward communities would not be abolished nor redistributed based on religion. He said that this was his promise from an open stage. The controversy surrounding the Wealth Redistribution initiative continues to escalate, as senior BJP leaders like Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath demand clarity from the Congress regarding the proposed exercise and the nature of the promised financial and institutional survey mentioned by Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, the Congress is awaiting action from the Election Commission, raising concerns about the poll bodys independence and autonomy. Additionally, the party intends to present copies of its manifesto to the Prime Minister. Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website. Meta is ready to partner with more hardware brands to help them make affordable mixed reality (XR) headsets to give Apple a tough run in the market. Mark Zuckerberg is ready to put the Horizon OS on other third-party devices, similar to Microsofts approach with Windows OS over the years. Meta realises that competing with Apple is unlikely to give it high volumes, even though its revenues could get a boost. But the Windows-like route could be a better strategy for the company, which we are seeing now. The company is not giving up on the XR ecosystem which it has called metaverse for a long time. And somewhere, its renewed impetus has been bolstered by Apples entry into the market, giving it more credence than before. The Meta chief is hopeful that Apples launch in this segment gets more peoples attention and also gives a new lease of life to a stagnating category. In fact, reports say, Zuckerberg hopes that Quest can become the Android of AR and VR market which is an interesting way of looking at Apples push in the mixed reality segment. Apples Vision Pro is priced in the upper echelon of the segment, leaving a lot of space in the mass market where Meta wants to dabble with the help of other manufacturers. The likes of Lenovo and Asus have already signed up to use the Horizon OS on their own Quest-like headsets, which should be seen in the near future. It makes sense for Meta to take the Android/ Windows strategy for this segment and look to impose itself as a solid second option for millions, especially those who dont or cant spend over 2.5 lakh on Apples Vision Pro headset. Zuckerberg is also hoping for Google to bring the Play Store to the XR ecosystem on the Quest series, which will further amplify its reach, interest among developers and help with the cost of economics as the product price comes drastically down. All these will be the perfect ingredients to make it a viable product fit in countries like India where Quest is not officially available. Imagine if the Quest headset can launch for under $200 (Rs 16,500 approx) which not only gives the segment a fresh focus but also appeals to a wider range of buyers. Xiaomi has launched new products under the Redmi series, which includes a new affordable tablet and TWS earbuds. The company has also expanded its smart home ecosystem with a robot vacuum cleaner and a handheld garment steamer. Talking about the Redmi Pad SE, this affordable tablet focuses on the students with its multimedia-heavy features along with Dolby Atmos-powered speakers. Redmi Pad SE and Redmi Buds 5A Price In India Redmi Pad SE has launched in India for a starting price of Rs 12,999 for the base 4GB + 128GB variant, going up to Rs 13,999 and Rs 14,999 for the 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 128GB storage option, respectively. You can get the tablet for a lower price thanks to some bank offers. Redmi Buds 5A comes at Rs 1,499 thanks to the special launch price which could increase later. Redmi Pad SE and Redmi Buds 5A Features Redmi Pad SE features a 11-inch display that gets 90Hz refresh rate and supports FHD+ resolution. The tablet is powered by Snapdragon 680 chipset with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage that is further expandable. Xiaomi is not giving you the new HyperOS version with this tablet, which will be offered via an update at a later date. So, you have to contend with the Android 13-based MIUI 14 version. It has an 8MP camera at the back, and a 5MP shooter on the front. It has Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers and the metallic body packs an 8,000mAh battery which only supports 10W charging speed. The Buds 5A comes with active noise cancellation and even isolates noise when you are on a call. The buds get 12mm drivers which are likely to focus on deep bass, which is the case with most TWS earbuds in this segment. It gets Google Fast Pair support, Bluetooth 5.4 and IPx4 rating. Xiaomi says the Buds 5A can last for up to 30 hours with the charging case. It is widely believed that ancient Egypt was the cradle of human civilization. The Egyptian civilization has been a source of study, interest and wonder all over the world. Right from the ancient pyramids to the Sphinx, architectural wonders make us wonder how technologically advanced they used to be. Here are three wonders from ancient Egypt that prove that their civilization was at the top of their game. Rise of Aten According to the report of The Sun website, in April 2021, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement that they have discovered an ancient city named Rise of Aten. This city was built about 3000 years ago during the reign of King Amenhotep III. Archaeologists discovered streets within the city lined by houses, surrounded by walls reaching up to 10 feet tall. Inside these structures, they found rooms containing various tools and artefacts used in daily life, left behind by the ancient inhabitants as if time had stood still. Among the discoveries were rings, colourful pottery vessels, moulds for crafting amulets, containers for transporting meat, as well as implements for spinning, weaving, and crafting metal and glass. Abu Simbel Temples The Abu Simbel Temple stands as a significant historical site. It consists of two immense temples carved into rock. Situated in the village of Abu Simbel, close to the Sudanese border, it represents an impressive feat of ancient architecture and engineering. It was built in the era of Ramesses II, in the 13th century BC.In this temple, there are beautiful chambers where sunlight penetrates to illuminate the kings statue twice annually. Initially uncovered in 1817, the entire complex underwent relocation and reconstruction at a higher elevation in 1960 due to the construction of a nearby dam. Tomb of King Tutankhamen Tutankhamen is considered to be the most famous pharaoh of Egypt who ruled 3 thousand years ago, between 1332 to 1323 BC. He was only 10 years old when he assumed the throne. Howard Carter led the excavation team that unearthed Tutankhamuns tomb in 1922. The tombs abundance of treasures and striking artefacts captivated the media, making it the most renowned discovery in the field of Egyptology. The sudden death of Carters benefactor, the Earl of Carnarvon, during the excavation fueled speculation about a curse associated with the tomb. For many people, love comes and goes. But those people, for whom love becomes addictive, could be suffering from a medical condition. Recently, an 18-year-old girl in China, who called her boyfriend more than 100 times a day, has been diagnosed as suffering from a condition called love brain. The alarming diagnosis followed a calamitous saga of obsession that landed the girl, identified only as Xiaoyu, in hospital and her boyfriend in distress. Xiaoyus worrying behaviour began in her first year of university, the South China Morning Post reported quoting Du Na, a doctor at The Fourth Peoples Hospital of Chengdu. As per the report, after Xiaoyu, a resident of Sichuan province in southwestern China, developed an intimate relationship with her boyfriend, she became heavily dependent on him and needed him around all the time. She started badgering him constantly to keep her updated about his whereabouts. She also expected him to return her texts at all hours of the day and night. This made her boyfriends life a misery as he felt uncomfortable and stifled. A video clip of Xiaoyu also went viral where she was seen repeatedly messaging her boyfriend to switch on his WeChat camera. However, despite the man ignoring the messages, she makes video calls to him anyway. As per the report, the situation went out of control after Xiaoyu called her boyfriend more than 100 times on day and he did not answer. She became so upset over this that she started smashing household objects, leading her boyfriend to call the police to stop her. Police came just in time when Xiaoyu was threatening to jump from the balcony of their home. She was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder, referred to colloquially as love brain. Quoting Dr Du, the South China Morning Post reported that the love brain might coexist with other mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. The expert said that the condition often occurred in people who had not had a healthy relationship with their parents during childhood. People with a mild form of this condition could recover on their own by learning to manage their emotions, the doctor said adding that sufferers with extreme symptoms would need medical help. Kitum Caves, located in Mount Elgon, National Park in Kenya, is believed to be the worlds deadliest cave. As per recent reports, scientists worry that this particular cave could be the root cause of the next pandemic as it is home to some of the deadliest viruses in human history. Experts have reportedly found that Ebola and Marburg virus originated from here. Now, scientists worry that Marburg can cause a pandemic with the World Health Organisation (WHO) flagging it as epidemic-prone. In the 1980s, a French engineer, who was working at a nearby sugar mill investigated this deadly cave and unfortunately came into contact with the body-melting Marburg virus. As per reports, his face almost detached itself from the skull and was hanging on the underlying bone as the connective tissue dissolved and soon he died. Years later, the virus claimed a young Danish boy who was on vacation with his family and succumbed to the virus called Ravn. Reports reveal that the salty mineral deposits in the cave have drawn many elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, leopards and hyenas from Western Kenya. Researchers believe that this made Kitum Caves a breeding ground for zoonotic infections. Furthermore, the 600-foot-deep cave had been continuously dug and expanded by elephants, ending up being home to disease-carrying bats. Following the events of the 1980s, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) launched an expedition into the Kitum Cave and sent experts inside wearing pressurised and filtered suits. However, they failed to identify the virus. More than a decade later, Marburg RNA was found in Fruit Bats common throughout Central Africa. A Fruit Bat was extracted from a cave in July 2007 and later, was found in other caves across the continent. This virus can spread from one person to another by coming in contact with an infected persons body fluids. It can also be transmitted to other people by touching their personal belongings like handkerchiefs, towels or anything that the infected might have touched. As reported by WION, the Marburg virus is being assumed to be deadly, with up to 88 per cent of people dying from it. A passenger arriving from Bangkok was arrested at Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport after 10 yellow anacondas were found concealed in the check-in baggage. The Bengaluru Customs Department shared the photos of the rescued snakes and wrote that the investigation is underway. Officials further asserted wildlife trafficking will not be tolerated. In response to this post, an X user asked why animals are not intercepted by authorities at the boarding airport itself which can prevent wildlife smuggling sooner. More information is awaited on this case. Anacondas are not native to India and it is illegal to keep them as pets. The yellow anaconda found with the passenger is endemic to South American countries like Paraguay, Bolivia, northeastern Argentina, and northern Uruguay. In many places, anacondas are kept as pets by exotic animal enthusiasts. Anacondas are also smuggled for their skin in the illegal pet trade. I always have a serious question in mind as to why this is not detected or stopped at the boarding airport ? Or the officials there are also a party to the smuggling of banned items ? Narasimha Prakash (@nprakash1958) April 23, 2024 This is not the first time that animal smugglers were intercepted at Kempegowda International Airport. In 2023, three passengers were caught with 14 reptiles and four primates. The animals were handed over to the Karnataka Forest Department. As per the Times of India, the investigation into the matter led officials to a farmhouse located on the outskirts of Bengaluru. In this farmhouse, officials rescued 139 wild animals including anacondas, monkeys, and even exotic birds of various species. Despite stringent laws on wildlife trade across the world, wildlife smuggling remains a persistent problem. In June 2022, two Indian women were arrested at Bangkok airport after they were found with 109 wild animals in their suitcases. These animals included turtles, white porcupines, lizards, and snakes. The women were going to Chennai on a Thai Airways flight. Bangkok Post reported that the women were booked under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act of 2019, the Animal Act of 2015 and the Customs Act of 2017. A press release issued by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said that two iguanas were found dead and all reptiles were in a dehydrated state at the time of their rescue. The animals were promptly supported with vitamin supplements and sent to a wildlife rescue centre. Many animals that are smuggled via airports often die en route as they are kept in tight boxes or luggage to avoid detection and their escape. The Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is one of the hardest tests. More than 8 to 10 lakh applicants apply for this examination each year, however only about 10,000 advance to the mains exam. In the end, just 1000 candidates make it to the interview round, indicating a less than 1 per cent success rate. So, if you manage to crack the exam, you are regarded as nothing short of a genius. Thats why when the 2023 CSE topper Aditya Srivastava landed in his hometown Lucknow; he was given a grand welcome. On April 22, Srivastava arrived at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport and was greeted with garlands and roses. The viral video, which was shared by ANI, shows Srivastava seeing his family, touching their feet and taking flowers from his well-wishers while covered in garlands. Aditya Srivastava, who secured the first rank in the Civil Services Examination, arrives in UPs Lucknow, received by family and friends, ANI wrote on X (Formerly Twitter). #WATCH | Aditya Srivastava, who secured the first rank in the Civil Services Examination, arrives in UP's Lucknow, received by family and friends pic.twitter.com/szrBAG6ek2 ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2024 In an interview with ANI, Srivastava gave his parents and teachers the credit for his success. #WATCH | Lucknow | "The credit for my success goes to my parents and teachers," says Aditya Srivastava, who has secured the first rank in the Civil Services Examination. pic.twitter.com/yG7F5UBjAj ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2024 The video has more than 84,000 views on the social media platform. The comments section showered Srivastava with praises and heartfelt congratulations. A user wrote, This is the second time he must be getting this well deserved welcome. This is second time he must be getting this welcome Well deserved. @adityasriAIR1 By the way nice change in the handle name. Ab toh kaam karle bhai! (@known_warriors) April 22, 2024 Another said, Deserving welcome to the Talent Number 1 of India. Deserving welcome to the Talent Number 1 of India JAY NARAYAN PATNAIK (@jaynarayanp) April 22, 2024 Congratulations, said a user. The Union Public Service Commission released the Civil Services Examination final results last week. The panel has recommended 1016 individuals for recruitment as officers in the All India Services, including the IAS and IPS, this year. In the meanwhile, Srivastava succeeded on his third try at this outstanding achievement. He had obtained the 236th rank in his previous try and was inducted into the Indian Police Service. His training is being conducted at the Hyderabad-based Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. Aditya, a City Montessori School Aliganj branch Lucknow alumni, completed JEE Advanced in 2014 and was admitted to IIT Kanpur. Following his graduation, he enrolled in a dual degree BTech/MTech curriculum. He has now achieved a remarkable goal by topping the civil service examination. Two helicopters of the Malaysian Navy collided mid-air while conducting rehearsal for a Royal Malaysian Navy celebration event. BREAKING: 2 military helicopters crash after mid-air collision in Malaysia, killing all 10 people on board pic.twitter.com/ckiEaqnd4R Megatron (@Megatron_ron) April 23, 2024 At least 10 crew members were aboard the two helicopters, Malaysian news media outlets reported. The crash happened near the Malaysian town of Lumut, which also houses a navy base. Local media outlets have said that there are no known survivors. The footage of the clash and the subsequent crash, now going viral on social media, showed one of the helicopters clipped the rotor of the other leading to the crash. One helicopter crashed onto a running track and another crashed into a swimming pool nearby. The Perak fire and rescue department confirmed to the Malaysian Free Press that 10 people have died following the crash in Lumut, Perak. The department was alerted to an emergency call at 9.50am regarding a helicopter incident at the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy stadium in Manjung, Perak, the department was quoted as saying by the news outlet. They said that work is ongoing to retrieve the bodies of the dead. The Royal Malaysian Navy also released a statement where they said that two helicopters, identified as models HOM (M503-3) and Fennec (M502-6), had collided and crashed at 9:32am (local time). They said that the choppers were rehearsing for the Navys 90th anniversary event scheduled to take place from May 3-5. They further added that the HOM (M503-3) helicopter was carrying seven people and the remaining three were aboard the Fennec (M502-6). All the victims were confirmed dead at the scene and were subsequently transported to the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy Base military hospital for identification purposes, the press release said. The nations navy said that a probe panel is being set up to investigate the incident. The United Kingdom will gradually boost its defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced during a visit to Poland on Tuesday. Today Im announcing the biggest strengthening of national defence for a generation, Sunak said, announcing $619 million in additional funding for Ukraines war effort against Russias invasion. In a speech in Warsaw, Sunak said Europe was at a turning point as he urged allies to step up to match the commitment of the UK. In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent. As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values, he said. Today is a turning point for European security and a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom. It is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad. The military commitment means the UK would spend a cumulative extra 75b on core defence funding over the next six years, The Guardian newspaper reported. READ MORE: World Military Expenditure Hits All-Time High, India Among Top 5 Spenders: Think Tank This comes a day after the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that total global military expenditure reached $2443 billion in 2023. This was the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009. World military expenditure rose for the ninth consecutive year to an all-time high of $2443 billion. For the first time since 2009, military expenditure went up in all five of the geographical regions defined by SIPRI, with particularly large increases recorded in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East. Rise in military spending The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security, said Nan Tian, Senior Researcher with SIPRIs Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. States are prioritising military strength but they risk an action-reaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape. In 2023 the 31 NATO members accounted for $1341 billion, equal to 55 percent of the worlds military expenditure. According to SIPRI, military spending by the US rose by 2.3 percent to reach $916 billion in 2023, representing 68 percent of total NATO military spending. In 2023 most European NATO members increased their military expenditure. Their combined share of the NATO total was 28 percent, the highest in a decade. The remaining 4 percent came from Canada and Turkiye. For European NATO states, the past two years of war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed the security outlook, said Lorenzo Scarazzato, Researcher with SIPRIs Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. This shift in threat perceptions is reflected in growing shares of GDP being directed towards military spending, with the NATO target of 2 percent increasingly being seen as a baseline rather than a threshold to reach. Dasari Chandu, 21, a medical student who hails from Andhra Pradeshs Anakapalle died after getting trapped under a frozen waterfall in Kyrgyzstan. Chandu was studying medicine in the central Asian nation and was a second year medicine student. According to a report by NDTV, Chandu visited the waterfall on Sunday with four other students. His co-travellers were also from Andhra Pradesh. A report by news outlet Siasat said that Anakapalle MP B. Venkata Satyavathi brought the issue to the notice of Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy. Chandus body was later recovered from the site. His loved ones have reached out to relevant authorities seeking mortal remains for his last rites. Chandu was the second son of Bhima Raju, a halwa seller, according to the news outlet. It further added that the minister spoke to officials in the Indian embassy in Kyrgyzstan and asked them to assist the deceased students family members. Guangzhou City in Chinas Guangdong Province witnessed a remarkable event on April 20 as lightning struck the metropolis famous Canton Tower six times. State media said the towers innovative lightning protection system actively redirects lightning underground, ensuring the safety of people and structures. Over 100,000 people have been evacuated due to heavy rain and fatal floods in southern China, with the government issuing its highest-level rainstorm warning for the affected area on Tuesday. Torrential rains have lashed Guangdong in recent days, swelling rivers and raising fears of severe flooding that state media said could be of the sort only seen around once a century. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CGTN (@cgtn) On Tuesday, the megacity of Shenzhen was among the areas experiencing heavy to very heavy downpours, the citys meteorological observatory said, adding the risk of flash floods was very high. It later downgraded its weather warning as the storms weakened, but urged residents to remain vigilant against disasters. Official media reported Sunday that more than 45,000 people had been evacuated from Qingyuan, which straddles the Bei River tributary. State news agency Xinhua said 110,000 residents across Guangdong had been relocated since the downpours started over the weekend. The floods have claimed the lives of four people so far and 10 are missing, according to state media. In Foshan, a city in the centre of the province, a further four people were missing after a ship struck a bridge in an incident that may have been due to the influence of flooding, Xinhua reported Tuesday, citing local authorities. The vessel, which was carrying nearly 5,000 tonnes of rolled steel, smacked into a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge on Monday evening, catapulting several of its 11 crew members into the water. Seven people were rescued before the ship sank just before midnight, Xinhua said. Aerial shots from Guangdong showed brown gashes in the side of a hill the aftermath of landslides that had occurred behind a town on the banks of a swollen river. Soldiers could be seen operating excavators in an attempt to clear away the muddy debris produced by the downpour. This aerial photograph taken on April 22, 2024 shows a flooded area after heavy rains in Qingyuan, in southern Chinas Guangdong province. (AFP)Climate change driven by human-emitted greenhouse gases makes extreme weather events more frequent and intense, and China is the worlds biggest emitter. Parts of Guangdong have not seen such severe flooding so early in the year since records began in 1954, the state-run China National Radio reported. Guangdong is Chinas manufacturing heartland, home to around 127 million people. Please quickly take precautions and stay away from dangerous areas such as low-lying areas prone to flooding, authorities in Shenzhen said in issuing Tuesdays red alert. Pay attention to heavy rains and resulting disasters such as waterlogging, flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and ground caving in. (With agency inputs) At least five migrants, including a child, died overnight trying to cross the Channel from France to Britain on their overcrowded small boat, local authorities said. Three men and a woman were also among those killed on the dinghy carrying 110 people from the beach in the town of Wimereux, close to the resort of Boulogne-sur-Mer, the local government office told AFP. After hitting a sand bank, the boat made it back out to sea. A crush then appears to have happened on board the overcrowded boat, leading to several casualties, they said, without providing further details. On Tuesday morning, police had cordoned off the beach, an AFP journalist said. Two ambulance helicopters were stationed nearby. The migrants had attempted to cross when the sea was calm but the temperature was barely above zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). It is the latest in a series of such tragedies as migrants, many from the Middle East and Africa, attempt the perilous sea crossing for what they hope will be a better future in Britain. So far this year at least 15 people have died trying to reach English shores, according to an AFP tally. On March 3, a seven-year-old Iraqi girl named Rola drowned in the capsizing of an overcrowded migrant boat in the Aa canal, around 30 kilometres (19 miles) inland from Frances northern coast. Her parents and brothers survived. People attempting to reach Britain have increasingly been boarding boats on inland waterways to avoid stepped-up patrols on the French coast. In late February, a 22-year-old Turkish man died and two more people went missing in the Channel off Calais. In January, five people including a 14-year-old Syrian died in Wimereux as they waded through chilly seawater to reach a boat off the coast. Twelve migrants lost their lives last year trying to cross the Channel, French authorities say. British officials processed 5,373 migrants landing on the shores of southeast England in the first three months of this year after crossing the Channel in small vessels, the British interior ministry says. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks government has been under mounting pressure to stem the number of crossings, particularly following a promise of a tougher approach to immigration after the United Kingdom left the European Union. These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives, UK interior minister James Cleverley said on X. This government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people smuggling gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk. The news of the latest migrant deaths comes after controversial UK government plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda cleared a final hurdle in parliament on Monday. The United Nations and Europes highest rights body have urged Britain to scrap the plan. Hamas ally and Iranian proxy Hezbollah on Monday in a statement said it fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at an army headquarters in northern Israel. The Lebanese militants said it was a retaliatory move to raids targeting villages in southern Lebanon, according to an AFP report. Footage from the @IDF: "A short while ago, IAF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Earlier today, two military structures where Hezbollah terrorists operated were struck in the areas of Arzoun and Odaisseh in southern Lebanon." pic.twitter.com/sCqHTT4Go9 Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) April 22, 2024 The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said that they detected approximately 35 launches crossing from Lebanon into the area of Ein Zeitim in northern Israel. They said that there were no injuries and that they struck the sources of the launches. The IDF said that the source of the strike was in the area of Arzoun in southern Lebanon. Since Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza, there have been near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Iran-backed Hezbollah. With Israel-Iran tensions at an all-time high, the Lebanese Shiite militant group has intensified its attacks on Israel military targets across the border. A Hezbollah statement said it had bombarded the headquarters of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 91st Division at Ein Zeitim Base with dozens of Katyusha rockets. This was in response to Israeli attacks on southern villages and civilian homes, most recently in Srifa, Odaisseh and Rab Tlatin. Lebanons official National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli strikes on the three villages on Monday. Since October 7 at least 376 people have been killed in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also 70 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israel says 10 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed on its side of the border. (with agency inputs) The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday announced that it eliminated two significant terrorists in Hezbollahs Aerial Unit over the past day in south Lebanon. Iran-backed group Hezbollah also confirmed that two of its members had been killed by Israeli fire Tuesday. Since Hamass October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza, there have been near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army. But Hezbollah has stepped up its rocket attacks on Israeli targets in recent days. The IDF has eliminated 2 significant terrorists in Hezbollahs Aerial Unit over the past day.Hussein Ali Azkul: Azkul was heavily involved in the planning and execution of terrorist attacks against Israel and was involved in Hezbollahs aerial units routine activities. pic.twitter.com/hfSCzPHY68 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 23, 2024 On Tuesday, agency reports said an Israeli drone strike deep into Lebanon killed an engineer working for Hezbollahs air defence forces as he was travelling in a vehicle. According to AFP, the strike hit the Abu al-Aswad area near the coastal city of Tyre, some 35 kilometres from the border. The fighters vehicle was completely burnt out. Hezbollah said two of its fighters had been killed, one of them overnight. The Israeli army said it had killed two significant terrorists in Hezbollahs aerial unit on Tuesday morning and overnight. On Sunday evening, Hezbollah shot down an Israeli drone, both sides said. Since October 7, at least 378 people have been killed in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also 70 civilians. Israel says 11 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed on its side of the border. (With agency inputs) Police in Los Angeles arrested a suspect following a break-in at the home of Mayor Karen Bass early Sunday, officials said. The suspect was arrested shortly after smashing a window to get inside of Getty House while it was occupied, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement on social media. The home is the mayors official residence, on Irving Boulevard west of downtown. Mayor Bass and her family were not injured and are safe, her office said in a statement. The Mayor is grateful to LAPD for responding and arresting the suspect. Bass told reporters Monday, I am fine. My family is fine. The LAPD identified the suspect in the burglary investigation as 29-year-old Ephraim Matthew Hunter, a city resident. He was being held on $100,000 bail, a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department website said. Public records do not show if Hunter has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. The Los Angeles District Attorneys Office said in an email that LAPD investigators have been in contact with prosecutors to review the investigation. Bass office and the LAPD did not respond to questions about security protocols at the residence. The Los Angeles Times, citing public records, said Hunter was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon following a 2015 attack on a man in Massachusetts and served seven years in state prison. The newspaper said Josephine Duah, who identified herself as Hunters mother, said she spoke with her son Monday from jail and he told her he allegedly entered the property because he believed he was being pursued by someone who wanted to harm him and did not know who owned the residence. She said her son planned to enter a drug treatment clinic on Monday but never made it. Bass served as a Democratic member of Congress from 2011 until her election as the citys 43rd mayor in 2022. The former state Assembly leader is the first woman and second Black person to hold the post, after former Mayor Tom Bradley, who held the position from 1973 to 1993. The arrest recalled the October 2022 break-in at former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis San Francisco home, in which her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer. A jury last year found David DePape guilty of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. The attack raised questions about the security provided for members of Congress and their families. The U.S. Capitol Police had a camera at the residence but it was not being monitored at the time of the attack because Nancy Pelosi was not home. A man accused of vandalizing an Islamic center at New Jerseys flagship university on the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr has been charged with a hate crime, federal prosecutors announced Monday. Jacob Beacher, 24, of North Plainfield, faces single counts of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and making false statements to federal authorities. He was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Monday afternoon and was being represented by the federal public defenders office, which does not comment on cases. The charges stem from an April 10 break-in at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Prosecutors said Beacher damaged property at the site, including several religious artifacts and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Quran, Islams sacred scripture. Authorities said Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the center. The overall damage has been estimated at $40,000. Beacher is not affiliated with Rutgers, officials said. The site was unoccupied when the break-in occurred around 2:40 a.m., prosecutors said. A motive has not been disclosed. While speaking with the FBI two days after the break-in, Beacher said he was the person seen near the center in video surveillance footage but denied breaking into the site. The incident came a few weeks after the state attorney generals office had reported a recent spike in bias incidents in New Jersey. The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it welcomed the charges, adding that the vandalism is an example of bigoted violence that Muslim, Palestinian and allied students are facing on college campuses across the country. Officials with the Islamic center said they were humbled by the amazing and generous outpouring from the Rutgers community and the community at large since the break-in. NASA engineers have achieved a breakthrough in communicating with Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object in space. After months of efforts, the US space agency decoded data from the spacecraft, which is currently located about 24 billion kilometers away from Earth. The issue first arose in November last year when Voyager 1s telemetry modulation unit began transmitting an indecipherable pattern of code. The spacecrafts flight data system, responsible for collecting and transmitting data from its scientific instruments, had been stuck in a loop, rendering the received radio signal devoid of usable information. READ MORE: NASAs Voyager 1 Resumes Sending Engineering Updates to Earth Despite this setback, Voyager 1 maintained contact with mission control on Earth. However, on April 20, NASA engineers received coherent data regarding the spacecrafts engineering systems, indicating that Voyager 1 was operational and in good health. Linda Spilker, Voyager project scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), expressed her excitement, calling it a great day for Voyager 1. This issue was resolved with creative problem-solving by the mission team. They discovered that 3% of the flight data systems memory was corrupted, affecting the spacecrafts ability to transmit usable data. The culprit was identified as a single chip responsible for storing critical parts of the systems memory and software code. Unable to repair the faulty chip, the engineers devised a workaround solution. They redistributed the affected code across different areas of the systems memory, ensuring its functionality and updating references to its location. This innovative approach allowed Voyager 1 to resume sending readable engineering data back to Earth. The successful communication with Voyager 1 marks a significant milestone in its ongoing mission. Launched in 1977, along with its twin spacecraft Voyager 2, both probes have surpassed their initial five-year mission lifespan, becoming the longest-operating spacecraft in history. Despite encountering various challenges over the years, including periods of communication dropout, the Voyager missions continue to provide valuable insights into our solar system and beyond. The UK on Tuesday began detaining migrants for deportation to Rwanda after the UK parliament passed the Rwanda migrant deportation legislation. The legislation has been met with outrage from UN and rights groups but UK PM Rishi Sunak ensured he keeps his word as the Tories head to the general elections with the Labour as favourites to win. The legislation aims to stop irregular cross-Channel migration from northern France. Rishi Sunak, when he was chosen as Tory leader and UK PM, had promised to stop the boats and wants to make good on that promise. Sunak, speaking after the bill passed in parliament, said the focus was now on getting flights to Rwanda off the ground. The bill is expected to receive Royal Assent this week, meaning it has passed into law, and Sunak has said he expects flights to depart within 10 to 12 weeks. I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives, he said in a statement. The scheme says that undocumented asylum seekers arriving in Britain will be sent to east-central African nation Rwanda. Their asylum claims will be examined there and if it is approved it will allow them to stay in Rwanda. Asylum seekers many fleeing wars and poverty in Africa and West Asia started arriving in small boats on the English coast in 2018. More than 6,000 have arrived in Britain already this year, a rise of around a quarter on the same period last year. The worst incident came in November 2021 when 27 migrants perished when their dinghy capsized near Calais. Rwanda said it was pleased to see the bill passed and was looking forward to welcoming those relocated to Rwanda. Rwanda a tiny nation of 13 million people lays claim to being one of the most stable countries in Africa. But rights groups accuse veteran President Paul Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free speech. But the heads of the UN agencies for refugees and human rights warned it threatened the rule of law and set a perilous precedent globally. Even King Charles has called the legislation appalling. King Charles jurisdiction over the matter may not matter because of his giving or withholding the so-called royal assent in a mere formality. The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay, Rishi Sunak said. The proposed legislation grants decision-makers handling asylum applications the authority to ignore certain important aspects of international and domestic human rights laws. This move aims to circumvent a ruling by the UK Supreme Court, which deemed the practice of sending migrants to Kigali on one-way tickets illegal. The government also encountered opposition in Parliament, particularly from the House of Lords, which scrutinises bills sent from the Lower House. Despite repeated attempts by the Lords to amend the legislation, the elected House of Commons, where the Conservative Party holds a majority, rejected every proposed amendment. This led to a back-and-forth process known as parliamentary ping pong, wherein the two chambers exchanged the bill multiple times. Despite resistance from the unelected House of Lords, which lacks a majority for any party, they eventually conceded and agreed to pass the bill without further amendments. The National Audit Office, a public spending watchdog, has estimated it will cost the UK 540 million ($665 million) to deport the first 300 migrants nearly 2 million per person. Sunaks plans could still be held up by legal challenges, while UN rights experts have suggested that airlines and aviation regulators could fall foul of internationally protected human rights laws if they take part in deportations. THIRTY Malawians were yesterday arrested in Harares Mbare suburb after allegedly failing to produce relevant documents. They were taken to Harare Central police station for further investigations. Police confirmed the arrests in a sting operation after a tip-off. Thirty foreign nationals have been arrested in an operation conducted by police in Mbare after receiving information, said police national spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi. He said full details of the arrest would be released today. Foreign nationals must have valid documentation to remain in Zimbabwe legally. If a foreigner is not able to prove that he or she has a legal document to remain in Zimbabwe, he or she may be arrested and prosecuted for illegally entering the country. Most foreigners that are arrested in the country would be trying to cross into South Africa illegally as cases of human trafficking continue to rise. Zimbabwe is a major transit corridor for African immigrants trying to reach South Africa, the continents major economy, to seek refuge. Over the past years, police crackdown on foreign nationals have been sparked by numerous cases of human trafficking and assisted border jumping by bus operators, villagers and other unscrupulous officials. Trafficking of foreigners is a big and dangerous business in most countries in Southern Africa. There are known individuals and kingpins of the trade who kidnap foreigners and demand ransom of up to R80 000 per person. Some of the foreigners come from as far afield as Somalia and Ethiopia and use Zimbabwe and Beitbridge as a transit to South Africa. Herald PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed he is related to Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) director-general Isaac Moyo, confirming an open secret in the corridors of power that his government is stuffed with relatives, friends and cronies. Mnangagwa said this on Friday during a funeral service for Moyos late daughter Shumirai Sandra Moyo who died of a brain cancer-related ailment in Dublin, Ireland, early this month. Shumirai was buried in Rutenga, Mwenezi, Masvingo province on Sunday. Addressing mourners in Harare on Friday, Mnangagwa said: My relationship with Mr Moyo goes deep; he calls my wife sister and I call him sekuru (uncle). He told me everything that took place up to the death of his daughter. I was with him all along the way and was updated every time of the progress. I feel honoured to be here. I thank you all who have come here kunonyaradzana naAmbassador nemhuri yavo (to comfort the ambassador and his family). Mnangagwa then went on to reveal that Shumirai had a burning political ambition to remove opposition CCC Harare West Joana Mamombe from her parliamentary seat. She was engaged in politics which shows how patriotic she was. A lot of kids are not engaged directly in politics. We are assembled here to give our last respects to a patriot of our nation. She had passion to remove Joana Mamombe from her constituency, so sad she couldnt get to finish her journey. No one knows what lies ahead of us but God. I came here to see sekuru vangu (my uncle). This comes as Mnangagwa is battling a public perception that he is on a Karanga sub-ethnic hegemony project in Zimbabwe, as his government is dominated by his political allies mainly from the Midlands and Masvingo provinces. The late former president Robert Mugabes government was run and controlled by his Zezuru sub-ethnic group. Shumirais mother is Priscilla Zindari-Moyo, the Zanu PF MP for Mwenezi West. Moyo helped Mnangagwa to ascend to power during the Mugabe succession battle in 2017. To manage the security sector and ensure coup-proofing strategies, Moyo was recalled from South Africa where he was serving as the countrys ambassador and appointed CIO boss. Chiwenga described Shumirai as a jovial person and revealed he once addressed a crowd she had mobilised. He said the President had come to console the family given the fact that he had worked closely with Moyo over a very long time. Newshawks Former Mwenezi District Organizer for then Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) then led by Nelson Chamisa, Tinei Mapepa has been summoned to Masvingo Magistrate Courts over the Rutenga political violence that occurred last year in the run-up to the harmonized elections. The violence saw Chamisas supporters clashing with the police who resorted to throwing teargas canisters to disperse CCC supporters who were waiting for their leaders arrival on July 23, 2023. According to the summons seen by TellZim News, Mapepa who was then convener of the Rutenga CCC rally was required to appear at the Masvingo Magistrates Court on April 22 to answer to allegations of incitement. You are required to summon Tinei Mapepa of No. 67 Muzhanje Ranch, Mwenezi cell to appear personally before this court at Masvingo Magistrates court on the 22nd day of April 2024 at 0800hrs to answer to allegations raised on the charge of Incitement as defined in the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act CH9.23, reads the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) summons. In an interview, Mapepa who now supports the Blue Movement allegedly led by Chamisa said he did not commit any offence but the motive behind the allegations was to instill fear in those who live in rural communities who challenge Zanu PF. As President Chamisas supporters, we committed no offense on the day in question and everything we did was within the confines of the law. The whole idea behind these arrests is to instil fear and silence those who do not hesitate to point out Zanu PFs failure in remote areas like ours, said Mapepa. Following Chamisas delay in arriving at the Rutenga Growth Point Rally venue, police officers ordered CCC supporters to disperse, but the crowd was defiant, vowing to wait until their leader arrived. This ignited running battles between riot police and CCC supporters as police threw teargas and fired several warning shots in the air to scare off supporters resulting in some picking stones retaliating to the officers. Chamisa later passed through the growth point around dusk to find his defiant supporters patiently waiting for him despite being earlier on teargassed. He only made a brief stop, waving to ululating supporters before proceeding to Ngundu Growth Point where more teargas canisters were thrown at CCC supporters who braved it to have a glimpse of their party leader. TellZimNews THERE will be a triple burial for national heroes Cde Nash Dzimiri, Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha and heroine Cde Tsitsi Jadagu at the National Heroes Acre on Monday. Cdes Dzimiri and Jadagu both died after a short illness while Brig Gen Vezha died in a road traffic accident. President Mnangagwa yesterday presided over a Zanu-PF Extraordinary session of the Politburo at the ruling partys headquarters which centred on modalities for the three heroes joint burials. Speaking at a press briefing after the Politburo session, Zanu-PF national spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said the conferment of national hero status to the trio was in recognition of their contribution to the country. Today we had an extraordinary session of the Zanu-PF Politburo where the President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa saw it fit to convene this extraordinary meeting at a very solemn occasion where the Government and the party and the people of Zimbabwe, in general, have lost solid patriots, he said. The burial will be on Monday because now there are two heroes and a heroine so we need to organise properly and coordinate the families. We felt that we wanted to grant these two heroes and heroine a proper burial with due attendance by the people of Zimbabwe. On the conferment of Cde Dzimiri, Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the Politburo had noted his undeniably immense contributions. Cde Nash Dzimiri has got this outstanding revolutionary career where he fought at the front, he would also train abroad in specialised areas of military warfare and was a confidant at the highest level of the high command of Zanla forces, particularly in the enforcement of discipline. He was also an intelligence officer who gave Africa one of the most admired security organisations which has become the basis of the Africa Security Council Union, he said. Ambassador Mutsvangwa said Cde Vezhas bestowal was not only gained but also served as evidence that dedication and patriotism would always be rewarded under President Mnangagwa. One of them, a promising young General, recently promoted, who was looking forward to a more illustrious posting as a military attache of Zimbabwe to our sister republic of Tanzania, thats Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha. He was involved in an accident between two military vehicles in the Battlefields area in Kwekwe. The party and the Government have seen it fit to recommend to the Politburo and the Politburo duly obliged and the President assented that Cde Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha be declared a national hero. We want him to serve as an example of a dedicated patriot to the young people, girl child and boy child, that works of valour and patriotic commitment to the Republic of Zimbabwe will always be duly recognised, he said. Cde Mutsvangwa said the Politburo learnt of Cde Jadagus death today just before the commencement of the extraordinary session. He described her as a dedicated cadre whom the Politburo had seen fit to bestow the honour of national heroine status. Sadly as the President was coming to deliberate on these two male cadres, we received news that Cde Grace Tsitsi Jadagu, a long-time cadre of the party, this one belongs to the Womens League. She passed away and Harare Province has seen it fit to ask that she be declared a national hero and the President in consultation with his Politburo duly acceded to the request from Harare Province, said Cde Mutsvangwa. So Cde Gare Tsitsi Jadagu will be interred together with the two others, so we have a triple burial at the Heroes Acre of these three outstanding patriots after all of them have been conferred with national hero status. Cde Mutsvangwa said Cde Jadagu was at the forefront of mobilising votes for Zanu-PF so that the ruling party could snatch two seats from Muzorewa in the urban areas. She was one of the organisers of the 1980 elections who managed to make Zanu-PF penetrate urban areas, he said. The message to confer her with the highest honour was conveyed at her Chitungwiza residence by the partys Treasurer General, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, last night. Briefing mourners, Cde Chinamasa said when the status of Cde Jadagu was brought up at yesterdays Extraordinary meeting, there was unanimity that she deserved it. Cde Chinamasa said it was agreed to bury her next Monday at the National Heroes Acre together with two other national heroes. Herald Authorities in Texas say a 10-year-old boy who was questioned about a threat to kill another student made a chilling confession. In a news release , the Gonzales County Sheriff's Office said the boy told investigators he had killed a man in an RV park in early 2022, a week before his eighth birthday. The boy "provided information that was consistent with first-hand knowledge of the homicide of Brandon Rasberry," the sheriff's office said. The boy told investigators that while he was visiting his grandfather in Nixon, Texas, he took a gun from his grandfather's truck, entered Rasberry's RV, and shot the sleeping 32-year-old in the head, CNN reports. He said he then returned the pistol to his grandfather's truck. "When asked, the child stated he had never met Brandon, and did not know who he was although he had observed him walking around the RV earlier in the day," the sheriff's office said. "The child was also asked if he was mad at Brandon for some reason or if Brandon had ever done anything to him to make him mad, the child stated no." Sheriff's officials said they tracked the grandfather's gun to a pawn shop and determined that it was the firearm used in the murder. The office said that "because of the severity of the crime and because of the continued concern for the child's mental wellbeing," he was placed on a 72-hour emergency detention and taken to a psychiatric hospital in San Antonio. The boy is now in juvenile detention for the threat to the studentbut the age of criminal culpability in Texas is 10, meaning he can't be charged with murdering Rasberry. Rasberry's brother, Jonathan Fojtik, says the family is shocked by the development and plans to keep fighting for justice. "Finding out it was a 7-year-old that committed the murder, a senseless murder at that, it's just tragic. It's kind of hard to wrap your head around," he tells KENS5. "Brandon was a loving person. He'd give the shirt off his back for anyone." He adds: "I feel like the boy knew exactly what he was doing. Why wasn't the child being supervised more?" (More Texas stories.) California lawmakers are considering putting an end to what some see as a class issue at airports: letting people pay to cut ahead in the line for TSA screening. "The least you can expect when you have to go through the security line at the airport is that you don't suffer the indignity of somebody pushing you out of the way to let the rich person pass you," said state Sen. Josh Newman, the Democrat who sponsored the bill. The legislation is aimed at vendors such as CLEAR, whose customers pay $189 a year to verify their identities at kiosks; they then receive an escort past waiting passengers to the front of TSA lines, Politico reports. Under the legislation, CLEAR would have to establish its own security line to keep operating in California airports. The company declined to comment on the bill, which is due for a committee hearing Tuesday, but said it provides hundreds of jobs and shares more than $13 million in revenue with the nine California airports it's in. CLEAR operates in about 50 US airports, per CBS News, as well as at stadiums and other places. Its service differs from TSA PreCheck, which speeds up the security checkpoint process. Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, and Hawaiian airlines are fighting Newman's bill, saying the loss of revenue could force them to raise fares. Newman said he's not trying to drive CLEAR out of business but seeking to eliminate "a moment of friction" when its clients push past travelers who didn't pay extra. He also doesn't consider the service secure; CLEAR drew congressional attention last year when an employee took a passenger through security who had found a boarding pass in the trash, per Politico. "It becomes a haves vs. have nots where those who can afford it jump in front of the rest of us," said Republican Sen. Janet Nguyen. (More airport security stories.) Liberal and conservative justices on the Supreme Court appeared to be split Monday on a major case dealing with homelessnessand with a conservative majority on the court, it appears poised to rule in favor of allowing cities to make their own rules. The case involves a challenge to a law in Grants Pass, Oregon, which fined people $295 for camping on public property or sleeping outside or in cars, with jail sentences for repeat offenders. Critics said the law criminalized homelessness. In 2022, a federal appeals court panel said city ordinances violated the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment, NBC News reports. A decision is expected by late June. Arguments. Lawyers for Grants Pass argued that the homelessness crisis "is a significant challenge for communities large and small throughout the nation" and the solution should not be to "place the federal courts in charge of this pressing social problem," the Washington Post reports. They said encampments and associated problems, including violent crime, have multiplied in the nine Western states covered by the appeal's court ruling, including California. Attorneys for homeless people who challenged the law said local authorities can still regulate or clear encampmentsbut they can't punish people when no shelter beds are available and they have nowhere else to go. A congressional committee Monday criticized the CIA's handling of sexual misconduct allegations in its ranks, saying victims have been deterred from coming forward and were aware of "little to no accountability or punishment for the perpetrators of the assaults or harassment." After interviewing more than two dozen whistleblowers behind closed doors and reviewing more than 4,000 pages of records, the House Intelligence Committee concluded the CIA "failed to handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment within its workforce in the professional and uniform manner that such sensitive allegations warrant." Although the eight-page report was short on specifics, the bipartisan committee credited the spy agency for its cooperation and pointed to new legislation that provides new reporting options to victims and aims to improve transparency. In a statement to the AP, the CIA said it's committed to providing a safe workplace and has "taken significant steps to ensure that." The investigation followed a flood of sexual misconduct complaints at the CIA and what several survivors described as a campaign to keep them from speaking out by failing to ensure their anonymity and saying it could harm national security. An AP investigation last year found the accusations included lewd remarks about sexual fantasies, unwanted touching, and sexual assaults. In one case, a senior manager allegedly showed up at a subordinate's house at night with a firearm and demanded sex. Last year, a CIA officer trainee was found guilty in Virginia of charges accusing him of assaulting a coworker with a scarf and trying to kiss her in a stairwell at the agency's headquarters. The victim was terminated earlier this year in what her attorney called a brazen act of retaliation, an accusation the CIA denied. Kevin Carroll, an attorney for the woman, praised the congressional report. He called on the CIA to "cooperate more with local law enforcement investigations and prosecutions of sex crimes committed by Agency officers." (More CIA stories.) Australia on Monday banned X from allowing users to access graphic video from last week's stabbing attack at a Sydney church, at least temporarily, and Elon Musk responded by accusing the country of censorship. Australia's internet watchdog, the eSafety Commission, had already blocked Australian users from accessing video of a bishop being stabbed, but the video could still be viewed from other countries. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said most social media companies cooperated with the country's request that the violent footage be blocked, but X did not, the Guardian reports. So the commissioner made an urgent request to Australia's federal court for an injunction, and a judge ordered the footage be suppressed until Wednesday, when an application for a permanent ban will be heard, the AP reports. Get the news faster. Tap to install our app. Access Newser even faster. Click here to install our app on your desktop. X Planes flying in and out of Europe, especially the eastern part of the continent near Russia, have seen their GPS signals jammed over the past year or so, and now there's a suspect: Russia. Citing an analysis by the Sun, which looked at flight logs from GPSJAM.org, the Guardian reports that 46,000 planes since last August have reported GPS issues while cruising over the Baltic Sea. Quartz notes that although "aviation officials don't believe Russia is purposely targeting foreign civilian aircraft, the interference still poses a safety risk." GPS jamming can take various forms, including "spoofing" the plane's crew to think that they're in a different location than they're actually in, or relaying erroneous information on flight speed or altitude. Newsweek reports that the jammers have been traced back to Russia's Kaliningrad region, a territory nestled between Poland and Lithuania. The UK government verified last month that a Royal Air Force aircraft with the nation's defense secretary, Grant Shapps, aboard saw its GPS signal jammed as it flew Shapps from Poland back to the UK. The Kyiv Independent notes that the plane's signal was mucked up for about 30 minutes as it flew near Kaliningrad, in what Downing Street called a "wildly irresponsible" move, though it stressed the plane had never been in danger. The Times of London notes that the new data only indicates GPS interference, which could also come from solar flares and even skyscrapers. However, GPSJAM.org notes that "areas where a significant percentage of aircraft report low navigation accuracy seem to correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming." Officials are now working to ease travelers' minds over the incidents. "GPS jamming does not directly impact the navigation of an aircraft, and while it is a known issue, this does not mean an aircraft has been jammed deliberately," Glenn Bradley, the head of flight operations at the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, tells the Guardian. Reps for multiple airlines concur, telling the paper that even if their system's GPS gets jammed, there are other location/navigation systems in place that can safely guide the plane. (More Russia stories.) The Nestle brand may be associated with comfort food and drink, but its infant eats are getting an uncomfortable amount of scrutiny over sugar content. Per a new report from the nonprofit Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network, the Swiss food conglomerate adds more sugar to its baby products sold in lower- to middle-income nations than in products sold in more affluent onesup to 7.3 grams of added sugar per serving, while the same products in Europe have no added sugar. Findings: The report looked most closely at sugar content in Cerelac instant cereal and Nido powdered milk, two big sellers that brought in more than $2.5 billion in sales in 2022 in poorer countries. Public Eye found Cerelac in Thailand, Ethiopia, South Africa, Pakistan, and India had up to 6 grams of added sugar, while the same brand sold in the UK and Germany had zero. In some nations, including Nigeria, Senegal, and the Philippines, added sugar content wasn't listed at all. Nido products also had added sugar in poorer nations, though to a "lesser degree," per the Post. The media may think it's learned from its outsized coverage of Donald Trump, but nope, not according to Jon Stewart, who spent Monday's Daily Show blasting coverage of the former president's hush money trial in New York. "It's a trial. It's boring, mostly," Stewart said. But media outlets didn't see it that way, with pundits claiming it to be "the trial of the century," showing the "walls closing in" on Trump. "Yes, this time, Mr. Bond, it truly is your doom," Stewart mocked analysts. "Perhaps if we limit the coverage to the issues at hand and try not to create an all-encompassing spectacle of the most banal of details, perhaps that would help," he went on, per the New York Times , before airing media footage of Trump's motorcade. "Seriously, are we going to follow this guy to court every f---ing day? Are you trying to make this OJ? It's not a chase. He's commuting," Stewart quipped. He then continued in this vein, airing pundits' analyses of courtroom sketches and play-by-plays of Trump's actions in court, mostly limited to glances and the pursing of lips. "What the f--- are we doing?" Stewart asked at one point, per the Hollywood Reporter. He said the trial was "a test of the media's ability to cover Donald Trump in a responsible way" and "the media's first attempt, the very first attempt, on the first day, of self control, failed," which doesn't bode well for the future. "At some point in this trial something important and revelatory is going to happen, but none of us are going to notice because the hours spent on his speculative, facial tics," Stewart said. "If the media tries to make us feel like the most mundane bullshit is Earth shattering, we won't believe you when it's really interesting. It's your classic boy who cried Wolf Blitzer." And this is just "the first day of the first of his 438 trials to come," Stewart continued. "Pace yourselves," he told journalists. "And if you're bored you can always start planning how you're going to fuck up covering his next trial and the sober mea culpa you'll deliver during his next term as president." (More Jon Stewart stories.) The pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Columbia University, infiltrated by police last week, is back in place, and with it, similar encampments at universities around the country. These, too, are facing police intervention amid the ongoing debate around free speech and antisemitism related to the Israel-Hamas war. More on how the crisis ballooned and why Columbia is at its center: Why Columbia? "Colleges and universities have long been hotbeds for activism," and Columbia is "based in the largest US city, with the second-biggest Jewish population in the world after Tel Aviv" and a fifth of the US Muslim population, per USA Today. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker discussed his long history with Donald Trump when took the stand for a second day in Trump's hush-money trial Tuesday. Pecker said he met Trump in the '80s and considered him a friend until 2017, NBC News reports. He testified that at a meeting at Trump Tower in August 2015 with Trump, lawyer Michael Cohen, and Trump aide Hope Hicks, he was asked what he could do for Trump's campaign and pledged to be Trump's "eyes and ears," the AP reports. "I said that anything I hear in the marketplace, if I hear anything negative about yourself, or if I hear about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen," said Pecker, who confirmed that the arrangement was "so the stories would not get published." A mutually beneficial arrangement . Pecker described a mutually beneficial arrangement with Trump going back to Trump's Apprentice days, when Pecker would pay for news from the show. He said that during the campaign, the Enquirer published positive stories about Trump and would publish negative stories about Trump's primary rivals at Cohen's request. The BBC reports that prosecutor Joshua Steinglass "seemed amused" as he read out some Enquirer headlines, including "Ted Cruz Shamed by Porn Star." . Pecker described a mutually beneficial arrangement with Trump going back to Trump's Apprentice days, when Pecker would pay for news from the show. He said that during the campaign, the Enquirer published positive stories about Trump and would publish negative stories about Trump's primary rivals at Cohen's request. The BBC reports that prosecutor Joshua Steinglass "seemed amused" as he read out some Enquirer headlines, including "Ted Cruz Shamed by Porn Star." Fake news. Pecker said the tabloid would "embellish" stories about Cruz and other Trump rivals, which the New York Times describes as a confession "that it published 'fake news' to help" Trump. He said Cohen would call him after debates and ask for negative stories about whichever Trump rival had been most successful. He said he told then-editor Dylan Howard that the arrangement with Trump and his aides was "highly, highly confidential." Revive a Smile's team of volunteers provide free dental care to the homeless, the elderly, migrants, and other low-income adults. The charity's mobile caravan-trailer had been operating in the community for years - until last week. Dr Russell said the thieves will "really struggle" to sell the items taken, because they're unique to dentistry. "I don't know who they're going to sell them to. "The only people that will use them are dentists, and dentists in New Zealand don't buy second-hand equipment and instruments from Marketplace and Trade Me." She said the items stolen are largely worthless on the black market. "A lot of the things that they've taken, they'll probably just end up throwing in the rubbish because they won't be able to get anything for them." Dr Russell said the burglary has set the clinic back months. "It's going to take us a considerable amount of time to be able to restock and repurchase so that we can be up and running again," she said. "It's not like we can just go down to Noel Leeming and buy everything again." TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Interior Minister, His Excellency General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, has emphasised that Bahrains approach is based on peace, openness and humanitarian initiatives. He hailed the support to the initiatives by the royal vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa with the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. This came as General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah received yesterday Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, the British Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, United Nations and the Commonwealth. Lieutenant General Tariq Al Hassan, Chief of Public Security, Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, the Interior Ministry Undersecretary, and Alastair Long, the British Ambassador to Bahrain, were present. Justice and human rights The Interior Minister noted that the Kingdom has achieved a turning point in reinforcing justice and human rights, which has contributed to further strengthening social cohesion. He highlighted the human rights and social accomplishments of the alternative sanctions project and the open prisons programmes, which come within the framework of the Interior Ministrys security and social initiatives and programmes to promote community security. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah lauded the historical ties and robust partnership between Bahrain and the UK, highlighting the mutual commitment to continually develop them. The meeting reviewed cooperation and coordination to promote joint action and exchange of expertise to address security challenges and promote regional stability. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Report by Zahra Ayaz Bahrain, known for its stable political environment and pro-business policies, is emerging as an attractive investment destination, according to real estate expert Gulnaz Amangeldinova from Glory Real Estate. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Tribune, Amangeldinova highlighted several factors that make Bahrain an appealing choice for investors. For business owners, Bahrain offers tax-free advantages, and the process of establishing a company here takes an average of just two weeks, stated Amangeldinova. The ease of setting up a business, combined with favourable tax policies, presents a significant incentive for entrepreneurs seeking to expand their ventures. Bahrain is a small country that gives you a luxurious life experience, Amangeldinova added. To reach any other destination, you need an average of 15 minutes. Each area has schools, restaurants, malls, etc. Life moves slowly compared to big cities (countries). The convenience and comfort offered by the Kingdoms compact size contribute to its appeal as an investment destination. High ROI Regarding the real estate market in Bahrain, Amangeldinova emphasised the countrys high return on investment (ROI) for residential properties. The average ROI in Bahrain for residential properties is 8 per cent, which is higher than in other regions, she stated. This attractive ROI is attributed to the governments initiatives to promote the sector and stimulate demand. The government is actively working to boost tourism in the country and making efforts to attract foreign investors, Amangeldinova affirmed. The governments commitment to attracting foreign businesses and investors creates new opportunities for real estate investment in Bahrain. Market changes She also highlighted recent market changes that have positively impacted the sector. Enhancing affordable housing options has had a positive impact on the market, she explained. Furthermore, Bahraini banks have started offering mortgages with good rates for investors, some without a down payment requirement, further attracting investors to the real estate market. Seef and Juffair have consistently shown high demand and return on investment for residential and commercial properties. However, in recent months, Bahrain Bay and Marassi have gained traction among foreign investors. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), the leading provider of digital banking services in Bahrain, has launched Win a month salary new campaign for personal finance taking place from 15 April to 31 May 2024. The campaign highlights the banks ongoing efforts to facilitate money matters and offer customers simplified and diverse financing solutions. The campaign enables the banks new customers, or current customers who wish to top-up their existing financing by applying for a new personal finance. Applicants will have the opportunity to enter a draw and become one of 5 winners to receive a one-month salary worth up to BD 1,000 to be deposited in their Tejoori Al Islami accounts. Fatema AlAlawi, Chief Retail Banking Officer at BisB, said: We are pleased to announce the launch of our latest promotional campaign Win a months salary designed for customers seeking new or additional personal financing. we are committed to providing comprehensive financing solutions that meet our customers needs, enhance their banking experience, and simplify their financial matters. We invite all customers interested in benefiting from this campaign to submit their applications during the campaign period to be among the lucky winners of a one months salary prize. Winners will receive the prize in their Tejoori accounts, and in the event that the winner does not have a Tejoori Al Islami account they will be required to open a new account in order to deposit the prize amount, as per the Banks policy and procedures. BisB offers its services through a network of 8 branches and user-friendly digital platforms, including online banking and a mobile app. The bank provides a diverse range of financial products and services. AFP | Warsaw The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Polands president yesterday said his country is ready to host NATOs nuclear arms after Russia reinforced its armaments in neighbouring Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Poland, a NATO member and a staunch supporter of Ukraine, shares a border with both Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus, Moscows ally. If our allies decide to deploy nuclear arms on our territory as part of nuclear sharing to reinforce NATOs eastern flank, we are ready to do so, Duda said in an interview published by the Fakt daily. Moscow in response warned it would take steps to ensure its security. Duda spoke to the Polish media after a visit to New York, where he held meetings at the UN and discussed the war in Ukraine with former US president Donald Trump. In March, he visited Washington DC, where he met with US President Joe Biden. Discussions about nuclear cooperation between Poland and the United States have been going on for some time, he said. I have already talked about this several times. I must admit that when asked about it, I declared our readiness, Duda said. Russia is increasingly militarising Kaliningrad. Recently it has been relocating its nuclear weapons to Belarus, he added. Response steps Speaking to reporters later on Monday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he would have to understand the presidents intentions, suggesting the matter had not been discussed between them. I would have to know all the circumstances that prompted the president to make this declaration, Tusk said. Im looking forward to meeting President Duda, because the matter directly and very clearly concerns Polish security, Tusk added. He also said he would host NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Warsaw on Tuesday. Pro-EU coalition leader Tusk has frequently clashed with the right-wing Polish president, but their views on supporting Ukraine and defying threats from Russia have so far been largely similar. The Kremlin said it would respond if Poland hosted nuclear weapons.The military will of course analyse the situation and in any case will take all necessary response steps in order to ensure our security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. In June 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia had sent tactical nuclear arms to Belarus, which borders Ukraine and Poland. During the last NATO summit in Vilnius, the allies pledged to take all necessary steps to ensure the credibility, effectiveness, safety and security of the nuclear deterrent mission. GATINEAU, QC, April 22, 2024 /CNW/ - Less than ten per cent of plastics in Canada are recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills and often on our beaches, in rivers, parks and our oceans, harming wildlife and damaging habitats. Canadians want to see concrete action from governments and plastic producers to step up to tackle plastic pollution. This means improving how plastics are made, used and managed, cutting plastic waste, building green economic opportunities, and sending a clear signal to governments and businesses so they can spur innovation, drive policy, and signal areas of investment. That is why today, coinciding with Earth Day under the theme Planet vs. Plastics, the Government of Canada announced the new Federal Plastics Registry, a tool to compel plastic producers and other companies across the plastics value chain to help monitor and track plastic from the time it is produced up to its end of life. By better tracking plastic through its full life cycle, both governments and industry will be better equipped to address plastic waste and pollution through increased transparency and sound, robust, evidence-based decision-making. This announcement helps set the tone for the kinds of measures Canada hopes to encourage the world to move toward this week in Ottawa during the fourth session of negotiations toward a new global agreement on plastic pollution. The Registry requires plastic resin manufacturers, producers of plastic products, and service providers to report each year on the quantity and types of plastic they put on the Canadian market and how that plastic moves through the economy. This tool will provide Canadians, including innovators and decision-makers, with reliable data that will identify opportunities for further action to reduce plastic waste and pollution, as well as help monitor progress over time. Reporting will be phased in over time and by sector. The categories covered by the Registry include packaging, single-use and disposable products, construction, transportation, electronics and electrical equipment, tires, textiles and apparel, fishing and aquaculture equipment, and agriculture and horticulture equipment. Through the Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments agreed to develop and maintain Canada-wide data on how plastic moves through the economy. The Federal Plastics Registry supports this commitment and publicly provides critical data to inform and support Canada's shared plan to address plastic waste and pollution. The Government of Canada continues to collaborate with partners to advance its comprehensive zero plastic waste agenda. This includes working with provinces and territories through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to implement the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Action Plan. The Registry supports the Action Plan commitment to develop and maintain national plastics economy data. Quotes "Canadians expect the Government of Canada to take action to reduce plastic waste and pollution, and we are delivering on our commitment. The Federal Plastics Registry is a practical tool that will help track plastics across the economy, inform future actions, and measure progress to reduce plastic waste and pollution." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Quick facts In 2019, Canadians threw away 4.4 million tonnes of plastic waste, only nine per cent of which was recycled. The Government of Canada is taking action to reduce plastic waste and pollution and move toward a circular economy through an evidence-based and comprehensive plan that addresses the entire life cycle of plastics to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. is taking action to reduce plastic waste and pollution and move toward a circular economy through an evidence-based and comprehensive plan that addresses the entire life cycle of plastics to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. The Government of Canada published a consultation paper in July 2022 , a technical paper in April 2023 , and a Notice of Intent in December 2023 on the approach and technical details of the Federal Plastics Registry. The feedback received during these consultations was considered in the development of the final Registry. published a consultation paper in , a technical paper in , and a Notice of Intent in on the approach and technical details of the Federal Plastics Registry. The feedback received during these consultations was considered in the development of the final Registry. In 2022, Canada and all other United Nations member states agreed at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly to establish the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee with the mandate to develop a legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024. and all other United Nations member states agreed at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly to establish the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee with the mandate to develop a legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024. Ottawa is hosting the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4), the fourth of five planned negotiating sessions to unite the world around a shared goal to end plastic pollution. Related products Associated links Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada Contacts: Kaitlin Power, Senior Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected] A New Jersey man who authorities allege was speeding when he caused a head-on crash in Atlantic County that killed a new mother has been charged with manslaughter. Karina E. Castillo was driving her car west on on Black Horse Pike in Hamilton at 2:15 p.m. on April 3 when it made contact with an SUV driven by Stephen Sirch, officials said. The contact forced Castillos car into the eastbound lanes, where her car collided with an oncoming vehicle, officials said. Castillo, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sirch, 30, of Voorhees was arrested Monday and is being held at the Atlantic County jail, the prosecutors office said. An attorney for Sirch wasnt listed in court records of 2 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office. Castillo, of Pine Hill, is survived by her infant daughter and fiance, according to an online obituary. She is also survived by her parents, brother and sister, the obituary said. Castillo worked as a social worker for the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. Sirch and the other driver a 40-year-old woman as well as two passengers in her car suffered minor injuries, police said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Four men robbed and carjacked a New York resident early Monday at a Wawa in Hackensack, police said. The man told officers that the four unidentified men took several belongings from him, as well as his 2018 Land Rover. The carjacking took place in the parking lot of the Wawa at 505 South River Street, Hackensack Police Capt. Michael Antista told NJ Advance Media. The man was not injured during the incident. Anitista could not immediately be reached for more information. As of 6:30 p.m., no suspects were named and no arrests were made as the detectives from the Hackensack Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutors Office were still investigating. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. A Camden man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for gunning down a 21-year-old Philadelphia resident during a botched robbery in 2021, authorities said Tuesday. Antony Shields, 23, was convicted of first-degree felony murder, aggravated manslaughter and second degree conspiracy to commit robbery by a jury on Jan. 30. Shields and Jony Ramos, 24, were accused by authorities of shooting Alex Fernandez during a robbery on the 1700 block of South 7th Street around 2 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2021. Fernandez was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at Cooper University Hospital, according to authorities. Shields defense attorney Terrell A. Ratliff said Tuesday that he thought the sentence was a little harsh, but commensurate with similar offenses. He added that he would have liked to see the judge weigh Shields personal history and background more in issuing a sentence. The status of Ramos case was unclear Tuesday afternoon. An attorney listed for him did not immediately return a request for comment. Shields must serve a minimum of 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X Jersey City Councilman James Solomon is calling on his city council colleagues many who have indirectly benefited from the county line to approve a symbolic resolution urging state lawmakers to abide by a federal courts decision to abolish it. The uniquely New Jersey voting ballot design has given a preferential placement to political party-supported candidates for years, greatly helping to keep party bosses in control of who sits in various elected positions. And while the county line has not had a direct impact on Jersey City non-partisan elections, Hudson County Democratic Organization-supported candidates consistently receive help via financial resources and endorsements. Solomon, a long-time advocate against the county line, is concerned about the possibility of a state legislator sponsoring a bill that would re-establish the county line across the state. The New York Jets and cornerback Brandin Echols are being sued over a car crash near the teams training facility in Florham Park two years ago that injured an Essex County man. Stephen J. Gilberg, of Livingston, states in court papers he was driving east on Columbia Turnpike (County Road 510) near Airport Road on April 26, 2022, when Echols collided with him at a high rate of speed. Echols, 26, lost control and collided with Gilbergs car, sending it to the right side of the road where it struck a curb and catapulted into the air, striking and going over the guardrail, overturning and landing upside down in a marshy area, according to the lawsuit. The suit, filed Friday in Superior Court of Morris County, states Echols was arrested and charged with multiple violations, including speeding and reckless driving. The lawsuit alleges Echols has a history of reckless driving and claims the Jets was negligent in conducting a proper background check on Echols before allowing him to drive, alleging endangering other motorists. New York Jets LLC did not exercise reasonable care in hiring defendant, Echols, as one of its players in that they failed to conduct the proper motor vehicle and/or criminal history checks and/or reference checks, the suit alleges. A spokesperson for the Jets and Echols did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a request for comment on the suit. The Daily Record reported police arrived after the crash to find Echols black 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat disabled in the eastbound lanes of the turnpike, and Gilbergs black BMW X5 on its roof in a marsh about 50 feet from the roadway. Gilberg was seriously injured, hospitalized and continues to require medical care and treatment, according to the suit. During a court hearing on Feb. 28, 2023, Echols entered a pretrial intervention program for three years, according to the The Daily Record report. Gilberg and his wife, Cheryl, are suing Echols, the New York Jets, the New Jersey Department of Transportation and other entities, alleging assault by auto and negligence. The suit also claims the state Department of Transportation was negligent in the design and installment of curbs and guardrails along the crash site. A state spokesman said the DOT does not comment on pending litigation. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A 66-year-old man from Morris County is recovering in a hospital after he was stabbed multiple times Monday in a random attack outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York. The NY Post said the victim was on his way to work as a carpenter when he was stabbed and slashed in the neck and arm outside the bus terminal in Manhattan shortly before 6 a.m. Port Authority police said they arrested a 42-year-old California man at 5:43 a.m. after officers witnessed him stabbing the victim at the midtown bus terminal. Attempted murder, first-degree assault and a weapons charge are pending. The victim was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. The NY Post said the victim has been commuting from New Jersey to Manhattan for the past five years and was reading a book while waiting for a co-worker when the man allegedly charged at him in the unprovoked attack. The victim is a father of three adult children who was spending Tuesday, his 66th birthday, in the hospital recovering, according to The NY Post. A Port Authority spokesperson said violent crime at the bus terminal is rare, but theyve increased police and civilian security staffing at the facility anyway. Safeguarding the public and our employees is the absolute highest priority for our agency, a Port Authority spokesperson said in a statement. We will also continue to work closely with our local and state law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of the traveling public, the spokesperson said. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Rep. Jeff Van Drew has now established himself as Vladimir Putins best friend in New Jersey, the lone member of our Congressional delegation who just voted to cut off all military aid for Ukraine. His support for the worlds most aggressive dictator is a new low, even for Van Drew, an opportunist whose convictions flip with the latest political breeze. In a just world, he would be sent to the front line to explain himself to the Ukrainian troops as they bury their dead friends. Theyve been trying to hold their lines, even as the political games in Washington put them at a grave disadvantage, able to fire just one artillery shell for every five the Russians fire at them. If you see Kari Lake looking over her shoulder, shes watching for Hillary Clinton. Lake, the paranoid, election-denying Arizona Senate candidate who lost the gubernatorial race two years ago, claimed for the second time in two years that Clinton is trying to kill her. On a recent podcast with election law attorney Marc Elias, Clinton said that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump aspires to be an autocrat like Russian president Vladimir Putin, and she reminded listeners that Trump has promised revenge if he is elected to a second presidential term. His bromance with Putin ... it was actually called that by the former prime minister of Australia who said he saw Trump with Putin, and Trump was just gaga over Putin, she said. Because Putin does what he would like to do: Kill his opposition, imprison his opposition, drive journalists and others into exile, rule without any check or balance. Thats what Trump really wants. Lake interpreted that to mean that Clinton was alleging Trump would have his enemies killed like Putin does and Lake basically said, well, it takes one murderer to know another. MORE POLITICS NY Post rubs Ukraine aid in Moscow Marjories face with mocking front page Prosecutors 1, Trump 0: Why ex-president lost opening arguments Relentless Liz Cheney is still coming for Donald Trump: Her latest effort Hillary Clinton has 3-word mantra for voters (and its not Lock him up!) Thats really rich coming from a woman like Hillary Clinton, Lake said. How many of her friends have mysteriously died or committed suicide? She added: Its comical that Hillary is talking about Trump wanting to kill his opponents. I just want to say, as Im speaking about this topic, I want everyone out there to know that the brakes on my car have recently been checked and they work. Im not suicidal. Hillary, I dont mean any harm to you, please dont send your henchmen out to me. We understand what youre about. In her failed bid for governor in 2022, Lake used the same lines when Clinton campaigned against her. I was a little concerned today when I saw Hillary bad-mouthing me, she said then. I want you to know Im in perfect health, my brakes in my car are in good shape, and Im not suicidal. Heres how converted Republican Ron Filipkowski described Lakes candidacy: Arizona voters have to decide if they want a Senator representing them who claims the 2020 election was stolen, the 2022 election was stolen, that the Democrats will try to steal 2024; who loved Obama but now loves Trump; who praised [Ron] Desantis, then trashed him; who was a Buddhist but now a Christian; who trashed [John] McCain supporters in 2022, but now wants them to support her; who conceded liability in a defamation case while claiming victory; and who just had a conservative Supreme Court reject her most recently appeal to try to overturn her loss in the Governors race. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Donald Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz isnt mincing words about his former client. There are Democrats in Washington D.C. who want him killed Dershowitz, the Harvard Law professor emeritus who worked on Trumps legal defense in the former presidents 2020 impeachment trial, was reacting to proposed legislation from Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson that would revoke Secret Service protection from convicted felons sentenced to prison. The bill is dubbed the Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable, aka DISGRACED, and is a clear swipe at Trump. If Trump is found guilty of all the 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his New York, he could face time behind bars. That means that they want him killed, because hes obviously a target. We live in an age where everybody is in danger, Dershowitz recently said on Newsmax. Look, Bobby Kennedy ought to be getting Secret Service protection, but certainly Donald Trump needs to get a Secret Service protection. Dershowitz added: The judge is going to bluff and fine and threaten, but hes not going to throw Donald Trump in jail. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged effort to keep salacious and, he says, bogus stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign. On Monday, Trump called the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg a scam and witch hunt. The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trumps company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He paid that sum on Trumps behalf to keep porn actor Stormy Daniels from going public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the sexual encounter ever happened. Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees. Prosecutors have described it as part of a scheme to bury damaging stories Trump feared could help his opponent in the 2016 race, particularly as Trumps reputation was suffering at the time from comments he had made about women. Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment and that it was designed to stop Daniels from going public about the alleged encounter. But Trump has previously said it had nothing to do with the campaign. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently had to reach across the aisle to get approval of $95 billion in desperately needed war-time aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies after members of his far-right party tried to tank the measure. But apparently it wasnt the first time Johnson extended an olive branch to members of the other party, including President Joe Biden. From a RealClearPolitics report: This past March, Johnson felt he owed Biden an apology. Seated just over the presidents shoulder during the State of the Union address, the speaker couldnt mask his expressions of exhaustion and exasperation as Biden laid into Republicans. The two next met on Capitol Hill for the Friends of Ireland luncheon where Johnson toasted Biden as Americas most famous Irishman. On loan from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, his pint glass was the same one Reagan used during a 1984 visit to Ireland. The Guinness the Southern Baptist speaker drank was non-alcoholic. Johnson pulled Biden aside to apologize for the eye-roll memes that went around the world. The president laughed, then told the speaker he was glad Johnson was better behaved than Nancy Pelosi had been during the speeches of his predecessor: Im just grateful you didnt rip my speech up. The speaker replied, Well, Mr. President, dont think my friends back home didnt want me to light it on fire. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. Infielder DJ LeMahieu haunts the Colorado Rockies, the team with whom he spent seven seasons of his career before joining the New York Yankees. LeMahieu signed with the Yankees in January 2019 as a free agent. The Denver Posts Patrick Saunders said that LeMahieus ghost still wields so much power, the team hasnt been the same without him. He called it the Curse of LeMahieu in a story published Sunday. The Rockies relentless losing, spate of bad luck and terrible personnel moves can be traced back to the clubs decision to let All-Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu walk away as a free agent after their 2018 playoff season. The Rockies didnt even attempt to re-sign LeMahieu, even though he wanted to stay in Colorado. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE YANKEES NEWSLETTER: RESTORING THE GLORY Saunders outlined all of the ways LeMahieus departure has corresponded with the organizations failures. Colorado has endured five consecutive playoff-less seasons, and at 5-17 in 2024, is on its way to another. It has 303 wins and 426 losses since LeMahieu joined the Yankees on a two-year, $24 million deal. He signed a six-year, $90 million extension in 2021. The Rockies reached the wild-card game and NLDS in LeMahieus final seasons. Now, a .500 season would be progress. The Rockies dealt franchise third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was upset with LeMahieus departure, to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. The subsequent signings of players like Kris Bryant have not panned out. And those are just some of the examples of LeMahieus hex on the Rockies, according to Saunders. Since joining the Yankees, LeMahieu has batted .285/.358/.430 with 73 home runs and 276 RBI in five seasons (2,653 plate appearances). His offensive game has diminished with an OPS+ under 100 in two of the past three seasons. LeMahieu (broken foot) has not played a game in 2024. He is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy with light rain developing this afternoon. High 53F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low near 35F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. 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. The Louisiana House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure on Monday advanced without objection two bills aimed at protecting access to IVF in the state, in response to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling in February that essentially halted access to the procedures there. House Bill 833 by Rep. Paula Davis, a Baton Rouge Republican, and House Bill 742 by Rep. Denise Marcelle, a Baton Rouge Democrat, would keep IVF providers from being sued if something happens to the embryos in their care as long as theyre acting in good faith and with reasonable care and diligence. The committees response to the bills signals bipartisan support for safeguarding access to IVF, also known as in vitro fertilization, a process in which an egg is fertilized with sperm in a lab, outside of the body, and later implanted into the uterus. It can be a fertility treatment option for people who are struggling to become pregnant. I think this a very pro-family bill, said Rep. Chad Brown, a Plaquemine Democrat, of Davis bill. I don't know that there's anything more pro-family than a family that goes through the pressure and the time, and a lot of times the expenses, of trying to start a family (through IVF). Davis bill also changes the definition of a human embryo to remove the part in current law that says it will develop into utero and an unborn child. Katie Bliss, an infertility lawyer involved in crafting the legislation, said they wanted to remove the idea that every human embryo will develop in utero into an unborn child. That's just unfortunately, not the case. Bliss said. In the natural case, that's not the case, and also in the world of IVF, that's not the case. The bill also specifies that an embryo is viable when it continues to develop in a healthy manner 36 hours from fertilization and non-viable when it fails to continue to develop after that timeframe, unless its being preserved. It contains language saying embryos will be presumed to be viable unless determined to be non-viable. Marcelle said she and Davis worked on their bills independently of one another, and that Davis amended her bill to include language from Marcelles. She said they might end up merging the two bills into one. IVF access in Louisiana was made both possible and complicated by a 1986 law. That law bans the intentional destruction of embryos created during IVF in the state, since that was at the center of many objections to the process at the time. Louisiana is the only state with such a law. As a result, most of the states major fertility clinics ship embryos not in use to be stored out-of-state. Louisiana law classifies embryos juridicial persons, giving them some legal rights like they would a corporation but not the full legal rights of a person, like Alabamas ruling did. The Alabama Supreme Court suit was filed by three couples whose additional embryos were destroyed by a patient who entered the clinics storage unit, picked them up and dropped them. The couples sued under the states Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, and the court ruled that embryos created through IVF are considered children and therefore the law applied in this case. Following the courts decision, the Alabama Legislature passed a law so that providers, transporters or patients dont get sued for destroying or damaging embryos. Two IVF providers started offering their services again but a third said it still didnt have the legal protection it needs to feel comfortable doing the same. A damaged building with a missing roof at the Gulf Grove Apartments in Waveland on Friday, April 19, 2024. AIO Studios announce premiere of AI-driven biopic, 'Putin,' directed by Patryk Vega. AIO Studios - Images from an AI-generated production - AIO Studios (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) Warsaw, 23 de abril de 2024 (News Aktuell).- AIO Studios have announced September 26, 2024, as the premiere date for Putin, the latest film from celebrated Polish director Patryk Vega. The film, which features an AI-rendered Vladimir Putin, will debut simultaneously in 35 countries, including major markets like the USA and India, reaching a potential audience of over three billion. The recently released 2.5-minute trailer promises a detailed analysis of the Russian leaders life and psyche over 60 years, rendered in ultra-realistic detail through advanced AI technology. Viewers will be able to get up close and personal with the Kremlin leaders story, touching on some of the most intimate moments of his life. Inviting Putin to the studio for 20,000 shots wasnt an option, says director Patryk Vega, and the archival materials available online didnt allow for training a high-resolution deepfake model suitable for cinematic use. As a result, after nearly two years of development, we've created our pioneering AI-driven technology, enabling us to craft the cinematic character without relying on a real human model. Filmed over three years in locations such as the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Poland, the movies timeliness is one of its most significant aspects. At one point, the narrative shifts to present day, offering viewers insights into the internal mechanisms of Russian politics that influenced the perception of the presidential elections in 2024. To enhance the films realism, director Vega cooperated with Ukrainian cinematographers who recorded authentic events during city bombardments and soldiers combat. Putin is not just a film, Vega states. Its a response to a global quest to understand the motives and actions of one of the most controversial figures in contemporary politics. My production's mission is to provide viewers with a user manual for Putin, aiming to alleviate the fear and uncertainty that dominate today's world. Feature Film: Putin Genre: Psychological thriller, biopic Written and directed by: Patryk Vega Script Consultant: Kevin Bernhardt Casting Director: Nancy Bishop Director of Photography: Micha Goscik Edited by: Tomasz Widarski Composer: ukasz Targosz Sound: Maciej Pawowski & Piotr Lasota Costumes: Magorzata Bednarek-Chumakou Makeup: Maja ukaszewicz & Justyna Zaranek Cast: Sawomir Sobala, Thomas Kretschmann, Maksymilian Zielinski, Justyna Karowska, Przemysaw Bluszcz, Tomasz Dedek, Aron Jonczyk, Micha Karmowski, Marek Kasprzyk, Andris Keiss, Jan Monczka, Krzysztof Stawowy Kinostar is handling international sales Producer: AIO Studios World Premiere Date: September 26, 2024 Emisor: AIO Studios Contact: AIO Studios media@aiostudios.com phone +48 507 095 133 The House voted resoundingly on Saturday to approve $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as Speaker Mike Johnson put his job on the line to advance the long-stalled aid package by marshaling support from mainstream Republicans and Democrats. In four back-to-back votes, overwhelming bipartisan coalitions of lawmakers approved fresh rounds of funding for the three U.S. allies, as well as another bill meant to sweeten the deal for conservatives that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok. The scene on the House floor reflected both the broad support in Congress for continuing to help the Ukrainian military beat back Russia, and the extraordinary political risk taken by Mr. Johnson to defy the anti-interventionist wing of his party who had sought to thwart the measure. Minutes before the vote on assistance for Kyiv, Democrats began to wave small Ukrainian flags on the House floor, as hard-right Republicans jeered. Phyllis Pressman, the matriarch of the family that founded Barneys New York, the discount mens wear store turned luxury emporium and the creator of Chelsea Passage, the stores home goods bazaar, a pivot point in its evolution from a suit merchant to an elite lifestyle behemoth died on Tuesday in Palm Beach, Fla. She was 95. Her death, in a hospice facility, was announced by her son Gene Pressman. Barneys was always a family affair. It was named for Barney Pressman, who in 1923 pawned his wifes ring, at her encouragement, for $500 to buy the lease of a small store on Seventh Avenue and 17th Street in Manhattan. There, he built an empire selling brand-name suits at cut-rate prices. His son, Fred, who took over in the 1950s, transformed the place into an haute mens retailer that included European designers. Phyllis Pressman, who was married to Fred, began working in the store so that she could spend more time with him. Her first intervention was to style the windows, which she thought were boring, adding mannequins and whimsical objects like papier-mache dogs. Then she began gussying up the interior of the store with antiques, jewelry and housewares, as well as the objects and textiles she found on her travels to the Marche aux Puces in Paris and Portobello Road in London. Protests and arrests spread across some of Americas most influential universities this month, as administrators struggled to defuse tensions on campuses over pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Since Columbia University started cracking down on pro-Palestinian protesters occupying a lawn on its New York City campus, encampments and protests against the war in Gaza have sprung up at various other prominent universities, including Yale, M.I.T., the University of Southern California and Emory University. Police interventions on several campuses have led to more than 800 arrests. The flurry of protests has presented a steep challenge for university leaders, as some Jewish students say they have faced harassment and antisemitic comments. Here are scenes from the protests. Seven months after New York City was inundated by more than eight inches of rain, an investigation found that the citys public communications were, in some cases, woefully limited and its infrastructure inadequate to the challenges of extreme weather. The 44-page investigation by the office of Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller, noted that 63 percent of the Department of Environmental Protections 51 specialized catch-basin cleaning trucks a key part of the citys arsenal to prevent floods were out of service when the storm hit. And though city officials began monitoring the storm a week before its arrival and activated its flash flood emergency plan the morning before, that proactive approach was not as effectively extended to public communications, the report reads. The mayor did not hold a news conference on the storm until nearly three hours after heavy rain began. The Department of Education did not directly communicate any information to students families about the weather in advance of the storm, according to the comptroller. At New York University, the police swept in to arrest protesting students on Monday night, ending a standoff with the schools administration. At Yale, the police placed protesters wrists into zip ties on Monday morning and escorted them onto campus shuttles to receive summonses for trespassing. Columbia kept its classroom doors closed on Monday, moving lectures online and urging students to stay home. Harvard Yard was shut to the public. Nearby, at campuses like Tufts and Emerson, administrators weighed how to handle encampments that looked much like the one that the police dismantled at Columbia last week which protesters quickly resurrected. And on the West Coast, a new encampment bubbled at the University of California, Berkeley. With a light blue academic robe tucked under her arm, Professor Marianne Hirsch hurried to get through a security line at a Columbia University entryway on Monday morning. To pass the gates, everyone had to scan IDs, in compliance with an announcement from the universitys administration that only students and faculty would be allowed on campus. Dr. Hirsch was not on her way to a graduation ceremony, however, but to protest the universitys president, Nemat Shafik. Last Wednesday, Dr. Shafik testified at a tense congressional hearing about antisemitism on college campuses, and the next day she called in the police to empty an encampment of demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza and the universitys ties to Israel. More than 100 students were arrested. I am here because of her infringement on academic freedom in the congressional hearing and because of her decision to bring police on to campus to arrest students, said Dr. Hirsch, a professor emerita in the English and Comparative Literature Department. Around and on Columbias campus on Monday as protests unfolded under perfect blue skies, just hours before the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover there was one sentiment shared by nearly everyone, no matter their viewpoint on the war: anger at Dr. Shafik. Finally, President Biden had good news to share with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. When Mr. Biden picked up the telephone at his home in Wilmington, Del., to call Mr. Zelensky on Monday, the two rejoiced over the congressional breakthrough that will result in the first significant new U.S. military aid for Ukraine in 16 months. Mr. Biden used the 30-minute call to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian invaders and promise that arms will start flowing again quickly, according to a White House statement. For a grateful Mr. Zelensky, the timing was propitious. A Russian missile attack, he told Mr. Biden, had just destroyed the television tower in Kharkiv. The House passage of a landmark $95 billion foreign aid package gives Mr. Biden much-needed momentum at a time when his credibility and American leadership have been questioned on the world stage. For months, the president has vowed unstinting support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan without being able to deliver on Capitol Hill. Now, at last, he has planeloads of artillery rounds, air defense missiles and other munitions to back up his words. This was a historic win for President Biden and for Americas global leadership, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, said in an interview. This was a moment when both our allies and our adversaries were watching to see if we would deliver for the people of Ukraine in their moment of need. Vice President Kamala Harris, campaigning on Monday in Wisconsin, again took sharp swipes at former President Donald J. Trump for his actions on abortion, a hot topic across the country. But she stayed silent on the war in Gaza, another issue erupting elsewhere among the critical bloc of young voters she has been courting. The split screen captured the advantages and challenges for Democrats as they head into the presidential election in November. Even as the party is looking to galvanize voters over the wave of abortion restrictions in numerous states since Roe v. Wade was overturned, it is facing internal divisions among key parts of its coalition. On Monday, as demonstrations gripped college campuses on the East Coast, Ms. Harris kept her attention squarely focused on Mr. Trump and what she described as his attacks on women. She cast the 2024 election as a choice over the preservation of freedom, which she called fundamental to the promise of America. This is a moment where we must stand up for foundational, fundamental values and principles, she told roughly 100 people at a community center in La Crosse, in the western part of the state. When we think about what is at stake, it is absolutely about freedom. Taiwan was shaken by a series of earthquakes on Monday and early Tuesday, the strongest with a magnitude of 6.3, partially toppling four buildings and keeping frightened residents up overnight. The tremors were aftershocks from the magnitude 7.4 quake that killed 17 people three weeks ago, the authorities said. The tremors began just after 5 p.m. on Monday local time with a 5.5 magnitude quake in Hualien County on Taiwans east coast, according to Wu Chien-fu, the director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administrations Seismological Center. It was followed by a series of smaller tremors some minutes later in the same area. Four buildings in Hualien County partially collapsed, some residents were evacuated and schools and offices in the county were ordered to close on Tuesday because of the threat of continuing tremors, according to local news outlets. No injuries or deaths had been reported by Tuesday morning. Season 1, Episode 10: A Dream of a Dream Take a look at any of FXs promotional material for Shogun, and one image will stare back: Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), in full samurai armor, his sword drawn as he charges into battle on a white horse. Tattered red banners and a cavalry provide the backdrop. It doesnt require close reading to determine that he has cried havoc and let slip the dogs of war. Its also false advertising. There is no culminating battle in the final episode of Shogun. Toranaga does not charge into the fray on a white horse, his katana dealing death on all sides. The regents armies do not fight among themselves. Lord Ishido is not beaten down in defeat. John Blackthorne does not prove his battlefield mettle to earn his samurai sword. Instead, the episode mimics the leafless branch in the poem Lady Mariko dictated before her death. By now, you may be shouting that the book upon which the show is based doesnt include a final battle, either. But just as James Clavell, the author of Shogun, altered, edited and exaggerated real-world people and events from Japanese history to suit the needs of his novel, the creators of the 2024 television version also altered, edited and exaggerated in turn. Theyve changed character names, shifted points of emphasis from Blackthorne to Japanese characters and so on. For this episode they cut the books epilogue, in which Toranaga executes Ishido by burying him up to his neck and leaving him to die of exposure. (Toranaga is a tough cookie, but that act seems a bridge too far for the TV version.) The showrunners dont mind taking advantage of adaptational freedom when it suits them. Much as I think both the marketing and the writing have deliberately steered audiences to expect an all out action-horror spectacle in the mode for which the pioneering Game of Thrones set a still-unmatched standard on television the shows creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, as well as the writers Maegan Houang and Emily Yoshida (not to mention Clavell himself), turn out not to be telling that kind of story. Terry Carter, who broke color barriers onstage and on television in the 1950s and 60s and later produced multicultural documentaries on the jazz luminary Duke Ellington and the dancer-choreographer Katherine Dunham, died on Tuesday at his home in Midtown Manhattan. He was 95. His death was confirmed by his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste. Mr. Carter was raised in a bilingual home next door to a synagogue in a predominantly Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn. His best friend was the future jazz great Cecil Taylor. In his first stage role, at 9, Mr. Carter played the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama on a voyage of discovery. And in a wayfaring six-decade career, he was a merchant seaman, a jazz pianist, a law student, a television news anchor, a familiar character on network sitcoms, an Emmy-winning documentarian, a good will ambassador to China, a longtime expatriate in Europe and a reported dead man; in 2015, rumors that he had been killed were mistaken. It was not him but a much younger Terry Carter who had died in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles by a pickup truck driven by the rap mogul Marion Suge Knight. Slightly misquoting Mark Twain, Mr. Carter posted on social media: Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. The Senate today overwhelmingly approved a critical procedural move to tee up the final passage of the long-stalled $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Senators are expected to pass the package as early as tonight, and President Biden said he would quickly sign it. After the bills become law, shipments of American weapons could begin flowing to Ukraine, including air-defense missiles and artillery ammunition that Ukrainian officials say are badly needed. Some of the aid could be sent from the Pentagons stockpiles in Germany and shipped by rail to the Ukrainian border. We can move within days, a Pentagon spokesman said. The anticipated aid the first significant new U.S. package for Kyiv in 16 months was celebrated in Ukraine. Lawmakers in the Ukrainian Parliament held up American flags inside their chamber. Our Kyiv bureau chief, Marc Santora, talked to troops who described a teary response to the news. What this has done is provided a much-needed boost for the morale of both Ukrainian soldiers on the front and civilians living under the threat of near-nightly Russian drone and missile bombardments, Marc said. However, he added, military analysts think it will take a month or two before Ukraine receives enough new supplies to change the dynamic of the war. The Supreme Court justices on Tuesday appeared willing to side with Starbucks in the companys challenge to a federal judges order to reinstate workers who were attempting to unionize a store in Memphis. Starbucks has asked the court to make it harder for the National Labor Relations Board to obtain intervention by judges in cases where a company is accused of violating labor law. The case stems from the February 2022 firing of seven workers who let local journalists into a closed store to conduct interviews about their unionization efforts. If Starbucks prevails, it would be more difficult for workers to be reinstated if theyre fired during a labor dispute. The case is being heard a day before Starbucks is set to return to the bargaining table with the union that represents about 10,000 of its workers after a contentious, monthslong impasse. A majority of the justices seemed sympathetic to Starbucks argument for a more rigorous test for allowing the labor board to reinstate workers. Through their questioning, the justices appeared to see the looser standard that the N.L.R.B. was given in this case as an outlier. The handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez built a cult following among celebrities and the South American superrich thanks to her use of brilliantly dyed precious skins. Once one of the largest purveyors of crocodile skin accessories in the world, her namesake brand sold totes and clutches in lime green alligator and lavender python skin for thousands of dollars, often through big-name retailers like Saks and Bergdorf Goodman. Now Ms. Gonzalez, 71, is facing considerable time in bright orange coveralls. On Monday, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in a Miami federal court to charges of smuggling hundreds of handbags made from the skins of protected wildlife into the United States from her native Colombia. Ms. Gonzalez, whose full name is Nancy Tereza Gonzalez de Barberi and whose business was incorporated into a luxury handbag company called Gzuniga Limited, was arrested in 2022 in Cali, Colombia, and then extradited to the United States last August. She admitted to recruiting as many as 40 couriers to carry up to four products at a time on commercial flights to be used at New York Fashion Week and industry events or to be sold in the Gzuniga showroom between February 2016 and April 2019. Prosecutors said that the handbags and purses, made from the hides of caiman alligators and pythons bred in captivity, were worth as much as $2 million. The designers lawyers said that the pieces were mostly samples and cost about $140 each, with only about 1 percent lacking the proper authorization to be brought into the United States. Then there were the tortoises. On screens along the rooms outer edge, a series of projected slides laid out two different settings: one, a desert museum exhibiting seven Sonoran specimens together in a large, naturalistically barren outdoor enclosure; the other, a suburban zoo housing a group of four tortoises, segregated by sex, in small indoor and outdoor pens furnished with a variety of tortoise toys and enticements. Into the slides had been packed an exhausting array of detail about the care provided for the tortoises in each facility. Only contestants who had prepared thoroughly for the competition by researching the nutritional, environmental, social and medical needs of the species in question would be able to determine which was doing a better job. Animal welfare is sometimes misused as a synonym for animal rights, but in practice the two worldviews can sometimes be at cross purposes. From an animal rights perspective, nearly every human use of animals is morally suspect, but animal-welfare thinkers take it as a given that animals of all kinds do exist in human care, for better or worse, and focus on how to treat them as well as possible. In the past half century, an interdisciplinary group of academics, working across veterinary medicine and other animal-focused fields, have been trying to codify what we know about animal care in a body of research referred to as animal-welfare science. As Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell promoted their romantic comedy, Anyone but You, last year, life appeared to be imitating art: The co-stars posed cheek to cheek while sightseeing in Australia. Powell dipped a gleeful Sweeney in his arms. Sweeney cast longing gazes up at Powell on red carpets. The pair flirted and giggled in interviews. When Powell and his long-term girlfriend broke up, and Sweeney remained engaged to her fiance, Jonathan Davino (an executive producer of Anyone but You), rumors of an illicit offscreen relationship between the two actors took hold. The speculation played out, the stars said, exactly as they intended. The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry, Powell said in an interview. Thats people wanting whats on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart. Sweeney, who is also an executive producer through her Fifty-Fifty Films company, said she was intimately involved with the marketing strategy on the Columbia Pictures film, including, perhaps, fanning those headline-generating flames. Just after 2 p.m. last Wednesday, Nemat Shafik, the president of Columbia University, stepped out of an office building on Capitol Hill and into an idling black SUV. She had just endured an intense grilling by a congressional committee investigating antisemitism on elite college campuses. Now, a fresh challenge was rapidly building back on her own turf, where pro-Palestinian student demonstrators had staked out an encampment dominating Columbias lawn. For a university trying to reassure Congress that it was getting its campus under control, the timing could scarcely have been worse. With a narrow window to act, Dr. Shafik directed her car to a law firm near the White House, where she set up a makeshift command center. The secretive deliberations that followed over 24 frantic hours have sent Columbia into a crisis over free speech and safety unlike any the campus has seen since 1968. The events also set off a chain reaction rattling campuses across the country, just as one of the most trying academic years in memory neared its end. Good morning. Its Tuesday. Today well look at the manuscript of For Annie, a poem that Edgar Allan Poe wrote when he lived in a cottage in the Bronx. Annie was married, but that didnt stop him. Well also look at a report that found big gaps in the way City Hall prepares for extreme weather. Also, so you know: New York Today will focus on whats going on in New York this week aside from the trial of former President Donald Trump. Well summarize the developments in our Latest New York News section, and you can also sign up to receive our Trump on Trial newsletter. Pinned Former President Donald J. Trump had a long and fruitful relationship with the publisher of The National Enquirer. Tuesdays session of Donald J. Trumps criminal trial began with a heated clash between Justice Juan M. Merchan and Mr. Trumps lead lawyer over a gag order. It ended with an insiders look into a tabloid newspaper practice known as catch and kill. Prosecutors said that Mr. Trump had willfully and blatantly violated a gag order barring him from attacking jurors and witnesses, among others. They said he had done so in comments outside the courtroom and online and should be found in contempt of court. Mr. Trumps top lawyer said in response that Mr. Trump was simply defending himself from political attacks. Justice Merchan did not rule, but he scolded the lawyer, Todd Blanche, saying, youre losing all credibility with the court. A former ally of Mr. Trump, David Pecker, the ex-publisher of The National Enquirer, later testified to buying and burying unflattering stories about Mr. Trump during his 2016 run for president, an arrangement he called highly, highly confidential. Mr. Trump, 77, faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide a payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, made to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his campaign. Ms. Daniels, who may testify, has said that she and Mr. Trump had a brief sexual encounter in 2006, something the former president denies. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the former president and presumptive Republican nominee could face probation or up to four years in prison. Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trumps sixth day on trial: Pecker describes catch-and-kill. Taking the stand for a second day, Mr. Pecker outlined a decades-old friendship with Mr. Trump, a relationship that he said deepened in 2015. It was then, Mr. Pecker said, that he, Mr. Trump and Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trumps former lawyer and fixer, met at Trump Tower in Manhattan to hatch a plan to write promotional stories about Mr. Trump and negative stories about his political opponents. Image David Pecker testified to buying and burying unflattering stories about Mr. Trump during his first run for president. Credit... Marion Curtis/Associated Press Mr. Pecker said he acted as the campaigns eyes and ears, notifying Mr. Cohen about possible scandals, particularly regarding women in Mr. Trumps life. Mr. Pecker on Tuesday walked through one of the catch-and-kill deals. He said that The National Enquirer learned that a doorman who had worked at a Trump building was looking to sell a story about Mr. Trump fathering a child out of wedlock. The tabloid discovered that the story was apparently false, but paid $30,000 anyway, because of the potential embarrassment it could have caused Mr. Trump, Mr. Pecker said. Pecker paints a portrait of a bygone era. Mr. Peckers testimony depicted an anachronistic New York, with landlines, powerful supermarket tabloids and must-see network television, including The Apprentice, which made Mr. Trump nationally famous. It also shed light on Mr. Peckers editorial tactics, including getting tips from Mr. Trump about who was getting kicked off The Apprentice, in line with Mr. Trumps penchant for feeding dirt to tabloids. Mr. Pecker said that he called Mr. Trump Donald, and that they had a great relationship, adding that he went so far as to start a magazine called Trump Style. When he proposed the magazine, Mr. Pecker said, Mr. Trumps biggest question was, Whos going to pay for it? Trumps short leash could get shorter. Christopher Conroy, a prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorneys office, argued that Mr. Trump had repeatedly violated the gag order that the court imposed on him. One alleged violation included a nine-minute diatribe outside the courtroom on Monday during which he attacked Michael Cohen, his former fixer and a key witness against him. He did it right here, Mr. Conroy said. But Mr. Blanche said that the former president was facing a barrage of political attacks from several potential witnesses and needed to strike back. Hes running for president, Mr. Blanche said. He has to be able to respond to that. Image Todd Blanche, one of Mr. Trumps lawyers, said that the former president had been simply defending himself from political attacks. Credit... Pool photo by Mark Peterson Justice Merchan has chastised Trump once so far, for muttering in front of a prospective juror. If he holds him in criminal contempt, it will mark a serious escalation. For their part, prosecutors said they were not seeking to jail Mr. Trump, but wanted him to be fined. A frustrated Trump Mr. Trump sat stoically while prosecutors argued that he violated the gag order. But he grew animated during the interplay between Mr. Blanche and Justice Merchan. On several occasions, the former president sharply turned to his other lawyers and whispered. When Mr. Blanche finished his argument, Mr. Trump immediately beckoned him over before he snatched a piece of paper off the defense table. Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social right after the hearing, accusing Justice Merchan of taking away his right to free speech and claiming that he was not allowed to defend myself. Thursday will be a big day for Trump in two courts. Court is not in session on Wednesday, but prosecutors will continue their direct examination of Mr. Pecker on Thursday. While Mr. Trump is expected to be in court in Manhattan that day, he may be a little preoccupied: In Washington, some of his other lawyers will be arguing in front of the Supreme Court that Mr. Trump should receive presidential immunity from prosecution in a federal election interference case. Mr. Trump had sought to take a day away from his New York case to watch those arguments, but Justice Merchan denied his request. About a year ago, when Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, indicted former President Donald Trump, I was critical of the case and called it an embarrassment. I thought an array of legal problems would and should lead to long delays in federal courts. After listening to Mondays opening statement by prosecutors, I still think the district attorney has made a historic mistake. Their vague allegation about a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election has me more concerned than ever about their unprecedented use of state law and their persistent avoidance of specifying an election crime or a valid theory of fraud. To recap: Mr. Trump is accused in the case of falsifying business records. Those are misdemeanor charges. To elevate it to a criminal case, Mr. Bragg and his team have pointed to potential violations of federal election law and state tax fraud. They also cite state election law, but state statutory definitions of public office seem to limit those statutes to state and local races. Both the misdemeanor and felony charges require that the defendant made the false record with intent to defraud. A year ago, I wondered how entirely internal business records (the daily ledger, pay stubs and invoices) could be the basis of any fraud if they are not shared with anyone outside the business. I suggested that the real fraud was Mr. Trumps filing an (allegedly) false report to the Federal Election Commission, and that only federal prosecutors had jurisdiction over that filing. More and more people, including Pope Francis, are asking Ukraine to drop its defense and sit at the negotiation table with Russia. Citing the stalemate on the battlefield and Russias superior resources, they urge Ukraines leadership to consider a deal. What exactly that would involve is largely left unsaid. But it would clearly involve freezing the conflict, resigning Ukraines occupied territory to Russia in exchange for an end to the fighting. My country, Moldova, knows all about that kind of bargain. A small western neighbor of Ukraine, Moldova experienced Russias first post-Soviet war of aggression, which ended with a cease-fire agreement in 1992. Thirty-two years later, 1,500 Russian troops are still stationed on internationally recognized Moldovan territory, despite the Kremlins formal agreement to withdraw them in 1994 and then once again in 1999. The case shows that Russia simply cannot be trusted. But theres a bigger problem for Ukraine than Russian untrustworthiness. Its that freezing a conflict, without a full peace deal, simply does not work. For three decades, it has fractured Moldova, hindered national development and given Russia continued opportunities to meddle with Moldovan life. A frozen conflict, we should remember, is still a conflict. Anyone calling for Ukraine to settle for one should heed Moldovas cautionary tale. The ground for the Russian-Moldovan war was Transnistria, a strip of land in eastern Moldova with about 370,000 people. With support from Moscow but no formal recognition the territory declared independence from Moldova in 1990, setting off violence that escalated into conflict. Russian-backed separatists clashed with government security forces, and troops from both sides fought each other. Hundreds of people died. Russia stopped providing Moldova with gas, leaving people in cities to freeze in their apartments and cook their food outside on bonfires. This spring is the 400th anniversary of the founding of New York or, to be precise, of the Dutch colony that became New York once the English took it over. Its a noteworthy milestone. That settlement gave rise to a city unencumbered by old ways and powered by pluralism and capitalism: the first modern city, you might say. Dont feel bad, though, if you were unaware of the birthday. Organizers of commemorative events have themselves been in a quandary about how to observe it a quandary that has become familiar in recent years. Yes, New Netherland, the Dutch colony, and New Amsterdam, the city that became New York, created the conditions for New Yorks ascent, and helped shape America as a place of tolerance, multiethnicity and free trade. But the Dutch also established slavery in the region and contributed to the removal of Native peoples from their lands. Where in the past we might have highlighted the positives, now the negative elements of that history seem to overshadow them, which may result, paradoxically, in the loss of a valuable opportunity for reflection. A question that hung in my mind as I curated an exhibit about the founding at the New-York Historical Society continues to vex me, and not just in terms of that event. Are we allowed to celebrate the past anymore? Do we even want to? Consider that in two years time the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and of the founding of our country, will be upon us. Efforts to commemorate the occasion have been slowed, in part, by controversy and confusion because we cant agree on what our past means. And thats because we cant agree on our identity and purpose as a country. When the far-left politicians Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley were first elected to Congress roughly half a decade ago, many moderate Democrats saw their unapologetically progressive vision for America as an albatross around the neck of the Democratic Party. That certainly seemed to be the view of Democratic leaders, who seemed intent on making the Squad, as the progressive caucus is known, a group of permanent outsiders. All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world, Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House, told Maureen Dowd in 2019. But they didnt have any following, Ms. Pelosi said of the squad. Theyre four people, and thats how many votes they got. At the time, Ms. Pelosi was bristling from criticism the progressive members had levied against her over her support for a funding bill the progressives said failed to protect migrant children, a major issue during the Trump presidency. Five years later, Ms. Pelosi has stepped down from the leadership position she long held. The House progressive caucus has grown to nearly 100 members and has become a significant force in the party. The progressives have outlasted not only Ms. Pelosi but also moderate Democrats like Representative Steny Hoyer, who has also bowed out of his role leading House Democrats. Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the new minority leader, isnt a member of the progressive caucus. (He left the caucus when he became leader of the House Democrats.) But he has been far friendlier to the groups members and their agenda than Ms. Pelosi a nod to the blossoming role of progressive politics within the Democratic Party and its voter base. Imagine that during a Supreme Court argument, protesters angry about the case storm the court building. The mob breaks doors and windows and assaults security officers while forcing its way into the chamber. Some shout that they want to hang the chief justice. The justices and attorneys are forced to flee for their lives. Its several hours before law enforcement secures the building and the argument can resume. Has the court proceeding been obstructed or impeded? That doesnt seem like a difficult question. But thats essentially what the Supreme Court heard debated in arguments last week in Fischer v. United States, a case challenging a law being used to prosecute hundreds of people, including Donald Trump, for the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Joseph Fischer is charged with being part of the mob that rioted at the Capitol, forcing members of Congress to flee and disrupting the electoral vote count. Along with assaulting police officers and other charges, he is charged under 18 U.S.C. 1512(c), which provides: (c) Whoever corruptly (1) alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the objects integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding; or (2) otherwise 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. Prosecutors charge that by participating in the Capitol riot, Mr. Fischer corruptly obstructed and impeded the joint congressional proceeding to certify the election, in violation of 1512(c)(2). More than 300 other Jan. 6 rioters have faced the same charge. In the D.C. federal indictment of Mr. Trump, two of the four counts also rely on this statute, alleging that through his actions leading up to and on Jan. 6, he conspired to and did obstruct the congressional proceeding. Jan. 6 defendants have repeatedly challenged the use of 1512(c) in their prosecutions. More than a dozen federal judges in Washington have rejected those challenges. But in Mr. Fischers case, a Trump-appointed judge, Carl Nichols, concluded the statute must be limited to obstructive acts involving documents, records or other objects. Because Mr. Fischer wasnt charged with impairing the availability or integrity of any physical evidence, Judge Nichols dismissed the charge. On Saturday the House of Representatives finally overcame MAGA opposition and approved a new aid package for Ukraine. The Biden administration presumably had materiel ready to ship, just waiting for congressional authorization, so the effects of this legislative breakthrough will be quick. Like many observers, Im simultaneously relieved, ashamed, angry and worried by what has happened. Im relieved that a nation under siege will probably probably get aid in time to survive, at least for a while, something that was increasingly in doubt given overwhelming Russian artillery superiority. Im ashamed that things got to this point that America came so close to betraying a democracy in danger. Im angry at the political faction that blocked aid for so many months, not, as Ill explain below, because of reasonable concerns about the cost, but probably because they want Vladimir Putin to win. And Im worried because that faction remains powerful a majority of Republicans in the House voted against Ukraine aid and could still doom Ukraine in the years ahead. But let me set emotions aside and try to do some analysis. In particular, let me take on some myths about aid to Ukraine. No, spending on Ukraine isnt a huge burden on America, coming at the expense of domestic priorities. No, America isnt bearing this cost alone, without help from our European allies. Yes, U.S. aid is still crucial, in part because Europe can supply money but isnt yet in a position to supply enough military hardware. To understand these points, I find it useful to look back at the obvious historical parallel to current aid to Ukraine: Franklin Roosevelts Lend-Lease program, which began delivering aid to Britain and China in 1941, before Pearl Harbor brought America officially into World War II. Netanel Crispe, from Danby, Vt., is a 21-year-old junior studying American history at Yale. He is also, to his knowledge, the universitys only Hasidic undergraduate. When he chose Yale, he told me this week, he was looking for an institution that asserted its position in terms of maintaining and protecting free expression while not backing down on its principal values. It hasnt worked out that way. On Saturday evening he and his friend Sahar Tartak, a Yale sophomore and an Orthodox Jew, paid a visit to the universitys Beinecke Plaza, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators had set up an encampment. I was wearing my black hat; I was very identifiably Jewish, Crispe said. I was yelled at, harassed, pushed and shoved numerous times. Every time I tried to take a step someone confronted me inches from my face, telling me not to move. Tartak said she was hit in the left eye by a Palestinian flag held by a demonstrator. She ended up in the hospital, luckily without permanent injury. Thank God, there was a small sphere at the end of the pole, she told me. Yale and other universities have been sites of almost continual demonstrations since Hamas massacred and kidnapped Israelis on Oct. 7. Thats just fine, insofar as students have a right to express their views about the war in Gaza whatever one thinks about those views. Its fine, too, to be willing to defy campus rules they believe are unjust provided they are willing to accept the price of their civil disobedience, including arrest, jail time or suspension. Andreas Bechtolsheim doesnt like to waste time. The entrepreneur made one of the most celebrated investments in the history of Silicon Valley the initial $100,000 that bankrolled a search engine called Google in 1998 while on the way to work one morning. It took just a few minutes. Twenty one years later, Mr. Bechtolsheim may have seized a different kind of opportunity. He got a phone call about the imminent sale of a tech company and allegedly traded on the confidential information, according to charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The profit for a few minutes of work: $415,726. The history of Silicon Valley is full of big bets and abrupt downfalls, but rarely has anyone traded his reputation for seemingly so little reward. For Mr. Bechtolsheim, $415,726 was equivalent to a quarter rolling behind the couch. He was ranked No. 124 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index last week, with an estimated fortune of $16 billion. Last month, Mr. Bechtolsheim, 68, settled the insider trading charges without admitting wrongdoing. He agreed to pay a fine of more than $900,000 and will not serve as an officer or director of a public company for five years. The journalist said he was left naked overnight in a cold prison cell with a bag over his head, chained by his wrists to a pipe. The fruit vendor said he was forced to take off his clothes and masturbate, while his captors watched and took photos. The middle-school principal said he was told he would be raped, and that his family would be brought to the prison and raped as well. At a federal courthouse in Alexandria, Va., a jury listened last week to the accounts of three Iraqis who were arrested by U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion of Iraq and then held at Abu Ghraib prison. The City of Baltimore has said that the owner and manager of the cargo ship that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month are directly responsible for the accident and should not be allowed to avoid legal liability, according to court documents filed on Monday. The 985-foot-long ship hit the bridge in the early hours of March 26 after leaving the Port of Baltimore and losing power to its engine and navigation equipment. The bridge collapsed moments later, killing six construction workers, forcing the port to close and disrupting the shipping industry up and down the East Coast. A federal investigation into the accident could take years. In the meantime, the ships owner and operator, both based in Singapore, have asked a federal judge in Maryland to exonerate them from liability for any related losses or damages. In early April, lawyers for the ships owner, Grace Ocean, and its manager, Synergy Marine, said in a court filing that the accident had not resulted from any fault, neglect or want of care on the companies part. In 1963, Leola Hubbard voted for the first time. She was 21, and she sent her absentee ballot home from college in Georgia to be counted in Montgomery County, Pa. On Tuesday, Ms. Hubbard voted again in Montgomery County, in the Pennsylvania primary. She is now 81, and to her knowledge, she has not missed voting in an election primary or general in the 60 years in between. Ms. Hubbard and 15 others with comparably impressive voting records are the newest members of the Voter Hall of Fame in the county, a tradition that rewards outstanding civic engagement among people who have voted in at least 50 consecutive general elections. In a year when all attention seems to be on the presidential election in November, and when even the presidential primaries were effectively over before many states had voted, Ms. Hubbard and others like her stand out for what one county commissioner called an unshakable faith in our democratic process that goes far beyond the typical American. A woman in Michigan was charged with second-degree murder after driving her vehicle into a building where a birthday party was taking place on Saturday, killing two children and injuring 15 other people, prosecutors announced on Tuesday. The woman, Marshella Marie Chidester, 66, was also charged with two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing death, and four counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing serious injury, Jeffery A. Yorkey, the Monroe County prosecuting attorney, said. She was given a $1.5 million bond. Bill Colovos, an attorney for Ms. Chidester, who appeared before District Court Judge Christian J. Horkey, said in court that Ms. Chidester did not have any previous traffic citations and that she had a history of seizures since November, saying that she experienced an epileptic-type seizure in her legs. The court entered a plea of not guilty for Ms. Chidester. Mr. Colovos said that she had one glass of wine and a bowl of chili at a local tavern four hours before the crash, and had been treated for the seizures that same day and was on medication. The Supreme Court began hearing a case yesterday that could have profound implications for how the United States deals with its escalating homelessness crisis. The case, City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, asks whether fining homeless people for sleeping outside when there isnt adequate shelter space for them amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Though the case originated in Oregon, it is being watched across the country, perhaps nowhere more closely than in California. More than 180,000 people are homeless in California, a figure that has grown significantly over the past decade. That is about one-third of the nations homeless people, a far greater share than Californias 12 percent of the population as a whole. State and local officials say that their efforts to address homelessness have been hampered by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which oversees nine western states, including California. In a series of opinions since 2018, the appellate court has ruled that penalizing homeless people for sleeping outdoors when they have no alternative shelter violated the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment. The Senate on Tuesday approved a $95.3 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that had been stalled in Congress for months. The legislation, a version of which passed the Senate in February with bipartisan support, passed 79 to 18, reflecting widespread backing in both parties. To steer around opposition from right-wing Republicans in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, used a convoluted plan to pass it over the weekend. He broke the package into three pieces for each of the countries allowing different coalitions to back each one and added a fourth bill that includes a new round of sanctions on Iran and a measure to require the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner or ban it in the United States. After passage, all four were folded together into one bill and sent to the Senate. Final approval by the Senate sends it to President Biden, who said he would sign it on Wednesday. Here is what the foreign aid package contains: $60.8 billion for Ukraine Military funding for Ukraine makes up the largest part of the package, totaling $60.8 billion. A sizable amount is set aside to replenish American defense stockpiles and it grants billions for the purchase of U.S. defense systems, which Ukrainian officials have said for months are badly needed. Pennsylvanians are heading to the polls on Tuesday, with a handful of House primary races in the spotlight. The contest getting the most attention is the Democratic primary in the Pittsburgh-based 12th District, where Representative Summer Lee, who has been outspoken in support of a cease-fire in Gaza, is facing Bhavini Patel, who has attacked Ms. Lee as anti-Israel and outside the political mainstream. Ms. Lee, a first-term representative who is part of the progressive Squad and narrowly won her primary in 2022 over a more centrist candidate, was one of the first members of Congress to criticize Israels actions in Gaza and call for an immediate cease-fire. That angered some Jewish voters in her district, though national pro-Israel groups like AIPAC have not gotten involved in her race, as they have in others. Ms. Patel has been vastly outraised in the contest, and the once-expected ideological battle over Israel has fizzled in much of the district. On the other side of the aisle and the state in the First District, in the suburbs north of Philadelphia Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, one of the most moderate Republicans in the House, is facing a primary challenge from an anti-abortion activist, Mark Houck. The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday night to give final approval to a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending it to President Biden and ending months of uncertainty about whether the United States would continue to back Kyiv in its fight against Russian aggression. The vote reflected resounding bipartisan support for the measure, which passed the House on Saturday by lopsided margins after a tortured journey on Capitol Hill, where it was nearly derailed by right-wing resistance. The Senates action, on a vote of 79 to 18, provided a victory for the president, who had urged lawmakers to move quickly so he could sign it into law. And it capped an extraordinary political saga that raised questions about whether the United States would continue to play a leading role in upholding the international order and projecting its values globally. Our allies around the world have been watching Congress for the last six months and wondering the same thing: When it matters most, will America summon the strength to come together, overcome the centrifugal pull of partisanship and meet the magnitude of the moment? Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said on Tuesday. Tonight, under the watchful eye of history, the Senate answers this question with a thunderous and resounding yes. So far the results are mixed: Generals and commanders have a new way to put a full picture of Russias movements and communications into one big, user-friendly picture, employing algorithms to predict where troops are moving and where attacks might happen. But the American experience in Ukraine has underscored how difficult it is to get 21st-century data into 19th-century trenches. Even with Congress on the brink of providing tens of billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv, mostly in the form of ammunition and long-range artillery, the question remains whether the new technology will be enough to help turn the tide of the war at a moment when the Russians appear to have regained momentum. The Justice Department said on Tuesday it would pay $138.7 million to resolve claims by young women and girls, including many top female gymnasts, of sexual abuse by the former U.S.A. Gymnastics doctor Lawrence G. Nassar. The far-reaching settlement, which covers 139 claims, stems from the failure of F.B.I. officials to promptly investigate allegations that would ultimately lead to a horrifying conclusion: Mr. Nassar had sexually assaulted hundreds of women and girls under the guise of examinations and treatment. It likely signals the end of a yearslong effort by the gymnasts including the Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman to achieve a measure of justice in the courtroom. It also reflects public recognition that the institutions entrusted to protect young female athletes failed to protect them. Lawyers for the young women hailed the settlement, which brings total civil payouts associated with Mr. Nasser to about $1 billion. But they cast the governments monetary compensation for its early reluctance to fully investigate Mr. Nassar as a case of too little, too late. San Franciscos top governing body spent time on Tuesday discussing what most residents surely would not consider a major priority for the city: whether Julie Park and Tom McDonald can raise the roof of their $2.1 million Victorian home by 7 feet and 3 inches. The project complies with city codes, and the San Francisco Planning Commission gave unanimous approval months ago; in many cities that would have been good enough for the remodel to move forward. But in San Francisco, neighbors wield unusual power over next-door renovations and modest improvements and can appeal even the replacement of rotted front steps. So on Tuesday, 11 members of San Franciscos Board of Supervisors served as judges in home construction, hearing from Ms. Park, a lawyer representing her neighbors and Planning Department experts. The feud between wealthy neighbors is emblematic of the citys languor when it comes to building anything. San Francisco has already drawn the ire of state housing officials, who have demanded that the city add 82,000 units in the next seven years, a goal that seems out of reach when many projects draw multiple rounds of challenges and years of delays. Two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided midair during a training session in the northwestern state of Perak on Tuesday, killing all 10 people on board, at least the second accident involving government aircraft in the Southeast Asian country in as many months. The two helicopters were rehearsing for Saturdays 90th anniversary celebration of the Royal Malaysian Navy when they crashed into each other at 9:32 a.m., the navy said in a statement. The 10 people on board the two helicopters were all crew and died at the scene, at the naval base in Lumut, the navy said. Videos published by Malaysian news media showed the two helicopters crashing in midair and then various aircraft parts spiraling out of the sky. U.S. moved toward approving Ukraine aid bill The Senate is on track to pass the $95 billion package of foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. A final vote is expected in the next few hours, and President Biden plans to sign it. The bill would be a major boost for Ukraine, where troops are fighting Russia with dwindling stores of munitions. It was stalled for months by Republican lawmakers, which had prompted a wave of concern in Kyiv and across Europe that the U.S. would turn its back on Ukraine. What this aid means, in the most simple terms, is guns and bullets, my colleague Marc Santora, who has been reporting from Ukraine since the beginning of the war, told us. He said it would also provide a much-needed boost for the morale of both Ukrainian soldiers on the front and civilians living under the threat of near-nightly Russian drone and missile bombardments. At least five people died at sea off the coast of northern France on Tuesday during an attempt to cross the English Channel, as governments on both sides of the waterway struggle to deter migrants from making the dangerous voyage to Britain. Those who died a young girl, a woman and three men were on an inflatable boat that was heavily overloaded with more than 100 people, according to the French authorities. The boat was one of several vessels that was spotted before dawn on Tuesday by the French Coast Guard near the town of Wimereux. The deaths came just hours after the British Parliament passed highly contentious legislation to allow the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda, a measure that the British authorities have presented as a way of discouraging people from attempting the hazardous English Channel crossings. Jacques Billant, the prefect for the Pas-de-Calais area that includes Wimereux, said that the boat had departed with 112 people on board. An aide to a German far-right European Parliament lawmaker has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, Germanys federal prosecutors office said Tuesday, the latest in a series of cases that have intensified concerns about foreign interference in European Union politics weeks before bloc-wide elections. The arrest also comes a day after the British authorities announced they had charged two people, one of whom was a former parliamentary aide, with spying for China, although there was no indication the two cases were linked. The German arrest took place on Monday in the eastern city of Dresden. Hours earlier the German authorities had arrested three people in the west of the country on suspicion of leaking technological data used in maritime propulsion and exporting a high-powered laser to China. It was not clear whether the two cases were linked. The episodes underscored the oftentimes fraught relationship between European countries and China, a vastly important trading partner that has long been treated with suspicion. A court in Moscow rejected an appeal on Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his detention, more than a year after he became the first American journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War. The court ruled that Mr. Gershkovich, 32, must stay in a high-security prison in Moscow at least until the end of June, The Journal and news agencies reported. With no trial date yet set, Mr. Gershkovichs detention is likely to be extended further. Mr. Gershkovich, his employer and the United States government have vehemently rejected the espionage charges against him. The White House has designated Mr. Gershkovich as wrongfully detained, a status tantamount to being a political prisoner. In its statement on Tuesday, The Journal said that it continues to be outrageous that Evan has been wrongfully detained by the Russian government for more than a year. After a prolonged battle in the courts and in Parliament, Britains Conservative government secured passage of legislation on Monday that is intended to allow the country to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The legislation is intended to override a Supreme Court ruling last year that deemed the plan to send asylum seekers to the African nation unlawful. The judges ruled that Rwanda was not a safe country in which refugees could resettle or have their asylum cases heard. The Rwanda plan, which has become a flagship policy of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a time when his partys approval ratings have floundered, now seems closer than ever to becoming a reality. But critics say it raises profound questions about the rule of law and the separation of powers in Britain and could affect thousands of asylum seekers. Rights groups have vowed to fight the plan in the courts. Heres what to know. What is the Rwanda policy? As the number of asylum seekers arriving across the English Channel rose after a lull during the coronavirus pandemic, the Conservative government pledged to stop the boats. Most of those arriving by small, often unseaworthy boats apply for international protection in Britain through the asylum system, and many are later found to be refugees and permitted to settle in Britain. Born in wartime, the baby had not eaten in more than a day, his father said no formula, no nothing. His parents had already spent the last of their money on food, sold his mothers gold jewelry to buy milk and begged water from other evacuees to mix the powdered formula. Now even that was gone. The baby, Jihad, and his parents, Nour Barda and Heba al-Arqan, were trapped now in a storage closet with five other people at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza last month as Israeli troops attacked. They had some Palestinian thyme and foraged wild greens to eat, but only that, and just enough water to moisten their mouths once in a while, Mr. Barda told a Times reporter. Gunfire jackhammered outside. The Israeli military had surrounded the building and told anyone sheltering inside to stay put. Al-Shifa was the same hospital where Jihad had been born five months earlier five months of searching all day for a little food, of nearly getting knifed over a little flour. All his parents could do now was sit and watch their son go hungry. Hungry herself, Ms. al-Arqan had no breast milk to give. Administrators at some of the most influential American universities including New York University, Yale and Columbia were struggling, and largely failing, on Monday to calm campuses torn by the war in Gaza. During the turmoil on Monday, which coincided with the start of Passover, protesters called on their universities to become less financially tied to Israel and its arms suppliers. Many Jewish students agonized anew over some protests and chants that veered into antisemitism, and feared again for their safety. Some faculty members denounced clampdowns on peaceful protests and warned that academias mission to promote open debate felt imperiled. Alumni and donors raged. And from Congress, there were calls for the resignation of Columbias president, Nemat Shafik, from some of the same lawmakers Dr. Shafik tried to pacify last week with words and tactics that inflamed her own campus. Angel Hawkins and Liz Robinson both lost a child to gun violence. From left, Angel Hawkins, Liz Robinson, Sateria Tate-Alexander and Tamikka Shorter. All of them have had a child hurt or killed by gun violence. Headway A City Tries to Measure the Violence Its Preventing In Baton Rouge, a public safety experiment could help to answer a critical question: Do community efforts to reduce street violence work? Headway is an initiative from The New York Times exploring the worlds challenges through the lens of progress. When Liz and Louis Robinsons eldest son, Louis Jr., began to court trouble on the streets of Baton Rouge, La., Ms. Robinson worried that one of the bullets flying through their neighborhood and occasionally through their windows and walls would eventually find him. So she gave him an ultimatum. I told him, A military man is going to come, she remembered. Either you go with him or you get out of my house. This was 2008, and Americans were stationed in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. But she figured those places were safer than Baton Rouge. Louis Jr. took Option A, joining the Army the year after he graduated from high school. After six years in the service, including one year in Iraq, Louis came home. He took a Coca-Cola warehouse job, became a father to three children and was performing as a rapper under the name Louis BadAzz. Just shy of his 30th birthday, Louis Jr. was leaving a friends house when he was shot dead. He was one of 78 people killed in Baton Rouge in 2018. Ms. Robinson grieved. She was also angry at the people shooting up her neighborhood, at potential witnesses who wouldnt help the police solve the crime, at the police for not finding her sons killer. Louis Robinson Jr., who performed under the name Louis BadAzz, is memorialized in his parents home. Ms. Robinson with two of her grandchildren. An empty lot on Cadillac Street near where Louis Jr. became one of 78 people killed in Baton Rouge in 2018. Six months before Louis Jr. was killed, Murphy Paul became the chief of police in Baton Rouge. Mr. Paul had come from the upper ranks of the Louisiana State Police, and Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor who hired him, gave him a mandate: make change. Among his early acts was dismissing a white police officer who shot and killed a Black man named Alton Sterling in 2016. The officers actions and Sterlings death, caught on phone cameras, ignited existing tensions between police and Black residents in the city. Chief Paul, who is Black, began an overhaul of the Police Departments policies on discipline and the use of force. Chief Murphy Paul was given a mandate to make change in the Baton Rouge Police Department. But reforming a mostly white police department in a Black-majority city was only part of the job; just as urgent was confronting the street gun violence what social scientists sometimes call community gun violence that led to Louis Jr.s death. While mass shootings strike at seemingly random locations concerts, parades, schools community gun violence strikes dependably in the most disadvantaged city blocks. Apart from suicide, it is by far the deadliest use of guns in the United States and hits hardest in places where poverty and lack of opportunity give rise to crime. Homicide was the leading cause of death among Black people between 15 and 24 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Baton Rouge, where just over half of the 221,000 residents are Black, 85 percent of homicide victims in 2022 and 80 percent of homicide suspects were Black, according to a study by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. The concentration of this violence helps fuel it. Victims, shooters and their families are often entangled in networks that can be impervious to and suspicious of law enforcement. Chief Paul wanted to break through those barriers. He embraced the prevailing progressive theory of police reform: police should be guardians of a community, not warriors against it. If the police are trusted, the theory goes, witnesses feel comfortable coming forward and crimes are solved, disrupting cycles of violence and retaliation among a tiny number of heavily armed young men. To that end, in early 2019, Chief Paul met with Ms. Robinson and other people who had lost family members to violence. I wasnt prepared for the passion, outrage, the anger and the pain that I was going to experience, the chief said. Ms. Robinson, in particular, gave him an earful. He persisted. Better policing, he told the family members, was essential, but insufficient. Look, he told them, we need help. After Liz Robinson lost her son to gun violence, she decided to run a non-profit called C.H.A.N.G.E. to help other families affected by gun violence Karan Deep Singh and Kathleen Flynn for The New York Times The chief promised to work with members of the community, directing more resources and police help to groups already trying to prevent violence. Moreover, in a new experiment, he would work within a broader public safety program run by the mayors office and community groups, spreading responsibility for public safety beyond the police. All this, he hoped, would help to prevent further violence. But determining which prevention strategies really work is an evolving and complicated science. Law enforcement strategies are studied more often than community-driven alternatives, which means most existing research backs up police-driven approaches. Federal anti-violence funding has long skewed heavily toward policing, and police departments have the training and systems to collect the raw data that researchers use to study violence trends. When it comes to community-violence intervention methods like the one being tried in Baton Rouge, there are some promising results, but the number of studies is limited and the overall evidence remains unsettled. In recent years, however, hundreds of millions of dollars from private foundations and the Biden administration have gone into these alternatives, offering a genuine opportunity to study their effectiveness. Its exciting, and its a moment of some trepidation as well, because theres a lot on the line, said Nina Revoyr of Ballmer Group, the lead private funder of the organization advising Baton Rouges experimental program. To people on the ground, helping a teenager get a summer job or calming a street dispute before it boils over is a self-evident success. But funders and policymakers want quantifiable, statistical evidence that these programs reduce violence overall. Future support nationwide hinges on the rigorous collection and analysis of that data. Baton Rouge is taking on the data collection challenge. And that means the people trying to prevent violence must learn a strange new language. Complex, sometimes messy situations offhand conversations with teenagers in schools, bedside visits to hospital emergency rooms, late-night responses to chaotic crime scenes have to be translated into atomized units that can flow into spreadsheets and databases and regression analyses. The process of codifying human interactions into orderly, ruthless statistics falls to teams of people whose preparation for this work often began with surviving violent traumas of their own. A year after Louis Jr.s death, Chief Paul approached Ms. Robinson once again with a specific request: He wanted her to join a victims support group. This time, she agreed. Learning the Newark Method The victims support group was run by Sateria Tate-Alexander, another woman Chief Paul had recruited. Like Ms. Robinson, Ms. Tate-Alexander, 48, raised her family in Baton Rouge. Her son had also been struck by a bullet, at age 17, though he survived. But it was the police killing of Alton Sterling that that kind of really lit my fire, she said. She organized demonstrations, pitched in to lobby legislators for police reform, and convened neighborhood meetings. As the Baton Rouge project was taking off, Ms. Tate-Alexander visited Newark, N.J., for inspiration. There, she saw the citys street team in action and decided that this is exactly what we need. Newark had become a national beacon of violence reduction, in part through the work of Aqeela Sherrills, whom an admirer calls one of the godfathers of community-based violence intervention. In 1992, at age 22, Mr. Sherrills, a former gang member, helped broker a truce between the Bloods and the Crips in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. For the next dozen years, he crisscrossed the country and the globe, teaching about how he did it. That is what he was doing in 2004 when his 18-year-old son, Terrell, home on a break from college, was shot dead at a party. It made me question everything, Mr. Sherrills told me. I was broken. His sons murder went unsolved. Friends urged retaliation against the man believed to have fired the gun. Neither the justice system nor street justice offered any balm for his trauma, and he began to understand this failure as the root of the problem. The system was sorting people into victims (who were offered counseling and compensation) and perpetrators(whom it either punished harshly or failed to hold accountable). To Mr. Sherrills, this binary view encouraged a never-ending cycle of retaliatory violence. Aqeela Sherrills, an anti-violence activist, brought the methods he had used in Newark to Baton Rouge and other cities. Mr. Sherrills argued that breaking that divide and providing mental health care and other support could deter young men from taking matters into their own hands. He took those ideas to Newark in 2014 and would later help to create a street team that focused as much on would-be shooters as on shooting victims and their families. The idea is to deploy former gang members or others with criminal records to mediate disputes and prevent retaliation. The street team offered people counseling and connections to jobs, housing and health care. Government agencies and community-based organizations partnered to create what Mr. Sherrills called a public safety ecosystem. In 2020, when cities nationwide saw spikes in gun violence, Newark held the line while all but eliminating police shootings. Mr. Sherrills said he was besieged with calls from cities wanting to learn Newarks special sauce. Later, he made connections in the Biden White House and helped organize a Black-led push for the national programs that are now funding efforts like the one in Baton Rouge. By 2023, his strategies were credited with helping to cut homicides in Newark in half since 2016. Baton Rouge became the first city outside New Jersey to be tutored in the Newark method. The mayors office started an effort to mimic Newarks public safety ecosystem, overseen by Courtney Scott, then a mayoral aide. Four national organizations, including one founded by Mr. Sherrills, advise the city on community intervention, crime data analysis and other matters. At the heart of this national and local apparatus is the street team, led by Ms. Tate-Alexander. Calming the urge to retaliate By June 2021, when Ms. Tate-Alexander started assembling the street team, Ms. Robinson joined up. She had already taken a leading role at the victims support group and, eager to make an impact, she doubled up on her work. The two women clicked from the start. Ms. Tate-Alexander has a college degree and a background in information technology and project management. Ms. Robinson, 55, who ran an office-cleaning crew with her husband for many years, has dyed bright-red hair and lets fly the occasional F-bomb. Liz came in and we could just see it in her, Ms. Tate-Alexander said. The fight was just there. Chief Paul ordered police dispatchers to send alerts to the team for shootings in the high-crime neighborhoods that the team covers. The teams high-risk interventionists are the first responders to shooting scenes and heated disputes, but Ms. Robinson got an exemption from shooting-scene duties. I just cant see a Black man laid out there like that, she said. No. Four men do the bulk of the street teams outreach. They all grew up in Baton Rouge, and as in other cities with intervention programs, some sold drugs or committed even more serious crimes. One of the groups elders is Gerald Haynes, 51, whom everyone calls Face for the jagged scar that runs from his left ear to his throat. Mr. Haynes spent 27 years in prison for his role in a drive-by shooting, an attempt at retribution for the killing of a friend. Mr. Haynes knew a thing or two about the urge to retaliate: It had cost him nearly three decades of freedom. He also thought he knew how to talk to young hotheads. In prison, he said, I had to learn how to deal with them in a confined area where I could not get away from them and they couldnt get away from me. But during his training in Newark, he discovered more refined skills of listening, reflecting back what people say to make them feel heard, and coming up with plans for people to step away from an argument without losing face. Gerald Haynes joined the Baton Rouge anti-violence street team after spending 27 years in prison. Khoury Brown, 32, another high-risk interventionist, is best known to many of the young people the street team works with as the rapper Geaux Yella, with 129,000 Instagram followers. His skill with words is central to his job, but sometimes when a fight is brewing, he fears words will fail him. I could have both parties in a full-blooded conversation where everythings about to die down, and I got one knucklehead who feels like what Im doing is soft, he said. But hes a powerful influence even when hes not on the scene. The high-risk interventionists will get up out of their beds at 2 oclock in the morning to do whatever it is thats necessary, says Ms. Tate-Alexander, who runs the street team. A high-risk interventionist, Khoury Brown is known around Baton Rouge as the rapper Geaux Yella. Darius Crockett with his son. One of the street teams initiatives is a mentorship program, in which young people at risk of violence are paired with mentors like Darius Crockett. Mr. Crockett had drifted to the streets as a teenager in Baton Rouge, selling drugs. But he had since gotten his G.E.D. and found work as a welder. He was assigned to work with a 15-year-old named Markel. Shootings happen frequently on Markels street. His mother, Kayla Atkins, uses a wheelchair, having been paralyzed by a gunshot long ago. From a young age, Markel had to be a caregiver. As he entered his teens, he was getting into fights. When he was 14, one of his best friends was shot and killed. His mother said she desperately wanted to save her son from going down that path. The mentorship program required Markel to complete three goals. Knowing Markel wanted to rap, Mr. Crockett urged him to enter a talent contest, where he performed an original rap song. Markel took first place, which meant he not only accomplished his first goal, but won prizes that would satisfy his other two: He would be a featured performer in a video with Geaux Yella himself and participate in a recording session. Markel eagerly looked forward to the coming winter when the session would happen. Mr. Crockett also helped the boy land a job at a city-run summer camp. Mr. Crockett, left, acted as a mentor to Markel, helping him focus on music and a summer job. Then, in June, Markel got into an argument with his sister. He had a meltdown, slamming doors and throwing things, Ms. Atkins said. Feeling helpless to control him, she called the police and Mr. Crockett. The police officer put Markel in handcuffs in the back of his cruiser. When Mr. Crockett showed up, he asked to speak privately with Markel. The officer let him into the car. Mr. Crockett empathized with Markel. He told the teenager that he himself had lost my anger a little bit with his girlfriend a few days earlier and had to reel himself in. Everybody gets angry, Mr. Crockett told Markel. But right now, at this moment, you got to control it. He leveraged Markels aspirations, promising that he could still appear in the Geaux Yella video. Im still your big brother, he assured him. Ill always be out here. Markel settled down, and the police officer, with Ms. Atkinss blessing, let Mr. Crockett take the boy to another relatives house. A faith-based movement? Poverty has always bred violence. In the 1990s, an upsurge in violent crime led cities to try new methods to address it on the streets. The first experiments leaned heavily on law enforcement. Hot-spots policing, for instance, the practice of focusing police attention on particular troubled neighborhoods, spread around the country. Then, in 1999, a Chicago epidemiologist named Gary Slutkin picked up an old idea of using outreach workers to mediate street disputes. Framing the problem in public health terms, he argued that retaliatory violence was like a communicable disease and that outreach workers he called them violence interrupters could mimic an immune response. Groups more or less modeled after Dr. Slutkins organization, which came to be called Cure Violence, popped up in other cities. Other efforts springing from communities found a foothold in the violence prevention universe: youth counseling programs, visits with shooting victims while they are still in the hospital, cleanup of empty buildings and vacant lots that attract crime. These ideas had an instinctive appeal. Violence was not about bad people, but about behaviors that could be changed. And violence interruption, in particular, gave agency both to members of a stricken community and people who regretted their own violent history. Overall, these methods emphasized prevention rather than punishment. As these programs proliferated, however, policymakers had one overriding question: Do they work? Strong evidence emerged for some law enforcement efforts. Hot-spots policing has been studied many times in different cities and has consistently been shown to reduce violence. A carrot-and-stick approach called focused deterrence, which offers counseling and job training alongside the threat of prosecution for future crimes, has also gotten a research thumbs-up. Federal grants to initiate these policing programs often came with money for outside researchers to study them. Historically, more research money has gone toward violence prevention programs run by the police than toward those run by community groups. But money wasnt flowing to studies of community-based programs like violence interruption. Those studies require taxing, time-consuming design, said Jeffrey A. Butts, a violence researcher and the director of the Research and Evaluation Center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He lays some fault on researchers who prefer the easier work of analyzing police data. Much of the research that has been done on community prevention programs is not sufficiently rigorous, Dr. Butts argues. He has studied community interventions for decades and supports systemic responses to violence, but criticizes organizations that champion their success without sufficient data. I see it becoming a faith-based movement, Dr. Butts said. There has to be really transparent professional research in order to stand up in public and say this works. When it comes to community-based interventions, he added, we are nowhere close to having that. What troubles him most is that governments and foundations will walk away from programs that lack consistent and replicable evidence. This, he fears, will lead cities to rely only on strategies that have strong evidence like policing. To bulk up on evidence, Baton Rouge hired a data analysis company to create a system to capture the raw data. That system is still in its infancy, Ms. Scott said, and needs at least two more years before the city should even consider commissioning a formal quantitative evaluation. Were still working like a science project in a testing and observation mode, she said. The burden of logging that raw data falls to the street team. Its not a job they particularly relish. Theyll get up out of their beds at 2 oclock in the morning to go do whatever it is thats necessary, Ms. Tate-Alexander said. The work is fulfilling to them. But the writing part? Yeah, no, thats not their favorite thing. About once a week, Ms. Tate-Alexander calls a data day where they all come to the war room, a windowless hovel tucked away in a community center, to get their logging done. Ms. Robinson, Ms. Tate-Alexander and Mr. Sherrills in the street teams war room. They categorize each interaction on the streets: a mediation (getting conflicting parties to talk before violence occurs), an intervention (an attempt to head off retaliation after a violent incident) or a prevention (an intervention that demonstrably headed off more violence). They record whom they talked to, what was said and what they believe should be done next. We absolutely track everything, Ms. Tate-Alexander said. Those reports are confidential, to protect sources safety and to preserve the teams independence from law enforcement and build trust with the community. But every month, categories and actions are counted, anonymously, and then fed into the system that tracks the entire Baton Rouge public safety program, which includes 20 other agencies and organizations. The dull mechanics of bureaucratic accountability are needed to comply with the multiple federal and private grants that pay for this work. Each grant has its own requirements. One afternoon, interventionists reviewed work assignments at one end of a war room conference table while Ms. Tate-Alexander reviewed spreadsheet format changes the city wanted as it tracked the spending of one federal grant. Mr. Sherrills was in town for one of his periodic visits. Six feet tall, with an ever-present Stacy Adams fedora, he cuts a striking figure. He is something of a celebrity in town, hugging and hand-slapping his way through talks and meetings. The demands of funders and the research community sometimes frustrate him. He fears that the emphasis in social science toward quantitative research strips out the texture of real lives. Statistics cant capture what Markel felt when he won the talent competition or how a visit from Liz Robinson comforted a grieving family. Mr. Sherrills is a believer in research. He was instrumental in getting a team from the University of California, Los Angeles to conduct a narrative evaluation of the Newark street team. But even Newarks precipitous fall in crime did not have the statistical backing necessary to prove that community-led interventions were responsible. When I brought up Dr. Buttss critiques to Mr. Sherrills, he grew heated, even tearing up at one point. Why we got to keep proving ourselves? The effort in Baton Rouge presents an opportunity not only to save lives, but to establish the communitys role in doing so. While members of the street team groaned and eye-rolled through a conference call with a city official, Mr. Sherrills counseled patience. This, he told them, is the biggest challenge of this work. I cant touch everybody In 2023, homicides and nonfatal shootings fell as quickly across the country as they had risen during the Covid years. Analysts posit that some combination of pandemic shutdowns and protests after the murder of George Floyd threw normal social supports and policing into chaos, and that the trend is starting to reverse as life gets back to normal. But the data puzzle applies here, too: Nobody can say for sure. In Baton Rouge, homicides and nonfatal shootings dropped by one-third between 2021 and 2023, to 359 victims from 535. That was a sharper decline than in many other cities. Yet the picture still isnt clear. Violence in Baton Rouge remains higher than it was in the years before the pandemic and is still extraordinarily high for a city its size. And there were 31 homicides in the first quarter of 2024, double the number in the same period in 2023. The answer to whether community-based efforts help Baton Rouge make significant strides will only come with rigorous research down the line. In July, Chief Paul announced he would retire after nearly six years on the job. Under his watch, officers use of force went down, more Black officers were hired, and department policies and crime statistics became more accessible. But throughout his tenure, there were pockets of opposition to his approach to violence prevention, including from members of the Metropolitan Council. Weeks after Mr. Paul announced his retirement, two lawsuits were filed claiming that officers secretly interrogated and brutalized suspects at a police warehouse. The mayor shut down the warehouse and the unit that was accused of using it. (The lawsuits are ongoing.) When questioned at a Metropolitan Council meeting about the lawsuits and alleged misconduct, Chief Paul lashed out at two council members who represent white-majority districts, essentially accusing them of racist motivations in trying to undermine him and his efforts to rid the department of bad cops. (They denied his accusations and then unsuccessfully pressed the mayor to fire Mr. Paul ahead of his planned departure.) Community members held a Stand With Chief Murphy Paul Rally outside police headquarters. In the front row at that rally was Ms. Robinson. The homicides increased in Baton Rouge during the pandemic, and fell afterwards. But the number of deaths is still high 359 people in 2023. Chief Pauls replacement is Thomas S. Morse Jr., a 20-year veteran of the department. Mr. Morse, who is white, came into office voicing support for the communitys role in violence prevention. At first, Ms. Robinson and Ms. Tate-Alexander seemed wary when I asked about him. They didnt know him, they said, but hoped he would follow Chief Pauls example. As 2023 came to a close, the street team faced new troubles. In early December, Mr. Crockett, the street team member who had mentored Markel, was charged with aggravated battery, domestic abuse and child endangerment. His girlfriend told the police that he had slammed her head against a wall and thrown a steam iron at her while children were sleeping in the next room. When I called Mr. Crockett to ask about the police report, he confirmed that he and his girlfriend had fought, but insisted he had not attacked her. Ms. Tate-Alexander said that Mr. Crockett is dedicated to his work and she has never seen him be violent. When he told her about the charges, she put Mr. Crockett on an unpaid suspension for a week, but he is back at work until the case against him is resolved. She will be guided by what happens in court. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in March. On Dec. 30, Baton Rouge recorded its last homicide of 2023. A 20-year-old man named DyLan Fillmore-Mitchell had been shot multiple times in his car. Ms. Robinson heard about it when her aunt called that morning. The brutal intimacy of concentrated violence had struck again: Mr. Fillmore-Mitchell was her aunts grandson. Ms. Robinson rushed to her family. A video taken at a memorial a week later captured Ms. Robinson in her community-organizing element, reminding the mourners that after they moved on, the family would still grieve. Im telling yall because I know, she said, tapping her chest for emphasis. Mr. Fillmore-Mitchell and Ms. Robinsons son Louis shared a birthday, 15 years apart. Gun violence has touched my family again, she told me. And I put so much hard work in it, in the work, you know, for my family to be protected. She described the torment she had felt, her mind spinning, trying to fathom what more she could do. I know I cant touch everybody, she said. I know that. I just have to work harder. Wang Deshun is an 88-year-old actol and fashion model who rose to fame in 2015 when he walked the runway topless at the China Fashion Week in Beijing during his first modeling gig ever. In 2017, when we first featured Wang Deshun on Oddity Central, he was just two years into his modeling career, even though he was already 81 years old. His iconic walkout at the China Fashion Week was still in everyones minds, and he was getting all sorts of deals from some of the largest fashion houses in the world. People loved his story, and for good reason. Born in 1936 into a modest family, he was the second-oldest of ten children. His parents encouraged him to follow his dreams and he did just that, becoming an actor, then pivoting to pantomime and performance art before trying his luck at fashion modeling with incredible success. But that wasnt enough for Chinas hottest gandpa, as Wang has come to be known. He has since obtained a plane pilot license and learned how to ride a motorcycle and a horse. People can change their life as many times as they wish, Wnag Deshun told the NY Times. Being mentally healthy means you know what youre going to do. Its never too old to pursue your dream, age has never been a hurdle. Just do it. Wang Deshun got into the fashion modeling game by mistake. Chinese designer Hu Sheguang was talking to the China Fashion Week DJ, a woman named QQ, when her phone rang. As she took it out to answer, the designer saw an old mans face show up on screen, and he instantly knew that he wanted him as part of his presentation. That was Wang, QQs father, and he accepted the challenge that would change his life for good. His iconic shirtless picture on the runway still does the rounds online but he since starred in numerous adverts for various fashion designers. Its been seven years since we discovered Wang Deshun, and Chinas Hottest Grandpa is still going strong at age 88. Earlier this month, he made waves once again after walking the runway at the Shanghai Fashion Week, once again stunning the audience with his chiseled physique and elegant attitude. In a line of work where most retire in their early 30s, Whang Deshun is one of the few models who found their success in the twilight of their lives, people like Carmen DellOrefice, the worlds oldest fashion model and Alice Pang, Asias oldest fashion model Redmond, a city of 77K people located less than 20 miles from downtown Seattle, wants a roster of firms to develop crisis communication plans, and be ready to answer the call in the event that an emergency hits. Mercury has landed a $900K one-year pact to represent Gecamines, the cobalt and copper mining giant that is owned by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The $75K monthly retainer contract calls for strategy management & narrative development, think tank engagement, federal government relations, media relations and strategic communications services. Mercury also received a $25K one-time fee for website development, which included creating an English-language platform for Gecamines. The US is playing catch-up to China for access to Africas mineral assets that are vital for EV battery production. Bloomberg News reported on March 29 that Jose Fernandez, US State Department under secretary for economic growth, energy and the environment, speaks frequently with Gecamines. Those talks focus on supply deals and development of new mines. Mercurys eight-member Gecamines team includes partners Toby Moffett (ex-Democratic Connecticut Congressman) and John Lonergan (aide to ex-New York Republican Governor George Pataki). Omnicom owns Mercury. Tullamore GAA has won an award for promoting the Irish language. The Joe McDonagh Foundation is the mechanism used in the GAA to promote the Irish language. Tullamore GAA under the guidance of cultural officer Niamh Clarke, has done tremendous work over the past few years, organising many activities through Irish. With the support of Glor na nGael and the National Cultural Officer Jamie O Tuama, the club in Tullamore has inspired and encouraged the growth and use of Irish throughout the club. Coffee mornings, Irish classes, training sessions and Pop-Up Gaeltachts were some of the activities that the club organised. Cultural Officer Niamh Clarke said it was because of the full support of the executive committee of Tullamore GAA and the members of club that they were so successful in their endeavours. She also encourages other clubs to use the supports and guidance available from Glor na nGael and the GAA to promote Irish. Visit https://www.gaa.ie/the-gaa/culturagus-gaeilge for more information As a result of the club's efforts, they won the silver award from the Joe McDonagh Foundation. They were presented with award at a ceremony in Croke Park The case of a man involved in a money laundering case was put back to July 10, because a probation and welfare report was not ready. Kyle Smith (23) of Lynn Heights, Mullingar, first appeared in court in January of this year when he pleaded guilty to transferring, possessing or using 5,100 the proceeds of criminal conduct at Bank of Ireland, Emmet Square, Birr on November 26, 2021. In January the court heard that Mr Smith had been ordered to take 5,100 from his account before being taken to a shop to buy phones which he then had to hand over to others. In his evidence to the court last January, Garda Fanning said that the defendant Kyle Smith (23), a student had stated to the gardai that he had received calls purporting to be from his bank telling him that his account was displaying fraudulent activity and asking for his card details. He had dismissed the calls as a scam and hung up. He then received a call to tell him to come outside of his student accommodation in Sligo where a northern registered white Seat Ibiza was waiting. He was ordered to ''get the f... into the car'' and was told nothing would happen to him. He was asked for his bank account details and his phone. He was taken to a printing shop and told to print out his bank statement. 5,100 had been transferred into his account from a Birr based account who was the injured party in the case. He was then brought to a post office to change the money into sterling. Following this he was driven to a CeX store and instructed to purchase a number of phones which he handed over. Afterwards he was driven back to his student complex where he was warned not to tell the gardai. Garda Fanning said it was three months before Mr Smith had reported the matter to the Gardai. Solicitor Patrick Martin said Mr Smith was a young man. He had attended the Garda station by appointment. This had been a very traumatic experience for him and he had come at the earliest opportunity with the full amount of 5,100 which was the sum involved, Judge Cody directed that the money be returned to the Bank of Ireland. He then remanded Mr Smith on continuing bail to last week's district court sitting of April 10 2024 for preparation of a probation report and restorative justice report. However, the report was not finalised and Judge Cody adjourned the case to July 10. The Department of Health, the HSE and the Medical Council say they are unable to help the ex-patients of a Tullamore doctor to access their medical documents. The doctor is no longer practising and while the HSE says it has contacted the public patients the private patients are not their responsibility. The Tribune contacted the Department of Health who advised us to contact the Medical Council adding that the Council has a role in the regulation of medical practice overall and would be best placed to answer the query. However, the Medical Council said that ''in its role as regulator for registered medical practitioners in Ireland, the Medical Council has no statutory function in relation to the location or transfer of patient records in circumstances where a medical practice has ceased to operate and/or a medical practitioner has withdrawn from the Register or retired from practice.'' Some ex-patients had been with this particular doctor for years, some since they were children but they now find themselves in an uncertain situation and don't know where to turn to for help. In a Dail question to the Minister for Health Roderic O'Gorman in 2023 by John Lahart T D who asked the Minister if ''patients can access their medical files and records when a general practitioner ceases their practice;'' The Minister responded that, ''As private practitioners, the responsibility for the management of practice medical records rests with the GP concerned. GPs are required to ensure all personal data is processed in line with the General Data Protection Regulation principles and best practices, and patients can request a copy of their medical records directly from their GP surgery.'' The Minister went on to say that the Irish College of General Practitioners' under the heading of Processing of Patient Personal Data: states that. ''When there is a sudden closure of a GP practice the HSE endeavour to allocate a locum GP to take over the panel of GMS patients and advertise the list for a permanent replacement. When a GP retires or otherwise leaves the GMS scheme the HSE can facilitate the transfer of the records of GMS patients to the new doctor providing services for these patients. In such cases, the patient is notified that if they do not agree to the transfer of their records they can indicate this to the HSE. The HSE has no role in relation to medical records held by GPs of patients who do not hold a medical or GP visit card.'' It would appear that while public patients are protected, private patients are totally reliant on their doctor. The problem is, the people trying to access their files don't know where their doctor is and more importantly where their medical files have gone. According to Citizens Information,''if you visit your GP as a private patient, attend a private hospital, or are cared for in a private nursing home, you can get access to your medical records: Under data protection laws On the basis of your contract with the medical service, or By court order TAP LINKS TO READ MORE BIG PICTURE SPECIAL: Lisa McGowan of Lisas Lust List officially opens first Lisa & Co Pop-Up Shop Busy service station in Offaly given green light for off licence THROWBACK TUESDAY: Out and about for a night on the town in Offaly from the archives Go-ahead for village in Offaly to get approach road and paths improved Momentous day as last Bord na Mona train switches off engine in Offaly -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is Chapter 4/Section 2, of the 2024 Serialization of the third printing (2013) of the book by Steven Jonas: "The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022. The book was first published in 1996. The 2013 version of the book (the most recent one) is available on Amazon, in print and on Kindle, at: click here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 30th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States (2002): Commencing on the day following ratification of this amendment, no person not at that time a citizen of the United States may in the future become a citizen unless at least one parent of that per son is a citizen of the United States. Author's Commentary The 30th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was the third of a series of Amen ments pro posed by Right-Wing Reaction to pass the Congress and be ratified by the states since the Republican Party had taken over the Congress following the 1994 election. The 28th, the Balanced Budget Amendment (with loopholes), had been ratified in 1999. The 29th, the Federal Congressional Terms Limits Amendment, was rat fied in the year 2000. The 27th Amendment, which prevented any Congressional pay rai es from taking effect during the term of the Congress that adopted them, and had its origins back in the Federalist Period, had been ratified on May 7, 1992. Pr vious to its adoption, the Constitution had not been amended since 1971. But starting in 1999, the pace of amending quickened markedly, and that pace would not noticeably slacken over the next eight years. The then on"'coming flood of Right"'Wing Reaction"'sponsored Amendments would, in the first decade of the 21st century, alter the Constitution of the old U.S. almost beyond recognition. The Ratification Process The 30th was the first Amendment passed under the Presidency of the Last Republican, Carnathon Pine. It is noteworthy that while there had been some struggle over ratification of the 28th and 29th amendments, there was virtually none over ratification of the 30th. It took less than 13 months from the time the amendment was introduced in the 107th Congress during the first week of its first session in January, 2001, until it was ratified by the 38th state to do so, Iowa, on February 2, 2002. In fact, ten state legislatures had "ratified" the amendment (de jure indicating that they would ratify if it passed both Houses of Congress) even before the final language had been worked out and it was passed by an overwhelming vote in both Houses of Congress. (This jumping the gun followed a practice initiated by the several states, for example New Jersey and Alabama, which had "ratified" the Balanced Bud get Amendment [with loopholes], back in 1995, before the final vote in the Congress. Ironically, the Amendment did fail to pass the Senate that year, by one vote.) Picking Up the Pace Given the deliberate pace with which any proposals to change the Restored Constitution of our Re"'United States are considered in our own time, the read er might find most peculiar the rush with which the venerable document that had stood the old U.S. in such good stead for 200 years was a tered to fit the prevailing political prejudices of the time. But given the political realities of the Transition Era, this "speed"'up" should come as no surprise. For just as "The 15% Solution" had provided the Right"'Wing Reactionaries with a hammerlock on control of the U.S. Congress, so it gave them the same level of control on the legislatures of most of the states. By 2002 the Right-Wing Reactionaries had achieved a two"'thirds majority in both houses of the legislatures of 40 states. (Needed for ratification of any Amendment under the old Constitution was the affirmation of 38 states.) Only in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska (the one state with a unica eral, no-partisan legislature), New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin had the Right-Wing onslaught failed to achieve complete legislative control. In all of the other states, the inter-related, self"'reinforcing combination of steadily declining voter turn out and no effective, distinctive electoral opposition offering real alternatives to Right-Wing Rea tion had inexorably lead to its victory, as discussed in the previous chapter. This was the same combination of phenomenae that had acco plished the same end at the national level. The Origins of the 30th Amendment The expressed underlying purpose of the 30th Amendment was to end all immigration, legal or illegal, into the United States. This was clear from the several years run"'up to its Congressional introduction (fulfilling a campaign promise made by President Pine). There had been much agitation and controversy over the role immigrants, of both the legal and illegal variety, played in creating and perpetuating the problems faced by the old U.S. in the 1990s. The character of the public reasoning offered in sup port of a measure de signed to shut the door to potential immigrants to the world's leading nation of immigrants was well illustrated by the title given to the Amendment by its supporters: "The Preserve America Amendment." The campaign had been up and running for some time. For example, in the mid-1990s an organization known as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) called for a "Moratorium on Immigration" (c. 1994). The ultra-Right-Wing Republican Patrick Buchanan picked up the proposal in announcing his Presidential candidacy in 1995 (Berke). (Presaging the development of the Killer Fence, Buchanan also proposed at that time considering "defending the border" with National Guard troops and building a wall along it [Wright]. One question at time was would Buchanan view potential illegal immigrants in the same light as an invading Army, and give his National Guard border guardians orders to shoot to kill.) In 1995, an English immigrant, one Peter Brimelow, published a book called Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster (New York: Random House). Despite his own immigrant status, reflecting well the Right"'Wing Reactionary propaganda on immigration of the time, he said (Lind): "The United States faces the direct equivalent of being abandoned by the imperial umpire: the breaking of . . . the racial hegemony of white Americans. . . . The contradictions of a society as deeply divided as the United States must now inexorably become, as a result of the post-1965 influx, will lead to conflict, repression, and perhaps, ultimately to a threat thought extinct in America politics for more than a hundred years: se cession." (In this last thought, Brimelow eerily presaged the reverse secession of the New American Republics to come.) In its proposal, FAIR did not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration. And unlike Buchanan, they did not reveal just how they proposed to halt either variety in practical terms. But that did not stop them from blaming virtually every national problem, from unemployment, through lack of afford able housing, to the crisis in the health care and educational systems, on immigration, and by implication on the immigrants themselves. FAIR then went on to call for that "halt." However, by implication once again, they guaranteed that the nation's problems would some how be magically solved if immigration were somehow stopped. The "Open"'Door" Tradition In 1903, the poet Emma Lazarus penned the sonnet that included the famous phrase (The World Book): "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched re fuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the home less, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door." It was inscribed on the tablet that adorned the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. In 1940, the liberal President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had ad dressed an organization known as the Daughters of the American Revolution. Xenophobic, isolationist, Right-Wing and inherently "anti-foreigner," it consisted of descendants of families that had been in the old United States since at least the time of the American Revolution. Roosevelt, who could trace his American roots back to 17th century Dutch settlers in Nieuw Amsterdam, opened his address with the greeting: "Fellow immigrants." A collision of the souls of Lazarus and Roosevelt spinning in their graves after observing the anti-immigrant movement of the Transition Era would have been something to behold. Initiative and Referendum and Prop. 187 By the mid-1990s, the FAIR brand of agitation had lead, for exam ple, to the passage of "Proposition 187" in the state of California in 1994, by the process of "Initiative and Referendum" (I&R) [1]. Some observers have noted the close parallel be tween the adoption of Proposition 187 in California in 1994 and the subsequent rapid rise of the anti-immigrant movement nationally, and the adoption of the property tax"'limiting Proposition 13 in the same state in 1977 and the subsequent rise of the national "anti-tax" movement. Both Propositions are now considered to have been major factors in the eventual rise of American Fascism (Terry and McGhee). The Nature of Proposition 187 California's Proposition 187 prohibited the provision to immigrants who had not legally entered the country and state of a wide range of social services, from health care to education. It was eventually declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. (It later reappeared in a somewhat different form, before a radically different Court, and achieved approval). The Republican governor of California at the time, one "Pete" Wilson, had hitherto been considered a so-called "moderate" Republican. His use of this clearly Right-Wing Reactionary issue to help him come from way be hind to achieve a landslide victory in the 1994 California gubernatorial election campaign, gave the issue respect ability and a certain cachet (Maharidge). Wilson had not always held to the position he took in 1994. In 1986, as a United States Senator beholden to powerful California farm interests, Wilson had made sure that national immigration reform legislation of that year, aimed at illegal immigration as well, still made it possible for those interests to hire the illegal immigrant labor they need ed to bring in their crops cheaply (Apple). But as Governor, he apparently realized that by opposing illegal immigration and making it a ma jor issue, he could attract a large number of votes, whether or not the interests of his rich farmer backers were affected or not. (For more on this aspect of the issue, see the Dino Louis essay quoted at the end of this chapter.) Indirection and Proposition 187 The choice of indirection employed by the framers of Prop. 187 to achieve the supposedly desired outcome, an end to illegal immigration, was an interesting one. The expressed theory be hind the Proposition was, "cut off social services, and those people won't come." In nature, it was just like the standard Right-Wing Reactionary justification for significantly reducing the provision of welfare benefits during the Transition Era: "cut out welfare for single mothers and the illegitimacy rate will go down." This kind of rationale connected a government social support pro gram to an individual behavior. The linkage seemed utterly logical to the critic of both the support program and the behavior. But the same linkage rarely if ever made it into the mind of the program beneficiary/engager-in-the-'behavior. The proponents of the existence of the linkages in fact were never able to cite data-based proof to support the validity of either the "social services-are-linked-to-immigration" or the "welfare-is-linked-to-illegitimacy" theories, but that didn't stop them from using a position that sure sounded good in the political arena. And in the political arena, it was likely that in reality the whole strategy of indirection was a highly cynical one on Wilson's part. He was smart enough to know that most immigrants who came illegally to California were seeking work, not social services, even education for their children. Thus he was smart enough to probably know that the flow of illegals to the farms of his rich backers would not be dried up if Proposition 187 were implemented (and he may well have privately told them that as well). But, as noted, it sounded good, it reinforced other Right-Wing Reactionary dogma, and it did win elections. Following this position, indirection was at the core of the 30th Amendment. It didn't ban immigration directly; it just said that no immigrant could ever become a citizen, thus permanently making immigrants to the old U.S. permanently "different." Of course, immigrants had been made "different" before. For example, during the Transition Era, even legal immigrants had been made into a "different" category by the Right-Wing Reactionaries of the 104th Congress. They proposed that legal immigrants, who had Social Security numbers, worked legally, and paid taxes (just as many illegal immigrants did, it happened), be denied access to welfare and other social services. These were all measures aimed at creating a "politics of difference." The "Politics of 'Difference' " The politics of difference was standard Republican fare throughout the Transition Era. In his then"'famous speech to the Republican National Convention in 1992, the prominent Right"'Wing Reactionary Patrick Buchanan had said (1992): "There is a religious war going on in this country. It is a cultural war, as critical to the kind of nation we shall be as the Cold War itself, for this war is for the soul of America. And in that struggle . . . Clinton and Clinton are on the other side, and George Bush is on our side. . . . we must take back our cities, and take back our culture, and take back our country." When another of the men-in a-perpetual-rage of the time, Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President in 1995, baldly borrowing from Buchanan (without acknowledgment) he said (Page): "Our job is not finished. We are one victory away from reversing the course of American history. We're one victory away from getting our money back and our freedom back and our country back. And that victory is a victory over Bill Clinton in 1996." Just who were the "we" and the implied "them," the nature of the "religious war," just what is the "soul of America," just what "culture" is being referred to, just what was meant by "freedom" and "country," and just exactly how a victory over Bill (and Hillary) Clinton would accomplish the undefined aims, were all left unelucidated in such speeches. But presumably the followers of Buchanan and Gramm, who would later be come the stalwarts for Jefferson Davis Hague, "knew" whom and what they meant. A liberal newspaper columnist of the time, Anna Quindlen, described this strategy as the "cult of otherness." She said (1994): "Otherness posits that there are large groups of people with whom you have nothing in common, not even a discernible shared humanity. Not only are these groups profoundly different from you, they are also, covertly, somehow less: less worthy, less moral, less good. "The sense of otherness is the single most pernicious force in American discourse. Its not"'like"'us ethos makes so much bigotry possible: racism, sexism, homophobia. . . . "[Newton] Gingrich began milking the politics of exclusion long be fore the [1994] election returns were in when he dis missed the President and Mrs. [Bill] Clinton as 'counterculture.' Meeting with a group of lobbyists, natch, he said he would seek to portray Clinton Democrats as the 'enemy of normal people.' In a speech several weeks ago, he described America as a 'battleground' between men of God, like him, and the 'secular anti-religious view of the left.'" The politics of difference had been previously brought to its highest pitch by the German Nazis, who thoroughly demonized the Jews before they proceeded to exterminate all they could lay their hands on (Davidowicz). What was the function then of the politics of difference in the old U.S.? Over the next 15 years from 1995 it became increasingly and appallingly clear: to generate, reinforce, and morally justify xenophobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia, and widespread bigotry and suspicion, all vital for paving the road to that full Fascist takeover that was eventually achieved in 2011. But while as noted above immigrants had been differentiated be fore, the 30th Amendment way to do it was something new. This differentiation would be in the Constitution. It would aim to accomplish its ends by indirection, just as did Proposition 187 and the "anti"'illegitimacy" provisions of welfare "reform." And its being in the Constitution very quickly lead to some consequences that even some of its most ardent supporters had not envisioned. For example, except for those few who were children of citizens, since now no non"'citizen immigrants already living in the country had any future prospective Constitutional protections, it opened the flood gates for legislation enacting ever"'more punitive laws for dealing with illegal immigrants. It also lead to the enactment of laws establishing "special" (and most precarious) status for persons who had been legal immigrants before enactment of the Amendment, but who could now never become citizens, even if they had lived in the country for 30 years. Even before passage of the 30th Amendment, anti-immigrant agitation had led to a variety of repressive measures. Back in 1995, Newton Gingrich, Speaker of the House or no, had called for "sealing" the Mexican"'U.S. border with guards to prevent illegal immigration (Newsday). The implementation of that policy had led to the rapid expansion of the U.S. Border Patrol, even in a time of sharp cutbacks in Federal government spending in almost every arena. The ever"'increasing strengthening of the Patrol eventually made it into a self"'contained armed force, fully equipped with heavy weapons and its own air force and navy. But this move too had unintended consequences. The costs of border guarding and imprisoning detainees mounted very quickly. And so the next step was building a wall all along the Mexican border, a move certain Right"'Wing Reactionaries of the Patrick Buchanan stripe had been calling for for years. The first short sections of a passive fence, equipped with infrared, electronic, and radio devices had gone up in 1994 (Nathan). By 1999, a 1500 mile fence was in place. But it was not absolutely impassable. The Killer Fence would come later (see Chapter 15). And now, for a contemporary view of the situation during the 1994 election campaign, we turn to an essay written by Dino Louis less a month before Election Day of that year. Crafted in a pop style, and thus obviously intended for a popular audience, whether it was ever published is not known. Pete Wilson's Politics: Illegal Immigration and Etc. (by Dino Louis, 1994) Illegal immigration and California politics. Pete Wilson is stoking and using anti"'illegal immigration fever to ride to re"'election (Maharidge). He was originally well behind Kathleen Brown, when he was being forced to run on his record and the state of the California economy. But now he is laying it on thick about how much illegal immigrants cost California, in education, health, welfare costs, and so one and so forth. Well, those data are actually murky. There is simply no evidence that anyone comes here to get on welfare and get health care (both ne atives), although they may come for the education. But they do pay taxes. Those with fake social security numbers even pay income taxes, through with holding. And employers love illegal immigrants: they are cheap labor and make no trouble. It's notable that the 1986 law [Author's Note: which put penalties on employers hiring illegal immigrants] has never been enforced and Pete Wilson is not screaming for its enforcement either. Even Ben Wattenberg, certainly no liberal, citing facts published by the Urban Institute[2] said that: most illegals don't cross the Rio Grande[3] but simply overstay tourist visas; only a third of total immigration is a counted for by illegals; creating as well as "taking" them, immigrants have no net effect on the number of jobs; while the number of foreign-born people living here is at its highest level ever, the percent age of resident foreign-born people is just slightly more than half of what it was a century ago; total tax receipts paid to all governments by immigrants outweigh the total amount spent by all governments on them; immigrants, legal and illegal, use less welfare per capi ta than native"'born Americans; foreign"'speaking present immigrants learn English at about the same rate as their predecessors. But the Right wants us to forget the facts, or, preferably, never know them. In fact, the Right goes out of its way to suppress the facts. It is just so useful for them to exploit the illegals politically. Limbaugh [4] was on the air a week ago complaining that any supporter of the new anti"'illegal immigrant Proposition is being labeled a racist. Well, maybe they aren't racists. But anti"'immigration fever has long history in California, usually with a racist basis: for example, against the Chinese and the Japanese, the latter prejudice of course lead ing to the imprisonment of Amer can citizens of Japanese descent during World War II for no other reason than that they were of Japanese de scent. In 1882, reflecting widely-held attitudes, California had enacted the Exclusion Act, aimed expressly at Chinese immigrants (originally brought in by white businessmen to provide cheap labor first for the gold mines and then for railway construction). Facing an ever"'increasing influx of "Okies"[5] during the Great Depression, anti"'immigrant fever in California was directed against other whites. But still, they were whites who were "different." The whole campaign certainly feeds right into the Limbaugh view of the illegals and their sup porters as people who want nothing but a hand"'out. That they just happen to be of Central American/Mexican Indian descent for the most part surely must be coincidental. This anti"'immigrant message sounds very much like the one the little mustached man delivered 70 years ago. "Whatever's wrong with our 'country/state,' it's someone else's fault. It's those 'Jews/ furriners,' they're the trouble." Shakespeare once said something like, "the fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." But people like Pete Wilson and Adolf Hitler don't look at themselves. Wilson's only been in politics in California and Washington since 1966. But it's not his fault. Watch this well. Despite his pledges to the contrary, Pete Wilson will likely be running for President in 1996[6]. This is the kind of campaign we have to look forward to: a message that stresses questions and prob lems, rather than answers and solutions. Above all, it stresses the identification and labeling of an "enemy," not us, never us, either e plicitly or implicitly, someone to blame, an abstraction, and based on no data. And oh yes, just like he is doing in California, he'll run the whole thing on television: no legitimate questions; no legitimate answers. All neat and tidy. All modern Republican politics. A Parthenon Pomeroy Diary Entry, February 3, 2002 We did it, we did it. We're finally going to keep the Spics out, and throw out the towel"'heads, and the slopes, and the slant"'eyes, and the West Indian cinder faces too. Wow! 15 years of hard work. We're going to save our country, our freedom, our American way of life. I can't believe it. But I'd better believe it. I do believe it. This is going to fix things up all right. Jobs for everyone. Tax cuts, more tax cuts. No more little messy forin (sic) kids in the schools, speaking giberish (sic). This is what we need to get America to where it ought to be, to what it can be, to what it always was and will be again. Good bye, coons! Thanks, God, and thanks Pat, too. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References: Apple. R.W., "Media"'Wise Governor Runs a Smooth Race in California," New York Times, Oct. 24, 1994, p. 1. Berke, R.L., "A New Quest By Buchanan for President," The New York Times, March 21, 1995. Buchanan, P., "Republican National Convention: Remarks," Washing ton, DC: Republican National Committee, August 17, 1992. Davidowicz, L.S., The War Against the Jews: 1933"'45, New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1975, Part I. FAIR: "Official Petition to Place a Moratorium on Immigration to the Unit ed States," Washington, DC: c. Summer, 1994. Lind, M., "American by Invitation," The New Yorker, April 24, 1995, p. 107. Maharidge, D., "California schemer," Mother Jones, Nov./Dec., 1995, p. 52. Nathan, D., "El Paso Under Blockade," The Nation, Feb. 28, 1994, p. 268. Newsday, Nation Briefs: "Gingrich: Seal Border," Feb. 6, 1995. Page, S., "His Stetson's in the Ring," Newsday, Feb. 25, 1995. Quindlen, A., "The Politics of Meanness," New York Times, Nov. 11, 1994. Terry, S., and McGhee, B., California Leading, 1977"'1997, New Fran cis co, CA: The Press of the New California Historical Society, 2038. The World Book Encyclopedia, "So"'Sz Volume 18," Chicago, IL: World Book"'Childcraft International, Inc., 1981, p. 689. Wright, R., "Who's Really to Blame?" Time, Nov. 6, 1995, p. 33. Author's Notes: [1] Interestingly, "Initiative and Referendum" originally had been cre ated by progres sive forces in a number of western states of the old U.S. in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Citizens' groups able to col lect enough signatures on a petition could direct ly place before the elec torate legislative proposals and in some states constitutional amendments, there by by"'passing the legislative process. I&R originally designed as a counter"'balance to the power of legislatures that at the time in many of those states were in the pockets of the railroad and/or mining industries. Ironically, just prior to and during the Transition Era, the process became a powerful tool of Right-Wing Reaction. This happened even as both the national and state legislatures were once again once again coming to be in the pockets of Right"'Wing Reaction as well, through the process of special interest lobbying and campaign contribution. Through the I&R process, to achieve ends it could not achieve in legislatures with significant liberal representation, Right"'Wing Reaction could manipulate the direct electoral process with simplistic appeals to raw emotion and utter self"'interest, support ed by virtually unlimited bud gets for political advertising. In our own time, it is recognized that the true strength of traditional American democracy lies in its representative and necessarily deliberative nature, as envisioned by the Founding Fathers in general and James Madison in particular. In part for that rea son, and in part because of the specific abuses the process allowed to be perpetrated during the Transition Era, as every informed reader of this book will know, I&R is not permit ted to the states by our present Constitution. [2] Actually Louis was being kind; Wattenberg was a well-known right-of-center columnist of the time; the Urban Institute was an African-American-sponsored research and advocacy agency. [3] The Rio Grande then constituted a significant stretch of the border with Mexico. [4] The leading Transition Era Right-Wing Reactionary radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, was Curley Oakwood's role model. [5] "Okie" was the vernacular term applied to per sons from the state of Oklahoma and its region fleeing the collapse of the farm economy there due to a combination of Great Depression"'related farm mortgage foreclosures and a drought of several"'years duration that had produced a condition called the "Dust Bowl." [6] Wilson entered the race for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1995, generated little enthusiasm and less money, and promptly withdrew. (Article changed on Apr 23, 2024 at 2:24 PM EDT) (Article changed on Apr 23, 2024 at 2:50 PM EDT) "We recognize that our staff, particularly our teachers, are the cornerstone of our schools and our most valuable asset." --Citizens of the World Charter School Failed congressional candidate Nick Melvoin promoting Citizens of the World on his LAUSD website (Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA Charter schools not only receive funds from the same sources as LAUSD schools, but they also have access to funding sources that our public schools do not have. For example, during the pandemic, Congress created the Payroll Protection Program as a way to help small businesses get through the crisis but then allowed charter schools to receive this money. While public schools could not take advantage of this program, Citizens of the World Charter Schools received $2,000,000. Many charter schools also have access to donor networks of people who want to do everything possible to ensure that these publicly funded private schools "win" the competition against public schools. If these schools can attract the right benefactors they can provide programs to draw students away from their neighborhood schools. This is especially advantageous when the charter takes space on the public school's campus, creating a culture of the haves and the have-nots and providing a way to recruit students from their "host". The Citizens of the World (CWC) chain of charter schools has proven adept at drawing support from the education privatization movement, particularly from Hollywood. A gala was held last year on the Paramount Studios lot to support these private schools with a guestlist that included actress Kristen Bell and producer Mark Gordon. At one point Bell served on their governing board. However, according to a teacher at one of the chain's franchises, CWC is "not meeting [its] fundraising goals" and "has been undergoing financial strain for many years". This is unsurprising as the chain has been rocked by a series of scandals almost since its founding. This reached a crescendo last year when first-grade teachers at the East San Fernando Valley campus went beyond advocating for innocent citizens in Gaza and made "the disturbing suggestion that Jews should leave the region". Melvoin wrote a letter to Trump's Education Secretary backing additional funding for Citizens of the World (Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA Short on funding, the chain has been balancing the budget on the backs of teachers. According to the employee referenced above, "veteran teachers [at CWC] have been quietly absorbing lower and lower pay compared to other... teachers in LA". The chain's management even admits that a "market analysis showed that [its] teachers, on average, are paid at the 23rd percentile when compared to... competitors." Under the previous pay scale the most experienced teachers stopped getting any increases after ten years of teaching. Under a new scale approved by the chain's board, more tenured teachers will continue receiving raises until their 13th year of teaching. However, this will come at a cost to teachers who have sought to expand their skills. The school will transition "away from a compensation model based on ongoing education credits", a system that was "largely based on LAUSD's". Teachers speaking out against the new pay scale risk their continued employment. Like most charter schools in Los Angeles, employees at Citizens of the World are not unionized, which is why they are so popular with the billionaire class that floods elections with cash in support of candidates who will not put their operations under the microscope of regulators. Considering the charter chain's past actions to silence opposition, firing a meddling teacher seems like a plausible step. Facing a paycheck that does not represent the cost and time of their academic accomplishments, it is likely that these teachers will look for employment at a school where their diplomas are appreciated. This will leave CWC's students with less-educated teachers who have not learned about cutting-edge methods for ensuring academic success. Even before this adjustment in how CWC pays its teachers, the charter chain already showed signs of distress. In the 2022-23 school year none of its franchises achieved the enrollment predicted in their charters with the Mar Vista site having almost half of what was specified. The last time the LAUSD updated the public on overdue PROP-39 overallocation fees, the chain had a past-due balance of $156,453. If using less-prepared teachers further reduces enrollment, these problems will multiply. Is the Charter School Division paying attention or will they once again ignore their responsibility of oversight? Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own. Most readers of the New York Times, not only the true believers but even those who now see it as a CIA mouthpiece, would probably agree that it was a different paper in 1971 when they published the Pentagon Papers (henceforth "PP NYT"), that "epic document," according to their own self-accolade, that exposed "the secrets and lies of the Vietnam War." The biggest secret, however, and what I call "The Second Biggest Lie" (after the Warren Report) of that era is that President Johnson continued Kennedy's Vietnam policy, when in fact he reversed it. There should never have been any controversy about this, but thanks to the NYT and a slew of academic historians who, for the first thirty years, accepted this lie, and then, for the next thirty years, engaged in a furious but spurious debate over facts that were either known (that there was a withdrawal policy under Kennedy and that Johnson reversed it) or unknowable (what JFK's "secret intentions" were and what he would have done if he had not been assassinated), instead of facing the plain facts and their implications, as Franz Schurmann, Peter Dale Scott and Reginald Zelnick did in a perspicacious little book that appeared five years before the Pentagon Papers: ...precisely at a moment when neutralist sentiment was increasing in Saigon and elsewhere, the shift from a moderate to a militant government in Saigon was accompanied by a shift in Washington's declared policy from limited to unlimited support for the Vietnam war. It is important to recall, in this regard, the stated intention of the Kennedy administration, as announced by McNamara and Taylor from the White House on October 2, 1963, which was to withdraw most U.S. forces from South Vietnam by the end of 1965. The first public indication of a change in the U.S. intentions came in a letter from President Johnson to Duong Van Minh at New Year's, 1964, which promised "the fullest measure of support...in achieving victory." The New York Times commented, "By implication, the message erased the previous date for withdrawing the bulk of United States forces from Vietnam by the end of 1965" (NYT, January 2, 1964, p. 7). ...In retrospect, it is hard to deny that, shortly before the [January 1964] coup, the United States had made the crucial decision to reverse the policy, announced during the last days of President Kennedy's administration, of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops from South Vietnam. Was it all a coincidence that a change in leadership in Washington was followed by a change in policy, and a change in policy by a corresponding change in Saigon's government? Administration officials have never yet seen fit to defend publicly this important reversal of policy; thus they have not identified the threat that brought it about. Was it a radical increase in the strength of the opposing forces? As far as we know, none has ever been alleged. Or was it a radical decline in Saigon's will to resist, with a corresponding disposition toward the political proposals of de Gaulle and the NLF [and U Thant of the UN, for a neutral or coalition government in South Vietnam]? One conclusion can be asserted unequivocally: The United States increased its commitment to a prolongation of the Vietnam war at a time when the drift of the Saigon junta and of public opinion was in the direction of negotiations for a neutralized Vietnam. [The Politics of Escalation in Vietnam, 1966, out of print but still accessible at archive.org. Pp. 32-34. My emphasis.] There never should have been a question whether there was a withdrawal policy or whether it was reversed. The important question, then and now (re Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) is why the US feels compelled to wage war everywhere on behalf of "the free world". Schurmann et al. answer this with regard to Vietnam in the words of Robert McNamara: A more explicit official indication of reversal of policy came in the testimony of Secretary McNamara before the Armed Services Committee, on January 27, three days before the [January 1964] coup: The survival of an independent government in South Vietnam is so important to the security of Southeast Asia and to the free world that I can conceive of no alternative other than to take all necessary measures within our capability to prevent a Communist victory. (M. Raskin and B. Fall, The Vietnam Reader, New York, 1965, p. 394). [P. 33. My emphasis.] Substitute "South Vietnam," "Southeast Asia" and "Communist" with terms appropriate to other US wars and you have the answer that applies to all of them: in a word, US imperialism, exceptionalism, neoconservativism - take your pick. All we need to know about JFK's withdrawal policy and LBJ's reversal of it is in the paragraphs cited above. Why, then, has there been so much fuss about it? To answer that question we can start with the main antagonist on one side of this spurious debate, Noam Chomsky, and as it happens, with his very first political essay, "The Responsibility of Intellectuals" (1967). In a footnote to illustrate the kind of research a citizen must undertake "to confront government pronouncements with fact," Chomsky cites this same book by Schurmann et al. to make a point that he would return to many times in later work. He calls it "Orwell's problem" (cf. Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin, and Use, 1986; Manufacturing Consent, 1988): Why do we know so little when there is so much information available? "Orwell's problem" is our problem, Chomsky is saying, if we want to know the truth amidst the barrage of government and media propaganda, reinforced by an educational system that conditions us to accept what respected authorities say as true. How many people knew, in 1966, what Schurmann et al. (and Chomsky?) knew - that LBJ reversed JFK's withdrawal policy? Yes, it was reported in the NYT (see quote). But what political impact did this "news" have? That is the crucial question, as Chomsky, of all people, has always been fully aware. Thus I was puzzled by his reaction to what I thought was obvious - that JFK's withdrawal plan was based on the assumption (rather than the condition, as Chomsky insists) of military success. What I was saying, Chomsky wrote in a letter to me on Jan. 7, 1993 (my letters and summaries of his are here), Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. What is it about Iranian generals when it comes to the U.S. and Israel? While president, Donald Trump (who once implicitly suggested that, were his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton to win the 2016 election campaign, she might be taken out by one of his gun-rights supporters) ordered the drone assassination of Iran's most important general, Qasem Soleimani, as his plane landed in Baghdad, Iraq. That was in January 2020. Recently, the Israelis topped him by killing two key Iranian generals in a missile attack on that country's consulate in Syria. The Iranians responded by sending more than 300 missiles and drones toward Israel in an operation that seemed "designed to fail" (the "only" casualty being a young Arab Bedouin girl). Trump's reaction? He reposted a tweet of his from 2018. It caught the Trumpian spirit of that moment and this one perfectly: "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!" By comparison, Joe Biden, whose record on Gaza has been anything but thrilling, while congratulating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on largely stopping the Iranian attack (with much help from American forces in the region), also urged him to "slow things down and think through" how to respond. More important yet, he reportedly insisted "that the U.S. won't support any Israeli counterattack against Iran." Today, in the first of a series of pieces over the coming months on key foreign policy issues and the 2024 election, TomDispatch regular Bob Dreyfuss considers the two aging men running for president this year and what to make of them when it comes to Iran. Tom Handling -- and Mishandling -- the Iran Nuclear Program Trump Blew Up the Deal, Can Biden Still Fix It? By Bob Dreyfuss One, erratic and often unhinged, blew up the U.S.-Iran accord that was the landmark foreign policy achievement of President Obama's second term. He then ordered the assassination of a top Iranian general visiting Iraq, dramatically raising tensions in the region. The other is a traditional advocate of American exceptionalism, a supporter of the U.S.-Iran agreement who promised to restore it upon taking office, only to ham-handedly bungle the job, while placating Israel. In November, of course, American voters get to choose which of the two they'd trust with handling ongoing explosive tensions with Tehran across a Middle East now in crisis. The war in Gaza has already intensified the danger of an Iran-Israel conflict -- with the recent devastating Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria and the Iranian response of drones and missiles dispatched against Israel only upping the odds. In addition, Iran's "axis of resistance" -- including Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and Syria -- has been challenging American hegemony throughout the Middle East, while drawing lethal U.S. counterstrikes in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. It was President Donald Trump, of course, who condemned the U.S.-Iran agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) while running in 2016. With his team of fervent anti-Iran hawks, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, he took a wrecking ball to relations with Iran. Six years ago, Trump withdrew the United States from the JCPOA and, in what he called a campaign of "maximum pressure," reinstituted, then redoubled political and economic sanctions against Tehran. Characteristically, he maintained a consistently belligerent policy toward the Islamic Republic, threatening its very existence and warning that he could "obliterate" Iran. Joe Biden had been a supporter of the accord, negotiated while he was Obama's vice president. During his 2020 presidential campaign, he promised to rejoin it. In the end, though, he kept Trump's onerous sanctions in place and months of negotiations went nowhere. While he put out feelers to Tehran, crises erupting in 2022 and 2023, including the invasion of Israel by Hamas, placed huge obstacles in the way of tangible progress toward rebooting the JCPOA. Worse yet, still reeling from the collapse of the 2015 agreement and ruled by a hardline government deeply suspicious of Washington, Iran is in no mood to trust another American diplomatic venture. In fact, during the earlier talks, it distinctly overplayed its hand, demanding far more than Biden could conceivably offer. Meanwhile, Iran has accelerated its nuclear research and its potential production facilities, amassing large stockpiles of uranium that, as the Washington Post reports, "could be converted to weapons-grade fuel for at least three bombs in a time frame ranging from a few days to a few weeks." Trump's Anti-Iran Jihad Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). When Caryne Mount lost her job as a sales representative for a sewing machine company in February, the Grants Pass resident promptly filed for unemployment benefits, received two checks, then found herself in limbo. The state switched to a new computer system for processing claims last month and placed her claim in suspense. The Oregon Employment Department then sent her a confusing questionnaire, asking if her job loss was somehow related to spring break. Which I thought was very odd because I wasnt teaching, Mount said. She had taught a community college sewing class a year earlier at Rogue Community College, but that had nothing to do with her layoff. It seems, though, that it is somehow getting in the way of her receiving aid now. So Mount tried to call the employment department for an explanation and got nothing but a busy signal or long waits on hold, listening to terrible Kenny G-like music for up to five hours, only to be disconnected before ever reaching anyone. Accustomed to paying every bill on time, and helping her children with their student loans, Mount said she now finds herself using food stamps to buy oatmeal so she has something to eat. Shes confounded that theres nowhere she can turn for answers. What do you do? Just wait? Mount asked. Who knows how long its going to take? Its been seven weeks since the Oregon Employment Department launched its new computer system, called Frances Online. Unemployed Oregonians like Mount say theyre exasperated and struggling financially. The employment departments leaders say Frances Online is performing fine, technically, and that its paying most claims promptly. Total weekly payments are roughly on par with the what the agency was paying before the new system kicked in. The leaders acknowledge, though, that its not been easy for everyone and that many are frustrated by the communication breakdown. We know that the transition has been difficult for some because they havent been able to get through to us, David Gerstenfeld, the employment departments director, told reporters on a call last week. The Legislature allocated funding last month so the employment department can hire more staff to process claims and answer calls. But the money wont start arriving until the end of June, and Gerstenfeld said the benefits of that hiring wont kick in until the second half of the year, at the earliest. Resurgent problems Oregons $106 million Frances Online system began handling jobless claims March 4. It replaced an obsolete system from the 1990s that hobbled the employment department during the pandemic. Frances Online is designed to be more adaptive and interactive than its predecessor. Gerstenfeld said its performing as expected in that regard and the employment department has been able to quickly make adjustments to fix issues that tripped up claimants in the days after its launch. Thats in contrast to the 1990s-era, mainframe technology Oregon had in place in 2020. That aged system was too rigid to handle the influx of claims that accompanied Covid-19 layoffs and it couldnt adapt to new relief programs Congress established during the pandemic recession. The new technology hasnt solved problems that predated Frances Online, though, notably long hold times and slow claims processing. Those were common issues during the pandemic that resurfaced last year. The employment department blames a falloff in COVID-19 federal funding that triggered a two-thirds reduction in the number of staff processing benefits applications. We havent been able to maintain service workloads. And the public feels that, as do we, Gerstenfeld said. He suggested that the issues people are having with their claims may not be directly related to Frances Online, but that the shift to new technology brought fresh attention to pre-existing problems. Complicating matters, the employment department says it has been doing extra work to scrutinize claims to guard against fraud. Similar issues have affected Paid Leave Oregon, the states new family and medical leave program, which is also administered by the employment department and also uses the Frances Online system. The program experienced long backlogs in process claims after its September launch and questions remain over how quickly it is processing claims now. Last month, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill that will redirect $45 million in funding over the next two years to administering the unemployment insurance program. Gerstenfeld said thats enough to hire 72 more people to answer phones and process claims. Lawmakers initially took up the bill last year, but it died before getting a vote, a victim of a contentious legislative session and Republican walkout. The new bill doesnt take effect until the end of June and even then, the employment department warns it will take time to hire and train the additional staff. It will take several months for that to show significant benefits, Gerstenfeld wrote in a March memo to Gov. Tina Koteks office. Most claims are still being processed quickly. But the agencys cautions to the governors office and to the public suggest that some new claims will continue to encounter delays and the agency wont resolve its communication issues anytime soon. For now, Gerstenfeld said the agency is trying to educate laid-off workers on how to check and update their claims online, without calling in. It hopes that could reduce the backlog on the phones, at least a little bit. And its asking people with questions about their claim to submit just one inquiry, and to give the department a few days to make updates such as address changes. One change not on the table: hiring an ombudsman to advocate for laid-off workers and help them navigate the complex unemployment system. The secretary of states office recommended the department hire an ombudsman in a 2022 audit, noting that other states have such a position and other Oregon agencies do, too. An advocate for claimants could help people who may not be able to advocate for themselves and help identify and document trends or gaps in the claims process (the employment department) could then investigate, monitor, and improve upon, the auditors wrote. The employment department said at the time it agreed with all the auditors findings two years ago. But it hasnt added an ombudsman, and Gerstenfeld said the agency doesnt plan to do so anytime soon. Right now I dont think that is the highest use of our limited funds, Gerstenfeld said. He said the agency already gets good outside feedback from legislators, employers and people seeking assistance. We dont need an ombudsperson to tell us that people want to be able to get through on the phones more easily and that the people whose claims are taking too long want those claims to be addressed more quickly, Gerstenfeld said. At this point we think that it is much more effective to focus our resources on having people answering the phones, processing the claims, doing the adjudication. In messages to Koteks office last month, obtained through a public records request, Gerstenfeld indicated he thought concerns about Frances Online might be overblown. Some media coverage has been quite critical of the roll out. Some of that reporting has significant factual inaccuracies, Gerstenfeld wrote. Additionally, he made the curious assertion that criminal actors might be damaging perceptions of the employment department by reaching out to our agency employees and potentially the media and legislators, something we have seen take place in the past. The employment department declined to specify what media coverage it considers inaccurate. It said it believes thieves are trying to manipulate journalists and lawmakers in an effort to apply pressure on the agency to pay fraudulent claims, though it did not provide any examples of this taking place. The agency said that doing so could invite additional fraud. The employment department enjoys a broad exemption from the states public records laws and has used that exemption, since the pandemic, to shield from view information about how much fraud the agency is encountering and how thats affecting operations. The governors office recognizes there are claimants facing legitimate hardships accessing their unemployment insurance benefits on the new Frances Online system, said Anca Matica, press secretary for Kotek. The governor also believes that there is a threat of fraudsters taking advantage of the new online system. While the employment department awaits more funding, Matica said Kotek and her staff are working with the employment department to ensure its doing everything possible to reduce wait times. That includes exploring what additional funding will be needed to hire more staff to help process complex claims. For the time being, that leaves people like Portland bartender Nicole Powser in a kind of purgatory. She lost her job in November and received jobless benefits intermittently, then lost them completely without explanation. After they rolled over to Frances (Online), I sent a message every single day for, I think, two weeks and I did not get one response, Powser said. She said the interruption in benefits meant she couldnt cover her rent and she had to move out of the apartment she and her son had been sharing. So Powser said she sent her son to stay with a friend, and she resorted to sleeping in her car. Ive never been so broke in my entire life, Powser said. She said the lack of aid clobbered her credit score and cost her a line of credit when she started missing payments. The family is together again, staying in another friends living room, and unemployed benefits resumed at the beginning of the month. But Powser said she doesnt have enough money for a deposit on a new apartment and cant reach the employment department to untangle her benefits issues. How am I supposed to look for a job, she said, when Im on hold with the employment department for five hours every day? Update: This article has been updated with more information about why the employment department believes thieves are pressuring media and lawmakers. -- Mike Rogoway covers Oregon technology and the state economy. Reach him at mrogoway@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Lake Oswego has no good reason to stop the public from swimming, kayaking or just sticking a toe into the waters of its signature lake at a prime downtown park, a jury has found. The Clackamas County Circuit Court jurys advisory ruling shot down all arguments for banning public access at Millennium Park Plaza, where Oswego Lake laps paved stones just off North State Street. But the jury found justified reasons to ban the public from entering the water on the parks adjacent trail, the Headlee Walkway, as well as at the nearby Sundeleaf Plaza. The jurys decision Friday doesnt have the force of law, though. Clackamas County Judge Kathie Steele is expected to take the jurys ruling under advisement and issue her own verdict in the coming months. Most of the lake is surrounded by private residences, except for the downtown plazas and a city-owned residents-only swim park. Nadia Dahab an attorney for kayaker Mark Kramer and swimmer Todd Prager, who first sued the city to gain lake access in 2012 argued during the two-week trial that the city should open up access at the two plazas and along the trail. The waters of Oswego Lake are just like the beaches and the forests and other wilderness areas that we protect for public use, Dahab said in an interview. The city cant restrict access without a good reason. The lawsuit has already traveled up to the Oregon Supreme Court and back without a definitive ruling. Clackamas County Circuit Judge Ann Lininger set the stage for the current advisory trial in 2022, ruling that the states public-access doctrine applied to Oswego Lake, even though the body of water was significantly widened and deepened compared with the original marsh. Lininger was disqualified from the case later that year due to conflict of interest concerns from her days as a state lawmaker, but the ruling stood. The city contends it has plenty of reasons to ban the general public from getting into the water at public access areas including public safety, preventing the spread of invasive species and the specter of lawsuits. The jury wasnt asked about every one of the citys justifications, but did find that the design of Sundeleaf Plaza and Headlee Walkway made banning access reasonable, among other reasons, according to Dahab. Sundeleaf Plaza ends in a seawall, while Headlee Walkway is separated from the shore by a metal fence. Millennium Park, on the other hand, has no barriers between the waterfront and the lake. Lake Oswego Mayor Joe Buck and Lake Oswego Corporation General Manager Jeff Ward both declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. The corporation manages the waterway and is responsible for dredging, flood control and other maintenance. In a statement, city spokesperson Madison Thesing thanked the jury for its consideration. As a community, we value public input in shaping our decisions, Thesing said. We understand the jury had to consider difficult questions and their mixed verdict reflects that. But its likely no one will be splashing off Millennium Park Plaza anytime soon. Dahab expects appeals after Steele eventually rules. Its going to be a while, she said. Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, zsparling@oregonian.com or @pdxzane. Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe. Annie Peeters brand-new husband, Brian Peeters, was rummaging around in a black trash bag looking for his pajamas when Peeters sister, trying to sleep on the bunk bed above them, spoke. Time to be quiet, you guys, Jessi Blanco said to the couple. Annie Peeters recalled this moment, days later, with a laugh. That night in the bunk bed was her wedding night, after all. The Peeters couple was supposed to spend last Thursday and Friday nights in Timberline Lodges bridal suite a gorgeous room with a fireplace, king-size bed and a view of Mount Jefferson. They had traveled to Oregon from their home in Coeur DAlene, Idaho. The first night, Thursday, was derailed when the historic hotels roof caught on fire as the couple hung out in a hot tub with their friends. They noticed embers falling and Annie Peeters then still Annie Blanco got out to check where they were coming from and saw the fire. The couple ran to their room and grabbed whatever they could, including clothes that Brian Peeters stuffed into a black garbage bag. Without stopping to change out of their wet swimming suits they made their way across the parking lot to their car and drove, ending up at the Best Western in Government Camp. At that point, it was unclear if the wedding would still happen at all. The ceremony was supposed to take place at the Silcox Hut, about 1,000 feet higher than the main lodge, accessible by foot or by snowcat. Annie Peeters texted throughout the evening with the huts manager, hoping to find out as soon as possible if the wedding was still on. Annie and Brian Peeters got married at the Silcox Hut, on Mount Hood, Friday, April 19. A fire at Timberline Lodge disrupted, but did not derail, their plans.Jessica Roman Photography The manager called around 8:15 a.m. the following morning, Friday, to say the wedding could proceed, but only because Annie Peeters and several bridesmaids had transported her dress and the flowers, cake, decorations, food and alcohol the previous day hours before the fire. Groups of attendees took turns riding the snowcat up to the Silcox Hut, and the ceremony went off without a hitch around 5:30 p.m., as planned. Maybe it was their hot love that actually started that fire! the bridesmaid said, adjusting her speech to accommodate the circumstances. The rest of the night went as wedding nights do, with the newlyweds partying late into the evening with the friends and family that had flown in from around the country. The new plan was for everyone to stay the night at the Silcox Hut Timberline Lodge was still closed because of the fire. That meant about two dozen people had to sleep in bunk beds, including the newlyweds. And because of limited space, Annie and Brian Peeters had to share a room, separated from a hall by curtains, with Annie Peeters sister. Jessi Blanco resisted. Im not sleeping in your bunk bed with you guys, she said, Peeters recalled. Yes, you need a bed, Peeters said. Where else are you going to sleep? When they were turning in around 1:30 a.m., Brian Peeters was trying to find his pajamas in the bag that he had stuffed with clothes before evacuating Timberline Lodge the prior night. Hes rummaging through a black garbage bag, being a little loud and clunky, and shes like, Okay, you guys, Peeters recalled. We were laughing about the garbage bag. The couple is now back home in Coeur DAlene, Idaho. Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news and enterprise reporter with a focus on crime. Reach him at 971-373-2905; fzarkhin@oregonian. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. In the early hours of Jan. 14, the city was at a frozen standstill amid an ongoing ice and snow storm. And for nearly two and a half hours, Matthew Lee Holland, a 31-year-old energy trader jacked on methamphetamine, had been intermittently firing rounds from an AR-15 rifle through the walls of his downtown Portland apartment into neighboring units. Inside the luxury Portland Astoria apartment tower, members of the Portland Police Bureaus Special Emergency Reaction Team were wheeling a heavy-duty shield down a dead-end hallway on the eighth floor, taking cover behind it as they attempted to evacuate neighbors theyd been unable to reach earlier amid the gunfire blowing through the walls of unit 804. Across the street, officers Josh Howery and Seth Wingfield had taken up position in room 1030 of the Marriott Downtown Waterfront. Patio doors open, they were surveilling the building with a rifle scope, binoculars and bare eyes. Their job was to convey information to the team inside the building and, if necessary, shoot the suspect through the window of his apartment. Just before 3 a.m., Howery did. Last month, a Multnomah County grand jury determined that Howery, a 23-year police veteran, acted legally in the fatal shooting. No one else was injured in the incident. Transcripts from the grand jury proceeding, conducted over three days in mid-March, provide the first detailed look inside the police response, the subsequent investigation and testimony from close friends who interacted with Holland hours before the incident. Minutes before Howery shot Holland, a woman carrying her 2-year-old daughter had bolted from unit 808 after a shot ripped through the walls of her studio apartment, adjacent to Hollands unit, the transcripts reveal. Police hustled them to safety. More shots followed. Howery and Wingfield had seen the muzzle flashes. Police Bureau policy allows officers to fire through windows. They locked in on Hollands apartment. Video games, strange mumbling An energy trader at Avangrid Renewables in Portland, Holland had formerly worked in operations at Vestas, the Danish wind turbine manufacturer that maintains its U.S. headquarters in Portland, according to his social media profiles. He went to South Medford High School, and police said he had no criminal history. His former girlfriend, Rose Nguyen, told the grand jury that they had broken up a year ago, but still maintained a close friendship, communicated regularly and had scheduled a trip together starting Jan. 15, a day after the shooting. She said Holland had a history of sleep problems and had struggled with undiagnosed depression, which was a factor in his being fired from a previous job. For the past year and a half, he has been doing really well, she said. Nguyen testified that she knew Holland had firearms in the apartment, but that he had always been taught to keep them unloaded, in a safe place. In the three years they lived together, she said she was never afraid. She also said she was unaware of Holland ever using meth or other hard drugs. Two of Hollands friends, Brandon Andrews and Kyle King, testified that in the hours leading up to the shooting, the three of them were on the video gaming service Discord. It includes a chat feature. Andrews told the grand jury he had known Holland since sophomore year of high school and considered him one of his two best friends, whom he talked or messaged with almost daily. But he said King had messaged him earlier in the day that he was getting weird messages from Holland. On their chat that evening, Andrews said he had the impression that Holland was having issues with the game, perhaps being scammed by another user. But as their conversation continued, Andrews said he noticed Holland was muttering to himself, or having an argument with someone. When asked who he was talking to, Holland insisted he was addressing the two of them. The mumbling was definitely odd for Matthew, Andrews said. Hes a very good speaker and, like, he doesnt use foul language and he very rarely mumbles. Hes very decisive on the words that he uses. So I felt that the mumbling part of him responding to someone in the room, that part was odd, yes. King clocked off the chat after dinnertime, Andrews said, but he remained online with Holland until sometime between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. He, too, said he had never known Holland to consume drugs like meth. Shots fired The first reports of shots fired at the Astoria came from the woman in unit 808, who is unidentified in the transcripts. She said she heard a shot at around 12:18 a.m. The walls shook, and she picked up her phone to dial 911. Another shot fired. And then my daughter screamed, she testified. Patrol Officer Cody Kuntz was the first to arrive at the Astoria. He waited for backup, and a team of seven or eight officers then took the elevator to the eighth floor, turned left and looked down a long hallway. There was no sign of a disturbance until Kuntz got to unit 804, about halfway down the hallway. He noticed a series of holes punched through the drywall a little below chest level, obvious gunshots. I immediately started pushing my partners out of the way to get them back towards the way which we came, he testified. As they gathered at the other end of the hallway to develop a plan, they heard what sounded like an argument and more gunfire erupted into the hallway, exactly in the spot theyd been standing. About two minutes later, we hear a loud five, four, three, two, one, pop, pop, pop. Another three shots right into the exact roughly the exact same spot, Kuntz said. A little bit longer period of time goes on. Then we hear two to three more shots. And we hear a I heard, I can only speak for myself, a very distinctly different voice, more feminine say, help. Several of the patrol officers heard it. They held their position, yelled for the gunman to come out, unarmed, with his hands up, but they heard no response. Sgt. James Townley, a 15-year police veteran and part of the team called in to replace the patrol officers, told the grand jury that this is about as bad as it gets. Youre talking about aperson in a high-rise complex in an apartment armed with a firearm whos using this firearm and the possibility that theres somebody else in there that needs to be saved. Tactically, the SERT team was in a standoff when they arrived at 1:30 a.m. They werent in touch with Holland to de-escalate the situation. Officers couldnt move to knock down the apartment door or evacuate other residents until they had in place a shield strong enough to withstand rifle bullets. And they had no idea what other residents were even home. Other than the woman in unit 808, there had been no other calls to 911. Townley needed the rifle shield. He asked the bomb squad to bring robots to the eighth floor, and the aerial reconnaissance team to get some drones up. And he needed officers outside the building with the ability to look in through the windows of this apartment to get them more information. With the ice storm, everything took time. Hollands only response to another police command to surrender was another burst of gunfire. With the rifle shield in place, the team began evacuations of units 803, 809 and 811, in some cases forcibly breaching the doors with a halligan bar. Meanwhile, across the street, Howery and Wingfield were looking for a vantage point at the Marriott. They initially moved to a room on the hotels eighth floor, but quickly realized they couldnt see the portion of the L-shaped building where the shooting was taking place. At 2:29 a.m., they moved to room 1030. Zulu In unit 808, the woman and her 2-year-old were sheltering in place. There was a pause in the shooting. Her daughter thought it was over. Then Holland started shooting again, she testified. The police called again and told her she had to get ready to move. The mother and child moved to the bathroom, near the front door and got dressed. Her daughter grabbed her backpack. A toy inside rattled. When I heard her move I was like, oh, my God, shes a moving target, the woman told the grand jury. And within that moment, the bullet came through our apartment. They grabbed what they could and ran out the door and to the police at the end of the hall. It was 2:44 a.m., and Howery and Wingfield had seen the muzzle flashes and identified Hollands apartment. From the Marriott, Howery said he could see through the well-lit main room of the apartment to the door that any police team would have to come through. As he was watching, he testified, the blinds shifted and he could see a man holding a rifle pointed at the door. It appeared to me that he was setting up an ambush for our entry team who had been coming down the hall, Howery testified, and that he was ready for them to come in and then to try and shoot at them. As Wingfield was communicating that information up the chain of command, Howery took the first of two shots. He thought he saw Holland shudder, but he stayed upright. He fired again. Holland went down, with a bullet wound through the right side of his back. Zulu, came the radio report from Howery and Wingfields position, a code indicating that officers have fired shots. Inside the Astoria, the entry team breached Hollands door. They found him lying on the floor, his hand on top of the rifle. He was put on a stretcher and brought to the lobby where medics treated him, but he died at the scene. Later toxicology reports showed he had high levels of methamphetamine in his blood. A person can overdose on meth if their blood contains concentrations of the substance over 100 nanograms per milliliter, Ariel Viramontes, a deputy state medical examiner and forensic pathologist told the grand jury. And this guy had over 2,000 in his system, Viramontes said. In addition to the AR-15, police recovered two other rifles, a shotgun, a .22-caliber handgun and ammunition at the scene. They found 16 spent cartridge casings in the apartment but no other person. It was never clear, according to the transcripts, whether police identified who yelled for help. Ted Sickinger is a reporter on the investigations team. Reach him at 503-221-8505, tsickinger@oregonian.com or @tedsickinger Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Hillsboro police said they arrested a kidnapping suspect Monday after a doorbell camera captured a man grabbing a woman and carrying her to his car. The woman, screaming Please help me, pounded on the door of a Hillsboro home near Southeast 32nd Avenue and East Main Street on Sunday night. JUST IN: Suspect charged with KIDNAPPING after doorbell camera caught terrified woman 'crying for help;' 'please help me! Please help me!' Hillsboro police announced today that they identified the suspect and victim by early April 23, following a report received on Monday 'The pic.twitter.com/LzJ42jQqgN Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) April 23, 2024 Police soon identified the suspect and made an arrest. The woman is safe, police said. The suspect and victim knew each other and this was not a random attack, Hillsboro police said in a statement. There is no danger to the public. The suspect, whose name hasnt been released, faces a likely kidnapping charge, police said. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive A Happy Valley woman is accused of leading a money laundering cell that hid nearly $100 million in drug proceeds for a drug trafficking organization. Enhua Fang, 37, is the first of five defendants named in a six-count indictment out of federal court in North Carolina, charged with conspiracy to launder money, conceal money laundering, engage in transactions involving derived property and aiding and abetting in those crimes. Fang was arrested in Oregon on April 18. She appeared in federal court in Portland Tuesday afternoon with Assistant Federal Public Defender Ryan Costello. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo ordered Fang to remain in custody and transferred to North Carolina for prosecution after prosecutors urged her continued detention. The indictment is sealed but the governments motion to keep Fang in jail lays out the allegations from a 2022 multi-agency investigation. Though money laundering isnt a charge that typically calls for detention, the scope, scale and volume of Fangs alleged crimes warrants that she remain in jail, according to Melanie L. Alsworth, acting assistant deputy chief of the U.S. Department of Justices Narcotics and Dangerous Drug section. The defendant was central to the organizations money laundering mechanism, Alsworth wrote in the motion. Fang was hiding in the shadows while calling the shots, Alworth wrote in the motion. Fang is accused of operating one of the most active cells and allegedly was the first point of contact for Mexican drug trafficking groups, according to Alsworth. She would coordinate with U.S.-based drug traffickers and dispatch couriers to pick up hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug money and make bank deposits, Alsworth wrote. Between May 2022 and January 2024, investigators tracked 1,149 cash deposits completed by the couriers that exceeded $92 million, Alsworth wrote. The couriers deposited money in accounts registered in the names of shell companies controlled by the illicit organization, the motion alleges. The money was then laundered further through cryptocurrency and other bank accounts, Alsworth wrote. Fang, for example, was intercepted on a federal wiretap on June 1, 2022, arranging to pick up money from a drug trafficker in North Carolina to pay a source of supply in Mexico, Alsworth wrote. The drug trafficker called and asked to make an appointment and she responded that she would text the serial, according to the motion. The trafficker texted Fang a long code, which was the serial number to a dollar bill used for verification purposes. Fang was told the deposit was 100 and was sent an address for a meet-up, the motion says. Shortly afterward, the trafficker texted Fang a different deposit amount, 110, and sent a different address and a courier sent by Fang picked up $110,000 in cash, the motion says. Cash pickups typically ranged from $100,000 to as much as $300,000, Alsworth wrote. The operation used encrypted messages, fake drivers licenses and different communication channels to avoid detection, according to the motion. From May to September 2022, for example, the groups couriers operating under Fangs direction made at least 102 bulk cash deposits totaling about $17 million into the account of a shell company called Kowloon Holding Inc., according to the motion. The deposits were made in banks in about 20 different states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to Alsworth. With Fang facing a lengthy prison sentence if convicted, shell have an incentive to flee to China, her home country, which does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, Alsworth wrote in the motion. Fang also would have access to high-quality, false ID documents that the money laundering operation is alleged to have used, Alsworth argued. While Fang didnt use false ID, she took other steps to try to conceal her identity, the prosecutor wrote, including using multiple cellphones and changing SIM cards and phone numbers. Investigators seized bank records, security footage from banks and conducted physical surveillance of the money pickups and cash deposits, the motion said. Fang has lived in the United States since March 2021 and is classified as a legal permanent resident. But her immediate family remains in China and can provide an easy safe haven for her should she decide to leave the country, the prosecutor argued in court papers. She spent about five weeks in China last fall, according to federal court documents. Within 15 months of her move to the United States, she was active in the alleged money laundering scheme, according to Alsworth. Shes lived in Oregon and New York and has no legitimate job, the prosecutor wrote to the court. -- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, or on LinkedIn. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. A Vancouver police officer who pressed a Taser against a theft suspects exposed genitals and threatened to Tase him was found not guilty of the fourth-degree assault charge Clark County prosecutors filed against her last year. Officer Andrea Mendoza, 39, will remain on administrative leave as the Vancouver Police Departments internal investigation resumes now that the trial is over, the department said Monday. Wellspent Market, the corner store that grew out of Jim Dixons specialty foods importer Real Good Foods, is moving its lovingly curated selection of olive oils, vinegars, vermouths and more to a new home on Southeast Division, the market announced over the weekend. The new building at Southeast Division and 34th Avenue first opened more than 100 years ago as Jos. T Harris Grocery, a general store, then spent 82 years as a printer, most recently Anders Printing, according to Wellspent co-owner Noah Cable. City records say the building dates to 1909. What a great opportunity, Cable said by phone Monday. The space needed some love, but we just said, Yeah man, lets do it. Its going to be really great for Wellspent. Besides a chance to move to Divisions restaurant row, part of the appeal was the space itself, Cable said. Initial renovations have uncovered gorgeous fir floors and a soaring ceiling overhead and a rich history, including that green grocer past. Plus, it sits right next to Lauretta Jeans, the destination pie shop from Cables wife, baker Kate McMillan. As the story goes, Jim Dixon and his wife, Judith, started Real Good Food in 1999 after tasting some extra virgin olive oil on a trip to Italy, then deciding to give importing a whirl once they got home to Portland. My real motivation was to have an endless supply for myself, Dixon told me back in 2019. Some of the new products at Real Good Food's first storefront include extra virgin olive oil from Italy, cedar barrel-aged tamari from Japan and tinned fish from Portugal.Michael Russell | The Oregonian That was the year Dixon, Cable and son Joe Dixon left behind Real Good Foods unmarked storage space and opened their first storefront at Northeast Couch Street and 10th Avenue, offering lovingly selected items from around the world alongside vermouth on tap at a small bar in the corner. Its still the place to come for Zabs hot sauce, Dukes mayo, Italian olive oil, Portuguese sardines, good beans and other things you didnt know your pantry needed, but now cant live without. Fans of Fulamingo fear not: The Japanese store-within-a-store from married partners Kana Hinohara Hanson and Erik Hanson will bring its snacks and sake to Southeast Portland with Wellspent. Same goes for the produce from Wild Roots farm, the homewares from Davis Co. and HeyDay and the seeds and zines from Lane Selman of the Culinary Breeding Network. Theres no parking lot at the new location, so Wellspent will have to get a little more creative with its outdoor events. Cable is already dreaming up ways to host Tomato Fest and other celebrations in collaboration with new neighbors Lauretta Jeans, Little Beast Brewing and Alpenrausch, a new restaurant with a big patio from the Olympia Provisions team, just across the road. Were bringing the space back to its original glory, Cable said. I think thats rad. Wellspent hopes to open in its new space, 3402 S.E. Division St., as soon as June 1. Ballet moms from NW Dance Project and other regulars at the original location, 935 N.E. Couch St., should watch for a moving sale around Memorial Day weekend. Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com EUGENE Oregon dropped in both college softball polls after winning a series with Oregon State. The Ducks (26-16, 12-8 Pac-12) are No. 23 with 95 points in the USA Softball poll and No. 24 with 100 points in the NFCA poll after taking two of three from the Beavers. Thats down from last week when UO was tied at No. 20 with 103 points and No. 22 with 117 points, respectively. Portland Public Schools is likely to have about 210 fewer employees, about 100 of whom work directly with students, if the school board approves the budget plan Interim Superintendent Sandy Husk outlined Monday. That represents about 3% of the districts full-time workforce. After several years of playing budget chicken floating big cuts then paring back after public protest and backfilling with federal funds and reserves Portland is just one of a number of school districts around Oregon say they will have no choice this year but to follow through. Husk will detail specifics of plans to make about $30 million in cost-saving measures for the 2024-2025 school year at a special meeting of the school board on Wednesday night. That will be followed by several weeks of community feedback and a final budget vote in June. Husks plan to cut roughly 210 jobs doesnt translate to precisely that many layoff notices. About 44 of the 110 central-office funded jobs slated for elimination are unfilled positions, left vacant by attrition, according to a letter that Husk sent to district employees last week. Some of those jobs are held by people who are based out of district headquarters but spend most of their time in different school buildings. Other changes are aimed at streamlining the highest-paid administrative positions, including eliminating both deputy superintendent roles. At a press conference on Monday, Husk said she could not yet specify how many of the school-based cuts would be cushioned by attrition. But she acknowledged that average class sizes will probably inch up, school libraries may run on reduced hours, schools are likely to have fewer custodians on staff and some teachers may need to hunt for jobs in other buildings. This is going to feel a lot tighter and a lot harder than what we have seen in the past, Husk said Monday. Teachers and other affected staff are gearing up to push back. Ahead of Wednesdays school board meeting, groups of employees that face cutbacks plan rallies, including librarian assistants, special education support service providers and preschool art instructors. The coming school-based cuts of about 100 people are more difficult to parse in the aggregate. But they show up in the second volume of Husks proposed budget, which provides line items for spending and staffing in each school and compares staffing in the current year to the proposals for next year. Take Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary School in Northeast Portland, for example. The school is losing five staff slots next year, including one classroom teacher, two special education teachers and a number of classified staff, like instructional aides, though some are slated to work reduced hours but keep their jobs. George Middle School, in North Portland, will have four fewer staff members, including two subject matter educators and one special education teacher. Franklin High in Southeast Portland will have 13 fewer staff members, including seven fewer teachers. Husk said the financial crunch is driven by the same factors that have hampered school budgets statewide: declining enrollment, rising costs and an end to federal pandemic aid. Portland Public Schools is spending down its reserve funds to help cushion the district against making even more cuts. Other school districts dont have even that cushion to rely upon. In Salem-Keizer, the states second largest school district, superintendent Andrea Castaneda recently outlined plans for $40 million in proposed budget cuts, including about 400 positions, 231 of them educators, on top of $30 million in cuts announced earlier in the year. The Tigard-Tualatin school district says it will have about 45 fewer licensed teachers in the district next year, and 15 fewer support staff members, like educational assistants and paraeducators, for a total savings of $7.4 million, though the district says 85% of those losses will be absorbed by leaving positions open. Two of the metro areas other largest districts, Beaverton and Hillsboro, have yet to announce their budget plans for the 2024-2025 school year, though Hillsboros superintendent will do so this week. A spokesperson for the Beaverton School District said that it is not preparing for major cuts or layoffs, in part because preliminary plans call for drawing down its reserves. Julia Silverman covers education policy and schools for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She can be reached via email at jsilverman@oregonian.com or by phone at 503-221-4305. Follow her on X.com at @jrlsilverman. Portlands Gregory Gourdet has become a nationally known culinary figure, with a resume including awards, his own cookbook, and his restaurant, Kann, being honored by, among others, the James Beard Foundation, which named it Americas best new restaurant. Part of Gourdets visibility also comes from his many appearances on TV and streaming cooking shows, most notably his impressive run on two season of Bravos Top Chef, finishing as a finalist in Season 17, and as the runner-up on Season 12. Gourdet also made several appearances during the Top Chef season that filmed in and around Portland. Recently, Gourdet returned to Top Chef territory, appearing as a guest with Kristen Kish in The Dish With Kish, a Top Chef companion digital series that streams on Peacock. Kish, herself a Top Chef winner, took over hosting duties for the series this season, following in the footsteps of former host Padma Lakshmi. Like Last Chance Kitchen, where head judge Tom Colicchio gives Top Chef eliminated contestants the opportunity to cook their way back onto the show, The Dish With Kish doesnt air on Bravo, but streams on Peacock. The weekly series features Kish with guest chefs who prepare dishes inspired by Top Chef challenges. In the most recent episode, Kish introduced one of our most celebrated Top Chef alums, and proceeded to jump into Gourdets arms for a warm hug. Were actually really good friends, Kish said, explaining that there are many Top Chef alums that we are very well acquainted with, but there are a handful that are like family, and thats him. Gourdet was there to prepare a dish that related to that weeks Top Chef episode, and a Quickfire challenge that asked the chefs, who are in Wisconsin this season, to make dishes derived from sauces featured in a cookbook by Carson Gulley. Between 1953 and 1962, Gulley and his wife hosted a weekly cooking show on local TV, making them the first Black couple to host their own cooking TV series. The winner of that Quickfire challenge was Charly Pierre, who, like Gourdet, has Haitian family roots. Pierres winning dish featured a Creole sauce. Unfortunately, Pierre didnt fare as well in the elimination challenge, and Kish told him to pack his knives and go. Kish noted that, during his time competing on Top Chef, Gourdet had shown a special talent for making sauces. We make tons of sauces at my restaurant and my bar, Gourdet said. And they all add something very significant to the dishes that they highlight. For The Dish With Kish, Gourdet said, I wanted to make you the Haitian version of Creole sauce. Its usually a sauce that was traditionally made to accompany seafood, so were going to deal with some shrimp today. Kish joined Gourdet, as she joked, They may have put nice clothes on me, but shes still just a cook. At one point, Kish asked Gourdet if he would ever compete on Top Chef again. One more time, Gourdet said. Would you really? Kish said. One more, Gourdet said. Ive got one more season in me. Ill be, like, 60, but itll be great. Kish also asked Gourdet about the Top Chef judges. Who are you most scared of, out of Tom, Gail and Padma? Tom, Gourdet said. Tom just, hes like the stone face, you know. Hes very hard to read. I was scared by Gail the most, Kish said, referring to longtime judge Gail Simmons. Top Chef airs at 9 p.m. Wednesdays on Bravo. No cable? You can stream Top Chef on Fubo, which offers a free trial; and also on Sling TV. Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe When Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi was just 22 years old, she courageously challenged the incarceration of herself and her fellow Japanese American citizens in concentration camps during World War II. She refused an offer of early release and remained in a camp so that her petition for habeas corpus could be heard by the federal courts. Her sacrifice was not in vain: On Dec. 18, 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Ex parte Endo, holding unanimously that loyal Japanese Americans could not be imprisoned without cause. Endo played a significant role in the closing of the concentration camps and the return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast in 1945 and 1946. A letter writer objected to a Doonesbury strip that depicts Donald Trump comparing himself to Jesus Christ. The writer claims that the strip is an offense to all Christians, (Comic strip crossed the line, April 14). Not all Christians. What I find outrageous is Trump himself making the same comparison. The letter writers outrage is misdirected. A former Yakima police officer wanted in two killings died in Oregon of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a 25-mile high-speed chase with police ended in a crash along Interstate 5; his 1-year-old son was found safe in the backseat, authorities said Tuesday afternoon. Police had issued an Amber Alert on Monday night and said they were searching for Elias Huizar, 39, who was suspected of heading to Mexico with his young son after killing his ex-wife and another woman in West Richland, Washington. The second woman was the 17-year-old mother of the 1-year-old boy, authorities later confirmed. Oregon troopers were monitoring southbound traffic on I-5 just south of Oregon 34 around 3 p.m. when they spotted Huizars silver Toyota Corolla and chased him, state police spokesperson Capt. Kyle Kennedy said during a briefing. At one point, a dispatcher reported: The driver is on the phone with us saying he does have the baby in the car. A collision involving another motorist occurred, Kennedy said, without specifying precisely who was involved, and Huizar lost control of his sedan about 12 miles down the interstate near the Diamond Hill Road exit. At that point, Huizar and the pursuing troopers exchanged gunfire, but no one was hurt, Kennedy said. One of the troopers who fired was the state police superintendent, Casey Codding, who happened to be driving south on the freeway at the time the incident unfolded. Codding previously served on the agencys tactical team and was its commander. The preliminary investigation suggests that Huizar fired at police first, Kennedy said. He did not know the type of weapon Huizar used. This is literally courage under fire, Kennedy said. The chase -- exceeding 100 mph at times -- continued for another 10 miles, where Huizar crashed into a stopped commercial motor vehicle south of Coburg and careened into the median and got stuck, Kennedy said. Huizar turned the gun on himself as troopers approached and was declared dead at the scene, he said. The boy was rescued and is being cared for by Oregon authorities, Kennedy said. The child was secured in a car seat when police reached Huizars car, he said. The boy is doing well, Kennedy said. All day, our thoughts had been how to rescue this young boy from a very, very dangerous situation, Kennedy said. Thats been the focus of our efforts. And were thankful for the outcome that occurred. Huizar is believed to have had the 1-year-old child with a 17-year-old girl, who lived with him as of early this year, court records show. West Richland is part of Washingtons Tri-Cities area of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco. The statewide Amber Alert was issued around 11 p.m. Monday after West Richland police responded to a shooting outside Wiley Elementary School earlier that day. Officers found Amber Rodriguez, 31, Huizars ex-wife and the mother of their two sons, shot eight times near the school bus parking lot, according to a probable cause statement filed in Benton County Superior Court in Washington. Investigators went to Huizars home and found a second victim. West Richland police identified her Wednesday as Angelica Santos, 17, and said she was the mother of the 1-year-old boy. Huizars ex-wife had recently obtained a protection order against him, authorities said. The former couples 9-year-old son told officers that he observed his father, Elias Huizar, shoot his mother, the court documents say. Rodriguez worked at the school, while Huizar had recently worked as a substitute teacher in the Richland School District, the district confirmed in a Facebook post Tuesday. According to court filings earlier this year, Huizar met the girl as a school resource officer in Yakima. She was 11 when they met and 15 when he impregnated her, his ex-wife wrote in seeking a protection order against him. The Yakima Police Department said in a Facebook post that Huizar left the department in 2021 after receiving discipline. It did not provide any other information. In February, the teen reported to police that Huizar sexually assaulted a 16-year-old friend, who had passed out at their house. Huizar was charged with rape of both the teen and her friend. He was out on bail pending trial, authorities said. Rodriguez wrote in her petition for a protection order that her divorce from Huizar became final last year and she had not been aware that he was having a relationship with the same teen he had met as a resource officer until he was charged with rape. She said she feared for the safety of her children, and said she would be seeking a modification of their parenting plan. She filed for the modification last Friday, court records show. The protection order was issued in February and was to remain in effect for a year; under it, he was barred from possessing firearms. The Richland School District said it terminated Huizars employment following his arrest in February. It said it had received recommendations from the Yakima School District before hiring him in 2022, and that he had passed background checks. We are extremely disheartened that information about Mr. Huizars past was not disclosed to us through the various processes we have in place to vet RSD candidates for employment, the district said. It is the expectation for individuals who apply for employment with RSD to be forthcoming and truthful in their applications. In Oregon, a clerk at a convenience store on Hayden Island on the border with Washington reported seeing Huizar around 1 a.m. Tuesday, according to Portland police spokesperson Mike Benner. Huizar stopped to buy a drink around 12:45 a.m., and the clerk also spotted a small child in the backseat of his car, according to Benner. Officers canvassed the area but didnt find any sign of Huizar or his car by the time they arrived. Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, zsparling@oregonian.com or @pdxzane. -- Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on criminal justice. Reach her at 503-276-7184; ncrombie@oregonian.com. -- The Associated Press Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe. The Oregonian/OregonLive has updated its searchable database of beneficiaries of the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System, adding nearly 6,000 beneficiaries who retired last year and another 628 who retired in the first two months of 2024. The database is now available to all readers. (Click here to go to the database). The newsroom has maintained the database since 2011, when the pension system reached a settlement with The Oregonian/OregonLive and the Salem Statesman Journal to release the names and monthly benefits of what were then 110,000 beneficiaries. The database now includes the names of 146,062 individuals receiving retirement benefits. The data includes each beneficiarys length of service; the retirement formula their benefit calculation was based on; the monthly and annual equivalent benefit; and how that compares to their final salary. It does not include beneficiaries who received lump sum payments or spouses or other relatives of public employees who are receiving a survivor benefit. Pensions for beneficiaries who retired in 2023 ranged from about $1,100 annually to more than $200,000, with a median of $23,873, according to a newsroom analysis. The median benefit for 2023 retirees with 30 or more years, which PERS defines as a career employee, was $54,635 annually. The median benefit for all beneficiaries in the updated database is $29,989 annually, the newsroom found. For career employees, the median benefit is $61,306. Read our most recent coverage about the class of 2023 beneficiaries here or visit our database here to look up retirees by name. - - Ted Sickinger is a reporter on the investigations team. Reach him at 503-221-8505, tsickinger@oregonian.com or @tedsickinger - Senior data specialist Mark Friesen contributed to this report - Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Updated: This story was updated at 11:08 a.m. Tuesday to include statements and information from a University of North Texas professor. Andrea Miller, dean of the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, will become the next dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, according to an email from Senior Vice President and Provost Andre-Denis G. Wright Tuesday. Miller will also hold the Sue Rainbolt Van Natta Chair in Journalism. She will officially join the university on July 15. Latest news videos Miller beat out four other candidates: Mike Boettcher, a nationally distinguished veteran network news correspondent and OU journalism professor; David Perlmutter, Texas Tech University professor and former dean of its journalism college; Emily Metzgar, Kent State Universitys School of Media and Journalism director; and Avery Holton, chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. "Dr. Miller brings a wealth of experience to OU, marked by her unwavering dedication to nurturing the next generation, and we are thrilled to welcome here to the OU community," the email from Wright read. Miller succeeds former Dean Ed Kelley, who retired after serving roughly eight years in the role. When Kelley announced his intent to step down in March 2023, Kelley cited a need for younger leadership in the college. Should Gaylord College an institution devoted to serving the needs of a constantly changing, 24/7 media environment that soon will be dominated by Generation Z be overseen by a white-haired dean who is 70 years old? I think not, Kelley wrote in the letter announcing his departure from the university. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Andrea Miller to @GaylordCollege.Dr. Miller brings a wealth of news production and leadership experience to a critical position within our community. We are eager to see her impact on OU and Gaylord College. https://t.co/IWPKpqCefB Joseph Harroz, Jr. (@OU_President) April 23, 2024 Miller joined the University of North Texas in 2019 and recently was reappointed to another five-year term. She previously worked as a broadcast journalist starting in 1990 at KAMU-TV, at WFAA-TV in 1993 and then KTVT-TV in 1994, where she later became a producer, according to a news release from the university sent before she visited campus in March. Miller received the Dallas Press Club Katie Award in 1993, an Associated Press Spot News Award in 1992 and an Emmy in 1996. She wrote a book about the medias response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. She previously worked at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University, serving as a professor and associate dean for undergraduate studies. There, she taught courses in crisis communications, broadcast news and multimedia reporting. When she visited campus Miller said her first three priorities as dean will be to build relationships with students, faculty and staff and the Board of Visitors, reading and responding to the findings and recommendations of the external consultant who visited campus this month and evaluating the colleges strategic plan to begin building fundraising opportunities. One of the hallmarks of the Gaylord College dean search requirements was a prospective hire to have extensive plans and experience in fundraising for the college, building relationships with donors and alumni and advocate for the college on a state or national level, a need Miller said during her campus visit she could fulfill. Miller said during her visit that she wants to create a successful funding environment in the college. Miller managed a $10 million endowment at the Mayborn School of Journalism and raised about $1.3 million in additional money to aid students and faculty there. Miller said one of her goals for fundraising would be to develop relationships with alumni who are passionate and excited about the college to find avenues to match those needs. Miller also said she wants to capitalize on Gaylord Colleges 25th anniversary in 2026 to push a fundraising campaign. Miller also presented the idea of a grant incentive program for faculty. We must create a successful funding environment, Miller said. That is key to everything that we want to do here in Gaylord and is more and more important as the years go by. Miller said during her public forum that she sees opportunity to expand interdisciplinary studies to include things like an accelerated law program. Miller also said, in line with the universitys strategic plan, she wants to create an associate dean of research, adding to the already existing one associate dean and one assistant dean on faculty at Gaylord. We can imagine what that looks like in a number of different ways, but that person would execute the grant incentive program, Miller said. That person would work on partnerships across campus, flag grants that we can apply for and maybe we add and strategic initiatives to the title to again, think about ways that we can further our reputation and grow our research. Another suggestion Miller made for the college was to house all Gaylord College sponsored student media organizations under one umbrella. This would include Gaylord News, Gaylord Hall Productions, OU Nightly and others. OU Daily is independent from the university and from the college and therefore would not be included. Miller said one of her staples as a dean is student interaction, which she currently does at Mayborn School of Journalism through doughnuts with the dean events, and she will want to continue those efforts here. Relationships with the students are key because it helps you gauge the pulse of whats going on, Miller said. It helps promote that family atmosphere that you all are famous for. Gaylord College is a family, a dysfunctional one, Kelley told OU Daily ahead of his retirement. Gaylord Colleges dysfunctional family reared its head in February 2020 when former professor Peter Gade used a racial slur in his journalism capstone class. Gade stepped down from teaching the class a few days later. In 2022, Imran Hasnat, a Gaylord College assistant professor, was charged and later convicted of making lewd proposals to a child under 16. Nearly half of Gaylord College female faculty and staff signed a letter sent to the college and university leadership detailing an alleged hostile work environment and culture of discrimination, nepotism, violation of policies and secrecy within the college in September, OU Daily reported last week. Five faculty and staff members met with OU Daily to discuss their experiences of a toxic workplace in Gaylord College, detailing instances of pay inequity, hostility and harassment, as well as dismissed Title IX and Equal Opportunity Complaints. Interim Dean David Craig invited an external consultant and self-described Dispute Doctor to campus, Moira Kelly, after he received the letter and heard of allegations in the college. Kelly visited campus in March and will have her reports done by May 1, she told OU Daily. Miller said during her forum that she aims to create a positive work environment in Gaylord College, something she says begins with getting to know everyone and what they wish to do. Miller said a deanship starts with mutual respect and admiration, figuring out where a new dean would fit in the preexisting college collective. A deanship is not about me, Miller said. Its about putting the needs of the college above self, and then doing everything that I can to make sure that that is successful, that we are all successful. Miller held an emergency meeting with Mayborn School of Journalism faculty and staff Tuesday morning to announce her impending departure. Tracy Everbach, a print and digital journalism professor at the University of North Texas, told OU Daily Tuesday that Miller told faculty and staff that the Gaylord College dean position wasnt a job she was searching for but was approached and asked to apply for the position. Everbach said Miller was interested in the job due to the proximity and she knows several members of faculty in Gaylord College. Miller had already notified UNTs provost and dean of the universitys College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. I don't think anybody was surprised, because we knew she was a finalist, Everbach said. We knew that she was a really good candidate and that she would be a very strong candidate for this job. We just knew she would be a strong candidate because of her excellent reputation and because of her professional and academic experience. So I don't think that we were surprised because we knew that she had a good chance of getting the job. Everbach said Miller has been a good dean, expanding the colleges programs and helping manage grants and fundraising efforts. Everbach said Miller was responsible from shoring up names for the colleges advisory board and has been a good face for the college, building important relationships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. There have been quite a few things that she's done that we're going to miss when she's not here. Everbach said. I think (students) are going to enjoy having her as (their) dean. She's really smart and a person with a lot of leadership qualities. So I think she'll get along really well with the students. She works really hard for the students and wants the best for them. Miller will be the first female dean of the college since its founding in 2001. Charles Self was hired in 2001 as Gaylords founding dean when the H.H. Herbert School of Journalism was elevated to college status following a $22 million gift by the Gaylord family. The family owned The Oklahoman since before statehood until it sold The Oklahoma Publishing Company in 2011. At the time he was hired, Self held a doctorate, was an associate dean of liberal arts and a journalism professor at Texas A&M University and national president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication. He served in the role through summer 2005, before stepping aside to return to teaching. Self was succeeded by Joe Foote, who also held a doctorate, and had returned to OU in 2004 after serving as director of Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and previously as the founding dean of Southern Illinois Universitys College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. He stepped down as Gaylords dean to return to teaching in summer 2015. Foote was succeeded by Kelley, who served in an interim capacity before being named dean in March 2016 as selected by former OU President David Boren. Kelley, who holds a bachelors degree but not a masters or doctorate, had previously led news organizations such as the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, The Washington Times and The Oklahoman, where he worked for decades and was named National Press Foundation Editor of the Year in 1996 after shepherding his staff through the coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing. Gaylord College was one of three active academic dean searches on OUs Norman campus this year, as OUs College of Law dean and OUs Honors College dean positions are yet to be filled as of Tuesday. OU currently has more open academic dean positions than its collegiate peers. As the semester winds down, OU is poised to have five, pending Millers appointment at the June regents meeting, of its 16 Norman deans to be interim or acting leaders of their colleges. OUs Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, David L. Boren College of International Studies and College of Professional and Continuing Studies have open dean positions as of Tuesday. OUs University College, which has an interim dean now, is being reorganized under the Office of the Provost and will no longer be a college in the coming academic year. Of OUs 16 Norman Campus deans, four, not counting Miller, are women. OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. told OU Daily in a sit-down interview this month that the university is going to reexamine and reset its strategic plan. A portion of that strategic plan incorporates a sense of belonging and goals for diversity, equity and inclusion. In December, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order calling for a formal review of all DEI programs and services in higher education. OU has since renamed its Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to the Division of Access and Opportunity, and its offices in Copeland Hall are empty and closed currently. With her experience at UNT, Miller is familiar with recent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programming and services as Texas Senate Bill 17 banned diversity programs in public universities in the state. That law doesnt affect who we are. It doesnt affect what we value. It doesnt affect what we believe, Miller said of the Texas law. We know, we believe in having diverse faculty and diverse students in classes with us, walking side by side with us, at the table with us, having a voice. That is important. Gaylord College has 35 full-time faculty members and 16 full-time staff members in the spring 2024 semester, Craig told OU Daily in an email. Of the 35 faculty members found on Gaylords website, about 17 of them are women. Gaylords website shows 19 full-time staff members and, of those listed, about 12 are women. Read more about Gaylord College: Marshal Farmer, a broadcast journalism senior from the University of North Texas, and Ismael Lele contributed to this reporting. This story was edited by Peggy Dodd, Anusha Fathepure and Ismael Lele. 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 Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Independent UN experts have expressed concern over the role airlines and aviation authorities could have in the unlawful removal of asylum seekers from the United Kingdom to Rwanda under an agreement between the two governments and the proposed Safety of Rwanda bill A disastrous turn of circumstances unfolded during a child's birthday party when a car smashed into a building at a boat club in Michigan, leading to the death of two kids, as reported by authorities. Two Siblings Die During Birthday Party The circumstances happened around 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, when a vehicle crashed with the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township, coming to a stop 25 feet inside the structure where the birthday party was being held, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Police verified that two young children, aged five and eight, died at the scene. It remains unclear if the party was intended for either of these children. Emergency services attended to 13 added victims, consisting of both adults and kids, with three kids and six adults afterward transferred to local hospitals with serious wounds. The identities of the casualties have not been revealed. Authorities declared that a 66-year-old female, whose name was not disclosed, was driving the car. She has been taken into police detention on doubt of driving under the influence, leading to an accident. The sheriff's office determined that further charges are possible as the inspection advances. Detailing the outcome as "extremely chaotic," first responders worked ardently at the location. The investigation into the accident remains ongoing. In response to the disaster, Swan Boat Club declared on Facebook that it would be shut for the remainder of the weekend due to the "terrible accident" that happened on Saturday, leading to "numerous injuries and significant damage to the pavilion." The venue requested prayers for all those affected by the incident. Read Also : Astrologer Mom Troubled by the Solar Eclipse Throws Her Two Kids onto LA Freeway, Killing Infant Female Driver Crashes Car Into Child's Birthday Party A Michigan prosecutor declared on Monday that investigators need more time to gain data before deciding charges in the disastrous passing of two young kids, who were murdered by a supposed drunk driver at a child's birthday party over the weekend. Monroe County prosecutor Jeff Yorkey mentioned in a brief statement that they anticipate deciding on charges by Tuesday. Yorkey conveys gratitude for the public's patience, highlighting the significance of having all the required data before making such an important finding. The circumstances happened when a 66-year-old female drove into the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, leading to the death of 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her 5-year-old brother, Zayn Phillips, at a birthday event attended by both kids and adults. The disaster unfolded about 30 miles south of Detroit. Their mother and another sibling were among the nine individuals injured, who were subsequently taken to hospitals, as reported by the Flat Rock school district and a crowdfunding page established to support the family. On Monday, the sheriff's office disclosed that five people remained in critical or serious condition. The authorities did not specify the honoree of the birthday party. A bar where the driver allegedly consumed alcohol was temporarily closed but reopened on Sunday. Counseling services were made available at Flat Rock schools on Monday to assist students and staff in coping with the distressing event. Superintendent Andrew Brodie conveyed condolences and acknowledged the profound sorrow and grief being experienced by those affected. In Alabama, a distressing incident unfolded as a daycare van carrying elementary students veered off the road, resulting in the hospitalization of at least seven children and one adult. The vehicle's trajectory led to a collision with a tree just outside Pinson, occurring around 7:30 a.m., as confirmed by Center Point Fire District Chief Brandon Dahlen in a statement on Monday, April 22. The van was en route to Kermit Johnson Elementary School when the accident occurred. Alabama Daycare Van Incident Dahlen recounted the arrival of first responders, who found the van severely damaged from its head-on collision with the tree. While the children's injuries were fortunately minor, Dahlen noted the driver's extraction from the vehicle was necessitated due to severe injuries. The students, representing two Jefferson County elementary schools, were promptly transported to Children's of Alabama in Birmingham for medical attention, while the driver received treatment at the Trauma Center of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dahlen mentioned that the count of injured children could potentially reach eight, highlighting the uncertainty due to conflicting reports. Post-incident, multiple agencies joined forces with the Center Point Fire Department, including the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Palmerdale and Glennwood fire districts, and Regional Paramedic Ambulance Service (RPS). The Alabama Trauma Communication Center (ATCC) played a crucial role in coordinating patient care, as detailed by Dahlen. Firefighters initially reported that six children were injured in the incident. However, officials from the Trauma Unit at Children's of Alabama later confirmed that the actual number of injured children was eight. All eight children were transported to the Children's of Alabama, where they received medical attention for minor injuries, as confirmed by Center Point Fire officials. By 3:45 p.m., all the children had been discharged from the hospital. The van involved in the accident belonged to Carson Village Daycare. Following the incident, a notification was sent out to the families of Kermit Johnson Elementary School on Monday morning. Pinson Van Accident Confirms Multiple Children Injured The van involved in the crash was operated by Carson Village Daycare and was designated for transporting children to Kermit Johnson Elementary School. Jefferson County Schools verified that the students affected by the accident were from Kermit Johnson Elementary School (grades 3rd-5th) and Pinson Elementary School (grades K-2nd). Following the incident, parents of children attending Jefferson County elementary schools received a notification. The automated message conveyed that a few children had sustained minor injuries but were expected to recover. It also informed recipients that the children had been taken to the hospital for assessment, soliciting community support through thoughts and prayers. Additionally, parents received an email update regarding the accident, which included the following statement: "All the parents have been made aware of the situation, but I wanted to let our Johnson family know also. Please keep these students and their families in your thoughts and prayers." The specific cause of the crash remains undisclosed. Chris Horn, Battalion Chief with Center Point Fire District, explained that the driver veered off the roadway to the right before colliding with a tree. However, as of Monday afternoon, there have been no further updates regarding the condition of the children or the driver. [originally uploaded on 18 April 2002] [Truth Wherever it is Found, Ignorance, and Invincible Ignorance] *** Please Hit Subscribe! If you have received benefit from this or any of my other 4,500+ articles, please follow this blog by signing up (w your email address) on the sidebar to the right, above where there is an icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure, and (however little!) more income for my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading! *** I have consistently maintained that anti-Catholic polemicists who fight against the Catholic Church and claim that it is not Christian (and usually that Catholics can only be good Christians to the extent that they reject the errors of Rome) are themselves fellow Christians, based on how Vatican II and the Catholic Church has defined that word (possessing a valid trinitarian baptism and belief in the Apostles or Nicene Creed). Someone objected to this, saying that its like calling the United States a Christian nation. That is not so because a nation cannot believe in the Creed or get baptized. This is a broad sociological characterization, like saying that Saudi Arabia is a Muslim nation (theyre much more Muslim than we are Christian, no doubt). My definition of Christian is specifically doctrinal and sacramental. Anti-Catholics (broadly speaking) accept the creed, and have been baptized. Theyre simply very lousy, hypocritical Christians. How they behave is beside the doctrinal, definitional point. If a whoring murderer can still be a pope, these persons can be Christians. The state of their soul is ultimately Gods judgment. In all likelihood, I would suspect that many anti-Catholics are out of Gods graces, whatever one calls them, and that is the bottom line. But when we start implying that they are deliberately serving the devil, as if they dont believe in Jesus and the Resurrection, and salvation by grace, etc., then we go too far. The wolves-in-sheeps clothing metaphor based on the Bible applies to those who are pretending to be something they are not. Anti-Catholic Protestants are Christians, and they are not pretending to be Catholics. The pretense (where present) would be a lack of sincerity. Heresy applies to individual errors. Protestants (like Orthodox) are a bit of a special case. Luther is a heretic on any number of things, but he is a separated brother too, in virtue of his baptism and adherence to the Creed. In his case, he is also close to the Catholic Church in many ways, such as the Immaculate Conception and baptismal regeneration and disagreement with contraception. Would that most Protestants today could be as Catholic as Luther in those respects. The obstacle of invincible ignorance is very large and sweeping indeed (and it grows as general ignorance of the faith and lack of theological education grows). Invincible ignorance, it seems to me, increases as ignorance, period, increases. I dont see that this proposition is arguable. One would have to maintain that people today are more educated in theological matters than in, say. the 19th century. The growth of invincible ignorance follows straightforwardly from the principle To whom much is given, much is required. Therefore, to whom less is given, less is required. Gods grace has to bring people to a place where they are interested in faith, religion, and spirituality at all. There are a host of reasons why people dont seek to learn more about the faith, and that gets back to the psychological complexity of spirituality and conversion. They may have been shunned by a Catholic or a church unjustly, or been raised by a severely hypocritical Catholic. They may have had a whole childhood of anti-Catholic brainwashing. They may have been raised with no particular instruction in Christianity (or enthusiasm) about it at all, as I was. I couldnt care less about Christian doctrine till I was almost 19. They may have God forbid been sexually abused by a priest. God takes all this into account. As He uses us to share His message and exhibit His love, the lack of that will cause people to not follow God as well. Most of us converts needed people to help us along in our journey, by example. My brother was that person in my evangelical conversion, and my current best friend for my Catholic conversion. But what if they hadnt been there, and my life had been different? I might have converted much later, or not at all. I believe all these factors (and a hundred more) figure into invincible ignorance and culpability. Some seem to think these matters are very simple; I think they are extremely complex, at least subjectively. Among those who are already motivated to seek out spiritual truth, which involves all the other cultural, educational, familial, psychological factors already mentioned, surely there would be less invincible ignorance. If people who have some religious curiosity can figure out how to click a mouse and use the Internet, then they are probably more culpable, because they will know more. My own ecumenism hasnt had the slightest deleterious effect on my determination to share the truth that we have the fullness of truth and Christianity in the Catholic Church. And this is true of the vast majority of apologists who are also ecumenists (being orthodox Catholics and acquainted with Vatican II). I dont see the traditionalists who despise ecumenism doing much apologetics. I do see them expending oodles of energy running down the Church and (their inane title) neo-Catholics though. There is no contradiction between ecumenism and apologetics at all because they deal with different things: one looks for common ground and rejoices in it; the other seeks out falsehood and vigilantly opposes it wherever it is found, and defends true doctrine. Every Catholic is called to recognize both complementary truths. One Protestant who was considering converting to Catholicism, wrote about some of these factors on Steve Rays Catholic Message Board (April 09, 2002 at 12:51:18): I am a Protestant who is on the verge of deciding to join the Catholic Church . . . It really takes a lot for someone like myself who was raised in a committed Evangelical home to see the truths of Catholicism, and it doesnt come overnight. So, you see [ecumenism] can pay off for the Church. Especially when done in a loving and patient way by an orthodox Catholic . . . if Catholicism had been presented to me in a hell and brimstone, Bible-thumping way it would have turned me off. I know you are going to say something about grace is necessary for conversion, which I agree with 100%. But I will say that a graceful presentation of the Churchs teachings helps a lot as well. I certainly am not going to take the fire and brimstone approach in discussing the Catholic Church with my wife and family it would led to division, not conversion . . . I dont think the traditionalists have been successful in helping win near as many converts from Protestantism . . . If you want to attack false ecumenicalism, go after the liberal Catholics who dont believe what the Church teaches in the first place. They are the ones watering down the teachings of the Church, not just to Catholics, but to Protestants as well. The contention that ecumenism by its very nature, or by logical outcome, runs counter to the impulse for seeking the conversion of Protestants or any other non-Catholics, is manifestly false. Only false ecumenism and liberal indifferentism leads to that undesirable result, which is why there is no such thing as a liberal Catholic apologist, let alone evangelist. Thats an oxymoron. Vatican II and the sort of ecumenism that I espouse has been at the forefront of the great apologetics revival and remarkable wave of conversions in our own time. If this critique is correct (i.e., that there is a disjunction between ecumenism and apologetics/evangelism and efforts to convert people to Catholicism), we would expect to see a correlation between acceptance of ecumenism and decrease of efforts to convert Protestants. We see precisely the opposite in the obvious control group where we can support or disprove this thesis: Catholic evangelists and apologists: whose very goal and purpose as a calling is to facilitate conversions and strengthen existing Catholics. And the revival we are currently in coincides with John Paul IIs pontificate and post-dates Vatican II, which stressed ecumenism so highly. We should be out there vigorously trying to convert Protestants regardless of where we come down on their metaphysical or spiritual status or the state of their souls. We can argue about that all day or we can simply go out and try to convert them. Christianity is ultimately a very practical, concrete, incarnational religion, not one of philosophical abstracts and metaphysical speculation, to the exclusion of action and orthopraxis. The whole salvation outside the Church discussion becomes, in a large sense, an abstraction after a while, much like the predestination debate. We simply dont know who will be saved, whether looking at it from the angle of predestination, free will, or the discussion about precisely how non-Catholics fit into the picture. I assert both complementary truths. I believe in the presence of much invincible ignorance. But practically speaking it has no effect on my behavior, as critics of ecumenism claim such a view should. I go out and argue just as vigorously with Protestants, as if I believed that they were all damned, being outside the Church. Culpability is an individual matter, as it always has been. The teaching is clear, and anyone in the Church who is lax in their duty of teaching against error will be accountable to God (James 3:1). I think of that verse often, because I am myself in a position to teach many. The abstractions dont matter as much as what we do with what we know. It reminds me of the wrangling over works and justification/sanctification. Good Christians on both sides believe that the Christian in good standing does many good works. Fine, so let us both go out and do them and cease the endless discussions over how they precisely fit into our fine-tuned theology. We know that Jesus asks what we did when we stand before Him, and on that both sides can heartily agree: it is good to feed the poor, clothe the naked, tend to the sick and the orphan, etc. Likewise, whatever we believe here, we know we have to preach the fullness and necessity of the Catholic Church for salvation. The Church has stressed often that authentic ecumenism is not indifferentism. The Catholic cant pick and choose what Catholic teachings they will emphasize and which they will chuck (including entire ecumenical councils). We must interpret them in their totality and complementarity. I strongly disagree with the Catholic opinion that all or most anti-Catholics are deliberately following Satan and what they themselves believe to be lies. I think that is psychologically naive and absurdly simplistic. They are heretics according to wherever they deviate from Catholic teaching. But the subjective culpability is far more complex. I believe in accordance with the teaching of Vatican II and constant Catholic Tradition that one is always in a better place spiritually being a Catholic. We dont know eternal destinies, but we know this for sure, so we seek that result. It is necessary for any non-Catholic to follow truth according to the lights given them, and we are commanded to evangelize and teach our faith. That is the bottom line. The presence of widespread ignorance should make a good Catholic work to alleviate the ignorance, not accept it passively in resignation and stop trying to persuade others. Some Catholics claim that anti-Catholic agitators and polemicists are the false brothers who are slipped into the Church by the devil. Jesus speaks of false prophets in Mt 7:15-20. Im not sure that would apply to other Christians. On the face of it, I think He meant absolutely deceptive persons who are utter pretenders, just as a false Messiah, if he wasnt the Messiah, was a deceiver, because people followed him wrongly. I think this would apply far more to the child-molesting priest than to anti-Catholic Protestants. In Acts 20:29 Paul talks about savage wolves who will come in among you. Anti-Catholics obviously have not come in among us. Quite the contrary. They oppose us, without a pretense of being among us. It is contended by some Catholics that anti-Catholics are serving Satan. Jesus spoke this way about the most obdurate Pharisees, but even then, He condemned them according to their opposition to truth (and He knew their hearts, of course. He would have known if there was not a single one of them of the assembled group who was not a hypocrite, when He was calling them vipers and whitewashed tombs). He spoke quite differently to the open-minded, humble individuals among them (e.g., Nicodemus). Likewise, we cant say all anti-Catholics are serving Satan. They believe many lies, but they also believe many truths. So what do we say: if the lies they teach comprise 51% of their teaching, then they are serving the devil? So that if they change their mind on one and now the proportion of truth is 51%, they are back in the kingdom of light again? As for calling anti-Catholic brothers (in Christ), I would point out that Jesus, while excoriating the seven churches in Revelation, still called them churches. They were legitimate, despite all. A church is comprised of real Christians. In fact, Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for opposing false apostles (Rev 2:2), yet rebukes them for abandoning their earlier love, and says they are in danger of losing their lampstand (Rev 2:4-5). He rebukes Pergamum because, although they hold fast His name (Rev 2:13), they allow the teaching of Balaam (2:14). It is a radically mixed bag. Jesus and Paul even acknowledge the authority of Jewish leaders who arent Christians at all. Jesus says to follow the Pharisees teaching but not their example, and refers to the seat of Moses. Paul says to the high priest (not knowing who he was), God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! Yet when he is informed of his identity, he backs down (Acts 23:1-5). This being the case, I say that by analogy it is possible to speak of one as a brother in Christ and a Christian in a bare-bones, minimalist sense, all the while vigorously opposing their heresies wherever found. It is no contradiction, and it has plenty of biblical precedent. For example, Paul starts off his first letter to the Corinthians with glowing words not suggesting at all that he doesnt regard Corinth as a legitimate church. He calls them the church of God (1 Cor 1:2), uses the phrases God our Father (1:3), thanks God for the grace given them (1:4), says that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge . . . so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift (1:5,7), says that Jesus will sustain them to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1:7-8), and notes that they were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1:9). He calls them brethren (1:10). This is no different from my saying your brother in Christ, to anti-Catholic Christians. Then Paul starts in, lambasting and excoriating them: 1) His rebuke concerning their divisiveness (1 Cor 3:1-4; cf. 1:10-17) seems to be directed at the group as a whole, not just a few. 2) The incest spoken of in 5:1-2 was of one man, yet the whole body is rebuked for not having mourned that, and for failing to remove the incorrigible sinner. 3) Likewise concerning bringing lawsuits into the secular arena. Paul says, . . . Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to decide between one believer and another . . .? (1 Cor 6:5). 4) Likewise with divisions and abuses of the Lords Supper ( . . . each of you . . . 1 Cor 11:21). This is a general rebuke, directed towards practically all the members, not a dissenting minority. 5) Finally, in 2 Cor 11:4, Paul speaks of the church as a whole being prone to chasing after false teachers. This leads him into his famous boasting discourse. He is touting his own qualifications as an Apostle so that they wont go running after false apostles and deceivers, and will keep to the true path (2 Cor 12:20-21). Its the same thing with the Galatians. He addresses them as the churches of Galatia (Gal 1:2) and sends them grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ (1:3) and mentions our God and Father (1:4). He calls them brethren in Gal 1:11, 3:15, 4:12, 28, 31, 5:11, 13, 6:1, 18 no less than nine times. Yet what else does he say to his Christian brethren?: 1) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. (Gal 1:6) 2) You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? . . . Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing? . . . (Gal 3:1, 3-4) 3) Now . . . that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? . . . I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted. (Gal 4:9, 11) 4) Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? . . . I am perplexed about you. (Gal 4:16, 20) 5) For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. . . . You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. (Gal 5:1-2, 4) 6) You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? (Gal 5:7) Now, if these not-all-that-commendable-or-praiseworthy folks can be Pauls brothers and fellow Christians, and a true church, how is it that any Catholic can deny that characteristic to anti-Catholic Protestant Christians? Have they allowed incest in their ranks (as with the Corinthians)? Even orthodox Catholic bishops have wickedly allowed child molestation to go on. Yet by logical extension Paul would not deny that they are brethren. Have anti-Catholics turned to a different gospel? No, not when gospel is defined as the apostles defined it (as I have demonstrated elsewhere). This outlook all goes back to the historic Catholic teaching that the Church (over against Donatism, Montanism, and other rigorist sects now continued in spirit by SSPX, sedevacantists, schismatic-minded, uncharitable traditionalists and their ilk) has sinners and hypocrites in it, because it is institutional and visible, and given the low estate of fallen humanity. We converts have a bit more empathy, having often been in anti-Catholics shoes ourselves. I was never anti-Catholic myself, but I know what I knew and didnt know in my evangelical period, and I know I was following God with perfect sincerity, according to what I knew. Once I learned some other things, I was quickly converted, in less than a years time. There are thousands of non-Catholic Christians like that, including anti-Catholics. They have to overcome a ton of false information to convert. I had less to overcome than most, because I hadnt been brainwashed; hence the rapidity of my journey. And if they can do that, then surely grace had been working in them for some time. And if that is true, they were not serving Satan or deliberately resisting what they know to be true (not even, I believe, most anti-Catholics). No, they were among those of whom Fulton Sheen spoke: There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church which is quite a different thing. Ive yet to meet an anti-Catholic who properly understands what it is they are attacking. That goes all the way back to Luther. I agree with Fulton Sheen. Anti-Catholics dont know that the Catholic Church is the Bride of Christ, as Sheen says. They sincerely believe a falsehood, in ignorance. That is my point, and it is a very simple one. And simply being told truth cannot quickly or easily overcome mountains of prejudices, dispositions, biases, false paradigms and worldviews, truckloads of individual lies told about the Church, a vigorous and systematic opposing view which appears altogether plausible to them, emotions, family, background, culture, oftentimes hostile spouses, possible loss of jobs or resultant persecution, etc. People with this baggage cannot yet hear the truth. Conversion is extraordinarily complex psychologically. I know a little about that because I have undergone many conversions in my own life (e.g., besides Catholicism, to evangelicalism, to pro-life, to sexual traditionalism, to creationism, to political conservatism), and I also have a minor in psychology and a major in sociology (not worth much, but they offer some slight insight into human behavior). I wasnt fortunate enough to be born into the fullness of Catholic truth. I had to work to arrive at every major truth I came to espouse. To acknowledge invincible or otherwise significant ignorance, therefore, is to acknowledge psychological and sinful (and biblical) reality. I dont recall Vatican II saying that Protestants are separated brethren except when they are anti-Catholic. I am following the Bible and Vatican II and other official Church documents. Anti-Catholics may intellectually know what Catholic doctrines are. But they have in most cases of virulent anti-Catholicism extraordinary obstacles to overcome in order to come to a place where they really, truly believe Catholic truth is true, and yet reject it, like Satan would have rejected God, knowing full well that he had no legitimate grounds to do so. In other words, the interior, psychological, subjective dimension is supremely important to consider. Karl Adam, in his classic, The Spirit of Catholicism, wrote: From the purely theological standpoint,.the only possible conclusion regarding all heretics and schismatics, Jews and pagans, is that judgment of condemnation which the Council of Florence [1438-1445] pronounced upon them[p.181].It is thus, from this purely theological standpoint, that we are to understand the sharp anathemas pronounced by the Church against all heretics and schismaticsIn these pronouncements the Church is not deciding the good or bad faith of the individual heretic. Still less is she sitting in judgment on his ultimate fate. The immediate purport of her condemnation is that these heretics represent and proclaim ideas antagonistic to the Church. When ideas are in conflict, when truth is fighting against error, and revelation against human ingenuity, then there can be no compromise and no indulgence.Dogmatic intolerance is therefore a moral duty, a duty to the infinite truth and to truthfulness. But so soon as it is a question, not of the conflict between idea and idea, but of living men, of our judgment on this or that non-Catholic, then the theologian becomes a psychologist, the dogmatist a pastor of souls. He draws attention to the fact that the living man is very rarely the embodiment of an idea, that the conceptual world and mentality of the individual are so multifarious and complicated, that he cannot be reduced to a single formula. In other words the heretic, the Jew and the pagan seldom exist [p.182] in a pure state..Therefore the Church expressly distinguishes between formal and material heretics. A formal heretic rejects the Church and its teaching absolutely and with full deliberation; a material heretic rejects the Church from lack of knowledge, being influenced by false prejudice or by an anti-Catholic upbringing. St. Augustine [354-430] forbids us to blame a man for being a heretic because he was born of heretical parents, provided that he does not with obstinate self-assurance shut out all better knowledge, but seeks the truth simply and loyally (Ep. 43,1,1). Whenever the Church has such honest enquirers before her, she remembers that our Lord condemned Pharisaism but not the individual Pharisee, that He held deep and loving intercourse with Nicodemus, and allowed Himself to be invited by Simon The religion of the medieval man embraced his whole life and outlookSo that every revolt against the Catholic faith seemed to him to be a moral crime, a sort of murder of the soul and of God, an offence more heinous than parricide. And his outlook was logical rather than psychological. He rejoiced in the perception of truth, but he had little appreciation of the living conditions of soul by which this perception is reached.In dealing with the living man we have to take account not only of the logical force of truth, but also of the particular quality of the mental and spiritual endowment with which he reacts to the truth. Because they were not alive to the infinite variety of such spiritual endowment, they were all too ready, especially when truth was impugned, to conclude at once that it was a case of evil will (mala fides) and to pass sentence of condemnation, even though there were insuperable intellectual obstacles (ignorantia invincibilis) in the way of the perception of the truth. This pre-eminently logical attitude of mind is characteristic of the Middle Ages. That epoch had no feeling for life as a flowing thing with its own peculiar laws, no appreciation of history, whether within us or without us. . . . The theologian has by means of psychological and historical studies attained a wider understanding and become increasingly cautious in attributing an evil will to the heretic. He has become more alive to the thousand possibilities of invincible and therefore excusable error. Wherefore the Churchs claim to be the Church of salvation by no means excludes a loving and sympathetic appreciation of the subjective conditions and circumstances under which heresy has arisen. Nor is her condemnation of a heresy always at the same time a condemnation of the individual heretic[p.185] So that the non-Catholic of good will is already fundamentally united to the Church. It is only that he sees her not. Yet she is there, invisible and mysterious. And the more he grows in faith and in love, the more plainly will she become actually visible to him..And it is because we believe that very many non-Catholics are already thus invisibly united with the Church, that we do not abandon [p.186] our conviction that this invisible union will one day be made visible in all its beauty. The more consciously and completely we all of us exhibit the spirit of Christ, the more certainly will that hour of grace approach, when the veils will fall from all eyes, when we shall put away all prejudice and misunderstanding and bitterness, when we shall once again as of old extend to one another the hand of brotherhood, when there shall be one God, one Christ, one shepherd and one flock. The Church is much slower to make the charge of evil will (mala fides) than it used to be, and that is a very good thing. This is a very positive development of ecumenical understanding. When Paul ceases calling the Corinthians and the Galatians brethren and being charitable (while strongly rebuking them), then I will as well. As that isnt likely (he being dead), the task of the person who claims that anti-Catholics arent Christians is to explain these writings of Paul, and to show how anti-Catholics are in an essentially different category than people who are allowing incest or the teachings of Balaam, following a different gospel, losing their first love, etc. If we cease being charitable, we show ourselves the same as they are in that respect. Let them hate us if they must (and I have been falsely accused of hatred myself, by some of them). I will not return the hatred. Part of charity is believing the best of someone, and hoping all things (1 Cor 13:7). That applies to anti-Catholics, as to anyone else. And that is why I keep trying to reconcile with them. Seventy times seven. At the same time, I dont give any quarter at all, as to their false doctrines. So why should anyone object to simply calling them brothers in Christ? The word Christian is used repeatedly in the Decree on Ecumenism, in a sense obviously wider than being merely a synonym of Catholic. I presuppose the authority of the Council and its teaching in my analysis (and also that of papal encyclicals). For example, in Ut Unum Sint, the pope writes in the Introduction: . . . besides the doctrinal differences needing to be resolved, Christians cannot underestimate the burden of long-standing misgivings inherited from the past, and of mutual misunderstandings and prejudices. Complacency, indifference and insufficient knowledge of one another often make this situation worse. Note the use of the word Christian, and that there are problems beyond just doctrine, including prejudices and so forth, which we must not underestimate. In section 42, the Holy Father refers to a certain aggressiveness or a spirit of vengeance and says that people of good will: . . . have not been able to transform every situation where brutal conflict rages. In such circumstances those committed to ecumenism are often required to make choices which are truly heroic. It needs to be reaffirmed in this regard that acknowledging our brotherhood is not the consequence of a large-hearted philanthropy or a vague family spirit. It is rooted in recognition of the oneness of Baptism and the subsequent duty to glorify God in his work. And in section 66: . . . the Decree [on Ecumenism] observes that the ecumenical movement and the desire for peace with the Catholic Church have not yet taken root everywhere [sec. 19]. These circumstances notwithstanding, the Council calls for dialogue. A fellow Catholic apologist stated that my position might be inconsistent with 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. I replied that the main thing in the passage that (arguably, often) applies to anti-Catholics is the reviler or slanderer label (cf. also 1 Cor 6:10) . I agree that it is possible and quite plausible grounds for questioning the Christian status of many anti-Catholics, on the moral basis established in this passage and others, as opposed to the strictly doctrinal. Anti-Catholics think Catholics are idolaters. Thats enough for them to separate from us, using this same passage. If we are too quick to make these judgments, we become in some ways the very thing that we (at least speaking for myself, anyway) despise in anti-Catholics. I have always tried to give people the most benefit of the doubt possible, in charity, and in understanding of the extreme complexity of human psychology, because I think this is scriptural (1 Cor 13:7), and not an optional thing at all. Its rarely applied in real life, but what else is new? No one ever said Christianity was easy or intuitive to human nature. As Ringo Starr sang, It Dont Come Easy. In fact, yet another example of Pauls approach is shown in the immediate context of the contrary proof text of 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. For in 1 Corinthians 5:3-5 Paul urges the church to hand the incestuous man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved . . . This is an example of penance, or church discipline. What is interesting, however, is that Paul reverses this penance in 2 Corinthians 2:6-11, in what might be called an indulgence (I used this dual example as just that, in my book, A Biblical Defense of Catholicism). Objectively, many if not most anti-Catholics have lied and slandered about the Catholic Church and Catholics. There can be no doubt about that. But as for subjective culpability that gets right back to all the influences on them that cause them to act as they do towards Catholics in the first place. And they have also been provoked (made to stumble? see Rom 14:13-15,19,21) by Catholic apologists. There are many condescending hit pieces done about Anti-Catholics in Catholic websites and magazines, where their internal states of mind and heart and motives are pilloried. Sadly, many Catholic apologists slander and lie about anti-Catholics or their beliefs as well. We frequently say bad things about them. And some of these lies are the charges that they are serving Satan, or are insincere, or demon-possessed, or not Christians. Most anti-Catholics are not monsters; they are not evil through and through. They have been hurt and have gone through bad experiences like we all have. And that causes them to do dumb and stupid things in reaction (again, something we are all quite familiar with in ourselves). The language of 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 is obviously applying to those who are absolutely unrepentant and inveterate sinners, characterized beyond a doubt by the vices mentioned. But what would happen if we applied it with absolute strictness? Sexually immoral persons. Where does one draw the line on that? I think many, many Christians (if were honest with ourselves and others) struggle with lust and impurity fairly often. We do it repeatedly. Presumably we repent, but we keep doing it. Jesus made lust almost the immoral equivalent of adultery. Does that mean we are in this category, and so should stop being associated with by other Christians? The greedy? I dont want to get started with a critique of the gross materialism of America and many who seem to be more capitalist and/or pragmatist than Christian. Christians of all stripes are shot-through with that failing. How do we determine who is greedy, and how often is that ever done in Catholic (or other Christian) circles? Virtually never. Were much more likely to cater to the rich and because we can get something out of them (James 2:1-10). When was the last time any of us heard an admonition to a rich young ruler to give up all their riches, which have become their idol? My point is that a Puritan-like application of this passage is a little more difficult and troublesome than might first appear. And yes, I think he who is without sin can cast the first stone has some application. So we object to anti-Catholics slandering the Church and the Blessed Virgin Mary? People almost always do that when theyre ignorant and sincerely deluded and dead-wrong. If anti-Catholic Protestants truly knew our Mother like we do, they wouldnt even have the desire to do such a thing. It would never cross their minds. They truly believe with all their heart that she is not the Mediatrix, Immaculate, etc. In their minds, they are not slandering her as they believe her to be; they are simply fighting what they deeply believe to be false doctrine, just as we fight them on the same grounds, but as Catholics, we feel duty-bound to defend the honor of our Lady. Same thing with the Church. If the anti-Catholic truly understood Her, he wouldnt fight Her as he does. Virtually all anti-Catholics are in that huge majority of folks greatly mistaken about Catholicism, that Fulton Sheen talks about. Much more of this determination to read folks out of Christianity, to the exclusion of the really important things of Christianity and we are in danger of becoming like the Pharisees: . . . you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith . . . you strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Mt 23:23-24). None of us know the eternal destiny of any anti-Catholic or the state of anyones soul in all its particulars. All we can do is fight anti-Catholic falsehoods, pray, and hope for the best, including repentance from lying and heresies, and sinful opposition to the Church. * *** Photo credit: CrossReach (7-5-16). Cover of the 7th edition of The Two Babylons, from 1871. [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license] Summary: A Christian is a Christian, regardless of whether they wrongly think other sorts of Christians arent Christians. Catholics dont read anti-Catholics out of Christianity. Highlighting Love as the Fulfilling of the Law & Commandments, in Relation to Justification & Salvation Rev. Dr. Jordan B. Cooper is a Lutheran pastor, adjunct professor of Systematic Theology, Executive Director of the popular Just & Sinner YouTube channel, and the President of the American Lutheran Theological Seminary (which holds to a doctrinally traditional Lutheranism, similar to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod). He has authored several books, as well as theological articles in a variety of publications. All my Bible citations are from RSV, unless otherwise indicated. Jordans words will be in blue. This is my 16th reply to Jordan (many more to come, because I want to interact with the best, most informed Protestant opponents). All of these respectful critiques can be found in the Replies to Jordan Cooper section at the top of my Lutheranism web page. Bishop Barrons words will be in green. ***** Please Hit Subscribe! If youve received benefit from this or any of my 4,500+ articles, please follow this blog by signing up (email address) on the sidebar to the right, above the icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure and concretely supports my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading! ***** This is a response to some earlier portions of Jordans YouTube video, A Response to Bishop Barron on Justification (4-20-24). 3:26 were justified or saved set right not by works of the law but by faith, so Luther says by grace through faith, and he intensifies it by saying gratia sola: by grace alone. By faith alone were saved and not by the works of the law. Catholics dont disagree with this Protestant understanding at all; particularly if we are talking about initial justification. The Council of Trent, in addressing justification, made this very clear: CANON I.-If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema. CANON II.-If any one saith, that the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, is given only for this, that man may be able more easily to live justly, and to merit eternal life, as if, by free will without grace, he were able to do both, though hardly indeed and with difficulty; let him be anathema. Man can do absolutely nothing to obtain initial justification (a position that is contrary to semi-Pelagianism); therefore, at this point it is monergistic: CANON III.-If any one saith, that without the prevenient inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and without his help, man can believe, hope, love, or be penitent as he ought, so as that the grace of Justification may be bestowed upon him; let him be anathema. [see also Decree on Justification: chapter 5] Mans free will to do any good is moved and excited by God: at which time man can then cooperate, in this grace: CANON IV.-If any one saith, that mans free will moved and excited by God, by assenting to God exciting and calling, nowise co-operates towards disposing and preparing itself for obtaining the grace of Justification; that it cannot refuse its consent, if it would, but that, as something inanimate, it does nothing whatever and is merely passive; let him be anathema. Justification is by grace alone (sola gratia): Decree on Justification: chapter 8; Canon 10: CANON X.-If any one saith, that men are just without the justice of Christ, whereby He merited for us to be justified; or that it is by that justice itself that they are formally just; let him be anathema. Good works and merit proceed wholly from the grace of God through the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf (not from ourselves). They are necessary but they do not earn salvation, which is by grace alone: Decree on Justification: chapter 16; Canons 18, 19, 20, 24, 26, 32, 33. Vatican I also expressed our doctrine in a beautiful way: Wherefore faith itself, even when it does not work by charity [Gal 5:6], is in itself a gift of God, and the act of faith is a work pertaining to salvation, by which man yields voluntary obedience to God Himself, by assenting to and cooperating with His grace, which he is able to resist (can. v). (Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, ch. III, Of Faith) 6:20 you have the text like Romans 4 and Romans 3 in particular dealing with justification apart from works of the law or the one who is justified apart from works . . . I thoroughly dealt with Romans 4 in reply to Jordan: Abrahams Justification By Faith & Works (vs. Jordan Cooper) + Catholic Exegesis Regarding St. Pauls Specific Meaning of Works in Romans 4 [3-1-24] But he has recently stated on my Facebook page that he doesnt have the time to dialogue with me. Thats fine if he doesnt (we all prioritize and are busy). I just want my readers to know, for the record, that I have addressed this and many other claims in his talks. They are by no means unanswerable. 6:32 and then you do have texts that speak for example about the final judgment and the role of good works in the final judgment . . . See: Final Judgment & Works (Not Faith): 50 Passages [2-10-08] 7:20 I really dont see any issue within Romans 13 that would even pose a difficulty at all regarding the question of justification through faith, because this text says nothing whatsoever about justification it simply says that to love one another is to fulfill the law I completely disagree and say that it is related to the overall question. Love is not faith, let alone faith alone in the larger sense, in which Protestants (the Lutheran Melanchthon initiated this) separate sanctification from justification and make it non-obligatory for salvation. A quick search of fulfill in Romans is highly instructive (and a new motif that I was unfamiliar with): Romans 8:3-4 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, [4] in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 9:30-32 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; [31] but that Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based on law did not succeed in fulfilling that law. [32] Why? Because they did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works. . . . Romans 13:8-11 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. [9] The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. [11] Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; The commandments are fulfilled by love. Lest anyone think that the commandments are irrelevant to salvation itself (and are relegated only to non-salvific sanctification as in Protestant theology), note what Jesus thought about it: Matthew 5:16-20 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. [17] Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. [18] For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. [19] Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20] For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:16-19 And behold, one came up to him, saying, Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life? [17] And he said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments. [18] He said to him, Which? And Jesus said, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, [19] Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Note how in both sayings, keeping the commandments (i.e., basically good works and expressions of love as opposed to faith alone) was central in the process of salvation and attaining to heaven and eternal life. 8:02 love is the fulfillment of the law, so I dont really understand what the problem there would be in terms of the doctrine of justification through faith alone. because this particular text in Paul says nothing whatsoever about justification. He simply says that the love is the fulfillment of the law and therefore Christians are called to love one another and these various Ten Commandments are fulfilled in love. Thats what we are called to do. Of course we are. All agree on that. The problem here for faith alone is that the keeping of the commandments is directly tied to salvation, which is contrary to Protestant teaching. This connection is made more clear in the cross-referencing of Matthew 5 and 19, but salvation is also alluded to in Romans 13:11. 8:35 its not the case that [the] Lutheran would say that the Christian does not begin to fulfill the law through love I know. Again, he misses the point, which is the tie-in to salvation itself, contrary to sola fide and Protestant imparted, external justification. In Lutheranism and general Protestantism, good works are required and urged, but wrongly relegated to the non-salvific category (in their view) of sanctification. Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and the Church fathers do not separate justification and sanctification in this manner. It was a 16th century novel innovation and false teaching. Jordan consistently assumes (falsely) if I am interpreting him correctly that every reference to works of the law is the equivalent of good works generally. It is not. This gets into the New Perspective on Paul which is a Protestant movement that has many affinities with traditional Catholic soteriology. 14:09 its a question of what is the humans role in justification; what is it by which I receive the love of God in Christ, and that is faith not my love He again refers to initial justification. We fully agree about that, as seen in the citations from Trent that I provided above. * *** Photo credit: Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560), originator of the faith alone doctrine, (c. 1535), by Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497-1543) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] Summary: I interact with Lutheran YouTuber Jordan Coopers defenses of the Protestant doctrine of faith alone: particularly the motif of love fulfilling the law (Romans 13:8-11). [originally compiled and posted on my website on 12 August 2000] ** [Eric Svendsens words will be in blue ; an anonymous Protestants in green ] ** The following series of dialogues took place on James Whites Sola Scriptura discussion list, from 21 May to 26 June 1996 (as such they are some of my very first debates / dialogues online: I started going online in March 1996). See a similar exchange with James White that took place at the same time. Eric Svendsen was a very prominent anti-Catholic polemicist; arguably second in influence only to James White, until he suddenly completely departed from the Internet in April 2010. ***** Please Hit Subscribe! If you have received benefit from this or any of my other 4,500+ articles, please follow this blog by signing up (w your email address) on the sidebar to the right, above where there is an icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure, and (however little!) more income for my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading! *** Eric Svendsen: 30 May 1996 Dave A. wrote: * But what of, say, contraception? Luther and Calvin thought it murder, and all Christians opposed it until 1930, but now it is a perfectly moral choice in the opinion of the vast majority of Protestant sects. Thus, orthodoxy changed, and on the flimsiest of grounds (faddism and moral compromise). What year did contraception become a sin, Dave? * It never did become a sin, since sin is sin, in Gods eyes. God is eternal; therefore contraception has been a sin for eternity (unless, as the Anglicans would have it, God and hence Christianity changed His mind in 1930). At this point, Id accept ANY interpretation. Again, I reiterate: at least Luther and Calvin had the strength of their convictions to excommunicate other Protestants for dissidence, because they truly believed in their own brand of Christianity. There is something to be said for that. So now, Dave, you would like us to have the courage of conviction to anathematize our brothers who disagree with us on all points of dogma. And once we do that, we will have earned your respect and praise for acting upon our conviction?! * Im saying have the courage to take a stand. Youre courageous enough to bash the Catholic Church with impunity, but wont even say that your fellow Protestants are wrong on something or other?! Your fathers Luther and Calvin did it; why not you? Or is it the case, rather, that God doesnt care about truth when it comes to baptism, the Eucharist, ecclesiology, etc.? Is Protestantism thus reduced to an Orwellian some doctrines are more true than others? Besides, you can disagree but still be brothers in Christ. Im doing that in this group. My Church does it officially with regard both to the Orthodox and Protestantism. The two arent mutually exclusive, you know. I take it you finally see the force of my point that John 17 does not refer to doctrinal disagreement, but to oneness in love. * Guess again. I say it is primarily referring to love, but also secondarily to doctrine, because Scripture doesnt separate the two, but holds them in unity (no pun intended). No Dave, I am not going to anathematize a brother in Christ for believing wrongly on the issue of baptism or the Lords Supper. I will certainly disagree with him, and point out his error. Maybe were not that far apart after all, then. But you miss the fact that I was asking for James Whites answer as to what the Apostles believed on my 18 points. The original context of my challenge was for James to define his own terms. His reluctance (and everyones) is heartening to me at least to the extent that Protestants are squeamish about their own disunity, chaos, and relativism, as evidenced by the fear of dealing with it straight-on in answering a friendly Catholic critic. One tries to avoid dilemmas that might possibly be fatal to ones position. Understandable. But I will not cease my probing, especially as long as you guys accuse or misunderstand my Church. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. It occurs to me that it is exceedingly strange for Protestants to relegate the Eucharist to relativism and relative insignificance, when our Lord (yes, ours, despite John MacArthurs insistence that I worship a different one) made it a point of division Himself. John 6:66 tells us of many of his disciples forsaking Him. Now, if the Eucharist were just minutiae on the grand scale of matters theological, why didnt Jesus beg and plead with these people to stay? If your view is correct, it seems reasonable that Jesus should then have said, Hey, dont go: this isnt a matter which should divide us we agree that I am God. Who cares about what happens in the central act of Christian worship! And we know also that Jesus said unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you (Jn 6:53). But thats secondary, non-essential? Im sorry, but I cant give my assent to such an incoherent and unbiblical viewpoint. Call me obtuse if you like. And of course, Scripture intimately relates baptism with both repentance and salvation (for the latter, see e.g., Acts 2:38, 1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16, Rom 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Cor 6:11, Titus 3:5). But no matter, us Protestants value a false, pick-and-choose unity rather than biblical truth. Or so it seems to this observer, one who has lived a committed Christian life in both worlds. Now I will give you a multiple choice test. Please mark an x in the appropriate boxes (Protestants can have more than one right answer, Catholics only one): YOU..BIBLE ..APOSTLES.CHURCH HISTORY Belief in the Real Presence Belief in the Eucharist Belief in infant, regenerative baptism Now, for your homework tonight, Im asking you to explain why (if you differ from either the Bible, the Apostles, or the vast majority of Christians for 2000 years), your belief diverges from that of the others. In 500 words or less. Thank you. Protestants will be graded on a scale, so that most of them will get an A no matter what their answers are . . . NOTE: I want all of you Protestants out there to take this test, not just Eric. Youve ignored my questions long enough, and it is getting downright rude! [none answered] But love covers over a multitude of sins, it does not quickly condemn (contra the historic practice of the Roman church). * What do you call Lutherans or Calvinists drowning and torturing Anabaptists a quibble among family? How do you view the multitude of capital offenses for heresy in Protestant countries in the 16th and 17th centuries (is that coercion?). What about the thousands of witches who were put to death by Protestants (the Spanish Inquisition having condemned witch hunts as mass delusion)? Need I offer any more examples? But the wicked Catholic Church and its anathemas . . . How do we regard Protestants now (however one regards our views in days past when men still cared enough for religion to fight over it)? And how do many of you regard us (e.g., James White and Phillip Johnson, and you)? A bit hypocritical of you, wouldnt you say, Eric? You ought to spread your moral outrage around a little more shall we say indiscriminately. Thus, you guys went from one extreme to the other: baptism once meant everything; now it means virtually nothing. Gee, I wonder if the Catholic old man has its share of these? Lets see, at one time Catholics were killing and condemning to hell all Protestants who opposed Romes authority, denying them salvation. Now, suddenly, we are means of salvation. * Is this not a fine example of bigoted, foaming-at-the-mouth anti-Catholicism? killing . . . all Protestants who opposed . . .? We dont condemn anybody to hell, not even Luther. This is not what anathema means, any more than it was when Paul used it. The Catholic Church doesnt claim the authority to sentence people to hell. Last time I checked, that was Gods sole prerogative. (how could it, since you are divided into five camps?). So your sinful divisions lead to compromise on doctrine. Who has compromised doctrine? Not I. * Good, then please give me your list of my 18 points, since youre a good, uncompromised Protestant. That will be a wonderful start for the man on the street to ascertain apostolic and Christian truth. Real progress . . . But if your suggestion is that I join the Catholic church for the sake of unity * Were working on that. Rome wasnt built in a day. :-) then, indeed, I would be compromising doctrine. * Certainly no more than you and yours are now! Itll be a giant step up! There certainly is virtue in unity of belief. * Now that is a true statement, provided the beliefs are true, of course. But what you dont seem to be grasping here is that it is no virtue to hold to uncompromised unity of belief if that belief is in error! * I agree 100%. Thus the question boils down to (as always): is what the Catholic Church teaches true or false? (and the same for Protestantism). But you (and James White) try to caricature my position as calling for a blind, absolute, clone-like unity (hence the Jehovahs Witnesses comparison). Of course not, as this is clearly lunacy. My whole point in critiquing Protestant disunity is that that is clearly, unarguably against the biblical injunctions to be unified, of one mind, etc. Try as you may, neither you nor any Protestant can overcome the strength and validity of this objection to your position. Thats why I asked someone what would convince you that your view is wrong: 240,000 sects? (rather than 24,000). What does it take? How absurd and chaotic must things become before you start to question your first principles? As the old pop song goes, There, Ive said it again. Anonymous Protestant on the List: 6 June 1996 * Or is there a consistent double standard being played here? It seems as long as there is disagreement among Protestants, then sola Scriptura is a failure, but if there is disagreement among Catholics, there are only dissenters. The same standard you apply against the Protestant is even more so applied to youwith a 44. Sorry Dave, I can only see your argument as valid as long as it does not apply to you. If it is true, then your own argument condemns you. * I respectfully disagree. This is one where we will have to just agree to disagree. You guys dont think my perspicuity argument applies to you, and us Catholics return the favor when you say liberals in our ranks cast doubt on our general position on authority/Tradition, etc. So what can you do? Ive seen nothing to cause me to change my mind on this particular point thus far. You place an infallible interpreter to explain an infallible authority (whichever you believe-partim-partim or material I can never tell from one post to the next) and still end up with differing interpretations over what the infallible interpreter meant. * I stated that if one had a Bible on a desert isle, and thats all he had, sure, he could be saved. But I also said that some Church or authority will be ordinarily necessary, so that, in the final analysis it is a moot point. I believe that all Catholic doctrines can be found in Scripture, either explicitly or implicitly or indirectly. If that is material sufficiency, then I am in that camp. But if it means that somehow the Church and Tradition are thereby taken out of the picture as not intrinsically necessary to Christianity, then I must dissent, because I dont see that in Scripture (I believe sola Scriptura is self-defeating, in other words). Catholics regard Scripture as central, but not exclusive, with regard to authority and Tradition. Thus, to critique sola Scriptura does not at all imply a lessening of respect for the Bible, as has been implied in this group and elsewhere. All in all, personally I see this partim-partim debate as boring and irrelevant (thats not to say that others can legitimately think differently). I think we need to determine what Tradition(s) were in fact believed by Christians through history, and whether these can be found to possess a scriptural basis, and I consider Church history as evidence of Gods hand, working to sustain and protect His Church (however that is defined) from error. I approach these things (i.e., the sola Scriptura/Tradition debate) from an historical and pragmatic perspective (and of course, biblically, as do we all), rather than more philosophically. Im all for philosophy, but since the nature of authority is a very practical matter, I think it is better to stick to a pragmatic method in this case. Now when James White says that Arminians are not true Protestants (and hence, by deduction from his own premises, not true Christians, either), who am I (or any inquirer) to believe, and why? What Catechism or papal figure would I appeal to in that case? Karl Keating. * Ha ha ha. I meant Protestant figure, of course. In any event, we can determine what our Church teaches by looking in the Churchs official documents. Thats the point I was making. Eric Svendsen: 26 June 1996 * The obvious retort is: of what use is one written tradition when it produces doctrinal chaos? What is gained by that? Its as if you have one ruler, but everyone has different systems of measuring with it! But, ironically, you have succinctly and, no doubt, inadvertently described the Roman system in your very last sentence. Admittedly then, the Roman system has just as much chaos as does Protestantism (but this theme is perhaps more appropriately covered further down the road). * Aaargghhhh! :-( (exercising much self-restraint). I merely make one mini-argument in reply: if this is true, how is it that people in this group assume without question that Catholics believe certain things: e.g. (just recently), a very high regard for apostolic Tradition, apostolic succession, the Immaculate Conception, Assumption, and Perpetual Virginity of Mary, infused justification, baptismal regeneration, an ex opere operato notion of sacramentalism, papal infallibility, papal supremacy, etc.? On the other hand, there is no identifiable Protestant position other than C.S. Lewiss Mere Christianity, which takes in Catholic and Orthodox theology anyhow, and so is not even distinctively Protestant. About all that orthodox evangelical Protestants agree on is sola Scriptura and an agreement that Catholicism must be wrong (and even a strict sola Scriptura view is questionable among Anglicans and many Lutherans). They were in conflict with what mom actually said, in spite of the leprechaun in big brothers pocket that interpreted moms words otherwise. * According to which tradition: the Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed, Anabaptist, Church of Christ, independent pentecostal, non-denom, Baptist, Church of God, Mennonite, Quaker, United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Assembly of God, Copelandites, self-described Bible Christian, or some other group of your choice, from among the multiple thousands, or simply your own biblical view? If Paul teaches it directly from his mouth then, yes, that teaching is authoritative. If Paul verifies someone else who also teaches the same thing then, yes, that teaching is authoritative. But this is not to say that the oral tradition of that message is authoritative. * Do you positively assert that such a scenario is a priori impossible? If not, what would constitute adequate proof for you? I teach communication skills to corporations for a living. One of the exercises I love to do to illustrate the ineffectiveness of a message that has gone through many hands is this: I whisper a sentence to one of the participants in the seminar, and then have that person whisper the same message to the person next to him, and that person in turn whispers the same message to the next person, and so on until the message has made its way around the room (approx. 30 people). Then I have the last person to receive the message stand and recite it invariably to the roaring laughter of the rest of the class who cannot believe how much the sentence has changed in the process! (try it sometime). The simple fact is, we will botch up the message every time. That, my friends, is why God chose to commit the essential teachings to writing in the first place. Yes, Ive heard this. But using it to shore up sola Scriptura is a classic example of the fallacy behind Protestant presuppositional objections to Tradition: they assume that (Catholic) Tradition is merely human, and therefore subject to all the foibles of that weak vessel, whereas we assert that it is guided by the Holy Spirit and hand of God, in order to preserve it from error (by means of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church). You assert that God could produce an infallible Bible by means of fallible, sinful (mostly Jewish) men (such as David, Matthew, Peter & Paul), and confirmed in its parameters also by fallible, sinful (Jewish and Catholic) men, and translated by fallible, sinful (mostly Catholic) men, and preserved for 1500 years before Protestantism was born by fallible, sinful (mostly Catholic and therefore apostate, according to James White) men, too. We contend that God can and does likewise create and sustain an infallible Church and Tradition, which is not a whit less credible or plausible. As Ive stated many times, we are discussing Christianity (which requires faith and a belief in the supernatural, Gods Providence, etc.), not epistemological philosophy. Ours is a faith position, but no more than yours (I would say less so). James argues like an atheist when he tries to pretend that our view is largely irrational blind faith in Rome, whereas Protestantism is altogether scriptural, reasonable, and not requiring faith in any institution outside ones own radically individualistic, subjective, existential certainty (perhaps also, in his case, Calvin). One must examine premises, and their relative merits. Thats why I like to dwell on the foundations of belief-systems, knowing that if they are found weak and crumbling, the superstructure resting upon them will necessarily collapse. The two pillars of Protestantism are sola Scriptura and sola fide. Like Samson, I pushed the two pillars down, and the house of Protestantism collapsed upon my head, killing me as a Protestant, but luckily, a coherent Christian alternative existed, so I was resurrected. :-) * *** Photo credit: Eric Svendsen, from the YouTube presentation, The Covenant According to Rome (10-30-14). Summary: Mini-debate with prominent anti-Catholic polemicist Eric Svendsen, about the supposedly perspicuous (clear) apostolic message that Protestants cant enumerate. The Criminal Division of the High court in Accra presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo has threatened to close the case of 'Sexy Dondon' if he fails to appear before the Court tomorrow to open his defense. This follows the absence of the accused, Daniel Asiedu also known Sexy Dondon in court today. Daniel Asiedu was expected to open his defense today but his lawyer Sophia Amstrong holding brief for Yaw Dankwah informed the court that he was unwell hence his absence. The lawyer also informed the court that, they intend to subpoena their witnesses to testify before Daniel Asiedu mounts his defense. However, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo noted that, the accused was supposed to have filed his witness statement before today hence the accused must show up to mount his defence. The presiding judge after listening to the defense lawyers ordered them to provide evidence of Daniel Asiedu's illness signed by an accredited medical officer. She further ordered that, the acccused, Daniel Asiedu should appear before the Court to open his defense tomorrow, Tuesday warning that his failure to do so will necessitate further orders to close the case followed by a summing up. The case has been adjourned to tomorrow for continuation. Daniel Asiedu also known as Sexy Dondon has been charged for robbery and murder of the late Abuakwa North MP Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu in February 2016. 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 The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has issued a stern ultimatum to the government, demanding the implementation of an arbitration decision handed down by the National Labour Commission (NLC) by May 31st, 2024, to ensure industrial harmony. The President of CETAG, Mr. Prince Obeng-Hemah, underscored that the NLC had instructed the government last year to fulfill the terms outlined for teachers. This directive came after CETAG heeded the call to end their strike action last year. However, despite their compliance, the government has yet to fulfill its obligations. Addressing the press earlier today, Mr. Obeng-Hemah emphasized that by the end of May, they expect the government to address several outstanding issues. These include the failure to compensate members with one month's salary for additional duties performed in 2022 and the payment of agreed-upon salary applicable to certain members employed in public universities. Furthermore, Mr. Obeng-Hemah highlighted that their dedication to serving the state has often been taken for granted by their employers (government). He made it clear that silence will no longer be tolerated, urging stakeholders to take decisive action to uphold industrial peace. Source: Sika Ayim/ Peace FM Newsroom 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 Professor Joseph Osafo has castigated the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over their long silence in delivering a schedule for Ghanaians to guide them in their daily living with regard to the regular power cuts. Many communities across the nation have been enduring darkness over days to weeks due to the irregular electricity supply. The citizens have bitterly complained about the impact of the actions of the ECG as the company refuses to draw a timetable and communicate relevant information to guide them. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Prof. Joseph Osafo, a Senior Psychologist, bemoaned his experience with ECG taking away his lights and the sufferings of Ghanaians under the current "dumsor". He described the attitude of the electricity supplier as "gross disrespect", wondering why they are seemingly taking delight in mistreating the citizens. "I think it's an abuse of dignity. It's disrespect, gross disrespect...This may not be in size as it happened in the past but rather the silence, the disrespect to communicate with people, I mean this is legendary," he scolded ECG. Watch video below Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mauritius has been struck by heavy rains and severe flooding, causing major inundation across the island nation. As a result of the adverse weather conditions, all schools will remain closed. Both public and private sector employees have been advised not to report to work on Monday. Work-from-home is encouraged, except for essential and emergency services, which will remain operational. The capital, Port Louis, as well as regions such as the West, Southwest, and even the Northwest, have been significantly affected. The Port Louis waterfront has been submerged, with several vehicles trapped in the floodwaters. An accident on a highway in Port Louis resulted in the loss of life of a motorcyclist who died on the spot. The most intense rainfall was recorded in Albion, in the west of the country, with 302mm of rain in just 15 hours from 04:00 to 19:00 local time on Sunday. A two-storey house collapsed in Tranquebar, Port Louis, due to the rains, but all eight members of the family were able to escape the house without injuries and find refuge with a neighbour. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education, Ms. Kathleen Addy has paid a courtesy on His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at Manhyia, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. The visit was to congratulate His Royal Majesty on his Silver Jubilee Anniversary, inform him about NCCE's presence in his Kingdom to launch the Commissions 2024 Annual Constitution Week Celebration, seek wise counsel and hold a discussion on how to revive the Commissions long-standing relationship with Manhyia. Chairperson of NCCE, Ms. Addy first congratulated Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on his Silver Jubilee and informed him about the Commissions presence in the Ashanti Region to launch this years Annual Constitution Week celebrations. Ms. Addy admired the leadership of His Royal Majesty, Otumfou Osei Tutu II. We are proud of your leadership. As a country, we have so much to learn from Asanteman. The sense of unity in Asanteman is admirable, she stated. Ms Addy said, the Commission wants to renew its long-standing relationship with Manhyia which dates back to 2012. We have a long-standing relationship with Manhyia and Asanteman. That relationship must be restored. On the launch of the 2024 Annual Constitution Week, Ms. Addy spoke about the theme; Together we can build Ghana, So Get Involved. She later presented a special copy of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to His Royal Majesty, Otumfour Osei Tutu II. His Royal Majesty, Otumfou Osei Tutu II warmly welcomed the NCCE Chair and her team to Manhyia. This is the first time meeting you as NCCE Chair. I have been monitoring your work, Otumfuo remarked. He went ahead to state that Civic Education is important because it teaches citizens about the laws of Ghana and whips up patriotism among the people of Ghana. He recounted the days of Prime Minister Busia in 1968 when he championed civic education as a tool to improve national development. Otumfuo bemoaned the growing indiscipline and lack of patriotic values among citizens and called for the reintroduction of Civic Education as a subject in schools. According to him, the lack of civic education as a subject in schools is affecting national development and the work of the National Commission for Civic Education. Speak to the Ghana Education Service or the Education Ministry to bring back civics in our schools, he adviced. Otumfou Osei Tutu II later charged the NCCE to prioritise seeking corporate funding if the Commissions mandate supports that move. He was quick to add that, he, will also try to see how he can support the NCCE. Among other remarks, Otumfou Osei Tutu II called on citizens to respect the laws of the country and again tasked the NCCE to intensify awareness creation on the 1992 Constitution of Ghana since many citizens lack knowledge of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Deputy Chairman, of Operations, Mr. Samuel Asare Akuamoah made a presentation at Manhyia on behalf of the Commission. Also, present at Manhyia were; Deputy Chairman, Finance and Administration, Lawyer Victor Brobbey; Commission Member, Hajia Hajara Mohammed-Rufai; Commission Member, Mr. Bright Kwabla Agbodeka; Commission Secretary, Lawyer Lucille Hewlette Annan; Director, Communications and Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Joyce Afutu; Director of Finance, Monica Mamatta; Director, Administration, Mrs. Dora Hammond; Director, Research and Gender Equality, Dr. Henrietta Asante Sarpong; Director, Programmes, Dr. Imurana Mohammed; Ashanti Regional Director, Margaret Konama and Deputy Director, Communications and Corporate Affairs, Rita Ofosua Amparbin among other staff from the Head Office. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Africa Center for Democracy and Socio Economic Development, CDS Africa has conducted a study on the sentiments of Ghanaians towards LGBTQ+ activities and the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024 (Anti-Gay Bill). According to the report and the research revealed by CDS Africa, 80 percent of Ghanaians expressed negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ activities while 20 percent of them expressed acceptance or support attitudes towards LGBTQ+ activities. The study sought to bring to light general concerns from Ghanaians and whether or not President Akufo- Addo should assent to the bill. The Advocacy and Public Engagement Coordinator at Africa Center for Democracy and Socio economic Development, CDS Africa, Ms Celestine Damoah in an interview with Peace FM News said the study uncovered a profound portrait of attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals, revealing both the shadows of discrimination and acceptance. According to her, the study also observed that religious beliefs, cultural norms, and perceptions of morality were profound reasons and factors influencing attitudes toward LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. Religious conservatism emerged as a prominent factor influencing negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals with several respondents citing religious teachings and doctrines that condemn homosexuality. She added that the survey conducted by CDS Africa indicates that the youth do not see anything against the LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana and they do support it, and the adults also stand against it. The study highlighted both challenges and opportunities in advocacy efforts aimed at promoting LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance in Ghana. While there were instances of resistance to LGBTQ+ advocacy initiatives, particularly from conservative religious and cultural groups, there were also signs of positive change as some Ghanaians were of the view that there should be an open conversation about LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana rather than criminalizing the act. With a predominant presence of anti-gay sentiments among the surveyed population, CDS Africa gathered that Ghanaians are divided on issues relating to LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. The study uncovered various factors influencing these attitudes, including religious beliefs, cultural norms, and perceptions of morality. Despite the prevailing anti-gay sentiments, the study also revealed pockets of empathy and understanding, particularly among younger generations and urban populations. Source: Prince Baffour Asamoah/Peace FM Newsroom 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 Flagbearer of the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, as part of his campaign message ahead of the December 2024 elections, affirmed that the government of the Ghana, of which he will be president, will give top priority to resolving the issues surrounding the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy brought by the NPP government. In a crunch meeting with the various Teacher unions comprising of the Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana(CCTC Gh), the former President maintained that, the free SHS policy ought to be reviewed amidst its numerous challenges and implantation hiccups. His standpoint comes in response to the increasing apprehensions regarding the execution and funding of the policy. According to John Mahama, there is a need to have a stakeholder engagement with the implementation of the free Senior High School educational policy programme, adding that in his tenure, he would hold a stakeholder forum on education in his first 100 days to solicit inputs on how to improve and deliver quality education. He said, within the first 100 days of me becoming president, we will hold a stakeholder dialogue on education. It will have as part of its focus the implementational bottlenecks of the Free SHS, but it is also going to deal with how we can improve financing and teaching and learning at the basic school level and so at that stakeholders engagement, NAGRAT, GNAT, parents, students, educational experts, everybody is going to be there and we are going to have a discussion on access, on equity, on affordability, and on financing our educational system. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, has called on the flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to announce his running mate for the December 2024 polls, to avoid any controversies. Dr. Asah-Asante underscored the need to have a broader consultation before settling on the choicest of candidates but added that, the vice president may not be able to have enough time to embark on a nationwide campaign as the times are running out. In an interview with Citi News, the political scientist maintained that prolonged delays could have serious repercussions on the fortunes of the party during the upcoming polls. He opined that, the party must be mindful of the fact that time is not on their side. Yes, you want to consult broadly but you cant spend all your life on that. By now, they should be out with a candidate who has all the qualities that they want so that it doesnt delay the campaign unnecessarily." If you wait, the issue is that you bring the person in, then the person now comes to face with the campaign already set in motion. People will now want to scrutinize the person, they will want to assess the person, and they will want to throw all manner of things at the person and that is the best means by which you can see how best you can shepherd your candidate and then prepare him/her for the task ahead." In conclusion, Dr. Asah-Asante reiterated, I think the delay is becoming too much. I think the party must quickly come out with a running mate. 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 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. By REBECCA BOONE, The Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) Defense attorneys for a man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho students can resume phone surveys of potential jurors in the case, a judge has ruled. Bryan Kohberger faces four murder charges in connection with the November 2022 stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. A judge has entered a not guilty plea on Kohbergers behalf, and prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students, is escorted to an extradition hearing at the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg, Pa., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool, file)AP Kohbergers defense team hired a consultant to survey potential jurors living near the university about things they might have seen, heard or read about the case. The phone survey included questions about Kohbergers arrest, the type of car he owns, DNA evidence and a knife sheath found near one of the bodies. It also included questions about whether the person being surveyed had watched true crime-style shows about the case or other things they might have heard. When prosecutors became aware of the survey earlier this year, they asked 2nd District Judge John Judge to order the defense team to stop, arguing that the surveys violated a broad gag order the judge had issued in the case. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said some of the questions could prejudice people who could be called to serve as jurors when the case goes to trial. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge said the surveys could continue as long as the questions do not violate his gag order. Most of the questions included information already publicly available through court documents, the judge wrote in the ruling, and so did not violate the order. Other questions about rumors people might have heard or crime documentaries they might have seen about the case were not part of the public record when the surveys began, but they have since been debated and discussed in open court which means they, too, are now part of the public record and can be included in future surveys, Judge said. The bodies of the four University of Idaho students were found at a rental home near campus on Nov. 13, 2022. Police arrested Kohberger, 29 and then a graduate student at nearby Washington State University, more than six weeks later at his parents home in eastern Pennsylvania, where he had gone for winter break. A Delaware County man and woman are facing charges after police say kidnapped, stole from and sexually assaulted two women with intellectual disabilities. Michael Swanson, 41, and Nicole Swanson, 37, both of Chester, have been charged with rape, involuntary deviant sexual assault, aggravated indecent sexual assault of a person with a mental disability, kidnapping to facilitate a felony, theft, and conspiracy, according to reports from 6ABC and NBC10. Police said they began their investigation in January 2023, after a family member of a 30-year-old mentally disabled women reached out to authorities. The 30-year-old woman had met Michael Swanson through a 27-year-old friend she knew who went to the same special education school. The 27-year-old woman, also intellectually disabled, was pregnant with Swansons child at the time, police said. Michael Swanson began sexually assaulting the 30-year-old woman and convinced her to move into his house with his ex-wife, Nicole, their six children, the 27-year-old, and the homeowner, telling her that her family was stealing her Social Security benefits and that they didnt care about her. In February 2023, the 27-year-old woman gave birth to her child and a report was made to social services because of the womans disability, 6ABC said. In July 2023, Michael Swanson moved everyone, including the now seven children and a fourth woman, to Tallahassee, Florida, because he was worried about social services investigating him. While living in Florida, the 30-year-old woman was repeatedly beaten by Nicole Swanson, the fourth woman and some of the children, police said. A videotape of one of the assaults was made and sent to the womans family, who were then able to locate her and have her removed from the home. Investigators said that the 30-year-old told them she had been sexually assaulted at least twice a day. The Swansons also took the victims cell phone, food card, checks, money and insurance card. Police also said that the payee name on the Social Security card was changed to Michael Swanson. The victim said that Nicole Swanson sexually assaulted her as well, NBC10 reported. It is difficult to comprehend the truly heinous actions of these defendants. The defendants knowingly exploited two intellectually disabled young women. They used them for their sexual gratification, and stole their benefits, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said to NBC10. The members of law enforcement, the medical professionals, and the social workers who have worked on this case stand united in calling out the depravity of these defendants actions. They will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Swansons were arrested and extradited to Pennsylvania. They are being held at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County. More charges are expected to be filed against the couple in Florida, Stollsteimer told the news outlets. "The Flying Tigers give us a wonderful opportunity because there's something that all Chinese and all Americans can be proud of," said Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation (SAAHF). by Xinhua writers Liu Yanan, Xu Xingtang DAYTON, United States, April 21 (Xinhua) -- In front of a 3.7-ton stone roller and a fighter jet, two Chinese middle schools and an American school exchanged a cooperative memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the Midwest U.S. city of Dayton this week, to commemorate the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders, the Americans who fought Japanese aggressors with their Chinese cohort during World War II. The stone roller has been on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. It was used to flatten and level the runway in the construction of an airport for the Flying Tigers in southwest China's Yunnan province during WWII, pulled by sheer manpower by thousands of Chinese locals. Kunming Foreign Language School and the No. 2 Middle School of Xiangyun County from Yunnan exchanged the MoU on cooperation under the program of "Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders" with International Leadership of Texas, a network of public charter schools. More than 80 years after their heroic operations in China, "we're running out of Flying Tigers," said Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation (SAAHF), an organization aimed at promoting friendship and understanding between the United States and China by fostering a practicable dialogue on their common aviation history. Greene told Xinhua that the number of the Flying Tigers has come down to around a dozen from around 500 when the foundation was started in 1998, thus it's vital to pass on the history and memory forged by blood. "For American kids, we want them to come and learn about the Chinese. We want the Chinese (students) to come and learn so that each group is proud of the other country," he said. "The Flying Tigers give us a wonderful opportunity because there's something that all Chinese and all Americans can be proud of." The SAAHF and Dr. Jack L. Schofield Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, jointly initiated the Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders Program in 2022 in a bid to carry forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers among Chinese and American students, enhance mutual understanding and friendship, and deepen mutual respect and cooperation between the two countries. "The idea was based on all the trips from all the veterans we've taken to China," said Greene. The program was well-received with dozens of schools from both sides actively participating in it and signing MoUs. "I want our 20,000 kids to be in China, not just this summer but next summer, not just for two weeks, but for a month at Beijing Language and Culture University, I want our kids to be able to go deep into China to understand that 5,000-year history," said Eddie Conger, superintendent, CEO and founder of International Leadership of Texas, which serves 23,000 students from kindergartners to 12th grade. Erik Lutz, mayor of Pico Rivera, told Xinhua that he hopes to send students to China this June to visit Chinese schools and experience Chinese culture for about two weeks. He said what the Flying Tigers have done was unifying the United States and China on the people-to-people level. "For the future of our two countries, the thing we can do (and) will have the most impact is our students. And we get them to know each other young and then it'll take off from there," said Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dialogue is really important in the China-U.S. relationship and the initiative by the SAAHF is "exactly what has to happen," said Myers at the opening ceremony of a concurrent photo exhibition on the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders. Greene said the story of the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders are a "life and death" thing and there are not a lot of things like that. He believed the U.S. students' lives would be forever changed after their visit to China. "They'll know the Chinese people are just like them, the Americans and the Chinese share humor and laugh at the same thing." The U.S. News & World Report rankings of over 17,000 high schools across the country have been released, and Pennsylvania schools were rated against one another as well as against schools across the nation. The schools were graded on a number of factors, including how well they prepare students for college, for their state assessments and on how effectively they cater to underserved student populations. And an examination in these areas revealed that out of 50 states, Pennsylvania came in 17th place overall. READ MORE: Graded on diversity and more, this Pa. school ranks in the top 5 in U.S. A total of 656 schools in Pennsylvania were examined by the study, and of those schools, 179 of them ranked in the top 25% of those in the nation. An additional 62 ranked in the top 10% of those rated, and 23 schools made it into the prestigious top 5% of schools in the country, including one in Dauphin County. The majority of the other highest-ranked 23 schools in the state were found in or near the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas. To see the full national rankings, as well as rankings by state and more details on the study, visit the U.S. News website here. READ MORE: This is the best school in central Pa., according to U.S. News U.S. News and World Report has released rankings of over 17,000 public high schools from across the country, examining criteria including grades, diversity and college access. And one school in Pennsylvania broke into the top 5 schools in the nation. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School in Philadelphia took fourth place nationwide, following BASIS Peoria in Peoria, Ariz., in first, Signature School in Evansville, Ill., in second (both charter schools), and Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, Wash., in third. A great high school educates all of its students from different social and economic backgrounds, exposing them to challenging coursework on the path to graduation, reads U.S. News explanation of its scoring metrics. The highest ranked U.S. public schools in U.S. News & World Reports 2024 Best High Schools rankings are those whose students demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading and science state assessments, earned qualifying scores on an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions. The study was done with RTI International, a nonprofit social science research firm based in North Carolina, and ranked roughly 17,600 public schools. A total of 25,000 schools were included in the review process. Private high schools were not ranked, due to the lack of available info for the study, but charter and magnet schools were included. To fit the criteria for review, schools needed a 12-grade enrollment of 15 students or greater during the 2021-2022 school year. The schools were then analyzed in six criteria, with those scores being converted into a 0 to 100 score. The criteria included in the study, and the percentage of that ranking that went into the final score, were as follows: College Readiness (30%) College Curriculum Breadth (10%) State Assessment Proficiency (20%) State Assessment Performance (20%) Underserved Student Performance (10%) Graduation Rate (10%) The second-highest scoring Pennsylvania school was Downingtown STEM Academy, in 46th place nationally. Next was Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy in Plains, at 132nd place, then Conestoga High School in Berwyn at 186, and Central High School in Philadelphia at 222. From there Radnor High School in Radnor was at 320, Great Valley High School in Malvern was 398, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 was 413, Upper Saint Clair High School in Pittsburgh was 426, and Harriton High School in Rosemont landed at 482. Most of the highest-ranked schools in Pennsylvania were found in or near the greater Philadelphia or Pittsburgh areas. To see the full national rankings, as well as rankings by state and more details on the study, visit the U.S. News website here. Story by Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. By Sydney Carruth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) PITTSBURGH Echoes of the chant, Free free Palestine rang throughout the lawn in front of the University of Pittsburghs Cathedral of Learning Tuesday afternoon as a group of demonstrators gathered to demand the school disclose investments in Israeli organizations. The group, made up of more than 20 students and some unaffiliated with the university, gathered around banners that read free Palestine, and genocide Joe, how many kids have you killed today? in what organizers said was a show of solidarity with other universities across the country who were advocating for Palestinian liberation. Tuesdays demonstration came as Pitt students flocked to their campus polling location to cast their votes in Pennsylvanias primary election. Statewide, groups opposing President Joe Bidens support of Israel in its war against Hamas, are urging Democratic voters to write in No Joe on their primary ballots. Organizers of the demonstration pointed specifically to their solidarity with multiple other campuses across the country including Columbia University; Yale; Tufts; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Vanderbilt University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Students called on the university to make a public statement condemning the genocide in Gaza, and asked for all ties with Israeli universities to be cut. They also demanded Pitt divest from companies they said are complicit in apartheid, occupation, and genocide within the Consolidated Endowment Fund. University divestment from companies with ties to Israel has been a key platform for pro-Palestine college students for decades, but the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has reinvigorated the issue, pushing to the center stage of protests across the country. The Pitt demonstration originally began inside the Cathedral of Learning, before it was moved to the outside lawn where the organizing group said in an Instagram post they plan to remain until Friday. Boxes of snacks and stacks of books and art were spread out across the lawn while some protesters were wrapped in Palestinian flags. Campus police stood feet away monitoring what remained a peaceful demonstration. 2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A 17-year-old who shot and killed a man in Lancaster County was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison, authorities said. Elijahuwon Brown, of Lancaster, was sentenced for shooting and killing Rolando Rivera, 23, in August 2021, in the 500 block of Third Street. Brown was 14 years old at the time of the murder, according to the Lancaster County District Attorneys Office. Brown was sentenced on April 19 by Lancaster County Judge Merrill Spahn after pleading guilty in October 2023 to charges of criminal homicide and two firearm offenses. On Aug. 27, 2021, around 9:44 p.m., Lancaster City police found Rivera lying dead on the 500 block of Third Street with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso. Police also found eight Blazer brand 9mm shell casings on the scene, the DAs office said. The Lancaster County coroner determined Riveras cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner to be homicide. Detectives located video footage showing Brown walking behind Rivera but on the opposite side of Manor Street. When Rivera made it to Third Street, Brown ran up behind him and started shooting multiple times at Rivera. After Rivera fell down, police said Brown continued to shoot at him. After the shooting, Brown ran away from the scene. Brown was charged, arrested, and arraigned on Sept. 2, 2021, and committed to Lancaster County Prison without bail, according to the DAs office. Brown faced a maximum sentence of life in prison, but because he was under the age of 15 when he committed the murder, he was not subject to the mandatory life sentence that adults would face, the DAs office said. The minimum sentence Brown faced was 25 years. During the sentencing hearing, Brown apologized to Rolandos family, according to a report from Lancaster Online. I am truly sorry to Rolandos family, he said, adding he acted selfishly. I ask for forgiveness every day. I truly am sorry for what I have done. First Assistant District Attorney Travis Anderson read an impact statement from Riveras mother. In the statement, she mentioned Rivera made mistakes and poor decisions, but it should not have resulted in him losing his life. In his final walk, he crossed paths with evil, according to Lancaster Online. Spahn said he considered everything about the case, including Browns childhood neglect, as Browns mother was 13 when he was born and recently spent time in prison. His father spent 11 years in prison, according to Lancaster Online. Spahn told Brown that Riveras murder was as cold, calculated and inhumane as I have ever seen. Researchers are looking into the sudden death of two hunters after they developed rare neurological conditions. CBS News reports that the men, both hunters, both died after developing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a prion disease that leads to degenerative neurological conditions, similar to dementia, but with much more rapid mental deterioration. A study from experts at the University of Texas at San Antonio, published earlier this month in the clinical journal Neurology, suggests the possibility that the men contracted the condition after consuming deer meat that was infected with chronic wasting disease. At least half of the electricity needed to power 16 state government agencies will come from the sun within one to three years, making Pennsylvania the first state in the nation to achieve such a clean energy threshold. Standing beside a recently constructed solar array in West Manchester Township, York County, on Monday under sunny skies, Gov. Josh Shapiro said this array along with nine others will provide more reliable, affordable electricity for the commonwealth and fewer carbon emissions contributing to directly to climate change. The prime minister is condemning a protest this weekend on Parliament Hill where a demonstrator was heard supporting the brutal Hamas attack on Israel last fall. A damaged clock outside a home that came under attack during a massive Hamas invasion into Kibbutz Nir Oz, Israel, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Francisco Seco Newly unsealed prosecution exhibits reveal that a former Trump White House aide, who had daily access to the now ex-president and the Oval Office, flipped and cooperated with the FBI. Here is the section of the government exhibit that has the name of the former Trump White House aide redacted: The list of top White House aides who had access to Trump and the Oval Office every day is not long. One name should jump out ahead of all others: former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Meadows had daily access to Trump and the Oval Office. If it is Meadows who cooperated with the FBI investigation, it would explain how Special Counsel Jack Smith has such detailed knowledge about how the classified documents were handled at the White House and ended up at Trumps home. The Feds had someone who was in the Oval Office with Trump cooperating with them. While the Manhattan criminal trial is getting started, a big criminal federal case in Florida is still raging. If Jack Smith can ever get Aileen Cannon out of the way, and get this trial happening, the classified documents case could make the hush money trial in Manhattan look like childs play. 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] In a call with reporters, the Biden campaign sent Trump reeling on the abortion issue as the President is set to give a speech about reproductive freedom in Florida. Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler said: Nearly one week before the states most extreme abortion ban goes into effect. A Florida ban will rip away access to reproductive care before many women even know theyre pregnant. If that werent bad enough, the Florida ban will also effectively impose a total abortion ban on the entire southeastern United States. Since Roe was overturned, bans have gone into effect in Georgia and all of Floridas other bordering states. As a result of that, the number of out-of-state abortion patients in Florida nearly doubled. Now, many women in the southeast may have to drive for days or longer to reach the pulses clinics, which are already seeing large numbers of out-of-state patients and struggling with strained resources. Theres one person to blame for this cruelty and thats Donald Trump. Trump appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who overturn Roe v. Wade. The fact that he proudly brags about an after the Arizona Supreme Court turned the clock back to 1864. Trump said state bans are quote, working exactly the way theyre supposed to. And Trump refuses to say how he will vote on the Florida abortion referendum as a resident of the state. But lets be honest, we know the answer to that. In all the other questions, Donald Trump has tried to dodge or double-talk on this issue. Trump will do everything he can to ban abortion nationwide. Whenever Trump has had power, hes used it to take away rights from women. his track record of disrespecting women is famously consistent and spans decades, including his personal life, his business career, and his time as an elected official. So theres no doubt if Trump is reelected, will use his power to take away freedoms and rights even more when Trumps closest allies have a comprehensive strategy to ban abortion across the country without even having to go through Congress using just Trumps executive authority. Trump knows that abortion is a potentially fatal issue to his presidential hopes, which is why he has tried to muddy the waters and run away from his full-throated support for a national ban. Arizona Coordinated Campaign Senior Advisor Jen Cox said on the call, In Arizona, we value our freedoms, and reproductive rights are deeply popular in the state. Since Dobbs, Democrats in Arizona have repeatedly run on campaigns by highlighting abortion access in fact, Democrats have won statewide repeatedly over the last eight years since 2016. Donald Trump knows his politics arent popular here. So hes trying to run from his record. But let me be clear, Donald Trump did this to Arizona. He appointed the Supreme Court justices that overturned Roe, which made it possible for our state Supreme Court to turn back the clock to a time before women had the right to vote. Donald Trump also continues to support attacks on contraception in the state Magga Republicans in Arizonas legislature recently blocked efforts to protect the right to contraception. One local GOP leader even argued that women should put aspirin between their knees instead. Wisconsin Coordinated Campaign Senior Advisor Tanya Bjork added, Voters have made very clear where they stand on this issue and Donald Trump is on the losing side. But it shouldnt have to be this way. Women should not be one justice or one election away from losing their fundamental rights. Because of Donald Trump. Wisconsinites have been living with fear and uncertainly uncertainty for nearly two years now. womens lives are at risk every single day. Maternal mortality rates are up because of Donald Trump. Reproductive freedom is an issue that matters in every state. All 50 states have women living women, and all of those women are at risk of losing their rights if Donald Trump returns to the White House. While the nation is paying attention to Trumps criminal trial in Manhattan, the Biden campaign is working hard in swing states and even states that have flipped more red, like Florida, on issues that matter to voters. As Trump tries to avoid prison, President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting for reproductive freedom, and they are making the choice in November clear to voters everywhere. Donald Trump is trying to save his freedom while taking away yours. 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] Trump is angry that no one is showing up to support him at his criminal trial, and today just one MAGA protester showed up for the ex-president. MSNBCs Lawrence ODonnell posted: Today's courthouse Trump supporter count is down to 1. https://t.co/vRslGAD7l8 Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) April 23, 2024 Before the trial started today, Trump said, Whats going on is a disgrace. And thats interesting outside for great Americans people who want to come down and they want to protest at the court and they want to protest peacefully. We have more police presence here than anyones ever seen but blocks. You cant get near this door and yet you have nobody up at college. We have very radical people wanting to rip the colleges down the universities down. Trump thinks that the police are keeping supporters away from his trial, but the reality is that Trumps supporters dont seem to care about the trial and arent interested in showing up. Trumps supporters are both grossly misinformed about the criminal charges that he is facing, and if they do know about them, they dont care. Donald Trump thought that he could get his supporters outraged on his behalf and they would storm the streets. This play worked in 2020, because his supporters voted in the election and had an interest in the outcome. Trump supporters had nothing to do with the conspiracy to hide information from voters or the payments to Stormy Daniels. Trumps supporters show how little they care about this trial by not coming to court to protest for the defendant. 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] Before the gag order violation hearing, Trump went on a political rant because he was upset that not enough MAGAs were protesting for him outside the courthouse. Trump said, Whats going on is a disgrace. And thats interesting outside for great Americans people who want to come down and they want to protest at the court and they want to protest peacefully. We have more police presence here than anyones ever seen but blocks. You cant get near this door and yet you have nobody up at college. We have very radical people wanting to rip the colleges down the universities down. Video: Trump is really upset because he thinks the police are keeping his MAGA protesters away from the court house, So we have more police presence here than anyones ever seen for blocks. pic.twitter.com/EpPIg26zou PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) April 23, 2024 As The New York Times reported, the MAGAs have not shown up at Trumps trial: Donald J. Trump was evidently not happy with what he saw out the window of his chauffeured S.U.V. as he rode through Lower Manhattan on Monday morning for the beginning of opening arguments in his first criminal trial. The scene that confronted him as he approached the dingy courthouse at 100 Centre Street was underwhelming. Across the street, at Collect Pond Park, the designated site for protesters during the trial, only a handful of Trump supporters had gathered, and the number would not grow much throughout the morning. Trump has spent years to make his legal troubles a shared burden with his supporters. He keeps telling them that the government is also coming for them. The ex-president has virtually begged his supporters to come out and protest on his behalf. Donald Trump wants an intimidating show of strength. Instead, he has gotten a few stragglers here and there. The kind of protesters who also hang out on street corners and hand out doomsday conspiracy theory pamphlets. The MAGAs have stopped showing up for Trump. There has been lots of media speculation as to why, but the answer is pretty simple. Conservative media, where MAGAs get their information is not covering Trumps legal woes. Most of his supporters are uninformed about his legal woes. The other reason why MAGAs arent showing up is that they know that Trumps court cases have nothing to do with their lives, and their dont care. Trump fatigue is real. The former president isnt the draw that he used to be. Each day when he comes to court with his freedom on the line, Trump is confronted with the reality that his strength is an illusion , and the crowd whose love he needs for constant validation is not there. 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] COLUMBIA The South Carolina Senate started debating a budget Tuesday that accelerates a planned income tax cut instead of the House plan to use $500 million to give homeowners a one-time property tax rebate. Once the spending plan passes the Senate, a group of three House members and three senators likely including the leaders of each chamber's budget committee is going to have to sort out the differences over the next month or so with the tax break and other items in South Carolina's $15.4 billion spending plan for next budget year. Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler has called the competing tax breaks a wonderful problem to have in the 2024-25 fiscal year budget, which again left lawmakers with a substantial pot of additional money to spend. But Peeler has left little doubt he thinks spending $100 million to knock the income tax rate most people pay in the state from 6.3 percent to 6.2 percent is the right move, saying it lasts forever compared to a one-year drop in property tax. The state is in the middle of a five-year effort to cut its top income tax rate from 7 percent to 6 percent. The money involved comes from an account meant to provide property tax relief. Sales tax goes into the fund, and a boom in spending during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has left the account flush with cash. The House budget suggested giving the money back as a property tax rebate. But county officials worry property tax bills will snap back next year and homeowners will be angry at them. Along with $100 million in income tax cuts, the Senate plan spends the $500 million on roads and bridges, local water and sewer system repairs, and other items. Another item the budget conference committee will have to resolve is how much of a raise state employees get. The Senate plan would give state employees making less than $50,000 a raise of $1,375 a year. Workers making more than that would get a 2.75 percent boost in pay. The House plan gives a $1,000 raise to workers making less than $66,667 and a 1.5 percent raise to those who make more. PELZER Nearly five years after an inmate was killed by his cellmate without a guard being aware, the state's prison agency has settled a suit with the inmate's mother. The South Carolina Department of Corrections agreed to pay $300,000 to the mother of Carl Andrew Pollen Jr. in exchange for the lawsuit being dismissed, according to an April 18 settlement filing. The suit came after Pollen was attacked by his cellmate, William Edward Tillman, following an argument on April 29, 2019. Tillman kicked Pollen several times in the head and then strangled him with a sheet in their cell at Perry Correctional Institution near Pelzer, according to an arrest warrant released at the time. In the lawsuit, attorneys for Pollen's mother alleged the prison had a "long history of overcrowding" and failed to provide adequate security. There weren't enough guards, leaving the wing of Perry where Tillman and Pollen were staying unattended at the time of the murder, the suit alleged. SCDC admitted in its response to the lawsuit that the prison has had overcrowding and that some inmates had access to weapons like shanks. The agency also admitted the guard assigned to the wing could not hear Tillman and Pollen arguing from where he was located, court records show. SCDC declined to comment to The Post and Courier, citing a policy of not commenting on civil litigation. An attorney representing Pollen's mother did not respond to a call from the newspaper Tillman pleaded guilty to Pollen's murder in February, marking his third murder conviction and second while in prison. He was given a second life sentence and, in 2022, he was transferred to Broad River Secure Facility, one of the state's most restrictive prisons, records show. Tillman's first murder charge stemmed from killing his roommate by stabbing him in the neck with a butcher knife in Spartanburg County in 1998. His second came three years later, when he stabbed his cellmate at the McCormick Correctional Institution. PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 10:10:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 323 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / ADR Studio Management, a leader in innovative graphic design solutions, is thrilled to announce a triumphant sweep at this year's industry award circuits. The firm has secured three prestigious accolades, underscoring its commitment to excellence and creativity in the design sector.In a recent and prestigious gathering of industry leaders, ADR Studio Management was honored with the title of Best Graphic Design and Communication Company 2024. This award highlights the studio's dedication to superior graphic design and effective communication strategies that stand out in the marketplace.Adding to their impressive suite of recognitions, ADR Studio Management also clinched the Design Skill Award for Custom and Unique Product Design. This award is a testament to the studio's ability to push creative boundaries and deliver tailor-made solutions that not only meet but exceed client expectations.Further solidifying its reputation as a global powerhouse, the studio was celebrated as the Global Award Graphic Design Company of the Year 2023/2024. This accolade recognizes the global impact and consistency of ADR Studio Management's contributions to the field of graphic design, setting new benchmarks for quality and innovation.Antonio De Rosa, Founder of ADR Studio Management, expressed gratitude and excitement about the firm's achievements: "These awards are a reflection of the hard work, creativity, and passion that our team pours into every project. We are deeply honored by this recognition and remain committed to fostering innovation in all aspects of our work." ADR Studio Management has earned more than 25 awards and accolades to date, demonstrating the studio's enduring commitment to excellence. The full list of awards can be viewed at www.adrstudio.io/awards For more information about ADR Studio Management and its award-winning projects, please visit www.adrstudio.io Contact info:Antonio De RosaADR Studio ManagementFDAU0030 - Compass Building, Al Shohada Road, AL Hamra Industrial Zone-FZ, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE info@ adrstudio.ioFacebookInstagramLinkedIn PR Media info: icoboosterteam.com frank@ icoboosterteam.com SOURCE: ADR Studio PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 15:23:00 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 23, 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 HERE . YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK TO COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://youtu.be/PB_vrMuHE7w LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: MAY 20, 2024CLASS PERIOD: APRIL 15, 2021, THROUGH FEBRUARY 27, 2024CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Email at info@ ktmc.com DEFENDANTS' MISCONDUCTagilon is a healthcare and technology company that acts as an intermediary between physician groups that provide medical services to senior citizens and Medicare and Medicare Advantage insurers. One of agilon's key financial metrics is "medical margin," which the Company defines as medical services revenue less medical services expenses.The Class Period begins on April 15, 2021, which is the day after the Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC and the first day agilon shares were publicly traded in connection with the IPO.Throughout the Class Period, Defendants repeatedly touted the strength of agilon's medical margin. Additionally, Defendants downplayed the significant cost pressures on the Company's medical margin and profitability. For example, on June 7, 2023, just days before other health insurers such as UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Humana Inc. reported significant increases in medical costs, Defendant Bensley, speaking at an analyst-sponsored healthcare conference, reported that Defendants "expect this year to generate somewhere around $550 million of medical margin," noting that the Company has seen "steady progress on medical margin upwards." Investors began to learn the truth about the cost pressures impacting agilon's medical margin and profitability on November 2, 2023, when the Company announced its third quarter 2023 financial results after the market closed. Critically, agilon reported a net loss of $31 million for the third quarter of 2023 and slashed its fiscal year 2023 medical margin to a range between $455 million and $470 million. Defendant Sell also assured investors that agilon's more conservative approach to guidance "should reduce the risk of negative claims development next year." On this news, the price of agilon common stock declined $3.78 per share, or more than 22% over two trading-days, from a close of $16.89 per share on November 2, 2023, to close at $13.11 per share on November 6, 2023.After several additional disclosures in November 2023, investors more fully learned the truth about the cost pressures on agilon's medical margin and profitability before the market opened on January 5, 2024, when agilon updated its fiscal year 2023 financial results and provided its initial outlook for 2024. Critically, agilon further slashed its 2023 medical margin guidance more than $100 million, to a range between $340 million and $360 million, due to "higher-than-expected medical costs." This represented a decline of more than 34% from the $550 million in medical margin it had predicted. On the related investor guidance call, Defendant Sell acknowledged that agilon "failed to recognize these elevated cost trends" and had "a data and analytics gap that led to [the Company] being late in both recognizing the magnitude and source of the utilization shifts." Defendant Sell further indicated that the increased cost trends were expected to persist through 2024. Also on January 5, 2024, Defendant Bensley announced that he would retire in 2024. On this news, the price of agilon common stock plummeted $3.45 per share, or nearly 29%, from a close of $12.08 per share on January 4, 2024, to close at $8.63 per share on January 5, 2024.Finally, on February 27, 2024, agilon disclosed that its 2023 medical margin had in fact come in at just $299 million for the year - far lower than the range of $340 million to $360 million provided just a few weeks prior. Furthermore, agilon slashed its 2024 medical margin guidance by 27%. On this news, the price of agilon common stock dropped from $6.48 per share when the market closed on February 27, 2024, to $6.04 per share on March 1, 2024, a 7% decline on abnormally heavy volume of a three-day period. In subsequent days, the price of agilon stock continued to decline, falling to a low of just $5.66 per share on March 6, 2024, more than 85% below the Class Period high.WHAT CAN I DO?agilon investors may, no later than May 20, 2024, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages agilon investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 02:01:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 341 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 First Hearing Took Place at Daily Center TodayCHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2024 / Amidst the pandemic, Loyola University of Chicago evicted the Onward restaurant on its Lake Shore Campus, owner Michael Olszewski shares. On April 22nd at 9 a.m. at the Daley Center in Chicago, a Cook County court hearing led to the court case being set for June 24th at 9 a.m. at the Daley Center.The Onward restaurant, formerly situated at 6566 - 6590 N Sheridan Road / 1209 W Albion Avenue, was envisioned as a flagship fine-dining establishment aligning with Loyola's campus development plans. Mr. Olszewski, a local father and restauranteur, invested over a million dollars of personal funds to transform an unfinished space into a high-quality dining experience. Olszewski has a reputation for opening Michelin star restaurants.Olszeweski has said that Loyola was originally excited about the venture. However, in March 2021, Loyola University Chicago issued an eviction notice to Onward restaurant. This decision impacted the restaurant's operations and revenue."Two of my children were Loyola students and I am just disappointed that I can no longer carry out my dream of having a high-end restaurant in Roger's Park for the community. I let my guard down in business and I should have known better," the veteran business owner, Olszewski said.Additionally, Loyola only gave Olszewski four hours to collect his belongings on Loyola's graduation date, which led him to not being able to recoup most of the items that he would have been able to use for financial gain.This hearing will establish the next steps. The hearing begins at 9 a.m. and will be located at Daley Center (room 2004) Oleszewski is currently available for interviews and commentary prior to or following the hearing.Just this past week, local publications covered that a new restaurant will be going in the space later this year after sitting empty since the end of 2022. For any media inquiries please reach out to: Samantha Tamas at: (847) 703-0529.# # #Contact InformationSamantha TamasSenior Publicistinfo@ exclusivepr.biz 8477030529SOURCE: OnwardView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 17:27:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 988 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Contract renewals reflect high customer satisfaction with Cloud DX Connected Health products and services across North America.News in Summary On April 4, 2024, Cloud DX renewed a 12-month Master Deployment Agreement with an Ontario County Paramedic Service and on April 18, 2024, Cloud DX renewed a 24-month Master Deployment Agreement with the Guelph Wellington - City of Guelph Paramedic Service. In Ontario, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) services are offered in the community under the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program (CPLTC). Cloud DX Connected Health RPM products and services allow Community Paramedics to monitor seniors where they live, extending the time they can stay at home in comfort and reducing pressure on nursing home waiting lists. Cloud DX has announced 24 new contracts and/or contract renewals, valued at $5,100,000 CAD so far in 2024. Notable announcements include new contracts with Ontario Paramedics, Ottawa University Research Institute, VHA Home HealthCare and Health PEI. Cloud DX will report Fiscal Year 2023 results and hold an Earnings call on Monday April 29, 2024. Please register for the Earnings Call HERE.KITCHENER, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Cloud DX (TSXV:CDX)(OTCQB:CDXFF), a leading North American provider of virtual care and remote patient monitoring platforms is pleased to announce the renewal on April 4, 2024 of the Master Deployment Agreement with an Ontario County Paramedic Service for 12 months. On April 18, 2024, the Company renewed the Master Deployment Agreement with Guelph Wellington - City of Guelph Paramedic Service for 24 months.In Ontario, Community Paramedic Services offer Cloud DX Connected Health RPM services to seniors who can benefit from daily monitoring of vital signs, physical symptoms and in many cases, chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF). Patients can interact with the Paramedics via the Cloud DX mobile app, allowing for close oversight and empowering patients to help manage their own care.The Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care (CPLTC) program is fully funded by the Ontario provincial government to provide additional care for seniors before admission into long-term care. Recently the province announced an additional $174 million CAD in funding to expand the CPLTC program from 2024 onwards.Including the purchase of products, subscriptions and bundled services, the aggregate value of these contracts is approximately $380,000 CAD. In their most recent financial statements Cloud DX reported gross margins of approximately 77%.Emily Cooper, Field Superintendent, Guelph Community Paramedicine stated: "Guelph Wellington Paramedic Service greatly values the ongoing partnership we have with Cloud DX, specifically through our Community Paramedicine program, and the healthcare benefits remote monitoring provides. Remote monitoring allows our Community Paramedicine team to catch and prevent health exacerbations and alert the client's circle of care to better support them to stay well, in their home." Cloud DX Founder and CEO Robert Kaul commented: "Contract renewals are a key sales metric for Cloud DX, and we are very pleased to be able to continue serving these very satisfied clients. Cloud DX has the distinction of announcing agreements with Community Paramedic Services in 10 Ontario counties and to date, at each opportunity our Master Service Agreements have been renewed and extended. That makes the CPLTC Program, in aggregate, one of our largest customers." In comments published by CBC News, Renfrew County Paramedic Chief Michael Nolan stated "Community paramedics can lower the likelihood that those higher-use populations will call 911 or go to the emergency department by up to 70%. Community paramedics can visit and support vulnerable populations without adding more strain on emergency providers - something that can be done in the patient's own home, not in a hospital bed." About Cloud DXAccelerating digital healthcare, Cloud DX is on a mission to make healthcare better for everyone. Our Connected Health remote patient monitoring platform is used by healthcare enterprises and care teams across North America to virtually manage chronic disease, enable aging in place, and deliver hospital-quality post-surgical care in the home. Our partners achieve better healthcare and patient outcomes, reduce the need for hospitalization or re-admission, and reduce healthcare delivery costs through more efficient use of resources. Cloud DX is the co-winner of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, winner of "2022 Top Innovator" from Canadian Business, a 2021 "Edison Award" winner, a Fast Company "World Changing Idea" finalist, and one of "Canada's Ten Most Prominent Telehealth Providers." Cloud DX is an exclusive partner to Medtronic Canada and Teladoc Health Canada.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.Cloud DX Investor Site https://ir.clouddx.com/overview/default.aspx Social LinksTwitter https://twitter.com/CloudDX Facebook https://www.facebook.com/clouddxinc/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-dx/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cloud.dx/ For media inquiries please contact:Marketing Enquiries Phone 888-543-0944 marketing@ clouddx.com For investor inquiries please contact:Jay Bedard Cloud DX Investor Relations Phone 647-881-8418 investors@ clouddx.com Officer responsible for this Press Release:Robert Kaul Chief Executive Officer Phone 888-543-0944 ceo@ clouddx.com Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or impli PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 03:00:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 935 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MONROVIA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2024 / Rooted in his extensive experience as an educational leader for 20 years, including service as Superintendent of the Monrovia Unified School District, Dr. Smith advocates for a student-centric, forward-thinking, and inspiring approach to educational leadership. Dr. Ryan Smith is offering insights on how to improve college enrollment in California. He bases his motivation in an EdSource report that recently revealed a startling fact that will likely surprise many Californians: nearly half of the state's high school graduates find themselves unqualified to enter either the University of California (UC) or the California State University (CSU) systems. The core issue, the report notes, lies with the 'A-G requirements', the mandatory coursework for admission into these universities, which a significant number of graduates fail to fulfill. Graduation rates and A-G completion rates, the reports notes, have seen only minor improvements over the past decade.This data, while troubling, is no revelation to educators and policymakers in California. Schools and districts have long been creating strategies to enhance A-G completion rates. Measures include integrating metrics in their accountability models and developing comprehensive plans. Despite these efforts, the problem remains pervasive - and the real roadblock here seems to be the complexity of making a real, meaningful change.Dr. Smith believes that tackling this issue begins with a shift in mindset and elevated expectations. The ultimate goal of education, he says, should be to equip every student with the ability and choice to attend a four-year college if they wish. Addressing the inequities in A-G requirement completion, Dr. Ryan Smith notes, is the first step to challenging the notion that a four-year college path isn't for everyone.While not every student may choose to pursue a four-year college education post-graduation, Dr. Smith says that it's vital to provide these students with the necessary skills to eventually attain a bachelor's degree, as and when needed.To conquer the obstacles that prevent students from fulfilling the A-G requirements, Dr. Smith says, schools must carry out comprehensive analyses. Aligning high school graduation prerequisites with A-G standards, broadening the range of courses that receive A-G credit, and reassessing course sequences, he notes, can all contribute to systemic reform.Facilitating student success in fulfilling A-G requirements, Dr. Smith says, demands an array of strategies. Programs like AVID foster a college-going culture, while technologies like MajorClarity streamline the process for counselors and admins.Dr. Smith adds that parents too play a key role in their children's journey towards college readiness. Starting from elementary school, parents need to be involved, informed, and empowered via strategies, resources, and tools to guide their students better.Although the existing level of college readiness among California's high school graduates is subpar, Dr. Ryan Smith says, it is not irreversible. This represents a call for all stakeholders in education to unite, fostering higher expectations, breaking down barriers, amplifying support, and bolstering partnerships with parents. The path towards educational equity and excellence is an arduous one, Dr. Smith says, but with these strategies, it is within reach. It's time to bring about the necessary change and ensure every student is prepared to excel in the fast-paced world that lies beyond school, with all options open.Additional Strategies for A-G Completion While the strategies mentioned above are crucial in tackling the issue of A-G completion, Dr. Ryan Smith says there are other avenues that can also contribute to improving outcomes for California's high school graduates. Some of these include:Encouraging and supporting advanced coursework: Dr. Ryan Smith notes that, schools should strive to offer a wide range of AP and IB courses, as well as other advanced coursework options, to prepare students for the rigor of college-level studies. He adds that, students should also be provided with adequate support and resources to succeed in these courses.Another strategy that Dr. Smith touches on is strengthening career and technical education (CTE): CTE programs, he says, can provide valuable skills and knowledge to students that can prepare them for both college and the workforce. By offering A-G credit for CTE courses, schools can incentivize students to take these courses and potentially earn A-G credits while exploring their career interests.Providing targeted interventions: Schools, according to Dr. Ryan Smith should identify at-risk students who are struggling to fulfill A-G requirements and provide them with targeted interventions such as credit recovery programs or academic tutoring. These interventions, he says, can help students catch up on missed credits and stay on track for graduation.Fostering a supportive and inclusive school culture: Creating an environment where students feel supported and valued, Dr. Ryan Smith says, can have a significant impact on their academic success. Schools, he notes, should promote inclusivity and provide resources for social-emotional support to help students navigate the challenges of high school.Offering summer programs or extended learning opportunities: Summer programs or extended learning opportunities during the school year, Dr. Ryan Smith says, can be beneficial for students who need additional time and support to complete their A-G requirements. These programs, he adds, can also help students earn credits in a more flexible and personalized setting.Overall, Dr. Smith says, addressing the issue of A-G completion requires a multi-faceted approach that involves collaboration from all stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, parents, and students themselves. By implementing these strategies and continuously assessing and adapting them as needed, we can work towards a future where every student has the opportunity and support to fulfill their potential and achieve success in college and beyond.CONTACT: https://www.ryandsmithedd.com Email: ryandsmithedd@ gmail.com SOURCE: Dr. Ryan Smith PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 17:48:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 667 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 In Regina, Mother Teresa Middle Schools land-based curriculum and interventionist approach improves outcomes for Indigenous studentsNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Pride of self. Pride of identity. Pride of tradition.Taught alongside standard subjects like math and history, culture is embedded in the land-based learning curriculum atMother Teresa Middle Schoolin Regina, and helps young learners-70% of whom are Indigenous-know and connect with who they are through a commitment to truth and reconciliation.Here in the Saskatchewan capital, students pick sweetgrass, the sacred hair of Mother Earth, and learn smudging ceremonies for healing and peace.Together with the community, they scrape buffalo hide, learning to honour the animal while creating something new with its skins. They fabricate colourful beaded accessories, which adorn their clothes while they drum and recount the stories of songkeepers."These programs cultivate a strong sense of cultural identity and pride," says Evie Koop Sawatzky, Director of Development at MTMS. "How powerful it is to see kids singing out in Cree and giving back to their community. It not only encourages other students, but it encourages the Elders that these songs and these stories will continue." Anindependent Catholic school , MTMS offers free education to about 60 students in Grades 6 through 8. In addition to offering its land-based learning curriculum, the school operates using an interventionist approach, providing wraparound care beyond what a typical school provides-they offer counselling, mentorship, family support, transportation, and two meals and snacks a day. If a student needs glasses, clothing, or extra auditory care, the school steps in.In a 2023 report, the provincial auditor explains that less than 44.7% of Indigenous students in Saskatchewan graduate from high school, which is whythe school's support doesn't end after middle school ."Our program is 11 years long," she says. " Our greater missionis to help vulnerable students achieve high school graduation, and pursue post-secondary education if they choose, while also supporting their journey to find meaningful employment." But it's during their three years in middle school that the students develop a strong foundation for school, work, and life habits."These are kids who are going somewhere and need support," Koop Sawatzky observes. "They're little seeds that are going to turn into something amazing. MTMS ignites a love of learning and empowers students to embrace their identities while overcoming obstacles." In support of MTMS' important mission, Enbridge contributed a $110,000Fueling Futures grantin late 2023-$50,000 in support of the cultural and-based learning program, $50,000 to help purchase a new school bus, and $10,000 for the school's holiday fundraising campaign.The school is a leader in Indigenous engagement, inclusion and awareness. We're impressed with their work to shift awareness ofIndigenous history, culture, rights, and inclusion , and empower youth at the same time.Their mission aligns with our long-held commitment to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and advance reconciliation, as outlined in ourIndigenous Reconciliation Action Plan .One key to MTMS' success is ensuring the students come to school. That's why our funding of the new school bus is integral to supporting education. Frequently, transportation is a barrier to attending school. Families move around, and children transfer from school to school, falling behind each time and losing the connection with their peers and instructors."Some students at MTMS have attended 15 or more schools before they arrive," Koop Sawatzky says. "These buses are really a lifeline between the students and keeping those relationships going for three solid years. I'll never look at a bus the same way again." The transportation service is just one way the school builds trust."The students know they can rely on us. They have a place that has their back. We want them to become all that they can be," Koop Sawatzky continues. "Because of supporters like Enbridge, we are making a lasting impact." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: EnbridgeWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridge Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Enbridge PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 14:01:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 471 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Minigun Integration Showcases the Firepower and Versatility of STOL UAS; Highlights Ability to Rapidly Integrate New Multi-Mission CapabilitiesSAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) confirms that its Mojave Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) destroyed static targets in live-fire tests on April 13, 2024, validating the system's battlefield relevance and recording another milestone for the demonstrator aircraft.GA-ASI partnered with Dillon Aero to mount two of Dillon's DAP-6 Gun Pod Systems onto the Mojave aircraft. Mojave performed seven passes across two flights during the demonstration, expending around 10,000 rounds of ammunition as the UAS shredded a variety of targets."Seeing our Mojave perform this live-fire demo really emphasizes the versatility of the Mojave UAS and what it can do," said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. "Mojave has the ability to act as a sensor, shooter, and sustainer while mitigating threat environments and vulnerabilities and safeguarding human lives." Mojave and its short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability has built significant interest in the military and aerospace communities. Mojave is unique: a UAS with significant payload capacity that can perform in areas once considered unsuitable for UAS operations. Its ability to take off and land from unimproved landing sites at short distances as well as operate from aircraft carriers - as it did in November 2023 as part of a demonstration with the United Kingdom's Royal Navy - is capturing imaginations and changing expectations about how large unmanned systems can be used.The live-fire demonstration took place at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, and was funded via GA-ASI's internal research and development budget.The Mojave technical demonstrator shares common systems and components with GA-ASI's modernized Gray Eagle 25M, effectively providing an expeditionary Gray Eagle STOL capability. In addition to a wing kit option for Gray Eagle, GA-ASI is planning one for the larger MQ-9B aircraft, which includes SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian models.The actual Mojave STOL UAS with multi-mission payloads will be on display in GA-ASI's booth (#792) at the Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit in Denver, Colorado, April 24-26, 2024.About GA-ASIGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable RPA systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator RPA series and the Lynx Multi-mode Radar. With more than eight million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent situational awareness. The company also produces a variety of sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas.For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com Avenger, Lynx, Predator, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.Contact InformationGA-ASI Media Relationsasi-mediarelations@ ga-asi.com +1 (858) 524-8101SOURCE: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-24 00:45:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 666 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Hagens Berman urges Globe Life Inc. (NYSE:GL) investors who suffered substantial losses to act now by submitting your losses here.Website: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/gl Contact An Attorney Now: GL@ hbsslaw.com Phone: 844-916-0895Globe Life Inc. (GL) Investigation:Embattled insurance giant Globe Life faces a double whammy: a federal investigation and explosive accusations of fraud.On Apr. 23, the company revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is probing Globe Life's business practices, particularly sales tactics used by agents selling policies for its largest subsidiary, American Income Life (AIL). The company received subpoenas in late 2023, raising questions about potential wrongdoing.While Globe Life claims full cooperation, the uncertainty surrounding the investigation hangs heavy. Co-CEO Frank Svoboda admitted the company cannot dismiss the possibility of legal action to follow.Adding fuel to the fire, activist short-seller Fuzzy Panda Research dropped a bombshell report on Apr. 11, accusing Globe Life of rampant insurance fraud. The Fuzzy Panda report, which relied on interviews with former executives and agents paints a troubling picture of misconduct within AIL. Among the allegations leveled against AIL are:Policies for the Deceased and Fictitious Individuals: AIL allegedly wrote insurance policies for deceased and fictitious people, artificially inflating their business metrics.Forged Signatures: The company is accused of forging signatures on policy documents, undermining the integrity of its operations.Unauthorized Fund Withdrawals: AIL allegedly withdrew funds from consumers' bank accounts without proper authorization, leaving policyholders financially vulnerable.Fictitious Bank Accounts: Agents purportedly used fictitious bank accounts to create fake policies, ensuring they met performance targets and received bonuses.Executives Potentially Implicated: The report points fingers at AIL's leadership. According to Fuzzy Panda, fraudulent practices became pervasive after Steve Greer became AIL's chief executive in 2017 and Dave Zophin became its president the following year.Staggering Financial Impact:Fuzzy Panda's interviews with former executives and sales agents suggest that over $200 million in fraudulent annual life insurance premiums (ALP) were written by AIL sales teams. The fallout from these revelations has been swift, with Globe Life's stock price plummeting and investors left grappling with substantial losses.Bribery and Kickback Scheme: In a further twist, Fuzzy Panda alleges that Globe Life executives orchestrated a $43 million bribery and kickback scheme to make money from the company's own recruits. The scheme allegedly involved executives' concealing their ownership of an insurance license testing vendor (Xcel Testing) while directing recruits to Xcel to prepare for their licensing exam.The combined weight of the DOJ probe and the Fuzzy Panda report sent Globe Life's stock price into a tailspin, plummeting over 50% this month."We are investigating the propriety of Globe Life's business practices," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Globe Life and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Globe Life investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Globe Life should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email GL@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 17:01:28 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 467 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 With SupremeRAID v1.6, Double Failure Protection Guarantees Seamless Access to Vital Data, Empowering Customers With Reliability and Peace of MindSANTA CLARA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Graid Technology, the award-winning data protection provider and developer of the only RAID card to offer customers access to the full performance of NVMe SSDs, is proud to announce its new software release, SupremeRAID v1.6. This new feature set addresses critical data integrity issues associated with double failures in RAID configurations.Announcing SupremeRAID Software Release v1.6 New double failure protection provides maximum RAID stability with minimal impact on overall system performance.A double failure occurs when a RAID system experiences a power outage or an unclean shutdown during the rebuilding of data from a previous disk failure. Traditionally, RAID systems utilize a persistent journal to log every I/O transaction and its corresponding parity. This method ensures that in-progress I/O operations and their parities can be recovered. The use of a single device to store this persistent journal has become a significant single point of failure and a bottleneck in modern NVMe SSD RAID configurations. Until now, this challenge has remained unaddressed in the market. With SupremeRAID v1.6, the distributed journal feature is designed to eliminate this single point of failure and significantly improve performance bottlenecks by distributing data and parity across all disks in a RAID group and redundantly journaling to provide maximum RAID stability with minimal impact on overall system performance."With data and parity already distributed across every disk in a RAID group," said Leander Yu, CEO of Graid Technology, "our new distributed journal feature is the perfect design to ensure maximum data integrity while maintaining high performance levels." Graid Technology is excited to announce that it will commence the distribution of the SupremeRAID v1.6 beta version to its OEM customers and key global accounts in early May. The public release of SupremeRAID v1.6 is scheduled for late June. This new version will simultaneously be available for all Graid Technology products.Graid Technology is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with an R&D center in Taipei, Taiwan. Winners of the esteemed Tech Trailblazers Storage Award for 2023 and the 2023 Golden Award at the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance, SupremeRAID performance is breaking world records as the first NVMe and NVMeoF RAID card to unlock the full potential of your SSD performance: a single SupremeRAID card delivers 28 million IOPS and 260GB/s of throughput. For more information on Graid Technology, visit www.graidtech.com or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.Contact InformationAndrea EakenDirector of Marketing, Americas & EMEA | Graid Technologyandrea.eaken@graidtech.com 949-742-9928Related FilesApril 2024 SupremeRAID Brochures and SpecsUnleash the Performance of PCIe Gen 5 with Supermicro SupremeRAID KIOXIA_white paperSOURCE: Graid Technology, Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 08:20:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 473 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 EASTLEIGH, UNITED KINGDOM / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / i3 Energy plc (AIM:I3E)(TSX:ITE), an independent oil and gas company with assets and operations in the UK and Canada, announces that a Notice of Annual General Meeting (the "Circular") will be posted to Shareholders on 28 May 2024. This announcement, and the filing by the Company of a Notice of Annual General Meeting and Record Date on SEDAR+, is made earlier than required by the Companies Act 2006 in the UK in order to satisfy the requirements applicable to the Company under Canadian securities laws.The Circular will be available on the Company's website at https://i3.energyon the anticipated date of posting, 28 May 2024, and will be mailed to UK and Canadian shareholders where it has been requested. The Circular will also be filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ atwww.sedarplus.caand on the Company's website on the date of posting.The Annual General Meeting ("AGM") is to be held at the offices of W H Ireland Limited at 24 Martin Lane, London, EC4R 0DR at 11 a.m. (BST) on 27 June 2024.ENDEnquiries:i3 Energy plcMajid Shafiq (CEO)c/o CamarcoTel: +44 (0) 203 757 4980WH Ireland Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker)James Joyce, Darshan PatelTel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666Tennyson Securities (Joint Broker)Peter KrensTel: +44 (0) 207 186 9030Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker)Ashton Clanfield, Callum StewartTel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600CamarcoAndrew Turner, Violet Wilson, Sam MorrisTel: +44 (0) 203 757 4980Notes to Editors:i3 Energy is an oil and gas Company with a low cost, diversified, growing production base in Canada's most prolific hydrocarbon region, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and appraisal assets in the North Sea with significant upside.The Company is well positioned to deliver future growth through the optimisation of its existing high working interest asset base and the acquisition of long life, low decline conventional production assets.i3 is dedicated to responsible corporate practices and the environment, and places high value on adhering to strong Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") practices. i3 is proud of its performance to date as a responsible steward of the environment, people, and capital management. The Company is committed to maintaining an ESG strategy, which has broader implications for long-term value creation, as these benefits extend beyond regulatory requirements.i3 Energy is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol I3E and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ITE. For further information on i3 Energy please visit https://i3.energy/ This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@ lseg.com or visit www.rns.com SOURCE: i3 Energy PLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 08:20:36 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 929 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 - Benefits of best practices implemented by Indonesia an example for the global community- 10th World Water Forum & Expo in Bali from 18~25 May : 'Water For Shared Prosperity'JAKARTA, April 23, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - The Indonesian government, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), believes that the 10th World Water Forum in Bali will be able to generate political consensus among participating heads of state, and achieve the agreements necessary to address the global climate challenge.The World Water Forum (WWF) is the largest gathering in water sectors involving various stakeholders, and is co-hosted by the World Water Council and a host city. Held every three years, it has been taking place since 1997, with participants from politics, multilateral institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector.The Government of the Republic of Indonesia will host the 10th World Water Forum in Bali from 1825 May 2024. The National Organizing Committee (NOC) is chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut B. Pandjaitan, while the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Basuki Hadimuljono, will serve as Daily Chairperson.This year's Forum will be attended by numerous heads of state, with several former world leaders expressing their intention to be present, considering it necessary to attend. These include the former Presidents of Chile, Hungary, Slovenia, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Costa Rica. The former Prime Ministers of Belgium, Korea, and Bhutan will also be present."With the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have been making efforts to ensure that as many world leaders are in attendance as possible," said Endra S. Atmawidjaja, Expert Member at the Ministry of PUPR, in Jakarta. "Indonesia has achieved success in water governance with local cultural approaches. The WWF involves the various stakeholders, and therefore benefits from best practices implemented by Indonesia, an example for the global community."For example, the Subak system in Bali, which has been recognized by UNESCO for its irrigation governance with local wisdom, or Lake Bratan, also in Bali. The Grand Forest Park (Tahura), and the importance of mangroves in supporting water management. These are examples that world leaders and delegates can directly observe," said Endra."Domestic and international media are crucial, as they contribute to the forum's success and serve as a bridge to disseminate the importance of water management for the sustainability of life in the future. We invite the media to observe and convey the many examples of water governance that we have implemented. From Indonesia to the world, he added.The 10th World Water Forum: Main ThemesThe 10th WWF in Bali will carry a main theme of "Water for Shared Prosperity." This gathering of leaders will address and discuss water issues while seeking collective solutions to water governance challenges. The forum will produce a Ministerial Declaration (MD) as a main output, along with concrete deliverables (projects, initiatives, joint actions).Indonesia will forward four proposals for the Ministerial Declaration (MD), including the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Water and Climate Resilience (COE), mainstreaming Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on Small Islands, and the designation of World Lake Day (WLD). Additionally, the MD will include a Compendium of Concrete Deliverables and Actions, an initiative for the follow-up to the 10th WWF.The 10th WWF & Expo 2024: Bali Itinerary, May 18 ~ 25The WWF 2024 opening will take place on Saturday, 18 May at Melasti Beach, with a Balinese Water Purification Ceremony. This event, to be attended by 1,500 people, includes Rahina Tumpek Uye (Balinese Hindu ceremony expressing gratitude to animals in human life) and Segara Kerthi (Balinese Hindu ceremony seeking blessings from the sea gods) ceremonies.The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park will host the Welcoming Gala Dinner on Sunday, 19 May. The event will be attended by 2,500 people and will consist of 500 VVIP and VIP invitations. 2,000 people have been invited to attend the second location at GWK Lotus Pond.The Opening Ceremony and High-Level Meeting commence on Monday, 20 May at the Bali International Convention Center (BICC), Nusa Dua. This will be followed immediately by meetings between responsible parties for the political, thematic, and regional processes, as well as bilateral meetings with several heads of state. 5,500 participants will attend.The WWF Fair & Expo 2014 opening will be held at Nusa Dua Hall BNDCC on the same day, Monday, 20 May. The Fair & Expo venues will be spread across BNDCC, BICC, and Kuta Beach.The sessions for political, thematic, and regional processes will be held from 20 - 25 May. Meanwhile, the High-Level Meetings and Ministerial Meetings will take place from 20 May to 21 May.The Cultural Night (Farewell) will be held at Taman Bhagawan on Friday, 24 May. This event will be attended by 3,000 participants who will be welcomed and presented with Indonesian traditional food, regional dances, and culture.Lastly, the Closing Ceremony will commence on Saturday, 25 May, at Mangupura Hall. After this event, participants will be taken on field trips, including the Water Museum in Tabanan, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jatiluwih, Lake Batur in Kintamani, and the Cultural Village in Ubud.Written by TR/Elvira Inda Sari/WW, ANTARA: https://en.antaranews.com Visit:Worldwaterforum10: https://worldwaterforum.org WWF on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/worldwaterforum10/ WWF on Twitter|X : https://twitter.com/WWaterForum10 WWF on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@10thWorldWaterForum/ WWF on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/wwf10/ Please contact:Director General, Public Information and Communications, Ministry of Communications & Informatics (KOMINFO), Usman Kansong, t: +62 81 678 5320, e: humas@ mail.kominfo.go.id For daily WWF news and information, please visit https://infopublik.id For Media registration, https://media.worldwaterforum.org/registration/login PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 14:01:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 396 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Smartsourcing leader in BPO services increases its presence at the AFS event, educating attendees on the benefits of next-generation outsourcingBURNABY, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Leading business process outsourcing company Integrated Financial Technologies (IFT) announced it will sponsor a roundtable discussion at the Auto Finance Summit East 2024 event, one of the most prominent events focused on the auto financing sector. AFS East takes place May 1-3 at The Grand Hyatt Nashville Hotel. IFT is sponsoring the "Enhancing Dealer Relations in a Tightened Lending Environment" session on Friday, May 3, starting at 10:45 a.m. Panelists will include high-ranking finance officers from lending institutions and industry experts.IFT offers a comprehensive portfolio of "smartsourcing" services that provides lenders with highly skilled agents who leverage its proprietary IFT Ignite technology. This service helps lenders manage business processes and tasks without having to hire staff or redirect internal personnel. The activities IFT's smartsourcing solutions address include customer service, inbound sales, compliance and regulatory matters, and outbound marketing programs. All services are conducted under the lender's brand guidelines. The use of smartsourcing teams are proving to be a cost-effective strategy for lenders to augment staff, especially in today's challenging economic environment."AFS Finance Summit East provides invaluable education and networking opportunities for lenders," said IFT President Tod Chisholm. "We're delighted to support the Enhancing Dealer Relations panel, which will surely open a relevant dialog with attendees who are navigating a competitive and rapidly changing environment." For more on how IFT's sophisticated smartsourcing services can augment in-house teams, facilitate end-to-end projects, create efficiencies, and deliver benefits to companies in the automotive industry, visit www.iftsolutions.com About Integrated Financial TechnologiesIntegrated Financial Technologies (IFT) is a market leader in delivering efficient, reliable, and secure back-office solutions to companies across North America. Based in Vancouver, IFT's unique combination of deep expertise and robust technology enables the company to provide a multitude of services in sales, collections, reporting, and customer care. IFT's North American-based agents are fully trained in financial services processes and a host of service-related industries, and adhere to strict data privacy and security mandates. Their services enable organizations to increase revenue, lower operating costs, and improve customer service-without incurring added overhead. For more information, please visit www.iftsolutions.com PR Contact:Suzanne MattaboniParallel Communications Group, Inc.610-737-2140: @Parallel_PR LinkedInsmattaboni@ parallelpr.com SOURCE: IFT PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 20:10:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 620 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Jourdan Foran Offers Comprehensive Advice for Children to Combat BullyingAMARILLO, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Jourdan Foran, a respected anti school violence and bullying advocate is leveraging her experience to provide comprehensive guidance for children on how to protect themselves from bullying. With her extensive experience and commitment to community engagement, Foran offers practical strategies aimed at empowering children and ensuring their safety in school environments.In today's digital age, Foran says, bullying has evolved beyond physical confrontations to include cyberbullying, which can have equally damaging effects on children's mental and emotional well-being. Recognizing the increasingly complex nature of bullying, Foran emphasizes the importance of staying in groups both in-person and online. By surrounding themselves with supportive peers, children can not only increase their safety but also establish a network of allies who can provide emotional support and intervention when needed.Foran also emphasizes the significance of awareness of one's surroundings. Encouraging children to remain vigilant and observant, Jourdan Foran says, can help them identify potential threats and navigate their environment with confidence. By cultivating a sense of situational awareness, she notes, children can develop the ability to assess risks and make informed decisions to avoid or address bullying situations.In the face of a bullying incident, Foran advises children to prioritize flight over fight. She says,While it's natural to feel a sense of defiance or anger when confronted by a bully, safety should always be the primary concern.Teaching children to remove themselves from harmful situations and seek assistance from trusted adults, she adds, can prevent escalation and minimize the risk of physical or emotional harm.Assertiveness is another essential skill that Foran emphasizes in her advice to children. By teaching children to assertively communicate their boundaries and stand up for themselves in a calm and confident manner, Foran says, they can effectively deter bullies and assert their right to safety and respect.Moreover, Foran stresses the importance of attracting attention in the event of a bullying incident. Encouraging children to seek help from nearby adults or draw attention to the situation by raising their voice, Foran notes, can prompt intervention and support from others. Creating a culture of accountability where bystanders are encouraged to speak up and intervene, she adds, can also contribute to a safer school environment.In addition to these proactive measures, Foran recommends that children learn some basic self-defense techniques. While the goal is not to promote violence, Jourdan Foran says, equipping children with the knowledge and skills to defend themselves can boost their confidence and empower them to respond effectively in threatening situations. By participating in self-defense classes or workshops, Foran says, children can gain valuable tools for protecting themselves and asserting their boundaries.Jourdan Foran's dedication to promoting safety and well-being in schools stems from her diverse professional background and unwavering commitment to community engagement. With specialties spanning human resources administration, leadership development, and higher education, Foran brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her advocacy efforts. While referencing her skills as a source of authority, Jourdan Foran says,As a community, it's our collective responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our children. By equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge, we can empower them to navigate the challenges of bullying and protect themselves from harm.In addition to her professional accomplishments, Foran's active involvement in volunteer work and community organizations further underscores her commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of others. Through her advocacy and dedication, Foran continues to be a driving force in the fight against school violence and a beacon of hope for a brighter future in the Texas Panhandle and beyond.CONTACT: https://jourdanforan.com Email: foran@ jourdanforan.com SOURCE: Jourdan Foran PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 19:45:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 918 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Empower by GoDaddy 2023 Graduates - Better Business Bureau of the Pacific Southwest.By April Skeete, Manager of Corporate Sustainability at GoDaddyIn 2023, GoDaddy employees played a valuable role in working to fulfill our mission of empowering entrepreneurs everywhere, making opportunity more inclusive for all. Employees donated their time and resources to important causes, and the result was a positive impact across several communities. Through volunteerism and philanthropy, we aim to strengthen our GoDaddy community by giving back to the communities in which we live and work.As we recognize National Volunteer Month this April in the U.S., we'd like to highlight some of the ways our employees made a positive impact during 2023, including:Raising more than $370K in donations for over 350 organizations around the world, during a 200% donation matching campaign by GoDaddy.Reporting more than 4,600 volunteer hours supporting a wide variety of causes from inclusive entrepreneurship, food security, mentoring youth, housing, human services and more.Helping improve or curate new websites for 445 different Empower by GoDaddy entrepreneurs. Teaching 95 Empower by GoDaddy sessions on branding, social media and website design to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses online.Empower by GoDaddyis our signature global social impact program that propels underserved entrepreneurs forward in their business journeys through education, networking and mentoring. In 2023, 57% of participating Empower by GoDaddy employees volunteered two or more times. Collectively, our Empower by GoDaddy employee volunteers positively impacted thousands of entrepreneurs throughout 2023.Throughout 2023, GoDaddy employees came together as a united force, creating a sense of unity and camaraderie that was truly inspiring. They collaborated with peers, empowered underserved entrepreneurs and championed the work of GoDaddy's employee resource groups (ERGs).GoDaddy volunteers tackled crucial tasks supporting the operations of various community organizations worldwide, including:Arizona employees, in coordination with our GoDaddy Black in Tech (GDBIT) and GoDaddy Latinx in Tech (GDLIT) ERGs tackled food insecurity with several events at theUnited Food Bank ,Feed My Starving ChildrenandSt. Mary's Food Bank . Arizona employees also came together on two separate occasions to uplift youth by building and donating bicycles and hosting a children's holiday party benefiting theBoys & Girls Club of the Valley . The Beeston, U.K. team joined efforts to end homelessness by volunteering their time withEmmanuel House . In Kirkland, Washington, employees hosted a STEM activity for youth at theBoys & Girls Club of Kirkland , championing their mission of enabling young people to realize their full potential. Later in the year, employees gave their time to prepare and serve dinner to families staying at theRonald McDonald House of Seattle , an organization supporting critically ill children and their families. Our GoDaddy interns came together virtually to decorate luggage bags for children transitioning into Foster Care throughFoster Love . And lastly, hundreds of employees independently devoted their valuable time to countless causes that are personally meaningful to them. GoDaddy employees provided entrepreneurs with access to capital.GoDaddy Venture Forward , a research initiative that quantifies the impact 20 million online microbusinesses have on their local economies, identified access to capital as one of the top three challenges microbusiness owners encounter when starting a business.Through GoDaddy's partnership withKiva , a nonprofit organization on a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive, GoDaddy employees provided crucial funding to entrepreneurs around the world.In 2023, employees had the opportunity to choose which eco-friendly entrepreneurs received GoDaddy funds in celebration of Earth Day, and by supporting the entrepreneurs of their choosing during U.S. Small Business Month. Additionally, GoDaddy publicly matched loans up to four times the giving amount, supporting select U.S. communities where Empower by GoDaddy has had programming. With employee help, in 2023, GoDaddy disbursed $114,050 across 640 loans to small business owners.More than 200 employees, with support from GoDaddy, raised over $370K in donations for 350 organizations through GoDaddy's Power of Giving' 200% donation match campaign.Our employees care about a wide variety of causes that hold personal value to them. In addition to the $370K in donations raised last year, our ERGs proactively bolstered the work of several organizations. GDLIT provided hope for children through funds raised and donated toToys for Tots , and GD Green financially supported GoDaddy customer, theCookstove Project 's mission to eliminate preventable health hazards by helping women and their families gain access to efficient, clean cookstoves.GoDaddy encourages employees to continue making a difference in their communities.At GoDaddy, we know that our employees' volunteerism and charitable giving not only strengthen our communities, but they also strengthen us as a team. Empowering our people here at GoDaddy moves us closer to realizing our vision to radically shift the global economy toward life-fulfilling entrepreneurial ventures. We are incredibly proud to celebrate our employees who share their resources to help others. We know, however, there isn't a finish line, and we're committed to our ongoing journey."GoDaddy is heart-led and that's why I chose to join the company eight years ago, because at heart, we are aligned," said Terri Wong, GoDaddy senior product designer and active volunteer. "It's heart-expanding for me to grow with people who care, nurtured by the heart-led leadership, and now practicing the act of giving in everything I do - from empowering 20 million customers to achieve more impact and fulfillment, to contributing our time, money and energy to our communities, without asking anything in return. Greater good for all is our gift to this world." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from GoDaddy on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: GoDaddyWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/godaddy Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: GoDaddy PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 19:57:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 534 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Couple Says Negligence Destroyed EmbryoSAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / A married couple filed a lawsuit today in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles against Ovation Fertility. The lawsuit alleges that Ovation, which provides in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab services and storage, stored customer embryos in an incubator contaminated with hydrogen peroxide, which damaged and destroyed the embryos. The couple contends that their sole male embryo was among those that was no longer viable due to the contamination. The lawsuit was filed by the law firm Girard Sharp LLP.An investigation was prompted by reports from fertility doctors who partner with Ovation's IVF lab after customers using s services in Newport Beach experienced a 100% transfer failure rate over a two-week period in late January and early February 2024. Further investigation uncovered the problem with the incubator that led to the terminal contamination of customer embryos at the Ovation Fertility IVF lab. The couple filing the lawsuit was notified in February 2024 that their embryo was among those stored in the contaminated incubator."This couple had success with IVF before, resulting in the birth of twin daughters, and this was most likely their last chance to add a son to their family," said Girard Sharp attorney Adam Polk. "It was the company's responsibility to take adequate steps to prevent a catastrophe impacting its customers' reproductive material, and because it failed to do so, our clients have suffered a catastrophic loss, and are now left to sort through the consequences." Ovation Fertility has not publicly stated if the necessary testing and quality control was in place to keep its incubators free of contaminants. However, proper procedures could have prevented this tragedy. Gross negligence and breach of contract are among several causes of action listed in the lawsuit. The suit alleges that Ovation's staff mishandled equipment and that Ovation failed to properly train and supervise its staff. The plaintiffs are seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial.The case is L.N. and T.N. v. Ovation Fertility Newport Beach, and DOEs 1-10, in the Orange County Superior Court of the state of California. You can find a copy of the lawsuit here.About Girard SharpGirard Sharp is distinguished as a Tier 1 law firm for plaintiffs' mass tort and class action litigation by Best Lawyers and has appeared on its list of "Best Law Firms" for more than a decade. Girard Sharp also has been named by the National Law Journal to its "Plaintiffs' Hot List," a selection of top U.S. plaintiffs' firms recognized for wins in high-profile cases. Read about some of our results. We have substantial experience in lawsuits concerning sensitive issues and in guiding affected individuals through the litigation process with discretion. From holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for marketing birth-control pills that caused life-threatening blood clots, to obtaining over $14 million in restitution on behalf of fertility patients whose frozen eggs and embryos were compromised, we have a well-established track record of successfully taking on some of the world's largest corporations and institutions.Contact:Girard Sharp LLP(866) 981-4800 contact@ girardsharp.comapolk@girardsharp.comngliozzo@girardsharp.comwww.girardsharp.com SOURCE: Girard Sharp LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 23:00:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 996 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 WINNIPEG, MB / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH)(OTC PINK:MCUJF), a company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market, announced today that through its subsidiary, Medicure International Inc., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for MC-1, an investigational product for the prevention or treatment of seizures associated with pyridox(am)ine 5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) deficiency. Fast Track designation is intended to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.The designation was requested based on the potential for MC-1 to address an unmet medical need for PNPO deficiency, a serious and life-threatening condition. Medicure is in the launch phase of its Phase 3 clinical trial to treat approximately 10 PNPO deficient patients at sites in the U.S. and Australia with daily doses of MC-1.PNPO deficiency is a rare neurometabolic disorder, often leading to neonatal onset seizures that are resistant to other antiseizure medications, resulting in severe neurological dysfunction and ultimately death if untreated.The FDA has granted both a Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and an Orphan Drug Designation to MC-1 for the treatment of seizures associated with PNPO deficiency. Additionally, the European Medicines Agency ("EMA") has granted an Orphan Drug Designation to MC-1 for the treatment of PNPO deficiency.If a new drug application ("NDA") for MC-1 for patients with PNPO deficiency is approved, Medicure is eligible to receive a priority review voucher from the FDA, which can be redeemed or sold, and provides significant value.About Medicure Inc.Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market. The present focus of the Company is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection and ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets in the United States, where they are sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma Inc. Medicure also operates Marley Drug, Inc. ("Marley Drug"), a pharmacy located in North Carolina that offers an Extended Supply drug program serving all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Marley Drug is committed to improving the health status of its patients and the communities they serve while reducing overall health care costs for employers and other health care consumers. For more information visit www.marleydrug.com . To learn more about The Extended Supply Generic Drug Program call 800.286.6781 or email info@ marleydrug.com . For more information on Medicure please visit www.medicure.com . For additional information about AGGRASTAT, please visit www.aggrastathdb.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information. For additional information about ZYPITAMAG, please visit www.zypitamag.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information.To be added to Medicure's e-mail list, please visit: http://medicure.mediaroom.com/alerts Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward Looking Information: Statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "may", "plans", "will", "estimates", "continues", "anticipates", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions, may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. federal securities laws (such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are hereinafter collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements, include estimates, analysis and opinions of management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors which the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances. Inherent in forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond the Company's ability to predict or control that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, and as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, the Company's future product revenues, expected results, including future revenue from P5P, the likelihood of receiving a priority review voucher from the United State Food and Drug Administration, expected future growth in revenues, stage of development, additional capital requirements, risks associated with the completion and timing of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to market the Company's products, the ability to protect its intellectual property, dependence upon collaborative partners, changes in government regulation or regulatory approval processes, and rapid technological change in the industry. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: general business and economic conditions; the impact of changes in Canadian-US dollar and other foreign exchange rates on the Company's revenues, costs and results; the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals for the Company's research and development projects; the availability of financing for the Company's commercial operations and/or research and development projects, or the availability of financing on reasonable terms; results of current and future clinical trials; the uncertainties associated with the acceptance and demand for new products and market competition. The foregoing list of important factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of factors, other than as may be required by applicable legislation. Additional discussion regarding the risks and uncertainties relating to the Company and its business can be found in the Company's other filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities or the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and in the "Risk Factors" sect PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 08:00:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1001 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Orosur Mining Inc. ("Orosur" or the "Company") (TSXV:OMI)(AIM:OMI) the minerals developer and explorer with operations in Colombia, Argentina, Nigeria and Brazil announces its unaudited results for the quarter ended February 29, 2024. All dollar figures are stated in US$ unless otherwise noted. The unaudited condensed interim financial statements of the Company for the quarter ended February 29, 2024 and the related management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") have been filed and are available for review on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca . The financial statements and the MD&A are also available on the Company's website at www.orosur.ca A link to the PDF version of the financial statements is available here: http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/5776L_1-2024-4-22.pdf A link to the PDF version of the MD&A is available here: http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/5776L_2-2024-4-22.pdf HighlightsOperationalIn Colombia, post period end, on March 25, 2024, the Company announced that it had it entered into a non-binding letter of intent with MMA, which was signed on March 22, 2024, that provides for a transaction pursuant to which Orosur would repurchase, directly or indirectly, MMA's interest in the Anza project ("Project"), resulting in Orosur having a 100% ownership of the Project ("Transaction"). The proposed consideration set out in the letter of intent is a net smelter return royalty of 1.5% and cash payments of up to US$15 million payable upon meeting certain agreed production thresholds. Subject to several conditions, including but not limited to, the negotiation of definitive documentation and the completion of due diligence, the Company is aiming to complete the Transaction by the end of May 2024, subject to regulatory matters. Concurrently with negotiation of the Transaction in Colombia, the Company has begun the process of preparing to reassume ownership and operatorship of the Project. This involves, among other things, the recruitment of staff, liaising with the local community, discussions with relevant contractors and suppliers and the obtaining of various permits required for field operations. Should the Transaction be completed, the Company hopes to be able to recommence drilling operations as quickly as possible after reassuming operatorship. In the Company's other earlier stage projects in Nigeria, Argentina and Brazil, reconnaissance exploration has continued at a slower pace. Results and analysis will be announced once current phases are complete. In Uruguay, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Loryser, continues to focus its activities on the final stages of the Creditors Agreement. In line with the Creditors Agreement, Loryser has sold all of its assets. It has paid for the settlements with all of its former employees; it has finalised the reclamation and remediation works on the tailings dam and has successfully concluded a one-year post-closure control phase. Loryser is well advanced in distributing the proceeds to Loryser's trade creditors in accordance with the Creditors' Agreement, via a Court approved settlement agent. Financial and CorporateThe unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost method except for certain financial assets and liabilities which are accounted for as assets and liabilities held for sale (at the lower of book value or fair value) and profit and loss from discontinued operations. This accounting treatment has been applied to the activities in Uruguay and Chile. At the Company's AGM, held on December 19, 2023, all resolutions put to shareholders were duly passed including approval of the Company's new equity incentive plan pursuant to which the Company may grant stock options, restricted share units, and deferred share units to the officers, directors, employees and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries. The new equity incentive plan replaces the Company's prior stock option plan and should reduce dilution to shareholders and be more fiscally efficient for some of the participants. On February 15, 2024, the Company announced that it had raised the sum of 500,000 (before expenses) through a placing of 16,949,152 new common shares of no par value in the Company ("Common Share") at a price of 2.95 pence per share, together with a grant of one unlisted warrant to purchase one additional Common Share exercisable at US$0.0558 (approximately 4.425 pence) for every Common Share subscribed for. As part of abroker fee,1,694,915 unlisted warrants were granted to the Company's broker, exercisable at US$0.372 (approximately 2.95 pence) for every Common Share subscribed for. The net proceeds of the Placing will be used to progress the Company's exploration projects whilst negotiations are concluded with the Company's partners in Colombia. On February 29, 2024, the Company had a cash balance of $1,982,000 (May 31, 2023 $3,748,000). As at the date of this MD&A the Company had a cash balance of $1,650,000. Outlook and StrategyGiven the progress on negotiations in Colombia and the encouraging results in Argentina, the Company will focus most of its investment in these areas. The Company will also advance its project in Nigeria, which has returned strong results, albeit at a slower pace whilst lithium prices continue to recover. As the Company seeks to prioritise the use of its capital, it will, however, no longer pursue activity on its Brazilian project and accordingly, Orosur will terminate its JV agreement with Meridian Mining UK Societas on the Ariquemes tin project.In Colombia, the short-term focus is on Orosur reassuming 100% ownership and the operatorship of the Project through the acquisition of MMA. Although there can be no certainty that the Transaction will complete, the Company is targeting completion of the Transaction by the end of May 2024, subject to regulatory matters. Thereafter, the Company is planning to recommence drilling at Pepas and commence further exploration in other areas of the Project.Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position(Expressed in thousands of United States dollars)Unaudited As at February 29, 2024 $ As at May 31, 2023 $ ASSETSCurrent assetsCash 1,9823,748Restricted cash 1212Accounts receivable and other assets 452219Assets held for sale in Uruguay 1,016989 Total current assets3,4624,968Non-current assetsProperty, plant and equipment 207123Exploration and evaluation assets 4,7733,334 Total assets8,4428,425LIABILITIES AND DEFICITCurrent liabilitiesAccounts payable and accrued liabilities 173336Liability of Chile disc PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 08:20:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 517 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 BERLIN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Berlin Cures, a pioneering clinical-stage biotechnology company, today announced the successful completion of patient screening for its pan-European Phase II trial of BC 007 (Rovunaptabin), a novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Long COVID. The study has now recruited its target number of participants, marking a significant step forward in the company's pursuit to help millions of people suffering from Long COVID. The trial is progressing rapidly into its next clinical stages and remains firmly on schedule, with first results anticipated by autumn 2024.More than 114 patients across 14 trial centers in Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain have now been enrolled. With the completion of the screening process, patients are asked to refrain from submitting further applications, as all available places in the study have been filled.Oliver von Stein, CEO of Berlin Cures , expressed his satisfaction with the trial's progress: "The completion of recruitment in such a short period of time demonstrates the great need for an effective therapy for Long COVID. This achievement reflects our commitment to rigorous scientific processes and our dedication to developing a treatment that can significantly improve patient outcomes. We look forward to the forthcoming results, which we believe will bring us closer to a major breakthrough in the fight against Long COVID." Berlin Cures is at the forefront of developing innovative aptamer-based drugs to neutralize pathogenic functional autoantibodies (fAABs) that contribute to a variety of autoimmune diseases, including Long COVID, heart failure, glaucoma, ME/CFS and many more. The drug candidate BC 007 targets these harmful fAABs, which are believed to play a critical role in the symptoms associated with Long COVID.With the trial fully recruited, Berlin Cures is actively preparing for the subsequent Phase III study, which will be essential for gaining regulatory approval and bringing BC 007 to market. The company is currently actively seeking funding partners to initiate Phase III as soon as possible following the successful completion of Phase II.About Berlin Cures: The Berlin Cures team has dedicated over two decades to the research of functional autoantibodies (fAABs) and has successfully identified a molecule capable of effectively neutralizing these. Promising preclinical results have been observed for BC 007. In a recently completed Phase IIa trial with patients with chronic heart failure, BC 007 demonstrated long-term autoantibody neutralization after a single dose resulting in significant improvement in cardiac function, with no spontaneous disappearance of autoantibodies in untreated patients. Its potential as an effective therapy for Long COVID was realized when tests on sera from Long COVID patients proved positive for fAABs, supported by clinical observations in four case studies. By addressing the underlying cause of fAAB-associated diseases with this unique biotechnology, Berlin Cures emerges as one of the pioneering entities committed to addressing this critical issue at its core.Since June 2023, Berlin Cures has been absolving a Phase II clinical trial with BC 007 in the indication Long COVID, an acute and escalating global health problem, to obtain meaningful and robust results on efficacy and tolerability of BC 007 with patients suffering from Long COVID.Contact: FGS GlobalE-Mail: berlincures-eu@ fgsglobal.com SOURCE: Berlin Cures Holding AG PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 19:01:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 581 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Partner-level status is Deere & Company's highest supplier rating recognitionCHENNAI, INDIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited (NSE:TVSSCS)(BOM:543965), a global supply chain solutions provider and one of the largest and fastest growing integrated supply chain solutions providers in India, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, TVS SCS North America has earned recognition as a Partner-level supplier for 2023 in the John Deere Achieving Excellence Program.' The Partner-level status is Deere & Company's highest supplier rating. TVS SCS North America was selected for the honor in recognition of its dedication to providing products and service of outstanding quality as well as its commitment to continuous improvement.Suppliers who participate in the Achieving Excellence program' are evaluated annually in several key performance categories, including quality, delivery, process alignment, value creation, and relationship. John Deere Supply Management created the program in 1991 to provide a supplier evaluation and feedback process that promotes continuous improvement.Eric Flint, Global Account Manager at TVS SCS North America, expresses, "We are honored to earn the John Deere Partner-level Supplier recognition for 2023. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. It reaffirms our commitment to continuous improvement and the delivery of top-quality products and services to John Deere. Proudly contributing to John Deere's supply chain, we look forward to the future with enthusiasm, anticipating continued collaboration and mutual success." According to Richard Vieites, CEO of TVS SCS North America, "We take enormous pride in attaining this prestigious recognition from John Deere, which aligns perfectly with TVS SCS' culture and values. Putting our customer's priorities at the forefront of our focus helps to build mutual trust and to instill a commitment to excellence throughout all levels of our organization and keeps us striving for greater success and improvements each and every day." TVS SCS supports customers in multiple industry verticals including Automotive, Defense, Industrial, Utilities, E-commerce, and Healthcare. TVS SCS trades on a reputation of being collaborative in its engagement, innovative in its approach and effective in reducing its clients operating costs while improving their performance through the accelerated deployment of leading supply chain solutions. TVS SCS offers a range of supply chain services from Integrated Supply Chain Solutions to Global Forwarding Solutions and Time Critical Final Mile Solutions, all tailored to its customers' needs.About TVS Supply Chain Solutions IndiaPromoted by the erstwhile TVS Group and now part of TVS Mobility Group, TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited ("TVS SCS" or "Company") is an India-based multinational company, who pioneered the development of the supply chain solutions market in India. For the last 15 years, TVS SCS has managed large and complex supply chains across multiple industries in India and select global markets through customized tech-enabled solutions. The Company's customers span across numerous industries such as automotive, industrial, consumer, tech and tech infra, rail and utilities, and healthcare.TVS SCS provides specialized solutions spanning the entire value chain from sourcing to consumption, to reduce complexity in its customers' supply chains by using technology, data analytics and execution experience. The company's digital platforms are largely cloud-based, powered by a micro service-based architecture and are highly scalable and reliable, thereby enabling it to implement solutions across multiple geographies in a relatively short time.For more details, please visit https://www.tvsscs.com/ Contact Information:Ms. Michele SchuelerManager - Marketing & Communicationsmschueler@ tvsscs.com (314)750-9596SOURCE: TVS Supply Chain SolutionsView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 23:05:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1023 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LITTLETON, CO / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSE American:URG)(TSX:URE) ("Ur-Energy" or the "Company") provides the following updates on 2024 Q1 operations, adjustment to our production guidance for the year, and the early repayment of our State Bond Loan.John Cash, Ur-Energy Chairman and CEO, said of 2024 Q1, "This year has started with a great number of advances in the growth of Ur-Energy, demonstrating a focus on our future in a strengthening market for nuclear energy including our own uranium production at the front-end of the fuel cycle. We were pleased to announce our decision to build our second ISR uranium facility at Shirley Basin, the birthplace of ISR uranium in the 1960s, and related activities have commenced. We anticipate production at Shirley Basin to begin in 2026."Meanwhile, ramp-up continues at Lost Creek with additional development and production leading to another shipment of yellowcake being made this month. We continue to overcome ramp-up challenges. Due to those challenges, we are updating and reducing our 2024 production guidance to 550,000 - 650,000 pounds captured." Lost Creek Production OperationsRamp-up continues at Lost Creek, with two additional header houses (HH 2-6 and 2-7) coming online in 2024. During Q1, we captured approximately 38,221 pounds, dried and packaged approximately 39,229 pounds, and shipped 35,445 pounds U3O8. At quarter end, our in-process inventory was approximately 80,465 pounds, our drummed inventory was approximately 26,062 pounds, and our finished inventory at the conversion facility was approximately 79,235 pounds U3O8.While we have experienced some additional equipment and operational challenges, we are seeing more consistent drying and packaging, with 19,331 pounds U3O8 packaged since quarter end and dryer operations keeping pace with wellfield production. We have 13 drill rigs onsite, with an additional rig scheduled to commence work in early May. Drilling has advanced into HH 2-11 with completion work nearly finished in HH 2-8. Fabrication of HH 2-8 and 2-9 is complete, and work on HH 2-10 and 2-11 is advancing in our Casper construction shop. HH 2-8 is expected to come online in May.Shirley Basin DevelopmentWe were pleased to announce our decision in Q1 to proceed with the buildout of a satellite facility at our wholly owned, fully permitted and licensed Shirley Basin Project in Carbon County, Wyoming. The decision will nearly double our annual permitted mine production to 2.2 million pounds U3O8 while diversifying our supply.The satellite plant will be a relatively low-cost facility consisting of ion exchange, wastewater, and groundwater restoration circuits. The ion exchange resin at Shirley Basin will be loaded with uranium from the mine and shipped to our Lost Creek ISR facility for processing before being recycled back into operations at Shirley Basin. This satellite approach will help minimize initial facility capital costs to approximately $24.4 million and pre-operational wellfield development costs to $16.3 million.The satellite plant will be designed with a flow rate of up to 6,000 gallons per minute and capacity to produce up to 1.0 million pounds of U3O8 per year. Our permits and license allow for the construction of the elution, precipitation and drying circuits should it become economically advantageous. No amendments to the existing permits or licenses would be required.The estimated time to finalize designs, order materials and construct the satellite plant and initial wellfield recovery area is approximately 24 months. Work has already been initiated on long-lead items, including detailed engineering and additional geologic pattern planning for the wellfield. Planning has been completed for the monitor well ring for the first mine unit, with plans to install approximately 120 wells in 2024 Q2 - Q3. This installation will enable hydrologic testing and baseline water quality analyses to proceed prior to the start of installation of production patterns in mid-2025. Significantly, the bid process and award for fabrication of IX columns has been completed. This procurement represents one of the longest lead items in the facility.Sales and Prepayment of State Bond LoanAs previously announced, we completed two additional uranium sales agreements during 2024 Q1. Our fourth agreement calls for deliveries of a base annual quantity ranging from 100,000 to 350,000 pounds U3O8 from 2026 through 2030. The purchaser may flex the annual quantity up or down by as much as ten percent. This agreement provides in part for market-related pricing. Our fifth U3O8 sales agreement includes delivery commitments for five years beginning in 2026, with an initial delivery of 50,000 pounds U3O8 in 2026 and annual deliveries of 200,000 pounds U3O8 in 2027 through 2030. All sales under this agreement will be made at fixed prices, escalated from the agreed base price.Subsequent to quarter end, we sold 75,000 pounds U3O8 for which we will receive $4.6 million in early May. In total, we anticipate selling 570,000 pounds U3O8, under two contracts secured in 2022.As planned, on March 27, we completed the pre-payment of the remaining $4.4 million on our State Bond Loan and now are debt free. At March 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $53.9 million.About Ur-EnergyUr-Energy is a uranium mining company operating the Lost Creek in-situ recovery uranium facility in south-central Wyoming. We have produced and packaged approximately 2.8 million pounds U3O8 from Lost Creek since the commencement of operations. Ur-Energy now has all major permits and authorizations to begin construction at Shirley Basin, the Company's second in situ recovery uranium facility in Wyoming and is in the process of obtaining remaining amendments to Lost Creek authorizations for expansion of Lost Creek. UrEnergy is engaged in uranium mining, recovery and processing activities, including the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties in the United States. The primary trading market for UrEnergy's common shares is on the NYSE American under the symbol " URG." UrEnergy's common shares also trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol " URE." Ur-Energy's corporate office is in Littleton, Colorado and its registered office is in Ottawa, Ontario.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACTJohn W. Cash, Chairman, CEO & President720-981-4588, ext. 303 John.Cash@Ur-Energy.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws regarding events or conditions that may occur in the future (e.g., when ramp-up challenges wi PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-23 15:01:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 399 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FAIRFAX, VA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / WidePoint Corporation (NYSE American:WYY) , the innovative technology Managed Solution Provider (MSP) specializing in Identity & Access Management (IAM), Telecommunications and Managed Mobility Services (MMS), Analytics & Billing as a Service (ABaaS), and IT as a Service (ITaaS), announced that it was awarded approximately $22.7 million in contracts during the first quarter of 2024.Jin Kang, WidePoint's CEO, stated: "WidePoint entered 2024 on a high note and carried the momentum from 2023 into the new year, with more than 18 contractual actions totaling approximately $22.7 million. These wins include new government and commercial awards, renewals, and contract extensions across all WidePoint solution lines. We are pleased by how our strategic partnerships are evolving to create new opportunities based on the recognition that WidePoint truly is the most trusted industry leader in Managed Mobility Services and Identity & Access Management. Our team is pleased with the sustained growth trajectory of our business and look forward to carrying this momentum forward for the rest of 2024."Highlights include:More than 18 contractual actions resulting in approximately $22.7 million in contract value Approximately $1.0 million in commercial contracts Approximately $21.7 million in government contracts Numerous federal contracts including: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the National Science Foundation and the Transportation Security Administration Renewals and new orders for WidePoint's IAM offerings including university, aerospace and defense organizations Multi-year Managed Services contracts with leading financial and bottling enterprisesJason Holloway, WidePoint's Chief Revenue Officer, stated: "WidePoint is proud that our PKI and ECA IAM solutions are gaining traction beyond our U.S. Department of Defense work as infrastructure, healthcare, education and financial entities are waking up to the reality that most commercial IAM offerings are highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. While a change in enterprise technology buying habits does not happen overnight, WidePoint is excited to see numerous new paths for market penetration in important sectors and industries." About WidePoint WidePoint Corporation (NYSE American:WYY) is a leading technology Managed Solution Provider (MSP) dedicated to securing and protecting the mobile workforce and enterprise landscape. WidePoint is recognized for pioneering technology solutions that include Identity and Access Management (IAM, Mobility Managed Services (MMS, Telecom Management, Information Technology as a Service (ITaaS), Cloud Security, and Analytics & Billing as a Service (ABaaS). For more information, visit widepoint.com WidePoint Investor Relations: Gateway Group, Inc., Matt Glover or John Yi949-574-3860 WYY@ gateway-grp.com SOURCE: WidePoint Corporation Amidst concerns over the adoption of Genetically Modified Crops in Nigeria, the federal government, in January, approved the commercial release of four Tela maize varieties for commercial planting in the country. The move placed Nigeria second in the list of African countries that have adopted and commercialised the T maize varieties after South Africa, a report published in February, by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) noted. In addition to South Africa, Nigeria has become the second country in Africa to approve the commercialization of genetically engineered corn, the report said. Tela maize is a maize variety that has been genetically engineered for improved insect resistance and drought tolerance, to boost farmers yield per hectare and also complement existing demand gaps. GMO debate in Nigeria Over the past decade, the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), commonly referred to as GM seeds by crop farmers has been a subject of intense debate among scientists, environmentalists and even food activists in Nigeria and globally. The question of what role, if any, GMOs should play in helping to address a range of agriculture, nutrition, and climatic challenges in developing countries like Nigeria has been at the centre of discussions. Also, concerns have emerged over the environmental and health impacts of GMOs, their impact on traditional farming methods, and issues around seed patents. 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 Governments in developing nations are responding to those concerns in a variety of ways with some banning GMOs outright, some embracing the technology, and others attempting to find a balance between the concerns and needs of all sides. According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), at least 33 major food crops have been genetically modified globally. Of these, four (maize, cowpea, cotton and soybean) have been officially approved for commercialisation by the Nigerian authorities, with Nigeria listed among the six African countries leading in biotech crop adoption across the continent. Tela maize is the latest GM variety approved for commercial planting in Nigeria. Some experts have argued that planting GM seeds will help to produce enough food for the global population, hence achieving food security at a fast pace. Others have also argued that food productivity can be improved through natural methods. A PREMIUM TIMES investigation in 2022 revealed that, while promoters of GMOs are working to counter criticisms and ensure safety, concerns are not the only challenge hindering the adoption of GMOs in Nigeria. It was discovered that across several communities in Nigeria, farmers growing GM crop varieties know too little to make informed decisions. Tela maize potentials According to the report by the USDA, in the marketing year 2022/2023, Nigeria produced an estimated 12.7 million metric tons (MMT) of corn, with an average yield of 2.2 tons per hectare. However, it noted that the adoption of the new maize varieties could increase the countrys production capacity significantly. According to the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), yields of Tela maize could reach up to 10 tons per hectare if grown under good agronomic practices, the report said. Reports indicated that the Nigerian authorities officially commercialised Tela maize varieties on 11 January, following an announcement by the Nigeria National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds/Fisheries. At the time, the group approved twenty-three new GM varieties for commercial planting, including four biotech Tela maize varieties. This implies that seed companies can license rights to produce and commercialise the new Tela maize hybrids under their private brand from AATF. The AATF also noted that the approved varieties are owned by the respective institutions that developed them including the national government research organisations, and that they will be licensed to local seed companies royalty-free through the AATF. Background According to the report, the Tela Maize Project was originally known as the Water Efficient Maize for Africa Project. Nigeria first joined the Tela Maize Project in 2019. The project is perceived to have been driven by the move to develop a high-yielding maize variety that would be drought tolerant amidst lingering climate change effects, and at the same time be resistant to the highly virulent Fall ArmyWorm pest (FAW) that ravaged several corn fields across the country in 2016. Some studies have posited that FAW can reduce corn production in affected areas by 20 to 50 per cent if not properly controlled, eventually leading to higher production costs through increased labour and pesticide applications. However, the process towards the adoption of Tela maize in Nigeria began in 2021 after the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) approved the environmental release and field trials of the maize varieties categorised as SAMMAZ 72T, SAMMAZ 73T, SAMMAZ 74T, and SAMMAZ 75T. Nigerias Institute for Agricultural Research carried out national performance trials of the four varieties across ten states with varied agroecological conditions. According to reports, the trials showed average yields achieving 3 tons per hectare. Controversies The adoption of Tela maize generated controversies among anti-GMO groups in Nigeria, particularly the environmental think-tank Health of Mother Earth Foundation ( HOMEF) and several other groups, who issued a joint statement at the time condemning GMO adoption in the country. While commending the intention of the Nigerian authorities to address food insufficiency in the country, HOMEF expressed disappointment over the release of the genetically modified varieties. The group noted that there is no evidence of a risk assessment conducted before the release of the Tela maize on either the website of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), the agency saddled with the responsibility of regulating the uses of GMOs or the Biosafety Clearing House of the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, where parties are expected to upload updates on their decisions/use of GMOs/LMOs. In his reaction, HOMEFs Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, said, It is totally unacceptable that in the name of food sufficiency, the country is exposing its citizens to products of risky technologies without adequate, independent and/or long-term assessment on their impacts on human and environmental health. The environmentalist said there are many challenges associated with genetic modification crops that cannot be denied. So far, he claimed that GMOs have been linked to cancers, diseases, allergies, and all sorts of health challenges due to environmental implications because of their dependency on toxic pesticides and the destruction of biodiversity and nutritional diversity. We are also concerned that there is no way to label or inform our farmers that they are planting GMO maize. To deny Nigerians the right of choice is highly objectionable and wicked, Mr Bassey noted. He said it is expedient that the government conduct independent long-term feeding tests and environmental/biodiversity assessments before any GM crop is approved for use and not merely testing to confirm productivity or performance. Mr Bassey charged the Nigerian government to understand the difficulties of recalling genetically modified living organisms and to quickly withdraw the Tela maize. Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by the NBMA last week, the Director-general of the agency, Agnes Asagbra, claimed that Tela maize has not been launched in the country. Its crucial to note that though it has been commercialised, Tela maize has not yet been launched; it is not available in the market. This demonstrates our commitment to thorough scrutiny and due diligence, she said in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES. Mrs Asagbra described Tela maize as a variety that has been rigorously evaluated through risk assessments and regulatory processes before its approval. She noted that the GM crops that have been approved were critically evaluated by Nigerian scientists who are professionals with vast experience and expertise in their fields. Their assessments are meticulous, ensuring that only safe and beneficial technologies reach our farmers and consumers, she said. She emphasised that the countrys biosafety law is critical in the quest for Nigeria to achieve food security. Biosafety is not just a policy; its a commitment to safeguarding our nations health, biodiversity, and environment. In regulating the activities of modern biotechnology, biosafety ensures that any technological advancements, particularly in agriculture, are beneficial and pose no harm to our people or our land, the agency said. Mrs Asagbra urged Nigerians to embrace the advancements in safe modern biotechnology with an informed perspective. Let us trust in the rigorous processes that have been established to protect us all. Together, we can move towards a future where food security, environmental sustainability, and economic growth go hand in hand, she said. Experts react In his reaction, the Executive Director of Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Lateef Sanni, said Nigeria is blessed with land and water resources to produce a wide range of agricultural products with high yield if research is taken seriously. Mr Sanni, a Professor of Food Science and Technology, emphasised that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on breeders from other parts of the world for hybrid seeds. He argued that the food situation in the country, the global acceptance of genetically modified foods, and the need for environmental sustainability, suggest that Nigerian farmers should accept Tela Maize for planting. However, Mr Sanni said, this should not be taken as a permanent solution to getting the right breed of maize with good yield for farmers. Our breeders need to wake up to the task, and they need the support of government, private sectors, and farmers to be able to come up with quality seeds that will guarantee bountiful harvest, he noted. On his part, Qrisstuberg Amua, Executive Director, Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research, noted that citizens have every reason to be worried about Tela maize adoption in the country. Not only citizens, our political and economic leaders also have a lot to be worried about this development, he told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview on Monday. He said citizens should be worried about the new maize varieties for reasons ranging from its health implications and lack of sufficient details about the maize, adding that the health implications of GMOs are motley and that they are negative, coming in the forms of cancers resulting from hormonal or endocrine and immune system disruptions. Mr Amua listed other possible health implications of GMOs to include fertility sterilisations, metabolic derangements, cardiovascular health disruptions, children obesity and attendant issues thereto, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders in children, mental health derangements and early memory decay (dementia) in individuals above 40 years of age and so much more. He emphasised that the adverse health implications could emanate from both the genetic modifications of the organism which often involve recombinant splicing or stitching of DNA either through manipulations of specialised proteins that make the Messenger RNA (MRNA) or through what looks more like cut and join using the CRISPR (an acronym for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology. Also, Mr Amua said from the many pesticides like glyphosate (the primary active ingredient in the commercially ubiquitous Roundup) and irks, that are used in the biotechnological engineering that ensures these GMOs are pest resistant, the varieties can tolerate the application of higher concentrations of phytotoxic pesticides as herbicides. Based on this, the professor of bioinorganic chemistry said some of the GMOs are labelled as Roundup Ready or RR such as the RR Corn or RR Soy. Also, there are adverse health implications to the environment due to unregulated applications of these carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic arrays of pesticides, as a result of higher tolerance of these GMOs to pesticides, generally, Mr Amua said. These environmental toxins, he said, tend to persist in the environment and weave their way up the food chain and ultimately into humans through menu choices. This is one other reason for the burgeoning cases of otherwise not so rampant non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, dyslipidemia, arthritis, etc. nowadays even in younger populations of our communities, he said. He stressed that the adoption of GMOs has adverse implications for the food production system and biodiversity, as their promotion encourages monocropping and eventual extermination of rather organic and even indigenous seed types. Lastly, they pose adverse economic implications and even strategic food and general security implications; as when a foreign multinational controls your food supply system (as these GMOs are patented products of non-national conglomerates), your economy and even strategic security can easily be compromised from outside of your shores, he said. He urged the Nigerians to reject all GMOs and also engage in various levels of personal and community education, sensitisation, and advocacy to demand the withdrawal/repeal of policies and legislation that allow licensing and indeed permit the cultivation, distribution and public consumption of GMOs. We should also rethink our consumption patterns to return to wholesome organic and indigenous foods that are not genetically modified, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has given reasons for the persistent collapse of the national electricity grid in the country. The TCN said the nations power sector is currently faced with various challenges, impacting effective service delivery and the ongoing collapse of the national grid. Nafisat Ali, the executive director of the Independent System Operator (ISO) department of the TCN, disclosed this during the visit of the Senate Committee on Power on Monday. In recent times, the TCN has reported causes of national grid system collapses, resulting in reduced electricity allocation to electricity distribution companies in the country. Last Monday, Nigerias electricity grid collapsed yet again, throwing several cities into darkness. The grid collapsed as generation dropped to 64.70 megawatts, officials said. The latest collapse, less than a month after the national grid system collapsed in March, is the third time this year. 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 Speaking on Monday, Ms Ali said the nation had recorded 105 cases of grid collapse from 2015 to April 2024, noting that the cause of the ongoing grid collapse spread across the electricity value chain. The causes of grid collapse in Nigeria spread across all participants, from generation companies to transmission and distribution. From generation companies, there is the inadequacy of gas supply, improper coordination of plants and gas pipelines, poor generation availability, Ms Ali said. Under the transmission value chain, she added that lack of operating/spinning reserve and voltage support scheme, lack of reliable SCADA facility, vandalism, tripping of critical infrastructure lines, transition line redundancy and lack of reliable communication facility are the causes for grid collapse. For the distribution companies (DisCos), Ms Ali listed the weak distribution networks, load allocation violation, and lack of visibility on the DisCos network, among others, as the reasons for the unending collapse. Customers can experience interruptions to their electricity Supply for three reasons such as reliability issues, where there is insufficient generation to meet consumer demand at a place and point in time; system security events and problems with the security of the network and transmission/ distribution network failures, she said. To achieve a reliable system, she said the system must have an adequate amount of capacity (generation, demand response and network capacity) to meet consumer needs. There should be adequate investment in all types of capacity, as well as appropriate operational decisions so that supply and demand are in balance at any point in time To achieve a reliable power system, it is necessary to include a buffer in the supply and demand balance, known as reserves. This allows the actual demand and supply to be kept in balance, even in the face of shocks to the system, she added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has begun an investigation into the runway incident involving a Dana Air aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Tuesday morning. A Dana aircraft with registration number 5N BKI, flying from Abuja to Lagos, overshot the runway while attempting to land at the airport. Reacting to the incident, the Director, Public Affairs, NSIB, Wunmi Oladeji, said the agency had begun a probe of the incident. Our investigators are currently on the site of the incident. They are investigating it. We will rely on their report to give the next update, she said. READ ALSO: Dana aircraft overshoots runway in Lagos The incident happened around 10:15 a.m., with emergency responders, including the airports Aerodrome Rescue and firefighting services mobilised to the scene to save the situation. The aircraft had 83 passengers and flight crew aboard. The airlines Head, Corporate Communication, Kingsley Ezenwa, while confirming the incident, expressed relief that there was no casualty as all passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Renowned Italian perfumer Christian Provenzano has unveiled his eponymous perfume line in Nigeria. The launch event held recently at the Kaly Restaurant in Victoria Island, Lagos, showcased not only the Christian Provenzano brand but also Sospiro, both linked to Provenzanos unparalleled talent. Mr Provenzano, a distinguished perfume nose, has crafted over 150 best-selling niche perfumes worldwide, earning him acclaim in the industry. A perfume nose is a perfumer who is an expert in creating perfume compositions. Over five decades of experience, he has created nearly a hundred compositions for esteemed brands like Agent Provocateur, Clive Christian, Penhaligons, Jo Malone, By Kilian, and Boadicea the Victorious. Currently serving as the Global Director of Perfumery at CPL Aroma, Provenzanos influence in the fragrance world is profound. The launch of the CP brand in Lagos marks its inaugural introduction to Africa, with Seinde Signature Ltd. as the exclusive distributor in 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 event attracted a diverse audience, including perfume collectors, celebrities, and dignitaries. Some of the guests at the event included prominent figures like Naomi Ogunwusi, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II; esteemed brand strategist and businessman Charles Otudor; Big Brother Naija star Eriata Ese; and famous skit maker Adebowale Adebayo, famously known as Mr. Macaroni. Speaking via a video message on the brand launch, Mr Provenzano apologised for his absence. I was really looking forward to seeing all of you. Unfortunately, I couldnt fly yesterday because of the potential situation in the Middle East concerning Israel; airlines have been closed and its very risky for us. I will make it up to all of you when all the tensions are over, I will happily come to Nigeria to meet everyone who wants to meet me. I want to thank Seinde Signature for arranging this event and I am so honored to have them as the sole distributor of my brand. Because I love their standards and quality, and being the only 100 per cent niche perfume store in Nigeria. I knew they were the perfect partners to launch my brand. I couldnt be happier. Highlights The brand experience kicked off with a chat with the Chief Executive Officer of Seinde Signature, Olaseinde Olushola, and the Managing Director, Oreoluwa Olushola, during a media special at the experience centre situated at the Oriental Hotel, after which connoisseurs and collectors of perfume gathered at the very exclusive event. Mr Olushola also revealed that the event will be moved to Abuja where more buyers, connoisseurs, and collectors of perfume gather to experience the creations of Christian Provenzano and the Sospiro brands. Christian Provenzano and the Sospiro brands The Provenzano brand offers an exquisite range of 11 products, meticulously crafted to satisfy the olfactory desires of perfume enthusiasts. Each fragrance is housed in luxurious emerald green bottles adorned with bejewelled caps, epitomising elegance and luxury. Also, the Sospiro brand presents a collection of 17 products, also created by the master perfumer Christian Provenzano, exclusively for Sospiro. Inspired by the beauty of classical music, each scent is a harmonious blend of the finest ingredients. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Its thanksgiving season for Nollywood veteran Zack Orji as he shares more details of his health scare and close shave with death. The movie star was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital in Abuja on New Years Eve after he collapsed in his house. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the actor, currently in the United Kingdom (UK) for a post-surgery assessment, said he had regained memory and was feeling better. In an interview with Channels TV on Friday, the actor narrated more details of his health condition. He said: I slumped in the bathroom, and I can only tell that its by Gods grace Im alive today because I passed out for like five and half hours before help came. People in the house who were knocking on my door, and had no response, called My friend, Bala Ahmed, who was in the United Kingdom (UK) then. So, he (Ahmed) called my colleague, Benedict Johnson, who rushed to the house. I was there on the floor. I couldnt stand because when he raised me, I slumped again, and he had to call another colleague; both of them lifted me on their shoulders from the second floor to the ground floor and took me to the National Hospital in Abuja, and they notified Ahmed, my friend after I was admitted at the hospital. Surgeries The 63-year-old actor stated that Neurosurgeon Biodun Ogungbo carried out the first brain surgery on him on 1 January. 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 Following the surgery, he said he underwent various scans, and a month later, blood clots were discovered in his brain. The father-of-three noted that the same doctor, Mr Ogungbo, performed another brain surgery to remove the blood clots. Before the surgery, my wife flew from Lagos State to Abuja on 29 November 2023, after the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, called her. After the surgeries, I took some time to recover, and it was recommended that I come to the UK for post-surgery assessment, which is why Im here, he added. The alums of the University of Nigeria (NSUKKA) disclosed that he had undergone four different blood tests in the UK and had received feedback on the tests from the doctor, identified as John. Mr Orji said, When I return to Nigeria, Im still going to see Doctor Ogungbo for him to review the feedback provided by the doctors here and determine what further actions are necessary. Appreciation The actor expressed gratitude towards God and numerous individuals who supported him during his health challenge. He thanked President Bola Tinubu, his wife, Remi Tinubu; his son, Seyi Tinubu; the Vice Presidents wife, Nana Shettima; Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and others. I appreciate the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and many others. I received calls from South Africa, the UK, and others asking how they could assist. The response from people was overwhelming. I owe my life today to Gods grace and mercy, as well as to the individuals He used to assist me. Health The Enugu-born actor said that he had not been getting enough rest before the incident, emphasising that the situation afforded him time to rest and recuperate. He said his period of rest would soon come to an end as producers have approached him for work opportunities. Furthermore, the actor noted that actors often neglect their health due to the demands of their profession. The actor said, My work has taken me to different countries, and as an actor, I have met people. Im Pan-African. I believe the industry in Africa is one. Some movie producers have reached out to me, saying they cant wait for me to be back, and Im happy Im still being sought after, after thirty years plus in the industry. AGN Mr Orji expressed his gratitude for the proactive support of the Actor Guild of Nigeria (AGN) during his health challenges. He praised the AGN President, Emeka Rollas, for his visits both at home and in the hospital. Moreover, he mentioned that the AGN, as an association, lacks the financial resources to cover the medical expenses of ailing actors fully. He observed that while the guild strives to prioritise the well-being of its members, in cases where support is insufficient, the guild must seek assistance from society for the affected actor. Who will look after who? The AGN President is an actor, and the association lacks funds. Members dont pay their annual dues. Where will the AGN get the money to care for members going through various challenges? The only option is to appeal to members of society, and that is what is happening now, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Embattled Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, aka Baba Ijesha, has filed an appeal challenging his five-year imprisonment. On 14 July 2022, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of Ikeja Special Offences Court convicted and sentenced the comic actor for raping a 14-year-old minor after over 12 months of trial. In its Tuesday report, Channels TV stated that Baba Ijesha, in an appeal filed by his lawyer, Kayode Olabiran, asked the court to set aside his conviction. During Tuesdays hearing, Baba Ijeshas counsel told the court that the appeal was filed on 1 June 2023. Mr Olabiran informed the court that his client was set up, noting that he acted according to a script his colleague invited him to perform. He said the prosecution did not prove his client sexually assaulted the victim. The Channels TV quotes of the actors counsel read thus: The charge itself is centred on defilement of a minor, but the prosecution couldnt prove the age of the victim. 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 Appellant was set up. The Appellant is an actor. He acted in a script that his colleague (PW1), Damilola Adekoya, invited him to act in. (PW1)Damilola Adekoya asked the Appellant to come and act a script. In the statement of PW1, at Panti Police Station, unknown to the appellant, there was a CCTV in the sitting room. Whatever we watched in that movie was a script by the producer, and the prosecution tendered the video of the acting scene. Based on his confessional statement as at the day of the arrest, he was under duress, and so many people were beating him that was when he confessed to the offence. However, Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecution, prayed the court to dismiss the appeal, citing its lack of merit and a misconception. Mr Martins urged the court to affirm the judgment of the lower court. He further submitted that the victim was 17 years old when the incident occurred. Decision After listening to the lawyers arguments, the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal reserved judgment on the appeal until later. Justice Folasade Ojo led the three-person panel of the appellate court. Justice Abdullahi Bayero and Justice Paul Bassi were the two other panel members. Baba Ijesha was arrested on 22 April 2021 and subsequently released on 17 May 2021 on health issues. On 16 June 2021, this newspaper reported that Baba Ijesha was arraigned in a magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos State, on charges related to rape, sexual assault, and abuse of a minor. The five charges against the actor include indecent treatment of a child, defilement of a child, sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault. These offences violate sections 135, 137, 261, 262, and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015. The actor pleaded not guilty to all charges against him before he was sentenced. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Famous Nigerian televangelist, Jerry Eze, will lead a four-day fasting and praying session against deaths in Nollywood. The Actors Guild President, Emeka Rollas, revealed this in a statement on Tuesday. As is widely known, Mr Eze founded Streams of Joy International and convened the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration (NSPPD), an online digital prayer meeting. Mr Rollas said that, given the recent passing of two prominent actors and the tragic boat mishap that claimed the lives of five crew members, including Jnr Pope in Asaba, the guild has decided to seek divine intervention in fasting and prayers to avert similar occurrences in the future. Some Nollywood stars have died in the last few months, and this has led to concerns across the country and the industry, thus the birthing of a prayer collaboration with the hashtag #AGNPRAYS to be spearheaded by Mr Eze. Mr Ibu, who had battled with health challenges since October 2023, died on the 2nd of March 2024. He underwent a series of surgeries but to no avail. Barely three weeks after his death, on the 25th of March, 2024, Amaechi Muonagor passed three months after he was diagnosed with kidney disease, diabetes, and stroke. And most recently, Jnr Pope, a prominent actor, died of drowning while on a movie set in Asaba. His death was most heart-wrenching as it came as a surprise. In less than 12 hours, the news of his death, resuscitation and final death took everyone off guard. He was young, full of life, a husband and a father. He died on 10 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 Four other members of the movie set also lost their lives in the boat accident. These deaths, to mention a few, have stirred a lot of concerns. The death of Jnr Pope does not just trigger this prayer steam but also as a result of the ongoing deaths that have taken their toll on the industry this year. Pray-a-thon Mr Rollas also revealed that the four-day prayer and fasting begins on 2 May and continues through 5 May, 2024. The Guild will fast between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., and on Sunday, May 5, there will be prophetic prayers and a declaration service at Streams of Joy, Abuja, M&M event centre, Garki by 11:30 a.m. This fasting and prayer season is themed Clearing The Cloud of Darkness Over Nollywood. In addition to this religious intervention, the Guild has launched several interventions for its ailing members and an internal appeal fund to provide urgent medical treatment to sick members and assist the families of deceased actors. READ ALSO: Why we thought Junior Pope survived boat accident Actors guild president Mr Rollas said he had been making a passionate appeal to members and Nollywood to support their colleagues through the Trust Fund, chaired by Joke Silva, a thorough veteran. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated Frances call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza during his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr Macron expressed his solidarity with the Israeli people following the attack launched by Iran against Israel on the night of April 13-14, according to a French presidency statement. The French president reiterated his firm opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza, which would only aggravate an already catastrophic situation in Gaza and increase the risks of escalation. He also spoke of the absolute urgency of guaranteeing a massive influx of humanitarian aid through all access points to the Gaza Strip and emphasised Frances priority of an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Mr Macron reiterated that the two-state solution is the only way to ensure lasting peace in the Middle East. On the same day, he spoke with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on the phone to discuss the Middle East situation. (NAN) 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 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Five days before the end of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) controversially awarded a contract worth over N3.8 billion (N3,812,500,000) to a firm in a manner that raises concerns about violations of Nigerias procurement law. Investigations by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that the agency a tertiary institutions funding agency under the Federal Ministry of Education paid the contractor a total sum of N2.9 billion (N2,932,032,516.28) in four installments between 30 June and 17 November 2023. Controversially, TETFund sourced the funding for the project from the 2023 annual direct disbursement budget domiciled in the agency for the use of about 251 beneficiary institutions public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria. The 2023 direct disbursement budget for these institutions, which according to sources in the education sector amounted to N15.2 billion, was for Information Communication and Technology intervention projects. But instead of releasing the funds to the institutions as mandated by its operational guidelines, TETFund deducted the funds upfront from each of the institutions, amounting to a total of N7.6 billion. The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, told PREMIUM TIMES that each beneficiary university contributed 50 per cent of its ICT funds, and each polytechnic and college of education contributed 25 per cent of theirs to the project. PREMIUM TIMES saw a copy of the letter addressed to the vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts of beneficiary institutions asking them to grant approvals to the agency to use the funds for the purpose. The contract was awarded to Fides Et Ratio Academy, a company described by TETFund as an IP Licensee for Professor Klaus Stierstorfer, a copyright owner and intellectual property right holder in all range of communication skills development courses marketed globally under Edunet Solutions. The letter of contract award, dated 24 May 2023, was signed by TETFunds Director of Human Resources and General Administration, Kolapo Okunlola. 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 Meanwhile, in its response to PREMIUM TIMES inquiry on the subject, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the body statutorily empowered to regulate contract awards for ministries, departments, and agencies of the government, said the contract is not found in its database. But TETFund said the project could not be described as a contract, insisting that it is a training of staff and students of beneficiary institutions based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the copyright owner and intellectual property right holder. According to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Echono, an architect and former permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, the nature of the project permitted the agency to strictly engage the service provider without deploying regular procurement processes. But government officials with knowledge of the contract said the project award is a violation of the Public Procurement Act 2007, which under its section 15(a), applies to all procurement of goods, works and services carried out by: the Federal Government of Nigeria and all procurement entities. The law, under section 15(c), only exempts the procurement of special goods, works and services involving national defence or national security. Even when the product or service involved is patented, it does not excuse bypassing the procurement law and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which is required to certify whatever approach a procuring agency is adopting in engaging the supplier or service provider. When asked which law or policy of government allowed him and his agency to bypass the Public Procurement Act in awarding the contract, Mr Echono insisted that the issue of bypassing the law did not arise, as the steps taken by his agency in giving out the job helped to save cost and achieve flexibility for the best results. Releases Barely one month after the letter of engagement was issued to the company, on 30 June 2023, the companys account with Fidelity Bank Plc was credited with over N550 million (N550,380,780.23) by the Central Bank of Nigeria on behalf of TETFund. The transfer is with mandate number CBN/PROJ/224/JUN2023. Over N820 million (N820,223,850) was additionally paid into the account on 12 July 2023. On 26 July 2023 and 17 November 2023, N1.5 billion (N1,503,743,850) and N62.68 million (N62,684,036.05), respectively, were credited to the account by the CBN on behalf of TETFund. About contract In its explanation to PREMIUM TIMES, TETFund said it found out that the greatest challenge against the nations tertiary institutions quest to address the declining rate in employment and productivity of their graduates is their inability to engage in increasing capacity building and training for their students. This, it said, is due to the decreasing internal and external budgetary support as a result of the global economic recession and the rising cost of face-to-face training needed to satisfy the commercial, industrial, and technological needs of the country. The agency also said it identified the skills gap in academics as a major impediment in grooming their students in communication, entrepreneurship, and productive skill development. Therefore, TETFund said, the capacity-building courses would help students gain skills in interpersonal communication, public speaking, conflict resolution, and team building. In addition to this, the capacity building programme is aimed at deepening the ICT staff, other officials, and students capacity in communication, entrepreneurship, and productive skill development, the agency said. Remarkably, TETFunds reply to PREMIUM TIMES inquiry was a verbatim regurgitation of the key part of the proposal submitted to the agency by the contractor. In view of the foregoing, beneficiary institutions nominated two (2) ICT staff to be trained under the Train-The-Trainer capacity building programme and a minimum number of Two million students from all the Beneficiary Institutions for three (3) online certification courses that will qualify an individual for the International Certificate of General Communication Skills and the International Certificate of Advanced Communication Skills. The student online courses and Train-The-Trainer programme will thereby expose a larger number of participants in the public tertiary institutions to in-depth communication, entrepreneurship, and productive skill development to attract the following benefits, TETFund wrote in its letter dated 25 March sent to PREMIUM TIMES. The letter was signed on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Mr Echono, by the Head of Legal Unit, Khalil Abdul. In response to our query about the legitimacy of the agency embarking on training students of tertiary institutions, TETFund wrote that it is empowered to carry out capacity building programmes for our beneficiary institutions. Execution controversy We asked TETFund to provide evidence for the execution of the contract, including the list of participants, links to the online portal for the training, and pictures or video clips of training sessions. In its response to this question, the agency simply wrote in the letter responding to PREMIUM TIMES inquiry that the programmes are still ongoing. Investigations by PREMIUM TIMES further revealed that in 2023, across the six geopolitical zones, TETFund officials, accompanied by the promoter of the company awarded the contract, Paul Chukwuma, met with ICT directors of the beneficiary institutions. During an interaction with our reporters, Mr Chukwuma said his company organised a six-day training on ICT in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country. He showed our reporters the attendance lists of participants at each of the zones for sighting and promised to make copies available to the newspaper for confirmation. However, he has yet to provide the documents. Wasteful? However, some of those who participated in the training described the exercise as a wasteful and misplaced priority. For instance, an official of a tertiary institution who took part in the South-west edition which was reportedly held at Colossus Hotel, behind the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, said After six days of wasteful exercise without accommodation for all participants across South-west institutions, we were paid N250,000 each. Over two million students have enrolled and on-boarded onto the programme, Mr Echono said. He, however, said he was unsure of the actual number of those who have consumed it. This has raised concerns about the relevance of the project, as there are no incentives or enforcement measures in place to encourage or compel students across the beneficiary institutions to consume the service, to ensure the N3.8 billion earmarked to it does not amount to a waste. Questionable sourcing of funds In a memo addressed to all vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts dated 16 June 2023, and signed by the Director of ICT, Joseph Odo, TETFund said all beneficiary institutions of ICT support intervention allocations should make a written commitment to participate in the Training-The-Trainer (TTT) programme using 50 per cent of the ICT Support Intervention Fund (N50 million for universities, N25 million for polytechnics and colleges of education) set aside for ICT converged services. TETFund also directed the institutions to nominate 12 participants to be trained on the capacity development and technology support programme, and should commit to pay the 12 participants cost of travel, DTA for five days and other costs to be paid by TETFund using the 50 per cent ICT Support Intervention Allocation domiciled in the Fund. The letter added: Note that the Fund will calculate the course fees based on the distribution of participants per geographical zone and deduct the same from your institutions allocation for the converged services using the 50 per cent of the 2023 ICT support Intervention set aside. PREMIUM TIMES, however, learnt that many of the tertiary institutions concerned ignored TETFund, insisting that the agency does not have the power to engage a private organisation or school to train either their staff or students on any subject. But TETFund went ahead to deduct the fund and paid the contractor, using the fund without the approval of the tertiary institutions. Contract not in our database BPP In its letter dated 2 April 2023, addressed to PREMIUM TIMES, and signed by the Director of Compliance, Certification and Monitoring, Isaiah Yesufu, the Bureau of Public Procurement, denied any knowledge of the contract award. The Bureau wishes to state that there is no information in its database pertaining to the projects you referenced in your letter which according to you were approved/awarded by TETFund in May, 2023, the BPP wrote. The agency commended this newspaper for contacting it and pledged its support in its commitment to ensuring probity and accountability. Company keeps mum Meanwhile, Edunet Solutions has yet to respond to inquiries by PREMIUM TIMES on the matter. A letter sent to the email address of the company, found on its website, has not been replied to more than four weeks after. TETFund executive secretary, Mr Echono, said the MoU was signed on behalf of the service provider by the founder of Edunet Solutions, Klaus Stierstorfer, a professor, who is said to be the copyright holder of the communication skills and entrepreneurship programme for the two million students. He said the Fides Et Ratio Academy was only appointed by Edunet Solutions as its implementation partner. But the funds paid by TETFund so far for the contract have been paid into the formers account with Fidelity Bank, and at no point has any official of Edunet Solutions offered any service directly to the lecturers or the students since the MoU was reportedly signed. However, TETFund promised to make available a copy of the MoU to our newspaper but it has yet to do so. Meanwhile, Mr Chukwuma also spoke on PREMIUM TIMES initial reporting about difficulties in locating his companys website and office address. He described to our reporters how to locate his office, which he said he had used for about 15 years. He, however, commended the newspaper for its efforts to reach out to the company, saying he did not see the message earlier sent to his mobile telephone number because he was on a trip out of the country. I missed a lot of messages because sometimes when you roam your numbers and you have many messages some may not come in until you return to the country. I think that was what happened in this case because I later found out that you messaged me, Mr Chukwuma said. Speaking on the companys website, he showed our reporters the learning management system built to accommodate the enrollees for the online training of students. He said: As you can see, we currently have 1,115,794 students across 204 tertiary institutions in Nigeria already enrolled for the programme, and we have sent notification to a total of 580,679 enrolled. This report has been updated following fresh evidence, facts and further comments obtained by the newspaper concerning the nature and execution of the contract as well as the office location and website of Fides Et Ratio Academy. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A group under the aegis of the Coalition of Concerned Lagosians has called on the Lagos State government to investigate an alleged violation of the dredging contract procurement process in the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development. In a statement by its National President, Nurudeen Olawale, an engineer and Secretary, Korede Animashaun, also an engineer, the group frowned at recent developments and allegations of violations of procurement procedure in the award of channelisation contracts. It noted that though it has consistently supported and praised the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on its achievements in infrastructure development, especially land and rail infrastructure, it would not close its eyes to the recent allegations. Specifically, the group called for a forensic audit of the award of the contract for the channelisation of Mende to the lagoon waterfront recently done by the state government. The contract is for the dredging of Mende through Odo Iya Alaro to Ikorodu Channel going to Lagos. It is said to have been awarded to Merited Construction Limited, Surulere, Lagos, in November 2023, and work is supposed to end by November 2024. According to the group, the N5 billion contract is to cover a total area of 7km long by 40 meters wide by 4 meters deep. 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 Even though the N2.5 billion mobilisation fee has been paid, the coalition alleged that nothing concrete is seen on the ground, apart from an inappropriate dredger dumped on site. It said that the dredger had been stationed on one spot under the bridge for the last six months without any tangible trace of dredging work going on. The group further claimed that information available to it showed that the contractor was claiming to have concluded the job and was requesting the balance of N2.5 billion from the Lagos State government. It urged the state government to prevent such laudable projects from being used as a conduit for political patronage and settlement, as the backlash will be counterproductive We presume that with the correct information, the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu would not want to be dragged into allegations of corruption in connection with violations of procurement procedures and award of contracts, considering his unblemished records. We had hoped that allegations of violations of procurement processes in award of channelisation and dredging contracts in the ministry were gone with the previous administration of the former Commissioner for Waterfront Development, whom stakeholders clamoured for his exit not because he was from the northern part of the country, but because of various allegations of violations of contracts procurement, especially about water channelisation, and his seemingly lacklustre performance in terms of opening up the waterways, the statement read. The group expressed the view that the current commissioner in charge of the ministry, being a core Lagosian and from Kosofe Local Government Area, where the project is sited, should be interested in ensuring that such a legacy project, projected to open up the waterways transportation system in his ward and local government is seen to fruition. We expect that he would not allow such a laudable project to be used as a conduit for political patronage and settlement, it added. The coalition also called on the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to investigate the said allegation to ensure the protection, integrity and credibility of the organisation as regards its core mandate, which includes the protection and expansion of our waterways. The group expressed its readiness to provide the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the necessary information to enable them to prosecute whoever is culpable in the procurement processes as regards the referenced contract, including account details of relevant recipients of the contract sum. Our prayers, therefore, is an SOS call on the state governor to ensure that these allegations are thoroughly investigated and, if possible, a new team of consultants appointed to supervise the execution of the job, the statement added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Army has dismissed soldiers for stealing armoured cables from the Dangote Refinery, Lagos. Army spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu, a major general, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. The two culprits, Innocent Joseph, a corporal, and Jacob Gani, a lance corporal, have been handed over to relevant authorities for further prosecution. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the soldiers were caught at Dangote refinery and detained in Lagos on 14 April. He said that following a thorough investigation, the two soldiers were found guilty of abandoning their duty post and being in unauthorised possession of the materials. Subsequently, they were both charged for Failure to Perform Military Duties punishable under section 57, sub-section (1) and Other Civil Offences punishable under section 114, sub-section (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20, the Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. They were summarily tried. During the trial, the evidence against them was presented, and they were given the opportunity to present their cases and defend themselves. However, they were found guilty of the charges levelled against them in accordance with military laws, the spokesperson 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 As a demonstration of NAs zero-tolerance for misconduct and criminality within its ranks, the two soldiers have been dismissed from the NA with immediate effect and handed over to relevant authorities for further prosecution, the statement said. Mr Nwachukwu said the decisive action underscores the armys resoluteness in maintaining its institutional integrity and reputation. He stated, We reassured the general public of its dedication to upholding integrity, discipline and accountability at all levels. We remain resolute in our duty to protect and serve the nation with honour and dignity. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army detains two soldiers over alleged theft in Dangote Refinery We urge the public to continue to support our efforts in safeguarding national security and promoting peace and stability across the nation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Some bandits have laid down their arms and embraced peace in Plateau State. The Special Adviser to the state governor on security and Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, Gakji Shipi, disclosed this on Monday. Speaking with journalists in Jos, Mr Shipi, a retired army brigadier-general, said the bandits turned in seven AK47 rifles to the authorities. He said the development indicated the effectiveness of the non-violent approach of the state government to tackling security challenges in the state. Mr Shipi credited the concerted efforts of security agencies, vigilantes, and hunters in the Wase Local Government Area for the recent progress in curbing banditry and related security issues in the area. He said the escalation of banditry in the state prompted the security agencies to broaden their focus beyond traditional hotspots. The security adviser said success was achieved in Wase LGA through collaboration among local authorities, vigilante groups, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the State Security Service (SSS) and the police. 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 Shipi said negotiations were ongoing with other bandit groups, particularly in Wase. For quite some time now, we have been taking a look at the security situation bedevilling the state and apart from the kinetic approach, we have decided to adopt the non-kinetic means to solve the problem. So far, seven AK47s have been returned and if we take it that one belongs to one bandit, that means seven of them have renounced banditry. But as I said, we are still negotiating. We have also decided to shift attention to other areas, especially Wase Local Government Area, which have had a fair share of armed banditry and the endeavours have started recording success. We have started negotiations with them and you know these negotiations take time and it also takes time to build trust and for them to show goodwill, he said. Plateau attacks PREMIUM TIMES reported how 15 persons were killed on Thursday by armed men in two communities in Bokkos and Mangu local government areas of the state. Among the dead was a 200-level Computer Science student of Plateau State University in Bokkos. The armed men attacked Tilengpat and Butura while the residents were asleep. In January, the police arrested three suspected members of a gunrunning syndicate in connection with the 24 December attack on some communities in the state, in which over 100 people were killed. Following the attack, President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies to beef up their operations and fish out the killers. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has released a final report on Nigerias 2023 elections, identifying significant problems that undermined the credibility of the electoral process. The report, published Monday, said the failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal on, and after, election day are major factors that undermined the overall credibility, transparency and inclusivity of the elections. The introduction of additional technologies in this election raised voters hopes regarding the credibility and transparency of the counting and results processes, the group said, Yet, the failures of BVAS devices and the IReV portal on and after election day highlighted the need for greater testing, training and transparency in the adoption of these technologies. PREMIUM TIMES reported how various challenges experienced on election day, including delays in the provision of materials and late starting times, likely resulted in significant numbers of voters being unable or unwilling to cast their vote. Similarly, the malfunctioning of the BVAS led to the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters. Headed by former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and supported throughout its mission by a team from the Commonwealth Secretariat, the COG observed the Nigerian presidential and national assembly elections which took place on 25 February 2023. The Commonwealth observers said while Nigerias 2022 Electoral Act represented a significant step forward, further institutional and legal reform is necessary if Nigeria is to make lasting progress on issues such as campaign finance, electoral offences and inclusion. The electoral reforms did little to address long-standing concerns regarding the regulation of political parties, particularly in terms of campaign finance, electoral offences and candidate nomination disputes, the group 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 report noted that numerous security challenges facing the country and economic hardship also affected the electoral processes. While INEC was not without fault, particularly regarding campaign finance, the report stated that a combination of resource constraints and insufficient legal powers means that its ability to enforce the law in these areas is inhibited. In the months prior to the election, INEC Chairperson Mahmoud Yakubu stated on multiple occasions his belief that the institution was overburdened by the breadth of its responsibilities. Such a view was also expressed in the 2008 Uwais Report and the 2017 Nnamani Report on electoral reform. Notwithstanding, the Commonwealth observers said INEC failed to adequately enforce the law on donations and party and candidates expenditures. They also said political parties were not compelled to submit campaign expenditure reports. INEC did not make any reports available for public scrutiny, the group said, adding, This has contributed to the continued impact of godfatherism in Nigerian politics, including in party primary processes. Access to financial resources continues to be a more significant determinant of an aspirants success than his or her capabilities, policies and party manifesto. The report also lamented the harassment of journalists and the threat to media freedom during the election. PREMIUM TIMES reported that violence against journalists and media workers increased to an unprecedented level during tbe elections. Between January and August 2023, 74 press attacks were recorded, according to data from Press Tracker a record high that overtakes the 2019 record of 72. Nigeria has one of the most vibrant and fast-developing media industries in Africa, with a plethora of private print, broadcast and online outlets. Unfortunately, despite constitutional freedoms, journalists in Nigeria are inhibited by intimidation, arrests, violence and the use of defamation laws to stifle freedom of expression, the Commonwealth observers said. In 2022, the country was ranked 129/180 by Reporters Without Borders. The report also passed a verdict on the coverage of the election by Nigerian media organisations, saying some media houses demonstrated bias in their coverage of the election. The group was concerned that the state broadcaster demonstrated a bias towards the incumbent party in its election coverage. In print media, there was a blurring of the line between editorial content and political advertising. Many newspapers published political adverts on front pages that were neither as paid adverts nor as an editorial position, the report said. However, some observers and civic groups were of the view that the bias of media houses, both public and private, was somewhat offset by the wide variety of news sources. The Commonwealth group also said it was concerned by the lack of action taken by media regulators. It was also concerned that smaller parties and women and PWD candidates received proportionately less coverage than their counterparts. Nevertheless, the vibrancy of Nigerias political landscape and the quality of its civil society remain the countrys biggest strengths. So long as Nigeria can continue to tap into these most cherished and valuable resources, its ongoing journey of democratic consolidation and electoral reform will bring significant benefits for its people in years to come, the report stated. Recommendations The group recommended that state-owned and private media houses should be held to the standards contained in the Professional Code of Ethics, the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage and the Independent National Electoral Commissions Media Guidelines. This would improve impartiality and equitable coverage for all political parties and candidates during future campaigns. The report noted that it is crucial that media-related violations are penalised expeditiously and impartially. The report reiterated recommendations, which were also made in 2019, to address the concerning lack of womens political representation. Among the suggestions was that the National Assembly should revisit the previously tabled bills on seat quotas. It also recommended other temporary special measures, as referenced in the National Gender Policy, with a view to passing such legislation in the parliament. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Rivers State House of Assembly has overridden Governor Siminalayi Fubaras withdrawal of assent to the amended Local Government Bill. The House of Assembly dispensed with Mr Fubaras assent to the bill to make it an enforceable law in the state on Monday. The lawmakers overrode Mr Fubaras veto of the bill with two-thirds majority of the members of the House of Assembly, making it the fifth time in four months that the they have enacted laws without the governors assent. The lawmakers, who are loyal to the former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, took the decision during their 159th sitting, Punch newspaper reported, citing a statement by the media aide to the speaker, Martin Wachukwu. The bill was earlier passed on 13 March and forwarded to the governor for assent, but Mr Fubara allegedly declined assent. Determined to perform its constitutional duties, the Bill was represented by the Majority Leader, Major Jack and debated upon by members. Thereafter, the House in accordance with the provision s of Section 100(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as altered, which empowers the House to override the Governor, where he withholds his assent, the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule put the question, and with two third majority vote, the House agreed to override the governor and passed the Bill into law, Mr Wachukwu 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 House had on 22 March passed the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission into law, stripping Mr Fubara of the power to appoint the chairperson and members of the commission and conferred the power on itself. The lawmakers, in exercise of its power in the new law, appointed, screened and confirmed members of the commission, according to the statement by the speakers aide on Monday. Members of the commission include Abinye Pepple, as chairperson, Blessing Derefaka, Gbaranen Robinson and Dorcas Amos as members. Appointments null and void Rivers Government Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday evening, the Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, Joseph Johnson, described the action of the lawmakers as null and void and a show of legislative rascality. Therefore, whatever they have done is nullity. It cannot stand, it has no place in law. It is the greatest display of rascality by the assembly. Anybody who thinks it can stand should tell me who will payroll them? They raised the names, screened and appointed them and would probably give them offices. You cannot usurp the position of the executive, Mr Johnson said. Rivers State has been enmeshed in a political crisis over the superiority battle between Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Mr Wike, who is now the minister of FCT. The crisis triggered a split in the state assembly with 27 members supporting Mr Wike while four are loyal to Mr Fubara. In an effort to end the crisis, President Bola Tinubu last December brokered a controversial peace deal between Messrs Wike and Fubara, after the seats of pro-Wike lawmakers were declared vacant following their defection to the APC. But despite the peace deal, the feud between Mr Wike and Governor Fubara has persisted. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print GLOBALink | San Francisco mayor expects further consolidation of sister-city relationship with Shanghai Pub Date:24-04-23 09:26 Source:Xinhua San Francisco will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Shanghai in culture, tourism, innovation, and other areas, further consolidating the sister-city relationship with Shanghai, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has said. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Editor:Qin Shuying Related News Feature: China, U.S. youths commit to frie... Xinhua Headlines: Low-carbon lifestyle gai... Picturesque terrace fields in Jingde, Anhui Commentary: Overcapacity accusation is eco... Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed support for the establishment of state police, saying it is non-negotiable. Mr Jonathan spoke at the National Dialogue on the Establishment of State Police organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review on Monday in Abuja. The dialogue was themed, Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria. Mr Jonathan, a former Bayelsa State governor, said state policing is not up for debate, but rather the establishment of mechanisms to prevent abuse. The issue today is very critical. One thing is that we dont need to debate whether we should have state police or not. I think that matter has been concluded. The issue is the operations of the police, Mr Jonathan said. He recounted his experience as governor and some of the actions he had to take to ensure the prevention of abuse. The former president said the 2014 National Conference organised by his administration supported the creation of state police, adding that Nigeria could not afford to toy with the idea of state police any longer. 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 must not waste our time debating whether we should have state police or not, we should concentrate on how to check abuses by state political actors. The key area that we need to debate is how we will run the state police to secure the security architecture of the country so that it is most effective and devoid of any political influence, Mr Jonathan said. Also speaking, a former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, stressed the need for transparency in the operation of state police. He warned that politicians must avoid asserting undue influence over state police. If we decide to have them. It is necessary for politicians as much as possible to avoid exerting influence on the ways the police are going to operate if at all we agree to have the police, Mr Abubakar said. President Bola Tinubu, in his remarks, said that state policing has the potential to revolutionise law enforcement in Nigeria and cater for different needs. The president, who was represented by his deputy, Kashim Shettima, urged leaders to ensure that the deliberations continue beyond the hall. The concept of state policing is not merely a policy for the proposal but a potential milestone of revolution of our law enforcement framework. It offers the possibility of catering to the diverse needs of our communities. It is essential that this forum is not the end, but the beginning of an ongoing conversation on the issue of police and security sector reform in our country. The theme of todays event is a pivotal aspect of our national discourse. It reflects a collective recognition of the need for a more localised, responsive and effective law enforcement framework, Mr Tinubu said. In his remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, called for action as he informed the audience of the discontent of his subjects over general insecurity. We have not seen anybody that has a contrary opinion to this. So technically the people have spoken. The peoples house. So I would commend you. But please swing into action. it is about time. Do something that would be impactful to people. It is very important. Whatever take home that you would have today, we have the entire National Assembly here. Please we are the ones feeling the heat from our people. We are traditional rulers. our palaces are not locked. No traditional ruler in this country would dare lock his palace. Its not possible, he said. The monarch also lamented the lopsidedness in the allocation of police, stating that most VIPs in Abuja have police attached to them. But you have lots of police securing the permanent secretary, so many police in Abuja and Lagos. You only come to us when you want to go for election. That is when you come to see us. I mean our political leaders. but we are there. no problem. But enough of talking. lets stop talking and implement this, Mr Ogunwusi said. Although most of the leaders spoke in support of state police, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, opposed it. Mr Egbetokun, who was represented by Ben Okoro, an assistant inspector general of police, instead called for the merger of the police with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Commission (NCDSC) to ensure an effective policing system. READ ALSO: IGP differs with Tinubu on state police Others who delivered speeches at the event were Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy Speaker of the House Ben Kalu, Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, who was represented by Kunle Ariyibi, a major general, and the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam. Other personalities at the event were the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, AbdulRahaman AbdulRasak, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar. State police bill The state police bill currently before the National Assembly seeks the removal of police from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list. The exclusive list contains all items that only the federal government can act upon while the concurrent list contains issues that both the federal government and state governments can act on. In the last assembly, the state police bill was rejected by the lawmakers, who felt that state governors may abuse state police. However, in the face of rising insecurity, there seems to be a favourable disposition to the bill by the current assembly. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The management of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, on Monday, mourned the death of Yinka Olomojobi, a professor, who suspected gunmen reportedly shot at the weekend. The university in a statement signed by its Director of Communication and Marketing, Joshua Suleiman, paid tributes to Mr Olomojobis personality and his career in academia. Mr Olomojobi, a professor of human rights law and gender, started his career at Babcock University on 1 April 2011. According to the university, the tragic incident occurred between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, 19 April, along Iperu-Sagamu Road, which is eight kilometres from the Ilisan-Remo campus and three kilometres from the Iperu campus of Babcock University, Ogun State. This came as a rude shock to the entire university community, which has been thrown into mourning, it noted. Reports have it that he suspected gunmen, dressed in black attires, shot the professor at Ajadeh Event Centre in Iperu and abducted two people in the community, while witnesses said some people were injured while trying to escape from the scene. About Olomojobi The university also described Mr Olomojobi as a vibrant personality who gave his all to imparting knowledge and empowering young people of the university where he taught. 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 Olomojobi had his Bachelors degree in Law (LLB) from the Ogun State University (1985 -1990) and his Masters and doctorate (2006 2010) from the University of Liverpool and Lancaster University, England, respectively. The university commiserates with his family, friends, faculty, staff, and students at this time of grief and prays for Gods comfort and courage to bear the loss, the university statement reads in part. We assure all our stakeholders- students, parents, host community, faculty and staff that Babcock University will continue to collaborate with all government security and local vigilance agencies to ensure the maximum protection of lives and property within and around the university environment. The partnership with our stakeholders over the years has yielded positive outcomes, and we will continue to explore greater collaborative endeavours to ensure a safer learning and living space for all. Investigation The university noted that the Nigeria Police Force is investigating the act of utmost savagery by these suspected kidnappers. It said that law enforcement agencies, in conjunction with the Ogun State Government, are reportedly on the trail of the perpetrators, and more men and women of the security agencies have been deployed to ensure the maximum safety of lives and property in the entire axis of the state. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, on Monday, said one person has been arrested in connection with the incident. Ms Odutola said a security man was arrested based on reasonable suspicion as police commenced a discreet investigation. The police also confirmed that the lecturer was taken to Babcock University Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead She said: A report from the Iperu Division indicates that a kidnapping and murder incident occurred on the 19 of April at about 9:20 p.m. A suspicious coincidence led the police to arrest one Awada Ishaya of Plateau State who was employed two weeks ago when the event centre was launched as a security man for further interrogation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned Cindy Bei, owner of an Abuja-Chinese supermarket accused of denying Nigerians entry into its premises. The supermarket, located at the China General Chamber of Commerce along Umaru Musa YarAdua Road in the Federal Capital Territory, was officially summoned on Monday due to allegations of discrimination and racism. The surveillance was led by Boladale Adeyinka, director of surveillance and investigation, who noted that the mission was to verify the allegation prompted by a viral video alleging discrimination against Nigerian consumers at a supermarket in Abuja. On arrival, we noticed the supermarket behind me was sealed and padlocked externally. Inquiries have shown that yes, as of this morning, this supermarket was open, and people were there, she said. CCTV footage also shows that at about 8:29 am, two vehicles departed from these premises allegedly containing the owner of the supermarket, whom we have been able to identify by name, and we have her contact details. Now the summon, of course, since shes not around and the place is locked, is to serve notice on her to appear before the federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission by Wednesday, 24 April 2024, by 11 am, she said. The summon document was afterwards passed on the gate of the building. 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 This Summons is issued under the authority of the Federal Consumer Protection Commission (Commission) under Sections 32 and 33 of the Federal C, competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (FCCPA), it read. YOU ARE at this moment SUMMONED to attend the Commissions Investigative Hearing, which will be held at the Commissions headquarters located at 23 Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 11 oclock in the forenoon to testify, make dispositions and present evidence concerning the Commissions ongoing investigation/inquiry. The commission said Ms Bei would be made to pay N20 million or serve up to three years in prison if she fails to comply with the summon directive. Background The supermarket has, in the past few days, come under fire after a Nigerian uploaded a video alleging that the supermarket denied him access to the premises. Wonders shall never end. There is a supermarket I saw online that is a Chinese supermarket. They have Chinese food, ramen and other things. I wanted to go there and check it out, but I was denied entry, the man said in the viral video. The security officers at the gate said the supermarket was strictly for Chinese people, and no Nigerian was allowed to go inside or buy anything. Is that possible in China? READ ALSO: FCCPC speaks on discriminatory incident at KFC outlet in Lagos Airport This supermarket is in Abuja, and a Nigerian cannot enter. This is a joke. So that means a Chinese guy has more rights than you here in Nigeria. Chinese guys are allowed to visit anywhere in the country. Nigerians have since called for the supermarkets closure, with many tagging FCCPC on X to take action against it. In a post on X, a former federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani, also called for the facilitys demolition. Any Supermarket in our Country that is not accessible to supermarkets closure but to foreigners should be forcibly opened or be pulled down by the laws of our Country, he said. Sanusi Shuabi, the assistant facility manager of the Royal Choice estate that houses the supermarket, confirmed that the estate rented the building (Villa 07) to a lady who resides and conducts her business In the building. He also said the estate management did not sign any agreement excluding Nigerians from shopping at the grocery store. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has denied disobeying a court order in its bid to arrest and arraign former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello over the N80 billion money laundering charges pending against him. Acting Director of EFCCs Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, responding to allegations of violating a court order concerning Mr Bello, explained in a statement on Monday that the order of the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja obtained by the former governor to shield him from arrest has no relevance to the criminal charges against him. Bello sought refuge in a fundamental rights enforcement action through an order granted by Justice Isa Jamil Abdulallahi of the Kogi State High Court, the order did not vitiate or nullify an order made by the Federal High Court for the arrest of the former governor for the purpose of his arraignment. The enrolled Order of the Kogi State High Court only granted an order to enforce Bellos right to personal liberty and freedom of movement, it didnt preclude the Federal High Court to make any Order as it may deem just in the determination of the rights of the Applicant and the Respondent as may be submitted to her for consideration and determination, Mr Uwujaren said. Mr Bello, 48, who left office as governor on 27 January, faces 19 counts of money laundering at the Federal High Court in Abuja. In the charges, EFCC accused Mr Bello, his nephew, Ali Bello; Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (said to still be at large) of conspiring to convert N80 billion (N80, 246,470, 088.88) in February 2016. EFCC, on 17 April, obtained a court warrant from the Federal High Court in Abuja for Mr Bellos arrest. That same day, the commission made futile efforts to execute the arrest warrant at his residence in Abuja. EFCC operatives who arrived at Mr Bellos residence in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja in their number to carry out his arrest were obstructed by police personnel attached to the house. 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 situation lasted about seven hours. It ended only after it was suspected that Mr Bello had sneaked away in the official vehicle of the incumbent Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, who suddenly emerged on the scene mid-way into the stand-off. Mr Ododo was allowed to drive through the barricade mounted by the EFCC operatives into the house. Mr Bello was believed to be inside Mr Ododos car with tinted windows that later drove out of the house and drove off. Mr Bello refused to show up for his scheduled arraignment before the trial judge, Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on 18 April, the day after EFCCs failed efforts to arrest him. His legal team argued during the stalled proceedings that the court lacked the jurisdiction to conduct the trial on the grounds of a subsisting court order restraining EFCC from arresting and detaining the former governor. Hours after the proceedings, EFCC declared Mr Bello wanted, calling on members of the public with useful information about him to contact its offices. That day, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, called on Mr Bello to surrender himself to the EFCC. EFCC insists it did no wrong EFCC maintained in its statement on Monday that the order obtained by Mr Bello had no bearing on the criminal case filed against the defendant, so it did no wrong trying to arrest him. The case before the Federal High Court is a criminal charge which is different from the fundamental rights enforcement action that is the subject of an appeal. EFCC is a creation of law and will not fight corruption outside the law, Mr Uwujaren said. What has happened in the instant case is the Commission dutifully following the dictates of the law to attempt to bring to justice a former political office holder who is working assiduously to evade justice. The order of the Federal High Court gives the Commission power to arrest Yahaya Bello. Mr Uwujaren also said despite challenges that the commission daily faces in the execution of its mandate, and the irritation by those paid to distract it, EFCC will not relent in its quest to wrestle corruption to the ground. He added, This moment offers the opportunity to genuine patriots to lend their voices in support of the efforts of the Commission. While we are not averse to criticisms, such must be constructive. As things stand, Bello is a fugitive of the law. That is not a badge of honour. It is in his interest, and that of justice, that he turns himself in and answers to the charges preferred against him. Don criticises EFCC Earlier on Sunday, a Professor of International Law at Base University in Abuja, Agbo Madaki, criticised EFCCs moves to arrest Mr Bello in disregard for a court order. Mr Madaki, who appeared on Channels Televisions primetime programme, Politics Today on Sunday, recalled that the Kogi State High Court issued a protective order on 17 April, forbidding the EFCC from harassing or arresting Mr Bello for a pending charge before the Federal Court. Mr Madaki emphasised the importance of respecting court orders, noting that even if the EFCC decided to appeal the judgement, the commission lacked the authority to carry out Mr Bellos arrest until the order is set aside. There are no conflicting orders and in any case. The position of the law is very clear that the judgement of the court whether it is useless, or stupid remains valid and enforceable, and it enjoins all persons and citizens and the country to obey the court order, he said. He added, Even if the EFCC has appealed the judgement, it is a recondite position of the law that an appeal does not serve or act as the stay of execution. All EFCC should have done was to invite him, so that they serve him with a copy of the charge sheet if it is available, the lawyer said. Noting that EFCC appeared to be spurred by public opinion to seek to arrest Mr Bello, Mr Madaki urged the agency to strictly adhere to legal procedures instead of engaging in trial by media. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has suspended a lecturer for allegedly attempting to sexually molest a female student in the institution. The lecturer, Mfonobong Udoudom, works at the School of General Studies Programme Unit of the university where he teaches Peace and Conflict Resolution and Nigerian Peoples and Culture. The spokesperson for the university, Okwun Omeaku, disclosed in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening. Attempted sexual assault This newspaper earlier reported that Mr Udoudom, on Monday, allegedly attempted to sexually assault his female student in his office. The lecturer was said to have threatened to fail the female student in his course if she refused to have an affair with him in his office. He was seen in a viral video clip putting on only shorts in his office where he was said to have attempted to molest the student. The yet-to-be-identified victim, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, is a married woman. 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 Suspension The UNN spokesperson, Mr Omeaku, said in the statement that the university management has set up a disciplinary panel to investigate the incident. The indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a disciplinary panel constituted by the university to investigate the incident, he said. He said the university has zero-tolerance for sexual misconducts involving its staff and students, adding that the institution is among a few universities in Nigeria that has a Sexual Harassment Policy guiding relationship between staff and students of the institution. As a university, we are committed to protecting our students from any form of abuse and exploitation, and the university management will not hesitate to punish Mr Mfonobong David Udoudom, according to our rules, if he is found guilty by our disciplinary panel, Mr Omeaku said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Chairperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has invited all the aspirants who participated in the just concluded governorship primaries in Ondo State. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the invitation by the national secretariat is aimed at finding a way to pacify the aspirants to secure a united front for the party in the coming election. It was also learnt that the meeting has been scheduled for Thursday this week at the APC national secretariat in Abuja. The Publicity Secretary of the party in Ondo State, Alex Kalejaiye, confirmed the invitation, saying, It has been proposed. The state office is making efforts to persuade the aspirants to attend the meeting, he added. Sources within the APC, however, told PREMIUM TIMES that the aggrieved aspirants were reluctant to honour the invitation, as they were not willing to give up the struggle to upturn the election of Mr Aiyedatiwa. It will be recalled that the Ahmed Ododo committee declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the primaries amidst protests by other aspirants. 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 aspirants alleged that there were no elections in all the 203 wards in the state. Mr Aiyedatiwa scored 48,569 votes to beat 15 other aspirants to the coveted ticket. He was closely followed by Mayowa Akinfolarin, who polled 15,343 votes, and Olusola Oke, who garnered 14,915 votes. Jimoh Ibrahim, the serving senator for Ondo South, polled 9456 votes; Wale Akinterinwa, 1,952; Isaac Kekemeke, 1,045; Gbenga Edema, 395; Olamide Ohunyeye, 424; Jimi Odimayo, 490; Olusoji Ehinlanwo, 492; Morayo Lebi, 290; Diran Iyantan, 348; Francis Faduyile, 353; Ifeoluwa Oyedele, 462; Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, 529 and Funke Omogoroye, 115 votes. However, five of the aspirants have already filed petitions before the appeals committee of the party, disputing the results declared by Mr Ododo. The aspirants who petitioned the committee are Olugbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo, Wale Akinterinwa, Folakemi Omogoroye and Jimoh Ibrahim. In their separate petitions, the aspirants alleged that no elections were held in the wards and that the committee did not comply with the guidelines for the election. They also complained of a complete absence of voting materials for the election. They unanimously called for the cancellation of the primary election, and that a fresh date be fixed for another election that would be handled by a new committee. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, on Tuesday, gave more details of the criminal case against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. The agency has already charged Mr Bello with 19 counts of money laundering involving over N80 billion at the Federal High Court in Abuja but has been unable to prosecute him due to difficulties in arresting him. Giving fresh insights into the case against the former governor, Mr Olukoyede said Tuesday that $720,000 stolen from the Kogi State treasury was used to pay the school fees of one of Mr Bellos children. Mr Olukoyede, who was speaking at a press conference in Abuja, with a snippet of his remarks captured in a short clip posted by Channels Television on its Facebook page, said Mr Bello withdrew the funds through a male cashier at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja. He alleged that the former governor funnelled the funds through a bureau de change operator, whose name Mr Olukoyede did not reveal. He said: A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government through a cashier to bureau de change, used it to pay the childs school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House. In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of Im being used. Being used by who at this stage of my life? 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 In the clip which played for three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, Mr Olukoyede urged Nigerians to approach the Federal High Court in Abuja for the certified true copy of the proof of evidence attached to the N80 billion money laundering charges filed against Mr Bello. Mr Bello, 48, who left office as governor on 27 January, faces 19 counts of money laundering at the Federal High Court in Abuja. In the charges, EFCC accused him, his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (said to still be at large) of conspiring to convert the total sum of N80 billion public funds to personal use in February 2016. The commission alleged that Mr Bello and others reasonably ought to have known that the money forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity criminal breach of trust. EFCC also alleged in another count that Mr Bello, between 26 July 2021 and 6 April 2022 in Abuja, aided a firm, E-Traders International Limited, to conceal the aggregate sum of over N3 billion (N3,081,804,654) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access Bank Plc. Stalled arraignment The move to prosecute Mr Bello before the Federal High Court in Abuja has failed twice. The scheduled arraignment was stalled on 18 April and again on Tuesday due to Mr Bellos absence from court on both occasions. The trial judge, Emeka Nwite, on Tuesday, took the extraordinary step of ordering the EFCC to serve Mr Bello with the charges through his lawyer who has been appearing for him. Ahead of the first court sitting, the trial judge, Mr Nwite, on 17 April, issued a warrant for the arrest of the former governor. However, with the help of his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, and police officers attached to his residence in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, Mr Bello managed to evade arrest by EFCC when the operatives of the agency laid siege to the Abuja house to execute the warrant of arrest shortly after the court issued it. That same day, the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja gave a judgement barring the EFCC from arresting or detaining him. War of words The development has triggered a wave of criticism from many who accused the EFCC of disobeying a court order by making moves to arrest Mr Bello. They argue that the only option EFCC has is to appeal against the order. But in the ensuing war of words, EFCC, both in press statements and during court proceedings, has maintained that it did no wrong, arguing that the court order issued in favour of Mr Bello in a fundamental human rights enforcement suit did not preclude another court from ordering his arrest to answer to criminal charges. The agency declared Mr Bello wanted on the day he first failed to appear in court, with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, calling on Mr Bello to surrender himself to the anti-corruption agency. Due process followed. Mr Olukoyede further justified the steps EFCC has taken against Mr Bello on Tuesday, saying the commission did all that needed to be done, including personally calling the former governor over the phone to invite him for interrogation. He said Mr Bello declined to honour EFCCs invitation on the basis that a lady had mobilised journalists to the anti-graft agencys office to harass him. He said Mr Bello then requested that he be interrogated at his village in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State. On my own, I called him, which I am not supposed to do, just to honour him as an immediate-past governor. Sir, there are issues. Ive seen this case file. Can you just come let us clarify these issues?' Mr Olukoyede recalled his phone conversation with Mr Bello. Ha! Thank you, my brother. I know, but I cant come. Theres one lady that has surrounded EFCC with over 100 people to come and embarrass me and intimidate me, the EFCC chair quoted Mr Bello as saying on phone. I didnt initiate Bellos case. Reacting to insinuations that he was being used to wage a political witch-hunt against Mr Bello, Mr Olukoyede clarified that the former governors case preceded his assumption of office. I didnt initiate the case; I inherited the case file. I called for the file, and I said there are issues here. I am so passionate about the need for us to move forward in this country, Mr Olukoyede said in apparent frustration concerning allegations of bias against the commission. He said the EFCC, on his watch, within six months, recovered about N120 billion from criminals who swindled their victims. He added that the EFCC recorded over 1,600 convictions since he took office last year. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print What is particularly alarming is the role played by the incumbent resident of Kashim Ibrahim House, the seat of government in the state, who, prior to his accession, spearheaded the approval of a substantial loan from the World Bank during his sojourn at the National Assembly. Now, faced with the repercussions of his actions a badly planned financing of developmental programmes in Kaduna, he is lamenting the lack of funds for essential projects In the heart of Northern Nigeria lies Kaduna State, a land steeped in potentials, yet shackled by the weight of mismanagement and deceit, and hoping fervently for a leadership capable of mobilising its citizens towards shared prosperity. Recent revelations have peeled back the layers of obscurity, exposing a state burdened by an astronomical and rising debt profile, second only to that of Lagos. What is particularly alarming is the role played by the incumbent resident of Kashim Ibrahim House, the seat of government in the state, who, prior to his accession, spearheaded the approval of a substantial loan from the World Bank during his sojourn at the National Assembly. Now, faced with the repercussions of his actions a badly planned financing of developmental programmes in Kaduna, he is lamenting the lack of funds for essential projects, not withstanding receiving humongous and monstrous monthly FAAC receipts from Abuja, for the benefit of the entire citizens of Kaduna State, and that he is only able to meet basic obligations, such as the payment of the salaries of civil servant by the whiskers. Another perplexing issue is the convoluted narrative of political patronage and betrayal that underpins this financial quagmire. Inherited Debts Ranking as the second highest state in Nigerias debt hierarchy, the Governor said he inherited significant debts from the previous administration, led by Malam Nasir, who was his benefactor, bosom friend, oga at the top, etc., which comprises $587 million (a foreign debt, equivalent to N705 billion at N1200/$ as at 3 April), N85 billion (domestic debt) and N115 billion (in contractual liabilities). A most pertinent questions to ask here is: Do the above debts include all or some or none of the following? Outstanding payments to ad hoc, contract, NYSC or other ancillary staff? Outstanding salaries of either teachers or health workers or core civil service staff? Are there outstanding Accrued Rights Benefit in the Contributory Pension Scheme of pensioners and families of deceased staff? The Service Compact Agreement Promised by the Governor 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 His Sustain Manifesto 2023, meaning continuing from somewhere, includes a seven-point agenda focusing on the development of the state in terms of the following: Safety and Security, Upgrade of Infrastructure, Strengthening of Institutions, Trade and Investment, Agriculture, Investment in Human Capital, and Nurturing Citizen Engagement. Wait a second: How much is the implementation of the seven-point agenda supposed to cost and in how many years? Will there be the implementation of the seven-point agenda or sustenance of ongoing projects as the massive FAAC allocation gets eaten up? What about the welfare of citizens? The inability to answer these three questions portrays Nigerias democracy as a FARCE! The Circus and the Clowns Based on the Debt Sustainability Framework for Low-Income Countries (LIC DSF) used by the World Bank and the IMF, debt sustainability is a countrys/states ability to manage its debt without requiring debt relief or accumulating arrears or default on its obligations. Meanwhile, the Debt Sustainability Ratio (DSR) compares the countrys/states debt levels against its ability to repay, considering its income, economic growth, and other relevant financial indicators. A Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) is a structured examination of a countrys debt-carrying capacity (strong, medium or weak) over 10 years, vulnerability to economic and policy shocks and based on indicators such as, debt-to-GDP ratio, debt service-to-revenue ratio, debt service-to-exports ratio, primary fiscal balance, net present value (NPV) of debt-to-exports ratio, external debt-to-exports ratio, and public sector borrowing needs. Once the indicative thresholds show a positive sign, governments at all levels feel they have the capacity to secure debts, which is actually wrong. Averagely, the states monthly FAAC receipt is N10 billion and about N7 billion of this gets consumed by debts servicing and repayment, leaving a huge N3 billion for essential expenses. But alas, its a struggle to honour the monthly salary obligation of N5.2 billion to less than 100,000 of its workforce, with the rest of 10 million citizens left with nothing to cater for their welfare. This is an absurdity! These indicators are meant to help analysts determine the risk of debt distress and guide borrowing decisions to maintain debt at sustainable levels but not to accumulate debts simply because government is a continuum. A Tale of Political Intrigues Distressingly, in a Machiavellian manoeuvre, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai anointed his senator to succeed him from the ranks of his own, only for citizens to witness the same protege spearheading a relentless cry of the lack of funds for essential projects and a struggle to meet basic obligations. Now, with coffers depleted and faced with the repercussions of his past actions, the cry of fiscal incapacity reverberates through the corridors of power, leaving the welfare of citizens and development projects in a limbo. Whats particularly abhorrent is the intricate web of political manoeuvres, self-serving actions that have contributed to this fiscal debacle, and has highlighted, tensions and breakdown in the relationship between the anointer and the anointed. Scratching the Dirt Compounding the issue is the close-knit network of political affiliations that seem more concerned with self-preservation than public service. The governors ascent to power was facilitated by his predecessor, and his administration comprises key individuals and members of the past administration, who we are told will help with institutional memory, policy formulation and implementation from the same political circle, however raising questions about their complicity in the states financial mismanagement. But the rot runs deeper still. Nepotism rears its head as the son of the former governor, once the new governors legislative aide, now brazenly denounces his former mentor as clueless. Economic Strains and Public Welfare The agencies entrusted with safeguarding public welfare and the provision of services have been perverted into instruments of extortion. Examples include: The states road traffic and enforcement agency, originally envisioned as a regulatory body, but which has now devolved into a cash-generating enterprise, preying on hapless citizens through exorbitant fees, charges and fines, which burden the already strained finances of the citizens. Similarly, the lands registry, due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, has led to a perception of governance akin to an advance fee fraud scheme, transforming public institutions into veritable black holes of inefficiency and apathy. Public Servants or Public Burden According to the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics (KSBS) website, the projected population of the state is 10.4 million as at 2023. Meanwhile in an interview granted by Mallam El-Rufai sometimes around May 2016, there are less than 100,000 persons employed in the civil service. Averagely, the states monthly FAAC receipt is N10 billion and about N7 billion of this gets consumed by debts servicing and repayment, leaving a huge N3 billion for essential expenses. But alas, its a struggle to honour the monthly salary obligation of N5.2 billion to less than 100,000 of its workforce, with the rest of 10 million citizens left with nothing to cater for their welfare. This is an absurdity! Amidst a staggering number of out-of-school children and the absence of funding, it is alarming to notice the governments misplaced priorities. Instead of investing in education and social welfare, it ends up in giving performance bonuses to its civil servants. Following from the above, its a bitter irony that those entrusted to serve the states 10 million citizens have seemingly turned their backs on their mandate, prioritising personal comfort over public welfare by being paid humongous performance bonuses (though recently cut off, we are told), thus exacerbating the financial strain on the populace and the state. Just like Annual Schools Census, it will be apt for the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics (KSBS) to conduct an Annual Civil Servants Census. A Future in Limbo According to Statisense, Kaduna States 2024 budget for education is N115.42 billion, placing it fifth on the list of states with the highest budgetary allocations for education. The Kaduna State General Household Survey conducted by KSBS in 2020 shows that 31.1 per cent of children within the primary school age are out-of-school; that is 535,353; while 31.9 per cent of children within the junior secondary school age are out-of-school. That is 233,386 children. This makes a total of 768,739 students at the basic level of education (Basic 1 to 9). Exorbitant school fees in the states tertiary institutions are another palaver. Lest we forget, over 95 per cent of those in government received their tertiary education on a platter of gold free of charges or stress. The plight of citizens is further exacerbated by the denial of educational opportunities, as scholarships are denied and withheld, while access to study loans remains elusive from the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board. The requirements are short of being called Satanic. Amidst a staggering number of out-of-school children and the absence of funding, it is alarming to notice the governments misplaced priorities. Instead of investing in education and social welfare, it ends up in giving performance bonuses to its civil servants. Those Eating from the Sweat of Faith The much-vaunted promise of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which ushered in successive administrations, has proven to be a hollow echo, devoid of substance or salvation. Instead, it perpetuates a cycle of inept governance, citizen deprivation, and serves as a stark reminder of the myopic vision and self-serving agendas that have hijacked governance in Kaduna State. Furthermore, the strategy has done little to address the underlying issues plaguing the state and thus failed to foster inclusive development. Beware the Ides of March A significant portion of the states current cabinet, special advisers, and assistants etc. are recycled from the previous administration, suggesting a continuity of policies that have assisted in running the state aground. This continuity thus raises questions about the possibility of the existence of moles, collective responsibility, and the pursuit of the common good. The Path Forward As custodians of our collective destiny, awareness about the foregoing has become imperative, as we hope it will effect meaningful change. Therefore: Mr Governor, the time to review certain laws and process work flow is now. On the debt debacle, there is a way out only if the will is there. For those outside Kaduna, this is a blueprint equate Kaduna with your state and it will fit perfectly. Adamu Rabiu writes from Kaduna. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Except there is true Le Droit Du Seigneur for some Nigerian airlines, it is time to stop the hubris and bring some relief to passengers. It is time to get value for money from our local airlines (and the international ones too, mind). I am my neighbour, and my neighbour is me. Are you incensed enough about the nonsense going on in the aviation sector to start an integrity movement on it? Lets join hands to change Nigeria, one issue at a time. How should we liken a situation when you buy a ticket, and just as you are about to travel, the airline postpones your flight by rescheduling it, often by days, not hours, or it just simply cancels the flight but tells you that you cannot get a refund, as the ticket is valid for one year. They advise you to go and rebook. You are stranded and there appears to be nothing you can do about it. The authorities remain mum and passengers suffer in silence (well sometimes they make noise on social media). We are not even talking about demanding compensation, just getting our money back in such a scenario would be first prize. This reminds me of a Yoruba idiom, and I like the version I saw online from Adebayo Adegbite, which goes something like, Olowo gba iyawo ole. Ole n ke laahilaa meaning, the rich man snatches the wife of the weakling, and the weakling can only sigh in resignation. Medieval Europe reportedly also had something like this, perhaps even worse, referred to as Le Droit Du Seigneur. The myth goes that the lord of a medieval estate had an alleged legal right to spend the night with any young maiden of his choosing, particularly on her wedding night (jus primae noctis) and similarly nothing could be done about it. Have some Nigerian airlines negotiated a sort of Droit Du Seigneur for themselves that our regulators have bought into? Droit du Seigneur is a metaphor for oppression, exploitation and the abuse of power. In mythology, this level of arrogance displayed towards passengers by some Nigerian airlines would be referred to as hubris and such hubris violates the bounds set for humans and is punishable by the gods. But, vox populi, vox dei, meaning the voice of the people is the voice of God. This means the power to seek redress and correct this hubris is in our hands, we the passengers. Our mumu don do! we shall be calling on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for help as an Ombudsman. Between the NCAA and the FCCPC, we should be able to get a grievance reporting mechanism that we can trust (not that there isnt any) and punitive fines meted out to any airline that refuses to give the duty of care to passengers as outlined in agreed SoPs. According to a report from the US Department of Transportation, on-time arrivals for US airlines in January were put at 72.82 per cent, while delays and cancellations were 7.01 per cent and 3.79 per cent, respectively. Comparing this performance with Nigerias domestic airlines, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) reports that in the first quarter of 2023, only about 43 per cent of airlines were on schedule, with 55 per cent (10,128 flights) of the 18,288 domestic flights delayed, and 1.55 per cent (284) cancelled. We dont have the proportion classed as cancelled, which is regarded as rescheduled. This provides a picture of just how poorly the sector is doing with on-time arrivals. If an airline can no longer keep its side of the bargain to get me to my destination and has to cancel or reschedule beyond my date of travel, am I entitled to ask for my money back, request compensation or ask for my ticket to be endorsed to another airline that can take me to the destination or a combination of the above? The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) needs to outline very clearly what the standard operating procedures should be when a flight is cancelled, even if technically repositioned as a rescheduled flight, where I am asked to wait more than a few hours of delays. After all, when there is a no-show, the passenger pays. Even when the passenger is late, the airline reserves the right to fill the seat by taking other passengers who are on stand-by, so why cant we have our money back and receive compensation when our flights are cancelled or rescheduled for days? For this, we shall be calling on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for help as an Ombudsman. Between the NCAA and the FCCPC, we should be able to get a grievance reporting mechanism that we can trust (not that there isnt any) and punitive fines meted out to any airline that refuses to give the duty of care to passengers as outlined in agreed SoPs. We know the airlines too have problems with their regulators. This is a time-sensitive industry, yet requests for flight clearance are still being typed out manually in forms by typewriters (in triplicate) before payments are made, bank tellers secured as proof of payment, and then hand-carried from one approving authority to the next. According to a senior member of the sector, AOC (Air Operators Certificate) renewals which form the foundation of any aviation company in Nigeria, face a monumental battle to renew the said certificate. This process is in five phases and can at times take three to six months beyond the date of expiration before it is re-issued even though you start the process two months before expiration. The same thing can be said for virtually all renewals in the aviation sector, everything is conducted manually and harms the efficiency of an operators activities. 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 Nigerias aviation sector is still stuck in the era of manual forms and typewriters! For improved efficiency, accuracy, data security, reduced costs, real-time information and better passenger experience with our airlines, there are Nigerian firms that can help with critical reforms Now when the rest of the world is using smart forms and digital signatures, Nigerias aviation sector is still stuck in the era of manual forms and typewriters! For improved efficiency, accuracy, data security, reduced costs, real-time information and better passenger experience with our airlines, there are Nigerian firms that can help with critical reforms in at least the following areas: Value stream mapping and enhanced data security. Process mapping with secure data visualisation. Process optimisation with secure automation. Data management with secure cloud storage. Inventory tracking with secure data access. Except there is true Le Droit Du Seigneur for some Nigerian airlines, it is time to stop the hubris and bring some relief to passengers. It is time to get value for money from our local airlines (and the international ones too, mind). I am my neighbour, and my neighbour is me. Are you incensed enough about the nonsense going on in the aviation sector to start an integrity movement on it? Lets join hands to change Nigeria, one issue at a time. Olowo gba iyawo ole. Ole n ke laahilaa will never be your portion! Soji Apampa is co-founder, The Integrity Organisation; email: soji.apampa@integritynigeria.org Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The proposal to create state police and if possible local government police is consistent with the principle of true federalism and decentralisation of powers. The arrangement would enable the states to effectively maintain law and order especially during emergencies. Besides the Nigeria Police is ill-equipped and deficient that it cannot ensure safety of citizens and their property in spite of the huge budgetary allocations made to the Police Force in recent years. You will be alarmed at the amount of money so far allocated to the Nigeria Police Force in the last twenty-five years. Two positions were canvassed by Nigerians on the desirability or otherwise of allowing states to establish and maintain their police. Proponents of separate police for the states rested their demand on the strong ground that it was consistent with federal practice. The arrangement, they argued, enabled the federating states to effectively maintain law and order, especially during other social upheavals such as inter-communal riots, youth restiveness, riots and ethnic militancy without the often costly delays in obtaining federal approval by the Commissioner of Police even when a State Governor has so directed or requested. The handlings of the various inter communal upheavals in the various states of the federation since the beginning of the current democratic governance left much to be desired. This, many people believe was due to the provision of Section 215(4) of the Constitution which hinders a governor from exercising his power as Chief Security Officer of the State. Experience has shown that state governors are mere figure heads in terms of security in their states. The Commissioners of Police get their directives from the Inspector-General of Police who is appointed by the President. Another example mentioned for the failure or weakness in the present centralised police structure was the inability of the Nigeria Police to contend with the high rate of violent crimes which ravaged major towns all over the country. In response to the hostage-like situation in which the States were held by hoodlums, some state governments have resorted to establishing Vigilante Groups which they claim have successfully dealt with the crime situation in those states. In some instances however, people often accuse these groups as some kind of local militia who would not hesitate to take the laws into their hands at will and molest people. The recent experiences in some parts of this country constitute sufficient lessons not to allow local militia to be formed. The Nigeria Police is however so badly equipped and unmotivated and so could not effectively deal with the crime and security situation in the country. That is why Amotekun, as security outfit for South-West was launched in Ibadan on 9 January, 2020 and Ebubeagu, a security outfit for South-East was launched in Owerri on 12 April, 2021. Similarly, Shege Ku-Fasa, a security outfit for Northern states was launched in Kaduna on 6 February, 2022. BRACED Commission made up of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Edo and Delta states launched a security outfit for South-South on 6 March, 2020. Even recently, Zamfara State launched its own security outfit, Asi Askarawa Zamfara on 31 January. 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 Representations against State Police bordered on the fear of abuses to which state governors may subject their police. These fears included those of intimidation and harassment of political opponents and perpetuation of electoral frauds. References were made to the experiences in the country during the former Regional and Local Authority Police to abuse a development which led to occasional breakdown of law and order. The fall of the first Republic was partly blamed on the ignoble use of the regional and local police. It was therefore, feared that it was too soon in the life of Nigerias nascent democracy for the idea of State Police to be entertained. For this school of thought, it was argued that the need for state Commissioners of Police to occasionally clear operational instructions with the Inspector-General was intended to check abuses and ensure that the orders by governors were actually lawful. What the Nigeria Police needed in order to function properly and serve Nigerians more effectively, was a restraining programme, proper funding and adequate and up-to-date equipment while steps should be taken to sanitise the institution and rid it of corruption and other vices. The establishment of State police or local government police has now become inevitable. The ball is now in the court of our legislators to amend the constitution and establish state police or local government police. The establishment of the Nigerian police was made possible through the 1963 Constitution, so also was the abrogation of regional police. Chapter 7 Section 105 of the 1963 Constitution states that (1) There shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be styled the Nigeria Police Force. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Nigeria Police Force shall be organised and administered in accordance with such provision as may be made in that behalf by Parliament. (3) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the members of the Nigeria Police Force shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon them by any law in force in Nigeria. (4) Subject to the provisions of this section, no police forces other than the Nigeria Police shall be established for Nigeria or any part thereof. (5) Parliament may make provision for police forces forming part of the armed forces of the Federation or for the protection of harbours, waterways, railways and airfields. (6) Parliament may make provision for the maintenance by any local authority within the Federal territory of a police for employment within the Federal territory. (7) Nothing in this section shall prevent the legislature of a Region from making provision for the maintenance by any native authority or local government authority established for a province or any part of a provision of a police force for employment within that province. In this subsection province means any area that was a province on the thirtieth day of September, 1954. Section 109 states that (1) There shall be a Police Service Commission for the Federation, which shall consist of a chairman and not less than two nor more than four other members. (2) The members of the Police Service Commission of the Federation shall be appointed by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister. (3) A person shall not be qualified to hold office as a member of the Police Service Commission of the Federation, if he is a member of either House of Parliament, a member of a legislative house of a Region, a Minister of the Government of the Federation, a Minister of the Government of a Region or a member of the public service of the Federation or the public service of a Region: Provided that a judge of the High Court of a territory may be appointed as a member of the Commission. (4) Subject to the provisions of this section, a member of the Police Service Commission of the Federation shall vacate his office(a) at the expiration of five years from the date of his appointment; or (b) if any circumstances arise that, if he were not a member of the Commission, would cause him to be disqualified for appointment as such a member. (5) A member of the Police Service Commission of the Federation may be removed from office by the President acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misbehaviour. (6) A member of the Police Service Commission of the Federation shall not be removed from office except in accordance with the provisions of this section. Section 110(1) Power to appoint persons to hold or act in offices in the Nigeria Police Force (including power to make appointments on promotion and transfer and to confirm appointments) and to dismiss and to exercise disciplinary control over person holding or acting in such offices shall vest in the Police Service Commission of the Federation: Provided that the Commission may, with the approval of the Prime Minister and subject to such conditions as it may think fit, delegate any of its powers under this section to any of its members or to the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police or any other member of the Nigeria Police Force. (2) Before making any appointment to the office of Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police or removing the Inspector-General from office the Police Service Commission of the Federation shall consult the Prime Minister, and before making any appointment to the office of Commissioner of Police of a Region or removing the Commissioner from office the Commission shall consult the Premier of the Region. On assuming power on 15 January, 1966, General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi (3 March 1924- 29 July 1966) from Umuahia, promulgated Decree 7 of 1966. It was the decree that absorbed all the Regional and local government Police into the Nigeria Police Force. The decree is called The Special Constables Decree. The purpose of the decree is to modernise the law relating to the Nigeria Special Constabulary by repealing the Special Constables Act 1959 and replacing it with a Decree under which the Special Constabulary will form part of the Nigeria Police. The decree has eleven sections. Section onedeals with the creation of the Nigeria Special Constabulary as part of the Nigeria Police Force and what constitutes the special constabulary. Section twodeals with appointments of special constables in normal circumstances. Section threedeals with resignation, suspension and dismissal of special constables. Section four deals with appointment of emergency special constables. Section fivedeals with provisions supplementary to section four. Section six deals with equipment. Section sevendeals with instruction of special constable. Section eightdeals with allowance, pay, pension and gratuity. Section ninedeals with interpretation. Section Tendeals with repeal of Special Constables Act 1959 and revocation of Government Notice No. 1598 (Approval of Maximum Personnel Establishment, Special Constables Training and Allowance) Regulation 1960. Section Elevendeals with citation, extent and commencement to the Decree which shall come into force on such date as the Executive Council may be order published in the Gazette appoint. In addition, General Ironsi promulgated Decree No. 3 of 1966. The decree deals with the detention of certain specified persons in the interest of security of Nigeria for a period nor exceeding six months in such place or places as the Head of the National Military Government may from time to time direct. Persons so detained are entitled to make representations in writing to the National Military Government which may if it thinks fit constitute a tribunal for that purpose under conditions laid down in the decree. The decree suspends chapter III of the Constitution. On Friday 28 January, General Ironsi addressed the nation during which he declared that I have abolished the offices of Agents-General in London. When General Yakubu Dan-Yumma Jack Gowon GCFR (89) assumed power in August 1966, he maintained the status quo of the Nigeria Police as the sole authority in charge of our security. However, in September 1966, he inaugurated an ad hoc constitutional committee to determine Nigerias future. The Nigeria Police Force was one of the key issues discussed at the conference. The Western and Lagos delegation was led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo GCFR who earlier in September was named the Leader of the Yorubas in Ibadan by the Leaders of Thought, including the traditional rulers and prominent Yoruba elders at an event presided over by Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo, the then Governor of Western Region. It was the first and last time any Yoruba Leader was declared leader of the Yorubas. Other Western delegates at the ad hoc Constitutional Conference were Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, Professors Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, Ayo Ogunseye, Sam Aluko and Akin Mabogunje. The Northern delegation was led by Sir Kashim Ibrahim. Other members from the north were Alhaji Inua Wada, Sir Aminu Kano, Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka, Alhaji Abdul Razak and Chief Josiah Sunday Olawoyin. The Eastern delegation was led by Professor Eni Njoku. Other members from the East include Chief CC Mojekwu, Chief E Eyo and Chief Matthew Mbu. The Midwest delegation was led by Chief Eromosele Anthony Enahoro. Other members of the delegation were Chief Edwin Clark, Chief JIG Onyia and Dr Mudiaga Odje. The Midwest delegation was assisted by Chief TEA Salubi, Dr Christopher Okojie and Dr DP Lawani. Chief Edwin Clark will be 97 on May 25. On the issue of the police, the following was agreed at the conference. There shall be a Nigeria Police Force which shall be organised in Regional units composed entirely in each Region of personnel indigenous to that Region (2) The operational control of the units in each Region shall be the responsibility of the Regional Commissioner of Police. N.B. There were some disagreements on the right of the Regional Government to give directions to the Regional Commissioner as follows: Directions with respect to the maintaining and securing of safety and public order within the Region or any part thereof may be given to the Regional Commissioner of Police by the Head of the Regional Government and the Regional Commissioner shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with; provided that before carrying out any such directions which may involve the use of arms the Commissioner may request that the matter should be referred to the Police Council for their direction. The East proposed that the words Police Council should be replaced by the words Regional Security Committee in order to bring it into line with the corresponding arrangements in the case of the Army. The Mid-West reserved its position on the clause which may involve the use of arms. (3) Training facilities, depots and stores shall be organised on a Regional basis. Recruitment shall be the responsibility of the Regional Commissioner of Police acting in accordance with policy laid down by the Regional Government. (4) At the national level there shall be a Police Council which shall be responsible for (a) Laying down general policy which should include the strength of police personnel in each Region, types and quantities of equipment, weapons, minimum standards of recruitment, promotion, discipline, etc. (b) overall operation control of the Regional units in the event of the Regional Governments requesting the Council for Police assistance to cope with any actual or threatened security situation within the Region beyond or likely to be beyond the capability of the Regional unit; provided that a Regional Commissioner with the consent of the Head of the Regional Government may request the Commissioner of another Region for police assistance in an urgent situation and that such a request shall not be granted or refused except with the approval of the Head of Regional Government concerned. N.B. There was slight disagreement on the composition of the Police Council. There was general agreement that it should include: the Head of the Federal Government; Heads of the Regional Governments; the Inspector-General of Police; Regional Commissioners; the Minister responsible for police matters. The North proposed in addition the Chairman of the Public Service Commission. There was also disagreement on the terms of the office Inspector-General of Police. The East and West propose that the Office of the Inspector-General of Police shall be held in rotation by the Regional Commissioners of Police for fixed periods not exceeding twelve months. The North and Lagos propose a period of three years and the Mid-West proposes that this should be held on permanent basis. (5) The Police Council shall be served by a Secretariat under the Inspector-General of Police. The personnel in the Secretariat shall be drawn from the Regions in equal numbers. (6) Five years after the new Constitution has come into effect, all local authority police forces shall cease to exist, and in the meantime there shall be a progressive reduction in those local authority forces. EAST: (i) Original proposal. The police shall be regionalised. (ii) Revised proposal. As in progress report. N.B. (a) the office of Inspector-General of Police to rotate among the Regions at least once a year (b) the Regional Commissioner of Police to comply with all directions given by the Regional Government. (c) no mention made of any Minister responsible for police matters, i.e. at the centre (d) police to be financed by the Regions. MID-WEST: (i) Original proposal. Federal responsibility. (ii) Revised proposal. As in Progress Report, but more precise formulation of the reservations concerning the power of a Regional Government to give binding directions to the Regional Commissioner of Police; this acceptable only if it is agreed in what circumstances the Premier may give such directions or what directions a Premier may lawfully give. Additional stipulation that the Police Council have overall operational control for the purpose of S. 70, 71 and 86 of the 1963 Constitution. N.B. Post of Inspector-General of Police to be a permanent appointment. NORTH: (i) Original proposal. Each State to have its own Police. (ii) Revised proposal. As in Progress Report. N.B. (a) Chairman of the Public Service Commission to be included on the Police Council. (b) Inspector-General of Police to be appointed for a period of three years. WEST: (i) Original proposal. Each State to establish and control its own Police. (ii) Revised proposal. As in Progress Report excerpt: (a) a Regional Commissioner disagreeing with any direction given him by the Head of the Regional Government could request that the matter be referred to the Regional Security Committee for its direction. (b) Police Council to be able, when necessary, to call for expert advice from the Ministry of Establishments (c) Office of the Inspector-General of Police held by the Regional Commissioners of Police rotating annually. The Nigeria Police Force maintained its statutory role until General Murtala Mohammed GCFR came to power on July 27 1975. He then set up a Constitutional drafting Committee. The subcommittee on Public Services including the Armed Forces and the Police headed by Dr Obi Wali made the following recommendations. (1) There shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be styled the Nigeria Police Force. (Recommendation 1). (2) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Nigeria Police Force shall be organised and administered in accordance with such provisions as may be made in that behalf by the National Assembly. (Decisions on Recommendation 2). (3) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the members of the Nigeria Police Force shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon them by any law in force in Nigeria. (Recommendation 3). (4) No police force other than the Nigeria Police Force shall be established for Nigeria or any part thereof. Recommendation 4). (5) The Legislature may make provision during emergencies for Police Forces forming part of the armed forces of the Federation, or for protection of harbours, waterways, railways and airfields. In this paragraph, emergencies means periods of emergency under this Constitution (Decision of Recommendation 5). (6) There shall be an Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police and a Commissioner of Police for each state of the Federation, whose offices shall be offices in the Public Service of the Federation. (7) The Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police. (Recommendation 7). (8) The President or such other Minister of the Government of the Federation as may be authorised in that behalf by the President may give to the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police such directions with respect to the maintaining and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary and the Inspector-General shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with. (Recommendation 8). (9) Subject to (8) above, the Commissioner of Police of a State shall comply with the directions of the Governor of the State or such other Commissioner of the Government of the State as may be authorised in that behalf by the Governor with respect to the maintaining and securing of public safety and public order within the State or cause them to be complied with: Provided that before carrying out any such directions the Commissioner may request that the matter should be referred to the President or such other Commission of the Government of the Federation as may be authorised in that behalf by the President for his directions. (Decision on Recommendation 9). (11) There shall be a Nigeria Police Council, which shall consist of (a) The President (b) State Governors (c) Inspector-General of Police (d) The Attorney-General of the Federation. The Chairman of the Police Service Commission of the Federation shall attend the meetings of the Nigeria Police Council and, save for the purpose of voting, may take part in the proceeding of the council. (Decision on Recommendation 11). (12) The policy, organisation and administration of the Nigeria Police Force and all other matters relating thereto (not being matters relating to the use and operational control f the force of the appointment, disciplinary control and dismissal of members of the force) shall be under the general supervision of the Nigeria Police Council. (Recommendation 12). (13) The President shall cause the Nigeria Police Council to be kept fully informed concerning the matters under its supervision and shall cause the Council to be furnished with such information as the Council may require with respect to any particular matter under its supervision. (Recommendation 13). (14) The Nigeria Police Council may take recommendations to the Government of the Federation with respect to any matter under its supervision, and if in any case the Government acts otherwise than in accordance with any such recommendations it shall cause a statement containing that recommendation and its reasons for acting otherwise than in accordance with that recommendations to be laid before the National Assembly. The Constituent Assembly submitted its report on 29 August, 1978 and the Assembly was dissolved on 20 September, 1978. The Supreme Military Council headed by General Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR on 21 September, 1978, promulgated Decree 25 as the 1979 Constitution for the country, to take effect on 1 October, 1979. Unfortunately by the time the Constitution was released to the public in 1979, the recommendations of Dr Obi Walis subcommittee as it relates to state governors being members of the Nigeria Police Council, was deleted. Issues like the National Youth Service Corps Decree 1973, the Public Complaints Decree 1975, the Nigerian Security Organisation Decree 1976 and the Land Use Decree 1978 which were never adopted at the Constituent Assembly were all included in the 1979 Constitution. Till today we do not really know whom to blame, either the Supreme Military Council or the Constituent Assembly headed by Justice Udo Udoma or the three legal drafting team of the Constituent AssemblyJustice Omoloulu Thomas, Justice Bashir Wali or Justice G.C. Okeke. The 1999 Constitution is like the 1979 Constitution as it stands now in terms of the Nigeria Police Force. If they can, the Legislators should amend the Constitution and allow the creation of State Police and the Local government Police. It will be in the interest of everyone. That is not to say that the creation of State Police or the Local Government Police will end the security challenges in the country. No. It will simply reduce it. Eric Teniola, a former director at the Presidency, wrote from Lagos. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal has emphasised the pressing need to deploy advanced technology to combat insecurity in the state and northern Nigeria as a whole. Mr Lawal and other state governors met with Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J Mohammed, in Washington, D C on Friday. A statement by the spokesperson of the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that the meeting was attended by governors from Zamfara, Benue, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Niger states. The Deputy Secretary-General praised the governors for their efforts towards finding a lasting solution to the regions problems. Your presence here indicates a strong desire from the Northern governors to implement change in their states, Mrs Mohammed added. Explaining the Zamfara situation to the Deputy Secretary-General, Governor Lawal highlighted the crucial role that technology could play in enhancing security and the need for a coordinated effort to harness the power of technology, including the use of artificial intelligence, biometric identification systems, and surveillance cameras. He stated, We are here with common problems. The major challenge is insecurity, and something has to be done. Due to insecurity, agriculture has been impossible. We need assistance in transitioning from peasant farming to advancing agriculture so that we can deploy technology to fight this insurgency. We hope to find solutions to these problems during these meetings. I inherited a dysfunctional state with poor development indices. I have declared a state of emergency in education and health. We must take immediate action to address these critical issues; otherwise, our future will be bleak. We require significant support to overcome these challenges and ensure a better future for our people, Mr Lawal further told the UN Deputy Secretary-General. 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 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to serve former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State with the money laundering charges against him through his lawyer. The trial judge, Emeka Nwite, issued the order following Mr Bellos absence from court on Tuesday. It made it the second consecutive time the defendant would fail to attend court for his scheduled arraignment. His absence earlier stalled the arraignment on 18 April. Earlier on 17 April, the judge issued a warrant of arrest against the former governor. But an attempt by EFCC operatives to arrest Mr Bello based on the arrest warrant that day was obstructed by the police officers attached to his house at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. With the proceedings further stalled on Tuesday, the judge granted EFCCs permission to serve Mr Bello through substituted means. He directed the agencys prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to serve Mr Bellos lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed, dispensing with the broad general legal requirement for personal service in criminal cases. 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 judge ordered the EFCC to serve the charges with the accompanying proof of evidence and other documents on the defence lawyer. Mr Nwite, relying on section 382(4) and (5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), also ordered Mr Mohammed, having announced an unconditional appearance for Mr Bello, to accept service on behalf of the defendant. Bello wants arrest warrant withdrawn Shortly after the court ordered the substituted service, Mr Bello, through another lawyer in the defence team, urged the court to vacate the arrest warrant issued against him. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defence lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, also a SAN, argued that the arrest warrant should be set aside because it was made suo motu, that is, the judge issued the order on his own accord, without any request by any of the parties involved. The senior lawyer argued that Mr Pinheiros submission that the ex-governor must be in court first for any of his applications to be entertained did not hold water. Mr Adedipe said contrary to Mr Pineheiros submission, the anti-graft agency made an application on 18 April, the day after the warrant of arrest was given, and that the court granted it. According to him, the prosecution made the application for substituted service at the previous proceedings in the absence of the defendant. Mr Adedipe noted that that same application was granted by the judge earlier in Tuesdays proceedings. The court must satisfy itself that the defendant will not be prejudiced in fairness if the warrant of arrest continues to hang on his neck, having been made before service of the charge contrary to Section 394 of ACJA, Mr Adeola argued. Mr Bello, 48, who left office as governor on 27 January, faces 19 counts of money laundering at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The proceedings were still ongoing as of the time of filing the report. Counter-orders The defence team had justified Mr Bellos absence from his scheduled arraignment, citing a court order that barred EFCC from arresting and detaining him. The team of lawyers accused EFCC of violating a court order by seeking to arrest and prosecute the former governor. But the EFCC in a statement on Monday insisted its move to arrest Mr Bello was backed by a court order. Mr Bello, 48, who left office as governor on 27 January, faces 19 counts of money laundering at the Federal High Court in Abuja. In the charges, EFCC accused him, his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (said to still be at large) of conspiring to convert the total sum of N80 billion public funds to personal use in February 2016. READ ALSO:EFCC reacts to allegation of disobeying court order concerning Yahaya Bello The commission alleged that Mr Bello and others reasonably ought to have known that the money forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity criminal breach of trust. EFCC also alleged in another count that Mr Bello, between 26 July 2021 to 6 April 2022, in Abuja, aided a firm, E-Traders International Limited, to conceal the aggregate sum of over N3 billion (N3,081,804,654) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access Bank Plc. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has been caught allegedly trying to sexually molest a female student in the university. The lecturer, Mfonobong Udoudom, works at the General Studies Programme (GSP) Unit of the university, where he teaches Peace and Conflict Resolution and Nigerian Peoples and Culture. The incident happened on Monday in the lecturers office at the GSP complex of the institution. Mr Udoudom was seen in a viral video clip putting on only shorts in his office where he was said to have attempted to molest the student. But the clip did not show the female student he allegedly attempted to molest. You can see. We have been following this case from day one. We have all the tracks, all the voice notes and everything, a voice said in the background of the clip. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the yet-to-be-identified victim is a married woman. 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 How it happened Sources from the university told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Udoudom had been suspected to be involved in alleged sex-for-grades for a long time in the institution. In the latest incident, the lecturer was said to have threatened to fail the female student in his course if she refused to have an affair with him in his office. A top official in the university, who asked not to be named, said the female student reported the the lecturer to the university management after he reportedly declined to accept money offered by the student. The official said the institutions management subsequently asked the student to pretend that she had agreed to have the affair with the lecturer while they monitored the situation. UNN speaks When contacted on Tuesday morning, the spokesperson for the university, Okwun Omeaku, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Omeaku said the university has begun an investigation into the incident. We are working on it, he said. Police, UNN investigating the matter On his part, the Dean of Students Affairs of the university, Edwin Omeje, told this newspaper that the matter was being handled by institution authorities in collaboration with the police in Enugu State. On the role of the university in apprehending the lecturer, Mr Omeje, a professor, said he would only give the details if this reporter should visit him in his office. What I can say for now is that investigations are still ongoing. And they need to authenticate every information before making it official, he said. Sex-for-grades in Nigeria universities This is not the first time a university lecturer has been involved in a sex-for-grades scandal in Nigeria. The latest incident occurred barely eight months after Cyril Ndifon, a professor of law at the University of Calabar, was indicted for sexually harassing his students. Mr Ndifon has since been suspended as dean of the Faculty of Law of the institution and is currently facing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Ihedioha announced his resignation from the PDP in a letter addressed to the chairperson of the party in his Mbutu Ward in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state. The letter, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was dated 23 April 2024. The state chairperson of the PDP, the partys national chairperson and the partys Board of Trustees were copied in the letter. Why I resigned from PDP Mr Ihedioha said in the letter that he had contributed his quota to the development of the party since its formation in 1998. The former governor stressed that he expected that the party would always look inward for internal reforms and provide credible leadership to the people of Nigeria despite not being the ruling party at the moment. Regrettably, in recent times, the party has taken on a path that is at variance with my personal beliefs. Despite my attempt to offer counsel, the party is, sadly, no longer able to carry out internal reforms, enforce its own rules or offer credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). 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 is in the light of the foregoing, that I am compelled to offer my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party effective immediately, he said in the letter. He added that, despite his resignation from the PDP, he would always be available to assist the party in deepening democracy and good governance in Nigeria. He did not indicate which party he was defecting to or if he was going to join any other one soon after ditching the PDP. Ihedioha at a glance Mr Ihedioha served as the governor of Imo State under the PDP platform between 29 May 2019 and 14 January 2020 when the Supreme Court nullified his election and declared Hope Uzodinma of the APC, winner of the 2019 governorship election in the state. The former governor represented Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives under the PDP platform between 2003 and 2015. He served as the Deputy Speaker of the House between 6 June 2011 and 6 June 2015 before briefly stepping in as acting speaker when the then substantive Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, was sworn in as the then-governor of Sokoto State. Mr Ihedioha tried to make another attempt at the Imo State governorship seat by making moves to contest in the 11 November 2023 election, but would later make a surprise decision to withdraw from PDP primary election. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print ( Read 2829 Times) In the Public Interest Litigation Competition 2024 held at the National Law University, Jodhpur, second-year student Charms Khamesra was honored with the Best Petition Award. For this achievement, Charms will receive a cash prize as encouragement and an internship opportunity at the Supreme Court. In the competition, Charms effectively addressed the ongoing issue of paper leaks in competitive exams and the consequent internet shutdowns. Developing a unique mechanism utilizing modern technology, she presented various solutions to the problem. Notably, Charms resides in Udaipur, Sector 4, and her parents, Dinakar Khamesra and Kalpana Ranka, serve in the position of Assistant Accountant. Source : ( Read 3768 Times) On World Earth Day, ASHA workers actively engaged in the Clean India Mission organized by the Cultural Resources and Training Center, Regional Center, Udaipur. They conducted a program in various villages of the district, focusing on the protection of the Earth and cleanliness. Expert Veerpal Singh Rana effectively highlighted the significance of cleanliness, discouraging the use of polythene, promoting water conservation, and advocating for environmental protection. The institution's advisor, Omprakash Sharma, encouraged all ASHA workers to spread the message of this program to the villagers. Approximately 150 ASHA workers, including Sunil Bhandari, Hitesh Paneri, Harshvardhan, and Kamal Mali, attended the program. Source : The new children's book created by nonprofit publisher NABU, in close collaboration with ECW highlights the challenges and enduring resilience of the world's refugee children, and reflects ECW's mission to reach every crisis-affected child with quality education. NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From inside makeshift refugee settlements, damaged classrooms and communities torn apart by war and disaster, millions of children today are desperately holding on to the hope that education will allow them to realize their dreams. To shine a light on this global education crisis, Education Cannot Wait ( ECW ) and NABU joined efforts in developing the children's book, Zaya's Dream . While refugee experiences and individual stories are unique and diverse, ECW and NABU hope that Zayas Dream will inspire readers to learn more about this global education crisis and what actions they can take to help make the dreams of crisis-affected children come true. Zaya's Dream, launched today to mark World Book Day, brings readers into young Zaya's world as she is forced to flee her home with her family, eventually finding new hope at a refugee camp learning centre. Along her journey, Zaya learns to dream again. While Zaya is a fictional character, her story represents that of millions of children who have had their lives turned upside-down by crises. In fact, children and youth make up 40% of the world's refugees, according to UNHCR . The book highlights how education is critical for all children, especially refugees. These girls and boys experience unthinkable loss and face risks of abuse, trafficking, child labor, child marriage, forced recruitment into armed groups and more. At its core, education is a source of protection for the world's most vulnerable children. That is why ECW, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, focuses on delivering quality education to refugees and other forcibly displaced children in its education investments in crises around the world. As a nonprofit, multilingual publisher which specialises in creating mother tongue stories, NABU aims to provide every child with inclusive and equitable access to literacy. Through mother tongue book creation, tech innovation and community engagement, NABU's core mission is to solve the global literacy crisis so that every child can read and rise to their full potential. "Zaya's story captures the plight of millions of girls and boys who are paying the consequences for man-made conflicts and climate disasters around the globe. It is an homage to the power of education to protect and empower those left furthest behind. Children, parents and world leaders everywhere should be inspired by this powerful story, and hopefully tap into their humanity to join our mission to deliver quality education to millions of crisis-impacted children like Zaya," said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait. "It's been an honor collaborating with ECW to bring Zaya's Dream to life. Our aspiration is that this poignant and uplifting narrative not only provides representation for refugee children but also fosters empathy among young readers worldwide, underscoring the vital significance of education. Our partnership with ECW has ignited a fervent dedication at NABU to sharing the refugee narrative and closing the learning gap for children living through displacement and crisis. In response, we are creating a comprehensive collection of stories to complement Zaya's Dream, with the aim of reaching millions of children who are in utmost need. The first books in this collection will be released late 2024," said Isabel Sheinman, Co-Creator of NABU. Refugee children often experience interruptions to their education that last months or even years. They face many roadblocks to accessing education including often being excluded from national education programmes in their host communities or being unable to access education in their mother tongue. Three-quarters of refugees are hosted in low- and middle-income countries where education systems are often overstretched and underfunded. Globally, 6 out of 10 young refugees are unable to access secondary education, jeopardising their future and that of their community. Close to half of all children reached by ECW investments are refugees or internally displaced. ECW invests in holistic education programmes that address the diverse needs of crisis-affected children not only improving academic outcomes, but also working with partners to provide mental health and psychosocial services, school meals, menstrual hygiene management support, teacher training and more. While refugee experiences and individual stories are unique and diverse, ECW and NABU hope that Zaya's Dream will inspire young readers and their families to learn more about this global crisis and what actions they can take to help make the dreams of crisis-affected children come true. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394264/Zaya_s_Dream.jpg CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 1863 Ventures, in collaboration with Wells Fargo, is excited to announce the upcoming Founder to CEO Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina. This one-day conference is tailored for New Majority entrepreneurs, which is businesses that have been historically marginalized and underestimated. The summit will offer a dynamic platform to accelerate their journey from founders to successful CEOs. Tailored for up to 300 New Majority entrepreneurs and local business leaders, this event aims to propel entrepreneurial journeys to new heights by providing essential skills and insights for transitioning into effective CEOs."The fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs come from the New Majority, and knowing that, it is only right that we help them turn into successful CEOs," says 1863 Ventures Founder, Melissa Bradley. The immersive program features comprehensive business training, an insightful panel from both founders and finance leaders and an engaging fireside chat with an industry icon, including: Founder to CEO Summit comes to Charlotte, NC, featuring keynote speaker, Bea Dixon, founder of Honeypot Co! Post this Workshops, Panel Discussion, and Fireside Chat Entrepreneurial Mindset: Level up Your Mind and Mindset to Become a CEO Customer Relations: Learn to Understand and Relate With Your Customers Scalable Processes: Building a Roadmap for Success Financial Management: Managing Your Finances and Aligning Capital Finance Panel: Featuring Christopher Gray, Shalanda Armstrong, & Wells Fargo Fireside Chat: Featuring Bea Dixon About Our Speakers Beatrice Dixon is the CEO, Co-Founder, and Chief Innovation Officer of The Honey Pot Company, the personal wellness brand "made by humans with vaginas, for humans with vaginas." Today, The Honey Pot Company's plant-derived products can be found in 4.6 million U.S. homes and in retailers nationwide. is the CEO, Co-Founder, and Chief Innovation Officer of The Honey Pot Company, the personal wellness brand "made by humans with vaginas, for humans with vaginas." Today, The Honey Pot Company's plant-derived products can be found in 4.6 million U.S. homes and in retailers nationwide. Christopher Gray founded Scholly, an app that helps students easily find scholarships for college and graduates pay off their student debt. Scholly was featured on ABC's Shark Tank, landing a deal with Daymond John and Lori Greiner . Scholly maintains over 5 million users and has helped students raise over 100 million dollars . The company was acquired by consumer banking corporation Sallie Mae , in 2023. founded Scholly, an app that helps students easily find scholarships for college and graduates pay off their student debt. Scholly was featured on ABC's Shark Tank, landing a deal with and . Scholly maintains over 5 million users and has helped students raise over . The company was acquired by consumer banking corporation , in 2023. Shalanda Armstrong is Managing Partner of 100KM Ventures based in Washington, DC investing in Future of Work and Women's Health. Prior to launching 100KM Ventures, she has been an active angel investor investing in over 25 startups and a technology executive. Shalanda has spent close to 20 years in the technology sector holding multiple technology consulting leadership roles at top-tier firms. is Managing Partner of 100KM Ventures based in investing in Future of Work and Women's Health. Prior to launching 100KM Ventures, she has been an active angel investor investing in over 25 startups and a technology executive. Shalanda has spent close to 20 years in the technology sector holding multiple technology consulting leadership roles at top-tier firms. Melissa Bradley is a tri-sector leader and Managing Partner at 1863 Ventures with more than 20 years of entrepreneurship, investment, and leadership experience. She is an Adjunct Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University , where she teaches impact investing, social entrepreneurship, P2P economies, and innovation. Melissa has served as a presidential appointment under Presidents Clinton and Obama. This event is not just about networking but also about learning from industry experts who have successfully navigated the challenges of scaling businesses and aligning capital for growth. Following the event, attendees will gain exclusive access to various online resources tailored to foster business growth. Moreover, you'll become part of the esteemed 1863 Ventures community, where ongoing support and learning opportunities await. To reserve your spot at the Founder to CEO Summit, please register online: https://www.1863ventures.net/opportunities/wells-fargo-founder-to-ceo-summit-2024 . For more information about 1863 Ventures and its commitment to supporting New Majority entrepreneurs, visit 1863ventures.net . About 1863 Ventures 1863 Ventures is a leading platform that provides content and connections to New Majority entrepreneurs, fostering responsible entrepreneurship and changing the support and narrative around their potential and needs. The organization's vision is to be the trusted source for business knowledge, tools, and support for New Majority businesses in the US, aiming to support $100B in new wealth by 2030. Contact: Rodney Williams Email: [email protected] SOURCE 1863 Ventures TOKYO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged as key technologies for decision-making in various fields such as automated driving, medical diagnostics, and finance. Current ML and AI models have even surpassed human intellectual capabilities in some regards. Therefore, it is important to understand how these technologies predict and estimate results and which features of the data affect their outcomes the most in an intuitive and comprehensible way. The AIME approach reverse-calculates how AI and ML models make predictions, explaining their decision-making process through the use of representative similarity distribution plots more simply and intuitively. To meet these demands, interpretive ML algorithms and explainable AI (XAI) models, such as local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME) and shapely additive explanations (SHAP), have been developed. These methods construct and observe an approximate simple model and attempt to explain how different features in the dataset contribute to their predictions and estimations. However, existing interpretive ML and XAI solve the forward calculation to derive an explanation for the black box, and it can sometimes be difficult to derive an explanation. Against this backdrop, Associate Professor Takafumi Nakanishi from the Department of Data Science at Musashino University, Japan, has now introduced an innovative approximate inverse model explanations (AIME) approach that is meant to provide more intuitive explanations. Dr. Nakanishi explains: "AIME essentially reverse-calculates AI decisions." His study was published in Volume 11 of IEEE Access on September 11, 2023, and summarized in an engaging video. AIME takes a unique approach, estimating and constructing an inverse operator for an ML or AI model. This operator helps estimate the significance of both local and global features on the model's outputs. Moreover, this method also introduces a representative similarity distribution plot that uses special representative estimation instances to identify how a particular prediction is related to other instances, providing insights into the complexity of the target dataset distribution. The study found that explanations obtained from AIME were both relatively simpler and more intuitive than those provided by LIME and SHAP. It proved effective for a wide variety of datasets, including tabular and handwritten images of numbers and text. Additionally, the similarity distribution plot provided an objective visualization of the model's complexity. The experiments also revealed that the AIME approach was more robust in handling multicollinearity. "It is particularly relevant in scenarios like explaining AI-generated art. Furthermore, self-driving cars will soon have self-driving recorders like those in airplanes, which could be analyzed by AIME to ascertain the cause of accident through post-accident analysis," remarks Dr. Nakanishi. This development can bridge the gap between humans and AI, fostering deeper trust. Reference Author: Takafumi Nakanishi Title of original paper: Approximate Inverse Model Explanations (AIME): Unveiling Local and Global Insights in Machine Learning Models Journal: IEEE Access DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3314336 About Associate Professor Takafumi Nakanishi Takafumi Nakanishi is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Data Science at Musashino University, Japan. He received his Ph.D. in engineering from the Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering at University of Tsukuba, Japan, in 2006. He also served as an associate professor and chief researcher at the International University of Japan's Global Communication Center from 2014 to 2018. His research interests include XAI, data mining, big data analysis systems, integrated databases, emotional information processing, and media content analysis. He is currently researching and developing systems using the unique explainable AI (XAI) technology AIME. Media Contact: Takafumi Nakanishi +81 90-2239-9471 [email protected] SOURCE Musashino University SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA, N.L. Mexico, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ALFAA) ("ALFA") announced today its unaudited results for the first quarter of 2024 ("1Q24"). All figures have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). 1Q24 HIGHLIGHTS ALFA Alvaro Fernandez Garza appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors, in addition to his position as CEO of ALFA Alejandra Palacios Prieto appointed Independent Member of the Board of Directors, with her mandate beginning on May 15, 2024 Paid US $48 million cash dividend as approved at Annual Shareholders' meeting 1Q24 Comparable EBITDA of US $411 million, up 4% year-on-year, supported by volume growth at Sigma and Alpek Sigma Twelfth consecutive quarter of year-on-year sales growth supported by record first quarter volume of 449 ktons, up 5% versus 1Q23 Record quarterly EBITDA of US $264 million, up 38% year-on-year led by Mexico, U.S. and Europe Sustained improvement in Net Debt to EBITDA ratio; 2.2 times driven by strong EBITDA generation (US $965 million last twelve months) Alpek Alvaro Fernandez Garza appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors 1Q24 volume up 4% year-on-year and 9% higher quarter-on-quarter, mainly driven by the Polyester segment Comparable EBITDA of US $154 million, on track to reach full-year Guidance of US $600 million Net Debt up 5% versus 4Q23 driven by investment in Net Working Capital amid rising feedstock prices; reaffirm commitment to reduce net leverage ratio of 3.7 times towards 2.5 times by year-end Message from ALFA's Chairman & CEO "With enthusiasm, I assumed the additional role as Chairman of the Board during the first quarter. I greatly appreciate our Shareholders' support for entrusting me with this important responsibility. We stand at a special time as ALFA celebrates its 50th Anniversary and focuses on completing its transformation. Over the past half-century, our Company has built a legacy that transcends both industry and community. It is a privilege to continue working with ALFA's Board and the entire team to fulfill our transformational vision which is based on independent Business Units. In terms of consolidated results, 1Q24 represents a better-than-expected start to the year, highlighted by double-digit EBITDA growth as our two key businesses benefitted from solid demand. Alpek reported higher 1Q24 volume driven by its Polyester segment. In addition, Asian reference polyester margins posted a slight sequential improvement even as feedstock prices rose versus 4Q23. Moreover, Alpek is on track with the implementation of its comprehensive plan to capture efficiencies across administrative functions and production facilities. First quarter Comparable EBITDA of US $154 million is in line with our petrochemical business' full-year guidance. Sigma reported its 12th consecutive quarter of year-on-year increase in Revenues and achieved an all-time high quarterly EBITDA of US $264 million. Robust growth across all regions contributed to this good performance. Record volume, a stronger Mexican Peso and favorable poultry prices were among the main drivers in 1Q24. Preferred brands are a crucial force behind Sigma's results by region. It is exciting to see Sigma further strengthening its portfolio by adding three of its dairy brands to the select group generating annual sales higher than US $100 million. La Chona, Los Altos and Nochebuena recently surpassed this meaningful sales milestone, increasing the total number of 'Hundred-Million-Dollar' brands to 14 from 11. Another noteworthy Sigma development was the successful placement of Ps $10,000 million (approx. US $600 million) in local notes, also known as Certificados Bursatiles. The issuance was oversubscribed by 2.7 times and marks Sigma's return to the Mexican debt market after more than 15 years. Sigma is already working to place a new issuance under the same program during the second quarter to refinance a larger portion of its outstanding debt and extend its maturity profile. Sigma's robust financial position is fundamental to complete ALFA's transformation process. Moreover, Alpek is prepared to advance as an independent entity, given that the planned separation would not have any financial or operational impact on our petrochemical business. Debt reduction is a key element of ALFA's final transformation phase. Consolidated debt at the close of 1Q24 was US $5.094 billion, comprised of US $1.807 billion at Alpek and US $3.287 billion aggregate debt at ALFA and Sigma. The aggregate debt outside of Alpek needs to be reduced to maintain a healthy leverage supported by Sigma's EBITDA generation. ALFA is advancing on the selective monetization of non-core assets to reach the desired financial conditions, with various formal sale processes currently underway. Additionally, ALFA Shareholders approved a lower dividend payout at the Annual Shareholders' meeting. On the Corporate Governance front, ALFA Shareholders also approved the appointment of Alejandra Palacios Prieto as an Independent Member of the Board of Directors, with her mandate beginning on May 15, 2024. We look forward to enhancing ALFA's Board with Alejandra's perspective on the global business landscape. Looking ahead for 2024, we are committed to continue building upon our 50-year legacy by driving to realize ALFA's full value potential. Thank you for your support and trust." All the best, Alvaro Fernandez Important note on changes to ALFA's Consolidated Financial Statements ALFA's shareholders approved to spin-off ALFA's share ownership of Axtel into a new, listed entity called "Controladora Axtel" on July 12, 2022. The shares of "Controladora Axtel" were distributed to ALFA shareholders and began trading on the Mexican Stock Exchange on May 29, 2023. In accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Axtel meets the definition of a "Discontinued Operation" for purposes of ALFA's Consolidated Financial Statements. "Discontinued Operations" are the net results of an entity that is either being held for disposal or which has already been disposed of. The changes in ALFA's Consolidated Financial Statements are as follows: The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position presents Axtel's assets as "Current assets from discontinued operations" and its liabilities as "Current liabilities from discontinued operations" at the close of 1Q23. Prior periods are not restated. The Consolidated Statement of Income presents Axtel's net revenues and expenses as a single line item "Profit (loss) from discontinued operations" as follows: 1Q23: accumulated figures for the three months ended March 31, 2023 4Q23: no figures presented related to Axtel 1Q24: no figures presented related to Axtel The Change in Net Debt presents Axtel's net inflows and outflows as a single line item "Decrease (Increase) in Net Debt from discontinued operations" as follows: 1Q23: accumulated figures for the three months ended March 31, 2023 4Q23: no figures presented related to Axtel 1Q24: no figures presented related to Axtel SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (US $ MILLION) (%) 1Q24 vs. 1Q24 4Q23 1Q23 4Q23 1Q23 ALFA & Subs ALFA Revenues 4,106 3,885 4,085 6 1 Alpek 1,903 1,691 2,062 13 (8) Sigma 2,170 2,161 1,991 - 9 ALFA EBITDA1 425 282 376 51 13 Alpek 168 53 187 217 (10) Sigma 264 229 192 15 38 ALFA Comparable EBITDA2 411 395 396 4 4 Alpek 154 167 207 (8) (26) Sigma 264 229 192 15 38 Majority Net Income3 60 (652) (14) 109 520 CAPEX & Acquisitions4 75 192 86 61 13 ALFA Net Debt 5,094 4,919 5,049 4 1 Alpek 1,807 1,729 2,082 5 (13) Sigma 2,084 2,025 1,840 3 13 ALFA Net Debt/EBITDA5 3.5 3.5 2.7 ALFA Interest Coverage6 3.6 3.5 5.3 1 EBITDA = Operating Income + depreciation and amortization + impairment of assets 2 Comparable EBITDA = Operating Income + depreciation and amortization + impairment of assets + extraordinary items 3 Majority Net Income includes Majority Net Income from Discontinued Operations (Axtel) for 1Q23 4 Includes divestments 5 Times. LTM= Last 12 months. Ratio calculated with Discontinued Operations for all periods 6 Times. LTM= Last 12 months. Interest Coverage= EBITDA/Net Financial Expenses with Discontinued Operations for all periods 1Q24 EARNINGS CALL INFORMATION Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT (NY) / 11:00 a.m. CST (CDMX) Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_htlSXobxQSmHHBgeFqxxYA Replay: https://www.alfa.com.mx/en/events/ About ALFA ALFA is comprised mainly of two businesses with global operations: Sigma, a leading multinational food company, focuses on the production, marketing, and distribution of quality foods through recognized brands in Mexico, Europe, the United States, and Latin America. Alpek is one of the world's top producers of Polyester (PTA, PET, PET sheet and rPET), and the leader in the Mexican market for Polypropylene (PP) and Expandable Polystyrene (EPS). In 2023, ALFA reported revenues of Ps $291,207 million (US $16.4 billion), and EBITDA of Ps $24,783 million (US $1.4 billion). ALFA's shares are quoted on the Mexican Stock Exchange and on Latibex, the market for Latin American shares of the Madrid Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.alfa.com.mx Disclaimer This release may contain forward-looking information based on numerous variables and assumptions that are inherently uncertain. They involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and financial market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately. Accordingly, future results could vary from those set forth in this release. The report presents unaudited financial information. Figures are presented in Mexican pesos or U.S. dollars, as indicated. Where applicable, peso amounts were translated into U.S. dollars using the average exchange rate of the months during which the operations were recorded. Financial ratios are calculated in U.S. dollars. Due to the rounding up of figures, small differences may occur when calculating percent changes from one period to the other. SOURCE ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V. NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the release of the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, an important milestone and rallying point for organizations nationwide working to address this important public health issue. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) applauds the Biden Administration for its efforts to directly address suicide, which is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. The National Strategy is a comprehensive vision that is in line with AFSP's long-standing mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide, and our public policy priorities. The strategic pillars of the approach clearly lay out areas of impact and alignment for all those working to end suicide, including those who have been affected by it. This new strategy looks forward to the next 10 years and is an update to the approach launched in 2012. It includes the first ever Federal Action Plan that contains more than 200 actions across the government to be implemented over the next three years. Through the prevention and education work of AFSP's chapters across the country, our funding of research, and policy and advocacy, we are proud to support the goals of this plan. "The National Strategy is the nation's roadmap for suicide prevention. To be successful in addressing suicide, we need everyone involved locally, statewide and nationally, and we need the public and private sectors working together," said Robert Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "AFSP has been dedicated to these pillars for some time, and we will continue to invest our time, expertise, and resources into making progress, but we cannot do it alone. We are hopeful that the National Strategy will be a catalyst for the nation to come together to solve this critical public health challenge." The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is grounded in four areas of focus, or pillars, that cut across key sectors of society that address the gaps, guide and catalyze collective efforts towards the goal of preventing suicide. These pillars focus on (1) Community-Based Suicide Prevention, (2) Treatments and Crisis Services, (3) Surveillance, Quality Improvement, and Research, and for the first time, (4) Health Equity in Suicide Prevention. AFSP efforts supporting these critical areas follow. Community-Based Suicide Prevention AFSP has prioritized community-based suicide prevention for the past two decades through our nationwide chapter network. With 74 chapters across 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico we have boots-on-the-ground in communities across the country that allow us to deliver solutions directly to communities with local partnerships being essential for greater impact. Our chapter network includes tens of thousands of individuals and families who are personally touched by suicide either via suicide loss and/or lived experience who in turn support and advocate on behalf of thousands of people impacted by suicide in their communities. Treatment and Crisis Services In the past six years, AFSP has invested in health system implementation of evidence-based suicide prevention clinical practice to support access to Treatment and Crisis Services. These practices include the safety net that can save lives via health systems: screening, suicide risk assessment, brief interventions such as Safety Planning and Lethal Means Counseling, follow-up, and referrals to longer-term suicide risk reducing treatments. We have also established partnerships with leading mental health organizations focused on scaling efforts across the country to train clinicians on mental health and suicide preventive patient care. AFSP has been a leading voice for making mental health care accessible and affordable through mental health parity. AFSP has also been at the forefront of advocacy for the designation of the 3-digit suicide prevention for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, our nation's mental health and substance use crisis hotline. As a part of this effort, AFSP has been working hard to urge Congress and state legislatures to take necessary steps to build a comprehensive and sustainable crisis response system to sufficiently meet the rising demand for suicide, mental health, and substance use care. Surveillance, Quality Improvement, and Research As the leading private funder of suicide prevention research globally, AFSP has been investing in the research field for the past 35 years and is an active contributor to the development of the national research agenda for suicide prevention. Our organization invests over $32 million annually in research studies and attracts new researchers and identifies key gap areas that can be lifesaving. Our research portfolio is highly diverse representing cross-disciplinary fields across neurobiology, genetics, clinical, community, and cultural researchers. AFSP's research priorities include diversity and equity, higher risk populations, and suicide loss and healing research. We are an active member of the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) data and surveillance group, sharing data with the CDC to support coordinated responses to public health threats. We build on this work by supporting a researcher community through training and partnership with the International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR) and the Suicide Research Symposium. Health Equity in Suicide Prevention Equity is a cross-cutting theme across AFSP's work and we continually advocate for policies and pursue partnerships, programs and initiatives that focus on health equity in suicide prevention. Our fight to end suicide includes advocating for improved data collection and access to culturally informed and evidence-informed mental healthcare and suicide prevention services, and supports for specific populations including marginalized communities, disproportionately impacted by suicide. We have worked with the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA), to co-develop a suicide prevention program for Hispanic/Latinx communities. We are collaborating with Omega Psi Phi, an international fraternity, to implement our new suicide prevention program for Black and African American communities on HBCU campuses. Another key partner is Soul Shop, a national organization of culturally competent faith experts equipping congregations to minister to those impacted by suicide, with whom AFSP co-developed a faith-based suicide prevention day-long workshop for Black and African American churches. More recently, AFSP launched a suicide prevention program for Black and African American communities informed by Black experts from the community. Additionally, our ongoing research priorities focus on underrepresented populations and researchers in those populations. Going forward AFSP is excited to continue the important work of executing this strategy with partners and collaborators from across the country. These efforts will include cross-sector initiatives that build on our current partnerships focused on regional and national impact across government agencies, academia, healthcare, and workplaces including key industry sectors with high-risk populations. We will keep our focus on creating real solutions that save lives and leverage our strengths to advance initiatives that can reduce suicide. Media interested in learning more about suicide, warning signs, and prevention can visit our website at www.afsp.org. For insight on how to report on suicide: https://afsp.org/for-journalists. It is important to NOT mention the method of suicide in reporting as this can lead to possible suicide contagion. If you need help right now, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Industry leaders unveil cutting-edge solutions for a sustainable water future KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ASIAWATER 2024, the region's leading event dedicated to water and wastewater solutions for developing Asia, officially opened its floodgates at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in Malaysia. This marks the start of a three-day expo and forum poised to attract over 20,000 industry professionals from 61 countries, eager to explore cutting-edge solutions that will shape a more sustainable future for water. ASIAWATER 2024 OPENS: CHARTING A COURSE FOR WATER RESILIENCE THROUGH INNOVATION With the region facing a growing population and the ever-present threat of climate change, ASIAWATER 2024 emerges as a critical platform for collaboration. Themed "Water Transformation and Climate Change: Innovation for Resilience," the event underscores the urgency of safeguarding our water security in the face of these profound challenges. This theme resonates deeply, highlighting the need for innovative and resilient approaches to water management. The event unites industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to chart a course for a more sustainable water future. The grand opening ceremony featured a plenary session on the "Impact of Climate Change on Water Security in Southeast Asia," led by the International Water Association (IWA). This session offered invaluable insights into the evolving water security landscape, emphasising the need for swift action towards sustainable solutions. YAB Dato' Sri Haji Fadillah Bin Haji Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), inaugurated the event, highlighting the government's unwavering commitment to addressing water challenges and advancing sustainable water management practices across the region. Dato' Teo Yen Hua, Advisor of ASIAWATER 2024, emphasised, "ASIAWATER 2024 is a cornerstone event for developing Asia, fostering knowledge exchange, showcasing advancements, and forging partnerships crucial to addressing water challenges. Rapid urbanisation and population growth put immense strain on water resources. Balancing the needs of a growing population with sustainable water management is vital to prevent over-extraction. This necessitates a collaborative and integrated approach." The exhibition halls themselves are a testament to this spirit of collaboration. Attendees can explore 10 International Pavilions, featuring expertise from countries such as Austria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Korea, Netherlands, Singapore, and Switzerland, to name a few. These curated spaces offer diverse perspectives and cutting-edge solutions, enriching the overall experience. Knowledge is power, and ASIAWATER 2024 delivers. Over 50 high-level and comprehensive WATER TALKS sessions including conferences, seminars, and specialised workshops attendees will have a wealth of learning opportunities at their fingertips, delving into current water issues, showcasing technological advancements, and present sustainable solutions. "The Malaysian Water Association proudly supports ASIAWATER's mission to propel advancements in water management. This platform equips professionals with the latest trends and technologies shaping the industry. While water conservation efforts are gaining momentum, there's further progress to be made. ASIAWATER 2024 is a catalyst for promoting responsible water use, pollution reduction, and fostering a culture of conservation all essential for long-term sustainability," said Dr. Ir. Ts. Hj. Mohmad Asari bin Daud, President of the Malaysian Water Association (MWA). This year, ASIAWATER sets a new milestone with over 1,000 exhibiting brands and companies showcasing their latest technologies, solutions, products, and services. These offerings address a wide range of water needs, ensuring attendees find the tools they need to build a more resilient water future. ASIAWATER 2024 transcends a typical exhibition, fostering a dynamic hub for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration. The time for action is now. Join ASIAWATER 2024 from 23 25 April 2024 at KLCC, Malaysia, and be part of the solution. Together, we can build a more sustainable water future for developing Asia. Notes to Editor About ASIAWATER Expo & Forum (www.asiawater.org) ASIAWATER Expo & Forum, the longest running and leading trade event for the water and wastewater industry, is organised by Informa Markets, a part of Informa PLC. It is held biennial in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has continued to prove to be a one-stop regional hub and recognised by the most respected industry professionals. The event offers a stream of business opportunities while at the same time developing Asia's water infrastructure. For more information and registration, visit https://www.asiawater.org/. SOURCE ASIA WATER The growing energy demand across the globe and the integration of renewable energy sources globally are projected to drive the global automation and instrumentation in power market's growth during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region is predicted to witness prominent growth by 2032. PORTLAND, Ore., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research has recently published a report, titled, "Automation and Instrumentation In Power Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Solution, by Instrument : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global automation and instrumentation in power market generated $29.8 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $57 billion by 2032, rising at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2023 to 2032. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A208832 Prime Determinants of Growth The growing integration of renewable energy sources, increasing demand for energy across the globe, and various benefits provided by automation and instrumentation, such as reduce operational costs, improve safety standards, and ensure regulatory compliance in the power sector are the factors expected to drive the growth of the global automation and instrumentation in power market in the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. However, technical dependency on automation & instrumentation and complexity of automated systems may hamper market growth in the coming future. On the contrary, the integration of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) across the power generation value chain and push towards sustainability and environmental stewardship are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the automation and instrumentation in power market during the forecast period. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $29.8 billion Market Size in 2032 $57 billion CAGR 7.2 % No. of Pages in Report 320 Segments covered Solution, Instrument, and Region Drivers Integration of renewable energy sources globally Growing focus on energy efficiency Opportunities Push towards sustainability and environmental stewardship Integration of IT and OT across the power generation Restraints Complexity and technical dependency Solution: Distributed & Advanced Control System Sub-segment Held Major Share in 2022 The distributed & advanced control system sub-segment accounted for the largest global automation and instrumentation in power market share of 24.4% in 2022 and is expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period. This dominance is mainly due to enhancing efficiency through sophisticated algorithms and real-time data analytics. These systems optimize power production, distribution, and network load balancing, significantly reducing energy losses and improving performance. Besides, their flexibility allows operators to quickly adapt to changing conditions, ensuring operational responsiveness. Procure Complete Report (320 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/automation-and-instrumentation-in-power-market Instrument: Field Instruments Sub-segment to Flourish Immensely by 2032 The field instruments sub-segment accounted for the largest global market share of 60.8% in 2022 and is expected to rise at the highest CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. This dominance majorly is driven by continuous technological advancements that enhance their performance and reliability. Innovations like IoT connectivity, wireless communication, and improved diagnostics allow these instruments to provide richer data, fostering smarter, more efficient power systems. In addition, field instruments support predictive maintenance, improving asset longevity and reducing operational costs by preemptively identifying potential failures. Region: Asia-Pacific Market to be the Most Dominant by 2032 The automation and instrumentation in power market in the Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share of 33.0% in 2022 and is predicted to continue to maintain its dominance and grow at the highest CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period. This growth is mainly owing to a surge in power demand from growing populations, industrial expansion, and increased adoption of electric vehicles & heating systems. This growth necessitates significant upgrades to aging power infrastructure, prompting investments in automation and instrumentation to enhance efficiency, reliability, and safety. Besides, stringent regulatory mandates across the region compel power utilities to improve energy efficiency and grid stability while reducing emissions. For Purchase Inquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A208832 Leading Players in the Automation and Instrumentation in Power Market: Schneider Electric Yokogawa Electric Siemens Mitsubishi Electric Emerson Process Management Honeywell process solutions Omron automation Rockwell Automation, Inc. Danaher Industrial Ltd. ABB The report provides a detailed analysis of the key players of the global automation and instrumentation in power market. These players are employing various strategies including launching new products, entering collaborations, expanding operations, forming joint ventures, and signing agreements, all aimed at boosting their market share and securing their competitive position across different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in Automation and Instrumentation In Power Industry: Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Market: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 2021-2030 Oilfield Auxiliary Rental Equipment Market: Size, Share, and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030 Outdoor Power Equipment Market: Trend Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Power Quality Equipment Market: Competitive Landscape and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Traction Equipment Market: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact Data United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/food-and-beverages Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research BASIS Charter Schools dominated the just- published U.S. News & World Report 2024 rankings with 11 campuses in the nation's Top 100 out of nearly 25,000 schools. BASIS Peoria leads the way as the #1 ranked public high school in the United States. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and SAN ANTONIO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The BASIS Charter Schools network has returned to the academic apex, as one of its campuses is once again the #1 public high school in the nation. Overall, 11 BASIS high schools are in the Top 100 public high schools in the country and also dominate the national charter school rankings. The nation's new best high school -- out of nearly 25,000 assessed by U.S. News & World Report for its 2024 rankings -- is BASIS Peoria. The nation's new best high school -- out of nearly 25,000 assessed by US News for its 2024 rankings -- is BASIS Peoria. Post this BASIS Peoria opened in 2011 as the sixth school in the BASIS Charter School network, which currently has 39 schools. The school serves middle school and high school students -- and it's now #1 in the U.S.! BASIS Peoria serves middle school and high school students a rigorous liberal arts and sciences curriculum. "How deserving it's an incredible campus!" said BASIS Educational Ventures co-chairman Patti Bezanson. "Students, families, teachers, and staff at BASIS Peoria should be extremely proud what an awesome accomplishment. BASIS Peoria does great things; that's always been the case. This year, those great things were better than any other campus in America!" BASIS Peoria is not alone in its celebration. In US News' unveiling of its rankings on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the twelve BASIS Charter Schools eligible for this year's rankings solidified the network's position at the summit of American education. Nearly 25,000 schools were assessed, and nearly 18,000 were ranked. Not only did BASIS sweep the national rankings with 11 schools in the top 100, but it also swept rankings of the nation's charter schools and STEM campuses, plus state rankings, too. "No other district or network comes close to matching that," said Dr. Craig R. Barrett, Chairman of the Board of BASIS Charter Schools. "It is testament to our K-12 curriculum, our educators, and, most of all, our students." BASIS Peoria opened in 2011 and serves middle school and high school. "It's a place where kids are serious about their studies, but truly have fun with it," says BASIS Peoria Head of School Melissa Rankin. "It's a supportive community, with wonderful families, passionate teachers who carry themselves with professionalism, and, obviously, utterly incredible students from 5th graders to high school seniors. They deserve this!" "While the rankings capture our journey, it's the steadfast dedication of our students and teachers that truly catalyzes our student success," said BASIS Educational Ventures co-chairman Dr. Peter Bezanson. "Let's note that while these are high school rankings, and our high school students have incredible high school teachers that journey starts well before 9th grade!" He continued, "These excellent rankings are a product of hard work by our primary school teachers, too. Each BASIS primary school, and every teacher and staff member on those campuses, directly share in these awesome accolades and should take pride in these rankings." NATIONAL RANKINGS BASIS has eleven schools in the top 100 in America, in the national rankings of all types of schools. US News assessed nearly 25,000 schools and ranked nearly 18,000. STEM RANKINGS BASIS has four of the top ten STEM schools in the country, six of the top 25, and nine of the top 100. NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL RANKINGS BASIS has six of the top ten and eleven of the top twenty public charter schools in the nation. STATE RANKINGS ARIZONA BASIS has all of the top eight schools and ten of the top twelve in the state of Arizona. TEXAS BASIS has the #7 school in Texas. BASIS San Antonio Shavano is the only BASIS Charter School in Texas eligible for the rankings. It is the only school in the state's top ten with non-selective admission. "We are still growing in Texas," said Peter Bezanson. "We have campuses in Austin, North Texas, and San Antonio that will be joining this fabulous Shavano campus in the rankings in the coming years!" WASHINGTON, D.C. BASIS DC is the #3 school in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. About BASIS Charter Schools The network of BASIS Charter Schools is among the best in the United States, whether assessed by state or national rankings across myriad publications, OECD/PISA scores, AP Exam scores, college admissions, merit aid earned, or any other measure. Our passionate and knowledgeable Subject Expert Teachers serve students in kindergarten through grade 12 using the STEM-inspired, liberal arts-focused BASIS Charter School Curriculum. Our acclaimed programfounded in 1998 and cultivating excellence every school year sinceeducates students at the highest international levels, preparing them to be participants, not spectators, in the 21st century global workforce. In the 2024-25 academic year, there will be 40 public charter school campuses managed by BASIS Ed, serving more than 24,000 students in Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit enrollBASIS.com, enrollBASISTX.com, or basised.com. SOURCE BASIS Ed ST. LOUIS, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Binder Animal Hospital is thrilled to announce the expansion of its service offerings with the introduction of same-day urgent care for pets, available from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday, effective April 1st, 2024. This development aims to provide prompt and efficient care for your pet's unexpected health concerns. Urgent Vet Care at Binder Animal Hospital is Now Available! Same Day Availability with Convenient Online Booking. Visit binderanimalhospital.com to reserve your arrival time! At Binder Animal Hospital, we understand the importance of being available to address your pet's urgent needs. The addition of same-day urgent care services will complement our existing wellness appointments, surgeries, and dental procedures, which will continue to be available during our traditional hours of operation, Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Dr. Michelle Thornberry, veterinarian at Binder Animal Hospital, expressed excitement about the expanded services, stating, "Our team is dedicated to providing quality care to pets at the time they need it most as well as ensuring a great experience for our clients. The introduction of same-day urgent care allows us to address your pet's unexpected health issues promptly and efficiently, providing peace of mind for pet owners." The knowledgeable team at Binder Animal Hospital is focused on providing advanced medicine and personalized care. They are conveniently located at 2941 Telegraph Road in Saint Louis, MO 63125. Whether your pet is in need of urgent or routine wellness care, trust the Binder Animal Hospital team to be your partner in pet care. Reserving an urgent care arrival time or booking a wellness appointment at Binder Animal Hospital is now easier than ever. Pet owners can simply book online by visiting their website, binderanimalhospital.com, or by calling 314-892-5406. For more information, please contact [email protected] About Binder Animal Hospital Binder Animal Hospital has been providing exceptional veterinary care to the Saint Louis, MO community since 1957. Our dedicated team of veterinarians and staff are committed to ensuring the health and well-being of your pets. With a focus on modern medicine and personalized care, we strive to deliver the best possible veterinary services. For more information, visit binderanimalhospital.com. SOURCE Binder Animal Hospital New Research Highlights SOMAVEDIC's Potential in Enhancing Vision Health for the Opthalmology Unit Hospital Patients SAN FRANCISCO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Somavedic, a trailblazer in sleep and digital pollution-neutralizing frequency therapy technology, in collaboration with researchers from the Eye Clinic of Jan Evangelista Purkyne University and Masaryk Hospital in Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic, have unveiled groundbreaking findings from a study showcasing the effectiveness of the Somavedic device in supporting individuals with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a prevalent cause of severe vision impairment among older adults. Breakthrough Study Reveals Somavedic Device's Potential Impact on Wet AMD Patients Post this View PDF Somavedic Wet AMD Study White Paper The study enrolled patients with newly diagnosed wet AMD and active choroidal neovascularization (CNV), where anti-VEGF therapy was indicated. Parameters including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CRT), macular volume (TMV), and OCT angiography were monitored. Patients received a functioning Somavedic device for home use, while the other group was administered a non-functional placebo device. After one month, results from 18 completed patient cases revealed significant findings. Patients using the functional Somavedic device (group A) experienced a mean improvement of +4.2 ETDRS letters in BCVA, accompanied by a reduction of -7.6 m in CRT and -0.232 mm3 in TMV. Conversely, patients in the control group (group B) showed minimal changes in BCVA (+0 letters), with an increase of +75 m in CRT and +0.757 mm3 in TMV. Dr. Martina Zavorkova, PhD the lead researcher of the study , expressed enthusiasm regarding the results, stating, "Our findings suggest that Somavedic may play an important role in slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration and offer a promising, non-invasive adjunctive approach to managing wet AMD. Further exploration is necessary to elucidate its mechanism of action and long-term benefits." "We are immensely encouraged by the positive outcomes of this study, which underscore the potential of Somavedic to make a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals affected by wet age-related macular degeneration. This research reaffirms our commitment to advancing innovative solutions that promote better vision health and overall well-being," said Juraj Kocar, CEO of Somavedic Technologies. The positive outcomes of this study pave the way for larger-scale clinical trials to substantiate the efficacy of Somavedic in wet AMD management. If validated, this innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize treatment strategies and significantly enhance the quality of life for individuals affected by this debilitating eye condition. About SOMAVEDIC: Somavedic is an innovative, always-on, rest and recovery frequency therapy device that harmonizes any space and routine - from home to office. It works on the principle of controlled release of natural energy from precious minerals, stones, and metals, together with the supportive frequency therapy technology, to provide a unique and one-of-a-kind wellness-tech experience that renders a myriad of scientifically-studied functional health benefits. Thanks to this pioneering combination, the digital pollution-neutralizing effects generated by Somavedic devices have therapeutic effects on our cells, which manifest in improved sleep, energy levels, and cellular regeneration. Somavedic combines these principles to bring a calming, peaceful presence into our most sacred spaces - and does so with effortless aesthetic beauty. Visit Somavedic.com or follow the brand on Instagram at @somavedic. Media Contact: Aleksandra Skalska [email protected] P: +420 702 013 692 SOURCE Somavedic Technologies Inc. PLANO, Texas, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP is honored to announce its recognition as one of the best firms in Chambers' 2024 Texas Regional Spotlight rankings. Our robust intellectual property practice continues to establish us as a leading firm in the region, making us one of only 13 law firms recognized in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for excellence in intellectual property law. We provide clients with comprehensive services across the full spectrum of intellectual property law, including patent, trademark, and copyright litigation and prosecution and international intellectual property portfolio management. Carstens, Allen & Gourley graphic depicting Chambers 2024 Texas Regional Spotlight Rankings - Recognized for strong intellectual property practice. As a respected independent legal research firm, Chambers has been recognizing the leading lawyers and law firms in the U.S. and worldwide for over 30 years. Directly from Chambers: "Building on the decades of knowledge we've built up researching the world's most outstanding law firms, Chambers is now shining a light on the best small and medium-sized firms in specific regions. Our Spotlight rankings are awarded at firm-wide level, recognizing firms that are well-known for their expertise in certain selected practice areas." Available in more than 70 countries and 200 jurisdictions, the Chambers' directory provides in-depth rankings and evaluations based on objective research. Chambers selected Carstens, Allen & Gourley based on the firm's "strong intellectual property practice," highlighting that CAG "handles the full gamut of IP (Intellectual Property) matters with particular strength in patent litigation and prosecution." "This acknowledgment from Chambers demonstrates our dedication to providing outstanding legal services and achieving favorable results for our clients," says founding partner David W. Carstens. "Our attorneys here at Carstens, Allen & Gourley apply their extensive experience and deep knowledge to every case, delivering exceptional service and dedicated attention to our clients." We help our clients maximize their intellectual property to compete more effectively in the marketplace. Our recognition in Chambers' 2024 Texas Regional Spotlight reaffirms our mission of achieving client success through tailored and innovative legal strategies. For more information about our intellectual property practice, please visit caglaw.com or call (972) 367-2001. About Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP Carstens, Allen & Gourley is a distinguished intellectual property law firm with offices in Dallas and Denver. For over 25 years, we have been leaders in safeguarding our clients' intellectual property rights worldwide. Our firm supports clients, including venture-backed startups, with comprehensive strategies in patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. We have a global commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice that includes state and federal court litigation, international arbitrations, international transactions, and pre-litigation dispute resolution. Our award-winning team is dedicated to delivering top-tier legal services to clients across the globe. The Chambers' recognition reflects that dedication. Contact: 972-755-5390 SOURCE Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP QUZHOU, China, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From April 17-19, a significant Sino-American cultural exchange event commemorating the 82nd Anniversary of the heroic Doolittle Raid rescue took place at the Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall, located at No. 9 Shuiting Street, Kecheng District, Quzhou. This event, themed "Let the friendship forged by blood and flame be passed down from generation to generation," honors the profound bonds formed during one of World War II's most daring episodes. Tracing Doolittle "There is a Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in Quzhou, Zhejiang. The descendants of the American soldiers who were rescued that year often come here to pay tribute to the righteous and courageous Chinese people." On November 15, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech at the joint welcome banquet held by American friendly organizations in San Francisco, specifically talking about the story of Chinese soldiers and civilians bravely rescuing American pilots during the Anti-Japanese War and the descendants of rescued American soldiers returning to the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in Quzhou. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on April 18, 1942, 80 pilots such as Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle of the United States flew 16 modified B-25 "Mitchell" bombers to attack Japan. Due to problems such as insufficient fuel on the way back, the pilots abandoned their planes to jump over China, where the Chinese military and civilians bravely rescued them. As a result, the Japanese army launched the Battle of Zhejiang and Jiangxi, killing 250,000 Chinese civilians. Since the 1990s, the pilots that are still alive of the "Doolittle Raiders Association" as well as the pilot descendants from the Association "Children of Doolittle Raiders" have returned to China many times to search for the rescuers. On the morning of April 17, Susan Ozuk, the daughter of navigator of the plane No. 3, Ozuk, once again came to the depths of the mountains in Zhangcun Township, Jiangshan City, Quzhou, and revisited the rammed earth room located at "Xiaonankengkou No. 3". Eighty-two years ago, the villager Liao Shiyuan's family took good care of her father here. In 2018, she donated $15,000 to renovate the old house. Since 2016, the Association Children of Doolittle Raiders has set up scholarships in Quzhou Second Middle School and organized English essay competitions around the "Doolittle Raid" for many times, sowing the seeds of peace-loving in the hearts of young students. On campus, a "friendship tree" jointly planted by Sino-American friends in September 2015 has been leafy and vibrant, and the stone tablet beside the tree is engraved with the message - "Succeeding the Doolittle Raid, a memorial to the legend and a new page in the Chinese-US friendship". Contact Person: Lan Chen Tel.: 0086-18057022000 Email: [email protected] YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByW7U_EDg68 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByW7U_EDg68 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2390088/4666314/City_of_Quzhou_Logo.jpg SOURCE City of Quzhou LLANO COUNTY, Texas, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grossman Law Offices, with its principal office in Dallas, TX, is deeply saddened by the tragic motorcycle versus truck accident that occurred on March 30, 2024, just after 4:30 p.m. along S.H. 29 in Llano County, TX. The incident resulted in the loss of 50-year-old Charles Copher's life and left another individual injured. Details About the Llano County Truck vs. Motorcycle Accident: According to authorities, Charles Copher and a 47-year-old woman were traveling on a westbound Harley-Davidson motorcycle on State Highway 29, approaching the Wootan Lane intersection when the accident occurred. Officials indicate that a delivery truck, which had been facing westbound in the south shoulder in an area equipped with mailboxes, attempted a left turn across both lanes of the highway onto northbound Wootan Lane at an unsafe time. This resulted in a collision between the front-end of the motorcycle and the right side of the truck. Copher incurred reportedly critical injuries as a result of the wreck, and the female passenger of the motorcycle suffered moderate injuries as well. They were each transported to local medical facilities by EMS for necessary treatment. However, despite medical efforts, Copher was ultimately unable to overcome the severity of his injuries and was declared deceased. Currently, additional details pertaining to this incident are not available as the investigation is currently ongoing. Related Reading: The Media Is Missing Serious Accidents: What Is to Be Done? About Grossman Law Offices: Grossman Law Offices is a Texas-based personal injury and wrongful death firm with a commitment to educating the public about road safety awareness. For more than 30 years, their firm has highlighted crashes that don't make the news. For More Information: For additional details about this incident or to learn more about Grossman Law Office's public outreach and educational initiatives, please visit our website at Grossman Law Offices or contact us at 866-513-3847 . SOURCE Grossman Law Office, P.C. -Mr. Taffy joins from Schrodinger, bringing a wealth of relevant expertise to Congruence- MONTREAL, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Congruence Therapeutics, a leading computationally-driven biotechnology company developing a pipeline of novel small molecules for diseases with significant unmet medical need, announced today the appointment of Frank Taffy, JD as Chief Business Officer. Mr. Taffy joins Congruence with over two decades of experience in the biotechnology industry as an executive, board member, strategic advisor, and entrepreneur. Mr. Taffy most recently served as Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development, and Board Representative at Schrodinger, Inc. where he led the entire spectrum of business development activities and consummated multiple collaboration agreements with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In his new role, Mr. Taffy will lead the Company's corporate and business development and strategy functions, and along with other members of the executive team, assume responsibility for the next phase of growth of the Company as Congruence advances its pipeline of small molecule correctors toward the clinic. "Congruence is establishing itself as a leader in the field of AI/ML enabled computational drug discovery, building a diverse pipeline of novel small molecule correctors for a wide range of indications, including genetic obesity, Parkinson's disease, and inflammatory conditions," commented Mr. Taffy. "I am thrilled to join the accomplished team at Congruence to execute a business development strategy that leverages the power of our scalable drug development platform, Revenir." "We are very excited that Frank has decided to join Congruence, as he brings nearly 25 years of industry experience, including most recently at Schrodinger, a pioneer in physics-based chemical simulation for drug discovery," stated Dr. Clarissa Desjardins, CEO of Congruence. "Frank will be a tremendous asset at a time when Congruence is preparing for the next phase of growth." Mr. Taffy currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Vuja De Sciences, Emtora Biosciences and Helocyte. Mr. Taffy co-founded Helocyte, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, during his role as Entrepreneur in Residence at Fortress Biotech and previously served as the company's President and CEO. Mr. Taffy also previously held the positions of Head of Business Affairs at Forest Labs (now part of AbbVie) and Director of Corporate Development at Life Technologies (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific), where he also held Board positions on behalf of the company. He also previously served as Vice President and General Counsel of Paramount Biosciences LLC, a global healthcare investment firm, where he led the formation and interim operation of multiple portfolio companies. Mr. Taffy started his career as Counsel for Intellectual Property at The Procter and Gamble Company. He holds a B.A. in biochemistry from the University of North Texas and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law. About Congruence Therapeutics Congruence is a computationally-driven biotechnology company building a unique pipeline of transformative small molecule correctors rationally designed to rescue aberrant protein function. Our proprietary scalable platform, Revenir, captures the biophysical features of proteins across their conformational ensembles, in order to identify novel allosteric and cryptic pockets which are virtually screened to generate novel chemical matter. For more information, please visit www.congruencetx.com . Company Contact Charles Grubsztajn Chief Operating Officer [email protected] Media Contact Amy Conrad Juniper Point [email protected] 858-366-3243 SOURCE Congruence Therapeutics Cowbell delivers Prime Tech through an existing partnership with Obsidian, now providing customers with Technology E&O Primary coverage PLEASANTON, Calif., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cowbell , a leading provider of cyber insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), today introduces Prime Tech with Cowbell Co-Pilot, Cowbell's artificial intelligence (AI) solution for efficient underwriting. Prime Tech is Cowbell's adaptive cyber insurance offering that combines flagship Prime 250 cyber risk insurance with Technology Errors and Omissions (E&O) primary coverage. Prime Tech with Co-Pilot will help underwriters better assess risk and provide valuable insights to improve decision-making at speed, driving a 40% faster contract review time on average. To bring Prime Tech to the market, Cowbell is building on its four-year partnership with Obsidian Insurance Company, an A.M. Best rated "A-" excellent, hybrid program carrier, deepening its partnership to include Tech E&O primary coverage following Cowbell's launch of Tech E&O excess in 2023. Prime Tech is available now to businesses with up to $250M in revenue in the US and provides limits of up to $5M. "Deepening our partnership with Cowbell will provide greater cyber insurance solutions for insureds and offer a comprehensive insurance strategy for technology companies. We are proud to support them in that pursuit," said William Jewett, Chief Executive Officer of Obsidian. "We believe strongly in Cowbell's mission and have since we entered our partnership four years ago. Their commitment to offering solutions for their clients creates a durable partnership and we are excited for the opportunities that will come with the growth of our relationship." "Providing one policy that combines cyber with Tech E&O helps maximize contact points for the broker and the insured, solve for coverage overlap, and streamline claims processes," said Trent Cooksley, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Cowbell. "Tech E&O primary, particularly paired with cyber insurance, is important to protect companies against rising threats and has been a highly requested product by our clients. We are thrilled to deepen our long-time relationship with Obsidian to deliver Prime Tech." To streamline the process and complexities of underwriting cyber and Tech E&O risks, Cowbell reveals Cowbell Co-Pilot, a generative AI solution built into the underwriting process of Prime Tech. Cowbell Co-Pilot leverages generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) to expedite the human review of contracts and guide the process with AI prompts that identify critical language important to verify prior to offering terms. Cowbell Co-Pilot's benefits include: Accuracy: By leveraging Co-Pilot to help analyze contracts, underwriters make more informed decisions. Co-Pilot highlights to underwriters key clauses, terms, and conditions that may impact the risk profile of the prospect, enabling underwriters to assess contract wording and risks more accurately. By leveraging Co-Pilot to help analyze contracts, underwriters make more informed decisions. Co-Pilot highlights to underwriters key clauses, terms, and conditions that may impact the risk profile of the prospect, enabling underwriters to assess contract wording and risks more accurately. Augmentation: Co-Pilot retrieves potentially relevant information from contracts and other sources to augment the underwriting process, leading to a more robust risk assessment by providing context and insights that may not be apparent solely from the contracts. Co-Pilot retrieves potentially relevant information from contracts and other sources to augment the underwriting process, leading to a more robust risk assessment by providing context and insights that may not be apparent solely from the contracts. Communication: Co-Pilot generates clear summaries of contracts, making it potentially easier for human underwriters to communicate key feedback with broker partners and policyholders, thereby improving communication. Co-Pilot generates clear summaries of contracts, making it potentially easier for human underwriters to communicate key feedback with broker partners and policyholders, thereby improving communication. Recommendations: Co-Pilot seeks to learn from each business it analyzes, in an effort to improve its ability to provide more relevant insights and recommendations over time. This allows Co-Pilot to suggest certain risk mitigation strategies, such as adding specific clauses to contracts. Co-Pilot seeks to learn from each business it analyzes, in an effort to improve its ability to provide more relevant insights and recommendations over time. This allows Co-Pilot to suggest certain risk mitigation strategies, such as adding specific clauses to contracts. Speed: Co-Pilot summarizes contracts, potentially saving underwriters time and allowing them to devote more time to other aspects of the underwriting process. "We've leveraged AI in many forms to drive better outcomes for our customers and the company, but our latest innovation is going to be one of our biggest advancements to date," said Rajeev Gupta, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Cowbell. "With underwriting Co-Pilot we can enhance productivity, efficiency, and precision within the decision-making processes for both technical and non-technical users, and therefore, bridge the gap between human expertise and technological capabilities." For more information about Cowbell, please visit https://cowbell.insure/ . About Cowbell Cowbell is a pioneer of Adaptive Cyber Insurance, a leader in providing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) coverage adaptable to today's and tomorrow's threats and the advanced warning of cyber risk exposures. In its unique AI-based approach in risk selection and pricing, Cowbell's continuous underwriting platform, powered by Cowbell Factors, compresses the insurance process from submission to issue in less than 5 minutes. Cowbell is backed by 25 prominent leading global (re)insurance partners and serves SMEs in 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2019, Cowbell is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with employees across the U.S., Canada, India, and the U.K. For more information, please visit https://cowbell.insure/ . About Obsidian Obsidian Insurance Holdings, Inc. is an insurance holding company with admitted and non-admitted insurance carrier subsidiaries that issue policies underwritten by managing general agents, managing general underwriters, and program managers. Obsidian sources, underwrites, and manages a diverse portfolio of property, casualty, and specialty insurance programs, and reinsures the majority of the business to select reinsurers. Obsidian was formed in 2020 in partnership with leading insurance industry executives and Genstar Capital. For more information, visit www.obsidianspecialty.com. Media Contact John Kreuzer Lumina Communications for Cowbell [email protected] +1.408.963.6418 SOURCE Cowbell Renewable Energy Project to Deliver Significant Economic Development to Central Virginia CUMBERLAND, Va., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hecate Energy, a top-ten U.S. developer, owner and operator of renewable power projects and energy storage solutions, today announced approval of the Siting Agreement and Conditional Use Permit application for the planned 150-megawatt (MW) Cumberland Solar Facility. "This approval helps realize our common goal to bring substantial economic benefits to Cumberland County and build energy independence for Virginia," said Preston Schultz, Cumberland Solar Facility's lead project developer. "We appreciate the leadership and support demonstrated by the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors in advancing this project." The vote on March 12 by the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors authorized Hecate Energy to bring this approximately $200 million private infrastructure investment to the county. Cumberland Solar Facility will contribute $14 million in direct payments to Cumberland County and millions more in indirect economic impact to the region. It will be built on nearly 1,000 acres in the Cartersville community of Northern Cumberland County. "Cumberland Solar Facility underscores Central Virginia's commitment to sustainable development. This project is set to create local jobs and provide vital financial support to essential community services, including firefighting, emergency medical response, and educational programs," said Schultz. The project is expected to create 150 local jobs and contribute $25 million in direct onsite wages during construction. Hecate Energy anticipates breaking ground on the solar farm in 2028 and commercial operation starting in 2030. The 150 MW solar farm will be capable of supplying over 300,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year enough to power over 37,500 average Virginia households. The emissions-free energy from Cumberland Solar Facility is expected to offset 138,800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is equivalent to eliminating the annual emissions from 30,176 passenger vehicles. Hecate Energy anticipates that Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality will issue a permit for the project in 2024 or early 2025. To learn more about Hecate Energy and the Cumberland Solar Facility, visit the project website at https://cumberlandsolarfarm.com/. About Hecate Energy Headquartered in Chicago with offices in California, Connecticut, Ohio, and Tennessee, Hecate Energy is a top-ten developer of solar power plants, wind power plants, and energy storage solutions in North America. Founded in 2012 by a team of energy industry veterans who have worked together for more than 20 years, Hecate Energy has over 2.5 GW of renewable energy developments across the United States. Media Contact Preston Schultz [email protected] SOURCE Hecate Energy Microsoft Azure customers worldwide now gain access to Curator from IPV to take advantage of the scalability, reliability and agility of Azure to drive hyper-productive content creation in the cloud. CHICAGO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IPV today announced the availability of Curator from IPV in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace , an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. IPV customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management. Curator enables seamless connectivity between Adobe creatives and their content libraries in the cloud to achieve native cloud editing, collaboration and intelligent media management. This has been meeting the demand from large broadcasters to generate new revenue streams from their media libraries, and from marketing teams within global brands to produce more engaging content to drive increased revenue, while hitting campaign deadlines and reusing media. These benefits will now be brought to Azure customers through streamlined and uninterrupted creative workflows, when the bottlenecks of downloading large media files are bypassed, AI asset search is enabled and global creative collaboration is facilitated. Daniel Mathew, IPV Chief Revenue Officer added, "The exciting collaboration with Microsoft sees our Curator software being available through the Azure Marketplace for shortened procurement times and rapid deployment, leading to early benefits for our customers". Jake Zborowski, General Manager, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. said, "We're pleased to welcome Curator from IPV to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Azure Marketplace offers world-class quality experiences from global trusted partners with solutions tested to work seamlessly with Azure." The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use. SOURCE IPV Marilyn Surber named as Vice President of Sales and Marketing OKLAHOMA CITY, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Drivers Legal Plan, the premier CDL defense law firm in America, proudly announces the appointment of Marilyn Surber as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Bringing over a decade of unparalleled experience in the transportation industry, Surber assumes her new role with a proven track record of success. Having served in various capacities at Tenstreet, Melton Truck Lines, and Hilti, Inc., Marilyn consistently demonstrated her dedication to building enduring relationships with clients and is an advocate for the transportation community. She is co-founder and Principal of Candela Professional Group, an active member of the American Trucking Association, Truckload Carriers Association, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, and the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools along with numerous state trucking associations. Marilyn also serves on the Women In Motion Advisory Board for ATA and the North Carolina Trucking Association Women In Trucking Advisory Board. President Brad Klepper expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome Marilyn to Drivers Legal Plan at such an important time for our company. Her leadership experience and knowledge in the transportation industry will be instrumental as we embark on new initiatives to bring to our clients. With her client-centric approach, we are poised to deepen our current partner relationships and forge new ones." "I was drawn to the opportunity at Drivers Legal primarily because I have experienced firsthand the unwavering service commitment that the company provides to drivers and carriers," remarked Surber. "Professional drivers rely on their ability to drive to make a living and we have decades worth of historical data that is leveraged to help obtain the best outcomes for their cases. Drivers Legal Plan is laser-focused on providing simple, affordable, and superior legal services within the transportation industry. I don't believe there is a better team than Drivers Legal Plan and it's a privilege to contribute to our mission." ABOUT DRIVERS LEGAL PLAN Drivers Legal Plan is a national law firm with extensive experience in truck driver Commercial Drivers License ticket defense. Founded in 1991, Drivers Legal Plan is headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, and serves clients in the 48 contiguous United States. To learn more about Drivers Legal Plan, visit http://www.driverslegalplan.com . SOURCE Drivers Legal Plan LEXINGTON, Ky., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MosquitoMate, Inc., a leader in innovative mosquito control solutions, today announced that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted registration for its revolutionary new product named "WB1 Males." This new mosquito control pesticide represents a significant advancement in mosquito control. "The timing is critical, because we are experiencing more disease and invasive mosquitoes, while at the same time, we have fewer tools to fight mosquitoes," said Dr. Stephen Dobson, President at MosquitoMate, Inc. The WB1 pesticide specifically targets the Aedes aegypti mosquito, commonly known as the Yellow Fever mosquito. This mosquito is infamous as one of the most important mosquito carriers of human disease, including the viruses that cause Zika, dengue, chickungunya and its namesake: the Yellow Fever virus. The innovative new Wolbachia pesticide is unusual in that it consists of rearing and releasing male mosquitoes that are infected with a bacterium named 'Wolbachia.' The approach does not use chemicals or genetic modification. Only female mosquitoes bite, while male mosquitoes do not bite or transmit disease-causing pathogens. The Wolbachia-bacterium causes male mosquitoes to be effectively sterile, through a natural mechanism known as 'Cytoplasmic Incompatibility' (CI). Those female mosquitoes that mate with the Wolbachia-infected males lay eggs that do not hatch, causing the mosquito population to decline without the need to use chemicals. MosquitoMate began working with the EPA to register the new pesticide more than a decade ago. The Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes are known as 'WB1 males', and MosquitoMate has performed successful field studies using the WB1 males in California, Florida and other locations. As an example, an independent review by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the reduction of a Texas Ae. aegypti population by more than 90% following the release of WB1 males. With the EPA's new registration, MosquitoMate can now begin to roll out the WB1 males nationally, including Caribbean and Pacific territories, which have traditionally been heavily impacted by diseases transmitted by the Yellow Fever mosquito. Dengue Fever: A Global Threat (and Coming to a City Near You?) Dengue fever poses a significant public health threat worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified it as a neglected tropical disease, highlighting the burden it places on many developing countries. Brazil, a nation long familiar with Dengue outbreaks, has recently experienced a particularly concerning surge, with more than 1.6 million cases of dengue since the start of 2024. A similar, concerning pattern is occurring throughout the Americas, Caribbean and in Asia. In recent years, the growing vulnerability extends beyond traditional hotspots. For example, in 2023 California witnessed the first confirmed cases of locally acquired Dengue fever. Similarly, Florida has also observed higher-than-normal Dengue activity, and Puerto Rico recently declared a 'dengue state of emergency.' These developments serve as a stark reminder that even temperate regions are not immune to mosquito-borne diseases, and the need for effective control measures is more urgent than ever. A Natural Defense with Targeted Releases WB1 Males offer a powerful and effective defense against mosquitoes using a natural biological control method. Specifically, WB1 male mosquitoes carry a naturally-occurring bacterium named Wolbachia pipientis, which is commonly found in butterflies, bees and other insects. When WB1 Males mate with female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the Wolbachia bacteria disrupts egg development, preventing the eggs from hatching. This effectively reduces the mosquito population and minimizes the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Importantly, unlike female mosquitoes, male mosquitoes do not bite or transmit pathogens. "The released WB1 males fly around looking for female mosquitoes, mating and sterilizing them," says Dobson. This approach offers effective mosquito control while not requiring chemicals or genetic modification. "This approach offers targeted, species-specific mosquito control for communities and individuals, while maintaining the high safety standards expected by the EPA," Dobson emphasizes. "A similar Wolbachia-based product was listed as organic by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), and we plan to apply for a similar organic listing for WB1," says Dobson. Key Features of WB1 Males: Chemical and GMO-Free: WB1 Males leverage a naturally occurring bacteria and avoid harsh chemicals or genetic modification. WB1 Males leverage a naturally occurring bacteria and avoid harsh chemicals or genetic modification. Effective Mosquito Control: WB1 Males effectively target and reduce populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary transmitter of Dengue fever. WB1 Males effectively target and reduce populations of mosquitoes, the primary transmitter of Dengue fever. Reduced Environmental Impact: WB1 Males are a natural solution with low environmental impact, minimizing the impact on beneficial insects and non-target organisms. WB1 Males are a natural solution with low environmental impact, minimizing the impact on beneficial insects and non-target organisms. For Family and Community Use: WB1 Males are registered by the EPA for use around homes and businesses. WB1 Males are registered by the EPA for use around homes and businesses. Easy to Use: WB1 Male programs are implemented through the repeated release of male mosquitoes, which do not bite or transmit disease. Simply release the WB1 males, and let the male mosquitoes do the work of finding the female mosquitoes and sterilizing them. Next Steps and Availability Timeline The WB1 Male EPA registration comes at a time when we face an evolving threat landscape within the United States. Mosquito control professionals are grappling with a growing challenge: mosquitoes are developing resistance to chemical insecticides at an alarming rate. This leaves communities and professionals with fewer effective tools to combat mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit. Additionally, some previously used chemicals are being removed from use due to concerns about human and environmental health. This is occurring at a time when communities are facing new invasive species of mosquitoes, and scientists are concerned about the impact that global climate change will have on mosquito spread and disease transmission. With the EPA registration secured, MosquitoMate, Inc. is now focused on the critical next steps: collaborating with state and local regulatory authorities to obtain the necessary permits for WB1 Male use in areas with the greatest need. This collaborative effort will ensure a smooth and comprehensive rollout of the WB1 Male program across the United States and Territories. As these state and local approvals are secured, WB1 Male programs are expected to be available for use by municipalities and pest control professionals in designated areas nationwide. MosquitoMate, Inc. looks forward to partnering with local communities and mosquito control agencies to expedite this process and make WB1 Males a valuable tool in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE MosquitoMate, Inc Robust program ensures U.S. channel partners are positioned for growth in 2024 and beyond SAN DIEGO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ESET, a global leader in digital security, today announced its updated partner program with new benefits for MSPs, VARs, NSPs and distributor partners. Based on qualitative and quantitative feedback from partners, including third-party surveys, ESET has enhanced the 2024 ESET Partner Connect Program recently recognized as a CRN 5-Star Partner Program with new features that help partners to seamlessly onboard, drive new business, increase brand loyalty and reward mutual success. "We're proud to continue expanding ESET's partner program, which offers rich margins, day-to-day marketing enablement, technical support and a next-gen portfolio of endpoint, threat intelligence and MDR services," said Ryan Grant, Vice President of Sales at ESET North America. "We worked closely with individual partners, our partner council and third-party advisors to gather unfiltered feedback throughout the last year ensuring we aligned channel priorities with our investment strategy for the 2024 program. This approach ensures strong, long-term relationships, a growth mindset and commitment to mutual success." As part of the updated program, ESET has created an annual rebate to incentivize renewals. For gold and silver partners who maintain an 80% renewal rate, they can earn up to 5% back. This program works hand in hand with ESET's popular renewal-as-a-service (RaaS) program that drives renewals and upgrade campaigns for channel partners with limited resources. Targeted for renewals under 100 seats, RaaS enables ESET channel partners to stay focused on larger deals and new business while reaching their renewal goals. "ESET offers rich margins, exceptional customer support and technology we can count on to meet our customers' advanced cybersecurity requirements," said James Range, CEO of White Rock Cybersecurity. "We really appreciate how reliable ESET cybersecurity solutions are utilizing built-in AI plus world-class cybersecurity experts to stay ahead of the world's most persistent threat actors. We are pleased to see their continued investments in the Partner Connect Program and new offerings that drive cybersecurity awareness, brand loyalty and increase customer satisfaction with our end users." Within the program, ESET offers white glove onboarding, a 90-day comprehensive onboarding and training program that includes in-depth product training and sales certifications for new partners. This 3-month program helps new partners quickly get up and going to become a trusted advisor to their customers while also ensuring ESET products, services and implementations work optimally from day one. For new MSP partners, this white glove service includes a free two-hour installation appointment with ESET technical experts to ensure ESET PROTECT is configured optimally for the MSP's environment. Finally, the company is re-launching its North America partner locator tool as a premium resource for ESET gold partners. This feature ensures that businesses can quickly identify and reach out to top ESET channel partners who offer a range of ESET security solutions and services. "ESET has always been a channel-focused IT security company. From day one, our team is dedicated to working directly with partners to propel their business forward," said Hope McCluskey, Director of Channel Marketing for ESET North America. "These latest updates are focused on enabling partners' ongoing success from onboarding to sales and delivering year-over-year growth. By aligning our updates with ESET's partner program pillars offering profitability, predictability and incumbency protection we feel confident that our partners are positioned to expand their businesses in a fiercely competitive cybersecurity marketplace." The ESET Partner Connect Program is easy, flexible and profitable for all types of partners offering a tiered structure that fits the partner's business with stackable margins, and simple training resources. ESET's lucrative margin profile means partners can make up to 40 points, and partners can secure and protect their existing business with incumbency protection. ESET partners have access to complementary phone, email and live chat support located locally in San Diego, California. Last year, ESET won SC Media's Best Customer Service award based on its commitment to high-touch, localized customer support across time zones, channels and languages. This includes comprehensive Knowledgebase articles, online user guides and video tutorials that focus on deployment and maintenance, user scenarios, troubleshooting, and the ability to engage directly with company security experts within ESET Security Forum. To learn more about ESET's partner program, visit https://www.eset.com/us/partnernow/. About ESET ESET provides cutting-edge digital security to prevent attacks before they happen. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of known and emerging cyber threats securing businesses, critical infrastructure, and individuals. Whether it's endpoint, cloud or mobile protection, its AI-native, cloud-first solutions and services remain highly effective and easy to use. ESET technology includes robust detection and response, ultra-secure encryption, and multi-factor authentication. With 24/7 real-time defense and strong local support, we keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. An ever-evolving digital landscape demands a progressive approach to security: ESET is committed to world-class research and powerful threat intelligence, backed by R&D centers and a strong global partner network. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. SOURCE ESET Company to Host Conference Call WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) today announced plans to report its first quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday morning, April 30, 2024, before the opening of U.S. financial markets. Fannie Mae has scheduled a conference call to discuss the company's results at 8:00 a.m., ET, on April 30, 2024. Prior to the call, the company's first quarter 2024 earnings news release, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and other supplemental information will be available on the company's Quarterly and Annual Results webpage at fanniemae.com/financialresults. Following the call, a transcript will be published to the same webpage and will remain available until our next quarterly earnings announcement. CONFERENCE CALL PARTICIPATION DETAILS Fannie Mae First Quarter 2024 Financial Results Event day and time Tuesday, April 30, 2024 8:00 AM (ET) Listen-only webcast: https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1665149&tp_key=3a283801d1 Click on the link above to attend the presentation from your laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Audio will stream through your selected device. If you have difficulty accessing the webcast, please click the "Listen by Phone" button on the webcast player and dial the number provided. About Fannie Mae Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. We enable the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drive responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. To learn more, visit: fanniemae.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Blog Fannie Mae Newsroom https://www.fanniemae.com/news Photo of Fannie Mae https://www.fanniemae.com/resources/img/about-fm/fm-building.tif Fannie Mae Resource Center 1-800-2FANNIE SOURCE Fannie Mae SILVER SPRING, Md., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency: Today, the FDA announced a new initiative aimed to help reimagine the home environment as an integral part of the health care system. The Home as a Health Care Hub is intended to enable solutions that seamlessly integrate medical devices and health care, prevention and wellness into people's lives and may: Help medical device developers consider novel design approaches. Aid providers to consider opportunities to extend care options and educate patients. Generate discussions on value-based care paradigms. Open opportunities to bring clinical trials and other evidence generation processes to underrepresented communities. is intended to enable solutions that seamlessly integrate medical devices and health care, prevention and wellness into people's lives and may: This new initiative is part of the FDA's ongoing commitment to advancing health equity and helping people to get the care they need, when they need it. The FDA is collaborating with patient groups, health care providers, the medical device industry, and housing experts to build the Home as a Health Care Hub and we will keep the public informed as additional information becomes available. Today, the FDA published the FDA Voices: "Reflections on Travel to Europe Part Three," by Robert M. Califf , M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. In this final of a three-part series of blogs, Dr. Califf provides his perspective on his recent trip to the Europe Union and describes key events and issues. The team's official travel took them for visits with the U.S. Mission to the European Union (EU) in Brussels ; Ambassador Gitenstein, the U.S. Ambassador to the EU; the European Food Safety Authority; the European Commission and the Directorate-General SANTE; and the European Medicines Agency. Part Three," by , M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. In this final of a three-part series of blogs, Dr. Califf provides his perspective on his recent trip to the Europe Union and describes key events and issues. The team's official travel took them for visits with the U.S. Mission to the European Union (EU) in ; Ambassador Gitenstein, the U.S. Ambassador to the EU; the European Food Safety Authority; the European Commission and the Directorate-General SANTE; and the European Medicines Agency. On Monday, the FDA approved nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln (Anktiva, Altor BioScience, LLC) with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for adult patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors. Full prescribing information for Anktiva will be posted here. On Monday the FDA published the FDA Voices: "Reflections on Travel to Europe Part Two," by Robert M. Califf , M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. In this part two of a three-part series of blogs, Dr. Califf provides his perspective on his recent trip to Europe and describes key events and issues. The team's official travel took them to the U.K. for an initial dinner with an eclectic group from the U.K. dealing with policies ranging from women's health and diversity in clinical trials to the impact of the medical products industry on the economy to pandemic preparedness and response. The team visited interesting and historical venues, like the Royal Academy of Medicine, for a meeting with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and closed with a trip to Oxford to engage with the academic clinical trials community. Part Two," by , M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. In this part two of a three-part series of blogs, Dr. Califf provides his perspective on his recent trip to and describes key events and issues. The team's official travel took them to the U.K. for an initial dinner with an eclectic group from the U.K. dealing with policies ranging from women's health and diversity in clinical trials to the impact of the medical products industry on the economy to pandemic preparedness and response. The team visited interesting and historical venues, like the Royal Academy of Medicine, for a meeting with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and closed with a trip to Oxford to engage with the academic clinical trials community. On Monday, the FDA approved Rezenopy, a 10-milligram naloxone hydrochloride intranasal spray indicated to treat opioid overdose. On Monday, the FDA issued a safety communication to encourage the public to follow established anti-choking protocols, which are step-by-step guides, approved by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association to relieve the airway obstruction in choking victims. These protocols include abdominal thrusts (also called the "Heimlich" maneuver) for children and adults. These protocols do not include anti-choking devices. The safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter anti-choking devices have not been established; they are not FDA approved or cleared. If you choose to use them, only use anti-choking devices after established choking protocols have failed. On Friday, the FDA updated an outbreak advisory for a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked fresh organic basil to include Infinite Herbs, LLC, recall and expanded recall. On 4/18/2024, the firm voluntarily recalled 2.5-oz packages of Infinite Herbs-brand fresh organic basil sold at Trader Joe's and Fruit Center Marketplace stores from February 1 through April 6, 2024 . On April 19, 2024 , the recall was expanded to include 2.0- and 4.0-oz packages of Melissa's-brand organic basil available for sale at Dierberg's stores in Illinois and Missouri from February 10 through February 20, 2024 . Additional Resources: # # # Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration In partnership with top Florida developers Fort Partners and CMC Group, latest Four Seasons luxury residential offering launches sales and invites homeowners to experience legendary living in one of Miami's most sought-after neighbourhoods MIAMI, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Real estate development firms CMC Group and Fort Partners, together with leading luxury hospitality and branded residential company Four Seasons, announce the highly anticipated Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove. Set within one of Miami's most historic neighbourhoods and building on the success of Four Seasons residential portfolio in South Florida and around the globe, this groundbreaking development will be the first Four Seasons standalone offering in the state, delivering legendary service and experiences outside of a hotel or resort. FIRST STANDALONE FOUR SEASONS BRANDED RESIDENCES IN FLORIDA TO OPEN IN MIAMIS COCONUT GROVE "Four Seasons is the standard-bearer for luxury around the world and has captivated the real estate market with its leading branded residences," says Nadim Ashi, CEO of Fort Partners. "We are thrilled to continue our proven relationship with the esteemed brand and forge a new partnership with the highly successful CMC Group on developing this first-of-its-kind offering in the coveted Coconut Grove neighbourhood." A world-class team has been selected to bring the vision to life, with acclaimed Florentine designer Michele Bonan at the helm of the interiors and Miami-based Luis Revuelta crafting the architecture. Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will offer 70 homes ranging from two- to four-bedrooms and spanning up to 3,980 square feet (370 square metres). Four penthouse residences will range from nearly 6,430 to 9,690 square feet (597 to 900 square metres). The distinctive property will rise 20 storeys, providing future-residents with unobstructed ocean views overlooking Biscayne Bay. Inspired by Coconut Grove's beloved landscape, a sanctuary beneath the shade of banyan and mahogany trees, the building's facade is softly curved to blend into the land's natural rhythm while creating a defining presence within the skyline. "With our growing standalone residential portfolio, Four Seasons is elevating luxury living for discerning buyers by blending personalized service alongside prime real estate in the best locations worldwide. In a competitive branded residential market like Miami, the trust and credibility of our brand will no doubt drive demand for this exceptional project in Coconut Grove," says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development, Portfolio Management, and Residential, Four Seasons. "Together with our esteemed partners at Fort and CMC, we look forward to welcoming this spectacular project to our dynamic portfolio of Four Seasons Private Residences across South Florida." "With over 35 years of experience, our luxury condos have set the standard in the South Florida market," says Ugo Colombo, CEO of CMC Group. "Fifteen years ago, CMC Group pioneered luxury living in the Grove with Grovenor House, and now with Four Seasons Coconut Grove, we're raising the bar yet again. By integrating the renowned Four Seasons service, we're not just resetting standards; we're redefining luxury living. Our commitment to quality remains unwavering, ensuring that our buildings continue to be the benchmark for excellence in the industry." Luxury Living in Miami's Coconut Grove The spaces designed by Michele Bonan reflect the renowned architect's signature style, with a blend of timeless elegance and contemporary aesthetics. Bonan creates a cohesive connection between the interiors and the natural beauty of Coconut Grove, with design inspired by the verdant tropics, the ocean, and the quintessential charm of Miami. The homes are crafted to be as polished as they are welcoming, exuding a sense of enduring sophistication achieved through classic lines, elegant furnishings, and a palette dominated by neutral tones. "The essence of Coconut Grove and the cultural significance of the location's past, including the gorgeous climate, spectacular views and exceptional quality of life, guided each step of the design process," shares Michele Bonan. "Whether through design elements influenced by the rhythm of the ocean or patterns created in the sand, we maintained fluidity between the surroundings and the interiors to allow residents to relax and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the space." Homes at Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will feature nearly 11-foot (3.35 metre) ceilings throughout, complementing the spacious, open floor plans. Custom Italian-style kitchens designed by Molteni and Bonan feature top-of-the-line Miele appliances and European finishes, while bathrooms include cabinetry and panelling by Noorth complemented by Margraf marble finishes. Each home will be accessed via private elevator, creating an intimate arrival experience, and will feature the latest in-home automation systems and lighting controls. Designed to provide a luxurious and intimate residential experience, Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will offer an extensive amenities collection for residents, including a restaurant, library, state-of-the-art gym and yoga room, spa with cold plunge and hammam, children's area and private event room, as well as an expansive pool deck and bar lounge serviced by Four Seasons. Residents will also enjoy the benefits of legendary Four Seasons service even without a hotel, including a dedicated Director of Residences, concierge, housekeeping and butler services, in-residence dining, valet and wellness programming, among other offerings. Four Seasons Private Residences Coconut Grove will reflect the neighbourhood's refined, serene atmosphere, steeped in culture and connectedness. Residents will be in close proximity to the water and situated among the town's beloved local boutiques, restaurants and some of the nation's leading schools, creating a close-knit community and well-rounded walkable lifestyle. The collaboration between CMC Group and Fort Partners is driven by the pair's shared ambition to elevate the standard of living in a market that is yearning for true world-class real estate and hospitality. CMC Group has for years played a pioneering role in developing Miami's skyline and reshaping the greater condo market in South Florida, while Fort Partners' longstanding partnership with Four Seasons includes the development of the iconic Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at The Surf Club, Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale, and ownership of Four Seasons Hotel Miami. Forthcoming developments under the Four Seasons flag are planned throughout Europe and the United States. For more information or to schedule a sales appointment, please contact the sales team at 305-800-2699 or visit www.2699CoconutGrove.com. For more images, please see here. About CMC Group Headquartered in Miami, Florida, CMC Group is a full-service real estate development company focused on residential, commercial and retail properties in South Florida. CMC Group's founder, visionary developer Ugo Colombo, is recognized as one of South Florida's most respected and reputed luxury developers. CMC Group's development portfolio of prized properties includes Bristol Tower, Santa Maria, Epic Residences and Hotel, Grovenor House, Porto Vita, 4000 Ponce/The Collection and Brickell Flatiron. Today, CMC Group continues to shape the Miami skyline with its latest luxury developments underway, Onda Residences in Bay Harbor Islands, and Vita at Grove Isle in Coconut Grove. Learn more at http://www.cmcgroupmiami.com. About Fort Partners Fort Partners is a privately-owned, fully integrated development company led by developer and entrepreneur Nadim Ashi. With a focus on historic preservation, architecture, design, and sustainability, Fort Partners is committed to the highest standards of quality. Assets include Norman's Cay in the Bahamas, Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at The Surf Club (Surfside, Florida), Four Seasons Hotel Miami, and Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale. Fort Partners adds to its portfolio with five new developments in South Florida, one in Telluride, Colorado, and six projects in Europe. As a part of the brand's ethos, Fort Partners continues to foster relationships with top international talent across architecture, design, and hospitality to create unique and exceptional properties. For more information, visit http://www.fortpartners.com/ . About Four Seasons Four Seasons opened its first hotel in 1961 and since that time has become a global leader in luxury hospitality and branded residential, with a focus on genuine and unparalleled service experiences. Four Seasons currently operates 129 hotels and resorts and 53 residential properties in major city centres and resort destinations in 47 countries. The company continues to grow with a guest-centric mindset, including a global pipeline of more than 60 projects under planning or in development. In addition to its hotels and resorts, Four Seasons experiential offerings include more than 600 restaurants and bars globally , the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience , Four Seasons Drive Experience , and the upcoming Four Seasons Yachts . Four Seasons consistently ranks among the world's best hotels, resorts, restaurants and bars, and most prestigious luxury hospitality brands in reader polls, traveller reviews and industry awards. For more information and reservations, visit fourseasons.com . For the latest news, visit press.fourseasons.com . About Four Seasons Private Residences As leaders in branded residences since 1985, Four Seasons currently operates 53 branded Private Residence properties around the world, with three-quarters of future Four Seasons projects including a residential component. All Four Seasons residential offerings combine Four Seasons legendary people and service with exclusive hotel amenities such as spa services, in-residence dining services, housekeeping, concierge services and many more, creating a seamless experience for residence owners. For more information and reservations, visit fourseasons.com. For the latest news, visit press.fourseasons.com. Media Contact Alice Murphy KWT Global [email protected] SOURCE Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts ZestyAI's AI-powered property intelligence solutions identify risks and assess exposure, improving risk outcomes for insurers and property owners SAN FRANCISCO and BOCA RATON, Fla., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - ZestyAI , the leading provider of climate and property risk analytics solutions powered by artificial intelligence (AI), today announced an agreement with Florida Peninsula Insurance Company. This partnership will leverage ZestyAI's advanced property analytics solutions to provide Florida Peninsula with a deeper understanding of property-level risk in their homeowners book in Florida. Florida Peninsula will use ZestyAI's Z-PROPERTY Location Insights solution, which applies advanced computer vision and machine learning to capture valuable insights from various data sources, including aerial and satellite imagery, tax assessments, building permits, and infrastructure data, among other unique data sources, for over 150 million residential and commercial properties. Florida Peninsula found ZestyAI's insights to be highly accurate, matching and even enhancing the results of physical inspections. By implementing these insights, Florida Peninsula aims to further improve underwriting accuracy with the goal of a superior customer experience. "Taking a data-driven, highly analytical approach has always been a cornerstone to the way we do business at Florida Peninsula," said Gard Olbers, Chief Risk Officer at Florida Peninsula Insurance Company. "With ZestyAI, we found a like-minded, agile and highly innovative partner that provides us with more data insights than ever before. This partnership will provide a positive customer experience for all the Floridians we serve." "We have been impressed by the steady growth of Florida Peninsula Insurance in the complex Florida insurance market over the past five years," said Attila Toth, Founder and CEO of ZestyAI. "Our commitment is to deliver at least ten times return on investment from this partnership through enhanced underwriting, operational efficiency, and customer and agent satisfaction." Florida Peninsula Insurance Company will leverage ZestyAI's Z-PROPERTY Location Insights for a comprehensive assessment of roof quality. ZestyAI's Location Insights delivers highly accurate property data on parcels and structures for all properties in the US instantly, without ever stepping on-site. Location Insights identifies high-risk features, such as roof quality, swimming pools, trampolines, lot debris, and overhanging vegetation, facilitating accurate underwriting and customer and reinsurer transparency. About Florida Peninsula Insurance (FPI) Since 2005, FPI has grown to be one of the largest homeowner carriers in Florida, focusing solely on home, condominium, and renter policies. Managed by Windward Risk Managers and Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, FPI has maintained a Financial Stability Rating of A-Exceptional from Demotech and continues to be a leader in Florida's homeowner's insurance market by adhering to a strong conservative financial approach, while offering policyholders competitive rates and customizable policy options to fit their needs. www.FloridaPeninsula.com About ZestyAI ZestyAI is the leading property and climate risk platform for Property and Casualty insurers in North America. The company has revolutionized the world's understanding of property and climate perils by combining artificial intelligence with historical losses and cutting-edge data sources. Leading insurers trust ZestyAI's platform to identify risk and assess exposure, including the impact of catastrophic events like wildfires, hail, and windstorms. ZestyAI helps insurers make more informed underwriting decisions, rate fairly and accurately, enhance reinsurance outcomes and improve customer experience through actionable risk insights that both property owners and regulators trust. For more information on how ZestyAI is revolutionizing risk management, visit www.zesty.ai . SOURCE ZestyAI The 2024 America's Best Employers for Diversity rankings resulted from surveying 170,000 US employees RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit research institute RTI International has earned its spot on Forbes Magazine's 2024 list of America's Best Employers for Diversity for the third time. RTI was 393 out of 500 companies on the seventh annual ranking. "It's a tremendous honor to be included on the Forbes list of America's Best Employers for Diversity for 2024," said Bucky Fairfax, D.B.A., executive vice president, chief human resources officer. "This recognition over multiple years is a testament to RTI's commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and to providing a workplace where all staff are valued for their unique contribution to our shared mission." Forbes collaborated with market research firm Statista to compile its list, surveying over 170,000 individuals employed by U.S. organizations with at least 1,000 employees. Participants rated their employers anonymously on a range of diversity-related topics including gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and disability. Their evaluation was based on three different criteria: personal recommendations, public recommendations and key performance indicators. The top 500 companies, based on these criteria, made it to the final list. The analysis included survey responses from 2023 as well as responses from the last three years, with recent survey data weighted higher. Employees provided opinions on a series of statements regarding age, gender, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQIA+ and general diversity in their current workplace. Participants evaluated other employers in their respective industries regarding diversity. Each company's diversity-related practices were researched and assessed including employee resource groups, the publication of diversity data, the percentage of women in leadership roles, and supplier diversity. Forbes' recognition validates RTI's commitment to diversity for its global workforce of nearly 6,000 staff in 90 countries. The institute has a formal diversity program, promotes a diverse company culture and publishes an annual diversity report. Forbes has consistently acknowledged RTI as a top employer including the following awards: Best Employers for Diversity in 2019, 2020 and 2024 Best Employers for Women in 2018 and 2022 Best Midsize Employers in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 View Forbes Magazine's 2024 list of America's Best Employers for Diversity Learn more about careers and discover the RTI difference Media Contact: RTI Media Relations 919-708-8205 [email protected] SOURCE RTI International BOSTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- After formally merging in April 2024, Futuresource Consulting and BCC Research have today announced the introduction of a Sales Board. Primed to launch in Q2 2024, the board will comprise a structured network of business-minded individuals who will drive sales and growth across the newly merged entity. "The board will create new opportunities across our core offerings and accelerate growth within the business," says Michael Shasha, Chief Transformation Officer, who is driving the creation of the board. "We'll be appointing highly connected, experienced, and ambitious individuals who harbour a significant network of contacts. The board will operate at a high international level, forming part of our bold plans for the ongoing evolution of Futuresource Consulting and BCC Research." Details Members will serve a 6-month term, meeting virtually every 2 weeks. Leveraging their network of contacts across influential corporations in the UK, North America, and Europe, members will be meticulous in their search for new business at the highest level. They will be specialists in industries including technology, life sciences, education, consumer electronics, enterprise AV, professional displays and more. Once new opportunities are identified, the board will initiate corporate introductions, provide support and direction during sales team engagement, and actively carry these leads to closure. Members are not limited in the number of opportunities or deals they can pursue. An ambitious growth plan The Sales Board is being implemented following the news of Futuresource Consulting and BCC Research's strategic merger, announced in late March 2024. The business will also introduce a Board of Research Advisers, who will provide senior-level industry insights and direction. "We're tunnel-visioned on our mission to provide C-Suite leaders with research that sits in the vanguard of their industries," says Shasha. "We're looking for determined individuals with a shared entrepreneurial spirit to help push BCC Research and Futuresource Consulting to new heights." Nomination process For those seeking to apply, nominations be submitted via email to [email protected], and should include name, title, affiliation, area of expertise, relevant achievements and qualifications, and value addition to the board. About BCC Research: BCC Research provides objective, unbiased measurement and assessment of market opportunities through detailed market research reports. Their core mission is to drive future businesses and markets, and with an extensive 50-year history, they are trusted by leading organizations worldwide to provide vital insights that empower them to make confident, forward-looking decisions. About Futuresource Consulting: Futuresource Consulting is a market research consulting firm with a rich 30-year history. The firm provides a range of specialist intelligence reports and ongoing personal debriefs alongside bespoke consumer and end user research. Futuresource prides itself on delivering fact-based insights and market forecasts on a global scale to support confident business decision-making. Contact Us Corporate HQ: 50 Milk St. Ste 16, Boston, MA 02109, USA Email: [email protected], Phone: +1 781-489-7301 For media inquiries, email [email protected] or visit our media page for access to our market research library. Data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2183242/BCC_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE BCC Research LLC Campaign spotlights systemic healthcare issues women experience NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gameto , a female-led biotechnology company with a mission to redefine women's healthcare, today announced they are joining forces with Stacey Bendet, CEO, Founder and Creative Director of alice + olivia , for an advocacy campaign during National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) 2024. Gameto and Bendet are partnering in an effort to raise awareness and funds, emphasizing the importance of improving the female patient experience in the healthcare system. Proceeds will benefit RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association . Stacey Bendet, CEO, Founder and Creative Director of alice + olivia (center right), poses for a photograph with Gameto CEO and co-founder Dr. Dina Radenkovic (center left) along with Gametos Kylie Jordan (left) and Emily Bosworth (right) at an alice + olivia store in Dallas, Texas. (Photo: Kaitlin Saragusa for BFA) Bruna Paulsen, Ph.D., Director of Manufacturing and QC at Gameto, wears an exclusive Your Eggsperience Matters sweatshirt from Big Feelings. The sweatshirts symbolize solidarity and support for women and families facing infertility challenges, going through treatments and the need to improve womens experiences in the healthcare setting. (Photo: Gameto) National Infertility Awareness Week was founded in 1989 by RESOLVE, the largest infertility patient advocacy group in the United States. NIAW aims to enhance the public's understanding of infertility, educating people and lawmakers about its impact. Every year, patients and industry specialists nationwide organize webinars, Q&As, and campaigns to raise awareness and empower patients in every stage of their fertility journeys. In 2010, NIAW became a federally recognized health observance by the Department of Health and Human Services. This year, Gameto and Stacey Bendet are making a statement with the exclusive "Your Eggsperience Matters" campaign sweatshirts from Bendet's new brand, Big Feelings . The custom-designed limited edition sweatshirts symbolize solidarity and support for the millions of women and families facing infertility challenges, going through treatments and the need to improve women's experiences in the healthcare setting from clinical trials to treatments to routine care. Despite current IVF treatments being a miracle of science and helping people build families, the existing female patient journey for IVF remains fairly unchanged, involving 10 to 14 days of twice daily hormone injections per cycle, which many women find to be both physically and emotionally difficult. In the U.S., an average of three cycles are necessary to have a baby. Therefore, understanding the female patient journey in preparation for egg retrieval for IVF or egg freezing reveals insights into reproductive and maternal care experiences, pointing to opportunities for innovation and enhancements in the field. "As a woman with three children who's run a company for over two decades employing thousands of women of all ages, I've seen first hand how the pressure to marry and have children by a certain age can take a toll both emotionally and professionally," said Stacey Bendet, CEO, Founder and Creative Director of alice + olivia. "Giving women a new, healthier and more time efficient way to freeze their eggs eliminates that 'biological clock' and becomes a game changer for women in the workplace!" "Your Eggsperience Matters" aims to engage women from many different sectors of influence, including patient advocates, entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, and fertility physicians and specialists. The campaign encourages participants to speak out on social media and share a time they wished the inconvenience of their treatment or patient care journey had been prioritized when seeking care, the changes they desire to see for an improved patient journey, and any advice they wish they had received. "Medicine has historically minimized and neglected the pain and suffering of women, and with this campaign we are advocating for care that prioritizes women's experiences and needs while shining a light on the struggles too many women face while navigating the healthcare system," said Dr. Dina Radenkovic, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Gameto. "We acknowledge the pain women have faced when seeking fertility care and this drives us to develop more modern solutions that prioritize efficacy and comfort. We hope that encouraging more women to speak up about their experiences and preferences will catalyze more solutions in the women's health space overall and also provide a compassionate way to support other women embarking upon their own reproductive journeys." Gameto invites everyone to join the movement and make a difference during National Infertility Awareness Week. Join the conversation on social media to share your experience with the hashtag: #yourEGGSPERIENCEmatters. To contribute to RESOLVE, please visit https://resolve.org/gameto . For more information about how Gameto is redefining women's healthcare, visit gametogen.com, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @gametogen and on LinkedIn . About Gameto Gameto is a biotechnology company developing novel treatment solutions for women's health, starting with infertility. Gameto brings together an experienced scientific management team with the vision and passion to develop a product suite to support women throughout their reproductive journeys. Gameto's lead program, Fertilo, aims to make IVF and egg freezing shorter, safer, and more accessible through reduced hormonal injections by maturing eggs outside of the body. Gameto is led by physician-turned-entrepreneur Dina Radenkovic as CEO and serial entrepreneur and founder of North America's largest fertility network Prelude Fertility, Martin Varsavsky, as Chairman. For more information, go to gametogen.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @gametogen and on LinkedIn . Investor Contact Kylie Jordan [email protected] Press Contact Alexis Feinberg [email protected] SOURCE Gameto AMSTERDAM, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Flame Conference - The International Gas Union (IGU) releases its 2024 Global Wholesale Gas Price Survey report, the 16th undertaken since 2005. Global LNG Imports by Price Type and Percentage of Spot Trade (PRNewsfoto/International Gas Union (IGU)) Global Natural Gas Prices by Region (PRNewsfoto/International Gas Union (IGU)) The share of spot LNG rose sharply in 2023 to 38% (3% YoY), with the overall share, in LNG imports, of Gas-on-Gas pricing rising to just under 50%, continuing a decade trend of growth, as the global gas market continues to mature. Demand rebound in China and further growth in spot LNG imported into Europe contributed to the rise. The total volume of globally imported GOG priced gas via LNG and Pipeline reached an all-time high of 57%, with Oil Price Escalation (OPE) at 36% and the remaining 7% priced through bilateral direct agreements between large buyers and sellers (BIM). World LNG Imports by Price Formation and % of Spot Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2392727/Spot_LNG_Imports_Infographic.jpg GOG share of total consumption has remained at half of global consumption, crossing slightly under the halfway mark at 49.7% due to a domestic change in India and reduced consumption in Europe. OPE benefited from India's decision to change its domestic pricing mechanism, moving away from linkage to international hub prices to oil linked pricing. While elsewhere, there remains a large area of the world covering the Former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa where prices are still largely regulated. Global wholesale prices continued to significantly vary across regions, with Europe still remaining highest priced. 2023 saw the global gas market starting to find a new point of fragile balance, with the average World price, easing back to $5.70 per MMBTU, from $9.48 in 2022. However, this was still the second highest average price recorded by the surveys since 2005, with significant regional differences persisting. The highest 2023 prices were found in Europe at $15.83, impacted by the still high average spot LNG prices. Asia Pacific prices averaged $11.56 and Asia had average prices at $9.16. While prices in North America in 2023 were below the average for Latin America and even Africa and as expected in dollar terms, the Former Soviet Union and the Middle East, were the lowest. Global Wholesale Natural Gas Price Levels by Region Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2392728/Natural_Gas_Prices_Infographic.jpg With larger influx of LNG into the Asian market, and more of it being priced competitively, the presence of GOG pricing in Asia has also been strengthening over the recent years. Since the start of the IGU GWPS report series, Asia has seen an evolution of its price formations, albeit more gradually, from predominantly non-market regulated pricing to more and more market-based pricing. OPE still largely dominates, yet GOG has undoubtedly played a bigger role. Asia is going to be key to the future gas markets evolution as the driver of 40% of global gas consumption growth accounting for 22% of total gas consumption in 2023 (compared to 14% in 2005). IGU President, Madam Li Yalan stressed: The maturing and growing flexibility of a truly global gas market are welcome signs from this year's survey results. Global gas market functioning and liquidity remain pivotal to energy security and the reliability of the global energy systems, as the world continues to face a great amount of turbulence amidst the ongoing energy crisis and continuing significant geopolitical risks in a tight and fragile market. About the Report The Annual IGU Wholesale Gas Price Survey report was launched in 2005. It is a unique global database on the evolution of gas markets, changes in gas price formation mechanisms, and wholesale gas prices. The 2024 Edition includes data covering 98% of total world natural gas consumption and can be downloaded at www.igu.org/resources About the International Gas Union (IGU) The IGU represents the global gas industry with more than 140 members in over 80 countries, covering 90% of the global gas market across every segment of the gas value chain. The IGU organises the world's leading international gas events, including the World Gas Conference (WGC), the International Gas Research Conference, and the World LNG conference series. www.igu.org Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2392729/IGU_Logo.jpg SOURCE International Gas Union (IGU) LONDON and CAIRO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Globeleq, the leading independent power and energy transition company in Africa, announces it has completed the acquisition of a 48.3% equity stake in the 25 MWp Winnergy solar PV plant (Winnergy) in Egypt from Enerray, Enerray Global Solar Opportunities and Desert Technologies. The plant, which is in operation, is located within Egypt's flagship Benban Solar complex, near Aswan, and is adjacent to Globeleq's 66 MWp ARC solar plant. GILA Altawakol Electric (Altawakol), a leading Egyptian group in electrical engineering, equipment manufacturing and services, remains the co-shareholder and operations and maintenance contractor. Globeleq and Altawakol have worked together since 2019 and will continue to cooperate on the asset management and operation of the plant. The Winnergy plant was originally developed as part of the second round of the Egyptian government's Feed-in-Tariff program. Commencing operations in 2019, it provides approximately 58 GWh per year of clean electricity to the Egyptian Electricity and Transmission Company (EETC), under a 25-year power purchase agreement. This is sufficient to power around 13,600 residential consumers annually, thereby avoiding 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Winnergy was financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), British International Investment (BII), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Europe Arab Bank. Mike Scholey, Chief Executive Officer of Globeleq, commented: "This transaction confirms Globeleq's long-term commitment to Egypt where the company has been investing for 20 years. The addition of Winnergy is a good fit with our existing portfolio as we pursue additional opportunities in Egypt across green hydrogen and ammonia, solar, wind and desalination. Egypt is committed to an ambitious energy transition programme and we look forward to playing our part." Gareth Bayley OBE, British Ambassador to Egypt, added: "Globeleq's ongoing commitment to the Egyptian renewable energy market demonstrates how British companies continue to support Egypt's ambitious energy strategy through investment in the renewable energy sector and the energy transition." Amr Tawakol, Chairman of GILA Altawakol Electric, said: "It gives us great pleasure to partner with a highly regarded company such as Globeleq. We look forward to leveraging their extensive experience to optimize the performance of the Winnergy asset. Gila continues to be committed to Egypt's, and the global mission, of decarbonization." About Globeleq Globeleq, which is owned 70% by British International Investment and 30% by Norfund, is the leading developer, owner and operator of electricity generation in Africa. Since 2002, its experienced team of professionals have built a diverse portfolio of independent power plants, generating 1,794 MW in 17 locations across seven countries, with a further 485 MW in construction and more than 2,000 MW of power projects in development. More details at www.globeleq.com. In Egypt, Globeleq is leading the development of a large-scale green hydrogen and green ammonia project, following the signing of a binding Framework Agreement at COP27 with the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, EETC, NREA and the Suez Canal Economic Zone. About Gila Altawakol Electric S.A.E: For nearly a decade, Gila Altawakol Electric has been one of the leading companies in the Egyptian solar energy sector, developing, constructing and operating utility scale projects. The company currently operates 200 MW of solar PV plants and maintains 133 MW capacity of projects using the highest industry standards. Since 2019 it has successfully engaged in 146 MW of solar PV EPC contracts. Gila Altawakol Electric is an Egyptian local family business and a leader across the electrical products' manufacturing and trading sectors and has Schneider Egypt as a key partner. The company is actively contributing to the Egyptian government's Go Green initiative which aims to reach 42% of clean energy by 2035. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/612609/GLobeleq_Logo.jpg Alexis Bonnell, Karen Evans, and Jacqueline Tame Will Speak About Embracing AI Technology for Mission Efficiency and Will Explore Government Use Cases MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Groq, a real-time AI inference company, and Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, are co-hosting the first Public Sector focused GroqDay at the Carahsoft Conference Center in Reston, VA, on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Register for the first Public Sector-focused GroqDay at groq.link/regfedgroqday. The in-person event will also be live-streamed and feature discussions on accelerated AI adoption by the US government, the changing landscape of information availability and decision-making in the face of AI, live demos of government use cases, and much more. Attendees are eligible to receive 1 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit. Government decision makers, including agency leaders, policy influencers, and federal systems integrators, are encouraged to register and attend. Aileen Black, Public Sector President at Groq, shared, "At GroqDay, industry experts and government leaders will discuss the AI economy powered by human agency. Key missions cannot succeed using traditional solutions; the complex and vast amount of data at the government's fingertips requires a world-class AI inference solution to produce real-time responses. The Groq LPU Inference Engine will demonstrate how the power of real-time AI can transform and solve mission objectives." Jonathan Ross , Founder and CEO, Groq , Founder and CEO, Groq Alexis Bonnell, CIO and Director of Digital Capabilities Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory Karen Evans , Managing Director, Cyber Readiness Institute , Managing Director, Cyber Readiness Institute Jacqueline Tame , Operating Partner, Playground Global & Executive Director, Silicon Valley Defense Group , Operating Partner, Playground Global & Executive Director, Silicon Valley Defense Group Aileen Black , Public Sector President, Groq Attendees will learn how the Groq LPU Inference Engine, the fastest, most energy-efficient inference solution, can answer our nation's urgent call for AI implementation. The LPU Inference Engine is available through GroqCloud via an API, with private cloud options available to the US government and its allies. Groq hardware is designed, engineered, and manufactured entirely in North America. Groq recently entered agreements with Aramco Digital and Earth Wind & Power to collaborate on creating AI compute centers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Norway, respectively, to make AI accessible to as many developers, companies, and government entities as possible so that progress may continue. Groq is proud to partner with Carahsoft for the first Public Sector focused GroqDay given Carahsoft's prominence in the government IT ecosystem. The event, which runs from 9:00am to 1:00pm EDT, is free to attend. GroqDay attendees can join Groq and Carahsoft at 11493 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 100, Reston, VA 20190. Register here. About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Open Source, Customer Experience and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com. Media Contact for Groq Allyson Scott [email protected] Media Contact for Carahsoft Mary Lange (703) 230-7434 [email protected] SOURCE Groq Frozen food is winning big! Busy families and health-conscious eaters are driving the market thanks to convenient, healthy options. Supermarkets are stocking more variety than ever, with new and exciting flavors keeping things interesting. Curious to explore this booming market? Future Market Insights has a report with all the details, including marketing strategies, key drivers, and top companies in the frozen food industry. NEWARK, Del., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Future Market Insights (FMI), the global frozen food market is projected to increase from US$ 365.2 billion in 2024 to US$ 638.6 billion by 2034. The market is projected to surge at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2024 to 2034. Download the Sample PDF report to explore key market insights and trends: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-17944 Due to their convenience of preparation and single-serving alternatives, frozen foods are becoming increasingly popular among consumers, particularly among millennials. The growing emphasis among consumers on adopting healthy eating habits is driving the demand for frozen foods. The market for frozen meals is driven by the increasing number of dual-income homes and rising urbanization. These factors are resulting in busier lives and a need for quick & easy meal alternatives, which frozen foods provide. Supermarkets and hypermarkets, two contemporary retail formats that have increased accessibility to a greater range of frozen food goods, are the primary drivers of the frozen food sector. As customer tastes change, producers respond by consistently releasing new and inventive frozen food items, such as gourmet selections and exotic cuisines, leading to the rise of the frozen food business. Key Takeaways from the Report: The global frozen food market is projected to reach US$ 638.6 billion in 2034. in 2034. The market is anticipated to surge at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2024 to 2034. from 2024 to 2034. The United States is projected to expand at a CAGR of around 4.9% by 2034. is projected to expand at a CAGR of around by 2034. Frozen food demand in China is anticipated to rise at a steady CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period. is anticipated to rise at a steady CAGR of during the forecast period. Based on product type, the frozen fish and seafood segment is predicted to surge at 4.0% CAGR by 2034. "Consumer demand for nutritious, organic, and clean-ready meals is rising as a result of their growing appreciation for food that serves a practical purpose in addition to pleasure. Customers are carefully picking their frozen foods to prevent negative health effects due to increased health knowledge and worries about food safety," says Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.). Competitive Landscape Leading companies are seeking strategic collaborations & alliances with other producers to increase efficiency and satisfy the surging number of consumers. Key manufacturers in this industry, with their sizable customer bases, well-known brands, and extensive distribution networks, present fierce competition for the market's participants. To remain competitive, companies are adapting serval growth tactics into practice, including alliances and introducing new products. Recent Development In March 2021 , Nomad Foods acquired Fortenova's frozen food business. Nomad Foods acquired Fortenova's frozen food business. In January 2021 , Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited (ITC) added ten new items and tripled the size of its frozen snack business. Purchase now and gain full access to the Frozen Food Industry report, featuring comprehensive Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, DROT Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives. Get More Valuable Insights Future Market Insights (FMI), in its new offering, provides an unbiased analysis of the global frozen food market, presenting historical demand data (2019 to 2023) and forecast statistics for the period from 2024 to 2034. The study incorporates compelling insights on the frozen food market based on freezing technique (blast freezing, belt freezing, individual quick freezing), product type (frozen ready meals, frozen fish & seafood, frozen meat products, frozen dairy products, frozen fruits & vegetables, frozen bakery products, frozen soups & sauces), distribution channel (food service industry, retail/household), and region. About the Food & Beverage Division at Future Market Insights (FMI) Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations the food & beverage team at Future Market Insights (FMI) helps clients from all over the globe with their unique business intelligence needs. With a repertoire of over 1,000 reports and 1 million+ data points, the team has analyzed the food & beverage industry lucidly in 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides end-to-end research and consulting services; reach out to explore how we can help. About the Author: Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives. She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table. Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results. Another feather to her cap manifests in the form of process automation. She is vocal about bringing automation to the fore to bring a 360-degrees-round revolution in manufacturing sector Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India. Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor. Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Food and Beverages Domain: About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting service provider, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the UK, the U.S., and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact Us Nandini Singh Sawlani Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: [email protected] Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg SOURCE Future Market Insights DALLAS, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The publishers of D Magazine are once again recognizing accomplished attorneys Chris Hamilton, Paul Wingo, and Brad Jackson from the Dallas plaintiffs' law firm Hamilton Wingo among the Best Lawyers in Dallas for their work in high-stakes civil lawsuits across North Texas. All three Hamilton Wingo attorneys have earned multiple selections in D Magazine's annual guide to the city's best. The list is assembled through a comprehensive process that includes surveying thousands of attorneys from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, independent research, and final vetting by an anonymous panel of top local lawyers. "Paul, Brad, and I are proud to be selected among the city's top lawyers," says Mr. Hamilton. "We focus on helping people in Dallas and North Texas, so being recognized by lawyers in our backyard is important and shows our commitment to clients." Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Wingo, and Mr. Jackson are included in this year's roster of the Best Lawyers in Dallas for their work in plaintiffs' personal injury, product liability, medical liability, and business/commercial cases. The three experienced lawyers helped Hamilton Wingo win the Top U.S. Verdict in 2022 in a wrongful death lawsuit against a Fortune 100 company. The $7.37 billion award handed down by a Dallas jury was named the year's Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdict by the Courtroom View Network. In addition to the Best Lawyers in Dallas honors, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Wingo, and Mr. Jackson are regularly recognized for their legal expertise in The Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, and other respected guides to the legal profession. Dallas-based Hamilton Wingo is one of the country's premier trial law firms, having won billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. The firm's versatile and dedicated attorneys represent people from all walks of life in a wide range of serious cases, including personal injury and wrongful death cases involving automobile, airline, and other transportation incidents, workplace safety issues, dram shop liability, dangerous products, industrial catastrophes, medical malpractice, premises liability, utility accidents, water contamination, and environmental litigation. To learn more, visit www.hamiltonwingo.com. For more information, please contact Bruce Vincent at 214-763-6226 or [email protected]. SOURCE Hamilton Wingo LLP Leading provider of Denver home services continues massive growth with expansion of services DENVER, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling , a family-owned and operated home service company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area, announced today the expansion of services as the leading plumbing company in the area will begin offering HVAC services on April 29. High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling has expanded its services and will begin offering HVAC on April 29. "High 5 has been offering quality plumbing and drain services for more than a decade, and we're always looking for ways to add value for our customers and our community," said Levi Torres, co-owner of High 5. "We brought in experienced HVAC technicians to help lead this division, and we're excited to roll it out. Our new service manager, Isaac Jonsgaard, has been offering expert HVAC services to the area for several years now, and he's the perfect person to lead this new endeavor." The new service offerings come after a year of explosive growth for the home service provider. In September 2023, High 5 moved into a new facility in Golden, Colorado, which will feature a 1,500-square-foot training room. Earlier in the year, High 5 landed on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing businesses in America for the second year in a row. The company was also ranked as one of the fastest growing businesses in Denver by the Denver Business Journal and a top family-owned business by ColoradoBiz Magazine. "Since opening High 5, we've had lofty goals and even bigger dreams," said co-owner Cassi Torres. "And we keep achieving them. We've seen amazing growth since opening our doors in 2012, and we know there are even greater things ahead. The sky's the limit." To learn more about High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, visit https://high5plumbing.com/ . About High 5 Founded in 2012, High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is a local, family-owned company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area. With a professional team that has extensive experience and a commitment to service, High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling offers comprehensive plumbing, sewer, drain and HVAC services. The company was built on the values of solving plumbing problems and serving every customer with professionalism and respect. For more information about High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, visit https://www.high5plumbing.com/ . MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE High 5 Plumbing NEW YORK, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global HIV drugs market size is estimated to grow by USD 10477.51 mn from 2023 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.46% during the forecast period. North America held the largest share of the global market in 2022, and the market in the region is estimated to witness an incremental growth of 49%. For more insights on the forecast market size and historic data (2017 - 2021) - Buy Now Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global HIV Drugs Market 2023-2027 Major Players in the Market Numerous companies are capitalizing on this growing trend by implementing strategic measures such as alliances, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. Among the notable players in the cheese based snacks market are: AbbVie Inc., Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd, Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Cipla Ltd., Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Hetero Labs Ltd., Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., Lupin Ltd., Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Merck and Co. Inc., Strides Pharma Science Ltd., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Viatris Inc., Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Analyst Review The HIV Drugs Market encompasses a range of pharmaceutical products designed to manage and treat HIV infections. Key HIV drugs include Atripla, Complera, Prezcobix, Stribild, Genvoya, Odefsey, Symtuza, Triumeq, Descovy, Dovato, Emtriva, Epivir, Epzicom, and Efavirenz tablets. These medications are essential for managing the prevalence of HIV in the patient population, particularly in regions with high infection rates. New product launches in the HIV drugs market continue to drive innovation, with imports and exports playing a significant role in the healthcare products industry. The HIV infection, a viral infection, can be diagnosed through various testing procedures, and early detection is crucial for effective treatment with HIV medications. Key Market Drivers The HIV drugs market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing prevalence of HIV, a viral infection that weakens the immune system, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The demand for HIV drugs is driven by the rising number of new HIV infections and expanding high-risk populations, such as men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users, and sex workers. HIV medications are available at various outlets, including hospital pharmacies, drug stores, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies. New product launches, such as Juluca, a fixed-dose combination of dolutegravir and rilpivirine, continue to enter the market, offering innovative treatment options. Import and export of HIV drugs is a crucial aspect of the healthcare products industry. Various classes of HIV drugs, including integrase inhibitors, protease inhibitors (PIs), fusion inhibitors, CCR5 antagonists, post-attachment inhibitors, and pharmacokinetic enhancers, are used to target different stages of the HIV infection. Patients require regular access to HIV medications to maintain CD4 cell counts and prevent the progression of HIV to AIDS. Some commonly used HIV drugs include Efavirenz tablets, Atripla, Complera, Prezcobix, Stribild, Genvoya, Odefsey, Symtuza, Triumeq, Descovy, Dovato, Emtriva, and Epivir. These medications play a vital role in managing the HIV infection and improving patient outcomes. Challenges and Opportunities The global HIV drugs market faces a formidable challenge with the emergence of drug resistance. The high mutation rate of HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, allows it to develop resistance to antiretroviral drugs, such as Epzicom, Truvada, Biktavir, Edurant, Aptivus, Kaletra, Lexiva, Norvir, Viracept, Selzentry, Fuzeon, Rukobia, Isentress, Tivicay, and Apretude. Treatment failure can result, compromising the effectiveness of these HIV medications in suppressing viral replication. HIV medications are available at various outlets, including hospital pharmacies, drug stores, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies. The prevalence of HIV infection necessitates continuous new product launches, import, and export of healthcare products. Efavirenz tablets, a common antiretroviral drug, belong to various drug classes, including combination HIV medicines, integrase inhibitors, protease inhibitors (PIs), fusion inhibitors, CCR5 antagonists, post-attachment inhibitors, and pharmacokinetic enhancers. Adherence to prescribed treatment regimens and adequate drug potency are crucial to prevent drug resistance. Regular HIV testing procedures are essential to identify and manage HIV infection effectively. The HIV drugs market has witnessed significant growth due to the expanding access to life-saving ART for people living with HIV. CD 4 cells play a crucial role in identifying HIV infection. Key HIV medications like Atripla, Complera, Prezcobix, Stribild, Genvoya, Odefsey, Symtuza, Triumeq, Descovy, Dovato, Emtriva, Epivir, Epzicom, Truvada, Biktavir, Edurant, Aptivus, Kaletra, Lexiva, Norvir, Viracept, Selzentry, Fuzeon, Rukobia, Isentress, Tivicay, Apretude, and Juluca are essential HIV treatments. Increased funding and resources from governments, international organizations, and NGOs have improved healthcare systems and infrastructure, enabling the production and distribution of generic versions of these HIV drugs. Hospital pharmacies, drug stores, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies facilitate the import and export of HIV medications, ensuring their availability to the patient population. New product launches continue to address the viral infection's prevalence and the need for effective HIV treatments. To understand more about this market- Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Market Overview The HIV Drugs Market encompasses a range of products designed to manage and treat HIV infection. These drugs include antiretrovirals, such as those produced by HIV, HIV, and Atriva. They are used to inhibit the replication of the HIV virus, preventing its spread in the body. Drugs like Truvada and Prezcobix are used for pre-exposure prophylaxis, while others like Efavirenz, Nevirapine, and Epivir are used for post-exposure prophylaxis and treatment. The market also includes drugs for managing HIV-related complications, such as Kaletra and Norvir. The use of these drugs is essential for managing HIV infection and preventing its progression to AIDS. The market is driven by the increasing prevalence of HIV infection worldwide and the need for effective treatment options. The market is also influenced by factors such as drug pricing, regulatory approvals, and research and development activities. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio "Our patients have tried everything they can to have a baby before they even step foot inside one of our 90+ Prelude Network clinics across North America," says TJ Farnsworth, Founder and CEO of Inception Fertility. "They are emotionally, mentally, and physically burnt out, and frankly we know that they'd rather not be here, because if they could have a baby any other way, they would! We understand because we have been there, and it's from our own experiences that we have committed to improving the entire process from improving care to expanding financial options that will help patients access that care." Understanding firsthand that isolation and the need to improve the patient experience Farnsworth and his wife, Margaret, built Inception after the birth of their son, Wyatt, who was conceived with the help of in vitro fertilization (IVF) after a long, tenuous battle with infertility. "Infertility is hard, and while one in six couples globally is affected by it, the pain and sadness can leave someone feeling like they are completely isolated," says Margaret Farnsworth, who is also the Executive Director of The Wyatt Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and couples achieve their dream of building a family through assisted reproductive technology (ART). "We hope that through our messaging, we can help people feel less alone, and encourage them to take the next step, because there is always hope." Many staff and physicians within Inception and Prelude have also experienced infertility, including Lindsey Rabaut, Chief Marketing Officer at Inception. "When my husband and I were trying for our first son, it took two years, and I remember that feeling in my gut every time a friend announced their pregnancy. It was a combination of being happy for them and, at the same time, being so mad at my own body," shares Rabaut, who created this campaign with the help of creative agencies West Global and Fact & Fiction. She also shares the relatable feeling of defeat. "I had to admit defeat before I could even schedule my first appointment with a fertility specialist, and this campaign is a way to tell the more than 7 million people struggling with infertility that they aren't alone." "We Get You, So We Got You" also aims to change the way infertility is shown in advertising. "The use of aspirational images focused on the end result, a baby, isn't always motivating to those struggling with infertility, because it denies reality," says Rabaut. "We can't promise outcomes, but what we can promise is to treat you like our family, while helping you stack all the odds in your favor so you can build your family." To help those navigating infertility access quality reproductive services, The Prelude Network offers more than 90 clinics across the US and Canada, with 135+ physicians throughout those practices who are recognized for their achievements in advancing the field of reproductive medicine and for delivering compassionate care. This includes recognitions by Newsweek's Best Fertility Clinics in America, Castle Connolly's Top Doctors, and many others. To learn more about the Resolve's National Infertility Awareness Week efforts and how you can participate to help reduce the isolation within the fertility community, please visit: https://www.infertilityawareness.org/. Learn more about The Prelude Network and 3 free educational webinars, please visit: https://www.preludefertility.com/events. About Inception Fertility Inception Fertility (Inception) is a family of fertility brands committed to helping patients build their own families. Built by patients for patients, Inception's purpose is to achieve the highest bar in experience, science and medicine in an effort to enhance each patient's experience and achieve better outcomes. Inception's medical experts are leading pioneers in fertility care. Our doctors are some of the first to use breakthrough assisted reproductive technologies (ART) including in vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and fertility preservation services and they continue to lead the industry by building on these technologies by through development, research and thought leadership. Through its growing family of national organizations which includes The Prelude Network, the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics and largest provider of comprehensive fertility services in North America; Pathways Fertility, clinics that provide affordable, individualized and high quality care; MyEggBank, one of the largest frozen donor egg banks in North America; BUNDL Fertility, a multi-cycle fertility service bundling program; HavenCryo, a long-term reproductive preservation and storage solution provider and NutraBloom, a premium lifestyle brand with expertly formulated supplements to support individuals' health and wellness goals for preconception Inception is working to deliver on its promise to push the envelope of what is possible for exceeding patient expectations. About The Prelude Network The Prelude Network (Prelude), the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics and largest provider of comprehensive fertility services in North America, is the clinic network of Inception Fertility a family of fertility brands that touches every part of the fertility journey, including diagnostics and treatment to financial accessibility. Each clinic, as part of Prelude, is committed to delivering the highest level of personalized fertility care by the nation's leading reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists and practitioners by focusing on an excellence in science, medicine and the patient experience. The growing Prelude Network has more than 90 total locations nationwide, offering a wide range of fertility services including egg freezing, IVF, genetic testing, LGBTQ+ fertility options, and egg/embryo storage, among others. Those clinics within Prelude include Aspire Fertility Austin (Texas); Aspire Fertility Dallas (Texas); Aspire Fertility McAllen (Texas); Aspire Fertility San Antonio (Texas); Aspire Houston Fertility Institute (Texas); Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago (Illinois); Center for Reproductive Medicine (Florida); Indiana Fertility Institute (Indiana); IVFMD (Florida); Main Line Fertility (Pennsylvania); NYU Langone Fertility Center (New York); NYU Langone RSNY (New York); Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (Canada); Pacific Fertility Center (California); Regional Fertility Program (Canada); Reproductive Biology Associates (Georgia); Tennessee Fertility Institute (Tennessee), and The Reproductive Medicine Group (Florida). MEDIA CONTACT: Mia Humphreys 239-297-6592 [email protected] SOURCE Inception Fertility PORTLAND, Ore., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Inhaled Nitric Oxide Market by Application (Neonatal Respiratory Treatment, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the inhaled nitric oxide market was valued at $0.8 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $1.6 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% from 2023 to 2032. Request Sample of the Report on Inhaled Nitric Oxide Market Forecast https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/3020 Prime Determinants of Growth The inhaled nitric oxide market has experienced significant growth owing to high adoption of Inhaled nitric oxide for the treatment of pulmonary disorders in newborns. In addition, rise in the prevalence of respiratory diseases is also expected to actively contribute to the growth of the market. Furthermore, high research and development activities to explore the therapeutic effects of inhaled nitric oxide are expected to present significant opportunities for growth in the market. Report coverage & details Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $0.8 billion Market Size in 2032 $1.6 billion CAGR 7.7 % No. of Pages in Report 179 Segments covered Application and Region Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA Country scope U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, UK, rest of Europe, Japan, Australia, rest of Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa Drivers High adoption of the inhaled nitric oxide for management of pulmonary disorders in the infants and newborns. Rise in prevalence of the respiratory disorders. Advancements in healthcare infrastructure. Opportunities High research and development activities for inhaled nitric oxide. Restraints High cost of inhaled nitric oxide. 2023 Recession Impact Analysis The global recession had a significant impact on the inhaled nitric oxide market. The economic uncertainty has negatively impacted the new investments and funding for research and development activities in the market. Furthermore, the financial distress has resulted in lower healthcare spendings, which highly impact the high-cost treatment such as inhaled nitric oxide. However, the inhaled nitric oxide market is expected to recover owing to high adoption of inhaled nitric oxide for the treatment of respiratory functioning complications in newborns. Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/3020 The neonatal respiratory treatment segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period By application, the neonatal respiratory treatment segment held the highest market share in 2023, accounting for more than nine-tenths of the inhaled nitric oxide market revenue, owing to rise in the prevalence of respiratory complications in newborns and surge in the incidence of preterm births. Furthermore, majority of the inhaled nitric oxide products are approved for the treatment of pulmonary complications in newborns. North America to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period By region, North America held the highest market share in 2023, accounting for more than nine-tenths of inhaled nitric oxide market revenue. This is attributed to the surge in research and development activities, well-developed healthcare infrastructure, and rise in the number of preterm births. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to register a noteworthy CAGR during the forecast period, owing to surge in the prevalence of respiratory diseases, rise in the geriatric population, and increase in disposable income. For Purchase Inquiry- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/3020 Leading Market Players: - Air Liquide S.A. Linde PLC Mallinckrodt Plc Vero Biotech LLC Sol Group Air Water Inc. Chemix Specialty Gases and Equipment Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation Chengdu Taiyu Industrial Gases Co. Ltd. Sichuan Salman Chemical Products Co. Ltd. The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the inhaled nitric oxide market. These players have adopted different strategies such as joint venture and patent to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) Offered by Allied Market Research: AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Allied Market Research: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on: LinkedIn Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of JBS S.A. (OTC: JBSAY) resulting from allegations that JBS may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased JBS securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=22976 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On February 28, 2024, Reuters published an article entitled "New York sues meatpacking giant JBS over climate claims." The article stated, in pertinent part, that "JBS, the world's largest beef producer, was sued on Wednesday by New York state's attorney general, which accused it of misleading the public about its impact on the environment in order to boost sales. Attorney General Letitia James said JBS USA Food Co, the Brazilian company's American-based unit, has "no viable plan" to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, making its stated commitment to achieving that goal false and misleading." On this news, JBS' American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") fell $0.22 per ADR, or 2.4%, to close at $9.02 per ADR on February 28, 2024. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. Co-Founder & Former Chairman and CEO Returns to Lead Software Company Into the Future BOSTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenzabar, Inc., a leading technology innovator in higher education, today announced that company co-founder Robert A. Maginn has been reappointed as its Chief Executive Officer. The company, which has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Harrisonburg, Virginia, delivers industry-leading expertise and software solutions to colleges and universities around the world. Jenzabar employs over 500 employees. "I am very excited about this opportunity," said Maginn. "I founded Jenzabar in the basement of my Harvard Square home 26 years ago and have served continuously as a Director on the Board, as Chairman, then CEO, developing the strategy and execution that has brought Jenzabar to the top position in our higher education technology marketplace. As an investor and operator, I have been involved in the success of numerous companies, but the continued growth and success of Jenzabar has always been of the highest importance to me. I look forward to working with our dedicated and talented team members as we continue to focus on customer and employee success through 2024 and beyond." Maginn served as CEO for nearly 20 years from 2001 to 2019, and has been a leader on the Board since Jenzabar's inception. "I am thrilled with this important milestone as Mr. Maginn returns as CEO. It marks a great day in the history of Jenzabar, a great company. I have seen the enormous talent of Mr. Maginn throughout my over 15-year tenure as a Director of the Company, and I know he is the right person at this time to lead Jenzabar," said D. Quinn Mills, the company's interim CEO and President. "Robert Maginn has a proven track record of elevating every company that he has been involved with, including, most importantly, Jenzabar," said Sam Burgio, Chief Operating Officer at Jenzabar. "He'll bring his unbounded creativity and innovation to his new role as well as an unwavering commitment to client service." Under Maginn's leadership, Jenzabar is positioned to continue setting new standards of excellence and value in the higher education technology market. "Robert Maginn has a deep understanding of the software needs of colleges and universities as technology continues to advance," said Torrence Harder, Jenzabar Board Member. "Our valued team members and our clients could not be in better hands." Maginn serves as CEO of MindEdge Learning and as a Senior Advisor for Energy Impact Partners. Maginn is an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University, where he received both an MBA and Master of Divinity degree. Maginn also worked as a senior partner for Bain & Company. About Jenzabar Created out of a passion for education and a vision for technology, Jenzabar offers disruptive, innovative software solutions and services that empower student success and help higher education institutions meet the demands of the modern student. Over 1,350 higher educational campuses harness Jenzabar solutions for improved performance across campus and a more personalized and connected experience for the student. For further information, please visit www.jenzabar.com or on X @Jenzabar or on LinkedIn . Media Contact Carina Ganias Vice President of Marketing, Jenzabar [email protected] SOURCE Jenzabar, Inc. JERICHO, N.Y., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, recognizes scientific and technical experts on World Laboratory Day. J.S. Held scientists, researchers, investigators, engineers, technicians, and librarians leverage ten specialized laboratories spanning various disciplines. Teams of experts inside the labs and in the field drive discovery, innovation, and solutions across industries by providing cutting-edge testing, analysis, and research to support the firm's consulting services. J.S. Held, a global consulting firm, showcases its industry-leading laboratory capabilities and experts. Post this "Our state-of-the-art laboratories and expert teams allow us to deliver unparalleled insights and solutions for our clients," said Jonathon Held, President & Chief Executive Officer of J.S. Held. "On World Laboratory Day, we are proud to showcase these incredible experts and the laboratory support structure that plays a critical role in our mission to transform our clients' challenges into opportunities." J.S. Held's laboratories span a wide range of disciplines, including: Human Factors & User Research Labs The J.S. Held User Research Labs in Phoenix, Arizona, and New York, New York, utilize advanced technology to collect scientific measures and evaluate a wide range of topics. Through this scientifically rigorous, client-centric approach, we help develop an in-depth understanding of our clients' target audiences. Our collective expertise helps clients build products and services that are effective, safer, and user-friendly. The state-of-the-art research labs include specialized capabilities, such as optometry, motion capture, eye tracking, physiological data recording, and balance measurement. Dr. Robert Rauschenberger oversees a team of predominantly Ph.D.-level researchers with academic backgrounds in cognition, perception, developmental psychology, human factors, biomechanics, and kinesiology, with degrees from notable institutions such as Harvard, Notre Dame, and Johns Hopkins. Roofing Lab Directed by Marcos Flores Jr., a seasoned research and development scientist with over 25 years of experience, our IAS-ILAC accredited roofing lab combines science with state-of-the-art technology to enhance the research, testing, and investigation of roofing samples. Through lab testing, we are able to determine if a sample's observed characteristics are consistent with hail or some other anomaly. The J.S. Held team of engineers, consultants, and lab technicians also conduct third-party testing for roofing manufacturers to assist in product development and performance testing. Fire Labs Using a scientific approach, our fire investigators utilize state-of-the-art techniques and industry experience to determine the origin and causation of fires and explosions, ensuring we deliver our clients a reliable and defensible report. Senior Vice President Chad Forshee, CFI-IFSAC, CFEI highlights the J.S. Held Fire Investigation team's lab locations in Redmond, Washington; Dallas, Texas; and Albany, New York, to conduct in-depth examinations of post-fire artifacts. These forensic laboratories provide an environment for tabletop examinations and digital microscopy, along with in-house assistance from metallurgists, materials engineers, and chemists. Together, these resources allow the team to conduct thorough root-cause failure analyses and address complex questions arising from fire incidents. Materials Science Labs Executive Vice President and Failure Analysis & Prevision expert Michael Casey joins fellow metallurgists, materials engineers, and chemists to provide root-cause failure analysis and materials evaluations in matters involving incident investigations, insurance claims and dispute resolution. Analysis of metals, plastics, electronic materials, composites, and ceramics through our in-house materials science laboratories enhance our engineering and failure analysis capabilities to solve complex real-world problems. Accident Reconstruction Labs J.S. Held's accident reconstruction experts deliver specialized expertise in forensic investigations, evidence collection and preservation, and scientific diagrams and animations. Our team of consultants, engineers, and Ph.D. scientists leverage diverse backgrounds in mechanical, civil, and biomechanical engineering, along with human factors analysis and event data retrieval, to address accidents involving vehicles, bridge/building collapses, excessive force, law enforcement, medical procedures, planes, pedestrians, shooting incidents and trains. Senior Accident Reconstructionist William Bortles shares that J.S. Held is one of only three authorized service providers in the United States to access and preserve data from Volvo and Mack trucks. ASE-certified mechanics in our automotive lab perform complex evaluations of vehicular and mechanical systems, and we have strategic partnerships with closed courses to perform vehicle dynamics testing and nighttime visibility studies. Our in-house visualization experts also use cutting-edge technologies related to motion capture and virtual reality to create world-class animations and demonstratives. Product/Technology Reverse Engineering & Testing Lab In the Product/Technology Reverse Engineering and Testing Laboratory, Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held engineers and technicians focus on creating solutions to investigate ideas for our clients. Led by Dave Jack, Intellectual Property Specialty Services Manager our testing and laboratory support capabilities are broad and mirror our technological expertise in Wireless, Semiconductors, Systems & Software, and Telecommunications. We maintain a laboratory in our Ottawa location as well as field-testing equipment. World Laboratory Day celebrates the importance of laboratories and the professionals who work in them. J.S. Held's industry-leading labs and experts exemplify the vital role combined in-house resources play in driving knowledge, innovation, and solutions across industries. Learn more about the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts who help transform J.S. Held, explore our story, and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com. About J.S. Held J.S. Held is a global consulting firm providing technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise across all assets and value at risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high-stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations. More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC Top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved. Media Contact Kristi L. Stathis, J.S. Held, +1 786 833 4864, [email protected], JSHeld.com SOURCE J.S. Held LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Justin Di Palo, PE, LEED AP, WELL AP, has rejoined the international engineering firm Syska Hennessy Group to serve as co-lead of its national sustainability practice and as an associate partner. He is based in the Los Angeles office. Justin Di Palo Di Palo, an accredited professional for LEED, WELL, and EcoDistricts, has extensive experience in energy modeling, decarbonization, and high-performance design. In his new role, he will work closely with sustainability expert and technical manager Kris Baker, the other co-lead of the sustainability practice, to oversee Syska's team of technical sustainability experts across the the firm and educate colleagues and peers in the A/E/C industry on the latest techniques in high-performance design. Di Palo first joined Syska's Los Angeles office in 2017 as a mechanical engineer and energy analyst, working on projects in the healthcare, commercial, aviation, civic, and higher education sectors. Examples include the net-zero energy and LEED Platinum County of San Diego Live Well Health Center, a Santa Monica City Services office, the LEED Gold police facility at LAX Airport, the ConRac addition at LAX Airport (also LEED Gold), and a net-zero energy academic building at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California. "There are few engineers who are as knowledgeable about and as committed to sustainability as Justin," says John Passanante, executive principal and head of Syska's western region. "His return adds momentum to our ongoing efforts to incorporate sustainability into each and every one of our projects." "Justin is also rejoining us just as our Expert Teams program is expanding," adds Robert Ioanna, executive principal and chief technical officer. "The purpose of Expert Teams is to support knowledge-sharing both internally and externally, and Justin will help to guide these initiatives." A resident of Ventura, California, Di Palo earned a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland. Syska Hennessy Group is a leading global, full-service MEP, information and communication technology (ICT), vertical transportation, and commissioning engineering firm. With more than 500 professionals across 20 offices, the company provides a full range of engineering services for projects of every size and budget. Since 1928, Syska has been designing smarter, safer, more sustainable, and more efficient buildings by integrating essential systems that respond and adapt to a changing world. Media Contact: Michelle Galindez [email protected] 212.556.3390 SOURCE Syska Hennessy Group Kinettix Introduces Groundbreaking Staff Augmentation Service to Empower Businesses with Flexible IT Talent Solutions CINCINNATI, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinettix, a trusted name in the IT solutions industry, is proud to announce the launch of its latest offering Staff Augmentation. This cutting-edge service is poised to revolutionize how businesses access and leverage IT talent, addressing the growing need for flexible staffing solutions in today's dynamic market. In response to the evolving needs of businesses, Kinettix Staff Augmentation provides a flexible approach to IT staffing. With this new offering, Kinettix can provide resources for a wide variety of positions, but their primary focus is on field service talent, such IT field service technicians, cabling technicians, and project managers or coordinators. This service allows companies to augment their teams with skilled professionals for specific projects or periods, offering the flexibility to scale resources up or down as needed. Kinettix Staff Augmentation Offers these key benefits. Flexible Contracts: Tailoring engagements to match the unique timelines and requirements of each project. From a day to a year. Seamless Integration: Ensuring smooth collaboration between Kinettix professionals and client teams, resulting in enhanced efficiency and productivity. Sourcing Transparency: Giving clients ease-of-use in requesting resources and the ability to track candidates' progress through the sourcing, vetting, and interview process. With the IT industry facing challenges such as talent shortages and budget constraints, Kinettix Staff Augmentation emerges as a strategic solution. By providing access to a curated pool of skilled professionals and offering flexible engagement models, Kinettix empowers businesses to overcome these obstacles and drive success. Kinettix Staff Augmentation has already proven its value through successful implementations for various clients. From startups to enterprise-level organizations, businesses have experienced the benefits of Kinettix's tailored staffing solutions, achieving their project goals efficiently and effectively. "We are thrilled to introduce Kinettix Staff Augmentation, a service designed to address the evolving needs of our clients," said Chad Mattix, CEO at Kinettix. "With our flexible approach to IT staffing, we aim to empower businesses to thrive in today's competitive landscape." As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of the digital age, Kinettix remains committed to providing innovative solutions that drive success. With the launch of Staff Augmentation, Kinettix reaffirms its dedication to helping businesses unlock their full potential and achieve their goals with ease. Visit https://www.kinettix.com to learn more. Media Contact: Ran Mullins 9177406648 [email protected] SOURCE Kinettix CIEC Group, in tandem with the New Zealand Chinese Business Club and key New Zealand businesses, has finalized letters of intent and MoC for the upcoming 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo. WELLINGTON, New Zealand, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 19, Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), concluded a delegation's visit to New Zealand. The visit, highlighted by a session of the New Zealand - China Business Assembly Forum and a roadshow for the 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), witnessed the signing of several key agreements, including a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) and letters of intent for participation in the upcoming expo this November. Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the China Chamber of International Commerce, concluded the delegation's visit of 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo to New Zealand. The China International Exhibition Center Group Corporation (CIEC Group) and several New Zealand business organizations, including New Zealand Chinese Commerce Club, committed to the initiative, marking another step forward in the robust trade partnership between the two nations. The recent delegation to New Zealand, the largest of its kind from China in years, included more than 80 delegates from the CCPIT, regional and industry-specific promotion bodies, and corporate representatives. Throughout the visit, the delegates conducted extensive discussions with their New Zealand counterparts, participating in a comprehensive agenda of nearly 150 business discussions and promotional events. The CCPIT, which hosts CISCE, and its associated entities, secured multiple new cooperation agreements with New Zealand organizations, underscoring the growing business ties between the two countries. Mr. Ren shared updates on China's economic landscape and insights into China's efforts to advance Chinese modernization through quality-driven development and maintain a high level of openness and international engagement. His conversations were directed towards enhancing partnerships in cutting-edge and eco-friendly sectors, including renewable and alternative energies, smart vehicles, sustainable agriculture, and health-focused lifestyles. The visit also included tours of leading local businesses, such as AUNEW and Yili subsidiary Oceania Dairy. In addition, Ren participated in the inaugural celebration of the Federation of New Zealand Chinese Business Associations Incorporated, where he addressed the assembled guests. The 2nd CISCE, set to take place in Beijing from November 26 to 30, will expand its offerings to include new sections, promising enhanced trade and investment opportunities. For more information about the upcoming Expo, please visit https://en.cisce.org.cn/. SOURCE China International Supply Chain Expo Setting New Standards in Podcast Accessibility with Fast, Affordable, and Versatile Voice-to-Text Tools SAN FRANCISCO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Listen Notes, Inc., the pioneer behind the popular podcast search engine ListenNotes.com, announced the launch of its newest service, Listen411.com. An innovative platform that solves longstanding speed and affordability problems, Listen411 is set to transform podcast accessibility by offering lightning-fast, cost-effective transcription and summarization services all tailored for podcast enthusiasts, students, and professional industries alike. Listen411 website "As a big podcast fan myself, I've always envisioned a transcription tool that is straightforward, quick, and doesn't tie users down with yet another monthly subscription," said Wenbin Fang, CEO of Listen Notes. "And while there are other services out there, they are either too slow, too expensive, or don't take advantage of rapidly evolving A.I. tools. So we created exactly what I needed. Listen411 delivers transcriptions in under a minute without the hassle of recurring fees: you just pay as you use it." Transcripts In No Time Key Features of Listen411 Rapid Transcription: Utilizing cutting-edge A.I. technology, Listen411 transcribes and summarizes a single 1-hour audio in less than 60 seconds. Utilizing cutting-edge A.I. technology, Listen411 transcribes and summarizes a single 1-hour audio in less than 60 seconds. Ease of Use: Users upload files directly or input audio/video links; receive transcriptions and summaries directly via email or downloadable through Listen411's dashboard. Users upload files directly or input audio/video links; receive transcriptions and summaries directly via email or downloadable through Listen411's dashboard. Multilingual and Multi-Format Support: Listen411 supports six languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch), with more coming, and in various audio/video formats; ensuring wide usability across different content and user bases. Listen411 supports six languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch), with more coming, and in various audio/video formats; ensuring wide usability across different content and user bases. Transcript Formats Available: Listen411 provides transcripts in a variety of files to accommodate different needs, including plain text, SRT, VTT, and JSON; fostering compatibility across a range of platforms and applications. Listen411 provides transcripts in a variety of files to accommodate different needs, including plain text, SRT, VTT, and JSON; fostering compatibility across a range of platforms and applications. Enhanced Accessibility: Listen411 highlights user convenience and is accessible through alternative domain names, such as Transcript.New and Podcast.Zip, to simplify the transcription process. Listen411 highlights user convenience and is accessible through alternative domain names, such as Transcript.New and Podcast.Zip, to simplify the transcription process. Pay-as-You-Go Pricing: No more pushing for subscriptions that users do not need. Listen411 charges $0.06 per minute, plus $1 per audio file. Making transcription services accessible to everyone, especially budget-conscious students. "This platform launch marks a significant turning point for us as we expand from podcast discovery and API services that now include transcription," added Fang. "Ultimately, we're making podcast content more accessible than ever for a global audience. And whether it's for educational purposes, professional development, or leisure, Listen411 is equipped to enhance the utility, ease, and reach of all podcasts now, and in the foreseeable future." Stay tuned to the website for more information and the latest developments. About Listen Notes, Inc. The Best Podcast Search Engine Founded in 2017, Listen Notes, Inc. has quickly grown to become the leading provider of affordable, A.I. powered podcast search technologies and APIs. And with the introduction of transcription via Listen411.com, the company will continue its mission to make podcasts more accessible and functional. From podcast discovery and listing to accurate summaries and transcribing, Listen Notes remains at the cusp of digital audio innovation. Explore the services at: ListenNotes.com, PodcastAPI.com, and Listen411.com. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Media Contact: Wenbin Fang, Founder and CEO of Listen Notes, Inc. +1-650-761-3093 SOURCE Listen Notes, Inc. SHANGHAI, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lufax Holding Ltd ("Lufax" or the "Company") (NYSE: LU and HKEX: 6623), a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China, today announced that it will hold an annual general meeting of the Company's shareholders (the "AGM") at 10:00 a.m. Hong Kong time on May 30, 2024 at Room 3601, No. 1333 Lujiazui Ring Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, the People's Republic of China, for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, passing each of the proposed resolutions set forth in the AGM notice. The AGM notice, the AGM circular, and the form of proxy for the AGM are available on the Company's website at https://ir.lufaxholding.com. Holders of record of the Company's ordinary shares on the Company's register of members as of the close of business on April 9, 2024 (Hong Kong time) are entitled to attend the AGM in person. Holders of the Company's American depositary shares (the "ADSs") as of the close of business on April 9, 2024 (New York time), who wish to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares, can submit their voting instructions to Citibank, N.A. The Company also announced today that it filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 23, 2024. The Annual Report can be accessed on the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.lufaxholding.com. The Company will also provide a hard copy of its Annual Report containing the audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. The Company has also published its Hong Kong annual report today for the year ended December 31, 2023 pursuant to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which can be accessed on the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.lufaxholding.com as well as the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited at https://www.hkexnews.hk. About Lufax Lufax is a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China. The Company offers financing products designed principally to address the needs of small business owners. In doing so, the Company has established relationships with 85 financial institutions in China as funding partners, many of which have worked with the Company for over three years. Investor Relations Contact Lufax Holding Ltd Email: [email protected] ICR, LLC Robin Yang Tel: +1 (646) 308-0546 Email: lufax.ir@icrinc SOURCE Lufax Holding Ltd Katherine Knight promoted to SVP, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer promoted to SVP, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Responsible for all legal, HR, corporate governance, audit, government relations, brand-wide sustainability actions Reports to President & CEO, Mark Chaffin FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today announces the promotion of Katherine Knight to the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer. This new position further aligns key strategic functions within MMNA under Katherine's leadership. She will continue to report to Mark Chaffin, President and Chief Executive Officer. Katherine Knight promoted to SVP, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Knight has most recently served as VP, Chief Legal Officer, HR & Corporate Governance, with responsibility over the Legal, Human Resources, Internal Audit, Compliance, Risk Management, Corporate Governance, Administration and Community Relations functions. In this new role, she also adds oversight of Government and Industry Relations, External Affairs, and Sustainability. As part of its mid-term plan, "Challenge 2025", MMNA's parent company, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, emphasizes the drive towards more sustainable growth, strengthening of compliance and governance, and social-value creation. Knight's promotion announced today will help ensure that MMNA is a global leader in the realization of future success in these critical areas. "Katherine has a unique vision for MMNA's corporate operations and corporate brand that extends far beyond her legal expertise. In this new role, she will support and strengthen our operations internally and externally, and further solidify MMNA's position as an innovator in our industry," said Chaffin. Knight joined MMNA in 2019 after most recently serving as VP, General Counsel and Human Resources, for a public transportation/logistics company and as Senior Counsel for Nissan North America. Knight holds a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and a B.A. in International Studies from the College of William and Mary. ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC. Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan "Challenge 2025" MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV), and pure electrics (BEV). MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, and Florida. For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com . Contact Jeremy Barnes Senior Director, Communications and Events [email protected], Mobile: 714-296-1402 SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Additional facility in Serbia will manufacture coils for commercial and residential heat pump applications. RACINE, Wis., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Modine (NYSE: MOD), a diversified leader in thermal management technologies and solutions, officially marked the opening of a second facility in Sremska, Serbia, to manufacture coils for commercial and residential heat pump applications. Serbian Prime Minister-designate Milos Vucevic and U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill were among the dignitaries who attended the grand opening ceremony. "We are honored that Prime Minister-designate Vucevic and Ambassador Hill could join us to celebrate this grand opening," said Neil D. Brinker, Modine President and CEO. "The new production facility underscores Modine's commitment to investing in technologies that reduce energy consumption and lower harmful emissions, like heat pumps. Producing high-quality coils for customers working to achieve sustainability objectives is one way we're living our purpose of engineering a cleaner, healthier world." "We are excited to expand our manufacturing operations in Serbia to serve our key customers in Europe and beyond," said Eric McGinnis, President, Climate Solutions at Modine. "The market for heat pumps in Europe is poised for growth over the long term to achieve climate targets. We want our manufacturing centers near our key customers to provide best-in-class heat transfer technology." Modine has decades of experience manufacturing high-quality heat transfer coils for HVAC contractors, integrators, distributors and original equipment manufacturers. Modine opened its first facility in Serbia in 2014 to manufacture heat transfer coils used primarily in commercial refrigeration and HVAC applications. That facility was expanded in 2019 to support growing demand. The new facility is more than 18,000 m2 (197,000 ft2) and located next to the existing plant. "Our expanded footprint will allow Modine to efficiently serve the current and future needs of our OEM partners as well as explore additional growth opportunities," commented Mike Postma, Vice President, Heat Transfer Products at Modine. "We are proud to expand operations in Sremska," said Dejan Nestorovic, General Manager, Heat Pumps at Modine. "The good economic environment and support from government agencies, industry associations, and technical schools has contributed to our success. Most importantly, however, are all the employees whose hard work made this day possible. Thank you." About Modine At Modine, we are Engineering a Cleaner, Healthier World. Building on more than 100 years of excellence in thermal management, we provide trusted systems and solutions that improve air quality and conserve natural resources. More than 11,000 employees are at work in every corner of the globe, delivering the solutions our customers need, where they need them. Our Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments support our purpose by improving air quality, reducing energy and water consumption, lowering harmful emissions and enabling cleaner running vehicles and environmentally-friendly refrigerants. Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (U.S.), with operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. For more information about Modine, visit www.modine.com. Investor Contact: Kathleen Powers; [email protected]; (262) 636-1687 Media Contact: [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements, including information about future financial performance and market conditions, accompanied by phrases such as "believes," "estimates," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "projects," and other similar "forward-looking" statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Modine's actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements because of certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to those described under "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of Part I of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2023 and under Forward-Looking Statements in Item 7 of Part II of that same report and in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2023. Other risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: our ability to complete the acquisition in a reasonable manner and timeframe, to integrate the business successfully into Modine thereafter and to harness the anticipated synergies associated with the acquisition; the impact of potential adverse developments or disruptions in the global economy and financial markets, including impacts related to inflation, rising energy costs, along with supply chain challenges or supplier constraints, tariffs, sanctions and other trade issues or cross-border trade restrictions; the impact of other economic, social and political conditions, changes and challenges in the markets where we operate and compete, including foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, increases in interest rates or tightening of the credit markets, recession, restrictions associated with importing and exporting and foreign ownership, public health crises, and the general uncertainties about the impact of regulatory and/or policy changes, including those related to tax and trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the military conflict in Ukraine and other matters, that have been or may be implemented in the U.S. or abroad; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national and global economy, our business, suppliers, customers, and employees; the overall health and pricing focus of our customers; our ability to successfully execute our strategic and operational plans, including applying 80/20 principles to our business; our ability to effectively and efficiently modify our cost structure in response to sales volume increases or decreases and complete restructuring activities and realize benefits thereon; our ability to fund our global liquidity requirements efficiently and comply with the financial covenants in our credit agreements; operational inefficiencies as a result of program launches, unexpected volume increases or decreases, and product transfers; the impact on Modine of any significant increases in commodity prices, particularly aluminum, copper, steel and stainless steel (nickel) and other purchased components and related costs, and our ability to adjust product pricing in response to any such increases; the nature of and Modine's significant exposure to the vehicular industry and the dependence of this industry on the health of the economy; our ability to recruit and maintain talent in managerial, leadership, operational and administrative functions and to mitigate increased labor costs; our ability to protect our proprietary information and intellectual property from theft or attack; the impact of any substantial disruption or material breach of our information technology systems; costs and other effects of environmental investigation, remediation or litigation; and other risks and uncertainties identified in our public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are as of the date of this press release, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. SOURCE Modine ARLINGTON, Va., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven in 10 Ohioans support a bill that would require businesses with 75 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to ensure they hire only legal workers, according to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA . "This E-Verify bill would deter the record-breaking numbers of illegal aliens crossing the southern border from settling in Ohio," said James Massa, CEO of NumbersUSA. "By shutting off the jobs magnet that draws migrants to seek illegal employment, this bill would protect Ohio's hard-working citizens and legal immigrants." The poll found that 70% of likely Ohio voters -- including a staggering 84% of Republicans, 66% of independents, and even 59% of Democrats -- believe that the Buckeye State should mandate E-Verify for all employers. Just 9% of Republicans oppose the policy. "E-Verify is incredibly convenient to use, and thousands of Ohio businesses have already enrolled voluntarily," said Massa. "Employers simply log in to the online portal and input a few pieces of information from a newly hired employee's I-9 form, which they're already required to collect by federal law. The entire system is highly accurate -- and clears more than 98% of hires to work either instantly or within 24 hours." Business lobbyists are pressuring House Republicans to kill the E-Verify bill. But that could endanger representatives' political careers, since 61% of Republican voters warn they'd be less likely to re-elect their incumbent representative if he or she opposes mandatory E-Verify. "As Ohio legislators consider a bill that would increase E-Verify's use in the state," said Andrew Good, NumbersUSA's Director of State Government Relations, "they have a golden opportunity to side with their voters on the nation's top issue this year." To request an interview with Andrew or James, please contact Emeline McClellan at (202) 970-9742 or [email protected]. About NumbersUSA NumbersUSA supports a balanced immigration system that welcomes the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, is responsive to acute refugee crises, attracts those with extraordinary ability and talents, addresses temporary labor shortages, protects the most vulnerable, and is enforced. NumbersUSA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that believes better immigration policy is possible. Focused exclusively on immigration reform, NumbersUSA is America's largest single-issue advocacy group with over 8 million grassroots members and supporters spread across every congressional district. Founded solely by Roy Beck in 1996 to promote civil debate on the immigration recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform -- chaired by civil rights icon Barbara Jordan -- NumbersUSA continues to advocate for sensible immigration policies that ensure Americans' safety, promote economic fairness, while conserving the environment and quality of life. Media Contact: Emeline McClellan (202) 970-9742 [email protected] SOURCE NumbersUSA MIAMI, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pink Sand Spirits, Co., a new brand of spirits & seltzers, announced their partnership with Sysco Bahamas, becoming Sysco Bahamas' exclusive premium spirits & seltzers partner for the launch of Sysco's wine and spirits distribution. "We are honored to collaborate with Sysco Bahamas to distribute Pink Sand Spirits & Seltzers," said Pablo Conde, Co-Founder at Pink Sand Spirits, Co. Post this Pink Sand Spirits & Seltzers Pink Sand Spirits, Co. was conceived by four friends in Harbour Island to celebrate the elevated lifestyle of living and vacationing in The Bahamas and share this lifestyle with the Featuring a full range of Bahamian inspired white spirits and spirits-based seltzers, Pink Sand products are crafted with all-natural flavors for a deliciously refreshing experience. Their packaging reflects the refined essence of the Bahamian sun, 'pink' sand & sea lifestyle that invites consumers to "Crack Open the Good Life" with them. "We are honored to collaborate with Sysco Bahamas to distribute Pink Sand Spirits & Seltzers," said Pablo Conde, Co-Founder at Pink Sand Spirits, Co. This partnership not only signifies a momentous step forward for Pink Sand Spirits, Co., but also reflects our shared mission to showcase the elevated side of the Bahamian lifestyle to the rest of the world." As a dynamic and forward-thinking distributor, Sysco Bahamas is constantly seeking unique and high-quality products to offer their valued customers. With the addition of Pink Sand Spirits, Co. to their portfolio, Sysco Bahamas is excited to bring an exceptional selection of spirits and seltzers to the market. "This partnership symbolizes innovation, quality, and a celebration of our Bahamian heritage," said Candice Burrows, Director of Business Resources at Sysco Bahamas. "Together, we aim to elevate the beverage experience for our customers and consumers alike. With Sysco Bahamas' commitment to excellence and Pink Sand's dedication to crafting exceptional spirits and seltzers, we are poised to create unforgettable moments and redefine the beverage landscape in The Bahamas. Here's to raising a glass to success, collaboration, and the spirit of Harbour Island." With Sysco Bahamas' extensive distribution network and dedicated sales team, they are poised to introduce Pink Sand Spirits, Co. to a wider audience, ensuring that consumers across The Bahamas have access to these outstanding products. For more information about Pink Sand Spirits, Co. and to inquire about distribution opportunities, please visit https://pinksandspirits.co or www.syscobahamas.com . Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Pink Sand Spirits, Co. Global payments expansion in Indonesia; adds to recent successes in Korea and Thailand BANGKOK, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium , the global leader in real-time cross-border payments, today announced it will sign a partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Artajasa, one of Indonesia's leading payment infrastructure companies. Artajasa operates the switching services banks and fintechs use to facilitate fast, secure, and reliable electronic transactions. The partnership will ensure seamless, real-time, cross-border transfers between Indonesia and the world. The MOU will be signed tomorrow at Money 20/20 Asia in Bangkok by Nium's Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, Anupam Pahuja. The strategic collaboration demonstrates Nium's commitment to modernizing the world's cross-border payments infrastructure, bringing it into the real-time era. Under the leadership of Pahuja, who joined the company in 2023 , Nium has expanded significantly in the region. Today Nium announced that its partner, Jeonbuk Bank in Korea, has gone live with its real-time remittance service, enabling the bank to serve a growing number of immigrant clients better. In Thailand, Nium has proven to be the gold standard for cross-border payments, its platform powers four of the country's premier banks: Kasikorn Bank , Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya) , Krungthai Bank , and Siam Commercial Bank . These partnerships further underscore Nium's commitment to delivering innovative financial services and fostering long-term relationships with key industry players. "Nium's growth in APAC reflects our dedication to transforming the global financial landscape," said Anupam Pahuja, Regional Executive Vice President of APAC & MEA. "By partnering with leading institutions like Artajasa and JB Bank, we aim to help businesses accelerate their growth across the region with secure, efficient, and innovative financial solutions." "As an institution that has experience in providing solutions for various digital payment services in Indonesia, we certainly welcome the strategic collaboration established between Nium and Artajasa to expand cross-border payments, while encouraging digital penetration in Indonesia, regionally and globally. This collaboration will certainly further strengthen our commitment to providing integrated, easy, and secure payment solutions to answer customer needs," explained Heru Perwito, Director of Business, Artajasa. In addition to growth in the region, Nium recently launched a new data-backed white paper that addresses cross-border B2B payment challenges in APAC, current initiatives, and the important role of intermediaries, alongside Asia's leading payments, banking, and capital markets research firm, Kapronasia. Nium's extensive portfolio of licenses and registrations cover more than 40 countries globally. In 2024, Nium has received approvals / in-principle approvals for four licenses and registrations, including: Japan : Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider (FTSP) license from Japan's Financial Service Agency (FSA); Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider (FTSP) license from Financial Service Agency (FSA); India : Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) license from the Reserve Bank of (RBI); India : Payment Aggregator (PA) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); and, Payment Aggregator (PA) license from the Reserve Bank of (RBI); and, New Zealand : Registration on the Financial Service Provider Register (FSPR). About Nium Nium , the leader in real-time, cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore. About Artajasa: PT Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis (Artajasa), a trailblazing pioneer in the Indonesian banking infrastructure network and establishing itself as a market leader in switching services, including ATM Bersama, ATM Bersama Debit, ATM Bersama QR and connected to more than 80.000 ATMs with 98 bank members throughout Indonesia. Artajasa is also provide of Payment Services, Settlement Services and Managed Services for many industries, such telecommunications services, multi-finance, insurance, public services, energy, education, transportation, electronic money, credit cards, e-commerce, donations and so on. Artajasa continues to strengthen the payment system ecosystem as a form of Artajasa's support as a leading integrated cashless payment enabler company in Indonesia, by providing optimal services for various institutions, customers, and the public through various integrated payment system service solutions. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2333904/Nium_Logo.jpg SOURCE Nium Approval based on NETTER-P trial in which Lutathera demonstrated a consistent safety profile and comparable drug exposure between pediatric (ages 12-17) and adult patients Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are a rare cancer that is often unresectable and commonly diagnosed in the late stages of disease Novartis, a leader in radioligand therapy (RLT), is investigating a portfolio of RLTs to treat a broad range of cancers, including GEP-NETs, lung, prostate, breast, colon, brain and pancreatic cancers EAST HANOVER, N.J., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) for the treatment of pediatric patients 12 years and older with somatostatin receptor-positive (SSTR+) gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), including foregut, midgut, and hindgut NETs. This approval makes Lutathera the first therapy specifically reviewed and approved for use in pediatric patients with GEP-NETs. "Lutathera is now the very first therapy approved specifically for children with GEP-NETs, offering new hope to young patients living with this rare cancer," said Tina Deignan, Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology US. "Radioligand therapies have extraordinary potential to shape the future of cancer care. With this approval, we have taken another vital step toward fulfilling that vision, strengthening our commitment to researching and developing the RLT platform across multiple cancer types and treatment settings." NETs are a type of cancer that originates in neuroendocrine cells throughout the body and are commonly considered slow-growing malignancies1. The diagnosis of NETs is often delayed due to the inactive nature of the disease, and approximately 10% to 20% of pediatric patients are diagnosed with metastatic disease2,3. Even though NETs are an orphan disease, their incidence has increased over the past several decades1,4-6. "While GEP-NETs in children and adolescents are rare, the impact can be devastating. Today's approval addresses a critical need for new treatment options for these vulnerable patients," said Dr. Theodore Laetsch, trial investigator and Director, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), a NETTER-P clinical trial site. "The introduction of radioligand therapy significantly advanced how we treat GEP-NETs, and I'm encouraged that younger patients now have the potential to benefit from this innovation." The approval was based on the NETTER-P trial, which evaluated Lutathera in patients aged 12 to <18 years old with SSTR+ GEP-NETs7. The study reported a safety profile consistent with the adult population studied in NETTER-1, the pivotal trial for approval of Lutathera in adults. In addition, the estimated radiation absorbed dose in pediatric patients was within established organ thresholds for external beam radiation and comparable to that in adults for the approved dose. About Lutathera Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) is approved in the US for the treatment of adults and children 12 years and older with SSTR-positive GEP-NETs, including those in the foregut, midgut and hindgut, an indication which includes the populations studied in the randomized, controlled Phase III trials NETTER-1 and NETTER-2. Lutathera is also approved in Europe for unresectable or metastatic, progressive, well-differentiated (G1 and G2), SSTR-positive GEP-NETs in adults, and in Japan for SSTR-positive NETs8,9. Novartis and Radioligand Therapy (RLT) Novartis is reimagining cancer care with RLT for patients with advanced cancers. By harnessing the power of radioactive atoms and applying it to advanced cancers, RLT is theoretically able to deliver radiation to target cells anywhere in the body10,11. Novartis is investigating a broad portfolio of RLTs, exploring new isotopes, ligands and combination therapies to look beyond gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) and prostate cancer and into breast, colon, lung and pancreatic cancer. With established global expertise, and specialized supply chain and manufacturing capabilities across the Novartis network, we are supporting growing demand for our RLT medicines. Our production capabilities continue to expand and now include sites in Millburn, US, Zaragoza, Spain, Ivrea, Italy and our new state-of-the-art facility in Indianapolis, US. We recently announced plans to expand our manufacturing capabilities and build additional points of supply in Sasayama, Japan, and Haiyan, Zhejiang, China, to produce RLTs for patients in Japan and China. We are continually evaluating additional opportunities to increase capacity around the world. What is Lutathera? LUTATHERA is a prescription medicine used to treat adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with a type of cancer known as gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) that are positive for the hormone receptor somatostatin, including GEP-NETs in the foregut, midgut, and hindgut. Lutathera Important Safety Information What are some important things to know about the safety of LUTATHERA? LUTATHERA is associated with some serious safety considerations and, in some cases, these may require your health care provider to adjust or stop your treatment. You should always follow your health care provider's instructions. Safety considerations include: Radiation exposure: Treatment with LUTATHERA will expose you to radiation, which can contribute to your long-term radiation exposure. Overall radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk for cancer. The radiation will be detectable in your urine for up to 30 days following administration of the drug. It is important to minimize radiation exposure to household contacts consistent with good radiation safety practices as advised by your health care provider. Treatment with LUTATHERA will expose you to radiation, which can contribute to your long-term radiation exposure. Overall radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk for cancer. The radiation will be detectable in your urine for up to 30 days following administration of the drug. It is important to minimize radiation exposure to household contacts consistent with good radiation safety practices as advised by your health care provider. Bone marrow problems: Treatment with LUTATHERA increases the risk of myelosuppression, a condition in which bone marrow activity is decreased, resulting in a drop in blood cell counts. You may experience blood-related side effects such as low red blood cells (anemia), low numbers of cells that are responsible for blood clotting (thrombocytopenia), and low numbers of white blood cells (neutropenia). Speak with your health care provider if you experience any signs or symptoms of infection, fever, chills, dizziness, shortness of breath, or increased bleeding or bruising. Your health care provider may need to adjust or stop your treatment accordingly. Treatment with LUTATHERA increases the risk of myelosuppression, a condition in which bone marrow activity is decreased, resulting in a drop in blood cell counts. You may experience blood-related side effects such as low red blood cells (anemia), low numbers of cells that are responsible for blood clotting (thrombocytopenia), and low numbers of white blood cells (neutropenia). Speak with your health care provider if you experience any signs or symptoms of infection, fever, chills, dizziness, shortness of breath, or increased bleeding or bruising. Your health care provider may need to adjust or stop your treatment accordingly. Secondary bone marrow and blood cancers: Other serious conditions that you may develop as a direct result of treatment with LUTATHERA include blood and bone marrow disorders known as secondary myelodysplastic syndrome and cancer known as acute leukemia. Your health care provider will routinely check your blood cell counts and tell you if they are too low or too high. Other serious conditions that you may develop as a direct result of treatment with LUTATHERA include blood and bone marrow disorders known as secondary myelodysplastic syndrome and cancer known as acute leukemia. Your health care provider will routinely check your blood cell counts and tell you if they are too low or too high. Kidney problems: Treatment with LUTATHERA will expose your kidneys to radiation and may impair their ability to work as normal. You may be at an increased risk for kidney problems after LUTATHERA treatment if you already have kidney impairment before treatment. In some cases, patients have experienced kidney failure after treatment with LUTATHERA. Your health care provider will provide you with an amino acid solution before, during, and after LUTATHERA to help protect your kidneys. You should stay well hydrated before, on the day of, and on the day after your treatment. You should urinate frequently before, on the day of, and on the day after administration of LUTATHERA. Your doctor will monitor your kidney function and may withhold, reduce, or stop your LUTATHERA treatment accordingly. Treatment with LUTATHERA will expose your kidneys to radiation and may impair their ability to work as normal. You may be at an increased risk for kidney problems after LUTATHERA treatment if you already have kidney impairment before treatment. In some cases, patients have experienced kidney failure after treatment with LUTATHERA. Your health care provider will provide you with an amino acid solution before, during, and after LUTATHERA to help protect your kidneys. You should stay well hydrated before, on the day of, and on the day after your treatment. You should urinate frequently before, on the day of, and on the day after administration of LUTATHERA. Your doctor will monitor your kidney function and may withhold, reduce, or stop your LUTATHERA treatment accordingly. Liver problems: In clinical studies of LUTATHERA, less than 1% of patients were reported to have tumor bleeding (hemorrhage), swelling (edema), or tissue damage (necrosis) to the liver. If you have tumors in your liver, you may be more likely to experience these side effects. Tell your health care provider right away if you have any of these signs and symptoms of liver problems: yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice), unusual darkening of the urine, unusual tiredness, right upper stomach area (abdomen) pain, confusion, and/or swelling of the stomach area (abdomen). Your health care provider will monitor your liver using blood tests and may need to withhold, reduce, or stop your LUTATHERA treatment accordingly. In clinical studies of LUTATHERA, less than 1% of patients were reported to have tumor bleeding (hemorrhage), swelling (edema), or tissue damage (necrosis) to the liver. If you have tumors in your liver, you may be more likely to experience these side effects. Tell your health care provider right away if you have any of these signs and symptoms of liver problems: yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice), unusual darkening of the urine, unusual tiredness, right upper stomach area (abdomen) pain, confusion, and/or swelling of the stomach area (abdomen). Your health care provider will monitor your liver using blood tests and may need to withhold, reduce, or stop your LUTATHERA treatment accordingly. Allergic reactions: Allergic reactions have occurred in people who were treated with LUTATHERA. Notify your health care provider if you develop symptoms of an allergic reaction. Seek emergency help right away for any serious allergic reactions. Symptoms may include trouble breathing or swallowing; raised bumps (hives); rash or itching; and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, or arms. Allergic reactions have occurred in people who were treated with LUTATHERA. Notify your health care provider if you develop symptoms of an allergic reaction. Seek emergency help right away for any serious allergic reactions. Symptoms may include trouble breathing or swallowing; raised bumps (hives); rash or itching; and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, or arms. Hormonal gland problems (carcinoid crisis): During your treatment you may experience certain symptoms that are related to hormones released from your cancer. These symptoms may include flushing, diarrhea, difficulty breathing (bronchospasm), and low blood pressure (hypotension), and may occur during or within the 24 hours after your first LUTATHERA treatment. Your health care provider will monitor you closely. Speak with your health care provider if you experience any of these signs or symptoms. During your treatment you may experience certain symptoms that are related to hormones released from your cancer. These symptoms may include flushing, diarrhea, difficulty breathing (bronchospasm), and low blood pressure (hypotension), and may occur during or within the 24 hours after your first LUTATHERA treatment. Your health care provider will monitor you closely. Speak with your health care provider if you experience any of these signs or symptoms. Pregnancy warning: Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant. LUTATHERA can harm your unborn baby. Females should use an effective method of birth control during treatment and for 7 months after the last dose of LUTATHERA. Males with female partners should use an effective method of birth control during treatment with LUTATHERA and for 4 months after the last dose. Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant. LUTATHERA can harm your unborn baby. Females should use an effective method of birth control during treatment and for 7 months after the last dose of LUTATHERA. Males with female partners should use an effective method of birth control during treatment with LUTATHERA and for 4 months after the last dose. Breastfeeding warning: You should not breastfeed during treatment with LUTATHERA and for 2.5 months after your last dose of LUTATHERA. You should not breastfeed during treatment with LUTATHERA and for 2.5 months after your last dose of LUTATHERA. Fertility problems: Treatment with LUTATHERA may cause infertility. This is because radiation absorbed by your testes or ovaries over the treatment period falls within the range of exposure in which temporary or permanent infertility may occur. What are the most common side effects of LUTATHERA? The most common and most serious side effects of LUTATHERA include decreased blood cell counts, increased liver enzymes, vomiting, nausea, increased blood glucose, and decreased blood potassium levels. Talk to your doctor if you experience any of these side effects. There are other possible side effects of LUTATHERA. For more information and to learn more about LUTATHERA, talk to your doctor or health care provider. Adverse reactions observed in pediatric patients were similar to those observed in adults treated with LUTATHERA. What other medicines may interact with LUTATHERA? Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medications. Somatostatin analogs and glucocorticoids may affect how your LUTATHERA treatment works. You should stop taking your long-acting somatostatin analog at least 4 weeks before LUTATHERA treatment. You may continue taking short-acting somatostatin analogs up to 24 hours before your LUTATHERA treatment. Avoid repeated high doses of glucocorticoids during treatment with LUTATHERA. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch , or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see full Prescribing Information for LUTATHERA at https://www.novartis.com/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/lutathera.pdf . Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Novartis Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people's lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide. Reimagine medicine with us: Visit us at https://www.novartis.com and https://www.novartis.us and connect with us on LinkedIn, LinkedIn US, Facebook, X/Twitter, X/Twitter US and Instagram. References Man D, Wu J, Shen Z, Zhu X. Prognosis of patients with neuroendocrine tumor: a SEER database analysis. Cancer Manag Res. 2018;10:5629-5638. Published 2018 Nov 13. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S174907Dasari. Parham DM. Neuroectodermal and neuroendocrine tumors principally seen in children. Am J Clin Pathol. 2001;115(suppl):S113-S128. Sarvida ME, O'Dorisio MS. Neuroendocrine tumors in children and young adults: rare or not so rare. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2011;40:65-80. A, Shen C, Halperin D, Zhao B, Zhou S, Xu Y, Shih T, Yao JC. Trends in the Incidence, Prevalence, and Survival Outcomes in Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors in the United States . JAMA Oncol. 2017; doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2017.0589 Frilling A, Akerstrom G, Falconi, M, et al. Neuroendocrine tumor disease: an evolving landscape. Endoc Related Cancer 2012; 19: R163-815. Lawrence B, Gustafsson BI, et al. The Epidemiology of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors. Endocrinol Metab Clin N Am. 2011; 40:118 ClinicalTrials.gov. NETTER-P (NCT04711135). Study to Evaluate Safety and Dosimetry of Lutathera in Adolescent Patients With GEP-NETs and PPGLs. Accessed March 2024. Lutathera. Full Prescribing Information. 2018. Revised March 2023. https://www.novartis.com/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/lutathera.pdf. Lutathera. Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). 2018. Revised February 2023 . https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/lutathera-epar-product-information_en.pdf. Jadvar H. Targeted radionuclide therapy: an evolution toward precision cancer treatment. AJR Am J Roentagenol. 2017;209(2);277-288. Jurcic JG, Wong JYC, Knoc SJ, et al. Targeted radionuclide therapy. In: Tepper JE, Foote RE, Michalski JM, eds. Gunderson & Tepper's Clinical Radiation Oncology. 5th ed. Elsevier, Inc. 2021;71(3):209-249 # # # Novartis Media Relations E-mail: [email protected] North America Michael Meo +1 862 274 5414 Marlena Abdinoor +1 617 335 9525 Novartis Investor Relations E-mail: [email protected] North America Sloan Simpson +1 862 345 4440 Jonathan Graham +1 201 602 9921 Parag Mahanti +1 973 876 4912 SOURCE Novartis US WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, praised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for signing into law House File 2464 , informally called the Second Amendment Privacy Act. This NSSF-supported law protects the privacy and sensitive financial information of people purchasing firearms and ammunition in Iowa. With Iowa, there are now a dozen states with laws that protect the Second Amendment financial privacy of their citizens. The law prohibits financial institutions from requiring the use of a firearm code, also known as a Merchant Category Code (MCC), from being assigned to firearm and ammunition purchases at retail when using a credit card. The law also forbids discriminating against a firearm retailer as a result of the assigned or non-assignment of a firearm code and disclosing the protected financial information. Additionally, the law prohibits keeping or causing to be kept any list, record or registry of private firearm ownership. "Governor Kim Reynolds' signature on the Second Amendment Privacy Act underscores the state lawmakers' commitment to ensuring that Iowans are free to exercise their Second Amendment rights without concern of 'woke' Wall Street banks collecting private financial information to create shadow gun registries," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. "NSSF is grateful to Iowa state House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl and state Rep. Ray Sorensen, as well as state Sen. Jason Schultz for ushering this legislation through to become law. No American should fear being placed on a government watchlist simply for exercising their Constitutionally-protected rights to keep and bear arms." NSSF worked closely with Iowa legislators to protect private and legal firearm and ammunition purchases from political exploitation. The Second Amendment Privacy Act is designed to protect the privacy of lawful and private firearm and ammunition purchases from being abused for political purposes by corporate financial service providers and unlawful government search and seizure of legal and private financial transactions. The U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) admitted to U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in a letter that it violated the Fourth Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens that protect against illegal search and seizure when it collected the credit card purchase history from banks and credit card companies of individuals who purchased firearms and ammunition in the days surrounding Jan. 6, 2020. Treasury's FinCEN had no cause, and sought the information without a warrant, to place these law-abiding citizens on a government watchlist only because they exercised their Second Amendment rights to lawfully purchase firearms and ammunition. The idea of a firearm-retailer specific MCC was borne from antigun New York Times' columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin and Amalgamated Bank, which has been called " The Left's Private Banker " and bankrolls the Democratic National Committee and several antigun politicians. Amalgamated Bank lobbied the Swiss-based International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the code's creation. NSSF has called on Congress to investigate Amalgamated Bank's role in manipulating the ISO standard setting process. Sorkin admitted creating a firearm-retailer specific MCC would be a first step to creating a national firearm registry, which is forbidden by federal law. Iowa joins a growing list of states that are standing against the invasion of financial privacy when exercising Second Amendment rights, including Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Utah, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas and West Virginia. These states passed laws protecting citizens' Second Amendment privacy. Other states are considering similar legislation. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik introduced H.R. 7450, the NSSF-supported Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. California's Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law requiring the use of a firearm-retailer specific MCC and Colorado is considering similar legislation. -30- About NSSF NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has over 10,0000 members including manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org. SOURCE NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION In first year, Engage partnered with 25 EDs across U.S. to elevate emergency nursing excellence SCHAUMBURG, Ill., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Engage, Powered by ENA, on Tuesday announced a new partnership with Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida's emergency department that centers on enhancing the well-being and professional growth of emergency nurses who play an integral role in the care of pediatric patients. Engage, a subsidiary of the Emergency Nurses Association, launched in 2023 with a mission to elevate emergency nursing excellence through healthy and safe workplaces. To accomplish that, Engage partnered with 25 EDs across the country, including Golisano, during its first year. "The collaboration is a pivotal move as we work with hospitals toward enhancing the well-being of their emergency nurses," said Engage Vice President of Client Engagement Jennifer Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, FNP-C, NE-BC. "Engage's goal is to empower these dedicated professionals by providing them with the resources and support they need to excel in pediatric emergency care." Golisano Director of Emergency and Critical Care Transport Services Shelly Callender, MSN, RN, CPEN, expressed excitement about her emergency department teaming up with Engage. "We are excited to partner with Engage. Our team is eager to continue an environment of excellence and reliability," Callender said. "We're focusing on creating a healthy workspace to ensure our nurses feel connected, cared for and empowered on their journey to excellence and improving our triage process to provide the best possible care for our patients." The partnership is rooted in a united vision for nurse-centered care by identifying several avenues to improve the work lives of Golisano nurses including: specialized training programs, enhanced front-end processes, and well-being initiatives tailored to the unique challenges experienced in pediatric emergency nursing. "We aim to ensure our nurses feel valued, heard and supported so they can excel in their roles," Callender added. To learn more about Engage, Powered by ENA, visit enaengage.com. About Engage, Powered by ENA At Engage, Powered by ENA, our mission is to support emergency nurses in providing the best possible care in a healthy, sustainable work environment. We collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to engage with emergency nurses and ED leaders, co-creating solutions and implementing positive changes in each emergency department. Our focus areas include culture, leadership and mentorship, clinical excellence, safety, and nurses' overall health and well-being. Visit www.enaengage.com for more information. Engage Media Contact: Jennifer Schmitz V.P. of Client Engagement [email protected] About Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida Golisano Children's Hospital, a nationally recognized facility for safety and quality care, is one of five acute care hospitals within Lee Health. Established in 1994, Golisano is the only designated children's hospital in Southwest Florida, with over 500,000 visits a year, serving patients from six surrounding counties. Ranked as a Top Children's Hospital by Leapfrog, a Solution for Patient Safety network hospital, an Asthma Friendly Hospital and a certified center for children with Autism, Golisano offers over thirty specialty pediatric services in various locations across SWFL. Lee Health opened the current hospital building in May 2017 which includes 135-beds and comprehensive neonatal and pediatric services. For more information, visit GolisanoChildrensSWFL.org Golisano Media Contact: Pat Dolce [email protected] About the Emergency Nurses Association The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With nearly 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org. SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association TORONTO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharma experts and AI innovators from ODAIA will be the featured presenters at top industry events this spring. Speakers will share how pharma companies are advancing their commercial strategies using Customer Science , a transformative discipline that integrates AI with data science and behavioral science for a deeper understanding of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and what motivates their patient decisions. Veeva Commercial Summit , Boston, May 8, at 12:30 p.m. EST Philip Poulidis, CEO , will demonstrate the use of AI to find, select, and engage the right HCPs. It typically takes months for marketing to complete customer segmentation and targeting, which is refreshed once or twice a year. When there's a marketplace change, an entirely new data analysis must be done, taking more months before sales gets updated plans of action to start engaging HCPs. Poulidis will show ODAIA MAPTUAL completing this process in minutes, not months. Marketing can set new brand objectives, use advanced AI capabilities to automate data analysis, and deliver personalized GenAI-powered insights in Veeva CRM MyInsights . Sales reps can prioritize which HCPs to contact, how best to engage them, and get treatments to patients months faster. PMSA 2024 Annual Conference , Denver, Colo., May 8, at 11:10 a.m. EST Matthieu Buot de l'Epine, lead machine learning engineer , and Pouyan Jahangiri, director of data science and machine learning , will discuss improving prediction accuracy in prescription modeling using hierarchical machine learning techniques and time series data. Creating accurate and consistent forecasts at the individual HCP, territory, state, and national levels is critical in the pharma industry because of the limited shelf life for medicines and significant impact of prediction errors to resource allocations, financial planning, and regulatory compliance. Buot de l'Epine and Jahangiri will discuss how a hierarchical model enables simultaneous predictions and outputs at every level and integrates insights for better consistency and accuracy in forecasting, supporting pharma companies in planning and executing their commercial strategies more efficiently and effectively. Reimagine Pharma Marketing , Long Branch, N.J., May 21, at 1:45 p.m. EST Eric Trepanier, chief strategy and customer officer , will be joined on stage with a top 10 pharma customer to discuss the use of AI to provide never-before-seen insights into HCPs and dramatically improve marketing and sales rep decision-making. Traditional approaches like next best action and segmentation and targeting fall short in delivering meaningful customer experiences. Speakers will share how commercial pharma innovators are embracing Customer Science to better understand HCPs and drive engagement. Commercial organizations can break the limitations of rules-based systems and historical data analysis to deliver valued HCP experiences using real-time, relevant insights. Snowflake Data Cloud Summit 24 , San Francisco Calif., June 5, at 3:30 p.m. PST Phillip Poulidis, CEO, and Zak Beharie, CTO , will discuss the successful deployment of machine learning applications for commercial use cases in pharma. The process for transferring data includes cumbersome secure file transfer protocols (SFTPs), slow computing power, and complex data agreements. Poulidis and Beharie will share how to overcome data transfer limitations using the Snowflake Native App Framework , ODAIA machine learning, and pharma customers' proprietary data to achieve better ROI. Customers retain total data control, streamline their commercial processes, and seamlessly deliver predictive insights to their commercial organization. To learn more about ODAIA, schedule a meeting with our team at Veeva Summit , PMSA , Reimagine , and Snowflake Data Cloud Summit . Learn more about all our upcoming events here . About ODAIA ODAIA is the leading AI company helping life sciences companies innovate their commercial strategies using Customer Science. The company's cloud solution, MAPTUAL, integrates data science, behavioral science, and AI to gain a deep understanding of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and their patient decisions across the entire customer journey. To learn more about ODAIA, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn . SOURCE ODAIA SHENZHEN, China, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. ("OneConnect" or the "Company") (NYSE: OCFT and HKEX: 6638), a leading technology-as-a-service provider for financial institutions in China, today announced it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on April 23, 2024 U.S. Eastern Time. The annual report on Form 20-F, which contains the Company's audited consolidated financial statements, can be accessed on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov as well as through the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.ocft.com. The Company will provide a hard copy of its annual report containing the audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be directed to [email protected]. About OneConnect OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. is a technology-as-a-service provider for financial services industry. The Company integrates extensive financial services industry expertise with market-leading technology to provide technology applications and technology-enabled business services to financial institutions. The integrated solutions and platform the Company provides include digital banking solution, digital insurance solution and Gamma Platform, which is a technology infrastructural platform for financial institutions. The Company's solutions enable its customers' digital transformations, which help them improve efficiency, enhance service quality, and reduce costs and risks. The Company has established long-term cooperation relationships with financial institutions to address their needs of digital transformation. The Company has also expanded its services to other participants in the value chain to support the digital transformation of financial services eco-system. In addition, the Company has successfully exported its technology solutions to overseas financial institutions. For more information, please visit ir.ocft.com. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's limited operating history in the technology-as-a-service for financial institutions industry; its ability to achieve or sustain profitability; the tightening of laws, regulations or standards in the financial services industry; the Company's ability to comply with the evolving regulatory requirements in the PRC and other jurisdictions where it operates; its ability to comply with existing or future laws and regulations related to data protection or data security; its ability to maintain and enlarge the customer base or strengthen customer engagement; its ability to maintain its relationship with Ping An Group, which is its strategic partner, most important customer and largest supplier; its ability to compete effectively to serve China's financial institutions; the effectiveness of its technologies, its ability to maintain and improve technology infrastructure and security measures; its ability to protect its intellectual property and proprietary rights; its ability to maintain or expand relationship with its business partners and the failure of its partners to perform in accordance with expectations; its ability to protect or promote its brand and reputation; its ability to timely implement and deploy its solutions; its ability to obtain additional capital when desired; litigation and negative publicity surrounding China-based companies listed in the U.S.; disruptions in the financial markets and business and economic conditions; the Company's ability to pursue and achieve optimal results from acquisition or expansion opportunities; the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak, lagging effect of businesses' recovery and its potential impact on the Company's business and financial performance; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Contacts Investor Relations: OCFT IR Team [email protected] Media Relations: Frank Fu [email protected] SOURCE OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. SAN DIEGO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PABLO AIR, a leader in autonomous swarm control of unmanned vehicles, announced its participation in AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2024, the world's largest unmanned vehicle exhibition. The event will take place from April 23rd to 25th in San Diego, USA. 'AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2024' brings together top players in the unmanned vehicle industry, including 560 companies like NASA and Lockheed Martin around the world, to showcase the latest technologies and industry trends. PABLO AIR will unveil their drone lineup at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2024. PABLO AIR, known for its groundbreaking work in the South Korean drone market and now setting its sights on the global market, will be attending for the fourth consecutive year. Visitors can find PABLO AIR at their booth, where they will unveil their impressive drone lineup for drone art shows and officially launch them. Additionally, PABLO AIR will provide insights into the South Korean drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry, highlighting its leading technological capabilities and business offerings. With over six years of experience since introducing the drone art show in South Korea, PABLO AIR has curated a stellar product lineup under the 'PabloX' brand. This includes the pyro drone 'PabloX F40,' the exhilarating maritime drone 'PabloX A10,' and the efficient compact LED drone 'PabloX L20,' making its global debut. PABLO AIR will also present its innovative UAM traffic management platform 'UrbanLinkX,' recognized with an innovation award at CES 2024. Additionally, they will showcase their long-range delivery eVTOL aircraft 'BlueBird' and short-range drone 'PA-H3,' demonstrating expertise in drone delivery and defense technology. During the exhibition, PABLO AIR will engage in discussion with international partners to foster collaboration networks. The company aims to finalize agreements with major US clients to deliver diverse drone art shows. Young-Joon Kim, CEO of PABLO AIR, expressed the significance of the exhibition, stating, "This is a crucial step for PABLO AIR to enter the global market. And I expect to find the potential for technology enhancement through collaboration with US companies." In previous AUVSI XPONENTIAL events, PABLO AIR has received accolades, including 2nd place in the enterprise operation category of the 'XCELLENCE Awards' for its smart mobility control platform, PAMNet. Last year, the company ranked 1st in Asia and 9th globally in the drone delivery, according to data from the esteemed German research institution, DroneII. As part of its expansion plans, PABLO AIR is gearing up for an IPO listing this year. The company aims to leverage its technology and experience to establish a solid foundation for future growth in the global market. About PABLO AIR Since its pioneering foray into the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sector in 2018, spearheaded by its innovative autonomous swarm flight technology, PABLO AIR, a member company of Global Digital Innovation Network (formerly known as Born2Global Centre), has consistently delivered a diverse portfolio of integrated drone solutions, encompassing UAV control systems, aircraft development, drone delivery platforms and services, as well as ICT drone shows. As a trailblazing South Korean enterprise, PABLO AIR has achieved significant milestones, including being the first South Korean company to actively participate in drone delivery proof-of-concept (PoC) initiatives in the U.S. and commercializing a camping area drone delivery service with 7-Eleven in South Korea. In a bold move towards its future, the company has initiated preparations for a prospective listing on the KOSDAQ stock exchange, scheduled for the second half of 2024. For more detailed information on PABLO AIR, visit https://pabloair.com SOURCE PABLO AIR WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Penstock Group announced today a partnership with Paradigm, an accountable specialty care management organization and developer of a proprietary payment integrity program assuring accurate payments for surgical implant claims. Penstock, a leader in the healthcare payment integrity space focused on delivering innovative and niche results, saw a unique opportunity to integrate Paradigm's robust and established expertise into their programs to enhance claim accuracy in the area of surgical implants. Paradigm logo "Paradigm has been a pioneer in value-based care for more than 30 years," says Penstock president Laura Collier. "Penstock has fairly quickly established a reputation and track record for finding niches in the payment integrity space that others overlook. Paradigm's expertise in this area and Penstock's culture of innovation line up perfectly to provide full transparency and payment accuracy." The partnership will include a seamless integration with ClearBridge, Penstock's comprehensive SaaS payment integrity solution that facilitates a more effective and efficient claims auditing process. ClearBridge is an audit management technology that optimizes workflow and offers seamless self-service for auditors that negates the need for constant IT assistance, including intuitive search, advanced reporting and agile edit development. "The inner workings of the medical device supply chain and evolution of the technology of the devices themselves are intricate and complex," says Collier. "Payers are routinely overpaying in an area that amounts to more than one-fifth of all surgical spend." Paradigm's comprehensive Implant Savings Program identifies savings opportunities through expert bill review and industry-specific data, ensuring accuracy in surgical implant claims. The program delivers an average savings of 69% for payers. Paradigm specializes in reviewing charges for surgical implants with over 200,000 cases reviewed to date. Paradigm's surgical implant review experts, in tandem with a proprietary database, generate savings that far exceed those found using typical surgical claim review approaches a key piece to reducing the unnecessary spend that is so pervasive in healthcare. Ninety-eight percent of surgical implant cost savings identified by Paradigm are upheld after any appeal and 88% of total bills remain undisputed. "This partnership brings together two industry leaders who are committed to going above and beyond to fix core cost challenges in the industry and create proven and sustainable solutions," says Paradigm Chief Networks and Operations Officer Chris Pricco. "By integrating with ClearBridge, a wider range of payers will have access to Paradigm resources as part of a comprehensive audit and payment integrity platform." About Penstock Penstock is a service partner and SaaS builder for forward-thinking health plans, empowering recovery, audit and regulatory teams to get accuracy right from the startwhen it matters most. With payment integrity and regulatory technology and services, Penstock removes inefficiencies, costly errors and wasteful spending, ultimately lowering healthcare costs for payer organizations and their members. Penstock is part of Goodroot, which launches and scales companies dedicated to increasing access and affordability in healthcare. penstockgroup.com About Paradigm Paradigm is an accountable specialty care management organization focused on improving the lives of people with complex injuries and diagnoses. The company has been a pioneer in value-based care since 1991 and has an exceptional track record of generating the very best outcomes for patients, payers, and providers. Deep clinical expertise is the foundation for every part of Paradigm's business: risk-based clinical solutions, case management, specialty networks, home health, shared decision support, and payment integrity programs. Paradigm is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, with offices across the U.S. For more information, please visit paradigmcorp.com. Media Contact: Liz Chasse [email protected] 860-254-6668 SOURCE Penstock Group DUBLIN, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO), a leading provider of Consumer Self-Care Products, today announced that it plans to issue its first quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024, and host a conference call beginning at 8:30 A.M. (EDT). The earnings conference call will be available live via webcast to interested parties in the investor relations section of the Perrigo website at http://perrigo.investorroom.com/events-webcasts or by phone at 888-664-6383, International 416-764-8650, and reference ID # 910565. A taped replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 12:00 P.M. (EDT) Tuesday, May 7, until midnight Wednesday, May 15, 2024. To listen to the replay, dial 888-390-0541, International 416-764-8677, and use access code 910565#. About Perrigo Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO) is a leading provider of Consumer Self-Care Products and over-the-counter (OTC) health and wellness solutions that enhance individual well-being by empowering consumers to proactively prevent or treat conditions that can be self-managed. Visit Perrigo online at www.perrigo.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes, and the matters discussed in Perrigo's upcoming earnings release will include certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Litigation Securities Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factorsmany of which beyond the Company's controlthat may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. Interested persons are urged to consult the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, available at https://investor.perrigo.com/sec-filings, for a discussion of the Company's business and financial condition and certain material trends, risks, uncertainties and other factors relating thereto, including those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. SOURCE Perrigo Company plc SAN FRANCISCO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bringing order to chaos is a challenge in the best of circumstances. Never more so than in a war zone, where clinicians race against time, proximity to enemy forces, and often incoming fireto triage and treat wounded patients. "We support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom in a war they did not seek." Dr. Kevin Bergman, GUSI Post this That's the situation faced by physicians, military medics, and other clinicians on battlefields across Ukraine. Circulating among them, leading lifesaving training in point of care ultrasound (POCUS), members of the Ukrainian medical community train as many clinicians as they can, as efficiently as possible. Within these stringent parameters, the POCUS Essentials Courseoffered at no cost by Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI)has proved to be invaluable. The video curriculum, closed-captioned in Ukrainian, is led by experts in point of care ultrasound. And because it's available online, the Ukrainian teams can learn POCUS whenever the opportunity arises. "The idea behind this training is to give clinicians the skills and confidence they need to integrate POCUS into their patient care under very difficult conditions," said Dr. Kevin Bergman, CEO and co-founder of GUSI. "We decided to offer this training to these healthcare providers at no cost," Bergman said, "Because we support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom in a war they did not seek." Dr. Vadym Vus, a rural family physician currently working out of Kyiv, is one of the people helping spread the reach of point of care ultrasound throughout his country. As part of the FOCUS POCUS ultrasound team, Dr. Vus and other Ukrainian physicians have led free training for the military, refugees, and students. Since the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Dr. Vus has learned to use POCUS in ways he never imagined. "Using POCUS we can do a tactical triage of patients in the fieldfor example, performing FAST exams (focused assessment with sonography in trauma) to identify internal bleeding, or to reveal pneumothorax, or to find and remove shrapnel," Dr. Vus said. "POCUS also helps assess arterial blood flow in extremities, to determine viabilityif blood is still flowing, saving the extremity is still a possibility. If not, amputation may be required," he added. Dr. Stanislav Kravchuk, a gastroenterologist based in Lviv, Ukraine, has traversed his country multiple times to provide POCUS training since the war began. "Our team of doctors in the Ukrainian POCUS Society includes various specialties, all seeking to convey ultrasound skills as far and wide as possible," Dr. Kravchuk said. "Eighty percent of fighters' survival depends on quality of care at the evacuation stage," Kravchuk said. "In our conditions of combat, evacuating the wounded is often extremely difficult due to the condition of the roads, intensity of shellingand due to anti-aviation measures. Casualties often wait 24 to 36 hours for transport from battlefields. Meanwhile, medics put tourniquets on, put in vascular access, and wrap the wounded in thermal blankets." Once the patients are evacuated, clinicians use ultrasound for triage and during surgery. "Catheterization and other procedures are safer with POCUS," Kravchuk said, citing critical funding from the Christian Medical Association for training of military medics. "Answering difficult medical questions in real time is critical for any doctor, especially during war where citizens are in harm's way and the existing healthcare infrastructure is damaged," said Dr. Mena Ramos, a family physician and GUSI Co-Founder. "Partnering with Dr. Vus and Dr. Kravchuk made it possible for GUSI to share our POCUS learning resources to help train thousands of Ukrainian doctors and as a result, reach tens of thousands of lives" Ramos added. "We want people to use objective science to be brave in making clinical decisions," Kravchuk continued. "Thanks to Global Ultrasound Institute, more than 3,000 doctors and military medics have been trained in this life-saving technology," he said. "Right now, there are now about 10 teams working in the field of POCUS training in Ukraine. Two years ago, we were the only one," Kravchuk said. About GUSI The Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI) is at the forefront of point of care ultrasound (POCUS), providing wraparound education, training, and software to healthcare providers and health systems globally. With a network of over 350 POCUS educators worldwide, GUSI training programs are designed for use across multiple medical specialties. The institute has released a musculoskeletal/sports medicine training curriculum, along with courses in pediatrics, pulmonology, obstetrics, and more. GUSI co-founders Kevin Bergman, MD, and Mena Ramos, MD, are leaders in POCUS education and have trained over 12,000 healthcare providers in 60 countries. To learn more about the Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI) and its programs, visit www.globalultrasoundinstitute.com SOURCE GLOBAL ULTRASOUND INSTITUTE Promotes Red Roof Executive Fouad Malouf to the Newly Created Position of Chief Operating Officer COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Roof, an award-winning leader in the lodging industry, has named hotel industry veteran Zack Gharib as President, effective immediately. Zack Gharib, Red Roof President Gharib brings more than two decades of senior management experience in franchising, operations and brand management with companies such as Marriott, Vacasa, LaQuinta by Wyndham and Highgate Homes. He is widely regarded as a hospitality management innovator, having created and launched award-winning development, strategic planning and franchise operations programs over more than two decades of industry leadership. He joins Red Roof as the company accelerates its growth towards 700 hotels across the U.S., and renews its focus on expanded and deepened franchise relationships. Red Roof also announced the promotion of Fouad Malouf to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Malouf will support Gharib by overseeing the company's day-to-day operations, as the company doubles down on the unique culture of service and execution that has made Red Roof the preferred franchise partner for hotel owners across the industry. Having joined the company in 1982, Malouf brings more than four decades of continuous and increasing management responsibility to his new role. He most recently served as Senior Vice President for Franchise Operations. Mohamed Thowfeek, Member of the Red Roof Board of Directors and Red Roof Interim President, said, "We are happy to welcome Zack Gharib as Red Roof's new President, an appointment that we are confident will take the brand and its franchise partners to new heights. Zack brings a laser focus on growth and operations excellence to his new role, and has demonstrated his ability to deliver transformative results for some of the most widely regarded brands in the hotel industry." He concluded, "We look forward to Zack's immediate positive impact on Red Roof and its franchisees, and also congratulate Fouad Malouf on his promotion to Chief Operating Officer. Fouad brings unmatched knowledge and experience with the Red Roof brand and franchise community, and will work closely with Zack to accelerate the company's growth and franchising excellence in the months ahead." Zack Gharib said, "I am deeply honored and excited to be joining Red Roof as its President at this dynamic and promising moment in the company's development." He continued, "I am passionate about helping owners, franchisees and team members achieve their fullest potential, deliver exceptional guest service, and achieve operational excellence which I hope will be instrumental in driving Red Roof's continued growth and success. I look forward to developing a program of focused action and results that will help drive this venerable brand's growth and transformation for many years to come." Gharib is relocating to Columbus, Ohio and will operate out of Red Roof's corporate headquarters there. About Red Roof Red Roof is an award-winning leader in the lodging industry, recognized for creating the innovative Upscale Economy segment, serving millions of guests each year. Red Roof's portfolio of brands includes Red Roof Inn and Red Roof PLUS+, HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof, The Red Collection, and Red Roof's dual-branded properties. Red Roof has over 60,000 rooms in nearly 700 properties in the U.S. and internationally in Japan. For more information, visit redroof.com or download Red Roof's free app for iOS and Android devices. To learn about franchising opportunities, visit redrooffranchising.com . Red Roof's Vision: To provide the best experience and value in the lodging industry for our guests, owners, team members, partners, and communities. Media Contact: Michael Frenkel MFC PR [email protected] SOURCE Red Roof Rare Possibility for Guide and Guiding Association to be Held Accountable REVELSTOKE, BC, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - On April 18, 2024, the B.C. Court of Appeal1 upheld the lower court's decision in Manson v Mitchell2 confirming that the liability waiver signed by the plaintiff, Manson, did not cover the climbing trip on which a rockfall climbing incident occurred. The defendants in Manson's negligence lawsuit are the guide Mitchell, his operating company and the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) that certified Mitchell as a mountain guide.3 Parks Canada: Mitchells helmet damaged in his fall (CNW Group/Ian Manson) Parks Canada: staging area after extraction of fallen climbers (CNW Group/Ian Manson) As to the basis of the defendants' appeal the court wrote: "The appellants raise a number of issues which are essentially six different ways of saying the same thing: that the judge erred in interpreting the Waiver as applying only to the June 18 climb."4 And, as to the defendants' impermissible argument, the court wrote: "The appellants were not able to point to a specific palpable error or error of principle committed by the judge . Rather, their submissions amount to an argument that her conclusion ought to have been different. They refer to Mr. Mitchell's subjective intention, and to the normal commercial practice of requiring a waiver for any expedition, and then attempt to reverse engineer this into an argument that it therefore must have been intended that this Waiver apply to expeditions to which it makes no reference. Again, that is not an approach that is open to this Court."5 The incident occurred on July 15, 2021 on Mt. Rogers in Glacier National Park, BC. Parks Canada described the rock as being a "large fridge-sized rock".6 Manson alleges that Mitchell dislodged the rock when Manson was in view below Mitchell. The rock fell towards Manson grazing him in the helmet and causing him to lose his balance and then fall backwards. Manson's fall caused the safety-rope between Manson and Mitchell to spring tight, catapulting Mitchell from his unanchored stance, causing Mitchell to fall overhead of Manson and then striking the rock face below Manson. The fallen climbers were evacuated from the rock face by Parks Canada's elite long-line helicopter rescue team.7 The ACMG's Mission Statement includes "to protect the public interest in mountain travel".8 To that end, the ACMG previously maintained an incident reporting and learning system. That system is now "suspended / dead"9 over concerns incident reporting may increase the ACMG's exposure to legal action. In Manson v Mitchell, the guide Mitchell voluntarily filed a learning submission that included a safety-instruction explaining how he could have avoided a catastrophic fall.10 Mitchell's safety-instruction when shared with the public could help to protect the public. The trial to determine if Mitchel and or the ACMG were negligent is set for October 2025 in BC Supreme Court. See article by Ian Mulgrew at Liability chasm hazard in back country | Vancouver Sun For more information please contact Michelle Kloet Endnotes _______________________________________ 1 Mitchell v Manson, 2024 BCCA 142, 2024 BCCA 142 (CanLII) 2 Manson v Mitchell, 2023 BCSC 723, 2023 BCSC 723 (CanLII) 3 ACMG What We Do, Public Accountability Tab: ACMG Public Accountability 4 Supra #1 Paragraph 10. 5 Supra #1 Paragraph 71. 6 Parks Canada, Visitor Safety, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier Field Unit, Parks Canada Agency, 2021-07-15, Incident: 2021-VS-1128-MRGFU-0002 7 Supra #2 Page 3 "Overview", Paragraphs 1-4. See also Manson's Notice of Civil Claim available online from CSO - Search Civil by Party Name (gov.bc.ca) civil search terms: Manson, Ian, S-219805. 8 ACMG Who We Are, Mission Statement Tab: ACMG Mission Statement 9 ACMG Arete: ACMG Arete Winter 2024 The State of Incident Reporting in Canadian Guiding, Mark Klassen, Page 50, Paragraph 2. See also ACMG AGM President's Report, Sylvia Forest, Page 6, Strategic Planning, Item #1, Paragraph 2. 10 Document available to be viewed in person: Law Courts, 800 Smithe St, Vancouver, BC, File: S-219805, Document 59 Transcript, 2-November 2022, Page 40, Lines 22-25. SOURCE Ian Manson IRVINE, Calif., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ROKFORM , the maker of premium handheld innovations for those who take action seriously, introduced the MagSafe Magnetic Power Bank. This easy-to-use charging product attaches to the back of MagSafe compatible phones and is designed to keep them powered up on the go. "We are thrilled to introduce the ROKFORM Magnetic Power Bank to our line of power products, offering a new mobile charging option for our customers that provides extreme convenience and reliability," said Jeff Whitten, ROKFORM CEO. ROKFORM's MagSafe Magnetic Power Bank is an easy-to-use charging product that attaches to the back of MagSafe compatible phones and is designed to keep them powered up on the go. ROKFORM's MagSafe Magnetic Power Bank is an easy-to-use charging product that attaches to the back of MagSafe compatible phones and is designed to keep them powered up on the go. Equipped with a 5000mAh capacity, the power bank offers up to 7.5W of wireless charging without the hassle of being tethered to a charging cable. Utilizing neodymium N52 magnets, the strongest available, the power bank securely attaches to the back of the phone, ensuring a firm grip. Crafted with a lightweight polycarbonate body, the portable charger is built to withstand the rigors of daily use in a compact design. ROKFORM's new power bank is designed to work seamlessly with any MagSafe-compatible phone or case, and it can be used with ROKFORM's tough, durable cases, ensuring maximum versatility and convenience. This product and other mountable chargers, fast charging cables, and more power accessories are available now on rokform.com . About ROKFORM: Founded in 2010, ROKFORM's small but dedicated team has bootstrapped its way to becoming a leader in the design and manufacturing of innovative consumer electronics products. It is based in Irvine, California. With 14 patents and counting, ROKFORM remains a leader in the premium active lifestyle consumer electronics niche with innovative designs to protect and enhance the world's mobile devices. Products are designed and shipped directly from California headquarters, and customers can visit ROKFORM's showroom to experience them. Learn more at rokform.com . Media Contact: Haley Lush [email protected] (775) 204-7975 SOURCE ROKFORM "Won't Be Silent Don't Stop 'til It Matters," Hailed as the "Gay Eat, Pray, Love," Is a Remarkable Journey of Love, Loss and the Endless Search for Mattering LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "Won't Be SilentDon't Stop 'til It Matters" from debut author Abe Gurko, is a candid and humorous retelling of an unconventional life. The producer, writer, and social media influencer delivers an honest, hilarious, and rollicking ride filled with joyous, life-affirming moments to reach what the author describes as a life "finally worth living." The book has garnered stellar reviews, now reaching Amazon Best Seller status. Author Abe Gurko and Alfie Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor Embraces Heritage from Birth to Almost Death and Back in His Poignant and Hilarious New Memoir The unlikely odyssey kicks off in suburban New Jersey, sashays through the velvet ropes of Studio 54, ricochets to and from Hollywood, to a pivotal "coming out" moment at a Gucci store in Florence before meandering through Mexico, Germany, and Amsterdam with moments of hilarity and clarity along the way. Abe's madcap journey through ongoing obstacles is an insightful story of survival with grace and resilience. Confronting various addictions, gay acceptance in the turbulent '70s, and testing HIV+ in the '80s, Abe's unwavering spirit propelled him to fight his demons and find meaning and purpose. Armed with razor-sharp wit, Gurko has embraced the uncanny instincts and DNA passed down by loving parents who survived the Holocaust. This legacy ultimately becomes his badge of honor, and the book serves up a tribute to their fortitude, confidence, and the courage he learned from them to repeatedly rise up from life setbacks and heartbreaks. "I live by two edicts," says Abe. "Life is choiceand that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Living now in this unprecedented time in Jewish American history, seeing politicians turn back the clock on gay and women's rights, I'm reminded that my family tree has a spine made of steel. I can't and won't be silent." Won't Be SilentDon't Stop 'til It Matters is the culmination of a life lived, knowing that acknowledging the legacy of parents is a glorious way to pay tribute and share wisdom. "I wanted to leave behind an imprint in the hopes that someone would benefit from my travels and travails," the author commented. This book challenges readers to tap into one's innate superpower to maintain dignity and integrity because, in the end, that's what really matters. To order the book, visit www.wontbesilent.com . The paperback is $19.95. It is also available in hardcover, audiobook, and Kindle formats. MEDIA: ABE GURKO, a popular public speaker, podcaster, social media and political commentator (300,000 followers on TikTok), is available to discuss the book with undeniable humor, share his colorful life, and actionable tips for building a life of resilience, purpose, and joy with your audiences. To receive a review copy or to book an interview with Abe Gurko, please email Brooke Young [email protected] or call (917) 275-6126. SOURCE Abe Gurko MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shelving Inc., a family-owned provider of storage solutions for industrial, commercial, and residential spaces, is excited to announce the launch of its highly anticipated tenth annual Shelving.com Business Scholarship contest on Monday, April 22. This coveted scholarship opportunity is open to hard working Michigan residents who are actively pursuing a major in a business-related field of study. Showcasing its commitment to supporting education, Shelving Inc. is proud to offer the largest prize amounts yet, with a $4,000 first place scholarship, $2,500 second place scholarship, and $1,500 for the second runner-up. President of Shelving Inc., Michael Schodowski, made the official announcement. The 2024 Shelving.com Business Scholarship is now open through July 4, 2024. "As a family-owned business in Michigan, we feel honored to be able to support the students of our community in their academic journey," said Schodowski. "Given the rising costs of living, we made the decision to increase this year's prize amounts to allow for further impact. Throughout the ten years of running this scholarship, we have been consistently amazed by the unwavering determination and dedication shown by students who harness their degrees to create a tangible positive impact within their area." The scholarship program welcomes applications from Michigan residents who are currently enrolled in an accredited university or college, as well as high school seniors who have already enrolled or intend to enroll in college no later than the Fall 2024 semester. Eligible candidates should be pursuing a major in business or a related field of study, maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8. To apply, applicants must submit a copy of their transcript, resume, and an essay that showcases their passion and commitment. Michigan residents who are attending an accredited college or university outside of the state are eligible to apply. Past scholarship recipients have pursued diverse fields of study, including business, human resources, finance, strategic design, and management. The application period for the scholarship closes on July 4, 2024, at 11:59pm EST. The winners of the scholarship will be officially announced on July 22, 2024. Shelving Inc. maintains a strong commitment to giving back to their community, not only through this esteemed scholarship program but also through various fundraising initiatives and meaningful donations to local organizations. To take advantage of this opportunity and apply for the Shelving.com Business Scholarship, candidates are encouraged to visit our website at https://www.shelving.com/Shelving-com-Business-Scholarship-Application-s/2053.htm. Media Contact: Amy Swanson 248-872-1220 [email protected] SOURCE Shelving Inc. IRVINE, Calif., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shopoff Realty Investments ("Shopoff"), a national manager of opportunistic and value-add real estate investments, announced today that Christy Hutchison has been promoted to senior vice president, national accounts. "Christy has been an essential member of the Shopoff distribution team for more than seven years, expanding and nurturing our relationships with the broker-dealer community, registered investment advisors (RIAs) and family offices," explained Shopoff Realty Investments President and CEO William Shopoff. "This promotion reflects her hard work, and the immense value she brings to Shopoff. We look forward to supporting her further growth in the coming years, and its continued positive impact on our business, as well as her colleagues." Ms. Hutchison joined Shopoff in 2017 as a national accounts manager and was later promoted to director, national accounts. During her tenure with Shopoff, she has consistently exceeded expectations, expanding her focus beyond cultivating broker-dealer relationships, to encompass executive and leadership functions, demonstrating a deeper understanding of the securities industry, and collaborating closely with the distribution and real estate teams. In her new role as senior vice president, national accounts, Ms. Hutchison will play a pivotal role in the company's growth and expansion by driving business development initiatives and managing strategic partnerships with RIAs, broker-dealers and family offices. This promotion is a testament to Ms. Hutchison's numerous contributions to Shopoff and her extensive industry experience. This includes recently being elected to the board of directors of ADISA, the premier national association focused on the alternative investments industry. "I am truly honored to be recognized and acknowledged by the executive team and am grateful for their continued confidence in my leadership abilities at the firm," explained Ms. Hutchison. "I not only feel excited for this next step in my career, but privileged to be doing so with a firm that has such a tremendous reputation. My focus, aside from business development efforts, will be on developing our strategic partnerships and collaboration opportunities within the industry, ultimately benefiting the broader sector as a whole." Prior to Shopoff, she served as national accounts manager at New York-based alternative investment firm, First Capital Real Estate Advisors, where she was responsible for building out the independent broker-dealer and RIA channels. With an extensive history in the alts space, Ms. Hutchison began her career as an operations analyst for energy hedge fund, AAA Capital Management, in Houston, Texas. She then began taking on more sales-focused roles upon her transition to Altegris Investments, quickly getting promoted as an internal wholesaler covering the Pacific Northwest, which allowed her to start developing strategic relationships within the industry, before moving on to First Capital Real Estate Advisors. About Shopoff Realty Investments Shopoff Realty Investments is an Irvine, California-based real estate firm with a 32-year history of value-add and opportunistic investing across the United States. The company primarily focuses on proactively generating appreciation through the repositioning of commercial income-producing properties, the entitlement of land assets, and development projects. The 32-year history includes operating as Asset Recovery Fund, Eastbridge Partners, and Shopoff Realty Investments (formerly known as The Shopoff Group). Performance has varied in this time frame, with certain offerings generating losses. For additional information, please visit www.shopoff.com or call (844) 4-SHOPOFF. Disclosures This is not an offering to buy or sell any securities. Such an offer may only be made through the offering memorandum to qualified purchasers. Any investment in Shopoff Realty Investments programs involves substantial risks and is suitable only for investors who have no need for liquidity and who can bear the loss of their entire investment. There is no assurance that any strategy will succeed to meet its investment objectives. The performance of this asset is not indicative of future results of other assets. Securities are offered through Shopoff Securities, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC, 18565 Jamboree Road, Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92612, (844) 4-SHOPOFF. Contact: Jill Swartz Spotlight Marketing Communications 949.427.1389 [email protected] SOURCE Shopoff Realty Investments "Sibel Health was spun out of Northwestern University and founded from an initial grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation given our commitment to maternal neonatal health. We're proud to come full circle to take that initial investment and expand our potential for impact. Losing a single mother while giving birth is one too many. Vital signs are vitaland every pregnant person deserves to have their vitals checked," said Steve Xu MD, CEO and Co-Founder of Sibel Health. "We're looking forward to adding AI-driven clinical decision support and point of care ultrasound to this platform to go well beyond monitoring in the near future ." Sibel Health, founded in 2018, has been committed to maternal health innovation being recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration as a Phase 2 winner in their Remote Pregnancy Monitoring Grand Challenge, and most recently a finalist in the NIH's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Technology (RADx Tech) for Maternal Health Challenge. Since 2016, progress in reducing global obstetrical mortality has stalled. Currently, the goal of meeting the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of reducing maternal mortality rate to fewer than 70 out of 100,000 births is at risk. Globally, 800 women die every day in pregnancy or childbirth with the majority of these deaths being completely preventable with early detection by vital signs monitoring. In the U.S., maternal mortality has increased in the last 10 years, with black women having 3 times the risk of death compared to white women. The University of Edinburgh is a global institution that co-leads the NIHR Global Surgery Unit. The Global Surgery Unit holds the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest biomedical collaboration everand will collaborate closely with Sibel Health to develop and deploy advanced maternal monitoring in 3 initial target geographiesIndia, Pakistan, and Nigeria. "As experts in implementing complex interventions and conducting large-scale clinical trials, we look forward to working with Sibel Health in this critical effort" said Professor Ewen Harrison, Professor of Surgery and Data Science at the University of Edinburgh, Consultant Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and co-lead of the NIHR Global Surgery Unit. Dr. Rosie Townsend, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and Consultant Obstetrician at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, added "the need for vital signs monitoring is clear in maternal health for low resource settings, this is an opportunity to deliver a potentially life-saving solution." Most recently, the Gates Foundation has invested more than $100 million dollars in bringing point of care ultrasound to LMICs for maternal health. This work extends into advanced continuous vital signs monitoring engaging leading experts based in Nigeria (Doctors Opeyemi Akinajo, Bosede Afolabi, and Adesoji Ademuyiwa), Pakistan (Doctors Zahra Hoodbhoy, Imran Nisar, and Fyezah Jehan), and India (Doctors Dhruva Ghosh and Kavita Mandrelle Bhatti) as equal partners. About Sibel Health: Sibel Health is an award-winning digital health company with a mission to deliver Better Health Data for All. Based in Chicago with an international office in Seoul, the company's FDA-cleared ANNE platform includes advanced wearable sensors, AI-enabled data analytics, and an integrated mobile software and cloud platform. Sibel has partnerships with some of the most respected healthcare organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit us at www.sibelhealth.com and follow us on LinkedIn. SOURCE Sibel Health Home security company continues innovating, changing the way people protect their homes and keeping people safer than ever before BOSTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SimpliSafe , maker of award-winning smart home security systems, today announced it will give select customers early access to its live guard outdoor protection1 service. SimpliSafe's new monitoring service introduces a revolutionary double-layer approach to home security, combining the power of artificial intelligence (AI) technology with a team of expert monitoring professionals to prevent crime before it happens. This new offering builds upon the company's recently launched 24/7 live guard protection , making SimpliSafe the first to offer this type of monitoring service both inside and outside the home that's staffed by its own team of security experts, keeping its customers safer than ever before. SimpliSafe live guard outdoor monitoring service introduces a double-layer approach to home security by combining the power of artificial intelligence (AI) technology with a team of expert monitoring professionals to prevent crime before it happens. Nearly 2 million people in the US are victims of burglary and trespassing each year, often facing significant emotional and financial harm as a result.2 Home invasions typically last only 10 minutes,3 so every second counts when it comes to emergency response; however, once an intruder has entered the home, it's already too late to stop the resulting property and emotional damage. Enter: SimpliSafe live guard outdoor monitoring. This groundbreaking service is designed to prevent crime by keeping watch over the perimeter of your home and deterring potential intruders from breaking in. If a trespasser or potential intruder is detected, SimpliSafe monitoring agents jump into action intervening before they can enter the home. If warranted, the monitoring agents can even dispatch police, providing another layer of security to the home. "For decades, the home security industry has remained reactive, jumping into action only when a break-in is already in progress. SimpliSafe has set out to challenge this standard and to offer our customers new, more proactive ways to feel and be safe," said Christian Cerda, Chief Executive Officer at SimpliSafe. "Live outdoor monitoring is our latest breakthrough, combining AI and advanced technology with expert monitoring professionals to stop crime before it even happens. This is a true game changer in customer safety." When a customer's SimpliSafe system is armed, their outdoor camera keeps watch over their home's perimeter. With live outdoor monitoring, the service uses advanced AI to detect when someone is approaching the home and determines if the person matches any of the customer's saved profiles4. If the person doesn't match any of the customer's saved profiles, an expert monitoring agent can use the camera's live video to confirm any imminent threat and deter potential intruders by speaking to them in real-time using the camera's two-way audio and triggering sirens. True to SimpliSafe's steadfast commitment to privacy across all products and services, live guard outdoor protection is designed to give customers complete control of their privacy. SimpliSafe gives customers total control over which cameras our agents monitor and when. With outdoor monitoring, customers also have the ability to easily create and delete profiles of friendly faces within the app, so they can be confident they are only receiving alerts for unidentified persons. Additionally, all live and recorded videos are securely encrypted and are not accessible by monitoring agents after an event has been reviewed and closed. Live guard outdoor protection will be available to all customers later this year. This groundbreaking service is part of SimpliSafe's Fast Protect Technology which aims to provide the fastest detection, deterrence and prevention in the industry. SimpliSafe Early Access Programs, like this one, allow qualifying customers to test SimpliSafe's latest innovations before they become widely available to the public, as well as the opportunity to provide feedback that will shape products and services for full-launch readiness. To learn more about the Early Access Program and how new live outdoor monitoring is designed to prevent crime, please visit: http://simplisafe.com/blog/simplisafe-pilots-new-service-designed-to-help-prevent-crime-before-it-happens . About SimpliSafe SimpliSafe fundamentally changed the alarm industry, pioneering a new way to make home the safest place on earth for everyone. Founded in 2006, SimpliSafe now protects millions of people and is committed to its founding goal: to make every home secure. SimpliSafe has been coined the number one home security pick by several highly esteemed publications and was recently named one of the " Best Home Security Systems " by U.S. News & World Report. SimpliCam, SimpliSafe, and the SimpliSafe logo are the registered trademarks of SimpliSafe, Inc. in the US and other countries. Media contact: Catie Valzania [email protected] 1 Commercial name pending 2 Source: https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/cv22.pdf 3 Source: https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/home-security/home-invasion-statistics/ 4 Except where prohibited by law in Illinois, Texas, and (Portland) Oregon. SOURCE SimpliSafe Key Takeaways Thirteen Park Assist Sensors have been added to Standard's industry-leading ADAS program Standard's Fuel Injection, Electronic Throttle Body, and Ignition programs see continued expansion Four Seasons has introduced 141 new numbers in key categories like Hose Assemblies and Electric Coolant Pumps NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP) has announced the introduction of 268 new part numbers in its April new number announcement. This most recent release provides new coverage in 75 distinct product categories and 80 part numbers for 2023 and 2024 model-year vehicles. This most recent release provides new coverage in 75 distinct product categories and 80 part numbers for 2023 and 2024 model-year vehicles. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are becoming increasingly complex, and Standard's high-tech coverage grows to meet demand in these important categories. Thirteen Park Assist Sensors have been added, offering new coverage for import vehicles including the 2023-20 Toyota Camry and 2022-20 Nissan Rogue. Park Assist Cameras have been added for over 2 million Nissan vehicles, and ABS Sensors are new for 2024-20 Chevrolet and GMC heavy-duty trucks and the 2024-20 Cadillac CT4. Electronic Parking Brake Actuators are also new for Mazda and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Internal combustion engines are being built with more technology than ever before, and Standard is continuing to introduce new components to keep these engines operating as designed. Standard's industry-leading fuel injection program sees the introduction of New Fuel Injectors for Mazda vehicles and Fuel Pressure Sensors for General Motors vehicles through 2022. Seven new Electronic Throttle Bodies have been added, offering coverage for popular Ford, Mazda, General Motors and Toyota vehicles. Each ETB includes the required gasket for a complete repair solution. Standard's ignition program has expanded with new Ignition Coils for popular Subaru and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Emission control categories also see growth, with eight new EGR Tubes, several Engine Crankcase Breather Hoses and more. Standard's Collision program has expanded with Radiator Active Grille Shutter Assemblies and Actuators for Ford vehicles like the 2023-21 F-150. Center High Mount Stop Light Assemblies are new for Ford, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles. Trunk Release Switches have been added for 5.6 million Toyota vehicles, and Power Door Lock Actuators are now available for the 2023-15 Ford Mustang. Four Seasons has introduced 141 new part numbers in its April announcement, including 73 new Hose Assemblies for over 7.9 million domestic and import vehicles like the 2022-19 Toyota RAV4 and 2023-20 Ford Transit. Electric Coolant Pumps are new for popular applications like the 2020-17 BMW 2 Series, and Remanufactured Compressors have been added for the 2022-16 Dodge Durango. Water Outlets have been added for over 1.2 million Mazda vehicles, and Air Door Actuators are now available for Subaru vehicles through 2020. Jack Ramsey, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, SMP, stated, "This latest release covers a wide range of key categories and offers import and domestic coverage through model-year 2024. SMP is committed to continued strategic expansion to provide our distribution partners with the late-model coverage their service provider customers are looking for." All new applications are listed in the catalogs found at StandardBrand.com and 4s.com and in electronic catalog providers. About SMP With over 100 years in business, Standard Motor Products, Inc. is a leading independent manufacturer and distributor of premium automotive replacement parts utilized in the maintenance, repair and service of vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry. In addition, SMP continues to increase its supplier capabilities with a complementary focus on specialized original equipment parts for manufacturers across multiple industries such as agriculture, heavy duty, and construction equipment. SMP sells its products primarily to automotive aftermarket retailers, program distribution groups, warehouse distributors, original equipment manufacturers and original equipment service part operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Mexico and other Latin American countries. For more information, download the SMP Parts App or visit SMPcorp.com. SOURCE Standard Motor Products, Inc. TV 3.0 Takes Gold for Its Innovative Vertical Video Capabilities MIAMI, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Streann proudly announces its recognition as an industry leader at the sixth annual Product of the Year Awards, held live during the 2024 NAB Show in Las Vegas. Recognized as one of the most prestigious accolades in the content industry, the awards celebrate the outstanding products showcased at the event. Judged by industry experts, the NAB Show Product of the Year awards spotlight the most promising innovations in the broadcasting industry. This year's winners were chosen from a competitive field of over 500 entries across 11 categories. Gio Punzo, CEO of Streann, remarked, "We are transforming content owners and broadcasters into social media companies, revolutionizing community building on a global scale. This recognition from the NAB Show solidifies Streann's position as a pioneer in digital content delivery. Our TV 3.0 garnered significant interest from top media companies at the NAB show floor, and we are excited for what lies ahead." According to Goldman Sachs, the Creator Economy is poised to generate over $250 billion in revenue this year, with a mere $17 billion attributed to user-generated content. This staggering growth underscores the immense potential of this vertical, projected to double its revenue to half a trillion dollars by the end of the decade. Vertical videos have evolved from a passing trend to a data-driven strategy, demonstrating unparalleled effectiveness in captivating audience attention and fostering deeper connections. Streann's Inside-Reels leads the charge in vertical video innovation, empowering users to effortlessly create and share captivating content. With advanced technologies like face recognition and seamless vertical scrolling interfaces, Streann redefines community building and brand amplification. Streann's TV 3.0 introduces groundbreaking vertical video capabilities, revolutionizing content consumption and engagement. Leveraging AI and social content platforms, TV 3.0 amplifies viewability by an astonishing 187% and doubles engagement rates. With vertical videos occupying 78% more screen space on mobile devices, they inherently command greater attention and stand out in the digital landscape. Notably, 71% of users prefer vertical video ads, resulting in heightened engagement and doubling the purchase intent compared to horizontal ads. Streann's cutting-edge technologies facilitate the effortless creation and sharing of captivating vertical content, tapping into the creative potential seen on platforms like TikTok. Brands increasingly adopt vertical videos due to their effectiveness, with advertisers witnessing a significant 53% boost in ROI compared to other formats. SOURCE Streann Media SHERMAN OAKS, Calif., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP (SA&M), a leading law firm dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and innovators, proudly announces its strategic partnership of its Preccelerator Program with Pegasus Angel Accelerator (Pegasus), a dynamic force in the startup ecosystem. This partnership signifies SA&M's unwavering commitment to nurturing the growth and success of early-stage ventures in the vibrant Los Angeles startup community. While Preccelerator and Pegasus will continue to nurture their individual cohorts, this partnership facilitates the exchange of resources. At its core, this collaboration leverages the Preccelerator Program of SA&M with the forward-thinking strategy of Pegasus Angel Accelerator, enhancing support for startups through shared expertise and resources. As part of the agreement, Pegasus will conduct a meticulous analysis and evaluation of applicants to the Preccelerator Program, handpicking the most promising ventures to join its esteemed cohort. These selected companies will gain access to a rich tapestry of resources, including a mentorship network, investor connections, and strategic media coverage facilitated by Pegasus. "We are thrilled to share resources with SA&M's Preccelerator Program," said Lucas J. Pols, Managing Partner at Pegasus Angel Accelerator. "This collaboration signifies our commitment to revolutionizing the startup ecosystem, driving innovation, and empowering entrepreneurs to reach new heights." In tandem, SA&M will make a significant investment into the Pegasus fund and extend its comprehensive suite of resources developed through the Preccelerator Program to Pegasus and its cohort companies. This includes access to a co-working facility in Santa Monica, programming tailored to early-stage startups, community events fostering collaboration and networking, investor strategy resources, and legal services. "Through this collaborative agreement, Stubbs Alderton & Markiles reaffirms its dedication to fueling innovation and entrepreneurship in Los Angeles," said Scott Alderton, Managing Partner at SA&M. "By teaming up with Pegasus Angel Accelerator, we aim to provide startups with the holistic support and resources they need to thrive in today's competitive landscape." "In aligning the vision of the Preccelerator Program with the assistance of Pegasus Angel Accelerator's dynamic approach, we are excited to further enhance the opportunities available to early-stage ventures," added Len Lanzi, Managing Director of the Preccelerator Program at SA&M. "Together, we will empower startups with the mentorship, guidance, and strategic resources necessary to navigate the path to success." The alliance between Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP and Pegasus Angel Accelerator represents a significant advancement for the Los Angeles startup community. By sharing resources of SA&M's Preccelerator Program with Pegasus Angel Accelerator's innovative approach, the partnership aims to provide unparalleled support and guidance to startups. Together, they seek to redefine the startup landscape, fostering a more promising future for entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. About the Preccelerator Program: Founded in 2013 by Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, the Preccelerator Program is a six-month initiative designed to accelerate the growth of early-stage ventures. Offering capital investment, access to a vibrant co-working space in Santa Monica, and guidance from over 100 seasoned mentors, the program equips startups with the tools and strategies needed for success. Enrolled companies also benefit from $25,000 in legal service credits and exclusive perks from partners such as Google LLC and HubSpot. About Pegasus Angel Accelerator: Pegasus Angel Accelerator is dedicated to empowering dreams and elevating futures for early-stage ventures. With a dynamic network of seasoned investors and mentors, Pegasus offers not only financial backing but also unparalleled guidance and resources to propel startups forward. Through customized objectives, strategic advisory boards, and a comprehensive curriculum, Pegasus empowers entrepreneurs to navigate the challenges of growth and scale. For more information about Stubbs Alderton & Markiles LLP and the Preccelerator Program, visit www.preccelerator.com. Connect with Pegasus Angel Accelerator on its website here. SOURCE Stubbs Alderton & Markiles AALBORG, Denmark, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainable Projects Group Inc. (OTC US: SPGX) ('Sustainable Projects Group' or the 'Company'), a green technology mining company focused on sustainable lithium projects in the United States, today announced that the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Lithium Harvest ApS ('Lithium Harvest') has entered into a Partnership Agreement with Sunday Creek Horizons, LLC ('Sunday Creek Horizons'). Pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, Sunday Creek Horizons and Lithium Harvest will work together on securing financing and feedstock supply agreements for several lithium operations in the Ohio River Valley. "We are very pleased to announce this Partnership Agreement," commented Sune Mathiesen, CEO of Sustainable Projects Group. "We are confident that Sunday Creek Horizons is the right partner for us in securing financing and feedstock agreements in Ohio. This is another important step for us in our ambitions to secure U.S. supply of lithium compounds with a minimal environmental footprint." Congressman Zack Space, President of Sunday Creek Horizons, commented: "We are excited to announce this partnership with Lithium Harvest. We have been impressed with Lithium Harvests revolutionizing technology that not only makes oil & gas production more sustainable, but also holds the potential to make Ohio an important player in U.S. produced lithium. Oil & gas production in Ohio continues to grow and we believe that this new technology will support continued growth and further strengthen Ohios position as a leader in energy." Former President Pro Tempore Jay Hottinger, Executive Vice President of Sunday Creek Horizons, commented: "The Sunday Creek Horizons team is thrilled to partner with Lithium Harvest as they endeavor to enter the Ohio market. During my time in the Ohio General Assembly, our state government worked tirelessly to make Ohio a destination for innovative businesses and cutting-edge technologies. Our state's strong oil and gas industry and friendly business climate make Ohio a prime location for Lithium Harvest to grow and succeed. I am excited to work with their team to achieve this success." About Sustainable Projects Group Inc. Sustainable Projects Group Inc. is a pure-play lithium company focused on supplying high performance lithium compounds to the fast-growing electric vehicle and broader battery markets. The Companys subsidiary, Lithium Harvest has developed a proprietary technology to extract lithium from oilfield wastewater, which enables it to manufacture lithium compounds quickly, at an attractive cost, and with a significantly reduced environmental footprint. Company Contact: Sune Mathiesen, CEO +1 713 887 0751 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/sustainable-projects-group-inc/r/sustainable-projects-group-announces-partnership-agreement-with-sunday-creek-horizons,c3965730 SOURCE Sustainable Projects Group Inc Acquisition Bolsters Talos's Capabilities with Sophisticated Risk Management Technology Critical for Institutional Adoption of Digital Assets NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Talos, the premier provider of institutional technology for trading digital assets, announced its acquisition of Cloudwall, a developer of sophisticated digital asset risk technology. The technology and expertise of Cloudwall will enhance Talos's existing portfolio management system (PMS), expanding it to deliver the industry's next generation of portfolio management tools for digital assets. "The acquisition of Cloudwall is a cornerstone in our strategy to enhance and expand our portfolio management solutions," said Anton Katz, CEO and Co-Founder of Talos. "This collaboration is foundational in our roadmap towards delivering an innovative PMS that promises to redefine industry standards in managing digital assets. Our clients can look forward to additional sophisticated tools to support their decision-making and optimize their digital asset portfolios." Talos and Cloudwall have focused exclusively on serving institutions with the shared goal of facilitating institutional adoption of digital assets. For institutional investors, who manage large pools of assets, many with strict fiduciary responsibilities, risk management systems are essential to protect and grow their investment portfolios. With this acquisition, Talos is investing in institutional-grade risk management technology to help clients assess and mitigate risks unique to digital asset portfolios. "Talos and Cloudwall share a view that in the future all assets will be digital assets," said Kyle Downey, CEO and Co-Founder of Cloudwall. "Risk is fundamental to finance, whatever the asset class, and digital assets are no exception. That's why we're excited to continue our mission of building the risk management defenses that institutions need to trade digital assets under the auspices of Talos." In Q1 of 2023, Talos acquired D3X Systems, which advanced its capabilities in portfolio engineering in support of client-driven systematic investment strategies including tools for portfolio optimization, strategy backtesting, portfolio rebalancing, and risk and return attribution. Clients can also view and manage their positions across custodians, balances across exchanges and credit across dealers. With Cloudwall's additional expertise in portfolio risk systems, Talos is well positioned to accelerate the development of a comprehensive portfolio management system across spot, futures, perps and options. About Talos Talos provides institutional-grade technology that supports the full digital asset trading lifecycle, including liquidity sourcing, price discovery, trading, settlement, lending, borrowing and portfolio management. Engineered by a team with unmatched experience building institutional trading systems, the Talos platform connects institutions to key participants in today's digital asset ecosystem exchanges, OTC desks, prime brokers, lenders, custodians and more through a single point of entry. By streamlining the entire trading process, Talos helps clients mitigate intermediary risk and facilitate best execution. For additional information, visit www.talos.com . Talos Disclaimer: Talos Global, Inc., together with its affiliates (collectively, "Talos"), is not an investment advisor or broker/dealer. No Talos product or service constitutes an offer to buy or sell, or a promotion or recommendation of, any digital asset, security, derivative, commodity, financial instrument or product or trading strategy. Further, No Talos product or service is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. Talos offers software as a service products that provide connectivity tools for institutional clients. Services may not be available in all jurisdictions. About Cloudwall Cloudwall is a US- and Singapore-based digital asset portfolio management software provider. With a team of quantitative researchers and software engineers, Cloudwall offers one of the world's most advanced digital asset risk management platforms exclusively designed for institutional portfolio managers to help them determine which risks to gain exposure to or to hedge against. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE Talos Trading Company launches new products made from ocean-bound recycled plastic and strengthens its global sustainability ratings ANAHEIM, Calif., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Targus, the number one third-party docking station and laptop bag brand in the US1 and a leader in laptop cases and mobile computing accessories, today announced progress in its sustainability roadmap with the launch of new eco-friendly products and an improved sustainability scorecard from EcoVadis. EcoVadis is a globally recognized certification platform that rates businesses' sustainability performance. Targus shares latest progress in its sustainability journey during Earth Month "As we continue our journey to become a more sustainable company, we recognize the importance of demonstrating our progress through real and tangible actions," says Targus' Andrew Corkill, Global Vice President of Marketing and eCommerce. "Targus continues to do this by introducing more and more products that incorporate recycled materials and improving the quality and breadth of our global certification and reporting standards." Targus has been using recycled materials in its laptop bags since 2008 through its EcoSmart technology, a process that turns plastic water bottles into fabric which is then woven into the bags. Now, the company has taken this a step further by introducing its new EcoSmart Coastline Collection, a backpack and briefcase made from certified ocean-bound plastic. Additionally, in 2022, Targus started making sustainable tech accessories including its award-winning ErgoFlip EcoSmart Mouse and Sustainable Energy Harvesting EcoSmart Keyboard. These EcoSmart tech accessories are made with up to 85 percent certified post-consumer plastic, run on ultra-low power Bluetooth, and come in recycled packaging. Now the company has expanded the portfolio with three new keyboards: a Sustainable Ergonomic EcoSmart Keyboard and full-size keyboards available in both wireless and wired options. Demonstrating its progress in sustainability, Targus has also recently completed its annual certification process with EcoVadis. The 2023 EcoVadis ratings put Targus in the bronze status at the 64th percentile, which is the top 16 percent of companies in the computer wholesale, computer peripheral equipment, and software industries globally. This is a 13-point increase from its 51st percentile ranking in 2022. The EcoVadis methodology assesses companies' policies, actions, and results in the areas of environmental impact, labor and human rights standards, ethics, and procurement practices. To further demonstrate its commitment to our planet, Targus's global team participated in a global Treekly challenge for the second consecutive year to turn their collective footsteps into forests. According to Treekly, the Targus team walked a total of 12.8 million combined steps in 2024, resulting in 1,159 trees planted. By 2050, the trees will capture an estimated 395.73 tons of CO2, or the equivalent of removing the impact of 112,278 quarter-pound cheeseburgers. In doing so, these reforestation initiatives will restore habitats and protect against coastal erosion. Head to the Targus blog and stay connected on social media: Podcast, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more updates about Targus' sustainability journey. About Targus For 40 years, Targus has been revolutionizing mobile computing accessories for large enterprises and consumers, alike connecting people and technology in meaningful ways. From laptop bags to tablet cases, to peripherals and universal docking stations, we persistently conceive, design, and produce innovative, productivity-boosting solutions that make the complex, simple; and seamlessly integrate into the lifestyles of mobile professionals wherever they work at home, in the office, or wherever they go. We cross categories, regions, industries, and lifestyles with a breadth and depth of products that provide you with the solutions you need to live, dream, and do. A global leader in docking, Targus has deployed more than 3 million universal docking stations around the world in more than 12,000 organizations with more than 90% of Fortune 1000 companies using Targus products and maintains the number one spot in US B2B Universal Docks (3rd party only)2. Headquartered in Anaheim, California, Targus has global operations in more than 24 offices and distribution in more than 100 countries. Learn more about us at Targus.com, like or follow us on social media. 1Source: Circana, US/Canada Retail and US B2B Reseller in Unit Sales, ending December 2023 (Laptop Bag case type = Briefcase, Sleeve, Attache, Slipcase, Messenger Bag) 2Source: Circana, US B2B Reseller, Docking Stations Unit Sales, ending December 2023 Targus, EcoSmart, and ErgoFlip are trademarks or registered trademarks of Targus International LLC in the U.S. and in certain other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. SOURCE Targus NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bloc , a renowned global health-native agency, announces the recruitment of Eduardo Basque as Associate Creative Director, based in the New York office. With a distinguished and award-winning career at companies such as Ogilvy Health and McCann Health, Basque brings creative support, refined technique, and 25 years of expertise to The Bloc, further strengthening its commitment to health communication excellence. Eduardo Basque Basque has contributed significantly to the advertising industry, working across various agencies of different sizes, managing projects for multinational corporations, and fostering the growth of smaller agencies. Throughout his career, he has garnered numerous prestigious awards, including D&AD, Clio, and ADC, among others, and has been featured in publications like Lurzer's Archive magazine. His expertise extends to serving as a Grand Jury Member in several international advertising festivals, showcasing his deep knowledge and influence within the industry. "Having had the pleasure of working with Eduardo previously, I am genuinely excited to welcome him to our team at The Bloc," said Adam Hessel, Head of Creative and Experience at The Bloc. "Eduardo's incredible vision and unwavering creativity have always set him apart. His approach not only breathes new life into every project but also pushes the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare marketing. I am eager to collaborate once more and explore the new possibilities that lie ahead with Eduardo's expertise in enhancing our campaigns. His presence is a tremendous asset to our team, and I am sure it will lead to exciting, innovative work that will captivate and inspire." Reflecting on his appointment, Basque expressed, "In my capacity at The Bloc, I intend to play a pivotal role in driving the intersection of creativity and health evolution by harnessing creativity responsibly and innovatively. My objective is to conceive ideas and campaigns that educate, inform, inspire, and captivate the intended audience. Through the creation of compelling content and immersive experiences, I am dedicated to contributing to establishing a creative legacy within the health sector." Basque will collaborate closely with Head of Creative and Experience Adam Hessel to further utilize creativity to drive The Bloc's positive, informative, and motivational messages pertaining to health. To learn more about The Bloc's innovative approach and to stay updated on the latest developments, please visit thebloc.com . About The Bloc The Bloc is the only true global health-native agency uniquely offering the most effective behavioral-based communications platform, BE-COMMs, for global health marketing and medical communications. Celebrating 23 years of excellence, The Bloc is the most-awarded privately owned health creative agency. Its unique and innovative approach integrates local knowledge with data-driven behavioral science, embodied in the BE-COMMs platform, to enhance global strategies, creative impact, customer engagement, and successful outcomes. Discover more about The Bloc's transformative health communications at thebloc.com . Press Contact: Leigh Brandt | [email protected] SOURCE The Bloc IRVING, Texas, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The N2 Company 's (N2) reputation for growth and team member satisfaction continues with the latest wave of award wins. Just four months into 2024, N2 is celebrating additional accolades from Franchise Business Review, along with major recognition from Entrepreneur magazine for the growth and affordability of its flagship Stroll franchise. The N2 Company partners with independent research firm Franchise Business Review (FBR) to administer an extensive and anonymous survey of its franchisees. This year, 345 N2 business owners (71%) participated in the optional survey. The niche magazine franchisor achieved a Franchisee Satisfaction Index score of 77, compared to the benchmark score of 69 which reflects the average of all franchises FBR surveyed. From these results, FBR has named N2 to its 2024 lists of Top Franchises for Women and Top Low-Cost Franchises. 90% of The N2 Company franchisees would recommend the franchise to others. Post this Notable findings from the survey include: 90% of N2 franchisees would recommend the franchise to others, compared to the benchmark of 76% 89% of N2 franchisees would invest in N2 again "knowing what they know now," compared to the benchmark of 72% 88% of N2 franchisees believe their franchisor acts with honesty and integrity, compared to the benchmark of 78% The N2 Company owns several top magazine brands, including the nation's most extensive line of luxury neighborhood magazines, Stroll. Entrepreneur magazine recently named Stroll a Top Low-Cost Franchise and ranked Stroll the fourth fastest-growing franchise in 2024. According to leaders, Stroll and other N2 brands are poised for further expansion. "We've identified additional franchise opportunities nationwide and seek the right candidates to launch one of our niche magazines in their local community," said Bethany Mascena-Tracy, N2's Director of Franchise Recruitment. To learn more about The N2 Company's franchise brands and ownership opportunities, visit www.n2co.com . About The N2 Company For 20 years, The N2 Company has helped businesses "connect with ideal clients" by partnering with affluent neighborhoods, real estate communities, new-mover audiences, and others, to produce 800 custom publications and more opening every week . Every N2 issue is personal, relevant, and unique to the community it serves. Visit The N2 Company online at www.n2co.com to learn about our full portfolio of brands: Stroll, Greet, Real Producers, BeLocal, and Hyport Digital. CONTACT: The N2 Company [email protected] SOURCE The N2 Company Improving Access to Home Dialysis Act aims to reduce barriers to treatment and increase access to care WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation is applauding a move by Congress to increase access to care and improve outcomes for some patients on dialysis. The Improving Access to Home Dialysis Act (HR-8075) was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA). A companion bill is expected to be introduced soon in the Senate. Home dialysis is a form of renal (kidney) replacement therapy (aka, dialysis) that can be done at home by the patient alone or with the help of a care partner. While home dialysis is not for everyone, it can offer patients convenience and flexibility to do their treatments in the comfort of their own homes and without a rigid dialysis schedule set for them. The therapy can be especially useful to patients in rural or remote areas who have to travel long distances to reach a dialysis facility. This flexibility can greatly improve the quality of life for patients and help make them more likely to maintain employment and remain healthy enough to qualify for transplantation. "Patients deserve to know about all options for dialysis so they can make an educated choice for themselves." Post this Only 14% of patients on dialysis in the US are using at-home options, despite evidence showing that it may be a better option for some (but not all) patients1. Lack of information is a major barrier as many patients are not informed there are options beyond the traditional in-center care. "Patients deserve to know about all options for dialysis so they can make an educated choice for themselves," said Kevin Longino, Chief Executive Officer of the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. "Too many patients are never told they have options, besides in-center dialysis, that could improve their quality of life. We are deeply appreciative of Reps. Miller, Strickland, Blumenauer, and Miller Meeks for their introduction of the Improving Access to Home Dialysis Act, which will help more patients learn about and gain access to home dialysis." The Improving Access to Home Dialysis Act will: Mandate that patients get proper education on all of their dialysis options, including making sure that even patients who crash onto dialysis with no preparation can get education on other options once they have stabilized and can make informed decisions about their future. Expand the universe of healthcare providers who can provide home dialysis training to remove the burden from the nursing staff and cut down on wait times to get trained. It would also allow for the use of group training, telehealth, and off-site training when appropriate. Cover the costs of in-home healthcare support staff for patients when they're beginning their home dialysis journey. This in-home assistance would help patients transition from the facility and support the patient and if available, their care partner, with the goal that they become fully independent over time. Some patients with certain disabilities or other concerns could be eligible for continuing in-home assistance. Patients and advocates who have been able to utilize Home Dialysis in the past are also voicing their support. "In 2001, I was fortunate to be offered home hemodialysis soon after I crashed into End Stage Kidney Disease," said Erich Ditschman, an NKF volunteer from Michigan. "Home dialysis gives me the energy and health to be a better husband, father, and friend. Many of the patients on in-center dialysis may not know home dialysis exists or have not been given the opportunity to use it. Once passed and signed, this legislation will help to make home dialysis much more accessible, especially to rural patients. It will save lives and help many ESKD patients to flourish." "I am grateful to Reps. Miller, Strickland, Blumenauer, and Miller Meeks for spearheading this push to make home dialysis more accessible for us," said Bell Maddux, an NKF advocate from Pennsylvania. "Policies like this make me increasingly optimistic that more kidney patients struggling with dialysis can have a chance to get some of their life back." Additional Resources Bill: Improving Access to Home Dialysis Act Press Release from Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) Press Release from Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) NKF Article: Making the Case for Home Dialysis Additional background: Erich Ditschman: Michigan Advocate to Receive Award Additional background: Bell Maddux: Testimony to the House Ways & Means Committee on Home Dialysis About Kidney Disease In the United States, more than 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)and approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people. About the National Kidney Foundation The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about kidney disease, please visit www.kidney.org/ 1 United States Renal Data System. 2023 USRDS Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2023. SOURCE The National Kidney Foundation Coverage of the Uvalde school shooting wins prestigious $25,000 Journalism Prize GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and FRONTLINE have been awarded the 2024 Collier Prize for State Government Accountability for their reporting on the tragic mishandling of the active-shooter situation at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. Public Health Watch and partner organizations won second place for "Toxic Texas Air." The Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York, was awarded third place for coverage of the aftermath of the bomb cyclone blizzard in Buffalo, New York, in December 2022. "It is very gratifying to honor this important and impactful investigative journalism at the state level." Post this The Collier Prize designed to encourage coverage of state government, focusing on investigative and political reporting is one of the largest journalism awards in the nation. Offered by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) and funded by Nathan S. Collier , the prize will be presented at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on April 27, 2024. Earlier this year, Collier committed $8 million to UFCJC to sustain the prize, hire a full-time director and create a new local journalism symposium. The winning entry, "Unprepared," included a series of articles and a FRONTLINE documentary that exposed the failures of law enforcement during the shooting, which led to the deaths of 21 people, including 19 children. "A standout investigation into the missteps of law enforcement during one of the most horrific school shootings in recent U.S. history," wrote one of the Collier Prize judges. The second-place winner, "Toxic Texas Air," by Public Health Watch and partner news organizations, revealed the state's failure to protect citizens from polluting the air with deadly and dangerous chemicals, particularly benzene. The Democrat and Chronicle won third place for "Abandoned," which reported on the government's shortcomings before and during the December 2022 blizzard and is told through the narrative about a young woman named Anndel Taylor, who was trapped and died in her car. "It is very gratifying to honor this important and impactful investigative journalism at the state level," said Nathan Collier. "The stories from these news outlets, as well as from all Collier Prize entrants, validate the need for continued scrutiny of state government activity," said UFCJC Dean Hub Brown. "We are grateful to Nathan Collier for funding this magnificent journalism." For more coverage, click here . SOURCE University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Thompson Thrift, a full-service nationally recognized real estate company, announced today the sale of Oakbrook Townhomes, an 89-unit multifamily community located in the Nashville suburb of Franklin. The Nashville Walker & Dunlop team brokered the sale. "The Nashville region has flourished in recent years and its population growth continues today," said Josh Purvis, managing partner for Thompson Thrift Residential. "We developed Oakbrook Townhomes to address the strong local demand for rental housing options, and we're proud to have delivered another high-quality, luxury multifamily community through our focus on operational excellence." Located off Mallory Station Road, Oakbrook Townhomes is a 6-acre community that offers three-story attached rental homes. The two-, three- and four-bedroom luxury townhomes feature designer interiors, attached garages, quartz countertops, stainless steel and energy-efficient appliances, full-size washers and dryers, and much more. Thompson Thrift completed construction on the community in March 2023. Oakbrook Townhomes is 91% leased and offers residents a variety of community amenities including a resident social lounge; a 24-hour, fully equipped fitness center; a resort-style pool and spa; and a dog park, to name a few. The community is fully landscaped and features mature pine trees, many as tall as the townhomes themselves, helping to give the community a lush, mature feel. Nashville is one of America's fastest-growing metro areas and is known as the center of the music industry. Franklin is the county seat of Williamson County, which is home to seven Fortune 500 companies, including Nissan North America; the confectionary and pet food company Mars Inc; and Tractor Supply. Thompson Thrift is a full-service real estate development company focused on ground-up commercial, residential, and mixed-use development across the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest. The company continues to expand its footprint with eight new residential developments targeted for 2024, including new markets in Georgia, Utah and Idaho. Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, Thompson Thrift has invested more than $5 billion into local communities and has become known as a trusted partner committed to developing high-quality, attractive commercial and multifamily communities. About Thompson Thrift Real Estate Company Thompson Thrift is an integrated full-service real estate company with offices in Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Indiana; Denver; Houston and Phoenix. Three business units drive Thompson Thrift's successThompson Thrift Residential which is focused on upscale Class A multifamily communities and luxury leased homes, Thompson Thrift Commercial which is focused on ground-up commercial development, and Thompson Thrift Construction, a full-service construction company. Through these business units, Thompson Thrift is engaged in all aspects of development, construction, leasing, and management of quality commercial real estate projects across the country. The company earned national recognition as a winner of a 2024 Top Workplaces USA award, the latest accolade that reflects the company's ongoing commitment to excellence in the community and workplace. For more information, please visit www.thompsonthrift.com Contact: Jennifer Franklin Spotlight Marketing Communications 949.427.1385 [email protected] SOURCE Thompson Thrift LONDON , April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To accelerate its growth in the United States and its presence in the fast-expanding online gaming market, Thunes , a global cross-border payments company, is proud to announce that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tilia LLC, an all-in-one payments platform. Tilia is licensed in 48 U.S. states and territories and offers payment solutions (acceptance and pay-outs) for online games, virtual worlds, creator economies, and in-app purchases. Upon closing of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Thunes' bespoke global network to accept and pay in real-time through four billion bank accounts, three billion digital wallets and 550 Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) will become available to merchants across the United States, including current Tilia customers. Using Tilia's technology, Thunes will be able to offer Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay acceptance to Thunes' customers. As part of the transaction, Thunes and Linden Research, Inc. ("Linden Lab"), the current majority owner of Tilia, have agreed to an exclusive five-year partnership in which, post closing, Thunes will provide payment processing and pay-outs to Linden Lab, leveraging Thunes' global network allowing gamers to pay, and to receive money real-time, in a more cost-efficient way and with increased transparency. Floris de Kort, CEO of Thunes, says, "The acquisition of Tilia demonstrates our ambition in the United States. This investment will enable us to leverage Tilia's capabilities to provide merchants with direct money movement solutions in and out of the United States. Furthermore, Tilia's deep expertise in online gaming, virtual worlds and token-based payments will greatly accelerate our growth into that fast-growing, exciting industry." Brad Oberwager, CEO of Linden Lab, says, "Thunes is an exceptional company that directly connects nearly every payment method and market worldwide. The combination of Tilia and Thunes will give Linden Lab's customers more payment choices, and the ability to receive pay-outs in real time, anywhere, into the wallet or bank account of their choice. It will be business as usual for our people and our customers as we bring Tilia and Thunes together." Subject to regulatory approval, after the acquisition closes, Tilia will be rebranded as Thunes and will remain based in San Francisco. Contact: Flo Holt, PR Account Manager, Headland, [email protected], +44 (0)7311 369 938 Rebecca Hackworth, Director, Corporate Communications, Thunes, [email protected], +44 (0)7447 459 656 About Thunes: Thunes is a global payment innovator enabling seamless, instant and transparent money movement for the 21st century. Through our expansive network, we empower our customers to Accept and Pay in real-time, closing the gap between payment systems worldwide. Thunes currently facilitates payments in 84 currencies across 133 countries, using over 550 payment methods, including 129 mobile wallets like PayPal, M Pesa and Orange Money, gig economy giants like Uber and Deliveroo and super-apps like Grab and WeChat. Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes has offices in 14 locations, including Beijing, Nairobi, Riyadh, Dubai, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, London, Paris, Barcelona and Manila. With a mission to connect the world's population so that commerce can operate in a borderless, frictionless way, Thunes' network is powering the next chapter of the digital economy. For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/ About Tilia: Tilia LLC is the all-in-one payments platform for digital economies. Through its payments infrastructure technology and as a licensed money transmitter in the U.S., Tilia is unlocking the full potential of online economies by providing secure, regulated transactions at massive scale. For more information, visit www.tilia.io. About Linden Lab: Linden Lab develops platforms that empower people to create, share, and benefit from virtual experiences. Founded in 1999, the company first launched Second Life, the ground-breaking virtual world enjoyed by millions around the globe, in 2003, which has since gone on to boast nearly two billion user creations and a vibrant $500 million (USD) economy. For more about Linden Lab, its products, and career opportunities, visit its website. SOURCE Thunes Packed TOKEN2049 Dubai conference proves the resilience of the global crypto community, with attendees overcoming travel disruptions to participate Going from strength to strength, TOKEN2049 Singapore will return in September 2024 as the industry's largest international gathering of the year, with 20,000 attendees DUBAI, UAE, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TOKEN2049, the premier crypto event, saw record-breaking success for its inaugural Dubai conference, which took place from April 18-19, during TOKEN2049 Week. Throughout the event, attendees experienced an impressive range of panel discussions, keynotes, workshops, and exclusive networking opportunities, overcoming torrential rain to show up in force. Tickets for TOKEN2049 Dubai sold out nearly three weeks prior to the event, with 10,000 attendees expected. Despite the UAE's heaviest rainfall in 75 years, the conference opened to a full-house. Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, onstage at TOKEN2049 Dubai Alex Fiskum, Co-Founder of TOKEN2049 said: "This week we witnessed the determination of the crypto industry first hand. Our team worked around the clock to ensure that the conference proceeded without any disruptions, maintaining the highest standards of hospitality for our attendees. Our programme proceeded and our doors opened as planned, welcoming attendees to a comfortable, immersive, and action-packed event. We are immensely proud of everyone who contributed to making TOKEN2049 Dubai an overwhelming success." TOKEN2049 Dubai was host to 90% international attendees hailing from over 160 countries worldwide. The global crypto community came out in full strength to participate, showcasing the growing reputation of Dubai as a hub for crypto innovation. The global representation also cemented TOKEN2049 as the marquee industry event in the crypto calendar, not to be missed. Travel disruptions early in the week saw large numbers of speakers and attendees diverted across the Middle East, all of whom surmounted significant obstacles to attend and participate at TOKEN2049 Dubai. Amongst the 200+ leading industry voices who took to the stage to share their insights, discuss the most prevalent topics in Web3, and unveil exciting news announcements were Pavel Durov, the visionary CEO of Telegram; Richard Teng, CEO of Binance; Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether; and Arthur Hayes, Co-Founder of BitMEX. Some standouts include a joint announcement onstage by Tether and Telegram that USDT will launch on The Open Network (TON) and Telegram wallet; Polkadot's Gavin Wood introduced a new JAM chain graypaper; Berachain announced a collaboration with Google Cloud; and Telos unveiled a partnership with Ponos Technology to develop a hardware-accelerated Ethereum L2 zkEVM network, amongst many more ground-breaking announcements. Fiskum continued: "We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from all participants across TOKEN2049 Dubai. Energized by this success, we now shift focus to prepare for the industry's largest event of the year TOKEN2049 Singapore, taking place on September 18-19 before the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. TOKEN2049 Singapore will welcome 20,000 attendees to the iconic Marina Bay Sands, continuing to set new standards for the industry." TOKEN2049 Dubai will return in 2025, promising an even more immersive experience for prolific industry leaders, Web3 builders, global entrepreneurs, and tens of thousands of crypto enthusiasts. TOKEN2049 is hosted annually in Dubai and Singapore. For more information and updates on TOKEN2049, please visit: https://www.token2049.com. About TOKEN2049 TOKEN2049 is a global conference series, where decision-makers in the global crypto ecosystem connect to exchange ideas, network, and shape the industry. TOKEN2049 is a global meeting place for entrepreneurs, institutions, industry insiders, investors, builders, and those with a strong interest in the crypto and Web3 industry. TOKEN2049 is hosted annually in Dubai and Singapore. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2395260/TOKEN2049_1.jpg SOURCE TOKEN2049 BOSTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brattle Group has welcomed Akarsh Sheilendranath to its Boston, MA office as a Principal in the firm's Electricity Wholesale Markets & Planning practice. Mr. Sheilendranath, who previously worked at Brattle and will be based in Houston, specializes in electric transmission, regulatory corporate finance, and resource planning and strategy. Akarsh Sheilendranath | Principal | The Brattle Group "We are thrilled to welcome Akarsh back to Brattle," said Torben Voetmann, Brattle President & Principal. "With his industry experience and strong technical expertise, he will be a valuable resource to Brattle's wide range of energy clients, and he will enhance our team's abilities to navigate complex energy market issues." With a background in engineering and business, Mr. Sheilendranath's expertise spans a broad range of fields related to electric transmission and wholesale markets. This includes cost of capital and risk assessments, transmission policy, utility resource planning, renewables and electric storage valuation, investment strategy, resource adequacy matters, and electricity market rules and tariffs. Mr. Sheilendranath has worked with clients ranging from utilities and utility commissions to regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs). He has provided pre-filed and oral testimony on behalf of energy market entities to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and numerous state public service commissions in complex matters related to large-scale renewables investment, utility resource planning, and transmission policy, as well as in matters related to the estimation of cost of capital. "I am excited to transition back into consulting alongside the talented energy experts at Brattle," said Mr. Sheilendranath. "I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to offer forward-thinking solutions, right from ideation to final execution, to support our clients on matters related to transmission, resource planning, resource adequacy, decarbonization, and much more during this critical time for the electric sector in transition." Most recently, Mr. Sheilendranath was the Director of Integrated Resource Planning & Strategy group at an electric utility, where he focused on strategic investment analyses and market policy related to transmission, renewables, electric storage, and other grid-scale resources. Prior to his time at Brattle from 2014 to 2022, he held engineering roles at a New England electric utility and ISO New England. To learn more about Mr. Sheilendranath, see his full bio at https://www.brattle.com/experts/akarsh-sheilendranath/. ABOUT BRATTLE The Brattle Group answers complex economic, finance, and regulatory questions for corporations, law firms, and governments around the world. We are distinguished by the clarity of our insights and the credibility of our experts, which include leading international academics and industry specialists. Brattle has 500 talented professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please visit brattle.com. SOURCE The Brattle Group LUOYANG, April 22 (Xinhua) -- As an imperial capital during 13 dynasties, Luoyang claims to have the country's best peonies. In recent years, Luoyang has actively explored the culture related to peony flowers, encouraging the development of peony-themed porcelain, painting, and many other characteristic activities containing peony elements. This enables tourists to enjoy both the flowers and the vibe of this ancient capital. Produced by Xinhua Global Service BRAND REACHES 1 MILLION ACRES COMMITMENT TO INFLUENCE THE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE MOVEMENT SANTA BARBARA, Calif., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California-based global lifestyle brand UGG (a division of Deckers Brands [NYSE: DECK]) celebrates a significant milestone of influencing one million acres of grasslands across eighty farms in Australia towards regenerative farmland. The milestone comes a year ahead of schedule and only four years after the brand established a long-term partnership with Land to Market and Savory Institute to support regenerative agriculture. Through its ongoing partnership with Land to Market, UGG is a frontier founder and key member of the program that works to protect and reverse environmental degradation through agriculture aimed at restoring soil, encouraging wildlife diversity, capturing carbon in the ground, and improving land health for future generations. Aside from connecting brands with raw materials coming from verified land bases, the program also provides innovative tools and curricula to land managers working to be verified. To further highlight the brand's commitment to regenerative sourcing, UGG continues to expand its sustainability-focused offering with its Regenerate by UGG collection. Featuring the Tasman Crafted Regenerate , Neumel Crafted Regenerate , and the Ultra Mini Crafted Regenerate , the capsule includes iconic silhouettes crafted with materials from farms practicing regenerative agriculture. "UGG has set the bar and provided a pathway for true stewardship - not just sourcing regeneratively, but actively engaging in the hands-on work of land regeneration. Their commitment to sourcing verified regenerative raw materials is matched only by their dedication to rolling up their sleeves and directly impacting land health. These commitments and support are covering more ground, and paving the way for farmers and ranchers to transition to regenerative. UGG isn't just talking the talk; they're walking it, leaving a trail of positive impact in their wake." - David Rizzo, Co-CEO of Land to Market. UGG looks forward to continuing meaningful partnerships, such as this one, to care for the planet, one step at a time. About UGG Founded in 1978 by an Australian surfer on the coast of California, UGG is a global lifestyle brand renowned for its iconic Classic Boot. First worn by Hollywood royalty, fashion editors, and then the world, UGG designs and retails footwear, apparel, accessories, and homewares with an uncompromising attitude toward quality and craftsmanship. UGG is an environmentally and socially conscious brand which strives to be socially just, economically inclusive, and environmentally restorative. Delivering more than $1.5 billion in annual sales, UGG partners with the best retailers globally and owns concept and outlet stores worldwide in key markets, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing. For more information, please visit www.ugg.com @ugg . Press Contact: UGG Sarajane McQuaid Associate PR Manager Mobile: (913) 744-7553 [email protected] Karla Otto New York Erica Morelli Senior Director [email protected] SOURCE UGG Working together, the longtime global partners can meet the rising demand for silicone additives and resins that enhance safety, durability, and weatherability in construction projects WARSAW, Poland, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar Solutions, LLC ("Univar Solutions" or "the Company"), a leading global solutions provider to users of specialty ingredients and chemicals, announced today that it is expanding its partnership with Dow to distribute construction silicone products in various regions of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)1. The partnership will give customers in the region access to a broader range of essential construction silicone products, which offer exceptional performance and durability in harsh weather conditions and other environmental elements. These products offer enhanced protection to different substrates and building materials, helping maximize substrate life, minimize costly and time-consuming maintenance and repairs, and improve aesthetic appeal overall. Working together, the longtime global partners can meet the rising demand for silicone additives and resins that enhance safety, durability, and weatherability in construction projects "We are excited about the new opportunities that will arise as we continue deepening our partnership with Dow and grow our portfolio of silicone products that are critical to the construction market," said Matthew Oliver, global vice president of Performance Materials for Univar Solutions. "Our collaboration over many years has been a cornerstone of our success, and we are proud to continue working together to develop more sustainable, innovative solutions that meet the growing needs of the construction market. With Dow's expertise and our commitment to excellence, we are confident that this partnership will continue to drive growth and create value for our Central and Eastern European customers." Builders increasingly seek durable, water-repellent, and protective materials in the construction industry to withstand extreme temperatures, UV radiation, and other harsh environmental factors. Univar Solutions and Dow are expanding their longtime relationship to create innovative construction solutions that can deliver these benefits, using Dow's silicone resins, binding products, and eco-friendly building materials to provide tailored customer support. Univar Solutions' Essen Solution Center is a key technical resource in the region, working with suppliers like Dow to formulate advanced and effective solutions for the construction industry. Along with this expertise, Univar Solutions also offers the industry's leading specialty ingredients portfolio, a global distribution network, local sales and product support, and supply chain proficiency. This enables the company to provide an outstanding customer experience, from product development to ongoing brand support. Learn more about Univar Solutions' focus on construction and integral role in delivering on performance and sustainability as a construction chemicals supplier. CEE countries in the partnership include Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia , Czech Republic , Hungary , Macedonia , Montenegro , Poland , Romania , Slovakia , and Slovenia About Univar Solutions Univar Solutions is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With the industry's largest private transportation fleet and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com. Forward-Looking Statements and Information This communication contains "forward-looking statements" under applicable law regarding financial and operating items relating to the Company's business. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or other comparable terms. All forward-looking statements made in this communication are qualified by this cautionary language. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control, that could result in expectations not being realized or could otherwise materially and adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Although the forward-looking statements are based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, we caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this communication is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this communication. For additional information regarding factors that could affect the Company, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other financial reports, including the information set forth under the caption "Risk Factors." Any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of the date of this communication and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any subsequent date, and the Company undertakes no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update any forward-looking statement. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394435/Univar_Solutions_Silicone.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1094780/UnivSol_Logo.jpg COLLEGE PARK, Md., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business has launched the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business to conduct research and outreach in order to realize the potential of AI through intentional design and governance frameworks centering on human judgment and creativity. The center will work in conjunction with the university's newly announced Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM). The new center taps into the school's research and significant faculty expertise in artificial intelligence, analytics and data science, which is distributed across multiple departments and centers of excellence. "Organizations are increasingly turning to AI to redefine processes and improve productivity, customer experience, and decision-making," says Prabhudev Konana, dean of the Smith School. "Smith faculty are among the best thought leaders in this area. The center positions Smith to more effectively bring that expertise to businesses, policymakers and institutes, researchers, students and the broader community." "At the University of Maryland, we are leading the way in shaping the future of AI, and doing so in a way that promotes responsible, ethical and trustworthy development and use. With AI utilization skyrocketing across all sectors of business, the launch of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business will allow us to amplify the expertise of our Smith School faculty to advance the public good across industries," says Provost Jennifer King Rice. "What the AI center represents is interdisciplinary research and engagement at its very best," says Wedad Elmaghraby, senior associate dean of the Smith School. "Representing faculty from every discipline within Smith, we have the expertise, capabilities and commitment to engage with practitioners and academics to help tackle the novel challenges and opportunities barrelling toward us with AI." Leading the center is inaugural director Balaji Padmanabhan, Dean's Professor of Decision, Operations & Information Technologies, aided by both an industry advisory board and faculty advisory board. The center was launched with seed funding from GRF CPAs and Advisors. The center will be an important partner for the business and policy community in AI and plans to host industry-focused conferences and events including the annual AI Design and Governance Conference, the first of which was held in January 2024. Executive education offerings will help businesses navigate practical issues around AI design and implementation. Center-affiliated faculty will also engage more broadly with Smith and UMD students. Addressing issues around ethics, bias and responsible use while helping businesses create short and long-term value will be central to the center's mission. In addition to intentional AI-enabled design and governance, the research conducted by the center will focus on developing AI algorithms to address problems faced by business, and to help businesses establish AI systems that respect the rule of law, follow ethical guidelines, and operate within established regulatory boundaries. The center will be an important voice in the development of rules and regulations to promote transparency, accountability and respect for privacy in the use of AI by businesses. The various activities of the center will aid policymakers to strike the right balance between meaningful support for transformative products and protection of fundamental rights. The role of humans in an AI-enabled work environment will also be a topic of exploration. Roland Rust, Distinguished University Professor, David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing and author of the book "The Feeling Economy: How AI is Creating an Era of Empathy," (with Ming-Hui Huang) says workers with intuition, empathy, creativity and people skills will thrive. "As AI is taking over more thinking tasks, human workers are pushed more into feeling tasks. That is currently a differential advantage for humans, although we have active ongoing work on 'feeling AI,' that can effectively simulate human empathy." "AI provides an incredible opportunity for businesses to create amazing products and services. Our aim is to ensure this potential of AI is realized while mitigating and managing risks in a responsible manner," says Padmanabhan. "Also, and importantly, organizations that put people first, whether as employees or consumers, have a history of achieving greatness and AI doesn't change that. There are important concerns about AI's impact on the future of work itself, and the center will strive to be an important voice in the community to shape this as well." The Smith School's strategic focus on the transformative impact of AI is already being seen in classrooms and beyond. Smith is actively integrating AI into what students learn and works with industry partners to ensure content is up to date and relevant. The AI Specialization for Full-time MBAs was launched in Spring 2024, making the Smith School one of the early movers in this space for students. Professor Sean Cao's textbook on how to use AI in accounting and finance is available for free as part of Smith's AI Initiative for Capital Market Research, funded by GRF CPAs and Advisors. textbook on how to use AI in accounting and finance is available for free as part of Smith's AI Initiative for Capital Market Research, funded by GRF CPAs and Advisors. Professors Liye Ma , Wendy Moe , Wedad Elmaghraby and Kunpeng Zhang work closely with companies such as Amazon, Deloitte and Meta on AI-related initiatives and translate those experiences into the classroom. , , and work closely with companies such as Amazon, Deloitte and Meta on AI-related initiatives and translate those experiences into the classroom. The Office of Executive Education offers a portfolio of AI-related executive education opportunities directed by Professor P.K. Kannan . . The recently launched UMD-LinkUp AI Jobs tracker project, led by Professors Anil Gupta, Siva Viswanathan and Kunpeng Zhang , has been extensively covered in the media by Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and others. , has been extensively covered in the media by Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and others. Professors Lauren Rhue , Jui Ramaprasad and Margret Bjornadottir have highlighted important issues with research on bias and AI for social good. , and Margret Bjornadottir have highlighted important issues with research on bias and AI for social good. Professor Roland Rust's book and articles in AI, several of which have won awards, have been cited almost 5,000 times. Rust is also leading an AI cluster of four courses in the University Honors Program. AI-related research conducted by faculty across departments will inform the center in its mission to help businesses and policy makers understand and manage the AI revolution that is taking place. Learn more about AI at the Smith School. About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master's, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia. Contact: Veronica Robinson, [email protected] SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business LAS VEGAS, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vegas PBS and The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District have partnered to boost Southern Nevada's workforce through a collaborative effort. The Library District will provide job training and preparation services combined with the newly launched program, Jobtimize Nevada. This partnership aims to help students and underemployed or unemployed adults find the career opportunities and employers that match their skills and interests. Jobtimize Nevada Jobtimize is a platform that connects job seekers, career counselors and workforce case managers, and employers in one convenient location on the Library District's website, TheLibraryDistrict.org . The platform utilizes a "matching technology," which prioritizes overall job suitability when connecting individuals with job opportunities. This is because job suitability is the most statistically significant predictor of success. "We are excited to join with Vegas PBS in implementing this new technology on the Library District website," said Library District Executive Director Kelvin Watson. "It is particularly timely as businesses of all kinds are searching for employees that are a good match to their industry and culture. And like everything at the library, this new service will be completely free to the public." Vegas PBS has collaborated with public and private partners to introduce Nevada Jobtimize, a program to enhance education, employment optimization, and career placement. This initiative was made possible after Vegas PBS was awarded a grant for workforce development through the American Rescue Plan Act. Thus far, more than 40 organizations catering to job seekers, such as youth and veterans, have enrolled in the program. Vegas PBS has collaborated with public and private partners to introduce Nevada Jobtimize, a program to enhance education, employment optimization, and career placement. "As a result of receiving ARPA funding from the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Vegas PBS is able to partner with Southern Nevada organizations to provide the Nevada Jobtimize platform, which is dedicated to serving their clients in exploring careers and seeking training to businesses for hiring the right talent for their job openings and with its companion piece for businesses to interviewing and hiring individuals with the right 'fit' for their jobs and company," said Debra Solt, Director of Workforce Training & Economic Development at Vegas PBS. "This funding has made it possible to partner with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District by providing Jobtimize to all 25 branches, which will enable library cardholders and their family an opportunity to utilize the system from career exploration to job obtainment." For info on the program, visit TheLibraryDistrict.org/Jobtimize . Media Contact: Jennifer Bradley 702-234-9385 [email protected] SOURCE Vegas PBS Center for Skills by C-BEN receives a $1.5 million grant to help states and employers transform their approach to skill validation and assessment WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), the international leader in re-centering learning to demonstrate what people know and can do, today announced the launch of the Center for Skills by C-BEN (CFS x C-BEN), an ambitious initiative to turn the promise and opportunity of a skills-based economy into practice. Supported by a $1.5 million grant from Walmart, CFS x C-BEN will leverage C-BEN's unique expertise to create and implement objective, reliable ways to assess and validate skills that can bridge the gap between education and the workforce. Interest in skills-based hiring is rapidly increasing. Today, at least 20 states have made formal announcements to focus hiring around skills rather than degrees, while nearly half of all employers have plans to remove bachelor's degree hiring requirements. But this excitement has yet to translate to outcomes in either the public or private sector: one recent report found that skills-based hiring shifts only led to increased opportunity in one of every 700 hires last year nationally. UpSkill America, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, has uncovered significant challenges to employers achieving their goals because of issues in validating skills. "For too long, the promise of skills-based hiring has been out of reach in many cases, because of the difficulty of validating and translating skills between individuals, education and training providers, and employers," said Charla Long, president of C-BEN. "CFS x C-BEN is about creating the infrastructure and consensus necessary to finally realize the potential of relying on skills, in ways that can unlock economic mobility for millions of workers and learners who have been overlooked by traditional hiring practices." CFS x C-BEN aims to support skills-based practices by: Bringing together industry leaders to create and implement a common vision for skills validation, verification, and innovation with a focus on reliable assessment and quality practices. Developing and deploying new, field-facing assessment practices in collaboration with cohorts of performance-based assessment innovators. Creating state blueprints for new skills validation models and talent marketplaces, in partnership with a community of practice launched and led by the National Governors Association, to address worker shortages, while creating new opportunities for mobility. "Businesses and states across the country have indicated their readiness to join the skills-based movement and realize its associated opportunities," said Patti Constantakis, Director of Corporate Philanthropy, Walmart.org. "Achieving this potential requires quality assessments to accurately capture and share people's unique skills and experiences. The work of CFS x C-BEN will play a critical leadership role in accelerating the shift to a skills-based economy." The work builds upon C-BEN's initiatives focused on skills-based talent development, including in Illinois, which has used performance-based assessments to allow early childhood educators to demonstrate and recognize their knowledge and skills creating onramps and pathways to new roles. The Alabama Talent Triad , another initiative supported by C-BEN, has provided Learning and Employer Records (LERs) to more than 19,000 people, creating a seamless link between job-seekers, employers, and education and training providers. "The launch of the new Center for Skills by C-BEN is extremely well timed to support exciting bi-partisan efforts focused on skills-based strategies across the country," said Amanda Winters, Program Director for the National Governors Association. "At a time when governors are seeking innovative strategies to close talent gaps and create new pathways to economic mobility, CFS x C-BEN represents a critical effort to reimagine the role of assessment in building a stronger and more inclusive skills-focused economy." CFS x C-BEN is being formed with cross-sector founding partners, including SHRM Foundation, Upskill America, National Governors Association, and Education Design Lab, and welcomes new partners to join the initiative. CFS x C-BEN is excited to welcome ETS as the first global assessment partner to join. To learn more about CFS x C-BEN, visit c-ben.org/centerforskills and register here for a webinar on Tuesday, May 7th at 2 pm CT. About the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) The Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) is revolutionizing how we design, experience, and measure learning throughout a lifetime. We believe learning should be measured by what you can do the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that lay the foundation for your success and for more than 10 years we have been guiding our expansive network of education leaders, employers, policymakers, and changemakers towards quality competency-based models and practices. C-BEN is a U.S.-based non-profit organization SOURCE C-BEN NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global wireless router market size is estimated to grow by USD 6767.28 million from 2023-2027. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 8.49% during the forecast period. The primary driver behind this explosive growth in the global wireless router market is the increasing adoption of smart home appliances. From refrigerators that can suggest recipes based on what's inside to voice assistants that can turn off the lights with a simple command, the demand for these innovative gadgets is skyrocketing. And as more and more households embrace smart technology, the need for reliable, high-speed internet connectivity becomes paramount. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Wireless Router Market 2023-2027 Get detailed information of the smart home revolution with our report on the growing wireless router market with the forecast market size and historic data (2017 - 2021) - Buy Report Smart Home Revolution: Countries like the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and France are leading the charge in smart home adoption. Consumers in these regions are flocking to smart appliances that offer convenience, efficiency, and a touch of futuristic charm. But behind the scenes, it's the smart home controllers and hubs powered by artificial intelligence that are truly driving this revolution. These devices require constant internet connectivity, which is where wireless routers step in to ensure a seamless experience. The Role of Wireless Routers: Wireless routers serve as the backbone of the smart home ecosystem, facilitating communication between devices and the cloud. Whether it's adjusting the thermostat while away from home or checking security camera feeds on your smartphone, these routers make it all possible. And with the Internet of Things (IoT) continuing to expand, the importance of reliable, high-performance routers cannot be overstated. For inputs on more Market Drivers, trends, & Challenges- Request a sample report! Meeting Consumer Demands: As consumers become increasingly accustomed to the convenience of smart technology, their expectations for internet connectivity also rise. They demand routers that can deliver fast, stable connections to support their growing arsenal of smart devices. Manufacturers in the wireless router market are thus under pressure to innovate, developing routers that offer not only speed and reliability but also advanced features like parental controls and guest networks. Analyst Review: In today's fast-paced digital landscape, reliable internet connectivity is a non-negotiable necessity, whether you're at home, in the office, or on the go. At the heart of this connectivity lies the humble yet indispensable wireless router, the unsung hero of the modern network. Wireless access points, wired LANs, and wireless-only LANsall rely on the backbone of a high-quality router to ensure seamless connectivity. In an age where high-speed internet access is paramount, the demand for superior performance routers is higher than ever, especially in high-density areas where numerous connected devices vie for bandwidth. Enterprises across various sectors, from finance to healthcare, rely on dependable internet access to power their operations. Whether it's doctors monitoring patients remotely with connected healthcare devices or financial services handling sensitive transactions securely, the need for reliable, secure, and interoperable router solutions cannot be overstated. Manufacturers like D-Link are pushing the boundaries with AI-powered Wi-Fi routers, catering to the growing smart home market where linked devices like smart TVs, speakers, and security cameras demand bandwidth-intensive applications. With the advent of Wi-Fi 6 standards and the emergence of Wi-Fi 6E routers, businesses are poised to benefit from higher bandwidths and simultaneous connections, ushering in a new era of next-generation connectivity. This is especially relevant in the context of rising sales of consumer electronics and the proliferation of IoT gadgets, which necessitate robust network infrastructure. However, alongside these advancements come security worries. Cybersecurity risks such as ransomware, malware, and unauthorized access pose significant threats to both residential and commercial networks. High-end wireless routers with advanced security features are thus in high demand to mitigate these risks. Moreover, technological fragmentation in the form of various wireless standardsWi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6presents challenges for consumers and businesses alike. This is further compounded by privacy concerns in an age where digital services are ubiquitous, raising the importance of choosing the right router solution tailored to specific needs. In conclusion, the wireless router market is evolving rapidly to meet the ever-growing demands of an increasingly connected world. From smart city initiatives to online learning and distant work, routers play a pivotal role in powering the infrastructure that drives our digital lives forward. As technology continues to advance, the key lies in embracing innovation while ensuring security and reliability remain paramount. For inputs on more Market Drivers, trends, & Challenges- Request a sample report! Market Overview: In today's connected world, wireless routers are the backbone of efficient communication. They power private computer networks, seamlessly integrating wired and wireless connections to support a variety of devices like laptops, smart home gadgets, and IoT devices. With the rise of bandwidth-intensive apps and the increasing demand for 5G infrastructure and mobile broadband, businesses need reliable routers to manage network traffic effectively. From single-band to tri-band wireless routers, the market offers diverse options to cater to different needs, including home offices, POS systems, RFID systems, and M2M communication. Investing in the right wireless router ensures smooth operations and optimized connectivity for businesses of all sizes. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio The growing awareness & emphasis on renewable energy solutions, advancements in biomass boiler technology, and the global shift towards carbon neutrality and sustainability are projected to drive the global wood pellets biomass boilers market's growth during the forecast period. The Europe region is predicted to witness prominent growth by 2032. PORTLAND, Ore., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research has recently published a report, titled, "Wood Pellets Biomass Boilers Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Type, by Application : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global wood pellets biomass boilers market generated $4.6 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $17.4 billion by 2032, rising at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2023 to 2032. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A300158 Prime Determinants of Growth The increasing awareness & emphasis on renewable energy solutions, potential cost savings with wood pellets biomass boilers compared to traditional heating methods, and supportive policies & financial incentives by governments across the globe are the factors expected to drive the growth of the global wood pellets biomass boilers market in the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. However, higher upfront costs & installation expenses and increased maintenance requirements may hamper the market growth in the coming future. On the contrary, advancements in biomass boiler technology and global shift towards carbon neutrality & sustainability are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the wood pellets biomass boilers market during the forecast period. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $4.6 billion Market Size in 2032 $17.4 billion CAGR 14.3 % No. of Pages in Report 320 Segments covered Type, Application, and Region Drivers Growing awareness & emphasis on renewable energy solutions Versatility of wood pellet biomass boilers for various applications Implementation of supportive policies and financial incentives by governments Opportunities Growing awareness regarding environmental benefits Technological advancements in biomass boiler Restraints High costs and substantial space requirement Type: Fully Automated Biomass Boiler Sub-segment to be the Most Dominant During the Forecast Period The fully automated biomass boiler sub-segment accounted for the largest global wood pellets biomass boilers market share of 36.0% in 2022 and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 14.8% during the forecast period. This dominance is mainly due to the fully automated biomass boiler's technological superiority and integration capabilities. These boilers automate the entire process from fuel feeding to combustion and heat distribution, ensuring efficient and consistent performance. In addition, their smart technology features allow for remote system management and optimization. The clean combustion of carbon-neutral biomass further reduces emissions, making these systems a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel boilers. Procure Complete Report (320 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/wood-pellets-biomass-boilers-market Application: Residential Sub-segment to Flourish Immensely by 2032 The residential sub-segment accounted for the largest global market share of 66.1% in 2022 and is expected to hold major market share by 2032. This dominance majorly is driven by wood pellets biomass boilers' versatility in home heating and hot water provision. Their ability to support multi-zone heating systems allows for customized temperature control, enhancing comfort and energy efficiency. Besides, advanced models capable of combined heat and power generation offer homeowners the dual benefits of heating and electricity production, making them particularly suitable for rural or off-grid areas, where independence from centralized utilities is crucial. Region: Europe Market to Hold Major Share by 2032 The wood pellets biomass boilers market in the Europe region accounted for the largest share of 40.0% in 2022 and is predicted to continue to maintain its dominance in terms of market share during the forecast period. This growth is mainly owing to the region's commitment towards renewable energy projects to reduce carbon emissions and achieve sustainability targets. The spike in residential usage, particularly in Germany, coupled with high fossil fuel prices, has made these boilers an attractive, sustainable heating solution. Moreover, supportive government policies and growing environmental consciousness have further accelerated the adoption of biomass boilers in countries like Italy and Spain, enhancing the regional market growth. For Purchase Inquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A300158 Leading Players in the Wood Pellets Biomass Boilers Market: Drax Andritz AG Hurst Boiler & Welding Co, Inc. Woodco Schmid AG energy solutions John Cockerill Thermax Limited Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. Viessmann Forbes Marshall The report provides a detailed analysis of the key players of the global wood pellets biomass boilers market. These players are employing various strategies including launching new products, entering collaborations, expanding operations, forming joint ventures, and signing agreements, all aimed at boosting their market share and securing their competitive position across different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in Wood Pellets Biomass Boilers Industry: Electric Boiler Market: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Biomass Boiler Market: Size, Share, and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Power Plant Boiler Market: Trend Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Residential Boiler Market: Competitive Landscape and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Steam Boiler Market: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact Data United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/food-and-beverage Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research New rule means more money in the pockets of hard-working Americans WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WorkMoney and its members today praised the new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rule that extends overtime protection to about 4 million salaried workers. The rule increases the minimum annual salary threshold that determines overtime pay eligibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act from $35,568 to $43,888 effective July 1, 2024, and to $58,656 on January 1, 2025. "This is a game-changer for hard-working Americans who not only want to work, but are also willing to work overtime," said Carrie Joy Grimes, founder and CEO of WorkMoney. "This will put thousands of additional dollars in the pockets of people who put in extra hours for their employers." WorkMoney, a nonprofit organization with more than 6 million members in all 50 states, helping all Americans raise their incomes and lower their costs, has been one of the leading voices on the issue. WorkMoney members participated in listening sessions on overtime starting in the Spring of 2022 and submitted 7,000 text comments to the DOL to ensure the final rule would best reflect the needs of working people. WorkMoney submitted comments from those who would be directly affected by this decision, in addition to comments from retired workers who shared their story and desire to see a change for future generations, plus workers who would not immediately benefit but wanted to see their coworkers receive fair pay for their work. WorkMoney members are scheduled to join leadership at the White House Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the new rule. Many members praised the rule despite their concerns about retaliation in their workplaces. The members below all submitted testimony in support of the rule change. Confirmation of their identities can be provided as needed: "I shared my story with the Department of Labor when I advocated for this change because I believe in the principle of hard work. My husband and I were both Marine Corps veterans. Since he died in 2020, I've had to work harder than ever to survive. As a salaried support supervisor, I work an average of 45-48 hours every week, even though I'm only paid for 40 hours. I am constantly overwhelmed with the thought of how I would pay my bills. Now that I'll be fairly compensated for my time, I can finally relax a little and not be so stressed about how I would afford utilities, rent, car payments, and food." Y. Hernandez, a veteran and widow in Arizona , earning $50,000 a year "I just got a promotion and raise at my job in a local grocery store that puts me over the threshold. But that's OK, because I will benefit from the provision in the rule change that grants an automatic increase to the threshold every three years. That's basically a guaranteed pay raise that will substantially help me, my family and so many other hard-working Americans down the road. It is important that this not be a one-time benefit that lags behind cost increases in the years to come." George, a married father of two in western Pennsylvania earning $60,677 per year "Today's overtime ruling from the U.S. Department of Labor will finally give me what I am due. As someone who works up to 45 hours per week at times, I gladly help to provide social services to children and families who need it across a southeastern Pennsylvania school district. Thanks to the DOL raising the overtime threshold, being paid for those extra tireless hours will be a tremendous boost to my finances, and allow me to better support my family and save for my children's future. This will change my life, and it will change the lives of millions of other hard-working Americans." Dalila, a mother in southeastern Pennsylvania , currently earning $49,000 per year "Like many Americans, I live paycheck-to-paycheck, so seeing an increase in the federal overtime threshold makes a difference. I work an average of 50 hours a week in the insurance industry and make more than the amount in the new rule change, so it won't affect me. But I understand how it will help others make ends meet in paying for necessities, like food and gas, and maybe even save a little. This increase is long overdue and I can only hope that there is more to come to benefit those of us who are hard-working taxpayers and voters." Yvonne, a married mother of two in northeast Ohio , currently earning $69,000 per year "As someone who works between 45-50 hours on a weekly basis at a public university in North Carolina, I am excited to get paid for all the hours that I am working so that I can take better care of myself and my family. I truly enjoy working with students and helping to guide them, but working all those extra hours has added to stress and strain on my family. I am relieved that I will get paid for my hard work while also allowing me to manage the higher cost of living and everyday expenses." Shenna, a single mother living in North Carolina , currently earning $43,000 per year "I'm thrilled to see this change. For more than 20 years, I've worked as a school secretary. My job is incredibly demanding, and most weeks I have to work more than 40 hours a week to simply get my job done; yet I've never been eligible for overtime pay. To know that my time will now be compensated gives me peace of mind. With the overtime pay I make, I won't have to decide between keeping up with the bills, paying the mortgage, or putting food on the table. I might even be able to save some money for my grandchildren's future. This change is a win for us everyday working Americans and for the economy." Lynn, a grandmother and secretary living in southeastern Pennsylvania About WorkMoney WorkMoney is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to lowering costs and raising incomes for all Americans, making American life more affordable and American families economically secure. We provide information, products, services, perks, benefits, tips, and tools to help our more than 6 million members improve their financial lives. For more information visit: www.WorkMoney.org SOURCE WorkMoney 2023 Impact Report Demonstrates the Power of Bicycles to Improve Lives and Communities CHICAGO, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- World Bicycle Relief today released its 2023 Impact Report, demonstrating significant achievements in empowering marginalized rural populations to access education, healthcare, and economic opportunities through life-changing bicycles. The organization also revealed its global strategy for 2024-2026, which targets the distribution of 300,000 additional bicycles to improve the lives of 1,500,000 people. View PDF World Bicycle Relief 2023 Impact Report Highlighting impact achievements in 2023 to improve access to healthcare, education and financial opportunities and introducing new company strategy for 2024 - 2026 View PDF World Bicycle Relief Strategy Canvas 2024 - 2026 Highlights ambitious impact targets and three strategic pathways to scale impact - Grow, Partner and Influence This evolved strategy builds on lessons learned from 19 years of experience and over 790,000 bicycles distributed in 23 countries. The focus revolves around cultivating a holistic bicycle ecosystem that uplifts the communities served with priority to women and girls, youth, and marginalized communities. This includes bicycle design, managing the supply chain and assembly, co-creating and measuring community-driven programs, and establishing retail outlets. Trained mechanics and access to spare parts help ensure that the benefits of bicycle mobility are long-lasting and far-reaching, driving sustainable change in communities around the globe. 2023 Impact Report Highlights: Transforming Lives Through Mobility World Bicycle Relief's 2023 Impact Report demonstrates compelling evidence of how its sustainable bicycle ecosystem model, centered around its purpose-built Buffalo Bicycles, has catalyzed positive change for rural populations in developing countries. Key achievements include*: Dramatic Improvements in Educational Attendance : In Kenya , students with Buffalo Bicycles saw a staggering 81% decrease in tardiness, while in Zambia , school absences dropped by nearly 90%. This notable enhancement in school attendance is vital to achieving gender equality and empowering young learners. : In , students with Buffalo Bicycles saw a staggering 81% decrease in tardiness, while in , school absences dropped by nearly 90%. This notable enhancement in school attendance is vital to achieving gender equality and empowering young learners. Significant Reduction in Travel Time to School: The introduction of Buffalo Bicycles has cut down travel time to and from school by up to 44%, reducing the impact of time poverty by enabling students to focus more on their studies and less on the journey. The introduction of Buffalo Bicycles has cut down travel time to and from school by up to 44%, reducing the impact of time poverty by enabling students to focus more on their studies and less on the journey. Empowering Healthcare Workers: In Kenya and Zambia , over 85% of health workers who received Buffalo Bicycles reported an increase in the number of clients they can see. This improvement has been further supported by a reduction in travel time by as much as 50%, making healthcare services more accessible and efficient. In and , over 85% of health workers who received Buffalo Bicycles reported an increase in the number of clients they can see. This improvement has been further supported by a reduction in travel time by as much as 50%, making healthcare services more accessible and efficient. Enhancing Livelihoods and Reducing Expenses: In Malawi and Zimbabwe , over 95% of Buffalo Bicycle recipients reported a boost in household income levels, attributed to accessing more lucrative markets, services, and customers. Moreover, participants in Zimbabwe and Kenya experienced a significant 50% reduction in transportation costs, underscoring the economic impact of bicycle mobility. A New Strategic Vision for 2024-2026: Amplifying Impact Through a Social Enterprise Model Building on these successes, World Bicycle Relief is advancing its mission with a refreshed strategy emphasizing three pathways to scaling its impact: growth, partnership, and influence. The growth pathway focuses on enhancing the Buffalo Bicycle ecosystem and World Bicycle Relief's Mobilized Communities model to increase bicycle distribution in three sectors: education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. This includes expanding product development, program monitoring, and evaluation resources, improving local assembly processes, and expanding its reliable supply chain of durable spare parts. Additionally, World Bicycle Relief plans to extend its network of retail shops and increase the number of trained community mechanics, making durable, high-quality bicycles and spare parts more accessible to those in remote areas. focuses on enhancing the Buffalo Bicycle ecosystem and World Bicycle Relief's Mobilized Communities model to increase bicycle distribution in three sectors: education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. This includes expanding product development, program monitoring, and evaluation resources, improving local assembly processes, and expanding its reliable supply chain of durable spare parts. Additionally, World Bicycle Relief plans to extend its network of retail shops and increase the number of trained community mechanics, making durable, high-quality bicycles and spare parts more accessible to those in remote areas. The partnership pathway aims to forge broader and deeper collaborations with governments, the private sector, NGOs, multilateral donors, and funding institutions. These partnerships include our ongoing work with UNICEF, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, USAID, and the national and local governments of Colombia , Kenya , Malawi , Uganda , Zambia , and Zimbabwe . By integrating sustainable bicycle mobility solutions, broader development goals in health, education, and economic prosperity are accelerated and amplified, ultimately driving systemic change and breaking cycles of poverty. aims to forge broader and deeper collaborations with governments, the private sector, NGOs, multilateral donors, and funding institutions. These partnerships include our ongoing work with UNICEF, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, USAID, and the national and local governments of , , , , , and . By integrating sustainable bicycle mobility solutions, broader development goals in health, education, and economic prosperity are accelerated and amplified, ultimately driving systemic change and breaking cycles of poverty. The influence pathway will elevate the conversation around transportation in rural development. By advocating for the inclusion of mobility in development agendas and demonstrating the tangible benefits of bicycle access through evidence-based outcomes, World Bicycle Relief intends to inspire action and investment in sustainable transportation solutions worldwide. A Unique Social Enterprise Model This new strategic approach is rooted in a holistic bicycle ecosystem, enabling access to high-quality bicycles and ensuring after-sales service and access to spare parts through a network of shops and trained mechanics. With the refreshed strategy, World Bicycle Relief aims to illustrate how its philanthropic efforts and social enterprise sales complement and strengthen each other to create a sustainable bicycle ecosystem that uniquely positions the organization to address the challenge of rural mobility on a global scale. This symbiotic relationship allows for a scalable and sustainable approach to overcoming transportation barriers in rural areas. This approach solves the challenge of lack of transport or mobility within sustainable development programs and opens new partnership opportunities, particularly with governments and donors seeking partners engaged in private sector activities. CEO Dave Neiswander reflects on the journey ahead: "With the release of our 2023 Impact Report, we're reminded of the transformative power of bicycles. As we embark on our new strategic path for 2024-2026, our vision to help people conquer the challenge of distance, achieve independence, and thrive becomes even clearer. This model allows us to scale our impact and positions us as a key player in sustainable global development," states Dave Neiswander, CEO of World Bicycle Relief. "World Bicycle Relief is uniquely positioned to provide critical last-mile mobility solutions to help disrupt chronic, generational poverty in rural areas in a scalable and sustainable manner." "Through our partnership with World Bicycle Relief, we've witnessed first-hand the transformative power that mobility can have on rural communities," said Pascale de la Fregonniere, Strategic Advisor at Cartier Philanthropy. "The new strategy lays out an ambitious plan to elevate the lives of millions, building on bicycle mobility solutions as a key component of sustainable development programs." To read the full 2023 Impact Report, please visit: https://worldbicyclerelief.org/your-2023-impact-report/ *Research References World Bicycle Relief. (2023). Kenya Mobilized Communities Outcome Report. Chicago, IL, USA: World Bicycle Relief. World Bicycle Relief. (2023). Zambia Mobilized Communities Outcome Report. Chicago, IL, USA: World Bicycle Relief. World Bicycle Relief. (2023). Malawi Mobilized Communities Outcome Report. Chicago, IL, USA: World Bicycle Relief. World Bicycle Relief. (2023). Zimbabwe Mobilized Communities Outcome Report. Chicago, IL, USA: World Bicycle Relief. About World Bicycle Relief: Founded in 2005, World Bicycle Relief mobilizes people through the Power of Bicycles. As a pioneering non-profit social enterprise, World Bicycle Relief works tirelessly to provide durable, quality bicycles to those in need, ensuring greater access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Discover more about our impact and vision at WorldBicycleRelief.org . SOURCE World Bicycle Relief BEIJING, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wuliangye, a reputed Chinese baijiu brand, gained popularity among Chilean people who attended activities of its "Harmony & Beauty" global cultural exchange tour in Santiago of Chile. Bringing Chilean liquor lovers its premier products, the company initiated the event, one of its thematic transnational cultural exchange activities, to enhance communication between people from different cultures. Photo shows the scene of Wuliangye Group's global tour event in Santiago, capital of Chile on April 19, 2024 (Photo provided by Wuliangye) With Sichuan Opera and Cueca dance performances staged by turns in Wuliangye's exhibition zone in Santiago on April 19, some Chilean attendees were impressed by the refreshing flavor of Wuliangye-based special cocktail and the diverse Chinese cultural elements that decorated Wuliangye's booths. Zeng Congqin, board chairman of Wuliangye Group, said Chile and China's Sichuan have much in common such as profound history, abundant resources, life-loving people, and in particular the globally renowned liquors and hoped a mix of Chilean wine and Chinese baijiu would produce more fascinating flavors. "Harmony and Beauty" stands always for what the Chinese baijiu maker advocates. Wuliangye, made from five types of grains such as rice and sticky rice originated from China, sorghum originally from Africa, wheat from west Asia and corn originated from South America, served as a harmonious embodiment of different beauties. Zeng noted that Wuliangye Group planned to further leverage liquor, a universal language that transcends history and national boundaries, to boost mutual learning and appreciation of the Chinese and Chilean cultures and create more stories of harmonious friendships and development. During the event, Zeng and representatives from different circles of the two countries jointly stamped the scroll for Wuliangye's "Harmony and Beauty" global tour in Chile. After a local market survey, Wuliangye Group communicated with Chilean beverage firm CCU for potential cooperation in liquor products and launched a one week-long cultural activity with famous restaurants and bars in Santiago to engage Chilean consumers with the unique appeal of liquors and cuisines from China's Sichuan. Known for its fragrant, sweet and mellow flavor, Wuliangye is a forerunner among Chinese baijiu producers in "going global" and will continue to explore the global market through expanding the "Chinese cuisines plus Chinese baijiu"-based consumption scenarios. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/339835.html SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road Kiev, April 23 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he has discussed the allocation of a new aid package for Ukraine in a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden. Zelensky added on Monday on Telegram that Biden assured him that he would sign the bill envisaging allocating military aid to Ukraine as soon as it is approved by the US Senate, Xinhua news agency reported. The defence package is expected to strengthen Ukraine's air defence as well as long-range and artillery capabilities, the Ukrainian President said. Zelensky added that he also discussed with Biden the work on a bilateral security agreement and the preparations for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland slated for mid-June. On Saturday, the US House of Representatives approved the new aid package for Kiev worth about $61 billion. According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the package includes $49.9 billion for military assistance. To come into force, the bill on embarking the aid for Ukraine has to be approved by the US Senate and signed by Biden. Amman, April 23 : The Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army has dispatched a humanitarian aid convoy to the Gaza Strip in coordination with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation. The convoy, consisting of 51 trucks loaded with food and other relief supplies, is part of the efforts by Jordan to help alleviate the suffering of the population in Gaza and a way to show support and solidarity for the Palestinians, the state-run Petra news agency reported on Monday. The armed forces pledged continued efforts to send humanitarian and medical aid to the war-torn Palestinian enclave, either by air through Egypt's Al-Arish airport and airdrop operations or by land through aid convoys, Xinhua news agency reported. Jerusalem, April 23 : Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launched about 35 rockets toward northern Israel while Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said in a statement. The rockets triggered air raid sirens in the city of Safed and other communities in northern Israel, but no injuries have been reported, Xinhua news agency reported. The Israel Defense Forces struck the rocket launchers and Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military added on Monday. Earlier on Monday, Israel attacked two structures in the villages of Arzoun and Odaisseh in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah fighters were present, according to the statement. The violence was the latest in the ongoing cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah since October 8, 2023, one day after the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip. Lucknow, April 23 : The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested notorious criminal Amandeep Singh a.k.a. Gobind Singh from Lucknow on Monday, the police said. He is accused of various heinous crimes, including the murder of a police officer, in Punjab. The Punjab Police collaborated with the Uttar Pradesh ATS to arrest him. The ATS arrested Amandeep from Sardari Kheda, Alambagh police station, Lucknow. He will be presented before the court in Lucknow on Tuesday, where a transit remand will be sought. Subsequently, he will be taken to Punjab for further legal proceedings before the court there. The Uttar Pradesh ATS is conducting an investigation into the suspect's connections in the state and his affiliation with radical ideologies. Moscow, April 23 : Russia will take necessary measures to ensure its security if Poland deploys nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Polish President Andrzej Duda said earlier on Monday that Poland is ready to host US nuclear weapons in the country, according to media reports. Peskov added the Russian military would analyse the situation if such an action were implemented, Xinhua news agency reported. "I think, in any case, they will take all the necessary response steps to guarantee our security." Under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) nuclear sharing scheme, the US is authorised to station its nuclear armaments within the territories of member states that do not possess them. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in October 2023 that Russia would be forced to resort to "compensatory measures" in response to the US deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe. Tel Aviv, April 23 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said that it is preparing for a major offensive in the Rafah region of southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Ministry sources told IANS that the IDF has prepared a road map for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians in the Rafah region of Gaza before a military offensive commences. As per sources, during the first two to three weeks, the IDF would evacuate the civilian population. There are around 1.3 million Palestinians in Rafah region with a large number of women and children. The civilians are likely to be moved to the adjacent city of Khan Younis which is now under Israeli control. Khan Younis region was serving as the headquarters of Hamas in southern Gaza but IDF has captured the area after flushing out all the militants. They said that the IDF would set up temporary tents for the accommodation of these civilians who will be evacuated from the Rafah region. The IDF will then move its troops into Rafah and target areas where it believes Hamas leaders and operatives are hiding. Israel intelligence agencies have said that Hamas has four intact battalions in the Rafah region while 129 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas have also been held in the same region. The US and other allies have requested Israel not to attack the Rafah region and also communicated to Israelis that the evacuation plan is not acceptable and that civilian casualties would mount during a military operation in Rafah. Jalaun : , April 23 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government has initiated departmental action against a police station in-charge in Jalaun after a constable, posted at the police station accused in charge of not sanctioning his leave so that he could look after his pregnant wife. He alleged that his wife and their newborn child died due to lack of treatment. Additional Superintendent of Police Aseem Chaudhary said that during the investigation, station in-charge Arjun Singh was found guilty. "Departmental action will be taken against him," he added. As per the investigation, Vikas Nirmal, a 2018 batch constable and a resident of Belahar in the Kurawali police station area of Mainpuri district, is posted at Rampura police station of Jalaun district and his wife Jyoti was a constable in Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Mumbai. Jyoti was in the ninth month of pregnancy and was living with her family in the Mainpuri village. Around a week ago, Vikas had applied for leave to the station in charge Arjun Singh, but he did not forward his application. On April 19 Jyoti had labour pain and she gave birth to a girl. However, their condition started deteriorating and they died after some time. Sydney, April 23 : Tech billionaire Elon Musk has hit out at Australia over the country's attempts to ban footage of a Sydney church stabbing on his social media platform X. The Australian court on Monday evening granted a two-day injunction, ordering the platform to hide videos of the April 15 stabbing for all users globally. "Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian 'eSafety Commissar' is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet," Musk wrote on X. "We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA," he added. Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday that Musk was an "arrogant billionaire." "We'll do what's necessary to take on this arrogant billionaire who thinks he's above the law, but also above common decency," he said. "What the e-Safety Commissioner is doing is doing her job to protect the interests of Australians. And the idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out-of-touch Mr Musk is." Albanese said social media needed to have social responsibility with it. "Mr Musk is not showing any," he said. X had earlier blocked the posts in Australia pending a legal challenge. The case is expected to be heard in court again on Wednesday for an argument about a permanent suppression. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with a terrorism offence after two people were injured in the alleged stabbing at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, western Sydney, on April 15. The church attack came days after six people were killed and dozens injured in a stabbing at a Sydney shopping centre. --IANS/DPA svn New Delhi, April 23 : Tata-owned Air India and Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways have signed a codeshare agreement connecting their networks, enhancing flight selections between India and Japan. With this agreement, effective for travel from May 23, Air India and All Nippon Airways guests will fly to their desired destination by combining those flights between India and Japan with a single ticket. In addition, guests of both airlines flying on codeshare flights will enjoy premium services such as lounge access and priority boarding that Star Alliance offers to its premium members. Available for sale from 23 April 2024, Air India will add its 'AI' designator code on ANA's flights between Tokyo Haneda and Delhi as well as Tokyo Narita and Mumbai, while All Nippon Airways will add its 'NH' designator code on Air India's flight between Tokyo Narita and Delhi. "This codeshare agreement with All Nippon Airways marks an important step forward in connecting India and Japan," said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India. "This collaboration broadens our network connectivity and offers our guests seamless travel experiences and a wider choice of flights between the two countries. We look forward to a successful collaboration with ANA and exploring further avenues for cooperation in the future," said Aggarwal. Katsuya Goto, Member of the Board and Executive Vice President of Alliances and International Affairs, All Nippon Airways said that this collaboration is a testament to ANA's commitment to improving the air travel experience for all of its travellers. "We hope this will lead to a seamless travel environment between our two nations," said Goto. New Delhi, April 23 : A day after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that "BJP can only open bank accounts in Kerala", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday hit back, saying that the grand old party never bothered about it as they only cared about vote banks and bank accounts of one dynasty. New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) A day after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that "BJP can only open bank accounts in Kerala", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday hit back, saying that the grand old party never bothered about it as they only cared about vote banks and bank accounts of one dynasty. Taking a dig at Tharoor, the BJP President wrote on X: Look at the disdain, elitism and arrogance! Typical Congress. We are proud that our government opens bank accounts for the poor! Congress never bothered about it as they only cared about vote banks and bank accounts of one dynasty." He said, "Kerala would defeat such disconnected elements." Earlier, the Congress MP in a media report, had said that BJP can only open "bank accounts" in Kerala. Tharoor, a three-time MP, is facing BJP candidate and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar at the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. Kerala will go to polls on April 26 to elect 20 Lok Sabha members. In the 2019 general elections, the Congress-led UDF won 47.48 per cent of the total votes and 19 seats, the CPI-M-led Left secured 36.29 per cent votes and just one seat, while the BJP-led NDA only got 15.64 per cent votes. Agra, April 23 : Internationally acclaimed Agra Homeopath Dr Radhey Shyam Pareek was honoured with Padam Shri by President Draupadi Murmu, for his contribution to the healthcare domain. At a ceremony, the President honoured 132 awardees. The Prime Minister and some of his cabinet colleagues were also present. The names of the awardees were announced on January 25. If the Taj City has become a hub of Homeopathy in the last 40 years, it is primarily due to the notable contribution of the Pareek family headed by the 90-year-old patriarch Dr R.S. Pareek who has mentored hundreds of homoeopaths not just in India but in many countries across Europe. Pareek was born in Nawalgarh of Rajasthan in 1933. In 1956, he completed his Homeopathy studies at Londonas Homeopathic College. Since 1965 Pareek has presented more than 100 research papers in over 30 countries. His focus of concern has been cancer treatment and the use of Homeopathic medicines in emergencies and trauma. In 70 years of practice, he has treated lakhs of patients with chronic illnesses. Recognising his contribution he has been showered with international awards from the Hahnemann award in Germany to prestigious honours in Switzerland and Germany. Due to age factor, he is not able to devote as much time but the mantle has successfully been passed over to his son Dr Alok Pareek, and grandson Dr Aditya Pareek. Local homoeopaths have congratulated and expressed the hope that Dr Pareekas contribution will continue to guide future generations of Homeopaths in the city which has more than half a dozen internationally recognised Homeopaths like Dr Parthasarathy Sharma who holds the Guinness Record for counselling lakhs of patients, Dr RK Gupta, director of Naimi Nath Hospital, which came to light when hundreds of Covid-19 patients were successfully treated with Homeopathic medicines, Dr Kailash Saraswat, Dr Siddharth Mishra, and several others. Chennai, April 23 : The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has initiated a new project to place water troughs in forest areas. The project, now implemented in Hosur forest range of Krishnagiri district, aims to prevent human-animal conflict. An official of Tamil Nadu Forest Department told IANS that the Department has requested the public to support the initiative to fill in water troughs. The official added that the Department has requested people to donate for the project during special occasions at their homes including birthdays and wedding anniversaries. In Hosur forest range, there are 70 water troughs and many check dams but they dry up during the summer. However, in monsoon these troughs and check dams are full. A water trough can hold up to 10,000 litres of water and two tankers with a capacity of 5,000 litres each are required to fill each trough. The officials said that the cost of one tanker of water is Rs 1,500. Many social organisations and NGOs have started supporting the initiative of the Hosur forest range. An NGO that does not want to be named has donated Rs 30,000 to fill the water troughs. K. M.Selvaraj, a farmer in Krishnagiri, while speaking to IANS said: "This is a good initiative on the part of state Forest Department. More than seven people have died in this range in wild elephant attacks. Wild animals frequent villages in search of water and food and let's hope that this initiative reduces the human animal conflict." Visakhapatnam, April 23 : A medical student from Andhra Pradesh died in an accident at a waterfall in Kyrgyzstan. Dasari Chandu (20), hailing from Anakapalli district, died after getting stuck in snow at a waterfall. After the end of the exams at the university where he was studying, Chanu went to a waterfall on Sunday with other students from the university. He along with some friends from Andhra Pradesh entered the waterfall. However, Chandu got stuck in the snow and died. Hailing from Madugula village of Anakapalli district, Chandu was the second son of Bhima Raju, a halwa seller. The youth had gone to Kyrgyzstan a year ago to pursue MBBS. The family has appealed to the Indian government to help in bringing home the mortal remains. Anakapalli MP B. Venkata Satyavathi brought the issue to the notice of Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy. She said the Union Minister spoke to officials in the Indian embassy in Kyrgyzstan, requesting them to render all assistance in sending Chanduas body to India. --IANS ms/dan Kannur : April 23 (IANS) With just one more day left for the election campaigning in Kerala to end, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday used his time to slam Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the 18 Kerala MPs, especially senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. CM Vijayan also predicted a resounding victory for the Left. Campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections comes to a close on Wednesday evening and Kerala goes to the polls on April 26 to elect 20 new Lok Sabha MPs. In the 2019 polls, the Congress-led UDF won 19 seats and the CPI(M)-led Left got one seat. However, midway one UDF Lok Sabha member Thomas Chazhikadan's party, the Kerala Congress (M) joined the Left Front. CM Vijayan while addressing the media in his home turf Kannur, after winding up his statewide election campaign covering all the 14 districts, said the general feeling across the country is that the Modi Government should not return. "There is a strong anti-Modi wave across the country. PM Modi is making highly-objectionable communal statements and this is the time for the Election Commission of India to intervene to show its impartiality, but nothing has happened. So the only option left is the legal route and it will be taken," said CM Vijayan. Then turning as always to take on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, CM Vijayan said, the general impression even among the Congress leaders is that Rahul has changed after his yatras. "He never spoke a word about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act during his yatra, nor does the Congress manifesto say anything about it. One fails to understand why he is silent and it appears he is helping the RSS and the BJP. "This is what we pointed out. And in Kerala, Rahul speaks a different tone, when he should be saying what's being spoken by the Opposition across India," said CM Vijayan. The CM is miffed with the Congress MP for saying that the Enforcement Directorate is going soft on Vijayan and his daughter's IT firm's deals. Then CM Vijayan slammed the 18 sitting UDF MPs and said they never raised their voices for Kerala inside Parliament. "I had twice called a meeting and sought the support of the 18 MPs of the UDF to fight for the needs of the state. They agreed to support us, but when it came to signing the memorandum that had to be submitted, they said that a sentence should be included in the memorandum, that it's due to the poor governance of the state that things have reached this level. "This clearly shows the mindset of these 18 MPs as they are against the state. This time the Left will have a resounding victory," added CM Vijayan. Mumbai, April 23 : Television actress Debattama Saha is learning a new skill to ride a scooty for her upcoming show 'Krishna Mohini', describing it as a "challenging" yet confidence-boosting experience. Debattama said: "It's been an exciting challenge to learn this new skill. Scooty riding looks deceptively simple, but it requires good coordination and balance. I'm loving the process and feeling more confident with each day." 'Krishna Mohini' narrates the story of a brother and sister duo in Dwarka, Gujarat. The family drama follows Krishna (played by Debattama Saha), who is not only an elder sister to Mohan (played by Ketaki Kulkarni) but also his 'SaaRthi'. The actress added: "Under the guidance of my saarthi, my best friend forever, I'm practicing scooty riding, and I hope she is proud of my progress. Krishna's life revolves around taking care of her younger brother Mohan while pursuing her passion for music and working as a tourist guide." Debattama emphasised that the character's scooty is "her trusted companion that helps her multitask." "I wanted to get the nuances right and decided the best way was to learn to ride a scooty myself. Moreover, the women of Dwarka navigate its bylanes on this two-wheeler, and so mastering this skill was also about showcasing the cultural fabric of the city," he added. 'Krishna Mohini' is set to premiere on April 29 on Colors. Mumbai, April 23 : Acclaimed filmmaker Hansal Mehta is currently occupied with the shooting of his upcoming series 'Gandhi', starring Pratik Gandhi in the titular role. Hansal, who recently delivered another impressive show with 'Lootere,a met legendary filmmaker Shekhar Kapur in London. The 'Aligarh' director took to Instagram and shared pictures from their meeting. Shekhar visited the sets of 'Gandhi' in London and chatted with Hansal, gaining insight into how the show was coming together. The two also took a stroll through the streets of London. In the caption, Hansal wrote: "Look who visited our sets today! Thank you @shekharkapur for inspiring us. #Gandhi." Shekhar is one of the influential Indian filmmakers who has left a global impact. The filmmaker made his directorial debut with the cult-classic 'Masoom', adapted from the Erich Segal novel 'Man, Woman and Child'. He went on to dole out films like aMr. Indiaa, aBandit Queena, and aElizabetha, which received seven nods at the 71st Academy Awards. Earlier, Hansal took to his Instagram and shared pictures from the shoot. He flaunted his sartorial choice in the pictures, wearing baggy pants, a white shirt, and a cream-coloured jacket. In the first picture, the director is surrounded by his crew at an undisclosed location, against the backdrop of Victorian architecture. The second picture shows the director briefing his actors inside an atrium, with a staircase running next to him. Karlsruhe, Germany : An employee of a German member of the European Parliament, lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has been detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, according to security sources. Federal prosecutors reported the arrest in Dresden on Tuesday, without naming Krah. The suspect is said to have passed on information from the European Parliament to China, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said the suspect was detained by police in Dresden, in the state of Saxony on Monday. The accused's flats were searched. According to the statement, he is accused of acting as an agent for a foreign secret service. Several German media outlets also reported that the suspect is an employee of Krah, who is the leading candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Krah was initially unavailable for comment. The announcement comes a day after three Germans were arrested in the western German cities of Dusseldorf and Bad Homburg on suspicion of spying for the Chinese secret service. At the time of their arrest, the suspects were in negotiations about research projects that could be useful for the expansion of China's maritime combat power in particular, according to the prosecutors. "As the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, we tracked down these people very early on and continued to monitor their behaviour and activities," said the president of the domestic intelligence services, Thomas Haldenwang, at a meeting of his agency in Berlin on Monday. According to the Federal Public Prosecutor General, those detained are "strongly suspected of spying since an unspecified date before June 2022." One of the men is said to have procured information on innovative military technologies for an employee of the Chinese secret service MSS who was in China. To this end, he had "used" the detained couple, who ran a company in Dusseldorf, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement. The company had served as a "medium for establishing contacts and collaborating with people from the German scientific and research community." --IANS/DPA svn Lucknow, April 23 : The viscera test report of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, on Tuesday, stated that no poison has been found. Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest at the Rani Durgawati Medical College in Banda district on March 28 while serving a conviction in jail. Mukhtaras brother and MP Afzal Ansari had alleged that the gangster-turned-politician was killed by poisoning. The post-mortem report confirmed that Ansari died of cardiac arrest. Ansari's family has alleged that he died due to "slow poisoning" in the jail. A senior hospital source, who oversaw the post-mortem examination and had access to the report, said on condition of anonymity, "The cause of death of Mukhtar Ansari was found to be heart attack (myocardial infarction)." The autopsy was conducted by a panel of five doctors. Umar Ansari, the younger son of Mukhtar Ansari, was present when the post-mortem was conducted at the Rani Durgavati Medical College. Chennai, April 23 : The Madras High Court dismissed a petition filed by former Special Director General of Police, Rajesh Das, seeking exemption from surrendering in a case related to sexual advances towards a woman IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. The former DGP had filed a petition after a trial court, and later an appellate court found him guilty of the prosecution charges. Madras High Court Judge Justice M. Dhandapani, on Tuesday, refused to grant exemption to the former DGP from surrendering before Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Villuppuram. The judge said that the former DGP, who is a convict and would have to surrender, will go to jail and then seek suspension of the sentence as well as the grant of bail until the disposal of his revision petition before the High Court. Villuppuram CJM had convicted and sentenced Rajesh Das on June 16, 2023. He was charged with having sexually harassed a woman Superintendent of Police in February 2021, when they both were travelling together in his car on official duty. The two police officers were providing security to then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who was campaigning for AIADMK during the elections to the Legislative Assembly. Rajesh Dasas appeal was dismissed by the Villuppuram Principal District Court judge who confirmed the conviction as well as the sentence on February 12, 2024. The convict, Rajesh Das, had approached the High Court with a revision petition and sought exemption from surrendering until the disposal of his revision, which was dismissed by the court. Seoul, April 23 : North Korea will face the end of its regime if it attempts to use nuclear weapons, the South Korean defense ministry warned on Tuesday, after the former said it conducted rocket drills simulating a nuclear counterattack. North Korea's state media said leader Kim Jong-un on Monday guided a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket launchers against enemy targets, Yonhap news agency reported. "If North Korea attempts to use weapons, it will face an immediate, overwhelming and decisive response from the South Korea-US alliance, and the North Korean regime will face its end," ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said in a regular press briefing. Jeon said North Korea's continued provocations would only strengthen South Korea's military capabilities and US extended deterrence, and their trilateral security cooperation involving Japan. Extended deterrence refers to America's commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally. The allies have been pursuing an integrated form of extended deterrence with Seoul leveraging its high-tech conventional military capabilities. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the North's latest missile tests appear to be "a show of force" against the ongoing military drills between Seoul and Washington as well as demonstrating its capabilities in lieu of its delayed spy satellite launch and arms sales abroad. The South Korean military said earlier North Korea appears to be making preparations for its next launch of a spy satellite, although there are no signs of an imminent launch. JCS spokesperson Lee Sung-jun evaluated North Korea's claim of a nuclear attack capability as "exaggerated" and the South Korean military is ready to detect and shoot down its ballistic missiles. "North Korea is known to have not yet concluded its experiments with small tactical nuclear weapons," Lee said during the briefing. The North's super-large multiple rocket launch system is classified as a short-range missile that could put the entire South Korean territory within range. Pyongyang has claimed a tactical nuclear warhead could be mounted on such a weapon. The North said Monday's missiles accurately hit the target island within a 352-kilometer range, which is enough to hit South Korea's Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, and an air base in Gunsan on the southwestern coast, where the joint aerial drills have been underway. On Tuesday, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo visited the 707th Special Mission Group, an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Special Warfare Command, to review its military readiness. Kim highlighted the special force's role in eliminating the enemy's leadership in covert operations during a conflict and called for heightened vigilance against North Korean threats. Bengaluru, April 23 : Karnataka Congress on Tuesday staged a protest at the Gandhi statue of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemning the Centre over the release of drought relief. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it was a symbolic protest to oppose the "step-motherly" treatment of the Centre towards Karnataka. "The Central government hates Karnataka. Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah nor Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded to our demands," the Chief Minister told media persons. He said that on September 22, 2023, the memorandum for drought relief was given and the Central team visited the state for four days. "Karnataka is suffering from severe drought. Out of 240 taluks, 223 are declared drought prone. Despite this, the Central government is claiming that we had delayed submission of the memorandum," the Chief Minister said. He said that the state government is spending its own money for drought relief. "We are spending Rs 36,000 crores for the guarantees in 2023-24 and for 2024-25, Rs 55,009 crore have been earmarked. There is crop loss in 48,000 lakh hectares. We have demanded for Rs 18,172 crores relief package for drought," the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. He also questioned how can Central leadership visit Karnataka when they have denied drought relief for the state. "I demand Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is visiting Karnataka to release the drought relief. We had to approach the Supreme Court as there was no response from the Centre," the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Bengaluru, April 23 : Karnataka Congress on Tuesday staged a protest at the Gandhi statue of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged holding back of drought relief funds by the Centre. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it was a symbolic protest to oppose the "step-motherly" treatment of the Centre towards Karnataka. "The Central government hates Karnataka. Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah nor Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded to our demands," the Chief Minister told media persons. He said that on September 22, 2023, the memorandum for drought relief was given and the Central team visited the state for four days. "Karnataka is suffering from severe drought. Out of 240 taluks, 223 are declared drought prone. Despite this, the Central government is claiming that we had delayed submission of the memorandum," the Chief Minister said. He said that the state government is spending its own money for drought relief. "We are spending Rs 36,000 crores for the guarantees in 2023-24 and for 2024-25, Rs 55,009 crore have been earmarked. There is crop loss in 48,000 lakh hectares. We have demanded for Rs 18,172 crores relief package for drought," the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. He also questioned how can Central leadership visit Karnataka when they have denied drought relief for the state. "I demand Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is visiting Karnataka to release the drought relief. We had to approach the Supreme Court as there was no response from the Centre," the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. New Delhi, April 23 : Fintech company BharatPe on Tuesday launched India's first all-in-one payment product that incorporates POS (point of sale), QR, and speaker into a single device. Called BharatPe One, the product is designed to streamline transactions for merchants, offering versatile payment acceptance options including dynamic and static QR code, tap-and-pay and traditional card payment options. The company plans to launch the product in over 100 cities in the first phase and further scale it to more than 450 cities over the next six months. "By combining multiple functionalities into one cost-effective device, we're providing a comprehensive solution tailored to the varied needs of small and medium businesses across diverse sectors," Nalin Negi, CEO, BharatPe, said in a statement. As per the company, the device offers a smooth and hassle-free experience for both merchants and customers alike. It comes equipped with a high-definition touchscreen display, 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity, and is powered by the latest Android operating system. It delivers improved performance and security, the company said. "We have received an overwhelming response from our merchants in the pilot phase and we reckon that this will be another game changer for the digital payments ecosystem, further consolidating our position as a trailblazer in the fintech industry," said Rijish Raghavan, Chief Business Officer - PoS Solutions, BharatPe. Kochi, April 23 : The Kerala High Court on Tuesday rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) which alleged that Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had filed false affidavit in his nomination form. Chandrasekhar, the BJP-led NDA's candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, is pitted against sitting Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The Court dismissed the petition after the Election Commission pointed out that once the nomination of a candidate is accepted by the returning officer, any person if they have any problem with the nomination is to file an election petition before the High Court and not a PIL. "As rightly contended by counsel for Election Commission of India, the remedy of the petitioner, if aggrieved by the acceptance of the affidavit filed by one of the candidates is to challenge the same in an election petition," the Court said in its order. "Where is the statutory provision that says that a reasoned order must be given by the returning officer on complaints given to them," the Court asked the petitioners. When the counsel for the petitioner asked whether his client was entitled to know what action was taken on the complaint, the Court pointed out, "That stage is over. Whether or not it was right of the returning officer to not give you a reasoned order, we cannot decide now. We cannot find a statutory provision also." Petitioners Avani Bansal and Renjith Thomas alleged that Union Minister Chandrasekhar deliberately omitted his assets including his properties, luxury cars and private jets and also grossly undervalued his shares in various companies. Kerala is slated to go to polls on April 26. Fahadh Faasil explains how model of Malayalam cinema is different from that of rest of India. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 23 : Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil, acclaimed for his recent release 'Aavesham', has chalked out the line of difference between Malayalam cinema and the rest of Indian cinema. The actor, renowned for his roles in 'Kumbalangi Nights', 'Maheshinte Prathikaaram', 'Malik', 'Joji', and others, highlighted that Malayalam cinema still lacks substantial support from OTT platforms. In a conversation with the YouTube channel Galatta Plus, Fahadh said: "The trade has grown for Malayalam cinema, but our cinema even now doesnat have a solid back-up of an online streaming platform. We need to prove our mettle in theatres for any of these things to come in. Unlike the rest of India, where almost 80 per cent of films are sold even before the shoot is started, things are different for us." The actor added: "Our model is not that, we need to finish the film and release the film to demonstrate its potential before it gains traction on OTT platforms. This approach has influenced our industry's cinematic culture, emphasising the importance of crafting compelling stories and producing quality content." Women's T20 WC: Told youngsters don't take any pressure on your shoulders, says Chamari Athapaththu. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, April 23 : Following a knock of 195 not out in the third ODI against South Africa in Potchefstroom, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu returned to the top in the latest ICC Women's ODI batting rankings, released on Tuesday. Athapaththu's ninth ODI century, which is the highest score in a successful chase in Womenas ODIs, helped her overtake England all-rounder Natalie Sciver-Brunt to the top spot. The left-hander had earlier been number one from July 3 to 12, 2023 before Beth Mooney and then Sciver-Brunt overtook her, ICC reports. The Sri Lankan also jumped two spots in the all-rounder rankings to enter the top 10 at ninth position. Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa moved up two places to third position after scoring an unbeaten 184 that helped her side post a huge total of 301 for five in the third ODI. West Indies captain Hayley Mathews, following her knocks of 140 not out and 44 in Pakistan, jumped seven places to be placed joint-eleventh in the batting rankings. She also jumped three places in the ODI all-rounder rankings to go second behind South Africa's Marizanne Kapp. Former captains Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies (up two places to 18th) and Bismah Maroof of Pakistan (up one place to 27th) are other notable gainers in the batting rankings. Pakistanas left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal has progressed from 23rd to 17th position after grabbing three wickets in the first two matches against the West Indies. Kavisha Dilhari of Sri Lanka (up seven places to 48th) and Umm-e-Hani of Pakistan (up nine places to 60th) are others to move up the bowling rankings. Thiruvananthapuram, April 23 : With just three days left before the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala go to the polls on April 26, the campaign turned murkier with a Left legislator using 'abusive' words against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Speaking at an election rally in Palakkad district on Monday night, Nilambur MLA P.V. Anwar allegedly referred to the DNA of the senior Congress leader, who is the sitting MP from Wayanad in the state. "Rahul Gandhi has become a fourth-grade person who should remove his Gandhi surname. He should be called just Rahul," said Anwar, reportedly adding that the Congress leader's DNA should be tested. Taking serious note of the remarks, Kerala Congress Acting President M.M. Hassan on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding the registration of an FIR against the two-time Left legislator. When asked about Anwar's remarks, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in Kannur, "It's only natural that if you criticises someone, you will get it back. Rahul Gandhi should not think he is above criticism." To recall, during his election rallies in the state, Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly attacked CM Vijayan, saying if a former Chief Minister (Hemant Soren) and an acting Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal) can be in jail, why the Centre is going soft on the Kerala CM despite multiple allegations of corruption surfacing against him. Meanwhile, Congress MPs K. Muraleedharan and K.Sudhakaran too have slammed Anwar and CM Vijayan for their remarks. "Anwar is being let loose by CM Vijayan," said Muraleedharan. "CM Vijayan doesn't have any class and his stock has fallen badly," Sudhakaran said. Paris, April 23 : At least five people died while trying to cross the English Channel to Britain off the coast of northern France, local media reported. It is unknown how many migrant boats attempted to set sail on Monday night. A major rescue was underway offshore and on the beach of Wimereux, reported French daily La Voix du Nord. The region around Calais in northern France is the jumping-off point for the shortest crossing to Britain, Xinhua news agency reported. In 2023, about 36,000 people made the dangerous crossing in small boats, according to figures by the French maritime authorities. Details are awaited. New Delhi, April 23 : A Delhi court on Tuesday extended till May 7 the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader, K Kavitha in the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the orders upon expiry of the previously-granted judicial custody. The ED arrested CM Kejriwal on March 21 after questioning him for over two hours at his official residence in Delhi. The ED has termed CM Kejriwal the "kingpin and the key conspirator" of the alleged excise policy scam in collusion with other ministers of the Delhi government, AAP leaders, and other persons. On Monday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking extraordinary interim bail to incarcerated Delhi Chief Minister in all the criminal cases registered against him by the central agencies, till the completion of his tenure or the trials, whichever ends earlier. Imposing a cost of Rs 75,000 on the petitioner, a law student, a Bench presided over by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan termed the petition as "totally misconceived" and questioned his locus standi to file such a plea. Kolkata, April 23 : If the BJP winning 18 seats in West Bengal during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls can ensure the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, bagging 35 seats this time will surely guarantee freedom from illegal infiltration, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday. Addressing an election rally at Karandighi under the Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency in North Dinajpur district, Amit Shah said: "The people of West Bengal voted in large numbers for the BJP candidates in 2019. Thereafter, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya became a reality. If the number (of BJP seats) goes up to 35 this time, the people of West Bengal will get freedom from the menace of illegal infiltration." A major part of the Home Minister's 20-minute speech focused on illegal infiltration, as he launched a scathing attack against Mamata Banejree, saying: "Instead of resisting illegal infiltration, the Chief Minister is pampering the infiltrators for vote bank politics. "In Sandeshkhali, she tried to protect those responsible for harassment of women because of the same vote bank politics. But after the women raised their voices, the authorities were forced to take action and send the accused behind bars." He also said the country needs Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister for a third straight term to free the nation from the menace of illegal infiltration and to grant citizenship to the genuine refugees. "The Chief Minister is encouraging illegal infiltration and also opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Even the Congress has said that if it comes to power, it will withdraw CAA. I dare the Congress and the Trinamool to block CAA if they can," the Home Minister said. He also said that only the BJP can end the reign of corruption in West Bengal, where every government job is sold. "A massive amount of Rs 51 crore was recovered from the residence of a close aid of Partha Chatterjee, who is behind bars now. But Mamata Banerjee is yet to suspend her from the party," Amit Shah said. The Home Minister also said that an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be set up in North Bengal, which has been a long-standing demand of the people of the region, if the BJP retains power for a third consecutive term. Chennai, April 23 : A 78-year-old senior citizen died of heart attack while he was participating in a relay swimming event from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu's Dhanushkodi. Gopal Rao (78), hailing from Bengaluru, was third in the row of a group of 31 swimmers who held a relay swimming event from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram. The swimmers including Rao had left for Talaimannar in a boat from Rameswaram on April 22, and they commenced swimming on April 23, in the early morning hours. During swimming, he complained of uneasiness and was helped into a boat that was accompanying the swimmers. The medical team that attended to him on the boat declared him dead. All the other swimmers cancelled the relay event and reached Dhanushkodi islet by boat. The body has been sent for postmortem to Rameswaram Government Hospital and Rameswaram Town police have registered a case. As per the Police, the group of swimmers had obtained all necessary clearances from both the Indian and Sri Lankan governments for the event. New Delhi, April 23 : Advancing Indo-French cooperation on culture and global commons, a senior official from the Macron government visited New Delhi on Monday to co-chair the Joint Working Group on Museology that is leading the project to create a new National Museum in New Delhi. Besides holding discussions, Aurelien Lechevallier, Director General for Global Affairs and Cultural and Economic Diplomacy, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, also visited the North and South Block sites, where the new museum will be located. As per the 'Letter of Intent' signed on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France in July 2023, France will be India's partner on this project through its national agency France Museums Developpement (subsidiary company of Agence France Museums). This followed the India-France Joint Statement issued during PM Modi's visit to Paris in May 2022 that mentioned both countries exploring the possibilities and mechanism for France to be a "knowledge partner" in the creation of a new National Museum in Delhi. "It will display the rich history and heritage of India through the millennia and will be constituted of collections from both the current India National Museum and the pan-India Museums," states the document. Lechevallier, during his New Delhi visit, also participated in the Governing Council meeting of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) along with Permanent co-chair, Dr P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India. It is to be recalled that France's candidacy to the CDRI co-chairship was first announced during President Emmanuel Macron's State Visit to India in January 2024. "As a multi-stakeholder coalition, CDRI has the unique capacity to leverage international initiatives such as the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, and tools such as the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment, FAST-Infra sustainable infrastructure certification, and the SOURCE Platform initiated by multilateral development banks to boost investments in resilient infrastructure and provide comprehensive assistance to participating countries," Lechevallier was quoted as saying in a statement released by the French Embassy in India on Tuesday. New Delhi, April 23 : Advancing Indo-French cooperation on culture and global commons, a senior official from the Emmanuel Macron government visited Delhi on Monday to co-chair the Joint Working Group on Museology that is leading the project to create a new National Museum in the capital city. Besides holding discussions, Aurelien Lechevallier, Director General for Global Affairs and Cultural and Economic Diplomacy, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, also visited the North and South Block sites, where the new museum will be located. As per the 'Letter of Intent' signed on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris in July 2023, France will be India's partner on this project through its national agency France Museums Developpement (subsidiary company of Agence France Museums). This followed the India-France Joint Statement issued during PM Modi's visit to Paris in May 2022 that mentioned both countries are exploring the possibilities and mechanisms for France to be a "knowledge partner" in the creation of a National Museum in Delhi. "It will display the rich history and heritage of India through the millennia and will comprise collections from both the current Indian National Museum and the pan-India museums," read the document. Lechevallier, during his Delhi visit, also participated in the Governing Council meeting of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) along with Permanent co-chair, P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India. It is to be recalled that France's candidacy for the CDRI co-chairship was first announced during President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to India in January 2024. "As a multi-stakeholder coalition, CDRI has the unique capacity to leverage international initiatives such as the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, and tools such as the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment, FAST-Infra sustainable infrastructure certification, and the SOURCE Platform initiated by multilateral development banks to boost investments in resilient infrastructure and provide comprehensive assistance to the participating countries," Lechevallier was quoted as saying in a statement released by the French Embassy in India on Tuesday. New Delhi, April 23 : About 54 per cent of employees in India predict a substantial shift in their roles within the next five years, with 95 per cent expressing confidence in their ability to adapt to these changes, a report revealed on Tuesday. According to the global matching and hiring platform Indeed, India leads the way in boosting optimism towards technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with 75 per cent expressing confidence in the transformative potential of technological advancements. "Our findings underscore a remarkable readiness among the Indian workforce to adapt and evolve. India's proactive stance on diversity and continuous skill development is not just setting a benchmark but also inspiring a global movement towards a more innovative and inclusive workplace," said Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed India. The report surveyed 9,592 employees, 4,592 employers/managers and 2,487 HR decision-makers across 11 countries from November 30 to December 21, 2023. Moreover, the report mentioned that India's passion for technology and AI outweighs any other nation such as Germany (41 per cent) and Canada (42 per cent). About 44 per cent also believe that AI will create more jobs than it will eliminate. In addition, the report said that Indian workers have adopted a proactive stance towards career learning and development to adjust to forthcoming shifts in the workplace with 53 per cent having upskilled to develop longer-term skills and learning in the last three years. Seoul, April 23 : South Korea is set to launch a homegrown earth observation nanosatellite into space this week, as part of its plan to create the country's satellite constellation by 2027, the country's science ministry said on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the nanosatellite, the first unit of the envisioned satellite constellation, will be launched from Rocket Lab's spaceport in Mahia, New Zealand, at around 10:08 a.m. on Wednesday (local time), Yonhap news agency said. The satellite, named NEONSAT-1, will be launched on Rocket Lab's Electron rocket along with the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System created by the US space agency NASA. NEONSAT stands for New-space Earth Observation SATellite constellation for national safety. NEONSAT-1, less than 100 kilograms in weight, will be the first among 11 nanosatellites to form a satellite constellation to monitor and take images of the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters, the report said. South Korea plans to launch five more nanosatellites into space in June 2026 and five more in September 2027, according to the ministry. Tel Aviv, April 23 : Southern Israeli border areas came under renewed rocket fire from Gaza on Tuesday, 200 days since the October 7 attacks which sparked the current conflict. Four rockets were intercepted by Israel's missile defence system on Tuesday, with one warehouse in the border town of Sderot being hit by fragments and setting on fire, local media said. There were no reports of casualties. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said fighter jets had carried out airstrikes on Hamas rocket launching pads in southern Gaza. The IDF reported further air force operations against "approximately 25 targets" throughout the Palestinian territory, and said "a number of terrorists" were killed using sniper fire. According to Israeli figures, more than 16,000 rockets have been fired at Israel by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and other groups since October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, 34,183 people have been killed and more than 77,000 injured since the beginning of the war. The figures, which do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, cannot be independently verified. More than 1,200 people were killed, while around 250 people were taken as hostages during the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist groups. Israel responded with airstrikes and a major ground offensive. Amid mounting casualties and a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the country has come under international pressure to protect civilians. --IANS/DPA sd/svn Randeep Hooda on his next directorial: Maybe the next I will be making an action film. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 23 : Randeep Hooda shared that he won't confine himself to one theme and will explore various genres. The actor also hinted at his next project as a filmmaker, possibly an action film. When asked about the topics he plans to explore in his next project, Randeep told IANS: "Even as an actor, I have jumped genres and I have jumped roles and characters. So similarly, as a filmmaker, I'll be jumping genres, and topics. Maybe the next one I will be making an action film. Randeep made his Bollywood debut in 2001 with 'Monsoon Wedding'. Over his two-decade-long journey in Hindi cinema, the actor has delivered some iconic characters and films, including 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster', 'Murder 3', 'Highway', and 'Sarbjit'. Does he feel there's an oligarchy that keeps natural talents at bay? "The industry is not one person or a group of people. It's different islands trying to do their own thing. As I am one. With a successful return to the big screens after seven years in a disrupter movie that challenges a lot of narratives, the love I have gotten from the audience as an actor and director has reinstated my belief that ultimately it's the audience that decides the worth of a talent." The actor added: "I'm not the one to crib about what I should have gotten, instead, I believe in working harder to keep winning the audience's love." Randeep made a comeback as a solo lead after seven years on the silver screen with 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar', which also marked his directorial debut. For the role, he shed almost 32 kg. This isn't the first time he underwent a physical transformation for a film. Randeep lost 18 kg for his role in the 2016 film 'Sarbjit'. On social media, the actor has been compared to Hollywood star Christian Bale, known for his extensive transformations for various roles. Responding to this, Randeep said: "Well, he's a great actor, whose work and work ethic I've always admired." "To be compared to him is a matter of great satisfaction to me personally, as I have been ploughing on in the same vein as an artiste in an industry that doesn't encourage or facilitate that kind of approach to one's work." New Delhi, April 23 : Consuming more than 5 grams of saccharin, an artificial sweetener known to be about 300-400 times sweeter than regular sugar with zero calories, can be fatal, but sudden deaths due to artificial sweeteners have not been reported yet, contended doctors on Tuesday. They reacted to the tragic case of a 10-year-old girl in Punjab's Patiala who died, last month, after eating her birthday cake, which was reportedly baked with a high concentration of saccharin. The girl's entire family also fell ill after consuming the chocolate cake purchased online. "In normal quantities, saccharin is not fatal, but high quantities, especially more than five grams would be very fatal. And this could be a part of any preparation which is not properly mixed," Dr M Wali, Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS. "There are no published or documented reports of humans suddenly dying from 'high levels of saccharin consumption'. There are no empirical evidence-based reports on sudden death due to saccharine in animal models or human beings," added Dr Abby Philips, a hepatologist, in a post on X. "Saccharine and other artificial sweeteners are generally considered safe and have undergone extensive trials which showcase safety as additives in food products. It is ok for you to use them in their recommended intake," explained Dr Abby, popularly known as the liver doctor on X. Saccharin sodium is among the six artificial sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame, and isomaltulose) approved "to be used in food" products by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Based on the available scientific evidence, saccharin is also deemed "safe for the general population under certain conditions of use" by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, Dr Tushar Tayal, Lead Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram told IANS that "research suggests that artificial sweeteners can disrupt bacteria's delicate balance in the digestive system and encourage types of bacteria that can raise glucose intolerance leading to an increased risk of metabolic disorders, such as obesity, cancer, and diabetes". Dr Wali noted that commonly people who consume these sweeteners, including saccharin, experience very severe headaches. But in the case of the young girl, "she would have consumed the portion of the cake which might have an accidentally high concentration of saccharine". He suggested "avoiding artificial sweeteners at all costs". Yet the question remains: How much of the cake did the young girl consume? "Acute saccharine toxicity leading to sudden death in the child is highly assumptious; and adulteration, contamination or other causes -- deliberate or unintentional must be sought," the liver doctor said. New Delhi, April 23 : The domestic equity markets stayed range-bound on Tuesday with BSE Sensex settled the day at 73,738, up 89 points or 0.12 per cent, while the Nifty 50 closed at 22,368, up 32 points or 0.14 per cent. The domestic market exhibited range-bound performance, tracking positive global cues with sustained outperformance of the broader market. While tensions between Iran and Israel were perceived to have limited escalation, the uptick in crude prices suggests investorsa reassessing the risks, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services. aWith higher levels of dollar index and US bond yields, FIIs are expected to continue with outflows, but inflows from DIIs are supporting the recovery", he added. Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst, LKP Securities, said that the Nifty remained sideways throughout the session as it failed to provide any directional breakout. However, the overall trend remains positive as the index closed above the critical moving average. "On the higher end, the range of 22,350-22,400 is likely to act as a resistance zone; a decisive breakout above 22,400 might trigger a rally in the market. On the lower end, support is positioned at 22,250; a breach below this level might weaken the bullish sentiment," he said. Kunal Shah, Senior Technical & Derivative Analyst at LKP Securities said that the Bank Nifty index experienced a sideways trading session following a positive opening, with bears asserting dominance at higher levels. Despite this, the overall sentiment remains bullish, suggesting that dips should be seen as buying opportunities. The Mumbai-based spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community SYEDNA MUFADDAL SAIFUDDIN, has taken over as the new Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia Central University, New Delhi, for a five-year term. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 23 : Ending a decade-long legal battle, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld the elevation of Dawoodi Bohra community's spiritual leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddun as the 'Dai-al-Mutlaq' and dismissed a suit filed by his cousin, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin. Mumbai, April 23 (IANS) Ending a decade-long legal battle, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld the elevation of Dawoodi Bohra communityas spiritual leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddun as the 'Dai-al-Mutlaq' and dismissed a suit filed by his cousin, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin. The much-anticipated verdict was pronounced by Justice G. S. Patel, just a couple of days before his superannuation, in the high-profile succession case that had shaken up the small sect of Shias. The long-winded trial in the Syedna succession controversy was concluded nearly two years ago, the final arguments were taken up in November 2022 and ended in April 2023, and the reserved verdict was delivered on Tuesday. Dismissing the suit, Justice Patel noted that he had kept the verdict as neutral as possible and had pronounced the judgement "based on the issue of proof and note faith". The row had erupted after the passing of the 52nd Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin on January 17, 2014, paving the way for his son, Mufaddal Saifuddin to take over as the new 53rd Syedna, the spiritual and religious head of the Dawoodi Bohras, spread globally. However, the late 52nd Syednaas step-brother Khuzaima Qutbuddin anointed himself as Syedna headquarters in Thane and challenged the elevation of Mufaddal Saifuddin as the 53rd Syedna, at the traditional base in Mumbai. Among other things, Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin a" who passed away in the US in 2016 - claimed that the late 52nd Syedna had privately conferred anassa (the official successor or inheritor) upon him in December 1965, which was valid as per the Bohra doctrine and precedents, and that Mufaddal Saifuddin had taken over as 53rd Syedna in a fraudulent manner. After the demise of Syedna Qutbuddin, his son Syedna Taher Fakhruddin continued the succession case against the 53rd Syedna, whose contention was that his father, the 52nd Syedna, had named him as the successor in June 2011 while he was recuperating from a stroke at a London hospital. While Syedna Taher Fakhruddinas legal team was led by advocate Anand Desai, the 53rd Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin's side was headed by senior counsel Iqbal Chagla. The office of 53rd Syedna expressed its gratitude over the landmark judgement passed by Justice Patel, after carefully considering the evidence and arguments made by both sides before conclusively ruling in favour of the defendant. "The rather unfortunate challenge to 53rd Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddinas appointment and the various falsehoods that it was based on has been conclusively dealt with in the court judgement and the claims of (the late) Khuzaima Qutbuddin, the Original Plaintiff and his son Taher Qutbuddin, the current Plaintiff, have been comprehensively rejected," the team said. The judgement has firmly dealt with and dismissed the misinterpretation and misleading portrayal by the plaintiffs of the facts and the religious doctrines of the Dawoodi Bohra faith, it added. Meanwhile, the Dawoodi Bohra community members calmly accepted the verdict on an issue that had been much debated and discussed in hushed tones. Gurugram, April 23 : Iconic US-based global Asian fusion restaurant chain P.F. Chang's just opened their doors for foodies in Gurugram and it wouldn't be wrong to say that one will be "wrapped" around each dish as every bite bursts with flavours in the mouth like a "dynamite". The popular restaurant chain, famous for its signature dishes such as lettuce-wrapped chicken and Dynamite Shrimp, was founded in 1993 by American restaurateurs Philip Chiang and Paul Fleming. It celebrates the 2,000-year-old tradition of wok cooking and honours the cultures and recipes primarily of China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. Keeping in mind the sensibilities of Gurugram's food, the restaurant chain has tweaked its menu. For instance, as Ramit Bharti Mittal, Executive Chairman & Director, Gourmet Investments, pointed out, the famous Dynamite Shrimp of P.F. Chang's comes in chicken and paneer variants. From the presentation, where the delicacy was served in a martini glass, to the taste, everything about the 'Dynamite Chicken' was mindblowing. The Gurugram outlet also has some "exclusive dishes', including sushi and dumplings, for vegetarians. The asparagus tempura roll, packed with flavours, is a must-try. And non-vegetarians just cannot miss the chicken dumplings with chilli oil, for every bite feels like a carnival of flavours in the mouth. Mittal's suggestions included the juicy pepper steak doused with pepper garlic sauce and consisting of a chunky flank steak with onions and bell pepper. Then came the orange chicken, which can rightly be described as a flavour bomb, for it stays true to the name. It begins with a sweet and tangy taste and ends with a little heat, but beware: One serving will not be enough -- you will keep wanting more. Opened at Gurugram's popular food destination, Cyber Hub, on Sunday, April 21, P.F. Chang's can be described as an upscale restaurant where a meal for two can cost up to approximately Rs 2,500. The price seems right for the taste and experience that is served. On a sweeter note, the dessert section will leave those with a sweet tooth massively impressed. The banana spring rolls are a must try. These are crispy and crusty wontons wrapped around gooey banana and sprinkled on top with cinnamon. Served with ice-cream, the dish offers instant relief to the tastebuds. Then there is the Great Wall of Chocolate, which the menu cautions is only 'For Sharing'. Mittal said the size of the slice is a tad smaller than what is served abroad. Still, what the restaurant is serving in Gurugram is huge, but super delicious. 'Yummy' disclaimer: Be ready for the ultimate food coma at P.F. Changas. New Delhi, April 23 : A four-year-old boy has been given a new life by doctors in Pune, after surgery to treat Midgut Volvulus -- a condition in which the intestine gets twisted. Midgut volvulus is a severe condition that is common among children and infants and often occurs within the first few weeks of life, caused by a congenital anomaly of the intestines -- leaving the child susceptible to sudden twisting of most of the intestines. Symptoms such as upper abdominal distension, bilious vomiting, and abdominal tenderness are the first signs of midgut volvulus in infants. While the condition is treatable, late detection of the condition could rapidly deteriorate the patientas health and can be fatal. The boy, Sankalp, was admitted to Surya Mother and Child Hospital, Pune, in an extremely deteriorated condition with wasted muscles, an immensely bloated abdomen, and dehydration. "Delayed detection of midgut volvulus increases treatment challenges and risks of a high fatality rate," said Sachin Shah, Director - Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Services, Surya Mother and Child Super Speciality Hospital, Pune. Sankalp was initially treated at a tertiary care hospital in Varanasi, where he underwent surgery. However, his recovery was fraught with challenges, leading to multiple corrective surgeries that failed to improve his condition. Despite the efforts, Sankalp's health continued to deteriorate, and his family was informed that further medical intervention seemed futile. At the Pune hospital, the team of doctors assessed Sankalp's condition and opted for a re-surgery to address the condition. During the subsequent extensive four-hour surgery, the surgical team encountered adhesions in Sankalp's abdomen that had caused the intestines to adhere together, severely compromising their function. "Despite these odds, the surgical team meticulously separated the intestines, repaired the damage, and restored their function during the extensive surgery," Sachin said. With their effort, Sankalp made a "remarkable recovery within 48 hours post-surgery". After six days of abstaining from solid food, Sankalp was finally able to consume real food again, marking a significant milestone in his journey to health and recovery. "Following a successful recovery, Sankalp was discharged after 10 days and closely monitored for the next three months. Once the doctors were satisfied with the healthy weight gain after a three-month follow-up period, Sankalp was discharged," the doctor said. Chennai, April 23 : The Madras High Court on Tuesday expressed concern and anguish over three universities in Tamil Nadu remaining without Vice Chancellors for a long period. Hearing a writ petition filed by advocate B. Jagannath seeking the inclusion of a University Grants Commission (UGC) nominee in the search panel set up by the state government to identify suitable candidates for the post of Vice Chancellor of Madras University, a bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice J. Sathya Narayana Prasad said that academics seems to be taking a backseat in a dispute between various authorities. "The universities have been without vice chancellors for the past one year. The court is concerned only with the academic excellence of the universities and not the internal feuds between various authorities. The authorities are required to be sensitive in manning the universities. The only consideration should be educational excellence," it said. Senior counsel N.L. Rajah, appearing for the writ petitioner, informed the court that the issue of inclusion of a UGC nominee in the search panel was decided in a recent judgement of the High Court in a Pondicherry University case. Senior counsel P. Wilson, representing the University of Madras, however, said the High Courtas judgement in the Pondicherry University case was stayed by the Supreme Court. He said, the apex court was seized of the same issue and therefore, a UGC nominee need not be included in the search panel. The senior counsel representing the University of Madras wanted to get impleaded in the present writ petition and opposed the petitioneras plea for the inclusion of a UGC nominee. The judges recorded his submission and granted time till June 5 to file for filing the impleading petition and getting it numbered. The bench, however, expressed their dismay over the University of Madras and two other universities remaining without a vice-chancellor for a long time, and the present writ petition itself getting adjourned from time to time, at the instance of the state government, since November 2023. At this, Wilson contended that the appointment of a Vice Chancellor was getting delayed solely because of the Governor. Brussels, April 23 : The Council of Europe, a European rights body, has sharply criticised the UK for its controversial asylum pact with Rwanda. "The UK government should refrain from removing people under the Rwanda policy and reverse the Bill's effective infringement of judicial independence," said the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The law raises questions about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law in general, he said. The Council of Europe is independent of the EU and was founded in 1949 to protect democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe. The British bill, which was approved by the House of Lords on Tuesday night after lengthy opposition, declares Rwanda a safe third country by law. In doing so, the government wants to prevent appeals against deportations before British courts. The asylum pact with Rwanda stipulates that irregular migrants will no longer be given the opportunity to apply for asylum in the UK. Instead, they are to be taken to Rwanda and apply for asylum there. The regulation is intended to deter people from making the dangerous crossing across the English Channel in small boats. However, opponents doubt that the law will deter migrants. "Managing asylum and migration is undoubtedly a complex endeavour for states, but it must always be done in full compliance with international standards," O'Flaherty said. The British law "is another representation of an ongoing trend towards externalization of asylum and migration policy in Europe, which is a matter of concern for the global system of protection of the rights of refugees," he said. In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which is part of the Council of Europe, prevented the UK from sending asylum seekers of different nationalities by plane to Rwanda. --IANS/DPA svn Amroha : , April 23 (IANS) Criticising the Congress for its handling of terrorist incidents, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath stated on Tuesday that during the Congress government, whenever a terrorist incident occurred, they would "put oil in their ears" and ignore it. "They would merely say they were watching or would watch, while terrorists continued their activities," he added. In a jibe at the Congress, he remarked that the party had coined the slogan 'Gareebi Hatao' in 1970 and in 2024 late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's grandson was still repeating it. He added, "Instead of alleviating poverty, one family gained unfettered access to plunder the nation's resources, whether it was the family in Delhi or in Saifai. They indulged in rampant corruption and instigated chaos." Speaking at a public meeting in Hasanpur, Amroha in support of Kanwar Singh Tanwar, CM Adityanath stated, "The Samajwadi Party has crossed the limits of shamelessness. They had the audacity to withdraw cases against terrorists who attacked Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and the Sankat Mochan Temple in Kashi. However, the judiciary thwarted their intentions." He continued, "The court sharply criticised the SP, warning that if they can withdraw cases against terrorists today, they might tomorrow shamelessly compromise the country's security by giving them the Padma Award. The judiciary will not permit such actions." He further said, "Today is Hanuman Jayanti. PM Modi has facilitated the installation of Lord Ram's idol in Ayodhya, who is the idol of Lord Hanuman. Therefore, 'Jo Ram ko laaye hain, hum unko layenge aur kamal khilayenge.'" CM Adityanath remarked that prior to 2014 there were frequent terrorist incidents and bomb blasts, instilling fear among the people. However, terrorism has been effectively curbed since 2014. "By 2019, PM Modi took decisive action to revoke Article 370, which was the foundation of terrorism. This led to the eradication of terrorism from India. Now, even when a firecracker explodes, Pakistan promptly denies involvement. Even our adversaries recognise India's strength. They understand that if terrorist incidents occur in India and innocent lives are lost, they will face consequences", he stated. Asserting that the BJP prioritises development, the Chief Minister said, "The distance from Amroha to Delhi is just 165 km. Before 2014, it took five hours to travel this distance. Congress failed to appreciate the importance of convenience and time. We are linking Amroha with the Ganga Expressway. Now, one can reach Delhi in just one-and-a-half hours, Lucknow in four hours, and Prayagraj in six hours." The CM added, "The then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had asserted that Muslims have the first right to the country's resources. So, where does that leave the Dalits, Backward Classes, Khadagvanshi, the poor, farmers, mothers, sisters, and youth?" New Delhi, April 23 : In a big relief to Odisha Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim, the Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended his sentence in a Rs 1.50 crore loan scam case. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta was hearing the special leave petition filed by Moquim challenging the decision of the Orissa High Court which had dismissed his appeal and confirmed the conviction and the findings of the trial court. Last week, the top court, in an interim direction, exempted the Congress legislator from surrendering till the next date of hearing. Earlier, a bench of Justice B.R. Routray of the Orissa High Court had said that it found no reason to interfere with the sentence awarded by the special vigilance court, considering the extent of the sentence and the nature of offences as well as the role played by the appellant. A special vigilance court in Bhubaneswar in September 2022 convicted Congress MLA Moquim, former IAS officer Vinod Kumar, Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation's (ORHDC) former Company Secretary, Swosti Ranjan Mohapatra, and Metro Builders Pvt Ltd Director, Peeyusdhari Mohanty, in the case, and sentenced them to three years in jail. According to Vigilance officials, Vinod Kumar and Swosti Ranjan had sanctioned a loan of Rs 1.50 crore to Metro Builders for the Metro City-II project, for the construction of 50 flats, at Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, in 2000. Moquim was then the Managing Director of Metro Builders. On the direction of Vinod Kumar, the loan was sanctioned and disbursed in three instalments. The loan agreement and other connected documents were signed by Mohanty on behalf of Metro Builders. Though Vinod Kumar was not delegated with any financial power for sanction and disbursement of loan by the board of directors of the ORHDC at that time, he, along with Mohapatra, had sanctioned and disbursed the loan amount in haste by showing undue favour to the builder, the vigilance officials said. Further, the loan proposal was neither placed before the board of directors nor the loan committee for approval. It was also sanctioned without any spot/site verification. During the investigation, the vigilance sleuths also found that documents like the BDA plan, project estimate and fire prevention certificate submitted by Metro Builders were forged and fabricated, but used as genuine for availing the loan. No tripartite agreement was executed between the parties, the official said, adding that the accused persons caused a huge loss to the government and thereby, wrongful gain to the builder. Istanbul, April 23 : Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian has condemned "planned" sanctions against his country over the major drone and missile attack on Israel earlier this month as "unlawful" and "regrettable." Iran had exercised its right to self-defence with the attack, Amirabdollahian wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. He called for sanctions to be imposed against Israel. At a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, the foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states instructed EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell to submit concrete proposals for sanctions. These should make it possible to impose further trade restrictions on Iran in order to make it more difficult for the country to build and develop drones and missiles. There are also plans to impose sanctions on individuals, organisations and companies involved in the production of drones and missiles and their delivery to Iran's allies in the Middle East. The moves are in response to Iran's unprecedented direct missile attack on Israel 10 days ago. It followed a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus at the beginning of the month. In the latter incident, two generals and five other members of the powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were among those killed. Israel carried out a retaliatory strike in the province of Isfahan on Friday, reportedly hitting an air base. --IANS/DPA svn Pawan Kalyans tit for tat action after TDP announced two candidates. Image Source: IANS News Vijayawada, April 23 : Actor-politician Konidala Pawan Kalyan's assets grew by over 215 per cent during the last five years as he declared family assets of Rs 164.52 crore on Tuesday while filing nomination for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. The Jana Sena leader had declared assets worth over Rs 52 crore in 2019. This time, he has declared assets in his name and the name of his wife Konidala Anna (formerly known as Anna Lezhneva) and four dependent children. Pawan Kalyan, who filed his nomination from the Pithapuram constituency in the Kakinada district, stated that he has movable assets of Rs 41.65 crore. These include 11 vehicles worth Rs 14 crore. The actoras fleet of vehicles includes Mercedes Benz R Class 350, Mahindra Scorpio S8, two Mahindra Scorpio S11, Benz Maybach-S Class 560, Rangerover Sports, Toyota Landcruiser, Toyota Vellfire, Jeep Wrangler, pick-up truck Tata Yodha, and a Harley Davidson-Heritage bike. Pawan Kalyan's wife has movable assets of Rs 1 crore. The actor owns immovable assets valued at Rs 94.41 crore, including agricultural and non-agricultural land and two residential buildings in Hyderabadas Jubilee Hills. His wife owns a flat in Banjara Hills worth Rs 1.95 crore gifted by him. Their two dependent children equally share a residential building in Jubilee Hills worth Rs 22 crore. Pawan, who passed Class 10, has liabilities to the tune of Rs 65.76 crore. The actoras income during 2022-23 was Rs 12.20 crore, down from Rs 30.09 crore during 2021-22. He faces eight criminal cases, most of them for making provocative speeches. Pawan Kalyan had made an unsuccessful electoral debut in 2019 but lost both Assembly seats he contested. The younger brother of megastar K. Chiranjeevi entered politics by floating the Jana Sena in 2014. The party did not contest the election but backed the TDP-BJP alliance. The Jana Sena fought the 2019 polls in alliance with BSP and the Left parties but secured just one Assembly seat. The party is contesting next monthas elections in alliance with the TDP and BJP. Under the seat sharing, it has been allotted 21 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats. New Delhi, April 23 : The Bengaluru Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday deferred the hearing of the ongoing matter between embattled edtech company Byju's and some of its key investors to June 6. Byju's Senior Counsel, KG Raghavan, assured judges that the company has fully complied with the court's order dated February 27, sources told IANS. The allegations made by the counsels of four foreign investors regarding violation of the court order were refuted by Raghavan. The Bench noted the petitioners' failure to substantiate their claims of non-compliance effectively, said sources. The matter has been listed for next hearing on June 6, providing ample opportunity for Byju's to further reinforce its diligent adherence to the NCLT's directives. In an earlier hearing, the NCLT had refused to stay the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) called by the Byju's Board of Directors to raise capital via the rights issue. Last week, the edtech firm said that its shareholders have approved the rights issue, paving the way for its parent company Think & Learn Private Limited to issue fresh shares and conclude the rights issue to tackle a severe cash crunch. The approval cleared the hurdle for the company to address the liquidity crunch, including unpaid salaries, regulatory dues and vendor payments. Meanwhile, Arjun Mohan, who was elevated as the embattled edtech firm's CEO some seven months ago, has moved on to pursue other opportunities. Mohan will be part of the edtech firm in an "external advisory role." Byju's Co-founder and CEO Raveendran has taken a more hands-on approach in spearheading the daily operations of the company. Wardha, April 23 : In Maharashtra's Wardha, which gained prominence as the central place for the Indian National Movement after Mahatma Gandhi came to this place, it is a fight between a youth and an old guard in the Lok Sabha election this time. The BJP has renominated its sitting MP Ramachandra Tadas, who is hopeful to score a hattrick, against Amar Kale, the NCP-Sharad Pawar candidate who had recently joined the party after leaving the Congress. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi nominee Rajendra Salunkhe and BSP candidate Mohan Raikwar are also in the fray. Incidentally, it is for the first time in recent years that the Congress party and its hand symbol will be missing from the Wardha constituency. Congress is a key ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi but is engaged in activating its cadres for Kaleas campaigning. Wardha remained the Congress bastion till 1989 but later it was also represented by Communists and the BJP. Since 2014, the BJP has won this seat. Tadas, who was elected from Wardha in the 2014 and 2019 elections, is seeking votes for continuity while Kale, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time, is approaching the voters for a change. Kunbi and Teli communities will have a major role in the victory of either of the two. Tadas come from the Teli community and Kale from the Kunbi community. Both these communities are politically crucial not just in Wardha but in several districts of Vidarbha and the rest of Maharashtra. Tadas, who is the president of the wrestling association, is banking on the work he carried out in the last 10 years for the transformation of Wardha apart from riding on the 'Modi guarantee'. A well-oiled election machinery is his major strength as the party has charged its booth and Panna-level workers. Tadas and the BJP are aggressively taking up a slew of developmental works done by the Narendra Modi government since 2014, especially for the poor, farmers, youth, women, OBCs, SCs and STs. The Rs 13,000 crore Vishwakarma Yojana is being prominently projected by Tadas in order to consolidate his position among the Teli and OBCs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the campaign rally in Wardha, held last week, wooed the voters by saying those who have turned up in large numbers have come to bless him and inspire him to work harder. He also assured that the BJP-led government at the Centre after the elections will give a necessary push for Wardhaas development which was neglected during the successive Congress governments. On the other hand, Kale is carrying on his father and former minister Sharad Kaleas legacy and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)'s network. Interestingly, former ministers and erstwhile political rivals Anil Deshmukh (NCP-SP) and Sunil Kedar (Congress) are working hand in hand and reaching out across the Wardha constituency to mobilise support for Kale. Kedar, who had worked as the Wardha district guardian minister during the MVA government, has been quite active in reaching out to the voters, especially from villages and hamlets. Kale is appealing to the voters to vote for him and the MVA or INDIA bloc to protect the Constitution and democracy, and also to speed up the development process in Wardha. MVA top guns including Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray held rallies for Kale while Pawar was also present at the time of filing of nomination by Kale. Both Tadas and Kale believe that the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Mayawati-led BSP may not eat into their votes due to their small presence and network in the constituency. However, both face a huge challenge to bring voters to the polling booths during the present hot wave to avoid less voting. However, Tadas and Kale are striving to reply to the host of problems raised by the voters during their corner meetings and house contacts. Among the key issues included the lack of adequate employment opportunities, the absence of a major industrial unit, long pending road development and also the implementation of the Sevagram Development Plan and on top of it the delayed construction of flyovers in Wardha, Sindhi, Pulgaon and Dhamangaon. Of the six assembly constituencies in the Wardha Lok Sabha seat, BJP represents Dhamangaon Railway, Arvi, Hinganghat and Wardha while Deoli-Pulgaon by Congress and Morshi by Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana. During the 2019 elections, Tadas secured 5,78,364 votes against Congress nominee Charulata Tokas who got 3,91,171 votes. In the 2014 elections, Tadas, who was the BJP's sitting MLA and partyas nominee, got 5,37,518 votes defeating the Congress candidate Sagar Meghe who secured 3,21,735 votes. In all, 16,78,354 voters will exercise their votes on April 26. New Delhi, April 23 : Five "budding criminals", who were inspired by the videos of infamous gangsters available on YouTube, were arrested for firing at the helper of a businessman in Najafgarh and then calling the latter demanding Rs 2 crore as "protection money'', a Delhi Police official said on Tuesday. The accused were identified as Sunny Shah (22) a resident of Ranaji Enclave, Najafgarh; Nikhil a.k.a Chinnu (20), a resident of Madangir village in south Delhi; Lakshay Bhardwaj (22), Shiv Prakash Shukla (18), and Inderjeet (26), all residents of Chirag Delhi. Shah was the main conspirator-cum-shooter while Nikhil made the threat call to businessman Lalit Ahuja and demanded money from him. According to police, on April 18, a police control room (PCR) call regarding a firing was received at Najafgarh police station. Upon investigation, it was found that two unidentified persons on a scooty had shot at Sanjay, a cleaner and helper at SDS Metal Emporium LLP in Indira Park, Najafgarh. "Around 9:20 a.m., Sanjay had opened the godown shutter and was carrying out his usual duties when, at around 10:00 a.m., a youth wearing a helmet arrived at the main gate. The youth opened the smaller entrance gate and, without warning, fired at Sanjay with the apparent intent to kill," said a senior police official. Fortunately, the bullet missed him, grazing his hand and striking the wall behind him. Upon Sanjay's outcry, the assailant fled on a scooter with his accomplice. Meanwhile, Lalit received a call from someone claiming to represent a notorious gangster. The caller demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore, threatening severe consequences if the money was not paid. "On April 19, on the basis of CCTV footage and technical surveillance, the main sharpshooter namely Sanni Shah and two conspirators namely Lakshy Bhardwaj, Nikhil and their associates namely Shiv Parkash Shukla and Inderjeet, who provided the stolen scooty and mobile SIMs were apprehended," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh. On interrogation, it was revealed that the accused were budding criminals who were inspired by the videos of infamous gangsters, available on YouTube. "Accordingly, they hatched a plan to extort money from businessmen. Shah, who was doing work as an electrician at the site, on which the incident happened, informed his associates that he is aware of a businessman, who could give money easily," said the DCP. To extort the money, Shah planned with his friends Nikhil, Lakshy and Himanshu. "As per the plan, they arranged a SIM of a stolen mobile phone and also a stolen a scooty. Weapon was arranged by one Sunni," said the DCP. New Delhi, April 23 : After a massive hunt, a member of the infamous Nasir gang, who was wanted in cases of murder and under MCOCA, has been arrested from Bhopal along with his aide, the Special Cell of Delhi Police said on Tuesday. The arrested gangster has been identified as Danish Jamal, while his aide has been identified as Gaurav a.k.a Chuddi. According to the police, a Special Cell team while working on wanted gangsters received information about the movement of Jamal in Delhi a few months ago. Jamal is also the cousin of gangster Nasir, who is presently lodged in jail in a MCOCA case. Ever since Nasir was arrested, his brother Adil, Danish, and Badar took charge of the gang operating in the North-East Delhi area. "It was earlier revealed that Jamal was hiding somewhere around his native village in Bulandshahar, UP, to evade arrest. A team was sent there only to find that he had already left the place," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Pratiksha Godara. However, information was again received that Jamal was residing somewhere in the South-East Delhi area. "A team was stationed in the vicinity of his probable hideouts in the area, but Jamal was found to have fled to Bhopal on the night of April 15," the DCP said. Subsequently, he was followed and arrested from Gandhi Nagar in Bhopal on April 16 along with Gaurav, also a declared 'Proclaimed Offender' in a murder case. The DCP said Jamal has a long history of committing heinous crimes for more than 15 years. "He joined the criminal nexus in 2009 with the aides of his cousin Nasir. At that time, Nasir was associated with another jailed gangster, Hashim Baba. The Nasir-Hasim gang had a rivalry with the Chhenu gang and the Aqil Mama gang. During that period, inter-gang rivalries had claimed many lives," the officer said. In 2013, Jamal along with his aides allegedly killed gangster Aqil Mama, while in 2014, they killed the brother of Aqil Mama to claim complete dominance in the North-East Delhi area. "The same year, Jamal along with his aides killed a person named Firoz near the Holy Family Hospital in Delhi, which was a contract killing," the DCP said. As per police records, Jamal was involved in settling property disputes/grabbing of properties, extortion, satta, and drug rackets in North-East Delhi. To check the criminal activities of the Nasir-Hasim gang, the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was invoked against Nasir, Hasim, and other gang members, including Jamal, in July 2019 by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police. Visakhapatnam, April 23 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Tuesday that Visakhapatnam will be the "destiny" of the state and compete with cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. "The IT sector is developing rapidly in the city, among others. If the Chief Minister functions out of Visakhapatnam, the city will directly compete with other metro cities," he said while interacting with his YSR Congress Party's social media workers as part of his Memantha Siddham Yatra. He told the social media workers that he is fighting the opposition alliance supported by a few "biased" regional media outlets. "But I have you, the social media warriors. Brothers and sisters with mobile phones are with Jagan, which is the reason that I am not alone in the fight," he stated. "Geetanjali was trolled badly by the opposition on social media for expressing her happiness to have received government schemes. Eventually, she took her own life. This is the level they are stooping to," Jagan Mohan Reddy, referring to Gothi Geetanjali Devi of Guntur district, who allegedly died by suicide last month after facing harassment and online abuse. During the interaction, Samrajyam alias Suchithra told the Chief Minister that she was working as a private security officer in the Visakhapatnam Airport Food Court when Srinu attacked him with a knife in 2018. She alleged that everyone around her was a TDP sympathiser and she faced harassment at the job and on social media, forcing her to quit. She alleged that a false theft case was filed against her, which prevented her from getting another job, and was jobless ever since. "Even my family was harassed and we moved away from the city. But after seeing you (Jagan) getting attacked in Vijayawada, I thought I shouldnat remain silent," said Samrajyam, referring to the recent incident of a person hurling a stone at him. In response, the Chief Minister said: "A system should be put in place to report social media harassment for party workers. An app should be created for social media workers so if they are in trouble, they can report it to the party." He also asked the YSR Congress Party Media and Social Media Coordinator Sajjala Bhargav to give him a report every week on the social media workers' issues. "We are giving the assurance that the whole YSR Congress is behind you in every constituency, mandal, and village," Jagan Mohan Reddy said and asked the social media workers to work towards winning all the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in the state. Kolkata, April 23 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday stayed the process of recruitment of sub-inspectors in the state Food and Supplies Department over allegations that the question paper for the recruitment examination was leaked on social media. The single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha has ordered a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the matter. Justice Mantha also directed the CID to submit a report in the matter by May 22. The West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) conducted the written examination for recruitment of sub-inspectors for the the department last month. However, soon after that, some candidates approached the Calcutta High Court claiming that the question paper was leaked on social media just an hour before the examination started. The litigants complained that despite that, examinations continued and hence some candidates came to examination centres knowing the questions well in advance. After a detailed hearing in the matter, Justice Mantha stayed the process of recruitment. Chandigarh, April 23 : Punjab Police has averted possible target killing planned by cross-border operatives with the arrest of a man linked to a Pakistan-based terror module, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Lovepreet Singh, alias Picho, of Udho Nangal village in Amritsar. Police teams have also recovered a .30-bore automatic Chinese pistol along with a magazine and four cartridges from his possession. DGP Yadav said acting swiftly on intelligence inputs, police teams from the Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar laid a special checkpoint in the Rama Mandi area and arrested the accused after recovering the sophisticated automatic pistol from his possession. He said the probe revealed the accused was being handled by Pakistan-based operatives, who tasked him to carry out target killings in Jammu and Kashmir to create fear and unrest in society. Senior Superintendent of Police, Counter-Intelligence, Navjot Singh Mahal said the accused had received money in his bank account via Dubai and procured the pistol along with ammunition from Samba. Further investigations are going on, he added. Bengaluru, April 23 : The BJP lodged a complaint with Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer in connection with a protest by the Congress in the premises of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru against the Central government on Tuesday. The BJP has also demanded the suspension of Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel. The complaint was filed by a delegation led by Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader R. Ashoka. The BJP said that the development of staging of protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Vidhana Soudha by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala against the BJP and Central government should be brought to the notice of the Election Commission. "At a time when the Model Code of Conduct is in place and the matter of drought relief is pending in the Supreme Court. In spite of this, the protest is staged illegally against the Centre to create negative opinion in the minds of voters. This is being done to get political benefit in the election," the BJP said in its complaint. The party further demanded that Congress' star campaigner Randeep Singh Surjewala, CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar should be immediately barred from campaigning. In a separate complaint, the BJP accused Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel of acting as per the directions of the Congress government and allowing the protest to take place on the premises of the Vidhana Soudha. Speaking to reporters after lodging of the complaint, Ashoka said that the protest by CM Siddaramaiah is against the model code of conduct. "We have been assured of action on the complaints," he said. Karnataka Congress on Tuesday staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Vidhana Soudha premises, accusing the Centre of holding back the drought relief funds. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it was a symbolic protest to oppose the "step-motherly" treatment of the Centre towards Karnataka. --IANS mka/sha New Delhi, April 23 : Asserting that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or the ASEAN, is at the heart of India's 'Act East' policy, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday that the time has come for the Global South to present its perspective and assume a greater role in international affairs. Addressing the first ASEAN Future Forum - initiated and hosted by Vietnam - virtually, EAM Jaishankar said that the regional grouping also remains a "crucial pillar" in New Delhi's wider Indo-Pacific vision. "Today, a multipolar Asia and a multipolar world are increasingly self-evident. This brings to the fore an ever-important role of ASEAN and that of India in dealing with the realities of the emerging world order. It underlies the need for greater cooperation and coordination between India and ASEAN," the EAM said in his remarks at the opening session of the forum titled 'Towards fast and sustainable growth of a people-centered ASEAN Community'. He mentioned that India and ASEAN are neighbours, sharing millennia-old cultural and civilisational linkages with the relationship having now entered its fourth decade, maturing into a comprehensive strategic partnership based on shared values and common aspirations. He also recalled that it was during India's G20 Presidency last year that New Delhi hosted the Voice of Global South Summit with the participation of several ASEAN member states. "We support ASEAN unity, ASEAN centrality, and the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific. India truly believes that a strong and unified ASEAN can play a constructive role in the emerging regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific," Jaishankar said. The Minister added that the synergy between Indiaas Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) that is reflected in the ASEAN-India Leaders' Joint Statement provides a strong framework for cooperation, including addressing challenges to comprehensive security. "We held the first ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise in 2023 and we aim to hold the second edition at a mutually convenient date. Our recent operations in the Red Sea have rendered protection and support and evacuation of crew, including that of ASEAN member states. "As a net security provider and a first responder, India's initiative of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is aimed at contributing towards peace and stability in the region. It is important that the freedom of navigation, overflight, and unimpeded commerce are respected and facilitated by all," said the EAM. Earlier, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn highlighted the role of the ASEAN Future Forum as a platform for ASEAN and its partners to share new ideas and policy recommendations. He stressed the timeliness of convening such a forum for thinking through what lies ahead, particularly at this juncture as ASEAN is working on an ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and formulating its strategic plans. Rotterdam, April 23 : India is showcasing its innovative technologies and power generation practices at the 26th World Energy Congress, being held in the Netherlands from April 22 to 25. The India Pavilion at the Congress is reinforcing the country's commitment to environmental conservation on the global stage. Central Public Sector Enterprises under the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas are participating in the India Pavilion, giving a collective testimony to the country's leadership in global energy transition. The Pavilion was jointly inaugurated by Secretary, Ministry of Power Pankaj Agarwal and Ambassador of India to the Netherlands Reenat Sandhu. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power, Srikant Nagulapalli and CMDs and other senior officials of participating organizations such as NTPC, POWERGRID, PFC, REC, NHPC, SECI, IREDA, ONGC, and World Energy Council India are attending the event. Agartala, April 23 : The opposition CPI-M and the Congress on Tuesday separately urged the Election Commission to take appropriate action against Tripura Minister and senior BJP leader Ratan Lal Nath, who announced a Rs 2 lakh reward for the polling stations in five Assembly constituencies in the state which would record the highest percentage of votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Tripura CPI-M Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury called the minister's announcement an "open provocation for false voting". State Congress President Asish Kumar Saha in his letter to the CEC urged the poll panel to take immediate and decisive action to rectify these "alarming developments". "Your swift intervention in addressing these concerns will not only restore confidence in our electoral system, but also reaffirm the resilience of our democratic institutions," Saha told the CEC. Nath, who holds the Parliamentary Affairs, Agriculture, and Power portfolios in the state Cabinet, said on Tuesday that during campaigning, he announced that he would give Rs 2 lakh as a reward to the polling station that records the highest percentage of votes in five Assembly constituencies -- Agartala, Mohanpur, Amarpur, Teliamura, and Khowai. Agartala and Mohanpur Assembly segments fall under the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat, where elections were held in the first phase on April 19, while Amarpur, Teliamura, and Khowai come under the Tripura East (ST) parliamentary constituency, where voting will be held in the second phase on April 26. "The reward would be given to BJP's polling booth management, not any individual. Voters in these polling stations can cast his or her vote for any candidate or party of their choice," Nath told IANS. Out of the five Assembly segments, the Agartala Assembly constituency has the highest number of polling stations at 57, followed by 56 in Mohanpur, 54 in Teliamura, 53 in Amarpur and, 52 in Khowai. Claiming that the BJP is the best party in India, Nath claimed that the opposition INDIA bloc would suffer a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. Nath also said that the INDIA bloc failed to engage polling agents in a large number of polling stations in the first phase of polling besides spreading the false propaganda of "booth capturing, rigging, and manipulation done by the BJP". A former Congress leader, Nath, who's now the second in command in the BJP-led Tripura government after Chief Minister Manik Saha, joined the BJP in 2017, a year before the party came to power in the state for the first time after defeating the CPI-M-led Left parties. Chandigarh, April 23 : Haryana's Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Hooda on Tuesday termed the state BJP government "helpless, callous and completely useless". Commenting on the state government's record, the veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister said instead of "asking for votes, the BJP in Haryana seek forgiveness from the public". "The governmentas statistics show the state is number one in poverty," he said in a statement. "The data on family identity prepared by the BJP itself shows that 63 per cent of the population of Haryana is trapped in poverty. Out of the 2.86 crore population, 1.8 crore i.e. about 45 lakh families, have reached below the poverty line. In such a situation, the question arises whether the BJP is going among the people in the elections with the achievement of making the people of Haryana poor?" he said. About the rising crime, he said the Social Progress Index of the Central government itself describes Haryana as the most unsafe state in the country. "The question arises whether the BJP is seeking votes by taking advantage of putting people's lives and property at risk," he asked. --IANS vg/vd Kolkata, April 23 : West Bengal Congress General Secretary Binay Tamang on Tuesday extended his support to BJP candidate from Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency Raju Bista, prompting his expulsion from the Congress. Announcing the party's decision, Congress leader Manoj Chakraborty said that Tamang has been expelled from the party for six years. "This expulsion comes into force immediately," he added. Earlier in the day, a statement was issued by Tamang where he claimed that his decision to support the BJP candidate is because he feels that this is the time when all should raise their voices against corruption. "I will also request the people of the hills to extend their support to Bista," he said. He also said that while the return of BJP to power at the Centre is certain, "there is also a high possibility of the saffron camp coming to power in West Bengal in 2026. So considering all aspects, I have decided to extend support to BJP this time". His statement came just three days before Darjeeling along with two other Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal are going for the polls in the second phase on April 26 The difference between Tamang and the state Congress leadership was widening since instead of nominating him as the party candidate from Darjeeling, the party nominated Munish Tamang. Tamang expressed anguish over the development and said that he cannot accept Munish Tamang as the candidate. "He (Munish) has spent his entire professional career in Delhi and has no connection with the Gorkhaland issue," Binay Tamang had said. A section of the state Congress leadership has claimed that the party high command chose Munish Tamang as the candidate on the insistence of Harmon Party chief Ajoy Edwards, who announced his support for the opposition INDIA bloc last month. Gurugram, April 23 : A fire broke out at the Bandhwari landfill site about 20 km from here on Monday evening which is yet to be doused completely. However, no casualties were reported in the incident, a fire department official said. While the exact cause of the fire is known yet, fire tenders have been rushed to the site, officials said on Tuesday. According to fire officials, the incident took place at around 5 p.m. on Monday in the Bandhwari landfill area. The fire is suspected to have started due to a build-up of methane, a flammable gas, at the landfill site due to the decomposition of solid municipal waste. The fire also spread due to polythene and other plastic waste in the landfill. "A fire broke out at the top of the landfill due to which it is taking time to douse the flames. Several fire tenders from Gurugram and Faridabad fire stations were pressed into action. Also, around 40 fire personnel were present at the spot to control the blaze. It took firefighters more than 22 hours to control the flames," Manoj Kadyan, a fire official, told IANS. "Every effort is being made to douse the fire fully," Kadyan added. In 2013, a major fire made the Bandhwari waste management defunct for some time, before its operational municipal bodies in Gurugram and Faridabad continued to dump over 1,000 tonnes of untreated garbage at the site every day. New Delhi, April 23 : Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Tuesday defended the Manmohan Singh government's stand on prioritising minorities, Muslims in particular, for receiving the benefits of development, saying there was nothing wrong in that approach. Speaking exclusively with IANS on the controversy over wealth redistribution to minorities, Rashid Alvi said that unnecessary fuss is being created over the then Prime Minister's remarks. "The Manmohan Singh government always believed that people in the last line should have the first right to the nation's resources. And, Indian Muslims are indeed the most backward community." Alvi told IANS. Notably, the BJP and the Congress are engaged in a face-off after Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election rally on Sunday raked up Manmohan Singh's statement made in 2006 that 'minorities, Muslims in particular, should have the first right to the nation's resources'. The Congress called the speech 'communal' and even moved the Election Commission, while the BJP claimed that PM Modi's speech was in response to Rahul Gandhi's call for 'wealth redistribution' after the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The Congress leader also underlined the need for bringing the 'backward' Muslim community at par with the mainstream, saying that unless such efforts are made, inclusive growth can never be achieved. He also alleged that the BJP only respects the rich and powerful, and doesn't care for the backward and unprivileged sections of the society. When questioned who would be the Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha polls, he said that if the BJP wins the elections, Narendra Modi will surely continue to be the Prime Minister of the country. Alvi, however, mocked the BJP over its 'imaginary' '400-paar' target, claiming that even their own partymen don't believe that the target could be achieved. Mumbai, April 23 : In a big breakthrough, the Mumbai Police have recovered some arms and ammunition that were reportedly used in the firing at the house of Bollywood megastar Salman Khan on April 14, official sources said on Tuesday. The arms, comprising 2 pistols and 4 magazines with 17 live rounds were fished out of the Tapi river in south Gujarat's Surat, known as the 'Diamond City'. A team of the Crime Branch, led by Daya Nayak and others, scoured the spot where the two shooters, belonging to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had flung the weapons into the river, with the help of local divers. After many hours of search, the Mumbai Police sleuths finally managed to trace out the weaponry and ammunition which the shooter duo had thrown while fleeing to the Pakistan-bordering district of Kachchh. The two youths, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, both from Bihar, were nabbed within 36 hours in a joint operation of Mumbai and Gujarat Police teams, deploying tech intel and field informers. Early on April 14, the shooters had come on a motorcycle to the sea-facing Galaxy Apartments in Bandra West, where Salman Khan and his family live, and fired at least 5 rounds before speeding off from there, rattling Bollywood and political circles. Amritsar: A farmer checks his damaged wheat crop after heavy rain on the outskirts of Amritsar on Friday, March 24, 2023. (Photo:Pawan Sharma/IANS). Image Source: IANS News Chandigarh, April 23 : Punjab's Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his government's failure to provide compensation to farmers for crops damaged in the hailstorms. Chandigarh, April 23 (IANS) Punjabas Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his government's failure to provide compensation to farmers for crops damaged in the hailstorms. "Before the Assembly elections in 2022, the Punjab Chief Minister used to propagate that the farmers would get compensation for their damaged crop even before the survey (girdwari) is conducted. Meanwhile, it has been around a week since the wheat crops in many areas of the state have been damaged due to hailstorms, but the farmers haven't been paid," he added. The Congress leader said the farmers continued to protest against Agriculture Minister and AAP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bathinda, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian. The farmers have also given the government a week to provide them with compensation and threatened to launch an agitation otherwise. "When the state was suffering the worst-ever floods last year, CM Bhagwant Mann played with the emotions of farmers by giving them false hope. He said that farmers would get compensation for even the loss of their livestock," Bajwa said, adding that the farmers had not yet emerged from the trauma of floods and they suffered more losses due to a hailstorm. "In its two-year regime, AAP has let down the farmers on several occasions. The time has arrived that the AAP will have to pay the price of its misdeeds," he added. --IANS vg/vd Imphal, April 23 : On 'Khongjom Day' on Tuesday, Manipur paid rich tributes to the indomitable spirit of Paona Brajabashi, a revered national hero who led the Manipuri Army against the British forces during the last Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891. Despite facing overwhelming odds in terms of both numbers and firepower, Paona and his 300-strong contingent valiantly defended their land over a century ago. The battle culminated at Khongjom, approximately 35 km from Imphal, where they fought fiercely until the end, refusing to retreat or surrender. Paona's unwavering dedication to honour and valour serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by the Manipuri patriots in defence of their homeland. To commemorate the moment when the erstwhile royal kingdom of Manipur lost its independence to the British, and to ensure that the courage, heroism, and patriotism ingrained in the Manipuri people of that era continue to inspire the present generation, April 23 is observed as 'Khongjom Day' every year. To mark the occasion, a state function was organised at the Khongjom War Memorial which was attended by the Governor, Chief Minister, and other dignitaries who offered floral tributes at Paona Brajabashi's statue which was followed by a gun salute. "Despite fighting valiantly, there was no one left standing except Paona Brajabashi, and when an Army officer asked him to switch sides and join the British, Paona refused. Impressed by his martial arts skills and valour, the British lured him with a plump post, to which Paona replied, "Death is more welcome than treason." "Paona then took off his protective gear, and asked the British officer to behead him," said Kachingtabam Hemchandra, a Thang-Ta exponent while describing Paona's heroism on the battlefield. Manipur maintained its sovereignty until the British occupation following the 1891 Khongjom War. After the conflict, the British established a significant presence in Manipur, consolidating their control over the region. Internal crises and seven years of devastation from 1819 to 1826, inflicted by Burma (Now Myanmar), forced the rulers of Manipur to seek assistance from the British in reclaiming their kingdom. Aligning with Prince Gambhir Singh, the British aided in driving out the Burmese during the first Anglo-Burmese War (1824 - 1826). This collaboration resulted in the restoration of Manipur's sovereignty, with Gambhir Singh appointed as the titular King The 1891 Anglo-Manipuri War, also referred to as the Last War of Independence, broke out due to the internal disunity among the Manipuri princes following the death of Maharaja Chandrakriti. This conflict was exacerbated by the pervasive and intolerable interference of the British in the affairs of the Kingdom, especially during the reign of Maharaja Surchandra Singh. Despite being surrounded by British forces attacking from three sides - Silchar, Kohima, and Tamu (Myanmar) - the spirited resistance displayed by the Manipuris became legendary for its patriotism and valour. The Manipuri soldiers were led by Paona Brajabashi, who was called back from retirement to confront the enemy columns, which possessed the tactical advantage of 20-pounder mountain guns. Paona Brajabashi, originally Paonam Nawol Singh, was born on December 20, 1823, to Paonam Tulsiram and Haobam Kunjeswari, during a time of political turmoil. His father held the position of Laipham Lakpa, the head of Laipham Panah. It was later in his life that he acquired the title 'Paona Brajabashi'. At the age of 7, Paonam Nawol was introduced to Manipuri martial arts traditions under the tutelage of Major Loma Singh Longjamba, a respected authority in martial arts and warfare techniques. Recognising his talent and dedication, his mentor imparted to him the full breadth of his military expertise, including secret warfare tactics acquired over his long career. Paonam also learnt riding, fencing, and freehand combat from his maternal uncle, Major Athouba Haobam Binod, who adopted him following the death of his father in 1850. After completing his studies, Paonam commenced his military career as a junior officer in the King's army in 1856, at the age of 23. For his valiant actions during the expedition to suppress an uprising by the Akam tribe of Chin Hills, Paonam was promoted and earned the title of Subedar Paona Brajabashi, bestowed upon him by Maharaj Chandrakriti whom he saved during an ambush on the expedition. At the height of his military career in 1886, Paona Brajabashi decided to retire from the royal army. He was deeply troubled by the increasing interference of the British in the administration of the state. Despite retiring, Paona Brajabashi was promoted to the rank of Major and his expertise in handling cannons was utilised during the Battle of Khongjom. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) Washington, April 23 : Preventing terrorist strikes in the US was cited as the top foreign policy priority by most Americans in a recent opinion poll, and not promoting democracy and human rights around the world, which have been the gratuitous goals of successive presidencies and administrations. Stopping the inflow of illegal drugs and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction were the second and third on the list of top priorities. Limiting the influence of Russia and China and fighting climate change came in the middle, with strengthening the United Nations, and promoting human rights making up the bottom part of the list with promoting democracy being absolutely the last. The findings present an opportunity for Indian policymakers for a more robust and effective engagement with Americans on cooperation against terrorism, which is a top foreign policy objective for India as well. While the two sides have extensive and in-depth engagement in combating terrorism, Indians have felt disappointed by what they view as a lack of adequate response to the growing resurgence in Khalistan militancy by activists based in the US. There have been no arrests of people responsible for two incidents of assault and arson at the Indian consulate in San Francisco in March and July of 2023. Pew Research Center surveyed 3,600 Americans in the first week of April for this poll. With memories of the devastating September 11, 2001 attacks seared into their minds, most Americans -- 73 per cent -- said preventing terrorist attacks should be a top foreign policy priority for the US. Two passenger flights commandeered by Al Qaeda terrorists slammed into the two World Trade Center towers in New York, one into the Pentagon on the outskirts of Washington DC, and the fourth, which was headed for the White House, crashed instead in Pennsylvania. In all 2,996 people were killed in these attacks, including 35 of Indian descent. The second top foreign policy priority cited by American respondents in the survey was sopping the inflow of illegal drugs at 64 per cent, followed by preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction (63 per cent), maintaining US military might (54 per cent), and stopping the spread of infectious diseases such as Covid-19 (52 per cent). Limiting the power and influence of arch-enemy Russia and arch-rival China came in next at 50 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively. North Korea and Iran were a lesser priority at 38 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively, but they were counted among foreign policy priorities. Dealing with climate change, 44 per cent, came in between perceived threats from Russia and China on one hand, and North Korea and Iran on the other. The issue of global warming has not become a bipartisan issue, with Democrats more concerned about it than Republicans, some of whom, such as former President Donald Trump, have dismissed it as a hoax played by China to slow down the US. It was Trump again who pulled the US out of the Paris Accord on climate change, which has since been rejoined by the US under President Joe Biden. But the bottom few priorities displayed the wide chasm, or disconnect, between the high-mindedness of US policymakers and average Americans. Only 26 per cent said the US foreign policy should accord priority to defending human rights around the world which is a far cry from the time, money and effort expended by policymakers in Washington DC. The State Department produces annual country reports on human rights, for instance. The other part of global policing by the US that received a significant thumbs-down from the respondents was the promotion of democracy around the world. Only 18 per cent of the respondents said it should be a foreign policy priority. Absolutely the last. Yet, both the White House and the State Department push democracy in dealings with foreign counterparts, cutely couched in diplomatese as "frank" discussions. Hubballi, : April 24 (IANS) Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said on Tuesday that the safety of women is under threat in the state. Talking to mediapersons after paying a visit to the family of Neha Hiremath, who was murdered recently on a college campus in Hubballi, Vijayendra said, "The Karnataka government should take the matter seriously to instill a sense of confidence among the mothers and daughters of the state. Similar incidents have also been reported from other parts of the state." Neha (23), the daughter of Congress councillor Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College in Hubballi on Thursday. The accused, Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently. Vijayendra added that when Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy's residence was torched in 2020, the Congress was in power in the state with Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister, and D.K. Shivakumar as the state Congress President. "Even then, the state government did not bother to stand with its MLA. The Congress did not protect the interests of its party MLA fearing that the sentiments of the minorities will be hurt. This is the culture of the Congress," Vijayendra said. "While we demanded the Neha murder case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the state government handed it over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The probe is moving at a slow pace," he added. The BJP leader also said that no family in the state should undergo sufferings like Neha's family. "The parents of Neha have demanded strict action against the killer of their daughter. There is no need to politicise the issue. A murder is a murder, and the killers must be punished. The state government should take the case seriously and hand over the probe to the CBI," Vijayendra said. Gurugram, April 24 : A labourer was killed while two others were rescued after getting trapped under a mound of earth when a retaining wall collapsed at an under-construction building in Gurugram's Sector-92 on Tuesday, police said. Police said the incident occurred in the afternoon, adding that the trio were working allegedly without any safety gear. After the incident, the angry workers protested and vandalised the site, as well as an ambulance. Police used force to disperse the workers and the body of the deceased worker was sent for post-mortem examination. "The matter is being investigated. Initially, it has come to light that no safety equipment was provided to the workers. Action will be taken in the matter on the basis of the investigation," ACP Shiv Archan Sharma said. "The labourers were digging a basement for an upcoming project of a private builder. They had dug around 50 feet below ground level when a massive mound of earth from the site came crashing down. While two labourers were rescued, one got trapped under the earth and died," he said. The rescued workers are undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital. Police said a case would registered based on the statements of the family members of the victim, who was identified as Siddhu Marandi, 31, from Jharkhand. Another migrant worker from Jharkhand, who did not want his name to be revealed, said: "They were digging the basement when the earth suddenly collapsed, trapping Siddhu. We immediately informed the police and fire station, following which police teams reached the spot, along with a JCB. We rescued the trapped men and took them to the nearest hospital. But doctors declared Siddhu dead on arrival." Bengaluru, April 23 : As the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka is going to be held on April 26, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held a roadshow in Bengaluru South Parliamentary constituency for sitting BJP MP and candidate Tejasvi Surya. Bengaluru, April 23 (IANS) As the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka is going to be held on April 26, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held a roadshow in Bengaluru South Parliamentary constituency for sitting BJP MP and candidate Tejasvi Surya. Starting late Tuesday evening in Bommanahalli here, the election rally held by Amit Shah witnessed huge participation from citizens. Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Opposition leader R. Ashoka, and Bengaluru South BJP candidate and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha President Tejasvi Surya were also present in the rally along with Amit Shah. Addressing the gathering, the Union Home Minister appealed to the people to ensure the victory of Tejasvi Surya from the Bengaluru South seat with a margin of more than five lakh votes. Amit Shah hit out at the Congress government for its failure in governance in Karnataka, highlighting the issues of law and order, and corruption. He also said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's inaction in addressing law and order was emboldening anti-national elements across the state to attack innocent citizens. He also criticised the Congress for supporting organisations linked to extremist activities and stressed the BJP's commitment to law and order. Amit Shah expressed confidence about the NDA winning all 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka as well as lauded the transformative impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership on the progress and security of the country. He urged the people of Karnataka to reject Congress' empty guarantees and choose the development-oriented governance of Prime Minister Modi. "After the DJ Halli and KG Halli riots a couple of years ago, I met Amit Shah Ji and requested the establishment of an NIA office in Bengaluru. The NIA office has significantly bolstered our counter-terrorism efforts. The investigation into the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case is being spearheaded by them," Tejasvi Surya said, expressing his gratitude towards the Union Home Minister for his support. "That apart, the Home Minister's support for the Safe City project, at an outlay of Rs 2,840 crore, has boosted the city's security," Surya noted. The roadshow began from the Vivekananda Statue near Bommanahalli Circle on Hosur Road to the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bannerghatta. A huge crowd of BJP workers followed the vehicle carrying Amit Shah and other senior party leaders with party flags and banners in their hands. BJP leader Tejasvi Surya is contesting against Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy from the Bengaluru South Lok Sabha seat. Sowmya Reddy is a former MLA and the daughter of State Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. Jerusalem, April 23 : Israel has ordered residents of the city of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate "urgently" ahead of a new planned onslaught in the area. "You are in a dangerous combat zone," Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), wrote on Tuesday on the social media platform X. He said that the army has an imminent plan to "act with great force" against militant infrastructures in the area, Xinhua news agency reported. "For your safety, evacuate immediately," he urged. Israeli attacks intensified on Tuesday, with reports of intense strikes in the northern regions, where the IDF had previously pulled back some of its forces, as well as in central and southern areas. Earlier on Tuesday, four rockets were fired from Gaza toward Sderot, a city in southern Israel, triggering air raid sirens but causing no injuries, according to Israeli rescue services. A garage caught fire due to remnants of an interceptor missile launched at the rockets, according to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has risen to 34,183, mostly civilians, according to the enclave's Health Ministry's statement on Tuesday. Geneva/Tel Aviv, April 24 : The bodies discovered in a mass grave in the Gaza Strip were not buried by Israeli soldiers but by Palestinians, according to Israel's embassy in Geneva. "The claim that the (Israel Defense Forces) buried Palestinian bodies is baseless and unfounded," said an embassy statement released on Tuesday evening. Soldiers only examined the bodies in the grave in search of Israeli hostages, the dignity of the deceased was respected, and the bodies of Palestinians were returned to the same place, it added. "The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages," the embassy said. Palestinian civil defence teams in Gaza reported on Monday that a mass grave with 283 bodies was located near the Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. According to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, which cited the civil defence, some bodies had bound hands. Turk on Tuesday said he was "horrified" at the reported discovery of mass graves near hospitals in Gaza and called for an independent investigation into the causes of the deaths. There have also been reports in recent weeks of bodies found at the Al-Shifa medical complex in Gaza City. Under international humanitarian law, hospitals are entitled to special protection. In his remarks, Turk noted that "the intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat (out of action due to injury) is a war crime". The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also criticised the recent attacks by Israeli forces in Rafah in the Gaza Strip due to the high death toll among women and children. "The latest images of a premature child taken from the womb of her dying mother, of the adjacent two houses where 15 children and five women were killed -- this is beyond warfare," said Turk, warning of possible war crimes. The pregnant woman was fatally injured in an Israeli attack on a residential building a few days ago, according to a UNHCR spokeswoman. Rescue workers had taken her to a hospital where the baby had survived after a caesarean section on its dying mother and was now fighting for its life. The UN office documented three military strikes in Rafah since April 19, in which at least 30 women and children were killed. The UNHCR now estimates that there are still 1.2 million displaced persons in Rafah. This is down from the earlier estimate of 1.7 million due to many people leaving Rafah for fear of the offensive to the north announced by Israel. Such an offensive could lead to further violations of international law, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity, UNHCR said. According to Palestinian authorities, more than 34,000 people died since Israel launched a military operation in retaliation for the massive terrorist attack in the south of the country on October 7 that killed nearly 1,200 people. Turk also demanded the immediate release of the remaining hostages taken from Israel during last year's attack. Meanwhile, southern Israeli border areas came under renewed rocket fire from Gaza early Tuesday. Four rockets were intercepted by Israel's missile defence system, local media said, with one warehouse in the border town of Sderot being hit by fragments and setting on fire. There were no reports of casualties. According to Israeli figures, more than 16,000 rockets have been fired at Israel by the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas and other groups since October 7. --IANS/DPA khz IWG anticipates record network growth in 2024, as businesses of all sizes embrace the benefits of hybrid working. The company now has approximately 4,000 locations in more than 120 countries. Last year, IWG added 867 new locations to its network, up from 462 in 2022, so this new milestone represents... [] After a long gestation period, Doug Seibold, founder of Evanston, Ill.based Agate Publishing, has begun the official rollout of the Agate Publishing Academy (APA). The goal of APA, Seibold said, is to provide an affordable professional development program for those interested in joining the publishing industry, as well as for publishing professionals looking to improve their understanding of the business. And by making it a hybrid program, Seibold wants to provide alternatives to the typically expensive publishing master's programs and summer courses that are mostly held on the coasts/ The APA grew out of Agates own long-running internship program, which has trained more than 130 interns, many of whom later found jobs in the publishing industry. All courses are taught by Agate staff members and are informed by the work of Agate Development, Agate Publishings sister company, which specializes in developing educational content for educational institutions, businesses, and trade organizations. The APA currently offers certifications in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Basics for Publishing Professionals, Instructional Design Basics, Freelance Business Basics, and Publishing Basicsthe latter of which Seibold called APAs flagship course. Students taking Publishing Basics complete eight online modules at their own pace, each of which is followed by a live video conference discussion with an industry professional and a group of students. The course, which takes roughly eight weeks to complete, costs $1,000, although there are a number of ways the cost can be discounted, Seibold said. The cost for the other three, shorter, courses is currently $100 each. Seibold is exploring a number of different avenues to market APA. Since launching the Publishing Basics course in November, two small groups, including interns and junior staff from other small publishers, have taken the program at a discounted price. Seibold has also been working with the Independent Book Publishers Association, the Independent Publishers Caucus, and PubWest to build a network of small presses who may be interested in using APA. Seibold is also tying the academy into Agates Training Intern Network (ATIN), an expansion of Agates own internship program. Through ATIN, Agate matches participating enrolled students from different colleges, who are able to earn college credit for internships, with a small press; the press then pays, at a steep discount, for their participating student intern to take the Publishing Basics course, Seibold said. For both its own intern program as well as the new network component, Agates outreach to universities has focused on the public university systems in the 10 largest states, plus the network of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. By using this approach, Seibold hopes that APAs accessibility and low-price point will attract people from diverse communities who have traditionally shied away from working in publishing. He also hopes to attract academic and faith-based presses to use APA. The next stop on Seibolds marketing tour will be the IBPAs Publishing University, set for April 25-27 in Denver, and he will be at PWs U.S. Book Show in New York City on May 22. With her cane leaning to one side, 69-year-old Hong Mei holds onto the handrails of the treadmill and walks slowly as she chats with her friends. After undergoing surgery to repair a hip fracture, Hong has been visiting the newly opened community gym for about a month, arriving at 10 am most days. The gym is free for seniors in the community who can take part in exercise programs and follow rehabilitation instructions suggested for them after undergoing physical assessments. However, as a senior resident of 380 Lane Community in Jing'an district in Shanghai, Hong is eligible for many other benefits under an integrated community pilot program. "The recovery is going well, and my days with my senior friends are fulfilling," she said. "It's healthy, cheap and convenient to have breakfast and lunch at the community canteen and a casual dinner at home," Hong said, adding that she participated in community singing and dancing activities two or three times a week before her surgery. The community is one of 106 communities participating in the pilot program, which focuses on accommodating a set community population and providing easy access to basic public services. The concept was proposed in 2010 by Wu Liangyong, a professor at Tsinghua University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, who took it as the basic living unit. Inspired by the "walkable neighborhoods" of Singapore, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development stipulated that an integrated community should accommodate a population of 5,000 to 12,000 people and guarantee residents convenient access to public amenities within a five-to-10-minute walk. The close-knit nature of such communities is seen as ideal for elderly people who need easy access to activities, meals and health services. Living in such communities also gives elderly residents a greater sense of self-worth and the ability to interact with others. China initiated the integrated community pilot program in October 2022, and in July last year designated a batch of pilot communities to better meet the needs of the elderly. Second lease on life Old residential areas constitute a significant proportion of housing in China as well as the pilot communities. The 380 Lane Community is one such community with 5,270 residents across 46 buildings. Comprised of four residential areas established around 1995, elderly people account for nearly 50 percent of the residents. Some are retired professionals who still have a great deal to offer the community. "I no longer perceive myself as a burden to my children, but I find I have a deeper sense of happiness," said 69-year-old Cheng Cuiping, a retired doctor who volunteers at the health service desk in the community's public services center. "Now, I'm able to take care of myself on my own, and I have things to do every day." Cheng helps measure the height, weight and blood pressure of elderly people who come for free checkups. During the lunch break between 11 am and 1:30 pm, she spends around 15 yuan ($2.10) on a low-salt, low-oil and nutritionally balanced lunch at the canteen. She also goes to a nearby digital booth to scan a QR code to get a free mask. The digital booth has a remote tele-consultation machine for minor illnesses, and a 24-hour pharmacy dispensing both over-the-counter and prescription medication. A 5-square-meter orange booth has been set up in the community for commercial businesses to provide services such as housekeeping, laundry and kitchen knife sharpening. However, as a condition of their operations, the businesses must employ at least one member from the community. "We constantly adapt our services based on the needs of the residents. For instance, we helped one senior repair his old mechanical watch, and we offer on-site service to elderly people who need to wash their curtains," said Gu Haibin, a local Party official. "Staff at the spot are all residents of the community, relieving the unemployment problem while providing more intimate services." Ups and downs Integrated community managers have been encouraged to address the issue of whether elevators should be installed in older residential buildings. Many older buildings lack elevators, making it difficult for residents to get around. The absence of elevators impacts the elderly more severely as they find it difficult to go up and down stairs, which restricts their daily outings and social activities. To address the issue, a community needs to persuade residents to agree to install an elevator and address issues such as where it will be located and construction costs. Other matters to be looked at are the impact of the loss of light on the ground floor and the installation of wider elevator cabins to facilitate wheelchair access. The local government provides a subsidy of 280,000 yuan for each elevator, and the remaining costs are borne by the building's residents in proportion to the height of the floor they live on, ranging from some 30,000 yuan to about 150,000 yuan. However, this can lead to disagreements as some residents, especially more able-bodied ones, do not see the need for the elevators and are unwilling to bear the costs. As of February, standards have been met to install elevators in 15 buildings in the 380 Lane Community, with six already put into use. In addition to elevators, the community builds or renovates various public amenities, including medical clinics, canteens, repair centers and nurseries. High-tech security However, not all the communities involved in the pilot program are old, and some are testing new technologies. Built around 2010, Park Community in Jiujiang's Chaisang district, Jiangxi province, is relatively new. It is using advanced technology to enhance the security of the community and provide extra safety for the elderly. Park Community has installed facial recognition and AI-monitoring systems, and intelligent security cameras to prevent unauthorized entry by strangers and eliminate potential safety hazards. Sponsored by local tech companies, the community has provided smart bracelets to its nine elderly residents aged 80 and above living alone. The bracelets can conduct real-time blood pressure and heart rate monitoring and send alerts to the user's emergency contacts. A warning is also sent when the user stays at home for three consecutive days. Sun Zhaoyang, a 22-year-old community worker, said that the elderly residents' children and community workers are listed as emergency contacts. "I'm responsible for three of them, and I visit them two or three times a week. ... there has not been a single instance of them staying indoors for three days," Sun said. Cao Jianbei, 85, lives in the community. His son, who works in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, told Sun that he felt more reassured with the changes that have happened in the community. Although the public response to the Park Community pilot program has been positive, significant hurdles remain in renovating residential areas and improving public services. Huang He, deputy head of Chaisang district, said that 6 million yuan has been spent as of November on the construction of the integrated community. Government funds have been mainly used for road improvements and upgrades to rainwater and sewage pipes. Huang said a financing company had raised funds for improvement work on surrounding parks and roads and the construction of leisure areas. He said the biggest challenge to the long-term operations of such communities is attracting external investment to provide the services. "It's hard for us to find another 6 million yuan (as of November) for other communities," Huang said. Viable future Zhao Dong, deputy head of the Zhejiang Provincial Urban and Rural Planning and Design Institute, said the sustainability of operations is important to the future of integrated communities. Zhejiang leads the promotion of the integrated community program, as it has the most pilot communities, with the majority of them more developed than others. The province also has rich experience accumulated through previous provincial projects in residential living environments. Zhao said it is important to have a scientific approach to urban development by taking into account the layout of public amenities, maximizing the use of resources and alleviating operational pressures. This holistic approach should also be applied to the running of an integrated community, which can be transformed from a nonprofit to a commercial organization or reduce operating costs through collaboration with private enterprises. Xianghu Community in Hangzhou's Xiaoshan district is looking at ways to minimize the costs of the services they provide. The community has a canteen equipped with cooking facilities. The canteen operator is exempt from paying the rent, but in exchange, they have to provide subsidized meals for the elderly. Zhao said community canteens can expand their operations to provide food delivery services to nearby areas. Xianghu Community earns additional revenue by charging a 100-yuan entrance fee for visitors who are curious and want to learn from the operation. "Government, companies, communities and residents should join hands for a promising future," Zhao said. limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn The Book Manufacturers Institutes annual state of the industry report sees book manufacturing returning to a more normal business pattern in 2024 after four turbulent pandemic years, albeit with some caveats. The biggest question for 2024 is how the industry will react as publishers finally shed their excess inventory and printers use up the last of the large amounts of paper they bought to meet the demands of what turned out to be the over-publishing of books of the last couple of years. Other factors to watch in the book manufacturing space include the rate of adoption of digital printing by publishers, the renewed threat of more offshoring of printing by publishers, and the ongoing challenge of attracting and retaining employees, the report found. The report, written by NAPCO Research, stressed the importance of new technological developments that will make printing more efficient in the years ahead. Digital printing technology, and inkjet in particular, continues to gain adoption in the book segment, being used alongside offset printing as a way to cost-effectively produce shorter runs of books, the report found. Given the excess inventory problems the industry faced in recent years, digital printing provides an option for printing books in the quantities needed, at the time they are needed. This technology can also help book manufacturers print and distribute closer geographically to their customers and avoid potential shipping delays of large volumes of offset printed books coming from overseas. The report quotes Midland Papers Bill Rojack as seeing signs of a return to more normal business. As I look at each [publishing] segment, theres a lot of hope that were going to rebalance and come back to some sort of normal in 2024, Rojack said. Activity definitely picked up in Q4 2023. Id say activity is still better now than it has been, certainly in year-over-year comparison. Typically, Q1 in the trade space is quiet and I see that activity is actually better now than it usually is. However, Ashley Gordon, publishing market development manager for HP, said that publisher behavior is shifting, and she told the report authors that manufacturers will likely have to get used to sharing their customers with the competition. Given the uncertainties of the supply chain, Gordon predicted that publishers will want to print books close to the specific geographies where they expect to distribute those books, a strategy that she believes presents opportunities for domestic printers, including smaller printers that can now compete for business with larger publishers that previously would have only worked with large print service providers." She qualified this prediction by saying that "printers gaining new business due to their ability to quickly produce and deliver short runs should not take any influx of work for granted. She also warned that while opportunity has emerged for printers to insource new business, it is also likely that they may lose some work as publishers diversify their geographic production positions. The report also recommends that the printing industry keep up with environmental and sustainability efforts both in Europewhere standards are higher than in North Americaand in states like California and New York, which tend to be at the forefront of environmental legislation and regulations. Printers, the report notes, should work to shed the impression that book manufacturing is a dirty business if it wants to stay relevant in the future. I was a teacher and then worked in test prep before starting the Classic Learning Test. Before and especially since then, Ive reviewed a lot of high school curricula, particularly from Catholic and/or classical high schools, which tend to get some flak for their focus on things like Latin, rhetoric, and philosophy. When people argue over the point of including classes like An Overview of Medieval Mysticism in a high school curriculum, its never long before someone says something like, Oh, come on! When are they going to use that in real life? Now, there are a lot of things about this attitude that are weird. (For example, how and why is high school apparently not real life? Does it take place in the Matrix?) But the worst one is probably the idea that the workplace is real life. Because, lets be honest, the workplace is what theyre talking about. They dont mean that you wont use what you learned about St. John of the Cross while youre on a hiking trip building friendships that will last decades, or that it will never be relevant to the readings and the homily at Mass even though, if you think about it, Mass has a much more convincing claim to be real life at the expense of everything else we do. What they mean is that you probably arent going to use that knowledge in the office. Put more crudely, they mean you arent going to be able to make money from knowing it. Thats a really sad idea of what education is. The reason I started the CLT in the first place was because, as a parent and a Catholic, I want more for my kids than that. W. E. B. Du Bois famously wrote that the object of education is not to make men carpenters, but to make carpenters men.4 In other words, the kind of education thats primarily about making money is an unsatisfying, inadequate substitute for the kind of education that enriches students. Education should mature and develop our powers as human beings the powers of perception, analysis, reasoning, judgment, and creativity that we have from God as beings made in his image. That means training students to deal with questions that we all have sooner or later: questions about truth, beauty, right and wrong, the purpose of life, and what lies beyond death... 2. The importance of school choice and academic freedom. This is something Ive been emphasizing since before I even founded the CLT. If parents are the primary educators of their children, they need to have the right to choose how to educate their children. If they choose to send their kids to public school, they have a right to know whats being taught at the school, to give teachers and administrators feedback about it, and to be heard; if they want to send their kids to Catholic school, it should be affordable; and if they decide to homeschool their kids, their legal right to do that should be recognized and protected by the state. This point is where education is most likely to come up in the voting booth, because there are groups in this country that want to limit or even abolish school choice and academic freedom, including the freedom to homeschool. I see a lot of this, often coupled with criticisms of religious education. Some of these critics claim to have concerns about domestic abuse, and, to be fair, some of them are probably sincere. Domestic abuse does happen, and its a danger we absolutely need to be vigilant about. But abuse happens in out-of-home schools too; singling out and getting rid of homeschooling, as if it were the problem, is really not the answer here! Some opponents of homeschooling are probably also moved by prejudice or have an agenda they want to use education to impose. Book banning is a common tactic with groups that think this way; the recent flurry of school book bans weve seen in several states concerns me. In 2022, To Kill a Mockingbird, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Of Mice and Men, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry were only some of the classic titles taken out of schools. Its also not uncommon for them to scaremonger about such-and-such an ideology being taught in classrooms, even though, if you look into it, it isnt being taught in classrooms at all. Be on the lookout for buzzwords and the kind of rhetoric that describes everything like an emergency. Those things are designed to get you to act without taking the time to think. Anger, anxiety, and panic dont honor Christ crucified. The quick and dirty summary is: if a politician or a proposal is against school choice, that probably means in practice that theyre going to endorse interference with parents rights to educate their children rights the Church teaches the state should be safeguarding, not dismantling. Victoria Fuller / Instagram By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/22/2024 ADVERTISEMENT 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 Greg Grippo has confirmed his split from Victoria Fuller following months of breakup speculation on social media.Multiple sources told Page Six last week that Victoria and Greg, both 30, had called it quits on their relationship "months ago."All signs pointed to a breakup because Victoria and Greg recently unfollowed each other on Instagram. They also haven't posted photos of one another on social media since December 2023.Victoria and Greg have also been ignoring questions from fans in their Instagram comments about the current status of their relationship."You and Victoria did follow each other, and now I see that you don't," Jason Tartick told Greg during the Monday, April 22 episode of his "Trading Secrets" podcast. "What's going on? Are these rumors true?"Greg, who appeared on the podcast alongside his good friend and fellow 17 alum Andrew Spencer , shared that he and Victoria are no longer together."You know, being in a public relationship and if things aren't working out, it sucks even more. It's hard," Greg explained to Jason, who previously competed on Becca Kufrin 's season of .Greg called his situation with Victoria "really sad," adding, "I just want to respect her during this time."Greg continued, "[I'm] not going to detail anything, but of course, we definitely ended things. I don't have anything bad to say, she's amazing and I know that she's going to continue to do amazing things."Jason noted how dating in the public can be "really hard."And there was a lot of noise surrounding Victoria and Greg's romance because Victoria had just filmed Bachelor in Paradise's eighth season and ended her engagement to Johnny DePhillipo in 2022."I feel like that made them stronger, in a way," Andrew chimed in.Jason, whose engagement to Kaitlyn Bristowe ended in August 2023, jokingly asked Greg to show him the playbook.Greg agreed that when it came to his relationship with Victoria, criticism and scrutiny actually worked in their favor."I think that the women in the franchise get attacked, especially, like, a select few of them, no matter what they do," Greg explained."Especially [Victoria] anything she does gets scrutinized, I feel like. She has a really good heart, and it sucks. Seeing somebody go through that type of sh-t, especially someone you're with and in a romantic relationship with, it's really tough and it's really hard to watch."Greg added, "I hated that part of it all, but it definitely grew us really close. We were definitely able to get through a really hard time, really early."Jason admitted Greg had delivered sad news, but Greg insisted he's looking forward to the future as a newly-single bachelor."This stage of my life right now, I'm really happy about and excited for. It just feels really fresh," Greg said."For so long, I felt a lot of guilt... After my dad passed, I went to New York and was just thinking about my mom at home... To think about her in an empty house absolutely killed me, so I never actually got to experience New York while I was here. I would drive home five times a week, or once every five days, and stay through the weekend."Greg now has a part-time place in Chicago until September, and he said he's about to sign a lease in Williamsburg come June. Victoria, meanwhile, still resides in Nashville, TN."I'm really excited about it. I'm really happy about it. This is the lightest I've felt in I don't know how long," Greg gushed."I can feel it man!" Andrew exclaimed.Last summer, Victoria and Greg had been house hunting in Nashville together, but Greg apparently never made the move.Victoria and Greg also dealt with split rumors last summer.When rumors had swirled that Victoria was single again -- mainly because she and Greg hadn't posted about each other on social media for a month -- she shut them down by sharing some photos of herself cuddling with Greg in her home.In June 2023, Victoria explained in a Q&A session via Instagram Stories why she and Greg hadn't gotten engaged yet . After all, Greg had said only a few months earlier that he could picture himself marrying Victoria and having kids with her within five years."LMFAOOOOOOO. [Questioning about our engagement] is nuts!! You guys, if you don't remember, one year ago I was engaged Johnny. When it happens, it will not be rushed or for anyone but us. But y'all will be the first to know, trust," Victoria said.Greg and Victoria first met at Governors Ball Music Festival in Summer 2021 and remained friends for nearly a year.The couple told Nick Viall in December 2022 on "The Viall Files" podcast that they had mutual interest in each other but never acted on those feelings, especially since Victoria wanted to appear on Bachelor in Paradise that year and Greg was in a relationship with a woman overseas at that point.Victoria therefore looked for love on Paradise, and she fell hard and fast for Johnny, who initially competed for Gabby Windey 's heart on 's nineteenth season.Victoria and Johnny got engaged on Bachelor in Paradise's eighth season in 2022, but the couple split shortly after filming the finale.Victoria alleged Johnny had called her terrible names -- including a "f-cking c-nt" and "homewrecker," which Johnny denied and called "low blows" -- and Johnny claimed Victoria was jealous and "heartbroken" over his stint, which was airing on television while they were secretly engaged.Johnny also said Victoria demanded a lifestyle he wasn't ready for yet and their differences were glaring.According to Victoria, she and Johnny ended their engagement three weeks after Johnny's marriage proposal because their dynamic was "toxic." But Johnny claimed his relationship with Victoria didn't officially end until mid-September 2022 considering they were allegedly still speaking and had been going to therapy before Victoria enjoyed a surprising European getaway with Greg in late October of that year.Fans first spotted Victoria and Greg, and suspected a romance, when they were spotted in Italy together.Because of how quickly Victoria moved on from Johnny, the brunette beauty was accused of cheating on her then-fiance with Greg.Victoria and Greg also flirted on social media as reports swirled about Victoria and Johnny's split.Victoria said that Greg had officially asked her to be his girlfriend on Halloween in 2022, and then Victoria went public with her new relationship on November 4 of that year, when the Bachelor in Paradise reunion special taped.Bachelor in Paradise's reunion aired in late November 2022, and fans were shocked to see Victoria and Greg so affectionate and carefree about their relationship. Victoria claimed she didn't care what anyone thought of her because she was so happy with Greg."I'm completely in love with her, like, head over heels in love with her," Greg said on Nick's podcast.Nick therefore playfully asked Greg if he was ready to propose marriage to Victoria."Stay tuned!" Victoria teased."I mean, we both want that in life," Greg interjected, "she's my person."Victoria had agreed that Greg was her "person," and then Greg added, "I haven't felt -- I don't want to say 'content,' that's not the right word because it sounds boring. But I think there's a certain beauty with being content with someone."Greg said he could just sit in a room with Victoria for days on end and they wouldn't get sick of each other."We're growing day by day, and I see it going that route," Greg gushed. "I want that and I know that that's important to her, and I want to be able to take that step with her."Victoria was clearly getting choked up during the interview and she said, "I'm going to cry."Prior to appearing on Paradise, Victoria competed for Peter Weber on The Bachelor's 24th season and finished in third place after Fantasy Suites.Greg and Andrew initially competed on Katie Thurston 's season of .Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Jason Tartick / Instagram By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/22/2024 ADVERTISEMENT 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 Jason Tartick is dating social media influencer Kat Stickler following his broken engagement to Kaitlyn Bristowe Jason, 35, and Kat, 29, are definitely dating, People reported Kat made an appearance at a wrap party for Jason's new book Talk Money To Me in New York City on Friday, April 19.When Jason made one of his speeches, he gave Kat a shout-out.After mentioning Love Is Blind and fellow Bachelor Nation alums who were in attendance, Jason announced, "We got the TikTok celebrities [here], like Kat Stickler," which prompted loud cheers from the audience.Jason and Kat were spotted out to dinner in Chicago, IL, after taping an upcoming episode of Jason's "Trading Secrets" podcast. They were also rumored to have been vacationing together.Jason acknowledged the "chit-chat" he was hearing online in a March interview with People.At the time, he said Talk Money To Me was his main "focus," largely in part due to his highly publicized and scrutinized breakup with Kaitlyn in August 2023."I think due to such a public breakup, even when I think about the idea of talking openly about my dating life, I get like, 'Oh, That scares me,'" Jason admitted while promoting his book earlier this year."The whole idea of dating is relatively new to me," Jason continued."[Because] really, there's been some gaps of course, 100%. But from 2017, when I started talking to The Bachelor franchise, and in between there, there was a few months, and now I've been single for about 9 months... And it's all still pretty new to me."But Jason gushed of Kat at the time, "Kat is an amazing person. She's lovely and a great mother, and she's a hilarious content creator. I only have incredible things to say about her."Jason also remained tight-lipped about his rumored romance with Kat during a recent appearance on the "Scrubbing In With Becca Tilley & Tanya Rad" podcast."Here's what I'll say to that: I think after my last relationship, I'm in the space of keeping things a little bit more private right now," Jason said earlier this month."[My split from Kaitlyn] was so public, and there's a lot that comes with that -- good and bad.""And so, the whole dating aspect, which I'm relatively new to, I'm like, 'You know what? For right now, today, I'm gonna kind of keep things private,'" he said, "until things become [more serious]. But right now, I'm keeping things a little private. But more to come."Jason also avoided giving a direct answer on whether he was still single."I'm keeping things private. So I'll say I don't know! When I'm not keeping things private, this is the place I'll come back to, and then we'll talk about it," teased Season 14 alum."I'll get your advice and everything!"Kat was previously married to fellow social-media star Michael Stickler and then briefly dated an engineer named Cam Winter.Jason appeared to have totally moved on and healed from his breakup with Kaitlyn in February. At the time, he told his fans via Instagram Stories that he was thriving and feeling "truly euphoric." Jason shared, "I can say with certainty, I have never felt better. I have put so much effort, time and work into understanding myself at the deepest levels and further understanding others.""The liberation of knowing yourself to the core," he continued, "and then being able to see others for who they really are and why is truly euphoric."14 alum went on to share his "biggest takeaway" from his heartbreak and recent experiences."First, keep pointing the thumb at yourself and do everything in your power to hold yourself accountable," Jason wrote."Know exactly who you are and why. We all have experienced traumas from our first memories that impact who we are today. Lean in!" he concluded.Another Instagram user asked Kaitlyn's ex-fiance to reveal his "No. 1 flag" when navigating the rocky waters of dating."I'm a logical guy but when it comes to this new world of dating, I'm all about following my intuition and gut," Jason shared."Reason, rational, logic allll out the window. All gut feeling and guiding intuition."Jason, a Buffalo native who competed for Becca Kufrin 's heart on 's fourteenth season in 2018, asked Kaitlyn out on their first date in January 2019, and their romance moved quickly.Jason moved from his place in Washington to live with Kaitlyn in Nashville, TN, in June 2019. The couple then adopted their two dogs together, Pinot and Ramen, and got engaged in May 2021 Jason ultimately moved himself out of Kaitlyn's Nashville home into his new place after their breakup last summer. (Kaitlyn also subsequently moved into a new house for a fresh start after her back-to-back broken engagements to 11 winner Shawn Booth and then Jason).For Kaitlyn's part, she now appears to be dating Tayshia Adams ' ex-fiancee and 16 winner Zac Clark Kaitlyn and Zac rang in 2024 together at a party in Kaitlyn's new Nashville home, and they were recently spotted dancing together and hugging at a bar in New York City, where Zac currently resides.Kaitlyn has faced backlash about her apparent new romance with Zac -- including speculation she had cheated on Jason while they were still together and also broken "girl code" with Tayshia -- but the former Dancing with the Stars champion claimed on social media earlier this year that she was never unfaithful to Jason."Some of you [are] treating me like I murdered someone," Kaitlyn wrote in a series of posts via Instagram Stories."You would think by now I'd be used to the hate. I'm not. Your words hurt. Your shaming hurts. Part of me feels a little sad and honestly embarrassed for you guys because this shouldn't be how you spend Day 1 of a new year."The Bachelor alum also noted, "But you don't even know the truth, and your HATE should actually come with consequences. I truly worry about some of your mental health. It's not OK. It's. Not."Kaitlyn doubled down on her cheating denial in February, insisting she never emotionally cheated on Jason either.Kaitlyn also appeared to address her relationship with Zac by writing, "I wish I could just share my truth and tell you my side. It's hard to bite my dang tongue sometimes... But you just go on and continue to have your own little made up story in your head and believe what you want to believe. Social media la la land. Good lawwwddd."Kaitlyn proceeded to post a screenshot of her exchange with someone who wrote to Kaitlyn, "But like they don't know the truth or any backstory. It's wild... Like go volunteer. Go give blood plz."Jason publicly commented on Kaitlyn's new relationship in early January, and Kaitlyn admitted on her "Off the Vine" podcast she was "disappointed" in her ex-fiance for allegedly playing the victim.For Zac's part, he got engaged to Tayshia on 's sixteenth season finale in 2020.But about one year after their engagement aired on ABC, Zac and Tayshia announced their breakup in November 2021.Tayshia is currently dating former Summer House star Luke Gulbranson.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Cory Grant served in the Navy, as a Petty Officer Second Class Electronics Technician. He was stationed in multiple countries across Western Europe, operating and maintaining microwave and cryptography equipment during the height of the Cold War. He served from 1977 to 1981, after which he was medically discharged. Now, he continues to serve his fellow veterans through his brand DD-214 coffee. (For the uninitiated, a DD-214 is the Report of Separation that military members are issued when they leave service and return to civilian life.) When asked what prompted him to get into the coffee business, Grant says: I wanted to create a sustainable business that could provide jobs for disabled veterans and Gold Star family members, while also supporting homeless veterans. As I reached out to other business owners to get feedback and advice, I found we were almost always meeting up over a cup of coffee. Coffee helps power us through our day, but it also helps power conversations and connections. Right now, DD-214 offers three coffee blends. Their dark roast is called Midrats, which is military slang for Midnight Rations. A lighter roast called Reveille is also available, as is the decaffeinated Taps blend. Behind the beans, DD-214 is working diligently to help veterans in need. Their charitable focus right now is an organization known as Off-Road Outreach. Based in Fayetteville, North Carolina the home of Fort Liberty, headquarters of both the XVIII Airborne Corps and Army Special Operations Command Off-Road Outreach focuses on providing homeless vets with food, goods, and services. You can purchase DD-214 coffee directly from their website, listed at the right. While theyve started with these three flagship blends, they hope to offer more variety and expand beyond just coffee in the future with an eye on coffee-infused beer or spirits. We hope to see the results soon, but, in the meantime, well happily raise a cup of joe to help homeless veterans. 'India needs many more job creators, both in manufacturing and services, to make it big.' 'For that, the red carpet must be rolled out fully and for all investors without holding back,' suggests Nivedita Mookerji. IMAGE: Employees at the Renault Nissan Automotive India manufacturing plant in Oragadam, Tamil Nadu. Photograph: Praveen Paramasivam/Reuters If a top global brand such as Apple can mean record employment generation in India, the idea of 'red carpet' replacing 'red tape' must be pursued with much greater vigour. Estimates suggest the creation of at least 150,000 direct jobs from the manufacturing of Apple products in India ever since the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme was introduced in August 2021. The Cupertino-based company's ecosystem is a leading blue-collar job generator in India. The number surpasses the jobs created by any private conglomerate or public-sector enterprise within the country in such a short span of time. Indeed, the transition from 'red tape' to 'red carpet' was an integral part of the election campaign launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party -- at that point the main Opposition party -- exactly 10 years ago. The world took notice as the narrative about rolling out the proverbial red carpet for foreign investors played out in multiple political rallies in 2014. After winning the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and then again in 2019, the overwhelming theme of the BJP clearly turned to all things Indian, ranging from 'Make in India' to 'Buy in India' and 'Travel in India'. Even so, the job-creation story linked to Apple suggests that the 'red carpet' has been around in some ways, though not evenly spread for global investors across sectors. Narendra Modi, who as the prime ministerial candidate for the BJP in 2014, was the force behind the red carpet theory, earlier this year reiterated the same philosophy at the Uttar Pradesh global investors' summit. The prime ,inister said in February red tape culture had been replaced with red carpet culture in the seven years of the "double-engine" government in Uttar Pradesh. Last year too in a virtual G20 trade and investment ministerial meeting, Mr Modi walked the red carpet path. His message to the global community was that India had moved from red tape to red carpet and had enabled 'unfettered foreign direct investment inflows' into the country since 2014. In the same meeting, he also spoke about how 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' had pushed manufacturing while urging the G20 members to build an inclusive global value chain to withstand future shocks Manufacturing Apple products and thereby creating jobs may well be a result of combining a red carpet welcome for foreign investors with incentives for 'Make in India'. But this template may not work in all cases. For the red carpet to yield real results, especially in generating quality jobs, easing of foreign investment rules across sectors without any caveats should be the way to go. As India steps up its manufacturing to the next level and moves aggressively into areas such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, semiconductors, and high-end communication devices, policymakers must explore a no-holds-barred FDI policy. The idea should be to usher in multinationals without getting into complicated domestic sourcing. As recent examples have shown, companies in India need to enter partnerships to take up semiconductor device manufacturing because of the technical knowhow involved in the process. The Tata Group, which is in a joint venture with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, is expected to start producing semicon chips by the end of 2026. Semicon devices are typically built in nanofabrication processes, which are performed on the surface of substrates made from pure single crystal silicon. Taiwan, which had an early start in the industry after Radio Corporation of America, a dominant electronics company in the US back in the 1970s, was convinced to transfer semiconductor technology to the country, remains the biggest in the area. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company commands at least half the global market share in semicon chip manufacturing. Again, in the case of renewables, India can't do without partnerships and alliances. China, for example, dominates in the production of solar panels and their components, including solar cells, with 75 to 80 per cent of global output coming from that country alone, according to International Energy Agency data. At a time when India's focus on renewables is going up, it's not surprising therefore that a recent report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said India's trade dependence on China and the European Union increased 1.2 per cent each in 2023. But that's not enough. The numbers must go up much more, whether it's trade with Taiwan, China, or any other country, and whether it's for EVs, solar panels, semicon chips, or mobile phones. Apple waited for years in search of an easier regulatory environment in India before its ecosystem turned out to be a top job creator. India needs many more job creators, both in manufacturing and services, to make it big. For that, the red carpet must be rolled out fully and for all investors without holding back. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Since most proposals will have a long gestation period, the full benefits will be reflected in the revenues of companies, and subsequently the stock prices over time Stocks in the automotive, financial, cement, metal, and hotel sectors are likely to benefit if the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes back to power for a third time. The key investment themes have been identified after analysing the Sankalp Patra the partys manifesto for the next five years released on Sunday. PhillipCapital believes that the push for affordable housing will be positive for state-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation, major steel and cement companies, and also non-banking financial companies operating in the affordable housing space. Meanwhile, tourism-related measures will benefit major listed hotels, aviation stocks, and credit card companies. Additionally, initiatives for rural recovery are expected to benefit fast-moving consumer goods companies such as Dabur, Emami, and Bajaj Consumer. On Monday, the market overlooked most of these themes due to turbulence triggered by rising tensions in West Asia. However, once the headwinds ease and there is greater certainty on the election outcome, brokerages believe these themes can benefit investors in the medium to long run. While the BJPs manifesto indicates policy continuity, there is greater scale, clarity, confidence, and rigour at play. In its third term, we expect the party to be more aggressive in terms of execution and policy development. "Additionally, it is likely to execute plans that were laid out in the previous regime in its next term. "We expect a broad-based focus across sectors and segments over the next five years, said a note by PhillipCapital. Since most proposals will have a long gestation period, the full benefits will be reflected in the revenues of companies, and subsequently the stock prices over time. Markets do not doubt that the BJP will come back to power. "The manifesto has focused on a host of sectors, which is the right strategy if India is to be among the top three economies globally. "That said, the benefits will not accrue immediately as the proposed measures will take time to be implemented, and the benefits will accrue gradually. "One has to adopt a stock- and sector-specific approach and buy from a long-term perspective, said Ambareesh Baliga, an independent market analyst. Analysts at Antique Stock Broking said the manifesto re-emphasises its view of capital expenditure (capex) cycle revival. The manifesto aims to develop India as a developed nation by nurturing all three components of capex, namely a) private capex (helped by establishing India as a global manufacturing hub); b) sustained government capex (as the focus is on building world-class infrastructure); and c) household capex (spurring real estate demand by expanding Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to every poor household and supporting affordable housing for the middle class by reducing the cost of ownership), Antiques recent report on the manifesto said. The brokerages key overweight sectors are industrial (including defence and railways), cement, real estate, utilities, infrastructure, and automotive, and its 2023-24/2024-25 (FY25)/2025-26 (FY26) National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 earnings estimates stand at 964/1,082/1,245 (implying FY25/26 earnings growth of 12 per cent/15 per cent), respectively. Accordingly, Antiques March 2025 Nifty 50 target stands unchanged at 25,000 based on 20x FY26 earnings per share. The target implies a 12 per cent upside from the current level. Expectations of political continuity after the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 should bolster the overall economic momentum further, with a focus on infrastructure, capex, and manufacturing occupying the centre stage. "With size and growth in its wings, Indias capital markets are truly poised to embrace the Amrit Kaal going forward, said Gautam Duggad, head of research for institutional equities at Motilal Oswal Financial Services. That said, some caution is likely to creep in against the backdrop of geopolitical events, especially the IranIsrael war. Iran has launched attacks against Israel over the weekend, escalating the long-standing tensions between the two nations and increasing the risks of a regional war. This, analysts believe, has the potential to push crude oil prices higher, which will eventually be negative for equity markets. Thus far in 2024 (with the latest Iran-Israel tussle), Brent crude oil prices have spiked over 16 per cent to nearly $90 per barrel now. One needs to keep a close watch on oil prices. "If the war escalates and prolongs, the overall positives from the election outcome back home in the short-term are likely to be capped, Baliga cautions. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has commissioned a quality check on MDH and Everest products. Photograph: MDH/Facebook This follows complaints that several popular spice mixes of the two leading brands contained traces of ethylene oxide more than the permissible levels, official sources said. This move by FSSAI comes after Hong Kong and Singapore recalled variants of the two masala majors products in their countries. Sources said that FSSAI, in the quality checks, will also assess whether the products sold by MDH and Everest match the Indian standards of chemical residue as prescribed by the law. However, on exports, sources said the regulator may not have much role to play as it is the duty of the importing country to test the products and allow their entry. Ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol are chemicals which are used in spices and millets to preserve them for longer periods. They are also used in pesticides as stabilising agents. Scientists said that consumption of these chemicals beyond a permissible level could be carcinogenic. Meanwhile, the sources said the food regulator has already started the process of sample collection to test the presence of ethylene oxide in the spices beyond their permissible limits. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong had recalled spice mixes of MDH and Everest on April 5. Following this, even the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) recalled Everest Masala. Both agencies found that the premixes contain a pesticide ethylene oxide, both the regulators had said in their press releases. CFS Hong Kong said, in its release, that it has recalled MDH Madras Curry Powder, Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder, Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder and Everest Fish Curry Masala. After CFS release on April 5, SFA also recalled Everest Fish Curry Masala on April 18. A spokesman for the CFS had said in its release, The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui, respectively, for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. "The test results showed that the samples contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide. It added, The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop sale and remove the affected products from the shelves. "According to the CFS's instructions, the distributors/importers concerned have initiated recalls on the affected products. It also added that members of the public should not consume the affected products. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected products immediately if they possess any of them. While SFA said that as the implicated products were imported into Singapore, it directed the importer, Sp Muthiah & Sons Pte, to recall the products. It added that the recall is ongoing. Ethylene oxide is a pesticide that is not authorised for use in food. "It can be used to fumigate agricultural products to prevent microbial contamination. Under Singapores food regulations, ethylene oxide is allowed to be used in the sterilisation of spices, SFA said in its release. It also said that although there is no immediate risk to consuming food contaminated with low levels of ethylene oxide, long-term exposure may lead to health issues. CFS also said in its statement, The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen. This is not the first time Everest has come under heat from a foreign food regulator. In 2023, US Food & Drug Administration recalled Everest Sambhar Masala and Garam Masala as samples tested positive for Salmonella. It advised consumers not to consume the products and destroy them. HAL is the primary supplier of India's military aircraft, helicopters, engines, avionics and accessories and the main provider of maintenance for defence aerospace Photograph: Abhishek N. Chinnappa/Reuters Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) is one of the largest beneficiaries of the defence indigenisation programme. The aerospace Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) has just received a new tender for 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A, and it is already servicing an earlier order for 83 LCA aircraft. The new order is worth around Rs 65,000 crore with a 65 per cent indigenisation component, whereas the earlier order (February 21) was worth Rs 45,700 crore with 55 per cent indigenisation. HAL has a 3-month deadline to respond to the new tender. HAL is the primary supplier of Indias military aircraft, helicopters, engines, avionics and accessories and the main provider of maintenance for defence aerospace. It has a current order book of Rs 82,000 crore and the new orders could mean long-term sustainable demand and an order book with a 5-year pipeline of over Rs 2 trillion by FY26. It will also mean improved technological capabilities as HAL develops advanced platforms for Tejas and the successor Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). HAL already has capability in design development tasks such as master geometry development, detail design analysis, testing of wind tunnel models, testing of aircraft structures and sub-systems. Servicing this should mean better margins due to scale and operating leverage and it may translate into export orders. The higher indigenisation levels at 65 per cent plus implies a big opportunity for domestic companies. The value chain includes electronics manufacturers (radar, avionics, electronic warfare, and related components) such as Bharat Electronics (BEL), Astra Microwave and Data Patterns. It could include fuselage fabricators like Dynamatic Technologies and wing makers like L&T and other component makers like Mishra Dhatu Nigam and Lakshmi Machine Works. Hence, the entire military/aerospace industrial complex may benefit. Defence procurement always has a lumpy nature but overall, the order should mean annual growth of around 15 per cent in revenue terms for the next five years. HAL recently expanded its Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft manufacturing capacity from 8 to 16 per year and is working on expanding it further to 24 (with two new lines at the Bengaluru complex and another at Nashik), sufficient to deliver 10 squadrons over FY23-32, based on the platform-wise production assessment. It has also expanded its rotary wing platform's manufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand for locally designed and manufactured aircraft. In FY23, HAL had a top line of Rs 26,160 crore, with an operating profit of Rs 6,761 crore, (margin at 25.8 per cent) and a net profit of Rs 5,827 crore. In FY24, HAL could report full-year revenue of Rs 28,700 crore, with an estimated operating profit of Rs 6,903 crore (margin of 24.1 per cent) and net profit of Rs 5,533 crore. In FY25, assuming good execution, HAL could register Rs 32,886 crore, an operating profit of Rs 7,824 crore (margin of 23.8 per cent) and a net profit of Rs 6,294 crore. FY26 operating profit margin should recover to around 25 per cent as operating leverage kicks in and revenues could hit Rs 37,850 crore. The PSU has no debt to speak of and it may have a negative working capital profile and high free cash flow. As manufacturing of LCA, and of Light Combat and Light Utility Helicopters ramps up, HAL should also see a commensurate rise in maintenance repair and overhaul. While the stock has run up 85 per cent in the last six months, it could see further gains as the market factors in the new orders. Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only. This article and information do not constitute a distribution, an endorsement, an investment advice, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities/schemes or any other financial products/investment products mentioned in this article to influence the opinion or behaviour of the investors/recipients. Any use of the information/any investment and investment related decisions of the investors/recipients are at their sole discretion and risk. Any advice herein is made on a general basis and does not take into account the specific investment objectives of the specific person or group of persons. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. 'Can you imagine that Surat's voters won't have any say now in exercising their fundamental right to choose a candidate of their own choice? This is what the BJP has reduced India's democracy to.' 'With this ugly act, in one stroke, the BJP has disenfranchised the voters of Surat.' IMAGE: Mukesh Dalal, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate in Surat, and his supporters after filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha election 2024, April 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Manish Doshi -- the Congress' chief spokesperson in Gujarat -- tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com how the BJP's "ugly act" in Surat has galvanised his party's rank and file and how the BJP exposed itself before the people of Gujarat when it allegedly used all the powers to have the nomination of the Congress's Surat candidate Nilesh Kumbhani cancelled by the returning officer under the pretext of faulty signatures of the three people who proposed Kumbhani's name. "The entire system was brought under pressure by the BJP, not just so that one of their candidates wins unopposed, but also to show the people of India a trailer of how they want to murder democracy not just in Surat but in the entire country. Is the entire election machinery under the Election Commission's control or under the BJP's control?", asks Doshi says in the first of a two-part interview. The district collector of Surat has already awarded the winner's certificate to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal. How does the Congress plan to counter the BJP's victory even before a single vote was cast? As per the provisions mandated by the Election Commission of India we first asked for a hearing before the Returning Officer (RO), who had objected to the flaws (in the nomination form of the Congress's Lok Sabha candidate from Surat Nilesh Kumbhani). Our legal experts met the RO and explained our position to him, but he refused to accept our contention and rejected our candidate (Kumbhani)'s form. We were not allowed by the RO to exercise our legal right of cross verifying the proposers (who submitted an affidavit to the RO that they had not signed on Kumbhani's nomination form based on which the RO rejected Kumbhani's candidature), forensic test of signatures, etc. None of our points were considered by the RO. While we had said that we will be knocking on the doors of the (Gujarat) high court and Supreme Court, but since the form was rejected by the RO, we first made a presentation to the Election Commission in Delhi. Our senior leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Gurdeep Singh Sappal submitted our representation to the Election Commission. We have legally represented how the RO's action and the district collector's action was totally uncalled for and unjustified and expect the Election Commission to be just and fair and suspend the election result in Surat till the time we don't get justice. Hasn't the district collector already declared Mukesh Dalal as the winner from Surat? That is what we want the nation to know. What was the need to rush through with this declaration? This is exactly what happened in (the mayoral election for) Chandigarh and later the BJP had mud all over its face when their cheating was captured by the CCTV cameras and also when the Supreme Court declared the AAP candidate as the winner. If the institutions mandated by India's Constitution, act as per the provisions of the Indian Constitution, then the BJP will have mud all over its face in Surat also. Mark my words, the media is calling the unopposed victory of Mukesh Dalal, blaming it on the Congress' carelessness, a fiasco for the Congress in Gujarat today, but it will ultimately turn out to be a fiasco for the BJP. Why are you blaming the BJP when the Congress failed to cross verify the proposers before they signed in for Nilesh Kumbhani. Now there are claims coming from the BJP that Kumbhani will join the party. Don't you think that the Gujarat Congress should take responsibility for whatever happened in Surat? Let me explain the BJP's modus operandi. The affidavits in which the three proposers declared that they had not signed on Nilesh Kumbhani's form came from the office of a notary, who is a known BJP supporter and they were typed at the same office. Every word of the three affidavits is the same. I can assure you that the people of Gujarat will respond to such dirty politics on May 7 (when the state's Lok Sabha seats go to the polls). The party trusted Kumbhani, just like the voters do when they vote for any candidate, and so gave him the Lok Sabha ticket and allowed Kumbhani's brother-in-law, nephew and business partner to become the proposers. But the question that begs an answer is how and why the BJP helped these three proposers draft their affidavits? We asked the Election Commission to allow us to cross verify if these three were telling the truth but our contention was not accepted. An RO is a not a handwriting expert. It (cancelling a candidate's nomination) doesn't even come under the purview of an RO, but let us assume that even if it were to come under his purview he should have called for a handwriting expert to verify if the signatures on Kumbhani's form were really not theirs (of the three proposers). The RO used the signature on the (driving) license of these three proposers to come to a conclusion that the signatures on Kumbhani's nomination form did not belong to the three proposers and whatever they had mentioned in their affidavit was the truth. There was no question of not trusting Kumbhani. The party made him a councillor from Surat; then gave him a ticket to contest the assembly seat from Surat. If you (the media) are questioning us today as to why we trusted Kumbhani then the simple answer is: The BJP is playing dirty with Indian democracy. They have openly murdered democracy in Surat today and they will be punished massively by the people of Gujarat for this heinous crime. The district collector and the RO have played their role in this act showing scant regard for established norms and Indian Constitution. The entire election machinery is under pressure (from the BJP) and they are all working to ensure one nation, no election in the days to come. Look at the way the BJP forced all the seven Independents to withdraw from the race and make it an unopposed election. What happens to the voice of those voters who would have voted against the BJP? They may or may not have voted for the Congress; they may have voted for any of the seven Independents but there is no way now they can exercise their Constitutional right. Is this how democracy works? Can you imagine that Surat's voters won't have any say now in exercising their fundamental right to choose a candidate of their own choice? This is what the BJP has reduced India's democracy to. With this ugly act, in one stroke, the BJP has disenfranchised all the voters of Surat. It (Mukesh Dalal's victory from Surat) is just a sham. Do you know that BSP candidate Pyarelal, who couldn't be traced from Surat, was traced from Vadodara by the police yesterday (April 21) night and brought to Surat so that he could also withdraw his nomination? What kind of police, under whose pressure, acts in this manner? The entire system was brought under pressure by the BJP, not just so that one of their candidates wins unopposed, but also to show the people of India a trailer of how they want to murder democracy not just in Surat but in the entire country. Is the entire election machinery under the Election Commission's control or under the BJP's control? It looks to me that the BJP is controlling it today in the most shameless manner. Does the Gujarat Congress fear now that such games could be played against its remaining 23 candidates in the state? In fact, this sorry affair has energised our rank and file in Gujarat to become more alert and fight our opponents. The entire Congress leadership is fearless now and will pull in all its might and resources to defeat the BJP. This will be the toughest fight the BJP will have ever fought in Gujarat in the last 25 years. If the BJP engages in such misadventures again it will only benefit us and further help us win more seats in Gujarat. They have played at their dirtiest best in Surat which will boomerang on them soon. They tried to play a similar game in Banaskantha and Amreli, but failed miserably. The BJP is losing both the seats to the Congress's fighter ladies Geniben Thakor (Banaskantha) and Jeni Thummar (Amreli). They all tried to get the nomination of INDIA candidate Umesh Makwana's (AAP's sitting MLA from Botad) candidature from Bhavnagar. They try to nitpick from the forms of our candidates, but shamelessly overlook huge faults in the nominations of BJP leaders like Parshottam Rupala (contesting from Rajkot against the Congress' Paresh Dhanani). The RO from Rajkot had asked every candidate to file their nominations on a Rs 300 stamp paper, but Rupala brazenly used Rs 50 stamp paper. In fact, there have been at least 16-17 deficiencies in Rupala's nomination form and yet the RO accepted his nomination form. 100 per cent the Election Commission is under pressure to remain a mute spectator as BJP murders democracy in India. All their acts of commission and omission are geared towards helping the BJP. There is a serious charge against the BJP's Kheda nominee Devusinh Chauhan that he has not paid revenue on the land that he owns. How come the revenue department gave him a no-dues certificate when Chauhan has defaulted on paying land revenue which belongs to the public exchequer? The Election Commission has turned a deaf ear to our complaints against him. 'The BJP is not as mighty a political force in Odisha as it is made out to be.' Arup Patnaik, the former Mumbai police commissioner, will take on the Bharatiya Janata Party's Dr Sambit Patra from Odisha's Puri Lok Sabha constituency. "We are a peace-loving people and are very happy with the persona of the chief minister as someone who is very concerned, empathetic, and kind," Arup Patnaik tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com. What are the issues before the people of Puri in this election? My campaigning is in full swing. I start my day around 6.45 in the morning and end up maybe around 11.30 pm. There are seven assembly constituencies -- Puri, Satyabadi, Brahmagiri, Nayagarh, Ranpur, Chilika -- with about 16 lakh (1.6 million) voters that makes up the Puri Lok Sabha constituency. What are the main challenges before you? You contested the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat in 2019, but weren't successful. I contested, but I fell short by a very small margin. Obviously, Puri is a new constituency for me compared to Bhubaneshwar; the plus point is it is my home district. My home place also falls within the Puri parliamentary constituency. Village-wise I belong to Pipilly Delang in Puri. I have a strong connection to Puri. You can say that I am a local boy and that's my advantage in this seat. Challenges like connecting with my voters, supporting and connecting with my booth workers to spread the BJD's message of all-round development -- this I learnt last time (while contesting from Bhubaneshwar in 2019) is very, very important to ensure that we win the election. This is not only about telling your voters how good you are and how you plan to work for their development but also about being able to structure the whole electoral machinery and logistics to your advantage. A good strategy involves building a strong rapport with the elected MLAs from these seven assembly segments and dove-tailing their victories to connect with the grassroots workers and ensuring you are visible even at the gram panchayat level. What's the thrust of your campaign? What are the programmes you're talking about to your voters as a BJD candidate? Fortunately, the honourable chief minister (Naveen Patnaik) has focused on Puri's infrastructure and development in a big way. Whether it is improving the infrastructure network or getting a new airport for the city, he has done it all. Puri is a pilgrim city and the work on the world famous Shree Mandir corridor (Shree Jagannath Heritage Corridor) is almost complete. Puri is famous for being the seat of Lord Jagannath and people from all over the world, especially from India, come here on a daily basis. Our chief minister has worked very hard to develop Puri as a pilgrim centre as well as a global tourist hub. A lot of welfare schemes touching the lives of people have been floated in the last five years. The next stage now is focusing on the youth. The BJD manifesto is very much inclined towards the welfare schemes and development of the poor and the underprivileged and largely revolves around the persona of the chief minister. The soft aspect of his personality like his compassion, honesty, and simplicity is beyond comparison and these aspects will definitely carry the day for the BJD especially during elections. Naveen Patnaik is known as the man of development and during the last 25 years the state of Odisha has seen humongous development and infrastructure projects coming our way enabling huge employment opportunities. Will the chief minister be campaigning in Puri? Will he be addressing any rally in Puri because it's a prestigious seat and you are contesting against Sambit Patra... I wouldn't know that because the chief minister's office chalks out their own calendar. Whether the chief minister would actually be coming and campaigning for me remains to be seen but I am certainly hoping that he comes. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laying the foundation of multiple development projects in Chandikholet. Photograph: ANI Photo The BJD and BJP were very close to forging an alliance, but that didn't work out. Why? I am not in the know of that. I'm not privy to that. Such important issues, obviously, remains in the chief minister's domain. There were talks about it (an alliance between the BJD and BJP) in the media but strictly speaking I was not privy to it. It is the chief minister's domain; if at all such a development was in the making, then it was very, very, confidential and not for people like me to know. The BJD has moved the Election commission against Sambit Patra for distributing clocks with party symbols. What's happening on the ground? Whatever I know is based on whatever I have seen in the media. Literally, I have no time to delve into all these things. Whatever I've seen in the media, our party has registered some complaint with the Election Commission regarding some clocks that were distributed (by BJP candidate Sambit Patra). How many seats from Odisha do you think the BJD will win? What's the BJD's internal assessment? I have absolutely no information about it. Most of the contests will be direct contest between the BJD and BJP... That's true. But as a party worker my job is to work hard to improve the image of my party and our chief minister and ensure that all his good work translates into votes for us so that he can continue to work for the state's development and progress. How does the BJD plan to take on the might of the BJP? How do you plan to take on Sambit Patra in Puri? Let's not talk about personal contests, but I can assure you that the BJP is not as mighty a political force in Odisha as it is made out to be. I'm not being complacent when I make such statements. I am telling you what I have been seeing on the ground. As of now, the BJD is having 112 out of 147 seats in the Odisha assembly, the BJP has 23 and the Congress 9. We have seen expulsion of couple of people (BJD MLAs who joined the BJP) for anti-party activities. Even on the parliamentary side we have a majority of seats (out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats the BJD won 12, the BJP 8 and the Congress 1 in 2019) and obviously our effort will be to improve upon our total in this election. The people of Odisha have been electing the BJD and our chief minister since 2000 so there is no anti-incumbency against him. In fact, every time the number of our Vidhan Sabha seats have increased. This proves a wave of pro-incumbency exists in Odisha. This has happened only because the people of Odisha trust Naveen Patnaik when it comes to handing over the reign of the state to him. In fact, in Odisha we have seen only pro-incumbency in favour of the chief minister. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election too, this pro-incumbency wave will be in our favour and this will definitely help us increase our tally (the number of Lok Sabha seats). Ours is a very benevolent government which has lot of credibility, lot of trust. That trust factor, the benevolence factor, works for the BJD. The state has remained very peaceful; there are hardly any disturbances, riots in Odisha. We are a peace-loving people and are very happy with the persona of the chief minister as someone who is very concerned, empathetic, and kind. An Australian journalist on Tuesday claimed that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage had 'crossed a line'. Photograph: Kind courtesy @AvaniDias/X Avani Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said she had to leave India on April 19, the day the Lok Sabha elections started after the government objected to her reporting on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 'Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting 'crossed a line',' Dias said on X. 'We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls 'the mother of democracy',' said Dias, who had been working in India for the past two-and-a-half years. She said after intervention from the Australian government, her visa was extended for two months which was conveyed 'less than 24 hours before my flight'. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said Dias was informed of the decision by an official from the Ministry of External Affairs, who said her most recent Foreign Correspondent episode 'crossed a line'. ABC said YouTube has also blocked access in India to an episode of its news series Foreign Correspondent on the Nijjar killing. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday named Tashi Gyalson as its candidate from the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, dropping sitting MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, who reacted defiantly and asserted that he will soon announce his next course of action. IMAGE: BJP MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, December 12, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo/Sansad TV Gyalson is the chairman-cum-chief executive councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council in Leh. Hours after the announcement, Namgyal said his supporters across the Union Territory are voicing disapproval over the decision. "Today (Tuesday), the BJP announced a new candidate for the Ladakh parliamentary constituency, replacing the sitting MP without providing transparent and compelling justification," Namgyal said in a post on social media platform Facebook. "I have communicated my disagreement to the party leadership through proper channels regarding this injustice to a dedicated 'karyakarta'. Hundreds of BJP activists and my supporters from across Ladakh have also voiced their disapproval of this decision," he said. "We will carefully evaluate the situation and determine our next course of action, keeping the well-being of the people of Ladakh at the forefront. I extend heartfelt gratitude to all supporters for their steadfast backing," he said. Namgyal had hit the headlines in 2019 with his viral speech in Lok Sabha to defend the Narendra Modi government's decision to repeal Article 370 and make Ladakh a separate Union Territory. The BJP's decision to drop Namgyal comes amid resentment towards the ruling party among a section of Buddhists in Leh. The local sources said Gyalson, who is also a lawyer, is in a better position to maintain the BJP's hold over the seat, which also includes Muslim-majority Kargil. Polling is scheduled for May 20 in the constituency. Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party chief BY Vijayendra on Tuesday demanded that the Congress government in Karnataka hand over the investigation into the murder of student Neha Hiremath to the Central Bureau of Investigation. IMAGE: Members of the Anjuman-E-Islam hold a protest against the murder of Neha Hiremath in her college premises, in Dharwad, Karnataka, April 22, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo He visited Neha Hiremath's family in Hubballi and consoled them. "I met the victim's family. They are also not happy with the way the state government is conducting this case. The government has handed over the case to CID, but only one person has been arrested. We are not pressurising the state government here, but unfortunately, the other persons who are involved, none of them have been called for an investigation," Vijayendra said. Speaking to reporters after meeting Neha's parents in Hubballi, he claimed that the statements made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, home minister G Parameshwara and a few ministers in connection with this case are "very disturbing". "In a tragedy like this, how can the CM say that the murder has taken place because of personal reasons? The home minister comes out with some other statement, and the district in-charge minister indirectly supports minorities," he claimed. "Where is the question of minority or majority? It is a daylight murder in Hubballi. The security of women is under big question," Vijayendra said. Neha Hiremath (23), was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College on last Thursday. The accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently. Neha was a first-year Master of Computer Applications student and Fayaz was earlier her classmate. Siddaramaiah on Monday announced that his government has decided to hand over the investigation into the incident to the Crime Investigation Department, and to set up a special court for speedy disposal of the case. Vijayendra claimed that every alternate day murders are taking place in the state, and alleged that the Congress government, chief minister and home minister are not taking this incident seriously. "They are indirectly trying to protect minorities," he claimed. "Minority or majority, murderer is a murderer, nothing to do with caste or religion. So, I demand the Congress government and the chief minister, instead of wasting time, by doing an investigation by CID. Please hand over the investigation to the CBI," he said. There is a demand for a CBI probe because no one feels that the state government has taken the case seriously, he further claimed. "The conduct of the government, the CM and the home minister itself raises big questions." When told that the father of the victim expressed satisfaction over the case having gone to the CID for investigation and a special court being set up, Vijayendra claimed that a number of murders are taking place or have taken place across the state both before and after this incident, and it has "almost become a routine" in Karnataka. "Daylight murders are going on on a day-to-day basis in Karnataka. Law and order situation is deteriorating day by day. To put an end to these kinds of incidents. I urge that the case be handed over to the CBI to probe," he added. Regarding allegations that the BJP is trying to communalise the incident, Vijayendra claimed it is the ministers of the ruling Congress party government who are issuing statements on communal lines. "It is a case of daylight murder. Where is the question of any religion or community? A murderer is a murderer, irrespective of which religion he belongs to," he reiterated. "The question is the safety of women in Karnataka. It is most important, the state government has to take it very seriously." Moveable assets accounted for 46 per cent of the wealth of the 10 richest candidates in the first phase of the 2024 elections. IMAGE: Congress candidate Nakul Nath at the Badi Mata temple after filing his nomination from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency. Photograph: ANI Photo The wealthiest candidates possess a greater portion of their wealth in the form of moveable assets than immoveable ones. The total value of moveable assets for the top 10 candidates amounts to Rs 1,815 crore (Rs 18.15 billion), which is more than twice the aggregate value of their immoveable assets, worth Rs 815 crore (Rs 8.15 billion), according to a Business Standard analysis of data from the Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms. The Supreme Court ruled ;ast fortnight that candidates are not required to disclose all their moveable assets. '...non-disclosure of each and every asset owned by a candidate would not amount to a defect, much less a defect of substantial character. 'It is not necessary that a candidate declare every item of moveable property that he or his dependent family members own, unless the same is of such value as to constitute a sizeable asset in itself or reflects upon his candidature in terms of his lifestyle and requires disclosure,' stated the Supreme Court order. 'Every case would have to turn on its own peculiarities, and there can be no hard and fast or straitjacketed rule as to when the non-disclosure of a particular moveable asset by a candidate would amount to a defect of substantial character,' it added. The analysis also examined the median value of moveable assets across the top 10 candidates in earlier elections, revealing a declining trend. Moveable assets accounted for 46 per cent of the wealth of the 10 richest candidates on a median basis in the first phase of the 2024 elections, compared to 55 per cent in 2019 and 93 per cent in 2014. The median represents the middle value for the top 10 candidates in each election. The aggregate value of their assets displays a more varied trend, standing at 68 per cent so far in 2024, 49 per cent in 2019, and significantly higher at 95 per cent in 2014. Additional data compiled from tracker indicates that the elections have attracted wealthier candidates over the past 20 years. Around 10 per cent of candidates were crorepati in 2004, rising to 16 per cent in 2009, and reaching 29 per cent in 2019. The candidate list for Phase 1 shows that 28 per cent are crorepatis. The top candidates in terms of moveable assets in this election's Phase 1 include Nakul Nath (Rs 669 crore/Rs 6.69 billion) from Madhya Pradesh, Ashok Kumar (Rs 574 crore/Rs 5.74 billion) and Dhevanathan Yadav T (Rs 254 crore/Rs 2.54 billion) from Tamil Nadu, Majid Ali (Rs 95 crore/Rs 950 million) from Uttar Pradesh, and A C Shanmugam (Rs 74 crore/Rs 740 million) from Tamil Nadu. The top candidates in terms of immoveable assets include Uttarakhand's Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah (Rs 152 crore/Rs 1.52 billion), Vincent H Pala (Rs 123 crore/Rs 1.23 billion) from Meghalaya, and Tamil Nadu's Jayaprakash V (Rs 122 crore/Rs 1.22 billion). Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was administered a 'low dose' of insulin after his blood sugar level spiked, officials of Tihar jail said on Tuesday, with the Aam Aadmi Party commenting that it was because of the blessings of Lord Hanuman. IMAGE: Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi and party workers carrying insulin injections stage a protest at gate 4 of the Tihar Jail in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo Tuesday is being celebrated as Hanuman Janmotsav, the Lord's birthday. According to a Tihar official, Kejriwal was given two units of low dose insulin on Monday evening on the advice of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) doctors. His blood sugar level reading was found to be 217 around 7 pm, following which the doctors at the Tihar looking after him decided to give him the insulin dose, the official said. The AIIMS specialists, during a video conference with the chief minister on April 20, had advised the Tihar doctors that insulin could be given to him if his sugar level crosses a certain level, he added. Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj participated in an event in his constituency to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti. A person dressed as Lord Hanuman was carrying vials of insulin with Bharadwaj carrying a mace ('gadaa') as they travelled in the area atop a vehicle. Vials of insulin were stuck on the mace. "Hanumanji has given insulin to his devotee Arvind Kejriwal. The court passed the order, the jail denied, but due to Hanumanji, Kejriwal got the insulin. We pray for his good health, long life, and may he soon be released," he told PTI Videos. Earlier in the day, Bharadwaj alleged that the officials were deliberately not giving insulin to Kejriwal. "Today it became clear that the chief minister was right. He needed insulin but the officials under the BJP-led Centre were deliberately not treating him. Tell me BJP people! If there was no need for insulin, why are they giving it now? Because the whole world is cursing them," he said in a post on X in Hindi. Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal visited the temple to offer prayers on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. "May Hanuman Baba give wisdom and prosperity to all. May Hanuman Baba take away everyone's trouble and mine too. I will come back with sir (Kejriwal) soon," she told reporters. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh echoed similar views and said it was due to the blessings of Lord Hanuman that the chief minister was given insulin after nearly 23 days of being lodged in jail. He alleged ill-treatment with the party's national convener. "It is due to the blessings of Lord Hanuman that Kejriwal was given insulin after 23 days. We had been saying that he needs to be given insulin but he was given insulin only now. The people of Delhi were worried about him but their struggle bore fruit," Singh said. Welcoming the development, Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi said in a post on X in Hindi, 'Jai Bajrang Bali! Good news received on Hanuman Jayanti. Tihar administration finally gave insulin to Arvind Kejriwal ji.' 'This is the result of the blessings of Hanuman ji and the struggle of the people of Delhi. Even in this time of struggle, the blessings of Bajrang Bali remain on all of us,' she said. The Delhi chief minister was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy. He is lodged in the Tihar jail since April 1. The current geo-strategic landscape is characterised by a change that is taking place at an "unprecedented" scale and speed, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said on Tuesday while asserting that military strength and capabilities are necessary to prevent wars. IMAGE: Chief of the Army staff General Manoj Pande addresses the 9th National Leadership Conclave of All India Management Association in New Delhi, April 23, 2024. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo Addressing an event in New Delhi, Gen Pande also said the recent global developments have underscored that the security of the nation can neither be outsourced nor be dependent on the largesse of others. Recent geopolitical powerplays have displayed that where national interests are concerned, countries will "not hesitate" to go to war. These developments have reaffirmed the relevance of hard power, he said. The Army chief took part in the AIMA National Leadership Conclave and spoke on 'Hard Power: Modernising Forces through Self-reliance'. He said the overall rise of a nation can be said to occur when there is a significant and continuous increase in its "comprehensive national power". While "economic power" is the fountainhead of the growth of the nation, it is the "military strength" that lends it the ability to "affect the outcomes", necessary to protect and further its multifarious interests, in expanding strategic horizons, the Army chief said. "The current geo-strategic landscape is characterised by change, taking place at unprecedented scale and speed. Recent geopolitical powerplays have displayed that where national interests are concerned, countries will not hesitate to go to war. These developments have reaffirmed the relevance of hard power," Gen Pande added. Military strength and capabilities are necessary to prevent war or to present a "credible deterrence" as well as to enable a robust response to threats and winning wars, when required, across the "entire spectrum of conflict", he said. He also underlined the factors that are shaping hard power capabilities, through atmanirbharta or self-reliance. The unprecedented trends in the geo-strategic landscape, the limitless potential of disruptive technologies, the transforming character of modern wars and the profound changes in the socio-economic domain, are the four key drivers of the Indian Army's transformation efforts, Gen Pande said. In the country's quest to achieve and sustain a 'hard power' quotient, "we need to be alive to the implication of external dependency to meet defence requirements". The impact of supply chain disruptions and weaponisation of denial regimes came to the fore, during the pandemic and also from the lessons of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said. "These developments have underscored that the security of the nation can neither be outsourced nor be dependent on the largesse of others. In the context of capability development, if we are import-dependent for critical technologies on countries that possess them, we must be very clear that we will always remain one technology cycle behind," Gen Pande added. He asserted that the Army's vision for the future is to transform into a modern, agile, adaptive, technology-enabled and self-reliant future-ready force, "capable to deter and win wars in a multi-domain operational environment, across the full spectrum of operations, to protect our national interests, in synergy with the other Services". The transformation roadmap entailed five pillars -- force restructuring and optimisation, modernisation and technology infusion, improvement of systems, processes and functions, human resource management, and promoting jointness and integration with the sister Services, he said. The Army is pursuing new and niche technologies, for absorption into warfighting systems. This is being given effect, through a focused capability development and sustenance roadmap, which conforms to the force's commitment to the vision of 'atmanirbharta', the Army chief said. He underlined that to achieve 'atmanirbharta', it is essential that an effective defence-industry ecosystem is created in the country. The foundational building blocks, for developing the desired defence-industry ecosystem are resource allocation, enabling government policies and provisions, viable market and competition. The key areas for technology infusion span across all domains of warfare. Towards improving mobility and protection, procurements include light strike vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, light specialist vehicles and bulletproof jackets, the Army chief said. Battlefield situational awareness is being enhanced through border surveillance systems and nano drones. For target acquisition and precision fires, "we have swarm drones, loiter munitions and new artillery platforms such as 155mm MGS, TGS, K9 Vajra, ATAGS, and new generation munitions, which are terminally guided or canister launched", he said. Night fighting capability is being enhanced through night sights for small arms and hand-held thermal imagers. The effectiveness of communication is being upgraded through software-defined radios, he added. The army is also deploying terrain-specific electronic warfare systems, drones and anti-drone systems. Logistic capacities and efficiencies are being augmented by employing logistic drones. Induction of new weapon platforms for mechanised forces "such as Light Tanks and Future Infantry Combat Vehicle and Army Aviation such as Medium Altitude Long Endurance RPAS and LUH are in the pipeline", the Army chief said. Apart from weapon systems and equipment, "we are pursuing 45 niche technologies" which have been identified for military application, he said, adding that 120 indigenous projects are underway to develop and absorb these niche technologies. "'Indigenise to Modernise' shall remain our mantra for capability development. Army's ex-imports defence contracts, which 20 years ago stood at 30 percent are at near zero percent for the last two financial years. "Presently, our inventory contains a mix of vintage, current and state-of-the-art equipment. We intend to scale up the ratio of vintage:current: state-of-the-art equipment substantially by 2030 with a focused 'atmanirbhar' capability development roadmap," Gen Pande added. Expanding the scope of its hearing in the Patanjali Ayurved case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday took a stern view of misleading advertisements by Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms and asked three Union ministries to inform it about the steps they have taken to curb the practice which takes 'public for a ride' and adversely affects their health. IMAGE: Ramdev arrives at the Supreme Court to attend the hearing relating to alleged misleading advertisements by his company Patanjali Ayurved, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photograph: ANI Photo The court passed the order after Yoga guru Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah that they have issued unqualified public apology in as many as 67 newspapers over misleading advertisements and are willing to issue additional advertisements expressing their contrition. The bench said the public apology published in newspapers were not on record and asked those to be filed within two days. It posted the matter for April 30 for further consideration. While hearing the Patanjali case, the apex court said the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Consumer Protection Act and the related rules also needed a closer examination. It said the issue was not limited to Patanjali but extended to all FMCG firms which have been issuing 'misleading advertisements and taking the public for a ride, in particular affecting the health of babies, school-going children and senior citizens who have been consuming products on the basis of the said misrepresentation'. "We must clarify that we are not here to gun for a particular party or a particular agency or a particular authority. This is a PIL, and in the larger interest of the consumers, public should know which way they are going and how and why they can be misled, and how authorities are acting to prevent it," the bench said. The court asked the Union ministries of consumer affairs, information and broadcasting, and information technology to explain what action they have taken to prevent the misuse of consumer laws. It also sought an explanation from the Centre over an August 2023 letter issued by the Ministry of Ayush to the licencing authorities of all states and Union Territories and drug controllers of Ayush asking them to not initiate any action under rule 170 of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The bench also asked the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the petitioner in the Patanjali advertisements case, to 'put its house in order'. It said several complaints have been made about alleged unethical acts by members of the IMA who prescribe highly expensive medicines and line of treatment. The bench also ordered impleading the National Medical Commission (NMC) as a respondent in the matter for effective assistance to the court. At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd managing director Balkrishna, told the bench they have issued on Monday unqualified apology for the 'lapses' on their part. "Where? Why it is not filed?" the bench asked. Rohatgi said it was issued on Monday in 67 newspapers across the country. When the court asked the senior advocate why did the respondents wait for a whole week before publishing the public apology, Rohatgi said, "Its language had to be changed". The court also quizzed him about the size of advertisements. "Is it the same size of advertisements that you normally issue in newspapers?" it asked Rohatgi, who submitted 'It costs tens of lakhs (of rupees)'. The bench ordered that the apology published be filed on record and added it wanted to see the actual advertisement published in newspapers. 'The said advertisements are not on record. It is submitted that the same have been collated and shall be filed in the course of the day with copies to counsel for the parties. Needful shall be done within two days with copies to counsel for the parties,' it said. The counsel said additional advertisement shall be issued by Ramdev and Balkrishna tendering unqualified apology for the lapses on their part. The bench said it was necessary to implead the three central ministries in order to examine the steps taken to prevent the abuse of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act and rules, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Consumer Protection Act. It said these ministries shall file affidavits enunciating the action they have taken to prevent the misuse/abuse of these statutes along with the relevant data since 2018. The bench said licencing authorities of all states and UTs shall also be impleaded as co-respondents in the matter. The bench told the IMA's counsel that while they are pointing fingers at Patanjali, 'the other four fingers are also pointing at you (IMA)'. On April 16, the apex court had warned Ramdev and Balkrishna against any attempt to 'degrade allopathy' and permitted them to tender a 'public apology and show contrition' within a week in the contempt proceedings in the misleading advertisements case against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. The apex court is hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the IMA alleging a smear campaign against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine. Ramdev and Balkrishna had earlier tendered an 'unconditional and unqualified apology' before the top court over advertisements issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products. Search operation has been intensified in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir to track down the terrorists involved in the killing of a man belonging to the Gujjar community, officials said on Tuesday. IMAGE: Security personnel during a cordon and search operation after terrorists shot dead a Territorial Army soldier's brother, at Kunda Top village in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, April 23, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The incident occurred on Monday night when the victim, Mohammad Razaq (40), came out of a mosque in his village Kunda Top under the Thanamandi police station area. Razaq's brother, Mohammad Tahir Choudhary, is a soldier in the Territorial Army, police said. While Razaq succumbed to his injuries, Choudhary escaped unhurt, they said. Razaq's body was buried in the village. The villagers batted strongly for the restoration of an army post at Kopra in the area which was functional there till 2010 but was removed afterwards. The police, the Army and the CRPF launched a cordon and search operation soon after the incident and intensified the searches in the area with the support of sniffer dogs and aerial surveillance to track down the terrorists, they said. According to the officials, Tahir could have been the target but his brother got shot. Vehicles are being thoroughly checked and the people are being subjected to frisking at various checkpoints in the district, they added. A criminal case has been registered in FIR under sections 302 (murder), 120A (conspiracy to commit an offence), 121B (waging war or attempting to wage war against the Government of India), 122 (collecting arms with the intention of waging war against the Government of India), 458 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night after preparation for hurt, assault, or wrongful restraint), the Arms Act and some sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) at the Thanamandi police station, the officials said. Razaq's father, Mohammad Akbar, was also killed by terrorists 20 years ago in the same village. Akbar worked in the Social Welfare Department and Razaq was given a job by the government on compassionate grounds in the same department, they said. "My elder brother, Mohammad Akbar, was the naib sarpanch of our village in 2004 when he was kidnapped by the terrorists and brutally killed," said Akbar's brother, Mohammad Hussain (72), son of Salah Mohammad. He mentioned that Akbar's body was found in a mutilated condition days after his kidnapping. Hussain further stated that now his nephew, the son of his late brother, has become a victim of terrorism. "Our family has suffered twin blows. We are shattered," he said. Mohammad Razaq, who was shot dead by suspected terrorists on Monday late evening, has left behind two sons and three daughters, the family said. He was a noble soul in the entire village and was religious in nature, observing Ramadan fasting and offering five-time namaz, they said. Village elder Mohammad Iqbal, who is also a religious preacher, said the incident reminds him of a day 20 years ago, March 13, 2004, when Razaq's father, Mohammad Akbar, was brutally killed. "Akbar was kidnapped and his body was buried in the wheat fields, with wheat plants growing over it before it was found and recovered," he further said. The villagers, while discussing the situation during Nimaz-e-Janaza, called for the restoration of the Army post Kopra in the area. Meanwhile, the security forces busted a terrorist hideout in the village of Azmatabad in Rajouri district last week. They recovered eight improvised explosive devices, two wireless sets and some ammunition, the officials said. Rajouri and Poonch districts have witnessed targeted attacks by the terrorists on the Army and the civilians in the past few years, they added Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday spoke to father of slain student Neha Hiremath over phone and said 'sorry' over his daughter's killing, and assured that 'we will be on your side'. IMAGE: Members of the Anjuman-E-Islam hold a protest against the murder of Neha Hiremath in her college premises, in Dharwad on Monday, April 22, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The Chief Minister also informed Niranjan Hiremath, who is also a Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, about the government's decision to hand over the murder case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and setting up a special court to fast-track trial. "Niranjan...very sorry. We will be on your side," Siddaramaiah told Hiremath over the phone call during state's Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil's visit to Hiremath's house in Hubballi. In the conversation on Patil's phone with speakers on, Siddaramaiah can be heard informing Hiremath about the CID probe and setting up a special court. "It is a serious offence...setting up a special court we will ensure punishment for the accused person." Hiremath thanked Siddaramaiah on behalf of his family well-wishers and the community for handing over the case to CID and setting up a special court. "...ensure there is an order at the earliest and provide us justice," he said, as he also thanked Patil, Home Minister G Parameshwara, local Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya and others for their support. Replying to this, Siddaramaiah said, "We will ensure it, at the earliest." In a shocking incident, Neha Hiremath, 23, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College last Thursday. The accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently. Neha was a first year Master of Computer Application (MCA) student and Fayaz was earlier her classmate. Siddaramaih on Monday had announced his government has decided to hand over the investigation into the incident to the Crime Investigation Department, and to set up a special court for speedy disposal of the case. The case of brutal murder, which sparked widespread outrage, has snowballed into a political slugfest between ruling Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. While the ruling party has tried to project it as an incident with personal angle, the saffron party has called it a 'love jihad' case and has said it's a testimony of deterioration of law and order in the state. Earlier, Siddarmaiah's statement that the murder was due to 'personal reasons' and Home Minister G Parameshwara's comments that the duo was in love, has elicited sharp reactions from Hiremath and family members and opposition parties. Later speaking to reporters, Hiremath apologised to the government, Congress leaders and police for his comments against them and said they were made due to lack of information, amid grief. "I was grieving my daughter's death... I have got to know about the efforts made by our party leaders in informing the facts about the incident to the government. The government too has responded to it immediately," he added. He further said, "I had expressed displeasure that they (Congress govt) were not doing anything, and it is true that I had spoken against the government. I was upset that my own people did not stand by me...no one should feel otherwise about it....being a Congress worker, if I have said anything wrong, I apologise." Thanking all those who had worked towards getting the order (CID probe and special court), Hiremath said, due to lack of information, he even spoke against the Police and Police Commissioner, but after completing rituals related to death, he has got to know facts about the fair investigation that is on. "If anyone is hurt by my statements, no one should take it otherwise, as I spoke in grief, with lack of information. I have spoken against the government, I apologise," he said. Also requesting that the special court and any law that the government will be bringing to deal with such incidents to be named after his daughter Neha Hiremath, he said, 'it's my personal request, if it is permissible in law....strong laws should be brought in to stop such heinous incidents'. Asked if he is satisfied with the CID probe or would demand a CBI probe, for which he had urged earlier, Hiremath said, 'investigation by CID yet to begin, let them start investigation....' Armed with a super majority' in the parliamentary polls, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said the international community will now understand where the Maldivians stand, especially on the issue of sovereignty and freedom. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai. Photograph: ANI Photo The pro-China Maldivian president's statement came at a celebratory event on Monday, a day after the People's National Congress, led by him, won 68 out of 93 seats in Sunday's polls and its coalition partners Maldives National Party and Maldives Development Alliance won one and two seats, respectively, taking the total to more than two-thirds in the People's Majlis. A majority in Parliament would mean that Muizzu's party has control not just over lawmaking but also over the legislature which ratifies the laws; which till now had two opposing coalitions and saw several instances of a conflict between the government and the legislature. The PNC's "super majority" in parliamentary elections is being seen as a strong endorsement of his pro-Beijing foreign policy, as both India and China closely watched the outcome of the polls in the strategically-located archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean. Muizzu, 45, rode to power last year on the India Out' plank and since assuming office in November 2023, has visited China and cemented Male's ties with Beijing, including in the defence sector. Ahead of the parliamentary elections, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, led by pro-India former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had advocated restoring ties with India. The MDP, however, won only 15 seats. Muizzu, who has forced the repatriation of 88 Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives, two of the three batches have already left, said, We are a proud nation that loves sovereignty and freedom, which we have shown to the international community as well. The parliamentary election result was also to prove that the Maldivians want "autonomy in choosing their future, without foreign coercion," President Muizzu said, without naming any country, according to the Sun.mv news portal. It has also become evident for those with other hidden agendas, what the Maldivians want. So, I urge them to let go of dissidence, now that the elections are over," the president said. To everyone outside of Maldives ... To everyone in the international community .... It must be clear now. That we want to decide our own matters by ourselves, he was quoted as saying by Adhadhu.com. Even when he did not name any country during the victory speech, in the run-up to Sunday's polls, Muizzu and other leaders from his PNC had repeatedly claimed that India influenced internal affairs in the past. The president said he and his team would use the majority in Parliament to fulfil the demands of the people and fulfil the pledges made by the government, the portal said. Muizzu also very respectfully called on political leaders and all parties to move forward with the work of developing the nation; said the country belongs to all Maldivian citizens, and said he would work harder than in the past five months. These past five months were nothing. You would now have to stay awake for 24 hours. I'm saying seriously. I want to bring development as the public wanted," Adhadhu.com said on Tuesday quoting the president as saying while addressing the newly elected lawmakers, cabinet ministers, and senior officials of state-owned enterprises. During Monday's celebratory event, Muizzu also claimed that the election outcome is proof that the Maldivians want to uphold and sustain the Islamic faith and its guiding principles as a core identity in shaping the country's future. Meanwhile, Speaker Mohamed Aslam has announced that the new members elected to Parliament in Sunday's election will be sworn in on May 28. Speaker Aslam, who has served four consecutive terms in the Majlis, failed to defend his seat. Congress claimed here on Tuesday that Nilesh Kumbhani, its candidate from the Surat Lok Sabha seat whose nomination was rejected over 'discrepancies', had gone incommunicado amid rumours that he would be joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party soon. IMAGE: Surat LS constituency's BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal and Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani (second from left) pay tribute to BR Ambedkar on his 134th birth anniversary, in Surat, April 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Local Congress workers, led by city unit's working president Dinesh Savalia, staged a protest outside Kumbhani's locked house in Puna Gam area, calling him traitor and accusing him of giving a walkover to the BJP. The BJP's Mukesh Dalal was on Monday declared elected unopposed from Surat after all other candidates, including that of the BSP, withdrew their nominations. "Kumbhani was in contact with me till the afternoon of April 21. After that, he went incommunicado as he switched off his phone. When our leaders went to his house today, they found that he had locked it and gone to some undisclosed location with his entire family. He did not even face the media after his nomination was rejected," said Congress leader Aslam Cyclewala. "This proves he was part of the plan to invalidate his own nomination (to help BJP). He would have spoken to the media, had he been a victim. Instead, he fled from the collector's office on Sunday from the backside. After that, he has not been in touch with any Congress leader. There are strong rumours that he will join the BJP very soon," Cyclewala added. Kumbhani had served as a Congress corporator in the Surat Municipal Corporation. He unsuccessfully fought the 2022 assembly polls as the party's candidate from Kamrej seat in Surat. On Sunday, his nomination form was rejected after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming that the signature on the form were not theirs. The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate, was also invalidated on the same ground. In his order, returning officer Sourabh Pardhi said the forms of Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after it was found, prima facie, that signatures of the proposers were not genuine. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Rain likely. High 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Saxtons River resident Falko Schilling encountered this grey fox outside his home Tuesday afternoon, but escaped unharmed. A grey fox, believed to be the same animal, attacked two other Saxtons River residents later Tuesday, biting them. Ian Buchanan is a business founder and owner. He lives in East Montpelier with his family. He is a candidate for the Washington Electric Co-op Board of Directors. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. Arrow Electronics has added LastPass to its portfolio of vendors for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ). Under the agreement, Arrow will distribute LastPass suite of solutions via its network of resellers and channel partners, claiming they will be able to assist with the improvement of cyber security postures, streamline employee access and protect digital assets. Paul Marnane, general manager of Arrow ECS A/NZ, said LastPass aligns with our commitment to provide a holistic cyber security coverage to our channel partners. Meanwhile, Jessica Couto, VP of global channel sales at LastPass, said the company will work with Arrow in offering its reseller base access to necessary tools, services, training and resources. LastPass distribution partners are increasingly recognising the importance of including SMB [small- to medium-sized businesses] and enterprise password management in their security stack, she claimed. Arrows agreement with LastPass comes a month after it launched ArrowSphere Assistant, an artificial intelligence (AI) application for partners powered by Microsoft Azure that can allegedly streamline workflows and day-to-day cloud interactions, as well as generate detailed reports and recommendations to partners. Chinese social media influencers have recently claimed that prominent Chinese-born Australian journalist Vicky Xu had posted a message saying she planned to return to China. There is no evidence for this. The source did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Xu herself later confirmed to AFCL that she has no such plans. Currently working as an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, or ASPI, Xu has previously written for both the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, and The New York Times. A Chinese language netizen on X initially claimed on March 31 that the changing geopolitical relations between Sydney and Beijing had caused Xu to become an expendable asset and that she had posted a message expressing a strong desire to return to China. An illegible, blurred photo of the supposed message accompanied the post. This claim was retweeted by a widely followed influencer on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo one day later, who additionally commented that Xu was a traitor" who had been abandoned by Australian media. Rumors surfaced on X and Weibo at the end of March that Vicky Xu - a Chinese-born Australian journalist who exposed forced labor in Xinjiang - was returning to China after becoming an "outcast" in Australia. (Screenshots / X & Weibo) Following the publication of an ASPI article in 2021 which exposed forced labor conditions in Xinjiang co-authored by Xu, the journalist was labeled morally bankrupt and "anti-China" by the Chinese state owned media outlet Global Times and subjected to an influx of threatening messages and digital abuse, eventually forcing her to temporarily close several of her social media accounts. AFCL found that neither Xus active X nor LinkedIn account has any mention of her supposed return to China, and received the following response from Xu herself about the rumor: I can confirm that I dont have plans to go back to China. I think if I do go back Ill most definitely be detained or imprisoned - so the only career Ill be having is probably going to be prison labor or something like that, which wouldnt be ideal. Neither a keyword search nor reverse image search on the photo attached to the original X post turned up any text from Xu supporting the netizens claims. Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Malcolm Foster. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. It's shocking how many professors kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party and sing its praises, said one protester. Screenshots from video show a group of six Harvard students and youth activists disrupting the address of Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, by repeatedly speaking out about Chinas human rights abuses and aggressions in Tibet, Hong Kong, East Turkestan, and Taiwan April 19, 2024 in Cambridge, MA at Harvard University. A protester who loudly disrupted a speech at Harvard by Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng on the eve of a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China said she did it to discourage world-class universities from "kowtowing to China" despite committing human rights abuses. Harvard junior Cosette Wu, who grew up in Hawaii with Taiwanese parents, stood up with a banner that read "China Lies" during Xie's speech to the Kennedy School of Government on Sunday, shouting loudly about the ruling Chinese Communist Party's political crackdown in Hong Kong and its threat to invade democratic Taiwan. As Xie was speaking, Wu stood up suddenly and yelled: "Xie Feng, you paint an image of a prosperous China, but your hands are painted with blood!" "You've robbed Hong Kongers of their most fundamental freedoms and devastated their democracy. Now in my country Taiwan, you sought to do the same!" she shouted. She was then dragged to one side by an unidentified man in a blue shirt, who twisted her arm and handed her over to a uniformed security guard in the corridor outside, according to video footage of the incident. Xie's speech was delayed by around 45 minutes by the incident, which included several other shouted protests in support of Tibetans and Uyghurs, as well as a gathering of more than 30 people with banners outside the venue. Wu told RFA Mandarin that she wanted to take issue with the Chinese Communist Party's "unbridled abuse of human rights" and warn world-class universities like Harvard not to be taken in by its propaganda. "Beijing has managed to win over the leadership of world-class universities with funding," Wu said. "It's shocking how many professors kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party and sing its praises." Hong Kong crackdown She said she also wanted to hold Xie publicly responsible for his role in suppressing Hong Kong's promised freedoms. "Xie Feng served as the Chinese Communist Partys special commissioner in Hong Kong during the promulgation of the National Security Law," Wu said. "This person was responsible for supervising Hong Kong." "He has [also] made unabashed and blatant threats to invade Taiwan," she said, adding that Xie "is in direct contradiction to the values of Harvard." Youth activists gather outside where while inside other activists disrupt the address of Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, by repeatedly speaking out about Chinas human rights abuses and aggressions in Tibet, Hong Kong, East Turkestan, and Taiwan April 19, 2024, in Cambridge, MA, at Harvard University. (Courtesy of Students for a Free Tibet) After Wu was dragged out of the room, a second protester stood up, holding up the "Snow Lion" flag of the Free Tibet movement. "Free Tibet!" the man shouted. "How can you be here when the Chinese government is in direct contravention of every human rights law in the world?" "You are a representative of a government that advocates for genocide," the man shouted. "The genocide of the Tibetan people, of the Uyghur people, the occupation of Hong Kong." "You are a travesty," he shouted, leaving the room and continuing to shout from the corridor. "You do not deserve to be here. This is a free country. Shame on you, Xie Feng!" Subject to disciplinary action During the diatribe, Xie paused, apparently wondering when someone would deal with the man. Then an organizer warned participants that the event was being held to encourage "fruitful discussion, adding that anyone who disrupted the event again would be subject to disciplinary action. Youth activists gather outside where while inside other activists disrupt the address of Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, by repeatedly speaking out about Chinas human rights abuses and aggressions in Tibet, Hong Kong, East Turkestan, and Taiwan April 19, 2024 at Harvard University. (Courtesy of Students for a Free Tibet) Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, condemned the protest in a statement to The Harvard Crimson newspaper. Facts cannot be distorted. The farce put up by anti-China forces to discredit China and undermine China-U.S. relations is doomed to failure, Liu told the paper. A spokesperson for protest organizers Students for a Free Tibet, told RFA Tibetan that they wanted to interrupt Xie in spreading Chinese propaganda. "China's political propaganda strategy is to repeat lies about Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and East Turkestan," the spokesperson said, using the name many use to denote the Uyghur homeland in what is currently the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Youth activists stand outside where inside activists disrupted the address of Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, by repeatedly speaking out about Chinas human rights abuses and aggressions in Tibet, Hong Kong, East Turkestan, and Taiwan April 19, 2024 in Cambridge, MA at Harvard University. (Courtesy of Students for a Free Tibet) "They tell these lies loudly and frequently at the United Nations and even on the Harvard campus," they said. "So our goal was to make sure the Chinese Communist Party didn't have another opportunity to repeat those lies enough times until [people thought they were] facts." Earlier this month, University of Seville journalism professor Mar Llera was part of a two-person protest against the opening of one of China's Confucius Institutes at the school, saying the language and cultural institutions pose a threat to freedom of speech and academic activity on campus. A 2019 U.S. Senate subcommittee report found that the institutes could constitute a threat to university life and freedom of speech in the United States., as their funding comes "with strings attached," while politicians in the U.K. have called for a review of the institutes' presence on British university campuses. Security, not human rights The protests targeting Xie came on the eve of Blinken's China trip, although analysts didn't foresee it would prompt greater discussion of China's rights record during the visit. "I doubt Blinken will raise the Harvard incident in his meetings," Michael Cunningham, Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, told RFA Mandarin. "But the issues the protesters raised, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang, will probably be on his agenda." He said human rights weren't the main focus of Blinken's trip. "His main focus will be issues related to security, such as China's support for Russia and tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, as well as US-China tensions over issues like technology and trade," he said in a written comment to RFA Mandarin. A group of six Harvard students and youth activists disrupted the address of Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, by repeatedly speaking out about Chinas human rights abuses and aggressions in Tibet, Hong Kong, East Turkestan, and Taiwan April 19, 2024 at Harvard University. (Courtesy of Students for a Free Tibet) Lily McElwee, deputy director and fellow in the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, agreed. "Human rights concerns are for the most part, always raised in official visits and dialogues by American officials to China and with Chinese counterparts," she said. "But I also should note that there will be a lot of other topics on the table for Blinken to raise when he goes to China." "Taiwan is one, technology is a big one, [also] South China Sea issues." She said the issue of overcapacity recently raised by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during her visit to China was also still on the agenda. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Flag-raising and patriotic essays are in, frank debates about recent Chinese history are out. Students sit for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams on April 26, 2021 in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong schools have been banning books, warning teachers not to express "political" views, training students how to raise the Chinese flag correctly and screening patriotic films, according to online documents that reveal what the city's "national security education" program looks like on the ground. The ruling Chinese Communist Party is moving to step up its "patriotic education" program in schools, universities and religious institutions across the country, including in Hong Kong, where the program is generally termed "national security education." Since the start of the current academic year, teachers in more than 1,000 Hong Kong schools have been required to report "potential violations" of the city's security laws to the authorities. They are also expected to submit reports detailing their efforts to impose "national security education" on staff and students. Many are posting their reports online, revealing ongoing inspections, surveillance and a growing emphasis on patriotic activities and celebrations of traditional Chinese culture, lauded by President Xi Jinping as part of national pride and rejuvenation. Authorities at the New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School are reminding teachers "not to promote their personal politics, preach distorted values or make remarks that incite [others] in teaching materials," according to the school's annual report to the Education Bureau on its National Security Education program. Students read from newly-issued textbooks at a primary school August 28, 2023 in Zhangye city, in Gansu province. (AFP) Teachers at the school have been warned "not to directly or indirectly encourage or acquiesce in students' participation in any off-campus political activities," according to the report, a copy of which is available on the school's website. The school has also started inspecting books held in its library and has axed its subscription to Hyread, an online platform offering reading material in Chinese and English to prevent "violations of national security laws," according to its report. Banned books The Kowloon Technical College has also been checking its library, and has banned seven books, according to its report for last academic year. "On March 15-16, 2023, the vice principal, director of reading promotion and the library director inspected the library collection and found a total of seven books containing political propaganda," the report said. The Christian Alliance Cheng Wing Gee College requires its teachers to upload any teaching materials to the school's intranet for approval before using them in class, while teachers are focusing on "boosting national and ethnic pride" as a natural part of the day-to-day curriculum, according to its report. Meanwhile, students at the Tai Po Baptist Public School have been attending Chinese national flag-raising ceremonies on designated days to establish "correct values and patriotic feelings." Several schools said their students trained for and took part in patriotic "flag-raising competitions," as well as a patriotic essay-writing competition with the theme "I Love My Motherland," according to their "National Security Education" reports for the academic year 2022-2023 posted on their own websites. The reports also reveal a fast-emerging system of sanctions and punishments for speech crimes in Hong Kong's schools. Students who are deemed to have violated national security laws, which include clauses forbidding public criticism of the Hong Kong and Chinese governments, or any non-critical mention of the pro-democracy movement, will be counseled, punished or have their parents called in, depending on the seriousness of the alleged offense, the reports said. My Country, My People Around 40% of publicly funded schools in the city, which on March 23 passed a second national security law, broadening an ongoing crackdown on dissent, have made similar reports public on their websites to date, the Ming Pao newspaper reported. According to the Hennessy Road Government Primary School's National Security Education report for 2022-2023, the school picked "student ambassadors" to shoot videos to promote China's National Day on Oct. 1, and held a screening of the Chinese patriotic film, "My Country, My People." English-language schools are no exception, with the government's Chiu Lut Sau Memorial Secondary School in Yuen Long reporting that it will "review the content of the student association's politics platform and the Christmas singing competition repertoire" to filter out content that could run afoul of security laws. High school students read through exam papers, ahead of the National College Entrance Examination, or NCEE, May 17, 2023 in Handan, in China's northern Hebei province. (AFP) Artist Wu Chun Him, who taught drama in Hong Kong's primary schools for many years, said that means in practice that no negative content about the Chinese government can be allowed in the city's schools, citing the "harm done by the Cultural Revolution" in Mao's China as something that will no longer be spoken about. "Now they have the invisible hand of criminal liability in the background, no teacher is going to want to teach that stuff and wait to see if they get in trouble," Wu told RFA Cantonese. "Ultimately, all they can do is learn to sing from the same hymn sheet," he said. Protecting themselves Former Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority official Yeung Wing Yu, who now runs the @edulancet Instagram account where he blogs about the city's education system, once attended Hennessy Road primary school, and said he was "shocked" to read its national security education report. "What was shocking to me was that they're not just putting up display boards at student association activities to inform people about safeguarding national security ... they're also doing it at activities organized by alumni and alumni associations," Yeung said. He described the Kowloon Technical School report as the most radical. He said the schools are likely publishing these reports to protect themselves. "The safest thing is to tell everybody how well you are doing something, and make it public," Yeung said. "It's the best form of protection." "It sends the message that this school is politically safe, so that the government doesn't mess with it if something happens," he said. He said the recent expansion of Hong Kong's Diploma of Secondary Education to mainland Chinese schools will likely have the effect of repopulating the city with incoming families from elsewhere in China, lured by the promise of an internationally recognized education. Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Children as young as 12 are working long hours as part of Kim Jong Un's development plan. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new street at Sopho area of Pyongyang city, Feb. 25, 2023. North Korean authorities are addressing a labor shortage by conscripting ordinary residents and students as young as 12 to work on state-mandated construction projects, sources inside North Korea told Radio Free Asia. In the northern province of Ryanggang, officials In Kimhyongjik county have required students to work on factory construction sites as part of leader Kim Jong Uns plan to accelerate industrial development under the so-called 2010 Local Development Policy that was announced in December. The policy calls for 20 North Korean counties to construct modern factories every year over the next 10 years to improve peoples material standard of living. Each corps of the Korean Peoples Army was ordered to mobilize troops to contribute to the construction projects. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Kimhyongjik factory took place on March 10, but the military was only able to provide about 700 personnel, a Ryanggang resident who asked not to be identified told RFA. With a population of less than 60,000 people, Kimhyongjik county is having a hard time finding workers to build the factory, she said. All of the young people are serving in the military, so there is a severe shortage of manpower needed to build the local factory. Looming deadline The Central Committee of the Workers Party of North Korea announced that all 2010 factory construction projects must be completed by Sep. 9 and begin normal operations on Sep. 10 to coincide with North Koreas independence holiday. Another resident told RFA that regional authorities are turning to students, older women and ordinary laborers to meet the deadline. Students are not an exception. As of April 5, middle and high school students between the ages of 12 and 17 are being mobilized for pre-meal work to collect sand and gravel for the factorys foundation, he explained. A ground-breaking ceremony for the third-stage construction project to build 10,000 flats in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang, Feb. 23, 2023. (KCNA via KNS/AFP) From 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., they are collecting sand and gravel, he said. They are in school from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., then they collect sand and gravel again from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. They are forced to work even on Sundays, which are rest days. Older members of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea are also being mobilized seven days a week to collect foundation materials from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while local laborers are tasked with constructing blocks for the factorys walls. Residents have expressed concerns about the effect of the harsh labor on the health of children. They argued that high school students should not be working on construction sites before school, and that middle school students should not be working at all. Some parents have even begun keeping their children home from school under the pretense of illness to protect them from forced labor, the sources said. Threats and bribes Meanwhile, authorities in the capital of Pyongyang are struggling to retain laborers for Kim Jong Uns 10,000-home project. Launched in 2021, the plan calls for 10,000 homes to be constructed per year in Pyongyang for a period of five years. So far, 30,000 homes have been completed. When the 10,000-home project began in 2021, many Pyongyang residents volunteered to become stormtroopers what North Korea calls soldiers or ordinary people engaged in construction projects with the hope that they would be assigned housing as a reward, one Pyongyang resident said. However, many residents who have yet to receive homes after years of intense labor now wish to return to their original factory jobs and are trying to desert their construction work. And residents who have already been assigned homes since becoming stormtroopers are no longer motivated to continue working on the construction sites. Pyongyang officials have responded to the desertions with both threats and bribes. One worker who decided to return to his factory job after receiving a home due to health concerns had his Workers Party status threatened by a low-level party secretary. If you have received the partys consideration, you should think about repaying the favor, the official told him, according to the RFA source. Why do you pursue your own comfort first? You are not qualified as a member of the party. Losing the favor of the party can have serious consequences for individuals and their families, making it difficult for workers to disobey the demands of party leaders. Other officials have attempted to retain stormtroopers by promising them that if they stay on the construction project until its completion in 2025, they will be rewarded with homes. Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Claire McCrea and Malcolm Foster. Battle near the Thai border has parents worried the teenagers will get caught in the crossfire. Trafficked Lao youths are seen after gaining their freedom from a Chinese-run casino in Myawaddy, Myanmar, April 2023. Radio Free Asia has blurred their faces to protect their identities for their safety. A group of 14 young Laotians who are being held at a Chinese-run casino in Myanmar said they are frightened by the recent fighting in nearby Myawaddy and are calling for new efforts to free them. The young Laotians were trafficked to work as scammers at a place called Casino Kosai in an isolated development near Myawaddy. Karen Nation Union, or KNU, and allied anti-junta guerrilla armies took control of the important trade town earlier this month during intense fighting with Myanmars military. Some of the young Laotians recently overheard junta soldiers saying the casino could be a target for bombing later this week, four of the young Laotians told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday. I would like to call on the soldiers of KNU to rescue us from this place as soon as possible because the fighting is moving closer and closer to us, one of the young Laotians, who like other sources in this report requested anonymity for safety reasons, told RFA. Right now, were hearing a lot of loud shots toward us, he said. Were afraid that well get shot by stray bullets. Earlier this month, two teenage girls were allowed to leave the casino after a 40,000 yuan (US$5,500) fee was paid to gain their freedom. They arrived home in Luang Namtha province in northern Laos on April 8. The Chinese-owned Casino Kosai in Myawaddy, Myanmar, near the Thai border. (Citizen journalist) The remaining 14 youths and their parents are hoping that officials at the Lao Embassy in Yangon can negotiate their release. The only hope I have right now is that the higher-up authorities of all sides are stepping up their efforts because we the parents have been trying and failing to rescue our children for more than two years now, a mother of one of the Laotians told RFA. Emotionally affected by it Many of the young Laotians originally sought jobs in one of the casinos in the Golden Triangle, the border region Laos shares with Thailand and Myanmar. But instead they ended up trafficked and held captive at the casino, which is about 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of the Golden Triangle and 640 kms (400 miles) from their homes in northern Laos. For more than a year, their parents have sent pleading messages to government officials in Laos and Myanmar. With the recent fighting nearby, they have become even more concerned, several parents told RFA. I cant eat and I cant sleep right now because I worry about the safety of my daughter, another mother said. I heard about the situation over there getting worse, and Im emotionally affected by it. Im always thinking about my daughter. A Lao embassy official told RFA on Tuesday that they are still gathering information on the 14 Laotians and will send a request to junta authorities soon. Were trying our best to rescue these Laotians, he told RFA on Tuesday. Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in an interview with several British media outlets, addressed the issue of the leverage some countries can have on Azerbaijan in the context of achieving peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The PM stressed that the primary beneficiaries of peace are Armenia and Azerbaijan. The journalist gave the example of "British Petroleum", which supplied $35 billion worth of oil and gas from Azerbaijan in the last four years, asking whether the Armenian government would like the United Kingdom to use that leverage. "First, I would not like to comment on business activities, investments that take place in neighboring countries. In general, I believe that any investment should be aimed at promoting peace within the investment environment and the region, thereby contributing to overall stability. In general, I believe that the establishment of peace is in the interests of both the international community and investors. However, I want to emphasize that the primary beneficiaries of peace are Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is particularly significant that we have reached two major agreements with Azerbaijan in the last 5 months, Pashinyan said. The Prime Minister added that a number of statements coming from Azerbaijan concerning the reforms and modernization of the Armenian army worry the Armenian authorities. If we look at the ratio of the military budgets of Azerbaijan and Armenia, there is a significant imbalance, and yes, this ratio is also influenced by the revenues of Azerbaijan through the transactions you have mentioned. But what worries us is that even in the face of this imbalance, Azerbaijan reacts very aggressively to the reforms of the armed forces of Armenia and the acquisition of weapons and equipment, although we all understand that these achievements have exclusively defensive significance," explained Pashinyan. We have proposed to Azerbaijan to establish a bilateral mechanism for mutual arms control. In other words, to enable us to regulate our weaponry within the boundaries of these mutual agreements and avoid inciting an arms race in our region," said Pashinyan. The Prime Minister noted that the Armenian government has proposed a mirror-like withdrawal of troops based on the 1991 border line. We are discussing military budgets, but certainly, a stable and long-term peace would provide us all with the opportunity to allocate those funds, at the very least, not in such vast amounts, and to invest the remaining funds in addressing the socio-economic problems of our countries. This year, Armenia has made significant progress in terms of gross domestic product per capita, but there are still many social problems in our country, as well as in Azerbaijan. When there is peace, the governments of both countries will have an opportunity to invest in socio-economic development. Additionally, it will enable us to contemplate regional economic development in the future, said Pashinyan. Pashinyan said that amid regional economic developments, Armenia has adopted the "Crossroads of Peace" project. "We are not preparing for war; we are preparing for peace. However, until we are convinced that the Republic of Armenia will not be attacked, we naturally have to develop our defense capabilities. Moreover, I have stated that aside from the 29,743 sq. km territory, the Republic of Armenia has no ambitions in any direction: neither to the south, nor to the west, nor to the north, nor to the east. We believe that we should build and develop our sovereignty and independence on this foundation, said the Armenian Prime Minister. Airstrikes and artillery killed nearly 400 civilians in the first quarter of 2024, RFA data shows. Displaced persons of Yedashe township in Bago region are seen in April 2023. Junta attacks since the weekend in central Myanmars Bago region have killed at least eight people and displaced around 6,000 people, a rebel official and residents said Tuesday. The attacks in Yedashe township, located about 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Myanmars largest city Yangon, followed intense fighting between junta troops and rebel forces that saw nearly 400 civilians killed by military airstrikes and heavy artillery around the country in the first three months of the year, according to data compiled by RFA Burmese. The fighting in the Bago region comes as rebel groups across the country have gained more ground and pushed junta forces back toward the capital of Naypyidaw and Yangon. Junta forces attacked villages surrounding Swar town in eastern Bagos Yedashe township on April 19 and have since killed eight civilians, including a child and a Buddhist monk, a spokesperson for the anti-junta Yedashe Peoples Defense Force, or YPDF, told RFA. Four people from Ywa Thit village [including a child] were the first to be killed [that day], said the spokesperson who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. A day later, a monk was shot dead in Padauk Kon village and three men were also killed in the same village the day after that. The junta troops fired at whoever they saw during the offensive. The spokesperson said junta troops remained in the village area on Tuesday and that the identities of the victims remained unclear. RFA was unable to contact residents of the villages for more information, as telecommunications in the area have been impacted by the fighting. A building damaged by an airstrike of military council in a village of Yedashe township, Bago region, on February 21, 2024. (Daung Minn Thar-Yedashe-PDF via Facebook) Clashes between the military and rebel forces in Yedashe, a town situated on the east bank of the Sittaung River, first broke out on April 17. Ensuing attacks by the military have forced around 6,000 people to flee 23 villages, including Gway Pyauk Kone, Swar Ywar Ma, Khin Tan, Koe Tan, Ywar Thit, Taung Gyi and Padauk Kone, a resident of the township told RFA. Nearly everyone in this area has fled, said the resident, who also declined to be named. Many people were also arrested, including some as they tried to escape the raids, he said. The exact number of people who have fled the township was not immediately clear. Attack helicopters deployed When contacted by RFA, Tin Oo, the juntas economic minister and spokesperson for Bago region dismissed the reports as fake. This is the spread of fake news to threaten the people, he said. The real information is that the villagers are living peacefully in their homes. Its only the PDFs who are fleeing." Tin Oo added that there was no fighting in the area, and said junta security forces are working to promote peace and security there. The YPDF spokesperson, meanwhile, told RFA that fighting is still happening and the military is deploying attack helicopters to carry out airstrikes. Aerial attacks take place almost every day, and people are facing a lot of difficulties, he said. Some people were injured and have no access to medical treatment. Theyre too afraid to seek care outside of the area. Local agriculture has also been impacted by the fighting ahead of the summer paddy harvest, he added. Hundreds killed The civilian deaths in Yedashe came as an investigation by RFA found that at least 397 civilians were killed and 889 injured by military airstrikes and heavy artillery around the country from January to March this year. The majority of the victims were from Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states, and Sagaing and Bago regions comprising 52% of the total casualties caused by aerial attacks and artillery, data compiled by RFA shows. A house that was hit by a shell fired by the military council in Laiza was seen on March 7, 2024. (Citizen Journalist) In one of the larger casualty events, eight civilians were killed and 15 wounded when the military carried out an airstrike on a monastery in Kayin states Hpapun township on March 31, days after the ethnic Karen National Liberation Army had seized control of the area. The victims were among hundreds of civilians who had sought shelter at the monastery amid the fighting, according to David Eubank, the founder of the Free Burma Rangers, which conducted rescue operations at the site. More than three hundred bombs were indiscriminately dropped from a Y-12 transport plane, accompanied by nine separate attacks from jet fighters, he said in a message posted to the groups Facebook page following the attack. Among the refugees seeking sanctuary here, the majority were Buddhists from Hpapun. They thought it would be safe to hide in this monastery. Targeting civilians Col. Naw Bu, information officer for the ethnic Kachin Independence Army, told RFA that the military is deliberately targeting civilians. Revolutionary groups are formed by the public, so the military has decided to attack the public and these incidents are inevitable, he said. Attempts by RFA to contact junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun for a response to Naw Bus comments went unanswered Tuesday. But previously, junta officials have acknowledged that civilian casualties do occur during conflict and told RFA it is unjust to solely blame the military for such incidents. Nang, an official with the ethnic Pa-O Youth Organization, which monitors civilian casualties resulting from the conflict in Shan state, told RFA that every armed organization bears the responsibility of safeguarding civilian life and security. It is imperative to refrain from targeting people who are not engaged in the conflict, he said. In addition, in areas where military objectives are present, minimizing harm to civilian populations is paramount. According to data independently compiled by RFA, junta airstrikes and artillery fire have killed at least 1,677 civilians and injured 3,263 others between the militarys Feb. 1, 2021, coup detat and the end of March 2024. Translated by Aung Naing and Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Deputy Sr. Gen. Soe Win has not been reported in public since April 3. A senior Myanmar military official has not been seen in public for weeks following a drone attack, leading to speculation he might have been wounded, according to a political analyst. Junta vice chairman Soe Win, who is a deputy senior general and regularly attended meetings with the military chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, was not seen in junta media coverage of a military council meeting on agriculture and natural disasters on Monday. Junta media, which regularly cover such meetings, showing the high-ranking officers in attendance, has not shown pictures of Soe Win, or reported his attendance at any meetings since the drone attack in the second week of April. He was last seen publicly attending an army graduation ceremony in the city of Ba Htoo in Shan State on April 3, according to a junta press release. Deputy Sr. Gen. Soe Win in a National Planning Commission meeting March 21, 2024. (Myawaddy Webportal) An anti-junta guerilla group said it had attacked the Southeast Regional Military Command headquarters in Mon State on April 8. The group, the Alpha Bats Drone Force, announced the next day that it had carried out a drone attack during a military meeting at the regional headquarters in the city of Mawlamyine, which Soe Win and other senior officials were attending. The military officials were discussing sending reinforcements to the city of Myawaddy on the Thai border, where allied rebel forces have been battling junta troops. Political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA it was possible that Soe Win and other high-ranking officers were wounded in the drone attack. He may have been injured in a drone strike and disappeared from public view. But he did not die. There is some injury. I dont see any changes in the commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief among the military councils members,, he told RFA Tuesday. However, junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun dismissed such speculation in mid-April, telling media the general was performing regular security and defense duties. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. The deployment of the Mid-Range Capability system in recent live-fire drills is the first in the Asia-Pacific. The U.S. Mid-Range Capability Launcher arrives for deployment in Northern Luzon during the Salaknib drills involving Philippine and U.S. troops, April 8, 2024. The U.S. Armys deployment of a mid-range missile launcher in the Philippines earlier this month is expected to help Manila prepare to defend its territories amid geopolitical tension over the South China Sea, security analysts said. Its the first time the United States has deployed the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system also known as the Typhon System in the Asia-Pacific region, but it was not immediately clear whether the Americans would keep this easily transportable system in the northern Philippines only as part of joint military drills or for longer. The MRC is a land-based, ground-launched system that can fire the Standard Missile 6 and Tomahawk missiles and support strike capabilities from land to sea to air, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service. The system was deployed on April 11 as part of Salaknib, a military drill for 1,800 Philippine and 1,700 U.S. troops that ran from April 8 to 21 in the central and northern regions of Luzon island. The deployment is an example of the continuous transformation of the U.S. Army in the face of a complex and challenging environment, said Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, said in a statement in response to emailed questions from BenarNews, a online news organization that is affiliated with Radio Free Asia. The move supports a safe, stable, and secure Indo-Pacific in partnership with our allies from the Armed Forces (of the) Philippines, he said. Officials at the U.S. Army Pacific command in Hawaii did not immediately respond to follow-up questions from BenarNews seeking more details about the deployment of the missile system in the Philippines. The Philippine military also declined to provide details, deferring to U.S. Army officials for comment. The deployment came amid a worsening maritime row between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea. The Mid-Range Capability Launcher is loaded into a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III for deployment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord on April 4, 2024. [U.S. Army photo by Capt. Ryan DeBooy] Salaknib (shield in Filipino), is an annual drill between the two nations but it is much smaller than the Balikatan, a multilateral military exercise involving at least 16,000 troops that began in the Philippines on April 22 and is scheduled to end on May 18. The first deployment of this state-of-the-art missile system in the Salaknib exercises will boost the interoperability and jointness of the Philippines armed forces with its military ally, said Chester Cabalza, a security strategist and founding president of Manila-based think-tank International Development and Security Cooperation. This is an opportunity also for Manila to invest in high-caliber military materiel to increase its deterrent force amid geopolitical tension in the region. The MRC has a versatile capability that has been used in the multi-domain attacks in the Russo-Ukraine and Hamas-Israel wars for land-based protection of territories, Cabalza told BenarNews. The MRC is a strong weapon but it has limitations since its capability is mid-range for launcher missiles. A rocket is fired from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a live drill involving Philippine and U.S. troops in Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 31, 2023. [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Security analyst Ray Powell said the missile deployment was part of efforts to boost Manilas defense mechanisms amid the ongoing South China Sea dispute. Powell is founder and director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University. If youre having a military exercise, then what you have to exercise is the military, Powell told BenarNews. If youre going to have one in the Philippines, the things that youre going to be concerned with is one of the things that threaten the Philippines and what are the things that can defend the Philippines against those threats. These missiles are clearly in that category. Philippines shouldnt be held back Previously, security analysts had raised concerns that China could ramp up its militarization activities in the South China Sea following the deployment of the missile launcher. With or without the MRC, China has been active in militarizing the region, Cabalza said. This is part of (Beijings) own military agenda to attain greatness in the worlds military history as it tries to control the entirety of the South China Sea. Lately, tensions between two countries have occurred in South China Sea waters within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, where Chinese coast guard ships have fired water cannons at Filipino boats trying to deliver supplies to a Philippine military outpost in Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal). Philippine and U.S. troops participate in live fire exercises during the Salaknib drills in Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 31, 2023. [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Powell also raised concerns about Beijing. If China feels hurt or provoked, thats because China is the one who is acting so aggressively, Powell said. China is going to do what it wants to do. So, the Philippines shouldnt be held back by what might provoke China because you know what provokes an aggressor? Weakness. If they perceived weakness, that is extremely provocative to an aggressor nation. Make no mistake, especially in the South China Sea China is an aggressor nation and it will take advantage of whatever weakness it perceives. China, Russia react Last week, China and Russia hit back at Americas missile deployment in the Philippines. The U.S.s move exacerbates tensions in the region and increases the risk of misjudgment and miscalculation, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing during an April 18 news conference. The Philippines needs to think twice about being a cats paw for the U.S. at the expense of its own security interests, and stop sliding down the wrong path, he said. On Telegram, Anatoly Antonov, Russias ambassador to Washington, said the move was another blow to global stability. Washington is purposefully escalating the level of military confrontation and fueling hotbeds of tension, Antonov said on April 17, while accusing the U.S. of trying to return the world to the darkest times of the Cold War and balancing on the brink of a nuclear conflict. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Its getting harder for Bagong Bayan fishermen to reach their catch and Manila to ignore Chinese provocations. The Bagong Bayan fishing village is nestled in a coconut orchard next to the clear waters of a small lagoon. Fishing boats are moored deck-to-deck, and the village seems ghostly quiet in the midday heat not the noisy, chaotic scene of the past when fishermen would return from the sea with their daily catch. Bagong Bayan is in the province of Palawan, the Philippines westernmost island. It is about a two-hour drive from the provincial capital, Puerto Princesa, which in turn is an hour-and-a-half by plane from Manila. From here, fishermen used to set out far into the sea, including to the Second Thomas Shoal, 105 nautical miles (194.4 kilometers) to the west, an area rich in marine resources. But fewer boats are going out these days because of the heavy presence of Chinese vessels. The ships are believed by the Philippine coast guard to be maritime militia, a special force that along with the Chinese navy and the coast guard patrols the disputed waters. They have turned the area into a dangerous flashpoint in an ongoing confrontation between the Philippines and China over who controls the South China Sea, which also is thought to hold vast mineral and oil resources. In the last decade the Chinese presence has increased measurably, including Chinese maritime militia, coast guard and Chinese navy, said Maurice Phillip MP Albayda, a councilor at the municipality of Kalayaan, an island chain that is part of the Palawan province. At the same time, the number of Filipino boats has decreased, because of the fear that theyre going to get bullied or intimidated by Chinese vessels. Fewer Filipino fishing boats are heading to the fishing grounds due to fears they will be harassed by Chinese vessels. says Maurice Phillip MP Albayda, a councilor at the municipality of Kalayaan. (RFA) This has led to a reduced catch and shrinking fishing grounds for villages like Bagong Bayan and broader geopolitical questions for the country. The Philippines depends on its maritime, blue economy. The province of Palawans economy depends on fishermen, Albayda said. More than that, it also affects our national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The vast stretch of ocean, dotted with hundreds of islands, is geographically strategic for East and West alike. China claims historical rights over almost the entire South China Sea. Since 2012, it has expanded its military footprint on reefs and atolls based on a 1930s-vintage U-shaped map the so-called nine-dash line that bulges out into the sea to delineate its territorial claims. For the U.S and the nations that touch its waters, the South China Sea is a crucial passage for commercial and military traffic. One-third of international shipping and trade travels through the sea, according to the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development. This week, the Philippines and the United States began their annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercise in Palawan and Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines archipelago. With some 16,700 troops, the exercise this year is the most expansive Balikatan to date, according to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Beijing has thus far refrained from using lethal force to assert its claims, but some fear that confrontations that are now a regular occurrence could escalate. On March 23, the Chinese coast guard fired a water cannon at a Filipino supply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal, seriously damaging it and injuring three people on board. The incident caused an outcry of anger among the Philippine public. Hottest flashpoint Known as Ayungin in the Philippines, the submerged Second Thomas Shoal is closely watched in part because of its proximity to another disputed point in the sea. Twenty-two nautical miles (40km) further west lies Mischief Reef, an artificial island where China built a naval base in the 1990s. Palawan fishermen have in the past fished the area, but no longer as it is now fully militarized with missiles and a runway. Although China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan all claim ownership over the Second Thomas Shoal, Manila in 1999 deliberately ran aground an old warship there to assert its claim over the area. The dilapidated Philippine navy ship Sierra Madre sits in the shallow waters of Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 30, 2014. (Bullit Marquez/AP) Built as a landing ship for the U.S. Navy during World War II, the BRP Sierra Madre now is home to about a dozen Filipino troops who serve as a deterrent to what Manila sees as further encroachments. For a long time, Beijing turned a blind eye to the Philippines efforts to resupply and rotate troops at the Second Thomas Shoal. There was an expectation that the BRP Sierra Madre would disintegrate quickly in the hot and humid weather and the conflict potentially with it. In recent months, however, Chinese vessels have blocked attempts to deliver supplies to the sailors, believing that the Philippine navy was bringing construction materials to reinforce the ship and permanently occupy the shoal. Beijing says the activity violates an agreement it had with the administration of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. If the Philippines repeatedly challenges Chinas bottom line, China will continue to take firm and decisive measures to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Chinas Ministry of National Defense said in a statement to the press. RELATED STORIES Philippines, US launch yearly large-scale military exercises Tension rises between Beijing and Manila over disputed reefs Philippines, China accuse each other of ship ramming Manila has said it is committed to maintaining its position at the shoal, which lies in the West Philippine Sea, the name it gives to South China Sea waters within its exclusive economic zone. LT-57 (BRP Sierra Madre) is a commissioned vessel of the Philippine Navy; it is an extension of our national territory in as much as flying a Philippine flag, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told Radio Free Asia in an interview. It is our responsibility to ensure that the ship is safe, comfortable and habitable for our troops deployed there, he said. The Philippine navy ship BRP Davao del Sur rests at the dock in Puerto Princesa port, Feb. 29, 2024. (RFA) In an address to a security forum this month, Adm. John Aquilino, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, called Chinas actions dangerous and destabilizing. Jonathan Malaya, the Philippine National Security Councils assistant director general, told RFA that he didnt think the dispute would disintegrate into armed conflict. China also understands that it is not to the benefit of China, he said, pointing to the military expenditure and the damage to Chinas public image. However, the proximity to the Chinese naval base on Mischief Reef makes an armed conflict a real possibility. The escalating tension also poses a potential test for Philippine allies like the United States, raising the stakes of the South China Sea disputes beyond the interests of local fishing villages or even the country as a whole. Manila and Washington signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951 under which both parties are obliged to support each other in the event of an armed attack. Kalayaan Councilor MP Albayda said expectations of security assistance from the United States among the Philippine public are high. The U.S. and the Philippines have been partners and our partnerships help us to grow, he said. Id like to believe that the U.S. is truthful to it. The Philippines under Marcos is also fostering closer relationships with other partners such as Australia, Japan, India and European countries. On April 7, Japan and Australia joined the Philippines and the United States in a joint naval exercise in the waters off Palawan, and leaders from the U.S., the Philippines and Japan recently held their first ever security summit in Washington, where the South China Sea was a particular focus. Fishermens struggle Several weeks before the April 7 exercise, the strategic sealift ship BRP Davao del Sur was spotted docking at port of the Puerto Princesa province, its gray hull imposing against white civilian boats. This modern landing platform dock of the Philippine Navy can carry up to 500 fully armed marines with their vehicles and equipment, as well as three 12-ton helicopters, and has been taking part in multinational naval drills. Fishermen go about their business in Bagong Bayan, Feb. 29, 2024. (RFA) But the task of safeguarding Palawan fishermen is being handled by the Philippine coast guard, which with just 25 main patrol ships is dwarfed by Chinas coast guard the worlds largest force with 225 vessels above 500 tons. When Chinese boats bully our people at Reed Bank, we report them immediately, Rollie Magbanua, who is the head of the Bagong Bayan government, said, referring to an area 80 nautical miles (128km) west of Palawan and a traditional fishing ground of local fishermen. But he isnt always sure what Manila is doing about the complaints. In 2019, a Filipino fishing boat anchored at the bank sank after it was rammed by a Chinese vessel. China called the collision an accident, and then-President Duterte allowed Chinese ships to continue operating there. Now, the Marcos administration is building a coast guard post in the Bagong Bayan village, but it isnt clear when it will be operational or what its intended capabilities will be. RFA has contacted the coast guard but has not received any reply. Earlier this month, hundreds of Filipinos took to the streets in Manila to rally against Chinas aggression in the South China Sea. They demanded that the Chinese government move out of the West Philippine Sea, recognize the 2016 international arbitration ruling and stop the harassment of Filipino fisherfolk and Philippine resupply missions. The protest marks a growing level of frustration among the Philippine population and local politicians. It is the Philippine governments responsibility to pursue a pro-Filipino foreign policy that protects the life and livelihood of every citizen, MP Albayda said. Edited by Jim Snyder, Imran Vittachi and Boer Deng 4 protesters who were arrested are released, but say they were beaten. Tibetan families whose pasture land was sold to Chinese businessmen without their knowledge or consent say that compensation belatedly offered to them 3,000 yuan, or about US$415 each is far too low, sources familiar with the situation told Radio Free Asia. Four Tibetans who had been arrested April 10 for protesting the land grab in Markham county in Chamdo, or Changdu in Chinese, in the Tibet Autonomous Region, were released, but said they had been beaten while in detention, a source told RFA Tibetan on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. The four of them were released on April 16 but they were beaten and tortured during detention, and one of them even has a swollen cheek, the source said. Since the protest, about 10 policemen have been deployed to patrol the area day and night, where they closely monitor all activities of the people, sources said. Chinese police argue with Tibetans protesting the seizure of pasture land in Markham county, western China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2024. (Citizen journalist) Its the latest example of land taken by Chinese authorities in Tibet and in Tibetan-populated areas of nearby Chinese provinces for mining, farming or other use. Local officials routinely use force to subdue those who complain or protest. Earlier this month, about 25 families were shocked when a Chinese businessman came to clear their land. They were told their land had been sold without their knowledge or any compensation. After they protested, Chinese officials agreed to pay each family 3,000 yuan, or about US$415, each. The resident said that the affected families must accept the compensation without protest, and it cannot be negotiated because the amount has been decided by higher authorities. Chinese police argue with Tibetans protesting the seizure of pasture land in Markham county, western China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2024. (Citizen journalist) Other residents said that those who do not comply with the governments instructions on the matter could face imprisonment. Authorities conveyed the details of the compensation plan at a meeting on April 16, requiring at least one representative of each of the affected families to attend. The people were unhappy about the compensation and rejected the low figure, said the first source, who explained that the pasture land is being dug out to clear all remaining grass. Attendees were not allowed to bring their phones to the meeting, where authorities warned the families that it was forbidden to leak any information outside the country and reprimanded them for committing the crime of spreading news about the land grab and protesting it. They were told that internal problems can only be solved internally, a second resident said on condition of anonymity to speak freely. But if this information had not been widely reported, there wouldnt have been any talk of compensation, let alone the release of the four young men who were arrested and detained. Additional reporting by Dolma Lhamo and edited by Tenzin Pema for RFA Tibetan, and by Malcolm Foster. Protesters stage a mock Uyghur forced labor camp outside a flagship Apple store in Washington, DC, to highlight the alleged use of illegal forced Uyghur labor in its supply chain, March 4, 2022. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) The European Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a new law that prevents the import and distribution of goods made with forced labor, a move that Uyghur advocates said would help clamp down on Chinas use of forced labor in far western Xinjiang. The Forced Labour Regulation, which places the burden of proof on the EU rather than on companies, was approved in a 555-6 vote, with 45 abstentions. The law will allow authorities in EU member states and the European Commission to investigate suspicious goods, supply chains and manufacturers. Products they determine to be made with forced labor cannot be sold in the EU, including online, and will be confiscated at the border. Manufacturers of banned goods must withdraw their products from the EU single market and donate, recycle or destroy them. Companies that fail to comply can be fined. Uyghur activists welcomed the measure, although it does not specifically ban products made by Uyghur forced labor, and some pointed out shortcomings. The passage of this legislation also sends a powerful message to the Chinese companies doing business in Europe that have continuously benefited from the Uyghur forced labor despite repeated warnings, said Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, or WUC. The EUs 27 countries must now approve the regulation for it to enter into force, a measure that is largely a formality. After ratification, they will have three years to implement the law. Missed opportunity Zumretay Arkin, WUC's director of global advocacy, called the parliaments vote positive, but said the EU missed a crucial opportunity to agree on an instrument that could meaningfully address forced labor when the government is the perpetrator, like in the Uyghur region in China. We welcome this milestone but stress that all related guidance, guidelines and considerations of when to investigate cases be created in a way that ensures the regulation can effectively ban products made with state-imposed forced labor, she said in a statement from the London-based Anti-Slavery International. Absent from the law are key provisions that would have heightened its effectiveness, including a method of redress for forced labor victims, said the rights group which works to end modern slavery. A similar law took effect in the United States in 2021 banning the import of goods made using forced labor in Xinjiang, where the U.S. government has said China is committing genocide against the 11 million mostly Muslim Uyghurs. Beijing has denied accusations of human rights violations in Xinjiang, despite substantial evidence that it has detained an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in re-education camps, where they received training in various skills and were forced to work in factories making everything from chemicals and clothing to car parts. The European Parliament passed a resolution in June 2022 saying China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim groups in Xinjiang amounted to crimes against humanity and held a serious risk of genocide. Less teeth The EU law has significantly less teeth than the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, but the crux will be the way it's implemented by investigating authorities, said Adrian Zenz, senior fellow and director in China studies at the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. The EU regulation contains a provision that the EU must align itself according to the forced labor definitions and standards of the International Labour Organization, or ILO, which has published updated guidelines containing provisions capable of targeting Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang, Zenz said. One of the new provisions is that state-imposed forced labor is best assessed as a risk rather than a specific instance. This points to the fact that state-imposed forced labor creates a pervasive risk in an entire targeted region that is difficult, if not impossible, to assess in particular situations such as in places where there is no freedom to speak out, he said. Theres the possibility that the [European] Commission in its investigation could make a finding of forced labor without having to prove every connection to every supply chain, by determining that this region is not cooperating, is not providing accurate information, and in line with what the ILO guidelines say about state-imposed forced labor, that it's best assessed as a systemic risk, he said. That increases the scope of being more effective in its implementation. The approval of the Forced Labour Regulation comes ahead of a European Parliament vote expected this week on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which creates a legal liability for companies relating to environmental and human rights violations within their supply chains. Together, these laws will send a strong message to workers around the world that the EU will not stand for forced labor, said Anti-Slavery International. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Police in Armenia's northeastern Tavush Province forcefully pushed protesters and their cars off a road they had been blockading since late on April 19. The police action followed warnings to the protesters to allow traffic to pass. Residents of Tavush started their blockade after authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan announced a border-delimitation deal under which Baku will regain control of four formerly Azeri-populated villages in the area. Locals say the deal will strip them of their land and easy access to the rest of Armenia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a visit to Berlin on October 11 that it was important that Ukraine's allies do not decrease their assistance next year as he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Zelenskiy has been on a whirlwind tour of major European capitals meant to win backing for his "victory plan" aimed at ending the war with Russia. His main goal in his visits to London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin, his final stop, was to press for additional military and financial aid as Kyiv faces difficult months ahead in its fight to stop a slow but continuous Russian advance in the east. In Berlin, Zelenskiy thanked Germany for its backing and said that "it is very important for us that this assistance does not decrease next year." He said he would present Scholz with his plan for winning the war, repeating his hope that the conflict would end no later than next year. "Ukraine more than anyone else in the world wants a fair and speedy end to this war," Zelenskiy said. After his stops in London, Paris, and Rome on October 10, Zelenskiy said on X that he had "outlined the details" of his proposed "victory plan" to defeat Russian forces during his meetings with the leaders of Britain, France, and Italy. He added that he and the other leaders agreed to work on the plan together but gave no details on what it says. Scholz said he and the Ukrainian leader agreed on the need for a peace conference that includes Russia, but that peace "can only be brought about on the basis of international law." "We will not accept a peace dictated by Russia," Scholz said. Scholz also announced a 1.4 billion-euro ($1.53 billion) military aid package for Ukraine from Germany with partner countries Belgium, Denmark, and Norway, saying it includes more air defense, tanks, combat drones, and artillery and sends a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "playing for time will not work" and vowing "not let up in our support for Ukraine." During a 35-minute meeting with Pope Francis on October 11, Zelenskiy sought the Vatican's help in securing the return of adults and children taken prisoner by Russia, he said on X, formerly Twitter. "The issue of bringing our people home from captivity was the main focus of my meeting with Pope Francis," he said. Zelenskiy gave Francis an oil painting called the Bucha Massacre, depicting the mass killings of civilians by Russian troops in the Ukrainian city in 2022. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Zelenskiy's arrival in Berlin comes after an October 12 summit of the Ramstein group of Ukraine's main backers was canceled at short notice when U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, abandoned their travel plans as the southern U.S. states braced for Hurricane Milton. The White House said in a statement that Biden spoke to Scholz on October 10 and noted "his intention to continue our strong collaboration on geopolitical priorities, including supporting Ukraines defense against Russian aggression." The United States has been Ukraine's main backer and by far the main contributor in terms of financial and military aid, but a victory by Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump in the election could cast doubt about Washington's continued support for Kyiv. Zelenskiy's diplomatic efforts are taking place as Russia continues to keep up the pressure on Ukraine's cities. As Zelenskiy arrived in Berlin, the number of civilians killed in a Russian missile strike on Odesa on October 11 rose to nine, including a teenage girl, and Russian troops struck the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. "A two-story building where civilians lived and worked was destroyed," Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram. Odesa, Ukraine's main hub for grain exports, has been repeatedly struck by Russian forces since the start of the war. Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said there were no injuries in one strike but an inspection following another missile strike on the Derhachiv community of Kharkiv was ongoing. Outside Kharkiv, a 38-year-old man was killed by a Russian drone strike on the village of Kozacha Lopan, the region's military administration reported. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital was targeted by Russian drones early on October 11. The military administration of the Ukrainian capital later reported on Telegram that all the attacking drones had been shot down, without specifying a number. On the battlefield, outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops inside the strategic city of Toretsk in the eastern region of Donetsk after abandoning Vuhledar, another strategic hub in the region, last week. Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces carried out fresh attacks near Vremivka, Kharkiv, Kupyansk, and Siversk, the General Staff of Ukraine's military reported on October 11. Separately, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said at least 208 civilians were killed and 1,220 injured in Ukraine in September. That made it the month with the highest number of civilian casualties in 2024, the mission said. The organization said that 46 percent of the dead were over the age of 60. In addition, nine children were killed and 76 were injured in September. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP 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. Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan has been the scene of a low-level insurgency and a brutal government crackdown for decades. But the vast and resource-rich province -- home to the South Asian country's ethnic Baluch minority -- has witnessed a surge in deadly attacks in recent months. The gun attacks and suicide bombings have targeted Pakistani security forces as well as foreign nationals. Who Is Behind The Attacks? Most of the attacks have been claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group and U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The Majeed Brigade, the BLAs suicide squad, is believed to have carried out the most complex attacks. The BLA is considered the largest armed group operating in Balochistan. It is allied with the Baloch Liberation Front, the other major separatist militant group active in the province. Experts believe the BLA has several thousand members. Last year, Baluch militants carried out 110 attacks, according to the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank. In the first three months of 2024 alone, the groups have launched 62 attacks, suggesting a sharp rise. Who Are They Targeting? The BLA is targeting the Pakistani Army and police and has been blamed for killing Chinese workers. Since January, the group has attacked government offices in the port city of Gwadar, the lynchpin of Chinese investments in energy and infrastructure in Pakistan. The BLA also attacked Pakistan's largest naval air force base and attempted to overrun the strategic town of Mach. Assassinations and improvised-explosive-device (IED) attacks have been reported almost daily. "Anyone affiliated with the state's crackdown in Balochistan is their target," said an Islamabad-based expert who tracks the region and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Zafar Baloch, a Balochistan researcher based in Britain, says the BLA and other separatist groups seek independence from Pakistan. The groups have demanded that the Pakistani military leave Balochistan and for China to end its "exploitative" projects in the province. The Baluch blame Islamabad for exploiting the vast natural resources in Balochistan and committing grave human rights abuses in the impoverished region. Why Was There A Sharp Increase In Attacks? The expert in Islamabad said the "recruitment of the separatist militant organizations has skyrocketed" recently. That, the analyst said, has enabled the groups to "launch more attacks." The disputed February elections, marred by widespread allegations of fraud, added "fuel to the fire" because they deprived the Baluch of real political representation, the analyst says. The Baluch youth, the analyst says, do not "see any avenue for expressing their dissent." Baluch political parties, which had formed most provincial governments in the past, lost power in the controversial elections. Sarafaz Bugti, a Baluch politician who is backed by the military, now heads the provincial government. Baloch, the Britain-based researcher, said that "Islamabad's counterinsurgency strategy, based on a militarized approach, is the root cause" of instability in Balochistan. Activists have accused the Pakistan military of the enforced disappearances of thousands of people and a "kill-and-dump" policy against political activists and suspected armed separatists. Baloch says Islamabad's suppression of a sit-in protest by the relatives of Baluch victims of forced disappearances and unlawful killings in January dented the community's hopes for a political solution to their woes. Are Baluch Separatists Growing In Strength? Analysts say the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan has boosted the capabilities of armed groups in the region, including Baluch separatist groups. Some of the military gear and weapons left behind after the U.S. military withdrawal in 2021 and seized by the Taliban have turned up and been used by Baluch armed groups. The influx of U.S. weapons has "opened new avenues for these groups to thrive," Baloch said. The researcher says the BLA has also evolved in recent years. Once led by tribal figures, the group is now run by educated middle-class professionals who think in "modern and unconventional ways." Since 2018, several Baluch separatist groups have coalesced around the BLA. Baloch says the group has used digital and social media to attract new recruits and cultivate sympathy from the civilian population. Pakistan is not willing to address the deep-rooted political grievances that keep Balochistan unstable, the Islamabad-based analyst says. "If 20 years of kinetic operations have not solved anything," the analyst said. "It will not solve anything in the next 20 years." Russian forces have been stepping up strikes on Kharkiv city, Ukraine's second-largest urban center. The city had been suffering from blackouts and power shortages before a recent air attack took out the Kharkiv TV tower. In the broader Kharkiv region, isolated residents have little contact with the world beyond their villages, many of which were occupied by Russian troops in the early days of the invasion. Their only access to essential medical supplies comes via a mobile pharmacy service that travels to remote areas where medical facilities have been destroyed by war. The impending $60 billion aid package for Ukraine in the United States is not coming a moment too soon. The situation on the front has been so dire for Ukrainian forces in recent weeks that CIA Director William Burns warned that Kyiv could lose the war against Russia by the end of the year if substantial aid was not forthcoming. Over the past few months, as politicians in the U.S. Congress have wrangled over the aid allocation, Russian forces have been attacking at a handful of spots along the 1,000-kilometer front running through eastern and southern Ukraine, taking advantage of their opponent's dwindling stockpiles of weapons and ammunition. Deploying overwhelming barrages of artillery and guided bombs, Russian forces captured Avdiyivka in February, their first major victory since May 2023. Now they appear to be closing in on Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that could serve as a gateway to more important targets in the Kyiv-controlled parts of the Donbas region. But on April 21, the U.S. House of Representatives, over the objections of some hard-line members of the Republican Party, passed the controversial aid bill. The Senate followed suit on April 23, and its quick signing by President Joe Biden seems certain. Passage of the bill should lead to the quick resumption of ammunition and weapons shipments to Ukraine and will have Kyiv and its allies breathing a sigh of relief. Not A Silver Bullet The weapons supplies -- which analysts say will likely include small arms, artillery shells, Javelin anti-tank missiles, long-range rockets, shoulder-launched Stingers, and other air-defense systems, among other items -- will enable Ukraine to meet Russia's expected summer offensive with robust firepower, potentially inflicting large-scale losses. "The U.S. aid package will help Ukraine stabilize the front," Mark Cancian, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told RFE/RL on April 22. "Ukrainian forces will be able to, if not stop these Russian attacks, at least resist them much more strongly and conduct their own limited attacks." "Concerns about a Ukrainian collapse or Russian breakthrough will be eased," he said. Stabilizing the front will give Ukraine the opportunity to rebuild its forces for a possible large-scale offensive next year, Cancian says. Ukraine earlier this month passed a new mobilization bill to recruit more men for the front and relieve those who have been fighting for two years or more. "I think the key thing now is training the forces and equipping them," he said. This summer, Russia is expected to launch a large-scale offensive targeting the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhya regions. Moscow has been stepping up the bombardment of Kharkiv -- Ukraine's second-largest city, located near the northeastern border with Russia -- ahead of the expected offensive. "I am not sure we have enough resources to stop [the offensive]," Mykhaylo Zhirokhov, a Ukrainian military analyst, told RFE/RL. He worried that many Ukrainian soldiers are "worn down" and that it will take time for the U.S. military aid to reach the front. Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political analyst, passage of the bill has boosted morale among the population and troops. However, he says, it is not a silver bullet. "The most important thing is that U.S. military aid is resuming," he told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, adding that it "will not be enough to turn the tide of the war." Ukraine, Fesenko said, needs a "technological advantage" if it is to drive Russian troops from its territory. Long, Costly Delay As soon as Biden signs the bill, the Pentagon could begin shipping military aid perhaps by the end of the week. Some of the military aid will come from Pentagon stockpiles in Germany, meaning it could arrive at the Ukrainian border within days. The $60 billion aid package includes $23 billion to replenish Pentagon stocks, $14 billion to purchase weapons specifically for Ukraine, as well as billions for military training and economic assistance. The bill directs the president to send ATACMS -- powerful, precision-guided ballistic missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers -- to Ukraine. But it does not specify how many. ATACMS are important because they can be extremely disruptive, hitting command-and-control centers, depots, and other critical military targets deep behind Russian lines. The Biden administration last autumn sent Ukraine a small batch of ATACMS on the condition they not be used for strikes inside Russia. Kyiv announced in October it had used ATACMS to destroy nine Russian military helicopters, an ammunition depot, and an air-defense launcher in occupied Ukraine. Russia did not confirm the report, and the Ukrainian claims could not be independently verified. Cancian says he does not expect Biden to lift the restriction on ATACMS usage inside Russia. However, that is no longer a major constraint on Ukraine's military since Kyiv is producing its own long-range drones and missiles in increasing quantities. Ukraine could use the ATACMS to cut military supply routes to occupied Crimea, weakening Russian forces on the peninsula and in the occupied parts of the southern Ukrainian mainland, experts say. Moscow is building a new, overland rail link between Rostov-on-Don and Crimea after repeated Ukrainian strikes against the Crimea Bridge, the only physical link connecting Russia with the occupied peninsula. The United States has allocated more than $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, making it Ukraine's most important military backer. But Washington has sent almost nothing since the start of the year due to the congressional deadlock. The failure to pass a new aid package for months has left Ukrainian troops short on ammunition and air defenses, resulting in battlefield setbacks and loss of life. "Even with the U.S. restarting aid, the Ukrainians have been seriously damaged and their armed forces are weaker than they would have been otherwise. Don't underestimate the importance of these losses during the celebration of the resumption of U.S. aid. The U.S. has made Ukraine bleed," Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, said in an April 21 report. Nonetheless, he said the U.S. aid would allow Ukraine to return to a form of "active defense," or holding the line while inflicting significant losses on the Russian armed forces. Despite the lack of ammunition and air defense, Ukraine inflicted heavy losses on Russian forces in Avdiyivka. Russia reportedly lost 16,000 troops and 300 armored vehicles in the four-month battle for the city. U.S. Election The U.S. military aid should last through the end of the year, said Cancian. The passage of the Ukraine aid bill could prompt European countries to step up their contributions to Ukraine's war effort, Musiyenko says. European governments like Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium will begin delivering some of the 45 F-16 fighter jets they promised last year to Ukraine. The advanced U.S. jets could help Ukraine curtail Russian air attacks. U.S. and European aid could help set up Ukraine for a counteroffensive in 2025 that might put it in a better position to negotiate with Russia to end the war. However, much hangs on the November 2024 U.S. presidential election, analysts say. Presumed Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump has expressed reservations about aiding Ukraine, raising doubts he would allocate congressionally approved resources to the country or support a new Ukraine aid bill next year. Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says that if Biden loses to Trump, he should distribute the full $60 billion to Ukraine before he leaves office. He also says Europe should ramp up military production in case U.S. aid to Ukraine is ended under Trump. "Europe's goal should be to put itself in a position to potentially fill a future gap left by the United States should it not pass another supplemental," he added. Fesenko, the Ukrainian political analyst, says the U.S. election is causing apprehension across Ukraine and Europe. "Nobody knows what Trump's policies will be," he said. "There could be vacillation, hesitation. Of course, it's alarming." With reporting by Aleksander Palikot in Kyiv Russia has continued to show blatant disregard for human rights both in its unprovoked war against Ukraine and in the treatment of its own citizens over the past year, the U.S. State Department has said in its latest annual report on human rights around the globe, which also highlights the abuses committed by Iran's theocratic regime and the Taliban's mistreatment of Afghans -- especially its discrimination against women and girls. Russian troops continued to commit numerous abuses and atrocities, some amounting to war crimes, the report says, highlighting the issuance by the International Criminal Court of arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their role in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. "There were credible reports of summary execution, torture, rape, and attacks killing and injuring civilians and damaging or destroying civilian infrastructure by Russia's forces in Ukraine, as well as war crimes, including those involving forced deportation or transfer of civilians, and the forced placement in foster care or adoption of Ukrainian children," the report notes. At home, Russian authorities continued to step up the pressure on dissent and independent expression, imprisoning political opponents and anti-war protesters, clamping down on the media, prosecuting numerous people for expressing their opinions online, and forcibly closing down nongovernmental organizations. More moves were made to persecute opposition politicians such as the sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison on charges including treason and the slapping of an extra 19 years for "extremism" on the already imprisoned Aleksei Navalny, who subsequently died under suspicious circumstances in February in a penitentiary in Russia's Arctic region. "Tragically, as we saw with Aleksei Navalny's unjust imprisonment in a Russian penal colony, incarceration can come with horrific conditions -- with abuse, even death," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on April 22 while presenting the report. The report also highlights a multitude of other human rights abuses committed by Russian authorities on Russia's territory and abroad, such as, but not limited to, arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearances; pervasive torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; and serious problems with the independence of the judiciary. Harsh Punishments Meted Out In Iran Brutal human rights abuses continue to take place and even worsen in Iran, where women and members of marginalized communities bear the brunt of the regime's human rights violations and abuses, the report says, highlighting the harsh punishment meted out to prisoners, including executions, for bogus or unjust reasons. "Women continued to face discrimination, including through enhanced means for enforcing the mandatory dress code, which led to acts of civil disobedience," the report says, adding that many people have reportedly disappeared during extended protests that were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police in September 2022. The number of executions was up by more than one-third last year compared to 2022, with 798 people being put to death, some of them political dissidents. "The government often charged political dissidents with vague crimes, some of which carried the death penalty, such as 'antirevolutionary behavior,' 'corruption on earth,' 'siding with global arrogance,' 'waging war against God,' and 'crimes against Islam,'" the report notes. The Iranian regime is also guilty of serious violations outside its borders, which include enabling abuses by terrorist groups throughout the region by the Syrian government, Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, and Yemeni Huthi militants, as well as the unlawful recruitment or use of child soldiers, the document said. Systemic Mistreatment, Discrimination In Afghanistan In Afghanistan, the Taliban has resorted to systemic mistreatment of and discrimination against Afghanistans women and girls since it returned to power in August 2021 following the hasty withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. "In Afghanistan, the Taliban have limited work opportunities for women, shuttered institutions found educating girls, and increasing floggings for women and men accused of, quote, 'immoral behavior,' end quote," Blinken said. The report says Taliban authorities have issued more than 50 pieces of legislation "that effectively erase women from public life." The Taliban authorities have shown continuous and widespread "disregard for the rule of law and official impunity for those responsible for human rights abuses," the document says, adding that both the Taliban and their current arch-foe, the Islamic State group, have been using child soldiers. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on April 23 pushed back against the criticism, emphasizing the Taliban's commitment to upholding Shari'a law, which he argued defines and guarantees the rights of Afghan citizens based on their wishes. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has a Shari'a and Islamic obligation to give the rights of its citizens," Mujahid said on state-controlled RTA Radio. "When America or other Western countries talk about rights, they should not impose Western culture on other countries. What is defined as rights in America may not be the same in Afghanistan." Referring to the ongoing war in Gaza that was triggered by an October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, the report notes "serious abuses...by Hamas and Israel." It says those abuses include unlawful or widespread civilian deaths and harm, enforced disappearances or abductions, torture, as well as "violence or threats against journalists." BARAK, Uzbekistan -- In the formerly Soviet countries of Central Asia, there are enclaves, exclaves, and now, ex-exclaves. This month, with minimal fanfare and scant press coverage, the last remaining residents of the village of Barak found themselves leaving a foreign country to return to their homeland. Not that it necessarily felt like that. "It's really hard to leave," said Kuvat Turakulov, a lifelong resident of the village, in an interview in a car before he departed his home village. "On the other hand, they resolved this issue for the better," his wife, Gulnaz, chimed in from the passenger seat, grinning. "They say they will build us a house." "Yes, if you look at it from that side, it is good that the issue was resolved," Turakulov conceded. The issue that Turakulov was referring to was Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan's disputed border, which after more than three decades and plenty of suffering along the way, is disputed no more. In accordance with the terms of a bilateral agreement, Barak -- a 208-hectare cutout of Kyrgyz territory entirely surrounded by Uzbekistan -- was absorbed by the larger country, with Kyrgyzstan receiving an equivalent parcel of Uzbekistan's Andijon Province in exchange. Barak residents are set to be permanently resettled in that area by the end of the summer. The April 15 deadline for Barak's evacuation saw nearly a hundred houses and several government buildings stripped down to their core. Roofing, support beams, and anything else that might help in the rebuild was loaded onto trucks and carted to Kyrgyzstan. A woman who spoke to RFE/RL complained she hadn't been given enough time to gather all of her firewood. But residents' sense of loss might still be accompanied by a sense of relief. While Soviet mapmakers have had many victims in Central Asia, the people of Barak were among the longest-suffering. And that explains why Turakulov and his wife were among the last few hundred remaining in Barak at the end of a multistage exodus whose peaks coincided with troughs in Bishkek and Tashkents relationship nadirs that at one stage looked like a prelude to war. "On a practical level, these two countries have offered an example that proves that disputes need not be eternal," Bishkek-based political analyst Emil Juraev told RFE/RL. Yet Juraev argues that the land swap deal that worked for Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan is likely a "unique case" that may not be replicable for other exclaves in Central Asia. So Close And Yet So Far With Uzbekistan becoming the first country to impose hard borders in Central Asia after the breakup of the Soviet Union, life was never going to be easy for residents of Barak -- one of eight such isolated territories in the region historically known as the Ferghana Valley. In Soviet times, villagers enjoyed free movement to the broader Osh region in the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic, just a couple of kilometers away. For Soviet cartographers, the independence-era ramifications of having pockets of one country awkwardly inserted into another were hardly a priority. Crossing the border was often difficult for Barak locals, but things deteriorated sharply after 2010, when Uzbekistan shut its borders in response to deadly ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan. Tashkent later reopened some of those crossings but put the hex on the territory again in 2013, when it unilaterally blocked the shortest road connecting Barak to the Kyrgyz mainland. This forced residents to make roundtrips of hundreds of kilometers to access goods and services in southern cities like Osh and Kara-Suu that were literally just a few kilometers over the border, while bringing in everyday products and farming equipment for the territory was a perennial pain. At this point, relations between the two governments -- strained by disputes over water use as well as land -- were toxic. In 2016, the countries mobilized their militaries close to a small mountain known in Uzbek as Ungar-Tepa and Unkur-Too in Kyrgyz. But less than six months later, a major event occurred that would lead to improved relations. Islam Karimov, Uzbekistans inflexible authoritarian president, passed away. New leader Shavkat Mirziyoev, who spent 13 years as Karimovs prime minister, quickly signaled that he had very different views on neighborhood policy. By 2017, border crossings that had been mostly closed since Kyrgyzstans year of political turmoil were thrown open, reuniting families that lived on either side of the frontier and boosting trade. Life became somewhat easier, too, for the people of Barak. But at least half the villages population had by then already moved to new land allocated to them in the Kara-Suu district of Kyrgyzstan's Osh Province. And while Kyrgyz authorities say that 98 houses were dismantled in this months final relocation, a Kyrgyz lawmaker speaking in the parliament in February 2022 said that just 15 families remained in the territory. Farmers -- the main occupation in Barak -- were struggling because Uzbekistan was not providing them with irrigation water, claimed the lawmaker, Alisher Kozuev. And of course Tashkent had long eyed Barak as a legitimate gain in any border deal. Every Exclave Is Different While Mirziyoev's determination was enough on the Uzbek side, on the Kyrgyz side, traditionally combustible politics made moving toward an agreement over the 1,380-kilometer border more difficult. In his first presidential term, the Uzbek head of state met with three Kyrgyz presidents -- Almazbek Atambaev, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, and Sadyr Japarov. Despite early progress, work on border delimitation had mostly stalled by 2018. The breakthrough came with Japarov's arrival to power in 2020 after yet another bout of political turmoil in Kyrgyzstan. Following successful talks with the Uzbek side, Japarovs government forced the agreement through parliament, steamrolling objections related to a strategic reservoir on Kyrgyz territory that Uzbekistan increased its control over through the agreement. More than 20 critics of the border deal were jailed in the second half of 2022, some of whom are still behind bars awaiting trial on coup-plotting charges. But Mirziyoev was effusive in his praise for his opposite number when he arrived in Bishkek on a state visit in January 2023. If not for his political will, we would have not reached today's result. We could have said like we used to that we will solve these problems tomorrow or the day after. Well, tomorrow lasted 30 years and the problems weren't solved," the Uzbek president said. Japarov is also putting his name on the relocation of Barak families. Osh Governor Elchibek Dzhantaev said in an interview with RFE/RL that Japarov had donated 270 million soms (around $3 million) from his personal fund to provide permanent accommodation for the villagers, who are now mostly living in temporary accommodation in the province. The deadline for the relocation is August 31 -- Kyrgyzstans independence day. If Barak is an example of a land-swap proposal meeting the needs of both parties, then one doesnt need to look very far for the opposite. Comments by Japarovs top ally and national security chief, Kamchybek Tashiev, in 2021 about a potential swap that would have seen Kyrgyzstan gain control of the Vorukh exclave in Kyrgyzstan that belongs to Tajikistan were met with anger from Vorukh locals, not to mention a former top Tajik official who publicly lambasted Tashiev. Within two months the two countries engaged in a border conflict of unprecedented scale that left dozens dead on each side, a toll subsequently surpassed by even deadlier clashes the following year. But after over a 1 1/2 years of no notable violence, and a stream of optimistic updates on border delimitation talks, there is real hope that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan can also go all the way in resolving their disputed frontier. That will depend on the willingness of both sides to take on the difficult decisions, argued Juraev, the analyst, who says Vorukh's status is unlikely to change. Its a massively more difficult situation, with around 40,000 people in Vorukh compared to just a few hundred in Barak, he said. Funding of 1,541,106 has been allocated for repairs and improvement works on non-public rural roads and laneways in Roscommon. The funding was announced by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD as part of 40 million for repairs under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS). Minister Humphreys said this investment demonstrated her continued commitment to vital road infrastructure in rural Ireland, providing access to peoples homes and farms. Local Fine Gael Senator Aisling Dolan said the funding would contribute to development of rural communities in Roscommon. This allocation of over 1.5 million under the Local Improvement Scheme for County Roscommon is a game-changer for people living on private roads all over the county. It targets road access to homes and farms, which is fundamental for families and farmers all over who need better quality roads. We have many smaller roads, laneways and boreens across the county that have been upgraded thanks to this fund. She thanked local councillors for their work on this funding provision, and in particular her Fine Gael colleagues, Cllr Liam Callaghan and Cllr John Naughton on their work with local communities. I want to acknowledge the work of Minister Heather Humphreys in the Department of Rural & Community Development which provides this funding for local roads to the County Councils. This funding initiative was introduced by Fine Gael in government in 2017 and to back families living in rural areas. Between 2017 and 2023 over 130 million has been allocated to local authorities under the Local Improvement Scheme. This has upgraded, up to end of 2023, over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes which has benefitted almost 20,000 landowners and residents in these rural areas. In County Roscommon alone over 250 local roads have received funding from 2017 to 2023 and this investment has been crucial in terms of access for so many families all across the county. There is a major adjustment this time to the LIS criteria, where now only one herd number is required for a valid application, a change from the previous requirement of two. This amendment will substantially increase the number of eligible families and farms, facilitating broader access to this crucial funding. This responsive adjustment, made after listening to feedback reflects Fine Gael's adaptive approach to meeting rural development needs. Furthermore, the extension allowing local authorities to utilise their funding allocation across both 2024 and 2025 provides the necessary flexibility to schedule works during favourable weather conditions, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in improving our rural infrastructure. "I encourage all eligible residents in Roscommon to engage with their local authority to benefit from this opportunity," Senator Dolan concluded. Welcoming the funding, Senator Murphy said: Good roads are absolutely vital for our rural communities, providing access to peoples homes and farms. The funding allocation for 2024/2025 for such roads in Roscommon under the Local Improvement Scheme will make a huge difference in terms of access and connectivity. We are all familiar with the roads and laneways within our own communities that are full of potholes and in desperate need of repair. The funding being delivered under this scheme will help to address this. "Local authorities will have greater flexibility to use their allocations throughout 2024 and 2025 than previously. "Additionally, the LIS criteria has also been amended so that only one herd number will be required for a valid LIS application. Up to now, two herd numbers were required to be using the lane. This change has been made in response to feedback received from local representatives and it will ensure that more families can now qualify for the scheme. This investment is a clear example of Fianna Fail's continued commitment in Government to supporting rural communities, Senator Murphy said. Tanaiste Micheal Martin will visit the Lough Funshinagh and the flood affected areas in South Roscommon at the end of next month, it has been confirmed. Local Independent councillor Laurence Fallon confirmed that he was contacted by the Tanaistes office yesterday (Monday) and informed that the Fianna Fail leader will visit Lough Funshinagh on Friday, May 31st. Cllr. Fallon said he had written to the three Government leaders last month, inviting them to visit Lough Funshinagh to view the emergency situation that has developed. The situation at Lough Funshinagh was at crisis point when I wrote to the three leaders of Government a month ago. The situation has since escalated even further with more homes at high risk of flooding, another road closed and farmyards and land destroyed. While I welcome the fact that the Tanaiste has accepted my invitation, that visit is still over a month away and this is an emergency situation which needs emergency intervention and I am urging the three Government leaders the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and leader of the Green Party to find an immediate solution to the devastation that is unfolding here, said. Cllr. Fallon. Senator Eugene Murphy has also welcomed the confirmation that the Tanaiste will visit and meet with the people of Lough Funshinagh area and Curraghboy village following what he said was a commitment given to him more than three weeks ago. In the meantime, he said it would be great if the Government had found the space to bring forward legislation to ensure water could be drained from the lake. "I spent a few hours in the Curraghboy area on Sunday evening meeting families and they are scared out of their minds. The water is beginning to engulf that area and if that village falls to the flood there will be great frustration from the public, said Senator Murphy. He said that in the meantime it would be great if the Government could have found the space to bring forward legislation to ensure water could be drained from the lake. Meanwhile, Senator Murphy acknowledged this week that there was great anger at the Fianna Fail Dail Ceantair meeting held in the Abbey Hotel last Thursday night. Attended by 40 people, the meeting discussed local and European elections but he said a serious debate ensued over what was happening to the people of Cuurraghaboy and Rahara. Delegates from all over Roscommon and East Galway demanded that the Government sort the issue without delay. Local Fianna Fail local election candidate for South Roscommon, James Murray was highly critical of what he called a lack of action. Cllr John Keogh informed the gathering that he was working on addressing the threat to residents of Curraghboy. Senator Murphy informed the meeting of a visit from the Tanaiste soon and also the Fianna Fail leaders involvement and interaction with the Attorney General 's Office. The senator said many delegates spoke angrily about the plight of local people in the flood-hit region. By PA Reporter Tuesday's front pages focus on a range of stories from major vulnerabilities in the critical care arrangements for newborns admitted to Temple Street hospital to a nurse manager describing conditions in UHL on the night teenager Aoife Johnston died as "akin to a war zone". The Irish Times reports there are major vulnerabilities in the critical care arrangements for newborns admitted to Temple Street hospital, meaning the service is failing to meet the specific needs of these infants, doctors have told hospital management. The Irish Examiner, a clinical nurse manager, has described conditions in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on the night teenager Aoife Johnston died as "akin to a war zone". The Echo report on a 73-year-old American who was jailed for over two years for using the names of dead babies in a passport application. Harrowing evidence heard at inquest for tragic Aoife, 16. pic.twitter.com/IlpNcapYT2 The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) April 23, 2024 Today's front page of The Irish Sun pic.twitter.com/02uv8Jc2X9 The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) April 23, 2024 Morning, readers. Here's a look at today's front page of the Belfast Telegraph.https://t.co/rkb07SeqrU Stay with us for all your breaking news today. pic.twitter.com/zw8ur6lsie Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) April 23, 2024 In the UK, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks plans to introduce Rwanda deportation flights by July features among a range of stories on the front of Britains newspapers. The Telegraph, The Times and the Daily Mail say migrants could be detained within days. The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Rwanda migrants to be detained within days'#TomorrowsPapersToday Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6 pic.twitter.com/RDvHarBnCk The Telegraph (@Telegraph) April 22, 2024 TIMES: Detentions can start within days under Rwanda last #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Ujs0JCbX4b Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 22, 2024 The Metro leads with the headline we fly in July, while the Independent asks if the deportation flights are a flight of fantasy?. Elsewhere, the Daily Express says BBC news anchor Huw Edwards has quit the broadcaster after receiving medical advice. The Guardian relays words from the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police who praised the professional conduct of the sergeant who stopped an antisemitism campaigner at a pro-Palestine march. GUARDIAN: Met police chief praises conduct of officer In antisemitism row #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/JlOHvrEjHJ Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 22, 2024 The i says Tory critics have told Mr Sunak that the Rwanda Bill wont work. The Daily Mirror leads with a story on a man who is wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of Jill Dando in 1999 after claims he resembles a ruthless Serbian assassin. The Financial Times splashes with the FTSE 100 closing at an all-time high. Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Tuesday 23 April https://t.co/rqtKBP2oFU pic.twitter.com/81GMs0b0BS Financial Times (@FT) April 22, 2024 And the Daily Star leads with a seagull from Liverpool being named Britains hardest psycho seagull. In Flight Everything Is Different Although she has flown all over the world, Lieutenant Commander Simona Maierean says that nothing compares to the feeling of landing at home. In Flight Everything Is Different Ana-Maria Cononovici, 23.04.2024, 13:53 Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, Mali, these are just some of the conflict zones where she flew with military transport operations. The longest flight was to and from Korea, a 40-hour round-trip flight to transport medical equipment. A flight that gave her food for thought was one with maximum visibility over the Sahara Desert. We are talking about Lieutenant Commander Simona Maierean: the first woman from Romania to fly a supersonic plane, and the first woman in Europe to obtain the certification of pilot in command of an aircraft from the Strategic Air Transport Group of SAC (Strategic Aircraft Capability), within the Multinational Strategic Transport Unit of NATO, from Papa Air Base in Hungary. A series of premieres that started from the dream of a young woman, who, until her Air Force Academy courses, had not even flown a passenger plane. Lieutenant Commander Simona Maierean told us about the beginnings of her career. I entered the military system 20 years ago, even more. I wanted to fly, and then the option I found at hand was the military, because its much cheaper, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, its another thing to fly a fighter plane, or fly a military aircraft in general, rather than an airliner. And then that drove me to look for solutions to make this dream come true. Lieutenant Commander Simona Maierean told Radio Romania that training makes you feel unafraid: You will hear in aviation make the movie of your flight, that is, imagine it in your mind over and over again until you put that thing into practice. Thats what stunt pilots do, its normal. You have a plan, you dont get on the plane without a backup plan. You have the plan in advance, you execute it, you have a back-up plan and so on, you dont have time to think too much, in quotation marks. On March 13, 2009, Simona Maierean was the pilot of a MiG-21 LanceR. The first woman from Romania who flew a supersonic plane detailed for us: If you make a very tight turn at a very high incline, at a high speed, you can reach quite high accelerations, you dont have to be in supersonic flight to do that. In supersonic you break the sonic threshold, but its not something you feel in your body, it doesnt feel like extra gravitational acceleration. You feel it more at the equipment level. At least with the MIG 21, I dont know how it is with the F16, so Im talking from memory. When you were going from subsonic to supersonic and going through trans-sonic, there is a moment when the equipment can give you an erroneous indication, for a very short period, due to the waves that form and the pressures, and so on. But it is not so demanding on the body. However, flying a fighter jet is demanding per se. Think that on a mission they fly for an hour or two, it depends on the range of action of each plane, while on a transport they have a flight of a good few hours, 4, 5, 6, 10. You could not fly 10 hours in a fighter jet, continuously, because its something else. Since 2012, she no longer flies the MiG, and switched to the military transport Spartan. How was this transition? You dont have to come at it from scratch, because you already have some knowledge of aviation, but instead its about flying with a crew, and then all this communication and crew resource management, as it is defined in the specialized language, crew management, is the practical novelty element, because you have learn the plane. You make the transition from another category of aircraft, you learn to fly that plane. Thats what you have to do, but crew management is really the art. You have to know how to listen to orders, not just give them. I was a commander, I was even an instructor on the C17 Globemaster, within the detachment from Papa airbase, of strategic transport aviation. I returned to the country, and here things are starting again, I am co-pilot on the Spartan and in training to be a commander. As I said earlier, you cannot execute a mission of any kind without people. And then it matters a lot how you relate. and how you maintain the balance between having a successful mission and having people satisfied, and in the right mindset: to help you, and to make things happen safely. Having worked so much with foreign pilots, Lieutenant Commander Simona Maierean told us what are the challenges for Romanian pilots: There was a time when there were really few flight hours, in any category. Especially the young ones, right out of school, flew very little. Things have changed, especially after 2014. And the differences began to be seen. The flight hours were more, and thus the change was also seen in terms of the way outsiders saw us, because we were doing extraordinary things with what we had, with very little. But you were making an effort to keep up with someone who was coming at you with thousands of flight hours. I remember, myself included, when I went to make the transition to the C-17, in the United States, I had flown for 10 hours that year, and my training partner because I was going in a group of two was a Dutchman who had flown 700 hours. There were 4 months in which I studied 12 hours a day, in order to reach a certain level. I succeeded, but it was a sustained effort! Although she has flown all over the world, Lieutenant Commander Simona Maierean says that nothing compares to the feeling of landing at home. April 22, 2024 UPDATE Click here for a roundup of local and world news Newsflash Eugen Cojocariu, 23.04.2024, 08:57 VISIT Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday started a three-day official visit to South Korea, the first country in the Asia-Pacific region which Romania has a strategic partnership with. Iohannis laid a wreath at the National Cemetery in Seoul. Political consultations will focus on issues related to the consolidation of the Strategic Partnership, political-diplomatic and defense cooperation, the main regional and global challenges and boosting trade and investments in various sectors. Among them are green and nuclear energy, new technologies, IT&C, environment and climate change management, infrastructure, health and education. The meeting will also emphasize the special inter-cultural exchanges, which have been consolidated in recent years. The Romanian presidents visit to South Korea is the first in 16 years. MISSIONS Parliament on Monday greenlit the participation of Romanian military in demining naval missions in the Black Sea following Russias aggression against Ukraine, in response to the Romanian presidents request. Romania will deploy general staff and a military vessel with an 85-strong crew. Parliament also approved the participation of the Romanian Army in the EU maritime security mission in the Red Sea. 3 Romanian servicemen will join the Prosperity Guardian mission led by US in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the territory of Bahrain. AIRCRAFT Three F-16 aircraft purchased by Romania from Norway, landed on Friday at the General Emanoil Ionescu 71st Air Base in Campia Turzii (center). It is the second series of three such aircraft bought by Romania from the Norway, the first being received last November. According to the Defense Ministry, through the 32 multirole F-16 aircraft that will endow two more squadrons of the Air Forces by the end of next year, Romania is strengthening its air defense at a level adapted to the security challenges in the region. SERVICEMEN The Romanian army faces a shortage of professional servicemen. The first conscription campaign held over February-April, over 6,400 people applied for the 5,100 vacancies, 24% failed the fitness test, 18% the psychological test and 12% the medical test. The total number of candidates who passed was 2,626. The Romanian Defense Ministry says the level of difficulty for the fitness test is average, allowing people aged 18-45 with normal fitness development to pass it without major difficulties. EP The European Parliament convenes in a new plenary sitting in Strasbourg, as of today until Thursday. The meetings agenda includes topics such as violence against women, the revision of the EUs Agricultural Policy and combating money laundering. Irans attack on Israel, the ban on the EU market for products manufactured through forced labor, the effects of the so-called Russian interference in the European Parliament, the assessment of the results of the Russian elections and the situation of the state of law in Hungary will also be discussed. The plenary sitting this week is the last one of the current European Parliament makeup, before the European elections on June 9. (EE & VP) Separate candidates for Bucharest mayor The ruling coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party will no longer have a joint candidate for Bucharest mayor. coalitia PSD PNL - candidaturi separate sursa foto RRA Stefan Stoica, 23.04.2024, 14:00 The story of doctor Catalin Cirstoiu, a renowned orthopaedic physician and the director of a big hospital in Bucharest, is a success only on a professional level, because politically, the parties in the ruling coalition are no longer supporting his candidacy for Bucharest general mayor. The decision was taken on Monday evening, after heated debates. Cirstoiu looked like he didnt stand much chance of winning, anyway, as he was faced with accusations of incompatibility: although he is the head of a state-run hospital, he was also working at his wifes private clinic. Opinion polls about voting intentions put him at a mere 10%, which made him a second-rate candidate. So the parties in the ruling coalition decided to endorse different candidates for city mayor, namely Gabriela Firea, a former general mayor and the head of the Bucharest branch of the Social Democratic Party, and Sebastian Burduja, the current energy minister and head of the Bucharest branch of the Liberal Party. The two parties say they will thus mobilise their voters as best as possible. According to political sources quoted by the media, the two candidates will not attack each other and will base their campaign on a constructive approach. The coalition will still have joint candidates for the individual city sectors and the local councils. Leading in opinion polls at the moment are Nicusor Dan, the incumbent mayor of Bucharest running for a second term as an independent candidate with the support of the United Right Alliance formed by the Save Romania Union, the Peoples Movement Party and the Force of the Right, and the incumbent sector 5 mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone, a candidate for the Humanist Social Liberal Party. With the arrival of Gabriela Firea and Sebastian Burduja, the competition will become more complicated in theory. On the one hand, Cirstoiu was nominated by the ruling coalition because Firea and Burduja didnt have good ratings in the first place, the former because she had an inconsistent term in office and is not likely to get many of the Liberals votes, and the latter because not even his side views him as a strong candidate. The two are faced with almost impossible missions: Firea to win over the left-leaning voters who are currently favouring Popescu Piedone, and Burduja to convince right-leaning voters to elect him. The move to support different candidates for city mayor may also influence the results for the General Council, where the ruling coalition, while leading in opinion polls, has a small lead over the United Right Alliance. The Social Democrats and the Liberals want to convince people theirs is a solid coalition, even with chances of becoming an alliance, but the constant mutual attacks and the recent fiasco of the joint candidacy for Bucharest mayor may put their intentions at risk. Also 9th June, the coalition has another major test to pass, the elections for the European Parliament, where they are running on joint lists and where their goal is to win more than a half of Romanias seats. The Canadian market is up in positive territory a little before noon on Tuesday, led by gains in and healthcare stocks. Several stocks from consumer discretionary, consumer staples and industrials sectors are also notably higher. The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index is up 122.44 points or 0.56% at 21,994.40 a few minutes before noon. The Information Technology Capped Index is up nearly 2%. Hut 8 Corp (HUT.TO) and Shopify Inc (SHOP.TO) are up 4.8% and 4.5%, respectively. Descartes Systems Group (DSG.TO), Alithya Group (ALYA.TO), Bitfarms (BITF.TO), Celestica Inc (CLS.TO), Tecsys (TCS.TO), Enghouse Systems (ENGH.TO), Lightspeed Commerce (LSPD.TO) and BlackBerry (BB.TO) are gaining 1.8 to 3.6%. Healthcare stock Tilray (TLRY.TO) is up 5.2%. Sienna Senior Living (SIA.TO), Bausch Health Companies (BHC.TO) and Chartwell Retirement Residences (CSH.UN.TO) are up with modest gains. Among other gainers in the market, ATS Corporation (ATS.TO), Winpak (WPK.TO) and Bombardier Inc (BBD.B.TO) are up 3.5 to 4.2%. SNC-Lavalin Group (ATRL.TO) is up 3.3%. The company, now known as AtkinsRealis, announced that it has bagged a contract from the Groupe Heritage Ile-d'Orleans to support the development of the new Ile d'Orleans Bridge over the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. TFI International (TFII.TO), Onex Corporation (ONEX.TO), Cargojet (CJT.TO), WSP Global (WSP.TO) and Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC.TO) are gaining 1 to 2%. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Photo of Prof Pat Terry taken during the filming of the RU120 commercial video. Credit: HIVE By The Division of Communication and Advancement In the 1980s, South Africa was cut off from the world politically, through sanctions, and technologically. Yet, from the small town of then Grahamstown, now Makhanda, a team of pioneers managed to send the countrys first email and Professor Pat Terry, the man who reached the world through this (then) advanced technology, is now part of Rhodes Universitys reflective year of celebrations as it marks 120 years in 2024. Prof Terry formed part of Rhodes University's next-generation institutional RU120 commercial shoot in February 2024, where he featured in the visual celebration of how far the university has come. Prof Terry remembers his time at Rhodes University as being formative. He says the legacy of the institution should be one of education excellence. We are not educating people just to live in Grahamstown and surrounding areas - we are educating people to take their place anywhere in the world, he said. Listen to Prof Terry below: Prof Pat Terry on RU legacy Prof Terry has seen his fair share of changes at the University, having been associated with the institution first as a student, and later as a lecturer, amounting to a lifetimes worth of experience. We had an enormous amount of fun. I was in a department that has students right on the cutting edge computers were all very new when we started. Theyve left me way behind now, he said. Listen to Prof Terry below as he remembers not just this, but also the transition to Democracy, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic: Prof Pat Terry on student years quality education and changes As Terry reflected on the RU120 celebration year, he said excellence needed to remain at the heart of Rhodes Universitys educational offering. Theres a great temptation to drop standard, perhaps, in the modern world, and its important to keep them high, said Terry. Listen Below as Terry explains how people need to rise above suturing tools like ChatGPT and go deeper than Google Prof Pat Terry advice on how to maintain excellence In reflecting on that first chain of emails to leave South African shores and reach the outside world, Prof Terry says they knew the significance of what they were doing, but perhaps not what the lingering effect would be. It was a terribly exciting time - getting those first few messages to work, he said. I was a very small part in that rather big collection of cogwheels but a significant one because I had the first contact with people overseas. Listen to Prof Terry below as the speaks of the influence of this on technological advances since: Prof Pat Terry on the first email sent in the country and leading the way As a closing message to Rhodes University on the occasion of celebrating 120 years of existence, Prof Terry reflected on a fine institution that he is proud to have served. Universities are very precious things, he said. Guard the legacy. Prof Terry explained that Rhodes University faces several challenges that they will have to fight against. Resist the influence of the state or anyone else to just see it as a book-balancing exercise, he said. Listen below as Prof Terry reflects on his 60-yer association with Rhodes University half the life of the institution as a whole: Prof Pat Terry RU120 message and the need to guard the legacy Watch Prof Terrys appearance in the RU120 commercial video here: Fully understanding how a rocky planet becomes habitable and remains so is a fundamental challenge for planetary scientists and astrobiologists, given the diversity and complexity of intrinsic and extrinsic processes that contribute to sustain habitable conditions over geological and biological time scales. In the face of this challenge, it is imperative that the full range of rocky planet atmospheric evolution data within our Solar System be exploited. Although Venus represents a clear end-member of planetary habitability, its contributions to understanding the prevalence of long-term temperate surface conditions on large rocky worlds have yet to be fully realized. Upcoming missions to Venus, including NASAs VERITAS and DAVINCI, and ESAs EnVision mission, will begin to flesh out this understanding. We often assume that Earth is the model of habitability, but if you consider this planet in isolation, we dont know where the boundaries and limitations are. Venus gives us that, said Dr. Stephen Kane, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside. Though it also features a pressure cooker-like atmosphere that would instantly flatten a human, Earth and Venus share some similarities. They have roughly the same mass and radius. Given the proximity to that planet, its natural to wonder why Earth turned out so differently. Many scientists assume that insolation flux, the amount of energy Venus receives from the Sun, caused a runaway greenhouse situation that ruined the planet. If you consider the solar energy received by Earth as 100%, Venus collects 191%. A lot of people think thats why Venus turned out differently, Dr. Kane said. But hold on a second. Venus doesnt have a moon, which is what gives Earth things like ocean tides and influenced the amount of water here. In addition to some of the known differences, more NASA missions to Venus would help clear up some of the unknowns. Planetary scientists dont know the size of its core, how it got to its present, relatively slow rotation rate, how its magnetic field changed over time, or anything about the chemistry of the lower atmosphere. Venus doesnt have a detectable magnetic field. That could be related to the size of its core, Dr. Kane said. Core size also gives us information about how a planet cools itself. Earth has a mantle circulating heat from its core. We dont know whats happening inside Venus. A rocky planets interior also influences its atmosphere. That is the case on Earth, where our atmosphere is largely the result of volcanic outgassing. NASA does have twin missions to Venus (DAVINCI and VERITAS) planned for the end of this decade, and Dr. Kane is assisting with both of them. The DAVINCI mission will probe the acid-filled atmosphere to measure noble gases and other chemical elements. DAVINCI will measure the atmosphere all the way from the top to the bottom. That will really help us build new climate models and predict these kinds of atmospheres elsewhere, including on Earth, as we keep increasing the amount of carbon dioxide, Dr. Kane said. The VERITAS mission wont land on the surface but it will allow scientists to create detailed 3D landscape reconstructions, revealing whether the planet has active plate tectonics or volcanoes. Currently, our maps of the planet are very incomplete. Its very different to understand how active the surface is, versus how it may have changed through time. We need both kinds of information, Dr. Kane said. Ultimately, Dr. Kane and his co-author, Dr. Paul Byrne from the Washington University in St. Louis, advocate for missions like these to Venus for two main reasons. One is the ability, with better data, to use Venus to ensure inferences about life on farther-flung planets are correct. The sobering part of the search for life elsewhere in the universe is that were never going to have in situ data for an exoplanet. We arent going there, landing, or taking direct measurements of them, Dr. Kane said. If we think another planet has life on the surface, we might not ever know were wrong, and wed be dreaming about a planet with life that doesnt have it. We are only going to get that right by properly understanding the Earth-size planets we can visit, and Venus gives us that chance. The other reason to research Venus is that it offers a preview of what Earths future could look like. One of the main reasons to study Venus is because of our sacred duties as caretakers of this planet, to preserve its future, Dr. Kane said. My hope is that through studying the processes that produced present-day Venus, especially if Venus had a more temperate past thats now devastated, there are lessons there for us. It can happen to us. Its a question of how and when. The review paper was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. _____ Stephen R. Kane & Paul K. Byrne. 2024. Venus as an Anchor Point for Planetary Habitability. Nat Astron 8, 417-424; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5 The new snail species are varied. One is extinct, while another was named after Robert Irwin. Researchers announced the discovery of five new snail species in Australia, delighting conservationists, and striking fear into the hearts of gardeners. One of the snails poses little threat to modern plants as they are believed to be extinct. Its quite a while ago they were around, but never say never, Helen Ryan from the Western Australian Museum told Yahoo News. She was part of a team that examined the three-million-year-old molluscs that slithered across the Nullarbor when it was wetter and lush with vegetation. The other four species are very much alive, and in an unusual move, conservationists have named one after Robert Irwin which will no doubt help raise its profile. While the tiny brown creature looks nothing like the Crocodile Hunters famous son, his namesake seems enamoured by the animal, and is already advocating for its protection. Fossilised remains of a new species Bothriembryon pilkiensis were discovered. Source: WA Museum Have a look at him, isnt he cute, Irwin proclaimed to his 5.8 million Instagram followers. He then added, "These little legends are so cool, and a very important part of the ecosystem." The snail has been named Robert Irwins Banded Snail, something the young conservationist described as an honour, something he added was particularly meaningful because much of his environmental work is focused on habitat preservation. Even though this is a new species we already know habitat destruction is one of the biggest leading threats to this species, he said. How do you tell the difference between snails? Because the patterns and colours of individuals within the same species vary, prior to the completion of DNA analysis by Queensland Museum, scientists had struggled to tell them apart. The field and research of malacology in Australia is a crucial study as the research undertaken into these molluscs can provide insights in the management and conservation of forests, Queensland Museum CEO Dr Jim Thompson said. Details of the new living species have been published in the journal Molluscan Research. Their names are: Figuladra finlaysoni Figuladra robertirwini Figuladra bromileyorum Figuladra vidulus Figuladra robertirwini was named after conservationist Robert Irwin. Source: Queensland Museum Why name snail species when they all look the same? By naming living species it makes it easier for scientists to advocate for their protection. But the discovery of the fossilised specimens in Western Australia are no less important and help us understand how ancient Australia once looked. They show that the Nullarbor was a lot different. There were more trees and less shrubs. It shows how our climate has changed over time, WA Museums Helen Ryan said. We had eucalypts, pines and conifers, and the rainfall was a lot higher. But over time its dried out and all of those trees have receded into the southwest. But when the weather dries out they hibernate and wait for the rains to come. Its possible with the ones we found, the rains didnt come and they died. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Serbia's path to EU membership now depends on its silent consent for Kosovo's assent to international organisations, such as the UN and Council of Europe. EU foreign affairs ministers gathering in Luxemburg on 22 April agreed to amend a key part of the document concerning Serbia's negotiations to join the EU, known as Chapter 35. The change means Brussels will freeze Serbia's accession process into the bloc if it doesnt implement an agreement on normalising its relationship with Kosovo. The main condition for Serbia to comply with is that it must stop obstructing Kosovo's efforts to join key international organisations. Kosovo has taken diplomatic steps to join the UN, Council of Europe, EU and NATO since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade rejects Kosovo's independence. As a UN member, it fears accepting Kosovo's membership of these institutions will implicitly recognise its statehood. With the situation reaching a stalemate, EU foreign ministers added the so-called Ohrid agreement into Chapter 35, which aims to "normalise" Serbia and Kosovo's almost three decades old tumultuous relationship. The agreement takes its name from the lake of Ohrid, the North Macedonian resort where it was signed in the spring of 2023 to reaffirm and relaunch the Brussels agreement of 2013. This deal struck between Brussels, Serbia and Kosovo recognised the governing authority of Kosovan institutions. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, right and Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti, left - Boris Grdanoski/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved Revitalising an agonizing EU-brokered deal Only a few commitments in this document have been implemented by both Kosovo and Serbia. This is why the EU foreign ministers have made provisions in the Ohrid agreement binding clauses for Serbia, as sort of take-it-or-leave-it benchmark. Not only will Serbia have to avoid obstructing Pristina's aspirations to join international organisations, it will also have to recognise official administrative documents issued by the Kosovan administration, such as the license plates and the passports with the national symbols of Kosovo. Such matters have been systematically opposed by the Serbian government since the 1999 war with NATO that imposed the separation of Kosovo. Kosovo was formerly an autonomous province within Serbia when the two entities were part of Yugoslavia, which disintegrated in 1991. The conditions brought in on 22 April by the EU create a political jigsaw for Belgrade putting its political leadership and the entire Serbian society in front of an excruciating dilemma: Either it starts a slow and progressive process of recognition of Kosovo or it must forget about any medium-term hope of EU membership. Serbia has so far avoided any step that could be identified as a de facto recognition of the Kosovan statehood. On 21 April, Serbs living in Kosovo largely ditched a referendum called by the Kosovan administration, according to the government of Pristina, to resolve the issue of mayors in Kosovo's Serbian majority municipalities. The issue has been pending since November 2022, when Serbian policemen, mayors and judges of northern Kosovo resigned to protest what they claimed was the breaching of EU-brokered agreements by the Kosovan authorities. Few casted ballots seen inside the ballot box at a empty polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, April 21, - Visar Kryeziu/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved. Self-management versus self-determination This question of Serbian mayors is directly linked to the Ohrid agreements, too. In the text, Kosovo agreed "to ensure an appropriate level of self-management for the ethnic Serbian community in Kosovo and allow the Serban municipalities to closely align. However, Serbs living in the north claim Pristina opposes the creation of the association of the Serbian municipalities. There are four Serbian-majority cities in northern Kosovo: North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok. This Serbian-majority area in Kosovo is dominated by _Srpska Lista (_the only political party for the Serbian community). Pristina alleges this party is directly instructed by Belgrade, especially the nationalist-conservative Serbian President Vucic. The Kosovan government claims local Serbs are acting in cahoots with Belgrade, meaning it is reluctant to make concessions on the autonomy of the Serbian territories. We dont want the Northern part of our country to be transformed into a kind of Republika Srpska, said leftist nationalist Kosovo prime minister Albin Kurti, referring to the autonomous Serbian entity in Bosnia Herzegovina. Kosovo cannot accept an integrated and autonomous Serbian administration within its territory along the border with Serbia, a country that doesn't recognise its independence. Meanwhile, Serbs are afraid that by cutting ties with the motherland they could become second-class citizens in a country that will discriminate against them. Council of Europe and Kosovo - new blow for Belgrade Kosovo has recently obtained relative political success. On 17 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE) approved the recommendation for Kosovo to become its 47th member state, provoking rage in Belgrade. President Vucic said that if Kosovo joins the CoE, Serbia is ready to put into question its own membership of the Council of Europe. Serbia has conducted massive military drills at the borders with Kosovo to show its deep disappointment with the decision by the Strasbourg-based human rights organisation. The decision of the CoE assembly was taken after Kosovo gave back land to the Serbian Orthodox Church belonging to the Monastery of Decani. International organisations had requested that Kosovan authorities take this step. The EU, Serbia and Russia In December 2023, Serbian president Vucic declared that he does not think it is possible for the Ohrid Agreement to be included in Chapter 35, because this would de facto means to close the door (of the EU) for Serbia." According to an April 2022 IPSOS poll, the number of Serbs opposing EU membership was more than those in favour of it for the first time. This poll found that the majority of Serbs think the EU is procrastinating when it comes to enlargement, with the bloc unwilling to admit new members. Serbians' lack of faith in Brussels appears to reflect some truth. A recent March 2024 IPSOS/Euronews poll revealed a majority of EU voters are against further enlarging the union. Relations among Serbia, the EU and NATO have suffered amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, since Belgrade has not joined EU sanctions against Moscow - despite its candidacy. Western capitals view Kosovo as a potential source of instability in the heart of Europe. Belgrade and Pristina don't trust each other. Both are afraid to make concessions that could be betrayed by their counterpart. Kosovo's security is assured by the presence of NATO and the EU's support of organisations that promote the rule of law. Still, the spectre of instability looms large. The young couple were travelling from Toowoomba to K'Gari when part of the sand cliff suddenly gave way. The risks should be well known. Source: TikTok A young couple has had an incredibly close call with an unstable sand cliff while enjoying a scenic beach drive in their 4WD during a weekend trip with their family. Hannah Fowler and Riley Stone were travelling from Toowoomba to K'Gari (formerly Fraser Island), in Queensland, on Saturday when their jaunt along the Cooloola Coast took a shocking turn. Footage taken from inside the vehicle shows the pair cruising along the sand as a landslide just metres ahead suddenly sends a wave of debris cascading down. Oh! Riley reverse, Hannah exclaims, prompting her partner to back up quickly. The couple shared their experience with the local news. Source: 7News Im getting further away, he says as the sand, trees and rock continue to tumble from a great height and deposit on the sand in front of them. We heard a crack and then the landslide just fell straight in front of us, Riley told 7News. Its the first time weve ever seen it so I thought we would pull back and just watch it happen, Hannah added. Mans parents drive by just before landslide Seconds before the collapse, Rileys mum and dad had driven past the cliff and were unaware of the event when their son called them over the radio. Mum, look back! Landslide right after you drove through! Right between you and me, he says, to which his mum can be heard responding; Ooh my god!. The risk of the cliffs along the 4WD beach collapsing is well-known, with Riley urging other drivers to simply be careful when in the area. Aussies warned after close call at 4WD beach In January, police urged motorists to avoid the area between Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach a popular access point for Kgari, which lies in the north after a massive landslide rocked a popular Aussie holiday destination. Local tour guide Tyron van Santen told Yahoo at the time the area had been packed with Christmas holiday revellers. Drivers involved in the event were described as being very lucky not to have been hurt. "One of them was sort of in the car as it was happening and they were able to quickly get away from it but so close to someone getting injured," Tyron told the ABC at the time. The landslip was likely triggered by heavy rain and massive swells that have continued to lash Australias east coast in the following months. After the latest incident was shared on social media, fellow Aussie explorers cautioned about their own experiences. "I was there on my catamaran and saw some people get their 4WD stuck after a landslide," one person commented on TikTok. "I was there on my catamaran and saw some people get their 4WD stuck after a landslide," another user said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The market spotlight on Wednesday will be firmly on the U.S., as the latest quarterly results from the country's tech heavyweights continue to roll in. Among the corporate names due to report are Boeing, IBM, and Intel. Investors will also be digesting the latest results out from Tesla. On the economic side of things meanwhile, the IFO institute is due to release the results of its business confidence survey for April. Stateside meanwhile the Department of Commerce will release durable goods orders figures for the month of March. In the company arena, it's Lloyds that will be in focus, as the lender publishes its first quarter numbers. UBS analyst Jason Napier was anticipating profit before tax of 1.61bn or 1.67bn excluding remediation charges, for a common equity tier one ratio of 13.9%. Lloyds had guided towards 2024 net interest margins in excess of 2.90%. According to UBS analyst Jason Napier, the lenders' shares were trading on 6.5 times' his estimated adjusted earnings per share for 2025. In turn, that implied a significant 'miss' on Lloyd's target for return-on -tangible-equity and/or "substantial" costs to shareholders from motor finance redress. The findings of the FCA's review of motor finance commissions were due on 24 September. Wednesday 24 April INTERIMS Tracsis INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30) Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30) IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00) IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00) IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00) MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00) FINALS 1Spatial, Sanderson Design Group, Star Energy Group, Tortilla Mexican Grill, Warpaint London AGMS Abrdn , Allianz Technology Trust, AssetCo, Breedon Group , British American Tobacco, British American Tobacco, Bunzl, Coro Energy, Croda International, Entain, Greencoat UK Wind, Nichols, Primary Health Properties, Synectics, Woodside Energy Group Ltd NPV (DI) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Conduit Holdings Limited Com Shs (DI) Q1 HSBC Holdings, PensionBee Group Investors in grocery delivery app Getir , which at one point attained a valuation of almost 10bn, are reportedly set to inject yet more money into the company to fund its exit from the UK and Europe. According to Sky News, shareholders in the company have drawn up provisional plans to commit tens of millions of pounds more into Getir in the coming weeks, even as its retrenchment poses a threat to thousands of jobs. Sources close to the situation told Sky that leading investors - including Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi state-backed fund, Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global - were understood to have agreed to the new funding plan in recent days. It will add to the more than $2bn Getir has already raised, making it one of the world's most handsomely backed fast-delivery platforms An announcement from Getir - which means 'to bring' in Turkish - is expected imminently, bringing the curtain down on an ill-fated breakneck expansion into Europe. Its operations in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands are all expected to be shut, with discussions ongoing about the fate of its Fresh Direct arm in the US, which it only acquired a few months ago. The restructuring will leave Getir as a business focused on its domestic Turkish market, with the company planning to focus largely on its food delivery operations there. Its new funding from shareholders would cover the cost of exiting the three markets in Europe, as well as providing additional capital to invest in the Turkish business, according to insiders. Sky sources said an announcement could come this week, although people close to the company cautioned that the exact timing had yet to be finalised. The valuation at which the new money is being injected was unclear. Sky revealed last week that its withdrawal from the UK was likely to put about 1,500 jobs at risk. Technology-focussed venture capital firm Molten Ventures reported a resilient portfolio performance in a full-year trading update on Tuesday, with the gross portfolio value (GPV) expected to reach 1.377bn. The London-listed company said that despite currency fluctuations, the underlying gross portfolio fair value remained relatively stable, reflecting consistent performance across core assets. It added that its core portfolio showed robust revenue growth. Throughout the financial year ended 31 March, Molten Ventures said it maintained a disciplined approach to capital allocation, investing 65m while generating cash proceeds of 39m through realisations. During the 12 months, the firm completed a 55m capital raise in December, bolstering its liquidity position. It also expanded its portfolio through strategic acquisitions, including a stake in Seedcamps Fund III and the all-share acquisition of Forward Partners. Financially, Molten Ventures said it remained in a strong position, with cash reserves of 57m as of 31 March, further supported by available investment capacity from managed funds and a revolving credit facility. Additionally, the company noted that it had strengthened its governance structure with key board appointments. Looking ahead to the 2025 financial year, Molten said it was optimistic about its prospects, adding that it was well-positioned to capitalise on opportunities in the market. Its focus on third-party capital strategy was expected to be intensified, leveraging the expertise of its newly-appointed leadership to drive growth and profitability in the coming year. We are grateful to all our investors who supported us through the period, most notably with our fundraise and with the addition of the Forward Partners portfolio, said chief executive officer Martin Davis. With 123m of cash resources across PLC, the managed EIS/VCT funds, as well as a 60m undrawn debt facility and a stable and enhanced platform, we are in a strong position to deploy capital selectively to maximise returns for our investors in a stabilising but still challenging environment for high-growth companies. Our portfolio remains in good health, and we expect to see a step up in realisations in the current financial year, with a number of potential exit processes ongoing across our portfolio. Molten Ventures said it would release its full-year results for the 12 months ended 31 March on 12 June. At 0820 BST, shares in Molten Ventures were up 6.19% at 240p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. Tesla is set to trim around 400 positions at its German gigafactory near Berlin, it emerged on Tuesday, accounting for 3% of the factory's total workforce. The company said the move aimed to be executed through voluntary measures, steering clear of compulsory layoffs. Teslas broader global initiative was targeting over 10% of its workforce, making the reduction in Germany comparatively milder. The company said the challenges posed by a softening sales market for electric cars had led to ongoing discussions with the plant's works council. According to Reuters, the Gruenheide site, which employs over 12,000 people, previously disclosed plans to release approximately 300 temporary workers as part of its global downsizing efforts. The announcement of job cuts in Germany preceded the release of Tesla's first-quarter results, expected later in the global day on Tuesday. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. The Conversational AI & Customer Experience Summit (CACES) made its first appearance in India, hosting its fourth international edition in Bengaluru on April 18th and 19th, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield. The event offered a lively space for professionals to discover the evolving landscape of Conversational AI and customer experience. The summit welcomed industry leaders, experts, and innovative startups from around the globe to discuss key topics such as Conversational User Interface, Voice Technology, Virtual Agents, Chatbots, Customer Service Automation, and Generative AI. Participants explored practical case studies to understand how these technologies enhance customer satisfaction and boost business growth. Attendees, such as CXOs, VPs, Directors, and Managers from different fields, had plenty of chances to network and learn from expert speakers. Respected guests like Mr. M. Sankaran from ISRO, along with professionals from Fortis, Google, Myntra, Naukri.com, Bandhan Bank, and PB fintech discussed the latest breakthroughs in Conversational AI. Alok Kumar, Myntra, says, "We crawl data from social media and analyze current trends, including what's happening in the world through publications and mainstream media. We also monitor our own platforms to determine what's selling quickly and which products are generating higher sales volumes. This information is shared with our sellers to guide them on top, middle, and bottom sellers, as well as how long items are expected to sell. Our program assists sellers by providing insights into potential fast-moving products. We offer detailed dashboards for sellers to track their performance and communicate with them regularly. This information helps plan their inventory efficiently. Our approach ensures that products on our platform are fresh and aligned with market trends. By bridging the gap between data and inventory management, we strengthen our backend team to keep the platform vibrant and up-to-date for our customers". Vipul Mittal, Naukri.com, emphasized The rise of chatbots in 2024 is a notable milestone in the journey of conversational AI over the past six years. This technology has paved the way for significant changes in how businesses interact with customers and has also introduced innovative methods to enhance engagement. Today, we are seeing a major shift towards the use of conversational AI and voicebots. These technologies provide unique advantages in communication, allowing customers to express themselves naturally and receive immediate responses. By the end of 2027, I anticipate voicebots to become a more dominant force in customer interactions, offering streamlined and efficient support. Voicebots offer an alternative to the challenges of managing multiple modes of communication simultaneously, such as listening to calls while typing. These bots can seamlessly handle tasks that traditionally require human intervention, freeing up time for customers and service agents. Businesses have achieved focus and clarity in their goals by leveraging conversation AI. As these technologies continue to evolve, they provide enhanced experiences for customers, helping them understand products and services more effectively. Ultimately, the adoption of conversational AI, particularly voicebots, promises a transformative impact on the way we conduct business and interact with customers. Rajiv Gupta, PB fintech, says, In recent years, the rise of conversational AI has transformed customer interactions in the financial industry. The use of conversational AI has become highly effective and efficient, allowing us to reduce our reliance on traditional agencies. Customer engagement has increased significantly, as we can now interact with customers 24/7. This mode of communication allows us to impart financial literacy in ways that were not previously possible. Through AI, we can educate digital consumers about key financial concepts such as insurance, savings, credit, and loans. By offering this information, we empower customers to understand the decision-making process and make informed choices. For instance, out of every 100 consumers I connect with daily, only 10 make an immediate purchase, but this doesn't concern me. There was a time when only 3 people would buy a product, while 90 others would return to purchase later. Our focus on financial literacy has helped create a market environment where consumers are better informed and more likely to make well-considered financial decisions. In the long run, this approach builds trust and establishes strong, enduring relationships with customers. By prioritizing financial education, we lay the groundwork for a more knowledgeable and confident consumer base, which benefits everyone in the financial ecosystem. The summit included a StartUp Booster Platform to help new companies grow by connecting them with potential investors, mentors, and clients. An advanced event app made networking and working together easy for all participants. CACES was a major success, helping businesses learn new things, network with industry peers, and push innovation in Conversational AI and customer experience. The event set a strong example for future industry growth and collaboration. As we come together to this site, we dedicate a remembrance for the family of Johynita Jordan, and we remember her and remember what happened to her," District Attorney Michael McMahon said during an event to honor the beginning of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod)Scott R. Axelrod STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York will let the clock run out this year on the MTA fare-free bus pilot, which launched this past fall on five New York City bus routes, including one on Staten Island. While lawmakers allocated over $8.7 billion for transit and transportation in the state budget for the coming fiscal year, the fare-free bus pilot program was not renewed. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A former Jersey Shore mayor has been hit with tax evasion charges less than a year after he settled a similar case in federal court. A state grand jury last week indicted Peter Byron, former mayor of Wildwood, N.J., for failing to report employment from a source outside of the city, and for failing to report on state tax returns how much he earned in that role, the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office announced. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As we move into the week, New Yorkers can expect a mix of sunny days, sporadic showers and unseasonably chilly nights, according to AccuWeather. Mondays weather will continue to be cool and sunny. Although temperatures will drop during the evening, the skies will remain clear in New York City, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson Tuesday is predicted to be a slightly warmer and sunnier day than Monday, according to Larson. Mondays high is barely 60, but Tuesday will be more along the lines of mid-60s for the high, said Larson. As we move towards midweek, a cold front is expected to come through, bringing some sporadic showers on Wednesday. It will be somewhat breezy on Wednesday and mostly cloudy, with temperatures ranging from the low to upper 60s. Wind speeds are expected to reach 15 to 25 miles per hour, on the cusp of 30, when the showers are coming through on Wednesday. Thankfully, according to Larson, the only precipitation for the week a few rain showers, totaling a half an inch or less will happen on Wednesday. Once the cold front passes, it will be back to sunshine and cool, dry weather on Thursday and Friday, Larson predicted. Thursday will be breezy with a high in the upper 50s, the weatherman said. On Friday, the temperature will jump up back up to the 60s, according to AccuWeather. Friday looks very similar to today, with sunshine, a chilly start, and a comfortably cool afternoon, said Larson. While there will be no snow in the future for Staten Island, it is not out of the question that there could be some snow showers or snow flurries in upstate New York. The weather outlook for the week shows rain for Wednesday only this week, according to AccuWeather. (AccuWeather)AccuWeather New York state Forecast Wednesday and Thursday nights will be cold enough for frost in the interior areas of New York state, up through the Hudson Valley and portions of New Jersey, according to AccuWeather. According to Larson, there will be some unseasonably chilly nights coming to upstate New York. It is conceivable that ski places in upstate New York and Buffalo could see a couple of snow showers or flakes, as this cold front is coming through Wednesday, Larson explained. There will be no snow accumulation in upstate New York into north of Syracuse and into the higher elevations north of Buffalo and up to Watertown. It will be partly sunny upstate on Thursday and Friday and it will be sunny statewide, Larson predicts. The chief executive of Hungry Jacks has confirmed that an internal data leak has accidentally exposed the names, birthdates and store locations of staff, including minors, across the country. In the early hours of Monday, hundreds of employees received an email from the burger chains training and communication portal, Jedi, that included an attached spreadsheet of staff information outlining full names, job titles, personal email addresses, start dates, and employment classifications. Hungry Jacks says the inadvertent message was shared with almost 200 staff but one teenage workers parent believes thats an underestimate. In an email to some workers on Monday afternoon, Hungry Jacks chief executive, Chris Green, said the spreadsheet, sent at 2.07am, was due to an inadvertent data disclosure incident. The result of our investigation indicates that you have a current Jedi account and some of your personal identifiable information within Jedi has been unintentionally disclosed via email to 198 Hungry Jacks employees, Green wrote. In the 19th century, French novelist Alexandre Dumas wrote: The chains of marriage are so heavy that it takes two to bear them sometimes three. Looking around these days, Id add three, four maybe more as the non-monogamous options available ranging from open relationships to polygamy seemingly exceed the flavours at my local gelataria. Polyamory can make people happier, but it requires open, honest communication. Credit: Istock An intriguing variant is polyamory. Based on the idea that you cant get all your romantic needs met from one person, it involves having multiple, open, committed relationships. Its not just about sex polyamorists also seek deep connection and a sense of community. Polyamory is fascinating because it presents three psychological challenges relevant to us all, monogamists or not. In support of an indemnity costs order, Ten also argued that Lehrmann had unreasonably rejected a walk away offer in August last year under which the proceedings would have been dismissed without any admission of liability and without any costs order. In separate submissions, Wilkinsons barristers said the courts ruling on the truth defence means that this proceeding has been fraudulent from the start including an express false denial of sexual assault in the concerns notice, which is the first step in initiating defamation proceedings. Lisa Wilkinson outside the Federal Court after the judgment was delivered last week. Credit: Wolter Peeters Ms Wilkinson has obtained judgment in her favour, and the applicant has wholly failed, they said in support of an order that Lehrmann pay her costs. It is unlikely Lehrmann has the financial means to meet any costs order. The court heard he has not been employed since June 2021 and has been studying law. The combined costs of the proceedings have been estimated at $10 million. Wilkinsons costs Ten noted that if Lehrmann is unable to satisfy an order for costs made against him, and Ms Wilkinson is unable to recover her costs from Mr Lehrmann, Network Ten will have some residual liability to reimburse Ms Wilkinson for part of her costs incurred in defending the proceeding. Wilkinson opted to brief her own lawyers to act for her in the case, and Lee opened the door to her being reimbursed in part by Ten when he ruled in February that it was reasonable for her to have a separate legal team. Ten submitted that a referee should be appointed to inquire into and prepare a report to the court as to whether specified costs were reasonably incurred [by Wilkinson] and hence within the scope of an indemnity, under which Ten would cover costs properly incurred and reasonable in amount. To the extent that Ms Wilkinson incurred costs in an unnecessarily duplicative or wasteful manner, Network Ten submits that the indemnity does not require it to reimburse Ms Wilkinson for those costs, Tens barristers said. The fallback defence The court spent a significant amount of time on the media parties fallback defence of qualified privilege, which relates to publications of public interest where a media company and its journalists can show they acted reasonably. Lehrmanns barrister submitted that it would be open to this court to conclude that [he] ... should be compensated for the time and expense in having to establish that the qualified privilege defences were bound to fail, while also acknowledging an indemnity order might be made. Tens barristers said that the mere fact that the successful party has been unsuccessful on some issues will ordinarily not be sufficient to displace the ordinary rule on costs, and qualified privilege was not a defence that was always doomed to fail. Lee found that qualified privilege would not have been established if the truth defence had failed, because the conduct of Network Ten and Ms Wilkinson in publishing the matter ... conveying the defamatory imputations of rape fell short of the standard of reasonableness. The judge made clear that his analysis of the reasonableness of the conduct of the publishers starts from the premise that the rape allegation has not been proven to be true. This is because if the defamatory imputation is true, it is unnecessary to consider this separate defence which recognises that a publisher can publish untrue material but still act reasonably, Lee said. The lawsuit Lehrmann launched defamation proceedings against Ten and Wilkinson last year over a February 2021 interview with Higgins, helmed by the veteran presenter and aired on the networks flagship current affairs program, The Project. Loading He alleged the media parties defamed him by suggesting he was guilty of raping Higgins, his then colleague, in the office of the Liberal defence industry minister at the time, Linda Reynolds, for whom they worked as advisers. He has always maintained his innocence. Lee found Lehrmann was hell-bent on having sex with Higgins, had encouraged her to drink, and did not care one way or another whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed to what was going on. Lees decision does not amount to a finding of criminal guilt. The civil standard of proof is lower than the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt. Lehrmanns ACT criminal trial for Higgins sexual assault was aborted in 2022 owing to juror misconduct and he did not stand trial for a second time due to concerns about Higgins mental health. Thousands of public school teachers across Western Australia walked off the job on Tuesday morning in protest of poor wages and conditions they say the state government has done little to change. About 8000 teachers marched from Optus Stadium, across Matagarup Bridge and into the grandstands at Gloucester Park carrying signs with messages calling for action. Signs at the rally often conveyed the message that teachers were underworked, overpaid and over it. Credit: Holly Thompson They were joined by an estimated 3000 teachers in regional locations, from Fitzroy Crossing down to Esperance, while even more watched the protest online. The industrial action was organised by the State School Teachers Union WA after negotiations with the state government failed to reach a bargaining agreement. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed billionaire Elon Musk for choosing ego and showing violence over common sense after the X owner accused Australia of censorship. The comments come after eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant won a Federal Court injunction on Monday night to force X to hide videos of last weeks Sydney church stabbing. The order also applied to Meta, which Inman Grant said last week was co-operating with her demand to take videos down. In response, Musk posted to X accusing Albanese of censorship. How we got here Last week on April 15, graphic footage captured on a live-stream showed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel speaking at the altar of Wakeleys Christ The Good Shepherd Church as a male wearing a black jumper walked towards him and pulled out an implement, stabbing the priest who then fell to the floor and was stabbed a further five times. A 16-year-old boy was charged over the attack on Friday with a Commonwealth terrorism offence. Advertisement Emmanuel had gained notoriety online after speaking against lockdowns in 2021. The live-streaming of his attack led to a riot of up to 2000 people. Dozens of police officers were injured, six paramedics had to seek shelter in the church and nearly 100 cars were damaged. In response, Inman Grant ordered tech platforms to take down all graphic content related to the attack. Meta complied however X rebuffed demands. The companys global governance affairs department said it would robustly challenge the commissioners take-down orders, describing them as unlawful and dangerous. Late on Monday, Inman Grant launched a Federal Court bid to force X to comply with the order. The court found in favour of the Australian regulator on an interim basis and decided the videos should be removed by putting them behind a notice within 24 hours. Why it matters The eSafety commissioners take-down order has sparked debate on censorship and the power of online tech companies. Musk has argued the issue lies in Australia requesting the video be taken down globally beyond its borders. However, the government says the violent nature of the video has the potential to radicalise people and X has a responsibility to remove dangerous content. Advertisement Key players Billionaire X owner Elon Musk has been a leading voice in the debate as he regularly posts criticism against Australias take-down orders. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken firmly against Musks conduct. Labor colleagues as well as Liberal politicians have echoed his anger. ESafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has been leading the orders for the Sydney church stabbing video to be taken down. ESafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. Credit: Martin Ollman What they said Musk has posted regularly on X, stating in a pinned post: Id like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one. Advertisement Further, in a repost arguing the issue lies in Australia demanding censorship of content beyond its borders, Musk replied: That is exactly the issue. Should the eSafety Commissar (an unelected official) in Australia have authority over all countries on earth? Albanese slammed Musks responses during a round of TV interviews on Tuesday morning, saying he would not be lectured to by billionaires about free speech. This is a bloke whos chosen ego and showing violence over common sense, he told Sky News. This bloke thinks he is above the Australian law, that hes above common decency and Ill tell you what I say to Elon Musk, that he is so out of touch with what the Australian public want. In a statement on Tuesday, Inman Grant said the commission would seek a permanent injunction and civil penalties against X. ESafety expects a further hearing to take place in the coming days during which the court will be asked to decide whether it will extend the interim injunction, she said. Advertisement It is expected this second hearing will be followed by a final hearing at which eSafety will seek a permanent injunction and civil penalties against X Corp. The date of the final hearing will be determined by the court. Another perspective Nationals senator Matt Canavan is one of the few Australian politicians speaking in favour of Musks refusal to take down posts. I back the Australian people to be able to say what they want and not have a government trying to police their own speech, Canavan told Sky News. What the prime ministers trying to do here is to use a violent stabbing, a terrible incident in Western Sydney, to say somehow he needs to govern power to tell you what you can say. Whats next Another hearing will be set by the Federal Court. The eSafety Commission will seek to impose a permanent injunction and civil penalties, which through the Online Safety Act could be daily fines of up to $782,000. The Albanese governments lukewarm support for Ukraine in its fight against the evil Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a source of embarrassment for many months. The measly financial and military assistance is now moving into deeply shameful and potentially dangerous territory. Much is at stake in Ukraines resistance against the brutal Russian invasion launched in February 2022. Not only are lives at stake in Europe, rising powers elsewhere are looking on, closely examining the Wests resolve. Ukraines fight may be a long way from Australia but the ramifications of a Russian victory could have real consequences closer to home. While Australia offers paltry assistance, other nations are showing what genuine support should look like. The US Congress this week overcame rising division about the Ukraine war effort to approve a $US61 billion ($95 billion) aid package for the war-torn country. Much of the money will be spent providing Ukraine with air defence systems, weapons and ammunition. The Heralds international affairs editor Peter Hartcher called the funding for Ukraine decisive. Without it, Kyivs ability to withstand Moscow would be tested severely and it might have been forced prematurely to the negotiating table. With it, Ukraine is able confidently to continue the fight, he wrote on Tuesday. In abandoning a second injecting room, Jacinta Allan has shown how she differs from Daniel Andrews but has risked hurting the morale of her caucus, which considered the policy to be the governments next progressive victory. Despite pressure from health advocacy groups, churches and the left wing of her own party, Allan has overseen a decision that will instead be positively received among Melbournes business community and those with a more conservative view on drug reform. A demonstration of safe injecting at the Richmond injecting room. Credit: Penny Stephen Former police chief commissioner Ken Lays recommendation to trial a second injecting room, in Melbournes CBD, has been rejected outright because the government doesnt believe it can find a site that balances the needs of drug users with community and business concerns. Instead, the CBD will receive a new community health hub, pharmacotherapy services will be boosted in up to 30 locations in Victoria and vending machines will be rolled out that offer overdose-reversing medicines. Nottle said he wanted to remind Victorians that drug users are also human beings, rather than us continuing the situation that we currently have in the CBD, where its us and them. Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said she didnt want to waste time continuing a divisive debate within the CBD that only serves to further stigmatise people. Every possible site has been beset with community campaigns against it. Lay found there was broad support for a CBD facility, but said businesses and residents were nervous about safety, amenity and the challenges thrown up by COVID-19. Australian Hotels Association chief executive Paddy OSullivan said Melbournes pubs and hotels supported the decision not to go ahead, while Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the announcement was pragmatic. Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry head Paul Guerra said CBD businesses did not want an injecting room nearby but did want vulnerable communities cared for under Tuesdays package. Its a good outcome for business, its a good outcome for tourists, and its a good outcome for the safety perceptions in the CBD as well, Guerra said. Three mental health ministers and two premiers have hesitated over the policy to establish a CBD injecting room, which was announced by then-premier Daniel Andrews in June 2020 on the recommendation of Professor Margaret Hamilton. The government later commissioned Lay to conduct a report. Heroin-related overdose deaths in the City of Melbourne have escalated in the years since. There were 24 deaths in 2022 the highest figure in a decade which put the City of Melbourne ahead of all other local government areas, including the City of Yarra, which is home to the North Richmond facility. Ambulance callouts also reached 158 in the local government area in the year to June 2022. The Salvation Armys Brendan Nottle had offered the charitys Bourke Street location as a potential site. Credit: Justin McManus As part of Tuesdays announcement, the government said it would turn the Yooralla building into a $36.4 million health hub run by cohealth, and establish a two-year trial of the opioid replacement therapy hydromorphone for 60 patients. The government will also put $9.4 million towards wraparound health and support services at the Bourke Street Salvation Army site. Twenty dispensing machines will also be funded to provide the overdose-reversal medicine naloxone, and the government will appoint a chief addiction adviser. The package expands pharmacotherapy placements by 1500 at up to 30 locations around the state. But Victoria has almost 10,000 fewer pharmacotherapy placements than NSW, according to a separate review into the North Richmond site by John Ryan, that was released last year. Ryan, the chief executive of the Penington Institute, which advocates for treatment for drug users, said the government needed to boost its responses as a matter of urgency without a second injecting room. The evidence tells us that we can cut the number of overdoses and deaths when people have access to a medically supervised injecting site, he said. Ryans review found the existing facility had saved up to 63 lives and safely managed 6000 overdoses. Loading The Allan government also announced that St Vincents Hospital would help run the North Richmond facility, which had been managed by North Richmond Community Health. Lay said the government should trial a discreet CBD site with just four to six booths, with broader support services acting as a gateway to engage vulnerable people. The bigger and permanent North Richmond site has treated more than 300 people for Hepatitis C, provided more than 800 with opioid replacement therapies and referred more than 3340 to other health and housing support programs. Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said Allans announcement was the right outcome after years of uncertainty. The real-world consequence of Labors indecision is four lost years where meaningful steps to reduce drug dependence and harm couldve been taken, including through increased support and rehabilitation services, Kealy said. The Keep Our City Alive campaign of CBD residents and businesses, which supported a second injecting room, said lives would continue to be unnecessarily lost to overdoses. Allan said it was a hypothetical when asked if she accepted more lives could be saved if a second facility was opened on top of the statewide action plan she announced. Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association chief executive Chris Christoforou said the governments important announcements were offset by the decision not to proceed with the 2020 commitment. Fear and stigma continue to cruel good public policy, Christoforou said. The association welcomed the development of a statewide alcohol and other drug strategy after decades of piecemeal reform and funding for pharmacotherapy, Christoforou said. The Greens said Allans announcement was a spineless captains call that would cost lives. Labor under Jacinta Allan seems to be back-tracking on any progressive reforms introduced under Daniel Andrews, the Greens Melbourne MP and new party leader, Ellen Sandell, said. Loading Dr Nico Clark, the former medical director of the North Richmond facility, said he felt the government had become nervous despite the report finding broad support for a CBD facility, because of the stigma around heroin use. There was an opportunity to overcome that stigma, and it looks like the government has lost its nerve to continue building on the good work it has done in Richmond, Clark said. But Sharon Neven, who lives near the North Richmond injecting room, said she didnt want CBD residents to have the same burden we live with. What about us? What is the government going to do about us? It is unfair. Learn how to recreate classic French fare (like blanquette de veau and Paris-Brest) at Au Piano des Chef. Chef Eric Geoffrey offers private and group cooking classes at his school in Reims. Kids classes are also on offer, thanks to a special child-friendly workbench and miniature stools. Our class began with a visit to a bustling food market in Reims, where we stocked up on ingredients, including white asparagus, organic chicken and an array of local cheeses. Back at the school, it was then time to create a three-course lunch, which was matched with some delightful local champagnes. See aupianodeschefs.com The wellness spa Relax in the pool at Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa. Located within the luxury Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, this wellness facility commands one of the worlds most picturesque views. Perched above a vineyard, it boasts nine treatment rooms, a yoga studio, a sauna, a hammam, two large pools and a spa. A highlight of the vast spa menu is the custom facials, which are in high demand. Day guests are welcome and have access to all facilities, including a 25-metre heated indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows. After your treatment, lie back on one of the chaise longues with a glass of champagne and be mesmerised by the magnificent vista before you. See royalchampagne.com The restaurant Cheese selection at La Table Kobus. You know youre at a local favourite when the dining room is humming with the sound of French accents. The Michelin-star La Table Kobus in Epernay is an elegant brasserie with a strong focus on sourcing from local farmers. Have Google Translate on hand for the French-only menu and be impressed with sophisticated chicken, steak, lamb and seafood dishes. The cheese plate showcases the best from the region, and the wine list is comprehensive with some great value local wines and champagne. Worth noting: there is no corkage fee during the week, and its only $20 on weekends. Reservations are recommended, especially between May and September. See latablekobus.com The view Balloon with a view. For a birds-eye view of the UNESCO-listed region of Champagne, Le Ballon dEpernay (Epernay Balloon) on a clear day is the place to be. The giant balloon is tethered to the ground near Avenue de Champagne and takes passengers 150 metres above the ground. The spectacular 360-degree view is best enjoyed, I think, with a glass of champagne in hand. Reservations are not necessary for the 15-minute ride. Adult tickets are 16 ($26), with a surcharge for champagne and children 9. Go at sunset if possible. See ballon-epernay.com The sacred gravesite Abbey of Saint Pierre dHautviller, burial site of Dom Perignon. A trip to this region wouldnt be complete without paying homage to the father of champagne, Dom Perignon, who famously said: Come quick. Im tasting the stars. The wine-making Benedictine monk, who died in 1715, is buried in a beautiful 12th-century church next to the Abbey of Saint Pierre dHautviller. Despite his vast contribution to the world of champagne, there is no grand monument to honour him. Instead, his grave is marked with a simple stone plaque on the churchs floor in front of the altar, which reads: Hic Jacet Dom Petrus Perignon (Here lies Dom Perignon of the Peter). See tourisme-hautvillers.com The bike ride A country cycle. Delhi: Indias main opposition party has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech after he called Muslims infiltrators some of his most incendiary rhetoric about the faith, days after the country began its weeks-long general election. The remarks at a campaign rally on Sunday drew fierce criticism that Modi was peddling anti-Muslim tropes. The Congress party filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India on Monday, alleging he broke rules that bar candidates from engaging in any activity that aggravates religious tensions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: AP Critics of the leader an avowed Hindu nationalist say Indias tradition of diversity and secularism has come under attack since his Bharatiya Janata Party won power a decade ago. They accuse the party of fostering religious intolerance and sometimes even violence. The party denies the accusation and says its policies benefit all Indians. At a rally in the state of Rajasthan, Modi said that when the Congress party was in government, they said Muslims have the first right over the countrys resources. If it returns to power, the party will gather all your wealth and distribute it among those who have more children, he said as the crowd applauded. New York: Police have arrested dozens of people at pro-Palestine demonstrations at Yale University in Connecticut and New York University in Manhattan, as the war in Gaza continued to reverberate through American universities. Crackdowns by police came after Columbia University cancelled in-person classes on Monday (local time) in response to protesters setting up tent encampments at its New York City campus last week, when more arrests were made. Pro-Palestine supporters rally at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Credit: AP Demonstrators blocked traffic around Yales campus, demanding the university divest from military weapons manufacturers. Police arrested more than 45 protesters, according to the student-run Yale Daily News. In New York, officers moved on the NYU crowd shortly after nightfall as hundreds of demonstrators for hours defied university warnings that they faced consequences if they failed to vacate a plaza where they had gathered. Video on social media showed police taking down tents in the protesters encampment. PHILIPSBURG: --- The male victim who was severely injured in the Pointe Blanche explosion on Friday afternoon succumbed to his injuries on Monday in Cali, Colombia, Police have confirmed. The victim, of Asian descent and well-known in the St. Maarten community, has been identified as Yaoxin Andy Huang (29) of Sunshine Supermarket on Ginnep Road, St. Peters. Huang was air-evacuated to Fundacion Valle del Lili Hospital in Cali, Colombia, on Sunday for further medical treatment. Huang, who was in critical condition at the time he was air evacuated, received burns over 90% of his body in the blast on Friday afternoon. Police have said they are busy investigating the cause of the explosion. Huang and a female friend were inside an apartment in Pointe Blanche on Friday when the explosion took place around 5 pm. SMN News learned that the female victim was also air-evacuated to Panama for further medical treatment. In a press release on Sunday, police said that they had responded to an explosion at a gray apartment complex in the Pointe Blanche area on Friday afternoon, April 19th, 2024, around 5:00 PM. Upon receiving multiple calls regarding the incident, several patrols, ambulances, and the Fire Department were swiftly dispatched to the scene. Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion occurred when one of the victims attempted to turn on the stove, resulting in a sudden and powerful blast. This unfortunate incident resulted in severe injuries to both individuals present in the dwelling. Immediate first aid was administered before the victims were transported to the medical center for further treatment. PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Department of Communication (DCOMM) Documentalist Lee Williams recently returned from Aruba, attending a National Digital Heritage Strategy Symposium under the banner Dutch Caribbean Digital Heritage Week that was held by Coleccion Aruba. The Prins Bernard Culture Funds section Caribbean is working with stakeholders to preserve the Dutch island's heritage. The objective of the working visit is to develop a National Archives of Sint Maarten, which entails digitalizing government historical records, videos, and photo collections from the past that had to be salvaged from hurricanes Irma and Maria. The aforementioned would be the nations first digital heritage archive of all materials created. More than 150 heritage organizations work together in the Digital Heritage Network, with the aim of creating a network of digitally connected heritage that is easily findable and usable for various user groups and stakeholders. The National Digital Heritage Strategy describes how heritage collections can be digitally connected in a sustainable manner. It is of great value that the collections in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom are also sustainably preserved, managed, and made accessible. The key objectives for all participants are: Mapping existing connections between heritage organizations, individuals, and policymakers; Exploring the power of an organizational network: how and where do people know where to find each other? To map existing knowledge and resources; Identify knowledge and resource exchange; Identify needs regarding support for heritage organizations and heritage management persons; and the introduction to the Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed and the National Strategy Digital Heritage. The conference took place from April 8 12. PHILIPSBURG:--- District Governor of Sub-District 60B, Lion Dr. Carlisle Goddard, PMJF recently made his official visit to the St. Maarten Leo Club, St. Maarten South Leo Club, and the Sint Maarten Lions Club. The District Governor was met upon his arrival by a welcoming delegation that included Lion Felix Richards, President of the Sint Maarten Lions Club, Zone Chairperson 2B, Lion Oralie Boirard, MJF, Past District Governor Lion Wally Havertong, PMJF, and Lion Dennis Lake. The District Governor's visit included an enlightening radio interview streamed live on the Viewpoint with Wendell Moore show, in which he expounded on the responsibilities of a District Governor and shared his experiences visiting the various Lion and Leo clubs within his District, which comprises 16 Englishand Dutch-speaking islands, with St. Maarten included. A courtesy visit was made to the President of Parliament, Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams, during which the two leaders discussed the role of social entities in communities, partnerships with Governments, and the work of the Sint Maarten Leos and Lions Clubs. District Governor Lion Dr. Goddard also met with the Caretaker Government's Hon. Prime Minister Ms. Silveria Jacobs, who is an Honorary member of the Sint Maarten Lions Club. The District Governor had the chance to visit the "Nature Nurtures" Project, an educational community service project of the No Kidding with our Kids Foundation that introduces young people to various facets of agriculture, while on his tour of the island to observe several service projects. District Governor Lion Dr. Carlisle Goddard attended separate meetings for the Lions and Leos during the evening. During these meetings, the District Governor engaged in lively and passionate discussions about recruiting new members and carrying out worthwhile community service. He emphasized the significance of being adaptable in these times as members discover chances for deeper community service. Prospect Lindell Wilson and his fellow Leos were proud when the District Governor inducted them into the St. Maarten South Leo Club during the meeting. The Sint Maarten Lions Club has served its community for over 53 years. District Governor Lion Dr. Goddard took the opportunity to congratulate Lion President Felix and the membership on the outstanding work they have done and are still doing on the island. The Sint Maarten Lions Club honored its four Past District Governors during the visit, which was led by District Governor Lion Dr. Carlisle Gooddard, PMJF. The District Governors theme for this Lionistic year is: I Am Because We Are, which focuses on the concept and Ubuntu spirit of family. Lions and Leos demonstrating the Heart of a Lion in their recommitment to each other and the community. In summary, remembering who we are and why we serve. The summer season can have a significant impact on the temperature inside a vehicle's cabin. As temperatures rise outside, the interior of a car can quickly become uncomfortably hot. This is primarily due to the greenhouse effect, where sunlight enters the vehicle through the windows and is absorbed by the interior surfaces. This absorbed energy is then re-emitted as heat, causing the cabin temperature to increase. In the scorching heat of Pakistan's summer, Hyundai is testing its innovative Nano Cooling Film. The Nano Cooling Film is designed to block external h Hyundai has recognised the challenge posed by hot cabin temperatures and is actively working on developing a solution. The company is working on a vehicle window tint called "Nano Cooling Film." This new tint is designed to offer significantly better interior cooling performance compared to conventional tints, helping to keep the cabin cooler and more comfortable for occupants. Also check these Vehicles Find more Cars Hyundai i20 1197 cc 1197 cc Petrol Petrol 7.04 - 11.21 Lakhs Compare View Offers UPCOMING Hyundai Tucson 2024 1999 cc 1999 cc Petrol Petrol 30 Lakhs Alert Me When Launched Hyundai Exter 1197 cc 1197 cc Multiple Multiple 6 - 10.15 Lakhs Compare View Offers Hyundai Creta 1497 cc 1497 cc Multiple Multiple 11 - 20.15 Lakhs Compare View Offers UPCOMING Hyundai Nexo 1499.0 cc 1499.0 cc Petrol Petrol 65 Lakhs Alert Me When Launched Hyundai Venue 1493 cc 1493 cc Multiple Multiple 7.94 - 13.48 Lakhs Compare View Offers To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Nano Cooling Film, Hyundai has conducted tests in real-world scenarios. The film has been applied to 70 customer vehicles in Lahore, Pakistan, where daily summer temperatures can exceed 50C. Traditional window tints are prohibited in this region for security reasons, making it an ideal location to test the performance of the Nano Cooling Film. Also Read : Summer is here. How to ensure your car beats the heat Initial tests of Hyundai's Nano Cooling Film have yielded impressive results, the company reports. Compared to conventional tint film, the Nano Cooling Film reduced the temperature near the driver's head by up to 10.98C and by up to 12.33C compared to a vehicle without any tinting. Additionally, the film effectively lowered interior surface temperatures, with the crash pad temperature reduced by 15.38C compared to a vehicle with conventional tinting, and by 22C compared to a vehicle without any tinting. The Nano Cooling Film achieves these results by employing a unique mechanism. It blocks external heat energy while allowing internal heat to escape. The film's outer layer radiates heat at mid-infrared wavelengths from the vehicle's interior to the exterior, while the inner two layers reflect incoming heat at near-infrared wavelengths. This dual-action approach reduces the total amount of heat that enters the vehicle, creating a cooler and more comfortable environment for occupants. Hyundai's latest testing phase for the Nano Cooling Film focuses on ensuring its quality and durability in real-world conditions. The company aims to mass-produce the film in the future, offering a solution for customers seeking to keep their vehicles cool and comfortable during hot summer months. Moreover, the Nano Cooling Film can be applied in conjunction with conventional tints for enhanced performance. This means Hyundai customers in regions with hot climates, such as Arizona, California, Texas, and New Mexico, may soon experience a cooler and more comfortable driving experience, even amidst scorching summer temperatures. Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape. First Published Date: Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket on the "Look Ma, No Hands" mission to orbit four cubesats into orbit from Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand on Aug. 19, 2019. The company is developing a reusable rocket system, building a U.S.-based launch pad in Virginia and developing Photon, a unique, end-to-end satellite service. Rocket Lab is a private spaceflight company that provides launches for small satellites to Earth orbit. Founded in Auckland in 2006 by New Zealander Peter Beck, the company established a second headquarters in Huntington Beach, California in 2013. Small satellites, such as CubeSats , weigh less than 1,100 lbs. (500 kilograms) and take advantage of the miniaturization of electronics in recent years to pack a great deal of power into a tiny frame. They have become an important component of space infrastructure, providing low-cost hardware that can be built and launched by universities and companies to conduct scientific research and Earth observations. Related: CubeSats: Tiny, Versatile Spacecraft Explained (Infographic) But such satellites must generally piggyback on rocket launches dedicated to their larger kin, which are more likely to be delayed due to weather or technical problems. Enter Rocket Lab, whose aim is to "support the small satellite industry by providing frequent, dedicated launch opportunities to customers' preferred orbits," according to the company . Rocket Lab does this using its Electron rocket launch vehicle, a two-stage rocket that, according to their website, stands 59 feet tall (18 meters) and which can haul payloads of up to 661 lbs. (300 kilograms) to orbit for each mission. The company charges $5 million per flight, but this cost is spread over the dozens of small satellites it can pack into each vehicle. But despite its longstanding commitment to its relatively small Electron rocket, Rocket Lab announced in 2021 that by 2024, it plans to launch a new type of rocket it calls the Neutron. The Neutron rocket is slated to be more than twice the height of the Electron rocket, and is meant to be capable of lifting larger payloads and even astronauts into orbit or to the moon. Rocket Lab launches Electron currently launches from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. The company has bestowed on each flight a whimsical nickname for instance, the first launch in May 2017 (which partially failed) was called "It's A Test." Their second, successful launch was called "Still Testing," while the third was named "It's Business Time." Their eighth launch, which occurred in August 2019, was called " Look Ma, No Hands ." The company has launched small satellites for NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. One of the company's most famous pieces of cargo was the disco-ball-shaped Humanity Star , which blasted off Jan. 21, 2018, on Rocket Lab's second launch. The extremely reflective object was meant to be highly visible in the night sky and provide a way of "looking beyond our immediate situation, whatever that may be, and understanding we are all in this together as one species, responsible collectively for innovating and solving the challenges facing us all," according to Beck. Unfortunately, Humanity Star fell back into Earth's atmosphere just two months later. Rocket Lab's future Rocket Lab has built a new launchpad , called Launch Complex-2 (LC-2 for short), at Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The company reportedly invested $20 million to build the new launch site and received a $5 million state grant from Virginia's transportation department. While the company intended to begin launches from LC-2 in early 2020, its first mission was eventually scheduled for early 2021. Related: What's Next for Rocket Lab? A Q&A With CEO Peter Beck Although the company founder once flippantly promised to eat his hat if the company pursued reusable boosters , they are currently developing a reusable system. Unlike similar technology used by private space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin , whose boosters autonomously land on their own, Rocket Lab's are intended to be snagged out of the air with a helicopter as they return to Earth. The company hoped to launch every two weeks in 2020, according to a news release , with the eventual goal of providing weekly launches. According to their website, they completed 7 launches, all from LC-1 in New Zealand. On March 1, 2021, the company announced via press release that they planned to build and launch a new, larger rocket by 2024. The Neutron rocket, more than twice the height of the current Electron rocket, will stand 130 feet tall (40 meters) and be able to launch payloads of up to 8 metric tons (18,000 lbs. or 8,000 kilograms) to low Earth orbit. Although Rocket Lab has not committed to any future crewed missions, the new rocket is also meant to be rated for human spaceflight, and be able to deliver up to 4,400 lbs. (2,000 kg) to the moon. According to Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck, whose company will go public after merging with Vector Acquisition Corporation, "If you're going to build an 8-ton class launch vehicle, and you're going to go to all the trouble to do it, then you may as well make it human-certifiable from day one. Because the last thing you want to do is [try to make it human-certifiable] in a year's time." Additional resources: Learn more about Rocket Lab at their company webpage . . Watch videos of Rocket Lab's launches so far. so far. Keep up with Rocket Lab's latest news by following their Twitter account . This article was updated with new information on LC-2, Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket and its merger with Vector Acquisition Corporation on Mar. 2, 2021 by Space.com Reference Editor Vicky Stein. Malaysia military helicopters crash, killing 10 crew Kuala Lumpur, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew onboard, the country's rescue agency said. Footage shared online showed several helicopters flying low in formation over the Lumut naval base, located about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital Kuala Lumpur. The helicopters were participating in a flypast rehearsal ahead of Naval Day celebrations in May. One chopper was seen clipping the rear rotor of another, causing both to go into a tailspin and crash. "The two helicopters collided during flight training," said Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department, adding that all 10 crew members on board were confirmed dead by medical officers. The two aircraft involved were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139, the rescue agency said. Photos showed the Eurocopter model heavily mangled in the wreckage on the naval base stadium track with rescue personnel surrounding it as well as various debris. The AgustaWestland helicopter crashed at the naval base's swimming pool area. - 'National heroes' - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying "the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy". "I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash," he said. Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar also shared condolences. "Queen Zarith and I feel very sad over the loss of national heroes in this tragedy," he said in a social media post. Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian nation. Last month, all four people onboard a Malaysian coast guard helicopter were rescued after it crashed in the Strait of Malacca. The helicopter was on a training flight when it plunged into the waterway, a narrow shipping lane which runs between Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Two people were killed in 2020 when a pair of helicopters from the same Malaysian pilot school collided during a training flight, according to authorities. In 2016, a deputy minister was among those who died after a Eurocopter AS350 crashed in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Taiwan father and son handed jail terms in China spying case Taipei, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 A Taiwanese father and son were each sentenced to eight years in prison for collecting confidential military information and trying to develop a spying "organisation" for China, a court said on Tuesday. Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has ramped up military and political pressure on the island in recent years. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war and have been spying on each other ever since. The pair were "induced by" China to collect "confidential defence documents" since 2019 and "recruit active servicemen to develop an organisation" in return for hefty fees, Taiwan High Court's Tainan branch said. Huang Lung-lung and his son Huang Sheng-yu, businessmen formerly based in China, were found guilty of bribing two servicemen from an air defence and missile battalion to pass on confidential military information, it said in a statement. The court also sentenced the servicemen, a lieutenant and a sergeant, to seven and six years in prison, respectively. It did not elaborate on the kind of information that was leaked. It said the Huangs "disregarded national security" to spy for China and that the NT$1.7 million ($52,160) they were paid for it had been confiscated. The pair remained free pending a potential appeal against the ruling. Tuesday's sentencing was the latest in a recent string of spying cases on the island. Ten soldiers were indicted in November for allegedly spying for China, including two who made a video pledging to "surrender" to the Chinese military. A retired air force colonel was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October for spying for Beijing and handing over confidential national security information. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 22, the government of Anting Town and ZF Group inked a cooperation agreement, under which the ZF Passive Safety Systems Asia-Pacific headquarters (APHQ) and R&D center will be set up in Anting Town of Jiading District, Shanghai. ZF is a global technology company supplying mobility products and systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology. Its product range is primarily aimed at vehicle manufacturers, mobility providers and start-up companies in the fields of transportation and mobility. Since entering the Chinese market in 1981, ZF Group has established nearly 50 factories, 4 R&D centers, and employed over 20,000 staff members in China. Photo credit: ZF The project of ZF's passive safety systems APHQ and R&D center, which was signed and launched this time, primarily focuses on the research and development of intelligent safety systems, providing intelligent solutions for the Asia-Pacific region and even the global market. Last year, Anting Town's government and ZF Group conducted an on-site inspection of the Taidong Commercial Building located at No.4268 Bao'an Highway. Both parties reached a preliminary agreement, with the Shanghai Anting Economic Development Center leasing the building from the property owner, Shanghai Jiahuang House Property Development Co., Ltd., and handling the renovation and reconstruction on behalf of ZF. The decoration of the Taidong Commercial Building is about to commence, with an estimated handover to ZF expected by the end of July this year. Additionally, plans include the construction of a 3,500m2 R&D laboratory, which is expected to be completed by the middle of next year. Photo credit: ZF Upon completion, the ZF Passive Safety Systems APHQ and R&D center is expected to contribute approximately 80 million yuan in annual tax payment for the first five years and around 120 million yuan annually for the subsequent five years. UK's Sunak to announce Ukraine aid during visit to Poland Warsaw, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 UK leader Rishi Sunak arrived in Warsaw on Tuesday for talks with Polish premier Donald Tusk and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg that will focus on Ukraine and wider European security. While in Poland's capital, the British prime minister will announce pound500 million ($617 million) in additional military funding for Kyiv in its more-than two-year battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, his Downing Street office said in a statement. "Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border," Sunak said ahead of the trip. A Downing Street spokesperson said Sunak spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Tuesday "to assure him of the UK's steadfast support for Ukraine's defence". "He confirmed that the UK would provide an additional pound500 million in immediate funding to support the highest priority capabilities, including further ammunition, air defence and drones," the spokesperson said. On the plane to Warsaw, Sunak told reporters he discussed Ukraine's air defence needs with Zelensky. "You'll see that package that we've announced today is the single biggest package that we've ever announced in one day," Sunak added. Zelensky has thanked the British leader, saying on social media he was grateful "for such a strong demonstration of support and for the willingness to further develop our defense cooperation". - Missiles, armoured vehicles - Sunak's visit to Eastern Europe comes as Kyiv pleads with allies to ramp up supplies of ammunition and air defences desperately needed to repel Russian attacks. Western countries are also under pressure to boost spending on their own defence in the face of Russian threats. Ukraine has for months struggled with a growing shortage of ammunition, with Europe struggling to provide weaponry as Ukrainian forces get pushed back along the front line. US lawmakers eased the pressure last weekend by unblocking a $61-billion military aid package for Kyiv following six months of political wrangling. But EU defence and foreign ministers insist that Europe must still speed up its deliveries of arms to Ukraine. Germany has answered Kyiv's call in recent days by saying it would send an extra Patriot air defence system to Ukraine. Stoltenberg said last week that he expected more NATO countries to make announcements on fresh air defences for Kyiv "soon". During his trip, Sunak will announce the UK's "largest-ever single package of equipment" for Ukraine's war effort. It will include more than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles. He will also pledge more than 400 vehicles, including armoured ones, and nearly four million rounds of small arms ammunition. - Sky Shield - Ukraine has asked especially for seven more advanced Patriot systems capable of shooting down Russia's hypersonic missiles -- but is keen to get any help it can. Six nations in the EU -- Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain -- have the US-designed systems. Sunak will then travel to Germany where he will meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday. The German government has led a push to bolster NATO's air defences in Europe amid Russia's relentless missile strikes on Ukraine. Berlin has urged allies to buy deterrence systems together and the UK is among some 20 countries to have signed up to Germany's common air defence project, the European Sky Shield Initiative. The project would involve joint procurement for short-, medium- and long-range systems, including the German-made Iris-T, the American Patriot system and the US-Israeli Arrow 3. France has so far declined to sign up to the pact, with officials there arguing instead for an air defence system using European equipment. Tusk only announced last week that Poland -- which has seen Russian missiles enter its airspace -- intended to join. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen recently warned EU leaders to boost defence spending. Brussels has put forward a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.6-billion) strategy to step up defence production, but officials say this is nowhere near sufficient. Sunak is under pressure to raise defence spending in Britain, which left the EU in early 2020, to three percent of GDP, as a general election looms later this year. pdh/phz/mmp/rlp Iraq says army base blast caused by stored munitions Baghdad, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 An explosion last weekend at an Iraqi military base hosting former pro-Iran paramilitaries was caused by munitions stored on-site, an investigative committee said Tuesday, ruling out an air strike. The overnight Friday to Saturday blast at the Kalsu base in Babylon province killed one person and wounded eight others. Officials had initially blamed an "aerial bombing", but the authorities have now dismissed the possibility of a drone or air strike. The base housed "barracks and arms depots" belonging to the Iraqi army, the interior ministry and the Popular Mobilisation Forces, or Hashed al-Shaabi, the committee said in a statement. "The explosion created a large, irregularly shaped crater at the site of the incident, (which was) used to store materiel, missiles and explosive materials", it said. The committee, which conducted soil and material analyses at the site, added that "the size of the crater confirms there was a very strong explosion of weaponry and high explosive materials present at the site". The analysis allowed the investigators to identify the presence of "three materials used in the manufacture of explosives and missiles -- TNT, ammonium nitrate and dibutyl phthalate". The committee said the intensity of the explosion and the size of various armaments thrown into the air by it "could not have been caused by one or multiple airborne missiles under any circumstances". The investigators also pointed to reports by Iraq's air force command, which said there were no combat aircraft or drones flying in the province at the time of the attack. CENTCOM, the US military command in the region, denied any involvement in the explosion. When asked by AFP, the Israeli military refused to comment. Hashed al-Shaabi is an integral part of the Iraqi security forces operating under the authority of the prime minister. But it encompasses multiple armed factions, some of which over recent months carried out dozens of attacks in Iraq and Syria against US soldiers deployed as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition. US troops targeted in western Iraq: official Washington, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 American forces were targeted at a base in western Iraq, a US defense official said Tuesday, the second such attack on the country's troops after a more than two month pause. It followed another attack over the weekend in which rockets were fired from northern Iraq at a base in Syria that houses forces from the US-led coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. US troops in the Middle East have been attacked scores of times since mid-October, but the cycle of rocket and drone attacks and periodic retaliatory strikes stopped following heavy American air raids on Iran-linked targets in early February. "Yesterday there was an attack against Al-Asad Air Base" that did not cause injuries or damage, the defense official said on condition of anonymity, without specifying the nature of the attack. "This was the second attack against US forces since February 4," the official said. A wave of more than 165 attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria began in October shortly after the start of the latest round of conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas, causing injuries but no deaths among US forces. But a drone attack in Jordan killed three US soldiers in late January, after which Washington carried out strikes on dozens of Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria. The air raids were followed by a pause in the attacks that lasted until late this month. The majority of the attacks were claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-backed groups angered by US support for Israel, but there have been no claims for either of the attacks this month. UK court to review govt decision to allow arms exports to Israel London, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 Britain's High Court agreed Tuesday to hear a legal challenge later this year over continued UK arms exports to Israel during its war against Hamas militants in Gaza. A coalition of legal advocacy groups wants the court to scrutinise the UK government's decision to keep selling military parts and arms to Israel despite claims that it is unlawful because they are allegedly used in war crimes. Britain's strategic licensing criteria state that weapons should not be exported when there is a clear risk they could be used in violations of international humanitarian law. The UK government department for business and trade, which authorises the sales on the advice of the foreign office, is fighting the legal challenge. At a court hearing Tuesday, judge Jonathan Swift scheduled the case for a full hearing in October after various provisional legal matters are resolved over the coming months. In February the court had rejected a petition to fast-track the case, which was opposed by government lawyers. Dearbhla Minogue, senior lawyer at the Global Legal Action Network which is involved in the case, accused ministers of making the process "as painstakingly slow as possible". "Given the urgency of the situation in Gaza, the government should listen to the international legal consensus and halt weapons sales now," she said. The war erupted when Palestinian militants poured across the border with Israel on October 7 in an unprecedented Hamas-led attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. In retaliation, Israel launched a military offensive that has killed at least 34,183 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel army denies burying bodies in Gaza hospital in hostage search Jerusalem, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 Israel's army rejected as "baseless" claims that its troops had buried hundreds of Palestinian bodies at a Gaza hospital, saying corpses had been examined in a search for hostages. Gaza's Civil Defence agency said Tuesday that health workers had uncovered nearly 340 bodies, updating an earlier figure, of Palestinians allegedly killed and buried by Israeli forces at Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Yunis. "The claim that the IDF (army) buried Palestinian bodies is baseless and unfounded," the military said, without directly addressing allegations from the Hamas-run authorities that the Israeli troops were behind the killings. It acknowledged that troops had examined corpses buried at the facility. "During the IDF's operation in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance to the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined," the statement said. "The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages. "Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place," the statement said, without giving further details. Ismail al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas government media office in the Palestinian territory, accused Israeli troops of digging mass graves at the hospital. "We discovered mass graves inside Nasser Medical Complex" of people killed by "the occupation (Israeli) army", Thawabta told AFP on Monday. The military did not offer any additional clarification in response to repeated AFP queries regarding allegations of troops digging "mass graves" at the hospital as claimed by Thawabta. Intense fighting raged in mid-February in the area of Nasser hospital and Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles surrounded it on March 26. The military said on Tuesday its forces "conducted a precise and targeted operation against the terrorist organization Hamas in the Nasser Hospital area" at the end of February. "During the operation about 200 terrorists who were in the hospital were apprehended, medicines intended for Israeli hostages were found undelivered and unused, and a great deal of ammunition was confiscated." Hospitals in Gaza have not been spared in the Israeli assault against Hamas. The military accuses Hamas of using hospitals and medical facilities as command centres to stockpile weapons and equipment, and to hold hostages abducted in the October 7 attack. Hamas denies the accusation. Israel is engaged in a sweeping military assault against Hamas militants in Gaza after the group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, Israelis and foreigners, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Some 250 people were abducted to Gaza during the attack, of whom 129 remain captive, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive to eradicate Hamas has so far killed at least 34,183 people in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel army denies burying bodies in Gaza hospital in hostage search Jerusalem, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 Israel's army rejected as "baseless" claims that its troops had buried hundreds of Palestinian bodies at a Gaza hospital, saying corpses had been examined in a search for hostages. Gaza's Civil Defence agency said Tuesday that health workers had uncovered nearly 340 bodies, updating an earlier figure, of Palestinians allegedly killed and buried by Israeli forces at Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Yunis. "The claim that the IDF (army) buried Palestinian bodies is baseless and unfounded," the military said, without directly addressing allegations from the Hamas-run authorities that the Israeli troops were behind the killings. It acknowledged that troops had examined corpses buried at the facility. "During the IDF's operation in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance to the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined," the statement said. "The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages. "Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place," the statement said, without giving further details. Ismail al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas government media office in the Palestinian territory, accused Israeli troops of digging mass graves at the hospital. "We discovered mass graves inside Nasser Medical Complex" of people killed by "the occupation (Israeli) army", Thawabta told AFP on Monday. The military did not offer any additional clarification in response to repeated AFP queries regarding allegations of troops digging "mass graves" at the hospital as alleged by Thawabta. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby addressed the reports at a briefing Tuesday. "Obviously scenes of mass graves in general are deeply concerning but I don't have anything that can confirm the veracity of those," Kirby told reporters. "We'll certainly talk to our Israeli counterparts... see what they know." Intense fighting raged in mid-February in the area of Nasser hospital and Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles surrounded it on March 26. The military said on Tuesday its forces "conducted a precise and targeted operation against the terrorist organisation Hamas in the Nasser Hospital area" at the end of February. "During the operation about 200 terrorists who were in the hospital were apprehended, medicines intended for Israeli hostages were found undelivered and unused, and a great deal of ammunition was confiscated." Hospitals in Gaza have not been spared in the Israeli assault against Hamas. The military accuses Hamas of using hospitals and medical facilities as command centres to stockpile weapons and equipment, and to hold hostages abducted in the October 7 attack. Hamas denies the accusation. Israel is engaged in a sweeping military assault against Hamas militants in Gaza after the group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, Israelis and foreigners, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Some 250 people were abducted to Gaza during the attack, of whom 129 remain captive, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive to eradicate Hamas has so far killed at least 34,183 people in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Russia detains deputy defence minister over corruption suspicions Moscow, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 Russian law enforcement officers have detained Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov on suspicion of taking bribes, Russia's Investigative Committee said on Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin was informed of the detention of the high-ranking official, a rare move amid the offensive in Ukraine, Russian state-media reported. Anti-corruption activists have for years criticised what they say is widespread corruption under Putin's rule. "Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Timur Vadimovich Ivanov has been detained on suspicion of committing a crime under part 6 of article 290 of the Criminal Code (taking a bribe)," the committee said on Telegram. The committee did not give any more details. The offence is punishable by a large fine or over a decade in prison depending on the details of the crime. Ivanov is under sanction from the European Union as the defence ministry's top official in charge of construction of military facilities. Ivanov was the subject of an investigation published in 2022 by the banned Anti-Corruption Foundation -- created by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. It said the deputy minister oversaw -- and profited from -- construction projects in Ukraine's Mariupol, which fell under Moscow's control after a months-long siege. According to the probe from the organisation, which has been banned in Russia for alleged "extremism", the minister divorced his wife to allow her to bypass EU sanctions. "Today is a good day," Maria Pevchikh, the head of investigations at the foundation, said on social media. Like most high-profile opposition figures, Pevchikh was forced into exile by the Kremlin's repression. Most of the opposition remaining in Russia is behind bars. Navalny, who galvanised masses by exposing corruption under Putin, died in prison in mid February. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 18th, GAC INTERNATIONAL, an international business unit of GAC GROUP, hosted a launch conference for the EMZOOM model in Malaysia. The launch of the EMZOOM demonstrates GAC's strong market confidence through its competitive pricing. At the launch conference, GAC INTERNATIONAL announced the pricing of the EMZOOM in the Malaysian market and expressed its commitment to providing local consumers with high-value sales policies and service experiences beyond expectations. Photo credit: GAC INTERNATIONAL Alongside the product launch, GAC INTERNATIONAL also outlined its future direction for brand development. Wang Shunsheng, Deputy General Manager of GAC INTERNATIONAL, said, GAC INTERNATIONAL will continue to increase investment in the development of brand, products, sales, services, and KD plants' construction, and work together with our partner, the Tan Chong, to promote deeper cooperation. As is declared by Mr. Wang, in the year of 2024, GAC INTERNATIONAL plans to build over 20 showrooms and sales service centers in Malaysia, 10 of which are located in the countrys capital. Now, the first sales service center is already finished in the Kuala Lumpur. Also, the Malaysia CKD Plant is about to go into SOP, and the EMZOOM model will be assembled in Malaysia. Photo credit: GAC INTERNATIONAL GAC is accelerating to expand its overseas blueprint. In the future, GAC INTERNATIONAL will continue to deepen its presence in the Malaysian market, promoting localized production, sales, and services. The automaker will continue to introduce new products, improve its product lineup, and meet the evolving needs of Malaysian and other overseas consumers. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 22, the JETOUR T2 officially hit the market on April 22 as a new compact plug-in hybrid electric SUV under Chery's JETOUR brand. The vehicle comes in three variants, with prices ranging from 179,900 yuan to 209,900 yuan. As for exterior design, the steel body of JETOUR T2 ensures safety and durability to handle the most challenging terrains, and the rugged design showcases a tough and adventurous SUV style with bold lines.The roof rails on the top of the SUV enhance the T2's versatility by adding a touch of style while providing practical solutions for carrying additional gear or accessories. Photo credit: JETOUR Additionally, in the rear end of the T2, there is a magic electric door which opens and closes with little effort, eliminating the need for conventional 'locking' systems, and the expandable feature tailgate design provides the users with more cargo space and easier access to the storage compartment. Photo credit: JETOUR The JETOUR T2 measures 4,785mm in length, 2,006mm in width and 1,875mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,880mm. The 129km version is equipped with 255/60 R19 tires, while the 208km version comes with 255/55 R20 tires. Also, the 39 approach, 25 ramp, and 30 departure angles can help the drivers cope with difficult terrain conditions. The model's 4-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharged engine delivers a powerful 390 Nm of torque through a 7-speed DCT (dual-clutch transmission), ensuring a smooth and efficient drive. Inside the cabin, the JETOUR T2 features an 15.6-inch high-resolution color touch screen, which integrates all the features in one clear and user-friendly interface, and a Sony sound system playing high sound quality through a 12-channel Sony speakers. Photo credit: JETOUR Furthermore, the customized control is provided by the Snapdragon 8155 Smart Chip, Qualcomm's advanced cockpit solution that supports a wide range of functions. The new vehicle also comes with a 540 panoramic parking system with advanced sensors and real-time imaging, ensuring safety and effortless parking. * 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. Some of the spears were returned temporarily to Australia in 2015, and again in 2020, for the first time since they were taken by Captain Cook, and displayed by the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, as part of two exhibitions exploring frontier encounters. And yes, I do have confidence in him, but thats on the basis that he works to rebuild the confidence and trust of not just the Jewish community, but the wider public, particularly people in London... by making it clear that the police are not tolerating behaviour that we would all collectively deem unacceptable when we see it, because it undermines our values, he added. The candidate was also quizzed on her plans to help Londons renters. Asked whether the citys private tenants have enough rights, she said: I think sometimes tenants are not treated as well as they could be, but equally, I know that sometimes tenants cause major problems within the home, so theres no one answer [that] fits all there. It is alleged that between January 2022 and February 2023 Cash for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State, obtained, collected, recorded, published or communicated to any other person articles, notes, documents or information which were calculated to be, might be, or were intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Recently, SAIC Motor's MG brand officially released the official images of the MG EXE181 concept car model, which is crafted by SAIC's UK Advanced Design Studio, drawing creative inspiration from across the globe. Photo credit: MG The new car will make its global debut at the 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition ( Auto China 2024) and will appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2024. Photo credit: MG The EXE181, nicknamed "Roaring Raindrop", is actually a classic masterpiece in MGs history. In 1959, the MG EX181 set a speed record of 410.5 km/h, marking the highest speed achieved on earth's surface in the 20th century. The driver at the time, Phil Hill, went on to become the first American F1 world champion two years later. Photo credit: MG The year of 2024 marks the centenary of the MG brand and the 20th anniversary of Formula 1 Grand Prix's first race in China. The tribute to the "Roaring Raindrop" showcases MG's pursuit of speed and exploration in the electric era. Photo credit: MG The newly released design images reveal that the car features an avant-garde and sci-fi styling, capturing the essence of a futuristic supercar. Designed with an emphasis on achieving top speeds and a reduced drag coefficient, the vehicle boasts a highly streamlined silhouette. The car's drag coefficient is reported to be just 0.181Cd, making it one of the lowest globally. Photo credit: MG The concept car carries a single-seat cockpit, adopting a minimalist design optimized for extreme speeds. Its production version is set to feature SAIC Motor's advanced aerodynamic design and technologies for batteries, electric motors, and electric control units, targeting a top speed of 415 km/h. Currently in the concept design and engineering validation stage, the vehicle is strategically poised to enter the elite "sub-1-second club" for 0-100 km/h acceleration in the near future. A spokesman for the organisations said: We all deserve the chance to live a safe life, and to seek protection when we need it most. This shameful Bill trashes the constitution and international law whilst putting torture survivors and other refugees at risk of an unsafe future in Rwanda. But Mr Harvie, the Scottish Governments zero carbon buildings minister, said the issue is about the rights of young trans people, saying: The very small number of young people who have been told that they wont now get access to the treatment that they need must be extremely distressed about that. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. BAIC Group, Huawei's first cooperative model named STELATO S9 On April 23, at the new AITO M5 launch event in Beijing co-hosted by Huawei and SERES, Yu Chengdong, Huaweis Executive Director, CEO of the Consumer BG, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Intelligent Automotive Solution Business Unit, revealed that the first product developed in collaboration with BAIC Group is named STELATO S9. It is positioned as Huawei's first executive-level luxury sedan, a D-segment vehicle aimed to compete with the D-segment models from brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. Photo credit: STELATO ARCFOX kicks off presale of S5 model On April 22, BAIC's ARCFOX S5, equipped with the 5C supercharging battery, officially started pre-sales. The model comes with two variants, the S5 708MAX and the S5 650 ULTRA, with pre-sale prices set at 199,800 yuan and 219,800 yuan, respectively. For a limited time, the pre-sale promotional prices are offered at 174,800 yuan and 194,800 yuan, respectively. Photo credit: ARCFOX GAC Toyota puts 2024 Sienna onto market, starting at 284,800 yuan On April 23, the 2024 Sienna model under GAC Toyota officially hit the market, with prices ranging from 284,800 yuan to 395,800 yuan. This facelift model, featuring minor design changes, primarily enhances its tech features, seating comfort, and includes the addition of the new E-FOUR electronic all-wheel drive system. NIO opens EV charging network to DEEPAL's users On April 23, DEEPAL, the new energy vehicle brand under Changan Automobile, announced that it has officially signed a cooperation agreement with NIO on electric vehicle (EV) charging interoperability. SAIC Motor's MG to debut MG EXE181 concept model at Auto China 2024 Recently, SAIC Motor's MG brand officially released the official images of the MG EXE181 concept car model, which is crafted by SAIC's UK Advanced Design Studio, drawing creative inspiration from across the globe. NETA Auto's NETA L REEV model goes on sale On April 22, Chinese new energy vehicle maker NETA Auto put its fire new mid-sized SUV model, the NETA L, onto the market. Coming with four trim levels, the new model is priced between 129,900 yuan and 159,900 yuan. JETOUR T2 hits market, starting at 179,900 yuan On April 22, the JETOUR T2 officially hit the market on April 22 as a new compact plug-in hybrid electric SUV under Chery's JETOUR brand. The vehicle comes in three variants, with prices ranging from 179,900 yuan to 209,900 yuan. GAC INTERNATIONAL launches EMZOOM model in Malaysia On April 18th, GAC INTERNATIONAL, an international business unit of GAC GROUP, hosted a launch conference for the EMZOOM model in Malaysia. The launch of the EMZOOM demonstrates GAC's strong market confidence through its competitive pricing. At the launch conference, GAC INTERNATIONAL announced the pricing of the EMZOOM in the Malaysian market and expressed its commitment to providing local consumers with high-value sales policies and service experiences beyond expectations. All-new AITO M5 hits market, starting at 249,800 yuan On April 23, the all-new AITO M5, the premium new energy SUV jointly developed by Huawei and SERES, officially hit the market with a starting price of 249,800 yuan. ZF Group to establish Passive Safety Systems APHQ, R&D center in Jiading District, Shanghai On April 22, the government of Anting Town and ZF Group inked a cooperation agreement, under which the ZF Passive Safety Systems Asia-Pacific headquarters (APHQ) and R&D center will be set up in Anting Town of Jiading District, Shanghai. Tesla to adopt Baidu Maps V20 smart navigation system in China At the Baidu Apollo automotive intelligence product launch event held on April 22, Baidu Maps V20 version made its debut, unveiling four major versions. Baidu's Vice President, Shang Guobin, stated that Baidu Maps V20 will be fully rolled out soon, supporting in-car 3D lane-level navigation. He also announced that Tesla models in China will be the first to be equipped with the Baidu Maps V20 3D Leading Edition, with rollouts to both new and existing Tesla owners starting in May. Haomo.ai nabs 300 million yuan in Series B2 financing round On April 23, Haomo.ai, the autonomous driving tech company backed by Great Wall Motor, announced it received 300 million yuan in Series B2 financing. Chery sees 800,000th Tiggo 7 SUV roll off production line On April 22, Chery Auto celebrated a remarkable milestone as the 800,000th Tiggo 7 SUV rolled off the production line. Momenta, Qualcomm launch new intelligent driving solutions Leading autonomous driving technology company, Momenta, in collaboration with global automotive technology innovator Qualcomm, announced on April 22 the launch of a range of scalable intelligent driving solutions for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD) functionalities. Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, reacted ironically on Tuesday to the information that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) decided to withdraw Catalin Cirstoiu's candidacy and propose separate candidates for Bucharest mayor general. "Tough decision for the real estate mafia. Whose campaign should they finance?" the mayor wrote on Facebook. The coalition decided on Monday night to propose separate candidates for Bucharest mayor general, respectively Gabriela Firea - PSD and Sebastian Burduja - PNL, to maximise the electorates of the two parties, according to political sources. The sources said that the two candidates for mayor will not attack each other in the campaign, but will have a constructive campaign, focused on solutions for Bucharest. The decision was taken after a meeting of the governing coalition that started on Monday, around 10,00, which lasted more than 13 hours and which focused on an analysis on whether to continue support for the candidacy of Dr. Catalin Cirstoiu for the post of Capital mayor. A Thirteen finalist bands from ten countries will take part in Jazz in the Park, the biggest competition in Eastern Europe, from 5 to 7 July. "The biggest jazz competition in Eastern Europe returns to Cluj with young talents, which are the 13 finalist bands that will perform at Jazz in the Park Competition 2024. The Central Park in Cluj-Napoca will come to life again at the biggest jazz competition in Eastern Europe in terms of prizes and number of participants: the Jazz in the Park Competition! 13 young bands from 10 countries are the finalists of the 7th edition of the international competition that will take place on 5-7 July 2024. As usual, admission to the event will be free. This year's competition saw a record number of entries: 246 bands from 39 countries. The 13 finalist bands will have the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of a festival," reads a release the organisers sent on Tuesday. The 13 finalists will perform in front of thousands of people and enjoy a festival atmosphere. The total prize money for the winners is more than 35,000 euros. The judging will be done by a different jury from the pre-selection stage and will be announced soon. They will take into account the quality of the performance, the cohesion of the group, originality, compliance with organisational specifications and stage presence. According to the organisers, the Jazz in the Park Competition 2024 finalists are (in alphabetical order): 2. Anna Hauss (Germany) 3. Chief's Condition (Holland) 4. daoud (France) 5. David Luca Quartet (Romania) 6. Jazz Family Trio "ShekBand" (Ukraine) 7. kitti (Scotland) 8. Lyder Quintet (Norway) 9. MAGRO (Germany) 10. Nonconformist Anthology (Romania) 11. Razvan Cipca Trio (Romania) 12. Subconscious Trio (Italy) 13. Zouratie Kone Trio (Belgium) AGERPRES special correspondent to Seoul, South Korea, Oana Ghita reports: The current global crises require increased efforts to defend the international order, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis told a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday. "What we want is a safer and more stable world," Iohannis said. He added that he is paying attention to the bilateral relationship and food security and efforts to increase the connection between Constanta and Busan ports. He also said that bilateral nuclear energy co-operation has progressed a lot. The Romanian head of state was on a three-day official visit to South Korea. The Social Democratic Party - National Liberal Party (PSD - PNL) coalition decided to go with separate candidacies for the office of Bucharest mayor general, respectively Gabriela Firea (PSD) and Sebastian Burduja (PNL), in order to maximise the electorates of the two parties, political sources told stiripesurse.ro The decision was taken after a meeting of the governing coalition that began on Monday, around 10,00, which lasted more than 13 hours and which focused on an analysis of the continued support for the candidacy of Dr. Catalin Cirstoiu for the post of mayor general of the capital. The meeting was convened following the information published in the press about the state of incompatibility of Catalin Cirstoiu, who as manager of the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital had been passing consultations at a private clinic. During the meeting, Cirstoiu was asked to withdraw from the electoral race, but he said that the decision belonged to the coalition. According to the sources, in Monday's meeting of the governing coalition it was agreed that in the election campaign the two candidates - Gabriela Firea and Sebastian Burduja - will not attack each other, but will have a constructive campaign based on solutions for Bucharest. At the same time, the coalition leaders have decided that the candidates for the capital's districts will remain common, as will the lists for the local councils. This is similar to the decisions taken for Bacau and Brasov municipalities, said the political sources. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On April 23, Haomo.ai, the autonomous driving tech company backed by Great Wall Motor, announced it received 300 million yuan in Series B2 financing. Photo credit: Haomo.ai The B2 round financing was jointly invested by existing shareholder JZ Capital and Huzhou Changxing. This round of financing will be used to further strengthen Haomo.ai's investment in autonomous driving R&D, enhance the company's core competitiveness, and solidify its position in mass-produced autonomous driving technology industry in China. In just four years, Haomo.ai has emerged as a strong force in China's mass-produced autonomous driving tech sector. To date, Haomo's HPilot intelligent driving solution has been deployed in over 20 vehicle models, covering nearly 140 million kilometers of intelligent driving distance. Haomo.ai's HP170, HP370, and HP570 three-thousand-yuan level assisted driving products, offer high cost-effectiveness and meet the mass production needs of vehicles at different price points. They are scheduled for mass production and deployment in 2024. On the technological front, Haomo.ai focuses on the development of large-scale, high-computing, and data-driven autonomous driving technologies. The company launched the industry's first autonomous driving generative AI large model, the DriveGPT, which can significantly enhance the development of autonomous driving systems. The new development model and technological architecture will greatly accelerate the evolution of vehicle intelligence. Right Force party chairman Ludovic Orban comments on the information regarding the decision of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) to propose separate candidates for Bucharest mayor, saying that there is also good news in "this grotesque spectacle of the coalition parties," namely that Nicusor Dan will win a new mandate. "With one eye I laugh, with the other one I cry. I laugh, because I can't help it when I see how silly and pathetic they are. I cry with the other eye because I think that the poor country is at their mercy and in danger of remaining under this stigma of stupidity and thievery for another 4 years. There is some good news to be seen in this grotesque spectacle of the coalition parties that merged elections: Nicusor Dan will win a new mandate as mayor of the Capital. Victory that could mean the beginning of the end for the coalition parties," Orban wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. The coalition decided on Monday night to propose separate candidacies for mayor, respectively Gabriela Firea - PSD and Sebastian Burduja - PNL, in order to maximise the electorates of the two parties, according to political sources. The sources said that the two candidates for mmayor will not attack each other in the campaign, but will have a constructive campaign, focused on solutions for Bucharest. The decision was taken after a meeting of the governing coalition that started on Monday, around 10.00, which lasted more than 13 hours and which focused on whether to further support the candidacy of Dr. Catalin Cirstoiu for the post of Bucharest mayor. AGERPRES special correspondent to Seoul, South Korea, Oana Ghita reports: Romania's Defence Minister Angel Tilvar and his South Korean counterpart Shin Won Sik signed on Tuesday a defence co-operation framework agreement as part of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis' official visit to South Korea. According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the agreement lays the foundations for co-operation in specific areas of defence co-operation, military education and training, as well as dialogue on strategic and defence issues. The document facilitates the procedures for opening offices of military attaches in Bucharest and Seoul. In the presence of President Klaus Iohannis and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, other documents were signed. Head of Romania's Emergency Management Department (DSU) Raed Arafat and South Korea's Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang Min signed a memorandum of understanding on emergency management co-operation and disaster management and safety. "Following the large-scale events caused by the impact of the emergencies of the last three years, Romania and Korea have strengthened their position as partner states through joint operations and mutual assistance. The document outlines co-operation in the areas of emergency and disaster management and safety through exchange of experiences, policies, technology, information, joint scientific achievements and research, participation in workshops, exhibitions and seminars, training including on climate-induced crises, new and emerging risks and large-scale and complex disasters. The document is not subject to the provisions of Law 590/2003 on treaties," according to the Romanian Presidential Administration. Foreign Affairs Minister Luminita Odobescu and her South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul signed a memorandum of understanding on culture, media, youth and sports. The memorandum is designed to encourage an exchange of experts in the field of heritage preservation and the exchange of information and best practices in the areas of conservation and restoration, archaeology, architecture, as well as cultural policies and strategies. Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja and South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Dukgeun signed a memorandum of co-operation on nuclear energy. Starting from the legal framework provided by the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation for the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy, signed on February 3, 2004, the current MoC identifies opportunities for bilateral co-operation in the field of civilian use of nuclear energy, including on third markets. Also on Tuesday, a memorandum of co-operation was signed between the Romanian Agency for Foreign Investment and Trade (ARICE) and KOTRA. Under this agreement signed by Rares Burlacu, ARICE chairman, and Jeoung-Yeol Yu, president and CEO of KOTRA, ties between the two entities will be developed in order to promote co-operation in the areas of trade and investment between Romania and outh Korea in accordance with the legislations of the two countries and taking into account the two countries' international commitments. Christian T. Gordon has joined St. Louis-based law firm Lewis Rice as a member in the Corporate Department. He will be practicing in the Environmental, Chemical & Toxic Tort and Real Estate practice groups. At Lewis Rice, a member is equivalent to a partner. Gordons practice focuses on assisting clients with environmental aspects of real estate and corporate transactions as well as regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Lewis Rice, Gordon served as a senior environmental law attorney in the legal arm of the United States Airforce, the Judge Advocate Generals Corps (JAG Corps). He has been focused on practicing environmental law since graduating with his Master of Laws (LLM) in Government Procurement and Environmental Law from the George Washington University School of Law in 2021. WEBSTER GROVES The Repertory Theatre St. Louis, one of the regions top playhouses, has hired a new artistic director, a key role as the organization fights to return to financial stability after a disappointing few years. And the name of the hire may be familiar to some: Kate Bergstrom was just at the Rep in December directing her second show here, Its a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Bergstrom applied for the top artistic spot at the Rep before the play even finished its run. My time spent here as a director has just galvanized my spirit to be in St. Louis as much as possible, she says. She joins the Rep at a difficult time. The Augustin Family Artistic Director role has been empty since June, when Hana Sharif left the position after a five-year tenure to take a job at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. The company lost around 9,000 subscribers between 2019 and 2023, due to the pandemic and a roster of plays that didnt always resonate with audiences. This, accompanied by a decline in corporate giving for the company and increased costs, led to a polycrisis, Executive Director Danny Williams told the Post-Dispatch. Williams organized a Rally for the Rep, a campaign to raise $2.5 million last fall to fix a budget shortfall. New Artistic Director Bergstrom was aware of the companys troubles, which were unfolding during the run of her holiday play. Still that didnt deter her, and actually, according to Williams, didnt hinder the search. He says 75 people applied, many of whom had been guest directors or artists that had previously worked with the Rep. There was a really wonderful response from folks who had been here in a guest capacity, Williams says. Bergstrom knows that getting the organization fiscally healthy is critical. I consider it to be a huge part of my job this year, she says. Prioritizing fiscal health and organizational health means deepening relationships. She also hopes to sidestep alienating subscribers with a deep listening of the St. Louis community. While Williams programmed the Reps 2024-25 season, Bergstrom is still excited about it, and hopes that titles like Dial M for Murder and Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood draw multi-generational audiences. Bergstrom will be in charge of selecting the plays and musicals for the 2025-26 year. Currently a freelance director based out of New York City, Bergstrom has worked with theater companies across the country, including Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Trinity Rep at Brown University, and Marin Theatre Company in California. Her first project with the Rep was 39 Steps, a play based on the Alfred Hitchcock film, in 2022. From the moment Hana and Danny and the team invited me for 39 Steps, I felt this kindredness here, Bergstrom says. Brian Clevinger, the Reps Board President, describes Bergstrom as magnetic, dynamic and charismatic and says the board unanimously agreed she commanded a room. Bergstrom first got into directing as an undergraduate at UCLA. I remember a certain professor asking if I would be interested in taking a directing class. And that class changed my life, she says. She graduated in 2010 and worked around LA until her mom got sick with colon cancer and Bergstrom moved back to Santa Barbara to be with her. There in 2015, she founded On the Verge Summer Repertory Company, which focused on showcasing new plays with an emphasis on female, Black, LGBTQ+, and other playwrights. When her mom went into remission, Bergstrom left the West Coast to earn her masters in directing at Brown University. Later, she moved to New York. Post-pandemic, running On the Verge from the East Coast proved too difficult, and it closed in 2021. For the last two years, in addition to directing, Bergstrom has been leading the Big Eddy film Festival in New Yorks Catskills. The festival celebrates the intersection of the urban and rural imagination, she says. During her tenure there shes been focused on showcasing local talent. That focus is also going to inform her time at the Rep, she says. Its all about the unchanging factor of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis being St. Louis. So come through that door. Lets make work thats relevant to you. Bergstrom, who identifies as nonbinary and uses she/they pronouns, has used interpersonal connections to navigate her politicized identity. The relationships that Ive built transcend identity so often, and yet respect identity, she says. And this experience runs the gamut from family members and friends who have very different political leanings than I, to folks who are kindred in the LGBTQIA world. She says that happens when you lead from a space of respect and listening, which is what Bergstrom calls heart-forward leadership and what she plans to do at the Rep. Im hoping that I can create rooms where everyone else feels safe and ready to jump in, with their hearts on their sleeves and their best foot forward, she says. Bergstrom will start in her new role on May 13. She has already bought a house in Lafayette Square, where shell move with her husband, Mike Riley, and dog Crispy. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 23, DEEPAL, the new energy vehicle brand under Changan Automobile, announced that it has officially signed a cooperation agreement with NIO on electric vehicle (EV) charging interoperability. Photo credit: DEEPAL Under the agreement, starting in May, the 200,000 DEEPAL users will be able to charge their vehicles at over 20,000 NIO charging stations nationwide. DEEPAL cars' owners will be able to use the DEEPAL App and in-car systems to locate, navigate to, and activate NIO's facilities and fulfill payments. In addition to DEEPAL, NIO has stated that it will also establish charging interoperability with apps, mini-programs, and in-car systems from other brands under Changan Automobile. NIO has already forged similar partnerships with SAIC General Motors (SAIC-GM), Geely Automobile, and Ji Yue. On April 18, SAIC-GM announced its cooperation with NIO, adding more than 10,000 NIO EV charging spots to SAIC-GM' Ultium energy replenishment network. According to their agreement, SAIC-GM will integrate its vehicles with NIO's charging stations, covering multiple high-frequency locations such as highways, business districts, office areas, residential areas, tourist spots, and hotels. On April 3, Wuhan NIO Energy Co., Ltd. ("NIO Energy") and Wuhan Jidu Automobile Service Co., Ltd., the entity behind Baidu and Geely's cooperative Robocar brand Ji Yue, formally announced the cooperation on interconnecting their charging networks in Wuhan city, Hubei province. The collaboration will entail Ji Yue gradually integrating into NIO Energy's nationwide network of open charging stations, spanning across various high-traffic scenarios such as expressways, business districts, office districts, residential compounds, scenic spots, and hotels. Subsequently, Ji Yues users will be able to access real-time information about NIO's charging piles, including their locations, prices, and current statuses, through the Ji Yue's APP, Robocar mini-program, and energy mini-program. They can efficiently carry out operations such as charging and payment by scanning QR code. On March 27, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. officially signed an open platform cooperation agreement with NIO Energy. Per the agreement, vehicle owners of Geely's Galaxy range, GEOME range, Lynk & Co, ZEEKR, and smart brands will gain access to real-time information about NIO charging piles via their respective brand apps. This information includes location, pricing, availability, and navigation guidance, facilitating seamless charging experiences. WEBSTER GROVES Residents here will be able to meet tonight with four finalist candidates to become the city's next top cop and provide feedback on who they want the city to hire. The city is hosting a "meet and greet" from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Webster Groves City Hall with the four finalist candidates selected after a national search for someone to lead police in the suburb of about 24,000 residents. Webster Groves City Manager Marie Peoples, who under the charter appoints the city's police chief, encouraged public feedback from the event. "I am eager to see a strong showing of our community at this forum, and encourage everyone to meet the police chief finalists," Peoples said in a statement. "This forum provides an avenue for residents to interact directly with the finalist and to provide valuable input as we finalize the selection process." The person hired in Webster Groves would replace Dale Curtis, who retired in December after 27 years as chief. The city's police department includes 48 officers and two administrative employees. The new chief would be paid a salary of between $110,635 to $154,898. Finalists for the job include one current Webster Groves officer, acting chief Gregory Perks. The other three finalists are: Vincent Acevez, deputy director of the Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security for Cook County, Illinois, part of the Chicago metro area. Lt. Nathan Thompson, a police commander in Lancaster, Texas, which is part of the Dallas metro area. Philip Lukens, former police chief in Alliance, Nebraska. Lukens is also under consideration for the job of police chief in Bellefontaine Neighbors, a north St. Louis County suburb of about 10,450 residents. Aldermen there voted Monday night to confirm the mayor's decision to appoint Lukens as chief, should he take the job. Lukens was one of two finalists and a total ten candidates for the position. Lukens did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Lukens remained in the running for the Webster Groves job as of Tuesday, said Eric Peterson, assistant city manager. The public forum Tuesday is at city hall at 4 E. Lockwood Avenue. A recording of the meeting will also be published on the city's YouTube channel. UNITED NATIONS An independent review of the neutrality of the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees found that Israel never expressed concern about anyone on the staff lists it has received annually since 2011. The review was carried out after Israel alleged that a dozen employees of the agency known as UNRWA had participated in Hamas Oct. 7 attacks. In a wide-ranging 48-page report released Monday, the independent panel said UNRWA has robust procedures to uphold the U.N. principle of neutrality, but it cited serious gaps in implementation, including staff publicly expressing political views, textbooks used in schools the agency runs with problematic content and staff unions disrupting operations. It makes 50 recommendations to improve UNRWAs neutrality. From 2017 to 2022, the report said, the annual number of allegations of neutrality being breached at UNRWA ranged from seven to 55. But between January 2022 and February 2024, U.N. investigators received 151 allegations, most related to social media posts made public by external sources, it said. In a key section on the neutrality of staff, the panel, which was led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, said UNRWA shares lists of staff with host countries for its 32,000 staff, including about 13,000 in Gaza. But it said Israeli officials never expressed concern and informed panel members it did not consider the list a screening or vetting process but rather a procedure to register diplomats. The Israeli Foreign Ministry informed the panel that until March 2024 the staff lists did not include Palestinian identification numbers, the report said. Apparently based on those numbers, Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations, the panel said. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this to the refugee agency. Colonna stressed that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed the independent review panel to review UNRWAs neutrality not to investigate Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staffers participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. Guterres ordered the U.N. internal watchdog, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, known as OIOS, to conduct a separate investigation into those Israeli allegations. It is a separate mission. And it is not in our mandate, Colonna said. She also said it is not surprising that Israel did not provide evidence of its allegations to the refugee agency because it doesnt owe this evidence during the investigation to UNRWA but to the OIOS. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday that the U.N. hopes to have an update from OIOS in the coming days. He said its investigators have been in contact with Israeli security services. Israels allegations led to the suspension of contributions to UNRWA by the United States and more than a dozen other countries. That amounted to a pause in funding worth about $450 million, according to Mondays report, but a number of countries have resumed contributions. Israels Foreign Ministry on Monday called on donor countries to avoid sending money to the organization. The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas infiltration of UNRWA, ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said. This is not what a genuine and thorough review looks like. This is what an effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on looks like. Colonna urged the Israeli government not to discount the independent review. Of course you will find it is insufficient, but please take it on board. Whatever we recommend, if implemented, will bring good, she said. The report stresses the critical importance of UNRWA, calling it irreplaceable and indispensable to Palestinians human and economic development in the absence of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pivotal in providing life-saving humanitarian aid and essential social services, particularly in health and education, to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank. Dujarric welcomed this commitment to UNRWA and said the report lays out clear recommendations, which the secretary-general accepts. The U.N. hopes to see the return of donors as well as new donors following the reports release, he said. UNRWAs Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said safeguarding the agencys neutrality is criticcal to its work and it is developing a plan to implement the reports recommendations. With Israel calling for the breakup of the agency, Lazzarini told the U.N. Security Council last week that dismantling UNRWA would deepen Gazas humanitarian crisis and speed up the onset of famine. International experts have warned of imminent famine in northern Gaza and said half the territorys 2.3 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation if the Israeli-Hamas war intensifies. The review was conducted over nine weeks by Colonna and three Scandinavian research organizations: the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. April 23, 2024: In early 2024 an Israeli Saar (Saar) corvette experienced its first combat action off the Israeli Red Sea port city of Eilat at Israels southernmost tip at the north end of the Gulf of Aqaba, which is on the east side of the Sinai Peninsula. On the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula is the Red Sea leading to the Egyptian Suez Canal. Using the corvettes onboard C-Dome air defense system, a Tamir missile shot down a missile fired by Yemeni Shia Houthis rebels in nearby Yemen. Israel stationed several Saars in the Red Sea after Israeli ground forces began fighting Hamas in southern Israel. The Israeli warships were to ensure that there was no threat to ships headed for Eilat. A Houthi UAV was sent to attack Eilat and one of the Saars use a Tamir missile to destroy the UAV. C-Dome is the ship based version of land based Iron Dome air defense system. This was the first time C-Dome systems installed on the Saars was used in combat. All the Saar-type ships exist to guard Israeli offshore assets. Off the Mediterranean Coast there are Israeli natural gas fields. Israel began pumping natural gas in 2013 from deposits discovered and developed since 2008. Israeli firms have found over $200 billion worth of oil and gas there so far. Israel is using these finds to achieve energy independence. The offshore facilities and pipelines must be defended from terrorists and military threats. Some of the offshore gas wells are within range of rockets fired from Gaza or southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah does as it wants. Unguided rockets are not accurate enough to hit a gas well unless dozens or more were fired at once. To counter that tactic some of the offshore platforms were equipped with Iron Dome batteries. Iron Dome and C-Dome have a unique feature in which the radar system computes where the incoming rocket will land. If the rocket will not hit an inhabited (by ships, people, or offshore facilities) area, it will be ignored. Otherwise, an interceptor missile will be fired. In 2023 Israel finally got all four of their new Saar 6-class corvettes operational. This came two years after the ships were completed in Germany. At that point the Saars had most of their weapons and other equipment, but it required another two years in Israel to install and test additional top-secret weapons, sensors, and communications systems. In late 2o21 the last of these four Saar 6 corvettes arrived in Israel from Germany, where it was built. This came eight months after the first one arrived from Germany, where the Israeli crew conducted sea trials and other tests before making the two-week voyage to Israel. The other three did not linger in Germany and the Israeli crews quickly brought their new ships home. Israeli-designed electronics and weapons systems are only installed in their foreign-built warships once those arrive in Israel, a process that normally lasts about several months. That proved to be overly optimistic for the Saar 6s and it required about two years per ship to install and check out the new weapons and equipment. The German builders installed structures as well as power connections and wiring so the Israeli-made equipment could be quickly installed. These weapons and electronics are Israeli-designed and built and contain a lot of tech that Israel does not share. This sometimes causes problems with foreign supplied ships and aircraft. For example, Israel was one of the first export customers to receive the American F-35 stealth fighter. Israel planned to install their own modifications to the complex software systems that give the F-35 unique capabilities. The Americans initially refused to give Israel access to the source code for that software so that modifications could be made in Israel by Israelis. The U.S. and Israel have a long and successful history of jointly developing new weapons systems and those deals usually involve sharing new tech with each other. The U.S. considered the F-35 a special case and it took months of negotiations before Israel was allowed to make its modifications to the software. Details of that deal were kept secret, but the Israeli version installed in the unique Israeli F-35I were apparently shared with the United States. The F-35I was the first F-35 to operate in a combat zone (Syria) and use that tech against the most modern Russian air defense and EW (Electronic Warfare) systems. The U.S. apparently got access to the results of those encounters, which were successful and somewhat alarming for the Russians and Iran. Some of the electronics and weapons capabilities in the Saar 6 are similarly new and meant to provide an unpleasant surprise for any future combat opponents. In addition, the 1,900-ton Saar 6s are the largest new ships to serve in the Israeli Navy. The Saar 6 is based on the 1,800-ton German Braunschweig-class corvettes, which have been in service since 2008 and proven reliable and effective. Germany also builds submarines for Israel, which are modified to the point where they are considered a major upgrade to the German Type 212 and 214 subs German builds for itself and several export customers. Germany would like to form a joint development deal with Israel similar to the ones that Israel has long had with the United States. This has proved difficult to do because, while German shipbuilders see the advantages, European governments still have problems with anti-Semitism and are reluctant to cooperate as closely with Israel as the Americans do in developing new military tech and keeping the tech details secret. That may be changing because of Israel finally forming diplomatic and joint defense arrangements with Arab governments that long maintained this could never happen. These Arab states, like the Americans, recognize that Israel is the most democratic, economically successful, and militarily advanced nation in the Middle East. The Arab states wanted stronger defenses against aggressive neighbors like Iran. Europe sees Iran more as a business opportunity than a military threat. The 1,900 ton Saar 6 design contains more weapons and new electronics than ever and has undergone upgrades even while under construction. For example, in early 2017 the design was modified to improve anti-missile capabilities. This increased the number of VLS (vertical launch system) cells to include forty Tamir (range 70 kilometers) missiles used by the C-Dome (ship-based Iron Dome) system on these ships. Another 32 VLS cells contain Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles which can handle aircraft and missiles out to 110 kilometers. The 90-meter (288 foot) long Saar 6 is equipped with an AESA radar like the one used for the American Aegis system. Both Barak 8 and C-Dome missiles use the same Israeli designed AESA radar and fire control system. Currently the Israelis have fifteen Saar type ships in service; four Saar 6, three Saar 5 and eight Saar 4.5. All of the older Saar 4s were retired, sold off, or converted to Saar 4.5. The older Saar 4.5s are 500-ton ships that are 61.7 meters (203 feet) long and heavily armed with a 76mm gun, eight anti-ship missiles, 32 anti-aircraft missiles, a Phalanx anti-missile 20mm autocannon, a 25mm autocannon, two 20mm autocannon, two 12.7mm machine-guns, a helicopter, and an extensive set of electronics (for a ship of that size). The Saar 5 and Saar 6 were similar in concept but larger. Israel also has five submarines and 45 patrol boats. Israel is getting a sixth submarine and building new 800-ton Reshef-class corvettes to replace the older450-ton Saar 4.5 ships. Israel is also building 1,000-ton Saar S-80 class corvettes. These ships are designed for long ocean voyages as well as local operations. Since the early 1970s Israel has built 36 Saar type ships. This began with the Saar 1, 2, and 3 classes of fast missile boats, all under 250 tons. These boats were variants on older German designs. The Saar 4 were a unique Israeli design for a 450-ton warship built in Israel and armed with eight anti-ship missiles, a Phalanx anti-missile 20mm autocannon plus a rather complete set of electronics for a ship of that size. These could stay out for about ten days at a time, had a top speed of 60 kilometers an hour, a crew of 45, and entered service in 1972. In 1980 the Saar 4.5 class vessels arrived as a major upgrade to Saar 4. Five 4.5s were exported but most were used by Israel. The three Saar 5 class corvettes (also referred to as the Eilat class) were, because of their size, built in the United States. The 1,075-ton vessels are 85.6 meters long and carry an impressive amount of firepower that includes 64 Barak surface-to-air missiles, eight Harpoon (or Gabriel) anti-ship missiles, two triple 12.75-inch torpedo tubes firing Mk 46 torpedoes, two 25mm Sea Vulcans, a 20mm Phalanx CIWS (for destroying incoming missiles), and a helicopter. Top speed is 61 kilometers per hour. There is a crew of 74. These vessels entered service in 1993 and 1994. The Saar 6 may be the last of the many Saar type ships Israel had developed since the 1970s. Before Saar 6, there were three 1,075-ton Saar 5s and Israel is not sure more of these large ships are what they need. The much larger Saar 6s is something of a specialist ship. They are armed with a 76mm gun, anti-missile/aircraft systems and anti-ship missiles. Saar 6 has a max speed of 46 kilometers an hour and normal endurance of 10-12 days. Crew size is 70 and these ships have a longer range than earlier Saars. That means anywhere in the Mediterranean or to the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, or Persian Gulf. Israel held joint naval training exercises in the Red Sea with American warships. This took place off the Saudi coast with the approval of the Saudis who want to establish closer military ties with Israel. That process must proceed slowly because for nearly a century the Saudi Kingdom has been a major opponent of an independent Jewish state in the region. Saudi leaders have changed their minds but getting the Saudi population to go along takes longer. This new cooperation was stalled when Hamas attacked Israelis in Gaza during October 2023. Over a thousand Israelis were killed, which Hamas considered a great victory. Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen were ordered to use more of the guided missiles and unguided rockets Iran has been sending them for years. Israel spent $100 million to equip all its Saar type ships with the latest version of the 76mm Oto Melara rapid fire cannon. The Israeli Navy has wanted these guns for a long time and American sailors who used them on the U.S. Perry class frigates spoke highly of them, as did sailors in navies throughout the world. Some 40 other navies have used these innovative naval guns, and all have been satisfied. The 76mm Oto Melara has a 4.7-meter barrel and is operated remotely. The gun has an 80-round magazine under the gun turret and can fire up to 80 rounds a minute at surface targets. Thats apparently what the Israelis want the 76mm gun for, especially because a primary threat is many, up to dozens, of speedboats armed with missiles and rockets, or packed with explosives for suicide attacks. This is a tactic favored by Iran and its Lebanese franchisee Hezbollah. The 76mm gun can hit small targets, including cruise missiles, out to 20 kilometers, or twice that using a smaller guided shell. The standard 76mm shell is 12.5 kg, which is capable of accurately hitting and destroying small speedboats. The gun could hit about 60 targets in a few minutes. The fire control systems on all the Saar ships were upgraded in general and this will include the ability to handle the new 76mm gun. All active Saar type ships have received new Israeli made radars and EW (Electronic Warfare) equipment. SAN FRANCISCOFalcon|NakedSword president and CEO Tim Valenti on Tuesday announced that award-winning international performer Sir Peter has signed an exclusive contract with the studio group. Under the agreement, Sir Peter will appear in a series of major titles for NakedSword Originals, Falcon Studios and Raging Stallion Studios, among other Falcon|NakedSword brands; in addition, he will produce unique and innovative content for the company. The multi-hyphenates first project as an exclusivea limited series under the new NakedSword X Sir Peter collaborative bannerdebuts today exclusively on NakedSword.com. Moreover, as Sir Peter travels through Europe with Falcon|NakedSword on his way to the 2024 Grabbys Europe ceremony, hell complete production on two forthcoming feature projects in Spain. The NakedSword X Sir Peter collaborative limited series is produced, directed by and stars Sir Peter. The four-part series was shot on location in Barcelona and gives fans a never-before-seen look at the star as he shares his thoughts on love, loyalty and sex work. The first episode, starring Sir Peter and adult legend Francois Sagat, is out now on NakedSword.com, with future episodesco-starring Bastian Karim, Lawson James and Marco Napolidebuting on NakedSword.com throughout May. For more than five decades, Falcon|NakedSword has been known for creating the most exciting, innovative and award-winning content, Sir Peter said. Being an exclusive model and producer for such a storied and notable brand is quite an honor. As big assets go, Sir Peter has already made invaluable contributions to hit movies including Strong Suit, Body & Sol and Islas Canarias, said Valenti. Now, as an exclusive model and producer, Sir Peter will bring his superstar prowess to a wide range of projects that will give fans a very personal and intimate look inside his life in Europe. April 23, 2024: Norway is working towards nearly doubling their defense spending through 2036, when annual defense spending will almost double its military budget and reach 3 percent of GDP by 2036. This is about $55 billion a year. This money will make possible the purchase of more warships and reconnaissance UAVs as well as the formation of more infantry brigades to protect areas threatened by Russian forces. Over the next decade the navy will receive five new 4,300-ton frigates, each carrying an ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) helicopter. There will be ten smaller warships using a new standardized design and the ability to add or remove modular weapons and support systems. With these smaller ships the emphasis is on ASW warfare. The navy will also be receiving five new submarines and over a dozen auxiliary vessels for mine clearing and offshore patrol. The navy is replacing its force of elderly P-3 maritime patrol aircraft with a larger number of maritime patrol UAVs that can patrol more frequently the northern waters near the Russian Kola base area. Norway has a new ally in the north because Finland joined NATO recently. Finland already has forces deployed along its long border with Russia. In the north, the Finnish border reaches an area where Norwegian, Finnish, and Russian forces are facing each other. The Norwegian Army is forming two new infantry brigades, one of them based near the short land border with Russia in northern Finland near Norway and the Russian border. All three countries have military, naval and air forces in this area. Norway was one of the original NATO members when NATO was formed shortly after World War II ended. Finland is one of the newest NATO members, joining in 2023. Neighboring Sweden, which has been neutral for two hundred years, abandoned its neutral status and joined NATO in 2024. There is a long border between the two countries in northwestern Sweden and northeastern Finland. With Sweden now a NATO member, the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad between Poland and Lithuania, and the Russian city and port of St Petersburg at the eastern end of the Baltic Sea, are Russias only presence in the Baltic Sea. Otherwise, the Baltic Sea is surrounded by NATO members. This annoys Russian leader Vladimir Putin who ominously warns of possible Russian action in the future to expand the Russian presence in the Baltic Sea. Putin is also unhappy with the situation in northern Norway where Norway, Finland, and Russia border the Barents Sea. NATO regularly holds training exercises in this area to practice quickly bringing more, usually American, soldiers and marines into the area to reinforce Norwegian and Finnish forces. These exercises also involved American aircraft carrier task forces and warships from local NATO allies. The Russian Northern Fleet is based on the Kola Peninsula that is adjacent to Norway and Finland. This region, where the borders of Russia, Finland and Norway meet, are above the Arctic Circle and relatively warm only because the warmer Gulf Stream current runs through this area. This makes coastal areas very habitable. The farther inland you go, the more Arctic the climate becomes. For thousands of years the local population lived mainly on the coast. Thats why the relatively large area of Norway has a population of only 5.5 million. This is expected to grow to six million by 2040. Currently the Norwegian GDP is about half a trillion dollars and per capita GDP is over $100,000, which is one of the highest in the world with petroleum and natural gas accounting for a quarter of that GDP. The oil and natural gas are exported and nearly all the electricity generated in Norway comes from hydropower, dammed water released to operate electric generation turbines. Norway began developing this hydropower a century ago, after World War I. Norway did not participate in either of the World Wars although during World War II Nazi Germany occupied Norway to prevent the allies from using Norwegian resources, including those needed to create an atomic bomb. Norwegian resistance fighters and allied commandos carried out several operations to sabotage German efforts to use Norwegian resources for nuclear weapons research. Nazi Germany never came close to developing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile the Americans spent $5 billion to develop nuclear weapons and the B-29 bomber needed to carry it to targets. Only two targets were hit with nuclear weapons near the end of World War II, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima in Japan. This forced Japan to surrender, four months after the Germans did. The American nuclear weapons and B-29 bombers were originally meant for use against Germany, then Japan because it was known that the Japanese were willing to fight to the death while opposing an allied, mainly American, invasion. The nuclear weapons used against Japan shocked the stalwart Japanese government into surrendering. This was something Japan had never done before and some military officers tried, at the last minute, to disrupt the surrender plans. That effort failed, in part because the Americans indicated that they had more nuclear weapons and would keep bombing Japanese cities until Japan surrendered. The Americans did have more nuclear bombs, but they were still being assembled back in the United States after the first two were used against two Japanese cities. The Japanese surrender due to the nuclear bombs actually saved many Japanese lives. That is because two different alternate allied plans were to blockade Japan into submission through starvation, or to bomb Japanese cities with poison gas from the air and then invade, or both. Japan was already effectively blockaded by aircraft-delivered mines when the A-bombs dropped in August 1945. Japan could not produce enough food to feed its population. A blockade would have, after a few months, caused mass starvation in Japan which would have eventually led to millions of starvation deaths. The Army Chemical Corps estimated that the proposed gas attacks from the air would have killed at least five million Japanese within a month. These genocidal means were chosen as alternatives in case the A-bombs were unsuccessful because politicians back in the United States realized that the American people knew the Allies had won the war and wanted the troops to be brought back home as quickly as possible. There was no political support for prolonging the war. The war had already ended in Europe and Norway was free again. That led to punishing the Norwegian politicians who ran the government for the Nazis. Everyone was tired of this long war and supported the use of nuclear weapons to end it. After the war, Russia, Britain, and France developed nuclear weapons and the threat of those weapons being used again has made possible the longest period of peace between the major powers in history. The nuclear peace still holds, despite threats by some nuclear armed nations to use nukes. These are largely empty threats because a nuclear war would kill many millions and devastate the world economy. Its always possible that some mad national leader, like North Koreas Kim Jong Un, would use nukes but even that is doubtful. The North Korean people are more concerned with food shortages than nuclear war. At the other end of the economic spectrum, Norway is also opposed to any nuclear war or serious threats of starting one. Such threats do not make Russian leader Vladimir Putin look strong, but weak and somewhat deranged. Photo credit: The Stephen A. Smith Show After his latest Fox News appearance sparked outrage for seemingly defending Donald Trump comparing himself to the plight of Black Americans, Stephen A. Smith apologized. Im fully aware that Ive been in the news the last few days, paraded all over social media as well, after comments I made on my appearance on Fox Newss Hannity last week, with the one and only Sean Hannity himself, he said during the most recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast. And Im fully aware of the outcry that has ensued because of it. Let me explainone last time pic.twitter.com/6KQ77ALgPk Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 22, 2024 A lot of folks in Black America seem pretty pissed at me right now. From friends and loved ones to colleagues, contemporaries and dare I say even the NAACP itself. Quite a few folks were put off, if not flat out offended after my words were interpreted as associating support for Trump from the Black community with all the legal issues hes facing. For that, I sincerely apologize. To be clear, my words were misconstrued. Im stating right here, for the record that my words were taken out of context. Misrepresenting and depicting me in a way I found every bit as insulting and disrespectful as folks in Black America evidently felt about what they thought I said. But Ill own it anyway. Because you know, please know that I know, the buck stops with me. While Smith ultimately acknowledged he was holding himself accountable for his words, he also made sure to note he felt those words were misconstrued, misrepresented, and taken out of context. During the appearance on Hannity, Smith prefaced his Trump comments by noting it was going to be the most uncomfortable thing that Ive ever had to articulate out of my mouth from a political perspective. But I gotta tell you something, Smith continued to Hannity. As much as people may have been abhorred by Donald Trumps statement weeks ago talking about how Black folks, hes hearing that Black folks find him relatable because of what he is going through is similar to what Black Americans have gone through, he wasnt lying! He was telling the truth. What Trump is going through is criminal indictments. And Trumps controversial statement that Smith appeared to label the truth, was when the former president boasted about his criminal indictments, claiming its the reason why hes gaining Black voter support. A lot of people said that thats why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, Trump said. And they actually viewed me as Im being discriminated against. Its been pretty amazing. It certainly seemed like Smith saw the above statement where Trump alleged hes being discriminated against like Black people have, and labeled it the truth. During his apology, Smith proceeded to cite publications and polls that have listed Trump as being ahead of incumbent Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election. Smith also cited headlines from the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and others touting Trump gaining Black voter support. Why did I say all of that? Smith asked. Because I wanted to show you, I didnt just open my mouth. I read, I listened, and Ive seen a momentum shift, as we all have. Anywhere I appear, no matter my subjectivity related to what I feel, is still going to be based on facts being presented into the stratosphere. That is who Ive always been, it is what I will always continue to be. But the outrage Smith garnered was never about acknowledging the fact that Trump has gained Black voter support. It was about the fact that it came across as a defense of Trump pushing a racial stereotype. Had Smith only acknowledged Trumps newfound support of Black voters, there would have been no controversy. But Smith knew what he was about to say was going to cause a stir, which is why he added it might be the most uncomfortable thing hes ever had to articulate. I hope everyone can understand and appreciate my intent, Smith said after his apology. But just because my intent was harmless, doesnt mean my words will harm less, and I know that. [The Stephen A. Smith Show] Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via USA TODAY Sports Its been more than seven months since WWE and UFC finalized their merger to form TKO Group Holdings and thus far, the crossovers between the professional wrestling and mixed martial arts giants have been few and far between. It appears, however, that the two sides are beginning to pick up the experimentation, with WWE announcing that its NXT Battleground premium live event will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 9. We are always exploring new frontiers to showcase NXT and we are excited to bring Battleground to this world-class event and production facility in partnership with UFC, WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels said in a release. Its unclear how many fans will be permitted to attend the first-ever WWE event at the 130,000-square foot UFC production facility, which is typically reserved for UFC Fight Night events and Dana Whites Contender Series. According to WWE, limited NXT Battleground Priority Passes will soon be available through its exclusive partner On Location, which is currently accepting deposits for presale opportunities. Another new frontier for #WWENXT Excited to join forces with @ufc & @danawhite to bring #NXTBattleground to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for its first-ever @WWE event on Sunday, June 9. pic.twitter.com/VtFafbV4QU Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) April 22, 2024 To this point, there has been limited crossover between WWE and UFC since the two companies merged last September, with perhaps the most notable exception being Michael Chandler cutting a pro wrestling-style promo challenging Conor McGregor during an episode of WWE Raw. Considering that NXT is WWEs quasi-developmental brand, one would imagine that the Apex hosting Battleground could potentially lead to additional crossover opportunities. To that end, its worth noting that Battleground will take place one week after Chandler and McGregor square off in their highly anticipated fight at the UFC 303 pay-per-view, which will also take place in Las Vegas (albeit at T-Mobile Arena). With WWE president Nick Khan having previously floated the idea of a WWE/UFC-style All-Star Weekend, the one-week difference between the two TKO events in the same city could make for an interesting test case. [WWE] Beatrice High School students had the opportunity to attend a career fair last Friday in the gym. NGage Community Affairs Coordinator Megan Wicht said it was an opportunity for students and the community to connect. We wanted to connect our local employers to students to let them know what internships, job shadows, apprenticeships, part-time and full-time work, and volunteer opportunities we have available in the community, she said. This year we had 29 businesses in attendance from a variety of different industries. The goal of this event is to build a local talent pipeline to help workforce issues. A strong talent pipeline requires that you get your company and its opportunities in front of students to build familiarity and interest in your company. It also requires that you identify and develop relationships with those who are well-suited to your careers. Guidance Counselor Jennifer Prososki said it was a successful event. It was a very successful event and the students really enjoyed themselves, she said. In addition to the businesses, there were three branches of the military and SCC-Beatrice that participated. The Chef's Specialty Family and Consumer Science class made lunch for the employers attending. Prososki explained that students had punch cards with sample questions. If the student returned the card with five contacts they were registered for donated prizes. I hope that each business walked away with a new applicant, she said. Assistant Principal Philip Voigt said they were trying to provide an opportunity. The idea behind the job fair and the value it brings to both our students and businesses within the community stems from creating an opportunity for a face-to-face experience, he said. In today's digital age, human-to-human connection can get lost amongst online applications and information distribution. This fair provides the platform for our students to interact in person with local businesses and begin to forge authentic relationships that we hope will grow into employment, internships and job shadows. Voigt noted that the community has a lot to offer in regard to business opportunities and BHS wants students to see that they can become a part of that straight out of high school or after they pursue further education. BHS and NGage plan to partner next spring for a similar event. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the National Park Service will welcome 25 U.S. Citizenship candidates to be naturalized during a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday at Homestead National Historical Parks Education Center in honor of National Park Week. The 25 citizenship candidates represent 14 countries, including Sudan, Vietnam, Burma Morocco and Ukraine. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. Honored guests and speakers include: Betty Boyko, park superintendent and Laureen Riedesel. Representatives of Nebraskas congressional delegation will also welcome the new citizens and guests with prepared remarks. Omaha Field Office Director Jeffrey Beil will administer the Oath of Allegiance and provide congratulatory remarks. B Capella, the Beatrice High School jazz choir will sing the national anthem. Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is conferred upon foreign citizens or nationals after fulfilling a set of requirements established by Congress. After naturalization, foreign-born citizens enjoy nearly all the same benefits, rights, and responsibilities that the U.S. Constitution gives to native-born U.S. citizens, including the right to vote. The Homestead Act had a tremendous impact upon immigration in the United States. Were honored to host Naturalization ceremonies at the park to reflect upon this part of our nations Homestead story, Boyko said in a news release. New citizens and guests can share their naturalization ceremony experiences and photos through social media, using the hashtag #NewUSCitizen Whether its strapping into wetsuits to snorkel for data or bringing the lab streamside to sample fish, the University of Montanas Fisheries Techniques class goes beyond classroom curriculum to get students hooked on the real-world applications of fisheries conservation and management. Led by Andrew Whiteley, an associate professor of fisheries and conservation genomics in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, the class provides second-year students with opportunities to dive into the science of fisheries, literally. With fieldwork that includes snorkeling in the Blackfoot River Basin and Gold Creek, students can immerse themselves in learning while making meaningful contributions to the conservation of Montanas aquatic ecosystems. Whiteleys vision is to empower students to address pressing issues facing fish in Montana and the wider Western region. Going beyond conventional learning, the class equips them with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle real-world challenges being seen in fisheries. At the heart of our class is the idea of applied management and conservation, Whiteley said. We discuss the big fisheries issues in the state, such as fragmentation of river and stream habitat and the influence of non-native fishes. We then learn about techniques and concepts fisheries biologists and researchers are using to inform data-driven solutions. Fisheries conservation and management is a high priority for a state where a staggering 1 million anglers travel to fish in its rivers and streams. The Fisheries Techniques class is just one of the ways the university is leading the charge in innovative research and education in fisheries management in the Western United States. UM has been at the forefront of fisheries genetics research since the early 1970s, when Fred Allendorf, UM Regents Professor Emeritus of Biology, along with Robb Leary, a former UM biology professor, established one of the nation's inaugural fish genetics laboratories. Recognizing the potential of this burgeoning field, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks partnered with Allendorf and Leary on a statewide genetic survey of Montanas native trout populations. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of one of the worlds most comprehensive databases on native trout. Whitelely arrived at UM a few decades later, obtaining his Ph.D. in organismal biology and ecology in 2005. After a few years in the field, he fulfilled his dream of returning to UM in 2016. Whiteleys own research works on habitat fragmentation and the dynamics between native and non-native fish populations in dammed river systems. In 2017, he secured $800,000 from the National Science Foundation to conduct a five-year study on small populations of trout and whether genetic rescue strategic relocation of fish to restore small and isolated populations works as a tool for conservation. That award was a CAREER grant from NSF, the most prestigious award offered to junior faculty and limited to only a handful of assistant professors each year. Whiteley said he feels privileged to continue the legacy left by Allendorf and Leary as principal investigator of the Montana Conservation Genomics Lab. Ryan Kovach, the State of Montana fisheries geneticist, is housed at the UM lab, which continues to play a pivotal role in most decisions made by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in the realm of fisheries management. Thats somewhat unusual, Whiteley said. You can find states where its incorporated, but there are a ton of states where its not used nearly to the same extent. We are towards the top. I credit that to the long-standing relationship and trust-building Fred and Robb built with FWP. In both the field and the classroom, Whiteleys students are actively involved in research aimed at informing the management of trout species by the state. They are at the forefront of addressing critical questions in conservation genomics, evolutionary biology and ecology all geared toward maintaining healthy fish populations in Montana. Collaborating closely with MFWPs state fish geneticist and research scientists, Whiteleys team furnishes genetic and genomics data, analyses and decision support pertaining to various species, including westslope cutthroat trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, bull trout, Arctic grayling and more. Our collaboration with MFWP and other agencies is instrumental in informing fisheries management decisions," Whiteley said. We analyze thousands of samples annually, and the partnership underscores our commitment to preserving Montana's native fish and their habitats. The students contributions extend beyond Montana, providing valuable data and research to entities such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Undergraduate student Max Posey, now a senior majoring in the terrestrial track of wildlife biology, took the Fisheries Techniques class in fall of 2021. He describes a field trip where he witnessed electrofishing a nonlethal method of gathering fish data for the first time. The process involves a small crew of three or four students who hike to a stream with a backpack that can produce small and controllable electrical output. Wading into the stream, the students then direct electrical probes to temporarily stun fish so they can net them and collect data from each fish. Through this practical application, students can accurately collect demographic information on the fish such as species and size range, which ultimately provides estimates of populations in a stream. The two most essential things I got from the class were that this type of work is enjoyable and applicable, Posey said. Its as hands-on as it gets, and youre able to gather a lot of really important data in the process. For Posey, the journey from the classroom to the stream was enough to get him officially committed to fisheries management. He worked for Nevadas Department of Wildlife the following summer and believes he was chosen for the position because of the Fisheries Techniques class. He now plans to become a fisheries biologist and hopes to continue working with Whiteley in UMs graduate school. Classes led by Whiteley are meant to expose students to fun field work that helps them understand the key challenges now impacting Montana's aquatic ecosystems. His hope is to prepare students like Posey for future careers in biology while also instilling a deep sense of stewardship for Montana's natural resources. Passion stirred up by the class is already having ripple effects, as one student expressed following a snorkeling field trip: This is exactly what I thought I would do when I came to Montana. Along the rim of an ancient volcanic caldera, flanked by lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce standing 7,733 feet above sea level, Yellowstone Lake sits at the heart of Yellowstone National Park is covered in thick ice, which is simultaneously consistent and against a backdrop of warming temperatures very surprising. High-elevation lakes around the world in recent decades have undergone measurable changes to freezing patterns, with ice forming later in the winter and breaking apart earlier in the spring. But at Yellowstone Lake, the largest high-elevation lake in North America, the winter freeze has been uncannily stable for close to 100 years, according to a study published last week in the Journal Environmental Research Letters. Pretty much every other lake in the world has shown later times when ice formed and earlier times when the ice melts off. The Yellowstone Lake hasnt changed, and thats why were so surprised, Lusha Tronstad, lead invertebrate zoologist with University of Wyomings Department of Zoology, told the Star-Tribune. Tronstad is among the team of researchers who show that Yellowstone National Parks eponymous lake is bucking a profound trend amongst lakes planetwide, a counterintuitive finding in light of the regions rising temperature. Since 1950, annual temperatures have increased by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit across the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The warning is even more pronounced at the high elevation of Yellowstone Lake, where air temperatures lifted by 2.5 degrees between 1980-2018. With air temperature increase driving ice phenology changes at lakes elsewhere, its expected to see freezing patterns here similarly impacted, but that isnt the case. The reason, researchers believe, relates to another shifting climatic trend: More snow. As temperatures have risen, snow accumulation at the lake has too. Since 1927, cumulative spring snow has nearly doubled from an average of 50 centimeters to 100 centimeters today. The increased snow has insulated the lake in the face of warming temperatures and kept ice formation patterns consistent. Shifts in local precipitation, especially increases in fall and spring snow, appear to be buffering ice phenology against warming temperatures, the study declares. This stands in contrast to sister ecosystems in the Green River Basin to the south, where snowfall has declined at high elevations, highlighting the nuances of climate change repercussions. The discovery is a testament to foresight of early park rangers, who in 1927 began penciling the lakes ice-on and ice-off dates into leather-backed notepads. And while data entry looks different today, the fundamental method is the same: Visual observation from vantages near the Lake Village Ranger Station. The findings add the uniqueness of an area already beloved by scientists, who in the years since early park rangers have unearthed a host of wonder: Thermal vents percolating up from the lake bed have create micro-environments colloquially, trout Jacuzzis where invertebrate food chains multiply quickly. All the while volcanic vents now known as resurgent domes lift and drop the lakebed by inches each year. Although, if snow trends reverse and regional warming continues, which is something researchers anticipate, the Yellowstone Lake ecosystem is bound to change. Hence, scientists will continue the long trend of data collection at the lake that began with park rangers 100 years ago. Things arent changing right now. But at some point, they will start changing and we need to keep an eye on the ecosystem and keep collecting data to understand how these changes will affect the ecosystem and how our species of interest could be affected by these changes in the future, said Tronstad, who has researched the lake for 20 years. Bloated budgets, outdated user experiences, lack of visibility: these are just a few of the issues plaguing todays service teams. Atlassian Intelligence, with powerful assistive and generative AI features, offers the ability for agents to provide instant, insightful answers, group similar incidents, generate knowledge base articles, and much more. Learn how these AI features can be instituted in Jira Service Management in this webinar. U.S. Coast Guard Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) and crew return to homeport in Alameda, Calif., Sunday, April 21, 2024. Stratton and crew conducted a 111-day Alaskan deployment to the Bering Sea. (Charly Tautfest/U.S. Coast Guard) The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton returned to its homeport in Alameda, Calif., on Sunday after a 111-day deployment to the Bering Sea. Strattons mission included protecting fishing vessels, search and rescue operations, and protection of the nations northern borders, according to a service news release. During deployment, the crew of the Stratton: Conducted 18 boardings in key Alaskan fishing spots such as Slime Bank, Dutch Harbor and St. Paul Island. Questioned 98 fishing vessels to ensure commercial vessels were legally operating in the region. Detained an individual who was wanted for an active arrest warrant. The individual was transported to local authorities in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The cutters presence in the region ensured rapid response to emergencies. A U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) crew member gets a warm welcome home after returning to Alameda, Calif., Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Charly Tautfest/U.S. Coast Guard) Im extremely proud of this crew and all they have accomplished, said Capt. Brian Krautler, commanding officer of Stratton. Their expertise and commitment enabled our successful operations. The Bering Sea is notorious for its harsh conditions, and our presence ensures rapid response to emergencies, safeguarding lives at sea. Also while deployed, Stratton regularly worked with Coast Guard Air Station Kodiaks MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and air crews. Stratton completed 363 helicopter landings with Jayhawk crews to conduct training and to improve search and rescue capabilities. Helicopter training included shipboard landings and on-deck and in-flight refueling. Commissioned in 2012, Stratton is one of four Coast Guard legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda. National Security Cutters are 418 feet long and 54 feet wide and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed in excess of 28 knots, and a range of 12,000 nautical miles. They can hold a crew of up to 170. The namesake of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton is Capt. Dorothy Stratton, who led the services all-female reserve force during World War II. Stratton was the first female commissioned officer in the Coast Guard and commanded more than 10,000 personnel. U.S. and Philippine troops will practice island raids during shoulder to shoulder exercise troops prepare to board a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey on Calayan Island, Philippines, April 23, 2023. (Paley Fenner/U.S. Marine Corps) Members of the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division and 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment will helicopter onto Philippine islands during a three-week annual exercise that kicked off this week. The Balikatan, or shoulder to shoulder, drills include 16,000 troops, mostly from the U.S. and Philippines, and occur amid high tensions over Beijings claims to maritime territory held by the Philippines in the South China Sea. Clashes between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards have increased near Second Thomas Shoal since last summer. Chinese vessels with water cannons blast Philippine resupply vessels bound for a ship stranded on the shoal off Palawan. The BRP Sierra Madre serves as Philippine outpost safeguarding its claims. The air assault component of the Balikatan exercise will start May 1 or May 2, Col. Rob Shaw, who commands 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, said by phone Tuesday from Fort Magsaysay, Philippines. Shaw, who leads a force of 750 soldiers in the Philippines, said planners have yet to decide which islands will be involved. During last years Balikatan, 25th ID soldiers, Marines and Filipino troops dropped onto the islands of Fuga, Calayan and Batan, which guard a key strait near Taiwan. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys fly over Calayan Island, Philippines, during a Balikatan drill on April 23, 2023. (Paley Fenner/U.S. Marine Corps) That drill sent a message to China that America is ready to defend its allys sea territory, Maj. Gen. Joseph Ryan, then-commander of 25th ID, said at the time. Chinas President Xi Jinping in December said Taiwan must inevitably reunite with the mainland, and his country has never renounced the use of force to do so. Next weeks air assault will involve members of 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, Shaw said. Theyll launch, along with Marines and Australian and Filipino troops, from bases on Luzon in CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters operated by the 25th ID Combat Aviation Brigade. We are showing that we can project force very quickly with a combined force, he said. We are going to integrate our partners in as many aspects of the tactical operation as we can. The 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Bronco Brigade is at the peak of its training cycle, having spent November at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center in Hawaii, Shaw said. Soldiers from the brigade arrived in the Philippines last month and participated in the Salaknib exercise with Filipino forces ahead of Balikatan. They will be in the islands until mid-June, he said. Trainers from 25th IDs Lightning Academy and their Filipino counterparts will provide jungle warfare instruction to 100 U.S. and Filipino troops during Balikatan, Shaw said. Getting to know the locals is an important aspect of the drills, the Bronco Brigades senior enlisted adviser, Command Sgt. Maj. Shawn Curry, said during Tuesdays phone call. For a lot of our soldiers, its the first time these young Americans have left the country, he said. For the Filipino Army its similar. Its the first time meeting American soldiers. (Jason Sandford/Stars and Stripes) Blace, Macedonia, April 1, 1999: Refugees forced onto trains in Pristinia, provincial capital of Kosovo, gather at the Macedonian border after being dropped off. The Macedonian government estimated that at least 40,000 refugees had entered the country since airstrikes began over Yugoslavia. Stars and Stripes reporters and photographers filed news stories from Macedonia and Albania as NATO intensified its air campaign in late March through April 1999 and refugees flooded out of Kosovo, looking for safety and security in Macedonia. Following the journalistic principle not to be part of the story, they filed stories about the lives of refugees and airmen, soldiers and sailors. But covering a war begets plenty of stories. Check out some of the reporters and photographers stories here. A NATO C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft, bringing personnel and cargo, taxis after landing at Air Base 201, Niger, Jan. 25, 2024. The Pentagon said April 22, 2024, that it is coordinating with Niger on the departure of more than 1,000 troops from the country. (Rose Gudex/U.S. Air Force) The U.S. military is doubling down on its counterterrorism mission in western Africa, even as it faces eviction from strategic bases in Niger, a dwindling number of able partners and a terrorism threat that poses little danger to the American homeland. U.S. Africa Command has been left scrambling for alternatives to carry out surveillance operations across an expanse of territory where terrorist attacks have been on the rise. The Defense Department is coordinating with Niger on the departure of more than 1,000 troops from the country, which for years was the centerpiece of U.S. security strategy in the Sahel region before a July coup upended everything. Well continue to explore options to ensure that we can continue to conduct the kinds of counterterrorism, advising, assisting and operations that we need to, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Monday. Airmen work in what would become the unmanned aircraft apron at Air Base 201, in Agadez, Niger, in 2018. The area where drones would be parked when they were not in operation was part of an Air Force project that was touted as the largest airman-led construction effort in history. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes) The turn of events in Niger comes only five years after the opening of a $110 million drone base in the city of Agadez, an Air Force project that was touted as the largest airmen-led construction effort in history. There is no avoiding that the loss of access to the two air bases in Niger is a setback not only for the United States, but also its allies and partners, both African and beyond, said J. Peter Pham, who served as a special U.S. envoy to the Sahel during the Trump administration. The U.S. campaign in Niger included a second drone base in the capital, Niamey. In the wake of the withdrawal from the country, a broader review of the American approach across the Sahel is needed, some analysts say. But with the Pentagon already scouting basing alternatives in the region, which stretches across North Africa along the Sahara Desert, there has been no signal of any major strategy shift. That suggests to me that there is no pause, said Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. There probably isnt a whole lot of time for what I would consider to be a thoughtful reflection on what just happened. And thats a little scary, quite frankly. While the U.S. carries out a wide range of aid and development efforts in Niger and across the Sahel region, American military activities get much of the attention. An Agadez vendor displays a rug during a bazaar at Air Base 201, Niger, March 2, 2024. A split with the U.S. means that Niger can expect to lose out on the hundreds of millions in aid it has received from the U.S. in recent years, possibly hurting the people of Niger economically. (Rose Gudex/U.S. Air Force) Operations have been going on there for decades, picking up momentum after 9/11, when the idea of nipping in the bud terrorism threats in far-flung places became a focal point. But while terrorism concerns brought U.S. forces to the region, the threats posed across the Sahel are largely localized, analysts argue. Theres a real possibility that we have overinflated and overstated the direct threat to vital U.S. interests in the region and beyond, Hudson said. A mix of militant groups operates across the Sahel, some of which advertise themselves as affiliates of the Islamic State or al-Qaida. But the groups bear little resemblance to the parent terrorist organizations that made their names carrying out attacks such as those on Sept. 11, 2001, or the ISIS march across Iraq and Syria several years ago. Most of the groups operating in the Sahel predate organizations such as ISIS, said Joseph Siegle, director of research for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington. They have their own ideology, their own leadership structure, their own funding mechanisms, he said. Theyre recruiting local fighters. And their aims are local for the most part. Some groups may posture ties to ISIS or Al-Qaida for street credibility, but theyre not taking directions from above, he said. Hudson added that those local groups are made up almost exclusively of disgruntled young people from the region who are frustrated by a lack of economic opportunity. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Keegan Bracewell teaches an explosive ordnance disposal class to Burkinabe soldiers in Pissy, Burkina Faso, in 2021. The country, in Africas Sahel region, is one where a coup has complicated U.S. efforts to coordinate with the government. (Nathan Hammack/U.S. Army) They really are seen as the sons of families in this region who have no other options in life, Hudson said. But how that relates to vital American interests and threats to the homeland isnt obvious or direct, and the U.S. could be overemphasizing the militarys role there, he said. In the Sahel, a string of coups has complicated U.S. efforts to coordinate with governments, not only in Niger but also in Mali and Burkina Faso. Last week, another U.S. partner in Africa, Chad, made threats about denying access to a base where a small number of U.S. troops operate. While its not yet clear how that situation will play out, the broader picture shows the United States losing sway. The turmoil also has opened the door to more Russian influence in the region, where Moscow has dispatched government-aligned military contractors and elements of its armed forces to various places. In the countries where military coups toppled elected governments, growing collaboration with the Russians is largely a regime protection racket, Siegle said. Basically, the Russians come help these regimes stay in power, he said. That works for the regime; that works for the Russians. But in the process, its an extractive relationship and its the citizens that are suffering, he said. Meanwhile, the Russians have not demonstrated interest in dedicating the kinds of resources and development aid that have been a feature of the U.S. strategy. A split with the U.S. means that Niger can expect to lose out on the hundreds of millions in aid it has received from the U.S. in recent years, Pham said. In the long run, it will be the people of Niger who pay the price for the juntas choices, he said. A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft sits on the tarmac at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The aircraft flew into Toussaint Louverture International Airport for the planned rotation of support and security augmentation personnel for the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. In support of the Department of State, U.S. Southern Command coordinated the airlift mission. (U.S. State Department INL, U.S. Southern Command) (Tribune News Service) The Biden administration sent sorely needed reinforcements to Haiti on Tuesday, deploying a U.S. military aircraft to Port-au-Prince weeks after notifying the U.S. Congress it would be providing millions of dollars worth of weapons and ammunition to help Haiti National Police officers take on ruthless gangs. The first aircraft to land on the countrys main runway since an insurgency by armed groups forced the cancellation of all domestic and international flights into the capital nearly two months ago, the military aircraft landed shortly before 11 a.m. Armed gangs are continuing to launch attacks on parts of the capital ahead of the swearing-in of a nine-member presidential council to lead a new political transition in the country. In a statement, the U.S. Southern Command, based in Doral, said Air Force C-130 plane flew into Toussaint Louverture International Airport for the planned rotation of personnel to support the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. The security and support personnel who arrived in Haiti will help ensure the U.S. embassy remains open, and operations continue, the statement said. The U.S. embassy remains focused on advancing U.S. government efforts to support the Haitian people, including mobilizing support for the Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces of Haiti, and creating conditions for free and fair elections. This is not the first time that the U.S. has sent in personnel since the violence. That deployment, however, took place via helicopters under the cover of darkness, leading some observers to believe that the aircraft and military personnel were testing the ability to land at the international airport. Haitian government officials have spent weeks tearing down homes around the perimeter to gain greater visibility and prevent gangs from getting on top of them to shoot onto the runway. The U.S. statement made no mention of supplies for Haiti cops. However, Haiti police sources said they were also expected and are greatly needed. Close to 20 officers have been killed or injured and 22 police stations have been pillaged or burned since the coordinated gang attacks erupted on Feb. 29. Since then, Port-au-Prince has remained under siege. Targeting key government infrastructures with automatic gunfire and looting, armed groups have destroyed and burned dozens of hospitals, schools, businesses and government buildings. They have also launched a series of simultaneous attacks in an attempt to take the international airport and the National Palace, which until now remain under the control of the Haiti National Police members of the small Armed Forces of Haiti. On Monday, as the United Nations Security Council met in New York to discuss the situation in Haiti, two voice recordings attributed to gang leader Jimmy Barbecue Cherizier circulated on social media. The voice urged the burning down of houses in the Lower Delmas neighborhood of the capital, which is under the gang leaders control. As they met, Security Council members continued to urge for the swift deployment of a multinational security force, led by Kenya, to assist the Haiti National Police. Recognizing that the Haiti National Police is the last line of defense, Robert Wood, the U.S. alternative representative for special political affairs to the U.N., commended the department and its specialized units. Woods said they have conducted successful counter-gang operations, and continue to improve coordination. So far, neither the U.S., which supports the Kenya-led mission, nor Kenya have provided a timetable for the missions deployment. However, several sources have told the Miami Herald that a deployment of some police officers is imminent. Of the 1,000 Kenyan officers who are supposed to serve as the backbone of the force, 400 have been vetted to make sure they have not committed human-rights violations a requirement for deployment while another 250 Jamaicans have also been vetted, a State Department spokesperson said. The ongoing attacks in Haiti have led to the deaths or injuries of more than 2,500 Haitians since the beginning of the year, the deadliest three-months since the United Nations began tracking armed violence by gangs in 2021. The attacks have also exacerbated an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis. More than with 5 million Haitians are in need of assistance while some 360,000 Haitians have had to flee their homes. Last month, in an attempt to help the Haitian police, President Biden ordered Secretary of State Antony Blinken to notify Congress of the intent to draw down $10 million worth of weapons and ammunition from U.S. agencies to send to Haiti. The donation of firearms to the Haiti National Police marks the first time the U.S., which had a policy of not arming the police, will provide the country with weapons. It is also the first time the U.S. will be assisting the Armed Forces of Haiti. Earlier this month, Biden authorized the State Department to notify Congress of the intent to direct a draw down of up to $60 million to provide necessary support to partner countries, including Kenya, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, for their personnel to participate in the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. Until the force is deployed, Haiti will need to increasingly rely on the specialized units of the Haiti National Police that, while successfully taking on gangs in complex operations and blocking takeovers of the airport and the central bank, have also struggled to reverse takeovers when they do happen. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters in New York on Tuesday that with the international airport in Port-au-Prince still closed, the main seaport barely functioning and roads leading out of the capital blocked, the procurement of essential supplies including food and medicine is becoming increasingly challenging. Fuel availability is also becoming a pressing issue with prices soaring on the black market and transportation costs also on the rise, he said. Fears of a fuel shortage have been exacerbated by a decision on Monday to suspend operations at Varreux, the countrys main fuel terminal, after armed attackers seized trucks and used empty containers, flatbeds and fuel tankers to block roads in Lower Delmas as well as La Saline Boulevard/ Route 9, which lead to the terminal. The men also demanded the ports closure. While the terminal remains secure, a source said staff were evacuated for their safety. Only security and those who provide basic services remain in the compound. The unpredictably of the operations of the airport and the fuel port, in as much as their closure, is creating quite a lot of damage, Dujarric said. Addressing members of the Security Council on Monday, Maria Isabel Salvador, who heads the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, said that with the help of the modest Armed Forces of Haiti and her political mission, the Haiti National Police has deployed immense efforts to contain the spiral of violence in the country while being targeted by armed gangs. Nevertheless, the severity of the current crisis underscores the gaps in capacity within the national structures and the urgent need for international assistance, namely through the timely deployment of the forces from Kenya, she added. 2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. F-22 Raptors from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., fly in formation during a training sortie over Georgia, Sept. 14, 2023. (Matthew Coleman-Foster/U.S. Air Force) Another contingent of F-22 Raptors have landed on Okinawa as part of an Air Force plan to replace retired F-15 Eagles with frequent rotations of temporary replacement fighters. Six Raptors from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., arrived Saturday to support the ongoing return of F-15C/D Eagles to the United States, a spokeswoman for the 18th Wing, Master Sgt. Natasha Stannard, said by email Tuesday. The 27th joins the 199th and 19th Fighter Squadrons already at Kadena Air Base since March 28, along with other fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, including F-35A Lightning IIs, deployed there. The continued deployment of the U.S. Air Forces fifth generation fighters to Kadena Air Base represents our nations enduring commitment to the defense of Japan and wider regional security, Stannard said. The Defense Department in December 2022 announced a plan to retire or reassign two squadrons of aging F-15C/Ds at Kadena. Until it decides on a permanent replacement, the Air Force said it will rotate fighter squadrons through Kadena what it calls the keystone of the Pacific situated near Taiwan and the East and South China seas. Since then, squadrons of F-35As from Alaska, F-16CM Fighting Falcons from Germany, F-15Cs from California and Louisiana and F-15E Strike Eagles from North Carolina and Idaho have served at Kadena. Neither the Air Force nor DOD has announced plans for a new, permanent fighter presence on Okinawa. The Department of Defense will continue to use the Global Force Management process to provide backfill solutions that maintain regional deterrence and bolster our ability to uphold our treaty obligations to Japan, Stannard said. Some F-15s from Kadena went to Air National Guard units in the U.S. or to the Air Force boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. More than 100 aircraft are positioned at Kadena, either deployed or permanently stationed, all performing a wide range of functions. U.S. Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, during a ceremony at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, on July 12, 2023. (Haley Fourmet Gustavsen/U.S. Marine Corps) (Tribune News Service) China is rapidly becoming more aggressive in its rhetoric and actions across Asia, the outgoing head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said, as Beijing turned up the heat on Washington just before Secretary of State Tony Blinken heads to the country for a high-stakes visit. We all need to understand that its moving very fast, Adm. John Aquilino told reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday. The buildup of military power despite a bad economy, the increased narrative of all things inside the 10-dash line are Chinese sovereign territory, then the actions that are going toward enforcement. His comments came as the U.S. seeks to build up a network of relationships with partners across the region to counter China a move that has been condemned by Beijing. At the same time, Blinken is set to use his first trip to China since mid-2023 to convey U.S. concerns about Chinese companies providing support to Russias war machine and seek to avoid derailing Washingtons ties with Beijing. In a Foreign Ministry statement released Tuesday, China launched its harshest attack to date on U.S. complaints about industrial overcapacity, signaling Blinken may be in for some difficult conversations during his visit that runs from Wednesday to Friday. Aquilino, who is preparing to step down after serving three years in the regional role overseeing 380,000 personnel, said Chinas actions in the South China Sea were dangerous and destabilizing. Tensions have grown around the Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a grounded World War II-era ship and Chinese vessels have used water cannons to block Philippine military missions that rotate and resupply troops on the vessel. He also criticized China for an increasingly aggressive campaign plan of coercion and pressure, around Taiwan, including increased maritime patrols and continued crossing of a central line meant to prevent miscalculations. Blinken is also likely to reiterate U.S. support for Taiwan before Lai Ching-tes inauguration as president in May, which could prompt a response from Beijing. China lashed out at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following his visit to Washington this month, where he bolstered ties with the U.S. and took part in the first trilateral summit with the Philippines. Beijings military also criticized a certain non-regional country for building small cliques, which it said were irresponsible and extremely dangerous. 2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Ukrainian police investigators and workers examine debris at the Kharkiv Television Tower after officials reported a Russian strike on the tower, on the outskirts of Kharkiv on April 22, 2024. Photos and videos showed the top of the television tower breaking off and grey smoke billowing from the structure after Kharkiv Gov. Oleg Synegubov said in a social media post that Russia had hit a television infrastructure facility. (Sergey Bobok, AFP via Getty Images/TNS) Russia threatened to step up strikes on Ukraine in response to the U.S. vote to provide new military aid to the government in Kyiv. We will increase the intensity of attacks on logistics centers and storage bases for Western weapons in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday at a meeting with senior military staff, according to the ministrys Telegram channel. Russia will strengthen its armed forces and increase the production of the most in-demand weapons and military equipment in response to the support of the U.S. and its allies for Ukraine, he said. President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington aims to start swiftly shipping battlefield and air-defense assistance after the House voted to pass the $61 billion package with military and economic aid at the weekend, ending six months of delay amid opposition from Republican hardliners. While the Senate must still approve the measure, the Biden administration has already begun preparing a package that could head to Ukraine as soon as the president signs the bill into law, a U.S. official said last week. Shortages in weapons and manpower along the front, along with a dire need for more air defense systems, have pushed Ukraines fighting forces close to a breaking point, raising the risk of a Russian breakthrough. Russian forces currently hold the initiative across the entire frontline, and are forcing Ukraine out of their positions, Shoigu said during the meeting. Responding directly to the planned delivery of U.S. aid, Shoigu said most of the allocation will go to finance the military-industrial complex in the United States. Moscow has repeatedly said Western weapons supplied to Ukraine are legitimate targets, and in 2022, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow warned that the transfer to Ukraine of a Patriot missile system would make the U.S. party to the war. Still, Ukraine has received air-defense systems including Patriots from its allies. Shoigu also said that Russias army is poised to receive the newest S-500 air-defense systems this year. Secretary Antony J. Blinken delivers remarks on the release of the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices from the press briefing room at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., April 22, 2024. (U.S. State Department) The Gaza conflict has worsened the human rights situation in Israel, the State Department said in new report released Monday, even as officials declined to say whether they would halt U.S. aid to elements of Israels military over alleged abuses. The State Departments annual human rights report cited several reported rights violations committed in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in 2023 by parties including the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hamas militants and the Palestinian Authority, before and after Hamas Oct. 7 attacks plunged the Middle East into heightened instability and violence. The resulting conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has had a significant negative impact on the status of human rights in Israel, the report said. It cited credible reports of unlawful killings by both Hamas and the Israeli government. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Oct. 7 attacks, which killed about 1,200 people, and the subsequent death of civilians during Israels military response in Gaza have also raised deeply troubling human rights concerns. But Blinken stopped short of announcing a decision the Israeli government has suggested could be imminent to suspend U.S. security aid to elements of the Israeli military because of alleged human rights abuses. While the Biden administration has declined to say whether it plans to bar aid to any unit under the Leahy Laws, Israeli officials have issued preemptive protests in recent days to such a move. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a member of Israels special war cabinet, over the weekend cautioned the administration against targeting the Netzah Yehuda battalion, which he said was playing an important role in Israels battle against Hamas and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. In 2022, the IDF disciplined several officials over the death of an elderly Palestinian American man in the units custody. Blinken said the United States would continue to make assessments about foreign nations records on human rights, and potentially authorize consequences for countries that fall short, regardless of their status as an enemy or partner of the United States. Washington has long been Israels chief ally and military backer. As were looking at human rights and the condition of human rights around the world, we apply the same standard to everyone, he told reporters. That doesnt change whether the country in question is an adversary or competitor, a friend or an ally. Such a designation, if it occurs, would likely heighten friction between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a moment of intense tension over Israels conduct of its war in Gaza and its failure to ensure civilians trapped there have sufficient food and medicine. The report referenced the deaths of more than 21,000 people in the Gaza Strip through the end of 2023. Robert Gilchrist, an official in the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, declined to specify how the department determined those figures and whether they were based primarily on numbers from health authorities in Gaza, which Israeli officials have long said are controlled by Hamas and provide exaggerated reporting. Blinken said the State Department was continuing to assess allegations from human rights groups that Israeli forces have violated international law in Gaza, but said Israel had shown it would hold its own people and institutions accountable. This is what separates democracies from other countries - the ability, the willingness, the determination to look at themselves, he said. The report said that Israeli authorities had taken some steps to identify and punish officials accused of committing human rights abuses in the West Bank, where U.S. officials have long criticized the establishment of Israeli settlements and settler violence against Palestinians. The administration last week announced new penalties linked to individuals accused of stoking violence there. But it said that Israeli authorities operating in Gaza had taken no publicly visible steps to identify and punish officials implicated in alleged violations there. Because the report covers 2023, it did not address the aftermath of a high-profile incident in which Israels military targeted an international aid convoy in April, killing seven people. An initial Israeli investigation into that incident found the IDF violated its own regulations. At least two officers were dismissed and other officials were reprimanded. But in many other cases where rights groups have cried foul, including Israels targeting of hospitals or apartment buildings in Gaza, Israel has cited Hamas practice of concealing militants among civilians and said its own operations comply with international law. Divyendra Singh Jadoun, 31, a creator of deepfake content, poses against a green screen that he uses for generating videos using artificial intelligence in the deserts of Pushkar, India, on April 16, 2024. (Saumya Khandelwal/for The Washington Post) Divyendra Singh Jadouns phone is ringing off the hook. Known as the Indian Deepfaker, Jadoun is famous for using artificial intelligence to create Bollywood sequences and TV commercials. But as staggered voting in Indias election begins, Jadoun says hundreds of politicians have been clamoring for his services, with more than half asking for unethical things. Candidates asked him to fake audio of competitors making gaffes on the campaign trail or to superimpose challengers faces onto pornographic images. Some campaigns have requested low-quality fake videos of their own candidate, which could be released to cast doubt on any damning real videos that emerge during the election. Jadoun, 31, says he declines jobs meant to defame or deceive. But he expects plenty of consultants will oblige, bending reality in the worlds largest election, as more than half a billion Indian voters head to the polls. The only thing stopping us from creating unethical deepfakes is our ethics, Jadoun told The Post. But its very difficult to stop this. Indias elections, which began last week and run until early June, offer a preview of how an explosion of AI tools is transforming the democratic process, making it easy to develop seamless fake media around campaigns. More than half the worlds population lives in the more than 50 countries hosting elections in 2024, marking a pivotal year for global democracies. While its unknown how many AI fakes have been made of politicians, experts say they are observing a global uptick of electoral deepfakes. I am seeing more [political deepfakes] this year than last year and the ones I am seeing are more sophisticated and compelling, said Hany Farid, a computer science professor at the University of California at Berkeley. While policymakers and regulators from Brussels to Washington are racing to craft legislation restricting AI-powered audio, images and videos on the campaign trail, a regulatory vacuum is emerging. The European Unions landmark AI Act doesnt take effect until after June parliamentary elections. In the U.S. Congress, bipartisan legislation that would ban falsely depicting federal candidates using AI is unlikely to become law before the November elections. A handful of U.S. states have enacted laws penalizing people who make deceptive videos about politicians, creating a policy patchwork across the country. In the meantime, there are limited guardrails to deter politicians and their allies from using AI to dupe voters, and enforcers are rarely a match for fakes that can spread quickly across social media or in group chats. The democratization of AI means its up to individuals like Jadoun not regulators to make ethical choices to stave off AI-induced election chaos. Lets not stand on the sidelines while our elections get screwed up, said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., the chair of the Senate Rules Committee, in a speech last month at the Atlantic Council. This is like a hair on fire moment. This is not a lets wait three years and see how it goes moment. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., at the United States Capitol in Washington in March 2023. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) For years, nation-state groups flooded Facebook, Twitter (now X) and other social media with misinformation, emulating the playbook Russia famously used in 2016 to stoke discord in U.S. elections. But AI allows smaller actors to partake, making combating falsehoods a fractured and difficult undertaking. The Department of Homeland Security warned election officials in a memo that generative AI could be used to enhance foreign-influence campaigns targeting elections. AI tools could allow bad actors to impersonate election officials, DHS said in the memo, spreading incorrect information about how to vote or the integrity of the election process. These warnings are becoming a reality across the world. State-backed actors used generative AI to meddle in Taiwans elections earlier this year. On election day, a Chinese Communist Party affiliated group posted AI-generated audio of a prominent politician who dropped out of the Taiwanese election throwing his support behind another candidate, according to a Microsoft report. But the politician, Foxconn owner Terry Gou, had never made such an endorsement, and YouTube pulled down the audio. Taiwan ultimately elected Lai Ching-te, a candidate that Chinese Communist Party leadership opposed signaling the limits of the campaign to affect the results of the election. Microsoft expects China to use a similar playbook in India, South Korea and the United States this year. Chinas increasing experimentation in augmenting memes, videos, and audio will likely continue and may prove more effective down the line, the Microsoft report said. But the low cost and broad availability of generative AI tools have made it possible for people without state backing to engage in trickery that rivals nation-state campaigns. In Moldova, AI deepfake videos have depicted the countrys pro-Western President Maia Sandu resigning and urging people to support a pro-Putin party during local elections. In South Africa, a digitally altered version of the rapper Eminem endorsed a South African opposition party ahead of the countrys election in May. In January, a Democratic political operative faked President Joe Bidens voice to urge New Hampshire primary voters to not go to the polls a stunt intended to draw awareness to the problems with the medium. The rise of AI deepfakes could shift the demographics of who runs for office, since bad actors disproportionately use synthetic content to target women. For years, Rumeen Farhana, an opposition party politician in Bangladesh, has faced sexual harassment on the internet. But last year, an AI deepfake photo of her in a bikini emerged on social media. Farhana said it is unclear who made the image. But in Bangladesh, a conservative majority Muslim country, the photo drew harassing comments from ordinary citizens on social media, with many voters assuming the photo was real. Such character assassinations might prevent female candidates from subjecting themselves to political life, Farhana said. Whatever new things come up, its always used against the women first. They are the victim in every case, Farhana said. AI is not an exception in any way. An employee works on a political-content project at the office of Polymath Solutions in Rajasthan, India, on April 16, 2024. (Saumya Khandelwal/for The Washington Post) In the absence of activity from Congress, states are taking action while international regulators are inking voluntary commitments from companies. About 10 states have adopted laws that would penalize those who use AI to dupe voters. Last month, Wisconsins governor signed a bipartisan bill into law that would fine people who fail to disclose AI in political ads. And a Michigan law punishes anyone who knowingly circulates an AI-generated deepfake within 90 days of an election. Yet its unclear if the penalties ranging from fines up to $1,000 and up to 90 days of jail time, depending on municipality are steep enough to deter potential offenders. With limited detection technology and few designated personnel, it could be difficult for enforcers to quickly confirm if a video or image is actually AI-generated. In the absence of regulations, government officials are seeking voluntary agreements from politicians and tech companies alike to control the proliferation of AI-generated election content. European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said she has sent letters to key political parties in European member states with a plea to resist using manipulative techniques. However, she said, politicians and political parties will face no consequences if they do not heed her request. I cannot say whether they will follow our advice or not, she said in an interview. I will be very sad if not because if we have the ambition to govern in our member states, then we should also show we can win elections without dirty methods. Jourova said that in July 2023 she asked large social media platforms to label AI-generated productions ahead of the elections. The request received a mixed response in Silicon Valley, where some platforms told her it would be impossible to develop technology to detect AI. OpenAI, which makes the chatbot ChatGPT and image generator DALL-E, has also sought to form relationships with the social media companies to address the distribution of AI-generated political materials. At the Munich Security Conference in February, 20 leading technology companies pledged to team up to detect and remove harmful AI content during the 2024 elections. This is a whole-of-society issue, said Anna Makanju, OpenAI vice president of global affairs, during a Post Live interview. It is not in any of our interests for this technology to be leveraged in this way, and everyone is quite motivated, particularly because we now have lessons from prior elections and from prior years. Yet companies will not face any penalties if they fail to live up to their pledge. Already there have been gaps between OpenAIs stated policies and its enforcement. A super PAC backed by Silicon Valley insiders launched an AI chatbot of long-shot presidential candidate Dean Phillips powered by the companys ChatGPT software, in violation of OpenAIs prohibition on political campaigns use of its technology. The company did not ban the bot until The Washington Post reported on it. Jadoun, who does AI political work for Indias major electoral parties, said the spread of deepfakes cant be solved by government alone citizens must be more educated. Any content that is making your emotions rise to a next level, he said, just stop and wait before sharing it. This photo released by the Lewiston Maine Police Department shows Robert Card. (Lewiston, Maine, Police Department/TNS) The Sagadahoc County, Maine, deputy who has faced criticism from all angles for failing to prevent Maines deadliest mass shooting says he could have done more if Army Reserve leaders had told him the full truth about the danger Robert Card posed to the community. In his first public interview about the welfare checks he attempted to conduct on Card more than a month before the shooting, Sgt. Aaron Skolfield told the Press Herald that he believes he did the right thing. I can only work with what I have, he said during an interview at the Sagadahoc County Sheriffs Office headquarters in Bath on Monday. And what I was given was not a complete picture. That picture has gotten clearer in the six months since the shooting that killed 18 people and injured 13 others. But as the public has learned more about what the Army and police knew about Cards failing mental health, criticism of the agencies involved has sharpened. In its first public report, the commission investigating the shooting excoriated Skolfield for not confronting Card after he threatened to shoot up his Army Reserve base in Saco in September. Cards Army leaders told the commission they blame the Sagadahoc County Sheriffs Office for failing to confiscate Cards guns. Then Skolfields announcement that he is running for sheriff this fall left some critics in Sagadahoc County aghast. Recently freed from what he described as a department gag order not to discuss Card and the mass shooting, Skolfield spoke at length Monday morning about what happened in September and why the commissions scrutiny should be directed at the Army, not him. Skolfield said he believes Cards Army superiors were dishonest with him last fall when they reported Cards threats against the base. If they hadnt downplayed their concerns and had shared all the information they had about Card including that a doctor said that summer that he should not be around guns Skolfield said he would have found a way to bring him into custody, perhaps by charging him with terrorizing. He also criticized the commissions report, which he described as unfair, hypocritical and factually inaccurate. An Army spokesperson said the agency would not comment on the case until it completes its own internal investigation into its handling of Card. Sagadahoc Sheriff Joel Merry said Monday that he initially told his officers not to speak publicly about the case so that they would not feel pressured to answer questions from the media. He said he never intended the policy to be a gag order and reversed it when he learned that Skolfield wanted to share his story with the media. Mixed messages After Skolfield first learned of Cards threats against the Army Reserve base on Sept. 15, he attempted to check on Card in his Bowdoin home. When he found no one there, he put out an alert for law enforcement to be on the lookout for Card. Skolfield returned the next morning and found Cards vehicle in the driveway. But when he and a Kennebec County deputy knocked on the door, Card did not acknowledge them and remained hidden in the home. Without contact, without probable cause, the deputy has said he couldnt drag the man out of his home; he couldnt issue a weapons restriction order; he couldnt force Card to seek mental health treatment. But the commission said he could and should have done all of that; he should not have left it up to Cards family to handle. In its March report, commission members said Skolfield had more than enough probable cause to begin the yellow flag process and that he could have charged Card with assaulting the friend who reported the threats against the Army Reserve unit. Cards Army Reserve commanders, Jeremy Reamer and Kelvin Mote, both police officers, told the commission they had expected Skolfield to confront Card and initiate a yellow flag process when they passed along the threats. I requested that they do a check (on Cards) well being, expecting them to do their job, Reamer told the commission on April 11. I trusted that the law enforcement, based on the information that they got, would take it and run. But Skolfield said it was Reamer and Mote, not him, who failed the community. Its easy to say in hindsight that he should have done more to arrest Card, Skolfield said. But he said the reality is that police regularly get calls about potentially dangerous people, including some who threaten to commit acts of mass violence. Most of them come to nothing. Given that context, law enforcement officials have to decide how much of their limited time and resources to devote to any individual call. And in this case, Skolfield said, his decision was colored by his conversations with Cards Army superiors conversations Skolfield now believes were dishonest. Skolfield said he came away from phone calls with Mote and Reamer on Sept. 16 with the impression that the warnings about Card were less urgent than he initially believed. He learned the threat against the base had been made earlier than he thought: more than 24 hours before he had been notified. He figured someone would have called him sooner if the Army had really taken the threats differently, and that the commanders wouldnt have emphasized that they thought the soldier who reported Card was unreliable. He also read into the fact that Mote hadnt called him directly but had delegated the task to a co-worker in the Ellsworth Police Department, Detective Corey Bagley. If hes as concerned as he testified to that The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. ... Why does he send it to Bagley? Talk about the long way around to report something thats as shocking as they testified to, Skolfield said. They didnt believe it was going to happen, and that was conveyed to me on the 16th. Both Reamer and Mote have told the commission that they dont believe they minimized concerns about Card. On a recording of a phone call on Sept. 16, Reamer tells Skolfield he doesnt think this is going to get any better, but he also repeatedly says that he just wants Skolfield to document that he tried to check on Card. There is no recording of Motes call with Skolfield. Mote declined to speak about those conversations Monday, citing the ongoing Army investigation. Sgt. Aaron Skolfield of the Sagadoc County Sheriffs Office discusses Robert Cards mental state on a call with Army Reserve Capt. Jeremy Reamer. Reamer tells Skolfield he only needs to document a welfare check around minute 3:10. This is the real deal Skolfield said he has struggled to sleep since the shooting and that his mind often races about the interim report and all the issues he sees with it. Some are factual errors the report states that Skolfield learned about Cards threats at 10:22 a.m. on Sept. 15, but radio transmission recordings obtained by the Press Herald show that he did not hear about them until after 2 p.m. He believes the report contradicts itself in some places and is unfair to him in others, like when it criticizes him for failing to use the collective knowledge of all law enforcement officers involved in an investigation. Skolfield said he did that, but the knowledge he got from Mote and Reamer pointed him toward inaction. He said things would have been different if they had told him the full story about Cards two-week involuntary stay in a New York psychiatric hospital that summer or that a doctor had told Reamer that Card should not be around weapons at the Army base or at home. Of course I should have been given that information. Those circumstances were kept from me, he said. Why? Thats the golden question. I think they were trying to protect Card to some degree. They didnt want to jack their buddy up. While some, including Merry and Sagadahoc County District Attorney Natasha Irving, have said the shooting is the result of a growing mental health crisis that has overwhelmed police departments, Skolfield suggested Monday that the law enforcement system in Maine is fundamentally sound. Human error was the problem, he said. The error just wasnt his it was Motes and Reamers. I wish they had said, This is the real deal, he said. That would have changed everything. (c)2024 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine) Visit at www.pressherald.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Army mariners work to construct a causeway known as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, off the coast of Bowen, Australia, in 2023. U.S. officials plan to use JLOTS in the coming weeks to move aid into war-torn Gaza. (David Resnick/U.S. Army) Construction has yet to start on a temporary floating pier off Gazas coast, but the Pentagon expects it will be ready to flow new aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave in the coming weeks, the Defense Departments top spokesman said Tuesday. All the Army and Navy troops needed to build the temporary dock and an about 1,800-foot floating causeway from the Mediterranean Sea into northern Gaza have arrived in the region, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon. Even with construction of the makeshift port known as a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS not started, Ryder said the Pentagon was confident it would be operating by the end of this month or early May. The operation is meant to provide a new way to deliver badly needed aid into Gaza. The World Health Organization has warned some 2.3 million inhabitants face extreme hunger that could become a full-blown famine by next month amid the war launched by Israel in response to Hamas militants surprise Oct. 7 assault on Israelis. Ryder has said the JLOTS operation could deliver some 2 million meals per day to Gaza. All the necessary vessels are within the Mediterranean region and standing by to begin construction when were given the order to do that, he said. There is a process and procedure that will have to be followed and our planners have worked through the details of all the things one would expect [but] were on track at this point to implement that operational capability in the coming weeks. Ryder did not say Tuesday precisely how long it would take troops to build the port once construction begins. President Joe Biden first announced the JLOTS operation would begin to bolster U.S. efforts to deliver aid to Gazans on March 7 during his State of the Union speech. One day later, Ryder said the JLOTS would be operational within about 60 days. The Army last month sent four ships from the 7th Transportation Brigade at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., toward the Mediterranean to spearhead the operation. The Navy also deployed two ships to help in the construction of the pier. One of those ships, the USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo was forced to return to the United States last week after suffering an engine room fire. That incident does not appear to have altered the Pentagons planned timeline for the piers construction, according to Ryder on Tuesday. Ryder also said while U.S. Navy boats would help shuttle aid from the pier several miles offshore to the causeway, only nongovernmental organizations were expected to deliver aid packages into Gaza via non-military trucks. The Pentagon has insisted U.S. military forces would not set foot in Gaza as part of the operation, and it has turned to the Israeli Defense Forces to ensure security of the aid operation. The operation is expected to include about 1,000 American troops. Ryder said the new port would be able to accept military and civilian ships carrying aid once it is operational. The Google logo is displayed on a wall at the Google Playspace at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, Nev., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg) SAN FRANCISCO Google fired about 20 more workers whom it said participated in protests denouncing the companys cloud computing deal with the Israeli government, bringing the total number of workers fired in the past week over the issue to more than 50, according to the activist group representing the workers. A spokesperson for Google confirmed it had fired more workers after continuing its investigation into the April 16 protests, which included sit-ins at Googles offices in New York City and Sunnyvale, Calif. The firings come several days after chief executive Sundar Pichai told employees in a companywide memo that they should not use the company as a personal platform or fight over disruptive issues or debate politics. The corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers and reassert its power over them, said Jane Chung, a spokesperson for No Tech for Apartheid, a group that has protested Googles and Amazons contracts with the Israeli government since 2021. The protests at Google are among a wave of opposition to the U.S. government and corporations working with the Israeli government and military. Pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested in recent days at Yale and Columbia universities, spurring accusations of heavy-handedness by university officials and inspiring another wave of demonstrations at other colleges around the country. The day before the Google sit-ins, activists blocked highways, bridges and airport entrances across the United States to protest the war in Gaza. At Google, the situation has become a public fight between Google managers and the fired employees. Google says that each worker it fired actively disrupted its offices, while the workers dispute the claims, saying some of those fired did not even enter the companys office on the day of coordinated demonstrations against the company. Google fired workers who willingly left the sit-in when asked by company officials, and also fired some workers who had just stopped by to chat, Hasan Ibraheem, one of the Google workers who was arrested and fired, said Monday during a news conference. Before firing them, Googles investigators worked to identify protesters, including those who were wearing masks and did not have their ID badges visible, said Google spokesperson Bailey Tomson. Every single one of those whose employment was terminated was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings. We carefully confirmed and reconfirmed this, Tomson said. Some of the protesting workers have said the company has a double standard when it comes to which employees it disciplines. Other Google workers have posted the names and photos of pro-Palestinian workers online, doxing them and opening them up to harassment from people on social media, the workers have said. After circulating a petition regarding Googles work with Israel among other employees, Mohammad Khatami, one of the fired workers, said he was called into a meeting with human resources and accused of supporting terrorism. I have not been called a terrorist since I was a child, and at the zenith of software engineering at Google is where Im hearing this terminology again, Khatami said. Google has fired workers in the past who publicly criticized the company, but it has not fired this many people at once. For years, Google had a reputation as the most free and open among the Big Tech companies in terms of office culture and collaboration. The company celebrated an internal culture in which employees knew what other teams were working on and were encouraged to question the decisions of leaders. In his memo to workers, Pichai said the companys openness was a strength but applied to work topics, not politics. We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action, he said in the memo, which the company posted online. But ultimately we are a workplace and our policies and expectations are clear: this is a business. Sydney's Greek, Armenian and Assyrian Communities March for Genocide Recognition The Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic communities once again joined their voices to demand Federal parliamentary recognition of the genocides of their ancestors on Sunday, 21 April 2024. The March for Justice from Martin Place to St Andrew's Square (beside Sydney Town Hall) attracted many hundreds of Australians of diverse backgrounds in passionate support of this just cause. United by the Joint Justice Initiative banner, the head advocacy groups of the Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic communities led the March, sending their message to Canberra ahead of receiving the Prime Minister's statement -- that nothing less than full and proper acknowledgement of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as genocides will be acceptable to the three communities. A poignant moment of the March was at the Armenian khatchkar (carved memorial stone) which stands on the west side of St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Sydney. Young Armenians, Assyrians and Hellenes laid three wreaths on behalf of each community, bearing ribbons stating: 'We remember them.' The Hellenic contingent was led by Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia President Mrs Esta Paschalidis-Chilas and members of Pontoxeniteas NSW. This year's catch-cry -- End The Cycle of Genocide -- has been adopted by the March For Justice organising committee to call for truth and justice for the killing of over three million indigenous Armenians, Assyrians and Hellenes of the lands east of the Aegean Sea between 1914 and 1924. The 'Cycle of Genocide' continues with the recent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, the 50th Anniversary of the invasion and partial occupation of the Republic of Cyprus and the ongoing attacks against the Assyrian Nineveh province of Iraq. On Wednesday, 24 April the annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration will be held at the Chatswood Concourse. On Sunday, 19 May, the annual Greek Genocide Commemoration will be held at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, Cleveland Street, Redfern, following the Divine Liturgy. The boy was running around the cabin when he rubbed his arm off a gas heater and suffered a burn. A young Co Donegal boy who burned his arm while holidaying with his family in France has been awarded 10,000. The boy, now aged 7, was almost 2 at the time of the incident. The child and his parents appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court where the court heard an offer had been made to the boy's family. The court heard the boy was staying at a Eurocamp cabin with his family in Brittany on June 17th, 2018. The boy was running around the cabin when he rubbed his arm off a gas heater and suffered a burn. The family returned from holiday and attended their local GP, Dr Jarlath Duffy. Dr Duffy treated the wound and prescribed cream for the burn. The court was told that the boy returned to Dr Duffy a year later for an update and an examination of the burn showed a faint discolouration of the scarred area. However, the examination also showed the child had a full grip using his left hand, had a full range of elbow extension and there were no psychological issues. Barrister for the young boy and his family, Mr Peter Nolan, told Judge John Aylmer that there were no specific monetary guidelines for compensation in the case of burns. Mr Nolan said there was a concern that liability could be apportioned to the parents as contributory negligence had been alleged by the other side. Rather than risk any order, it would be wise to accept the offer, Mr Nolan said. Judge Aylmer said it was fortunate that the recovery of the boy has been 'excellent' and recommended the acceptance of 10,000. However, he said he and his client were happy with the offer saying there was no residual scarring. Judge Aylmer said he was happy to recommend the offer which included circuit court costs. His defence said Galvin was a gentle giant but accepted that he went too far in his dispute with the tenant, was high-handed and behaved extraordinarily badly. A landlord who tore a shower from a bathroom wall and cut off his tenants electricity has been fined for what a judge said was monstrous behaviour. Former garda Kevin Galvin (50) had the 750 fine handed down yesterday for harassing the tenant, after a court heard he had paid 20,000 he owed the victim from a civil judgment. His defence said Galvin was a gentle giant but accepted that he went too far in his dispute with the tenant, was high-handed and behaved extraordinarily badly. As well as fining him, Judge Mark OConnell also ordered him to stay away from victim Carlos Pintos for two years. Galvin, a father of six of Furry Park Road, Killester, pleaded guilty to harassing Mr Pintos at the apartment at Wood Lane, Stoneybatter, on dates between September 2021 and June 2022. The case was heard at Dublin District Court last week when Judge OConnell had asked for the issue of the unpaid 20,000 to be addressed. Yesterday, defence solicitor Cahir OHiggins said Galvin had now borrowed that sum and paid it to the victim in full. Judge OConnell said the offence was very serious, Galvin had behaved in a monstrous way and his actions were definitely excessive. His behaviour fell well short of the standard that any landlord should adhere to, Mr OHiggins said. He was a man under enormous financial pressure, he was under enormous pressure as a father, he was trying to keep all the balls in the air and failed catastrophically, Mr OHiggins said. He took the law into his own hands and prosecuted what he believed to be a wrong in the most horrendous way, he went far too far. Galvin was a gentle giant but for someone 6ft 7in in height to arrive at the door of someone of smaller stature, it could have been seen as somewhat threatening, Mr OHiggins said. The accused had no previous convictions but in the past had spent time in custody for contempt of court in an issue he had been stubborn about and wasnt for bending on. He had issues with the fire-safety authorities, was paranoid about this and when he saw a lead being run down a hall in an unsafe manner, it prompted his initial actions, Mr OHiggins said. He asked the judge to consider leaving Galvin without a conviction. His actions were wholly unacceptable and the court needs to send out a message that this type of behaviour cant be excused under any circumstances, Judge OConnell said, adding that what Mr Pintos experienced was horrific. In December 2021, the hot water stopped working and in March 2022, Galvin entered the property while the victim was there and cut off the electricity. On another date that month, Galvin again entered the flat while Mr Pintos was there, tore the shower off the wall and took down the curtains. In June that year, Mr Pintos was at work when he got a message from Galvin who said he was in the process of installing CCTV in the flat and would be able to watch him. In victim impact evidence, Mr Pintos said the accused would violently burst into the place and he was not able to stop him. The effect on him had been terrible and he had not been able to sleep, rest or have a quiet life. The 28-year-old can't be named to protect his victim's anonymity A Dublin man who sexually assaulted his younger cousin over a four-year period has been jailed for five and a half years. The 28-year-old was convicted of ten counts of sexual assault following a trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March. He can't be named to protect his victim's anonymity. The man maintains his innocence and does not accept the jury's verdict, the court was told. The offences occurred between 2008 and 2011, when the victim was aged between six and ten years old, while the accused was then aged between 13 and 17. Judge Sarah Berkeley said this was a sad and difficult case for all concerned, as it involved family members. She said the aggravating features of the case include the victim's age and the duration of the offending. Setting a headline sentence of eight years, the judge noted the mitigation includes that the man was a teenager at the time, his lack of previous convictions and that he has not come to recent garda attention. She imposed a sentence of five and a half years backdated to when he entered custody. A local garda told Tessa White BL, prosecuting, that the first incident occurred in May 2008 during a family holiday in Connacht. The girl went to the teenager's room and he put her hand on his penis, then forced her to masturbate him. He then removed her leggings and put his fingers in her vagina. The sexual assaults primarily occurred in the home of the victim's grandmother, where the boy was living at the time. The offending included inappropriate touching, masturbation and digital penetration. In some incidents, the sexual assaults took place in the boy's bedroom while pornography was playing. The court heard the abuse occurred frequently and came to an end in 2011. During another family holiday in the south-east, the girl saw her cousin masturbate in a play area while no one was present. There was no physical contact at this point. When the girl was 17, a sibling entered her bedroom and found notes she had made which said the man had molested her while on holiday in Connacht. He showed these notes to their mother, who later confronted the accused. He denied the allegations. A complaint was made to gardai and the accused was co-operative, answering questions during interview. He was deemed unsuitable for juvenile diversion programme. He has no previous convictions and has been in custody since his conviction. In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said she felt at fault and blamed herself, but now understands this not not hers to carry. Addressing the man, the victim said: You are to blame. She said she felt dirty and unclean as a child and these feelings didn't go away. The victim said her relationship with her mother was affected as she couldn't understand why she was angry. She said all aspects of her life had been affected and blighted by what happened and she was retraumatised by the trial process. I'll never forgive you, she said, adding that she hoped to begin a new life with the support of her family and friends. The garda agreed with Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC, defending, that his client has not come to recent garda attention and no allegations have been made about his behaviour towards other children when he was living at his grandmother's house. A number of references were handed into the court on the man's behalf, including from his partner who said he has taken on a fatherly role towards her young child. One testimonial was provided by a friend who provided him with accommodation after he left his grandmother's home once the allegations came to light. Mr O Lideadha submitted the aggravating features in this case are not at the more serious end of the scale. He asked the court to take into account the contents of a psychological report, that his client was a teenager at the time of offending, that he had a difficult childhood and his ADHD diagnosis. Judge Berkeley said the court accepted that the man had a difficult childhood, but expressed concern that he was permitted to watch pornography in his bedroom unsupervised, which contributed, in the court's view, to his offending. Lots of people have trauma in their lives and don't resort to paedophilia, she said. Judge Berkeley noted the victim's strength and intelligence, adding that her distress was palpable during the trial, and particularly when faced with 11 male jurors. Judge Berkeley wished the girl the best for the future. She said the girl's family are good and decent. The judge said the court was not criticising the girl's grandmother, adding that people do not realise the risk sometimes. She noted while the man had a difficult childhood, he was well-cared for by his extended family. Judge Berkeley expressed concern that there was no guidance in recent legislation to assist a sentencing judge when specifying how long a convicted person should be placed on the sex offenders register, which can be up to a maximum of five years if the offence was committed when they were a juvenile. Judge Berkeley directed the man be placed on the sex offenders register for two and a half years, noting that he has not come to recent garda attention. Granting an application to extend legal aid for an appeal to be lodged, the judge suggested that the Court of Appeal might consider this absence of guidance for sentencing judges. Despite having sexually abused at least nine children, Hendry (82) has never spent a day in jail A former children's home worker who admitted abusing a boy in his care has avoided jail over the historical sexual offences. George Hendry was handed an 18-month sentence, which was suspended for three years, for charges he committed against a child at Palmerston Children's Home. The pensioner already has a conviction for abusing other children at Palmerston in the 1970s. He appeared at Belfast Crown Court today and was sentenced on two counts of indecently assaulting a male child on dates between June 30, 1980 and January 1, 1983. Now 82 and from Serpentine Parade in north Belfast, Hendry was employed as a senior house parent and was in his late 30s when he abused his eight-year-old victim. The abuse came in two forms smacking the child on his bare bottom with either his hand or a belt and groping the boy in his private area whilst bathing him. The abuse occurred over a sustained period and the victim recalled being bathed by Hendry several times a week. Judge Sandra Crawford said the victim would physically shake when Hendry was on duty at bath-time. The victim also recalled that when no-one else was around, Hendry would come to his shared bedroom and smack him. This behaviour was described as sexually motivated by the judge, who revealed that the abuse came to an end when the boy was moved to another children's home. The offending came to light in 2019 when the victim disclosed what had happened. Hendry was subsequently questioned by the PSNI in September 2021 when he admitted working in the children's home but denied any sexual wrongdoing. He rejected claims that he smacked the boy, said that corporal punishment was prohibited and denied bathing children. In addition, he denied knowing the victim and suggested another man named George worked in Palmerston at the relevant time. This suggestion prompted an investigation which concluded that he was the only George employed at the children's home during that period. Judge Crawford revealed that despite Hendry's claims of innocence, he was picked out of a police identification procedure by the victim 42 years after the incidents. The judge said a victim impact statement highlighted with great poignancy his vulnerability as a child in the care system and the gross abuse of trust that occurred whereby instead of keeping him safe from harm and caring for him, the defendant instead used his position to callously abuse him. She added that the victim also described relief when the truth came out via Hendry's subsequent guilty pleas. Prior to imposing the sentence, Judge Crawford spoke of several aggravating factors including the child's young age and vulnerability as well as Hendry using his position to conduct the abuse. The judge said she has also considered defence submissions which included no further allegations of abuse after the early 80s and an assessment by probation that Hendry did not pose a serious risk of harm. Hendry told a probation officer that he pleaded guilty as he was aware the victim had had a rough time and he didn't want to put him through a trial. Also noted by the judge were Hendry's isolated lifestyle, his significant and complex health issues and his advanced age. After imposing the sentence, the judge told Hendry: As this is a direct alternative to a sentence of immediate imprisonment I must warn you that if during this period of suspension you commit another offence in Northern Ireland which is punishable by imprisonment, you are liable to face imprisonment for the offences for which I sentence you today. Hendry was also made the subject of a five-year sexual offences prevention order which bans him from having any contact with the victim or his family. Families in shock as child perv returns to area where he performed vile sex act in front of three young kids as CCTV footage reveals full horror of his crime Mark Dolan caught on CCTV about to expose himself to the three children This is the footage of child pervert Mark Dolan as he prepared to masturbate multiple times in front of four innocent young girls playing near their homes. Parents of the girls who were aged between six and eight when dirty Dolan preyed on them last year are now disgusted that the car mechanic, who lived in Athy, Co Kildare at the time, has moved back into a house just 900 metres from his victims in Dublin. A mother of one of the victims told the Sunday World that while on her way home with her young daughter yesterday afternoon, she saw Dolan pass her on the street. Mark Dolan Thankfully, my daughter didnt see him, but thats the reality of having him live so close, the mum said. The Sunday World can also reveal the DPP has decided not to appeal the leniency of a suspended sentence handed down to twisted pervert Dolan (49), who drove all the way from Athy to north Dublin to masturbate in front of four girls playing innocently at the entrance to their cul-de-sac. The vile incident was caught on CCTV, which led to Dolan being identified but he only received a suspended sentence from Judge Martin Nolan in Dublin Circuit Court last month. The Sunday World has obtained the footage which helped nab Dolan, but we are only publishing non-graphic sections of the film. Mark Dolan had a party after court Mark Dolan had a party after court The families of the victims spoke this week to say they were disgusted but not surprised that Dolan walked free from court, but were dealt another blow last weekend when they were told the DPP has decided not to appeal the leniency of the sentence. It feels like there is no consequences for him and thats a dangerous message to be sending but I feel its a message the courts are continually sending when it comes to sex offences, one of the mothers said this weekend. Dolan, who was living in Athy at the time of the offences and currently works in Portlaoise, recently moved back to the same area of Dublin where he targeted his victims. The arrogance of him coming back to this area, the mother said. I feel he is sticking the two fingers up to us. Why would you come back here. He is so close that the girls could see him again. Mark Dolan caught on CCTV about to expose himself to the three children . . The victims families watched a sickening 10-minute video of Dolan masturbating in front of their children where he ejaculated twice while staring at the girls and trying to talk to them and smiling at them. He came into this estate with one purpose. The video was a very hard watch but Im glad I watched it because it is fuelling my anger, the mother said. He didnt just masturbate once, he masturbated twice. He masturbated once, walked off and came back masturbated again and then walked off, and was coming back a third time but then he saw a camera and ran. He had a smile on his face while he spoke to them, saying I hope you dont mind me doing this girls. It was totally premeditated. This wasnt someone driving and saw a few kids. Opportunistic was the language used in court, this was not opportunistic. This was premeditated. Another victims mother said she feared Dolan may have tried to snatch one of the children when coming back the third time. Dolan approaching the three girls who were playing on their street At the very last bit of the video he goes back to his car and hes still hanging out, you know, of his trousers. He looks back to the girls and leaves the door of his car to go back towards them, which was terrifying because we dont know what he was going back for. Then thats when he clocked the CCTV and legged it. Thats the only reason he left and thats the scariest part. He could have been going back to grab them, the second mum said. The brazenness of him. He was strolling around with his bits hanging out laughing, almost coming back to them. What was he doing? She said the families were very disappointed with the suspended sentence. The judgement was just bizarre to us, but the fact that he is allowed to live three minutes away from us is just crazy. The families believe the incident on May 6 last year was not the first time Dolan had done something similar. They said other people in the area had described a man matching Dolans description and acting in a similar fashion, but that man was never caught. There had been reports of man who had been exposing himself to kids in recent months but had never been caught but the description matched him, the second mother said. Theres no way it was a first off. The girls who were playing on their street A third victims mother said: We cant prove that was him but it all stopped when Dolan was caught. The second mother also revealed that there had been a gathering at a house where Dolan was staying the day after he received his suspended sentence. They had a party the weekend he got the suspended sentence. On the Saturday there was a big gathering in the house. I dont know what they were celebrating but I would be keeping on the down low. A number of people wrote character references for Dolan, including his employer, his mother and his current partner. He is divorced from his first wife, who wants nothing to do with him, but was already in the new relationship when he carried out the vile acts last year. That woman, who has two children, is sticking by Dolan despite his crimes. She sent a letter into the court to say that he was like a father to her girls, one victims mother said. The families understood he was staying with that woman but since his sentencing Dolan has been spotted staying at a home less than a kilometre from where his victims live. Neither Dolans partner nor parents went into the court to see the video of his actions. The third mother said: Maybe if they saw the video they wouldnt be speaking to him. The Sunday World can also reveal that Dolan told his parents that he had got a sting on his genitals and thats why he exposed himself on the day and had not been masturbating in front of children. However, on the day of the sentencing, when he realised the video would be shown, he told them outside the courtroom. Mark Dolan The second mother said: He said he had told them an untruth and to prepare themselves for what they were about to see. They werent believing it until the third time and the mother looked at him quivering. They didnt come in the end so they still didnt see what happened. I know its difficult. Its not fair on them. They didnt do it. The families said Dolan was smiling when he was given a suspended sentence and described him as having a smug look on his face. They said if he had any remorse he would never have returned to the area and they are now terrified their children will see him. The mothers told how the girls were too young to fully understand what Dolan was doing but knew it was wrong and since then they have various issues like nightmares and wetting the bed and getting scared when they walk past the place where the bad man was. They are all worried what kind of long-term effect it will have on their children. All the families believe the sentence hearing focused far too much on Dolan and not on the victims. The first mother said: Everything was about him. It was all about him. Our girls barely got any mention during the sentencing bar their age. It was said he has a good work record so what, so do I? They also said he was going through a tough time with his divorce, but people get divorced every day and dont do that. Also at the time he was living with his new partner. What do you say to your little girls? Actually you dont matter, hes more important than you? Thats the message sent out. Catherine Murphy TD said the quantity of knives being seized was a cause for concern A knife is seized by gardai on average almost once every eight hours in Dublin. A staggering 1,253 knives were seized in the capital over the past 15 months, averaging at 83 per month which is almost three per day. The latest Department of Justice statistics show that so far in 2024, figures for 15 of the 23 garda divisions nationwide show the high confiscation rate is continuing with 432 knives seized up to March 20. They include 74 in each of the two divisions covering Dublin city centre. Latest knife seizure stats Smaller quantities of 10 or fewer knives were seized in the other eight divisions, including Dublin East, Laois/Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork North, Cork East and Kerry. Outside the capital, the largest number of knives seized so far in 2024 was in Limerick with 32. The figures were released as part of a parliamentary question submitted by Social Democrats TD, Catherine Murphy. The Kildare North deputy said the quantity of knives being seized in every part of the country was a cause for concern, including 475 across both constituencies in Kildare over the past 10 years. Current penalties on conviction for the possession of an offensive weapon such as a knife without a justifiable reason appear not to be deterrent enough, said Ms Murphy. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee last week secured Cabinet approval to amend legislation in order to increase sentences for a number of knife-related crimes. Minister McEntee said: The current maximum sentence for serious offences - possession of a knife with intent to unlawfully cause injury, trespassing with a knife, and producing a knife to unlawfully intimidate another person - do not appear to be proportionate when compared with simple possession of a knife, and yet they carry the same maximum sentence of five years. That is why we are changing the maximum penalty for these serious knife crime offences, clearly targeting persons who have a willingness and intent to use knives, to a seven-year maximum sentence. "We are also increasing the penalty for importing and selling knives and such weapons from seven to 10 years. "This sentence increase is in line with other recent increases I have made, including doubling the maximum sentence for assault causing harm and increasing the maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder to life. Catherine Murphy said: You make people feel that they don't need to carry it in the first instance for self-defense, by reducing the number of knives. You cant invest enough in youth work, thats how you really address this in the long term. Ms Murphy said the cost of locking up somebody for a year was 84,000 which could be spent on preventative measures. Removal lorry takes convicted drug dealers belongings from flat A gun-toting UDA gang got its way this week when a convicted drug dealer made a swift exit. Last week we revealed how the blood-thirsty loyalist gang already responsible for shooting a granny in the head was behind a campaign to intimidate a drug dealer who escaped jail despite a man dying after taking his drugs. Mark Hayes was in the crosshairs of the notorious and reportedly anti-drug paramilitary gang after walking free from court despite pleading guilty to dealing drugs. On Thursday Hayes appeared to have taken the hint after removal trucks were seen clearing out a flat in Westbourne Crescent which belonged to someone who Hayes had been staying with after his court case. Its understood this person has also quit the property and left the area. Ironically, the removal firm used was Swift Removals. Sources in Coleraine told the Sunday World: Hayes has gone for good, I expect hell turn up in Belfast or Ballymena but he certainly wasnt welcome here in Coleraine anymore. The removal lorry arrived this morning [Thursday] and started clearing everything out. Apparently the place was a bit of a mess, especially after the windows had come in I think theyd left the house when that happened and have been waiting to get rehoused. Hes not from round here originally and he wont be missed. Its unfortunate for others who are having to leave the area too when they did nothing wrong. Windows in the property were smashed on Easter Sunday and that happened after another property belonging to a relative was attacked with a petrol bomb last September when Hayes first appeared in court charged with dealing drugs. The 32-year-old was in the sights of the much-feared North Antrim UDA who have been responsible for a spate of near-deadly gun attacks in the last five years, including on drug-smuggling grandmother Sally Cummins and Celtic fan Paul Fleming both of whom miraculously escaped with their lives despite being shot in the head. The dumbbells that were tied to the dog. Pic: Tyrone Underwater Search and Recovery The UDA gang was further angered that not only had Hayes walked free from Ballymena Magistrates Court, but that he returned to live in Coleraine despite a number of warnings. Our picture showed the flat in Westbourne Crescent which had its windows put in just ten days after his court reprieve. The PSNI told the Sunday World: Police are investigating a report of criminal damage caused to a house in the Coleraine area. It was reported to police at approximately 2.30pm on Sunday, 31st March that some time overnight three windows were broken at the property in the Westbourne Crescent area of the town. Last September we revealed a petrol bomb was thrown at another property in Coleraine where Hayes was bailed to live just days after he had appeared in court charged with dealing the dodgy drugs. The same gang targeting Hayes were responsible for the shooting of then 61-year-old grandmother Sally Cummins at her Bushmills Road home on October 5 2020. She was left fighting for her life in Belfasts Royal Victoria Hospital after shots were fired at the front and back of the property, with at least one of these hitting the gran in her head. Her son, Russell, was also injured in the shooting and the attack was said to have been ordered by a paramilitary boss over the sudden death of 21-year-old Coleraine woman Lindsey Boyd inside the Cummins home a number of weeks previous. Last week career criminal Russell Cummins appeared in court convicted of a raft of drug offences in a case where it emerged his girlfriend Boyd had snorted a deadly line of cocaine laced with lethal tranquilliser etizolam in his house. Just a month before that shooting the same faction was believed to be responsible for the so-called punishment shooting of a convicted paedophile in nearby Bushmills. And in December 2020, Coleraine dad Paul Fleming was also left fighting for his life after being shot in the head as he answered the door of his Churchlands Road flat. Mark Hayes had been dealing drugs in Ballymena and a man died in a hostel after taking pills sold to him by Hayes. Last month District Judge Nigel Broderick told Hayes that just on balance, he was instead imposing a combination order of 12 months probation and 100 hours of community service. He also warned him: Be under no illusions, supplying drugs to anyone else is a serious matter and will be dealt with accordingly by the courts. Hayes, from Westbourne Crescent, had earlier entered guilty pleas to possessing pregabalin with intent to supply and supplying the class C drug to another on August 25 last year. Sources said when the substantial package was dropped into the yard, a large number of incarcerated sex offenders were present The Midlands has become the latest prison to be targeted by drone smugglers resulting in the Irish Prison Service (IPS) reviewing hi-tech systems that would allow officers to take over control of hostile drones. The Sunday World has learned a package was successfully dropped by drone into the exercise yard in G-Wing of the Midlands Prison on Sunday last. Sources said when the substantial package was dropped into the yard, a large number of incarcerated sex offenders were present. Its understood one of these inmates managed to secure the package prior to officers being able to retrieve it. The drop suspected to be drugs and phones resulted in searches of the jail being carried out by the OSG (Operational Support Group). Its understood at least some of the contraband has been recovered. The incident is one of a number of attempted drone-drops at the Midlands Prison in recent weeks following a relative lull in drone activity over the Co. Laois prison. Drone smuggling has been far more pronounced in Wheatfield Prison, where videos of successful drug drops at the Dublin jail have repeatedly been posted on the internet. Earlier this month, we revealed on Sundayworld.com how drone footage had been posted on TikTok showing a drugs package being air-dropped directly into an exercise yard in Wheatfield Prison. The footage, which was not dated, showed the drones camera looking directly at the exercise yard where a several inmates were in circulation. The package was then dropped. Last year, organised crime gangs managed to get contraband drugs worth almost a million euros into Wheatfield Prison. Drugs such as cannabis, heroin and cocaine are worth four times as much behind bars as they are on the street, making the west Dublin lock-up a prime target for drug dealers. More than 3kg of cannabis were seized in 2023, along with significant quantities of heroin and cocaine and several thousand tablets. In 2022, according to statistics from the Irish Prison Service, Wheatfield had 510 drug seizures, more than double the total at Mountjoy and the Midlands which are bigger prisons. The second-highest drugs seizures, at 283 for the year, came at the remand prison Cloverhill, which is beside Wheatfield. A source confirmed, as a result of the recent surge in drone smuggling across Irelands prison estate, the IPS is currently reviewing strategies to deal with the problem in other jurisdictions. The source said Irelands prisons are currently equipped with a warning system that notifies prison authorities when a drone is approaching air space above a prison. This allows officers to intervene and secure the dropped contraband most of the time. However, in a number of other jurisdictions, systems are in place that allow officers to seize control of the drones. Such systems can automatically detect drones, take control of them, and safely land them. This stops the drones from delivering contraband and helps keep prisons safe. Crucially, such systems are designed to work flawlessly, even in dense urban environments, without communication interruptions, thereby reducing the risk of interfering with IT and communications in buildings such as hospitals if nearby. In a statement to the Sunday World, the Irish Prison Service confirmed it is now reviewing new strategies for combatting drone smuggling. The Irish Prison Service is committed to preventing the access of contraband, including drugs into prisons and continues to be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service, the statement said. [It] has committed to continuing to invest in new technologies and measures to support our efforts to keep contraband out of prisons. Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis. Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons. The Irish Prison Service continues to engage with An Garda Siochana with regard to preventing contraband entering our prisons. Man who forced vulnerable women into prostitution is now out of prison Former brothel boss and convicted sex offender David Archer. He was working as a handyman in the capital using a false name. Photo: Mark Condren Gardai have been urged to closely monitor the activities of sex trafficker and former brothel boss David Archer after he was released from prison in recent days. The Rape Crisis Network has warned that the 60-year-old registered sex offender, who once forced vulnerable women into prostitution, will continue to be a risk to all women. Archer was sentenced to three months in prison in February on charges of failing to notify gardai of his whereabouts after moving to Ireland from the UK. By the time of his recent arrest, Archer had been operating a handyman service from a basement premises on Dublins Baggot Street. Using the false name Jeff Both, he had unfettered access to peoples homes, including unsuspecting women living alone. He had been wanted by gardai after failing to appear in court for breaches of the Sex Offenders Act last summer. Archer arrived here in March 2023 after serving just six years of a 13-year prison sentence imposed by a UK court after being convicted of operating a string of London brothels. At his trial in 2017, the Glaswegian was also convicted of sexually assaulting a number of vulnerable women who were lured from Eastern Europe and Brazil with the promise of proper jobs and forced into prostitution. Archers victims told how he also coerced them to pose for explicit photos that were then used to advertise sexual services on adult websites he controlled. David Archer, who also uses the alias Jeff Both. Photo: Mark Condren In some cases, they said they had been forced to engage in sexual activity against their will and Archer, who threatened to expose them as illegal immigrants, pocketed half of everything they earned. Investigators also suspected Archer drugged and sexually assaulted some of his victims. His presence came to light after he was evicted from a building which he had leased using false documentation They described him as being controlling and manipulative as he preyed on impoverished foreign women with the promise of well-paid jobs in the UK. When police searched his luxury East London home in January 2016 they found a terrified young woman locked up in a bedroom. More than 170,000 in cash was recovered as well as a CCTV system the pimp used to secretly monitor each brothel. At the time of his arrest police estimated Archer was making more than 2m a year and had amassed an 18m fortune over several years. Former brothel boss and convicted sex offender David Archer selling paintings on Merrion Square. Photo: Mark Condren Archer was first arrested by gardai in June last year for failing to notify them of his presence in the country under the Sex Offenders Act 2001. His presence came to light after he was evicted from a building which he had leased using false documentation and then crammed full of beds to rent out online to unsuspecting tourists. At the same time Archer was selling portraits of famous people at the railings of St Stephens Green, which he claimed to have painted himself. An arrest warrant was issued when he subsequently failed to appear in court in July and he had been hiding in plain sight ever since, working as a handyman. We must assume he will continue to be a risk to all women On January 31 he managed to escape as gardai tried to gain entry to the basement property to arrest him. They had been alerted by a woman who hired him to do work after spotting a poster advertising the Handymen Dublin and Tradesmen Dublin business in the Dublin 2 area. She and her partner became suspicious when he gave her bank details for payment in the name of a David Archer after having identified himself as Jeff Both. After a quick online search, she found a story published by the Irish Independent revealing his sinister past and called gardai. Gardai arrested Archer at a B&B in the city centre on February 13. He was jailed for three charges of failing to notify gardai of his whereabouts. Cliona Saidlear, the executive director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI), said that Archer had demonstrated his contempt for the law by evading the gardai for so long. The sex trafficker turned handyman, on the run in Ireland Archer is a serious sexual offender who has harmed an awful lot of women, said Ms Saidlear. The sex offenders register is designed for offenders like him to ensure strict controls on his movement, access and behaviours. That he has purposefully evaded these controls tells us of his contempt for the law designed to protect society from him. Ms Saidlear added: The gardai and the courts must continue to be vigilant and persistent in holding Archer accountable as we must assume he will continue to be a risk to all women. Sources have confirmed that Archer was due for release last week and will be closely monitored by gardai. Members of the public are advised to immediately contact gardai if Archer starts operating as a handyman again or anything else that gives him access to the public. The small building is the same venue that sold Dolores McNamara's winning EuroMillions ticket worth 115 million in 2005. Garryowen Stores in Limerick is the place to buy your lottery tickets after the shop sold yet another major winner at the weekend. The National Lottery revealed to the Limerick Leader newspaper that the G O Stores in Garryowen sold Saturdays jackpot winning ticket worth 8,970,934. The small building is the same venue that sold Dolores McNamara's winning EuroMillions ticket worth 115 million in 2005. This brings to almost 124 million worth of winning tickets sold in the humble outlet. "We did sell it, yes! The place is buzzing. We are of course a very lucky store. We have no information yet on the winner, Cora ODoherty, shop manager told the Sunday World. Euromillions winner Dolores McNamara "There is great excitement. I definitely recommend people to come buy their tickets here. "I never met Dolores but I was there the night she won, Cora added. Ms McNamara famously became the first EuroMillions jackpot winner in Ireland after purchasing her winning 115 million ticket in July 2005 which marked the biggest lottery win in Europe at the time. Her whopping prize instantly put her on the list of the top 100 richest people in Ireland. Since the win, Dolores spent 3.5 million on Lough Derg Hall in Clare along with houses for her six children. Ms McNamaras son Gary last year moved into a luxury lakeside pad. The family splurged a reported 3.46 million on the 19th-century 16- bedroom home, Tinarana House, and the adjoining 270 acres overlooking Lough Derg. The McNamara family paid out 1.46 million for Tinarana House in east Co Clare and another 2 million for the lands, where Mr McNamara has since built up a beef herd of 100 animals. Although not quite at the same level as Ms McNamaras win, officials from the National Lottery will be at Garryowen Stores on Tuesday to officially announce the latest lucky winners enclosure. Finally someone was talking to us, answering our questions The broken family of Saoirse Smyth have been given a glimmer of hope by a Garda investigation team based in Dundalk. This week cousin Nicole Smyth and other family members met the head of the Criminal Bureau in Co Louth for an update into the disappearance and suspected murder of their loved one. Garda confirmed to the west Belfast family that they are treating Saoirses case as a high priority missing persons investigation and will start their investigation from day one, the last minute she was seen alive. And they revealed to Saoirses cousin, granny and uncle that they had the details of three suspects who would in time be arrested and questioned by their specialist officers. Nicole Smyth It was great news for us, finally someone was talking to us, answering our many questions, Saoirses cousin Nicole Smyth told the Sunday World yesterday. For the first time in a long time we have hope, we are glad she has not been forgotten and while have accepted shes dead there is hope that we will finally find out what happened to her and more importantly where her body is. The Guards told us that at this stage they are treating Saoirses case as a high priority missing person. "They have told us that they do believe she is dead but they will investigate from scratch to confirm all our suspicions but they have to come to their own conclusions by starting the investigation from the first day she went missing. Saoirse (29), who had been living in Omeath, Co Louth, vanished without trace in April 2017. The family is hoping that one of the suspects might give up information that will lead to the recovery of her remains. Saoirses granny Vera says she is not interested in criminal charges, she just wants to bury her granddaughter beside her daughter, Saoirses mum, so they can both rest in peace. Nicole said: The chief investigator knew about the three suspects, knows their identities and told us they will be questioned which is a massive step forward, something positive to hold on to. Im hoping that the three suspects might have fallen out, one of them might have been wronged and will spill his guts. Nicole Smyth and Vera (pictured) are happy the gardai are investigating Saoirses case I just hope they will tell us where she is, I just hope she was not dumped in water and that she was buried somewhere and we can give her the burial she deserves and this family needs, especially my granny. Gardai in Co Louth have stated they will also carry out their own Signs of Life investigation, checking CCTV, bank statements, phone activity, passport and border controls. Its been a long time but it is heartening to know that the new team is carrying out the Signs of Life and everything else. I was worried they might not be interested in what happened to our Saoirse because she was a drug addict with mental health problems from the North but thankfully I was wrong, said Nicole. They seem very determined to get to the bottom of what happened to her and that is all we can ask for. We were very impressed and have a feeling of hope that none of us have had for a long time. I dont know where this will go or if a murder investigation will be opened down the road, all we care about now is that people are looking for her no matter what. I have been writing down questions that I want answered at our next meeting, I will enquire about a reconstruction because it was that long ago, people might remember something. Ive said this time and time again but someone knows. We just hope that the three suspects are treated for what they are and that the Guards can get the information they need to bring Saoirse home. We know we will never see her alive but to have a grave to visit is the best outcome, one my granny is praying for, Nicole said. We are meeting with our new family liaison officer in the next few weeks which is brilliant because as this investigation progresses they will keep us informed every step of the way. The PSNI closed Saoirses file so its comforting to know there are people trying their best for her and our family, she added. We have been kept in the dark for so long for the past three to four years so the conversation we had with the officers from the south were music to our ears. Parish Priest Fr Donal Sweeney told mourners at Mr Knotts funeral that the unexpected death of a young man is always a cause of shock and sorrow for the people who were closest to them during his life. The funeral of Tallaght man Shane Knott, who was found dead in suspicious circumstances at a house Co Kildare, has taken place today on would have been his 37th birthday. At St Dominics Church in Millbrook Lawns in Tallaght, the father-of-three was remembered as a man who loved his family. Mr Knott was found dead at a house outside Naas on Sunday April 14. A man who lived at the address has since been charged with his murder. Parish Priest Fr Donal Sweeney told mourners at Mr Knotts funeral that the unexpected death of a young man is always a cause of shock and sorrow for the people who were closest to them during his life. We live in a world where violence and bullying lurk just below the surface. Our television news brings pictures of innocent victims of war and suffering to our screens; whether it is the war in Gaza, or Ukraine; or people dying of starvation in parts of Africa or elsewhere; or incidents of street violence in far-off cities, and then the news moves on to another item, he said. However, when a loved one suffers a violent death, it becomes very real. We know his name Shane Knott - and those who loved him. What is worse, is that we know it shouldnt be like this. We shouldnt be here sharing the grief of his mother, brother, sister, children, and girlfriend, he added. Fr Sweeney said Mr Knott had suffered his own losses in recent times with the death of his father Henry and uncle Lar, and others. This sadness can interrupt the normal pattern of our lives, sometimes leading us down the sideroads of life, not of our choosing, the priest said. In our world we recognise that it takes very little to resort to violence and bullying to settle our differences. However, the Christian message is to shout Stop. Remember that with our God-given intelligence and reason, and our gift of speech, we need to be brave and courageous to seek alternative ways to settle differences, he added. Mr Knott is survived by his mother Catherine and her husband Kamel, brother Daniel, sister Alison, children Kaitlyn, Ryan, and Isabelle, girlfriend Lisa, and a wider circle of family and friends. Symbols of his life brought to the altar included his bonny baby trophy, birthday candles, a pack of cards to represent his love of poker, and packets of sweets. His mother Catherine said the word sweets was the first one he ever clearly spoke, and that he loved a night in with his jellies. She also spoke of how she had Shanes body back at her house last night, and how she recalled the 19-and-a-half-hour labour before he was born, and how he was christened on her 21st birthday. His love for his children never wavered. Shane loved his family. He loved his little brother, and he loved his little sister, she said, adding that he once had to ring someone for advice on how to make his sisters bottle when he was minding her. To end her eulogy, Catherine called for a minute of silence for peace and reconciliation around the world. After the funeral mass, Mr Knotts remains were brought to Newlands Cross Crematorium for cremation. Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga has joined Museums Aotearoas national Keep the Lights On campaign as it is feeling the pinch of recession. Thames Museum Society management committee chairperson Carolyn McKenzie says it's staffed entirely by volunteers, and like other museums around New Zealand, is experiencing tough financial times with climbing costs, and a Covid-19 hangover. Carolyn says visitor numbers have not reached pre-pandemic levels, and even if they do, the museum will still need a significant increase in visitor numbers to make up for low visitor numbers during the pandemic. Added to that are the weather events which hit the Coromandel early last year, and a nationwide economic crisis. Operational costs are going up and up all the time. To help raise funds, Thames Museum introduced a membership scheme, but it currently doesnt bring in enough money to cover the museums fixed costs. Carolyn recently told the Thames Community Board how much it costs to run the museum, saying that in the past 10 months, door sales and the membership scheme faced a shortfall of $1615 in meeting fixed costs like electricity, insurance, telephone, security, and rates. The museum also has to find money to protect and enhance its collection. No museum should be static or displays left to stagnate. Weve worked extremely hard to improve the museum visitors experience. The museum has been active in securing contestable grants, including from the community board, and raised an average of $54,000 per year in the past three years, she says. Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga. Photo / Supplied. However, those funds are mostly for specific projects, rather than operating costs, says Carolyn. Thames Museum is encouraging people to become a member. Memberships cost $20 per adult (there are memberships for families, students and retirees as well) and are available by paying into ANZ 06-0457-0169842-00 or by popping into the museum between 10am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday (503 Cochrane Street). History of Thames Museum A steering committee for a Thames Museum was formed in 1967 when the town commemorated the centenary of the opening of the goldfields. The same year, a fund was opened to provide for a Thames Goldfield Museum. With subsidies from the council, the fund stood at $13,150 in 1972 and it was suggested a museum could be established in the same building as the old Carnegie library on Queen St. Once the library shifted into new premises, the museum would have all of the Carnegie building. However, by 1974 the Thames Historical Museum had moved into the old Methodist church on the corner of Mary and Mackay streets and celebrated its official opening. Only two years later, the museum had outgrown its premises at the church which was also found to be a fire hazard. As the battery building at the School of Mines Museum was going to be pulled down, it was suggested that the two attractions combine, and a concrete block shell be built on the site for the Historical Museum. A paid custodian was meant to be employed to look after both museums. Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga chairperson Carolyn McKenzie with the model of a fortified pa, created by Hamiltonian Doug Pick in the 1960s, in the Taonga Maori Gallery. In 1977, the council decided to offer the School of Mines site for sale to the Historic Places Trust, now Heritage New Zealand. In 1979 the land where Central School had stood was offered to the museum to lease and a museum trust formed. The new museum was officially opened six years later, on April 24, 1985, nearly 20 years after its first conception. Since then, the museum has been further developed as funds or grants became available. Thames Museum now has three major halls and one slightly smaller hall that is used for temporary displays, family history research resources and meetings. In 2021, it was gifted the name Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga, by Ngati Maru. -Hauraki-Coromandel Post. Alberto Flores Granada Tuesday, 23 April 2024, 17:13 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads The arrival of spring and the warmer weather has also seen the arrival of higher numbers of insects to Spain, including cockroaches. However, according to Jorge Galvan, director general of the National Association of Environmental Health Companies (Anecpla, some types of cockroaches have had a "random genetic alteration" making them resistant "to certain types of biocides". Galvan explained that this can "happen with any species" but in this case it is making it more complicated to stop cockroach infestations. "If we treat with a biocide and there are resistant cockroaches, these are the ones that will survive and procreate. That is why pest management is so important because it allows us to make a specific diagnosis, apply a treatment and then make changes if necessary," explains Galvan. In fact, using professionals is the only possible option to get rid of the pests. "There are more and more arthropods due to climate change and other factors that give them more time to reproduce" "In general, there are more and more arthropods due to climate change and other factors that give them more time to reproduce," Galvan explains. This means that there are cockroaches just about everywhere in Spain, including Andalucia. However, coastal areas are the ideal place for them due to higher humidity. "In these areas there is also more tourism and overcrowding, which means there is more waste and it is more difficult to maintain good hygiene conditions." When to call in the professionals According to Galvan insects look for "shelter and food", so adequate hygiene conditions are important to keep them at bay. He also advises "not to abuse biocides", as he explains that this can be counterproductive if not done correctly. "If we have a specific problem at home we can use an insecticide but without abusing them. But if it is a "real" problem, he says, it's important to call a pest control company to deal with them. Manuel Arbol poses with Rayo Celeste in the garage of his house along with his other Vespas. Jose E. Cabrero Granada Tuesday, 23 April 2024, 17:48 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Manuel Arbol crosses Avenida de la Fuente, in Peligros, Granada province on his light blue 1961 Vespa, which he calls 'Rayo Celeste' (sky-blue lightning). He wears a yellow T-shirt, a printed waistcoat, jeans and a light blue scarf neatly tied around his neck, which matches the colour of his moped. As he enters the town's Plaza de los Patos, he honks a comedy horn to which the square seems to respond with an 'Ole!' At 87, Arbol says that his daughters often ask him if riding the Vespa causes him any pain. But he tells them: "On my Vespa I don't feel any pain at all, I can do as many kilometres as they ask me. And believe it or not, I'm 87 years old". 1946 Enrico Piaggio registered his Vespa scooter on 23 April 1946, which is why World Vespa Day is celebrated on this day and this year there are official events in Pontevedra. Since 2009 Manuel has been known throughout Spain by his Vespa rider nickname, 'Mayor', which he has printed on his helmet. "Because I'm the oldest of them all, of course," he laughs out loud. "They love me everywhere just because I'm the oldest and I'm an honorary member of all the clubs in the country." Zoom Manuel in Plaza de los Patos, Peligros, where everyone knows him. Ramon L. Perez Mayor joined the Albolote Vespa Club in 2009 shortly after discovering its existence. "Since then I've been to the Covadonga lakes three times, four times to Llanes, seven rallies in Almeria, as many in the Axarquia and I've even raced on the Antequera circuit. I was last, but they applauded me more than anyone else and my Vespa was the most beautiful". 16,863 pesetas His Vespa, which he strokes as if it were a living being, is not just a moped. "She's part of my heart," he says as he plants a kiss on the scooter and shows that despite his age, there is no problem with his memory. "She's a Vespa 125N. I bought her on 7 July 1961 for 16,863 pesetas. As I didn't have more than 16,000 pesetas, I made two payments of 431.50," Manuel recalls. At the time Manuel was working at the Ruiz de Alda hospital and was used to travelling around by bicycle. "When I got on the Vespa she went so fast that I thought it was like lightning. So I called her Rayo Celeste". Suddenly Manuel's voice starts to tremble. "I bought her when I was my girlfriend's boyfriend, my Rosarito.... She was an angel, the most beautiful in the world, the queen of the village festivals. She loved me madly and I loved her madly... I've written so many poems for her." Manuel and Rosario married, had two daughters and were "immensely happy" Manuel says. "The four of us would go for rides on the scooter. Rayo Celeste has been part of my life, my confidant and my help. When I feel sad, I go down to the garage and I stroke her like this, on her little head, and I console myself. Oh, Rosarito," he says, clenching his fist. Mayor gathers himself and points his finger in the air. "If they have to sell any of my Vespas, let them sell them. But I will never sell Rayo Celeste," he says. - Any of your Vespas? -I have seven. And I bought them all for a reason. Let's say I buy Vespas with a pedigree. Do you want to come back and I'll introduce you? The Countess of Monte Velez Enrico Piaggio registered the first Vespa on 23 April 1946; 78 years ago. Since then, World Vespa Day has taken place every year to coincide with the anniversary. Manuel Arbol has seven models, all with their own particular history. 'Vespacine', for example, was the scooter on which the film reels were brought to the Peligros cinema (cine in Spanish). "When that scooter arrived in the town we went crazy with joy," recalls Mayor, who has also made his debut as an actor. Then there is Quasimodo, La Hidalga Vespanegra, El Octavo Capricho, El Tanque Rojo and La Condesa de Monte Velez. "The manager of the Ruiz de Alda Juan Reyes told me he had seen a Vespa lying in a farm and took me to see it, in Huetor Vega. It turned out that it belonged to the owner of the Monte Velez restaurant, who had died". At first the family did not want to sell it, but Manuel's passion was so great that they ended up giving it to him. "Years later I went back and it took them a while to recognise me. I rode the scooter for one of the grandsons and it is one of the most beautiful things I keep in my heart." Manuel has a lot of stories to tell, for example there was the time when the mayor came to have her photo taken with him and the police tried to fine him; his eternal friendship with Antonio Viciana, the first person who went around the world on a Vespa in 79 days; or the photo he took in Gijon, which is "probably" why World Vespa Day will be held there in 2025. All the Vespas live together in Manuel's garage, but the queen is Rayo Celeste. Among the vehicles, however, there is a white van that he explains is "adapted" from when he was caring for his wife, who had Alzheimer's for 18 years. "For the last six years I had to change her position every three hours. On her last day I took her in the van to the hospital. There I sang her the song we used to sing to the girls when they were little and we travelled on Rayo Celeste. She opened her eyes." Mayor rests his hands on the scooter and smiles: "It was the most beautiful thing that could have happened to me. Rosarito and the Vespa. Alekk M. Saanders Tuesday, 23 April 2024, 21:58 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads St George's Day is widely celebrated, among other places, in England, Georgia, Ukraine and Malta, as well as in the Spanish regions of Catalonia and Aragon, where St George is considered the patron saint. In Andalucia there are several places dedicated to San Jorge and a town that celebrates 23 April with a bang. A church for San Jorge The search for something English in Andalucia often leads to Huelva province, one of the most English-influenced areas of Spain. The town of Palos de la Frontera has the parish church of San Jorge Martir (St George the Martyr), built in the late 14th century. It is thought that the dedication of the church to St George the Martyr may be due to English influence It is thought that the dedication of the church to St George the Martyr may be due to English influence. In the past, the English royal house venerated St George both through the trading relationships of its sailors and through the Crusades. As for Andalusians, it is known that after the discovery of America, the seafarers of Huelva maintained commercial relations with the various European ports of the time, including English ports. Zoom The church of San Jorge in Palos de la Frontera. SUR Historians emphasise that the Iglesia de San Jorge in Gothic-Mudejar style does not seem to be the result of a project in general, but perhaps an evolution resulting from chance. It is believed that the building retains the body of an ancient temple built on a hill. The church consists of three Mudejar naves and a Gothic altar. The centre nave has a neo-Mudejar ceiling. The main door of the church is made entirely of stone and framed by two abutments. It is known as the 'Puerta de Americas' because much of the preparation and negotiation for the departure of the expedition that discovered the Americas took place in front of this doorway of the church. For example, in May 1492, the town council and neighbours gathered to read the Royal Pragmatic Decree ordering certain residents of Palos de la Frontera to deliver two caravels to Christopher Columbus. The sailors, led by Christopher Columbus, passed through the church door to set out on their voyage of discovery Another door, in two colours of brick, red and yellow, with a conspicuous sebka decoration, is one of the most beautiful spots of the parish church. This doorway is known as the 'Puerta de los Novios' (Bride and Groom Door) because of the custom of couples to enter through it while they are still engaged and exit through the main door when they are married. Besides, this door is also associated with discoveries. If Columbus is said to have opened the gateway to the New World, it could be literally here. The door was a direct access to the descent leading to the Palos Canal, where the port was located. So the sailors, led by the Pinzon family and Christopher Columbus, after praying and receiving the sacraments, passed through this door to set out on their voyage of discovery in the early morning hours of 3 August 1492. Next to this door is a commemorative tile with the names of various evangelisers from Palos de la Frontera who carried out their mission in the New World. Not surprisingly, in 1931 the building of San Jorge Church was declared a national monument and is a part of the so-called Lugares Colombinos ('Columbian places') tourist route. St George's Castle Seville has a castle named after Saint George, or rather, a site with ruins where a medieval fortress was once built on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River. Incidentally, the first fortifications here were built by the Visigoths. Later, during the reign of the Almohads, a defence complex called Castillo de Gabir was erected here. It consisted of the castle itself, protected by a wall with ten towers, a moat and a barbican. The castle was a key position for the conquest of Seville by Ferdinand III of Castile in 1248. From that time until 1280, the castle belonged to the military order of St George, the patron saint of knights and soldiers. Then the castle was named in honour of St George. It is reported that the Order of St George of Alfama disappeared in 1400. Over time, the defensive importance of the castle diminished, and in 1481 it became the headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition and its prison. It is believed that Beethoven's opera Fidelio about Seville prison, where prisoners of conscience were kept at the end of the 18th century, referred to the Castillo de San Jorge. The buildings were demolished due to the constant destruction of the walls as a result of heavy river floods, and in the 19th century a food market was established there. In 2009, Seville city hall inaugurated the Castillo de San Jorge project, which created a visitor centre that tells the story of the ruins and religious repression of the Spanish Inquisition. Hotel San Jorge This St George-themed tour in western Andalucia might end in Alcala de los Gazules, Cadiz province. Every year, this small town with white-washed houses located in the Los Arcornocales natural park, is immersed in a special festive atmosphere for a week. This is one of the few towns in Andalucia where San Jorge is the patron saint, and 23 April is a feast day and the climax of the activities. The main scene is the church (Iglesia Parroquial de San Jorge). The church is celebrating a jubilee this year. It is 500 years since three hermitages merged into the current parish church of San Jorge, which was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interes Cultural) in 2006. You can stay in a hotel with the name of San Jorge. Myrto Kaltsidou Marbella Friday, 19 April 2024 | Updated 23/04/2024 14:02h. Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Civitas Puerto Banus in Marbella is holding its second International Yoga Festival from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 April. This year's event features Xuan Lan, one of Spain's leading yoga instructors, founder of XLY Studio, and author of Mi Diario de Yoga (My Yoga Diary) and Yoga para Mi Bienestar (Yoga for my Wellbeing). The festival also welcomes Fermin Suarez, founder of Fermin Suarez Yoga School & MIND, who is also a nationally and internationally accredited yoga instructor. Zoom Xuan Lan. SUR Other world-renowned yoga instructors attending the event include Lucia Liencres, Lourdes Vidal, Tomas Tealdi, Gabi Mastragostino and Deborah Niccolini, among others. Over the three-day period, these experts will deliver more than 30 sessions, suitable for all levels: yoga classes in both English and Spanish, guided meditations, specialised workshops, live music and sound baths. There will also be a market where participants can buy eco-friendly produce, among other things. The festival is also accessible for children, and those under the age of 12 have free access to the event. The International Yoga Festival was first held in 2023, when it brought together more than 5,000 aficionados of this millennia-long discipline that originated in India. Indeed, yoga, which unites mind, body and spirit, brings many benefits, with the added advantage, in the case of this festival, of practising outdoors. This year hopes to bring together more than 8,000 yoga enthusiasts. For more information, or to reserve a place, visit www.puerto-banus.com/festival-internacional-de-yoga/. Edurne Martinez Madrid Tuesday, 23 April 2024, 15:08 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Spain's state train operator Renfe is bolstering its offer of tickets on high-speed services by adding more than 24,000 extra seats a week amid an ongoing price war with low-cost rail operators Iryo and Ouigo. It comes as Renfe starts to receive its new Avril trains which after more than two years of delay from Talgo is expected to improve high-speed connections throughout the country and be more "competitive". The minister of transport Oscar Puente pointed out Renfe has already received the first ten trains of the 30 ordered, and will receive another 16 before July. Of the total number of new Avril trains, ten will run to France for the new Madrid-Paris connection which the minister expects to be operational before the end of the year - also months behind the current plan - and the rest mainly to Galicia and Asturias, but they will enable services to be rearranged in the rest of the country and improve connections in up to nine regions. There will even be a new service between Madrid and Teruel. Renfe continues with the sanctioning process against Talgo for the delay in the delivery of trains "Renfe will be more competitive with these trains," Puente said, who also pointed out the public operator is the "only one" that connects the entire country. Renfe president Raul Blanco said the company's will to lead remains intact, shown in the "deployments and connections that we complete as soon as we have the material to do so". "If there are more competitors, we will compete," added the president of the rail operator, which in recent months has been suffering from stiff competition from new market players and their competitive prices. A CNMC report revealed that in the past year the arrival of Ouigo and Iryo made high-speed rail prices plummet by 40%, and in the case of Renfe, forced to cut the cost of tickets by 25%. It has opened up a price war between the French operator and the minister Puente, who accuses them of price dumping as they are selling at a loss, dragging the rest of the sector to "poor results". Ouigo's accounts Meanwhile, Ouigo - which last week launched its new service between Madrid and Valladolid with a one-euro ticket promotion - said its low prices managed to fill its trains to 90% capacity "but with quality" and that this year it will achieve financial equilibrium. Asked about this, Puente said "the accounts will speak for themselves" and he is "looking forward to seeing them". The minister is wary of the profitability announced by the French company and predicted that "it will take time to know the accounts" despite them already being obliged to present them. The transport minister did not want to comment about the promotion of one-euro tickets to Segovia and Valladolid, but said Renfe is putting o "a profitable model for the structuring of the network" on the table because they are responsible for "bringing together" the country. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Onondaga County officials are renaming the industrial park where they are hoping to attract supply chain companies serving Micron Technology Inc.s planned semiconductor plant in Clay. The Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency has been calling its property south of Route 31 White Pine South. But it is renaming it White Pine Science & Technology Park to make clear the kind of tenants it is seeking. Syracuse, N.Y. Central New Yorks long-standing legacy of manufacturing everything from auto parts to soda ash has had a dark side: environmental pollution, still being cleaned up today. So along with the progress and economic development promised by Micron Technology come renewed fears of long-lasting pollution from a new industry. Weve been abandoned by tons of corporations that took away really good jobs and left us with incredible amounts of pollution, Tom Judson, a co-founder of the Alliance for a Green Economy, said at a public hearing recently. Were not going to let that happen here again. As Micron promises to build a semiconductor manufacturing complex in Clay and revive the regions role as a manufacturing center, activists say theyre worried most about the semiconductor industrys widespread use of what are known as forever chemicals, so named because they dont break down in the environment or the human body. The release of toxic contaminants through water pathways is one of the most serious threats of semiconductor productions, said Lenny Siegel, executive director for the Center for Public Environmental Oversight, in Silicon Valley. Theres so many of these chemicals that have been untested, and we dont know the quantities that are used. Many of these forever chemicals, referred to collectively as PFAS, are essential to making computer chips. Theyre used in many stages of the complicated process that turns silicon wafers into chips. More than 3,000 PFAS chemicals are in use in the U.S. They have been used since the 1950s in consumer products and fire-fighting foam, yet many PFAS compounds are not well-studied. Of those that have undergone scientific scrutiny, some are linked to high cholesterol, several kinds of cancer, damaged immune systems and liver damage. Plus, there are not effective laboratory tests to detect the presence of most PFAS compounds, and there are few regulations for this ever-growing group of chemicals. In early April, the EPA for the first time issued PFAS standards for drinking water, despite them being a waste product of manufacturing for decades. The agency is still working on regulations for PFAS discharges in industrial wastewater for local treatment plants, like Onondaga Countys, that are the front line of defense against PFAS contamination of waterways from industry. With Micron and other chipmakers, theres an extra conundrum: Many chemicals used in chip-making will be kept secret from the public and even Micron itself. Chip makers and suppliers guard their trade secrets in the name of competition and national security. We may never know all the chemicals Micron will use. Yet theres a possibility that forever chemicals could end up in our waterways. Thats according to everyone with a stake in the industry, from environmental activists to the federal government to the semiconductor industry itself. Without proper precautions, we could have a new generation of toxic chemicals seeping into our lakes, rivers and groundwater. Even the U.S. Commerce Department, charged with awarding $52 billion to jumpstart semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., is worried. Wastewater discharge from semiconductor manufacturing facilities presents the greatest risk for PFAS contamination of the environment, the departments CHIPS Program office in December. That potential puts pressure on Micron and local and state officials to ensure that toxic chemicals dont make their way into our rivers and lakes. The front line will be Onondaga Countys Oak Orchard wastewater plant, which will have to undergo dramatic expansion to handle Micron, let alone the business and residential development expected to follow. Micron says it will comply with all local, state and federal standards for discharging wastewater into Onondaga Countys sewage treatment system. The company says it will build a treatment plant on site to remove chemicals from wastewater before sending it to the public sewage system. It will be treated to the appropriate standard or better, and then discharged, said Carson Henry, Microns senior director of strategic U.S. expansion. Yet its not clear how well fab treatment systems even work because most PFAS cant be detected with current lab tests, the CHIPS office said. Analytical methods for the detection of PFAS compounds in wastewater are needed to determine the removal efficiency of such treatment technologies. the office said. The current detection methods are limited to a few PFAS compounds. Government regulations lag behind There are few regulations at the state or local level for Micron to comply with. State and federal regulators are playing catch up to understand and regulate semiconductor chemicals even as the federal government pushes chipmaking plants to open in the U.S. in the interest of national security. Micron is expected to get $6.1 billion in CHIPS funding to build fabs in Clay and Idaho that will produce leading-edge memory chips used in everything from cell phones to fighter jets. The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation is only now proposing its first PFAS regulations for local wastewater plants. Those regulations would apply to three PFAS chemicals; Micron says it has already stopped using two of them. The federal Environmental Protection Agency just this year finalized a new test that can detect a few dozen kinds of PFAS. And even if many PFAS chemicals could be detected, EPA is still hasnt set guidelines on how much industries should be allowed to discharge. EPA plans to issue guidelines on those limits later this year. The semiconductor industry employs PFAS chemicals in many of the 2,000 steps it takes to transform silicon wafers into the tiny computer chips. The semiconductor industry says it cant live without PFAS. No known alternatives exist for many of the industrys uses of fluorocarbon-containing material, said the Semiconductor Industry of Americas PFAS Consortium said last year. And while the industry is looking at non-PFAS alternatives, those could take years or decades to develop them and put them into widespread use, the consortium said. The industry also admits it needs to be a better job of removing PFAS from wastewater. Most PFAS are not regulated pollutants and therefore unless company specific provisions are in place, the wastewater from processes that use aqueous wet chemical formulations that contain PFAS would likely be discharged to the publicly owned treatment works without substantive removal, the SIA said. PFAS stands for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances. They are synthetic compounds that bind together carbon and fluorine atoms. The chemical bonds between those elements are extraordinarily strong, making them valuable for industry but also long-lasting in the environment. A 2021 study by Cornell University professors found that three unnamed fabs in the U.S. discharged dozens of types of PFAS into wastewater. Little is known about the PFASs discovered in this study, and future work should focus on the occurrence, persistence, and toxicity of these PFASs, said the study, co-authored by Damian Helbling, a professor in Cornells civil and environmental engineering school. Local treatment plants are first line of defense While state and federal regulators scramble to develop guidelines, local wastewater treatment plants like Onondaga Countys will be the first line of defense against PFAS pollution. The EPA says that local plants dont have the technology to test for or neutralize any PFAS that does get into treatment plants and eventually into waterways. Before Micron can start production, it would need a permit from the countys Water Environmental Protection department to discharge wastewater into Oak Orchard Wastewater Treatment plant, in Clay. The plants effluent empties into the Oneida River and ultimately Lake Ontario. Shannon Harty, commissioner of the department, said she expects that Micron will process chemicals on site. Were anticipating that its going to be Microns responsibility to manage and remove PFAS before their wastewater gets to us, Harty said. Micron will have significant water treatment infrastructure so that wastewater leaving the site meets or exceeds applicable water quality standards, the company said in a statement to syracuse.com. Micron will comply with local regulatory standards before wastewater is sent for further treatment at the Oak Orchard Treatment Plant. The company also said it will comply with all legal requirements to sample wastewater in accordance with EPAs evolving sampling methodologies and analytical procedures. But as of now there are no local standards in place for most of the chemicals that fall under the PFAS umbrella. On the standard application for industries who want to discharge into the local treatment system, Onondaga County asks industries to indicate which of 120 substances of concern they might discharge. PFAS is not on the list. Harty said she will rely on the federal Environmental Protection Agency for guidance. EPA is really going to be the one thats going to be helping us develop, what those constituents are and what the permit limits will be, she said. That guidance has been slow in coming. EPA concedes that it knows so little about how much PFAS wastewater treatments are already dealing with that it needs to do more testing. The agency just last month announced it would take steps to require up to 2,000 wastewater plants across the country to test incoming flow from industrial plants. This collection effort is necessary because there is only very limited publicly accessible data on PFAS discharges from industrial categories, the EPA said in March. EPA also conceded that most treatment plants do not operate processes and technologies that effectively reduce or destroy PFAS, (which) are subsequently discharged into surface waters. Thats proprietary Micron said it plans to build four fabrication plants, or fabs, over the next 20 years at the corner of Route 31 and Caughdenoy Road, in Clay. When all four fabs are operating by 2041, Micron says it could discharge 42 million gallons of industrial wastewater per day into the Oak Orchard plant. Thats more than four times the plants current design flow. The county plans to spend more than $400 million to upgrade the Oak Orchard treatment plant to accommodate Micron and the explosion of development it could generate. Micron has not said what kinds of chemicals it will use in Clay. In an exchange with syracuse.com last summer, Henry, the key public face of Microns Clay project, said the company will not release information on all of the chemicals it discharges and emits. Syracuse.com: Are we going to know what all the chemicals are there, or is that proprietary? Henry: Thats proprietary. Syracuse.com: So we wont know what youre using there, whats going into the air and water? Henry: Correct. In fact, Henry said, Micron itself wont be aware of all of the chemicals that will enter its factory doors. In some cases, our suppliers dont tell us what (the chemicals) are, because they have their own intellectual property and trade secrets, Henry said. All that secrecy has activists worried. At this point, there are many more questions than actual facts, said David Sonnenfeld, a retired SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry professor who has studied the electronics industry for more than 30 years. The tricky stuff is, what do we not know? PFAS are ubiquitous What we do know is that PFAS compounds were once widely used in manufacturing firefighting foams and in consumer products like non-stick pans. PFAS compounds have been in use since the 1950s, and were banned from many consumer products in 2002. In areas where PFAS were used intensively and dumped, dangerous levels built up in groundwater. In the New York village of Hoosick Falls, decades of PFAS dumping led to a $65 million settlement and a new water line. More than 700 military sites, including Hancock Field, in Syracuse, were being studied for potential PFAS contamination in soil and groundwater. Despite many PFAS compounds being phased out in the past 20 years, they remain ubiquitous in the environment. One study found that 97% of Americans have some PFAS in their blood. Fish in the Great Lakes have high levels of PFAS. And the chemicals are found closer to home: Refugees who ate fish from Onondaga Lake had markedly elevated levels of PFAS in their blood as much as 27 times higher than the U.S. median, a state Department of Health study found. The Onondaga County Water Authority and the city of Syracuse have detected low levels of some PFAS compounds in drinking water drawn from Lake Ontario and Skaneateles Lake. The levels are well below the EPAs new drinking water standards. Micron said it no longer uses two major classes of PFAS, called PFOA and PFOS. The company said it is working to find alternatives to the PFAS compounds it does use. We are actively working on identifying alternative PFAS chemistries as part of our focus on responsible chemical stewardship, the company said. The CHIPS office said coming up with suitable alternatives to PFAS could take 15 to 20 years. PFAS are just part of the chemicals in fabs PFAS is just one group of chemicals semiconductor plants use. The CHIPS office says that about 170 chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing are listed on the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. At Microns fab in Manassas, Virginia, it stores nearly 300 kinds of chemicals, according to a 2018 report filed with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Micron last year provided the New York DEC with a list of chemicals it might emit into the air. The total was 96. In Silicon Valley, where dozens of Superfund sites are still being cleaned up after decades of pollution from the semiconductor industry, advocates for the environment and worker safety said they remain skeptical, but hopeful, that chip companies can avoid a repeat. Im not arguing that they cant do their work relatively safely, Siegel said. Its not that they dont care. Its that theyve introduced chemicals without adequate concern about the environmental impact, and now they have to play catch up. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News (TNS) Rochester police are investigating a trio of recent homicides, including that of a taxi driver believed to be in his 40s, who was found dead Monday after an apparent carjacking. I was very optimistic that we would be able to end April without a homicide, but unfortunately, that is not going to be the case, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said during a Monday press conference. He urged the community to share any relevant information about the alleged killings. We know someone knows something, the mayor said. The first of the homicides happened Sunday morning when police found 35-year-old Ricky Elliot shot several times and rushed him to a hospital where he died from his wounds. The victim had been involved in a street conflict, according to WROC-TV. Later that day, 53-year-old Myron Fair was found dead in an apartment complex in what was reportedly an isolated incident, " representing no threat to the community. The dead livery driver, who has not yet been identified by police, was found on the side of a road early Monday morning with a chest wound. Local media said the victims car was stolen and later abandoned. He was reportedly on duty when he was killed shortly after 3 a.m. Rochester Police Chief David Smith joined the mayor in asking for the publics help Monday. Its not clear if any of the three deaths were connected. Smith said he couldnt discuss active investigations but repeatedly stated, Most of our homicides are the result of violent retaliatory disputes. There were 58 reported homicides in Rochester in 2023. That marked a 32% drop from the previous year, according to the Democrat & Chronicle. The police chief said Monday that 70% of Rochesters homicides were solved last year and the the city major crimes division has cleared just under that number in 2024. The western New York city is home to roughly 211,000 people, according to U.S. Census Bureau numbers. ___ Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Syracuse, N.Y. A Watertown man faces 10 years to life in prison for attempting to buy drugs in Syracuse to sell in the North Country, prosecutors say. Stuart Chambers, 44, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday for attempting to possess and distribute methamphetamines and cocaine in January, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of New York. Chambers came to Syracuse in January to buy one pound of methamphetamines and 10 ounces of cocaine, DEA agent David Proud said in a criminal complaint filed in January. When the DEA received information that Chambers was coming to buy drugs from a person, they swapped out the drugs with a sham substance that Chambers ended up buying, Proud said. Chambers was observed by DEA buying the sham dugs and was arrested, according to the complaint. Chambers confessed during an interview to paying $9,000 for what he thought was methamphetamines and cocaine that he intended to sell, Proud said in the complaint. His sentencing is scheduled for August 20 in Syracuse and, according to prosecutors. He faces a mandatory minimum federal prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life and could pay a fine of up to $8,000,000, they say. Chambers was previously convicted in federal court in Pennsylvania for possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute, prosecutors said. Staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at tcobb@syracuse.com. Utica, N.Y. -- A New York City man who sold drugs in Central New York pleaded guilty Friday to gun and drug charges, prosecutors said. Rasheed Mingues, 44, pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office on Monday. Court documents and prosecutors provided the following details: predatorwheelz Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Delhi/Kolkata Posts: 1,728 Thanked: 2,147 Times View My Garage Re: Jay Skoda Delhi sells off 2023 car after booking Quote: Kosfactor Originally Posted by Was the booking done for a specific VIN number of the vehicle that you had seen and negotiated the price? Quote: saket77 Originally Posted by Also if I may ask, the insurance and registration cost breakup shared by your sales rep seems pretty low for a car costing 13L. Hows that possible? Quote: sreerknair Originally Posted by I don't think the dealer did something illegal or unusual in a business. The goal of business is to generate revenue and profit for its stakeholders, and the money received today is more valuable than the same amount received one month after. Had you paid the full amount and the deal agreement mentions the VIN of a specific car and then the dealer sells that to someone else then there are some legal merit to pursue it. Else think of the other way where customer cancels the booking just before registration. Many of the forum members here will be sued by dealers and all dealers will have a similar thread in team-bhp. specific negotiation made for a specific, previous year model car, and even the VIN number was shared in initial discussion. The least one expects is intimation, if the dealer decides to take his business elsewhere. Quote: sgmuser Originally Posted by They should have informed you before selling it off or they should have given 2-3 days of time to make a decision before selling it off. End of the day, what they have done is wrong. Quote: Freespirit27 Originally Posted by This, with the available info, is a clear case of poor business ethics where the customer has been in touch and the dealer has breached on an agreement and in poor taste. Quote: svsantosh Originally Posted by Nope. sorry. I am sure there is a clause that states 'within a reasonable period of time' - which is the biggest grey area in any such agreement. Wont hold water in the court of law. The booking form just showed "2023 Ambition Model MT Booked car", as you can see in the pic of the booking page. There was no mention of VIN. But in the discussion (see the whatsapp chat) there was specific mention of a VIN number, and I had gone and examined this very car at the stockyard. I've even tallied the VIN and posted a photo here.The insurance quote was given by the dealer. It seemed reasonable so I didn't even negotiate. The registration is low because its a BH registration, which requires only 2 pct of the ex-showroom price (net of GST) to be paid upfront.Wise words. But then the booking form (which reads "commitment form" as well) holds no value. And I didn't say the dealer is legally bound to make the sale to me. There was aThank you. This is the exact summary of the whole thread. We may get into debate about the legal aspects, but rest assured what these guys did is wrong.Again perfectly summed.Sorry to ape you here, but Nope. Sorry. That was the first thing I checked in the agreement, whether there was a clause that allowed the dealer to sell the car elsewhere if the customer did not take delivery within reasonable time. I can reproduce the terms and conditions of the agreement here if you want. In context: The Windows IoT Enterprise OS family comprises the Windows editions Microsoft sells to companies for "small-footprint" PCs, point-of-sale devices, and other embedded appliances. Previously known as Windows Embedded, Windows IoT editions are straightforward to install, even with hardware components Microsoft doesn't officially support. A recently discovered "trick" for bypassing the Windows 11 system requirement check during the OS installation is much more potent than initially thought. The same bypass method works for Windows IoT, which is just your regular Windows experience with the option to take up less storage space on smaller devices. Discovered earlier this month, the trick employs a one-click method to avoid going through the system requirements checks during Windows 11 installation. Users just need to choose the Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC edition, which is a specialized version of the OS designed for specific hardware, and the installation phase will completely skip the hardware compatibility check. The Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) edition of Windows Server comes with a new major version upgrade released every 2 to 3 years. Users are entitled to five years of mainstream support plus five more years of extended support. Microsoft says that Windows Server LTSC provides a "long servicing option" and consistency. The same user who shared the bypass trick for LTSC editions confirms that it also works for non-LTSC Windows, starting with version 24H2. Bob Pony tweeted that the secret behind the method is choosing the "IoT Enterprise" option during Windows 11 installation. The IoT edition is identical to regular Windows versions, except users can modify it for compact hardware with smaller storage limits. Microsoft designed Windows LTSC for companies and organizations that want to avoid installing frequent Windows updates or try newer features in their unfinished state. Windows IoT gets the same experience as regular Windows consumer editions, and it can now be installed on older systems as well, thanks to the recently uncovered one-click bypass method. As many PC users know, Windows 11 arrived with steep hardware requirements, making the upgrade option from Windows 10 unavailable to many systems. Resourceful users soon found that Microsoft left many "alternative" methods to bypass the system requirement check, allowing them to install the OS anyway. However, the company is seemingly willing to go as far as making the newest versions of Windows 11 simply unable to run on older CPUs, lacking support for x86 instructions. What just happened? Andy Stone, Meta's communications director, has been sentenced in absentia to six years of imprisonment by a Russian court for "publicly defending terrorism." Stone is accused of posting a Twitter/X comment in March 2022, advocating aggressive, hostile, and violent actions against "Russian servicemen participating in the special military operation," which is what Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine. The "terrorism" charges could stem from Stone posting Meta's statement on the 2022 policy that temporarily allowed forms of political expression to be posted on its social media sites that would normally violate the company's terms of service, such as "death to the Russian invaders." Stone posted the statement on Twitter/X on March 10, adding that Meta still wouldn't allow calls for violence against Russian civilians. Our statement on what's happening: pic.twitter.com/UQqb3vQeep Andy Stone (@andymstone) March 10, 2022 Facebook and Instagram, already banned in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, were found guilty of "extremist activity" by a Russian court over the policy change, and Stone was placed on a wanted list. Russian government-run news agency TASS writes that Stone's comment "contained public calls to commit deadly terrorist attacks against the servicemen." TASS states that Stone's offending post was made on March 11, 2022, so they could be referring instead to Stone reposting Meta global affairs president Nick Clegg's explanation of the policy change. He said the policy would only be applied to users inside Ukraine. Responding to reports that the Russian government is considering designating Meta as an extremist organization for its policies in support of speech: pic.twitter.com/Y8sUbZDSML Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) March 11, 2022 Stone faced 5 7 years for a crime that falls under an article covering public incitement to commit terrorist acts, public justification of terrorism, or propaganda of terrorism. The prosecution, which had asked for seven years, dropped the charges of promotion and public calls for terrorism against Stone over "confusion in the wording of the indictment." Moscow's Second Western Military Garrison Court sentenced Stone to six years in a high-security prison. aAAiAWe demand that AAAA authorities stop the extremist activities of @Meta, take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice. Users of #Facebook & #Instagram did not give the owners of these platforms the right to determine the criteria of truth and pit nations against each other. https://t.co/1RkrjRmEtA pic.twitter.com/sTacSm4nDt Russian Embassy in USA AAAA (@RusEmbUSA) March 11, 2022 With no extradition treaty existing between the US and Russia, Stone should be safe as long as he stays away from the country, which is a pretty safe bet. Interfax cited Stone's lawyer, Valentina Filippenkova, as saying that the sentence would be appealed. In August last year, Dmitry Glukhovsky, the Russian science fiction writer who penned the Metro series and collaborated with 4A Games on the video game versions, was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for deliberately spreading false information about Russia's military. In an ambitious move to streamline operations, Walmart has announced the deployment of 19 autonomous electric forklifts across four distribution centers. With artificial intelligence (AI) shaping the world into something more modern, the retail giant will explore robotic solutions to enhance efficiency and productivity in its supply chain. Walmart Leans on Autonomous Forklifts Through Generative AI As part of a multi-year agreement, Walmart's introduction of the FoxBot Class 1 electric forklifts highlights that it's taking robotic technology to the next level. These forklifts, fully autonomous and electric, are designed to handle essential tasks at warehouse loading docks, promising to revolutionize how Walmart manages its extensive inventory. The decision to deploy these robotic forklifts follows a successful 16-month proof of concept at one of Walmart's facilities, indicating positive results that spurred this broader rollout, Electrek reports. The FoxBots are not just a testament to technological advancement but also a critical component of Walmart's strategy to enhance operational efficiencies and reduce dependency on human labor for repetitive tasks. Training for Tomorrow's Needs Walmart is currently training its associates to operate the new FoxBots effectively. This training ensures that employees are not only equipped to manage these advanced machines but also prepared for the evolving technological landscape of retail logistics. Walmart's proactive approach to reskilling its workforce highlights its dedication to employee development and technological integration. "As the leader in autonomous trailer loading and unloading, Fox Robotics is pleased to deepen its relationship with Walmart as a key customer and investor. We see this collaboration as the latest massive validation point of our technology and product capabilities, solidifying our leadership position in the warehouse shipping and receiving dock automation space," Marin Tchakarov, President and CEO of Fox Robotics said. Impressive Track Record of Fox Robotics Since Fox Robotics introduced them to the market in 2021, the FoxBots have autonomously executed over 3 million pallet pulls for various customers across North America. This impressive track record showcases the reliability and effectiveness of these machines in real-world logistics operations. Looking ahead, Walmart executives are closely monitoring the performance of these autonomous forklifts with an eye toward further expansion. The success of this initial rollout could potentially lead to a broader deployment across more distribution centers, signaling a transformative shift in how retail giants like Walmart manage their logistics and supply chain operations. Walmart's Pool of Generative AI Tools From voice-activated shopping to AI-driven negotiations, Walmart is setting a new standard in retail innovation, according to Forbes. Voice Shopping and Text-to-Shop Features Understanding the routine nature of grocery shopping, Walmart has introduced the Walmart Voice Order service. This feature enables customers to reorder their usual items simply by speaking to their connected devices. For instance, saying, "Hey Google, add a dozen eggs to my cart," seamlessly adds the specified item to their shopping cart, tailored to the customer's brand preference based on past purchases. Additionally, the Text to Shop feature offers a text-based option where customers can use their mobile phones to add or remove items, manage their shopping cart, or arrange deliveries and pickups through a simple conversational AI interface. AI-Powered Shopping Assistant Walmart's new AI shopping assistant online tool is designed to assist shoppers in making optimal purchase decisions and planning events without the hassle of multiple searches. Whether customers are planning a child's birthday party or searching for holiday costumes, this tool recommends products that fit their specific needs, streamlining the shopping process. In-Store Voice Assistance for Associates Not only customers, but Walmart associates also benefit from generative AI through the "Ask Sam" voice assistant. This tool supports store employees by providing quick answers to common questions like product locations, price checks, or work schedules, all through simple voice commands. Automating Supplier Negotiations In an innovative move, Walmart has employed a generative AI chatbot to conduct negotiations with suppliers. This AI has successfully negotiated contracts with a portion of suppliers, achieving cost savings and extending payment terms with a high approval rate from the suppliers themselves, highlighting the efficiency and effectiveness of automated negotiations. Enhancing Customer Service with AI Walmart has also transformed its customer service by employing AI chatbots that provide immediate, accurate responses to customer inquiries. This technology has significantly reduced the volume of direct customer contacts, addressing common questions about returns order statuses and more efficiently. This service is now available in several countries, enhancing Walmart's global customer support network. Empowering Employees with Generative AI Walmart encourages its employees to identify the most beneficial uses for generative AI in their daily tasks. By granting access to the "My Assistant" tool, employees at Walmart's corporate facilities can explore creative and practical applications of AI to alleviate the burden of repetitive tasks, thus allowing them to concentrate more on improving customer interactions. Read Also : Retailers Embrace AI-Powered Surveillance Systems to Combat Theft Samsung India is reportedly offering customers new screen replacements after a new update has caused screens of different Galaxy Models to appear with green lines. The issue started plaguing Galaxy users after they updated to One UI 6.1 earlier this month. According to @tarunvats33, a Samsung customer support agent has informed users that the company is providing one free screen replacement to those who are impacted by this issue with models like the Galaxy S22 Ultra (SM-S908E), S21 (SM-G991B), S21+ (SM-G996B), and S21 Ultra (SM-G998B). (Photo: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images) Attendees walk past the logo of Samsung Galaxy during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event in Seoul on July 26, 2023 The Indian Express adds that Samsung Galaxy S20/S20+/S20 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra are also eligible for repair. The smartphone must not have any physical or water damage to qualify, and in addition to a brand-new display, Samsung is including a new battery with each repair. This replacement offer is only valid for phones bought within the last three years and is currently limited to India. Sources indicate that there is no information regarding how users who do not fit the standards can get their screens replaced. There is a deadline for claiming the benefit, even if the impacted and qualified phones don't necessarily need to be under warranty to receive the free screen replacement. To take advantage of the offer, owners of Galaxy phones with green lines have until April 30, 2024, to schedule an appointment with a Samsung service center. Read Also: 10 AI Features to Arrive in Samsung Galaxy S22, Tab S8, and More Next Month One UI 6.1 Issues Previous reports also suggest that many of Samsung's One UI 6.1 users are experiencing frozen screens or unresponsive touches, with some even stating that only the S Pen is working. Reverting to the One UI 6.0 firmware is the sole remedy for impacted devices. Reverting to the previous version has reportedly allowed users to use the touchscreen again. All data should be backed up before beginning this process. Social media sites like Reddit and Samsung Community forums are flooded with reports of touchscreen malfunctions. Most users report that the issue still exists after trying various troubleshooting techniques, including restarting or resetting the device. While some users have experienced brief relief following app optimization, not all users have experienced this. One UI 6.1 Comes with Galaxy AI Although the One UI 6.1 update appears to be negatively impacting screens, Samsung's announcement last week that the much-desired Galaxy AI will be arriving on other devices in tandem with One UI 6.1 seemed encouraging. Galaxy AI, the high-end mobile AI experience initially revealed in the most recent Galaxy S24 series, will be available to users of the Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Z Flip4 foldable phones, Galaxy Z Fold4, and Galaxy Tab S8 series tablets. The popular Galaxy AI features Chat Assist, AI-Generated Wallpaper, Generative Edit, Note Assist, Circle to Search with Google, Interpreter, Live Translate, and Edit Suggestion are now available to a larger global audience with the One UI 6.1 update. Samsung announced the Galaxy S24, its most recent flagship smartphone, which performed admirably after launch. Related Article: Samsung Galaxy M55 Gets Global Release: Now Available in Europe and South America (Photo: Tech Times) A new report brings to light a tactic by pedophiles and bad actors. They are allegedly now using AI-generated children deepfake nudes to extort the victims into giving more explicit material. Using deepfake child porn, the criminals have leverage to present to victims to convince them to send real explicit images, as detailed by a manual found on the dark web. Through these suggested tools, clothed and appropriate images of the victims are "nudified" and used against them to get real images or face the threat of exposure. Pedophiles Use AI to Create Children's Deepfake Nudes for Extortion The Internet Watch Foundation (via The Guardian) unveiled a recent discovery where pedophiles are now led to use generative AI tools to create children deepfake media for extortion. Using the images gathered from children via the internet or sent to them, these pedophiles and bad actors use AI tools to remove the clothing and create fake child porn content. While others sell or share them online, this new tactic is now focusing on extorting the victims by showing them the generated images and asking the underaged to send the real deal to avoid being doxxed or exposed. This follows last year's rising cases of sextortion, which focused on manipulating the victims to send graphic images and then threatening to upload them online unless they pay with money. Read Also : Teacher Arrested After Making AI-Generated Child Porn Using Student Yearbook Photos Dark Web Discovery: Encouraging AI Deepfakes for Extortion IWF's discovery on the dark web centers on a manual that encourages the use of "nudifying" tools to create deepfake child porn and use it against their victims for extortion. The manual points to various tools that can produce realistic content, and the anonymous author already boasts of coercing 13-year-old girls to send authentic, explicit images using the tactic. The IWF said the document had already been passed on to the UK's National Crime Agency. AI Child Porn and Deepfakes: On the Rise Deepfakes have come a long way from making celebrities or renowned personalities campaign for a certain belief, even if it is not accurate in real life. The abundance of AI-powered image generators has led to massive cases of fake child porn, making it possible to create them and make them appear realistic, one that is now a significant problem across the world. An alarming case of child porn deepfakes spread across communities and schools are seen in many regions, and this includes Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and more. Some countries already made this deepfake child pornography creation a crime, with Australia successfully convicting a 48-year-old Tasmanian man for this heinous act. In this digital age, almost everyone has a record of themselves online, with various images and media available here, one that anyone may use to create fake explicit materials for their gains. The IWF wants to rid the world of the child porn deepfake problem altogether, with the dark web manual now sent over to the UK agency, and help prevent AI child abuse extortion. CISA has flagged a security problem with Chirp Systems' app, which could make smart homes less secure. This issue affects a system used in many rental properties, letting anyone control the locks from afar. Despite warnings, Chirp Systems hasn't fixed the problem. Some people say home security is overrated, but smart locks guarantee your safety in the right hands. (Photo: Amazon) Security Risk in Chirp Systems' App The US government has sounded the alarm over a security loophole discovered in Chirp Systems' app, which poses a significant risk to smart home security. This vulnerability, detected in a smart access control system widely deployed across rental properties in the US, permits unauthorized individuals to manipulate any lock within the affected premises remotely. Despite repeated requests to address the issue, TechCrunch reported that Chirp Systems, the developer behind the app, has yet to rectify the flaw. CISA, the US cybersecurity agency, issued a public advisory last week detailing the concerning security flaw present in Chirp's phone apps. These applications, which residents use as digital keys to their homes, have been found to "improperly store" hardcoded credentials. Once exploited, these credentials grant remote control access to any smart lock compatible with the Chirp system. Applications that store passwords directly within their source code, a practice termed "hardcoding credentials," pose significant security risks as malicious actors can easily access and misuse them. In this instance, the hardcoded credentials facilitated unauthorized remote manipulation of Chirp-connected door locks via the Internet. According to CISA's advisory, the exploitation of this vulnerability could grant attackers complete control and unrestricted physical access to smart locks integrated into a Chirp smart home setup. With a severity score of 9.1 out of 10, the vulnerability is highly critical due to its low attack complexity and potential for remote exploitation. Despite efforts by both CISA and the researcher who uncovered the vulnerability, Chirp Systems has yet to acknowledge or address the issue. Security researcher Matt Brown informed Brian Krebs, a seasoned security journalist, that he brought the security issue to Chirp's attention in March 2021, yet the vulnerability persists unresolved. Challenges in the Rental Property Tech Sector Chirp Systems represents a subset of companies within the property technology sector offering keyless access solutions that seamlessly integrate with smart home ecosystems utilized by rental corporations. As rental agreements increasingly mandate the installation of smart home devices, delineating responsibility or ownership in the event of security breaches remains ambiguous. In 2020, RealPage, a property management software leader, acquired Chirp, and shortly after, RealPage itself was purchased by private equity firm Thoma Bravo in a substantial $10.2 billion transaction. RealPage has encountered legal disputes, with accusations that its rental software employs undisclosed algorithms to facilitate rent hikes for landlords. Currently, neither RealPage nor Thoma Bravo has acknowledged the existing software vulnerabilities inherited through acquisition, nor have they indicated any intention to inform affected residents about the associated security risks. UnitedHealth has officially confirmed that a significant number of Americans had their health data stolen after its subsidiary, Change Healthcare, suffered a ransomware attack earlier this year. According to the health insurance giant's statement, based on its initial targeted data sampling, the company has discovered files containing personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI), which may include a sizable section of the US population. (Photo: Clint Patterson from Unsplash) Last week, Prudential Financial suffered a cyberattack and learned that the hackers compromised its systems one day earlier. The investigation into the data theft incident is currently ongoing. The business has not yet discovered any indications that materials like complete medical histories or doctor's files were leaked among the data. UnitedHealth states that it will probably take several months of ongoing study due to the nature and complexity of the data examination before sufficient information is available to identify and notify impacted customers and people. Instead of waiting until the end of the data review, the company is instantly offering support and strong security as it continues to engage with top industry experts to assess the data implicated in this cyberattack. Read Also Frontier Communications Suffers Cyber Breach by Unknown Cybercrime Group UnitedHealth's Cyber Support People can reportedly go to a specific website for additional data and information about these resources. For two years, anyone affected by identity theft can receive free credit monitoring and protection from identity thieves from a dedicated call center. Trained clinicians will also be on staff at the call center to offer support services. At this point, the call center cannot disclose any information regarding the impact of any individual data due to the continuous nature and intricate nature of the data assessment. Threat Actors Behind the Breach The statement, according to Tech Crunch, comes a week after a new hacker group started releasing some of the stolen data to pressure the corporation into paying another ransom; the company finally acknowledged that hackers had stolen health information from Americans. Using the name RansomHub, the group released multiple files on their dark web leak website that included patient personal information from various papers, some of which were internal Change Healthcare data. If Change Healthcare does not pay a ransom, RansomHub threatens to sell the stolen data. The second group to demand a ransom payment from Change Healthcare is called RansomHub. The health tech firm allegedly paid $22 million in March to the criminal group ALPHV, which was based in Russia. After that, the group vanished, leaving the affiliate responsible for the data theft without receiving ransom money. Some of the biggest pharmacies in the nation reportedly saw delays in their prescription services following the cyber intrusion. At the time, a family-run pharmacy, two military pharmacies in the Midwest and California, and others said they could not fill prescriptions because of network outages that impacted national healthcare providers. Related Article: Apple Store Online Third-Party Pick-Up Scam, Exposed by Cybersecurity Professionals (Photo: Tech Times) A total of 50 children were admitted to hospitals in 2023 for underage vaping, with the U.K. seeing the rise of minors accessing e-cigarettes and leading to harm to their respiratory system. This shocked parents and the health industry, who are now calling out the government to take action against the vaping problem present in the region, looking to increase the age of sale law enforcement. Vaping is still considered a health risk for all ages, and children are more likely to succumb to respiratory problems along the way if exposed to or using this directly. UK Underage Vaping: 50 Children Admitted to Hospitals The Sun UK reported that there were as many as 50 children hospitalized in 2023 because of vaping and the use of e-cigarettes, highlighting the massive underage vaping problem in the UK. Among these fifty children, eleven children were under the age of four, and it remains unknown how they got access to electronic smoking devices. Admissions saw 14 percent of the cases were teenagers who were hospitalized due to vaping in 2023 alone, with 2020's numbers only amounting to six percent. Since 2020, last year's numbers rose to 276 percent of both the adults and youth who were hospitalized due to vaping. Professor of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine Jonathan Grigg explained this was partly due to kid-friendly vape flavors. Vaping Woes: Calling Out Government for Action With this, massive concerns were raised by experts and concerned individuals to boost more minor restrictions for accessing e-cigarettes and vaping products in the region. "It is crucial the government takes action to prevent the vaping industry from marketing their products towards children," said Sarah MacFadyen, head of policy and public affairs at Asthma + Lung UK. "Enforcement of the age of sale laws is also a problem and should be better resourced so that young people cannot access vapes." Vape, E-Cigarette Dangers on Health The e-cigarette, a.k.a. the vape industry, was made to help long-time cigarette and tobacco users get an alternative to their vices, one that could essentially help them relieve the high levels of nicotine and stop in the future. However, it has attracted both tobacco and non-tobacco users to utilize it, with vaping now known as a vice, and was found to greatly affect the youth. Massive companies behind vaping, previously known for offering an alternative to cigarettes for users to quit in the future, faced massive scrutiny with youth vaping complaints. One company, Juul Labs, is known for facing massive lawsuits and complaints for their products, and this led to the company settling the case for as much as $1.2 billion for the underage vaping epidemic in the US. Different parts and regions of the world also face this problem, including the United Kingdom, which recently talked about the ban on tobacco sales as it is easily accessible by users under the age of 18. A recent discovery now brings to light the dangers and widespread availability of vaping and e-cigarette devices to the youth, leading to as many as 50 hospitalizations and concerned parties calling out the government to stop this problem. Last week, NASA officially approved and confirmed the Dragonfly mission, which has a $3.35 billion budget for the entire mission. The mission will explore Saturn's moon Titan. The project was first unveiled in 2019 and was originally selected by the company almost five years ago. However, due to the 2020 to 2022 COVID-19 pandemic, massive delays were faced in replacing the mission. After the deliberation from last year that went back on its 2019 selection, NASA has now marked the mission date, which would commence four years from now. NASA Dragonfly Mission is Approved with $3.35 Billion Budget The Dragonfly mission is a go, with NASA recently greenlighting and approving the future venture that would focus on bringing the six-rotor blade helicopter to Saturn's Titan moon. The mission was also given a $3.35 billion total lifecycle cost budget, with its launch date slated for July 2028. "Dragonfly is a spectacular science mission with broad community interest, and we are excited to take the next steps on this mission," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Exploring Titan will push the boundaries of what we can do with rotorcraft outside of Earth." This mission would center on the robotic Dragonfly rotorcraft, the first mobile robot explorer to carry out its mission outside the planet. It is also the second flying drone to explore another planetary body next to NASA's defunct Ingenuity Mars helicopter which flew for 72 missions. Dragonfly Mission to Explore Saturn's 'Titan' Moon This recent approval of the Dragonfly mission is already twice as much as the original proposed budget, with NASA adding additional funding for its heavy-lift launch vehicle that would help shorten its cruise phase. NASA said that it is expecting the Dragonfly rotorcraft to arrive at Titan by 2034, around six years since its launch from the Earth, and would explore the massive moon looking for signs of life and more. Saturn Probe and NASA's Dragonfly The ring-surrounded planet of Saturn is best known for being one of NASA's subjects for space exploration, with various phenomena of and on the planet monitored by the company for years. One of the most renowned probes here is the Cassini mission, with the spacecraft that flew from 2004 to 2017 discovering 'building blocks for life' on Enceladus, its icy moon. Of course, the rings of Saturn itself are a massive subject of investigation for NASA, one where it employed the likes of Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope to learn more about it. Hubble was able to previously monitor a unique phenomenon on Saturn where its ring system brings heat to the planet's atmosphere, learning about it only last year. Apart from Cassini's discovery, NASA is looking to turn its attention to Titan, believed to be a rich and organic world, with the Dragonfly mission dedicating itself to learning more about it. The Dragonfly was almost five years in the making before its approval, and it will take another four years before it begins the mission towards Titan, approved for 2028. This photograph taken on October 28, 2021, shows the META logo on a laptop screen in Moscow as Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg announced the parent company's name is being changed to "Meta" to represent a future beyond just its troubled social network.(Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images) A Russian military court has handed down a six-year prison sentence in absentia to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone for allegedly "publicly defending terrorism." Stone, who was not present during the trial, was convicted by the court. Sentencing Meta Spokesperson in Absentia A Russian court delivered a swift verdict on Monday, convicting the spokesperson of Meta in absentia. Associated Press reported that the court sentenced Andy Stone, Meta's communications director, to six years in prison for justifying terrorism. The charges against Stone stem from his statements made in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stone, who resides in the United States, announced temporary modifications to Meta's hate speech policy to accommodate certain forms of political expression, including violent speech like death to the Russian invaders. Despite Stone's clarification that calls for violence against Russian civilians would remain prohibited, Russian authorities initiated a criminal case against him and other unnamed Meta employees, labeling the statement as illegal calls to violence and killings of Russian citizens. In a significant move, Russian authorities designated Meta as an extremist entity and enforced a ban on Facebook and Instagram within the country. These platforms, along with X, enjoyed widespread usage among Russians prior to the invasion and the ensuing clampdown on dissenting voices. Also read : Meta Spokesperson Andy Stone on Russia's Federal Wanted List Amidst Extremism Allegations Despite the ban, individuals can still access these platforms using VPN services. According to Mediazona, initial charges against Stone included incitement to terrorist activity, public endorsement of extremist actions, and public justification of terrorism. However, the indictment's final version dropped the first two charges. The trial commenced on Friday with Stone represented by a state-appointed attorney, concluding on Monday after just two sessions. Stone received a six-year sentence in a penal colony and a four-year prohibition from managing websites. Similarly, Russia made a formal declaration barring Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country in April 2022. Designating Meta as an Extremist Organization In a Moscow courtroom, a judge also declared Facebook and Instagram guilty of "extremist" activity, cementing the ban on both platforms enacted earlier this month. However, WhatsApp, another key product under Meta's umbrella and a widely used messaging app in Russia was spared from the ban. According to Engadget, the Russian authorities initiated a criminal case against Meta following Facebook's temporary allowance of violent calls in Ukraine and certain other nations. Today, the court delivered its verdict on the case. The decision to exempt WhatsApp from the ban may be attributed to its widespread adoption in the country. A Deloitte survey from 2021 revealed that approximately 80% of Russians aged 14 and above utilize WhatsApp for communication. Ironically, the legal proceedings against Meta resulted in WhatsApp relinquishing its position as the most widely used messaging platform in Russia. Mobile operator Megafon disclosed today that Telegram has now emerged as the preferred messaging application in Russia, with millions of Russians resorting to its usage amid uncertainties surrounding WhatsApp's future. Lebanon's residents face a constant haze, with brownish clouds covering the skyline. About 8,000 diesel generators have been powering Lebanon's urban areas since the economic crisis in 2019. These generators add noise, odor, and pollution to the streets, affecting residents' air quality. A Looming Health Crisis in Lebanon A scientist says that almost half of the cancer-causing substances people in Lebanon are exposed to every day come from diesel generators. New research from the American University of Beirut shows that using diesel generators too much in the last five years has doubled the risk of people in Beirut getting cancer. More people are being diagnosed with health issues, which is worrying, says Najat Saliba, a scientist leading the study. Interesting Engineering reported that Beirut, especially crowded places like Makassed, is hit the hardest. Also read: New Beirut Port Fire Sends People in Panic After Deadly Blast; Twitter Floods With Photos and Videos In Beirut, experts have informally observed a notable uptick in cancer cases, estimating an annual increase of around 30 percent since 2020. They've also highlighted a worrying pattern: patients are experiencing the onset of cancer at younger ages, and the tumors they develop are displaying heightened aggressiveness. Facing Severe Difficulties After the devastating explosion in August 2020, Lebanon faced a serious crisis, making the situation even worse. The country's economic collapse caused the energy grid to almost fail, leading to more use of diesel generators. Along with political problems and a lack of infrastructure investment, this created a harmful cycle. The generators release cancer-causing pollutants, increasing health risks. AUB's measurements show these pollutants doubled in three main areas of the capital. Saliba warns that cancer risk may have gone up by about 50 percent. Prior to the economic collapse in 2019, diesel generators served a supplementary role, providing power to the national grid for only three hours. However, as economic difficulties escalated, the state's energy infrastructure faced imminent collapse, compelling diesel generators to assume the critical role of primary power sources. However, it's important to note that this data hasn't undergone verification. Saliba describes the situation in the country as a significant vicious cycle. With Lebanon currently facing severe economic difficulties, there is a perpetual cycle of seeking financial assistance. This pattern extends to all sectors, with government efforts typically focusing on obtaining funds, installing essential infrastructure, and then neglecting ongoing maintenance and operational expenses. Despite receiving billions of dollars in funding from international donors for infrastructure projects, Lebanon continues to grapple with fundamental issues. Saliba emphasized that there has been little improvement in essential areas such as air, water, and soil quality. Dr. Fadlo Khuri, the president of AUB and an oncologist specializing in lung and neck cancer, highlighted the complexity of the situation. He explained that Beirut is facing multiple challenges simultaneously. According to Khuri, research conducted by AUB revealed that a significant portion of Lebanon's daily exposure to airborne carcinogens originates from diesel generators. He warned that the consequences of this exposure, particularly for diseases like lung and neck cancer, may not manifest for several years due to the chronic nature of these illnesses. Dating application Grindr is reportedly being sued in the United Kingdom for sharing sensitive personal data, including health information such as the HIV status of users, without their consent. The complaint is being brought at the High Court of London, according to Austen Hays, who also stated that thousands of Grindr users in the UK might have been impacted. According to the firm, extremely private information about users, such as their date of most recent HIV test and HIV status, was given to outside parties for profit. Grindr first stated that it intended to fiercely refute this claim, which seems predicated on a misrepresentation of actions from almost four years ago. Later, the spokesman revised his statement to clarify that Grindr has never monetized user-reported health information or shared it for "commercial purposes." The allegation is that the business violated UK data privacy rules by disclosing private information to outside parties for profit. It claims to have contained data on users' sexual orientation and ethnicity. Although the data was also shared between May 25, 2018, and April 7, 2020, the allegation primarily states that it happened before April 3, 2018. It lists Apptimize and Localytics, two data analytics organizations, as third parties with access to private information. HIV Data for Sale On the other hand, it reportedly claims that an infinite number of outside parties customized the data to show Grindr users relevant ads. Furthermore, it asserts that businesses might have kept some of the shared data for internal use. In 2018, it was revealed that Grindr had been giving Apptimize and Localytics access to user data, including their HIV status. These businesses received payment to observe user behavior on the app and make improvements. Grindr justified the practice at the time, claiming that it followed industry norms. However, it later stopped exchanging HIV data with those businesses. According to the company, it has never sold any data to advertisers. Cases Against Dating Applications Grindr is not the first dating application sued over alleged private data collection. Back in 2022, in a complaint filed by Tinder users, Match Group Inc. was claimed to be violating an Illinois state privacy law by gathering personal information about users' faces from pictures taken with dating apps. The Federal Trade Commission then investigated Match, which owns the dating applications OkCupid and Tinder, for possible data misuse. The FTC also investigated whether OkCupid improperly shared photos with a facial recognition business. Match was also recently claimed to be purposely creating addictive dating applications. The California class action lawsuit alleges the corporation has locked users "into a perpetual pay-to-play loop" and failed to assist them in finding relationships, all in the name of increasing profits. The plaintiffs claim that Match Group has created "addicts" out of users by luring them in with monthly fees that promise more matches and even a relationship. A recent survey conducted by INSEAD indicates that generative AI (GenAI) is already widely used by most executives, contradicting common fears about job displacement due to the technology's emergence. The survey, which gathered responses from over 1,200 INSEAD alumni spanning various industries and geographical locations, sheds light on the prevailing sentiments toward AI adoption. GenAI Adoption in the Business Sector Despite apprehensions surrounding AI's potential to disrupt traditional employment structures, the survey reveals notable enthusiasm among employees and business leaders alike for GenAI's transformative capabilities. Approximately two-thirds of respondents reported incorporating GenAI into their personal and professional spheres, indicating a widespread embrace of the technology. Interestingly, the survey underscores a shift in concerns regarding AI's impact, with respondents expressing more apprehension about potential misuse rather than job displacement. Associate Professor Jason P. Davis of INSEAD emphasizes the significance of the survey in providing insights into leaders' perspectives on AI technology. By gauging the utilization and attitudes towards GenAI, the survey offers insight into its trajectory across industries and regions. The global representation of INSEAD alumni enabled researchers to examine perceptions across diverse sectors and geographic locations. Findings indicate a substantial uptake of generative technologies in business operations, with over half of respondents reporting the current utilization of GenAI within their organizations. Moreover, a significant proportion expressed intentions to integrate GenAI shortly, highlighting a growing trend towards AI adoption. Variations in attitudes towards AI adoption were observed across industries and regions. While respondents worldwide exhibited enthusiasm for GenAI, disparities were noted among those in Europe, who displayed greater skepticism towards new technologies and concerns regarding digital privacy. AI in the Healthcare Sector The healthcare sector is also emerging as a focal point for AI integration, with a notable shift in physicians' attitudes towards GenAI. A recent survey conducted by Wolters Kluwer Health revealed that a significant percentage of physicians are prepared to leverage GenAI in patient interactions, citing potential benefits such as improved care team interactions, time savings, and enhanced decision-making processes. However, despite a growing acceptance of GenAI in healthcare, physicians emphasize the importance of transparency and reliability in AI applications. Trustworthiness and transparency regarding the sourcing and creation of AI-generated information are paramount considerations for healthcare professionals. While physicians anticipate numerous advantages of GenAI integration, a perception gap exists between healthcare providers and consumers regarding its adoption. Patients exhibit varying levels of trust and apprehension towards AI-generated results despite physicians viewing GenAI as a valuable tool for clinical decision-making. Read more about this story here. Lenovo has unveiled a new AI-driven tool named LISSA, designed to assist businesses in making more informed and sustainable IT purchasing decisions. Introducing LISSA: The Lenovo Intelligent Sustainability Solutions Advisor LISSA, or the Lenovo Intelligent Sustainability Solutions Advisor, offers insights into the environmental impact of IT solutions throughout their lifecycle. By leveraging Generative AI technology, LISSA provides visibility into the estimated carbon emissions associated with various sustainability solutions offered by Lenovo, including TruScale Device as a Service (DaaS), Asset Recovery, packaging efficiencies, lower-carbon shipping options, lifecycle extensions, and certified refurbishment. Furthermore, LISSA is touted to help businesses simulate multiple solution pathways and identify opportunities for emissions reduction to support their IT decarbonization objectives in the digital workplace, as per Lenovo. According to a recent survey cited by the company, 87% of executives recognize the potential of AI in addressing climate issues, providing insights to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions, and facilitating climate action. Lenovo aims to assist businesses in developing pathways for IT decarbonization with sustainability outcomes by introducing LISSA. Claudia Contreras, Executive Director of Global Sustainability Services for Lenovo, emphasized the significance of sustainability in today's business landscape. "At Lenovo, we're keen to underscore that sustainability is a business imperative and top of mind among leaders across all industries," Contreras said in a press release statement. "A new capability in our growing sustainability portfolio, LISSA arms customers with data and AI-powered recommendations to guide their IT purchasing decisions. By bringing sustainability attributes front and center, we enable customers to unlock potential emission reduction opportunities and deploy IT solutions that help drive sustainability goals." AI for Net-Zero Goals Lenovo and various tech companies have committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with science-based targets validated through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard. A net-zero goal is to balance the greenhouse gases it releases and those it eliminates from the atmosphere. The goal entails minimizing and compensating for residual emissions by supporting carbon removal or offset initiatives, which various companies have broadly adopted. "There is no one defined path; each customer is on their unique sustainability journey and needs access to data to measure progress. Lenovo aims to help customers make real progress with data-led sustainability insights. AI-enabled recommendations and data intelligence will help plan and optimize IT investments with sustainability in mind," Contreras said in a statement. "Lenovo can help organizations of any size compare multiple IT solutions in real-time, design an end-to-end IT solution that fits budget, computing, and help support sustainability goals." NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover has made a startling discovery: it revealed the presence of methane seeping from the surface of Gale Crater on the Red Planet, leaving scientists intrigued. What the Seeping Methane Could Mean for Mars NASA explains that on Earth, methane emissions are primarily attributed to living organisms, prompting surprise among researchers as Mars hasn't shown conclusive evidence of current or past life. Nonetheless, the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument aboard Curiosity has consistently detected traces of methane near the surface of Gale Crater, the sole location on Mars where methane has been observed thus far. Scientists believe the source of this methane is likely geological processes involving water and rocks deep beneath the Martian surface. However, the behavior of methane in Gale Crater has posed unexpected challenges. According to NASA's report, the gas appears predominantly at night and dissipates during the day, showing seasonal fluctuations and occasional spikes, sometimes reaching levels 40 times higher than average. Strangely, methane levels do not accumulate in the Martian atmosphere, as confirmed by the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, describes the discovery as a narrative filled with intriguing plot twists, reflecting the complexities of Mars' methane dynamics. Methane in Gale Crater Research efforts have been intensified to understand the peculiar behavior of methane in Gale Crater. A recent study proposed a novel hypothesis, suggesting that methane may be trapped beneath solidified salt formations within the Martian regolith or soil. According to a study by Alexander Pavlov, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, methane can be released when salt seals are weakened by temperature fluctuations or mechanical stress, such as from rover movements. The hypothesis stems from an experiment in 2017 by Pavlov and his team, where microorganisms were cultivated in simulated Martian permafrost infused with salt. Although inconclusive, the experiment revealed the formation of a salt crust when icy soil sublimated, leaving behind salt residues. Drawing from this insight, Pavlov's team conducted further experiments, exposing permafrost samples to varying concentrations of perchlorate, a salt abundant on Mars. According to NASA, seals formed within days under simulated Martian conditions, demonstrating the plausibility of methane entrapment beneath salt formations. While the perchlorate concentrations tested were higher than those observed in Gale Crater, the team plans to investigate sulfate-rich salts prevalent in the crater to validate their findings. Enhancing the understanding of methane dynamics on Mars is a priority outlined in NASA's 2022 Planetary Mission Senior Review. However, consistent methane measurements remain elusive, as SAM conducts sporadic methane surveys due to resource constraints. Charles Malespin, principal investigator for SAM at NASA Goddard, emphasizes the need for future surface missions equipped with instruments capable of continuous methane monitoring across multiple Martian locations to address lingering questions about methane fluctuations. )Apple used to be the most in-demand company when it came to the smartphone business but not anymore. In the first quarter of this year, the Cupertino giant experienced a significant drop in iPhone sales in China, facing intense competition from the domestic powerhouse, Huawei. According to a report by Counterpoint Research, iPhone sales fell by 19.1% during this period, while Huawei's sales skyrocketed by an impressive 69.7%. Huawei's Resurgence in the Smartphone Market Huawei's remarkable recovery is largely attributed to the launch of its latest innovation, the Huawei Mate 60 smartphone, equipped with a high-end chip that supports advanced 5G connectivity. This resurgence comes after the U.S. imposed sanctions in 2019 that nearly devastated Huawei's smartphone business by restricting access to critical technology. Now, the Shenzhen-based company has reclaimed its position as the fourth-largest smartphone maker in China, increasing pressure on Apple, which holds the third spot in the competitive market. In March, it even defied US sanctions as it posted a 10% surge in revenue. Related Article : Apple to Ditch iPhone 16 Physical Buttons For the First Time Ever, Rumors Claim Apple's Strategy for Recovery in China Despite the downturn, Apple is not standing still. The tech giant is rumored to introduce new color options for its flagship devices, alongside aggressive pricing strategies and the roll-out of new AI features at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. These initiatives could potentially rejuvenate the company's sales and influence in the Chinese market over the long term. The broader smartphone market in China has shown resilience, with a modest year-on-year growth of 1.5% in the first quarter. This marks the second consecutive quarter of growth for the industry, with predictions pointing towards continued low single-digit growth into 2024. Counterpoint Research highlights the integration of AI features in Chinese smartphones as a key driver for this renewed demand. Innovative Features Shaping the Future of Smartphones in China Chinese smartphone manufacturers are not only enhancing high-end models but are also planning to embed new AI technologies into mid-priced phones. According to CNBC, companies like Xiaomi and Oppo have incorporated the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, designed specifically for AI applications, into their latest devices. Additionally, Honor, a Huawei spinoff, has introduced an AI-powered eye-tracking feature in its Magic 6 Pro model that allows users to control a car just by using their eyes. With Huawei now on the front seat in China's smartphone market, it might take a longer time for Apple to catch up when it comes to demand. Huawei's aggressive comeback poses a huge threat to Apple, pushing the American tech giant to innovate continually and adapt its strategies. With the strong demand driven by the Huawei Pure 70 series, the local smartphone maker is expected to surpass its impressive performance in the months to come. Xiaomi's anticipated SU7 electric sedan has already secured more than 70,000 locked-in orders, announced Lei Jun, the founder of the Chinese tech giant, on Tuesday. A Xiaomi SU7 electric car is displayed at a Xiaomi store in Beijing on March 26, 2024. Xiaomi Aims for Over 100,000 SU7 Orders in 2024 Marketed as a "full-size high-performance eco-technology sedan" by Xiaomi, the SU7 boasts a starting price of $29,870, significantly lower than Tesla's Model 3. Despite its attractive price tag, the SU7 faces fierce competition in the crowded Chinese EV market. Following the announcement of the car's starting price earlier this month, Xiaomi commenced accepting pre-orders for its SU7 electric sedan. Pre-orders reportedly totaled 88,898 on the first day. Locked-in orders are those for which buyers have made non-refundable deposits. In a statement on Lei Jun's official WeChat account, the tech CEO expressed the company's intention to ship more than 100,000 units of the SU7. Previous reports suggest that buyers may have to wait over seven months to receive their Xiaomi EV. Xiaomi's Focus on the Chinese Market for SU7 EV In the same announcement, Lei Jun revealed that the company's initial electric cars will be "100% focused on the Chinese market until 2027." This decision comes amidst recent data from China indicating sustained growth in the electric vehicle sector, contrary to global trends. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, electric vehicle sales increased by 34% to 1.8 million in the first quarter. Bloomberg reports that China's EV market remains buoyant due to government support through policies and funding, as well as a steady influx of middle-income buyers attracted by China's more affordable EVs. Xiaomi Cautious about Entering the EV Market However, Xiaomi, primarily known for its smartphones and home technologies, approaches its first venture into electric vehicles cautiously. Reuters reports that the company anticipates losses on the SU7, noting that most of its suppliers also serve Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. Lei Jun has previously stated that given the high costs of suppliers and parts, the gross profit margin is not expected to be very high. "I estimate that the gross profit margin will be around 5-10%," he said, indicating that Xiaomi is exploring options to increase production capacity and obtain additional cost support from suppliers. Xiaomi plans to invest an additional 11-12 billion yuan this year in new ventures such as the automotive division and the operating mobile system for its phones. In Other News BYD unveiled its Shark electric pickup truck on Monday, April 22. The company announced that the electric vehicle will feature a plug-in hybrid Dual Mode Off-Road (DMO) system for off-roading. Although the Beijing Autoshow commenced on Thursday, the Chinese EV manufacturer had already revealed the BYD Shark on Weibo days earlier. However, Reuters reports that the firm did not provide pricing options. Stay posted here at Tech Times. In case you missed it, Google has announced the end of its Google Podcasts service, forcing users to migrate their subscriptions to YouTube Music or export them to another podcasting app. According to a recent support article, Google Podcasts will cease operations in the United States this month, with international users having until mid-to-late June 2024 to transition away from the service. Global users will have until July 29, 2024, to migrate or export their podcast subscriptions. Google Podcasts Is Shutting Down Globally While the shutdown initially affects users in the United States, international users should take action well ahead of the June deadline. Users are encouraged to transfer their subscriptions to YouTube Music, but this option is only available in countries where YouTube Music is accessible. If you are unable to use YouTube Music, consider exporting your subscriptions to another podcast app. It is worth noting that child accounts cannot transfer subscriptions to YouTube Music, so users should act quickly to avoid losing access to their favorite podcasts. The transition process has raised questions about the fate of podcast data. Google assures users that all Google Podcasts data will remain available in Takeout for a year, after which it will be deleted unless users choose to delete it earlier. Why Is Google Pulling the Plug on Google Podcasts? The news has raised concerns among users, particularly about the potential loss of features. According to 9to5Google, there have been no updates to YouTube Music since mid-December, when essential podcast features were promised. These include new episode notifications and the ability to mark episodes as played, both of which users expect from podcast platforms. Google's decision to discontinue Google Podcasts could be influenced by user preferences. According to Google, 23% of weekly podcast users in the United States prefer YouTube to Google Podcasts, indicating a shift in consumer behavior toward video-centric platforms. For users looking to transition their subscriptions to YouTube Music, Google provides step-by-step instructions. According to Google, users can export their subscriptions directly from the Google Podcasts app. They then need to transfer these subscriptions to YouTube Music by following a simple process outlined in the app. Here are the steps to transfer podcast subscriptions to YouTube Music: Open the Google Podcasts app. Click on "Export subscriptions" at the top of the screen. Under "Export to YouTube Music," tap on "Export." Open the YouTube Music app. Tap on "Transfer" and follow the prompts. Wait for a few minutes for the subscriptions to transfer. Once complete, confirmation will be available on the YouTube Music home screen. Tap on "Go to Library" to view the transferred subscriptions. However, it is important to note that podcasts transferred to YouTube Music are not hosted by YouTube and may not comply with YouTube's Community Guidelines. Additionally, some podcasts may not be available in the YouTube Music library. Stay posted here at Tech Times. It was on November 2023 when the Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided to block Binance over license violations. At the time, users were given three months to withdraw their assets on the crypto platform. Now, PH's regulatory watchdog has officially requested tech giants Google and Apple to remove the cryptocurrency service app, Binance, from their app stores. This request underscores ongoing concerns about the legality and security of cryptocurrency operations within the country. SEC's Concerns Over Binance Operations The SEC has expressed serious concerns about the continued availability of Binance's services to the Philippine public, citing potential risks to the security of Filipino investors' funds. Emilio Aquino, the Chairperson of the Philippine SEC, emphasized that Binance's presence in digital app stores poses a considerable threat due to its unlicensed status and the nature of the services it offers. "The SEC has identified [Binance] and concluded that the public's continued access to these websites/apps poses a threat to the security of the funds of investing Filipinos," SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino said in the letter, as per local newspaper PhilStar Global. The Southeast Asian agency accused Binance of engaging in the sale of unregistered securities to Filipinos and operating without the necessary brokerage license, actions that contravene Philippine securities laws. Impact of Removing Binance from App Stores By pushing for the delisting of Binance from Google and Apple's app stores, the SEC aims to curb the spread of what it deems illegal activities by Binance within the nation. Such a move is intended to protect local investors from potential adverse impacts on their finances and the broader Philippine economy. The National Telecommunications Commission of the Philippines has also taken steps to block access to websites affiliated with Binance, indicating a concerted effort to limit the platform's reach. Advisory to Filipino Investors In addition to requesting the app's removal, the SEC has advised Filipino investors who currently have funds in Binance to close their positions as soon as possible. As CNBC reports, the regulator recommends transferring any crypto holdings to personal crypto wallets or to exchanges that are officially registered in the Philippines, ensuring compliance with local financial regulations and enhancing the security of their investments. Binance's Growing Regulatory Challenges This action by the Philippine SEC adds to a series of regulatory challenges faced by Binance globally. Recently, the company underwent a leadership change, appointing Richard Teng, former chief of the UAE regulator Abu Dhabi Global Markets, as its new CEO. This change followed a hefty $4.3 billion fine imposed by the U.S. government, which Binance agreed to pay to settle allegations of money laundering. Moreover, Binance is grappling with lawsuits from both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, concerning the alleged mishandling of customer assets and operating an illegal, unregistered exchange. Earlier this year, Apple axed Binance along with other crypto apps from its App Store in India. According to the Cupertino titan, the country did not comply with its anti-money laundering policies. The SEC's request to Google and Apple to delist Binance reflects growing scrutiny of cryptocurrency platforms around the world, particularly concerning their compliance with local laws and the security of investor funds. This development marks a critical moment for Binance as it navigates through heightened regulatory pressures, potentially reshaping its operations and strategies in the global cryptocurrency market. Microsoft recently disclosed that the Russian threat group APT28 used a previously unknown hacking tool, GooseEgg to exploit the Windows Print Spooler vulnerability to gain elevated access to target systems and steal credentials and information. According to the Redmond giants threat intelligence team, APT28, also called Fancy Bear and Forest Blizzard (formerly Strontium), has been using the post-compromise tool since at least June 2020 and possibly as early as April 2019 to exploit the CVE-2022-38028 (CVSS score: 7.8) vulnerability in Windows Print Spooler service. This tool modifies a JavaScript constraints file and executes it with SYSTEM-level permissions. Although the company addressed the vulnerability, CVE-2022-38028, reported by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as part of Microsofts October 2022 Patch Tuesday security updates, it made no mention of the flaw in its advisory. Microsoft has observed APT28 using GooseEgg as part of post-compromise activities against various targets, including government, non-governmental, education, and transportation sector organizations in Ukraine, Western Europe, and North America. While GooseEgg is a simple launcher application, it can spawn other applications at the command line with elevated permissions. This allows threat actors to support malicious activities such as remote code execution, installing a backdoor, and moving laterally through compromised networks. The U.S. and UK governments have linked Forest Blizzard to Unit 26165 of the Russian Federations military intelligence agency, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). Microsoft has observed that, after obtaining access to a target device, Forest Blizzard uses GooseEgg to elevate privileges within the environment. GooseEgg is typically deployed with a batch script, which we have observed using the name execute.bat and doit.bat. This batch script writes the file servtask.bat, which contains commands for saving off/compressing registry hives. The batch script invokes the paired GooseEgg executable and sets up persistence as a scheduled task designed to run servtask.bat, reads the advisory published by Microsoft on Monday. Microsoft researchers noted that an embedded malicious DLL file typically, which includes the phrase wayzgoose; for example, wayzgoose23.dll, is a launcher application used by threat actors to launch other payloads with SYSTEM-level permissions, and install a backdoor, move laterally through the victims network, and remotely execute code on breached systems. As mentioned earlier, the company patched the Print Spooler security flaw in 2022. It also patched the previously exploited PrintNightmare vulnerabilities in 2021. Customers who have not implemented these fixes yet are urged to do so as soon as possible for their organizations security, Microsoft said in its advisory. Additionally, the company also recommends disabling the Print Spooler service on domain controllers where it isnt required for domain controller operations. Buffalo Common Council President Christopher P. Scanlon recently caused a bit of concern with at least two Council members, a community group and about 25 members of the community regarding how the public can speak during meetings. The South District representative sent an email last month to his eight colleagues, saying that if a member of the public wants to speak during a Council committee meeting except public hearings it must be cleared with the committee chairperson first. The Partnership for the Public Good think tank and University Council Member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt were blindsided by the move. PPG representatives wanted to talk at a Council meeting about lead paint in city homes, but they were not given the chance. And other community members were disheartened that they were not allowed to get a different resolution regarding the Israel-Hamas war that they drafted moved to a committee for discussion. A majority of Council members voted to have the item be received and filed, meaning it was officially acknowledged but filed away with no additional action taken. That is until Niagara Council Member David A. Rivera stepped in and was able to convince the board to table the item for further action. Scanlon said neither situation was an attempt to silence the public. We just adopted our (Council) rules, he said. There was nothing in there that changes how the public can come in and speak, nothing like that. Were not blocking anyone, he added. Anyone who wants to come in, can come in and talk. But it did not feel that way to others. It seemed like overnight procedure change, said Fatima Nor, 27, one of the community members who drafted the resolution. For years, when community groups or residents submit an item to Common Council and request to speak on it at a committee meeting, theyre usually given that chance, said Sarah Wooten, with PPG. If this process is changing, we hope the Council will publicly announce its new process and that it wont stifle residents voices. Change in practice, not policy Last month, Scanlon emailed Council members, informing them that the chairpersons of the various committees would need to clear beforehand any guest who wants to speak publicly at a committee meeting. Moving forward, in an effort to eliminate any confusion surrounding committee meetings, I would like to ask that any guests who wish to address a particular committee, outside of a public hearing, be cleared by the chairperson of said committee, Scanlon wrote in his email. Staff members of each committee will communicate all of these requests with individual chairpersons. The email stemmed from people calling Council staffers, wanting to speak before the Council, and staffers giving the green light. Chairpersons were being caught off guard and werent prepared for speakers, Scanlon said. But Scanlon said his email was not about limiting the publics right to speak. It was about order, Scanlon said. Its nothing different. It really kind of follows parliamentary procedures, where everything should be cleared with the chairperson technically. Theyre running the meeting, he said. What we had going on was staff members were inviting people in to speak. The chairperson was not aware. So, people were just being caught off guard, werent prepared for speakers. (They) wanted to be able to do their homework. Word of the requirement came as a surprise to Wyatt. When I saw the email, I was questioning just what we were doing, Wyatt said. It certainly seemed as though we were going to start screening people instead of allowing people to do what theyre allowed to do. They have free speech. They send an item to the Council. We allow them to speak and so it seemed like it was going away from that because I dont recall ever having the chair to go through and check and approve someone to speak. PPG members also were surprised. The issue surfaced when representatives from PPG filed with the Council a response to a report from Catherine Amdur, the citys commissioner of permits and inspection services, about a local law Proactive Rental Inspections primarily targeted at lead paint prevention in homes in the city. Amdur recommended in a March letter to Council members that the Council revise the ordinances that established the inspection program. PPG filed a response with the Council on April 2 and requested to speak on it at the committee meeting the following week. But the PPG report was received and filed. Received and filed, again In a different instance, a group of about 25 organizers and activists also expected to speak at a meeting about a cease-and-desist resolution regarding the Israel-Hamas war that they had filed with the Council. They contacted Niagara Council Member David A. Rivera beforehand asking for support for their resolution, he said. He instructed them to meet with each Council member and then file an item with the Clerks Office. The group did that, but at the April 9 Council meeting, the Council received and filed the item instead of moving it to a committee, effectively shutting down the conversation. A majority of Council members are needed to move an item to committee, table it or receive and file it, Scanlon said. It was the groups first experience working with the Council, and they felt they were kind of being shut out, said Alia Williams, 25. Then Rivera stepped in. It has been our experience that if somebody files an item with the Clerks Office, they would at least be given an audience to come in and voice their opinions, Rivera said during the meeting. Ive given voices to people that have come to this Council Chambers to yell and scream at me and read prepared scripts. But that was their right. This is the peoples house. I think they should be given an audience, a chance to come before the Common Council. I ask that we at least give them an opportunity to come before us and share with us what theyre feeling, what their concerns are as well. So I ask that we dont receive and file this, that we table it, allow the Council members to meet with them and if there is a resolution after consideration of all nine Council members, then we can put something together, Rivera said. During the meeting, Scanlon responded that the item was not an actual resolution from a Council member so it was treated as more of an informational item. I dont think this has anything to do with personalities or politics or anything like that, he said. It was just simply an item we cant take action on, adopt as a Council. The group plans to speak with each Council member for input, and if Rivera files a resolution, the earliest it would be in front of a committee would be the next Tuesday, April 23, Scanlon said. Nor and Williams said they were upset and devastated before Rivera intervened. I do feel concerned, Williams said. If people arent given that opportunity, the basic right to speak on whats happening, then decisions are going to be made by nine people, and thats it. Theres not going to be any input from constituents who actually got those people elected. So Im definitely concerned about how our city is going to be governed in the next couple of years. Scanlon said this was not an attempt by the Council to silence or quiet anyone. If you want to come in to talk, if you feel like youre not being provided that opportunity, call my office and I will have you in chambers to speak about what it is, Scanlon said. Theres no attempt here to stifle anyone or keep anyone from coming in to speak. Those are the peoples chambers, not ours. China issues highest-level rainstorm warning after deadly floods Qingyuan, China, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 More than 100,000 people have been evacuated due to heavy rain and fatal floods in southern China, with the government issuing its highest-level rainstorm warning for the affected area on Tuesday. Torrential rains have lashed Guangdong province in recent days, swelling rivers and raising fears of severe flooding that state media said could be of the sort only "seen around once a century". The megacity of Shenzhen was among the areas experiencing "heavy to very heavy downpours" on Tuesday, the city's meteorological observatory said, adding the risk of flash floods was "very high". It later downgraded its weather warning as the storms weakened, but urged residents to remain vigilant against disasters. Images from Qingyuan -- a city in northern Guangdong that is part of the low-lying Pearl River Delta -- showed a building almost completely submerged in a flooded park next to a river. Official media reported Sunday that more than 45,000 people had been evacuated from Qingyuan, which straddles the Bei River tributary. State news agency Xinhua said 110,000 residents across Guangdong had been relocated since the downpours started over the weekend. The floods have claimed the lives of four people, according to state media. - Engulfed lampposts - An AFP team in Qingyuan saw the Bei River running much higher than its usual level on Tuesday evening, with the water almost completely engulfing lampposts on a pedestrianised bank that had been closed to the public. The rain stopped in the afternoon and the flood water fell slightly, allowing curious onlookers to come and look over the swollen banks. Li Yan, 52, said he was more concerned about people living down the river than about the continued rainfall forecast for the next few days. "Where I live there's no risk. People here are used to flooding and the water was already higher in the past," he said. "Some areas downstream are more affected though." A friend he video called, however, was stranded on a small island on the river because of the flooding. "But hey," Li's friend said. "I had provisions, so it's no big deal." - Ship sinks - In Foshan, a city in central Guangdong, four people were missing after a ship struck a bridge in an incident that "may have been... due to the influence of flooding", Xinhua reported Tuesday, citing local authorities. The vessel, which was carrying nearly 5,000 tonnes of rolled steel, smacked into a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge on Monday evening, catapulting several of its 11 crew members into the water. Seven people were rescued before the ship sank, Xinhua said. A further 10 people were reported missing in earlier flood-related incidents. Aerial shots from Guangdong showed landslides behind a town on the banks of a swollen river, with soldiers operating excavators to clear away the muddy debris. Climate change driven by human-emitted greenhouse gases makes extreme weather events more frequent and intense, and China is the world's biggest emitter. Parts of Guangdong have not seen such severe flooding so early in the year since records began in 1954, the state-run China National Radio reported. - 'Take precautions' - Guangdong is China's manufacturing heartland, home to around 127 million people. "Please quickly take precautions and stay away from dangerous areas such as low-lying areas prone to flooding," authorities in Shenzhen said in issuing Tuesday's red alert. Heavy rain is expected to continue in Shenzhen for the next two to three hours, authorities said. China has been hit in recent years by severe floods, droughts and record heat. That has meant that authorities are typically very quick to deploy, making casualties much lower than in previous decades. Last September, Shenzhen experienced the heaviest rains since records began in 1952, while the nearby semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong saw its heaviest rainfall in nearly 140 years. Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations has said, with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses. Greece floods reconstruction to cost over 3 bn euros: PM Athens, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 The cost of rebuilding in Greece after last year's destructive floods, which killed 17 people and destroyed essential infrastructure, will exceed three billion euros ($3.2 billion), the prime minister said Tuesday. In September, Storm Daniel, a Mediterranean cyclone of unprecedented intensity, unleashed months' worth of rain in just hours on Thessaly, Greece's most fertile plain. Another storm, Storm Elias, followed just weeks later. Combined the two storms triggered what Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis later called the worst floods in Greek history. "The overall rehabilitation of the damage caused by Daniel and Elias will exceed three billion euros," Mitsotakis said during Tuesday's visit to Thessaly. Just repairing the area's roads, rail network and schools will cost 1.4 billion euros, he added. "The road network will be rebuilt better than before," Mitsotakis vowed, adding that the repaired rail network will be delivered by the end of 2025. The deluge destroyed roads and bridges and drowned tens of thousands of farm animals. Some of the plans under consideration have drawn criticism from environmental groups, especially the proposals made by HVA, a Dutch company advising the Greek government. Greenpeace, WWF, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature and the Hellenic Ornithological Society last week said the main focus was an "old-school" dam construction instead of eco-friendly river management, favoured by the EU. The groups on Thursday criticised proposals to dredge rivers, arguing that removing obstacles helps floodwaters flow even faster. There are also fears that the reconstruction will revive decades-old plans to divert the Achelous River in western Greece, a project repeatedly struck down by the country's top administrative court. In a statement sent to AFP, HVA insisted that its approach was science-based. The company noted that nature-based solutions have been examined under several EU initiatives, but there is "insufficient knowledge" as to whether they apply to projects of the size required in Thessaly. Greece suffers new round of Saharan dust pollution Athens, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2024 Clouds of dust blown in from the Sahara desert covered Athens and other Greek cities on Tuesday, one of the worst such episodes to hit the country since 2018, officials said. A yellow-orange haze smothered several regions after several days of strong winds from the south, limiting visibility and prompting warnings from the authorities of breathing risks. "It's one of the most serious episodes of dust and sand concentrations from the Sahara since March 21-22, 2018, when the clouds invaded the island of Crete in particular," said Kostas Lagouvardos, weather research director at the Athens Observatory. Greece had already been struck by Sahara dust clouds in late March and early April that also smothered parts of Switzerland and southern France. Authorities warn that the dust concentrations can reduce sunlight and visibility while increasing concentrations of fine pollution particles, posing risks for people with underlying health problems. The Sahara desert releases 60 to 200 million tonnes of mineral dust per year. While the largest particles come rapidly back down to earth, the smallest can travel thousands of kilometres, potentially reaching all of Europe. The Greek weather service said the skies would begin to clear on Wednesday. While international attention has been focused on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, with fears of a conflict between Iran and Israel, a crisis of great geopolitical significance is unfolding in the Caucasus. After a short and brief conflict with Azerbaijan, a neighbouring adversary, Armenia is in the process of breaking away from its historic ties with Russia to become a Western ally in Vladimir Putins backyard. Players engaged in the bloody strife in Ukraine and the Middle East are also present in this one. Russia the supposed ally of Armenia failed to protect the country from Azerbaijani invasion and has appeared to have changed sides. Israel, which has sent huge quantities of weapons to help Azerbaijan and Shia Iran, which has declared that it will not allow its border with Armenia to slip into control of hostile Azerbaijan and the Zionist entity backing it. Armenias prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, knows the pitfalls he faces in managing the pivot to the West while, at the same time, avoiding another war with Azerbaijan which holds the whip hand militarily, and whose ruler, Ilham Aliyev, has continued to threaten further offensives. Pashinyans attempts at a balancing act have led to accusations of appeasement at home, with claims he is making too many concessions to Aliyev with little in return. Protests are taking place over his governments decision last week to hand over four villages to Azerbaijan. In the week Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day is marked in the country, held to commemorate the death of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 under the Ottoman empire, there are reflections not just about the past, but worries about what lies ahead. Defeat in the recent war with Azerbaijan, and the loss of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, has led to deep concern, and the need to find allies for possible trouble ahead. Speaking in the capital, Yerevan, to a small group of British journalists, Pashinyan acknowledges that the Russian Federation is a serious and significant player in the South Caucasus region. But says there have been moves by Armenia to forge strong links with Western states and the European Union, especially since protests led to political reforms six years ago. In that sense, Pashinyan says: We never were far from the West. Our achievements in the field of democracy have created an objective reality where our relationship can develop dynamically but for a moment weve said that democracy for us is not a policy adopted by circumstances, it is a strategy we have adopted. Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and European Union observers drive their cars past a checkpoint on the road from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenias Goris (AP) The turbulences of recent years has led to new alliances being formed, Pashinyan says: We are indeed diversifying foreign relations but we're not the only ones who are doing it. Practically around the world you would not find any actor which is not diversifying its foreign relations. Armenia could not step aside this new trend. As to further rapprochement with the European Union. I said in my speech before the European parliament that the Republic of Armenia is ready to be as close with the European Union as the European Union sees possible. At the moment, we seem to be moving in this direction because, very importantly, this is a public process. Transparency is of the utmost importance for us. The prime minister described the passing of the villages to Azerbaijan as a local issue and carried out to maintain peace. The quality of implementation of these local agreements will increase or decrease trust in the peace agenda and the feasibility of peace. The deal had been put together molecule by molecule, to build trust, to build confidence, and, if treated delicately and with care, it can develop. And if not treated with care, it may fall apart, he argues. The move towards the West has been coupled with rising antipathy and distrust towards Russia, once viewed as a staunch ally a fellow Christian state in a predominantly Muslim Caucasus. Moscow signed an agreement with Azerbaijan just before Putins invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which made many in Armenia wonder what they may face in the future. There was no help from Moscow when Azerbaijani forces went into Nagorno-Karabakh last year. Pashinyan feels the Russia had failed a regional security pact the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) by refusing to stop the invasion. Armenia has, in response, frozen its membership of the pact and: If things continue the way they are, if the political statements continue, then that line will be crossed, and resuming participation in the CSTO will then be rendered impossible in practice. A recent poll showed Armenians see Russia as the third most unpopular country after Azerbaijan and Turkey. Mineral-rich Azerbaijan has military support from a number of states and questions have been asked whether the West is doing enough to help Armenia. France has sent arms to Yerevan, whose other main defence backer has been India. Britain has expressed support for Armenian territorial integrity, but BP has provided $35bn (28.2bn) worth of oil and gas to Azerbaijan in the last four years four times the countrys national budget. Asked whether the UK should be using this as leverage to persuade Azerbaijan against pursuing aggressive action, the prime minister says: Usually I would not like to comment based on business activities and investments which are made in neighbouring countries. But one thing I would say is that any investment is or should be motivated by having peace in the region or the environment in which the investment is made. And I think generally, establishing peace, achieving peace for the international community and for the investors is of interest, but of course the very first beneficiaries of peace are Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Aliyev government has reacted to Armenia acquiring weapons with claims that it will destabilise the region. Pashinyan says in the military budgets, there is a major misbalance in favour of Azerbaijan. But even with this misbalance Azerbaijan is responding very aggressively to our [military] reforms. These acquisitions are solely of a defensive nature, a strong army is sometimes used for war, but having such an army is also important for peace and for the balance of power. Beyond the internationally recognised borders, Armenia has no aspirations, no claims, and we hope that in the border delimitation process, the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia will be restored. EXCLUSIVE: Horror film Stream, from the producers of the breakout Terrifier franchise, has secured an August 21 U.S., Canada and Mexico theatrical release via Iconic Events Releasing. The production reunited almost the entire Terrifier 2 crew, from the production assistants to producer Phil Falcone, composer Paul Wiley and special effects whizz and producer, Damien Leone. The films director Michael Leavy was a producer, actor and AD on the Terrifier sequel. More from Deadline Streams cast includes well known genre names such as Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4, 5), Tony Todd (Candyman), Tim Reid (IT), Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) and David Howard Thornton (Terrifier). The logline reads: As the Keenans try to bring their family closer together, they unwittingly enter themselves into a game of life or death. With four deranged killers patrolling the halls of their hotel and competing for the most creative kills, the odds are definitely stacked against them. Above is a first poster image for the movie and below is a first still. Talks are ongoing about a potential sales agent for the Cannes market. Fuzz on the Lens Productions produces. Steven Della Salla, Michael Leavy and Jason Leavy produce. Exec producer is Naresh Peter Menezes. Terrifier 3 is currently in production and due to be released in fall of this year. Director Leavy said: We are beyond thrilled to partner with Iconic Events Releasing again, but this time to bring an all new and modern horror film to the big screen! Stream is set to hit theaters across the country on August 21st. We built a very good relationship with Iconic through Terrifier 2 and now with the upcoming Terrifier 3, so we are honored to keep this train rolling and continue to deliver fun and exciting horror movies to our incredible fanbase and beyond. Steven Della Salla, producer & DOP, added: Everyone involved in this film would like to take this opportunity to thank our fans. Their support is the reason that Stream exists, from inspiring us and spreading the word about our work to literally funding a large portion of the film through Indiegogo. Our connection to them makes us that much more excited about this film and the future of the franchise. The value of the fanbase is not lost on Iconic either and that is why we chose to partner with them. Audiences everywhere have been craving original content and we are honored that Iconic is allowing us to bring them just that, an original concept with original characters in a theater, where it is meant to be seen. Stream is the latest exciting and unexpected horror film from the most maniacal minds in horror today, commented Steven Menkin, President & Co-Founder of Iconic Events Releasing. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with this innovative and creative team and provide fans the opportunity to come together to see it on the big screen. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A Year of Last Things, the first complete collection of poems Michael Ondaatje has published since Handwriting in 1998, begins with an image of a poet imagining his own death. Im 80 years old, so I guess you could say this is a pretty mortal book, the Sri Lankan-Canadian poet and author explains from his home in Toronto. There is an elegiac tone here, I think, for the first time in my writing. Like much of his fiction, Ondaatjes verse can be abstract and ambivalent, something he alludes to in many of these poems. In Definition we witness a poet scanning through the pages of a Sanskrit dictionary and noticing how the roots of vowels take an accent of high altitudes. In Estuaries the author writes about how there are places where language refuses to meet a reader. Michael Ondaatje says his new poems are about the gathering of a life story together. Credit: Getty Ondaatje describes most of his writing (both poetry and prose) as little fragments he puts together, where a story eventually emerges: These poems are really about the gathering of a life story together and they do not follow a chronological time span. Journeys have played an integral part of Ondaatjes biography. Since the early 1960s he has lived in Toronto, but he was born in 1943, in Sri Lanka. Aged 11, Ondaatje ventured to England, where he spent the next decade. He wrote about it in The Cats Table (2011). Set in the 1950s, the novel is narrated by an 11-year-old boy (also named Michael) who embarks on a ship from Sri Lanka to England. Ondaatje did indeed travel on a ship at that age, alone, without his parents, for 21 days. Of Money and Blood (Dargent et de sang) Based on a 2018 book by investigative journalist Fabrice Arfi about a crime dubbed the scam of the century, this polished French series declares at the outset that it is a work of fiction based on real events, adding that it aspires to be art, not documentary. Ramzy Bedia as Alain Fitoussi, the flamboyant, illiterate, motor-mouthed dandy behind the so-called scam of the century that stole billions of dollars from the French government. Credit: SBS The first foray into TV by filmmaker Xavier Giannoli (Marguerite, Lost Illusions), its a gripping and intelligently crafted thriller dealing with a scheme to steal billions from the French government and those involved in the case on both sides of the law. Any films or TV series taking on this kind of material have their work cut out for them. Financial crime doesnt make for spectacle and much of the grunt-work required can look downright dull: law-enforcement officers sitting at computers, trawling through bank statements, phone records, surveillance photographs and CCTV footage, occasionally scribbling diagrams on whiteboards. Unlike other crimes favoured on screen murders, bombings, robberies its not visually arresting, so making it engaging is a challenge. Adam McKay memorably resorted to putting Margot Robbie in a bubble bath to explain sub-prime mortgages in The Big Short. The challenge for Giannoli, co-writer Jean-Baptiste Delafon and co-director Frederic Planchon is further magnified by the complexity of the crime, which involves the exploitation of the carbon-credits scheme established by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. To focus on and enliven the issues, they initially shape their story around a couple of radically different key characters. The lawyer for former NSW Police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon says the charges of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies at a Paddington home could be defendable. Lamarre-Condon, 28, allegedly shot Baird and Davies at Bairds home on February 19 using his police-issued pistol, triggering a three-day manhunt before he turned himself in to police on February 23. Beau Lamarre-Condon (left) has been charged with the murder of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. He has remained in custody since then, on two charges of murder. His only public appearance, on the day he was arrested, saw the visibly sleep-deprived policeman blinking slowly in the dock of Waverley Local Court. Since then, Lamarre-Condon has been in Silverwaters remand centre, waiting for NSW Police to send evidence to his legal team. Preparations are under way before Anzac Day tomorrow, with commemorative services planned across the city, including a Dawn Service at Anzac Square. The service starts at 4.28am at Brisbane Citys Shrine of Remembrance, between Ann and Adelaide street, and includes hymns, wreath-laying, a dignitarys address and The Last Post. Additional bus and train services will be running between 2.45am and 6am for those heading into the CBD for the service. A 3.30am arrival is recommended. Those unable to attend the early morning service can still pay their respects at the Anzac Day Parade on Adelaide Street, between George and Creek streets, from 9.45am. Loading Brisbane City Council will also hold special Anzac Day Brisbane Greeters walking tours from 12.30pm, covering Anzac Square, the Battle of Brisbane site, the statue of General Glasgow and MacArthur Museum Brisbane. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Anzac Day was an opportunity to come together as a community to commemorate those who have served the country. Every Anzac Day, we come together as a community to commemorate the courage, sacrifice and resilience of those who bravely fought for the values we cherish and the freedoms we enjoy today, he said. Backward step The state governments rejection of Ken Lays recommendation for a safe injecting room in the CBD is a backward step in the response to drug addiction. The winners are those stakeholders who have lobbied effectively to scuttle this initiative. Sadly, the losers are those people experiencing drug addiction, who are often very marginalised, first responders and community service providers who work in challenging environments to minimise the harm for drug users. Anne Lyon, Camberwell Ignoring advice Why have an expert report into injecting rooms or an inquiry into duck shooting if the premier is going to ignore the findings? In each case it is claimed the issue would instead be resolved by them throwing money at it in other areas. Malcolm Cameron, Camberwell A shame I find it unbelievable that the recommended injecting room has been scrapped when the number of drug overdoses have increased. Shame on our state government. Mary Fenelon, Doncaster East Election strategy Has the proposed CBD safe-injecting room fallen victim to the Allan governments Safe Re-election Strategy? Kim Bessant, Footscray Marketing genius? Elizabeth Knight succinctly summarises the issues confronted by Elon Musks Tesla operation (Australian politicians join the unhappy queue behind Tesla investors, 22/4). About two years ago, I looked on in awe as the price/earnings ratio of Tesla approached 8700. Its business plan overestimated the total market growth for electric motor vehicles, but more importantly did not factor in any new competition. The 2021 total profit was generated from the sale of low-fuel-emission licences to other car manufacturers. Early adopters are also finding that the second-hand car market does not want their used Tesla. Perhaps more than any other measure, the fact that all journalists when referring to X still need to add formerly Twitter. Marketing genius? I think not. Richard McLoughlin, Dromana Power shift Democratic governments have no one other than themselves in their abdication of the world we once lived in. The current stoush with the inflated ego that is Elon Musk (Watchdog wins urgent court bid to make X take down stabbing videos, 23/4) was born with the creation of the Silicon Valley kings. As Yanis Varoufakis so eloquently described in his book Techno Feudalism, governments caved into the corporate capitalists some decades ago and now as an evolutionary next step, the techno feudalists have taken complete control. The traditional capitalists at least created things whereas the techno feudalists create nothing. Rob Park, Surrey Hills Defending attack Ben Saul denies Israels strike on an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria was self-defence (Israel, Iran following rules of jungle not law, 23/4). Since October 7, the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah has been attacking Israel. Nearly 100,000 Israelis have been forced from their homes as a result. The IRGC, also listed as a terror group in Western countries, has been arming it. The IRGC officers Israel killed in the strike were in charge of that. It will disrupt Hezbollahs supplies of weapons, thus responding to a continuing armed attack so its very much self-defence. Yosi Tal, Rose Bay, NSW Rule of law Ben Saul, while correct about countries not following the rule of law, only talks about Israel and Iran, when he should also include many other countries including the US and Russia. Both these countries have been involved in the assassination of individuals, and have bombed and invaded sovereign nations when clearly they have not been under attack. David Eames-Mayer, Balwyn Economic management You have to give the Liberals their due. They have the Australian population in a fixed mindset that they are better than the Labor Party at economic management. The latest Resolve Poll showed that their rating on economic management is 11 per cent ahead of Labor, and 8 per cent ahead in managing finances. Yet, let us consider Tony Abbotts 2013 election campaign on the alliterative debt and deficit disaster under Labor. He also promised that the Libs, on their first budget, would deliver a surplus, followed by surpluses every year thereafter. History shows us that in almost a decade of Liberal government, they took Labors deficit to steadily increasing levels, never once producing a surplus. The irony is that it took a Labor government, under Treasurer Jim Chalmers, to deliver Australias first surplus since that long run of deficits. Go figure. Walter Valles, Clayton South Measuring motivation Wendy Syfrets article (Contrast and compare, uni is wasted on young, 23/4) rang bells with me. I was also a mature aged student when in my late 30s, and I recall an activity in a psychology class that purported to test motivation. Students held a wand over a small light fixed to a rotating turntable; the idea to record the length of time we could keep the wand in place. Myself and another mature aged student had scores streets ahead of the other students, who presumably decided the test was somewhat inane. But the test proved to be accurate in measuring motivation as the two of us achieved higher results in the course, though almost certainly we were by no means the sharpest tools in the shed. Its a challenging road but real life experience prior to higher education can enrich learning for all those involved. Peter McCarthy, Mentone Mature age interlopers Stephen Fry once wrote that education is the sum of what students teach each other between lectures and seminars. After spending a decade at university, experiencing student life as both a youngling and one of Wendy Syfrets mature-age interlopers, I found I learnt little from any course but plenty about the world. Attending a university without any school peers was a boon, and a long commute meant I had hours for quiet contemplation of nature and for reading. It was an escape from the trauma of bullying in year 12, and the place where I learnt how to write for pleasure. Anders Ross, Heidelberg Sharing the load What a brilliant idea, to have two people representing a constituency, two women who have job shared in their present roles. They have had the experience to know this can work. If it works in ordinary work environments then why is it different in a parliamentary environment? Such an arrangement offers both men and women the possibility to see more of their families and to improve work/life balance. The spokespeople who seem particularly against this idea are parliamentary males. No doubt many have wonderful wives at home running the household and caring for their children for weeks on end, alone. Arent they lucky? Annie Young, Junortoun A bright start At last, some good news on both the climate crisis and the cost of living (Renewables cut emissions, power prices, 23/4). This is not final victory, but a significant step in the right direction. Planning and action by governments are showing results. Every person who put solar on their roof has helped. The small drop in wholesale electricity prices in one quarter is welcome. But more significantly, overall electricity emissions have fallen 30 per cent since 2009, despite a growing population. Is everything going smoothly to reach net zero, and to significantly cut the cost of living with renewables? Of course not. Power bills falling by a few per cent will hardly be noticed. But overall, we can be confident that things are moving in the right direction. John Hughes, Mentone Productive coexistence The picture in The Age (23/4), of a solar farm in NSW with sheep grazing in the foreground, should be instructive to those who argue that renewable energy comes at the expense of good farming country. When driving past a large solar farm in north-east Victoria the same picture could be seen; hundreds of sheep between the panels and in some cases lying down under them. Panels and sheep coexisting quite readily. A similar observation may be made as to onshore wind farms. Certain opponents of renewable energy endeavour to deceive by creating a furphy. Ian Dunn, North Fitzroy Questionable namesake Your correspondent rhetorically asks what did Lord Melbourne ever do regards the debate of the historic naming of landmarks (Creative Naming, 22/4). In 1839 Lord Melbournes cabinet decided to invade China to protect British interests in the opium trade. China had banned the importation of opium, and the British sought to maintain the ability to traffic drugs into China. This led to the First Opium War. How long do Melburnians want our city to be named after this individual who, when in power, invaded another sovereign nation to protect a lucrative drug trade and continue the importation of opium into a country that sought to enforce its own borders? Justin Chan, Lower Templestowe Suburban memories Thank you Kellie Floyd (The invisible thread that endures, 23/4) Heathmont evokes memories of our first home, eight and a half squares, built on an unmade street in 1956. The lemon tree, propagated and given to us by our minister, thrived together with the Australian natives and a eucalyptus seedling, now towering over all. Ah, to reminisce. Christine Barnes, Glen Iris Sparing the rods Invasive water species, such as carp, are very pleased with some of my local politicians and river keepers. Instead of encouraging the local kids to fish the carp out of Edgars and Merri creeks, some have asked these kids to hand in their killer fishing rods. Some NSW towns host community carp muster days, extracting tonnes of carp out of the Murray-Darling river system. I propose Melbournes local councils get serious, use the expertise of local angling clubs and host similar carp events to rid our waterways of invasive species. Leon Zembekis, Reservoir AND ANOTHER THING X (formerly Twitter) I would like to express my thoughts on Elon Musk and his demand for unfettered freedom of expression, but unfortunately it would be scathing and unprintable and rightly so. Barrie Bales, Woorinen North Perhaps we could charge Elon Musk with inciting violence and seek his extradition from the US to face charges under our legal system. We could guarantee that he wont face the death penalty. Peter Loney, Drumcondra Power Renewables cut emissions, power prices (The Age, 23/4). Meanwhile the federal opposition still champion polluting fossil fuels and very expensive nuclear power. Phil Alexander, Eltham Re: Coalition rift emerges over Duttons nuclear plans (The Age, 22/4). Yes, nuclear is the answer, nuclear fusion. Its the sun; free for the next 5 billion years. Hopefully we hit zero emissions by then. Steve Haylock, Mount Waverley Furthermore Shrinkflation is not only occurring in supermarkets but also in many coffee shops where the size of coffees is also shrinking. In fact the price has gone up for a smaller cup. Craig Calvert, Montmorency The war to end all wars ... so were we taught. And today we despair. Gary Bryfman, Brighton The top nosh served at St Vincents Caritas Aged Care by celebrity chefs would be praiseworthy if being served at the publicly funded aged care homes. Kerry Bergin, Abbotsford Saade Melki woke up in the safe injecting room in North Richmond with an oxygen mask over his face. For years he had struggled to get clean. The safe injecting room had been a sanctuary: extremely non-judgmental, you walk in there they remember your name. That 2020 overdose was a fright and a wake-up call. The safe injecting centre diverted Melki into a trial of Buvidal, a substitute for opioids that he injects every six weeks. Melki who calls it a miracle drug became part of the Keep Our City Alive campaign for a safe injecting room in the CBD. Saade Melki is shocked the second injecting room is not going ahead. Credit: Joe Armao He was shocked to learn on Tuesday the Victorian government had abandoned its four-year-old promise to open a second facility. Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt instead announced a $95.11 million statewide action plan with health services at two previously mooted city sites for injecting rooms. School is about to start at Caulfield Grammar, and in the Glen Iris streets nearby, all is calm a big change from the bumper-to-bumper traffic that residents say they have long endured. During the Easter holidays, areas that were two-hour parking zones in Harold, Willoby and Dorrington avenues were changed to require a permit to park during school drop-off and pick-up times. Michael Coates and his granddaughter at school drop-off time on Tuesday morning near Caulfield Grammar in Glen Iris. Credit: Joe Armao Parents were absolutely livid after Stonnington Council made the changes, which they said forced them to park streets away and walk their children to school. Residents, however, could not be happier. At this stage, it is a qualified success, Michael Coates said. Just standing out there at school pick-up time, it was very relaxed and casual and remarkably peaceful. A truck driver has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving after he crashed into a school bus, tipping it on its side and seriously injuring several children. Jamie Gleeson, 50, will face trial on seven counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury following the May 16, 2023, crash involving an Exford Primary School bus carrying 45 children. Truck driver Jamie Gleeson arrives at Melbourne Magistrates Court for day one of his two-day committal hearing. Credit: AAP The truck driver, from Balliang East, had been facing 11 counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury when he arrived at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, but the defence successfully argued to have three charges dropped due to insufficient evidence regarding the seriousness of the childrens injuries. Police prosecutors also withdrew a fourth charge on the second and final day of Gleesons committal hearing. Each week, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to find out three things people love the most about our coastal capital. This week its WA-born and bred Matt Didcoe, a St John WA paramedic who has never met a charcuterie board he doesnt like. He has been saving lives for more than a decade, and in his spare time he enjoys taking in all the Perth cultural scene has to offer. Meet Matt, whose love of his home city will warm your heart. Perth Zoo is a haven for me, where my love for animals finds its home. Each visit brings a sense of awe, especially as I observe the majestic giraffes with their unique, fingerprint-like patterns. One of my most cherished possessions is a piece of art created by the elephant Permai during an enrichment program. While saying goodbye to Permai and her bull companion Putra Mas as they head east later this year will be bittersweet, the zoo continues to evolve, recently adding a great playground area near the new cafe, making it a favourite spot for families and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Check out their Zoocoustic events during summer with live music and exhibits open late (if youre looking for something to do afterwards, an evening stroll on the South Perth foreshore is always high on my list!) Every January and February, Perth comes alive with the vibrant energy of the Fringe Festival. Its a time of revelry and celebration, where local talents mingle with artists from across the country and beyond. The festival pulses with creativity, offering a kaleidoscope of performances that captivate and inspire, bringing Northbridge alive with a level of excitement and culture. From the infectious energy of a Tone & Cheek show to the mesmerising dance routines of The Underground, theres something for everyone to enjoy. One of my top recommendations for fellow fringe-goers is to become a Fringe Friend; not only does it support the organisers in bringing this cultural extravaganza to life, but it also unlocks perks like discounts and coveted skip the line passes, ensuring you snag the best seats in the house for an unforgettable experience. What truly sets Perth apart is its remarkable sense of community. Despite being the most isolated capital city (of a million-plus people, that is) in the world, weve cultivated a culture of warmth, support, and camaraderie that is second to none. This spirit was poignantly evident during times of loss, such as when we mourned the passing of our colleagues Fiona Lavelle and Tinesh Tamilkodi last year. The outpouring of compassion and solidarity from the people of Perth was profoundly touching, showcasing the depth of our collective empathy. People Are Sharing The "Not-So-Popular" Vacation Spots That Deserve WAY More Attention, And I'm Already Planning My Summer Vacation Don't get me wrong, there's a reason why places like Paris, Tokyo, and Los Angeles are popular tourist destinations. These places have so much to offer visitors. But it's a great big world out there, full of hidden gems and lesser-traveled locales. So, redditor u/Hot-Vegetable3827 asked, "Which not-so-popular country is a must-visit?" Here's what people said, including some members of the BuzzFeed Community. 1."Hydra, Greece. My wife and I just took a long Greek honeymoon. One island we really liked that isn't as well known as Santorini and Mykonos was Hydra. In fact, it was probably our favorite island. There isn't much to do or see there, but it was very laid back and chill. It was basically a vacation from our vacation, which we needed after a couple of busy days of sightseeing in Athens and before we went partying in Mykonos. There aren't any cars on the island, only donkeys, and it's very walkable and small." flyerboy6 Manel Vinuesa / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2."Laos. I totally fell in love with every last thing about this country. The people are fantastic, the food is killer, and the landscape is just gorgeous." u/Westonworld Oleh_slobodeniuk / Getty Images 3."Cartagena, Colombia. My wife and I went last year, and we have already planned our next visit. You can get there pretty easily and quickly from the US. There's cheap and delicious street food, friendly people, and nice weather all year round." u/Wakan_Tanka "I always recommend Cartagena and the Rosario Islands. The whole week I spent there was cheap and incredible, and the Rosario Islands are on par with any tropical vacation spot but with hardly any tourists and extremely cheap." JessicaPage Piero Damiani / Getty Images 4."Slovenia. My wife was born there, and we go back every other year to see her family and friends. It's such a beautiful country. The secret is starting to get out now, especially Instagrammable places like Lake Bled and Predjama Grad. Granted, it's still nowhere near as crowded as similar countries like Croatia." u/gratusin Photography By Deb Snelson / Getty Images 5."Tunisia, especially Tunis and Monastir. I absolutely love it there. It's very cheap to visit, and the people are incredibly friendly." kimberlywilley1979 Usaid_abbasi / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6."Curacao. I had an amazing beach vacation there. It was much cheaper than the more well-known and visited Caribbean islands." u/humancanvas79 Holger Leue / Getty Images 7."Oman. This Middle Eastern country has rugged mountains, desert dunes, historic forts, and amazing ships." u/Echo71Niner Edwin Remsberg / Getty Images 8."Sri Lanka. Damn, it is beautiful, and this country has it all: beaches, forests, mountains, ancient temples, and wildlife safaris. I loved the food there, including lots of curry. The beach areas offer a lot more culinary variety, like lots of fresh seafood." u/blahblahrasputan Anton Petrus / Getty Images 9."Ghent, Belgium is an incredible city. It's vibrant, historic, and fun! I would highly recommend a visit." laughingcaptain56 Mbell / Getty Images 10."Malta. You'll find delicious food (it's sort of a mix of Arabic and Italian influences) and lots of historical places like ancient ruins. The capital, Valletta, is beautiful, and there are also two smaller islands called Gozo and Comino that you can visit. There's also extensive public transport, so it's easy to get around if you don't drive. I can't recommend it enough if you're the sort of person who's into exploring history, food, and culture." u/TheKnightsTippler Sylvain Sonnet / Getty Images 11."Belfast is underrated, IMO. I wanted to revisit Dublin, but hotel prices are absolutely wild at the moment, so I went to Belfast instead. I found that it was a very interesting city with excellent food, pubs, music, culture, and proximity to the countryside for day trips. Everyone I met in the city was funny and friendly." Whood Guido Cozzi / Getty Images 12."Lyon. Its a two-hour train ride from Paris but with a fraction of the population. Its like the Florence of France with its walkability and world-class cuisine." mike517 Gary Yeowell / Getty Images 13."Kazakhstan. Stunning nature and landscapes, a unique cuisine, and friendly people who are really generous to guests. It's also home to some fascinating archaeological sites." u/Meorazhar Nutexzles / Getty Images 14."New Mexico. People who live in the US don't realize how unique and beautiful the landscape is. The drive from Espanola to Taos is probably one of my favorite in the world. The food really is second to none. Plus, there's a Balloon Fiesta. Enough said." rachadach23 Anton Petrus / Getty Images 15."I absolutely love Guatemala. If you can speak even a little bit of Spanish, it's even better. Fly in, leave Guatemala City, and make Antigua your base. There's enough to see in Antigua and the surrounding areas that it can be a whole vacation alone, but there are also many places to visit on a day or overnight trip from Antigua." u/ShitfacedGrizzlyBear Wirestock / Getty Images/iStockphoto 16."Bolivia. It has an amazing landscape, it's spotlessly clean, the people are friendly, and there's a lot of fun to be had if you want to party. I haven't been back in ten years, and I hope it's still as lovely. It holds a special place in my heart." u/canntrelaxneverrelax Abstract Aerial Art / Getty Images 17."Jordan. Petra is easily the coolest thing Ive ever seen with my own eyes. Pictures do not do it justice at all. You could fit elephants through the door of the Treasury. Its wild." u/Johwya Bas Vermolen / Getty Images 18."Mongolia. There's really only one big city, Ulan Bator, and one or two days there is enough. But that countryside! It's so beautiful. I went out to a camp where I was set up with a ger (a Mongolian yurt), and you just hang out in the beauty of nature." u/da_choppada Anton Petrus / Getty Images 19."Sapporo, Japan. My husband and I went to this city on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and it was spectacular! When most people think about traveling to Japan, they think of Tokyo, but Sapporo is much less touristy, the mountains around the city are incredibly beautiful, and the food is to die for. A scenic hour-long bus ride takes you to the old city of Otaru, best known for its glass-blowing industry and beautiful canals. The subway system is amazing, and the people are friendly and helpful. I've been to a few places in my travels, but Sapporo stands out as the best so far. We already vowed to go back someday." Luckie11eleven Yano Keisuke / Getty Images Do you have somewhere to add? What's an often overlooked destination that should be way more popular? Tell us in the comments or drop it into this Google form. To some local footy news now and the Fremantle Dockers have announced forward Jye Amiss will miss this weekends clash with the Bulldogs under concussion protocols after copping a heavy knock to the head early in the first quarter at the weekends derby. Speaking to the media this afternoon, midfielder Nat Fyfe said the team had just finished reviewing Saturdays shock loss to the Eagles, saying West Coast beat us at our own game. [It was] a disappointing loss, but we seem to think thats not reflective of how our seasons been going, he said. Derbies are always scrutinised a little bit higher, particularly ones where theres an expectation that youre going to win, so I understand that things are a bit magnified at the moment. Well look to take the learnings and move on quick. Meanwhile, across town Eagles co-captain Liam Duggan fronted a chirpier press conference. Its been a good couple of weeks for us, he said. Its been nice, a great reward for some of the efforts over the last, you could probably say 2 years, but definitely this pre-season and early on in the season. Really happy for some of our young blokes to experience a couple of weeks of success in a row. The Dockers have dropped to 9th on the AFL ladder after three losses in a row, while the Eagles have lifted to 14th. As the nations leaders grapple with X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musks open mockery of our eSafety Commissioner, courts and the prime minister, our thoughts turn to the question of what to do with Honey Birdette. The retailer a sensuality boutique or a sex shop, depending on who you ask has recently copped its 70th violation from advertising regulator Ad Standards, or 74th by the count of activist group Collective Shout, which monitors these things very closely. Honey Birdette has suffered another finding against its marketing tactics. Credit: Savills The latest series of indiscretions, described by one complainant as straight-up porn, related as usual to Honey Birdettes advertising in its dozens of shopping centre storefronts around the country, where families have no control over childrens exposure to the sexualised images. Over the years, complaints against the chain touted for sale by its owner and Playboy parent company PLBY have been upheld over videos played in display windows showing BDSM, upskirting, choking and orgies. But Honey Birdette has developed a simple but effective technique for dealing with the regulators rulings. An elite Fijian police taskforce working with Australia and New Zealand to fight surging drug trafficking and organised crime in the Pacific region is suspected to have been secretly compromised by a powerful criminal syndicate. Australian security officials concerns that members of the Fijian police commissioners illicit drug taskforce have been working for the Zhao syndicate are detailed in police files seen by this masthead and briefings provided by officials in Suva. The revelations highlight the challenge Canberra faces responding to major security threats in the South Pacific, spanning corruption and organised crime amid an intensifying geopolitical contest with Beijing for influence. Three Australian government officials, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, confirmed the Albanese government was poised to announce a major increase in security aid across the South Pacific, but was concerned it would be complicated if there were questions over corruption. New apartment buildings in the state governments 37 transport development zones will initially be required to include only 2 per cent of affordable housing, as community housing peak bodies say it is unclear how the low figure can be justified. In changes to the states planning laws aimed at addressing the housing crisis and expected to be announced next Monday, the Minns government will detail the policies enabling the rezoning of 37 transport development zones from Wollongong through Sydney and to Newcastle. Planning policies underpinning the Minns governments transport development program will be announced soon. Credit: Jessica Hromas Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure bureaucrats have been briefing councils, peak housing groups and developers on the changes. According to those briefed, who spoke to this masthead on the condition of anonymity, the department has outlined a number of changes, including the 2 per cent affordable housing component, increasing the allowable height of apartments in the rezoned precincts to 22 metres and excluding developments that are entirely residential from suburban commercial centres. Ellen Sandell has emerged as the stability choice to lead an ambitious collection of Victorian Greens MPs and has vowed to torpedo legislation and win seats off Labor unless the state government tightens restrictions on rental increases in the coming months. State Greens MPs gathered at Victorian parliament to elect a new leader on Tuesday, two weeks after Samantha Ratnam announced she was stepping down from the post and Victorias upper house to contest the federal seat of Wills. Ellen Sandell was elected the new leader of the Victorian Greens on Tuesday. Credit: AAP The vote to endorse Melbourne MP Sandell as Ratnams replacement happened on the same day the state government announced it would not establish a second safe injecting room in inner Melbourne, breaking a four-year-old promise and ignoring an expert report. Under the Greens model, the vote for the new leader is announced as a consensus choice once they have determined who has the numbers to win. It was a vain hope that Bangkoks choking traffic would have improved post-pandemic; its as bad as ever in rush hour. But after sitting at endless traffic lights that change from red to green and back again without the taxi moving more than a metre, the eventual arrival at the Mandarin Oriental could not be more of a contrast: cool marble, high ceilings, perfumed air and a flower markets worth of orchids. Calmly efficient staff quickly relieve you of both your luggage and your frustration, and escort you to your tranquil room overlooking the Chao Phraya river. The look Rich in history the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. The charming original building with its ornate ceilings, eau de nil shutters and latticework balconies dates back to 1876, and was the Kingdom of Siams first luxury hotel when it opened as The Oriental. Youll find the Authors Lounge here, a reference to the many writers who have stayed over the years, from Somerset Maugham to Noel Coward, and the place for afternoon tea. The more prosaic Garden Wing, built in 1958 and renovated in 2016, stands behind while to the side is the River Wing, built in 1976 and renovated in 2019 at a cost of $US90 million ($140 million), just in time for the pandemic to hit. Unfortunate timing aside, the result is worth the wait: designer Jeffrey Wilkes has replaced the lobbys former dark teak with river-inspired blues, greens and golds in bespoke rugs and fabrics, with huge decorative bell lanterns hanging in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The room This article is part of Travellers hot list for May, featuring the best new hotel reviews, attractions and airline news. Singapore Airlines has recommenced flying to Brussels from its hub, Changi Airport, 20 years or so after the carrier stopped the service, in large part due to the SARS outbreak. It now operates four weekly flights to Brussels on Airbus A350-900s, which feature 253 seats including 42 in business class, 24 in premium economy and 187 in economy. Singapore Airlines has recommenced its direct service to Brussels. Credit: iStock SQ304 departs Singapore for Brussels on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 11.55pm, with the return, SQ303, departing Brussels for Singapore on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 12.10pm. The capital of Belgium is also the home country of the European Union and NATO. In the dim torchlight, Des Matsutaro crouches over the unremarkable detritus of war. Beer bottles, pots, a shoe sole, bowls stamped with the insignia of the Imperial Japanese Navy. A land crab scurries across the dusty floor, which is littered with ammunition cases, and a drip pit for capturing bodily fluids hints at a makeshift operating room. The island of Peleliu played host to one of the fiercest battles of World War II. Credit: iStock The 1000-Man Cave on the island of Peleliu, in the Micronesian nation of Palau, echoes war stories as grisly as they get. Of thousands of Japanese soldiers hiding out in an ant farm of underground caves and tunnels, and of the American forces armed with flamethrowers and bulldozers, who entombed many. Australian war correspondent Damien Parer. Credit: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales This September marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Peleliu, described by some veterans as the fiercest of the Pacific campaign. Bag-less Day every week missing in city schools! By Ankita Garg Even after so many notifications and remainders, not a single school in Bhopal has initiated to follow the school bag policy. Teams from Child Rights Commission did several inspection and MP Human Right Commission took cognizance but all seems to be gone for a toss. For past three years Madhya Pradesh School Education (MP SED) is releasing notifications to follow the lighter bag policy for students. The department wrote to schools to initiate for lighter bag to the students during year 2022 but nothing could be done on ground level to improve the situation yet. In the new policy, district education officers were given power to take action in this regards but all went in vain. In its notification, schools were asked to follow Bag-less Day once in a week, no homework for students till class 2 and weight measurement was given for all classes to be followed for the bag. DEOs were asked to make spot visit of schools to measure the bag weight of students. Session has begun in all schools from April 1 and now schools are set to close the campus for summer holiday from April 30 but none of school worked to cut the bags weight. Center has also directed to reduce the bag weight of school going children as this is not good for their health. National Education Policy (NEP) also support the statement of reducing school bag load. NEP says to give practical education to the primary students and let them develop their creativity rather than mugging up chapters. It allows students to focus on books and understand the topics instead of learning long answer and questions. However, in contrary to this, private CBSE schools are adopting the new education policy along with the traditional way. Talking to The Hitavada over phone, District Education Officer (DEO) Anjani Kumar Tripathi said, No school is allowed to ask students for carrying overloaded bag. We have given strict warning to schools for following the bag weight policy. If any school found to be violating the rules, action will be taken immediately. There is provision of penalising amount or cancelling the schools license. Elect Modi for third term: UP CM Our Correspondent BILASPUR, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Yogi Aditya Nath slammed Congress for not believing in the existence of Lord Shri Ram and insulting Sanatan Dharm. He said that after the construction of Ram temple, people of Chhattisgarh are more delighted than UP and the basic reason behind this is that Ayodhya is Lord Shri Rams home and Chhattisgarh is his maternal home. It is obvious that Lord Shri Ram returned home after 500 years. Yogi said that the country has developed rapidly in the last ten years and now it is time to make the country best. For this, everyone has to come together to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for third time. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was addressing a public meeting at the indoor stadium in Beltara. The UP Chief Minister vehemently criticised the Congress during his speech, accusing its leaders of questioning Indias heritage and even denying the existence of Lord Shri Ram and Krishna. He stated that such actions amount to a grave insult to Indias timeless faith. Adityanath also pointed out that when the Ram temple was being constructed, Congress members began asserting that Lord Shri Ram belongs to everyone, which he viewed as a disingenuous claim. Furthermore, he criticised the Congress for evading responsibility and fostering an environment of chaos and anarchy. Adityanath highlighted the period after Indias independence in 1947 when Congress formed the government, lamenting that instead of fostering development, the party plunged the nation into turmoil characterized by casteism, linguistic divisions, regional tensions, terrorism, Naxalism, and corruption. He also mentioned that even Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was insulted by the Congress. Referring to Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjees call for unity, Adityanath emphasized that after 65 years, the Modi Government revoked Article 370 and integrated Jammu and Kashmir into the core of India, leading to an end to terrorism in the region. He asserted that even Pakistan recognises the consequences of harboring extremists who spread terrorism in India, as they now face the prospect of retaliation. Adityanath portrayed this as the emergence of a new India capable of decisively confronting its enemies. He also claimed that women across the nation and along its borders are now secure. Yogi Adityanath said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving food grains to more than 80-crore people and that too free of cost and this campaign will continue for the next five years. To fulfill the concept of Developing India and making the country third largest economy by 2047, Modi has to be made the Prime Minister for third time. Today many houses in the country has tap water, toilets and there are state highways and national highways. Even medical services across the nation have developed and all these are the identity of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress did not implement the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) in Chhattisgarh but Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai after assuming power has approved 18-lakhs houses under the scheme. The rally was also addressed by BJP Lok Sabha candidate Tokhan Sahu and Beltara MLA Sushant Shukla. Senior party leaders including MLAs Dayaldas Baghel, Lakhnalal Dewangan, Amar Aggarwal and Dharam Lal Kaushik, Former MP Lakhanlal Sahu, former MLA Harshita Pandey, Prabal Pratap Singh Judev, Arun Singh Chauhan, District President Ramdev Kumawat, General Secretary Mohit Jaiswal, Ghanshyam Kaushik, Gulshan Rishi, Umesh Gauraha besides large number of people were present on the occasion. Earlier the UP Chief Minister was welcomed with showering flowers from bulldozers parked on both sides of the road near the indoor stadium. Iran Prez Raisi & Pak Army chief Munir discuss border security issues after conducting tit-for-tat air strikes Islamabad, Apr 23 (PTI) Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir discussed regional peace, stability and border security, months after the two neighbours carried out tit-for-tat air strikes against alleged terrorist hideouts on rival lands. Gen Munir called on Raisi, the first head of state of any country to visit Pakistan after the February 8 general elections, and emphasised the need for improved coordination against the terrorists, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army said. General Munir described the Pakistan-Iran border as the border of peace and friendship, emphasising the need for improved coordination along the border to prevent terrorists from jeopardising the longstanding brotherly relations between the two neighbouring countries, it said. The statement said that the discussion between the two dignitaries focussed on matters of mutual interest, notably regional peace, stability, and border security. "Both sides concurred on the necessity to bolster bilateral cooperation while jointly striving for regional stability and economic prosperity," said the ISPR statement. The Iranian President on Tuesday morning arrived at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport and was received by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.. The Foreign Office had stated earlier that Raisi would visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial leadership. On Monday, Raisi was welcomed by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House. Both the leaders held wide-ranging talks and agreed on joint efforts to eradicate terrorism and discussed ways to promote bilateral ties at political, economic, trade and cultural levels. During their talks, President Raisi and Prime Minister Sharif agreed on joint efforts to eradicate terrorism, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. The two leaders also held discussions to increase trade and communication links between their countries. In the presence of Raisi and Sharif, the Iranian and Pakistani officials signed eight documents for promoting cooperation in various fields. Addressing a joint press conference, President Raisi said that Iran and Pakistan have decided to increase the trade volume to USD 10 billion. Nagpur Lok Sabha: Voters increase, but voting percentage sees marginal drop Staff Reporter The final tally of voters who cast their vote in Nagpur Lok Sabha elections, declared by the district administration showed a rise in number of voters, but there was a marginal drop in per centage of voters. The District Administration had taken a lot of efforts and termed the endeavour as Mission Distinction. The administration had vowed to have a voter per centage, over 70%. Various organisations, institutions conducted voter awareness programmes. Various business groups had appealed people to exercise their franchise, calling it the biggest democratic festival. When asked the reasons behind the low voting per centage this year, District Collector and District Returning Officer Dr Vipin Itankar, explained, If we compare the voting per centage of 2019 and 2024 then there is not much decrease. In 2019 it was 54.74%, while this year it has gone down to 54.30%. The number of voters has increased. Last time 11,82,507 voters exercised their franchise while this time, the voter turnout increased to 12,07,344. It means there is a rise of 24,837 voters. Another reason according to Dr Itankar is the dip in last minute voter turnout. We have observed, that usually the voters approaching polling centres rise gradually from morning to evening. In the past elections, we witnessed sudden surge in the number of voters turning up to the polling booths towards the end of voting time. This year the same did not happen. We had appealed people to come to the booths in the morning hours, considering the rise in temperature. Accordingly, people queued up in the morning, but after 1.30 pm, it started decreasing and this trend continued till the end of voting time. At majority polling stations the voters turned up in very low numbers or negligible, after 4 pm. If one takes the statistics of voters turnout from year 2004 till 2019 into account, then one would notice it was lowest in 2009. It showed improvement in 2014. It again went down in 2019. As compared to the voting per centage in 2019, the decrease in per centage is not much in 2024 when voting was held on April 19. As per the booklet issued by Maharashtra Government, the voting per centage in 2004 was 48.37. In 2009 it was 43.45%, in 2014 it registered sudden rise to 57.08% and in 2019 it has gone down to 54.74%. This year the final per centage comes to 54.30. NCP releases manifesto.. Supports demand for caste-based census MUMBAI, THE Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar on Monday released his partys manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, highlighting that it will support the demand for a caste-based census, an issue its ally BJP has been side-stepping. Addressing a gathering here, the Deputy Chief Minister said the NCP will also demand the Bharat Ratna, the countrys highest civilian award, for the late former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Defence Minister Yashvantrao Chavan. Our party believes in the right to live as a human irrespective of caste, creed and religion. It believes in equality and unity. The NCP has faith in social reformer Sane Gurujis quote, The true religion is to offer love to the world. We must bring the deprived and backward sections of society into the mainstream. We will demand for a caste-based census, the manifesto stated. Pawar said once the party is voted to power, it will demand a caste-based census. The NCPs former ally, Congress, has been demanding a nationwide caste-based census, while the BJP has been finding ways to counter it. The NCP is a constituent of the Mahayuti alliance comprising the Shiv Sena and the BJP. The other demands of the party include getting semi-English status to Urdu medium schools in the state and a minimum support price for farm produce, he said. The NCP chief also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modis contribution to the country in the last ten years and his leadership. Modis leadership will ensure our victory in the elections. There is no one from the opposition who can compete with him. He is the face of NDA, he said. School - a heavenly holistic place BY ULHAS GANGANE GOING back in the mesmerizing memories of being a kid is an absolute delight. Recollecting that matchless era from the past filled with divine magnetism, heavenly mesmerism along with inexplicable nostalgia is the pure enticement to the soul. That was the time of prime childhood when the heart and soul were filled with extreme innocence and mind being in the developing stage. The age when the mind is brimmed with curiosity. Plenty of questions the mind trying hard to find answers to. The importance of primary education in ones life is peerlessly significant to be proven to be the landmark turning point, breakthrough and a stepping stone leading one to successful accomplishments of life goals. Its an exciting treat, extreme fun, great pleasure and the immensely nostalgic feeling to remember those school days of utmost joyfulness, innocence, mesmerism and magnetism. My mother used to help get me ready to go to school. The daily exercise of wearing a school uniform, packing the school bag; fill it with books, notebooks, workbooks, pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, compass box, tiffin box, water bottle and other useful school materials. Getting ready and rushing to the school. The everyday practice to stand in a queue with the discipline of alignment, singing National Anthem, reading the Pledge India is my country, and all the Indians are my brothers and sisters and reciting the Saraswati Vandana. The mesmerising pin drop silence in a classroom where education and knowledge is imparted by teachers and learning is grasped by their students. The divine atmosphere, where the vibes of knowledge are transmitted and fragrance of wisdom, vision and excellence can be smelled. My esteemed school teachers; who imparted knowledge, used all their skills and efforts vigorously to educate their students. Giving each time the best of the best endeavour to teach their pupils. Right from guiding me towards to be the best version of me, motivating me to give my best, producing the passion for education and learning in me, make me always stick to the perseverance and persistence in the hardest situation of life to inculcating the vision of excellence and leading me to the success. Another key element of my life which My school awarded me with is the friends. Being built a strong bond from all the school related and extracurricular activities with schoolmates like sharing the same classroom, learning together, helping one another in studies, playing together in the playground, participating in sports, sharing food in the tiffin box with one another, playfully teasing each others and sharing fun moments with one another; literal joyful yet emotional episode to remember from the past. I think, it must be the same everlasting experience for everyone in that important phase of life. Setback for Mamata Govt.. Calcutta HC cancels 25,753 school job appointments made in West Bengal KOLKATA, THE Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered cancellation of all appointments made through the recruitment process of State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal Government-sponsored and aided schools, declaring it as null and void. The court directed that a section of those recruits will have to return salaries drawn by them along with 12 per cent per annum interest. Over 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the SLST-2016 for 24,640 vacant posts. A division bench comprising justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi also directed the CBI to undertake further investigation in respect of the appointment process, and submit a report in three months. The bench also asked the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to initiate a fresh appointment process. A total of 25,753 appointment letters were issued against 24,640 vacancies, said Firdaus Shamim, a lawyer for some of the petitioners who alleged irregularities in the selection process. The court directed that the persons who had been appointed outside the panel after its expiry and also those who submitted blank OMR sheets but obtained appointments, must return all remunerations and benefits received by them to the State exchequer along with 12 per cent per annum interest from the date of receipt till deposit, within a period of four weeks from date. The division bench also rejected a prayer by some appellants, including the SSC, for a stay on the order. Stating that it has given anxious consideration to the passionate plea that persons who had obtained the appointments legally would be prejudiced if the entire selection process is cancelled, the bench said it hardly had any choice left. The bench, formed by the Chief Justice of the High Court on a direction of the Supreme Court, had heard 350 petitions and appeals relating to the selection of candidates for appointment by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group-C and D staffers through the SLST-2016. It concluded the hearing in the matters on March 20 and reserved the judgement. Siachen is Indias capital of courage, grit, determination: Defence Minister LEH/NEW DELHI : SIACHEN is Indias capital of courage, grit and determination, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday after carrying out an on-the-ground review of the security situation at the worlds highest snow-clad battlefield. Addressing soldiers at a forward post at an altitude of 15,100 ft, Singh lauded the iron-clad will of the Indian Army soldiers deployed in the icy cold glacier and said that their bravery will forever be an inspiration for future generations. The Defence Minister described Siachen as a symbol of Indias sovereignty and determination. He said that just as Delhi is Indias national capital, Mumbai is the financial capital and Bengaluru is the technology capital, Siachen is the capital of courage, grit and determination. The Siachen glacier in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Singhs visit to Siachen came over a week after the Indian Army marked the 40th year of its presence in the strategically key region following the Operation Meghdoot. The Defence Minister described the operation, which was launched by the Indian Army in Siachen on April 13, 1984, as a golden chapter of the countrys military history. The success of Operation Meghdoot is a matter of pride for all of us, he said. The Defence Minister was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande; General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar and General Officer Commanding of 14 Corps Lt General Rashim Bali. In his remarks, Singh lauded the soldiers for walking on the virtuous path of protecting the motherland with valour and determination in extreme conditions. We are leading a peaceful life as we have an assurance that our brave soldiers stand steadfast at the borders, he said. Singh said that the first lamp on Diwali and the first colour of Holi should be dedicated to the protectors of the country, similar to the first food offering to deities, priests and gurus. Our soldier is no less than any protecting deity, he said. In the times to come, when the history of national security is written, the acts of bravery and iron-clad will of our soldiers in the icy cold glacier will be remembered with pride. It will forever be an inspiration for future generations, he said. Singhs visit to Siachen came over a week after the Indian Army marked the 40th year of its presence in the strategically key region following the Operation Meghdoot. After carrying out aerial reconnaissance, the Defence Minister landed at the forward post and was given a detailed brief on the operational readiness in the Siachen Glacier and the prevalent security situation. He also discussed the aspects associated with the operational challenges with the commanders on the ground. Visited a forward post in Siachen. Had a wonderful interaction with the brave Army personnel who are guarding our nation in extremely challenging conditions, Singh said on X. I laud their courage and professionalism, in the line of duty, he said. The Defence Minister also laid a wreath at the Siachen War Memorial as a mark of tribute to the fallen heroes who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation. Singh had visited Leh on March 24 and celebrated Holi with the troops. He was scheduled to visit Siachen, but it was postponed due to adverse weather conditions. From Leh, the Defence Minister had spoken with the soldiers posted in Siachen over phone and told them that he would soon visit the worlds highest battlefield and interact with them. Singh fulfilled his promise with Mondays visit despite his busy schedule, the Ministry said in a statement. The Indian Army has been strengthening its presence in Siachen over the last few years. In January last year, Captain Shiva Chauhan from the Armys Corps of Engineers was posted at a frontline post in Siachen Glacier, in the first such operational deployment of a woman Army officer at the key battlefield. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Lusaka, April 22, 2024The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday called on Zambian authorities to thoroughly investigate a police assault on journalist Rodgers Mwiimba and his two-hour detention, alongside a second journalist, Innocent Phiri. On April 13, police officers arrested the two television journalists at Matanda Grounds, a public space in the town of Kafue, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the capital, Lusaka, where the opposition United Kwacha Alliance planned to hold a political rally, according to news reports and the two journalists, who spoke with CPJ. Authorities banned the rally on the grounds that the recently formed opposition coalition was not registered. Mwiimba and Phiri, who work with the privately owned Millennium TV and KBN TV respectively, told CPJ that they were filming an altercation between police officers and two opposition party leaders on their phones when about three other officers grabbed Phiri, and forced him into an armored police vehicle. Mwiimba said that four other officers confronted him, kicked him to the ground, and bundled him into the same vehicle, even though he showed them his Millennium TV employee ID card to prove that he was a journalist. I was traumatized. I have never experienced anything like this before, Mwiimba said via messaging app. They kicked me all over my body. One police officer even stepped on me for just trying to collect news. Mwiimba and Phiri told CPJ that they were taken to Kafue Police Station, where they were questioned on suspicion of conduct likely to breach the peace and an officer ordered them to delete the footage shot at Matanda Grounds from their phones. The journalists said they were released without charge about two hours later. In reporting on the activities of the opposition, Rodgers Mwiimba and Innocent Phiri were fulfilling their duties as journalists and the police should never have harassed or acted violently towards them, said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi. Zambian authorities should investigate why and how these journalists were arrested. If the officers involved are found guilty of misconduct, they should be held to account to send a warning to others that Zambia does not tolerate attacks on the press. Mwiimba told CPJ that although his body ached, his injuries were not severe enough to require medical treatment. Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said in a statement that the journalists were arrested for filming and conducting interviews with two politicians in the venue for the intended UKA rally which was not lawfully sanctioned. The politicians were also arrested, he said. Hamoonga told CPJ via messaging app on April 13 that the journalists were arrested for crossing a police cordon. Hamoonga said he was not aware that Mwiimba was assaulted or that the journalists were forced to delete their footage at the station and promised to check and revert. As of April 22, Hamoonga had not provided additional comment to CPJ. In 2022, Phiri and another journalist were arrested for filming police officers preparing to arrest an opposition leader and detained for 21 hours. They were freed after signing a document admitting that they were guilty of disorderly conduct and paying a small fine. Press freedom is constitutionally guaranteed in Zambia but state-owned outlets usually support the government, police have arrested journalists for reporting critical stories, and political activists have attacked reporters. The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, to appear before it on Tuesday, April 23. It was learnt that the CBN governor was summoned by the tribunal to clarify the apex banks role in the November 11, 2023 election in the state. According to reports, Cardoso was summoned following an application on Monday by Alex Izinyon(SAN), counsel for the Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, The governor is the second respondent in the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party and its candidate, Muritala Ajaka. Izinyon moved the application following the refusal of the CBN governor or any officer at the bank to honour the subpoena issued by the tribunal on April 18. He stated that he was aware that the CBN management, in a letter to the tribunal, said they would not be available until Friday, April 26 pursuant to their application for subpoena. He added that while Ododo had intended to call his witnesses within five days, the subpoena should be addressed before the governor proceeds. Izinyon, who said he expected an officer from the Legal Department of the CBN to be at the tribunal on Monday, described the letter written to the tribunal by the apex bank as an act of contempt. He said subpoena, by nature, is in the name of the President and Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces. He said the CBN team should be at the tribunal on Tuesday to give evidence and if they failed to appear, it would be in the court record, going by the fact that the matter was time-bound. If by tomorrow, we call our last witnesses and they (CBN officers) are not here, we urge my lord to look at our application in the interest of justice, he said. Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Aliyu Saiki (SAN) and All Progressives Congress lawyer, D.C. Demingwe (SAN) and the counsel for the petitioners, and Pius Akubo (SAN) seconded Izinyons application. Akubo, however, said that since Izinyon had hinted that the Ododo would be closing his defence on Tuesday, he urged the court to allow the APC to proceed with its defence after the governor must have called his witnesses, even if CBN officers failed to appear. Delivering the ruling, Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu held that the subpoena was to the CBN governor and director of Corporate Service of the bank. He noted that it is a command in the name of the President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The judge held that the act of writing to the tribunal by the apex bank that its officers will be available on April 26 is contemptuous and condemnable. The panel then adjourned the matter till April 23 for the continuation of the second respondents defence and for the CBN to show cause. Today, in a move to further revitalise the oil and gas industrys contribution to the Nigerian Economy, Wale Edun, OFR, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, presided over a signing ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja endorsing the Consolidated Guidelines for the implementation of Fiscal Incentives for the Oil & Gas Sector - a cornerstone of the Presidential Directive aimed at enhancing the Nigerian oil & gas sector's global competitiveness whilst stimulating economic growth. As disclosed during the signing, the Presidential Directives were developed and coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen to ensure a competitive framework for the Nigerian oil & gas industry. These Consolidated guidelines for the fiscal incentives are based on extensive collaboration across Finance and Petroleum Ministries and involved several key regulatory bodies including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). Mr Gwueke Ajifa, (Executive Director Oil Producers Trade Section) Mrs Amina Ado (Coordinating Director, Large TaxPayers Group, Federal Inland Revenue Service) Mrs Olu Verheijen (Special Adviser to the President on Energy) Mr Wale Edun (Honourable Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy) Mr Farouk Ahmed, (Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority) Mr Gbenga Komolafe, (Chief Commission Executive) and Tajudeen Shobayo (Programme Coordinator, Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy) According to Mrs. Verheijen, these new measures have been designed to deliver a competitive Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for Oil & Gas Projects and attract over $10 billion in new investments within the next 12-18 months. They also underscore Nigeria's commitment to reaching its long term oil production target of 4 million barrels per day whilst enhancing the reliability of gas supply for to boost export earnings and fuel Nigerias industrialization. Mrs. Verheijen disclosed that among the guidelines signed were the NUPRC Guideline on Hydrocarbon Liquids Content in a Non-Associated Gas (NAG) Field, essential for accurately categorising and quantifying the hydrocarbon liquid content in these fields. Additional guidelines focused on the applicability of tax credits and allowances for Non-Associated Gas Greenfield Development and the Midstream Capital and Gas Utilization Allowance, providing taxpayers with clarity on the computation of these benefits. HM Edun, in his remarks, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the directive in February 2024 to engender growth in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, which had stagnated for over the last decade. He also emphasised the potential of the guidelines, saying, The idea is to create an atmosphere conducive to international competitiveness such that investment comes in. And in this case, we know it's foreign direct investment. The signing ceremony was attended by various stakeholders, including NNPC Limited, Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), further highlighting Nigeria's unified approach toward reinvigorating its oil and gas sector. The Rock is the home of The Morning Rumble with Rog, Bryce, Mulls and Mel, Rock Drive with Jay & Dunc, Not For Radio, The Rock 2000, The No Repeat Workday and just all round good bants. Struggling to find a decent radio station? Unfortunately, we can't help you with that. But if you're keen to hear our average-to-mediocre banter sandwiched between some bloody good rock music, then look no further. Stream The Rock on rova Not in New Zealand? We feel sorry for ya, it's a pretty rad little country. But you can stream us from anywhere in the world via the rova app - download it now from the App Store or Google Play. Or if you're still rocking one of those old school radios, or your car has one of those fancy band expanders - then listen to The Rock everywhere in the country by tuning into one of the frequencies below. The Rock Radio Frequencies Auckland 90.2 Northland 90.0 Rodney 100.1 Waikato 93.0 Coromandel 105.5 Pauanui 92.1 Tauranga 94.2 Rotorua 92.7 Reporoa 98.0 Taupo 94.4 Gisborne 94.1 Wairoa 94.1 Taranaki 95.6 Hawkes Bay 95.1 Manawatu 95.4 Whanganui 95.2 Wairarapa 95.1 Kapiti 91.9 Wellington 96.5 Nelson 94.4 Picton 92.3 Marlborough 91.3 Kaikoura 89.1 Canterbury 93.7 Ashburton 97.3 Timaru 91.5 Oamaru 104.8 Mackenzie Country 91.0 Wanaka 89.8 Queenstown 100.0 Central Otago 98.3 Dunedin 93.4 Southland 90.8 Contact The Rock Use your phone: 0800 ROCK PHONE Use your fax: 0800 ROCK FAX Please note: the fax machine died a few years ago and we haven't replaced it. But we love having the idea of a fax, so keep em coming. Use your mobile: Text STUDIO, leave a space, then enter your message and send to 3520. Texts cost 20c. Use the post box: The Rock Network PO Box 92080, Ponsonby Auckland Use Your Illusion: Bloody good album! Nearing the one year mark Break the silence | Today is April 24, 2024 and in a few days from now, May 3, 2024 will be within shaking hands distance. Nearly one year since the clash erupted and over 60 thousand people continue to survive in the different relief centres set up across the State. Many are still missing and nobody knows how many more may be added to the over 200 killed so far. The silence of the Prime Minister continues and it was against this reality that the first phase of the Lok Sabha election was held on April 19, followed by repoll in 11 Polling Stations on April 22. Manipur, like the rest of the Nation will have to wait till June 4 to know who gets to represent the people in the Lower House of Parliament and while this is what may be said with certainty, the pertinent question of what the Government has been doing to restore a semblance of normalcy still hangs heavy in the air. What course of action may be taken up in the coming days is the question that must certainly be dogging the Government at Imphal, but so far there is nothing much to suggest that any concrete action has been taken up to settle things. The slogan, Solution first, Peace later, coined by the Committee on Tribal Unity and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum, continues to haunt everyone. If Imphal does not have any roadmap to restore a sort of normalcy, a state when the Meiteis may take the road to travel from Imphal to Dimapur or when the Kukis displaced from Imphal and other valley districts may return to the homesteads they once called homes, Delhi should step in and open the avenues to help Manipur take the first step towards normalcy. How about the houses of the Meiteis which have not only been destroyed but levelled to the ground at Churachandpur and Moreh ? Is the State Government working on any plans to address these questions ? In a few days time the ongoing clash would have completed one full year and it is only right that questions be raised to see what steps the Government may have in mind to restore a semblance of normalcy. The guns have fallen silent in the last few days, but the silence of the gun cannot be equated with normalcy and reading otherwise would amount to refusing to acknow- ledge the reality. What has happened to the task entrusted to the Hill Areas Committee Chairman to reach out to the Kuki folks, probably under the ITLF and CoTU ? Is there any progress on this front ? Has the Government used its office to reach out to the Naga leaders, particularly the MLAs of the Naga Peoples Front to try and break the ice ? How about taking another look at the Peace Committee which was formed during the early days of the clash and which has proven to be a non-starter ? Cant Delhi take the initiative to give substance and meaning to such a Committee ? The task ahead of the Government is clear and there cannot be two ways about it. Chart a roadmap to make Manipur take her first step towards normalcy. New Delhi has on more than one occasion ruled out dividing Manipur along ethnic lines. This may need to be repeated in no uncertain terms. For this perhaps the Centre may invite representatives of the State Government and the Kuki leaders, most fittingly the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs and talk things over. Simultaneously Delhi may explore the possibility of roping in the service of the Naga leaders and the Naga NGOs to see if they can be tasked with the responsibility of putting across each others stand to either party and see how to take things to the next level. These are just suggestions that come to mind, but the fact remains that Manipur cannot afford to continue like this for ever. Manipur has already suffered enough. Over 200 have been killed while many others have gone missing, with no trace of their mortal remains. One year of clash, murder at sight, etc is long enough and perhaps it is time to create space for the moderates on either side to rise and give peace a chance. It also remains that to break the ice, it is important that the Prime Minister speaks. The silence, bordering more on indifference should not continue and this is precisely what the doctor would have prescribed. Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee today held a meeting with party workers in Kharagpur and discussed the partys strategies for Ghatal and Midnapore Lok Sabha seats in West Midnapore. The sitting MP actor-turned-politician Dipak Adhikari (Dev) is contesting from Ghatal once again. June Maliah, partys MLA is contesting from Midnapore seat. Dilip Ghosh, who had won the seat in 2019, is contesting from Bardhaman Durgapur seat. Mrs Agnimitra Paul, BJP MLA, is contesting from Midnapore seat. Mr Banerjee urged the party leaders and workers to resist the divisive policy of BJP and put up united fight. They should bury the hatchet and work together and prioritize the welfare schemes taken by Ma, Mati, Manus government during their campaign. Advertisement Party insiders said Mr Banerjee has contacts with all the leaders and workers of the district, up to the block level. He knows all the block-level workers and is constantly in touch with them. In Ghatal, Dev nurtures the constituency and has taken a number of welfare schemes. The annual flood in Ghatal and its neighbourhood can be controlled if there is a master plan in place. Dev had raised the issue many times in the Parliament. Mamata Banerjee has said that if the Centre does not cooperate, the state government will implement the Ghatal master plan. Dilip Ghosh had set up the organization in Midnapore and had won the seat. As he has been shifted to Burdwan Durgapur constituency, the BJP workers have moved with him. Mr Banerjee, it was learnt, told the party workers to ensure that the party nominees win in both the seats. The Kolkata Police on Monday claimed to have arrested an individual having links with the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai for reportedly targeting Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The accused identified as Rajaram Rege was arrested from Mumbai, the Kolkata Police said in a press conference addressed by additional police commissioners Murli Dhar and V Solomon Nesakumar. Some people were conducting recce on the movements of certain important political personalities in the state. We came to know about a person who approached some local people here. He also managed to get the mobile numbers of Abhishek Banerjee and his personal assistant. That person, Rege, has now been arrested from Mumbai, Nesakumar said. Advertisement The officer said that Rege came to the city and rented a room in south Kolkata. He also conducted recce around the residence of Mr Banerjee. Meanwhile, sources in the police said that before the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, David Headley had got in touch with Rege in Mumbai. Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence in the United States after pleading guilty to 12 international terrorism charges. The police are investigating the reasons behind Rege conducting recce in Kolkata. The police have also registered a case at the Shakespeare Sarani police station in the city, under whose jurisdiction the hotel where Rege stayed for two days falls. Security measures have been beefed up around Abhishek Banerjees residence, police sources said. Under the Vienna convention, embassies are treated as sovereign territories of the nation concerned, not of the host country. The convention defines embassies as buildings or parts of buildings and the land ancillary thereto, irrespective of ownership, used for purposes of the mission including the residence of the head of the mission. The National Museum of American Diplomacy stated while describing a US embassy, An attack on an embassy is considered an attack on the country it represents. The building destroyed by Israel in Damascus was part of the Iranian diplomatic compound, housed the residence of the ambassador and some offices, hence the strike on it was an attack on Iran. Tel Aviv refused to either admit or deny, but was globally identified as the perpetrator. It was a deliberate assault by a country sworn to stand by the Vienna Conventions and not by a terrorist organisation, and hence should have been criticized. In the special UNSC session requested for by Iran, Tel Aviv was not criticised and its actions were defended by Western nations, which accused Iran of supporting Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US urged Iran and its proxy and partner groups to avoid exacerbating regional tensions. Thus, the attacked was accused while the attacker was exonerated. Iran was compelled by domestic pressures to respond. It defended its actions under article 51 of the UN charter which enshrines the right of self-defence. However, seeking to avoid escalation, Iran warned nations of its impending attack. According to Reuters Iraqi, Turkish and Jordanian officials mentioned that Iran had provided early warning of the attack, including some details. Advertisement A US official stated, We received a message from the Iranians as this was ongoing, through the Swiss. The US had a ten-hour warning period. Iran ignored the basic military principal of surprise as its intent was to avoid damage and casualties. If the Hezbollah possesses hypersonic missiles, as claimed by the US, so would Iran. As per Tehran Times, Iran employed its Shahed-136 drones, along with 2nd or 3rd-generation missiles. Its fifth generation missiles and top-tier drones remain secure for future assaults. Irans Ambassador to the UN, Amir Iravani, mentioned in the UNSC debate, It (the Iranian attack) was precise and only targeted military objectives and carried out carefully to minimize potential for escalation and prevent civilian harm. As per Israel, one child was injured in the desert and an airbase suffered miniscule damage. There is no doubt that Iranian proxies including the Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis and the Palestinian Jihad amongst others have been armed and funded to operate against the US and Israel, its two declared adversaries. But is Iran the only nation which has funded and maintained proxies aimed at a particular state? Pakistan backs the anti-Iran Jaish al-Adl terrorist group at the behest of the West. It also supports anti-India terrorist groups on its soil. Identified Khalistan terrorists find shelter in the US and Canada, apart from Pakistan. Despite multiple requests, no Khalistani has been arrested nor their activities curtailed. The US continues to back the Kurdish Peoples Protection Unit and at one time supported the Taliban operating against Russia. Moscow has openly employed its proxies in Ukraine. Employing proxies to further a nations agenda is a global norm; then why is Iran being singled out? Possibly because they target US, its allies including Israel, all of whom are powerful states. The UNSC session discussing the Iranian strike on Israel had pro-Israel nations criticising Tehran, even though it claimed self-defence. US Ambassador Robert Wood mentioned, The Security Council must call for Iran and its partners and proxies to cease their attacks. Similar views were echoed by other Western nations. With Russia and China present, the meeting ended with calls for both sides to exercise maximum calm and restraint. The US and its allies have imposed additional sanctions on Iran. They claim it is to placate Israel and prevent it from retaliating and expanding the conflict. Sanctions and restrictions have not been contemplated against Israel even for the record number of civilian casualties in Gaza as also blocking movement of aid into the region, leading to what the UN terms an impending human catastrophe. Global demands for stopping its assault on Rafah has had no consequence. The US anger against Iran has existed since the overthrow of the Shah and seizure of its embassy in Tehran in 1979. The country has faced multiple sanctions since then. The US views Iran as unwilling to adhere to global norms, while Tehran considers Washington as seeking to oppress it and deny it its destiny of being a dominant power in the region. The distrust between the two has grown over the years with the US blaming it for multiple terrorist strikes including the 1983 US embassy bombing and the Beirut barracks bombing, apart from others. Irans current alignment with Russia and China have only added to distrust. This has benefitted Israel. To contain Iran, the US is working at creating a coalition, and enhancing Israel and Saudi ties. Simply put, Iran is considered the pariah, responsible for all unrest in the Middle-east. The US along with its Western allies are major global decision makers. They determine who is right or wrong based on their perceptions. The US has never been questioned on its follies in Iraq which led to the creation of an ISIS state as also its actions in Libya, which turned Africas most progressive country into one of poverty and instability. The US is aware that Iran, by its location, can control the straits of Hormuz, which is the gateway for oil flows from the Gulf. Any action by Iran could push the world towards Russian oil, making a mockery of US sanctions on it, while dramatically enhancing energy prices, the blame for which would rest on Washington. Thus, the US is compelled to tread on eggshells. The US is attempting to overthrow the current Iranian regime and bringing in a favourable one. However, as Iraq and Libya have proved, what emerges could be worse than what existed. Rather than seeking to pressure Iran based on its economic and military might, the US would be better off attempting a rapprochement with Tehran. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.) Once again, Union home minister Amit Shah is coming to West Bengal to address political rallies. According to BJP sources, he might hold a joint rally in north Bengal tomorrow. It was earlier announced that he would visit the state for campaigning on Sunday, but due to bad weather, his helicopter couldnt take off. Consequently, Shah had to return without holding the rally in Darjeeling. According to BJP sources, Shah is planning to campaign in Bengal during his visit on Tuesday. He is expected to hold two rallies in Raiganj and Malda South. Its common for central ministers from the BJP to visit Bengal for election campaigning. Even before the announcement of election results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state for three days. He had also visited the state before the announcement of elections. From Anurag Thakur to Rajnath Singh, several central ministers have held rallies in Bengal already. However, after the announcement of elections, Shah has visited the state only once. He attended a rally in support of BJP candidate Sukanta Majumdar from Balurghat constituency. Advertisement The Raiganj Lok Sabha seat will to go polls in the second phase, 26 April. This time, BJP has fielded Kartik Pal from this constituency. In the 2019 elections, BJPs candidate Debashree Chowdhury won this seat on a BJP ticket. Later, she was appointed as a minister in Narendra Modis cabinet. However, this time, BJP did not nominate her from this seat. She has been nominated as a candidate from Kolkata South Sabha constituency. Trinamul has nominated Krishna Kalyani from Raiganj. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he had won on a BJP ticket and later joined the Trinamul. Therefore, Trinamul is relying on him to defeat BJP in Raiganj. In the third phase, elections will be held in Malda South. In the 2019 elections, this Lok Sabha constituency was won by the Congress. Since 2009, this seat has been continuously won by Congresss Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury. This time, his son Isha Khan is contesting from this seat on behalf of Congress. On the other hand, BJP has nominated Srirupa Mitra Chowdhury as its candidate. In the last election, she was also nominated by the saffron party. It is noteworthy that Shahs visit to support BJP candidate Raju Bista was planned for Darjeeling on Sunday. However, due to bad weather in Darjeeling, Shahs helicopter couldnt take off, twice. Later, the helicopter headed towards Bihar. He also sent a message to his supporters through a phone call. Air India, Indias leading global airline, and All Nippon Airways, the largest Japanese carrier, have signed a codeshare agreement connecting their networks. The new commercial partnership will provide more travel opportunities for customers of both airlines, who will benefit from the enhanced flight selections between India and Japan. With this agreement, effective for travel from today, Air India and All Nippon Airways guests will fly to their desired destination by combining those flights between India and Japan with a single ticket. Advertisement In addition, guests of both airlines flying on codeshare flights will enjoy premium services such as lounge access and priority boarding that Star Alliance offers to its premium members. Available for sale from today, Air India will add its AI designator code on ANAs flights between Tokyo Haneda and Delhi as well as Tokyo Narita and Mumbai, while All Nippon Airways will add its NH designator code on Air Indias flight between Tokyo Narita and Delhi. Air India and ANA are considering further expanding their cooperation on additional routes. This codeshare agreement with All Nippon Airways marks an important step forward in connecting India and Japan, said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India. The agreement will contribute to further consolidate the economic and commercial relations between India and Japan and will offer Indian tourists the opportunity to broadly discover the wonders of Japan and to Japanese citizens the opportunity to easily travel to India, ensuring the highest standards of safety. The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested a sharp shooter of the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar crime syndicate, the police said on Tuesday. According to police, the arrested accused identified as Sachin alias Chichad was wanted in a firing incident of village Umri in Haryanas Kurukshetra and another case of Meham in Rohtak. The Special Cell team that nabbed the accused has also recovered a sophisticated pistol from his possession which was of .32 bore, along with four live bullets. Advertisement The police said that he had come to Delhi on the directions of the gang leaders, and the arrest of the accused has foiled the plans of executing a heinous crime in Delhi. It was on the intervening night of April 18-19, a specific information was received about the movement of Sachin in a nearby area of Mangolpuri Industrial Area, Delhi. Acting swiftly on the information, a dedicated team of Special Cell Northern Range and the Special Task Force swung into action, and a trap was laid near ITI Campus, Mangolpuri Industrial area, Delhi. The alleged person was intercepted while he was arriving on a scooty and was successfully overpowered. A criminal case under Arms Act has been registered in this regard. The police further said in January this year, Subhash, of Village Umri, Kurukshetra, Haryana was allegedly murdered and the responsibility of the crime was taken by Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara on social media, claiming that Subhash was an associate of Sunny Lefty, accused in the murder of Vicky Middukhera in Punjab. According to a police official, in this case, two accused persons, Ankit alias Kali and Garvit alias Prince were arrested and two other accused Gaurav and Sanka were on the run. The police further said that Sachin was tasked by Garvit and Ankit Kali to fire at the house of Subhash to deter the family members from appearing in court for testimony. After firing, he was directed to go to Delhi and wait for further directions by the gang leader. Further probe is underway in the matter, the police added. Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi Chief Minister and AAPs national convener Arvind Kejriwal, on Tuesday visited the Prachin Hanuman Mandir here in the city, on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. Her prayers resonated with hopes for the robust health of the Chief Minister and the prosperity of Delhis residents, invoking blessings from Bajrang Bali. This marked a departure from the usual, as CM Kejriwal has been incarcerated and it was possibly her first visit to the temple without him. After visiting the temple, she said, May Hanuman Baba give wisdom to everyone and may everyone be blessed! May Hanuman Baba alleviate everyones suffering! Today, I am remembering Shri Arvind Kejriwal on Hanuman Jayanti, but very soon I will come with him to visit Bajrang Bali. Advertisement It is only because of Hanuman Babas grace that Arvind Kejriwal was able to get insulin in jail today, she said. Last month, the Chief Minister was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a liquor policy case. Telugu superstar Allu Arjun and Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff observed the Earth Day on Monday. Allu, who is awaiting the release of Pushpa 2: The Rule, the sequel to the box-office juggernaut Pushpa: The Rise, took to his X handle and shared a creative of the planet in safe hands and flourishing. He captioned it, Happy Earth Day. The Telugu superstar, known to ensure that film shoots dont cause any damage to the environment, is also the brand ambassador of the Telangana Forest Department. Advertisement Senior actor Jackie Shroff, who often makes appearances at public events with plants, shared a video raising the awareness about cutting down on the usage of plastic. He urged his followers on Instagram to opt for the reusables in order to cut down on the wastage. Raashii Khanna has finally lifted the lid on the mystery surrounding the delay in shooting for the highly anticipated web series, Farzi 2, starring Shahid Kapoor. In a recent interview, Khanna, who portrays an RBI analyst alongside Kapoor in the series, revealed that filming will kick off at the beginning of the upcoming year. The primary reason for the delay, according to Khanna, lies in the jam-packed schedules of the directors Raj & DK. The duo is currently busy in the production of their forthcoming projects, including the much-awaited shows Citadel: Honey Bunny and Family Man season 3. Once these commitments are fulfilled, they will shift their focus to Farzi 2. Shahid Kapoor had previously hinted at the sequel during an event, acknowledging that while the project is in the pipeline, its release will take time due to extensive post-production work. Kapoor explained that the series undergoes dubbing in multiple languages and is ready for release in over 200 countries, a process that typically spans one-and-a-half to two years. Advertisement Additionally, he emphasized that once filming commences, fans can expect to wait another two years before the release of Farzi 2. Farzi initially began as a film concept in 2014 before evolving into a television series in 2019. The show, created, produced, and directed by Raj & DK, features an ensemble cast including Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashii Khanna, and Bhuvan Arora. Set against the backdrop of a black comedy crime thriller, the series revolves around a disillusioned artists venture into counterfeit money-making. Principal photography for Farzi commenced in Mumbai in July 2021 and spanned various locations, including Alibaug, Goa, Nepal, and Jordan. The series, with music by SachinJigar and Tanishk Bagchi, received critical acclaim upon its release on Amazon Prime Video in February 2023, quickly becoming one of the most-watched Indian streaming series. Following its success, Kapoor confirmed the return of Farzi for a second season, a sentiment echoed by its numerous nominations at the 2023 Filmfare OTT Awards. As anticipation mounts for Farzi 2, fans eagerly await the continuation of this thrilling saga. Excitement is reaching fever pitch among fans eagerly awaiting the return of Xander Cage, the adrenaline-charged spy brought to life by Vin Diesel in the xXx series. While news of a fourth installment is tantalizing, details about its production schedule remain shrouded in secrecy. As the countdown to xXx 4 continues, lets not forget another project thats been keeping Diesel busy. In a recent Instagram post, Diesel reflected on his gratitude for the diverse characters hes had the privilege to portray. He reminisced about his experience working on a courtroom drama under the direction of Sidney Lumet, where he had the unexpected honor of meeting the real-life figure he was to play, Jackie DiNorcioa mobster with unwavering principles and indomitable convictions. But amidst these reflections, Diesel dropped a bombshell: he has just laid eyes on what he calls the BEST script in Hollywood. Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) It seems Amy Pascal, a name he doesnt hesitate to mention, has sent him a script that has left him awestruck. Describing it as the kind of script that would have sparked fierce competition among Hollywood legends of yesteryears, Diesel cant contain his enthusiasm. The script revolves around the iconic character of Kojak, a role that has been the subject of many failed attempts by other writers. Yet, in the tumultuous landscape of contemporary cinema, this script shines as a true masterpiece. Diesel, known for his perfectionist tendencies, doesnt mince words: its the best script of 2024. For Diesel, a self-professed admirer of legendary writer Budd Schulberg, the quality of this script is nothing short of astonishing. With his trademark humor, he vows to do justice to the legacy of Kojak and hopes to make his fans proud. As anticipation builds for both xXx 4 and his upcoming venture into the world of Kojak, Vin Diesels heartfelt message resonates with excitement and a deep sense of reverence for the craft of storytelling. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday denied any discussions regarding the relocation of Chakma and Hajong refugees from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam. He said rather discussion is on with the Arunachal Pradesh government regarding granting citizenship to people of Moran and Muttock communities residing in that state. This clarification comes in response to statements made by Union minister and Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, Kiren Rijiju, who suggested relocating Chakma and Hajong refugees to Assam before they become eligible for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Advertisement There are more than 67,000 Chakma and Hajong tribals residing in Arunachal Pradesh who are not eligible for permanent resident certificates or citizenship in the state. The opposition in Assam lashed out at Sarma for trying to encourage influx of foreign nationals into Assam. They also warned of legal action if the chief minister were to bring in foreigners for resettlement under the CAA, alleging that such actions might be an attempt to divert attention from the scams. In a significant development, the Believers Eastern Church has announced its support to Anil K Antony, BJPs candidate in Pathanamthitta constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The announcement was reportedly made at a meeting held at the youth centre of the church in Tiruvalla, and attended by the Church president Mathews Silvanios Metropolitan on Monday.Fr Sijo Pantappalli, the official spokesperson of the Church, and around 100 priests and church members attended the meeting. Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony , also addressed the meeting. This marks the first instance of a church body in the State extending support to a BJP candidate. Advertisement It has also been reported that the Believers Church has also pledged its backing to Union minister Rajiv Chandrasekhar in Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. Founded by Athanasius Yohan widely known as self-styled evangelist K P Yohannan, the Tiruvalla-headquartered Believers Eastern Church had been under the radar of the BJP-led government at the Centre for allegedly receiving foreign funds through the NGOs run by it. It has been reported that in 2020, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was in the process of launching a detailed probe into the Believers Churchs activities after the Income Tax department unearthed massive unaccounted money transactions which were carried out by different trusts under the Church. Anil is locked in a triangular fight in Pathanamthitta against incumbent MP Anto Antony of Congress, and CPI-Ms central committee member T M Thomas Isaac in Pathanamthitta. In Thiruvananthapuram, Rajeev Chandrasekhar is facing stiff challenge from Shashi Tharoor of Congress and Panniyan Raveendran of CPI. The BJP on Tuesday dropped its sitting MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and named Tashi Gyalson as the partys candidate for the upcoming Ladakh Lok Sabha election after having failed to properly handle the long-stretched agitation in support of the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh. Gyalson is the chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, and, as such, enjoys the status of a cabinet minister. The refusal to grant the Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh has annoyed the majority of Buddhists in Leh and Shia Muslims in Kargil, leading to growing discontent with the BJP government. The Union Territory of Ladakh has only one Lok Sabha seat. Advertisement The BJPs decision to drop the young sitting MP, Namgyal, has come as a surprise to the party activists. However, a senior partyman said that the party high command was unhappy with Namgyals failure to properly counter the agitation led jointly by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in support of the Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh. The agitation culminated in a 21-day hunger strike by Ladakhi climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, which garnered widespread public support and proved to be an embarrassment for the government. Expressing annoyance over the denial of BJP ticket, Namgyal wrote on social media: Today, the BJP announced a new candidate for the Ladakh Parliamentary Constituency, replacing the sitting MP without providing transparent and compelling justification. I have communicated my disagreement to the party leadership through proper channels regarding this injustice to a dedicated Karyakarta. Hundreds of BJP activists and my supporters from across Ladakh have also voiced their disapproval with this decision. We will carefully evaluate the situation and determine our next course of action, keeping the well-being of the people of Ladakh at the forefront. I extend heartfelt gratitude to all supporters for their steadfast backing. Polling in Ladakh will take place in the fifth phase on 20 May. Namgyal had defeated independent candidate Sajad Hussain with a margin of 10,930 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Congress, which is a partner of the INDIA bloc, is yet to announce its candidate for Ladakh. Namgyal came to the limelight in 2019 for his viral speech in the Lok Sabha to defend the Modi governments decision to repeal Article 370 and make Ladakh a separate Union Territory. Later, Namgyal was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders for his speech on the motion to scrap the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and a Bill to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday claimed the BJP government at the Centre is dead set on changing the Constitution and that right from the RSS chief to sitting MPs and saffron candidates are making statements that once the BJP got a two-thirds majority, they would change the Constitution. Addressing an election rally of the Congress candidate of Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency, Kodikunnil Suresh in Keralas Chengannur on Tuesday, Kharge said even though BJP leaders are saying Abki Baar 400 Paar (this time, above 400 seats) that wont materialise, the people of India will teach Prime Minister Narendra Modi a lesson in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Calling the Prime Minister a liar, Kharge said that in the 2014 election, he promised to bring back black money and give Rs 15 lakh to everyone. Did anyone receive the promised Rs 15 lakh, Kharge asked. Advertisement He said that the Modi Government failed to keep the promises it made to the people. While it failed to ensure development for all, it destroyed everything in the last 10 years, Kharge said. Stating that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls are very crucial for the future of the country and to save democracy and the Constitution, Kharge said that if elected to power, the INDIA bloc would increase the reservation quota and would constitute a Diversity Commission that will measure, monitor and promote diversity in public and private employment as well as education. Coming out against the LDF government in Kerala, Kharge said the state is now in an acute financial crisis due to poor fiscal management. Kerala was known for its development. Unfortunately, in the last eight years, the government ensured a debt-ridden economy without enough money even to pay salaries to its employees and pay social welfare pensions, he said. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Tuesday claimed that the BJP is the only party in the country which fulfills its promises. The Defence minister said other political parties forget what they promise during elections. But, the BJP was the only party in the country which fulfilled its promises. Giving examples, he said abrogation of Article 370, banning of instant Triple Talaq and construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya are few of the promises which were fulfilled by the BJP. Singh was addressing an election meeting at Bisaha village in Greater Noida seeking support for BJPs Gautam Buddha Nagar Lok Sabha candidate Mahesh Sharma where polling is scheduled in the second phase on April 26. The Defence Minister also defended Prime minister Narendra Modi over opposition charges of trying to divide the voters on communal lines. I totally reject the Oppositions claim that the saffron party is seeking to create a Hindu-Muslim divide for votes, he said. As per my knowledge and understanding, PM Modi cannot do such a thing, Singh said, giving clarification that PM Modi only said what the Opposition Congress has released in its manifesto. He claimed that the atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh has changed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Now several cities including Noida have turned into a business centre when earlier during the previous regimes, it was known for corruption and other illegal activities. He further alleged that people even started migrating from here due to fear from criminals. But these things are a matter of the past and now everyone is living without any fear and earning their livelihoods, he said. The former UP CM also claimed that he was the first chief minister to send a proposal for the Jewar Airport. But as there was a different government at the Centre, the proposal was rejected, Singh said. But the double-engine government here was making the biggest Airport of the country in Jewar, which will change the fortunes of the people here, he claimed. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has strongly condemned the tragic killing of three Assam residents in East Garo Hills district on April 17, expressing his heartfelt condolences on social media. The bodies of the victims Jomor Ali, Noor Mohammad, and Zahidul Islam were discovered charred and buried in graves in Meghalayas East Garo Hills. The police, upon preliminary investigation, said that the crime took place in Rongmil area. Advertisement In his statement, Sangma conveyed his deep sadness to the citizens of Assam and Meghalaya, acknowledging the grim reminder of the brutality that befell the communities with the discovery of three charred bodies amidst the ashes of their vehicle. He unequivocally denounced the heinous violence, emphasizing its contradiction to the shared humanity we uphold. Urging unity and compassion, Sangma called upon both Assam and Meghalaya residents to refrain from retaliatory actions, urging them to resist the divisive narratives seeking to exploit the tragedy. Assuring swift action, Sangma highlighted the authorities commitment to a thorough investigation and the pursuit of justice. He stressed the importance of upholding peace, justice, and the rule of law as foundational principles. To the grieving families, Sangma extended his deepest sympathies, assuring them of solidarity and support during this difficult time, while expressing hope for peace and tranquility to prevail. A government employee was shot dead on Monday evening by terrorists outside a mosque in the Rajouri district of Jammu. The killing took place hours after DGP RR Swain reviewed the security situation ahead of the Lok Sabha election for the Anantnag seat. Most parts of Rajouri fall in the Anantnag constituency. Police said that Mohammad Razaq, resident of Kunda Tope, Shahdara Sharief, was critically injured in the firing incident at his native village. He succumbed while being shifted to the hospital. Advertisement Razaq was an employee in the social welfare department and his brother is a soldier in the Territorial Army. Security forces have cordoned off the area and search has been initiated to nab the attackers. Further details are awaited. Senior Congress Leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said that the Congress manifesto has become a talking point across the country and the problem with BJP is that it is jealous. Talking to media persons here, he said: We must recognize that there are social divisions in the country. There is social inequality, economic inequality in this country. The most affected people are the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, the poor irrespective of religion, that means poor Hindus, poor Muslims, poor Christians, poor Sikhs. We are saying we will bring justice to every community. Hitting out at the BJP, he further said that Modis Guarantee cannot be the manifesto of a political party. Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is envious and jealous of the Congress manifesto. Advertisement P Chidambram visited Congress Office, Rajiv Bhawan at Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. He was welcomed by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee War Room Chairman Hari Krishan Himral by presenting him with a Himachali cap and Shawl. He was on a visit to Shimla in connection with some cases against the Union of India and State filed by some company. On request of party office bearers present in the High Court, he agreed to visit Congress Office. P Chimambaram took feedback of the political scenario in the state and discussed the national issues which the Congress is spreading among the public during ensuing elections in the country with the office bearers of the party. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday that the Congress and its allies had sabotaged Jammus important national projects, including the Shahpur-Kandi project and the Ujh Multipurpose Project, which would have irrigated the entire belt of parched land along the Samba, Kathua, and parts of Jammu districts. Both these projects were activated only after the Modi government took over in 2014, he said. The minister further alleged that the Congress also denied 4% reservation to the people living along the International Border in this region. Addressing public meetings at different places in Samba district under the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency, which is going to polls on 26 April, Dr Jitendra Singh, while campaigning in support of BJP candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma, said that the Congress and its allied governments have not only caused damage to the Kandi areas of Samba and Kathua by denying them their due but had also gone to the extent of working against the national interest just to appease certain sections by following an approach of regional discrimination. Advertisement Elaborating further, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that way back in 1960, the Indus Water Treaty was finalised between India and Pakistan by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan, as a result of which, the three major river waters that India was to share happened to be Ravi, Satluj and Beas. By constructing the Shahpur-Kandi Dam, he said, India was to utilise its share of water from the Ravi river for irrigating 3,500 to 4,000 hectares of land in the border districts of Samba and Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir as well as Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts in Punjab. While the Punjab government was forthcoming in cooperating to set up this project, the successive governments in Jammu & Kashmir avoided it on one pretext or the other until Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in 2014 and the project was revived, he added. Similarly, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Congress and its allies had denied 4% of reservation to the youth living along the International Border of Samba while allowing the same to the youth along the LoC, simply because of vote-bank politics. This anomaly, he said, was also undone after Prime Minister Modi took over. Dr Jitendra Singh further said that with the new industry coming up in Samba and the surrounding regions, the entire belt from Kathua to Samba holds the potential to emerge as a major recruitment and training centre of North India particularly because of its connection with three territories, mainly Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. The minister said that this entire belt has been traditionally known to be inhabited by the marshal race and the youth of this area were always known for their valour and bravery in Armed Forces, both before independence and afterwards. But, unfortunately, again it was the Congress government which cancelled the Dogra certificate and denied the youth of this region the opportunities of recruitment in the armed forces. Four months after dethroning the BRS government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao in Telangana, the ruling Congress is appearing to be dithering and weak as it struggles to declare candidates for three key Lok Sabha seats Khammam, Karimnagar and Hyderabad. In certain seats, even after its leaders were relentlessly poached by the two national parties, the BRS seems to be in a better position to fight with the BJP. The last date for filing nominations is 25 April. In Khammam, where the Congress is certain of a win, the high command has been unable to name a candidate because revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka both are in the fray to secure the nomination for their brother and wife, respectively. In Karimnagar, which is witnessing a tough fight between BJPs sitting MP and its key leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar and B Vinod Kumar from the BRS, the Congress is yet to officially announce its candidate. However, on Monday, V Rajender Rao accompanied by transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who is party in charge of the constituency, submitted his nomination papers. Advertisement In the Hyderabad constituency, where sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi is being challenged by BJPs K Madhavi Latha, the BRS has nominated a BC leader who might help Owaisi. Although a few days back Congress leader Feroze Khan had indicated that the AIMIM had reached a compromise with Congress, this was denied by Owaisi. Now, the party is yet to name a candidate but G Kanhaiah Lal and Syed Shah Mujahed Hussaini filed two sets of nomination papers. In Secunderabad too, the Congress seemed to be in a half-hearted race against sitting MP and Union minister G Kishan Reddy, who is also the BJPs state president. It has nominated BRS MLA Danam Nagender for the key seat after he joined the party recently. But Nagender has not only refused to resign as an MLA, there is a bit of apprehension in the party because his campaign has been lacklustre so far. The Surat incident, where BJP won unopposed, has also made the party wary. But on Tuesday evening, Danam Nagender collected his B form along with Neelam Madhu Mudiraj and Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, the candidates for the Medak and Bhuvanagiri constituencies. Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is focusing on the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha seat which has turned out to be a prestige issue since his own constituency Kodangal comes under it. Although Congress candidate Vamsi Chand Reddy was among the first ones to be nominated by the party, the early start has not done much good since DK Aruna of the BJP is putting up a good fight. Although the Congress had won all the seven constituencies, just four months back it is turning out to be an uphill task. Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the opposition party of self-enrichment over national service, and called the partys absence from Ram temple consecration ceremony disrespectful to Lord Ram. Addressing rallies in Sakti and Dhamtari, he urged the crowd to spare one hour of their time to support him and ensure to cast their votes in favour of the saffron party in the remaining phases of the crucial general election. With many tasks ahead, I urge you to dedicate just one hour to your Modi and make sure to cast your votes, he said. Advertisement He also hit out at the Congress for maintaining a stronghold on power for six decades, either directly or through control by a single family. He expressed disappointment over the Congresss prioritization of self-enrichment over national service during this timeframe. Touching upon Ram Temple, the prime minister underscored his governments proactive stance in facilitating its construction, contrasting it with the Congresss persistent skepticism. He expressed disappointment over the Congresss refusal to participate in the consecration ceremony, deeming it disrespectful to Lord Ram and the people of Chhattisgarh. Highlighting the BJPs commitment to inclusive development, he reiterated the partys dedication to the progress of all sections of society, including Dalits, backward classes, and tribal communities. He criticized the Congress for allegedly resorting to divisive religious politics and accused it of indulging in appeasement tactics since independence. Emphasizing his enduring commitment to championing the cause of the marginalized, he voiced disapproval of recent remarks by Congress leaders concerning the potential division of South India and alleged constitutional impositions in Goa, asserting that such statements undermine the revered legacy of B R Ambedkar and the collective spirit of the nation. Modi also drew a correlation between the Congress and the perpetuation of violence in light of escalating Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh, attributing it to corruption. He pledged to eradicate Maoism from its roots. He emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in governance, promising to eliminate corruption and ensure efficient fund utilization for development projects. He praised Chhattisgarhs abundant resources, including steel and coal, and reiterated his commitment to harnessing them for the states rapid development and national progress. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vehemently criticised the Congress, SP, and BSP while addressing public gatherings in Amroha and Baghpat on Tuesday. Yogi encouraged the residents of Amroha to cast their mandate in favour of Kanwar Singh Tanwar. In Baghpat, he urged the people to send Dr Rajkumar Sangwan to Delhi to represent them. Yogi stated that the Congress has included plans in its manifesto to introduce personal laws for a specific community, suggesting that such a move aims to impose Sharia law akin to Taliban rule in the country. Advertisement Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated in Amroha that during the Congress government, whenever a terrorist incident occurred, they would put oil in their ears and ignore it. They would merely say they were watching or would watch, while terrorists continued their activities. The Samajwadi Party has crossed the limits of shamelessness. They had the audacity to withdraw cases against terrorists who attacked Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and the Sankat Mochan Temple in Kashi. However, the judiciary thwarted SPs intentions. He continued, The court sharply criticised the SP, warning that if they can withdraw cases against terrorists today, they might tomorrow shamelessly compromise the countrys security by presenting them with the Padma award. The judiciary will not permit such actions. Asserting that the BJP prioritises development, the CM stated, The distance from Amroha to Delhi is just 165 km. Before 2014, it took five hours to travel this distance. The Congress failed to appreciate the importance of convenience and time. We are linking Amroha with the Ganga Expressway. Now, one can reach Delhi in just one and a half hours, Lucknow in four hours, and Prayagraj in six hours. The Chief Minister said that when Kalyan Singh passed away, not a single member from the SP attended his funeral. These people have insulted Kalyan Singh, he remarked. Launching a scathing attack on the Amroha MP, the CM said, The MP you elected doesnt even utter Bharat Maa ki Jai. Initially supported by the elephant (BSP), he exploited all available resources and now seeks to exploit them with the support of hand (Congress). Its crucial not to vote for someone who doesnt honor our nation. Yogi Adityanath said that Congress has written in its manifesto that it would bring personal laws for a particular community. He asserted, Through this move, the Congress aims to impose Sharia law, bringing a Taliban-style rule to India. This clearly indicates that the Congress and the INDI Alliance pose a threat to the Constitution crafted by Baba Saheb. The CM accused the Congress and the INDI alliance members of betraying the country by presenting a deceitful manifesto. He said, While they promise to eradicate poverty, they are secretly planning to seize your property, as well as the jewellery of your daughters and mothers. Yogi pointed out the irony of the Gareebi Hatao slogan coined by Indira Gandhi being echoed by her grandson like a repetitive parrot. He remarked that when the people voted them out of power, they suddenly remembered their pledge to eradicate poverty. According to Yogi, both Congress and Samajwadi Party have a history of land grabbing and prioritising their own interests. He criticised the Samajwadi Party for distributing tickets primarily to its own family members. Yogi warned that casting votes for the wrong parties could lead to the resurgence of terrorism and mafia rule in the state. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati said that if the public gives her party a chance to form the government at the Centre, then the first task would be to create a Western part by dividing Uttar Pradesh. She also said that a High Court bench will be established in Meerut on the lines of Lucknow bench. All unemployed, Dalits, Muslims, poor and youth will be given permanent employment i.e. government jobs, she said and assured that the sugarcane farmers of Western UP would get fair price for their sugarcane. Advertisement Mayawati was addressing an election rally of BSP candidate Devvrat Tyagi from Meerut-Hapur Lok Sabha seat in Alipur on Hapur Road here on Tuesday. Targeting the BJP, Congress and its allies, she said that all these political parties have meted out injustice to the poor of the country. The BSP chief said attempts were being made to tamper with the Constitution. While reservation for Dalits and extremely backward classes has been tampered with, reservation in promotions is not being given to government employees. The BJP government is snatching away the right of the poor to real employment by giving them government ration two times. From the stage, she also enumerated the work done by her government for the people of UP between 2007 and 2012. She alleged that Dalits and Muslims were being harassed not only in UP but in the entire country. She assured that if Dalits, Muslims, extremely backward and general category poor people give them an opportunity to form a government at the Centre, then no one will be given the right to harass them. Mayawati called for voting for BSP candidate Devvrat Tyagi and appealed to elect him and send as Lok Sabha MP from Meeruts Krantidhara. On the occasion, BSP candidate Devvrat Tyagi, former minister Haji Yakub Qureshi, Hafiz Imran honoured Mayawati by presenting her a gold crown. India and Oman on Tuesday expressed their commitment to enhancing mutual cooperation in addressing maritime challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security framework in the region. The fifth Annual High-Level Meeting between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard (ROPCG) took place today in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts to combat transnational illegal activities at sea and promote regional cooperation. The meeting follows the institutionalised mechanism as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ICG and ROPGG. Advertisement A delegation from the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard led by Colonel Abdul Aziz Mohammed Ali Al Jabri, Assistant Officer Commanding, ROPCG arrived in New Delhi on Monday to participate in the meeting. The discussions on the Indian side were led by ICG Director General Rakesh Pal. An ICG release said the meeting focused on bolstering bilateral engagements through capacity-building programme, implementation of Sea Rider programme, establishing professional linkages between pollution reporting centres and other collaborative arrangements. A meeting between the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard delegation and representatives from the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturer (SIDM) is also planned on 25 April to acquaint the Omanese side with Indias shipbuilding capabilities under Atmanirbhar Bharat. Amidst Chinas muscle-flexing on maritime issues, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday underlined the need for all nations to respect and facilitate freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce. The 1982 UN Convention on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS) provides a comprehensive legal framework and serves as the Constitution of the Seas within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out, he said in remarks at the 1st ASEAN Future Forum in Vietnam. The Indian minister said, upholding the UNCLOS is our common and collective endeavour, besides efforts towards mitigation, adaptation and response capacities to deal with the impact of climate change and disasters, and global challenges such as transnational crimes, terrorism, cyber attacks, human trafficking and health and food security. Advertisement Emphasising that ASEAN is at the heart of Indias Act East Policy and is a crucial pillar in Indias wider Indo-pacific vision, he said New Delhis supports ASEAN unity, centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific. India believes that a strong and unified ASEAN can play a constructive role in the emerging regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific. Synergy between Indias Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) that is reflected in our ASEAN-India Leaders Joint Statement provides a strong framework for cooperation, including in addressing challenges to comprehensive security, he said. Dr Jaishankar said the digital era and increasing use of artificial intelligence have resulted in a premium on trust and transparency issues affecting our concept of security. There is growing recognition globally that over-concentration of manufacturing and technology is creating both supply-side risks, as well as the possibility of leveraging vested interests by some in the wake of natural calamities. We all had experienced it during the Covid19 pandemic and all of us learned a powerful lesson. We must strive towards diverse, secure, transparent and resilient supply chains, he added. He also stated that Quad (India, Japan, Australia and the United States) leaders have been consistent in extending their unwavering support for ASEAN Centrality and Unity. We believe that Quad compliments the ASEAN and the ASEAN-led mechanisms in their effort to make the region prosperous through delivery of people-centric benefits such as Quad Infrastructure and STEM Scholarships, he added. He said India believes that the time has come for the Global South to present its perspective and assume a greater role in international affairs. Today, a multipolar Asia and a multipolar world are increasingly self-evident. This brings to the fore an ever important role of ASEAN and of India to deal with the realities of the emerging world order. It underlines the need for greater cooperation and coordination between India and the ASEAN, Dr Jaishankar added. The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition alleging that Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had filed false affidavits in his nomination form for contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram constituency and that no action has been taken by the election authorities on the complaint lodged in this regard. A Division Bench comprising Justice V G Arun and Justice S Manu refused to invoke the writ jurisdiction stating that once the nomination of a candidate is accepted by the Returning Officer (RO), the remedy for the aggrieved person is to file an election petition before the High Court, and not a PIL. We are of the opinion that whether the Returning Officer should have considered the complaint and passed a reasoned order cannot be considered at this stage. The remedy of the petitioners if they are aggrieved by the affidavit filed by a candidate is to file an election petition, the court said. Advertisement The court also noted that there is no legal provision mandating that the returning officer should give a reasoned explanation for his decision on a complaint regarding discrepancies in the election affidavit of a candidate. Congress leader Avani Bansal and Renjith Thomas in their petition alleged that Rajeev Chandrasekhar deliberately omitted his assets including his properties, luxury cars and private jets and also grossly undervalued his shares in various companies. The nomination submitted by the 4th respondent (Chandrasekhar) is in utter and repeated violation of the relevant provision of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950, the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, and as per the compendium given on the Election Commission of Indias website, the petition said In the petition, it is alleged that no action has been taken by the Election Officer and the Chief Electoral Officer even after prima facie evidence was given against Minister Rajeev Chandrasekar regarding the filing of a false affidavit along with the nomination paper. In their plea, the petitioners further say that the Returning Officer is duty-bound to give a speaking order against the complaint raised against Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar regarding the filing of the false affidavit. It was alleged that the status of the complaint on the website of the Election Commission of India merely shows admission without giving a written reasoned response to the complaint. The petitioners sought a direction to the Election Officer to pass a reasoned order on the complaint filed by the petitioners regarding the filing of the false affidavit by Minister Rajeev Chandrasekar. During the hearing of the case, Senior Advocate George Poonthottam, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the Returning Officer deliberately failed to consider the complaint on the day of scrutiny. The petitioner received a communication only yesterday, stating that the complaint has been forwarded to the Deputy Director of Income Tax for investigation, he said. The Standing Counsel for Election Commission submitted that once the nomination of a candidate is accepted by the Returning Officer, the remedy for the aggrieved person is to file an election petition before the High Court and not a PIL under Article 226 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of only working for two to three of his close friends in the last 10 years. Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, claimed that Modis top 22 rich friends hold wealth equal to 70 crore people of the country. In a post on X, the Congress president said, Under Modi government, the gap between rich and poor is at a 100 year high, even more than the British Raj. Advertisement Referring to the tenure of the ruling dispensation, he said, In last 10 years, Modi ji has worked only for 2-3 of his close friends. All national resources of the country have been sold to these super-rich crony capitalists, including airports, ports, coal mines, power plants, and PSUs, at throwaway prices. Modis top 22 rich friends hold wealth equal to 70 crore Indians. Talking about the farmers, Kharge said, In the first nine years of the Modi government, more than one lakh farmers committed suicide. Every single day, at an average, 30 farmers commit suicide. For the first time in independent India, taxes were imposed on farmers, the Congress chief said. It may be mentioned that Kharge had earlier alleged that the entire economic policy of the ruling dispensation favours crony capitalism. Death of Mafia don Mukhtar Ansari during judicial custody in Banda jail on March 28 and the allegations of his family that he was poisoned, seems to have gone on the back burner. The viscera report is complete and has been submitted to the judicial investigation team. According to sources here on Tuesday, poison has not been confirmed in the report. However, no official of the investigation team is ready to say anything in the matter. Advertisement Mukhtar Ansari, who was in the jail, died during treatment in the medical college late on the night of March 28 due to massive heart attack. Mukhtars family had alleged that he was being poisoned in the jail. The UP government had set up a judicial probe to look into these allegations. Although the postmortem report has confirmed the death of Mukhtar Ansari due to heart attack, still the viscera was sent to Lucknow for examination. After the viscera report, it has become almost clear that Mukhtar Ansari died due to heart attack. About 10 days ago, the judicial probe team visited the Medical College in the case. The team had also sought the bed head ticket (BHT) report of the mafias treatment from the college management, but 10 to 12 doctors who treated him are yet to be interrogated. Medical college officials say that the judicial team can take statements from the treating doctors whenever they want. The investigation team had also interrogated the jail staff and officials. A group of 400 devotees, along with 90 NRIs from 30 countries, paid obeisance to Ram Lalla at his Janmabhoomi temple and Hanumangarhi temple on Monday with a wish to see Narendra Modi as PM for a third time. Bhutans Speaker Vetsop Namgyel also visited the Ram temple the darshan (glimpse) of the deity. All the devotees from abroad were welcomed by Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai. Advertisement Earlier on Sunday, the devotees from overseas, including the 90 NRIs from 30 countries, arrived in Ayodhya. Those who arrived under the leadership of Dr. Vijay Jolly, head of the Delhi Study Group, participated in the Maha Aarti of the holy river Saryu late on Sunday evening. They were delighted to witness the grandeur of the Maha Aarti of Saryu. Dr. Vijay Jolly informed reporters that many countries of the world are associated with his organisation. Before the consecration of Ram Lalla, water from holy rivers of 156 countries was collected under the leadership of Dr. Jolly. This also included the waters from Pakistan and Babars birthplace. This water was ceremonially handed to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on April 23, 2023. The door frame and temple of Ramlala were anointed with this water. Dr. Jolly said after the construction of Ram temple, the way is now being paved for the establishment of Ramrajya. He collected the water of 156 countries of the world in one vessel and kept it safe for the life of Ramlala. Before the Pran Pratishtha in the month of December last year, this water was handed over to VHP patron board member Dinendra Chandra. It was used in the ritual of consecration of Ramlala. He said the faith of the NRIs from many countries of the world is linked to Ram Temple and Ayodhya. In such a situation, all these NRIs reached Ayodhya and decided to visit Ram temple. By having a darshan of Ram Lalla, a wish was made to make Narendra Modi the PM for the third time, he added. The Special Task Force (STF) wing of Odisha police made a seizure of brown sugar (heroin) valued at more than Rs one crore in the black market and arrested two drug peddlers from a highway side village in Angul district. The STF sleuths flanked by Angul Police conducted simultaneous raids on Monday morning and arrested two drug peddlers, including an interstate drug dealer. The STF said on Tuesday that the arrested drug peddlers Rakibul Sekh (43), native of Farakka in West Bengal, and Bijay Birbarma (26), resident of Trinath Colony under Talcher police station area, were nabbed following the raids. Advertisement Contraband brown sugar (heroin) weighing 1.120 kg and other incriminating materials were recovered and seized from their possession. The banned substances are valued at around Rs 1.12 crore in black market. They were later today remanded to judicial custody after the Additional District Judge-cum-Special Judge in Talcher dismissed their bail applications. Brown sugar is a local/crude version of heroin (chemical name Di-acetyl Morphine). In Odisha, brown sugar is generally trafficked from Murshidabad, Nadia and Burdwan districts of West Bengal via Midnapore and Jaleswar using road or rail routes. The Lalgola area of Murshidabad is considered to be a brown sugar production hub, STF informed in a statement. Unlike the ganja (which is voluminous and heavy and takes a lot of space for transportation), the trafficking of brown sugar is very easy because it is small in volume and weighs less. In addition, it does not have any specific smell like ganja, making the job of the law enforcement agencies difficult. A special drive against narcotic drugs is continuing and the STF has seized more than 76 kg of brown sugar/heroin and 202 grams of cocaine since 2020, the agency added. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will organize a national colloquium on Governance at the Grassroots after Three Decades of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment on April 24, 2024, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi to mark the National Panchayati Raj Day celebration. Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj and Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Shailesh Kumar Singh will inaugurate the national colloquium in the presence of Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj Dr Chandra Shekhar Kumar and other senior officials. The National Colloquium on Grassroots Governance aims to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, including officials from Central and State Governments, NIRD&PR, faculty members from SIRD&PRs, academicians, subject matter experts, representatives of UN Agencies, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). Advertisement Key topics of discussion will include the role of digital technology in transforming public service delivery, initiatives of MoPR aimed at transforming Panchayat Governance, and the convergence of digital governance initiatives of various Ministries/ Departments. The one-day Colloquium offers a unique platform to assess achievements, identify challenges, and explore opportunities for enhancing grassroots governance and public service delivery through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Discussions will focus on the evolution of principles of Good Governance in rural areas and pathways for strengthening PRIs as vehicles for effective public service delivery. The Ministry of Panchayati Rajs ongoing efforts towards digital empowerment form the foundation of its mission to realize the concept and vision of Smart Panchayats. Through robust e-governance initiatives, the Ministry is committed to enhancing transparency, efficiency, and peoples participation in grassroots governance. Training programs are also underway to ensure the meaningful implementation of digital strategies. The Ministry sensitizes and engages citizens in grassroots governance through partnerships with States/UTs. As a third tier of government and the primary interface between the union government and rural communities, Panchayats play a crucial role in promoting Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business in rural India. The Ministrys digital initiatives are instrumental in promoting self-reliance, creating sustainable livelihoods, supporting inclusive development and advancing Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) across Gram Panchayats nationwide. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj commemorates April 24 every year as National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) with profound zeal and fervour, marking the enactment of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on April 24, 1993. The National Colloquium on Grassroots Governance holds particular significance as it coincides with three decades of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act and two decades since the creation of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The ministry is dedicated to empowering grassroots governance and accelerating progress on LSDGs across rural India through innovative initiatives and digital interventions. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the people of the state will not accept the BJP. Speaking at the Meet the Leader programme organised by the Kannur Press Club on Tuesday, Vijayan said the voters of Kerala have repeatedly rejected the BJP, as they do not approve of its ideology. The people of Kerala did not accept the BJP yesterday. They will neither accept them today nor tomorrow, Pinarayi Vijayan said. Advertisement He said that Keralas rejection of the BJP has irked the BJP, which led the party to take an anti- Kerala approach. He said the past five years have been a period of neglect and discrimination by the Central government towards Kerala. Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed his dissatisfaction over the Election Commission of India (EC) not acting in a non-partisan manner over Prime Minister Narendra Modis alleged hate speech in Rajasthan. He said that it is unfortunate that the Election Commission (EC) was not acting in a non-partisan manner by taking immediate action in connection with Prime Minister Modis recent alleged remarks against Muslims. Pinarayi Vijayan claimed that such statements by the PM are helping to raise the anti-BJP sentiment in the country and the saffron party will face a backlash from the electorate. Criticizing the Congress for its handling of terrorist incidents, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated on Tuesday that during the Congress government, whenever a terrorist incident occurred, they would put oil in their ears and ignore it. They would merely say they were watching or would watch, while terrorists continued their activities, he added, while speaking at a public meeting in Hasanpur, Amroha in support of Kanwar Singh Tanwar. Advertisement Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated, The Samajwadi Party has crossed the limits of shamelessness. They had the audacity to withdraw cases against terrorists who attacked Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and the Sankat Mochan Temple in Kashi. However, the judiciary thwarted SPs intentions. He continued, The court sharply criticized the SP, warning that if they can withdraw cases against terrorists today, they might tomorrow shamelessly compromise the countrys security by awarding them the Padma Award. The judiciary will not permit such actions. CM Yogi said: Today is Hanuman Jayanti. Modi ji has facilitated the installation of Shri Rams idol, who is the idol of Lord Hanuman in Ayodhya. Therefore, Jo Ram ko laaye hain, hum unko layenge aur kamal khilayenge. CM Yogi remarked that prior to 2014, there were frequent terrorist incidents and bomb blasts, instilling fear among people. However, terrorism has been effectively curbed since 2014. By 2019, Modi ji took decisive action to revoke Article 370, which was the foundation of terrorism. This led to the eradication of terrorism from India. Now, even when a firecracker explodes, Pakistan promptly denies involvement. Even our adversaries recognize Indias strength. They understand that if terrorist incidents occur in India and innocent lives are lost, they will face consequences, he remarked. Asserting that the BJP prioritizes development, the CM stated, The distance from Amroha to Delhi is just 165 km. Before 2014, it took five hours to travel this distance. Congress failed to appreciate the importance of convenience and time. We are linking Amroha with the Ganga Expressway. Now, one can reach Delhi in just one and a half hours, Lucknow in four hours, and Prayagraj in six hours. In a jibe at the Congress, CM Yogi remarked that the party had coined the slogan Gareebi Hatao in 1970. He added, Instead of alleviating poverty, one family gained unfettered access to plunder the nations resources, whether it was the family in Delhi or in Saifai. They indulged in rampant corruption and instigated chaos. Yogi added, The then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, had asserted that Muslims have the first right to the countrys resources. So, where does that leave the Dalits, Backward Classes, Kharagvanshis, Semis, poor, farmers, mothers, sisters, and youth? The CM accused the Congress and I.N.D.I.A. bloc members of betraying the country by presenting a deceitful manifesto. He stated that their promise to implement strict laws if elected, is misleading. He emphasized that India will be governed by the Constitution crafted by Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and not by any arbitrary law. He went on to say, They claim they will seize public property and then distribute it. Do you want to let the SP and Congress plunder the assets your ancestors worked hard to acquire? Look at the audacity of these people. On one hand, they have their eyes on your property, and on the other, they are reading Fatiha on the graves of mafias and criminals. The Chief Minister stated that he had campaigned for Mahendra Kharagvanshi in both 2017 and 2022. He is consistently advancing development initiatives. Mahendra Kharagvanshi, along with Kanwar Singh Tanwar, has been tirelessly working towards fulfilling the vision once cherished by Kalyan Singh. In line with Kalyan Singhs sentiments, the Ram temple was constructed in Ayodhya. However, when Kalyan Singh passed away, not a single member from the SP attended. These people have insulted Kalyan Singh, CM Yogi asserted. The Chief Minister emphasized that the schemes of the Modi government are now benefiting the poor and the underprivileged, regardless of their caste. In the 10 years of Modi jis rule, many works of development and poor welfare have been done. Considering that Congress held power for 65 years, SP had four terms in government, and BSP also had its chance, one must ask, what did they truly accomplish, she said. Their priorities appeared to center more around self-enrichment through corruption rather than addressing the needs of the impoverished. There was a lack of genuine concern for the poor. Indira Gandhi had given the slogan Gareebi Hatao, even the grandson is repeating the same thing like a parrot. The Chief Minister underscored the pivotal role of voting, warning against the consequences of entrusting power to the wrong hands, which could potentially fuel terrorism. Conversely, endorsing the BJP ensures a staunch approach to quelling terrorism emanating from across the border, he remarked, Today, Pakistan acknowledges Indias targeted elimination of terrorists. The CM said, Last time, there was a betrayal. The MP you elected doesnt even utter Bharat Maa ki Jai. Initially supported by the elephant, (BSP), he exploited all available resources and now seeks to exploit them with the support of hand (Congress). Its crucial not to vote for someone who doesnt honor our nation. This nation and its destiny are in your hands. Modis leadership is once again essential for our security, prosperity, and to elevate India as a global powerhouse. Those advocating for Indias progress and prosperity stand in support of PM Modi. Meanwhile, Yogi Adityanath, visited the residence of late BJP candidate Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar Singh in Moradabad on Tuesday to offer his condolences to the bereaved family members. Paying homage to Singh, Adityanath placed flowers upon his portrait and consoled the family members. Kunwar Sarvesh Singh, BJPs contender for the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat, breathed his last at AIIMS on Saturday at 71. The electoral contest for this constituency had drawn to a close on Friday, April 19, marking the culmination of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. A seasoned politician, Singh had represented the Thakurdwara constituency in Moradabad as MLA for four consecutive terms. Additionally, he clinched the MP seat for Moradabad under the BJP banner in 2014. Despite his setback in 2019, the BJP reaffirmed its trust in Singhs candidacy by again nominating him for the Lok Sabha ticket. In the face of geopolitical turmoil and escalating threats, the passage of a $95 billion aid package by the US House of Representatives stands as a beacon of hope and solidarity for the countrys allies in distress. With Ukraine teetering on the brink of a perilous military imbalance and Israel grappling with regional tensions, this comprehensive aid initiative represents a critical lifeline in a sea of uncertainty. At the heart of this legislative triumph lies a tale of bipartisan cooperation and decisive leadership. Despite the challenges posed by internal divisions and political brinkmanship, lawmakers united in a shared commitment to safeguarding global security and upholding democratic values. In a display of adept stewardship, the Republican speaker of the House, faced with daunting odds and internal dissent, rose to the occasion, guiding the aid package through the tumultuous waters of congressional debate. Central to this landmark legislation is its multifaceted approach to addressing the diverse needs of key allies. With Ukraine facing an existential threat from Russian aggression, the allocation of $61 billion in aid represents a strategic investment in bolstering its defense capabilities and fortifying its resilience against external pressures. From replenishing ammunition supplies to procuring advanced weapons systems, the aid package promises to provide tangible support to Ukrainian forces in their struggle with Russia. Equally significant is the provision of $26 billion in support for Israel, a steadfast ally in a volatile region plagued by conflict and instability. Advertisement As tensions simmer on multiple fronts, from Gaza to the Golan Heights, the replenishment of missile defense systems and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza signal a firm commitment to Israels security and well-being. Amidst the complexities of the Israel-Hamas conflict, this aid package offers a glimmer of hope to Tel Aviv. Beyond the immediate imperatives of crisis response, the aid package underscores a broader commitment to advancing US strategic interests and countering emerging threats. With a dedicated focus on the Indo-Pacific region, including provisions for submarine infrastructure and support for regional allies such as Taiwan, the legislation reflects a nuanced understanding of the evolving dynamics of great power competition. By bolstering regional deterrence capabilities and fostering closer partnerships, the United States seeks to maintain a position of strength and influence in an increasingly contested strategic environment. As the aid package moves forward for Senate approval and eventual enactment, its passage heralds a new chapter in US foreign policy ~ one defined by proactive engagement, determined leadership, and a commitment to the defence of allies. In an era of geopolitical flux and uncertainty, the unity of purpose demonstrated in an election year by lawmakers sends a powerful message of resolve and solidarity to allies and adversaries alike. With the stakes higher than ever and the challenges mounting, the passage of this aid package serves as a testament to the strength and resilience of strategic alliances. The recent assembly of naval officials from around the globe in Chinas Qingdao, hosted by the Chinese Navy, is an emblematic event that reveals the intricacies of diplomacy and power in the contested waters of the South China Sea. This symposium, held amid growing military tensions and strategic manoeuvres, is both a platform for dialogue and a tableau of the broader geopolitical challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region. The timing of this gathering is particularly significant. As tensions simmer over territorial claims and maritime rights in the South China Sea, the world watches how major powers, especially China and the United States, navigate these troubled waters. The inclusion of discussions on the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea ~ an agreement designed to prevent maritime incidents ~ is a nod to the necessity of maintaining communication and protocols to avoid escalation. Yet, such measures seem almost quaint against the backdrop of advancing military technologies, such as drones, which are not yet adequately covered by existing agreements. Moreover, the concurrent USPhilippines military drills, which for the first time extend beyond Philippine territorial waters, underscore a shift toward more robust military postures in the region. These exercises, expanding in scope and scale, signal a clear message about the US commitment to its allies and its readiness to counter perceived threats. This escalation of military preparedness reflects a broader trend of nations in the region bolstering their defences in response to perceived encroachments and hostilities, particularly from China. Chinas ambitions to build a world-class military by 2027 and to potentially field the worlds largest ocean-going fleet by 2035 are pivotal elements in this geopolitical puzzle. Advertisement Such ambitions are not merely about enhancing national pride or securing maritime routes but are integral to Beijings vision of its role on the world stage. As China continues to assert its claims, not only in the South China Sea but also in its rivalry with Japan in the East China Sea, the implications for regional stability are profound. The presence of officials from countries like Japan, Australia, and India, all of whom have vested interests and on-going disputes with China, adds layers of complexity to the dialogue in Qingdao. These countries, while seeking to mitigate risks of open conflict, also need to assert their own strategic interests and sovereignty claims. What becomes clear from this symposium is that while diplomatic engagements such as these are crucial, they are not panaceas. The deep-seated mistrust and strategic competition that define current relations, particularly between China and its neighbours, as well as between China and the United States, will not be easily alleviated by discussions alone. As such, while we should welcome efforts to foster dialogue and cooperation, we must also be realistic about the limitations of these gatherings. True progress in regional security will require not just agreements on paper but also a fundamental respect for international norms. There is a raging memefest in the Arab world about the Jordanian King Abdullah II. One of the most caustic meme images is of the Arab King wearing an Israeli Military uniform. It is particularly damaging for the Hashemite King Abdullah, who is considered the 41st direct descendant of the Holy Prophet. But King Abdullahs recent and unprecedented act of authorizing the shooting down of Iranian drones that were targeting Israel has puzzled, shocked, and riled average emotions on the Arab street. As it is, most Arabs had been disillusioned at the meek, platitudinous and pusillanimous reaction of their leaders as Israel has gone about pulverizing the Gaza Strip (killing over 30,000 Palestinians) ~ but for a Arab leader to shoot down Iranian missiles that were aimed at Israel (not even at Jordan) tantamount to defending Israel, even as Tel Aviv has been relentless with its attacks on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Arab monarchies have been widely discredited and are unpopular with their own masses for their excesses, illiberality, and duplicitous anchorages. In 2021, the infamous Pandora Papers revealed a disturbing amount of the Jordanian Kings stashed wealth through offshore entities and dodgy Swiss accounts, but as always, the news led to a combination of suppression, deflection and contextualisation to remain unanswerable. However, this recent act of being seen to be aiding Israel (at the cost of fellow-Arab Palestinian interests) is bound to worsen perceptions about the Jordanian Royal Family even further. The Jordanian citizenry is smarting under the latest betrayal of its leader while commenting, for example, Jordan following the money as usual. Advertisement Even though the Iranians are not particularly popular, shooting down Iranian drones to help Israel is altogether different. The Jordanians have had a complicated and inconsistent history with all three principal parties in the recent conflict i.e., Iranians, Palestinians, and Israelis. Almost always, the Jordanians have seemingly forsaken morality, commitments and even purported official positions at the altar of short-term gratification, unsavoury side-deals, and regime-protection instincts. Even though Jordan had fought four wars with Israel (all ostensibly for Palestine) in its short history, it had also signed the peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and was amongst the first Arab countries to open reciprocal embassies. However even prior to the official normalisation, clandestine backchannels between Amman and Tel Aviv were thriving. Historically, many Arabs have dissed the dubious commitment of Jordanians towards Palestinians after Jordan annexed the West Bank and East Jerusalem (Old City) in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War only to lose these areas in the 1967 SixDay War. More importantly, the Jordanians had done precious little to create the Palestinian state when they had occupied the old Palestinian swathes, other than annexing the same, and then humiliatingly losing them in another 18 years or so. If the Israelis denied the Palestine state with forced occupation since 1948, the Jordanians in the interim till 1967 did no better. More importantly, even though there are an estimated three million Palestinians out of a total population of 12 million in Jordan, the relations internally are testy. The fact that King Abdullahs wife, Queen Rania, is also a Palestinian does not help fray nerves within. But perhaps the most wounded emotion (till the recent support to Israel) was the unforgettable memory of Black September 1970-71. Then Jordanian King Hussein (the current Kings father) had responded to louds calls by Palestinians to overthrow the Hashemite monarchy with brutal counter attacks to drive out Palestinian fedayeens (and an estimated 5000 were killed). King Hussein had stated that the Palestinians in Jordan had become the foremost security risk. The memories of the assassination of his grandfather, King Abdullah I, at the hands of a disgruntled Palestinian in 1951 would certainly have played a role. Years later, when Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 ~ many Palestinians perceived it to be a sell-out, and more recently with the virtual impracticality of a two-state solution, the Jordanians did not want the Palestinians predicament to be at their expense. Beyond all posturing and purported concern for the Palestinians, the Jordanians have had the most accommodative, thawing, and non-confrontationist equation with the Israelis in the last three-four decades. With the invisible but sure hand of their mutual ally i.e., USA (also the strongest ally for both countries), the publicly posited differences against Israel are quietly handled away from the media glare. The fact that Jordan was amongst the foremost Arab nations to join the War on Terror and subsequently in taking on the religious extremist organisations like Al Qaida, ISIL and other offshoots adds a lot more commonality between Amman and Tel Aviv. Relations between Jordan and Iran are given to natural sectarian differences (SunniShia respectively) and post the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Jordan supported Saddam Hussein in the decade long Iran-Iraq War. Later Iran despised Jordan for its proximity to its staunch enemies like the US and Saudi Arabia, and the fact that Jordan had normalised relations with Israel. Later Jordan was pitted on the exact opposite side to Tehran in the Syrian Civil War where Iran was supporting co-sectarian Bassad-al-Assads Syrian forces. In 2004, King Abdullah coined the term Shia Crescent (with the crescent shape landscape beginning in Iran, moving to Iraq, and thence to Syria and Lebanon). It envisaged a post-Saddam Iraq now controlled by Shiite powers, running up Syrian swathes controlled by Alawite (Shia-offshoot) Bassad-al-Assads forces and completion of the dreaded arc with Shia Hezbollah ruling the roost in Lebanon. Clearly, King Hussein spewed more venom and concern at Iran then he did practically against Israel. In a way, the Jordanian King Abdullahs action of downing Iranian drones only confirmed the worst kept secret in the region where Arabs have had more fear of the Iranians then they did of the Israelis, the actual oppressors of Palestinians. The tight rope could also be owing to the cash-strapped situation in Jordan which survives on a $1.5 billion annual US aid package. It will be mindful of the danger of the same getting withdrawn should it adopt a belligerent stand against Israel. So, while a balancing act of keeping the US and the Israelis on the right side is understandable given their socio-economic and monarchical predicament, to shoot down Iranian drones that were targeting Israel is simply another level of brazen obsequiousness. The worms are coming out of the woodwork. The hypocrisy of the Arabs in general and of Jordanians in particular towards (The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry the Palestinian cause is getting exposed.) The West is teetering on the brink of a direct military clash between nuclear powers with its support for Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Such a tendency is fraught with catastrophic consequences and indicates serious strategic risks, Lavrov added on Monday during a video message to a conference on nuclear non-proliferation in Moscow. He noted that the world is now experiencing a crisis in arms control, disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, Xinhua news agency reported. Advertisement Lavrov called for joint efforts to build a renewed international security architecture based on the principles of multilateralism, equality and indivisibility. The Foreign Minister said Russia is ready to discuss ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty as soon as the US does the same. Russia revoked ratification of the treaty in November last year. Signed in 1996, the treaty is a multilateral agreement that bans all nuclear explosion tests conducted for peaceful or military purposes. Russia ratified the treaty in 2000, while the US has yet to ratify it. There are evenings when Gajraj Choudhary, 48, is quite a dejected man. These are evenings when Gajraj hasnt been able to find any manual labour job to do throughout the day and thus he has nothing to take home to feed his three motherless children. Also, these are the evenings that Gajrajs feet automatically turn to Nadra Bus Stand in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Here, in front of a modest kiosk selling special namak wali chay (salted tea) of Bhopal, stands a modest metal table. On the table are packets of hot food. And most of the time, Gajraj can simply pick up packets as required and walk off, without having to ask or say anything. Of course, he doesnt have to pay anything either. For, the small table serves as the serving tray of the Langar-e-Aam of Maqbool Bhai a small free food initiative for the needy that has been run for the past decade. Maqbool Bhai is Maqbool Ahamed, the owner of the tea kiosk, who without fail puts up about 100-125 packets of hot food before his stall every evening at 8.00 pm. From then till midnight, poor, destitute, travellers with little or no money and other needy people pick up the food packets and go away with a smile and a blessing for Ahamed. I lost my son, lost interest in life, developed an infection in my foot, stopped working and have no choice but to stay on the footpath here. But for food provided by Maqbool Bhai, survival would have been tough as I dont beg, Jaswant Lodhi, 40, who is a regular at the Langar-e-Aam says. Binno Bai and Tara Bai, two elderly destitute women were offered the food packets by Ahamed with great respect and affection. The women were reluctant to speak, but their smiles said a lot about their happiness at getting the fresh, hot food. What made Ahamed start this small but significant initiative? From my tea kiosk set up in 1990, I was witness to travails of the homeless, destitute, poor who stayed or visited the bus stand. I saw people fall ill and die, often starved. This shook me up and though I did not have much budget to spare, I decided to start this Langar (community kitchen) for these needy people in 2013. And by the grace of almighty, I have been able to put out the food everyday for the past more than 10 years. I feel that offering needy people the opportunity to survive with some dignity where they do not have to beg at least for food is the best service to humanity one can do, Ahamed, 58, says. He mentions that though he never sought any support for his initiative from anyone, some of his friends and associates who came to know about it, voluntarily contributed in the form of raw material rice, flour, vegetables or oil. Some continue to do so even now. There was a time before the COVID-19 pandemic when every evening almost 300-350 persons would come for food. After the pandemic, however, the number has reduced to around 100-125, Ahamed says. Yet, he bears a cost of about Rs 1,000 per day to keep his modest initiative going. Normally, the Langar-e-Aam serves chapatis and seasonal vegetable curry thrice a week and on other days, items like daal and rice, matar (peas) pulao, sometimes khichdi (porridge) or similar simple vegetarian stuff. Maqbool Ahamed of Langar-e-Aam Bhopal handing over food to needy | Narendra Sahu The main focus is that the food should be fresh and hot. So during winters, packets are put up in batches so that food can be heated up for those coming later. This correspondent tasted a little of chapati and potato-brinjal-tomato curry served on the evening of her visit and found it very tasty. Earlier in the evening, Devendra Singh, a conductor on an inter-district bus running from the Nadra Bus Stand, had escorted two poor families who had come to look for work in Bhopal to the Langar-e-Aam. I heard their discussion on the bus about having no money to buy dinner for all of them. Since I am a regular at the bus stand, I remembered about Maqbool Bhai and when the bus reached here, I asked these persons to get the free food from the Langar. I too got blessings along with Maqbool Bhai, Singh says with a smile. These blessings are what have kept Ahameds resolve strong for the past decade. I have faced some opposition from a few jealous people around my kiosk. They try to create hurdles. But as Hazrat Ali (Islamic religious leader) said the work that does not face hurdles does not get accepted as good work. So I live by this principle and keep doing my work. Will the initiative keep running? Till my death at least, says Ahamed. He says that all his three children two daughters and a son have completed their education and are doing good jobs in Bengaluru. My wife and the kids always supported me in this work and they will continue to support me, though they might not be able to continue the Langar physically after me. Maybe my brothers could carry on. But at least till I am alive, I will continue with this, he says. I feel it is almighty who helps me on my tough days through Maqbool Bhai. So I do not thank him. I thank the almighty and I urge the almighty to keep Maqbool Bhai and his family happy and healthy always, Gajraj Choudhary says as he starts to move away with the food packets. Maqbool Ahamed smiles and nods his eyes silently speaking of the satisfaction he gets out of helping out fellow human beings. There is an Aesops fable about Androcles and the lion. In this story, Androcles, after escaping enslavement, comes across a lion with a thorn stuck in its paw. Androcles remove the thorn and relieve the lion from great pain. Later, both are captured and Androcles is sentenced to be thrown to the lions. As it happens, he is imprisoned with the lion he saved, who merely licks his hand in greeting. The moral of the story: Gratitude saves lives. Abhinav Malhotra, 37, who founded the happiness brigade or Rab Shukran in 2019, would know this first-hand. He and his team hand out gratitude cards and flowers to those whose work goes unseen and unappreciated. We talk about the mental health of corporates and others in high positions, he says. But what about the ambulance drivers, traffic policemen, rickshaw drivers. Nobody is talking about their mental health. They are the ones who are the backbone of society; they make everything work. And what are we really doing for them, he asks. Rab Shukran means Gods thank you, and Abhinav, based in Delhi, came up with the name because he believes that you dont need to go to temples or churches to find God. He is right there in the form of the person who is standing before you. If you help that person, you find God. It all began three years after Abhinav graduated from college when he lost his father. While sitting by his sick fathers hospital bed for 12 days he prayed hard that God would heal him. When he did not get better, Abhinav gave up religion and grew angry and frustrated with life. Which then settled into a dark period of grief. Although we loved each other, we never used to express it much, he says. There were a few occasions when my father shared his worries and struggles with us. Now when I look back, I wish I had offered him a hug. He would have accepted it. That has always been a regret. That is when it struck him how uncertain life was. His father, who worked in the textile industry, had always worked hard to provide for his family and educate Abhinav and his elder sister. He gave up many privileges and luxuries in life, and spent long hours in the office. When he lost him, Abhinav realised that none of us would know what was going to happen in our lives the next day or the day after that. He decided he would make the most of each day, contribute something to society, and live in the present moment. Abhinav Malhotra along with volunteer Lokesh handed out gratitude card to a rickshaw puller and son. He works 12 hours a day to fund his son's education. Around this time, he also discovered Buddhism, when his friend took him to a Buddhist meeting. It helped him answer some of the questions which he had been grappling with. His Buddhist mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, taught him how peace could not be attained by participating in long discussions or joining the UN. It starts from where you are. Whatever peace you have attained in your own life, you can bring it to someone else as well. That was the core thought behind Rab Shukran. That time, there was a lot of news in the media on intolerance and petty fights and murders over things as small as a pack of cigarettes. Abhinav brainstormed with his friends on what they could do, and came up with the idea of gratitude cards. So, one Sunday morning, they made and distributed the cards with personalised messages. For a traffic policeman, for example, they would have a message about how they were thankful to him for standing in the scorching heat or rain and directing traffic, which, they wrote, had not gone unnoticed. These would be the thoughts going through the policemans own mind, that he was standing there without even a washroom break, and what thanks was he getting from the people, who were more likely to abuse him than show gratitude, says Abhinav. Rab Shukran today includes hundreds of volunteers and has distributed over 15,000 cards. They are mostly self-funded, and other than distributing cards and flowers, they hold workshops and make kindness calendars, where they allot days to smile at strangers or take out a slum kid. During the pandemic, they connected those who needed money for ration with those who were willing to provide it, through services like Grofers. There are many instances Abhinav can recall when the cards made a difference in someones life. He remembers once handing cards to BSF soldiers standing outside PM Narendra Modis house. After half an hour, one of them called Abhinav to thank him. He was in tears and told him how he had been posted in different places in his career, and although he was proud of his job, no one before this had appreciated the sacrifices he made or the long stretches of time he had to go without seeing his family. There are few times when people even look at us, the soldier told him. We see hundreds of cars passing us, and no one even smiles at us. What you did had a huge impact on me. Seeing these men in their 50s crying and thanking us made a big impression on me, says Abhinav. When I was young, I was bullied and slapped. Children used to make fun of my clothes and my haircuts. I was never able to express what I was feeling to anyone. Nobody ever came to me to ask how I was doing or whether there was anything that troubled me. And now he hopes to do for others what he wishes someone had done for him. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated a probe into reports on allegedly high level of sugar in Nestle's baby food product Cerelac, according to a report. This comes after the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs asked the food regulator operating under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to take "appropriate action" against Nestle. In a letter to FSSAI CEO G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare asked the food regulator to "initiate an appropriate action into the practices of Nestle Company regarding the composition of Nestle Cerelac baby cereals sold in India. The Central Consumer Protection Authority and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had also directed FSSAI to conduct a probe. FSSAI's scientific committee is assessing potential violation of regulations by Nestle and other brands selling baby food and infant formula milk, following which the regulator will decide on further action, reported CNBC-TV18, citing sources. In a separate development, FSSAI on Monday started collecting samples of spice powder products from all brands after certain masala products sold by MDH and Everest were recalled by food regulators in Singapore and Hong Kong over pesticide content. These include Everest Fish Curry Masala and MDH products like Madras Curry Powder, Mixed Masala Powder and Sambhar Masala Powder. The action by foreign regulators came after they allegedly found presence of ethylene oxide beyond permissible limits. Ethylene oxide is used to fumigate agricultural products to prevent microbial contamination. Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, while opening up about his intermittent fasting routine in a interview, explained why he invested in specialty coffee startup Subko Coffee Roasters. Talking to Livemint, Kamath said he begins his day with a cup of coffee at 9am when the pre-market session begins. He pushes the day without food till 2pm, except for a second coffee at 12pm to "suppress his appetite". The Zerodha CFO said that intermittent fasting was one of the main reasons he invested in Subko Coffee, a Mumbai-based specialty coffee roaster and craft bakehouse, which he said "tastes better than Starbucks". I used to order chocolates from so many different brands but their [Subko] chocolates, they have something which is like almond covered with podi powder (spicy powder)... stuff like that even the quality of their coffee. They were kind enough to give me a Subko machine at home. It does taste better than Starbucks, he told the outlet. Coffee should not taste like the standard thing where coffee everywhere is the same. Subko has taste, and a lot of other Indian brands as well, Kamath added. Subko Coffee's funding round in March raised $10 million, raising the company's valuation to $34 million. Interstingly, Kamath has also invested in Subko's competitor Third Wave Coffee, a Bengaluru-based coffee quick-service restaurant. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Tuesday, took on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party the TMC, saying her government is silent on issues of corruption and infiltration, and announced the number of seats the BJP would win in the state. Addressing a rally at Karandighi in Raiganj constituency, Shah said the BJP has set a target of winning as many as 35 seats from West Bengal. "You gave us 18 seats the last time. Modiji gave Ram Mandir. Give us 35 seats, and we will stop infiltration," he assured. Taking on the Mamata-led government in the state on the issue of corruption, he said, "The Calcutta High Court yesterday gave a judgment cancelling thousands of appointments (made through the 2016 teacher recruitment test). It is a matter of shame that jobs were sold for lakhs of rupees. This cut-money culture and corruption must end in West Bengal. The TMC can never stop it, only the BJP can stop it." Slamming the Congress over remarks by its leaders that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be repealed if they are voted to power, Shah said, "Neither Congress nor Mamata Banerjee can dare to touch the CAA." He claimed that the Congress and Banerjee are against the CAA as they want to help the infiltrators. "They are opposing the law since it will help Hindu refugees get citizenship," he claimed. The home minister alleged that Banerjee does not let the Centre government schemes reach people as she is afraid that if these schemes reach people, they will support Modi. He promised to end infiltration and rid Bengal of violence. "If you want to free Bengal of violence, stop infiltration, give citizenship to refugees, stop the disrespect of our mothers and sisters as it happened in Sandeshkhali, there is only one way, make Modi the prime minister." The BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal in 2019 polls, while TMC won 22. Australian journalist Avani Dias's claim that she was not allowed to stay in India to cover the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the country was called "misleading" by the government officials. Dias on Tuesday alleged that she was denied an extension of her visa by the Indian government as her report "crossed a line". She left India on April 19, the Phase 1 polling day in the country. However, the official sources said that the South Asia correspondent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was found to have violated visa rules while undertaking her professional pursuits. According to officials, her previous visa was valid till April 20. On her request, she was assured that her visa would be extended for the coverage of general elections, they added. "The contention of Avani Dias, the South Asia Correspondent of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), that she was not allowed to cover elections and was compelled to leave the country is not correct, misleading and mischievous," a source was quoted by PTI. Dias had requested to extend the visa till June-end. However, she chose to leave India even as her extension of visa stood approved, said the officials. Coverage of election activities outside of booths is permitted to all Journalist Visa holders, they added. "Authority letters are required only for access to polling booths and counting stations. This, however, cannot be processed while the visa extension is under process," the source said. Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting "crossed a line". After Australian Government intervention, I got a mere two-month extension ...less than 24 hours before my flight. 1/2 Avani Dias (@AvaniDias) April 22, 2024 Meanwhile, Dias said that the decision to allow an extension was made after the Australian government's intervention, but the Indian government would only give her another two months in the country. She also alleged that the visa came through less than 24 hours before she was scheduled to leave. Dias in her podcast 'Looking For Modi' said that the Indian government's move was because of her documentary on the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, which sparked a diplomatic row between the two nations. "The Narendra Modi government has made me feel so uncomfortable that we decided to leave, " she said in her podcast. The controversy triggered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rajasthan speech, wherein he alleged the Congress planned to give people's hard-earned money and valuables to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children", continues with INDIA bloc leaders slamming the Prime Minister for his remark. In an election rally held on Sunday, Modi slammed the Congress manifesto while raking up former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech. "When they (Congress) were in government, they said that Muslims have the first right over India's resources. So, they will distribute this wealth (property and gold) among those having more children, among illegal immigrants...this Urban Naxal thinking won't even spare your Mangalsutra," the PM said. To this, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said Modi's tactic has always been to divide. "This has always been his (PM Modi) tactic to divide. How to take the country forward is important. Leaving this aside, he is talking about Hindu-Muslim, Scheduled Caste, and Other Backward Caste. He is doing all this for votes, not for the benefit of the country," said Kharge. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too hit out at the BJP for their "lies" stating speaking wrong things about a particular community by naming it is an insult to that community spread across the world". He said, "This is a very objectionable statement which cannot be forgiven." In a post in Hindi on X, Yadav said, "Saying wrong things about a particular community by naming it is an insult to that community spread across the world. At the international level, this has hurt the secular and democratic identity of the country. The CPI(M) too has filed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks in Rajasthan. In a statement, the CPI(M) said party leaders Brinda Karat and Pushpinder Singh Grewal approached the Mandir Marg SHO to lodge a complaint against Modi. "Since the Mandir Marg police station refused to accept the complaint, it has been sent to the commissioner of police, Delhi," the party said. National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah also said attempts were being made to divide the country along communal lines and the INDIA bloc is fighting against those trying to spread hatred and fear. "The country is being told that Hindus are in danger," he said, apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "redistribution of wealth" attack against the Congress. "Attempts are being made to create tension... Hindus constitute 80 per cent of the population, while the Muslims constitute about 14 per cent. How can 14 per cent of the population be a danger to the 80 per cent," Abdullah asked, addressing an election rally in Shopian. DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin too hit out at the PM stating Modi has resorted to hate speech to avoid imminent defeat. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's toxic speech is vile and highly deplorable. Fearing public anger against his failures, Modi has attempted to whip up religious sentiments and resorted to hate speech to avoid what seems to be an imminent defeat. Hate and discrimination are the real guarantees of Modi," Stalin said in a post on X. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar lashed out at the Prime Minister, comparing him to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said former prime ministers worked to make a new India but PM Narendra Modi only criticises others and doesn't speak about what his government had done for the people in the last ten years. "After Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, I saw the working of almost all PMs ranging from Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Narasimha Rao to Manmohan Singh. Their efforts were to make a new India, but the incumbent PM only criticises," Pawar said. He said that no one in history can forget the contribution of former PM Jawaharlal Nehru but the prime minister (Modi) continuously criticises him. "Instead of telling what the Central government did in the last ten years, he (Modi) keeps criticising others. We fear that a new Putin is in the making in India", he said. Reacting to the Congress's claim that the Constitution was "forced" on Goa citizens after its liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the party of "insulting" B.R. Ambedkar's Constitution. Congress's South Goa candidate Viriato Fernandes on Tuesday raked up a controversy by saying that the Indian Constitution was "forced" on Goa after its liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961. While addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh, Modi said that Congress is attempting to break the country. "The Congress party has been indulging in appeasement since day one after independence," he said. "Congress is not able to digest the participation of Dalits, Adivasis, and backward classes in power...Earlier a Congress MP from Karnataka said south India should be declared a separate country, now a Congress candidate from Goa said the Indian Constitution is not applicable in GoaHe is saying the Constitution was forced on GoaIsn't this an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar? Isn't this an insult to the Constitution?" asked Modi. Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, Modi said that the Congress candidate made this statement publicly which meant he had the support of his leader. "It's a ploy to break the country. A huge part of the country has rejected Congress, and therefore the party wants to create such small islands...Congress today rejected the Constitution in Goa, and tomorrow it would do the same in the entire country," he added. While referring to a conversation with Rahul Gandhi in 2019, Fernandes said that, "We raised 12 demands before Gandhi and one of them was about dual citizenship". "I explained to him that the Indian Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950. When Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961...We were not included in it," said Fernandes while addressing an election rally in South Goa. Capping a decade-long legal battle, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed the petition challenging the position of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the religious head of the Dawoodi Bohra community. The plea was filed by Syedna's nephew Taher Fakhruddin. Justice GS Patel pronounced the judgment today, dismissing Fakhruddin's suit, according to Live Law. The High Court had reserved the order on April 5, 2023, after a legal battle spanning nine years. The final hearing began in November 2022 and concluded in April 2023. Justice Patel, while dismissing the suit, said, "I don't want any upheavals. I have kept the judgment as neutral as possible. I have only decided on the issue of proof and not faith." Mufaddal Saifuddin became the 'Dai-al-Mutlaq' or the 53rd spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, a sect within the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam, after the death of his father Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin in 2014. However, Syedna Burhanuddin's half-brother Khuzaima Qutbuddin challenged Mufaddal Saifuddin's succession as the Syedna, claiming the deceased leader had secretly conferred 'nass,' the official declaration of succession, upon him in 1965. As per his plea, Mufaddal Saifuddin took over as the Syedna in a fraudulent manner. A "nass" can be conferred upon any deserving member of the community and not necessarily a family member of current Dai, although the latter is often the practice. According to Qutbuddin's petition, the late Syedna had asked him to keep the nass a secret and he abided by the oath of secrecy given to him by the 52nd head till his death. The petitioner also accused the current Syedna of fraud and sought entry to Saifi Manzil, the house of the Syedna in Mumbai. Syedna Saifuddin opposed the suit, claiming the nass of 1965 lacked witnesses and could not be accepted. He claimed that as per the established and prevalent doctrines of the Dawoodi Bohra faith, nass could be changed and revoked. As per Syedna's claims, on June 4, 2011, the 52nd Dai conferred nass on Syedna Saifuddin in the presence of witnesses at the Bupa Cromwell Hospital in London, where he was admitted after suffering a stroke. During the heard, the court considered five issues, including the maintainability of the suit, requirements of a valid 'nass', whether a valid 'nass' was conferred on original plaintiff Qutbuddin and subsequently his son Fakhruddin, whether a 'nass' can be revoked or changed, and whether a valid 'nass' was conferred on defendant Saifuddin. Advocate Anand Desai for Fakhruddin contended that 'nass' once conferred is permanent and cannot be changed. However, Saifuddin's advocate Janak Dwarkadas argued that 'nass' could be changed, and even if a 'nass' had been conferred on Qutbuddin, only the last 'nass' would be valid which was conferred on Saifuddin. The Dawoodi Bohra community expressed gratification for the verdict. A statement issued by the community hailed the judgement, calliing it a historic and defining moment for the community. "The judgement, which after having carefully considered the evidence led and the elaborate arguments advanced by both the parties, has conclusively held that the 52nd al-Dai al-Mutlaq His Holiness Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin had appointed his son, His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as his successor and the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community. The rather unfortunate challenge to Syedna Saifuddins appointment and the various falsehoods that it was based on has been conclusively dealt with in the said judgement and the claims of Khuzema Qutbuddin, the Original Plaintiff and his son Taher Qutbuddin, the current Plaintiff, have been comprehensively rejected. The judgement has firmly dealt with and dismissed the misinterpretation and misleading portrayal by the Plaintiffs of the facts and the religious doctrines of the Dawoodi Bohra faith," the statement read. Amid row over 'Muslims' remark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out against Congress in Rajasthan that he had put the truth out before the country and reiterated that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch "your property and distribute it to its special people". While addressing a rally in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, PM Modi said that his speech had created panic among the INDIA bloc and the entire Congress. "When I came to Rajasthan the day before yesterday, I had presented some truths before the country in my 90-second speech. This has created panic in the entire Congress and INDI alliance. I had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people. I exposed their vote bank and appeasement politics. After all, why is Congress so afraid of the truth?" PM Modi was quoted by ANI. Modi said the thinking of Congress has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics. Lashing out at Congress, Modi said that "listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes a crime" under the party's rule. The previous Rajasthan government, spearheaded by Congress, had banned Ram Navami in the state, claimed Modi. "Rajasthan has been the sufferer...In the rule of Congress, even listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes a crime. For the first time on Ram Navami this time, a Shobha Yatra procession was taken out in Rajasthan," said Modi. PM's 'Muslims' remark was called as a "hate speech" by the Opposition. Modi on Sunday hit out at Congress by criticising its manifesto promising distribution of properties. "When Congress was in power, they had said that Muslims have the first right to the country's assets. This means to who will this property be distributed? It will be distributed among those who have more children," PM Modi said in Rajasthan. "It will be distributed to the infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money go to the infiltrators? Do you approve of this?" he added. Attacking Congress on the national security front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi charged stone pelting against security forces, beheading of Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir would have continued if the Opposition party was in power. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan, the prime minister said, In 2014, when you gave Modi the opportunity to serve in Delhi, the country took decisions that no one had imagined. But if the Congress had been in power, stones would still be pelted at our forces in Jammu and Kashmir, enemies would still be cutting off the heads of our soldiers from across the border, and the Congress government would not have done anything. One Rank One Pension would not have been implemented for our soldiers, bomb blasts would have been taking place in the country if Congress was in power, ANI reported. Modi charged the Congress party protected the Rajasthan serial blast accused and under its regime, Rajasthan topped in crime against women. If Congress was in power, it would have found new ways of corruption. Rajasthan was No 1 in crime against women during Congress rule. Congress shamelessly said that this is Rajasthan's identity in Vidhan Sabha, he said. The prime minister said enemy took advantage whenever the country was divided. Even now efforts are going on to divide Rajasthan and its people and Rajasthan needs to be cautious of this. In these 10 years, you have seen what a stable and honest government can do for the development of the country." The prime minister also charged Congress gave no regard for the Constitution and wanted to snatch away the rights of backward communities and give it to Muslims. When the Constitution was drafted, reservation based on religion was opposed, so that SC, ST and OBC castes could get protection. Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh in his speech had said that Muslims have the first right on the country's resources. This was Manmohan Singh's statement. Congress's thinking has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics, he said. Modi charged, As soon as the Congress government came to power at the Centre in 2004, its first task was to try to provide reservation to Muslims by reducing SC/ST reservations in Andhra Pradesh. This was a pilot project, which Congress wanted to try in the entire country. Between 2004 and 2010, Congress tried four times to implement Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh. However, due to legal hurdles and awareness of the Supreme Court, they could not fulfil his plans. -with inputs from agencies. Jaipur, Apr 23 (PTI) In a bid to increase fee income, AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) on Tuesday launched an array of products including Rupay credit card and ATM insurance. Among the latest offerings are two innovative credit cards: the AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card and Secured Credit Card - NOMO (No Missing Out), developed in collaboration with NPCI and VISA, respectively. The NOMO Credit Card marks AU SFB's debut into the realm of secured credit cards, backed by a fixed deposit, the bank's managing director Sanjay Agarwal said here. Additionally, he said, AU SFB has unveiled the AU 0101 Business App, designed to offer customized solutions for proprietorships and MSMEs, alongside AU0101 Version 2.0, engineered to provide customers with an enhanced mobile banking experience, complete with exciting new features. First time in Indian banking industry, he said, AU SFB has launched ATM Insurance, for the convenience of customers to buy insurance through AU SFB's ATMs with their debit card. Insurance journey on ATM is the industry-first innovation, hence, AU SFB have gone ahead and patented this process before launching its first ATM insurance in March 2024, he said. Not only this, but AU SFB have also launched WhatsApp Insurance where customer will get policy instantly using WhatsApp platform, he said. Once again, AU SFB has filed for a patent in April 2024, he added. Talking about features of credit card, the Rupay Credit Card enables users to seamlessly link the card to their preferred UPI-enabled application, facilitating convenient payments using the UPI Scan and Pay feature. Suited for users across all income brackets, who engage in frequent transactions via UPI, whether with e-commerce or POS merchants, this card offers 1 per cent cashback on all transaction types (excluding select categories) and COINS rewards for UPI transactions made with the AU 0101 application. These rewards are redeemable for a range of physical gifts and gadgets, he added. On the other hand, he said, the NOMO (No Missing Out) Credit Card is AU SFB's first secured credit card, backed by a Fixed Deposit (FD). Designed for users who may not meet the criteria for unsecured credit cards due to factors like absence of a credit score, limited credit history, or absence of income proof, the NOMO credit card offers reward points on card usage along with additional benefits such as airport lounge access and fuel surcharge waivers, he added. On the AU 0101 Business App, he said, it will serve as a one-stop shop for proprietorships and MSMEs, providing direct access to banking products and value-added services necessary for running and managing their businesses. With the AU 0101 Business App's support, business customers can seamlessly navigate through various banking relationships, including current accounts, savings accounts, deposits, loans, and credit cards, he said. This includes digital QR onboarding, instant QR settlements, payment collections via Static QR/Dynamic QR, and payment links, he added. Selected NPOs use innovative themes including youth-led environmental activism, art and forest restoration to raise awareness and combat climate change Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India & New York, United States Business Wire India HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today announced Brazil-based Argilando, Canada-based No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment and US-based The Longleaf Alliance as the winners of the first edition of the HCLTech Grant Americas. Launched in September 2023, the HCLTech Grant Americas program has committed $5 million in grants over five years to support Not-For-Profit organizations (NPOs) with innovative projects focused on combating climate change, restoring ecosystems and biodiversity across the Americas. Every year, three NPOs will be selected through a rigorous screening process to receive grants totaling $1 million. One NPO will receive $500,000, while two others will receive $250,000 each. Among the inaugural edition winners, Brazil-based Argilando will receive the grant of $500,000 for their project Atitude Jovem. The project ignites youth-led environmental activism across Brazil's diverse biomes. Through comprehensive mobilization efforts, educational workshops and strategic planting of native trees, Argilando confronts climate challenges and promotes awareness about sustainable development goals (SDGs). Canada-based No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment will receive $250,000 for using art and design to bring awareness to environmental concerns. Its project "Imagining My Sustainable Community" aims to increase awareness of sustainable design solutions in schools across Canada. The Longleaf Alliance will receive $250,000 for their project, "Restoring America's Great Southern Forest through Climate Action by Empowering and Enabling Landowners" aims to restore 8 million acres of longleaf pine forests, in the US Southeast. Congratulations to the winners of the first HCLTech Grant Americas. Whether it is fostering sustainable design literacy or spearheading vast ecosystem restoration projects, these endeavors showcase a collective resolve to address environmental challenges with innovative solutions. We are delighted to support these projects as part of the collective effort needed to combat climate change, said Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Vice President, Global CSR, HCLTech. Since its launch, HCLTech Grant Americas has received a positive response from NPOs in the Americas. Within 19 weeks of its launch, the program received 238 registrations and 91 eligible applications from all 10 target countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the US. Through rigorous vetting, the top 10 applications were selected, followed by the HCLTech Grant Jury nominating the top three finalists. HCLTech has a sharp focus on Sustainability. The company is committed to becoming net zero by 2040 and reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030. Since the baseline year of FY20, the company has reduced per capita scope 1 and 2 emissions by 22%. It is the first India-headquartered IT services company to join the Water Resilience Coalition and endorse the CEO Water Mandate. With a total of investment of over $175 million in CSR globally so far, HCLTech has helped transform over 6.5 million lives, brought 72,000 acres of land under green governance, harvested 76 billion liters of water and had a positive impact on 92,000 animals. HCLTech has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the Worlds Most Ethical Companies 2024 and has been included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2024 for the second year in a row. Global environment non-profit CDP has recognized HCLTech with A- leadership rating for its climate change initiatives. For more information on HCLTechs Climate Action Grant for the Americas, please visit the following webpage: https://americas-grant.hcltech.com/ In India, HCLTech Grant, a flagship program of HCLFoundation, has touched over 2 million lives across 27,000+ villages through the grant recipient NPOs. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR SINGAPORE, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- StorHub Group ("StorHub" or "the Company") today announced that Raju Ruparelia has joined as the CEO of the Company, succeeding Mike Hagbeck, the Group's Co-founder and CEO over the past five years. Mr. Hagbeck will become the non-executive Chairman of the Company and remain a Board Director to help guide the long-term strategy and continued market expansion, leveraging his 25+ years of experience in Asia's self-storage industry. Raju brings over two decades of invaluable experience as well as a proven track record of driving business growth and transformation. Previously, Raju served as Senior Managing Director and Head of APAC Private Capital at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (OTPP), where he oversaw the firm's direct private equity investing activities across the region, including its real estate related investments into DTZ, Cushman & Wakefield and Princeton Digital Group. Launched in 2019, the StorHub Group has expanded rapidly across key gateway cities in Asia Pacific. Through a buy-and-build strategy, the Company has acquired and developed more than 470 stores, covering a GFA of 6.8 million square feet and encompassing over 70,000 storage units. Today, it is APAC's largest multi-country self-storage platform with nearly 50,000 customers across 17 cities in Australia, Greater China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand and boasts a fully integrated platform with capabilities to source, convert/acquire, and operate. Li Fan, Managing Director of Warburg Pincus, said, "StorHub has quickly emerged as the leading self-storage platform in Asia Pacific, and it is a real credit to Mike and the entire StorHub team. We would like to thank Mike for his strong partnership and contribution to the Company's first phase of growth. We have built a very strong foundation and look forward to working closely with him as Chairman to support Raju and the team on the Company's next phase of accelerated growth. We are excited to welcome Raju to spearhead the continued business expansion and take the Company to new heights." Raju Ruparelia, StorHub CEO, said, "I am excited to lead StorHub as the Company enters its next phase of growth. It's truly impressive that StorHub has emerged to become the prominent player in the self-storage industry in Asia Pacific over the past five years. Driven by multiple favorable tailwinds, I firmly believe that the self-storage industry in Asia Pacific is at an inflection point. With a deep and talented leadership team and the unwavering support of its investors, StorHub is uniquely positioned to capitalize on what is expected to be a multi-decade opportunity for self-storage in the region. I'm delighted to be part of this exciting journey and look forward to working with the exceptional teams across the region to accelerate the growth of the business and bring significant value to our customers and partners." Mike Hagbeck, StorHub Non-Executive Chairman, said, "It has been an amazing journey of growth and partnership over the past five years with the Company. Drawing on Warburg Pincus' extensive experience in scaling regional platforms, StorHub has achieved outsized growth in size and scale across the region and built a high-caliber leadership team with significant industry experience and deep local market insights. After 25+ years at the frontline of the industry, I am pleased to pass the reins over to Raju and look forward to supporting him and the management team in continuing to grow strongly in Storhub's next phase of development." About StorHub Group StorHub Group is a leading self-storage platform in Asia with operations across key gateway cities in the Asia Pacific region. Founded in Singapore in 2019, StorHub Group currently owns and manages facilities spanning over 655,000 sqm of GFA and encompassing 70,000 storage units across key markets in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Greater China. StorHub offers individuals and businesses a range of reliable and secure storage solutions to resolve storage challenges at home or work. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) The country's agriculture exports declined by 8.8 per cent to USD 43.7 billion during April-February period of 2023-24 fiscal due to factors like the Red Sea crisis, Russia-Ukraine war, and domestic restrictions imposed on critical items like rice, wheat, sugar and onion. According to the data of the commerce ministry, the exports stood at USD 47.9 billion in April-February 2022-23. India's agricultural GDP also witnessed a significant deceleration, growing by only 0.7 per cent in 2023-24, down from 4.7 per cent in 2022-23. The data also showed that exports of the 719 scheduled agri products in the APEDA basket declined by 6.85 per cent to 22.4 billion during the 11-month period of the last fiscal as against USD 24 billion in April-February 2022-23. The export ban and restrictions on commodities like rice, wheat, sugar and onion have hit agri exports of about USD 5-6 billion in the last fiscal, an official said. However, among 24 principal commodities (in APEDA basket), 17 have recorded positive growth during the period and that included fresh fruit, buffalo meat, processed vegetables, basmati rice and banana. The exports of basmati rice have increased from USD 4.2 billion in April-February 2022-23 to USD 5.2 billion in April-February 2023-24 in value terms, registering a growth of 22 per cent. The official also said that there has not been any visible impact of Israel-Iran war on exports as it is an evolving situation, "but we are monitoring the situation. There are no major push backs as of now". The official said that growth is noted last fiscal in export of Indian alcoholic beverages amid good growth in shipments of high-end Indian brands. The world has imported alcoholic beverages worth USD 113.66 billion in 2022. India's exports stood at USD 180 million in 2022. India currently ranks 40th in global exports of alcoholic beverages. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) The government will continue to auction telecom spectrum, and the administrative allocation route will be used sparingly, only in those cases where it is technically not feasible to do so or for areas that are strategic in nature, sources said. The Department of Telecom (DoT) is gearing up to hold the next round of spectrum auction on June 6 for eight spectrum bands (800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz, and 26 GHz) meant for mobile phone services at a base price of about Rs 96,317 crore. The spectrum will be assigned for 20 years and successful bidders will be allowed to make payments in 20 equal annual instalments in the coming mega auction. Sources asserted that the spectrum for mobile services will continue to be given through the auction process. As enacted in the Telecom Act, 2023, only a very limited and narrowly defined cases, including spectrum for walkie-talkie for police organisations, radar for weather forecasting, radar and communication for ships, communication for space and satellite applications, communication and radar for the Army, Air Force and Navy and state-owned telecom corporation like BSNL, airwaves will be given on administrative basis, sources said. Of the total allocations, these amount to a minuscule, just 5-7 per cent of the cases. The government had on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking a modification of the 2012 order. The modification sought was to allow for administrative allocation in select cases where it is not technically feasible to use the auction route. However, for the majority of the spectrum, the auction will continue to be the mode of allocation. The matter in the Supreme Court is basically an application filed (in the apex court) following the due process before introducing the Telecom Bill in parliament, sources clarified. Islamabad, Apr 23 (PTI) Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves would reach "anywhere between USD 9 to USD 10 billion" by the end of June, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Tuesday, underling that the cash-strapped country's economy was steadily advancing in the right direction. Aurangzeb made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the seventh Leaders in Islamic Business Summit in Islamabad, where he said that the expected position in June would be a much better position in terms of where we were [in the previous year], the Dawn newspaper reported. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves would reach "anywhere between USD 9 to USD 10 billion" by the end of June, he said. Pakistan's forex reserves crossed the USD 8 billion mark again last month after they fell below it in late February. Aurangzeb said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should not be seen as an end, but a means to an end". Commenting on the current Stand-By Agreement (SBA) with the global lender, the minister deemed it important to have entered the programme. "That was absolutely critical that we did that as a country for a reason. There is no plan B. Plan B is unimaginable when you are in a situation where I said you are down to 15 days of import cover," he said. The finance minister said that the government has initiated discussions with the IMF for a longer and larger programme for two reasons - to bring permanence in this macroeconomic stability and execute the economic structural reform agenda. Ive kept saying that the country doesnt need policy prescriptions; we know the what and why for the longest time, we just dont do it, Aurangzeb said, adding that the country needed to get into an execution mode. We need to move towards sustainability, he stressed, warning that otherwise, reforms could not be implemented. Aurangzeb also termed the energy equation a huge priority when it came to the sustainability of the reforms, whether they pertained to the power or petroleum sectors. On the tax challenges, the minister said, One is a policy and enforcement gap and the other is obviously bringing in the undertaxed and the untaxed sectors into the net. Cash-strapped Pakistan has made a formal request to the IMF to seek the next bailout package in the range of USD 6 to USD 8 billion with the possibility of augmentation through climate financing. "Im still hoping we will get into a staff-level agreement by the end of June or early July so we can move on to an end. IMF is a means to an end, not an end in itself, the finance minister said. Pakistan's current USD 3 billion arrangement with the IMF runs out in late April and the government is seeking a longer and bigger loan to help bring permanence to macroeconomic stability and an umbrella under which the country can execute much-needed structural reforms. In March, IMF staff and Pakistani authorities reached a staff-level agreement for the second and final review, which was subsequently forwarded to the IMFs Executive Board for final approval. Upon approval, Pakistan would have access to approximately $1.1bn. Previous statements from both the IMF and Pakistani officials indicated that not only would the board convene on April 29, but it would also approve the release of the final tranche of $1.1bn under the SBA signed in June 2023. After contracting in 2023, growth in Pakistan's economy is projected to rebound to 2 per cent in 2024, supported by continuing positive base effects in the agriculture and textile sectors. San Francisco, Apr 23 (AP) Google fired at least 20 more workers in the aftermath of protests over technology the company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza war, bringing the total number of terminated staff to more than 50, a group representing the workers said. It's the latest sign of internal turmoil at the tech giant centered on Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 for Google and Amazon to provide the Israeli government with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. Workers held sit-in protests last week at Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California. The company responded by calling the police, who made arrests. The group organizing the protests, No Tech For Apartheid, said the company fired 30 workers last week higher than the initial 28 they had announced. Then, on Tuesday night, Google fired over 20 more staffers, including non-participating bystanders during last week's protests, said Jane Chung, a spokeswoman for No Tech For Apartheid, without providing a more specific number. Google's aims are clear: the corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers, and reassert its power over them, Chung said in a press release. In its attempts to do so, Google has decided to unceremoniously, and without due process, upend the livelihoods of over 50 of its own workers. Google said it fired the additional workers after its investigation gathered details from coworkers who were physically disrupted and it identified employees who used masks and didn't carry their staff badges to hide their identities. It didn't specify how many were fired. The company disputed the group's claims, saying that it carefully confirmed that every single one of those whose employment was terminated was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings. The Mountain View, California, company had previously signalled that more people could be fired, with CEO Sundar Pichai indicating in a blog post that employees would be on a short leash as the company intensifies its efforts to improve its AI technology. (AP) ZH ZH Noida, Apr 23 (PTI) Hospitality technology company OYO on Tuesday said it has terminated its contract with Sheetla Hotel in Noida following allegations that the premise was used for flesh trade. OYO said it is also planning to pursue legal actions against the hotel and individuals involved to ensure accountability. The police in collaboration with the anti-human trafficking unit had carried out a raid on the hotel at Behlolpur in Noida earlier this month and apprehended several people for their involvement in running a flesh trade racket from the hotel, OYO said in a statement. According to a statement from Noida Police, a raid was carried out at Sheetla Hotel on April 10 and seven people were arrested for their involvement in flesh trade. The police also rescued four women and three minors from the hotel during the raid. "The allegations prompted OYO to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. After careful review and consideration, OYO found out that the hotel was already inconsistent in its business with OYO before the allegations came to light," the company said. "However, OYO has decided to terminate its contract with the hotel. This decision aligns with OYO's ongoing programme to promote safe and secure hospitality," it said. OYO also appreciated those who brought the allegations to light and encouraged anyone with information regarding similar incidents to come forward. "OYO has a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal or immoral activities on its hotel premises. We are already working in close partnership with Noida police to ensure safe and secure hospitality in the city," OYO's north India head Pawas Kumar said. "We are implementing enhanced monitoring and auditing procedures to prevent such incidents in the future. We remain committed to working closely with law enforcement agencies and local communities to create a safe environment for our guests," he added. In November 2023, the company had launched a national programme to promote safe and secure hospitality in partnership with law enforcement agencies. As part of the initiative, it has conducted joint seminars with police in several cities such as Noida, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Meerut and Bangalore, which brought together key stakeholders from the hospitality industry, law enforcement agencies, and OYO's hotel partners. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Manoj Bajpayee has often spoken about being rejected by the National School of Drama (NSD) and now a new book reveals that his late father Radhakant Bajpayee was also a cinema lover who even auditioned for an acting course at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. Radhakant, as per journalist-author Piyush Pandey's book "Manoj Bajpayee: The Definitive Biography", was obsessed with films and may have inspired a love for cinema in his son, who went on to become one of the most successful actors in Hindi cinema. "While cleaning our house during the Chhath festival, we found a prospectus of the Pune Film Institute in father's belongings. Manoj also saw it. Then our father revealed how his college's botany department had taken them on a trip to Pune. "Because he had heard of the institute, he went to the campus. Auditions were taking place at that time. He too auditioned for an acting course. The interesting thing is the presence of Manoj Kumar and Dharmendra in the campus during the same time," read the book, quoting Manoj's elder sister Kamini Shukla. Interestingly, that was not the only connection that Radhakant had with movies as he also worked as a part-time 'Film Babu' during his college days where he was "responsible for taking a film's reel box to theatres from distributors". "He would bring the reel box from Patna to Muzaffarpur," said the book. Radhakant, described by Manoj as "filmchi" (avid watcher), was a fan of actors like Dilip Kumar, Motilal and Dev Anand, and regretted till the end that his son could not share the screen space with any of these stars. "I used to read Filmfare and watch many films. I liked Motilal and Dev Anand, apart from Dilip Kumar. Motilal and Dilip Kumar were actors, but Dev Anand was a hero. Come to think of it, my son [Manoj] also received more fame as an actor than a hero in his career," Radhakant recalled in the book. He died at the age of 83 in October, 2021. Priced at Rs 375, the book is published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI). Peshawar, Apr 23 (PTI) A policeman deployed to guard a Sikh medical practitioner was shot dead on Tuesday by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, police said. The victim, identified as 45-year-old constable Farhad, was on security duty of herbal medical practitioner Baba Surjeet Singh in Dheri Baghbanan - a suburban locality of Peshawar district. Farhad was sitting on a chair outside the shop when unknown gunmen opened fire at him, killing him on the spot, police said. The police have cordoned off the area and started the investigation. New York, Apr 23 (AP) A longtime tabloid publisher was expected Tuesday to tell jurors about his efforts to help Donald Trump stifle unflattering stories during the 2016 campaign as testimony resumes in the historic hush money trial of the former president. David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher who prosecutors say worked with Trump and Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, on a so-called catch-and-kill strategy to buy up and then spike negative stories during the campaign, testified briefly Monday and will be back on the stand Tuesday in the Manhattan trial. Also Tuesday, prosecutors are expected to tell a judge that Trump should be held in contempt over a series of posts on his Truth Social platform that they say violated an earlier gag order barring him from attacking witnesses in the case. Trump's lawyers deny that he broke the order. Pecker's testimony followed opening statements in which prosecutors alleged that Trump had sought to illegally influence the 2016 race by preventing damaging stories about his personal life from becoming public, including by approving hush money payments to a porn actor who alleged an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied that. "This was a planned, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behaviour, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. It was election fraud, pure and simple. A defence lawyer countered by attacking the integrity of the onetime Trump confidant who's now the government's star witness. President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney's office should not have brought this case, attorney Todd Blanche said. The opening statements offered the 12-person jury and the voting public radically divergent roadmaps for a case that will unfold against the backdrop of a closely contested White House race in which Trump is not only the presumptive Republican nominee but also a criminal defendant facing the prospect of a felony conviction and prison. The case is the first criminal trial of a former American president and the first of four prosecutions of Trump to reach a jury. Befitting that history, prosecutors sought from the outset to elevate the gravity of the case, which they said was chiefly about election interference as reflected by the hush money payments to a porn actor who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again, Colangelo said. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records a charge punishable by up to four years in prison though it's not clear if the judge would seek to put him behind bars. A conviction would not preclude Trump from becoming president again, but because it is a state case, he would not be able to pardon himself if found guilty. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg revisits a years-old chapter from Trump's biography when his celebrity past collided with his political ambitions and, prosecutors say, he scrambled to stifle stories that he feared could torpedo his campaign. The opening statements served as an introduction to the colourful cast of characters that feature prominently in that tawdry saga, including Stormy Daniels, the porn actor who says she received the hush money; Cohen, the lawyer who prosecutors say paid her; and Pecker, who prosecutors say agreed to function as the campaign's eyes and ears." In his opening statement, Colangelo outlined a comprehensive effort by Trump and allies to prevent three separate stories two from women alleging prior sexual encounters from surfacing during the 2016 presidential campaign. That undertaking was especially urgent following the emergence late in the race of a 2005 Access Hollywood recording in which Trump could be heard boasting about grabbing women sexually without their permission. The impact of that tape on the campaign was immediate and explosive, Colangelo said. Within days of the Access Hollywood tape becoming public, Colangelo told jurors that The National Enquirer alerted Cohen that Daniels was agitating to go public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. At Trump's direction, Cohen negotiated a deal to buy Ms. Daniels' story to prevent American voters from hearing that story before Election Day, Colangelo told jurors. But, the prosecutor noted, Neither Trump nor the Trump Organization could just write a check to Cohen with a memo line that said reimbursement for porn star payoff.'" So, he added, "they agreed to cook the books and make it look like the payment was actually income, payment for services rendered. Those alleged falsified records form the backbone of the 34-count indictment against Trump. Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels. Blanche, the defense lawyer, sought to preemptively undermine the credibility of Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges related to his role in the hush money scheme, as someone with an obsession with Trump who cannot be trusted. He said Trump had done nothing illegal when his company recorded the checks to Cohen as legal expenses and said it was not against the law for a candidate to try to influence an election. Blanche challenged the notion that Trump agreed to the Daniels payout to safeguard his campaign, characterizing the transaction instead as an attempt to squelch a sinister effort to embarrass Trump and his loved ones. President Trump fought back, like he always does, and like he's entitled to do, to protect his family, his reputation and his brand, and that is not a crime, Blanche told jurors. The efforts to suppress the stories are what's known in the tabloid industry as catch-and-kill catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else. Besides the payment to Daniels, Colangelo also described arrangements to pay a former Playboy model USD 150,000 to suppress claims of a nearly yearlong affair with the married Trump. Colangelo said Trump desperately did not want this information about Karen McDougal to become public because he was worried about its effect on the election. He said jurors would hear a recording Cohen made in September 2016 of himself briefing Trump on the plan to buy McDougal's story. The recording was made public in July 2018. Colangelo told jurors they will hear Trump in his own voice saying: What do we got to pay for this? One-fifty? Pecker is relevant to the case because prosecutors say he met with Trump and Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015 and agreed to help Trump's campaign identify negative stories about him. He described the tabloid's use of checkbook journalism, a practice that entails paying a source for a story. I gave a number to the editors that they could not spend more than USD 10,000 on a story without getting his approval, he said. (AP) GSP Taipei, Apr 23 (AP) A USD 8 billion defence package approved by the US House of Representatives over the weekend will strengthen the deterrence against authoritarianism in the West Pacific ally chain, Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te said Tuesday, in a reference to key rival China. The funding will also help ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and also boost confidence in the region Lai, currently Taiwan's vice president, told visiting Michigan Representatives Lisa McClain, a Republican, and Democrat Dan Kildee at a meeting at the Presidential Office Building in the capital Taipei. In the face of authoritarian expansionism, Taiwan is determined to safeguard democracy and also safeguard our homeland, Lai said. Also known as William Lai, US-educated former medical researcher is despised by Beijing for his opposition to political unification with the mainland. In recent elections, the pro-unification Nationalists won a narrow majority in the legislature, but their influence on foreign policy and other national issues remains limited. The Senate will vote Tuesday on USD 95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The package covers a wide range of parts and services aimed at maintaining and and upgrading Taiwan's military hardware. Separately, Taiwan has signed billions in contracts with the US for latest-generation F-16V fighter jets, M1 Abrams main battle tanks and the HIMARS rocket system, which the US has also supplied to Ukraine. Taiwan has also been expanding its own defence industry, building submarines and trainer jets. Next month it plans to commission its third and fourth domestically designed and built stealth corvettes to counter the Chinese navy, as part of a strategy of asymmetrical warfare in which a smaller force counters its larger opponent by using cutting edge or nonconventional tactics and weaponry. Lai, of the pro-independence ruling Democratic Progressive Party, won the January election handily and takes over next month from President Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing has sought to isolate for the past eight years. China is determined to annex the island, which it considers its own territory, by force if necessary and has been advertising that threat with daily incursions into waters and air space around Taiwan by navy ships and warplanes. It has also sought to pick away Taiwan's few remaining formal diplomatic partners. While Washington and Taipei have no formal diplomatic ties in deference to Beijing, McClain emphasised the need for the entire world to observe the strength of the relationship. Peace is our goal. But to do that, we have to have relationships and we value your relationship. Not only militarily, but economically, she said. Kildee said the timing of the visit was especially significant given the recent passage of the funding bill to provide very important support to insure security in this region. "It's important for the people of Taiwan, it's important for the people in the United States, it's important for the entire world, Kildee said. (AP) GRS GRS Kyiv, Apr 23 (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian missile strike that smashed a television tower in Kharkiv was part of the Kremlin's ongoing effort to intimidate Ukraine's second-largest city, which in recent weeks has come under increasingly frequent attack. The strike sought to make the terror visible to the whole city and to try to limit Kharkiv's connection and access to information, Zelenskyy said in his Monday evening address. The northeastern Kharkiv region straddles the about 1,000-kilometre front line where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked in battle for more than two years since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The front line has changed little amid a war of attrition, focused mostly on artillery, drones and trenches. Since late March Russia has stepped up the pressure on Kharkiv, apparently aiming to exploit Ukraine's shortage of air defense systems. It has pounded the local power grid and hit apartment blocks. On Monday, a Russian Kh-59 missile struck Kharkiv's 250-metre-high TV tower, breaking it roughly in half and halting transmissions. A Washington think tank said Russia may be eyeing a ground assault on Kharkiv. The Kremlin is conducting a concerted air and information operation to destroy Kharkiv City, convince Ukrainians to flee, and internally displace millions of Ukrainians ahead of a possible future Russian offensive operation against the city or elsewhere in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said in an assessment. The expected arrival in Ukraine in coming weeks of fresh military aid from its Western partners possibly has prompted Russia to escalate its attacks before the help arrives, the ISW said, adding that trying to capture Kharkiv would be a significant challenge for the Kremlin's forces. Instead, the Russian military command may attempt to destroy Kharkiv City with air, missile, and drone strikes and prompt a large-scale internal displacement of Ukrainian civilians, it said. The US Senate was returning to Washington on Tuesday to vote on USD 61 billion in war aid to Ukraine after months of delays. Zelensky said US President Joe Biden assured him the aid would include long-range and artillery capabilities. Four priorities are key: defence of the sky, modern artillery, long-range capacity, and to ensure that packages of American aid arrive as soon as possible, Zelenskyy said. Less cheering news came from the European Union, however. EU countries that have Patriot air defence systems gave no clear sign Monday that they might be willing to send them to Ukraine, which is desperately seeking at least seven of the missile batteries. Russia launched 16 Shahed drones and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles over Ukraine's southern and central regions, the Ukrainian air force said Tuesday morning. It said that all but one of the drones were intercepted. In Odesa, a residential building was hit during the overnight attack, injuring nine people, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said on Telegram on Tuesday. Among those injured were two infants and two children age nine and 12, Kiper said. (AP) GRS GRS Berlin, Apr 23 (AP) A man who works for a German lawmaker in the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, German prosecutors said Tuesday. The detention came less than 24 hours after three people were arrested for spying for China in a separate German case. The suspect, identified only as Jian G in line with German privacy rules, was arrested Monday in the eastern German city of Dresden, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said that he has worked for a German lawmaker in the European Union's legislature since 2019. The statement didn't specify which lawmaker employed him, but German news agency dpa reported, citing unidentified security sources, that he works for Maximilian Krah of the far-right party Alternative for Germany. Other German media also linked the suspect to Krah, who is the party's top candidate in the European Parliament election in early June. Jian G, a German national, is accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament in January. Prosecutors allege that he also snooped on Chinese dissidents in Germany. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the spying allegations were extremely serious. If it is confirmed that there was spying for Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, then that is an attack from inside on European democracy, Faeser said in a statement. Anyone who employs such a staff member also carries responsibility, she added. This case must be cleared up precisely. All the connections and background must be illuminated. News of the arrest came a day after three Germans suspected of spying for China and arranging to transfer information on technology with potential military uses were arrested in a separate case. Also on Monday, British prosecutors said a former researcher working in the UK Parliament and another man were charged with spying for China. Asked in Beijing about the latest arrest in Germany, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the recent reports in Europe about Chinese spying are all hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China. Beijing urges "the relevant parties to stop spreading disinformation about China's spy threat and stop political manipulation and malicious smears against China, he added. A week ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met China's top leaders in Beijing at the end of a three-day trip to the country. In a strategy for relations with China released last year, the German government pointed to a systemic rivalry with the Asian power and a need to reduce risks of economic dependency, but highlighted its desire to work with Beijing on challenges such as climate change and to maintain strong trade ties. That document pledged decisive action" to counter Chinese espionage activities. (AP) NPK NPK Singapore, Apr 23 (PTI) An Indian-origin married man was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Monday for culpable homicide not amounting to murdering his girlfriend for having relationships with other men. Upset about her relationships with other men, M Krishnan punched and kicked Mallika Begum Rahamansa Abdul Rahman, 40, who died on January 17, 2019. Krishnan, 40, pleaded guilty in the High Court last week, "TODAY" newspaper reported on Monday. His sentence was backdated to the date of his arrest. Justice Valerie Thean noted that Krishnan had promised he was a reformed individual in 2018 in his mitigation (for another offence of abusing police officers), but continued to abuse his wife and girlfriend. She also noted during the sentencing that although Krishnan's intermittent explosive disorder had some contribution to his violent actions, alcohol had also influenced the way he acted. Justice Thean added that even though he was diagnosed with the disorder after the offence, "the accused knew he was susceptible to showing his temper in socially unacceptable ways" through his past brushes with the law. Saying that she could not overlook his repeated domestic abuse against the women, the judge sentenced Krishnan to 20 years in jail. For culpable homicide not amounting to murder, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment and caning, or a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine or caning. In November 2015, Krishnan's wife caught him and his girlfriend drinking alcohol in the master bedroom of their marital home. Upset, she uttered vulgarities at Krishnan and he then punched her in the face, before grabbing a whisky bottle. Afraid that he would hurl the bottle at her, the wife apologised and later, obtained a personal police protection order against him. Krishnan and Mallika continued their relationship all this while up until her death. During their time together, Krishnan hit Mallika at least once in 2017 "over a trivial matter", court documents stated. The abuse intensified at the start of 2019 after Mallika admitted to having sexual relations with several men, including when Krishnan was in jail in 2018, according to TODAY's report. On January 15, 2019, Krishnan kicked and slapped Mallika in the face, punched her in the ribs and kicked her in the thigh. This was after she confessed to cheating while they were drinking alcohol in the apartment they shared. As she pleaded with him not to leave, he grabbed her by the neck and pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her head against a wardrobe. She got up, stumbled to the kitchen and slumped in front of a cabinet. He told her to get up and when she did not, he pushed her forehead, causing her to hit her head against the cabin. The next day, Mallika sought medical treatment at a hospital and was found with several bruises and abrasions. While Mallika was at the hospital, Krishnan drank alcohol throughout the day. At night, they spoke with Mallika's sister over the phone about Mallika's relationship with another man. Feeling angry and frustrated over her various affairs, Krishnan assaulted Mallika again. He slapped her face, grabbed her by her hair, and punched and kicked her. After kicking her repeatedly while she was on the ground, he helped her to the bed and realised that she was not responsive or breathing. He then called the Singapore Civil Defence Force at about 1:35 am and Mallika was pronounced dead later by the responders. An autopsy found that she had died from a head injury, with several bruises on her scalp, back of her neck, face and around her body. Several of her ribs were fractured as well. During sentencing on Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Timotheus Koh told the court that Krishnan had asked a friend to let him sleep in his apartment after the assault. In the afternoon of January 17, 2019, Krishnan surrendered himself to police. After his arrest, Krishnan was diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder -- a condition where there are frequent impulsive anger outbursts or aggression -- which was found to have contributed to his offence. However, the level of violence he inflicted on his girlfriend was "likely caused by the alcohol intoxication, adding to the intermittent explosive disorder", court documents showed. The prosecution sought a sentence of 15 to 18 years in jail, urging the court to "send a clear message that the courts do not tolerate violence of this nature". Koh said although Krishnan's mental disorder was diagnosed after the offence, he had a history of "socially unacceptable behaviour" involving violence while intoxicated. This included Krishnan's mitigation plea in 2018 for being verbally abusive and spitting on police officers, where he acknowledged that alcohol had "severely clouded my decision at the time". He also said Krishnan was referred for counselling due to the domestic violence that occurred from 2015 to 2016, and that his actions showed his "propensity for abusing his domestic partners". Koh added: "No mitigating weight should be placed on whatever emotions that the accused was feeling after the deceased's confessions to him about her relations with other men. "The accused is not in the position to punish the deceased for her purported infidelity." During mitigation, Krishnan's lawyer said his client had pleaded guilty early, surrendered to police and fully cooperated during investigations. Krishnan had been controlling his alcohol intake -- drinking only on weekends when he was not working -- he added. However, it was Mallika's relationships with other men that had "affected his judgement". "He thought alcohol would assist him to cope with his feelings," the lawyer said. London, Apr 23 (AP) Britain's plans to send some asylum-seekers to Rwanda were swiftly condemned by international humanitarian organisations after Parliament approved legislation allowing the deportation flights to begin later this year. Both the UN refugee agency and the Council of Europe on Tuesday called for the UK to rethink its plans because of concerns that the legislation undermines human rights protections and fears that it will damage international cooperation on tackling the global migrant crisis. The new legislation marks a further step away from the UK's long tradition of providing refuge to those in need, in breach of the Refugee Convention, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement. Protecting refugees requires all countries not just those neighbouring crisis zones to uphold their obligations. The statement came just hours after Britain's House of Lords dropped its attempts to amend the legislation, paving the way for it to become law. On Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said deportation flights to Rwanda would begin in 10-12 weeks. Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, criticised the legislation for preventing asylum-seekers from asking the courts to intervene when they are threatened with being sent back to the countries they are fleeing. The adoption of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill by the UK Parliament raises major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law more generally, O'Flaherty said in a statement. The United Kingdom government should refrain from removing people under the Rwanda policy and reverse the bill's effective infringement of judicial independence. The reaction came as French media reported that at least five people died Tuesday when a boat carrying about 100 or more migrants got into trouble while trying to cross the English Channel. Sunak's government says its deportation plans will help stop the tide of people entering Britain illegally because migrants won't make the risky crossing in leaky inflatable boats if they know there is a chance they will be sent on one-way ticket to Rwanda. Small boat crossings are a potent political issue in Britain, where they are seen as evidence of the government's failure to control immigration. Sunak has made his plan to stop the boats a key campaign promise with his Conservative Party trailing badly in opinion polls ahead of a general election later this year. The number of migrants arriving in Britain on small boats soared to 45,774 in 2022 from just 299 four years earlier as people fleeing war, famine and economic hardship paid criminal gangs thousands of pounds to ferry them across the channel. Small boat arrivals dropped to 29,437 last year as the government cracked down on people smugglers and reached an agreement to return Albanians to their home country. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson first proposed the Rwanda plan more than two years ago, when he reached an agreement with the East African nation to accept some asylum-seekers in return for millions of pounds (dollars) in aid. Implementation has been held up by a series of court challenges and opposition from migrant advocates who say it violates international law. The deportees will be eligible to apply for asylum in Rwanda but they won't be allowed to return to Britain. The legislation approved early Tuesday, known as the Safety of Rwanda Bill, is a response to a UK Supreme Court decision that blocked deportation flights because the government couldn't guarantee the safety of migrants sent to Rwanda. After signing a new treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, the government proposed the new legislation declaring Rwanda to be a safe country. The Rwandan government welcomed approval of the bill, saying it underscores the work it has done to make Rwanda safe and secure since the genocide that ravaged the country 30 years ago. We are committed to the migration and economic development partnership with the UK and look forward to welcoming those relocated to Rwanda, government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said. (AP) GSP Washington, Apr 23 (AP) Secretary of State Antony Blinken is starting three days of talks with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing this week with US-China ties at a critical point over numerous global disputes. The mere fact that Blinken is making the trip - shortly after a conversation between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a similar visit to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and a call between the US and Chinese defence chiefs - might be seen by some as encouraging, but ties between Washington and Beijing are tense and the rifts are growing wider. From Russia and Ukraine to Israel, Iran and the broader Middle East as well as Indo-Pacific and trade issues, the US and China are on a series of collision courses that have sparked fears about military and strategic security as well as international economic stability. Blinken will raise clearly and candidly our concerns during the talks starting Wednesday, a senior State Department official said. Here's a look at some of the key issues Blinken is expected to bring up on the trip: RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR The Biden administration has grown increasingly concerned in recent months about Chinese support for Russia's defence industrial base, which US officials say is allowing Moscow to overcome Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine and resupply its military. US officials say this will be a primary topic of conversation during Blinken's visit. While the US says it has no evidence China actually is arming Russia, officials say other activities are potentially equally problematic. If China purports on the one hand to want good relations with Europe and other countries, it can't on the other hand be fueling what is the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War, Blinken said last week. China says it has the right to trade with Russia and accuses the US of fanning the flames by arming and funding Ukraine. It is extremely hypocritical and irresponsible for the US to introduce a large-scale aid bill for Ukraine while making groundless accusations against normal economic and trade exchanges between China and Russia, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Tuesday in Beijing. A senior State Department official said Friday that through Chinese support, Russia has largely reconstituted its defence industrial base, which has an impact not just on the battlefield in Ukraine but poses a larger threat, we believe, to broader European security. MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS US officials, from Biden on down, have repeatedly appealed to China to use any leverage it may have with Iran to prevent Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza from spiralling into a wider regional conflict. While China appears to have been generally receptive to such calls - particularly because it depends heavily on oil imports from Iran and other Mideast nations - tensions have steadily increased since the beginning of the Gaza war in October and more recent direct strikes and counterstrikes between Israel and Iran. Blinken has pushed for China to take a more active stance in pressing Iran not to escalate tensions in the Middle East. He has spoken to his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, several times over the past six months and urged China to tell Iran to restrain the proxy groups it has supported in the region, including Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria. Blinken told Wang in a phone call this month that escalation is not in anyone's interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said of their last conversation. The senior State Department official said Blinken would reiterate the US interest in China using whatever channels or influence it has to try to convey the need for restraint to all parties, including Iran. TAIWAN AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA In the Indo-Pacific region, China and the United States are the major players, but Beijing has become increasingly aggressive in recent years toward Taiwan and its smaller Southeast Asian neighbours with which it has significant territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The US has strongly condemned Chinese military exercises threatening Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province and has vowed to reunify with the mainland by force if necessary. Successive US administrations have steadily boosted military support and sales for Taipei, much to Chinese anger. The senior State Department official said Blinken would underscore, both in private and public, America's abiding interest in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We think that is vitally important for the region and the world. In the South China Sea, the US and others have become increasingly concerned by provocative Chinese actions in and around disputed areas. In particular, the US has voiced objections to what it says are Chinese attempts to thwart legitimate maritime activities by others in the sea, notably the Philippines and Vietnam. That was a major topic of concern this month when Biden held a three-way summit with the prime minister of Japan and the president of the Philippines. HUMAN RIGHTS AND SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS The US and China are at deep odds over human rights in China's western Xinjiang region, Tibet and Hong Kong as well as the fate of several American citizens that the State Department says have been wrongfully detained by Chinese authorities. China has repeatedly rejected the American criticism as improper interference in its internal affairs. Yet, Blinken will again raise these issues, according to the senior State Department official, who added that China's self-described efforts to rein in the export of materials that traffickers use to make fentanyl have yet to yield significant results. The two sides agreed last year to set up a working group to look into ways to combat the surge of production of fentanyl precursors in China and their export abroad. US officials say they believe they had made some limited progress on cracking down on the illicit industry but many producers had found ways to get around new restrictions. (AP) SCY SCY Kathmandu, Apr 23 (PTI) Harnessing renewable energy could revolutionise food security in the mountainous region of the Hindu Kush Himalayas, experts, including from India, said here on Tuesday. The remarks were made at a regional conference titled "Advancing Productive Uses of Renewable Energy in Agriculture in the Hindu Kush Himalayas" and hosted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICOMOD) in collaboration with the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, Nepal. Over 100 participants, including development partners, civil society members, environmental experts, private sector representatives and government officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan attended the conference, according to a press release issued by the ICIMOD. Rising temperatures are compounding the risks to food security in the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH). Traditional irrigation methods and limited access to energy are hindering agricultural productivity in these high-altitude regions, the experts pointed out. The Hindu Kush Himalayas is a region that extends 3,500 km over Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Clean energy hydro, solar, biomass and wind is abundant in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, the release said. With rising temperatures compounding the risks to food security, experts argue that its crucial that agriculture, which provides one-fifth of the regions gross domestic product, embrace renewables potential to transform yields, and food security, and to transition away from polluting energy sources, it said. During the conference, Indias Dr Nitin Goel elaborated on how solar energy could be used for installing cold storage systems, a mechanism he developed in India. Another Indian expert, Prof Abid Haleem, demonstrated the relevance of Artificial Intelligence in agriculture such as weather forecasting and employing efficient paste plant control systems. Niraj Shrestha of Nepal gave a presentation on solar thermal applications in Nepals agriculture sector. The participants at the conference explored the potential of renewable energy sources to transform mountain farming. The event brought together stakeholders to discuss strategies for scaling up these solutions for mountain communities in the HKH region, the release said. In her keynote speech, Shabnam Shivakoti Aryal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, underscored the crucial role renewable energy could play in enhancing productivity in the agriculture sector. Colombo, Apr 23 (PTI) Iranian President Dr Ibrahim Raisi is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on Wednesday to unveil the multi-purpose Uma Oya hydroelectric power project developed with Tehran's assistance in the south-eastern Uva province of the island nation. Raisi will arrive at the Mattala International Airport at 9:30 am (local time) and proceed to unveil the project whose construction started in 2011 under Iranian development assistance of USD 500 million. The project will add 120 megawatts of hydroelectric power to Sri Lanka's national grid and supply water to 15,000 acres of paddy fields during the two harvesting seasons while also addressing the drinking water needs of the Uva region. The Iranian leader will then proceed to Colombo where he will be officially hosted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the presidential secretariat here. After a courtesy call between the two leaders, five bilateral agreements are scheduled to be signed between Iran and Sri Lanka, sources said. The two leaders will also issue a joint statement after the meeting. Raisi, serving as the president of Iran since 2021, previously held the position of Chief Justice of Iran from 2019 to 2021 and served as the Attorney General of Iran from 2014 to 2016. His visit to Sri Lanka comes as the leader concludes on Wednesday his three-day visit to Pakistan which saw the signing of several bilateral agreements, including an agreement to increase bilateral trade to USD 10 billion in the next five years. Copenhagen (Denmark), Apr 23 (AP) Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Tuesday that joining the NATO alliance a year ago has transformed his country into a "front-line state", given that it has doubled the military bloc's border with Russia. Finland, which became the 31st NATO member in April 2023, has a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) land border with Russia that runs mostly through thick forests in the south and rugged landscape in the Arctic north. Stubb was visiting neighbouring Sweden and spoke at a joint news conference in Stockholm on Tuesday with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. For decades, the two countries embraced a policy of neutrality, refusing to take sides in wars or join any military alliance, but that changed after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. Sweden and Finland therefore not only share a common history. We very much share a common future, Kristersson said at the news conference. His country became the 32nd NATO member in March. Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden -- essentially constituting the nation's eastern half -- for nearly 700 years until 1809 when the area known now as Finland was ceded to the Russian Empire as a result of Europe's Napoleonic Wars. The autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland declared its independence from Russia in 1917 amid the Russian Revolution. Earlier in the day, Stubb, who was elected the Nordic country's president in February, said joining NATO was the final step in adopting the Western community of values for both countries. The two countries joined the European Union in 1995. Finland and Sweden play a key role in promoting peace. It sounds paradoxical, but that is precisely why we want a strong military and why we joined NATO, Stubb said as he addressed the Swedish parliament. Stubb, who spoke in Swedish, which is Finland's second official language, said it was impossible to overstate how important it was that we took this step together. Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy together with the government, especially concerning countries outside the EU such as the United States, Russia and China. Stubb was on his first state visit abroad to Sweden where he was received by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia, among others. (AP) PY PY London, Apr 23 (AP) A legal challenge over the British government's role in allowing weapons to be sent to Israel can be heard at the High Court later this year, a judge said on Tuesday. Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network filed the challenge in December, calling for the UK to stop granting licenses for arms exports to Israel. They said they acted after Britain's government ignored their written requests to suspend arms sales to Israel following the deadly October 7 Hamas attack that triggered the Israeli-Hamas war. The case had been dismissed in February, but a High Court judge on Tuesday granted a judicial review hearing for it in October. Lawyers for the human rights groups argued there was a clear risk that the weapons "might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law in Gaza. But lawyer James Eadie, representing the UK Department for Business and Trade, said the issue is considered with conspicuous care and thoroughness. The secretary of state's position is that those decisions have at all times been lawful and, in particular, rational," he said in a written submission. Rights groups have long opposed British arms exports to Israel, but such calls have gained ground since an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers from the aid charity World Central Kitchen on April 1. Three of the aid workers were British. Earlier this month more than 600 British lawyers and judges, including three retired judges from the UK Supreme Court, joined calls for the government to suspend arms sales to Israel. They said the UK could be complicit in grave breaches of international law if it continues to ship weapons, and that it is legally obliged to heed the International Court of Justice's conclusion that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza. The Campaign Against Arms Trade nonprofit group says British industry, namely BAE Systems, provides about 15 per cent of the components in the F-35 stealth combat aircraft used by Israel. The group alleges that the jets were used in recent bombardment of Gaza. The UK government has stretched legal reasoning to the point of absurdity in order to arm a country that is committing grave violations of international humanitarian law," said Dearbhla Minogue, a senior lawyer at the Global Legal Action Network. The government seems to be making this process as painstakingly slow as possible, Minogue added. "Given the urgency of the situation in Gaza, the government should listen to the international legal consensus and halt weapons sales now. (AP) PY PY Kathmandu, Apr 23 (PTI) Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday met Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel here and discussed matters related to bilateral interests and diplomatic ties. Sheikh Tamim, who arrived here on a two-day visit to Nepal on Tuesday, called on President Paudel at the Shital Niwas. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed matters related to bilateral interests and diplomatic relations, according to a statement issued by the President's Office. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet and other officials were also present at the delegation-level meeting. Sheikh Tamim reached Sheetal Niwas directly from the Tribhuvan International Airport, where he was welcomed by President Paudel, Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. A consignment of the Nepal Army offered a guard of honour in his respect. The emir will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Dahal on Wednesday. Both leaders will also witness the signing ceremony of bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding, the Foreign Ministry said. The two leaders are expected to hold talks on the issue of improving migrant workers' conditions in the Gulf state, sources said. On Sunday, New York-based Human Rights Watch called on Qatar, Nepal and Bangladesh to prioritise labour protection for migrant workers during the emir's visit. Qatar hosts about 400,000 Nepali workers, mostly in construction and manual labour. Concerns about working in extreme heat in Qatar that could reach over 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) inadequate living facilities and abuse have risen in recent years. It is important ... to go beyond exchanging diplomatic pleasantries over their longstanding labour ties and seize this moment to publicly commit to concrete, enforceable protections that address the serious abuses that migrant workers in Qatar continue to face, Michael Page, the agency's deputy Middle East and North Africa director, was quoted as saying in a statement. The statement said while Qatar-based jobs have allowed migrant workers to send remittances back home to their families, many experience abuse, including wage theft, contract violations, and chronic illness linked to unsafe working conditions. The HRW also criticised Qatars labour reforms as insufficient and too narrow in scope. While some reforms have been introduced, they have not fully dismantled the kafala (labour sponsorship) system, which ties a worker's immigration status to an employer, preventing many from leaving abusive workplaces without losing their legal status. The agency's call to action suggests that the emir's visit could be a pivotal opportunity to champion significant labour reforms, My Republica newspaper reported. The Nepali government declared a public holiday on Tuesday in honour of the emir's visit, the first high-level stop-by to Nepal from the Gulf nation. Seoul, Apr 23 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised salvo launches of the country's super-large multiple rocket launchers that simulated a nuclear counterattack against enemy targets, state media said Tuesday, adding to tests and threats that have raised tensions in the region. The report by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency came a day after the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected the North firing what they suspected were multiple short-range ballistic missiles from a region near its capital, Pyongyang, toward its eastern seas. Analysts say North Korea's large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundary between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery. The North has described some of these systems, including the 600mm multiple rocket launchers that were tested Monday, as capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads. KCNA said Monday's launches represented the first demonstration of the country's nuclear-weapons management and control system called Haekbangashoe, or nuclear trigger. The report described the drill as aimed at demonstrating the strength and diverse attack means of North Korea's nuclear forces amid deepening tensions with the United States and South Korea, which it portrayed as warmongers raising tensions in the region with their combined military exercises. State media photos showed at least four rockets being fired from launch vehicles as Kim watched from an observation post. It said the rockets flew 352 kilometres before accurately hitting an island target and that the drill verified the reliability of the system of command, management, control and operation of the whole nuclear force. KCNA said Kim expressed satisfaction, saying that the multiple rocket launchers were as accurate as a sniper's rifle. He said the drill was crucial for preparing our nuclear force to be able to rapidly and correctly carry out their important mission of deterring a war and taking the initiative in a war in any time and any sudden situation. The comments reflected North Korea's escalatory nuclear doctrine, which authorises the military to launch preemptive nuclear strikes against enemies if it perceives the leadership as under threat. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons from Monday's launches flew about 300 kilometres before crashing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The ranges suggested the weapons would likely target sites in South Korea. The latest launches came as South and the United States have been conducting a two-week combined aerial exercise that continues through Friday aimed at sharpening their response capabilities against North Korean threats. When asked about the North Korean claims, Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it remains unclear whether the North perfected the designs for small, battlefield nuclear weapons that could fit on its rockets. He insisted the North was likely exaggerating the accuracy of its multiple rocket launcher systems and that South Korea would be able to detect and intercept such weapons, without elaborating on specific missile defense capabilities. Lee said it was possible that the North used the drill to test the multiple rocket launchers it potentially plans to export to Russia as the countries expand their military cooperation in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with the United States. The US and South Korea have accused North Korea of transferring artillery shells, missiles and other munitions to Russia to help extend its warfighting in Ukraine. North Korea in recent months has maintained an accelerated pace in weapons testing as it continues to expand its military capabilities while diplomacy with the United States and South Korea remained stalled. Outside officials and analysts say Kim's goal is to eventually pressure the United States into accepting the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. In response to North Korea's evolving nuclear threats, the United States and South Korea have been strengthening their bilateral military drills and trilateral exercises with Japan. The countries are also sharpening their nuclear deterrence strategies built around strategic US assets. In past years, North Korea has test-fired nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike sites in South Korea, Japan and the mainland US. Many experts say North Korea already possesses nuclear missiles that can reach all of South Korea and Japan, but it has yet to develop functioning intercontinental ballistic missiles that can travel to the continental US. The latest launches came days after North Korea announced Saturday it tested a super-large cruise missile warhead and a new anti-aircraft missile in a western coastal area earlier last week. In early April, North Korea also test-launched what it called a solid-fuel intermediate-range missile with hypersonic warhead capabilities, a weapon that experts say is meant to attack remote targets in the US Pacific territory of Guam and beyond. GRS GRS Kolkata, Apr 23 (PTI) Expressing displeasure over violence during the recent Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked "what is the use of conducting elections when people cannot celebrate an occasion in peace for 8 hours" and said it may propose deferment of the Lok Sabha polls in Baharampur constituency. Hearing two petitions seeking CBI and NIA probe into the clashes on April 13 and 17 in the constituency, a division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said that if two sets of people are fighting when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force, then they do not require any elected representative "because the election will cause another problem." While the court made these observations verbally during the hearing, in the written order it said that it would consider how the matter is to be probed after an affidavit on the progress of investigations into the incidents is filed by the West Bengal government. It asked the state to file the response by April 26, the next date of the hearing. The PILs were filed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) Kolkata area convenor Amiya Sarkar and the regional convenor of Muslim Rashtriya Mancha (MRM), West Bengal and Sikkim, S A Afzal. During the hearing, the bench also proposed to "make a recommendation to the Election Commission of India that when people cannot celebrate an occasion in peace for eight hours, they shall not be entitled to elect their representatives to the parliament, so that the election to Baharampur constituency shall be deferred." The court asked what is the use of conducting elections "when two sets of people are unable to reconcile themselves to a six or eight-hour programme." "If people can't live in peace and harmony, we will countermand the elections, we will say the Election Commission shall not hold parliamentary elections in this district," said the court, expressing displeasure at the events in Murshidabad. The Chief Justice said that as per news reports, around 33 programmes were held on Ram Navami in Kolkata, but there was no untoward incident. The court was informed by the petitioners that the first incident took place at Kamnagar under Beldanga police station on April 13 and the second one at Saktipur on April 17. Noting that both the petitioners were on the same page that this is the first time incidents of violence have taken place in these areas in Murshidabad on Ram Navami, the court asked whether outsiders were involved. While the VHP requested an NIA investigation, the MRM sought CBI and NIA probes into the incidents. In the order, the division bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed the West Bengal government to file a report on the next hearing in the form of an affidavit. The court said state and central investigating agencies can file their separate affidavits if they so desire. "In the instant case we find a peculiar feature that both the writ petitioners have contended that in the past there has been no violence during Ram Navami festival and this is the first time such incidents have occurred," the bench said. Appearing for the state, senior counsel Amitesh Banerjee informed the court that the state CID has taken over the investigations into the April 13 and 17 incidents. He also said that the clashes were triggered by very small incidents. The bench asked what the police were doing when the incidents took place in Murshidabad district with the MCC in force. When the state's counsel submitted that the central forces were also there, the court asked what they were doing. Appearing for the central government, Assistant Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti submitted that the central forces were on patrol and not engaged in controlling the crowd there. Shillong, Apr 23 (PTI) Three persons were arrested in connection with the gang-rape of a 26-year-old vlogger in Shillong, police said on Tuesday. A purported video of the crime went viral on WhatsApp, following which she filed a police complaint on April 20. The survivor, a gamer, has 75,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, and 1 lakh followers on Instagram. "I was drugged by my friend who also has been a gamer for a very long time. It was a gang-rape and you know I am a victim," she told a local news channel after the video went viral, which caused quite a stir on the internet. All three accused, aged between 18 and 20, were arrested from the East Jaintia Hills district, police said. East Khasi Hills district SP Rituraj Ravi told PTI that a hunt is on for the other accused persons. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been administered a "low dose" of insulin after his blood sugar level spiked, officials of Tihar jail here said on Tuesday. "Kejriwal was given two units of low dose insulin on Monday evening on the advice of AIIMS doctors", a Tihar official said. His blood sugar level reading was found to be 217 around 7 pm, following which the doctors at Tihar looking after him decided to give him the insulin, the official said. AIIMS specialists, during a video conference with the chief minister on April 20, had advised Tihar doctors that insulin could be given to him if his sugar level crosses a certain level, he added. Meanwhile, AAP sources said Kejriwal's blood sugar level had crossed 320 in Tihar. They said this is the first time that insulin has been given to him in the jail even as his sugar level had been increasing for some time. The Delhi chief minister was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government''s now-scrapped excise policy. He is lodged in Tihar jail since April 1. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Gusty winds swept the national capital as parts of Delhi received light rain on Tuesday, bringing respite to people. The weather experienced a sudden change in the evening, with the maximum temperature settling a notch below normal at 36.8 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin. It said strong winds pose a threat to plantations, horticulture and standing crops and warned that vulnerable structures and kutcha houses may suffer partial to minor damage. "Residents are urged to stay indoors, secure windows and doors and refrain from unnecessary travel. Seeking safe shelter and avoiding tree cover are recommended to mitigate risks. Stay tuned for further updates as the situation develops," the IMD said in its advisory issued before the rainfall began. "A dust storm followed by a thunderstorm with rain and gusty winds, with speeds ranging from 40 to 70 kilometres per hour, is expected to occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR within the next two hours," the weather office said. During the day, the relative humidity oscillated between 28 per cent and 66 per cent. For Wednesday, the weather office has predicted partly cloudy skies with strong winds during the day, with maximum and minimum temperatures predicted to settle around 37 and 23 degrees Celsius, respectively. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) The special cell of Delhi Police has arrested a member of Nasir gang who was wanted under the MCOC Act and for murder, police said on Tuesday. A few months ago, the city police received information about the movements of Danish Jamal in Delhi, they said. Jamal is the cousin of gangster Nasir, who is also lodged in jail under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOC) Act. Jamal, Adil and Badar were running the gang. Police said that he was arrested from Bhopal along with his associate Gaurav on April 16. After getting information, it was revealed that Jamal had been hiding in Uttar Pradesh and will be in Delhi. But later we got to know that Jamal along with Gaurav went to Bhopal. Team arrested him from Bhopal on April 16," Deputy Commissioner of Police (special cell) Pratiksha Godara said. The DCP said that Jamal has a long history of committing heinous crimes for more than 15 years and his associate Gaurav is a proclaimed offender in a murder case. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Delhi Congress' disciplinary committee on Tuesday held a meeting and left it to the AICC to decide on whether to take any action on complaints against party leader Rajkumar Chauhan. During a meeting held on Sunday at the residence of AICC Delhi in-charge Deepak Babria, a heated argument ensued between him and Chauhan, sources in the party said. According to a party statement, the disciplinary committee of Delhi Congress, under the chairmanship of Narendra Nath, unanimously decided that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) should decide on the complaint against former Delhi minister and AICC member Chauhan. It was also decided in the meeting that the committee will identify those who shouted slogans when the three Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha elections were being introduced to the media at a press conference by the Delhi Congress chief and issue show cause notice to them to maintain discipline in the party, the statement said. The committee requested the party workers of Delhi Congress to work for the victory of the Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections without indulging in any anti-party activity. On Monday, a section of Congress workers held a protest against the nomination of former BJP MP Udit Raj as the party's Lok Sabha poll candidate from North West Delhi. The protesters gathered outside the Congress office at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg and raised slogans against "outsiders" fielded by the party in the elections. The Congress is contesting the general elections in an alliance with the AAP in Delhi. As part of its seat-sharing arrangement, the Congress is contesting from three seats while the AAP has fielded candidates from four constituencies in the national capital. The Congress has fielded Jai Prakash Agarwal from Chandni Chowk, Udit Raj from North West Delhi and Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi. Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats will go to the polls in the sixth phase on May 25. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Tuesday demanded action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments at a rally in Rajasthan and sought a ban on him from contesting elections. In a statement issued here, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which had led the farmers' protests of 2020-21, said the speech made by the prime minister in Rajasthan's Banswara was "highly provocative". It also appealed to all sections of people to maintain peace against any provocation. "SKM demands prosecution of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for highly poisonous hate speech against a particular community thus, violating the respective laws for national unity and imposing a ban on him for six years from contesting election," it said. "He must be removed from the post of prime minister with immediate effect otherwise the country will face a constitutional crisis of a law-breaker holding one of the highest constitutional posts," the statement further said. It added that the "provocative speech" is aimed at "contaminating the social sphere and causing blood shed among communities", and urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance and intervene in the matter. "The highly provocative speech of the Prime Minister at Banswara in Rajasthan on 20th April 2024 indicates his total disrespect to the rule of law and abject insensitivity towards the pluralistic social fabric of our country," it said. "The Prime Minister has accused all members of the main minority group of the country as 'intruders' without any substance. It is nothing but insanity that violates the secular Constitution which ensures separation of state and religion in governance. Secularism is the fundamental feature of our successful democracy being in existence for the last 77 long years after becoming independent from the British colonial yoke," it said. The SKM also said they have been fighting for the legally-guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) at C2+50 per cent formula recommended by the M S Swaminathan Committee. However, the prime minister is trying to divert the attention of the people from how his government helps the corporate houses to "seize national wealth by looting farmers and workers". "This is an extraordinary situation hence, SKM appeals to all sections of the people to take all precautions to maintain peace and social tranquilities against any sort of provocation by the elements of vested interests inimical to the national unity and friendship and brotherhood of the people. Only the people can defeat the politics of communal division and stand firmly to safeguard secular fabrics of India," they said. While addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara, Modi on Sunday had suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would redistribute wealth to Muslims. He alleged that the Congress plans to give the people's hard-earned money and valuables to the "infiltrators" and "those who have more children". The remarks have triggered a backlash from several opposition parties, which have also slammed the Election Commission for being silent over the issue. Noida, Apr 23 (PTI) Noida was once known as "centre of corruption" but it has now transformed into "centre of business" due to efforts of the double-engine government of the BJP, senior party leader Rajnath Singh said in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday. Criminals once dominated this region in western Uttar Pradesh, even forcing people to migrate but all that has now become a thing of the past, the defence minister also said as he slammed previous non-BJP governments in the state. Singh was speaking at an election rally at Bisaha village in Greater Noida while canvassing support for BJP's Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha candidate Mahesh Sharma ahead of the April 26 voting. "You people know very well about Noida. There was a time when Noida was the centre of corruption for the politicians of Uttar Pradesh. It was said for the officers, too, that if there is any biggest centre of corruption, it is Noida," he said. "But today I can say with pride that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Noida is no longer a centre of corruption but has become a centre of business," he added. "The kind of fear that criminals had in this region, the kind of dominance they had, it was even reported that some people were migrating from here. All these are now things of the past," the BJP leader said hailing the double-engine government in the state. He said today if there is any place known not only in Uttar Pradesh but in entire India for tourism, law and order, then it is Noida. Today, as far as Uttar Pradesh is concerned, this state is not known for the criminal records but for the huge amount of investment that is coming from every corner of India and other countries of the world, the excellent law and order system, the shining expressways, he added. Singh, a former UP chief minister, also took credit for the Noida International Airport coming up in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar. "Jewar Airport is nearby here. Sisters and brothers, when I was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, I remember very well that I first went to the Government of India with the proposal of Jewar Airport," he said. "In between, other parties formed governments in Uttar Pradesh and the Jewar Airport was put off. But I really want to express my gratitude to PM Modi and CM Yogi who resolved that this land of Jewar will get the largest airport of India and today the work of Jewar Airport is progressing rapidly," Singh added. He said he does not need to go into much detail about the developments that have taken place in the state as the people know it well. He recalled that Uttar Pradesh was once counted as a poor state, but no longer so. "In a few years, you will see that our economic development will be worth 1 trillion dollars. This is no small achievement. If anyone has a fifth share in the size of the economy of the entire country, it will be Uttar Pradesh. This is not a small achievement, a miraculous thing has happened," he said. Pune, Apr 23 (PTI) The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the symbol of a trumpet-like instrument allotted to an independent candidate contesting from its stronghold, Baramati, in Maharashtra's Pune district. The NCP (SP) has claimed that the ECI has allotted a trumpet-like symbol to independent candidate Shaikh Soyalshah Yunusshah and has identified it as "tutari". The ECI has allotted "a man blowing turha" (a traditional trumpet) as the poll symbol for the NCP (SP). The complaint filed by Laxmikant Khabiya, the poll representative of the party's candidate, Supriya Sule, stated that there is a similarity in both names, which can cause confusion among voters. Khabiya submitted the complaint to the returning officer on April 20. "The symbol given to the independent candidate is a trumpet. In Marathi, it cannot be called 'tutari'. We have requested the ECI to call the symbol 'trumpet' instead of 'tutari'," he stated in the complaint. The "turha" in the NCP (SP) symbol is also called "tutari" in Marathi. It is sounded to mark the entry of important persons, ranging from kings earlier to political leaders now. Baramati will go to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 7. Baramati is the home turf of the Pawar family, and Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, has represented the constituency thrice so far and is seeking a fourth term. Sule is pitted against her sister-in-law and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra, the candidate of the NCP. The NCP is part of the Mahayuti alliance comprising the Shiv Sena and BJP. Kolkata, Apr 23 (PTI) Congress leader Binoy Tamang on Tuesday said that he would support BJP Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat candidate Raju Bista in the elections and would urge the people in the Hills to vote for the saffron party leader. Tamang, who is the general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC), said that he took this decision "independently after deep thought and realisation on all issues". "I extend my sincere support to BJP Darjeeling constituency candidate Raju Bista for constitutional security and justice for the people of Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai and Dooars," Tamang said. "I humbly request all my respected fellow citizens of Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai, my associates, supporters, well-wishers, friends, relatives, and families to cast their precious votes to the BJP candidate Raju Bista in the Lotus symbol," he said. Tamang had expressed displeasure over the Congress nominating Munish Tamang, former national president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, less than a week after he joined the grand old party. When PTI contacted Tamang, the former chairperson of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) said the Congress leadership did not consult him nor any of the party leaders in the Hills before deciding on nominating Munish Tamang as the party candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. "I am still with the Congress. But the BJP will win here. We can sense it here. We do not support Munish Tamang as none of the Congress leaders here were consulted for that," he told PTI. "To eliminate corruption and nepotism, to lead the path for constitutional justice of Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai and Dooars, please vote for Raju Bista," he urged the people of the Hills. Tamang also claimed that he has sensed a strong possibility of BJP forming the next government in West Bengal after the 2026 assembly elections here. "In this 2024 general election, the BJP government is sure to come to power at the Centre, and there is a strong possibility that the BJP government will come to power in West Bengal in 2026 as well. It is not appropriate and wise to go against the party that comes in power at the Centre and the state," he said. Tamang said that since he has dedicated his life to the people of the Hills and the Gorkha community, he would not be able to lead them to a "wrong path" but protect them. "I have taken this decision independently after deep thought and realisation on all the issues, considering the policy in principle as paramount. No one has interfered with me to take this decision, nor am I in contact with anyone," Tamanag said. Darjeeling is scheduled to go for the polls on April 26. Kannur (Kerala), Apr 23 (PTI) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's claim that some Congress leaders in the state held discussions with him about forming a regional party in the southern state cannot be disregarded as he was a former member of the grand old party and therefore, knows about its internal affairs. Vijayan said Sarma was a former Congress leader who was facing several allegations which purportedly disappeared after he joined the BJP. The Marxist veteran said according to the Assam CM, several rounds of discussions were held after which it was decided that presently no such regional party would be formed. "Not now, but later. That was the final decision. That is what we have also heard," he alleged. "Therefore, it is not a statement that can be simply rejected. It is also the reason why people do not trust the Congress," he added. Vijayan said as far as LDF candidates are concerned, people are not worried that they will switch sides, and that is why there is a wave in favour of the Left front in the state. He further said Sarma is also heard to be close to senior BJP leader Amit Shah and therefore, in all respects, the Assam CM would be aware of what is going on. "So, we need not disbelieve him (Sarma)," the Kerala CM added. Sarma on Monday had claimed that some Congress leaders in Kerala held discussions with him about forming a regional party in the southern state after breaking away from the grand old party. He had said discussions were held in Delhi, with plans for the regional party to align with the BJP for the 2026 Assembly elections in the state. However, the talks were put on hold and are likely to be resumed after the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP leader had added. Gandhinagar, Apr 23 (PTI) A Gujarati version of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls was released here on Tuesday, two weeks ahead of voting in the state, where a party candidate has already been elected unopposed. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state BJP president CR Paatil released the manifesto, which outlines the party's programmes and promises to voters. The BJP's manifesto, 'Sankalp Patra', was unveiled in New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just ahead of the first phase of polling on April 19. Along with the Gujarati translation of the pre-poll document, CM Patel and Paatil also unveiled three promotional songs praising the BJP government at the Centre and Modi. These songs will be played during the BJP's poll campaign in Gujarat where voting for 25 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats will take place on May 7 in a single phase, said a party release. On the occasion, Patel and Paatil flagged off a specially-designed vehicle, named "Modi's Guarantee Chariot", which will show short video clips and BJP's promotional songs on a large LCD screen to people. These vehicles will roam in different parts of the state ahead of the polls to inform people about the works done by the government and appeal to them to vote for the saffron party, said the release. A total of 265 candidates are in the fray in 25 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, an election official said on Monday. BJP candidate from Surat Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed on Monday. He was declared the winner from the seat after the Congress contestant's candidacy was rejected and other candidates withdrew from the race. Prominent candidates in the fray are Union Home Minister Amit Shah (Gandhinagar) and his cabinet colleagues Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar) and Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot). New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Senior advocate Adish C Aggarwala has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting several amendments in the law, including a compulsory two-year "cooling-off" period for judges to join politics. Aggarwala, who is also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), has written the letter in his personal capacity, saying that he had raised the requests to "curb the brooding threat to the independence of the judiciary". His requests also included "introducing suitable amendments in statutes to provide for the appointment of sitting judges instead of retired judges in tribunals and commissions", and "raising the retirement age of judges by three years". The letter claimed out of 21 judges who retired from the Supreme Court from 2008 to 2011, 18 judges got assignments in different commissions and tribunals. "While the present Government has not instituted this system and is following the mechanisms envisaged by statutes passed during the earlier regime, there is a crying need to amend the statutes to change the eligibility requirement from a retired judge to sitting judges or practising lawyers," it said. The 14th Law Commission of India report has recommended changes in the existing practice of offering post-retirement jobs for judges and it has been reasoned that such appointments affect judicial independence and erode the dignity and status of the judiciary, the letter claimed. Aggarwala's letter said, "I humbly submit that the services of judges should be profitably used in courts for longer tenures by raising the retirement age of Supreme Court Judges from 65 years to 68 years and that of high court Judges from 62 years to 65 years. The retirement age of judges in the district courts may be raised from 60 years to 63 years." This would help in tackling the pendency of cases and also "reduce the judiciarys expenditure burden on the taxpayers by at least twenty per cent," he said. The letter said when a judge resigned or retired and immediately joined active politics, it was likely to undermine public confidence in the judiciary's ability to dispense justice fairly. "Unfortunately, former judges venturing into the political arena has been seen on multiple occasions in India," it said. "The time is ripe for your government to consider introducing a law to debar former judges from engaging in political activities for at least two years immediately after demitting office as a cooling off period," the letter added. It said that there were certain "disgruntled elements" who raised a loud chorus when cases involving corruption by political figures were taken up. "It is the duty of every advocate to respect courts and to refrain from making statements that may scandalise the courts. Passing such comments is not only contemptuous but also against professional ethics," the letter said. Unnao (UP) Apr 23 (PTI) Three people were killed and two were injured in a collision between two motorcycles on the Lucknow-Bangarmau road in Hasanganj Kotwali area here, police said on Tuesday. They said the accident took place late Monday night near Akbarpur village. Harshvardhan Singh (20), a resident of Hasnapur, Vimlesh Gautam (20) of Sherpur and Rajkumar (25) from Lucknow were rushed to the Hasanganj Community Health Centre after the accident but were declared brought dead, SHO Chandrakant Mishra said. He added that one of the injured, Sachin, a resident of Shairpur police station in Hasanganj, was referred to the Trauma Centre of King George Medical University in Lucknow after he was given first aid. The other person injured in the incident, Vikas Saini alias Bunty from Hasnapur police station in Hasanganj, was taken by his family members to a private hospital in Mohan where he received first aid and was later discharged, SHO Mishra said. He added that the bodies of the deceased have been sent for postmortem. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Delhi Police had briefly detained an eatery owner following a complaint that he had sold biryani on disposable plates purportedly having a picture of Lord Ram on them in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri, officials said on Tuesday. During investigations, it was found that the shopkeeper had bought 1000 plates from a factory and only four of them had a picture of Lord Ram printed on them, a police officer said. "He told us that he was not aware about the Lord Ram's pic on the plates, which was also verified by the factory owners," the officer said. The matter came to the fore when the Delhi Police received a call from Jahangirpuri about the selling of biryani on plates with a picture of Lord Ram on Saturday afternoon. "When a team reached the spot, a few persons were found protesting outside the shop. They were pacified after the assurance of a proper investigation into the matter," a police officer said. The shopkeeper was detained was detained under IPC sections 107/151 (preventive detention) and later allowed to go, he said adding the plates were also seized. The officer said no case has been registered as yet and the matter is being investigated. Viewed of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Associated British Foods shares soared on Tuesday as the Primark owner forecast 'significant growth' in profits this year after a jump in first half earnings. The FTSE 100-listed retailer posted operating profit growth of 39 per cent to 951million for the 24 weeks to 2 March, as revenues ticked 5 per cent higher on a constant currency basis to 9.7billion ABF's retail business saw revenue growth of 7.5 per cent to 4.5billion, driven by higher prices and the opening of nine new Primark stores outside of the UK. Primark margins showed improvement, rising to 11.3 per cent from 8.3 per cent during the period. The group also toasted a 'good performance across most markets', noting a 'significant profitability improvement' in its grocery business 'led by US-focused brands and reduction of losses in Allied Bakeries'. The FTSE 100-listed firm revealed that its operating profit for the 24 weeks to 2 March 2024 had risen by 39 per cent to 951million The strong performance prompted the ABF board to propose an interim dividend of 20.7p, a 46 per cent jump on the same time last year. Associated British Foods shares were up 9.42 per cent to 2,742p in Tuesday morning trading. AB Foods, which also owns major sugar, grocery, agriculture and ingredients businesses, told investors it is 'on track to deliver significant growth in both profitability and cash generation ahead of expectations' this financial year. Its retail business opened nine new stores in the first half, with three in the US, three in France, two in Spain and one in Poland, contributing to 5.4 per cent of sales growth. ABF said: 'We expect Primark to continue to perform well in the second half driven by our store expansion programme and the modest levels of like-for-like growth, as we focus on driving volumes. 'While the consumer environment remains soft, we expect to benefit from the strength of our value proposition, our product relevance and category stretch and our increasingly effective digital engagement. The group plans to open four stores in Madrid alone this year, while ABF is expanding into its 16th market in the second half with its first store in Hungary. It is targeting 530 stores by the end of 2026, but has 'visibility for continued footprint expansion beyond'. ABF added: 'In sugar, we continue to expect a substantial improvement in profitability, benefitting from a more typical beet crop and production level at British Sugar and the reduced losses in Vivergo.' George Weston, chief executive of ABF, said: 'Improvements to the group's operational performance, driven by the investments and strong execution over the last few years, are now becoming visible. 'Group profit margins are recovering accordingly to more normal levels. Looking ahead, we continue to invest with discipline to build further sustainable growth. 'Geopolitical risks remain, of course, and the consumer has yet to fully emerge from cost of living pressures. But the group is well positioned to deliver good returns to shareholders.' Like many retailers, Primark has been negatively impacted by attacks from Iran-aligned Houthi militia on ships which has caused a major halt to Red Sea trade since November. The alternative shipping route around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope can add 10-14 days to a journey compared to passage via the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: 'The group is aware of potential bumps in the road ahead including, but not limited to the pressure on the consumer, geopolitical concerns, supply chain disruptions which are currently under control and the uncertainty which several general elections could bring later in the year. 'Nonetheless, the diversified nature of the AB Foods business offers some insurance against most economic outcomes, while at the centre of the current success is a Primark business which continues to flourish both home and abroad.' Claro Brazil will reportedly gain a US$7.7 billion cash injection over the next five years to upgrade fibre optic and 5G networks in Brazil. This was according to BN Americas, which reported Carlos Slim, the multi-billionaire owner of America Movil and parent company of Claro, told Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the plan last week. Attending this meeting was also America Movil Chairman Carlos Slim Domit, and Claro Brasil CEO Jose Felix and other executives from the group. Slim Helu said America Movil had invested around US$9.6 billion in Brazil in the past five years, and the South American country had become the groups main market, surpassing Mexico. BN Americas reported the company had cut back on capex in its Latin American market after completing the purchase of its share in rival Ois mobile unit and 5G spectrum. The companys capex outlay in 2023 stood at US$8.5 billion, with the target of trimming that figure down to US$7 billion this financial year. Brazils largest fixed broadband provider is Claro with 20.9% of the market, according to regulator Anatel. Malaysias Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has reportedly teased some upcoming big announcements regarding 5G developments in the next few weeks that will focus on boosting uptake in the industrial sector, among other things. According to government news agency Bernama, Fahmi said on Sunday he would meet with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday along with Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz to discuss measures to encourage more adoption of 5G services. My hope is towards the end of this month or early next month, we will have several significant and major announcements regarding the 5G network, Fahmi told reporters. The latest figures from Malaysias Ministry of Communications show that 5G penetration had reached close to 30% as of the end of January 2024. Fahmi said the talks would focus particularly on the industrial sector as stipulated in the New Industrial Master Plan, which emphasises the digital core aspect as a driver of industrial growth, the report said. That also ties into Malaysias efforts to position itself as a key destination for foreign investment for sectors like semiconductor manufacturing or data processing. Fahmi said the government needs to do more to promote 5G as part of that drive. Fahmi also said the MCMC is reviewing the 5G Rahmah package for university students to encourage more younger people to adopt 5G. Meanwhile, Bernama reports, Fahmi said the names of board members for 5G wholesale operator Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) will be announced soon. While Fahmi didnt mention it specifically, the upcoming 5G announcements might also include an update on the governments plan to launch a second 5G wholesale operator to compete with DNB later this year. Fahmis comments came after last Fridays kerfluffle over a report from Channel News Asia that claimed negotiations with mobile operators to take equity stakes DNB have stalled, in part because of concerns over DNBs alleged lack of internal transparency regarding supply tenders. DNB has firmly denied that the process to finalise the share subscription agreements (SSAs) with telcos has broken down. It also denied claims that it has not been transparent in its internal operations or tender processes. Telekom Malaysia and Maxis also issued statements saying that anonymously quoted executives who said they were skeptical on plans for a second 5G wholesale network did not represent their respective companys official position. Today Blood Drive 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 420 NE Ash St, Pullman. Visit redcrossblood.org and enter Sacred Heart to schedule an appointment, or contact the church office at (509) 332-5312. Grizzly Discussion 1:30 p.m. Lewis Alumni Center on the Washington State University campus. Professor Heiko Jansen will discuss the WSU Bear Research, Education and Conservation Center with the WSU Retirees Association. More info at bit.ly/49Jd43B. Wednesday Voting 101 for Students 5-6 p.m. ASUI Vandal Lounge on the University of Idaho campus. Panel discussion with information about voting. More info at my.lwv.org/idaho/moscow/calendar. Thursday Suds with a Scholar 6 p.m. 1912 Center in Moscow. Local historian Priscilla Wegars will speak about a little-known aspect of Moscows history: its red-light district. Presentation hosted by the Latah County Historical Society. Tickets are available at the door: $8 for LCHS members and $10 for nonmembers. Beer and other beverages available for purchase Latah County District Judge John Judge is allowing Bryan Kohbergers defense to continue asking potential jurors to participate in a survey regarding the quadruple murder case. On Friday, Judge officially lifted his previous order banning the defense from contacting prospective jurors in Latah County and other Idaho counties. Judge made his decision following two April hearings on the matter. The defense, led by public defender Anne Taylor, is preparing to argue for moving Kohbergers trial to another county in Idaho. The defense hired trial consultant Bryan Edelman to create a survey that aims to measure bias among potential jurors. Around 400 people responded to the survey. Edelman said during the April 10 hearing that the purpose of the survey is to assess what residents have read, seen or heard about the Kohberger case in the media, and their opinions on the case. He said the information that has been widely disseminated by the media. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson argued this survey violates a nondissemination order put into place last year. The order prohibits people involved in the case from publicly disseminating certain information about evidence outside the courtroom. Thompson accused Edelmans survey of including loaded questions that introduce information including false information about the case to the survey takers. Washington State Universitys Police Department is recognizing community organizations that provide support to survivors during National Crime Victims Rights Week. There were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the U.S. in 2022, according to a news release by WSU police distributed Friday. More than 6 million resulted from violent crimes including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault. Of that number, only about 42% were reported to law enforcement, according to the news release. National Crime Victims Rights Week began Monday and continues through Sunday, with the theme How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors, according to the Office for Victims of Crimes website. The RTE documentary, Murder of a GAA Chairman, on the abduction from a GAA ground and murder of Sean Brown, has provoked a strong response and added to further calls for a public inquiry into the case. Murdered locking up his GAA club in 1997, Sean Browns inquest revealed the involvement of state agents. As the UK Legacy Act shuts down cases like Seans, his family fight on, the RTE documentary explains. The show aired on Monday night on RTE and recounted the terrible sectarian killing of the late Mr Brown, and also how the family's fight for justice has been frustrated since. Many questions were raised in the documentary, including the fact that there were up to 25 suspects, many of whom were State Agents. The esteemed chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA Club, Sean Brown fell victim to a brutal act of violence that shook the foundation of the community. At 11:25pm, Sean Brown was ambushed by members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) as he locked up the gates to the training ground. He was abducted, beaten, and shot six times in the head. He was found next to his burning car the following morning in Randalstown, Co. Antrim. The perpetrators fled the scene, leaving behind a trail of devastation that would scar a community for decades to come. Within two days of Sean Browns murder, the RUC said the LVF was responsible, but almost three decades later, no one has been charged. The passage of the Troubles Legacy Act, which becomes law on May 1st, has drawn widespread condemnation from victims' families, and opposition from the Irish Government, the European Union, the United Nations, and all the main political parties in the North. Aspects of the laws include a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operate with the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). On April 11th, the UK government announced it is taking legal action over the inquest into Sean Brown's death. Despite a coroner's request for a public inquiry into Sean's death, the UK government has chosen to challenge the decision by the Coroner to disclose to the family that intelligence had identified 25 suspects in the murder and that several of those suspects were State Agents. Seans death sent shockwaves throughout every GAA club in Ireland. A childhood friend, Seamus Heaney was heartbroken. Upon hearing the news, he sent a fax to the Irish News to make plain Sean Browns goodwill and integrity. Only one year earlier, Heaney had shared a stage with Sean at a cross-community event Brown had organised at the club to celebrate the poets Nobel Prize win. Despite the decades long campaign by Seans family, no one has been brought to account for this crime, however failings in the police investigation have been exposed. Tonight Murder of a GAA Chairman airs on @RTEOne at 9:35pm It examines the investigation into our late chairman Sean Browns murder and how the Brown family has been left campaigning for truth behind unanswered questions. pic.twitter.com/GehP9XjYmx Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAC (@BellaghyGAC) April 22, 2024 RIP Sean Brown. You were an amazing gentleman and were the epitome of all that is great about @officialgaa May your legacy continue to inspire your family, the club @BellaghyGAC and in the wider GAA tribe.I hope & pray that justice is realised for you and your family. #GAA pic.twitter.com/g6KL8wbKyw Enda McNulty (@Enda_McNulty) April 22, 2024 You can view the Murder of a Chairman documentary on the RTE Player here See further social media reaction below... We cannot thank Trevor and his production team enough for the incredible work they have put in to produce such an emotive documentary to tell the story of my father Sean Brown. For anyone who is not familiar with his case this is essential viewing https://t.co/i8u8IkiGA6 Clare Loughran (@loughran_clare) April 16, 2024 Justice for Sean Brown. His family are a credit what they've went through the last 27 years is an absolute disgrace . pic.twitter.com/gU3SOxJM62 Brendan Kearney (@fringe888) April 22, 2024 Great to have work with @FPF_Docs and in particular the family of Sean Brown on this @rte documentary. The Brown family have been working on this for 27 years. Tune in tonight. https://t.co/SpsAzCyX7e Sean Mullan (@5seanmullan) April 22, 2024 The mother of a child who was hospitalised twice due to severe head lice which left her with matted hair that took weeks to untangle has been given a suspended sentence. The 57-year-old Dublin woman had a meltdown in the summer of 2018 and took off to the UK for a period of time, leaving her then 15-year-old daughter home alone with 100 for food, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. The girl, whose hair was badly matted with headlice when she was discovered by her father, later told social workers her summer had been sad and annoying. She did not leave her room or shower for two months and reported that she was often hungry. The woman, who can't be named to protect the anonymity of the child, pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect on dates between 2013 and 2018, when the girl was aged between nine and 15. A local detective garda told Emmet Nolan BL, prosecuting, that the child's parents separated when she was young. When visiting her father in 2014, then aged nine, he noticed that her hair was badly matted and that she had headlice. He took steps to treat the lice. Over the next few years, the girl regularly suffered with headlice. The court heard that the father discussed the issue with the mother, who said she was unable to get the girl to wash her hair. On other occasions, the woman did buy headlice shampoo and engaged in treating her daughter's hair. However, the girl was hospitalised as she reached her teenage years and missed considerable amounts of school as a result of the headlice and related severe rashes. In August 2018, the father visited his daughter at home and found her in her darkened bedroom hunched over her laptop with a hooded top covering her hair. The room was stuffy and smelly, with old food and cat faeces present. There was a strong odour coming from the girl, and when the father pulled down her hood, he saw her hair was completely matted, with headlice crawling on her face and on her hoodie. The mother was in the UK at this time, the court heard. The man immediately bought headlice products and started trying to deal with the girl's hair. Tusla was contacted but the father was told it was unable to assist. He also got in touch with the girl's school and her doctor, with the girl again being hospitalised for bites on her skin. The court heard the girl's hair was rock solid with lice and eggs. Each strand took five hours to untangle and treat and the court heard it took three weeks to completely untangle it. A headlice expert who was called in to help reported finding between 900 and 1000 headlice in the girl's head. The girl went to live with her father and the woman was arrested at a later date at her home address. Tusla eventually got involved with the family and the girl told social workers that her mother and other female relatives spent the summer getting drunk in the house. She said they were noisy, often drinking vodka until 4am in the morning. The court heard the girl was pale and thin at the time, as well as having matted hair. She said she hadn't showered for a period of two months and she was struggling to sleep because of the noise. She said her summer had been sad and annoying and there was often no food in the house. When questioned by gardai, the woman admitted there was no shower facilities available for the girl. She said the girl didn't like school and used the lice as an excuse not to go. Defence counsel said the woman left for the UK that summer because she was having a meltdown and couldn't cope. She said she left 100 for the child for food. Sentencing the woman today (Tuesday April 23), Judge Martin Nolan said people have an obligation to care for their children. It is a moral obligation as well as a legal obligation, he said. In this case, (the mother) breached both her moral obligation to care for her child and she committed a criminal offence by not doing so. The judge said he felt this was cruelty by omission, rather than commission. She had an obligation to make sure her child was healthy, fed properly, cared for properly, groomed properly. She had an obligation to ensure her child attended school. I don't think she fulfilled any of these obligations. The judge went on to say he believed the woman was not a bad person, but rather was unable to cope at the time. He handed down a sentence of two and a half years which he suspended in full. The court heard the girl's relationship with her mother has since improved and she is now doing remarkably well considering. The family of the young girl who was seriously injured in an attack on Parnell Square last November have shared the latest "huge achievements" she has reached in her recovery. The update was shared on the verified GoFundMe set up in the five-year-old girl's name this Tuesday, April 23. "Great milestones for our little big warrior - she has started on feeds now (not orally yet) and moving her arms a good bit," the family shared. "She is enjoying her Irish lessons with the Hospital School," they continued, sharing that the child also "loves watching Paddington 1 and 2 for laughs". In an update shared on March 4, the family said that doctors were hoping to reintroduce food "into our darling daughter's day" over the next few weeks after "some serious tummy issues". In a later update, posted on April 4, they thanked the public for "all the love sent our way", and clarified that "our little girl is still in hospital and has no set date for her discharge". The five-year-old was one of three children who, along with their carer, were injured in a multiple stabbing at Colaiste Mhuire, Parnell Square in November 2023. A man in his 50s, Riad Bouchaker, has been charged in relation to the attack. The two other children, aged five and six, and Leanne Flynn, their carer, have all since been released from hospital. Gardai are currently at the scene of a fatal road traffic collision involving a van and a motorcycle that occurred shortly before 6pm on Tuesday, April 23, at Ballinahina at White's Cross in County Cork. The motorcyclist (male, 20s) was pronounced deceased at the scene. No other serious injuries to persons was reported. The road is currently closed and is expected to remain closed overnight and into Wednesday morning with local diversions in place as Forensic Collision Investigators conduct an examination of the scene. Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the Ballinahina area between 5:45pm and 6:10pm this Tuesday are asked to make this footage available to Gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Watercourse Road Garda Station on 021 4558260, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. This is the second incident in recent days where a motorcyclist has lost their life on Cork roads. Niall Murphy of Wilton Road in Cork, died in a motorbike crash as he was driving home from watching Highfield RFC play against Tipperary on Sunday, April 21. Mr Murphy, a father of three, in his 60s, who has been remembered as "an absolute gent", suffered fatal injuries after a single vehicle collision, which occurred on the R579 Banteer to Nad road in Cork. Dothan City Schools (DCS) honored Adra Franklin of Kelly Springs Elementary School as the April Employee of the Month at Dothan City Board of Educations April meeting. Franklin, secretary of Kelly Springs Elementary School, has served in Dothan City Schools for two years. She was nominated by Kelly Springs Principal Monica Montalvo. Mrs. Franklin is one of the first people that parents and students see when entering the school. She greets everyone with a warm smile and sometimes even hugs, said Montalvo. She is usually in the hallways getting involved in the work of the school. From covering classes when needed to co-sponsors a few clubs, she helps anyone in need. Many of the young ladies at the school view her as a mentor, and they come to the office when they need words of encouragement or just a shoulder to cry on. She is the epitome of an all around employee that is not defined by her title. She gets involved in every aspect of the school, Montalvo said. Franklin is a co-sponsor of the Peer Helpers and the Student Government Association, and sponsors The Rising Eagle Club, which caters to students who are struggling with challenging behaviors. Franklin teaches them alternative behaviors and strategies for dealing with their feelings and emotions. Franklin also helps with the school Programs Committee. She helps to plan, coordinate, and put on every program at the school. She has a gift of communicating with people in a way that they are willing to listen. She is a blessing to our school community, says Montalvo. Franklin was given a plaque for her recognition as well as a gift certificate to The Cellar. Now, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) can effortlessly collect payments directly from their customers bank accounts and seamlessly reconcile them in QuickBooks when theyre due. This means no more fretting over late payments, lost credit card details, or chasing manual payments. Bank payment company GoCardless has unveiled an integration with Intuit QuickBooks, a prominent financial management software, in Australia. Through the new GoCardless app, now accessible in the Intuit QuickBooks Store, Australian QuickBooks users can utilize Direct Debit services to streamline payments, thereby minimizing delays and enhancing cash flow. This development comes as a boon for small and medium-sized businesses grappling with lengthy payment cycles, with reports indicating an average waiting period of up to 47 days for payment, as highlighted by the Australian Governments Payment Times Reporting Regulator. The GoCardless integration will allow Intuit QuickBooks small business users to gain greater control of their finances. On the date an invoice is due, payments are automatically collected directly from their customers bank accounts and reconciled on the Intuit Quickbooks platform. Direct Debit payments also cost less to process when compared to payment by credit cards. GoCardlesss standard fees are generally also cheaper than those charged by Stripe and PayPal. In turn, small businesses can offer their customers more secure and seamless payment experiences, removing the hassle of updating expired, lost or stolen card details and the need to initiate manual bank transfers. For small businesses, this reduces the risk of customer churn, late payments and failed payments. With SMBs typically waiting up to 47 days to receive payment, and recent GoCardless research revealing that 20% of SMBs lose between $6-$30K annually due to late payments, this integration couldnt come at a better time. As SMBs face an unprecedented insolvency crisis, with insolvencies surging by 22.6% in a year according to CreditorWatch, this integration is critical. Small Business Minister Julie Collins has even proposed reforms to the Payment Times Reporting Act to help SMBs get paid faster. The urgency of the issue is evident in the findings of GoCardless new Pursuing Payments Report. The report highlights that over half (55%) of SMBs fear an increase in late-paying customers due to rising living costs. Moreover, 43% of business leaders report increased personal stress levels from avoiding money conversations with customers, while over 70% agree that chasing late payments from multiple customers simultaneously is a nightmare. Given these challenges, 65% of business leaders express interest in adopting technology to alleviate the burden of chasing late payments. Seb Hempstead, VP of Partnerships at GoCardless, said: Our integration with Intuit QuickBooks is one way we can make life easier for small businesses in this tough economic environment. By reducing late and failed payments, plus the associated admin, and enabling automatic reconciliation, we can free up cash flow and keep costs down. This means that SMBs can spend more time growing their business. Lars Leber, VP and Country Manager Intuit QuickBooks Australia said: We are excited to expand our international relationship with GoCardless to Australia. Our goal is always to make the lives of QuickBooks customers easier. Through this integration, businesses can put time back into other areas of their business that were previously dedicated to bookkeeping and chasing payments, while customers will not have to worry about their service expiring when their card does. With GoCardless, we are providing efficient solutions tailored for small businesses. This regional integration builds on the existing relationship between GoCardless and Intuit QuickBooks in the United Kingdom. Along with launching a new app in Australia, GoCardless has also introduced an app on the Intuit QuickBooks Marketplace in North America. Aussie customers can now find the GoCardless app in the Intuit Quickbooks Store. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sydney is gearing up to join the ranks of global climate leaders like London and New York with its first-ever Climate Action Week Sydney (CAW.SYD), scheduled from May 13-19. The event aims to unite various stakeholders, including community groups, businesses, students, and researchers, to discuss and advance climate action initiatives in the city and across Australia. Climate Action Week Sydney will see community organisations, climate start-ups, research institutions, students, investors, NGOs, Corporate Australia and the broader community come together to explore how Sydney and Australia can accelerate climate action. The week of events, which is supported by the City of Sydney, Greenhouse and Boundless, will provide a platform for individuals, organisations and businesses to host climate action talks, art exhibitions, movie screenings, and interactive shows across greater Sydney in a bid to elevate the citys role in global climate action. The event also aims to support ongoing climate conversation and action that delivers impact. Organisers are aiming to attract thousands of people to events all over the city with Climate Action Week Sydney inviting submissions from organisations, academic institutions, businesses and people interested in hosting an event or volunteering at CAW.SYD. Seventy-five events are already locked in with a diverse range of organisations including the Smart Energy Council, the University of NSW (UNSW), the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), KPMG, The Australian Computer Society, Womens Environmental Leadership Australia, The Australian Climate Leaders Coalition, WWF Australia, The Australian Museum, and Greenhouse Climate Tech Hub among the community organisations, climate technology start-ups and individuals hosting events during Climate Action Week Sydney. Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore AO said: Climate change is an existential threat and the most serious issue of our time. About 75 per cent of global emissions are generated by cities, so climate action at a city level is critical. At the City of Sydney, climate action is our key priority. We were the first major city in Australia to declare a climate emergency, we became carbon neutral in 2007 and 100 per cent of electricity in our operations comes from renewable sources. We met our original goal to reduce emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 nine years ahead of schedule and have now committed to net zero emissions across our entire local government area by 2035. Through electrification, active transport projects, city greening and collaboration with businesses and residents, were striving to make our City more resilient and sustainable. We are proud to lead by example and encourage action from other governments with ambitious targets and policies, advocacy, and achievements, said Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO. Mark Rowland, Chief Collaboration Officer at climate tech hub Greenhouse a supporting partner of Climate Action Week Sydney, said: Climate Action Week Sydney is for the community, by the community. Its an opportunity for people and organisations across Sydney to come together to inspire and take stronger climate action. Addressing climate change requires urgent action. Our beautiful city, way of life and economy is at risk of more frequent and severe bushfires, floods and storms, as well as ongoing coastal erosion as the climate continues to warm. Sydney is also home to an ecosystem of leaders, innovators and passionate people who can help tackle climate change. Climate Action Week Sydney is about harnessing the collective energy of our community to educate and inspire action that helps create a better future for us all. We encourage everyone to get involved, said Mr Rowland. Richie Merzian, International Director for the Smart Energy Council, who will headline a Climate Action Week event focusing on the opportunity for Sydney to host the 2026 global UN climate change talks said: Climate Action Week Sydney comes at a crucial time for our climate and our region. If the world is to transition at the speed and scale needed to address the climate crisis, we need the community coming together to demand greater action from all. Climate Action Week Sydney will explore, for the first time, a vision for Sydney as potential host for the worlds most important international climate meeting in 2026. An unprecedented opportunity that can transform not just the city, but the nation and the Asia-Pacific region, said Mr Merzian. Highlights of the week-long program of events currently include: a CAW.SYD opening day event at Town Hall (Monday 13 May) a tour of an urban farm in Rosebery see images here a tentpole event at Customs House focused on Sydneys bid to host COP31, hosted by the Smart Energy Council the premiere of feature-length documentary Antarctica the Giant Awakens, directed by award-winning director Liz Courtney a urban food dinner and sustainable food panel at Field+Fin in Marrickville an interactive, family-friendly event hosted by Parents for Climate aiming to engage families in climate action a community event, featuring speakers from Bushfire Survivors For Climate Action and Renewable Cobargo, about how stories can help us rebuild for a better future, hosted by the Australian Museum and Nature Conservation Council a hands-on workshop for small businesses to learn how to measure their carbon footprint, hosted by The B Corp Climate Collective. To find out more about Climate Action Week Sydney or to order tickets go to www.caw.sydney. To register your interest in hosting an event, sponsoring or volunteering at CAW.SYD, go to www.caw.sydney/get-involved. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Only two buyers bid in first gold auction in 11 years A person holds a gold bar at a shop in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Only two companies made bids and bought 20% of the gold bars the State Bank of Vietnam offered to sell on Tuesday in its first gold auction in 11 years. The buyers were state-owned gold producer and distributor Saigon Jewelry Company and lender ACB, a source told VnExpress. They bought a total of 3,400 taels out of the 16,800 that the central bank offered for sale. A tael equals 37.5 grams or 1.2 ounces. The transaction prices were slightly above the minimum set at the auction, with the gold being bought for VND81.33 million and VND81.32 million per tael, against a base price of VND81.30 million. Six other banks and three other gold distributors participated in the auction but did not make bids. They are VPBank, HDBank, Techcombank, Eximbank, MSB, Sacombank, DOJI, Phu Nhuan Jewelry and Phu Quy. Huynh Trung Khanh, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Gold Traders Association, said that gold bar buyers will sell directly to consumers and will sell in bulk to other businesses. Few banks sell gold and therefore they are not likely to make bids, he added. On the market gold bar price fell 1.13% to VND82.5 million per tael as of 4:09 p.m. A woman uses a water bottle to counter water pistols as people celebrate the Songkran holiday which marks the Thai New Year in Bangkok, Thailand, April 13, 2023. Photo by Reuters The number of Covid infections in Thailand has increased after Songkran celebrations as the JN.1 strain remains dominant in the country, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC) of Thailand. There were 1,004 new reported Covid inpatients, a daily average of 143 new cases, and three deaths in the week ending April 20, DDC Director-General Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn was quoted by local media as saying. The deceased were in the risk group covering elderly people, those with chronic diseases, and pregnant women. Besides many parties and gatherings during Songkran festivities, Dr. Thongchai said Covid inpatient cases rose because patients mostly showed mild symptoms similar to flu and were unaware of their infection, and therefore did not isolate themselves. The JN.1 subvariant of Covid's Omicron variant is still the dominant strain in Thailand. Since the first case of the JN.1 strain was confirmed in Thailand late last year, there are no indicators that it will cause more severe symptoms than the Omicron variant, Dr. Thongchai said, citing Department of Medical Sciences data. Those infected with the JN.1 strain will have symptoms similar to those of ordinary respiratory illnesses, such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, and a runny nose, the DDC head added. April 22, 2024 | 03:00 pm PT The escalating fine dust levels in Hanoi, particularly concerning PM2.5 particles, have prompted urgent calls for action, including a potential ban on private vehicles. This perspective is supported by a series of comments from concerned readers. Reader Hello emphasized the necessity of immediate action: "We should gradually ban motorbikes and limit gasoline cars moving in the inner city as soon as possible. Along with that, we can adopt other measures to prevent dust caused by construction and burning. There must be many solutions and strong handling of violations, otherwise fine dust pollution will become more and more serious and sicken a lot of people." Mr. Hung highlighted the problem of imported vehicles not meeting emission standards: "When there is no means to replace motorbikes yet, the authorities should at least ban any vehicles that do not meet emissions standards, big cars, small cars, whatever. In Vietnam, I see that people are importing a lot of vehicles discarded overseas (from tractors, dump trucks, to motor vehicles). If there are no measures to control the amount of these old vehicles, the emission situation will get worse." Drawing from international examples, reader Jimmynguyentritin pointed to China's efforts: "China once faced the same air pollution problem as Vietnam. After that, the government issued a series of strict policies such as: banning motorbikes, increasing taxes on gasoline cars, giving incentives for electric vehicles, relocating factories away from the city... As a result, the air quality in cities in China has significantly improved. More than 80% of vehicles in this country are electric vehicles, and public transportation is also powered by electricity (from taxis, trains, to buses)." Reader Dao Duy Thieu also suggested prioritizing electric vehicles: "Electric vehicles are definitely a trend of the future that we cannot reverse because of their smoke-free, dust-free, noise-free characteristics... Therefore, there needs to be special support policies for the development of electric vehicles in terms of price, infrastructure, charging posts, battery exchange... The clearest example showing the positive impact of electric vehicles on Vietnamese people is the electric bus." Press Release April 23, 2024 CHIZ: TENSION WITH CHINA SHOULD NOT AFFECT PHL-SINO TIES Senator Chiz Escudero on Tuesday (April 23) said that the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China must be insulated from any tension arising from the territorial dispute and reported influx of Chinese students in Cagayan province. Escudero made the statement in the light of the supposed rise in the number of Chinese students in Cagayan's higher education institutions (HEIs). It was also a response to civil leader Teresita Ang-See's criticism of what she termed as "unfounded accusations" of student spies in the region. Ang-See said that the claims about Chinese student spies in Cagayan is full of "Sinophobia and racism." She also highlighted that while neighboring countries go the extra mile to attract Chinese tourists and students, the Philippines deters them from visiting by displaying overt racism and racial profiling. In his statement, the veteran legislator conveyed his understanding and inclination to agree with the perspective of civic leader Teresita Ang-See. "I understand and see where Ms. See is coming from and I tend to agree," Escudero said. "The political differences and/or wrangling between states and governments should not affect the individual nationals of both countries absent clear and convincing evidence that the national's actions are government driven/dictated." "As I have said many times over, the territorial dispute between China, the Philippines and other ASEAN countries should not deter nor affect economic, cultural, educational, and other forms of exchanges," Escudero added. The Senator further said both countries should strengthen economic and political relations by collaborating on the other areas of their bilateral relations. "We should emphasize the things that we agree on instead of those that we disagree on, much less disagreeing on something that, on its face, is not even disagreeable per se," he stressed. "Quite frankly, it serves us and our economy well if we are able to attract 'foreign student dollars' instead of sending our teachers abroad to teach there - away from their families and spending 'teacher dollars' outside the Philippines," the senator said. Earlier, Escudero urged Professor Dexter Cabalza, who alleged that Chinese students pays P2 million to obtain a diploma or degree in some universities in Cagayan (Region II), should file a complaint before the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) about the issue. "A complaint is necessary, I believe, as this is an 'academic freedom' issue that can have a serious push back against government regulators with oversight function over tertiary schools," Escudero said. The United States renews its call on Libyan political leaders to commit to participate in the UN-facilitated talks, said Ambassador Robert Wood, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations. We continue to believe that a political agreement is crucial to unlocking a viable process towards long-overdue elections, and we firmly support UNSMILs [United Nations Support Mission in Libya] efforts to find creative ways to get the main powerbrokers to the table. We reiterate that those who continue to delay the process hold a heavy share of the blame as yet more time passes without the election of a legitimate, unified government, stressed Ambassador Wood. On the economic front, increasing instability, evidenced by the recent drop in the value of the Libyan dinar, continues to fuel the countrys deepening political divisions. To ensure the provision of essential services to the Libyan people and an equitable distribution of revenues, it is important that Libya produce a unified budget and take steps to stabilize the currency, said Ambassador Wood. Progress toward military unification is key to reaffirming Libyan sovereignty and preventing Libya from becoming enmeshed in regional conflict, said Ambassador Wood. We are closely monitoring the situation in Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Mali including the movement of foreign fighters and rampant arms trafficking and its destabilizing implications for Libya. In February, the Security Council called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries from Libya, noted Ambassador Wood. We remain particularly concerned by the activities of the Russia-backed Wagner Group, a transnational criminal organization with no regard for Libyas sovereignty or that of its neighbors. We extend that concern to efforts to consolidate Wagner personnel into Russias Africa Corps. Turning to sanctions, Ambassador Wood expressed concern about the increase in violations of the arms embargo and illicit oil export embargo, which has necessitated a greater number of interdictions by Operation IRINI, and EU naval effort to monitor and disrupt illicit activities off the coast of Libya. We encourage other Member States to support and inform efforts to implement the arms and oil embargoes, said Ambassador Wood. Violators are complicit in the deteriorating political, security, and humanitarian situation in Libya. The United States remains committed to using sanctions to deter threats to peace and stability in Libya. Deadly gunfire in broad daylight claims the life of another local resident. Last year at this date on the calendar the homicide count numbered 51 in a record-breaking year for killing. Here is the first report and TV news follow-up . . . Homicide 2700 block of Quincy This afternoon just after 4:00 PM officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of Quincy on a reported shooting. Upon arrival officers located a male victim in the street suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers performed life saving measures and EMS simultaneously responded. EMS transported the victim to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary investigation revealed the victim to be in their late teens or early 20s. Detectives and crime scene investigators are canvassing the area to gather any information about what led up to the incident. If anyone has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline. We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ################ Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . 1 fatally shot Monday afternoon in east Kansas City, Missouri One person died Monday afternoon after being shot in the 2700 block of Quincy Avenue in east Kansas City, Missouri. KCPD responding to homicide in 2700 block of Quincy The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is investigating a homicide in the 2700 block of Quincy. Kansas City police investigating deadly shooting on Quincy Avenue, E. 27th Street Kansas City police are on the scene of a deadly shooting at East 27th Street and Quincy Avenue. Developing . . . Once again, let's start with defining terms: Merriam-Webster (verb): To retreat from or distance oneself from (a previously stated opinion or position) And so, we notice . . . Social media debate isn't working for Mayor Q after a recent quote sparked opposition from elected officials across Missouri. It seems that newspaper support also isn't helping Mayor Q. And so . . . MAYOR Q'S TEAM RECRUITS TV NEWS TO HELP WALK BACK MAYOR Q'S MIGRANT OPEN INVITE GONE HORRIBLY WRONG!!! Here's a peek at two local stations helping the city hall honcho add more "context" to comments that did significant harm to the Mayor's image, political future and popularity . . . Check-it: What were saying is if youve gone through that work permit, youve worked with the Department of Homeland Security, and you are lawfully present here in the United States, then you know what, we want to welcome you, Mayor Quinton Lucas said on X. We want to make sure theres a way to find work in our community. More Deets . . . Opponents argue the mayors idea is illegal. Lucas has repeatedly used the word "migrant" to describe the people hes interested in bringing to Kansas City. A migrant is someone who moves locations in search of work. Any time you mention migration or migrants, you see issues and Ive seen videos of people coming across the southern border that is not what Im talking about or what Kansas City is talking about, Lucas told KSHB 41 News last week. What we are talking about is those who are lawfully present here having an opportunity to work, having an opportunity to be part of our community. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Defining terms of KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas' migrant concept What is a migrant, an immigrant and a sanctuary city? KSHB 41 News takes a closer look after Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas announced a proposal to bring migrants to the city. Kansas City leaders speak out after Mayor Q's call for 'lawfully present' migrants More officials have spoken out since Mayor Quinton Lucas called on immigrants to head toward Kansas City to help with an ongoing labor shortage. Developing . . . Conservatives & a surprising number of loyal Democratic Party denizens have expressed frustration with Mayor Q's surprise invitation to migrants reportedly draining resources in New York City in order solve an alleged local labor shortage. Accordingly . . . CHECK DEAD-TREE MEDIA DEFENSE OF MAYOR Q AGAINST OVERWHELMING CRITICISM & LEGAL THREATS!!! Sadly . . . We're familiar with all of the arguments in support of immigration but the newspaper not only FAILS to address chaos at the border noted by a bipartisan contingent of lawmakers BUT ALSO dismisses legit concerns from local lawmakers about costs and priorities for KCMO government. Here's the basics of the argument and more info . . . "Of course, those new migrant workers will initially require some assistance with housing, job training and language services. That will cost money. Lucas has admitted as much. Thats why Bailey complained about the social safety net of large American cities being overwhelmed. "Kansas Citians should consider the expense an investment. "Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that migrants benefit the American economy. And because immigrants are younger than the U.S. population at large, they can shore up a workforce diminished by a growing number of retirements. Theyre even helping keep Social Security solvent. "Of course, that information might not be convincing if you believe as Bailey suggested that undocumented migrants are responsible for an untold number of crimes against native-born American citizens. "The problem? There is no evidence thats true . . . " Actually, for even the most neutral and open-minded people that's up for debate . . . Here are links from both sides of the issue: NPR: Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans, studies find NBC: Trump's claims of a migrant crime wave are not supported by national data Heritage Foundation: Increased Illegal Immigration Brings Increased Crime: Almost 2/3 of Federal Arrests Involve Noncitizens Axios: Salt Lake City mayor pushes back on claims that illegal border crossings spiked drug crime Fox News: House Republicans demand new study on possible link between 'uncontrolled immigration' and crime Washington Examiner: Eric Adams believes some immigrants entering NYC are committing crimes Sadly . . . This newspaper op/ed isn't about migrants, illegal immigration or public policy. It's cheap political tribute to this cowtown's current boss. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . In this compilation for morning readers we hope to offer a quick overview of pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Home Team Losing Streak Starts Singer disappoints in latest outing, and also the Royals lose to the Blue Jays 3 days later The Tortured Pitchers Department Deadly Gunfire In The Dotte 1 man shot to death Monday night outside a Kansas City, Kansas, store One man is dead and the search is on for a suspect after a Monday night shooting in the parking lot of a store in Kansas City, Kansas. Northeast Investigation Death investigation at St. John and Topping | Northeast News Kansas City, MO Police officers are at St. John and Topping on a check the welfare call. A neighbor notified police that the owner of the old shoe shop on... Lawyer Opts Out 'How many people has she done this to?' Lamonte McIntyre after former prosecutor surrenders law license Terra Morehead, a former Wyandotte County prosecutor and retired assistant U.S. attorney in Kansas, voluntarily surrendered her law license following a history of ethical problems. Tragic Old School Case Redux Sedgwick County District Court judge denies new sentencing hearing for Carr brothers It's the latest step in a long, winding judicial process since the brothers were convicted of a series of robberies, assaults and murders in Wichita more than 20 years ago. Both are on death row. Show-Me Jeff City Push Back Dean Plocher mum on allegations he obstructed ethics probe, pressured witnesses * Missouri Independent Dean Plocher had little to say Sunday about the ethics investigation that has hung over his final year as speaker of the Missouri House. Prez Against Progressive Haters Biden condemns "antisemitic protests" and "those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians" Protesters have been arrested at Columbia and Yale as they've refused to move, calling for a break from Israel. MAGA Awakens Rousing a sleeping giant: Trump perks up as testimony begins in hush money trial Analysis: After frequently closing his eyes through the rote legal procedure, Trump focused more intently on the other key players in the room once opening statements began. GOP Divided 'NYET': New York Post Trolls 'Moscow' Marjorie Taylor Greene In Russian The far-right Republican received a Russian makeover from the conservative tabloid. Love For Labor Lost?!? What the Starbucks case at the Supreme Court is all about. Hint: It's not coffee Starbucks and some of its baristas have been in a contentious fight over unionizing since 2021. Now, the Supreme Court is hearing a case that could have implications for unions far beyond Starbucks. Inferno Across State Line One person killed following fire at KCK halfway house Neighbors woke up concerned, seeing flames outside their windows. Courthouse Tech Check 'It's been a real headache': Jackson County residents continue to voice frustration as walk-ins reopen Jackson County residents expressed frustration Monday morning at the Truman Courthouse as the county prepared to resume walk-in services following weeks of closure due to a ransomware attack. Kangaroo Claim To Fame 'I'm ready to be known as Taylor Swift's trainer,' says KC native, UMKC grad to Vogue "Taylor is the most resilient person I have ever met," says her personal trainer Kirk Myers, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. April Showers Cont'd FORECAST: FIRST WARN in place for the weekend, potential stormy weather After a dry and windy start to the week, we are tracking numerous rain and thunderstorm chances late week and into the weekend. Taylor Swift - The Manuscript is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. A man wanted in connection with the disappearance of a Richmond Hill woman from a Wasaga Beach home is now counted among Canadas 25 most wanted. The Ontario Provincial Police issued an arrest warrant for Deshawn Davis, 35, of Toronto, in March 2023, in connection to the disappearance of Elnaz Hajtamiri. The then-37-year-old Hajtamiri was staying at the Wasaga Beach home of a relative when she was abducted on Jan. 12, 2022 by three individuals who claimed they were police officers there to arrest her. It is alleged she was dragged to a waiting vehicle, believed to be a white Lexus RX sport utility vehicle, and has not been seen since. Her former boyfriend, Mohamad Lilo, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to her disappearance, with his case still before the courts. On April 23, the Bolo Program (Be On the Lookout) announced it had put Davis at No. 11 on the countrys list of most wanted individuals Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the OPP immediately at 1-888-310-1122, or through the dedicated tip line at 1-833-728-3415. According to a news release, the Bolo Program leverages social media, technology and innovative engagement to encourage citizens to be on the lookout for Canada's most wanted. A new initiative on Bolos website, called the Bolo Lineup, is also offering a $10,000 travel voucher and additional prizes aimed at incentivizing Canadians to be on the lookout for the wanted fugitives, according to a news release from the OPP. A $100,000 reward, issued jointly by the OPP and York Regional Police, is available to anyone who brings forward information that leads to Hajtamiri's whereabouts. The OPP Criminal Investigation Branch continues its investigation into her disappearance. A plane in southern China was delayed for almost three hours because a woman refused to sit upright. The flight was about to take off when this happened. The woman said she needed to lie down because of a medical issue. China Flight Delayed Due to Passenger's Medical Condition On a recent flight scheduled to depart from southern China, a unique situation caused a significant delay. A passenger, a woman, insisted on lying across several seats instead of sitting upright in her assigned seat as the plane was preparing to take off. According to the South China Morning Post, she claimed that a medical condition necessitated her reclining position, which led to a delay of 175 minutes as the crew attempted to resolve the issue. The incident started when flight attendants asked all passengers to adjust their seats to the upright position, a standard procedure for takeoff. However, the woman did not comply, explaining her health concerns prevented her from sitting up. The flight crew tried to assist her and sought alternative solutions, but were unable to accommodate her needs without further delaying the flight. This delay affected not only the schedule of the plane departing from China but also the travel plans of many other passengers on board. Some passengers expressed frustration as they had connecting flights and important events that they would now miss or be severely late to. The airline, after lengthy discussions, eventually managed to commence the flight nearly three hours behind schedule. They apologized to the affected passengers and explained that the safety and well-being of all passengers are their top priorities. Taiwan Responds to China's New Flight Paths in Taiwan Strait Meanwhile, Taiwan has vowed to continue managing the airspace around its territory after China initiated two new flight paths over the Taiwan Strait. These actions by China have raised concerns about air safety near Taiwan. On April 18, the Civil Aviation Administration of China declared the opening of two eastbound routes, W122 and W123, which connect to the M503 flight path. The M503, which was first created in 2015 without Taiwan's agreement, runs vertically through the middle of the Taiwan Strait towards the Chinese cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen. As per Focus Taiwan, China also removed a previously agreed adjustment to the M503 path on February 1. This adjustment had shifted the route 11 kilometers westward after a 2015 agreement between Taipei and Beijing, to keep it away from the central line of the strait. Taiwan's aviation authorities are worried because these new paths are too close to Kinmen and Matsu islands, which are governed by Taiwan but located near China's Fujian province. These islands are linked to Taiwan by many daily flights. Taiwan plans to keep reminding planes using these new paths that they must get permission from Taiwan before using them. This measure is to avoid these paths becoming a permanent route without Taiwan's consent. Such steps are similar to Japan's practices near the Senkaku Islands, where they document Chinese activities to assert their rights. The United States has reimposed oil and gas sanctions on Venezuela after President Nicolas Maduro reneged on his commitments to follow an election roadmap that offered a chance for the Venezuelan people to return to democratic governance. In October 2023 under the Barbados Agreement, Maduro and representatives of Venezuelan opposition parties pledged to work toward free and fair elections in the second half of 2024. Maduro promised to establish a timetable for the election and to allow members of the opposition to run for office without arbitrary restrictions. Although a date for the election has been set, July 28, many more of the provisions of the Barbados Agreement remain unfulfilled: the Maduro government has arrested members of the democratic opposition and barred candidates from running, including Maduros most popular competitor for the presidency Maria Corina Machado. In addition, Maduro has arbitrarily detained and violated the due process rights of many individuals critical of his government, including members of the democratic opposition, civil society, former members of the military, and journalists. In a statement announcing the U.S. decision to reimpose sanctions by allowing General License 44 to expire on April 18, the State Department said, Despite delivering on some of the commitments made under the Barbados electoral roadmap, we are concerned that Maduro and his representatives prevented the democratic opposition from registering the candidate of their choice, harassed and intimidated political opponents, and unjustly detained numerous political actors and members of civil society. We again call on Maduro to allow all candidates and parties to participate in the electoral process and release all political prisoners without restrictions or delay. Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters, The full implementation of the Barbados Agreement offers the best path to restore democracy that Venezuelans deserve:" We think it will help improve economic and humanitarian conditions, and also address the migration crisis. Were going to continue to support Venezuelans aspirations for a more democratic, stable, and prosperous Venezuela, while remaining fully committed to working with all parties interested in competitive elections. Spokesperson Patel declared the United States will coordinate with regional and international partners in support of this Barbados Agreement that we continue to think is key to get Venezuela on a democratic, stable, and prosperous path. Hilton Grand Vacations is launching a special offer that allows travelers to book discounted stays at various destinations with additional rewards. This promotion is available until April 30 and includes a requirement to attend a timeshare presentation. Hilton Grand Vacations Offers Discounted Trips with Bonus Rewards Customers can choose from several packages. For $179, they can spend three nights in Orlando, Florida, or Las Vegas, Nevada. Alternatively, for $199, they can opt for three nights in Southern California or Chicago, Illinois, or two nights in New York City. These packages are designed to be affordable, providing a way for more people to enjoy vacations at premier locations. The website states that each package includes 25,000 Hilton Honors Points, which can be redeemed for a free night at over 500 Hilton properties worldwide. Travelers have up to 12 months from the purchase date to schedule their trips, giving them flexibility to plan. The available properties in these deals are part of the Hilton Grand Vacations Club, including well-known hotels such as the New York Hilton Midtown, SeaWorld Orlando's resorts, and The Boulevard in Las Vegas. These locations have unique attractions, such as proximity to Manhattan's central areas, the Las Vegas Strip, and theme parks in Orlando. To secure the promotional price, customers must purchase their package by the deadline and can then book their trip for any time in the following year. This promotional offer provides significant savings and enriches the travel experience by awarding Hilton Honors Points that can be used for future stays. This is a compelling opportunity for those looking to explore new cities and enjoy the benefits of Hilton Grand Vacations' properties at a reduced cost. Related Article : These All-Inclusive Resort Hacks Ensure You Make the Most of Every Trip About Hilton Hilton, a renowned leader in the global hospitality industry, operates a wide range of hotel types. This includes luxury resorts, full-service hotels, extended-stay suites, and focused-service hotels. The company's extensive brand portfolio boasts 22 top-tier global brands alongside its award-winning Hilton Honors loyalty program. The origin of Hilton dates back to 1925 when Conrad Hilton opened the first hotel with the Hilton name in Texas. His goal was straightforward: to run the best hotel in Texas. His commitment, leadership, and innovative spirit have significantly shaped the company. Today, Hilton stands as one of the most esteemed brands worldwide. Through decades, Hilton has evolved, consistently pioneering new ways to meet the changing needs of guests. This enduring focus on innovation and quality has secured its status as a cornerstone in the hospitality industry. Hilton continues to offer exceptional service and accommodations across various markets, catering to the needs of every type of traveler. From its historical roots to its current status as a hospitality giant, Hilton's journey is proof of the enduring vision of its founder and the company's ongoing commitment to excellence in the lodging sector. There are few things more disappointing than realizing travel scams have duped you during what should have been an unforgettable trip. If you are walking through the bustling streets of Paris or relaxing on the sandy shores of Bali, the threat of travel scams lurks everywhere. With technological advances, these schemes have become more common and sophisticated, making even the most seasoned travelers vulnerable. Before you pack your bags and set out on your next adventure, take a moment to educate yourself about the latest travel scams. You will see everything from enticing but bogus vacation deals on social media to tricky taxi meters that charge you triple the fare. And it is not just about losing money. These scams can disrupt your plans and cloud your entire holiday. Stay one step ahead by familiarizing yourself with the common tricks fraudsters use. So, read on and find out the latest travel scams before your next trip! Shady Booking Sites When you are trying to snag that last-minute getaway deal, be extra cautious of where you book your stay. Many travelers have fallen victim to booking websites that seem legitimate but are actually fronts for stealing personal information. These sites often mimic real hotel or airline booking platforms with slight variations in URL or logo design that go unnoticed. They lure you with prices that undercut the competition significantly. Always double-check the domain and look for secure payment options like PayPal or credit card protections. Stick to well-known sites such as Booking.com or directly through hotel and airline websites to avoid these traps. Too-Good-to-Be-True Vacation Packages Social media platforms are hotspots for the newest travel scams, offering luxurious vacation packages at incredibly low prices. Advertisements might showcase beautiful destinations like Thailand or the Caribbean with all-inclusive details for an unbelievably low price. However, these are often scams designed to get your credit card information and offer nothing in return. Realistically, no legitimate company can afford to send you to a luxury resort for a fraction of the normal cost without a catch. Before you click and buy, search for reviews and verify the legitimacy of the offer through consumer protection sites. Related Article : These are Travel Habits You Must Learn from Frequent Flyers Public Charging Stations It may seem convenient to use a public USB charging station at an airport or cafe, but these points are becoming popular tools for scammers. By plugging into these ports, you risk exposing your phone to malware that can access and steal your private information. This kind of scam is known as "juice jacking," and it can compromise everything from your photos to your password data. To stay safe, always carry a portable battery pack or use your own charging adapter in a regular wall socket. Avoid using public USB ports whenever possible. Compromised Public WiFi Public WiFi networks are exceptionally convenient, especially when traveling. However, these networks are often not secure and can be a playground for hackers looking to intercept data. When you connect to public WiFi, you expose yourself to potential security breaches where thieves can access your personal information and browsing history. Always ensure that you connect to WiFi networks that are secure, use a VPN for an additional layer of security, and consider using your mobile data plan if security is a concern. Real-Time Social Media Updates Sharing your location and travel updates in real-time on platforms like Instagram or Facebook may seem fun, but it also increases your risk of being targeted by thieves. By broadcasting your whereabouts, you give potential scammers and thieves information about your current location and the fact that you are not home. It is safer to share your experiences after you have returned from your location or to limit the visibility of your posts to a small, trusted group. Privacy settings can be your best friend in managing who gets to see your travel updates. The ATM Assist Scam An increasingly common scene at foreign ATMs involves locals or faux bank employees approaching tourists with claims that the machine is malfunctioning. They might suggest another ATM nearby which, unknown to the traveler, is rigged with a card skimmer designed to steal your bank card data. Always be skeptical of unsolicited help at ATMs and be aware of your surroundings. Use ATMs located in bank branches or heavily monitored areas where tampering is less likely, and cover the keypad when entering your PIN to protect your information. When planning your Oaxaca trip, prepare to dive into a world brimming with vibrant culture and stunning landscapes. This southwestern Mexican gem offers a picturesque getaway filled with rich history, art, and tradition. Oaxaca is renowned for its lively markets, indigenous crafts, and some of the tastiest street food in Mexico. If you are sipping mezcal at a local palenque or wandering through the cobblestone streets of its UNESCO World Heritage-listed city center, every moment in Oaxaca feels like stepping into a colorful postcard. Before you pack your bags, there are a few key things to know that can transform a good vacation into a great one. From understanding local customs to picking the best times to visit and identifying must-see spots, you will want to come prepared. So, here are some must-know essential tips for your Oaxaca trip before you go. Planning Your Visit for Your Oaxaca Trip Timing is everything when you are planning your Oaxaca trip. The best months to visit are between October and April when the weather is most agreeable. You will want to avoid the rainy season from May to September, as heavy showers can be a daily occurrence. If you can, try to coincide your visit with the Guelaguetza festival in July, which is a spectacular display of Oaxacan culture. Early November is another fantastic time as the Day of the Dead festivities breathe an unforgettable energy into the city. No matter when you decide to go, Oaxaca's charm is in full swing year-round, offering vibrant scenes and welcoming locals. Getting Around in Oaxaca Once you arrive in Oaxaca, you will find that the city is incredibly pedestrian-friendly. Most major sites within Oaxaca City are accessible on foot, which is the best way to soak in the local atmosphere. For adventures further afield, such as trips to the ancient ruins of Monte Alban or the artisan villages in the valleys, consider renting a car or using local tour operators. Buses and taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced, ensuring you can explore at your own pace without breaking the bank. Remember, navigating on your own can be part of the adventure, but local guides can enrich your experience with their knowledge and insights. Related Article : This is Why Oaxaca, Mexico is the Best City Around the World Accommodation Choices There is no shortage of places to stay in Oaxaca, catering to all preferences and budgets. From charming bed-and-breakfasts to luxurious hotels, you can find the perfect spot to rest after a day of exploring. For an authentic experience, look into staying at one of the converted convents or historic inns in the city center. If luxury is what you are after, the upscale resorts on the outskirts of the city offer serene views and exceptional services. Budget travelers need not worry, as numerous hostels and budget hotels offer clean and comfortable accommodations without a hefty price tag. Local Cuisine Must-Tries Your Oaxaca trip would not be complete without indulging in the local cuisine. Oaxacan food is a delightful experience, rich with flavors and traditions. You must try the tlayudas, large tortillas smothered with asiento, beans, and a choice of meats, topped off with local cheese. Another must is mole, a traditional sauce that comes in various flavors, including the famous mole negro. Do not skip on the mezcal; visit a local distillery to see how it is made and enjoy a few samples. Street food stalls are a fantastic way to eat like a local, offering delicious, quick eats at a low cost. Must-Visit Attractions No Oaxaca trip is complete without a visit to its iconic landmarks. Monte Alban and Mitla are breathtaking ancient ruins that offer a glimpse into the region's rich history. The bustling markets, like Mercado 20 de Noviembre, are perfect for picking up souvenirs and trying local foods. Be sure to spend time in Oaxaca's zocalo (main square), where you can watch the world go by from a cafe. For nature lovers, a day trip to the petrified waterfalls at Hierve el Agua offers stunning views and a chance to dip into its mineral-rich waters. Finally, the many museums and galleries provide insights into the art and soul of Oaxacan culture. The next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be held on Friday, April 26. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced this in Luxembourg on Monday, Ukrinform reports. "There's going to be a Ramstein-format meeting this Friday," Ollongren said. According to her, Putin can now be stopped in Ukraine by helping Kyiv with weapons, ammunition and finances. "This means that everyone should participate," the minister said. She also noted that the Netherlands currently participates in a number of initiatives proposed by European partners, including the Czech initiative to buy ammunition for Ukraine and the German initiative to bolster Ukrainian air defenses. "These initiatives are opportunities to do more [for Ukraine] in a short time," Ollongren said. The 20th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (in the Ramstein format) was held on March 19. Photo: Austrian Wings Media Crew EU member states understand the criticality of the current moment and the need to speed up arms supplies to Ukraine so that the offensive Russia is expected to launch this summer fails. Thats according to the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Robert Brieger, who spoke with journalists on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, an Ukrinform correspodent reports. "I can say that the pace has increased. We are at a decisive moment, as all the ministers said, and I believe that the signal about the need to act faster and more effectively has really been received," the general said, commenting on the question about the pace of arms deliveries to Ukraine. Read also: German MoD says another Patriot system to be sent to Ukraine ASAP According to the general, during the meeting in Luxembourg, the ministers succeeded in providing a clear perspective on the extent to which individual member states can provide support and in what amounts. Brieger also welcomed the decision of the U.S. House of Representatives to allocate a new aid package to Ukraine. "This means that meeting Ukraines urgent needs is a priority for the months to come. And this will be critical, first of all, in order to prevent and stop a broad Russian offensive this summer," said the head of the EU Military Committee. According to the general, Ukraine first of all needs air defense systems and artillery ammunition. "Also, of course, spare parts, launchers and equipment of all kinds. But the most important thing is air defense, it became clear and it will be decisive for the coming months," Brieger added. "Protection of these supplies to Ukraine" was also discussed separately. As Ukrinform reported earlier, General Robert Brieger previously stated that Russia should not win its war of aggression against Ukraine, as it concerns the security of all of Europe. Photo: EU Satellite Centre President Volodymyr Zelensky and Danish Minister of Enterprise Morten Bedskou discussed joint projects to restore Ukraine and its energy sector, which has been destroyed by Russian strikes. Zelensky said this in an evening video address, Ukrinform reports. "Today I had the opportunity to thank Denmark - the Danish Minister of Enterprise paid a visit to Ukraine," he said. According to the head of state, he and Bedskou discussed, in particular, Danish patronage of Mykolaiv region, as well as joint projects "that have already begun to be implemented and are still planned." The politicians also discussed joint work to restore Ukraine's energy sector, which has been destroyed by Russian strikes. "A fruitful visit. Thank you for the additional support of 380 million euros," Zelensky said. As Ukrinform reported earlier, Ukraine and Denmark signed a Memorandum of Understanding on long-term cooperation and reconstruction of Ukraine. This document provides for the Danish government to allocate about EUR 40 million to support the private sector involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as EUR 380 million to support critical infrastructure using renewable energy. Photo: OP facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published April 22, 2024 CAPTION:(L-R): David Chism, Daniel Carson, Dr. Robert Hanser, Fred Louis MONROE, LA On March 5, 2024, Robert Hanser, Ph.D., in conjunction with ULM graduate students Fred Louis, Daniel Carson, and David Chism, presented preliminary findings on Student Perceptions of TRIO Services: An Examination of Diversity, Mental Health, and COVID Considerations at the Louisiana Association of Student Assistance Programs 52nd Annual Conference (LASAP) in Shreveport, Louisiana. The purpose of the study is to determine student perceptions of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) received at the University of Louisiana Monroe during the 2021 to 2023 academic period. The study utilized ULMs TRIO student outcome data in combination with survey data to examine aspects unique from standard academic data annually collected, thus providing a richer and more comprehensive evaluation of student experiences. Dr. Hanser, ULMs Criminal Justice Program and Graduate Coordinator, stated, "The LASAP Conference was an excellent experience that showcased programs to help disadvantaged students pursue their educational dreams and opportunities. Our research on the TRIO Program at ULM has provided data-driven guidance as to how we can better serve our consumer population whom we serve. Using research outcomes for this noble pursuit is both a personal and professional honor." Dr. Hanser and his team sought to provide a comprehensive foundation for the TRIO study by utilizing Mr. Louiss interest in Marriage and Family Therapy, Mr. Carsons interest in Criminal Justice, and Mr. Chisms studies in Psychology. First-generation college students across the U.S. bring dedication, grit, and fresh perspectives to their higher education institutions. Many of them also face more academic and financial challenges than their continuing-generation peers. Though definitions of first-generation college students vary, TRIO-SSS considers students whose parents do not have four-year college degrees to be first-generation. Nationwide, about half of all college students are considered first-generation. David Chism stated, The LASAP conference was a wonderful convention that showed many of the advancements being made within the TRIO program. The research I have been able to do under the mentorship of Dr. Hanser has helped to show how much the students within TRIO at ULM enjoy the program. When looking into the data for this research, I originally believed that COVID would have been the primary cause of most of the depression and anxiety within modern college students, but it seems this rise began before the start of COVID." The University of Louisiana Monroe's TRIO Programs Student Support Services (TRIO-SSS) is a federally funded program designed to support and assist first-generation college students in successfully navigating college and obtaining their bachelors degree. TRIO-SSS offers a variety of services that include academic guidance and support, tutoring, graduate school preparation, financial aid assistance, and more. The TRIO-SSS Program aims to provide students with the tools and resources they need to succeed at ULM and achieve their career goals. The ULM TRIO-SSS Program assists participants in achieving success at ULM. The program strives to retain and matriculate students toward the successful completion of their baccalaureate degree by creating a model environment for student growth, retention, and diversity. Since the inception of the ULM TRIO-SSS in 2015, hundreds of first-generation college students have received assistance and support to remain in school and successfully complete their degrees. According to Dr. Catherine Estis, TRIO Executive Director, The ULM TRIO-SSS program makes a direct impact in the lives of first-generation eligible students through ensuring successful navigation toward achieving a college degree. TRIO-SSS is one of the eight TRIO Programs fully funded through the U.S. Department of Education to assist first-generation, income-eligible students to remain in good academic standing and graduate from college. To learn more about the TRIO-SSS program or to apply, visit www.ulm.edu/trio or stop by one of the ULM TRIO-SSS offices located in Sandel Hall 351 or Strauss Hall room 206 or reach out to them at 318.342.1097. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh adddressses the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Future Forum at the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, Ha Noi, April 23, 2024. Photo: VGP Addressing the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Future Forum in Ha Noi on Monday, Pham called on ASEAN to strengthen solidarity and unity in diversity, uphold the bloc's spirit of independence, self-reliance, and strategic autonomy, and promote its centrality. ASEAN should strengthen strategic trust within the bloc and between the bloc and its partners, contributing to prevention of conflicts, maintenance of peaceful environment, security, stability and prosperity in the region and the world, said Pham. He suggested ASEAN step up digital transformation, development of green, circular and digital economy while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in order to create new growth impetuses in the time ahead. Pham promosed that Viet Nam will double efforts and cooperate with ASEAN member countries, international partners and friends in writing new success stories in order to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. The ASEAN Future Forum, initiated by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh last year, draws the participation of nearly 400 delegates, including Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone who is Chairman of ASEAN 2024, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Brunei Foreign Minister Brunei Erywan Yusof, and ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Timor Leste's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao are expected to send pre-corded messages to the forum. The forum is expected to create a platform for stakeholders to contribute ideas and initiatives on ASEAN's future vision, said Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet. This is a forum exclusively for ASEAN, of ASEAN, and for its people, where all stakeholders will share new initiatives to help ASEAN leaders devise strategies and visions for the group in the coming time, helping to bring practical benefits to people, he added./. Delegates at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Trieu Thuan Kindergarten Funded by the United States Indo-Pacific Command through the Overseas Humanitarian Disaster Assistance and Civic Action Program, the newly constructed two-story kindergarten stands as a beacon of hope for the community. It will not only serve as a center for education for the children of Trieu Thuan commune, but it can also provide shelter for people in need during natural disasters, reaffirming the United States commitment to the well-being of Vietnam in times of crisis. The genesis of this project stems from the collaborative efforts of the United States Office of Defense Cooperation in Vietnam and Quang Tri province, who jointly identified the need for such a facility in March 2021. Through their partnership, a tangible progress was made to address the educational and safety needs of the communities in the region. Comprising six fully furnished classrooms and two teachers rooms, the Trieu Thuan Kindergarten serves as a symbol of hope, unity, and progress and stands as a testament to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the United States and Vietnam. The construction and support for this initiative were made possible through the collective efforts of the Chuong Duong Company, the New Horizon Company, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the Quang Tri Provincial Peoples Committee. The handover ceremony reaffirms the shared commitment to fostering education, promoting resilience, and building stronger communities, reflecting the enduring bonds of friendship between the United States and Vietnam./. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas recently unveiled a comprehensive plan for review. The plan, detailed in a 15-page document, outlines several critical areas for examination, including implementing the state's ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at public colleges and universities, the tenure system for professors, and antisemitism on campuses. Patrick's proposals have sparked debate and raised important questions about the future of education in Texas. Are Texas Colleges Complying with the DEI Ban? One of the critical points of focus in Patrick's plan is the monitoring of Senate Bill 17, which bans DEI programs at public colleges and universities in Texas. The bill ensures that Texas campuses prioritize equal opportunity and individual merit. However, its implementation has not been without controversy. Following a letter from Sen. Brandon Creighton reinforcing the ban's expectations, former DEI employees at the University of Texas System schools in Austin and Dallas were laid off, prompting criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups. Patrick's call for a review raises questions about the ban's impact on campus diversity and inclusion efforts. READ MORE : Texas Ban On Diversity Initiatives Reflects Trend Across GOP States The Debate Over Tenure Another area of interest for Patrick is the tenure system for professors. While tenure is traditionally seen as a way to protect academic freedom, Patrick wants to end tenure in Texas. He aims to monitor the implementation of a bill from the previous year that made it easier for institutions to terminate tenured professors. This move has raised concerns among educators and scholars, who argue that tenure is crucial in protecting intellectual freedom and promoting diverse viewpoints in academia. Addressing Antisemitism and Free Speech In the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Patrick has also turned his attention to the issue of antisemitism on college campuses. Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order to address this issue, but concerns have been raised about its potential impact on free speech. Patrick has called for a review of campus policies to prevent discrimination against Jewish students while also emphasizing the need to strengthen First Amendment rights on campus. This balancing act between combating discrimination and protecting free speech will likely be a key point of discussion in the coming months. Looking Ahead: Innovation and Community College Funding In addition to these pressing issues, Patrick's plan also focuses on innovation and technology in education. He aims to investigate the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and online education. Furthermore, Patrick wants to monitor the implementation of a new funding model for community colleges, which ties funding to student success metrics. This shift towards a more outcomes-based approach highlights the importance of preparing students for the workforce and ensuring that higher education remains relevant in a rapidly changing world. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's plan to review critical aspects of higher education in Texas reflects a broader effort to shape the future of education in the state. By addressing issues such as DEI, tenure, antisemitism, and innovation, Patrick is signaling his commitment to ensuring that Texas colleges and universities provide a high-quality education that prepares students for success in the 21st century. As these proposals are reviewed and debated, their impact on higher education in Texas and beyond will become more apparent, shaping the future of academia for years to come. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2024) In preparation for the arrival of President Islamic Republic of Iran in Karachi, a comprehensive security plan has been made involving a substantial deployment of law enforcement personnel across the city. A total of 3,847 police officers and officials have been mobilized to ensure peace and tranquility and security of the foreign dignitaries during their visit to Karachi, said a spokesperson of Karachi Police here Tuesday. The spokesperson while sharing the details said that deployment of security personnel across different zones of the city, revealing that 345 officers and employees are stationed in District East, 164 in West, and more than 300 in District South. Additionally, 1500 traffic officers and over 300 officers from the Special Branch have also been assigned security duties. To enhance security measures, snipers have been strategically positioned at sensitive locations throughout the city. Highlighting the commitment of the Karachi Police to uphold safety standards, the spokesperson emphasized that every possible measure is being taken to fulfill their duties effectively in safeguarding the visiting delegations. The rigorous security arrangements underscore Karachi's dedication to hosting foreign dignitaries in a safe and secure environment, reflecting the city's ongoing efforts to bolster best relations with foreign dignitaries. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2024) Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman has said that Pakistan and Iran are bound to each other by rich historical, cultural and civilizational ties. During a meeting with the President of Iran Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi at the Governors House here on Tuesday, he said Pakistan accords great importance to its relation with Islamic Republic of Iran. President of Iran Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi hailed the city of Lahore for its beauty and grandeur, adding that it houses many architectural heritage sites. President Raisi expressed the hope that his visit will enhance people to people ties between the two countries. (@Abdulla99267510) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspends the Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue Islamabad and other concerned officers and ordered an inquiry. ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-April 23rd, 2024) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday notice of deliberate delay in tax cases. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister office, the Prime Minister suspended the Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue Islamabad and other concerned officers and ordered an inquiry. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said hundreds of billions of national treasury is subject to legal disputes. He categorically stated that he will not accept any kind of carelessness and negligence in this regard. The Prime Minister said he is personally monitoring reforms in the tax system as per the promise made to the people. He emphasized the need for working tirelessly to save every penny of the country and increase the revenue. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol attend the launch event for Cambodian coconut's export to China after co-chairing the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, April 22 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia on Monday pledged further efforts to advance the building of a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future. The two sides reached broad consensus on the direction for their efforts in the next stage of building the bilateral community and fully reviewed the implementation work of the community-building action plan during the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee held in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. The meeting was co-chaired by visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol. During the meeting, Wang noted that China and Cambodia enjoy an iron-clad friendship in line with the interests of the two peoples as well as the development trend of the times, boasting strong vitality and broad prospects. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two nations, the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future has become a model for forging a new type of international relations, Wang stressed. He called for joint efforts to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen all-around cooperation, enrich the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, and advance the projects to build the Industrial Development Corridor and the Fish and Rice Corridor. Wang said China is willing to work with Cambodia to actively promote an equal and orderly world multipolarity and an inclusive economic globalization, contributing to the progress of humanity. During the meeting, Chanthol spoke highly of China's remarkable achievements in the past 10 years, noting that Chinese-style modernization provides new options for countries in their modernization drives and brings new hope to overcoming global challenges. He stressed the significance of the seventh intergovernmental meeting as being the first for the new Cambodian government and coming after the two countries upgraded their action plan to build a bilateral community with a shared future. He said Cambodia will remain committed to the friendly cooperation with China, and is willing to work with China to implement the community-building action plan and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to further benefit the people of both countries. In the meeting, the Chinese side reaffirmed support for Cambodia in choosing a development path suitable for its national conditions and in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and repeated firm opposition to external forces interfering in Cambodia's internal affairs. The Cambodian side in the meeting reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle, recognizing Taiwan as an unalienable part of China's territory, while making clear its opposition to any attempt to use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs and to any form of "Taiwan independence," and expressing support for all China's efforts to achieve national reunification. Both sides agreed to intensify high-level exchanges, strengthen defense cooperation with continued joint exercises and training, and jointly crack down on online gambling, telecom fraud, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. The two sides agreed to accelerate the alignment of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy, formulation of the Industrial Development Corridor cooperation plan, design work of the China-Cambodia railway, and implementation of the early harvest programs of the Fish and Rice Corridor. They will also push ahead with the high-quality implementation of the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, support the export of Cambodia's quality farm produce to China, and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Cambodia. Both sides agreed to take the 2024 China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year as an opportunity to increase tourism exchanges, passenger flights, as well as practical exchanges between the youth, friendly organizations and at the subnational level. The two sides pledged strengthened coordination at the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, the China-ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations) cooperation and other platforms. Both sides believed that maintaining the hard-won peace and stability in the region and promoting regional development and prosperity are in the common interests of regional countries. The two sides emphasized that they will fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and work to advance negotiations towards an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. After the meeting, Wang and Chanthol witnessed the signing of a series of bilateral cooperation documents such as on infrastructure construction and agricultural planning, and attended the launch event for Cambodian coconut's export to China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol co-chair the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) Editor: WRX Rafah, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2024) Under a ceaseless storm of strikes in Gaza, a baby girl has survived insurmountable odds as the only member of her family left alive after she was delivered by Caesarian section as her mother lay dying. At just seven months pregnant, her mother, Sabreen al-Sakani, reached the emergency unit in critical condition after she was fatally wounded in the head and abdomen at the weekend. An Israeli air strike hit her family's house in the east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, witnesses told AFP. "It's a miracle that she was still alive, despite her difficulties in breathing," Sahib al-Shams, a surgeon and director of the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah, told AFP. While examining Sakani, the hospital's medical team realised she was pregnant. They decided to go ahead with a C-section immediately, despite a lack of anaesthetics. "The mother died 10 minutes later," Shams said, adding that the baby's father and sister had been declared dead on arrival at the hospital. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Seoul, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2024) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the country's first ever "nuclear trigger" drills, state-run KCNA news agency said Tuesday, which involved simulating a nuclear counterattack as a warning to enemies. The drills showcased North Korea's "nuclear trigger" management system for the first time, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, adding this was the country's combined control system for its nuclear weapons. The drill took place on Monday, according to the report. Seoul's military had earlier announced that the North had fired several short-range ballistic missiles that day, with Tokyo also confirming the launch. Kim "guided a combined tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket artillerymen," the report said. The rockets "hit their island target" some 352 kilometres (219 miles) away, it continued, saying Kim had expressed "great satisfaction" over the result, which boosted "the Korean-style tactical nuclear strike". The drill examined "the reliability of the system of command, management, control and operation of the whole nuclear force" and ensured the super-large multiple rocket units had "mastered" the ability to switch into nuclear counterattack mode, KCNA said. KCNA said the drills were in response to a US-South Korean joint air drill, which runs from April 12 to April 26. The US and South Korean air forces said the annual exercises would serve for "demonstrating lethality in the air domain, and enhancing their ability to deter, defend, and defeat any adversary." Pyongyang claims it is "seriously threatened by the hostile forces' ceaseless military provocations" KCNA said Tuesday. As a result, the North needs to "more overwhelmingly and more rapidly bolster up the strongest military muscle," it added. Kuala Lumpur, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2024) Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew onboard, the country's rescue agency said. Footage shared online showed several helicopters flying low in formation over the Lumut naval base, located about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital Kuala Lumpur. The helicopters were participating in a flypast rehearsal ahead of Naval Day celebrations in May. One chopper was seen clipping the rear rotor of another, causing both to go into a tailspin and crash. "The two helicopters collided during flight training," said Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department, adding that all 10 crew members on board were confirmed dead by medical officers. The two aircraft involved were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139, the rescue agency said. Photos showed the Eurocopter model heavily mangled in the wreckage on the naval base stadium track with rescue personnel surrounding it as well as various debris. The AgustaWestland helicopter crashed at the naval base's swimming pool area. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Nairobi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2024) More than 50,000 people have been displaced by clashes in a disputed area in northern Ethiopia, the United Nations said, as the international community expressed concern about the violence involving fighters from rival regions. "The number of people displaced by the armed clashes in Alamata Town, and Raya Alamata, Zata and Ofla... since 13/14 April has reached more than 50,000," the UN said late Monday, citing local authorities in the disputed area, which is claimed by Tigray and neighbouring Amhara. "The humanitarian situation is dire, with thousands of women and children in need of broad humanitarian support to survive," it added. Amhara forces occupied Raya Alamata in southern Tigray during a two-year war between Ethiopia's government and regional Tigrayan authorities. Under a peace deal between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and Tigrayan authorities, Amhara forces -- which backed Federal troops during the conflict -- were due to withdraw from Raya Alamata after the agreement was signed in Pretoria in November 2022. Neither the federal government nor Tigrayan authorities responded to AFP requests for information. It is impossible to verify the situation on the ground independently as media access to northern Ethiopia is heavily restricted. Reports of the fighting have sparked alarm among the international community, with the embassies of several nations including the United States, Japan, Britain and France on Saturday calling for dialogue and urging the "de-escalation and protection of civilians". During the war, Amhara forces occupied and remained in control of western Tigray, a disputed region that is claimed by both regions. Amhara, Ethiopia's second most populous region, has been wracked by clashes since April 2023, when the federal government's decision to dismantle regional forces across the country triggered clashes. Amhara nationalists, who already felt betrayed by the Tigray peace deal, said the move would weaken their region. USM Art and Design Students Show Work, Attend Largest Student Design Conference Tue, 04/23/2024 - 01:26pm | By: Ivonne Kawas Two graphic design students in the Art and Design program at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) got the chance to exhibit their work at the largest design conference and competition for studentsThe National Student Show and Conference (NSSC)held in Dallas, Texas this month. Now in its 19th year, NSSC is a nationally recognized competition that offers students the platform to take steps toward their future in design through unique opportunities that provide insights into the industry. USM students got the chance to engage in professional portfolio reviews, networking events, workshops, creative panels, keynote sessions and more! Attending the NSSC is a transformative experience for student designers, as it offers a dynamic platform for creativity and industry insight, said Jacob Cotton, associate professor of design. At the NSSC students can immerse themselves in a vibrant community of professionals, gaining invaluable feedback and networking opportunities. This event serves as a springboard into the design industry, bridging the gap between academia and real-world practice, and empowers our students to envision their future in design. USM students Autumn Graves, a native of Hattiesburg, Miss., and Hezzie Jefferson, a native of De Lisle, Miss., had their work selected into this prestigious show, showcasing the best student work from across the nation. Having work being selected for the NSSC is a testament to the creative work being produced by students at USM, noted Cotton. The show was juried by a panel of designers from some of the largest and most prestigious advertising agencies and design firms in the country." Graves showcased her invitation set for a Dear Reader Society Club, designed for teen girls interested in having pen pals and experience the art of old-fashioned letter writing. Being chosen to exhibit my work at NSSC was a huge honor, said Graves. The level of talent and craftsmanship in the selected pieces each year is admirable and inspiring, so it was a privilege to have my work recognized among so many other talented students from all over the nation. Graves added: I've had a lot of cherished moments during my time as a graphic design major at USM. The program truly opens doors, providing opportunities and resources for students to establish their presence and garner recognition within the industry even before graduation. Throughout the four years we've spent in the program, the girls who led the USM Design and Marketing team with me have become some of my closest friends. I am grateful to the graphic design program for the education it provided me with, but most importantly, for the friendships it has facilitated. Jefferson showcased his branding identity for Cluck Yeah!, a chicken wing food truck designed to appeal to all ages while providing a positive and inviting atmosphere. Showcasing my work felt like I earned the right to say that I belong in this career path, said Jefferson. Seeing the culmination of hard work alongside the incredible projects of fellow students was both humbling and deeply honoring. Jefferson added: My most memorable experience as a graphic design major at USM has undoubtedly been this trip to Dallas. Having ventured outside the state only a few times before, this trip was truly unforgettable. It offered me a firsthand experience of the career Im passionate about, together with friends and a professor who are like family. It was an experience I will always treasure! Learn more about the USM Art and Design program. APRIL 23, 2024 The UTSA Lyric Theatre presents the final production of its 2023-2024 season with The VERDI Project. The concert will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 26, at the Edgewood Theater for Performing Arts in San Antonio. From the creative mind of director Jourdan Laine Howell, associate professor of instruction for voice and Lyric Theatre at the UTSA School of Music, the show is a new collaborative effort between the schools theatre, orchestra and choral ensembles. The massive production commemorates the School of Musics 50th anniversary this year. The event will center the life and works of the famous Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. UTSA Lyric Theatre vocalists will perform melodies by Verdi, one of operas most celebrated composers. The show will also include narration by UTSA professor emeritus Gary Mabry and student Justin Chappell. Jim Geringer, Wyomings 30th governor and former director of policy and public-sector strategies at the Environmental Systems Research Institute, is being honored by the University of Wyomings School of Computing and Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (WyGISC) with the annual Geringer Distinguished Lecture series. The inaugural Geringer Distinguished Lecture will be delivered by Geringer himself, focusing on the pivotal role of geospatial information science in shaping public policy. Its scheduled Monday, April 29, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Family Room. The lecture series recognizes Geringers longtime commitment to geospatial information science. He has collaborated with senior elected officials and corporate leaders for over two decades, advocating for the effective use of geospatial technology in both business and government decision-making. Future lectures will feature distinguished speakers and experts in geospatial information science. With his work in both the public sector and private industry, Jim Geringer has been a tremendous advocate for the value of geospatial technologies for policy development and decision-making in so many application areas, from natural resource management to health care, says Jeff Hamerlinck, director and research scientist with WyGISC. Were extremely happy to be able to honor his legacy with the establishment of this new annual distinguished lecture event at UW and to have him as its inaugural speaker. In addition to Geringers remarks, three UW students will present lightning talks at the event: Sage Wright, of Casper, whos pursuing a bachelors degree in geospatial information science and technology; Aidana Mukhamedina, of Astana, Kazakhstan, whos studying for a Ph.D. in hydrology and geospatial information science and technology; and Maggie Sobolewski, of Chicago, whos pursuing a masters degree in geospatial information science and technology. During his campus visit, Geringer will meet with UW President Ed Seidel; Cameron Wright, the Carroll Family Dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences; and Gabrielle Allen, director of the School of Computing. Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar (C) holds a meeting of regional leaders at Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, on April 22, 2024. Musar called for open borders at the Monday meeting of regional leaders, which celebrated 20 years of Slovenia's accession to the European Union. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua) BRDO PRI KRANJU, Slovenia, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar called for open borders at a Monday meeting of regional leaders, which celebrated 20 years of Slovenia's accession to the European Union. She hosted President Alexander Van der Bellen of Austria, President Zoran Milanovic of Croatia, President Tamas Sulyok of Hungary and President Sergio Mattarella of Italy. "I would really like to call on the governments of our neighbouring countries, and the Slovenian government too, to lift border controls," Musar told a joint news conference, saying the freedom of movement is one of the most important liberties in the EU. Slovenia joined the EU in 2004 and entered its border-free Schengen area in 2007. However, following the start of the migration crisis in 2015, when thousands of illegal migrants flooded the Balkans on their way to wealthier European states, some EU states started to put up temporary border controls within the Schengen area to curb illegal migration. At present Slovenia, Austria and Italy are among the EU states with internal Schengen area border controls. The leaders also expressed support to further enlargement of the EU, with Van der Bellen stressing the need for changes of the EU which would make it better prepared for the enlargement. Editor: WXL BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- China firmly rejects Japan's negative actions related to the Yasukuni Shrine and has lodged serious demarches with Japan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday. It has been reported that the "Annual Spring Rites" at the Yasukuni Shrine began on April 21. On that day, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, alongside the speaker of Japan's House of Representatives and the president of Japan's House of Councillors, presented ritual offerings at the Yasukuni Shrine. Several cabinet members also visited and paid their respects to the shrine. When asked to comment on the actions of the Japanese officials during a daily press briefing, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and a symbol of the Japanese militarists responsible for the war of aggression. The place honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals who were gravely responsible for the war crimes committed during that war of aggression. China firmly rejects Japan's negative actions related to the Yasukuni Shrine, Wang said, noting that China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in Japan have both lodged serious demarches with Japan. "China urges Japan to earnestly honor its words and commitment to face squarely and reflect on its history of aggression, make a clean break from militarism, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete actions," he said. Editor: WRX A Pentagon spokesman said Monday the U.S. has begun discussions with the military government of Niger about withdrawing of some 1,000 U.S. troop from two air bases in the nation. Last month, the military junta that controls Niger announced it was ending the military agreement between the two nations and Pentagon officials agreed to the withdrawal late last week. Monday, Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder confirmed discussions had begun between the U.S. and Niger for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. Ryder said the U.S. Defense Department will send a small delegation that will include members of the U.S. Africa Command to Niger for the talks. He said he could not speculate on a timeline for the withdrawal and there has been no change in the number of troops currently stationed in Niger. The U.S. has about 1,000 soldiers divvied up between the two air bases in Niger one in the capital, Niamey, and the other, a $110 million drone base built in the northern city of Agadez. The two bases are key to U.S. efforts to fighting terrorism in the region, and drone missions from the Agadez base target militants in the area. The withdrawal decision is not a surprise. The commander of U.S. Air Forces Africa, General James Hecker told reporters in August about three weeks following the coup that put the military junta in power that his teams were already planning for a scenario in which the troops stationed there would have to leave. Meanwhile, hundreds of Nigeriens marched through the streets of Agadez Sunday calling for the U.S. troops to leave. The protesters carried banners and chanted slogans. Reports say the march was staged shortly after the withdrawal agreement was reached. Some information from this report was provided by Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. Five migrants, including a child, have died while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom, according to French authorities on Tuesday. The deaths occurred hours after the British parliament approved a migrant bill that calls for deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda as a way to discourage them from making such journeys across the Channel. Boats packed with migrants were spotted by authorities off the coast of Pas-de-Calais early Tuesday. Officials say the 112 passengers on a packed vessel began to panic as the engine stopped and several people fell into the water near the shore. Migrants often attempt to make the crossing in flimsy inflatable dinghies that are not strong enough to withstand the waves. Several French navy ships rescued people from "a very overcrowded boat carrying more than one hundred...," according to a statement given to the Associated Press. Rescuers retrieved some of the people, with four taken to hospitals, but 58 migrants remained on the boat to complete their journey to Britain once they were able to restart the engine, according to the coast guard. The French coast guard was still searching for survivors off the beach in Wimereux, but it is confirmed that a woman, three men and a 7-year-old girl died. The bodies were discovered on a beach Tuesday morning. The incident occurred shortly after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to deport migrants to Rwanda aimed at deterring illegal entry into the U.K. won approval in parliament. The plan has sparked criticism from human rights groups and international organizations like the United Nations. Critics argue that the plan is cruel and could harm cooperation on global migration issues, adding that deterrence policies do not work to prevent migration. Despite the risks migrants face crossing the English Channel, the U.K. government is pushing forward with its deportation strategy. An estimated 30,000 people made the crossing in 2023, according to U.K. government figures. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and the Associated Press. Malawi and its development partners are trying something new to help the countrys most vulnerable women and girls get out of extreme poverty. Besides enhancing their socio-economic status, a new three-year program will strengthen their resilience to crises, shocks and disasters. The U.N children agency, UNICEF, the European Union and the Irish government say more than 20% of Malawis 19.6 million people live in extreme poverty. They said Tuesday women head over 75% of all families living in poverty amid violence and harmful practices that undermine their participation in economic activities. The new Gender Empowerment and Resilience program is expected to benefit more than 500,000 people in nine districts, giving them access to social services and cash transfers. The districts are Mzimba, Ntcheu, Balaka, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje and Zomba. Shadrack Omol, UNICEF representative in Malawi, said experience has shown that parents and caregivers need to be supported with livelihoods and resources to support their children. Thats why this program is extremely important because through this program we will be working [with] parents, Omol said, to support them to have the right livelihoods and incomes to support their children to grow to their full potential. About $26 million is being spent to tackle challenges that would help give Malawi women access to economic opportunities and essential social services. Besides cash transfers, the program will help promote access to social behavior change, nutrition, early childhood development, sexual reproductive health and prevention of gender-based violence. Jean Sendenza, minister of gender, community development and social welfare, said in a statement that Malawi has previously made progress in expanding social protections to reach more vulnerable people. However, she says significant gender gaps remain. Eneless Pemba, executive director for Chikondi Girls Project in southern Malawi, said she welcomes the program but says similar interventions havent yielded results in the past. Thats because there has been a tendency to impose solutions without asking what people really want, Pemba said. We sometimes feel like a girl-child just wants money while there are a lot of issues happening, Pemba said. For example when you talk about mental health issues, a girl-child, maybe her parents are sick or they dont have food at home like hunger we are facing in Malawi now. Pemba, whose project teaches girls how to make sanitary pads and other skills, says there is a need to encourage girls entrepreneurship skills to help her find food for the whole family. There are other small businesses she can do while in school, which can be sustainable for a long time rather than a project which can be there for a year and phase out, Pemba said. Maggie Kathewera-Banda, executive director of the Women's Legal Resources Centre, says there still are some people who need more than resources to help lift themselves up. Much as we have empowerment programs, where people are supposed to have the skills so that they can move out of poverty, we still have some section of population which are so vulnerable to the extent that they cannot move out of poverty on their own, they need a booster, Kathewera-Banda said. So as a starting point, cash transfers offer such kind of a thing. Kathewera-Banda says the impact of some projects may not be seen or felt because they focus on small groups out of thousands of people facing poverty. However, EU Ambassador to Malawi Rune Skinnebach and Irish Ambassador to Malawi Seamus O'Grady said in a statement the program will help create an enabling environment for Malawi women and girls to contribute meaningfully to their communities. India has begun delivery of supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as the two countries tighten defense and strategic ties amid rising tensions between the East Asian nation and China over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The BrahMos missiles are being acquired by the Philippines under a $ 375 million deal signed in 2022. "Now we are also exporting BrahMos missiles. The first batch of this missile is going to the Philippines today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday at an election rally. India and Philippines have ramped up defense cooperation as concerns over an increasingly assertive China deepen in both countries. Tensions between the Philippines and China have escalated over the past year as Beijing, citing historical rights, presses its claims to areas inside Manila's exclusive economic zone. Efforts to resolve New Delhis four-year long military standoff with Beijing along its disputed Himalayan border have made little headway. In New Delhi, analysts say India wants to be part of a larger pushback against China in the South China Sea as concerns rise over Beijings territorial ambitions. BrahMos missile delivery to the Philippines is in itself not a game changer. But the idea is that we are part of a broader coalition of countries including the U.S. trying to build up the muscle and shore up the security of smaller countries like the Philippines. It is what we call lattice work strategy, according to Sreeram Chaulia, dean of the Jindal School of International Affairs. Tensions between Philippines and Beijing have ratcheted up following recent confrontations between the coastguards and other vessels of the two countries. China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, deploys coastguard vessels to patrol what it deems are its waters besides Philippines, Beijing also has maritime disputes with countries including Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. The missiles being supplied by India are produced under a joint venture with Russia. They are a shore-based, anti-ship system with a range of 290 kilometers. Under the deal, India will supply three versions of the missile system, according to domestic media reports in New Delhi. Philippine National Security Council assistant director general, Jonathan Malaya, told reporters in Manila that the missiles will be deployed by the Philippine Marines. This adds an important and practical layer of deterrence for the Philippines amidst its limited military resources vis-a-vis China, Don McLain Gill, a geopolitical analyst and lecturer at the Department of International Studies, De La Salle University, Manila told VOA in emailed comments. He said the missiles will bolster its coastal defence to more effectively exercise its sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea at a time when China has been relentlessly pursuing its expansionist ambitions against international law. Analysts say building defense cooperation with the Philippines also signals that New Delhi is now moving beyond the Indian Ocean to contribute to maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region. During a visit to Manila last month, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar reiterated Indias support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty. Asserting that both countries have a very deep interest in ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific Ocean, his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, said that it's in this region and it is in this context that we are having extensive discussions regularly on defense cooperation, security cooperation. An Indian coast guard ship visited the Philippines during the Indian ministers visit. The two countries are also expected to hold more joint naval drills. India is also a close security partner of Manila's key strategic partners, such as the U.S, Japan, and Australia. This makes it even more practical for the Philippines to strengthen ties with India, pointed out Don McLain Gill. India had for many years been hesitant about exporting the BrahMos missiles, believing that advanced defense cooperation with countries like the Philippines with which China has disputes would rile Beijing, but analysts say New Delhi has reversed course. India has also been steadily building military ties with Vietnam, which is also embroiled in maritime disputes with China. As our dispute with the Chinese is not settling, there is a clear change of mind on the part of the Indian government and it has decided to assist the security needs of countries like the Philippines in a very concrete way, said Chaulia. From our point of view, this helps to send a clear signal to the Chinese that they cannot be arming our adversaries like Pakistan with advanced weapons and defense technology and expect that we will not reciprocate. The delivery of the missiles to the Philippines marks India s first export of the missile systems. India, which imports most of its own arms, is a marginal exporter of military equipment, but has been trying to build a defense industry. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Tuesday a peace deal with Armenia was closer than ever before, as teams from both countries began demarcating the border in a bid to end decades of territorial disputes and clashes. Aliyev's optimism comes amid progress on marking the border despite protests in Armenia, still bruised after Baku seized control of the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region in a lightning offensive last year. On Tuesday, teams from both countries installed the first border marker after officials had agreed to delimit a section based on Soviet-era maps. "We are close as never before," Aliyev said on Tuesday of an elusive peace deal. "We now have a common understanding of how the peace agreement should look like. We only need to address details," he said. "Both sides need time... We both have political will to do it." Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last month agreed to return four border villages that were part of Azerbaijan when the two countries were republics of the Soviet Union. Aliyev said Tuesday he had accepted a proposal by Kazakhstan to host a meeting of their foreign ministers. Several countries have tried to play mediator including Russia, Iran, the United States, France and Germany but years of talks have failed. Aliyev downplayed the need for third party intervention. "We are not talking about any kind of mediation, because what happens now on our border demonstrates that when we are left alone... we can agree sooner than later," he said. Experts from both countries installed the first marker on Tuesday, they announced in identical statements. Rallies had earlier erupted in Armenia, with protestors briefly blocking traffic at several points on the Armenia-Georgia highway, fearful of giving up more land. Yerevan said Tuesday it would not transfer "Armenia's sovereign territory." The four abandoned settlements that are to be returned to Azerbaijan Lower Askipara, Baghanis Ayrum, Kheirimly and Gizilhajili were taken over by Armenian forces in the 1990s, forcing their ethnic Azerbaijani residents to flee. But Armenian residents of nearby villages worry they will end up isolated from the rest of the country and that some houses could fall into Azerbaijani territory. The area has strategic importance for landlocked Armenia: Several small sections of the highway to Georgia a vital trade artery could be handed over. The delimited border will run close to a major Russian gas pipeline, in an area that also offers advantageous military positions. Pashinyan has insisted on the need to resolve the border dispute "to avoid a new war." On Saturday, he said Russian guards deployed in the area since 1992 would be replaced "and border guards of Armenia and Azerbaijan will cooperate to guard the state border on their own." Border delimitation was a "significant change," he said, adding: "now have a border and not a line of contact, which is a sign of peace." Last autumn, Azerbaijani troops recaptured the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region from Armenian separatists in a one-day offensive that ended a bloody three-decade standoff over the region. But lingering territorial claims have continued to threaten a fresh escalation. Baku has claims over four more villages located in exclaves deeper in Armenian territory. It is also demanding the creation of a land corridor through Armenia to connect the mainland to the Nakhichevan exclave and onwards to close ally Turkey. Yerevan, in turn, points to its own exclave in Azerbaijan and pockets of land Baku has seized over the last three years outside of Karabakh. The Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping speaks during a photo exhibition commemorating the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders, Americans who fought Japan in World War II in cooperation with the Chinese people, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, the United States, April 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "The Flying Tigers give us a wonderful opportunity because there's something that all Chinese and all Americans can be proud of," said Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation (SAAHF). by Xinhua writers Liu Yanan, Xu Xingtang DAYTON, United States, April 21 (Xinhua) -- In front of a 3.7-ton stone roller and a fighter jet, two Chinese middle schools and an American school exchanged a cooperative memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the Midwest U.S. city of Dayton this week, to commemorate the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders, the Americans who fought Japanese aggressors with their Chinese cohort during World War II. The stone roller has been on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. It was used to flatten and level the runway in the construction of an airport for the Flying Tigers in southwest China's Yunnan province during WWII, pulled by sheer manpower by thousands of Chinese locals. Kunming Foreign Language School and the No. 2 Middle School of Xiangyun County from Yunnan exchanged the MoU on cooperation under the program of "Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders" with International Leadership of Texas, a network of public charter schools. More than 80 years after their heroic operations in China, "we're running out of Flying Tigers," said Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation (SAAHF), an organization aimed at promoting friendship and understanding between the United States and China by fostering a practicable dialogue on their common aviation history. Greene told Xinhua that the number of the Flying Tigers has come down to around a dozen from around 500 when the foundation was started in 1998, thus it's vital to pass on the history and memory forged by blood. "For American kids, we want them to come and learn about the Chinese. We want the Chinese (students) to come and learn so that each group is proud of the other country," he said. "The Flying Tigers give us a wonderful opportunity because there's something that all Chinese and all Americans can be proud of." The SAAHF and Dr. Jack L. Schofield Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, jointly initiated the Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders Program in 2022 in a bid to carry forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers among Chinese and American students, enhance mutual understanding and friendship, and deepen mutual respect and cooperation between the two countries. People visit a photo exhibition commemorating the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders, Americans who fought Japan in World War II in cooperation with the Chinese people, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, the United States, April 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "The idea was based on all the trips from all the veterans we've taken to China," said Greene. The program was well-received with dozens of schools from both sides actively participating in it and signing MoUs. "I want our 20,000 kids to be in China, not just this summer but next summer, not just for two weeks, but for a month at Beijing Language and Culture University, I want our kids to be able to go deep into China to understand that 5,000-year history," said Eddie Conger, superintendent, CEO and founder of International Leadership of Texas, which serves 23,000 students from kindergartners to 12th grade. Erik Lutz, mayor of Pico Rivera, told Xinhua that he hopes to send students to China this June to visit Chinese schools and experience Chinese culture for about two weeks. He said what the Flying Tigers have done was unifying the United States and China on the people-to-people level. "For the future of our two countries, the thing we can do (and) will have the most impact is our students. And we get them to know each other young and then it'll take off from there," said Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dialogue is really important in the China-U.S. relationship and the initiative by the SAAHF is "exactly what has to happen," said Myers at the opening ceremony of a concurrent photo exhibition on the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders. Greene said the story of the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders are a "life and death" thing and there are not a lot of things like that. He believed the U.S. students' lives would be forever changed after their visit to China. "They'll know the Chinese people are just like them, the Americans and the Chinese share humor and laugh at the same thing." Editor: ZAD Israeli forces stepped up attacks across Gaza on Tuesday as the Israel-Hamas war entered its 200th day. Residents reported some of the heaviest shelling in weeks along with new orders to evacuate northern regions of the enclave, which Israeli officials called a "dangerous combat zone." Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee used the X social media platform to urge residents in parts of Beit Lahiya, along Gaza's northern edge, to proceed to designated shelter areas, saying Israel is moving forward with plans to "work with extreme force against terrorist infrastructure and subversive elements" in the region. The orders come about four months after Israeli defense officials said Hamas militants no longer controlled that area. Increased strikes were reported in southern and central parts of Gaza amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threats to invade Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city where an estimated 1.5 million displaced civilians have taken refuge, largely in makeshift encampments. In nearby Khan Younis, about 8 kilometers north of Rafah, The Associated Press reported that a new compound of tents was being erected, possibly to shelter displaced civilians fleeing an anticipated attack on Rafah. The AP cited an official representing the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry who said the tent compound is being set up to house civilians currently sheltering in a hospital. Britain, Germany hostage release Western diplomats on Tuesday called for Hamas to release the hostages it is still holding in the Gaza Strip. 200 days ago, Hamas carried out the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on X. 200 days on, hostages remain in captivity, and their loved ones continue to face unimaginable suffering. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: "As long as the hostages are not free, we will not let up. Only when they are home will peace have a chance." Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says the militants are holding about 100 captives and the remains of more than 30 others. Israels response, a military campaign it says is aimed at eliminating Hamas and ensuring the U.S-designated terror group cannot carry out a future attack, has killed at least 34,183 Palestinians and injured more than 77,000 others, according to the Gaza health ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says women and children account for two-thirds of those killed. The United States said on Monday that Hamas has not agreed to a very significant proposal that was on the table for a halt in fighting, the release of hostages held in Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and an increase in humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that in recent weeks, Israel has moved somewhat to meet Hamas demands in negotiations, only to have Hamas then change those demands. It takes two to make an agreement, and right now Hamas has signaled that they dont want an agreement, Miller said. The Israeli military said Tuesday its forces conducted airstrikes overnight that destroyed two Hamas rocket launch positions in the southern Gaza Strip. Ground forces also continued operating in central Gaza, while airstrikes killed dozens of militants throughout Gaza, the military said. Strike on Hezbollah Israeli forces killed at least two Hezbollah fighters in a series of strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, the military said Tuesday. It shared a video on social media showing a strike blowing up a car as it drove down a road. Lebanese state media said an apparent Israeli strike on a car in the Adloun area killed at least one person. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The 12-month grace period for student loan borrowers ended on September 30. The "on-ramp" period helped borrowers who are struggling to make payments avoid the risk of defaulting and hurting their credit score. "The end of the on-ramp period means the beginning of the potentially harsh consequences for student loan borrowers who are not able to make payments," said Persis Yu, Deputy Executive Director at the Student Borrower Protection Center. Around 43 million Americans have student loan debt, amounting to $1.5 trillion. Around eight million of those borrowers had enrolled in the SAVE plan, the newest income-driven repayment plan that extended the eligibility for borrowers to have affordable monthly student loan payments. However, this plan is currently on hold due to legal challenges. With the on-ramp period and a separate program known as Fresh Start ending and the SAVE plan on hold, student loan borrowers who are struggling to afford their monthly payments have fewer options, added Yu. Student loan borrowers who haven't been able to afford their monthly payments must consider their options to avoid going into default. If you have student loans, here's what you need to know. What was the on-ramp period? The Education Department implemented this grace period to ease the borrower's transition to make payments after a three-year payment pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this year-long period, borrowers were encouraged to keep making payments since interest continued to accumulate. "Normally, loans will default if you fall about nine months behind on making payments, but during this on-ramp period, missed payments would not move people towards defaulting and then being subject to forced collections. However, if you missed payments, you still be falling behind ultimately on repaying your loans," said Abby Shaforth, director of National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. Since this grace period has ended, student loan borrowers who don't make payments will go delinquent or, if their loans are not paid for nine months, go into default. Borrowers who cannot afford to make payments can apply for deferment or forbearance, which pause payments, though interest continues to accrue. What happens if I don't make my payments? Borrowers who can't or don't pay risk delinquency and eventually default. That can badly hurt your credit rating and make you ineligible for additional aid and government benefits. If a borrower missed one month's payment, they will start receiving email notifications, said Shaforth. Once the loan hasn't been paid for three months, loan servicers notify to the credit reporting agencies that the loan is delinquent, affecting your credit history. Once the borrower hasn't paid the loan for nine months, the loan goes into default. If you're struggling to pay, advisers first encourage you to check if you qualify for an income-driven repayment plan, which determines your payments by looking at your expenses. You can see whether you qualify by visiting the Federal Student Aid website. If you've worked for a government agency or a non-profit organization, you could also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives student debt after 10 years. What happens when a loan goes into default? When you fall behind on a loan by 270 days roughly nine months the loan appears on your credit report as being in default. Once a loan is in default, it goes into collections. This means the government can garnish wages (without a court order) to go towards paying back the loan, intercept tax refunds, and seize portions of Social Security checks and other benefit payments. What if I can't pay? If your budget doesn't allow you to resume payments, it's important to know how to navigate the possibility of default and delinquency on a student loan. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid. If you're in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for deferment or forbearance allowing you to temporarily suspend payment. To determine whether deferment or forbearance are good options for you, you can contact your loan servicer. One thing to note: interest still accrues during deferment or forbearance. Both can also impact potential loan forgiveness options. Depending on the conditions of your deferment or forbearance, it may make sense to continue paying the interest during the payment suspension. What is an income-driven repayment plan? The U.S. Education Department offers several plans for repaying federal student loans. Under the standard plan, borrowers are charged a fixed monthly amount that ensures all their debt will be repaid after 10 years. But if borrowers have difficulty paying that amount, they can enroll in one of several plans that offer lower monthly payments based on income and family size. Those are known as income-driven repayment plans. Income-driven options have been offered for years and generally cap monthly payments at 10% of a borrower's discretionary income. If a borrower's earnings are low enough, their bill is reduced to $0. And after 20 or 25 years, any remaining debt gets erased. What is the latest with the SAVE program? In August, the Supreme Court kept on hold the SAVE plan, the income-driven repayment plan that would have lowered payments for millions of borrowers, while lawsuits make their way through lower courts. Eight million borrowers who had already enrolled in the SAVE plan don't have to pay their monthly student loan bills until the court case is resolved. Debt that already had been forgiven under the plan was unaffected. The next court hearing about this case will be held on October 15. What happened with the Fresh Start program? The Fresh Start program, which gave benefits to borrowers who were delinquent prior to the pandemic payment pause, also closed on September 30. During this limited program, student loan borrowers who were in default prior to the pandemic were given the opportunity to remove their loans from default, allowing them to enroll in income-driven payment plans, or apply for deferment, among other benefits. Columbia University held virtual classes Monday on the sixth continuous day of student protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict. University president Nemat Minouche Shafik sent an email to the Columbia community announcing that classes would be held virtually. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days, Shafik wrote. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas. We need a reset. More than 100 students were arrested at the school April 18, after the universitys president authorized police to clear away protesters. Some of the students also received suspension notices from the school. Columbias action prompted an onslaught of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at other universities and responses from faculty and politicians. The arrests occurred after students calling themselves Columbia University Apartheid Divest erected dozens of tents on a lawn at the center of the campus, establishing it as the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment." Following the arrests and the demolition of the original encampment, another pro-Palestine encampment sprung on an adjacent lawn. Students arent the only demonstrators experiencing tensions on campus and with the university administration. Monday morning, Business School assistant professor Shai Davidai was denied entry to the university for an attempted pro-Israel counter-protest on the occupied lawn after he refused to comply with the universitys counter-protest policies. I am a professor here; I have every right to be everywhere on campus. You cannot let people who support Hamas on campus, and me, a professor, not on campus. Let me in now, he said after Columbia COO Cass Halloway stopped him and other pro-Israel protesters at the entrance gates. He has repeatedly called student protesters violent maniacs and pro-Hamas terrorists. A petition calling for Davidais dismissal has amassed nearly 9,000 signatures as of last Thursday night; additional grievances have been shared on social media and with the university. Some Jewish students at Columbia say that many criticisms of Israel are antisemitic and make them feel unsafe. Since the arrests, many student groups and Columbia affiliate groups have released statements condemning the universitys decision to arrest students, citing discriminatory enforcement of rules that limit students' freedom of speech. Monday, hundreds of faculty members from across Columbia and Barnard staged a rally and walkout to urge the university to reverse the students suspensions. Some faculty members wore their graduation regalia and sashes reading We support students. The backlash from the protests has even reached the ear of U.S. President Joe Biden. When asked about the recent events at the university by reporters Monday, Biden said, I condemn the antisemitic protests. Thats why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who dont understand whats going on with the Palestinians. Other campuses, such as Yale, Stanford, and New York University have also rallied around the Palestinian cause, calling for their universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel and for a ceasefire in Gaza. Many have put up tent encampments on their campuses. About 50 students were arrested at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, Monday after they refused to leave their encampment. Student protesters at Columbia have urged organizers of rallies outside the campus to remember what we are protesting for and focus on the war in Gaza, rather than just expressing solidarity with protesters. The university announced Tuesday morning that classes on the Morningside main campus, where the protests are taking place, will be offered in a hybrid format for the remainder of the Spring semester. The last day of classes is April 29. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and the Associated Press. The New York trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to resume Tuesday with the court hearing arguments on whether Trump violated a gag order prohibiting him from disparaging witnesses and key figures in the case. Testimony is also expected to resume with David Pecker, the former publisher of the popular grocery store tabloid, the National Enquirer, returning to the witness stand after being the first person called to testify by the prosecution. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo described Monday what he called a Trump Tower conspiracy involving Pecker, Trump and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen plotting to keep damaging stories about Trump from being published ahead of the 2016 presidential election. We used checkbook journalism, and we paid for stories, Pecker told jurors of his time at the National Enquirer. Pecker said he had "final say" over editorial decisions and that anything over $10,000 for a story had to be approved by him. Prosecutors allege the tabloid paid model Karen McDougal, who says she had a 10-month affair with Trump, $150,000 to buy the rights to her story and then did not publish it. In opening arguments Monday, Colangelo laid out a wide-ranging plot he says Trump orchestrated to keep voters from learning, just days before the election, about Trumps alleged affairs with McDougal and porn film star Stormy Daniels, both of which Trump has denied. Colangelo said that from the evidence he plans to produce, the jurors would reach only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, to reimburse Cohen for the $130,000 he paid to Daniels to keep her quiet. Trump pleaded not guilty to the 34 charges. Trumps defense attorney, Todd Blanche, told the jurors, President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. He is cloaked in innocence. Blanche dismissed the prosecutors account as misleading and untrue, telling jurors, "I have a spoiler alert: Theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election." "Its called democracy, Blanche said. Blanche told the jurors that the money paid to Cohen was not to reimburse him for the $130,000 in hush money Cohen claims he paid to Daniels, but rather legal fees Cohen was owed. Cohen has turned against his former boss and is expected to be a key witness for the prosecution. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan ruled Monday that if Trump decides to testify at the trial, prosecutors will be allowed to ask him questions about his previous civil cases in which he was ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Ultimately, it will be up to Trump to decide whether to take the witness stand after listening to his lawyers advice. The New York case is one of an unprecedented four criminal indictments Trump is facing, encompassing 88 charges, all of which he has denied. The hush money trial, however, could be the only one that occurs before the November election. Two of the other indictments one state and one federal accuse him of illegally trying to upend his 2020 loss, while the third alleges he illegally took hundreds of highly classified national security documents with him to his Florida estate when his presidential term ended, and then refused requests by investigators to return them. No firm trial dates have been set in any of those three cases, and Trump has sought to push the start dates to after the November election. Since Trump is required to be in court, the hush money case almost certainly will limit his time on the campaign trail as he runs for the second time against Biden. Altering his companys ledgers would be a misdemeanor offense, but to convict Trump of a more serious felony, prosecutors will have to convince jurors he committed an underlying crime, such as trying to influence the outcome of the 2016 election by keeping information about the alleged affairs from voters. It is not illegal to pay hush money, and Trump may claim the payments were made simply to avoid disclosure of personally compromising moments of his life, not to try to influence the 2016 election. Scientists from Australia and the United Kingdom are developing genomic sequencing technology to save parrots caught in the illegal wildlife trade. They say their forensic methods are similar to a database used by INTERPOL, the international police organization. Parrots are among the most trafficked birds in the illegal international wildlife trade. By using samples from feathers or a speck of blood, researchers from the Australian National University and Kings Forensics in the United Kingdom are working to build a genetic database of threatened bird species. They hope to create a DNA library that would help authorities track illegal trade routes and reveal the origin of animals seized from smugglers. The research team says the genomic techniques are like those of INTERPOLs I-Familia database, which is used to identify people based on international genetic kinship matching. George Olah of the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National Universitys College of Science told that threatened species of parrots need urgent protection. He said generally, the illegal wildlife trade is the fourth most lucrative crime in the world. Like organized crime after arms trafficking, drugs and human trafficking, he said. Parrots are really prevalent in that trade that is in numbers of live animals. They are the most traded bird. Olah said genetic databases will be able to identify the source of smuggled birds. This would help, you know, local law enforcement agencies to better focus their limited budgets to these hotspots, he said. So, if you could work out that most of the trade in animals are coming just from a few islands, or from a specific region, then they can focus on that to actually break the chain. Olah will travel to Indonesia next month to meet with local authorities and researchers. He says the illegal parrot trade is rife in the Indo-Pacific nation. Scientists say that in addition to being a threat to biodiversity, wildlife trafficking is an international public health issue because of its role in spreading zoonotic diseases. The National Institutes of Health in the United States says these are a disease or infection that can be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans or from humans to vertebrate animals. More than 60% of human pathogens are zoonotic in origin. German prosecutors said Tuesday that an aide to a German lawmaker in the European Parliament had been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Prosecutors identified the man only as Jian G., in line with German privacy laws, and said he repeatedly passed information about European Parliament negotiations to a Chinese intelligence service. The man also spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany, prosecutors said. Chinas foreign ministry said Tuesday the allegation is an attempt to smear and suppress China and to destroy the atmosphere of cooperation between China and Europe. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the allegations extremely serious. If it is confirmed that there was spying for Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, then that is an attack from inside on European democracy, Faeser said in a statement. After multiple media outlets identified the accused as an aide to Maximilian Krah of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a party spokesman called the spying allegations very disturbing. "As we have no further information on the case, we must wait for further investigations by federal prosecutors," party spokesman Michael Pfalzgraf said in a statement. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters A Moscow court on Tuesday denied American journalist Evan Gershkovichs appeal against the extension of his pre-trial detention in the spying case that he and the U.S. government have rejected as bogus and politically motivated. Gershkovich, a Russia correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, has been jailed since March 2023 on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. The State Department has declared him wrongfully detained. The Journal condemned the latest ruling, which will see Gershkovich held in pre-trial detention until at least June 30. It continues to be outrageous that Evan has been wrongfully detained by the Russian government for more than a year, the paper said in a statement. Evans freedom is long overdue, and we urge the administration to do everything in their power to secure his release. The Tuesday hearing was a technical appeal against an earlier decision to re-extend Gershkovichs pre-trial detention until the end of June. To date, Russian investigators have not publicly provided any evidence to substantiate the accusations made against Gershkovich. The first court of appeal ruled that the order of 26 March 2024 on the extension of the preventative measure should be left unchanged, Judge Alexander Pushkin said in Tuesdays hearing, according to an AFP journalist who was present at the hearing. Gershkovich, who was accredited by Russias foreign ministry to work there as a journalist, has spent more than one year jailed in Moscows notorious Lefortovo prison. Washington has accused Moscow of holding the American journalist hostage and using him as a political pawn. The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, last visited Gershkovich in prison on April 18. Despite the continued wait for the start of his trial, Evan remains in good spirits, buoyed by the continued messages of support, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in a statement. During the Tuesday hearing, Gershkovich smiled and gave a thumbs-up when a journalist asked him how he was doing. Last week, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a bipartisan resolution calling for Gershkovichs immediate release. The resolution strongly reaffirms that journalism should never be silenced by persecution or intimidation, Senator Ben Cardin, from Maryland, said in a statement. Earlier this month, Roger Carstens, the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, told reporters that the U.S. government is in the process of putting together a new offer for Moscow to secure the release of Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, another American considered wrongfully detained in Russia. Also this month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters that Moscow and Washington are using a specialized closed channel to discuss prisoner swaps that could include Gershkovich, according to the Russian state outlet TASS. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously suggested that Moscow would be willing to trade Gershkovich for a Russian operative currently jailed in Germany for killing a Chechen dissident in a Berlin park in 2019. At the end of 2023, Russia ranked fourth in the world in terms of journalist jailings with 22 behind bars, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Gershkovich is one of two American journalists jailed in Russia. The other is Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national who has been jailed since October 2023. An editor at the Tatar-Bashkir service of VOAs sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kurmasheva stands accused of failing to register as a so-called foreign agent and spreading what the Kremlin views as false information about the Russian military. Kurmasheva and her employer vehemently deny the charges against her, which carry a combined sentence of 15 years in prison. U.S. officials have said the charges against Kurmasheva are groundless. But the State Department has still not decided whether it will declare Kurmasheva wrongfully detained, despite persistent calls from press freedom groups for the State Department to do so. Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse. Myanmars ruling junta, the State Administrative Council, is criticizing a U.S. aid package that is being funneled through opponents of the regime, saying the United States should consider whether its actions amount to support for terrorism. The assistance marks the first implementation of the BURMA Act, part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act aimed at helping pro-democracy forces battling the SAC. Under the act, the aid is intended to strengthen federalism in Myanmar by providing nonlethal assistance to armed groups, helping pro-democracy organizations, assisting aid organizations operating from Thailand, and financing investigations of junta human rights violations. The aid is restricted to ensure it does not benefit the SAC or any entity affiliated with the Myanmar military. We believe the U.S. is manipulating Myanmar to counter China's influence in the region, the junta said in a statement provided to VOA on March 29. Despite the U.S. presenting itself as a champion of democracy, the aid disproportionately benefits Myanmar's opposition groups, particularly the National Unity Government (NUG) and the People's Defense Force (PDF). The NUG is the oppositions shadow government; the PDF is made up of civilian armed groups battling the military. The junta statement calls on the United States to review its aid allocation to reassess whether their actions, which some label as terrorism, represent a legitimate path to reclaiming power. The junta, which has killed and imprisoned thousands of people since overthrowing the democratically elected government in February 2021, accuses the NUG and PDF of responsibility for the civilian deaths. The statement did not elaborate on the charge that U.S. support for resistance groups in Myanmar is linked to Myanmars adversarial relationship with China. The promise of the BURMA Act The Burma Unified Through Rigorous Military Accountability Act, commonly called the BURMA Act, says it aims to continue to support the people of Burma in their struggle for democracy, human rights, and justice. It identifies specific resistance groups as beneficiaries, including the NUG, and the National Unity Consultative Council, or NUCC, which comprises several opposition groups. Also named are the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, which is made up of members of the ousted Myanmar parliament; the civil disobedience movement; "and other entities in Burma and in other countries that seek to bring about an end to the military juntas rule. The act promises to hold accountable perpetrators of human rights violations, and to hold accountable the Russian Federation and the Peoples Republic of China. It provides $75 million for refugee assistance programs, including in Thailand and India, and $25 million for technical support and non-lethal assistance to the NUG and PDF. Smaller amounts are earmarked for governance programs, documentation of atrocities, and assistance to political prisoners, Rohingya and deserters from the juntas military. The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group, have faced persecution and discrimination in Myanmar for decades. In 2017, a military crackdown by the Myanmar army forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, seeking refuge from the violence and persecution. The act authorizes appropriations to be allocated annually from fiscal years 2023 through 2027, with $121 million earmarked for FY 2024. Process of the funding During debate on the bill, the U.S. House of Representatives initially proposed a more limited $50 million aid package but agreed to the larger sum advocated by the Senate before final passage. "We are pleased with the $121 million proposed by the Senate, instead of the $50 million proposed by the House. However, we believe this amount is insufficient, and should be closer to $300 million to meet the humanitarian needs on the ground, said James Shwe, from the Los Angeles Myanmar Movement, which works with Myanmar activists in the United States. In a Zoom call with VOA, Shwe also criticized what he sees as the high administrative costs of aid distribution. Because of the lack of state-to-state cooperation in a case such as Myanmar, where the aid is meant for humanitarian assistance, but not for the ruling power, this leads to several layers of management, he said. The aid is funneled through USAID partners, the biggest of which is the U.N., which has to operate under the rules of the junta. In many cases, the U.N. will in turn deal with [non-governmental organizations]. The NGO then needs to distribute that aid to [civil society organizations] on the ground. This leads to ever-increasing administrative costs and less actual assistance to those in need. Shwe said administration costs eat up around 45% of aid funds. Only $75 million of the $121 million is allocated for cross-border aid, which we believe will be more effective than channeling funds through the U.N., the largest partner of USAID," Shwe added. But he welcomed the lawmakers decision to specifically name the NUG and the NUCC in the act, ensuring that they will play a role in the allocation of the funds. Hopes for assistance amid U.S. engagement Hopes for continued humanitarian assistance to Myanmar are on the rise after U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet and USAID Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer met this month with representatives from the NUG. The meeting underscores the ongoing commitment of the United States to engage with Myanmar's NUG leadership and support their endeavors to promote democracy, peace, and stability in the region, said an April 11 State Department press release. Chollet also met in late March with ethnic armed organizations allied with the NUG. "Met today with leaders of Burmas K3C ethnic group alliance on their extraordinary efforts to pursue a federal democracy in Burma, he wrote on X on March 28. We discussed steps for the international community to expand assistance to those in need and secure a better future for the people of Burma." The K3C alliance, comprising the Kachin Independence Organization, Karen National Union, Karenni National Progressive Party, and Chin National Front, is politically aligned with the NUG and collaborates militarily with its armed wing, the Peoples Defense Force. "We briefed them on the political and military situation in our state, as well as the humanitarian situation, said Aung San Myint, secretary of the Karenni National Progressive Party, who shared details of the meeting with VOA by phone. Following our presentation, they assured us of continued collaboration as the U.S. Department of State. ... We have hope for increased humanitarian aid as discussions progress with U.S. officials." Germany is the top-rated country for global leadership, according to a new Gallup poll released today based on surveys in 133 countries. Germany's approval rating stood at 46% in 2023, while the U.S. followed closely behind with 41%. As Europe's largest economy, Germany boasts a 60% leadership approval rating on the continent, exceeding that of the United States by double digits. The United States, a historically dominant power, witnessed a slight decline in leadership approval ratings in some African nations and India, the world's most populous country. Disapproval of U.S. leadership increased to 36%, marking a 1 percentage point rise from the previous year. The conflict in Gaza appears to have influenced U.S. approval ratings in some countries. Gallup notes a slight decline in countries surveyed after the conflict began. The United States unwavering support for Israel seems to have surged its approval in Israel to 81%, but its approval fell to 11% in the State of Palestine. "The United States is seen to apply international humanitarian and human rights law inconsistently, calling out Russia for abuses in Ukraine but not criticizing allies like Israel for its violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, said Maryam Zarnegar Deloffre, a professor of international affairs at The George Washington University. The U.S.s vetoes against a cease-fire in Gaza, backed by a majority of member states, might have eroded confidence in international laws, Deloffre told VOA. The poll offers a bleak image of Russia, particularly in Europe, with a more than 90% disapproval rating. Overall, however, Russias leadership approval was at 22% last year, up from 21% in 2022. At 58% China had the highest approval in Africa, followed by the U.S. (56%), Germany (54%) and Russia 42%. But the U.S. is considered to have a soft power advantage over China in most parts of the world. Across the world, the United States leadership abilities rated higher in Kosovo (84%) than in the rest of the world. The Russian Federation gave the U.S. its highest disapproval rating at 88%. With 39% approval, the U.S. enjoyed the highest approval in the Americas, followed by Germany with 29%. Russian media report that the Kremlin plans to deploy ballistic missiles close to its border with Finland. Its the latest in a series of military and hybrid threats that Russia has made against the Nordic state since it joined NATO in April last year in the wake of Moscows invasion of Ukraine. The Russian newspaper Izvestia reported Monday that a new brigade will be deployed in the Karelia region bordering Finland, equipped with an Iskander-M ballistic missile system. The Izvestia report quoted an ex-commander of Russias Baltic Fleet, Admiral Vladimir Valuev, who told the newspaper that "the formation of a missile brigade is a very timely decision. This is an adequate response to Finlands accession to NATO. Despite the proximity to Finland, the potential deployment is not raising alarm bells in Helsinki, said security analyst Charly Salonius-Pasternak of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. This is really not news. And of course, announcing a thing and then doing something about it are two very different things when it comes from Russia. So overall, we really havent seen a lot other than rhetoric, he told VOA. Finland has warned that it is facing varied security and hybrid threats from Russia since it joined NATO. In the second half of 2023, following Finlands accession to the alliance, over 1,300 migrants from countries including Yemen, Syria and Somalia began to arrive at the Finnish-Russian border to try to claim asylum. Helsinki closed all crossing points along the frontier in November, accusing the Kremlin of weaponizing migration. They were reopened briefly, but swiftly closed again after another surge in migrant arrivals. The closure was extended indefinitely earlier this month. Finland wants the European Union to help in preventing any future migrant crisis. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo hosted the European Unions Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on a tour of the border region Friday. Now we have to find common solutions to stop this phenomenon when Russia uses illegal immigrants against us. We are preparing our own legislation, but we also need EU-level measures, Orpo said. Von der Leyen pledged the EUs support. This is a new phenomenon. It is a hybrid threat, and it has to be dealt (with) as a hybrid threat to national security. And what we see is that a state is instrumentalizing poor people to put pressure on another state. So that is a clear security issue, and we will certainly be dealing for quite a long time with that, and we will have to prepare for that, she told reporters at the Imatra border crossing on the Russian frontier. Finland is building a fence along part of the 1,340-kilometer (833-mile) border and increasing patrols. The government is debating legislation to block asylum-seekers entering from Russia. Von der Leyen said any such measures must strike a balance between protecting security and international obligations on the rights of refugees. The threats go beyond a migrant crisis, said analyst Charly Salonius-Pasternak. The Russian security services, once some of these individuals have gotten to Finland, are seeking to recruit them to then cause further mayhem within Finland. Its part of Russias hybrid campaign against Finland and other NATO allies, Salonius-Pasternak added. The Russian land forces are, of course, engaged in Ukraine, so we really haven't seen a lot of (military threats), except some posturing. But there's certainly an expectation from the Finnish authorities that cyber-attacks, maybe other attacks on infrastructure, as well as this weaponization of humans, will continue. Now that winter is slowly receding here, the long border becomes, of course, much more passable. Russia denies trying to create a migrant crisis on the Finnish border. Moscow has described Finland's accession to NATO as a historic mistake that would force it to take what it called countermeasures. Representatives of the Russian occupation forces unlawfully arrested two citizens of Georgia near the village of Dirbi in the Kareli municipality, as reported by the State Security Service."Upon receiving information about the mentioned incident, the State Security Service activated the 'hotline' operated by the EU Monitoring Mission.Information about another instance of illegal detention was immediately reported to the co-chairs of the international discussions in Geneva and to international partners. All existing mechanisms for the release of illegally detained Georgian citizens have been activated.The occupying forces of Russia bear responsibility for all destructive actions committed on the occupied territories of Georgia, as well as along the occupation line," the statement reads.Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is set to participate in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary, where he is listed as one of the conference speakers alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and conservative politicians from various countries.Scheduled for April 25-26 in Budapest, the conference will feature discussions on topics such as "Sovereignty Lives, Globalism Dies", "Sovereignty Defeats Terrorism", "Save the West, Protect the Borders", "2024 - Super Year of Elections", and "Gender Zero".The Government of Georgia announced today, April 22, that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze will be visiting Hungary on April 24-25 along with a government delegation, although the purpose of the visit was not specified in the statement. Zuhal Akbari has opened a new pastry factory in the western Afghan city of Herat, recruiting women so that they can do something for themselves, their families and their health. Akbari told VOA that most of the 11 women who work with her are university graduates who lost their jobs after the Talibans return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Under the Taliban, women are barred from working in the public sector and for NGOs, getting a secondary and university education, traveling long distances without male relatives, and going to parks, public baths and gyms. Although the Taliban said that they have no problem with women working in the private sector, they have imposed restrictions on certain businesses, such as beauty salons. Last year, the Taliban closed beauty salons that employed tens of thousands of women. Many women are coming to us for jobs, but we cannot hire more, said Akbari, adding that she does not have the resources. A U.N. Development Program report released last week stated that despite challenges, women-run businesses emerged as a lifeline for women in Afghanistan. Based on a survey of some 3,100 women-led businesses, the report said that 66% of respondents reported an increase in business activities. You see the thriving push forward of these women moving more and more into the commerce trade area, said Kanni Wignaraja, assistant secretary-general, assistant administrator and director of the regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific. Multiple challenges Wignaraja, however, told VOA that women-led businesses face multiple challenges. The first is affordable capital. The second is modern new skills.... And the third is mobility. The ability to physically move around, follow the markets, particularly cross-border and outside Afghanistan. Salma Yusufzai, CEO of the Afghanistan Womens Chamber of Commerce and Industries told VOA that the number of women in business has increased from two years ago when the Taliban seized power when many women-led businesses closed. There are more than 9,126 registered women [business owners with the AWCCI] and in total there are 120,000 [registered and unregistered] women-led businesses active in Afghanistan, Yusufzai said. She said women-led businesses are mainly in the areas of carpet weaving, making clothes, jewelry, fruit processing and other areas in agriculture. Yusufzai said that one of the major problems for businesswomen in Afghanistan is the lack of a market for their products as they do not have access to foreign markets. There are no exports to the market outside the country, and no country is granting visas to Afghan businesswomen, Yusufzai said. She said that women-led businesses, if supported, have the potential to recruit more women because they are banned from working in other sectors. No other options Because women in Afghanistan are deprived of their basic rights under the Taliban, their mental health has deteriorated as they are confined to their homes. Adela Ghafari, a resident of Herat City, had to stay home for more than a year until she found a job in a local pastry factory. She graduated from a university with a degree in history. She wanted to be a history teacher or work for the government. After I graduated, I wanted to get a job as a history teacher or a government employee, said Ghafari, But I cannot. Now I have no other option but to work here, said Ghafari, adding but, I have to say it is better than doing nothing at home. Zabihullah Ghazi and Fawzia Ahsan contributed to this report. In a case unprecedented in the history of the United States, lawyers representing former President Donald Trump will try Thursday to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court that their client is immune from criminal prosecution for acts he allegedly engaged in while serving in the nation's highest office. The federal case has extraordinarily high stakes. Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election. He is pressing his immunity claim on charges that as president, he criminally conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. That case is currently on hold pending a high court decision on Trump's immunity claim. A rapid decision might allow that trial to take place before the November election, while a delay could prevent it from taking place at all. If Trump wins in November and resolution of the case is still pending when he takes office in January, its possible he could direct the Justice Department to drop the charges. Special counsel charges The case before the Supreme Court arises from charges filed last year by special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by the Department of Justice. One part of Smith's mandate was to conduct an independent probe into the former president's actions between the November 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, in which Trump supporters attempted to disrupt the official certification of Biden's election victory. In a four-count indictment unsealed in August 2023, Smith accused Trump of conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official government proceeding, and criminally attempting to pressure public officials to help him overturn the results of the presidential election. Among other things, the indictment cites efforts by Trump and his advisers to have fake state-level election results presented to members of Congress and to pressure state-level elections officials to falsify records. It also mentions Trump's encouraging his supporters to descend on the Capitol on Jan. 6. The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, but it has been repeatedly delayed by Trump's effort to claim immunity. The former president has appealed to courts above the trial court to rule on the immunity claim, asserting that a decision in his favor would make the lower court proceeding unnecessary. Succession of appeals Trump has regularly asserted that presidential immunity from prosecution extends to criminal acts undertaken while in office. He has used Truth Social, the social media network he owns, to push the idea, writing in his signature all-caps style, "WITHOUT PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PRESIDENT TO PROPERLY FUNCTION, PUTTING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN GREAT AND EVERLASTING DANGER!" In arguments before the appeals court, Trump's attorneys illustrated the expansiveness of the former president's claims, asserting that even if, as president, he were to order the U.S. military to assassinate one of his political rivals, he would not be criminally liable unless he were first impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted by the Senate. In February, a unanimous panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected the former president's argument that he has "absolute immunity" from prosecution for acts performed while in office. "Presidential immunity against federal indictment would mean that, as to the president, the Congress could not legislate, the executive could not prosecute and the judiciary could not review," the judges ruled. "We cannot accept that the office of the presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter." Trump appealed the case to the Supreme Court, which announced at the end of February that it would take the case but rejected requests from the prosecution to schedule an expedited oral argument. How long the court will take to deliver a ruling following Thursday's session is unknown; while a rapid turnaround is a possibility, the court typically takes several months to craft its opinions. Delay causes concerns The Supreme Court's decision to take the case and its refusal to schedule an immediate oral argument have both been the subject of much criticism, given the unanimous nature of the appeals court ruling and the potential benefits to Trump of protracted delays. Former Republican member of Congress Liz Cheney, who served on a House panel that investigated Trump's involvement in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, used on op-ed column in the New York Times on Monday to plead with the justices for a speedy resolution of the case. "If delay prevents this Trump case from being tried this year, the public may never hear critical and historic evidence developed before the grand jury, and our system may never hold the man most responsible for Jan. 6 to account," Cheney wrote. However, some experts said that while the former president's legal arguments may be weak, the court still has an interest in approaching the issue of presidential immunity with deliberation. "Many aspects of the case are pretty easy," Ilya Somin, a professor of law at George Mason University, told VOA. "It should be easy to reject the idea that the president has virtually total immunity." "It is likely they took the case because they wanted to clarify what the boundaries of immunity are with greater precision," Somin said. "It's reasonable to think that if there's going to be a ruling on presidential immunity that sets a precedent, that precedent should come from the Supreme Court." Taiwans President-elect Lai Ching-te says the U.S. House of Representatives passage over the weekend of an $8 billion military aid package to counter Chinas influence will strengthen deterrence against authoritarianism and boost confidence in the region. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $95 billion joint aid bill Saturday that included money for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. That bill is set to be voted on in the U.S. Senate Tuesday. Of the $8 billion in military aid for the Indo-Pacific, $1.9 billion in the bill is allocated to replenishing U.S. weapons sent to Taiwan and other allies in the region. Lai said the bill shows Washington's commitment to Taiwans security, adding that it would help ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and also boost confidence in the region. Lai made his remarks about the bill while speaking with a visiting U.S. delegation that included two visiting U.S. representatives from the state of Michigan, Lisa McClain, a Republican, and Dan Kildee, a Democrat. The two lawmakers are visiting Taiwan to discuss regional security. The progress of the aid in Congress comes as tensions between with China are on the rise. Beijing claims the self-ruled island is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to make that goal a reality. Since Lai was elected in January, Beijing has been ramping up the pressure on Taipei, regularly sending fighter jets and navy ships into waters and air space around Taiwan. Kildee said that the timing of the delegations visit is significant, as it follows the House passage of the aid bill. He said the bill would provide very important support to ensure security in this region. During the meeting, McClain said: Peace is our goal. But to do that, we have to have relationships and we value your relationship. Not only militarily, but economically, McClain said of Taiwan during the visit. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that the United States is looking into allegations of human rights abuses by Israel in its operations against Hamas in Gaza. Two people were seen being taken into custody during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University on Monday. A prosecutor told jurors that Donald Trump tried to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election by preventing damaging stories about his personal life from becoming public. The statement came Monday at the start of the former presidents historic hush money trial. And on Earth Day a ship which emits no pollution as it sails the seas. Nine Turks working for pro-Kurdish media outlets were arrested Tuesday in Turkey, their employers and lawyers said, with a relative of one saying they were accused of "terrorist activities." Four women and five men were arrested at dawn in Istanbul, the capital Ankara, and the southeastern city of Urfa, lawyers from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a press freedom organization, said. MLSA said those arrested work for news organizations including the Mezopotamia Agency and the newspaper Yeni Yasam and include several journalists and "press employees." The nine were denied access to their lawyers for 24 hours, MLSA said in a message on X. "No declaration has been made about the reasons for the detention of the journalists" on Tuesday morning, it said. Mezopotamia said one of its journalists was arrested in Ankara during "a police operation at his home. A relative of one of the journalists, who asked not to be named, told AFP the police showed up at the journalist's home at dawn. She said the families of the journalists had been informed that their arrests were "part of an investigation opened in 2022 for terrorist activities. The journalists based in Istanbul were being held on Tuesday in a police station in the city, she said. The international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders, contacted in Istanbul, said it was "monitoring the situation closely. Elsewhere, Belgian police searched the studios of two Kurdish channels, Sterk TV and Medya News, that broadcast from Belgium, the two media outlets said in a statement to AFP. The Belgian public prosecutor's office said in a statement on Tuesday that the searches were carried out "during the night" "at the request of the French judiciary," which is seeking to "establish possible evidence of terrorist financing. A source close to the police operation who asked not to be named told AFP those raids had "no link" to the arrests in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and his delegation last weekend in Istanbul amid growing criticism in Turkey of his government's stance on the Israel-Hamas war. There was no news conference after the meeting. Erdogans office released a statement on the topics discussed with Haniyeh, who lives in exile in Qatar. According to the statement, Erdogan and the Hamas leader talked about "Israel's attacks on Palestinian territory, especially Gaza, what needs to be done to ensure adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region." Erdogan also emphasized the importance of Palestinians acting in unity, which he called "the most robust response to Israel and the way to victory go through unity and integrity." In another statement, Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) revealed that a Hamas delegation, including key members of the militant group, was present in the meeting. Haniyeh's visit came at a time when Erdogan's stance on the Israel-Hamas war and his support for the Palestinian people were questioned by the Islamist New Welfare Party, which came in third nationally in the local elections last month. On April 9, Turkey's Trade Ministry announced export restrictions of several product groups to Israel as a response growing calls in Turkey for a boycott. Some analysts think that Erdogan's meeting with Haniyeh is to consolidate his base. "AKP and Erdogan have been very worn out recently regarding the Palestine issue after it was revealed that there was trade with Israel," Erhan Kelesoglu, an Istanbul-based Middle East expert, told VOA. "Meeting with Hamas leaders actually provides President [Erdogan] with the opportunity to refresh his image before the public. It shows that he is behind the Palestinian cause and Hamas," Kelesoglu added. On April 17, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan went to Doha, Qatar, where he met Haniyeh. Later in a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Fidan said that Hamas has accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders. "They have told me that following the establishment of the Palestinian state, Hamas would no longer need an armed wing and they would continue as a political party," Fidan said. Some experts view Ankaras recent involvement with Hamas as its intent to play a mediator role. Turkey intends to reassert its influence in the region by playing a mediator role, particularly as Qatars mediating capacity reaches its limits, and Turkey has recently emerged as one of the intermediary countries in relations with Iran, Evren Balta, a non-resident scholar at Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, wrote in an analysis for MEIs blog. However, it is unlikely that either Israel or the United States will agree to the role that Turkey wishes to play or see the dissolution of the military wing of Hamas as a sufficient move to engage with the organization, Balta added. Israel's reaction Following the meeting on April 20, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz shared a photo of Erdogan shaking hands with Haniyeh on his X account. "Erdogan, shame on you," Katz wrote in a post in Turkish. He also listed his allegations of "rape, murder, and the desecration of corpses" committed by "the Muslim Brotherhood." Hamas shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Erdogan's AKP also backed in the past. Oncu Keceli, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, reacted to Katz's statement on X, saying, "It is the Israeli authorities who should be ashamed. They have massacred nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children." "Turkiye's priority is to bring the massacre in Gaza to an end, and the establishment of a Palestinian state to ensure lasting peace in our region," Keceli added. More than 34,000 people have been killed, Palestinian health authorities say, since the beginning of the war in Gaza last October. Comparison with Turkish militia On April 17, in his ruling AKP's parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan accused critics of his handling of the Israel-Gaza war of slandering him, his party, his government, and the Turkish Republic. "Some of our steps may not be visible. We may not be able to explain some of what we do. However, those who question our sensitivity on Palestine will sooner or later be embarrassed and disgraced," Erdogan said. "I say it very clearly and openly: Hamas is the same as Kuva-yi Milliye in Turkey during the war of independence," Erdogan added. He also called Hamas "a group of mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people" in the past after the Oct. 7 attack. Mujahideen is an Arabic word meaning those who fight for Islam. The U.S., the U.K. and European Union have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Kuva-yi Milliye, founded in 1918, is the name of the Turkish militia forces that fought in the early period of Turkey's War of Independence and was later organized under the command of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Erdogan's statement stirred a debate in Turkey as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) rejected such a similarity between Turkish national forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. "Identifying Hamas with Kuva-yi Milliye means 'the Palestinian cause started with Hamas.' However, everyone knows very well that the [Palestinian] struggle is a struggle that has lasted for decades. And it certainly did not start with Hamas," Oguz Kaan Salici, CHP's Istanbul deputy and a Turkish Parliament's Commission of Foreign Affairs member, told VOA. CHP calls for a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. Ukraines military reported Tuesday destroying 15 of 16 Russian drones from the latest wave of aerial attacks, hours ahead of a U.S. Senate vote on a security package that includes $61 billion in new aid for Ukraine. Ukraines air force said the Russian attack also included two ballistic missiles, and that Ukrainian air defenses shot down the Russian drones over the Cherkasy, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions. Oleh Kiper, the regional governor of Odesa, said the drone attack damaged several residential buildings and injured at least nine people. Vitaliy Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv, said falling drone debris injured one person and damaged a trade pavilion. Russias defense ministry said Tuesday its air defenses destroyed four Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod region. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor Belgorod, reported damage to a building but no injuries. US aid Britain announced Tuesday a $618 million aid package for Ukraine that includes 4 million rounds of ammunition, 1,600 munitions and 400 vehicles. Defending Ukraine against Russias brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed what he called such a strong demonstration of support and for the willingness to further develop our defense cooperation, especially with an emphasis on maritime and long-range capabilities. Storm Shadow and other missiles, hundreds of armored vehicles and watercraft, ammunitionall of this is needed on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said on social media. Ahead of the U.S. Senate vote on Tuesday, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Zelenskyy, pledging to quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the security bill. Biden added that the U.S. economic assistance will help maintain financial stability, build back critical infrastructure following Russian attacks, and support reform as Ukraine moves forward on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration. Zelenskyy, posting on social media, expressed his appreciation for the aid package and said Biden told him it would include strengthening Ukraines air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities. Zelenskyy also said he told Biden about the "Russian air terror using thousands of missiles, drones and bombs" and added a Russian strike on a television tower in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, occurred minutes before their conversation. Experts and Ukrainian lawmakers said it could take weeks for the assistance to reach troops, but expressed hope that the artillery rounds, precision-guided missiles and air defenses promised to Ukraine will change the military outlook for the country locked in a defensive war against Russia. "With the boost that will come from military assistance, both practically and psychologically, the Ukrainians are entirely capable of holding their own through 2024 and puncturing [Russian President Vladimir] Putins arrogant view that time is on his side," CIA Director William Burns said Thursday at the Bush Center Forum on Leadership in Dallas. Nevertheless, uncertainties remain as to whether Ukraine can keep its defenses strong beyond 2024 according to analysts. "Ukraine needs to use 2024 to rebuild its force for the long war," said Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "Europes goal should be to put itself in a position to potentially fill a future gap left by the United States should it not pass another supplemental," he added. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The head of the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, said Monday that 3 million Haitian children impacted by rampant gang violence need humanitarian assistance, including thousands who are at risk of death from severe malnutrition. "Each day, children are being injured or killed," Catherine Russell told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. "Some are being recruited, or they are joining armed groups out of sheer desperation." The murder rate in Haiti has soared this year, with 2,505 people killed or injured in violence between January and March a 53% increase over the final three months of 2023. Recent UNICEF data indicate between 30% and 50% of Haiti's gangs have children in their ranks. Nearly half the population, almost 5 million people, is acutely food insecure, as gangs block major roads from agricultural areas to the capital, food prices rise, and the country's main airport has been closed since March 3 because of gang activity around it. The country relies on imports for half of its food. "Recent findings from the IPC analysis indicate an alarming 19% increase in the number of children projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Haiti this year," Russell said, referring to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a U.N.-backed food analysis index. "The analysis also showed that 1.64 million people are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity, which increases the risk of child wasting and malnutrition." She said the growing insecurity in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has made it nearly impossible for critical health and nutrition supplies to reach at least 58,000 children suffering from severe wasting the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. "The Martissant road, the only humanitarian corridor from Port-au-Prince to the southern regions, remains blocked, leaving an estimated 15,000 children suffering from malnutrition at risk of death," she said. As services break down and clean water becomes less available, cholera has returned and the numbers are growing, with 80,000 suspected cases. "The situation in Haiti is catastrophic, and it grows worse by the day," Russell said. Aid workers are continuing to deliver when they can, despite insecurity and a massive funding gap. Haiti's U.N. envoy said the situation "is going from bad to worse." On top of hunger and violence, Ambassador Antonio Rodrigue told the Security Council that gangs are looting private companies, especially medical companies. "This has resulted in a serious shortage of medicines and medical products, hospital beds and blood products, including in the capital," he said. "Movement restrictions due to insecurity and improvised roadblocks are serious obstacles to the delivery of urgent medical equipment and medicines." He called for the rapid deployment of the multinational support force that the council authorized in October 2023 to support Haiti's police. Kenya has offered to lead the non-U.N. force and several countries have offered to contribute personnel, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, Jamaica and Suriname. The force has been beset with delays, including court challenges in Kenya and a shortage of funding. In a positive development, Haiti's political process appears to be moving forward, with the publication on April 12 and 16 of executive decrees establishing the Transitional Presidential Council and appointing its members. An interim prime minister and government still need to be appointed and the Provisional Electoral Council members nominated. However, gang leaders have threatened to violently disrupt the nascent political process. Haiti has been in turmoil since the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his home in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Petion-Ville. Armed gangs now control much of the capital and have spread to other parts of the country, where they have carried out massacres, kidnappings, human trafficking and sexual violence. The U.S. ramped up its sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, designating four people and two companies it says were "involved in malicious cyber activity" on behalf of the country's military. "These actors targeted more than a dozen U.S. companies and government entities through cyber operations, including spear phishing and malware attacks," the U..S Treasury Department said in a statement. The individuals and companies were working "on behalf of" Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC), the Treasury said. "Iranian malicious cyber actors continue to target U.S. companies and government entities in a coordinated, multi-pronged campaign intended to destabilize our critical infrastructure and cause harm to our citizens," the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in a statement. "The United States will continue to leverage our whole-of-government approach to expose and disrupt these networks' operations," he added. Tuesday's sanctions are the latest to be levied against Tehran by the United States and its allies for supporting anti-Israel proxies in the Middle East and for providing military support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Last week, the U..S and Britain announced widespread sanctions against Iran's military drone program in response to Tehran's large-scale attack against Israel earlier this month. That attack came in response to an April 1 airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus widely blamed on Israel that killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals. A day after those sanctions were unveiled, the U.S. fined a Thailand-based firm $20 million for more than 450 possible Iran sanctions violations. They included processing close to $300 million in wire transfers for a company jointly owned by the National Petroleum Company of Iran. Alongside Tuesday's sanctions, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have indicted the four individuals in question "for their roles in cyber activity targeting U.S. entities," the Treasury Department said. The White House is weighing ways to provide temporary legal status and work permits to immigrants in the U.S. illegally who are married to American citizens, three sources familiar with the matter said on Monday, a move that could energize some Democrats ahead of the November elections. Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have pressured President Joe Biden to take steps to protect immigrants in the country illegally as Biden simultaneously considers executive actions to reduce illegal border crossings. Immigration has emerged as a top voter concern, especially among Republicans ahead of the Nov. 5 election pitting Biden, a Democrat, against his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. Trump has said Biden's less restrictive policies have led to a rise in illegal immigration. The White House in recent months has considered the possibility of executive actions to block migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border if crossings reach a certain threshold, sparking criticism from some Democrats and advocates. The Biden administration also has examined the possible use of "parole in place" for spouses of U.S. citizens, the sources said, requesting anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The temporary status would provide access to work permits and potentially a path to citizenship. No actions are imminent or finalized, the sources said. A White House spokesperson said the administration "is constantly evaluating possible policy options" but declined to confirm discussions around specific actions. "The administration remains committed to ensuring those who are eligible for relief can receive it quickly and to building an immigration system that is fairer and more humane," the spokesperson said. The Wall Street Journal first reported the possible moves. An estimated 1.1 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally are married to U.S. citizens, according to data by advocacy organization FWD.us. A group of 86 Democrats sent a letter to Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last year urging them to protect spouses of U.S. citizens and create a family reunification process for those outside the country. Speaking at an advocacy press conference in Washington on Monday, Philadelphia resident and U.S. citizen Allyson Batista said her Brazilian-born husband still lacks legal immigration status after 20 years of marriage. Batista and her husband have three children together and run a construction company, she said, pleading with Biden to act. "Year after year, we continue to live in trauma and fear of separation," she said, "especially if an unfriendly administration takes over again." All About America explores American culture, politics, trends, history, ideals and places of interest. A decadeslong trend toward secularization, which has come more slowly to America than many other developed countries, appears to be picking up speed in the United States, according to polling and other evidence. In 1965, a Gallup poll found that 70% of respondents said religion is very important in their lives. Today, fewer than half of Americans (45%) say religion is very important. Younger generations probably weren't really brought up in a faith tradition, or maybe if they were, they didn't go to church that often so I think that's a big reason, Jeff Jones, a senior editor at Gallup, says. One-fourth of Americans (26%) said they were religiously unaffiliated in 2023, which is up from 21% in 2013, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. The same study suggests that these religiously unaffiliated folks are not looking to get more religion. Only 9% say they are interested in finding a new religious or spiritual home. The decline in church attendance points to a major change in American civic life and engagement, according to political scientist David Campbell, who says Americans pulled away from other types of groups in the past but were still affiliated with organized religion. Americans are less likely to be spending time with one another in the kinds of groups and the kinds of organizations where they learn to cooperate with one another they get things done, they come together to mobilize on an issue, Campbell says. There's just a lot less of that, and the decline in religion is a big part of that story. Campbell, a professor at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, says another reason for the drop-off in religious faith may be an allergic reaction to the religious right among people who were already on the religious periphery. I don't want to suggest that this is the only reason that people turn away from religion, but it is definitely a primary one, said Campbell, a co-author of scientific studies on links between politics and religion in the United States. Increasingly, in many Americans' minds, religion equals the religious right, or equals the Republican Party, or maybe equals support for [former President] Donald Trump. And if that's what religion is, for many people, they don't want any part of religion, he says. Sam Abrams, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, which lists free people, free markets, and limited government as its core values, noted that one of the biggest drop-offs in religious adherence since the political rise of Trump has been among women. You can be actually from a fairly religious household, but now the extreme conservative rhetoric about things like abortion and the role of women is pushing young women away from that and turning them atheist, agnostic and into none or nothing, says Abrams, who is also a professor of politics and social sciences at Sarah Lawrence College. There was a bigger issue that predates this, which is just rampant secularization and turning away from these religious organizations to begin with, and then the phenomenon of the extreme right has pushed people away very, very quickly, he adds. A Pew research poll finds that 28% of U.S. adults describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or nothing in particular when it comes to religion. The atheists account for 4% of the so-called "nones." The survey finds that most nones believe in God or a higher power, but they dont regularly attend religious services. About two-thirds of people questioned say they are not religious because they question a significant portion of religious teachings or dont believe in God. The decline in people attending services is happening in all age groups, according to Gallup. We see religious attendance much higher among older generations and much lower among younger generations, but we still see declines among all age groups, Jones says. So, even though older people are more likely to go to church, older people today are less likely to go to church than in the past. Photo: Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images Authors are staging their own protest amid an extraordinary week of action against Israels occupation of Gaza. In solidarity with a free Palestine, a group of 29 writers and translators sent a letter of refusal to the executive board and trustees of PEN America on April 17, withdrawing from the free-speech organizations annual Literary Awards, resulting in a cancellation of the ceremony entirely. We cannot, in good faith, align with an organization that has shown such blatant disregard of our collective values, the letter reads. We stand in solidarity with a free Palestine. We refuse to be honored by an organization that acts as a cultural front for American exceptionalism. We refuse to gild the reputation of an organization that runs interference for an administration aiding and abetting genocide with our tax dollars. And we refuse to take part in celebrations that will serve to overshadow PENs complicity in normalizing genocide. Authors are claiming PEN America has a bias in showing implicit support for Zionism and normalizes genocide with its ambivalent actions and tepid statements since October, including the organizations initial hesitancy to call for a cease-fire. (In contrast, PEN chapters abroad swiftly called for an end to the siege.) On April 22, after a series of ill-received responses, PEN America canceled the Literary Awards ceremony, saying it respects that writers followed their consciences but regret that the controversy has distracted from honoring them. The $75,000 prize accompanying the Jean Stein Book Award, the events most prestigious and lucrative honor, will be donated to Palestine Childrens Relief Fund at the direction of the Literary Estate of Jean Stein, not PEN America. Camonghne Felix, whose memoir Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation was nominated for the Jean Stein Award, declined to accept it on April 8 due to PENs ongoing betrayal. Including Felix, nine of ten nominees turned down the award. I am unendingly grateful to the panel of judges who selected my work for the Jean Stein Award their acknowledgment means everything to me, Felix said over email on April 17. However, my belief that PEN America should be held accountable for its betrayals to my community must supersede the fact of my gratitude. When I decided to decline my award, I did so from a place of absolute clarity: our power as writers can and should be leveraged towards challenging institutions that hold cultural monopolies within our community but fail to protect the voices and livelihoods of those of us most at risk. Nothing about this is easy, writer Joseph Earl Thomas said upon hearing the news of the cancellation in an email. His memoir Sink was longlisted for the Jean Stein Award before he refused consideration. My hope is that we will see many forms of continual solidarity with Palestine, not all of which will be obvious or public, or by famous folks or writers, and that rather than produce shame or discouragement amongst those of us who cannot say anything or voice discontent in ways we accept as righteous, this will push those with much more power than any of us individually to start revising the collective choices that have led us to the atrocities of the present, exemplified by the ongoing genocide in Gaza, he said in a statement. The blistering April 17 letter of refusal condemns PENs response to the crisis in Gaza, claiming the organization showed a lack of proportional empathy and often laced ahistorical, Zionist propaganda hidden under the guise of neutrality. The current war in Gaza is horrific, reads an April 18 statement from PEN America. But we cannot agree that the answer to its wrenching dilemmas and consequences lies in less discourse, less honoring of writers, and less shining a light on the critical contributions of writers. The drama engulfing PEN is just the latest domino to fall after a series of controversial moves protested by authors who have addressed both internal and external criticisms of PEN America. On January 18, two acclaimed novelists withdrew from a PEN event citing the organizations decision to platform Mayim Bialik, an outspoken Zionist and actor, at a talk with Moshe Kasher. PEN moved forward with Bialiks event on January 31, where viral footage showed a protester, Palestinian American writer Randa Jarrar, being forcibly removed from the venue, clinging to a chair, for playing a recording of 13 names of writers and poets killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023. Immediately following Jarrars protest, more than 1,300 writers began signing an open letter demanding PEN America release an official statement about the 225 poets, playwrights, journalists, scholars and novelists killed in Gaza and name their murderer: Israel, a Zionist colonial state funded by the U.S. government. The next domino fell at an event on March 13, when star writers including Naomi Klein, Michelle Alexander, Hisham Matar, Isabella Hammad, Maaza Mengiste, Zaina Arafat, and Susan Muaddi Darraj withdrew from the World Voices Festival over the organizations failure to join in calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. (As of writing, that event is still scheduled to take place in New York and Los Angeles May 816.) Five months into the war, PEN America finally called for a cease-fire on March 20, setting up a $100,000 emergency fund for Palestinian writers. PEN America refuses to name the genocide, as many PEN organizations around the world have done including PEN International, Ordinary Notes author Christina Sharpe, another Jean Stein nominee, said of her refusal in a statement. Sharpe points to South Africas charging Israel with genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January as a model for how the organization could have taken action. This work of writing that I do is in defense of life, it is in defense of existence, it is a refusal of the politics that make entire populations disposable, she added. As much as Id like to win a big award, I know that no amount of prestige or prize money is worth the lifelong shame of knowing you were on the wrong side of a genocide. Last weeks letter of refusal demands the organization contend with both the killings in Gaza and its own systemic issues. PEN Americas leadership has eroded our confidence in its mission, and the important work they claim to support; instead, they cling to a disingenuous facade of neutrality, while simultaneously parroting hasbara talking points, the letter reads. The staff union at PEN America alleges their employer proposed guidelines for members engaging in political activity that would chill free expression, the union wrote in a statement last month. When the PEN Awards cancellation was announced, staffers felt they couldnt publicly sign their names to their statement in support of the protesting writers, realizing how ironic that is for employees of a free expression organization, per Lit Hub. (Simultaneously, PEN has faced other eyebrow-raising press. On March 17, writer Alex Tretbar accused the organization of failing to pay out the prize money he won for the PEN America Prison Writing contest in 2022. PEN eventually paid him his $250 prize plus an additional sum, promising to fully compensate other unpaid Prison Writing Contest winners.) The writers are also calling for action against leadership. Signatories demand the immediate resignation of PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, PEN America president Jennifer Finney Boylan, and the entire PEN America Executive Committee. They also seek an external review of PENs alleged longstanding support for Israeli occupation, an apology to Jarrar for the suppression of her action, and for the organization to participate in good-faith bargaining with the PAU and to ensure their free speech is protected. Nossel and Finney Boylan drew criticism for visiting Israel in December 2023 for a PEN Israel conversation while avoiding Gaza just miles away. In a State Department memo in 2011, Nossel said the top priority for the U.S. as a new Human Rights Council member was the defense of Israel. She was the executive director of PEN America in 2015 when the organization honored French satirists Charlie Hebdo, the publication known for drawing Islamophobic cartoons. That year, six PEN members boycotted the PEN America Gala. In my opinion, an organization that advocates for human rights cannot waver on calling for an end to bloodshed, Alejandro Varela, a Jean Stein nominee for his short-story collection The People Who Report More Stress, said in a statement. Life first; debate later. Finney Boylan responded to the letter of refusal on April 18, vowing to review PENs work going back a decade in an acknowledgment of the gap between the organizations values and the dissenting literary communities. But Finney Boylans response was remarkable for its tone-deafness at a time when writers are voicing strong criticisms about the organization, she chose to open her own statement with a bizarre list of collective nouns for groups of animals to describe what shes calling a schism of writers. She argues that conversation, not silencing, is the only way forward. Maya Binyam, the author of the acclaimed novel Hangman and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, was troubled by PENs characterization of the nominee withdrawals as reported by Lit Hub on April 17. It saddens me that PENs leadership has described these withdrawals as a demand to foreclose dialogue in the name of intellectual conformity as if the Israeli genocide of Palestinians were a fiction worthy of debate, and not a reality around which PEN has an obligation to marshall its resources, she said in a statement. Binyam refused two prizes for Hangman: the Jean Stein Award and the $10,000 Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. As soon as I saw that other authors were withdrawing from the contest, there was no doubt in my mind that I should join them, James Frankie Thomas, who was also nominated for the Hemingway Award for his debut novel, Idlewild, said of withdrawing after he learned of what he claims are PENs Zionist affiliations. As much as Id like to win a big award, I know that no amount of prestige or prize money is worth the lifelong shame of knowing you were on the wrong side of a genocide. Ive felt so helpless watching the genocide unfold, especially as an American whose tax dollars are funding the bombs, he said. How could I possibly pass up an opportunity to join an organized protest? How could I live with myself if I chose to prioritize my own career instead? It wasnt an easy decision, but it was a simple one. I hope PEN America makes the same decision. With the ceremony canceled, its clear PEN heard the calls. How it answers them remains to be seen. Dining chat: A waiter gave our anniversary bubbly to the table next to us. What should we have done? Crown Resorts boss Ciaran Carruthers has flagged potential changes to the companys casino operations, including redundancies, with sustained falls in foot traffic taking the shine off multiple regulatory wins. The head of the Blackstone-owned business told this masthead on Tuesday, after Crown Sydney was deemed suitable by the NSW regulator to operate its newest casino independently, that the past three years have seen a marked drop in trading across Crowns casinos. Crown Resorts boss Ciaran Carruthers. Credit: Simon Schluter We will continually look at resources and make structural changes accordingly, Carruthers said when asked about whether Crown would need to make further redundancies this financial year if trading does not pick up. The company employs 20,000 people across its Melbourne, Sydney and Perth precincts. Crown Sydney has struggled to attract customers to its casino, closing one of its gaming floors last year and cutting 275 roles from its operations just 12 months after the $2.2 billion Barangaroo tower opened. Its margins currently lean heavily on its luxury hotel and its many restaurants, which are nearly always full. One of the first things I did when taking the helm of 6PRs Mornings program in November 2022 was to propose a weekly segment with City of Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas. He would be engaging, often in the news, sometimes controversial and listeners would gain regular access to a senior public figure prepared to take talkback calls. A rarity. Perth Lord Mayor and Liberal candidate for Churchlands Basil Zempilas. Credit: Mark Naglazas There was also the very real prospect of Zempilas diving into a career in state politics with the Liberal Party, which was something Labor heavyweights told me would happen after the 2021 election carpet-bombing of once-safe Liberal seats, including the blue-blooded bastion of Nedlands. You watch, theyll turn to Basil, Rita Saffioti predicted. Jonathan McCambridge, PA The legal battlefield around legacy has led to a different approach being taken to prosecuting historical cases in Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher has told MPs. Explaining the lack of prosecutions arising from the Kenova interim report, the PSNI Chief Constable suggested prosecutors were worn down by the continual challenges to their decisions. Mr Boutcher said that if a similar approach to evidence had been taken when he worked in England, there would not have been prosecutions in a number of his high-profile investigations. Kenova was a major investigation into the operation of the British Armys top agent inside the IRA, headed up by Mr Boutcher before he left to take up the PSNI role last year. Its interim findings found that more lives were probably lost than saved by the actions of Stakeknife, widely believed to be west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was 77 when he died. The probe, which was undertaken by Bedfordshire Police and ran for seven years at a cost of approximately 40 million, examined the role of the Armys prized agent embedded in the heart of the IRAs Internal Security Unit (ISU). Some 32 people, including former police, ex-military personnel and people linked with the IRA, were considered for prosecution on a range of charges from murder and abduction to misconduct in public office and perjury as a result of the Kenova investigation. However, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in Northern Ireland found there was insufficient evidence to pursue any cases. Mr Scappaticci died before any decision was made on the evidence files related to him. During a meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, SDLP MP Claire Hanna said the lack of any prosecutions had tested the confidence of many people in the PPS. Mr Boutcher said: I have dealt with some really, really complicated cases in the past involving international terrorism, organised crime. If the same approach had been applied that the PPS have applied to legacy cases, to those cases, many of which are very well documented as stated cases for prosecutions, my previous history of successfully prosecuting those cases wouldnt be that history, they wouldnt be prosecuted. I am very clear on that. The mechanism they adopted to look at these (Kenova) cases built in considerable delay and it did not build in the level of relationship and communication between the independent investigative team and the independent prosecution authority and the independent counsel appointed to look at the evidence. He added: Whenever you have got a case that is from some time ago there is inevitably going to be a challenge in showing the continuity of certain evidence, because people have passed away or there has been a break in the chain of the integrity of exhibits. I had a meeting with the PPS and we had independent counsel from London who was very clear, the commentary he used was Every day of the week at the Old Bailey I would get that hearsay evidence sent. And there was a different view from the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland. Now, for whatever we might say about the same legal processes being in place, Northern Ireland has a different way of approaching some of that evidence because legacy has become so challenging. Every case faces either a judicial review or an appeal. In a way I think the imagination, the energy that I have engaged with with prosecution authorities around complicated cases, Al Qaeda or organised crime gangs, is absent on legacy because they are worn down by this legal battlefield that exists around if they make one decision or another. We didnt get, I dont think, to discuss and engage with each other about the details of that evidence in the way that I would have expected and hoped that we would. Sir Iain Livingstone, who replaced Mr Boutcher as head of Operation Kenova, told MPs that prosecutors tended to become involved in cases earlier in the rest of the UK. Mr Boutcher contrasted the approach taken in legacy cases with that following the shooting of senior PSNI detective John Caldwell last year. He said: If I look at the way that the investigation and prosecution relationship was with the attempted murder of John Caldwell last February, having arrived as the Chief Constable, that was more akin to the relationship that Iain has described that we would expect to see. I think because of resources and because of their (PPS) capacity they cant apply that standard, that level of responsiveness, for legacy cases. Probably based on the fact that, by and large and certainly in the cases we were dealing with, there was no obvious threat from the people we suspected of committing these crimes. They didnt need to deal with them in the same timely fashion they had to deal with other files they were looking at. Because of the bandwidth of the PPS they simply werent able to adopt that process. The National Museum of Ireland Country Life at Turlough Park, Castlebar, has launched a new social story and sensory map to mark World Autism Month this April. The resources are aimed at creating a more inclusive and engaging visitor experience, in partnership with Castlebar Autism Friendly Town and Count Me In, Western Care Association. The Museum piloted the sensory map during Mayo Social Inclusion Awareness Week 2024 and invited the public to submit feedback. The sensory map and social story were then finalised and are now available to download from www.museum.ie and in hardcopy format from reception at the museum. It is hoped the resources will assist autistic people and neuro-diverse audiences to prepare for and enjoy their visit. The social story is a short guide about what is involved in a Museum visit. It provides information and imagery to assist people to navigate the site. The sensory map indicates sensory highlights in the exhibition galleries and includes sound, light and touch. Bernadette Frain, Manager of Count Me In, Western Care Association, worked closely with the Museum in developing the new tools. She was at the Museum last week to officially launch the resource. We in Count Me In and Castlebar Autism Friendly Town (CAFT) were delighted to work with the National Museum of Ireland to develop this sensory map and social story. It is great to see visitor experiences such as the Museum working in partnership with local groups and organisations to create a more inclusive community and make Castlebar a more autism-friendly town. Robin Wynne, self-advocate and student at Castlebar College of Further Education, also provided generous input and guidance in developing the social story and sensory map. This is a really positive initiative and I was happy to be invited to collaborate. Hopefully, these resources help more people in planning their visit and contribute towards the goals of Castlebar Autism Friendly Town to create more autism-friendly spaces. Rosa Meehan, curator and advocate for autism awareness in the National Museum of Ireland, said: We were so grateful for the time given by Robin, Count Me In and the wider Castlebar Autism Friendly Town network in assisting to develop these valuable resources. We hope they will make the Museum a more welcoming and inclusive experience. This was a pilot initiative at the National Museum of Ireland Country Life site here in Co Mayo and it will form a good basis for the Museums ambitious plans to develop further resources, spaces, initiatives and public programming focussed on inclusiveness across all of our public sites. The new resources are available from museum reception or to download at www.museum.ie. Visitors can also get a copy sent by post in advance of their visit by telephoning museum reception on 094-90 31755. The head of the Ballina Municipal District criticised a local councillor for "spouting mad stuff" about the number of refugees living in Ballina. Standing orders were suspended at the start of last weeks municipal district meeting to allow councillors to discuss the recent news that 120 international protection applicants were to be accommodated at the Twin Trees Hotel on the Downhill Road. Cllr John OHara said Ballina had taken its fair share of asylum seekers thus far. Theres more of them than us on the street, were being outnumbered, he said. Outnumbered by who? interrupted Mayo Co Council's head of the municipal district, Declan Turnbull. Can we deal with the facts? There are 407 asylum seekers including Ukrainians living in Ballina. Westport, which is a much smaller town, has 614. Castlebar has 1,393. We're way behind with 'them people' that you refer to. Can we deal with the actual facts rather than mad stuff people spout on Facebook? Cllr OHara said Westport has far more hotels than Ballina, adding that it isnt fair that hotels in Ballina are now unavailable for tourists and local events such as weddings. It is not right that theyre in every hotel in Ballina except one. Were the poor relation up here in north Mayo, he said. We need paperwork on everyone who comes in here, no one knows who's coming in and thats unfair. Cllr Annie May Reape, who attended the first public assembly outside the Twin Trees on Friday, April 12, said what she saw at the protest was "frightening" but she understood where the people were coming from. It is hard to blame people for being frightened. This simply cant happen. Mayo and Ballina have their fair share and Im willing to go to Dublin to speak to the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and Minister OGorman about this. We dont like the secrecy around this. We didnt know about this and no one seems to be informed until the money goes through. Cllr Mark Duffy said there is a lot of anger in the community over the decision to accommodate asylum seekers in the Twin Trees Hotel. I was dealing with two homeless cases from Ballina last week and the only emergency accommodation available was in Ballinrobe. He said there is currently so much bureaucracy and red tape around the provision of housing yet it all "goes out the window" when it comes to finding accommodation for asylum seekers. Cllr Michael Loftus said figures from a recent Tourism strategic policy committee (SPC) showed that 23% of tourist accommodation in Mayo is currently in use for asylum seekers or Ukrainian refugees. Thats way out of kilter compared to the rest of the country but no matter what we do or say, it wont stop this happening, he said. Cllr Jarlath Munnelly said it was important to get the message out there that Mayo County Council has no role in accommodating refugees, it was a function of International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS). He criticised the way protestors outside the Twin Trees spoke to elected representatives during the recent protest, which was attended by Cllr Reape, Cllr Duffy, Cllr OHara and Minister Dara Calleary. No public representative should be spoken to like they were at that protest. Respect should be shown on each side. He suggested that a letter be written to the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Minister for Integration Roderic OGorman. We run the risk of killing our tourism sector by allowing IPAS to use tourist accommodation and the Government recently signalled they would move away from this. We should write and ask them to engage with communities on this, Im sure it would be more positive and we should tell them that we dont support tourist accommodation being used in this way. However, Independent Cllr Seamus Weir said the council was still waiting for a reply from the Taoiseach to a previous letter about the situation in Gaza. He told his colleagues from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael that it was up to them to act. Its the same rhetoric that comes every time, write to the Taoiseach, write to the Taoiseach. The bottom line is that ye are in Government, ye are right beside Ministers, ye need to make a move. Cllr Reape told Cllr Weir that he was once a member of Fine Gael and had "done quite well out of it". He was also aligned with Fianna Fail in Mayo County Council for the past five years under a deal that saw him become cathaoirleach in 2022. You were in partnership with us in the council and youve done well out of it, youve achieved a lot of nice jobs out of it. You wouldnt be where you are only for you were with us, she said. You better retract that, said Cllr Weir but Cllr Reape refused to retract her remark. Were talking now for the good of Ballina and we should be united, said Cllr OHara. Cllr Munnelly said he is a Fine Gael councillor but that had not stopped him from blaming the Government for how it has handled the refugee issue. Director of Housing with Mayo County Council Tom Gilligan said he was shocked at the protest outside the Twin Trees and described the behaviour of some in the crowd towards local councillors as that of "schoolyard bullies". The reality of this situation is that we received official notification around the same time as elected members, he said. He criticised Cllr Duffy for making a connection between the housing crisis and refugees. We had a housing crisis long before we had refugees coming to Mayo, it is wrong to bring that into the conversation. Mr Gilligan said he was also disappointed with Cllr OHaras comments. Im disappointed with the language you used councillor. Ballina is a great place and a very welcoming community. While councillors were speaking, protestors who had been camped outside the Twin Trees Hotel gathered outside the civic offices but they had dispersed by the time the three-hour meeting came to an end. If memory serves me right, the song Fools rush in where angels fear to tread was issued as a single by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in 1940, the second year of World War II. In such terrible times, its wisdom sparkled like a jewel in the darkest days of yet another war to end all wars. Its sage advice represents wise counsel for those ever-anxious to flex their military muscles in search of expensive glory on the battle-field. Indeed it might be said to represent by extension a timely warning to columnists and scribblers of varying hues from commenting on contemporary conflicts. The complex and fractious Middle East crisis is a case in point. It seems, like the present rain-sodden fields, a morass that the more it is traversed, the stickier it becomes. Unlike the once impossible political terrain of Northern Ireland, there seems to be no solid ground on which to base a reasonable or workable solution. For one thing, the Jewish people have a mind of their own and traumatised by an incredible and unendurable legacy of pain now view the outside world through a narrow lens, ever wary and distrustful. It is as if to the outside observer, there is no healing, either sought or deemed possible, as the memory of Auschwitz, Birkenau and other concentration camps has denied them any relief from the mountain of suffering that is the burden almost every Jew seems to bear. Part of the problem is that only the Jewish people know what the burden of that history means and only the Jewish people know that they only know. And that unassailable conviction that no one else could possibly know seems to proof them against anyone elses wisdom but their own. Their instinctive response to admonition, even from their proven friends, is to infer that the rest of the world can never know what they know or ever feel what they feel. I remember visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau some years ago. I remember my overwhelming sense of outrage, together with a heaviness and a helplessness at my inability to understand the palpable sensation of evil that seemed to rise to heaven like an all-pervading stench. Never in my lifes experience was evil so incarnate and so tangible. It seemed utterly acceptable to me that the legacy of Auschwitz, Birkenau and other theatres of death, including the historic burden it has left in its wake, was beyond question absolutely unforgivable. However, what remains difficult to comprehend is how the experience of so much suffering of the innocent led to a consequent acceptance of so much collateral suffering of others caught in the slipstream of Jewish defence of their hard-won freedoms. A recent example is the effort to justify the grotesque bombardment of Gaza, the killing of innocent children, the apparent effort to starve the population of Palestine, and what looks suspiciously like revenge, ethnic cleansing or even genocide. None of the above is a defence of Hamas releasing the dogs of war on October 7 last, its immoral killing of 1,200 people and its inhuman kidnapping of 250 innocent Israelis and the resultant suffering perpetrated by their forces on so many families. Rather it is that the suffering of the children of the Holocaust, immense and unacceptable and immoral and outrageous as it was, can seem to have left no residue of feeling for the dying children of Gaza. After 30,000-plus deaths, the question now hanging in the air is how many more Ramahs and how much more lamentation and weeping will there be and how many more Rachels will be heard weeping for their children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. (Matthew 2:18). There is no comparable outrage to set the Holocaust in historical context. Even the Great Irish Famine (1845-52) pales into insignificance in comparison. Even though an estimated one million died of starvation in what was then the richest country in the world the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; even though the decisions, not to interfere with market forces but that were inevitably programmed to end in thousands and thousands of extra deaths, were taken knowingly by the great and the good of British society through their representative, Charles Trevelyan; even though the memory of Irelands greatest trauma was unreservedly ignored for most of two centuries and is still in comparatively recent times under-reported, the horrors of the Irish Famine, though of a different order to the Holocaust, have produced little more than a pale shadow of the indelible imprint and irrepressible focus of the Jewish people on the source of their great national grief. But how could the people of Israel, by fighting an impossible war, have contrived to rob themselves of what has helped sustain their existence and their grief, the sympathy and support of the free world? How could they not have foreseen that the policies pursued by Binyamin Netanyahus government would both produce another generation of Hamas terrorists to continue the politics of exacting revenge on their sworn enemy and, at the same time, alienate their supporters? The eminent columnist in the London Times, Matthew Parris, offered a telling insight: "Its simply indisputable that the world, almost all of it, and whether or not it should, dislikes what Israel is doing, and dislikes it intensely. The state of Israel is rooted in an idea, a dream, a dream of rightfulness. Lose that and all else may be lost too." What seemed a glorious opportunity for Netanyahu and his ilk to justify the elimination of Hamas has become a fertile ground for credible Hamas arguments to sustain accusations to irreparably undermine Israels reputation and even possibly its future. It may be Netanyahus parting gift to his people. Sometimes those who imagine they have all the answers can end up asking the wrong questions. BERN TOWNSHIP, Pa. - A man is behind bars on human trafficking charges following a traffic stop in Bern Township. "This specific case, which resulted in the arrest of William Alberto Gutierrez, is involuntary servitude dealing with labor," said Berks County District Attorney John Adams, who acknowledges human trafficking is a problem here, but says it usually is related to sexual exploitation. Through a collaborative effort by multiple Berks County law enforcement groups, authorities arrested William Gutierrez, 63, in Bern Township Friday afternoon after a traffic stop stemming from a 911 call by a man and woman who said they were being held against their will. "Through an investigation, we learned that these two individuals were from Nicaragua," said Bern Township police chief Brett Forry. "They were from the same town that the truck driver was from." Authorities say the victims told police Gutierrez had them working for him for a few weeks; the man driving the truck and the woman cooking and cleaning. They told police he'd promised them money, but they were never paid and weren't allowed to leave. "Mr. Gutierrez then threatened to turn them into the federal authorities for deportation. He also threatened to harm their family members back in Nicaragua," said Forry. The man and woman got a chance to call 911 and authorities used the description of the truck to track it down. "Spotting the truck with the logo on the side was key to this traffic stop. And then our department being able to conduct and jointly getting the victims out safely and taking the driver into custody," said Forry. "They did a great job determining that this is a crime, number one, and number two, being able to get the necessary information from the victims and a solid interview of the defendant was also performed," Adams added. Gutierrez is in custody facing charges including human trafficking, unlawful restraint and involuntary servitude. Reading, PA (19601) 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. PERKASIE, Pa. Even though the district's controversial bathroom policy was taken off the agenda Monday night, the Pennridge School District Board of Directors heard from numerous residents both in support of and against the policy. Board President Ron Wurz opened the meeting by making a statement reiterating his support of all students at Pennridge. "When I joined the board, I made a promise to myself that I would advocate for all students of Pennridge," Wurz said. "Over the past few years, the school board has not done well in this area," he said. "Hopefully, as a board, we can change that going forward." Wurz reiterated his support of all students at Pennridge, including "LGBTQ communities and all minorities." "Our board must be focused on helping support every single child in our district to achieve their maximum potential," he said. Wurz also wanted to clear up social media "chatter" on the bathroom policy. "To be clear, we have not changed anything," he said. Monday, public comment was moved to the beginning of the meeting, as many attending had come expecting the board to vote on bathroom Policy 720. The current policy calls for the district to provide access to "multi-user facilities and single-user facilities for students based on their sex." The policy also outlines providing "single-user facilities that may be accessed by any student and staff within the district, regardless of sex or gender identity." Lastly, the policy allows for multi-user facilities "wherein users shall have full access to facilities that correspond to their sex." The policy does not allow for members of the opposite sex to enter a restroom, locker room or shower that is designated for the use of the opposite sex. Pennridge School District unveils new bathroom policy Pennridge School District on Monday presented an updated version of its highly debated bathroom policy. The board presented an updated version of the policy at its April 8 meeting. The first reading of the policy was presented with mixed reactions. The new iteration asserted a right to privacy, stating that "the use of school restrooms is included in this right, and with the options for bathroom use, all individuals have the ability to select the bathroom of their choice." Further, the policy said that the district "will provide access to single-user restrooms, multi-user restrooms, and restrooms that are not based on their biological sex." The changes to the policy concern safety and privacy, officials said. The board ultimately decided to have another meeting with the solicitor about what adjustments needed to be made for another "first read" of the policy. In the interim, the former policy persists. Monday, high school student Jynx Smalls, who is a freshman in the district and transgender, likened the current policy to the segregation of bathrooms according to race in the past. "It's no different than singling out trans people for what bathroom they can use," Smalls said. "[Trans students] are not here to hurt, molest, assault or rape your children," Smalls said. "If anything, we're more worried about it happening to us." Smalls, who is biracial, said, "I can't help being Black, nor can I help being trans. It doesn't make me any lesser of a person." A parent wishing the policy to stay the same said that any policy change "desegregating the bathrooms is folly at best." By and large, opponents to a change pointed to the safety of their children and other students. They also spoke about the effects on mental health for students. "We are sacrificing free speech and our own children's safety on the altar of political correctness," said a commenter. Those at the podium also spoke about gender dysphoria, a condition identified within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5, which is a diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals. In the DSM-5, gender dysphoria is described as an incongruence between one's gender at birth and the gender they most identify. This incongruence causes distress to the individual. Ridge Network organizer Laura Foster, who is a mental health professional, addressed comments on gender dysphoria, instructing individuals to reach out to the school's guidance counselors for more information. "All of this rhetoric up here is just a bunch of Google searches," Foster said. "These kids just want to be kidsdon't give in to the rhetoric of zealots," Foster told the board. According to its website, "RIDGE Network is a group of engaged students, alumni, parents and community members who are dedicated to illuminating the issues impacting students and teachers in the Pennridge School District." "The community has spoken; we do not need a revision on this policy. Period," said another audience member. A suggestion raised by a couple of commenters was to let the administrators take charge of the bathrooms. Upper Bucks County Technical School Budget In other news, the board voted to approve the Upper Bucks County Technical School budget. Board President Ron Wurz voted against the approval, citing its $318,940 deficit. "This is not a balanced budget," he said. Legal services The board also debated on whether to solicit proposals for legal services. Specifically, the request-for-proposals calls for "qualified licensed full-service law firms to represent the district in basic legal matters and litigation." "I'm very pleased with how it's been going. I'm not in support of it," said board member Jordan Blomgren. Board member Bradley Merkl-Gump supported the measure. "Important as a district to assess all the contracts that we have," he said. The RFP process, Merkel-Gump said, allows the board "to make sure for the people of Pennridge that we're getting the best deal on all these contracts." "It could, in turn, cost us more money if you get something that's cheaper, but if the quality's not there, we won't know that until that happens," cautioned Blomgren. The board voted to support the measure. COO salary In other news, the board voted on a contract for district Chief Operating Officer Sean Daubert. The contract sets Daubert's base salary at $195,000, with provisions for district ratings. For instance, a "failing" rating from the district results in no increase; a "needs improvement" is a 1% increase; and "proficient" results in a 3.5% increase. Daubert could also receive an additional 1% bonus during the school year if the board and the superintendent deem it appropriate. Board member Carolyn Sciarrino thanked Daubert for "keeping Pennridge financially strong and stable." Blomgren said that while she thought Daubert was the "GOAT," or "Greatest Of All Time," she couldn't support the contract. "It's crucial to have good people at those (administration) levels," she said. However, the contract's 3.5% rate for increases was too much. "It's a slap in the face to taxpayers," she said. The contract also states that when Daubert completes the five-year contract, the district will pay 100% of his and his spouse's medical benefits through age 65. If Daubert retires or leaves before the end of his five-year contract, the district will pay 75% of his and his spouse's medical benefits. "Nobody gets that," said Blomgren. "It's a big task to have to run a district financially," said board member Robert Cormack, but he also could not support the benefits package. Board member Leah Foster-Rash said the benefits package adds to the district's appeal and ensures high-quality future candidates. Wurz said Daubert was the district's "financial guru" and said he was an "amazing addition to the team." The contract was approved 6-3, with Cormack, Blomgren and board member Ricki Chaikin voting "no." "I appreciate your support and appreciate everyone's opinion," Daubert said. "I look forward to spending the rest of my career at Pennridge and retiring here." Policy committee Foster-Rash announced that the policy committee, which she previously solely chaired, will now have two chairs, as board member Christine Batycki has been named committee co-chair. She said the move alleviates any concern regarding bias in selecting policies the committee reviews. Foster-Rash often takes criticism in her role on the policy committee, especially in regard to bathroom Policy 720. The next policy committee meeting is Wednesday, May 1. Conflict of interest Attorney Michael Miller also addressed Foster-Rash's perceived conflict of interest raised by the public for her association with a discrimination complaint against the district. Miller said Foster-Rash has recused herself from any discussion regarding the complaint, and she does not have a conflict of interest as defined by law. "Conflict of interest is determined under the law. It's very specific," Miller said. Following a discussion with Foster-Rash, Miller determined she does not meet the requirements for a conflict of interest in her role on the board and as a policy committee member. "People have the right to view her position as being conflicted from their personal view or that she has a view or agenda," he said, but in her positions, she does not meet the letter of the law. "I completely support Leah in her role as policy chair," Wurz said. "I have complete faith in her, and she wants to do what's right for all of our students." "I do appreciate everything Leah brings to the table," said board member Chris Kaufman. He added that she has handled the "amount of vitriol that's been thrown her way" with grace. Beijing Youth Daily: It is reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will tell his Chinese counterpart that the US and its allies are becoming increasingly impatient with Beijings refusal to stop providing Moscow with everything from chips to cruise missiles engines to help rebuild its industrial base during his visit to China. Blinken did not reveal what measures the US will take, but several people familiar with the situation said it is considering sanctions on Chinese financial institutions and other entities. What is your comment? Wang Wenbin: The United States keeps making groundless accusations over the normal trade and economic exchanges between China and Russia, while passing a bill providing a large amount of aid for Ukraine. This is just hypocritical and highly irresponsible. China firmly rejects this. On Ukraine, Chinas position has been just and objective. We have worked actively to promote talks for peace and a political settlement. The government oversees the export of dual-use articles in accordance with the laws and regulations. China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it. We never fan the flames or seek selfish gains, and we will certainly not accept being the scapegoat. Let me stress again that Chinas right to conduct normal trade and economic exchanges with Russia and other countries in the world on the basis of equality and mutual benefit should not be interfered with or disrupted. Chinas legitimate and lawful rights and interests should not be infringed on. The US needs to know that to fan the flames or to smear others and shift the blame is no way to solve the Ukraine issue. Accommodating the legitimate security concerns of all parties and creating a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture through dialogue and negotiation is the only right way forward. CCTV: Foreign Minister Wang Yi has just concluded his visit to Cambodia. Do you have any details to offer on his visit? Wang Wenbin: From April 21 to 23, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid an official visit to Cambodia. King Norodom Sihamoni, the President of the Senate of Cambodia Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet met with him respectively. He also co-chaired the Seventh Meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee with Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, and held talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China and Cambodia are iron-clad friends supporting each other and sharing weal and woe. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and Cambodian leaders, the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has stayed at the forefront of the times and set a fine example for building a new type of international relations. China stands ready to work with the Cambodian side to deliver on the strategic consensus between the leaders of the two countries, enrich the diamond hexagon bilateral cooperation framework, and inject new impetus into the building of the industrial development corridor and the fish and rice corridor, so as to make China-Cambodia friendship and solidarity firm and strong, just like iron and steel, and our cooperation will keep shining bright like the diamond. China will always be the most reliable partner and the strongest backing to Cambodia. The Cambodian side noted that China is a close friend and strategic partner of Cambodia. Cambodia will not change its commitment to a policy of friendship with China and will not change its resolve to advance cooperation with China. Cambodia firmly believes that the Cambodia-China friendship will pass on from generation to generation and grow from strength to strength. Cambodia is firmly committed to the one-China policy, firmly supports Chinas position on issues bearing on Chinas core interests, actively supports the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, and stands ready to enhance cooperation with China in various areas and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the region. During the visit, the two sides reached extensive common understandings. The two sides agreed to leverage the coordinating role of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, usher in a new era of building a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future, and jointly advocate free, open, equal, inclusive and universally beneficial multilateralism and economic globalization. The two sides agreed to have closer high-level exchanges, deepen experience sharing on governance, work together to combat cross-border crimes such as online gambling, telecom fraud and drug trafficking, form closer synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Cambodias Pentagonal Strategy, formulate a cooperation plan on the industrial development corridor at an early date, continue with the preliminary design of the China-Cambodia railway, deliver more early harvests of the fish and rice corridor, such as the agricultural demonstration zones, and implement the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement with high quality. The two sides agreed to take the opportunity of the 2024 China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year to encourage tourism, increase the number of flights, and carry out more practical exchanges between the youths and friendship organizations and at the sub-national level. Cambodia will provide support for the reopening of the China Cultural Center in Cambodia. The two sides reiterated their willingness to carry out cooperation under the frameworks of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and enhance coordination on the platforms of Lancang-Mekong cooperation and China-ASEAN cooperation. The two sides agreed that it is in the common interests of countries in the region to safeguard peace and stability, which did not come easy, and promote development and prosperity of the region. The two sides stressed they will fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, advance consultation on a code of conduct in the South China Sea (COC) and strive to conclude the COC at an early date. Reuters: There are two parts to my question. The first is Wall Street Journal reported that the US is drafting sanctions that threaten to cut some Chinese banks off from the global financial system, which US officials hope will stop Chinas commercial support of Russias military production. At the same time, a briefing by the Ministrys head of the department for North American affairs has called for the US to immediately stop imposing unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals and said that the Ukraine issue is not an issue between China and the United States. So my question is what is the Ministrys response to the Wall Street Journal report and also what kind of countermeasures would China take if these banking sanctions materialize? Wang Wenbin: I answered this when I responded to the question from Beijing Youth Daily. I would like to reiterate that we firmly oppose the USs hypocritical moves of fanning the flames while deflecting the blame on China. Chinas right to normal trade and economic cooperation with Russia and all other countries should not be violated. We will firmly safeguard our lawful rights and interests. Xinhua News Agency: The 80th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is being held on April 22 and 23 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Chinese delegation attended the session. How does China view the session? Wang Wenbin: The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the UNs most important comprehensive organization for socioeconomic development in the Asia-Pacific with important missions. Guided by the theme Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific, the session held in-depth discussions, built up consensus, and reached practical cooperation results. It sent out a strong message of upholding multilateralism, open cooperation, and innovation-driven development for inclusive and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific, and maintained the positive momentum and right direction of Asia-Pacific cooperation. Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu led the Chinese delegation to the session and addressed the general debate. He shared Chinas views on the Asia-Pacific situation and propositions on regional cooperation. China, an important member in the Asia-Pacific, highly values the role of ESCAP. China will continue providing financial support through the China-ESCAP fund and other channels and further synergize Belt and Road cooperation, the Global Development Initiative and ESCAP to add strong impetus to Asia-Pacific cooperation. We will translate new achievements made through Chinese modernization into more opportunities for the Asia-Pacific to advance common development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future. AFP: According to reports, the assistant of a German politician standing for this Junes EU elections has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Do you have any comment on this? Wang Wenbin: We noted relevant reports and the media hype. But the truth is there for all to see. The so-called threat of Chinese spies is not a new thing in Europe. Every time before or after China-Europe high-level interactions in recent years, there would be such a hype, with a clear intention of smearing and hitting China and souring the atmosphere of China-EU cooperation. Let me stress that China carries out cooperation with European and all other countries on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in each others internal affairs, and advances mutually beneficial cooperation with relevant parties in accordance with laws and regulations. We hope that relevant people in Germany will ditch the Cold War mentality and stop the political manipulation aimed at China with so-called spy risks. Bloomberg: To follow up on the question from my colleague from the AFP, you said the so-called China spy threat in response to this specific case. Are you denying that this person who has been arrested in Germany is a spy for the Chinese government? And also on the three Germans who were arrested earlier, I think a couple of days ago, are you also denying that those three people are also spies for China? Wang Wenbin: I shared Chinas position just now. Recent reports about so-called Chinas spying in Europe are all hypes aimed at smearing and hitting China. Not just in Germany, we also noted reports in the UK in the past few days. We firmly oppose such hype and we urge relevant parties to stop spreading disinformation about so-called China spy threat and stop political manipulation and malicious smears against China. BBC: Following the previous questions, there are two men charged in Britain also accused of spying for China. Does the Chinese government deny that they were spying for China or does the Chinese government have any response to this? Wang Wenbin: If you follow Chinas press statements, you will have noted that China already responded to relevant reports last September. We would like to reiterate that the claim that China could be stealing UK intelligence is a groundless accusation and malicious smear, and we firmly oppose that accusation. Such malicious manipulation aimed at China should stop. Reuters: The Foreign Ministrys head of the department for North American affairs held a briefing on Blinkens visit this week and it covered a range of issues. On the point about overcapacity and US measures, such as export controls and so forth, the Ministrys official said the US has made repeated mistakes in launching Section 301 investigations out of domestic political needs in the US and that China will resolutely respond to US actions in these areas. What are the responses or actions China is considering taking? Wang Wenbin: On this question, we have made clear Chinas position many times. Let me point out again that China-US economic ties benefit both sides and theres no winner in a trade war. The USs Section 301 tariffs on China have severely disrupted normal trade and economic exchanges between China and the US and harmed the interests of Chinese and American businesses and particularly American consumers. The WTO has already ruled that those tariffs violate WTO rules. We urge the US to follow WTO rules, lift all additional tariffs on China and stop imposing new ones. China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests. CCTV: The US State Department yesterday released the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, saying that the PRC continues to carry out genocide, crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, dismantle Hong Kongs political freedoms and autonomy, and violate human rights in Xizang. Secretary of State Blinken attacked the human rights practices in Xinjiang in the preface of the report. Whats Chinas comment? Wang Wenbin: Year after year, the US creates so-called human rights reports that are filled with political lies and ideological biases on China. We strongly reject this. The Chinese people have the best say on the human rights situation in China. China made history by eliminating absolute poverty. We practice whole-process peoples democracy and provide the worlds largest education system, social security system and medical care system in China. The Chinese peoples sense of gain, happiness and security keeps getting stronger. We have found a path toward better human rights that reflects the trend of the times and fits our national realities. A Harvard University survey conducted over a period of more than 10 years straight shows that the Chinese governments satisfaction rate among the people stayed above 90 percent. In this so-called Human Rights Reports, the US criticized the human rights situation of nearly 200 countries and regions and yet said nothing about the US itself. This is just another case of double standard. The hegemonic, domineering and bullying nature of the US and its selfishness and hypocrisy are on clear display. If the US truly cares about human rights, it should take seriously and properly address domestic gun violence, drug abuse, racial discrimination and other violations of human rights and dignity. It should face up to and reflect on its intervention operations in other countries and human rights catastrophes resulting from the US provision of weapons and fanning the flames in regional conflicts. The US, turning a blind eye to over 110,000 civilian casualties in Gaza, vetoed the UN Security Councils efforts for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza four times in a roll. That alone says enough about how little human rights actually mean to the US and how it tramples on them. The world is not blind to US hegemonism imposed on the world in the name of human rights. The US needs to examine its own behavior. It needs to take care of its own problems first, stop lecturing others on human rights, stop pointing fingers at other countries human rights record, and stop meddling in other countries internal affairs, violating their human rights and planting conflicts and chaos in the name of human rights and democracy. Bloomberg: The German authorities have not released the full names of any of the people they have arrested on accusations of spying yet. And so we do not know any of the details, including who they are. Notwithstanding that, are you categorically denying that these four people are spies for China, even though you do not know their names? Wang Wenbin: Although you dont know the full names of the arrested people, you do know that theyve been publicly accused by Germany for spying for China. Let me make it clear, the so-called China spy threat is purely groundless and a malicious smear. BBC: You did touch on this subject already but was the Chinese government surprised that Antony Blinken mentioned, for example, that China was the primary contributor to Russias military industrial complex and cautioned that China cant maintain good relations with the west while simultaneously supporting Russias war effort. Did it come as a surprise to the Chinese government that he would say something just before traveling to China? Having made those comments, will that hurt the possibility of having good talks on his visit? Wang Wenbin: This is exactly the first question I took today. BBC: The last follow-up question. More broadly, given the tensions between China and the US at the moment, what is the best-case scenario result of Antony Blinkens visit to China? What would China really hope to achieve from this? Wang Wenbin: Secretary Blinkens visit to China is part of the efforts of the two sides to deliver on the common understandings reached by the two presidents in San Francisco, maintain dialogue, manage differences, promote cooperation and enhance coordination in international affairs. The two sides will focus on delivering on the two presidents common understandings in San Francisco and their recent phone call and exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. Yesterday, the head of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a preview to the media. You may refer to relevant reports. Refurbished school for paediatric patients bridges critical learning gaps 16 April 2024, Johannesburg The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital School officially opened in its new location today, marking a key milestone in the partnership between Wits University and the academic hospital. The school caters for all learners in need of longer-term and chronic treatment for various paediatric conditions. Learners between Grades R and 12 are taught. Sick children have multiple needs, and its our duty to ensure that they dont miss out on any schooling. Everyone deserves the right to be educated and to contribute meaningfully to their communities as adults, said Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences. Professor Madhi noted that the previous school building will be used as a campus for medical students and to grow the universitys teaching and learning footprint at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. Figure 1: Professor Shabir Madhi at the opening of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital School The school district representative for Johannesburg Central, Ronica Ramdath, said that often sick children forfeit their education, which can be mitigated through the correct teaching approach and through supportive facilities. When I first came to the school some years back, I was amazed at the teachers dedication. I remember seeing a teacher load all their educational resources in a bag and walk to the paediatric ward to teach sick children. Today, these children all benefit from such support, she said. Figure 2: School district representative, Ms Ronica Ramdath, at the School's opening The Wits Faculty of Health Sciences heads of schools were present, together with hospital and teaching representatives. Meanwhile, Professor Madhi said that the universitys wifi is available at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, underpinning Wits commitment to invest in a world-class academic hospital facility. We are very proud of our footprint at the hospital and hope to continue to add value through research and clinical work, he said. Figure 3: The old school building which had been built on asbestos. The decision to move the school was an important health consideration too. Figure 4: Wits academics attending the opening of the school Figure 5: The new school buildings Figure 6: One of the classrooms. The school caters for paediatric patients in Grades R through to Grade 12 Program creates easy access to services, boosting older people's self-worth Hong Mei uses a treadmill at a rehabilitation gym in 380 Lane Community in Shanghai. [Li Menghan/China Daily] With her cane leaning to one side, 69-year-old Hong Mei holds onto the handrails of the treadmill and walks slowly as she chats with her friends. After undergoing surgery to repair a hip fracture, Hong has been visiting the newly opened community gym for about a month, arriving at 10 am most days. The gym is free for seniors in the community who can take part in exercise programs and follow rehabilitation instructions suggested for them after undergoing physical assessments. However, as a senior resident of 380 Lane Community in Jing'an district in Shanghai, Hong is eligible for many other benefits under an integrated community pilot program. "The recovery is going well, and my days with my senior friends are fulfilling," she said. "It's healthy, cheap and convenient to have breakfast and lunch at the community canteen and a casual dinner at home," Hong said, adding that she participated in community singing and dancing activities two or three times a week before her surgery. The community is one of 106 communities participating in the pilot program, which focuses on accommodating a set community population and providing easy access to basic public services. The concept was proposed in 2010 by Wu Liangyong, a professor at Tsinghua University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, who took it as the basic living unit. Inspired by the "walkable neighborhoods" of Singapore, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development stipulated that an integrated community should accommodate a population of 5,000 to 12,000 people and guarantee residents convenient access to public amenities within a five-to-10-minute walk. The close-knit nature of such communities is seen as ideal for elderly people who need easy access to activities, meals and health services. Living in such communities also gives elderly residents a greater sense of self-worth and the ability to interact with others. China initiated the integrated community pilot program in October 2022, and in July last year designated a batch of pilot communities to better meet the needs of the elderly. Second Lease on Life Old residential areas constitute a significant proportion of housing in China as well as the pilot communities. The 380 Lane Community is one such community with 5,270 residents across 46 buildings. Comprised of four residential areas established around 1995, elderly people account for nearly 50 percent of the residents. Some are retired professionals who still have a great deal to offer the community. "I no longer perceive myself as a burden to my children, but I find I have a deeper sense of happiness," said 69-year-old Cheng Cuiping, a retired doctor who volunteers at the health service desk in the community's public services center. "Now, I'm able to take care of myself on my own, and I have things to do every day." Cheng helps measure the height, weight and blood pressure of elderly people who come for free checkups. During the lunch break between 11 am and 1:30 pm, she spends around 15 yuan ($2.10) on a low-salt, low-oil and nutritionally balanced lunch at the canteen. She also goes to a nearby digital booth to scan a QR code to get a free mask. The digital booth has a remote tele-consultation machine for minor illnesses, and a 24-hour pharmacy dispensing both over-the-counter and prescription medication. A 5-square-meter orange booth has been set up in the community for commercial businesses to provide services such as housekeeping, laundry and kitchen knife sharpening. However, as a condition of their operations, the businesses must employ at least one member from the community. "We constantly adapt our services based on the needs of the residents. For instance, we helped one senior repair his old mechanical watch, and we offer on-site service to elderly people who need to wash their curtains," said Gu Haibin, a local Party official. "Staff at the spot are all residents of the community, relieving the unemployment problem while providing more intimate services." Residents practice musical instruments together at Leshan Community in Shanghai's Xuhui District in November. The community is participating in the pilot integrated community program. [Li Menghan/China Daily] Ups and Downs Integrated community managers have been encouraged to address the issue of whether elevators should be installed in older residential buildings. Many older buildings lack elevators, making it difficult for residents to get around. The absence of elevators impacts the elderly more severely as they find it difficult to go up and down stairs, which restricts their daily outings and social activities. To address the issue, a community needs to persuade residents to agree to install an elevator and address issues such as where it will be located and construction costs. Other matters to be looked at are the impact of the loss of light on the ground floor and the installation of wider elevator cabins to facilitate wheelchair access. The local government provides a subsidy of 280,000 yuan for each elevator, and the remaining costs are borne by the building's residents in proportion to the height of the floor they live on, ranging from some 30,000 yuan to about 150,000 yuan. However, this can lead to disagreements as some residents, especially more able-bodied ones, do not see the need for the elevators and are unwilling to bear the costs. As of February, standards have been met to install elevators in 15 buildings in the 380 Lane Community, with six already put into use. In addition to elevators, the community builds or renovates various public amenities, including medical clinics, canteens, repair centers and nurseries. High-Tech Security However, not all the communities involved in the pilot program are old, and some are testing new technologies. Built around 2010, Park Community in Jiujiang's Chaisang District, Jiangxi Province, is relatively new. It is using advanced technology to enhance the security of the community and provide extra safety for the elderly. Park Community has installed facial recognition and AI-monitoring systems, and intelligent security cameras to prevent unauthorized entry by strangers and eliminate potential safety hazards. Sponsored by local tech companies, the community has provided smart bracelets to its nine elderly residents aged 80 and above living alone. The bracelets can conduct real-time blood pressure and heart rate monitoring and send alerts to the user's emergency contacts. A warning is also sent when the user stays at home for three consecutive days. Sun Zhaoyang, a 22-year-old community worker, said that the elderly residents' children and community workers are listed as emergency contacts. "I'm responsible for three of them, and I visit them two or three times a week. ... there has not been a single instance of them staying indoors for three days," Sun said. Cao Jianbei, 85, lives in the community. His son, who works in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, told Sun that he felt more reassured with the changes that have happened in the community. Although the public response to the Park Community pilot program has been positive, significant hurdles remain in renovating residential areas and improving public services. Huang He, deputy head of Chaisang District, said that 6 million yuan has been spent as of November on the construction of the integrated community. Government funds have been mainly used for road improvements and upgrades to rainwater and sewage pipes. Huang said a financing company had raised funds for improvement work on surrounding parks and roads and the construction of leisure areas. He said the biggest challenge to the long-term operations of such communities is attracting external investment to provide the services. "It's hard for us to find another 6 million yuan (as of November) for other communities," Huang said. Residents learn about flower arrangement in Xianghu Community in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province , in November. [Li Menghan/China Daily] Viable Future Zhao Dong, deputy head of the Zhejiang Provincial Urban and Rural Planning and Design Institute, said the sustainability of operations is important to the future of integrated communities. Zhejiang leads the promotion of the integrated community program, as it has the most pilot communities, with the majority of them more developed than others. The province also has rich experience accumulated through previous provincial projects in residential living environments. Zhao said it is important to have a scientific approach to urban development by taking into account the layout of public amenities, maximizing the use of resources and alleviating operational pressures. This holistic approach should also be applied to the running of an integrated community, which can be transformed from a nonprofit to a commercial organization or reduce operating costs through collaboration with private enterprises. Xianghu Community in Hangzhou's Xiaoshan District is looking at ways to minimize the costs of the services they provide. The community has a canteen equipped with cooking facilities. The canteen operator is exempt from paying the rent, but in exchange, they have to provide subsidized meals for the elderly. Zhao said community canteens can expand their operations to provide food delivery services to nearby areas. Xianghu Community earns additional revenue by charging a 100-yuan entrance fee for visitors who are curious and want to learn from the operation. "Government, companies, communities and residents should join hands for a promising future," Zhao said. (Source: China Daily) BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin on Monday said that Chinese modernization offers broad prospects for women from Hong Kong and Macao to realize their aspirations, noting that she expects them to make greater contributions to this cause. Shen, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, made the remarks while meeting with a delegation composed of the federation's executive committee members and specially invited delegates from Hong Kong and Macao. Shen praised members of the delegation for their contributions to national development and their support for the law-based administration work of the governments and chief executives of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. She called on those in attendance to unite and lead women from Hong Kong and Macao to fully, faithfully, and resolutely implement the "one country, two systems" policy, and to support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating themselves into China's overall development. Shen also said that she expects women from Hong Kong and Macao to contribute further to the promotion of Chinese modernization, and to the long-term prosperity and stability in the two regions. (Source: Xinhua) The Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping speaks during a photo exhibition commemorating the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders, Americans who fought Japan in World War II in cooperation with the Chinese people, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, the United States, April 18, 2024. [Xinhua/Liu Jie] "The Flying Tigers give us a wonderful opportunity because there's something that all Chinese and all Americans can be proud of," said Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation (SAAHF). DAYTON, United States, April 21 (Xinhua) In front of a 3.7-ton stone roller and a fighter jet, two Chinese middle schools and an American school exchanged a cooperative memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the Midwest U.S. city of Dayton this week, to commemorate the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders, the Americans who fought Japanese aggressors with their Chinese cohort during World War II. The stone roller has been on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. It was used to flatten and level the runway in the construction of an airport for the Flying Tigers in southwest China's Yunnan province during WWII, pulled by sheer manpower by thousands of Chinese locals. Kunming Foreign Language School and the No. 2 Middle School of Xiangyun County from Yunnan exchanged the MoU on cooperation under the program of "Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders" with International Leadership of Texas, a network of public charter schools. More than 80 years after their heroic operations in China, "we're running out of Flying Tigers," said Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation (SAAHF), an organization aimed at promoting friendship and understanding between the United States and China by fostering a practicable dialogue on their common aviation history. Greene told Xinhua that the number of the Flying Tigers has come down to around a dozen from around 500 when the foundation was started in 1998, thus it's vital to pass on the history and memory forged by blood. "For American kids, we want them to come and learn about the Chinese. We want the Chinese (students) to come and learn so that each group is proud of the other country," he said. "The Flying Tigers give us a wonderful opportunity because there's something that all Chinese and all Americans can be proud of." The SAAHF and Dr. Jack L. Schofield Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, jointly initiated the Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders Program in 2022 in a bid to carry forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers among Chinese and American students, enhance mutual understanding and friendship, and deepen mutual respect and cooperation between the two countries. People visit a photo exhibition commemorating the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders, Americans who fought Japan in World War II in cooperation with the Chinese people, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, the United States, April 18, 2024. [Xinhua/Liu Jie] "The idea was based on all the trips from all the veterans we've taken to China," said Greene. The program was well-received with dozens of schools from both sides actively participating in it and signing MoUs. "I want our 20,000 kids to be in China, not just this summer but next summer, not just for two weeks, but for a month at Beijing Language and Culture University, I want our kids to be able to go deep into China to understand that 5,000-year history," said Eddie Conger, superintendent, CEO and founder of International Leadership of Texas, which serves 23,000 students from kindergartners to 12th grade. Erik Lutz, mayor of Pico Rivera, told Xinhua that he hopes to send students to China this June to visit Chinese schools and experience Chinese culture for about two weeks. He said what the Flying Tigers have done was unifying the United States and China on the people-to-people level. "For the future of our two countries, the thing we can do (and) will have the most impact is our students. And we get them to know each other young and then it'll take off from there," said Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dialogue is really important in the China-U.S. relationship and the initiative by the SAAHF is "exactly what has to happen," said Myers at the opening ceremony of a concurrent photo exhibition on the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders. Greene said the story of the Flying Tigers and Doolittle Raiders are a "life and death" thing and there are not a lot of things like that. He believed the U.S. students' lives would be forever changed after their visit to China. "They'll know the Chinese people are just like them, the Americans and the Chinese share humor and laugh at the same thing." (Source: Xinhua) Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Constructive meeting over odour complaints at Hafod landfill This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Apr 23rd, 2024 Hafod site operators Enovert have said we take concerns on board after further representations over bad smells were been made. The area has been plagued with a hydrogen sulfide style smell or rotten / off eggs odour over recent weeks, and the issue itself dates back years. Deputy Leader of Wrexham Council, and local councillors, Cllr David A Bithell has shared an update on the situation, saying he has recently met waste a management bosses to discuss residents concerns over the smells. In an update he said, Clwyd South Ken Skates MS and Councillor David A Bithell visited the site last week with operator Enoverts chief executive Mark Silvester and regional manager Ian Craven. An enforcement notice was issued to the company in December over breaches of its environmental permit, which included odour and landfill gas management requirements. Enovert has since been working with regulator Natural Resources Wales on an agreed action plan. Cllr Bithell added: The meeting was constructive in understanding the works being undertaken to reduce odour complaints. It was open and honest dialogue and we made it clear that we wanted to see improvements to address local peoples concerns. The tip has been the subject of regular complaints from residents, who say foul odours and rotten egg smells are blighting the community. The enforcement notice, issued to the company on December 21, ruled that Enovert had failed to manage levels of leachate contaminated liquids and both Mr Skates and Cllr Bithell said they would seek further sanctions if the situation didnt improve for residents. We are grateful for the chief executive and regional managers time and to be given the opportunity to speak honestly with them face-to-face, said Mr Skates. Enovert told us they are committed to working with NRW to improve things. This will be closely monitored and the company is acutely aware that further action could be taken. In turn, we were clear that we will support further sanctions if improvements are not made and that we will continue to raise residents concerns. Enovert chief executive Mark Silvester said: Enovert were pleased to meet with both Cllr David A Bithell and Ken Skates MS to hear their concerns regarding the Hafod landfill site, and we take those concerns on board. The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss improvement works completed on site since the issue of the NRW notice and to explain our commitment to ensuring the Hafod site operates in compliance with its environmental permit. The public are encouraged to continue to report any issues to NRW on 03000 65 3000 Thrilling new water park to waves in North Wales seaside town This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Apr 23rd, 2024 A new aqua park will create jobs, attract visitors, and boost the economy in a North Wales seaside town. Sblash has been given the green light by Conwys planning authority and is already making waves in Penmaenmawr. Owners James and Debbie McAllister who have decades of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry are transforming Graiglwyd Springs Fishery into an inflatable water attraction that will employ up to seven additional staff from May to October each year. Proposals for the seven-acre site also included parking, changing facilities, hot and cold drinks, snacks, and ice cream. Each customer will be kitted out with a wet suit, buoyancy aid and a warm welcome on arrival at the reception area, which will complement existing amenities and seven holiday cottages. With customer safety at the heart of the operation, Sblash is committed to ensuring it meets all health and safety requirements set out by the Aqua Park Association (UK and Ireland). The water safety team will be qualified to Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) standards and sessions have been limited to 25 users at any time. The fishery continues to be successful, but we wanted to make this site a more sustainable year-round enterprise, which is why we have diversified, said James. Sblash will be perfect for families, school groups, parties, team building, and anyone wanting to get active and have fun! We already attract people from all over the UK and this will give us another USP to create a buzz in the area. He added: Importantly for us, we want to contribute to the local economy for 12 months of the year, creating jobs and capitalising on our surroundings in a sustainable, responsible manner. The aqua park allows us to do that, and by training our lifeguards with RLSS qualifications and keeping the capacity low to ensure a high-quality and safe experience for visitors, we have the peace of mind everyone will leave here having had a brilliant time. We are thankful to Business Wales for its support and to the amazing community here in Penmaenmawr; we look forward to opening very soon. The wild water adventure will include the towering 3.8m Mount Rainier, exhilarating slides and a range of obstacles, floating trampolines, a freefall experience and the unforgettable Waverider. Sblash will open to the public on May 18 and is already creating ripples of excitement along the coast. Discounts, family offers, and further activities will be introduced in the months ahead. Debbie says residents and business owners have been hugely supportive and the knock-on effect will be very positive for the town. We will be helping to be promote Penmaenmawr as a tourist destination, with its beautiful beaches, cafes and other activities in addition to what we are doing with Sblash, she said. The community is fully behind us, and we will look to use local suppliers and products as always, supporting each other and doing all we can to bring more people to what is one of the regions hidden gems. James and I have been in the sector for many years, and this is one of the most impressive developments weve created during that time. We look forward to bringing something fresh and new to North Wales, an attraction that will capitalise on the incredible landscape and nature with a focus on health and wellbeing, exercise and enjoyment we look forward to welcoming people soon. North Wales Tourism CEO Jim Jones congratulated the couple on their innovative approach to boosting tourism in the region and added: Utilising the resources available to them to diversify and create a quality fun water park at Graiglwyd should be commended. Im aware of the tremendous amount of hard work to get to this stage. I have every confidence that this new venture will not only succeed but also become a popular tourist attraction for both locals and visitors alike. The existing fly-fishing business will be open from October for the remaining months of the year as it is seasonal, and future proposals for the park include glamping pods and cold-water therapy retreats. For more information, to book a session or to apply for a role at Sblash, visit the website www.sblash.co.uk and follow them on social media. Almost 3,000 migrants, including some 500 minors, were attacked last week by Mexican National Guard troops as they arrived at the town of Juchitan, third-largest in Oaxaca state. Having walked continuously for three weeks from the border with Guatemala, the migrant workers used their sheer strength in numbers to push through the lines of soldiers and reach the city. Mexican National Guard soldiers repress a migrant caravan, October 29, 2020 [Photo: Comision Nacional de Derechos Humanos] The caravan formed near the border with Guatemala on Easter week under the name Migrant Via Crucis. It is marching behind a wooden cross and a large sign with the words Killers of Poor Migrants, in protest against the cruel measures used to block their path. Describing themselves as international workers, the migrant caravan is drawn from at least 20 nations spanning every habitable continent, and includes Mexicans trying to reach the US border. The phenomenon of caravans began in 2018 as a means of migrants using their numbers as protection from government forces and gangs, which often work together, and to garner greater assistance from the communities along their way to the US-Mexico border. The caravans have become both a social barometer and a form of mass protest which expresses the common class interest of workers across nationalities and all backgrounds in opposing the irrational capitalist nation-state system, which is dragging all humanity into the same abject misery, mass violence, state repression and war from which migrants seek to escape. Members of the caravan hope to first reach the 19th parallel19 degrees north of the earths equatorial plane, crossing just south of Mexico City. The Biden administration has drawn this as the imaginary line north of which asylum seekers can download the CBP One mobile app, which was set up last year to offerin dribs and drabsto make asylum request appointments at the US-Mexico border. This is merely a new version of the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy. Despite 560 miles still ahead, and a hike from the Pacific coast to the countrys capital at 7,400 ft., it is not exhaustion, hunger and sickness that might seal the fate of the Migrant Via Crucis, but military repression ordered by Mexicos modern-day Pontius Pilate, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The pseudo-leftist AMLO has repeatedly boasted in recent weeks how his stepped-up crackdown was responsible for a reduction of over 50 percent in encounters between migrants and the US Border Patrol between last December and January, with numbers remaining lower since. The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) reported that this was the steepest monthly drop in the existing 25-year record for official data. It found that all US deterrents since 2021wall building, mass arrests of crossers, US troop deployments, buoy walls on the Rio Grande, mountains of concertina wire or the initial approval of the Texan SB4 migrant hunting law (still under court review)all had a null effect on disincentivizing the desperate migrants. What did accomplish a major drop was a sharp increase in the tempo of Mexican security and migration forces operations to interdict migrants, which involved record apprehensions. Mexico detained 120,005 migrants in January and 119,943 in February, compared to figures below 25,000 in early 2022. This has included deploying hundreds of soldiers and migration agents across the northern border, with CNNs David Culver reporting, This is the toughest level of enforcement I have seen at the US-Mexico border and it is coming from the Mexico side right now. WOLA cites an increase in abuse by authorities, including several reports from April of extortion, illegal detentions, beatings, robberies by migration officials and threats by soldiers against humanitarian workers assisting migrants. Out of all those detained, however, Mexico has deported only 6,555 migrants this year. The vast majority are being bused back to southern Mexico. The policy has basically been to wear people down, so send them from the north to the south and dump them in the south so they have to make their way back up, Gretchen Kuhner from the rights group Imumi explained to the Financial Times. Cruelty and outright criminality to keep workers against their will in Mexico, where they face extremely precarious and unsafe conditions, are the official policy not only of the AMLO administration but of the entire Mexican ruling class. Statements by the two main candidates in the June 2 presidential election in Mexico make clear that this policy serves much more than to appease US imperialism. Xochitl Galvez of the right-wing Heart and Strength for Mexico coalition has pledged to work closely with the United States in blocking migrants. But her main related proposal, which she has repeated countless times, is to use migrants as cheap labor. Mexico has a labor shortage, so why not see in the South American migrants the opportunity to have that labor force? she stated last month. Claudia Sheinbaum, the hand-picked successor of AMLO, has proposed to stop migration through investments for development, which is merely a euphemism for the same policy. During an interview with Bloomberg published on Friday, she said that Mexican nationals should serve to meet the labor force needed by the United States But, within Mexico, she advocated for job creation: this development of southeastern Mexico will be very important for the southeast itself, for Mexicans, and also to contain migration in terms of job prospects within Mexico. She also committed to maintain a very good relationship with another Trump presidency, even though the Republican fascist has vowed to act as a dictator and deploy hundreds of thousands of troops to carry out mass detentions of migrants and deportations. For his part, Biden has consistently adapted to the anti-immigrant policies demanded by the far right, even expressing his willingness to shut down the southern border. The cold, profit-driven calculations behind the migrant policy in Mexico have far-reaching implications. Last November, social researcher Dr. Mateo Crossa Niell wrote in an op-ed in El Universal that the migrant surge represents a huge attraction ... for transnational corporations that settle in Mexico in search of low wages. He added that maquiladora sweatshops are betting on taking advantage of the vulnerability, fragility and criminalization of the migrant population in Mexico to incorporate them as an industrial labor force. All of this with the full support of the Mexican state. Accompanying the process of globalization, Mexican maquiladora sweatshops have been fueled since the 1970s by cheap labor from rural migrants within Mexico who moved into the sprawling cities near the US-Mexico border. Today, Dr. Crossa explains, migrants offer employers an exhaust valve against workers growing demands for better salaries and conditions. He argues that the future of nearshoring to Mexico, which is of strategic importance for US imperialisms plans for war, may come to depend on this policy. The main conclusion workers must draw is that nationalist chauvinism is their worst enemy. The defense of the migrant caravan and of the right of all migrants to live and work wherever they choose must be emblazoned upon the banner of workers in every country as an indispensable part of the struggle against capitalist exploitation and imperialist war. New Zealand and the Philippines have agreed to sign a mutual defence logistics agreement by the end of the year that will provide for closer cooperation between their militaries. New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, left, inspects an honor guard as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. walks behind him during the welcome ceremony at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, April 18, 2024 [AP Photo/Earvin Perias] New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon secured the deal during a tour of Southeast Asian nations from April 1420 which included Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, ostensibly to strengthen trade. Accompanying Luxon were 25 business leaders and several reporters. In Manila, defence and security emerged as the main closer relationship priority. Luxon declared: President Marcos and I are directing our officials to get the legal underpinnings in place to get our militaries to be able to work alongside one another in a more frictionless manner. The official communique emphasised strong existing bilateral defense cooperation and committed to exploring new frameworks of cooperation to deepen defense ties. While China was not directly mentioned, the leaders expressed serious concerns about recent actions in the South China Seaa clear swipe at Beijing. They repeatedly stated the importance of international law, freedom of navigation, and the UN Convention on Law of the Seaall references to the rules through which Washington, supported by its allies, maintains its global hegemony. Last month the New Zealand embassy in Manila joined the US in putting out two statements declaring it was deeply concerned at dangerous actions taken by Chinese vessels at Second Thomas Shoal. The embassy alleged Chinas use of water cannons and contact by vessels could threaten lives at sea. China sharply disputed Manilas version of events. The Philippines, a former American colony, is playing a growing role in Washingtons aggressive confrontation with Beijing, in the South China Sea in particular. New Zealand, along with Australia, is increasingly integrated into the US-led war drive in the region. The pact will allow New Zealand to carry out more multilateral maritime operations, port visits and to participate in joint military exercises. The Philippines and United States are hosting the 16,000-strong Balikatan war games, the largest ever, over the coming week, which Australian soldiers will join. New Zealand has observer status. The deal is also a further step in the Philippines integration into the US-led web of alliances. It follows a visit by President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr to Australia in February, where he addressed parliament on the need to join forces, together with our partners, in the face of threats to the rule of law, to stability, and to peace. Australia is a major ally of the US and a member of the top-level Five Eyes global intelligence sharing network, along with the US, New Zealand, Canada and Britain. The Luxon-Marcos meeting concluded with a pledge to sign the Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by the end of 2024, and a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), paving the way for New Zealand military personnel to visit the Philippines. Until now, Australia has been the only country, other than the US, that has a SOVFA with the Philippines. While in Singapore, Luxon also talked up the prospect of a stronger defence relationship, including potentially allowing Singapore drones into New Zealand airspace for testing. In Thailand, he secured an agreement with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to increase communication and interoperability between their defence forces. Newshub reported that the Philippines security pact was announced after Luxon made very fast friends with Marcos. Luxon told Marcos over a toast: Mr President Marcos and First Lady Liza, we knewAmanda [his wife] and Iwhen we first met you, wed like you. A state dinner was held in Luxons honour, and he was invited to stay at the presidents official residence. Since coming to power in 2022, Marcos has ended the efforts of the previous president, Rodrigo Duterte, to ease tensions with China. He has revived and extended US basing arrangements in the Philippines, including those directly adjacent to the South China Sea, as well as conducting joint war games with the US military. Luxon is openly embracing an increasingly authoritarian regime. Marcos, son of the brutal US-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos, has praised his fathers rule. He has continued the notorious war on drugs of his predecessor Duterte, with extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and disappearances aimed at terrorising the poorest layers of the population. Asked by reporters if New Zealand should be establishing military ties with a government that had killed so many of its own people, Luxon basically defended the regime. He described Marcos as a leader who had been quite strident about making sure that the rule of law is something that he and his government are very much focused on. Pushed why he hadnt raised human rights concerns with Marcos, Luxon dismissively responded: Our focus was on other things, in this conversation we were focused very much on regional tensions. Significantly, Marcos is a supporter of the AUKUS (Australia/UK/US) pact, under which Australia will acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines. Along with Japan, the New Zealand government is pushing to join Pillar Two of the alliance, which involves sharing advanced military technology. Former NZ prime minister Helen Clark and former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr, among others, have criticised efforts to join AUKUS, saying it is a shift away from New Zealands independent foreign policy. Clarks 19992008 Labour government, however, played a key role in boosting the military alliance with the US by sending troops to join the illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The New Zealand ruling elite has its own imperialist interests to advance. Last August, releasing the then Labour governments Defence Policy Review, Defence Minister Andrew Little warned that in the South China Sea, where $20 billion of our exports flows through every year, we have a stake in that. He added: We may be called on to play a role should conflict break out. We need to be equipped for that and prepared for it. The far-right National Party-led coalition government is carrying forward the same foreign policy agenda. Luxons tour came after Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins visited the US to cement New Zealands presence in the anti-China alliance. Peters also attended a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels early this month, where he reiterated the New Zealand governments support for the escalating US-NATO proxy war against Russia over Ukraine. On his return home, Luxon boasted that with surging tensions between Israel and Iran, it was important that New Zealand stood up for its values and continued to push for diplomacy. He said his government had called for a cessation of hostilities and urged restraint by both sides. This is a complete fraud. The current government and its Labour predecessor legitimised the bombing and blockade of the Gaza Strip which have killed more than 33,000 people by insisting on Israels so-called right of self-defence. New Zealand troops have been sent to assist in the US-led bombing of Yemen, in retaliation against Yemeni forces attempts to disrupt the supply of weapons going to Israel. On every frontin the Middle East, against Russia, and against ChinaNew Zealand is firmly aligned with US imperialisms wars, militarisation and provocations aimed at redividing the worlds territory and resources. The establishment of military ties with the Marcos regime in the Philippines is part of this. These facts reveal the true values of the New Zealand ruling class. Workers and young people, however, overwhelmingly oppose war and have taken part in hundreds of protests against the genocide in Gaza. This anti-war movement must be expanded to oppose the NATO-Russia war and the militarisation of the Indo-Pacific. Above all, to prevent a catastrophic Third World War, the working class must fight for a socialist political program, aimed at abolishing the capitalist system that is the root cause of war. The storming of the Palestine Congress on April 12 was the prelude to an escalation of police violence and the suppression of democratic rights on an enormous scale. The following Saturday, police stormed a demonstration against the ban on the congress and on Sunday they attacked a peaceful Palestine protest camp at the Bundestag (federal parliament). Finally, last Saturday, a pro-Palestinian demonstration was brutally broken up. Pro-Palestine demonstration on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, April 20, 2024 The demonstration against arms deliveries to Israel, which began at Potsdamer Platz, was part of weekly demonstrations against genocide that have always been peaceful from the participants point of view. Nevertheless, the Berlin police decided to storm the demonstration, arrest several participants, and later disperse the entire almost 2,000-strong demonstration. Police suppress peaceful protesters at a pro-Palestine demonstration, April 2024. The police prevented the start of the demonstration for half an hour at Potsdamer Platz. Finally, they announced over the loudspeaker that slogans had been shouted that questioned Israels right to exist and that this had jeopardised public safety. The police asked all participants in the vicinity of the historic area to leave the demonstration. When no one complied with this vague request, they brutally stormed the demonstration and indiscriminately surrounded a handful of peaceful demonstrators and took them away. Police take action against peaceful demonstrators at the pro-Palestine demonstration on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, April 20, 2024 Angela Niklaus, a candidate of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) in the European elections, condemned this arbitrary police action and told the WSWS on the spot: Just like last weekend at the Palestine Congress, we see here again that the police are attacking a peaceful demonstration with the alleged reference to slogans that questioned Israels right to exist. In reality, all we heard the whole time were slogans condemning the genocide against the Palestinians, condemning the German governments arms deliveries to Israel and demanding an immediate stop to the genocide. The police finally allowed the demonstration to start, only to stop it again an hour later, barricade the street and not let anyone through. After a loudspeaker van declared the demonstration over, the police stormed the encircled march and carried out arbitrary and brutal arrests. One of the demonstrators present told the WSWS afterwards that a woman had fallen over and fainted during the police attack and had to be treated by paramedics. The police ignored this and continued their wave of arrests regardless. Broadcaster RBB reported that around 10 criminal investigations had been initiated. SGP candidate Tamino Wilck, who was present at the demonstration, also condemned the police operation: The attacks here and in recent weeks against peaceful anti-war events make it clear that the ruling class can only implement its foreign policy of war and genocide if it also resumes its fascist police-state methods at home. They show the ruling class fear of the enormous opposition to their pro-war policy. Niklaus and Wilck conducted interviews with several participants at the opening rally, who expressed the enormous popular opposition to the genocide and its support by the coalition government. Nina Nina, who has family in the Gaza Strip, said she thought it was important to take to the streets in view of the limited opportunities in Germany to speak out. She particularly condemned the increasing police repression against opponents of the genocide: As a democratic state, Germany [of course] always wants to stand on the front lines ... but I find the double standards in certain areas, especially when it comes to Muslims and the Arab community and now especially the Palestinians, quite difficult. She also thought the planned de-registration of students at universties based on their political views very bad. I have friends myself who are affected by this, who are very scared, she said. At the international school she attended there were many conversations about reports of Palestine symbols. Education also included differences of opinion. And the fact that exmatriculation [expulsion] is now on the cards due to the political opinions of the parties is simply a restriction on the right to education and freedom of expression. She did not regard a two-state solution as a desirable solution, simply because of the fact that you want everyone to live together, of course. ... You have to reunite the country, under whatever name, she said. Weve also seen it with South Africa. At the end of the day, apartheid must be condemned, any kind of repression must be condemned. A two-state solution would not help anyone, she continued: If we really want to apply international law and take international law so seriously in its entirety, it is important that a state exists under which everyone lives, where no borders are drawn and no differences are sought. Karin, from Sweden, was at the demonstration to express her solidarity with Palestine and especially the children... Im just really, really sorry about whats happening. The pictures are terrible. And I dont understand why the whole world doesnt just cry out and do something. On the contrary, governments were supporting the genocide, she said. Enna, who came to Germany as a refugee from Bosnia-Herzegovina, also thought the increasing police violence was terrible. I have been taught that the police are a friend and helper. But I dont feel safe at all. I dont feel seen by the police at all, or rather Im afraid of them. In her opinion, many more people needed to take to the streets, because the more we are, the less the police can somehow attack, I hope. Or they will become a totalitarian force. Angela Niklaus and Tamino Wilck are standing for the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei in the European Parliament elections to give opposition to the genocide a voice and a perspective. Support our work and take part in the SGPs election campaign! Since the last national demonstration in London on March 30, tens of thousands have demonstrated in town and cities around Britain against Israels war on Gaza. This weekend around 40 protests were held nationwide. WSWS reporters spoke to some of those protesting in Sheffield on Saturday, Leicester on Sunday and at the Manchester demonstration on April 13. The next national demonstration will be held in London on Saturday, April 27. Sheffield Hundreds took part in the weekly protest in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. At the head of the march women marched with replicas of dead babies, symbolising those killed by the Israel Defence Forces. Women march with replicas of dead babies, symbolising the many babies and children killed by the Israeli Defence Forces, Sheffield, April 20, 2024 Ben, a lecturer said, The genocide in Gaza is terrible and has been going on for more than six months now. I hope they end this war as soon as possible. The Zionist state has a powerful war machine which theyre using against women and children in Palestine. Its very unfortunate that the US and UK governments keep backing Israel with weapons. The domination of the major countries over the United Nations was set up over 50 years ago and needs to be changed. Certain countries shouldnt have more rights than others. American intervention had a catastrophic impact in Iraq, even though later they found out there were no weapons of mass destruction. The attacks on Iran by Israel and the spread of the war across the region are extremely worrying. The Middle East has long-running conflicts. I believe the big countries could use their power to stop the escalation but they have encouraged Israel to wage war. Some of these countries have nuclear weapons so its very dangerous. Israel is not part of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Iran probably has that capability too. Millions of people are out on the streets because many governments dont reflect the opinion of the people. In the UK there have been huge regular protests, particularly in London, for the last six months. The government doesnt listen because they are pressured by big business interests. I hoped the Labour Party could take a different direction to the Conservatives, but they dont, especially their leader Keir Starmer. Some of the local councilors here have expressed our concerns and opposed the genocide. Many have resigned from the party because they dont agree with the decisions taken by the party leader. Ayman said, I heard the German government want to stop the marching, and in France also they want to arrest the marchers. This is illegal! People go into the streets to express their rights under the law. Leicester Several thousand people demonstrated at the Midlands March for Palestine. Assembling in the citys Victoria Park, they marched to Humberstone Gate in the city centre. Many brought home-made banners including one denouncing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmers support for Israels genocide. Majid and Shoshanna, an advocate for Cage International, spoke out against the genocide in Gaza. Cage was set up in 2003, as CagePrisoners, to highlight the plight of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the War on Terror. Samira works as a manager at a company in Leicester. Asked her thoughts on the imperialist powers supplying of Israel with the weapons and funding required to destroy the Palestinians, she said, Its absolutely disgusting. They are using all the taxpayers money to fund the genocide. It should not be happening. Pointing at the rally Samira said, All of this does not seem to be making any difference and it's just really frustrating that our money is being used in this way. The media know we can all see whats happening. Its all over social media. We can see the videos coming from the people on the ground, We can see exactly what is happening there. They choose not to show us the truth. The media is supposed to be non-biased, theyre supposed to be clear in giving the actual news of whats happening. And again, I think its absolutely disgusting that theyre not showing the truth, even though the whole world can see exactly whats going on. A section of the demonstration in Leicester, April 21, 2024 Asked her thoughts on the continuing protests internationally Samira said, I think its so good to see that the public, in general, even though our governments cannot see, its so good to see that the public is seeing exactly what is going on. They can see the scale of whats happening and they are doing their best, you see them come out in droves all over the world. Theyre doing their best to make sure that the governments know exactly how we feel about where our money is going, and what they are supporting. Asked her thoughts on the government attack on anti-genocide protesters as antisemitic, Samira said, Were not against Jews. Ive got Jewish friends. The majority of the Jews are maybe even on the side of Palestine. Its nothing about Jews in general. We're just against the occupation of Palestine, and its just been going on for too long and it needs to stop. A section of the demonstration in Leicester, April 21, 2024. The homemade placard with a photo of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, reads, "GENOCIDE: Labour official policy - 34,000 isn't enough - Kill more Muslims" Asked about Starmer and Labours support for the onslaught, she said, Its put me off, Ill be honest. Its put me off voting for Labour. I dont really know who I would vote for now to be fair. Conservatives, Labour, they all seem like theyre all for this genocide. Theyve put us in a position where we dont know where to go when it comes to voting. Manchester A group of the nine Google employees, who were fired and arrested on April 16 for protesting the companys cloud services contract with the Israeli government, held an emergency press conference on Monday afternoon to review what happened during their sit-in and to reiterate their demands. The participating workers, some of whom spoke anonymously to avoid further retaliation on their rights, shared their views of the sit-in experience, the response of the company and the police and the nature of Project Nimbus, the $1.2 billion cloud services and artificial intelligence contract between Google and the Israeli government and military. The livestreamed event began at 2:00 p.m. and was moderated by Zelda (they/them), a Google software engineer and one of four employees who were fired and arrested for participating in the sit-in at the companys New York City offices. The World Socialist Web Site previously interviewed Zelda on Friday. In the press conference, Zelda revealed that the number of Google employees who have been fired in connection with the sit-in now exceeds 50. In addition to the 28 workers who were terminated last week, the company used the weekend to fire another 20 workers, some of whom had expressed support or had their picture taken with the protesters. Zelda explained the demands of the protest were to drop Project Nimbus, to address the mental health and safety crisis of workers due to how their labor is being used without their consent and to end the culture of abuse, harassment and discrimination of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim workers. Zelda added, Google engaged in further indiscriminate retaliation against 20+ workers, including many non-participating bystanders. It is clear that Google is afraid, and they are trying to send a message that protesting for our labor conditions will not be tolerated within the company. This is illegal fear-mongering, and it will not stop us from continuing to organize and fight for the company to drop Project Nimbus. The moderator also solidarized with the students, faculty and alumni on college campuses who are speaking out against the Israeli genocide against the people of Palestine. Zelda said, We condemn the repression faced by all who are unwavering in their commitment to end all complicity and profit from the genocide. It is not lost on us that the workplace and college campus are facing increased aggression from the police state for refusing to stay silent. In all, there were 12 Google workers who spoke during the press conference. The workers described an environment of harassment and intimidation against those who have sought to speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza and expose the lies spread by Google management about the nature and purpose of the Project Nimbus contract. Hasan, who is also one of the nine workers who was fired and arrested, described the peaceful character of the 10-hour sit-in in New York City. He said, I decided to participate in the sit-in because I could no longer ignore Googles role in the AI-powered genocide in Palestine. I was comfortable with the risks because realistically whatever doors this sit-in closes are not doors I want opened. Google pays us enough to not think too much about what they are doing, but it wasnt worth it, and I wanted to support my coworkers who have been harassed for standing up against this project. Hasan explained that once the workers were notified that they had been put on administrative leave by Google management, they were blocked from using the restrooms in the building, and the police showed up shortly after that. Cheyne, a Google employee who was fired for the sit-in in Sunnyvale, California, spoke about the reasons for his participation. Google workers have been advocating against Nimbus for years. We have tried escalating through the proper channels. I myself consulted my managers and followed their advice. I organized a group of more than 10 people in cloud to request a meeting with a senior executive to discuss our concerns. We never received a response, not even a canned, Thank you for sharing your concerns. Throughout my entire time organizing with this campaign I have consistently seen people afraidafraid to speak out, afraid to lose their jobs, their health care, their citizenship. Protests are what people turn to when other means have failed. I knew what I was risking doing the sit-in. I made the choice to participate because Google refused to hear us and because I am fortunate enough to weather the risks that others couldnt, which is why I am enraged that Google chose to retaliate against so many of our colleagues who did not participate in the sit-inpeople who left immediately when asked; people who merely attended a peaceful rally; no meetings, no calls with HR, just instant retaliation. Our protest was peaceful, we sat in an office for nine hours. Oreo, a Palestinian American with family in Gaza who remained anonymous during the press conference, explained that he did not participate in the sit-in protest, was never asked to leave the building but was fired for protesting outside and holding a protest sign. He said, On the day after the event, I was not asked any questions, I was not called in for an investigation. I was terminated by an automated email, and all communication went dark after. So, I couldnt explain to anyone that I wasnt at the sit-in. Ray explained about the nature of Project Nimbus and dispelled the lies about the contract with the Israeli government and military. She said that the contract provides powerful tools for the Israeli state to enable the worlds first AI-powered genocide. A recent investigation by 972 Magazine revealed that the Israeli military is using artificial intelligence to target and assassinate Palestinians in Gaza, Ray said. Google has repeatedly tried to redirect worker dissent by claiming Project Nimbus is not a military contract. However, the employees know that this is a mischaracterization, given that from the beginning the Israel Defense Forces played a big hand in selecting Google and Amazon for the contract for their ability to support big data analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning for the military. Ray also said, Through this contract, Google and Amazon are aiding and abetting the Israeli apartheid state and genocidal campaign in Gaza against Palestinians. Instead of cleaning up its house, we are realizing that ethical concerns of the contract and listening to workers, Google has decided to punch down on its workers who have decided to speak out, retaliate against them, allow them to be doxed and harassed. The company has tried to misdirect worker dissent and silence workers to hide their own moral failings. Many of the workers described the methods of intimidation, including doxing, used by the company against workers who oppose Project Nimbus and speak up in defense of Palestinian rights. In one instance, Google employee Mohammed was harassed and accused of supporting terrorism. In concluding the press conference, moderator Zelda reiterated the demands of the sit-in protesters and added that they are also demanding that all the workers be reinstated by Google because we havent done anything wrong by saying No tech for apartheid and No tech for genocide. Texas police killed two men while responding to mental health calls in the fall of 2022, with the details only recently emerging due to lawsuits and the release of police body cam footage. On November 29, 2022, Kenneth Knotts, was killed by police while hospitalized for a mental health evaluation and in police custody. A month earlier, in October, Justin Harrod was killed by Llano County sheriffs deputies after his wife called the police because he was having a mental health crisis. Another man, 37-year-old Laison Crenshaw, died in police custody after voluntarily checking in for mental health care in an Austin hospital under suspicious circumstances on February 21 of this year. Knotts family filed a civil rights lawsuit against the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Police Department about six months ago after a grand jury refused to indict any of the officers responsible for Knotts death. The guy was in mental distress, clearly he was irrational, but you dont have to kill them to solve what is absolutely a medical problem, Goeff Henley, an attorney representing Knottss family, explained. A still from bodycam footage showing police restraining Kenneth Knotts The damning body camera video in question, viewable here, was not made available to the public until Henley obtained it through a third-party subpoena issued to the City of Dallas, which released it on April 9. Henley said he fought for a month to obtain the body camera footage. Knotts, a 41-year-old father of four, had been taken into custody for a mental health evaluation after acting erratically. Knotts was arrested by police in Hutchins, a suburb of Dallas. Following his arrest, police took him to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Knotts escaped the hospital before being re-apprehended by university police. Upon his return hospital staff denied Knottss repeated requests for juice and water as he was deemed uncooperative. While alone Knotts got off his bed and drank water out of a faucet, only to be restrained by three police officers, who pressed on his limbs and back. Knotts complained that his handcuffs were too tight. The cops then appeared to either tighten the cuffs or put on another pair. Knotts continued to complain of thirst, and then shouted, Dont kill me, dont smother me. Finally, he yelled, I cant breathe, before falling silent. As Henley explained,by the time someone says, Check his pulse he doesnt have a pulse, hed already been dead for quite some time. Henley explained that Prone restraint is all about control and that I firmly believe that the officers knew what they were doing. Police kept Knotts in the prone position instead of putting him in a recovery position or on his side, which Henley explained would have not impacted his ability to breathe. When you are prone and handcuffed, you are utterly defenseless and in severe risk of your life because you just cannot breathe. Nearly a year later, in October 2023, the autopsy report was amended to state that the cause of Knottss death was homicide. Initially, the report concluded that the cause of his death could not be determined. However, after reviewing body camera footage, the Dallas County Medical Examiners office ruled Knotts died of sudden cardiac arrest associated with physical restraint and semi-prone position, i.e., that the police were responsible for the death. Harrod, a 40-year-old father of four, was killed by police while suffering a mental health episode. Harrods widow filed a civil rights lawsuit on April 11 against the Llano County sheriffs department, saying that deputies unnecessarily escalated the situation and that police executed him. She is seeking a declaratory judgment that the actions of the deputies violated Harrods Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection under the law. Justin Harrod As is detailed in the lawsuit, Harrods wife called police in response to Harrod threatening to kill himself after retrieving a firearm and hearing what she believed to be a gunshot. Harrod, who had returned from dancing and drinking with friends, was having difficulties with his mental health on the one year anniversary of his fathers death. The lawsuit says that Harrod was approached by police on his property asleep with a firearm. Police proceeded to taunt Harrod and yell at him for 18 minutes, issuing contradictory orders to him such as to get away from the gun and to not to move. One of the deputies told him Dont make me shoot you. Harrod was confused and asked, Why would you shoot me? One deputy tazered Harrod, followed a second later by two deputies shooting him in the head and forearm while he was still on the ground. Deputies did not render proper medical aid to Harrod before he started to repeat, Im dying. Crenshaw, who was also a father, was reported to be otherwise healthy when he was voluntarily hospitalized at Dell Seton Medical Hospital, which is operated by Ascension Seton. He was released into University of Texas Police Departments custody on February 22 following an incident where he was reported to have become combative with security personnel and hospital staff, getting into a physical altercation with a security guard. Crenshaw did not attempt to assault officers, however, according to the death report. He was revived after stopping breathing but never regained consciousness. Laison Crenshaw, center, with his sister Dee Dee Johnson, left, and mother, Ava Smith, right Crenshaw was found to be brain dead by medical personnel and taken off life support, being pronounced dead on February 27. The arresting officer was placed on administrative duties but was not named. Pictures taken by the family showed him comatose in a bed following the incident with a blackened left eye and scrapes on the left side of his face. The Travis County district attorney is currently investigating the incident. Knottss dying words have draw comparisons to the police killings of Eric Garner and George Floyd. In July 2014, Garner, living in New York City, was killed after a cop used a prohibited chokehold while arresting him. Garner had been apprehended on suspicion of illegally selling cigarettes. While being pinned down by multiple police officers, Garner yelled, I cant breathe 11 times before losing consciousness. He remained motionless on the sidewalk for seven minutes before an ambulance arrived. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital about an hour later. His death sparked significant protests in New York and across the United States demanding an end to police violence. George Floyd was killed by a cop in Minneapolis who knelt on Floyds neck for over nine minutes in May 2020. Floyds dying words were, I cant breathe. Following his murder, a massive wave protests broke out in cities across the country and internationally, drawing together millions of youth and workers of every race, ethnicity and nationality to demand justice for Floyd and an end to the continuing wave of police killings. As of this writing, according to Mapping Police Violence, 326 people have been killed this year, well on track to meet and possibly exceed previous years. Of these, 132 were white, the largest single group, followed by black people at 65. In 2022, at least 1,176 people were killed by police, with an average of 3.2 people per day. As we noted then, [W]hile African Americans continued to be killed by the police at a rate disproportionate to their share of the population, accounting for nearly a quarter of killings in 2022, as in previous years, victims were of every race and ethnicity, with those classified as white accounting for the largest number of deaths. The Democratic Party and the sections of the corporate media and upper-middle-class pseudo-left in its orbit have characterized police killings in racial terms. Some in the corporate media have pointed towards the fact that like Knotts, Floyd and Garner were black while the police were white. This fails to explain, however, why police killed Harrod and 4,300 other white, non-Hispanic individuals between 2015 and today, as recorded by the Washington Post. Furthermore, these killings expose the claims that if only minorities are in positions of power, police killings will subside. Knottss murder occurred in Dallas, which has had Eric Johnson as mayor since 2019. Johnson is African American and until 2023 was a law and order Democrat, before switching to the Republican Party. As the WSWS explained: The record level of police violence in 2022 makes clear that the police, as Friedrich Engels explained, are special bodies of armed men, established and maintained to defend the capitalist system and the inequality which it creates. In their defense of private property the police target the working class, in particular the most vulnerablethe poor, the homeless and the mentally ill. The most backward fascist and racist elements are deliberately cultivated within their ranks to suppress any sign of opposition from workers. Putting an end to police killings is not a matter of reform but of ending the system which has produced historic levels of inequality and violence, and reorganizing society to meet the needs of the working class rather than a privileged few at the top. In the wake of the arrests of over 100 pro-Palestinian Columbia University student protesters on Wednesday last week, a growing movement of students and youth has swept across the United States. Within days of the crackdown, which was coordinated between Columbia President Nemat Minouche Shafik, Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Biden White House, solidarity protests have spread across the country. Protests at NYU on April 22, 2024 Last Friday, hundreds of students at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, established a protest encampment in Beinecke Plaza on the university campus. Twenty-four tents were erected outside of a Board of Trustees dinner honoring outgoing President Peter Salovey, with students demanding that Yale disclose its investments in military weapons and manufacturers supplying the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and divest from them. On Monday morning, similar demonstrations emerged at New York University (NYU), as well as at universities in the greater Boston area including at Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tufts University. Student protesters also set up camp on the University of Maryland campus Monday. Several dozen students at the University of Michigan set up a protest encampment occupying The Diag, a large open space in the middle of campus. At the University of California, Berkeley, students established an encampment on the steps of Sproul Hall in the center of campus. Students at Cal Poly Humboldt in Northern California occupied Siemens Hall and were confronted by police in riot gear. Protests at The New School in New York City continued through Monday. Encampments at the Columbia campus have been revived and continued to grow despite the arrests of students on Wednesday. By mid-afternoon on Monday, hundreds of Columbia professors staged a spontaneous walkout in protest of the crackdown on students. Demonstrators walked out of their remote teaching offices and gathered on the lawn in front of the protest encampment, brandishing signs that read, Hands off our students. Clearly fearing a further expansion of the protest, the university administration has announced that it will move all classes online until the end of the spring semester on April 29. The ruling class has responded to the rapid spread of protests with a growing police-state crackdown. By Monday morning, Yale University police had arrested 47 protesters and charged them with criminal trespass. On Monday evening, NYPD riot police descended upon the NYU protest encampment at Gould Plaza outside the Stern School of Business and arrested dozens of student and faculty protesters. Live-streamed videos of the arrests are circulating widely on social media. According to social media reports, at least 300 people marched to the nearby police precinct to demand the release of the students and faculty members arrested. NYPD officers have occupied Gould Plaza. As of this writing, hundreds were protesting the arrests. The crackdown was clearly coordinated at the highest levels of the state, with the Democratic Party and far-right Republicans. On Sunday, Joe Biden and the White House issued statements backing the assault on free speech on campuses. On Monday, New York state Governor Kathy Hochul gave a duplicitous video address outside of the main Columbia campus which was accompanied by the statement that [t]he recent harassment and rhetoric is vile and abhorrent. Every student deserves to be safe. Repeating the slanderous equation of anti-genocide protests with antisemitism that now forms the basis for the persecution of anti-war protesters, many of whom are Jewish, Hochul implied the issues at play on the Columbia campus were that of religious persecution. She said, this is a country founded on people searching for religious freedom, fleeing religious persecution elsewhere. No one here on college campuses should feel that they are being persecuted because of their religious beliefs. The real antisemites are now being mobilized and promoted by the Democratic Party and figures like Hochhul in the campaign to abolish free speech. Last December, immediately following the McCarthyite House Committee on Education and the Workforce Committee hearings, led by the fascistic Republican New York Representative Elise Stefanik, which ousted University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Liz Magill, Hochul praised the hearings and threatened to withdraw funding from public universities which did not similarly crack down on pro-Palestinian speech. Stefanik, for her part, released a statement on behalf of Republican New York state members of Congress Monday morning to denounce Columbia Universitys President Minouche Shafik for insufficiently cracking down on the protests. The letter called on Shafik to resign due to her failing to put an end to an unsanctioned mob of students and agitators. Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a right-wing Zionist organization, visited the Columbia campus and called for the redeployment of the NYPD onto the campus, as well for a National Guard presence on campus. These calls were later echoed by fascistic, Trump-supporting Republican senators Josh Hawley (Missouri) and Tom Cotton (Arkansas) on Monday. Prominent leaders of the union bureaucracy have joined the attacks by the fascist Republicans and the Democrats on the protesters. The president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union, Randi Weingarten, who shook hands with admirers of the Ukrainian fascist and antisemite Stepan Bandera in Ukraine in 2022, denounced the Columbia protesters as antisemites. Weingarten wrote on X/Twitter, The antisemitic chants from protestors outside of Columbia University are horrific, unacceptable examples of antisemitism. This hatred and vitriol understandably puts Jewish students, professors and the community on edge. Hate speech that threatens violence is not protected speech under the law & must be condemnedcalling for divestment is protected free speech, calling for the killing of Jews is not. Ive said it before and Ill say it again: hate does not belong on campus. This vicious campaign to smear opponents of genocide as antisemites is a state provocation, aimed at justifying a war on democratic rights and the state slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. It lacks any credibility. The IYSSE spoke with Elijah, one of the student protesters at Yale University and a member Yale Jews for a Ceasefire. Responding to the slanders of antisemitism hurled at protesting students and faculty, Elijah said, Anti-Zionism is absolutely not equivalent to antisemitism! Of course its true that there have been incidents of antisemitism on campuses, other places in the country and in the world. But the accusation of antisemitism is now often weaponized against people who are simply dissenting against whats going on in Gaza. Theyre opposing it in a totally evidence-driven, completely principled, completely reasonable way, and theyre accused of peddling hateful ideology that they really have nothing to do with. Pointing to the large number of Jewish students and faculty opposed to the genocide and involved in the countless protests, Elijah noted: Its insulting to Jews who have experienced and whose families have experienced real antisemitism. People who escaped something as horrible as the Holocaust are now fighting to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. To accuse them of antisemitism, I think, is hurtful and baseless. Many of us are descended from families who experienced the Holocaust, experienced pogroms and are motivated by a conviction that should never be allowed to take place in our lifetime or at any time in the future. He described the development of the protests at Yale: The general mood on campus is one of horror at whats been going on in Gaza over the last six months. On campus, students have protested outside Board of Trustees meetings. We had many, many people, I believe it was over 100 at a previous protest. We held a vigil in November that easily drew over 100 people. There are students who have gone on a hunger strike. There was a hunger strike at Brown, I believe last month, and now we have students here on hunger strike. There is a vital and active culture of student organizing that has effectively mobilized in the months after October 7, throughout this war, and hopefully I think it will continue to be energized. I think particularly when it comes to an issue like divestment, we know that the administration is invested in weapons contractors, weapons manufacturers, who sell weapons to the Israeli military and are directly complicit in this war. But even in terms of Yales publicly disclosed investmentsand Im not an expert on this subjectYale is invested in index funds and other kinds of funds that have holdings in these companies supplying weapons to the Israeli military. Those are in the portfolio, publicly disclosed, confirmed. Yale and many other major universities are absolutely corrupt, beholden to these corporate investments, which we reject. Its absolutely hypocritical for a university that espouses rhetoric of free inquiry, free speech and students having the right to express themselves, using censorship and repression so obviously. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), has decided to launch a 3.5 million-rupee ($US11,650) party development fund to carry out the urgent political tasks confronting the party. SEP member winning support for victimised Alton Estate workers from Colombo harbour workers, 23 June 2023. Political developments in Sri Lanka are coming into sharp focus in the aftermath of the AprilJuly 2022 mass uprising involving millions of workers that led to the downfall of former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse, and the escalating social attacks by the Wickremesinghe government. Anger is rising among workers, the poor and young people over the ruthless International Monetary Fund (IMF)-ordered austerity program now being implemented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his government, with deeper social attacks planned. Last week, the governments restructuring unit for the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) announced that it wants to conclude all transactions related to SOEs by August this year. Tens of thousands of jobs of the 500,000 workers in these institutions will be destroyed, wages slashed, workloads increased, and higher costs imposed for electricity and water. The trade union bureaucracies, conniving with the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) with the help of fake left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), are deliberately dissipating working-class opposition to these attacks, diverting it into futile appeals to Colombo while calling for a change of government in the forthcoming presidential and national elections. This political agenda is a fraud. All of Sri Lankas opposition parties are fully committed to the IMFs dictates. Like the Wickremesinghe regime, they will attempt to crush workers resistance and suppress democratic rights in implementing the IMFs demands. Sri Lankas discredited bourgeois political parties are acutely nervous about the outcome of this years presidential election due to be held between September 18 and October 18. Wickremesinghes hated United National Party (UNP) is a rump, with the president forced to contest the election as an independent candidate. The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna does not have a presidential candidate and many MPs are leaving it. The SJB, a breakaway from the UNP, is in crisis and could see many MPs endorse Wickremesinghe. The JVP, which is attempting to cover up its own political history, is contesting the election under the cover of its upper middle class National Peoples Power. Responding to this deepening political crisis, the Wickremesinghe government last week decided to impose a series of new measures to exclude political opponents, particularly genuine socialists, from all future elections. Accordingly, the Sri Lankan cabinet of ministers decided to impose an unprecedented 52-fold increase in the security deposit for presidential election candidates of registered parties hiking it to 2.6 million rupees, and from the current 75,000-rupee deposit to 3.1 million rupees for independent candidates. Deposits for other elections have also been increased. This anti-democratic decision is to confine voters to the candidates of the establishment political partiesi.e., those selected and funded by the richand to marginalise political opponents and independent candidates criticising government policies. Above all, it is to block any discussion on a genuine socialist program, the only way workers, the poor and youth can defeat the attacks on their social and democratic rights. As the statement of Sri Lankan SEP issued on April 18 explained: The SEP in Sri Lanka is the only party advancing socialist policies to fight social devastation, inequality and war, and to defend democratic rights. There is no solution for workers and the poor within the framework of the profit system and the IMFs austerity dictates to which the government, the parliamentary opposition and the trade unions are all committed. The global crisis of capitalism, triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and intensified by the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, Israels imperialist-backed genocidal war on Gaza and military provocations against Iran, is dragging the mankind into a catastrophic world war. The Wickremesinghe regimes anti-democratic electoral laws and brutal austerity measures, are part of the global assault on democratic and social rights now under way in every country. The SEP in Sri Lanka, along with our sister parties of the ICFI, is the only organisation fighting to unite the working class on a revolutionary socialist and internationalist perspective. This includes the unification of the working class and the rural masses across the Indian subcontinent. In line with this perspective, the SEP is launching an ambitious program to recruit more members to the party and build the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE). We also need to further develop our coverage in the World Socialist Web Site and expand our publication of Marxist literature in the Sinhala and Tamil languages. When and if elections are announced, the SEP will contest them to popularise our socialist perspective and educate workers and youth on the urgent necessity for the building of the revolutionary Marxist-Trotskyist party, the Socialist Equality Party. We urge workers, students, and serious layers of the intelligentsia to support this endeavour. The SEP calls on all those who agree with this perspective and defend democratic rights to generously contribute to our 3.5-million-rupee development fund which we want to complete by the end of August. Details of our party account: Account number: 1472834301 Name of account holder: Socialist Equality Party Bank: Commercial Bank Branch: Kirulapona Country: Sri Lanka We also urge all readers to contact us via the telephone/WhatsApp number below to discuss the SEPs program. Telephone/WhatsApp number: +94773562327 Labor Secretary Marty Walsh at a meeting of the Teamsters General Executive Board on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. From left to right: Teamsters president Sean O'Brien, Walsh, Teamsters general secterary-treasurer Fred Zuckerman. [Photo: Teamsters Facebook page] Since coming into office in 2022, the new Teamsters administration of Sean OBrien has been hailed as a great union reform movement by various pseudo-left groups. Labor Notes called the Teamsters a reformer-led union and claimed that some union leaders are finally on the members side. Along with the Democratic Socialists of America, Labor Notes praised the UPS contract, promoting it as a great victory for workers and proof that the union had reformed itself into a militant workers organization. In reality, the UPS contract has paved the way for dozens of shift closures and over 12,000 layoffs. Management has announced it plans to close 200 locations as the company embraces automation. Tens of thousands of jobs are at risk after the supposed historic contract. Workers are finding that they confront not just attacks from management, but from a corrupt union apparatus which functions as a labor police force. This is not due to bad policies or bad apples at the top. Rather, the union bureaucracy has entirely different, and hostile, social interests than the rank-and-file membership. This is evident in the latest federal financial reports filed by the Teamsters. A list of the top paid officials in the Teamsters recently published by T-Union Link message board shows that 160 officers in the Teamsters International make over $200,000 a year in total compensation. Among them is OBrien, with total compensation of $419,222 a year, who is only second in pay to Randy Korgan, the head of the alleged Teamsters unionization drive among Amazon workers. Notable among the $200k Club are a number of leading members of Teamsters for a Democratic Union who have secured for themselves high positions within the Teamsters bureaucracy for their support for Sean OBrien. TDU members Matt Taibbi and Willie Ford make $252,065 and $247,924 a year in total compensation respectively. Notable leaders with connections to TDU include Fred Zuckerman ($377,537) who has been endorsed by the Teamsters United coalition that TDU is a part of, and other high-ranking career officials such as Vinnie Perrone ($249,754) out of Local 804 in New York City and Juan Campos ($284,154) from Chicago. Significantly, TDU itself used to publish this list of high earners in the Teamsters bureaucracy each year. It has quietly abandoned the list after securing membership to the $200k Club. This is the inevitable result of TDUs program. Rather than mobilizing rank-and-file workers in a fight to smash the bureaucracy and replace it with new, democratic structures, TDU has claimed since its foundation decades ago that it was possible to revive union democracy through a change in the composition of the bureaucracy itself. This has led them into a series of unprincipled alliances with other factions of the bureaucracy who use TDU to advance their own careers, while creating new layers of bureaucrats out of TDU itself. By contrast, the UPS Workers Rank-and-File Committee (UPSWRFC) was founded last summer to fight against both management and the union bureaucracy. While TDU was central to the pretend strike ready campaign which the bureaucracy used to sell a contract worked out in secret with UPS as the result of a credible strike threat, the UPSWRFC warned from the start that a sellout was being prepared. The only response must be to organize ourselves, its founding statement concluded, not to support the bargaining committee and to cheerlead for them, but to enforce our democratic will, and position ourselves to countermand the inevitable sellout. But the huge salaries of the top officials are only the tip of the iceberg. The bureaucracy controls hundreds of millions in assets financed out of workers dues money. At the international level alone, fewer than 30 International officers consume a combined $3.3 million a year plus an additional $49 million for employees of the International. From an income of $242 million the International spends a combined $119.6 million on: Nearly $58 million on representational activities (i.e., the salaries of union functionaries) $6.1 million in contributions, gifts and grants $8.4 million in political activities (schmoozing with both President Biden and Donald Trump and other right-wing Republicans) $27.2 million in general overhead (more salaries) $19.8 million in union administration (even more salaries) These swallow up nearly half of the unions annual income. By comparison, the Teamsters spent $8.2 million on strike pay in a year when they claimed to be leading a national strike movement at UPS. This is less than what it spent on political activities and lobbying. This spending is tied to the vast financial assets that the bureaucracy has converted member dues into. The Teamsters International holds a total of $566 million in assets, $419 million of which is held in financial investments. From these investments, the bureaucracy makes $15 million a year in dividends. For Sean OBrien and his ilk the hundreds of millions of dollars in union income and assets are a massive piggy bank from which to withdraw funds for themselves. Any action that would pull funds away from the bureaucracy, such as providing adequate strike pay to workers, is seen as a threat to the increasingly financialized assets of the union. The Teamsters added to this financialization by using members dues to purchase another $41 million in investments and assets this past year. And this does not even include the millions of dollars held by local unions with their own bureaucracies, assets and aspiring members of the $200k Club. This is the real social foundation of the union bureaucracy. It is a parasitic social layer that exists to negotiate the price of labor with management, not to defend workers interests. Out of these interests arises the bureaucracys general social outlook. It accepts the wage system and the right of management to profit, and because its own interests have become tied to the success and profitability of the capitalist system. For this reason the Teamsters were more than happy to allow UPS to mass layoff workers, if it meant its own cash reserves could be preserved and its financial assets protected. It plays the role of a labor contractor, policing the working class and managing the price of labor for their friends in management. Expressing the deep contempt, as well as fear, the bureaucracy has for the membership, when Sean OBrien was recently asked about the UPS contract by a worker at last weekends Labor Notes conference, he literally ran away, claiming he had a flight to catch. The role of TDU and similar groups is to cover up this basic social reality with reassuring claims about reform. They seek to keep a lid on rank-and-file anger and argue that if only they had more bureaucrats on the inside then the union would actually protect its members. The election of OBrien and the entry of TDU into the union apparatus expose this bankrupt policy. The bureaucracy cannot be reformed, it must be abolished. This is the task that rank-and-file workers must take up. To build real fighting organizations of the working class, workers must form rank-and-file committees, new democratic organizations controlled by the workers themselves, and fight to smash the bureaucracy and return power to the shop floor. The building of a rank-and-file movement is an urgent task for all workers, particularly Teamsters at UPS where the company is preparing a massive assault on jobs. Only by removing this bureaucratic caste and putting the rank-and-file in control can this be accomplished. Nearly 300 bodies were discovered in a series of mass graves near Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, on Sunday and Monday. The dead include men, women and children, as well as people with clear indications of being medical patients. Some were discovered handcuffed, indicating that victims were killed in mass summary executions. A mass grave at Nasser Hospital [Photo: Bisan Owda] After the discovery of similar mass graves in Gazas Shifa Hospital last month, the mass grave at Nasser Hospital presents further evidence that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has turned Gazas hospitals into killing fields as part of its ongoing genocide against the Palestinians in the narrow enclave. Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda visited the mass grave on Monday, documenting that some bodies were found without organs or skin or heads. Bisan pointed the camera at one of the hundreds of decomposed bodies strewn across the field where she was standing. The legs of the body were bandaged, suggesting the victim was a patient at the hostpital. He or she was injured. And the Israeli army killed him and buried him in a mass grave, she said. On Monday, Col. Yamen Abu Suleiman, Director of Civil Defense in Khan Younis, told CNN that 73 bodies were recovered on Monday, bringing the total number to 283. Suleiman told CNN that some bodies were discovered with their hands and feet tied, pointing to summary executions. We do not know if they were buried alive or executed. Dr. Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian physician who had worked at Shifa Hopsital, told The Young Turks that the massacre is a moral collapse. Gilbert condemned Israels ruthless massacres of unarmed civilian people in the hospitals. He said these were places of sanctuary to protect life, and to give people a shelter when they are wounded or injured or sick. The Israeli occupation army used these places to perform the most horrible, sadistic massacres of the Palestinian people. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation responded to the discovery by calling for a war crimes probe, declaring that Israel had committed horrific massacres. It added, Hundreds of displaced, wounded, sick people and medical teams have been subjected to torture and abuse before being executed and buried collectively. The US media has made a conscious and deliberate decision to downplay and cover up the discovery of the mass graves, with the three leading US newspapersthe New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journalnot having reported the story, despite CNNs coverage. This is because further revelations of Israeli war crimes would undermine the campaign by the entire US political establishment to smear opponents of the Gaza genocide as antisemites, which is being used to justify crackdowns against student protesters throughout the US. And any such reporting would expose their complicity in these crimeson Saturday the US House voted overwhelmingly to provide Israel with $26 billion in new military aid in conjunction with $61 billion for Ukraine and $8 billion for Taiwan. The mass graves are being discovered as mass starvation in Gaza intensifies amid an intensified Israeli blockade. On Monday, Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN special rapporteur on the right to health, declared, Not only is Israel killing and causing irreparable harm against Palestinian civilians with its bombardments, it and their allies are also knowingly and intentionally imposing famine, prolonged malnutrition, and dehydration. On Monday, Gazas health ministry said that 54 people had been killed by Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours. But the disaster is only set to intensify as Israel prepares to launch an offensive on Rafah, where over 1.5 million displaced Gazans are sheltering. In a statement on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to deliver additional and painful blows. In the coming days, we will increase the military and diplomatic pressure on Hamas because its the only way to release our hostages and achieve our victory, Netanyahu said on Sunday. Over the weekend, dozens of people were killed in airstrikes in Rafah, bringing the official death toll from Israels genocide in Gaza to over 34,000, with tens of thousands more missing. On Thursday, the US and Israel held high-level discussions planning out US operations in southern Gaza, in which the US endorsed Israels plans to defeat Hamas in Rafah. In its readout of the meeting, the White House declared, The two sides agreed on the shared objective to see Hamas defeated in Rafah. Last week, Israeli and Arab-language publications reported that the Biden administration had given Israel a green light to carry out an attack on Rafah. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel will begin imminently displacing the population of Rafah in preparation for a weeks-long onslaught against the city. The newspaper reported, Israel is preparing to move civilians from Rafah to nearby Khan Younis and other areas, where it plans to set up shelters with tents, food distribution centers, and medical facilities such as field hospitals, according to Egyptian officials briefed on the Israeli plans. It concluded, That evacuation operation would last two to three weeks and be done in coordination with the US, Egypt, and other Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the Egyptian officials said. They said Israel plans to move troops into Rafah gradually, targeting areas where Israel believes Hamas leaders and fighters are hiding. The fighting is expected to last at least six weeks, they said. The World Socialist Web Site denounces the enormous escalation of state attacks on protesters, including the mass arrests at Columbia, Yale University and New York University, justified on the basis of lies and slander. We call for the broadest possible mobilization of the working class throughout the US and internationally to oppose this assault on democratic rights and to stop the genocide in Gaza. NYPD officers prepare to make arrests at Columbia University. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) [AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah] Over the past week, the protest movement has grown, especially on the campuses. Following the mass arrests at Columbia, encampments have now been set up at dozens of schools across the country, including in New York City, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, California and many other places. At Columbia University and NYU in New York City, faculty have openly solidarized themselves with the protests. In response, the White House, together with fascist Republicans, has launched a vicious and coordinated campaign of repression and slander. On Sunday, President Joe Biden issued a statement in which he doubled down on US ironclad support for Israels genocide in Gaza. He claimed that there is an alarming surge of antisemitism in our schools, communities and online. Similar statements smearing student opponents of genocide as antisemitic were issued by New York Citys Democratic Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul. On Monday, the fascist Republican senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley called on Biden to send the National Guard to quash the protests at Columbia University. The nascent pogroms at Columbia have to stop TODAY, Cotton wrote on X. If Eric Adams wont send the NYPD and Kathy Hochul wont send the National Guard, Joe Biden has a duty to take charge and break up these mobs. These are foul lies and Orwellian doublespeak. There is no surge of antisemitism on college campuses. The anti-genocide protests include large numbers of Jewish people, especially youth. New York City, which has emerged as a center of the protests, has the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. One of the biggest Jewish political organizations in the US, Jewish Voice for Peace, has been banned at Columbia University and many other campuses for its anti-war stance, and dozens, if not hundreds, of Jewish protesters have been arrested, suspended and fired for their political views. As for Hawley and Cotton, their own politics carries the stench of genuine antisemitism. Hawley was a leading supporter of Trumps January 6 coup, and he and other fascistic Republicans have promoted the far-right and antisemitic Great Replacement Theory. In Ukraine, the Biden administration has armed neo-Nazis to the teeth, including the Azov Battalion, which proudly places itself in the tradition of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), an organization that was implicated in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian Jews during the Nazi-led Holocaust. Hawley and Cottons call for the deployment of the National Guard or other military action invokes a sinister historical precedent: On May 4, 1970, 54 years ago, the National Guard was mobilized by the Nixon administration and the governor of Ohio to crack down on students protesting the US invasion of Cambodia at Kent State University. In the ensuing massacre, 13 students were shot, 4 of them fatally. Is this what Hawley and Cotton have in mind? Governments that are capable of endorsing, funding and abetting the murder of 40,000 innocent people are perfectly capable of endorsing mass violence against their own population. Richard Nixon had earlier denounced the students as bugs. Today, Bidens smear of protesters as antisemites is designed to legitimize similar state violence against opponents of war. The ruling class sees the protests as a threat not only to its support for Israel, but to the broader war policy it is pursuing. Just this weekend, the Democratic Party joined hands with the fascist Republicans to vote for $95 billion in supplementary military funding, including $26 billion for Israels genocide in Gaza and military confrontation with Iran. All of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, including the members of the so-called Squad such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, voted to support another $61 billion for the mass slaughter in Ukraine and $8 billion to build up Taiwan as a staging ground for war with China. Similar repressive actions are being taken by capitalist governments throughout the world. In Germany, the slander of anti-genocide protesters as antisemites has been the basis for the largest number of arrests of Jewish citizens for political activism since the fall of the Nazi regime. On Monday, Turkish police attacked and disrupted a protest targeting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for his complicity in the genocide. The false identification of opposition to genocide with antisemitism is aimed at criminalizing any opposition to the crimes of imperialism and capitalism. The target is not only the opponents of the Gaza genocide. Fundamentally, the aim is to preempt the emergence and prepare the violent suppression of a much broader movement against war and capitalism among youth and, above all, within the working class. The parallel to the Kent State massacre contains an important lesson. That massacre occurred in the midst of one of the largest strike movements in US history, including postal and autoworkers. It took place almost exactly two years after mass student protests in France triggered a general strike that brought the government to the brink of collapse. The American ruling class, terrified that the student protests would merge with the labor movement and acquire an openly socialist orientation, employed brutal state violence to suppress them. The ruling class is well aware that the protests of the past month are but the early stages of a far broader anti-war movement and revolutionary struggle by the working class. However, to the extent that the movement against the genocide does not openly break with the Democratic Party and take root in the working class, it can be isolated, politically derailed and made an easy target for state repression. We therefore urge students: Turn to the international working class! Mobilize support among teachers, healthcare, auto, logistics and transit workers! Break with the capitalist politics of the Democratic Party! And we urge workers: Take up the defense of the students! The attack on their democratic rights is an attack on your entire class. The aim of this state campaign is to abolish free speech, not only on the campuses but in all areas of social and political life. The explosion of militarism abroad is incompatible with the right to free speech at home. Mobilize independently of the union bureaucracies and both parties of the ruling class to immediately stop weapons deliveries and arms production for the genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine! Everything now depends on merging the fight against genocide, imperialist war and the attack on democratic rights with the development of the class struggle and the building of revolutionary Marxist leadership in the working class. This years International May Day Online Rally, organized by the International Committee of the Fourth International, will be centered on the development of a working class and socialist movement against imperialist war. We call on all of our readers to register at wsws.org/mayday and to promote the rally as widely as possible. The first-ever criminal trial of a former US president began Monday morning in New York City, with the prosecution and defense for Donald Trump making opening remarks after Judge Juan Merchan explained basic courtroom procedures to the 12 jurors and six alternates in the case. Former president Donald Trump, center, awaits the start of proceedings at Manhattan criminal court, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. [AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool] The corporate media is providing wall-to-wall coverage of the case, despite the banning of cameras and recording devices from the courtroom, with cable networks conducting a virtual relay race as reporters inside the court send messages about the details which are then read out on the broadcasts. This attention is driven, not by the substance of the case itself, but by its significance as the latest episode in the ongoing crisis and breakdown of the US political system. The defendant is both a former president and the likely nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election. The Democrats hope that a conviction of Trump will give a political boost to the flagging fortunes of President Biden. While Trump has spearheaded the transformation of the Republican Party into a fascist party in all but name, the Democratic Party has moved so far to the right that it has become the principal party of Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus. Trump is not being tried for the major crimes he committed while in office, above all his attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat with the violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The federal prosecution over January 6 has been delayed, in part by court challenges, but primarily because the Biden Justice Department slow-walked its investigation into the attack on Congress and only filed charges against Trump last year. Instead, this case focuses on Trumps actions during and after the 2016 campaign in which he won the presidency despite losing the popular vote, because of the reactionary and antiquated Electoral College system. He is charged under New York state law with 34 counts of filing false business records in which he covered up secret payments of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to stop her from going public with an account of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trumps longtime lawyer and political fixer, Michael Cohen, made the $130,000 payment to Daniels and was reimbursed, with a bonus, by the Trump Organization, which described the payments as legal expenses in records filed with the state. The opening statement for the prosecution by assistant Manhattan District Attorney Matthew Colangelo presented the business paperwork violationsnormally misdemeanors punishable by a fine, and rarely prosecutedas links in a broader conspiracy to manipulate the media during the campaign and ultimately to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Cohen made that payment at Donald Trumps direction, Colangelo said, and he did it with the specific goal of influencing the outcome of the election. No politician wants bad press. But the evidence at trial will show this was not spin or strategy. This was a planned, coordinated long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures, to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior, using doctored corporate records. It was election fraud, pure and simple. While there is no conspiracy charge as such, the linking of the false filings to a wider effort directed by Trump was the asserted legal basis for elevating the misdemeanors to the level of a felony. Colangelo described the testimony to come from a series of witnesses that will detail an arrangement described as catch and kill, in which David Pecker, publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid and other media properties, offered to buy negative stories about Trump and suppress rather than publish them, while at the same time publishing scurrilous material about Trumps rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. This effort began with an August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower. In previous Justice Department investigations under the Trump administration, which culminated in the prosecution and imprisonment of Michael Cohen, court documents referred to the three people at the meeting as Pecker, Cohen and a high-ranking campaign official. Pecker will testify that the official was Trump himself, the prosecutor said. Colangelo described in some detail several episodes in the effort to suppress the geyser of reports about lurid aspects of Trumps personal life. After the notorious Access Hollywood tape was released on October 9, 2016, most campaign officials threw up their hands, concluding the campaign had been wrecked irretrievably by the tape of Trump boasting of his power, as a media star, to carry out sexual assaults on any woman he chose. Adding to the crisis was the renewed demand by Stormy Daniels that Trump pay her $130,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep silent about her brief relationship with Trump 10 years before. Afraid that this would be the final straw for his campaign, Trump instructed Cohen to make the payment and promised to reimburse him. There is no question of the factual accuracy of Colangelos accountwhich was not even disputed by defense counsel Todd Blanche in his own opening statement. The trial thus may provide a fuller account of the corrupt and sordid milieu of Manhattan real estate, casino gaming and television reality programming out of which Trump emerged. But it is not clear whether any of the tawdry conduct alleged actually violates US lawin contrast to the massive evidence of Trumps defiance of the Constitution throughout his four years in the White House, and his central role in the first-ever attempt by a US president to overturn an election defeat and seize power. Trumps attorney Blanche made no effort to rebut the prosecutor on the essential facts of the case, instead focusing on claims that nothing Trump did was against the law. He rejected the prosecutions claim that Trump was corrupting the election, declaring that trying to influence the outcome of an election is called democracy. He pointed out that non-disclosure agreements are not illegal. Indeed, they are a staple of American business, with corporations regularly demanding that workers shut their mouths about business practices the bosses would like to conceal. Blanche argued that Trump had nothing to do with the flow of paperwork other than signing the checks, and was not responsible for the false business filings, which were approved by Allen Weisselberg, the CFO of the Trump Organization. He pointed out that despite the claims of conspiracy, the district attorney did not actually bring a conspiracy charge against Trump. The defense counsel spent much of his time attacking the two main witnesses expected to testify for the prosecution, Michael Cohen, Trumps bagman in the hush money scheme, and Stormy Daniels herself. His opening statement was interrupted twice, unusually, by prosecution objections when he vilified Cohen as a criminal and suggested that Daniels had extorted Trump by seeking to be paid for her silence. Cohen served a three-year federal prison term for campaign finance charges related to the Stormy Daniels payoff, and has admitted to repeated perjury offensesall when he was in the service of Trump. The trial is in recess Tuesday, when Judge Merchan will hear a motion from prosecutors to sanction Trump for multiple violations of a gag order barring him from publicly attacking the lawyers, court officials and witnesses in the trial, or members of their families. Trump has continued to post vitriolic statements on his Truth Social platform, and these have instigated a wave of threats and denunciations by fascist supporters, as well as efforts to obtain personal information, including the identities of the jurors. The trial will resume Wednesday with the first witness, David Pecker, who was on the stand Monday for only a few minutes before the recess. Renowned Faith Leader Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider Unveils the Profound Secrets of Divine Love in His Latest Book Release NEWS PROVIDED BY Charisma Media April 23, 2024 LAKE MARY, Fla., April 23, 2024 /Standard Newswire/ -- Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, acclaimed host of Discovering the Jewish Jesus is inviting readers on a transformative expedition through the sacred text of the Song of Songs in his latest release, A Journey Into Divine Love (ISBN-13: 978-1-63641-365-5). "Through the Song I have come to understand Jesus' love for me in a way I didn't truly see before," Schneider writes. "The Song of Songs opened up new vistas and shined a great deal of light on the kind of relationship God created for meand youto have with Him." By diving into the Song of Songs with a new perspective, Schneider gives vision and insight into the beauty and power behind the intimate way God wants to know and love each and every one of His children. Through examining the meaning and symbolism that lies behind this powerful text, Schneider offers unparalleled insight and reverence for the ways God wants to meet readers through the pages of this ancient Scripture. "I am confident the Holy Spirit will use the Song of Songs to unlock your own journey into divine love, providing personal breakthrough for you as He did for me," Schneider writes. No matter where readers currently find their relationship with God, A Journey Into Divine Love serves to help them experience personal transformation and renewal that only comes through a deeper understanding of God's merciful and gracious love. A Journey Into Divine Love, published by Charisma House, is available online and wherever books are sold. Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider is the host of the popular TV and radio broadcast Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Rabbi Schneider's teaching is straightforward, authentic, and revelational. The anointing on his ministry carries an eternal weight of glory that the Father uses to transform the souls of His elect! Rabbi Schneider is the leader of the international movement TakingTheRainbowback.com and the author of several books, including Rivers of Revelation, The Book of Revelation Decoded, Messianic Prophecy Revealed, and Awakening to Messiah. Keep in touch with Rabbi Schneider Website: discoveringthejewishjesus.com Facebook: Discovering The Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider X: @RabbiSchneider Instagram: @discoveringthejewishjesus YouTube: @RabbiSchneider Title: A Journey Into Divine Love: A Revelation of the Song of Songs | Release Date: May 7, 2024 | Retail: US $19.99 | ISBN-13: 978-1-63641-365-5 | E-Book ISBN: 978-1-63641-366-2 | Binding: Trade Paper | Size: 6 x 9 x 0.64 | Page Count: 208 | Hometown: Cleveland, OH | BISAC Category: RELIGION / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth, RELIGION / Christian Living / Personal Growth, RELIGION / Christian Living / General For a review copy or to interview Rabbi Schneider, please contact media@charismamedia.com. SOURCE Charisma Media BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The Baku Network expert platform has aired the next episode of the Dialogue with Tofig Abbasov analytical video project, Trend reports. Ayaz Salayev, an Azerbaijani filmmaker, made an appearance on the program. When asked about the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Salayev stated that the only present issue is ideology. He claimed that nothing good will happen in Armenia as long as there is an anti-Azerbaijani popular mood. As Professor Preobrazhensky (the hero of Mikhail Bulgakovs story) said, there is chaos in our heads. Until this is eradicated, nothing will happen, he added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Thanks to the efforts of both state heads, Azerbaijani-Russian ties are successfully evolving, as evidenced by President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Moscow at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, marking the beginning of a new stage in their relations. Azerbaijani-Russian political ties Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia were established on April 4, 1992, with the mutual opening of embassies that same year. The Consulate General of Azerbaijan in St. Petersburg was inaugurated in 2004, followed by the opening in Yekaterinburg in 2010. In addition to direct contacts between the heads of state, political ties between Azerbaijan and Russia are also robustly conducted at the parliamentary level, as highlighted by the inter-parliamentary commission on bilateral cooperation between the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia. A total of 263 agreements have been signed, covering various spheres of cooperation. An especially noteworthy document is the Declaration on Allied Interaction signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation in 2022. Azerbaijani-Russian economic relations Russia is one of the main trade partners of Azerbaijan and leads among the countries to which non-oil products from Azerbaijan are exported. The volume of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia from January through August 2023 amounted to $2.78 million, including imports of $1.99 million and exports of $794.47 million. From January through August 2023, the share of Russia in the foreign trade turnover of Azerbaijan amounted to 7.85 percent (3rd place), including 17.87 percent in imports (1st place) and 3.26 percent in exports (5th place). Russia's investments in Azerbaijan in all spheres so far amounted to about $8.5 billion ($6.4 billion in the non-oil sector), while our country has invested about $6.4 billion ($1.1 billion in the non-oil sector) in Russia. A total of 22 companies from Russia applied to participate in the reconstruction and construction works carried out in Karabakh. Cultural ties Cultural relations between the two nations continue to flourish, with notable events in 2023 highlighting this dynamic growth. On February 2, 2023, a concert featuring soloists of the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra was held at the Russian House in Baku to celebrate the 105th anniversary of the esteemed Azerbaijani composer, scientist, and People's Artist of the USSR, Gara Garayev. Last year, on April 1112, Baku hosted the Theater Forum as part of the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. Further enhancing cultural ties, on August 7, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev bestowed the "Sharaf" order upon Yuli Gusman for his outstanding contributions to fostering cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. Certainly, the list of events and achievements can be extended. Ties in the sphere of education For the 2023/2024 school year, there are 324 general education institutions in Azerbaijan where education is provided in Russian, compared to 329 last year. These schools catered to 153,645 students (down from 158,754 last year). Additionally, 801,227 students learned Russian as a second foreign language. Among the 20 institutions of higher education under the Ministry of Science and Education, 14 offer courses in Russian. Across the country, a total of 28 higher education institutions provide education in Russian, with 16,153 students enrolled in Russian-language programs during the 2022/2023 academic year. The quota for Azerbaijani citizens studying at higher education institutions in Russia was 250 for the 2022/2023 academic year and increased to 270 places for the 2023/2024 academic year. These statistical figures, coupled with signed agreements and reciprocal visits by state leaders, provide a solid foundation to assert that Azerbaijani-Russian relations are on an upward trajectory. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Cardi B: the name alone evokes memories of thrilling live performances, fearless lyrics, and a humorous and provocative social media presence. However, beneath the Grammy-winning rapper and Bodak Yellow queen is Cardi B, the Afro-Latina, woman whose background is as deep and nuanced as her songs. So what is Cardi Bs ethnicity? Its a question that sparks debate, as her music and background weave together a tapestry of cultures. Dive deeper and discover the rich heritage that makes Cardi B who she is. What Is Cardi Bs Ethnicity? Matt Winkelmeyer/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue Cardi Bs journey with identity hasnt always been smooth. Some have questioned whether she can identify as both black and Latina, a misconception that highlights the complexities of race and ethnicity. Cardi B, though, has never shied away from setting the record straight. Shes a black woman who embraces her Latina heritagea powerful example of someone who defies labels and celebrates her multifaceted background. Where Did Cardi B Grow Up? Cardi B was born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar in the melting pot of New York City. Her mother brought Spanish and African characteristics to her Trinidadian heritage, while her father gave her Dominican roots. Her combination puts her squarely in the frame of the thriving Afro-Latino community, a population with a rich cultural heritage spanning the Amazon rainforest and a history as deep as the Caribbean Sea. This is when the exciting part starts. Latino is commonly misinterpreted as denoting race since it evokes images of mariachi music and sandy beaches. On the other hand, Latino/Latina refers to language and ethnicity and includes people of different racial backgrounds. Specifically, Black people with a Latin American heritage identify as Afro-Latinos. The horrific realities of the slave trade, which transported Africans to the Caribbean and Latin America, had a profound impact on their history. What Are Cardi Bs Parents? Clara Almanzar, Cardi Bs mother, is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, an island nation in the Caribbean with a rich cultural heritage. Her lineage combines Spanish and African elements, making her an Afro-Latino. Part of Cardi Bs ethnicity and cultural background is also her father, who is from the Dominican Republic. Despite receiving less media attention than her mother from Trinidad, Cardi Bs father surely had a big impact on her identity and upbringing. Nestled in the Caribbean, next to Haiti, the Dominican Republic is renowned for its rich history, lively culture, and multicultural populace. The Dominican Republic has its blend of customs, music, and food, influenced by African, European, and indigenous Taino civilizations. Due to her fathers Dominican heritage, Cardi B was raised with a diverse cultural background that included exposure to the flavors of Dominican food, the warmth of Dominican hospitality, and the rhythms of merengue and bachata. A family steeped in Dominican customs would have given Cardi B a strong sense of cultural appreciation and a link to the larger Afro-Latinx society. Embracing Her Afro-Latina Identity (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images) Cardi B hasnt held back when it comes to embracing her Afro-Latino heritage. She has confronted misunderstandings regarding her race and ethnicity head-on, dispelling the myth that Latinos cannot be Black. However, her influence goes beyond backlash on social media. By creating a haircare brand, especially for Afro-Latina hair types, she has also utilized her position to promote the beauty of this hair type. Using her influence, Cardi B celebrated the distinctive textures and styles of Afro-Latina hair while developing items that appeal to a market that was previously untapped. Not to mention the music! The music of Cardi B is a prime illustration of how her background influences her work. Her music creates a sound bridge across civilizations by skillfully fusing American hip-hop with Latin beats. It serves as a reminder to everyone that Afro-Latinos have long been a part of the hip-hop landscape while introducing non-Latino audiences to the depth of Latin music. Cardi Bs impact cannot be disputed. She has fought against colorism in Latino communities, given Afro-Latino perspectives a forum, and started significant discussions about representation and race. Her narrative, though, is only one part of the continuing tale of Afro-Latino identity. There is still more to be done. Why Is This Important? There are several reasons why Cardi Bs acceptance of her Afro-Latina identity is important. First of all, it refutes the limited understanding of Latino identity. It also gives Afro-Latinos the confidence to assert their legitimate place in the larger Latino community, where colorism can be pervasive. Furthermore, it gives young Afro-Latinos hope to witness a successful and powerful individual who resembles them. Watch: Alec Baldwin smacks phone of protester who demanded he say Free Palestine Alec Baldwin has been recorded on camera smacking the phone of a pro-Palestine protester who confronted him in a New York coffee shop. The video was shared on social media by Crackhead Barney & Friends, an anti-fascist interview show that supports protests against Israels actions in Gaza. In the clip, the actor can be seen becoming irritated after a protester accosts him over the fatal Rust set shooting and asks him to say free Palestine and f--- Israel on camera. The actor asked the coffee shop to call the police after he was accosted Baldwin, 66, refuses and asks a coffee shop employee to call the police. He then urges the protester to leave, holding open the shop door and gesturing for them to exit. The protester continues filming, at which point Baldwin says: Can you do me one quick favour? He then smacks the phone out of the protesters hand. Baldwin held the door open as he asked the protester to leave The actor was repeatedly shouted at by the protester, who told him: Alec can you please say free Palestine one time. Free Palestine, Alec, just one time and Ill leave you alone. Ill leave you alone, I swear, just say free Palestine one time. He was also asked: Why did you kill that lady? You killed that lady and got no jail time, referring to the fatal Rust set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter after he was indicted by a grand jury. The trial is set to begin in July. In the tweet posted alongside the video, the group Crackhead Barney & Friends call Baldwin a white devil. It is not the first time Baldwin has had a run-in with pro-Palestine protesters. In December he angrily confronted a group in Manhattan, telling activists to shut the f--- up before being escorted from the scene by police. During that incident, a protester recorded him on their phone being asked whether he supported Israel. He said: Because Im in Hollywood? You ask stupid questions. Ask me a smart question. The crowd of activists then mocked Baldwin over the Rust shooting as he was led away. Baldwin has been approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. For the Wednesday, April 24 episode of The Young and the Restless, spoilers photos reveal that Nikki is in danger from Jordan, but Victor shows up unexpectedly.This is going to be a drama-filled day you wont want to miss. Scenes From Genoa City Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) is using herself as bait to draw out Jordan (Colleen Zenk). She stands next to a dumpster in an alley waiting for Jordan to show herself. Nikki looks scared, and Jordan seems to be well on her way to sneaking up on Nikki. However, one thing Jordan might not count onand Nikki might not eitheris Victor (Eric Braeden) is also in that alley. He seems to grab Jordan from behind and places a handkerchief (presumably drugged) over her nose. Is this finally the end of Jordan at long last? Hard to say, but things arent looking great for her. Meanwhile, Jack (Peter Bergman) and Traci (Beth Maitland) seem concerned as they talk at the Abbott mansion. Are they touching base on whats going on with their sister Ashley (Eileen Davidson)? Or is this something to do with Harrison (Redding Munsell) missing? These two have plenty of drama going on in their lives. Its going to be an action-packed day, so check it out in the slideshow below. What are you most looking forward to seeing? The best place for true soap fans to be is our Facebook groups. Have you joined? If you love soap spoilers, gossip, and fans as dedicated as yourself, check out Days of our Lives Fans, General Hospital Exclusive, The Young and the Restless Fans, and The Bold and the Beautiful Fans. The post Y&R Preview Photos: Victor Steps In To Save Nikki From Jordan appeared first on Soap Hub BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Russian peacekeepers leaving Karabakh have headed to temporary deployment points in Gorus and Garakils (Sisian) in Armenia, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan told local media, Trend reports. According to him, the Armenian government has allocated temporary dislocation points for the Russian peacekeeping contingent. "As the Russian peacekeeping troops are leaving Karabakh, they, understandably, cannot stay in Armenia as well. A group and a convoy of peacekeepers from Karabakh have headed to temporary deployment points in Goris and Garakils (Sisian)," he said. To note, a few days ago, Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov confirmed the withdrawal of the peacekeeping contingent from Karabakh. Assistant of the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, answering a question from local media regarding the information about the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Azerbaijan, said that the early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers, temporarily stationed in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, following the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020, has been decided by the leaders of both countries. The process has already begun, with the ministries of defense of Azerbaijan and Russia implementing appropriate measures for the execution of that decision. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Three New Jersey spots made the list of the most charming main streets in America. Curated by the online photo platform Mixbook, this list of "America's 100 Most Charming Main Streets" was put together using a survey of 3,000 adults. "Main streets in towns and cities across America are lined with unique shops, cafes, and restaurants, forming the center of local culture and community," the Mixbook website says. "These streets are more than just locations for shopping and eating; they're crucial to the town's identity, creating connections and memories for both residents and visitors." Making the list for New Jersey are Montclair's Bloomfield Avenue, Lambertville's Bridge Street, and Cape May's Washington Street. Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair The crowd on Bloomfield Ave. in front of the main stage of the Montclair Jazz Festival Downtown Jamboree, Sept. 25, 2021. Coming in at No. 21 on the national list is Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair. The avenue features shops, cafes, restaurants, fitness locations and self-care spots. Things to do along Bloomfield Avenue include seeing a movie at the historic Clairidge theater, catching a show at the Wellmont Theater and visiting the Montclair Art Museum. There are also events that go on in the area throughout the year such as the Montclair Film Festival and the Montclair Jazz Festival. According to Mixbook, "This vibrant street features shops and restaurants, while its nearby Montclair Art Museum and annual Montclair Film Festival contribute to its lively North Jersey charm." Bridge Street, Lambertville Taking the 49th spot on the list is Bridge Street in Lambertville. Filled with history, this street along the Delaware River is home to numerous shops, galleries and antique stores. It is surrounded by historic sites such as the Lambertville House hotel, the James Wilson Marshall House and Lambertville Station, which offers a place to stay as well as a restaurant and wine cellar with riverfront views. The historic station also acts as a venue for weddings and other private events. "This picturesque street along the Delaware River features shops, galleries, and the Lambertville station," says Mixbook. "Its nearby New Hope, PA, towpath, and annual Shad Fest add to its quaint Central New Jersey charm." Washington Street, Cape May Coming in at 61st is Cape May's Washington Street, home to the beloved Washington Street Mall. Serving as Cape May's town square, the Washington Street Mall has over 75 establishments, from restaurants to coffee shops, boutiques, bars, activities and more, scattered along Washington Street and its branching side streets. It is all nestled around a three-block stretch that is closed to vehicular traffic, making the central area safely walkable. According to Mixbook, "This charming Victorian street features shops, restaurants, while its nearby beaches, Cape May Lighthouse, and annual Cape May Music Festival contribute to its iconic Jersey Shore atmosphere." America's 100 Most Charming Main Streets New Jersey's main streets did not make it into the top 10, which are: King Street, Charleston, South Carolina. Main Street, Lake Placid, New York. Main Street, Beacon, New York. Main Street, Montpelier, Vermont. E Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Broughton Street, Savannah, Georgia. King Street, Alexandria, Virginia. Broadway Street/Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina. Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Main Street, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The list is at mixbook.com/inspiration/americas-100-most-charming-main-streets. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Montclair, Cape May, Lambertville named in best main streets lists Angelica Martinson said she and her husband Matthew grew up on Polish food. But when they moved to Louisiana, they noticed not many people here were familiar with it. They decided to share their culture and food and opened Mama Polska in a food truck last October. Angelica and Matthew Martinson are Polish by heritage and grew up eating Polish food. But when they moved to Louisiana, they noticed not many people were familiar with it. The Washington state natives decided to share their culture and food and opened Mama Polska in a food truck last October. Its a 10-15 year dream, said Martinson. My husband finally said, Let's do it. Polska is the Polish name for Poland, said Martinson whose parents immigrated from Poland to the U.S. But Polska can also mean a Polish woman, she said. And I'm a Mama, said Martinson. Thats how the name for their business came about. Its just a Polish Mama. Thats it. The Mama Polska Tasting Plate includes two pierogi which are dumplings filled with potato, cheese, grilled onion and bacon; one placki topped with gulasz; sauerkraut and a golabki which is the stuffed cabbage roll filled with rice and pork. Martinson describes Polish food as very hearty meat and potatoes food. So, a lot of what we do is pork based, she said. Kielbasa. We're going to have kielbasa here coming soon. On the menu is golabki, or boiled cabbage leaves filled with pork and rice. They also have dumplings called pierogi, sauerkraut and other fermented foods and fresh salads made with vegetables like cucumbers. Is Polish food like German food? Kind of, but its different, said Martinson. You know, you have to be biased and say its better, right?, she said, smiling. Their pierogi, which are filled with potato, cheese, grilled onion and bacon, are popular with a lot of their customers, said Martinson. And a lot people like our golabki which is the stuffed cabbage rolls. I think those are the two, she said. What do most people think about Polish food after theyve tried it for the first time? Martinson said theyve had people come back and tell them that they enjoyed the food. One lady told her, This is illegal to be this good. She's happy to hear those kinds of comments. I think it is so out of the scope of Southern food, Cajun food. Its not something fried. Its not something with shrimp or crawfish or any of that, she said. It's just a different taste. Mama Polska serves golabki, or cabbage rolls that are made with boiled cabbage leaves filled with pork and rice. The dish is popular with many of their customers. All of my favorite local places focus on international flavors, and when it comes to that, Mama Polska hits the mark, said Timberly Monaghan. She's eaten Polish food before but only in Chicago. Its tough for her to choose a favorite Polish dish because theyre all so good! I think its probably the potato pancakes with the gulasz. Its so hearty and warm and comforting, said Monaghan. No matter where youre from, a plate of that makes you feel like youre home. Mama Polska was at the Cabrini Farmers Market, 2211 Texas Avenue, last Saturday. The Martinsons both have full-time jobs, so they take the opportunity to take their food truck out when they have the time. Were not consistent and thats just due to the fact that we got other jobs and we have other things we have to prioritize, she said. She said the best thing to do is follow their Mama Polska Facebook page. Because thats where were going to tell you where we are and when. And I give people a good decent heads-up with that, said Martinson. The Martinsons traveled around the U.S. for two years before landing in Louisiana. We like to say we escaped Washington State, joked Martinson. And just came where God called us, which was Louisiana. The Cabrini Farmers Market is located at 2211 Texas Avenue in the St. Francis Cabrini Church parking lot. The market is open from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. every Saturday. This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Louisiana gets a taste of authentic Polish food from Mama Polska The new Birdies Barroom & Kitchen will open this summer on Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh. On the ground floor of a skyscraper in the states capital city, one of North Carolinas largest restaurant groups is planning a new kind of project. Carolina Ale House owner LM Restaurants is working on a new all-day cafe and restaurant in downtown Raleigh. The restaurant, Birdies Barroom & Kitchen, will open this summer at 150 Fayetteville St. in the very center of the city. Birdies plans to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in a sprawling ground-floor space of the Wells Fargo building. The space was formerly occupied by Cafe Carolina. Best known for its popular Carolina Ale House brand and the Hillsborough Street restaurant Taverna Agora, LM Restaurants is making a play for downtown Raleigh. Most of the companys brands are on the outskirts of downtowns or in suburbs, but Birdies looks to be LM Restaurants most urban project yet. Fayetteville Street is not only Raleighs Main Street, but the Main Street of North Carolina, said LM Restaurants VP of brand strategy Katherine Goldfaden. Some have pointed to a post-COVID lull in Downtown Raleigh as businesses and restaurants adapt to an environment where some office workers continue to work from home. Goldfaden said Birdies represents a belief that the citys center is on the rebound, pointing to past bets from LM Restaurants and founder Lou Moshakos the flagship Carolina Ale House on Glenwood South and Taverna Agora on Hillsborough Street as two among only a few restaurants in that area at the time. We have a history of coming in early and helping set the tone, Goldfaden said. We trust the traffic will come, but we dont mind being early on the street. Birdies will move into the former Cafe Carolina space, which has been vacant since 2017. With Birdies, LM hopes to create a new shared space downtown for those who have lived here for decades and those just starting to call Raleigh home. We wanted that meeting house, watering hole where everyone knows each other and everyone knows your name, Goldfaden said. Raleigh has been a transient town for a while now, no one is really a local anymore. Raleigh needs that place where you can be known and be seen. Think of Birdie as the matron of Raleigh Birdies is named more for a vibe than an actual person, inspired by a kind of character in hospitality who holds the party together. The quintessential hostess with the most-ess, we lovingly named her Birdie, Goldfaden said. We created this persona, this matron of Raleigh. Birdies will have room for about 125 diners, spread out over 80 inside seats and an outdoor patio thats connected by a two-sided bar. Raleigh artist Autumn Cobeland has been commissioned to create a mural inside Birdies above the coffee bar. There will be banquettes and bar stools and an 8-person corner booth tucked between windows. That will be the table everyone wants, Goldfaden said. In the morning, Birdies will be a place for grab-and-go coffees, or sipping lattes by the window while answering emails, Goldfaden said. Lunch will still have some counter service sandwiches, but also space for full-service mid-day meals, while the evenings will focus on cocktails and sit-down dinner. We recognize that the people who work downtown will see (Birdies) as an amenity and were crafting the menu to meet them where they are, Goldfaden said. A business lunch needs to feel different than a coffee shop. Joining the energy and buzz downtown Over the last couple years, the Triangles biggest restaurant openings have been part of larger developments on the outskirts of the city center or in the suburbs. Projects like Raleigh Iron Works and Fenton in Cary have added buzzy new restaurants from some of the top local chefs. The latest LM Restaurant opening was Averde Cocina in Cary with celebrity chef Katsuji Tanabe. Sometimes its a long game in restaurants, Goldfaden said. Everyone is leaving downtown is the easy headline. But that leaves us ripe for growth and change. The energy and the buzz is here. Its the right turning point. This is a commitment to Raleigh and to North Carolina, Goldfaden said. 2 NC chefs and a top Raleigh restaurant named James Beard finalists Raleigh popular restaurant will close after 14 years, but its food truck will live on NEW YORK (PIX11) Guaranteed Karma, a volunteering platform, is helping New Yorkers meet new people while making a meaningful impact in their community. PIX11 photojournalist Darren McQuade spoke with Dustin Kendrick, the founder of Guaranteed Karma. Watch the video player for more on this story. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Eastern Europe is home to a fantastic riding scene. Jakub Vencl set out to show off the riding in his home nation of the Czech Republic in his new edit One Nine One. Watch the video below. In this edit, Vencl and Full Face Productions set out to capture the gritty vibes of the Czech Republic by filming this edit adjacent to heavy industry. One of the most iconic shots of the edit was when Venkle flipped with a crane in the background. Though One Nine One played up the industrial vibes, the Czech riding scene has many gems beyond hucking gravel pits. One of the most popular riding spots in the Czech Republic is Bike Park Koprovina. The multi-talented Vencl was one of the main builders of the iconic line Dirtzilla. Read more about the beautifully crafted trail below. Related: Czech Republic's World-Renowned Bike Park Opens New Jump Line Whether it is Nordic Valhalla vibes from Brage Vestavik or hard-charging slop in the UK, It feels like different regions have distinct flavors of riding edits. Eastern Europe has its own vibe, and it was perfectly captured by Vencl and co in One None One. Don't miss another headline from Bike Mag! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of bike riding. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting, and engaging bike-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional rider or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on Bike Mag and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality bike videos. If my home had a zodiac sign, it would be a Taurus. My home is a place of calm and relaxation, which aligns with some of Taurus personality traits. Credit: Monica Barudin Describe your homes style in 5 words or less: Scandinavian spa meets NYC studio! Credit: Scandinavian spa meets NYC studio! Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin This is the cat nook and library. The litter box is tucked away in the cabinet and has an opening on the side for my cat to get in and out of it. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin What was the thing that was the final piece of the puzzle and made you feel like yes, Im ready to submit this as a house tour? The floating shelves on my wall felt like the final piece of the puzzle. Im an avid reader and writer, and I have a LOT of books. Before I bought the shelves, stacks and stacks of books lined my floors. Needless to say, I was excited to move them to their new home. Credit: The floating shelves on my wall felt like the final piece of the puzzle. Im an avid reader and writer, and I have a LOT of books. Before I bought the shelves, stacks and stacks of books lined my floors. Needless to say, I was excited to move them to their new home. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin Is there anything that people advised against doing that you did anyway? I was advised against trying to match the wood and color palette in my home, but I went with my instincts instead. I loved the hunt for wood tones that felt just right and the feeling I got when different textiles came together to form a perfect harmony. Credit: I was advised against trying to match the wood and color palette in my home, but I went with my instincts instead. I loved the hunt for wood tones that felt just right and the feeling I got when different textiles came together to form a perfect harmony. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin Whats the oldest thing in your home? I have a wooden stool that I borrowed from my childhood home. It was the stool that my family and I sat on when we took calls from our corded landline phone (!) in our kitchen. It has moved with me from home to home, and I really treasure it. Credit: I have a wooden stool that I borrowed from my childhood home. It was the stool that my family and I sat on when we took calls from our corded landline phone (!) in our kitchen. It has moved with me from home to home, and I really treasure it. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin These are some coffee table books that show my love of all things New York. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin Are there any design rules that youve broken in your home and why? I chose not to add curtains to my windows for a few reasons. I absolutely love the view out my window, so I didnt want to obscure that in any way. Plus, I love the natural light that comes through the (almost) floor-to-ceiling windows. And my cat is notorious for destroying curtains of all shapes and sizes, so I opted to keep the blinds that came with the apartment. Credit: I chose not to add curtains to my windows for a few reasons. I absolutely love the view out my window, so I didnt want to obscure that in any way. Plus, I love the natural light that comes through the (almost) floor-to-ceiling windows. And my cat is notorious for destroying curtains of all shapes and sizes, so I opted to keep the blinds that came with the apartment. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin Usually great decor starts with one piece that inspired it all; whats that piece/color/wall/etc. in your home? The one piece that inspired the rest of my decor was the bed frame. The light wood and clean lines inspired me to find other pieces that complemented its style. Credit: The one piece that inspired the rest of my decor was the bed frame. The light wood and clean lines inspired me to find other pieces that complemented its style. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin What's your best decorating, shopping, cleaning, or organizing advice? Less is more! Stay true to your style, but dont overdo it. Dont feel like you have to fill up every wall or corner of your space. Instead, fill your home with items that are meaningful to you that you absolutely love. Credit: Less is more! Stay true to your style, but dont overdo it. Dont feel like you have to fill up every wall or corner of your space. Instead, fill your home with items that are meaningful to you that you absolutely love. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin Whats the one thing in your home that people always ask about? People always ask about the wall hanging above my bed. Its an Etsy find a handmade, dip-dye tapestry made of wool and pine wood. Credit: People always ask about the wall hanging above my bed. Its an Etsy find a handmade, dip-dye tapestry made of wool and pine wood. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin What is your favorite room and why? My favorite area of the studio is definitely the dining space. It serves as my home office, dining room, and entertaining space when I have guests over. I love the Scandinavian-inspired chairs in particular; theyre unique and pull the space together so well.This is the home office, dining room, and entertaining space. Credit: My favorite area of the studio is definitely the dining space. It serves as my home office, dining room, and entertaining space when I have guests over. I love the Scandinavian-inspired chairs in particular; theyre unique and pull the space together so well.This is the home office, dining room, and entertaining space. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin The kitchen is separate from the living space and includes full-sized appliances. Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin Whats the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? (Include links if you have them!) The last thing I bought for my space is a set of vintage New Yorker magazine covers from Philip Williams Posters (aka These are the vintage New Yorker magazine covers from Philip Williams Posters.The last thing I bought for my space is a set of vintage New Yorker magazine covers from Philip Williams Posters (aka Poster Museum ) Credit: Monica Barudin Credit: Monica Barudin ABOUT THIS TOUR HOME TYPE: Studio Apartment LOCATION: Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York STYLE: Minimal, Modern, Scandinavian BEDROOMS: 0 SQUARE FEET: 480 Monica Barudin originally grew up in the suburbs of New York City, but then left home for New England for college and grad school. But shes made her way back to the city that never sleeps. Im a fully remote digital content designer for a large healthcare organization, and Im grateful to say I love what I do every day. Her home in the city that never sleeps is this 480-square-foot studio apartment on the Upper West Side she pays $3,172 per month for. My studio is a little slice of NYC heaven: It serves as my home, home gym, and office (when Im not working on the rooftop or at a coffee shop). I love small spaces, so living in a studio works perfectly for me! Monica writes. I identify as an aspiring minimalist and modernist. You can see that reflected in the choices throughout my home: clean lines, no clutter, white space. My homes color palette is inspired by whites, grays, and earth and jewel tones, she shares. When Im not working, Im exploring the city with family and friends, attending art and language classes, and hanging out with my three-legged cat, Monkey. Resources MAIN LIVING SPACE Couch Raymour & Flanigan Coffee Table Nathan James Cat Cabinet Wayfair Posters Philip Williams Posters OFFICE/DINING ROOM Dining Table AllModern Dining Chairs Houzz Prints Etsy BEDROOM Wall Hanging Etsy Bed AllModern Lamps AllModern Nightstands AllModern KITCHEN Wall Hanging Etsy Cutting Board Gifted to me BATHROOM Shower Curtain Macys Thanks, Monica! This tours responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity. Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form Here are some special places to celebrate Mother's Day on the Seacoast in NH and Maine Restaurants across the Seacoast are offering Mother's Day specials so you can treat your Mom on Sunday, May 12. It's time to make your reservation or place your order today. Restaurants around the Seacoast will wine and dine our family heroes this Mothers Day, Sunday, May 12. Here are some of their plans to celebrate your Mom. Its time to make your plans and reservations. Restaurant and business owners, if you dont see your holiday specials listed here, please email news@seacoatonline.com with the details of what youre offering, and well update this list. Portsmouth Roundabout Diner The Roundabout Diner will host an all-you-can-eat buffet this Mothers Day, May 12. On Facebook, the eatery says it sold out early for its Easter buffet so is encouraging everyone to make their Mothers Day reservations at (603) 431-1440, option #1, soon so you dont miss out. The buffet will feature carving stations for Sirloin Roast with Warm Au Jus and Horseradish Cream Sauce and Roasted Turkey with Hot Demi Glace, Hot and Cold Brunch Buffets, and desserts. The Roundabouts full menu and Mothers Day specials will be available in addition to the buffet. Theres a 90-minute limit for seatings and complimentary mimosas for moms with buffet purchase. Buffet will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the cost is $32.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids. Grill 28 Grill 28 will present a Mothers Day Brunch Buffet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring a Pastry Station, Fresh Fruit Platter, an array of breakfast items and entrees such as Caprese Chicken, Moroccan Salmon and Green Goddess Stuffed Peppers. Therell also be a Carving Station with Roasted Prime Rib and made-to-order waffles, Benedicts and omelets. And, of course, many dessert choices. Reservations are recommended at https://tables.toasttab.com/restaurants/036d5417-b184-47fc-929d-063d373d9c5d/findTime. Walk-ins are welcome. Cost is $40 per guest, $15 for children 3 to 12. Kids under 3 eat free. Rooftop at Envio Rooftop at The Envio will be offering a three-course prix fixe menu on Sunday, May 12, 12 to 9 p.m. Diners can select from a carefully constructed prix fixe menu with starters such as a refreshing Strawberry Spinach Salad or Arancini Fontina; mains including Caprese Stuffed Chicken with buffalo mozzarella, oven-roasted tomatoes, and a drizzle of Limoncello honey, or Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese Ravioli with a Scallion Asiago Cream and Roasted Red Pepper Oil; and to top off the culinary journey, decadent Chocolate Raspberry Dome or creamy Salted Caramel Gelato paired with butter griddled pound cake and spiced rum syrup. Menu linked here. Pricing is $52 per person. Reservations via OpenTable or by calling (603) 334-4207. New Castle Wentworth by the Sea Hotel Wentworth by the Sea is hosting a Mothers Day Brunch Buffet in the Wentworth Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 12, featuring a Deluxe Chilled Salad Buffet, New England Raw Bar, Fresh Fruit and Smoothies, a Farm Fresh Egg and Omelet Station and a Belgian Waffle Station. Therell also be seasonal hot entrees, a carving station and an array of desserts. Cost is $89.95 per person plus tax and gratuity, $26.95 for children under 12. Call (603) 373-6558 to check availability for parties larger than 10 guests. For smaller parties, reserve a spot at opalcollection.com/wentworth/holidays-resort-activities/. Salt Kitchen & Bar at the Wentworth Hotel Salt Kitchen & Bar will present a three-course Mothers Day Dinner on Sunday, May 12. Featured will be Roasted Chicken Linguini, Sliced New York Strip Au Poivre, Lobster Risotto, Pan Fried Gnocchi and Pan Seared Scallops with creative sides, pastas and desserts. Cost is $69.95 for adults plus tax and gratuity; $26.95 for children under 12. Call (603) 373-6566 or visit opalcollection.com/wentworth/restaurants/salt/ to reserve. Hampton Galley Hatch On Mothers Day, May 12, The Galley Hatch will be offering Mothers Day Specials as well as its regular menu. Featured from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. will be Sesame Seared Tuna, Spinach Salad, Baked Brie Cheese, Prime Rib au Jus, Seafood Casserole, Wild Mushroom and Lobster Fettucini, Organic Salmon Verde, Seafood Stuffed Haddock, Roasted Turkey Dinner, with a special Chocolate Lava Cake and a Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. Reserve your spot at galleyhatch.com Hagans Grill Hagans Grill encourages diners to make their Mothers Day reservation soon as their popular event is filling up. Call (603) 926-5668 or visit www.hagansgrill.com. Exeter Ambrose Restaurant Ambrose Restaurant is taking reservations for its Mothers Day Brunch from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. Call 603-770-7673 to save your spot. Epoch Gastropub at Exeter Inn Epoch Gastropub is hosting a Mothers Day Celebration on Sunday, May 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Therell be a Lamb Carving Station, Easter Green Salad, Frittatas, Maple Bacon and Sausage, and much more. Cost is $70 for adults, $25 for children, with a 72-hour cancellation fee. Reservations are required at https://epochrestaurant.com. Dont delay as the restaurant reports spots are filling up fast on Facebook. Durham Clarks American Bistro Clarks American Bistro will host a Classic Brunch Buffet on Mothers Day with pancakes, French toast sticks and Pulled Pork Sliders and an array of breakfast items and treats. Cost is $24.99 for adults; $12.99 for kids under 10. Many gluten-free options will be on the menu. Save your seat at Clarkrestaurants1@gmail.com or call (603) 397-5053. For more information, visit clarksamericanbistro.com. Dover The Office Celebrate this Mothers Day at The Office on Third Street in Dover. Make a reservation by calling (603) 605-6531. For more information, visit https://www.theofficeloungenh.com. Gallivant Global Eatery Celebrate this Mother's Day with brunch at Gallivant Global Eater, 442 Central Ave., Dover. Make a reservation by calling (603) 343-4731. For more information, visit https://www.gallivanteatery.com/. Salisbury Beach, Mass. Seaglass This Mothers Day, treat Mom to Brunch by the Sea at Seaglass. Brunch will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Mom and the family surrounded by ocean views. The buffet will feature brunch offerings, bloodies and bubblies as well as a Bakery Station, Fresh Fruit Display, Salad Bar, Shrimp Boats, Smoked Salmon, Omelet Station, Waffle Bar, Carving Station with Sirloin Strip Roast and Fleur De Lis Ham, and both breakfast and lunch entrees. Therell also be a Kids Buffet and a dessert assortment. Cost is $64.95 per person. Reservations required. Make yours by calling (978) 462-5800 or book on OpenTable. For more information, visit https://www.seaglassoceanside.com/event/easter-brunch-by-the-sea-2/ Kittery, Maine Anneke Jans Anneke Jans in the Kittery Foreside will host a Mothers Day Brunch on Sunday, May 12, with an array of yummy starters and entrees such as Maine Mussels, Biscuits and Gravy Skillet, Surf and Turf, Steak and Eggs, Crab Cake Benedict and Grilled Shrimp Baby Kale Salad. Entrees and starters are priced individually. Reservations are strongly suggested. Visit or call (207) 439-0001 to book for parties of five or more. York, Maine York Harbor Inn York Harbor Inn will host a Mothers Day Brunch in the 1637 Main Dining Room from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. On the menu is Mediterranean Charred Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Garlic Sauce, Herb-Crusted Prime Rib of Beef, Baked Gnocchi with Pesto Parmesan, Baked Halibut Piccata and Chicken Cacciatore. Many brunch sides and salads available. Brunch will also feature the inns Legendary Ice Cream Smorgasbord, Maine Blueberry Pie and other desserts. Cost is $65.95 per person plus a 22% service charge and Maine state tax for a total of $86.90. For children 12 and under are $24.95 plus service charge and Maine state tax for a total of $32.90. To reserve your spot, call (207) 363-5119. A 100% deposit is required to reserve. Check yorkharborinn.com/dining for the inns service charge and cancellation policies. Stage Neck Inn The Stage Neck Inn in York Harbor will present a Mothers Day Brunch Buffet on Sunday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Buffet will feature Statler Chicken Au Poivre, Roasted Salmon with Dijon Parsley Sauce, Traditional Eggs Benedict, Cinnamon Deep-Fried French Toast as well as an array of salads, seafood chowder, breakfast items and desserts. Cost is $84.95 per person plus an 8% meals tax and a 20% service charge. Reservations required, limited seating is available. They will also offer their regular breakfast from 7:30 to 10 a.m. and regular dinner service starting at 5 p.m. All changes or cancellations to brunch reservations have to be made by May 7 at 5 p.m. Call (207) 573-7416 for more information or book online athttps://stageneckinn.com/events/mothers-day-brunch/. Nick's Steakhouse Nick's Steakhouse in York Maine will offer a brunch to celebrate Mothers Day from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Cape Neddick, Maine Arrowheads Estate Arrowheads Estate will present a Mothers Day Brunch Buffet with seating from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. Highlights of the brunch will be Leige Waffles, Three Cheese Frittata, Southwestern Benedict, Grilled Chicken Satay, Pesto Cavatappi and Cast Iron Salmon with a full array of breakfast treats, Cost is $45 for adults and $15 for kids. Full bar available at additional cost; non-alcoholic beverages are included with brunch. Make a reservation at https://www.arrowheadsestate.com/reservations. Kennebunkport, Maine Earth at Hidden Pond Earth at Hidden Pond will present a farm-to-fork evening in celebration of Mothers Day on Sunday, May 12, from 5 to 9 p.m. Reserve your familys spot at https://www.earthathiddenpond.com/specials. Ocean at Cape Arundel Inn Ocean will host a four-course Mothers Day Dinner from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. Cost is $95 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reserve a spot at capearundelinn.com. The Boathouse Waterfront Restaurant The Boat House will celebrate Mothers Day from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. Treat Mom to a coastal getaway filled with seaside charm, locally sourced ingredients and a dash of culinary magic, according to the restaurant. Reserve at Open Table. The Burleigh The Burleigh will host a Brunch and Lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mothers Day.Reserve a spot on Open Table. Rosella Rosella will present a Mothers Day tasting menu alongside their a la carte regular menu to celebrate Mom. The tasting menu is a six-course meal with optional wine pairing. Cost is $100 per person. Reserve a spot on Open Table. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Here are special places to celebrate Mother's Day on the Seacoast WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Students at Earhart Environmental Magnet hosted an Earth-Stravaganza for Earth Day on Monday. The students heard from their director of Native American programs and participated in activities like fishing, insect sweeps, and a plant scavenger hunt. They also learned about pollination, plants, and wild animals. One teacher hopes students not only have fun for Earth Day but also have the framework to build life-long habits. Small changes make a difference on Earth Day Its so important because they are our future. Theyre the ones that have to go out and be our interpreters and teach others how we can treat our earth better because if we dont start making a difference, we wont have a nice earth to live on, said second-grade teacher Hayley Mayes. Their message to the rest of us is that Earth Day is more than one day. The most rewarding part about having Earth Day here is just sharing it with our students and seeing how excited they are and seeing the impact it really does make, said Mayes. Students are taking the lessons beyond campus with a camping trip. The younger kids will stay the night at Camp Woods, while the older ones will travel to camps in Kansas and Oklahoma. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. Bob Somsiths culinary journey has taken him from cooking as a child at his mothers side in Laos, to corporate catering gigs interspersed throughout his career as an accountant, to a six-year stint running one of Austins best food trucks (SXSE). On Wednesday, he will open his first brick-and-mortar restaurant and bar. Laod Bar will open at 9909 RM 969 (Building 4), serving a menu of Lao-American cuisine packed with salty, pungent and sour flavors that make it perfectly suited for beer (and cocktail) drinking. The food blends the flavors of Somsiths native Laos with his adopted home of Texas (the chef spent his adolescence in Dallas). What's on the menu at Lao'd Bar? Some dishes will look familiar to SXSE regulars, like the ribeye skewers brushed with Lao barbecue sauce; pork buns stuffed with lahb-seasoned pulled pork and herbs; a deep fried Lao sausage brightened with pickled onions and lime. New menu items include a smashburger made with pork and dressed with Laotian chili paste aioli, slaw, rice fermented pickles, bacon and American cheese; and a lahb-seasoned poke bowl. Somsith is the first to acknowledge that his food is not traditional Laotian cuisine. Hes less interested in recreating authenticity than being true to his personal experience while introducing many to Lao culture and traditions through food. Its just the way I grew up. My mom cooked Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and sometimes American, Somsith told the American-Statesman. The resources we have in the States are vast compared to Laos, and in the early days, it was hard to get those ingredients imported, so we made do with what we had and enjoyed the new ingredients that were available to us. Those that have traveled to Laos would know exactly what Im talking about. The food there is different than the food here. Heck, when I was teaching English to eco-tourist guides in remote villages of Laos, my daily staple was steamed veggies, soup, eggs, jeow (dipping sauces) and sticky rice. We didnt eat meats unless it was a special occasion like a Baci ceremony, when I was leaving the village. What Im really trying to say is, the authentic is subjective. What kind of beverage plan is in the works for Lao'd Bar? Crispy chili prawns at Lao'd Bar. Somsith attracted an impressive selection of the Austin dining community with his thoughtful beer-paired Chefs Table series when he was at 4th Tap Brewing (one of three breweries where SXSE set up shop over the years), and he plans to run those special nights in the future once Laod Bar is established. The beverage menu will include jasmine rice lager Beerlao, a Laotian staple, and Southeast Asian-inspired signature cocktails such as the Muang Royale, a play on a mango sticky rice negroni, made with Thai rice-washed whiskey, mango, and Carpano vermouth. Where can I find Lao'd Bar? The restaurant and bar, which will have night market vibes accentuated by string lights and floral oilcloth prints, sits on a property owned by real estate company TOPO, of which Uchi co-founder Daryl Kunik is a co-founder. The property is also home to longtime Kunik associate Matt Luckies nostalgia-peddling-and-inducing Sign Bar, a celebration of Austins cultural history that is home to dozens of signs from famed Austin businesses. Somsith, who spent part of the pandemic mentoring high school students with culinary ambitions, spent several years working and waiting for Laod Bar to become a reality. Its a surreal experience he said he never could have imagined in a million years. My parents brought us from war-torn Laos for a better life. Theyve always just wanted me to have a career where I wear a suit and tie everyday and work in a nice air-conditioned office, Somsith said. Ive been there and done that as an accountant and it just wasnt for me. Its crazy to think that the passion of cooking was ingrained in me by just helping mom cook as a ten-year old and watching Martin Yan on television. Laod Bar will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: SXSE food truck chef opens Lao'd Bar restaurant in East Austin Chiang Mai is suffering as a result of 'burning season', when Thai farmers use fire to clear land for the next crop cycle - AFP via Getty Images Six years ago this April, I was lying on the stage of a community village hall on the outskirts of Chiang Mai while an old man massaged my back with his feet, which happened to be on fire. This practice, known as yam kang, is one of a number of unusual treatments only found in and around Chiang Mai, the Thai city where mental and physical health is woven into the culture like the roots of a banyan tree. Considered one of the worlds great wellness centres along with Bali, Goa and Rishikesh Chiang Mai is home to more than 300 working Buddhist temples, hundreds of massage centres, dozens of yoga retreats, and the leading traditional Thai medical school, which forms part of the University of Chiang Mais Faculty of Medicine. Throw in the bucolic countryside, with its hiking trails, elephant sanctuaries and river rafting, and its easy to see why this is a health hotspot. But an essential part of any spa break is the ability to, well, breathe something thats very difficult to do in Chiang Mai at the moment. Tourists, along with a long-suffering local population of about 120,000, are currently wilting under pollution levels more than 20 times higher than World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations. According to the global air monitoring website IQAir, over the last few weeks Chiang Mai has regularly topped the charts as the worlds most polluted city, outstripping the likes of Delhi, Kolkata and Lahore. The concentration of harmful PM 2.5 particles (2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter) in the atmosphere peaked at 136.2 micrograms per cubic metre earlier this month. To provide some context, the reading in London is currently 6.2, and the recommended World Health Organisation safe daily maximum is 25. Air pollution in Chiang Mai is of mounting concern to residents and tourists alike - Anadolu via Getty Images Scientists have suggested spending time in such a polluted environment is the equivalent of smoking two packets of cigarettes a day. Why is semi-rural Chiang Mai suffering so much? Burning season, a man-made environmental catastrophe that takes place annually, between early February and late April, when farmers many working with major agribusinesses use fire to clear land for the next sugarcane or rice crop cycle. While the practice has been happening for many years, experts say the intensity and duration of the burning season has become worse. Not so long ago, spring was one of the best times to visit northwest Thailand, thanks to low humidity, little rainfall and cool nights now its a time when the historic city, its golden stupas and the surrounding countryside are smothered in a thick grey blanket of health-endangering smog. These figures PM2.5 and PM10 sound innocuous but most people dont realise that these are miniscule particles that are impossible not to inhale, explains built environmental expert John Herbert. If youre exposed to these levels long-term, or even for a few months, youre going to face serious respiratory disorders and possible hospitalisation. Short-stay visitors can be affected too, with tourists reporting cases of itchy eyes, nose irritation, skin rashes and breathing difficulties. I would advise people not to go on holiday [to Chiang Mai] at this time of year, adds Herbert. Especially the very young kids are 10 times more vulnerable or anyone with a compromised immune system, asthma or any other respiratory issues. Wellness and PM2.5 readings of more than 200 [as has been seen in Chiang Mai] are a clear mismatch. For those who do visit, safety recommendations include reducing outdoor exercise, keeping windows closed, wearing a mask and running air purifiers hardly conducive to a spa break. The recent ranking of our city as the most polluted, along with the media coverage it has received, has undoubtedly impacted our business, says Anchalika Kijkanakorn, founder and managing director of the AKARYN Hotel Group, which recently opened the Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai, an idyllic teakwood wing-roofed escape offering traditional Thai therapies and with state-of-the-art facilities on the forested edge of the city. As a retreat and wellness-focused hotel our guests are informed about the pollution and actively avoid visiting at this time of year. But to address the concerns [of those that do] we have equipped our guest rooms, as well as our spa, gym and bar, with air purifiers, and are providing masks to both guests and staff. Improvements are promised. Concerns about both the long-term health of locals and the detrimental effect on tourism finally prompted Prime Minister Srettha Thavisins government to pass the Clean Air Act in January. Last week a more short-term solution was offered by Chiang Mai governor Nirat Phongsitthithawon, who ordered authorities to use air purifiers to create clean air rooms able to provide temporary respite to locals. However, while current levels havent hit the sky-high toxicity recorded in 2023, most believe that more decisive action is needed to support farmers and stop the crop burning. Until that day comes the toxic clouds currently blighting the city will be back every year, putting the lives and livelihoods of northern Thai residents and visitors at risk. 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. April 19 marked a pivotal moment in the reconciliation between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Following bilateral discussions, Armenia agreed to return villages in the Gazakh district to Azerbaijan, which it had previously occupied. This decision, addressing a matter raised by Azerbaijan as far back as 2020, particularly regarding the delimitation process in Gazakh, stands as another success for President Ilham Aliyev's strategic diplomacy. As Prof. Brenda Shaffer, faculty member of the US Naval Postgraduate School, pointed out, there's finally a recognition in Yerevan of the necessity to take tangible steps towards improving relations with Azerbaijan. "Armenias agreement to withdraw from four Azerbaijani villages it occupies illustrates that Yerevan now accepts setting borders by the principle of territorial integrity based on the Soviet era borders. Yerevans new move illustrates that Armenia and Azerbaijan are making progress toward a peace treaty or a set of normalization agreements," she said. And indeed, today Baku and Yerevan are closer than ever to signing a peace agreement. Azerbaijan's comprehensive efforts are yielding results, while Armenia is reciprocating. Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza remarked on this, noting that Prime Minister Pashinyan has already informed the public that Armenia must return these four villages to Azerbaijan, and that it's the right move. "This is an example of Prime Minister Pashinyan showcasing his dedication to a peaceful treaty and a border delimitation agreement with Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are both committed to reaching a peaceful resolution, and this process is gaining momentum," he added. One of the crucial aspects of these agreements is that Baku and Yerevan have made progress without any interference from third parties. Right from the start of the settlement process, Azerbaijan has insisted that all issues with Armenia should be resolved bilaterally. It seems that Nikol Pashinyan now realizes that neither Washington nor Brussels can single-handedly bring peace to the South Caucasus. Naturally, both the EU and the US have applauded the agreements reached between Baku and Yerevan. In this regard, Brenda Shaffer rightly pointed out that Western policy had previously been biased against Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. "It is good to see the US and Europe recognizing Azerbaijans right to territorial integrity. Up until now, both Washington and Brussels were very supportive of the right to the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, but discriminated against Azerbaijan. Glad to see this policy has ended," she noted. Of course, we can't overlook the presence of EU observers along the still tentative Azerbaijani-Armenian border and the immense pressure Armenia is facing, particularly from France. While the Armenian Prime Minister tries to shape the country's political course, there hasn't been much headway towards a peaceful agreement with Azerbaijan. However, Paris's propaganda alleging that Azerbaijan plans to attack Armenia and has territorial ambitions has already been debunked. How to respond to Macron now, and what to do with the hundreds of Europeans at the border, is up to Nikol Pashinyan. Armenia must decide independently on the direction it wants to take in its politics and economy. Nonetheless, it's important to remember that dragging out the peace process with Azerbaijan will only continue to impede Armenia's reintegration into key transit and energy projects in the region - something Yerevan aims for. Brenda Shaffer believes that it's clear Armenia stands to gain economic benefits from making peace with Azerbaijan. "Up until now, Armenia has resisted this, and the opening of trade and travel infrastructure. The irony is that Armenia stands to benefit the most from the opening of trade in the region. Armenia can connect to Central Asia. Likely if Armenia and Azerbaijan make significant progress toward a peace agreement, Turkiye will also open its border to trade with Armenia. This will create many opportunities for Armenia," she explained. Positive signs are emerging from Yerevan more noticeably now. It seems that the understanding has finally dawned in Yerevan that without striking a peace deal with Azerbaijan, Armenia can't expect to expand its trade relations or gain access to Western and Eastern markets, not to mention ensuring basic stability. As Ambassador Bryza pointed out, if Yerevan sticks to its current political path, a peace treaty could soon become a reality. "Back in December last year, a significant step was taken when both sides agreed not only on the prisoner exchange but also on continuing the peace process," Bryza reminded, stressing the importance of maintaining such positive momentum. Recently, wherever Nikol Pashinyan speaks - whether with Western allies, the President of Kazakhstan, or in front of his own parliament - he emphasizes Armenia's readiness to swiftly resolve all issues with Baku. However, his statements and actions have been inconsistent. Despite four years passing since the end of the Second Karabakh War, tangible progress towards signing a peace treaty has yet to materialize. Perhaps Nikol Pashinyan believes that it's better late than never. While Armenia deliberates its next move, Azerbaijan continues to notch up victories. From regaining full sovereignty in September 2023 to the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers and now reclaiming control over four villages - all achieved without firing a single shot, solely through peaceful negotiations - it's evident that President Ilham Aliyev's forward-thinking and steadfast policy are yielding results. It should now be clear to Yerevan that there's no better option than the terms offered by Baku. BROCKTON A luxury hair and nail salon that is tucked away on Main Street in downtown Brockton is giving the community a taste of style and class. Once inside, the ambiance feels like a pink utopia with flowers and fluorescent lights to make you feel at home. "So many customers have told us downtown needed something like this, and we wanted to add something beautiful and boujee to Brockton where women can come in and feel welcome and empowered while also having an affordable price point," co-owner Michael Cappiello said. Salon 222, located at 222 Main St., is a full-service salon offering wash and blowouts, braids of any kind, chemical treatments and color service. The salon opened in March and has four hair and nail chairs to accommodate a wide range of customers. Salon 222 co-owner Mike Cappiello on Friday, April 12, 2024. "We gutted the salon and built our dreams for the community. We wanted to bring change and make people feel good when they leave our chair," co-owner Jenifer Andrade said. The business partners said they always wanted to improve their city, but they didn't know how. Together, they brainstormed ideas and brought them to fruition. Customer Kyla DaSilva has her hair braided by Diana Lopes at Salon 222 in Brockton on Friday, April 12, 2024. "Our end goal is to grow our salon and invest in our future while opening more locations, branding Jen's Professions, and launching her product line," Cappiello said. Cappiello, who has a background in real estate, was showing Andrade places to rent to start her nail business. As they looked together, they developed a business relationship and wanted to continue the journey together. Customer Stephanie DePina receives a manicure from Destinii Andrade at Salon 222 in Brockton on Friday, April 12, 2024. An African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, you walk alone; if you want to go far, you walk together." That's exactly what they did. Andrade and Cappiello combined their resources and built a partnership of respect and love for the beauty industry. Together, it was a match "made in heaven," they said. Andrade is a licensed cosmetologist who dreamed of opening her own establishment one day. She specializes in custom designs, Gel-X nail extensions, nail enhancements, spa pedicures and acrylic nails. Andrade can bring any unique design you can think of to life. For the young nail technician, Andrade said art is a "way of life" and a skill she was naturally gifted with, and she hopes to keep expanding her creativity. Customer Sandrine Che receives a pedicure from Salon 222 co-owner Jenifer Andrade on Friday, April 12, 2024. "When you get your nails done here, it's a spa experience, it's relaxing, it's a different experience from other salons in Brockton, and everyone needs to come in and experience that," Andrade said. Salon 222 is currently hiring experienced and licensed cosmologists. For more information, email Salontwotwentytwo@gmail.com, or visit the business at 222 Main St. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton businesses: Luxury Salon 222 opens on Main Street 1,000-year-old weapon the first of its kind found sticking out of grave in Spain The mysterious sword seemed to just appear from the ground. Archaeologists found the sword sticking out of an ancient grave when they excavated a house in Valencia, Spain, in 1994. The weapon was dubbed Excalibur after the mythical sword King Arthur pulled from a stone. For the past 30 years, the swords origin and age have remained a point of confusion until now. Valencias archaeology department decided to catalog and review the artifacts in its collection ahead of its 75th anniversary, the City Council of Valencia said in an April 22 news release. One of those artifacts was the Excalibur sword. Archaeologist Jose Miguel Osuna did a detailed analysis of the weapon and identified it as a 1,000-year-old Islamic sword. The 1,000-year-old Islamic sword found in a grave in Valencia. Uncover more archaeological finds What are we learning about the past? Here are three of our most eye-catching archaeology stories from the past week. Farmer loses plow part in Polish field then finds historic artifact during search Divers remove ancient Roman cargo from shipwreck and find unique carvings. See them Metal detectorists find ancient portrait in Danish field. See the 'legend' it depicts The city council shared photos of the first-of-its-kind weapon on X, formerly Twitter. The sword measures about 18 inches long and has a slightly curved blade. Its hilt has several bronze plates designed to be easy to handle. An archaeologist analyzes the 1,000-year-old weapon. The sword dates to the 10th century when Valencia and surrounding regions of Spain were part of a Muslim kingdom known as Al-Andalus, city officials said. The Al-Andalus kingdom, whose name later inspired that of Andalusia, thrived in modern-day Spain and Portugal from 711 until the early 1000s, according to Britannica. A close-up photo shows the hilt of the 1,000-year-old sword. The Excalibur sword is the first Islamic sword found in Valencia, archaeologists said. The rarity of these artifacts is partly due to the make-up of the soil in Spain, which impairs their preservation. Archaeologists identified the Excalibur sword based on the size and shape of its blade, the handle design and the material that surrounded it in the grave, city officials said. Valencia is along the eastern coast of Spain and a roughly 230-mile drive southeast from Madrid. Google Translate was used to translate the news release and X, formerly Twitter, post from the City Council of Valencia. Worker spots muddy lump and solves 116-year-old puzzle. See the ancient Roman find Ancient city was destroyed by ISIS. Now, its mirror image found in forgotten ruins Ancient Roman graveyard with over 1,400 tombs unearthed in France. Take a look HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) Twelve people were arrested, including two fugitives, in a joint shoplifting operation between Horry County and Myrtle Beach police. Horry County police said in a Facebook post Monday that the investigation yielded the recovery of several thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise. The law enforcement community in Horry County collaborates closely on a daily basis to keep our residents and visitors safe, Horry County Police Chief Joseph Hill said. One recent joint operation led to 12 arrests. Perhaps more importantly, the operation demonstrated the power of teamwork to get to the root of a problem. We want criminals to know we wont rest until they face justice for their actions. The 12 arrested face the following charges: Gregory Ray, 33, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was charged with unlawful games and betting, swindling and operating without a business license. Jeremy Graves, 37, of Thomasville, North Carolina, was charged with unlawful games and betting, swindling, operating without a business license, resisting arrest by giving false name, giving false information to law enforcement and manufacture, distribute or possession of a schedule 1 narcotic. Tirck Friday, 26, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was charged with unlawful games and betting, sale or delivery of a pistol and possession by certain persons unlawful, swindling and operating without a business license. Marcus Melton, 26, of High Point, North Carolina, was charged with gambling, swindling and operating without a business license. Rueben Turner, 45, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with trespassing. Shannon Garlock, 35, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less. Jimmie Ates, 52, of Myrtle Beach, was picked up as a fugitive from Texas. Carrie Elliott, 50, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less. Shardae Davis, 35, of Sumter, was charged with shoplifting/enhancement $2,000 or less. Anfernee Bradley, 27, of Sumter, was charged with second offense driving under suspension. Allesha Robert, 26, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less, possession of cocaine and manufacture, distribute or possession of a schedule 2 narcotic. Michael Uher, 43, of Myrtle Beach was charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less. Public safety is a shared responsibility and in Horry County, we certainly work together to make a difference, Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock said. This operation is another example of the dedication of our law enforcement professionals and business community in fighting crime in our area. We will hold those accountable for their actions. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. 12 people arrested for an alleged organized shoplifting scheme in Myrtle Beach area Twelve people were taken to jail for allegedly being involved in an organized shoplifting operation and swindling a woman out of $800. The Myrtle Beach Police Department and Horry County Police worked together to arrest the 12 people, including two fugitives last week. Horry County officials said they were able to recover merchandise worth several thousand dollars. The 12 people were arrested on different dates. A woman was allegedly approached by four men and convinced her to bet money on a gambling game at a Walmart, 541 Seaboard St., on April 16, a police report stated. She accused them of convincing her to bet $800 which she then lost. Jeremy Graves, 37, Tirck Friday, 26, and Gregory Ray, 33, were identified as three of the men allegedly involved in the gambling. They were identified by security footage. Here are the 12 people and their charges. Gregory Ray, 33, of Greensboro, North Carolina has been charged with unlawful games and betting, swindling, and operating without a business license. Jeremy Graves, 37, of Thomasville, North Carolina has been charged with unlawful games and betting, swindling, operating without a business license, resisting arrest by giving false name, giving false information to law enforcement, and manufacturing, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs. Tirck Friday, 26, of Greensboro, North Carolina has been charged with unlawful games and betting, sale or delivery of pistol and possession by certain person unlawful, swindling, and operating without a business license. Marcus Melton, 26, of High Point, North Carolina has been charged with gambling, swindling, and operating without a business license. Reuben Turner, 45, of Myrtle Beach has been charged with trespassing. Shannon Garlock, 35, of Myrtle Beach has been charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less. Jimmie Ates, 52, of Myrtle Beach was picked up as a fugitive from Texas. Carrie Elliott, 50, of Myrtle Beach has been charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less. Shardae Davis, 35, of Sumter, South Carolina has been charged with shoplifting/enhancement $2,000 or less. Anfernee Bradley, 27, of Sumter, South Carolina has been charged with driving under suspension. Allesha Robert, 26, of Myrtle Beach has been charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less, possession of cocaine, and manufacturing, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs. Michael Uher, 43, of Myrtle Beach has been charged with shoplifting $2,000 or less. 14-year-old girl hospitalized after northwest Atlanta home riddled with bullets: APD A teenager is recovering in the hospital after being shot Tuesday morning, according to Atlanta police. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The incident happened around 12:25 a.m. at a home on South Eugenia Place in northwest Atlanta. When officers arrived, they found a 14-year-old girl with gunshot wounds. She was taken to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite Hospital. Her condition is currently unknown. TRENDING STORIES: According to Atlanta investigators, an unknown vehicle stopped in front of the driveway and fired multiple shots inside the home, hitting the victim. Authorities are working to learn what led up to the incident. The investigation is ongoing. The victims identity was not released. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) A 15-year-old Green Bay boy has been charged in connection to the shooting on the citys east side Friday that sent a 16-year-old boy to the hospital. Court records show that Freddrick J. Love-Kennedy has been charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon for the incident that took place on April 19 near the area of Mills Street and Village Street. Fire on School Place in Green Bay causes $60K in damages, leaves three without home A preliminary investigation revealed the shooting may have been the result of a previous dispute involving Love-Kennedy and the 16-year-old. A firearm believed to be used in the incident was also recovered by law enforcement. Local 5 News was at the scene when Love-Kennedy was taken into custody on Friday. Love-Kennedy made his initial appearance in court on Monday, and a cash bond was set at $100,000. Should Love-Kennedy post bond, he will not be allowed to have contact with the victim and cannot possess dangerous weapons. As a precautionary measure, authorities had extra patrols at Green Bay Preble High School and the surrounding area on Monday. Love-Kennedy will be back in the Brown County Courthouse on June 21 for a status conference. Over 200 grams of meth seized after search warrant in Wisconsin, 33-year-old arrested The Green Bay Police Department continues to investigate this incident, and anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to call them at 920-448-3200 and reference case #24-219218. Local 5 News will continue to follow this story as it develops. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. 2 navy helicopters were seen colliding in midair during a military parade rehearsal, killing 10 people 2 navy helicopters were seen colliding in midair during a military parade rehearsal, killing 10 people Two helicopters in Malaysia crashed into each other in midair during a parade rehearsal on Tuesday. Footage posted by local media showed the rotors of one of the choppers striking the other vehicle. Local authorities said 10 people, all naval staff, died in the crash. At least 10 people have died after two Malaysian navy helicopters struck each other in midair during a parade rehearsal on Tuesday morning, local authorities said. Footage posted by Malaysian media shows both choppers flying low over a parade formation before one of the vehicle's rotor blades collides with the other. Both fall to the ground as shredded parts separate from the choppers. The Royal Malaysian Navy confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, saying that a maritime operation helicopter and a Fennec had crashed at a base in Lumut at 9.32 a.m. local time. Seven crew members from the maritime operation helicopter died, while another three from the Fennec were killed, the statement said. The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia wrote that both helicopters were taking part in flight training for a ceremonial parade and that firefighters responded to the scene at around 9.50 a.m. The department said it deployed 21 firefighters from two stations. All victims were naval staff and declared dead by base army hospital staff, fire officials said. The Malaysian navy said an investigative board will be set up to identify the cause of the incident. Photos of the crash site posted by authorities show that at least one of the helicopters landed in a track and field training area, its body crumpled and mangled. Rescuers work on one of the crashed helicopters. Bomba Bahagian Korporat/Facebook The Royal Malaysian Navy has used the Fennec, a lightweight French-made attack helicopter, for several decades. An online listing for its assets includes one of the 36-foot long choppers, which says it was launched in 2004. One Fennec can go for about $5 million on the market, per some aircraft tracking sites. The other crashed helicopter, a Leonardo AW139, was manufactured by Anglo-Italian manufacturer AgustaWestland. These are typically used for transport purposes, and prices for the AW139 can vary between $5 million to $10 million on the commercial market. A US Air Force version of the helicopter, the MH-139 Grey Wolf, costs more than $39 million per unit, per the Air & Space Forces Magazine. The AW139 typically sits up to four crew, and the Malaysian navy says it inaugurated three of the choppers in 2004. Read the original article on Business Insider *Attached video: Laser strikes target OSHP pilots ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW) The third and final suspect has been sentenced for shining a laser and an LED spotlight at an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter, which is a federal offense. One of the suspects is already doing jail time. Big and scary: See the spider spotted in NE Ohio Now, another suspect, Ray B. Woods, agreed to plead guilty to obstructing official business, and has been sentenced to one year of community control Jason McCloskey, 54, pleaded guilty to attempted obstructing official business and was already sentenced to 180 days in jail, according to Lorain County Common Please Court, Louis Bernard, 42, was found guilty of one count of criminal damaging or endangering and was sentenced to one year of community control. Bernard is also not allowed to leave the State of Ohio without permission from his probation officer. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the pilot of a helicopter type called an Airbus AS350 was hit with a green-and-blue laser while flying over Elyria on the night of April 14, 2023. No one was injured. Though strikes from commercially available lasers arent likely to cause permanent injury, they can be a dangerously disorienting mid-flight distraction or cause temporary blindness, according to the FAA. Former HGTV star sentenced to 4 years in jail, has to pay nearly $10M Ray Woods, 61, the third suspect in the case, is set for trial on May 28 at 8:30 a.m. McCloskey, Bernard and Woods were all arrested in connection to the crime in April of 2023. Click here to report laser strikes to the FAA. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. NEW YORK (PIX11) In a major step forward for environmental justice, Congresswomen Yvette Clarke and Nydia Velazquez celebrated Earth Day by highlighting the arrival of brand-new electric school buses. The buses, arriving at Greenpoint Bus Depot for an Earth Day celebration, are part of the EPAs $5 billion Clean Bus Program. This program is funding the replacement of existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models across the country over the next five years. More Local News We know that CO2 emissions in the air have contributed greatly to the change in climate that we are experiencing. We know that it has caused a number of issues, particularly in urban environments like ours environmental degradation, healthcare challenges and disparities, said Clarke. Clarke and Velazquez believe in these electric buses. Clarke noted that New York City has the largest school bus fleet in the nation, and diesel-powered buses have long been a major contributor to poor air quality in communities of color. Air quality issues are our concern in communities that are overburdened, and diesel school buses put out greenhouse gases into the air, and it really impacts air quality, said Olivia Glenn with the Environmental Protection Agency. More Brooklyn News Twenty-five electric school buses have been ordered and are expected to join the districts fleet in the next few days. One way to contribute to the students performance in school is by lowering this type of environmental pollution that affects the health of the children, Velazquez said. The arrival of the new electric school buses marks a significant milestone as part of broader efforts to provide cleaner air and a healthier future for all New York City students. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Expert groups from Azerbaijan and Armenia have begun the process of clarifying coordinates on the border between the two countries based on geodetic measurements on the ground, Trend reports. In accordance with the agreements reached on the outcomes of the 8th meeting of the State Commission on the Delimitation of the State Border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, and the Commission on the Matters of Delimitation of the State Border and Border Security between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the expert groups of the countries started the clarification of coordinates based on geodetic measurements on the ground on the border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia on April 23, 2024. JUAB COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) A 21-year-old is missing in central Utah after she left to work at a neighboring ranch last week and never arrived, according to the Juab County Sheriffs Office. Elizibeth Lizzy Green was reported missing six days ago on April 17 around noon when she left to work at a ranch and has not been seen since. A missing person poster with images of a 21-year-old female. Authorities describe her as a caucasian female measuring 5 feet 11 inches tall and 125 pounds. She has light brown hair and green eyes and was last seen wearing a pink tie-dye hoodie, light blue jeans, black Converse shoes, and a white backpack purse. The sheriffs office is asking anyone with information to contact dispatch at 801-794-3970 and reference case 24JC0335. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) Monday, concerned Columbus residents came together when one neighbor believed a house on her street had animals locked inside. Little did they know the suspected four dogs, turned into more than 20 animals. Last weekend on Sunday, I saw the tenant packing up a U-Haul and she took off down the road. So, I figured that the dogs were with her, Claire OConnor said. She frequently walks her own dogs down 17th Avenue. Nearly a week later on April 20, she realized she had been mistaken. On Saturday, I was walking my dogs, and I heard a commotion, and I thought maybe it was behind the house, OConnor explained. And the person I was walking with said, no, its in the house. So, I looked up and you could see the dogs in there and I was like, Oh Theyve been in there for a week.' Claire tells WRBL the tenants immediate neighbor said she had not seen the resident all week. After checking on the dogs through the weekend, OConnor called Columbus Animal Control Monday morning. Within a few hours, Animal Control placed a 72-hour notice on the front door of the property, but OConnor felt that was not enough. After that, I just posted this Facebook post and tagged anybody I could think of that might have an interest in this and hoping that they would have a larger Facebook following than I do, OConnor said. And possibly get the word out, in fact, that thats exactly what happened. With nearly 300 Facebook comments, Amy Ellington saw the post late in the afternoon. She had been running errands in the area and felt compelled to stop by the house. I just kind of took the initiative to drive out to the house to see what I could see. I saw there were dogs in the window, cats in the window crying for help, Ellington said. They were hungry. Some of them were aggressive because of that. Columbus Animal Control told Ellington, and WRBL, they were monitoring the house and were waiting for the 72-hour period to be up. Ellington felt that was not enough. I said, No, Im not waiting. Im calling Columbus Police Department and Im going to have somebody come out here, Ellington said. And so, Officer Roman came out here and he has been a tremendous help. He contacted everybody he knew to try to get everybody out here. Within 10 minutes, he had his guys out here trying to get all the animals out, and they were able to get them out safely. A total of 20 cats and four dogs were pulled from the home. I was totally surprised. Im floored that anybody could neglect an animal like that, OConnor said. I met the lady. She was always really nice, but she just couldnt control the dogs. And I guess at some point she just gave up. Both OConnor and Ellington were grateful for the swift support of Columbus Police, Animal Control, and fellow animal lovers in the community. Its very word by mouth, word by Internet, anything, anything to get the word out. It is just amazing to me how people just come together even in the middle of a workday, people on lunch breaks, and stop what theyre doing to come together to make sure that the right thing is done for the right for the right reason, Ellington said. The rental property is owned by an LLC based out of state, they confirmed with WRBL this tenant is under eviction. The company said they had conducted an occupancy check on the April 17 to make sure the home was not vacant, upon seeing the animals in the window and trash outside they believed the tenant was still at the property. According to the Columbus Animal Control lieutenant on the scene Monday, next steps for the animals include a 20-day stray hold and a wellness check before they become adoptable. Four Dogs Seized Dog 1 Dog 2 Dog 3 Dog 4 20 Cats Pulled from Home Additional Photos For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. 24-Year-Old Man Found Dead After Swimming in California Reservoir: 'We Will Miss You' Oscar Rafael Coello-Flores "unfortunately drowned approximately 45 feet away from the shore of Mountain View Point," authorities said Oscar Coello/Facebook Oscar Rafael Coello-Flores Oscar Rafael Coello-Flores drowned while swimming in the Woodward Reservoir on April 28, authorities said First responders arrived at the scene, but Coello-Flores' body was not located "in time" "We will remember you forever," said the victim's aunt in a translated post on Facebook A 24-year-old man drowned in a Northern California reservoir over the weekend, authorities said. Oscar Rafael Coello-Flores was swimming in the Woodward Reservoir on Sunday, April 28, and was trying to swim from the shore of Mountain View Point to Area-A when "he appeared to grow fatigued and became overcome by the elements as he struggled to keep above the waters surface," the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post on April 22. Deputies were dispatched to Mountain View Point on a report of a swimmer in distress around 1:51 p.m. local time. Related: Father of 4-Year-Old Boy Who Died of 'Dry Drowning' Speaks Out: 'This Could Happen to Anyone' "The Special Vehicle Operations Unit, as well as paramedics, air support, fire department personnel, and the Sheriffs Office Dive Team, responded to assist with the search," authorities said. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. But Coello-Flores' body was not located "in time," with authorities further noting "he unfortunately drowned approximately 45 feet away from the shore of Mountain View Point." Related: Man Dies After Drowning in Lake Outside SoFi Stadium: 'He Went Underwater and Did Not Resurface' "Investigators with the Coroners Office responded and took over the death investigation," the sheriff's office said in the Facebook post. "A more comprehensive forensic autopsy will be completed in the coming days." Following his death, the victim's aunt said in a translated post on Facebook, "We will miss you ... we will remember you forever." Related: Vt. Man Dies in Drowning Accident' at Home, States First Confirmed Death from Historic Flooding The sheriffs office provided water safety tips that included moderating alcohol intake when swimming or boating, swimming with a partner and wearing a life vest. It's unclear what led to Coello-Flores' death at this time or if any of these factors played a role. PEOPLE reached out to the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Office for comment, but they did not immediately respond. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. 27-year-old dad of 2 killed in road rage shooting, Texas cops say. Now, man arrested A man has been arrested a week after a 27-year-old was killed in a road rage shooting along a Texas roadway, authorities say. Osman Estanly Solorzano Sanchez is charged with murder following the April 15 shooting in Houston, according to Harris County court records filed April 22. The Houston Police Department said officers responded to a report of a shooting, and they found the 27-year-old victim shot and killed in the drivers seat of his vehicle. He was identified by KHOU and KTRK as Ricardo Vega, a father of two. Its not clear what led to the shooting, but police said it involved road rage. Sanchez is accused of attempting to hide the firearm used in the shooting and modifying the appearance of his truck to avoid being caught, according to court records. He was jailed on a $150,000 bond and is due in court April 24, court records show. His smile could light up a room, Victoria Garcia told KHOU of her son, Vega. Thats whats giving momma strength right now besides my father God. Boy killed in road rage shooting on way to kindergarten, officials say. Man sentenced Road rage suspect shoots at driver, then jumps from moving car, Georgia cops say Road rage chase ends in crash, killing newlywed on way to pick up wife, Texas cops say Three conservative Republicans have announced plans to run for the District 72 House of Representative seat being vacated by Tommy Gregory. Gregory, who was in his second term, was recently selected to serve as the seventh president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. Announcing their plans to seek the House seat are Richard Tatem, a first-term member of the Manatee County School Board, Bill Conerly, a former Manatee County Planning Commission member and Alyssa Gay, a small business owner. Pending the finalization of Gregorys contract, he would start leading the college as of July 1, replacing longtime leader Carol F. Probstfeld. Gregory has not announced when he plans to step down from his seat in the Florida Legislature. About Richard Tatem Tatem, a retired Air Force colonel, won election to the Manatee School Board in the 2022 primary election with 50.49% of the vote, defeating former School Board Member James T. Golden and Chantal Wilford. It is imperative that we elect someone who will carry on his (Gregorys) legacy of conservative leadership that has helped brand our state as the free state of Florida. After a lot of prayer, discussion with my wife, and encouragement from key supporters, I have made the decision to become a candidate for state representative and to continue that legacy, Tatem said. Tatem is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He had a 30-year career as an Air Force pilot, assistant professor, leadership educator and executive coach. School Board Member Richard Tatem recently announced his candidacy for the District 72 Florida House seat. After retiring from the Air Force, Tatem wrote the book Interviews With The Founders: the way America is now - and the way America is supposed to be and hosted a radio show and podcast. On the Manatee County School Board, he has advocated for school choice and safety, parental rights and input, decentralization and classical education. Our nation is currently experiencing the catastrophic result of the radical, liberal agenda: mass illegal immigration, a devaluation of our money supply, and a scheme for cultural indoctrination that opposes every value fundamental to American greatness, Tatem said in the news release. Running for state house is an opportunity for me to stand with Gov. DeSantis and our next president Trump to push back on that liberal agenda and to continue to empower our school boards to do the same, he said. About Bill Conerly Conerly is a fifth-generation Floridian, who moved from South Florida to the Manatee County area when he was 15. After high school graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy and became a shipboard electrician. After five years and eight months, he was honorably discharged. After his Navy service, Conerly worked to put himself through Valencia College where he received his associates degree. In 1997, earned his bachelors in agricultural and biological engineering with a specialization in soil and water conservation. In 2001, Conerly received his professional engineers license in civil engineering with a focus on water resources. Bill Conerly, former Manatee County Planning Commission member, has announced his candidacy for the District 72 Florida House of Representatives seat. He is an owner and vice president with Kimley-Horn and Associates, a husband and father of three. Florida is at a crossroads. We can continue to kick the can down the road, year after year, on issues like immigration, insurance and our quality of life or we can act. I am running to take quick action, just like President Trump, Conerly said. The politicians in Tallahassee should be on notice: I wont be making excuses or empty promises on insurance rates, I will be lowering them come hell or high water. Floridians cant and shouldnt be struggling to pay insurance premiums. That must change, starting now, Conerly said. Florida needs to secure its beaches, just like Texas is securing its border with Mexico. Floridians want their local law enforcement to act, as Joe Bidens federal government sits idly by. Giving local law enforcement the means to deport illegal aliens and cutting off funding for taxpayer programs that benefit illegals are among my top priorities, Conerly said. Finally, we need an engineer in the house to help rebuild and repair our crumbling infrastructure but also reprioritize spending to get Floridians out of traffic, Conerly said. About Alyssa Gay Alyssa Gay was born and raised in Manatee County. After graduating from State College of Florida, she attended the University of Florida online where she graduated summa cum laude. Gay graduated from Leadership Manatee and has volunteered with a variety of organizations, including North River Care Pregnancy Center and Realize Bradenton. She was a founding member and leader of Breakfast & Big Ideas, which brought together thought leaders under 40 in Bradenton as well as has served on the board of the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization. Alyssa Gay is seeking the District 72 Florida House of Representatives seat now held by Tommy Gregory. She is owner of AG Creative, a local marketing firm. As a Manatee County native and small business owner, I understand the issues that my neighbors and I face on a daily basis. Skyrocketing prices at the grocery store and at the gas pump are forcing hardworking Floridians to make difficult choices, Gay said in her news release announcing her candidacy. Im running for Florida House District 72 to give You a voice in Tallahassee that will ask the tough questions and hold special interests accountable. I will be attacking out-of-control cost-of-living increases and the housing and insurance affordability crisis issue by issue to ensure that Florida remains the number-one place where people not only want to live, but will thrive, she said. I care deeply about our community and the people who make it great. Your input in the process will be invaluable and, as your next representative, I promise to always be available to listen to your concerns. It starts with listening, but it ends with action. Im a problem solver with a proven track record of success in business and I have been heavily involved in local community causes. From championing conservative values to prioritizing affordable housing and workforce excellence, I am dedicated to implementing constitutional, common sense policies that ensure Floridians have a bright future ahead, Gay said. Because each candidate is running as a Republican, they are set to face one another in the Aug. 20 primary election. Three Fort Worth men are facing federal prison time after they pleaded guilty to robbing a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier at gunpoint. Cedrick Eugene Mims, Danny Yogi Oriszul Powell and Cameron Kemond Gist pleaded guilty to robbery of property of the United States, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Powell entered his plea on March 6, Mims on March 13, and Gist on April 17. The three defendants committed the armed robbery of a mail carrier, identified in court documents by the initials C.S., in Fort Worth on Oct. 24, 2023, according to plea documents. Mims told investigators that he pointed a 39mm pistol at the victim and demanded the key. That referred to the employees Arrow Key, which is a master key used by the U.S. Postal Service to gather mail deposited in blue collection boxes and is prized by mail thieves, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in the release. The men admitted that they also stole a postal scanner and the keys to the letter carriers official vehicle, the release states. Powell drove the getaway car, and Gist provided the guns, according to the plea papers. At sentencing, Mims and Gist face up to 25 years in federal prison due to a dangerous weapon enhancement to their charges. Powell faces up to 10 years. Today's top stories: H-E-B announces third Tarrant County location Teen killed, 2 injured in shooting at Fort Worth after-prom party Nuns claim hostile takeover, reject Vatican decree, bishops authority Get free alerts when news breaks. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Fort Worth Police Department. Aftermath of the attack on the Shalyhyne hromada. Photo: Sumy Oblast Prosecutor General's office On 23 April, the Russian army used a Grad multiple-launch rocket system to strike a residential district in Bilopillia, Sumy Oblast, as well as the Shalyhyne hromada (an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories). As of now, there is information on three casualties of the attack. Source: Yurii Zarko, Mayor of Myropillia, in a comment to Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster; Sumy Oblast Prosecutor General's Office on Facebook Quote: "We know of six strikes in the city centre. They fired from Grad multiple-launch rocket systems. There's a man injured. He is approximately 40 years old. He is in the hospital in Bilopillia with moderate injuries caused by shrapnel. When there was an explosion, he attempted to hide, but the debris hurt his shoulders, back, hips, and legs." Details: Around 13:00, the Russians launched an artillery attack on the civilian infrastructure of the Shalyhyne hromada in Shostka district. The attack caused damage to two private residences. Two women, 72 and 45, were hurt. Aftermath of the attack on the Shalyhyne hromada Photo: Sumy Oblast Prosecutor General's Office Aftermath of the attack on the Shalyhyne hromada Photo: Sumy Oblast Prosecutor General's Office Support UP or become our patron! 3 Tri-Citians endorsed at WA GOP convention. What theyre running for Three Republicans from the Tri-Cities earned their state partys nod over the weekend for political offices they plan to run for. This will be an important election year for the Washington State Republican Party. The GOP hopes to punch back this year in a more organized fashion and avoid mishaps that led the party to be shut out of some general election races and lose a Republican-held congressional seat two years ago. At the 2024 Washington State Republican Party Convention last weekend in Spokane, delegates voted overwhelmingly to endorse Semi Bird of Richland in the race for governor; Pete Serrano of Pasco in the attorney general race; and Jerrod Sessler of Prosser in the race for Washingtons 4th Congressional District. Candidates who earn the partys endorsement receive the backing, resources and infrastructure of the Washington State Republican Party and its partners. Semi Bird Governor race Washington Republicans are backing a Tri-Cities veteran and social scientist whos shown an ability to unite and energize conservative factions of their party. This is a historic day not just for the Republican Party, but for Washington state and for all Americans, Semi Bird said in a statement. I am humbled by the support of so many and I promise to work tirelessly to represent every citizen, regardless of race, creed or religion. The time is now to join together for a brighter future for all of Washington, he continued. Semi Bird The process last weekend was muddled over blowback from a decision by the partys state candidates committee not to make a gubernatorial endorsement after a Seattle Times story revealed Birds unreported misdemeanor charge for a financial crime 30 years ago. Previously, the Tri-City Herald reported that Bird was arrested and charged with felony gun theft around that same time for failing to return his law enforcement-issued firearm after leaving his reserve deputy role at the Yakima County Sheriffs Office. The charge was later dropped. But delegates ultimately overruled top party brass, voting overwhelmingly to ignore the decision and endorse Bird anyway. He earned 72% of delegate votes for the endorsement. Bird is the decorated retired U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret and Richland School Board member who voters recalled from office following a controversial Tri-Cities election last year for flaunting COVID mask mandates. Gubernatorial candidate Misipati Semi Bird posted this photo from his July 27, 2023 campaign stop in the town of Roslyn in Kittitas County to one of his social media accounts. Despite his strengths and weaknesses, Bird has carved a niche as a populist play maker in this years open race for governor. His newcomer presence has irked some GOP elites and establishment figures, who argue he cant win. Some have even asked him to bow out and support former Congressman Dave Reichert, who is seen as the Republican front runner. Reicherts campaign is flush with nearly $1 million cash on hand thanks to a robust fundraising operation. Comparatively, Bird has $50,000 currently to spend a hard reality that could be remedied by the state partys endorsement and, if possible, an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. On Saturday, as debate over the gubernatorial endorsement geared up, Reichert withdrew his name from consideration, citing a party in disarray. His campaign for governor will go on, and he plans to continue seeking endorsements from Republicans statewide. Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson also is running to succeed Gov. Jay Inslee, who announced last year he would not run for a fourth term. Records show 2024 WA GOP hopeful failed to return sheriff-issued gun for more than a year Pete Serrano Attorney General race Pete Serrano is the Pasco councilman elected mayor back in January. He works as director-general counsel of the Silent Majority Foundation, a conservative nonprofit based in Pasco that has filed legal challenges to the states COVID-19 emergency orders, vaccine mandates and gun control legislation. Pete Serrano Im grateful to have received 100% support of the WSRP delegates this weekend, Serrano said in a statement to the Tri-City Herald. Im looking forward to the elections in August and November. Most recently, Serrano and his firm successfully argued to a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge that the states 2-year-old ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines went against the Second Amendment. The states prohibition lapsed briefly on April 8. Nearly an hour and a half after the order was released, Attorney General Bob Fergusons office secured an order from the Washington State Supreme Court that placed the ruling on hold, keeping the ban in place while an appeal is filed. Serranos background is in environmental law. Before his work with Silent Majority Foundation, he worked as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Energys Hanford nuclear site near Richland. Serrano is the only member of the Republican Party currently running for state attorney general. Hes raised more than $100,000 since announcing his candidacy at the start of 2024. Its likely hell make it through Augusts top-two primary and qualify for the November general election, where hell face either former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown or King County senior Deputy Prosecutor Manka Dhingra, both Democrats. Update: Eastern WA attorney who fought gun laws, COVID mandates plans run for state AG Jerrod Sessler WAs 4th Congressional District race Fourth Congressional District hopeful Jerrod Sessler also received an endorsement from the state party. The Prosser Republican is gearing up to challenge U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, for a second time after failing to get past the 2022 primary. He earned 69% of the delegate bodys vote. Big endorsements are helpful and are humbling, but nothing compares to the nod from my people, Sessler wrote in a Saturday post to X/Twitter. Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump gave a full-throated endorsement of Sessler, blessing the MAGA candidates challenge and calling Newhouse a weak and pathetic RINO or Republican in name only. Jerrod Sessler Newhouse and nine other Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach the former president following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. At least seven people lost their lives in connection with the violent attack. Newhouse was the only pro-impeachment Republican to defeat a Trump-endorsed primary challenger in 2022. Sessler and five other Republicans tried that year to unseat Newhouse, but a crowded Republican field divided conservative votes and allowed the Sunnyside farmer to surf to an easy reelection victory. Sessler earned just 12% of votes in the August 2022 primary election. The Republican who was endorsed by Trump that cycle was former Republic, Wash., police chief Loren Culp. The Fourth Congressional District encompasses central Washington, stretching from the U.S.-Canada border down to the Columbia River. It includes the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Yakama Indian Reservation, Moses Lake, East Wenatchee and Omak. Newhouse plans to run for a sixth term in Congress this later this year. Its unclear if Democrats will back a candidate to challenge him this year. Trump just made a 2024 endorsement in this Eastern WA congressional grudge match Yahoo Finance After China announced broad measures to rescue its economy, Chinese stocks surged, our Chart of the Week shows. It's not the first time the country has attempted to get out of the recent doldrums, but the market's reaction says this time might be different. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The anniversary of the establishment of the Lachin border checkpoint on the state border of Azerbaijan is being marked, Trend reports via the country's State Border Service. On April 23, last year, units of the State Border Service established the Lachin checkpoint across the state border on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road. At the newly created checkpoint, a ceremony was held to raise the Azerbaijani flag, which was reported to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ilham Aliyev. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel New Land Enterprises officials discuss plans for an 8-story apartment building in downtown Green Bay with nearby business owners, residents, property owners and churchgoers during an April 19 community meeting at the Brown County Library. GREEN BAY - Downtown Green Bay business owners, churchgoers and residents for about 90 minutes Friday shared concerns and asked questions of the Milwaukee developer that wants to convert a parking lot into an eight-story high-rise. New Land Enterprises expects very soon to finalize terms of a development agreement with the city of Green Bay to convert the Adams Street parking lot into 268 luxury rental units and 5,000 square feet of retail space. The project could cost as much as $70 million. The firm presented site plan renderings to Green Bays Redevelopment Authority this month, which also gave downtown stakeholders their first look at what could be coming. On Friday, Downtown Green Bay Inc. convened a meeting attended by about 100 stakeholders, New Land officials, and city of Green Bay staff to discuss the details as they stand now and issues on the minds of the site's neighbors. Many of those who spoke began with praise for the building's design before they shifted to questions about the new building's proximity to Spring Lake Church's downtown campus in part of the Baylake City Center building, the loss of the parking spaces, how access to downtown will be impacted during construction, and the impact on events like ArtFest that use the Adams Street parking lot. Jeff Mirkes, executive director of Downtown Green Bay Inc., called the meeting productive because stakeholders shared what's on their minds while New Land got feedback as they finalize building designs and plans. New Land officials said some elements of the building cannot change, but that other parts could. New Land Enterprises hopes to soon finalize an agreement with the city of Green Bay to build an eight-story, 268-unit luxury apartment building, seen here from the corner of Cherry and Washington streets in downtown Green Bay. "We were not going to solve all of the issues during one meeting," Mirkes said. "Now, (New Land) has a good handle on what the businesses' and neighbors' concerns might be." Here's a closer look at four of the key issues/concerns that came up and what answers we could find right now. Downtown Green Bay businesses concerned by the trade-off of popular parking spaces for 400 new residents. Several downtown business owners pointed out the 122-space parking lot where New Land wants to build luxury apartments is popular with customers for its proximity to their bars, cafes, boutiques and churches. There were also concerns about accessibility for people with disabilities. Tim Gokhman, New Land's managing director, said the company's prior experiences in Milwaukee have shown the loss of parking spaces is offset by the increase in residential density that boosts overall traffic in the downtown area. He said the 268-unit project would potentially add 400 new residents to the heart of downtown. "You're losing parking, but gaining about 400 new residents," he said. "The density that replaces the parking ends up boosting business traffic." Additionally, the lot's 122 spaces represent a small fraction of the parking spaces available within a block or two of the site according to the results of a 2023 downtown parking study, which noted there is: On-street parking on Cherry, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Northland and Pine streets: 244 spaces Cherry Street Ramp: 801 spaces Pine Street Ramp: 1,843 spaces All on-street and ramp parking becomes free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and is free all day Saturday and Sunday. Green Bay City Council Member Brian Johnson during Friday's meeting said downtown has an overabundance of parking, but that it needs to be used and managed better in the future. Gokhman also said the company is in discussions with city officials about whether they can designate some on-street spaces as specifically for people with disabilities to improve accessibility. A rendering of a tentative eight-story, downtown Green Bay luxury apartment building shows first-floor townhouse rental units along Cherry Street. New Land Enterprises and the city of Green Bay continue to work on a development agreement for the project in April 2024. The Adams Street parking lot is Green Bay's 'last town square.' What will happen to events like ArtFest that rely on it? Several people noted popular events like ArtFest use the parking lot for stage and vendor space. One person called the parking lot downtown's "last public square." Mirkes said events that do use the parking lot now will continue to adapt as the central city develops and changes. He said Downtown Green Bay Inc. already started to look for new spaces and streets for such events to use if housing replaces the parking lot. "We'll gladly find alternate locations," Mirkes said. A tentative eight-story, downtown Green Bay luxury apartment building would include 5,000 square feet of retail space along Washington Street. New Land Enterprises and the city of Green Bay continue to work on a development agreement for the project in April 2024. Will construction impact traffic and access to Washington Street and its popular restaurants, cafes, bars and boutiques? Will there be construction updates? The construction project is expected to take 20-21 months to complete and the site's central location meant business owners and residents were concerned construction could close Washington Street or other key downtown roads to traffic. In a more general sense, people wanted to know how they could get updates as the project takes shape. New Land officials said the group planned to stage construction crews along Adams Street and keep construction equipment and activity off Washington Street as much as possible. Mirkes said he doesn't anticipate "any major interference for people who live, work or run a business in downtown" at this time and that Downtown Green Bay Inc. heard several requests that it keep stakeholders informed. He said the organization plans to help everyone stay informed about impacts and progress. A rendering of a tentative eight-story, downtown Green Bay luxury apartment building seen from the intersection of Cherry and Adams streets. New Land Enterprises and the city of Green Bay continue to work on a development agreement for the project in April 2024. Spring Lake Church members have many concerns about the new development's impact on its congregation The most-frequently raised questions involved the potential development's closest neighbor. Spring Lake Church's entrance faces the Adams Street Lot and the new building's long, north wall would put the church's entrance along an alley estimated to be 15-20 feet wide. The congregation is concerned the alley could be even more narrow, that access to the church could be cut off during construction, and that the alley would be dark or unsafe. Gokhman told the many Spring Lake members in attendance that New Land had already started to meet with Baylake City Center's condominium association of owners to discuss related issues. He also noted New Land plans to provide the alley space with ample lighting and programming like it did in Milwaukee's Black Cat Alley and is open to ideas about how to do so in Green Bay. Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 4 questions, answers, on impacts of new 8-story Green Bay project 4 Iranians charged in scheme to hack US agencies and defense contractors US prosecutors on Tuesday announced charges against four Iranian men for a sprawling hacking campaign that targeted US federal agencies and sensitive data held by American defense contractors. The hackers targets included the US State and Treasury departments, as well as more than a dozen US companies, including Pentagon contractors handling classified information, prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York. The hacking effort took place from 2016 to 2021 and infected more than 200,000 victim devices, many of which contained sensitive or classified defense information, Damian Williams, the US attorney general for the Southern District of New York, said when announcing initial charges related to the case in February. It was not immediately clear whether the departments of State or Treasury networks were successfully hacked in the campaign. CNN has requested comment from those agencies. Hacking has long been one the sources of tension in the US-Iran relationship. FBI Director Christopher Wray in 2022 blamed Iranian government-backed hackers for a despicable cyberattack on Boston Childrens Hospital. Tehran denied involvement. In the indictment unsealed Tuesday, Hossein Harooni, Reza Kazemifar, Alireza Shafie Nasab and Komeil Baradaran Salmani were charged with wire and computer fraud, among other charges. Nasab had been charged in a previous indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York in February. The men are all in their 30s and remain at large, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors accused three of the men of working for a front company in Iran that purported to offer cybersecurity services. The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sanctions on the four men while accusing them of being affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is part of Irans armed forces. The State Department also touted a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of the men. CNN has requested comment from the Iranian Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Criminal activity originating from Iran poses a grave threat to Americas national security and economic stability, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement announcing the new charges. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com U.S. Rep. William Timmons, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on oversight of the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve coronavirus pandemic response on Capitol Hill on Sept. 30, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (File/Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images) The Upstate primary contest between U.S. Rep. William Timmons and his GOP challenger, state House Rep. Adam Morgan, is part of a larger intra-party fight among Republicans both in Washington and Columbia. On Tuesday evening, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida will appear at Morgans campaign event after endorsing him over the three-term 4th District incumbent. Its one of several races where Gaetz, who touts his reputation as an outspoken firebrand, is backing a candidate challenging an incumbent Republican over the disapproval of House GOP leadership. Gaetz has also backed controversial YouTube creator Brandon Herrera, who makes firearms videos, in his effort to oust incumbent Republican Tony Gonzales in Texas. In a CNN interview Sunday, Gonzales called Gaetz and others scumbags. Rep. Adam Morgan, R-Taylors, in House chambers on the opening day of the 2024 session Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C. Morgan is chairman of the hardline conservative Freedom Caucus. (File/Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the SC Daily Gazette) Morgan, R-Taylors, said Gaetz reached out to him after a video, initially posted in March 2023, of Morgan speaking on the Statehouse floor went viral, and after Gaetz learned about the state House Freedom Caucus that Morgan chairs. As leader of the Freedom Caucus, launched in spring 2022, Morgan is no stranger to sparring with fellow Republicans. After the November 2022 elections, Freedom Caucus members who refused to sign rules adopted by the House GOP Caucus were dumped from the majority caucus. The rule that caused the split was a pledge not to campaign against in other words, dont help challengers defeat fellow House Republicans. The Freedom Caucus continues to oppose Republicans in the majority in heated floor debates over everything from the state budget to using campaign funds for childcare. Even on legislation backed by the Freedom Caucus, debates can drag on for hours as Morgan and others try unsuccessfully to insert stricter penalties. Morgan, 34, said he wanted to run for the 4th District seat the states most compact district, covering most of Greenville and Spartanburg counties because he feels Timmons is not representing the district effectively. Ive led the conservative effort at the state level, and weve had an empty seat for too long, so thats why Im running, said Morgan, an attorney and president of Majesty Music Inc., a family-owned Christian music and book publishing company. Timmons was first elected to the state House in 2018. Timmons, 39, represented Greenville in the state Senate for one term before his first election to Congress in 2018. He replaced Trey Gowdy, who opted not to seek re-election after four terms. A former prosecutor, Timmons is a miliary lawyer and captain in the South Carolina Air National Guard. His campaign pointed to an endorsement in February from former President Donald Trump. Morgan and Timmons have been sniping at each other on X, formerly Twitter, over who supports the former president more in the solidly red district. President Trump gave his complete and total endorsement to Congressman William Timmons, Timmons campaign said in a statement to the SC Daily Gazette. But Adam Morgan is more interested in attacking President Trump. Adam Morgans personal vendetta against President Trump will not play well in the Upstate. The statement refers to Timmons accusations of Morgan being a Never Trumper. He also shared a screenshot of a 2016 tweet in which Morgan called the president Jabba the Hut. Morgan dismissed that tweet as part of a series of jokes he posted during a Republican primary debate poking fun of several candidates. He said he supports Trump and will vote for him again in November. I think my opponent has nothing to run on so hes literally trying to ride the coattails of the president, Morgan said. I think its a little embarrassing. You should talk about what youve done. Morgan knocked Timmons on X for voting to advance a controversial surveillance program that Trump opposed. In response, Timmons said, all lies Adam is at it again, explaining that he voted on a procedural motion to begin debate. When the bill itself came to the floor, he voted against reauthorizing the program. Timmons endorsements from other Republicans in Congress include U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, a member of the congressional Freedom Caucus, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a controversial figure tossed from the Freedom Caucus last year. Gaetz, for his part, is also frequently in conflict with GOP leaders in the U.S House, not only over campaigning against colleagues but also for his personal life. Last week, ABC reported that the House Ethics Committee in the majority Republican chamber is investigating whether he used illicit drugs while serving in Congress. The Department of Justice also investigated Gaetz over allegations of a sexual relationship with a minor, ultimately deciding not to bring charges. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing. Morgan said he appreciated Gaetzs support and was not concerned about the controversy around the Florida representative. At the end of the day, Im running on my record, not anybody elses, Morgan said. The reality is that what voters are choosing between is me, my record, my character, and my opponents record and character. In 2022, Timmons was accused of having an affair, which he denied at the time. Later that year, his wife filed for separation, saying in a public statement that they were divorcing with love and mutual respect. Fundraising Timmons has the cash advantage so far, at least. The incumbent raised nearly $300,000 in the first quarter of the year, ending the period with $790,000 on hand, according to campaign filings. Morgan raised about $112,000 in the same time period, ending with over $150,000 available. He touts receiving far more small-dollar donations, which campaign filings confirm. Among the donors to Timmons campaign this quarter are political action committees affiliated with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Morgan has received donations from Gaetz and a PAC associated with U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of Rock Hill, who represents the adjacent 5th District and is a former state House member. An original member of the congressional Freedom Caucus, Norman also was on hand for the launch of the state House caucus. The winner of the June 11 GOP primary will face a Democrat and third-party candidate in November. The post 4th District race extends GOP vs GOP feud from Columbia to Washington appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. Five migrants including a child have died while attempting to cross the English channel, French authorities said on Tuesday. The news comes hours after the U.K. passed a controversial bill that would allow the government to deport some migrants who enter the country illegally to Rwanda. The deaths took place after an overcrowded boat carrying around 110 people set out to cross the busy shipping lane from France to England. French rescue ships arrived quickly and picked up 47 people and another 57 people stayed on board, local prefect Jacques Billant said. They did not want to be rescued, they managed to restart the engine and headed towards Britain. The boat had left from Wimereux, southwest of France's Calais. The French coastguard is searching for any survivors. The passage of the Rwanda migrant bill comes nearly two years after the plan was first introduced by Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022, and has been a priority of Rishi Sunaks government. Sunak has pledged the first flights will take off to Rwanda in 10 to 12 weeks. In 2022, 46,000 migrants crossed into the U.K. via dangerous small boats from mainland Europe, compared to just 299 boat crossings in 2018. Since 2014, over 240 migrants have either died or gone missing while attempting to cross the English channel, according to the International Organization for Migration. Human rights groups have warned that deportations to Rwanda could pose grave danger to asylum seekers because, Once enacted, it will restrict the U.K. courts from properly scrutinizing removal decisions, leaving asylum-seekers with limited room to appeal even if they face significant risks, wrote the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, in a statement. Read More: U.K. Leader Rishi Sunaks Favorability Rating Slips to New Low Amid Rwanda Bill Backlash The British government has insisted that Rwanda is a safe country for migrants, and that the legislation is needed in order to deter migrants from making dangerous channel crossings. Under the Treaty, Rwanda has also introduced a strengthened end-to-end asylum system, including a new, specialist asylum appeals tribunal to consider individual appeals against any refused claims, says the Home Offices press release about the law. As part of the agreement, the Rwandan government received approximately $300 million from the U.K. in 2023, and is expecting the total to reach at least $450 million over the course of five years. The U.K. will also pay an additional $150 million if more than 300 people are sent to Rwanda, and an additional $25,000 for each individual deported to the country. Rights groups insist that the only way to deter crossings is to open more safe passages. Instead of hostile, headline-grabbing legislation, we need to see safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including more options for family reunion, refugee visas, and cooperation with our European neighbors, Enver Solomon, chief executive of Refugee Council, told the Guardian. Contact us at letters@time.com. BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) A five-year-old child was killed during a crash that happened on Monday morning. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), a 2014 GMC Yukon, the child was a passenger in, left the roadway, hit a ditch, and overturned into a creek. One dead after car caught fire in early morning crash Troopers say that the child was unrestrained during the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene. According to ALEA, the child is from Lokust Fork. The driver of the Yukon was not wearing a seatbelt at the time and was injured and transported to the UAB hospital for treatment. The crash happened on Alabama 79 near Peyton Lane, nearly four miles south of Locust Fork, in Blount County around 6:10 a.m. The crash remains under investigation by ALEAs Highway Patrol Division. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Former President Trumps first criminal trial began in earnest Monday, with opening statements from prosecutors and the defense team, as well as the calling of the first witness. Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The alleged offenses center on a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 election campaign. The money was intended to stop Daniels from publicizing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump from a decade prior. Trump denies any such encounter and denies any legal wrongdoing. The proceedings, in Lower Manhattan, are the first criminal trial of a former president. If convicted, Trump faces up to four years in prison, though such a sentence for a first-time offender would be rare. Trump case painted as 2016 election criminal conspiracy in opening statements Here are the main takeaways from Monday. Prosecution presses the case that Trump was conspiring to sway the election The offenses Trump is accused of would normally be misdemeanors except when prosecutors can make the case that they were committed in the service of another crime. This has always been a sticking point in the New York case because even though he has been indicted in three other, unrelated cases Trump has not been charged with any other crime pertaining to the payment to Daniels. Mondays proceedings made it clearer than ever that prosecutors are arguing Trump was conspiring to influence the 2016 election, however. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo called Trumps actions election fraud, pure and simple. Colangelo added that Trump and his cohorts were part of a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. The prosecutions argument encompasses the chaos that followed the public revelation of the so-called Access Hollywood tape in early October 2016. On the tape, which is from 2005, Trump was heard boasting crudely about women, and he asserted that fame enabled any star to grab women by the genitals. Trump knew his campaign was unlikely to withstand further embarrassing stories, prosecutors contend which meant it was vital to bury Danielss allegation. Another story about sexual infidelity, especially with a porn star, on the heels of the Access Hollywood tape, would have been devastating to his campaign, Colangelo said. Much will hinge upon whether the prosecution can make this element of the case stick. The Trump defense: No big deal Trumps team sought to rebut the prosecution with an argument that is, at its core, pretty simple: Whats the big deal? Theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election its called democracy, said Todd Blanche, the former presidents lead attorney. The defense also sought to mock the idea that someone as parsimonious as Trump would try to conceal a payment of $130,000 to Daniels, made through his then-attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, by paying $420,000 in installments to Cohen. The Trump teams argument is that the payments, far from intended to mask a sinister conspiracy, were legitimate legal fees. Cohen is expected to take the stand against Trump, but the former presidents legal team sought to paint the friend-turned-enemy as a scoundrel motivated by animus toward the former president. Cohen previously pleaded guilty to offenses related to tax fraud and election finance law, as well as lying to Congress. This enabled Trumps team to dismiss him as a criminal whose evidence should be disregarded. Blanche told the jury that the prosecution was, in effect, trying to whip up a criminal case from innocuous events. If the jurors used their common sense, he insisted, the outcome would be a very swift not guilty verdict. Trump faces potential peril if he takes the stand One of the huge questions looming over the trial is whether Trump will take the stand in his own defense. Judge Juan Merchan, whom Trump has repeatedly targeted in speeches and on social media, made a ruling Monday that heightens the risks for the former president. Merchan had to decide what topics the prosecution could raise with Trump if he does indeed testify. The judge gave considerable leeway. He decided prosecutors could ask about the massive civil fraud case in which Trump and his business were penalized to the tune of $454 million. The judge also greenlighted questions about the two defamation cases brought against Trump by the writer E. Jean Carroll. Carroll says Trump raped her in a New York department store in the 1990s. In May 2023, a jury in a civil trial found Trump liable for sexual abuse of Carroll. An apparent Trump violation of a gag order in another, separate civil case can also be discussed. Trump might still decide to roll the dice on testifying. Such a move would be consistent with his exuberant belief in himself. But Merchans order must give Trumps legal team some pause. The trial is proceeding at pace Early predictions that Trumps trial could last six weeks or longer could be dashed if Merchan keeps things moving along swiftly. Opening statements were only possible Monday because, last week, jury selection was completed faster than many observers had expected. That process could easily have taken two weeks. Instead, the 12 jurors and six alternates were finalized in just one week. On Monday, Merchans desire to maintain the pace was shown when, even on an abbreviated day because of the Passover holiday he fit in some early testimony from the first witness, former magazine executive David Pecker. There were few bombshells in the time available to Pecker, but he will be back on the stand Tuesday morning. A frustrated Trump fires back Reporters in the courtroom say Trump has appeared frustrated at times, listening to hostile arguments and unable to respond in his usual hypercombative way. At days end, however, he did try to make his case to the media. Describing himself as the leading candidate for the presidency, he insisted that the powers that be were trying to take me off the trail for checks being paid to a lawyer. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) As many as 70 Las Cruces seniors from all six Las Cruces Public Schools high schools (LCPS) will be recognized for their academic achievements and present their college/university choice. Similar to when athletes do signing days, these seniors will be acknowledged during the LCPS 10th annual Academic Signing Day. The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 in the multipurpose room at Arrowhead Park Early College High School, 3600 Arrowhead Drive. Students are encouraged to wear a clothing item from the college of choice to the ceremony and each student will be speaking to share their proudest high school accomplishment, according to the LCPS news release. According to a news release from LCPS, the ceremony will be hosted by Deputy Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Research Dr. Wendi Miller-Tomlinson. The public is invited to attend or they can watch virtually on the LCPS YouTube channel here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. 71-year-old fisherman who disappeared found tangled in barbed wire with dog by his side A 71-year-old's dog proved to truly be man's best friend this week when his faithful companion remained by his side after he got tangled in barbed wire and stayed trapped for more than two days. South Carolina resident Billy Wayne Kearse disappeared from his home on April 16 after heading out for a fishing trip with his chihuahua, Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller told USA TODAY Tuesday. Kearse is from the city of Gaffney in upstate South Carolina about 50 miles southwest of Charlotte. On Thursday about 11 a.m., the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office received a call from two friends saying they had been riding around searching for Kearse and found his fishing tackle box. Billy Kearse, 71, of South Carolina, vanished April 16, 2024 headed out on a fishing trip with his chihuahua, carrying a tackle box and fishing poles. Two days later, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office deputies found him with his dog by his side. Missing California man: Man disappears hiking in El Salvador, family pleads for help finding him Missing man found tangled in barbed wire with dog nearby That same day, deputies responded to the area where the man's fishing gear was found and, after a search, discovered Kearse tangled in barbed wire with his dog nearby. "He got stuck trying to climb over the fence and got hung on the barbed wire as it wrapped around his ankle," Mueller explained. After deputies freed him, Kearse was transported him by medical helicopter to a hospital to be treated for dehydration, officials reported. "The dog would not come to the officers and ran away from them but was back at the home when officers arrived to notify the family we had located their loved one," Mueller said. Missing California woman: 21-year-old 'at-risk' woman missing after weekend hike; search ongoing Sheriff: Missing man still hospitalized but expected to recover Mueller said Kearse remained in the hospital on Tuesday but was improving daily and his prognosis for recovery "looks very good." "We are grateful for the two citizens who were aware of the search efforts last night to locate the missing person and who continued checking their property this morning and notified us after locating the fishing tackle box," Mueller wrote in a news release. "Their efforts put us in the right location and subsequently officers were successful in locating him. Now we all pray for his recovery!" Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Carolina man found trapped in barbed wire with dog by his side 74-year-old accused of robbing bank at gunpoint may have been victim of scam, cops say A 74-year-old woman was arrested after police say she robbed a bank in Pennsylvania at gunpoint. The Fairfield Township Police Department asked for help identifying the woman in an April 19 Facebook post, saying she was wanted in connection with an armed robbery that same day. Later that day, police released an update saying they located and arrested the woman, accused of robbing AurGroup Credit Union around 1:30 p.m. Employees said the woman came into the credit union and demanded money while showing a gun, police say. Authorities say they later found the woman at her home, along with the vehicle used in the robbery. When police arrived at her home, she told them, I did whatever youre here for, police body camera footage showed, according to WXIX. When the officer asked her, what would that be? she responded by saying, robbery. Detective Brandon McCroskey told the Journal-News that the woman had financial issues and may have been scammed out of a lot of money. Seems as though, the way I understand it, shed been communicating with some people online who may have been scamming her, McCroskey told WXIX. A very common theme, unfortunately, and tragically, we see a lot of that with elderly victims who are being scammed out of large amounts of money. It seems like that very well could be the case here. Detectives reported finding a gun in the womans car. The woman, who has no known previous criminal history, is charged with aggravated robbery with a firearm and tampering with evidence, both felonies, according to police. Fairfield Township is about a 60-mile drive east of Pittsburgh. Man robs bank, then regrets it and turns himself in minutes later, California cops say Serial bank robber hits another Florida bank one day after prison release, feds say Name on back of demand note leads cops to accused bank robber, Indiana police say 74-year-old Ohio woman charged with bank robbery was victim of a scam, family says A 74-year-old Ohio woman who was a victim of an online scam allegedly tried to remedy her financial issues by robbing a credit union, police said. Ann Mayers was arrested in her home in Hamilton, Ohio after the Fairfield Township Police Department said she robbed an AurGroup Credit Union. The credit union's employees told police that a woman entered the bank on April 19 and "demanded money while displaying a handgun," police said in a Facebook post. Pictured is an image captured from surveillance video when police said Ann Mayers, 74, robbed a Fairfield Township credit union in Butler County, Ohio on April 19, 2024. While at Mayers' home, police found the 2014 silver Hyundai Elantra she was allegedly driving during the robbery, according to the post. Mayers admitted to the robbery when police arrived at the house, so officers subsequently took her into custody, the department said. Detectives with Fairfield Township police found a handgun in Mayers' vehicle, the Facebook post said. Before the alleged robbery, Mayers had no criminal history, police said. She's been charged with aggravated robbery with a firearm and tampering with evidence, which are both felonies, according to the department. It is unclear from Butler County court records if Mayers retained legal counsel for her criminal case. Is Ann Mayers a scam victim? Police learned Mayers may have been a scam victim after detectives spoke with her family who told them she was sending money to an "unidentified individual," Sgt. Brandon McCroskey said in an email to USA TODAY. "In that aspect, some may see her as a 'victim.' Unfortunately, Ann chose to victimize several other people in the bank by robbing it with a firearm as a remedy for her situation," McCroskey said. Pictured is an image captured from surveillance video when police said Ann Mayers, 74, robbed a Fairfield Township credit union in Butler County, Ohio on April 19, 2024 If true, McCroskey called Mayers' situation "very sad and unfortunate." Regardless, Mayer "took the time to plan this robbery as evidence shows she removed her license plate from her car and tried to remove a bumper sticker," the sergeant said. "She also reportedly spoke to family members about robbing banks in the days leading up to the robbery but the family did not take her comments seriously," according to McCroskey. Mayers is currently being housed at the Butler County Jail, inmate records show. She'll remain at the jail until her initial court appearance, police said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio bank robbery suspect, Ann Mayers, 74, was victim of scam: Family BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov spoke about the role of Armenian Nazi ringleader Garegin Nzhdeh and his racist ideology in ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis at the hearings in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Azerbaijan vs. Armenia case conducted based on Armenia's preliminary objections, Trend reports. Mammadov told the ICJ judges that during Armenia's occupation, the country was administered by a party that declared itself the intellectual heir of Nzhdeh, claiming that his ideals are still alive at the official level today and have been embraced by numerous Armenian fascist parties. The deputy minister mentioned that Nzhdeh's ideas also encourage occupation. He also brought to the court's attention several quotes from the ideology of Tseghakron. "Modern Armenia covers only 1/19th part of our (Armenian) historical homeland... I am Tseghakron, and I must defeat the enemy of my race, the Turks," Mammadov cited one of the quotes. Elnur Mammadov added that Nzhdeh remains a national hero in Armenia today. He emphasized that one of the monuments in his honor was unveiled by the President of Armenia in 2016. To note, on April 15, preliminary hearings took place at the International Court of Justice regarding Azerbaijan's claim against Armenia. Public hearings addressed Azerbaijan's preliminary objections in court concerning Armenia's application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) against Azerbaijan. Public hearings on Azerbaijan's preliminary claims in the case concerning the appeal of the International Court of Justice Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) concluded on April 19. According to information, Azerbaijan presented the following demands to the court: - Dismiss Armenia's appeal entirely, citing that none of its claims meet the necessary level before the court due to Armenia's failure to adhere to the negotiation preconditions outlined in Article 22 of the ICERD. - Alternatively, or in addition, declare that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over Armenia's claims of Azerbaijan's breach of obligations. It was mentioned that the court had commenced an internal deliberation, and the decision date will be disclosed during a later public session to be announced. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Nine more couples are suing an in vitro fertilization provider saying it destroyed their embryos, but still implanted the nonviable embryos despite knowing they were not viable. In a joint lawsuit filed Tuesday, the couples allege that workers at Ovation Fertility in Newport Beach, California, exposed the embryos to lethal amounts of "poison." The couples underwent implantations of the nonviable embryos between Jan. 18, 2024, and Jan. 30. 2024, none of which were successful. The suit alleges the couples blamed themselves and their bodies in the days and weeks after their failed pregnancies -- some even undergoing medical procedures to find out what went wrong -- until late February and early March when Ovation Fertility started to reveal to their physicians that something had gone wrong at the labs. MORE: Alabama bill to protect IVF signed into law by governor The suit alleged that Ovation Fertility only disclosed something had gone wrong when several fertility doctors questioned why there was a 0% success rate for the embryos that had been thawed over a two-week period, when the success rate is normally 75%. Two other couples had announced a similar lawsuit last week saying their embryos were destroyed when a lab employee wrongly used hydrogen peroxide instead of a sterile solution in an incubator. The nine couples who came forward Tuesday are suing on multiple grounds, including negligence; medical battery; concealment; intentional misrepresentation; negligent misrepresentation; negligent hiring, retention and supervision; and loss of consortium, and are seeking a jury trial. PHOTO: Petri Dish with drops of material and micromanipulators over it in a laboratory for an in vitro fertilization. (STOCK PHOTO/Adobe Stock) Ovation Fertility told ABC News in a statement Tuesday that it has protocols in place to protect the "health and integrity of every embryo under our care." "This was an isolated incident related to an unintended laboratory technician error that impacted a very small number of patients. As soon as we recognized that pregnancy numbers were lower than our usually high success rates, we immediately initiated an investigation. We did not knowingly transfer nonviable embryos for implantation," Ovation Fertility said in a statement. "We have been in close contact with these few impacted patients since the issue was discovered. We are grateful for the opportunity to help patients build a family and will continue to implement and enforce rigorous protocols to safeguard that process," Ovation Fertility said. The suit alleges that Ovation Fertility gave physicians various reasons for the 0% success rate, including blaming temperature levels, pH levels, carbon dioxide and other gas levels and incubator equipment failure -- but the patients were told and believe that hydrogen peroxide was used instead of distilled water. Plaintiffs were allegedly told that Ovation's operations were riddled with incompetence, including hiring inexperienced, cheap, unqualified and untrained employees to cut corners and maximize profits at the expense of patients, according to the suit. The couples allege that one of Ovation's embryologists has previously frozen the wrong embryos on the wrong device, lost embryos during the biopsy process and conducted biopsies of embryos incorrectly, leading to the harm and/or degeneration of embryos -- and that Ovation was aware of mistakes that had led to the loss or destruction of embryos, the lawsuit alleges. MORE: Alabama women describe heartbreak over some IVF treatments stopping following court ruling on embryos The couples also accuse Ovation of actively trying to conceal mistakes made from patients and fertility physicians, according to the lawsuit. The suit alleges Ovation tried to "trick" patients into signing waivers of their claims and non-disparagement agreements. The plaintiffs are asking for an unspecified amount of damages. 'I was completely shocked' Brooke Berger, 37, and her husband, Bennett Hardy, 33, are among the couples named in the new lawsuit. Berger told ABC News Monday that she and Hardy had struggled with fertility issues and began IVF in Colorado, where they were living at the time, in summer 2022. The first transfer resulted in an ectopic pregnancy, according to Berger. She said she needed to have surgery and one of her fallopian tubes had to be removed, so the rest of their embryos were frozen. When Hardy got a job in Orange County, he and Berger moved to Fullerton -- 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles -- where they currently reside, in July 2023. They moved their embryos to Ovation Fertility because it is the clinic their new doctor works with, in November 2023, Berger said. PHOTO: In this undated photo, Brooke Berger, 37 (right), and Bennett Hardy, 33 (left), from Fullerton, Calif., said Ovation Fertility clinic knowingly implanted non-viable embryos after a laboratory accident. (Courtesy of Brooke Berger) "Our last provider, he was a small practice. They stored everything on site, but they took really good care of our embryos," Berger said. "And we just sort of assumed that when we went to the big corporation that had all these resources that they would be probably even safer there, and I've just now learned how sort of naive that assumption was." In the lawsuit, Berger and Bennett, along with the other couples, allege that Ovation Fertility "recklessly and wrongfully ... exposed these embryos to lethal amounts of hydrogen peroxide (or some other caustic agent), which killed them." The lawsuit alleges the clinic knew the embryos were nonviable but did not disclose this to the couples. Berger said she and her husband did a transfer of their last two embryos in January and were allegedly told by their doctors there was a greater than 50% success rate. However, the implantation was unsuccessful. The lawsuit alleges that Ovation Fertility did not reveal what happened to the patients' fertility physicians until late February and early March. Berger said her fertility doctor contacted the couple to tell them what happened about a month and a half after the failed implantation. MORE: 'At what expense?': After Alabama ruling upends IVF, top health official warns of more consequences "I was just completely shocked,' she said. "I really couldn't believe it. ... Hearing what actually happened was just completely shocking. I mean, I don't understand how that kind of mistake could be made." Robert Marcereau, the couple's attorney and the attorney of three other couples in the lawsuit, said he hopes the filing encourages other couples who may have been victims to come forward and share their stories. "Families put their trust in Ovation, who bill themselves as a leader in the fertility industry," he told ABC News. "We have found out tragically, that that's not the case ... and it's important for us to bring this lawsuit not only to try to help these families and get recoveries for them, but also to shine a light on what Ovation is doing and hopefully get some changes made." Berger said after the last transfer was unsuccessful -- before they learned what happened -- both she and her husband were devastated. She said she did not want her husband to see how upset she was. "I went in the very back part of our house I thought was quiet and just cried and cried and cried, and pulled myself together and I came out to the kitchen and saw him sitting there with just a devastated look on his face like he felt he was the cause of all of this," she said. "He wasn't. This is on Ovation's head, and I just don't know if I could forgive them for making my husband look like that." PHOTO: Berger (left) and Hardy (right) struggled with fertility issues and were hoping to conceive via IVF, photo undated. (Courtesy of Brooke Berger) The couple is still planning to try to have children and are currently undergoing ovarian stimulation to try and retrieve more eggs and, subsequently, produce more embryos, according to Berger. They are also looking for a doctor who does not work with Ovation Fertility. By sharing her and Hardy's story, Berger said she hopes this forces Ovation Fertility to make changes to its lab practices to prevent a similar situation from occurring. "I really hope that this draws attention to Ovation's lab practices and that it forces them to make very concrete changes so that this does not happen again," she said. "These are entirely preventable errors, and there's really no excuse for it, and they need to fix this. And if we don't put pressure on them to do this, I don't think anyone else will." 9 more couples sue IVF clinic, alleging staff implanted 'dead' embryos: Lawsuit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) An Abilene man accused of sharing intimate videos of a victim with her child family member has been arrested. Fernando Caballero was taken into custody on a warrant for Publish Intimate Visual Material Saturday in connection to an incident that happened in December 2023. Court documents state the adult victims child family member came forward and reported she had received an inappropriate video on Facebook messenger from Caballero, showing him engaged in sexual activity with the adult victim. The adult victim told detectives, she was unaware of the video being recorded and she did not give him permission to send the tape to anyone, according to the documents. Caballero now remains held in the Taylor County Jail on a $10,000 bond. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Abilene police are searching for a woman in connection to a theft at Ulta. Police circulated pictures of the woman on social media Tuesday, saying she, may have information regarding a theft that occurred at the Ulta store in the Abilene Mall back in March. Anyone with information on this womans whereabouts or identity is asked to contact Abilene Crime Stoppers at (325)676-8477. All tips are guaranteed anonymous! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. A British university has given back four spears taken more than 250 years ago from an aboriginal community in Australia by explorer Captain James Cook. Trinity College Cambridge permanently repatriated the spears to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community at a ceremony Tuesday, according to a joint statement from the college and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), which supported the move. The four spears are the last remaining examples from a collection of 40 which Cooks records show his expedition took from the Gweagal people living at Kamay on April 29, 1770. The spears were pretty much the first point of European contact, particularly British contact with Aboriginal Australia, said Ray Ingrey, director of the Gujaga Foundation, a research organization working in the La Perouse community, in the statement. I think for us its a momentous occasion that where Australias history began, in 1770 on the shores of Botany Bay at Kurnell, the spears that were undoubtedly taken without permission are returned to the rightful people. The spears pictured with a number of those involved in their repatriation. - AIATSIS Cook traveled to Australia and New Zealand on the HMS Endeavour, marking the first known European contact with eastern Australia. The resulting British colonization of Australia resulted in the introduction of foreign diseases, displacement, and massacres against the aboriginal people. The spears were given to Trinity College in 1771 and have been held in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) in Cambridge since the early 20th century. Gweagal Elder Uncle Rod Mason (left) at a spear making cultural camp. - National Museum of Australia Some members of the La Perouse Aboriginal Community are direct descendants of those who crafted the spears, according to the statement. They are an important connection to our past, our traditions, and cultural practices, and to our ancestors, said Noeleen Timbery, chair of the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council, in the statement. Our Elders have worked for many years to see their ownership transferred to the traditional owners of Botany Bay. The college agreed to return the spears in March 2023 after loaning them to museums in Australia in 2015 and 2020. This is an important day at Trinity for all parties involved in what has been a rewarding and respectful process, and ultimately a remarkable journey, said Sally Davies, master of Trinity, in the statement. This is the right decision and Trinity is committed to reviewing the complex legacies of the British empire, not least in our collections. The spears will be displayed at a new visitor center which is going to be constructed at Kurnel, Kamay. Cambridges decision to return the spears to the La Perouse community echoes recent decisions taken by other universities and cultural institutions to return artistic and cultural artifacts that were stolen or looted. Decades of campaigning by Indigenous activists has put pressure on museums to reconsider the provenance of collections and grapple with the cultural legacy of colonialism. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Republicans have started commenting on the Columbia University protests staged in support of Gazaand unsurprisingly, the comments have been lackluster, punitive, and completely beside the point. Columbia University and Barnard College students have been protesting for months against the war in Gaza, including setting up an encampment on campus last week. University officials and police have responded with arrests and disciplinary action, causing the protest, which sought to persuade the institutions to divest from weapons manufacturers and companies doing business with Israel, to spread across the country. Fox Newss Maria Baritromo called the protests barbaric on Tuesday, drawing a completely inaccurate comparison. And yet, you dont see the upset that you saw around January 6, she said, referring to the Capitol insurrection. Maria Bartiromo wonders why people aren't as upset about demonstrations at Columbia as they are about January 6 pic.twitter.com/V4poC5Nyyx Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2024 Unlike the January 6 riots, there have been no reports of buildings being stormed, or law enforcement getting attacked. And contrary to accusations that the demonstration is inherently antisemitic, the protesters held Jewish Shabbat services over the weekend followed by Muslim evening prayers. Screenshot of a tweet David Frum, a senior editor at The Atlantic and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, thought that protesters should lose their student loan forgiveness. Critics were quick to point out that he was effectively saying that poorer students shouldnt be able to peacefully protest on campuses. Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley demanded that the National Guard be called in to subdue the peaceful protesters. Cotton referred to the protest as nascent pogroms. Such comments are not out of character for these two. Cotton has practically made a career out of calling for violence against peaceful protests, including his infamous send in the troops op-ed during the 2020 to Black Lives Matter protests. Hawley, meanwhile, raised his fist right before the January 6 riotonly to be seen running scared through the Capitol once the mob breached the building. Meanwhile, in Gaza, mass graves are being discovered, and the death toll keeps rising even as it becomes harder to count. Student protests continue to spread, not just in the U.S., but even overseas. But the discourse in the United States seems to be over offensive language and not offensive military aid, which continues to get majority votes in Congress. At least since the 1800s, colleges and universities in the United States have emphasized their civic missions. American college students werent just supposed to get better at exams and recitations, they were supposed to develop character traits that would make them better citizens. In the last fifty years, whether one attended a large public university or a small private college, chances are the mission statement of your school included language that emphasized the institutions contribution to the public good. So why today is there a chorus of critics urging higher education leaders to cultivate neutrality, to cede the public sphere to others? I suppose that in these days of social polarization and hyper-partisanship, some see campus life as a retreat from the bruising realities of political life. You can pursue theater or biology, religion or economics, without worrying too much what the person sitting next to you thinks of the political issue of the day. And if your institution has no political commitments, so the thinking seems to go, you may feel more inclined to form your own, or just not to have any at all. Whether one weds this to a monastic view of higher education, or skills-based vocational one, one can feel that university life provides a respite from the take-a-stand demands of the political. While there is certainly freedom in that, it should be remembered that we only have that freedom because of guarantees established by generations of political struggle. One of those fundamental guarantees is the ability to choose ones field of study, to conduct research without political intervention, and to openly discuss the results of ones work. In his forthcoming book Academic Freedom: From Professional Norm to First Amendment Right, David Rabban argues convincingly that academic freedom is a distinctive first amendment right, one which protects teachers and researchers while enabling society as a whole to benefit from the production and dissemination of knowledge. The American Association of University Professors sketched out this foundational professional norm in 1915. Scholars are free to explore issues and to debate them; they should be able to take positions that might turn out to be very unpopular in the broader political realm. Rabban shows how these protections have been protected in a series of court decisions over the last hundred years. Whether teaching the Bible, a contemporary video, or evolutionary biology, professors should not have to worry that political pressures will force them away from a path of inquiry or a mode of expression. Today, though, such worries abound. Libraries are banning books at alarming rates, faculty are being disciplined for their political views, and student rights to protest are being curtailed beyond appropriate time and place guidelines. Issues around the right to speak ones mind are front and center on college campuses, thrust there in part because of protests around the war in Gaza and the spectacle of congressional hearings about antisemitism. Ivy League institutions have attracted the most attention for outbursts of Jew hatred even as scores of civilian hostages from Israel are subject to torture, rape, and brutal isolation. But rejecting the vicious tactics of the war in Gaza, doesnt make one a supporter of terrorist violence; starving Palestinians in Gaza wont secure freedom for the hostages. In these dire conditions, its no wonder that colleges are faced with legitimate protests as well as traditional expressions of prejudice and hate. On campuses across the country, Islamophobia and antisemitic harassment can destroy the conditions for learning, but mass arrests of peaceful protestors and the censorship of speakers for their political views only undermine academic freedom in the long run. In recent years, some progressives have expressed doubts about free speech, describing it as a neo-liberal disguise of existing power relations. Now, however, as those aligned with pro-Palestinian movements are being censured or arrested, the old liberal approach to freedom of expression seems more attractive to many protestors. Historians Ahmna Khalid and Jeffrey Snyder have been writing about these issues, and recently they gave a powerful presentation to a packed house at Wesleyan. They began with a critical appraisal of Floridas various attacks on academic freedom, which on my campus was preaching to the choir. But the speakers went on to discuss how many of efforts that fall under the popular rubric of inclusion are also aimed at suppressing speech ostensibly to protect so-called vulnerable communities. Protecting students against speech in the name of harm reduction is almost always a mistake, they argued. Here, the debate got interesting. And this was their point: debates are only interesting when people are free to disagree, listen to opposing views, change their minds. But they also seemed to agree that in some cases intimidation could be intense enough to warrant restrictions on expression. I call this a safe enough space approach to speech, but in the discussion following their talk it was clear that they thought my pragmatist position left too much room for unwarranted safetyism. There was a real conversation; students and faculty were fully engaged. Read More: The New Antisemitism And that, of course, is when learning happens: when we are engaged in deep listening and in trying to think for ourselves in the company of others. This is what I argue in The Student: A Short History: being a studentat whatever agemeans being open to others in ways that allow one to expand ones thinking, to enhance ones capacities for appreciation, for empathy and for civic participation. That participation energizes a virtuous circle because its by engaging with others that one multiplies possibilities for learning (and then for further engagement). That virtuous circle depends on freedoms in a political context under direct threat from the populist authoritarianism movement led by Donald Trump. When Trump attacks his enemies, when he talks about them as thugs and vermin or proposes his own national university to replace the elites so despised by his base, he is telegraphing his intentions to remake higher education in the image of his MAGA movement. Many academics seem to shrug their shoulders, saying either that other politicians arent so great either, or to suggest (as elites often have when faced with growing fascist threats) that he doesnt really mean what he says. This is a grave mistake, as weve seen before in history. Neutrality, whether based on principle, apathy or cynicism, today feeds collaboration. The attack on democracy, the attack on the rule of law, will also sweep away the freedoms that higher education has won over the last 100 years. We can fight back. Between now and November 5th, many of our students, faculty, staff and alumni will be practicing freedom by participating in the electoral process. They will work on behalf of candidates and in regard to issues bearing on the future of academic freedom, free speech, and the possibilities for full engagement with others. This is challenging work. In the noise of contemporary politics, its hard to practice authentic listening; in the glare of the medias campaign cameras, its hard to see things from someone elses point of view. But that is our task. If we are to strengthen our democracy and the educational institutions that depend on it, we must learn to practice freedom, better. We must learn to be better students. Our future depends on it. Contact us at letters@time.com. NEW YORK (PIX11) The Adams administration will address NYPD officers illegally parking cruisers after the U.S. Department of Justice threatened to sue the police department over the issue, a city official said Tuesday. In March, the Department of Justice issued a warning to the NYPD to stop illegally parking police cruisers on sidewalks, crosswalks and other areas in New York City where they shouldnt be parked. The issue is so widespread that it has become a civil rights violation against people with disabilities who use the citys pedestrian grid, according to federal officials. NYC must pay back $18.8M it kept from children in foster care: advocates If the issue isnt corrected, the Department of Justice may file a lawsuit against the NYPD due to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Meera Joshi, the deputy mayor for operations in New York City, said the NYPDs parking issue is unacceptable and will be addressed. Any vehicle that blocks the path of a pedestrian, especially those with mobility limitations, that is unacceptable, and it is extremely unacceptable when it is a public servants vehicle. So it is a matter that we take seriously, and we will address, Joshi said. Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Department top brass condemned "outside agitators" for fanning the flames of anti-Israel protests at Columbia and New York University as police made more arrests. At his usual Tuesday press conference from City Hall, Adams, a Democrat and former police officer, praised the NYPD's response. "We can't have outside agitators come in and be destructive to our city," Adams said. "Someone wanted something to happen at that protest at NYU." "People who peacefully protest for an issue, they're not throwing bottles [and] chairs," the mayor added. "And so we know that we have acknowledged and saw across the country there are people who come [who] have nothing to do with the issue, and they want to aggravate. Now, if those police officers didn't show a high level of discipline, this could have been an ugly situation." The NYPD confirmed that 120 people were taken into custody by New York University on Monday, including 116 who were released with a summons for trespassing. The department identified four people who were issued desk appearance tickets: Asif Ali, 24, of Queens; Tracy Jawad, 24, of Brooklyn; Bassel Yassein, 27, of Brooklyn; and Harrison Frahn, 22, of Brooklyn. All four were charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, while Ali and Yassein also face a trespassing charge. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS "What I learned during the Black Lives Matter protest, when I was notified under the previous administration that there were anarchists that came into the city with the determination of really disrupting and tearing our city apart," Adams said. "We strongly believe that is the case right now, that there are people who are here. They latch on to any protests to see our police officers having bottles thrown at them, chairs." NYPD officers make arrests at New York University on April 22, 2024. Adams referenced seeing a photo of an officer's helmet dented after a demonstrator struck him in the head with a chair, defending the choice to have officers maintain a presence in riot gear. "They are going to protect themselves from what I believe is a number of people who are really trying to use this to cause violence in our city. And we're going to seek them out, and we're going to identify them," the mayor said, agreeing with NYPD Commissioner Kaz Daughtry in questioning why all the protesters had similar tents at Columbia and NYU. "Was there a fire sale on those tents? So, there's some organizing going on," Adams said. "There's a well-concertive organizing effort. And what's the goal of that organizing? That's what we need to be asking ourselves." Daughtry told WABC Tuesday morning that the department identified "known professional agitators" at Monday nights protests who wanted to "rouse up the mob mentality to agitate the officers to get the officers to react, to get one of them to assault one of the protesters so they can get that image [that shows] Look, Im getting brutally assaulted by the police.'" Protesters are seen at New York University on April 22, 2024. NYC RIOTS: ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS HURL BOTTLES AT NYPD, FORM HUMAN CHAIN AMID MASS ARRESTS NYPD spokesperson Tarik Sheppard, who appeared with Daughtry, described how the NYPD responded. "The landlord, in this case NYU or Columbia, has to invite us in before we can just go onto private property and say that youre trespassing," Daughtry said. "If this was a public street and youre blocking traffic, or if this is a public institution, we would be able to make that assessment ourselves and move in accordingly. However, even on private property, if there were crimes being committed, we do not have to wait for an invite. Obviously, if someone [is] calling 911, we could step in and take action." NYPD officers hold the line at New York University on April 22, 2024. NYU gave students until 4 p.m. to leave on Monday, Daughtry added, describing how the faculty lined up at the back of the campus seemed the "most resistant" to police officers responding to the scene. All 10 House Republicans in the New York delegation, led by House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik, have called for Columbia President Minouche Shafiks resignation after demonstrations over the weekend prompted the Ivy League schools rabbi to warn Jewish students to go home ahead of the start of Passover because campus police and the NYPD could not guarantee their safety. Columbia's leadership called in the NYPD to arrest more than 100 people on Thursday, the day after Shafik was held to account before the House Education and the Workforce Committee in Washington, D.C., over spiraling antisemitism at the university, but demonstrations escalated for several days afterward over the weekend. Police arrested more than 100 students at New York University who continued their anti-Israel demonstration on April 22, 2024. Breaking her silence in an early morning statement Monday, Shafik said she preferred to hold discussions with protesters on campus property without involving police, adding that "Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken." New York Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand condemned the anti-Israel protests at New York Citys campuses, writing in a statement Monday, "I'm appalled at the virulent antisemitism being displayed on Columbia Universitys campus. Threats of violence against Jewish students and the Jewish community are horrible, despicable and wholly unacceptable. Using the rhetoric of terrorists has absolutely no place in New York." Original article source: Adams, NYPD blame 'outside agitators' for fueling anti-Israel protests at Columbia, NYU BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has invited President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held in Baku in November, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ukraine Seymur Mardaliyev said on X, Trend reports. Mardaliyev noted that he met with First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv. "I was honored to hand over the invitation letter of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for participation in COP29 in Baku," the publication says. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) B.K. Bruner said when he was a freshman at OU his mother had a stroke, leaving the 18-year-old to take care of his two younger siblings while she recovered. During that process, I was really struggling to try to help them find food and I couldnt really get a job because my sister was only two at the time, so we didnt have money for daycare, said Bruner. I had to rely on family, friends and my neighbors and they told me about the food bank We didnt have a vehicle. So, I had to walk two miles with my sister to get the food and two miles back. With a two year old, it was extremely difficult. LOCAL NEWS: Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive returns to Oklahoma for 32nd year Anti-Hunger Day at Oklahoma State Capitol. Struggles like his are unfortunately common across the state. Oklahoma is currently the sixth hungriest state in the nation. According to Chris Benard, the CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, more than one in five children and one in seven households in Oklahoma are food insecure. He and Bruner were two of dozens of advocates at the capitol on Monday, pushing for policies that will help end hunger. To let legislators know that this is an issue thats impacting thousands of Oklahomans and that we want to see action on this, said Benard. Weve got tons of our neighbors all over this state who are struggling with this issue day to day or weekly or monthly. The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and the Regional Food Bank were also part of the event. Bruner now works for the Regional Food Bank. While many hunger-related bills have already died this session, one measure theyd like to see pass is Senate Bill 1324. It would create an optional statewide electronic application for free and reduced-price school meals. LOCAL NEWS: City Cares Night Shelter offers Pet Hotel for guests If we can take politics out of feeding kids, Im confident we can get it done, said Benard. The measure passed through the senate and a house committee. It can now be heard on the house floor. We need to start standing firm on our Christian faith and say, lets help our neighbors meet their basic needs, said Bruner. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. The American and Ukrainian flags wave in the wind outside of the Capitol on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington. The Senate is moving ahead with $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate has passed $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars. The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 79-18 vote late Tuesday after the House had approved the package Saturday. Biden, who worked with congressional leaders to win support, said in a statement immediately after passage that he will sign it Wednesday and start the process of sending weapons to Ukraine, which has been struggling to hold its front lines against Russia. Tonight, a bipartisan majority in the Senate joined the House to answer historys call at this critical inflection point, Biden said. The legislation would also send $26 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza, and $8 billion to counter Chinese threats in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. U.S. officials said about $1 billion of the aid could be on its way shortly, with the bulk following in coming weeks. In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that if Congress hadnt passed the aid, America would have paid a price economically, politically, militarily." Very few things we have done have risen to this level of historic importance, he said. On the Senate floor, Schumer said the Senate was sending a message to U.S. allies: We will stand with you. Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made passage of the legislation a top priority, agreeing to tie the Ukraine and Israel aid to help ensure passage and arguing there could be dire consequences for the United States and many of its global allies if Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression is left unchecked. They worked with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to overcome seemingly intractable Republican opposition to the Ukraine aid, in particular eventually winning large majorities in both chambers. McConnell said in a separate interview before the vote that it "is one of the biggest days in the time that Ive been here. At least on this episode, I think we turned the tables on the isolationists," McConnell said. In the end, 31 Republicans voted for the aid package nine more than when the Senate passed a similar version in February, and a majority of the Senate GOP conference. The House approved the package in a series of four votes on Saturday, with the Ukraine portion passing 311-112. The $61 billion for Ukraine comes as the war-torn country desperately needs new firepower and as Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up his attacks. Ukrainian soldiers have struggled as Russia has seized the momentum on the battlefield and gained significant territory. Bidentold Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday the U.S. will send badly needed air defense weaponry as soon as the legislation is passed. The President has assured me that the package will be approved quickly and that it will be powerful, strengthening our air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities, Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Monday. In an effort to gain more votes, Republicans in the House majority also added a bill to the foreign aid package that could ban the social media app TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese owners do not sell their stake within a year. That legislation had wide bipartisan support in both chambers. The TikTok bill was one of several tweaks Johnson made to the package the Senate passed in February as he tried to move the bill through the House despite significant opposition within his conference. Other additions include a stipulation that $9 billion of the economic assistance to Ukraine is in the form of forgivable loans"; provisions that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; and bills to impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl. Those changes appears to have brought some of the nine additional Senate Republicans on board, bringing support to more than half of McConnells conference. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime hawk who voted against the foreign aid package in February because it wasnt paired with legislation to stem migration at the border, was one of the Republicans who switched their votes. If we don't help Ukraine now, this war will spread, and Americans who are not involved will be involved, Graham said. The package has had broad congressional support since Biden first requested the money last summer. But congressional leaders had to navigate strong opposition from a growing number of conservatives who question U.S. involvement in foreign wars and argue that Congress should be focused instead on the surge of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a Republican who is a close ally to Donald Trump, said that despite the strong showing of support for funding Ukraines defense, opposition is growing among Republicans. The United States is spread too thin," Vance said, "And that argument, I think, is winning the American people and its slowly winning the Senate, but its not going to happen overnight. The growing fault line in the GOP between those conservatives who are skeptical of the aid and the more traditional Reagan Republicans" who strongly support it may prove to be career-defining for the two top Republican leaders. McConnell, who has made the Ukraine aid a top priority, said last month that he would step down from leadership after becoming increasingly distanced from many in his conference on the Ukraine aid and other issues. Johnson, who said he put the bills on the floor after praying for guidance, faces threats of an ouster after a majority of Republicans voted against the aid to Ukraine. Johnson said after House passage that we did our work here, and I think history will judge it well." Opponents in the Senate, like the House, included some left-wing senators who are opposed to aiding Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bombarded Gaza and killed thousands of civilians. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., voted against the package. We must end our complicity in this terrible war, Sanders said. View of the door sign to the office of AfD MEP Maximilian Krah. An aide to a far-right German member of the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, in the latest espionage case to come to light in Germany. Robert Michael/dpa An aide to a far-right German member of the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, in the latest espionage case to come to light in Germany. The suspect, an employee of lawmaker Maximilian Krah of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), is said to have passed on information from the European Parliament to China, prosecutors said. Federal prosecutors reported the arrest in Dresden on Tuesday, without linking the arrest to Krah, who is the AfD's top candidate in upcoming European elections. Prosecutors said the suspect had also spied on Chinese opposition members in Germany. Krah initially reacted cautiously to reports of the arrest. "I learned of the arrest of my colleague Jian Guo this morning from the press," he wrote on X. "I have no further information. Spying for a foreign state is a serious accusation. Should the allegations prove to be true, this would result in the immediate termination of his employment." The AfD party leadership has scheduled a crisis meeting, and Krah is on his way to Berlin, party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla announced on Tuesday afternoon. "We will sit down with him this evening or tomorrow morning at the latest," said Chrupalla. "We see it as absolutely worrying if, of course, an employee here has been detained." Chrupalla and Weidel did not respond to questions from journalists as to whether Krah was still the right person to be the AfD's top candidate for the European elections. "The reports about the arrest of an employee of Mr Krah on suspicion of espionage are very worrying. As we currently have no further information on the case, we must await further investigations by the Federal Public Prosecutor General," said the AfD's federal office on Tuesday. China, meanwhile, rejected allegations that it had been carrying out spying operations in Germany, describing the claims as slanderous. "The intention behind this hype is quite obvious, namely to slander and suppress China and undermine the atmosphere of cooperation between China and Europe," said a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Tuesday. China has always adhered to the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, the spokesman said. Germany's "Cold War mentality" must be overcome, he said. The announcement of the political aide's detention comes a day after three Germans were arrested in western Germany on suspicion of spying for the Chinese secret service. They were suspected to have been discussing research projects that could be useful for the expansion of China's maritime combat power, according to the prosecutors. Last week, two German-Russian nationals were arrested in southern Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described the latest espionage allegations on Tuesday as "extremely serious." "If it is confirmed that spying for Chinese intelligence services was taking place from within the European Parliament then this is an attack from within European democracy," Faeser said in Berlin. The accusation of spying on members of the Chinese opposition in Germany is just as serious, she said. "Anyone who employs such an employee also bears responsibility for this," Faeser said. "All connections and backgrounds must be investigated. Our security authorities, above all the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution [domestic intelligence agency], have massively strengthened their counter-espionage measures." They are protecting themselves against hybrid threats from Russia, but also against espionage from China, she said. "The current investigative successes show that." Maximilian Krah, Alternative for Germany (AfD) lead candidate for the European elections, speaks at a rally organized by his party on Schlossplatz. An employee of a German member of the European Parliament, lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has been detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, according to security sources. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa Air defence responds to Russian drones in Kyiv An air defence mobile fire group. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Explosions rocked the city of Kyiv on the night of 22-23 April, as air defence was responding to a Russian drone attack. Source: Ukrainska Pravda; Ukraines Air Force; Kyiv City Military Administration Details: Ukraines Air Force reported that the Russians were bombarding the capital with attack drones from the southwest. Quote from Kyiv City Military Administration: "Air defence is responding in Kyiv. Stay in shelters until the all-clear is given!" Updated: The all-clear was given at 04:04. Support UP or become our patron! How is your personal stress? How much sleep did you get last night? Do you need to use hazardous materials or chemicals to complete your next task, and how is the lighting in the workspace? Those are just some of the questions that Air Education and Training Command wants its aircraft maintainers to answer on a new worksheet it rolled out in February. Air Forces costliest accidents, maintainer injuries rose in 2023 The two-page questionnaire is intended to help determine how safe an airmans work environment and their mental state may be before starting any high-risk maintenance work, ranging from hoisting and towing an aircraft to checking landing gears or loading munitions. Maintenance-related mishaps, including preventable accidents during engine checks and while towing aircraft, have cost AETC more than $50 million since September 2018, the command said in February. But fiscal year 2023 saw an alarming spike in those accidents, prompting the training branch to look for new ways to enforce its safety precautions. Overall, the Air Force recorded 75 major non-combat mishaps during FY23, including 21 that occurred during ground maintenance nearly double the maintenance incidents of the previous year, according to Air Force Safety Center data obtained by Air Force Times. Figures were current as of April 1. AETC recorded a total of 11 Class A and Class B mishaps in FY23, most of which occurred in flight. Three took place during ground maintenance, including two separate incidents in which F-35 jets sucked foreign objects into their engines, and one instance in which an F-16s engine erupted in flames while being checked. In comparison, AETC logged one Class A ground operations accident in FY22 and zero in FY21, Air Force safety data shows. Contractor crushed by T-38 jet suffered broken ribs, spinal fractures Class A accidents involve a death or permanent total disability, destruction of a military aircraft, damages of more than $2.5 million, or a combination of those criteria. Class B mishaps cause between $600,000 and $2.5 million in damages, a permanent partial disability, inpatient hospitalization of three or more personnel. While the Air Force said no one was directly injured in AETCs worst maintenance mishaps, they can lead to serious injury. For instance, in February 2023, a contractor working on an Air Combat Command-owned T-38A Talon at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, was crushed when the jet collapsed on him while he was lubricating the aircrafts landing gear, leaving him with multiple broken bones. An Air Force investigation found the unnamed man had removed a safety pin that allowed the landing gear to retract without other precautions in place. Ground mishaps within AETC really clued us in to realize that we needed to foster a stronger risk-management and safety mindset in the maintenance community, Col. Will Phillips, the commands safety director, told Air Force Times. How it works AETCs new questionnaire is similar to the checklist completed by fighter crews in preflight briefings to tally mission risks and will create a more standardized, repeatable process to measure factors that could contribute to an accident before starting a potentially dangerous task, Phillips said. Thousands of Air Force maintainers to test new risk worksheet AETC maintainers perform tasks that risk their own health and welfare, and they also risk aircraft damage when they have to do these tasks everyday, but their tasks are mission-essential, Phillips said. The commands approximately 7,600 active duty and civilian maintainers will use the worksheet, which takes about 10 minutes to complete. It does not yet apply to contractors, though Phillips said thats being considered. The paperwork is to be completed by each person before starting a new task. If the same task is being performed throughout the day, like towing aircraft, it only needs to be completed once. However, if a factor changes that can increase risk, like weather, maintainers are required to complete a new worksheet. The tool is also not intended to replace a departmental knock-it-off instruction intended to empower personnel from stopping a task they feel is too risky. Top Air Force recruiter predicts maintainer, security forces shortage This process equips personnel and supervisors to objectively assess risk and alert leadership when task, human, and environmental factors may accumulate to create an unacceptable level of risk, instructions accompanying the worksheet said. Scores in each area human, environmental and task risks are separately tallied; the team lead should be briefed on each, with a focus on how to mitigate them. A moderate score in any area requires approval to proceed from a flight, section chief or expeditor; a high score requires the OK from a production superintendent. The concept is, once you have a team of people and they put together an understanding of what their aggregate risk is, if it rises to a certain level, then they elevate that to their supervisor and their supervisor can then look at say, OK, can I swap a person? Can we push this to the day shift? Can we add another person to the crew thats more experienced? Phillips said. What are those measures I can take to buy down risk? The worksheets can be thrown out at the end of a shift, but must be kept if a mishap occurs. Phillips said some maintenance units are keeping the sheets anyway to get a better finger on the pulse of the data at a more macro level. The information can help units track trends, including where resources or a lack of them could be driving risk in an already stretched-thin maintainer community that has struggled to keep up with aging aircraft and a high operational tempo. The sheet could also become a tool to help units connect struggling airmen with support services. Will this form encourage leaders to have a better understanding of whats going on with their folks? The answer to that is we hope so, Phillips said. While some may feel the added paperwork amounts to micromanaging or even policing airmen, Phillips said thats not the intent. But the command is conscious of that perspective as it seeks honest answers. Thats why AETC expects an initial question about alcohol consumption in the last 24 hours to change to something more generally related to health. We can meet them in the middle by asking less specific questions, Phillips said, and still achieve the baseline objective of a good assessment. The command expects to tweak the questionnaire as it receives feedback and will eventually release a new form. Its almost impossible to know how many potential accidents may be avoided. But thanks to the worksheet, Phillips said he hopes to hear from units about instances when maintainers flagged risks and stopped upcoming work as a result. AETC plans to share the results of its initiative with the other major commands. If it canceled a sortie, I would love to know about that so we can begin to understand, Phillips said. Maybe a point value needed to be adjusted. Maybe we need to include something else, or maybe we need to remove something from the form. Were trying to find that balance between risk and mission, he said. A Florida alligator harboring apparent dreams to one day serve as an Air Force pilot sadly did not have the chomps for the role. Officials at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, shared Monday on social media that a gator who wandered onto the flightline was quickly wrangled and relocated to a nearby river with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The gator is now in the Hillsborough River, the base said on social media. It suggested in the cheeky post that another infamous alligator, nicknamed Elvis, who local outlets previously reported was known to frequent the area, may have driven the recent amphibious animal away from his home. The episode marks the latest example of an alligator wriggling its way onto a flightline. After finding out earning wings was out of the question, the toothy wannabe airman elected to moonlight as a Florida-style chock block, positioning himself between the wheels of an aircraft. Some comments online suggested the semiaquatic beasts inactive CAC card or his poor navi-gator skills led him to be escorted off base, but allig-edly it was his snappy attitude that caused his runway removal. Dont even think about it: North Carolina Marines told not to feed alligator prowling near barracks Despite his propensity to one day serve as a reptile-Raptor airman or a lizard-Lancer pilot, and hopes that like his distant cousin who enlisted in the Australian armed forces he too might find love in the military, the scaly creature was only given a cold-blooded, See you later. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The Azerbaijani delegation presents its oral argument at the hearing of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the "Azerbaijan v. Armenia" case, ongoing on the basis of Armenia's preliminary objections, Trend reports referring to the ICJ. The Azerbaijani delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov. To note, on April 15, preliminary hearings took place at the International Court of Justice regarding Azerbaijan's claim against Armenia. Public hearings addressed Azerbaijan's preliminary objections in the court concerning Armenia's application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) against Azerbaijan. Public hearings on Azerbaijan's preliminary claims in the case concerning the appeal of the International Court of Justice Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) concluded on April 19. According to information, Azerbaijan presented the following demands to the court: - Dismiss Armenia's appeal entirely, citing that none of its claims meet the necessary level before the court due to Armenia's failure to adhere to the negotiation preconditions outlined in Article 22 of ICERD. - Alternatively, or in addition, declare that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over Armenia's claims of Azerbaijan's breach of obligations. It was mentioned that the court had commenced an internal deliberation, and the decision date will be disclosed during a later public session to be announced. Alabama Senate approves bill that would keep Joe Biden on the state ballot U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on canceling student debt at Culver City Julian Dixon Library on February 21, 2024 in Culver City, California. The Alabama Senate Tuesday approved a bill that would keep Biden on the state ballot. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) A bill that would allow Joe Bidens name to appear on the Alabama ballot in November passed the Senate floor Tuesday. SB 324, sponsored by Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, would require parties to certify their candidates 74, rather than 82, days before an election and adjusts other timelines accordingly. What this does in essence is it changes the certification made of the nomination of a party, Coleman said. The bill passed unanimously, without discussion. In a letter to the national and state Democratic parties last week, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, a Republican, said that the president might not appear on the ballot in November because the Democratic National Convention, which will start in Chicago on Aug. 19, will take place after the Aug. 15 deadline to certify candidates. A woman in a red dress looking up Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, looks at the Alabama Senate gallery on April 23, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) In 2020, the Republican National Convention took place after the Aug. 13 deadline that year. The Legislature extended the deadline to Aug. 20, but the RNC started on Aug. 24. Then-Secretary of State John Merrill, accepted a provisional nomination from the party on Aug. 20 and a full nomination on Aug. 27, after the convention concluded. Allen said he will not accept a provisional ballot from the Democrats this year. While there was no discussion ahead of the vote, Senate party leaders spoke on the bill after it passed. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed, R-Jasper, said it was important that the bill moved forward. I think the idea that we have open and true and solid debate in the political process is something that is very important, not only in Alabama, but in America, he said. Reed also acknowledged that the Republican Party had missed the deadline in the past and said they worked similarly in the past. I just want you to know that I support this, he said. Reed also posted a statement on social media that accused Biden of trying to keep former President Donald Trump off of the ballot through meritless court cases. The former president is currently on trial in New York on charges of falsifying financial records to cover up hush money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign to an adult film star with whom Trump was allegedly having an affair. A Senate committee last week amended HB 259, a bill requiring post-election audits sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wood, R-Valley, to include the language in Colemans bill. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, thanked Reed and said Woods bill as amended would do the same thing as Colemans. That bill may be in a better position to get passed, he said. The bill needs three days to pass; there are six days left in the session. Woods bill would only need one day, barring a House conference committee on changes. This is the Commander in Chief of the United States, period, Singleton said. The bill moves to the House of Representatives. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Alabama Senate approves bill that would keep Joe Biden on the state ballot appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, stands on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 16, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Senate Healthcare Committee Wednesday approved a bill that would reduce the number of physician referrals a patient needs for physical therapy. HB 232, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, would allow physical therapists to conduct initial screenings of patients for nonwork related injuries or conditions. This bill is a provisional direct access for physical therapy. It essentially takes our current limited [access] and adds a little bit of opportunity for access to go in under certain circumstances, Hulsey said in her introduction. The legislation passed the committee on a 12-0 vote. A law passed in 2012 requires most patients to get a referral from a physician for each visit. The law provides exceptions for children with a diagnosed developmental disability and nursing home patients. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, Alabama is the only state in the U.S. with limited direct access after Mississippi approved a law this year remove the restrictions. This means that access to physical therapy care is only available under certain criteria. 22 states have what is considered unrestricted direct access, while 27 states have direct access with some provisions/restrictions. A 2018 review of nearly 1,600 studies suggests that access to physical therapy without referral resulted in fewer treatments, visits to physicians, imaging tests, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and less need for secondary care. Patients also reported higher satisfaction with the service compared to physician-referred treatments. Direct access was associated with lower costs per patient. But patients accessing physical therapy without a referral had a higher education level and were younger in age. They also tended to have less severe conditions and were mostly experiencing issues related to the spine. The bill would require that only a physical therapist meeting specific education requirements may treat patients without a referral, as well as clarifying who may refer a patient to physical therapy. Patients paying with cash dont need a referral in any case. The sponsor did not provide a reason, but according to the American Physical Therapy Association, cash-based models let physical therapists work outside of insurance limitations, giving them more flexibility in caring for their patients. Under the bill, physical therapists could not order or interpret medical imaging, such as X-rays or prescribe any prescription medication. The bill would exempt referrers from civil and criminal liability any service or act by a physical therapist or other individual providing physical therapy services without a referral. Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, the chair of the committee who sponsored a similar bill in 2023, said after the meeting that the bill is a compromise between physicians and physical therapists. Its got some better safeguards in it that they didnt necessarily want, but it wasnt going to pass any other way, Melson said. Emmett Parker, co-chair of government affairs with the Alabama chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, said that the care a physical therapist provides is different and complementary to medical care. For example, a physician would treat the injury, while the physical therapist would treat movement dysfunction associated with the injury. Sometimes, Parker said, there are times that there is no injury associated with movement dysfunction. Those are people sometimes that we need to treat. They wouldnt need physicians, Parker said. Kathy Miller, executive director of the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy, said after the meeting that the board does not have an official position on the bill, but when asked whether the compromises made the bill better or worse, she said, I think it made everybody happy. The bill heads to the Senate for consideration. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Alabama Senate committee approves compromise bill on physical therapy access appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Alaska Senate considers plan that would allow teens to independently seek mental health care Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, speaks about Senate Bill 88, the Senate majority's new public employee pension proposal, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) To address a surge in mental health problems among young Alaskans, the Alaska Senate is considering whether to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to seek therapy without their parents permission. On Wednesday, the Senate is scheduled to vote on Senate Bill 240, a proposal introduced by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and amended by Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage. Giessels amendment, adopted by a 3-2 vote in the Senate Health and Social Services Committee last month, would lower to 16 years old the age at which teens can get therapy but not medication without permission from an adult. Thirty-three states allow residents younger than 18 to independently obtain mental health care, and four states California, Illinois, Maryland and Nevada allow it as young as 12. In real life, Im an advanced nurse practitioner, Giessel told members of the committee in March. I volunteer in schools, in school-based clinics. In that venue, I screen for behavioral and mental health issues It is astonishing to me the things that our young people today are having to deal with. Nationwide, surveys have found a surge in the number of teenagers and young adults experiencing mental health problems. A 2021 national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the latest available found 42% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, almost double the figure from 10 years before. More than one in five high school students said they considered attempting suicide. Speaking about Alaskas leading causes of death in 2022, state health data experts wrote, Intentional Self-Harm (Suicide) was the LCOD for teens and young adults aged 15-24 years. Sen. Loki Tobin, D-Anchorage, said she supports the bill. We have heard from many of our students about the crisis they are experiencing, and that crisis stems from a lack of support for mental health services, she said on Monday. Giessel said that in her work at school-based clinics, she frequently hears requests from students for mental health care, but when they learn that they need a parents permission, Commonly, the childs face falls. Often, theyre being cared for by a grandparent, or a single parent working multiple jobs, Giessel said, and that permission never comes. Over the past two years, Giessel said, shes frequently heard from behavioral health organizations. Every one of those organizations, every one, has agreed that we need to lower the age of consent so that a 16-year-old would be able to say that yes, I need help, and I am consenting to those services, she said. Trevor Storrs, president and CEO of the Alaska Childrens Trust, is one of those organizations. We do support it. We support the concept, whether it goes with this bill or not, Storrs said. We see this amendment strengthening behavioral health. We have heard from providers and parents and most specifically, youth, that one of the barriers accessing and asking for help is first having to go through parents. Not everyone likes the idea of lowering the age to independently receive therapy. After Giessels amendment was adopted in committee, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District School Board passed a resolution opposing it. The Mat-Su Frontiersman newspaper, which covered the local debate, reported that school board members were concerned about whether the idea sets a precedent for school districts offering services without parents approval. Im glad this is being looked at, but the family and parents need to be involved, said Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, speaking on Monday. Giessels amendment does require some parental involvement: The bill says that after a teenager starts therapy, the behavioral or mental health professional shall contact the minors parents and offer to provide services to the family, unless doing so would clearly be harmful to the teenager. The bill also forbids medication without parental approval and doesnt apply to hospital treatment, only outpatient care. Those clauses didnt assuage all critics. Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, asked the Senate on Monday to consider a different version of the bill, one without Giessels amendment, but that failed on a 13-7 vote, setting up the amended proposal for a final Senate vote on Wednesday, and a successful vote would send the bill to the House for further work. The bill doesnt deal with other problems, including payment for services that teens might request. SB 240 was originally written to allow school districts to bill Medicaid if they treat a Medicaid-eligible student, but the state Department of Health said it believes that billing wouldnt be possible without parental consent. That suggests a student operating without that consent might have to navigate health care billing on their own, but the situation regarding payment is evolving and might change, a Giessel aide said. The post Alaska Senate considers plan that would allow teens to independently seek mental health care appeared first on Alaska Beacon. CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nine months into the U.S. launch of the first drug proven to slow the advance of Alzheimer's, Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi is facing an unexpected hurdle to widespread use: an entrenched belief among some doctors that treating the memory-robbing disease is futile. Alzheimer's experts had anticipated bottlenecks due to Leqembi's requirements, which include additional diagnostic tests, twice-monthly infusions and regular brain scans to guard against potentially lethal side effects. And those issues have played a role in slow adoption since the drug was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to interviews with 20 neurologists and geriatricians from rural, urban, academic and community practices in 19 states. In interviews with Reuters, seven doctors treating patients for Alzheimer's attributed their own reluctance to prescribe Leqembi to concerns about the drug's efficacy, cost and risks. "I don't think it's a good Alzheimer's drug. I think that's the problem," said Dr. James Burke, a neurologist at the Ohio State University who has been an outspoken critic of Leqembi. "It's certainly nothing like the home run that we're looking for." Another six scientists, all leaders in the field, said "therapeutic nihilism" the belief that Alzheimer's is a hopelessly intractable disease was playing a bigger role than anticipated in suppressing demand from primary care doctors, geriatricians and neurologists who could be sending patients to memory specialists for treatment. Dr. Reisa Sperling, a neurologist and Alzheimer's researcher at Mass General Brigham in Boston, likens some doctors' skepticism to Leqembi to fatalistic attitudes about cancer treatment 30 years ago: "You can't really do anything about it, so why would you even want to get tested?" Alex Scott, Eisai's chief administrative officer, acknowledged that skepticism has weighed on the launch along with slower-than-expected adoption by large health systems. He suggested that some of the doctors' hesitancy could be a holdover from the decades-long journey to prove that removing the Alzheimer's protein beta amyloid from the brain could slow the course of the disease. Before Esai released the promising results of its Leqembi trial, some thought that area of research "a fool's errand," Scott said. "We are beginning to make more and more progress every single month. So we're still quite encouraged," Scott said. "This is a new journey, and I think it takes some time for providers to figure it out." 'SIGNIFICANT RISKS, MARGINAL BENEFIT' Leqembi was the first amyloid-targeting drug granted full FDA approval after it slowed the decline in cognition in people in the early stages of Alzheimer's by 27% in a clinical trial. Of the 10,000 Americans the companies hoped to treat by the end of March, Eisai announced only a couple thousand had begun treatment as of the end of January. An Eisai spokeswoman declined to provide updated numbers. Even for treatments that do not require dramatic changes to medical practice, adoption of new drugs is notoriously slow. Several studies have estimated that it can take 17 years on average for clinical research to be translated into routine practice. The disease is estimated to affect more than 6 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Fewer than half of U.S. neurologists recommend Leqembi to patients, according to a January survey by life sciences market researcher Spherix Global Insights. Dr. Michael Greicius, a professor at Stanford University's Center for Memory Disorders, said there is little evidence that Leqembi benefits patients in a meaningful way. "If we take the trial result at face value, the differences between placebo and treatment are likely small enough as to be undetectable by patients and family members or physicians," said Greicius, who does not recommend Leqembi to patients. He said the long wait for an Alzheimer's drug has put doctors in the position of feeling obligated to offer a treatment "even if the evidence for it is very slim." Other doctors have raised concerns about the risk of brain swelling and bleeding associated with Leqembi as well as the costs associated with the $26,500 annual drug, frequent MRIs and twice-monthly infusions. "There are significant risks associated with these drugs, there are significant costs, and I would say there is marginal benefit," said Dr. Eric Widera, a geriatrician and professor at University of California San Francisco, referring to amyloid-lowering treatments. In an editorial published in November in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing, Donna Fick, president of the American Geriatrics Society, advised doctors that the group recommends caution in the use of lecanemab, which is sold under the brand name of Leqembi. "It is not yet clear whether treatments such as lecanemab that remove amyloid from the brain produce clinically important slowing of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease." 'YOUR ENEMY IS NIHILISM' Dr. Jonathan Liss, a neurologist from Columbus, Georgia, who serves on Eisai's scientific advisory board and has tested Leqembi in clinical trials, said he first warned about nihilism at a November 2022 conference following a presentation of Leqembi's breakthrough study. Eisai had asked its scientific advisors how the drug might fare against future rivals. Liss cautioned that rivals were not the enemy; "your enemy is nihilism,'" he recalled. "All of the neurologists around the table started applauding." Dr. Nathaniel Chin, a geriatrician with the University of Wisconsin's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, said he was the target of negative comments on social media after he urged geriatricians to embrace such treatments in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Geriatricians, geriatric social workers and nurses objected, arguing that the drug's statistically significant benefit was not clinically meaningful to patients, especially given the risks, he said. "I would ask the question, 'Is it ethical to withhold a medication that is FDA-approved and covered by insurance from someone who knows the risk and is willing to take it?'" Chin said. Dr. Priya Singhal, executive vice president and head of development at Biogen, acknowledged some apathy among physicians about the treatment but said that infrastructure and lack of access to neurologists have been bigger issues. Singhal said the companies are working with physician and patient advocacy groups and developing educational programs and materials aimed at diagnosing early-stage patients, managing side effects and understanding the drug's benefits. The companies said they intend to increase their salesforce by 30% as they aim for 100,000 patients by 2026. For the moment, Leqembi is the only Alzheimer's drug on the market designed to slow the course of the disease. A decision on Lilly's donanemab has been delayed until the FDA convenes an advisory panel. Lilly neuroscience president Anne White said in an interview that she sees doctor hesitancy as an issue that the company hopes to address by making clear which patients benefit from such treatments. In the early stages of Alzheimer's, many patients are still independent, and to be able to remain so for longer is very meaningful, she said. 'PEACE AND QUIET' Lyn Castellano, 64, who founded and ran a St. Louis breast cancer charity for 20 years and trained therapy dogs, started taking Leqembi last September, nearly a year after she found herself struggling with keeping track of appointments and was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Castellano said the prospect of bleeding in the brain a possible side effect of the drug - was her biggest concern, but her family believed the drug may offer a chance at slowing the disease. She is one of more than 140 patients being treated by physicians from Washington University in St. Louis, and has had 13 infusions and two MRIs without incident. Dr. Suzanne Schindler, an Alzheimer's researcher who is treating Castellano, said Leqembi "forces clinicians to completely change the way they have practiced medicine for many years." She said she is candid about Leqembi's modest benefit as well as the risks. About 80% of those she believes are good candidates have opted for the treatment, she said. While Castellano can't tell if Leqembi is helping, she says the treatment has given her hope, and she doesn't mind the twice monthly infusions. "I get to go, sit back in a nice chair, have my dog with me and read a book for a couple hours. It's about the only place I get some peace and quiet." (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; editing by Caroline Humer and Suzanne Goldenberg) Ambassador: Ukraine in talks to set up joint production of Patriot systems Kyiv is pushing Washington for the joint production of Patriot air defense systems to help Ukraine fend off Russia's war, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said in an interview with European Pravda on April 23. Ukraine is facing a shortage of air defense systems amid an uptick in Russian attacks on population centers and energy infrastructure. U.S.-made Patriot systems are highly effective at intercepting Russia's ballistic and cruise missiles. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to protect the country from Russian attacks, but Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he is for now focused on securing seven to protect Ukraine's largest cities. The joint production of Patriots was one of the top issues discussed during Zelensky's visits to the U.S., according to Markarova. "This is a major global strategic task and an element of economic cooperation. But it is also an increase in combat capability and production of the capabilities that Ukraine needs immediately," the ambassador said. Representatives of Ukrainian and U.S. businesses have already reportedly met to discuss investment and cooperation not only in weapons, but also in materials needed to launch the production. "We should start producing a lot of products ourselves, at least components, and at most already completed products," Markarova added. Ukraine has agreements on joint defense production with a number of countries, including the U.S. Kyiv and Washington signed a statement of intent on the co-production of weapons in December 2023. The agreement between the two nations will reportedly contribute to the construction of production facilities in Ukraine to supply the military with arms, in particular air defense equipment and ammunition, as well as repair and maintenance services. Read also: Media: Greece preparing to give Ukraine at least 1 Patriot system, possibly 2 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Tuesday New Mexico State Police released that the white Hyundai Sonata involved in the recent Amber Alert has been located, but 10-year-old Carlos Hernandez is still missing. NMSP also reports they believe he is still with Angelique but their method of travel is unknown. Monday NMSP issued an Amber Alert for the 10-year-old. Police say he was abducted by his non-custodial mother, Angelique Sanchez, 39, and was last seen around 1 p.m. Monday at 1041 Lamberton Place in northeast Albuquerque. According to NMSP, on Monday the pair was last seen traveling in a white Hyundai Sonata with a New Mexico chile license plate reading BDJZ56. Carlos is 4 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 60 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair. Angelique is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair. NMSP spotted Carlos with Angelique Monday at around 12:30 p.m. at New Mexico Human Services. However, as officers attempted to contact Angelique, she fled the area in the Sonata with Carlos inside the vehicle. Police say she rammed into an NMSP patrol vehicle while fleeing the scene and was last seen driving the wrong way on Menaul Boulevard. NMSP did not initiate a pursuit because Carlos was in the vehicle. Sanchez had her parental rights suspended by the courts after she struck Carlos at a methadone clinic. She has had a warrant out for her arrest since April 12, after she did not return him after being allowed to see him over spring break. A counselor at Carlos school advised his legal guardian that Sanchez was attempting to enroll the child at a new school. Anyone with information is asked to call NMSP at 505-841-9256 or 911. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Amber Alert issued for baby who may be with former police officer suspected in 2 murders Editor's note: The Amber Alert issued for Roman has been canceled as he was found safe. The suspect Elias Huizar was found dead. Click here for the latest details on this story. Authorities in Washington state have issued an Amber Alert for a 1-year-old boy after police said a former police officer reportedly killed two women his wife and ex-girlfriend and allegedly kidnapped the baby. Washington State Patrol issued the alert Monday night on behalf of the West Richland Police Department, who reported the baby, identified as Roman Huizar, missing. Authorities in Washington state issued an Amber Alert for a 1-year-old boy Roman Huizar on April 22, 2024. The baby is believed to be traveling with his relative, 39-year-old Elias Huizar, who is wanted on two homicide charges and considered armed and dangerous. The city of West Richland is in Benton County about 35 miles north of the Oregon state line. The child' father, 39-year-old Elias Huizar, is wanted on two homicide charges, police also announced Monday. Missing California woman: 21-year-old 'at-risk' woman missing after weekend hike; search ongoing Police: Elias Huizar killed his ex-wife, girlfriend before fleeing with baby According to information from law enforcement, Huizar killed a woman outside William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, Washington on Monday then fled the scene before officers arrived. While later serving a search warrant at Huizar's home, West Richland Police reported, detectives and partner agencies discovered a second womans body at his residence. Police have not released additional details about the women's deaths including how they were killed. Authorities in Washington state issued an Amber Alert for a 1-year-old boy Roman Huizar on April 22, 2024. The baby is believed to be traveling with his relative, 39-year-old Elias Huizar, who is wanted on two homicide charges and considered armed and dangerous. As of Tuesday police had not released the victims' names. USA TODAY has reached out to West Richland police. Missing baby and father last spotted in Portland On Tuesday morning, West Richland police reported that Huizar was seen in Portland, Oregon overnight, possibly driving a black sedan. "All resources are following up on this lead," the agency wrote in the post. Missing Wisconsin toddler Elijah Vue: Boy's blanket found as search continues Elias Huizar is former police officer in Yakima Huizar is a former police officer with the Yakima Police Department, the agency's spokesperson Yvette Inzunza told USA TODAY Tuesday. The city of Yakima is about 70 miles northwest of where the baby disappeared. Huizar was hired by the agency in 2013 and resigned in February of 2022, Inzunza said. Authorities in Washington state issued an Amber Alert for a 1-year-old boy Roman Huizar on April 22, 2024. The baby is believed to be traveling with his relative, 39-year-old Elias Huizar, who is wanted on two homicide charges and considered armed and dangerous. USA TODAY has also reached out to Yakima police. Double homicide suspect Elias Huizar considered armed and dangerous Police said its possible Huizar and the child may be heading to Mexico. Investigators said he is considered armed and considered dangerous, and likely to "commit more violent crimes." Officials have not said whether the baby belongs to one of the homicide victims. Alabama Amber Alert children safe: Children focus of Amber Alert, abduction investigation located What does Elias Huizar look like? At 9:45 p.m. on April 22 an Amber Alert was issued for Roman in a 2009 silver Toyota Corolla, West Richard Police Department said in a press conference on Tuesday. Huizar is believed to be the suspect driving the vehicle. The alert displayed the license plate CBZ-745. Police described Huizar as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hat, black long-sleeve shirt, light blue jeans and black shoes. AMBER Alert- West Richland, WA- UPDATE pic.twitter.com/mWUyJMqV7p WSP Missing Person Alerts (@WSPMissingPers1) April 23, 2024 According to an Amber Alert poster, the baby is 2 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 25 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone who spots the suspect or the baby is asked to call 911. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police search for Elias Huizar, Amber Alert issued for Roman Huizar BREAKING UPDATE: Authorities say a former police officer wanted for kidnapping his son after allegedly killing two people in Washington state shot himself after a police chase ended on Interstate 5 north of Eugene, Oregon, on Tuesday afternoon. His 1-year-old son is safe in police custody, while the suspects current condition is unknown at this time, according to authorities. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Earlier story below: PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A former Washington state police officer is accused of killing two people and kidnapping his 1-year-old son, spurring a multi-state manhunt in Washington and Oregon after he was spotted at a Portland area convenience store, according to authorities. The Plaid Pantry on Hayden Island in Portland, April 23, 2024 (KOIN) Elias Huizar, a former Yakima police officer who was also a school resource officer and a substitute teacher, is wanted after fleeing the scene of a shooting at William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, Washington, on Monday afternoon where his ex-wife, Amber Marie Rodriguez, was gunned down, police said. A GoFundMe has been created by community members to support Marie Rodriguezs surviving children and help with other costs associated with laying her to rest. According to KIRO in Seattle, it was later discovered that another female was found dead in Huizars home. That persons identity has not been released by authorities. Multnomah County deputies investigating suspicious circumstance on I-84 Police believe that the 39-year-old Huizar also kidnapped his son and that he may be fleeing to Mexico. An Amber Alert was issued late Monday night. According to West Richland police, Portland police told them that Huizar was seen in Portland overnight driving a black sedan. It is believed that Huizar was spotted at a North Portland Plaid Pantry around 12:40 a.m. Tuesday, the companys CEO told KOIN 6. Unplanned outage at Oregon DMV impacts license renewals After reviewing the security tapes, Plaid Pantry CEO Jonathan Polonsky told KOIN 6 that he believes Huizar was spotted early Tuesday morning at the Plaid Pantry on Hayden Island. Polonsky added the tapes were then turned over to Portland police for review. PPB confirmed a store clerk had called 911 to report seeing Huizar purchase a drink with a child in the backseat of the vehicle he was driving. Later in the morning, a vehicle matching the description of the one Huizar was driving was reported near the Bridal Veil exit off Interstate 84. Police responded to the area but said they were unable to locate the vehicle. The boy was described as 2 foot, 6 inches and 25 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KOIN Breaking News Alerts Elias Huizar is described as being 5 foot 6 inches, 170 pounds and also has brown hair and brown eyes. He served as a Yakima police officer from June 2013 to February 2022. If caught, Huizar faces charges of first-degree murder constituting domestic violence. However, future charges may be added. Officials report that he had been on conditions of release on two pending felonies for second-degree rape and third-degree rape of a child. The total bail for the previous charges was $250,000. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact 911. Watch the entire press conference below: For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) People in San Diego will be able to see an ancient relic believed to contain the remains of St. Jude Thaddeus during its visit to a Catholic church in San Diego. The visit is a part of the Tour of the Relics of Saint Jude the Apostle, which began in September. Several centuries ago, the arm of St. Jude was separated from the rest of his remains and placed in a wooden carving shaped in the gesture of giving a blessing, according to a website dedicated to the saint. Popular San Diego bakery & cafe featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives relocating On Friday, the relic will make a stop at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church at 4124 Mt. Abraham Ave., the only San Diego church on its tour. Public veneration of the relic will be from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a mass in honor of St. Jude to take place at 7 p.m. To view the full schedule of stops in the tour, click here. In Catholicism, St. Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. St. Jude was also believed to be his cousin because his mother was the sister of Jesus mother, Mary. The rest of his remains are housed in St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Another near miss at JFK as plane nearly collides with four others cleared for same runway in comms error A quick-thinking pilot prevented a near-collision between four aeroplanes, including his own, at one of the worlds busiest airports. Audio of the incident at JFK International Airport reveals air traffic control cleared a Swiss Air flight for takeoff. The pilot, realising he would collide with several other planes, then quickly aborted. The near-miss on 17 April is now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Audio of the incident was captured by LiveATC, a public archive of air traffic control audio. Swiss 17K heavy rejecting takeoff, the Swiss Air pilot told air traffic control, realising collision was imminent. Traffic on the runway. Exit out, an air traffic controller urged the pilot. The FAA later confirmed the flight aborted its takeoff because four aircraft were crossing the same takeoff runway at the New York City airport. The federal regulator did not provide details on the other airlines involved when contacted by The Independent. A Swiss Air aircraft pictured in London on 11 April. A pilot for Swiss Airways recently averted a four-plane collision at JFK International Airport (REUTERS) The Independent has contacted Swiss Air for comment. Last weeks incident at JFK comes after a string of airline mishaps that made headlines this year, including other incidents at the same airport. In January, a Delta Boeing 737 came to a stop within 1,000 feet (305 metres) of a taxiing American Airlines Boeing 777 in a near-collision. An air traffic controller called for the Delta flight to abort just in the nick of time, preventing a crash. Two days later, two planes werent as lucky a JetBlue flight stuck the tale of a second, empty plane after leaving its gate. Meanwhile, a nearly identical near-miss incident happened just last week at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, DC. A JetBlue flight was starting takeoff when an air traffic controller instructed a Southwest Airlines flight to cross the same runway. The JetBlue flight stopped takeoff, avoiding a collision. Also last week, the FAA ordered all Alaska Airlines planes to ground for roughly an hour due to a faulty computer system. Then, earlier this year, aircraft manufacturer Boeing was thrown into the national spotlight after a door plug fell off one of their planes mid-flight. Earlier this month, a Boeing whistleblower testified to Congress about several safety concerns. Sam Salehpour, a current quality engineer for the manufacturer, told a congressional committee that Boeing has a culture of retaliation when employees speak up about their concerns. When asked if the planes are safe, Mr Salehpour testified: Its like an earthquake. When that hits the building ... [it has] to be prepared to accommodate that type of shake-up...Right now, from what Ive seen, the aeroplanes are not being billed per spec, and per requirements. Mike Bedigan contributed reporting. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Azerbaijan's economy is actually a self-sufficient economy and it demonstrates sustainable growth even in the period of crisis, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the international forum themed COP29 and Green Vision for Azerbaijan organized by ADA University, Trend reports. We have very low foreign debt, which is now even below 8% of our GDP, the head of state underlined. Republican Voters Against Trump, a political group seeking to block former President Trump from taking back the White House, released an ad Tuesday suggesting that with his four criminal indictments, Trump could not even get a job at a local shopping mall. The six-figure ad campaign used hidden-camera footage of a man going to several stores saying he was looking to apply for a job. The catch? He said he is facing 88 felonies. The man in the film asked store managers if they would hire someone who has been found liable of sexual assault or someone who has tried to overturn the 2020 election, among other issues at the heart of Trumps ongoing legal battles. If Trump is too big of a liability to get a job at your local mall, he is too big of a liability to be president of the United States, the narrator said in the video. According to the anti-Trump group, the ad will run nationally on MSNBCs Morning Joe and Fox Newss Fox & Friends, and digitally in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The ad is running while Trump sits in a Manhattan courtroom amid his first criminal trial, which is centered on allegations that he falsified business records related to a payment he made to an adult film actress in 2016 in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair. He faces 34 charges in the hush money case alone and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. Despite attempting to delay the trial past the November election, Trump the presumptive GOP presidential nominee made history last week as the first former or current U.S. president to face a criminal trial in the U.S. The trial, which resumed Tuesday, is expected to last multiple weeks. The advertisement is meant to target swing voters, not Trumps MAGA base a movement spun off his Make America Great Again campaign slogan who support his defense in his legal battles, the group said. Were sending the message that Donald Trump is unfit for office, Gunner Ramer, the groups political director, said in a statement. If your local retailer wont hire someone with Trumps criminal record, why should the American people elect him to the nations highest office? The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. AUSTIN (KXAN) One person is dead, and another was seriously injured after a shooting at a northwest Austin apartment complex. Around 5:58 p.m., officers responded to the 11100 block of Research Boulevard for a shoot/stab hotshot call, APD Public Information Officer Wesley Belcher said during a media briefing. Thats near Balcones Woods Drive and Braker Lane. The Austin Police Department is investigating a homicide that happened in northwest Austin Monday | Jordan Belt/KXAN News Wesley said the first response from officers was at an apartment complex on Research Boulevard, and that is where the first scene was with several bullet casings. Wesley said the shooting started at the apartment complex and then wound up on the service road. The other person involved in the shooting is in critical condition at the hospital, Wesley said. Police said this was an isolated incident, and there was no threat to the public. APD is interviewing several witnesses. No other details were provided Monday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. For the first time, KARK 4 News is hearing from a Board of Corrections member who has been under fire for months, accused of covering up child sexual abuse for decades and refusing to step down from the board. On Monday, lawmakers on the Joint Performance Review Committee held another meeting over the boards contract with the special counsel for litigation against the state. Board member Alonza Jiles testified in the meeting. Arkansas Republicans announce effort to push Board of Corrections member Alonza Jiles to resign amid Lords Ranch lawsuits Jiles has been named by alleged victims in civil lawsuits, accused of covering up sexual abuse they reported to him at an Arkansas youth treatment center called the Lords Ranch. Jiles has denied all allegations. Elected officials have pushed him to step down for months now, starting with legislators, the attorney general and finally Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Jiles, along with all other board members, had been requested to come testify about that contract for the last two committee meetings, but Jiles did not show up to either of the two, until Monday after being subpoenaed. Lawmakers were quick to discuss their concern over his legal battles waiting to play out in court; noting that even if Jiles is innocent, they fear the situation is distracting him from serving on the board right now. Its best for the state, State Senator Tyler Dees told KARK 4 News after questioning Jiles in committee. The state needs peoples full attention to our prison system. Weve got prisons thatre full, county jails thatre full. Weve got to make sure theres full attention to problems at hand as a state. So, we do we call for his resignation. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders calls on Arkansas Board of Corrections member to resign amid Lords Ranch lawsuit When asked about the calls to resign, Jiles told members of the committee he still has no plans to leave the board and feels he has not been distracted from his service. I started doing service on death row in 1987 working with men in the prison and staff, Jiles told legislators. Its been a passion of mine ever since that time. Jiles added that he had not missed any board meetings yet, though was quickly called out by Dees for not answering legislators or elected officials calls or messages for months now, as they looked to gain clarity on the situation, for themselves and constituents. KARK 4 News has also called Jiles and sent messages multiple times in recent months and never received a response. KARK 4 News asked in person for an interview on Monday, but Jiles declined to comment. Jiles also said he was not able to come to the last two committee meetings because he had other things going on at the time. Arkansas Republicans announce effort to push Board of Corrections member Alonza Jiles to resign amid Lords Ranch lawsuits When pressed by Rep. David Ray (R-Maumelle) about whether those things were more important than the request to testify to state lawmakers, he said on both occasions, he had job interviews lined up during the meetings, as he tries to support his family right now. Also in that meeting, the committee continued looking into the the original item on the agenda: its investigation into the boards hiring of special counsel for litigation against the state. In order for the board to pay its attorney the $200,000+ he is owed at this point, lawmakers need to sign off on the contract. A few months ago, a Pulaski County Circuit judge ruled the board could hire outside counsel, which the attorney general is appealing. Now, the legislative committee is investigating the boards process, or lack thereof, in hiring its attorney, and if the board violated Freedom of Information or procurement laws. Sen. Jim Petty (R-Van Buren) filed a motion to submit findings and recommendations to legislative counsel as a result of the committees investigation. He added that the Board of Corrections operated with disregard to public transparency, including violation of FOIA and open meetings laws. He said the board lacked financial and statutory authority to make this decision, and perceived and discussed violation of law. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders calls on Arkansas Board of Corrections member to resign amid Lords Ranch lawsuit Pettys motion also acknowledged a lack of process in board meetings and procurement process. He recommends legislative counsel not review that contract and transactions be transcribed, and recordings forwarded to the inspector general for further transcripts of April 4, April 11 and April 22 committee meetings investigating the hiring. The motion failed due to a lack of attendance from the full committee. Theyll take a vote again Tuesday, as lawmakers reconvene for fiscal session. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Alonza Jiles of the Arkansas Board of Corrections speaks to the Legislature's Joint Performance Review Committee on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Screenshot courtesy of Arkansas Legislature) This story was updated at 12:02 p.m. on April 23, 2024. An Arkansas legislative panel voted Tuesday to send transcripts of its investigation of potential violations of procurement law by the state Board of Corrections to the state inspector general. The Joint Performance Review Committee has spent three meetings this month, most recently Monday, examining the boards hiring of attorney Abtin Mehdizadegan to represent it in litigation with the state. The board hired Mehdizadegan in a three-minute public meeting after a half-hour executive session in December. Lawmakers have taken issue with the lack of a formal bid process for the contract and the boards lack of public discussion and votes on the agreement. In March, the board asked the Arkansas Legislative Council for an emergency, retroactive appropriation of $207,000 to pay the attorney for representing it in two lawsuits. Due to the absence of several committee members at Mondays meeting, Joint Performance Review failed to pass a motion to recommend that the Legislative Council not review Mehdizadegans contract and to send transcripts and recordings of witness testimony to the state Office of Inspector General. Sen. Jim Petty, R-Van Buren, sponsored the failed motion. Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, sponsored an amended version that did not include the directive to send testimony to the Inspector General; it passed Tuesday on a split voice vote. The motion also called for the committee to make the following statements to the council that: The Board of Corrections disregarded government transparency laws, including the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The board did not have the financial or statutory authority to hire Mehdizadegan. Board members acknowledged to the committee their lack of process for board meetings and procurement. The committees investigation yielded perceived and discussed violations of law. Witnesses questioned by Joint Performance Review this month Attorney Abtin Mehdizadegan Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness Board of Corrections Secretary Lee Watson Board members William Dubs Byers, Rev. Tyrone Broomfield, Brandon Tollett, Alonza Jiles and Lona McCastlain Department of Corrections Chief Financial Officer Chad Brown and Chief of Staff Wade Hodge The 30-member committee had 16 members present Monday, the minimum for a quorum, and 11 voted for the motion in a roll call. Chairman Rep. Mark Berry, R-Ozark, did not vote. The following members voted no: Rep. Jim Wooten, Republican of Beebe; Rep. Jamie Scott, Democrat of North Little Rock, and Reps. Ashley Hudson and Joy Springer, both Little Rock Democrats. Wooten said in an interview he believed the board had not intended to break any laws even though Mehdizadegans hiring should have been handled differently. I think they were just operating under pressure, he said. Background The board has been embroiled in a dispute since November with Attorney General Tim Griffin, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and former Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri over who has ultimate authority over Arkansas prison system. Two 2023 state laws Act 185 and Sections 79 and 89 of Act 659 removed the corrections secretary, director of correction and director of community corrections from the boards purview. The board took the stance that these laws violate Amendment 33 of the Arkansas Constitution, which grants some independence to the boards of state universities and corrections. Board Chairman Benny Magness wrote a letter to Sanders in November stating that he believed Profiri was violating the amendment. Sanders did not respond, and she directed Profiri in December to move ahead with parts of a temporary prison expansion without board approval, which made the need to hire outside counsel an emergency, board Secretary Lee Watson told lawmakers on April 4. Arkansas Department of Corrections Board Chairman Benny Magness Arkansas Department of Corrections Board Chairman Benny Magness (Courtesy photo) Sanders order to Profiri gave the board no time to go through the states procurement process, which includes requests for qualifications and bids from multiple candidates, Watson and Mehdizadegan both testified. Watson said he had already contacted Mehdizadegan in November to ask for informal input about the two laws and Profiris conduct. Mehdizadegan has been representing the Board of Corrections in both its legal challenge against the two laws and Griffins suit against the board for allegedly violating the FOIA in Mehdizadegans hiring. Magness told Joint Performance Review both on April 4 and Monday that he instructed Watson to reach out to an attorney in case the board sued the state. Griffins office usually represents state agencies in legal cases, but Arkansas law allows special counsel to be appointed in disputes between the attorney general and constitutional officers. Sen. Johathan Dismang (R-Searcy) Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy Upon questioning from lawmakers, Magness acknowledged that at least two board members discussing board business counts as a meeting under FOIA. Dismang asked Magness if his request to Watson counted as a meeting that went undocumented. Magness said he believed the instruction was standard practice when dealing with board members who also serve as liaisons with the Department of Corrections, but said he would seek clarification on the legality of the behavior. That would essentially be the workaround for all FOIA law in relation to two or more people meeting, and your staff is in the back nodding their heads yes to all of this, Dismang said. Lona McCastlain, whom Sanders appointed to the board in February, told committee members Monday she hopes to institute FOIA training for board members. She also said she believed the board needed to communicate better and be a little more professional, a little bit sharper and more precise. Lona McCastlain (Courtesy photo) I believe that you have really good people with really good intentions trying to do the best that they can for the mission that theyve been assigned, McCastlain said. Because a lot of them have been on the board for so long, its just like someone thats been in office for so long: it gets a little bit relaxed, and youre just so accustomed to doing it a certain way. An unusual situation In addition to Magness and McCastlain, Joint Performance Review heard testimony from board member Alonza Jiles on Monday. Jiles said he voted against hiring Mehdizadegan at the boards Dec. 8 meeting because he had doubts about hiring outside counsel in the dispute with Profiri. We tried to have open communications with [Profiri] at the time, for several months, and that was not happening, so I knew that something needed to happen, Jiles said. I just didnt know if what was done was the right thing to do at the time. The committee subpoenaed Jiles and Mehdizadegan after they were not present at its April 11 meeting. Members expressed concerns Monday that Jiles was not present April 4 or April 11; he said he would have appeared Monday even without a subpoena. Sanders, Griffin and several lawmakers have called on Jiles to resign from the board in light of allegations in a civil lawsuit that he covered up child sex abuse at a youth camp. Jiles has refused to resign. He repeated Monday that he will not resign, in response to questions from Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, regarding his absence at previous committee meetings. Meanwhile, Mehdizadegan said in an interview that he was frustrated to be subpoenaed after being told lawmakers would not have questions for him at the April 11 committee meeting. He fielded questions from the committee for about two hours on April 4. He also said he disagreed with Pettys motion and was glad it failed on Monday. This is obviously an unusual situation that was borne out of the Legislature passing an unconstitutional law in the first place, Mehdizadegan said. Wooten said he believed the dispute between executive branch officials might not have mushroomed into a sad situation if Sanders had handled the whole situation differently. I dont agree with calling a press conference and bashing the board, he said, referring to Sanders public statement in November that the board had refused to approve the temporary prison expansion for no good reason whatsoever and was playing games that put Arkansans in harms way. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post UPDATED: Arkansas committee concludes probe of Corrections Boards hiring of outside counsel appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. The legal battle over who has authority over a small group of cloistered Carmelite nuns and their property is once again escalating after the sisters filed for a restraining order Monday against Bishop Michael Olson, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and the National Association of Christ the King. A hearing on the temporary restraining order request is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the 141st District Court in Fort Worth. Fort Worth attorney Matthew Bobo, who is representing the nuns, stated in the court filing that the Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, Sister Frances Therese, and Sister Joseph Marie are seeking the order to prevent Olson and the National Carmelite Association of Christ the King from having authority over the nuns and the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington. Bobo stated in court documents that the monastery is a nonprofit corporation under Texas law and that the Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, Sister Francis Therese and Sister Joseph Marie are officers and directors, with Gerlach serving as president for three years. Michael Anderson, an attorney with the Fort Worth Kelly Hart & Hallman law firm representing the diocese, said the nuns court filing was a rehash of a suit that was filed last year with the only change being that the National Association of Christ the King was added after the Vatican entrusted the Arlington Carmel to the association of their Carmelite sisters. Today's top stories: Suspected gunman in West 7th area shooting in custody H-E-B announces third Tarrant County location Man shot wife to death in Fort Worth, police say. Her body was found wrapped in tarp Get free alerts when news breaks. The Vatican informed the nuns on April 18 that the association would direct day to day operations of the monastery while Olson would oversee other matters, including the election of the leadership. His authority remains intact, according to the Holy See. Anderson also said, The Arlington Nuns decision to file suit on this basis is squarely at odds with an affidavit filed in the first lawsuit, wherein Ms. Gerlach testified that the Arlington Carmel only answers directly to the Pope. Apparently this no longer applies since the catalyst for this new lawsuit was a decision by the Holy See. On Saturday the nuns said in a statement that they would not accept the authority of Olson or the national Carmelite association, calling the ruling a hostile takeover. They said none of the parties are allowed on the property. The battle began last year when the nuns sued Olson and the diocese after Olson and other diocese officials came to the monastery to investigate reports that Gerlach violated her vow of chastity with a priest from outside of the diocese. The nuns sued Olson over allegations of invasion of privacy and theft of personal property. The Vatican named Olson as Pontifical commissary, and Olson also dismissed Gerlach from the order on June 1, 2023. Gerlach appealed her dismissal to Rome. The suit was dismissed in June after a judge ruled that the dispute was a church matter and the court did not have jurisdiction. The feud continued in August, when the nuns stated that they would not accept Olsons authority as Pontifical commissary and barred him from coming onto their property. The diocese then warned that the sisters could be excommunicated for their actions. Then, in March, the National Association of Christ the King petitioned Rome to take over management of the corporation under the guise of some religious backdoor, according to the nuns court filing. Bobo argued in the court documents that since the bishop, the diocese and the National Association of Christ the King are not members of the board, they have no governing power over the nonprofit corporation. ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) officers detained two people after finding a stolen vehicle near the Pentagon City mall. ACPD said in a post on the X platform just before 4:40 p.m. that officers had found the stolen car in the 800 block of Army Navy Dr. Middle school counselor accused of headbutting student in Fairfax County The two people who were detained were in the car when police found it. Police said that as of 4:40 p.m., officers were still at the scene investigating. ACPD said there was no threat to the community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. (KRON) An ongoing negative relationship between two men escalated in the DeLaveaga Park area of Santa Cruz and led to a deadly stabbing, police said. The homicide happened just before noon on April 19 in George Washington Grove. Santa Cruz Police Department officers found the victim gravely injured from stab wounds. Officers took Joseph Dale Young into custody on suspicion of murder, SCPD said. Detectives discovered that the victim knew his killer, police said. Mr. Young and the victim had a disagreement, which led to the stabbing. This was not a random act of violence, and the victim in this case was targeted due to their prior negative relationship with Mr. Young, SCPD wrote. The motive and circumstances surrounding the stabbing remain under investigation. The victims identity will be released by the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Coroners Office once his family is notified. Young is scheduled to be arraigned on murder charges when he makes his first court appearance Tuesday. The George Washington Grove killing was Santa Cruzs second homicide of 2024. In February, a young University of California Santa Cruz student, Zainab Mansoor, 21, of San Ramon, was strangled to death on Seabright State Beach, police said. A former UCSC student, Samuel Stone, is charged with murdering her. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Arrow shot toward playground in Wisconsin while children were present, investigation underway HARTFORD, Wis. (WFRV) Authorities in Wisconsin are investigating an incident after a child found an arrow that damaged a piece of playground equipment on Monday. According to the Hartford Police Department, shortly before 5:30 p.m., the Washington County Sheriffs Office received a report that someone had shot an arrow at the playground equipment located at Centennial Park in Hartford. Known drug dealer in Wisconsin arrested after fleeing traffic stop, discarding bag of drugs and stolen firearm An officer responded to the scene and met with the caller, who stated that she heard a ping sound. A child who was playing on the playground equipment said they found an arrow. The caller showed the officer where she believed the arrow had impacted the equipment. No other arrows were found in the area, and police believe the arrow was released from an area north of Centennial Park. Over 300 Wisconsinites to be laid off after manufacturer opts to close facility If anyone has any information about the arrows owner, please call the Hartford Police Department at 262-673-2600. No additional details were provided. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. We really want COP29 to be successful from the point of view of tackling the issues of climate change. At the same time, it's an opportunity to tell our story, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the international forum themed COP29 and Green Vision for Azerbaijan organized by ADA University, Trend reports. And you are absolutely right that we have a lot of things to tell to the world and to tell the truth. I think one of the advantages of being a host country is that we will receive tens of thousands of people. Most of them will visit us for the first time, the head of state underlined. Our artillery is starving: $60bn US military aid cant come soon enough for Ukraine Soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine say the final approval in the US Congress of a $60 billion military aid package for Kyiv will serve as a giant morale boost as Russia looks to step up its advance. US President Joe Biden has said he will sign the Ukraine aid bill into law on Wednesday after it passed with wide bipartisan support in the Senate, so we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs. Ukraines wish list is no secret. At the top: artillery shells and air defense systems. For months, Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines have spoken of being badly outgunned by Russian forces. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said the ratio was 10 to one in Russias favor. To win, we need ammunition our artillery is starving, an artillery reconnaissance commander with the 110th mechanized brigade, callsign Teren, told CNN after the aid bill passed in the House of Representatives on Saturday. Teren knows what hes talking about, having spent two years defending the industrial town of Avdiivka before it fell to Russia in February. Since then, Moscows forces have enjoyed considerable success pushing further west. To highlight just one of several locations in the Donetsk region: The Ukrainian monitoring group, DeepState, has tracked a series of Russian advances in the last week along a railway line into the center of a large village called Ocheretyne. While Ocheretyne itself is of no strategic value, it sits on a ridge, making it a desirable military target. An officer with Ukraines Eastern Command - who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak on the record - told CNN that if Russian forces succeeded in gaining and holding the village, it could bring vital Ukrainian logistics routes, linking three key military hubs Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk and Velyka Novosilka - under Russian fire control. Now, with new US military aid seemingly just around the corner, the question is how quickly vital munitions like 155mm Howitzer shells can get to the front line to stop Russias advance. Logistical challenges Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder, speaking last week ahead of the House vote, said the US Department of Defense was poised to respond quickly, once any order was given. As you know, we have a very robust logistics network that enables us to move materiel very quickly. As weve done in the past, we can move within days, he said. That message was echoed by Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who told CBS News on Sunday he hoped the materiel would be in transit by the end of the week. While American officials will not say so openly, a US source familiar with the provision of military aid to Ukraine said much of it is already pre-positioned in storage facilities in Germany and Poland, which would obviously cut down on the amount of time needed to get it into Ukraine. The source also said artillery shells would be among the first materials moved forward. Once across the border, officials in Kyiv will look to get it where it is needed as quickly as they can - but doing so will still present a considerable logistical challenge given the sheer quantity of materiel involved. In other words, the cited ratio advantage of 10 to one that Russia currently enjoys will not be wiped out immediately. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warns Ukraine will likely continue to face ongoing shortages of artillery ammunition and air defense interceptors in the coming weeks and the corresponding constraints that these shortages are placing on Ukraines ability to conduct effective defensive operations. The ISW speculates that Russia might look to attack transportation networks like railways to complicate distribution something it targeted on Friday in Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region and seek to up the tempo along the front lines in the limited window before US aid arrives. One place that could be a focus of any stepped-up, immediate-term, Russian offensive could be the town of Chasiv Yar, an important forward military location for Ukraine since the Russian capture of Bakhmut - about 10 kilometres (6 miles) to the east almost a year ago. Multiple reports from Ukrainian soldiers describe heavy fighting in a string of villages between Chasiv Yar and Bakhmut as Russian forces try to advance. Ukraines army chief has said he believes the Kremlin has ordered the towns capture by May 9, the day Russia celebrates its victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Chasiv Yar is also being pounded from the air by huge guided bombs dropped from Russian warplanes. Analyst Rob Lee has posted a series of videos on his X account in recent days showing Russian Su-25 planes flying unimpeded in the skies above the town, something he calls a clear sign of a lack of Ukrainian air defense ammunition. Smoke rises after a bombing near the town of Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on April 11, 2024. - Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty Images Time to act President Zelensky on Tuesday welcomed the passage of the US aid package, saying it would bolster Ukraines defenses and capabilities on the battlefield. Ukraine will now be looking for the US to provide a range of surface-to-air missile systems to counter Russias aerial threat, in addition to more interceptors for the Patriot air defense system, the primary means of defeating missile attacks on cities and key infrastructure, like power plants. Ukraines long-range capabilities, artillery, and air defense are critical tools for restoring just peace sooner, Zelensky said. Finally, in addition to its immediate weapons needs, Ukraine also looks likely to receive longer-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) in the initial tranche of weapons deliveries, after Warner, the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, indicated he believed they would be part of a first shipment. The US has already provided Ukraine with shorter-range versions of the ATACMS, but Ukrainian officials have made no secret of their desire to get their hands on the newer version. With a range of about 300 kilometers (186 miles), the missiles would give Kyiv the ability to increase attacks on Russian airfields, fuel depots and weapons storage sites, having a more long-term impact on Russias war effort. And if Ukraines European allies believe they might now have a bit of breathing room before they are pressed again for more assistance, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made it clear he sees the US move as providing momentum across the board. We can prevent the worst-case scenarios if we act together and without fear, he told an online meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers on Monday, appealing to those countries with Patriot and the European-made SAMP/T air defense systems to donate them to Ukraine, along with artillery and ammunition. Now that you are all here at the table, its time to act, not to debate, Kuleba said. CNNs Andy Carey reported from Kyiv. Victoria Butenko, Daria Tarasova-Markina and Svitlana Vlasova, Mitchell McCluskey and Duarte Mendonca contributed reporting. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Former 2024 GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson is joining Scripps News as a political analyst, the news organization announced Monday. Hutchison, a former Arkansas governor who ran in the Republican primary for president this cycle, is set to appear regularly on Mondays on the news outlets politics and campaign-oriented evening show, The Race. He joined the outlet as a political analyst for the first time Monday. I am excited to be part of the Scripps News team as we head into one of the most consequential elections in history, Hutchinson said in a press release. Scripps News is committed to balance in its coverage of politics, and that is what America needs at this critical moment. Hutchinson was among the most anti-Trump candidates in the GOP field. The former Arkansas governor performed poorly in the primary as the Republican contest underscored former President Trumps enduring dominance within the party. He ultimately dropped out in January after the Iowa caucuses. Another presidential candidate whos made transitioned into a new role after dropping out of the GOP primary is former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who joined the Hudson Institute as Walter P. Stern Chair. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) After more than a year of construction and moving, the Angelo State University Police Department is ready to celebrate its new building with an open house event. Construction began in January 2023 after ASU held a groundbreaking ceremony at Vanderventer Plaza, a building the college acquired in 2021 for an estimated $700,000. The location, situated near Lilys Pizza and Asian Market, was renovated over the course of a year with the goal of improving ASUPDs capabilities and bringing its headquarters closer to the campus. Were now a lot closer and more visible to the community, ASUPD Police Chief James Adams said. Secondly, the facility we have now is a lot larger than the facility that we had before. Were also right next door to the Emergency Operation Center, a state-of-the-art space thats going to be used dual-purpose for training and as an emergency center should we need to use that in the future. ASU Handball Club brings home gold at Texas A&M tournament The police department officially moved into its new 8,000-square-foot home in early January 2024, leaving its old location on the corner of West Avenue N and South Jackson Street just as renovations for Vanderventer Plaza were expected to conclude. After being fully transferred into its new location for a few months, ASUPD now wants to give the public a close-up look at the facility. When we moved in, there was still a lot of construction that was taking place, Adams said. Now everythings pretty much been done, which is why were doing the open house this Friday. The open house is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 26, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the new building, located at 2410 Vanderventer Ave. The event will formally kick off with a flag-raising ceremony, after which guests can take part in a tour of the new facility. Attendees will also be able to see the inside of the departments new police cars. Were excited about the new location and our ability to better serve the campus and the community at large, and were more than delighted to invite anybody whos interested to come by and see our new facility, Adams said. I think theyll be extremely impressed by what they see on the inside. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. ATACMS missiles possibly included in next US aid package for Ukraine CNN Ukraine's next package of US military aid, likely worth US$1 billion, might include long-range ATACMS missiles. Source: CNN with reference to sources, European Pravda reports The new package, the report says, will be provided under the PDA mechanism, which means that Ukraine will be supplied with weapons from the US army's reserves, which is the fastest way available. Quote: "In briefings to Congress in recent weeks, administration officials have indicated that the US will likely send Ukraine long-range ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, for the first time as part of the new aid package," CNN reports. A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the contents of the package to CNN, but said that the US "prepared to quickly send military aid to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield and air defence needs as soon as the supplemental passes the Senate and is signed into law." Background: The draft law is expected to be adopted shortly after the key procedural vote on 23 April. Reportedly, the US provided Kyiv with a small batch of ATACMS with a range of 160 kilometres in October 2023. No similar US supplies have been reported since. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his last phone conversation with Joe Biden had led to an agreement to supply long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! David Steelman, an ex-member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators hired by House Speaker Dean Plocher as his attorney, speaks to reporters on April 23, 2024 (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent). Private attorneys hired by the top Republican in the Missouri House demanded on Tuesday that the ethics investigation into their client be formally dismissed. House Speaker Dean Plocher has still not publicly commented on the allegations of ethical misconduct that have hung over his final year in the legislature, or the later accusations that he pressured witnesses and obstructed the House Ethics Committee investigation. On Tuesday, he dispatched his attorneys Lowell Pearson and David Steelman to discredit the inquiry and criticize the Republican lawmaker appointed by Plocher to lead the ethics committee, state Rep. Hannah Kelly of Mountain View. In a letter to Kelly, and later at a hastily called press conference in the Capitol basement, Plochers defenders argued the investigation should have never occurred in the first place. The letter included affidavits from some of the key players in the scandals that have swirled around Plocher arguing in his defense. This investigation was mishandled from the start, Pearson and Steelmans letter read. Since late last year, Plocher has faced an investigation, as well as calls for his resignation, over his unsuccessful push for the House to sign an $800,000 contract with a private software company outside the normal bidding process; alleged threats of retaliation against nonpartisan legislative staff who raised red flags about that contract; purportedly firing a potential whistleblower; and filing years of false expense reports for travel already paid for by his campaign. Last week, the ethics committee voted 6-2 to reject a report recommending a formal letter of disapproval for Plocher, that he hire an accounting professional to manage his expense reports moving forward and that he refrain from retaliation against any legislator or House employee who cooperated with the committee. After the report was defeated, it became a public document. Kelly has subsequently said the investigation was severely hindered because of Plochers efforts to undermine the committees work. Specifically, Plocher refused to speak to an attorney hired by the committee to gather evidence and would not sign subpoenas to compel witnesses to testify. In addition to the delays, Kelly also accused Plocher of making efforts to threaten witnesses, block our investigation and prevent this process from reaching its natural conclusion. On Tuesday, Steelman pushed back on that narrative, claiming the hiring of the attorney was unlawful and that it was the committee not the speaker who chose to drag out the process. It was a drummed-up exercise trying to get rid of a speaker, Steelman said of the investigation. Steelman, an ex-state lawmaker and former member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, told reporters the reason Plocher refused to sign subpoenas was because they were designed to compel both him and his chief of staff, Rod Jetton, to testify. Both were willing to testify without a subpoena, Steelman said. That wasnt the reason cited in rejecting the supboenas in the three letters from the speakers office to the committee in March and April. And in one of those letters, Plochers general counsel noted the committee initially sought five subpoenas. Asked Tuesday why Plocher didnt recuse himself from the start, or at least when subpoena requests started showing up to his office, Steelman said the speaker recused himself when it mattered. Steelman accused the ethics committee of failing to follow its own rules, including in how it hired an outside attorney. He suggested that its possible the speakers office could refuse to pay the attorney for her work if she was hired unlawfully. A spokesman for the speakers office did not respond to a request for comment on whether the roughly $14,700 in legal fees will be paid. Ultimately, Steelman said the ethics committee must reconvene and finish its work which he believes means dismissing the complaint and declaring Plocher exonerated. No ethics committee hearings have been held since the report was released to the public. Kelly has not commented publicly, beyond a post on social media declaring that because of the efforts by the speaker to threaten witnesses, block our investigation and prevent this process from reaching its natural conclusion, there is nothing more that can be done. The report speaks for itself, Kelly wrote last week, as do the votes of the committee members. Plocher is running for the GOP nomination for Missouri secretary of state. He currently leads his seven Republican opponents by a wide margin in fundraising, with more than $1.3 million cash on hand between his campaign account and allied political action committee. But nearly all of that was raised before the litany of scandals became public last fall that have dominated his last year as speaker of the Missouri House. After taking in nearly $400,000 for his campaign and PAC in 2023, he raised just $15,000 this year. The post Attorneys for embattled Missouri House speaker criticize ethics investigation appeared first on Missouri Independent. Attorneys representing LeKeian Woods, the 24-year-old man subjected to a violent encounter with officers from the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office (JSO), issued a scathing statement following Woods plea to a misdemeanor charge of Resisting an Officer Without Violence earlier today. READ: LeKeian Woods: Man whose arrest sparked use of force concerns pleads guilty to resisting an officer In response to the plea, which was based on Woods fleeing from police but offering no violence before or during his arrest, all other charges against him were dropped by the State Attorneys Office. The incident, captured on video and circulated widely on social media, depicts uniformed and plainclothes officers from the JSO Gang Unit repeatedly assaulting Woods. The altercation, which unfolded on September 29, involved officers striking Woods and slamming his head into the ground even after he was handcuffed, following a reported seatbelt violation stop. The footage drew national outrage, with condemnation from organizations such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Comparisons were drawn to the 2019 killing of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson, who was also pulled over for a seatbelt violation before being fatally shot by JSO officer Josue Garriga. Garriga, implicated in both incidents, is currently facing prosecution by state and federal authorities for alleged criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Represented by prominent Civil Rights attorneys Harry Daniels and John Burris, Woods legal team released a statement addressing the plea: Todays plea can be boiled down to two words: Without Violence. That means these officers brutally beat LeKeian Woods in the middle of the street despite the fact that he was unarmed and offered no violence. It means they tased him twice, drove their fists and knees into his head and body again and again and slammed his head into the ground even after he was handcuffed despite the fact that he was unarmed and offered no violence. It means that they left him with a swollen face, a ruptured kidney, a closed head injury and more despite the fact that he was unarmed and offered no violence. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. The U.S. may grant Australia and Britain a long-sought export control carveout for AUKUS in the coming months, but not as fast as some lawmakers wish while they wait on a congressionally mandated certification the State Department must issue first. The three AUKUS allies view an Australian and British carveout to the International Traffic in Arms Regulation, or ITAR, as crucial to facilitating a key pillar of the trilateral pact to jointly develop advanced defense technologies like quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons. When the State Department, which oversees ITAR, updated Congress last week on Australian and British efforts to beef up their export control laws, it stopped short of certifying that the countries have developed similar regulations to the U.S. a prerequisite for the carveout. Defense companies view the ITAR exemptions as crucial for AUKUS allies to get the ball rolling on advanced technology collaboration. The lack of certification last week generated pushback from Sen. James Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. But the State Department may issue the certification and exemption in the months ahead after consultations with defense industry stakeholders. The Biden administrations determination that the U.K. and Australia do not have a system of export controls comparable to those of the United States is deeply misguided and further delays the implementation of AUKUS, Risch said in as statement on Monday. It is time to deliver on the promise of AUKUS. Continued failure to do so would demonstrate the administration is fundamentally unserious about competing with China. The fiscal 2024 defense policy bill mandates that both countries develop comparable export control laws to the U.S. before receiving their ITAR exemptions. The bill requires the State Department to update Congress on the progress every four months. The next reporting deadline is August 18, but the State Department could make the certification before that. We understand the importance of these exemptions to move AUKUS forward and remain committed to working together to get this done as soon as possible, the State Department told Defense News in response to Rischs statement. We understand the importance of enhancing security standards to protect our sensitive technology as we break new frontiers on developing emerging tech together. Australia passed legislation in March to enhance its export control regime, which it just enacted this month. Britain tweaked its export control regulations in December to cover certain categories of sensitive information. Collectively, the AUKUS partners agree that robust consultation with industry is important to complete before the exemptions take effect to maximize their potential and use, the State Department said. The State Department added it looks forward to robust engagement in the weeks ahead with industry stakeholders after trilateral partners publish draft regulations for collaboration. Public input is vital; [we] will publish draft regulations for exemption soon. A B-52H Stratofortress takes off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to conduct a test of the AGM-183A Instrumented Measurement Vehicle 2 prototype. (Matt Williams/U.S. Air Force) Republicans in Congress last year unsuccessfully sought to grant Australia and Britain the ITAR exemptions without requiring them to overhaul their own export control laws. But Democrats sided with the State Department, arguing that the two allies should update their export control laws to help keep sensitive defense technology out of the hands of adversaries like China. Risch in his Monday statement said efforts to compel changes in the regulatory systems of our closest allies constitutes extraterritorial overreach and delays our ability to deter China the core objective of AUKUS. Some Australian defense companies expressed concern over Canberras efforts to replicate a U.S.-style export control regime, worrying that it could inhibit their ability to do business with non-AUKUS countries. Canada is currently the only country to receive the blanket ITAR exemption sought by Australia and Britain. The U.S. ratcheted up export control laws after China and Iran took advantage of Canadas ITAR exemption in the 1990s to circumvent Washingtons arms transfer regulations. China used Canada to purchase infrared equipment from a U.S. firm, while Iranian front companies used the country to buy American weapons. The incidents prompted the U.S. State Department to revoke Canadas ITAR exemption in 1999, only to restore it in 2001 after the close NATO ally strengthened its laws, harmonizing its export control list with U.S. regulations. The FY24 defense policy bill also requires the State Department to update regulations allowing it to expedite the transfer of military technology to Australia and Britain for categories not covered by ITAR. The Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry Security, which oversees a separate export control list, updated its regulations on Friday to exempt Australia and Britain from the vast majority of its regulations for AUKUS. The U.S. invited Japan to participate in some advanced technology collaboration with the AUKUS allies when Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the White House earlier this month. Risch objected to the Biden administration inviting Japan before making the certification necessary to give Australia and Britain the broad ITAR exemptions. Without this certification, cooperation on advanced technologies under AUKUS the very types of military capabilities needed to counter China will remain stymied by regulations and bureaucracy, Risch said at the time. Reports of deposed former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyis move to house arrest are questionable, her son said Tuesday, adding he believed the ruling military junta wants to keep her location secret to deter resistance attacks on the capital as a civil war rages. In an interview with CNN, Kim Aris cast doubt on recent reports in Myanmar local media, citing a military spokesperson, that 78-year-old Suu Kyi, the longtime democracy icon and Nobel laureate, had been moved from her prison cell ostensibly due to the unbearable heat. Its hard to know their motives. And as far as whether shes been moved or not, thats questionable as well, Aris told CNNs Anna Coren. Theres conflicting reports coming out. In the past, they have said that shes been moved to house arrest and that has proved to be completely not the case. Aris, who lives in Britain, is the younger son of Suu Kyi and her late husband Michael Aris. He said he believes his mother is either still in prison or shes in the residence of a military official. Her only house is a house that she has in Rangoon and shes definitely not there, he said, using the former name for Yangon, Myanmars largest city. In comments reported by several media outlets last week, junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said: Since the weather is extremely hot, it is not only for Aung San Suu Kyi For all those, who need necessary precautions, especially elderly prisoners, we are working to protect them from heatstroke. Suu Kyi has been detained in military custody since army chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021, ending Myanmars brief transition to democracy and plunging the Southeast Asian nation into a raging civil conflict. Her condition and whereabouts have been kept tightly under wraps by the ruling junta and she has been photographed just once while attending a court hearing in the capital Naypyidaw in May, 2021. Aris said his mother has been prevented from meeting with her legal counsel. I believe theyve been trying to meet for some time and nothing has come with that. As far as Im aware, shes not been able to see anybody outside of military personnel or prison personnel since, well, last year at some point, I think was the last time she saw her lawyers. Unknown whereabouts As State Counsellor, Suu Kyi was Myanmars de facto leader for five years before being forced from power and detained after her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was re-elected in a landslide election against military-backed opposition in 2020. She has been hit with a range of charges and is now serving a 27-year sentence following a series of secretive trials. Aris recently told Reuters he believes the junta was using his mother as a human shield as the military fights an armed nationwide resistance determined to oust it from power. As the fighting is getting closer and closer, I think it serves the militarys purpose for the resistance forces not to know where my mother is, so they find it harder to target strikes against the military in Naypyidaw. The less they know of my mothers whereabouts, the harder it is for them, Aris told CNN. unknown content item - Widespread public opposition to the militarys forcible takeover and bloody crackdown on protesters has only grown in the past three years and the pro-democracy resistance movement, which includes many of the countrys powerful ethnic rebel armies, now poses a legitimate threat to the junta. The military is facing battlefield and territorial losses on multiple fronts across the country, and there are reports of mass defections of soldiers. The military has since ramped up its violent attacks on civilians, with widespread reports of human rights abuses that amount to war crimes, extrajudicial killings, burning whole villages and indiscriminate use of airstrikes, according to human rights groups. It has also enacted a mandatory conscription law to boost its armed forces with compulsory service. Since the coup, the junta has locked up more than 20,000 people considered to be political prisoners, according to local advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest during a previous military junta, has denied all of the charges levied against her and rights groups and international observers say her convictions are politically motivated. Pretty barbaric Aris said the only communication he has had with his mother since before the coup has been a letter that he received in January. That was after Id sent her a care package along with the letter back from September last year when we heard that she was very unwell and that was the first time I was allowed to send her anything since before the coup, he said. Several countries and the United Nations have raised concerns about Suu Kyis health and her environment in detention. From the letter, I gather that the conditions shes been held under are pretty barbaric. I think at that time, she was very cold, whereas now, I believe its unbearably hot in Burma, Aris said, referring to the country by its former name. And the cell shes in doesnt provide any sort of insulation against either the heat or the cold. I also know that shes been suffering from ongoing dental problems, which is making eating extremely difficult. In September, Suu Kyis NLD said in a statement it was concerned she was not receiving adequate medical care in prison amid reports her health was failing. Still, Aris said he believes he will see his mother again. I dont think the military will be able to hold on to power for too much longer. The situation in Burma is unsustainable, he said. The economy, well is broken, the health system is broken. There is no law and order in Burma at the moment. And if that is to be restored then the military need to hand back power to the civilian government. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com AUSTIN (KXAN) For more than 20 years, the Austin-based nonprofit Wonders & Worries have aided children whose parents have been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury. This weekend, an urban scavenger hunt in downtown Austin will bring a little extra shimmer to participants days, all while supporting the nonprofits continued mission. Wonders & Worries created a multi-session curriculum centered around illness education and coping skills for children ages two to 18. The free services available in English and Spanish help explain to children at an age-appropriate level their parents diagnosis, their treatments, any possible side effects and coping skills kids can use to deal with it. For more than 20 years, the Austin-based nonprofit Wonders & Worries have aided children whose parents have been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury. (Courtesy: Wonders & Worries) For more than 20 years, the Austin-based nonprofit Wonders & Worries have aided children whose parents have been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury. (Courtesy: Wonders & Worries) For more than 20 years, the Austin-based nonprofit Wonders & Worries have aided children whose parents have been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury. (Courtesy: Wonders & Worries) For more than 20 years, the Austin-based nonprofit Wonders & Worries have aided children whose parents have been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury. (Courtesy: Wonders & Worries) If there was such a thing as a magic wand, I think Wonders & Worries brings that to these families, said Nicole Halder, Wonder & Worries senior director of development and outreach in Central Texas. This Saturday is one of Wonders & Worries three main events each year: an urban scavenger hunt. Check-in for nonprofit clients and general participants begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with an after-party running until 2 p.m. at Zilker Lodge. PAST COVERAGE: Children with a seriously ill parent get free mental health help through nonprofit Participants will download the Goosechase app, with clues running live from 10 a.m. to noon. Users will venture around downtown, gathering clues to answer questions or complete either prompts or good deeds. Afterwards, therell be a party at Zilker Lodge with raffles, food, music, prizes and swag bags. And dont sleep on the prizes, said Leslie Schulze, the nonprofits Central Texas event manager. This years top prize for the winning team is ACL wristbands. The event also awards people who are the most creative in their event day costumes. We had a family come out and participate last year and they were dressed as a taco, so each person in the family was a different component, she said, smiling. And of course, the cutest one was the infant that had on an avocado costume. While this event is a great way to expose the nonprofits work to the greater Austin community, its also a personal mission for many of Wonders & Worries volunteers and board members, who are former clients themselves. Halder is an example of a past client whos used her experience to fuel her continued work with the organization. For me, personally, its part of the healing process, she said. Its paying it forward to the next family that needs support and help. Those interested in learning more about the nonprofits work can find more details online, including information on future events in different cities. Halder said anyone with questions about the organization whether as a prospective client or volunteer can email her at nicole@wondersandworries.org. In addition to its in-person services, Wonders & Worries also offers virtual resources in 31 counties within Central Texas as well as in the greater Houston area. The nonprofit also has a resource list of books and articles online, webinars, a podcast and a national helpline. Whether or not someone needs the help themselves, they may know someone who needs the help, Halder said. And we love to raise awareness for Wonders & Worries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. We are close and maybe closer than ever before (signing of a peace agreement ed.). Because we've never been close during the times of occupation. We could not agree on basic principles at that time, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the international forum themed COP29 and Green Vision for Azerbaijan organized by ADA University, Trend reports. Those famous Madrid principles, we could not even agree on that. We did not even have a draft of a peace agreement at that time. But now we have it. Now, we have a common understanding of how the peace agreement should look like. We only need to address the details, but of course, both sides need time, the head of state emphasized. In this image supplied by the Australian Prime Ministers office, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, centre right, walks with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape as they start their trek along the Kokoda Track at Kokoda Village, Papua New Guinea, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The prime ministers on Tuesday began trekking into the South Pacific island nations mountainous interior to commemorate a pivotal World War II campaign and to underscore their current security alliance that is challenged by China's growing regional influence. (Prime Ministers office via AP) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Australia and Papua New Guineas prime ministers on Tuesday began trekking into the South Pacific island nations mountainous interior to commemorate a pivotal World War II campaign and to underscore their current security alliance, which faces challenges from China's growing regional influence. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese received an elaborate traditional welcome when he arrived by helicopter at Kokoda Village with his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape. The pair will walk 15 kilometers (9 miles) over two days along the rugged Kokoda Track where the Japanese armys advance toward what is now the national capital, Port Moresby, was halted in 1942 in the wilds of the Owen Stanley Range. In forging a relationship of brothers and sisters, together as one we will go forward, Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. as the pair set off from the village in tropical heat and humidity. Were walking step by step, symbolizing our two nations walking together, Albanese added. Marape said their shared journey today should send the world a message that Papua New Guinea wants peaceful coexistence. Australia and its nearest neighbor, Papua New Guinea, forged closer defense ties in December when Albanese and Marape signed a wide-ranging agreement in the Australian capital, Canberra. The signing was delayed by six months after a security pact between Papua New Guinea and the United States sparked riots in the South Pacific nation over concerns that Papuan sovereignty was being undermined. Marape said in December that his governments security agreements with the U.S. and Australia did not mean he was siding with those allies in their strategic competition with China. Albanese said Marape had assured him during at state dinner in Port Moresby on Monday night that Australia remained its referred security partner. This is a relationship that has never been closer, as symbolized by the fact that well be walking side-by-side down the Kokoda Track, Albanese told ABC in Port Moresby on Tuesday before flying to Kokoda Village. Joe Biden had planned to become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Papua New Guinea in May last year, in a sign of the regions growing strategic importance in the power struggle between the U.S. and China. But Biden canceled the visit to deal with a debt crisis in the U.S. Congress. On top of disappointing Marape last year, Biden offended the prime minister last week by implying that the presidents army aviator uncle, Second Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., had been eaten by cannibals after his plane crashed in Papua New Guinea during World War II. Marape released a statement on Sunday saying that his people daily live with the fear of unexploded bombs left behind by a war that they had been needlessly dragged into. Marape and Albanese will trek to a war memorial in the town of Isurava, the site of a bloody battle where U.S. and Australian troops fought the Japanese in August 1942. Both leaders will commemorate Anzac Day at Isurava on Thursday, April 25 the date in 1915 when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on Turkey in an ill-fated campaign that provided the soldiers first combat of World War I. (Bloomberg) -- Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi an insider's guide to the emerging economic powerhouse, and the billionaires and businesses behind its rise, delivered weekly. Most Read from Bloomberg The South Asia bureau chief for Australias ABC News left India after she said she faced problems extending her visa following a critical report about Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. Avani Dias said on social media platform X that she returned to Australia last week after being told by an Indian government official that she wouldnt get an extension on her visa because of her reporting. The government eventually gave her a two-month extension after lobbying by the office of Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong and other diplomats, ABC News reported. The notification came 24 hours before Dias was due to leave the country, she said. Dias had published a video report on YouTube Inc. last month about Indias alleged involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. YouTube has blocked the video from being viewed in India, saying its following an order from the government related to national security or public order. Indian officials extended Diass visa until the end of elections, and she was told her case would be taken up again after that, according to government officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the information isnt public. ABC didnt have the required permissions to film along the India-Pakistan border in its video documentary, the officials said. The government also objected to ABCs documentary for giving a platform to extremists and separatists, the people said. Indias Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the matter when contacted Tuesday. In the video, Dias and her team are shown being stopped by security officials at the Wagah border between India and Pakistan and prevented from filming a public ceremony, which takes place daily, of soldiers on both sides taking down their flags. India is holding national elections from April 19 to June 1, with Modi widely expected to secure a third consecutive term in power. Australia has been trying to ramp up its diplomatic and economic ties with India under Modi, with Canberra seeking to diversify its trade partners in the wake of the tensions with China. Local and international media have faced restrictions in India for reporting perceived as critical of Modi and his government. Last year, the British Broadcasting Corp.s offices in New Delhi were raided by Indian tax authorities, which followed its publication of a documentary critical of Modis role in the deadly 2002 Gujarat riots. Journalists at online paper NewsClick also had their homes and offices raided last year, with some arrested under anti-terrorism laws. Indias ranking in the World Press Freedom Index fell to 161 out of 180 countries last year, according to Reporters Without Borders, which compiles the index. --With assistance from Ben Westcott. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Barely a week goes by without someone calling for the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to resign. The cause this time? A video from the pro-Palestine protests in London on a Saturday earlier this month. A Jewish man, Gideon Falter, tried to walk through his own city and was told hed be arrested, that his presence was antagonising the demonstrators, whom, as one officer revealingly observes, are greater in number. The message is clear if you are numerous enough, behave obnoxiously enough and make enough noise, then the police will facilitate that, essentially because its easier. Those screaming scum at a member of a minority group and rehearsing the centuries-old blood libel trope of baby-killers they are too complicated to deal with, so you kettle their intended targets instead. Gideon Falter is now being monstered, accused of seeking out the march to prove a point, which isnt quite the winning argument his critics imagine. Firstly, why shouldnt Jewish people be free to walk wherever they choose? Secondly, if Falter, a campaigner against anti-Semitism, were attempting to prove a point that Jews safety cannot be guaranteed anywhere near these marches then he has succeeded. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. If being openly Jewish in the vicinity is seen as a provocation, perhaps the marches arent so peaceful after all, perhaps dare I say it it isnt just Zionism they are objecting to. Were a hijab-wearing woman ticked off for standing near an EDL march looking openly Muslim, these people would rightly be in uproar. The incident seems yet another example of David Baddiels observation that Jews dont count as a minority. Eventually, it is Falter himself who is warned, told by a senior officer that he risks disturbing the peace. The concept of breaching the peace dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, sitting within the ancient boundaries of the common law. It therefore requires interpretation in the moment, or, put another way, more thoughtful policing than we presently have. Here, it is used because the people who were actually in danger of breaching the peace were too numerous. Preventing violence therefore means targeting the minority, whether Gideon Falter or Niyak Ghorbani, the Iranian dissident who attended a march with a sign reading Hamas is terrorist. This latest scandal not only bodes ill for the place of Jews in modern Britain, it helps to explain another long-running problem. Put simply, the authority of the police is collapsing. Recent polling has found a clear majority have no trust in the police, for the first time ever. This alone represents an existential crisis for forces, who have always been thought to operate on at least the theoretical principle of policing by consent. It feels somewhat surprising that its taken so long. Several factors have conspired almost concurrently to result in this collapse of trust, culminating in the anti-Israel marches. They have exposed the extent to which policing is no longer about protecting people from harm, but a short-term version of social peace, reactive rather than proactive. In this topsy-turvy value system, the groups most likely to be violent are appeased while those most likely to be attacked are hounded out of public spaces. But it goes broader than that. The protests that were allowed to proceed during lockdown gave clear evidence of two-tier law-enforcement; yes to Black Lives Matter, but no to the anti-lockdown marches, or the candlelit vigil following the murder of a young woman by a police officer. Its visible in other ways, too, in the effective decriminalisation of certain offences like shoplifting, the fact that growing numbers of people would not even bother to report a theft because there seems little point. Yet should they find themselves on the receiving end of, say, a congestion charge ticket, they can expect to feel the full force of the law. Not all of this is the preserve of policing, but it gives a decidedly two-tier experience of public interactions with the state. And, as with blaming the man who is having scum shouted at him, it just doesnt feel fair. Perhaps part of this breakdown is because personal relationships between police officers and the public have become far more remote; before the amalgamation of forces in the 1960s, you were more likely to know and see your local policeman making his daily rounds. This was not only positive for engagement between police and public, it provided an active link to the wider institution and gave police greater insight into what was happening on the ground. No surprise that much of it suffered in the decades that followed. All this is easy to say or write. While there are obvious structural issues especially with the Met I dont envy the task of the ordinary men and women on the beat. They must police a complex, multi-racial, multicultural society, making difficult judgment calls that will invariably upset one group or another. They must uphold the right to protest, even when it drains their resources. They must police crimes they are poorly equipped for, dealing with nebulous concepts like offence caused, and, as we saw during lockdown, insanely complicated, ever-changing and poorly-drafted government rules. Nevertheless, they will pay a hefty price in public trust for surrendering their authority to the mob. 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 attorney Michael Avenatti ripped into the hush money case against former President Trump, arguing it was politically motivated to prevent the former president from taking back the Oval Office in November. I certainly see [Trump] as a victim of the system, he said in a phone interview with Fox News Digital while in prison. And thats something that I never thought I would say. So if Michael Avenatti is coming to his defense, and I was one of his staunchest opponents for a very significant period of time, that should tell people something. Trumps hush money trial kicked off last week in Manhattan, where he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records connected to a payment his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. Avenatti, who once served as Danielss attorney, is currently incarcerated for stealing book proceeds from the actress, and for defrauding other clients out of millions of dollars and obstructing the IRS. Last month, an appeals court upheld Avenattis 2022 conviction, sentencing him to four years in prison and requiring him to pay $148,000 in restitution and forfeit the roughly $297,000 that prosecutors say he stole from Daniels. Avenatti, who was once a staunch critic of Trump, said the four separate criminal cases against the former president are absolute overkill as he pursues reelection, Fox News Digital reported. Youve got a group of individuals in the United States who have decided that they know better as to who should be the next president, and theyve decided that they dont want to leave it to the little guy,' he said. So theyre going to take matters into their own hands to prevent those people from being heard, and I am deeply disturbed and disgusted by it. Trump is facing a total of 91 criminal counts across four separate jurisdictions. Avenatti said the question of Trumps presidency should be settled at the ballot box and argued the prosecutors involved in the four cases had personal motivations to gain prominence. If the defendant was anybody other than Donald Trump, this stale case would not be being brought right now, he said. He has definitely been targeted There is no question that these prosecutors are trying to make a name for themselves. He told Fox News Digital he has been in contact with Trumps legal defense team about potentially testifying in the hush money trial and maintained he would tell the truth if called to the stand. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Awards go to an urban and a rural NE affordable housing project Students at Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha campus team up with NeighborWorks Home Solutions to build a couple of modular homes that found permanent homes on North Omaha lots. The project, funded by the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund was one of two winners of the 2024 Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund Award. (Courtesy of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development) LINCOLN A small northeastern Nebraska town and an area nonprofit are this years winners of the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund award. The annual award, presented by the Nebraska Commission on Housing and Homelessness, was established in 2018 to recognize organizations and projects that have leveraged state affordable housing trust funds to create quality affordable housing. Village of Clearwater duplex, funded by the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund, was a 2024 NAHTF award winners. (Courtesy of Nebraska Department of Economic Development) The 2024 standouts are the Village of Clearwater and NeighborWorks Homes Solutions. Clearwater was awarded $221,000 through the trust fund in 2021. With a local boost of $35,000, the village partnered with Stearns Construction to build a duplex. Both units have been sold. In Omaha, NeighborWorks received a $338,800 grant in 2020 that was supplemented with a $20,000 match. NeighborWorks partnered with the Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha campus, which had students in its construction management program build two modular houses onsite. Students then helped move the house components to lots in North Omaha, where they reassembled the homes. Communities throughout Nebraska are coming up with creative solutions to develop affordable housing, said K.C. Belitz, director of Nebraskas Department of Economic Development. DED is grateful to support many projects that are putting quality housing within reach of Nebraskas families. The trust fund is administered by the DED and is one of the states resources for affordable housing development, aiming to serve the lowest-income individuals for the longest period of time. Since its establishment by the Nebraska Legislature in 1996, the trust fund has supported construction or rehabilitation of thousands of homes throughout the state, while at the same time helping nonprofits and local governments address their needs. The fund receives a portion of the documentary stamp tax from Nebraska real estate transactions. Amy Thelander, chair of the Commission on Housing and Homelessness, said the 2024 award winners show the impact the trust fund has on both urban and rural communities. Clearwater demonstrated how a small town can accomplish big things through shared vision, teamwork, and determination, she said. Thelander added, The partnership between NeighborWorks Home Solutions and Metropolitan Community College met a critical need for housing while giving students in North Omaha opportunities to hone their construction skills. The post Awards go to an urban and a rural NE affordable housing project appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. The deodorant of the future might be possible thanks to viruses that hunt down stink-making bacteria. Scientists in Japan believe theyve discovered a chemical weapon sourced from bacteriophages that can target a species of bacteria known for contributing to body odor emitted by our armpits. Our sweat starts out odorless, but when certain skin bacteria start feeding on sweat, they can break down some of its ingredients into foul-smelling chemicals. Researchers at the Osaka Metropolitan University wanted to get a better understanding of how this process occurs and the major players involved. The team collected armpit sweat samples from 20 healthy men, with samples from 11 men deemed to be especially odorous. The researchers analyzed the community of bacteria living on the skin of these men, also known as the microbiome, as well as the molecular make-up of metabolic byproducts produced by the bacteria. These samples had higher levels of precursor chemicals that eventually turn our bodies rank, along with increased amounts of one particular bacteria, Staphylococcus hominis. S. hominis is commonly found on our skin and is typically harmless, outside of unusual circumstances like someone having a very weakened immune system. But other research has suggested that these bacteria are an important source of body odor, capable of creating some of the most pungent stenches our pits can emit. Having found more evidence of this bacterias involvement in our stink, the researchers next looked for a countermeasure. They found a lysinan enzyme that can destroy a bacteriums cell wallseen in a bacteriophage known to infect S. hominis, then synthesized it. Much like viruses that infect humans or other hosts, bacteriophages tend to be selective about the bacteria they hunt and hijack to make more of themselves. And sure enough, when they tested the lysin in experiments, they found that it only killed S. hominis and left other bacteria alone. The findings are published this month in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. This is only one small study, so more research would be needed to confirm whether the teams lysin can effectively and safely reduce body odor without any major harmful consequences. But the papers authors note that there isnt much we can do about body odor currently, so theyre hopeful that thework can help scientists one day beat back the stink. Axillary [armpit] odors are one of the few dermatological disorders in which bacteria are the primary cause, said lead author Miki Watanabe, an immunologist and dermatologist at Osaka Metropolitan University, in a statement from the university. Although many patients suffer from axillary odors, there are few treatment options. We believe that this study will lead to a new therapy. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Salvage work continues on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge as it lies on the container ship Dali on Monday, in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo by Julia Nikhinson/UPI April 23 (UPI) -- The city of Baltimore is blaming the the owner and manager of a merchant vessel that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge late last month of negligence. In a filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, the city of Baltimore and its council said Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine "were grossly and potentially criminally negligent" in their operations of the Dali container ship. The 985-foot Dali container ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private and it is managed by Synergy Marine. Early March 26, the vessel lost power shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore and crashed into the bridge, causing it to immediately collapse. Six people were killed and nearly all commercial transit to the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest in the United States, has since come to halt. The filing on Monday is in response the companies asking the court to limit their potential liability payouts to $43.6 million. The city is asking the court to deny the firms' request. "For more than four decades, cargo ships made thousands of trips every year under the Key Bridge without incident. There was noting about March 26, 2024, that should have changed that," the city said in its legal filing. The city argues that Dali was operated despite being "a clearly unseaworthy vessel." It said hours before departing, alarms had been going off on Dali showing that it had been experiencing an inconsistent power supply, which was either not investigated or investigated but not fixed. "The allision was a direct and proximate result of petitioners' carelessness, negligence, gross negligence and recklessness and as a result of the unseaworthiness of the vessel," the city said. The city accuses the companies of committing 23 acts and omissions related to their alleged negligence, from providing the vessel with an incompetent crew to failing to properly maintain and operate the ship's engine and propulsion system. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also opened a criminal investigation into the collapse of the bridge. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The current level of Azerbaijani-Russian relations signifies their strategic nature,General Director of the Russian Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies Igor Korotchenko told Trend. "Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are going extremely well in all sectors, including politics, economy, and interregional cooperation. Overall, the 2022 declaration of allied relations signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin serves as the foundation of the two nations' relationship. This is a key document that governs Russian-Azerbaijani ties today. The current status of these relationships plainly reveals that they are truly strategic, allied, and partnership-based," he noted. According to him, trade and economic cooperation between Moscow and Baku are actively developing today. "In this regard, we see no less impressive prospects ahead, including the possible participation of Russian companies and organizations in the restoration of Azerbaijan's Karabakh. I guess numerous Russian businessmen are eager to participate in this grand program. Undoubtedly, this will benefit everyone," Korotchenko stressed. He mentioned that relations in the field of public and civil diplomacy, as well as expert interaction, are also actively developing. "As such, it's important to emphasize once again that Azerbaijan's value as an authoritative player on the international stage today remains constant for Russia, and, of course, the personal relationship between President Ilham Aliyev and President Vladimir Putin, tested by time and the very intricate current world situation, speaks to our mutual respect, and the development of our relationship will benefit the peoples of both countries," he said. Speaking about the current situation in the South Caucasus, Korotchenko noted that new realities have been created in the region. "They consist of Azerbaijan's full restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty during anti-terrorist measures in September of last year and the self-dissolution of the separatist regime in Karabakh. As a result, the Armenian residents of the region voluntarily decided to move to Armenia instead of reintegrating into Azerbaijani society. This was their own, free, and voluntary choice. In this regard, undoubtedly acknowledging the latest changes, the withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent from Karabakh is currently underway. The Russian peacekeepers have honorably and dignifiedly fulfilled all the functions entrusted to them in accordance with the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020. Today they are returning to Russia, and Azerbaijan will now fully address issues, including security and military security, in Karabakh," he added. The analyst emphasized that today Western players, mainly the US, France, and the European Union, are showing active influence and trying to establish themselves in Armenia. "This includes the negotiations that took place on April 5 in Brussels involving Nikol Pashinyan, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but in fact this is also a new reality when attempts are made to turn Armenia into a Trojan horse that would serve NATO interests in the South Caucasus. Meanwhile, non-regional players have the goal and objectives to destabilize the situation in the region and also to prevent the signing of a fair peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. This is the practical policy of the West," he said. According to him, France acts especially destructively, heedlessly inciting Armenia to new military provocations. "Furthermore, the French and Americans have already begun supplying their weapons to the Armenian army. This will also have an extremely unfavorable impact on the climate and future of the region. In this regard, I believe it is extremely important for Moscow to act as an objective and honest mediator between Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to facilitate the earliest possible signing of a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku on the basis of the five peace principles put forward by President Ilham Aliyev," said Korotchenko. Highlighting the importance of the North-South transport corridor project for Russia, he emphasized that for the national economy of Russia, which is under massive Western sanctions, the functioning and stable operation of this transport corridor are of paramount importance. "At the same time, Russia also stands for Armenia's fulfilling its commitments to open the Zangezur transport corridor, although we see that currently Yerevan, with the support of the US and France, categorically refuses to implement this project, despite it being provided for in the ninth point of the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 [following the second Karabakh war], signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia," he said. Besides, the analyst noted that, as responsible countries, Russia and Azerbaijan fully understand the need to counteract the negative trends that affect security and stability in the South Caucasus. "President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, prior to negotiations with President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Moscow, emphasized Russia's key role in ensuring security in the South Caucasus. Of course, in this regard, close coordination among at least four countries with interests in the South Caucasus is necessary. These are Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Iran, aimed at blocking and preventing the deployment of full-fledged NATO military bases on Armenian territory. Unfortunately, everything is moving in this direction today. For example, in addition to freezing participation in the activities of the CSTO, Yerevan also questions the very nature of the allied relations between Russia and Armenia. Russian border guards have already been withdrawn from Zvartnots airport. It's obvious that similar measures will also be taken to reduce Russian military presence on Armenian territory," he pointed out. According to Korotchenko, in this regard, it's important for all countries in the region to use all available opportunities to explain to Armenia that it should not become a conduit for Western interests because it will only lead to the destabilization of the situation in the region and have extremely detrimental effects on Armenia's security and economic prosperity. "In general, of course, in Russia, we closely followed the negotiations in the Kremlin, and once again, we welcome President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Russia, a great friend of our country and a reliable partner. By the way, one of the events that took place yesterday was a commemorative evening dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The Azerbaijani president's father, Heydar Aliyev, while serving as the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, played a key role in the successful implementation of this important infrastructure project of the Soviet Union," he added. Korotchenko also mentioned that this was another opportunity to pay tribute to the outstanding politician of modern times, Heydar Aliyev, who is well remembered, loved, and respected in Russia and who still has immense authority among the railway workers and national security employees of Russia. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The city of Baltimore is arguing the owner and operator of the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge should not be able to avoid liability, claiming the vessel was unseaworthy when it left the Baltimore port last month, according to new court filings. In a legal claim filed Monday, attorneys for the city of Baltimore say Grace Ocean Private, the owner of the container ship Dali, and the ships operator, Synergy Marine Group, were grossly and potentially criminally negligent. For more than four decades, cargo ships made thousands of trips every year under the Key Bridge without incident, the attorneys wrote. There was nothing about March 26, 2024, that should have changed that. Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Group, however, saw fit to put a clearly unseaworthy vessel into the water, the attorneys wrote. In no way should their liability be limited. The 984-foot cargo ship Dali was trying to leave the Baltimore Harbor on its way to Sri Lanka on March 26 when it lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River. The ship issued a last-minute mayday call, allowing police to halt traffic moments before the crash, but eight individuals working on the bridge were unable to get off and were thrown into the water. Two workers were rescued and survived, and the bodies of four victims have been recovered. Two more workers are still missing and are presumed dead. City attorneys pointed to an Associated Press report from April 15 that found the container ship experienced apparent electrical problems hours before it left the port. The AP cited a person with knowledge of the situation. None of this should have happened. Reporting has indicated that, even before leaving port, alarms showing an inconsistent power supply on the Dali had sounded. The Dali left port anyway, despite its clearly unseaworthy condition, the citys attorneys wrote. In the days following the collapse, Grace Ocean and Synergy asked a federal court to limit their legal liability to about $43.6 million. The city is arguing this liability cannot be limited at this time without a trial, where the companies failures could be shown. The vessel is valued at up to $90 million and was owed more than $1.1 million in income from the freight, per the filings. Attorneys noted repair costs will total about $28 million, along with at least $19.5 million for salvage expenses. The Hill reached out to Synergy for further comment. The FBI opened a criminal investigation into the crash earlier this month. It will focus on the circumstances leading up to the bridges collapse and whether federal laws were broken. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BALTIMORE, Md. (DC News Now) Baltimore leaders are taking the owner and manager of the ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March to court. The bridge collapsed after the container ship Dali hit it. Six construction workers who were on the span at the time of the collision fell into the Patapsco River and died. Additionally, the incident had an immediate impact on traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore. Since then, officials have been able to open up three temporary channels for traffic. Body of 4th worker recovered, identified after Key Bridge collapse According to court documents, the Baltimore mayor and city council are accusing the ships owner, manager and crew of negligence. They say all parties should have known whether the Dali was in good shape to travel before leaving the Port of Baltimore. The documents state: Petitioners negligence caused them to destroy the Key Bridge, and singlehandedly shut down the Port of Baltimore, a source of jobs, municipal revenue, and no small amount of pride for the city of Baltimore and its residents. Families of the construction workers who died are looking at holding the cargo ship company responsible for the incident and their relatives deaths, as well. Virginia, DC ready to help after Baltimore bridge collapse Days after the collapse, the cargo ship company filed a petition for limited liability for the collapse. Its asking for a cap of $43.6 million dollars. As far as when a bridge will be in place to cross the river again and open, it will be at least several months. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The companies that own and operate the cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month were negligent and should be held legally liable for the disaster, the City of Baltimore argued in a legal filing Monday. The Singapore-based firms said in their own filing last month that the March 26 bridge collapsein which six construction workers were killedwas not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care on their part and asked a federal judge to impose a limit on their legal liability. Now lawyers for Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the City Council have hit back, arguing that the companies should be liable for whatever damages may be awarded in a jury trial. Fourth Body Recovered After Baltimore Bridge Collapse Grace Ocean, the Dalis owner, and Synergy Marine, the vessels manager, had sought to limit their liability to around $43.7 millionthe approximate total value of the vessel and its cargo at the time of the crash after deducting the costs of damages and repair work. The city instead argued no such limit should granted, claiming that the direct and proximate cause of the crash was the companies carelessness, negligence, gross negligence, and recklessness, and as a result of the unseaworthiness of the vessel. Saying the firms should be held to account, the citys attorneys wrote: For all intents and purposes, petitioners negligence caused them to destroy the Key Bridge, and singlehandedly shut down the Port of Baltimore, a source of jobs, municipal revenue, and no small amount of pride for the City of Baltimore and its residents. The lawyers said the Dali left port in a clearly unseaworthy condition, citing a report that alarms had sounded on some of its refrigerated containers in the hours before it set sail. An unnamed source told the Associated Press that the alarms indicated that the vessel was experiencing apparent electrical problems before leaving port. The owner and operator had also staffed the Dali with an incompetent crew that was inattentive to its duties, the city alleged, claiming the workers lacked proper skill and lacked proper training. The impact of this disaster will be felt for years, and indeed, for the rest of the lives of the families of the people killed as a result of petitioners conduct, the filing added. Darrell Wilson, a representative for Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean, told CNN on Monday that out of respect for the ongoing investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. 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. NEW YORK Columbia-affiliated Barnard College is looking to cut a deal with students suspended over the recent Gaza protests that would allow them to have their records cleared if they agree to follow all college rules going forward. That would likely require them to avoid the new encampment protesting the Israel-Hamas war now taking root on the Columbia campus, which college officials have said is a violation of school rules. The Columbia University-affiliated womens college offered this week to lift the suspensions of students with no previous misconduct on their record, which college officials said is the vast majority of those who protested. At least 53 Columbia students who were suspended last week attend Barnard, student newspaper Columbia Spectator reported. Last night, the College sent written notices to these students offering to lift the interim suspensions, college president Laura Rosenbury wrote, and immediately restore their access to College buildings, if they agree to follow all Barnard rules during a probationary period. If these students choose this path, neither the interim suspension nor the probationary period will appear on the students academic transcripts, Rosenbury said in the memo, her first communication to students since Thursdays mass arrests. Students on interim suspension lost access to most Barnard buildings, including their housing, but can still use services including healthcare, mental health counseling and academic support. They are not permitted to be physically on campus, though Barnard professors can make accommodations for them to attend class via Zoom and otherwise complete work remotely. I strongly believe that exposure to uncomfortable ideas is a vital component of education, and I applaud the boldness of all of our students who speak out, read the email, but no student should fear for their safety while at Barnard, and no one should feel that they do not belong. Spokespeople for Barnard College did not immediately return a request for comment. The latest chapter in the ongoing tension over Gaza at Columbia began last week as Columbia University President Shafik readied for a congressional hearing on the universitys response to antisemitism. Meanwhile, students began occupying a lawn with dozens of tents, which they called the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. University administrators warned students to leave and began notifying them Thursday of suspensions. By the afternoon, Shafik called in the NYPD, which wore riot gear, to clear the lawn and arrest more than 100 students. But the sweep appeared only to embolden the demonstrators who continued to camp out on the lawn while they chanted, hosted lectures, danced and held screenings throughout the weekend. On Monday night, students held a Passover seder at the encampment, where they shared a meal and read from a special Haggadah, rewritten to advocate for Palestinians in Gaza. While some Jewish students participated in the demonstration, others reported feeling uneasy in and around campus. One university rabbi warned Jewish students to stay home, after more than 100 students signed onto an open letter asking to attend classes online until the situation has entirely deescalated. On Monday, university officials granted that request, pivoting entirely to remote that day. As night fell, administrators announced a new policy requiring most courses technology and program permitting to offer hybrid learning on the main campus. After Columbia erected its encampment, several other pro-Palestinian student groups on other campuses followed suit, including at New York University, where 120 protesters were arrested Monday night. _____ Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass delivered her second State of the City Address at City Hall last week. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass proposed a $12.8 billion budget on Monday that would reduce spending on homelessness initiatives, scale back an effort to hire more police officers and eliminate more than 2,100 vacant positions. The mayor's team said her proposed budget for 2024-25 would provide about $950 million to address homelessness, down from the nearly $1.3 billion approved for the current fiscal year. Her spending plan includes $185 million for Inside Safe, Bass' signature program to move unhoused Angelenos into hotels, motels and permanent housing, down from the $250 million approved for this year. Bass has made reducing homelessness her top issue, declaring a state of emergency upon taking office in December 2022. Budget analysts attributed much of the decrease in homelessness spending to the coming end of Proposition HHH, a 10-year program to finance construction of thousands of apartments for homeless residents in L.A. Even though that money will soon run out, a number of affordable housing projects that received HHH funding will open during the upcoming budget year, they said. The mayor's team said it is now "right sizing" Inside Safe by negotiating more cost-effective room rental agreements at city-leased hotels and motels. Even with the reduction in funding, the public should expect to see declining numbers of people living on the streets in the coming year, she said. "We will continue to move forward in reducing street homelessness," the mayor said, addressing reporters at City Hall. Read more: Mayor Bass' ambitious housing program calls on L.A.'s wealthy. Can she pull it off? Bass released her budget at a time of serious financial pressure for the city. Tax revenues have been coming in below projections and are expected to remain flat in the coming year. At the same time, the city is absorbing substantial increases in pay and benefits for more than 40,000 workers. Those newly approved labor contracts are expected to add billions of dollars in salary costs over the next five years. To help cover the rising costs, the mayor's spending plan calls for the elimination of 2,139 vacant positions, many of them in departments responsible for park maintenance, trash pickup, street repairs, recreation programs and transportation. A number of city agencies are facing reductions in their budgets compared to the current year. The proposed budget also scales back the mayor's hiring ambitions for the Los Angeles Police Department this year, providing authorization but not all of the funding for a force of up to 9,084 officers. Last year, Bass called for an expansion of the LAPD to about 9,500 officers, despite warnings that such a target would be difficult to reach. Over the past year, the LAPD has struggled to fill classes at the Police Academy. In addition, a plan to bring back 200 retirees produced only a fraction of that number. The proposed budget allows for up to 30 retired officers to return, on top of the 9,084 other positions. Bass described this year's hiring goal as more realistic, saying it's "based on what we believe we can accomplish." Yet even that revised number may prove to be financially unattainable. Although the budget would authorize 9,084 officers, it only provides the money for a sworn workforce of 8,908 effectively keeping the department at its lowest staffing in more than two decades. That means the City Council would need to approve additional funding to go beyond that number, said City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo, who advises the city's elected leaders on the budget. An aide to Bass stressed that the mayor has not abandoned her goal of 9,500 officers though she did not provide a timetable for reaching that target. Tom Saggau, spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said Bass has made clear to the union that she remains committed to her long-term goal for the LAPD. "We have full confidence in the mayor's commitment to grow the department to 9,500, and this budget continues in that direction," he said. Bass laid out her plan a day after police arrested a man for breaking into Getty House, the official mayor's residence, while she and her family members were inside. While fielding questions from reporters, the mayor repeatedly refused to provide details on the break-in, saying instead that she is focused on the entire city. "I am very clear that my number one job is to keep Angelenos safe," she said. "And I will continue to do everything to fulfill that goal moving forward." Even with a smaller force, police spending overall will continue to grow this year, thanks in part to a new four-year contract with the city's rank-and-file officers. Once pensions and healthcare costs are included, the total is expected to reach $3.37 billion, up from $3.22 billion in the current year's budget a hike of nearly 5%. The mayor's spending plan, which covers the fiscal year that begins July 1, now heads to the City Council's budget committee, which will spend several weeks reviewing it and making changes. Some on the council have voiced concern about the plan to cut vacant positions, saying unfilled police officer positions should not be spared from the reductions. City Controller Kenneth Mejia has also spoken out against the planned cuts, warning that they will lead to an erosion in city services. "Eliminating needed positions just because they are currently vacant will create an ongoing hole in the ability of virtually every department to maintain todays level of services," said Jane Nguyen, Mejia's chief of staff, in a email on Monday. Nguyen also expressed disappointment in the budget for the controller's office, saying it calls for the elimination of up to 27 positions. Bass has argued in favor of the reductions, saying many of the vacant positions being targeted for elimination have gone unfilled for years. She said her spending plan will also allow her office to make improvements to the Inside Safe initiative. The mayor said her office will focus in the coming year on strengthening the quality of services provided to Inside Safe participants, such as meals, healthcare and job counseling. Still, the city's plan for fighting homelessness looks less certain for the fiscal year after next, which starts in July 2025. It's not yet clear whether state officials will reduce funding that year for interim homeless housing, such as shelters and tiny home villages, Szabo said. Also unknown is whether voters will be willing to provide more money to address the homelessness crisis. Civic leaders have been working on a replacement for Measure H, a countywide sales tax that helped pay for some of the services delivered to L.A.'s unhoused residents. Bass has begun raising money from businesses, philanthropic groups and wealthy individuals to help finance the purchase or lease of residential buildings to house low-income and homeless residents. That effort was announced last week during the mayor's State of the City address. 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. BBC Apologizes After Reporting That Derogatory Comments About Trans People Could See J.K. Rowling Fall Foul Of New Hate Crime Law EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has apologized after suggesting that J.K. Rowlings remarks about transgender women could put her on the wrong side of a new hate crime law in Scotland. In an April 2 story that centered on the Harry Potter author, BBC Scotland reported that the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 means that derogatory comments about transgender identity will become a criminal offense. More from Deadline In a correction on the BBC website, the corporation said: This was inaccurate and we should have referred to the Act creating a new crime where it is an offence if someone communicates material or behaves in a threatening or abusive manner with the intention of stirring up hatred based on these protected characteristics. The BBC added: We apologise for any confusion caused and have reminded our teams of the importance of accuracy in our output. Police Scotland received complaints about Rowling after she described transgender women as men, but said no action would be taken. She welcomed the decision, adding: If they go after any woman for simply calling a man a man, Ill repeat that womans words and they can charge us both at once. It is the third time the BBC has apologized for coverage of Rowling and her views on transgender rights. The BBC said discussions about the writer, which featured on BBC Radio Scotland and Radio 4 last year, fell short of editorial standards after she was accused of being transphobic without sufficient challenge. The issue was raised in a nine-page document on reporting sex and gender circulated to the BBC newsroom late last year. Obtained by Deadline, the briefing notes advised BBC journalists and production teams that care is needed when people are labeled transphobic and the term should be interrogated during on-air debate. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) A judge is mulling whether the Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office can prosecute a Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office deputy for aggravated assault. Michael Borrecco is accused of pulling a gun on two people at a Circle K on Osuna earlier this year. He was off-duty at the time but authorities believe he was drunk. Man accused of shooting at girlfriend and baby will be held until trial Borreccos attorney says the DAs Office should be taken off the case arguing the DAs history with BCSO as well as the DA being involved in a dismissed drug case against the victim creating a conflict of interest. The named victims case was not refiled, and it appears to essentially be a quid pro quo, which is if you participate in this prosecution, we may not prosecute your case. We have no insight into that, said Defense Attorney Les Romaine. The state says the assigned prosecutor in Borreccos case had no knowledge of the victims case. The DAs Office in the Second Judicial District is the busiest in the state, and there are multiple occasions where a defendant in one case is also listed as a witness or a victim in another case, said Prosecutor Joshua Hasyniec. Judge Joseph Montano is expected to make a decision on Thursday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Guest Opinion. On April 10th, I was ratified by the House Republican Conference as the new Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee - but not only did I just become the new Chairman, I also became the first Native American to ever Chair this Committee. As an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, my tribal heritage is something I am very proud of, and I was very fortunate to witness this culture firsthand while growing up. My great, great grandfather served as the clerk for the Chickasaw Nation Supreme Court, my great grandfather was the Treasurer of Chickasaw Nation, my great aunt, Te Ata Fisher, was a famous actress and storyteller who performed Native American stories all over the world, and my late mother and inspiration, Helen Cole, was the first Native American woman elected to the Oklahoma State Senate. 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. My family members truly made it a priority of theirs to preserve tribal culture, and, as one of only five Native Americans and Alaska Natives in Congress and the first Native American House Appropriations Committee Chair, it is a top priority of mine to protect our tribes as well. It is important to remember that Native Americans are the First Americans. They are sovereign nations who governed themselves long before settlers arrived, and they continue to do so today. Through legally binding agreements, such as the federal trust responsibility, the United States is obligated to provide services and federal resources to tribes a responsibility I have been and will continue to work to ensure is met. It is critical tribes and the federal government have mutual respect. States and the federal government must work with Native Americans to maintain the integrity of their heritage, culture, and rights. At the same time, the federal government must uphold its constitutional oath to tribes to provide basic resources such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and law enforcement, among many others, in Indian Country. Tribes do not receive state assistance and cannot tax their own citizens, which is why expanding and promoting economic development within tribal communities and committing these federal resources is so important. This is why, during my tenure as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, I fought to secure historic gains for traditionally underfunded Native American housing and transportation programs. Specifically, I was able to obtain $1.34 billion for Native American housing programs and $150 million in discretionary appropriations for Tribal Transportation programs in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package. Over the years, I have also fought to secure advanced appropriations funding for the Indian Health Service, ensuring that tribal communities are never at risk of losing healthcare access in the case of a government shutdown. I have long been, and always will be, an advocate for expanding self-governance wherever possible and ensuring tribes receive the resources they need to take care of their communities because, at the end of the day, tribes are the best at taking care of their people. As Chairman of the full House Appropriations Committee, I will continue to work to set these increases as the standard for this necessary funding in the future. Lastly, it is important that my fellow members of Congress are informed about the very unique issues concerning Native Americans, the sovereign rights of tribes, and their relationship with the federal government. As the Republican Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Native American Caucus, this is exactly what I strive to do. Tribal issues span to every single House Committee, so it is important to keep Native American issues top of mind as members take up legislation. In conclusion, tribes have played a very important role in American history. They have greatly influenced this nation and the land on which we live, even before the United States truly came to be. As the longest serving Native American in the House of Representatives, I know that it is an honor and a privilege to be a voice for tribes in Congress, and will continue to ensure that we, as a body, are protecting their autonomy and culture. Tom Cole, a tribal citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, represents Oklahomas 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He began serving in Congress in January 2003 and is longest serving Native American to ever serve in Congress. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 24. I think, it is absolutely realistic to reach an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia before COP29, at least an agreement on our basic principles, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the international forum themed COP29 and Green Vision for Azerbaijan organized by ADA University, Trend reports. I think, this is also an option: to agree on the basic principles and then to spend more time on details or wording. But even the draft can be ready. I think for that, both sides just need to work hard and maybe have many sessions of meetings, not just for one day, but maybe for several days, the head of state emphasized. New Bedford City Council mows down move to fine residents $300 for unkept lawns NEW BEDFORD A proposal to fine homeowners up to $300 if their grass grows higher than eight inches was mowed down by city councilors. The proposed ordinance is called, "Duty of property owners to maintain yard and adjacent area." It would apply to "any adjacent sidewalk grass ribbons," as well as the yard. It would also apply to weeds and other ground cover that grows higher than eight inches. Been on the backburner since 2021 It's been on the backburner since 2021 when it was first brought before the council by Mayor Jon Mitchell. It didn't get any closer to approval in its most recent appearance before the council Committee on Ordinances April 18. It's "essentially an ordinance that creates a fine if a property owner in New Bedford's yard or adjacent area has grass or vegetation of eight inches or higher and the fine is not more than $300 per offense and includes not only the property but the adjacent sidewalk." City Solicitor Eric Jaikes made the proposal's latest presentation to the committee. He hadn't been expecting to make the presentation so he was somewhat scant on details, he said. "This is essentially an ordinance that creates a fine if a property owner in New Bedford's yard or adjacent area has grass or vegetation of eight inches or higher and the fine is not more than $300 per offense and includes not only the property but the adjacent sidewalk." He added, "It's essentially designed to make sure that homeowners, property owners take care of their properties so that it looks pleasant." Several 'significant problems' with proposal Councilor Linda Morad joked after the brief explanation, "Thank you, Eric, for that elaborate presentation. I appreciate that very much." On a serious note, she had "several significant problems with the ordinance as written." It wouldn't affect most New Bedford residents because they do a good job maintaining their property, she said. But she's come across cases in the past where a resident isn't able to maintain their property for valid reasons. That's one problem. The fine is also too high, for another. Proposed ordinance lacks details And the ordinance doesn't include details, she said, like how much time a person cited has in which to cut the grass before having to pay up. Councilor Joseph Lopes said a $300 fine to start seemed excessive. His brother lives in a Pennsylvania municipality that has a similar ordinance, he said. Lopes said he wasn't endorsing that ordinance, but it did spell out steps. Notification at first, and then a second visit to judge compliance, he said. After three strikes the municipality cuts the grass and assesses the cost to the homeowner. First offense doesn't 'require' $300 fine Jaikes said the ordinance doesn't require a $300 fine for a first offense. It states that it can be up to $300, he said. The committee voted 8-1 to refer the proposed ordinance to the full council for no further action. Ordinance could be retooled for resubmission The ordinance isn't dead yet. Councilor Ryan Pereira, who chairs the committee, indicated a willingness to consider a resubmitted version with a full presentation. Mayor Mitchell and staff are considering what the next step should be regarding the proposed ordinance, said city Public Information Officer Jonathan Darling. The committee did OK Mayor Mitchell's proposed ordinance to step up fines to problem landlords who rack up multiple inspection violations per year. The committee did OK Mayor Mitchell's proposed ordinance to step up fines to problem landlords who rack up multiple inspection violations per year. That ordinance will now go before the full council for final approval. The current fine schedule requires 25 separate violations before city inspectors can issue the maximum ticket of $300. Mitchell's proposal would change the fine structure to reach the maximum $300 penalty after seven violations, starting with a warning and increasing in $50 increments for each violation to reach $300. That ordinance will now go before the full council for final approval. This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Proposal to fine New Bedford residents $300 for overgrown lawns panned Bensalem woman crushed to death after tree lands on RV in Upper Bucks County A 69-year-old Bensalem woman died Saturday after a large tree fell onto the RV camper she was sleeping in at an Upper Bucks campground. The Bucks County Coroner's Office identified the woman as Cynthia Cousins. An autopsy found she died as a result of head and torso injuries and the manner of death was listed as accidental. The Bucks County Coroner's Office confirmed a Bensalem woman died Saturday after a tree fell on her RV vehicle in Quakertown on Ap;ril 20, 2024. Pennsylvania State Police who responded to the accident at the Quaker Wood Campgrounds in the 2200 block of Rosedale Road in Milford have released few details. State police reported in a press release that a tree approximately 94-inches in diameter fell onto the camper around 11 p.m. An unidentified male in the RV was thrown upon impact and survived with minor injuries, authorities said. Cousins was pronounced dead at the scene.. More Bucks County news Taco Bell employee in Richboro credited for saving life of baby in drive-thru. What we know. Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at Jciavaglia@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bensalem woman killed by tree at Upper Bucks County campground Berkeley anti-Israel agitators met with stern university warning: 'We will take the steps necessary' Berkeley anti-Israel agitators met with stern university warning: 'We will take the steps necessary' The University of California- Berkeley is among the latest campuses to join in on the anti-Israel protests sweeping the country, as students occupied part of the Bay Area campus Monday during a sit-in. UCB Divest, a coalition of students, staff and faculty members, is one of the organizations leading the charge and calling on the community to come out and support their group, in what they call the first encampment of its kind on the West coast, during the occupation of Sproul Plaza. "WE NEED YOU HERE! We will need you every night throughout this week to take up space with us. We know the Bay Area will not disappoint," the group posted on Instagram. NYU REQUESTED NYPD TO GAIN CONTROL OF DISORDERLY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST: DID NOT NEED TO LEAD TO THIS Pro-Palestinian protesters stage a demonstration in front of Sather Gate on the UC Berkeley campus on April 22, 2024 in Berkeley, California. Organizers told Fox News the encampment is in solidarity with students from Columbia University and elsewhere whove been arrested, and say the tents will remain until UC divests from corporations -especially military manufacturers- that are helping Israel with the war effort. The group is also calling on the university to enact policies to protect Palestinian students, and call for an end "to the violence in Gaza." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "As students of this university, we have no choice but to take action as UC Berkeley stays silent about our people's genocide and remains complicit in the mass murder of Palestinians," the group posted. USC PROTESTS BREAK OUT AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL VALEDICTORIAN'S COMMENCEMENT SPEECH CANCELLED OVER SAFETY CONCERNS Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters staged a demonstration in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus where they set up a tent encampment in solidarity with protesters at Columbia University who are demanding a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Gaza. The group told Fox News that they are prepared to be arrested. However, Monday's rally was reportedly peaceful and there was no sign of police. Dan Mogulof, a spokesperson for UC Berkeley, told SFGATE that the university is aware of the protests and that it does not plan on changing its investment policies and practices. "With three weeks left in the semester, Berkeley is prioritizing students academic interests," Mogulof said in a statement. "We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the universitys operations." COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS Students are calling for the creation of a Palestinian Studies program, an academic and financial boycott of Israel and a cease-fire in Gaza. The White House issued a statement on Sunday, condemning violence against the Jewish community in "recent days." "This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country. My Administration will continue to speak out and aggressively implement the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community," the statement read. AOC CALLS COLUMBIA PROTESTS 'PEACEFUL', DESPITE RABBI WARNING JEWISH STUDENTS TO STAY HOME UC Berkeley students have begun a sit-in of the Sproul Hall steps to protest Israels mass killing of civilians in Gaza and demand the university end financial connections to companies with ties to Israel. Protests have erupted at many Ivy League schools and spread to other schools as well, with more than 100 protesters being arrested at Columbia University and the school moving to a fully hybrid learning system for the remainder of the school year. Fox News Digital reached out to the University of California- Berkeley for comment. Original article source: Berkeley anti-Israel agitators met with stern university warning: 'We will take the steps necessary' Getty Images Shan Davis, executive director for the states K-12 school board, announced her final day on the job via email Monday. It just seemed like the right time, Davis said in a call with the Illuminator. Davis worked for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for 15 years and was executive director for almost 10 years. This is my fourth board, and Ive always tried to carry out what the majority of the board wanted, Davis said. My role is to serve the board, and that is what Ive tried to do. I feel like Ive enjoyed doing that, and Ive been successful at it. Before working with BESE, Davis was an educator in East Baton Rouge Parish for 16 years. Davis described the shift from school systems to BESE as enlightening. She emphasized how much of the day-to-day tasks of a teachers job is affected by policy and legislation, yet many teachers do not get involved in the process. According to Davis, Kim Tripeaux, director of the Louisianas Quality Education Support Fund, has been named BESEs interim executive director. The post BESE executive director announces retirement appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. A K-9 with the Bettendorf Police Department has a new layer of protection, thanks to a generous donation from the community. Lewis, a German shepherd, received the new ballistic vest as a donation from H&H Towing. The vest will help Lewis stay safe during patrols. The vest is bullet- and stab-proof. Lewis works with his handler, Officer Derrick Said, and has been on the job since October. Lewis helps sniff out drugs and catch criminals. For more on Lewis, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. White Mountain Industrial School's first graduating class is seen in a 1928 photo. (Alaska State Libraries collection) There was only one purpose for the boarding school system in Alaska. In fact, there was only one purpose for the Bureau of Indian Affairs educational program in America. It was all about white power. White supremacy. Assimilate the savage Natives by force. The Inupiat people of our Bering Straits region, first subjugated by the Swedish Covenant Church in Unalakleet in 1887 under a missionary named Axel Karlsson, became the norm for the Bering Straits Inupiat from that point on. Every village was dominated by the church and the BIA school system. In tandem with the BIA objectives, the accompanying church contracts with the U.S. government system also added their layer of rules about who the masters were over our people. The unholy remnants of that system remain to this day. All of the villages in my region, now served by Bering Straits Native Corp., have locked themselves into a system to leave their cultural roots behind. Damage was done to the arts, the languages, the heritage of Inupiat song and dance, the storytelling as my Grandma Kipo used to do and along with that, the 10,000 years of respect for elders. She was the last of her roots. She passed on in 1953. The Washington Post in an August 2023 report said that life was not easy for Native students. Forced by the federal government to attend the schools, Native American children were sexually assaulted, beaten and emotionally abused. They were stripped of their clothes and scrubbed with lye soap. Matrons cut their long hair. Speaking their tribal language could lead to a beating.Taken from their homes on reservations, Native American children some as young as 5 were forced to attend Indian boarding schools as part of an effort by the federal government to wipe out their languages and culture and assimilate them into white society. As the Post reported: For nearly 100 years, from the late 1870s until 1969, the U.S. government, often in partnership with churches, religious orders and missionary groups, operated and supported more than 400 Indian boarding schools in 37 states. Government officials and experts estimate that tens of thousands of Native children attended the schools over several generations, though no one knows the exact number. Thousands are believed to have died at the schools. There were at least a dozen combination church-government schools in Alaska that sprang up as a result of the thousands of parents that died from the Spanish flu and along with it the push to expand the boarding programs across America. Their charge was to completely and utterly assimilate the children. The schools in Alaska included the Eklutna Vocational School, the Mt. Edgecumbe High School, the White Mountain U.S. Government School, Wrangell Institute, the Tanana Orphanage, the St. Marys Orphanage, the Holy Cross Orphanage and the Dillingham Tutorial School. Several of these schools were operated by churches under contracts with the federal government. The number of Native students that attended all of these schools is unknown. Each and every institution had their rules and regulations handed down from officials of the federal government. Students at Wrangell Institute for example, were not always called by their names. Instead, each was given a number. If you attended Wrangell Institute from the first grade on, you were called number so and-so, for the next 12 years. None of the school staff knew our names. Some Alaska Native grandpas and grandmas to this day remember their numbers, like 124, that was my name, one said. A system of federal, private and religious-run boarding schools over more than 150 years did its best to wipe out thousands of years of Native languages, cultures and family ties. The damage done to these children, and to the generations that followed, is immense. Somewhere in Alaska are the remnants of more than 2,000 boarding home students who have never said a word about their experiences. The fabric is still torn. I myself was abused in Shaktoolik Day School by a BIA teacher bent on something so terroristic that I still cant understand the inhumanity. I was almost killed at the age of 6 for speaking Inupiat. And the teacher was making an example of me by violently washing my mouth out with a bar of Fels-Naptha soap. One thing I cannot yet forget is the 12-year-old girl in my classroom who sobbed as she was ordered to explain in English that I was being punished because I spoke my God-given language in class. I cant remember the girls name. She cried so hard that day. Our parents did nothing. Not a word was said. And neither did anyone from the village. Nothing was done. Why? At that time the word of a white man was absolute law. When the teacher was done washing my mouth out, he dropped me on the hardwood floor. I landed on my hands and knees with the bar of soap still in my mouth. I was choking, but I knew I had to live. I fought to live. I fought hard to catch a breath. Finally, the bar of soap popped out along with a mouth full of bubbles. That violence has never been forgotten by me. It will never leave my presence. At 81 years of age, I still take a medication for post-traumatic stress disorder once a day. I am not the only one in my family who was victimized by federal and church policies that have caused eternal harm. One day in July, a hot summer afternoon, I met a Tlingit man I had known for years, sitting on a bench at the former Sears Mall in Anchorage. There he told me an incredible story I never knew about. He spoke of how he came to know my parents. He said the captain of the Alaska Bureau of Indian Affairs supply ship had dropped off four little Inupiat children on the Hoonah beach on its voyage back to Seattle sometime in the 1920s. They were all alone, just standing on the beach, four little ones about 4, 5, 6 years old. We saw them from our house and went down and took them home with us. He allowed me to know how his father and mother raised them from then on as their own. The four were my dads siblings: Ann, George, Edward, and Axel Jackson. The captain said he put them on his ship in Nome, Alaska, to see if he could find them a home and family on his way south to Seattle. The captain also said he stopped at every village and town along the way. No one volunteered. Alaska was in the midst of the Spanish flu epidemic at the time and people were dying by the thousands. Tuberculosis was also rampant. A report from that time told of people dying in every village, with at least 10 a day in the Nome area gold fields where my fathers dad, Erick Jackson, worked as a mining engineer. Jackson was from Finland, and was one of many who trekked across the Chilkoot Pass on his way north to the Nome gold mines. The Spanish flu and TB took many lives, with some villages entirely wiped out. The Tetpon family of Shaktoolik later adopted my father Eric Jackson Tetpon Sr. when he was 2 years old. The other four were left in Hoonah. Hoonah is located in Southeast Alaska and was the last stop on the supply ships voyage back to the Pacific Northwest. The four grew up as family members of the Mercer family in Hoonah and later, Anne, George, Edward and Axel were sent to Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon. Three of the four did well and survived the hell they experienced at Chemawa Indian School. Axel Jackson did not make it. The word is that Axel was so badly abused at the school that he was admitted to the Morningside Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Portland. My father said he never spoke another word for about 30 years. Axel passed away there. The post BIA boarding schools devastating legacy continues to echo in Alaska appeared first on Alaska Beacon. The Biden administration has introduced new regulations intended to increase staffing levels and improve patient care in nursing homes. (Photo via Getty Images) The Biden administration has introduced a controversial set of new regulations intended to increase staffing levels and improve patient care in nursing homes. The new staffing rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has faced fierce opposition from the industry and Republicans in Congress. It establishes for the first time national minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes that collect taxpayer money through Medicare- and Medicaid-funded services. The staffing requirements will be phased in over the next two to five years, and CMS has made provisions to grant exemptions for care facilities in rural areas, such as Iowa, where theres a shortage of available caregivers. In a written statement, the administration said it believes that by improving working conditions and wages, improvements in the recruitment and retention of direct care workers will follow, enabling nursing staff to provide safer, higher quality care to all residents. Inadequate staffing has long been considered the single biggest contributor to poor quality care in nursing homes, and is a major, recurring issue in Iowa nursing homes. According to data from CMS, 14% of Iowas 422 nursing facilities were cited for insufficient staffing in fiscal year 2023. Thats more than double the national average, which was 5.9%. Only five other states Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico and Oregon had a worse record of compliance with the sufficient-staffing requirement. Iowas neighboring states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Missouri had no more than 2% to 6.8% of their facilities cited for insufficient staffing in 2023. Des Moines Fleur Heights Center for Wellness and Rehabilitation has compiled Iowas worst record of compliance with requirements for sufficient staffing levels. Over a nine-month period between May 2023 and February 2024, the home was cited, but never fined, five times for insufficient staff. Last November, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and 14 other Republican governors sent Biden a letter objecting to the new rule and arguing that the nursing home industry is facing a workforce crisis, particularly in rural areas. The governors predicted that minimum staffing levels would force over 80% of facilities nationwide to hire more staff and result in many of them closing. CMS officials said Tuesday they dont expect the new rule to force any facilities to close, noting that some states have imposed even higher staffing level requirements with no resulting shutdowns. The new rule has been two years in the making, and CMS has fielded more than 46,000 public comments on it from caregivers, residents, industry representatives and resident advocates. Toby S. Edelman, a senior policy attorney for the Center for Medicare Advocacy and a national expert on long-term care, noted Tuesday that the new rule announced this week establishes only the minimum permissible staffing levels care facilities must meet. The rule does not end the discussion about staffing levels, she said. Under federal rules issued earlier, all facilities are also required to conduct, at least annually, a facility assessment. This process requires each facility to determine the actual nursing needs of its own residents and to ensure that it has enough staff and that its staff have the necessary skills to meet its residents needs. Properly implemented and enforced, the facility assessment process will require many facilities to implement higher staffing levels than the minimums announced today. Rule mandates 24-hour nurse availability The specific provisions of the new rule include elements related to staffing, public disclosure and resident assessments: Nursing care: Residents must receive at least 3.48 hours of nursing care per day, which would include at least 0.55 hours of care from a registered nurse per resident, per day, as well as 2.45 hours of care from a certified nurse aide per resident, per day. Around-the-clock nurse availability: All homes must have a registered nurse on site 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The nurse must be available to deliver critical care to residents at any time. Self-assessments: Aside from meeting the new minimum standards, all facilities will be required to perform annual assessments to determine the actual level of staffing needed to meet all residents needs. Those assessments, which will be more detailed than those currently required, are intended to address the fact that many care facilities already meet the new minimum standards but are still failing to meet residents needs due to heightened levels of acuity or the need for one-on-one supervision. Staff retention: Each facility will be required to at least develop a formalized plan to maximize their workforce recruitment and retention efforts. To help ensure compliance, CMS will also be requiring states, to which much of the enforcement efforts are delegated, to collect and report on the percentage of Medicaid payments spent on compensation for direct care workers and support staff. CMS has promised to publicly report the spending data collected by the states, and the states themselves will also be required to report facility-specific data on publicly accessible websites. Special provisions for rural facilities The federal agency has also pledged $75 million to be spent on a national nursing home staffing campaign aimed at increasing the number of nurses working in long-term care facilities. As part of that effort, CMS will be providing financial incentives for nurses to work in nursing homes. In announcing the new requirements, CMS acknowledged that some facilities are experiencing challenges in hiring and retaining certain nursing staff because of local workforce unavailability. To address that, the agency will offer waivers for the rule requiring a nurse to be on site 24-hours per day, and will also offer financial hardship exemptions to the staffing requirement. The facilities that seek such an exemption will first have to show theyre in an area where the supply of nurses at least 20% below the national average as calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. Theyll also have to provide documentation of good faith efforts to hire and retain staff, including the payment of competitive wages, and theyll have to disclose the amount of money spent on nurse staffing relative to the homes total revenue. Facilities that are granted an exemption will then have to post a notice of its exemption status in a prominent, publicly accessible location inside the facility, and will have to provide any prospective residents with written notice of the exemption status. Some homes will not be considered for exemption, including those on CMS list of special-focus facilities that have history of repeat, serious violations, and those recently cited for a pattern of insufficient staffing that has resulted in harm to residents. For most facilities, the new staffing requirements will be phased in over the next two years, but that timeline has been extended to accommodate the needs of rural facilities where the workforce shortage is particularly acute. Rural facilities will have 90 days to meet the new rule on facility assessments. Theyll have three years to meet the requirements on 3.48 hours of total nurse staffing and a 24-hour nurse, and five years to meet the more specific requirements of 0.55 registered-nurse hours per day, per resident. The post Biden administration unveils new rule on nursing home staffing levels appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Biden: I almost wanted to buy Trump Bible just to see what the hells in it President Biden mocked former President Trump on Tuesday for hawking Bibles last month and eviscerated the presumptive GOP nominee over his abortion record. Biden, visiting Trumps home state of Florida, delivered remarks in which he squarely blamed Trump for the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the subsequent state-level abortion restrictions put in place by GOP-led legislatures. He described the Dobbs decision as a miracle, Biden, a church-going Catholic, said of Trump, referring to the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended Roe v. Wade. Maybe its coming from that Bible hes trying to sell. I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hells in it, Biden added, drawing laughter from the crowd. Folks, it was no miracle. It was a political deal he made with the evangelical base of the Republican Party to look past his moral and character flaws in exchange for his commitment to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe. Trump in March promoted God Bless the USA Bibles in the days leading up to Easter. He encouraged supporters to buy the $60 Bibles, named for the Lee Greenwood song that plays at Trumps rallies. Im proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again, Trump said in a video promoting the book. The New York Times reported that Trump was not personally selling the Bibles, but he was getting royalties from purchases. Trump has frequently presented himself as a defender of Christian values and has claimed Democrats are persecuting Christians. But some conservatives criticized him for commodifying the Bible during Holy Week. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Kuwait welcomes the agreement on delimitation reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the statement of Kuwait's Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports. "The deal achieved between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a key step towards guaranteeing future long-term peace and stability in the South Caucasus area, necessitating the signing of a peace accord shortly," the statement of Kuwait's Foreign Ministry reads. To note, on April 19, 2024, the eighth meeting of the State Commission on State Border Delimitation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and the Commission on State Border Delimitation and Border Security between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan was held on the border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan. At the initial stage of the delimitation process, the sides tentatively agreed on the passage of certain segments of the border line directly between the settlements of Baganis (RA) Baganys Ayrim (AR), Voskepar (RA) Ashagy Askipara (AR), Kirants (RA) Kheyrimli (AR), and Berkaber (RA) - Gyzylhajily (AR) to bring them in line with the legally justified inter-republican border that existed within the Soviet Union at the time of its collapse. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Joe Biden campaigned in the Sunshine State Tuesday to spotlight new attacks on reproductive rights. His trip to Florida came one week before a law banning most abortions after six weeks takes effect there. Its criminalizing reproductive healthcare before women even know whether theyre pregnant, President Biden told a crowd of supporters. The president warned reproductive rights for millions of Americans are at stake in this years elections. Theres one person responsible for this nightmare, and hes acknowledged and hes bragged about it: Donald Trump, Biden said. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner and Florida resident, celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended the federal right to an abortion. For 52 years, people have wanted to end Roe v. Wade and get it back to the states, Trump said during a campaign stop earlier this month in Georgia. We did that. It was an incredible thing, an incredible achievement. In November, Florida voters will consider a ballot measure that would put abortion protections into the states constitution. Trump has not said how he will vote. President Biden is using the state as a warning of what could happen nationwide if hes not re-elected and warned if Congress tries to pass a national ban, as long as I have the power of the presidency, thats never going to happen. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former Trump rival for the Republican presidential nomination, said Floridians arent buying what Biden is selling. Were going to play an instrumental role in sending him back to Delaware where he belongs, DeSantis said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. President Biden on Tuesday condemned a six-week abortion ban in Florida that will take effect in a little over a week, placing the blame squarely on former President Trump. In a brief campaign speech in Tampa, Biden blasted the presumptive GOP nominee for appointing the justices who ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion. Next week, one of the nations most extreme anti-abortion laws takes effect here in Florida. Its criminalizing reproductive health care for before women even know whether theyre pregnant, Biden said. Lets be real clear. Theres one person responsible for this nightmare. And hes acknowledged and he brags about it. Donald Trump. Bidens campaign is making abortion rights one of its top issues and is aiming to remind voters nearly every day of Trumps record on the issue. Bidens team is rolling out ads featuring testimony from women impacted by state abortion bans, and Vice President Harris and other top administration officials have been crisscrossing the country, hammering Republicans and Trump on abortion restrictions. Polls show a majority of voters oppose abortion bans, and Republicans have suffered a series of losses at the ballot box that have been blamed on their abortion policy. Florida has been voting increasingly Republican in recent elections, but Tuesdays speech was part of the Biden campaigns effort to use the state Supreme Courts abortion ruling as leverage to flip the state. The court earlier this month ruled that there is no right to an abortion in the state, upholding a 15-week abortion ban in a decision that automatically triggered a six-week ban to take effect 30 days later. The campaign has also pointed to a November ballot measure Floridians can vote on guaranteeing access to abortion up to the point of viability, which is about 24 weeks. If the initiative passes it would overturn the six-week ban. Trump has criticized Floridas six-week ban, as well as a near-total ban in Arizona. But he also said that decisions about the legality of abortion are rightfully being left up to the states. In his remarks, Biden mocked Trump for selling $60 Bibles and called out his support among evangelical voters. [Trump] described the Dobbs decision as a miracle. Maybe its coming from that Bible hes trying to sell, Biden said. Folks, it was no miracle. It was a political deal he made with the evangelical base of the Republican Party to look past his moral and character flaws in exchange for his commitment to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe, Biden added. Trump said he doesnt support a federal abortion ban, but Biden said Trump cant be trusted. Dont think hes [not] making a deal right now with MAGA extremists to ban nationwide abortion in every single state, because hes making it, Biden said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. US President Joe Biden had a telephone conversation on 22 April with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, one of the key topics of which was Ukraine. Source: White House press service, as reported by European Pravda Details: During the conversation, Biden and von der Leyen discussed their unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Biden on the recent passage by the House of Representatives of an amendment to the national security supplement. Once it passes the Senate and President Biden signs it into law, this amendment will be important to meeting Ukraine's urgent needs on the battlefield. "They spoke about how sustained international support is vital to Ukraines fight for freedom," the statement says. Background: The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Joe Biden on the phone after the US House of Representatives passed a bill to help Ukraine. After speaking with Biden, Zelenskyy announced an agreement to supply long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! US President Joe Biden arrives to speak about reproductive freedom in Tampa, Florida, on April 23, 2024. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images President Joe Biden swooped into Florida Tuesday, hoping to parlay the states new restrictive abortion law as well as a ballot initiative that could undo it into a campaign issue that could give him the states trove of electoral votes come November, effectively locking up his reelection. Theres one person responsible for this nightmare, and he acknowledges it and he brags about it: Donald Trump, Biden told a boisterous crowd in a gym at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. He attacked Floridas six-week abortion ban approved in the wake of the Supreme Courts 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade and ending a national right to abortion and reminded voters that it was the coup-attempting former presidents three appointees to the high court that paved the way. It was Donald Trump who ripped away the rights and freedom of women in America, he said. Well teach Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans a valuable lesson: Dont mess with the women of America. Political consultants from both parties, while skeptical that Biden will actually win Florida, agree that forcing Trump on the defensive in a state he cannot afford to lose and which he only won by three percentage points in 2020 is a smart move. I dont think hed be in Tampa today if they didnt see it as good place to make a contrast, said Steve Schale, who ran former President Barack Obamas successful Florida campaign operation in both 2008 and 2012. Theres nothing more valuable, particularly for an incumbent, than a candidates time. Trumps campaign did not respond to HuffPosts queries. In 2016, Trump made an explicit deal with evangelical voters who distrusted him that, in exchange for their support, he would only appoint anti-abortion Supreme Court justices from a list that Christian groups had pre-vetted. He now openly boasts about how he was able to get Roe overturned. While many Republicans are confident that Florida is solidly in their column, the states history in presidential contests may offer Biden reason to hope. After Republican George W. Bush won a controversial, 537-vote contest there in 2000, Democrats poured money into the state, only to see Bush win it again in 2004, this time by five points. Heading into the 2008 presidential cycle, many Democrats decided that Florida could not be won. Despite this, Obama invested heavily there and wound up winning by three percentage points an eight-point swing in four years. He went on to win Florida a second time in 2012, although then by just one point. Some now see the abortion issue as again putting Florida up for grabs. Following a Florida Supreme Court ruling last month, the new six-week ban will take effect on May 1, making abortions illegal before many even realize they are pregnant. However, voters could put a right to an abortion directly into the state Constitution by approving a ballot imitative in November with a 60 percent vote. The ballot initiative is a game-changer, said David Jolly, a former GOP congressman from Tampa. Its opened a lane for Biden, and one he has to explore. Other Republicans, though, said that a ballot question that would insert a right to an abortion into the Florida constitution wont, on its own, flip a state that two years ago re-elected Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a 20-point blowout. Support for the ballot initiative may narrow the margin of Bidens loss, but it is more likely to get the 60% of the vote required to pass than he is to get 50%-plus-one, said Mac Stipanovich, a longtime Republican consultant who turned against his party when it embraced Trump. One top state Republican, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bidens hiring of some staff in the state and opening a new office does not by itself signal the kind of commitment that would be necessary. Not without real money that they dont intend to spend here, he said. Biden would need to spend $3 to $5 million a week for ten to 12 weeks on television, spend $30 to $40 million on turnout operations, the Republican said. They start from down a million in voter registration and thats a lot for them to overcome. Schale, who in 2020 and again this election is working for a pro-Biden super PAC, said that even voters who specifically come out to vote for the abortion amendment may not necessarily back Biden. He pointed to a successful initiative to increase the minimum wage in 2004, passed in a year when Bush still carried the state, and an anti-gay marriage amendment from 2008, when Obama still won. Until one does change an election, Im not convinced one will, he said though he acknowledged the abortion ballot question is the first addressing a right that has been taken away. This could be the one that my whole theory is blown up on. Stipanovich said a key question is how well the amendment does, and whether it brings out low-propensity voters who, once in the voting booth, also punish Trump. If the ballot initiative really rings the bell [and gets], say, 65%, then maybe, he said. Biden winning Florida would not be a unicorn, but it definitely would be a black swan. In any case, spending several million dollars now, particularly given his current fundraising advantage over Trump, is a low-risk, high-reward tactic, Schale said. I think theyre smart to invest here early. The more paths to victory they give themselves is a good thing. Lets see where things are in May, June and July, he said. Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried, who attended the opening of a new Biden campaign office in Tampa following his speech, said she is optimistic after speaking to him. He is in the trenches with us here. He thinks Florida is winnable, she said. We have been instructed to start hiring. Democratic pollster Fernand Amandi, though, said he doubts anything will come of Bidens Florida play. Ive learned to never say never, but unless there is a radical shift in the statewide polling over the summer, President Biden has already proven in 2020 that he can easily get to 270 electoral votes without carrying Florida, and I suspect his campaign will take the same approach in 2024, he said. On Tuesday, nevertheless, Biden spoke as though he was serious about trying to win the state. He reminded his audience that voters in states from Ohio to Kansas had come out in droves to support abortion rights. This November, you can add Florida to that list, he said. Related... In a national address scheduled in Tampa today, President Joe Biden is poised to scrutinize a new restrictive abortion law in Florida , which is set to take effect next week, framing it as a critical issue for the upcoming election. Bidens speech comes amid an intensifying debate over reproductive rights. According to a memo shared with The Advocate on the impacts of Republican abortion bans by Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign manager, the new law will dramatically constrict reproductive health care throughout the Southeast, affecting states beyond Floridas borders, including Georgia and North Carolina , where bans spurred by the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 are already in place. Many women in the Southeast desperately in need of care will have to drive for a day or more to reach the closest clinic, Chavez Rodriguez detailed in the memo. The situation could place an unprecedented strain on providers who are already under pressure serving women from states where abortion is banned. Chavez Rodriguezs memo starkly captures the Trump administrations role in the current landscape: [Donald] Trump has doubled down on taking credit for these extreme state abortion bans, bragging that he broke Roe, she said, pointing to an appearance the former president made on April 12. My question to Trump today - (@) Trumps position suggests that these measures are working the way its supposed to, despite widespread accounts of their grievous consequences for womens health and personal autonomy. Chavez Rodriguez emphasized the disconnect between these policies and public sentiment: These attacks on womens freedoms put Trump far out of step with the American people, she wrote. The memo underscores that reproductive freedom has surged as a top issue for voters in battleground states, as evidenced in Arizona, Michigan, and even Florida, where the majority oppose the restrictive laws. Chavez Rodriguezs memo further warns of a broader strategy to ban abortion nationwide should Trump return to the presidency, a move that she suggests is contrary to the will of the majority. Bidens Tampa remarks are expected to strike a chord with voters in key battleground states. Bottom line: When President Biden speaks out against attacks on reproductive freedom across the country and yet another extreme Trump abortion ban taking effect in Florida, it will resonate with voters across every battleground state, Chavez Rodriguez wrote. This speech aims to energize voters who, as per Chavez Rodriguez, do not want Trump and MAGA Republicans continuing to dismantle their fundamental freedoms. The memo predicts a robust response from voters come November, reflecting a persistent trend of rejecting Trump-endorsed abortion restrictions at the ballot box. One of the Republicans star witnesses in the impeachment hearings of Joe Biden is suing House Democrat Jamie Raskin for $20m for alleged defamatory comments that deliberately and maliciously besmirched his character. Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of the presidents son Hunter Biden, was called by House Republicans to testify against the Bidens as part of their probe into the familys business dealings, seeking to impeach the president. Mr Raskin has been an outspoken critic of the impeachment proceedings, including writing to Mr Bobulinskis attorney in February to say that his clients interview was chaotic to the point of burlesque. "Mr. Bobulinski did not offer any evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden," Raskin said in his letter. "He also did not provide any evidence that President Biden was involved in his familys business dealings." A criminal complaint seen by The Daily Beast pointed to social media posts by Mr Raskin, in which he sought to discredit Mr Bobulinskis testimony to the House Oversight Committee, while also appearing to claim he had links to Russian or Chinese agents. Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) (Getty Images) The lawsuit claims all of these were false statements, also pointing to an interview Mr Raskin had on MSNBC, which he shared on social media republishing his false statements to an entirely new audience. Mr Bobulinskis attorneys also point to other instances of the Democrat reposting statements from the Oversight Committee Democrats X page, including one in which he called the witness Donald Trumps political pawn. Then, on March 6, 2024, Defendant issued a statement that House Oversight Democrats posted on X, and Defendant reposted, in which he called Mr. Bobulinski a bitterly frustrated would-be business partner who collaborated with the Trump campaign, the lawsuit says, The Daily Beast reported. Mr Bobulinskis team argues that he has nothing to do with the Trump campaign and he has never lied to Congress. On 20 March, Mr Bobulinski said that it was, in fact, Mr Raskin and fellow congressman Dan Goldman who had been lying by sharing multiple social media posts targeting him. This weeks filing continues those claims, saying that Mr Raskin has been working in tag-team fashion with fellow Oversight Committee member, Rep. Dan Goldman, in a social media blitz of defamatory posts deliberately and maliciously besmirching the character of Mr. Bobulinski. The lawsuit is one of several reportedly filed by Mr Bobulinski in recent months. He is suing former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson for $10m for mentioning his meeting with the former presidents Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in 2020 in her book. He is also asking for $30m in a case against Fox News pundit Jessica Tarlov, who issued a correction rather than an apology over claims she made on air that a Trump-associated political action committee had paid for his legal fees. In the case against Mr Raskin, Mr Bobulinski is suing for $20m. The Independent has reached out to Mr Rakin and Mr Bobulinski for comment. MIAMI President Joe Biden probably wont carry Florida in November. But he hopes the state serves as a warning to voters elsewhere about what could happen if he doesn't win. Biden plans to denounce Floridas policies, especially a six-week abortion ban taking effect next week, during a campaign event in Tampa on Tuesday. Its just one example of how the campaign in the coming months will try to designate the now conservative-leaning state as ground zero for Trumps MAGA blueprint, citing not just abortion but also looser gun laws and book removals from school libraries. Playing no small part into the boogeyman narrative for the Biden campaign is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed the abortion ban into law last year as he and Trump vied for the GOP presidential nomination. Biden knows he has to spend time in Florida to show how "extreme" conditions have gotten in the state under DeSantis, said state Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. "He understands that if we're going to fight back against the extremism of the MAGA Republicans, that you got to come to the belly of the beast," Fried said. The Biden campaign made the surprising declaration this month that it saw Florida as winnable, after the state Supreme Court authorized a referendum that would allow voters to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution, thereby undoing the six-week ban. But the path to turning Florida blue starts with dumping millions of dollars in campaign cash on a state that Democrats havent won in over a decade, an unlikely scenario for a campaign that, for now, is spending in only one state North Carolina Biden didnt win in 2020. Even so, Florida provides a useful backdrop for showing what the national Republican agenda looks like and its impacts on real people, said Joshua Karp, a Democratic consultant whos worked on multiple Florida races. That, Democrats hope, trickles out not only to swing state voters, but energizes beleaguered Florida Democrats looking to break the state GOPs supermajority in the state legislature. This is contrast messaging, said Kevin Cate, a Florida-based Democratic communications consultant, of Bidens visit. There is not a state in the union that indicts the failed MAGA leadership quite like Florida does. For much of this week, the presidential race will be centered outside of the core battleground states. Biden will be dropping into Florida, his challengers adopted home state, to talk about abortion, contraception and in vitro fertilization. Trump, meanwhile, is tied up in court for his hush-money trial in New York on Tuesday a state that Republicans have sought to demonize with the former president in front of a jury and protests roiling one of the nations premier universities. Florida, in contrast, seems on track to hit 1 million more active registered Republicans than Democrats. DeSantis won reelection by almost 20 points and all statewide offices are held by Republicans. Yet while Democrats frequently rail against the state, they still often fly down here to raise cash. Biden isnt doing a fundraiser in Florida this time, said Chris Korge, the Democratic National Committees finance chair, but Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg did attend one last week with the Biden Victory Fund in his personal capacity in Miami, and also led a roundtable with Democratic mayors. Its similar to what Republicans have long done in California and New York: publicly flogging the blue states while happily collecting big checks at exclusive fundraisers. Though state Democrats insist Floridas a battleground and that they have a better chance to win the nations third-largest state than they did in 2020, Bidens campaign has yet to spend a significant amount of cash in the state. In 2020, Biden and Trump together spent about $250 million on TV ads by October, a POLITICO analysis found, but are poised to spend far less this cycle. But Florida can still serve Biden, even if Trump gets its 30 electoral votes. And his team insists it sees a chance to make inroads given that Biden is out-fundraising Trump, whos spending much of his campaign warchest on battling his criminal indictments. It's exceptionally smart for the president to come to Florida to tell the rest of the nation how quickly a purple state can become an extreme MAGA Gilead and how the abortion issue on its own has driven that, said Miami-based Democratic pollster Fernand Amandi, referring to the setting of the dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale. Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo, a Republican who lost his suburban Miami seat in 2018, said Biden was campaigning in Florida to try to show it was on offense. [Abortion] is going to be a destructive issue for Republicans, and while that may not be the case in Florida, it certainly could be the case in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan, he said. Republicans say they welcome the contrast and the Trump campaign confidently declared Florida Trump Country, given the GOP voter registration advantage and polling in the former presidents favor. DeSantis, who signed the six-week abortion bill into law, frequently skewers Biden during public events on issues from the economy to immigration. His pitch to America has long been that Florida offers a citadel of freedom drawing away residents from blue states. This is not going to be a state thats competitive in November, DeSantis said in Miami Beach last month. And thats just the reality. Biden looks to use abortion rights to put Florida in play in November President Joe Biden visited his rivals home turf in Florida on Tuesday, where his team is seeking to leverage a restrictive abortion law to visit put the state in play for Democrats, seeing reproductive rights as a galvanizing issue for voters one week before a restrictive abortion ban in that state goes into effect. Democrats have seized on abortion ahead of November, hoping it could spur moderate voters particularly women to turn out in droves against former President Donald Trump by tying the abortion bans directly to him. Donald Trump stripped away the rights and freedoms of women in America, Biden said in Tampa on Tuesday, adding it will be on all of us to restore those rights. And when you do that, it will teach Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans a valuable lesson, Biden added. Dont mess with the women of America. Bidens campaign often cites Democratic successes in the 2022 midterms and off-year elections since Roe v. Wade was overturned as examples of the issue driving voters to the polls. And theyve put a renewed focus on Florida following a pair of state Supreme Court rulings this year one paving the way for a six-week abortion ban in Florida, the other giving Floridians a chance in November to enshrine abortion access in the states constitution. Biden campaign officials and Democratic strategists are hoping elevating the issue in the state will help drive voter turnout and potentially deliver the state for Biden. Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state after six weeks, making it one of the most restrictive states in the country to obtain an abortion. The ban will go into effect May 1 after the state Supreme Court recently overturned decades of legal precedent in the state that protected abortion through the second trimester of a pregnancy. But even as Bidens campaign believes that ban will galvanize left-leaning and moderate Florida voters, they face an uphill battle if they seek to flip that state, which has become a reliably red bastion for the MAGA movement and has turned sharper to the right since 2020. Trump and many of his family members and allies from his time in the White House have made the state their home in recent years. Bidens Tuesday trip is part of a strategy by his campaign to keep abortion at the forefront, arguing that its part of a broader threat to personal freedoms and health care. In an example of how salient an issue abortion is for the campaign, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris first joint campaign appearance this election year was focused on reproductive rights. In Tampa on Tuesday, Biden repeatedly needled both Trump and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who argued when Roe was overturned that the high court should consider revisiting rulings that provide the federal right to contraception and same-sex marriage. Biden poked fun at the former president during his remarks for describing the Dobbs decision as a miracle, a reference to the 2022 decision that led to Roes reversal. Maybe its coming from that Bible hes trying to sell, Biden joked. I almost wanted to buy one to see what the hells in it. Folks, it was no miracle it was a political deal to get rid of Roe a deal, a political deal he made with the evangelical base of the Republican party. During Tuesdays event, Biden also invoked the Arizona Supreme Courts decision to revive a 160-year-old law barring all abortions except in cases when it is necessary to save a pregnant womans life. Trump has literally taken us back 160 years, Biden said. He says its up to the states this is all about states rights. But hes wrong. The Supreme Court was wrong. This should be a constitutional right in the federal Constitution. This isnt about states rights, Biden added, its about womens rights. In a recent stop in Arizona, Harris, whos crisscrossed the country to talk about reproductive rights, cast restrictive abortion laws as Trump abortion bans. She continued that pitch on Monday in battleground Wisconsin advancing the Biden campaigns split screen as Trump sat in court. Trump has shifted his abortion position over the last two decades, and most recently, argued that abortion legislation should be left to the states. But Trumps own status as a Florida resident means he will have an opportunity to directly weigh in on the abortion referendum in November. His advisers have not said how hell vote. Democrats have struggled to find success in Florida, which has voted Republican in the last two presidential elections and has shifted to the right. Biden lost Florida voters 65 and older to Trump by 10 points in 2020, a wider gap than his 5-point deficit nationally. But there are some signs that the campaign could shift in his favor: The states 2024 ballot will include referendums to legalize recreational marijuana and expand abortion access through state constitutional amendments, which could energize Bidens base. The last time there was an abortion referendum on the ballot, in 2012, President Obama won the state. So, with our enormous financial advantage, Biden-Harris campaign can afford to invest in many paths to victory and that includes Florida, Tyler said. Privately, though, Democrats here acknowledge turning the state blue this cycle remains a herculean task and success may be defined by how much they can force Trump to spend in Florida to protect his advantage here. During Bidens last trip to Tampa, in early 2023, he railed against GOP efforts to curb entitlements, drawing a contrast with the states GOP Sen. Rick Scott, who made a proposal to sunset federal legislation including Social Security and Medicare every five years. Florida has the highest population of seniors of any state. Abortion rights, social security and Medicare, among other issues, were listed in a recent campaign memo, arguing that Biden has an opening in Florida and laying out investments in the state. In late January, Biden told a group of donors at a high-dollar fundraiser in south Florida that he believes he can win the Sunshine State. I think we can win Florida, he said Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida, about 20 miles from his predecessors Mar-a-Lago resort. CNNs Sam Fossum and Steve Contorno contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Biden cast the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, and his framing of former President Trump's response, as the impetus for his 2020 White House run but Biden now faces his own "Charlottesville moment." Biden has repeatedly and emphatically condemned the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 for spewing "antisemitic bile," even saying the protests motivated his run for the White House last election cycle. "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime," Biden said in 2019 of the riots when announcing his run for the White House against then-President Trump. Flash forward to 2024, antisemitism is running rampant on the campuses of some of the countrys most elite universities, including protesters on Columbias campus saying Jewish students were Hamas "next targets" amid ongoing protests. FETTERMAN 'NOT WRONG' TO COMPARE COLUMBIA PROTESTS TO CHARLOTTESVILLE, CNN HOST SAYS "Al-Qassam you make us proud, kill another soldier now," protesters on the Ivy League campus chanted over the weekend, referring to the military wing of the terrorist organization Hamas. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP They also chanted: "We say justice, you say how. Burn Tel Aviv to the ground" and "Hamas we love you. We support your rockets, too." The protests in Charlottesville in 2017, which played out across two days in August of that year, included White nationalists descending on the city who were met by hundreds of counter-protesters. The protests devolved into violence, including three deaths and dozens of injuries stemming from a car plowing through people and other attacks. IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS' PROTESTS SPIRAL INTO 'ACTUAL TERROR ORGANIZATION,' PROFESSOR WARNS The protests were condemned by both Republicans and Democrats as a hateful display of bigotry, including Trump at the time, who said in a statement that such protests and violence have "no place in America." Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. "We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides," Trump said in August of that year. Trump added days later in a press conference that he condemned the "egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence" and came under fire from Democrats for his remarks that there was "blame on both sides" and "very fine people, on both sides." DEARBORN ACTIVISTS' PUSH TO BAIL ON BIDEN SPREADS TO OTHER KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES Former President Trump at a rally in Arizona. Biden pointed to Trumps comments as helping motivate him to run for the presidency. "With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it," Biden said in 2019 when announcing his candidacy. Anti-Israel protesters demonstrate outside of Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Biden has repeatedly pointed to Charlottesville as a moment of shame for the nation, including on the fourth anniversary, when the White House released a statement saying the rally was a "battle for the soul of America was laid bare for all to see." MICHIGAN ARABS AND MUSLIM COMMUNITY WORK TO BEAT BIDEN IN 2024 RACE: BIDEN 'THINKS WE'RE BLUFFING' "The forces of hate and violence were summoned from the shadows as Neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and white supremacists descended on a historic American city. With torches in their hands and veins bulging from their necks, they spewed the same antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the 1930s and with the same beatings and bigotry we saw in Jim Crow America for nearly a century," he said. Though Biden has repeatedly cited Charlottesville, he has come under criticism, as recently as five months ago , for not visiting the city following the protests. "Charlottesville, Virginia," were even the first two words Biden uttered when announcing his run for the White House. Members of the Patriot Front march across Memorial Bridge in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Dec. 4, 2021, in Washington, D.C. The group broke off from the White nationalist group Vanguard America after the deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Biden is now facing his own "Charlottesville moment," as protests rage on college campuses stretching from Yale to the University of California, Berkeley, as anti-Israel students set up encampments while demanding their schools completely divest from Israel. Protests had spread across the nation in October of last year, when Hamas launched its first attacks against Israel, sparking war. They have since intensified, including this month. Protests at Columbia University and other schools have intensified since October. A Columbia professor told Fox Digital over the weekend that anti-Israel campus groups have morphed into becoming an "actual terror organization," citing the protester who was seen holding a sign reading, "Al-Qasams (sic) next targets" that pointed toward Jewish students. A rabbi on Columbias campus has warned Jewish students to leave campus due to the antisemitism. "The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia Universitys Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy," Rabbi Elie Buechler wrote to students over the weekend. "It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved." BIDEN CRUSHED FOR EQUIVOCATING ON ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS: 'VERY FINE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES' MOMENT More than 100 protesters were arrested on Columbias campus last week, while dozens more were arrested on Yales and NYUs campus this week. Biden on Monday reiterated his condemnation of the violent protests, while facing criticisms online that his remarks echoed what Trump said in 2017 of the Charlottesville riots. "I condemn the antisemitic protests. Thats why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians," Biden told reporters Monday. Clashes at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12, 2017. "This sure sounds like hes ACTUALLY saying there are very fine people on both sides," OutKick founder Clay Travis said. ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS COULD ESCALATE, TURN MORE EXTREME TO GET BIDENS ATTENTION, REPORT WARNS "Joe Biden condemned what he called the antisemitic bile of right-wing marchers in Charlottesville, Virginia, and called it a 'defining moment' for America. Today we're witnessing Charlottesville happening on the campus of Columbia University but Biden is silent. This is a defining moment for this presidency. Will he keep pandering to the antisemitic left or confront it the way he did the antisemitic right?" Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen tweeted. Anti-Israel agitators block roadways outside of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, on Monday, April 22, 2024. The protests are continuing after a week of demonstrations calling on the university to divest from military weapons manufacturers. American Spectator writer Nate Hochman noted, "I'm old enough to remember when good people on both sides was evil and racist." WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS BLATANTLY ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS AS AGITATORS ENGULF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY The Federalist's editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway wrote, "President Biden says there are good people on both sides of October 7." Earlier this month, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who has openly supported Israel and condemned members of his own party for not doing the same, compared the protests unfolding on college campuses to Charlottesville. Anti-Israel demonstrators on Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Thursday, April 18, 2024. "I fully agree with the White House these protests are antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous. Add some tiki torches and its Charlottesville for these Jewish students," Fetterman tweeted as the Columbia protests intensified over the weekend. Israel has become a lightning rod for the Democratic Party since October, with the partys progressive faction, such as members of the Squad, coming under fierce condemnation from the Jewish community and conservatives for not taking harder stances against Hamas. Biden is even facing an "Abandon Biden" movement in battleground states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, stemming from the presidents support of Israel during its war in Gaza. The movement calls Israels actions "genocide." Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign and the White House for comment on the matter Tuesday, but did not receive a response from either. Fox News Digital's Michael Lee and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report. Original article source: Biden once ripped 'antisemitic bile' but now faces own 'Charlottesville moment' The White House on Tuesday announced a new goal to large swaths of wetlands, rivers and streams. As the White House hosts a water summit, it announced it wants to set a new national goal to protect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams. The quantities of water outlined in Tuesdays announcement, while more specific, do not appear to be more ambitious than an existing goal of protecting 30 percent of the nations lands and waters. There are 75.5 million acres of wetlands and more than 2.5 million river miles in the U.S. But to achieve the new goal, the administration announced it was launching a freshwater challenge that calls on states, tribes and cities to put forward their policies for conserving and restoring fresh water. It said that 10 states, eight tribes and 24 local governments have signed onto the effort. Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, framed these measures as an effort to protect drinking water. President Biden understands that securing clean water for all people means conserving and restoring our rivers, lakes, wetlands, and streams, Mallory said in a statement. Now is the time to work together to use all the tools and resources available at the national, state, and local level to protect waters that are under threat. The White House fact sheet particularly described the waters as being under threat following a 2023 Supreme Court decision that limited the federal governments authority to protect wetlands via regulation. In addition, the White House announced $1 billion in funding to improve tribal access to water. This includes $700 million from the Indian Health Service and $320 million from the Bureau of Reclamation to speed up the delivery of drinking water and water infrastructure. Currently, more than half of tribal households either do not have clean water or adequate sanitation. The new effort seeks to leverage [the Bureau of Reclamations] engineering capacity to accelerate the delivery of Tribal water projects, the fact sheet said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Biden to speak on abortion in first Florida visit since state Supreme Court ruling President Biden will deliver a speech in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday focused on reproductive rights, taking center stage on abortion about one week ahead of the states six-week ban takes effect. Biden is expected to place the blame for the states abortion restrictions squarely on former President Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The Biden campaign said the president is going to forcefully advocate for reproductive freedom and call out Donald Trumps abortion bans. The campaign is making abortion rights one its top issues and is aiming to remind voters nearly every day of Trumps record on the issue. Bidens team is rolling out ads featuring testimony from women impacted by state abortion bans, and Vice President Harris and other top administration officials have been crisscrossing the country, hammering Republicans and Trump on abortion restrictions. Trump has tried to neutralize Democratic arguments and repeatedly said in recent weeks that its left up to the states to determine abortion policy, rejecting explicit calls for a national ban. The former president was spurred to act after Floridas Supreme Court earlier this month ruled that there is no right to an abortion in the state, upholding a 15-week abortion ban in a decision that automatically triggered a six-week ban to take effect 30 days later. Following the courts abortion decision, the Biden campaign said it viewed Florida as winnable and said it aimed to invest heavily in flipping the state. Tuesday will be Bidens first visit to Florida since the ruling. Our advantage in the state isnt just limited to abortion, campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters in a call previewing the speech. Republicans in the state have attacked Social Security. Theyve attacked Medicare. Theyve made it easier for criminals to carry guns. Theyve banned books, rewritten history to say that Black people benefited from slavery and attacked our most vulnerable communities. This all follows Donald Trumps model for MAGA extremism, Tyler said. Floridas new law will be one of the most restrictive in the country, and advocates say it will effectively amount to a complete ban: Six weeks gestation is before many women know they are pregnant, and the state will still require two in-person visits with the abortion provider 24 hours apart. The ban will effectively shut off abortion access in the South, where neighboring states already enforce near-total abortion bans or severe restrictions. But despite Trumps desire to move on from the topic, national and state Republicans have been on defense after getting exactly what they wanted when Roe was overturned. Polls show a majority of voters oppose abortion bans, and Republicans have suffered a series of losses at the ballot box that have been blamed on their abortion policy. One day after Trumps comments, the GOP-appointed justices of the Arizona Supreme Court resurrected an 1864 law making it a felony to perform an abortion or help someone obtain one. The law was first passed before Arizona was even a state. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON Morehouse College is set to announce that President Joe Biden will deliver its commencement address on May 19, but some faculty members have raised concerns about the decision, according to two people familiar with the matter and an email to faculty members reviewed by NBC News. This week, I received an inquiry from concerned faculty about rumors they were hearing about President Bidens selection as the 2024 Commencement speaker, Kendrick Brown, Morehouse Colleges provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, wrote in the email to faculty members Friday. Brown said he would convene a virtual meeting Thursday to extend an opportunity for faculty with different perspectives on the selection of our Commencement speaker to ask questions and make comments. He said students would also engage with college President David Thomas. Brown did not respond to a request for further comment, and a spokesperson for Morehouse declined to offer more details. A Morehouse faculty member told NBC News administrators are believed to be concerned that faculty members will join students in protest of Biden during the ceremony. The pushback against leaderships decision comes amid increasing protests on college campuses over Bidens support for Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The protests since the war began in October have already forced Biden, and other top administration officials, to dramatically scale back appearances at college campuses. Commencement season is typically a time when presidents reach young audiences, and it offers them opportunities to deliver keynote addresses highlighting their accomplishments and the future. In an election year, commencement speeches can carry particular significance. But Bidens addresses this year are poised to be fraught, largely because of growing protests over his refusal to call for a permanent, immediate cease-fire in Gaza without conditions. Biden is struggling with younger voters, and recent polling also indicates many Black voters are not enthusiastic about supporting his candidacy. Speaking at a historically Black college would provide an opportunity for Biden, according to the person familiar with the controversy. The White House declined to comment. israeli hamas conflict columbia university protest palestinian (Kena Betancur / AFP - Getty Images) Brown wrote in his email that Morehouse first extended its invitation to Biden in September and that the college would announce him as its speaker early this week. And, he wrote, the College does not plan to rescind its accepted invitation to President Biden. The meeting Thursday is a forum for discussion and to respond to questions about the invitation that was extended and accepted, he wrote. Morehouse, like other colleges, has faced students speaking out about the war in Gaza. In February, the Maroon Tiger Morehouses student publication reported that a student pulled an Israeli flag down from the chapel and was detained by campus police. Students are not in favor of the way in which the United States has handled this situation, and are surely not in favor of the trauma and the pain and the genocide that the Palestinian people are going through but also that innocent civilians and Israel are going through as well, Calvin Bell, a Morehouse College student said in February, after the flag incident. A source familiar with the commencement planning told NBC News: Its not been a secret nationwide, if not globally, that there are a lot of concerns ... about how the war has been handled and how America and the presidency has been in the war. Weve heard conversations like that. Theres also plenty of people who are excited to have a sitting president as their commencement speaker. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com WASHINGTON President Joe Biden will deliver two college commencement addresses next month as protests over Israel's war in Gaza have erupted on college campuses across the country. Biden will speak at the May 19 graduation of Morehouse College in Atlanta and the May 25 graduation of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the White House said Tuesday. The Morehouse commencement will take Biden to a Historically Black college in the crucial battleground state of Georgia as he looks to secure backing from young Black voters a key Democratic constituency for the 2024 election. TAMPA, FLORIDAAPRIL 23: President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign stop at Hillsborough Community Colleges Dale Mabry campus on April 23, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. During the event, President Biden spoke about the issue of abortion rights. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776135626 ORIG FILE ID: 2149871422 But NBC News reported that Biden's presence has raised concerns among some Morehouse faculty members. Biden's public appearances regularly draws heckling from pro-Palestinian protesters, particularly young people, who oppose the president's support for Israel's war against Hamas. One Morehouse facility member, who was not identified by NBC, told the television network that Morehouse administrators are concerned some faculty members will join students in protest during the graduation ceremony. This week, I received an inquiry from concerned faculty about rumors they were hearing about President Bidens selection as the 2024 Commencement speaker, Kendrick Brown, Morehouse Colleges provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, wrote in an email that NBC reported was sent Friday to faculty members. More: Biden, facing backlash over war in Gaza, is losing support from some young Black voters Morehouse administrators have organized a virtual meeting for Thursday to hear feedback about the commencement selection process, according to NBC. Morehouse did not respond to requests from USA TODAY for comment. But in a letter to students, faculty and staff announcing Biden's upcoming visit, the college's president, David A. Thomas, said Morehouse remains committed to using its platform "to raise our community's concerns and hold thoughtful, intelligent, and solutions-oriented conversations." "This moment transcends Morehouse," Thomas wrote. "It coincides with a critical juncture in our nation's history as we navigate an election year marked by contention and divisiveness. As an institution and a community, we bear a profound responsibility and obligation to be the beacon of hope and progress in these challenging times. We must take intentional, strategic action that serves the present moment and the collective future of our country and the world. " Polling has shown Biden's unwavering support for Israel has drawn resistance among many young Black voters, who want the White House do more to end the Israel-Hamas war and minimize the death of Palestinian civilians. "The president is proud that he was invited by Morehouse. He's eager to speak there," Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary, told reporters, adding that commencements are about the graduates, their families and loved ones, and celebrating the graduates' accomplishments. "I'm not going to weigh in on processes happening at Morehouse, but he looks forward to going there and celebrating there with the graduates," Bates said. Protests over the past week at Columbia University in New York have raised concerns about the school's Jewish students being targets of antisemitic harassment and intimidation. Biden on Monday said he condemns "antisemetic protests" and also condemns "those who dont understand whats going on with the Palestinians." Biden last year gave commencement addresses to graduating classes of Howard University, also an HBCU, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. As president, he has also delivered commencement addresses at the U.S. Naval Academy; the University of Delaware; South Carolina State University, an HBCU; and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Contributing: Michael Collins Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Biden to speak at Morehouse, West Point commencements (AP) President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday the U.S. will send badly needed air defense weaponry once the Senate approves a massive national security aid package that includes $61 billion for Ukraine. Zelensky said in a posting on X that Biden also assured him that a coming package of aid would also include long-range and artillery capabilities. Ukraine is awaiting U.S. Senate approval after the House this weekend approved the $95 billion package that also includes aid for other allies. It comes after months of delay as some Republican lawmakers opposed further funding for Ukraine and threatened to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., if he allowed a vote to take place. Kyiv badly needs new firepower as Moscow has stepped up its attacks against an outgunned Ukraine. The Senate is expected to vote on the package this week, and Biden has promised to quickly sign it into law. Zelenskyy said he and Biden also discussed Russias air terror using thousands of missiles, drones and bombs including a strike on the Kharkiv TV tower just minutes before they spoke. Russia clearly signals its intention to make the city uninhabitable, Zelenskky said Russia has exploited air defense shortages in Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, to pummel the regions energy infrastructure and harm its 1.3 million residents. Some officials and analysts warn it could be a concerted effort by Moscow to shape conditions for a summer offensive to seize the city. The White House in a statement confirmed that Biden told Zelenskyy that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law. President Biden also underscored that the U.S. economic assistance will help maintain financial stability, build back critical infrastructure following Russian attacks, and support reform as Ukraine moves forward on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration, according to the White House. Meanwhile, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. Congress members on Monday met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. The delegation included Reps. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, Bill Keating, D-Mass., and Madeleine Deane, D-Pa. Kean told reporters we know that the needs of Ukraine are urgent and U.S. aid is crucial to stem the tide of Russias assaults. Kean said Biden should use the authority in the bill to quickly deliver to Ukraine the weapons that it has requested, including the longer-range Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS. Zelenskyy said that he discussed with the U.S. lawmakers Ukraines need for artillery shells, long-range missiles, electronic warfare equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles, combat aviation and support in developing the Ukrainian defense industry. They also discussed Ukraines bid to eventually join NATO, U.S. participation in an international conference in Switzerland in June aimed at charting a path toward peace in Ukraine, and other issues. As anti-Israel protests on Columbia Universitys campus devolved into anti-Jewish hate, President Bidens Department of Education spoke out Tuesday after days of silence. Since last week, protesters on the New York City campus have spent days protesting Israels war with Hamas terrorists, forcing authorities to arrest more than 100 of the agitators. Incidents included a young woman holding a sign with an arrow pointing to Jewish students that read "Al-Qasams Next Targets," and anti-Israel agitators shouting "We are Hamas" and "We dont want no Zionists here." A campus rabbi sent a message to students warning that the weekend's events made clear Columbia Universitys Public Safety and the New York City Police Department "cannot guarantee Jewish students safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy," and urged Jewish students to stay home "until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved." Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, who has most recently touted his agencys severe crackdown on two of the countrys largest Christian universities, addressed the unrest Tuesday in a post on X, saying, "Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable" and that he is "deeply concerned by what is happening at Columbia University." ANTISEMITISM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 'PAINS ME TO SEE,' PATRIOTS OWNER ROBERT KRAFT SAYS Education Secretary Miguel Cardona remained silent as anti-Israel protests on Columbia Universitys campus devolved into anti-Jewish hate. "Hate has no place in our schools. All education leaders must stand definitively against hate, antisemitism, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim sentiment," Cardona said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP When asked by Fox News Digital if he would call for protections for Jewish students on the campus who feel unsafe or what actions his office would take to address the problem, Cardona's office did not immediately respond. "Universities are at their best when they promote the respectful exchange of diverse views and constructive debate. Our Office for Civil Rights interprets the civil rights laws we enforce consistent with free speech and other rights protected under the First Amendment. But we wont tolerate hate or harassment that targets students because of who they are or who theyre perceived to be," Cardona said in the statement. PATRIOTS' ROBERT KRAFT PULLS SUPPORT FOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AMID ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE The organizers of the protest Columbia University Apartheid Divest and Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine staged what they labeled a "Gaza solidarity encampment" on the campus and shut down a central lawn at the university. The protesters called for Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza and for the university to divest from companies that have ties to Israel. By Monday morning, the unrest grew to lead the universitys president to make all classes virtual. President Biden said Monday he condemns "antisemitic protests," as well as "those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians." By Monday evening, the turmoil had spilled over to other campuses. NYPD made several arrests of anti-Israel agitators at New York University, where some protesters could be heard chanting, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" a slogan that many regard as a call to genocide. Others were seen stepping on Israel's flag. President Biden said he would "implement the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community." But on Tuesday, over two dozen Republican lawmakers told Cardona and Attorney General Merrick Garland they need to do more to quell the protests, calling on the agency heads to prosecute those making threats, revoke visas for non-citizens participating in "promoting terrorism" and hold school administrators accountable. A spokesperson for the Department of Education told Fox News Digital that it had received the letter and will respond to the authors. Monday evening marked the first day of Passover, a major Jewish holiday. "What we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic," Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, told his students in a message Sunday. "May we see better days on campus soon," he said. COLUMBIA PRESIDENT CONDEMNS TERRORISM 'FULL STOP' AFTER VIDEO SURFACES OF HER CALLING IT 'FORM OF PROTESTING' At Yale University, 60 people were arrested for refusing to voluntarily leave a portion of the Connecticut campus, the school president said Monday evening. Last year, the Department of Education opened investigations into at least six colleges and K-12 schools for antisemitism or Islamophobia. The list of schools included three Ivy League colleges the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University and Columbia. "While we cant comment on pending investigations, every student deserves to feel a sense of safety and belonging at school," Cardona said Tuesday. Last week, Cardona vowed to shut down one of the countrys largest Christian schools, Grand Canyon University, after hitting them with a fine of $37.7 million on allegations that the Arizona-based higher learning institution misled students about the cost of its doctoral programs over several years. The university has strongly denied these allegations. School officials told Fox News Digital the agencys crackdown is rooted in a "deeply held bias." Arizonas state Superintendent Tom Horne came out against Cardonas actions, calling them "unwarranted and unjust." "In the U.S., anyone accused of wrongdoing is presumed innocent and entitled to their day in court. Secretary Cardonas threat is contrary to those constitutional guarantees and unworthy of his position," Horne told Fox New Digital. Last month, the Education Department fined Liberty University another one of the largest Christian universities in America $14 million for violations of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, including with respect to its published crime statistics and treatment of sexual assault survivors. The amount LU is ordered to pay is the largest fine ever imposed for violating the Clery Act. Liberty officials claimed the agency "used a completely different standard" when investigating the schools compliance with federal college campus safety standards. One official told Fox News Digital the review was "unprecedented" and it lacked a basis for "imposing such excessive fines given the Departments long-standing precedent." Fox News Digitals Louis Casiano, Danielle Wallace, Julia Johnson and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report. Original article source: Biden's education chief slams 'antisemitic' and 'anti-Muslim' hate, silent on protections for Jewish students The passing reference to defence in the March Budget drew criticism of the Government at a time of heightened international tension. The Chancellor said that current spending of just over 2 per cent of GDP would increase to 2.5 per cent as soon as economic conditions allow. It appears they now do. In a commendable display of the seriousness of his intent, Rishi Sunak travelled to Warsaw to unveil a rolling programme of increased military spending amounting to some 75 billion by 2030. The Prime Minister said that it would fulfil the pledge to spend 2.5 per cent of national income on the Armed Forces and ensure that the UK remains the second largest contributor to Nato after the US. It also forestalled any criticism that Britain is falling behind when he visits Berlin today. Germanys chancellor Olaf Scholz has pushed his countrys spending up to 2 per cent of GDP and was set to overtake the UK. After decades of failing to pull its weight as Europes biggest economy, it is about time Germany stumped up. The Americans have been pressing Europe to spend more on its own defence for years and the possible re-election of Donald Trump to the White House will not lessen the call. It is encouraging to see that they are finally being heeded. Under Mr Sunaks plan, not only will core funding rise but it will be accompanied by a significant boost to domestic munitions production, with the defence industry placed on a war footing. Long-term contracts will provide jobs and modern weaponry, while radical reforms of procurement are promised to end the waste that has dogged the MoD for decades. These are all welcome developments which reflect the worsening international situation, probably the most dangerous since the end of the Cold War when at least 3 per cent of GDP went to the military. The defeat of the Soviet Union was an excuse to cut spending and cash in the so-called peace dividend, used by successive governments to boost social and welfare programmes. Are these now to be cut back in order to fund defence and, if not, why not? The Prime Minister also announced another 500 million for Ukraine as part of the largest ever provision of UK equipment to Kyiv. This is on top of 2.5 billion already allocated for this year and follows the unblocking of a US aid package worth more than 40 billion. That money was only released after a lengthy bipartisan stand-off in Washington with no certainty it will be repeated. Jens Stoltenberg, Natos secretary-general, said that Ukraine was beginning to receive the support it desperately needs, though it is questionable whether it is enough to help it defeat Russia or merely to continue a stalemate. Nato is now considering a multi-year financial commitment to Ukraine so it can plan its future dispositions, but this will almost certainly be European, not US, led. The Ukraine war has exposed the parlous position of the UKs Armed Forces and made a big rise in spending essential. The Army is too small and ill-equipped to conduct overseas combat operations at any meaningful level. The Royal Navy has two 65,000-ton aircraft carriers that have neither the manpower nor the planes to make them fully operational, while the Royal Air Force is desperately short of combat aircraft. It is at least debatable whether the Government should revisit the Integrated Defence Review, completed in 2021 and refreshed last year. Mr Sunak said that it had accurately predicted the emergence of threats and identified key players like Russia and China. But it derives from a time before the invasion of Ukraine and a further assessment of the countrys defence needs and strategic ambitions may be in order. Some Conservatives, including Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, want to see an even bigger rise in spending to 3 per cent of GDP, which would inevitably require cuts elsewhere. Politicians need to be far more straightforward with voters about the ramifications of higher defence spending. At the forthcoming general election, Britains security must be a central issue between the parties, supplanting the usual arguments over who will spend more on benefits or an unreformed NHS. The countrys defences can no longer be sacrificed on the altar of an ever-expanding welfare 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. Bill to regulate hemp products in Georgia awaits governors signature while some hope for veto A hemp store in Acworth. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder A bill regulating hemp products, licensing and restricting their purchase to customers 21 and older awaits its fate on Gov. Brian Kemps desk after state lawmakers successfully passed it during this years legislative session. The bill, related to The Georgia Hemp Farming Act and sponsored by Republican Moultrie Sen. Sam Watson, would require testing for all hemp-derived products, including CBD and Delta-8 edibles and drinks, and prohibit sales to minors. The Senate sent the bill to the governor late in the session, and he has until May 7 to sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without taking action. Once the General Assembly adjourns, the Governor has 40 days to act on legislation. During that time, all bills that reached final passage undergo a thorough review process, the governors spokesperson Garrison Douglas said in a statement. Watson says the bill is a step forward in consumer protection, treating hemp products the same as any other food product in the state. We regulate tobacco, we regulate alcohol, we regulate food, yet weve got a ton of these products out there now that were not regulating as a state to protect the people of our state, he said. The new age restrictions will help protect children from accidentally consuming marijuana products, Watson said. Kids go into these gas stations and buy gas and this stuff is being sold and nobody knows whats in it and nobodys checking it and thats just scary, Watson added. Opponents of the bill are urging Gov. Kemp to stop it from becoming law. Gaylord Lopez, executive director of the Georgia Poison Center, said that in the past three years, the center has received more than 260 calls from children falling ill from Delta-8. Im really disappointed in where this bill ended up going, he said. What our legislators have done is basically legalize the sale of marijuana. While the bill prohibits sales to Georgians under 21 and requires better labeling, it does not prevent the synthetic manipulation of hemp that creates derivatives such as Delta-8 or Delta-10, Lopez said, citing language in the bill that allows for the sale of hemp derivatives including flowers or leaves. This is not a bill that helps protect consumers. This continues to allow dangerous products that contain THC, that cause psychoactive effects, and are causing children to be poisoned, Lopez added. From the cannabis industry itself, organizations like Georgia Medical Cannabis Society are also asking Kemp to veto the bill. Yolanda Bennett, co-founder of the society, said that increased cannabis regulation and testing will shut down mom and pop shops. Consumers wont be able to afford it, retailers wont be able to afford to eat the product on shelves, processors [will] be run out of business and farmers will end up growing other crops and leave the hemp, she said. The bill would also close the so-called THCA loophole by including it in testing, which would limit the medical marijuana industry. Opponents also worry about law enforcements reaction to the bill if the governor signs it. Tom Church, an Atlanta criminal defense attorney who represents hemp vendors, says one concern about the bill is that sheriffs will go rogue and prosecute legal CBD sellers like back alley drug dealers. Im tired of seeing normal business folks, law abiding citizens charged and treated like marijuana dealers under the law, Church said. Watson said that the bill is just the first step in legislation regulating hemp in Georgia. Meanwhile, Lopez urges the Legislature to close loopholes allowing hemp derivatives to hit the market. Our legislators are our ardent fans of not legalizing marijuana. Well, when you tell them hemp can be converted into marijuana, no one seems to be listening, Lopez said. We need to get them more aware. Poisonings will continue to happen. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Bill to regulate hemp products in Georgia awaits governors signature while some hope for veto appeared first on Georgia Recorder. A fireball ascends from the first atomic artillery shell in history, tested at the Nevada Test Site in 1953. Radiation from the test site fell across the West. (Photo: Library of Congress) For decades, downwinders have criticized the Radiation Compensation Exposure Act, or RECA, for being too narrow. Designed to compensate people exposed to and sickened by nuclear weapons development, activists say RECA has glaring cracks for starters, it only covered 10 counties in Utah despite research suggesting the whole state was exposed to dangerous, cancer-causing levels of radiation during Cold War-era testing. And it excluded people who worked but didnt reside in eligible counties, lived just across the eligible county line, or had kidney cancer, certain kinds of leukemia, autoimmune disorders or other diseases that are linked to radiation but not covered by the act. Now set to expire this June, RECA was on track for a bipartisan facelift after the U.S. Senate voted 69-30 in March to expand the programs eligibility and increase compensation for downwinders. The bill was championed by Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, of Missouri, whose district includes parts of St. Louis where creek water was contaminated by radiation during nuclear weapons development. But members of Utahs congressional delegation are jeopardizing Hawleys bill by introducing a bill of their own that would simply extend the program deadline by two years, but not expand it. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee in the Senate and Rep. Celeste Maloy in the House, both Republicans from Utah. Mary Dickson, a Salt Lake City-based activist and writer, speaks at a conference in Vienna, Austria. Dickson was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1985. (Courtesy of Mary Dickson) They are undermining the current bill that passed in the Senate, said Mary Dickson, a downwinder from Salt Lake City. What were looking for is not another temporary extension Weve already had those. It doesnt do anything for the people in northern Utah. Cancer racked the Salt Lake City neighborhood where Dickson grew up. Her older sister died from complications from lupus, which studies show can be caused by radiation exposure; her younger sister has stomach cancer and another has autoimmune diseases. She has a niece who developed breast cancer, and another niece with thyroid issues and other health complications including lupus. Dickson herself was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1985. But no one in her family was eligible for compensation because they lived outside of the 10 counties in Utah covered by RECA. Dickson has lobbied Congress for years to expand RECA the passage of Hawleys bill in March, was a victory decades in the making, she said. On Monday, she accused the Utah delegation of posturing. Its their way of trying to look like theyre doing something, but not actually doing anything, she said. That sentiment is shared on the Navajo Nation by the tribes president, Buu Nygren, who in a video address last week described how the push to mine uranium brought us sickness and death. Our poisoned land has taken Navajo lives and stricken others with illnesses that they continue to battle. In the video, Nygren called on House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to bring Hawleys bill to the floor for a vote before Lees extension bill gets any traction. The Senate has voted to update it, yet Utahs representatives have disappointed us. It is disheartening to witness a lack of support for those who represent the very soil that our borders extend to, Nygren said. The Navajo people are not just constituents of Arizona and New Mexico, but also Utah. We deserve representation. How many more must suffer before Congress acts? RECA currently covers Utah residents who lived in one of 10 counties Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sevier, Washington and Wayne for two consecutive years from 1951 to 1958, or during the summer of 1962. People who worked in uranium mines, mills or transporting ore in Utah from 1942 to 1971 were also eligible. The program was passed in 1990, with help from former Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch. Now, it risks expiring when the House returns on April 29, lawmakers will have 19 working days to pass some kind of RECA extension. If they do nothing, compensation will end on June 10. Hawleys bill would expand much of RECA, extending compensation to anyone present in Utah during nuclear testing who then got sick, increasing the compensation to $100,000 and expanding the eligible diseases. It would cover people who worked in uranium mines and mills up until 1990, extending the current timeframe by nearly 20 years, and extend compensation to uranium core drillers and remediation workers. The bill makes it easier to file for compensation, and further funds Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program clinics, which screens people exposed to radiation and helps them apply for compensation. In addition to expanding coverage to the entire state of Utah, eligible residents living in all of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Guam would be compensated. Hawley has said he hopes the expansion will be added to a bill expanding child tax credits. By comparison, the more recent bill from Lee would keep RECA alive for two more years, but makes no other changes to the program. Lee said the bill sends a message that the country is not abandoning these victims and communities. When the government harms people, victims should be able to receive compensation. Downwinders and others harmed by the nations early atomic program often suffer the consequences of exposure decades after the fact, Lee said in a statement. And Maloy, who told Utah News Dispatch in December that her father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and might have been a downwinder, said Congress cant let RECA expire. Many Utahns were harmed by the federal governments aboveground testing of nuclear weapons during the early atomic program, and decades later they, along with their families, are still paying a high price, she said. The bill is also co-sponsored by outgoing Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney, who said it will allow residents of Utah who were affected by our nations early nuclear program to be properly compensated. Still, for Dickson and other downwinders, the statements ring hollow. Our elected officials in Utah have turned their back on us. Its incredibly disheartening and frustrating that we really dont have anyone representing us on this in our own state, she said. They just keep kicking the can down the road and meanwhile, people are dying. Dickson, describing the human cost of RECAs shortcomings, said people will continue to struggle to pay for their health care, or bury their loved ones amid a mountain of medical debt. She spoke of one woman living in New Mexico who was recently diagnosed with cancer and has no way to pay for treatment; another woman told Dickson she plans to continue her activism until Hawleys bill passes or Im in the ground. To not take care of your own people, who the government harmed, is a moral failure, she said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Bill from Utahns in Congress could jeopardize expanded compensation for downwinders appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. Leon Cooperman, a billionaire Columbia donor, weighed in on the crisis on the university's campus. He called the student protesters ignorant but expressed his support for the school's president. Unlike the megadonor Robert Kraft, Cooperman said he's not pulling his donations. The Wall Street titan Leon Cooperman is the latest billionaire to weigh in on student protests over Israel's war in Gaza. But unlike the megadonor Robert Kraft, Cooperman said he'd continue to give to Columbia even as he trashed student demonstrators. During a CNBC interview on Tuesday, Cooperman, a Columbia University donor, was asked about the demonstrations on the school's campus, which have grown heated over the past week and resulted in more than 100 arrests. "Many of the college kids have shit for brains," he said, doubling down on comments he made last year and adding that the students were "ignorant." (He apologized for his language during the interview, saying: "I grew up in the Bronx when it was more of an accepted terminology.") "They are advocating for the destruction of Israel," he said. "Israel is the only reliable ally the United States has in the Middle East, the only democracy in the Middle East." Cooperman also said Israel was the only country in the Middle East that "allows gays and lesbians to practice what they want to practice." While LGBTQ+ people experience discrimination in many countries, some nations in the region including Cyprus, Jordan, and Turkey have not criminalized same-sex activity. Cooperman blamed part of the unrest on people unaffiliated with Columbia who "are getting access to the school and creating this hoopla." He added that he believed Columbia's president, Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, and leadership were "trying to do the right things." Shafik appeared before Congress last week and took a strong stance against antisemitism, denouncing a professor who voiced support for Hamas and another who called the October 7 terror attacks "awesome." The same day as her remarks on Capitol Hill, a coalition of student groups Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace set up "Gaza Solidarity Encampments" on Columbia's campus, protesting the war in Gaza, which has claimed thousands of civilian lives, and demanding the university divest financially from Israel. The groups say the protests were peaceful and within their rights. When the students would not move as requested, Shafik requested the New York City Police Department break up the protest, which led to the arrest of more than 100 protesters. Columbia and Barnard College suspended students involved with the protest. That move sparked increased tensions, with separate, antisemitic demonstrators taking to the area surrounding the campus, according to videos posted on social media. Jewish leaders at the school allege that Jewish students have been targeted with hateful rhetoric by demonstrators. On Monday, Columbia announced classes would be held virtually, and the campus has been closed to the public. Cooperman, who attended Columbia Business School, donated $25 million to the school in 2012 and has said he's donated closer to $50 million in total. "I try to give money to those schools that have made a difference to me in my lifetime. I don't think it's right, but I probably couldn't have gotten into Wall Street from Hunter College, where I got my undergraduate degree," he said. "I got an MBA from Columbia, and the very next day, I joined Goldman Sachs." He said he would continue to give to the school but earmark his gifts to stay within the business school. Kraft, the billionaire owner of the Patriots and another Columbia alumnus, announced he would be pulling all donations to the school "until corrective action is taken." He did not specify what he meant by "corrective action." Kraft said he'd continue to support the school's Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life, which is named after him. Representatives for Cooperman and Kraft did not respond to requests for comment before publication. The conversation around giving and the relationship between billionaire donors and universities has been reignited in recent weeks following protests at Columbia, Yale, and New York University. After the October 7 attacks, tensions on college campuses erupted, prompting megadonors to criticize the responses of various university administrators. At Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, billionaires including Apollo CEO Marc Rowan, the Estee Lauder heir Ronald Lauder, and the former Victoria's Secret owner Les Wexner pulled funding. Eventually, the presidents of the schools, Claudine Gay and Liz Magill, respectively, stepped down. Read the original article on Business Insider BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov delivered a speech on the priorities of Azerbaijan's foreign policy at a meeting with representatives of think tanks at the CEVRO Institute during his official visit to the Czech Republic, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. In his speech, the minister discussed the main directions of Azerbaijan's foreign policy, the current state and prospects of Azerbaijan-Czech relations, the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the realities and challenges of the post-conflict period, and Azerbaijan's work in the areas of energy security, transport, and communication in the region. Furthermore, it was observed that Azerbaijan actively encourages regional cooperation formats and joint initiatives, particularly in the areas of economy, energy security, transportation, and communications. The minister stated that with the full restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, new chances for regional peace and confidence had developed. It was stated that our government is determined to promote the normalization agenda with Armenia bilaterally while avoiding external involvement in the process. It was noted that Armenia's recent repatriation of four Azerbaijani villages through discussions represents potential progress in the future peace process. He briefed the meeting attendees on Azerbaijan's chairmanship of COP29 and the preparations underway, noting that this chairmanship reflects the country's commitment to combating climate change. Following that, the minister fielded various questions from the meeting attendees. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Blinken plans to visit Saudi Arabia to take part in World Economic Forum, Axios reports (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to visit Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to take part in the World Economic Forum in Riyadh starting on April 28, Axios reported, citing two unidentified U.S. officials and one Arab official. Blinken is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other regional leaders while in Saudi Arabia, Axios reported. The State Department was not immediately available for comment. Last month, Blinken said the United States and Saudi Arabia have made "good progress" in talks on normalizing ties between the kingdom and Israel. Talks on normalization had been put on ice in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Hamas fighters and Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza. Blinken's Saudi visit will follow his trip to China that begins on Wednesday in Shanghai, where he will meet with business leaders. He then heads to Beijing on Friday for talks with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and a likely meeting with President Xi Jinping. Blinken's trip to China comes as U.S.-China ties are on a steady footing but with a daunting array of unresolved issues threatening to tip the worlds two largest economies toward confrontation. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Bill Berkrot) Public lands in the Montana Mountains provide access to the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Nevada. (Bureau of Land Management photo) The Bureau of Land Management will publish a final rule soon allowing the nations public lands to be leased for environmental protection, a news release from the Interior Department said. The rule, which both proponents and detractors say marks a shift in the agencys focus toward conservation, directs land managers at the agency to identify landscapes in need of restoration and to create plans to fill those needs. It also creates two new types of leases focused on protecting natural areas. The BLM already leases parcels of land for extractive industries including energy development, mining and livestock grazing. The rule is likely to set off a conflict in Congress, where Republicans immediately renewed their criticism of President Joe Bidens conservation policies. In a deviation from the March 2023 draft rule that proposed a new category of conservation leases, the final rule will allow two new types of leases: restoration and mitigation. Restoration leases will be a tool for investment in the health of our public lands an agency fact sheet reads. Lessees would be empowered to work to restore lands, including those impacted by other uses. Similarly, mitigation leases would be a tool to offset the impacts of other BLM land uses. The agency said an example could be a solar power company that has a facility on BLM land may receive a mitigation lease to restore nearby habitat to mitigate the impact of its development. The rule is in line with BLMs multiple-use mandate that requires balancing energy development, mining, recreation and other uses on the nations public lands, the agency said. As stewards of Americas public lands, the Interior Department takes seriously our role in helping bolster landscape resilience in the face of worsening climate impacts, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. Todays final rule helps restore balance to our public lands as we continue using the best-available science to restore habitats, guide strategic and responsible development, and sustain our public lands for generations to come. BLM released a 178-page preliminary version of the rule Thursday, saying a substantially similar version would be published as a final rule in the coming days. Congressional fight ahead The rule has met with polarized reaction since the draft proposal was released in March 2023. Reaction to the final rule from across the political spectrum began arriving within minutes of the announcement. Conservation groups and environmental advocates cheered the rule for prioritizing conservation, while Republicans worried it would restrict other types of uses on public lands. The Mountain Pact, a coalition of local leaders from Western states, released a statement praising the rule. The BLMs Public Lands Rule highlights the need for the agency to work with local communities to focus on the conservation of land, water, and wildlife to ensure communities can protect future access to federal public lands while combating the growing impacts of climate change, Patrice Horstman, the chair of the Coconino County, Arizona, Board of Supervisors, said in the statement. David Willms, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation, said in a written statement the rule gives BLM new tools to restore and conserve degraded lands, while supporting robust local economies. The rule will help the agency identify intact landscapes that wildlife depend on for survival, which will ensure that they thrive for decades to come. Democrats in Congress also applauded the measure. Colorados Diana DeGette, the ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Climate, called the move a significant accomplishment for land conservation and wildlife protection. I am proud that BLM and the Biden Administration are continuing to lead in defending our natural world, she said in a statement. Pledge to repeal But Republicans pledged to undo it. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, promised he and North Dakotas senior Republican senator would challenge the rule with a resolution under the Congressional Review Act. The law allows lawmakers to try to repeal executive branch rulemaking. The people of Wyoming depend on access to public lands for their livelihoods including energy and mineral production, grazing, and recreation, Barrasso said in a statement With this rule, President Biden is allowing federal bureaucrats to destroy our way of life. Senator John Hoeven and I will introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal this outrageous rule. The closely divided U.S. Senate has approved Congressional Review Act resolutions on environmental and agricultural issues in which rural-state Democrats or those in tough reelection races, such as centrist West Virginian Joe Manchin III, Ohios Sherrod Brown or Jon Tester of Montana, align with Republicans. Republicans on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee approved a bill, sponsored by Utah Republican John Curtis, last year to block the rule from taking effect. The legislation has not received a vote from the full House. This rule from the Biden Administration undermines the very people who rely on our federal lands for ranching, grazing, recreation, and beyond, Curtis said in a Thursday release. House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman of Arkansas said Thursday he would do everything in (his) power to get Curtis bill through the House. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post BLM to finalize rule allowing federal leases targeted at protection of natural areas appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Bloodied people and moans of pain: police shows aftermath of Russian attack on Kostiantynivka video Police paramedics rescued the people injured in the explosion of an aerial bomb launched by Russian forces on Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on 23 April. Source: press service of Ukraines National Police Details: Around 09:34, Russian forces dropped a guided aerial bomb, UMPB-D-30 SM, on the city's centre. Five people were injured by shrapnel while they were driving in a car near the epicentre of the explosion. Quote: "Police arrived within minutes of the strike to assist the civilians. Three women, ages 51 to 55, and two men, 57 and 70, were hurt. The paramedics treated the injured and transported them to hospital." Support UP or become our patron! Bloomberg: EU considering sanctions against foreign companies behind Russian defense tech The EU is assessing imposing sanctions against over a dozen companies that continue to supply Russia with weapons technology, such as navigation systems for missiles, Bloomberg reported on April 23. The EU is readying its 14th package of sanctions against Russia, which should be adopted this spring, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on April 9. The European bloc has already adopted 13 packages in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aiming to undermine Moscow's economic output and the ability to sustain the war. The companies are based in non-EU countries including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Russia, Bloomberg said, citing a document seen by its journalists. The document suggests that some of the companies based outside of Russia "have links to Russian and Belarussian individuals and firms," Bloomberg said. The companies are allegedly responsible for importing "millions of euros worth of restricted European goods that have been used by the Russian military," Bloomberg said. These goods include military computer hardware, navigation systems for missiles, and EU-made antennas. The EU's 13th package of sanctions targeted an additional 106 individuals and 88 entities enabling Russias aggression against Ukraine, including companies from India, Sri Lanka, China, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Turkey. Read also: WSJ: US drafting sanctions aimed at Chinese banks aiding Russias war effort Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Bloomberg: Germany urging US to send another Patriot system to Ukraine Germany is pushing the U.S. to send another Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on April 23, citing its unnamed sources familiar with the issue. Ukraine is facing a shortage of air defense systems amid an uptick in Russian attacks on population centers and energy infrastructure. U.S.-made Patriots are highly effective at intercepting Russia's ballistic and cruise missiles. Berlin is reportedly pressuring NATO and European allies to send their systems to Kyiv rather than keeping them unused. Germany said on April 13 that it would provide Ukraine with one more Patriot air defense system to fend off increased Russian attacks. The new pledge will bring the total number of Patriots supplied to Ukraine by Germany to three. According to Bloomberg, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck recently highlighted the "extremely high numbers of drones and rockets" targeting Ukraine, describing air defense as the most pressing need for Kyiv at this time. If the Americans could send over Patriot systems, that would help enormously, Habeck said. Read also: Double-tap attack. Understanding one of Russias cruelest tactics in Ukraine The German allocation of three Patriots would constitute a quarter of the country's arsenal, a far larger proportion than that of the U.S., wrote Bloomberg. Elsewhere, Greece is preparing to give Ukraine at least one Patriot air defense system, the Greek media outlet Pronews reported on April 22, citing government sources. The news follows a story by the Financial Times (FT) on April 22, in which official sources said that Greece and Spain were under specific pressure from the EU to provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine. Escalating Russian strikes and resulting civilian casualties underscore Ukraine's dire need for additional air defenses, and while the potential passing of the U.S. aid bill should alleviate some of the need, President Volodymyr Zelensky told an online session of the NATO-Ukraine Council on April 19 that European countries can still do more. According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to protect the country from Russian attacks. Read also: Taurus missiles: Why Ukraine wants them and Germany hesitates Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. New England lobstermen and fishery experts are taking aim at the Biden administrations latest moves to expand offshore wind energy projects, claiming that they are "rushing" to "political proof" a green energy plan insulated from a possible administration change in November. The New England Fishermens Stewardship Association (NEFSA), a fishing advocacy group that represents wild harvesters in fisheries across New England, filed a public comment on Wednesday with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) opposing the agencys recently unveiled plans to lease 2 million acres of ocean for offshore wind development. Its an unprecedented leasing area that would allot for construction of enough wind turbines to produce 32 gigawatts (GW) of energy. NEFSA, along with Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), say the administrations plans are detrimental to the commercial fishing industry and marine life in the Gulf of Maine. They also say the plans are rushed and being constructed in such a way as to insulate them from a future administration that might not wish to make such wind energy investments. HOW MAINE LOBSTERMEN TURNED SLAP IN THE FACE FROM WHITE HOUSE INTO POLICY VICTORY "This really looks like a way to keep this process moving forward and to provide some insulation against potential political changes, for this administration to hit its goals, but there's nothing about it that makes sense," Annie Hawkins of RODA said Monday. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP BOEM, an agency within the Department of Interior, announced last month its finalization of the wind energy area (WEA) lease. BOEM boasted that the Gulf of Maine WEA surpasses the current state goals for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine 10 GW for Massachusetts and 3 GW for Maine. In a public comment to BOEMs Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment in the Gulf of Maine WEA, NEFSA urged the agency to consider the extent to which WEA "in its current form will have tremendously deleterious effects on the safety and well-being of the men and women who operate in the commercial fishing industry." "These hazardous effects are a direct result of the deficient and incomplete data upon which BOEM relied, and the deficiencies in BOEMs data is a direct result of the Agencys decision not to consult with representatives from the commercial fishing industry before drawing its conclusions," the comment states. MAINE LOBSTERMEN CATCH BIG COURT VICTORY AGAINST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S 'EGREGIOUS' REGULATIONS One large portion of the WEA is frequented by the endangered North Atlantic right whale, the groups said, with 16 right whales observed in the area in just one day during the 2024 winter season. "Given the perilously low number of Right Whales left in existence, this area should have been removed from the final Wind Energy Area," the group states. NEFSA also alleged that BOEMs failure to consider the effects of wind farms on fish species and surface temperatures present dangerous environmental and economic consequences for the New England area. "Wind farms cause an increase in ocean surface temperatures and emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs). There is a wholesale lack of research documenting the effects of windmill heated water and EMFs on fish stocks, specifically bluefin tuna," NEFSA claimed. The group claims that some research has shown that EMFs produced by sea cables "could have a 5 measurable impact on early development of two commercially important crustaceans." "The adverse effects of EMFs which 7 BOEM has failed to address could disrupt and decimate fish populations in the New England area," NEFSA stated in its comment. According to NEFSA, BOEM has also failed to consider "the adverse effects of wind farms on sea surface temperatures and climate change." BIDEN ADMINISTRATION BLASTED FOR 'HYPOCRISY' ON OFFSHORE WIND AS IT SCRAMBLES TO PROBE WHALE DEATHS Maine lobstermen haul in their catch off the state's coast. "Wind farms cause an increase in sea surface temperatures and disrupt upper-ocean hydrodynamics in ways that remain incompletely understood by scientists," NEFSA said. The mixing of the ocean surface layer is predominantly driven by shear, so "anomalies in the wind field can have severe consequences for the upper ocean dynamics," as noted in a 2022 study in "Frontiers of Marine Science." NEFSA claims that BOEMs sister agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which provided data to BOEM for its WEA assessments, has at various times "admitted that they have no baseline data indeed, very little data at all on habitats in the Gulf of Maine." "And what little data they have was furnished by observers with little to no at-sea experience on commercial vessels." "They have little to no sampling data collected, and the high turnover rate for NOAA personnel is an example of improperly vetted observers," NEFSA states in its comment. "Taken together, the inescapable conclusion is that, insofar as BOEM has relied on the faulty information that it has received from NOAA, BOEM does not have the information it needs to accurately assess the impact that will be inflicted on the men, women, and sea life by its Wind Energy Area," the group claims. Wind turbines generate electricity at the Block Island Wind Farm on July 7, 2022, near Block Island, Rhode Island. BOEM said the Gulf of Maine WEA was finalized in support of the Biden-Harris administrations goals for deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. BOEM told Fox News Digital that they will conduct a "phased leasing approach, and that BOEM does not intend to lease the entire final WEA, rather, but rather BOEM will now consider proposed lease areas from within the final WEA based on certain criteria." They said the WEA was finalized "after extensive engagement with lobster fishermen in fishing communities" and "avoids several other important fishing areas and habitats, including important groundfish areas." But Annie Hawkins, whose group aims to coordinate with regulatory agencies to help install policy that minimizes conflicts with existing traditional and historical fishing, says theres no "transparent process" in place by BOEM in an effort to whittle down the massive WEA, and no specific criteria as it relates to the fishing industry. "Its really clear that they are rushing to get some lease on paper before the end of this administration. It's very clear that they are, by making this designation, they're making it sort of, political proof, so that in the future, if the administration changes that is [not] favorable to wind leasing it makes it just a lot easier to keep moving forward," Hawkins said. "We will see the effects of it and the effects will not easily be reversed," Maine lobsterman and NEFSA member Jason Joyce, said Monday. "I'm afraid that the effects will be pretty darn permanent it's just it's all just so destructive," he said. NOAA and BOEM did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Original article source: Blue-state lobstermen say Biden's 'destructive' green energy plans could cost their livelihood Bois dArc Lake latest North Texas reservoir to open in 30 years. Heres how to say name Bois dArc Lake in Fannon County, an hour-and-a-half drive northeast from Fort Worth, is the latest reservoir in North Texas to open in 30 years. Pronounced bo-da(r)k, the lake is named after the Bois dArc tree that grows in the area. The reservoir provides 82 million gallons a day of water for the nearly 2 million residents served by the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). It covers roughly a 26-square-mile area with an average depth of 22 feet. The deepest part of the lake measures 70 feet. It officially opened for public use April 17. The lake was built at a cost of $1.6 billion, according to the water district. Bois dArc Lake is helping meet the water needs of more than two million North Texans, and it is stimulating economic and recreational opportunities at the same time, according to the Bois dArc Lake website. Construction alone increased economic activity in Fannin County by around $500 million, and recreation is expected to bring around $166 million annually for the county once the lake opens to the public. Visitors to the lake have three public access areas to launch boats for fishing and hunting. North Texas Municipal Water District More trending stories: Snakes are crawling out of hibernation in Texas. Check the toilet before taking a seat. In Texas, set your thermostat at 80 when it's 100 degrees, expert says. Groceries at this national chain are the cheapest, study finds. Visitors to the lake have three public access areas to launch boats for fishing and hunting. Go here to locate the boat ramp most convenient to use. As we celebrate the opening of Bois dArc Lake, we share in the anticipation and excitement this new recreational spot brings, according to a water district news release. We recognize that public access areas may be crowded in the upcoming weeks, especially during holidays and weekends. Throughout this time, we encourage patience and courtesy to fellow boaters, lake staff, and law enforcement. Construction on the reservoir began in 2018, and it started water delivery to residents last fall. The project includes a dam, 25 miles of pipeline, a pump station and the Leonard Water Treatment Plant. The treatment plant began distributing water early in 2023, initially treating up to 70 million gallons of water a day. Water is a critical resource in North Texas from sustaining the farming industry to quenching the thirst of nearly a million people in Fort Worth. If Texas continues to see record heat in the summer months, farmers worry drought levels will worsen, depleting water wells across the state. In July 2022, 97% of Texas was in a drought, affecting 24.1 million Texans, per the U.S. Drought Monitor. As the heat persists, drought conditions in the state are only going to get worse. To know how much water in is the reservoirs across Texas, check this map: Texas Current Water Availability and Conditions This map shows the current Texas water conditions by watershed and currently available data for streams and reservoirs. Use the buttons below to switch the map's focus to drought conditions and above and below average stream and reservoir levels. Tap on watersheds, streams and reservoirs for more information on levels and flow rates. Water conditions are color coded with blues indicating above-normal conditions, green being normal and yellow and red indicating below-normal conditions. The streamflow and reservoir information is in real-time, and watershed information is updated daily. Open SOURCES: Environmental Protection Agency, USGS National Water Information System, ESRI and US Drought Monitor. TechCrunch Starship is ready to fly again and for the first time, SpaceX is going to try to bring the booster back to the launch site to catch it with a pair of oversized "chopsticks." SpaceX will launch the mammoth Starship on Sunday in a launch window that opens at 5 AM PST (7 AM local time) from the companys Starbase site in southeast Texas. This flight, which will be the fifth in the Starship development program, is coming a little sooner than expected: the Federal Aviation Administration had previously said that it did not anticipate issuing a modified launch license for this test before late November. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The state flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been raised in the recently returned village of Gazakh district, Trend reports. To note, the service of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev informed earlier that on April 23, 2024, the first border pillar was established on the border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia within the framework of works on the clarification of coordinates based on geodetic measurements on the ground. The works of the expert groups of the two countries continue. Additionally, it was reported that today, following the agreements of the 8th meeting of the State Commission on Delimitation of the State Border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and the Commission on Delimitation of the State Border and Border Security between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the expert groups of the countries started the process of coordinate adjustment based on geodetic measurements on the ground. Meanwhile, at the initial stage of the delimitation process, the parties have preliminary agreed on the passage of certain segments of the border line directly between the settlements Baganis (RA) Baganys Ayrim (AR), Voskepar (RA) Ashagy Askipara (AR), Kirants (RA) Kheyrimli (AR), and Berkaber (RA) - Gyzylhajily (AR) to bring them in line with the legally justified inter-republican border that existed within the Soviet Union at the time of its dissolution. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Boris Johnson said he wished he was Black on night Obama became president Boris Johnson said he wished he was black on the night Obama was elected, a journalist claimed (Cable Public Affairs Channel ) Boris Johnson said he wished he was black on the night Barack Obama was elected as US president, a journalist has claimed. Afua Hirsch, of British-Ghanian heritage, claimed Mr Johnson demanded to know where she was from at a drinks party on the night of Obamas victory in 2008. In an interview with Mr Johnsons ex-wife Marina Wheeler, the journalist wrote: She was still married to Johnson, who was there with her, and who true to form made some problematic remarks about my own racial heritage. After demanding to know where I was from, he commented that he wished he was Black, Ms Hirsch wrote in Vogue magazine. Ms Hirsch said his ex-wife couldnt remember the interaction, but groaned when told about it. Ms Wheeler, 59, said her divorce from Mr Johnson, which was finalised in 2020 after separating in 2018, did free her. I suppose I do feel that, as you become more senior as a woman, and, I guess, post-divorce, if Im honest, it does free you up, she said. You can look at the world again and do things that can make a difference. Afua Hirsch, of British-Ghanian heritage, claimed Mr Johnson made the comments at a drinks party in 2008 (Getty) She married Mr Johnson in 1993. In October, barrister Ms Wheeler was appointed Labours new whistleblowing tsar to oversee plans to improve protections and employment rights for women against workplace harassment, abuse and sexual assault. Ms Hirsch, a best-selling author, was born in Norway to a British father and Ghanaian mother and raised in Wimbledon. She studied PPE at Oxford and qualified as a barrister before moving into journalism, working for both The Guardian and Sky News. She has previously accused Mr Johnson of making a litany of racist statements and claimed his oafish stupidity was part of his electoral brand. Previously, Mr Johnson has admitted to writing terrible things about climate change when he was a journalist and that he was a massive sceptic. He also said that during his time as mayor of London and prime minister, he thought it was possible that climate change was a load of nonsense, but decided to get behind it. Boy, 15, turns self in, charged with murder in deadly NYC subway shooting: cops A 15-year-old boy turned himself in to face a murder charge in the wild, gang-related Bronx subway shooting that killed an innocent bystander and wounded five other people last month, cops and sources said Monday. The teen who was not identified because he is a minor showed up at the 44th Precinct Sunday afternoon and was also charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of criminal possession of a weapon, cops and sources said. The boy is the third person to be charged in connection to the deadly gunfire that erupted around 4:40 p.m. Feb. 12, taking the life of Obed Beltran-Sanchez, 35, at the Mount Eden subway station, cops said. A 15-year-old boy turned himself into police for a Bronx subway shooting in February that killed one person and left five others injured. AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio Obed Beltran-Sanchez was killed in the shooting at Mount Eden subway shooting. Facebook A 16-year-old gangbanger, Langel Jones, was the first person cuffed picked up days after the shooting, police said. Jones is a purported member of the violent DBlock gang, named for Davidson Avenue, whose members were tied into a beef with the Burnside gang in a feud stemming from drill rap and disrespect, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny previously told reporters at a media briefing. The gang feud ultimately boiled over when the two crews just happened to get on the same train at different stops. Police arrested 16-year-old Langel Jones (right) one day after the shooting. DCPI In mid-March, a 14-year-old boy who was also wounded in the burst of violence was arrested and charged with four counts of attempted murder and one count of criminal possession of a weapon, cops said. The boy was also nabbed in connection to a Jan. 15 shooting, also in the Bronx which authorities previously said stemmed from the same gang feud and may have sparked the subway incident. As the gunfight spilled out of the train, Sanchez who was not involved made the mistake of looking out onto the platform to see what the commotion was about, Kenny said at the time. He lay dying on the ground as people just walked past him, the police official added. Police officers at the scene of the shooting in the Bronx on Feb. 12, 2024. AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez The shooting was related to a gang rivalry. Brendan Smyth/Facebook Heres a man just going about his business trying to make his way in life and makes the mistake of being curious to see whats going on and takes one in the chest, Kenny said. Sanchez, described by police as homeless, was originally from Mexico and had family there. In addition to the 14-year-old alleged gunman, also wounded were a 14-year-old girl, a 29-year-old woman, and two men, 28 and 71, who were hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds after the shooting. 3 facing charges in stolen car chase on Mass. highways, victim says they wrecked the whole thing Authorities on Tuesday announced criminal charges against three people, including a teenage boy, who are accused of leading police on a high-speed chase along multiple Massachusetts highways before they lost control and crashed on Monday afternoon. A 15-year-old Lawrence resident, the driver of a 2002 Lexus IS that was stolen out of Peabody, is charged with failure to stop for police, speeding, leaving the scene of property damage, breakdown lane violation, marked lane violation, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, according to Massachusetts State Police. One of the suspects thought to be 21-year-old Ibrahim Hasbun from Methuen by Massachusetts State Police actually gave troopers a false name, according to authorities. Just after 4:30 p.m., State Police say Hasbuns real identity is actually Kyan Perez, 20, of Fitchburg. Perez was allegedly riding in the car in question and is charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle and having a warrant. A second passenger, a 20-year-old woman, will be summonsed for receiving a stolen motor vehicle. The names of the teenage boy and 20-year-old woman have not been released. A 19-year-old man from Peabody said his first car was stolen Monday morning and taken on a high-speed chase. They wrecked the whole thing, its crazy, he said. A state police helicopter spotted the Lexus in Ashland around 2 p.m. and started following it as the driver alluded local police cruisers in several MetroWest towns, authorities said. State police cruisers then joined the pursuit as the car traveled west on Route 9 through Southboro and Westboro, and then onto Interstate 495. Minutes later, the car drove onto Interstate 290 before it turned onto Route 117 in Bolton and then reversed direction back onto I-495. When the car later entered I-290 in Marlboro, troopers set up stop sticks between Soloman Pond Road and Green Street in Northboro, according to state police. The car ultimately struck the sticks, crashed into another vehicle, and came to rest in the median strip. Video captured by the state police helicopter showed the moment the chase came to a crashing end. Troopers converged upon the stolen Lexus and secured all three occupants without incident. Now, the car owner said hes stuck driving his dads car. He drives like a school bus, I gotta drive that thing around it kinda sucks, he said. Two of the suspects were taken to UMass Medical Center with minor injuries, while the teenage boy was taken to the state police Leominster barracks for booking. The 15-year-old driver was released to his mother yesterday after the booking process at the barracks and was arraigned in Worcester Juvenile Court on Tuesday. Perez was ordered held without bail and was transported to the Worcester House of Correction shortly after 1 a.m. Beverly Police are also seeking charges against him for alleged crimes committed on April 17 and April 21 in that city. He is being charged with two counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, and receiving stolen property (credit card) in addition to the charges State Police filed against him for the highway chase. The 20-year-old woman was never held in custody and will be summonsed to court at a later date. State police said a subsequent investigation revealed that the Lexus was involved in crashes with two other vehicles on the ramp from I-495 to I-290 in Marlboro. There were no other reported injuries to those involved in the reported crashes. An investigation is 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 Boy wakes to find parents, 3 siblings dead in murder-suicide, OK cops say. A massacre Police in Oklahoma are investigating what they call a murder-suicide that left five people dead. Around 9:35 a.m. April 22, police were called to a home in Oklahoma City on reports of bodies in the residence, Master Sgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department said at an April 23 news conference. A child called police saying everyone in the home was dead, according to officials. When officers arrived, they found five people dead, officials said. The victims were later identified as Jonathon Candy, 42, Lindsay Candy, 39, Dylan Candy, 18, Ethan Candy, 14, and Lucas Candy, 12, according to a news release. Authorities said evidence shows that sometime overnight Jonathon Candy shot Lindsay Candy multiple times, killing her. He then went through the home and hunted down three children and shot them to death and took his own life, according to police. Nothing short of a massacre, Knight said. A fourth child in the home woke up to find the rest of his family dead and called police, according to authorities. Knight said they believe the child slept through the shootings and cannot say why he was left unharmed. We are shocked, and our hearts are broken; this tragedy simply defies understanding, read a statement from Mustang Public Schools, where two of the deceased children attended, according to KOCO. This is a difficult time for everyone, but I know our students and staff will lean on each other through this time. Two teens, 14 and 17, die in murder-suicide at drug-fueled party, Florida cops say 9-year-old, baby fly out of SUV on freeway in moms deadly rampage, California cops say Man kills mom, hands their kids to firefighters and kills himself, Florida cops say Two climate activists paint the Brandenburg Gate with orange paint. The Last Generation group announced on Thursday that members had painted the west side of the building with paintbrushes. Annette Riedl/dpa A court in Berlin handed down suspended sentences for three climate activists responsible for a paint attack on the German capital's famous Brandenburg Gate in September last year. The district court found the members of the Last Generation climate group guilty of causing damage to property and gave each of them an eight-month suspended sentence. The 22, 28 and 64-year-old defendants had previously confessed to having spray orange paint on the landmark on September 17, 2023. They had argued that the action was an "appropriate and necessary protest" in view of the climate crisis. The court disagreed, ruling that the group's action "was not a suitable or appropriate protest." It said the demonstrators willingly accepted that the Brandenburg Gate would suffer damage due to the protest. In its verdict, the court assumed damages of around 110,000 ($117,183). The state of Berlin has demanded some 142,000 in compensation from the climate activists responsible. The public prosecutor's office says it has initiated a total of 14 proceedings against those suspected of being involved in the paint protest. Tuesday's was the first ruling in connection with the attack. When Maryland lawmakers approved the $63 billion fiscal year 2025 budget earlier this month, it was no surprise that the Blueprint for Marylands Future education reform plan represented a major part of the spending plan. To help pay for the Blueprint plan through fiscal year 2027, the legislature also approved the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, known as the BRFA, which provides a portion of revenue through an increase in the tobacco sales tax. According to a chart provided by the Blueprints Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) that oversees the multi-billion-dollar plan, a $1.25 increase in a pack of cigarettes could generate about $86 million, while tax increases on other tobacco products could provide another $5 million in the upcoming fiscal year. The total amount of tobacco revenue is expected to decrease from $91 million to about $71 million by fiscal year 2029, because when tobacco taxes go up, tobacco use often goes down or users look to other states with lower taxes to buy their products. A graph summarizing some revenues to fund the Blueprint for Marylands Future education reform plan. Courtesy of the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board. Nevertheless, an additional $76 million generated in taxes on tobacco and other products in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 would be designated toward the Blueprint fund. In addition, the legislature approved the transfer of $40 million from the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund to the Blueprint fund. In other parts of the budget, about $3 million is allocated for a child care career professional development fund. One purpose is to expand opportunities for those in the profession to receive formal credentials or college credit. Part of the requirement is for individuals to work at least 20 hours per week for a period of time determined by the Officer of Child Care within the state Department of Education. The career development legislation was sponsored by Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-Montgomery), but later included in a comprehensive package House Bill 1441 sponsored by Del. Vanessa E. Atterbeary (D-Howard), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Del. Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery), who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said Monday that child care providers who qualify for services under the Blueprint plan can receive $20,000 per child. Which is transformative, he said. Coupled with the professional development funds, it was a real sensible compromise around teacher certifications for private providers. You have now opened up new universal providers who last year didnt feel like the Blueprint was for them. One of the Blueprints five priorities focuses on early childhood education, including the expansion of prekindergarten service to 3- and 4-year-old children. Part of the reform plan calls for a mixed-delivery system to serve them in public schools and in private child care centers. Another budgetary item the legislature approved requires all 24 public school systems to allocate funding to hire Blueprint coordinators. According to a fiscal analysis of House Bill 1082 sponsored by Del. Stephanie Smith (D-Baltimore City), a person would be hired at $150,000, including salaries and benefits, for the job. The cost would be shared between the state and each jurisdiction, but it wont be evenly distributed. For instance, Worcester County would pay the highest local share at $127,500 and the state $22,500. Another jurisdiction on the Eastern Shore, Caroline County, would pay the lowest local share at $40,461, compared to the states $109,539. In total, the state anticipates contributing about $2 million toward Blueprint coordinators. The budget also provides about $290,000 for the AIB to rent office space and fill a new government affairs position. Overall, it was a very successful session, Rachel Hise, executive director of the AIB, said during a Blueprint board meeting Thursday. Not everyone agrees. A coalition of organizations and some lawmakers pushed for The Fair Share Act, which sought to reform the states tax code and would have raised revenue by $1.6 billion when fully phased in. The General Assembly had an opportunity this session to generate the revenue we know were going to need down the line to do Blueprint implementation with fidelity, said Shamoyia Gardiner, executive director of Strong Schools Maryland, an advocacy group. By and large, while they may have generated some revenue, I think they missed the opportunity to put the state in a position where we can guarantee ourselves a world class education. I think now its not quite as certain. The post Breakdown of funding for Blueprint education reform plan comes into focus appeared first on Maryland Matters. Here is a breakdown of renters rights against illegal eviction in NYC NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) Renting in New York City comes with specific challenges, such as finding affordable housing and navigating the eviction process. Fortunately, several laws are in place to protect New York City tenants from being unlawfully evicted from their apartments. What is an eviction? An eviction is a court process that a landlord must start to oust a tenant from a rented room, apartment, or house. The eviction case begins when the landlord serves the tenant with a notice of petition. The notice of petition has the time, date, and place of the court hearing and describes why a landlord wants to evict a tenant. Tenants must be served both papers at least 10 days before the court date. What to know about NYC squatter rights A landlord cannot evict a tenant unless the landlord serves the tenant court papers. What is an illegal eviction? New York City landlords can face misdemeanor charges if they illegally evict a tenant by changing the locks, padlocking the doors, removing the tenants furniture or property, removing the front door, turning off the electricity or water, or anything else that would bar the tenant from their residence, according to Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law 768. There are two cases in which a landlord has grounds to lawfully evict a tenant. These instances are referred to as holdover cases or nonpayment cases. Nonpayment eviction case A nonpayment case is started once a tenant stops paying rent. First, the landlord must ask for rent either verbally or in a written notice. The rent demand will detail the number of months and the total amount owed. Tenants should double-check their lease to ensure that their landlord can make an oral or written demand; some leases say landlords can only make a written demand. The rent demand must be sent to the tenant at least three days before a nonpayment case proceeding can be filed. Depending on the terms listed in the rental lease, some tenants may have more than three days notice. The landlord must serve the written rental demand by personal delivery. If the landlord doesnt serve the papers the right way, the case could be dismissed by a judge but refiled at a later point. The judge can also force the landlord to start the whole nonpayment case filing over. Holdover eviction case In a holdover case, a landlord must first provide a notice of termination that tells a tenant the reason they are being evicted, the date they must move by, and that the landlord will start a court case if the tenant doesnt move by the deadline. A landlord will give a notice to quit if the tenant doesnt have a right to stay in the apartment. In this situation, the tenant is referred to as a squatter or licensee. In New York, it only takes 30 days to gain squatter rights, according to Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law 711. A landlord can evict a tenant if they violate their lease or commit a nuisance, according to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. A nuisance is defined as persistent and egregious conduct that threatens the health, safety or comfort of neighboring tenants. Landlords can also start a holdover proceeding in other situations, such as an illegal sublet, non-primary residence, illegal uses, or the expiration of a lease where no renewal is mandated. New York City provides free legal assistance to residents facing eviction, regardless of immigration status. Charline Charles is a digital journalist from Brooklyn who has covered local news along with culture and arts in the New York City area since 2019. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Britain to hike defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, Sunak says in Poland NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend a joint press conference at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade in Warsaw during Sunak's visit to Poland. Henry Nicholls/PA Wire/dpa Britain plans to increase its defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the decade, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday, which would place the country well above NATO's target. Sunak made the announcement in Warsaw during a joint appearance with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in front of British soldiers stationed in Poland. NATO has set a target for alliance members to spend 2% of their economic output on defence. British spending is currently around 2.3%. According to Sunak, an additional 75 billion pounds ($93 billion) is to be invested in defence over the next six years. "Today is a turning point for European security and a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom," said the British prime minister, who will have to face a general election by January 2025 at the latest. In the polls, Sunak's Conservatives are trailing far behind the opposition Labour Party. Stoltenberg praised the example the UK's 2.5% target set. He emphasized that it was also about showing the United States that Europe was making its contribution to NATO. Prior to the visit to Warsaw, the British government had already announced the largest military aid package for Ukraine to date. Among other things, the British plan to send Kiev armoured vehicles, missiles and boats worth 500 million ($618 billion). Sunak travelled to Poland on Tuesday accompanied by Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend a joint press conference at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade in Warsaw during Sunak's visit to Poland. Henry Nicholls/PA Wire/dpa Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (2nd R), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (2nd L) and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (3rd L) hold trilateral talks at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade. Henry Nicholls/PA Wire/dpa Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends trilateral talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade. Henry Nicholls/PA Wire/dpa Gaza, Ukraine, Iran, the Red Sea, Africa, the South China Sea. The list of conflicts and adversaries is growing. Without hard power to complement soft power, the UK would risk its leadership and its ability to deter our enemies. We live in an increasingly dangerous world. As security minister and then secretary of state for defence, I saw the threats to our country at first hand: the dangers posed by a revanchist Russia, an aggressive Iran, an expansionist China, and terrorist groups that remain determined to cause us harm and establish bases in weak and vulnerable states. This is why I consistently argued as defence secretary that we must spend more on our security. Im proud that, with the backing of the then prime minister Boris Johnson and the then chancellor Rishi Sunak, I secured 24 billion extra for defence. We also led the world in supporting Ukraine, sending weaponry that was vital to thwarting Vladimir Putins invasion. But the world is only getting more dangerous, and Putin is not done yet. So, I am delighted that Rishi Sunak has guaranteed that defence spending will increase every year, reaching 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, and that this will be the new baseline for our defence budget. This will mean an extra 75 billion in defence spending by 2030, cementing our position as the leading security power in Europe and the biggest contributor to Nato after the United States. Combine this extra investment, which starts today, with the additional 500 million for the front line in Ukraine, and the money will start making a difference to our security in the coming weeks and months. Our most immediate task is to support Ukraine. If Putin succeeds, he wont stop there. So, he must fail. The UKs extra aid and the supplemental package that the US Congress finally passed last week will give the brave Ukrainians the ammunition and weaponry they require to continue resisting the Russians. We should remember that Putin planned to take Ukraine in three days. Thanks to the bravery of the Ukrainians and the training and British kit that we sent in the months leading up to the invasion, he failed in that objective. This so-called special military operation has now been going on for two years, costing Russia 50,000 troops and a third of its Black Sea fleet. Yes, we are currently in an attritional phase of the war, but Ukraine has the will and the leadership to win. But one lesson of this war is that we need to be able to produce munitions more quickly. It is absurd that North Korea has supplied more shells to Russia than European states have to Ukraine in recent months. So, I particularly welcome the Prime Ministers determination to grow our defence industrial base here at home. The 10 billion that Grant Shapps is investing in our munitions strategy over the next 10 years will give our own defence industry the certainty it needs to ramp up production. It will make the United Kingdom the arsenal of European democracy and create jobs across the country. I hope that the Prime Ministers leadership on this issue will lead to other Nato members following suit. If we can make 2.5 per cent the new baseline for Nato, that would lead to a 140 billion boost to allied defence spending which would help deter our enemies and defend our values. This increase would also send a powerful message to the American people that the other members of the alliance are shouldering their share of the burden. When I stepped down as defence secretary, I made clear my worries about where the world might be by 2030. The Prime Minister is right that there is an axis of authoritarian states that is determined to challenge the rules of the global road. We can see that in Putins attempt to change borders by force, Chinas activities in the South China Sea, and Irans efforts to destabilise the Middle East and disrupt global commerce. So, we must commit the resources we need to deter these threats and stand up for our values. This increase in our defence budget is the best step Britain can take to prevent future conflict. The Prime Ministers determination to grow the defence budget is only possible because he made tough choices about his priorities and knew that no economy can grow without a secure and stable environment. The Prime Ministers commitment is fully funded and will be done without increasing debt and borrowing. The contrast with a Labour Party that would endanger our financial security with its unfunded promises, our energy security with its ban on British oil and gas, and which twice tried to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister could not be more stark. Rishi Sunaks decision to back the men and women of the Armed Forces with continuing and growing funding should be saluted. It shows that he is the right man at the right time. Ben Wallace is a former defence secretary 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. Britain leading by example on defence, says Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg was with Rishi Sunak in Warsaw when the Prime Minister announced the uplift - Pool/Getty Images Europe Natos most senior official said Britain was leading by example by boosting defence spending, as European allies were under pressure to follow suit. The pledge by Rishi Sunak will see defence spending increase to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, well above the Western military alliances 2 per cent spending target. The Prime Minister announced the uplift at a joint press conference in Warsaw alongside Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of Nato. The United Kingdom will spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030, Mr Stoltenberg told reporters. Allies agreed at our summit in Vilnius last year that 2 per cent is a minimum. And, once again, the UK is leading by example. The latest spending pledge is likely to result in Britain becoming Natos sixth-largest contributor by share of GDP, behind Poland, the United States, Greece, Estonia and Lithuania, according to the figures published in the alliances 2023 annual report. But in terms of total defence expenditure, the country is likely to remain in second place, with only the US spending more and just ahead of Germany. The announcement was welcomed by the US. A senior American official told The Telegraph: We have seen allies continue to dig deep to unlock funding for the Ukrainians in their fight for democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are grateful to the UK Government for announcing such tremendous additional support, and this truly goes to show that if President Putin thought we would look away, he was wrong. Prof Malcolm Chalmers, the deputy director-general of the Rusi think tank, suggested the British pledge was probably spurred on by Berlins Zeitenwende decision to overturn decades of neglect of its armed forces with a 100 billion (86 billion) spending boost. The Germans got under the UK Governments skin. Germany was going to be spending more on defence than the UK [in cash terms]. Thats been quite a powerful factor because were used to this image of ourselves as the leading military power in Europe. Without this increase, in [cash] spending terms that would no longer have been true, he added. Germanys defence spending could increase to as much as 3.5 per cent of GDP in the coming years, Boris Pistorius, its defence minister, said during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference in February. Mr Sunak will visit Berlin on Wednesday to hold his first meeting with Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor. Before the UK announcement, a German defence official was quoted by the Politico news website as saying: There does not seem to be any plan to increase defence spending at all. It has stayed the same for some time... We understand about fiscal constraints the UK has, but we all have the same fiscal constraints. Russias invasion of Ukraine and the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House have put a renewed focus on European defence spending. Washington has long pushed for Europe to spend more on its own defences. But Mr Trump claimed in February that he would let Russia do whatever the hell they want to alliance members who failed to hit spending targets. Last year, the US spent two thirds of Natos 1 trillion outlay, compared with the 310 billion spent by EU members, the UK and Norway. Last year, just 11 of Natos 32 member states spent the 2 per cent target agreed at summit in Newport in 2014. More than 20 are expected to meet that goal ahead of a crucial summit in Washington in July, on the eve of the decision to anoint the Republican presidential candidate, where that figure will become a floor and not a ceiling ambition. There has also been pressure on Europe to offer more support for Ukraine, after Joe Biden struggled to secure backing for a 50 billion military aid package from Republicans who believed the US was doing too much. Mr Sunak announced a 500 million increase for Kyiv, taking Britains contribution to 3 billion, as part of the defence spending pledge. Rishi Sunak and Jens Stoltenberg with British soldiers in Warsaw - Pool/Getty Images Europe Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said it was a strong determination of support from the UK. Mr Stoltenberg said it makes it possible to deliver more air defence from the United Kingdom to Ukraine that is urgently needed. There was a particular focus on EU countries after a meeting of the blocs foreign and defence ministers failed to make any substantial pledges of air defence systems, including the US-made Patriot, to Kyiv. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, promised Mr Biden that Brussels would not rest on its laurels after the US aid package was passed through Congress. I told President Biden that this decision will encourage Europe to further step up its own military support for Ukraine, she told Politico. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. On April 23, another group of former internally displaced persons, consisting of families temporarily settled in dormitories, sanatoriums, pioneer camps and administrative buildings in various territories of Azerbaijan, was sent to the city of Fuzuli from the Garadagh district of Baku, Trend reports. At this stage, another 39 families (150 people) moved to the city of Fuzuli. The resettled families will settle in the houses where they once lived in Fuzuli, which were restored or rebuilt on the basis of instructions from the head of state after the end of the Armenian occupation. Fuzuli residents thanked President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for their comprehensive care, expressed gratitude to the valiant Azerbaijani Army, which liberated the lands from occupation. Until today, a permanent settlement in the city of Fuzuli has been provided for 744 families - 2,839 people. Britain's Home Secretary, James Cleverly attends "Migration, a global challenge", a talk at Rome's International Affairs Institute (IAI), Tuesday, Apr. 23, 2024. Cleverly is visiting Italy as part of the U.K. government's efforts to crack down on migrants arriving by small boats. After meeting with Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi tomorrow, Cleverly will also visit Lampedusa, the southernmost island of Italy which receives the majority of migrants arriving in the country. The visit comes as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stepped up his calls for the U.K. Parliament to approve his plan to deport some asylum-seekers to Rwanda. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis) ROME (AP) Britains home secretary on Tuesday touted Britains migrant deportation deal with Rwanda as a new and creative deterrent to an old and growing problem. But he said he took seriously criticism by the U.N. refugee agency that it violates international law. Home Secretary James Cleverly visited Italy, ground zero in Europes migration debate, hours after the U.K. Parliament approved legislation to enable the government to deport some people to Rwanda who enter Britain illegally. The deal, in which Britain will pay Rwanda to process the migrants, is aimed at deterring people from crossing the English Channel from France. It is similar in some basic aspects to Italys controversial pact to outsource the processing of asylum-seekers to Italian-run centers in Albania. Human rights groups have said both deals, forged by conservative governments amid anti-migrant sentiment among voters, violate the rights of migrants that are enshrined in international refugee conventions. On Tuesday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said the UK-Rwanda deal is not compatible with international refugee law because it uses an asylum model that undermines global solidarity and the established international refugee protection system. Cleverly defended the deal as a necessary response to a problem that has outgrown the international institutional way of processing migrants. He said Britain will not tolerate people smugglers determining who arrives on British soil. People-smuggling mass migration has changed (and) I think demands us to be constantly innovating, he told a gathering at the Institute of International Affairs, a Rome-based think tank. He said he took seriously the UNCHR criticism and said Britain was a law-abiding country. Of course we will respect the U.N. enormously, he said when asked about the UNHCR criticism. We take it very, very seriously. Doesnt mean to say we always agree with their assessment. But we will, of course, look at that. Cleverly visited the Italian coast guard headquarters on Tuesday and on Wednesday is to visit the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, where tens of thousands of migrants have arrived after crossing the Mediterranean Sea on boats setting off from northern Africa. Lampedusa is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland and is often the destination of choice for migrants, whose numbers reached 157,652 new arrivals in Italy last year. The numbers arriving in Italy so far this year are actually way down, presumably thanks to Italy's European Union-endorsed agreement with Tunisia to stem departures. As of Tuesday, 16,090 migrants had arrived by sea in Italy so far this year, compared to 36,324 in this period last year. Spain has actually outpaced Italy so far this year in terms of migrant sea arrivals, with 16,621 arriving this year as of April 15, the last available date. In Britain, the numbers pale in comparison to the southern Mediterranean, even during peak periods: In 2022, the number of people arriving in Britain from across the Channel reached 45,774, though last year the number dropped to 29,437. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Travelers looking to catch a flight to London from San Diego now have more options. According to a release from San Diego International Airport Tuesday, British Airways began offering a second daily flight from the airport to London for a limited time. The airport said 40% of its flights on this route will connect to other cities like Edinburgh, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Cairo, Rome and Mumbai. Here are the best airlines for 2024, according to WalletHub The second daily British Airways flight began on Saturday. However, the added flights are seasonal and are only available until Oct. 25. The flights between San Diego and London will have new arrival and departure times, the airport said. Arriving flights will land at 6:10 p.m. and 3:25 p.m. Departures out of SAN to London will be at 5:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. The airport said since 2011, British Airways has served about two million passengers traveling between San Diego and Europe. The reason for the added flight is increased demand and popularity. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. A British Airways flight to nowhere circled in the air for 4 hours after its weather monitoring system collapsed A British Airways flight to nowhere circled in the air for 4 hours after its weather monitoring system collapsed A British Airways plane went on a "flight to nowhere" after experiencing a problem. After flying in circles for four hours to burn fuel, the plane landed back in Singapore. The delay had a knock-on impact on British Airways, leading to a flight from London to LA being canceled. An already delayed British Airways plane that took off from Singapore landed back at the same airport five hours later after a technical fault forced it to turn back. The plane, which was set to fly from Singapore Changi to London Heathrow on Tuesday as flight BA12, flew partway over Malaysia before turning back only about half an hour after takeoff, data from flight-tracking site FlightAware shows. The aircraft, an Airbus 380, flew in circles over the Singapore Strait before landing. It circled for around four hours to burn excess fuel in preparation for its eventual landing. British Airways Flight 12 circled Singapore for around four hours before landing back where it started. Flightradar24 Aircraft often jettison fuel during emergencies or when they need to land earlier than expected as landing with a full load of fuel is likely to be dangerous due to weight restrictions on landing. "Planes are designed to land below certain weights," Business Insider previously reported. "A heavier plane is more likely to hit the ground hard and get damaged." The plane set off at about 3:10 a.m. local time for a planned 14-hour flight and landed back in the city-state at about 8:30 a.m., per FlightAware data. Passengers had already had to contend with a delay, as the plane was meant to depart at 11:20 p.m. on Monday night. A Business Insider employee was on the flight and said passengers were initially told before takeoff that the plane's weather radar had failed and returned from the runway to an aircraft stand to fix the problem. After around an hour, the problem was fixed, and the plane took off. Roughly 30 minutes into the flight, staff announced that the system had failed again and told passengers the plane would need to dump fuel before returning to Singapore. "We are sorry for the delay to customers' travel plans after the aircraft returned to Singapore Changi Airport as a precaution following a minor technical fault," a spokesperson for British Airways told Business Insider. "Our teams are working hard to get our customers where they need to be." The BI employee on the flight said that passengers were provided with accommodation and food upon returning to Singapore, but they didn't have information on which flight they would be transferred to. "We currently do not have a revised departure time for your flight," British Airways said in an email to passengers at about 9:15 a.m. local time. The BI employee said a number of passengers had missed their connecting flights from Heathrow. According to the British Airways app, the airline's next flight from Singapore to London was due to leave at 11:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday but is now not expected to depart until 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Flight cancellations and delays such as that impacting BA12 can cause a snowball effect on airlines, staff, and passengers, leaving crew members and aircraft in the wrong place and disrupting further flights. In the case of the Singapore to Heathrow flight, the Airbus A380 used was meant to be flying on from London to Los Angeles on Tuesday. However, that flight had to be canceled, as British Airways did not have any other aircraft available. Read the original article on Business Insider Brookings facility using natural gas from cattle manure is first of several planned by utility NorthWestern Energy CEO Brian Bird turns the valve at the company's new renewable natural gas injection site on April 22, 2024, in Brookings. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) NorthWestern Energy CEO Brian Bird turns the valve at the company's new renewable natural gas injection site on April 22, 2024, in Brookings. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) BROOKINGS A new facility sending renewable natural gas made from dairy cattle manure to local energy customers could be the first of several such plants, a utility company said Monday while celebrating Earth Day. Natural gas is mostly methane. Its typically extracted by fracking and drilling into shale formations, and used to heat homes or to fuel power plants that generate electricity. Turning dairy cow waste into pipeline-grade natural gas begins with collecting manure. The manure is transported to the dairies on-site tanks where the absence of oxygen facilitates the breakdown of the waste by microbes. As the manure decomposes, it emits biogas. The biogas is captured and processed to remove moisture and carbon dioxide. Sulfur is also removed and turned into fertilizer for farm fields. The processed biogas, comparable to natural gas, is shipped by truck to the utility companys new injection site on the north edge of Brookings, to be injected into the local natural gas supply. The utility company, NorthWestern Energy, provides electricity or natural gas to about 775,300 customers in South Dakota, Montana and Nebraska. A ceremonial valve turning was held Monday at the companys injection site, which provides enough natural gas for about 10,000 residential customers annually in the immediate region, according to NorthWestern Energy CEO Brian Bird. Were planning to add about five more of these projects by 2025, allowing us to serve about two-thirds of our South Dakota customers, he said. The project is part of NorthWesterns goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The company contributed about $1 million to the project, a company spokesman said, while other partners funded other costs. The entire project, from the manure tanks and processing facilities to transportation and injection, cost about $150 million. The spokesman said the cost to produce renewable natural gas from cattle manure is the same as traditional production. South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner Chris Nelson attended the event. He called the project a win, win, win for the state. Its a win for the dairy farmers because they have another product to sell, its a win for consumers because its another source of natural gas that doesnt have to be shipped into South Dakota, he said, and its a win for the environment because that methane is no longer going up into the environment. Burning natural gas for energy results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide emissions than burning coal or petroleum products, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. When uncaptured methane is released into the atmosphere, its more than 28 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping atmospheric heat. Nelson said NorthWesterns South Dakota service territory is along the Interstate 29 corridor, a region that has seen growth in the dairy industry. As of January, the total count of dairy cows in South Dakota was 208,000, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thats one of the reasons theyre on the leading edge of this, Nelson said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Brookings facility using natural gas from cattle manure is first of several planned by utility appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. Broward sheriff accused of lying on drivers license applications. What does he face? Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony lied on at least seven occasions about previously having a suspended drivers license, according to a court filing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement which is asking a judge to suspend Tonys law enforcement certification for six months. Andrew Digby, assistant general counsel at FDLE, on Monday urged administrative judge Robert Kilbride not only to suspend Tonys certification, but to order the sheriff to complete ethics training and a year of probation. The recommendation came after the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission alleged that Tony unlawfully and knowingly lied on drivers license applications from 2002 to 2019. Digby also recommended that Kilbride find Tony guilty of failure to maintain good moral character. The position of an officer is one of great public trust and [Tonys] calculated actions have broken that trust, Digby said. The probe began in 2020 when Inspector Keith Riddick, who investigates corruption and crimes associated with public servants for FDLE, uncovered that Tonys license was suspended for not showing up to court in 1998. Tony, who at the time lived in Pennsylvania, wasnt yet a police officer. His license was reinstated in 2001. The investigation was launched at the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis office. DeSantis originally appointed Tony to the job in 2019 after he suspended former Sheriff Scott Israel in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting. READ MORE: DeSantis suspends Scott Israel and names Browards first African-American sheriff When applying for a drivers license, prospective motorists are asked under the penalty of perjury a series of questions, including if their license had previously been suspended. But Tony, in several applications from 2007 to 2019, responded that his driving privileges hadnt been revoked or suspended, the filing states. Tony became a certified law enforcement officer in 2005. Riddick didnt investigate the applications from the period between 2007 to 2017 due to the statue of limitations. The investigator instead focused on the 2019 application, interviewing the drivers license examiner who issued Tony a license. The examiner, the filing says, remembered their interaction and said Tony verbally confirmed that his license was never suspended, according to the filing. [Tony] denied that his license had ever been suspended, the document says. He attested to the information within his driver license replacement application, under penalty of perjury, by signing on the keypad... Riddick forwarded his findings to state attorneys office, which declined to prosecute. READ MORE: FDLE probe finds Broward Sheriff Tony lied about past on forms. But state wont prosecute When being questioned, Tony admitted to knowing that his license was suspended. However, the sheriff vehemently denied being asked the questions and does not recall having to answer them, the filing states. Tony has hinted that the investigation is an intended assault on his character and career, according to the document. In a filing Tuesday, Attorney Stephen Webster, who is representing Tony, urged Kilbride to dismiss the case. Petitioner failed to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the Respondent did unlawfully and knowingly make a false statement knowingly conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit fraud when the applications were processed, Webster said. Whats Browards new superintendents plan for school closures? For now, hold meetings Howard Hepburn, former deputy superintendent for teaching and learning for Broward County Public Schools, unexpectedly became the new superintendent of the school district on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, after former Superintendent Peter Licata announced his plans to step down. Broward County Public Schools new Superintendent Howard Hepburn announced Tuesday he will hold at least five more town hall meetings to discuss school closures, but School Board members questioned his idea, citing a lack of rationale and detailed plan. I cant clearly tell anybody what the plan is, because I still havent heard a clear plan, said Daniel Foganholi, a board member. Its almost like a mystery game. I dont know whats going on. I want to hear a clear plan. And I believe our community wants to hear the same, he added. The brief discussion took place this week during a School Board meeting in which Lori Alhadeff, the boards chair, asked Hepburn to update the board on the districts initiative to redefine schools, a term used to describe the process to innovate, change and close some schools to catch up with a critical decline in student enrollment. Hepburn, who just took over the helm of the nations sixth school district last week after his predecessor retired unexpectedly, said the districts next step in the process will be to hold five town halls. READ MORE: After 10 months, Broward Schools superintendent to retire. Board replaces him immediately The school district already held three community meetings in February to introduce the idea of closing some schools to community members. But Hepburn said these five will be different because they will be targeted for specific innovation zones, a district term to describe groups of elementary, middle and high schools in the same geographic areas that can collaborate to better serve the same students as they grow. They name each zone after the high school located there. These are the five meetings the school district scheduled: South Broward, Hollywood Hills, Hallandale Zones at 6 p.m. Monday, April 29 in Hollywood Hills High School, 5400 Stirling Rd., Hollywood, FL 33021 Dillard and South Plantation Zones at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 in Dillard High School, 2501 NW 11th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 Stranahan and Fort Lauderdale Zones at 6 p.m. Monday, May 6 in Fort Lauderdale High School, 1600 NE 4th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 Everglades, Flanagan and West Broward Zones at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 in Flanagan High School, 12800 Taft St., Pembroke Pines, FL 33028 Monarch and Deerfield Beach Zones at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9 in Deerfield Beach High School, 910 Buck Pride Way, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 Last week, Hepburn and Alan Strauss, the school districts task-assigned chief strategy and innovation officer, said in a board meeting that the district had picked 12 of the districts 28 innovation zones for redefining. Then they grouped those 12 zones into five clusters, and listed options for schools in each cluster, including changing schools grade levels, change school boundaries and closing schools. READ MORE: Five things to know about Broward County Public Schools new superintendent Now they want to take that list of options for each cluster and hear feedback from community members in each area. Last week, school board members pushed back on that grouping, asking how the school district came to those conclusions. School district staff couldnt explain the reasoning then. This week, some board members brought that up again. Jeff Holness said on Tuesday that he wants the district to make the process equitable and fair, which means staffers cant pick some zones for changes and leave others out without any real rationale for doing so. Torey Alston also pushed that sentiment. The data has not really shown why those are the five color coded areas that the district is proposing. I want to be very clear about that, Alston said. FROM FEBRUARY: Superintendent discusses school closures after latest meeting Alston said that because the under-enrollment issue is affecting schools across all areas in Broward, then people across all areas in Broward should be involved in the conversation. Allen Zeman, another board member, also said he wants everyone to participate, because everyones school will very likely be affected. Even if somebodys school wont close, it may merge with another or change its programming, he said. Zeman then specifically asked Hepburn to add two more town hall meetings so that each of the seven districts in the county has one. Hepburn said he would try. Your feedback is noted and definitely appreciated, the superintendent told board members. Read the full story on The Auto Wire Burglars Break Dozens Of Car Windows In California Neighborhood While some highly skilled car burglars have fancy methods for getting into vehicle interiors, many still prefer just breaking a window. Some enterprising criminals in Playa del Rey and Venice, California showed at least some finesse as they broke the windows on dozens of vehicles, rifling through the interiors in search of valuables. Watch a car thief use a BMW X5 as a weapon against police. It seems thieves are getting rather aggressive in some areas, almost like they believe there will be few if any consequences for their actions. Surveillance footage caught the burglars at work and they appeared to not have a care in the world. The suspects also seemed to have plenty of experience breaking into cars. They didnt just smash the glass and reach inside, but instead were able to break side windows so they could lift them out, placing the glass on the roof of the vehicle before rummaging through the interior. In other words, these guys know what theyre doing and they worked fast, breaking into dozens of cars in the Playa del Rey and Venice neighborhood. We would venture to guess theyve done this many times before, maybe even getting caught and arrested. But as you might know, many prosecutors cut sweet deals or even drop charges for suspects in cases like these. Realizing they can keep breaking into vehicles with few or no consequences, they have every incentive to keep doing it. Maybe thats why theyre so good at it? The guys were just going from one car to the next, seemingly without a care. Sure, they wore gloves and hoods to obscure their identity, but you dont seem frantic, nervous movements in footage shared by Fox 11. Instead, the burglars look calm and methodical. One guy who was interviewed on camera commented that crime, including violent incidents, seems to be getting worse in the beach community. He seems to think more enforcement is the key. While thats not a bad start, if the criminals are caught by cops and then cut loose by prosecutors, crime probably wont subside. As another man interviewed on camera said, criminals need consequences other than a slap on the wrist. Image via Fox 11 Los Angeles/YouTube Follow The Auto Wire on Google News. Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Weapons and ammunition have been found on the territory of Azerbaijan's Khankendi city, Trend reports via the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During the police activity on April 22, 4 automatic weapons of different brands, 2 pistols, 2 rifles, 8 live grenades, 3 igniters, 2 explosives, 18 cartridge magazines, 1930 cartridges of different caliber, 7 bayonet knives, and other ammunition were found and seized on the territory of Khankendi city. Following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan began operations in November 2020 to clean its lands of mines, booby traps, and other weaponry left behind by illegal Armenian forces. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Businessman bribed sheriff to become a deputy, have his gun rights restored, feds say A Virginia businessman became an auxiliary deputy and had his gun rights restored despite a prior felony conviction by bribing a county sheriff, according to federal prosecutors. Rick Tariq Rahim is the latest businessman to plead guilty in connection with the scheme involving former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins, who is accused of accepting thousands in bribes to support his reelection campaign, according to federal prosecutors. Jenkins took more than $70,000 in cash payments and contributions from accused bribe payers in exchange for auxiliary deputy appointments since at least 2019, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia announced in June, when he was indicted on federal charges. He accepted the money from at least six people including Rahim, two other Northern Virginia men and two FBI undercover FBI agents, according to prosecutors. Rahim personally paid Jenkins $25,000 in cash, loaned him $17,500 for a home Jenkins was building and also donated a billboard and 200 custom knives toward Jenkins campaign, the U.S. attorneys office said in an April 22 news release. For the home loan, Rahim never asked Jenkins to pay him back because he wanted to maintain a good relationship with Jenkins, prosecutors said. In May 2020, Rahim was sworn in as an auxiliary deputy sheriff for the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office and had his firearm rights restored months later, according to court documents. Last summer, Jenkins, Rahim, James Metcalf and Fairfax attorney Fredric Gumbinner were charged with a conspiracy to exchange bribes for law enforcement badges and credentials and other related charges, prosecutors said, McClatchy News previously reported. Rahim, 60, of Great Falls, pleaded guilty on April 22 to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and honest services mail fraud and one count of honest services mail fraud, the attorneys office said. Metcalf and Gumbinner have since pleaded guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, according to prosecutors. As for Jenkins, his jury trial is scheduled to begin on July 22, court records show. The sheriff lost his reelection campaign in November, the Culpeper Star-Exponent reported. The badges and guns worn by the men and women who swear an oath to protect and serve the Commonwealth of Virginia is not for sale and those who attempt to buy that honor will be held to account, U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said in a statement. Attorneys representing Rahim, Jenkins, Metcalf and Gumbinner didnt immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News on April 23. The July 2019 meeting with the sheriff In late 2019, Rahim was asked whether he wanted to support Jenkins by another businessman who was an auxiliary deputy and wasnt named by prosecutors, according to the attorneys office. The businessman told Rahim that Jenkins would probably agree to make Rahim an auxiliary deputy in exchange for his support, prosecutors said in the release. Rahim, who had no law enforcement or military experience and was banned from owning a gun after he was convicted of a felony, met with Jenkins at the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office on July 31, 2019, according to prosecutors. Jenkins promised to help Rahim restore his firearm rights and become an auxiliary deputy sheriff and Rahim agreed hed provide things of value to Jenkins, according to a statement of facts. While sheriff, Jenkins is accused letting accused bribe payers know they could carry a concealed firearm in any U.S. state after being sworn in as an auxiliary deputy. The bribes Some point after Rahims meeting with Jenkins, he gave him a manila envelope containing $15,000 in cash while inside Jenkins truck parked outside the sheriffs office, according to the statement of facts. Months later, in September 2019, they dined together at a steakhouse, where Rahim handed Jenkins another envelope with $10,000 cash, the statement of facts says. He became an auxiliary deputy sheriff months later on May 27, 2020, prosecutors said. To help Rahim restore his firearm rights, Jenkins is accused of promising to pressure and advise the Circuit Court judge and other officials to approve his petition to restore those rights, the statement of facts says. In order to file the petition in Culpeper County, Rahim had to live there but he wasnt a resident, according to the statement of facts. The sheriffs solution for this was to arrange a purported lease agreement for a property within the county for Rahim so that he could falsely claim he lived there, the statement of facts says. Afterward, his firearm rights were restored in August 2020 and the next month, he was granted a concealed carry permit, the court filing says. In December 2020, Rahim received a sheriffs office ID badge that described him as a helicopter pilot, according to prosecutors. Rahims legal woes extend beyond the bribery scheme. On March 15, he pleaded guilty to failing to pay over to the IRS the taxes withheld from his employees paychecks in a separate case in the Eastern District of Virginia, federal prosecutors announced that day. Attorneys representing Rahim in that case didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News. Culpeper County is about a 70-mile drive southwest of Washington, D.C. Sheriff took over $70,000 in bribes to make people deputies in Virginia, feds say Florida doctor accepted $160K in bribes to prescribe unnecessary fentanyl, feds say Drivers got licenses without taking or passing test and bribes were involved, feds say Victim offered to help kidnapper finesse trial for bribe, feds say. Hes off to prison Cabot High School hosts Military Signing and Recognition Day for students entering the armed forces CABOT, Ark. A high school event was held in Cabot on Monday to recognize students who are entering the military following graduation. The Cabot High School Military Signing and Recognition Day honored the 15 soon-to-be alumni. The group included students who will attend military academies, others joining the ROTC at various colleges and students enlisting in the service who will soon be leaving for boot camp. New recruiting programs put Army, Air Force on track to meet enlistment goals. Navy will fall short Principal Henry Hawkins said the group had earned millions of dollars in scholarships, including the four who will attend military academies, for which the scholarship value was $600,000 each. The schools senior aerospace sciences instructor and Air Force Junior ROTC program director, retired Maj. Sean Gibson, presented several certificates to the students being honored. US military academies focus on oaths and loyalty to Constitution as political divisions intensify Parents of the students being honored also attended the event. The students honored on Monday were: SERVICE ACADEMY Mason DeLaMater; Army, West Point (undecided) Steven Charlie Powell; West Point (Officials said Powell was also accepted to the Naval Academy.) Jon Goddard; Naval Academy Austin Schmidt; U.S. Air Force Academy Duty, Honor, Outrage: Change to West Points mission statement sparks controversy RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORP Skyler Waltrip, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Army, University of Arkansas Gavin Reardon, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Marines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the U.S. Naval Academy, still undecided Grace Esteban, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Air Force, Whitworth University Allen Horton, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Air Force, University of Arkansas Grady Porter, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Air Force, University of Oklahoma Joshua Trueman, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Air Force, University of Arkansas (Officials said Trueman turned down an appointment to the U.S Air Force Academy.) Martin Walcott Reserve Officer Training Air Force ENLISTMENT Megan Hynes, Army Zev-Laven Hubbard, Marines Madison Henderson, National Guard, Army Matthew Leonardo, National Guard, Army For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. The campus of Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, California, has been shut down after a group of pro-Palestine protesters occupied a campus building and clashed with riot police late Monday. Hundreds of students had gathered outside of Siemens Hall on Monday afternoon as part of a larger protest against Israels brutal military campaign in Gaza. Several protesters entered the administrative building, which houses the office of Academic Personnel Resources and Human Resources, and attempted to create a barricade, blocking doors with furniture, and setting up tents. Around 8 p.m. there was a tense encounter between police and protesters. As police armed with shields, batons, and helmets walked into the building, protesters pushed back. One protester used a large plastic water bottle to beat a police officers helmet. The protesters were ultimately able to push the police back, and out the door of the building. At 11:30 p.m., members of law enforcement backed down, and left the scene at Siemens Hall, according to the Lost Coast Outpost. After the police left, a small group went to the Humboldt County Courthouse to wait for students who had been arrested. Campus police have yet to confirm any arrests. As of Tuesday morning, protesters still remained inside of the building. In an Instagram post from the group Humboldt For Palestine, the group declared theyd taken over the building in solidarity with students across the nation occupying campuses for Palestine. The group called for an academic boycott of Israeli universities, and for Cal Poly to divest from all ties to Israel. The university announced that its campus was closed through Wednesday, describing the protest as a dangerous and volatile situation in a statement. The University is deeply concerned about the safety of the protestors who have barricaded themselves inside the building. The University is urgently asking that the protestors listen to directives from law enforcement that have responded and to peacefully leave the building, the statement said. Students have been advised to stay away from campus, and classes will transition to remote. This is one of many protests which have broken out across the country, following the establishment of a pro-Palestine encampment at Columbia University, which then sparked similar actions at NYU, Yale, and UC Berkley. In November, Cal Poly Humboldt came under fire after it ordered students who had been sleeping in their cars to leave campus. Editors Note: This story has been corrected to clarify that this was not the first protest at a public university. 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. California lawmakers approve bill that would make you show ID before looking at porn Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! ANTI-PORN BILL ADVANCES Look at online porn? Soon, you might have to provide a credit card or government ID in order to do so. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee last week sided with conservative religious organizations against LGBTQ, reproductive health and civil liberty advocacy groups and voted unanimously in favor of AB 3080, a bill by Assemblyman Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, that would require pornographic websites to take reasonable steps to ensure that only adults are looking at them. The age verification bill is backed by groups including the California Catholic Conference, California Family Council, Concerned Women for America, Exodus Cry, Family Policy Alliance and the Pacific Justice Institute Center for Public Policy. Concerned Women for America wrote in a statement of support for the bill that it is a step toward protecting children from accidental or unintentional exposure to obscene and indecent images and videos. The bill is opposed by groups that include the Advocates for Youth, Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Free Speech Coalition, GLSEN (an LGBTQ advocacy group), National Abortion Federation, Netchoice and Reproaction (an abortion rights advocacy group). The EFF warned in an opposition statement that the bill could have unfair and serious consequences for adults viewing these websites. Age verification laws dont just impact young people its necessary to confirm the ages of all website visitors. It is a significant privacy violation to require all people to submit either their official government-issued identification credentials, or to delve into their transactional history including bank account information to attempt to determine their age,particularly if that person is an adult for whom there are no restrictions to view such material, the EFF wrote. So what is porn? Sure, as the famed adage goes, I know it when I see it, but who gets to define it? Turns out, California lawmakers do. The bill specifies pornographic internet websites to be any site that knowingly publishes sexually explicit content that on an annual basis makes up more than a third of the sites content. As for what constitutes sexually explicit content, the bill spells it out...well...explicitly. The bill moves now to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. If it becomes law, California would join a host of red states, including Texas, in requiring online age verification for porn. When Texas passed its version of the law, online porn giant Pornhub announced that it would no longer accept web traffic from that state. Could that happen in California next? QUOTE OF THE DAY We have a right as a board to defy a dictatorial governor and bureaucracy or whatever that tries to take away our rights as parents and as citizens as a duly elected board. We have legal standing and we should absolutely stand up for our rights against dictators. - Murrieta Valley Board of Education Member Nick Pardue, in comments last week as he and two other board members voted to retain the districts parental notification, in defiance of both the California Department of Education and their own school staff, according to the Los Angeles Times. Best of The Bee: PG&E is now the most expensive electricity utility in the state. Its living from crisis to crisis, having gone through two bankruptcies in two decades and five CEOs in 10 years. For years, PG&E neglected to invest in safety measures that would have protected communities from devastating wildfires. Now, in addition to worrying about smoky skies and rolling brownouts every year, its customers are forced to pay for PG&Es mistakes with higher bills. Most Californians buy power from one of three investor-owned utilities in the state. In Northern California, 5 million households buy power from PG&E. As of April 1, a PG&E customer using 750 kilowatt hours of electricity will pay $352 a month more than twice as much as what a Sacramento Municipal Utility District customer would pay. Opinion After its latest increase, a PG&Es customers electricity bills will have doubled over the last 10 years. The utility has indicated that rates will rise further as the year progresses. At the same time, PG&E has announced record profits and asserted that there is no connection between rate hikes and profit. To mitigate climate change, California wants to promote electrification by encouraging customers to replace their gas furnaces, air conditioners, gas stoves, water heaters and gasoline-powered cars with induction cooktops, heat pumps and electric vehicles. But ever-increasing electric rates pose a barrier. Now, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), whose commissioners are gubernatorial appointees, has made two policy decisions that will do nothing to lower rates. On April 15 of last year, claiming that high rates were being driven by customers installing solar panels on their roofs, the CPUC significantly slashed the price paid to customers for their exports. As a result, new solar installations dropped by 80%. This claim ignored the deleterious impact other factors have had on rates, including a discount of 35% that is given to low-income customers, $1.5 billion spent annually on energy efficiency programs, bloated overheads at investor-owned utilities and gross mismanagement and neglect. Last month, the CPUC issued a proposed decision that will lower energy charges by five to seven cents per kilowatt-hour by collecting some revenues instead through a new charge of $24.15 a month for all customers who are not enrolled in low-income rate relief programs. Such a shell game between flat and variable charges will not promote electrification. Instead, it will penalize frugal, energy efficient customers who use less than the average amount of electricity simply because they are not low-income customers. Something has gone terribly wrong in California. The CPUC is failing to protect Californians. The commission has approved multiple rate hikes and disincentivized clean energy alternatives. It seems to be consistently doing whatever the utilities it regulates want it to do. No wonder former CPUC President Loretta Lynch recently lamented, The PUC is supposed to be a watchdog, but, instead, the PUC is a lapdog. When PG&E asks for a rate increase, the PUCs response is: How high should it be? In response to public outcry over CPUC decisions, several pieces of legislation have been drafted. Assembly Bill 2205 (Mandatory Rate Reduction), authored by Asm. Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, and Asm. James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, would require the CPUC to reduce the price of electricity by at least 30%. AB 2054 (Employment, Gifts and Rates), authored by Asm. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, would prevent a CPUC commissioner from being employed by a public utility that they previously regulated until three years have elapsed since that person left the CPUC. It would also prevent any utility executive from serving as a commissioner until two years have elapsed since he or she left the utility. AB 2619 (Net Energy Metering), authored by Asm. Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, would require the CPUC to ensure that customers with solar panels are appropriately compensated for their exports to the grid. And AB 1999 (Fixed Charges), introduced by 11 assembly members, would set a cap of $10 a month, limiting the CPUCs ability to increase customer bills to fund the states utility grid. These bills are designed to save ratepayers hundreds of dollars in their annual electric bills and make it easier and cheaper for families to use clean energy resources. Gov. Gavin Newsom should take note and follow suit. Californians are fed up with ever increasing electric bills. We need the governor to protect us from getting slapped with new rate increases. We need regulators to do their jobs. We need rules to stop investor-owned utility companies from passing their penalties onto us and profiting from their mistakes. Dr. Ahmad Faruqui, an energy economist, works on rate design and energy efficiency issues. California trucker squares off with New Jersey over seized $706G MANSFIELD Attorneys for a California trucker who was stopped here as part of an undercover New Jersey State Police surveillance operation are fighting the state over $706,890 found in the drivers cab. Troy Hodges of Compton, California was stopped while driving a Freightliner on the New Jersey Turnpike on Dec. 13, 2023, according to state police and court records. Hodges agreed to his vehicle being searched and money was found in several locations inside the cab, authorities allege. The state Division of Criminal Justice Forfeiture Bureau filed a lawsuit in March in Burlington County Superior Court. The lawsuit seeks to take the money for the state, alleging it had or would have had a connection to some criminal activity. More: Council tells Pemberton Township mayor to leave his post; will he resign? More: New voting machines headed to all polls in Burlington County California-based attorney David Dudley has challenged the proposed seizure, asking the court to return the money to Hodges. Dudley denies Hodges was involved in or aware of any criminal activity, and claims the vehicle search was unconstitutional. Hodges, 41, was charged with money laundering and is free on bail awaiting trial. The filing of a criminal charge is not evidence of guilt. Police update State police say they came across Hodges while following another man as part of a drug investigation. Ewing resident Dwayne Latimer was tailed from his home to Independence Plaza in Hamilton Township, where he parked his vehicle and waited. State police say Hodges was at the plaza in his truck. He reportedly walked to Latimers vehicle and accepted a duffle bag from Latimer, taking it back to his truck. Latimer then drove off, records state. Hodges, too, left the center but was stopped here near Interchange 6 of the New Jersey Turnpike. Hodges appeared nervous and gave an inconsistent account of his itinerary and route of travel, the lawsuit states. He gave a Mirandized statement admitting to having a large quantity of cash in the vehicle, approximately $100,000.00, but declined to provide documentation for the cash. However, he consented to a search of the vehicle. According to state police, the duffle bag allegedly received from Latimer was found and held two, vacuum-sealed bags of currency. Each was labeled 50,000. The search also found a suitcase with 16, individually wrapped currency packages in a storage compartment on the drivers side of the cab. Another stash of bulk cash, secured with rubber bands, was found on the cabs bed. Together, state police counted $706,890. A scent canine also reportedly reacted in a way indicating the presence of narcotics on money and the cab. The seized currency is suspected to be bulk payments for previous or pending large narcotics transactions, the lawsuit states. The state Office of the Attorney General declined comment on the lawsuit. The law office representing Hodges did not respond to requests for comment. On March 5, 2024, state police arrested Latimer after a reported motor vehicle chase. Latimer, 59, is awaiting trial on charges related to that chase as well as alleged possession of cocaine. The charges against him are only allegations. He has not been convicted in his case. Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times. Have a tip? Support journalism with a subscription. This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: N.J. claims cash stash trucker had is forfeit Read the full story on The Auto Wire Camaro Hits House And Sets It On Fire While the prevailing stereotype is that Ford Mustangs love to crash into crowds of pedestrians, poles, and buildings, weve noticed quite a few Camaros also ram into houses. The latest example out of Florida is simultaneously hilarious and sad, mostly because a family was put in danger and their home is now badly damaged. A citys police chief hit an innocent man driving in his classic Mustang and has faced zero consequences. It all unfolded at 1:51 am on April 20 when a call came in about a house on fire in Haines City. When the fire department arrived, it found a Chevy Camaro sticking out of the front of the building, both the muscle car and structure fully engulfed in flames. The first thought which should go through everyones minds is if someone was trapped in the car or house. Thankfully, everyone go out of both before fire crews arrived. But even with the assistance of Pok County Fire Rescue, Haines City Fire Department battled the raging inferno for half an hour before it was extinguished. Firefighters say the heat from the engine ignited the front of the house. We wonder if there were some ruptured lines, possibly even the fuel, which helped spread the fire rapidly. Either way, its great nobody was seriously hurt or worse. However, we know a lot of people who are cruising around at that time of morning are intoxicated or looking for trouble. If that offends you, its time to wake up to reality. A lot of these types of crashes seem to happen in the dead of night, although admittedly not all. The Polk County Sheriffs Office detained everyone who was in the Camaro, mostly because a deputy was following the muscle car after it sped past the deputy going in the opposite direction, reports WTSP. The driver, 19-year-old Raciel Martinez, is now facing multiple charges. Running from cops is a bad idea, especially when you crash into someones home. Image via Haines City Fire Department/Facebook Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. A man who prosecutors said was seen smiling while indiscriminately spraying police officers in the face with pepper spray during the 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Monday to two and a half years in federal prison. Israel James Easterday, of Munfordville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 30 months in prison, 500 hours of community service and a $2,000 fine, after being found guilty last October of six felonies and three misdemeanors by a jury, the Justice Department announced. Easterday had traveled to Washington, D.C. to take part in protests because he believed that the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump, were the result of government corruption, federal prosecutors said. Israel James Easterday was identified with the help of photos taken inside the U.S. Capitol, where he was seen wearing a black beanie reading I TRUMP," according to charging documents. Justice Department Photos taken during the melee and submitted with Easterdays charging documents show him wearing a black beanie with the logo I TRUMP and carrying a Confederate battle flag. Easterday forced his way inside the Capitol with a mob after spraying a Capitol police officer in the face with pepper spray at point-blank range, according to DOJ. The injured officer collapsed and temporarily lost consciousness, resulting in his baton being stolen by another rioter. His vision was compromised for hours after he was sprayed, the Justice Department said. Soon thereafter, an unknown rioter handed Easterday a second can of pepper spray, which Easterdaysmilingused to indiscriminately spray another small group of officers, hitting at least one of them in the face. That officer, too, was temporarily incapacitated and suffered pain for hours, prosecutors said in Mondays release. More than 1,385 people have been charged for crimes related to the Jan. 9 attack at the Capitol, the Justice Department said Monday. via Associated Press Easterday was identified after federal authorities searched publicly available photos and found pictures of him wearing the same beanie while again holding a Confederate flag, according to the charging documents. He had been planning to go to the Bahamas with his fiancee to hand out free Bibles as part of missionary work when he was arrested, Easterdays attorneys said in a court plea requesting his release. Easterday is a very young man from an extremely sheltered background who posed no public threat, the lawyers told the court. Easterday was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Monday after being found guilty last October of six felonies and three misdemeanors after spraying police with pepper spray during the 2021 attack. via Associated Press Easterday was raised Amish and was his familys primary cow-milker on their farm until he left home at the age of 18, they said. He wore simple clothes with a hat and suspenders, and was home-schooled until he was 15 years old, when he began working full time on his familys farm, they said. At no point after January 6 did he glorify what happened on that date, or otherwise espouse violence. Easterday canceled his missionary work and promptly turned himself in after learning about his outstanding arrest warrant, they said. His attorney, Geremy Kamens, declined comment when reached by HuffPost on Tuesday. More than 1,385 people have been charged for crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol, the Justice Department said Monday. Efforts to identify and locate insurrectionists captured in videos and photos that day remain ongoing. Related... Chinese premier stresses construction of capital market Xinhua) 07:58, April 23, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang presides over a State Council study session that focused on further reforms of the capital market for steady and healthy development, on April 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday stressed efforts to accelerate the development of a safe, well-regulated, transparent, open, dynamic and resilient capital market. He called for efforts to better leverage the role of the capital market and accelerate the building of a nation with a strong financial sector to serve Chinese modernization. Li made the remarks at a State Council study session that focused on further reforms of the capital market for steady and healthy development. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the capital market, a crucial part of modern financial system, has accelerated development, playing a key role in promoting optimal allocation of resources, supporting scientific and technological innovation, and promoting economic and social development, he said. Earlier this month, the State Council released a guideline on strengthening regulation on the capital market, forestalling risks and promoting its high-quality development. Li said it is necessary to take the implementation of the guideline as an opportunity to boost the reform and development of the capital market. More should be done to expedite the refinement of the basic institutional systems of the capital market, improve key systems such as listing, trading, and delisting, and promote a virtuous cycle of investment and financing, he said. Li also underscored the importance of maintaining a dynamic balance between listing and delisting activities. The premier also called for efforts to improve the quality of listed companies and bolster regulatory oversight on entry into the capital market. Work should be done to intensify oversight of the capital market, and illegal and non-compliant activities should be punished more strictly, he said. Highlighting the pivotal role of a stable and healthy capital market in driving economic development and boosting national governance, Li urged efforts across all related sectors to strengthen coordination to foster synergy in propelling the high-quality development of the capital market. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The discoveries of Polish geologist Witold Zglenicki made a significant contribution to the development of the oil and gas sector of Azerbaijan, Advisor to the Polish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Michal Greczylo said during an event dedicated to the life and work of the Polish geologist and inventor, Azernews reports. According to Greczylo, Witold Zglenicki is little known in Azerbaijan, and for this reason, the Polish Embassy in Baku organized the translation of a book dedicated to his life and work: This book was written several years ago in Poland by Professor Andrzej Chodubski. We wanted Azerbaijani-speaking and English-speaking readers to become more familiar with the activities of Witold Zglenicki, so the embassy decided to get the book published in two languages. An event to promote the Azerbaijani-language version of this book took place in February this year and was organized in collaboration with the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, Michal Greczylo said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Iran welcomes agreements reached at a meeting of the delimitation commission between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani said, Trend reports. According to him, continued efforts by the two countries to resolve border issues by peaceful means within the framework of mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity are necessary to establish lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus. To note, on April 19, 2024, the 8th meeting of the State Commission on the Delimitation of the State Border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and the Commission on the Matters of Delimitation of the State Border and Border Security between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan took place under the chairmanship of Shahin Mustafayev, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Mher Grigoryan, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. At the initial stage of the delimitation process, the sides tentatively agreed on the passage of certain segments of the border line directly between the settlements of Baganis (RA) Baganys Ayrim (AR), Voskepar (RA) Ashagy Askipara (AR), Kirants (RA) Kheyrimli (AR), and Berkaber (RA) - Gyzylhajily (AR) to bring them in line with the legally justified inter-republican border that existed within the Soviet Union at the time of its collapse. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert, center, and Justices Eric Rosen, left and Dan Biles, right, joined a majority opinion that reinforced an interpretation of what was meant by movement of a vehicle when considering administrative suspension of a Kansans driving license. Justice Caleb Stegall, far right, called the majority's view an "absurd result." (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA Wellington resident Jason Camblin was behind the wheel of a vehicle that allegedly careened through city streets, struck a utility pole, slammed into a house and plowed through several yards before coming to a stop in a mud-saturated ditch. He scrambled to the rear of the vehicle in an attempt to push it free as his wife, Shana Jarmer, slid behind the wheel and gunned the engine to add horsepower to the quest. When law enforcement officers arrived at the Sumner County accident site, Camblin was vainly putting a shoulder into the escape plan while Jarmer was grinding tires deeper into the slop. Officers testified Jarmers effort produced no observable advance of the vehicle a key factor in an unusual Kansas Supreme Court decision reversing a pair of lower court rulings that granted the administrative suspension of Jarmers driving license. Camblin, who registered 0.22 on the breath-alcohol test, and Jarmer, who came in at 0.15 on the same test, were both arrested for driving under the influence, court records show. The legal limit in Kansas is 0.08. Appellate court documents indicated prosecutors proceeded with DUI charges given the couples reported level of intoxication and evidence they both spent time behind the wheel on Jan. 24, 2021. Subsequently, the Kansas Department of Revenue notified Jarmer the state intended to suspend her driving privileges. She challenged that sanction at an administrative hearing, in Sumner County District Court and before the Kansas Court of Appeals. The suspension was upheld based on the notion Jarmer controlled the vehicle by holding the steering wheel, engaging the transmission, pressing the gas pedal and spinning the wheels. Ryan Gering, a Wichita attorney representing Jarmer, told the Kansas Supreme Court during oral argument that state law made no distinction between successfully and unsuccessfully operating a vehicle when considering a criminal charge of DUI. However, Gering said, Kansas law did establish in license suspension cases a bright-line division between an attempt to operate a vehicle and successful operation of a vehicle. The law was apparently structured so an intoxicated person who chose to sleep it off in the car would be charged with DUI, but not lose the ability to drive. The issue in this case is whether my client, Miss Jarmer, was operating or whether she was merely attempting to operate her vehicle. There must be actual operation for there to be any suspension or restriction of their driving privileges, Gering said. Charles Bradley, an attorney arguing on behalf of the Department of Revenue, urged the Supreme Court to move the state away from a rigid interpretation of what was defined as vehicular movement. It should be the responsibility of trial courts to evaluate facts and sort out whether a vehicle was moving, he said. It needs to be reasonable, Bradley said. It needs to be based on the fact-finder. My request is reasonableness and logic. Bradley said most states didnt distinguish between operation and attempted operation of a vehicle in these cases. Supreme reversal On Friday, a divided Kansas Supreme Court agreed with Jarmer and reversed the Department of Revenues decision to suspend her license. Even through she failed a breath-alcohol test and tried to drive the vehicle out of the ditch, the justices said, she failed to dislodge it and couldnt be found to have operated the vehicle in a sense that jeopardized driving privileges. The word operate was synonymous in state law with the word drive, which required that a vehicle move under the control of a driver, the Supreme Court opinion said. Circumstances in this case should have prevented the Department of Revenue from seizing Jarmers license, the opinion said. Justice Evelyn Wilson wrote in the majority opinion that findings of the Department of Revenue, Sumner County District Court and the Kansas Court of Appeals were in conflict with the Supreme Courts 2016 precedent in State v. Darrow and its 2002 decision in State v. Kendall. She said precedent dictated operation of a vehicle required actual movement when assessing administrative restrictions of a license. Because we see no reason to depart from that precedent, Wilson wrote, we reverse the suspension of Jarmers license. Wilson wrote the majority didnt find persuasive the Court of Appeals belief Jarmer was in actual physical control of the movements of the machinery of the vehicle and had she succeeded in her efforts, she could have seriously jeopardized the public safety. The Supreme Court opinion says the justices recognized the intuitive appeal of the Court of Appeals effort to expand the definition of operating a vehicle in light of Jarmers overt effort to drive out of the mud. But the court was convinced not to depart from the idea vehicular movement, not physical control, distinguished operation of a vehicle from attempts to operate a vehicle, she said. And, the dissent Justice Caleb Stegall, in a dissent joined by Justice Melissa Standridge, said he disagreed with the way the Supreme Court majority applied court precedent and state law. Stegall wrote that he would prefer the Supreme Court pronounce a broad legal definition of operating a vehicle and leave case-by-case application of that standard to juries or judges considering evidence at trial. Stegall said no bill devised by the Legislature and signed into law by a governor could definitionally answer every situation created by motorists. He said the majority opinion defined movement of a vehicle in a way no reasonable person would recognize. I fail to understand how causing the actual movement of the mechanical systems of the drive train of the car, done with the intent to steer the vehicle out of the ditch, does not satisfy the Legislatures intent behind the word operate,' Stegall wrote. Todays outcome falls far outside the plain meaning of the statute and produces what I believe to be an absurd result. Is a drag racer doing a stationary burnout not driving their car? he asked. On the other hand, what about a mechanic operating a vehicles drive train while the vehicle is on a lift? Or, a motorcycle being revved up to show off a new motor, but the transmission is disconnected? The post Car hits house, utility pole and slams into ditch: DUI? Indeed. License suspension? Nope. appeared first on Kansas Reflector. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona released a statement Tuesday condemning Columbia University as bipartisan concerns about antisemitism on campus have risen. Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable. I am deeply concerned by what is happening at Columbia University, Cardona said in a post on X. Columbia is almost a week into the Gaza Solidarity Encampment that students created, refusing to leave until demands, such as divesting from Israel, are met. At least three students have been suspended and others were arrested by the New York Police Department. The school has switched to hybrid classes for the rest of the semester due to the unrest. In November 2023, our Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation of Columbia involving Title VI. While we cant comment on pending investigations, every student deserves to feel a sense of safety and belonging at school. Hate has no place in our schools. All education leaders must stand definitively against hate, antisemitism, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim sentiment, Cardona said. While lawmakers, such as Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), have called for Columbias president to resign, Cardona did not take a position. While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America, the White House said in a statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A poll worker in Madison, Wis., sets up signage before early voting began in a 2023 election. This month, Wisconsin voters opted to ban private grants from funding local election administration. Morry Gash/The Associated Press This month, Wisconsin joined 27 other states that have banned or restricted local governments use of private donations to run cash-strapped election offices, buy voting equipment or hire poll workers for Election Day. All of the state laws came in the past four years, pushed by conservative lawmakers and activists who claim that Democratic voters disproportionately benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars in grants primarily funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, during the 2020 presidential election. Courts and federal regulators have rejected those claims, but the debate over the role of outside money reveals a broader worry among election experts, who say there are significant shortcomings in local government funding of election offices. That includes not just Election Day duties and vote counting, but also the year-round administrative work of maintaining voter rolls and taking care of and updating voting equipment. This isnt a situation where we can just overcome it with pure grit and buck up and get it done. We need the tools to get it done. Dusty Farmer, election clerk of Oshtemo Township, Mich. Local municipal budgets are tight, and they vary depending on the tax base. It can be hard to justify a new ballot-counting machine when there are potholes to fix or schools to fund. The ongoing funding uncertainty is untenable, said Tammy Patrick, the chief executive officer for programs at the National Association of Election Officials. Election officials need to have consistent funding to know they can replace outdated equipment and provide a secure and efficient voting experience, she said. Ultimately and ideally, we wouldnt need to run such a critical function of our democracy relying on volunteers or donations, said Patrick, who is leading a national initiative to promote election funding. Everyone wants our elections to be secure, accessible, legitimate. And in order to have that, we have to support our election administrators. Funding democracy Counting ballots at 2:30 a.m. on election night in 2020, Dusty Farmer, the election clerk of Oshtemo Township, Michigan, realized she should have chosen a high-speed ballot tabulator. When Michigan voters amended the state constitution in 2018 to allow for voting absentee without having to provide an excuse to officials, the number of mail-in ballots shot up and townships had to find a way to process those new ballots. Farmer opted for the less expensive, slower ballot processors. After two years of lobbying her local board, she was able to secure the $40,000 high-speed counting machines last year a big investment ahead of the 2024 election, she said. This isnt a situation where we can just overcome it with pure grit and buck up and get it done, Farmer said. We need the tools to get it done. Money from Congress has been limited. This year, congressional leaders agreed to provide $55 million in election grant funding for states to distribute locally. That is around as much as Los Angeles County alone spent conducting a gubernatorial recall election in 2021. State and local election officials could breathe easier about some of the cybersecurity challenges if they had more funding from Congress, Arizona Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said to a room of fellow secretaries of state at a Washington, D.C., meeting in February. This is an unfunded federal mandate, the only part of our critical infrastructure that does not have sustained federal funding, he said. State money for elections varies widely. Lawmakers in some states do not allocate any of their budget to local election officials. In many cases, states just distribute federal grants for improving election security or as reimbursement for new equipment. Often, however, states hold onto federal grants dollars because they are unsure when the next installment from Congress might come. Other states do allocate some local election funding in their budgets, but often not at a level that would allow for major equipment replacement, said Matthew Weil, executive director of the Democracy Program at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a D.C.-based think tank. States such as Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii and Louisiana also reimburse localities for a portion of elections where statewide candidates are on the ballot, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Alaska and Delaware pay for all expenses of state and federal elections, while other states will pay for statewide special elections or presidential primary elections. Funding elections mostly at the local level is not the model that is going to work for the future, Weil said. But asking state governments to use their limited budgets on election equipment is politically tough, he added; its hard to cut a ribbon on a new $100 million voting system. Local governments spend as much on elections as they do to maintain parking facilities, according to a report by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission in 2021. I dont necessarily disagree with banning private funding in elections, Weil said. But that does require that counties, states and the federal government step up and fund elections at the levels they need to provide the services that voters have come to expect. Banning private money in elections Four years ago, as thousands of Americans died every day during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, local election officials hurriedly prepared for the 2020 presidential election, not knowing whether they had the money needed to allow voters to safely cast a ballot and for their staff to safely count those votes. Foreseeing a democratic disaster, the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a Chicago-based nonprofit, used $350 million from Zuckerberg and Chan to hand out grants to nearly 2,500 local election offices across 49 states. Local clerks, like Robin Cleveland of Williamstown Township, Michigan, used that money to buy personal protective equipment, pay and train temporary election workers, and run voter education campaigns. The $5,000 private grant was essential for getting desperately needed supplies for her small community east of Lansing, Cleveland said. Though she feels supported by her township board, she has not been able to pay election workers more competitive wages nor replace ancient equipment except in 2018, when she got a federal grant for new ballot tabulators. Basically, the money has to come from somewhere if were going to have safe, secure and accurate elections, she wrote to Stateline in an email about private grants. In Wisconsin, more than 200 communities received a collective $10 million in private grants. Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee and Racine the states most populous cities received 86% of that money, according to a report by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a conservative litigation group that supported the ballot question to ban private donations for election administration. Those five cities accounted for nearly 18% of the states total registered voters. It was important to prevent outside groups from potentially dictating terms for grants or giving the impression that the money is helping a certain political party, said Rick Esenberg, president of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. It creates an appearance of impropriety, and it undermines confidence in the outcome of the election, he said. Elections are a public function that have to be undertaken with scrupulous neutrality. Esenberg doesnt think elections are underfunded. If local election officials feel like they need more money, he said, they should go to their state legislature. Voters approved the states new constitutional amendment by more than 54%. Of the 28 states that have now enacted bans, only Pennsylvania supplemented its measure with more election funding. In 2022, then-Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law the compromise measure, which invested $45 million in local elections. A total lifeline Before Wisconsins ban went into effect, Cities Forward, a nonprofit based in the state, awarded an $800,000 grant to Milwaukee for new ballot tabulators, text messaging services to reach voters and polling place upgrades. Madison was also able to spend $1.5 million from Center for Tech and Civic Life and U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence grants before the ban went into place. The need hasnt dissipated, said Tiana Epps-Johnson, founder and executive director of the Center for Tech and Civic Life, the nonprofit that drew conservative ire. Election officials need equipment, such as fast-counting ballot processing machines, to prevent delays in results that can fuel misinformation, she said. We hear from election officials in every corner of the country who are severely underfunded, she said. Right now, election officials run the risk of having equipment that is not up to the task of the demand that theyre going to see from voters this fall. Although the Center for Tech and Civic Life is not issuing grants this election cycle, it is a founding partner of the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, which has been distributing money to local offices in states that allow it in the years since the last presidential election. Macoupin County, Illinois, a downstate farming community halfway between St. Louis and Springfield, recently received a $500,000 grant to create a new early voting center an amount equivalent to two years of the countys election budget. The voting center, which opened in January, is in a building that used to house an insurance agency and law office. It sits across the street from the courthouse, where early voters used to have to cast ballots in cramped hallways, next to people waiting for their court dates. Election equipment was stored under staircases in a hallway or in the boiler room. It was a total lifeline that otherwise never would have happened, said Pete Duncan, the county clerk. While we would love for it to have been federal or state funding that came in to help get this accomplished, thats just not something that the feds or states are interested in doing. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST A poll worker in Madison, Wis., sets up signage before early voting began in a 2023 election. This month, Wisconsin voters opted to ban private grants from funding local election administration. Morry Gash/The Associated Press This month, Wisconsin joined 27 other states that have banned or restricted local governments use of private donations to run cash-strapped election offices, buy voting equipment or hire poll workers for Election Day. All of the state laws came in the past four years, pushed by conservative lawmakers and activists who claim that Democratic voters disproportionately benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars in grants primarily funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, during the 2020 presidential election. Courts and federal regulators have rejected those claims, but the debate over the role of outside money reveals a broader worry among election experts, who say there are significant shortcomings in local government funding of election offices. That includes not just Election Day duties and vote counting, but also the year-round administrative work of maintaining voter rolls and taking care of and updating voting equipment. This isnt a situation where we can just overcome it with pure grit and buck up and get it done. We need the tools to get it done. Dusty Farmer, election clerk of Oshtemo Township, Mich. Local municipal budgets are tight, and they vary depending on the tax base. It can be hard to justify a new ballot-counting machine when there are potholes to fix or schools to fund. The ongoing funding uncertainty is untenable, said Tammy Patrick, the chief executive officer for programs at the National Association of Election Officials. Election officials need to have consistent funding to know they can replace outdated equipment and provide a secure and efficient voting experience, she said. Ultimately and ideally, we wouldnt need to run such a critical function of our democracy relying on volunteers or donations, said Patrick, who is leading a national initiative to promote election funding. Everyone wants our elections to be secure, accessible, legitimate. And in order to have that, we have to support our election administrators. Funding democracy Counting ballots at 2:30 a.m. on election night in 2020, Dusty Farmer, the election clerk of Oshtemo Township, Michigan, realized she should have chosen a high-speed ballot tabulator. When Michigan voters amended the state constitution in 2018 to allow for voting absentee without having to provide an excuse to officials, the number of mail-in ballots shot up and townships had to find a way to process those new ballots. Farmer opted for the less expensive, slower ballot processors. After two years of lobbying her local board, she was able to secure the $40,000 high-speed counting machines last year a big investment ahead of the 2024 election, she said. This isnt a situation where we can just overcome it with pure grit and buck up and get it done, Farmer said. We need the tools to get it done. Money from Congress has been limited. This year, congressional leaders agreed to provide $55 million in election grant funding for states to distribute locally. That is around as much as Los Angeles County alone spent conducting a gubernatorial recall election in 2021. State and local election officials could breathe easier about some of the cybersecurity challenges if they had more funding from Congress, Arizona Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said to a room of fellow secretaries of state at a Washington, D.C., meeting in February. This is an unfunded federal mandate, the only part of our critical infrastructure that does not have sustained federal funding, he said. State money for elections varies widely. Lawmakers in some states do not allocate any of their budget to local election officials. In many cases, states just distribute federal grants for improving election security or as reimbursement for new equipment. Often, however, states hold onto federal grants dollars because they are unsure when the next installment from Congress might come. Other states do allocate some local election funding in their budgets, but often not at a level that would allow for major equipment replacement, said Matthew Weil, executive director of the Democracy Program at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a D.C.-based think tank. States such as Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii and Louisiana also reimburse localities for a portion of elections where statewide candidates are on the ballot, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Alaska and Delaware pay for all expenses of state and federal elections, while other states will pay for statewide special elections or presidential primary elections. Funding elections mostly at the local level is not the model that is going to work for the future, Weil said. But asking state governments to use their limited budgets on election equipment is politically tough, he added; its hard to cut a ribbon on a new $100 million voting system. Local governments spend as much on elections as they do to maintain parking facilities, according to a report by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission in 2021. I dont necessarily disagree with banning private funding in elections, Weil said. But that does require that counties, states and the federal government step up and fund elections at the levels they need to provide the services that voters have come to expect. Banning private money in elections Four years ago, as thousands of Americans died every day during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, local election officials hurriedly prepared for the 2020 presidential election, not knowing whether they had the money needed to allow voters to safely cast a ballot and for their staff to safely count those votes. Foreseeing a democratic disaster, the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a Chicago-based nonprofit, used $350 million from Zuckerberg and Chan to hand out grants to nearly 2,500 local election offices across 49 states. Local clerks, like Robin Cleveland of Williamstown Township, Michigan, used that money to buy personal protective equipment, pay and train temporary election workers, and run voter education campaigns. The $5,000 private grant was essential for getting desperately needed supplies for her small community east of Lansing, Cleveland said. Though she feels supported by her township board, she has not been able to pay election workers more competitive wages nor replace ancient equipment except in 2018, when she got a federal grant for new ballot tabulators. Basically, the money has to come from somewhere if were going to have safe, secure and accurate elections, she wrote to Stateline in an email about private grants. In Wisconsin, more than 200 communities received a collective $10 million in private grants. Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee and Racine the states most populous cities received 86% of that money, according to a report by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a conservative litigation group that supported the ballot question to ban private donations for election administration. Those five cities accounted for nearly 18% of the states total registered voters. It was important to prevent outside groups from potentially dictating terms for grants or giving the impression that the money is helping a certain political party, said Rick Esenberg, president of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. It creates an appearance of impropriety, and it undermines confidence in the outcome of the election, he said. Elections are a public function that have to be undertaken with scrupulous neutrality. Esenberg doesnt think elections are underfunded. If local election officials feel like they need more money, he said, they should go to their state legislature. Voters approved the states new constitutional amendment by more than 54%. Of the 28 states that have now enacted bans, only Pennsylvania supplemented its measure with more election funding. In 2022, then-Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law the compromise measure, which invested $45 million in local elections. A total lifeline Before Wisconsins ban went into effect, Cities Forward, a nonprofit based in the state, awarded an $800,000 grant to Milwaukee for new ballot tabulators, text messaging services to reach voters and polling place upgrades. Madison was also able to spend $1.5 million from Center for Tech and Civic Life and U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence grants before the ban went into place. The need hasnt dissipated, said Tiana Epps-Johnson, founder and executive director of the Center for Tech and Civic Life, the nonprofit that drew conservative ire. Election officials need equipment, such as fast-counting ballot processing machines, to prevent delays in results that can fuel misinformation, she said. We hear from election officials in every corner of the country who are severely underfunded, she said. Right now, election officials run the risk of having equipment that is not up to the task of the demand that theyre going to see from voters this fall. Although the Center for Tech and Civic Life is not issuing grants this election cycle, it is a founding partner of the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, which has been distributing money to local offices in states that allow it in the years since the last presidential election. Macoupin County, Illinois, a downstate farming community halfway between St. Louis and Springfield, recently received a $500,000 grant to create a new early voting center an amount equivalent to two years of the countys election budget. The voting center, which opened in January, is in a building that used to house an insurance agency and law office. It sits across the street from the courthouse, where early voters used to have to cast ballots in cramped hallways, next to people waiting for their court dates. Election equipment was stored under staircases in a hallway or in the boiler room. It was a total lifeline that otherwise never would have happened, said Pete Duncan, the county clerk. While we would love for it to have been federal or state funding that came in to help get this accomplished, thats just not something that the feds or states are interested in doing. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and Twitter. The post Cash-strapped election offices have fewer resources after bans on private grants appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. FLORISSANT, Mo. Boeings sprawling former leadership center in St. Louis County has been sold to a Catholic group. The Augustine Institute, known for its Catholic content and education, has acquired a 284-acre property. The Institute plans to relocate its headquarters and Graduate School of Theology, currently located near Denver, to this site by fall 2024 for the new academic year. This move marks the first stage in transforming the property into a hub for evangelization. The Augustine Institute in Denver faced growth challenges, including the lack of student housing and high living costs, which complicated recruitment efforts. To address this, the Institute raised $50 million in just a few months to purchase a new campus in Florissant, Missouri. Unacceptable: Cardinals fans react to early season woes The greater St. Louis area is ideal for our new center, states President of the Augustine Institute Dr. Tim Gray. We are grateful for the warm welcome we have received from Archbishop Rozanski and the archdiocese. We are excited about the Augustine Institutes future in north St. Louis County and being of service to local Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the surrounding dioceses. I believe that the Augustine Institute will transform this property into the premier center for the New Evangelization in the United States, states St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski. By leveraging St. Louis central location, the Augustine Institute can foster a new era of collaboration with Catholic organizations nationwide and invite more people to encounter Jesus Christ and his Church. The sprawling campus includes extensive educational and residential facilities, positioned near the confluence of Missouris major rivers. Boeing previously operated the site as a leadership training center. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Advocates are pushing for safety enhancements on buses operated by the Charlotte Area Transit System. Volunteers will conduct surveys of bus riders starting Thursday to ask for feedback on riders experiences and safety. It comes after CATS bus driver Ethan Rivera was shot and killed in 2022. CATS officials address safety concerns after deadly road rage shooting that killed bus driver At 1:30 p.m. on May 4, advocates are organizing a press conference and community ride from the Rosa Parks Community Transit Center on Beatties Ford Road to Uptown Charlotte. Organizers said Riveras mother will be in attendance. If youve been impacted by violence, if someone you know has been impacted by violence here in the Charlotte community, we are asking you to come out on May 4 and participate in this ride, said Nichel Dunlap-Thompson, who is with the NAACP. Organizers said they appreciate their working relationship with CATS to improve safety for everyone. VIDEO: Ethan Rivera remembered by loved ones on anniversary of shooting Celebrity Designer Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Smuggling Crocodile Handbags Into the U.S. Nancy Gonzalez, whose brand could be seen on 'Sex and the City,' pleaded guilty Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Nancy Gonzalez a the 2017 Museo Gala A high-end fashion designer has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after she was caught smuggling crocodile handbags from Colombia into the United States. On Monday, April 22, Nancy Gonzalez was taken into custody in Miami to begin her sentence. She previously pleaded guilty to charges relating to bringing handbags made of the python and caiman species, which are protected wildlife, into the U.S., according to the U.S. Attorneys office in the Southern District of Florida. The United States, in company with the international community, has established a system for overseeing the trafficking in protected species of wildlife, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe wrote in a press release. That system relies on a system of permits and oversight by many agencies and demands strict compliance by all those engaged in such trade. It continued: The press of business, production deadlines or other economic factors are not justification for anyone to knowingly flout the system and attempt to write their own exceptions to wildlife trafficking laws. United States Attorney's Office Nancy Gonzalez handbags Gonzalez, 71, and co-conspirator Mauricio Giraldo were indicted in 2022 on conspiracy and smuggling charges between February 2016 and April 2019. Previously, Gonzalez's items had been worn by big names, including the cast of Sex and the City. Lawyers for Gonzalez stated her defense is her need to support her children and keep her business thriving, per court memos obtained by ABC News. They also stated that only 1% of the imported items violated U.S. guidelines. She was determined to show her children and the world that women, including minority women like herself, can pursue their dreams successfully, and become financially independent, they wrote. Against all odds, this tiny but mighty woman was able to create the very first luxury, high-end fashion company from a third world country. Related: Former HGTV Star Charles 'Todd' Hill Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail The outlet also reported that Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald compared Gonzalezs crimes to drug smuggling. Its all driven by the money, Watts-Fitzgerald said. If you want to deter the conduct, you want the cocaine kingpin, not the person in the field. In her speech at sentencing, Gonzalez reportedly apologized. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to the United States of America she said. I never intended to offend a country to which I owe immense gratitude. Under pressure, I made poor decisions. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Attorney's Office stated that Gonzalez had been soliciting friends, family and associates to carry the crocodile items in their suitcases when they traveled to the states. They then displayed the bags in the company, Gzuniga Ltd. showroom in Manhattan. The Gonzalez case underscores the importance of robust collaboration with federal and international partners to disrupt illegal wildlife trade networks, said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement in a previous press release. This investigation uncovered a multi-year scheme that involved paid couriers smuggling undeclared handbags made of CITES-protected reptile skins into the U.S. to be sold for thousands of dollars. Per the release, Gonzalezs bags were selling for over $2,000 in high-end stores in New York City. The brand has now been ordered to turn over all the items. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A celebrity handbag maker is going to prison for importing bags made of protected python and caiman skin A celebrity handbag maker is going to prison for importing bags made of protected python and caiman skin A handbag designer was sentenced to 18 months in prison for importing bags made of rare skins. The bags were made from caiman and python skin, both protected under international trade laws. Nancy Gonzalez made roughly $2 million, reflecting the growth in the luxury handbag market. A luxury handbag designer was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally importing bags into the US made out of the pelts of protected species. Nancy Gonzalez, the 71-year-old founder of Gzuniga Ltd, sold the bags for an average price of more than $2,000, according to the Department of Justice. Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears, and Salma Hayek were reportedly among her clients, as well as cast members of "Sex and the City," the Associated Press reported. It's unclear if any of them bought handbags made out of endangered animal skins, the outlet noted. The DOJ found that between 2016 and 2019, Gonzalez enlisted friends, family, and employees as part of a scheme to fly designer purses, handbags, and totes from her factory in Colombia into the US. Carrying the bags in their luggage or on their person, those traveling would, if questioned, tell authorities the bags were gifts, the AP reported. The handbags would then be displayed at Gzuniga's Manhattan showroom, ready for high-end retailers to buy for their own stores, according to the DOJ. Handbags displayed in the Gzuniga showroom in a photo submitted by the DOJ as evidence. Department of Justice The bags were made of caiman an alligator-like reptile and python skin, the AP reported. Both species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and Gonzalez did not have the right import documents, the news agency added. At the sentencing, Gonzalez told the court she was deeply sorry, per the AP. She added that "under pressure, I made poor decisions." While Gonzalez's lawyers argued that only a tiny proportion of her stock was sourced without proper authorization, prosecutors said that she enriched herself while "producing felons" out of those she enlisted to carry the bags, the AP reported. Prosecutors estimated that Gonzalez amassed more than $2 million through this scheme, AP reported. This sum reflects the massive growth in the luxury handbag market, with buyers increasingly seeking high-end bags not only for fashion status but also as an investment. In 2022, handbags mainly from Chanel, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton performed better than wine, rare whisky, and jewelry as a luxury asset class, the Financial Times reported. The market has become so heated that two Californian customers are suing Hermes over its restrictive sales practices around the fabled Birkin bag. Gonzalez, who pleaded guilty to smuggling and conspiracy, was sentenced on Monday along with an associate, Mauricio Giraldo. A further associate, John Camilo Aguilar Jaramillo, has pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced on June 27, per the DOJ. Read the original article on Business Insider Archaic pieces of legislation are coming back to life as the fight over abortion access rages across the country ahead of Novembers elections. When the Arizona Supreme Court ruled to ban nearly all abortions in the state, it did so by upholding an 1864 law passed before Arizona was made a state that made performing abortions a felony. There are at least five other states that have similar so-called zombie laws on the books, which could be used to restrict or ban abortions entirely. And anti-abortion groups have made the Comstock Act of 1873 a central part of their push to ban mifepristone, a drug used for medical abortions, being sent through the mail. These long-dormant laws were revived by the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned a constitutional right to abortion that had stood for almost 50 years. That ruling was the fruit of a decades-long conservative push to overturn Roe v. Wade, and was made possible after former President Trump appointed three new justices to the court. However, the zombie laws have become a political liability for Republicans, who are backing away from hard-line abortion positions that are widely unpopular with voters. According to the Guttmacher Institute, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas and West Virginia all have total or near-total abortion bans that were passed several generations ago. Four of these bans were passed in the 1800s, and Texass ban was passed in 1925. All five of these states have banned all abortions with limited exceptions since the Dobbs decision. Common timing no coincidence The various zombie laws stem from roughly the same few decades. Thats no coincidence, according to Maya Manian, faculty director of the health law and policy program at American University Washington College of Law. The hard-line abortion laws sprang up in the 19th century during a push to gain control over womens reproductive health, she said. There were different forces at play in the period of time, and some of it was actually physicians groups, organized medicine [who] were trying to professionalize themselves to wrest control of reproductive health care away from lay midwives, Manian said. Outside of medicine, conservative activists such as Anthony Comstock, who drafted the Comstock Act, sought to restrict abortion on moral grounds. According to Manian, this led to different groups sort of working together to criminalize actions that were not criminalized, actually, earlier in American history. Prior to that mid-19th-century period, abortion before a quickening was lawful, and women accessed abortion care, you know, through midwives, all the time, she added. According to Thomas Jipping, senior legal fellow in the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, the age of a statute has no bearing on whether it can be considered law, even if its long been dormant. A court is not going to say, This statute is old, so we think its invalid or something. Theres no basis for any courts to do that, he said. Passed during a democratic deficit These laws were also largely passed during a time when only men could vote, a point frequently raised by their opponents. Zombie laws are restrictions, in this case, on access to abortion that were enacted many generations ago, and often before women actually had a vote or an opportunity to speak about whether they should be enacted or what their terms should be, Reva Siegel, a professor at Yale Law School, told The Hill. Often, they were enacted for reasons that we would no longer consider constitutionally respect worthy, she added. In an academic article Siegel co-authored following the Dobbs decision, she argued these laws came from efforts to enforce womens roles as wives and mothers first and foremost. Jipping of the Heritage Foundation pushed back against the relevance of the makeup of the electorate at the time a law was passed. The fact that, you know, the electorate was differently comprised at a certain time thats not relevant at all, he said. The law that was passed at the time, either it was legitimately passed or it wasnt. If it was, its on the books. Whether it should stay that way is always up to the legislature. Democrats in the Arizona Legislature sought to repeal the 1864 law last week, but Republican lawmakers blocked the attempt. The U.S. upholds many laws that were enacted several generations ago, but experts like Manian say shifts in the legal and political landscape make these abortion laws particularly antiquated. Its completely backwards-looking, with not taking into account how our own Constitution has changed over time. We then eventually enacted a 14th Amendment to protect equal protection and a 19th Amendment to grant the womens right to vote, Manian said. But its sort of freezing our rights back in a time where the people most impacted by these decisions had no say in the making of the law, she added. Youre just reinforcing a democratic deficit. Will zombie laws finally die? Generally speaking, laws are assumed to be enforceable if they are duly enacted, regardless of age. This is considered true unless there is a constitutional objection to the enforcement of the law. Roe barred these state-level abortion bans from being enforced for nearly half a century. According to Siegel, there hasnt yet been many sustained judicial discussions among legal circles on whether these sorts of laws can simply go back into effect immediately after almost 50 years of dormancy. Jipping said that question should go to state legislatures, after the Supreme Court decided the federal Constitution doesnt confer a right to abortion. At the end of the day, legislatures are responsible for determining abortion policy in their state. And whether that means sorting out multiple laws, whether it means deciding to once again enforce a law that has been dormant for a while at the end of the day, thats what legislatures are for, he said. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) has vowed to not enforce the ban even after the state supreme courts decision last month. When it comes to Comstock, however, Siegel notes features of the law that make it distinctive from the 1800s state-level abortion bans. Most laws that are on the books are the subject of public conversation if theyre enforced in ways that offend the public. But this one has this distinctive history of the government using the criminal law to prevent public criticism of the law. Its different than the Arizona law, for example, she said. According to Siegel, Comstocks enforcement is flatly unconstitutional under the First Amendments protections of free speech today. Comstock bars the mailing of obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile things. The legally accepted definition of obscene, lewd, lascivious has also changed over time. When it was first enacted, this definition could apply to medical textbooks depicting the human body, letters that detailed dating among unmarried people or text that acknowledged the existence of abortions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MOSCOW, Russia, April 23. We always felt Heydar Aliyev was with us, a veteran of the railway industry and an employee of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), Nurmammad Javadov told reporters in Kremlin, Trend reports. "I am the commander of the Komsomol detachment of Azerbaijan. On March 22, 1975, we arrived by helicopter in the village of Ulkan, where a permanent settlement was built until 1998. The first year in winter was difficult. We were not accustomed to the cold at that time. When Heydar Aliyev arrived, he inspected the settlements. We always felt that Azerbaijan was with us, that Heydar Aliyev was with us," he emphasized. To note, on April 22, a joint meeting of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin with veterans and employees of the railway industry took place in Moscow on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The BAM is a landmark project for both Russia and Azerbaijan. The success of building this one of the longest railway lines in the world is directly linked to the name of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev. As the First Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, Heydar Aliyev became the first leader to make the decision to familiarize himself with the progress of construction directly on site. It was his 10-day trip along the BAM that became a turning point in the construction of the mainline. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A shipment of charcoal, inspected closely by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Otay Mesa Cargo Facility in California, concealed 782 pounds of methamphetamine. Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection April 22 (UPI) -- A recent charcoal shipment at a California facility was discovered to be hiding more than $1 million worth of methamphetamine, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday, as they announced the narcotics seizure. CBP officers discovered the 782 pounds of narcotics Thursday night at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, inside of a tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested for charcoal. The 46-year-old male driver, who was a valid border crossing card holder, had his tractor-trailer flagged for further examination, during which scanning technology detected irregularities, according to CBP. More CBP officers and a narcotics detection canine were brought in and discovered 119 packages concealed within the shipment of charcoal, which were identified as methamphetamine. Officers seized the narcotics, as well as the truck and trailer. "This finding represents a significant interception showcasing our officers' dedication to ensuring border security," said Rosa Hernandez, port director for the Otay Mesa Ports of Entry. "Our devoted team is focused on safeguarding our communities from harmful drugs, utilizing new and innovative technology to support our comprehensive enforcement strategies." Thursday's seizure was the result of Operation Apollo, a stepped-up effort that launched last October in southern California and this month in Arizona, to stop drugs from crossing into the United States. CBP says the operation relies on partnerships between agents and state, local, tribal and territorial partners to stop drug trafficking. On Friday, Operation Apollo helped CBP officers seize 50 pounds of methamphetamine found in an ice chest full of fish as it was crossing into southern California. "Drug traffickers will go to great lengths in an attempt to deceive our officers," Roque Caza, Calexico Area Port director said last week. "I'm proud of our highly trained officers working diligently every day to combat these dangerous drugs that have claimed so many lives." Ramzan Kadyrov aimed to show that he was in great condition Chechnyas strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov has shared a workout video in response to claims that he is suffering from a life-threatening health condition. A report citing medical sources by Novaya Gazeta Europe, a Russian opposition media outlet, said Mr Kadyrov, 47, had developed severe kidney failure and fluid build-up in his lungs. The Chechen warlord was diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis in 2019 and treated at the presidential hospital in Moscow, sources said. In an apparent attempt to quash the report, an ally of Mr Kadyrov shared a video of him pumping iron in a gym. He was shown lifting weights from seven to 14kg as he worked out alongside other men. The lyrics to music playing in the background say God willing, youll live forever. A busy day ended with exercise and positivity, a message shared alongside the video said. Remember that taking care of your health is an investment in your future. It is unclear when the footage was filmed but it was shared online at 2am on Friday. He was seen lifting weights from seven to 14kg On Monday, Mr Kadyrovs official Telegram channel shared footage of him meeting officials in Grozny, the Chechen capital. He appeared skinnier than usual and his voice slurred as he briefed them on the war in Ukraine. A worker at Moscows Central Clinic Hospital, known to treat senior Russian officials, told Novaya Gazeta Europe that an MRI scan in November 2023 had revealed Mr Kadyrov was suffering from a new, unknown condition. A second source, described as close to a prominent Chechen MP, said: The leader as we knew him will be gone; [the new] illness will have a serious effect on him. Even if he recovers right now, hell no longer be alive or dead. Speculation over the warlords health was further fuelled in February 2024 when he failed to attend Vladimir Putins state of the nation address in Moscow. Mr Kadyrov has described himself as a foot soldier to the Russian leader and named Groznys main street in honour of the man who propelled him to power in Chechnya. He became leader after his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed during a terrorist attack in Grozny in 2004. Opposition critics say that Mr Kadyrovs position has been propped up by Putin in exchange for his loyalty to the Kremlin after two brutal wars for independence since the collapse of the Soviet Union. 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. After nearly three years of being open in St. Petersburg, Nordic- and Asian-inspired restaurant Lingr announced on Instagram that it is closing. Its last service at 400 Sixth St. S. will be Saturday, April 27. A news release said that owner and chef Jeffrey Jew is closing the restaurant in order to focus on his mothers health challenges. I have made the difficult decision to close, Jew said in the release. During illness and family emergencies, I have always counseled my employees that their health and family are more important than Lingr. Now, I am in the position that I must take my own advice and spend time with my mother as we navigate her Lewy body dementia. Jew is a former contestant on Bravos Top Chef and winner of Food Networks Guys Grocery Games. Before opening Lingr, Jew ran the kitchens at St. Petersburg restaurants BellaBrava and Stillwaters Tavern. He also spent time working in Europe and Washington, D.C. Just before Lingr opened in 2021, Jew told the Tampa Bay Times that after COVID-19 exposed staffing shortfalls, he restructured the staffing plan and human resources approach in the hopes of creating a healthier work environment for his employees. The coronavirus kind of exposed this industry and continues to do so, he said. I thought, its time to change and to do something different. Employee quality of life is very important to me. The cuisine at Lingr is reflective of Jews ancestry his father is Chinese and his mother is Norwegian. Times food and dining critic Helen Freund wrote in 2021 that the dish of salt and pepper fish cakes, made with Faroe Island salmon, white pepper and Sichuan peppercorns and served in a mustard sauce, perfectly encapsulates the ethos of Lingr. Freund also enjoyed Lingrs sharable plates, dessert and the beverage program. We have made so many memories here at Lingr, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have had, Jew said. If you would like to donate to a cause close to us, consider giving to the Alzheimers Association at https://act.alz.org. Jew said he looks forward to maintaining ties with the community. Our success is a testament to our amazing employees and fabulous customers, he said. To make a reservation for the last week, visit lingrrestaurant.com. For many Jews, the first Passover since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack holds special significance. Carol Cohen visited Chicago from London for the holiday. I feel guilty being here, all dressed up with these lovely people, were going to have a wonderful evening, and our brethren, the hostages, God knows whats happening to them, Cohen said. And I feel as a Jew, as a proud Jew I just feel that I should be here, we have to embrace every holiday otherwise theyve won. Cohen was among the dozens of practicing Jews to observe the first night of Passover Monday evening at a Seder at a hotel in the Gold Coast neighborhood, celebrated by Rabbi Meir Chai Benhiyoun of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in downtown Chicago. Armed security was present at the door. Passover commemorates ancient Israelites exodus from slavery in Egypt. Observant Jews will gather with family and friends at the Seder to recount the Moses-led escape from captivity. Some avoid eating grains, known as chametz, in remembrance of their ancestors who fled Egypt with no time to wait for bread to rise. More than 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead. In the months since, Israeli Defense Forces have carried out strikes targeting Hamas, killing more than 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Meanwhile, concerns over anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have surged in Jewish and Muslim communities across the United States. Eva, a 14-year-old girl from Oak Park, attended Mondays Seder with her mother. She shared with the Tribune that shes faced harassment at school in the months since the Oct. 7 attack. Its very hard to be my age during this. Its very divided. A lot of people want to tell me what to think because of my age, and (I) dont know what Im talking about, said Eva, whose mother declined to share their family surname. Theyd rather have Hamas in this world than have Jews, and thats really hard. Chicago police on Monday released video footage of a person wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of CPD Officer Luis Huesca in Gage Park last weekend. The footage, apparently from convenience store security cameras, depicts a Black male wearing glasses and carrying a backpack. Police said the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. Just before 3 a.m. Sunday, Chicago police responded to a gunshot detection alert in the 5500 block of South Kedzie Avenue and discovered Huesca, a 30-year-old with the CPD for six years, with multiple gunshot wounds in the 3100 block of West 56th Street. He was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center. His vehicle was stolen at the scene, police said. Huesca was a member of the Calumet District (5th) priority response team. He was off-duty but in uniform when he was shot. Huesca is the third Chicago police officer to be shot and the first fatally this year. On Jan. 8, a veteran police officer was shot in the leg during an exchange of gunfire with a burglary suspect in the Gold Coast neighborhood. On March 21, an officer was shot by Dexter Reed, who was killed during a traffic stop in Humboldt Park. Johnson laments officers shooting death, says policing alone wont solve Chicagos gun violence Chicago Woman Convicted of Killing and Dismembering Landlord After She Served Eviction Notice Sandra Kolalou was found guilty of the 2022 first-degree murder of Frances Walker Fran Walker/Facebook; CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT Frances Walker, left, and Sandra Kolalu A Chicago woman who killed her landlord before dismembering her body in 2022 was convicted of first-degree murder. Sandra Kolalou was convicted of murder and multiple other charges, including dismembering a body, on Monday, April 22, following a six-day trial, according to reports from ABC 7, NBC 5 and the Chicago Sun-Times. Kolalou was initially arrested in October 2022 after the discovery of the head and limbs of her landlord, Frances Walker, in the freezer in a home they shared in the neighborhood of Arcadia Terrace, the outlets reported. Prosecutors had previously said Kolalou killed Walker after a fight, which was preceded by Walker serving her with an eviction notice, the outlets reported. Other tenants of the home told authorities that the two had gotten in an argument days before the murder, according to the reports. Related: Landlord Is Allegedly Murdered, Dismembered by Tenant After She Served Eviction Notice Tenants of the home also told authorities that they found traces of blood in Kolalous room and followed her to a beach, the paper reported. At the beach, tenants said they saw Kolalou tossing plastic bags into the water. The Sun-Times reported that Kolalou claimed during the trial that she had been framed, with attorneys attempting to place the blame on Walkers husband. While prosecutors argued that Kolalous DNA was found on the evidence, a defense expert testified that unknown DNA was also found, according to the Sun-Times and NBC. 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. Following the verdict, Walkers family spoke to the local media. We miss Fran a lot, sister-in-law Maggie Walker said, according to NBC. She was a person that nobody could ever say anything bad at all. According to her obituary, Walker, 69, played the piano and organ, receiving an M.F.A. in piano playing from Northwestern University. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The controversial Chick-fil-A has received land-use approval to build a fast-food restaurant with dual drive-through in west Olympia, the city announced Tuesday. The business, known for its chicken sandwiches, intends to build at 2930 Capital Mall Drive, which is near the corner of Cooper Point Road Southwest and Capital Mall Drive. The companys plans displaced a Japanese steak house, which recently relocated and reopened near its former site. As part of the land-use approval process, Chick-fil-A has to meet a list of development-related conditions, according to the city. Some of those conditions: The site shall have a minimum of 50 parking stalls, three long-term bicycle parking stalls and five short-term bicycle stalls. All landscaping areas shall be planted to achieve 80% plant density within three years of planting. Additional plantings may be necessary upon inspection by the city. Lane reconfiguration at the Cooper Point Road and the Capital Mall access road is required. The Capital Mall access road shall be revised (re-striped) to exclusive right and left turn exit lanes to Cooper Point Road, with a single entry lane onto the Capital Mall access road. Once the store opens, it will give Chick-fil-A locations in Olympia and Lacey. Both stores have generated controversy locally because some residents have accused the business or its officials of taking stances in opposition to LGBTQ rights. Residents became alarmed when Chick-fil-A sponsored a city of Lacey event known as Childrens Day, which prompted a city review of its sponsorship policy. And a public information meeting for the Olympia site became contentious when one man finally raised both middle fingers to city officials. The citys land-use decision can be appealed. Any appeal must be submitted in writing to the Community Planning and Development Department on forms provided by the department within 14 days of the date of the decision being appealed. If an appeal is filed, no permits will be issued until the administrative appeal is resolved, the city information reads. However, it is not an inexpensive process. The filing fee for appeals to the Hearings Examiner is $1,365, according to the city. The deadline to file an appeal is May 7. Japanese steakhouse reopens, Italian restaurant renovates, and whats up at the former Izzys? Lacey City Council approves amended sponsorship policy in wake of Chick-fil-A outcry Olympia Chick-fil-A meeting ends early after city limits comments to focus only on project A police car drives onto the grounds of the Federal Court of Justice. The German Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has arrested three Germans on suspicion of spying for China. The two men and one woman are alleged to have obtained information about military technology in Germany in order to pass it on to the Chinese secret service, according to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. Rene Priebe/dpa China has rejected allegations that it has been carrying out spying operations in Germany, describing the claims as slanderous. "The intention behind this hype is quite obvious, namely to slander and suppress China and undermine the atmosphere of cooperation between China and Europe," said a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Tuesday. China has always adhered to the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, the spokesman said. Germany's "Cold War mentality" must be overcome, he said, adding that emphasizing so-called espionage risks should not be misused for political operations against China. The remarks follow the arrest of an employee of the German European Parliament lawmaker Maximilian Krah on suspicion of spying for China, according to security circles. Federal prosecutors reported on the arrest in Dresden without naming Krah, who is from the far-right AfD. According to prosecutors, the arrested man is said to have passed on information from the European Parliament. Krah was initially unavailable for comment, however the MEP told the Bild newspaper at Strasbourg airport that he only saw all of this on his mobile phone when he landed. As far as he knew, his colleague had only maintained "contacts with official Chinese offices in the embassy." In a sepaerate incident, three suspected spies who were allegedly working for China were arrested on Monday in Germany. The Chinese embassy in Berlin called on Germany to "stop exploiting the accusation of espionage to politically manipulate the image of China and defame China," China's official news agency Xinhua reported on Monday night. A police car drives onto the grounds of the Federal Court of Justice. The German Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has arrested three Germans on suspicion of spying for China. The two men and one woman are alleged to have obtained information about military technology in Germany in order to pass it on to the Chinese secret service, according to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. Rene Priebe/dpa CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand China has disbanded and replaced its Strategic Support Force, a pivotal component of the Peoples Liberation Armys modernization efforts. The Strategic Support Force, or SSF, was created on Dec. 31, 2015. It existed for a little more than eight years. After China dissolved the SSF on April 19, it established an Information Support Force, with President Xi Jinping present at its investiture ceremony in Beijing the same day. Its first commander is Lt. Gen. Bi Yi, a former deputy commander of the SSF. The Information Support Force is directly subordinate to the Central Military Commission, the top political party organ that oversees Chinas armed forces. Senior Col. Wu Qian, a Defense Ministry spokesperson, said the change is part of building a strong military, and a strategic step to establish a new system of services and arms and improve the modern military force structure. He added that the Information Support Force underpins coordinated development and application of network information systems. This suggests it is responsible for command and control, information security, and intelligence dissemination. He also said the move would have profound and far-reaching significance on PLA modernization. However, Brendan Mulvaney, the director of the U.S. Air Forces China Aerospace Studies Institute, told Defense News its unlikely to be as big of a shift as the 2015-2016 reforms, which overhauled the PLA. The military considers the information domain as important as the four traditional air, land, sea and space domains. The PLA now has three nascent arms the Information Support Force, Cyberspace Force and Aerospace Force. It appears the latter two were existing SSF departments that China renamed. After the shakeup, the PLAs new organization features four services and four arms: the existing PLA Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force services, while the three previously mentioned arms sit alongside a fourth, the incumbent Joint Logistics Support Force. The Cyberspace Force will subsume the responsibilities of the SSFs former Network Systems Department, whose mandate was offensive and defensive cyber operations. Indeed, the Defense Ministry described the Cyberspace Forces role as reinforcing national cyber border defense, promptly detecting and countering network intrusions and maintaining national cyber sovereignty and information security. The Aerospace Force will take on the charge of the SSFs Space Systems Department, meaning it will supervise space operations and space launches. Wu said the force will strengthen the capacity to safely enter, exit and openly use space. The ministry said that as circumstances and tasks evolve, we will continue to refine the modern military force structure. Xi has repeatedly urged the PLA to do two things: modernize its readiness structure for high-tech combat, and to loyally follow party diktats. He has now ordered the Information Support Force to resolutely obey the partys command and make sure it stays absolutely loyal, pure and reliable. MOSCOW, RUSSIA, April 23. I hold great appreciation for Azerbaijan and the contributions of Heydar Aliyev, a veteran of the railroad industry and a worker of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), Akhit Gishlakayev told reporters in Moscow, Trend reports. "When we arrived at BAM in 1974, your compatriots, the Azerbaijani detachment named after the 17th Komsomol Congress, traveled together with us in the carriage. We lived very amicably at that time. Heydar Aliyev always paid great attention to the issues arising among BAM workers. We are very grateful to him for this," he emphasized. To note, on April 22, a joint meeting of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin with veterans and employees of the railway industry took place in Moscow on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The BAM is a landmark project for both Russia and Azerbaijan. The success of building this one of the longest railway lines in the world is directly linked to the name of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev. As the First Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, Heydar Aliyev became the first leader to make the decision to familiarize himself with the progress of construction directly on site. It was his 10-day trip along the BAM that became a turning point in the construction of the mainline. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel China-US relations stable despite US 'interference', Chinese official says BEIJING (Reuters) - Relations between Beijing and Washington are stabilising despite U.S. actions that harm Chinese interests, a Chinese foreign ministry official has said ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In laying out goals for the visit, the unnamed official, described as director-general of the foreign ministry's department of North American and Oceanian affairs, said relations should stabilise and advance on a sustainable path. But he said Chinese interests and its "bottom line" must be safeguarded, the state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. "The United States stubbornly promotes the strategy of containing China, continuously adopts erroneous words and actions that interfere in China's internal affairs, smear China's image, and harm China's interests," the official was quoted as saying. During Blinken's visit, China will focus on strengthening understanding and dialogue, managing differences and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and shared responsibilities, the official added. The trip will be Blinken's first to China since June, when the United States was trying to restore high-level engagements after "spy balloon" incidents, and increased tensions around Taiwan were souring relations. Since then, friction has eased, but Blinken is expected to raise a number of concerns related to the South China Sea, the Russia-Ukraine war and the crisis in the Middle East, among others. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden recently held talks that touched on hot-button issues, most notably ongoing confrontations in the South China Sea, and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Xi had said ties between the China and the U.S. were beginning to stabilize, but that they could "slide into conflict or confrontation", according to Xinhua. (Reporting by Liz Lee; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Kevin Liffey) In January last year, the Church Commissioners, who run the Church of Englands investments, published a report into one of their main predecessors, Queen Annes Bounty. The report said the Bounty had invested the rough equivalent of 440 million today in the slave trade, via the South Sea Company, between 1720 and 1740. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said, I am deeply sorry for these links. In atonement, the Commissioners committed 100 million to a nine-year programme of impact investment, research and engagement. This decision was not universally acclaimed by ordinary Anglicans. Parishes are getting poorer. Many felt that any sums available should be spent on Christian ministry today rather than righting wrongs committed 300 years ago. The top brass prevailed over the poor bloody infantry, however. The 100 million programme is going ahead. Money is also being spent on recruiting racial justice officers [see my columns of March 5 and 19] to preach to the heathen, better known as the man or woman in every pew in England, about deconstructing whiteness. The reports foreword spoke of the modern-day Churchs commitment to truth-telling to attain Sankofa, a Ghanaian word meaning looking back to move forward to a better future. But is the history contained in the report true? In a recent article in the Church Times, Prof Richard Dale, a business historian of the famous South Sea Bubble of 1720, suggests it is not. I telephoned him to find out more. Prof Dale notes that the Commissioners report was not peer-reviewed before publication, a process which proper academic articles must undergo. He praises the diligence of the reports research, carried out by the accountants Grant Thornton, on details of the Bountys investments, but raises the absence from its work of a different, crucial dimension which peer reviewers would have noticed. This is the fact that, in 1723 three years after the South Sea Bubble had burst Parliament passed a statute splitting the South Sea Company in two. One was the trading company. The other was the company which sold what was in effect government debt, paying interest on annuities. The Commissioners report says that anyone investing in the Company before 1740 was consciously investing in these [slave-trading] voyages. Prof Dale says the opposite was the case. Those buying the annuities were consciously not investing in slavery. The statutes purpose was to make this possible by what is now called ring-fencing, preventing any financial or legal relationship between the trading and the annuities. This was done, it seems, because the trading (of which slaves formed a big part, but not the whole) was high-risk. The smash of 1720 had showed how toxic the mixture of government debt with high risk could be. After the Act, Queen Annes Bounty put all its money into the annuities just the sort of lower but safer return you would expect a sober ecclesiastical organisation to seek. Once the split had taken place, it bought no shares in anything connected with slavery. Between 1720 and 1723, it is true, the Bounty did invest 14,000 (about 2.4 million today) in the unsplit company and so, for a time, could have profited from slavery. As it happened, however, it did not. When Parliament divided the South Sea Company in 1723, it split the Bountys shares equally, too. The Bounty sold off its trading company shares quite quickly but retained and greatly expanded its annuities. Discreditably, the Bountys managers in 1720 appear to have felt no moral qualms about the slave trade. Subsequently, however, they did not further invest in it or make money out of it. The Commissioners report also argues that the Bounty received tainted money, because benefactors supporting its main purpose help for poor clergy were often rich from slavery. This is presumably true, but it is separate from and secondary to the reports main charge. I do not think Prof Dales objections are quibbles. If correct, the Churchs 440 million claim used to justify its 100 million expenditure today is wildly wrong and Queen Annes Bounty is not guilty as charged. The Church Commissioners did not ensure the full, truthful research necessary. The report says, a significant portion of the Bountys income was derived from sources that may be linked to transatlantic chattel slavery, principally interest and dividends on South Sea Company annuities. That word linked is weaselly. The annuities were not meaningfully linked to slavery and the Commissioners were in a position to know that. So what is left of their chief accusation? This is not the first time a Church attempt to repudiate its past has led it to be unfair. In recent years, the hierarchy posthumously accused Bishop George Bell of Chichester of child abuse. After repeated denials, they finally admitted their claims were baseless, and had been made without proper process. The claim the hierarchy now makes about Queen Annes Bounty seems similarly unfair, and motivated, as was the Bell case, more by a desire to look good than by a zeal for truth. You might call it moral Bounty-hunting. Besides, 100 million is an awful lot to splash out on a false premise, especially when the real needs of clergy and their flocks are so great. So far, no bishops or archbishops have commented publicly on Prof Dales work. Until they do, a significant cloud hangs over the Church Commissioners report. 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 House Intelligence Committee found the CIA botched its response to reports of sexual assault and harassment inside the agency, with victims forced to navigate a process marked by confusion and disorder, according to an investigation by lawmakers. Employees who reported sexual assault and harassment saw little to no accountability or punishment for the perpetrators, the committees report said. The process for reporting sexual assault and assessment at the CIA was marked by confusion and disorder, victims were reluctant to come forward as they could not remain anonymous, staff members lacked training to identify cases, and the agency had an inconsistent approach with law enforcement agencies, said the committees bipartisan report, which was released Monday. Over the course of the investigation, the Committee discovered that CIA failed to handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment within its workforce in the professional and uniform manner that such sensitive allegations warrant, it said. The CIA did not dispute the committees findings, which were first reported by Politico. A spokesperson said it has taken a number of steps to improve how it responds to sexual assault complaints and praised a new law that allowed the agency to expand the office handling sexual misconduct cases. We are absolutely committed to fostering a safe, respectful workplace environment for our employees and have taken significant steps to ensure that, both by bolstering our focus on prevention and strengthening the agencys handling of these issues when they arise, the spokesperson said in a statement. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence launched an investigation into the CIAs response to sex-related offenses after a female employee approached lawmakers in January 2023 alleging she had been sexually assaulted and harassed. After she came forward, more than 20 other employees followed, saying they had suffered sexual assaults and harassment. The unnamed employees case led to her CIA colleagues conviction in state court for misdemeanor assault and battery. The CIA later terminated the female employee, who had reported being sexually assaulted in a stairwell at the agency and who accused the CIA of trying to discourage her from filing a criminal complaint. Her lawyer claimed it amounted to unlawful retaliation, but the CIA strongly rejected the allegation. As a result of the reports of sexual assault and harassment, lawmakers passed legislation last year designed to fix gaps in how the CIA handles sexual assault cases, requiring it to set up a standard sexual misconduct investigation procedure and annual reports to Congress. Kevin Carroll, the lawyer for the unnamed employee, said that the House committees report was excellent and that it vindicated his client and other female employees who raised concerns over the issue. This investigative report and the legislation it spurred have their origin in the bravery of a young female trainee with the integrity to speak truth to power at the cost of her own CIA career to try and prevent other agency women from suffering as she did, Carroll said. The Republican chair of the committee, Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, and the ranking Democrat, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, said in a joint statement that they would keep up efforts to track how the agency handles sexual misconduct. For more than a year, the House Intelligence Committee has investigated the responsiveness of the Central Intelligence Agency to personnel who have survived sexual assault and sexual harassment. We heard directly from whistleblowers who courageously shared their stories in order to push for change and accountability, the two lawmakers said. Our Committee has put in place significant legislative reforms to address failures, and we will continue to monitor progress to ensure there is no slippage in the Agencys commitment to addressing sexual assault and harassment, Turner and Himes said. The CIAs Office of Inspector General also is conducting a special review of the issue. The House committees report was based on interviews with 26 whistleblowers, 15 briefings from CIA officials and a review of 4,000 pages of CIA documents, according to the committee. The report said the committee also benefited from cooperation by the CIA, which it said has shown an eagerness to effectively prevent and respond to sexual assault and harassment instances. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Cigarette butt in dead mans car leads to accused killer 35 years later, Florida cops say A man beat another man to death with an ashtray and stole his car in Florida in 1988, authorities said. A cigarette butt found in the dead mans car led to his accused killer more than three decades later. The case has now been closed, the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office said in an April 22 news release. Obvious victim of murder The evening of Nov. 26, 1988, 58-year-old Robert Hecht introduced his friends to a man named Ray, deputies said. Ray had a southern accent and told people he had a 14-year-old daughter, but Hechts friends and acquaintances had never seen him before, they told authorities. Hecht and Ray were last seen at a Punta Gorda bar before they headed back to Hechts house, deputies said. That was the last time he was seen. The next morning, Hecht missed his weekly phone call with his sister who lived out of state, and ultimately police were called to conduct a welfare check, deputies said in a news release. He was the obvious victim of murder, according to investigators. The crime scene investigation revealed Robert had been struck in the head several times with a heavy glass ashtray while in a prone position on the living room couch, deputies said. And his new Lincoln car was gone, but it reappeared two days later in Lenoir, North Carolina, deputies said, roughly a 730-mile drive from Charlotte County. Inside the car, they found a clue that would eventually lead to Rays identity: a cigarette butt. Those who knew Hecht told investigators he didnt allow people to smoke in his car. This led them to believe the person responsible for Hechts death dropped the cigarette butt in his car after he died, deputies said. They found another cigarette butt in Hechts home that investigators believe fell from the ashtray as he was being beaten. But detectives couldnt identify Ray, and the case went cold. DNA advances In September 2021, detectives reopened the case. Advances in DNA technology allowed scientists to determine that DNA on the cigarettes in the home and the car belonged to the same person, investigators said. No matches came up in a DNA database, but investigators searched for possible relatives using genealogical examinations, and they found a family in Tennessee. Witnesses who met Ray said he told them he lived in Tennessee and Kentucky, according to detectives. Through the process of elimination, interviews and direct comparisons to family members (including the biological daughter who was fourteen years old at the time of this murder), the source of the cigarette butts DNA was identified as Kenneth Ray Miller, deputies said. Miller would have been 36 at the time of Hechts death. Detectives showed photos of Miller to the witnesses from that night in 1988, and they said it was the same man who was with Hecht. Investigators learned Miller died in 2007 of natural causes, so they closed the case. The technological advancements in the field today are critical to breaking these cases, but it still takes good old-fashioned detective work and a passion to connect those pieces, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said. Charlotte County is in southwest Florida, about a 25-mile drive north from downtown Fort Myers. Body found in ravine identified 35 years later, CA officials say. Family now sought 11-year-old found baby frozen to death in woods in 2003, cops say. Now mom sentenced Man charged 25 years after woman strangled to death behind middle school, officials say Distinct tattoos could help identify man found dead in 1985, California cops say When a Maryland woman noticed a clerk had mistyped the numbers on her Powerball ticket, she told the worker not to worry shed take the ticket anyway. It turned out to be the right call, the Maryland Lottery said in an April 22 news release. The ticket with the mistake won $100,000 thanks to the Power Play in the April 10 Powerball drawing. But it wasnt the Gaithersburg womans only big win that night. Another ticket also won $50,000 with a Power Play, doubling the prize to $100,000. I scanned my winners about 10 to 12 times because I really couldnt believe I had won that much money, she told lottery officials. I felt my body shaking, I dropped to my knees and thanked God. The woman said she had actually forgotten about the tickets, purchased at a grocery store and a liquor store, until her daughter reminded her to check the winning numbers a few days later. I guess I am a lucky woman, my mother used to tell me that, the winner said. It finally feels like it today. The woman told lottery officials she plans to invest or save her winnings and told only her daughter and mother about the prizes. The next Powerball drawing on Wednesday, April 24, will have an estimated $129 million jackpot, according to the national Powerball site. What to know about Powerball To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball. The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338. Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state. Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online. Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website. Son gifts his mom a Powerball ticket and she wins big. You are kidding, right? Kentucky man takes his mind off loss with lottery ticket purchase and wins grand prize Lottery player wins life-changing prize then proposes to girlfriend. A blessing Cleveland will pay $4.8 million to family of bystander teen killed in high-speed police chase The city of Cleveland, Ohio, will pay $4.8 million to the family of a 13-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a car fleeing police, a spokesperson for the city and an attorney for the girls family told CNN. Tamia Chappman was walking on a sidewalk with a group of friends in December 2019 when she was hit by a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase with officers from the Cleveland Police Department, a complaint states. The police pursuit followed the armed carjacking of a 72-year-old woman outside a grocery store, according to a statement from the city. They were arrested, later convicted of crimes related to both incidents, and are currently serving decades-long prison sentences, the statement said. The criminals were quickly identified and cowardly chose to flee from police leading to the tragic death of an innocent 13-year-old girl, Cleveland spokesperson Sarah Johnson said in the statement. In 2020, Chappmans family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against 22 Cleveland officers, calling the pursuit egregiously reckless and unnecessary. Police officers work at the site of the crash in which Tamia Chappman was killed. - WEWS Claims dismissed this week The Chappman family and the city of Cleveland on Monday mutually (dismissed) all claims against each other with prejudice, court records show. We felt that resolving this case at this point would be best for the family, attorney Stanley Jackson said during a Monday news conference following the dismissal of that case. Jackson said $4.8 million is the largest police-pursuit settlement in Ohio history. We believe that shows, that Tamias life mattered and will change how Cleveland, and other area police departments, go about their business as it relates to the value of life and property, he said. The decision to settle the case was an extremely difficult one, Johnson said. On one hand, you have police officers who were trying to do their job to remove violent armed individuals from the streets so they couldnt victimize more people and commit additional violent crimes. On the other hand, a 13-year-old girl was tragically killed leaving her family, friends, and entire community in heartbreak. Tamias mother, Sherrie Chappman, said the settlement does not bring her closure. Ill never get my daughter back, she said during Mondays news conference. But I feel OK about it, and I just really want the police to stop the chases. The Cleveland Police Department did not issue a separate statement. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Cobb Co. police investigating serious injury crash in Acworth Cobb County police are investigating a serious injury crash on Cobb Parkway near Ivey Lane. On Monday evening, a large police presence surrounded the crash scene. Acworth police responded to the crash but turned the investigation over to the Cobb Police Selective Traffic Enforcement Program unit (STEP). [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] That unit is responsible for investigating all fatal crashes and enforcement of traffic laws in areas with elevated amounts of crashes. Police have not yet commented on the extent of the drivers injuries. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Editors Note: This story has been updated to correct when the Carters were last seen. BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) A West Virginia man indicted for the murder of a 10-year-old girl missing since 2000 died Monday, according to authorities. That same day, West Virginia State Police say remains believed to belong to the girl and her mother were found at the mans home. Natasha Alex Carter, 10, and mother Susan Carter were last seen in August 2000. According to the FBI, Susan and Alexs father were in a contentious custody battle over their daughter. Susan allegedly told him he would never see his daughter again. Alexs grandmother also told investigators that she believed the 10-year-old feared her mother and did not want to live with her. Father of Alex Carter speaks after murder indictment is announced in the case At the time of their disappearance, the FBI noted Susan may have been using the last name Webb, while Nexstars WTRF reports the pair may have been living at the home of Larry Webb. We were married. I think, Webb told WVNS in August 2023, adding that he recalled being romantically involved with Susan when she and her daughter disappeared. He noted, however, that he could not remember the day the pair vanished. His caretaker at the time cautioned that Webbs memory was failing because of dementia. Larry Webb speaks with Nexstars WVNS in August 2023 after authorities served search warrants at his home in Beckley, West Virginia, in connection with the 2000 disappearance of a woman and her daughter. (WVNS) The caretaker also told WVNS that investigators had collected a portion of a bedroom wall and tile from the basement floor in Webbs home while executing search warrants. In recent years, investigators launched new efforts to solve the case. After reportedly recovering additional evidence, police executed search warrants at Webbs home in 2022 and 2023. Then, in October, Webb was indicted for Alexs murder. He wasnt taken into custody until earlier this month following an extremely difficult and long battle, Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield told WVNS. In the days leading up to his arrest, state police, the FBI, and U.S. Marshalls had been excavating his backyard, Nexstars WVNS reported. Then, on Monday, authorities confirmed that investigators discovered what are believed to be human remains presently believed to be those of Alex and Susan. Earlier in the day, police said Webb suffered a medical episode while incarcerated and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. He was 84. Neighbors react to FBI, U.S. Marshals excavation of backyard in search for Alex Carter According to Hatfield, Webb is believed to have killed Susan Carter in a violent domestic situation after he allegedly noticed the finances were out of order. After shooting and killing Susan, Webb allegedly killed her daughter. Webb reportedly told detectives he had immediately stored the bodies in his basement before burying them both in a shallow grave on his property. Authorities say he provided that location to them. Additional details were not immediately available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A potential buyer tries out a gun that is displayed on an exhibitor's table during the Nation's Gun Show on Nov. 18, 2016, at Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) The Colorado House of Representatives passed three firearm-related bills over the weekend, including what would be a first-in-the-nation requirement for gun owners to carry liability insurance. The trio is part of a handful of gun bills making their way through the Democrat-controlled Legislature that would place additional requirements on firearm owners in the state. The bills will now head to the Senate, which has until May 8 to vote on them before the end of session. Only a few gun-related bills have cleared both chambers so far, including one to strengthen concealed carry permit requirements and one to require safe gun storage in cars. A proposed ban on assault weapons passed the House and has been introduced in the Senate, but it is awaiting a hearing with the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. House Bill 24-1270 would require gun owners to maintain a liability insurance policy for damages that result from an accidental discharge. That coverage could be wrapped up into renters and homeowners insurance. It passed on a narrow 33-29 vote, with 12 Democrats joining Republicans against it, including House Speaker Julie McCluskie. Supporters say it would drive more responsible gun ownership and safe storage practices. This bill will largely recreate the existing system for covering swimming pools, a hazard that creates tragically similar threats to public safety and should be treated similarly by the insurance market, bill sponsor Rep. Iman Jodeh, an Aurora Democrat, said. Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Denver Democrat, also sponsored the bill. The insurance would allow a third party to be compensated if they are injured or their property is damaged from an unintentional shooting. No state has required firearm liability insurance, though a few others are considering it this year. On a municipal level, San Jose, California, enacted an insurance ordinance last year, but the city has not been enforcing it or collecting data on compliance. That ordinance withstood a legal challenge last summer. Opponents argued that the bill unfairly singles out firearm owners for an additional insurance commitment for an uncommon occurrence. This bill is about accidents. They occur so infrequently that it doesnt merit its own special category of insurance, Rep. Matt Soper, a Delta Republican, said. House Bill 24-1353 would require firearm dealers to obtain a state license, in addition to the federal license they need to conduct business. It would also mandate background checks for employees and training on current gun regulations and how to spot fraudulent activity. Dealer conduct has a direct bearing on whether guns are diverted to the illegal market or made available to individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or another. Rep. Andrew Boesenecker The duplicative process could allow the state to fill in a gap of infrequent inspections and lax enforcement from the federal government, sponsors said. It would affect about 1,500 firearms dealers, or about 70% of the dealers in the state. The license fee would be $400. Were not proposing anything onerous or out of the scope of what is reasonable to conduct such a business in the state of Colorado, bill sponsor Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat, said, noting that businesses like early learning centers, health care facilities and processing plants have to pay licensing fees and have employees undergo regular training. Fifteen states currently require gun dealers to have a state-issued license, according to the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety. Firearms dealers in our state play a critical role as gatekeepers to those wishing to acquire firearms. Dealer conduct has a direct bearing on whether guns are diverted to the illegal market or made available to individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or another, bill sponsor Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, a Fort Collins Democrat, said. Republicans argued that the bill, in addition to being redundant, ignores the reality that criminals often obtain guns illegally, not through a licensed firearm dealer. They worry that additional licensing fees and requirements could drive businesses out of Colorado. The federal law enforcement has this under control, so we need to let them do that and quit putting more and more hindrances on our business owners, Rep. Ryan Armagost, a Berthoud Republican, said. Next, it could be a county permit or a municipal permit. This isnt going to stop. The bill passed on a 40-21 vote. Finally, the House passed House Bill 24-1349, which would ask voters to approve a new 11% excise tax on firearms dealers, firearms manufacturers, and ammunition vendors beginning in 2025. New taxes have to be approved by voters in Colorado. The majority of the revenue would be used for the states crime victim services fund. Money would also go towards victims and witnesses assistance, mass tragedy response and shooting range safety programs. It was sponsored by Majority Leader Monica Duran of Wheat Ridge and Rep Meg Froelich of Englewood, both Democrats. It passed on a 44-18 vote. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Colorado House approves firearm bills related to liability insurance, dealer licensure appeared first on Colorado Newsline. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The personnel of the Azerbaijani Army's tank units have held competitions according to the training plan for the current year, a source in the Ministry of Defense told Trend. The source noted that during the competition, the physical training of personnel was tested in the units, and standards were adopted for disassembling and assembling standard armored vehicles within the established time limits, as well as for other tasks. The main purpose of the competition is to develop the individual skills of military personnel, including combat skills. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Update: April 23: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis responded to the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association in a letter. Original story The Middle Park Stockgrowers Association said it has been ghosted by Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Parks and Wildlife leadership since sending a letter requesting they authorize the lethal removal of two released wolves responsible for multiple recent cattle kills. April has seen the most confirmed wolf depredations of any month in the state over the past two-plus years with five cattle killed by released wolves in Grand County. A calf was killed and another one injured in Jackson County earlier this month, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife reports. The agency said it was aware of four wolves in the area where the kill took place, including released wolves and a wolf or wolves with known territory in North Park and belonging to the North Park pack. Ranchers in the area are in the midst of calving season. The association represents Grand and Summit counties, where 10 wolves were released by the state in late December as part of its voter-mandated reintroduction program. The association said it didn't hear from the governor or state agencies after sending a letter Thursday, April 18, and it fired off another letter Monday, April 22, once again requesting the "immediate lethal removal for two specific wolves" in Grand County. The letter further stated: "We are deeply concerned by the lack of response to our initial request on April 18th, 2024. The urgency of this situation demands swift and decisive action." Tim Ritschard, president of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, said he had been in contact with the governor's office and Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Parks and Wildlife regarding ranchers' concerns. But since the latest incidents, "I haven't heard boo from those people," he said. "They dont want to listen to us. But we continue to build a group and we will keep the pressure on. We want to work with them, but its going to get ugly, really ugly if we do have another depredation." That group includes the North Park Stockgrowers Association, which represents Jackson County just to the north of Grand County. That association also sent the governor and state agencies a similar letter Monday. There have been two recent confirmed wolf depredations in Jackson County: on April 2, when a calf was killed, and on April 13, when a calf was injured. The Larimer County Stockgrowers Association also joined in the letter-writing campaign Monday. "From wolf selection to post-depredation management, CPW has repeatedly failed the affected producers, community stakeholders and the residents of Colorado by your inability and unwillingness to act in good faith regarding the entire reintroduction process," the letter read in part. The Coloradoan reached out to Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Monday for a response. The agency said it would share its response letter after it is sent to the Middle Park Stockgrowers directly. Shelby Wieman, spokesperson for Polis, said wolf depredations are not a surprise and that state wildlife and agriculture staffs continue to work with Grand County livestock producers and plan to help them employ nonlethal deterrents, including range riders. "Lethal control of wolves when there are only 12 known wolves in the state is premature,'' she told the Coloradoan. "The cornerstones of the wolf reintroduction program are to establish a viable wolf population and to reduce impacts on ranchers. It is widely known that wolves are opportunistic hunters and Colorado voters were fully aware of the diet of wolves and made the decision to reintroduce wolves.'' Rob Edward, president of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund, which spearheaded the campaign to pass the 2020 ballot initiative to reintroduce wolves by the end of 2023, said he feels bad for the ranchers who have faced depredations. He added the key going forward is for ranchers to exhaust nonlethal strategies to deter the wolves. "This (recent depredations) is not completely unexpected and it's not a signal the reintroduction process is going awry; the sky is not falling," he said. "There have been successes with ranchers using nonlethal strategies to deter wolves in North Park. There is change happening and it requires more work, but this is change ranchers can manage and there are multiple mechanisms to help them prepare for wolves." What out-of-state wolf experts believe Colorado should do with depredating wolves Diane Boyd is a Montana-based wolf expert who compiled a report commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation examining 40 years of extensive wolf research from across the country. The report, "Lessons Learned to Inform Colorado Wolf Reintroduction and Management," was done in part to help Colorado wildlife leaders plan and manage wolf reintroduction. She said removal of chronic depredating wolves was part of the mid-1990s wolf reintroduction in the northern Rocky Mountains and Colorado should follow a similar plan, which will help build long-term recovery success. "Removing wolves is part of the process," she said. "If Colorado doesn't understand that, it will be a continuing challenge. And they don't want a Don Gittleson situation on a statewide basis where these ranchers are stuck with no choices. This new situation (released wolves) offers choices." Gittleson has had seven cows confirmed killed in the last two years on his leased ranch north of Walden, according to previous Coloradoan reporting. In December, his request for the state to lethally remove the remaining two North Park pack members due to chronic depredation was denied. The North Park pack was here before the state's reintroduction began. The breeding male of the North Park pack, M2101, is likely to have been involved in 17 of the 21 depredations in the county, according to state wildlife investigation tracking collar identification, reports from ranchers and pack behavior. The state wildlife agency told the Coloradoan the exact number of depredations by wolf 2101 is not known. Carter Niemeyer spent three decades killing wolves for the federal government but most recently has helped ranchers with nonlethal means of dealing with depredating wolves. He is retired in Idaho and served on Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Technical Working Group that helped create the state's wolf recovery plan. He also believes lethal removal should be an option on wolves that continue to depredate, but only after sincere efforts have been made by ranchers to deter wolves with nonlethal measures. The state's wolf recovery plan encourages Colorado ranchers to first use nonlethal strategies to deter wolves but does not require those methods before legally killing a wolf under the federal 10(j) rule. The Middle Park Stockgrowers Association letter said Grand County ranchers have been implementing various nonlethal deterrents. Colorado Parks and Wildlife makes nonlethal tools available to ranchers. "There are not a lot of happy endings when wolves begin chronically killing livestock," Niemeyer said. "That's why they will have to define chronic pretty darn quickly. But to think this wouldn't happen you would have to be pretty naive. You need to start with nonlethal means to dissuade wolves from starting or continuing to kill livestock. "Inevitably, there will be some dead livestock and there will be wolf removals. How you get there is a hard decision." Colorado Parks and Wildlife told the Coloradoan on Monday staff is working on a definition of chronic depredation with the issue most likely scheduled to be heard by the parks and wildlife commission at its June or July meeting. Niemeyer said so many recent wolf depredations in one area of Grand County might mean the wolves have started to den in the area. State wildlife officials said several weeks ago they are unsure if the released wolves, which include females mature enough to breed, will produce a litter this year. "The toughest decision with all of this is what if you have pups in a den right near where those recent depredations took place," he said. One of five gray wolves released in Colorado is shown on Dec. 19, 2023. State wildlife agency unwilling to identify by tracking collars what wolves involved in kills The Coloradoan has repeatedly asked Colorado Parks and Wildlife to identify by collar the wolves involved in all livestock depredations. The agency has confirmed released wolves were involved in all livestock incidents in April in Grand County. But it has refused to provide the tracking collars, saying doing so would result in a safety concern to the animals. "Were not revealing further information because CPW is concerned that if the potentially depredating wolf/wolves is identified this will increase the risk of harm or harassment of the animals," the state wildlife agency said in an email. The Coloradoan's request is to determine if wolves captured in Oregon were involved in recent depredations in that state and similarly involved in depredations in Colorado. That information could confirm or refute a pattern of chronic depredation by those wolves. The Coloradoan identified five of the 10 wolves released into Colorado belonged to Oregon packs that had confirmed livestock depredations between July 2023 and being captured in December 2023, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wolf depredation reports. Prior to the reintroduction, Colorado Parks and Wildlife leadership had publicly said it wouldn't release reintroduced wolves that have depredated livestock. In addition, a state wolf recovery plan says: "No wolf should be translocated that has a known history of chronic depredation, and sourcing from geographic areas with chronic depredation events should not occur." It is largely agreed by wolf experts and affirmed by studies that once wolves learn to kill livestock, they have a propensity to continue the behavior. "I was quite shocked to hear they brought in depredating wolves,'' Niemeyer said. "Those aren't the ones you want to build a reintroduction program on. It's bad optics from public perception.'' Wolves learning to kill livestock can lead to chronic depredation, which Colorado's wolf recovery plan does not define. That lack of definition makes it difficult to lethally remove chronic depredating wolves, which is allowed under Colorado's federal 10(j) rule. Ranchers and state legislators representing livestock producers have pressured the governor and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to define chronic depredation so a decision can be made on the option of lethal removal. The Middle Park Stockgrowers Association's Monday letter said the state of Washington's definition of chronic depredation includes three depredations in 30 days or four depredations in a 10-month rolling window and should serve as a benchmark for Colorado. The association argues the recent depredations exceed that definition with two wolves killing five cattle in three separate incidents over 16 days. As of Monday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed that wolves in the state have accounted for 27 injuries or death to livestock and the animals that herd and guard them. Depredations have injured or killed 21 cattle, three sheep and three working cattle dogs. All but five cattle involved the North Park pack. Those were the most recent Grand County depredations by the released wolves. The state has paid out just less than $40,000 since December 2021 in compensation to ranchers for losses to wolves. That does not take into account the livestock losses this month. Where is Colorado getting wolves from for future releases? The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington will provide Colorado with up to 15 wolves for the reintroduction program between December 2024 and March 2025. Here is a list of confirmed wolf depredations in Colorado and amount paid to the livestock producer Data provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife as of April 22, 2024: 2024 April 18: 1 yearling cattle. Grand County. Compensation pending April 17: 3 yearling cattle. Grand County. Compensation pending April 13: 1 calf. Jackson County. Compensation pending April 8: 1 calf. Jackson County. Compensation pending April 5: 1 calf. Grand County. Compensation pending 2023 Dec. 13: 1 calf, Jackson County. Compensation pending Nov. 17: 3 sheep. Jackson County. $489 March 13: 1 working cattle dog. Jackson County. $15,000 Nov. 19: 1 calf. Jackson County. $1,106.09 2022 Oct. 8: 1 calf. Jackson County. $338.62 Oct. 7: 1 calf. Jackson County. $400 Aug. 1: 1 calf: Jackson County. $3,000 May 30: 1 calf. Jackson County. $3,000 May 2: 1 calf. Jackson County. $2,850 April 22: 1 calf. Jackson County. $779.52 March 15: 2 cattle. Jackson County. $1,230 Jan. 18: 3 cattle. Jackson County. $8,647 Jan. 9: 2 working cattle dogs. Jackson County. $1,252.72 2021 Dec. 9: 1 calf. Jackson County. $1,800 This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado ranchers say state's ignoring asks to kill depredating wolves Colorado ranks near the top among US states with poor air quality DENVER (KDVR) Colorado is beginning to see consistently warm temperatures as the summer months draw near, and that raises concerns about air quality. Colorados mix of increased traffic, industry and wildland fires, and its location against mountains that can trap pollution and heat, creates a heightened risk for air quality problems. How one Colorado town inspired Disneys Main Street U.S.A. The American Lung Association ranks the Denver metro area sixth in the nation for poor air quality. Fort Collins ranked 15th and Colorado Springs 20th. A SmartSurvey.com study ranks Denver ninth in the nation for poor air quality, just below Detroit. It finds the worst air quality in the nation in the San Bernadino, California, area. How VOCs contribute to ozone pollution National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration scientist Dr. Matthew Coggon told FOX31 that volatile organic compounds, or VOCs for short, contribute to poor air quality. You have VOCs that can come from agriculture, from oil and gas, can come from plants. These VOCs mix with our tailpipe emissions and contribute to ozone pollution, he said. NOAA scientists can measure contaminant molecules as small as the number of parts per trillion. The heat during the summer months and longer exposure to sunlight can supercharge the effect of VOCs. We have more sunlight that tends to cook the pollution that we emit as humans, and that drives air quality issues, Coggon said. Denver halts concessions at Buffalo Bills grave Dangerous ozone levels can affect those with respiratory and heart problems. It is almost like an oxidant like bleach, and so its something that you can imagine if you were to breathe in bleach, it would do damage to your lung cells. The same thing with ozone, he said. The Colorado Department Of Public Health and Environment closely monitors air quality and provides alerts to residents. In Weld County, we do see a lot of sources of pollution, but of course, as you move down to Denver, we have traffic here we have a lot of industry, CDPHE meteorologist Scott Landes said. pollution shrouds the skyline of downtown Denver Can I do anything to reduce exposure to pollution? CDPHE and NOAA told FOX31 that even household items like paint, construction and cleaning products and scented personal items can emit VOCs. Keeping products sealed when not in use and following proper disposal guidelines can be helpful when it comes to protecting the environment. Residents are encouraged to carpool and use public transportation when possible to reduce emissions. National Jewish Health told FOX31 that anyone with heart or lung problems or seasonal allergies should stay inside as much as possible during ozone alert days, utilize a HEPA filter and maintain access to their medications. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Police have arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian students as protests against Israels war in Gaza continued across universities over the weekend. At least 25 protesters were arrested as police cleared an encampment at the University of Virginia, the university said in a statement. Dozens of people were arrested for criminal trespass outside the Art Institute of Chicago at a demonstration after the institute called in police to remove protesters. Meanwhile, students carried flags and banners during the University of Michigans commencement ceremony after the NYPD revealed on Friday morning that a police officer with the departments Emergency Service Unit unintentionally fired his gun while trying to access a locked office at Columbia University. The bullet hit a wall inside the office. No one was injured. On Thursday morning, hundreds of police officers dismantled a pro-Palestinian protest camp at the University of California at Los Angeles and arrested more than 130 demonstrators. Live TV footage showed protesters under arrest, kneeling on the ground, their hands bound behind their backs with zip ties. Loud explosions were heard during the clash from flash-bang charges, or stun grenades, fired by police. President Joe Biden also denounced protests that turned violent on college campuses on Thursday. Key Points Pro-Palestinian students protest Michigan graduation ceremony President Joe Biden condemns violent campus protests Police mass near UCLA pro-Palestinian protest camp Columbia student journalists broadcast NYPD college raid to the world from the inside Faculty condemn police activity on Columbias campus Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists arrested in fresh crackdown 05:06 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Police on Saturday arrested at least 25 pro-Palestinian protesters and cleared an encampment at the University of Virginia, the university said in a statement, as US campuses braced for more turmoil during graduation celebrations. Tensions flared at UVAs campus in Charlottesville, where protests had been largely peaceful until Saturday morning, when police officers in riot gear were seen in a video moving on an encampment on the campus lawn, cuffing some demonstrators with zip-ties and using what appeared to be chemical spray. Students across the US have rallied or set up tents at dozens of universities to protest the months-long war in Gaza and call on president Joe Biden, who has supported Israel, to do more to stop the bloodshed in Gaza. They also demand their schools divest from companies that support Israels government, such as arms suppliers. The University of Virginia said in a news release that protesters had violated several university policies including setting up tents on Friday night and using amplified sound. Jim Ryan, UVAs president, wrote in a message that officials had learned that individuals unaffiliated with the university who presented some safety concerns had joined protesters on campus. It wasnt immediately clear how many of those arrested were UVA students. Dozens of people were arrested for criminal trespass outside the Art Institute of Chicago at a demonstration on Saturday after the institute called in police to remove protesters it said were illegally occupying its property, the Chicago Police Department said on X. ICYMI: New School to hold classes online only after on campus protests 04:59 , Graig Graziosi The New School in New York, a private university, said it would hold its classes online following a police crackdown on protesters at the campus. We have been very tolerant of the students right to free speech as long as they did not interfere with the educational mission, Donna Shalala, the schools interim president, said in a statement on Friday. Despite entreaties by the Dean of Students, members of the faculty, and student leaders, the protesters have refused to permit entry, which left the university no choice but to protect the rights of our students to access their residence hall, classrooms, library, and cafeteria. The NYPD arrested 44 students at the New School on Friday morning. NYPD says gunshot at Columbia was accidental discharge 03:00 , Graig Graziosi The NYPD held a press conference to address an errant bullet that was fired while officers were trying to clear protesters off of Columbia Universitys campus on Tuesday. New York Citys Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, Tarik Sheppard, told reporters that the bullet was an accidental discharge and that the department averaged about eight accidental shots each year. Accidental discharges happen every single year and we average about eight a year and we dont get request [for information] on it, he said. If you do ask about it, well talk about it like were doing right now. The officer who fired the shot was said to be an 8-year veteran with an impeccable service record. The officer was reportedly trying to access a locked office to see if anyone was hiding inside and shifted his gun from his dominant hand to his off-hand. Thats when the errant shot fired. No one was injured in the shooting. That officer will face department evaluation, according to the NYPD. The NY District Attorneys office is also investigating. Mr Sheppard said the department has no plans to release bodycam footage, citing department policy to withhold footage showing accidental shots that do not result. The officer who fired the shot was a member of the Emergency Service Unit clearing protesters out of Columbias Hamilton Hall. The errant shot hit a door frame. WATCH: Jewish Dartmouth professor says police threw her to the ground during Gaza protests and that New Hampshire governor is spreading misinformation 01:00 , Graig Graziosi Annelise Orleck, a professor of history at Dartmouth University, said she was thrown to the ground by police during on Thursday night as law enforcement was cracking down on a Gaza protest at the campus. Ms Orleck, who is Jewish, said New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is spreading misinformation by characterising the protests as antisemitic. My message is stop weaponizing antisemitism, she told WMUR. Jewish Dartmouth professor @AnneliseOrleck1 (65) says yeah, I feel unsafe on campus. But not because of my students and their Palestine protests, because of police who body slammed me on the ground and arrested me for protecting kids. And calls out New Hampshire Governor pic.twitter.com/6wFPH55l60 Rafael Shimunov (@rafaelshimunov) May 3, 2024 Mr Sununu called the protests 100 per cent antisemitic during a press briefing on Wednesday, WMUR reports. One hundred percent, this is pure antisemitism, Mr Sununu said. This is pure hatred. It is. And again, they have a right to express that. Im disgusted by it, frankly. Joe Biden said he planned to take executive action aimed at pushing back against a global crackdown on press freedom. Saturday 4 May 2024 23:00 , Graig Graziosi In the coming weeks, I will be taking executive action in response to the global crackdown on press freedom, as exemplified by the wrongful detention of journalists around the world, he said. I will declare this crackdown on press freedom a grave threat to national security and will authorize measures, including sanctions and visa bans, against those who take abusive actions to silence the press. Reporters Without Borders maintains a global press freedom index, and said there was a troubling downward trend for journalistic liberty. RSF sees a worrying decline in support and respect for media autonomy and an increase in pressure from the state or other political actors, Anne Bocande, RSF editorial director, told The Guardian. States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom. This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation. Here are just a few examples of ongoing press freedom issues: In March 2023, Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal was arrested in Russia and charged with spying, an allegation both he and the US government strongly reject. Palestinian journalists who survived the opening days of Israels military actions in Gaza said they they face harassment and intimidation from Israel while doing their jobs, according to NBC News. In the US, Donald Trump, the leader of one of the Republican Party, has long called the press the fake news, the enemy of the people, dishonest, and corrupt. Journalists in Turkey face arbitrary lawsuits, harassment, targeted financial pressure on critical journalists, and online censorship, the RSF reports. Pro-Palestinian students protest Michigan graduation ceremony Saturday 4 May 2024 21:51 , Josh Marcus Students protested the University of Michigans commencement ceremony on Saturday, the latest manifestation of the wave of demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war taking place across the country. Salma Hamamy, center, holds a Flag of Palestine during a Pro-Palestinian protest during the University of Michigan's spring commencement ceremony (Getty Images) The group comprised about 75 people, and featured students wearing grad caps and kaffiyehs. One demonstrator carried a banner reading, No universities left in Gaza, a refence to Israels destruction of every university in the Gaza Strip in the course of the ongoing conflict. Others held Palestinian flags. Colleen Mastony, a university spokesperson, told The Associated Press that public safety personnel escorted the activists to the back of the stadium where the ceremony was taking place. Peaceful protests like this have taken place at U-M commencement ceremonies for decades, she added. No arrests took place, and the demonstration didnt seriously delay the multi-hour ceremony. ICYMI: UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities Saturday 4 May 2024 21:00 , Graig Graziosi UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbias protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator Saturday 4 May 2024 19:00 , Graig Graziosi Before police officers poured into Columbia University on Tuesday night, arresting more than 100 people as they cleared an occupied school building and tent encampment, New York City Mayor Eric Adams received a piece of intelligence he said shifted his thinking about the campus demonstrations over the war in Gaza. Outside agitators working to radicalize our children were leading students into more extreme tactics, the mayor claimed. And one of them, Adams said repeatedly in media appearances Wednesday morning, was a woman whose husband was convicted for terrorism. But the woman referenced by the mayor wasnt on Columbias campus this week, isnt among the protesters who were arrested and has not been accused of any crime. Read more: A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbia's protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator VIDEO: NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters Saturday 4 May 2024 17:00 , Graig Graziosi NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters ICYMI: Human Rights Watch weighs in on response to protests Saturday 4 May 2024 14:00 , Graig Graziosi The Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organisation that advocates for human rights, weighed in on the pro-Palestinian protests popping up across the country. Louis Charbonneau, United Nations Director for the organisation, wrote that colleges must protect students right to protest. There have been troubling reports of antisemitic incidents in and around Columbia Universitys campus, Mr Charbonneau wrote. Allegations of antisemitic acts and speech by individuals, as well as acts of Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, should be investigated and addressed on the merits in a case-by-case basis, through fair and transparent processes. As protests spread to campuses across the country, university administrations should be careful not to mislabel criticism of Israeli government policies or advocacy for Palestinian rights as inherently antisemitic or to misuse university authority to quash peaceful protest, he continued. Instead, universities should safeguard peoples rights to assembly and free expression. ICYMI: Coalition of Columbia faculty call for vote of no confidence in administrators Saturday 4 May 2024 13:00 , Graig Graziosi The Columbia University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors is calling for a vote of no confidence in President Minouche Shafik and her fellow administrators. In a statement, the chapter condemned her decision to call the New York Police Department on protesters who had occupied Hamilton Hall Tuesday night. This decision was made without consultation with the University Senate, in violation of established procedures, by recourse to so-called emergency powers, the chapter said in a Thursday statement. It also flew in the face of efforts by the AAUP and faculty trusted by the student protestors to de-escalate the situation on campus and to serve as observers in negotiationsefforts endorsed by the University Senate chair that continued into the afternoon before the assault. More than 100 people were arrested on Columbias campus Tuesday evening. WATCH: Biden insists 'order must prevail' as police shut down college Gaza protests Saturday 4 May 2024 11:00 , Graig Graziosi Pulitzer Prize board praises student journalist efforts at Columbia Saturday 4 May 2024 09:00 , Graig Graziosi The Pulitzer Prize Board, housed under Columbia University, praised student journalists efforts to cover the protests even while facing risk of arrest. As we gather to consider the nations finest and most courageous journalism, the Pulitzer Prize Board would like to recognize the tireless efforts of student journalists across our nations college campuses, who are covering protests and unrest in the face of great personal and academic risk, the board wrote on Thursday, four days ahead of announcing the 2024 prize winners. We would also like to acknowledge the extraordinary real-time reporting of student journalists at Columbia University, where the Pulitzer Prizes are housed, as the New York Police Department was called onto campus on Tuesday night, they continued. As The Independents Alex Woodward reported, student journalists worked round the clock to capture the historic demonstrations on college campuses across the country. Read more: Columbia student journalists broadcast NYPD college raid to the world from the inside Police clear Portland State University library a second time Saturday 4 May 2024 07:00 , Graig Graziosi Pro-Palestinian protesters broke back into the Portland State University Library on Thursday evening, leading to police again entering and clearing the building. At least seven more people were arrested on Thursday evening, according to KGW. Portland Police added that Portland State Universitys Campus Safety detained one person. We can now confirm that trespassers did pull down the fence and broke back into the library. Police officers moved back into the library and made arrests. Arrests have also been made for people refusing to leave the park block at the library, Portland Police wrote on X. Thirty people had been arrested so far as of Thursday afternoon in connection to the pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of Portland State, according to the Portland Police Bureau. At least seven were PSU students, according to Portland Police. Officer unintentionally fired gun while breaching locked office at Columbia, NYPD says Saturday 4 May 2024 04:59 , Graig Graziosi Stanford sends FBI photo of protester in alleged Hamas-like headband Saturday 4 May 2024 04:00 , Graig Graziosi Stanford University said it sent a photo of a protester in a green headband to the FBI. The school issued an update on the state of the school and the ongoing protests on 30 April, and mentioned that a photo circulating on social media of the protester with the green headband had caused some concern. We have received many expressions of concern about a photo circulating on social media of an individual on White Plaza who appeared to be wearing a green headband similar to those worn by members of Hamas. We find this deeply disturbing, as Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States government, the school said in the statement. We have not been able to identify the individual but have forwarded the photo to the FBI. PHOTOS: Portland students face off with police Saturday 4 May 2024 03:00 , Graig Graziosi Pro-Palestinian students and activists face police officers after protesters were evicted from the library on campus earlier in the day at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon on May 2, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) Portland Police detain a protester who re-occupied the Portland State University Library building with others after it had been cleared and several protesters were detained earlier in the day, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Portland, Oregon, U.S., May 2, 2024 (REUTERS) Portland Police chase protesters who re-occupied the Portland State University Library building after it had been cleared and several protesters detained earlier in the day, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Portland, Oregon, U.S., May 2, 2024 (REUTERS) Nearly 2,200 people have been arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses Saturday 4 May 2024 02:00 , Graig Graziosi Police have arrested nearly 2,200 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, sometimes using riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings. One officer accidentally discharged his gun inside a Columbia University administration building while clearing out protesters camped inside, authorities said. No one was injured by the officers mistake late Tuesday inside Hamilton Hall on the Columbia campus, the NYPD said Thursday. He was trying to use the flashlight attached to his gun at the time and instead fired a single round that struck a frame on the wall. There were other officers but no students in the immediate vicinity, officials said. Body camera footage shows when the officers gun went off, but the district attorneys office is conducting a review, a standard practice. ICYMI: Watch as Lauren Boebert is heckled by students after turning up to college Gaza protest Saturday 4 May 2024 01:00 , Graig Graziosi Biden condemns unrest following Gaza protests after police storm campuses: Violent protest is not protected Saturday 4 May 2024 00:00 , Graig Graziosi President Biden on Thursday condemned the unrest and violence that has disrupted college campuses over the last week while stressing the importance of Americans right to protest peacefully in support of the Palestinian peoples treatment during Israels ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Mr Biden, speaking from the East Room of the White House, said peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues because the US is not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. He said the images of police clashing with protesters put the fundamental American principles of free speech and the rule of law to the test as he pointed out the importance of maintaining the latter to allow the former. The Independents White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg has the story: Biden condemns unrest after Gaza demonstrations: Violent protest is not protected ICYMI: US House passes bipartisan antisemitism bill Friday 3 May 2024 23:00 , Graig Graziosi The US House of Representatives passed an antisemitism bill on Wednesday evening as pro-Palestinian campus protests surge across the country. The bill would create a clear definition of antisemitism if passed by the US Senate and signed by the president. In turn, this bill would then allow the US Department of Education to cut funding to schools found tolerating behaviour that falls under the definition. The bill passed with bipartisan support, 320-91. Free speech advocates, however, oppose the bill. The American Civil Liberties Union argues the bill would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. PEN America, a non-profit that advocates for free expression, also condemned the bill, noting that it would adopt the definition of antisemitism as laid out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). This definition, and its illustrative examples, is overbroad; its enshrinement into law could lead to significant impairment of academic freedom, free speech and legitimate political expression, the organisation wrote this week. Codifying the IHRA definition, which was never intended to be legally binding or otherwise codified into law, is not the right way to attack antisemitic speech and bigotry, the organisation continued. Its vague nature is ill-suited to serve as a legal standard, much less form a basis for punitive action. Representative Michael Lawler, a Republican from New York who sponsored the bill, said enshrining the IHRA definition in law will instead protect Jewish students on college campuses. By requiring the Department of Education to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and its contemporary examples, the Antisemitism Awareness Act gives teeth to federal anti-discrimination laws to go after those who attack their Jewish peers, Mr Lawler said. Politics should never get in the way of the safety of students. The strong bipartisan support for and passage of this legislation will ensure that it wont. The University of Buffalo says ok to protests, but no to an encampment Friday 3 May 2024 22:30 , Graig Graziosi The University of Buffalo said on Friday that it was amenable to hosting Gaza protesters, so long as they follow the schools guidelines and do not occupy buildings or build an encampment. It said in a statement that in addition to staying out of buildings and not camping out, protesters mus not disrupt university operations or activities including classes, events, meetings, and lectures. UB Students for Justice in Palestine, a group planning a demonstration on campus, said it would follow the universitys rules and that it would not camp out overnight. Columbia University to be investigated by US Department of Education over alleged discrimination against Palestinian students and advocates Friday 3 May 2024 22:25 , Graig Graziosi Columbia University is being investigated by the US Department of Education after a civil rights complaint was filed against the school alleging that Palestinian students and their supporters received discriminatory treatment on campus. The civil rights complaint was filed by Palestine Legal, an advocacy group focused on Palestinian rights. The complaint was filed to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights on behalf of four students and the on-campus group Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, ABC News reports. Palestine Legal's complaint focuses on the university's decision to call the NYPD to quash a Gaza protest on campus late Monday and in the overnight hours of Tuesday. It also includes examples of other discriminatory acts against Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and students who advocated for Palestinian rights prior to the protests. Columbia president defends decision to call NYPD on Gaza protesters who she says committed a violent act' Friday 3 May 2024 22:15 , Graig Graziosi Columbia Universitys President Nemat Minouche Shafik defended the schools decision to call in the NYPD to break up Gaza protests on campus. She said on Friday that the school tried to negotiate with student protesters before they crossed a new line during the overnight hours on Tuesday when they occupied Hamiltion Hall. The president said the past two weeks had been the most difficult in the schools history. The university made a sincere and good offer but it was not accepted, she said in a video posted to Instagram. A group of protesters crossed a new line with the occupation of Hamilton Hall. It was a violent act that put our students at risk, as well as putting the protesters at risk. I walked through the building and saw the damage which was distressing. Chicago PD says its in contact with University of Chicago concerning ongoing Gaza protests Friday 3 May 2024 22:00 , Graig Graziosi The Chicago Police Department said it has been in contact with the University of Chicago concerning ongoing Gaza protests on the schools campus. Obviously, we are in communication with leadership in most of these situations, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters during a press briefing. What we dont want to do as a police department is escalate the situation unnecessarily. So we take our time, we assess the situations and if its not necessary for us to go in and attempt to start removing people, then we wont. The citys mayor, Brandon Johnson, said his administration was committed to providing a safe, secure place where the First Amendment can ultimately be protected, and praised the citys police for opting for deescalation over violent crackdowns. CUNY protesters arrested have been charged with felonies, while Columbia students received misdemeanours Friday 3 May 2024 21:50 , Graig Graziosi Discussions have flared up on social media as to why CUNY Gaza protesters who were arrested during a police raid have been charged with felonies, while students arrested at Columbia only received misdemeanour charges. CUNY Public Safety officers arrested 22 people for allegedly occupying a building. They were ultimate charged with 3rd-degree burglary, a Class D felony. Five of the protesters were arrested off campus by the NYPD, and were charged with 2nd-degree assault, another Class D felony. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office said that as the investigation continues, more charges may be brought against the CUNY arrestees. Meanwhile, the 48 students arrested at Columbia were arrested on charges that include 3rd-degree burglary, hate crime burglary, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment. However, while they were arrested on those charges, the students reportedly were not actually charged with those crimes, City and State New York reports. Instead, they were arraigned on criminal trespassing charges, which is a Class B misdemeanour. It is unclear why the CUNY students were charged differently from the Columbia students, especially considering they were initially arrested on charges similar to those brought against the CUNY students. Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary says college protesters are screwed Friday 3 May 2024 21:30 , Graig Graziosi Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary has warned that students who have taken part in pro-Palestine protests recently may be screwed when they are applying for jobs in the future. Mr OLearys remarks came amid a wave of protests across campuses in the US over Joe Bidens Israel policy, which have seen hundreds of people arrested. The protests began at Columbia University, where protesters were demanding that their university divest from companies with ties to Israel, and have since spread to other campuses including NYU and UCLA, after more than 100 people, including students, were arrested for trespassing at Columbia, with the university also suspending some students for taking part in the protests. READ MORE: Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary says college protesters are screwed Troops fired on Kent State students in 1970. Survivors see echoes in today's campus protest movement Friday 3 May 2024 21:00 , Graig Graziosi Dean Kahler flung himself to the ground and covered his head when the bullets started flying. The Ohio National Guard had opened fire on unarmed war protesters at Kent State University, and Kahler, a freshman, was among them. M1 rifle rounds hit the ground all around him. And then I got hit, Kahler recalled, more than 50 years later. It felt like a bee sting. But it was far worse than that a bullet had gone through his lung, shattered three vertebrae and damaged his spinal cord. He was paralyzed. Four Kent State students were killed and Kahler and eight others were injured when National Guard members fired into a crowd on May 4, 1970, following a tense exchange in which troops used tear gas to break up an anti-war demonstration and protesters hurled rocks at the guardsmen. It was a watershed moment in U.S. history a violent bookend to the turbulent 1960s that galvanized campus protests nationwide and forced the temporary shutdown of hundreds of colleges and universities. READ MORE: Troops fired on Kent State students in 1970. Survivors see echoes in today's campus protest movement University of Tennessee defends calling police on demonstrators Friday 3 May 2024 20:45 , Graig Graziosi The University of Tenneesee has defended its decision to call police in to break up ongoing Gaza protests on campus on Thursday night. The administration released a statement saying demonstrators could not monopolize university property for an indefinite period of time. We apply laws and policies to everyone equally and without prejudice to preserve the use and enjoyment of university property and protect the safety of members of our community, University Chancellor Donde Plowman said in a statement. A group of individuals does not have the right to monopolize university property for an indefinite period of time. Nine people were arrested, including seven students and two other individuals. Police arrest 56 between NYU, New School encampment raids Friday 3 May 2024 20:30 , Graig Graziosi Police cleared out a pair of Gaza protest encampments on Friday at New York University and the New School. The NYPD said 56 people were arrested, 13 protesters at NYU and another 43 at the New School. The New School announced on Friday it would move to remote learning to ensure safety on campus. Demonstrators at the New School spent the last week sleeping inside tents at a campus building and on sidewalks at NYU. Officials at both schools eventually asked the NYPD to intervene to "disperse the illegal encampments." Driver in Portland appears to accelerate his car toward PSU protesters before abandoning his vehicle and spraying bear mace at protesters Friday 3 May 2024 20:15 , Graig Graziosi A driver in Portland was caught on video slowly turning down a street blocked off by Portland State University protesters before briefly accelerating toward a crowd of demonstrators. When protesters swarmed the car, the driver exited and ran away, spraying bear mace as he fled. A license plate on the car read We the People. Protesters caused heavy damage to the abandoned car. Heather Heyer, a woman who was protesting against white supremacists at the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally in 2017, was killed when a white supremacist drove his car into demonstraters. As I was walking up to PSU in Portland, Oregon, a car turned down an alley in front of me where the crowd of protestors were standing. On the dash was a can of bear mace and the license plate holder read "we the people". This wasn't an accident. The driver accelerated towards pic.twitter.com/kh9PR0cLZT ComradeCamera (@comradecamera) May 2, 2024 University of Wisconsin wants protests ended in time for finals, but says talks with protesters have stalled Friday 3 May 2024 20:00 , Graig Graziosi Administrators at the University of Wisconsin said they want an ongoing protest encampment torn down before finals begin next week. They noted in a statement that talks with the protesters have stalled. Demonstrators reportedly told school officials that ongoing discussions would be "pointless" if the school continued to refuse to disclose its investments. Police cleared a protest at the school on Wednesday, but protesters returned. Columbia Law Review calls for university to cancel finals Friday 3 May 2024 19:30 , Graig Graziosi The Columbia Law Review, one of the country's most prestigious law journals, has called on Columbia Law School to cancel its final exams following the police raid on Tuesday that broke up weeks-long Gaza protests on campus. The CLR's Administrative Board Student Editors issued the statement on Wednesday, saying that students should be given passing grades for their "work throughout the semester" rather than their performance on a year-end test. "The violence we witnessed last night has irrevocably shaken many of us on the Review," the statement said. "We know this to be the same for a majority of our classmates. Videos have circulated of police clad in riot gear mocking and brutalizing our students." "The events of last night left us, and many of our peers, unable to focus and highly emotional during this tumultuous time. This only follows the growing distress that many of us have felt for months as the humanitarian crisis abroad continues to unfold, and as the blatant antisemitism, islamophobia, and racism on campus have escalated." Columbia University says outsiders were among protesters arrested on Tuesday Friday 3 May 2024 19:05 , Graig Graziosi Columbia University released a breakdown of the individuals arrested on Tuesday when police raided the occupied Hamilton Hall to disperse Gaza protests on campus. The university said in a statement that outsiders were among those arrested. According to the schools data, 13 of the protesters were adults who were not affiliated with the university. A significant portion of those who broke the law and occupied Hamilton Hall were outsiders, a Columbia spokesperson said. While 14 were Columbia undergraduate students, the majority were a mix of adults, including graduate students, two employees, and outsiders unaffiliated with Columbia University. The university said that it is still determining what disciplinary action will be taken saying the occupiers violated various University policies, but more importantly, they broke the law. Actions have consequences. WATCH: Officer unintentionally fired gun while breaching locked office at Columbia, NYPD says Friday 3 May 2024 18:47 , Graig Graziosi Columbia University releases breakdown of protesters arrested in Hamilton Hall on Tuesday Friday 3 May 2024 18:21 , Graig Graziosi Columbia University released a breakdown of the protesters who were arrested during a Tuesday evening NYPD raid on Hamilton Hall, which demonstrators had occupied after defying the universitys 2pm deadline to disperse issued the previous day. Heres the breakdown: 13 adults not affiliated with Columbia 6 students from other schools 23 Columbia students, including 14 undergrads and 9 graduate students 2 Columbia employees New School to hold classes online only after on campus protests Friday 3 May 2024 17:15 , Graig Graziosi The New School in New York, a private university, said it would hold its classes online following a police crackdown on protesters at the campus. We have been very tolerant of the students right to free speech as long as they did not interfere with the educational mission, Donna Shalala, the schools interim president, said in a statement on Friday. Despite entreaties by the Dean of Students, members of the faculty, and student leaders, the protesters have refused to permit entry, which left the university no choice but to protect the rights of our students to access their residence hall, classrooms, library, and cafeteria. The NYPD arrested 44 students at the New School on Friday morning. NYPD says gunshot at Columbia was accidental discharge Friday 3 May 2024 17:00 , Graig Graziosi The NYPD held a press conference to address an errant bullet that was fired while officers were trying to clear protesters off of Columbia Universitys campus on Tuesday. New York Citys Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, Tarik Sheppard, told reporters that the bullet was an accidental discharge and that the department averaged about eight accidental shots each year. Accidental discharges happen every single year and we average about eight a year and we dont get request [for information] on it, he said. If you do ask about it, well talk about it like were doing right now. The officer who fired the shot was said to be an 8-year veteran with an impeccable service record. The officer was reportedly trying to access a locked office to see if anyone was hiding inside and shifted his gun from his dominant hand to his off-hand. Thats when the errant shot fired. No one was injured in the shooting. That officer will face department evaluation, according to the NYPD. The NY District Attorneys office is also investigating. Mr Sheppard said the department has no plans to release bodycam footage, citing department policy to withhold footage showing accidental shots that do not result. The officer who fired the shot was a member of the Emergency Service Unit clearing protesters out of Columbias Hamilton Hall. The errant shot hit a door frame. WATCH: Jewish Dartmouth professor says police threw her to the ground during Gaza protests and that New Hampshire governor is spreading misinformation Friday 3 May 2024 16:30 , Graig Graziosi Annelise Orleck, a professor of history at Dartmouth University, said she was thrown to the ground by police during on Thursday night as law enforcement was cracking down on a Gaza protest at the campus. Ms Orleck, who is Jewish, said New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is spreading misinformation by characterising the protests as antisemitic. My message is stop weaponizing antisemitism, she told WMUR. Jewish Dartmouth professor @AnneliseOrleck1 (65) says yeah, I feel unsafe on campus. But not because of my students and their Palestine protests, because of police who body slammed me on the ground and arrested me for protecting kids. And calls out New Hampshire Governor pic.twitter.com/6wFPH55l60 Rafael Shimunov (@rafaelshimunov) May 3, 2024 Mr Sununu called the protests 100 per cent antisemitic during a press briefing on Wednesday, WMUR reports. One hundred percent, this is pure antisemitism, Mr Sununu said. This is pure hatred. It is. And again, they have a right to express that. Im disgusted by it, frankly. Friday 3 May 2024 16:15 , Graig Graziosi Joe Biden said he planned to take executive action aimed at pushing back against a global crackdown on press freedom. In the coming weeks, I will be taking executive action in response to the global crackdown on press freedom, as exemplified by the wrongful detention of journalists around the world, he said. I will declare this crackdown on press freedom a grave threat to national security and will authorize measures, including sanctions and visa bans, against those who take abusive actions to silence the press. Reporters Without Borders maintains a global press freedom index, and said there was a troubling downward trend for journalistic liberty. RSF sees a worrying decline in support and respect for media autonomy and an increase in pressure from the state or other political actors, Anne Bocande, RSF editorial director, told The Guardian. States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom. This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation. Here are just a few examples of ongoing press freedom issues: In March 2023, Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal was arrested in Russia and charged with spying, an allegation both he and the US government strongly reject. Palestinian journalists who survived the opening days of Israels military actions in Gaza said they they face harassment and intimidation from Israel while doing their jobs, according to NBC News. In the US, Donald Trump, the leader of one of the Republican Party, has long called the press the fake news, the enemy of the people, dishonest, and corrupt. Journalists in Turkey face arbitrary lawsuits, harassment, targeted financial pressure on critical journalists, and online censorship, the RSF reports. Police clear Portland State University library a second time Friday 3 May 2024 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander Pro-Palestinian protesters broke back into the Portland State University Library on Thursday evening, leading to police again entering and clearing the building. At least seven more people were arrested on Thursday evening, according to KGW. Portland Police added that Portland State Universitys Campus Safety detained one person. We can now confirm that trespassers did pull down the fence and broke back into the library. Police officers moved back into the library and made arrests. Arrests have also been made for people refusing to leave the park block at the library, Portland Police wrote on X. Thirty people had been arrested so far as of Thursday afternoon in connection to the pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of Portland State, according to the Portland Police Bureau. At least seven were PSU students, according to Portland Police. Stanford sends FBI photo of protester in alleged Hamas-like headband Friday 3 May 2024 15:45 , Graig Graziosi Stanford University said it sent a photo of a protester in a green headband to the FBI. The school issued an update on the state of the school and the ongoing protests on 30 April, and mentioned that a photo circulating on social media of the protester with the green headband had caused some concern. We have received many expressions of concern about a photo circulating on social media of an individual on White Plaza who appeared to be wearing a green headband similar to those worn by members of Hamas. We find this deeply disturbing, as Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States government, the school said in the statement. We have not been able to identify the individual but have forwarded the photo to the FBI. PHOTOS: Portland students face off with police Friday 3 May 2024 15:30 , Gustaf Kilander Portland Police chase protesters who re-occupied the Portland State University Library building after it had been cleared and several protesters detained earlier in the day, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Portland, Oregon, U.S., May 2, 2024 (REUTERS) Portland Police detain a protester who re-occupied the Portland State University Library building with others after it had been cleared and several protesters were detained earlier in the day, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Portland, Oregon, U.S., May 2, 2024 (REUTERS) Portland Police detain a protester who re-occupied the Portland State University Library building with others after it had been cleared and several protesters were detained earlier in the day, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Portland, Oregon, U.S., May 2, 2024 (REUTERS) Pro-Palestinian students and activists face police officers after protesters were evicted from the library on campus earlier in the day at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon on May 2, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) Turkey suspends trade with Israel over Gaza war Friday 3 May 2024 15:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel because of the worsening humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza, the countrys trade ministry said on Thursday. Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all products, the ministry said. Turkey will strictly and decisively implement these new measures until the Israeli government allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Trade between Turkey and Israel was worth almost 5.6bn in 2023. After the restrictions were first reported, Israels foreign minister accused Turkeys president of acting like a dictator. Israel Katz wrote on X that Recep Tayyip Erdogan was disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen and ignoring international trade agreements. NYPD arrests another 44 protesters Friday morning Friday 3 May 2024 14:49 , Graig Graziosi The NYPD announced on Friday that it had arrested 44 people at the New School, a New York private university, after it asked for help dispersing Gaza protesters. We gave them options to leave multiple times, an NYPD spokesperson said, per WABC. We gave them what the options were in terms of summons desk appearance ticket, and you saw they opted to take the investigators ticket, and whats disturbing as usual, you can hear the complete anti-Israel hatred live right here. Another 13 people were arrested while protesting at New York University. Donald Trump hands out pizza to New York firefighters as UCLA riots plague city Friday 3 May 2024 14:30 , Lucy Leeson Donald Trump delivered pizzas to New York City firefighters as UCLA protests plagued the city. The former US President met the firefighters on Thursday (2 May) after spending the day in a Manhattan courtroom to witness testimony and cross-examination on criminal charges against him. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. The 2024 Republican presidential nominee arrived with pizza as he met the same New York City fire department he visited in 2021 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. IN PICTURES: Palestinians thank protesters with signs in Gaza Friday 3 May 2024 14:00 , Katie Hawkinson A sign in Gaza that reads, Thank you, students in solidarity wtih Gaza your message has reached. Thank you students for Coulumbia pictured on 28 April. More than 100 Gaza protesters were arrested at Columbia this week after they occupied a campus building (AFP via Getty Images) A man sits in Rafah in a tent with the message thank you students for Columbia painted on the side on 27 April. The New York Police Department has arrested hundreds of protesters at Columbia since their protests began on 17 April (AFP via Getty Images) A sign in Gaza that reads, Thanks for your solidary! Emory University pictured on 1 May. Dozens of protesters at Emory University in Georgia have established an encampment on campus (EPA) Nearly 2,200 people have been arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses Friday 3 May 2024 13:30 , AP Police have arrested nearly 2,200 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, sometimes using riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings. One officer accidentally discharged his gun inside a Columbia University administration building while clearing out protesters camped inside, authorities said. No one was injured by the officers mistake late Tuesday inside Hamilton Hall on the Columbia campus, the NYPD said Thursday. He was trying to use the flashlight attached to his gun at the time and instead fired a single round that struck a frame on the wall. There were other officers but no students in the immediate vicinity, officials said. Body camera footage shows when the officers gun went off, but the district attorneys office is conducting a review, a standard practice. ICYMI: Watch as Lauren Boebert is heckled by students after turning up to college Gaza protest Friday 3 May 2024 13:00 , Katie Hawkinson Friday 3 May 2024 12:00 , Katie Hawkinson Biden condemns unrest following Gaza protests after police storm campuses: Violent protest is not protected President Biden on Thursday condemned the unrest and violence that has disrupted college campuses over the last week while stressing the importance of Americans right to protest peacefully in support of the Palestinian peoples treatment during Israels ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Mr Biden, speaking from the East Room of the White House, said peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues because the US is not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. He said the images of police clashing with protesters put the fundamental American principles of free speech and the rule of law to the test as he pointed out the importance of maintaining the latter to allow the former. The Independents White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg has the story: Biden condemns unrest after Gaza demonstrations: Violent protest is not protected ICYMI: US House passes bipartisan antisemitism bill Friday 3 May 2024 11:00 , Katie Hawkinson The US House of Representatives passed an antisemitism bill on Wednesday evening as pro-Palestinian campus protests surge across the country. The bill would create a clear definition of antisemitism if passed by the US Senate and signed by the president. In turn, this bill would then allow the US Department of Education to cut funding to schools found tolerating behaviour that falls under the definition. The bill passed with bipartisan support, 320-91. Free speech advocates, however, oppose the bill. The American Civil Liberties Union argues the bill would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. PEN America, a non-profit that advocates for free expression, also condemned the bill, noting that it would adopt the definition of antisemitism as laid out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). This definition, and its illustrative examples, is overbroad; its enshrinement into law could lead to significant impairment of academic freedom, free speech and legitimate political expression, the organisation wrote this week. Codifying the IHRA definition, which was never intended to be legally binding or otherwise codified into law, is not the right way to attack antisemitic speech and bigotry, the organisation continued. Its vague nature is ill-suited to serve as a legal standard, much less form a basis for punitive action. Representative Michael Lawler, a Republican from New York who sponsored the bill, said enshrining the IHRA definition in law will instead protect Jewish students on college campuses. By requiring the Department of Education to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and its contemporary examples, the Antisemitism Awareness Act gives teeth to federal anti-discrimination laws to go after those who attack their Jewish peers, Mr Lawler said. Politics should never get in the way of the safety of students. The strong bipartisan support for and passage of this legislation will ensure that it wont. ICYMI: UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities Friday 3 May 2024 09:00 , Katie Hawkinson UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbias protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator Friday 3 May 2024 07:00 , Katie Hawkinson Before police officers poured into Columbia University on Tuesday night, arresting more than 100 people as they cleared an occupied school building and tent encampment, New York City Mayor Eric Adams received a piece of intelligence he said shifted his thinking about the campus demonstrations over the war in Gaza. Outside agitators working to radicalize our children were leading students into more extreme tactics, the mayor claimed. And one of them, Adams said repeatedly in media appearances Wednesday morning, was a woman whose husband was convicted for terrorism. But the woman referenced by the mayor wasnt on Columbias campus this week, isnt among the protesters who were arrested and has not been accused of any crime. Read more: A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbia's protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator VIDEO: NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters Friday 3 May 2024 05:01 , Katie Hawkinson NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters ICYMI: Human Rights Watch weighs in on response to protests Friday 3 May 2024 04:00 , Katie Hawkinson The Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organisation that advocates for human rights, weighed in on the pro-Palestinian protests popping up across the country. Louis Charbonneau, United Nations Director for the organisation, wrote that colleges must protect students right to protest. There have been troubling reports of antisemitic incidents in and around Columbia Universitys campus, Mr Charbonneau wrote. Allegations of antisemitic acts and speech by individuals, as well as acts of Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, should be investigated and addressed on the merits in a case-by-case basis, through fair and transparent processes. As protests spread to campuses across the country, university administrations should be careful not to mislabel criticism of Israeli government policies or advocacy for Palestinian rights as inherently antisemitic or to misuse university authority to quash peaceful protest, he continued. Instead, universities should safeguard peoples rights to assembly and free expression. ICYMI: Coalition of Columbia faculty call for vote of no confidence in administrators Friday 3 May 2024 03:00 , Katie Hawkinson The Columbia University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors is calling for a vote of no confidence in President Minouche Shafik and her fellow administrators. In a statement, the chapter condemned her decision to call the New York Police Department on protesters who had occupied Hamilton Hall Tuesday night. This decision was made without consultation with the University Senate, in violation of established procedures, by recourse to so-called emergency powers, the chapter said in a Thursday statement. It also flew in the face of efforts by the AAUP and faculty trusted by the student protestors to de-escalate the situation on campus and to serve as observers in negotiationsefforts endorsed by the University Senate chair that continued into the afternoon before the assault. More than 100 people were arrested on Columbias campus Tuesday evening. Police officer clearing protesters from Columbia Univ. building fired gun, prosecutors say Friday 3 May 2024 02:39 , Louise Boyle A police officer who was involved in clearing protesters from a Columbia University administration building earlier this week fired his gun inside the hall, a spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Braggs office confirmed Thursday. No one was injured, according to spokesperson Doug Cohen, who said there were other officers but no students in the immediate vicinity. He said Braggs office is conducting a review. He did not provide additional details on the incident, which was first reported by news outlet The City. The New York Police Department did not immediately respond to The Associated Press request for comment. AP Pulitzer Prize board praises student journalist efforts at Columbia Friday 3 May 2024 02:00 , Katie Hawkinson The Pulitzer Prize Board, housed under Columbia University, praised student journalists efforts to cover the protests even while facing risk of arrest. As we gather to consider the nations finest and most courageous journalism, the Pulitzer Prize Board would like to recognize the tireless efforts of student journalists across our nations college campuses, who are covering protests and unrest in the face of great personal and academic risk, the board wrote on Thursday, four days ahead of announcing the 2024 prize winners. We would also like to acknowledge the extraordinary real-time reporting of student journalists at Columbia University, where the Pulitzer Prizes are housed, as the New York Police Department was called onto campus on Tuesday night, they continued. As The Independents Alex Woodward reported, student journalists worked round the clock to capture the historic demonstrations on college campuses across the country. Read more: Columbia student journalists broadcast NYPD college raid to the world from the inside WATCH: Biden insists 'order must prevail' as police shut down college Gaza protests Friday 3 May 2024 01:00 , Katie Hawkinson ICYMI: Officers arrest 90 at Dartmouth College Friday 3 May 2024 00:00 , Katie Hawkinson Hanover, New Hampshire police officers arrested some 90 Gaza demonstrators at Dartmouth College overnight Wednesday into Thursday. Those arrested included students and non-students, the police department said. ICYMI: Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel supporters chant F*** Joe Biden' Thursday 2 May 2024 23:00 , Katie Hawkinson Amazing scenes at the University of Alabama. Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters briefly united in chants of F*** Joe Biden. https://t.co/8lhfZR6d2e Richard Hall (@_RichardHall) May 1, 2024 WATCH: NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters Thursday 2 May 2024 22:04 , Katie Hawkinson SEE IT: Palestinians thank protesters with signs in Gaza Thursday 2 May 2024 21:36 , Katie Hawkinson A sign in Gaza that reads, Thank you, students in solidarity wtih Gaza your message has reached. Thank you students for Coulumbia pictured on 28 April. More than 100 Gaza protesters were arrested at Columbia this week after they occupied a campus building (AFP via Getty Images) A sign in Gaza that reads, Thanks for your solidary! Emory University pictured on 1 May. Dozens of protesters at Emory University in Georgia have established an encampment on campus (EPA) ICYMI: Lauren Boebert heckled by students after turning up to college Gaza protest Thursday 2 May 2024 21:01 , Katie Hawkinson ICYMI: US House passes bipartisan antisemitism bill Thursday 2 May 2024 20:30 , Katie Hawkinson The US House of Representatives passed an antisemitism bill on Wednesday evening as pro-Palestinian campus protests surge across the country. The bill would create a clear definition of antisemitism if passed by the US Senate and signed by the president. In turn, this bill would then allow the US Department of Education to cut funding to schools found tolerating behaviour that falls under the definition. The bill passed with bipartisan support, 320-91. Free speech advocates, however, oppose the bill. The American Civil Liberties Union argues the bill would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. PEN America, a non-profit that advocates for free expression, also condemned the bill, noting that it would adopt the definition of antisemitism as laid out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). This definition, and its illustrative examples, is overbroad; its enshrinement into law could lead to significant impairment of academic freedom, free speech and legitimate political expression, the organisation wrote this week. Codifying the IHRA definition, which was never intended to be legally binding or otherwise codified into law, is not the right way to attack antisemitic speech and bigotry, the organisation continued. Its vague nature is ill-suited to serve as a legal standard, much less form a basis for punitive action. Representative Michael Lawler, a Republican from New York who sponsored the bill, said enshrining the IHRA definition in law will instead protect Jewish students on college campuses. By requiring the Department of Education to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and its contemporary examples, the Antisemitism Awareness Act gives teeth to federal anti-discrimination laws to go after those who attack their Jewish peers, Mr Lawler said. Politics should never get in the way of the safety of students. The strong bipartisan support for and passage of this legislation will ensure that it wont. Pulitzer Prize board praises student journalist efforts at Columbia Thursday 2 May 2024 20:00 , Katie Hawkinson The Pulitzer Prize Board, housed under Columbia University, praised student journalists efforts to cover the protests even while facing risk of arrest. As we gather to consider the nations finest and most courageous journalism, the Pulitzer Prize Board would like to recognize the tireless efforts of student journalists across our nations college campuses, who are covering protests and unrest in the face of great personal and academic risk, the board wrote on Thursday, four days ahead of announcing the 2024 prize winners. We would also like to acknowledge the extraordinary real-time reporting of student journalists at Columbia University, where the Pulitzer Prizes are housed, as the New York Police Department was called onto campus on Tuesday night, they continued. As The Independents Alex Woodward reported, student journalists worked round the clock to capture the historic demonstrations on college campuses across the country. Read more: Columbia student journalists broadcast NYPD college raid to the world from the inside University of Minnesota strikes deal with Gaza protesters Thursday 2 May 2024 19:48 , Katie Hawkinson Gaza protesters at the University of Minnesota have agreed to take down their four-day encampment after administrators agreed to discuss their demands, USA Today reports. The protesters are asking the university to bar companies with ties to Israel from campus events and job fairs. Interim University President Jeff Ettinger said he is also recommending campus police do not press any charges against protesters. WATCH: Biden insists 'order must prevail' as police shut down college Gaza protests Thursday 2 May 2024 19:30 , Katie Hawkinson Officers arrest 90 at Dartmouth College Thursday 2 May 2024 19:00 , Katie Hawkinson Hanover, New Hampshire police officers arrested some 90 Gaza demonstrators at Dartmouth College overnight Wednesday into Thursday. Those arrested included students and non-students, the police department said. Biden condemns unrest following Gaza protests after police storm campuses: Violent protest is not protected Thursday 2 May 2024 18:30 , Katie Hawkinson President Biden on Thursday condemned the unrest and violence that has disrupted college campuses over the last week while stressing the importance of Americans right to protest peacefully in support of the Palestinian peoples treatment during Israels ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Mr Biden, speaking from the East Room of the White House, said peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues because the US is not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. He said the images of police clashing with protesters put the fundamental American principles of free speech and the rule of law to the test as he pointed out the importance of maintaining the latter to allow the former. Read more from The Independents White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg: Biden condemns unrest after Gaza demonstrations: Violent protest is not protected VIDEO: Stun grenades used on UCLA protesters as police order Gaza encampments to disperse Thursday 2 May 2024 18:00 , Katie Hawkinson Stun grenades used on UCLA protesters as police order Gaza encampments to disperse NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters Thursday 2 May 2024 17:30 , Katie Hawkinson NYPD tear down tents inside Fordham University to disperse Gaza protesters Coalition of Columbia faculty call for vote of no confidence in administrators Thursday 2 May 2024 17:01 , Katie Hawkinson The Columbia University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors is calling for a vote of no confidence in President Minouche Shafik and her fellow administrators. In a statement, the chapter condemned her decision to call the New York Police Department on protesters who had occupied Hamilton Hall Tuesday night. This decision was made without consultation with the University Senate, in violation of established procedures, by recourse to so-called emergency powers, the chapter said in a Thursday statement. It also flew in the face of efforts by the AAUP and faculty trusted by the student protestors to de-escalate the situation on campus and to serve as observers in negotiationsefforts endorsed by the University Senate chair that continued into the afternoon before the assault. More than 100 people were arrested on Columbias campus Tuesday evening. A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbia's protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator Thursday 2 May 2024 16:30 , Katie Hawkinson Read more: A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbia's protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator President Joe Biden condemns violent campus protests Thursday 2 May 2024 16:13 , Katie Hawkinson Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest, President Joe Biden said on Thursday afternoon. Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder, or to denying the rights of others so students can finish the semester and their college education, he continued. I understand people have strong feelings and deep convictions in America. We respect the right and protect the right for them to express that. But it doesnt mean anything goes. It needs to be done without violence without distraction, without hating and within the law. Reporters shouted questions at the president as he left, with one asking if he believes the National Guard should be deployed to campuses with protests. Mr Biden answered no as he walked away from the podium. President Joe Biden, pictured speaking on 2 May, condemned violent protests on college campuses (AP) Watch live: Joe Biden speaks amid pressure to address college Gaza protests Thursday 2 May 2024 16:09 , Katie Hawkinson Watch live: Joe Biden speaks amid pressure to address college Gaza protests WATCH: Representative Lauren Boebert heckled by students after turning up to college Gaza protest Thursday 2 May 2024 16:00 , Katie Hawkinson Far-right Republican calls antisemitism bill ridiculous Thursday 2 May 2024 15:30 , Katie Hawkinson Representative Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican from Florida, called the antisemitism bill that passed the House on Wednesday a ridiculous hate speech bill. However, unlike many critics, Mr Gaetz did not raise concerns about free speech. Rather, he is concerned about the Biblical implications of the legislation. Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words, Mr Gaetz wrote on X. The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill! The bill says the definition of antisemitism includes contemporary examples of antisemitism identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), he continued. One of those examples includes: claims of Jews killing Jesus The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this. Therefore, I will not support this bill. US House passes bipartisan antisemitism bill Thursday 2 May 2024 15:00 , Katie Hawkinson The US House of Representatives passed an antisemitism bill on Wednesday evening as pro-Palestinian campus protests surge across the country. The bill would create a clear definition of antisemitism if passed by the US Senate and signed by the president. In turn, this bill would then allow the US Department of Education to cut funding to schools found tolerating behaviour that falls under the definition. The bill passed with bipartisan support, 320-91. Free speech advocates, however, oppose the bill. The American Civil Liberties Union argues the bill would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. PEN America, a non-profit that advocates for free expression, also condemned the bill, noting that it would adopt the definition of antisemitism as laid out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). This definition, and its illustrative examples, is overbroad; its enshrinement into law could lead to significant impairment of academic freedom, free speech and legitimate political expression, the organisation wrote this week. Codifying the IHRA definition, which was never intended to be legally binding or otherwise codified into law, is not the right way to attack antisemitic speech and bigotry, the organisation continued. Its vague nature is ill-suited to serve as a legal standard, much less form a basis for punitive action. Representative Michael Lawler, a Republican from New York who sponsored the bill, said enshrining the IHRA definition in law will instead protect Jewish students on college campuses. By requiring the Department of Education to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and its contemporary examples, the Antisemitism Awareness Act gives teeth to federal anti-discrimination laws to go after those who attack their Jewish peers, Mr Lawler said. Politics should never get in the way of the safety of students. The strong bipartisan support for and passage of this legislation will ensure that it wont. ICYMI: UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities Thursday 2 May 2024 14:30 , Katie Hawkinson UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities Human Rights Watch weighs in on response to protests Thursday 2 May 2024 14:00 , Katie Hawkinson The Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organisation that advocates for human rights, weighed in on the pro-Palestinian protests popping up across the country. Louis Charbonneau, United Nations Director for the organisation, wrote that colleges must protect students right to protest. There have been troubling reports of antisemitic incidents in and around Columbia Universitys campus, Mr Charbonneau wrote. Allegations of antisemitic acts and speech by individuals, as well as acts of Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, should be investigated and addressed on the merits in a case-by-case basis, through fair and transparent processes. As protests spread to campuses across the country, university administrations should be careful not to mislabel criticism of Israeli government policies or advocacy for Palestinian rights as inherently antisemitic or to misuse university authority to quash peaceful protest, he continued. Instead, universities should safeguard peoples rights to assembly and free expression. Watch live: Police enter pro-Palestine UCLA encampment after students refuse to disperse Thursday 2 May 2024 13:54 Watch: Police enter pro-Palestine UCLA encampment after students refuse to disperse Pictures: Police in riot gear clear UCLA encampment Thursday 2 May 2024 13:10 (EPA) Law enforcement officers detain a protester at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) (REUTERS) (REUTERS) Police clear UCLA encampment and arrest demonstrators refusing to disperse Thursday 2 May 2024 13:07 Hundreds of helmeted police muscled their way into a central plaza of the University of California at Los Angeles early on Thursday to dismantle a pro-Palestinian protest camp attacked the previous night by pro-Israel supporters. Live TV footage showed about six protesters under arrest, kneeling on the ground, their hands bound behind their backs with zip-ties. Dozens of loud explosions were heard during the clash from flash-bang charges, or stun grenades, fired by police. Demonstrators, some carrying makeshift shields and umbrellas, sought to block the officers advance by their sheer numbers, while shouting, push them back and flashing bright lights in the eyes of the police. Others on the opposite side of the camp gave up quickly, and were seen walking away with their hands over their heads under police escort. Around sunset on Wednesday, officers in tactical gear had begun filing onto the UCLA campus and taking up positions adjacent to a complex of tents occupied by throngs of demonstrators, live footage from the scene showed. The assembled police stood by on the periphery for hours before finally starting to force their way into the encampment around 3:15 a.m. PDT, tearing down barricades and arresting occupants who refused to leave. (AFP via Getty Images) WATCH: Displaced people in Gaza praise pro-Palestinian campus protests in US Thursday 2 May 2024 13:00 , Katie Hawkinson Displaced Palestinians in Gaza have expressed their gratitude for pro-Palestinian campus protests in the US, the Associated Press reports. Displaced people in Gaza held a demonstration on Wednesday to express their gratitude to U.S. college students for carrying out pro-Palestinian protests. It is so wonderful, remarked Abu Yusuf al-Habeel, who is displaced from Shati refugee camp. pic.twitter.com/RUYxiMjXWk The Associated Press (@AP) May 1, 2024 The ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people, many of them women and children, and aid blockages have resulted in a famine in northern Gaza. The attacks come after 7 October, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 people hostage. Dozens of protesters arrested as NYPD storm Columbia campus to crush pro-Gaza protest Thursday 2 May 2024 11:30 , Alexander Butler Dozens of protesters arrested as NYPD storm Columbia campus Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemns campus crackdowns Thursday 2 May 2024 11:00 , Katie Hawkinson Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Democrat from New York, told The Independents Eric Garcia she is concerned about setting a dangerous precedent regarding the use of force against protesters. We are concerned about setting a very dangerous precedent of introducing violent forms of enforcement on those demonstrations that, on the whole, are truly peaceful, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said on Wednesday. How Columbia University became the driving force behind protests over the war in Gaza Thursday 2 May 2024 10:45 , Alexander Butler How Columbia University became the driving force behind protests over the war in Gaza Graduating seniors blame USC for ruining end of college with military crackdown Thursday 2 May 2024 10:30 , Alexander Butler Seniors say military crackdown on USC pro-Palestine protests has ruined final weeks Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel supporters chant F*** Joe Biden' Thursday 2 May 2024 10:15 , Alexander Butler Amazing scenes at the University of Alabama. Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters briefly united in chants of F*** Joe Biden. https://t.co/8lhfZR6d2e Richard Hall (@_RichardHall) May 1, 2024 UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities Thursday 2 May 2024 10:00 , Alexander Butler UN human rights chief troubled by treatment of Gaza protesters at US universities Bernie Sanders says media shouldnt lose focus of underlying Israel-Hamas war Thursday 2 May 2024 09:45 , Josh Marcus Stories about campus unrest have captured the attention of newsrooms across the US, but US Senator Bernie Sanders called on media members not to stop covering the underlying Israel-Hamas war, or inquiring about the overwhelmingly Palestinian civilian death toll. I suggest to CNN and maybe some of my colleagues here, maybe take your cameras, just for a moment, off of Columbia and UCLA , the Vermont senator said in a floor speech. Maybe go to Gaza, and take your camera show us the emaciated children who are dying from malnutrition because of Netanyahus policies. Sen. Sanders: "I suggest to CNN and maybe some of my colleagues here, maybe take your cameras, just for a moment, off of Columbia and UCLA . Maybe go to Gaza, and take your camera show us the emaciated children who are dying from malnutrition because of Netanyahu's policies." pic.twitter.com/Mh2dhQ0YwE Jeremy Slevin (@jeremyslevin) May 1, 2024 Students occupy UK University campuses in protest against Gaza war Thursday 2 May 2024 09:28 , Namita Singh Pro-Palestinian students have gathered in protest at universities across the UK following violent demonstrations at campuses in the US. Students in Leeds, Newcastle and Bristol set up tents outside university buildings on Wednesday in protest against the war in Gaza. Bristol students said they staged the action in protest of the universitys complicity in Israels genocide of Palestinians, while Apartheid Off Campus Newcastle said its demonstration was to highlight the institutions investment strategy and its complicity in the Israeli militarys war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank. Report: Students occupy UK university campuses in protest against Gaza war Columbia President Minouche Shafik is falling under bipartisan criticism over the pro-Palestinian protests that have taken up residence on her campus, potentially setting her up as the next elite college head to lose her job amid antisemitism concerns. I fully agree with the White Housethese protests are antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous. Add some tiki torches and its Charlottesville for these Jewish students, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa) said on the social media platform X. To @Columbia President Minouche Shafik: do your job or resign so Columbia can find someone who will. The Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia began last Wednesday, the same day Shafik and other school officials went before the House Education Committee to testify about their response to antisemitism on campus. The activists are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and for the U.S. to stop providing Israel with weapons, among other demands. Antisemitism has soared both nationally and globally since Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with U.S. colleges in particular taking heat for their handling of the situation. Shafik and the others from Columbia were able to get through their House hearing without any big breakout moments like the ones last December that preceded the eventual downfall of the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and Harvard. At the December hearing, the college leaders had declined to state definitively that calls for the genocide of Jews could constitute harassment on their campus. The Columbia leaders made it clear they felt such calls would indeed be against school policy, but the worst was yet to come for the school. On Thursday, the New York Police Department (NYPD) began arresting students at the encampment after the school told the participants multiple times they were not allowed in that particular area. I regret that all of these attempts to resolve the situation were rejected by the students involved. As a result, NYPD officers are now on campus and the process of clearing the encampment is underway, Shafik said at the time, adding the students would be suspended. Among the suspended students was Isra Hirsi, Rep. Ilhan Omars (D-Minn.) daughter, who has claimed she was sprayed with chemical weapons during the protest. Asked on MSNBC she believes the demonstration has made other students uncomfortable, Hirsi said, I think that the encampment was honestly one of the beautiful forms of solidarity. We would be singing songs, we had meals together, people prayed together, she continued. They held Shabbat yesterday, and its really just been a very community-centered space. And the crackdown has only inflamed activists. Columbias encampment has grown, and similar demonstrations have since popped up at schools including Yale University and New York University, which have both also seen multiple students arrested. Columbia has said it will shift to hybrid learning for the rest of the semester over safety concerns. President Shafik is focused on deescalating the rancor on Columbias campus, the school said in a statement to The Hill. She is working across campus with members of the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees, and with state, city, and community leaders, and appreciates their support. In response to accusations of antisemitism, the demonstrators have pointed out that they count many Jewish students among their numbers, but the protests have led to bipartisan condemnation, including from the White House. I condemn the antisemitic protests, thats why I set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who dont understand whats going on with the Palestinians, President Biden said Monday. However, when asked if Shafik should resign, the president replied, I dont know that. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who campaigned for weeks for UPenn and Harvards president to resign, is now focusing her sights on Shafik. The situation unfolding on campus right now is a direct product of your policies and misguided decisions, said a letter led by Stefanik and signed by all 10 New York House Republican members. Based on these recent events and your testimony in front of Congress, we have no confidence in your leadership of this once esteemed institution. The ongoing situation that has unfolded is a direct symptom of your continued lax enforcement of policy and clear double standards, it continued. While the rot is systemic, the responsibility rests squarely on your shoulders. It is time for Columbia University to turn the page on this shameful chapter. This can only be done through the restoration of order and your prompt resignation. It took UPenns former president days after the December antisemitism hearing before she announced her resignation. Harvards president resigned a month later, from a combination of the hearing backlash and plagiarism allegations. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chair of the House Education Committee, has already threatened to bring Shafik and other Columbia officials back for another hearing due to the protests. Republicans senators, meanwhile, have called on Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Attorney General Merrick Garland to restore order to campus, and at least two Senate Republicans are calling on Biden to use the National Guard. Updated April 24 at 10:04 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. There is a simple solution to the student protests at Columbia University and a growing number of other campuses over the Israel-Hamas war: universities should enforce their own student conduct codes and only ask for police help when a crime has been committed. The botched response that saw Columbia simultaneously seeking the arrest of students as well as imposing suspensions and expulsions without going through their normal disciplinary process reflects an abandonment of principles, as well as common sense. The situation started with the pressure applied by loudmouth billionaires like Bill Ackman, whose selective outrage over students expressing their First Amendment rights ignored his own expressions of support for the vigilante shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two unarmed people and maimed a third at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Wisconsin. Ackman allowed a peek into his real core beliefs when his support for the eventual ouster of Harvard President Claudine GayHarvards first Black presidentmorphed into vocal opposition to DEI policies. Outspoken Israeli Prof Denied Campus Entry as Columbia Tries to Avoid Protest Clashes Rather than standing behind their students right to peaceful protest and supporting the educational principles of encouraging First Amendment-protected discourse, both Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania caved to pressure from wealthy donors and members of Congress in accepting resignations from Gay and Elizbeth Magill over their handling of student expressions of speech. Large protests on college campuses over social issues are nothing new in America. In 1968 Columbia University students protesting the Vietnam War and the construction of a gym on public land adjacent to a historic working-class Black neighborhood seized five campus buildings and took a dean hostage. After a week of protests the then-Columbia president cracked down with the help of NYPD, who recorded the largest mass detention in New York City history by making 700 arrests after entering the campus through underground tunnels, kicking and punching protesters as well as beating them with nightsticks. On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen shot and killed four Kent State students as they protested the Vietnam War, and wounded nine others all of them unarmed. In the 1970s students across the country protested, seeking their schools divestiture from South Africa over its ongoing policy of apartheid. And in the early 2000s, campuses saw a movement asking for accountability over sexual assaults. Most of those protests saw ultimate successthe nationwide sentiment about the Vietnam War led to the U.S. withdrawal and many colleges did ultimately divest from apartheid-linked companies, although at schools like Vassar College it took nearly a decade. Administrators, meanwhile, began addressing sexual assaults on campus through the use of Title IX (the latter coming primarily through the work of student activists featured in the documentary The Hunting Ground). But the response of todays universities seems to reflect little wisdom gleaned from the rich history of American student protests. See-sawed between donors and Congress, the universities trip over their own feet trying to appease all instead of taking a clear-eyed look at the tools they already have. Lets start with student conduct codes. In my law practice, I defend many students in cases involving conduct and academic code violations. Most schoolsparticularly private universitieshave enormous freedom to enact student conduct codes mostly unfettered by the First Amendment. Schools can and have enacted regulations against hate speecha category of speech hard to define but certainly protected by the First Amendment. Nonetheless, most schools can ban hate speech, and that makes sense. Students essentially agree to live by a code of conduct when they enroll and its reasonable for that code of conduct to include how they may behave towards other students. Conduct codes also may overlap with criminal law when it comes to sanctions for sexual assaults, threats or any physical violence. NYU Faculty Join Gaza Protest After University Threatens Arrest The challenge lies in the details of investigation and enforcement, but the existing codes can easily handle instances of hate speech like the use of racist or antisemitic terms, or displaying hate symbols like Nazi swastikas. For example, applying those codes would allow Columbia to discipline students who engaged in explicit antisemitic shouting or conduct and certainly also would allow the disciplining of students who threatened or harassed other students. But enforcing such codes demands that the schools follow their own processes, and in their current mindset of reactive panic they seem to be dispensing with thatgiven reports of summary suspensions and students being given 15 minutes to move out of their dormitories while under escort by campus authorities. Police and criminal law can also be applied in the event of violence or trespassmeaning the unlawful occupation of buildings. Camping out on the main lawn of Columbia to protest hardly fits the bill for bringing in police to make mass arrests. In fact, a look at the choice of sites chosen by Columbia students also reveals that the so-called tent cities were put up in a section of campus that would not interfere with temporary facilities being erected in preparation for commencement ceremonies. Nor is the police crackdown justified by any loopholes in campus conduct codes, since even off-campus behavior can result in a student being disciplined. Thus a student who goes outside the campus to engage in antisemitic or violent behavior can still be disciplined by their school. Given this, one solution for Columbia and other institutions of higher learning would be to make sure that protests on campus do not include threats or harassment directed at any student. Such conduct should be punished through normal student discipline processes. Police can also be used to ensure that protests outside the campus do not interfere with life inside the campus. For example, a buffer zone could be established around the entrances so that students can freely walk onto campus without enduring a gauntlet of protesters as some videos seem to show happening. Defund every university that is harboring Hamas. The U.S. Department of State designated Hamas a terrorist organization. Our colleges and university campuses can not be allowed to be a hot bed for terrorists. What we are seeing at Columbia and other schools is not a free https://t.co/KJ48ra4lSh Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 22, 2024 Universities already have the tools to address hateful, racist, sexist, antisemitic behavior that does not rise to the level of criminal conduct. They also have the tool of law enforcement in the event of any criminal conduct or threats of violence. Teaching how to use the right tools for the right situation is a foundation of good education. Its time for universities to have their own teaching moment. 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. MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, N.Y. (PIX11) In the wake of reports of physical attacks, threats, and intimidation of Jewish students at Columbia University, the NYPD made its presence well known just outside of campus on Monday. Also present either just off-campus or on were a half-dozen members of Congress, who held separate, partisan news conferences. Pro-Palestinian protests could affect graduation at Columbia University After the conferences, faculty at the Upper Manhattan Ivy League college walked out in protest of academic punishments the university has carried out against student protesters. It all happened as demonstrations on both sides of the Israel-Gaza issue are intensifying on campus. For most of the day, protesters stood just outside of the campuss locked gates yelling slogans, and waving banners and signs. There were more pro-Palestinian demonstrators than there were pro-Israeli ones, but both sides were well-represented. Police in riot gear were present by the many dozen, ensuring that both sides did not encounter each other. Officers were intentionally stationed just off campus, with NYPD top brass pointing out that because Columbia is private property, cops cant enter without being requested by the university. The result was a scene of Columbia students inside the gates leading protests that non-Columbia supporters joined in from the other side of the gates. Man charged with hate crime in Islamic center vandalism at Rutgers: prosecutors Lauren Wolf was one of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Im Jewish, she said. People who are saying we are antisemitic, no. Were anti-Zionist. She was standing in a group of demonstrators behind police barricades that were separated by about 20 feet from another barricaded group of pro-Israel demonstrators. Omry Hananya was in the pro-Israel group. Im Israeli, he said, as he pointed to the opposing group. What theyre talking about is like killing and/or deporting my family from the place where theyve been for like 100 years now. Mondays developments came days after the NYPD, at the request of the university, physically removed protesters whod set up tents on a Columbia lawn to call for the ceasefire. Now, those tents are back, but theyre occupied only by people affiliated with the university. A valid I.D. is now required to be let through the gates onto campus. Bronx BP Gibson addresses public safety In fact, some of the members of Congress who visited the area on Monday decided to stay outside of the gates. Two Republican congressmen, Mike Lawler from Rockland County, and Anthony DEsposito, from Long Island, joined with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to condemn protests on campus. I have never seen a more disgraceful act, Lawler said at a midday news conference. Around the same time, four Jewish Democratic members of Congress Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Dan Goldman of New York, Jared Moskowitz of Florida, and Kathy Manning of North Carolina toured campus. They said that it was done to ensure that students are protected, especially during Passover, this week. Jewish students feel unsafe, insecure and broadly harassed, Goldman said at a press conference outside of the universitys Hillel center. All day on Monday, all classes met remotely by order of the university. However, just before 2:00 p.m., many of the people teaching the classes walked out en masse to the stairs at the center of campus, Low Library, and in a protest, they sent a message to the universitys president and administrators. We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, said a representative of the faculty group, the administrations suspension of students engaged in peaceful protests and their arrest by the NYPD. More than 100 students have been suspended by the university, after they were arrested following last Thursdays protests. The faculty members called for the students to be unsuspended. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Columbia Universitys main campus will shift to hybrid learning for the reminder of the semester amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests, the school announced Monday. Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students learning and all the required academic operations, school Provost Angela V. Olinto and Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway said in a statement. All classes, except arts- or practice-based programs, will remain hybrid technology permitting until the end of the spring semester. Faculty holding classes for which hybrid learning is not an option were asked to hold classes remotely or provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week. Columbia already moved Mondays classes online following days of protests on the schools campus. Demonstrators are calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, along with a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel, and they set up an encampment last week at the center of campus in protest. Columbia administrators, led by university President Minouche Shafik, authorized New York police last week to arrest students involved with the protests, prompting further tensions on campus. More than 100 students were arrested, including the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). While most of the protests were reported to be peaceful, concerns were raised over the safety of students and proliferation of antisemitic rhetoric. Some protest groups have rejected the characterizations of their demonstrations as antisemitic, pointing to the significant portion of demonstrators who are Jewish. Concerns were further driven by a reported call from one campus rabbi for Jewish students to return home as soon as possible, citing safety concerns ahead of the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The campus Hillel director issued a statement asking the school and city to do more to protect Jewish students, but did not call for students to return home. Tensions have roiled other college campuses, including New York University, where the NYPD moved into a crowd of protestors and took multiple people into custody on Monday night. Earlier on Monday, police arrested dozens of protestors at Yale University after an encampment swelled to several hundred people calling for the school to divest from military weapons manufacturers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. For reporters at Columbia Universitys independent, student-run paper the Columbia Daily Spectator, covering the chaos flaming the universitys metal gates over the Israel-Hamas war has become both a mission to get the first draft of history right and a quest to make sure the national press doesnt get it wrong. Our reporters have really been working overtime, said Esha Karam, the 21-year-old managing editor of the Daily Spectator. Weve been on the ground, covering protests both inside and outside of campus at all times and all hours. We've faced unique challenges both as students who are living on campus and reporting at the same time. We've tried to gain a diverse array of perspectives. Columbia has had to deal with hordes of protestors in and outside its gates, an uprising from its staff and students, a shift to virtual classes, and calls for President Minouche Shafik to join other Ivy League leaders in resignation over her decision to allow the NYPD to clear out a Gaza Solidarity Encampment that resulted in the largest mass arrests on Columbias campus since 1968, when officers used violence to clear out students protesting the Vietnam War. It followed her testimony before Congress to address antisemitic incidents on campus, which a small group of Spectator reporters bussed down to Washington, D.C. to cover. The decision sparked a further wave of fervor in local and national circles, with political and media voices across spectrums either criticizing the extremity in Shafiks response or decrying Columbia as an intolerant space for Jewish students. The White House condemned calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students, while CNN anchor Jake Tapper boosted a message Rabbi Ellie Buechler sent to more than 300 Orthodox Jewish students that suggested they stay at home as Columbia Universitys Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students safety. A troupe of House Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have also called for the university to be held accountable for antisemitic incidents. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and the entire House GOP delegation from New York also called for Shafiks ouster. The Spectators deployment of more than 40 staffers from its 250-person newsroom to tackle the uproar at the school is a reflection of how importantand historicalthis moment is in Columbias history. Karam said she and her fellow reporters and editors have worked hard to distinguish the faculty and student protests on the campus from the chaos beyond its gated walls, which she said have gotten conflated, often leading to the breathless coverage from outside media.. It's sort of hard to make that distinction sometimes super clear where these are the protesters who are off campus and might be coming from around the city versus the students who are on campus, Karam said. We have seen many arrests off-campus since Thursday, but we have not seen any arrests on campus since Thursday. So the distinction is hard to make sometimes, and I think what can be lost is sort of that nuance. The reporters contextual knowledge has been put to use, too. The Spectator heavily covered the October protests at Columbia that helped launch the political maelstrom over college campuses, allowing reporters to observe firsthand how overall protest activity has declined, fellow university news editor Sarah Huddleston, 20, told The Daily Beast. It hasn't necessarily been a constant upkeep of regular protest activities over the course of this semester, Huddleston said. We, as Spectator reporters, have a grasp on [that] because we live on this campus, and we go to class on this campus. We have that access. Its that unique circumstances thats helped mobilize the Spectator staff. A contingent of reporters have set up shop at the Butler Library, Columbias largest and the closest to the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, before moving off campus from 6 p.m. to midnight to the off-campus newsroom. It gives the reporters unique access to on-campus protests, such as a protest on Monday that drew both students and faculty from Columbia and Barnard College. Especially this time when Columbia is sort of restricting access to press, we have an especially important job in documenting things going on, and we've tried to, Karam, the managing editor, said. Weve tried to do that in a number of ways, particularly through our multimedia capacities. Our photographers and videographers are on the ground almost just as much as our reporters are, because we have that unique access that we know that no one else has right now. The Spectators reputation for covering history spans decades. Founded in 1877, the paper documented the NYPDs violent response to the 1968 protests, which saw students seize five campus buildings and shut the campus down for a week. In its issue following the police raids, a Spectator reporter noted how they were hit twice in the face by police officers, prompting a hospital visit. That importance of getting it right from the front lines isnt lost on the Spectator, fellow university news editor Shea Vance, 19, told The Daily Beast. We are aware that this is reporting that will have a place in the historical record, not just at Columbia, but in the nation in regards to campus protests and activism and, and the history of how police have been brought to college campuses and what that means for a free speech landscape, Vance said. Were definitely feeling the pressure, but I think that we're shouldering it well, and we all feel passionately that this is something we need to do well and need to do right. Editors note: The Spectators editor-in-chief Isabella Ramirez is currently a social media editor at The Daily Beast. 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. Students at Columbia University have been instructed that classes have shifted to virtual or hybrid amid ongoing safety concerns stemming from anti-Israel protests. The new guidelines said all courses on the Morningside main campus have moved to hybrid learning "until the end of each schools Spring 2024 semester." "Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students learning and all the required academic operations," the school's Provost Angela Olinto wrote in a statement released early Tuesday morning. "Its vital that teaching and learning continue during this time." The announcement comes amid continued antisemitic protests on the New York City campus and just a day after classes were made virtual on Monday. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOS Anti-Israel agitators gather on Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. The guidance, signed in tandem with Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway, also affects faculty and staff. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "All faculty whose classrooms are located on the main Morningside campus and equipped with hybrid capabilities should enable them to provide virtual learning options to students who need such a learning modality. Faculty in other classrooms or teaching spaces that do not have capabilities for offering hybrid options should hold classes remotely if there are student requests for virtual participation. If the class does not permit adapting to the remote offering format, we encourage faculty to provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week," the guidance continued. Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. The school also advises administrative officers and support staff to work from home, if they are able. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ORDERS VIRTUAL CLASSES AS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS TAKE OVER: 'WE NEED A RESET' Arts and Practice-based programs are scheduled to remain in-person with "generous accommodations supported by school deans and staff." Anti-Israel agitators gather on Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. The Medical Center and Manhattanville campuses are proceeding with "in-person operation as usual, but granting accommodations based on religious reasons, or approved disability accommodations." It concludes, "We will continue to communicate further updates and appreciate your understanding." IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS' PROTESTS SPIRAL INTO 'ACTUAL TERROR ORGANIZATION,' PROFESSOR WARNS The guidance comes amid days of protests at Columbia, where anti-Israel agitators initially formed an encampment setting up tents and refusing to leave on the campus Wednesday. The protesters have marched in and around the campus demanding the school lose affiliations with groups that support Israel amid its war with Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths. Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia Universitys campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes would be held virtually today in response to the ongoing demonstrations on campus. Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said in a statement posted in the early hours Monday morning, that she was "deeply saddened" by certain actions of the agitators and called for a "reset." "I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus," Shafik wrote. "Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas." Protestors demonstrate near Columbia University on February 02, 2024 in New York City. In the statement, she announced that all classes on Monday would be held virtually to ensure students' safety. "We need a reset," she added. "To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus." More than 100 of the protesters were arrested last week amid the unrest. Original article source: Columbia University moves to hybrid learning on main campus amid antisemitic protests BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The Bahamian and Azerbaijani Gymnastics Federations signed a Memorandum of Understanding, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani federation. The memorandum was signed for the development and promotion of rhythmic gymnastics. It was signed by AGF Secretary General Nurlana Mammadzada and President of the Gymnastics Federation of the Bahamas, Ms. Cora Hepburn. This cooperation is important in terms of the exchange of experience between federations. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel View previous coverage from the start of construction on CMLs Linden Branch in the video player above. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) As Columbus Metropolitan Library prepares for construction of a new building, the Barnett branch will close in early May before moving to a temporary location. Construction on the new Barnett branch at 3434 E. Livingston Ave. begins with an indoor ceremonial wallbreaking at 3 p.m. on May 22. The new branch, which is being built on the same site, will nearly double the current branchs size to 22,000 square feet and is expected to open in 2025. Worthingtons Buca di Beppo to close after 23 years, face bulldozer for new Chick-fil-A The branch will close on May 4 before taking up a temporary residency at 3227 E. Livingston Ave. on May 13. On Mondays through Thursdays, the branch will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Built in 1992, the Barnett branch was formerly known as the Livingston branch before a name change in 2019. Columbus Metropolitan Library is rebuilding multiple branches, with the new Reynoldsburg branch scheduled to open on Wednesday and the Gahanna branch opening in 2023. A new branch in Linden is under construction. In November, voters approved a levy that will bring millions in funding for the library system. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus Zoo security and area authorities are on alert after six people allegedly stole one car and attempted to break into multiple others in the parking lot Monday afternoon. According to a Delaware County Sheriffs report, a deputy was dispatched to the Columbus Zoo on West Powell Road, where there were reports of several people running through the parking lot with hoods over their heads and masks on their face. List: Summer farmers markets in central Ohio A witness reported that the individuals were trying to break into or steal cars parked in the lot. Before the responding deputy arrived, the individuals allegedly left in a white Hyundai Sonata and an unidentified black sedan. The incident report states that the witness was sitting in her car and observed four people checking vehicles and attempting to break into them. The witness said that the four people casing the parking lot were being followed by a car with the driver also wearing a hood and mask. This embedded content is not available in your region. One of the cars reportedly had a window broken and the woman said she could see weapons by the suspects hips. The Columbus Zoo also reported it received at least two other calls to its guest relations desks regarding the suspects. After the zoo closed, the sheriffs office received another call from a person who said their car was missing from the lot. A description of the car matched that of the Hyundai Sonata which was reportedly being driven by one of the masked suspects. The responding sergeant investigated the area and found documents belonging to the victim, including a W2 form, checks, bank statements and other documents, scattered near the parking lot exit. Picnic Pizza Italian Eatery in Zanesville closes after more than 30 years Zoo security shared that they observed the black vehicle entering the lot and then exiting three minutes later along with the Hyundai. Deputies were able to observe security camera footage, but they did not share it publicly, or if they found additional evidence. Steven Langton, the director of safety and security for the Columbus zoo, said something like this has never happened at the zoo before. We had, you know, incidents in the parking lot, thefts, things like that, but not to this extent to where this might be more of an organized operation, he said. It seems like with a number of individuals coming through, pulling on car handles, looking for vehicles to get into. Unfortunately, people take advantage of busy parking lots when they can, he added. The zoo increased its parking lot presence on Tuesday people were out patrolling and driving around with their lights on to act as a deterrent. Langton said he teaches his staff about the importance of see something, say something. Express may lay off over 600 employees at corporate offices in Columbus We have a large property, a very large parking lot, so we rely a lot on other team members and guests to let us know when theres something going on that doesnt feel right, he said. Encourage them to call us, let us know any time because were always going to respond and take a look. Langton said the zoos Evolv Security System will be up and running in June, allowing security to screen everybody who enters the zoo to make sure no one has any weapons on them. The sheriffs office asked anyone with information on this incident to call 740-833-2800 or email alee@co.delaware.oh.us. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Theres no record of Edmund Burke the great Irish-born British statesman and father of modern conservatism actually saying what is often attributed to him: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. But it does capture his worldview well enough. It also captures a renewed, possibly short-lived triumph of courage and wisdom within the Republican Party. Amid threats to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson for allowing a vote on aid to Ukraine, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) captured the partys own divide between the good and the rest in colorful terms on CNN Sunday. Its my absolute honor to be in Congress, he said, but I serve with some real scumbags. Read more: Goldberg: The latest sign that Republicans are abandoning even their most deeply held principles Gonzales was taking aim at Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Bob Good (R-Va.), but he could have included quite a few others. For the last few years, congressional Republicans have been split into factions that are not ideological in the traditional sense. Pick nearly any standard domestic policy issue abortion, gun rights, taxes, immigration and you wont see much evidence of the schism. Even (public) support for Donald Trump doesnt delineate the divide. No, the difference is largely over tactics, rhetoric and psychology. One faction, comprising an overwhelming majority of the House GOP caucus, is interested in accomplishing the possible. The other is more interested in aiming for the impossible and then complaining about falling short. Read more: Goldberg: For Israel and Ukraine alike, U.S. support is proving unreliable and inadequate Of course, members of the latter group dont admit to the impossibility of their goals; that would ruin the con. They insist that with enough willpower, particularly among their leaders, they could impose their will on the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House. They make that case on television, on social media and in floor speeches. And when they inevitably fail, they whine that they were betrayed by Republican quislings who collaborated with the Democrats, all while raising money off the notion that theyre courageous warriors who are willing to lose on principle. The success of their schtick has depended on a number of factors. One is that the Republicans narrow House majority empowers the fringe. To become speaker last year, Kevin McCarthy agreed to a change in the rules that makes it possible for a single representative to move to vacate the chair that is, trigger a vote on whether to depose the speaker. Thats what happened last year after McCarthy avoided a default on the national debt, kept the government open and committed other alleged outrages. Gaetz and seven other Republicans, representing less than 2% of the country, were enough to oust McCarthy against the wishes of 95% of the Republican caucus, with Democrats uniformly hewing to the bipartisan tradition of refusing to support a speaker of the opposite party. In other words, the Republican firebrands, who think the worst sin imaginable is to work with Democrats, voted with Democrats to oust their leader. McCarthys successor, Johnson, brought four bills to the House floor Saturday three to provide vital military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and one to force a Chinese company to sell TikTok or cease operating in the United States. The bills passed overwhelmingly, with all but the Ukraine bill winning a majority of Republicans votes. Now Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky,) want to oust Johnson for his betrayal not of the caucus, country or Congress but of the tiny fringe faction that thinks it should call the shots. Theyll probably fail, for several reasons. First, few Republicans including some who oppose Johnson want to be seen following the lead of the Houses most notorious cranks and bigots. Second, Trump doesnt want the Republican caucus to turn into an embarrassing circular firing squad while he is running for president. (Its remarkable that Trump is worried that other Republicans will make him look bad.) Third, Democrats have signaled that they will help Johnson keep his job after he courageously did the right thing. And finally, no one appears to want Johnsons job who could also get the job. The most important development for the party in all of this is that the rest of the caucus has realized that going along with the arsonists all of whom have safe seats and would be happy to throw their bombs from the House minority amounts to politically suicidal appeasement. The majority of the majority the vast majority of the majority is sick and tired of these high school antics, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said last week. He also noted that the only way to stop a bully is to push back hard. One can only hope that realization sticks. @JonahDispatch 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. After a block party in Orange Mound consisting of hundreds of people turned into a mass shooting, people are now wondering if an event like that was even supposed to be taking place. Community activist, Mama Dee, came to visit Orange Mound Park on Monday to see the damage the shooting had done to it. While looking around, she told WREG she found herself asking how an event that big went unchecked. Me as a promoter, every time I have done an open-air block party, you know, not in a facility, I have had to pull a permit, Dee said. I had to get a $1 million bond. 9 shot, 2 killed at Orange Mound Park in Memphis Police confirmed on Saturday night that there was no permit given for Saturdays event. They say officers were in the area when the call about the shooting came in. If we have one officer that patrols this area, and hes seen all those people there, he should have stopped his car immediately because we got our kids so outrageous here, Dee said. He should have stopped his car, called back to the precinct and asked do we have a permit? County commissioner, Brittany Thornton lives just blocks away from where the shooting happened. She said the shots sounded more like fireworks than gunshots due to how many there were. Police presence at Orange Mound Park following the block party shooting. Police presence at Orange Mound Park following the block party shooting. Police presence at Orange Mound Park following the block party shooting. Like Mama Dee, she has questions about how the event transpired and if the organizers even knew they needed a permit. This is actually the second time that this type of event has happened in the park, Thornton said. Are we only gonna ask about a permit when there are fatalities? Because last year I would ask the same question, did they have a permit last year? Grandmother calls out devils responsible for block party shooting She added that it may be time to tap into groups that have the ability to draw a large crowd of young people and find out how to reach the same young people with some possible solutions. We need to take a step back to say, How do we build better relationships with this population that is organized, that has a lot of energy and has access to guns because this great state of Tennessee that were in, Thornton said. I have so many questions about those who pass these gun laws that allow this to happen. While activists are planning a press conference calling for accountability, Thornton said leaders who represent are also galvanizing. Theres lots of conversations that we need to have about how to mend the disconnect between the generations. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. AURELIUS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLNS) People who live near the intersection of Columbia Road and College Road in Aurelius Township said its not safe. Community members are pushing for changes to be made after a 26-year-old mother from Holt was killed in a crash there on Sunday with her 3-year-old child sustaining serious injuries. The Ingham County Sheriffs Office confirmed to 6 News that Sundays crash was the second serious crash within the past seven days. Signs for the cross of College Rd. and Columbia Rd. in Aurelius Township. (WLNS) Ed Hude, who has lived next to the intersection for nearly 30 years, said its getting more dangerous as time goes on. I would just like to ask people to just slow down, take their time, and not be in a hurry, he said. Tire tracks and shards of glass remain at the intersection as a result of the most recent crash. You could see two vehicles with extensive damage over in the southeast corner of the intersection, Hude added. This embedded content is not available in your region. The Mason resident said there have been about four to six crashes that have happened at the intersection in 2023. The Ingham County Sheriffs Office said a vehicle driven by a 21-year-old man from Lansing was headed southbound on College Rd. and didnt yield when approaching Columbia Rd. crossing. The driver hit a black sedan that was traveling eastbound, which was being driven by 26-year-old Makenna Morse with her 3-year-old daughter. The three were taken to the hospital where the mother later died from her injuries. 6 News saw emergency vehicles, including ambulances, leaving the scene near College and Columbia roads, west of Mason. (WLNS) The stop signs ahead were placed due to prior accidents there, for people who arent familiar with the area or intersection and stuff to kind of give them a heads up. And one time I heard they were talking about putting in a four-way stop there and maybe theyll have to give a reconsideration to that, Hude said. On Monday, an Ingham County Sheriffs Deputy was policing the intersection. My sympathies go out to the families of the deceased young lady, and hopefully the young man who was involved in the crash recovers, and I hope the young girl, the 3-year-old recovers in this, Hude added. 6 News reached out to the Ingham County Road Department to check if they plan to make any changes at the intersection. One staff member did not comment but added that changes may be in the works. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash according to the sheriffs office. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Co-chairs of the omnibus veterans and military affairs finance bill conference committee, Sen. Nicole Mitchell and Rep. Jerry Newton, listen to a public testifier May 1, 2023. Photo by Catherine Davis/Minnesota House Public Information Services. Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, allegedly broke into her stepmothers house in Detroit Lakes on Monday morning to take several items belonging to her late father after her stepmom ceased contact with her and other family members, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday. Mitchell, a first-term senator, was arrested Monday morning after her stepmother called the police. Mitchell was charged with first-degree burglary, which comes with a mandatory 180-day jail sentence and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $35,000 fine. Mitchell was still booked into Becker County Jail as of Tuesday morning, according to the jails roster. At approximately 4:45 a.m., Detroit Lakes police officers arrived at Mitchells stepmothers house, and the stepmother told them Mitchell ran into the basement. Officers searched the basement and found Mitchell dressed in black clothing and a black hat. Police ordered her to the ground and arrested her, the complaint reads. According to the complaint, while being arrested Mitchell said something to the effect of I was just trying to get a couple of my dads things because you wouldnt talk to me anymore. An officer found a flashlight near Mitchell that had a black sock covering over it, and the complaint states it appeared to have been modified so as to control the amount of light emitting from the flashlight. An officer found Mitchells point of entry into the home a window on the south wall of the basement. He found a black backpack stuck in a small sliding window. Officers searched the backpack and found two laptops, a cell phone, Mitchells ID, her Senate identification and some Tupperware. Mitchell later said the laptops were both hers and she had just gotten into the house, and clearly Im not good at this. In a later interview with an officer, Mitchell said I know I did something bad, the complaint states. Mitchell told the officer that her father died and her stepmother had stopped all contact with her and other family. Mitchell allegedly wanted her fathers items, including pictures, a flannel shirt, his ashes and other sentimental items, the complaint states. The senator said she left her Woodbury home around 1 a.m. and broke into the Detroit Lakes house through the basement window. An officer asked her what got Mitchell to this stage and she said it was her fathers ashes, according to the complaint. Officers asked Mitchell about one of the laptops found in her backpack. In front of an officer, Mitchell opened it, pressed a button and her stepmoms name popped up. It was not password protected. Mitchell told officers her stepmom gave her the laptop way back when, but her stepmom later told officers she didnt give Mitchell a laptop. In a statement on Facebook, Mitchell denied stealing and said she went to the home to check on a family member. She said her family is dealing with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimers and associated paranoia. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the last 20 years, where my son even once had his own room. Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny. On Tuesday morning, Mitchell appeared virtually in her first court appearance wearing an orange jumpsuit. Becker County District Court Judge Gretchen Thilmony set Mitchells unconditional bail at $40,000 and said Mitchell could be released without posting any money as long as she remain law-abiding, makes future court appearances and has no future contact with her stepmother. Mitchell can travel out-of-state for official duties or to Cass County, North Dakota which encompasses Fargo to see family. Thilmony said she signed a harassment restraining order against Mitchell filed on behalf of her stepmother. In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said the allegations against Mitchell are upsetting and the behavior is outside the Mitchells character she established in the military and in the Senate. We believe in due process, and Senator Mitchell has the right to a full defense of her case in court, Murphy said. In the coming days and weeks, Senator Mitchell must also have serious and difficult conversations with her colleagues, constituents and family. Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, in a statement called for Mitchells immediate resignation from the Senate, calling Mitchells alleged actions disturbing. The complaint lays out the case of a person who took extensive preparation to burglarize a family members home, Johnson said. This behavior is unbecoming of a member of the Legislature and she needs to resign from the Senate immediately. Mitchell was elected to the Senate in 2022. Shes vice chair of the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee. Mitchell is a former TV meteorologist for KSTP and Minnesota Public Radio. Shes also a commander in the Air National Guards 126th Weather Flight. The post Complaint: DFL senator broke into stepmothers house seeking late fathers belongings appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. DENVER (KDVR) One gun control measure is headed to Gov. Jared Polis desk to possibly be signed into law, and three more are heading to the Colorado Senate for further debate. The measure heading to Polis desk would require gun owners to obtain more training before they can legally carry a concealed firearm. The law would require concealed carry courses to be held in person and include information about: Safe storage State and federal gun laws Using firearms for self-defense Lockboxes could be required for guns in cars under new proposal, opponents say too far It will also require course takers to complete a live-shooting task and achieve a standardized test score of at least 80% for gun owners to be awarded a concealed carry permit. Gun rights groups have said these measures could deter gun owners who would otherwise carry their firearms. Others argued the measure is common sense. Members, this bill is a good bill. Education and high standards are not bad when it comes to the great responsibility of concealed carry of a firearm, said state Sen. Kyle Mullica, a Democrat representing portions of Adams County, during debate on April 19. Colorado Senate debates gun control measures Liability insurance A measure heading to the Senate would require gun owners to hold liability insurance covering injury, death or property damage that could occur from an accidental discharge. The measure would make it a civil infraction not to have liability insurance, punishable by a first-time fine of $500, and a second offense within five years of the previous offense would increase the fine to $1,000. There are also measures to ensure anyone who cannot obtain the insurance can still own a firearm. Firearm and ammunition taxes The second bill heading to the Senate would let voters decide whether the state should charge a 9% tax on all firearm and ammunition purchases. That is a decrease from the proposed tax of 11% originally included in the bill. After a lot of conversations, a lot of thinking, what we came up with was an excise tax on guns, ammunition, gun parts, gun sales, the measures primary sponsor, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, said earlier this month to FOX31s Gabrielle Franklin. I think voters are happy to pay a little extra when it comes to their guns and ammunition, whatever they are buying, knowing that funding is going directly to three things: crime victims, school safety and mental health. Requirements for gun dealers The final measure going before the Colorado Senate would require retail gun dealers to obtain a state permit, and would require owners and employees to go through a training program on how to secure weapons and spot illegal purchases. From hairdressers and auto dealers to liquor store owners and many other professions, state licenses are required to conduct business, and we believe that people who sell firearms should be held to the same standard, state Rep. Emily Sirota, a Democrat representing Denver, said in a House Democrats press release. Our bill would establish a state permitting system for firearm dealers, require dealers and employees to undergo training to better identify suspicious activity, and ensure compliance with business standards to prevent illegal firearm sales. Dealers who violate state laws could lose their permit to sell firearms, preventing illegal guns and components from being circulated in our communities. This bill sets firearm dealers up for success to help us reduce gun violence and crime in our communities, Sirota said. Colorado bill to track gun and ammo purchases heads to Polis desk The measure would go into effect on July 1, requiring gun dealers to hold a state permit. Operating without the permit would be an unclassified felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, according to the bill text. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. OLD HICKORY, Tenn. (WKRN) A man was arrested for his fifth DUI after being seen sleeping in his car in Old Hickory. According to an affidavit from the Metro Nashville Police Department, Mugisha Solomon was seen asleep behind the wheel of a grey Nissan by a concerned citizen who called 911 to report it around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 21. When officers arrived, they saw the man asleep in the vehicle with his keys in his lap and an empty bottle of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey in the cup holder. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee Officers reportedly had to knock on the car windows repeatedly and with a great deal of force to get Solomon to wake up. Upon Solomon awaking and opening the door, officers said they immediately smelled the odor of alcohol. Officers also noticed Solomons eyes were watery and bloodshot. When asked about the whiskey bottle in his cup holder, Solomon told police it belonged to his friend who was no longer on the scene and denied drinking. Solomon complied with a request to exit the vehicle, which is when officers noticed he was unsteady on his feet. Solomon also agreed to perform field sobriety tests for the officers, which reportedly showed multiple indicators of impairment. He was then arrested for DUI and transported to the Metro Jail. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Upon being booked, officers discovered Solomon was previously found guilty of DUI (4th or more) out of Bowling Green, Ky., making this his fifth DUI. Officers also discovered Solomon had his license revoked. According to jail records, Solomon is currently being held on a $21,000 bond for misdemeanor criminal impersonation, misdemeanor driving on a revoked/suspended license, and felony DUI (5th offense). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Reps. Blake Moore, Celeste Maloy and John Curtis, all R-Utah, attend a field hearing for the Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources in Hurricane, Utah, on Monday, April 22, 2024. Local officials who testified included Adam Snow, Washington County commissioner, Eric Clarke, Washington County attorney, Carlos Braceras, executive director of Utah Department of Transportation, Zachary Renstrom, general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District, and Darcy Stewart, CEO of Fieldhouse Development. | Suzanne Bates, Deseret News Insulted, was the word Washington County Commissioner Adam Snow used when Rep. John Curtis asked how it felt for local leaders when the federal government made plans for land it controls in the county without including them. Snow said his family settled in southern Utah in 1849, and theyve tried to be good stewards of the land since then. Nobody can love this county more than I do. Some people maybe love it just as much, but nobody loves it more, I guarantee you that, said Snow. And for us to be the stewards that we have, and ... the hard work that it took to make this an incredible place, then somebody can come in from Connecticut or California or somewhere else and say, Trust us, you screwed it up for the last 180 years, let us tell you now how to do it, is insane. The frustration felt by Snow was echoed by the other county and state officials who testified Monday at a field hearing for the Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Curtis chaired the hearing, which was also attended by Rep. Celeste Maloy, whose 2nd Congressional District includes much of southwestern Utah, and Rep. Blake Moore, who represents Utahs 1st District. The hearing was held outdoors at the Rock Bowl, in a new development near Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah, on an unusually warm April day. The over-capacity crowd sat on folding chairs and blankets in a venue surrounded by the regions distinctive red rocks. There are several points of conflict between federal and local officials over how to best protect, preserve and use the land in Utah especially over the two-thirds of the states land controlled by the federal government but the biggest complaints raised at the hearing were over the federal Bureau of Land Managements decision to reverse approval of a right-of-way for the Northern Corridor, a 4-mile road county officials hope to build on the western side of St. George. They say the road is necessary to relieve congestion in the area, and will grow more critical as the regions growth continues to strain existing infrastructure. State, county spend millions trying to get Northern Corridor built The state and county have spent millions trying to build the road both in attorneys fees and lost time, according to Carlos Braceras, executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation, in response to a question from Moore. The four-lane highway would run through the federally protected Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. The BLM approved the right-of-way for the road in 2021 during the waning days of the Trump administration but then rolled that decision back a few months later after a lawsuit was brought by environmental groups over concerns about the Mojave desert tortoise, an endangered species. Many of the attendees at the hearing applauded when Maloy, a former county attorney, called out unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., who make decisions about federal land management in Utah without accountability to local residents. The road has been part of the countys transportation plan for decades, she said. The people at the table had bargained in good faith over a right-of-way for the road, but the decision to deny approval was made by bureaucrats who are not accountable to voters, she said, despite accommodations for the tortoises in the countys plans. Curtis, who started the Conservative Climate Caucus in the House, and is known for trying to take a balanced approach on issues related to the environment, said in his opening statement that federal red tape stopped Utah residents from enjoying the states public lands, and from building more affordable housing. Later in the hearing, he said, Ive driven around the state. Sometimes as Ive been on a road, I think of I-70 as an example, where I asked myself, Would this ever be built today? He asked Braceras, If we used the same standards we were using for the Northern Corridor, how would transportation in Utah look? Its hard to imagine we could do the things that we need to do to support our economy, our society, Braceras replied. Today, it seems like its much harder to do things that matter. Opponents to Northern Corridor push back But there were other attendees at the hearing opposed to the Northern Corridor, who wore stickers that said NO highway thru Red Cliffs. They were not pleased with what they heard, or with who was allowed to speak. Holly Snow Canada, executive director Conserve Southwest Utah, told the Deseret News that local and Indigenous voices were excluded from the hearing today. She said many of the opponents of the road could not attend the hearing because it was held 30 minutes outside of St. George, with little notice, in the middle of a workday. Reps. Blake Moore, Celeste Maloy and John Curtis, all R-Utah, attend a field hearing for the Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources in Hurricane, Utah, on Monday, April 22, 2024. Local officials who testified included Adam Snow, Washington County commissioner, Eric Clarke, Washington County attorney, Carlos Braceras, executive director of Utah Department of Transportation, Zachary Renstrom, general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District, and Darcy Stewart, CEO of Fieldhouse Development. | Suzanne Bates, Deseret News But Curtis said those upset by the hearing should address their complaints to Democratic members of the subcommittee, who chose not to attend the hearing nor to extend an invitation to testify to those who support the BLMs decision. Kya Marienfield, a wildlands attorney for Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, said besides concerns about the tortoise, much of the opposition to the road comes from local residents who live in the Green Springs neighborhood and would have the highway in their backyard. They deserve to have their voices heard, she said. Maloy echoed that concern, but in relation to the residents of southern Utah who feel like their voices werent being heard because of federal overreach. I love the West because we have open space, because we have access to natural resources, Maloy told the Deseret News after the hearing. I want that lifestyle to continue. But I dont want that lifestyle to be at the mercy of people who may or may not understand what that lifestyle is about. Correction: An earlier version of this story said Holly Snow Canada is executive director of Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. She is executive director Conserve Southwest Utah. GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) The Georgetown Police Department is investigating vandalism at Congressman John Carters, R-Round Rock, office in Williamson County. Police said they were called to the building on Interstate 35 around 8:45 a.m. Monday for a reported possible burglary of a building and vandalism of the front door. A photo shows what appears to be red paint on the door, building and sidewalk, police said. The phrase Free Gaza was spray-painted on the sidewalk in red paint. A representative from Carters office estimated it would cost about $2,000 to clean up the damage, police said. On Monday, Carter posted the same photo provided by police on his social media accounts. Photo provided by Georgetown Police Department Criminal Mischief is a Class A misdemeanor if the amount of pecuniary loss is $750 or more but less than $2,500, police said. Police are asking anyone who may have information about the incident to contact the department at CID@georgetown.org. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The volume of funds spent on the liberated territories from Azerbaijani state budget allocations since the beginning of 2024 has been revealed, Trend reports via the Ministry of Finance. According to the ministry, of the 3.8 billion manat ($2.2 billion) provided for in the current-year budget, 31.9 percent, or 1.2 billion manat ($710 million), were allocated for the reconstruction and restoration of liberated territories in the reporting period, based on documents submitted by customers for the relevant projects, which represents a growth of 58.6 million manat ($34.4 million), or five percent, from the same period in 2023. The ministry said that from the allocated funds, 1.13 billion manat (nearly $669.4 million) was spent on the construction and restoration of infrastructure projects (885.3 million manat or $521.25 million, for the design, construction, and reconstruction of road and railway infrastructure; 212.3 million manat, or $125.14 million, for the design and construction of new residential complexes). Moreover, 34.1 million manat, or $20.08 million, was spent on land reclamation work, 800,000 manat, or $470,000 - the building of solid waste infrastructure, 400,000 manat ($240,000) - cadastral services, and 5.6 million manat ($3.3 million) - the implementation of other infrastructure projects. Additionally, 23.6 million manat ($13.9 million) were spent on the construction and restoration of social projects (for educational and medical activities). Furthermore, 20.1 million manat ($11.85 million) was spent on the design and construction of a convention center and a unified administrative building for the shared use of relevant state authorities (institutions) in Zangilan city, 15 million manat ($8.84 million) - landmine clearance activities, and 23.5 million manat ($13.85 million) - other activities. To note, Azerbaijan's state budget expenditures in 2023 amounted to 36.4 billion manat ($21.3 billion), which is 4.3 billion manat ($2.5 billion) or 13.7 percent more than in 2022. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Getty Images For many years, its been a mantra on the political right that state government should be run like a business a business thats lean and efficient, and in which any hint of waste and self-dealing must be aggressively investigated and rooted out. Several years back, a Raleigh conservative think tank railed repeatedly against the states K-12 school lunch program on the grounds some children were receiving free or reduced-price school meals even though their parents had perish the thought managed to bump their household incomes above the rather pathetic eligibility threshold. When someone is willing to crusade against the idea of second-graders getting a price break on a slice of lukewarm pizza, a cup of applesauce and a small carton of milk, you know theyre serious about pinching every penny expended from the public purse. In a similar vein over the last decade, Republican lawmakers and their allies stubbornly opposed Medicaid expansion a largely federally financed move that would have provided health coverage to hundreds of thousands of uninsured people and prevented thousands of premature deaths annually on the grounds that the states Medicaid program needed first to be reformed and made more efficient. Its funny, however, how this supposed hard-nosed commitment to efficiency tends to waver when questions arise about pet contracts and appropriations championed by conservative groups and Republican politicians. Recently, for instance, conservative culture warriors at the North Carolina Values Coalition fired a broadside against Democratic state lawmakers for seeking information about private crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina and what they are doing with the millions of dollars they receive in state funding. A release from the group said, rather amusingly, that the request from lawmakers amounted to unethical authoritarian tactics. As critics have repeatedly explained, crisis pregnancy centers do precious little to aid pregnant women, save for doing their utmost to discourage them from seeking abortion care. Indeed, CNN reported in 2022 that many such centers have been found to provide false and misleading information to pregnant women in service of this agenda. That state lawmakers might seek information from such groups in North Carolina groups that receive significant state appropriations with essentially no strings attached would seem to represent precisely the kind of careful fiscal stewardship that conservatives have long demanded for all public appropriations. Unfortunately, as the anti-abortion groups made clear, scrutiny is only welcomed by conservatives for some kinds of public spending. Yolanda Hill Robinson with husband Lt. Governor Mark Robinson Yolanda Hill Robinson with husband Lt. Governor Mark Robinson celebrating his primary victory on March 2, 2024. (Screengrab from Robinsons campaign YouTube channel) This kind of rather blatant double standard also came to mind last week when journalists discovered that a nonprofit run by Lt. Gov. Mark Robinsons wife is being examined by state officials for questionable actions related to a lucrative state contract it had. As youve probably heard by now, Robinsons wife, Yolanda Hill, ran a nonprofit called Balanced Nutrition for several years that received funding from the state to work with childcare centers in their receipt and use of public dollars to provide school meals. Hill shut the business down recently and rather abruptly saying to some people that she no longer had time to manage it while her husband ran for governor. As Colin Campbell of WUNC reported, however, Emails and documents obtained by WUNC through a public records request show the abrupt closure relates to an ongoing investigation by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the childcare center nutrition program. And as NC Newslines Ahmed Jallow reported yesterday, DHHS documents indicate that Balanced Nutrition was cited for discrepancies in figures it reported and for a failure to identify violations from some of the childcare centers it was responsible for monitoring. Rather, however, than embracing the investigation like a true conservative and taking full responsibility for rooting out any discrepancies and inefficiencies in the nonprofits work, Robinsons wife who paid herself a hefty six-figure salary while running the group is instead claiming that shes being unfairly targeted for political purposes. The WUNC report noted that Hill initially demanded a meeting with state officials to discuss the review of Balanced Nutritions work, but later rejected a proposed date for the meeting saying she needed to arrange a date with the nonprofits attorney and would follow up later. Apparently, however, no such meeting has taken place since. WUNC reported that Email records provided by DHHS dont show any additional follow-up from Hill in the subsequent weeks and that Robinsons campaign is now referring questions about the matter to the nonprofits attorney. Of course, it should be noted that some on the political right have called out and criticized Hills program. Likewise, there have been plenty of times down through the years in which public appropriations favored by progressives deserved much more scrutiny. Remember the late Democratic U.S. Senator William Proxmire and his Golden Fleece Award that skewered wasteful spending? That said, the questions state officials are asking about the crisis pregnancy centers and the Robinson nonprofit are precisely what conservatives have long demanded in the review of all government contracts and appropriations. And its the height of hypocrisy for anti-abortion activists or the Robinsons to expect anything else for their businesses. The post When conservatives balk at scrutinizing public spending appeared first on NC Newsline. The Safety of Rwanda Bill is through Parliament after the House of Lords finally bowed to the elected chamber as it is required to do even if in the past it has not always done so immediately. The Commons can assert its supremacy through the use of the Parliament Act to force legislation on to the statute book. The Hunting Act 2004 was the last measure pushed through in this way. However, that option was not open to Rishi Sunak, since it requires a delay of a year and the Bill would not have been enacted until after the general election. That would have defeated one of its intended aims, which is to show that the Tories are more to be trusted than Labour to deal with illegal immigration. This is probably true, despite the failure so far of the Government to stop the boats or even reduce the numbers arriving on our shores. But at least they are trying. Moreover, it suits their political purposes to blame Labour, Lefty lawyers and human rights for thwarting the will of the people. That would be a platform for an election campaign and one that might now happen sooner than anticipated. The parliamentary fight may be over but another, potentially more problematic, constitutional clash looms with the courts and no one can be sure of the direction it will take. The Rwanda Act, as it will shortly become, specifically states that the courts cannot gainsay a government policy, whether it is right or wrong. The Supreme Court said that it did not believe Rwanda was a safe place to send asylum seekers and that this was in breach of the UKs obligations under various international treaties, principally the UN Refugee Convention. The way around that was to introduce a law that states the opposite and for the courts to be forced to accept it, whether it is true or not. To that end, the Government has gone out of its way to secure further agreements with Rwanda, to sign a new treaty (yet to be ratified), and do everything it can to ensure it is a safe place. The Act states, in terms, the principle that Parliament is sovereign and can change domestic law as it sees fit, including requiring a state of affairs or facts to be recognised if the Government says so, even if they are not necessarily facts. When you stop to think about it, and we rarely do, this is a remarkable doctrine and one that underpins our entire constitutional dispensation. In theory, Parliament has given the Government the power to decree that two plus two equals five even when everyone knows it doesnt. Ministers might argue that, where Rwanda is concerned, the question of its being a safe country is a matter of opinion and the Supreme Court relied upon a tendentious assessment from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to rule it was unsafe. The Government may well be right to take a different view. It may be the case that no refugee will be harmed, discriminated against or repatriated. But what is so unusual about this Act is that it says that, even if all these things were to happen, Rwanda is still safe because Parliament has said so. Despite the expression of Parliaments will, ministers are still expecting a monumental legal fight. Otherwise why have 25 courtrooms and 150 judges on standby to hear cases? Indeed, it is conceivable that this matter will end up before the Supreme Court once more. Mr Sunak is relying on the courts accepting the principle of parliamentary sovereignty as absolute, immutable and inviolable. But what if they dont? The concept is not in any statute; it is a convention or tradition, articulated most forcefully by the Victorian constitutionalist A V Dicey. Parliament has the right to make or unmake any law whatever, and further, that no person or body is recognised by the law of England as having the right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament. So imbued is this doctrine in our body politic (though it is an English concept, not Scottish) that no one ever really questions it. Parliament set aside some of its own powers through the 1972 European Communities Act, which meant that the European Court could strike down an Act of Parliament, as it occasionally did. But Westminster reasserted its legal authority by leaving the EU. When Dicey was writing, there were no international treaty obligations to which successive British governments had bound themselves and whose infractions the courts were entitled to point out. Despite his legal absolutism, Dicey acknowledged that sovereignty was constrained in practical ways. No ruler could exercise sovereign power to make laws if the people would not obey them or him. So Parliament shares sovereignty with the people. Yet when Parliament tried to enact the Brexit referendum result, the courts intervened in areas they arguably should have stayed away from. The test of whether Mr Sunaks plan works is whether it deters those crossing the Channel and smashes the business model of the people smugglers, whose miserable traffic has just claimed another five lives. We will never find out if the flights dont go ahead. If Mr Sunaks plan is thwarted once more by the courts, then he can hardly just shrug and carry on. He will have no option but to go to the country. At least he would be able to campaign on a clear issue that everyone could understand. Single issue elections are rare but not unprecedented: 1910, which clipped the wings of the Lords, and 1974 over trade union power come to mind. The courts will be deeply reluctant to be seen challenging the concept of parliamentary sovereignty, though some jurists think it overblown. Sir Ivor Jennings, in The Law and the Constitution, said Diceys idea of the supremacy of parliament was a legal fiction that could lead to all manner of absurdities. Indeed, we may just have witnessed one with the Rwanda Bill. It raises a question that may finally need to be addressed: is Parliament or the rule of law sovereign? Judges would be in uncharted territory to challenge such a fundamental doctrine and yet perhaps Mr Sunak secretly hopes they do. After all, an election held on the constitutional question of who governs? and underpinned by public concern over immigration might be his best hope of avoiding an electoral meltdown. 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. State Rep. Russell Otts work for the South Carolina Farm Bureau is getting hit in the latest salvo of whats turning into a contentious District 26 state Senate Democratic primary race. Ott, a Democratic lawmaker from Calhoun County, is looking to move into the upper chamber and is running against state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland. Harpootlian was drawn into the same district, which includes parts of Calhoun, Lexington and Richland counties, as state Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, who is not running for reelection. Before being elected to replace his father, Harry Ott, Russell Ott worked for the South Carolina Farm Bureau where his role included lobbying the state Legislature. Harry Ott is now president of the farm bureau, a role hes held since 2015. In a new television advertisement, Harpootlian hits Ott for earning $800,000 from special interests, pointing to the pay he received from the farm bureau. The ad claims the farm bureau doubled Otts annual pay. You can advocate for those folks now question about it, but the question is should you be paid $800,000 to advocate for those folks. I get approached all the time, they want me to take a position that I agree is the appropriate position to take, Harpootlian said. The question is not whether he agrees with those positions or even his constituents. The question is should he be paid $75,000 a year, $800,000, to advocate those positions. Hes being paid $10,000 a year just like I am. In an interview, Harpootlian also pointed to how the farm bureau, in a weekly update to members, touted legislation sponsored by Ott. But Ott called the ad more smoke and mirrors, more half truths and outright lies. Ott, who worked for the farm bureau from 2004 to 2013, where his role included coordinating a fundraiser for the farm bureau foundation to help pay for scholarships, human resources type work such as writing job descriptions and keeping up with its strategic plan. Its a whole host of things that I have worked on for a very long time, Ott said. The job also included lobbying the state Legislature. Groups that lobby the general assembly must disclose how much they pay lobbyists and the farm bureau reported paying Ott about $35,000 a year for the lobbying part of his job, even though his total salary was higher. Ott left the farm bureau after being elected in 2013 and started Center Hill Consulting to continue his work for the farm bureau. He said his $75,000 a year contract with the farm bureau includes all of his previous jobs with the agency, except for lobbying. Ott says he took a pay cut when he ran for the State House. According to the Farm Bureaus ethics filing, the organization discloses it pays Ott for non-lobbying services. Representative Ott, a former long-term employee of SCFB and currently an active farmer, serves as an independent contractor and consults on agribusiness development, farm commodities, and agribusiness issues the farm bureau said in its most recent filing. He also assists in strategic planning, developing leadership training programs and organizing young farmer groups. The ad also criticizes Ott for sponsoring agriculture related legislation. It raises questions about who does he work for. The people of his district or for the farm bureau who he lobbied for? Harpootilian said. Harpootlian said Ott should recuse himself from all agriculture related legislation. Harpootlian, who is a trial lawyer, said its OK for him to vote on legal-related bills because he doesnt get paid by the S.C. Association for Justice, which advocates to strengthen the judicial system and was started by a group of trial lawyers. The ad specifically cites two pieces of legislation: H. 3951 in 2023, a bill that adds the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Transportation to the e South Carolina Conservation Bank board, and H. 3539 in 2021, a bill dealing with the transportation of live swine. Both bills passed overwhelmingly and neither bill was sponsored or co-sponsored by Ott. He did vote for both of them in the House, as did Harpootlian in the Senate. Ott defended his participation on those votes. I am 100% clean and clear to vote on any general agricultural legislation, what I would recuse myself on is any vote that impacted (the) farm bureau directly. Thats no different than funeral directors that are in the House voting on issues with morticians, Ott said. Or pharmacists that vote on general legislation dealing with pharmacists, or guess what lawyers who are voting on legislation dealing with the law that they then go try cases on. HANCOCK, Mich. (WJMN) The crisis line offered by Copper Shores Community Health Foundation will be discontinued starting on June 1st. As the number of crisis hotlines nationwide have increased, the amount of callers to the Copper Shores hotline has decreased. So we have noticed a steady decrease in calls coming into our general crisis line since about 2015, 2016, said Krissy Martens, the Program Director of Education and Outreach for Copper Shores Community Health Foundation. That did coincide with some things that were going on nationally with the opening of other issue specific crisis lines and also texting lines that were available to people that didnt exist before. And so in about 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic started, we noticed a sharp, sharp decline in calls coming into our crisis line. Weve never really rebounded since that time. And so weve been thinking, you know, for about four years about this now, and the call volume just didnt make sense for us to keep this operational any longer. So thats how the decision came about to close the crisis line. Although the crisis hotline will be discontinued, a new hotline is starting this spring. Copper Shores Community Health Foundation is launching the Copper Shores Sexual Assault Hotline. This hotline will be available to residents of Keweenaw, Houghton, Baraga, and Ontonagon counties. So the reason were keeping the number available for victims and survivors of sexual assault is because that is tied to grant funding that we get, said Martens. So we were contractually obligated to keep something available 24 hours, seven days a week. There arent enough calls for that coming in to also save the crisis line. So what were doing is were going to have a new number here at Copper Shores for that. The state coalition had launched an issue specific crisis line for victims and survivors of sexual assault in around 2019 or 2020, they were launching that. And so it just made sense since they used the same funders that we used to have them answer that line. Residents of the counties where the hotline is available will be able to call, text, or live chat with trained professionals who will provide confidential support, referrals for support, resources to help with healing, and much more. Copper Shores Community Health Foundation will be releasing the new sexual assault hotline number within the next few weeks. To learn more about the new hotline, and to stay up to date on when they release the new number, you can find their Facebook page here, and their website here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJMN - UPMatters.com. This is a breaking news story. Check back to idahostatesman.com for updates. To sign up for breaking news alerts, click here. The Ada County Coroners Office identified the Boise man who police said shot and killed an Ada County sheriffs deputy. Dennis Mulqueen shot Ada County Sheriffs Deputy Tobin Bolter in the neck after the deputy pulled him over for a traffic stop just before 9 p.m. Saturday near the area of West Overland Road and South Raymond Street on the Boise Bench, according to authorities. Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said Bolter never even made it to the window, the Idaho Statesman previously reported, referring to the drivers side window. Police said Mulqueen, 65, fled the scene, and a nearby citizen called 911 until the paramedics arrived. He was later found outside a home on South Jackson Street late Saturday, and police attempted for quite some time to apprehend him peacefully, Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said. Mulqueen fired his weapon at officers, prompting a Boise police officer, who hasnt been identified, to fire back and shoot him in the chest, according to Winegar and the Ada County Coroners Office. Mulqueen was taken to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where he died in the emergency room around just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the coroner. His death was ruled a homicide. No other officers were injured in the shooting, according to police. Bolter, who joined the Sheriffs Office in January from the Meridian Police Department, died Sunday morning. He was 27. It will take a long time for healing, Clifford said at a news conference just after Bolter died. Its one of those things that can never be forgotten. Dennis Mulqueen shot and killed Ada County Sheriffs Deputy Tobin Bolter after the deputy pulled him over for a traffic stop Saturday near the area of West Overland Road and South Raymond Street on the Boise Bench. Mulqueen was later killed by a Boise police officer after he shot at officers. Mulqueen had a $3,000 warrant out for his arrest stemming from a 2023 DUI, online court records showed. A judge issued a warrant for his arrest after he missed a hearing in December. Law enforcement is asking anyone who might have seen or interacted with Mulqueen on Friday or Saturday to contact Ada County Sheriffs Detective Kelley Day at 208-577-3722 or kday@adacounty.id.gov, according to a news release from the Boise Police Department and the coroner. Detectives are working to learn more about the suspect and what other interactions he had before the shooting on April 20, the release said. A police procession escorts Ada County Sheriffs Office Deputy Tobin Botler from the Ada County Coroners Office to a funeral home Sunday in Boise The 27-year-old was shot during a traffic stop Saturday night. What if everything you knew about reparations was wrong? As Black history is being vilified nationwide, MSNBC correspondent Trymaine Lee tells an illuminating story about reparations that could change minds. In his podcast series, Into America Presents: Uncounted Millions, The Power of Reparations, Trymaine unearths the history of a Black man who received reparations during the Civil War, before emancipation. I'm Alexis Stodghill, digital producer for "The ReidOut with Joy Reid." I spoke to Trymaine about this figure, Gabriel Coakley, in a conversation edited for length and clarity. Please enjoy our entire conversation via the video above. Into America Presents: Uncounted Millions, The Power of Reparations is now available in six compelling episodes. Alexis Stodghill: Trymaine, talk about this revolutionary podcast series. Trymaine Lee: Its a pleasure to be here and have this conversation of all conversations. So much of the work that I do is trying to center the Black experience in this country: the way weve lived, the way weve died, the way we engage with all the systems, the way the systems engage with us. This story of Gabriel Coakley and the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, this idea of reparations and what it means to be whole it speaks most clearly to our greatest ambitions as Black people in this country wanting to be full humans, full citizens, and experience the kind of Americanness that weve been denied for so long. This country did pay reparations once, before in 1862, but it was reparations for white enslavers. People have never heard of the Compensated Emancipation Act, which was a scheme devised by [President Abraham] Lincoln. He wanted to free enslaved people in the District [Washington, D.C.]. This was a year before the Emancipation Proclamation. The only way he figured he could do it would be to basically ply enslavers with cash. What is wild is that the government actually paid 0.2% of the federal budget, which in todays dollars would have been $12 billion basically paying them for their lost property. Scouring through this list of more than 1,000 people who were paid by the federal government, you see this name, Gabriel Coakley, a Black man. Gabriel Coakley was a free man, and his family had been enslaved. By the beginning of the 1850s, he started freeing his people. He ends up getting on this list because, by the letter of the law, you know, his family was still his property. So he was able to find a loophole to get paid. Stodghill: The part where you talk about how exactly he did it I want people to go to the podcast and listen to it. It gives you a sense of the tremendous agency that Black people exhibited even before emancipation. This was an incredibly empowered man, who was in a whole community of Black people working to empower themselves. Lee: Black folks have been doing that from the very beginning. By the early 1850s, hes a successful businessman, Gabriel Coakley. He has an oyster business, hes a property owner, hes the co-founder of the oldest Black Catholic Church, St. Augustine, in D.C. He ends up having the ear of President Abraham Lincoln. The agency that it would take, despite all the odds stacked against you... What would it have taken, the courage, to be able to say before even getting to the finessing of the government that one by one, he is going to buy his peoples freedom? Its just an astounding story. Stodghill: Its astounding to think about this and all the discussions about reparations today. The idea of how this man was able to set up a legacy. You learn that by seeing what the descendants were able to do with this reparation. Lee: There are many sides to that idea. On the one hand, the government was built on the backs of Black people. In 1860, our Black bodies were the most valuable commodity in this country. We built it, we bled into the ground, we harvested everything, nursed their babies. Then coming out of enslavement, freedom wasnt free at all. The violence that would be heaped upon Black people in this country, through Reconstruction, through the Redemption period. Then you have the bloody summer [Red Summer] of 1919, where theyre murdering Black people across the country. Then through Jim Crow and the lynchings up until the 60s. You know, the mid-60s, people are still coming up missing, coming home from the war and not being able to get the GI loans. Then have you try to find a safe community with the proper infrastructure, schools. And theres a big red line around where you can live and where you cant live. Talking to folks who pay attention to such things, economists and pollsters, its not necessarily that a lot of white folks have a problem with the amount, this number, $14 to $16 trillion. We spend money, we print money and we send it all over the place. Its that they dont think Black folks deserve it. I think thats one thing that I hope this story does. This gets back to your point about this family trajectory after getting the reparations. Its like rocket fuel, the idea of having enough wealth to buy your own home. To not just buy your freedom out of slavery but to buy freedom of movement, to some degree. After [Coakley] gets his reparations and he starts to send his kids to school and buy and sell property, they end up experiencing a kind of America that very few Black people even today experience, where they are upwardly mobile. They end up being deans of colleges and college graduates and members of the clergy and politicians and policymakers and landowners. To see this family, even today, carrying on this legacy, is inspiring. Stodghill: Doctors, some impressive titles. People that just did great things. Lee: A [Presidential] Medal of Freedom winner. But also what it does to your psyche when you know that you are enough. You know it because youve been able to experience your everyday life in a certain kind of way, as opposed to the opposite which most of us experience this unbearable weight. At every turn, there was something new that I was learning about this family, America, the law. It was such an eye-opening experience. I hope that it is conveyed to listeners. Stodghill: Its very moving. I think part of the reason that people are afraid of Black history is because they really do think its all negative. This has sad parts, but it also has incredible parts. Thinking about not just the power of Black people, but also the power of the human spirit. There are heroic women in this story. It has a little bit of everything. Even though there is so much that is inspiring, there is the aspect that is dark. Talking about buying and selling human beings, thinking about the 99.9% of Black people who were not able to get reparations during this time. I think even Black people, when they think about the history of this period, they just think of the worst of it. They dont want to know more. How did you cope with that emotional weight? And what advice do you have for people? Lee: I personally am still trying to figure out how to handle it. Ive been doing this for 20 years, telling some manner of this story: personal heroics with the backdrop of enslavement and violence. What Ive tried to do through my work is even with the stories that are hard to tell and hard to listen to and hard to gather and report on there is a strength and beauty and resilience in Black people that I think makes the U.S. very special. Weve had a singular experience in this world, let alone in America and throughout the diaspora. I always try to center that. Despite those odds, we push, and we exceed, and we excel, or often we die trying. I am a subjective journalist telling a story from a vantage point. But I say objectively that Black people have the strength of the gods to be able to deal with an entire system, entire philosophies on race, built around our degradation, our subjugation and oppression; and yet weve still pushed to make this place better through pushing for equal access for everyone, from public schools to accommodations. That is the one thing that helps me to not crumble under the weight and the exhaustion of still having to navigate the reality of the world, let alone these ideas. If there is any chance that America will heal from this deep sickness of white supremacy and violence, we must take it head-on, even in the midst of this moment, when there are entire state legislatures crafting legislation to bury the facts even deeper. Stodghill: Or that the idea that this history has no educational value, which came out of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis administration. Just this one podcast has shown me how much educational value it has. Were both people who have worked for a long time. Were both very educated, and yet were still learning so much about our history. I think it will change peoples attitudes, given the fact that there are a few different reparations initiatives. Where do you think this will go? Lee: I think its going to take more centering of our narratives. So much work goes into humanizing us. Thats the only thing we can do, hoping that people are moved enough say, "Oh my goodness, we did this to fellow humans." Were not there yet. I do believe that in the coming years, we will see more and more action on the state level. A lot of us have bought into the story that we just dropped here from the sky. But no, we existed. We had agency. We were building lives, despite the backdrop of some pretty terrible things. We built this. We bled for it. Weve died for it. We love America. We love America so much that we want it to live up to its highest ideals and virtues. This story speaks to that and so many more things. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Court documents reveal more details in March Johnson County homicide EDGERTON, Kan. An affidavit obtained by FOX4 Monday reveals more details in a late March southern Johnson County, Kansas homicide case. Joseph Wacaster, 31, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of 27-year-old Cade Blackburn. Gov. Laura Kelly approves seven new Kansas laws Officers found Blackburn dead inside a home near 5th and Edgewood Drive in southern Johnson County in late March. In the affidavit, police state they found Blackburns body covered with the family board game Sorry along with a Bible. Deputies also recovered a large butcher knife with blood on it. The parents told officers they received cryptic messages from their sons phone and believed it was Wacaster who sent them. According to prosecutors, Blackburn and Wacaster were in a relationship. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Wacaster was arrested in Oklahoma but has now been moved to Johnson County. Hes scheduled to be back in court on May 2. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. In connection with the first anniversary of the historical event - the creation of the checkpoint across the state border "Lachin", a number of events were held in the apparatus, structures and military units of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing the State Service. At the events, which began with the performance of the National Anthem of Azerbaijan, the memory of national leader Heydar Aliyev and martyrs was honored with a minute of silence. It was emphasized that on April 23 last year, units of the State Border Service in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road, established the Lachin checkpoint across the state border and raised the Azerbaijani flag, which was reported to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. During the events, it was noted that the head of state highly appreciated this historical event, saying that the creation of this border checkpoint at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road is the sovereign right of our country and an expression of ensuring its territorial integrity. It was also noted that as a result of the launch of the activity of the checkpoint across the state border Lachin, the detention and transfer to investigation of some terrorists who committed crimes in Khojaly and other territories under occupation were ensured. At the end, a film dedicated to the anniversary of the creation of the Lachin state border checkpoint was shown. Crime Reports: $1,500 worth of perfume stolen from Abilene store Editors Note: The following arrest and incident reports were supplied by the Abilene Police Department. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law. Incidents 12000 block of Musken Road Theft of Property A victim reported his cellphone was stolen. 2400 block of Glendale Drive Theft of Property A victim reported his ex-girlfriend is refusing to give him his stuff back. 3200 block of S Clack Street Theft of Property A business reported a suspect stole items worth $150. 4400 block of S Clack Street Burglary of Building A victim reported her storage unit was broken into over the weekend. 4500 block of Southwest Drive Theft of Property A victim reported his license plate was stolen. 800 block of EN 12th Street Assault Family Violence An assault report was taken in north Abilene. 3600 block of Cedar Run Road Assault Family Violence Police responded to a disturbance where a victim was assaulted by her boyfriend, who caused her physical pain. 4300 block of Buffalo Gap Road Theft of Property Perfume worth more than $1,500 was reported stolen from an Abilene store. 300 block of Mockingbird Lane Criminal Mischief A report for criminal mischief was taken in south Abilene. 5200 block of Pueblo Drive Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon A report was taken for Aggravated Assault in south Abilene. 200 block of Arnold Boulevard Assault Family Violence A report was completed for Assault Family Violence. 3000 block of N 6th Street Criminal Trespass Police responded to a burglary in progress in north Abilene. 5000 block of Hwy 277 S Burglary of Building A male suspect entered a close business and was seen looking for cash in a drawer. Arrests Joedy Gray Public Intoxication Davis Vasquez Warrant William Isbell Warrant Brandon Logan Public Intoxication Jamye Rogers Resist Arrest Search or Transport, Driving While Intoxicated Alyssa Claxton Warrant Mytreea Lawson Assault Family Violence Maya Mason Public Intoxication Joseph Deanda Possession of Drug Paraphernalia For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) On Tuesday afternoon, April 23, three students at Granger High School were shot in a drive-by shooting by a non-lethal airsoft gun. Granite School District spokesperson Ben Horsley told ABC4.com the victims suffered only minor injuries, though the incident has raised questions about what is an airsoft gun and how dangerous can they be? What is an airsoft gun? Airsoft guns come in all shapes and sizes but generally speaking they are realistic-looking replicas or toy guns that shoot small plastic pellets using air pressure. Just like real guns, they can come in many different forms from pistols, rifles, and snipers. Unlike BB guns, which fire metal ball bearings, airsoft guns are designed to be shot at other people safely in games. Typically these guns can be recognized by an orange cap on the tip of the barrel, indicating the gun as not being real. The guns have gathered a recreational following for military simulations or tactical tournaments. 3 students hurt in airsoft drive-by at Granger High School; 2 taken into custody How dangerous can an airsoft gun be? To humans, airsoft guns are pretty safe but if you get shot with one, its going to hurt. More often than not, anyone shot with an airsoft gun will suffer no more than a nasty welt or bruise. On some occasions, depending on what kind of airsoft gun was used and how close the shot was taken, it may break the skin, though they arent meant to. A shot to the eye, however, could cause more serious damage. The American Academy of Pediatrics said the recent rise in popularity of airsoft guns has also led to an increase in eye injuries. These ranges can cause scratches, lens dislocation and even blindness. The bottom line is that all of these guns are potentially hurtful, said Dr. Eliot Nelson, an injury prevention expert with AAP. Parents should be very careful not to think of any of these as harmless toys. Indeed, airsoft guns can cause significant damage to small animals such as birds, rats, squirrels and rabbits. According to one retailer, unmodified versions of the guns wont be lethal but could cause significant suffering and injuries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. A dangerous severe weather event will threaten millions across more than a dozen states in the nation's heartland, starting during the latter part of this week and continuing through the weekend. There is a significant risk to lives and property, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. Months ago, AccuWeather's long-range meteorologists began raising concerns about significant severe weather from late April to mid-May and stepped up the messaging for the central United States last week. "This will be a multiple-day event in the central U.S.," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "Two storms, off the Pacific coast on Tuesday, will swing across the West and cause moisture to surge northward from the Gulf of Mexico while, at the same time, temperatures surge." The magnitude and location of the threats will vary daily, but the setup will allow severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, powerful straight-line wind gusts, flash flooding and tornadoes. In the busy pattern, severe weather may affect some locations two or three days in a row. As the first storm rolls onto the Plains, thunderstorms will erupt and turn severe from northeastern and north-central Texas to southern Nebraska Thursday afternoon. The severe weather threat will continue throughout Thursday night as storms progress eastward across the central and southern Plains. As the first storm pushes eastward, the threat of torrential downpours, large hail, damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes will continue to ramp up over the middle of the U.S. "The setup for Friday centered on Iowa looks very similar to April 16, when a dozen tornadoes touched down in the state," Rayno said. At this time, AccuWeather has a moderate risk of severe weather on Friday for much of Iowa, eastern Nebraska, northeastern Kansas and northern Missouri, with a high risk for southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP The severe weather threat Friday will extend along an approximate 1,000-mile swath from southern Minnesota to central Texas. The area covered by severe weather Friday is about a half million square miles and encompasses much of the lower portion of the Great Plains and nearly half of the Mississippi Valley. Cities at risk of severe weather Friday include Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Topeka, Kansas; Fort Smith, Arkansas; Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; and Dallas. Of all the days during the severe weather outbreak, Friday and Saturday may bring the most powerful and, correspondingly, the most dangerous storms. As the first storm system lifts northward, it will spark locally severe storms in parts of the Upper Midwest on Saturday. The risk of powerful storms packing strong wind gusts and hail will extend to the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The main threat of damaging storms will remain focused farther to the south over the Central states. Severe weather will ramp up over northwestern and north-central Texas and northeastward to much of Oklahoma, central and eastern Kansas, northern and western Missouri, southeastern Nebraska, southwestern Iowa and western Arkansas, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz said. "This could evolve into a fast-moving or quickly evolving severe weather event for the Plains states later Saturday and Saturday night, after a quiet start to the day perhaps," Benz said. Saturday will mark the third day in a row for a severe weather threat for Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as Wichita and Topeka, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri. "Saturday could bring another day where there are a dozen or more tornadoes from Kansas City to Dallas," Rayno said. Severe weather from the second storm system in the series will continue farther to the east Sunday. The threat of severe weather Sunday may stretch from Chicago to San Antonio. However, it is possible that the scope of severe weather may transition to more of a straight-line wind threat over much of this zone, with a few exceptions. The risk of heavy to locally severe thunderstorms is likely to press farther to the east over the Midwest and the Tennessee Valley on Monday. Details will unfold as more data is analyzed. Another factor with the frequency of storms is heavy rain and flash flooding. At this time, AccuWeather meteorologists believe there is an enhanced risk of flash flooding from central Kansas to central Arkansas, which includes much of central and eastern Oklahoma, western and central Missouri and southeastern Iowa into western Illinois through Sunday night. AccuWeather meteorologists are already looking ahead to the next ramp-up of severe weather in the Central states. The same pattern is likely to repeat late next week, affecting the same areas in the path of storms from late this week to this weekend. From a climatological standpoint, the stretch from mid-April to late May marks a strong upturn in the number of tornadoes in the U.S., so the anticipated pattern is not highly unusual. However, it should be respected, as dozens of tornadoes will likely be produced in the pattern over several days. All it takes is one tornado to strike a farmstead or populated area to threaten lives and lead to great destruction. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A Darlington County farm will spend more than $150,000 in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to build a roof-mounted solar array. Howle Farms and Livestock LLC in Hartsville was awarded $154,590 through the agencys Rural Energy for America Program as a 50% match for the project. The 43.55-kilowatt system is expected to yield $7,925 in annual energy savings and generate enough electricity to power six homes. In all, a half dozen South Carolina projects won more than $634,000 in USDA funding for clean energy initiatives. As we celebrate Earth Day this year, we are excited to partner with hundreds more family farms and small businesses to address the impacts of climate change, grow the economy and keep rural communities throughout the country strong and resilient, Xochitl Torres Small, the USDAs deputy secretary, said in a news release. Howle Farms is partnering with Ovanova, a Cedar Grove, N.C.-based solar installer. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. David Pecker says he published attacks on Ted Cruz at the request of Trump's personal fixer Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified Tuesday that Michael Cohen helped direct tabloid attacks on Trumps Republican adversaries in the 2016 presidential race. Testifying at Trump's Manhattan criminal trial, Pecker said that the former president's ex-fixer would call him and direct him to focus negative coverage on whichever Trump rival had been most successful on the debate stage, The New York Times reported. He would send me information about Ted Cruz or about Ben Carson or Marco Rubio, and that was the basis of our story, and then we would embellish it a little, Pecker said. In court, according to the Times, Trump leaned in toward the monitor and squinted to look at headlines from The Enquirer that benefited him, such as, "Bungling surgeon Ben Carson left sponge in patient's brain!" and "Ted Cruz sex scandal 5 secret mistresses." In particular, Trump pounced on the negative coverage of Ted Cruz, his chief rival toward the end of the 2016 primaries, including the false theory that Cruzs father had helped John F. Kennedys assassin. Pecker testified that Dylan Howard, former editor-in-chief at the Enquirer, worked with the tabloid's research department to Frankenstein the article. "We mashed the photos and the different picture with Lee Harvey Oswald ... we mashed the two together," Pecker said. "That's how that story was prepared created, I would say." Pecker said that his tabloid would also praise Trump as part of an effort to assist his campaign. The magazine published headlines such as, "Donald Trump: 'Healthiest individual ever elected!'" WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrested an 18-year-old man after shots were fired in a Southeast neighborhood early Monday morning. Just after 2:20 a.m., MPD officers responded to the 1700 block of Independence Ave. SE for gunshots. Police said that nobody was hit, but officers did find evidence of a gun being fired. This is just not normal: Neighbors duck for cover in Southeast DC shootout Responding officers determined that the suspect fled into a nearby home. MPDs Emergency Response Team helped at the scene, and officers stopped multiple people in that home. Detectives arrested Amontae Moody of Southeast, D.C. and charged him with unlawful discharge of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm. MPD said that officers recovered a gun. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be hosting Spring Take Back day on Saturday, April 27 where they will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. The event will be offering free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at thousands of drop-off locations nationwide, according to a press release from the DEA. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 10 locations in El Paso and West Texas, and over 40 locations in New Mexico. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. For more information and to find a collection site near you, click here: www.DEATakeBack.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. There were fewer than 24 hours between The News & Observer revealing the evening of April 16 that the UNC System Board of Governors would consider a policy targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and a board committee voting to approve the move. And there were fewer than 48 hours between the policy becoming public knowledge and the boards public comment submission form for the meeting closing Thursday at 5 p.m. But the short turnarounds didnt keep some members of the public from making their opinions on the policy heard. Public comment records provided to The N&O by the UNC System office show that 25 people submitted comments to the board for its April 17-18 meetings. Of those, 21 comments were about the proposed policy changes to diversity efforts at the states public universities. Two of the comments supported the boards action. The remaining 19 denounced the move. So, what did the comments say? Welcome to Deans List, a weekly roundup of higher education news in the Triangle and across North Carolina from The News & Observer and myself, Korie Dean. This weeks edition takes a deeper look at the public comments submitted regarding a Board of Governors committees vote to repeal the UNC Systems existing policy on diversity and inclusion, plus information on the new interim chancellor at Appalachian State University and the impending retirement of Campbell Universitys president. Public comments to Board of Governors regarding DEI The Board of Governors, which oversees all of the states public universities plus the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, generally does not allow public comments during its meetings, but it accepts written comments through an online form ahead of full-board meetings. Ahead of the boards April meeting, the public comment submission form was open from April 9 until April 18 at 5 p.m. The N&O was the first to report Tuesday, April 16, that the boards University Governance committee would consider a policy repealing the UNC Systems existing policy and regulations on diversity and inclusion. Among other changes, the new policy is expected to impact DEI-related jobs that are currently mandated under the existing policy, either by eliminating the positions or by forcing their ties to DEI to be removed or revised. The policy was added to the committees meeting materials that Tuesday afternoon, ahead of its Wednesday afternoon meeting. It was not included in the materials when they were first made available about a week before the meeting. Public comments on the topic began to pour in sometime Wednesday, according to the records. The records show that students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff affiliated with seven of the states 16 public universities submitted comments. In the two comments supporting the boards proposed policy: Chris Kirby, a professor at UNC Charlotte, urged the board to eliminate funding for DEI efforts and activities throughout the university system, saying that those promoting the efforts seek to inculcate unwavering adherence to predetermined political ideologies. Kirby wrote that UNC Charlotte has a wide-reaching DEI bureaucracy that includes several high-level administrators. Kirby wrote he believes the bureaucracy advances an inherently political agenda that also wastes an extraordinary amount of taxpayer dollars. State residents should not be subsidizing out-of-control administrative bloat that contributes to rising college costs and student indebtedness, Kirby wrote. Defunding the DEI bureaucracy would help restore the focus of all constituent institutions to their traditional guiding principles: freedom of academic inquiry, merit-based advancement, and scholarly excellence. UNC Charlotte, like many campuses across the UNC System, operates an Office of Diversity and Inclusion that is overseen by a chief diversity officer and employs other staff members. The office, which was established in 2020, has a stated mission to guide UNC Charlotte toward inclusive excellence by creating a culture and climate where students and employees can access and thrive. We do this by leading in developing, integrating, and advancing the universitys inclusive excellence strategy to support our vision of educating, inspiring, and empowering communities to champion humanity, care and dignity for all, the offices website states. Michelle Bardsley, a parent of two UNC System graduates, asked the board to take steps to eliminate DEI programs and funding in our NC colleges and K-12 public schools. Our NC educational institutions need to be focused on teaching our children and young adults employable career and workforce skills, leadership, and character education, Bardsley wrote. Lets stay focused on the mission of public education in NC, spend tax dollars wisely, and successfully prepare our children and young adults to work and compete in a global economy. Andrew Tripp, General Counsel for the UNC System, speaks during a meeting of the UNC System Board of Governors University Governance committee on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Winston-Salem, N.C. Among the remaining 19 comments, which opposed the boards proposed policy: Tamika Henderson, a parent affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill, wrote to the board to express deep concern and strong opposition to the proposed policy. As a concerned citizen, parent of a UNC student, and advocate for equal opportunity and inclusivity in education, I firmly believe that diversity and inclusion are crucial components of a thriving academic environment, Henderson wrote. The UNC System has long been recognized for its commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community, and the proposed elimination of diversity goals and jobs undermines these fundamental principles. Henderson said the proposal would risk diminishing the reputation of UNC, devaluing a degree from UNC thereby creating a negative economic impact. This proposal not only undermines the efforts of individuals who have worked tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion within the UNC System, but it also sends a concerning message to current and prospective students, faculty, and staff who value and rely on the commitment to diversity, Henderson wrote. Hope Murphy Tyehimba, a two-time alumna of UNC-Chapel Hill and former employee of East Carolina University, NC State University and NC Central University, wrote that she was greatly troubled by the direction that the UNC Board of Governors is considering taking regarding this matter. Tyehimba said she credits her success at UNC, both as an undergraduate student and as a law student, to the support services she received from the university as a first-generation student from rural North Carolina. She later paid that success forward by advising other students from similar backgrounds, she wrote. The thought of UNC no longer providing specialized support and resources to African American students, and other students of color, is greatly troubling and concerning. The university is quickly transforming into an institution that I no longer recognize, Tyehimba wrote. Please reconsider taking any action that would limit the ability of DEI officers to be employed within the System and to continue providing much needed services to students like me who relied upon and provided such services to others. Cameron Toler, a student at the UNC School of the Arts, wrote that the boards decision to act on the policy during its meeting at the school was insulting, given that the university flourishes without question as a result of DEI. This moment is a scourge upon our institutions and I hope for the sake of every students wellbeing and the integrity of their education that a change is made in the leadership that led to this decision, Toler wrote. How dare this decision be made. Sarah Ho, a staff member at the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine, wrote to the board to describe the positive impact she sees DEI-related staff make at the college. They prepare our students well for a diverse and global workforce. They work to ensure ALL of our students feel a sense of belonging. Their efforts help to attract the best students, faculty, and staff to the University, Ho wrote. Our community would suffer greatly without them. Please do not cut this vital resource. TaMera Harris, a graduate of NC Central University, denounced the boards action, writing that diversity is needed to make sure that an opportunity of higher education is afforded to everyone. Interested in submitting a comment to the board? The online form to submit public comments to the Board of Governors is expected to reopen in advance of the groups May meeting, when it will vote on the DEI policy change through its consent agenda. The form to submit a comment can be found on the UNC System website: northcarolina.edu/leadership-and-governance/board-of-governors/meetings-materials/public-comment-sessions. Interim chancellor named at App State Heather Hulburt Norris will serve as the interim chancellor of Appalachian State University. UNC System President Peter Hans appointed Norris to the role following former Chancellor Sheri Everts resignation last week. Norris had been serving as the universitys provost and executive vice chancellor since 2020, first on an interim basis before securing the role fully in 2021. She first came to the university in 2003 before rising through the ranks to become dean of the universitys Walker College of Business in 2016. Dr. Norris is an experienced and talented leader who is well regarded in the App State community, Hans said in a news release Friday. She has served in various roles at the university, from faculty member to dean to provost, and she has excelled at all of them because of her collaborative style and her commitment to public service. Im grateful to her for taking on the position of interim chancellor. Norris said she is passionate about the success of our students, faculty and staff and is looking forward to working collaboratively with faculty, staff, students and members of the communities we serve to ensure the continued success of this great institution. The UNC System news release said that a search for the next permanent chancellor of App State will be launched in the near future. The system is also searching for new chancellors at four other universities: UNC-Chapel Hill, NC A&T State University, Winston-Salem State University and NC Central University. Heather Hulburt Norris is the interim chancellor of Appalachian State University. Campbell University president to retire Campbell University President J. Bradley Creed will retire next summer after 10 years in the role, he announced to the universitys Board of Trustees last week. Creed, a scholar and historian of religion, in 2015 became the private, Christian universitys fifth president after serving in administrative roles at Samford University and the George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. During his time at the helm of Campbell, Creed led the university through the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw the universitys most successful capital campaign, which raised more than $105 million, among other accomplishments. Serving as Campbells president has been an honor and the capstone of my career in higher education, Creed said in a news release. I am thankful for the many wonderful people who assisted and supported me, and especially for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students. After more than 30 years of leadership in higher education, Im eager to take on other projects and to spend more time with my loving wife, children, and grandchildren. Creed will remain as president for the next year to keep Campbell moving forward and to ensure a smooth transition to his eventual successor, Board of Trustees Chair Gene Lewis III said in a news release. Thanks to President Creed, Campbell is poised to make great strides under a new leader, who will elevate our university among private institutions of higher learning in the heart of one of Americas fastest-growing states, Lewis said. That should be an exciting opportunity for strong candidates nationwide. Our board looks forward to working closely with a search consultant and President Creed to identify the next leader, who will take Campbell to new heights. Sign up for The N&Os higher education newsletter Thats all for this weeks roundup of North Carolina higher education news. I hope youll stay tuned for more. Like what you read here and want to be on our mailing list when the Deans List newsletter launches? Have suggestions for what kind of content youd like to see featured in the future? Let us know by filling out the form below: DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. A Dearborn-area imam says he personally confronted a local protester who chanted slogans such as "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" at a recent rally. "I am absolutely against saying Death to America,'" Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi told Fox News Digital. "I know in certain countries they may say these things, but I am personally against it even when they say this in any country; doesnt matter where you say it because it doesnt help." Elahi, who serves as imam at the local Islamic House of Wisdom mosque, spoke out shortly after a controversial rally held the last Friday of Ramadan in nearby Dearborn saw a speaker leading a crowd in chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." Video of the incident sparked national headlines about extremism within the Michigan imams local community. "Imam Khomeini, who declared the International Al-Quds Day, this is why he would say to pour all of your chants and all of your shouts upon the head of America," Tarek Bazzi, a Michigan-based activist associated with the Hadi institute, said in a video from the rally that was shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute. 'DEATH TO AMERICA,' 'DEATH TO ISRAEL' CHANTS POUR OUT OF MUSLIM PROTESTERS IN MICHIGAN ON LAST DAY OF RAMADAN Elahi told Fox News Digital that while he did not attend the rally, he had "heard about it," noting that he even confronted one of those who was seen chanting the slogan "loudly" at the event. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I talked with him and I [expressed] my disappointment because we are not for death, we are for life. We are for love. We are for peace and justice," Elahi said. Tarek Bazzi Elahi noted that the rally was only a "few people" who chanted the slogan, arguing that those protesters represent a minority of the Dearborn community. Nevertheless, the Michigan imam said he made sure to speak out against chanting such slogans publicly, including in his Friday prayer service the following week. DEARBORN UNCOMMITTEDS PLAN TO MAKE EXAMPLE OF BIDEN, TURN PARTY AGAINST JEWISH STATE The controversy surrounding the rally comes amid a backdrop of deep resentment toward current U.S. foreign policy among many members of the Arab population in the Dearborn community, who have fiercely argued against the Biden administrations handling of the conflict in Gaza. Dearborn, which has the highest per capita Muslim population in the country, became the center of resistance against President Biden's re-election bid as a result of his handling of the conflict, with organizers leading a movement that saw more than 100,000 people mark "uncommitted" on their ballots instead of supporting the president during Michigans Democrat primary. Elahi acknowledged his own frustration with current U.S. policy in Gaza but said he encourages members of his community to peacefully take part in the democratic process instead of using violent rhetoric. "As a Muslim community, we believe in voting, we believe in outreach," Elahi said. DEARBORN ACTIVISTS' PUSH TO BAIL ON BIDEN SPREADS TO OTHER KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES The Michigan imam said the Muslim community has many partners in the U.S. who have supported their political efforts, arguing that chants such as those at the Dearborn rally risk alienating those who have "shown sympathy and solidarity with the Muslim community." "That is very harmful to the cause of our community," Elahi said. "Because when you say this, America means us, people of America, that means that if we have 8 million Muslims, we are America, too. So, this is like kind of self-suicide, and we disagree with that." Elahi said he encourages those in his community to be "part of the solution rather than part of the problem." "We did a good job when that happened," Elahi said. "I talked about it; other imams, they talked about that. We talked to the few of those that we knew that they were part of that, and we made sure that our message is very clear to them." Original article source: Dearborn imam confronted Death to America protester BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Azerbaijan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have discussed a preliminary draft of the country strategy for 2024-2029, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, Minister Mikayil Jabbarov met with Director, Regional Head of the Caucasus for EBRD Alkis Vryenios Drakinos. Cooperation and jointly realized projects were discussed at the meeting. It was noted that Azerbaijan and the EBRD have a successful engagement in a variety of sectors, with the country placing a high value on improving relations with the bank. Projects performed in collaboration with the EBRD in sectors such as ecology, energy, transportation, transit, and others are highlighted for their contribution to economic diversification. During the meeting, potential collaborations were addressed, particularly in accomplishing specific goals such as renewable and alternative energy, private sector growth, public-private partnerships, priority infrastructure projects, and other channels. The parties deliberated on the cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and the EBRD, including the preliminary draft country strategy for Azerbaijan spanning 2024-2029, the Bank's strong support for green economy initiatives, and prospects for collaborative projects. To note, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has been engaged in cooperation with Azerbaijan since 1992, serving as the country's primary investor. With a total investment exceeding 3.723 billion euros across 190 projects, the bank plays a pivotal role in Azerbaijan's economic development. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Death toll among Gaza innocents is 'beyond warfare,' says OHCHR head A Palestinian woman and children mourn over a body recovered from the grounds of Nasser Hospital compound, after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew from the area in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip. Omar Naaman/dpa The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday sharply criticized the recent attacks by Israeli forces in Rafah in the Gaza Strip due to the high death toll among women and children. "The latest images of a premature child taken from the womb of her dying mother, of the adjacent two houses where 15 children and five women were killed - this is beyond warfare," said Volker Turk, warning of possible war crimes. The pregnant woman was fatally injured in an Israeli attack on a residential building a few days ago, according to a OHCHR spokeswoman. Rescue workers had taken her to a hospital where the baby had survived after a caesarean section on its dying mother and was now fighting for its life. The UN office documented three military strikes in Rafah since April 19, in which at least 30 women and children were killed. Following the discovery of mass graves near various hospitals, Turk called for an independent investigation. According to his office, bodies were found with their hands tied, among other violations. Turk also reminded that "the intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat [out of action due to injury] is a war crime." The OHCHR now estimates that there are still 1.2 million displaced persons in Rafah. This is down from the earlier estimate of 1.7 million due to many people leaving Rafah for fear of the offensive to the north announced by Israel. Such an offensive could lead to further violations of international law, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity, OHCHR said. According to Palestinian authorities, more than 34,000 people died since Israeli launched military operation in retaliation for the huge terrorist attack in the south of the country on October 7. Turk also demanded the immediate release of the remaining hostages taken from Israel during last year's attack. Palestinian health workers recover bodies of Palestinians buried in Nasser Hospital compound, after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew from the area in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip. Omar Naaman/dpa Decomposed body of boy who went missing in 2020 is found - months after mom died not knowing what happened to him Jaylen Griffin was 12 when he went missing near his home in the Central Terminal area of Buffalo, New York (Jaylen Griffin) The decomposed body of a 12-year-old boy has been found, months after his mother passed away without knowing what happened to her son. The body of Jaylen Griffin was found last Friday at a home in upstate New York. The location is around five miles from where he was last seen on 4 August 2020 leaving his home in the Central Terminal area of Buffalo. Jaylens body was found a week before what would have been his 16th birthday, police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said at a news conference. Mr Gramaglia said they believed the body had been in the house for a significant amount of time. Jaylens 48-year-old mother, Joann Ponzo, died in September before finding out what happened to her son. She told People in 2021 that he disappeared shortly after taking his new puppy on a walk. We live near a few stores and he would carry peoples bags, and theyd give him change, she said. Earlier this month, officers responded to a report of a dead body at the home, concluding an exhaustive years-long search for the boy, police said. While they could not give a clear timeline of how long the body had been there, it had deteriorated to the point where the boys identity was confirmed by dental records. The medical examiner has ruled the death as a homicide but police did not provide further details of the manner or cause. Jaylen Griffins body was discovered by police on 12 April, 2024 in a home on Sheffield Avenue, Buffalo, New York (Jaylen Griffin) Mr Gramaglia described finding the boys body as nothing short of a tragedy after a nearly four-year investigation. He did not confirm if there were any suspects or persons of interest. Police are offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to the arrest or indictment of anyone responsible. Jaylen was last seen leaving his home in the Central Terminal area. His body was found at a home on the 100 block of Sheffield Avenue, only a short drive away. His mother died last year after her health deteriorated following her sons disappearance, according to Buffalo News. Jaylens mother and father, Joann Ponzo and Brian Griffin (Spectrum News) Three months after Jaylens disapperance, her 18-year-old son, Jawann Griffin, was shot dead steps from his home, the outlet reports. She struggled, said Kareema Morris, founder of Bury the Violence, who supported Ponzo and helped publicize Jaylens disappearance. She did the best she knew how. She loved her children. Ms Morris also told WKBW that she believed Ponzo had died of a broken heart over the tragedies. Jaylens family and the Buffalo community gathered together to celebrate him at a birthday memorial this week after authorities announced his remains had been found. Brian Griffin, Jaylens father, told WKBW that he wished Ms Ponzo had gotten closure before she died. I just wish she was here with me at this present time, but I know that theyre all together and its a blessing... like I say, I got confirmation, he said. Its still a long road to recovery; Im just looking for justice now. Brian Griffin (left) next to local pastor Tim Newkirk at Jaylens birthday memorial this week (Spectrum News) The police commissioner sent his condolences to the boys family. "I do want to extend my sincerest sympathies to the family of Jaylen," Mr Gramaglia said. "This department has conducted extensive searches, and I want Jaylens family to know that we are working diligently to bring the next closure for the family." Police asked anyone with information leading to the arrest or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this incident please contact Crime Stoppers WNY at 716 867 6161. The Independent has contacted the Buffalo Police Department for further information. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. "We will increase the intensity of strikes against logistical centres and warehouses holding Western weapons," Shoigu said at a meeting of high-ranking military officials in Moscow. Sergey Savostyanov/TASS/Kremlin/dpa Russia will expand its aerial bombardment of Ukraine, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. "We will increase the intensity of strikes against logistical centres and warehouses holding Western weapons," Shoigu said at a meeting of high-ranking military officials in Moscow. The announcement followed the approval of billions in new US military aid for Kiev. Western military experts have warned that Russia could use the window of opportunity preceding the arrival of new weapons and ammunition for Ukraine to intensify its attacks. The US House of Representatives finally approved a $61 billion aid package to support Ukraine on Saturday. The bill is expected to pass in the Senate in the coming days before being signed into law by President Joe Biden. Russian forces have a firm grip on the front line, Shoigu said, arguing that Kiev's counter-offensive had failed, with Ukrainian soldiers being pushed back from their positions. Shoigu said the Ukraine had lost "almost half a million soldiers" since the beginning of the "special military operation." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously put the number of Ukrainian casualties at 31,000 at the end of February. Western estimates have placed the losses - including those killed and seriously wounded - at more than 100,000 on both sides since the outbreak of war in February 2022. Better Cotton says that a third-party audit has found no breach of its standards at certified farms recently linked to environmental and human rights abuses in Brazil, although the allegations themselves, plus additional analysis carried out internally, have inspired it to expand its due diligence process. The worlds largest sustainable cotton initiative published the results of its Peterson-conducted assessment on Tuesday, two weeks after London-based nonprofit Earthsight implicated fashion giants H&M and Zara owner Inditex in corruption, illegal deforestation, land grabbing and violence against local communities in the ecologically sensitive Cerrado region through their use of Grupo Horita and SLC Agricolas tainted cotton. More from Sourcing Journal But Earthsight said that the scope of the audit, which focused on three locations that Better Cotton said were licensed at the time of the investigation, already throws its conclusions into doubt. None of them, for instance, are located in Estrondo, a mega-farm in western Bahia where the nonprofit said the worst violations were taking place. It also ignores the fact that two of the farms have their legal reserves on the traditional lands of Capao do Modesto, even if they are far removed from the indigenous groups known as geraizeiros, as the audit notes. That only three sites were examined is also an issue, said Rubens Carvalho, head of deforestation research at Earthsight. Both Grupo Horita and SLC Agricola claim that all of their production sites are certified and the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers, better known by its Portuguese acronym ABRAPA, states that 14 of the companies farms in Bahia grow Better Cotton. This so-called investigation is so flawed as to be almost worthless. The investigators examined a tiny proportion of the farms claiming to be producing Better Cotton where we alleged serious harms were occurring, and assessed them in a narrow manner [that] ignored the complexities of the issues we uncovered, Carvalho said. This blinkered effort at greenwash wont cut it with the public, and it shouldnt with H&M and Zara. (H&M said it did not have a comment to share at the time. Inditex, which wrote a pointed letter to Better Cotton CEO Alan McClay last month to say that the allegations represent a serious breach in the trust placed in Better Cottons certification process by both our group and our product suppliers, did not respond to an emailed request.) Better Cotton insists, however, that the other farms in question werent covered by the standard during Earthsights timeframe. Petersons enhanced check also involved the use of maps, satellite images, official documents, literature and interviews with all the stakeholders involved, including Grupo Horita, SLC Agricola, ABRAPA and Better Cotton. The London- and Geneva-headquartered organization said that the audit found no relation between Earthsights allegations relating to community impact and the three Better Cotton-producing farms. It also found that the sites registered with the Rural Environmental Registry, a self-declaratory if mandatory database of rural properties, and therefore comply with ABRAPAs Responsible Brazilian Cotton, or ABR, protocol, which Better Cotton considers an equivalent standard. The farms are also certified by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, meaning that their use and conversion of land for cotton farming hews to both national legislation and the ABR standard. As for deforestation, Earthsights expose refers to fines that pre-date the farms participation in the Better Cotton program, the audit said, adding that the use of satellite imagery confirms that no new land has been converted on them since 2008. There is no evidence of the illegal spraying of pesticides as alleged, Better Cotton said. The embargos on spraying were lifted in 2018 so the aerial sprays highlighted in the report were legal. The complaint did not provide objective evidence the farms applied pesticides in violation of legal distancing. But Carvalho called Petersons analysis extremely unsatisfactory and incomplete. If the ABR protocol is on par with Better Cottons standard, then why does the report say that the latter needs to evolve to become more focused on issues such as community needs and cultural values of lands? he asked. Or to ensure that land conversion doesnt happen in areas of high conservation value? And why did the audit recommend that ABR criteria should be strengthened to ensure that producers are not engaged in corruption? He also pointed out that Earthsights criticism was not so much with compliance but with the ability of the standard to promote traceability, protect land use and safeguard indigenous rights. Better Cotton itself admits that the audit did not extend to the agribusinesses that own the farms, since both it and ABRAPAs standards are limited to farm operations and cotton production. Its not surprising then that Better Cotton could not find any links to corruption, Carvalho said. Both Estrondo and the reserves at Capao do Modesto, he added, are the subjects of land-grabbing lawsuits. Better Cotton said that its unable to comment on any ongoing legal investigations into landowners. Better Cotton says the auditors have engaged the communities which have had their lands stolen, but information Earthsight has received from the field indicates no such engagement has yet taken place, he said. Better Cotton does not say which communities have been contacted. If its investigation did not look at Horitas farms at Estrondo, it is unlikely the consultants will talk to the traditional communities there. Yet these communities have suffered violence, harassment, intimidation and restrictions of movement over the last decade as a result of Estrondos land grabbing. Better Cotton says that it welcomes scrutiny from watchdog groups such as Earthsight, as they help to shine a spotlight on areas where both farm and regulatory oversight need to improve. While the latest version of its standard is the toughest yet and demonstrates its commitment to bringing the cotton industry on a journey of continuous improvement, the platform is now actively considering conducting direct due diligence on large corporate owners of cotton farms due to the wider impact of these businesses. A further component of Better Cottons response, it said, will be to encourage and support additional engagement across commodity stakeholder groups, standards bodies and certification schemes to remedy the adverse impacts associated with cotton production. And while Better Cotton didnt specifically address itscontroversialuse of mass balance, which allows conventional cotton to be mixed in with Better Cotton at different stages of the supply chain, It said that it aims, by 2025, to offer traceability not only at a country level but also at the ginning stage, which is only one step removed from the farm. Thats an improvement and its the first time we hear this, Carvalho said. Is this a reaction to our investigation? While better, this level of traceability is still inadequate. Cotton must be traced back to farms of origin, which is the level where land grabbing, illegal deforestation and human rights violations take place. A Democratic state senator in Minnesota was charged with first-degree burglary on Tuesday after authorities say she broke into her stepmother's house where the lawmaker claimed she was trying to get her late father's belongings, including his ashes. Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, was booked into the Becker County Jail on Monday for a suspected first-degree burglary offense, according to online jail records. A homeowner on the 700 block of Granger Road in Detroit Lakes reported an active burglary to 911 around 4:45 a.m., Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd told FOX9 Minneapolis. During a search of the home, officers found Mitchell dressed in black clothing and a black hat, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the station. A flashlight with a sock over it and a black backpack containing two laptops, a cellphone, a drivers license, Senate identification and Tupperware. MARYLAND DEM WHO USED RACIAL SLUR DURING HOUSE HEARING REFUSED TO COMMIT TO DEBATE AGAINST PRIMARY OPPONENT Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 47, was booked into the Becker County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary. Mitchell allegedly entered through a window and told investigators that she was trying to get her father's ashes, photos, a flannel shirt and other items of sentimental value, the complaint said. Mitchell claimed that her stepmother refused to give her the items. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore," Mitchell allegedly said to her stepmother as officers placed her under arrest. The complaint stated that one of the laptops found in Mitchell's backpack belonged to her stepmother, who told officers that she did not give it to Mitchell. Mitchell, however, claimed otherwise. Fox News Digital reached out to Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald, but did not immediately receive a response. Mitchell, of Woodbury, represents District 47 since she was elected to the state Senate in 2022. She was previously a meteorologist for KSTP-TV and Minnesota Public Radio, and currently serves as lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. The Senate Democratic Caucus told The Associated Press in a statement that it's "aware of the situation and has no comment pending further information." BATTLEGROUND DEM SENATOR POSTED 23 TIMES ON GEORGE FLOYD, SILENT ON LAKEN RILEY Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, of East Grand Forks, released a statement to news outlets saying that he was shocked by the arrest, but did not know any further details. "The public expects Legislators to meet a high standard of conduct," Johnson said. "As information comes out, we expect the consequences to meet the actions, both in the court of law, and in her role at the legislature." CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Mitchell's arrest could pose a problem for Democrats, who currently hold a one-seat majority in the Senate with four weeks left in the legislative session. Original article source: Democratic Minnesota state senator charged with first-degree burglary after breaking into stepmother's house Lawmakers in California want to double the penalty for protesters who block highways, a sign of increased frustration among both Republicans and Democrats with demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war such as the one that recently snarled traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. Legislation authored by a Republican cleared a key committee vote Monday at the Capitol with crucial support from four Democrats, who defied the committee chair to advance the bill. The measure still has to pass the full Assembly and Senate and win the support of Gov. Gavin Newsom, but the vote signals a split among Democrats, who dominate the state Legislature and have been divided by the protests over the war that have roiled major cities and universities. The bill by Assemblymember Kate Sanchez would double the fine for protesters who block a highway and prevent emergency vehicles from passing from $100 to $200. The penalty could rise to $1,000 for multiple offenses within three years. These highway blockings are becoming more frequent, more reckless and more dangerous, Sanchez said. We have already seen negative public health and safety outcomes because of this. Demonstrators halted traffic April 15 on San Franciscos Golden Gate Bridge by chaining themselves to stationary vehicles as part of a nationwide effort to push for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Sanchez, who represents a Southern California district, said an earlier demonstration on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge delayed three organ transplants at a local hospital. Thats real, she said. Thats someones health were talking about. Assemblymember Lori Wilson, who represents a Bay Area district and is chair of the Transportation Committee, said existing penalties are sufficient and opposed the legislation. I still believe that the bill is unnecessary and ultimately will not solve the problem, she said. None of the four Democrats who backed the bill Juan Carrillo, Diane Papan, Chris Ward and Gregg Hart explained their vote during the hearing. Denmark to allocate around $450 million for Ukraine's reconstruction, energy sector Copenhagen will allocate around 420 million euros ($450 million) to Kyiv as part of a memorandum of understanding on long-term cooperation and reconstruction signed on April 23, Ukraine's Economy Ministry reported. About 40 million euros ($43 million) will be devoted to support the private sector involved in Ukraine's reconstruction and another 380 million euros ($407 million) will support critical infrastructure using renewable energy, according to the document. The funding will be allocated to Denmark's Export and Investment Fund, aimed at reduction of the financial risks companies involved in Ukraine's reconstruction might face. Copenhagen, one of Kyivs key supporters throughout Russias full-scale invasion, has recently announced a new $313 million military aid package for Kyiv. Ukraine and Denmark also agreed to strengthen cooperation in shipbuilding, development and restoration of seaport infrastructure, the statement read. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe "This could include support for the development and reconstruction of critical and maritime infrastructure, such as harbors, which are crucial in the current geopolitical situation and for the export of Ukrainian goods to global markets," Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said. Earlier in the day, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the Danish Enterprise Minister Morten Bodskov. "We are counting on Denmark's help in finding additional air defense systems for Mykolaiv Oblast," Zelensky said. Copenhagen has prioritized specifically restoring the southern city of Mykolaiv and the surrounding region as part of its policy of support to Ukraine, devoting 60% of its development aid to the region. Russian attacks on Mykolaiv have reportedly caused at least $2.9 billion in damages as of early April. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Denmark is the fourth largest provider of military aid to Kyiv, committing around 8.4 million euros ($9 billion) as of January 2024. At 2.3% of GDP, Denmark is the second largest provider of military aid in terms of percentage of GDP. Read also: Minister: Denmark first to buy military aid for Ukraine from Ukrainian manufacturer Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Tile Driver A dentist was in for a huge shock when he looked down at his parents' new tile floor and saw what appeared to be the fossil of a human mandible. The dentist, who has not provided media outlets with his name to protect his privacy and that of his parents, first made waves on the r/fossils subreddit when he posted a photo of the jawbone in question to get information from others about it. "This looks like a section of mandible," the user, Kidipadeli75, wrote in his post. "Could it be a hominid? Is it usual?" In a subsequent interview with the Washington Post, the semi-anonymous dentist explained that to his eyes, the fossil found in the travertine stone tile "looked very familiar." "As I am specialized in implant dentistry," he said, "I work with this kind of image everyday." https://twitter.com/laurenancona/status/1780443220029120985 [let's never do one line of text between an embed and an h2 -- looks too lonely imo] Denzili Days As both WaPo and the assembled experts of Reddit discovered, finding fossils in travertine tile, a type of limestone imported from Turkey, isn't all that uncommon but finding one that appeared to belong to a human ancestor is quite rare indeed. Mehmet Cihat Alcicek, a professor at Turkey's Pamukkale University who plans to study the mandible slice, told the newspaper that the tile was found in a quarry in the Denizli Basin. Located in the western part of the country, the travertine there had previously been dated to between 1.8 million to 0.7 million years old, suggesting that whatever ancient human ancestor the jawbone belonged to, they did not die recently. A popular form of limestone used for architecture, Denizili travertine has in the past housed fossils from mammoths, rhinoceroses, and other animals. In fact, there is currently an incredible fully-preserved crab fossil that was found inside a piece of Denzili travertine tile for sale on eBay right now. Human remains have been more elusive, but it has happened on at least one occasion. In 2002, Alcicek happened upon a slice of what appeared to be a human skull on a shelf in a Turkish tile factory. He brought the slab, which was about an inch thick to his colleague John Kappelman, a paleoanthropologist anthropologist at the University of Texas at Austin, and they eventually determined that it likely had belonged to a Homo erectus the first specimens from that human ancestor ever found in the country. As for the mandible found by u/Kidipadeli75, Kappelman and Alcicek plan to study it to determine its precise species of origin, perhaps 3D printing a version of it or even trying to extract DNA from it. Once they do, it will likely live in the Denizli Museum alongside the skull slice. Looking forward, the UT paleontologist quipped that he's always on the hunt for more tile specimens. "Every time I am in Home Depot," he said, "I go through the travertine tile looking for fossils!" More on fossils: Scientists Discover Bizarre and Ancient Fossilized Forest DENVER (KDVR) Denver police are searching for a driver allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash with a stand-up electric scooter rider. The crash happened just before 1 a.m. on Sunday in Denvers North Lincoln Park neighborhood. According to police, the scooter rider was attempting to cross Mariposa Street at 14th Avenue. Police said the car was heading south on Mariposa Street. The scooter rider suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital from the scene. Aurora school closed, sustained significant damage from break-in The suspect vehicle is described as an early 2000s Acura TL sedan. Its maroon in color and probably has moderate damage to the front end. hit-and-run driver wanted in scooter crash Police have not released any suspect description information as of Tuesday morning, but they did release a possible photo. If you have any information, please contact Denver police or the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Timur Ivanov, Russia's Deputy Defence Minister, has been detained on suspicion of taking a bribe. Source: Russia's Investigative Committee; TASS, Russian news outlet, with reference to law enforcement agencies; Meduza, Latvia-based Russian independent news outlet Details: The Investigative Committee's report does not provide details of the case. TASS quoted law enforcement agencies as saying that the investigation will demand Ivanov's arrest. Russian leaders spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reports that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was informed of Ivanov's arrest, and that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was warned in advance. Timur Ivanov has been serving as Deputy Defence Minister of the Russian Federation since 2016. Previously, he was the head of the Oboronstroy Open Joint Stock Company, which is subordinate to Russia's Ministry of Defence. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ivanov was responsible for the project to rebuild the occupied Mariupol, Russian media reported. Previously: Ukrainska Pravda met Ivanov's wife Svetlana at the ski resort of Courchevel in the French Alps during Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The state budget for the current year envisages 300.0 million manat for the President of Azerbaijan's reserve fund and 110 million manat ($64.6 million) for the state budget reserve fund, totaling 410 million manat ($241 million), Trend reports. Meanwhile, a total of 41.7 million manat ($24.5 million) (22.2 million manat ($13 million) from the President of Azerbaijan's reserve fund, and 19.5 million manat ($11.4 million) from the state budget's reserve fund) was allocated from January to March of this year from the funds provided for reserve funds in the state budget, according to relevant orders. The allocated funds were used to finance 14.5 million manats ($8.5 million). The funds allocated from the President of Azerbaijan's reserve fund were used to provide financial assistance to religious structures throughout the country, financial support to the organization of activities at Garabagh University, and capital repair of roads in Sumgayit city. The funds were allocated from the reserve fund of the state budget to start construction works on the construction of the national pavilion of Azerbaijan in connection with the world exhibition Osaka, Kansai Expo 2025, which will be held from April 13 to October 13, 2025, in Osaka, Japan, and 900,000 manat ($529,000) was allocated for other activities. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Naples on Tuesday blamed congressional Republicans for failing to get a bill passed on the U.S. southern border, saying theyd lost all their leverage with President Joe Biden. DeSantis was referring to how the U.S. House on Saturday failed to pass H.R. 3602 while separately passing $95 billion in foreign aid via three separate bills for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The House also passed a fourth bill that banned TikTok. House Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measures that passed, enabling them to overcome far-right opposition. The aid funding package is now in the U.S. Senate where it is expected to pass. Republicans were sent there and the number one issue that our voters wanted them to address is the southern border and the massive influx of foreigners by the millions coming into this country, and we dont know who these people are, DeSantis told reporters. And they basically just surrendered on the border. They now have no leverage to do anything on the border. Earlier this year, there was bipartisan support to pass a measure that combined an immigration overhaul that was similar to the bill that failed Saturday, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun, with the foreign aid. But after former President Donald Trump said he wouldnt support the measure while simultaneously campaigning on the issue it was abandoned by Republicans. They had an opportunity to insist that Biden accept the border if he wanted all the foreign aid, and they decided to capitulate. And so, he got everything he wants, DeSantis said. And Republican voters did not get anything with respect to stopping this problem at the southern border. Florida House Republicans voted in favor of the failed border package Saturday. Florida House Democrats voted against it, while one Democrat did not vote, according to U.S. House records. While a majority of the House voted for the bill, it still failed because it needed two-thirds support to pass. Among the 20 Florida House Republicans, 14 of them voted against the Ukraine funding package, while six voted in favor of it, according to an analysis by The Washington Post. Among the eight Florida House Democrats, all voted in favor of funding Ukraine and Taiwan. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Orlando, broke with his Democratic colleagues and voted against the TikTok ban and the Israel funding measure. Were doing more in Florida to deal with it than the Congress is. I mean, its just pathetic that thats going on. So I was really really disappointed to see that they basically capitulated entirely on the border and at this point youre not gonna see anything done on the border for the rest of this year, DeSantis said. What are we just going to let in another 2 million people and do nothing about it? I think it was a real, real failure. Abortion rights advocates. (Photo by Astrid Riecken/Getty Images). Quality Journalism for Critical Times Ahead of President Joe Bidens campaign stop in Tampa on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis depicted a November constitutional amendment on abortion rights in Florida as deceitful. Now, [Biden is] coming down to try to support a constitutional amendment that will mandate abortion up until the moment of birth, that will eliminate parental consent for minors and thats written in a way thats intentionally designed to deceive voters, DeSantis said. So, all I can tell you is Floridians are not buying what Joe Biden is selling, and, in November, were going to play an instrumental role in sending him back to Delaware where he belongs. The pro-abortion ballot initiative, which will be Amendment 4 on the ballot in November, prohibits laws from restricting abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patients health, but it makes an exception for parental notification before a minor gets the procedure. Meanwhile, abortion providers and pro-abortion advocates are bracing for the six-week abortion ban across Florida set to go into effect on May 1. DeSantis made his comments in Naples on Tuesday, during two bill-signings on environmental measures including red tide and algae blooms. The presidents visit to Hillsborough Community Colleges Dale Mabry is expected to focus on reproductive rights. The governor didnt take any questions during the ceremony in Naples. The post DeSantis slams President Bidens support of abortion rights ahead of Tampa campaign stop appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Rep. Hodan Hassan, DFL-Minneapolis. Photo courtesy Minnesota House. Rep. Hodan Hassan, DFL-Minneapolis, withdrew two bills that wouldve given nonprofit Somali Community Resettlement Services $6.5 million in grants after evidence prepared for a federal trial this week linked the nonprofit to a massive child nutrition fraud. Hassan announced in February she will not seek re-election in November. Somali Community Resettlement Services operated several food distribution sites in 2020 and 2021, but its leaders have not been charged with a crime. Federal prosecutors repeatedly mention those sites in evidence that could be used during the first trial in what has become known as the Feeding Our Future scandal, named after the nonprofit that was the alleged ringleader. Jury selection began Monday in Minneapolis for seven defendants in the case; 70 people were initially charged in what prosecutors said was the biggest pandemic program scam in the nation. According to the Star Tribune, 18 of those defendants have pleaded guilty, one died and one fled the country. A list of exhibits (i.e., evidence) federal prosecutors prepared for the trial includes meals claimed and dollar amounts reimbursed by the government to Somali Community Resettlement Services locations in Minneapolis, Faribault, Rochester and Willmar. Among evidence seized during a search of defendant Said Farahs home: a $238,221 check from Somali Community Resettlement of Olmsted County. On Thursday, Hassan made motions on the House floor to recall two bills she authored; theyre still alive in the Senate, where both bills were sponsored by Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapolis. Money for the nonprofit was amended out of a third bill Friday in a committee hearing. The three bills are: HF4719/SF5037, giving a $5 million grant in fiscal year 2025 from the Department of Employment and Economic Development to the nonprofit. It would address a critical need for affordable housing and commercial space for the Somali community by buying a three-acre parcel from the city of Minneapolis to develop a mixed-use residential and commercial project with at least 60 affordable apartments and 10 retail spaces. HF5243/SF5274, appropriating $1.5 million in fiscal year 2025 in DEED workforce development funds to the nonprofit for job training and placement. While Hassan withdrew the House bill, the Senate bill was amended in committee and laid over for possible inclusion in a jobs and economic development bill. An earmark in HF5205/SF5289, the Workforce Development Finance and Policy Committees budget bill, included a $1 million grant for the nonprofit for job training/placement. Hassan testified that the money was needed to fix the workforce shortage statewide, but the money was stripped from the bill on Friday, according to the Minnesota Houses information service known as Session Daily. According to its website, Somali Community Resettlement Services was formed in Rochester in 1999 to directly respond to the needs of Somali refugee and immigrants, with an emphasis on personal capacity. A year later, it added a second location in Faribault, and in 2019, a Minneapolis location. The nonprofit reported to the attorney general less than half a million dollars in revenue in 2019, and ended the year with a deficit. Revenue jumped to $1.2 million in 2020; $4.1 million in 2021; and nearly $3 million in 2022, the last year available on the attorney generals website. An online database of state government spending, Open Checkbook, indicates the nonprofit gets about a half million dollars annually from several state agencies. Enough, apparently, to buy the 24,245-square-foot, historic Gale Mansion in Minneapolis in 2022 for $2.6 million, according to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, released a statement saying its about time Democrats have started to take this massive fraud seriously. The fact that this bill was even introduced after the benefitting nonprofit appeared in Feeding Our Future trial documents more than 40 times is beyond concerning. Hassan did not respond to a request for comment. The post DFL lawmaker withdraws bills giving millions to nonprofit mentioned in Feeding Our Future case appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell was charged with first-degree burglary on Tuesday after she allegedly broke into her stepmother's house a day earlier to take her late father's belongings. Mitchell, a first-term senator from Woodbury, was arrested in Detroit Lakes early Monday morning. Officers responded to a burglary call around 4:45 a.m. and arrested the 49-year-old Mitchell at the scene. Police found Mitchell in the basement of her stepmother's home "dressed in all black clothing and a black hat," according to the charges filed Tuesday. As she was being detained, she told her stepmother "something to the effect of, 'I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore,'" the charges state. Her father died last year. Officers found a flashlight near Mitchell that had a black sock covering over it. A sliding window in the basement had been opened and had a black backpack stuck in it, according to the charges. "Officers searched the backpack and discovered two laptops, a cell phone, Mitchell's Minnesota driver's license, Mitchell's Senate identification, and miscellaneous Tupperware," the charging document states. Mitchell allegedly told an officer that both laptops were hers and that she had "just gotten into the house," and commented "clearly I'm not good at this." After an officer read Mitchell her Miranda warning, Mitchell stated, "I know I did something bad," the filing states. She told the officer her father recently passed away and her stepmother ceased all contact with the family. Mitchell wanted some of her late father's belongings, such as pictures, a flannel shirt and ashes, and said her stepmother had refused to give them to her. Her father, Roderick Mitchell, died in March 2023 at age 72. His estate was settled in January. The senator and her stepmother were listed as the only two heirs. Mitchell's estate valued at $172,931 was left entirely to Carol Mitchell, according to court documents filed in Becker County. Roderick Mitchell didn't have a will, but the court gave his estate to his surviving spouse. The senator admitted to police that she left Woodbury around 1 a.m. to get to the house, and that she entered through the window where the backpack was found, the complaint states. An officer asked her what brought her to this point, and she said it was her father's ashes. One of the items that Mitchell attempted to take was a laptop that appears to belong to her stepmother, according to the charging document: An officer "opened the laptop and pressed a button and Victim's name popped up. The laptop was not password protected. Mitchell then stated that Victim gave her the laptop 'way back when.'" The stepmother told the officer she never gave Mitchell the laptop. The stepmother spoke to the Associated Press on Tuesday, saying she's afraid of her stepdaughter and that she had previously sent Mitchell a miniature container with some of her husband's ashes. She did not respond to the Star Tribune's requests for comment. Mitchell shared her own version of events in a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon, suggesting her stepmother has declined "due to Alzheimer's and associated paranoia." "Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room," Mitchell wrote. "Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny." Mitchell is charged with first-degree burglary, a felony that carries a sentence of anywhere from six months in the workhouse to 20 years in prison. As a first-time offender, Mitchell would be unlikely to get the maximum. The charge also carries a fine of up to $35,000. The senator appeared remotely in court from the Becker County jail on Tuesday morning. She was seated in a holding room next to her attorney Bruce Ringstrom Sr. Ringstrom spoke as Mitchell sat silently in orange jail attire. Judge Gretchen Thilmony set bail at $40,000 without conditions. She allowed Mitchell to leave without posting cash or bond provided she follow conditions, including not leaving the state except for official legislative business or to visit Cass County, N.D., where Ringstrom said she has family. The judge also said she had signed a restraining order against Mitchell on behalf of an alleged victim identified in court as C.M. Mitchell's stepmother is Carol Mitchell. The senator did not enter a plea; her next hearing was set for 3:30 p.m. June 10. In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Ringstrom said Mitchell was trying to make a welfare check on her stepmother. "She had information that the alleged victim's cognitive abilities are steadily declining. The family is all aware that the alleged victim here has been demonstrating extraordinary paranoia and blocking people out," Ringstrom said. He said Mitchell had a key to the house but could not get in to check on her stepmother "as well as try to retrieve the items that are hers." Asked why Mitchell allegedly wore all black and carried a flashlight with a sock over it, Ringstrom said, "I agree that all of those circumstances would suggest that it was her plan to go in and out without disturbing anyone." "I believe she was trying to protect herself from being noticed. I am not going to deny that," he said. "She wanted to basically make a check and retrieve a couple of items that she felt were being wrongfully withheld from her despite earlier promises." Mitchell is a former Twin Cities meteorologist and Air Force veteran. Her arrest could cause political complications for Democrats as they head into the final month of this year's legislative session. The DFL controls the Minnesota Senate by a one-seat margin and wouldn't be able to pass bills without bipartisan support if Mitchell isn't there to vote. Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, called for Mitchell's immediate resignation on Tuesday. "I understand the difficult situation her family is facing; however, the actions taken by Sen. Mitchell are disturbing. The complaint released by the Becker County Attorney lays out the case of a person who took extensive preparation to burglarize a family member's home," Johnson said. "This behavior is unbecoming of a member of the Legislature." Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said in a statement Tuesday that "the allegations against Senator Mitchell are upsetting." "The behavior alleged is far outside the character she has established in the Senate and in her distinguished career in the military. We believe in due process, and Senator Mitchell has the right to a full defense of her case in court," Murphy said. "In the coming days and weeks, Senator Mitchell must also have serious and difficult conversations with her colleagues, constituents and family." Ringstrom said he's advised Mitchell not to resign from the Senate and added that he doubts Murphy will ask her to. He said he expects her to return to the State Capitol on Wednesday. "I've specifically told her Don't do anything, don't make any changes to your position or your career. Just follow the advice of your Senate leader," Ringstrom said. "No matter what the facts are, she is presumed to be innocent." Read the complaint: (Can't see the document? Click here. ) DILLON COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A Dillon County man was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty on Tuesday to two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, the Fourth Circuit Solicitors Office said. Quincy Christian, 34, of Lake View, pleaded guilty in Dillon County General Sessions Court. Judge Kirk Griffin sentenced Christian to six years in prison. Christian, a convicted felon, was caught twice by law enforcement with a weapon, according to the solicitors office. We take firearm offenses seriously, especially when a convicted felon is in possession of one, Assistant Solicitor Shipp Daniel said in a news release. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. George Santos had dropped out of his independent bid for a second spot in the House of Representatives months after being ousted from his New York seat. I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1, Mr Santos wrote on X on Tuesday evening. The former representative first announced his bid for the seat representing Long Island in March. The news came after Mr Santos made a surprise appearance at President Joe Bidens 2024 State of the Union address, despite being expelled from Congress just months earlier. George Santos pictured in March attending the State of the Union. One month after announcing his bid for a second congressional seat, Mr Santos has dropped out of the race (AFP via Getty Images) I dont want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota Although Nick and I dont have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I dont want to split the ticket and be responsible for handing the house to Dems, Mr Santos continued. His incumbent GOP opponent, Mr Lalota, was first elected in 2023. I will continue to participate in the public policy discussion and will do my part I will always strive to stand on the right side of history, Mr Santos wrote. Meanwhile, Mr Santos is currently facing 23 federal criminal charges, including charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds. In March 2023, the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into the then-New York lawmaker, who was first elected in 2022. Two months later, the Department of Justice handed him the first thirteen indictments and he was arrested the next day. In October, Mr Santos was then hit with a 23-count superseding indictment, adding another ten charges to his total. The former congressman has denied all the allegations and has pleaded not guilty. Mr Santos was subsequently expelled from the US House of Representatives in a 311 to 114 vote on 1 December 2023. The former congressman made headlines just last week after making a mysterious appearance outside of former president Donald Trumps criminal trial in New York. Mr Santos was passing by the Manhattan Criminal Court on his way to a hearing in his own court case: A lawsuit against late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The former congressman alleges Mr Kimmel deceived him into making more than a dozen videos on Cameo a mobile app that allows users to pay for personalised videos from celebrities that Mr Kimmel then played on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! Despite facing many legal woes already, Mr Santos sued him in February for copyright infringement, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Dispute over grass trimmings escalates to shooting between neighbors, Indiana cops say An Indiana man is accused of shooting his neighbor during a dispute over grass trimmings, court records show. Cell phone footage from the April 21 incident shows Timothy M. Florence, of Crawfordsville, firing his handgun at his neighbor who was on a riding mower near a disputed piece of property, according to a criminal complaint. According to court records, ownership of a strip of land had been in dispute, and an agreement to settle the issue by transferring a portion of the land was underway, but not complete. Investigators with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Department said the video, recorded by the victims significant other, showed the escalation of the conflict which began when Florence used a leaf blower to blow grass trimmings back onto his neighbors property. In the video, Florence can be seen pointing the leaf blower directly at his neighbor, and in response, the neighbor turns the mower in Florences direction forcing him to step out of the way, authorities said. Police said the video shows Florence then walking behind the mower, drawing his handgun, and firing it at his neighbor, according to court records. The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical but stable condition, according to the complaint. He had penetrating injuries from a projectile that hit his spleen, liver and lungs, investigators said. Florence told officers he shot his neighbor because feared for his life after he said he almost hit him with the mower. Florence was arrested April 22 on charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon, and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, court records show. McClatchy News reached out to Florences attorney for comment on April 23 but did not receive an immediate response. Crawfordsville is about a 50-mile drive northwest of Indianapolis. 2 kayakers vanish after getting swept over dam, Indiana officials say. Bodies now found Lawn care worker uses weed whacker to attack man stealing equipment, Texas cops say Stray bullet kills Army veteran, a dad of 2, as he does yard work, California cops say Diver Miraculously Survives Vicious Alligator Attack: Somehow Ripped My Arm Out and Not Off Will Georgitis was attacked in South Carolina on April 15 while going for a dive in the Cooper River to look for fossils. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP Will Georgitis A South Carolina diver is recovering after he miraculously survived a vicious alligator attack that left him pinned underwater. According to the Associated Press, Will Georgitis was attacked in South Carolina on April 15 after going for a scuba dive to look for fossils. He told The Post and Courier that after surfacing from his dive due to limited air, he spotted the alligator nearby in the Cooper River. "It made a beeline right at me," he told the outlet, explaining that he instinctively threw up his arm when the alligator lunged for his head. With the alligator's jaw clenched onto his arm, Georgitis decided to wrap his free hand and legs around the reptiles body but the 6 feet 2 inches diver was unable to lock his ankles together and get a firm grip. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP Will Georgitis holds up a megalodon tooth he found the day he was attacked by an alligator Related: Fishermans Hand Bitten Off After Being Attacked by Alligator on Golf Course: His Hand Is Gone Georgitis then tried to use his screwdriver to stab the animal's eye, however, the alligator immediately shook him and pinned him to the bottom of the 50-feet-deep river. "I knew I was going to die right then and there," Georgitis told The Post and Courier, adding that he continued to stab the gators gum with the screwdriver until his scuba tank ran dry. In desperation, he decided he would try to free himself by placing his feet on the alligator's body and pushing hard until his arm ripped off in its jaws. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. I put my feet up against him just launched back as hard as I possibly could and somehow ripped my arm out and not off, Georgitis told Good Morning America. The gators teeth then scraped over Georgitis arm, enabling the diver to break free and swim to the surface, where a friend was waiting with a boat. Getty An alligator lies in the water Related: Florida Man Recalls Crocodile Attack in the Everglades: I Didn't Feel Any Panic' Georgitis was left with a broken bone in his lower right arm, a dislocated bone and an inserted metal plate with nine screws. He may also need more surgery and faces around six months of recovery. He is now warning other divers to take care when exploring the Cooper River and other waterways in South Carolina, which has an estimated 100,000 alligators. Georgitis also told The Post and Courier that his survival had nothing to do with being brave. "The only thing going through my head was pure fear," he told the outler. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Doctor asks nurse to help her hire hitman to kill ex-husband in Kentucky, feds say A Kentucky pediatrician tried hiring a hitman to kill her ex-husband so she could gain full custody of their two children, federal officials said. Stephanie Russell, owner of Kidz Life Pediatrics in Louisville, now faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting interstate stalking and using interstate commerce facilities in commission of murder-for-hire, according to court documents filed April 22. Russells attorneys did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment on April 23. She was indicted in May 2022, but she had been plotting to have her ex-husband killed since 2019, according to court documents. Russells ex-husband accused her of wanting to hire a hitman to kill him in 2019 when he was being interviewed as part of a child abuse allegation reported by his ex, according to court documents. His attorney provided a letter from the couples former nanny, according to court records. The former nanny initially thought Russell was joking when Russell asked if she knew any really bad people who could get rid of her ex-husband, according to the complaint. As Russell continued to describe details on preferred timing and locations of the would-be murder, the nanny said she started to get suspicious. The FBI and local officials investigated, but eventually closed the case after not finding enough evidence, according to the complaint. Authorities also did not find any evidence of her ex abusing their kids. Then, a Kidz Life Pediatrics employee came forward in 2022 alleging Russell had approached two nurses at the practice for help killing her ex between July 2021 and March 2022, federal officials said. Text messages between Russell and a nurse show a conversation discussing flowers that were to be delivered to Russells ex-husband. The nurse said flowers was code for the doctors murder-for-hire plot, according to court documents. I was hoping to hear about the (flowers) today, Russell said in a text message to the nurse, according to court records. The nurse had told Russell she knew someone she could hire, according to court documents, and Russell later agreed to pay at least $4,000 for the job. Later, the nurse said the alleged hitman died, according to federal officials. Russell then asked if the nurse would do the job, the nurse told investigators. They declined and later left the medical practice, according to the complaint. In May 2022, Russell approached the former nurse saying she was still looking for flowers, according to text messages obtained by the FBI. The nurse, working with investigators, gave Russell the phone number of an undercover FBI agent, saying it was a hitman, according to court documents. After speaking with the undercover agent about a possible murder-for-hire, Russell agreed to pay $7,000 for the job, prosecutors said. She told the agent she wanted her ex-husbands death to appear as a suicide, asking for the agent to hold him hostage and force him to text her an apologetic suicide note before being killed, federal officials said. Russell said she placed the first half of the $7,000 payment in a lab specimen drop box outside her office in Louisville after coordinating with the undercover agent posing as a hitman, according to text messages detailed in court documents. Russels sentencing is scheduled for July 31. High school senior killed after prom, Arkansas cops say. 19-year-old alumnus charged Sex offender rapes 15-year-old after meeting her at McDonalds, Oklahoma cops say 15-year-old vanished jumping out of canoe to get oar. Body now found, Minnesota cops say BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Advisor to Kenyan Prime Minister Joseph Magu got acquainted with the work of Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park (SCIP), Trend reports via SCIP. "Elkiyar Ziyadov, Deputy Chairman of the Economic Zones Development Agency, told the Kenyan representatives about the country's industrial zones and the excellent economic opportunities that have been created. The group became acquainted with the work of such SCIP residents as "Assan-STP Panel" LLC and "AzerFloat" CJSC," the information says. During the visit, the parties discussed issues such as the formation of collaboration, the study of Azerbaijan's current industrial zone concept, and the prospect of a mutual exchange of experience. The Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park has been in operation since December 2011 and is home to around 30 resident enterprises. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." IF YOUVE NEVER had a prostate cancer screening, you may worry that it will be embarrassing and uncomfortable . Doctors say thats not the case, however. The tests are quick and essential for early detection of the disease. Its a very simple process, says Paul Gittens, M.D., a board-certified urologist and founder of Rockwell Centers for Sexual Medicine and Wellness in Pennsylvania and New York City. I think a lot of guys are anxious because theyre nervous that the results may indicate they have prostate cancer. They're also nervous about the infamous DRE (digital rectal exam), which docs say doesn't always have to be part of the test. No matter how matter how worried you are about the test itself or the results, getting screened for prostate cancer is vital. It's something that you really want to detect early, and with early detection, treatment would be administered earlier, and survival should be at a higher rate, Dr. Gittens says. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death among men, according to the American Cancer Society . This year, the organization projects that about 300,000 new cases will be diagnosed, and 35,250 men will die from the disease. Black men are about 70 percent more likely to get prostate cancer. Often, getting screened just involves a simple blood test, and theres not really anything you need to do to prepare, explains Felix Feng, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the University of California San Francisco and co-founder of ArteraAI . Finding the disease in its early stages means its typically easier to treat, he says. Treatment for earlier-stage disease can be less intensive and have fewer side effects than treatment for later-stage disease. Heres what to expect when you schedule a prostate cancer screening: When Should You Get Screened? It depends on the risk factors that a gentleman might have, Dr. Gittens says. The American Urological Association recommends most guys start getting screened for prostate cancer between ages 45 and 50. But men who are at a higher risk for the cancer should get screened beginning at age 40. These groups include Black men, people with a family history of the disease, and individuals with certain gene mutations, such as the BRCA gene. Its best to see your primary care doctor, who typically conducts the testing and then recommends you to a specialist if needed, Dr. Feng says. What Prostate Cancer Screening Involves Prostate cancer screening typically involves a blood test to detect levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Dr. Gittens says its a straightforward blood test. FluxFactory - Getty Images PSA is a protein thats produced by prostate tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic . The test can detect high levels of PSA, which might signal prostate cancer. High PSA could also suggest other conditions, like an enlarged prostate. The PSA test is often paired with a digital rectal exam (DRE), where a doctor inserts their finger into the rectum to feel the prostate gland. We look for any bumps or lumps or any signs of abnormality, Dr. Gittens adds. A lot of guys are hesitant of the rectal exam, he says, so if its causing too much angst, doctors can sometimes skip it and just do a PSA, especially if its your first screening. A DRE alone isnt as effective as the PSA for detecting prostate cancer, Dr. Feng says. However, it can sometimes identify cancers in men who have normal PSA levels. So, many doctors prefer to do both tests, Dr. Gittens adds. How to Prepare for a Prostate Cancer Screening A PSA is like any routine blood test, Dr. Feng says. But you should refrain from ejaculating for at least 48 hours before the exam. This could temporarily raise your PSA levels, which might trigger a false positive. Also, avoid exercising before the test, which might affect PSA levels. If you have any signs of an infection, such as having to pee frequently or blood in your urine, Dr. Gittens says its best to treat the infection before getting a PSA test. The DRE doesnt require any preparation. But you should talk to your doctor if youre worried about it, Dr. Feng says. What About At-Home Tests? A number of at-home PSA tests are available. While Dr. Feng says they can be convenient, its best to get tested at your doctors office. Test results should be discussed with your doctor, who can recommend the next steps based on the result, he explains. Its also just a good idea to establish a relationship with a physician, Dr. Gittens adds. Doctors can recommend other necessary health screenings, like colonoscopies, and routinely check your blood pressure and cholesterol. What Happens After Screening? If your PSA levels are high, your doctor will likely refer you to a urologist. Dr. Gittens says he typically asks patients if they had sex before the PSA test or noticed any blood in their urine or feel like they need to run to the restroom frequently. Then, he usually repeats the PSA test and performs a DRE. If the result still shows an elevated PSA, its recommended that guys get an MRI or biopsy of the prostate, depending on the individual and their doctors recommendations, Dr. Gittens says. skynesher - Getty Images I favor the MRI, just to pick up any aggressive lesions, he explains. Then if there is an aggressive lesion, you can just biopsy that area. A biopsy involves inserting a needle into the prostate to collect tissue samples to examine for signs of cancer, Dr. Feng says. The procedure takes about 10 minutes. If a biopsy shows that someone has cancer, doctors determine a patients next steps. Theres some prostate cancer thats really low grade, and well just watch it and no treatment is needed, Dr. Gittens says. Patients with higher-grade cancer may need treatments , such as radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or other therapies. When to Get Re-Screened If youre in a low-risk group and your initial screening is normal, you should get a PSA every two to four years, Dr. Gittens says. But Black men and guys with a family history or genetic mutations for prostate cancer should be screened every one to two years, regardless of whether their previous PSA was normal, he emphasizes. Regular screening and early detection ensure you get the treatment you need as soon as possible, which increases your cancer survival rate, Dr. Gittens says. Its always harder to treat cancers when theyre more advanced and more aggressive. You Might Also Like The Constitution of the War on Drugs, by David Pozen, Oxford University Press, 304 pages, $27.95 When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Justice Samuel Alito's majority opinion mocked "attempts to justify abortion" by asserting "a broader right to autonomy." After all, he wrote in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, that concept "could license fundamental rights to illicit drug use, prostitution, and the like." Alito thought it was obvious that "none of these rights has any claim to being deeply rooted in history." Alito's blithe dismissal of a fundamental right to consume psychoactive substances reflects "constitutional amnesia," Columbia law professor David Pozen argues in The Constitution of the War on Drugs. It overlooks both the controversy provoked by the nation's early anti-drug laws and the hope inspired by subsequent legal assaults on prohibition. All of those challenges ultimately fizzled. But Pozen sees promise in "a model of rights review known as proportionality," which asks whether the burdens imposed by the drug war are commensurate with the corresponding benefits. While some foreign courts have embraced that approach, it probably would not make much headway in U.S. courts, partly because it blurs the line between judges and legislators. Pozen's book nevertheless makes an important contribution to the drug policy debate by reminding us of the history that Alito ignored. Alito was assessing the scope of the 14th Amendment, which bars states from abridging "the privileges or immunities of citizens." Although that clause is the most historically plausible source of rights that states must respect, the Supreme Court has instead relied on the amendment's command that states may not "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." In applying restrictions to the states, the Court typically has resorted to "substantive due process," which encompasses rights that are "fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty" or "deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition." Those rights include but are not limited to rights explicitly recognized in the first eight amendments. (Oxford University Press) Applying that test to abortion rights, Alito cited "the unbroken tradition of prohibiting abortion on pain of criminal punishment" prior to 1973. Leaving aside the accuracy of that gloss, anti-drug laws clearly do not have such a pedigree. When the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, state-level alcohol prohibition was a recent experiment that was legally contentious and generally deemed a failure. Americans were free to buy and consume drugs that are now "controlled substances" without a prescription, a situation that persisted into the early 20th century. "For the first 100 years of the nation," the longtime marijuana activist Dale Gieringer noted in response to Alito's scoffing, "the right to use drugs was taken for granted." That sentiment was still prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "If you asked a typical lawyer at the turn of the twentieth century whether the government could ban the possession or consumption of an intoxicant like alcohol, the answer would have been no," Pozen writes. "The federal government couldn't do so, it was understood at the time, because the 'police power' to regulate in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare had been reserved by the Constitution to the states." And although "state governments had broad discretion to legislate under their police power," Pozen notes, "many courts" held that such laws "must not interfere with purely private behavior." In 1887, when the California Supreme Court blocked enforcement of a local ordinance that prohibited gatherings for the purpose of smoking opium, the majority opinion reflected that view, although it was not decisive in the outcome. "To prohibit vice is not ordinarily considered within the police power of the state," Justice Jackson Temple wrote. "Such legislation is very rare in this country. There seems to be an instinctive and universal feeling that this is a dangerous province to enter upon, and that through such laws individual liberty might be very much abridged." In 1909, Pozen notes, the Kentucky Court of Appeals overturned "a conviction for bringing booze into a dry town." It is "not within the competency of government," the court said, "to invade the privacy of the citizen's life and to regulate his conduct in matters in which he alone is concerned, or to prohibit him any liberty the exercise of which will not directly injure society." Such objections eventually gave way to state legislators' insistence that protecting "society" required them to "prohibit vice." Resistance to federal drug legislation took longer to overcome. Such laws initially were dressed up as revenue measures or, in the case of alcohol prohibition, authorized by constitutional amendment. Legislators dropped the tax pretense after the Supreme Court interpreted the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce broadly enough to accommodate pretty much anything Congress wanted to do. As Pozen notes, that "New Deal settlement" proved to be a tradeoff for progressives who generally welcome economic regulation but object to the specific variety that drug prohibition entails. Drug war dissenters attempted other strategies, such as claiming that the right to use drugs is part of a constitutionally protected right to privacy. That approach seemed promising after the Supreme Court's 1965 decision in Griswold v. Connecticut, which rejected a state ban on contraception. Griswold "recognized a new constitutional right of privacy and resurrected the protection of substantive liberty interests without a clear basis in the constitutional text," Pozen observes. And four years later in Stanley v. Georgia, the Supreme Court "recognized a right to possess and consume obscene material in one's home," even though it had said production and distribution of such material is not protected by the First Amendment. Citing those two cases, former Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark suggested in a 1972 law review article that the Court "might find it difficult to uphold a prosecution for [marijuana] possession." But the privacy argument yielded no lasting victories against the drug war, with the notable exception of the Alaska Supreme Court's 1975 ruling in Ravin v. State, which held that possessing small amounts of marijuana at home for personal use was protected by the state constitution's explicit privacy guarantee. The story of initial excitement followed by disappointment was repeated with other constitutional attacks on drug laws. Lawyers and academics offered arguments based on equal protection, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishments." Equal protection claims were stymied by toothless "rational basis" review of distinctions that do not involve "suspect classes" and by the intent requirement for proving racial discrimination. As with privacy, there was a conspicuous state court exception: In 1991, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the state's penal distinction between the smoked and snorted forms of cocainewhich, like a similar federal provision, had resulted in glaring racial disparitiesviolated the Minnesota Constitution's equal protection guarantee, which it said required a "stricter standard of rational basis review." Although the Supreme Court has said "grossly disproportionate" criminal punishments can violate the Eighth Amendment, that test is almost never met in practice, notwithstanding a parade of draconian penalties for nonviolent drug offenses. In 1972, however, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a 10-year sentence for passing a couple of joints to undercover cops. Three justices thought it amounted to cruel and unusual punishment; two concluded that the defendant, political activist John Sinclair, had been "entrapped"; and three perceived an equal protection violation in Michigan's "erroneous classification" of marijuana as a "narcotic." In such deviant cases, Pozen sees the seeds of an argument based on the irrationality of drug laws. Although he acknowledges potential originalist claims under the Privileges or Immunities Clause or the Ninth Amendment, he is more excited about recent foreign rulings that overrode bans on low-level possession of drugs in general (in Argentina and Colombia) or cannabis specifically (in Germany, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, and elsewhere). Those decisions, Pozen says, share "a commitment to investigating in earnest whether the privacy and autonomy costs of criminal drug bans are justified by the public benefit, not because drug use is 'fundamental' or enjoys special status in the constitutional text but simply because the decision to use drugs implicates individual freedom." That approach, he thinks, "does a better job of addressing critics' core objection to prohibitory drug lawsthat they may limit people's liberty unnecessarily and counterproductivelythan do the more categorical analyses performed by most U.S. courts." But this version of "proportionality" also sounds a lot like the policy judgments that legislators are supposed to make. Pozen concedes that "the strongest claims for drug rights strain the bounds of professional legal reason," and his historical review provides little reason to expect that constitutional litigation will fundamentally change the war on drugs. The ongoing collapse of marijuana prohibition and recent moves toward legalizing psychedelics have been accomplished through ballot initiatives or bills approved by legislatures, not through judicial rulings. But changing the minds of voters and legislators was a prerequisite for those reforms, and the liberty costs that Pozen emphasizes could help persuade them to go further. The post Does the Constitution Protect the Right To Get High? appeared first on Reason.com. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached a $138.7 million settlement with the more than 100 assault survivors of disgraced Olympic Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar over allegations the department failed to investigate sexual assault accusations against him. The settlement, announced Tuesday by the DOJ, resolves the 139 administrative claims against the FBI alleging the agency inadequately probed Nassars sexual abuse spanning nearly two decades. The agreement marks the end to the final major legal case related to the former doctor, who is serving decades in prison for assaulting female athletes including Olympic gymnasts, under the guise of performing medical treatments. Nassar, 60, previously worked at Michigan State University and was a team doctor at USA Gymnastics, based in Indianapolis. For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability, Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a statement Tuesday. These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements wont undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing, Mizer added. The FBI previously acknowledged its mishandling of the 2015 and 2016 investigation into Nassar, a year that allowed the doctor to continue targeting victims before his 2016 arrest. FBI Director Christopher Wray apologized during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2021, telling U.S. gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols he was sorry that so many people let you down over and over again. And I am especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed, and that is inexcusable, it never should have happened, and we are doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again, Wray said at the time. The hearing was part of an effort to hold the FBI accountable after the Office of Inspector General released a report in July 2021 finding that the FBI made errors and did not treat the case with the utmost seriousness. Michigan State University, which was also accused of failing to stop Nassar over many years, agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted, The Associated Press (AP) reported. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee made a $380 million settlement, the news wire added. Tuesdays settlement brings the combined compensation for victims to nearly $1 billion, per the AP. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Justice Department has reached a $138.7 million settlement with survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse for failing to properly investigate complaints about his conduct early on. The settlement applies to 139 claims against the FBI, and it follows internal probes that found a host of errors in the agency's response to allegations about the disgraced U.S. gymnastics team's doctor. "These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset," acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a statement announcing the settlement. "While these settlements wont undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing." Young girls treated by Nassar had reported his abusive conduct to various authorities since the late 1990s. The FBI received reports about Nassar in 2015, but the agency failed to take proper action, allowing his sexual abuse of young athletes to go uninvestigated until allegations about his conduct were made public through an Indianapolis Star investigation in September 2016. We are proud to have achieved a monumental settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, that not only secures the recovery the survivors deserve but also holds the DOJ and FBI accountable for their failures, lawyers who represented 77 of the victims said in a statement. Larry Nassar (Scott Olson / Getty Images file) Nassar abused more than 500 girls and women throughout his career. Some of USA Gymnastics' most prominent athletes, including Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, are among those who testified about being subjected to his abuse. The Justice Department's settlement is the third such restitution to Nassar's victims by institutions that failed to protect or properly investigate allegations against him. Michigan State University, which employed him for nearly 20 years as a team physician, agreed to a $500 million settlement in 2018 with women and girls who were assaulted by him. In 2021, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also agreed to pay his victims $380 million. Nassar is currently serving a 60-year sentence on a federal conviction, in addition to two concurrent sentences for state convictions in Michigan. Given the lengths of his sentences, Nassar is likely to remain behind bars for the rest of his life. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Subjecting hospital staff and patients to the snake that bit you wont help your treatmentand it might even obstruct your care, doctors told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) earlier this month. Australia is home to some of the most venomous snakes on Earth, including the inland taipan and eastern brown snakes, yet reports of fatal snake bites are relatively rare on the continent, with bites documented only a couple times per year . Still, there are around 3,000 reported snake bites per year in Australia and as many as 500 of those cases require antivenom treatment, as noted by Business Insider . After any snake bite, Australian health officials say victims should immediately seek medical care; but trying to catch, kill, or photograph the snake after a bite just puts people at risk, said Dr. Adam Michael, the emergency medicine director at Bundaberg Hospital in the north-eastern state of Queensland. We want people to be able to get seen and assessed quickly and having a live snake in the department slows up that process, the director told ABC. He spoke to the news outlet after a patient brought in a not very well secured eastern brown, which he said had frightened staff and ultimately caused delays. Hospital staff arent trained to identify snakes, said Dr. Geoff Isbister, who leads clinical toxicology research at the University of Newcastle near Sydney. Still, the researcher told ABC that hed heard of multiple incidents in which victims brought snakes along with them to the hospital after a bite. If that snake gets out in an emergency department, that becomes a huge disaster, Dr. Isbister said. Instead of inspecting the snake itself, medical staff assess if victims need anti-venom based on clinical signs, blood tests and also the snake venom detection kits that we keep here at the hospital, Dr. Michael added. Neither doctor spoke to the exact number of incidents theyd observed in which a snakebite patient brought their assailant in tow. However, local snake catcher Jonas Murphy told ABC that hes personally relocated several snakes brought into the Bundaberg Hospital, the outlet wrote. Murphy echoed the doctors reasoning in a comment to ABC. You are risking a follow-up bite and you're putting everyone around you in danger as well, the snake catcher explained. In a post-Roe v. Wade world, where abortion rights are left to states, theres no more important issue on the November ballot for all Floridians than to secure a womans constitutional right to reproductive healthcare. This is why, with President Joe Biden campaigning on the issue of abortion in Tampa Tuesday, the Florida GOP and Gov. Ron DeSantis have been busy fear-mongering and spinning falsehoods about what setting those rights in stone would entail under Floridas proposed constitutional amendment. Radical, DeSantis called the amendment. Extremist. Its neither. The amendment doesnt change, as DeSantis contended, the Legislatures authority to require parental or guardian permission for a minor to get an abortion. But the governor and his attorney general, Ashley Moody, couldnt win their all-out effort to get Floridas conservative Supreme Court to prevent the effort to give voters the right to decide an issue so crucial to women. One that could also have tremendous impact on the presidential election. So Republicans are out to win. Their strategy is to confuse independent voters. Dont fall for it. The amendment would protect Floridians from the GOPs end goal: a total ban. For women, the abortion fight in Florida isnt about Biden or Democrats vying to return to power in state politics. Its personal. Abortion is a health concern that directly affects only women. Men as partners have a stake, but theres no comparison. And yes, abortion vs. forced birth is a decision that can break families in myriad ways, another reason that politicians shouldnt be involved. For everyones sake, take the red-Florida politics out of abortion, or our children and grandchildren may not forgive you for the future being denied to our loved ones and strangers whose lives we know nothing about and shouldnt judge. READ MORE: Florida voters are hoodwinked alright. But not by women seeking abortion access | Opinion Abortion rights support daughters No, it isnt a cliche to say that abortion is healthcare. The decision to give birth or not affects a womans physical and mental health like nothing else, except perhaps a deadly disease. The right to an abortion cannot be taken off the table without risking lives, as not everyone has a safe pregnancy. In fact, a new study by Northwestern Medicine reports that the maternal mortality rate is accelerating at an alarming pace in every age group, the greatest relative increases among people aged 25 to 29 and 30 to 34 years old. When its your daughter with a zygote or an embryo inside of her threatening her life, you, her parents Democrat or Republican will want doctors to have constitutionally-guaranteed access to whatever tools they need to keep her healthy. At that moment, you wont want medical care professionals hamstrung by laws set by a political party that could send them to prison. And this is our reality: Medical professionals are petrified of being prosecuted now that a six-week ban on abortion, passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by DeSantis, goes into effect May 1, 30 days after the Florida Supreme Courts ruling. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, left, comforts Anabely Lopes, who had to leave Florida for an abortion. Her fetus had fatal condition. A six-week ban is, in the real world, an outright ban. Most likely, so early in a pregnancy, a woman or a teenager, especially wont know shes pregnant. And if you dont think your daughter is having sex because youve taught her better, youre living in a delusional world. If you dont think she can be date-raped in high school or college, youre living in a bubble. Be your daughters and granddaughters champions and defend abortion rights in Florida. Question the motives of the people who have taken away those rights, placing obstacles in front of girls that boys dont have to face. Theres nothing wrong with enshrining abortion, as the anti-abortion lobby is framing the effort to pass Amendment 4, in the Florida Constitution. Whats inconceivable is how little Floridas Republican leaders care about female life. Donald Trump Trashed With Stark Reminder Of His Climate Takes In Earth Day Ad President Joe Bidens campaign marked Earth Day on Monday with a montage of former President Donald Trumps repeated dismissal of climate change. Donald Trump is a climate denier, the Biden campaign captioned a video featuring Trumps comments about global warming that it shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The presumptive GOP nominees Project 2025 agenda would destroy President Bidens clean energy investments and devastate our planet, the Biden teams post added. NEW AD: Donald Trump is a climate denier. His Project 2025 agenda would destroy President Bidens clean energy investments and devastate our planet.#EarthDaypic.twitter.com/uuU6qHGE4N Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) April 22, 2024 In the video, Trump is seen claiming that climate change is one of the greatest con jobs ever and that it will somehow reverse itself. Oh, and he conflates climate change with weather. It also features his 2020 exchange with California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot. Trump claimed the world will start getting cooler, you just watch. Crowfoot told Trump the science disagrees with him. Trump petulantly fired back, I dont think science knows, actually. In contrast to what is believed by a large majority of scientists worldwide, Trump has previously called climate change bullshit and suggested it is a Chinese hoax. When in the White House, he scrapped climate change from the list of threats to national security. Related... On Day One of The Trial, the former presidents hair and skin looked darker. And his mood was dark, too. And, why not? He was facing a tawdry criminal trial in his hometown, New York City, that will drag him and maybe his wife through the mud again in what promises to be a rough-and-tumble court case during the thick of his reelection campaign. It is a trial that will not only remind voters of his grab-the-lower-region-of-womens-private parts remarks, but also of his alleged affair with a pornographic movie actress who he allegedly tried to silence with a $130,000 payment in an alleged attempt to protect his 2016 campaign. A conviction on 34 counts of fraudulently altering business records could land him in prison for four years. Who wouldnt be gloomy? A lot of allegedlys floating around. Yet, on Day One, he dozed off in court. His head jerked up when he got a note from his defense attorney. He then urged counsel to argue with the judge on a motion. He showed dismay when the judge hesitated granting him a day off to attend his sons graduation. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 22: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media, flanked by lawyer Todd Blanche (R), after arriving for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 22, 2024 in New York City. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 presidential election. Donald Trump's unprecedented criminal trial is set for opening statements after final jury selection ended Friday. (Photo by Victor J. Blue - Pool/Getty Images) On the second day, as jury selection started, he muttered and motioned toward one of the potential jurors, and the judge, who has already gagged him on certain out-of-court statements, harshly rebuked the former president: I wont have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. Why won't we see any of the Trump trial ourselves? If Trump had stood trial in New York in 1996, cameras would have captured the snoozes, the gestures, the mutterings that the press can only now use words to describe. New York, you see, has not allowed TV cameras since 1997, one of only two states that forbid video coverage even for the trial of the first president to be criminally prosecuted in 247 years. New York is an extreme outlier among the states, asserts a 2022 Fund for Modern Courts report. We will miss so much more: his glaring when Michael Cohen, his former fixer turned accuser, takes the stand; his disdain when Stormy Daniels testifies; Lord knows what he will do when and if Melania comes to court you will have to take the word of the assembled press what it looks like and how it plays out. People in the courtroom will see it, but the rest of us wont. If and when he goes on trial in Georgia, we will see it. But not his two trials in the federal courts and not in New York. The great state of New York, the Empire State, the state has that has been at the center of so many progressive causes, has failed miserably for 25 years. Even though the state permitted cameras for a decade, its Legislature has failed time and again to bring them back. Mike Kelly: Can Americans trust a verdict in Donald Trump's hush-money case? Will they? It is baffling. The public benefit outweighs any negatives, lawyer and professor Jay C. Carlisle told me. Its a perfect example of something that should be available. It is a tragedy. Carlisle was one of 12 members of a state commission that in a definitive 1997 report argued for permitting cameras. The commission found no evidence that the presence of cameras in New York cases has actually interfered in a particular case with the fair administration of justice. Adds Carlisle, The bottom line is that there is an extraordinarily strong compelling public interest in the trial, which requires coverage by cameras in the courtroom. Opinion: Trump was unhinged during first week of hush money trial. He'll only get weirder. We know cameras in courtrooms fuel fair trials Ive written about this issue for more than 25 years. And Ive read report after report concluding there is little danger for an individual charged with a crime from getting a fair trial simply by the presence of cameras. Sure, the Sixth Amendment guarantees a fair trial to all citizens, but it does not expressly or implicitly prohibit a public trial. Thus, states can pass laws permitting cameras subject to reasonable regulations. There was a time when flashbulb pops and wires snaking through court were disruptive to judicial serenity and a fair trial. But not now. Cameras whir silently and the result is clear: Judges behave better. Attorneys come more prepared. The press cannot distort or sensationalize. The people in the glass house know they are being watched. Three times the New York Legislature has extended its experiment. All with success. Even Judge Judith Kaye, then chief judge of New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, wanted the televising to be made permanent. Last year New York came closer than ever when its Senate passed legislation to permit cameras. However, the Assembly, usually the more progressive of the two branches of the Legislature, refused to pass a version. The attempt failed again. This is an old story in New York, notoriously corrupt as well as progressive. In 1997 the powerful speaker of the assembly, Sheldon Silver, now deceased after dying in prison while serving a sentence for taking $4 million in bribes, killed legislation making it permanent. Lobbyists for defense lawyers, wealthy and strong in New York, can sway the lawyers in the state Assembly. That camera-shy defense lawyers get away with this befuddles me. Its the fuzzy brush of authoritarianism melding with corruption, another old American story. We are in 2024. Weve been living with TV for 75 years. Livestreaming is now our life. Life is a movie. We can all watch. And, after all, in the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution the Founders wanted trials to be public. They didnt envision television, of course. But wasnt the purpose for the public to see governing events like a trial of a former president in order to make up their minds about voting? Was not public meant to stop those in power the authoritarians from getting away with things behind closed doors? Didnt we want people to make up their own minds about public events based on informed close scrutiny? The Trump trial raises a lot of free press and fair trial questions, aside from cameras in the courts. Can pre-trial publicity be controlled? Can the press be stopped from describing jurors? How much can the judge gag defendant Trump? Its messy. But democracy is messy. And we are better off if we see the mess than if we try to sweep it under a rug. Rob Miraldi Professor Carlisle rightly observes: People are curious, they want to learn, draw their own opinions. Especially on an issue of this historic importance. What better way than to see firsthand and live? So much goes on visually that paints a full picture. I agree. I want to feel what it is like in the courtroom so I can judge if my former president who wants us to hail him as the chief again is really a crook like the New York prosecutors and a lot of evidence insists. Rob Miraldis writing on the First Amendment has won numerous awards. He taught journalism at the State University of New York. Email: rob.miraldi@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Trumps trial should be on TV. New York must get with the times Dozens showed up to get 10 minutes with Warner Robins mayor. She plans more 1-on-1 events Ten-minute meetings with a local mayor may have sparked change in the Middle Georgia city of Warner Robins last week. Mayor LaRhonda Patrick and the city organized an open-door meeting event at City Hall on April 17 which allowed citizens to discuss their concerns and share their ideas directly with her in short time windows, leading her to find issues she wants to address. The Moment with Mayor: Ten Minute Power Talks event was based on receiving calls and comments from citizens of Warner Robins that affected them personally and could benefit the city as well. Patrick welcomed residents to city offices to talk with her, a proposition which had people lining up at 10:30 a.m. that day, Patrick said. The talks began at 12:30 p.m. Although each person was supposed to get 10 minutes on a first-come, first-serve basis, she said she accommodated the crowd depending on the discussion they had. Over 50 people came to the event, Patrick said. It was more successful than I thought, Patrick said. So what issues did people bring up? Patrick said residents in wheelchairs showed up to raise concerns about the accessibility of sidewalks in Warner Robins and other people highlighted a lack of senior citizen-friendly activities in the city. Patrick said shes seeking options to address both of those problems. Patrick said she plans to hold these events every other month. Im big on one-on-one events, Patrick said. The participation of Chinese companies in the liberated areas will boost economic cooperation, Ramil Rzayev, head of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, said at the event "Re-evaluation of Azerbaijan-China Relations: The Way Forward," Azernews reports. He noted that this year the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan, and cooperation between China and Azerbaijan in this direction continues successfully: "The participation of more than 200 delegations in the COP29 event has already been confirmed as a result of the visit of the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev, and the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev, to China. The development of economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and China gives a serious boost to our relations in other areas as well. Cooperation in political, economic, and humanitarian fields is developing rapidly. This year is a new phase in the development of our relations." 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. The Drake University Faculty Senate voted against eliminating academic programs in public administration, rhetoric, physics and astronomy and more. (Photo courtesy of Drake University) As Drake University prepares to eliminate academic programs and faculty lines in hopes of balancing its budget, votes from faculty representatives have possibly narrowed the field of what can be on the chopping block. The university Board of Trustees meets this week to vote on proposed program cuts. Drake University Provost Sue Mattison announced in early March that programs encompassing 4% of the universitys student body were recommended for elimination based on a program review launched in November. These eliminations, alongside the discontinuance of faculty lines, elimination of other positions and a curriculum review, are part of cost-cutting measures across the university. The changes are expected to save more than $14 million over fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to fix a budget deficit. After the programs up for elimination were announced, faculty had until April 1 to provide evidence to show keeping their program or faculty line would benefit the university more than getting rid of it. Mattison, faculty senate deans and committees reviewed the appeals before the recommendations went to a faculty senate vote April 17. The majority of the universitys faculty senate voted against motions to eliminate some of the programs up for discontinuance, university spokesperson Ashton Hockman said in an email, including undergraduate majors in physics and astronomy and the rhetoric major and minor. Motions to eliminate the masters of accountancy and public administration were also struck down. The faculty senate voted to eliminate the religion major, East Asian Studies minor and Evidence-Based Health Care certificate. Some programs have been removed from consideration, including the anthropology major and minor, sociology major, health care administration major and religion minor. The next step in the process is for Drake President Marty Martin to bring these recommendations to the Board of Trustees meeting taking place this week, Hockman said in the email. Once the board has reviewed and decided whether to approve the recommendations, Martin will share an update with campus April 29. University charter requires Faculty Senate agreement Drake Universitys academic charter states that degree programs may be terminated by the concurrent agreement of the Faculty Senate, President of the University and the Board of Trustees. When asked whether there are talks to suspend the charter in order to move ahead with eliminating all the programs regardless of the faculty senate vote and if certain programs are now safe in the wake of it, Hockman said she cannot guess what will be discussed at the board meeting. The President and the board have a responsibility to evaluate all paths forward to a balanced budget, but we cant speculate on what decisions will be made, Hockman said in the email. A document provided to Drake faculty and staff by Mattison and obtained by Iowa Capital Dispatch lists the programs recommended for elimination and provides rationale supporting these choices. Each of the programs approved for elimination by the faculty senate have less than 10 students enrolled. Seven graduate students are seeking a Evidence-Based Health Care certificate while pursuing a masters degree, the rationale stated, and doing away with the program will free up manpower and financial resources totaling $5,400. Eliminating the religion major, which the rationale stated four students are enrolled in, would save the university quite a bit more. Getting rid of one of the two faculty lines in the program and rehoming the faculty member into the Law, Politics, and Society major alongside other savings from eliminating the religion program would save the university around $125,000. The East Asian Studies minor houses just three students, according to the rationale, and certain classes required for the minor are not offered at the university, including history courses and Chinese and Korean language classes. The projected savings from doing away with the program are not stated in the document. Of all the programs the faculty senate voted against eliminating, the master of public administration would potentially save the university the most money more than $900,000, according to the rationale. More than half of those funds would come from the salary and benefits of one tenured and two continuous-term faculty lines, and the rest would be the minimum amount saved from other expenses in the program. Eliminating the physics and astronomy majors would save the university more than $500,000, according to the rationale, with almost $225,000 coming from salary and benefit savings from two tenured faculty spots. Dropping the rhetoric major and minor would save the university a minimum of $165,000, the document stated, and eliminating the master of accountancy program would save at least $30,000. Enrollment, graduation and retention trends played a large role in the rationale for discontinuing these programs. Most of the programs up for elimination have shrinking or already small enrollment numbers, and areas of study like physics and astronomy are recorded to have low graduation rates. The number of student credit hours and majors in the masters of public administration and accountancy have also dropped considerably over the years, the document stated. If these programs are eliminated, university staff and leaders have stated there will be paths forward for enrolled students in order to finish their studies without issue. Note that if any programs are ultimately eliminated, students enrolled in those programs will have a teach-out plan, meaning they will be able to complete their degree on time and without delay, Hockman said via email. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Drake University trustees to vote on academic program eliminations appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. DRAPER, Utah (ABC4) Today marks one year since two Draper homes collapsed, scattering debris across the hill and two trails nearby. Draper City released an update on the anniversary clarifying some misperceptions and saying the developer, Edge Homes, is still working to clean up the area. On April 22, 2023, two previously evacuated homes near 2400 Springtime Road slid down a hill and collapsed, leading to the immediate evacuation of the two neighboring homes. PREVIOUS STORY: 2 houses slide off hill, collapsing in Draper Two houses collapsed from sliding in Draper on Apr. 22, 2023.(Courtesy of Jason Middaugh) Two houses collapsed from sliding in Draper on Apr. 22, 2023.(Courtesy of Jason Middaugh) Two houses collapsed from sliding in Draper on Apr. 22, 2023.(Courtesy of Jason Middaugh) Two houses collapsed from sliding in Draper on Apr. 22, 2023.(Courtesy of Jason Middaugh) The collapsed homes had been evacuated several months prior, after the city building official inspected them and found them to be unfit for habitation due to earth shifting. Draper officials said police and fire personnel were already on scene the morning of the collapse due to neighbors reporting sounds of possible shifting. Our personnel ensured no one was in or around the residences in harms way as the homes continued to shift and eventually collapsed down the hillside, officials said in the latest update. The aftermath Following the collapse, officials said they worked with experts to determine if nearby roads and adjacent homes were stable. This led to the condemnation and evacuation of two other nearby homes. Edge Homes then began cleanup efforts by demolishing the remainder of the destroyed homes and stabilizing the area with soil nails and backfilling. However, 365 days later, there is still evidence of the collapse with remaining debris blocking part of Anns Trail. This is due, in part, to several challenges the developer faced in cleaning up the area, including deep snowpack and a viable method to haul debris up the mountainside, the update said. Additionally, Edge Homes needed to stabilize the area before it was possible to bring heavy equipment to the area for clean-up. Edge Homes said they anticipate the final phase of construction in the area will be completed this year, and it will begin this last phase in the coming weeks once the weather improves. While the majority of the clean-up is complete and both Clarks Trail and Anns Trail have since reopened to the public, Anns Trail has a detour in place where it intersects with Edeilwess to avoid remaining debris, city officials said. Edge Homes provided the following statement regarding the aftermath efforts: EDGEhomes has finished Phase 1 of the project, which involved stabilizing the slope with soil nails and shotcrete. After we finalize the design with our consultants and Draper city officials, we can begin the final phase of construction. We intend to begin construction in the coming weeks as the weather improves. We anticipate the project will be completed this year. We would like to thank all of those involved with this process during the past year and look forward to continuing to provide an outstanding lifestyle for our residents for years to come. Edge Homes statement A photo from the collapse of two homes in Draper on April 22, 2023. (Credit: Draper City, April 22, 2024) Misperceptions Draper City said there had been misperceptions due to inaccurate media reports concerning the citys role in the incident and clean-up. As part of the update, officials clarified the citys part in the issue. First, they clarified that the city never owned or sold the land to the developer. They also emphasized that they inspected all public infrastructure and homes in the subdivision and it met code standards at the time. They added that the engineered fill where the collapse happened was inspected by professionals hired by Edge Homes. They also commented on the role the city has played regarding the investigation and clean-up efforts following the collapse. It is the developers responsibility to investigate what caused the homes they built to collapse and to make any appropriate restitution to the homeowners. Draper City has received copies of investigative reports from Edge Homes. Our understanding is that contractors may not have followed the approved plans to their specifications, city officials wrote in the update. Following the incident, Edge Homes said they were working with homeowners to provide compensation, such as buying back houses and paying for relocation expenses. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Driver nearly crushed by Metrolink train in Southern California A motorist luckily avoided injury after driving through the crossing guard and stopping in front of a Metrolink train in San Bernardino last week. Officers responded to the collision involving a four-door sedan and the train last Friday, the San Bernardino Police Department posted on Instagram. It was determined the driver of the vehicle was traveling at an unsafe speed, resulting in him being unable to stop in time, police said in the post. A driver was uninjured after nearly being crushed by a Metrolink train in San Bernardino. A driver was uninjured after nearly being crushed by a Metrolink train in San Bernardino. (San Bernardino Police Department) A driver was uninjured after nearly being crushed by a Metrolink train in San Bernardino. (San Bernardino Police Department) The drivers Nissan Altima came to a stop on the tracks after crashing into the crossing arm. The unidentified motorist was unable to exit through his drivers side door following the collision, police said. Once outside the vehicle, the driver was deemed to be OK. Comedian Elayne Boosler arrested over handbag dispute at Dodger Stadium Luckily, no one was injured, the Police Department emphasized in the post, along with SLOW DOWN!!! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A convicted drug trafficker has been found guilty of moonlighting as a paid assassin for a Manhattan real estate developer who ordered his protege-turned-rival killed. A federal jury in Brooklyn found Antony Abreu, 36, guilty of murder-for-hire charges in the 2019 killing of Xin Chris Gu, who was gunned down outside a Queens karaoke bar at the order of his former boss, Qing Ming Allen Yu. Gu, 31, worked for Yus multimillion-dollar apartment renovation firm, Amaco, but he quit on Aug. 18, 2018, taking several clients to his new company, including one worth more than $1 million. Enraged, Yu tasked his nephew to assemble a kill team and get revenge. Abreu was recruited by accomplice Zhe Zhang to pull the trigger. At about 2:35 a.m. on Feb. 12, 2019, Abreu donned a pair of purplish-blue surgical gloves and executed Gu as he waited for an Uber at the Grand Slam KTV karaoke bar in Flushing. Abreus payment for the hit was a high-priced Richard Mille wristwatch worth more than $100,000, prosecutors said. Yu and Zhang were found guilty in a separate trial in October. Abreu, whos already serving a 24-year prison sentence for a federal cocaine distribution conviction in Mississippi, betrayed no emotion to the jury as they announced the verdict. His mother, who sat in the courtroom flanked by three other family members, sighed and slumped back, then broke into quiet sobs. He faces mandatory life in prison when hes sentenced Sept. 12. With todays conviction of Abreu, a cold-blooded triggerman who executed a young man in exchange for an expensive wristwatch, this office has held all the conspirators responsible for this murder plot driven by greed and revenge, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Tuesday. The victim was marked for death simply because he was pursuing the American dream by starting his own company. The verdict came after Abreu testified in his own defense in his week-and-a-half long trial in Brooklyn Federal Court. Abreu told jurors he drove to Long Island to pick up a friend and then made a few stops after that to pick up large sums of cash from his marijuana dealing business. U.S. Attorney Devon Lash tore into that defense on cross-examination, pointing out that his friend didnt take the stand to back up his alibi. Yall was scaring him with threats. Thats the reason why he didnt want to testify, Abreu insisted. Susan Kellman, one of Abreus lawyers, immediately announced shed file a motion to set aside the verdict. Well keep fighting, she said outside the courtroom, contending that the government didnt establish that he ever entered into an agreement to be paid for the crime. The trial proceeded with a few hiccups, including when one of the jurors, Vanity Fair writer Delia Cai, was booted early on because she tweeted about the hot FBI agent on the case. On Monday, the jury sent a note stating they werent close to reaching a verdict, leading Judge Carol Bagley Amon to send them back to keep deliberating. Two more jurors were later dismissed from the case. On Tuesday, a fourth juror was let go because of travel obligations, leading to the last of the four alternates to be seated less than two hours before the verdict was reached. Its about drugs and money: 2 charged in deadly Florida carjacking caught on camera, sheriff says Its about drugs and money: 2 charged in deadly Florida carjacking caught on camera, sheriff says TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Two people have been charged in connection with a deadly carjacking in Central Florida that was caught on camera, according to Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma. Jordanish Torres-Garcia, who was taken into custody last week on unrelated charges, will now face charges in connection with the carjacking, Lemma said. Torres-Garcia was considered a person of interest last week, but upon receiving cell phone records that placed him at the scene of the carjacking at that time, Lemma said he is now considered a suspect. Were confident its him, Lemma said. Kevin Ocasio Justiniano, 27, was taken into custody Monday in Puerto Rico on unrelated charges. He will also face charges in connection with the carjacking, Lemma said. Deputies believe Justiniano was the person who was driving the green Acura. He was also seen in a red Toyota Corolla in the same apartment complex as the Acura. Torres-Garcia and Justiniano are both expected to face federal charges of carjacking resulting in death, Lemma said. This whole thing, I suspect from the beginning, everyone whos watched this has known its about drugs and money, Lemma said. Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, 27, is believed to be the last person who had contact with Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvias, 31, before the carjacking. Lemma said they believed Aguasvias was on her way to meet Hernandez. He is facing unrelated charges, and at this time, is not charged in connection with the carjacking. Aguasvias husband, who was cooperating with the investigation, is no longer cooperating, Lemma said. Her brother, who provided the sheriffs office with a screenshot of Aguasvias last conversation with Hernandez, has also been caught in lies. Lemma believes the entire group is connected, but expects to learn more as the investigation progresses. Deputies believe Aguasvias was sitting in her white Dodge Durango on April 11 when the video showed a man, wearing all black with his face covered, approach the car and point a gun at the driver. He entered the SUV through the back drivers side door. Aguasvias was found dead in the torched SUV after the carjacking, according to Lemma. Preliminary information indicates the suspect shot Aguasvias and then set the vehicle on fire. The vehicle was found on Saturday, parked illegally at an Orange County apartment complex. When the vehicle identification number was checked, they knew it was the car they were looking for because it was the only one left in Florida, Lemma said. The green Acura is incredibly rare in Florida, with there only being three of them two of which have been salvaged. The car was legitimately owned by a family who sold it or traded it in with a car dealership, who sold it to an auction, Lemma said. The car was then purchased by a Buy Here Pay Here dealership and posted for sale on Facebook Marketplace. A person with a Facebook profile under the name Jordan LaTroy reached out on Facebook Marketplace and arranged to purchase the car, Lemma said. The person in that Facebook profile photo appears to be wearing the same clothing as the person seen in the carjacking video. Lemma said a backtrack of the phone number that was used to purchase the Acura traced back to a burglary report in Orange County with his legal name, Jordanish Torres-Garcia. An Orange County deputy, Francisco Estrella, was arrested in connection with the investigation after he allegedly used a fake name to get information about the case, which he then gave to the family of Aguasvias, Lemma said. Estrella allegedly unlawfully accessed the Florida Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID) to get the personal information of the Seminole County detectives working the case, according to Lemma. The green Acura was also towed from an Orange County apartment complex on March 19 because it was parked illegally. The tow truck driver was the victim of a murder a day before the carjacking, Lemma said. The green Acura was also seen at that scene. Lemma said more than 100 rounds were fired, including rare ammo. He said the cases are either connected, or its a heck of a coincidence. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) A DUI Checkpoint will be held by the West Virginia State Police in the Beckley area of Raleigh County. The checkpoint will be from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. along U.S. Route 19 about 0.1 mile south of the West Virginia Route 41 (Johnstown Road) intersection on Friday, April 26, 2024. New details released after remains found in 20-year-old cold case on same day suspect dies The purpose of the DUI Checkpoint is to discourage people from driving while under the influence, as well as informing the public about the risks of driving while impaired. Anyone who sees someone driving under the influence can report them to their local West Virginia State Police Detachment, law enforcement agencies, or the Crime Stoppers of West Virginia. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. A man's dirty hands cradle several chunks of coal. Duke Energy plans to cease the use of coal in its energy mix by 2035. (Image: AdobeStock) While monthly average carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere reached a record high of 425.4 parts per million last month, Duke Energys proposed carbon plan could delay legally required greenhouse gas reductions, rely on the expansion of natural gas, and burden low-income households with higher monthly energy bills as much as 73%. Over the next week, the N.C. Utilities Commission is hosting three public hearings one virtual and two in-person where people can testify about the plan. The commission is also accepting written public comments. Duke Energy cant implement the plan until it receives commission approval. Virtual public hearing on Dukes carbon plan Tuesday, April 23, 6:30 p.m. View the proceedings on the N.C. Utilities Commissions YouTube channel. Registration is closed to testify during the virtual hearing. However, you can file written comments here. The Docket Number is E-100 Sub 190. In-person public hearings Monday, April 29, 7 p.m. New Hanover County Courthouse, 316 Princess St., Wilmington Tuesday, April 30, 7 p.m. Durham County Courthouse, 510 S. Dillard St., Durham Whats in the carbon plan? As Newsline previously reported, this version of the carbon plan is a do-over of the utilitys original projections that the Utilities Commission approved last year. North Carolinas substantial economic development successes Duke Energy said, prompted it to reanalyze its forecasts for supply and demand. Interest over the past year from new large-load customers exploring siting new facilities in North Carolina has occurred at a scale and pace that is well beyond the Companies historical experience, utility officials wrote. Coal The Allen plants in Gaston County were scheduled to be retired in March; the new plan postpones their mothballing until December. By 2035, coal will be eliminated from the utilitys energy mix. Natural gas Natural gas,while emitting less carbon dioxide, is the primary source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, entering the atmosphere. Although carbon dioxide persists in the atmosphere longer than methane, the latter does far more damage in its short lifetime. The new plan now includes the operation of the controversial and much-delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline, which runs from West Virginia through Virginia to the North Carolina line. The proposed MVP Southgate extension from Virginia to Rockingham County has not been finalized; Equitrans, the pipeline operator, recently announced major changes to the Southgate line, shortening the route and containing it within Rockingham County instead of proceeding through Alamance County. Equitrans has not yet issued a map of the new route, nor has it received any state environmental permits. With the availability of the MVP gas, Duke plans to build two new natural gas plants in North Carolina, including Person County. That will add another 2,720 megawatts of natural gas to the electric grid, a third more than previously projected. The additional natural gas plant in Person County coincides with plans for a controversial liquified natural gas storage facility in the southeastern part of the county. Dominion Energy plans to run a pipeline from Rockingham County to Person County, where it will connect with Dukes new plants. And Transco plans to expand its existing pipeline that enters North Carolina near Charlotte and traverses northeast through the Triad and into Rockingham County. Nuclear power In addition to Dukes three large nuclear plants Shearon Harris in Wake County, McGuire in Mecklenburg County, and Brunswick in Brunswick County the utility is proposing to build new units at its Belews Creek site in Stokes County. SMRs, as these smaller units are known, are a quarter of the size of a conventional nuclear plant and have more compact, simplified designs. However, SMRs are a nascent technology and have not been commercially deployed. NuScale, which had planned to build several commercially viable SMRs in Utah, canceled the project after costs topped $9 billion. Duke plans to build seven SMRs in the state by mid-century. Solar The new plan adds more solar energy than under the previous plan, reaching 17,500 megawatts within 15 years. Additional battery storage paired with solar could boost the resources availability at night. Wind Duke still plans to build an offshore wind farm off the Brunswick County coast, even after selling the companys commercial renewable energy arm last year. However, the first pulse of energy wont arrive until 2033 or 2034, about two years later than originally planned. Duke had not factored on-shore wind into the mix, but now plans to build a farm somewhere to be in service by 2033. The two wind power sources are projected to make up a total of 2% of the energy mix in 2033, increasing to 12% by mid-century. The post Duke Energy feeling the heat as public hearings continue this week on carbon plan appeared first on NC Newsline. TEXAS TOWNSHIP, WAYNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) A Lackawanna County man has been sentenced after causing a crash that killed one person in July of 2021. Back in March, James Gerrity, 62, from Dunmore, was convicted for crossing over a median and hitting Mary and Lou Radell on State Route 6. Officials said Mr. and Mrs. Radell suffered serious injuries from the accident, however, Mr. Radell succumbed to his injuries while being operated on at the hospital. Scranton police patrolling for aggressive drivers During the conviction District Attorney A.G. Howell stated This fatal crash could have been avoided if Mr. Gerrity did not make the reckless choice to unsuccessfully try to treat his low blood sugar while driving. If he had pulled over and ate his cookies while stopped then Mary Radell would not have been seriously injured and Lou Radell would not have been killed. We all have an obligation to keep our roads as safe as possible by staying alert to our surroundings, our vehicles, and ourselves. Gerrity was sentenced to 12 months to 48 months in Wayne County Correctional Facility on one count of homicide by vehicle, one count of aggravated assault by vehicle, and one count of involuntary manslaughter. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. FRUITA, Colo. (KREX) The Lower Valley Fire District (LVFD) responded to a house fire in Fruita Tuesday morning. At 4:24 a.m. officials were dispatched to a reported house fire on Poplar Street. When crews arrived on scene, they found a home with flames coming from a rear window. Crews quickly began efforts to extinguish the fire and searched the building to ensure no one was still inside. The fire was quickly extinguished and there were no reported injuries. The Fruita Police Department responded to help with scene control. The American Red Cross was called to assist three people who were displaced by the fire. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) The 28 students who took part in the desegregation of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System during the 1963-64 school year will be recognized at an East Baton Rouge Parish School Board meeting. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 25. The school board extended an invitation and said that special recognition would be given at the meeting. EBR Schools is proud to pay tribute to the remarkable individuals whose bravery and resilience paved the way for our communitys more inclusive and diverse educational landscape. Your unwavering commitment to equality and justice remains an inspiration to us all, said Perry Robinson III, director of communications and public relations for the school system. EBR Schools expands child nutrition program. See how students can get free food Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Holding COP29 in Azerbaijan will open new opportunities for the country, former British Ambassador to Azerbaijan James Sharp told Trend. "The United Kingdom collaborates with Azerbaijan on climate change issues, and I am glad that your country has taken the initiative to host COP29. Chairmanship implies accountability. The event will address global climate change and emission reductions. COP29 also provides an opportunity to highlight environmental difficulties in the Caspian Sea region and Central Asia, such as desertification and water scarcity. Azerbaijan has an opportunity to demonstrate how to overcome these difficulties," he said. To note, Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,000-80,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties to the convention are 198 countries. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park, right, and LAPD officials leave a news conference April 12 announcing the arrest of a suspect in the Venice assaults. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) On Saturday, April 6, at about 10:30 p.m., a woman was brutally assaulted as she walked near the Venice canals. Another woman was attacked nearby about an hour later. Both were hospitalized. Los Angeles police responded quickly, working with members of the Venice community to identify the suspect. Anthony Jones, 29, of Las Vegas was arrested in San Diego on April 12 and charged by L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascon with rape, sodomy, mayhem, torture and attempted murder. The D.A.'s office insisted that no bail be allowed and is pursuing a life sentence. Read more: Editorial: Time to defend California's hard-won criminal justice reforms from lawmakers. Again City Councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes Venice, placed the blame on a decade of criminal justice reforms. I am sick and tired of living in the middle of a failed social experiment, Park said, adding: Enough with the ridiculous soft-on-crime, defund-the-police, catch-and-release, harm-reduction, criminals-are-the-victims policies that got us into this mess. Enough. Read more: Editorial: L.A. County cities should stop fighting the end of cash bail. It's working Park lives in Venice, and she noted that she or any of her friends could have been the victims of the attacks, so it might be tempting to cut her a bit of slack for her comment. Furthermore, her words capture frustrations and anxieties many residents of Los Angeles feel about public safety. But the statement is widely off-base and egregiously misleading, and falls short of the standard that should be expected of elected officials. None of Parks failed social experiment allegations fits the horrible Venice attacks or the aftermath. Read more: Editorial: What L.A. County voters need to hear from D.A. George Gascon before November Jones had no arrest record in L.A. and was not the beneficiary of any supposedly soft-on-crime policy that abetted his alleged actions in Venice. He was quickly arrested and charged to the fullest possible extent. L.A. police have seen a reduction in the number of sworn officers, requiring a large amount of overtime pay to get the job done. But the department has not been defunded in any sense, and the city budget is in fact under strain from the substantial pay increase Mayor Karen Bass offered in order to improve officer recruitment and retention. In any case, police had the investigative expertise and personnel to swiftly identify Jones and make the arrest. Read more: Editorial: Criminal justice reform is alive. Thank conservatives Catch-and-release? Hardly. Jones was not a released inmate or suspect, and its now unlikely he will ever again be free from custody, assuming police arrested the right person. And, importantly, he is not an outlier. Contrary to anti-reform folklore, no one charged with a dangerous felony is simply let go unless they can raise a lot of money for bail. In the Venice case, as with many other cases of attempted murder and sexual assault, the district attorney said hed ask that Jones be held without bail at all. Harm-reduction, or providing help and overdose prevention to drug users, does not apply to Jones. There was no reported evidence of substance use. Read more: Editorial: California's retail theft hearings scapegoat Proposition 47 And as for the criminals-are-the-victims claim, that substance-free broadside against criminal justice reform does not describe any actual policy of the police, prosecutors or courts in L.A. Crime in Los Angeles is real, it hurts people and the community, and it is a problem that requires constant vigilance. Just as critics of needed justice reforms are often off-target, so are those who argue that there is no crime, we dont need police and everythings fine. The last several weeks have seen reports of astonishing crimes, including a woman apparently disturbed by the impending solar eclipse who police say stabbed her boyfriend and threw her children from her car onto the freeway; a $30-million Easter Sunday cash heist; and freeway jewelry robberies linked to South American criminals here on tourist visas. A sheriff's deputy was charged with stealing from drivers and pedestrians. On Sunday, an intruder was arrested inside Bass' home. April alone provides enough fodder for several seasons worth of TV dramas. Read more: Editorial: The legacy of California's 'three strikes' law is 30 years of wasted spending and ruined lives None of these, though, nor the Venice assaults besides, appear to be linked to any supposedly soft-on-crime policy. Or to what Park called a failed social experiment. Nearly four years ago, following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, philosophy professor (and now presidential candidate) Cornel West called the United States itself a failed social experiment, in large part because he said its justice system could not adequately protect rights and liberties, especially for people without privilege. Read more: Editorial: Blame it on Prop 47: The latest chapter in an endless work of fiction about crime He was right that the justice system needs improvement. He was wrong to call the American experiment a failure, and Park is similarly wrong about attempts to improve it. Criminal justice reform is not a departure from the long tradition of American justice, but a continuation of the necessary work to constantly redeem, refine and perfect it. Impediments to that work have always included racism, politics and self-interest. They also include sloppy thinking, misleading assertions about crime and policy based on anxieties rather than facts. Los Angeles is not well-served by attempts to falsely link reform policies to crimes they have nothing to do with. 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. If you are homeless and have nowhere to go neither a temporary shelter bed nor a permanent home can you be fined or, worse, jailed for sleeping on a sidewalk? Or is that cruel and unusual punishment? Thats the question that the Supreme Court wrestled with Monday when it heard oral arguments in the case of Grants Pass vs. Johnson regarding the Oregon city's ordinance allowing police to fine or jail homeless people for sleeping outside. A federal district court ruled that the law violated the 8th Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment and blocked it from being enforced. The 9th Circuit upheld the ruling. The city petitioned the Supreme Court to weigh in and it agreed. Read more: Editorial: Asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on homeless policy invites troubles for L.A. and other cities Most of the justices seemed troubled by the idea of fining and jailing homeless people as a way to deal with homelessness. How could they not be disturbed by that? Grants Pass even criminalizes using a blanket while sleeping outdoors. Liberal or conservative, under what value system does jailing people for trying to stay warm constitute a crime? And for a homeless person who has no place to go, sleeping in public is kind of like breathing in public, said Justice Elena Kagan. Theane Evangelis, an L.A. attorney who is representing Grants Pass, argued that the inability to enforce the law has tied cities hands and fueled the spread of encampments. Read more: Editorial: L.A. officials lied to justify seizing homeless people's belongings. That's despicable Under the Grants Pass' ordinance, fines for sleeping outside started at $295 and increased from there for people caught being homeless again, eventually leading to arrest and jail for 30 days. According to the 2019 homeless count, there were about 600 homeless people and one shelter in the city; the Gospel Rescue Mission has about 130 beds and requires attendance at a Christian chapel service twice daily and working, if physically able, for the mission for no pay. This is not Los Angeles, where the city and county offer services and a variety of temporary housing options with the goal of helping people move into permanent housing. The goal in Grants Pass, as discussed in a public city council meeting in 2013, was to figure out how to make life uncomfortable enough for homeless people that they would leave. The ordinance was never about solving homelessness. (Officials of Josephine County, where Grants Pass is located, turned down an invitation to apply for a grant from a $200-million pool of state funding for housing, shelter and services.) The justices seemed to get that. Read more: Opinion: In California, homelessness isn't a crime. Is the Supreme Court about to change that? Where do we put them if every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a law identical to this? asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves, not sleeping? You end up in jail for 30 days, then you get out, I mean, you're not going to be any better off than you were before in finding a bed if there aren't beds available in the jurisdiction, unless you're removed from the jurisdiction or you decide to leave somehow, said Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh. Read more: Opinion: I run an L.A. homeless services organization. But I can't afford to live in L.A. anymore Evangelis insisted there are services available for homeless people in Grants Pass. So you're saying there are services available, there's treatment available, so people would ultimately move off the street? asked Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Are you saying that if your law is enforced, there is a way for everyone to be cared for? No, said Evangelis. I'm saying that's a policy question that is quite difficult, but these laws are an important part of the puzzle. They're not the only solution. In fact, they are no part of the solution, not for Grants Pass nor any city. And if the court allows Grants Pass to enforce the ordinance, it will allow any city tired of doing the heavy lifting of providing housing and services to resume fining or jailing homeless people in an effort whether they say it out loud like Grants Pass officials did to, once again, shoo homeless people from one block to another, one neighborhood to another, one city to another. Kelsi Corkran, the attorney for the homeless individuals in the Grants Pass lawsuit, argued that the 9th Circuit decision left plenty of room for municipalities to manage street homelessness. They can restrict when and where homeless people can sleep or camp. They can ban tents, clear encampments, and "enforce a sleeping ban against homeless people who decline shelter, " said Corkran. We dont think homeless people reluctant to go into a shelter should be fined. Those fees just accumulate and leave them with a debt they cant pay. We hope the Supreme Court justices grasp the profound difficulty of truly solving homelessness and that they dont let cities fall back on criminalizing people who are so desperately poor they have no homes. 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. EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) Two employees of an Effingham hotel were recently honored by the Effingham Police Department for their role in stopping a childs kidnapping earlier this year. Department officials posted to Facebook that Franklin Kirkpatrick and Trevor Mattka were given Citizens Service Citations for their intervention on Jan. 19. On that day, Matthew Kelledes of Flora attempted to take a girl from the hotel lobby, but he was stopped by the two employees and hotel patrons. Sherman daycare worker arrested on child pornography charges Kelledes was arrested and last month, he pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. When he announced the arrest in January, Effingham Police Chief Jason McFarland praised Kirkpatrick and Mattkas assistance in stopping the kidnapping. Now, the two have official awards. Their courage and selflessness are an inspiration to us all, the Effingham Police Department added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. A county court judge dismissed 140 cases against migrants charged in an April 12 "riot" at the U.S.-Mexico border after determining there was no probable cause for their arrests. County Court at Law 7 Judge Ruben Morales dismissed the 140 cases during a hearing Monday, April 22, after ruling Texas Department of Public Safety state troopers failed to provide probable cause for the mass arrest. "After reviewing the affidavit, I don't believe that (probable cause) exists," Morales said during the hearing. "I don't believe there is probable cause for these individuals to continue to be detained for the offense of riot participation." A video still shows Migrants breaching barriers set by the Texas National Guard on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas on April 12, 2024. The migrants will now be released from state custody. However, all 140 migrants are still facing federal charges of illegal entry into the U.S. and will be turned over to federal custody. The dismissal does not mean the migrants can't be charged with riot participation later. The El Paso District Attorney's Office can still indict them on those charges. El Paso District Attorney's Office officials could not immediately be reached for comment. A video still shows Migrants breaching barriers set by the Texas National Guard on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas on April 12, 2024. "This is one step," El Paso County Public Defender Kelli Childress said after the hearing. "Can the DA go back and indict them now? Sure, but I would hope they would have the integrity to explain to a Grand Jury what probable cause means and the fact that the judge found there was none." More: Migrants breach razor wire barrier in El Paso, overwhelm Texas National Guard Two other cases related to the April 12 encounter between migrants and Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star forces were not dismissed because one of the suspects is already in federal custody and the other is charged with criminal mischief, not riot participation. The alleged "riot" happened April 12 at the U.S.-Mexico near Riverside High School in El Paso's Lower Valley. Childress argued during the Monday hearing that Texas Department of Public Safety troopers had no probable cause when they made a mass arrest of a large group of migrants on riot participation charges. County Court At Law 7 judge Ruben Morales reviews documents during a hearing on April 22, 2024 for 142 migrants arrested in connection with a confrontation with Texas National Guard Troops at Gate 36 on the Rio Grande. "This is nothing more than an attempt to arrest and harass," Childress said during the hearing. El Paso District Attorney's Office Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Vandenbosch countered the migrants knew when they crossed the border illegally that they were participating in a riot. "Why were they camping and waiting for someone to cut the concertina wire?" Vandenbosch said during the hearing. Vandenbosch declined to comment after the hearing. Public defender calls allegations hearsay with no real evidence Affidavits filed by DPS state troopers were the main focus of Monday's hearing stemming from the arrest of 142 migrants on riot participation charges. The criminal affidavits against each migrant are the same, with only the defendant's names changed, Childress said. Migrants who crossed the Rio Grande at Border Safety Initiative Marker No. 40 are seen sitting down on order from the Texas National Guard on April 18. "The affidavit for almost all of (the migrants) are identical," Childress said. "DPS agents in the affidavit use boiler plate language." She argued the basis of the allegations against the migrants is hearsay, with the affidavits failing to identify anyone who saw the migrants participate in the riot. "No evidence of who in the National Guard witnessed the crime," Childress said. "These affidavits are nothing more than hearsay. We have nothing that points to these (migrants) participating in a riot." State prosecutor: Migrants' bum' rushed Texas forces Vandenbosch argued the affidavits provided enough probable cause to show the migrants participated in the rioting. Migrants who breached the barriers set up on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas by Texas National Guard on March 21, 2024. The migrants were hoping to be processed by Border Patrol. The evidence in the affidavit includes the migrants breaching the concertina wire and "bum rushing" National Guard troops, state troopers and Border Patrol, Vandenbosch said. "They all followed," Vandenbosch said. "When you come in force with a large group you are participating in a riot." Judge questions whether affidavit shows riot participation Vandenbosch repeatedly said during the hearing that the migrants broke the law when they crossed the border illegally. Judge Morales reminded Vandenbosch several times that the charge the migrants are facing in state court is riot participation, not illegal entry into the U.S. Vandenbosch argued that the act of illegally crossing the border in a large group showed the migrants participated in the riot. She added that whether the migrants were at the front or at the back of the large crowd did not matter since they still participated. A Texas National Guard solder walks past a section of the breached concertina wire after migrants breached the barrier on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas on March 21, 2024. The migrants were hoping to be processed by Border Patrol. Childress ended her argument by stating state prosecutors "clearly had no evidence whatsoever." Morales then recessed the hearing before he made the decision on probable cause. All 142 migrants remain on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds on the immigration charges. No trial dates have been set on the federal charges. Migrants, National Guard continue to face off at border fence This is at least the second mass arrest incident at the border fence in El Paso. On March 21, a "riot" occurred about 10:45 a.m. at Gate 36 of the border fence in El Paso's Lower Valley, about eight miles from Downtown El Paso. A group of migrants allegedly cut down the concertina wire placed on the border by National Guard troops and rushed the troops, state troopers and U.S Border Patrol agents. Two Texas National Guard troops were injured in the incident, court documents state. Texas National Guard and Texas State Troopers use anti-riot gear to prevent asylum seekers from entering further into U.S. territory after the migrants crossed the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on March 22, 2024. In the end, 682 migrants were detained for illegally crossing the border during the confrontation with National Guard troops. DPS troopers arrested 214 migrants on state misdemeanor "riot participation" charges. Another nine migrants are facing felony state charges of rioting due to their actions allegedly resulting in two National Guard troops being injured in the altercation. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso judge dismisses 140 'riot' charges against migrants EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Two separate house fires within 48 hours last week left 3 people dead in the Lower Valley. Investigations into the causes of both fires are still ongoing, and the Fire Department has not identified the victims. Officials with El Paso Fire, however, shared some life-saving advice. Enrique Duenas, public information officer for El Paso Fire, stressed the importance of having an escape route and plan to keep loved ones safe in the event of a fire. 2 dead after house fire in El Pasos Lower Valley He said: Make sure you identify all the exits. Think about scenarios. Where is the kitchen? If the kitchen were to catch fire, how am I going to get out of the house if I have children? How am I going to get them out of the house? Duenas also emphasized the importance of discussing these escape routes with household members. With rising temperatures across the region, Duenas highlighted the need to recognize potential fire hazards within the house, including household appliances like air conditioning units which can overheat during the summer months. 1 person dead in mobile home fire in Lower Valley; second fatal fire of week He advised: If youre going to have fans inside of the house, make sure the wires are not a trip hazard, that they are clear from anything else. So, theres no sparks and making sure you are not overloading the outlets. During outdoor activities, especially cookouts, Duenas urged caution. Make sure youre away from the house at least 9 to 10 feet and making sure theres no leaves, theres no trees, anything on top of the grill, just that in case that you get a flame, or something, it doesnt make anything catch fire. Neighbors remember Lower Valley house fire victims Most importantly, El Paso Fire urges the community to ensure their fire alarms are functional and up to date. Duenas said: The best way to make sure your fire alarm is functional is by looking at the label. If 5 years have passed from that date, the alarm is expired. The El Paso Fire Department wants to remind the community that they can call 3-1-1 or visit ElPasoFire.org and request a free fire alarm and even get it installed at their home. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Pasoans Fighting Hunger has purchased nearly 15 acres of land in Northwest El Paso to create a new distribution and operations center. The organization announced Monday, April 22 that it had purchased 14.7 acres along South Desert Boulevard between DaVita Dialysis and Extra Space Storage, the organization said in a news release. Thursday, the organization will have a news conference to formally announce the purchase and expansion. This expansion is crucial for helping the 35% of El Paso County residents dealing with food insecurity. The Texas Department of Agriculture found that parts of the Westside lack support from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, according to the news release sent out by El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. We have listened to the voices of our neighbors on the Westside, and we understand the importance of being closer and more accessible to meet their needs, said Susan Goodell, CEO at El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. This expansion shows our ongoing efforts to make a meaningful impact for our most vulnerable neighbors facing food insecurity. The newly acquired land will house various resources, including a warehouse for food storage, food processing and distribution and a volunteer center, the news release said. The Westside expansion is expected to be fully operational within three years. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar secured $800,000 for site development and construction on the new property, the organization said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Attorneys representing the Maryland State Board of Elections are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges voter roll irregularities and other election law violations in the state. Two groups Maryland Election Integrity LLC and Missouri-based United Sovereign Americans filed suit in March against the state board for maintaining inaccurate voter registration lists and violating federal election law. Earlier this month, the groups asked U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher to issue an injunction against the state that could derail the May 14 primary and possibly the general election in Maryland. On Monday, an attorney representing the board responded, asking Gallagher to dismiss the lawsuit or, at a minimum, deny the request for the restraining order. The companies complaint, however, fails to vest this Court with jurisdiction to entertain their accusations; and fails to factually allege a claim upon which relief could be granted. The companies allege no injury in fact explaining how their allegations of election maladministration injured any individual member, wrote Daniel M. Kobrin, an assistant attorney general representing the Maryland State Board of Elections. Kobrin, in his motion, writes that the two groups failed to establish standing and that their lawsuit lacks a cognizable factual claim. Maryland Election Integrity LLC and Missouri-based United Sovereign Americans filed suit in March alleging problems with the states elections. The group alleges that it found at least 79,392 voter registration violations. Included in what the group said it found through meticulous analysis were duplicate registrations, registrants with questionable inactive status, and more than 40,000 with instances of a questionable registration date. The two plaintiffs further claim that voting system error rates are exponentially above the maximum allowable error rates. Inaccuracy and the specter of fraud have irretrievably damaged the reliability and credibility of results. The group also alleged that the state board thwarted their efforts by denying requests for election reports made under the Maryland Public Information Act. Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox (left) and attorneys Ed Hartman (center) and Matt Wilson (right) speak to reporters outside the Montgomery County Courthouse. Photo by Bruce DePuyt. The plaintiffs, represented by Annapolis Attorney Ed Hartman, asked Gallagher to prevent the board from certifying election results until the errors are fixed. Hartman represented Dan Cox, then the Republican nominee for governor, in a failed 2022 bid to block the early counting of mail-in ballots that year. Those allegations were characterized as being without merit and based on flawed methodology and incorrect calculations, state elections officials said in a statement Monday. Maryland voters can cast their votes with confidence that the voter registration system is accurate, current, and maintained in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, State Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis said in a statement. I commend the local boards of elections and election officials who maintain the integrity of our voter registration system and our elections. We will correct the record in our fight against the spread of misinformation, DeMarinis added. In 2023, a report released by the Office of Legislative Audits raised concerns about the boards efforts to identify and purge the deceased from voter rolls as well as a time lag in reporting people who allegedly voted more than once. DeMarinis said at the time that the report exaggerated the number of potentially dead people among the 4.1 million people registered to vote in Maryland. In the statement released Monday afternoon, elections officials said the same audit showed that the SBE maintained the voter registration system with minimal inaccuracies. The audit revealed that local boards of elections, using information from its partner agencies and the State Board, successfully removed 99.38% of all voters who died from the voter registration list. Additionally, in a voter registration database of 4,148,651 active voters, only 0.00645% of those records were duplicates approximately 268 records. The post Elections board asks federal judge to dismiss lawsuit challenging Md.s elections system appeared first on Maryland Matters. Fayette County school board members on Monday chose to not follow a board attorney recommendation to dismiss an appeal from parents fighting the loss of art courses. Instead, board members are postponing voting on the issue of whether Cassidy Elementary can keep standalone art instruction courses and asked for more information. In the last few months, the Cassidy school decision making council had voted to eliminate the courses and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins had denied an appeal from parents. Parents then appealed to the school board Monday saying Cassidys school council had violated Kentuckys Open Records and Open Meetings law in making the decision to cut art courses. The board was set to vote on the appeal, but the board attorney said the school board didnt have jurisdiction to address the appeal. Board member Jason Moore said he wanted more time to review state law just to make sure the board doesnt have jurisdiction. Other board members said that was also their wish. Board member Amanda Ferguson said it was important for school decision making councils to follow guidelines in posting agendas. Morton Middle School families are also protesting cuts to chorus and technology education. The eliminations were made by school decision making councils, which are making multiple cuts across the district as they are making staffing and budget decisions. Cassidy families also are filing a complaint regarding violations of the Open Records Act and Open Meetings Act with the Kentucky Office of Education Accountability, said parent Ansel Elkins. We ask for transparency in decisions that involve proposed curriculum changes that impact the education of our children, the Cassidy parent appeal to Liggins said. Parents and retired teachers spoke at Mondays school board meeting, asking that stand alone art instruction not be removed from the school. Public education is the best kind of education yet students are leaving Fayette County Public schools due to questionable decisions, parent Virginia Kerr Zoller said. Private school enrollment in Fayette County has increased from 4, 351 in 2018-2019 to 4,862 on February 20, 2024, Fayette district staff said at a meeting earlier this year. The lack of effective communication on the part of the principal and council in its proposal to eliminate standalone art classes creates distrust among the parents and students that the SBDM (school based decision-making) Council is acting in our best interests, the parent appeal said. There was never a chance for the Cassidy community to give its input on the curriculum changes. Liggins, in his earlier denial, said while he had the authority to overturn the SBDM Councils decision, it was important to him to uphold democratic principles and respect the autonomy granted to council members by the Kentucky legislature. Liggins said although he was denying the appeal, providing an arts education class was beneficial, and the removal of this option is unfortunate. District officials are working on the fiscal year 2025 budget for the 2024-25 school year. The total working budget for fiscal year 2024 was $836,026,245, as of January, officials said Board chairman Tyler Murphy said Monday the district is not cutting the budget as it relates to the arts. He said board members had made investment in art a priority.. Murphy said in the last budget cycle, the board made a $1,457,943 investment in visual and performing arts at the district level. In the FY22 cycle, district-level expenditures in fine arts amounted to $347,315. He said more than 68 school-level positions outside of campus allotments have been made for band, orchestra, music, and dance. District spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith has said student enrollment numbers and projections directly impact the staffing allocation made for each school. If the student enrollment number goes up, the staffing allocation also goes up. If that student enrollment number goes down, so does the staffing allocations. Elgin News Digest: Randall Oaks holding kite fly, giving away kites Saturday; Downtown Neighborhood Association joins Illinois Main Street network; Carpentersville police receives another year of federal grant funding Downtown Neighborhood Association joins Illinois Main Street network Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin has become a member of Illinois Main Street, a nonprofit that works with municipalities across the state to foster local economic development and enhance quality of life. The organization is part of Main Street America, which works to improve downtowns across the country, according to a news release. DNA worked with the group last year to put together a new strategic plan, Executive Director Jennifer Fukala said. This year we look forward to working with Illinois Main Street to bring recommendations from that plan to fruition, she said. For more information, go to www.ilmainstreet.org. Carpentersville police receives another year of federal grant funding The Carpentersville Police Department has been awarded a federal Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program grant to conduct traffic safety enforcement campaigns, officials said. Its the second consecutive year the department was allocated STEP funds, according to Tania Gomez, assistant to the Carpentersville village manager. This year the amount received was $55,000; in 2025, it will be $73,000, she said. During the current STEP grant year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024, the department has been using the money to do additional traffic enforcement to catch people who are speeding, driving impaired, using electronic devices, failing to yield, disobeying traffic control signals and not wearing seat belts, a village news release said. STEP grant money comes from federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Randall Oaks holding kite fly, kite giveaway event Saturday A kite flying event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 27, at the Randall Oaks Recreation Center, 500 N. Randall Road in West Dundee. People are invited to bring their own kites or pick one up for free while supplies last, according to the Dundee Township Park District website. A truck from La Catrina Catering will be onsite to sell food and beverages. The event is part of Flying 4 Kids, a statewide initiative to promote park districts, recreation agencies and the states park district youth license plate. For more information, go to www.dtpd.org/kite-fly. Tree planting event being held Saturday at Elgin Public Museum Elgin Public Museum will hold a tree planting for Arbor Day and Earth Month at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27, at its 225 Grand Blvd. building in Lords Park. The tree is being dedicated to longtime museum volunteer and educator Marge Fox, who died in December 2022, according to a news release. Those who attend will be admitted to the museum free of charge. Davey Tree will have an information table inside the building, near the Tree-mendous: The Trees of Lords Park exhibit, which it sponsors. For more information, call 847-741-6655 or email blazier_s@cityofelgin.org. Elite university reverses on NYPD presence as antisemitic mob takes over campus and more top headlines After an anti-Israel protest escalated at New York University on Monday requiring city police presence the university released a statement explaining while it supports students' rights to protest, safety remains its priority. HATE RAGES Elite university reverses on NYPD presence as antisemitic mob takes over campus and more top headlines. Continue reading POISON IVY Columbia University shifts to hybrid learning as escalating anti-Israel protests cause safety concerns. Continue reading NO COFFEE, NO PEACE Angry Alec Baldwin smacks anti-Israel agitator's phone after hounding actor. 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Continue reading Facebook Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Fox News First Fox News Opinion Fox News Lifestyle Fox News Entertainment (FOX411) Fox News Fox Business Fox Weather Fox Sports Tubi Fox News Go Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Well see you in your inbox first thing Wednesday. Original article source: Elite university reverses on NYPD presence as antisemitic mob takes over campus and more top headlines BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Holding COP29 in Azerbaijan shows the importance of the country in the world arena, Polish political scientist and candidate of political sciences Jakub Korejba told Trend. "Azerbaijan has been entrusted with hosting worldwide events. The significance of Azerbaijan, its might, and its authority extend far beyond the region. Azerbaijan is not only the leader of the South Caucasus; it also has tremendous influence outside the region," he said. According to Korejba, COP29 demonstrates the growth of Azerbaijan's position, and it is a fact that the country has emerged as a regional leader. "Azerbaijan has plans to develop technologies, introduce new ideas, and vision for the future. This experience is also relevant for other countries and regions," he said. The political scientist noted that he was impressed by today's speech of President Ilham Aliyev at the international forum on "COP29 and Green Vision for Azerbaijan". "This is a unique leader, not only in terms of policy but also in terms of strategic communications. The president has a command of the subject matter, and you can see that he is very deep into the issues. The President speaks several foreign languages very well," Korejba said. To note, Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties to the convention are 198 countries. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Steinerof Portland is running for state treasurer. (Campaign photo) After 12 years in the Oregon Legislature and as a lead budget writer, Portland Sen. Elizabeth Steiner would like to become the states chief investment officer. She is running for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer in the May 21 primary against investment manager and former Lake Oswego City Councilman Jeff Gudman. The winner of the primary will run in the Nov. 5 general election against the lone Republican candidate, state Sen. Brian Boquist of Dallas. Steiner, also a family physician and professor at Oregon Health & Science University, would be the first woman in Oregon history to hold the position. Name: Elizabeth Steiner Party: Democrat Age: 61 Residence: Portland Current occupation: State senator; associate professor of family medicine, Oregon Health & Science University Education: Bachelors degree in religion and humanities, University of Chicago, 1985; doctor of medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 1991; medical residency, 1994, and certificates in bioethics, human investigations, Oregon Health & Science University Prior elected experience: State senator, District 17 from west Portland to Bethany, Family status: Three adult children Fundraising: $356,200 as of April 22, 2024 Cash on hand: $218,594 as of April 22, 2024 The state treasurer sits on a number of state financial boards and the State Land Board, which manages state land trusts for the Common School Fund. The treasurer also serves as the central bank for state agencies and manages more than $100 billion in state investments and programs, including Oregons Public Employee Retirement System, or PERS. Steiner said her experience since 2018 serving as co-chair of the Legislatures powerful budget writing Joint Ways and Means Committee, which writes the states two-year budget and makes amendments in even years, makes her well-equipped for the job. I think that the experience as a budget writer, of having to make difficult choices about what we fund, will really help me prioritize which programs and which projects to take on first, she said. Streamlining the treasury Among the first projects shed take on is boosting Oregonians financial literacy and creating a single place online where residents could enroll in savings accounts for college, retirement and future care and then monitor their savings. She said she wants to double the number of Oregon kids with a savings plan for post-secondary education and make sure they understand the different types of schools and programs it applies to. Her third priority would be to start a baby bond program for every kid born in Oregon who would get a one time deposit from the state into a savings account that family members could contribute to over time, and that the recipient could access after they turn 18. Many Oregonians dont understand the value of the work that the treasurer does in their childrens lives, Steiner said. I really want to educate people across the state, not just about what the treasurer does, but about the ways in which the treasurer can improve their lives and their familys lives. One of the biggest jobs of Oregons treasurer is managing the $94 billion PERS fund thats currently providing benefits for about 140,000 state retirees. The treasurer also manages public banking and savings programs, including the Oregon College Savings Plan and Oregon Saves, a retirement savings program run through the treasury. Steiner helped pass Oregon Saves in the Legislature and has been trying to expand the states college savings plan. State treasurers are elected to a four year term and are limited to two terms during any 12-year period. Whoever wins in the Nov. 5 general election will be the first new state treasurer in Oregon in eight years. The current treasurer, Tobias Read, has served two terms and is running for secretary of state. Divesting from fossil fuels It will be up to the next treasurer to begin moving state investments away from fossil fuel holdings following a plan recently launched by Read to make PERS investments carbon neutral by 2050 and a bill just passed by the Legislature that directs the Treasury to unload coal-related holdings. Steiner, who said she was encouraged by Read to run for the job, has read his Net-Zero Plan. She said she would implement its recommendations and try to ensure investments arent propping up the fossil-fuels industry, but that there were nuances to such divestment decisions that she would need to study before making decisions. Were also going to have to be thoughtful about balancing a lot of different things, she said. She cited the airline Delta as an example of a heavy greenhouse gas emitter but a company with good labor relations and governance. How do you balance a company that may, for example, have really high Scope 3 (downstream) greenhouse gas emissions and also treats its employees really well and has great corporate governance? she said. The main goal behind everything she would do, she said, would be to grow the PERS fund. Thats the fundamental thing that every treasurer has to do, she said. The post Elizabeth Steiner, Democratic treasurer candidate, wants more Oregonians to save appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. FILE - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition, March 9, 2020, in Washington. Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused Australia of censorship after an Australian judge ruled that his social media platform X must block users worldwide from accessing video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused Australia of censorship after an Australian judge ruled that his social media platform X must block users worldwide from accessing video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded Tuesday by describing Musk as an arrogant billionaire who considered himself above the law and was out of touch with the public. X Corp., the tech company rebranded in 2023 by Musk after he bought Twitter, announced last week it would fight in court Australian orders to take down posts relating to a knife attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in an Assyrian Orthodox church as a service was being streamed online on April 15. The material was geoblocked from Australia but available elsewhere. But the regulator that made the orders, Australias eSafety Commission, which describes itself as the worlds first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online, successfully applied to the Federal Court in Sydney for a temporary global ban on sharing the video of the bishop being stabbed. In an after-hours hearing Monday, Justice Geoffrey Kennett suppressed the footage from all X users until Wednesday, when an application for a permanent ban will be heard. Hours later, Musk posted on his personal X account a cartoon that depicted a fork in a road with one path leading to free speech and truth and the other to censorship and propaganda. Musk cited Albanese telling reporters Monday that other social media platforms had largely complied with the regulators orders to take violent content down. Id like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one, Musk posted. Albanese berated Musk in several television interviews Tuesday. Well do whats necessary to take on this arrogant billionaire who thinks hes above the law, but also above common decency, Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. The idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out of touch Mr. Musk is. Social media needs to have social responsibility with it." Albanese told Sky News, This is a bloke whos chosen ego and showing violence over common sense. This isnt about censorship. Its about common sense and common decency. And Elon Musk should show some, Albanese told Seven Network. The regulators lawyer, Christopher Tran, had argued Monday in court that geoblocking Australia did not meet the definition of removal of the footage under Australian law. Tran said the footage was a graphic and violent video that would cause irreparable harm if its continuing to circulate. Xs lawyer, Marcus Hoyne, said he was unable to get instructions from his San Francisco-based client because it was early Monday morning in the United States. X did not immediately respond Tuesday when asked if and how the company had complied with the court order. Musk has described eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant as the Australian censorship commissar. Albanese said on Monday that social media posts, misinformation and dissemination of violent images had exacerbated suffering from the church attack, which the two clerics survived, as well as a knife attack at a Sydney shopping mall two days earlier that killed six people. X's Global Government Affairs team said Saturday that Inman Grant ordered it to remove some posts that commented on the church attack, but it said the posts did not violate Xs rules on violent speech. X said the Australian regulator had demanded the platform globally withhold these posts or face a daily fine of $785,000. X believes that eSafetys order was not within the scope of Australian law and we complied with the directive pending a legal challenge, the Global Government Affairs account said. While X respects the right of a country to enforce its laws within its jurisdiction, the eSafety Commissioner does not have the authority to dictate what content Xs users can see globally." We will robustly challenge this unlawful and dangerous approach in court, it added. The live feed of the church attack and social media posts that followed attracted a crowd of 2,000 people and fueled a riot against police, who barricaded the young suspected attacker inside the place of worship. The rioting injured 51 police officers and damaged 104 police vehicles, officials said. Three alleged rioters were arrested by Sunday and police released images Monday of 12 suspects they accuse of being the main instigators of the violence, taken from video of the riot. A 16-year-old boy accused of the stabbings has been charged with terrorism offenses. He has received online condemnation and praise for the attack. The attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was caught on a social media livestream - UGC/REUTERS Elon Musk has been labelled an arrogant billionaire by the Australian prime minister in a row over footage of a church terror attack in Sydney. Mr Musk was criticised by Anthony Albanese after refusing to block footage on X, previously known as Twitter, of the stabbing of a bishop last Monday. The politician told ABC News that Mr Musk was an arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law. He added Mr Musk was a bloke whos chosen ego and showing violence over common sense. It came after Mr Musk branded Julie Inman Grant, Australias eSafety commissioner, a censorship commissar as X pleaded for the right to keep the videos online. In a tribunal late on Monday, the technology company said it had geo-blocked footage showing the stabbing of Assyrian Christian bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel last week in Australia. However, it was still available internationally. Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian "eSafety Commissar" is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet? We have already censored the content in question for https://t.co/aca9E4uAB7 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 22, 2024 The court ordered X to widen its block on the posts, hiding them from all users until Wednesday. The stabbing has been labelled by police as a terror attack and came just days after a mass stabbing at a shopping centre in Bondi Junction. Mr Albanese spoke at a vigil to honour victims of the Bondi Junction tragedy which came just days before the church attack - Jenny Evans/Getty Images AsiaPac A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged over the church attack, in which four people were injured. The stabbing was caught on a livestream with the alleged attacker appearing to shout in Arabic. Mr Musk vowed to challenge the block again on Tuesday, posting a meme referencing the Wizard of Oz and accusing rival technology giants of bowing to censorship. The billionaire said: We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA. He added: Should the eSafety Commissar (an unelected official) in Australia have authority over all countries on Earth? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. On the first night of Passover, several local college students are demanding their school call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following the protests at Columbia University last week. Patriots owner Robert Kraft not comfortable supporting Columbia amid pro-Palestinian protests Dozens of students set up pro-Palestinian camps at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Tufts University, and Emerson College on Sunday night to protest the ongoing war. We will be here until the college meets all of our demands, said Juwaria Jama with Emerson Students for Justice in Palestine. Students who have set up encampments on college campuses in Cambridge, Medford and Boston say they wont be budging until their schools prove that theyve cut all financial ties with Israel. We are following on the tradition of the popular university, which is the idea of students taking back the institutions they are a part of, said Jama. At one point, more than 100 students were camped out in an alley off of Boylston Street on Emersons campus in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian protestors arrested at Columbia last week. I dont think there could be anything more worthy for an Emerson student than the peaceful protests these students are engaging in right now, said / Benjamin Levy, who teaches interdisciplinary studies at Emerson. Levy, a Jewish man, is applauding the students who are standing up for what they believe is right in their ongoing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Protesting Israeli policy is not only not itself Anti-Semitic but is actually in the interest of Jewish populations in the US as well as around the globe, said Levy. But some Jewish students and organizations in the Boston area dont see it that way. The MIT Israel Alliance called their encampment anti-Jewish. The group says many students are afraid to visit the schools Hillel building fearing potential violence and that some have even evacuated their dorms. At Emerson, the schools president Jay Bernhardt addressed concerns in a statement, saying We encourage thoughtful dialogue and meaningful expression but will not tolerate actions threatening safety, operations, or educational access. Bernhardt says the college strongly supports the right to protest without bigotry or hatred in any form. The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israels assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the groups Oct. 7 invasion. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Maximilian Krah, Alternative for Germany (AfD) lead candidate for the European elections, speaks at a rally organized by his party on Schlossplatz. An employee of a German member of the European Parliament, lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has been detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, according to security sources. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa An employee of a German member of the European Parliament, lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has been detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, according to security sources. Federal prosecutors reported the arrest in Dresden on Tuesday, without naming Krah. The suspect is said to have passed on information from the European Parliament to China, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said the suspect was detained by police in Dresden, in the state of Saxony on Monday. The accused's flats were searched. According to the statement, he is accused of acting as an agent for a foreign secret service. Several German media outlets also reported that the suspect is an employee of Krah, who is the leading candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Krah was initially unavailable for comment. The announcement comes a day after three Germans were arrested in the western German cities of Dusseldorf and Bad Homburg on suspicion of spying for the Chinese secret service. Maximilian Krah, Alternative for Germany (AfD) lead candidate for the European elections, speaks at a rally organized by his party on Schlossplatz. An employee of a German member of the European Parliament, lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has been detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, according to security sources. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa An employee of a German member of the European Parliament, lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has been detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, according to security sources. Federal prosecutors reported the arrest in Dresden on Tuesday, without naming Krah. The suspect is said to have passed on information from the European Parliament to China, prosecutors said. They said the suspect was detained by police in the eastern state of Saxony on Monday. The accused's flats were searched. According to the statement, he is accused of acting as an agent for a foreign secret service. Several German media outlets also reported that the suspect is an employee of Krah, who is the leading candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Krah was initially unavailable for comment. The announcement comes a day after three Germans were arrested on suspicion of spying for the Chinese secret service. "The reports about the arrest of an employee of Mr Krah on suspicion of espionage are very worrying. As we currently have no further information on the case, we must await further investigations by the Federal Public Prosecutor General," said the AfD's federal office on Tuesday. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has described the new espionage allegations as "extremely serious." "If it is confirmed that spying for Chinese intelligence services was taking place from within the European Parliament then this is an attack from within on European democracy," Faeser said in Berlin on Tuesday. The accusation of spying on members of the Chinese opposition in Germany is just as serious, she said. "Anyone who employs such an employee also bears responsibility for this," Faeser emphasized. The case must be thoroughly investigated, she added, saying it is a matter for the investigating authorities and the judiciary. "All connections and backgrounds must be investigated. Our security authorities, above all the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, have massively strengthened their counter-espionage measures." They are protecting themselves against hybrid threats from Russia, but also against espionage from China. "The current investigative successes show that." On Monday, two men and a woman were arrested in the western German cities of Dusseldorf and Bad Homburg for alleged spying for the Chinese secret service. At the time of their arrest, the suspects were in negotiations about research projects that could be useful for the expansion of China's maritime combat power in particular, according to the prosecutors. Manhattan (KSNT) A new Riley County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Headquarters Facility is coming to Manhattan. Riley County commissioners, EMS Director David Adams, and other officials gathered Monday, April 22, to celebrate the new facilitys construction start. The new headquarters will allow smoother operations and the consolidation of all staff in one building. KSNT 27 News spoke to the Adams about the exciting new transition. Dream Home Campaign helps St. Jude research studies There is a lot to be excited about, Adams said. First off, we have a facility thats made for people to work 24 hours a day. So, its not a sterile environment; its more of a home environment for our crews, which is really important for their mental health. Photo courtesy/ Riley County The construction is expected to take 14 months to complete. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. The Scottish government has voted to increase the minimum price to 65p per unit - Jane Barlow/PA As alcohol-specific deaths in England continue to rise, evidence is clear that setting minimum unit pricing or MUP for alcohol saves lives and reduces alcohol-related harm. An evaluation of the policy in Scotland where a minimum price of 50p per unit has been in force for five years found that it reduced consumption and led to fewer alcohol-related deaths. Following this evidence, the Scottish government voted last week to continue the policy and at an increased price of 65p per unit from September this year. With Wales and the Republic of Ireland also recently introducing the measure, England is becoming an outlier with no national alcohol strategy for more than a decade. Alcohol consumption is a driving factor behind more than 200 illnesses and injuries. Misuse of alcohol is the greatest risk factor for death, ill-health, and disability in people aged 15-49, and one of the leading preventable risk factors for death and disability among all adults. Since 2019, the number of deaths due to alcohol has risen by more than a third in England and alcohol is well known for increasing the risk of some of the major conditions keeping people ill and off work, such as cardiovascular disease, cancers including breast, mouth and bowel cancer, and mental ill health. And yet, our neighbourhoods are saturated with alcohol adverts and cheap drinks, with alcohol availability being highest in poorer areas. The burden of alcohol-related harm is not felt equally. Despite drinking less on average, people living in the most deprived communities experience the greatest harms and bear the greatest costs the alcohol harm paradox. Death rates from alcohol in the most deprived areas of the country are twice that of the most affluent. This is likely due to the interplay between a range of social factors including differences in drinking patterns, access to health care, poverty and stress. MUP can help tackle these inequalities the reduction seen in alcohol-attributable deaths in Scotland was greatest in more deprived communities. Alcohol is also hugely costly to the health system and wider society, accounting for nearly 350,000 hospital admissions each year in England and costing the NHS an estimated 3.5 billion annually. Government estimates of societal costs such as reduced employment, lower productivity, increased crime, and harm to family and friends date back to 2003 when they were estimated at 21bn a year. The figure today is likely to be far higher. Why then, in light of well-documented concerns around the impact on health, the NHS, and public finances, has England not published an alcohol strategy in more than a decade? A policy vacuum Englands most recent alcohol strategy is from 2012 where David Camerons government proposed wide-reaching plans including MUP to address harmful drinking. But the policy was dropped, with ministers arguing a lack of concrete evidence of its impact on problem drinking. There has been no coordinated approach to alcohol since and, even now as alcohol-related deaths rise, pre-election conversations across the political spectrum are devoid of reference to alcohol harm. In March 2020, the government said it would continue to monitor the progress of MUP in Scotland and will consider available evidence of its impact. With that evidence now available, will England rethink its position? So far, despite a growing list of evidence-based, preventative interventions, the focus of alcohol policy in England has remained on treatment services for those dependent on alcohol. While this support is vital, a wider strategic approach is needed to help prevent excess consumption in the first place, including among the estimated 10 million adults exceeding the Chief Medical Officers drinking guidelines. We cannot help but question what is shifting the domestic conversation away from the regulation we know to work. We have learnt, through decades of tobacco industry policy interference and Scotlands five-year legal battle with the whiskey industry on MUP, that there are significant vested interests in government regulation. Giving industry a seat around the table will only serve to dilute the perceived need for state intervention and over-emphasise individual responsibility as we are seeing play out now in England, including the recent announcement of continued freezes to alcohol duty. Ministers must hold firm in following the evidence for most effectively tackling alcohol-related harm. England is in desperate need of a coherent alcohol strategy. One that takes strong national action including MUP alongside bolstering support for those living with alcohol dependency. Health Foundation/Ipsos polling shows that two-thirds of people in England think the government has a responsibility for reducing alcohol-related harm, with 48 per cent supporting the introduction of MUP and only 27 per cent opposed. Here too, we can learn from our Scottish neighbours, where public attitudes towards MUP have become more favourable over time. This weeks figures on alcohol deaths clearly indicate that now is the time for the government in England to learn from the evidence and take bold national action on alcohol policy. Talia Boshari is Public Health Specialty Registrar and Adam Briggs is Senior Policy Fellow for The Health Foundation Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The new rule, among other things, creates leases for restoration and mitigation and designates some areas as being of critical environmental concern. (Photo by Bob Wick / BLM) A new Interior Department Public Lands Rule creates measures to support conservation, recreation and clean energy development on public lands. The rule could affect about 17% of New Mexicos land, which is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. But even as the rules supporters celebrate, they are gearing up to defend it in court. Advocates for conservation, recreation and wildlife told reporters Monday they were celebrating the rule, which changes the way land can be used on nearly 250 million acres nationwide. The BLM already leases out land for uses like oil and gas extraction, and grazing. The new rule, among other things, creates leases for restoration and mitigation and designates some areas as being of critical environmental concern. A restoration lease could enable a conservation group to restore wildlife habitat. A mitigation lease could, for instance, allow a company or organization that gets a permit for a renewable energy project to compensate for loss of habitat by restoring or enhancing habitat in a different area on public lands. Its a groundbreaking step toward leveling the playing field for conservation and tribal voices alongside other public land uses, said Keegan King, from the Pueblo of Acoma, the founder of the Native Land Institute advocacy group. This is crucial for maintaining ecosystem health in the face of climate change, he added, especially for rural and tribal communities reliant on traditional practices, like farming, grazing and cultural site protection. But some industry groups and politicians argue that the new policy violates the original mandate of the BLM to manage lands for multiple uses by prioritizing conservation. Some have threatened legal action, including the Western Energy Alliance whose president Kathleen Sgamma said in a statement that the new rule is a classic example of overreach by the Biden Administration. The added layers of red tape and federal bureaucracy embedded in the BLMs Public Lands Rule create new roadblocks to conservation work. The health of Utahs lands and wildlife will suffer as a result, said Utahs Governor Spencer Cox in a statement, adding that the state would challenge the rule in federal court. There are very likely to be legal challenges, possibly soon, said Chris Winter from the University of Colorado Law School. He thinks the challengers will have an uphill battle in court. The statute that Congress gave to BLM in 1976 says manage for the long term sustainability of the environment, for wildlife habitat, for clean water, for recreation, for cultural values, he said. However, he added that federal environmental litigation is uncertain and said the BLM and the Department of Justice will likely have to defend the rule vigorously in the federal court system. The post Environmentalists prepare to defend new BLM rule against legal challenges appeared first on Source New Mexico. Despite the looming collapse of his home into the sea, Malcom Newell has no intention of moving out - Daniel Jones On one of the fastest eroding stretches of coastline in Europe, its inevitable that Malcolm Newells house will fall victim to erosion. The 74-year-olds home on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, is now just 20 metres from the crumbling cliff edge which has receded almost 300 metres since he moved there in 2001. His house has plummeted in value in recent years, and it is now essentially worthless due to its impending fate. Newell's property lies one of the fastest eroding stretches of coastline in Europe - Daniel Jones But despite the looming collapse into the sea, Newell has no intention of moving. People will not buy my property, he says. Maybe someone will chuck 10,000 at it, but it essentially has no value. I dont want to move though. I can see the sea, Southend pier and a panoramic view right the way round up to the Essex coast. Most other people live [between] four walls with no view, nothing. This is why I moved here I breathe in clear air all of the time. People say oh I wouldnt move there and be by the edge, but if the cliff goes, I go with it. This is my property wherever it goes, I go. If it ends down at the bottom of the cliff, Ill go and build another house down there as its my land, I own it. I will fight that to hell and back. I paid cash for it when I moved here and I dont see why I should leave. I want to stay here until its my time to leave the planet. Newells village of Eastchurch is one of 21 settlements in England where, due to coastal erosion, more than half a billion pounds will be wiped off the value of its residential property by 2100, according to a survey from One Home using government data. A separate report by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs found that property values drop by 10pc to 25pc once the risks of erosion become known. But for those living in danger zones, predominantly on the east coast where there is softer rock, the impact can be huge. Residents living on The Marrams in Hemsby, on the frangible Norfolk coastline, have been forced from their homes after 12 properties were condemned and demolished last year alone due to safety concerns. When it comes to demolishing a property, residents can typically secure a grant of 6,000 from their local authority, but have to foot the rest of the bill. Those who remain face the threat of financial ruin, due to a lack of willing buyers coming forward and the prospect of becoming homeless. One local estimates homes by the seafront doomed to collapse in the coming years will only fetch around 20,000, against an average house price of 206,000 in the Great Yarmouth borough. Last year alone saw the demolition of 12 properties hit by erosion in Hemsby, Norfolk - Joe Giddens/PA Georgia Galloway, from brokerage firm Finbri, says those at risk are highly undesirable. Those closer to the edge will come heavily discounted, for obvious reasons, which will reduce the further inland you get, she added. One resident who has already lost his Hemsby home is retired marine engineer Kevin Jordan, who is suing the Government. The 70-year-old claims that his human rights were violated by a failure to protect his property, after his chalet was pulled down by the council due to the land eroding at seven times the predicted rate in the 14 years that he lived there. The chances of his groundbreaking case succeeding have been boosted by a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that governments have a duty to protect people from climate change. After losing his home to erosion, Mr Jordan is suing the Government for violating his human rights - Tony Buckingham A hundred miles further south and Newell is continuing his long campaign, calling on Swale Borough Council to bolster sea defences on the beach at Eastchurch. When I moved here I was told by an inspector Id have 50 to 70 years left before it was at risk, he says. There was a road, a house and a bank between my property and the coastline but theres nothing now. The bulk of the land has gone in the past few years. We need something done urgently. Newell, who wants groynes to be installed on the beach below his house, took defence planning into his own hands in 2020 when he and other residents deposited waste soil on the side of the crumbling cliff, which is a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI), before being ordered to stop by the council. An honest conversation needs to be had By the end of the century, experts predict global sea levels could rise by up to 1.6 metres in the worst case scenario. But while the melting ice caps and global warming are key factors accelerating erosion, low-lying areas are seemingly fighting a losing battle due to the slow tilt of the land and underlying tectonic plate movement that has been ongoing since the Ice Age. In the south of England the land is sinking by about one millimetre a year while in Scotland the land is going up, says Jim Hall, professor of climate and environmental risks at the University of Oxford. Theres nothing you can do about that and it is nature taking its course. Usually, cliff collapses come during or after big storms, or after a period of heavy rainfall saturating the ground. In the long term though, the process is being driven by rising sea levels, and we know that is getting faster. The Government is midway through investing 5.2bn in a new six-year flood and coastal defence investment programme in England from for 2021 to 2027. Prior to that, 2.6bn was spent between 2015 and 2021, yet only 6pc of that was of benefit to households at risk of coastal erosion as the majority of money went on inland flood defence projects. Any protection is temporary really, as you have to come back 40 or 50 years later to make coastal protections bigger and better, Prof Hall adds. The question is an economical one. Money will be found to protect well-populated places, but where you have small settlements and isolated homes, its very difficult to make an economic case to protect a couple of homes as this costs millions. I think an honest conversation needs to be had to make sure people understand whats going on when they are making decisions about buying homes, so that they know exactly what the future holds. People really need to think things through. Thousands are sleepwalking into financial ruin Campaigners claim there is a significant difference between the treatment of those living on river flood plains and those in vulnerable coastal locations. Conveyancers should see if the property is at risk of flooding when they carry out an Environmental Data Search during the purchase, but this will not show up issues of coastal erosion. There is also a government-backed insurance package called Flood Re for flood-plain dwellers but nothing for those in coastal erosion hotspots, whose houses eventually become unsellable. When you buy a house, the seller has a legal obligation to say if their house is at risk of flooding [or if there have been previous floods there]. But there is no such obligation to say about coastal erosion and sea level rises, explains Angela Terry of One Home, a charity that advises homeowners on the impact of climate change. Thousands of people are buying dream seaside homes without realising it will be claimed by the sea. They are expecting the houses to see them out for the rest of their lives, only to face eviction and financial ruin. A number of residents along the Norfolk coast have been forced to leave their homes at risk of collapse - Joe Giddens/PA These poor people have to demolish their house and end up in emergency accommodation, which is where theyll stay as they have no more money to buy a house as they are mostly pensioners and arent working. In an effort to help buyers raise awareness of erosion problems, Great Yarmouth Borough Council has written to Norfolk estate agents advising them that they are attempting to sell properties at immediate risk of coastal erosion. The rule, when buying property, remains very much caveat emptor (buyer beware) and it might be argued there is a role here for the governing bodies of estate agents to require members to give full, explicit and transparent disclosure around sales particulars for properties in areas of erosion risk, the council says in a statement on its website. Meanwhile, in its guidance, National Trading Standards stipulates that a property listing should include, if relevant, an accurate description or statement as to any known risk of coastal erosion affecting the property and its boundary. Ultimately, the onus falls on the surveyor and the buyer to identify and gauge the erosion risks at a seaside property. Galloway, from Finbri, adds: If a surveyor recommends against tenancy and deems the property as too high risk, this can definitely sway a banks likelihood of providing a loan to a prospective buyer. Those interested in buying should expect to go through a myriad of stringent assessments before a loan is potentially put on the table. This hesitancy means few can secure funding in traditional ways, and as a result these areas attract mostly cash buyers or those willing to take large risks. The likelihood of securing a loan for coastal properties largely depends on surveyors' comments - Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images James Bull, a broker at JB Mortgages, says: Whether or not a mortgage lender will lend on such a property is usually down to the surveyors comments. In many cases the surveyor has commented the property is not suitable [for] lending, so some sales have certainly fallen through due to this. As well as mortgage difficulties, Galloway says obtaining home insurance on these coastal properties in at-risk areas is extremely challenging, with most companies refusing to offer erosion damage cover due to the high payout risk. Property insurers paid out the equivalent of 13m every day last year to help homeowners and businesses cope with unexpected and unwanted events, according to the Association of British Insurers. The value of weather-related damage claims reached 573m the highest on record, and 36pc greater than 2022 (421m). The massive rise was largely fuelled by the succession of storms, including Babet, Ciaran and Debi that struck last autumn. The Government has warned that by 2080 up to 1.5 million homes in England could be in an area that presents a major risk of coastal flooding as the sea level continues rising. Eroding coastlines are forecast to threaten around 100,000 properties. That clifftop dream home could become a nightmare for thousands in the years to come. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark Zaur Ahmadov presented the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Sweden Aud Kohlberg with an invitation letter addressed by President Ilham Aliyev to Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway Jonas Gahr Stre in connection with the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Trend reports. Azerbaijan's successful experience in organizing prestigious international events was noted during the meeting. The Norwegian side was provided with information on preparations for COP29, and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Norway was also touched upon. The Norwegian Ambassador expressed gratitude in connection with the invitation letter and noted that it would be delivered to its destination as soon as possible. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) The University of California, San Diego just received more than $7 million to bring back a center that studies how contaminants found in the ocean can affect peoples health. The National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health gave the university about $7.35 million in funding, which will be distributed over the course of five years, UCSD said last week. The goal is to re-establish the Scripps Center for Oceans and Human Health, which was originally operational from 2013 to 2018, to study contaminants found in seafood and man-made chemicals in human breast milk. This material was found as litter most often on San Diegos beaches The centers re-establishment is part of a joint effort by the NIH and NSF to renew two centers and fund four new Centers for Oceans and Human Health as part of a larger research program that studies marine-related health issues. Experts from UCSDs Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the School of Biological Sciences will be part of a multidisciplinary research team at the center, as well as NOAAs California Sea Grant and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. According to the university, the center will have three primary research goals. They will study how climate change impacts the human intake of seafood micronutrients and contaminants, as well as analyze how organic pollutants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are made and how they affect the marine ecosystem. The third research area will focus on a molecular level and learning how marine pollutants accumulate in the human body. San Diego among cities with most eco-friendly homes in the U.S. UCSD says the Scripps Center for Oceans and Human Health will also have community engagement activities to help raise awareness about the benefits of consuming fish while simultaneously trying to understand the barriers to accessing safe and sustainable seafood. The other funded centers are located at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and NSF are expected to award two other centers in the near future. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Maximilian Krah, an MEP for the far-Right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) whose aide is suspected of spying for China - Ronald Wittek/Shutterstock German police have arrested an assistant to a senior Alternative for Germany (AfD) MEP on suspicion of spying for China in the latest espionage case to shock Germany. Jian Guo, a staffer for Maximilian Krah, is suspected of passing sensitive information about the European Parliament to Chinas Ministry of State Security. The alleged spy, identified as Mr Krahs employee on the European Parliament database, also allegedly spied on Chinese opposition figures. Mr Guo, who is facing charges of acting as an agent for a foreign state, was arrested in Dresden by police, who also searched a number of apartments linked to the arrest. He is understood to have lived in both Dresden and Brussels, where the European Parliament is based. According to the German tabloid Bild, the suspect offered his services to Chinese intelligence services about 10 years ago, but at that time he was considered unreliable by Beijing and potentially a double agent. The newspaper published a photograph of Mr Krah and Mr Guo, which conceals the latters face because of German privacy laws, showing them sitting at a table in a restaurant. Attack from within Nancy Faeser, the German interior minister, described the accusations as extremely serious, adding: If it is confirmed that a European Parliament [worker] was spying for Chinese intelligence services, then it would be an attack from within on European democracy. In a swipe at Mr Krah, who employed Mr Guo, she added: Anyone who employs such a staff member also carries responsibility... this case must be cleared up precisely. All the connections and background must be illuminated. AfD has described the case as very disturbing, while Mr Krah denied any knowledge of his aide being a spy when he was approached for comment by German media after news of the arrest broke. Mr Krah, contacted by Bild, said that to the best of his knowledge his employee only had contacts with official Chinese bodies in the embassy. In a longer statement on X, formerly Twitter, he said: I learned of the arrest of my employee Jian Guo from the press this morning. I have no further information. Espionage for a foreign state is a serious accusation. If the allegations prove to be true, this would result in the immediate termination of his employment. An AfD spokesman said: As we have no further information on the case, we must wait for further investigations by federal prosecutors. I dont think theres too much surprise It comes after German police also arrested three German citizens suspected of trying to provide Chinas Ministry of State Security with technology that could have military uses. That alleged Chinese spying ring, which appears to be unrelated to Mr Guos case, is suspected of using a London front company to pass on intelligence to Beijing. It also follows the arrest of two German-Russian citizens last week on charges of spying for Russia and plotting sabotage attacks on US military sites in Germany used to support Ukraine. A Telegraph investigation into Mr Krah had previously unearthed the German politicians unusually close links to China. I dont think theres too much surprise to be honest, a European Parliament official said after the MEPs assistant was arrested. Mr Guo has long sparked suspicions amongst colleagues because of his lack of German or English language skills and perceived lobbying in favour of the Chinese Communist Party. His LinkedIn social media page lists him as sitting on the board of the Chinese government-backed Shenzhen LED Industry Standard Alliance, as well as holding a position at Fenda Technology, a manufacturing firm that specialises in making hardware for Huawei. Anti-Chinese propaganda Mr Guo has worked for Mr Krah since 2019. In that time, the assistant has approached other AfD politicians and officials, inviting them on trips to China, sources said. He promised to help relax Beijings draconian Covid lockdown rules, according to internal party communications. Mr Krah was a member of the European Parliaments EU-China Friendship Group, an unofficial grouping of MEPs seen as close to the Chinese state. The controversial body was formed in 2006 and suspended in 2021 because of concerns that it had grown too close to Beijings foreign affairs machine. The AfD politician, who sits on the partys federal executive committee, which helps shape its foreign policy positions, has described reports of mass internment camps and abuses against the countrys Uyghur minority population in Chinas western Xinjiang region as anti-Chinese propaganda and horror stories. He has also received a number of all-expenses-paid trips to China, according to public disclosure to the European Parliament. A company listed as Huawei Research Center covered the cost of business class flights between Brussels, Beijing, Zhenjiang, Taizhou and Lishui, as well as stays in four and five-star hotels on the six-night trip in November 2019. The reason for the trip was given by Mr Krah as conversation, conference and lecture. This fire is their fire Nicolaus Fest, an AfD MEP, said: Almost exactly one year ago I commented publicly on the questionable pro-Chinese voting of Mr Krah in the EP and the dubious connections of Mr Guo with the CCP. I concluded: No smoke without fire. Now this fire has become a full-grown forest fire, and it is not only a problem for Mr Krah. Both speakers of the AfD had been warned time and again. This fire is their fire. Mr Krahs interventions in the European Parliament have often been used to further relations between the EU and China. In May 2020, he submitted a written question to the European Commission, suggesting: A return to normality requires good cooperation with China. He asked: What plans does the commission have for cooperation between the EU and China for our mutual benefit? On Oct 1 2021, the Mission of China to the EU shared a video message from Mr Krah congratulating the Peoples Republic of China on its 72nd anniversary. In interviews with Chinese media outlets, Mr Krah has claimed that China has now become a monster used by Western liberals to bluff people, claiming this was behind the Wests backing of Taiwan. Wests global power in decline The Telegraph interviewed Mr Krah in March, and at the time he expressed the view that the Wests global power was in decline. He also appeared to equate pro-Ukraine sentiments on the Right with being anti-China. Within the Right-wing faction, there is one major topic that is dividing us and this is very much pro-transatlantic, anti-Russian [sentiment] within the Right, that would like to be in Ukraine and is preparing a war on Taiwan. On the other hand, you have the AfD, who believes that the Western dominance of the world is over, that the future will be much more shaped by the global south, and that its time to rethink foreign policy. He also suggested that smaller EU states were likely to seek support from countries outside the EU in the future, such as the US or China, as Brussels was unable to help them handle long-term challenges. We are so interconnected with our neighbours and the challenges of the world of tomorrow are still big for tiny European countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Luxembourg which are not able to deal with those challenges, he said. So if you dont have a European structure, those counties will definitely close deals with non-European powers. Most likely the United States, maybe China. 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. Republican use of the term invasion is putting party officials at odds with the immigration restrictionists behind much of the GOPs ideological framework on the issue. The term has become a mainstay of Republican political rhetoric ahead of elections in November, but its use as a descriptor of the situation at the southern border has been widely panned as inaccurate and incendiary, even by groups including the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) and NumbersUSA. At a House Natural Resources Committee hearing earlier this month, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) outlined the dangers of the so-called great replacement theory, in the process accusing CIS Director of Policy Studies Jessica Vaughan of using the term, which Vaughan vehemently denied. I dont use that term. Thats not appropriate to the border discussion, said Vaughan, who often appears as the face of immigration restrictionism in congressional hearings. Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) a hard-liner who has called for the ouster of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for not prioritizing border legislation was presiding over the hearing on cartel impacts on Indian country and later allowed Vaughan a full rebuttal. The implications about me and my organization and our work are completely wrong. We reject the ideas that she was attributing to us, and I find this to be a distraction in a discussion of a really serious public policy problem, public safety problem that certainly is very serious to the representatives of Indian country here, and a distraction from that, Vaughan said. We need to be able to face these issues without name-calling or maligning of motives. Immigrant, civil rights and human rights advocates have for decades decried and publicly questioned the motives of groups such as CIS, NumbersUSA and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which share foundational origins. The three groups were directly or indirectly founded by John Tanton, a Michigan ophthalmologist who promoted an unorthodox vision of population control and environmentalism through reduced immigration thats been widely panned as eugenicist. Tanton at one point was involved in funding a movie version of The Camp of the Saints, a 1973 novel that itself is seen as foundational for the great replacement theory, a racist and antisemitic conspiracy theory that says the power and numbers of white people are being diminished by nonwhite people. The Tanton network groups are partially funded by the Colcom Foundation a collaboration between Tanton and Cordelia Scaife May, a Mellon-Scaife family fortune heiress which calls for immigration restrictions so the U.S. can stabilize and gradually decrease its population, thereby shrinking its ecological footprint. And the three groups provided much of the ideology, inside knowledge and even manpower for the Trump administrations restructuring of the immigration system. Yet they publicly disavow the invasion terminology that Republicans have adopted. No, we dont use it, and I know Jessica Vaughan, Ive heard her say that she doesnt think we should use it our side. And I mean, heres the thing. Theres two questions here: one is whether it constitutes an actual invasion, said Eric Ruark, director of research at NumbersUSA. The first part is, its hard to argue that its an invasion when theyre being invited in, right? No. 1, people arent showing up to the border armed. Ruark added there are concerns over incidents such as the border bumrush in Texas in March and tensions between migrants and the Border Patrol, but theres not widespread assaults, theyre not, you know theyre turning themselves in, theyre getting fingerprinted and then theyre being released even though theyre inadmissible, but it doesnt constitute something that would be called an invasion, in our opinion. But Republicans, egged on by former President Trump, whos been using the term in the immigration context since at least 2018, are all in on calling migration an invasion. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a potential Trump running mate, used the term in a social media post Friday blaming President Biden for the number of people who have entered the United States through the southwest border. The rhetorical issue has taken on real-world consequences in the fight between Texas and the federal government over immigration jurisdiction. The Constitution allows states to engage in war if actually invaded, a clause Texas officials have cited to justify the states crackdowns, though three appeals courts in the 1990s rejected the idea that a surge in migration numbers qualifies as an actual invasion. In January, the issue hit the House Judiciary Committee, which held a hearing to parse federal versus state jurisdiction. Republicans largely argued the issue was a legal one, and Democrats retorted it was purely political. Whether legal or political, the language can have grave consequences, say critics of rhetoric that seems to have superseded its ideological underpinnings. Theyre off their rocker, and theyre doing damage to the country not just in terms of the policy, but in terms of their rhetoric and its not a coincidence that the El Paso shooter, the Buffalo shooter, the Pittsburgh shooter, and I think Im missing at least one more, and maybe more than that, all cited invasion rhetoric in their pre-shooting-spree manifestos and social media posts, said Mario H. Lopez, president of the conservative Hispanic Leadership Fund and a longtime critic of the Tanton network. The Tanton groups dont engage in the political use of invasion language and dont disavow politicians who use it but do remain wary of potential fallout. When Donald Trump talks about it, hes a double-edged sword here, because he talks he raises the issue, but hes not very good at the policy aspects of it, Ruark said. Despite their stylistic differences, immigration restriction advocates and Republicans hard-liners share a common short-term goal: to pass more legislation based on H.R. 2, a hawkish bill passed by the House GOP but ignored by the Senate in May. Speaker Johnson, meanwhile, is engaged in a scuffle with some of his former Freedom Caucus allies for refusing to hold Ukraine aid hostage to Senate passage of H.R. 2, and instead proposing the End the Border Catastrophe Act, which included elements of H.R. 2 but failed Saturday in the House, as a bipartisan coalition led by Johnson passed a $95 billion foreign aid package, including $61 billion to Ukraine. The alternate border bill was seen as appeasement to the partys right, but it never stood a chance, as it needed a two-thirds majority to pass under suspension of the rules. Hard-line Republicans including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Bob Good (Va.) had preemptively dismissed the new border bill as a distraction, with Greene writing it off as a shiny object. That sort of political bickering mirrors Trumps double-edged sword, as the Tanton groups have never before wielded as much political influence as they do now, though their allies in government present a tone and language that restrictionists have publicly avoided. Groups such as NumbersUSA have spent decades cultivating an image as a sober, calm, immigrant-friendly voice on the restrictionist side of the immigration debate, but their longtime critics say support for doomed bills like H.R. 2 belies that notion. If you cared about actual border security, you would propose things and support things that bring order and are a simpler, fairer, more efficient legal process, because thats the only thing that is going to stop illegal immigration, Lopez said. The orderly, more efficient process for legal immigration it is the only thing. You cannot turn any quote-unquote magnet the term they use off, because the magnet isnt any one of the things that they say it is. The magnet is America itself. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Every death case in Alameda County now in limbo SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) All 35 death penalty cases in Alameda County from the past four decades are in limbo because of potential misconduct committed by prosecutors during jury selection, the district attorney announced. On Monday, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price told reporters that her office found evidence that prosecutors intentionally excluded Black and Jewish people from the jury of Ernest Edward Dykes. The DAs bombshell review of 35 cases began with Dykes, who was sentenced to death in 1995. Dykes murdered his landlords nine-year-old grandson in Oakland and shot the landlord in her neck in the summer of 1993, court records show. Ernest Edward Dykes is seen in a CDCR mugshot dated March 22, 2024. (Image via California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) The landlord, 70-year-old Bernice Clark, survived the apartment complex shooting. Nine-year-old Lance Clark died from a gunshot wound to his chest. Dykes is now a 51-year-old condemned inmate appealing his case. Price had assigned a deputy district attorney to oversee death penalty appellate court proceedings. The staffer found old notes handwritten by prosecutors detailing the strategy of excluding Black and Jewish people from Dykes jury pool, according to Price. One of the handwritten notes was released by the ACDAO. (Image courtesy ACDAO) The district attorney held a news conference Monday outside the United States District Court courthouse in San Francisco, where U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria is overseeing Dykes appeal. Price said the conduct of some prosecutors likely violated defendants right to a fair trial. Price said she is not sure how long reviewing all 35 cases will take. It will take a long time, she said. We are not advocating for Dykes, we are advocating for the people of California, Price added. A second handwritten note was released by the ACDAO. (Image courtesy ACDAO) Im mandated to root out unethical behavior. This is about ethics. To ensure every person charged with a crime receives a fair trial, Price told reporters. It appears that certain prosecutors in the Alameda County District Attorneys Office intentionally excluded Black and Jewish jurors. This week, Judge Chhabria lifted an order that had previously kept the prosecutors jury selection notes sealed. The DAs Office released five handwritten notes to the media immediately after the order was lifted. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price speaks during a press conference in Oakland on Nov. 7, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/ via Getty Images) Dykes is currently incarcerated in California Health Care Facility Stockton, according to state prison inmate records. Some of the 35 victims family members have been notified of the ongoing review, the district attorney said. The review could lead to re-sentencings or retrials for convicted murderers. Price said, The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to a trial by an impartial jury of ones peers. Any practice by prosecutors to eliminate potential jurors because of their race betrays that core pillar of the criminal justice system. A third handwritten note was released by the ACDAO. (Image courtesy ACDAO) Michael Collins of Color Of Change, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization, told KRON4, The prosecutors and judges implicated in this scandal engaged in racist and antisemitic practices and sent people to their deaths. For too long, prosecutors have sought to win at all costs, even if it means engaging in constitutional violations, civil rights violations and antisemitic and racially disparate practices. We know of 35 people who will have their cases reviewed, and hopefully overturned, but there are likely many more. The District Attorneys Office said it is still reaching out to victims and survivors in the 35 cases. Anyone who has not been contacted can call Victim Witness Advocates at 510-208-9555 or email shawnmitchell@acgov.org. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Ex church youth leader, 76, seen molesting girl at restaurant, Pennsylvania cops say Police arrested a 76-year-old Pennsylvania man after witnesses saw him molesting a young girl in public, officials say. The man, later identified as Roy Andrews, was at a restaurant in Upper Allen Township on April 7 when it happened, police said in a news release. Customers contacted authorities after witnessing him sexually molest a young female child. Police launched an investigation, which led them to Andrews. On April 22, officers searched his home in neighboring Mechanicsburg, and he tried to run away and resisted arrest, police said. Officers were eventually able to arrest Andrews and he was transported to Cumberland County Central Booking for processing and arraignment, the department said. Through their investigation, police learned Andrews had been involved with a Hispanic church in Harrisburg called Iglesia La Fuenta, working as a youth group leader from 2014 to 2022. An investigation is still underway and police are looking to find other possible victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 717-795-2445. Andrews was arrested on charges of unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, corruption of minors, endangering welfare of children and resisting arrest, police said. Upper Allen Township is a roughly 110-mile drive northwest of Philadelphia. Cop accused of raping baby girl tried blaming dog for her injuries, PA officials say Teacher encouraged fight club discipline against special needs boy, IN lawsuit says Mom got rush from repeatedly suffocating baby, MO cops say. Last time he was blue Naked teacher found in SUV crashed by teen driver fleeing sheriff, Nebraska cops say Duane Keffe D Davis, who is accused of orchestrating the 1996 slaying of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, is led into the courtroom during a status hearing at the Regional Justice Center, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP) LAS VEGAS (AP) The defense attorney representing a former Los Angeles-area gang leader accused of killing hip-hop music icon Tupac Shakur in 1996 in Las Vegas said Tuesday his client's accounts of the killing are fiction and prosecutors lack key evidence to obtain a murder conviction. "He himself is giving different stories," attorney Carl Arnold told reporters outside a courtroom following a brief status check with his client, Duane Keffe D Davis, in front of a Nevada judge. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 4. We havent seen more than just his word, Arnold said of Davis' police and media interviews since 2008 in which prosecutors say he incriminated himself in Shakur's killing including Davis' 2019 tell-all memoir of life leading a street gang in Compton, California. Prosecutor Binu Palal did not immediately comment outside court about Arnold's statements. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said evidence against Davis is strong and it will be up to a jury to decide the credibility of Davis' accounts. Arnold said his client wanted to make money with his story, so he embellished or outright lied about his involvement in the car-to-car shooting that killed Shakur and wounded rap music mogul Marion Suge Knight at a traffic signal near the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996. Knight, now 59, is serving 28 years in a California prison for killing a Compton businessman with a vehicle in 2015. He was not called by prosecutors to testify before the grand jury that indicted Davis last year. Arnold said Davis will not testify at trial, but he intends to call Knight to testify. The defense attorney said police and prosecutors lack proof that Davis was in Las Vegas at the time of Shakur's killing, and dont have the gun and car used during the shooting as evidence. Weve seen video of everybody else here. Wheres video of him?" Arnold said of Davis. "Theres just nothing saying that he was here. Davis has been jailed on $750,000 bail since his arrest in September. Arnold said Tuesday that Davis has been unable to raise the 10% needed to obtain a bond to be released to house arrest. Davis, 60, is originally from Compton. Police, prosecutors and Davis say he is the only person still alive who was in the car from which shots were fired. Davis pleaded not guilty in November to first-degree murder. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. In his book, Davis wrote that he was promised immunity from prosecution when he told authorities in Los Angeles what he knew about the fatal shootings of Shakur and rival rapper Christopher Wallace six months later in Los Angeles. Wallace was known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls. Shakur had five No. 1 albums, was nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted in 2017 into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He received a posthumous star last year on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ____ This story has been updated to correct that Marion Suge Knight is in prison for killing someone with a vehicle, not a fatal shooting. GRAND RAPIDS. Mich. (WOOD) A former Grand Rapids Catholic schools teacher who was fired in 2022 for providing alcohol to minors is now facing felony charges that accuse him of having sex with a teenage boy he met in the classroom. Nicholas Coe Young, 26, had a recent court appearance on three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a student. The charge is a 15-year felony. The case came to light nearly two years after Young was charged with providing alcohol to minors in two separate cases, one in March 2022 and the other a month later. Young is accused of having sex with a teenage boy over the span of 15 months starting in August 2022 after he was fired from Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids over the alcohol allegations. The boys mother contacted Grand Rapids police in March of this year to report her son was taken advantage of and sexually assaulted by a fired teacher of Catholic Central High School, according to a police report. The boy is now 17. The victim reports feeling manipulated by Nicholas and reported not always wanting to engage in physical sex acts with him but felt used and that Nicholas only wanted sex from the victim, a Grand Rapids police detective wrote in court records. Charges were filed earlier this month. The case is now in Kent County Circuit Court. Young, who lists a home address in Saginaw County, was released on a $200,000 bond. Messages left with his attorney were not returned. In a statement to Target 8, a spokesperson for Catholic Central said the school had no evidence to suggest that any improper activities happened while this individual was an employee or on school property. The criminal statute used to prosecute Young addresses circumstances in which the victim was a student and the defendant, a school employee, used his or her status to gain access to or to establish a relationship with the victim. This broadens the criminal sexual conduct statute so if someone works at a school where the victim was enrolled, there are specific penalties covering illegal behavior, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. According to a police report and court records, sex acts occurred at several locations across Kent County, including at Lookout Park off Fairview Avenue NE in Grand Rapids when the boy was 16. The mother reported that a former teacher of her child, Nicholas Young, had taken advantage of the teen which led to a sexual relationship, Grand Rapids Police officer Kayla Oxender wrote in a probable cause affidavit. The mother had located and provided some sexually graphic text messages from and photos of Nicholas, including a fully nude photo, the detective wrote. Attempts were made by the parents to contact Young in November 2022 with no answer, but the communications between Young and the boy stopped, court records show. The following year, she discovered that they had continued their relationship until she learned and contacted Nicholas new place of employment and fiance to notify them of his behavior, court records show. In an interview last month with Grand Rapids police, the boy said he and Young began communicating again, which led to the meeting in person in several locations throughout the greater Grand Rapids area, records show. The two engaged in various sex acts, and exchanged nude photos regularly, according to the probable cause affidavit. The victim was looking for a friend and someone to talk to sometimes, but Nicholas would turn the encounter sexual, court records show. The victim reports after Nicholas said I know you didnt want to, but it made me happy.' For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Jim Trusty, an ex-attorney for former President Trump, said it was a bad moment for Trumps current attorney Todd Blanche when Judge Juan Merchan gave him a tongue-lashing Tuesday. I have to say, if youre an attorney no matter what side of the aisle youre on the c-word is a terrible word to hear about yourself, and I mean credibility, Trusty said on CNN in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. When you start hearing a judge, you know and look, this could be a tongue-lashing thats not followed by a whole lot of damage, but if the judge starts saying Youve lost credibility, you know, thats a bad moment for anybody. And youve really got to figure out a way, How do I patch this back? Trusty continued. Merchan, who is presiding over Trumps hush money case in New York, told Blance he was losing all credibility Tuesday. Blanche had made arguments that the former president did not violate a gag order on him in the hush money case 10 times by way of 10 posts on his social media account and campaign website. Blanche said the former president is being very careful to not violate the gag order and that we are trying to comply with it. Mr. Blanche, youre losing all credibility, the judge responded. Youre losing all credibility with the court. Is there any other argument you want to make? Top Stories from The Hill Trump in a Truth Social post had accused Merchan of taking away his constitutional right to free speech. EVERYBODY IS ALLOWED TO TALK AND LIE ABOUT ME, BUT I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DEFEND MYSELF, Trump said. THIS IS A KANGAROO COURT, AND THE JUDGE SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF! Trumps hush money trial began last Monday, marking the first criminal trial of an American president. He has been has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to reimbursements to his attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, who paid an adult film actor $130,000 prior to the 2016 election to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump, which he denies. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Holding COP29 in Azerbaijan can make a serious contribution to solving global problems, Princeton University professor Michael Reynolds told Trend. "As someone who has been to Azerbaijan a lot and knows about this country, its rich history, and its culture, I believe that holding COP29 provides a good opportunity for Azerbaijan to show itself to the world as a country capable of contributing to the resolution of serious global problems, such as environmental issues that affect all of us," he said. To note, Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties to the convention are 198 countries. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel By Eduardo Baptista, Fanny Potkin and Max A. Cherney BEIJING/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese universities and research institutes recently obtained high-end Nvidia artificial intelligence chips through resellers, despite the U.S. widening a ban last year on the sale of such technology to China. A Reuters review of hundreds of tender documents shows 10 Chinese entities acquired advanced Nvidia chips embedded in server products made by Super Micro Computer Inc., Dell Technologies Inc. and Taiwan's Gigabyte Technology Co Ltd after the U.S. on Nov. 17 expanded the embargo to subject more chips and countries to licensing rules. Specifically, the servers contained some of Nvidia's most advanced chips, according to the previously unreported tenders fulfilled between Nov. 20 and Feb. 28. While the U.S. bars Nvidia and its partners from selling advanced chips to China, including via third parties, the sale and purchase of the chips are not illegal in China. The 11 sellers of the chips were little-known Chinese retailers. Reuters could not determine whether, in fulfilling the orders, they used stockpiles acquired before the U.S. tightened chip-export restrictions in November. Contacted by Reuters, Nvidia said the tenders specify products that were exported and widely available before the restrictions. "They do not indicate that any of our partners violated the export control rules and are a negligible fraction of the products sold worldwide," a spokesperson said. The server makers said they complied with applicable laws or would investigate further. Among the buyers were the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shandong Artificial Intelligence Institute, Hubei Earthquake Administration, the Shandong and Southwest universities, a tech investment firm owned by the Heilongjiang provincial government, a state-run aviation research centre, and a space science centre. None of the Chinese buyers and retail sellers responded to questions from Reuters about the matter. Daniel Gerkin, a Washington-based partner at law firm Kirkland & Ellis, said Nvidia chips could have been diverted to China without a manufacturer's knowledge, given a lack of visibility into downstream supply chains. If the manufacturer had performed sufficient due diligence, "it presumably would be challenging for the U.S. government to pursue an enforcement action", he said. The U.S. Commerce Department told Reuters it could not comment on any potential ongoing investigations, but said its Bureau of Industry and Security monitored diversions of restricted chips, conducted end-use checks and examined potential breaches. Officials would investigate credible allegations of violations, including through the use of shell companies, a spokesperson said. Nvidia said systems built with its graphic processing units (GPUs) - chips that break computer tasks into smaller pieces and process them together - and resold by third parties must comply with U.S. restrictions. "If we determine that any product was subsequently resold in violation of U.S. export control rules, we'll work with our customers to take appropriate action," the spokesperson said. Super Micro said it complied with U.S. requirements on the sale and export of GPU systems to regions and parties that require licenses. "If we become aware that a third party has exported or reexported without the required licenses, we investigate the matter and take appropriate action," it said. In a letter to Reuters on behalf of Super Micro, U.S. law firm Clare Locke said its client "goes above and beyond what U.S. export restrictions require" by proactively taking steps to ensure its customers do not violate the curbs. In relation to the tenders that identified its products, Super Micro said they represent "older generation or general purpose servers not capable of the largest scale AI operations that were available in China prior to the export control regulations". The awarded suppliers "are not known Supermicro customers", the company said. A Dell spokesperson said the company "found no evidence of shipping products configured with the restricted chips you listed to the entities you named", but that it would continue to investigate. "Our distributors and resellers are required to comply with all applicable global regulations and export controls. If we become aware of a distributor or reseller that is not complying with these obligations, we take appropriate actions, including termination of our relationship," the spokesperson said. Gigabyte said in an email that it complied with Taiwanese laws and international regulations. It did not respond to subsequent questions about tenders that identified its products as a source of banned Nvidia chips. Taiwan's economy ministry said it expected Taiwanese companies to respect U.S. export controls. RESEARCH BENEFITS The transactions were disclosed in a dozen of the tenders, which Reuters found on public databases that cover only a fraction of purchases by China's state entities. But the small snapshot shows China still has access to advanced chips that U.S. officials say could support AI for military applications, such as the modernisation of China's defence forces or for developing weapons like hypersonic missiles. Each of the purchases were limited to several servers and several dozen banned chips. Still, they could be useful for training models and conducting advanced research, according to seven analysts and industry executives. The tenders - valued at between 71,500 yuan and 1.86 million yuan, or about $10,000 and $259,000 - did not specify the intended uses. Under Chinese law, procuring agencies representing state or state-affiliated buyers must check that a supplier can fulfil the tender before it is announced as the winner and a contract is signed. Reuters only analysed tenders whose winners had been announced. Companies and people accused of violating U.S. export controls can face civil or criminal penalties in the U.S., including fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars and up to 20 years in prison for individuals. Reuters last year reported that an underground trade in Nvidia chips had emerged in China, as evident at Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei electronics market in June, before the U.S. widened its curbs. On a return visit in December, the vendors who had spoken to Reuters months earlier had gone, and other sellers said they did not know why they left. Reuters couldn't establish why the vendors were no longer at the market. ($1 = 7.1932 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Cherney reported from San Francisco. Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom, David Kirton in Shenzhen, Josh Ye in Hong Kong, Stephen Nellis in San Francisco, Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld in Washington and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Brenda Goh and David Crawshaw) FILE PHOTO: A view of the Amazon rainforest at the lagoon of the Yasuni National Park in the Pastaza province FILE PHOTO: A view of the Amazon rainforest at the lagoon of the Yasuni National Park in the Pastaza province By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) -Ecuador is scoping out new debt-for-nature swaps, one to funnel funds into the Amazon rainforest and another for a giant ocean protection zone backed by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters. The South American country is looking to build on the record-breaking $1.6 billion debt swap it arranged for its Galapagos Islands last year. Reuters is reporting details for the first time of the options being considered. While the government is now focused on tackling drug-fuelled organised crime and securing a new IMF deal, sources said officials have been working with multilateral development banks and conservation groups for months on at least two possible debt swaps in the hope of doing something this year. The first would be tied to protecting parts of the Amazon rainforest, widely regarded as the world's most important natural ecosystem. The second option concerns funding a groundbreaking Marine Protected Area Ecuador has created along its entire 2,237 km (1390 mile) mainland Pacific coast. Ecuador will probably need to focus on one for now, one person familiar with the plans said, given the time and effort such debt swaps take to structure. In a debt-for-nature swap, a country's government bonds or loans are bought up and replaced with new ones paying a lower rate of interest provided the government commits to spend some of the money saved on conservation. Typically a development bank backs the deal with a "credit guarantee" or "risk insurance", which protects buyers of the new bonds if the country is unable to pay the money back. Ecuador, considered one of the world's 17 "megadiverse" countries, has also one of the worst deforestation rates in Latin America, according to the United Nations environment arm. That, combined with its high debt, makes it an obvious candidate for debt-for-nature swaps. Two out of the four people who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said the swaps being explored were likely to share a number of features with last year's record Galapagos deal. They would aim to provide tens of millions of dollars a year for the respective conservation targets and could each refinance around $1 billion worth of Ecuador's debt, though the numbers could change depending on the timing, the sources said. According to two of the sources, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) are again being lined up to provide "credit guarantee" and "political risk insurance" needed to drive down the cost of borrowing and create the savings. Ecuador's finance minister said as recently as last month that the country was looking to follow up the Galapagos deal. Both the ministry and the IDB declined to comment on the details of plans reported in this story. A DFC spokesperson said it was "exploring opportunities for debt conversion for nature transactions across the globe," although it could not disclose with which countries. STAR POWER A tender, or request for proposal (RFP), for the planned debt swap is yet to be sent out to banks, two of the sources said. UBS which took over Credit Suisse, the bank that managed the Galapogas deal, declined to comment on whether it could be in the running again, as did Bank of America, which facilitated a swap in Gabon last year While some debt experts argue that complex debt-for-nature swaps do not always save governments as much money as is suggested, countries such as Ecuador or Barbados are looking to do more of them. Three sources said some of scoping and design work on the possible Amazon-linked swap was being done by The Nature Conservancy. The non-profit organisation has been instrumental in landmark deals in the Seychelles, Belize, Barbados and July's Gabon one. In the ocean protection zone-linked option, meanwhile, that role would be played by Re:wild, two of the people said. The conservation group co-founded by actor DiCaprio in 2021 already funds work in the Galapagos. Re:wild has not replied to a Reuters request for comment. Ecuador's waters are home and breeding grounds to thousands of species including humpback whales and leatherback turtles. The first-of-a-kind ocean protection zone it set up last year means its coast is now covered 8 nautical miles (14.8 km) out to sea. (Reporting by Marc Jones in London; Additional reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito; Edited by Tomasz Janowski and Jonathan Oatis) Explainer-What is behind the pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. universities? (Reuters) - Student protests in the U.S. over the war in Gaza have intensified and expanded over the past week, with a number of encampments now in place at colleges including Columbia, Yale, and New York University. Police have been called in to several campuses to arrest demonstrators. Here are some details on the protests: WHAT ARE THE PROTESTERS DEMANDING? Across campuses where protests have broken out, students have issued calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, university divestment from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war, and an amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for protesting. WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS? Pro-Palestinian protests have drawn students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths. The groups organizing the protests include Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. The encampments have also attracted a diverse array of teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances. Organizers have widely disavowed violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters, although some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on campus and unnerved by chants they say are antisemitic. WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM AUTHORITIES? School administrators and local law enforcement have cracked down on the protests. Columbia and the affiliated Barnard College have suspended dozens of students involved in the protests. More than 100 protesters have been arrested at Columbia, where University President Minouche Shafik called in New York Police to clear the encampment a day after she testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee. She said the encampment violated rules against unauthorized protests. Yale police arrested more than 60 protesters on Monday, after giving them "several opportunities to leave and avoid arrest," according to the university. The New York Police Department said officers arrested 120 people at NYU late on Monday. University officials said they requested their intervention because protesters had not dispersed and were "interfering with the safety and security of our community." WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT ON REGULAR CAMPUS LIFE? After holding all classes virtually on Monday, Columbia announced most courses would be offered with both virtual and in-person attendance options for the rest of the semester. Shafik said in a statement that she would not permit any group to disrupt graduation. California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, canceled in-person classes until Wednesday after students barricaded themselves in an administrative building and demanded the school disclose all ties and holdings with Israel and cut ties with Israeli universities. The University of Michigan said it would allow free expression and peaceful protest at its early May graduation ceremonies but would stop "substantial disruption." HOW ARE POLITICAL LEADERS RESPONDING? Democratic President Joe Biden, who has been criticized by the protesters for supplying funding and weapons to Israel, told reporters on Monday that he condemned both "antisemitic protests" and "those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians." Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the 2024 election, called the campus protest situation "a mess" as he walked into the second day of his criminal trial in New York. (Reporting by Julia Harte in New York, Kanishka Singh in Washington, Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, and Andrew Hay in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) The air defence forces of Ukraine's Air Force shot down a drone for the second time in the same evening in the sky over Dnipro Oblast on 23 April. Source: Operational Command Skhid (East) Quote: "As for the sound of an explosion in Dnipro at 22:25, the defenders of the skies in the Dnipro district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast destroyed a hostile UAV." Background: The Air Force shot down a Russian Orlan-10 UAV over the Dnipro district on the evening of 23 April. Support UP or become our patron! Russian forces attacked Poltava Oblast on 23 April. The Ukrainian Air Force warned the public about the missiles launched in the direction of the oblast. Source: Filip Pronin, Head of Poltava Oblast Military Administration; the Ukrainian Air Force Quote: "The enemy has attacked Poltava Oblast. The sound of an explosion was heard in the Poltava hromada [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.]. Early reports show there were no casualties." Details: At 14:59 the Air Force reported a missile headed in the direction of the city of Poltava. Later there was another report about a missile headed in the same direction. At 15:12 the Air Force reported the activity of Russian tactical aircraft in the south of Ukraine. "There is a threat of aircraft being used to strike frontline oblasts," the report says. Support UP or become our patron! Explosions were heard in Kharkiv during an air raid; Ukraines Air Force reported Russian tactical aircraft activity. Reportedly, there was a strike at a residential area. Source: Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv, on Telegram; Ukraines Air Force; Suspilne Quote Terekhov: "Explosions were heard in Kharkiv. Several so far. Please take care!" Details: Suspilne also reported explosions in the area, and the Air Force issued a warning about Russian tactical aircraft activity on the Northeastern front. "Frontline areas are under threat of aircraft weapons!" the Air Force emphasised. Later, Terekhov reported an attack on a residential area. "A car and a house were damaged. The information regarding casualties and other strike sites is being established," he said. Background: On 22 April, at about 16:30, the Russian troops attacked a television infrastructure facility in Kharkiv. ISW analysts say Russia intensified its strikes and information operations against Ukrainians who are living in the city of Kharkiv. The Kremlin is bombarding Kharkiv to persuade Ukrainians to flee the city and to internally displace millions of people. Support UP or become our patron! Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Air defence responded overnight on 22-23 April to a Shahed attack on Kyiv Oblast, and an explosion was heard in Odesa. Source: Suspilne; Kyiv Oblast Military Administration Details: Kyiv City State Administration reported that Russian UAVs had been spotted in Kyiv Oblast and that air defence forces were responding in the oblast. Local journalists report that an explosion occurred in Odesa at around 02:00 (Kyiv time). Background: The Russians launched a Shahed attack from the east and south of the country. Support UP or become our patron! Fact Check: They Say Hundreds of People Live in Tunnels Beneath Las Vegas. Here's What We Know Claim: As of April 2024, hundreds of people live in tunnels beneath Las Vegas. Rating: Rating: True On April 20, 2024, a 2-year-old video resurfaced on the internet of a person emerging from a manhole in the middle of an intersection in Las Vegas. In one Facebook post, it was captioned: "This is in Las Vegas according to person recording. Are people living underground in Vegas? My friend who used to live in Vegas told me it's a well known thing to residents living there. They call them the tunnel people and there is an entire subculture living in the sewer tunnels of Las Vegas...." https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0YmcNDkRTp4Qo6mwKqi3ePguAFZABnWSJoaUuhbn7xhBH8fjDSyjtGe68X5tWiGW2l&id=61554009997851 The video was also posted by multiple X (formerly Twitter) accounts. The original was captured by Instagram user @_nicolex3_ and posted on April 10, 2022 (archived here). While it is not possible for us to verify what the precise circumstances of this video were, it is true that people have been known to live in the tunnel system beneath Las Vegas. The tunnels were designed to act as storm drains to keep street-level flooding to a minimum during the city's monsoon season. According to Robert Banghart, Outreach Director at Shine a Light a 501(c)3 nonprofit committed to "bringing humanity to those living underground" there are approximately 1,200 to 1,500 people living in the tunnels, as of this writing. "I would say the number has grown" over the last ten 10 years, Banghart said in a phone interview with Snopes. "It's just a steady growth, just like the city. I think what's changed is there's more help available now than there was 10 years ago." Banghart noted that the numbers of those experiencing homelessness do "ebb and flow," and he cited the building of the F1 stadium in 2023 and the Super Bowl in 2024 hosted by Las Vegas as instances in which there was "a lot of attention [on] moving them away from the center of town." Other sources, such as Louis Lacey, director of HELP of Southern Nevada's homeless response teams, said more than 500 people live in those tunnels, as reported in the Las Vegas Review-Journal (archived here) in 2023. A Daily Mail piece from 2010 (archived here), claimed that the number was closer to 1,000 at that time. (Austin Hargrave, Daily Mail U.K.) People living in Las Vegas' underground tunnels have been widely documented, with news agencies and YouTubers alike posting videos interviewing people who live in the tunnels. Matthew O'Brien, a journalist and author local to Las Vegas, wrote a book in 2007 documenting life in the tunnels, titled "Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas." While the tunnels provide shelter from Las Vegas' blistering summers and relative warmth in the cooler months, during the valley's monsoon season typically from late June through mid-September flash floods pose extreme danger to tunnel inhabitants. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the floodwaters can pass through at speeds up to 30 mph. One tweet from 2020 that received more than 3,100 likes, as of this writing, claimed that "Las Vegas banned all homeless people from staying on the sidewalks and streets," a claim that was disputed in the comments section. Las Vegas banned all homeless people from staying on the sidewalks and streets, inhumanely forcing them to live underground in the sewers like mole people. The very least Las Vegas can do now is allow these tortured human beings to live in the huge hotels that are empty anyway. Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 31, 2020 In 2019, the Las Vegas City Council did indeed make it a misdemeanor to rest, sleep or "lodge" in Las Vegas' downtown district and other residential areas "if shelter beds are available." The ordinance stipulated that violators would be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to six months. "It's already hard enough because there are not enough shelters," Valachie Peeples, a resident of Las Vegas, said in a 2019 interview for NBC News (archived here). "This is going to give you a fine you can't pay, and then they'll lock you up." Sources: Chris Must List. Exploring the Tunnels Under Las Vegas with the Mole People! . 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr4Loojjf8g. Daily. 'The Tunnel People of Las Vegas: How 1,000 Live in Flooded Labyrinth under Sin City's Shimmering Strip'. Mail Online, 3 Nov. 2010, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326187/Las-Vegas-tunnel-people-How-1-000-people-live-shimmering-strip.html. 'Help the Homeless or Criminalize Them? Las Vegas Debates a Public Sleeping Ban'. NBC News, 3 Nov. 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/help-homeless-or-criminalize-them-las-vegas-debates-public-sleeping-n1075111. 'Https://Twitter.Com/Eugenegu/Status/1245013345414950914'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/eugenegu/status/1245013345414950914. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024. 'Https://Twitter.Com/CW_Insider/Status/1782276977132548422'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/CW_Insider/status/1782276977132548422. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024. 'Https://Twitter.Com/KuarkKuantum_/Status/1782173284752076802'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/KuarkKuantum_/status/1782173284752076802. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024. 'Hurricane Hilary'. City of Las Vegas, http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/News/Blog/Detail/monsoon-season. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024. 'In Tunnels under Las Vegas, Monsoon Rains Can Pose Deadly Threat'. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1 July 2017, https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/in-tunnels-under-las-vegas-monsoon-rains-can-pose-deadly-threat/. 'Las Vegas Adopts Ban on Sleeping, Camping on Streets, Sidewalks'. NBC News, 7 Nov. 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/las-vegas-adopts-ban-prohibits-sleeping-camping-streets-sidewalks-n1078006. 'Las Vegas Homeless Camping Ban: What You Need to Know'. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6 Nov. 2019, https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/las-vegas/las-vegas-homeless-camping-ban-what-you-need-to-know-1886745/. '"Never Come Back": Flooding Highlights Dangers to Homeless Living in Tunnels'. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 11 Sept. 2023, https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/never-come-back-flooding-highlights-dangers-to-homeless-living-in-tunnels-2902655/. O'Brien, Matthew. Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas. Huntington Press Inc, 2007. 'Shine A Light Works to Pull Homeless from Primal Lifestyle'. KLAS, 25 Aug. 2022, https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/primal-life-escape-from-las-vegas-tunnels-starts-with-volunteer-visits/. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. It is well known the importance of COP29, which will be held in Azerbaijan, Belgian Association of Lawyers and Mediators member Jean de Brabander told reporters, Trend reports. According to him, this event would raise awareness of Azerbaijan's activity among foreign media. Jean de Brabander remarked that, despite being an oil and gas country, Azerbaijan has accepted responsibility for the transition to renewable energy. "The country is seriously focused on this issue," he said. To note, Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties to the convention are 198 countries. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Fact Check: Russian TV Described Marjorie Taylor Greene as a 'Demonstrably Heterosexual' Beauty. Here's What Else We Learned Claim: Russian TV praised U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., as "a real beauty" and "demonstrably heterosexual." Rating: Rating: True On April 21, 2024, a clip from a Russian news broadcast purportedly praising U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was shared by accounts on X critical of Trump and his allies: Russian State TV praising Marge: Greene is a real beauty. She is a blond who wears white coats with a fur collar. Shes demonstrably heterosexual. https://t.co/v9HQU5BJCi pic.twitter.com/aZVj23RTN4 Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 21, 2024 The clip, provided by the Russian Media Monitor YouTube channel, was authentic and correctly translated. Russian Media Monitor, which tracks Russian state media programming and propaganda trends, is a project of Daily Beast columnist Julia Davis. In the clip, Russia-1 television host Vladimir Solovyov approvingly played a clip of Greene voting "no" on a military aid package that included substantial support for Ukraine. After playing the clip, both Solovyov and the head of Russia's RT network, Margarita Simonyan, argued that attacks against Greene were unfair. "Well of course she was immediately labeled a Russian agent," Solovyov said after the clip. "Articles came out with a headline 'Nyet'," apparently referencing a New York Post headline from April 21, 2024: "You have just shown how she is a beauty," Simonyan responded. "She is one of the few members of Congress who is trying to look like a person in an old-fashioned sense of the word. She is a blonde, who wears white coats with a fur collar. She is demonstrably heterosexual." Despite her alleged fashion sense, Simonyon complained, American media still label her a conspiracy theorist: What do you think Wikipedia says about her? Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene? She is a conspiracy theorist. She has extreme right views. As soon as a person says something that shows they are normal, America's media behemoth declares them a conspiracy theorist and a person of extreme right views. It is relevant to note that Greene, in an effort to block passage of the military aid being discussed on Russian media, introduced myriad amendments to the bill that were conspiracy theories, Russian propaganda, or both. One such amendment asked for funds "for the development of space laser technology on the southwest border." Another stipulated that Ukraine could not receive money "until Ukraine closes all bio-laboratories and provides all data on such research to the United States Government" a reference to a Russian talking point pushed heavily at the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Neither amendment succeeded. According to the Russia Media Monitor's Davis, the two pundits were trying to explain why a bill they had told their audience was destined to fail military aid to Ukraine somehow passed: It seems like only yesterday Russia's propagandists were rejoicing over the successful interruption of the US aid to Ukraine, reportedly at the behest of former US President Donald Trump. Celebrating the decline in Ukraine's capabilities without American help, prominent propagandists started to refer to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson as "our Johnson," in a similar vein to claiming Trump as their own, calling him "our Trump" or affectionately referring to him as Trumpushka. When Speaker Johnson finally advanced the long-stalled aid package and the House approved $61bn of desperately needed foreign aid for Ukraine including a measure to allow the sale of frozen Russian sovereign assets to help Ukraine's war effort the disappointment in Moscow was palpable. Because the clip does indeed originate from Russian state-run media, and because a pundit on that show did describe Greene as "a real beauty" and "demonstrably heterosexual," we rate the claim as "True." Sources: Davis, Julia. "Putin's Propagandists Rage Against the Republican 'Betrayal.'" CEPA, 22 Apr. 2024, https://cepa.org/article/putins-propagandists-rage-against-the-republican-betrayal/. "'NYET': New York Post Trolls 'Moscow' Marjorie Taylor Greene In Russian." Yahoo News, 22 Apr. 2024, https://www.yahoo.com/news/nyet-york-post-trolls-moscow-073958592.html. Russian Media Monitor. Margarita Simonyan Says Only Russia Can Stop This War. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-SYyNIAOkU. Fact Check: Viral Meme Says Biden Graduated 76th in a Class of 85 at Syracuse University College of Law in '68. Here Are the Facts Claim: Joe Biden graduated 76th academically in a class of 85 students at Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. Rating: Rating: True In April 2024 just months away from the November U.S. elections a meme was virally shared on Facebook, X and other websites showing a past photo of President Joe Biden with the words, "Graduated 76th in a Class of 85." As of this writing, it was unclear who created the meme or where it was first posted. Searches with reverse-image search tools showed few results. One of the popular posts appeared as follows: A rumor said Joe Biden finished 76th in a class of 85 at Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. "Did Biden graduate 76th out of a class of 85?," a reader asked Snopes in email. "Saw it posted by a friend on Facebook today 4/19 with an image of a grad that looks kinda like him shaking hands with someone else. Both in regalia. Black & white photo." This claim was true. Biden finished 76th academically in a class of 85 at Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. This fact was previously confirmed in decades-old reporting from The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post and others. Many of the dated reports publishing this news cited records that Biden himself released in the late 1980s. The picture featured in the meme showed Biden with the Rev. William J. Byron, the former president of the University of Scranton. It was captured at the 1976 undergraduate commencement ceremony where Biden then a U.S. senator received an honorary degree and addressed students with a speech. Byron died at the age of 96 on April 9, 2024, just days before the meme went viral. https://www.facebook.com/universityofscranton/posts/pfbid02Yxe2ym7SJXzDEMaGzckMXiRQa77uyeYjpHAhLMU8qksmbrSsNkjrWK4f1B6wVHnhl The Syracuse University College of Law Alumni Association once published a letter mentioning Biden's low placement in his graduating class. "But statistics often prove not to be the predictor of one's abilities or prospects," the letter read. "And, indeed, it was after leaving Syracuse that his life and career took off." On this same subject, Snopes previously reported on Biden's past false claim where he said he finished in the "top half" of his class at Syracuse. That and other false claims about his past including a plagiarism scandal reportedly factored in to his decision to drop out of the 1988 presidential race. Snopes contacted Syracuse University College of Law to request records regarding this matter. We will update this story if we receive any further details. Sources: "Biden Made Tall Claims, Article Says." Charlotte Observer via The Washington Post, 21 Sept. 1987, https://www.newspapers.com/image/625387830/?terms=biden&match=1. "Biden Urges Students to Be Engaged Citizens at 1976 Commencement." Royal News | The University of Scranton, 18 Nov. 2020, https://news.scranton.edu//articles/2020/11/news-biden.shtml. Joseph R. Biden Jr, Class of 1968. Syracuse University College of Law Alumni Association, https://law.syracuse.edu/wp-content/uploads/VP_Biden_Citation.pdf. Liles, Jordan. "Did White House Announce Biden's IQ Is 187?" Snopes, 30 Jan. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/biden-187-iq/. "Rev. William J. Byron, S.J., The University of Scranton's 21st President Dies." Royal News | The University of Scranton, 9 Apr. 2024, https://news.scranton.edu//articles/2024/04/news-president-byron.shtml. "Sen. Joe Biden Claimed during a Campaign Appearance in New Hampshire Last Spring That He Finished in the Top Half of His Law School Class, Although Records Indicate He Finished near the Bottom." The Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/cd977f7ff301993f7976974ba07c5495. "The Candidates For Vice President." Newsday, 2 Nov. 2008, p. K7, https://www.newspapers.com/image/730761354/. Toner, Robin. "Biden Assails New Report of Dishonesty." The New York Times, 21 Sept. 1987, https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/21/us/biden-assails-new-report-of-dishonesty.html. Waxman, Olivia B. "Why Joe Biden's First Campaign for President Collapsed After Just 3 Months." TIME, 30 July 2019, https://time.com/5636715/biden-1988-presidential-campaign/. Fact Check: This Viral Pic Supposedly Shows a Reopened Scottish Railway Line on Side of Mountain. We Looked for Proof Claim: A photo shared online in April 2024 shows a train navigating a tricky reopened railway line in Scotland. Rating: Rating: Fake On April 16, 2024, the Facebook page Abandoned Places Story posted an image purportedly showing a train navigating a tricky stretch of track on a mountainside along a reopened railway line in the county of Fife in Scotland, U.K. The photo's caption read: "Scotrail have today announced the re-opening of the Northern Line, traditionally only used during the summer months. The route, from Kirkcaldy to Dundee through the beautiful mountain region of Fifeshire, shaves hours off the coastal route." https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122168662064027488&set=a.122108858222027488 Similar posts could be seen elsewhere on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). Together, the posts had amassed thousands of interactions at the time of this writing. Scottish followers will be pleased to hear of the re-opening of the Northern Line, traditionally only used during the summer months. The route, from Kirkcaldy to Dundee through the beautiful mountain region of Fifeshire, shaves hours off the coastal route. pic.twitter.com/0g6vFqzQeo Janice Greer (@JaniceGreer34) April 4, 2024 Many social media users appeared to believe the veracity of the picture, with one writing on X: "This train journey is probably & will be safer than it looks but still looks frightening being right up there & the train being so close to the wall let alone the other side!" This train journey is probably & will be safer than it looks but still looks frightening being right up there & the train being so close to the wall let alone the other side ! Rischard O Hearchai (@Richard07502700) April 5, 2024 However, the image appeared to originate from an animation posted on Instagram by an account called @therealnaturelove, which wrote in its bio that it posts high-definition videos showing "natural animation." It made no mention of the clip showing a railway line in Scotland. https://www.instagram.com/p/C4-bdIDxo5N/?hl=en The Instagram page contained thousands of posts, many of which were similar in style to the animation of the train on the side of the mountain. Snopes has approached the page for comment and will update this article if we receive a response. The image of the train was also posted in a Facebook group named Travel Scotland Goals Group, which shares content that "may not be 100% accurate." Travel blog Pipeaway published an article on April 11, 2024, addressing the falsity of the photo. Searching for "mountain train Fife Scotland" on Google Images produced no evidence of such a trainline existing. Sources: Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C4-bdIDxo5N/?hl=en. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024. ---. https://www.instagram.com/therealnaturelove/?hl=en. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024. Kralj, Ivan. 'The Rise of Fakebook: Flood of AI Pictures in Your Feed'. Pipeaway, 11 Apr. 2024, https://www.pipeaway.com/ai-facebook-pictures/. Log in or Sign up to View. https://www.facebook.com/login/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024. An organisation of Columbia University and Barnard College professors is calling to censure the schools president over her handling of pro-Palestine student protests. The Columbia and Barnard chapter of the American Association of University Professors will submit a censure proposal to the universitys senate, according to the Columbia Spectator, a student newspaper. The university senate, a policy-making body for the school, is made up of administrators, faculty, staff, alumni and students. They are expected to vote as soon as Wednesday on the censure submitted by the faculty members. The censure condemns university president Minouche Shafiks decision to ask the New York City Police Department to remove and arrest students staging a Gaza Solidarity Encampment on the campus. Officers arrested some 100 students on Thursday. This decision violated the fundamental obligations of shared governance, the censure text, obtained by The Independent, reads. We are calling for the censure of President Shafik, not for her resignation, the censure reads. We are calling for a recommitment to our core values on the part of our President, her administration, and the Board of Trustees. At the same time we condemn unequivocally any political interference in the governance of our university. That power rightfully belongs in the first instance to the faculty. Columbia University faculty members staged a demonstration on Monday, condemning last weeks arrests of some 100 pro-Palestine student protestors (Reuters) The authors of the censure also rejected Ms Shafiks claim, made to the NYPD, that the protesting students posed a clear and present danger to university operations. NYPD chief John Chell admitted late last week that the students arrested were protesting peacefully. Last week marked the first time the NYPD has been called to the campus for protests since 1996. While students at Columbia have been protesting against the Israel-Hamas war since it began on 7 October last year, pro-Palestinian demonstrations ramped up last week. Last Wednesday, Ms Shafik and other school officials testified before Congress about the pro-Palestine protests and reports of antisemitism on the schools campus. Ms Shafik, in an effort to show the schools commitment to battling antisemitism, told lawmakers that 15 students had been suspended and one visiting professor was fired for their comments about the Israel-Hamas war. The next day, students erected the pro-Palestine encampment and began staging protests. During a weekend of more protests, some Jewish students reported antisemitic harassment and even physical assaults. Students and community members stage a pro-Palestine protest on Columbias campus (AP) One rabbi affiliated with Columbia told some 300 Jewish students to leave campus over the weekend ahead of Passover on Monday for fear of antisemitic harassment. However, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the schools centre for Jewish life, said on Twitter/X that it does not believe students need to leave campus. But the organisation did say school officials and police must do more to ensure the safety of Jewish students. Robert Kraft, a major Columbia University donor, also said he was pulling funding to the school because he is no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff. NYPD officers detain pro-Palestinian students and protesters at New York University (AFP via Getty) Now, pro-Palestine protests are erupting at other universities in the area and across the country. On Monday night, NYPD officers arrested 150 pro-Palestine student protestors at New York University. Meanwhile, pro-Palestine encampments and demonstrations in solidarity with students at Columbia are cropping up at Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley. The Independent has contacted Ms Shafiks office for comment. Ted Verner, whose daughter Alexandria was killed in the Michigan State University shooting, testifies before the House Education Committee. | Kyle Davidson Parents of victims and survivors of the Oxford High School and Michigan State University shootings on Tuesday drove to Lansing and called in over Zoom, sharing their stories and calling on lawmakers to continue the push to implement and educate residents on safe storage for weapons. Members of the House Education Committee took testimony on House Bills 5450 and 5451, which would require public schools to distribute information on the best practices for storing firearms, including the requirements of Michigans safe storage law and information on where to obtain gun safes and gun locks. The information would be assembled by the Department of Health and Human Services and distributed annually to students parents or guardians. It would also be posted on the Michigan Department of Educations website in English, Spanish and Arabic. In the wake of the mass shooting at Michigan State University in 2023, lawmakers passed a number of gun safety reforms including universal background checks, safe storage requirements and policies enabling extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws. State Rep. Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy), one of the sponsors of the Safe Homes Safe Schools package, said the bills were designed to complement the safe storage laws signed last year, ensuring parents who own firearms are aware of the best practices for safe firearm storage. Jennifer and James Crumbley, parents of the Oxford High School shooter, were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter after juries in separate trials found the actions of both parents helped enable the shooting, including a failure to secure the firearm they purchased for their son. With these recent convictions, parents likely have questions on how to follow the new storage laws, MacDonell said. Ted Verner, the father of Alexandria Verner who was killed in the Feb. 13, 2023, Michigan State University shooting, came to testify before the committee. As a member of the school board in Clawson, he shared information on the districts voluntary effort to educate parents on safe storage policies by sending home a pamphlet. [The decision] was impactful at the time because it was shortly after my daughter had lost her life and Clawson rallied around my family and tried to educate people, Verner said. The policy education sent out to parents wasnt pro-gun or against guns, Verner said, it was just information for gun owners on how to properly store their firearms. While he expected the effort would receive push back from gun activists, the decision received little response, Verner said. The feedback that we got from parents was, Thank you. Not everyone knows how to properly store a gun, Verner said. While Rep. Greg Markannen (R-Hancock) noted earlier in the committee that guns are sold with locks, Verner said not all parents use them. Parents put guns next to their nightstand because they feel they need to be protected. I can appreciate that. We have residents and school of choice kids from all over Oakland County that come to Clawson, so we have a very diverse community. And Im very sympathetic to that, that not everyone lives in a safe, clean area and you have to protect yourself. But by protecting yourself, you can do it in a safe manner, Verner said. Benjamin Arthur, whose daughter, Phoebe, was injured in the Oxford School shooting, said he had friends at work who followed his daughters recovery but were unaware of the safe storage policies. Thats not right, Arthur said. State Reps. Julie Brixie (D-Meridian Twp.) and Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy) testify on their Safe Homes, Safe Schools Package before the House Education Comittee. | Kyle Davidson How does someone whos following this story not know about the effects of it down the road like things weve put in place after these horrible shootings? Arthur said. I just feel like its pretty simple, if we send out this information with the kids to home, via email or fliers that they pass out, at least the message is getting out. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 17, with firearms as the leading method of injury. Unsecured firearm storage was associated with higher risks of unintentional and intentional injuries and deaths among children and adolescents. In 2021, 4.6 million children in the U.S. lived in households that reported storing guns loaded and unlocked, with approximately 30 million children living in homes with firearms. The committee did not vote on the two bills. Prior to hearing testimony on the Safe Homes Safe Schools bills, committee members did vote to advance bills requiring charter schools to identify their authorizing bodies and educational management organizations in promotional materials, signage, on the footer of the charter schools website and on the enrollment application. They also voted to advance a policy requiring charter schools to post the average salary for new and veteran teachers employed by educational management organizations as well as support staff. The 13-member committee voted to advance House Bills 52315234 which dealt with the promotional material, website, signage and application requirements. Members voted 8-4 on party lines with Rep. Brad Paquette (R-Niles) absent from the meeting. While all eight Democrats advanced House Bill 5269 on salary posting requirements, the four Republicans present passed on their vote. The post Families of mass shooting victims and survivors call for education on new safe storage laws appeared first on Michigan Advance. Family fighting to reunite with self-deported mom meets with lawmakers in DC For more than six years now, 11-year-old Ashton Rochester has been separated from his mother Cecilia Gonzalez-Carmona. His dad, Jason Rochester, has been leading the fight to bring her home. Ill never give up. I cant give up, said Rochester. But its been a long and grueling journey. Weve told you how the father and son have traveled to Washington, D.C. nearly half a dozen times over the last few years looking for help. Rochester is a U.S. citizen living in Georgia. His wife was undocumented and self-deported to Mexico in 2018 after getting bad legal advice. They thought she would have been able to soon apply to legally re-enter the U.S., but that hasnt been the case. During that time, Ashton battled and thankfully beat cancer. If someone would just look at the situation with an open heart, then maybe they can see, said Rochester. Nobody wants to see a child without his mom for more than half of his life now. During the latest trip to DC, the Rochesters met with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) to share their story. Rochester is his constituent as a Georgia resident. A spokesperson for Warnocks office said it doesnt comment on specific constituent cases to protect peoples privacy. But the office did say the Senator has long stated our immigration system is broken and said he supports comprehensive reform. The Rochesters also attended a briefing with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who is calling on the Biden administration to extend work permits to undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. Our laws are supposed to provide U.S. citizens an opportunity to sponsor their noncitizen family members, but our outdated immigration system includes many categorical bars that prevent spouses from obtaining status, said Durbin in a statement. According to the nonprofit group American Families United, there are nearly two million families waiting to be reunited because of spousal immigration denials or deportations. The organization has been pushing for legislation to give the Justice Department (DOJ) or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) discretion in certain immigration cases with the goal of reuniting families. It was introduced in the House but went nowhere. Rochester said he wont back down until his wife is back home. Thats what I tell Ashton. Ill always do everything I can to bring mommy home and I tell her the same thing. So, Ill keep fighting as frustrating as it is, said Rochester. The family of a man who died of an apparent overdose within hours of arriving at the Sacramento downtown jail has sued the county. Cody Catanzarite, 37, was arrested by park rangers on a felony warrant for grand theft on July 20, a Sheriffs Office news release said at the time. Catanzarite was transported to Mercy San Juan Medical Center for medical clearance prior to booking, alleged the lawsuit filed last week in Sacramento Superior Court. He told the doctor he had taken ingested two grams of heroin prior to his arrest and had also used methamphetamine earlier in the day. The hospital cleared him for incarceration with a prescription for Narcan, a drug used to reverse overdoses, and instructions to return to the ER if symptoms worsen, the lawsuit alleges. At the jail a registered nurse conducted a medical screening, and determined his Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) used to assess the level of withdrawal was a one, the least severe level, the lawsuit alleges. The nurse ordered detox housing for Catanzarite, but did not order further withdrawal assessments, detox regimens or an urgent referral to a medical provider. The nurse ordered a second nurse to conduct an intake assessment at a later time, but it was delayed for five and a half hours, until about 10:30 p.m., the lawsuit alleges. The second assessment showed Catanzarites COWS level had skyrocketed to nine out of 11, including documented risk factors such as elevated pulse, sweating, joint aches, runny nose and gooseflesh skin. A nurse ordered a opioid detox regimen and gave a first dose, ordered detox housing, COWS monitoring twice daily, a lower bunk assignment and a medical provider referral, the lawsuit states. The following morning at about 9 a.m., staff saw Catanzarite on the surveillance system taking his mattress from his cell to the recreational area and laying down. About 15 minutes later, staff found him to be unresponsive with no pulse. The Sheriffs Office news release at the time said Catanzarite was found on the floor outside his cell door, rather than the recreation room as the lawsuit alleges. Catanzarite was transported to the hospital where he died of cardiac arrest of a suspected drug overdose, the lawsuit alleges. The county coroner did not immediately provide The Bee with the coroner death report, which includes the cause. However the cause was acute fentanyl and meth intoxication, according to a staff report presented to the Board of Supervisors last month. No fentanyl testing was available at the jail, that report states. Fentanyl testing is now available at the jail, Sacramento County spokeswoman Kim Nava said. The lawsuit names as defendants: Sheriff Jim Cooper, Sacramento County, the Sheriffs Department, county-contracted Maxim Healthcare Services and two nurses. It claims violations of California Code of Regulations for detoxification, safety checks, and treatment plans. It also claims violations of the U.S Constitution, and the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act. The plaintiffs are Catanzarites mother, Linda Catanzarite, and his daughter, who is a child. Sacramento Sheriffs spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi did not respond to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit. Nava declined comment on the lawsuit. Maxim Healthcare, as well as county supervisors Rich Desmond and Patrick Kennedy did not return emails seeking comment. He needed medical attention, said Mark Merin, the attorney for Catanzarites family, who has sued the county over several jail deaths. He needed someone to asses whether he needed hospitalization. What he needed was obviously more intensive than what they gave him, which was nothing, until the following morning, which was too late. The jail is under a federal consent decree, the result of a class action lawsuit, which includes requirements for improving medical and mental health treatment of inmates. The county was in violation of the decree last year for having too few nurses, among other issues. Catanzarite was one of three inmates who died last year of suspected drug overdoses deaths that could have been prevented with adequate monitoring and detoxification, according to a report by two medical professionals tasked with independently monitoring medical care of Sacramento inmates under the settlement. Unlike homicides and suicides, medical deaths at the jail, including overdoses, typically lack any independent oversight, a Bee investigation last year found. Since 2018, jail medical care has not been handled by the Sheriffs Office, meaning it does not fall under the inspector generals purview. The countys contract with Maxim expires in June 2025, Nava said. The Board of Supervisors last year approved nearly $1 billion for a new mental health and intake annex to the jail, which county officials say will make it compliant with the decree, but it wont open until 2028. The Sacramento District Attorneys Office has not yet released the results of its investigation into whether deputies committed criminal misconduct related to Catanzarites death. Family Says They Received the Wrong Body After Man Dies on Vacation: Where Is My Father? Faraj Jarjour from Canada died at the age of 68 while on vacation in Cuba with his daughter Miriam Jarjour CTV News/Youtube The family of Faraj Jarjour still doesn't know where his body is A family in Canada is searching for the body of their loved one after they were sent the wrong remains in a casket, according to multiple outlets. Faraj Jarjour from Montreal died at the age of 68 while on vacation in Cuba with his daughter Miriam Jarjour, according to AP News, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) and Daily Guardian Miriam told AP that she had been swimming with her father near Varadero, Cuba on March 22 when he had a sudden heart attack and died. His body was then covered and left on a beach chair for more than eight hours before authorities picked up his remains to take to Havana. The family said they paid $10,000 Canadian ($7,300) to repatriate his body back to Canada plus an additional $15,000 ($10,900) for the funeral, per the outlets. However, they claim the remains in the casket that arrived from Cuba were not those of Faraj, but someone else. Related: Bystanders Rescue Man Trapped in Burning Car After Minnesota Highway Crash: 'Glad He Got Out in Time' A funeral home in Montreal, Canada showed the family a photo of the deceased man inside the casket who had a full head of hair, was covered in tattoos and appeared to be 20 years younger than Faraj, the outlets reported. Were sad because my father died, Farajs son Karam Jarjour told Daily Guardian. But were more sad because my father is, we dont know where. Miriam said that the strangers body was sent to his home country in Russia, and noted that her family has been emailing government officials to make contact with Cuban authorities and send her fathers body to Canada. To date, the family's efforts have come up short, however. Im honestly destroyed, she told AP. Up until now, we have no answers... Where is my father? Related: Marine Dies in Training Accident Just Weeks After Getting Promoted: 'Tragic Loss' Faraj Jarjour Facebook Faraj Jarjour Global Affairs Canada told the CBC and Daily Guardian in a statement that it was "aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in Cuba and shared "our thoughts are with the friends and family of the deceased in these difficult circumstances." Consular officials are engaged with Cuban authorities and in contact with the family to provide consular assistance, it continued, adding that further information could not be disclosed due to privacy reasons. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Getty Images A Cuban soldier and a Cuban police officer walk along a beach together The Urgel Bourgie funeral home where Farajs funeral was set to take place has also been in contact with officials. Patrice Chavegros, the vice-president of marketing for the funeral home told CBC "That's what's unfortunate in all of this is you have two families. One in Montreal and one in another country who in both cases can't go through with their grieving processes. As for Miriam, she told AP that her family wont give up until her father's remains are back in Canada with his loved ones. What I want is someone to help me find my father, she said. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. DENVER (KDVR) This week marks one year since two employees were killed inside a Denver restaurant. Emerall Vaughn-Dahler and Ignacio Gutierrez Morales were shot inside American Elm in West Highlands. So far, no arrests have been made. Mom of 11-year-old in alleged Aurora kidnapping attempt speaks out For Thom and Debbie Dahler, their daughter-in-law, Emerall, is always with them. We think about it every day and talk about her every day, Debbie said. The two walk by her picture every day in their dining room. She was the daughter we never had, Thom said. Reward increase bulletin in deaths of Emerall Vaughn-Dahler and Ignacio Gutierrez Morales Now, its been nearly a year later since she was taken and there are still no answers. Its kind of disheartening that it could go on, but I suppose at some point, you have to accept the fact. But at this point, were still hopeful, Debbie said. Its been a journey full of grief and growth for Emeralls husband, Andrew Dahler. I try to find these positive spins of what this past year has been and I can definitely communicate my feelings and communicate a lot more stuff than I had in the past, Andrew said. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Andrew said he focuses on the good times. Everything in my daily life revolves around remembering her. She was my person. She is still my person and theres nothing thats going to change that, Andrew said. Over $32K reward offered in Denver double homicide Andrew said he hopes this week brings others together to remember and never forget. She was always a giver, Andrew said. She was always trying to help out, so if theres anything I could have people do for her this week that would honor her is go out and do something nice for someone. Metro Denver Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $32,600 for information. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 720-913-7867 (STOP). Fundraiser for gun violence prevention A representative for American Elm said Tuesday that the restaurant is hosting a monthlong fundraiser to honor the beautiful lives of Emerall Vaughn-Dahler and Ignacio Gutierrez Morales that were taken too soon. From April 24 to May 24, American Elm will donate a percentage of all food and beverage sales to Colorado-based gun violence prevention nonprofits. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Bjoern Hoecke, chairman of the Thuringian AfD, attends his trial at the regional court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Jens Schlueter/AFP Pool/dpa A leading member of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party claimed his innocence in court where he is on trial for the use of a banned Nazi slogan. "I am in fact completely innocent," the AfD chairman in the state of Thuringia, Bjorn Hocke, said on Tuesday during the second day of the trial. Hocke was in a regional court in the eastern city of Halle to face allegations that he knowingly used a banned slogan of the Storm Troopers (SA), the Nazi paramilitary fighting organization, during a speech in 2021. A controversial figure within the AfD, Hocke is formally charged with using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations by pronouncing the words "Everything for Germany!" If he had known what the slogan was about, he "certainly wouldn't have used it," the former history teacher said on the record. Hocke, who brought several history books to the courtroom, said that the fact that he studied history does not mean that he must have known about the banned Nazi slogan. In his statement, Hocke described himself as a "law-abiding citizen." The 52-year-old plans to stand as the party's top candidate in the central state of Thuringia in state elections on September 1. They are one of three elections in eastern German states in September where the AfD is expected to poll highly. The anti-migration party has been classified as right-wing extremist in the state and is being monitored by the domestic intelligence service, officially known as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Four dates are currently scheduled for the trial in Halle until mid-May. Bjoern Hoecke, chairman of the Thuringian AfD, continues his trial at the regional court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Jens Schlueter/AFP Pool/dpa BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 23. The UK is ready to support small and medium-sized businesses in Central Asia by creating a special fund with a capital of 19 million pounds sterling ($23.447 million), said the UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs David Cameron, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, he made this statement during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Zheenbek Kulubaev. Cameron spoke about the UK's interest in expanding partnerships with the countries of Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan in particular. He also outlined priority areas for cooperation in the economy and emphasized the importance of expanding educational programs in our country. During the negotiations, Kulubaev noted that among the potential areas of cooperation are attracting foreign investment, increasing trade turnover, joint development of rare earth metals using advanced technologies, and transitioning to green energy. At the end of the negotiations, the parties signed the Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan and the UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the period 20242026. A joint statement on economic cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the UK was also adopted. David Cameron is in Kyrgyzstan on an official visit. This is the first official visit by the head of the UK's foreign policy agency to the country. Its been a long old while since Ive had a meal on Haymarket. The last time had been a year eight birthday party at Planet HollyWood which, at the time, sounded like it was going to be the height of glamour and sophistication. Spoiler, it wasnt, but I did see Peter Andre. Planet Hollywood, for better or worse, is now permanently closed, but just across the road from where it used to be is Farzi, an Indian bistro celebrating innovation and authenticity, promising to blend tradition and modernity. The restaurant aims to highlight the flavours of Akhan Bharat, the concept of an unidivided India, encompassing modern-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet. The first thing that stands out is the value. At 39pp you get a trio of pappadum (served, rather strangely, in wicker picnic-style basket), four starters, a choice from three mains plus rice, dhal, naan and raita, and a dessert. Considering how easy it is to spend sixty quid each in somewhere as middling as, say, The Ivy, I thought this was a good deal. Rather than your usual mango chutney, the doms came with a gooseberry relish and a red pepper coulis. Both were vibrantly coloured, packed with flavour and set the tone for the meals tradition-meets-modernity ethos. Among the starters of Old Delhi kheema, chicken pakora, amrisari fish and chevre kebab, the latter two were real standouts. The battered and gently fried fish fritters were seasoned well and wonderfully flaky, arriving with a pickled mayo that really made the dish sing. The chevre kebabs were virtually impossible to not like, given the fact they were patties made of fried cheese. Salty, indulgent and drizzled with a fantastic red pepper coulis to (just about) cut through the fat. The 39pp set menu gets you four starters to share (Lilly Subbotin) The chicken pakora with mint chutney were great, but also fried, and the kheema was comforting, rich and had a depth of flavour you can only achieve with real devotion, but this was also served with bread. What Im getting as it theres a lot of food, and this is before the mains. Dont go to Farzi with a normal level of hungry, because you wont stand a chance. The curries themselves were pretty good but didnt quite impress like the starters; guinea fowl meatballs in the yoghurt-based oshtaba were a little dry and the dhal was pleasant but a bit more watery than Id have liked. However, lamb nihiri was earthy and splendidly spicy the ideal friend to a zingy pineapple raita. All this came with the aforementioned rice and naan, too. I think it was at this point in the meal I undid the top button of my jeans. The main dishes range from kheema to curries (Lilly Subbotin) Our charming waiter insisted we try a couple of things outside of the Taste of Farzi menu as theyre real staples to the restaurant; Golgappa, which most may know as panipuri, were delightful, served with spiced shots to wash down the crunch; and a sort of milky chai drink that Im still not entirely sure might have had vodka in it it was delicious but not generally what Id choose to drink after eating that much rich food. Desserts were a mixed bag with a rather forgettable cheesecake swimming unnecessarily in masala chai and a fun twist on a tarte tatin extra cinnamony and dolloped with bay leaf ice cream. The desserts are worth saving space for, if you can (Lilly Subbotin) Overall, Farzi is fab particularly if an old fashioned arriving in a dome of smoke is your thing; very generous; and theres no doubt that the kitchen is talented and highly knowledgeable plus the staff will make you feel more than welcome. Downstairs theres a room that can be hired out as a private space with a massive flat screen TV for either business meetings or their karaoke nights (get yourself a place that can do both, I guess). Its in an area that people who arent tourists can be forgiven for avoiding, what with being a stones throw from Piccadilly Circus and many a Spaghetti and Angus Steakhouse, but with Farzi (and Fallow and Zedel just round the corner) I now thankfully know of several very solid restaurants breaking up the humdrum of mediocrity. 8 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4BP | farzilondon.com | restaurant@farzilondon.com | 020 3981 0090 EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The El Paso Fire Department said the cause of a house fire in El Pasos Lower Valley that killed two people last week was accidental. 2 dead after house fire in El Pasos Lower Valley The Fire Department says a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s died as a result of a Condition 2 house fire at the 7600 block of Barton Street on Thursday, April 18. Their identities are being withheld pending confirmation by the medical examiner. The Fire Marshals Office Investigators concluded the fire was accidental and was caused by smoking in combination with an oxygen-generating machine inside the home. The investigation also revealed there were no working smoke alarms in the home at the time of the fire, according to the Fire Department. The Fire Department reminds the community that smoke alarms can provide early warning and valuable minutes to exit a structure in case of a fire. The Fire Department continues to provide smoke alarms, with installation included, for free. To submit a request, residents can dial 3-1-1 or visit elpasofire.org. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. CHICAGO Jurors on Monday have convicted a Chicago woman of killing her landlord and storing her body in a freezer. Sandra Kolalou was found guilty of first-degree murder, dismemberment and aggravted identity theft. It was an eventful last day of testimony, with the defendant, Kolalou, taking the stand in her own defense. Arnold Walker, Fran Walkers brother, said Kolalous testimony was an encouraging sign. Chicago Police Department, Gage Park community mourn loss of fallen officer, search continues for his killer That means theyre desperate, he told WGN News. Kolalous defense team, among other things, argued that police failed to adequately investigate other residents of the Westridge Boarding home where Walkers body parts were found in 2022. I think the desperation and the improbability of what was proposed by the defense indicates the weakness of their case and the strength of the prosecution case, Arnold Walker said. Defense attorney Sean Brown, however, worked to cast doubt in closing arguments by pointing to other residents in Francis Walkers boarding house at the 5900 block of North Washtenaw. They cant show that my client committed these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt, Brown said. Beyond even the shadow of a doubt. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines But in a prosecution rebuttal, Assistant States Attorney Daniel Crone pushed back. The defendant was questioned because she was the only one carrying a bag of bloody rags, and she was questioned because she was the only one with the victims phone. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. The FBI is coordinating with college campuses to make them aware of antisemitic threats and possible violence in connection with the ongoing wave of protests over the Israel-Hamas war, FBI Director Christopher Wray told NBC News' Lester Holt in an exclusive interview Tuesday. He said the FBI is keenly focused on working with state and local law enforcement, campus law enforcement and others to try to make sure that we stay ahead of any threats of violence. Wray said the FBI doesnt monitor protests, but we do share intelligence about specific threats of violence with campuses, with state and local law enforcement. In a wide-ranging interview on "NBC Nightly News," he spoke expansively about what he views as the national security threat from TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by a Chinese company. Congress is moving toward passing legislation requiring that company, ByteDance, to divest itself of TikTok. Asked to describe the real-world threat from TikTok, Wray said, using an acronym to refer to the Chinese Communist Party, that national security officials are concerned it provides Chinese intelligence services with the ability to collect the data, the ability to control the recommendation algorithm, which means the ability to push CCP narratives, pro-CCP narratives, downplay criticism of the Chinese government, in effect, enlist millions of users as unwitting advocates of CCP propaganda. He added that the Chinese government also has the ability to control the software, which gives the opportunity to technically compromise the devices, the phones, millions and millions of phones. Asked what he would say to the millions of people in the United States who regularly use TikTok for business or pleasure and simply dont care about the perceived risks, Wray said, "My message is, you need to take into account who the Chinese government is, who the Chinese Communist Party is." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking for help locating an individual they say is responsible for a bank robbery in Belen. Theyre calling the suspect the Bearded Bandit. The bandit robbed the Wells Fargo Bank at 101 South Main Street in Belen. The incident occurred at 4:29 p.m. on Friday, April 5, the FBI said. AFR seeks information on string of mobile home park fires After entering the bank, the robber demanded money from the teller. Now, the FBI is offering up to $2,000 as a reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. The FBI offers the following information about the suspect: Sex: Male Race: White Height: Approximately 55 Build: Average Clothing: Navy zipper hoodie, grey undershirt, black pants, Tan ball cap with red writing, Tan shoes/boots Spoke in Spanish Story Continues Below Surveillance images of suspect courtesy FBI Individuals with information can call the FBI at 505-889-1300. Bank robbery carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 20 years, or more if the robber uses a gun or other weapon, the FBI says. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. ST. LOUIS The City of St. Louis will soon receive federal funding for residential solar projects. The Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $7 billion in awards among 60 recipients on Monday for residential solar projects in celebration of Earth Day. The awards intend to help nearly 1 million households nationwide. St. Louis was selected for funding as part of two different coalition groups, the Missouri Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority and the Industrial Heartland Solar Coalition. Awards for the two coalitions total more than $300 million, but it remains to be determined how much is allocated for St. Louis. Unacceptable: Cardinals fans react to early season woes We are paying attention to the realities of climate change, and St. Louis City is at the forefront of the fight for our future, said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones via a news release. Sustainability issues are intersectional, affecting public health outcomes and quality of life every day. Im proud that St. Louis is helping to build a more sustainable and resilient future for our citys residents. The mayors office proposed expanding the citys Healthy Homes Program to include solar panels as an efficiency upgrade and asked the state to start a low-interest loan program for solar energy and storage. In addition to this funding, St. Louis was one of 25 cities selected in the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative last month, which will offer funding and resources to help with sustainable development. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. The Alameda County Superior Courthouse is seen in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, May 13, 2021. (Jane Tyska / Digital First Media / East Bay Times via Getty Images) Dozens of death penalty convictions in Alameda County must be reviewed after prosecutors there were found to have intentionally excluded Black and Jewish jurors during a murder trial in 1995, a federal judge ordered. Handwritten notes from prosecutors in the decades-old case suggests the attorneys were involved in "serious misconduct," but Alameda County Dist. Atty. Pamela Price on Monday said additional evidence suggests more death penalty cases may have been tainted by prosecutors trying to keep Black and Jewish jurors from murder trials. "It's not limited to one or two prosecutors, but a variety of prosecutors," Price said during a news conference Monday. "The evidence that we have uncovered suggests plainly that many people did not receive a fair trial in Alameda County and as a result, we have to review all the files." The order was by U.S. Federal Court District Judge Vince Chhabria after the notes from prosecutors were discovered in the case of Earnest Dykes, who was convicted in 1993 of the death of a 9-year-old during an attempted robbery. He was sentenced to death. Dykes' petition to review his case has been pending in federal court for years. Read more: Prosecutors put men on death row. This California D.A. wants to take them off "These notes especially when considered in conjunction with evidence presented in other cases constitute strong evidence that, in prior decades, prosecutors from the office were engaged in a pattern of serious misconduct, automatically excluding Jewish and African American jurors in death penalty cases," Chhabria wrote in a decision to make the notes public. In a portion of the notes released by the district attorney's office, prosecutors wrote and underlined the word, "Jewish" about a prospective juror in the case. Price did not give more specifics about the evidence prosecutors uncovered in the cases being reviewed, but said it included notes as well as transcripts about what questions prospective jurors were asked. The Alameda prosecutors aren't the only officials in the county's criminal justice system to have been accused of improperly excluding people from a jury. In 2006, the California Supreme Court rejected claims that an Alameda County Superior Court judge had advised a prosecutor to remove Jewish jurors from a death penalty trial. Attorneys are allowed to remove a certain number of prospective jurors from a case, but are not allowed to do so because of their race, gender, or religion. Read more: 3 Alameda police officers charged with involuntary manslaughter in 2021 death of Mario Gonzalez The Alameda County D.A.'s office has identified 35 death penalty cases going back to 1977 that are now under review, Price said. If additional issues are discovered, the review may widen to include other cases that did not involve death sentences, she said. Price, a former civil rights and defense attorney, was elected Alameda County D.A. in 2022 after pledging to reform the criminal justice system and hold police accountable. She is now facing a recall campaign. Price said Monday that the decision to review the cases was not just an order handed down from a federal judge, but an ethical issue. "This is not about left or right or any kind of politics," she said Monday. "This is about ethics." Because of the evidence uncovered, she said, the office has a duty to review all of the cases from the county that resulted in a death sentence, but the sentence has yet to be carried out. "This is horrifying," said Michael Collins, senior director of Color Of Change, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization. "The prosecutors and judges implicated in this scandal engaged in racist and antisemitic practices and sent people to their deaths." Read more: California speeds plans to empty San Quentin's death row Color Of Change is one of several organizations involved in the Alameda County D.A. Accountability Table, a coalition of groups looking to address criminal justice issues in the area. "For too long, prosecutors have sought to win at all costs, even if it means engaging in constitutional violations, civil rights violations and antisemitic and racially disparate practices that result in people sentenced to death," Collins said. Collins said Color Of Change supported the review, and he commended Price for publicly addressing it. He said the organization was also calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation. Price said her office is in contact with Dykes' attorneys about how to proceed on his case, but discussions are still pending. "We don't know yet what is appropriate," she said. Dykes, who was 20 at the time, was convicted of killing 9-year-old Lance Clark and attempting to kill the boy's grandmother, Bernice Clark, during an attempted robbery, according to court records. He was unemployed when he tried to rob Clark, who owned the apartment building he lived in, court records say. Read more: How many people die each year in jails and prisons? No one knows The Alameda County District Attorney's office is also reaching out to victims and survivors in the cases affected by the federal review order, Price said. "We recognize how terrible this is, and it is something we have to make right," she said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in 2019 a moratorium on the death penalty, but hundreds of people remain in the state's death row. 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. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) North Carolina district attorneys cannot prosecute people on supervision for felony convictions if they mistakenly cast a ballot before regaining their right to vote, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. The reason, according to a ruling issued by District Judge Loretta C. Biggs: the underlying law was enacted to discriminate against Black North Carolinians and continues to do so today. Plus, that law does not give prosecutors clear standards to prevent it from being enforced arbitrarily, giving district attorneys the ability to seek criminal charges based on their personal predilections. The ruling is the latest development on felony disenfranchisement in North Carolina. Last year, the conservative state Supreme Court ruled that it was constitutional to delay the restoration of a persons voting rights until they completed the terms of their probation, parole or post-release supervision. That ruling reversed a trial courts decision that had restored the voting rights of roughly 56,000 people who were disenfranchised because they hadnt yet completed the terms of their supervision. Biggs ruling is separate from the state Supreme Courts decision because it deals with a different law. People on probation or parole for a felony will still need to complete the terms of their supervision before they can vote in North Carolina. But because of Biggs ruling, if those individuals unknowingly or mistakenly cast a ballot before their voting rights are restored, district attorneys cannot prosecute them. A racially discriminatory law is now a relic of the past. Its sad that in todays society we still have laws on the books that specifically discriminate against Black voters, even if some people may choose to ignore this reality, Melvin Montford, executive director of the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute, said in a statement. The state of North Carolina can no longer enforce this discriminatory law and its no longer a tool for district attorneys and the State Board of Election to arbitrarily use. Per state law, it is a felony for someone disenfranchised because of a criminal conviction to cast a ballot before their voting rights are restored. Those who violate that statute could be imprisoned for up to two years. Attorneys for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP challenged the law in federal court. The statute, first enacted in 1877, was intended to disenfranchise Black voters and continues to disproportionately impact Black citizens, the lawyers argued, violating the U.S. Constitution. The North Carolina legislature enacted those changes to restore the purity of the ballot and discriminate against certain characteristics of [the Black] race, Biggs ruling notes. Attorneys for the State Board of Elections said the historical background of the law is indefensible, which Biggs called an extraordinary and telling concession. The state contended that a new constitution adopted in 1971 cleansed the Challenged Statute of its discriminatory taint. Biggs rejected that argument. That constitution expanded the scope of felony disenfranchisement to remove the right to vote of people convicted of felonies not just in North Carolina, but in other states as well. Even if the 1971 constitution did cleanse the underlying law, Biggs wrote, Black voters are still disproportionately impacted by the law. Far from completely curing the law, by expanding the scope to include people convicted of felonies in other states, the constitutional amendment has presumably disenfranchised more Black people, wrote Biggs. The discrimination continues today. Roughly 20% of North Carolinians are Black, but 63% of people investigated between 2015 and 2022 for violating the underlying law were Black. Judge Biggs decision will help ensure that voters who mistakenly think they are eligible to cast a ballot will not be criminalized for simply trying to re-engage in the political process and perform their civic duty, Mitchell D. Brown, Senior Counsel for Voting Rights at Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said in a statement. It also makes our democracy better and ensures that North Carolina is not able to unjustly criminalize innocent individuals with felony convictions who are valued members of our society, specifically Black voters who were the target of this law. As of Tuesday there were 11,644 people in North Carolina out of prison on parole or post-release supervision, and 63,896 people on probation. Not all of those individuals are on supervision for a felony. Click here to read Biggs ruling. And click here to read an in-depth story written in collaboration with Bolts about felony disenfranchisement in North Carolina. The post Federal judge rules DAs cant prosecute disenfranchised probationers for mistakenly voting appeared first on NC Newsline. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Congressman Jim Costa unveiled legislation on Tuesday to address gaps in federal law in the regulation of highly infectious agents and high-containment laboratories, spurned on by the discovery of an illegal laboratory operating in Reedley. The legislation, H.R. 8065, was introduced by Congressman Costa earlier this month. He says it could prevent what happened inside the warehouse from happening again both in Reedley and across the country. Illegal Reedley Lab: YourCentralValley.coms complete coverage Prevent Illegal Laboratories and Protect Public Health. Thats the title of the bill, said Costa. This is about public health and safety and the City of Reedley is to be commended for the way in which they responded and acted. Costa says the legislation addresses gaps in the regulation of highly infectious agents and high-containment labs, including several requirements and evaluations. Require sellers of highly infectious agents to keep a logbook of all sales and maintain those records for at least five years, including identification of purchase, detailed Costa. It would also implement regular evaluations of highly contaminant laboratories in the United States. Congressman Costa publicly unveiled the legislation alongside Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba, who says the proposed law could ensure what happened in Reedley does not happen elsewhere. It doesnt matter if you are a Republican, a Democrat, an independent, a green, said Zieba. It doesnt matter what you are. You dont want deadly pathogens next door to your family and loved ones in the communities that you represent. Fresno County Department of Public Health Joe Prado, who was also present at the announcement on Tuesday, says if this legislation had been passed before the illegal lab was discovered then the situation could have been handled differently. That is significant for us to know what is in a building, said Prado. What are we walking into potentially? Who owns this? Who is the business owner? What credentials do they have? That law book is going to be key in any type of future response. In late December of 2022, the discovery of the lab in Reedley was made as Reedley Code Enforcement Officer Jesalyn Harper noticed a hose that came out of the back of what was believed to be a vacant warehouse on 850 I Street, with no active business permit found. The lab was found to be storing several infectious diseases and hazardous chemicals, such as COVID-19, malaria, HIV, and hepatitis. Costa brought federal agencies in and pushed for federal investigations into the illegal lab, which resulted in a congressional investigation and the arrest of lab owner Jia Bei Zhu. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Supporters of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota are cheering new federal legislation to help build the library and to showcase artifacts of the 26th president, who as a young man hunted and ranched in the state during its territorial days. Last week, North Dakota's three-member, all-Republican congressional delegation announced the bill to authorize funding for the Librarys continued construction and go towards ensuring the preservation of President Roosevelts history and legacy. The bill's Interior Department grant is for $50 million of one-time money, most of which will go into creating the museum spaces in our facility," said Matt Briney, the library's chief communications officer. The bill also enables and directs federal agencies to work with the library's organizers to feature Roosevelt items in the library's museum, he said. In 2019, North Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature approved a $50 million operations endowment for the library, available after its organizers raised $100 million in private donations for construction. That goal was met in late 2020. The project has raised $240 million in private donations, and complete construction costs $333 million, Briney said. Covering the librarys construction costs has not been an issue, he said. Construction is underway near Medora, in the rugged, colorful Badlands where the young future president briefly roamed in the 1880s. Organizers are planning for a grand opening of the library on July 4, 2026, the United States' 250th anniversary of independence. In a statement, the congressional delegation hailed the bill as a wise investment in our nation's historical preservation. In the same press release, the bill drew praise from descendant Theodore Ted Roosevelt V and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who championed the library to the 2019 Legislature. The bill would require a two-thirds match from state funds or non-federal sources, and it would prohibit the federal money from going toward the library's maintenance or operations. Planned exhibits include a chronological view of Roosevelt's life, such as galleries of his early life, time in the Badlands, travels to the Amazon and his presidency, Briney said. The 2023 Legislature approved a $70 million line of credit for the library through the state-owned Bank of North Dakota, which Briney said library planners have not tapped. That line of credit drew scrutiny last year from Republican state Rep. Jim Kasper, who called it a $70 million slush fund" that could leave taxpayers on the hook. Library CEO Ed O'Keefe has said the line of credit was intended as backstop to help ensure construction could begin. Story continues In an interview, Kasper called the library, which he supported, a beautiful thing for the state of North Dakota ... but I want private funds raised to pay for it. If there's going to be taxpayers' dollars that are used, then I'd rather have federal dollars used than taxpayers of North Dakota dollars, Kasper said. Obviously there's still taxpayer dollars. But I really don't support any taxpayer dollars being used for the project, whether they're state or federal. Other presidential libraries have been built with private donations or non-federal money. Some have received funds for construction and development from state and local governments and universities, then have been transferred to the federal government and run by the National Archives and Records Administration through that agency's budget, according to the National Archives' website. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will always be privately held, said Briney, who called the legislation's money not necessarily uncommon. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Increasing the use of containers in cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) will help optimize cargo handling, Irakli Danelia, Central Asia and Caucasus Region Business Development Manager at Maersk, told Trend. "Regarding the World Bank's report and EBRD's research, it is indeed relevant and realistic to consider the costs involved. However, the implementation of such initiatives depends on the willingness of markets to act swiftly, as time is of the essence in this matter. The primary focus should be on converting export bulk cargo into containerized shipments. This involves rapidly increasing the use of containers, with the goal of optimizing cargo handling," he said. According to him, Maersk believes that all industry stakeholders should dedicate time and efforts to this endeavor, as it is crucial yet challenging. "In Central Asia, the majority of exported goods are traditionally transported in bulk. Therefore, there is a need to raise awareness about the advantages of containerization, which include standardization and streamlined operational processes. Additionally, stakeholders should emphasize the economic benefits of containerization, especially within a multimodal transit corridor like the Middle Corridor," he said. Danelia noted that if all stakeholders, including governmental institutions, the private sector, local operators, and global companies, coordinate efforts to increase awareness and educate cargo owners about the importance of containerization, significant progress can be achieved. "This coordinated approach will help convey the benefits of containerization at a regional level and align expectations with a realistic and relevant timeframe," he noted. Meanwhile, in 2023, the World Bank published a report on the development of the Middle Corridor, according to which a combination of investments and efficiency measures can reduce travel times along the corridor by half and triple trade flows by 2030. In WB's view, near-term efficiency gains and medium-term investments will strengthen the functioning of the Middle Corridor and harness its potential to invigorate regional trade. This requires steps to improve coordination, logistics, and digitalization, while critical investments are needed to upgrade railways, intermodal facilities, and ports in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor. The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes. FILE - The Federal Trade Commission building is seen, Jan. 28, 2015, in Washington. U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by the FTC on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, though the rule seems sure to be challenged in court. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by a federal agency Tuesday, though the rule is sure to be challenged in court. The Federal Trade Commission voted Tuesday 3-2 to ban measures known as noncompete agreements, which bar workers from jumping to or starting competing companies for a prescribed period of time. According to the FTC, 30 million people roughly one in five workers are now subject to such restrictions. The Biden administration has taken aim at noncompete measures, which are commonly associated with high-level executives at technology and financial companies but in recent years have also ensnared lower-paid workers, such as security guards and sandwich-shop employees. A 2021 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found that more than one in 10 workers who earn $20 or less an hour are covered by noncompete agreements. When it proposed the ban in January 2023, FTC officials asserted that noncompete agreements harm workers by reducing their ability to switch jobs for higher pay, a step that often provides most workers with their biggest pay increases. By reducing overall churn in the job market, the agency argued, the measures also disadvantage workers who aren't covered by them because fewer jobs become available as fewer people leave their positions. They can also hurt the economy overall by limiting the ability of other businesses to hire needed employees, the FTC said. The rule, which doesn't apply to workers at non-profits, is to take effect in four months unless it is blocked by legal challenges. Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas and rob the American economy of dynamism," FTC Chair Lina Khan said. We heard from employees who, because of noncompetes, were stuck in abusive workplaces." Some doctors, she added, have been prevented from practicing medicine after leaving practices. Business groups have criticized the measure as casting too wide a net by blocking nearly all noncompetes. They argue that highly paid executives are often able to win greater pay in return for accepting a noncompete. Itll represent a sea change, said Amanda Sonneborn, a partner at King & Spalding in Chicago who represents employers that use noncompetes. They dont want somebody to go to a competitor and take their customer list or take their information about their business strategy to that competitor. But Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, a professor at Columbia University who is a former Biden administration Labor Department official, argued that lower-income workers don't have the ability to negotiate over such provisions. When they get their job offer," he said, "its really a take-it-or-leave-it-as-a-whole, he said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday that it will file a lawsuit to block the rule. It accused the FTC of overstepping its authority. Noncompete agreements are either upheld or dismissed under well-established state laws governing their use, said Suzanne Clark, the chamber's CEO. Yet today, three unelected commissioners have unilaterally decided they have the authority to declare whats a legitimate business decision and whats not by moving to ban noncompete agreements in all sectors of the economy. Two Republican appointees to the FTC, Melissa Holyoak and Andrew Ferguson, voted against the proposal. They asserted that the agency was exceeding its authority by approving such a sweeping rule. Noncompete agreements are banned in three states, including California, and some opponents of noncompetes argue that Californias ban has been a key contributor to that states innovative tech economy. John Lettieri, CEO of the Economic Innovation Group, a tech-backed think tank, argues that the ability of early innovators to leave one company and start a competitor was key to the development of the semiconductor industry. The birth of so many important foundational companies could not have happened, at least not in the same way or on the same timeline and definitely not in the same place, had it not been for the ability of entrepreneurs to spin out, start their own companies, or go to a better company, Lettieri said. The White House has been stepping up its efforts to protect workers as the presidential campaign heats up. On Tuesday, the Labor Department issued a rule that would guarantee overtime pay for more lower-paid workers. The rule would increase the required minimum salary level to exempt an employee from overtime pay, from about $35,600 currently to nearly $43,900 effective July 1 and $58,700 by Jan. 1, 2025. Companies will be required to pay overtime for workers below those thresholds who work more than 40 hours a week. This rule will restore the promise to workers that if you work more than 40 hours in a week, you should be paid more for that time, said Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su. ___ This story has been updated to correct to the spelling of the Columbia professor's last name. It's Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, not Alexander Hertzel-Fernandez. The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday voted 3-2 in favor of adopting a historic and far-reaching ban on noncompete agreements, potentially giving more leverage in the job market to millions of U.S. workers. The agency has said that the agreements, in which workers are forbidden from seeking a job with a competing business for a certain period of time, lead to an unfair method of competition and violate federal law. The vote by the agencys five commissioners this week means the ban will move forward. The FTCs three Democratic members were in favor of adopting the regulation, while its two Republican members were against it. Noncompetes have been under fire for years because of the way they can lock workers into jobs and suppress wages by reducing mobility in the labor market. And they are not strictly the domain of well-compensated executives and engineers; these days, even fast-food workers can find themselves barred from taking a job at a competing business. The FTC estimated that the ban would boost wages by between $400 billion and $488 billion over 10 years. Lina Khan, the commissions chair and a progressive appointee of President Joe Biden, said Tuesday that non-compete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism. The FTCs final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market, Khan said. The agency estimated that the ban would boost wages by between $400 billion and $488 billion over 10 years, and lead to the creation of more than 8,500 new businesses per year. Business groups are expected to challenge the legality of the ban and seek to have a judge block it from taking effect. The commissions two dissenting members argued that the agency was stepping beyond its authority in issuing the ban, saying such powers should be left with the Congress. Lina Khan, the Federal Trade Commission chair, said that noncompete agreements undermine the "core" of economic liberty. BASTIEN INZAURRALDE via Getty Images The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called the ban blatantly unlawful, and its president publicly vowed to fight it in court if necessary. Employers often argue that noncompetes are necessary to protect the investments theyve made in training workers. A handful of states have already outlawed noncompete agreements, while others have limited their scope. Some have sanctioned the agreements for high earners but restricted them for workers earning less than a certain amount. The FTCs rule does not include a salary threshold. It would render existing noncompetes unenforceable for the vast majority of workers, though they could still apply to senior executives, whom the agency estimated to comprise less than 1% of the workforce. New noncompetes would be banned even for executives. Ben Cady, an FTC attorney who helped develop the rule, said during Tuesdays hearing that the agency received more than 26,000 public comments on the proposal, with 25,000 of them supportive of the ban. The experiences people shared being stuck in crummy jobs, fearing litigation if they tried to leave provided strong qualitative evidence backing up the agencys research, Cady added. These workers are coerced into staying in jobs they want to leave because they have no other options that dont harm them in some way, he said. When proposing the rule, the FTC noted that noncompetes could hurt low-wage workers in particular, citing use of the contracts at the sandwich chain Jimmy Johns, which HuffPost had revealed in 2014. The Jimmy Johns noncompete barred workers from taking a job at a competing business within two years of leaving. It defined a competitor as any business that is located within 3 miles of a Jimmy Johns and derives at least 10% of its revenue from submarine, hero-type, deli-style, pita and/or wrapped or rolled sandwiches. Biden had urged the FTC to take action against noncompete agreements not long after taking office, signing an executive order in July of 2021. These arent just high-paid executives or scientists who hold secret formulas for Coca-Cola so Pepsi cant get their hands on it, Biden said then. Theyre construction workers, hotel workers, disproportionately women and women of color. Related... When the regulations are fully enacted, 4 in 5 homes will need to augment their payrolls (Katarzyna Bialasiewicz/Getty Images) The Biden administration finalized nursing home staffing rules Monday that will require thousands of them to hire more nurses and aides while giving them years to do so. The new rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are the most substantial changes to federal oversight of the nations roughly 15,000 nursing homes in more than three decades. But they are less stringent than what patient advocates said was needed to provide high-quality care. Spurred by disproportionate deaths from COVID-19 in long-term care facilities, the rules aim to address perennially sparse staffing that can be a root cause of missed diagnoses, severe bedsores, and frequent falls. For residents, this will mean more staff, which means fewer ER visits potentially, more independence, Vice President Kamala Harris said while meeting with nursing home workers in La Crosse, Wisconsin. For families, its going to mean peace of mind in terms of your loved one being taken care of. When the regulations are fully enacted, 4 in 5 homes will need to augment their payrolls, CMS estimated. That includes roughly two-thirds in Missouri. But the new standards are likely to require slight if any improvements for many of the 1.2 million residents in facilities that are already quite close to or meet the minimum levels. Historically, this is a big deal, and were glad we have now established a floor, Blanca Castro, Californias long-term care ombudsman, said in an interview. From here we can go upward, recognizing there will be a lot of complaints about where we are going to get more people to fill these positions. The rules primarily address staffing levels for three types of nursing home workers. Registered nurses, or RNs, are the most skilled and responsible for guiding overall care and setting treatment plans. Licensed practical nurses, sometimes called licensed vocational nurses, work under the direction of RNs and perform routine medical care such as taking vital signs. Certified nursing assistants are supposed to be the most plentiful and help residents with daily activities like going to the bathroom, getting dressed, and eating. While the industry has increased wages by 27% since February 2020, homes say they are still struggling to compete against better-paying work for nurses at hospitals and at retail shops and restaurants for aides. On average, nursing home RNs earn $40 an hour, licensed practical nurses make $31 an hour, and nursing assistants are paid $19 an hour, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. CMS estimated the rules will ultimately cost $6 billion annually, but the plan omits any more payments from Medicare or Medicaid, the public insurers that cover most residents stays meaning additional wages would have to come out of owners pockets or existing facility budgets. The American Health Care Association, which represents the nursing home industry, called the regulation an unreasonable standard that creates an impossible task for providers amid a persistent worker shortage nationwide. This unfunded mandate doesnt magically solve the nursing crisis, the associations CEO, Mark Parkinson, said in a statement. Parkinson said the industry will keep pressing Congress to overturn the regulation. Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a New York City-based advocacy nonprofit, said it is hard to call this a win for nursing home residents and families given that the minimum levels were below what studies have found to be ideal. The plan was welcomed by labor unions that represent nurses and whom President Joe Biden is counting on for support in his reelection campaign. Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry called it a long-overdue sea change. This political bond was underscored by the administrations decision to have Harris announce the rule with SEIU members in Wisconsin, a swing state. The new rules supplant the vague federal mandate that has been in place since the 1980s requiring nursing homes to have sufficient staffing to meet residents needs. In practice, inspectors rarely categorized inadequate staffing as a serious infraction resulting in possible penalties, federal records show. Starting in two years, most homes must provide an average of at least 3.48 hours of daily care per resident. About 6 in 10 nursing homes are already operating at that level, a KFF analysis found. The rules give homes breathing room before they must comply with more specific requirements. Within three years, most nursing homes will need to provide daily RN care of at least 0.55 hours per resident and 2.45 hours from aides. CMS also mandated that within two years an RN must be on duty at all times in case of a patient crisis on weekends or overnight. Currently, CMS requires at least eight consecutive hours of RN presence each day and a licensed nurse of any level on duty around the clock. An inspector general report found that nearly a thousand nursing homes didnt meet those basic requirements. Nursing homes in rural areas will have longer to staff up. Within three years, they must meet the overall staffing numbers and the round-the-clock RN requirement. CMS rule said rural homes have four years to achieve the RN and nurse aide thresholds, although there was some confusion within CMS, as its press materials said rural homes would have five years. Under the new rules, the average nursing home, which has around 100 residents, would need to have at least two RNs working each day, and at least 10 or 11 nurse aides, the administration said. Homes could meet the overall requirements through two more workers, who could be RNs, vocational nurses, or aides. Homes can get a hardship exemption from the minimums if they are in regions with low populations of nurses or aides and demonstrate good-faith efforts to recruit. Democrats praised the rules, though some said the administration did not go nearly far enough. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, said the changes were modest improvements but that much more is needed to ensure sufficient care and resident safety. A Republican senator from Nebraska, Deb Fischer, said the rule would devastate nursing homes across the country and worsen the staffing shortages we are already facing. Advocates for nursing home residents have been pressing CMS for years to adopt a higher standard than what it ultimately settled on. A CMS-commissioned study in 2001 found that the quality of care improved with increases of staff up to a level of 4.1 hours per resident per day nearly a fifth higher than what CMS will require. The consultants CMS hired in preparing its new rules did not incorporate the earlier findings in their evaluation of options. CMS said the levels it endorsed were more financially feasible for homes, but that assertion didnt quiet the ongoing battle about how many people are willing to work in homes at current wages and how financially strained homes owners actually are. If states do not increase Medicaid payments to nursing homes, facilities are going to close, said John Bowblis, an economics professor and research fellow with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. There arent enough workers and there are shortages everywhere. When you have a 3% to 4% unemployment rate, where are you going to get people to work in nursing homes? Researchers, however, have been skeptical that all nursing homes are as broke as the industry claims or as their books show. A study published in March by the National Bureau of Economic Research estimated that 63% of profits were secretly siphoned to owners through inflated rents and other fees paid to other companies owned by the nursing homes investors. Charlene Harrington, a professor emeritus at the nursing school of the University of California-San Francisco, said: In their unchecked quest for profits, the nursing home industry has created its own problems by not paying adequate wages and benefits and setting heavy nursing workloads that cause neglect and harm to residents and create an unsatisfactory and stressful work environment. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. The post Feds set higher nursing home staffing mandates. Many Missouri facilities dont meet them appeared first on Missouri Independent. Some say they felt misled after it was revealed Dominions wind turbines could be seen from Virginia Beach VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) For nearly four years now, two wind turbines standing more than 600-foot-tall have generated electricity 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast. Aside from promotion mainly from their owners, utility provider Dominion Energy, many visiting the resort beaches would have little idea the turbines are there. Due to the curvature of the earth, even on the clearest of days, the pair could be tough to see with the naked eye. However once Dominion Energy begins the installation of 174 additional turbines, that may not be the case anymore. Its a fact that has some people believing they were misled. Largest U.S. offshore wind project for VB coast gets federal approval A visual of where the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial project would be placed. (Courtesy: Dominion Energy). Dominion Energy, which is the largest energy provider in Virginia, has been working on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial project for the better part of a decade. When its all said and done, the 176 turbines are forecasted to generate 2.6 gigawatts of energy, enough to power up to 660,000 homes. Renewable wind energy will avoid the carbon emissions equivalent to the removal of 1 million cars off the road each year, according to the company. Years before the Department of the Interior gave its formal blessing for the 113,000-acre project last fall, Dominion went on a full media blitz trying to win over public support. In 2018, one of Virginia Beachs chief rival mid-Atlantic resort towns, Ocean City, Maryland, formalized its opposition to a plan to bring offshore wind off its coast, citing view concerns. At the same time, Dominion Energy was publicizing in both videos and at public meetings that turbines will not be visible from the Virginia Beach shoreline. But those videos and statements were specifically mentioning the two pilot turbines. At the time, the videos said nothing about the majority of the turbines being 200 feet taller. A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Cape Henry Lighthouse (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Virginia Beach Boardwalk at 17th Street (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Virginia Beach Boardwalk at 17th Street (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) Earlier this year, Dominion Energy submitted dozens of photo simulations to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as part of the final environmental impact review for the project. The simulations were meant to show what the turbines would look like from the naked eye. Familiar locations used included Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, and 17th Street Park. From each, you could see the turbines along the horizon to varying degrees. Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson and Councilman Worth Remick, who both represent the Oceanfront on Virginia Beach City Council, said that when those photos began to appear on social media, they started receiving calls. [Citizens] feel misled, Wilson said They didnt know youd be able to see the turbines. Remick has heard similar comments. The citizens and us as leaders felt misled by Dominion about the appearance of the wind turbines, Remick said. Remick added he doesnt recall any briefing where the height differences between the pilot turbines and the rest were discussed. Jeremy Slayton, a spokesperson for the CVOW project, said the height differences were discussed. Our outreach to Virginia Beach City Council and the Virginia Beach community has not changed with respect to the size and dimensions of the wind turbines we are using for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Slayton said. We made it clear very early in the process that the turbines for the CVOW commercial project will be 800+ feet tall more than 200 feet taller than the pilot turbines. For example, during a Virginia Beach City Council meeting in January 2021, our presentation (around the 9:30 mark) includes the height of the turbines as well as a comparison diagram with the pilot turbines. In the 2021 presentation, its explained the larger turbines were selected to harness more energy. However, at no point in the presentation is the height difference equated to shoreline visibility. Slayton did not point to any specific presentation where visibility was addressed outside the pilot turbines. I mean, when we have been having conversations with people, Slayton said, we have been telling them that, Yes, it is it is likely or possible that you could see the commercial turbines from shore, specifically at higher elevations at night due to the safety navigational features that we need to have on these turbines.' The lights will turn on when a plane is located within three miles of the turbine area and lower than 1,000 feet, according to Slayton. After that, the lights will shut off again. John Zirkle, president of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, said the nightime lights were the only concern to arise from hotel owners. Overall, he isnt bothered by the turbine view possibility. I dont really look at it as a negative. I think overall its a positive for a variety of things, Zirkle said, adding he believes it could boost tourism. People might want to take a trip out to see the turbines. Fishermen will love them. Plus they help our environment that people come here for, Zirkle said. Remick wanted to make clear, he doesnt think Dominion intentionally misled anyone. Rather he just wants a commitment to transparency to continue. In May, Dominion plans to begin installing the turbines. $280M-plus wind turbine blade production facility wont come to Portsmouth after all For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) The final member of a Blood-affiliated gang that operated in Franklin, Virginia was sentenced Tuesday. Malik Trevonte Newsome, 31, of Ivor, Virginia, was sentenced to over 22 years in prison for his role in a murder conspiracy and a violent spree that span two years. Malik Newsome (Courtesy: Norfolk City Jail) According to the Department of Justice, Newsome and other members of the Blood-affiliated gang were involved in three shooting between late 2017 and early 2019. Court documents show that the group hunted down and shot members of a rival Crip gang after one of their high-ranking members was murdered by the Crips. Two of victims now use colostomy bags after they were shot in their torsos. Another victim was shot in the hand and the leg. A federal jury convicted Newsome along with two of his codefendants, Ronald Damone Jenkins, Jr. and Japree Lortez Brooks, in December of 2023. The jury convicted Newsome of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Finding enough weapons to cover budget for Ukraine aid bill could pose problem for US, ambassador says The US may not provide Ukraine with all the weaponry and equipment as specified in the draft law on aid to Ukraine. Source: Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova in an interview with European Pravda She said that the approved budget for military aid to Ukraine means an opportunity to obtain a lot of equipment for this amount. Quote: "But the second question is, is this equipment available? Will we find, and produce enough equipment quickly enough to get it?" Markarova noted. She pointed out that this question has always been relevant. "There are programmes under which we can get this equipment, buy it, or receive it from depots. And second, how quickly do we find it, check it, and restore it to a condition in which the American military can deliver it?" the ambassador said, adding that time for training is also needed when receiving new equipment. Markarova also recalled that almost US$4 billion remained from the previous budget, but they were allocated for a category for which all the weapons had already been selected, and the Pentagon had nothing to replace the lost stocks with. She said that the adoption of the bill on assistance to Ukraine solves the funding issue. "But does this mean that equipment for all US$23 billion (under the scheme of the president's authority to allocate weapons ed.) is ready for delivery? Unfortunately, no. So we are looking for it as quickly as possible, and the USA is also looking for it not only in the USA, for which a group which we at home call Ramstein (the Ukraine Defence Contact Group ed.), is assembled monthly," the ambassador said. She added that the US actively helps other countries to deliver, buy, and do what is needed to get military aid to Ukraine. Background: Earlier, Markarova did not rule out that the first package of US weapons under the new legislation passed by the Congress may arrive in Ukraine as early as April. Markarova also stated that she had not received any official notifications from Washington prohibiting Kyiv from striking Russian oil refineries with its own weapons. Support UP or become our patron! A two-alarm fire that started at a business in Suffolk on Monday night forced emergency crews to contain runoff of hazardous materials. Suffolk Fire & Rescue responded to the 700 block of North Main Street following a report of a commercial structure fire at 10:04 p.m. The first units arrived three minutes later and saw fire and smoke coming from the Carts Unlimited building. The fire was under control by 3:43 a.m. though crews are continuing to address hot spots, according to a news release. No injuries were reported. The building, which backs up to the Nansemond River, contained large amounts of tires, batteries and fuel, creating a concern that runoff could affect the surrounding environment. Firefighters set up dams to prevent the water from running into the river, according to a spokesperson for Suffolk Fire & Rescue. Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Portsmouth Fire Departments Hazardous Materials Team found no hazardous materials in the runoff. There is an apartment on the second floor of the building, the spokesperson said. Firefighters searched the building but did not find anyone inside. North Main Street remained closed on Tuesday morning due to large fire hoses having to cross the street. The cause of the fire has not been determined as of Tuesday morning. Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com PILOT KNOB, Mo. A large fire destroyed a rural Missouri home Monday afternoon in Iron County, though no one was hurt in the fire. Crews responded to the fire in the 100 block of Lake Drive around 1 p.m. Monday. More than 10 agencies, including the Pilot Knob Fire Protection District, assisted in putting out the blaze. Unacceptable: Cardinals fans react to early season woes Firefighters were able to utilize a nearby lake as a source of water to control the fire. Investigators say the fire damaged a 1,200-square foot home and required sufficient manpower to control. No injuries were reported in the fire, though its not quite clear what caused it at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Firefighters in Ohio saved a family of ducklings trapped in a storm drain on Monday. Plain Township Fire and Rescue said in a social media post that firefighters rescued seven ducklings in the Peachmont and Vanderbilt area of Plain Township out of the storm drain. >> Blue Berry Cafe announces grand opening of Bellbrook location They removed the storm pipe cover and used a net to reach all the ducklings, the post said. The ducklings were reunited with their mother and safely walked away. Glad we could help out with the rescue, the post said. Plain Township firefighters were able to help rescue seven ducklings today in the Peachmont and Vanderbilt area of... Posted by Plain Township Fire & Rescue-Stark County, Ohio on Monday, April 22, 2024 SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) The New Mexico Secretary of State has sent over 700 ballots to New Mexico voters that live overseas or are in the military. That means the very first ballots of the 2024 election season are on their way. Sending ballots to our military and overseas voters marks a critical step in the election process to ensure all qualified New Mexicans can make their voices heard, no matter where they are currently residing in the world, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a press release. Albuquerque local headed to prison after stealing nearly $400,000 from Pueblo of Jemez Overseas voters can get ballots by mail, email, fax, or a secure web portal. The secretary of state says the overseas ballot process has been upgraded to make it more secure this year. The secretary of state has to submit a report to the U.S. Department of Justice that lists ballot requests and the number of ballots sent. Most counties have qualified overseas and military voters, the secretary of states office says. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 23. Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs of the UK David Cameron will visit Kazakhstan, Trend reports via the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "David Cameron, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, will visit the Republic of Kazakhstan on April 2425, 2024. During his stay in Astana, Foreign Secretary Cameron will be received by the leadership of the country and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu," the statement reads. In addition, it is noted that during the visit, it is planned to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, as well as current regional and international topics. Following the visit, a number of bilateral documents are expected to be signed. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Rep. Mauree Turner, D-Oklahoma City, wipes away tears while speaking at a march at the Oklahoma State Capitol honoring nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict. More than 100 people gathered March 14 to honor Benedict, who died by suicide. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Oklahoma state representative Mauree Turner, D-Oklahoma City, is one of just a few nonbinary lawmakers in the U.S. a distinction that comes with prominence and pressure. Theyve been censured by conservative colleagues, met with silence at times by members of their party when they called for support and dealt an extra burden after the recent death of a nonbinary Oklahoma teen that reverberated around the country. KOSU spoke to Turner last month as they were verging on a decision to seek another term. They were undecided then, but earlier this month, Turner announced they would not seek re-election in November due to their health and a need to focus on self-care. An out-of-body experience On a desk outside Turners office, theres a stack of flyers with Turners portrait drawn in a halo-like light like a saint. Visitors take them as souvenirs. But Turner has mixed feelings about being viewed as an icon. Its one of those things. What do they say? Heavy is the head that wears the crown, Turner said during an interview at the Oklahoma State Capitol. They used the phrase to sum up their experience as a state lawmaker. Turner was elected in 2020 from Oklahoma Citys House District 88, one of the states few deeply Democratic districts. Not only were they the first openly nonbinary and one of the first trans state lawmakers in the country, theyre also Black and Muslim. And with that, came expectations and pressure. Sometimes most of the time its like an out-of-body experience, which I think is very synonymous with being trans, Turner said. When I think about my own transness and me as a legislator able to provide representation, it feels really cool, they said, But I think about what people perceive Representative Turner as, versus who Mauree Turner is, and it gives me this anxiety. I dont want to let anybody down. In that way, among others, Turner said like other LGBTQ Oklahomans, theyre often caught between the hostile rhetoric of their opponents and the silence of others they might expect to be allies. Especially when harmful rhetoric against the community heats up in the statehouse and Turner is expected to take the blows. Like when Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, moved to censure Turner last year after a protester rested in Turners office following a scuffle with an Oklahoma State Highway Patrol officer during a demonstration against anti-trans proposals. I move that the Oklahoma House of Representatives formally censure Representative Mauree Turner for harboring a fugitive that assaulted an Oklahoma highway patrolman and that the Oklahoma House of Representatives request that the speaker remove Representative Turner from all committees of the House unless, or until, a written and public apology is issued, Moore said on the House floor one week after the incident. A party-line vote censured Turner but they never apologized. They still have no committee assignments and thus can only speak and vote on measures on the floor. Its symbolism, Turner said, to remind marginalized Oklahomans they dont belong. They can always make an example out of the 2SLGBTQ plus community, of the Muslim community, of the black community, Turner said. If youre too loud, or if you dont dress how we like you to dress, if you dont assimilate to this body, then you dont get access to it. And then theres the silence sometimes from fellow Democrats. I sent out an email at the beginning of this session, that we start writing our policy in a gender-neutral way. Nobody responded. Nobody had anything to say, Turner said. Theres a need to consider the broader context of representation, they said, especially because of the Republican supermajority. If we care for Oklahomans, we have to understand that the policy that we write and put into place is not just going to affect 39,000 people, its going to affect 4 million people, they said. If you want to do local politics like that, city council is for you. Maybe the school board is for you. The burden of descriptive representation As a part of the small Democratic minority in Oklahomas legislature, Turner doesnt have the power to stop laws forbidding trans youth from getting gender-affirming care or from using bathrooms that fit their gender identity at school. That mainly makes Turner a figurehead for the LGBTQ community in Oklahoma. But Mike Crespin, a legislative politics expert at the University of Oklahoma, says Turners role still matters. Political scientists talk about sort of descriptive representation, and how this is an example of that, Crespin said. Not to say Turner only represents LGBTQ people, but there is a constituency for that in the state that probably looks to them for representation and would love to see actual results and legislation passed, he said. But just seeing a face, I think its helpful. Many LGBTQ Oklahomans do look to Turner when they search for their own face in the legislature. So, when Turner learned through social media about the death of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teen who died the day after a fight in a high school bathroom, they were overcome with fear, anger and guilt. Especially after the state medical examiner ruled Benedicts death a suicide. I cant hold back the onslaught of all of the horrible legislation that these people write but also like, this is my job, Turner said fighting tears. Im a state legislator, and state policymakers and shapers could have done so much more. We do this work together every day, and, like, we all failed Nex and thats hard. Thats hard. Benedicts death did shock the legislature into one move a bill to increase punishments for bullying that leads to someones death. It passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House. On the day of KOSUs interview with Turner, LGBTQ rights activists gathered to honor Nex Benedict outside the capitol. Turner said a few words of encouragement to the small crowd, and then was approached by demonstrators for pictures and quick conversations. Among them was Navy veteran and trans woman Diana Lettkeman, from Clinton, a city of about 8,000 people 75 miles west of Oklahoma City. They may not be in my district, but they still represent me as part of the community, Lettkeman said, reiterating what she told Turner moments before. Its something Turners heard a lot. They say it lifts them with inspiration but also weighs them down with pressure. Do I deeply consider myself to be an organizer and an activist and a good steward of community? Absolutely, Turner said. But, people will continuously ask you to produce and produce and perform, right, and have another press conference or press release about another death of another child. And, like, Im a human too. This article was originally published by KOSU. The post First nonbinary state lawmaker reflects on public service, rhetoric in Oklahoma Legislature appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. First US assistance package under new law expected to arrive in Ukraine in April Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova. Photo: Markarova on Facebook Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova has not ruled out that the first package of US weapons under the new legislation passed by Congress could arrive in Ukraine as early as April. Source: Markarova in an interview with European Pravda Details: Markarova expressed hope that the procedure for passing the bill on assistance to Ukraine will be completed as quickly as possible and President Joe Biden will sign it immediately. She said the law would take effect immediately and so would the authorisation to provide weapons to Ukraine. Quote: "Moreover, Ukraine and the United States are actively working on these packages, even when no such authorisation was in place. Therefore, I think everything will happen very quickly," the ambassador noted. Answering a follow-up question, Markarova stated: "We will not rule out the possibility of it arriving in April." Background: On 20 April, the US House of Representatives approved a bill to provide about US$61 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democratic Majority in the US Senate, said the Senate will vote for the bill on Tuesday, 23 April. Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Democratic Representative Bill Keating, during his visit to Kyiv, stated that the new package of military assistance would arrive "faster than anyone thinks possible" after Congress makes its decision. The media reported that the United States is preparing a "larger than usual" military assistance package for Kyiv. Support UP or become our patron! 25-Year-Old's Cough Was First Sign of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: 'Smacked in the Face with the News' (Exclusive) In January, Jace Yawnick was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma now he is creating a nonprofit to help other cancer patients pay for treatment Courtesy of Jace Yawnick Jace Yawnick receives cancer treatment in Florida hospital. Jace Yawnick first noticed his cough in August 2023. The Boston native would start coughing every time he laughed and it kept getting worse. A month later, during a work trip to New York City, Yawnick struggled to run from his hotel to Central Park. He had to stop numerous times to catch his breath, which was unusual for the fit 25-year-old. Around the same time, he started experiencing fatigue and back pain, which led him to seek medical advice from multiple doctors and specialists. Initially, he was prescribed medication for acid reflux. After being dismissed by his primary doctor and others for several months, Yawnick saw a chiropractor who suggested the possibility of a hernia in his chest. On Jan. 18, Yawnick got a chest X-ray. "That same day, they came back with the report," Yawnick recalls in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. "They didn't find a hernia, but they discovered a mediastinal mass and two shadows around my heart." He adds, "I didn't even know what that meant. So I looked it up and said to myself, this is not good. This is not good at all." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Courtesy of Jace Yawnick Doctor discovering tumors near Jace Yawnick's heart. The following day, Yawnick underwent a CAT scan that confirmed the presence of three tumors around his heart. Subsequent biopsies and a PET scan led to a diagnosis of primary mediastinal B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. According to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, this type of cancer usually starts in the upper chest area called the mediastinum. Early symptoms include a cough, shortness of breath and swollen lymph nodes. "My mind went blank almost," says Yawnick, who now lives in Fort Myers, Fla., with his girlfriend Sarah. "It's kind of like a flash-bang went off; you're just smacked in the face with the news. I was in tears because I didn't know what to expect. I mean, I just got diagnosed with cancer, and I'm 25 years old, and I'm wondering if this is the end." After his diagnosis, Yawnick started doing online research about non-Hodgkin lymphoma and stumbled upon a series of YouTube videos from someone with the same type of cancer. As he watched the videos, he saw a man who went from a normal-looking guy with a full head of hair to someone in the depths of difficult cancer treatment. "Then, in the last video, he had his hair back, a beard, and a belly again he had beaten cancer," says Yawnick, who works in commercial sales. "At that moment, I knew I could beat it," Inspired by these videos, Yawnick created the social media account JaceBeatsCancer to document his journey for friends and family. He gave them glimpses of his difficult treatment which included a six-round cycle of chemotherapy. But to his surprise, his account went viral and he gained more than 100,000 folllowers on Instagram and TikTok. Nearly every day he shares health updates, often from his hospital room. "I'm hooked up as we're talking," Yawnick mentions during the interview, explaining how his chemo dosage lasts for 96 hours straight. Courtesy of Jace Yawnick Jace Yawnick prior to his cancer diagnosis. He currently has two more rounds to go but doctors may end up adding another depending on how much the tumors have shrunk. Following chemo, he says he will undergo radiation every day for 4 to 6 weeks. Yawnick adds that several of the videos have been emotionally challenging for him to film, especially one in which he and his dad fill out after-life paperwork. "We were crying as I wrote my will and I'm leaving things to my parents and I'm leaving things for my friends and my girlfriend. And it was a heavy moment," he says, recalling filming the TikTok video. "There are other moments when I'm in a lot of pain or feeling really awful or tired, but I just remember what I promised myself about documenting this raw, and I can't just have the positive moments. I have to show the tough times," he continues. Since going viral, Yawnick has had thousands of people reach out, asking if they can donate money to his care. And while he is grateful for the support, he says he does not need extra help, given his insurance and other financial resources. However, he knows that so many other people with cancer desperately need assistance. So amid chemotherapy and as he continues to make progress, he has starting a non-profit organization called JaceBeatsCancer. To get it up and running, he hired a nonprofit attorney, created a board of directors, and established a website, which will be live on April 29. Yawnick is finalizing plans to collect donations for other cancer patients. He hopes to award his first grant before he's done with his treatment. "It's not about me; it's about all of us. It's about the community coming together. I just happened to be the vehicle to do it," he says. "I'm just so grateful that I have that support that's enabling me to help other people because it's about the people going through cancer and getting them support." "I hope one day when it is my time, my legacy is that I helped a lot of other people live out the rest of their lives because I didn't know if it was going to be over for me at 25. And it doesn't matter how old you are cancer sucks but I want to help everybody live as much life as they can live," he adds. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The French Navy allowed a dinghy packed with migrants to continue across the Channel to Britain despite the deaths of five people onboard including a seven-year-old girl. Three men, and a woman died alongside the girl, who was crushed when people smugglers crammed more than 100 migrants onto the dinghy which crossed the Channel after setting off from Plage des Allemands beach in Wimereux, near Bologne, in northern France. Some 49 of the 112 migrants on the dinghy were brought back to shore or taken to Boulogne after being rescued. However, 58 of the migrants remained on the small boat after refusing to be rescued and were allowed to continue their journey to Britain escorted by a French navy ship. One of the women brought to shore in the UK had a broken leg. People believed to be migrants at the Port of Dover on Tuesday as crossing continue - REUTERS/Toby Melville The five were pronounced dead despite attempts to resuscitate them after they were brought to the beach. French officials said they had never experienced so many migrants being packed onto a single boat. The deaths came hours after Parliament finally passed into law Rishi Sunaks Safety of Rwanda Bill, paving the way for the first deportation flights aimed at deterring the crossings. The Prime Minister said criminal gangs were exploiting the vulnerable and packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies. Speaking during a flight to Poland, he said the tragedy underscores why you need a deterrent. This is what tragically happens when they push people out to sea and thats why, for matters of compassion more than anything else, we must actually break this business model and end this unfairness of people coming to our country illegally, he said. Home Office figures on Monday showed that the number of migrants arriving by small boats across the Channel had increased by 24 per cent to 6,265 so far in the first four months of this year, compared with 5,049 last year. Andrew Harding, a BBC reporter, witnessed the migrants charging from the sand dunes to reach the boat on the shoreline, with several of the men brandishing long sticks and throwing flares or firecrackers. Two women and a child who could not keep up were stopped by police. He said: Once the migrants had boarded the inflatable boat theyd been dragging across the sand, the police made no further attempt to stop them. The Maritime prefecture said the victims had been crushed under the weight of the migrants desperate to board the dinghy. The seven-year-old girls father saw her die, according to charity workers who found him on the beach at Wimereux. He was in tears. We know him well because we often see him here. These are people who have tried to cross several times, an aid worker told La Voix du Nord, a local newspaper. Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, said the total of 112 people crammed on board was unprecedented. The numbers being carried on dinghies have doubled in the past two years, to average between 50 and 60. This has never been seen before, said Mr Billant. A few hundred metres from the coast, the engine stopped and several people fell into the water. A patrol boat sent to rescue the migrants found several people who were unconscious, he added. Six people were taken to the shore at Wimereux to be treated by emergency services, but despite resuscitation attempts, five of them died. The remaining 58 migrants on the boat continued their journey. They managed to restart the engine and decided to continue their sea route towards Great Britain under the surveillance of course of the French Navy, said Mr Billant. Under the French interpretation of maritime law, they will not intervene to stop or turn back the migrants at sea unless they request assistance because of the risk to life. A migrant dinghy seen in French waters - STEVE FINN Although the weather was calm on Tuesday morning, conditions remained difficult, with an air temperature of zero degrees Celsius early on Tuesday morning and a water temperature of no more than 10C. Several dozen boats carrying migrants are reported to have left beaches around Calais at 3am as people smugglers exploited the favourable weather conditions and relative calm of the sea. During the night, French police officers had intercepted two boats, two fuel cans, two engines and life jackets before they could be used to put migrants to sea. Emergency services gather James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said: These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives. This Government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people smuggling gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk. Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: This is another devastating human tragedy that could and should have been avoided and for it to happen just hours after the Governments Rwanda Bill became law makes it all the more tragic. The only sustainable way to reduce dangerous journeys across the worlds busiest shipping lane is for the Government to reduce the need for desperate people to take desperate actions. Instead of hostile, headline-grabbing legislation, we need to see safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including more options for family reunion, refugee visas, and cooperation with our European neighbours. We dont need costly and unworkable laws we need a fair and humane process that upholds the right to asylum, ensuring refugees are treated with dignity and respect. On Monday, Home Office figures showed the number of migrants arriving by small boats across the Channel had increased by 24 per cent to 6,265 in the first four months of this year, compared with 5,049 in the same period in 2023. The latest incident comes six weeks after a seven-year-old girl drowned in the Aa canal at Watten, which flows into the North Sea, while in a small boat with 15 other migrants. At the end of February, a 22-year-old Turkish man died when he fell from his boat off the coast of Calais. An Eritrean was indicted and detained on Saturday in connection with this case. On the night of Jan 13, five migrants, including a 14-year-old Syrian teenager, died at Wimereux as they tried to reach a boat already at sea in 9C water. Twelve migrants lost their lives in 2023 trying to cross the English Channel, according to the Prefecture maritime de la Manche et de la Mer du Nord. 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. FLINT, Mich. At the edge of Saginaw Street, a hand-painted sign is etched into a deserted storefront. Please help, God. Clean-up Flint. Behind it, the block tells the story of a city 10 years removed from the start of one of the nations largest environmental crises. Empty lot. Charred two-story home. Empty lot. Abandoned house with the message All Copper GONE, across boarded-up windows. John Ishmael Taylor, 44, was born in this ZIP code, 48503, and hes seen firsthand the neglect of the place he loves, one he hopes will be reborn for his young children. The water crisis, no more jobs, the violence, Taylor said, has left Flint like a ghost town a ghost town with a whole bunch of people still here. Over the past decade, Flints water crisis has revealed how government failures at every level could effectively kill a city while opening the countrys eyes to how an environmental crisis could wreak havoc on all facets of life, make people sick, destroy a public school system, and kill jobs. Four years after Flint residents reached the largest civil settlement agreement in Michigan history, Taylor and tens of thousands of other victims still havent received a penny from the $626.25 million pot. The only money doled out has gone to lawyers involved in the case, not those whove been haunted by the crisiss true impacts. Still, even when residents ultimately receive the funding, most expressed doubts that the payouts will have any true benefits for their life. A sign saying Please help, God. Clean-up Flint is indicative of the suffering the citys residents have endured for the past decade. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B) In many ways, Taylors life shows the violent and widespread nature of Americas water crisis. After being born in Flint, hed spent his preteen years living outside Jackson, Mississippi, where brown water has flowed through Black homes for decades. Taylor, a single father, moved back to Flint permanently in January 2014. Within a year, lead levels in the drinking water of three of every four homes in his ZIP code were well above federal standards. His youngest son Jalen was born 52 days before the start of the water crisis, which is recognized as April 25, 2014, the day the city infamously switched its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The rashes started immediately for baby Jalen, speckling the inside of his legs with coarse, red blotches. Within a few years, he was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and a form of autism spectrum disorder; both ailments are associated with lead poisoning. Taylor says he has battled with anxiety in the aftermath as 20% of the citys residents and hundreds of businesses packed up and left. Flints unemployment rate is now 1.5 times higher than the national average as 70% of children grow up in poverty. He wonders what that means for his children. I always wonder how theyre gonna do because this is a long-term effect were talking about lead poisoning. This is going to be with them for most of their life. Its depressing, he said, and hes felt no restitution. He believes it has led to a citywide mental health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 5 Flint residents reported having poor mental health, which is nearly 40% higher than the U.S. average. Angela Welch, who has lived in Flint for four decades, understands the health implications intimately. She recently tested for lead levels in her blood at 6.5 micrograms per deciliter. Anything above 5 micrograms is considered extremely dangerous for your health. Since the start of the crisis, Welch has developed chronic skin and cardiac issues, had multiple surgeries, and lost part of her leg to amputation. Her brother, Mac, showed Capital B the scars along his body from water-induced rashes. Welch questions what repair looks like for her family. We gotta be dead to get our money? They want us dead to receive anything from the crisis. Read More: Eight Years Later, Flints Water Crisis Rages On The federal Environmental Protection Agency and officials with Flints mayors and city attorneys offices did not respond to multiple requests from Capital B for comment. Residents argue that even though theyve brought the countrys water woes to the forefront, theyre in a worse position today despite hundreds of millions of dollars of investment and they want you to know that your city can be next. Nayyirah Shariff holds a document from the Michigan Department of Environment that shows her homes lead level in water as three to four times the federal limits. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B) Were seeing it happen to Jackson, said Nayyirah Shariff, a community activist, whose water is still testing for lead at levels three times higher than federal limits. Its like they have the same playbook to decimate a city. What Flint tells us about the nations water crises Flint opened the nations eyes to a brewing water affordability and infrastructure crisis, ultimately leading to billions of dollars invested in cleaning the countrys drinking water, improving water plants and roads, and building climate resilience. There are roughly 9 million lead pipes in service across the U.S., and theyre everywhere, from the oldest cities across Massachusetts to Florida, which leads the country in lead pipes but where infrastructure and the average home is among the nations youngest. In November, the Biden administration outlined a plan to replace all 9 million within the next decade, making 50% of the $30 billion price tag available from the federal government. Yet Flint residents and experts told Capital B that the main flaws of the federal governments plan have been realized in the city over the past decade: It is complicated, time-consuming, and costly to identify and replace water lines. Not to mention, as Shariff explained, replacing lead water lines is not the magical silver bullet to eradicate the issue. The lead service line in her home was replaced in 2017, yet her water is still filled with more lead than federal limits allow. Read More: Record Investment Merely Scratches the Surface of Fixing Black Americas Water Crisis As officials have claimed that the use of water filters and replacement of lead water lines has solved the crisis, including an infamous declaration by former President Barack Obama in 2016, some residents in Flint have felt confused about the true safety of their water. When approached by Capital B in April, James Johnson explained how a state-conducted test for lead in his drinking water in 2023 returned a clean bill of health. However, public records show Johnsons propertys lead results were actually 19 parts per billion. The federal limit is 15. I dont know what to think [about the water,] Johnson said after Capital B explained the results. We just use filters. We have been since 14, but they said its all clean. Flint officials did not respond to Capital Bs request for data related to the status of its water line identification and replacement work. This month, a federal judge found the city in contempt of court for missing deadlines for lead water line replacement and related work in the aftermath of the water crisis. In addition, as the nation focuses on drinking water, lead lines have created another crisis that rarely gets attention: how lead contamination has torn through kitchens and bathrooms. Flint residents told Capital B that since the crisis began, theyve had corroded toilets fall through floors, and their shower heads turn black from buildup every few months. Dirty water doesnt just impact service lives, explained Claire McClinton, a Flint resident and former autoworker. Its very naive to think that was the only thing that was impacted, and people do not have the money or support to fix these things. All the while, Flint has had amongst the most expensive water bills in the country. A 2016 analysis revealed that the average household was paying more than $850 annually for water services, making it the most expensive average bill in the country. Today, the average bill is $1,200 annually. McClinton is afraid that as the country chugs on with its focus on drinking water, Black communities will be harmed by efforts to cut costs, or worse, boxed out of their access to publicly run water systems. More than 20% of Americans now rely on private companies for drinking water, a substantial increase compared to 2019, according to the National Association of Water Companies. On average, private water utilities charge families 59% more on their water bills than public utilities. We dont want corporations to benefit from all this spending we should want to keep our water public, McClinton said. Flint residents are fighting to hang on amid the citys water crisis. The unemployment rate is now 1.5 times higher than the national average, while 70% of children grow up in poverty. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B) Still, public water systems have their challenges supporting Black communities as well. Failing public water systems are 40% more likely to serve people of color, and they take longer than systems in white communities to come back into compliance. Funding to reach these communities remains faulty despite the Biden administrations goal of spending 40% of funds on disadvantaged communities. A Capital B analysis found that 27% of drinking water funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law went to disadvantaged communities in 2022, and the two states that received the most funds characterized for disadvantaged communities were Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, where less than 10% of residents are Black. McClinton said its bittersweet to watch Flint purportedly influence the nation for the better while things remain broken for Black communities. The system has failed us. We did all the things youre supposed to do; we participated in water studies, and our water is still dirty, and our health is still bad, she said. Theres this thing where they say every generation lives better than the next generation, but all of that is turned upside down right now, and the water crisis is just a manifestation of it. The start of the second civil war Hatcher Welch (from left), Angela Welch, and Mac Welch all expressed disgust over the continued handling of Flints water, arguing that there is little that could be done to repair harm. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B) In a stream of whiteness, Confederate flags, and Make America Great Again signs, the 60 miles between Detroit and Flint tell the story of Black life in Michigan, Welch said. Because we are a majority here and have conquered [Flint and Detroit], they want to get back at us, she said. Over the past decade, as Detroits financial crisis peaked and Flints water crisis began, far-right white-led groups have surged and a white-led militia plotted to abduct the states governor. It feels like the start of the second civil war, Welch said, all while Flint is left behind. Its seeing this shift intensify that has led some residents to seeing deeper racial undertones in not only Flints battle over water affordability and rights, but also the nations. The power structure is coalescing over water, McClinton said. Flints issues began primarily because of a plan that was concocted to save the city money during its water delivery process. Similar situations are happening outside of Chicago in a majority Black and Latino town, and in Baltimore. Not to mention the glaring similarities between Jackson and Flint, both majority-Black cities where local Black leadership was overridden by white leaders at the federal and state levels. In Jackson, after an EPA lawsuit against the city allowed the federal government to take control of the water, residents are still fighting to be included in the process. The attack on Black life has also widened the racial gap within the city, Shariff said. In a commemorative event headlined by a public health researcher from Michigan State University and attended by roughly 50 people the week before the 10-year-anniversary, just five attendees were Black. Community activist Nayyirah Shariff said the attack on Black life in Flint has widened the racial gap in the city. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B) Its events like these, Shariff says, that highlight the disconnect between local leaders, academic researchers, and those directly impacted by the crisis. All this money these places are spending feels like for nothing, she said. People marching in the streets werent asking for book talks or community health assessments. We asked for reparations and resources for Black self-determination. The crisis is a chronic illness For some residents, like Taylor, there is still hope that the settlement checks will hit their bank accounts and improve their lives. Children affected by the water crisis are expected to receive 80% of the record settlement. As Flint schools have crumbled in the aftermath of the crises, in addition to experiencing an 8% increase in the number of students with special needs, especially among school-age boys, Taylor hopes to use the money to better their educational opportunities and put them through college. However, for others, including Welch and Shariff, the expected payout of $2,000 to $3,000 for adults feels like a slap in the face. There is also a lot of confusion around the settlement process, with two residents telling Capital B they thought the money was already gone, which stopped them from attempting to be a part of the process. In a lot of ways, although harder to find, opportunities have reached the city in recent years, including through a guaranteed income program for every pregnant person and infant in the city. The new program prescribes a one-time $1,500 payment after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and $500 a month during the infants first year. Yet, it still remains challenging to remain confident in change. With all the experiences weve had over the 10 years, our hopes have been dashed, explained McClinton, who every April 25 helps to organize a day of commemoration for Flint residents. As Capital B has reported, the water issues afflicting Black communities are violent in many ways, and it trickles down into increasing situations of despair around housing, mental and physical health, and communal violence. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic widened the racial death gap in Flint, Black residents death rate climbed at a rate that was more than twice the citys death rate between 2014 and 2019, according to Capital Bs analysis of state data. Several Flint residents explained how the mental health strain caused by the water crisis created a cycle of disunity and the inability to trust not just the government or the water flowing out of their pipes, but also the people around them. Everyone is just on edge, Taylor said, and that has everything to do with the water. In the citys Black areas, its hard to find a block without an abandoned home or grassy field full of trash and plastic water bottles. Taylor said its depressing to drive through your neighborhood to see your former schools empty, graffitied, and boarded up, or parks closed and desolate. As job opportunities have become harder to find, so has housing. Nearly all of the dozen residents Capital B spoke to for this story said they experienced housing insecurity at times over the past decade. Due to a lack of affordable housing options, the average stay at the citys housing shelter has increased from less than two months to over five. The public housing waitlist has ballooned to two years, even as some public housing buildings still have high levels of lead in the water, including the Richert Manor homes where Welch lived for many years at the height of the water situation. In the meantime, as race, namely being Black in America, stands as the biggest risk factor for lead poisoning, more so than even poverty or poor housing, Flint residents say their home serves as a warning to other Black communities. Nationwide, Black children have the highest blood lead levels. As such, even as billions are pumped into fixing the issues, the next generation of Black Americans will remain altered by the impacts of lead poisoning. As Shariff said: The water crisis is like having a chronic illness I mean, it gave me a chronic illness but it is basically like youre dealing with it, and it never goes away. The post Flints Warning to America appeared first on Capital B News. FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) The Florence Police Department (FPD) is asking for the publics help in finding a missing woman who police say may have a condition that impairs her judgment. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), FPD is asking for help in finding 25-year-old Amanda McDonald who was last seen leaving her residence on Foot in Florence. Remains of missing 83-year-old Florence man found in Kentucky McDonald is described as 43 tall and weighing about 137 Ibs. She has brown hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with any information regarding McDonalds whereabouts is asked to call the Florence Police Department at (256) 760-6610 or call 911 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Trump to blame for abortion 'nightmare,' Biden says in Florida By Nandita Bose TAMPA (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Tuesday blamed his Republican opponent Donald Trump for new Florida abortion restrictions during a campaign stop in Tampa, as Democrats double down on their intentions to flip Trump's home state. Earlier this month, Florida's Supreme Court cleared the way for a six-week abortion ban starting May 1, a time-frame before many women realize they are pregnant. The court also ordered that a ballot measure legalizing abortion until viability could go before voters this November. The conservative U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2022 opened the door for Florida and other states to set their own abortion laws. Trump campaigned in 2016 on adding judges who would overturn Roe and appointed three who did. "Let's be real clear: there's one person responsible for this nightmare," Biden said. "He brags about it. Donald Trump," Biden told supporters. "It should be a constitutional right," Biden said of abortion. "This isn't about state's rights. It's about women's rights." Abortion is a top issue in the 2024 election, and Democrats believe harsh restrictions like in Florida and Arizona, which earlier this month upheld a 160-year-old abortion ban, will push voters to back Biden. U.S. voters overwhelmingly reject strict abortion bans, polls and state ballot initiatives show. Abortion access is now almost non-existent in Southern states due to new laws, nearly all of them backed by Republicans, forcing women to cross state lines. Trump's stance on the issue has been muddied in recent weeks. The Republican distanced himself from an Arizona ruling that upheld a 160-year-old abortion ban as he took credit for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and made state restrictions possible. "Donald Trump is worried voters are going to hold him accountable for the cruelty and chaos he's created," Biden said. "We are. He should be held accountable." At a later campaign stop, Biden told a small group of Democrats "I think Florida is in play nationally." UPHILL BATTLE FOR FLORIDA Florida has a hefty 30 Electoral College votes and for a long time was a highly coveted battleground state, but Republicans have pulled away from Democrats there in recent years. Some Biden aides think that his and the party's optimism in the state could be misplaced. Trump won Florida in 2020 with 51.2% of the vote compared with Biden's 47.9%. In 2022, Republican Ron DeSantis won the governors race in a landslide, with 59.4% of the vote. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried told Reuters she has seen more investments in advertising, staffing and opening new offices in the state from the Biden campaign. Biden, she said, understands the fight to win Florida "is an uphill battle, but it's one worth taking." A compilation of opinion polls by FiveThirtyEight, the election data website, shows Trump with a substantial lead in Florida. The Biden campaign has opened 133 offices nationwide, Biden said Tuesday. It has yet to open one in Florida, a campaign official said. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons, Stephen Coates and Alistair Bell) Read the full story on The Auto Wire Are Florida Lakes Just Loaded With Dumped Cars? We cant count the number of submerged and later discovered car stories weve seen over the years. And while its anecdotal, it sure seems like an inordinate number of these come from Florida, leading us to wonder if all the lakes in the state are loaded with vehicles. Check out a mansion with a submerged garage. One of the more recent examples comes from Dorals Airport Lake, which is situated adjacent to CBS Miamis offices. They covered the news almost on their doorstep as authorities pulled three submerged cars from the waters. You might think thats almost a nothing story, but in their coverage CBS Miami casually mentions how authorities pulled another car out of the lake just last August. We looked that story up and found coverage from the Huffington Post about police pulling dozens of cars out of Airport Lake in Doral. It looks like the body of water at least at one time was a popular place to dump vehicles. People drive cars into water, be it a lake, pond, river, or whatever, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes its just straight up insurance fraud. Other times the vehicles have been used in the commission of crimes, even violent offenses, and submerging them is a way to destroy evidence. Then there are the sad cases of suicide or people who want to disappear and so they sink their ride. But why do these cars accumulate so much in Florida waters? One could blame the whole thing on the meth trade or Florida Man, but what if alligators keep these cars hidden? After all, Floridians know not to go swimming around in lakes randomly since gators are likely lurking in the water. That keeps submerged vehicles just that much more hidden. Or maybe its something else we dont know. What theories do you have about the concentration of sunken cars in Florida? Image via CBS Miami/YouTube Follow The Auto Wire on Google News. Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. Florida man saves neighbor from jaws of 11-foot gator by hitting it with his car Florida man saves neighbor from jaws of 11-foot gator by hitting it with his car TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A man in Collier County narrowly escaped a potentially deadly encounter with an 11-foot alligator Friday. NBC affiliate WBBH reported that Friday night, Rick Fingeret was walking his two Labradors near a pond in The Quarry off Immokalee Road when he was attacked by the massive gator. Arrest made after FBI activity at Clearwater apartment complex Fingeret tried to fight off the reptile by kicking it and poking it in the eyes and nose. Fortunately for Fingeret, his neighbor Walter Rudder happened to be driving by and saw the man trapped on the ground with his legs inside the alligators mouth. I was driving, and we saw a man lying on the ground, waving his arm, Rudder told WBBH. We pulled over and I got out of the car and saw that an alligator had him by the leg. With not much time to think, Rudder ran over the alligator, which released Fingeret from its mouth. According to WBBH, Fingeret survived the attack but said he did not know what would have happened if his neighbor did not help him. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 23. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has held a phone talk with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Trend reports via Akorda. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thanked Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the people of Uzbekistan for their solidarity and assistance regarding floods in a number of regions of Kazakhstan. The presidents discussed issues of further strengthening the Kazakh-Uzbek strategic partnership as well as the implementation of previously reached agreements. The dynamic development of bilateral relations and cooperation at the regional level was emphasized. The heads of state also exchanged views on topical issues on the regional and international agenda. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Forced outing has devastating consequences for LGBTQ+ people, and queer youth are at an even greater risk. One-third of LGBTQ+ minors who were outed without their consent were more likely to experience depression, as well as face less support from their families, according to a new study from the University of Connecticut. Two-thirds said that the event caused significant stress. Outing is the act of revealing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent. The UConn study analyzed responses from 9,200 queer youth ages 13 to 17 in the Human Rights Campaign's 2017 LGBTQ National Teen Survey which showed a correlation between outing and stress. The data also showed that LGBTQ+ youth experience stress from outing differently, as transgender, nonbinary, and asexual respondents reported higher stress levels than cisgender gay, lesbian and bisexual participants. In all cases, respondents reported lower stress when they also reported have parents or guardians who are educated on sexuality and gender identity. More than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced across the U.S. in 2023, and 80 were passed into law. In 2024, 487 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced and 20 have passed into law, according to the American Civil Liberties Union . There are currently five states that mandate schools report transgender children to their parents if they request to go by a different name or pronouns. Another six promote forced outing, according to the Movement Advancement Project. Such policies can make queer youth unsafe at home, and embolden their peers to bully and harass them. ACLU spokesperson Gillian Branstetter told CT Insider that the report further proves the health of LGBTQ+ students should supersede so-called parental rights. Students do in fact have a constitutional right to privacy, he said. Its not about subverting the parents will. Its about protecting the young people who face very real, very great risks." usha negi/Getty, Graham Rapier/Business Insider, Tyler Le/Business Insider Tesla EVs come with an adapter to charge at non-Tesla chargers. But that adapter doesn't work with the Cybertruck, Tesla says. This design flaw almost stranded me until a Ford dealership came to the rescue. When I got behind the wheel of my 3-day rental earlier this month, I knew driving the Tesla Cybertruck would be unlike any other driving experience. What I didn't expect was for the attention-grabbing truck to also give me a headache when I tried to juice up. After all, it's Tesla's newest product, the company's superchargers are seemingly everywhere, and EV charging is slowly improving across the board. ADVERTISEMENT Boy, was I wrong. In all of my naivety (despite editing articles every single week about electric cars and their associated infrastructure challenges), I thought the reporting trip would be a breeze. I would pick up the vehicle, test it out, charge it overnight, stop quickly at a Supercharger on the way to return it, and be on my way. Not so fast. Here's where my assumptions went astray, thanks to some design oversight from Tesla and a lack of contingency planning on my part: I picked up a shiny new Cybertruck, one of the first few hundred made, in a Target parking lot in South Austin. The Tesla Cybertruck definitely stands out in a parking lot, so it was easy to find. Its charging port is barely visible in the rear wheel well. Graham Rapier/Business Insider It was my first time using Turo, the peer-to-peer car rental app (more on that in a later story), and the pick-up was seamless. I was staying at my parent's house in the Texas Hill Country, about an 80-mile drive, so I knew I would be fine on range for the first leg of this journey. I also made sure to research Superchargers there wasn't one in my parent's town but there were two within 30 miles, and some new third-party plugs in town I hoped to check out. Given the truck's advertised 320-plus miles of estimated range, I didn't give charging much more thought. As I settled in and came to terms with the contraption I was now responsible for operating, I made a mental note of the estimated range remaining: 218 miles Story continues The Cybertruck's cockpit is comfortable and ergonomic, even if austere. The dashboard is absolutely massive for unknown reasons. Graham Rapier/Business Insider The truck's owner, whom I never actually met face-to-face, had a charging limit set at 80% to protect the battery pack's long-term health. I also noticed the massive front windshield and sunroof actively soaking up the Texas sun, which would definitely affect the range if I cranked the climate control to cool off. Still, even with the AC blasting and some fun accelerating to investigate the truck's handling, I knew I would be fine mileage-wise. The truck handled winding Texas backroads with ease, hugging corners and accelerating astonishingly quickly. In my first drive, I tested out the truck's different driving modes and got used to the regenerative braking, which preserves battery life by using the motors to slow down and charge the battery with kinetic energy. Graham Rapier/Business Insider My excitement to test out "sport mode" and the truck's speed probably didn't help my range either. I arrived in the heart of the Hill Country with 111 miles remaining, according to Tesla's onboard computer, plenty for another full day of testing every feature possible. Charging would be no issue, I thought, and I wanted to get the full experience. Some more testing and photo-taking took my range to about 85 miles when I locked up the truck for the night. To my surprise, I lost about 20 miles of range overnight. This meant starting the next day with 62 miles in the tank. In hindsight, my eagerness to monitor the Cybertruck remotely from just a few feet away didn't help the battery life. The Tesla app can control nearly all of the vehicle's functions that aren't driving. Graham Rapier/Business Insider I later learned Tesla's sentry mode can eat battery life as it monitors the exterior cameras. That's when some of my anxiety began to set in. "I really hope this one public charger in town works," I thought as I prepared for a day of testing the truck. I headed over to the public charger first thing to check it out. If it were my own truck, I would likely have a high-voltage outlet at home to charge overnight and start every day with a (mostly) full battery. But because it's a rental and my parents don't have an EV, that wasn't an option. Unfortunately, the public charger was occupied. Time to get creative. Tesla supplies a CCS adapter with every new vehicle capable of connecting to older CCS1 plugs. It does not work with the newer, faster-charging ones. Graham Rapier/Business Insider I opened PlugShare, a crowdsourced app that aggregates all EV chargers onto one map, and headed over to the local HEB. The best US grocery chain (depending on who you ask) has installed chargers at many of its locations around Texas. The ones here were brand new from Volta. (So new they weren't yet showing on Volta's app or even Google Maps Street View). HEB didn't respond to questions about how many chargers it has installed so far or of which brands. This is where the problems started. I (wrongly) assumed Tesla's adapter would work for CCS chargers, just without the DC pins. CCS is an industry standard that predates Tesla. But newer, second-generation CCS chargers have additional DC fast-charging pins that make the plug bulkier on the bottom to increase charging speeds. Even with the adapter, the bottom part of the plug could not fit past the Cybertruck's plastic fender. Before you send me hate mail, theres an important nuance here: Tesla does, in fact, sell a CCS combo adapter for $250. It doesn't work with the Cybertruck. Tesla will sell you an adapter to charge at the new CCS2 plugs, but many of its models require a service appointment to make it work. It specifically does not work on the Cybertruck, Tesla says. Tesla So I was stuck with a measly "SAE J1772" charging adapter that comes with every Tesla. Silly me. This is when panic began to set in. What if the car using the public charger in town was there all day? It could be hours, given how slow those are. But deep down in my journalistic notebook of a brain, I remembered that Ford was installing EV chargers at many of its dealerships. The one in town showed up on PlugShare, and maybe, just maybe, that one would work differently or have different adapters, I thought. I called them before heading over just to make sure the charger was working and available to anyone. They said come on over. I didn't tell them exactly what I was driving yet. There's one thing you should know about pulling a Cybertruck into a Ford dealership in Texas. You're going to get lots of attention. Ford also had brand-new chargers that didn't work with Tesla's adapter. Their older one around back saved the day. Graham Rapier/Business Insider Their brand-new CCS fast chargers wouldn't work with the Cybertruck, either, thanks to the larger plug on this new generation. As more automakers switch to Tesla's charging technology, now known as the North American Charging System or NACS, the adapter issue is only going to get worse. For now, the two standards largely operate at the same speed, with the plug shape being their main difference. Luckily, the dealership had an old-school level-2 charger around back. They were happy to let me hang out for a bit if they could have a look at the truck. I was happy to oblige. Charging on a car lot with no shade or amenities isn't fun, but it's better than being stuck. All of the dealership staff had a good laugh about my visit, and they were eager to poke around the truck. Graham Rapier/Business Insider "My new Bronco used to be what turned heads in this lot," one employee told me. "I can't compete with this!" After about an hour, I had added nearly 30 miles to the truck's estimated range and decided to go try the public charging spot in town again. An open spot this time! Maybe I wouldn't be stranded after all. This public charging station was installed by local community groups and had two CCS plugs, but one seemed to be offline. Graham Rapier/Business Insider I didn't have high hopes after reading some reviews. And the station's appearance wasn't helping my anxiety. I pulled in and set to figuring it out. I had never heard of LibertyHydra chargers, and their app was clunky at best. Still, I was able to pre-pay for charging increments up to 4 hours at a relatively cheap rate $8.90 total in this case. (The company didn't respond to questions about uptime and maintenance on their system). It worked! Once electrons started flowing I was getting about the same charging rate as at the dealership. Some quick back-of-the-envelope math showed I could easily finish the day and make it to a Supercharger the next morning to return the truck with the same range as I picked it up. Relief. With (most) of my anxiety squared away, I set out to test another strange task asked of EV owners: Leaving a car for hours. Most charging requires reversing into a spot. This is how I learned that the Cybertruck's drive-by-wire technology makes that much more difficult than in a normal car. Graham Rapier/Business Insider Luckily, nobody messed with the plug. (The app would have warned me if the truck stopped charging unexpectedly). But there were plenty of passersby still taking photos. I was able to monitor the charging remotely on the app. As the truck sat in the sun charging, temperatures inside climbed rapidly. While parked in the Texas sun, temperatures inside the Cybertruck hit 130 degrees. The Tesla app allows remote AC control and security features. Tesla/Graham Rapier/Business Insider But the same way I could see this meant I could also start the AC on my walk over to pick it up, a handy feature for hot climates like Texas. When all was said and done, I had 170 miles of charge for the next day's return trip to Austin with a stop at a Supercharger. Tesla owners have told me for years that the Supercharger network was a huge selling point, and this trip proved that to be true. Tesla owners are right, Superchargers make the task much easier and much quicker. Graham Rapier/Business Insider Supercharging takes away most, if not all, of the hassles I encountered. (Charging overnight at home would have as well.) On the return trip, I simply plugged in a Supercharger along my route into the computer and headed down the road. About 15 minutes away from the charger, the truck notified me it was pre-conditioning the battery for a faster charge, which seemed to mean no more regenerative braking but no other major changes. I arrived at an empty albeit stark Supercharger in Johnson City, Texas, and plugged in with no issue. The truck immediately began charging at warp speed compared to my other two tries, adding 140 miles of range every hour. I was topped up in exactly 27 minutes to the limit pre-set by the owner. On a brief walk to the local ACE Hardware and a doughnut shop (no amenities at this charger), the truck let me know that charging was almost finished and warned me of idle fees if I remained plugged in more than 5 minutes after. The total came out to $17, my Turo host told me. Since it was a rental, I didn't even have to think about it and he didn't request a reimbursement. I dropped off the truck with about 125 miles of range right next to a Supercharger. Was I truly stranded at any point? Not quite, but it was as close as I ever wanted to be. On my next road trip in an EV, I'll double-check my adapters and not count on random ones to get the job done. Read the original article on Business Insider Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) Policy, politics and progressive commentary WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is on a glide path to passage in the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to limit debate on the package. The 80-19 procedural vote sets up a final passage vote as soon as Tuesday evening, though that could move into Wednesday depending on how quickly debate wraps up. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference after the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. President Joe Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikTok parents company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Nevada Current. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is on a glide path to passage in the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to limit debate on the package. The 80-19 procedural vote sets up a final passage vote as soon as Tuesday evening, though that could move into Wednesday depending on how quickly debate wraps up. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference after the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. President Joe Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikTok parents company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Michigan Advance. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. South Dakota Republicans John Thune and Mike Rounds both voted yes. The United States Senate reaffirmed our leadership role in the world, Rounds said in a news release. By an overwhelming supermajority, we have funded needed munitions for Ukraine in their war against Putin and appropriated funds to help restock Israels munitions as they defend against unprovoked attacks on their homeland. We are also sending a powerful message to the Chinese Communist Party that we are not backing away from our role as a leader of the free world. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated since its original publication with the results of the Senates final vote and with a comment from Sen. Mike Rounds. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt | States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is on a glide path to passage in the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to limit debate on the package. The 80-19 procedural vote sets up a final passage vote as soon as Tuesday evening, though that could move into Wednesday depending on how quickly debate wraps up. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference after the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. President Joe Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikTok parents company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on West Virginia Watch. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. North Dakota Republican Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer voted yes. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. This story has been updated. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) This story has been updated to include the final U.S. Senate vote. WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. The National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR), a Polish governmental agency, supervised by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, will hold an event on April 25 to discuss the possibilities of exporting Polish agricultural products to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing the KOWR. On April 25, KOWR will hold a webinar called Export Opportunities to the Azerbaijani Market for entrepreneurs operating in the Polish agri-food sector. Representatives of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Warsaw, the Embassy of Poland in Baku, Clever Logistic company, Azerbaijans Bravo supermarket chain and others will participate in the mentioned webinar. The representative of Clever Logistic, Vasilisa Degterenko, plans to discuss issues related to the organization of the supply of agro-food products from Poland to Azerbaijan, logistics and delivery routes, and possible risks. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 23. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air will launch regular international flights from Kazakh Turkistan to Uzbek Samarkand, Trend reports. According to the company, flights are planned to launch on June 2. Direct flights between cities will be operated twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays). Flights will be operated on modern, comfortable De-Havilland Dash 8-Q400 airliners. The Kazakh low-cost airline FlyArystan is expanding and has announced plans to open a flight on the route Almaty - Namangan - Almaty. The flights will start in June 2024 and will be operated twice a week - on Mondays and Thursdays. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt | States Newsroom) This story and headline were updated on April 24 at 6:35 a.m. WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness, and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine, and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy, and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran, and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is on a glide path to passage in the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to limit debate on the package. The 80-19 procedural vote sets up a final passage vote as soon as Tuesday evening, though that could move into Wednesday depending on how quickly debate wraps up. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference after the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. President Joe Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikTok parents company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. Statement from Rhode Islands U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Im very happy to at last pass this long-overdue package to help Ukraine and Taiwan defend the frontlines of democracy and take steps toward peace and security in the Middle East, said Whitehouse. In Washington, in Kiev, and in Munich, I repeatedly said to President Zelenskyy that there would be bipartisan action in Congress to ensure Ukrainian victory against Putins murderous regime. After months of dawdling caused by MAGA House Republicans, we finally made good on that promise, not only with over $60 billion in new funding to help our brave ally, but also the power of my REPO law to seize and repurpose billions more in frozen Russian funds. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikTok parents company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom. WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Kansas Reflector. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom). WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is on a glide path to passage in the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to limit debate on the package. The 80-19 procedural vote sets up a final passage vote as soon as Tuesday evening, though that could move into Wednesday depending on how quickly debate wraps up. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference after the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. President Joe Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikTok parents company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Missouri Independent. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. Test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Leaders ultimately did not hold amendment votes. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is on a glide path to passage in the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to limit debate on the package. The 80-19 procedural vote sets up a final passage vote as soon as Tuesday evening, though that could move into Wednesday depending on how quickly debate wraps up. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference after the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had turned the corner on the isolationist movement. McConnell also rebuked former Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson for repeatedly criticizing Republicans for approving military aid to Ukraine. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this is a mistake. The legislation, which includes a national security bill aimed at forcing the sale of the popular social media app TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, passed the U.S. House on Saturday in a series of four broadly bipartisan votes. The legislation was then wrapped together and sent to the Senate as one package to speed up its approval in that chamber. President Joe Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to underscore the United States lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression, according to a readout of the call from the White House. President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraines urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, according to the readout. McConnell sees a test on behalf of the entire nation McConnell gave a lengthy floor speech Tuesday before the vote defending the package as a way to bolster Americas global leadership and support American jobs. Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation its a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead, McConnell said. And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear. The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly. So much of the hesitation and short-sightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction, McConnell said. Investments in defense spending by the United States, he said, have led allies in Europe to make historic investments of their own in collective defense, which in some countries is outpacing our own. American allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific have collectively purchased more than $1 billion in weapons produced in American factories by American workers, McConnell said. Do our colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? McConnell asked. Humanitarian help Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said securing the humanitarian aid in the package was a red line for her. At every stage of these negotiations, I made clear: Congress will not advance a supplemental that fails civilians, Murray said. I will not let us turn our back on women and children who are suffering, and who are often hit hardest by the fallout of chaos and conflict. That humanitarian assistance, Murray said, would go toward civilians in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, including kids who are caught in the crossfire, who are in desperate need of food and water and medical care. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said the package would help bolster Americas national security at a crucial time in world history. The threats that the U.S. faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia and a hegemonic China are interconnected, Collins said. How we respond to one affects how the other will operate. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized leaders for not holding separate votes on the four bills in the package, as the House did, and urged them to hold votes on amendments that he said would improve the measure. Sanders said he supports humanitarian aid, weapons for Ukraine and giving Israel more funding for defensive weapons, like the Iron Dome to protect Israeli civilians from missile and drone attacks. But Sanders rejected the legislation providing $8.9 billion in unfettered offensive military aid to the extremist Israeli government and he sharply criticized Israels leaders for limiting aid to civilians in Gaza. We are now in the absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military assistance to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians, Sanders said. If that is not crazy, I dont know what is. But its also a clear violation of U.S. law. How funds are allocated The emergency spending for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan appropriates the money to the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy and State. They would then use that funding to bolster military and humanitarian assistance to those three entities as well as other U.S. allies. The $95 billion in funding would be divided up with $60.84 billion for Ukraine; $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other vulnerable populations; and $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. That spending is extremely similar to a package the Senate passed in February, but it was stalled in the House for months as Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, plotted a path forward. The fourth bill in the package, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, is a 184-page measure that bundles together the TikTok divestment bill; anti-fentanyl legislation; and sanctions against China, Iran and Russia. That bill also includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, or Repo Act, that would allow the United States to confiscate Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen in the United States and transfer them to assist in Ukraines reconstruction efforts, according to a summary. Lawsuit expected from ByteDance The TikTok bill would require Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the social media company within one year of the bill becoming law. Its an attempt by lawmakers to reduce what some see as a national security risk to Americans data privacy. ByteDance is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the law once its enacted. Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, used a possible ban of the app to rebuke Biden over the weekend. Trump, however, left out that he attempted something similar when he was in the Oval Office. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump wrote. Young people, and lots of others, must remember this on November 5th, ELECTION DAY, when they vote! Trump added. Trump attempted to ban TikTok in August 2020 through an executive order but was blocked by the courts. TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories, according to Trumps executive order. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. The bill forcing TikToks parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. was added to the emergency spending package by House Republicans. It passed that chamber over the weekend on a 360-58 vote with 186 of the yes votes coming from GOP lawmakers. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP isolationist movement appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Forever chemicals: Now that feds have acted, some say Kentucky should do more Fewer than 10 percent of more than 400 water utilities tested in Kentucky had PFAS at levels above the maximum limits set in the new federal rule, a state environmental official said. (Getty Images) FRANKFORT Rep. Kevin Bratcher, a Louisville Republican, says he wants to be on the right side of history when it comes to the man-made forever chemicals that are in Kentuckys waterways, fish and some Kentuckians drinking water. How to pronounce PFAS: Pea-fass He likens the widespread presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS for short, to lead poisoning. How many years did it take before folks and the industry got their arms around that, killing so many people? I dont want to look back and say, You didnt do anything for this, when it was obvious that some things are happening and theres a lot of smart people concerned. Over the past three years, Bratcher has co-sponsored legislation filed by his Democratic colleague Rep. Nima Kulkarni, also of Louisville, aiming to raise awareness of and prevent exposure to the chemicals long used in products ranging from nonstick cooking ware to firefighting foam to food packaging. Those bills havent received committee hearings. Its been an uphill battle in the Kentucky legislature, where Bratcher says much of the challenge is getting his fellow lawmakers to understand the issue in the first place. Exposure to the toxic chemicals has a broad range of potential harmful health impacts: hormonal changes, increased cholesterol levels, decreased vaccine responses in children, increased risk of some cancers and more. In 2019, the legislature did ban the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam for training purposes. And this year, lawmakers approved a resolution directing the Energy and Environment Cabinet to provide guidance about PFAS handling to entities discharging into wastewater treatment plants. The federal government recently took steps that are expected to spur more state and local action. The Environmental Protection Agency finalized limits on the amount of PFAS allowed in drinking water. Environmentalists hailed the move, though some utility groups worry about the costs of removing contaminants being monitored at incredibly small levels. The EPA last week announced another new rule to hold industries discharging two types of PFAS legally and financially responsible for their cleanup. Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet spokesperson John Mura in a statement on the finalized drinking water rule said the cabinet has been working with public water systems on sampling, treatment options, community outreach and training to ensure safe drinking water. Rep. Nima Kulkarni (LRC Public Information) Mura said fewer than 10 percent of more than 400 water utilities tested in Kentucky had PFAS at levels above the maximum limits set in the new federal rule. Kulkarni says Kentuckys legislature should do more. And while she believes the federal regulations are a positive development, she pointed out that they set the maximum limits for PFAS in drinking water higher by multitudes than the lifetime health advisory limits released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2022. I dont hail it as any kind of a huge step, but I mean its something, Kulkarni said in reference to drinking water regulations for PFAS.. Ideally, we come up with, obviously, technological devices or processes to test for PFAS at lower concentrations because there is no safe amount. Kulkarni was one of two Kentucky lawmakers, along with Rep. Al Gentry, D-Louisville, to sign onto a letter from 278 state lawmakers across the country supporting the federal drinking water regulations. For one type of forever chemical, PFOA, the maximum exposure before a person might experience adverse health effects is .004 parts per trillion (ppt), according to the 2022 interim health advisories. The maximum limit allowed in drinking water for PFOA under new federal regulations is 4.0pt. For reference, 1 ppt is equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Kulkarni argued state government could do more to identify the sources of PFAS in the state, tying PFAS regulations to health outcomes in communities instead of waiting for slower action from federal regulators tied to an arbitrary testing limit. Because people are exposed to PFAS, theres a duty that we have to be as proactive as possible, Kulkarni said. If there isnt a good solution out there, we should be looking for the best solution and not waiting for someone else to come up with it somewhere else. This is going to be addressed locally in any given state regardless of EPA levels. Testing and exposure Tony Hatton The commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection Tony Hatton addressed lawmakers in a committee hearing in July 2023 about the PFAS testing his agency has done since 2019, saying the investigative work was done in part to prepare for the drinking water standards established by the EPA. The state found all 98 fish samples collected from Kentucky lakes and rivers tested positive for PFAS. One or more PFAS were detected in 83 of 194 water treatment plants; 36 of 40 monitoring stations testing surface waters detected PFAS. The Somerset city council last year voted to stop accepting landfill leachate liquid created when rainwater filters through landfills containing chemicals and residuals from the waste to be treated at its local wastewater treatment plant because of citizen concerns about PFAS in the landfill leachate. Republican Rep. Tom Smith asked Hatton in last years committee hearing about the Somerset situation before the committee. Hatton responded the cabinet was focused on potential PFAS exposure in drinking water and that the other parts of it are so complex theyre not going to be resolved very quickly. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is developing new guidelines and standards for landfill leachate after a study found PFAS in 95% of leachate in surveyed landfills. Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, also asked Hatton about other potential ways children can be exposed to PFAS, such as through waterproof clothing, and if there was a federal or state standard requiring consumers to be notified of PFAS in products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS exposure is possible through a number of ways from consumer products, food and more. Hatton said at the time the sources of PFAS into the environment would probably be more heavily addressed once the regulatory basis for PFAS is established. Similar to other states, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet has sued the chemical company DuPont de Nemours, consumer products company 3M and other companies over alleged PFAS pollution, alleging the companies are knowingly contaminating Kentuckys natural resources. Sen. Brandon Smith (LRC Public Information) Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, who brought Hatton before lawmakers last year and sponsored the resolution passed on PFAS this year, told the Lantern criticism from advocates that the state hasnt done enough to address PFAS is fair. He hopes the issue will have a lot of energy in next years legislative session because its going to absolutely have to be addressed. More people than me will be talking about it, and people that know a lot more about it than me will be talking about it, Smith said. PFAS protection at a cost State environmental protection officials have worked with at least two utilities the North Marshall Water District and the Ohio River-bound city of Lewisport on reducing high levels of PFAS found in their water systems. PFAS contamination forced the shutdown of a water treatment plant supplying Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park last October. Roger Colburn, the general manager for the North Marshall Water District in Marshall County, told the Lantern he shut down a plant that had been treating groundwater after state testing found one of the operating water wells had nine types of forever chemicals present at nearly three times the federal maximum limit now established in drinking water. Colburn said the chemicals are probably the largest problem the drinking water industries had to address over the course of the last 30 or 40 years. Under the new regulations, drinking water utilities would have to notify their customers when PFAS levels exceeded the maximum limits and work to remove the chemicals through processes like reverse osmosis or granular activated carbon. In a mid-November post on Facebook, the Marshall County water utility notified residents that it had taken the contaminated water well offline. Colburn said he thankfully hasnt needed the water well yet to meet his utilitys water demand without a costly alternative. Other utilities havent been as lucky. Public notification of PFAS contamination of drinking water became an issue in one northeastern Kentucky community. As reported by Louisville Public Media, residents of the Greenup County city of South Shore werent notified by local officials about PFAS contamination in the citys drinking water, the highest level of PFAS contamination found by state officials out of all systems tested in Kentucky. The city received a more than $8 million loan last year to build a water line to the city of Portsmouth, Ohio, across the Ohio River to replace the PFAS-contaminated water supply. But the costs of removing PFAS contamination to below incredibly small limits worries groups including the Kentucky Rural Water Association, representing drinking water utilities across the state. Utility groups are concerned about the financial burden testing and treating PFAS will have on smaller utilities in particular. The Biden administration is touting billions of dollars available to help utilities with PFAS treatment, though KRWA leadership believe the long-term costs of the regulations, including ongoing testing, could still fall on Kentucky ratepayers. But Teena Halbig, a retired microbiologist and community activist from Fern Creek who urged her state representative Bratcher to focus on PFAS, says the health costs created by PFAS ultimately will outweigh the cleanup costs. Its hard for people to believe things that they really cannot see, and I can understand that, Halbig said. Its going to cost everyone, but what is it costing you to go to the doctor for health appointments, for the quality of life that you have? Rep. Kevin Bratcher (Photo by LRC Public Information) Pushback from industries that profit from PFAS may also be a barrier to getting significant PFAS legislation passed, according to a lobbyist representing unionized firefighters. Bratcher told the Lantern he was visited by some companies that had concerns when House Bill 116 was introduced this year. It was another bill sponsored by Kulkarni and Bratcher that would have, among other things, created created a public inventory of PFAS-containing products made in Kentucky. Industry representatives for the paint and coatings industry and the car manufacturer General Motors had lobbied on the bill along with groups representing environmentalists and scientists. Jeff Taylor, the legislative director for Kentucky Professional Firefighters representing firefighter and EMS unions across Kentucky, told the Lantern he supports Kulkarnis efforts because anything that raises awareness, with respect to how dangerous this product is, is good for us. Taylor said firefighters main focus with PFAS is removing the substances from firefighting protective gear that can break down in the heat, exposing firefighters to the man-made chemicals. He said he knew firefighters who had served for decades, only to die from cancer connected to their line of work. You can understand why were passionate about these issues, Taylor said. But the challenge with making legislative change on PFAS, he said, comes down to facing off against corporate interests that have a stake in using PFAS and profiting from it. I dont think its too much to ask the politicians that are making laws that you provide some type of consumer awareness as to what this product is and what its in, Taylor said. This story was updated with additional information about House Bill 116. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Forever chemicals: Now that feds have acted, some say Kentucky should do more appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. Republican candidates in state Senate District 19, where no Democrat is running in the general election. From left: Bill Hockstedler, John Ellison, and Chelsy Fisher. (Campaign photos) Policy, politics and progressive commentary Voters in a large swath of rural Nevada will need to choose a new state senator in a Republican primary that will determine who represents the bright red district after no Democrats filed for the race. Republican Sen. Pete Goicoechea has represented the predominantly rural Senate District 19 for the past 12 years. Now three Republican candidates are seeking to replace the term-limited lawmaker: former Assemblyman John Ellison, healthcare executive and entrepreneur William Hockstedle, and Nye County School Board Trustee Chelsy Fischer. The sprawling senate district extends all the way from Elko County in the north to Clark County in the south. The district includes Lincoln and White Pine counties and parts of Clark, Elko, Eureka and Nye counties. The district also represents a sure win for Republicans in the battle against a Democratic supermajority in the Nevada Legislature. Democrats control 13 seats in the 21-member state Senate one short of a two-thirds supermajority needed to override a gubernatorial veto. Last year, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo set a state record for vetoing the most bills in a single session, and has made it a top priority to prevent a Democratic supermajority. Former Assemblyman John Ellison Despite the lack of Democratic competition in the Senate District 19 race and several competitive senate seats up for reelection elsewhere the seat has attracted a fair amount of fundraising for the likely front-runner, former Assemblyman John Ellison, who was endorsed by Gov. Joe Lombardo. Nevadans know they can depend on John Ellison to give them a voice in Carson City. For years he has fought for the rights and interests of Nevada families and small businesses, Lombardo said in an endorsement post on social media. Ellison did not respond to interview requests from the Nevada Current. The former assemblyman has the largest financial lead in the race, pulling in $12,650 from nine donors, according to the final campaign finance report before Nevadas June 11 primary. Ellisons highest donation is $5,000 from personal injury lawyer Craig Kidwell, followed by a $2,500 contribution from commercial real estate company R&S Leasing. Ellisons campaign had spent $10,000 and has $46,700 cash on hand left over from prior campaigns. Ellison raised about $10,000 more than his nearest competitor Hockstedler, whose campaign is predominantly self-funded by a $1,500 loan to himself. Before running to represent Senate District 19, Ellison spent 12 years in the Nevada State Assembly until he termed out in 2022. Prior to that, Ellison served 12 years on the Elko County Board of Commissioners, and 10 years on the Elko City Council. On his campaign website, Ellison listed the economy, taxes, the Second Amendment, and education as his top priorities in the Nevada State Senate. The candidate was criticized days after being endorsed by Lombardo when he referred to his former employees as colored people during an endorsement interview with Veterans in Politics. Ellison was also listed as a suspect in a simple battery in 2022, a misdemeanor under Nevada Revised Statutes, but was never charged, according to the Elko Daily Free Press. Healthcare executive and entrepreneur William Hockstedle Hockstedler, an Army and the Air Force veteran, said he was encouraged to run for the down-ballot race after being defeated by Republican Adam Laxalt during the 2022 U.S. Senate Republican primary. Laxalt went on to lose to Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. Out of the $1,500 Hockstedler had acquired for his campaign as of the end of March, hes spent $1,300, and has $1,000 cash on hand. Hockstedler is vice president of strategic development with Ambient Clinical Analytics, a firm based at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which focuses on early detection and treatment of sepsis. In his role as senior adviser of Alka Products LLC a medical and industrial gloves manufacturer Hockstedler helped the company establish a new factory in Nye County. In November, the business proposal was approved for $1.9 million in tax abatements by the Governors Office of Economic Development. It is expected to be operational in early 2025, and will create 240 jobs in the first two years, according to the Governors Office of Economic Development. The governors office loves it, said Hockstedler, adding that the biggest concern in his district is jobs. We will be the third largest employer in Nye County, behind Nye County and Valley Electric Association Inc. Hockstedler said he was disappointed to hear Lombardo endorsed Ellison in the Republican primary, but said it was also expected since Ellison is a former lawmaker who was termed-out. I think it further divides our party and the things were trying to accomplish, because were all Republicans in this particular race, Hockstedler said. I view the endorsement as a crutch. Ill stand on my own without it. The Army and the Air Force veteran listed crime, education, taxes, and balancing the state budget as his top priorities in the Nevada State Senate. Goicoechea did a wonderful job of connecting with the people that he represented, said Hockstedler. He said hes interested in expanding on Goicoecheas work in the state senate to strengthen personal property rights and water rights in the state, while ensuring natural resources are equitably divided. It just takes common sense legislation to make sure that water is both conserved and used properly for the survival of everyone in the state, Hockstedler said. Hockstedler described himself as a consensus builder, and believes that is the best way to protect Lombardo from being a one-term governor, as more and more voters in Nevada identify as non-partisan. In Senate District 19, non-partisan voters are the second largest share of registered voters, only behind Republicans, according to the Office of Nevada Secretary of State. Im not far right or far left. Im sort of in the middle with some common sense legislation in mind that will benefit most or all Nevadans, Hockstedler said. We have to do better. We have to cooperate. Were paid and elected to do a job, and I think that we need to stop sending empty suits to Carson City. Weve got to get things done. Nye County School Board Trustee Chelsy Fischer Fisher has raised the least money out of the three Republicans vying to represent Senate District 19. The Nye County School Board Trustees only reported contribution as of the end of March was a $350 loan to herself. Fisher did not respond to interview requests from the Nevada Current. In a statement to The Nevada Globe, Fisher said she opposes Nevada businesses receiving tax credits and believes the state legislature should explore implementing a corporate tax on businesses that do not pay a livable wage or offer full health care benefits. She also expressed criticism of unfettered utility-scale solar development in the district, as well as the proliferation of lithium mining for electric vehicles. Fossil fuels are far better for the environment than lithium mines, Fisher argues on her campaign website. Fisher lists education, economic growth, and universal Pre-K as top priorities if she were elected to represent Senate District 19. Fisher also advocates for bipartisan solutions and fostering partnerships across party lines. However, Fishers most cited concern across platforms was that health insurance companies in Nevada are required to cover treatment for gender dysphoria and gender incongruence. In her statement to The Nevada Globe and on social media site X, formally known as Twitter, Fisher called for the repeal of Senate Bill 163, which requires insurers to make a reasonable effort to provide gender affirming care to customers in their network plan. Lombardo signed the bill into law in 2023. Fisher said she respects Lombardos work as governor, and his numerous vetoes last session, but vowed to repeal the health care bill. Fisher also pledged to protect Senate District 19 from the proliferation of ideologies such as communism. The post Former assemblyman faces GOED grantee, Nye school trustee in decisive GOP state senate primary appeared first on Nevada Current. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 23. Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ, a national company) plans to install 180 modular buildings for the recreation of railway workers performing work at remote stations and sidings, Trend reports. According to the KTZ, currently, work is underway to lay the foundation of modular buildings. The foundation has already been prepared for the installation of 20 modular buildings at Sarykum, Krushdalasy, Sholdala, Kurkureusu, Akpan, Kurgasyn, Kyzylsay, Darbaza, Jylga stations, sidings numbers 16, 15, 18, 19, 236, 142, etc. As KTZ noted, modular buildings provide comfortable living conditions in production for railway, communications, and power supply workers. All necessary utilities are connected to the buildings. Fully equipped, turnkey modular buildings are assembled in the workshops of a local manufacturer. Meanwhile, in 2023, 132 modular buildings were purchased for the recreation of railway workers performing work in remote areas. CLINTON, Ill. (WCIA) Michael Reidy, the former Chief of the Clinton Police Department, has passed away. The department announced the retired chiefs death on Tuesday, describing the passing as untimely. Originally from Bloomington, Reidy served in law enforcement for 37 years, starting in Chenoa in 1976. Reidys career took him as far away as Maine when he became a Police Chief there in 1983. Ten years later, he returned home to Illinois to became Clintons Police Chief, a position he held for 20 years. He retired in 2013. Mahomet-Seymour hires former Champaign officer as SRO Reidy was also once the president of the Maine Police Chiefs Association and he was a lifetime member of the Central Illinois Association of Law Enforcement Executives, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Chief Reidys commitment to serving the public was not only evident in his professional accomplishments, but his passion and generosity through the various organizations, boards and volunteer work he devoted to the Clinton community and beyond, the Clinton Police Department said. Chief Reidys legacy lives on in the Clinton Police Department through the countless lives that he impacted and the numerous programs that are still carried on today in his honor, and now memory. Chief Reidy was a great leader and an incredible mentor, both professionally and personally, but most of all he was an amazing friend to so many of us and he will be missed beyond words. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Former Freeburg teacher who left teen for dead in Belleville park released from prison Nearly 18 years ago, a former Freeburg High School teacher nearly strangled a then-17-year-old girl with a belt and left her barely alive in the woods in a Belleville park where she was found about 30 hours later. On Monday afternoon, he got out of state prison. Samson Sam Shelton, 44, was released after serving about 17 years, or 85%, of his 20-year sentence for trying to kill Ashley Reeves, according to the Illinois Attorney Generals Office victim notification service. Reeves brush with death and Sheltons arrest have been featured in multiple nationally televised shows. Shelton, who taught drivers education and had a side job as a professional wrestler dubbed The Teacher, pleaded guilty in 2007 to the attempted murder of Reeves. He was admitted to the state prison system on June 21, 2007. Shelton is scheduled to go off parole on April 22, 2027, according to state Department of Corrections records. St. Clair County sheriffs investigators found Reeves at about 2 a.m. April 29, 2006, in the woods at Citizens Park in Belleville after Shelton led them to her following a 13-hour interrogation, according to Belleville News-Democrat coverage of the crime. Reeves had been reported missing and detectives later learned that Shelton, who was then 26, had been in a relationship with Reeves. Officials said the two first met when Reeves was in the seventh grade in Millstadt, the Associated Press has reported. In a videotape interview with detectives, Shelton admitted that he used a belt in the attack on Reeves. I took the belt. I pulled, he said in the video. I pulled it on her neck. Investigators believe Shelton left her for dead in the woods and then he went line dancing at a country bar. Reeves suffered brain trauma from the assault and had numerous insect bites that sent her into a high fever. First-responders didnt think Reeves would survive the night. She was hospitalized and then had to go under rehabilitation where she had to learn how to walk and talk again. But after her recovery, she was able to get a job and have children, according to an episode of Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen that aired in 2017. Reeves was interviewed by Elizabeth Smart, herself a victim of a kidnapping crime in Utah, and was asked about her message of survival. Dont give up, Reeves said. Dont ever give up on yourself. Theres bigger things out there. Ive gone through plenty of hardship and just keep fighting. 'I understand why theres a kerfuffle because Ive been in that position,' says Jim Aloisi, a former transportation secretary under Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Courtesy of Jim Aloisi) Jim Aloisi knows how Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt feels. I understand why theres a kerfuffle because Ive been in that position, said Aloisi, a former transportation secretary himself under Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. It did remind me a little bit of me. Tibbits-Nutt has been at the center of a firestorm since Thursday, when CommonWealth Beacon reported on remarks she delivered at a Walk Massachusetts event on April 10. The secretary talked frankly about where she stands on a number of transportation issues, calling for more aggressive enforcement of speeding laws, pledging to do away with a commuter rail layover facility as part of the I-90 Allston project, condemning a fixup of the Tobin Bridge that showered a Chelsea neighborhood with paint chips, and slamming those who drive F-150 trucks. She also said a task force she is heading is looking at all sorts of options for raising new transportation revenues, including a payroll tax increase, new fees on Uber and Lyft trips and package deliveries, and tolls at the states borders basically going after everybody who has money. It wasnt so much what she said as how she said it. She indicated she wasnt going to sugarcoat things just to stay in her job and collect a pension. Gov. Maura Healey on Monday issued a statement saying the border tolling idea was a nonstarter with her. She did, however, express confidence in Tibbits-Nutt. In 2009, Aloisi was the one at the center of a firestorm as the secretary of transportation. The state was slowly coming out of the Great Recession and the transportation system badly needed new revenue. Aloisi called for a 19-cent increase in the state gasoline tax, a proposal that ran into a buzz saw of opposition, including from then-Senate President Therese Murray, who thought the MBTA and other state transportation agencies needed to change the way they operated before receiving new money. Reform before revenue was the shorthand version of her stance. At a lengthy legislative hearing, Aloisi testified in support of his gas tax proposal. Toward the very end of his presentation, he was asked about reform before revenue and said reform before revenue is a meaningless slogan. The impolitic comment didnt go over well, and undoubtedly contributed to Aloisis departure as secretary of transportation after less than a year on the job. Not surprisingly, Aloisi liked the way Tibbits-Nutt spoke her mind, even if he didnt agree with all of her policy stances. I think people need to give her a little space here, he said. You cant beat up on cabinet secretaries who speak from the heart and tell you what theyre thinking. Interestingly, he didnt fault Healey for reining Tibbits-Nutt in. Aloisi said Healey with her statement reminded everyone whos the boss in the administration but also didnt walk away from Tibbits-Nutt. Thats gold-plated in my opinion, Aloisi said. Having the governor say that when youre under fire is the whole game. Aloisi, a frequent contributor of commentaries to CommonWealth Beacon, said he doesnt think the public benefits from anodyne cabinet secretaries who are afraid to say what they think and prompt debate. We say we want transparency, then we should accept what transparency means, he said. You cant have this conversation [about new revenues] in Massachusetts without peoples hair catching on fire. Its always about the money. In 2009, the gas tax increase Aloisi championed was replaced with an increase in the state sales tax, with the new revenue going to transportation. Even though things didnt turn out the way Aloisi proposed, he continues to insist 15 years later that reform before revenue was a meaningless slogan. History has proven me right, he said. This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Former MassDOT Secretary Aloisi comes to defense of Tibbits-Nutt appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Ex-officer accused of killing ex-wife and girlfriend killed himself after chase, and his missing son is safe, police say A former school resource officer in Washington state accused of killing his ex-wife and his girlfriend and kidnapping his 1-year-old son died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a vehicle chase by police in Oregon on Tuesday and the child is safe in police care authorities said. Oregon State Police troopers began pursuing Elias Huizar after they saw a car he was driving on Interstate 5 near Eugene, Oregon, around 2:40 p.m. local time, Oregon State Police Capt. Kyle Kennedy said. There was a minor collision (on the highway), and the suspect vehicle lost control. There was an exchange of gunfire at this location before the suspect vehicle fled again on the interstate, Kennedy said. No one is known to be injured from that gunfire, he said. Huizars vehicle eventually crashed into another vehicle, spun into a median and became immobile, Kennedy said. As troopers contacted the suspect vehicle, the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Kennedy said. The 1-year-old boy, Roman Santos, for whom Washington state authorities had earlier issued an Amber Alert on the belief that Huizar had abducted him, was in the vehicle uninjured, Kennedy said. Officers safely removed him, and he was put in the care of Oregon authorities, police said. Washington state authorities had initially said the boys name was Roman Huizar, through the Amber Alert. A manhunt for Elias Huizar began Monday after his ex-wife was shot and killed that afternoon outside a school in West Richland, Washington, authorities said. The ex-wife, Amber Marie Rodriguez was shot Monday outside William Wiley Elementary School, and Huizar eventually was charged in her death, Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Eisinger said in a news conference Tuesday. Huizars ex-wife is listed as a paraeducator at the elementary school, according to a staff directory. A second homicide victim was found Monday inside Huizars home while authorities were carrying out a search warrant, West Richmond police said. The second victim was a known associate of the suspect, police said, without naming the person or further elaborating. In an Amber Alert issued for the child, the Washington State Patrol said Huizar was suspected of killing his ex-wife and girlfriend. The child is Huizars son that he had with his girlfriend, Eisinger said Tuesday. Huizar was possibly headed to Mexico, the Washington State Patrol said in the Amber Alert for the child. Roman Santos. - West Richland Police Department Jail records show Huizar was charged with second-degree rape in February. He was released on a $200,000 bond, according to the Tri-City Herald. CNN has sought details from the Benton County prosecuting attorneys office. At the time of the arrest, the city of Yakima said Huizar had been an employee there until February 2022, but didnt say why he left. Facebook posts from the Yakima Police Department show Huizar joined the department in December 2014 and began serving as a school resource officer in 2018. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Former Weymouth police officer pleads guilty to repeatedly punching man during 2022 arrest, DOJ says Former Weymouth Police officer Justin Chappell pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday for repeatedly punching a man in handcuffs during a 2022 arrest without legal justification. The 43-year-old Chappell pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. He was charged with the crime earlier this month. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Chappell could be seen on video in a violent struggle with an allegedly intoxicated man at a Weymouth home on July 2, 2022. After getting the man into his cruiser, Chappell can be seen striking the arrestee 13 times with a closed fist, causing visible injury. Warning: the following video depicts graphic violence. Viewer discretion is advised. Chappell will be sentenced on July 16, 2024. The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Members of law enforcement take an oath to serve and protect with professionalism and integrity, said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. 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 The Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday approved a flurry of resolutions and code revisions designed to bolster the safety and sustainability of the citys water supply. City leaders unanimously passed revisions to the citys water treatment codes in an effort to limit PFAS pollution in public water systems. Council members also adopted updated versions of its 2019 water conservation and drought contingency plans to curb water waste as the regions surging population strains its natural resources. The Environmental Protection Agency on April 10 set new national caps on concentrations of six contaminants in drinking water supplies. At least 49 public water facilities in Texas, including two treatment plants in Fort Worth, exceeded the new maximums. Researchers link sustained overexposure to the chemicals, man-made creations found in non-stick cookware, fast food packaging and firefighting foam, to decreased fertility and increased incidences of cancer, among other conditions. The city guidance approved Tuesday morning would, in theory, help curb PFAS pollution in industrial wastewater fed into the Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility, a plant that cleans and redirects 166 million gallons of water daily to 23 communities across the Metroplex. The city began ramping up surveillance of the pollutants in May 2023, when the Biden administration first proposed the new regulations on the forever chemicals (PFAS materials dont naturally degrade). Its also begun exploring EPA-recommended treatment options, including the use of carbon particles, ion-exchange resin, or high-pressure membranes to filter out the gunk. Even though we just have drinking water rules out, we will be looking at the entire water cycle, Chris Harder, Fort Worths water director, told council members after the most recent rule change. More rules are coming. The 2024 Water Conservation Plan, approved moments earlier, detailed a roster of programs and regulations to limit consumption, not just contamination. (The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, a state agency, requires municipalities to update their water planning every five years.) In recent years, increasing population and economic development in North Central Texas have led to growing demands for water supplies, the plans introduction reads. Severe drought conditions in the recent past highlight the importance of the efficient use of our existing supplies to make them last as long as possible. The city used around 155 gallons of water per capita each day in 2023, according to the report. The yards, drains, and residents of single-family homes lapped up just over 50% of the city water consumed between 2019 and last year; commercial users accounted for around 34%. By fine-tuning metering, enhancing leak detection, and educating users about wasteful habits, Fort Worth officials hope to trim the citys per capita water consumption to 150 gallons per day by 2029. (The citys 2019 conservation plan aspired to reduce daily per capita consumption to 140 gallons by 2024.) Fort Worth sources its water from the Tarrant Regional Water District. The citys water department treats and transports the raw water to 1.4 million people in dozens of localities in and around the county. City leaders Tuesday also formally requested $13.27 million from the Texas Water Development Board to speed up its yearslong effort to identify and replace lead piping. The resolution didnt specify the rationale for the grant amount or its intended use. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 23. Kazakhstan plays a crucial role in modernizing transport corridors, said Vice Minister of Transport Satzhan Ablaliyev during the XXI meeting of the Coordination Committee for the Transport Sector of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) in Almaty, Trend reports. "Today, our fruitful cooperation between the countries of the region has great potential, which we must systematically implement. I would also like to note the role of Kazakhstan in the active development of transport and transit potential and the modernization of transport corridors," he said. The vice minister also noted the role of CAREC member countries in changes in transport logistics routes in the region, which in turn indicate the strengthening role of the Central Asian region both in the transportation of goods in the east-west direction and in the alternative route connecting the north with the south. At the same time, the importance of cooperation in the field of transport to ensure sustainable development in the region was highlighted at the meeting. Over the course of two days, event participants discuss current and future investment projects in the field of transport, as well as exchange experience and expertise on various aspects of transport activities. To date, 13 international transport corridors have been formed and are in operation in Kazakhstan, including 5 railways and 8 roads. Furthermore, about $30 billion has been invested in the transport and logistics infrastructure of Kazakhstan over the past 10 years. Moreover, in the next five years, at least 40 billion euros will be needed to implement major infrastructure projects in the field of transportation in Kazakhstan. A man believed by investigators to be perhaps the last person a Homestead woman spoke with before she was carjacked, kidnapped and murdered in the Orlando area has been arrested. This is the fourth arrest in a sprawling, multi-county, multi-agency investigation into the April 11 death of Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas. The 31-year-old mother of two and Homestead resident was found shot to death inside her torched white Dodge Durango, which was left at a construction site in Central Florida hours after she was carjacked by a masked man pointing a semiautomatic rifle at her. Since the investigation began, a lurid and complex story of a murder, a mysterious used car believed to be linked to several crimes, a lamp stuffed with cocaine, and a cop arrested for sharing key information about the case to the Homesteads woman husband has unfolded. This embedded content is not available in your region. If detectives know how Guerrero De Aguasvivas, a native of the Dominican Republic, is connected to this underworld, they havent said so yet. The Seminole County Sheriffs Office the lead agency in the investigation said Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, 27, turned himself in at a Sanford prison Monday night on an active warrant for fentanyl trafficking and marijuana possession with intent to sell. Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez Seminole County Sheriff's Office Based on cell phone records obtained by Guerrero De Aguasvivas brother, detectives believe Crespo Hernandez spoke with her as she was driving on I-4 through the downtown Orlando area before she was ambushed. She was stopped at a red light near Winter Springs, a bedroom community in Seminole County, just northeast of Orlandos Orange County. Guerrero De Aguasvivas husband told investigators his wife made the roughly four-hour drive from Homestead to Central Florida that day to visit family, but her brother, Luis Fernando Abreu, has since told detectives he thinks she was there to deliver money and other stuff. Home raid found drugs, cash, guns Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma announced Friday that his people were looking for Crespo Hernandez. Seminole County deputies raided the Casselberry home he lives in with his girlfriend, Monicsabel Romero Soto, late last week. There, detectives found fentanyl, marijuana, digital scales, more than $13,000, two Glock firearms, multiple cellphones and expensive jewelry, according to an April 18 criminal complaint. A Toyota in the driveway had a trap space within the car, a ploy investigators say is used by traffickers to hide drugs. At left, a firearm and money were found in a pouch in the Casselberry, Florida, home of Monicsabel Romero Soto and Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, federal agents say. At right, a trap space was found inside the Toyota found in the homes driveway, agents say. Investigators believe the couple may be connected to the deadly carjacking of 31-year-old Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas, a Homestead woman. Middle District of Florida Crespo Hernanez and Romero Soto were not at home when detectives served the search warrant, according to the complaint. Crespo Hernandez, according to a separate federal complaint, is a known member of a drug trafficking organization and a person of interest in a series of home invasions and homicide investigations. The filing also states that he was the target of a Homeland Security probe in the Miami area in 2020 that led to agents seizing more than $300,000. As the Seminole County detectives were serving the warrant, they received a call from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agents saying that Romero Soto and another person who lives in the Casselberry home were expected to get a package of more than three kilograms of cocaine hidden in a lamp. The package was due to arrive in St. Cloud, a city in Osceola County, just south of Orlando. The federal agents intercepted the package, which was mailed from Puerto Rico, according to a federal criminal complaint. A police dog had alerted them to the package, where 3.28 kilograms of cocaine were sealed in the lamp with caulk and nails, the complaint states. READ MORE: Bricks of cocaine found in lamp offer clue into a Homestead womans deadly carjacking A police officer dropped off the parcel at a St. Cloud house as agents staked out the area. Agents say Romero Soto was spotted repeatedly driving around the home in a white Acura SUV, presumably to ensure no law enforcement was present. At one point, Romero Soto got out of the SUV and walked over to the package, according to the complaint. The 27-year-old told agents she came to pick up her lamp that she ordered on Facebook for $300.27. Soto is now in federal custody on cocaine charges, said Lemma. Green Acura owner arrested On Friday, in yet another breakthrough in the case, Lemma announced the arrest of 28-year-old Jordanish Torres-Garcia, who cops say is the owner of the green 2002 Acura involved in Guerrero De Aguasvivas carjacking. According to a cellphone video recorded by a person the car behind her Durango, a man exited the Green Acura, walked up to the Durango and pointed his rifle at her through the drivers-side window. The car also is connected with the shooting death of 29-year-old Juan Luis Cintron Garcia in Orange County. Cintron Garcia was killed the day before Aguasvivas was murdered, detectives say. Detectives say he is a tow truck driver who towed the green Acura from an Orange County apartment complex parking lot on March 19. The green Acura sedan from which the Seminole County Sheriffs Office say the carjacker emerged. Seminole County Sheriff's Office Lemma told reporters last week that Torres-Garcia bought the car from a dealership called Buy Here, Pay Here through Facebook Marketplace, and that the clothes hes photographed wearing in his profile picture match ones worn by the masked gunman seen in the cellphone video. Torres-Garcia was arrested last week on an existing federal weapons warrant as he was walking into an Orange County business, Lemma said. Jordanish Torres-Garcia Seminole County Sheriff's Office The other connection between the two murders: Hundreds of spent 10 millimeter shell casings found at both scenes, detectives say. Orange County deputys arrest The first arrest in the case was an Orange County Sheriffs Office deputy who investigators say illegally accessed the personal and professional profile of a Seminole County detective investigating the case. He sent that information to Guerrero De Aguasvivas husband, Miguel Angel Aguasvivas. According to detectives, Aguasvivas called the deputys wife, who is a childhood friend, when he was driving to Seminole County the night his wife was murdered to answer questions in person about the case. This is the Dodge Durango Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvias was driving. Seminole County Sheriff's Office Deputy Francisco Estrella Chicon was arrested April 14 on charges of the use of a two-way device in the commission of a felony, eavesdropping, invasion of privacy and accessing a computer or electronic device without authorization. He has entered a written plea of not guilty and was released on a total bond of $15,000 last Thursday. Investigators say that Estrella Chicon not only illegally accessed the detectives information using a database only police are authorized to log onto, he called the detective using a bogus name, saying he was an Orange County detective related to Guerrero De Aguasvivas. A photo of Miguel Angel Aguasvivas, the husband of Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas. Facebook He video recorded the conversation on his cell phone and sent it to Aguasvivas through Whatsapp, according to his arrest report. Detectives say they found the recording after Aguasvivas gave them his cell phone. Estrella Chicon was hired by Orange County in September 2022 and was never a detective, his agency said. He has been relieved of all law enforcement duties without pay while the criminal case is underway, the sheriffs office said in a statement. SAN DIEGO (KUSI) When it comes to the street vendor debate in San Diego, most of the attention has been focused on illegal food vendors. But theres another class of vendors that doesnt sell food; instead, they sell art, politics and religion all things that are traditionally protected as free speech under the First Amendment. In an effort to appease free speech groups, the City of San Diego is designating space for such free speech vendors by installing eight-feet by four-feet areas in parks across town. But one advocate says free speech in a box is not really free speech or equal protection under law. Watch Dan Plantes report from La Jolla Cove in the video player above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. A major ruling could potentially have ramifications on WWE and the wrestling world, but the extent of the impact is unclear. On April 23, the Federal Trade Commission issued a final rule making it illegal for employers to mandate workers to sign non-compete agreements in any scenario. The ruling also voids nearly all existing non-competes. The ruling came as the result of a vote, and it would void existing non-compete agreements for everyone other than senior executives. It was noted that the ba will come after a 180-day period that will allow for-profit companies to enter compliance. Over 26,000 companies were submitted on the rule and 25,000 of them supported the ban. FTC chair Lina Khan discussed the rule in an interview with More Perfect Union. Right now workers are stuck in place because of these noncompetes, FTC chair Lina Khan said. So even if they get a better job opportunity with higher wages, with better benefits, they cant actually switch jobs, which is bad for those workers. Its also bad for other workers who wont have the opportunities that are not being created because of these noncompetes. (H/t Paul Blest of More Perfect Union) BREAKING: The FTC just banned non-compete agreements. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a final rule making it illegal for bosses to make workers sign noncompetes in any scenario, and voiding nearly all existing noncompetes. This is a game changer for American workers. pic.twitter.com/9n1tJWpQl4 More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) April 23, 2024 More Details On Non-Compete Bam Blest notes that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said that they would file a lawsuit to block the proposal of the ban. However, the FTC argues that non-competes are an unfair method of competition. It is not known whether the ruling would apply to professional wrestling or combat sports. WWE releases have often come with 90-day non-compete clauses in recent years. Talent is still paid during this period, so there is an argument that the non-compete clause is a mislabel. WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available. RELATED: Report: Details On Von Wagner, Other WWE Releases The post FTC Issues Ruling That Would Ban Non-Compete Agreements appeared first on Wrestlezone. Ga. teacher arrested for pulling special needs child by legs, putting foot on her back, police say A Lee County teacher was arrested and now faces three felony counts of cruelty to children. WALB reports that Ashton Long Cleveland, 39, was released on a $5,000 bond. Lee County school officials called police about a concerning incident between Cleveland and a female student at Kinchafoonee Primary School on Friday, April 12. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to a police report, Cleveland was seen on a security camera inappropriately handling a special needs student and another student in a different situation. The report states the special needs child was having an active day and that during a class change, Cleveland was seen removing the child from class by pulling her legs across the floor. Police said Cleveland was seen on camera grabbing the child from the back and pushing her. In another incident, police said the child was on the floor and Cleveland placed her foot on the center of the girls back. On Thursday, April 11, police said Cleveland is shown on camera with a different child where she kicks at the child several times while seated. TRENDING STORIES: Lee County Schools released the following statement: An employee of the Lee County School System has been arrested on three counts of cruelty to a child. The employee was placed on administrative leave last week. The district takes these types of offenses very seriously. As always, we are fully cooperating with law enforcement. The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority, and the school system will continue to follow all safety policies and procedures. No further information can be shared at this time as this is an active investigation. Police are still investigating and trying to determine if there are more victims in this case. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) posted a picture of the door to his Georgetown, Texas, office on social media Monday, which he said unhinged anti-Israel activists vandalized. The picture shows the door splashed with blood-red paint and Free Gaza in the same color painted on the concrete in front of the door. Police were dispatched in response to a possible burglary at the representatives office early Monday morning, according to a statement from the Georgetown Police Department. According to the statement, Georgetown police are actively working an investigation and plan to level a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief against whoever is found responsible for the incident. Carters office has apparently estimated the damages to around $2,000. Let me make 2 things clear, Carter said in the post accompanying the picture of the scene, my support for Israel is unwavering & your intimidation wont work. Secondly, the parties responsible will be found & will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The scene at Carters office comes a few months after Rep. Adam Smiths (D-Wash.) home in Bellevue, Wash., was vandalized in a demonstration opposing the war in Gaza. Last night, my house was vandalized by people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, Smith said in a press release, the day after the reported vandalization. This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system. Emily Taylor, senior adviser at Carters office, told The Hill that the incident wont intimidate Carter or his staff. Congressman Carter and his staff will not be intimidated, so whoever perpetrated this attack has failed in their mission, Taylor told The Hill. Representative Carter stands firm in his support for Israel and acts of political destruction wont be tolerated. Our staffs safety is paramount and weve been in communication with local and Capitol police to ensure our office is a safe place to serve our constituent, she said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Tensions grow at California universities as Gaza protests roil campuses from Berkeley to New York Pro-Palestinian protesters set up tents in front of Sproul Hall on the campus of UC Berkeley on Monday. (Jose Carlos Fajardo / Associated Press) Officials shut down the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt on Monday night after masked pro-Palestinian protesters occupied an administrative building and barricaded the entrance as Gaza-related demonstrations roiled campuses across the nation. Three students were arrested after law enforcement officers wearing helmets and riot shields descended on the public university in Arcata, in rural Northern California, and clashed with demonstrators who had set up tents inside Siemens Hall and erected a banner that said, "STOP THE GENOCIDE." "Free, Free Palestine," supporters chanted outside the building. "Long Live Resistance!" As sprawling pro-Palestinian protests and encampments escalate on university campuses across the United States, administrators are reacting with more forceful discipline as they try to balance pro-Palestinian students free speech rights with concerns for safety and other students' counter claims of harassment and disruption. Read more: Citing safety concerns, USC cancels pro-Palestinian valedictorian's graduation speech At Columbia, in-person classes were canceled Monday and the president asked students to stay home after more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested last week and protesters established a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on a central lawn. Some Jewish students complained they were harassed, even assaulted, by protesters who blocked their movement. At Yale, at least 60 protesters who camped at Beinecke Plaza were arrested after the university said they refused a final request to leave voluntarily. At UC Berkeley, students set up a Gaza solidarity encampment at Sproul Plaza the historic ground zero of the 1960s free speech movement demanding that UC divest from the Israel-Hamas war. As hundreds gathered at an encampment at New York University, administrators called on city police to come in after the protest became "disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing" and they learned of reports of intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents, a spokesperson said in a statement, Tensions flared quickly at Cal Poly Humboldt. About 4:50 p.m. Monday, campus police received reports of dozens of students occupying the first and second floors of Siemens Hall, the university said in a statement. Classes in the building were canceled and students and faculty who were in the middle of classes were evacuated as protesters "began disrupting classes and vandalizing university property," the university said. According to the university, protesters blocked entrances and elevators with tents and in some locations shut doors using chains and zip ties, violating fire codes and "creating extreme safety hazards for those inside." After giving the protesters multiple warnings to exit the building voluntarily, campus spokesperson Aileen S. Yoo said the university contacted outside law enforcement agencies to assist in responding. About 7:45 p.m., an officer told dispatchers that about 100 protesters remained near the building and police had attempted to take students into custody, but the crowd pulled them back, according to a report from Lost Coast Outpost. Another officer called for a pepper ball launcher. Video footage taken from inside the building showed protesters jumping up and down and chanting, We are not afraid of you! We are not afraid of you! as armed officers approached the glass doors of Siemens Hall. As protesters blocked police from entering, a law enforcement officer beat a protester with a baton and a protester beat the officers helmet with an empty five-gallon water jug. The two sides sparred for several minutes before the protesters finally forced the police back outside. By 8:30 p.m., Cal Poly Humboldt issued an emergency alert warning that the campus was closed through Wednesday for the safety of the campus community. After locking campus buildings and cutting off key card access, the university advised students and faculty to avoid the area of the building, as it is a dangerous and volatile situation." Employees and students were advised to pivot to remote learning. As night fell, protesters outside the building clapped and chanted, "Free Palestine!" and Cops go home! Inside the building, a masked protester wearing black held up a sign that read: HELP US PLEASE. THEY ARE GOING TO ATTACK." Protesters inside also held signs that urged supporters outside to resist law enforcement: There are more of u than them and PUSH THEM OUT! Around 11 p.m., law enforcement officers left the front of Siemens Hall, according to Lost Coast Outpost. Read more: 'Let her speak!' USC campus reels after valedictorian's speech is canceled As dozens of protesters remained barricaded inside Siemens Hall on Tuesday afternoon, other buildings remained locked down and in-person classes were canceled. Students were advised to check with their instructors or supervisors for instructions on remote classes. The university said administrators were concerned about the safety of the students inside the building and urged them to discuss a peaceful resolution. The University supports free speech through open dialogue that is respectful and constructive," the university said. There are many avenues and options to express views that don't involve disrupting operations and vandalizing campus, which interferes with the campus community's rights to a safe and peaceful environment. Humboldt for Palestine, a group that did not organize the protest but amplified the protesters' demands, said in a statement on Instagram on Tuesday that the students would not leave until the university divested from Israeli "occupation and the ongoing genocide." We will not negotiate us leaving until they divest, Humboldt for Palestine wrote Tuesday on behalf of the students. After that is met, then we will have further demands. But we are not leaving or moving or talking until they have completely divested from israel. The liberation of Palestine is the focal point of this work at this time, they added. Free Palestine from the river to the sea. The group urged students and members of the community to descend on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus to protect the students as they demanded the institution disclose all holdings and collaborations with Israel, cut all ties with Israeli universities, and drop all charges and attacks on student organizers as well as an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. "Go to the campus as soon as you can! Asked if students could face academic consequences for occupying the building and taking part in the protest, Yoo said: If students are found in violation of student conduct policies, they may be subject to disciplinary action. Read more: 'Please leave!' A Jewish UC Berkeley dean confronts pro-Palestinian activist at his home Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, universities such as Columbia, Stanford and Berkeley have faced intense pressure to restrict pro-Palestinian protests and encampments that accuse Israel of genocide and call for a cease-fire. Some Jewish students and faculty have complained protesters have blocked their movement and harassed them. In February, Columbia implemented interim rules for demonstrations that included a requirement of two days notice, prohibition on protests in academic spaces and consequences for violations. At Stanford, after activists set up a sprawling encampment on White Plaza for months, administrators enforced a camping ban in February out of concern for the health and safety of our students. Berkeleys chancellor announced last month she was setting up a group to reexamine the universitys rules on protests after pro-Palestinian students blocked the middle section of Sather Gate, the entrance to Sproul Plaza, for months with yellow caution tape and banners. As new protests erupted on the plaza this week, UC Berkeley Assistant Vice Chancellor Dan Mogulof said that Berkeley would prioritize students academic interests in the last few weeks of the spring semester. We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the universitys operations," Mogulof said in a statement. "There are no plans to change the university's investment policies and practices." According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, students do not have a 1st Amendment right to camp on campus grounds. Peaceful protest is generally protected, and colleges and universities must ensure students can engage in peaceful protest on campus, the foundation said in a statement. But we remind students that engaging in civil disobedience may result in punishment, including arrest. ... Students occupying campus spaces in violation of reasonable, content-neutral rules risk punishment. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, raised concerns Monday about bringing in the New York Police Department to dismantle a student encampment and arrest students who were peacefully protesting. In a letter to university President Minouche Shafik, Jaffer wrote that he was deeply troubled by the universitys severe and seemingly viewpoint-discriminatory enforcement of rules relating to student demonstrations. The University has a legitimate interest in enforcing reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of protests, Jaffer wrote. The Universitys rules also make clear, however, that external authorities should be engaged to end a protest only as a last resort only when there is 'a clear and present danger to persons, property, or the substantial functioning of any division of the University.' 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. MILLEN, Ga. (WJBF) The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investing the shooting death of 39-year-old Robert Lamar Herrington, of Millen. According to authorities, GBI was brought in to investigate this shooting death at the request of the Millen Police Department. According to the Millen Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call of a shooting on Corbett Street, and when officers arrived, Herrington was found suffering from gunshot wounds. Authorities say Herrington was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. ALSO ON WJBF: House of Prayer church allegedly stalling federal investigation According to investigators, a second man was also shot in the incident and was sent to a local hospital for treatment, but later, he was life-flighted to a hospital in Augusta where he is currently listed in stable condition. According to GBI, preliminary information indicates that Herrington and the other man who was shot were involved in an earlier argument which escalated and resulted in them shooting each other. Herringtons body was taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy, and authorities state that this investigation is active and ongoing. If anyone has any information in connection to this investigation, please contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Statesboro at (912) 871-1121, and anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. Disgraced ex-Republican George Santos has killed his short-lived bid for a new seat in Congress, announcing his withdrawal from the race for New Yorks 1st Congressional District on Tuesday. I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1, Santos wrote on X. He added that he didnt want his run to be portrayed as a reprisal against incumbent Nick LaLota, a fellow GOP rep Santos has said he personally dislikes. In an interview with The Daily Beast earlier this month, Santos vehemently denied his bid for LaLotas seat was a revenge run against the ex-colleague he once called a meathead. Still, Santos didnt miss the chance to throw one last parting shot at LaLota as he made his exit. Although Nick and I dont have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I dont want to split the ticket and be responsible for handing the house to Dems, Santos continued. George Santos Second ComingThis Time Its Personal He also lobbed shots at Democrats, saying they needed to deal with the very large issue of antisemitism in their ranks. Infamously booted from Congress in November over the many lies he told constituents, Santos had flip-flopped on a possible return to Congress as an independent after his nasty breakup with the GOP. He finally committed to the run as an ultra-MAGA independent in early March, but his campaign was never really taken seriously. Indicted on 23 federal charges and facing a criminal trial this summer, he raised exactly $0 for the short-lived return bid last quarter. According to his most recent Federal Election Commission filing from April 15, he kept spending money even as he failed to raise a penny. Still, in his Tuesday announcement, Santos insisted its not the end for his career in politics. I have meet with leaders and with constituents and I have made the decision to hang it up here and stop perusing this race, THIS YEAR! he wrote on X. The future holds countless possibilities and I am ready willing and able to step up to the plate and go fight for my country at anytime, he added, leaving the door open for another return in the near or distant future. Its only goodbye for now, Ill be back, he promised. Sashay away, Georgefor 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. When Katie Chubb tried to open a new birthing center in Augusta, Georgia, nearly three years ago, she hit an unexpected roadblock. The problem had nothing to do with the trained nurses and physicians that Chubb planned to employ at her Augusta Birth Center. It wasn't that she couldn't find potential patients. And it wasn'tas is sometimes the casethat the state of Georgia said there was no "need" for her services. In fact, the Georgia Department of Community Health, which has authority over those decisions in the state, ruled in December 2021 that her clinic would "enhance the delivery of health services by offering a low cost, high quality alternative for perinatal health care service." But the department denied Chubb's request for a certificate of need (CON) license anyway, because three hospitals in the region refused to sign forms allowing Chubb's new birthing center to compete with them, as Stateline reported in an excellent feature story last year. Now, finally, Chubb (and the future parents of Augusta) are free from the hospitals' ability to veto prospective competition. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed a bill last week that significantly overhauls the state's certificate of need rules to ease the regulatory burden facing health care entrepreneurs like Chubb. The changes stand to benefit a wide swath of the state's health care providersas well as patientsby reducing review periods and exempting some services, including substance abuse centers, psychiatric facilities, and free-standing birth centers like the one that Chubb hopes to open. Those regulatory rollbacks do not mean that Georgia health care facilities will be subject to less scrutiny when it comes to the care they provide. As in other states, Georgia's certification of need laws are purely economic regulationsthey have nothing to do with ensuring patients receive quality care. All they do is allow state officials to decide where and when new services can be offered or new facilities can be builta process that hospitals and other established health care providers often twist toward anti-competitive ends, as Reason has covered extensively. "Today is a momentous day for Georgians across our state who will soon have greater access to health care and personalized treatment," Tony West, state director for Americans for Prosperity Georgia, which has been advocating for CON reforms, said in a statement. West praised Chubb's "passion, knowledge, and commitment" to the effort, calling it a "key factor" in getting lawmakers to pass the reform bill. In a statement, Kemp said the changes he signed into law would help ensure that "Georgians in rural parts not only have access to good paying jobs, but also quality and affordable health care." He said the changes will "lead to more doctors, dentists, and mental health professionals serving our rural and underserved communities." Kemp's comments deserve to be underlined because they highlight one of the many problems with CON laws. Giving states more power to regulate where health care services are "needed" was originally intended to help rural communities. Without central planning, there was fear that hospitals and other health care providers would congregate in cities and suburbs, leaving residents of more far-flung areas with less access. In practice, that hasn't worked out. In fact, research shows that states with CON laws on the books have fewer rural health care facilities per 100,000 people than those that do not. That's part of the reason why Chubb was motivated to open a birthing center in Augusta. She and her husband had to drive over two hours to the nearest birth center when her sons were born. Unsurprisingly, reduced access to health care equates to poorer health outcomes. Georgia has some of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, and the rural parts of the state fare even worse. Rather than benefitting residents of rural areas, CON laws have granted pseudo-monopolies to the hospitals that do exist in those places, allowing them to reject potential competitors and leave patients with fewer options. When a policy isn't working as intended, it ought to be scrapped. There is still more work to be done to fix Georgia's (and other states') CON laws, but kudos to Kemp and Georgia state lawmakers who took this significant first step and let Chubb aid the next generation of their state's residents. The post New Georgia Law Allows Birthing Centers To Open Without Needing Permission From Nearby Hospitals appeared first on Reason.com. U.S. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, of Georgia, traveled to Rome, Italy over the weekend and, among other stops, met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. According to Warnocks office, as a faith leader, the Senator and Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church has long admired the Popes efforts to center humanity in public life. While meeting with the Pope, the Senator spoke to him about a variety of global issues, including conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Warnocks office said in a statement. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The thing about Pope Francis is that he centers human dignity, particularly the dignity of the most marginalized members of the human family, the Senator said afterward, according to a statement provided by Warnocks office. That is something that Ive tried to do in my ministry and in my work in the United States Senate. And its so important at this moment, in which our country is so divided. Were seeing worldwide the rise of antisemitic sentiment, Islamophobia, bigotry, authoritarian voices that are trying to take advantage of the deep distress that people are feeling in a moment like this. TRENDING STORIES: Among other stops while in Rome, Warnock went to a briefing and tour of the NATO Defense College, a roundtable discussion regarding the role of faith-based organizations in humanitarian and development assistance moderated by the World Food Programme, and had a meeting with Cindy McCain, the World Food Programme Executive Director, where they spoke about crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti and Sudan. While speaking with McCain, Warnocks office said the two discussed how companies in Georiga continue playing a leading role in providing Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Foods, meant to help address hunger around the world. Warnocks office said the senators visit to Rome was ended early so he could be present in Washington as U.S. Congress considered national security legislation focused on providing support to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, as well as legislation to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Martin Jaeger (on the right) during his visit to Mykolaiv. Photo: Martin Jaeger on Twitter (X) German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jaeger has shared photographs from his visit to Mykolaiv; he attended a training for mine clearance experts as an observer as part of his trip. Source: European Pravda; Martin Jaeger on Twitter (X) Details: Jaeger said that during his trip to Mykolaiv he attended training for mine clearance experts and the "demonstration of a new demining machine". He also said that Germany has made a significant contribution to clearing land in Ukraine of mines and added that the Danish Refugee Council in Ukraine and the HALO Trust are Germanys key partners in this effort. Germany is making significant contributions to clearing land in Ukraine. In Mykolaiv I visited a training for deminers and the demonstration of a new demining machine boosting mechanical demining capacities. Thanks to our partners @DRCinUA & @TheHALOTrust pic.twitter.com/5WAXaleiIp Martin Jaeger (@MJaegerT) April 23, 2024 Background: On 22 April, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany said that Germany will send another Patriot air defence system to Ukraine as soon as possible. On 7 April, Ukraines Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories said that Ukraines international partners have allocated more than US$700 million for humanitarian mine clearance. Support UP or become our patron! The sun sets behind Brandenburg Gate and its columns that were painted in a protest campaign by Last Generation climate activists in Berlin The sun sets behind Brandenburg Gate and its columns that were painted in a protest campaign by Last Generation climate activists in Berlin By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN (Reuters) - A German court on Tuesday handed down suspended eight-month prison sentences to three climate activists who sprayed orange paint on the columns of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate last September to demand a stop to the use of fossil fuels by 2030. The activists were supporters of the "Last Generation" climate activists group, which had made headlines in Germany with hundreds of road blocks by protesters who glued themselves to tarmac. The defendants, aged between 22 and 64, admitted their involvement and said their motive was to protest against the federal government's climate policy, Berlin Tiergarten District Court said in a statement. The prison sentences were suspended for two years but could be enforced if the defendants commit new offences. "This two-year suspension of this sentence basically means that these people can no longer be politically active without having to go to prison," Mirjam Hermann, a lawyer at the Support for Active Civil Society (RAZ) association, told Reuters. The defence lawyers said they would appeal the verdict which they said was not an appropriate response to civil disobedience. "The reasons for the judgment show that the judge did not want to clarify the facts in an impartial manner," defence lawyer Inga Schulz said in a statement. In assessing the penalty, the court said it took into account the fact that a national monument was damaged as a result of the incident in addition to the financial damage. In the trial, an employee of a restoration company involved in the cleaning of the monument was questioned, the court said, adding that the paint caused material damage amounting to around 110,000 euros. "The defendant's stated goal of achieving a change in climate policy does not justify such an action. In a democracy there are other ways to achieve one's political goals," the court added. The Last Generation, a Germany-based group within the Europe-wide A22 network that includes Britain's Just Stop Oil, said the verdict was drastic and called for a rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate in response to the ruling. "The orange Brandenburg Gate should remind us that change and therefore a life according to our common values - humanity, justice, honesty - is possible," said Lina Johnsen, a spokesperson for the group. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Paul Simao) German EU lawmaker: 'No further information' about arrest of employee Maximilian Krah, Alternative for Germany (AfD) lead candidate for the European elections, speaks at a rally organized by his party on Schlossplatz. An employee of a German member of the European Parliament, lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has been detained in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, according to security sources. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa European member of parliament for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Maximilian Krah, initially reacted cautiously to reports of the arrest of his employee on suspicion of spying for China. "I learned of the arrest of my colleague Jian Guo this morning from the press," he wrote on X. "I have no further information. Spying for a foreign state is a serious accusation. Should the allegations prove to be true, this would result in the immediate termination of his employment." The AfD's leading candidate for the European elections told the Bild newspaper at the airport in Strasbourg that, to his knowledge, his employee had only maintained "contacts with official Chinese offices in the embassy." The suspect, who was arrest in Dresden on Tuesday, is said to have passed on information from the European Parliament to China. An AfD spokesman said on Tuesday that the party would do everything it could to support the investigation. Germany's Maximilian Krah, of the far-right Alternative, calls during a session at the European Parliament, Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Strasbourg, eastern France. A man who works for the prominent German far-right lawmaker in the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, authorities said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias) BERLIN (AP) A man who works for a prominent German far-right lawmaker in the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, authorities said Tuesday. The detention came less than 24 hours after three people were arrested for spying for China in a separate German case. The suspect was arrested Monday in the eastern German city of Dresden, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said that he has worked for a German lawmaker in the European Union's legislature since 2019. The German national is accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament in January. Prosecutors allege that he also snooped on Chinese dissidents in Germany. Prosecutors didn't identify the lawmaker, but Maximilian Krah of the far-right Alternative for Germany, who is his party's top candidate in the European Parliament election in early June, said in a statement that he found out about the arrest of employee Jian Guo from the press on Tuesday. I do not have further information, Krah said. He added that spying activity for a foreign state is a serious allegation which, if proven, would lead to the employee's immediate dismissal. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the spying allegations were extremely serious. If it is confirmed that there was spying for Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, then that is an attack from inside on European democracy, Faeser said in a statement. Anyone who employs such a staff member also carries responsibility, she added. This case must be cleared up precisely. All the connections and background must be illuminated. News of the arrest came a day after three Germans suspected of spying for China and arranging to transfer information on technology with potential military uses were arrested in a separate case. Also on Monday, British prosecutors said a former researcher working in the U.K. Parliament and another man were charged with spying for China. Asked in Beijing about the latest arrest in Germany, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the recent reports in Europe about Chinese spying are all hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China. Beijing urges "the relevant parties to stop spreading disinformation about Chinas spy threat and stop political manipulation and malicious smears against China, he added. A week ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met China's top leaders in Beijing at the end of a three-day trip to the country. In a strategy for relations with China released last year, the German government pointed to a systemic rivalry with the Asian power and a need to reduce risks of economic dependency, but highlighted its desire to work with Beijing on challenges such as climate change and to maintain strong trade ties. That document pledged decisive action" to counter Chinese espionage activities. Krah's Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has been polling strongly in Germany in recent months as discontent is high with Scholz's three-party government. It has long been criticized as having Russia-friendly positions. AfD is jeopardizing the security of Germany and Europe by letting itself be used by autocrats, said Katarina Barley, a European Parliament vice president who is the lead candidate of Scholz's center-left Social Democrats in the upcoming election. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping want a weak Europe and AfD is letting itself be instrumentalized for this aim, Barley wrote on social network X. AfD's co-leader, Tino Chrupalla, told reporters in Berlin that Krah was on his way to the German capital. We will sit down with him this evening or tomorrow morning at the latest," he said. We of course see it as absolutely worrying that an employee was arrested. German lawmaker likely to be fined for Nazi slogan use if convicted Bjoern Hoecke, chairman of the Thuringian AfD, attends his trial at the regional court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Jens Schlueter/AFP Pool/dpa A leading member of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is likely to receive a fine at most in the event of a conviction for the use of a banned Nazi slogan, the court has said. A prison sentence and revocation of Bjorn Hocke's ability to hold office is not expected, said court spokeswoman Adina Kessler-Jensch after the end of the second day of the trial. Prosecutors accuses Hocke of knowingly using a banned slogan of the Storm Troopers (SA), the Nazi paramilitary fighting organization, during a speech in 2021. The possible punishment in the case ranges from a fine to three years imprisonment. If the defendant were to be sentenced to at least six months' imprisonment, the court could, as a secondary consequence, declare that the defendant is disqualified from from holding office. Hocke intends to stand as the AfD's top candidate in the state elections in Thuringia in September. Hocke admits to having used the words in his speech. However, the former history teacher claims he did not know about the historical context and the ban on the phrase. Germany arrests aide to far-right MEP on suspicion of spying for China German authorities have arrested an aide to a high-ranking, far-right member of the European Parliament on suspicion of spying for China, the latest in a number of arrests in Europe linked to alleged Chinese espionage. German national Jian G, who worked for AfD MEP Maximilian Krah, was arrested by Saxony State criminal police in Dresden and had his residences searched, the prosecutors office said early Tuesday. German authorities routinely identify suspects by their first name and first initial of their family name. The aide was later suspended by the European Parliament, a spokesman for the body told CNN. Prosecutors said he passed on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament to China in January. The head of Krahs office confirmed to CNN that the aide had been arrested in Dresden. His arrest comes days after two men and a woman were arrested elsewhere in Germany for allegedly spying for China, and after two men in the UK were charged for allegedly breaching Britains Officials Secrets Act. Krah is the AfD's top candidate in the upcoming European elections. - Jens Schlueter/Getty Images Jian G. is an employee of a Chinese secret service. He has been working for a German Member of the European Parliament since 2019, the prosecutors office statement said. In January 2024, the accused repeatedly passed on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament to his intelligence service client. He also spied on Chinese opposition members in Germany for the intelligence service, it added. German media quickly identified Krah as the lawmaker who employed the suspect. The 47-year-old sits on the chambers Committee on International Trade, as well as its subcommittees on human rights and on Security and Defence. He is also part of the parliaments delegation for relations with the United States. The far-right AfD party has nine seats in the European Parliament, and is competing alongside Germanys traditional parties in the European elections in June. Krah is the partys top candidate in those elections. Germanys interior minister Nancy Faeser said on Tuesday that if the allegations against Jian G are true, it would represent an attack from within on European democracy. She also criticized the AfD lawmaker for the saga, alleging that whoever employs such a person is responsible. AfDs co-chairwoman Alice Weidel said her party was taking the espionage allegations very seriously. Speaking during a press conference in Berlin, the other co-chair Tino Chrupalla said Krah is on his way to Berlin and the two chairperson of the party would have a meeting with him either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. We see it as a very worrying sign if a staffer was arrested here, Chrupalla said, adding that they will wait to draw conclusions while the general prosecutors office is investigating. On Monday, three German nationals were arrested on suspicion of violating the Foreign Trade and Payments Act on behalf of China. The Federal Prosecutors Office said the homes and workplace of the trio were searched in Dusseldorf and Bad Homburg. It alleged that Thomas R acted as an agent for a Chinese Ministry of State Security employee, gathering information on German military technologies. He used the two other suspects Herwig F and Ina F, who operate a Dusseldorf-based company to establish connections within the German scientific community, the office said. The pair are accused of buying and exporting a specialized laser to China without authorization, and in violation of European Union regulations. The three will be presented to the investigating judge on Monday and Tuesday, where their pre-trial detention will be decided. China reacted angrily to the spate of arrests in Germany on Tuesday, calling it hype intended to discredit and suppress China. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin added on Tuesday that the reports intend to destroy the atmosphere of cooperation between China and Europe. Separately in the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service announced charges against two men who allegedly breached the Officials Secrets Act on behalf of China. CNNs Hassan Tayir and Irene Nasser contributed reporting For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Bloomberg) -- Police in Dresden detained an employee of Maximilian Krah, the far-right AfDs lead candidate in the European Parliament elections, on suspicions he was spying for China. Most Read from Bloomberg Federal prosecutors suspect the man, whom they identified as Jian G., of working for the Chinese secret service, citing intelligence reports from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in a statement on Tuesday. The prosecutors said they suspect him of repeatedly passing on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament to his intelligence service client. They also accuse him of spying on Chinese opposition members in Germany. Espionage for a foreign state is a serious accusation, Krah posted on X, naming the employee. If the allegations prove to be true, this would result in the immediate termination of his employment. Germanys Alternative for Germany is already under legal pressure, with Bjoern Hoecke, the head of the party in the eastern state of Thuringia, currently standing trial for using a Nazi slogan at a rally. Another AfD lawmaker, Petr Bystron, has denied taking money from a pro-Russia media outlet following reports of links to the organization. Support for the AfD has dwindled ahead of the June European election, with the party on track to get 18.5% of the vote, according to a Monday poll by Insa. In July last year, AfD was polling at 23%. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said his nation opposed the hyping up of spy allegations in Germany, at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. Such reports were intended to smear China, he added, also dismissing similar claims in the UK as misinformation. A spokesperson for the European Parliament said that the man has been suspended. If it is confirmed that there has been spying for Chinese intelligence services from inside the European Parliament then this is an attack from within on European democracy, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. All connections and backgrounds must be investigated. G. will be brought before the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice, who will decide on the issuing of an arrest warrant and the execution of pre-trial detention, the prosecutors said. Hoecke, who was standing trial on Tuesday, said in court that he did nothing wrong. Im totally innocent, he said in his defense. The new investigation follows the arrest on Monday of two men and a woman suspected of working for Chinese state security to acquire details of ship-engine technology and buy a special laser without export authorization. Its the latest in a spate of espionage cases to come to light in Germany in recent days after two Russian-German citizens were taken into custody last week accused of spying for Russia and membership of a terror group planning acts of sabotage. --With assistance from Laura Malsch and James Mayger. (Updates with Krah comment in the fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, April 23. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to carry out transit passage of freight vehicles through their territories without permit forms, Trend reports. In reference to Tajikistan's Ministry of Transport, the relevant protocol revising the March 9, 2018 agreement between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on international road traffic was signed on April 18, 2024, during Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's visit. The simplification will become effective after both countries have accepted the accord. According to the 2018 agreement, a permit was necessary for regular and irregular passenger and goods transportation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, including passage via respective territories. Currently, freight transportation between Tajikistan and many Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations and Russia, or transit via their territory, is carried out without licenses, considerably decreasing delivery time and eliminating cargo damage hazards. Germany pressures US to provide Ukraine with another Patriot system Bloomberg The German government is pressuring the United States to provide Ukraine with at least one more Patriot system to strengthen the country's air defence, and Berlin will continue to put pressure on European allies. Source: Bloomberg, with reference to its sources, as reported by European Pravda Details: Bloombergs sources noted that Berlin's campaign of pressure on the United States is part of a coordinated effort to force NATO and European Union partners to increase assistance to Ukraine in terms of air defence assets. It is noted that Germany will this week also continue to press European allies, including France and Italy, to assess what they can provide. Earlier, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck called the number of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine extremely high, and therefore air defence systems are one of the most urgent needs along with artillery shells. "If the Americans could send over Patriot systems, that would help enormously," Habeck said on Monday in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio. Background: The German Foreign and Defence Ministers announced a global initiative to find additional air defence assets for Ukraine in a letter to dozens of countries. In addition, on 13 April, Germany announced the urgent delivery of one Patriot system to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government is pushing the US to deliver at least one more Patriot anti-missile system to Ukraine to help close the air-defense gap as Russia escalates a barrage of attacks, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg Berlins pressure campaign aimed at its transatlantic ally is part of a coordinated effort to get NATO and European Union partners to step up assistance for Ukraine on air defense, the people said on condition of anonymity. Germany will also keep pressing European allies this week, including France and Italy, to assess what theyre able to deliver. Germanys prodding is something of a role reversal for Scholz, whose government has often been pilloried since Russias invasion for dragging its feet on weapons deliveries. The German leader has maintained his resistance to sending longer-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv, arguing that such deliveries risk making the country a party to war. But Scholz has spearheaded an effort to send more Patriot and other air-defense systems to Ukraine as the war-battered nation sustains increased attacks that have destroyed parts of its energy infrastructure and city centers. The chancellor said last week Germany will send a third Patriot battery and that six should follow soon from other EU member states. For the German military, three Patriots would account for a quarter of its arsenal, a far larger proportion than the US. Other hardware as part of Berlins appeal are Samp/T ground-to-air systems, NASAMS and Hawk missiles, Iris-T systems as well as parts and funding to support those efforts. Kyiv has asked allies for at least seven more Patriot systems earlier this month, but has so far only received the German commitment. That pledge will bring the number of Patriot systems provided by Germany to three. Missile, Drone Barrages German Economy Minister Robert Habeck cited the extremely high numbers of drones and rockets targeting Ukraine and called air defense the most pressing need for Ukrainian forces. If the Americans could send over Patriot systems that would help enormously, Habeck said Monday in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio. Spokespeople for the White House National Security Council didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Ukrainian officials lauded passage in the US House of Representatives of a $61 billion military and economic aid package that was held up for six months amid Republican resistance. But Kyivs forces in the meantime have suffered painful shortages of ammunition and manpower as the Kremlin exploits the vulnerability. Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, has come under sustained missile and drone bombardment in what Ukrainian and Western officials see as a Russian attempt to force an evacuation of the city. As the attacks escalate, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has increasingly called for more air defense. He called the issue a top priority after the US legislation passed over the weekend. We will have a chance at victory if Ukraine really gets the weapons system, which we need so much, which thousands of soldiers need so much, Zelenskiy told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday through an interpreter. Some of the equipment tied to the US package, which will likely include longer-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, could be on the way by the end of the week, Democrat Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBSs Face the Nation. US President Joe Biden told Zelenskiy on Monday that his administration would move quickly to distribute security assistance if the Senate votes this week to approve the aid package. During a call, Biden said the US aims to swiftly ship the battlefield and air defense assistance, the White House said in a statement. Its not the first time Scholz has sought to pressure Biden. Last year the chancellor made the shipment of Leopard 2 battle tanks conditional on Washingtons contribution of Abrams tanks. After initial resistance, the US administration agreed to deliver the armor. Separately, NATO officials have been in contact with manufacturers to discuss ways to speed up deliveries and ramp up the production of interceptors, another person said. Allies are also exploring re-certifying old or expiring Patriot missiles as well as the possibility of re-purposing batteries currently used for training. (Updates Habeck quote in the seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich had an appeal to try and end his pretrial detention rejected Tuesday by a Moscow court, according to The Associated Press (AP). Gershkovich will remain in pretrial detention in Russia until late June on espionage charges as a result of the failed appeal, per the AP. He was originally detained in March of last year during a reporting trip. His apprehension has been internationally criticized, with press freedom groups, the U.S. government and the Journal saying Gershkovich is wrongfully detained. The 32-year-old Gershkovich seemed to be relaxed in court on Tuesday, the AP reported. He sometimes laughed and talked with his legal team. Late last month, the Journal left a blank space on the front page of its print edition to call attention to the anniversary of Gershkovichs detainment in Russia. Emma Tucker, the Journals editor-in-chief, published a letter on the same day urging again for Gershkovichs release. This one-year anniversary is an opportunity to express our admiration for our colleague and his family, Tucker wrote. It is a reminder of the dangers facing journalists worldwide as they pursue their essential mission. And it energizes us to continue the effort to ensure that this is the last milestone that Evan spends in prison. President Biden also released a statement upon the anniversary of Gershkovichs detainment in which he said journalism is not a crime and that Evan went to Russia to do his job as a reporter. Shortly after his wholly unjust and illegal detention, he drafted a letter to his family from prison, writing: I am not losing hope, Biden said. As I have told Evans parents, I will never give up hope either. We will continue working every day to secure his release. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Utah folk artist Kate MacLeod released a new song in honor of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, which falls annually on May 5. MacLeod said the song, released today, April 23, and titled The Woman You Will Never Know is not a happy one. Rather, it speaks to the horrors of lives being cut short often before they have had time to blossom. It was born from empathy, grief, sorrow, and justified indignation. Not only is the murder rate on reservations 10 times higher than the national average for women, but murder is the third leading cause of death for Native women, with the victims ranging in age from infants to the elderly, MacLeod said. MacLeod explained that her interest in this issue comes from multiple sources. My own experiences as a woman navigating a historically misogynistic culture, my inclinations towards activism, living in the American West where many reservations exist, and from having survived my own experiences with abuse against women. Although my family line is not from the First Nations of the Western Hemisphere, I have roots in tribal cultures from other lands. I hope that this song is accepted as a gesture of empathy, she said. Utah folk artist Kate MacLeod. (Photo credit Jeanette Bonnell) MacLeod said The Woman You Will Never Know was written on a Grand Canyon River Trip she went on in 2020, where she met a woman who worked with organizations dedicated to searching for missing indigenous women. She said when she played the song for others before its release, they were moved by it. I think the last verse specifically to me speaks a lot. If I could be here now, I might be someone who could save you somehow. I could be part of saving the world. But you will never know because I am the woman you will never know. And that speaks to the lost potential of the lives that are cut down, she said. Utah folk artist Kate MacLeod. (Photo credit Jeanette Bonnell) MacLeod is a passionate musician, who first moved to Salt Lake City from the Washington D.C. area to study violin making. She has always been interested in music and first started playing violin at a young age, later learning guitar and several other instruments, such as the fiddle and Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer. She regularly donates her time and music to organizations dedicated to peace and social justice concerns, such as Adopt-a-Future, Peace Advocates for Native Dialogue and Organizing Support (Pandos), and the Entrata Institute. READ NEXT: Draper City clears up misperceptions on anniversary of homes sliding off cliff MacLeod also teaches songwriting and fiddle workshops in schools, concert outreach programs, summer camps and music festivals, in addition to writing and performing her own music. MacLeod is asking listeners to consider donating to organizations such as Native Hope, Pandos, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA or other local chapters near them. MacLeod said she will be playing a few shows this summer. To stay updated on those dates and learn more about MacLeod, visit her website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Global military spending saw its steepest spike in more than a decade, with the US vastly outspending everyone else Global military spending in 2023 rose to the highest levels ever recorded, analysts said. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said the spike was the steepest rise since 2009. Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania saw particularly large increases, it said. Global military spending surged by 6.8% in real terms in 2023 to reach $2443 billion the highest level ever recorded, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. SIPRI released its annual report on trends in world military expenditure on Monday, describing last year's spike as the "steepest year-on-year increase" since 2009. And the trend is truly global. All five of the institute's defined geographical regions saw rises in military spending for the first time since 2009, with Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania recording particularly large increases, it said. Global conflicts have been on the rise since around 2012, according to the International Crisis Group, with fighting simmering, breaking out, or expanding in Ukraine, Gaza, Ethiopia, and Myanmar over the past few years to name just a few. This, in turn, has ramped up military spending. Nan Tian, a senior researcher with SIPRI's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, said the "unprecedented" rise in defense spending came in direct response to the "global deterioration in peace and security." "States are prioritizing military strength but they risk an actionreaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape," he said. In fact, military expenditure has grown so much that global expenses per person reached $306 in 2023, SIPRI reported. Ukrainian soldiers firing artillery near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on November 3, 2023. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images The institute cited Russia's military spending, which it says climbed by 24% to reach an estimated $109 billion in 2023. It also highlighted Ukraine, which ranked eighth in terms of overall defense spending, following a 51% year-on-year increase. Lorenzo Scarazzato, a SIPRI researcher, said that two years of Russia's war in Ukraine had fundamentally altered the security outlook for European NATO states. He added that the NATO target of 2 percent of GDP being spent on defense is now being seen "as a baseline rather than a threshold to reach." Eleven out of 31 NATO members fulfilled or exceeded the threshold in 2023, the highest number since the agreement was struck in 2014, per SIPRI. The US, meanwhile, held onto its position as the world's largest defense spender, with its military spending rising by 2.3% to reach $916 billion in 2023, per the institute. This is far more than China, the world's second-largest military spender, it said, which spent an estimated $296 billion on defense in 2023, up 6%. At the same time, Israel saw its defense spending rise by 24% to reach $27.5 billion in 2023, mostly due to its large-scale offensive in Gaza, SIPRI's report found. Read the original article on Business Insider CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) will hold its first of three community meetings on Tuesday, April 23, to inform people about the design of the next phase of the Gold Line expansion. Phase three of the Gold Line project would extend the line by six miles. Following the expansion, the line would start at the Rosa Parks Community Transit Center and end at the Eastland Community Transit Center, adding up to 17 additional stations. CATS leaders also said the expansion would include the installation of public art at streetcar stops in the east and west corridors. A CATS spokesman told Queen City News that the department can only estimate cost or construction timeline once the design phase is complete in 2026. CATS increasing frequency for Gold Line riders On April 1, CATS Interim CEO Brent Cagle told city council members that overall ridership was up 18 percent from fiscal year 2023. The only service that did not see an increase was the Gold Line. Councilman Ed Driggs, a Charlotte Transportation, Planning, and Development Committee member, said he expects numbers to bounce back now that CATS has increased Gold Line frequency to every 20 minutes rather than every 30 minutes. They had been lengthened because of personnel shortage issues, which are now being addressed. The vacancies are down by half, I understand, and weve made very good progress in that area, which is one of the ones we identified as requiring our attention, said Driggs. CATS cites concerns over county funding commitment for new Uptown center Tuesdays public meeting will be at the Northwest School of the Arts on Beatties Ford Road from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Theyll conduct another meeting on Thursday at the indoor pavilion at Veterans Park on Central Avenue from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. CATS will host a virtual meeting on their YouTube page at 6 p.m. on April 30 for those who cant attend either meeting in person. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 22. Turkmenistan and Austria are actively developing trade and economic relations, Trend reports. According to the official source, this was stated during a meeting of representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan with Peter Gindl, Deputy Head of the Representative Office of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan in Vienna. During the meeting, the sides noted the high level of trade and economic relations between Turkmenistan and Austria, as well as their mutual benefit from these relations. They exchanged views on the prospects and opportunities of business relations between the two countries and discussed their priorities. The parties noted that in recent years, Turkmen-Austrian business relations have been further developed, where important importance is attached to the exchange of delegations, business visits, business conferences, and industry exhibitions. Furthermore, the participants of the meeting expressed confidence that Turkmen-Austrian relations will continue to strengthen and mutually beneficial cooperation will be further developed. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan and Austria continue to strengthen their trade relations, maintaining stable and mutually beneficial trade turnover, since the amount of trade transactions between the two countries from the beginning of 2018 through the end of 2023 amounted to more than 132.9 million euros. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel About 20 more Google staffers were fired in the past week following the in-office protests against the companys cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, The Washington Post reported. The latest pink slips follow the expulsion of at least 28 employees last week after they held sit-in demonstrations at Google offices across the country, including New York and Sunnyvale, California, where several staffers were arrested. More than 50 Googlers are believed to have lost their jobs over their actions protesting the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract. The staffers organized under the banner #NoTechForApartheid maintain that the tech enables Israel to harm Palestinians, claims Google denies, maintaining that the deal does not involve highly sensitive, classified or military services. The firings also follow a companywide memo sent out by CEO Sundar Pichai that told employees they should not use the company as a personal platform or fight over disruptive issues or debate politics at work. We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action. Thats important to preserve, the memo said. But ultimately we are a workplace and our policies and expectations are clear: this is a business. Staffers opposed to the Israeli contract unsurprisingly see the issue differently. The corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers and reassert its power over them, said Jane Chung, a spokesperson for the dissident group,which first started Googles and Amazons contracts with the Israeli government in 2021, told The Post. She claimed some of the staffers who lost their jobs were innocent bystanders rather than those who participated in the protests, which Google denied. A Google spokesperson told Forbes every single one of those whose employment was terminated was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings, something the company carefully confirmed and reconfirmed. The firings came amid a wave of escalated strife on campuses across the country as protesters are accused of antisemitism. The post Google Fires 20 More Staffers Over In-Office Protests of Israel Contract appeared first on TheWrap. Google fires 20 more workers who protested $1.2bn Israel contract: Ultimately we are a workplace Google has fired more employees who protested against its $1.2bn contract with Israel, the company confirmed to The Independent on Tuesday. The company declined to say how many employees had been let go but The Washington Post reported that the number is around 20. This is on top of the 28 employees who lost their jobs last week after staging demonstrations, bringing the total to nearly 50. Our investigation into these events is now concluded, and we have terminated the employment of additional employees who were found to have been directly involved in disruptive activity, a Google spokesperson told The Independent on Tuesday. The protests took place inside Googles offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California on 16 April with workers demanding that the company end its huge cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. In Sunnyvale, the staff entered Google Cloud boss Thomas Kurians office, according to No Tech For Apartheid, the group which organised the demonstration. A small number of employee protesters entered and disrupted a few of our locations. Physically impeding other employees work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and completely unacceptable behaviour, a Google spokesperson said last week. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had warned employees that while debate and discussions are encouraged, there were limits, and the office is not a place to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics in a company blog post. We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action...But ultimately we are a workplace and our policies and expectations are clear: this is a business, he said. No Tech for Apartheid has claimed that Google indiscriminately fired workers, including those who did not directly participate in protests. Pro-Palestine protests have swept the United States in recent weeks including at a number of university campuses like Yale, Columbia and MIT. The protests are in response to Israels attacks on Gaza which have left more than 33,000 people dead, according to the Palestinian health ministry. On 7 October, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 200 hostages. Google has fired more than 20 additional workers following last weeks protests over the tech giants cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, the group that organized the protests said Monday night. The latest firings bring the total number of terminated staff to more than 50, according to No Tech for Apartheid. This evening, in an aggressive and desperate act of retaliation, Google fired over 20 additional workers including non-participating bystanders during last weeks protests, the activist group said in a statement. Google confirmed that it had terminated additional employees but did not provide a specific number. A spokesperson said the employees were found to have been directly involved in disruptive activity. To reiterate, every single one of those whose employment was terminated was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings. We carefully confirmed and reconfirmed this, the spokesperson added. Google initially fired more than two dozen workers last week following sit-ins at its offices in New York City and Sunnyvale, Calif., protesting a $1.2 billion contract that the company shares with Amazon to provide cloud computing services to the Israeli government. The tech giant said some employees took longer to identify because their identity was partly concealedlike by wearing a mask without their badgewhile engaged in the disruption. The controversial contract at the center of the protests, known as Project Nimbus, has faced backlash from workers and activists since it was initially signed in 2021. However, objections to the cloud computing agreement have escalated amid Israels ongoing military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamass Oct. 7 surprise attack. No Tech for Apartheid alleged Monday that Google is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers, and reassert its power over them. In its attempts to do so, Google has decided to unceremoniously, and without due process, upend the livelihoods of over 50 of its own workers, the group added. Thats because Google values its profit, and its $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government and military, more than people. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A week after Google announced that it would begin pulling some California news links from its search engine in response to a proposed state law that would require it to pay for linking to news content on its platform, the fate of that bill remains unclear. Assembly Bill 886 passed with bipartisan support out of the California Assembly last year but stalled once it reached the Senate. Its author, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, made the legislation a two-year bill, meaning it would be taken up in the legislative session this year. Wicks was unavailable to comment on the bill. In a previous statement to The Bee, after Google announced its decision, Wicks said: Its about ensuring that platforms pay for the content they repurpose. 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. When will AB 886 be heard? AB 886 is sitting in the Senate Judiciary Committee, without a scheduled hearing, while lawmakers work with stakeholders to address concerns about the legislation. Sen. Thomas Umberg, D-Santa Ana, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said the bill could be heard sometime in June unless there is significant action on the measure sooner. This is a high-priority issue, I think, for the Legislature, Umberg told The Bee in an interview. No senators have spoken publicly in opposition to the bill. Despite the legislations uncertain status, Google acted this month to remove California-based news links on its search platform for some users. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also has warned that it would block news content on its platforms if AB 886 becomes law. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who will ultimately veto or sign the bill if it passes both houses, has also not publicly commented on the bill. But when asked about Googles decision to remove California news links from its search engine last week, he said, Were in conversations with the company you referenced. Lets leave it at that. Impact of Googles link removal unclear Its unclear how widespread Googles link removal is. Google has declined to clarify how many people are affected or which outlets links are being removed from search results. However, on Wednesday, public relations specialist Zan Dubin-Scott wrote on X that he was unable to access articles via Google on the websites of the Los Angeles Times or smaller local news outlets such as the Santa Monica Mirror and Yo! Venice! In an April 12 blog post, Jaffer Zaidi, Google vice president for global news partnerships, called the proposed law a link tax that would be unworkable for the company. To prepare for possible (California Journalism Preservation Act) implications, we are beginning a short-term test for a small percentage of California users. 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, he wrote. Media groups push back against Google In response to that decision, the California News Publishers Association and the News/Media Alliance, both sponsors of the bill, called on California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Googles actions for possible antitrust violations. Because of these unknowns, there are many ways Googles unilateral decision to turn off access to news websites for Californians could violate California laws, the letter read in part. Google spokeswoman Brianna Duff called that claim baseless in a statement to The Bee. Weve long said CJPA isnt the right approach, and weve taken a responsible and transparent step to prepare for its possible implementation, Duff said. Google collects billions of dollars in revenue from ads that accompany searches on its platform, including ads that accompany links to news articles. The California News Publishers Association sent a letter to Wicks, on behalf of nearly 350 news outlets including The Sacramento Bee, urging her to continue fighting for the bill. Publishers and news outlets of all sizes stand united in our efforts to preserve journalism in California. Publishers and labor are united on this issue. Time is running out and the Legislature must act before more damage is done, the letter reads in part. McClatchy, the parent company of The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, Merced Sun-Star and San Luis Obispo Tribune, is a supporter of the legislation. Matt Pearce, president of the Media Guild of the West and a former Los Angeles Times reporter, also supports the bill. Pearce penned a column for the San Francisco Chronicle in favor of AB 886, writing that the dream of the open internet is fading and being replaced by a surveillance-driven dystopia powered by free and low-paid labor. The California Journalism Preservation Act is just the first of many bills that will be necessary to point out that this content-creation arrangement is unsustainable for workers and also everyone else, Pearce wrote. AB 886 would lead to fragmented internet, critics say Among those writing in opposition to the CJPA is the Internet Society, which was founded by a band of internet pioneers in the early 90s to ensure that it remains free and open for everyone. In an open letter to Umberg, the Internet Societys Natalie Campbell and John Morris wrote that the CJPAs goal to support journalism is an important one; however, it is unworkable to do so at the cost of splintering people and businesses in California and the United States from the greatest communications resource of all time: the Internet. The letter points to the impact that Canadas Online News Act has had on that country, including Metas decision to block all sharing of news links on its platforms. The authors contend that Canadas law was no boon to the journalism industry. Instead, Canadian news outlets have continued to lay off journalists en masse. Canadas Online News Act provides a disturbing glimpse of the tangible impact of harming the Internet in Canada, preventing people from access to news, reinforcing the market power of big players (both platforms and news companies), and reducing jobs and investment into a news industry already in sharp decline, the letter reads. Pearce said that he hears the concerns voiced by the Internet Society but that they come too late. The libertarian paradise of the open internet is dying, Pearce told The Bee. Pearce is sympathetic to concerns about the fragmentation of the open internet, he said, but companies like Google are doing an incredible job of fragmenting the internet on their own. Googles action is a demonstration Asked whether he views Googles recent move to pull some California news links as a threat to lawmakers, Umberg said that the tech giants action is more like a demonstration that you may need us more than we need you. The senator said the state cant force a private entity like Google to include news articles in its search results. Our challenge is to find a spot where we can support credible journalism without causing the platforms to decide that theyre not going to display content, Umberg said. GOP lawmaker: You cant call for the eradication of Jews and think everything is going to be just OK GOP lawmaker: You cant call for the eradication of Jews and think everything is going to be just OK GOP Rep. Mike Lawler (N.Y.) on Monday emphasized the need for consequences against those involved in the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. I mean there are consequences to actions. Thats what some of these folks dont seem to understand. You cant call for the eradication of Jews and think everything is going to be just OK because youre entitled to free speech, Lawler said Monday in an interview on NewsNations The Hill. Lawler was responding to comments made by the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Isra Hirsi, who was among the more than 100 students arrested last week for participating in cease-fire protests at Columbia. Hirsi was also among three students suspended from Barnard College, cutting off her access to food and housing. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Hirsi said she has been basically evicted after the suspension and is concerned about her food access as she relies on her dining plan for meals. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have lasted for six days at Columbia University, where hundreds of students are occupying the center of campus in protest of the ongoing violence in Gaza. Protestors are calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel. Columbia administrators, led by university President Minouche Shafik, authorized New York police last week to arrest students involved with the protests, prompting further tensions on campus. Lawler was one of 10 House Republicans from New York to call on Shafik to resign, arguing Columbias campus has been overrun by anarchy. Youre not entitled to make threats against people, and thats why the president of Columbia needs to resign immediately, Lawler said on The Hill. She has failed in her obligation her primary responsibility to ensure the safety and the well-being of students on that campus. The ongoing protests led to concerns about Jewish students safety, and Columbia moved classes online starting Monday, hours ahead of the start of the Jewish holiday Passover. Antisemitism has been on the rise since Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, though a significant portion of the protesting students are Jewish. Several protest groups have pushed back against characterizations of their demonstrations as antisemitic. Asked why he joined the calls for Shafik to resign, Lawler said, When you look at the terrorist attack of Oct. 7, it was rooted in one thing. In Gaza, they are taught to hate Jews and to want to kill Jews. And what were seeing on campuses all across America, but especially here at Columbia University, we are seeing antisemitism rear its ugly head, he continued. And these institutions have allowed it to happen. If this was a racist protest, if this was a protest against gay people, if this was a protest against immigrants, you would see the institution crack down on it very quickly and rightfully so. In the wake of Hamass Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, House leaders launched investigations into college campuses responses to increasing antisemitism. The leaders of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were grilled by the House Education Committee in December. Their responses sparked backlash, prompting two of the three school leaders to resign. Responding to the criticisms of Columbias administration, Shafik said Monday in a statement that she is deeply saddened by the campus protests. President Shafik is focused on deescalating the rancor on Columbias campus, a university spokesperson told The Hill. As President Shafik has said repeatedly, the safety of our community is our number one priority. Columbia students have the right to protest, but they are not allowed to disrupt campus life or harass and intimidate fellow students and members of our community. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. This story was updated at 10:21 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FIRST ON FOX: Republican senators on Tuesday demanded President Biden's attorney general and Education secretary take immediate action to address escalating antisemitic encampments on college campuses, requesting that they "prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated violence and threats against Jewish students." In a letter signed by 27 Republicans and led by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Attorney General Merrick Garland and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona were asked to swiftly address the un-authorized Gaza solidarity demonstration at Columbia University that has threatened the safety of Jewish students. The GOP lawmakers asked the Biden Cabinet officials to prosecute those making threats, revoke visas for non-citizens participating in "promoting terrorism" and hold school administrators accountable. NY HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT STEP DOWN OVER ANTI-ISRAEL CHAOS Twenty-seven Republican senators called on Attorney General Merrick Garland and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to immediately address antisemitic protests across the country on college campuses. An anti-Israel demonstration began on Columbia University's campus last week and has persisted as an encampment since then. The protesters have been captured intimidating Jewish students and promoting pro-Hamas rhetoric. The demonstration has since garnered significant media attention and spread to other prestigious universities over the course of the week. "Anti-Israel protestors, spurred on by prominent leftists, have gathered on college campuses in recent days, chanting antisemitic slogans and directly threatening Jewish students," the letter stated. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP As of Tuesday morning, at least 22 of the top 50 universities, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, had active demonstrations against Israel in the last week. SCHUMER LOOKS TO EXPEDITE $95 BILLION ISRAEL, UKRAINE AID PACKAGE THROUGH SENATE In the letter, the senators noted that a rabbi at Columbia University recently reccommended Jewish students leave campus and return home because the university and police cannot ensure their safety. Representatives for the DOJ and Garland, as well as those for the Education Department and Cardona, did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. The letter asked Garland and Cardona for a response by Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. BIDEN ADMIN NOTES 'URGENT' CONCERN OVER ISRAEL IN GAZA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT In a post to X on Tuesday morning, Cardona wrote, "Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable. I am deeply concerned by what is happening at Columbia University. In November 2023, our Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation of Columbia involving Title VI." "You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses," the Republicans' letter said. "President Biden issued a statement on Sunday, purporting to condemn the outbreak of antisemitism. If that statement was serious, it must be accompanied by immediate action from your departments." In a Sunday statement marking the Jewish holiday of Passover, Biden said, "We must speak out against the alarming surge of antisemitism in our schools, communities, and online. Silence is complicity." He added, "My Administration will continue to speak out and aggressively implement the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community." DEMOCRATS JOIN REPUBLICANS IN CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY President Biden denounced the antisemitic demonstrations. However, the Republicans suggested this was not sufficient without the actions requested from both the DOJ and the Education Department. The White House did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. The explosion of anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitic demonstrations was prompted by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which initiated the conflict on Oct. 7, when the group attacked Israeli civilians, killing indiscriminately and taking many as hostages. The terrorists also perpetrated sexual violence against Israeli women. FETTERMAN HAMMERS 'A--HOLE' ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS, SLAMS OWN PARTY FOR RESPONSE TO IRANIAN ATTACK: 'CRAZY' Several hostages are still unaccounted for and believed to be held in Hamas' custody. As Israel fights against Hamas in Gaza, the war has taken a toll on civilians in the region, particularly as the terrorist group tends to congregate in areas with high civilian populations as a tactic. The Democratic Party, in particular, has seen a divide develop among members over support for Israel amid the war, with Arab, Muslim and young constituencies demonstrating less support and forcing politicians to be calculated ahead of a competitive general election in November. Original article source: GOP lawmakers demand Biden admin prosecute pro-terrorist mobs, hold schools accountable GOP senators sent a letter to Biden administration officials Tuesday demanding they restore order to college campuses amid contentious pro-Palestine protests. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and 26 other Senate Republicans sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Attorney General Merrick Garland telling them to restore order to campuses that have been effectively shut down by anti-Semitic mobs that are targeting Jewish students. The letter comes as multiple schools, including Columbia University, New York University and Yale University, have seen students create encampments on campus in support of Gaza. The students are demanding their schools divest from Israel and those associated with the current war, but the protests have faced bipartisan accusations of antisemitism and calls to violence. You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses. President Biden issued a statement on Sunday, purporting to condemn the outbreak of anti-Semitism. If that statement was serious, it must be accompanied by immediate action from your departments, the senators wrote in the letter. Columbia announced this week it will transition to hybrid classes for the rest of the semester due to the unrest. The letter comes a day after Cotton and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called on Biden to send the National Guard to break up the protests. The Hill has reached out to the departments of Education and Justice for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Kansas Republicans appear set to largely fail in their push for major changes to the states elections, as the state Supreme Court prepares to issue a potentially landmark voting rights decision. The GOP-controlled Legislature, which reconvenes Thursday, may successfully block election officials from taking federal dollars to register or help voters. But a push to eliminate a grace period for late-arriving mailed ballots is faltering. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday vetoed two election-related measures, but the bills supporters appear to potentially have enough votes to override only one veto. Another proposal, which would end the current three-day grace period for ballots arriving after Election Day, may pass but with margins well short of whats needed for an override. Kansans have a right to participate in our democracy, but time and again some politicians have tried to interfere in the voting process. I will continue to oppose efforts that place obstacles between voters casting their ballots and making their voices heard, Kelly said in a veto message. The series of bills marks the latest effort by Republican lawmakers, including some who have promoted or entertained false claims about the 2020 election, to overhaul Kansas election system in ways that place more limits on voting. Supporters of the changes have encountered fierce resistance from Democrats and opposition from some Republicans, who say the states elections are already secure. One of the vetoed measures, HB 2614, would add a label to advance ballots warning that its illegal for anyone to deliver more than 10 advance ballots, as well as implement additional signature requirements for individuals who return advance ballots on behalf of someone else. Local election officials would be required to track the names of everyone who delivers an advance ballot for someone else and notify prosecutors if they return more than 10. The measure passed the Senate 26-13, just one vote shy of a veto-proof majority, but passed the House 75-48 well short of the 84 votes needed. Kelly called the bill an attempt to disenfranchise voters by enacting burdensome and unnecessary requirements that are designed to restrict and suppress advanced voting. The legislation comes ahead of a highly anticipated Kansas Supreme Court decision that could upend state election law. Last year, the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that voting is a fundamental right, meaning that restrictions on voting could face strict scrutiny, the highest standard of legal review. If the state Supreme Court upholds the lower court opinion, it will dramatically constrict the power of lawmakers to enact restrictions on voting, including potentially overturning the 10-ballot limit. Its unclear when the court will release a decision; no deadline exists, meaning an opinion could come anytime. Those who wish to change our election laws would be able to mount a credible challenge to the vast majority of what people consider commonplace, completely reasonable restrictions like closing elections at seven oclock, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, has previously said. The other election bill vetoed by Kelly, HB 2618, stands a better chance of becoming law. The measure passed the Senate 26-13 and the House 83-40. The bill would limit the ability of government officials to accept federal funding related to elections, an attempt to limit the ability of President Joe Biden or another Democratic presidential administration to direct dollars into Kansas elections. It blocks officials from using federal dollars for activities related to election administration, including voter registration and voter assistance. The measure also changes the state crime involving impersonating an election official, which is currently under review at the Kansas Supreme Court. State law currently criminalizes behavior that gives the appearance or cause another person to believe you are an election official. Justices appeared skeptical of the law when they heard oral arguments in February. The vetoed legislation would remove engaging in conduct that gives the appearance of being an election official from the list of behavior that constitutes impersonating an election official. It would also add a requirement that the crime requires intent to cause someone else to believe you are an election official. The changes are intended to undercut the Kansas Supreme Courts looming decision. We can never rest on our laurels when it comes to the security of Kansas elections. These common-sense pieces of legislation simply shore up current election laws and ensure the federal government isnt putting its thumb unfairly on the scale in either direction, House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said in a statement. Hawkins said House Republicans would continue fighting to keep elections secure and ensure voter confidence. But unlike other statements on Friday in response to vetoes, he did not promise a veto override attempt. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly speaks during the State of the State address at the Kansas State Capital on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Topeka, Kansas. End to grace period? The Legislature will meet for potentially several weeks in a wrap-up session and GOP lawmakers may try to pass one final election bill, which would stop mailed ballots that arrive after Election Day from being counted. Currently, ballots postmarked by Election Day count if they arrive within three days. SB 14 would end the grace period, but require election officials to send advanced ballots two days earlier than they currently do. It would also require Kansas voters to register to vote two days earlier, eliminate in-person advance voting the day before an election and require election officials to offer in-person advance voting for four hours the Saturday before an election. Many of the changes would not take effect until 2025. The House passed the bill 73-48, but it fell one vote short in a 20-19 Senate vote. Legislative negotiators will continue working on the bill and its possible a similar version could pass. Still, Kelly will likely veto the measure and supporters appear far short of the votes necessary for an override. When explaining why they oppose the grace period, Republicans have raised concerns about ballots they say are arriving without postmarks after Election Day in some rural counties I really, really believe that were going to find out that theres hundreds or thousands of ballots that are not being counted because theyre not postmarked, said Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican who chairs the House Elections Committee. But Democrats question whether mailed ballots were actually arriving without a postmark and have suggested that a solution to any problem with postmarks rests with the postal service, not in election law. Democrats and voting rights advocates insist the three-day period is necessary to ensure mailed ballots can be counted, even if the postal service is moving slowly. The proposal, they argue, will sow additional voter confusion. If its not broke, dont fix it, Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat, said. A voter cast a ballot in the general election at the Bethany Community Center on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Kansas City, Kansas. Its unclear how many counties have been forced to toss ballots because they were not postmarked. The Kansas Secretary of States Office has asked county election officials to report that information. However, that will not be available until August. In Wabaunsee County, Abby Amick, the county clerk, said ballots do not arrive at her office postmarked so she is not able to count any that arrive after 7 p.m. on Election Day. If the three-day grace period was put in to give voters more opportunity to get their ballot in and have it count but its not working out that way, she said. Its not serving the voters the way it was intended. Davis Hammet, the president of the civic engagement group Loud Light, said local officials should be able to work with the Kansas Secretary of States Office and the post office to resolve the issue. If they found a tiny issue in a county, instead of addressing it with a post office, they want to throw out everyone elses ballot. Which is absurd, he said, adding that the changes to voter registration will make it harder for young Kansans to vote. The Stars Katie Bernard contributed reporting TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted $100 million in funding for the Florida Wildlife Corridor while speaking in Naples Tuesday. The governor also signed House Bill 1565, known as the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative, directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and MOTE Marine Laboratory to continue to coordinate efforts to innovate technologies to address the impacts of red tide on Florida, the governor said. I am proud of our investments in land conservation to conserve and connect Floridas natural landscapes, preserve working lands, and provide for the safe passage of Floridas endangered species, said Governor Ron DeSantis. I am also happy to sign legislation continuing research efforts to mitigate the impacts of red tide and preserve our coastal communities and working waterfronts. The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a collection of nearly 18 million acres of land, including 10 million acres of protected conservation lands such as state parks, state forests, and farms. Part of the expansion includes the installation of wildlife crossings along state roadways, which allow Florida wildlife like the Florida Panther to safely cross those roadways. The governor and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton spoke at the FGCU Kapnick Education and Research Center. On Monday, the governor and Secretary Hamilton spoke in West Palm Beach, where the governor announced he has approved $1.5 billion in the 2024-2025 fiscal budget for restoration of the Everglades and water quality improvement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking aim at Alabama and other states considering abortion travel bans in a new ad campaign. The governor shared the ad in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Alabamas abortion ban has no exceptions for rape or incest. Now, Republicans are trying to criminalize young womens travel to receive abortion care. We cannot let them get away with this. pic.twitter.com/gHbYJYlEXk Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 21, 2024 The 30-second commercial shows two young women driving in a car while passing a sign that reads State Line 1 Mile. California stockpiles abortion drug misoprostol in wake of Texas court ruling Were almost there. Youre gonna make it, the passenger tells the woman driving just before sirens go off and the two women are pulled over by a state trooper. Trump Republicans want to criminalize young Alabama women who travel for reproductive care, a voiceover says just as the state trooper walks up to the car. After the ad, viewers are encouraged to sign a petition opposing the travel abortion ban thats being considered in Alabama, Tennessee and Oklahoma. In addition to the ad, Newsom announced that he would introduce legislation that would help Arizonans get abortions in California. The move comes after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled this month that a near-total abortion ban from 1864 would go into effect in a couple of weeks. This isnt the first time the governor has voiced his opposition to abortion restrictions happening in other states. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, Newsom partnered with the governors of Oregon and Washington to issue a multi-state commitment promising to defend access to reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, Newsom has also signed more than a dozen new abortion laws protecting womens reproductive rights. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 23. Turkmenistan and South Korea discussed the course of fruitful bilateral cooperation, Trend reports. According to the official source, this topic was discussed during the meeting of the Ambassador of Turkmenistan in Seoul, Begench Durdyyev, with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, Kim Taejin. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on topical issues of bilateral relations and stressed the positive dynamics of the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. The diplomats reviewed in detail the state and prospects of interstate cooperation in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields. Furthermore, they paid special attention to the importance of regular contacts at the highest level to further strengthen friendly relations between Turkmenistan and South Korea. At the end of the meeting, the Turkmenistan's Ambassador and the Deputy Minister of the South Korean Foreign Ministry noted the wide opportunities for building up multifaceted cooperation that meets the interests of the two countries. Meanwhile, the development of cooperation between Turkmenistan and South Korea is a dynamic process based on mutual interests and the desire to deepen economic, technological and cultural ties. The two countries actively cooperate in such areas as energy, oil and gas industry, information technology and education, which contributes to the expansion of the exchange of experience, technology and investment, as well as contributes to the development of international trade cooperation and the creation of a favorable climate for long-term partnership. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Will Gov. Justice ever take responsibility for anything thats not a win for WV? Gov. Jim Justice (sitting) visited Clendenin, W.Va., to present a $2 million Abandoned Mine Lands grant for the development of Gravity Adventure Park on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Office of the Gov. Jim Justice | Courtesy photo) Often when reporters question Gov. Jim Justice during his weekly briefing, he immediately gets defensive, as if the reporter is accusing him of being wholly responsible for whatever theyre questioning. He seems to not realize that as governor, hes chief executive of West Virginia and should be prepared to respond to the questions put to him. His staff should be briefing him on what reporters are planning to ask, or what they suspect theyll ask about. Last week, West Virginia Watch reporter Amelia Ferrell Knisely was planning to cover a legislative interim meeting related to a tragic death at Hopemont Hospital, a state-run facility. Michael Caruso, secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health Facilities, and a representative from Hopemont were supposed to speak at the meeting, but it was canceled. Multiple legislators told Amelia that the governors office had canceled it. The only time reporters can speak with the governor is during his weekly virtual briefing which the governor was 30 minutes late to this week so Amelia attended to ask him why the meeting was canceled. She asked Justice to discuss why this meeting was canceled and was it in any effort to hide these details from the public, and what do you think needs to be done to prevent future incidents like this in our state-run hospitals? Well Amelia, first of all, I want you to know I could take big-time offense about your question because Im not going to cover anything up, Justice said, appearing to take big-time offense to her question. I dont control and cancel legislative meetings. Its surely under investigation No one on the planet is going to take things like this more seriously than me, and there is no chance on the planet that were ever, ever under any circumstances going to cancel something, cover something up, whatever it may be. Ridiculous. Totally ridiculous. Your question is just unfounded and its wrong. Thats all there is to it. But her question wasnt unfounded. Multiple people told her it was the governors office who canceled the meeting, so Amelia was doing her job as a reporter to get the governors side of the story. It would have been refreshing if Justice had simply responded: Yes, my office canceled the meeting, and then explained why. This isnt the only thing he refused to take responsibility for during last weeks briefing. Randy Yohe of West Virginia Public Broadcasting told Justice theres people sounding the alarms about water contamination in Wyoming Countys Indian Creek that is possibly coming from a mine owned by the Justice familys company. Yohe asked Justice, as the governor and owner of the company, if there was anything he was planning on doing for the people so they could have clean drinking water. Im all for them having good clean drinking water, but you cant blame me on this one, Justice said. The companies that we have are so distantly involved with this its unbelievable. DEPs working on the issue but this is somebody elses problem. This is not created by something that weve done. First thing these people are West Virginians, so no matter what, its the governors problem whether he owns the mine or not. The rest is messy. The Department of Environmental Protection sued Pinn MC Wind Down Co. because the agency determined Pinn MC is the problem. The company then sued Bluestone Resources, owned by the Justice family, because it bought all of Pinn MCs assets when it went bankrupt. Bluestone denies it is responsible for the mines violations, despite acknowledging the purchase. This week isnt the first time that Justice has denied responsibility. A month ago at a briefing, MetroNews Brad McElhinny questioned Justice about the seven liens filed against The Greenbrier resort for $3.5 million in unpaid sales taxes. I really dont know anything about this one at all, Justice said at the time about the company he owns and his daughter runs. This one I really dont know a thing in the world about it. Brand new news to me. But Ill check it out. McElhinny gave him about three weeks before asking again during the April 10 briefing, adding that there was an additional $2.5 million in county property taxes. Is the resort having trouble paying or is it willful disregard? McElhinny asked. Brad, to be perfectly honest, maybe I should check, Justice said. I dont know the details. I really dont. Really and truly I can tell you that if youll just go back and look at the track record. Yet at the end of the day, things always get paid, dont they? When most of us dont pay rent, were evicted. Or if we dont pay our mortgage, our house can be foreclosed on. If we dont make car payments, our car is repossessed. When we dont pay utilities on time, utilities are turned off. And a lot of West Virginians deal with that every day. And unfortunately a lot of people look down on those people who cant afford their bills. So why is it OK for a billionaire whoops, Im sorry, millionaire to not pay their bills on time? Its time for Justice to start owning up to things. Its not helpful to anyone for him to try to pass off that hes perfect. West Virginians need a governor who isnt telling us the flowers are pretty and were proud of ourselves when theres tornadoes, floods, contaminated water and people dying under state care. The post Will Gov. Justice ever take responsibility for anything thats not a win for WV? appeared first on West Virginia Watch. Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam, welcomed signing into law by Gov. Laura Kelly of bipartisan legislation establishing the office of child advocate after years of debate on the issue mired in disputes over details of the office. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation placing into state law establishment of an independent agency dedicated to serving as an advocate for children involved with the state welfare system. The second-term governor also signed a bill committing the Legislature to providing public universities and colleges $32.7 million annually to address backlogs of building maintenance and capital improvement projects. Another measure signed by Kelly would forbid utilities from deploying eminent domain when securing land for solar generation facilities. In addition, Kelly agreed Monday the sign the bill creating special Kansas license plates honoring the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Sporting Kansas City and the Kansas City Current. Kelly and Republican and Democratic legislators praised movement of Senate Bill 115 across the finish line after years of disagreement on structure of the child advocates office. Between 2017 and 2021, state legislators failed to find compromise on establishment of the office. In 2021, the Democratic governor issued an executive order establishing the division of child advocate in the executive branch. There was an attempt to place control of the child advocate with a Republican state attorney general. The bill approved 117-3 in the House and 36-3 in the Senate inserts authority for the child advocates office in state statute. The leader of the independent agency would be appointed by the governor and subject to Senate confirmation. The agencys administrator would serve a five-year term and must have experience in legal, clinical and case management services to children and families. Kelly said the legislation would promote accountability and transparency in child welfare proceedings and would heighten protection for youth who sometimes fell through the cracks. For over seven years, we have worked tirelessly to pass this legislation, said Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam. The concept of an office of child advocate has taken many forms, been heavily debated in the Legislature and far too often got caught up in disagreements over the details. Rep. Susan Concannon, R-Beloit, said SB 115 should provide Kansans with peace of mind that we will have a future of advocacy for Kansas Kids who are in the child welfare system. The law outlined responsibilities of the child advocate, including addressing complaints about child welfare, making referrals related to suspected child abuse or neglect to law enforcement, providing annual reports on child welfare issues and maintaining a public website on the offices work. Sen. Molly Baumgardner, R-Louisburg, said the office of child advocate would serve interests of adults as well as foster care youth. So many Kansas parents have told me that our welfare system actually created new harms within their families. Theyve begged for there to be someone they could trust to help them, Baumgardner said. These harms were echoed at the Kansas Child Welfare Summit held last week, when former foster care youth recounted the physical and emotional trauma they endured when taken from their homes. Meanwhile, Kelly signed Senate Bill 18 to implement a six-year program allocating $30 million annually to state universities and $2.7 million annually to community colleges, technical colleges and Washburn University for academic building maintenance, repair or demolition. The program would run from July 2025 to July 2030. Community colleges and technical colleges it would be the first time theyve received these funds, said Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland. They have the same issues with leaking roofs and windows. The statute would require the six state universities in the Kansas Board of Regents system to match with nonstate dollars the state grants. None of the community colleges, technical colleges or Washburn would have that matching obligation. Kelly signed Senate Bill 359 to authorize issuance by the Kansas Department of Revenue of branded license plates for fans of the Chiefs, Royals, Sporting KC and the Current. Other plates in the package would display loyalty and raise money for Sedgwick County Zoo, Topeka Zoo and Support the Troops. There was mild opposition to the package with the House vote 101-19 and the Senate vote 38-1. Senate Bill 455, approved unanimously by the Legislature, placed a prohibition on utility companies from relying on eminent domain to acquire land for development of solar farms for generation of electricity. The post Gov. Laura Kelly approves bill creating independent agency devoted to child welfare appeared first on Kansas Reflector. The government has allocated an additional over Hr 8 billion (around $202.3 million) for the construction of fortifications in Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on April 23. Ukrainian authorities have faced criticism for slow progress on fortifying defensive lines. In March, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine was building 2,000 kilometers of fortifications across three lines of defense, adding that the "task is massive, but the pace is good." Additional funds were assigned by reallocating state budget expenditures, Shmyhal said. The government already reportedly allocated Hr 38 billion ($961 million) for building fortifications in 2024. "Our task is to create a reliable defensive rampart that will protect our soldiers and give our army a greater advantage on the battlefield," the prime minister said, adding Ukraine will allocate "all additional resources" to its defense capabilities. Previously, the funds were reportedly devoted to fortify Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Sumy oblasts. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Ukrainian troops are building fortifications in expectation of a Russian offensive in the spring, though there are concerns that the progress is not fast enough. Zelensky said in an interview with CBS News that a new major Russian offensive may come at the end of May or in June amid a deteriorating situation on Ukraine's eastern front as ammunition and supplies run short. Read also: Ukraine finally moves to fortify front line, but could it be too little too late? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. You cant expect transparency from our government. This is especially true when it comes to the so-called Havana syndrome a generic term used to describe a variety of symptoms that have plagued diplomats and embassy workers since it first came to light in Havana, Cuba nearly a decade ago. The symptoms have since been seen across the globe, including in Northern Virginia. The U.S. government has told us on a variety of occasions that there is nothing nefarious going on. But as reported exclusively here in Salon a year ago, and more recently on CBSs 60 Minutes, there is reason to believe the series of health concerns the government labels Anomalous Health Incidents or AHIs, is manmade and possibly of Russian origin. Last year Mark Zaid, one of the premiere attorneys handling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in the country, filed a FOIA on behalf of a federal government whistleblower and myself to get more information regarding the Havana syndrome. Zaid and the whistleblower believe the government knows and is covering up the cause. It is unlikely, however, according to reliable sources that the U.S. government is responsible for causing Havana syndrome. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously defended the government workers who came forward to report their symptoms. Their pain is real, he said. I have no higher priority than the health and safety of each of you. Congress responded last week to the latest 60 Minutes report and has asked President Biden for more information about the cause. This week a judge heard testimony from Zaid about the latest FOIA request, and even the judge showed concern about the governments lack of cooperation. Theres not a lot of transparency, United States District Judge Amit Mehta said during the hearing. The Obama-appointed judge presided over the 2023 Google antitrust trial, and handed out an 18-year sentence to the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes for his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection calling Rhodes actions a peril to our democracy. The government was supposed to provide expedited service to our request for information, but so far has told us little more than there may be as many as 391 pages of information. We still do not know, months later, what that information actually is. Judge Mehta said in the hearing that while providing information was supposed to be expedited, it wasnt reflected in the facts. This lawsuit continues ongoing efforts to bring needed transparency surrounding the U.S. governments knowledge of Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI) impacting federal employees and their family members. The American public deserves to have a straight answer from the U.S. Government regarding AHIs and the impact that has been and is continuing to be felt by U.S. Government personnel, both overseas and domestically, Zaid explained. As Zaid said on the Just Ask the Question podcast this week, the roots of the Havana syndrome could be traced back to the Moscow Signal, an event that occurred during the Cold War. It was a reported microwave transmission varying between 2.5 and 4 gigahertz directed at the Embassy of the United States, Moscow from 1953 to 1976, resulting in an international incident. It is believed the microwave signal was used to turn on The thing, which was a gift from Russia to the U.S. a large seal that hid a listening device. Since then, the question has become whether or not the technology has advanced and been weaponized, with suspicions of handheld devices used to induce the symptoms called The Havana syndrome. While that sounds like a wild conspiracy theory, its not nearly as wild as the conspiracy theorists who believe the U.S. government is using its citizens as Guinea Pigs. I do not believe that the U.S government is torturing or using these devices on its own citizens, Zaid explained on the podcast. It is the introduction of the extreme conspiracy theorists who are also contributing to the misinformation that has led many reporters to ignore the problem. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. There have been many theories about the cause behind the Havana syndrome, and as Salon exclusively reported last year, the wide range of symptoms could be traced to a variety of energy weapons. At the time, the government, however was still denying that possibility, instead telling us that there was no reason to believe AHIs were caused by human activity. The issue first came to light in 2016 after diplomats from Canada and the U.S. stationed in Cuba reported a variety of symptoms, ranging in severity from and pain and ringing in the ears to cognitive dysfunction. One national security source, speaking on background, said, "This most definitely occurred before 2016. We just don't know for how long, who was involved or why. The problem has led to potentially long-term health problems and a question of government liability for those health consequences. This is real. There is a problem and the government hasnt been honest with us, Zaid said. This lack of clarity only leads to a proliferation of a wide variety of conspiracy theories, most of them crazier than the truth, and includes accusations of everything from our government experimenting on its citizens to space aliens doing the same. Speaking on background, a Department of Defense official I spoke to Saturday said there is hypothetically a huge problem here. If our enemies have created a handheld microwave or radio device that can cause these symptoms, who would want to work overseas? Worse, it appears that if this is manmade, then it happened here in the United States and that would be an act of war. The same source also said the government either has or is developing ways to detect energy weapons, if they exist. While the source would not say whether or not he believed the source of the Havana syndrome is manmade, he did say, If it is, then it is a frightening weapon. The untraceable ability to harm, permanently disable or even kill someone from a distance is a serious, very serious matter. That seems like something out of a lunatic conspiracy, but as several FOIA requests and lawsuits have shown, and as the 60 Minutes piece explained, this is one issue the U.S. government is taking seriously even as it stymies the public in trying to find the answers. Russian forces have launched over 20 missiles at the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) since the beginning of this year, Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said on national television on April 23. Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant was hit with eight Russian missiles on March 22 during one of the biggest attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, which reportedly led to the loss of a third of its capacity. The Hydroelectric Power Station-2 (HPS-2), one of the two stations of Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro HPP, was in "critical condition" following the attack, said Ihor Syrota, the head of Ukrainian state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo. The dam itself suffered damage as well, but officials said that there was no risk of a breach. "We are not talking about the resumption of power generation at the moment, but only about the logistics at the dam. We promptly launched one lane of traffic in both directions," Fedorov said. The timing for the plant's restoration is unclear, as debris removal and dismantling are still reportedly ongoing. "The destruction is extremely extensive," the governor said. Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo is signing agreements with contractors who will design and implement the restoration of the plant, while Ukrhydroenergo attracts international financing for its reconstruction, according to Fedorov. Following the attack on Dnipro HPP, Russian troops targeted the Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant in Cherkasy Oblast and the Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast in late March, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. No damages were reported. Zelensky said that Moscow "wanted to repeat" the Kherson Oblast disaster, referring to the Kakhovka Dam destruction in June 2023. Ukraine's air defenses have been particularly strained in recent months amid the onslaught of Russian missile and drone attacks and the delay in aid from the U.S. Meanwhile, Russia has stepped up targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, overwhelming local air defenses and destroying some of Ukraine's largest thermal power plants. Read also: Opinion: Russias energy infrastructure attacks are depopulating Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces launched a missile attack against the Dnipro district in the afternoon, wounding eight people, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported on April 23. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone attacks against Dnipro, Ukraines fourth-largest city, and the surrounding region. Russias April 19 strike on downtown Dnipro killed three people and wounded 24 others, according to local officials. Over an hour after multiple explosions were reported in Dnipro, Lysak said that the city suburbs were hit. Six men aged between 34 and 70 and an elderly woman were wounded, according to Lysak. A 23-year-old woman reportedly suffered a severe head injury. Six people were hospitalized. The attack reportedly caused two fires. Information on the consequences of the missile strike is still being established. Later the same day, Russian forces struck the Saltivskyi district of Kharkiv, damaging a house and a car, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov. There were no reports of casualties in Kharkiv at the time of publication. Read also: How thousands of Ukrainian children cope with losing parents to war Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces struck Odesa with drones overnight, damaging residential buildings, and wounding nine people, including four children, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported on April 23. Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 15 of the 16 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, the Air Force reported in the morning. One of the downed drones fell on Odesa's residential area, damaging houses, shops and other infrastructure, according to Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces. Nine Odesa residents suffered injuries, including two children aged 12 and 9 and two infants, according to the latest update by Kiper. The Russian drones were launched from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea and Kursk Oblast, which borders Ukraine. Russia also launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Belgorod region. The Air Force provided no information as to the outcome of the Russian missile launch. The drones were intercepted over Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kyiv, and Cherkasy oblasts. Mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force and anti-aircraft missile units repelled the attack, the Air Force reported. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv at around 3:35 a.m. local time on April 23 amid an air raid alert in the capital. Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said that all aerial targets were destroyed by air defense. No casualties or damages were reported in the city. Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. On April 22, Ukrainian air defense units destroyed five of the seven Shahed-type drones, as well as one Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone. Read also: Russia partially destroys Kharkiv TV tower Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Governor says newly signed school scholarship law is about giving choice in education Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill into law Tuesday essentially creating private school scholarships for children in underperforming public schools. But opponents insist this is just a school voucher law and will ultimately hurt the public schools all across Georgia. State Republicans have tried for years to get this kind of school voucher bill passed. It did this session with the governors help. Theyre calling it a win for parents and students. Opponents are saying tax dollars should be used for public education, not private education. The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act creates a $6,500 scholarship for children in low-performing public schools who want to get a private school education. The governor told Channel 2s Richard Elliot that the new law is about giving parents a choice. Really helping our kids in failing schools is what its all about, making sure we have choice in education, Kemp said. But criticism of the new law came quick. Georgia Association of Educators president Lisa Morgan told Elliot that she doesnt believe taxpayer money should be used for private schools. TRENDING STORIES: We are opposed to school vouchers, Morgan said. We believe funds should be for our public schools, should be reserved for our public schools which educate over 93% of our students here in Georgia. Elliot also reached out to several north Georgia school districts for comment. Fulton County schools said they oppose expansion of vouchers and firmly reject any proposals for expansion of voucher programs, emphasizing the importance of preserving public education funding. But others approve the law. Denice Dixon runs a small private school for special needs kids. She told Elliot that the $6,500 would cover the cost of tuition at her school for an entire year. This bill is absolutely important to be able to provide that funding source for parents and students who need it, Dixon said. In other statements, DeKalb County school officials say they think this law will impact student enrollment and funding. Cobb County school leaders said theyre proud to provide high-quality choices for families inside the public school framework. The law goes into effect July 1. IN OTHER NEWS: With graduation near, colleges seek to balance safety and students' right to protest Gaza war CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) The University of Michigan is informing students of the rules for upcoming graduation ceremonies: Banners and flags are not allowed. Protests are OK but in designated areas away from the cap-and-gown festivities. The University of Southern California canceled a planned speech by the school's Muslim valedictorian and then released all its outside commencement speakers. At Columbia University, where more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested last week, the protests have included a large tent encampment on the Ivy League school's main lawn, the very place graduating students and families are set to gather next month. This is commencement season 2024, punctuated by the tension and volatility that has roiled college campuses since Hamas deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry. Since the war began, colleges and universities have struggled to balance campus safety with free speech rights amid intense student debate and protests. Many schools that tolerated protests and other disruptions for months are now doling out more heavy-handed discipline. A series of recent campus crackdowns on student protesters have included suspensions and, in some cases, expulsions. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said the Middle East conflict is terrible and she understands many are experiencing deep moral distress. But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view, she wrote in a note addressed to the school community Monday. The new measures have done little to stop protests. In recent days, pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up encampments on campuses around the country, including at Columbia, the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, where several dozen protesters were arrested after officials said they defied warnings to leave. While the majority of protests across college campuses have been peaceful, some have turned aggressive. Some Jewish students say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe. Protesters are asking universities to take a number of actions, such as calling for a cease-fire in the war, or divesting from defense companies that do business with Israel. The weapons being made in this country are being sent to Israel and being used in the war on Gaza, said Craig Birckhead-Morton, a Yale senior who was arrested Monday after refusing to leave a protest encampment. We have to highlight the difficulties the Palestinian people are going through." At MIT, protesters also have asked the university to stop what they say is funding from the Ministry of Defense in Israel to university projects with military objectives. We believe that we have a platform that students in other universities dont have because of our unique ties to the Israeli military, said Shara Bhuiyan, a 21-year-old senior studying electrical engineering and computer science. The intense emotions on both sides have created a climate that has unsettled both Jewish and Muslim students. More than half of such students, and a fifth of all college students, reported feeling unsafe on campus because of their stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a report published in March by the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats. Among the commencement speakers likely to encounter protesters is President Joe Biden, who is speaking at ceremonies next month for Morehouse College and the U.S. Military Academy. Earlier this month, the Anti-Defamation League sent an open letter to college and university presidents urging them to take clear decisive action to ensure graduation ceremonies run smoothly and safely. We remain deeply concerned regarding the possibility of substantial disruptions during commencement ceremonies, Shira Goodman, the ADLs senior director of advocacy, said in an emailed statement. The protest movement ramped up nationally after Shafik, the Columbia president, summoned New York City police on Thursday to clear a pro-Palestinian tent camp from the university's campus after student protesters ignored demands to leave. She described the move as an extraordinary step to keep the campus safe. All 100 or so students arrested were charged with trespassing and then several were suspended but as of Tuesday, the large protest encampment remained on the main lawn where grandstands for Columbia's May 15 commencement have already been installed. The arrests came a day after Shafik pledged during a congressional hearing on antisemitism to balance students safety with their right to free speech. Following similar testimony last year, the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania answering accusations that universities were failing to protect Jewish students resigned. Several other college campuses around the country kicked off the new year with revised protest rules. In January, American University banned indoor protests. Harvard started the spring semester with guidance effectively limiting protests to outdoor areas. The University of Michigan drafted a proposed Disruptive Activity Policy earlier this month. Violations of the policy, which has not yet been implemented, could result in suspension or expulsion of students and termination of university staff. The proposal came in response to a raucous March 24 protest that halted the schools annual honors convocation, a 100-year-old tradition preceding the May 4 graduation. Protesters interrupted a speech by university President Santa J. Ono with shouts of, Youre funding genocide! and unfurled banners that said: Free Palestine, forcing an abrupt end to the ceremony. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said in a letter to Ono that the policy is vague and overbroad, and risks chilling a substantial amount of free speech and expression. But in a letter to the campus, Ono remarked that while protest is valued and protected, disruptions are not. One groups right to protest does not supersede the right of others to participate in a joyous event, he wrote. At Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, more than two dozen anti-Israel demonstrators stormed the university presidents office in late March, refusing to leave for hours. Three of the students were expelled, including freshman Jack Petocz. Its a very scary moment, said Petocz, 19, who is appealing the decision. Its about the crackdown on free speech on campuses but its also about campuses becoming police states. Last Monday, the University of Southern California cited substantial risks relating to security and disruption at the commencement" when it announced it would break from tradition and not allow valedictorian Asna Tabassum, a first-generation South Asian American Muslim, to deliver a speech at the May 10 commencement. The decision sparked outrage and several days of protests on campus, prompting another unexpected shake-up days later: the cancellation of a keynote speaker for the first time since 1942. The events at USC have raised concern that other schools will bow to pressure and erode free speech, said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, a civil rights attorney and national deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. I am worried that schools might decline to select a qualified visibly Muslim student who advocates for Palestine, to avoid what happened at USC, he said. Schools are going to do more harm than good if they try to censor and silence commencement speakers, and especially students who have received the honor of speaking at their graduation ceremonies. ___ Gecker reported from San Francisco. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. With graduation near, colleges seek to balance safety and students' right to protest Gaza war The University of Michigan is informing students of the rules for upcoming graduation ceremonies: Banners and flags are not allowed. Protests are OK but in designated areas away from the cap-and-gown festivities. The University of Southern California canceled a planned speech by the schools Muslim valedictorian and then released all its outside commencement speakers. At Columbia University, where more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested last week, the protests have included a large tent encampment on the Ivy League schools main lawn, the very place graduating students and families are set to gather next month. This is commencement season 2024, punctuated by the tension and volatility that has roiled college campuses since Hamas deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry. Since the war began, colleges and universities have struggled to balance campus safety with free speech rights amid intense student debate and protests. Many schools that tolerated protests and other disruptions for months are now doling out more heavy-handed discipline. A series of recent campus crackdowns on student protesters have included suspensions and, in some cases, expulsions. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said the Middle East conflict is terrible and she understands many are experiencing deep moral distress. But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view, she wrote in a note addressed to the school community Monday. The new measures have done little to stop protests. In recent days, pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up encampments on campuses around the country, including at Columbia, the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, where several dozen protesters were arrested after officials said they defied warnings to leave. While the majority of protests across college campuses have been peaceful, some have turned aggressive. Some Jewish students say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe. Protesters are asking universities to take a number of actions, such as calling for a cease-fire in the war, or divesting from defense companies that do business with Israel. The weapons being made in this country are being sent to Israel and being used in the war on Gaza, said Craig Birckhead-Morton, a Yale senior who was arrested Monday after refusing to leave a protest encampment. We have to highlight the difficulties the Palestinian people are going through. At MIT, protesters also have asked the university to stop what they say is funding from the Ministry of Defense in Israel to university projects with military objectives. Emerson College, MIT, Tufts students start pro-Palestinian camps inspired by Columbia protests We believe that we have a platform that students in other universities dont have because of our unique ties to the Israeli military, said Shara Bhuiyan, a 21-year-old senior studying electrical engineering and computer science. The intense emotions on both sides have created a climate that has unsettled both Jewish and Muslim students. More than half of such students, and a fifth of all college students, reported feeling unsafe on campus because of their stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a report published in March by the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats. Among the commencement speakers likely to encounter protesters is President Joe Biden, who is speaking at ceremonies next month for Morehouse College and the U.S. Military Academy. Earlier this month, the Anti-Defamation League sent an open letter to college and university presidents urging them to take clear decisive action to ensure graduation ceremonies run smoothly and safely. We remain deeply concerned regarding the possibility of substantial disruptions during commencement ceremonies, Shira Goodman, the ADLs senior director of advocacy, said in an emailed statement. The protest movement ramped up nationally after Shafik, the Columbia president, summoned New York City police on Thursday to clear a pro-Palestinian tent camp from the universitys campus after student protesters ignored demands to leave. She described the move as an extraordinary step to keep the campus safe. All 100 or so students arrested were charged with trespassing and then several were suspended but as of Tuesday, the large protest encampment remained on the main lawn where grandstands for Columbias May 15 commencement have already been installed. The arrests came a day after Shafik pledged during a congressional hearing on antisemitism to balance students safety with their right to free speech. Following similar testimony last year, the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania answering accusations that universities were failing to protect Jewish students resigned. Several other college campuses around the country kicked off the new year with revised protest rules. In January, American University banned indoor protests. Harvard started the spring semester with guidance effectively limiting protests to outdoor areas. The University of Michigan drafted a proposed Disruptive Activity Policy earlier this month. Violations of the policy, which has not yet been implemented, could result in suspension or expulsion of students and termination of university staff. The proposal came in response to a raucous March 24 protest that halted the schools annual honors convocation, a 100-year-old tradition preceding the May 4 graduation. Protesters interrupted a speech by university President Santa J. Ono with shouts of, Youre funding genocide! and unfurled banners that said: Free Palestine, forcing an abrupt end to the ceremony. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said in a letter to Ono that the policy is vague and overbroad, and risks chilling a substantial amount of free speech and expression. But in a letter to the campus, Ono remarked that while protest is valued and protected, disruptions are not. One groups right to protest does not supersede the right of others to participate in a joyous event, he wrote. At Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, more than two dozen anti-Israel demonstrators stormed the university presidents office in late March, refusing to leave for hours. Three of the students were expelled, including freshman Jack Petocz. Its a very scary moment, said Petocz, 19, who is appealing the decision. Its about the crackdown on free speech on campuses but its also about campuses becoming police states. Last Monday, the University of Southern California cited substantial risks relating to security and disruption at the commencement when it announced it would break from tradition and not allow valedictorian Asna Tabassum, a first-generation South Asian American Muslim, to deliver a speech at the May 10 commencement. The decision sparked outrage and several days of protests on campus, prompting another unexpected shake-up days later: the cancellation of a keynote speaker for the first time since 1942. The events at USC have raised concern that other schools will bow to pressure and erode free speech, said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, a civil rights attorney and national deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. I am worried that schools might decline to select a qualified visibly Muslim student who advocates for Palestine, to avoid what happened at USC, he said. Schools are going to do more harm than good if they try to censor and silence commencement speakers, and especially students who have received the honor of speaking at their graduation ceremonies. 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 POLK COUNTY, Texas (KETK) The man accused of killing Audrii Cunningham in February has reportedly been indicted by a Polk County grand jury. What to know about the death of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham in Texas According to KPRC, Don Steven McDougal was indicted on two counts of capital murder on Monday. On Feb. 15, 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham went missing. Shortly after, the Polk County Sheriffs Office arrested McDougal for her murder after they found her body in the Trinity River and substantial evidence regarding his involvement in her death. Modern-day Bonnie and Clyde: Wisconsin man and woman arrested for theft in Marshall Records obtained by KPRC revealed that McDougal was reportedly a friend of the Cunningham family, lived in a camper on their property and had access to their home. The records also reported that McDougal and Audrii left the Cunningham residence together on the day she went missing with the intent of dropping her off at school. The records said that there was evidence that indicated McDougal allegedly lied about his whereabouts on that day. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. GRAND LEDGE, Mich. (WLNS) Water bills are about to jump in Grand Ledge, with the city moving forward with a massive expansion project. The Grand Ledge City Council gave the green light to move ahead with a plan to expand the Citys wastewater treatment plant near Fitzgerald Park. People who live there had some concerns at Mondays public hearing. One of them being a much bigger water bill, adding on $61.07 a month come July. Thats a heck of a lot of money, One public commenter said. Residents at the Grand Ledge City Council meeting Monday where officials approved improvements for the wastewater plant. (WLNS) A portion of Fitzgerald Park will be used in the wastewater plant improvements. (WLNS) The Grand Ledge wastewater treatment plant. (WLNS) Council members say improving the Citys wastewater treatment plant has been a goal for a while, as there have been overflow issues. But public comment showed people werent convinced they should be the ones having to pay. Another public commenter questioned how it was decided who would pay what. I would hope that businesses would be charged possibly a larger fee. The way its set out it kind of seems that every person connected to water and sewer would be paying that 60 some and some change, That public commenter said. First ward Council member, Brett Gillespie said that technically only around $45 will be added to peoples water bills in July. Thats because about $16 has already been added. This embedded content is not available in your region. Nobody likes raising taxes, nobody likes raising fees. But infrastructure costs money. And the only way we can do this is by raising water rates unless we can get help from the State or Federal Government, Gillespie said. As of now, the plan will be funded through a low-interest Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy State revolving fund loan. Its expected to cost $52,400,000. Gillespie hopes that people calling on State and Federal lawmakers can open another door for financial help though. Another issue brought up at the public hearing was the possibility of infringing on Fitzgerald Parks natural beauty, one public commenter spoke on how unique of a place it is. The outcropping of sandstone, shale, and coal in Fitzgerald Park, specifically at the viewing platform location are unique in Michigan. These rocks tell the story of Mid-Michigans environment 300 million years ago, The commenter said. Council members reassured the community that the expansion will happen on the sledding hill which is technically not Fitzgerald Park property. The water and sewer fund has owned this property for years. And as City Manager Smith explained, its not going to expand outside of that boundary right now. So it will not be changing the size of Fitzgerald Park, Gillespie said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. The next time Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stands in front of a microphone to talk about election integrity, I want you to remember this: Nearly a third of voters in Louisiana are Black, and yet Black voters had control over less than 20% of the states congressional districts. White voters make up less than 60% of the electorate yet had control over more than 80% of the power. When the Democratic governor vetoed attempts to suppress the Black vote, the Republican state Legislature overrode the veto . When a federal judge said another map should be drawn, the Supreme Court delayed action until it had decided a similar question about Alabama. In that state, Black people are more than a quarter of the population but had control over just one of the states seven districts. For two years, Alabama fought to dilute the Black vote, until the highest court of the land rejected the states final plea for a gerrymandered map . Read more: Granderson: Texas gerrymandering is all about keeping a grip on white power Johnsons party has been working to suppress Black votes for decades, so what is he talking about when he trumpets election integrity? His appearance with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month was ostensibly about an election reform bill, meant to address a crisis those two men love to hype: the claim that millions of noncitizens are voting in our elections. The facts show that claim isnt true . What is true is that within months of taking office in 2017, Trump established a commission to investigate his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election, and the Republican-led group which included a handful of conservative secretaries of state didnt find anything . Read more: Granderson: Why aren't Democrats making Election Day a state holiday? Its also true that we are approaching the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the same Jim Crow states that opposed Black people voting then are the same states in court today opposing Black representation. That includes Louisiana, the state Mike Election Integrity Johnson hails from. During the civil rights movement, the Louisiana congressman James Morrison, a Democrat, voted in favor of the Voting Rights Act. He suddenly became vulnerable in the primary. Morrison went on to accuse his opponent John R. Rarick of being a member of the Ku Klux Klan, which the FBI confirmed. Morrison lost anyway, and Rarick won the seat. In 1973 Rarick introduced a bill in the House to repeal the Civil Rights Act. In 1988 David Duke, a Grand Wizard of the KKK, ran for president. In 2022 a map was drawn to suppress the Black vote. In January a new map to include a second Black district was approved. In February there was another lawsuit to try to stop it. Those Southern states have been consistent in their agenda. In Raricks day some of the bad actors, including him, were Democrats, but now the cause has been taken up by Republicans. And why is todays GOP so concerned about protecting elections? Why are they fighting so hard to stop democracy? Because they dont want a democratic outcome. They want white control. Johnson wants you to believe its the desperate migrants and asylum seekers at the southern border who are the greatest threat to democracy. No, Mr. Speaker: It is and always has been racism. Its baked into our nation. When you look up the origins of the electoral college on the National Archives website , it tells you that the Founding Fathers established it in the Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. However, what it doesnt say is why a compromise was needed in the first place. If the majority of people have already spoken in the election, why does Congress need a say? The answer is rooted in what William Buckley wrote in his 1957 essay Why the South Must Prevail: It is more important for any community, anywhere in the world, to affirm and live by civilized standards, than to bow to the demands of the numerical majority. Need I remind you of what was considered civilized standards in the South in 1957? Need I remind you how little has changed ? Thats by design from the establishment of the electoral college to today. If Johnson cares about protecting democracy, the facts point to where he should start. Other lawmakers are ahead of him. Maine recently became the 17th state, in addition to the District of Columbia, to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an effort to have the popular vote and not the electoral college determine who wins the White House. There is still a question of whether this attempt to rid the country of the racist electoral college requires congressional approval. But it does demonstrate a hunger for democracy. I struggle to reconcile the fact that a candidate who has fewer actual votes than their opponent can still become president of the United States, Gov. Janet Mills of Maine said in a statement recently. It seems to me that the person who wins the most votes should become the president. To do otherwise seemingly runs counter to the democratic foundations of our country. While I agree with her sentiment, the electoral college wasnt counter to foundations. Concessions to appease racism are written throughout the Constitution. The electoral college is just one of a number of examples. The border crisis has nothing to do with what has always been democracys biggest threat. @LZGranderson 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. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is escalating her threat to remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from power, but she faces a steep climb if she hopes to achieve that goal. Not only has the Speaker recently received a glowing review from former President Trump, the GOPs presumed presidential nominee, but Democrats remain ready to rescue Johnson from a conservative coup. On top of that, many of the conservatives most frustrated with Johnsons leadership style are opposing a motion to vacate, leaving Greene with only the barest GOP support for her removal resolution. My judgment and estimation is that this is not the time to do that, said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), head of the far-right Freedom Caucus. Not that Johnson is out of the woods. The Speaker has infuriated conservatives such as Greene and Good for months by reaching across the aisle to cut a number of deals with President Biden on big-ticket issues including federal spending, government spying and, most recently, billions of dollars in new military aid to Ukraine funding opposed by most of his GOP conference. It was precisely those types of bipartisan agreements that led directly to the downfall of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted by frustrated hard-liners in October. And Greene over the weekend called on Johnson to resign, or shes vowing to boot him from power. Mike Johnsons Speakership is over, she said in an interview with Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures. He needs to do the right thing to resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesnt do so, he will be vacated. Yet Greenes position is a lonely one in the House GOP. While her vacate resolution won the support last week from two other Republicans Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) the prevailing sentiment among conservatives is that Johnson should remain in place despite their frustrations with his bipartisan deal-making. Those voices include Freedom Caucus leaders such as Good, who supported McCarthys removal but are quick to point out that, for Republicans, the political environment has changed in the six months since then. Not only has the GOPs House majority shrunk the result of the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) and the resignation of five other Republicans, including McCarthy but theres no obvious successor to Johnson, and the calendar is now inching closer to November. Many Republicans simply arent eager to repeat the weeks of chaos that followed McCarthys expulsion, when GOP lawmakers scrambled to locate a viable replacement. I think we do the best we can with the Speaker that we have: influence him to the best of our ability, expose what we believe are wrong actions by, not just the Speaker, but everyone who is voting to support those actions and have a contest to see who the conference can coalesce around as the best option in November, Good said. Last week, when Johnson flirted with the idea of pushing a change in House rules to make it harder to remove a Speaker, the support for Greenes vacate proposal appeared ready to spike, as conservatives including Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) threatened to jump on board. Yet Johnson backed away from that rule change, keeping the single-vote threshold for launching a motion to vacate in place. And the number of lawmakers supporting Greenes resolution at least publicly has remained at three. I think a motion to vacate right now would almost certainly turn the House over to Democrats, and thats why I wont support it, Gaetz said. The pushback from fellow conservatives has taken some of the air out of Greenes threat to remove Johnson, not least because it means that it would take only a handful of Democrats maybe fewer to rescue the Speaker if a vacate motion does come up for a vote. Already, there are a number of Democrats on record saying publicly that they would vote to sink Greenes resolution to save the Speaker promised support that had hinged on Johnsons willingness to stage votes to extend federal surveillance powers and provide more aid to Ukraine, both of which passed in recent days with strong bipartisan backing. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told The New York Times in February that a reasonable number of Democrats would rescue Johnson. Last week, he said the math hasnt changed. That statement still stands, Jeffries told reporters. Complicating Greenes effort even further, Trump recently hosted Johnson at Mar-a-Lago, where the former president praised the Speakers performance since taking the gavel. Hes doing a really good job under very tough circumstances, Trump said, just days before Johnson unveiled his strategy for passing Ukraine aid. None of those factors has discouraged Greene at least not rhetorically. The Georgia firebrand doubled down on her criticisms of Johnson on Monday when she told Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser, that GOP voters feel betrayed by the Speaker for his support of the new Ukraine aid and want a new crop of leaders who will fight to advance Trumps America First agenda. They are absolutely done with Republican leadership like Mike Johnson, who totally sold us out to the Democrats, joined the uni-party faster than anyone weve ever seen in history, and literally made a night-and-day change in a matter of months, she said. The internal criticisms have sparked a backlash of their own from more moderate Republicans, who support Johnson and are incredulous at the thought that such a small minority of disaffected conservatives could ordain that he must go. He followed his compass, did the right thing, and she speaks for three or four people, said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). You cant let three people dictate to the rest. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Erika Pillsbury isn't giving up on justice being served. One year following her daughter's tragic murder, she bravely recounts the harrowing tale, seeking justice for her loss and striving to enhance safety for women in the Phoenix and Tempe areas. Erika Pillsbury Shares Her Heartbreaking Story To Help Others Stay Safe TikTok | Erika Pillsbury Pillsbury shares her story on TikTok in the hopes that one day they find Vega's murderer as well as to help alert women who live in the Phoenix area of the dangers that lurk. Pillsbury recalled the day she found out her daughter, 22, was kidnapped and murdered. "At about 7 p.m. on April 17, 2023, I heard a knock on the door. I thought it was strange because the doorbell didn't ring. I looked through the peephole and saw two men standing there. I could see the badge around the neck of one of them," Pillsbury told The Blast exclusively. "I assumed it had something to do with my neighbors who occasionally had some domestic issues, and they were there to ask if we had seen or heard anything." But when she opened the door, one of the men, Detective Jacob Ray, asked if Mercedes Vega lived there. Pillsbury said, "No, but I am her mom. Is she okay?" "Detective Ray then asked if he could come in and I repeated asking, 'Is she okay?' The detective asked again if they could come in. Once again I repeated, 'Is Mercedes okay?'" she recalled. "He finally replied to me, 'Sorry, no ma'am, she's deceased." At that point, detectives were trying to figure out what happened to Vega and didn't really have any answers for Pillsbury and her husband, and left shortly after breaking the tragic news. But before leaving, they asked three questions: was she right or left-handed, her home address, and did she have any reason to be near Tonopah, AZ? "My husband and I just sat there having no idea why our child was gone, where her body was, what she went through, or how she was killed. Our other children began to show up at our house and my husband picked up his phone and looked up Tonopah, AZ. The very first article that popped up in his phone stated, 'Young adult female found burned in the back of a vehicle,'" she explained. "That was it, there was nothing else." The following morning, the paper had another story but this time added her name - Mercedes Marianna Vega. Erika Pillsbury Later Learned More About What Happened To Her Daughter Contributed Photo | Erika Pillsbury Not long after Pillsbury learned the heartbreaking news of her daughter's passing, she received a phone call from the Tempe Police Department asking her to move her vehicle, which caused some confusion. "I had cosigned for Mercedes' car so the registration was in my name. The officer on the phone stated, 'Ma'am, you're not allowed to park here.' I was so confused. I thought it was some sort of sick joke. At this point, I thought my daughter was burned in her own vehicle," Pillsbury told The Blast. "The gentleman on the phone could tell I was in shock. The officer then asked me, "Has this vehicle been involved in a homicide?' This is when I learned that it wasn't my daughter's car she was found burned in." After calling the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, she found out that her daughter was found in a burning vehicle, hit over the head, had "blunt force trauma to her body" and was shot in her arm, and then "burned alive." It wasn't until six months later that the autopsy report was released and Pillsbury was informed that bleach was found in Vega's throat and the "force trauma occurred more than one time." Erika Pillsbury Shared A Warning On TikTok For Women In The Phoenix Area While Pillsbury still has no answers to who did this to her daughter, she's holding onto hope that justice will be served one day. In the meantime, she's spreading messages for other women to be safe by sharing Vega's story. "I'm the mother of Mercedes Vega, and I need the people of the Phoenix area to be aware that my child's killers are still at large. They're still preying on the young women of Tempe," she said in a TikTok video. "They're still out there." She then shared a warning to not allow young girls to be alone in the city. "The vile, horrific, disgusting torture of my child has not been important enough for people to share it, but I'm gonna share it now," she continued. "There are people out there preying on your children. They're watching them. They're learning their patterns. They're planning horrible things to do to your child." She also warned parents about the dangers around Arizona State University's campus. She asked parents to reevaluate where their children are, saying that if they're in Tempe, they "are not safe." Her video went on to share the fear, emotion, and important message Pillsbury has for parents and children in the Tempe area. Pillsbury shared many other videos on TikTok with Vega's story and pleas for women to stay safe. There Was A Protest In Mercedes Vega's Honor On The First Anniversary Of Her Murder Contributed Photo | Erika Pillsbury On April 17, one year to the day that Vega was murdered, the community came together to protest on her behalf. "It felt good to scream for justice for my daughter," Pillsbury told The Blast. "My daughter deserves justice." Pillsbury feels that the protest made a statement to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. "I'm hoping we made the statement that every woman matters. I am hoping this propels some answers, maybe some assistance to MCSO, and further progresses the investigation," she continued. "The people who abducted, abused, shot, kidnapped, tortured, and burned my child deserves to face the death penalty. They need to be taken off the street. They need to pay for their actions. They need to not be around society in any respect." In addition to the protest, the family set up a GoFundMe page with more information on how people can help. Erika Pillsbury's Message To The World After Losing Her Beloved Daughter Contributed Photo | Erika Pillsbury Pillsbury said she could not explain the feeling of finding out that her daughter was gone. "Not that it is any comparison to any other parent who lost a child but when you know that a person decided to take your child's life, it might make you just a little bit more angry," she said. "The world is at a loss without Mercedes. She was such a bright light for so many people. She was always so kind and helpful. I miss her laugh. I miss her smile. I miss her. I miss holding her hand. I miss hearing her voice. I miss her hugs." She also said that there's a "certain kind of scream that a mother lets out when their child is taken," and she unfortunately knows that scream too well. Despite her pain, she has the strength to warn others of the dangers lurking in her area. "Please tell your 20-something-year-old children who live near Tempe or live in Phoenix who go to ASU about Mercedes. She is not the only one this has happened to and she won't be the only one," Pillsbury said. "Please tell them to pay extra special attention to their surroundings at all times. Avoid parking garages! Do not walk to your car alone. Carry a taser. Carry a gun and learn to use it. Learn self-defense. Be vigilant and be safe." Federal, transportation and union leaders gathered in Las Vegas Monday to drive spikes into a symbolic rail, marking the beginning of construction for a $12 billion high-speed rail line that will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. People have been dreaming of high-speed rail in America for decades, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony. Its really happening this time. Brightline West, the only private passenger rail company operating high-speed service in the country, is expected to build a 218-mile intercity passenger rail system between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where it would connect with Los Angeless existing regional rail system. Buttigieg on Monday touted the Biden administrations support for the project, noting it will bring thousands of union jobs and help local economies, The Associated Press reported. The project is estimated to cost about $12 billion $3 billion of which the Biden administration greenlighted last year. The trip is expected to take slightly longer than two hours, with trains traveling as fast as 180 mph. This will be nearly twice as fast as driving. Advocates for the project hope the rail line will lessen transportation costs and reduce traffic and emissions. An estimated 16 million people drive from Las Vegas toward Southern California on Interstate 15 every year through the Mojave Desert. Brightline estimated the project could slash 3 million car trips every year. The company is hoping construction will be done in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. I believe well look back at today and say, This was the birth of an industry of high-speed rail, Brightline Holdings founder Wes Edens said Monday, per the AP. Brightline, which is based in Florida, launched a high-speed Orlando to Miami service, the first of its kind, last year. These trains can reach speeds up to 125 mph and offer 16 round-trips per day, the news wire reported. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Group of nearly 20 Cubans arrive in Florida Keys migrant landing, Border Patrol says A group of almost 20 Cuban migrants landed in the Florida Keys Tuesday afternoon, according to law enforcement sources. The people came ashore on Rodriguez Key, an uninhabited island located east of Key Largo, Adam Hoffner, assistant chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrols Miami sector, told the Herald. According to the Monroe County Sheriffs Office online calls for service log, the landing was reported shortly before 2 p.m. Hoffner could not immediately confirm the nationality of the migrants, but local law enforcement sources told the Miami Herald tha they came from Cuba. One source said the group of 18 people 17 men and one woman came to shore in a chug, which is a commonly used name for makeshift migrant boats people from Cuba often use to make the dangerous journey across the Florida Straits. (Getty Images) Students from families on Washingtons food assistance programs will soon automatically qualify for financial aid to attend college. Thats due to a new state law, House Bill 2214, that guarantees state financial aid for students enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP for short and sometimes called food stamps. The law calls for the automatic tuition aid to be available by the 2025-26 school year. If youre looking for the one program that connects the largest number of low-income households in the state, it would be SNAP, said Michael Meotti, executive director of the Washington Student Achievement Council, which introduced the idea to lawmakers. HB 2214 is the first law of its kind in the country, Meotti said. In Washington, SNAP is called Basic Food. Generally, a household must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level to qualify. Thats $60,000 a year for a household of four. For legal immigrants who dont qualify for SNAP, the state runs the Food Assistance Program. Households in that program will also automatically qualify for college financial aid. The funds will come from the Washington College Grant, which already allows the state to offer more need-based financial aid to students than anywhere else in the country. A game-changer Meotti called the law a game-changer, because it will allow students to start planning for their futures without having to worry about what will happen if they dont win scholarships or qualify for financial aid. Washington has this hugely generous state financial aid program, Meotti said, referring to the Washington College Grant. We can tell you about it, but you wont know if youre getting it until the spring of your senior year in high school. High school students often give up on higher education early on, Meotti said, for reasons including the high cost of tuition. Meotti hopes guaranteeing financial aid will encourage more students to pursue college and see that its an obtainable goal. Financial aid applications can also be complex and hard to understand, especially for first-generation students whose families dont have a history of applying. Washington officials want students to continue to apply for federal aid regardless if they will automatically qualify for state aid, but hope that guaranteeing aid will help remove the barriers that come with financial aid applications. Guaranteed college financial aid coming for WA for students on food assistance How will it work? Starting in 10th grade, students eligible for food assistance will receive one year of free college tuition. If the student is still enrolled in food aid programs by 11th grade, theyll receive two years of free college, and so on, for upwards of three years of free college. While the fourth year isnt covered, Meotti said that students will be able to get a free ride if they apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA. By then, Meotti hopes students will have the resources they need to apply. The Washington Student Achievement Council is still hammering out details of how the program will work. The council is also recruiting partners to help them figure out how best to reach students. Theyre also still trying to figure out how to make sure families know that the program isnt too good to be true Meotti pointed to how skeptical families are when they hear about free community college programs like Seattle Promise. We want to be very savvy about how to make sure we dont stimulate that kind of reaction, Meotti said. The post Guaranteed college financial aid coming to WA students on food assistance appeared first on Washington State Standard. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 23. Uzbekistan produced 76.9 billion kWh of electricity in 2023, Trend reports. According to the data from Uzbekistans Statistics Agency, the volume of heat energy production amounted to 24.3 million Gcal, while the production of gas from underground coal gasification reached 77.3 million cubic meters in 2023. The production of electricity amounted to 70.9 billion kWh and 26 million Gcal of heat energy in 2022. The country didnt produce any gas from underground coal gasification during this period, and its production significantly dropped after 2021. In total, Uzbekistan produced 345.2 billion kWh of electricity in 20192023, while the production volume of heat energy reached 135 million Gcal. At the same time, the countrys production of gas from underground coal gasification totaled 977.1 million cubic meters during 20192023. Structure of produced electricity, heat energy, and gas from underground coal gasification in Uzbekistan for 20192023: Product name Volume (in 2023) Volume (in 2022) Volume (in 2021) Volume (in 2020) Volume (in 2019) Electricity 76.9 billion kWh 70.9 billion kWh 70.1 billion kWh 64.9 billion kWh 62.4 billion kWh Heat energy 24.3 million Gcal 26 million Gcal 28.3 million Gcal 27.7 million Gcal 28.7 million Gcal Gas from underground coal gasification 77.3 million cubic meters - 265.3 million cubic meters 308 million cubic meters 326.5 million cubic meters Meanwhile, Uzbekistan produced 13.4 billion kWh of electricity from January through February 2024. The volume of heat energy production reached 5.9 million Gcal and the gas of underground coal gasification reached 977.1 million cubic meters during this period. I had a 'power lunch' at Cecconi's, where Hollywood diners frequently forget their Gucci bags and iPads. Here's what it was like. I had a 'power lunch' at Cecconi's, where Hollywood diners frequently forget their Gucci bags and iPads. Here's what it was like. I recently dined at Cecconi's, considered to be an iconic "power lunch" spot in Los Angeles. The hostess told me people often forget their Gucci bags and iPads at the restaurant. I tried three dishes, including a $36 pasta, but only the wood-fired pizza impressed me. We now live in a hybrid world, but the "power lunch" is due for a comeback. And one spot looking to hold onto its crown is Cecconi's. A classic Italian restaurant off West Hollywood's famous Melrose Avenue, Cecconi's frequently appears on lists for the "top power lunch spots" and has been known to attract everyone from Beyonce to Prince Harry. But when it comes to food, is the restaurant still delivering hits or coasting on its legacy? Let's find out. Cecconi's, which is owned by Soho House, has been in West Hollywood for 15 years. The entrance to Cecconi's. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Cecconi's has always been a magnet for the A-list and princes. Enzo Cecconi opened the first location in 1978, bringing "fresh pasta, beef carpaccio, tiramisu, and Bellini cocktails" to the British, according to the restaurant's website. Soho House took full ownership in 2005, and now there are 13 Cecconi's around the world, stretching from Miami Beach to Mumbai. But the West Hollywood iteration is the most well-known thanks to its star-studded clientele, earning it a spot alongside classic LA establishments like Spago, The Ivy, and Polo Lounge as a place to "see and be seen" and cut some good deals. I've lived in LA for the past few years but had never dined at Cecconi's. It was time to see a true power lunch in action. A gloomy sky greeted me as I arrived for lunch on a Friday afternoon. Cecconi's has a tented outdoor dining area, as well as a patio. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider My friend and I had no trouble getting a table, realizing why as we walked up the driveway and into the restaurant. There was ample seating throughout the airy space, including a nearly empty tented dining area in front of the entrance. The patio was nearly full as we walked up to the hostess. The patio lunch crowd had dispersed by the time I snapped this photo on our way out. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I was surprised when the hostess asked for my number, wondering if we should've made a reservation. But she explained it was actually to help return any lost items. "You wouldn't believe what people leave behind," she told me. "Gucci bags, iPads, Louis Vuitton duffels." Bright pops of color and a bold floor gave the restaurant a more modern vibe than I expected. Part of Cecconi's dining room. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The phrase "power lunch" can bring to mind a vision of stuffy and dated interiors, but I loved the leather turquoise chairs and black-and-white striped floor in Cecconi's dining room. They added a chic touch alongside the old-school chandeliers and dark wood paneling. We were seated next to the wraparound bar in front of one of the doors that opened up to the patio. It was a perfect people-watching spot. While it might have been power lunch hour, few people were in suits or business casual. Two very glamorous older women perfectly coiffed hair, gold jewelry, Jackie O sunglasses sat across from us. A group of friends in jeans and sweaters were laughing nearby. A handful of solo diners were enjoying quiet meals at the bar. Cecconi's extensive menu features pizza, pasta, and a variety of appetizers and entrees. Cecconi's menu. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider One of the highlights of our lunch was the extremely kind waiter, who highly recommended we get a pizza which ended up being the best dish of the day. I had heard there was a secret Cecconi's burger, but our waiter revealed it only makes special appearances (usually during happy hour). I also inquired about the $26 "Piatto Unico" on the menu, which we learned is a lunchtime special that changes weekly and always features a protein, side, and salad. When I asked if it was worth trying that week's special, our waiter recommended we go with an appetizer and two dishes instead. I kicked things off with a $22 Peach Bourbon Smash cocktail. My Peach Bourbon Smash cocktail. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Listed as one of Cecconi's seasonal cocktails, the Peach Bourbon Smash is made with Maker's Mark, lemon, ginger, peach, and strawberry bitters. My drink had a lovely sunny hue that brightened up the very cloudy LA day, with flavors to match. It was a sweet and zingy drink, and the ginger candy garnish was a fun touch. Then came the $28 grilled octopus, which is served with lemon, capers, and olives. My octopus was far too charred. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider My parents immigrated to the US from Greece, so a love for octopus is ingrained in me. A great plate can immediately transport me back to childhood summer days spent in tavernas overlooking the Aegean Sea, our table covered in a seafood feast. Cecconi's octopus unfortunately didn't live up to those memories, nor did it come close to some fantastic plates I've had on recent trips to Mexico (Ziggy's octopus in Tulum, I will never forget you). The octopus had a soft texture no easy feat with such a tricky protein. But the meat was so charred on the outside that it completely overwhelmed the flavor. Served alongside peppadew peppers, which added a kick of heat, the octopus was begging for something to brighten up the plate whether it be a cooling sauce or a bigger splash of acidity. Next up was the $36 cavatelli lamb ragu, which didn't live up to its price tag. Cecconi's $36 cavatelli lamb ragu. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I've always had a deep love for pasta, so I'm very good at convincing myself to shell out for a pricey dish on special occasions. A waiter recently persuaded me to try the $50 agnolotti at Funke the newest LA restaurant by master pasta maker Evan Funke and I had zero regrets when I bit into the deliciously delicate noodle, stuffed to perfection with pork and bathed in a cascade of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano. Cecconi's cavatelli lamb ragu is $14 cheaper, but it's still a very pricey dish, and the flavors just didn't warrant the expense, in my experience. The cavatelli was chewy, overcooked, and only coated with a light layer of the ragu. The dish desperately needed more sauce, herbs, and cheese. In a city brimming with incredible pasta dishes at a range of prices I probably think about the $19 Malai Rigatoni from Piija Palace at least once a week Cecconi's ragu is neither exciting nor affordable. It's an easy skip. The best part of the meal was the $32 spicy salami pizza. I really enjoyed Cecconi's pizza. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I grew up next to a wood-oven pizza restaurant that my family would visit weekly, and Cecconi's wood-fired spicy salami pie captured my nostalgia. Each floppy slice had a satisfyingly smoky and charred bottom, adding some great texture. The spicy salami and perfectly cooked mushrooms were a match made in heaven, and the tomato sauce was delicious. It was a lovely pie and the highlight of the lunch, but you can find even better (and cheaper) pizzas at nearby Pizzana or Jon & Vinny's. Overall, our lunch at Cecconi's was a letdown. Cecconi's didn't live up to the hype. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider While the atmosphere was as lovely as the service, and we didn't have to wait long for our meal all important factors in a good "power lunch" the food just didn't live up to the hype. Or the high price tag. And in a city with one of the most competitive culinary scenes in the world, there are dozens of places nearby where you can dazzle a client with both the scenery and the pasta. Read the original article on Business Insider PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Armored vehicles roll slowly past Haitis National Palace as police scan the horizon for gangs. Every day, bullets whiz past the area, striking buildings and people alike. Gangs control most of the territory that surrounds the palace, but a transitional council charged with selecting a new prime minister and Cabinet for Haiti is demanding that its members be sworn in at the palace. The ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday even as officials scramble to impose tight security measures, according to two high-ranking regional officials with knowledge of the matter who asked that their names be withheld because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The push to hold the ceremony at the palace is considered by some a show of force to suggest the Haitian government is still in charge despite marauding gangs who have previously attacked the palace and have promised to derail the ceremony as a daily barrage of gunfire persists in downtown Port-au-Prince. No one out here is safe, said Josil Djaimeska, 33, as he waved his hand in reference to the sprawling public park known as Champ de Mars where he sat Tuesday morning near the palace. Just steps from where he sat, a stray bullet struck Djaimeska late last week. The bullet is still in his calf, and hes hoping a doctor will operate on him soon. Shortly after he spoke, a pop-pop-pop of gunfire erupted briefly nearby. More than 2,500 people were killed or wounded across Haiti from January to March, a more than 50% increase compared with the same period last year, according to a recent U.N. report. Much of the violence is concentrated in Port-au-Prince. In a speech Monday at the U.N. Security Council, Maria Isabel Salvador, the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, said the councils priorities should include a plan for near-term security. Gang leaders and other spoilers have stated their intention to violently disrupt the current political process, she said. I cannot stress enough the need to assist Haiti with its efforts to reestablish security. While gangs have long operated in Haiti, they now control 80% of Port-au-Prince, and the coordinated attacks launched starting Feb. 29 have paralyzed the capital and beyond. They have burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed since early March and stormed Haitis two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. I am 63 years old and this is the first time I see something like this in Port-au-Prince, said Renoir Auxil, who now lives in an abandoned bathroom in the Champ de Mars park after gangs raided his neighborhood. He said the ongoing violence should not deter Haiti from moving forward. Whatever the circumstance is, they have to swear in the council, he said. The transitional council consists of nine members, seven of them with voting powers. Those awarded a seat are Petit Desalin, a party led by former senator and presidential candidate Jean-Charles Moise; EDE/RED, a party led by former Prime Minister Claude Joseph; the Montana Accord, a group of civil society leaders, political parties and others; Fanmi Lavalas, the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; the Jan. 30 Collective, which represents parties including that of former President Michel Martelly, and the private sector. As preparations to install the council continue, sporadic gunfire broke out several times near the National Palace on Tuesday. Its a sound that hundreds of people who were forced to flee their homes and are now living in a makeshift shelter close to the palace have gotten used to. But they are still talking about the shooting that occurred Sunday. One of their own was hit in the back by a stray bullet in the yard of the shelter while buying spaghetti. The man remains hospitalized and requires surgery, said Chesnel Joseph, 46, director of the shelter, which previously housed Haitis Ministry of Communications. Joseph once worked as a math teacher, but since nearly all schools in Port-au-Prince have closed as a result of the violence, he is now unemployed. Regional officials told The Associated Press that swearing in the council at the National Palace is considered too risky and that they are urging members to choose a safer venue. While the venue of the ceremony is still being debated, some Haitians like Marie-Andre Blain, 46, doubt it will be held at the palace. There is no security in this country. You just basically pray to God, she said. If the higher ranks arent safe, we ourselves arent safe. ___ Associated Press reporter Bert Wilkinson in Georgetown, Guyana contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Hamburg BOE adopts nearly $84M budget; vote scheduled for May 21 HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) The Hamburg Central School District says its Board of Education has adopted a proposed budget of $83,911,292 for the 2024-25 school year. This took place during a special board meeting held Tuesday morning. It will now be put up for a vote on May 21. This budget represents a budget-to-budget increase of less than 1 percent over the 23-24 budget while maintaining our academic programs, sports, clubs and visual and performing arts, a statement from Hamburg CSD said. The adoption of next years budget follows controversial recent staff layoffs that put 16 teachers and aides out of a job. Last month, several high and middle school students walked out in protest of this. West Seneca teachers demand answers on layoff rumors Hamburg CSD cited a lack of funds for the layoffs, saying they had previously relied on federal COVID relief and cash reserves to support some of its staffing. In addition to these layoffs, the district says seven teachers are retiring, but their positions will not be filled. Buffalo Public Schools, the states second-largest school district, has also relied partially on federal COVID funding. Although the school did not deny the possibility of layoffs down the line, the district claims to have a plan to avoid them. Latest Local News Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award, JANY Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. 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. (COLORADO SPRINGS) Harrison School District 2 students had an unforgettable Earth Day experience as they connected with the International Space Station (ISS) and spoke directly to one NASA astronaut. Students at Stratton Meads Elementary School and Thrive Home School Academy came together to join in on this special call. A select group of students ranging from third to 11th grade had the honor of asking questions of NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps. I asked them if the International Space Station travels at 17,000 miles per hour, why do you float? said Yali Huffman, a freshman at Thrive Home School Academy. The student pictured above is just one among many who had the biggest smile throughout the mornings activity. The Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association played a special role in helping make the morning possible, as they were able to borrow equipment and then use their expertise to make the connection possible. If you heard on the start of the contact, there was a lot of static, said David Molter, a Board Member of the Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association. Thats because were going through a lot of the atmosphere and theres a lot of noise, man-made noise around here. then as the ISS got more vertical, it became actually shorter in distance. A dedicated team from the Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association played a crucial role in facilitating the radio connection, allowing students and faculty to listen in and participate. Once the radio connection was made, students eagerly listened as questions were answered by the astronaut. It was an honor to be chosen out of all the students, to be one of the people who got to communicate with the astronauts, said Huffman. One student could easily be spotted in the audience, Fiona Hull could be seen wearing a jumpsuit from the space camp she attended in Huntsville, Alabama. Fiona Hull was acknowledged during the special ceremony, wearing her space jumpsuit, about her dreams to one day be up in space. Just talking to the astronaut on the ISS, said Hull. Ive talked to astronauts before, but talking to one directly on the space station is just like nerve wracking. Its just like amazing to do something like that. The morning was even more meaningful for Hull, as she envisions her future career up in space. I want to be an astronaut, a flight director, mission control, and an aerospace engineer, said Hull. Hull is not the only one who is shooting for the stars with a career in aerospace, as three students are taking classes to one day get their radio licenses. A hope from the days activity is to inspire others to follow in their footsteps, potentially leading to future astronauts who call southern Colorado home. I would like for each kid to be able to come by and take a look at the equipment, what we do, Molter said. If we had a couple of classes that weve gone to where we actually have them, teach them basics of ham radio and then have them use ham radio and talk to each other around the corner or something like that. Thats the whole idea of all this is getting the next generation going into STEM. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. People gather by a destroyed building at the site of a drop of humanitarian aid in the northern Gaza Strip - AFP Hezbollah has launched a series of drone strikes against Israeli military bases, in its deepest attack inside Israel since the start of the war in Gaza. The combined air attack using decoy and explosive drones targeted two Israeli bases north of the city of Acre, which sits on Israels Mediterranean coast, 12 miles from the Lebanese border, the militant group said in a statement. The strikes came in response to the killing of one of the groups senior operatives, Hussein Azqul, earlier today, whom Israel described as a central terrorist. Sirens rang out in Acre and the nearby city Nahariya late this morning, with the Israel Defences forces (IDF) reporting it had destroyed three suspicious aerial targets in total off the countrys coast. Footage of the strikes posted on social media appears to show objects flying through the air above the sea before they disappear in a series of small plumes of smoke. Follow the latest updates below. 03:10 PM BST Thats all for today Thank you for tuning in to todays live blog. Well be back tomorrow to bring you all the latest from the Israel-Hamas war. Key moments from today: The Israeli army has dismissed claims its troops were involved in digging mass graves and executing Palestinians at a hospital in southern Gaza. Western intelligence prevented at least 10 jihadist attacks across Europe last year, with the current war between Israel and Hamas increasing the threat of further attacks, AIVD, the Dutch intelligence agency, has said. Israel has killed two senior Hezbollah militants, one of whom it described as a central terrorist, in a series of airstrikes on Lebanon. Israel is preparing to evacuate over a million Palestinian civilians living in Rafah ahead of a six-week military operation starting in May, reports suggest. Dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, Columbia canceled in-person classes and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public yesterday as some of the most prestigious US universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israels war with Hamas. A failed rocket attack was launched at a US military base in Syria, a US defence official has said. Israel has dismissed an independent report into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), claiming the organisation is a poisoned and rotten tree whose roots are Hamas. Satellite images suggest Israels retaliatory strike targeting Irans central city of Isfahan last week hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, contradicting repeated attempts by Iran to dismiss reports of damage caused by the assault. 03:05 PM BST Israel rejects baseless claims it dug mass graves in Gaza The Israeli army has dismissed claims its troops were involved in digging mass graves and executing Palestinians at a hospital in southern Gaza. The claim that the IDF buried Palestinian bodies is completely baseless, the IDF said after Hamas officials claimed to have discovered a series of mass graves containing more than 300 bodies at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which in mid-February was the site of furious fighting amid an Israeli operation. The UN rights office said victims had reportedly been buried covered with rubbish, and that some were found with their hands tied and stripped of their clothes. However, Israel said that troops exhumed corpses after they had been buried by Palestinians on the hospitals grounds as part of an effort to locate hostages before reinterring them in a respectful manner. The examinations were carried out in an orderly manner while maintaining the dignity of the deceased and in a respectful manner, the IDF said, adding that the bodies were returned to their place in an orderly and proper manner. A spokeswoman for the UN human rights office said it was working on corroborating conflicting reports about the bodies found at the hospital. 02:42 PM BST Israel launches surprise operation in Gaza Israel on Sunday launched a surprise operation in Gaza which has continued over the Passover holiday, the military reported. The IDFs Nahal Brigade launched the offensive in the Netzarim corridor, a narrow artery south of Gaza City that enables Israel to carry out raids in northern and central parts of the enclave while controlling access to the north for Palestinians. The forces are carrying out targeted raids and are thwarting terror in the area, the IDF says in a statement. Several Hamas gunmen were taken out by the brigade, who exchanged fire with the militant group and called in airstrikes, the Times of Israel reported. The operation comes as Israel today intensified its strikes across Gaza, pounding the north of the territory with some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, local reports suggested. 02:28 PM BST At least 10 jihadist attacks prevented in Europe in 2023, Dutch agency says Western intelligence prevented at least 10 jihadist attacks across Europe last year, with the current war between Israel and Hamas increasing the threat of further attacks, AIVD, the Dutch intelligence agency, has said. The foiled attacks included a plan to stab people at random and preparations for an assault on specific buildings and events, the AIVD said in its annual report, without elaborating. The conflict between Israel Hamas was one of the two mobilising issues the agency listed as fomenting attacks, alongside instances of Koran burnings. The AIVD did not say how many of the foiled jihadist attacks had occurred since October 7. The Dutch anti-terrorism agency in December raised its threat level for the first time since 2019 to four, or substantial, on its five-step scale, citing the war in Gaza. 02:12 PM BST Pictured: Palestinians amid the rubble in Gaza People wait before destroyed buildings in cleared area by the coastline for humanitarian aid packages to drop over the northern Gaza Strip - AFP An elderly man walks along a market street in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip - MOHAMMED ABED/AFP 01:51 PM BST Israel kills Hezbollah central terrorist Israel has killed two senior Hezbollah militants, one of whom it described as a central terrorist, in a series of airstrikes on Lebanon. Hussein Azqul, a central terrorist in Hezbollahs air defence unit, was killed this morning during an Israeli drone strike near the town of Adloun, about 25 miles from the Israeli border, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reported. Footage of the incident shows a white car travelling along a road before an explosion causes it to burst into flames and veer into the bushes. An Israeli aircraft blew up a car carrying Hussein Ali Azkul, a Hezbollah militant, in southern Lebanon - IDF Mr Azqul was heavily involved in the activities of the [air defense unit] and took part in the planning and execution of a variety of terror activities, the IDF said, describing his death as a significant blow to Hezbollahs air defence unit. The military also reported that Muhammad Attiya, a member of Hezbollahs elite Radwan force, was killed in an overnight airstrike in southern Lebanon. Mr Attiya was allegedly involved in the preparation and execution of terrorist attacks against Israel, the IDF said. Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of both operatives. The attacks came as Israel pounded southern Gaza over the past day, with airstrikes hitting five sites allegedly containing Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the Yaroun border village. 01:37 PM BST Update: Hamas to stay in Doha if useful for Gaza peace process, says Qatar Qatar has said there is no justification to end the presence of Hamas in Doha while the Gulf state continues its mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza. As long as their presence here in Doha, as we have always said, is useful and positive in this mediation effort, they will remain here, Majed al-Ansari, Qatars foreign ministry spokesman, told a press conference, adding that Qatar was reassessing its role as mediator owing to frustration with attacks on its efforts. See post at 11.35am for further details. 12:31 PM BST Pictured: Aid drops into Gaza A United Arab Emirates Air Force C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft drops aid packages on the northern Gaza Strip - AFP People rush to landing humanitarian aid packages dropped over the northern Gaza Strip - AFP Aid packages fall among dilapidated buildings in Gaza - AFP 12:02 PM BST UN human rights chief horrified by mass grave reports at Gaza hospitals Thy UNs human rights chief has said he is horrified by the destruction of the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza and reports of mass graves containing hundreds of bodies found there, a spokesman has said. Palestinian authorities reported finding bodies in mass graves at a hospital in Khan Younis this week after it was abandoned by Israeli troops. Israeli media has disputed the claims. We feel the need to raise the alarm because clearly there have been multiple bodies discovered, said Ravina Shamdasani, the spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Some of them had their hands tied, which of course indicates serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and these need to be subjected to further investigations. She added that the UN human rights office was working on corroborating Palestinian officials reports that 283 bodies were found at Nasser and 30 at Al Shifa. According to those reports, the bodies were buried beneath piles of waste and included women and older people. Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, decried Israeli strikes on Gaza in recent days, which he said had killed mostly women and children. He also repeated a warning against a full-scale incursion on Rafah, saying it could lead to further atrocity crimes. 11:35 AM BST Hamas will not leave Qatar, says Erdogan Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, has said he does not believe Hamas will leave its Qatar base, adding he has seen no such signs from Doha either. What is important is not where Hamas leaders are, but the situation in Gaza, Mr Erdogan told reporters on-board a flight returning from Iraq. The sincerity they [Qatar] have toward them [Hamas], their stance toward them, has always been like a member of the family. In the coming period, I absolutely do not think it is possible for them to change this approach. Mr Erdogans comments came after meeting with Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, on Saturday. Hamas has had an office in Turkey since 2011, when Ankara helped secure negotiations for the group to free Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, in exchange for over one thousand Palestinians held prisoner in Israel. A recent report from the Wall Street Journal claimed that Hamass political chiefs are exploring moving their base of operations outside Qatar, as the Gulf state faces increasing pressure over its influence with the group in negotiations with Israel. 11:14 AM BST Israel preparing to invade Rafah Israel is preparing to evacuate over a million Palestinian civilians living in Rafah ahead of a six-week military operation starting in May, reports suggest. Lasting two to three weeks, the evacuation will relocate civilians from Gazas southernmost city to nearby Khan Younis and other areas, where Israel plans to set up shelters with food and medical facilities, Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal. Satellite images of the region show a tent compound just west of the Khan Younis that has grown in size over the past week, AP reported. One, its going to happen. Two, were going to have a very tight operational plan because its very complex there. Three, theres a humanitarian response thats happening at the same time, said an Israeli security official. Washington has voiced concerns about the humanitarian implications of the proposed evacuation of the southern Gaza city, which is now hosting up to 1.5 million people who have fled Israels bombs from elsewhere in the territory. Matthew Miller, a US State Department spokesman, saying: We dont want to see Palestinians evacuated from Rafah unless it is to return to their homes. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, on Sunday vowed to increase the military and diplomatic pressure on Hamas, in an apparent nod to Israels upcoming offensive. He has repeatedly insisted it is the only way to finish Hamas off and secure the release of more than 120 remaining Israeli hostages. 10:52 AM BST Update: Hezbollah fighter killed in Israel strike An Israeli strike deep into Lebanon killed a Hezbollah fighter on Tuesday as he was travelling in a vehicle, a source close to the Iran-backed militant group said. The strike hit the Abu al-Aswad area near the coastal city of Tyre, around 22 miles from the border, reports suggest. The source told AFP that the fighter killed was an engineer attached to Hezbollahs air defence forces. See post at 9.52am for further details. 10:33 AM BST Pictured: Civilians in Rafah A girl pulls a cart loaded with gas cylinders along a street in Rafah in southern Gaza - MOHAMMED ABED/AFP A restaurant worker fries falafel balls as another prepares a flatbread sandwich along a market street in Rafah - MOHAMMED ABED/AFP 10:11 AM BST Dozens arrested as protests turn ugly on US university campuses Dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, Columbia canceled in-person classes and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public yesterday as some of the most prestigious US universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israels war with Hamas. More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbias green were arrested last week, and similar encampments have sprouted up at universities around the country as colleges struggle with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while ensuring safety and inclusivity on campus. At New York University, an encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters throughout the day. The school said it warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene became disorderly and the university said it learned of reports of intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents. Shortly after 8.30pm., officers began making arrests. #NOW ENCAMPMENT RAIDED - Massive Police Presence REMOVE TENTS, Mass Arrests at NYU "Liberated Zone". Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 Desk@freedomnews.tv to license pic.twitter.com/itqDUq7YN2 Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) April 23, 2024 Footage of the incident posted on social media shows a fracas between protestors and riot police, with one man attempting to throw a chair at the officers. Tensions also remained high at Columbia, where the campus gates were locked to anyone without a school ID and where protests broke out both on campus and outside. In an email to staff and students on Monday, Nemat Minouche Shafik, Columbia University President, said the school is canceling in-person classes and moving to online teaching to deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps. 09:52 AM BST One dead after Israeli airstrike blows up car in Lebanon An Israeli airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon has killed at least one person, reports suggest. The strike took place near the town of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 25 miles from the Israeli border, Lebanons An-Nahar media reported. Alleged footage of the incident posted on social media shows a car engulfed in flames in a field with black smoke billowing into the air. The identity of the alleged victim is unknown. Elsewhere, the Israeli military said its warplanes had carried out overnight attacks on southern Lebanon, hitting five sites it claimed were Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the vicinity of Yaroun village close to the border with north Israel. This morning, troops carried out a further strike in the same area to remove a threat, the IDF said, posting a grainy video on social media of buildings being destroyed in the attack. Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck a building used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Yaroun, alongside another site, the military says. The IDF adds that this morning, troops carried out a strike in the same area to "remove a threat." pic.twitter.com/kwD0seIAlG Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 23, 2024 09:30 AM BST Pictured: Khan Younis tent city under construction Satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows tents and other makeshift housing built up around the area of the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp Saturday - Planet Labs PBC /AP The images appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Sunday - Planet Labs PBC/AP Israel is allegedly planning to evacuate civilians from Rafah to tents near Khan Younis before invading Gaza's southernmost city - AP/Planet Labs PBC 09:21 AM BST Irans Israel strike provided cover for crackdown on dissent at home, say activists The same day Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel it embarked on a clandestine crackdown at home, ordering police in several cities to take to the streets to arrest women accused of flouting strict Islamic dress code laws. As Irans drone and missile assault unfolded on April 13, Abbasali Mohammadian, Tehrans Police chief, went on state TV to announce the new campaign. Starting today, Police in Tehran and other cities will carry out measures against those who violate the hijab law, he said, while hundreds of police swept onto the streets of the capital and other cities. Social media users posted pictures of a heavy morality police presence in Tehran and videos of plainclothes officers dragging women into police vans whom they alleged were improperly dressed. Iranian authorities insist that their so-called Nour (Light) campaign targets businesses and individuals who defy the hijab law, aiming to respond to demands from devout citizens who are angry about the growing number of unveiled women in public. But political opponents believe the campaigns crackdown on mandatory hijab-wearing is intended to discourage any wider dissent at a vulnerable moment for the clerical rulers. That is part of the rulers strategy to consolidate their grip on power when the country faces threats from its arch enemy Israel, A former moderate government official said. 08:58 AM BST EU sanctions are regrettable, says Iran EU sanctions announced following Irans attack against Israel are regrettable because the country was acting in self-defence, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Irans foreign minister, has said. It is regrettable to see the EU deciding quickly to apply more unlawful restrictions against Iran just because Iran exercised its right to self-defence in the face of Israels reckless aggression, Mr Amirabdollahian said on Twitter, before calling on the EU to apply sanctions on Israel instead. His comments came after EU foreign ministers agreed to expand sanctions on Iran in response to the countrys mass missile and drone attack against Israel, which it said was retaliation against a suspected Israeli bombing of its embassy in Damascus. Under the proposed sanctions, the EU plans to extend restrictive measures on Tehrans weapons exports of drones and missiles to its proxies and Russia. 08:47 AM BST Rocket attack targets US Middle East military base A failed rocket attack was launched at a US military base in Syria, a US defence official has said. Iraqi authorities announced yesterday that they were searching for an outlaw element who launched an estimated five missiles across the border from Iraq to the base housing US-led coalition forces at Rumalyn, Syria, late on Sunday night. Iraqs Kataib Hezbollah have denied responsibility for the attack, which would mark Iranian-backed militias first strike on a US facility since it suspended attacks in February, AP reported. Separately, American forces yesterday shot down two drones near al-Asad air base in Iraq, a US official said, adding that the circumstances of the strike are under investigation. From October to February, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launched regular drone attacks on bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria, which they said was in retaliation for Washingtons support of Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza and were aimed at forcing US forces to withdraw from Iraq. It is not yet clear what has prompted the attacks to recommence or who is behind them. 08:28 AM BST Israel dismisses UN report into poisoned, rotten UNRWA Israel has dismissed an independent report into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), claiming the organisation is a poisoned and rotten tree whose roots are Hamas. A UN review, led by Catherine Colonna, a former French minister, found Israel has yet to provide any evidence that UNRWA employees are members of Hamas and other terrorist organisations. The report was commissioned in the wake of Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA members of staff were involved in the Oct 7 attacks a claim that prompted more than a dozen donors, including Britain and the US, to suspend their funding to the agency in late January. Despite not uncovering links with Hamas, the report found the agency continues to face persistent neutrality-related issues despite having in place a robust framework for vetting staff. These include staff publicly expressing political views and UNRWA school textbooks featuring problematic content. In response the report, Israels foreign ministry said that Hamass penetration of the agency was so deep that it is impossible to say where UNRWA ends and Hamas begins. If more than 2,135 UNRWA employees are members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and 1/5 of the principals of UNRWA schools are Hamas activists, the problem with UNRWA-Gaza is not a problem of a few bad apples, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Read the full story here. 08:12 AM BST US enquires about Gaza mass graves The US has raised questions with Israel after reports emerged about the existence of a series of mass graves in Gaza. Addressing the reports, Matthew Miller, a US State Department spokesman, said: Ive seen those reports and we are enquiring about it with the government of Israel. His comments came after hundreds of bodies were found buried in a series of mass graves in Gazas Khan Younis, according to local media. At least 73 bodies were discovered yesterday at three newly located mass graves inside the courtyard of the citys Nasser hospital, Al Jazeera reported, with missing women and children among those exhumed. It comes after Palestinian civil defence crews the day before allegedly uncovered a mass grave containing 180 bodies inside the hospital complex, among whom were people who have reportedly been missing since Israel first stormed the area two months ago. Read the full report here. 08:06 AM BST Gaza death toll more than 34,000 At least 34,183 people have been killed in Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported, as the war between Israel and Hamas today marked its 200th day. The tally includes at least 32 deaths in the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 77,143 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began. 08:02 AM BST Israel strike hit Russian-made radar system in Iran, satellite photos suggest Satellite images suggest Israels retaliatory strike targeting Irans central city of Isfahan last week hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, contradicting repeated attempts by Iran to dismiss reports of damage caused by the assault. The apparent strike on an S-300 radar represents far more damage done than in the massive drone-and-missile attack Iran unleashed against Israel on April 13. Photos of the site appear to show burn marks around the location where defence analysts had previously identified an Iranian radar system. This strike shows Israel has the ability to penetrate Irans air defense systems, Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowments nuclear policy programme, told AP. The precision of it was quite remarkable. Read our full report on the strike 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. High school and middle school on lockdown as police investigate threat of violence Severna Park High School in Maryland was put on lockdown after threats of violence were placed at the school (Google Maps) A Maryland high school and middle school were placed on lockdown due to a threat of possible violence on Tuesday morning. A possible threat was reported at Severna Park High School, according to Anne Arundel County Police Department. Nearby Severna Park Middle School was also put on lockdown during the investigation. The lockdown has since been lifted after the threat was deemed non-credible by authorities. The high school had received a call at around 9.30am about a possible threat nearby, a police spokesperson told the Capital Gazette. Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) reported the schools were on hold status meaning no one was allowed to move about the building, or enter or leave the buildings. AACPS added that all students and staff were safe. Two other schools, Benfield Elementary and Broadneck High School, were also placed under hold status. All schools are within a two-mile radius of each other except from Broadneck High School, which appears to be located in Cape St Claire. Heavy police presence surrounded the outside of the school after reports of possible violence (Google Maps) Police fanned out across the area but no evidence of weapons were found on school property. The hold status for all four schools was lifted at around 11.05am, police said. All schools are within over a two-mile radius of each other of Severna Park, apart from Broadneck High School. AACPS is the fourth largest school system in Maryland, and the 36th largest in the United States. A neighbouring Maryland county also reported a threat to a high school on Tuesday morning although it is unclear if the two incidents are related. At 10.30am, police in Montgomery County reported that Wootton High School was told to shelter-in-place and Albert Einstein High School was evacuated after bomb threats. The shelter-in-place status was lift and students were allowed to return after the threats were later deemed non-credible, police said. The Independent has contacted the AACPS and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for further information. CHICKASHA, Okla. (KFOR) The speed limit increase to 80 mph on parts of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike has national safety advocate Stephen Eimers worried for Oklahoma drivers. Eimers lost his daughter, Hannah, in a guardrail crash in 2016 which led him to become an advocate for road safety across the country. Police: 5 found dead in SW Oklahoma City home My daughter was traveling north on interstate 75 in Tennessee, and an X-Lite guardrail speared into her vehicle as she was on her way to school, said Stephen Eimers, The Guardrail Guy. Hannahs death led Eimers to ask questions about the safety of guard rails and said he found a lot of issues related to crash testing. Over a thousand people have died on our interstates around America, including in Oklahoma. And not one of them has had a terminal tested to the posted speeds, said Eimers. News 4 reached out to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to ask about guard rails where the speed limits are now 80. They couldnt comment on Eimers concerns, but did mention that all guardrail standards on the turnpike are set by the federal government. Del City PD releases more information in fatal crash In a report by the Federal Highway Administration, guardrails help lessen the severity of crashes. The report also said their test is done with cars driving 62 mph, so if a car hits a guard rail at a higher speed, it may not be as efficient. With this new 80 mile per hour speed zone, it highlights that potential discrepancy between 62 and an 80. Thats a big difference, said Eimers. Eimers said he wants to see change in Oklahoma. Im out there fighting for the next victim. I just hope to see that Oklahoma DOT takes this seriously, said Eimers. News 4 also reached out to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Since the new higher speed limits are on the turnpike, they forwarded us to OTA. OTA sent the following statement regarding the new speed limits and guardrails. The I-44/H.E. Bailey Turnpike recently saw an increased speed limit from 75 mph to 80 mph between Chickasha and Lawton in Comanche, Caddo and Grady counties. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority prioritizes the safety of the traveling public in all its decisions. Several factors determine speed limits on the turnpike system including pavement smoothness and the 80th percentile speed of existing traffic. OTA recently completed a pavement rehabilitation project in this area that helped meet the criteria for the speed limit increase. While the posted speed limit of 80 mph is now in place, we would remind motorists that is the maximum speed the turnpike is rated for at this me during good conditions. Motorists are urged to always remain vigilant and to lower their speed during inclement conditions. The agency has two projects planned for later this summer to reconstruct the shoulders and guardrail on the I-44/H.E. Bailey Turnpike between Fletcher and Newcastle as a part of routine maintenance in the area. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) Its the closest thing these students have to a time machine. Inside an archive room at Newarks Barringer High School are restored books from as far back as the 1800s. Several of them are journals penned by students at the time. The schools alumni association decided some of these books were destined for shelves far beyond Newark. Were looking at the past in real-time as were installing two of the 29 journals in the Library of Congress, said Principal Natasha Pared. More New Jersey News The two journals heading to Washington include captivating testimonials of Barringer students from 1865, the days after President Lincolns assassination. Now, its time for four seniors -Kevin Renjifo, Dalila Ramirez, Edward Ortega and Johel Perezto write their own journal entries on events, issues and technology in our world right now for the future to read. Our piece of history during that time period, more for people from future generations to discover it, said Rejifo. Im very proud of being part of this and for future generations to be able to find out more about us, said Ortega through Pared, who interpreted. One of the oldest high schools in the nation, Barringer High has an affinity for history and is a living example of it. We were given the task of creating these journals to continue the legacy that Barringer has already started, and we wish to honor that, said Perez. A lot of books, theyre written by adults, said Ramirez, they should know our perspective as teenagers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. AUSTIN (KXAN) One of Austins longest-running community traditions pays homage to the pessimistic Winnie-the-Pooh character. The 59th iteration of Eeyores Birthday Party returns Saturday to Pease District Park. Running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the free event includes live music, games, crafts, costume contests, face paintings and nonprofit vendors. All proceeds raised from vendors go back to local nonprofit organizations benefitting Central Texans. But what has since become a beloved Austin institution first began with a group of students from The University of Texas at Austin in 1963. Students gathered in Eastwoods Neighborhoods Park to celebrate the springtime with a picnic. Now, the event is held annually on the last Saturday of April. Its namesake is an ode to the beloved childrens character, who was saddened when no one remembered his birthday. The nonprofit organization Friends of the Forest Foundation now hosts the annual event in Pease District Park. We encourage you to donate and volunteer in the spirit of Eeyores Birthday, the events page reads online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Mississippi Democratic state Sen. Derrick Simmons, center, speaks on the Senate passing a Medicaid expansion bill at the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., in March. Ten states have held out against expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but the idea of making Medicaid recipients work for their benefits has given new momentum to expansion efforts in these states. (Rogelio V. Solis/The Associated Press) In Humphreys County, Mississippi about 70 miles north of the state capital, in the heart of the fertile Delta region a third of the residents live in poverty. In Belzoni, the county seat, there are just a handful of health care clinics. The towns only major hospital closed more than a decade ago, around the same time its catfish industry collapsed. Jobs in the area are scarce, said Wardell Walton, who was mayor of Belzoni from 2005 to 2013. But even if there were jobs, he said, a lot of Belzoni residents wouldnt be able to get to them they dont own cars, and there is no public transportation. Many people in Belzoni, and Humphreys County, would get free health care coverage if the state expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. But for a decade, Mississippi and nine other states have declined to do so. Republican opponents have long derided expansion as a government handout. They also have warned that the federal government would someday renege on its promise to cover nearly all of it. Now there is growing momentum in deep-red Mississippi and several other holdout states to shift course, with many GOP lawmakers swayed by the prospect of giving a financial infusion to struggling rural hospitals. But they support expanding Medicaid on one condition: that enrollees get a job. Medicaid is a joint program run by states and the U.S. government, and the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has to sign off on specific rules. That includes requiring recipients to work. The Biden administration has repeatedly refused to give states permission to impose work requirements, and it has rescinded approvals granted by its predecessor. However, the prospect of a second Trump administration, which almost certainly would allow work rules, has sparked renewed GOP interest in Medicaid expansion. We all feel like politically and as an incentive to get Mississippians back to work, that its important to be in the bill, said Mississippi Republican state Rep. Sam Creekmore, who chairs the Houses public health committee. Creekmore noted that Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, is still opposed to expansion. If were going to have a veto-proof bill or a bill that can override a veto, the work requirement is going to have to be in there. Some states that already have expanded Medicaid, including Arkansas, Idaho and Louisiana, also are considering adding work requirements. Meanwhile, some Democrats in holdout states see work rules as way to finally get expansion over the finish line. And if a second Biden administration strips them out later on, all the better. But Walton cautions that in places like Humphreys County, a work requirement might prevent Medicaid expansion from being much help at all. I know it would not be effective for this community if its a requirement, Walton said. Here, if you dont have a job, you cannot even afford the gas even if you have a vehicle to travel. Coverage gap The Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010 and also known as Obamacare, included a requirement that states expand Medicaid to cover all adults with low incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (about $20,780 for an individual) instead of limiting it to parents of young children and people with disabilities. But in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Medicaid expansion was optional for states. Since then, the District of Columbia and 40 states have expanded the program; other states have not. Mississippi and the other nine holdouts have resisted substantial financial incentives. The federal government covers from 50% to nearly 78% of the cost for people enrolled in traditional Medicaid, depending on a states per capita income. The federal share for the expansion population is 90%. If every holdout state fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA, nearly 3 million uninsured adults would get coverage. In Kansas, Mississippi and Wyoming, some lawmakers are pushing for work requirements as part of a full-fledged expansion, triggering the 90% match. Other non-expansion states, including Georgia and South Carolina, have asked the federal government to allow them to include work requirements in something less than a full expansion under the ACA. (States can make more people eligible for Medicaid, but if they dont expand it to everyone making 138% of the poverty level, they dont get the full 90% match.) Work requirements don't work. If you want to support people working, you are much better off helping them address their health problems that may be preventing them from working. Joan Alker, executive director, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families The idea of imposing a work requirement on Medicaid enrollees is not new: The Trump administration approved 13 states requests to do so. But the Biden administration and the courts rescinded those approvals, and now only Georgia, which is fighting the administration in court, has a strict work rule for any of its Medicaid enrollees. Even without actual requirements, 60% of non-disabled, non-elderly Medicaid recipients work either full or part time, according to KFF, a health care research organization. Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown Universitys Center for Children and Families, said the problem with work requirements largely is one of paperwork: Many Medicaid recipients who work struggle with the administrative burden of proving it, causing them to lose their coverage. Work requirements dont work, Alker told Stateline. If you want to support people working, you are much better off helping them address their health problems that may be preventing them from working. Mississippi middle ground? In Mississippi, Rep. Creekmore laments that his states failure to expand Medicaid means it is leaving billions of federal dollars on the table money that would help support struggling rural hospitals by providing health insurance to about 123,000 people. Creekmore represents several rural counties with small hospitals. For many conservatives, however, opposition to Medicaid expansion is fundamental, a function of their antipathy toward former President Barack Obama and welfare in general. Gov. Reeves is one of them. He has pledged to veto any expansion bill, and last month he reiterated his opposition on X, formerly known as Twitter. Our country is going broke, and he wants to add millions more to the welfare rolls, Reeves wrote after President Joe Bidens State of the Union speech. We have to stand strong in Mississippi! NO Obamacare Medicaid expansion! In February, the Mississippi House approved bipartisan legislation that would fully expand Medicaid under the ACA, with a work requirement of 20 hours a week. However, the bill states that expansion would happen even if federal officials rejected the work rule. And Medicaid recipients would be allowed to meet the work rule by being full-time students or participating in workforce training. Alker said the Mississippi House bill builds in different pathways to get to the end result. Theres lots of ways to think about the intersection of Medicaid and work, she said. So, they just built in flexibility to the bill, so that they can negotiate and get at the end of the day access to that extra federal funding and give people health care. Mississippi Democratic state Rep. Zakiya Summers, who co-authored the bill with Republican colleagues, said the goal would be that we could get people better so that they actually can work. Summers noted that even if the Biden administration rejected the work requirement, Mississippi could seek approval from a GOP administration later on. But last month, the state Senate approved an amended version with expansion only up to 100% of the federal poverty level, and a provision that Mississippi would only implement the limited expansion following federal approval of a work requirement. Now Mississippi lawmakers are trying to find middle ground, knowing that they need a bill that can garner a veto-proof majority. In Belzoni, Walton, who is a Democrat, wants the state to expand Medicaid to its fullest without any work requirements. But he said people in Humphreys County could live with the flexible requirements in the House expansion bill. I could go along with that, he said. And I think that will be more acceptable in these rural areas. Resistance in Kansas In Kansas, another holdout state, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is pushing a full-fledged Medicaid expansion bill that includes work requirements, designed to win the approval of the Republican-dominated legislature. It would cover an estimated 152,000 Kansans. At a news conference last month, Kelly emphasized that expansion would help Kansas hospitals in danger of closing. At this point, any legislator standing in the way of Medicaid expansion is going against a commonsense, fiscally responsible proposal that benefits their constituents, their hospitals, their businesses, their community and our entire state, Kelly said. I dont know how many more hospitals, health clinics and emergency rooms must close before we expand Medicaid in Kansas, she added. The answer should be zero. But Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Republican, remains fiercely opposed. At a town hall meeting last week, Hawkins called Kellys plan smoke and mirrors, according to the Kansas Reflector. We dont want to make a huge mistake, Hawkins said. Medicaid expansion is a huge mistake. And in Wyoming, Republican state Sen. Cale Case, who supports expansion, said in an interview that he doesnt think work requirements are enough to win approval even with the possibility of another Trump administration. Case represents Fremont County, which is about to get a new hospital. He also represents much of the Wind River Indian Reservation, which has a poverty rate of 22.6%, twice the statewide rate. My colleagues refuse to accept the basic proposition that this would benefit our rural health care system, Case said. They actually think it would hurt our rural health care system and they are wrong. Theyre blatantly wrong. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and Twitter. The post Holdout states consider expanding Medicaid with work requirements appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. "Ive met countless individuals like Jacob who are housing-insecure and whose health issues prevent them from improving their circumstances." Illustration: Damon Dahlen/HuffPost; Photos: Getty Jacob,ayoung homeless man with hearing loss, recently walked into one of the free clinics that my colleagues and I had organized at his shelter. He sat down with me and described how severe hearing loss had impacted his life. During a previous job interview, he had been unable to properly hear the interviewer, forcing him to ask his potential employer to speak louder and repeat himself multiple times. He was not offered the job. Jacob told me that he was feeling depressed, and that he was losing faith in his ability to provide for himself. Unfortunately, his story is not unique. As an ear, nose and throat physician who has practiced in Chicago for the last 20 years, Ive met countless individuals like Jacob who are housing-insecure and whose health issues prevent them from improving their circumstances. And yet, as you might imagine, I have never had a homeless person call to make an appointment with my office. The stark reality is that health care remains out of reach for most of the homeless population in the U.S.due to societal neglect and systemic barriers pertaining to technology, transportation and cost. To address this disparity, we initially began visiting local shelters with the goal of providing on-site care, but soon realized that this mobile care model limited our impact significantly. Being on-site in the shelters meant that we couldnt provide certain medical services, and we were ultimately unable to see everyone that needed to be seen. So we realized that wed have to bring the patients to us. The Center for the Underserved at Rush ENT or CURE initiative was founded in 2022 with a mission to improve access to compassionate and high-quality care in the medically underserved community of Chicagos West Side. Our program provides a direct avenue for care and features a free, weekly ENT clinic where homeless and migrant individuals can come to be diagnosed and treated. We use ride-sharing apps to transport patients to and from the clinic, and we offer a free meal to all, along with the highest quality of care. The clinic, a labor of love and an effort of hope, is staffed entirely by physicians, nurses and medical students who volunteer their time. These colleagues show up in the evening, week after week, to take care of people who would otherwise be deprived of the care they deserve. As a result of their dedication, commitment and perseverance, we are finally beginning to confront this massive blind spot in our health care system. What weve found most troubling is the degree to which certain patient demographics are being overlooked.In response to a great need, we began offering care to the migrant community last November, assembling a team of providers to visit the police stations and shelters where migrants were living. From telemedicine visits at shelters to in-person consultations, we have shaped our services to minimize potential barriers to access and provide care to those who need it most. In Chicago alone, more than 12,000 migrants we see patients from places like Venezuela, Guatemala, Brazil and occasionally India are currently residing in shelters, facing issues of access and an inability to pay. Regardless of our political beliefs regarding immigration, we have to acknowledge that migrants are here now in our cities, seeking safety. And if we fail to help them access quality care, their health and that of our communities will suffer. As physicians, we bear the responsibility to care for a human being regardless of their race, country of origin, or financial status, treating each one with the same dignity, respect and compassion that they are entitled to. And in a health care system experiencing tremendous financial strain, everyone in the medical field needs to focus on developing solutions for homeless and migrant people. From what Ive learned during this process, the first step is acknowledging every factor that prevents homeless and migrant people from getting health care. Most homeless and migrant individuals dont have access to a doctor theyve seen more than once. Most dont have insurance. If they do, it is usually a government-subsidized plan that only covers a sliver of the costs. Others simply avoid seeking treatment due to their mistrust of medical professionals. Those who do seek out care often go to hospital emergency rooms where they can receive care regardless of their ability to pay. However, these visits place a huge financial burdenon our health care system, and this financial burden will only worsen as the migrant population continues to grow. So ultimately, the void were trying to fill by providing people care before it becomes an emergency is not just beneficial to at-risk populations but to everyone. Rather than investing vast financial resources in emergency care, funds would ideally be directed toward less costly preventive care measures delivered via unique models like CUREs. Everything we have seen during the past two years has shown us that this model is working. Weve seen an increasing number of patients come to us for not only acute but also follow-up care, which is monumental. Furthermore, we have broadened our services to include orthopedic foot and ankle care, and we intend to continue expanding, with the long-term goal of offering fully comprehensive specialty services to those in need. Having observed these trends within our own clinic, we believe in earnest that the CURE model can serve as a blueprint for health care systems in other American cities where providers are struggling to care for their most vulnerable. We have had hundreds of patients come through our clinic in a position similar to the one that Jacob was in. In Jacobs case, my audiology colleagues were able to perform a hearing test and subsequently fit him with new hearing aids. At one of his recent follow-up visits, he joyfully shared with me that he had been offered a job. The hearing aids had made all the difference. Jacobs story is a powerful reminder of the dignity and opportunities that access to equitable and compassionate care can provide. If we hope to one day offer high-quality care to everyone in Jacobs position, our health care system will require transformative solutions and a lot of creativity. But its possible and we want everyone to see how fruitful this change can be. (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kongs leader said the finance hub wont pass a fake news law so long as media outlets exercise self-discipline, indicating the government has paused plans floated three years ago. Most Read from Bloomberg If this problem can be addressed by enhancing professionalism, then that should be our first choice, Chief Executive John Lee said at his weekly press briefing Tuesday. If can we work together, there is no need for legislation. Lees remarks come at time of growing anxiety over civil liberties in the former British colony, where China had promised to protect freedom of the press under until at least 2047 under a one country, two systems framework. Hong Kong has been accused by foreign governments and human rights groups of using a national security law Beijing imposed in 2020 to erode freedom of speech. Last month, the city passed its own security legislation, adding to fears about diminished media freedom and space for open discussion in the once-freewheeling hub. Then Chief Executive Carrie Lam raised the prospect of a fake news law in 2021, saying her government was researching a measure to combat misinformation, hatred and lies, without adding a timetable. The following year, officials concluded no country had tackled fake news with one piece of legislation, adding that a set of effective legal regulatory proposals was needed. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said Hong Kongs new domestic security measure had partly met the need for a fake news law, in an interview with the South China Morning Post published Tuesday. That legislation includes offenses such as sedition and state secrets. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. A Cecil County delegate says assault charges filed against him last week by his adult son are unfounded and were inappropriately filed. Del. Kevin B. Hornberger (R-Cecil) is facing a second-degree assault charge filed last week by his adult son, Adam Hornberger. The charges, filed through a Cecil County District Court commissioner, are now under review by that countys states attorney for possible prosecution. Del. Kevin Hornberger (R-Cecil). Photo by Danielle E. Gaines. I love my son with all my heart. I would do anything to help rectify this situation and repair our family, and I believe he knows that, Hornberger said in an emailed statement. My expectation is that this family tragedy, magnified by media attention because of my and his mothers elected positions, will be resolved favorably for all and in a way that his behavior and life can be improved, and any aspersions cast as a result of this regrettable incident [be] conclusively removed. Adam Hornberger is the son of the delegate and his ex-wife, Cecil County Executive Danielle Hornberger (R). An attempt to reach the county executive for comment was not immediately successful. The charge stems from an incident that allegedly occurred at the home of the delegates parents on April 16. In his statement, Hornberger said his son lives with his family at their home in the 200 block of Lums Road in North East. The delegate said he visited the home to assist with household chores in and around the garage area when he encountered Adam. In recent months, Ive been increasingly concerned about his behavior and encouraged him to take proactive steps to better his life, Hornberger wrote. My son and I engaged in a discussion about his future, and he became very agitated and ultimately became physically violent toward me. My mother, who observed the altercation, was understandably distraught as was I, and both of us were very concerned about my sons behavior. I indicated I was contacting the police and when I did, he left the home quickly. Hornberger said it was later that he learned his son filed for a protective order and after that, criminal charges against him, in what I believe was a misguided effort to deflect attention or responsibility for his own actions. Capt. Michael Holmes, a spokesperson for the Cecil County Sheriffs Office, confirmed officers were called to the Lums Road home to respond to the altercation. He said officers later served a summons on the delegate related to the misdemeanor assault charge. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 3 in district court in Elkton. It is not immediately clear if the matter will go to trial. Rebecca Johnston, a spokesperson for Cecil County States Attorney James A. Dellmyer (R), said the charges filed by the delegates son remain under review by prosecutors. Court records show that Adam Hornberger sought a protective order hours after the initial incident. Along with my parents, I appeared in Cecil County District Court to contest the peace order the following day, Delegate Hornberger wrote in his statement. A judge conclusively determined that there was no credible evidence to suggest I did anything wrong, and thus denied the peace order. The application was denied after a judge ruled there was no statutory basis for relief, according to district court records. The next morning, Adam Hornberger submitted a hand-written application for charges to a Cecil County District Court commissioner. The application provides few details of what led up to the incident. The younger Hornberger wrote that his father put his hand on me and shoved me to the ground resulting in a cut to my palm and a bruise/scrape on my wrist. I have pictures of the injury. Adam Hornberger declined to be interviewed. This is a private family matter, he said before abruptly ending a phone call with a reporter Tuesday. The post Hornberger hit with assault charge from adult son; lawmaker says its unfounded and misguided appeared first on Maryland Matters. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) The chief of South Carolinas third-largest public school district plans to request an early end to his contract so he can retire, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Rick Maxey, who has led Horry County Schools since 2015, notified board members last week, according to a story first reported on Tuesday by the Post & Courier Myrtle Beach. He was named the 2024 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year. District spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier told News13 later Tuesday that no formal announcement about Maxeys plans had been made, but David Cox, Horry County Schools Schools Board of Education chairman, confirmed Maxeys decision. Dr. Maxey has not requested to be released from his contract yet, so that he may enjoy the rest of his life in quiet enjoyment. He planned on making that request next Monday, and at the same time he was going to announce his retirement to 6500 employees, Cox said in an email to News13. However, they found out from a news report last night about his plans. Because of an egregious breach of confidentiality, a highly sensitive email was leaked to a reporter. Late Tuesday afternoon, Bourcier sent out a news release with Maxeys announcement. Maxey-Retirement-Announcement-to-HCS-StaffDownload According to the Post & Courier, Maxey decided over spring break to end his 35-year tenure with the district, which began teaching English at Loris High School. Horry County school board gives security office no confidence vote in aftermath of recent incidents It has been an incredible journey that has given me the opportunity to have a positive impact on students and to develop life-long friendships that I will always treasure, Maxey said in his letter to the board, the newspaper reported. The Bible states that to everything there is a season, and for me, I believe that time has come to conclude my career with Horry County Schools. The Post & Courier reported that Maxey wants to retire when the fiscal year ends on June 30 but is willing stay on through Dec. 30 to ensure a smooth transition. News13 requested a copy of Maxeys letter on Tuesday afternoon. Cox simply replied, no. In 2021, the board bumped Maxeys salary from $227,304 to $266,000. In November, district leaders extended his contract through 2027. The Board would like to thank Dr. Maxey for his leadership of Horry County Schools to exceed state and national standards. We would also like to say how proud we are to work with the South Carolina Superintendent of the Year, board members wrote in Maxeys annual review. The Board maintains the utmost confidence in Dr. Maxeys vision, leadership, strong communication skills, and individual characteristics and work traits. Horry County Schools last year approved its first billion-dollar budget.. HCS, which has nearly 50,000 students, trails only Greenville and Charleston county schools in size in South Carolina. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Rep. George Rauscher, R-Sutton, speaks during a news conference on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the Alaska State Capitol. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Rep. George Rauscher, R-Sutton, speaks during a news conference on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the Alaska State Capitol. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) A bill passed Thursday by the Alaska House of Representatives would affirm a tough hurdle for top-level environmental protections on rivers and lakes in the state. House Bill 95, passed on a 21-18 vote, would require that labeling a river or lake a Tier III waterway requires legislative approval. Under the federal Clean Water Act, a Tier III designation represents the highest level of protection available, prohibiting most forms of development that affect the water body with the label. Its essentially a lockup of that water and almost everything that pertains, even peripherally, with that water. Its a very significant decision, said House Majority Leader Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, speaking in favor of the bill. Since 1983, when the federal government required that each state create a process for labeling Tier III waters, the state of Alaska has never labeled something as Tier III. Five Tier III applications are pending, with the oldest dating from 2009. Current state policy, finalized by the Department of Environmental Conservation in the last month of former Gov. Bill Walkers term in office, already says that only the Legislature can label something as Tier III. Putting that rule into state law would prevent the agency from changing that standard unilaterally. Different versions of HB 95 were proposed in 2019 and 2022 but never advanced. HB 95 was proposed by Rep. George Rauscher, R-Sutton. Speaking after the bills passage, he said the latest bill isnt significantly different from those prior versions. The difference this time is that the House is controlled by a predominantly Republican majority. Rep. Mike Prax, R-North Pole, said that if there is no legislative approval, he worries that a handful of people, familiar with the state regulatory process, might be able to gain Tier III approval for a state waterbody. This is just too important to enable a few people to tie up a public resource, he said. Pro-development groups, including the Resource Development Council, have testified in favor of the idea behind the bill, while environmental groups and some tribes oppose it. I dont feel comfortable in this role here as the Legislature, doing this, said Rep. Donna Mears, D-Anchorage. An environmental engineer in private life, Mears said she doesnt believe the Legislature has the expertise to determine whether a body of water meets the required technical standards. Rauscher disagreed, pointing to the wide variety of legislation that lawmakers are asked to consider. Were talking about how much gas pressure should be down a hole, were talking about a space program. Were talking about all kinds of things we dont have expertise in. Its our job to figure it out, he said. Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, said having the Legislature make the decision would result in a designation process so truncated that it becomes purely a political process. She and other dissenters said they believe DEC has the power to approve Tier III designations under existing state law and that a DEC-led process, based on staff work, would be preferable. Rauscher responded afterward that if 60 legislators from different areas of the state are making the decision, rather than a single agency from a single governors administration, the result will be less politics in the process, not more. I dont think the final decision on any body of water is going to be more political because of this bill. I think itll be less, because we have 60 sets of eyes on it, he said. In the Senate, the bill has been referred to the resources committee, where Co-chair Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, has introduced her own version. Giessel said on Monday she was unsure whether the bill has the support needed to pass the Senate. The post House approves tougher route for environmental protections on Alaska rivers, lakes appeared first on Alaska Beacon. PHILLIPS COUNTY, Ark. A senior at Helena-West Helena Central High School is dead and another teenager is charged with murder after a post-prom party turned violent Saturday. Dr. Keith McGee, superintendent of Helena-West Helena Schools, says he is saddened by the death of 18-year-old senior Lorenzo Harrison III, who was shot dead early Sunday morning. Anytime any superintendent, certainly myself, loses any of my scholars, my heart just goes out, he said. AR police find suspect involved in death of HS senior The fatal shooting happened while an after-prom party was being held on Highway 49 in Phillips County. The only thing I can tell you is it was a non-school event. I personally was not aware of this after prom party,' McGee said. The tragedy comes less than a month before Harrison and other seniors are set to graduate. It was shared that he was one that we did speak with, he was on time, we speak with all of them, every last one of them including him and he was looking forward to graduating on time, McGee said. While no details have been released, It was later revealed that the shooting happened in the parking lot of a business across the highway from the event venue. A WREG reporter watched the security camera video, which is not being released. It shows a car parked on the lot with several people outside it. Another vehicle pulled onto the lot, a subject exited the vehicle with an assault-style weapon and opened fire. Download the WREG App today and stay up to date with breaking news and weather. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. The suspect vehicle crashed into this ditch while driving away at a high speed. The Arkansas State Police announced that 19-year-old Donterious Stephens, a graduate of Central High, was arrested and will be charged with first-degree murder. Monday, Arkansas State Police agents and Phillips County deputies were searching the area for more evidence while Dr. McGee tried to convince students to put down the guns. I want to be able to reach them to help them understand theres another way to solve disputes without using guns or violence, McGee said. We are told grief counselors and other services are available for students, and Dr. Mcgee told us he has reached out to the family of Lorenzo Harrison III to offer prayers and support. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) ripped into the Biden administrations student loan forgiveness program and other educational policies ahead of Education Secretary Miguel Cardonas trip to Little Rock on Tuesday. In a letter to Cardona sent Monday, Sanders and Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Olivia wrote, You will be in Little Rock tomorrow to tout President Bidens unconstitutional student loan forgiveness program and try and explain your departments disastrous rollout of updates to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We welcome you to our state, but we fear that this visit will only serve to highlight some of your administrations worst mistakes, the letter continued. Cardona is slated to visit Arkansas on Tuesday afternoon for a roundtable on student debt forgiveness. He is expected to also visit a FAFSA clinic for high school seniors and families at Little Rock Central High School. This trip is part of the Biden-Harris Administrations commitment to fixing the broken student loan system, the Education Department wrote in a statement. President Biden has made student loan forgiveness a central focus for his administration, and he has canceled an estimated $153 billion in student loans during his presidency. Arkansas residents have had over $541.1 million in loans forgiven under the Biden administration, an Education Department spokesperson told The Hill Sanders called the Biden administrations forgiveness for certain student loans unfair, unwise, and unlawful. Not only does it force Arkansans who chose not to attend college to pay for others education, not only does it offer forgiveness for past loans with no plan to address the future growth of college tuition expenses, but it has also been declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, Sanders wrote. The Supreme Court last year blocked the Biden administrations student debt relief plan that wouldve stopped more than 40 million borrowers from receiving loan forgiveness. In an effort to circumvent other legal challenges, the Biden administration rolled out a new loan forgiveness program that would target certain groups of borrows for relief. The proposal unveiled earlier this month would cover borrowers on income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, people who have been paying loans for more than 20 years, those who went to low-value institutions, people experiencing hardship and those with unpaid interest growth. If the plans are finalized, the administration would begin this fall cancelling up to $20,000 in interest for millions of borrowers and full loan forgiveness for millions more, the White House said earlier this month. Cardona is unapologetically committed to getting results for students and families, a Department of Education spokesperson said. They added the agency is focused on prioritizing people over politics. Sanders said she is also deeply concerned regarding what she called a mishandling of the FAFSA program after the department rolled out updated forms last year. FAFSA provides a crucial avenue for young Arkansas seeking federal student aid, she wrote, adding later, The U.S. Department of Educations FAFSA platform, though, is functionally nonoperational, causing extreme delays, complexity, and difficulty for students and families. The Education Department has faced mounting scrutiny in recent months over the botched rollout of FAFSA forms that has prompted months of delays and incorrect financial aid information being sent to colleges. The technical issues began when the department introduced the new forms last December, and the department later said colleges would not receive student financial information until March because of additional changes it wanted to make to the formula. In March, incorrect financial data was sent to colleges that could not be processed. The department last week acknowledged it has been a challenging year for the FAFSA process. The Arkansas governor and education chief aired out a number of other frustrations with the Biden administrations educational policies, including Cardonas vow to shut down Grand Canyon University, the largest Christian university in the U.S. The botched FAFSA update, the unlawful student debt forgiveness program and so much more have created a mess. I hope that your visit to Little Rock offers more than just empty words for struggling Arkansans, the letter concluded. Updated: 5:34 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. More deaths in the English Channel underscore risks for migrants despite UK efforts to stem the tide A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the Border Force following a small boat incident in the Channel, on Tuesday April 23, 2024. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said "nothing will stand in our way" of getting flights to Rwanda off the ground, as the Government braced itself for legal challenges to the scheme to send asylum seekers to the east African country. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) LONDON (AP) Five more people died in the English Channel on Tuesday, underscoring the risks of crossing one of the worlds busiest sea lanes in overloaded inflatable boats just hours after British lawmakers approved a controversial migrant bill to stop the traffic. The migrants, including a 7-year-old girl, died when their boat got stuck on a sandbank off the coast of Pas-de-Calais in northern France. The French navy rescued 49 people, but 58 others refused to disembark and continued on toward Britain, local authorities said in a statement. The vessel was just one of several small boats packed with people that took off from the French coast early Tuesday, as calm weather enticed them to attempt the crossing. The overcrowded boats are being monitored by drones, French maritime authorities said. Just a few hours earlier, the U.K. Parliament approved legislation allowing the government to deport to Rwanda those who enter the country illegally. While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the plan will deter people from risking their lives on the channel, human rights groups have criticized it as illegal and inhumane. If you look at whats happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people; they are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies, Sunak told reporters on a trip to Poland. Thats why, for matters of compassion more than anything else, we must actually break this business model and end the unfairness of people coming to our country illegally. The number of migrants crossing the channel in small boats has soared in recent years as people fleeing war, the effects of climate change and economic uncertainty seek a better life in Britain. They pay smugglers thousands of dollars for the crossing, hoping to reunite with family members or find work in a country where immigration enforcement is seen as weak and where migrant groups from all over the world can easily melt into society. Human rights organizations say the way to stop the trafficking is for countries to work together to provide safe and legal routes for migrants, not for countries like Britain to put up barriers and outsource their problem to others. But even allies Britain and France have struggled to sufficiently coordinate efforts to reduce the number of those crossing the English Channel in small boats. The U.K. has struck a series of deals with France to increase patrols of beaches and share intelligence to disrupt smugglers all of which have had only a limited impact. Britains effort to send some asylum-seekers to Rwanda was swiftly condemned by both the United Nations refugee agency and the Council of Europe, which called on the U.K. to rethink its plans. The new legislation marks a further step away from the U.K.s long tradition of providing refuge to those in need, in breach of the Refugee Convention, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement. Protecting refugees requires all countries not just those neighboring crisis zones to uphold their obligations. Small boat crossings are a potent political issue in Britain, where they are seen as evidence of the governments failure to control immigration. Sunak has made his plan to stop the boats a key campaign promise with his Conservative Party trailing badly in opinion polls ahead of a general election later this year. The number of migrants arriving in Britain on small boats soared to 45,774 in 2022 from just 299 four years. The figure dropped to 29,437 last year as the government cracked down on people smugglers and reached an agreement to return Albanians to their home country. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson first proposed the Rwanda plan more than two years ago, when he reached an agreement with the East African nation to accept some asylum-seekers in return for millions of pounds (dollars) in aid. Implementation has been held up by a series of court challenges and opposition from migrant advocates who say it violates international law. The deportees will be eligible to apply for asylum in Rwanda but they wont be allowed to return to Britain. The legislation approved early Tuesday, known as the Safety of Rwanda Bill, is a response to a U.K. Supreme Court decision that blocked deportation flights because the government couldnt guarantee the safety of migrants sent to Rwanda. After signing a new treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, the government proposed the new legislation declaring Rwanda to be a safe country. The Rwandan government welcomed approval of the bill, saying it underscores the work it has done to make Rwanda safe and secure since the genocide that ravaged the country 30 years ago. We are committed to the migration and economic development partnership with the U.K. and look forward to welcoming those relocated to Rwanda, government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said. ___ Surk reported from Nice, France. Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/migration Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on April 22 that Ukraine is carrying out a "witch hunt" against Hungarian businesses operating in the country, and threatened to block further EU aid unless such policies are changed. Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention previously designated Hungary's OTP Bank as an "international sponsor of war." The move prompted protest from Hungary and declarations that it would block aid for Ukraine, and OTP bank was provisionally removed from the list. Hungary has continued to demand that it receive guarantees that OTP and other Hungarian businesses not be added to the list or be sanctioned. Szijjarto's latest complaint against Ukraine was in relation to allegations that the country was planning to revoke several of the distribution permits for medicine from the Hungarian pharmaceutical company Richter. "The Hungarian position remains unchanged and clear. Until we receive a guarantee from the Ukrainian side that they will end and not start again the witch hunt against Hungarian companies active in Ukraine, we cannot contribute to such (further aid decisions)," Szijjarto said. Hungary has blocked 500 million euros ($532 million) in assistance to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility. Szijjarto said that Hungary would also block a 1.5 billion euro ($1.6 billion) tranche of EU aid from the four-year Ukraine Facility agreed on by all 27 EU leaders, including Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in February. It is unclear how Hungary would go about trying to block the tranche from the Ukraine Facility, as the aid was already approved over a four-year period and Orban's request to review it on an annual basis was rejected. Hungary previously said it was blocking the 500 million euros in relation to what it claims are unresolved issues with Ukraine's Hungarian minority. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said earlier in April that Ukraine was working with Hungary to resolve the issues and unblock the aid. Kuleba met with Szijjarto in Uzhhorod in Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast in January, where the ministers announced an agreement to establish a special commission to deal with the issues of national minorities. Read also: Zelensky meets with Hungarian president at Three Seas Summit in Lithuania Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Anoka-Hennepin school board is at risk of a budget impasse that could shut down the state's largest district, and students of color and LGBTQ students are caught in the middle of the debate. So, they marched this week and appeared before board members in a two-hour-plus public comment session Monday during which Ishmael Kamara, 17, a leader of the Black Student Union at Blaine High School, defended diversity and equity programs now threatened with cuts by a conservative bloc on the board. "By preserving and strengthening these initiatives, we can affirm our commitment to creating an inclusive, equitable and enriching educational environment for all students, and understand that diversity and equity is not a part of Anoka-Hennepin, it is Anoka-Hennepin," he said. Board Member Linda Hoekman, whose election last year helped create a conservative counter to the board's progressive bloc, later described the strong showing of students lined up against her and her colleagues as being perhaps the product of "misinformation" and "misplaced activism." "Maybe," she said, "they need to express some outrage that the achievement gap is evidence that minority students are not receiving the quality education they deserve." The hundreds who marched to Monday's meeting were spurred by an April 12 Facebook post by Board Member Matt Audette stating that he and newcomers Hoekman and Zach Arco had made clear to colleagues they could not vote in "good conscience" for a 2024-25 budget if the district continued to fund activities spreading "divisive, one-sided views." The stakes, as such, have been raised in the debate over social issues that have dominated school board races across the Twin Cities' suburbs as well as the nation in the post-pandemic years. Among the efforts that Audette says the trio could not support were teachings on systemic racism, the use of preferred pronouns, culturally responsive teaching, social justice, social-emotional learning, the state's new social studies standards, the use of restorative practices in place of suspensions and expulsions, and the flying of any flag other than the American flag. That sets up a potential 3-to-3 vote standoff on a budget that must be approved by July 1, and if the stalemate were to hold, a ceasing of school district operations at that time. Shutdown ahead? On Monday, the district said it was preparing a detailed report on impacts of an impasse, including the suspension of pay and benefits for employees, the shutdown of summer school and child-care programming, and the immediate stoppage of construction projects at 30 district facilities. The Anoka-Hennepin Parents Alliance responded Monday night with a written statement saying: "Instead of digging heels in and talking of shutdown, the district should show respect for our diverse community by presenting ideas for compromise within the law," the group said. Hoekman and Arco, who is the board's co-chair, were backed last year by the Minnesota Parents Alliance. The six-member board's progressive bloc co-chair Kacy Deschene, Michelle Langenfeld and Jeff Simon have been backed by the local teachers union in their elections. On Monday, Val Holthus, the union's president, said during the public comment session that the union's representative assembly had unanimously passed a "no confidence" vote calling for the resignations of Audette, Arco and Hoekman. She said the list of budget demands was "a transparent partisan attempt to hold the school district and more despicably, students hostage in a partisan war." Nearly one-quarter of the more than 50 speakers at Monday's meeting spoke in favor of the conservatives or their views. Shannon Fletcher, a parent wearing an Anoka-Hennepin Parents Alliance t-shirt, said she opposed the teaching of "racial biases and views that one race is an oppressor to all." "We're a proud Native American and LGBT family and I don't want my kids taught they're oppressed beings," she told board members. "This is damaging to their self-esteem. I teach them they can do anything they set their mind to with some hard work." In 2009 and 2010, Anoka-Hennepin was wracked by the suicides of several students whose parents and friends identified as gay or who were perceived as gay. That brought national scrutiny over the district's handling of issues of bullying and sexual orientation, and the scrapping of a "sexual orientation curriculum policy" requiring staff to remain neutral on issues of sexual orientation. On Monday, Carson Johnson, co-leader of the Gay Straight Alliance student group at Champlin Park High School, pushed back on the idea that racial and gender equity initiatives were somehow divisive. "If diversity divided us, then this rally would never happen, as every race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, class and school is here in solidarity," he said. The school board was scheduled to resume budget discussions Tuesday evening. Illinois lawmakers are looking to crack down on unregulated vaping products, and they could target gas stations to do it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesnt keep a clear list of products that are and are not approved. Lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require distributors of these products to verify if vaping products have FDA approval and make it clear to the retail stores. The Illinois Fuel & Retail Association, an advocacy group for gas stations across the state, is in favor of the bill. They argue it is not feasible for the gas stations to do the verification themselves. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. While Chicagoans were alarmed to learn the spotted lanternfly had been found in Illinois last year, experts say spring is the time to take action against that insect as well as another damaging invasive species that has made far more inroads and gotten less attention. The spongy moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, has been in Illinois for decades and can strip leaves and kill trees, sometimes defoliating large swaths of land. Kathryn Bronsky, a national policy manager with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said while its important to stop spongy moths from killing trees in the 20 states in which they are currently established, its even more important to limit the insects expansion across the United States. Bronsky said spongy moths usually spread around the country in the form of egg masses. Egg masses get laid on everything, Bronsky said. They can lay them on your barbeque or your backyard grill, on your patio furniture, things youd think theres no way caterpillars could be on. Egg masses are usually a cream color, according to Greg Dwyer, a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Chicago, and appear spongy, with small holes across the surface. Both the spotted lanternfly and the spongy moth lay eggs in masses, but where the lanternfly may lay as many as 60 eggs, the moth can lay up to 1,000. These eggs begin hatching in spring, and the USDA is encouraging residents to report and destroy any eggs they find before the insects enter more destructive phases. Dwyer said spongy moths feed on a variety of hardwood trees, including oaks. In some states, including Michigan, the moth has caused significant damage to hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. The spongy moth is extremely voracious, Dwyer said. And sometimes it gets up to very, very high numbers, and will deploy to vast areas. While Dwyer said many insects feed on foliage and trees, the moth poses a particular danger because of its sheer numbers and its preference for hardwood trees. Enough moths can eat the foliage on an entire tree, killing it over several years. The spotted lanternfly, on the other hand, prefers items like grapes, hops and some hardwoods like walnut trees, according to Matthew Travis, the spotted lanternfly national policy manager at the USDA. These things are really important to a lot of communities, certainly to agricultural communities, Travis said. People rely on what those plants provide, whether thats grape juice or wine, and certainly hops and beer. So the spotted lanternfly has been known to really act as a big stressor. Illinois grape growers prepare to take on the invasive spotted lanternfly after first sighting this fall Travis said the spotted lanternfly reached Chicago in 2023 and was found near railroads a primary pathway for invasive species. While its not yet clear to what extent Chicagoans will see the lanternfly this summer, Travis said its important to keep an eye out for the insects harder, darker egg masses. Just this weekend, we saw hatching potential in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Travis said, referring to the fact that those states are in the temperature range for the insects to hatch. Itll be some time before hatching hits the Chicago area, but in May people can start looking for the insects and reporting those insects to their state department of agriculture. Tricia Bethke, the Morton Arboretums forest pest outreach coordinator, said spongy moths are best eliminated as eggs. As soon as they hatch, they can feed off millions of trees due to their numbers. While they arent the only factor that can contribute to a decline in forest areas, spongy moths make a significant impact when paired with other ecological threats like climate change. It becomes a one-two punch, Bethke said. If the tree is being defoliated every single year, it will grow back smaller. Its like a bank account where youre taking out more money than youre putting in. Spongy moths usually exist in their caterpillar stage for about seven weeks, and are most active in the early summer months, according to Bethke. Adults emerge after one or two weeks and live just long enough to mate and lay eggs. Dead or dying trees have not been as much of a problem in Illinois as in surrounding states, Bethke said, because of a partnership between the USDA, the U.S. Forest Service and the Illinois Department of Agriculture that calculates which of the states counties are seeing the most moths. Early-stage moths in those counties are sprayed with bacteria, preventing them from spreading. This year, Jo Daviess County and Carroll County were identified as counties with elevated moth counts, Bethke said. Cook and DuPage counties have previously engaged in preemptive spraying, according to Bethke, and are now seeing fewer spongy moths. That preemptive spraying, as well as pheromone spraying and trapping which stops the moths from mating, is why spongy moth numbers in Illinois have tended to stay low, Dwyer said. The reason why were talking about it now is because the spring seasons are when we see the eggs forming, Dwyer said. The insect only got to the Midwest in the 1980s, and has been gradually spreading across the country. The more moths that hatch, the more danger there is. When spongy moths are eliminated in the egg stage, there is also less chance people might accidentally spread them, Bronsky said. She said its important for Illinois residents to keep an eye out for these masses, removing them from trees as well as outdoor items and furniture and disposing of them in a sealed container. They are excellent hitchhikers, Bronsky said. People dont even know that theyre spreading them to new areas. Its really mandatory to look for these egg masses, scrape them off, and certify that youre moving household goods free of spongy moth egg masses. Alerts Issued for Our Region FROST ADVISORY for Wyoming and McDowell counties once again tonight from 1 AM to 9 AM. With temperatures dropping into the low 30s, frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Bring them inside or cover them up, as they could be damaged or killed if left uncovered. Tonight features mostly clear skies and another cold night in store as temperatures drop back into the mid 30s. Patchy instances of fog will once again be possible, so protect your plants if youve already began planting by bringing them inside or covering them up! Tuesday sees our wind shift from coming from the northwest to coming out of the southwest, and that will warm us up nicely to around normal for this time of year, with high temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Skies will begin to increase in cloud cover toward dinnertime as high pressure moves away from the region and a cold front approaches from the west. With warm temperatures, breezy conditions and low humidity expected, there will likely be an increased fire risk on Tuesday. Thankfully rain showers will arrive Tuesday night as our cold front moves in. Wednesday begins on a wet note, with scattered showers around, as our cold front crosses. However, as the day goes by, well see conditions become drier, as our cold front exits and high pressure begins to scoot in. High temperatures will be in cooler in the low 60s. Thursday looks great! After another cold and potentially frosty start with low temperatures in the mid 30s, we will see plenty of sunshine with high pressure in control. Temperatures will jump nearly 30 degrees during the day, with high temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Friday will be dry for most of the day, with mostly sunny skies to start. Well see a southwest breeze kick in as our next storm system approaches. A warm front will push through on Friday afternoon, which will give us the chance for a couple of isolated showers late as high temperatures push toward 70 degrees. Vegetables to plant in spring Saturday brings a weak cold front through the region, but that wont be the end of our shower chances, as an unsettled pattern sets in. Despite the front crossing, its still a mild day on tap, with high temperatures in the low 70s and our steadiest rains during the morning hours. Rain will become more scattered as we head into the afternoon. Sunday provides the risk for a few isolated to widely scattered showers but we should see plenty of dry time. Its a warm day on tap for the two Virginias, as high temperatures spurt into the mid 70s. Tick season is here: Heres how to protect yourself and your pets Monday keeps the chances for a few showers and perhaps a rumble or two of thunder, with highs in the mid to upper 70s. Looking ahead, weve got a bit more of an unsettled pattern taking shape. Monday features the risk for a few isolated showers but its very warm! Tuesday features rain shower chances being likely with a storm system scooting through. Well see highs in the low to mid 70s. Wednesday features clearing skies with highs in the mid 70s and Thursday looks to be in good shape as of now with partly cloudy skies and highs in the low 70s. Help us with our growing community of weather photos with #weathertogether. Head to our website and search for the Weather together tab and upload your photos of weather going on around our region. We are in spring forest fire season in West Virginia this means dont burn between 7 AM and 5 PM through May 31st. Low humidity values during the daytime, along with breezier and warmer conditions will at times increase the fire threat, hence the burn ban during most of the daytime. Follow all regulations or be faced with potential consequences, such as fines! In Virginia, the spring fire season continues through April 30th dont burn before 4 PM. TONIGHT Mostly clear. Patchy frost! Lows in the mid 30s. TUESDAY Partly cloudy. Isolated showers late. Highs in the mid to upper 60s. WEDNESDAY Showers likely, especially early. Highs in the low 60s. THURSDAY Mostly sunny. Highs in the low 60s. Frost possible in the morning. FRIDAY Mostly sunny. Increasing clouds late. Highs near 70. SATURDAY Showers likely, especially early. Highs near 70. SUNDAY Isolated showers. Highs in the mid 70s. MONDAY Partly sunny. Highs near 80. TUESDAY Showers likely. Highs in the 70s. WEDNESDAY Partly sunny. Highs in the 70s. THURSDAY Partly sunny. Highs in the 70s. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. Modi is accused of using hate speech for calling Muslims 'infiltrators' at an Indian election rally FILE- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda speak during an event organized to release their party's manifesto for the upcoming national parliamentary elections in New Delhi, India, April 14, 2024. India's main opposition party is accusing Modi of hate speech after he called Muslims infiltrators" and used some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith.(AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File) NEW DELHI (AP) India's main opposition party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech after he called Muslims infiltrators" some of his most incendiary rhetoric about the minority faith, days after the country began its weekslong general election. The remarks at a campaign rally Sunday drew fierce criticism that Modi was peddling anti-Muslim tropes. The Congress party filed a complaint Monday with the Election Commission of India, alleging he broke rules that bar candidates from engaging in any activity that aggravates religious tensions. Critics of the prime minister an avowed Hindu nationalist say Indias tradition of diversity and secularism has come under attack since his Bharatiya Janata Party won power a decade ago. They accuse the party of fostering religious intolerance and sometimes even violence. The party denies the accusation and says its policies benefit all Indians. At a rally in the state of Rajasthan, Modi said that when the Congress party was in government, they said Muslims have the first right over the countrys resources. If it returns to power, the party will gather all your wealth and distribute it among those who have more children, he said as the crowd applauded. They will distribute it among infiltrators, he continued, saying, Do you think your hard-earned money should be given to infiltrators? Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress partys president, described the prime minister's comments as hate speech and party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi called them deeply, deeply objectionable. The party sought action from the election commission, whose code of conduct forbids candidates from appealing to caste or communal feelings to secure votes. The first votes were cast Friday in the six-week election, which Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP are expected to win, according to most surveys. The results come out on June 4. Asaduddin Owaidi, a Muslim lawmaker and president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen party, said on Sunday: Since 2002 till this day, the only Modi guarantee has been to abuse Muslims and get votes. While there have long been tensions between India's majority Hindu community and Muslims, rights groups say that attacks against minorities have become more brazen under Modi. Muslims have been lynched by Hindu mobs over allegations of eating beef or smuggling cows, an animal considered holy to Hindus. Muslim businesses have been boycotted, their homes and businesses have been bulldozed and places of worship set on fire. There have been open calls for their genocide. Modis remarks referred to a 2006 statement by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Congress party. Singh said that Indias lower castes, tribes, women and, in particular the Muslim minority deserved to share in the countrys development equally. They must have the first claim on resources, Singh said. A day later, his office clarified that Singh was referring to all of the disadvantaged groups. In its petition to the election commission, the Congress party said that Modi and the BJP have repeatedly used religion and religious symbols and sentiments in their election campaign with impunity. These actions have been further bolstered by the commissions inaction in penalizing the prime minister and the BJP for their blatant violations of electoral laws, it said. In the history of India, no prime minister has lowered the dignity of his post as much as Modi has, Kharge, Congress' president, wrote on social media platform X. The commission can issue warnings and suspend candidates for a certain amount of time over violations of the code of conduct. We decline comment, a spokesperson for the commission told the Press Trust of India news agency on Monday. In his speech, Modi also repeated a Hindu nationalist trope that Muslims were overtaking the Hindu population by having more children. Hindus make up 80% of India's 1.4 billion people, while the country's 200 million Muslims are 14%. Official data shows that fertility rates among Muslims have dropped the fastest among religious groups in recent decades, from 4.4 in 1992-93 to 2.3 between 2019-21, just higher than Hindus at 1.94. Modis BJP has previously referred to Muslims as infiltrators and cast them as illegal migrants who crossed into India from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Several states run by the BJP have also made laws that restrict interfaith marriage, citing the unproven conspiracy theory of love jihad, which claims Muslim men use marriage to convert Hindu women. Through it all, Modi has largely stayed silent, and critics say that has emboldened some of his most extreme supporters and enabled more hate speech against Muslims. BROWNS VALLEY, Ind. (WXIN) A central Indiana man is claiming self-defense after police said he shot his neighbor who was mowing grass near his property line. Timothy Florence, 53, was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of his 55-year-old neighbor in Browns Valley, Indiana. (Montgomery County Sheriffs Office) Timothy Florence, 53, was arrested on Sunday by Montgomery County sheriffs deputies after he allegedly shot his neighbor with a handgun. He was later booked into jail and charged with attempted murder. Deputies responded to a property in Browns Valley after receiving a call about a shooting around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, they said they found a 55-year-old man who had been shot once with a handgun while mowing near his property line. The victim was initially looked at on scene by EMS crews before being flown to an Indianapolis-area hospital with life-threatening injuries. He is currently listed in stable but critical condition, according to the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office (MSCO). Massive alligator blocks plane at Air Force base in Florida, fights with wildlife officers Court records show that an eyewitness filmed cellphone video of the altercation. The video reportedly shows Florence holding a leaf blower near the victim, who was sitting on a zero-turn riding lawn mower near the property line. Deputies who saw the video said it showed the victim blowing the cut grass off his property as Florence blew it back toward him with the leaf blower. Florence also reportedly pointed the leaf blower at the victim, blowing air at him. The victim then began mowing in Florences direction, almost hitting his leg and causing him to step aside and blow air at the victim again, the court documents allege. Florence then went behind the mower to the other side of the victim, drew a handgun from his holster and shot the victim, according to authorities. Bus with over 50 passengers crashes into trees off Virginia highway; driver charged Police interviewed Florences wife, who said she was watching TV in their home when she suddenly heard a gunshot. She said she went to the front door and saw the victim leaning over the mower as Florence walked toward her and said, Get in the house, I just shot [the victim]. Florences wife reportedly told deputies she felt the shooting was in self-defense. Florence himself agreed. The suspect told deputies that he was in fear of his life and shot his neighbor one time with a Glock 43 9mm handgun that he had in his side holster, according to court records. Police said as the interview went on, Florence eventually said he was done talking. This admission caused deputies to arrest Florence and charge him with attempted murder, MCSO said. The sheriffs office has not provided any further information regarding the shooting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. BATH, N.Y. (WETM) A man from New Castle, Indiana, was arrested this past weekend after he allegedly tried to lure an underage girl into his vehicle at a hotel in Bath. According to the Village of Bath Police Department, Joshua S. Beem, 50, was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping in the second degree, a class C violent felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor, on Sunday, April 21. Two barns catch fire on Monday night in Dundee These charges stem from an incident that occurred at the Super 8 Hotel in Bath, where police say they received a report of an adult man who had attempted to lure a 14 year old girl into his vehicle against her will. Beem was quickly located and identified as the suspect after the incident and was taken into custody. He was processed and transported to the Steuben County Jail for arraignment, where he remains with the opportunity for bail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. The Indiana Senate Chamber during session on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Although half of Indianas state senate seats are up for re-election in 2024, the races are so far dominated by an overwhelming number of incumbents most of whom are running unopposed in the May primary. In fact, there are only nine contested races out of 25 on May 7. Just one senate incumbent did not file for re-election in 2024, marking the lowest number of retiring lawmakers in the chamber since at least 2010, according to the Indiana Secretary of State. The outgoing Sen. John Crane, R-Avon, assumed office in November 2016. In his Senate District 24 which includes the Avon and Greencastle areas Brett Clark and Anne Engelhardt are running to replace the retiring senator. Members of the Indiana State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Legislators assume office the day after their general election. Republicans in the upper chamber currently have a 40-10 supermajority. Its part of the GOPs trifecta in the Hoosier state the Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature. Senate Democrats have remained a superminority for more than a decade, meaning that Republicans dont need any of their colleagues from across the aisle present to conduct legislative business. Republicans also control the fundraising fight in the Senate. Campaign finance reports filed Friday shows the Senate Majority Campaign Committee raised $190,000 so far this year and has $1.7 million cash on hand. The Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus, meanwhile, has raised only $32,000 and has $193,000 cash on hand. Incumbents largely unopposed Republican incumbents running unopposed in their respective senate district primaries include: Sen. Ed Charbonneau, of Valparaiso, in Senate District 5 Sen. Ryan Mishler, of Mishawaka, in Senate District 9 Sen. Blake Doriot, of Goshen, in Senate District 12 Sen. Sue Glick, of LaGrange, in Senate District 13 Sen. Stacey Donato, of Logansport, in Senate District 18 Sen. Scott Baldwin, of Noblesville, in Senate District 20 Sen. Mike Crider, of Greenfield, in Senate District 28 Sen. Aaron Freeman, of Indianapolis, in Senate District 32 Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, of Indianapolis, in Senate District 36 Sen. Jean Leising, of Oldenburg, in Senate District 42 Sen. Eric Koch, of Bedford, in Senate District 44 Sen. Vaneta Becker, of Evansville, in Senate District 50 Meanwhile, four incumbent Democrat senators are running unopposed in their primaries: Sen. Lonnie Randolph, of East Chicago, in Senate District 2 Sen. Fady Qaddoura, of Indianapolis, in Senate District 30 Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor, of Indianapolis, in Senate District 33 Sen. Shelli Yoder, of Bloomington, in Senate District 40 The only Democratic senators to be opposed are Sen. David Vinzant, of Gary in Senate District 3, which encompasses portions of Lake County and communities like Gary and Merrillville, as well as Sen. David Niezgodski, of South Bend, in northern Indianas Senate District 10. Vinzant is being challenged by Mark Spencer, currently a Gary city council member and arts director for Gary Community Schools. The 3rd District Indiana Senate seat has been controlled by Democrats for decades. In January, Democratic leaders in the district chose Vinzant over Spencer to fill the seat after Eddie Melton resigned to become mayor of Gary. Melton has since expressed his support for Spencer in the Senate primary. Republicans running in the District 3 primary are Maya Angelou Brown and Will Miller. Niezgodski is running for a third term in the Senate and faces a challenge from St. Joseph County Treasurer Tim Swager. There are no Republicans running in the District 10 primary. Democratic Sen. Jean Breaux, of Indianapolis, died last month following a prolonged illness that took her away from the entire 2024 legislative session. Indianapolis City-County Councilor La Keisha Jackson won a caucus last week to fill Breauxs remaining term. But because the seat was up for re-election, and Breaux was the only one appearing on the primary ballot, a second caucus will occur after May 7 and before July 3 to fill the November ballot vacancy for the four-year term. Where Republicans face primary challengers GOP senators in five districts do face competitors, though. In Senate District 7, located northwest of Indianapolis, incumbent Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon, is being challenged by Joseph Bookwalter. In Northeast Indianas Senate District 16, Warner Electric commercial manager Scott Wise is challenging Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne, who has held his position since 2018. Wise ran as a Libertarian for Indianas 3rd Congressional District seat in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, who entered the Indiana Senate in 2016, has two challengers the most in any Senate Republican or Democrat primary races. Also running in northern Indianas Senate District 8 are Spencer England and Joe Layne. England, a military veteran, said his priorities include more accessible care for veterans, protecting gun rights, combating illegal immigration and protecting parental rights. Laynes platform largely focuses on protecting states rights, defending traditional conservative values, and promoting a society where individuals and families can thrive, guided by faith, freedom and the principles that have made Indiana strong. Senate District 35, comprising the eastern edge of Hendricks County and southwestern Marion County, first-time Republican candidate Phillip Clay is challenging embattled Sen. Michael Young, R-Indianapolis. Young is among the longest-serving lawmakers in the Statehouse, having served in the Senate for 24 years and in the House for 14 years. The incumbent senator left the Senate Republican caucus in 2022 during a special session targeting abortion restrictions. He expressed concern in a letter about exceptions in the ban and also listed other reasons for his departure. Since then, Young has lost his chairmanship of the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee and was later removed from the Senate Judiciary Committee because he did not attend meetings, according to the party leadership. Additionally, Youngs longtime chamber seat surrounded by fellow Republicans was moved to the corner by the Democrats. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, also has a challenger in the May primary. The long-time incumbent has been in office since 2012, taking a seat that was held by his father for a number of years before. Jay Hart, a self-described full-time advocate for conservative policy, said hes seeking the Senate District 37 seat to oust the senate pro tem because the district has not been well-represented since Bray took on the leadership role and maintains its time for someone new to enter office. State senators seeking federal office Another three state senators all Republicans are additionally seeking congressional seats. None of their state seats are up for re-election in 2024, giving them a fallback if unsuccessful in the primary or general elections. In January, Republican Sen. Andy Zay, of Huntington, announced his run for Indianas 3rd Congressional District seat. Its a crowded primary race with eight Republican primary candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, who is leaving the position as he runs for Indianas open U.S. Senate seat. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US During his eight-year tenure in the state senate, Zay has emphasized border security and a Catholicism-driven anti-abortion stance. He first assumed office in December 2016. His current term ends in November 2026. Also in a deep pool of GOP candidates is Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond, who is running against six other Republicans in the race for Indianas Sixth Congressional District seat. Among the other candidates seeking the office are Jamison Carrier of Greenwood, Darin Childress of Richmond, Bill Frazier of Muncie, for state representative John Jacob of Indianapolis, Jefferson Shreve of Indianapolis and current Indiana Rep. Mike Speedy of Indianapolis. The winner of the race will face Columbus Democrat Cinde Wirth in the fall election. Running for Indianas open Eighth Congressional District seat is Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper. The District 48 senators candidacy comes after U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon announced that he would not seek reelection for the seat and retire after the 2024 session. Messmer has served in the Indiana General Assembly since 2008, serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 2008 to 2014 before being elected to the Indiana State Senate in 2014. He previously was in leadership in the Senate but lost his posts after challenging current Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray in 2022. This story was updated to correct the spelling of Sen. Eric Koch and remove an error about Randy Niemeyer. The post Indiana state senate incumbents face few election challengers in upcoming primary races appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. Christine Trudeau, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, president of the Indigenous Journalists Association, delivered an intervention today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City during the 23rd session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Trudeau provided a statement, formally known as an intervention, to the members of the UNPFII addressing the importance of why supporting Indigenous journalism by and for Indigenous peoples is a key driver toward self-determination. 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. Globally, Indigenous communities are ignored, misrepresented, maligned, and in many cases dehumanized by media portrayals of our cultures, distinct issues, and the challenges we face due to the impacts of colonization, said Trudeau. This is often because our communities are either not represented in newsrooms, or do not have access to Indigenous-led media. Talks about IJAs involvement with the United Nations began during former President Bryan Pollards time in office. IJA applied for Non Governmental Organization (NGO) consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2019, under the direction of former President Tristan Ahtone. IJA was granted status in 2021, during former President Francine Comptons second term and IJA participated for the first time at the 22nd UNPFII while former President Graham Lee Brewer lead the organization. Elevating our members' concerns to the members of the UNPFII furthers IJAs mission to uplift the importance of Indigenous media, partner with other Indigenous-led media organizations, hold mainstream media accountable and to increase visibility for Indigenous peoples. The current session of the UNPFII began on April 15 and will conclude events on April 26. This years UNPFII is centered around "enhancing Indigenous Peoples right to self-determination in the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: emphasizing the voices of Indigenous youth. About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net." Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net Informational event for people with criminal backgrounds set in Davenport Informational event for people with criminal backgrounds set in Davenport IowaWORKS, in partnership with the 7th Judicial System Community Corrections Court Services, will host A Path to Your Future, an informational event for people with criminal backgrounds, from 1-3 p.m. Thursday, April 25, 605 Main St., Davenport, according to a news release. A mock interview/free haircut day will be 1-3 p.m. Friday, April 26, also at 605 Main St. This event is for those who have been incarcerated to learn about financial literacy, how to interview for a job and training resources. It will provide a motivational environment with information on finances, training opportunities and community resources. Free interview clothing will be available for the attendees. New Style Hair Academy will provide free haircuts for participants to be ready for interviews. These events are important to reduce recidivism and help obtain and maintain employment, said Lurdes Torres, IowaWORKS offender workforce development specialist-career planner. Any person with a criminal background can attend. For more information, call 563-445-3200, extension 43311. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Inmate stabbed to death at California prison; 4 inmates being investigated for roles Four inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City have been moved into restrictive housing while prison officials investigate another inmates death as a homicide. On Sunday, Michael Challoner, 36, was stabbed multiple times and was transported off prison grounds where he was later pronounced dead. Guards at Pelican Bay initially found Challoner sparring with another inmate, Joseph Quintero, 36, during dayroom activities, the period when incarcerated inmates are allowed to socialize typically in a common space. When they broke up the fight, guards discovered Challoner had suffered multiple puncture wounds. Prison staff provided first aid until an ambulance could arrive to take Challoner to the hospital. After Challoner was taken away, staff searched a section of the prison, checking inmates and cells for anything that could be linked to the attack. One inmate, identified as Michael Jones, 49, was searched by prison staff. At the time, he was standing near a cell occupied Oscar Monsibais and Omar Arzate. All three inmates and the cell were searched and guards recovered an inmate-manufactured weapon that is believed to have been used during the attack on Challoner. Quintero, Jones, Monsibais and Arzate have been placed in restricted housing as authorities investigate Challoners death, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Inmate movement within the prison is currently limited. All five men were serving convictions out of Southern California. Challoner was received by CDCR in July 2009 out of Ventura County. He was serving a 21-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, which he committed as a member of a street gang. He received additional prison time for assaulting a fellow inmate with a deadly weapon in 2019 and battering a non-incarcerated person in 2016. The four inmates suspected in having a role in Challoners killing were all sentenced in Los Angeles County. Quintero, most notably, is serving a life-sentence for first-degree murder; Jones had previous convictions for robbery; Monsibais is serving time for assault with a deadly weapon and robbery, as well as multiple parole violations; Arzate is serving a 29-year sentence for assault with a machine gun and kidnapping. From left: Joseph A. Quintero, Michael Jones, Oscar Monsibais and Omar Arzate are shown in their state prison mugshots provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The prisons investigative services unit and the Del Norte County District Attorneys Office are investigating Challoners killing and the California Office of the Inspector General was notified on the inmate death. A motive for the attack is unknown at this time. Pelican Bay State Prison houses inmates ranging from minimum security all the way to maximum. There are about 1,800 inmates housed at the Far Northern California prison, which employs nearly 1,500 staff. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. An intruder made it to the second floor of L.A. Mayor Bass' home: Here's what we know Police on Monday patrol Getty House, the official residence of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, where a man was taken into custody following a break-in at her home. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) There are still some unanswered questions about the intruder who police say broke into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' official residence Sunday. No one was hurt in the incident, and police arrested Ephraim Hunter, 29. A motive for the break-in remains unclear. L.A. County prosecutors are reviewing the case. Here is what we know: Security cameras are positioned outside Getty House, the official residence of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) The break-in On Sunday afternoon, officials offered sparse details about the incident, announcing only that an arrest had been made. This morning at about 6:40 a.m., an intruder broke into Getty House through a window. Mayor Bass and her family were not injured and are safe, Zach Seidl, deputy mayor of communications, said in a statement. Neither Bass nor the Los Angeles Police Department have provided additional details. Read more: Suspect in break-in at Mayor Bass' home previously convicted of assault Two law enforcement sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case with the media told The Times that Hunter made it to the second floor of the home, causing Bass to hide in a safe area designed to protect against intruders, akin to a panic room. Hunter was arrested without incident, according to police, who said nothing had been stolen. The suspect Hunter, an L.A. resident, was booked on suspicion of burglary Sunday afternoon, police said. No charges have been filed. In a phone interview Monday, a woman who identified herself as Hunters mother said he had been struggling with drug addiction and possibly suffering from hallucinations. Josephine Duah said Hunter called her from jail Monday morning and claimed he was fleeing from someone trying to shoot him. Her son had no idea whose house hed entered the previous day, she said. He didnt know that at all, Duah said. He just was running. ... He thought somebody was chasing him and he hopped some fences and he went in the house. Im wondering if, mentally, he was relieved if he saw police. Read more: Suspect arrested in break-in at home of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Getty House The imposing residence is located in Windsor Square, one of L.A.'s more tony neighborhoods. One of the perks of being elected mayor is the right to live in the house, which has 14 rooms and seven bathrooms. An exterior view of Getty House, the L.A. mayor's official residence. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The house, which was donated to the city by Getty Oil Co. in 1975, is fitted with expensive objects, including a $25,000 chandelier, The Times reported in 2005. Built by Swedish immigrants in 1921, it has been home to oil tycoons and actors, including J. Paul Getty, the Barrymore family and Lee Strasberg. Security Security at the residences has been a topic of debate. In 2020, it was the site of numerous protests over policing policies in the wake of George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis police. Other protests at the mayor's home have demanded that the city impose a blanket ban on evictions, cancel rents and take over hotels to house homeless people. Officials did not disclose security arrangements at Getty House. One LAPD source, not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said that in the wake of the break-in, a 24-hour security operation is now in place at Getty House, with police maintaining a visible presence in the area. Bass on Monday declined to speak at length about the incident: Let me just say first of all, I am fine. My family is fine. And we are going to do everything we can to keep Angelenos safe." 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. DUBAI (Reuters) - An Israeli attack on Iranian territory could radically change dynamics and result in there being nothing left of the "Zionist regime", Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi was quoted as saying on Tuesday by the official IRNA news agency. Raisi began a three day visit to Pakistan on Monday and has vowed to boost trade between the neighbouring nations to $10 billion a year. The two Muslim neighbours are seeking to mend ties after unprecedented tit-for-tat military strikes this year. On Friday, explosions were heard over the Iranian city of Isfahan in what sources said was an Israeli attack but Tehran played down the incident and said it had no plans for retaliation. Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel on April 13 in what it said was retaliation for Israel's suspected deadly strike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1, but almost all were shot down. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will honourably continue to support the Palestinian resistance," Raisi added in the speech in Lahore. (Reporting by Elwely Elwelly, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Christina Fincher) DUBAI (Reuters) - European Union sanctions announced following Iran's attack against Israel are "regrettable" because the country was acting in self-defence, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian posted on X on Tuesday. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on Israel in what it said was retaliation against a suspected Israeli bombing of its embassy compound in Damascus. On Monday, EU foreign ministers agreed in principle to expand sanctions on Iran by agreeing to extend restrictive measures on Tehran's weapons exports of any drone or missile to Iranian proxies and Russia. "It is regrettable to see the EU deciding quickly to apply more unlawful restrictions against Iran just because Iran exercised its right to self-defence in the face of Israels reckless aggression," Amirabdollahian said on X, before calling on the EU to apply sanctions on Israel instead. More work will need to follow in Brussels to approve a legal framework before the expansion of the sanctions can take effect. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; EDiting by Michael Georgy and Michael Perry) Iran's Israel strike coincided with crackdown on dissent at home, activists say FILE PHOTO: People walk on a street amid the implementation of the new hijab surveillance in Tehran FILE PHOTO: People walk on a street amid the implementation of the new hijab surveillance in Tehran By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) - The same day Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel it embarked on a less-noticed confrontation at home, ordering police in several cities to take to the streets to arrest women accused of flouting its strict Islamic dress code. Iranian authorities insist that their so-called Nour (Light) campaign targets businesses and individuals who defy the hijab law, aiming to respond to demands from devout citizens who are angry about the growing number of unveiled women in public. But activists and some politicians say the campaign appears aimed not only at enforcing mandatory hijab-wearing, but also at discouraging any wider dissent at a vulnerable moment for the clerical rulers. Under Iran's sharia, or Islamic law, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes. Offenders face public rebuke, fines or arrest. The laws have become a political flashpoint since protests over the death of a young woman in the custody of the country's "morality police" in 2022 spiralled into the worst political turmoil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In a show of civil disobedience, unveiled women have frequently appeared in public since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Security forces violently put down the subsequent revolt, which called for the government's downfall. As Iran's drone and missile assault unfolded on April 13, Tehran Police chief Abbasali Mohammadian went on state TV to announce the new campaign. ARRESTS "Starting today, Police in Tehran and other cities will carry out measures against those who violate the hijab law," he said, while hundreds of police swept onto the streets of the capital and other cities. Social media users posted pictures of a heavy morality police presence in Tehran and videos of police violently arresting women they alleged were improperly dressed, including plainclothes security forces dragging young women into police vans. Morality police vans had largely vanished from the streets since last year. The campaign rapidly drew public expressions of unease. Concerned about what they say could be a deepening rift between the establishment and society at large, some politicians have criticised the intensified crackdown. "... right at a time when national solidarity is more crucial than ever, the same ugly scenes (witnessed during the protests) are intensifying with more violence against Iranian women and girls! What kind of policy is this?," reformist politician Azar Mansouri posted on social media platform X. Former Labour minister Ali Rabeie posted on his X account: "I really don't understand when Iranian people feel good and are proud about confronting Israel, suddenly a group (of decision makers) push the society towards confrontation with the establishment?." Some others suspect the campaign had a political motive. A human rights activist in Tehran said the move was aimed at "injecting fear into society to prevent any anti-war protests and quell domestic dissent when the rulers are at war with Israel". TOUGHER STANCE "It is no coincidence that on the very day of the attack on Israel, police flooded the streets. They were concerned about the resurgence of unrest," said the activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity. The prospect of a war with Israel, after a series of tit-for-tat retaliation between the arch foes, has alarmed many ordinary Iranians already facing an array of problems, ranging from economic misery to tightening social and political controls after the nationwide unrest in 2022-23. A former moderate government official said the clerical rulers had adopted a tougher stance against voices calling for political and social changes, fearing that such views could gain traction at a time when Iran is under external pressure. "That is part of the rulers' strategy to consolidate their grip on power when the country faces threats from its arch enemy Israel," said the former official. An Iranian politician, a former lawmaker, said "it is not just about cracking down on women who violate the dress code. In the past days, we have witnessed a clear crackdown on any sign of dissent". Journalists, lawyers, activists, human rights advocates and students have been arrested, summoned or faced other measures in the past days, according to opposition news websites. Those websites said the primary charge against those arrested was "inciting public opinion". On April 14, the intelligence unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned against any pro-Israeli posts by social media users, state media reported. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by William Maclean) Israel hammers north Gaza as Hamas calls for escalation and US warns of famine Israeli bombs pounded northern Gaza on Tuesday as Hamas military wing called for an escalation against Israel and the overthrow of Jordans monarchy. Amid the spike in violence, David Satterfield, the U.S. regional envoy for humanitarian issues, said the risk of famine in Gaza, especially in the north, was very high. Gaza has seen a "slight increase" in the number of aid trucks arriving from Egypt and Jordan, Federico Dessi, Middle East director for the aid group Humanity & Inclusion told USA TODAY, "but it is still far below the level we need." Last month, President Joe Biden demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu open Gaza to more humanitarian aid, but supplies remain backed up at different border crossings. Dessi, whose organization helps people with disabilities and those injured by war, said 12 truckloads of wheelchairs and crutches had been waiting since January to cross from Jordan. The renewed shelling and bombing of northern Gaza comes almost four months after the Israeli army said it was drawing down troops there, saying it had pushed Hamas out. More: Israel launches airstrike; explosions heard in central Iran: Reports In a social media post, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee urged residents of four zones in Beit Lahiya on Gaza's northern edge to move to shelter in two designated areas. Adraee said the military "will work with extreme force against terrorist infrastructure and subversive elements." On Tuesday night, he reported that six rockets had been fired from northern Gaza and Gaza City toward Israel. Fleeing war, again "We hear people are fleeing today, we don't know where to the south or to other parts of the northern Gaza Strip," Dessi said. Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, called for an escalation across all fronts in a televised speech marking 200 days since the Oct. 7 start of the war, when 1,200 Israelis were killed 253 taken hostage in a Hamas rampage across southern Israel. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been reported killed in the ensuing war. A Palestinian man wait for news of his daughter as rescue workers search for survivors under the rubble of a building hit in an overnight Israeli bombing in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on April 21, 2024. More: House passes aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan after months of Republican infighting The spokesman celebrated Iran's thwarted April 13 attack on Israel and called for residents to rise up in the West Bank and in Jordan, calling it "one of the most important Arab fronts." The Jordanian air force shot down dozens of Iranian drones headed for Israel as they crossed over Jordan during the April 13 attack. "We call on the Jordanian people to step up their actions and raise their voices," Abu Ubaida said. Israel retaliated for the swarm of more than 300 drones and missiles with a limited strike on Iran last Friday. More: 30,000-plus lives lost: Visualizing the death and destruction of Israel's war in Gaza Hamas wants an end to the Israeli military offensive before it frees hostages He said Hamas was sticking to its demands in cease-fire talks that Israel end its military offensive and call off its siege of the coastal enclave before the remaining hostages can be freed. Israel is stalling in reaching a hostages-swap deal and is trying to obstruct efforts by the mediators to reach a ceasefire agreement," Abu Ubaida said. A spokesman for Qatar foreign ministry said earlier on Tuesday that all parties to the conflict should "show seriousness" to allow a cease-fire to succeed. "After six months of war and humanitarian effort, we are counting the days to a real cease-fire," Dessi said. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hamas calls for escalation, Israel hammers Gaza after 200 days of war BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. The US Department of State has published another annual report on the human rights situation in countries around the world, Trend reports. Ethnic minority groups in Iran, including Azerbaijanis, regularly complain that the government mismanages natural resources, primarily water, in regions predominantly inhabited by national minorities. This, in turn, as the report notes, has damaged the local environment, leading to forced migration and further marginalization of ethnic minorities. "Azerbaijanis reported that the government discriminated against them by persecuting activists and organizers and preventing some parents from giving their children Turkic names," the report also says. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel By Nidal al-Mughrabi (Reuters) -Israeli strikes intensified across Gaza on Tuesday in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, residents said, and the army ordered fresh evacuations in the north of the enclave, warning civilians they were in a "dangerous combat zone". Strikes by air and shelling from tanks on the ground were also reported in central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip in what residents said late on Tuesday were almost 24 hours of non-stop bombardments. In a post on social media platform X, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged residents of four zones in Beit Lahiya on Gaza's northern edge to move to two designated areas. He said the military "will work with extreme force against terrorist infrastructure and subversive elements" in the region. In a statement issued later on Tuesday, the military said it "follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm." The renewed shelling and bombing of northern Gaza comes almost four months after the Israeli army announced it was drawing down troops there, saying Hamas no longer controlled those areas. This month, Israel also drew down most of its forces in southern Gaza. But efforts to reach a ceasefire have failed, and Israeli bombardment and raids on territory where its troops have withdrawn are making it difficult for displaced Gazans to return to abandoned homes. Tuesday's bombardment came after incoming rocket alerts sounded in two southern Israeli border towns, although no casualties were reported. The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, a group allied to Hamas, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Sderot and Nir Am, indicating fighters were still able to launch rockets almost 200 days into the war, which has flattened large swathes of the enclave and displaced almost all of its 2.3 million people. Hamas said Israel had achieved only "humiliation and defeat" with its offensive. Speaking in a video aired by Al Jazeera television, Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, called for an escalation in conflict across all fronts and praised Iran for its first direct attack against Israel earlier this month. He also said Hamas was sticking to its demands in ceasefire talks for Israel to permanently end its war, pull all its troops from Gaza and allow the displaced to return to the north. Israel has resisted a permanent ceasefire, saying that would only allow Hamas to regroup. FAMINE RISKS The U.S. special regional envoy for humanitarian issues, David Satterfield, told reporters in Washington that Gaza faces a high risk of famine, especially in the north. He urged Israel to get aid to those in need. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. aid agency UNRWA, said the number of aid trucks entering Gaza reached 310, the highest daily total since the war began. "This shows that when there is a will there is a way," he wrote on social media site X. "Famine in northern Gaza can be averted only through meaningful & uninterrupted supply including through @UNRWA." Thick black smoke could be seen rising in northern Gaza from across the southern Israeli border. Shelling was intense east of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia and continued in areas such as Zeitoun, one of Gaza City's oldest suburbs, with residents reporting at least 10 strikes in a matter of seconds along the main road. "The bombing from tanks and planes didn't stop," said Um Mohammad, 53, a mother of six living 700 metres from Zeitoun. "I had to gather with my children and my sisters who came to shelter with me in one place and pray for our lives as the house kept shaking," she told Reuters via a chat app. Just west of Beit Hanoun in Beit Lahiya, an air strike hit a mosque, killing a boy and injuring several others, while a medic was killed in shelling near the town stadium, medics said. Elsewhere in the enclave, shelling hit the east of the main southern city Khan Younis a day after Israeli tanks raided the area. In the Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed four people late on Tuesday, medics said. Two people died in another strike on a house east of Rafah at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, they said. Israel says it is seeking to eradicate Hamas, which controls the enclave, following an attack by the militant group on Oct. 7 killing 1,200 and taking 253 hostages by Israeli tallies. Palestinian health authorities say more than 34,000 people have been confirmed killed in the seven-month war, with thousands more bodies unrecovered. In Nasser Hospital, southern Gaza's main health facility, authorities recovered a further 35 bodies in the past day from what they say is one of at least three mass graves found at the site, taking the total found there to 310 in the past week. Palestinians say Israeli troops buried corpses there with bulldozers to cover up crimes. The Israeli military said its troops dug up some bodies at the site and reburied them after testing to make sure no hostages were among them. Israel says it was forced to battle inside hospitals because Hamas fighters operated there, which medical staff and Hamas deny. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; writing by Sharon Singleton, Gareth Jones and Cynthia Osterman; editing by Peter Graff, Kim Coghill, Mark Heinrich and Lisa Shumaker) MILAN After making strides in digital innovation by launching its metaverse space, enabling students to experiment with advanced tech tools and develop fashion shows powered by AI, Istituto Marangoni is committed to equally emphasizing its physical spaces as well. On Tuesday, the fashion and design education institution signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabias Ministry of Culture through its Saudi Fashion Commission arm for the development of a higher training institute in Riyadh. More from WWD Set to officially open with the September 2025 courses, this campus will add to Istituto Marangonis 10 existing units across Milan, Florence, Paris, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Miami, Dubai and Shenzhen, China. The schools global managing director Stefania Valenti said the move is in sync with the institutions mission of creating a bridge between the demands of talents eager to work in the industry and companies which are increasingly looking to Saudi Arabia as a market of interest as well as its overall international reach. The latter leverages a key asset of the school, which is to offer students experiences stretched across its different campuses. While in the past students usually moved among the European fashion capitals, Valenti noted that since opening the campus in Dubai two years ago, many students from Milan or London are requesting to move to Dubai to continue their studies. I was surprised by the trend, I was expecting quite the opposite. But this is a signal, too, and it encourages us to further strengthen our international mindset and open in emerging markets, Valenti said. And how not to consider Saudi Arabia? Its a destination of great interest for fashion and luxury brands. Valenti underscored the efforts made by the Saudi Fashion Commission since its establishment in 2020 in building a local fashion ecosystem, fostering local talents and brands and increasing the overall industrys attractiveness. As we inaugurate Istituto Marangoni in Riyadh, we herald a transformative era for local talent within the burgeoning creative landscape of our region, said Burak Cakmak, the Saudi Fashion Commissions chief executive officer. With demand for quality fashion education on the rise, our partnership underscores the Saudi Fashion Commissions unwavering commitment to nurturing and empowering creatives. Together, we embark on a journey to shape a vibrant and flourishing fashion community in the heart of the kingdom, laying the foundation for a future where innovation thrives and creativity knows no bounds, Cakmak said. Valenti recalled how the local organization reached out to the school in 2022, when it was opening its Dubai campus. As the institution was focusing all its energies on its new outpost, it agreed to work with the Saudi Fashion Commission for a few years on research and surveys to assess the local markets needs. The combined studies showed a high interest in the industry coming especially from young women, as well as their families preference of having them study locally and not being forced to move abroad to pursue their education. Plus this is a young market overall, as 38 percent of the population is under 25 years old, Valenti said. Women currently account for around 33 percent of the Saudi workforce in general, but this number is expected to increase, especially if we look to the fashion and luxury industries. Stefania Valenti, global managing director of Istituto Marangoni, and Burak Cakmak, chief executive officer of the Fashion Commission of Saudi Arabias Ministry of Culture. With the fashion education sector still underdeveloped, Istituto Marangoni and the Saudi Fashion Commission aim to fill the gap of professional profiles that could be employed both at international companies expanding in the region as well as helping to lead the rise of the local fashion movement. There are plenty of American and English groups investing in the area, especially in retail by opening malls for one, as well as many Italian brands, Valenti said. So were looking to train students in retail and buying, in addition to our core, like fashion design. But also in everything related to promotion: There are Saudi brands that need to enhance their collections and image via look books, campaigns, fashion shows, also because the Saudi Fashion Commission is working to bring these labels to Milan, Paris and New York for networking and visibility. In addition to surveys, the two organizations tested local interest by launching an online course last year. Valenti was surprised by the attendance, as 600 people requested to take part in the professional classes, which were eventually made available for 100 students only. The executive said more sessions and promotional activities will be implemented in the lead-up to the opening of the school, the location of which is still being finalized. To be sure, the partnership between the two parties will have the Saudi Fashion Commission help Instituto Marangoni identify the area and building to establish the school, facilitating bureaucratic processes, offering incentives for the first years and implementing scholarships to further encourage enrollment. The actual investment and other financial details were not disclosed. Classes at the campus will be offered in English, with the main three-year academic program available in areas such as fashion design, fashion management, fashion product, fashion styling and creative direction, to name a few. Students will have the opportunity to choose whether to complete the program in Riyadh and embark on a six-month internship during their last year or complete studies for a bachelor degree at any international Istituto Marangoni outpost. A range of professional courses in the areas of fashion business, digital marketing, product management and emerging technologies will be additionally offered in Riyadh, although master courses wont be available at the campus for now. Other courses will include interior design and those in fragrances and cosmetics. Introduced last year, the latter vertical keeps expanding with the support of companies such as Shiseido, LOreal and Dolce & Gabbana Beauty, and is gaining prominence as it has been validated and acknowledged by MIUR, Italys Ministry of Education, University and Research. Weve been the only school to have brought these industries within the scope of higher education, Valenti said. As for further openings, the executive said that between Dubai and Riyadh the institution has covered the GCC area. Yet she teased that a new project will be revealed soon, hinting it will further built on the schools digital presence and its pursuit of cutting-edge innovations. Founded in 1935, Istituto Marangoni is controlled by Galileo Global Education Italia, the Italian branch of the international private higher education company GGE. It enrolls an average of 5,000 students from 108 different countries every year across its outposts and is ranked among the 100 best universities in the world in its fields, according to QS World University Ranking 2024. Private schools operating in the fashion, art and design fields under GGE Italias umbrella also include Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti better known as NABA and Domus Academy. Best of WWD Russian forces and Kremlin propagandists are conducting a combined effort to destroy the city of Kharkiv and cause a mass exodus of civilians, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on April 22. Moscow has recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv using missiles, glide bombs, and drones to destroy infrastructure and kill civilians. These are being combined with information operations designed to sow "outsized panic" among the population while fuelling rumors of an impending Russian ground offensive to take the city, the ISW said. "The Kremlin is conducting a concerted air and information operation to destroy Kharkiv city, convince Ukrainians to flee, and internally displace millions of Ukrainians ahead of a possible future Russian offensive operation against the city or elsewhere in Ukraine," it added. Kharkiv is at particular risk because of its proximity to Russia, lying less than 30 kilometers from the border. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on April 19 that the city "plays an important role" in President Vladimir Putins idea of establishing a demilitarized "sanitary zone" in Ukraine, ostensibly to protect Russian border areas from Ukrainian strikes and incursions. Read also: Kharkiv at risk of becoming second Aleppo, mayor says However, the ISW also assessed the likelihood of a successful Russian ground offensive against Kharkiv as "very low," provided Ukraine receives renewed US military aid swiftly. In the latest attack on Kharkiv, Russian forces struck the citys television broadcasting tower on April 22, causing the top half of the mast to collapse. "There are interruptions in the digital TV signal at the moment," the governor said. The State Special Communications Service reported that the tower's structure was "partially damaged," with work underway to restore broadcasting signals. The attack may have been intended to invoke memories of a similar strike on a TV tower in Kyiv in March 2022 and to "create panic among Ukrainians during another challenging moment of the war," the ISW said. It added reports that Russian military bloggers heavily amplified the attack, framing it as a sign residents should leave the city "while they still can." At the end of March, Russia destroyed all the electrical substations in Kharkiv, leaving Ukraine's second-largest city without a stable power supply. Read also: Russia intensifies attacks on Kharkiv, draining Ukraines air defense and civilian morale "The Russian military command may attempt to destroy Kharkiv City with air, missile, and drone strikes and prompt a large-scale internal displacement of Ukrainian civilians if the Russian military determines that it cannot successfully seize the city with ground operations," the ISW concluded. "Continued timely US and Western military assistance, particularly the provision of air defense systems and missiles, will be critical to Ukraines defense of Kharkiv City," it added. Western officials do not believe that Russia has the capability to launch a new attack on Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv "without a major replenishment of Russian troops," Bloomberg reported on April 16. In late March, President Volodymyr Zelensky said another major Russian offensive may come at the end of May or in June but added that "Kharkiv is protected." Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said earlier in April that news of a potential attack on Kharkiv was "part of a Russian psychological operation," adding that there were no signs of Moscow preparing new attack formations to carry out a ground offensive. Read also: Portrait of the Invader: 2 years of Russian soldiering in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday, Where is the line? between the right to free speech and the need for public safety on college campuses. Their conversation followed clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups at multiple colleges. Columbia University canceled in-person classes on Monday and tensions remained high after last weeks arrest of more than 100 demonstrators. The students camped out on campus to ask for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel. Tapper began by noting that most of the college protests have been peaceful ones and that protests havent been confined to campuses alone. He asked Adams, Do you think Columbia is doing enough to protect its students, especially its Jewish students? And do you worry that sending in NYPD might actually inflame matters? Adams noted, Ive participated in protests throughout my life and particularly [against] South Africa, calling for the dismantling of apartheid. That is one of the fundamental rights we hold dear as Americans, the right to protest. The mayor said that some of the vile antisemitic comments Tapper quoted on the surface are not illegal, but if you use it to harass someone, were going to take appropriate action to stop them from taking place, and we will go on private property for imminent threat. Free speech is an important part of being an American. Where is the line? Tapper asked. For example, Ive seen video of somebody at the Gaza encampment at Columbia standing up and talking about how great Oct. 7s Hamas attacks on Israel was and calling the Hamas terrorists freedom fighters. Is that hate speech? Or is that protected free speech? Where do you come down on that? Adams added, Clearly, I could feel the duality of this moment. I understand the pain that is playing out in Israel and in Gaza at this time. He mentioned that it was similar to the 1950s when Black students had to be escorted on campuses in Little Rock, Arkansas, because they were afraid for their lives. And that is what I see when I see Jewish students are going through this at this moment. The mayor stated, There is no place for hate in this city. I dont care if its antisemitism, Islamophobia, Anti-Sikhism, we dont have a place for that. Arrests of student protesters were also made at Yale, the Associated Press reported on Monday, while Harvard restricted access to Harvard Yard. Pro-Palestinian encampments have also begun at the University of Michigan, New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The University of Southern California has tried to grapple with the larger issue of the Israel-Hamas conflict after canceling the planned commencement speech from Muslim valedictorian Asna Tabassum. A petition begun by the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR) gained more than 41,000 signatures in 48 hours. A separate petition on Change.org currently has just over 2,000 signatures. You can watch Tapper and Adams conversation below: Heres @jaketapper interviewing @ericadamsfornyc & calling out "hateful & threatening" chants at Columbia that praise Hamas for exactly what it is: blatant antisemitism. There is peaceful protestthis is not it. pic.twitter.com/2a8rBrfbtK Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) April 22, 2024 The post Jake Tapper Confronts NY Mayor Eric Adams Over Columbia Protests: Is That Hate Speech or Is That Protected Free Speech? | Video appeared first on TheWrap. (Bloomberg) -- Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is set to meet former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night in the US, according to a person familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The visit by Aso, the deputy head of Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party is the most public sign yet that Tokyos positioning for a possible Trump return to the White House, as the ex-president prepares for an electoral rematch against incumbent Joe Biden. TV Tokyo reported the meeting earlier. Aso arrived in the US about a week after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida returned from his first official visit to America as leader. In his summit with Biden, a speech to the US Congress and a visit to Japanese companies in North Carolina, Kishida touted the strength of bilateral ties between the two nations across a wide range of areas from national security to business investments. Read more: Kishida Says World Needs US, Warning Congress of Global Risks Aso is among a series of foreign envoys who have sought talks with Trump or his associates, after being caught unprepared when he won his first term in 2016. The former presidents comments on alliances this year have sparked renewed concern among US allies already bruised by his imposition of tariffs while in office. Asos meeting comes after the Asahi newspaper and other media reported that he had tried and failed to secure a meeting with Trump during a previous visit to the US in January. Aso served as Japans deputy prime minister and finance minister throughout the period of Trumps presidency. A secretary in Asos office said she wasnt aware of the schedule for a meeting between the two men. Leaders from around the world know that with President Trump we had a safer, more peaceful world, Brian Hughes, a Trump campaign spokesman, said. He is widely recognized as a leader who, with the support of the American people, kept our nation and allies safe, our enemies in check, and American workers protected from unfair globalist trade policies. Read: Trump Triumph Has Wary World Bracing for White House Return Then-premier Shinzo Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his 2016 election win. That meeting took place in New York before Trump was officially sworn into office, an indication of Abes determination to make a favorable impression. Abe subsequently poured efforts into building the relationship through hours spent on the phone or the golf course. His 2022 assassination raised questions over whether Japan has someone in the pipeline who could potentially play a similar role if Trump is re-elected. If the current president stays on, we will deal with it properly, and if a new president comes in there will be the question of appropriate relations with him, naturally including personal ties, said Kenichiro Sasae, a former Japanese ambassador to the US. The personal element is extremely important in diplomacy. --With assistance from Yuki Hagiwara and Momoka Yokoyama. (Updates with comments from former Japan ambassador to the US in ninth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. VANDALIA, OHIO -Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Ohio Republican U.S. Senator JD Vance. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.) Overwhelming relief. Not exaltation. Thats how a leading Ukrainian American in Ohio reacted after the U.S. House finally passed a foreign aid bill for Ukraine last weekend. Out of Ohios 14-member congressional delegation, only three Republicans; Reps. Jim Jordan, Troy Balderson, and Warren Davidson voted against the funding. Im grateful for the bipartisan support we got, said Dr. George Jaskiw, vice president of the United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 50 groups that represent the states large Ukrainian population. Were hoping this (approval by 79% of the Ohio delegation) is viewed and processed by some of our representatives who are opposed to aid to Ukraine. They may be out of step with their state. Jaskiw, a psychiatrist and professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, whose parents fled Ukraine during World War II, was adamant that extending a critical lifeline to an ally being pummeled by an overpowering Russian military is not a parochial issue for Ohio or the Ukraine American diaspora. This is an existential issue for the United States. Our security and economic prosperity depend on a world where rules are respected. Having a world where an aggressor, flaunting nuclear weapons, can get their way and violate borders and treaties is a dangerous one that threatens us directly, he said. In February, a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Senate advanced a foreign aid package for Ukraine that mirrored the House bill approved Saturday. Ohios junior senator opposed it. Curiously, J.D. Vance has been dismissive of Ukraines plight ever since Russian tanks rolled over its borders to wage an unprovoked war. His superheated (Putinesque?) aversion to aiding the besieged country has only grown since the Kremlin invasion. He attracts notoriety as perhaps the Senates most vocal critic of Ukraine assistance. But why? Politico reported that Vance waded into a group of House Republicans to urge defeat of their Ukraine aid measure. His justifications for essentially greenlighting the authoritarian annihilation of the fledgling democracy range from specious to baseless with a smattering of disinformation. We simply have no idea where a lot of our money to Ukraine has gone, he (falsely) tweeted in January. That has been a consistent complaint of his, sighed Jaskiw, despite overwhelming evidence from our IG (Inspector General) which has followed the aid to Ukraine, especially military aid, to a greater degree than in any other military support in our history. Moreover, he noted, there is no evidence of gross mismanagement or misallocation that we found and we, as a community in Ohio, welcome this kind of diligence and confirmation that the aid is going to its designated place. Vance also claims that Russia will stop at the borders of whatever land they hold now. But our colleagues in the EU and NATO and our own defense agencies tell us Russia has built up a war machine with 30% to 40% of its economy committed to production of armaments. Putin will keep moving, Jaskiw predicted. And at some point in the near future, the next five or ten years, in all likelihood well be faced with having to protect our NATO allies in the Baltics and or in Poland. Is it more expedient for us as Americans to fund Ukraine to help it resist and degrade the Russian military or, in a relatively short time, face a significant risk of committing our women and men to fight on the plains of Europe? Thats a question Vance doesnt want to answer, said Jaskiw, even though the consensus of our intelligence and defense experts is that Russia presents a clear and present danger to the free world and us. We can either support Ukraine today or pay a much higher price in the future. The Ukrainian American leader said Vances single-minded enmity toward Ukraine has raised serious concern among many of the estimated 70,000 Ukrainian Americans in Ohio. Why does his antagonism to arming Ukraine run so deep? Why is it so persistent? Why is it so relentless? Jaskiw said his organization has tried repeatedly to have a frank discussion with Vance to no avail. It was not lost on his community that their senator brushed off a key meeting with Ukraines president in Munich recently because, he said, I didnt think I would learn anything new. His South Carolina Republican colleague, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, begged to differ on Sunday. He challenged Vance to visit Ukraine and quit talking about things you dont know anything about. Graham referred to a New York Times op-ed Vance wrote that argued another aid package to Ukraine wont change the course of the war because Ukraine doesnt have the manpower to win the war and needs more than the U.S. can provide. Graham, the longtime foreign policy hawk who just returned from Ukraine, called Vances assertions garbage and suggested he visit the country before he speaks on the issue. Unlikely. A puzzlement to his constituents. If the Russian Federation takes over Ukraine there will be a genocidal outcome, Jaskiw concluded. Their goal is eliminationist. Theyve stated that openly. The people of Ukraine will keep fighting, but they realize without American support their prospects are going to be very, very grave. For now, at least, there is overwhelming relief on the battlefield. And gratitude for those who stood on the right side of history. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post JD Vances dismissive attitude toward Ukraine is an insult to 70,000 Ukrainian Americans in Ohio appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Jeff Gudman (left) talks with his campaign manager (middle) Zach Bayer and Bayer's son in Oregon City in early 2024. Jeff Gudman (left) talks with his campaign manager (middle) Zach Bayer and Bayer's son in Oregon City in early 2024. Gudman is running in the Democratic primary for treasurer. (Campaign photo) Jeff Gudman is trying for a third time to become Oregon state treasurer, but first the former Republican will need to secure the Democratic nomination. Gudman, a private investor and former Lake Oswego city councilman, is running against state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, in the May 21 Oregon primary. Gudman previously ran twice for state treasurer as a Republican against current Democratic Treasurer Tobias Read and lost by 10% in 2020 and 2% in 2016. Gudman decided to run as a Democrat because the Republican Partys values no longer align with his own, he said, singling out the partys attempts to restrict womens health care and access to abortions. Name: Jeff Gudman Party: Democrat Age: 69 (70 by date of primary) Residence: Lake Oswego Current occupation: Private investor Prior elected experience: Lake Oswego City Council representative Education: Bachelors degree in economics, Pomona College in California, 1976; masters degree in finance and management, University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, 1979 Family status: Single Fundraising: $81,888 as of April 22, 2024 Cash on hand: $40,853 as of April 22, 2024 The values I have with respect for the dignity of every individual, to help them when theyre down, to make quality of opportunity a reality and not just a theory, the Republican Party left me, he told the Capital Chronicle in an interview. The winner of the primary will run in the Nov. 5 general election against the lone Republican candidate, state Sen. Brian Boquist of Dallas. The winner will serve a four-year term with a two-term limit during any 12-year period. The current office holder, Tobias Read, is term limited and running for secretary of state. The treasurer sits on several financial boards and the State Land Board, which manages Oregon land trusts for the Common School Fund. The treasurer also serves as the central banker for state agencies and manages more than $100 billion in state investments and programs, including the $94 billion in the Oregons Public Employee Retirement System, or PERS. As treasurer, Gudmans top priorities would be to secure PERS solvency; increase transparency around investments and private investment firms working with the Treasury; and use the office as a bully pulpit and a bank to encourage investment in infrastructure projects for small communities around the state. As a city councilor in Lake Oswego for eight years, he said his focus was on infrastructure, infrastructure and infrastructure. Gudmans plan Gudman sees the treasurers office as influential in getting needed infrastructure, such as housing and roads, built in small communitie. He said he would leverage the agencys bonding programs to spur investment in projects and establish a committee to make recommendations for infrastructure investments to the Legislature. To help deal with the PERS $28 billion in unfunded liability, Gudman would ask the Legislature to commit $100 million per year for 10 years to the fund, easing the contributions from governments and schools. Gudman said hed make information about state investments easily accessible to the public online, decrease the amount of PERS money which is held in private equity and tour each county in the state to meet with the public and answer questions about investments. Besides serving as a city councilor, Gudman has served as a controller, analyst and treasurer for a number of organizations, including USA Olympic Swimming and the Clackamas Free Clinic, which offers health care to low-income residents in Clackamas County. Hes regularly attended public portions of the PERS board meetings and Oregon Investment Council meetings for the past 15 years, he said, and has more than 45 years of investing and budgeting experience. Oregons treasurer oversees billions in state investments, including the PERS fund, and manages public banking and savings programs, including the Oregon College Savings Plan and OregonSaves, a retirement plan for self-employed workers. Steiner, Gudmans opponent, is considered a front runner with the benefit of name recognition after serving as a state senator representing part of Portland for more than a decade, including co-chairing the powerful budget-writing committee for about five years. But Gudman said his experience is a better match. We need to stop thinking about the treasurer as a super legislator, Gudman said. You want to think about the treasurer as someone who is going to be a financial leader. Who is going to speak out professionally, politely and forcefully on different issues. Senator Steiner isnt where she is by pushing back against the establishment. Divestment of fossil-fuel holdings The next treasurer will enter the office at a time when many PERS beneficiaries want the state to move away from fossil-fuel investments. Reads Net-Zero Plan aims to phase out many of fossil fuel-related investments in PERS to make the portfolio essentially carbon neutral by 2050, and this session the Legislature passed the COAL Act, which directs the Treasury to unload coal-related holdings. Gudman said he would honor the COAL Acts guidance and Reads plan but would not phase out investments in oil and gas entirely. We need to continue decarbonisation without question, he said, adding: Oil and gas and all the products that come with oil and gas are not going to disappear from our economy for decades. That means theres going to be opportunities to make money in that. He said it would be more effective for the state to work with other managers of big pension funds that are invested in fossil-fuel companies to pressure them to move faster toward decarbonizing their holdings. The post Jeff Gudman, Democratic treasurer candidate, wants PERS balanced appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Leo Nicolian, a French journalist of Armenian origin, has been denied entry to Armenia, Trend reports. Nicolian staged a hunger strike at Zvartnots airport in protest, the report says. "I will not leave Armenia; instead, I will go on hunger strike right here at Zvartnots Airport's passport control department. I was barred from returning to my homeland without presenting a decision or rationale. I will not leave here, no matter how many people encourage me to hop on an airplane and fly back for free," the reporter said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Jewish Columbia student says protesters burned his Israeli flag, hit him in face with rocks during campus chaos A Jewish student at Columbia University said anti-Israel protesters snatched and burned his Israeli flag, then struck him in the face with rocks during campus unrest over the weekend. Jonathan Lederer, 22, told cops he was displaying the Israeli flags shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday when a protester grabbed one of them and took off while another agitator burned a second flag. According to police, Lederer started shooting video of the incident when two other anti-Israel protesters hurled rocks at him, hitting him in the face before taking off. On Saturday night, the situation on campus hit a new low, Lederer wrote in an article he penned for The Free Press and published Monday. David Lederer, left, says he was struck in the face with rocks during campus unrest. Paige Kahn/NY Post Amid multiple protests both inside and outside of Columbias gates, my friends and I decided to show our pride yet again, as we have on so many occasions since Hamas began its war, he said. Lederer said he and his friends were singing songs calling for peace when they were confronted by masked keffiyeh-wearers who came face-to-face with the Jewish students. They chanted, Fk Israel, Israels a bitch,' he wrote. We were told, You guys are all inbred.' He said the protesters then started chasing them toward the campus gates shortly after midnight. Lederer has had run-ins with the anti-Israeli mob in recent weeks as the demonstrations have intensified at Columbia, Yale University and other college campuses. On Thursday, he was among the Jewish students who applauded an NYPD raid on campus that landed more than 100 demonstrators in handcuffs although they were back on the school grounds just one day later. It wasnt violent, but it was a show that rules are being enforced and thats necessary, Lederer said at the time. Otherwise, without rules being enforced its chaos. Meanwhile, cops have reported other antisemitic incidents in recent days as the anti-Israel demonstrations have intensified, including a new tent city that sprouted up at Columbia. An NYPD cop grabs a US flag set on fire by pro-Palestinian protesters during a demonstration. AP Anti-Israeli protesters have taken to the streets and taken over college campuses to protest the Israeli war against Hamas. Katie Smith via Storyful On Saturday, Sahar Tartak, editor-in-chief of the Yale Free Press, was stabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag while covering protests on the Ivy League campus. One Big Apple merchant reported finding swastika stickers on her newsstand on Friday. Also on Friday, a 41-year-old city resident told cops he found graffiti spray painted on the sidewalk on a Brooklyn sidewalk reading, P-y A Jews, according to police. Last week, a pair of Columbia students were confronted on the Manhattan campus and told, kill yourself, and said one protester kicked his pal in the stomach before running off. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Springtime is here, and with that comes the annual Jewish holiday of Passover. Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. more than doubled last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. In fact, some say there are families in the Jewish community that are torn on how or if to celebrate Passover this year. London police to meet with Jewish leaders as protests spark concerns about the safety of Jews Chabad of Huntsville held a Passover Seder Monday evening. Its a holiday meal that includes the re-telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Out of respect for those observing, News 19 did not film the ceremony. As Jews around the world celebrate their liberation from biblical Egypt, over 100 hostages, most of whom are feared dead, lie captive in Gaza. Its been six months since Hamas terrorists abducted them on October 7th, and members of the Jewish community say its hard not to think about those held in captivity as they celebrate their freedom. War, hostages, antisemitism: A somber backdrop to this years Passover observances The Jewish people were captives to the Pharaoh at a time in Egypt. God, in a blink of an eye, took them out of Egypt so fast that even their bread had no time to rise thats how quick the turnaround was when the salvation came! Huntsville/North Alabama Jewish Community Member Mushka Cohen exclaimed. Our hopes and our prayers are with the 133 of our dear hostages that they get to celebrate already in the blink of an eye their miracle with their loved ones. Passover began at sundown Monday, April 22, and will end at sundown on Tuesday, April 30th. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. A Jewish professor has accused staff at Columbia University of being scared to stand up to pro-Palestinian protesters after he was denied entry to campus over safety concerns. It comes after dozens of people were arrested at Yale and New York universities on Monday, as demonstrations over the war in Gaza continued to roil colleges across the US. At the Columbia campus, pro-Palestine protesters have erected dozens of tents on the main lawn, demanding that the university supports a ceasefire in Gaza and divests from Israel funds. Shai Davidai, an assistant business professor, claims his keycard to enter the main campus was deactivated by university authorities when he tried to hold a stand up to terrorism counter-protest on Monday. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: Earlier today, Columbia University refused to let me onto campus. Why? Because they cannot protect my safety as a Jewish professor. This is 1938. Prof Davidai, who was born in Israel, had organised a counter-demonstration, which he promoted as a peaceful sit-in and safe space for Jewish students to stand up to terrorism. Prof Davidai said the demonstrators were a 'pro-Hamas mob' - Stefan Jeremiah/AP But, after being unable to enter Columbias main campus to attend, he said: I have, not just a civil right, a civil right as a Jewish person, to be on campus. I have a right as a professor employed by the university to be on campus. They deactivated my card. He also accused staff of being scared of standing up to what he described as the pro-Hamas mob. Writing on X, he told them: You are worried about how the pro-Hamas extremists (and the brainwashed cult theyve amassed) will react if you try to disperse them. But being scared is not an excuse for not doing the right thing. Being scared is not an excuse for choosing the pro-Hamas mob and their violent chants over the Jewish professor who believes in co-existence. Prior to his arrival at the campus, Prof Davidai had emailed Columbias administration to request New York City police escorts to ensure his safety. Since the events of last night have shown that you have completely failed to protect the safety of your Jewish and Israeli students, I am requesting approval to have a police escort of at least 10 cops with me, he wrote, referring to reports last weekend of anti-Semitic behaviour. He added: I would ask for escort from the schools Public Safety [team], but they have proven themselves useless versus these mobs, and I do not want to put their lives at risk. Pro-Israel demonstrators in the street outside Columbia, supporting Prof Davidai - Stefan Jeremiah/AP Cas Holloway, Columbias chief operating officer, replied by highlighting his concerns about Prof Davidai staging his event in the proximity of pro-Palestine demonstrators. Because of the obvious risk to the safety of students and other members of our community, we strongly urge you to ask any students and colleagues who may have planned to join you to change their plans, wrote Mr Holloway. As a faculty member, you have a fiduciary duty to do everything in your power to help keep our students and campus safe. Prof Davidais ordeal follows a warning from Elie Buechler, the campus rabbi, who told Jewish students at Columbia to stay at home because of the level of hatred they are forced to endure. More than 100 arrests were made last week after Baroness Shafik, Columbias British-American president, called in police to deal with unruly behaviour. The arrests sparked acts of solidarity at other institutions including Boston University, the University of North Carolina, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California. All in-person classes at Columbia have since been cancelled due to the level of intimidation and harassment related to the Gaza conflict. Arrests at Yale University Elsewhere, at least 47 pro-Palestine protesters were arrested at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, after police were called following complaints about harmful acts and threatening language. I was deeply saddened that the call for civil discourse and peaceful protest I issued was not heeded, said Peter Salovey, the president of Yale. He added: We became aware of police reports identifying harmful acts and threatening language used against individuals at or near the protest sites. Some of the aggressors are believed to be members of the Yale community while others were outsiders. At New York University (NYU) in Manhattan, an unspecified number of arrests were made after police tried to clear a makeshift encampment set up by pro-Palestine protesters. Video on social media showed officers tossing tents, grappling with demonstrators and loading people, whose hands were tied behind their backs, into police vehicles. Police said over a megaphone that protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct, according to the Washington Square News, a student newspaper. NYU spokesperson John Beckman said they exhibited disorderly, disruptive and antagonising behaviour and there were several anti-Semitic incidents reported. Increased scrutiny over anti-Semitism University chiefs across America are facing increased scrutiny over whether they are doing enough to protect students and staff from anti-Semitism. Columbias struggles to deal with anti-Semitism on campus also have financial implications. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a Columbia graduate, said he was stopping donations immediately over the colleges inability to keep Jewish students safe. Another billionaire investor, Leon Cooperman, a business school graduate, said he will continue a pause in donations which began shortly after the Oct 7 Hamas attack. A third billionaire donor, the industrialist Sir Leonard Blavatnik, is considering whether or not to continue his financial support. In a statement to the New York Post, Sir Leonard said: Columbia Universitys leadership must take immediate steps to ensure that Jewish students are protected from threats and intimidation, and that those who violate their policies are held to account. Between them, the three men are estimated to have donated $100 million (81 million) to Columbia, which has been spent on buildings and scholarships for students. What are the Free Palestine protests about? The cry Free Palestine is a rallying call for protesters angry about Israels military campaign in Gaza, which has so far killed more than 33,000 people, and its wider territorial claims to the West Bank, where violence is also flaring. Pro-Palestine supporters have organised demonstrations in cities across the United States since the Hamas attack of Oct 7, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 250 people being taken hostage. University campuses have been a focal point for the outrage among young people after a coalition of student groups at Harvard released an open letter blaming Israel for the Oct 7 attack. After the president of Harvard resigned amid criticism over anti-Semitism on campus, New York universities have staged the biggest flashpoints between the authorities and the pro-Palestine movement. 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. These Are the Jobs That Might Make You More Likely to Develop Dementia Jobs centered around routine may make you more likely to develop the disease, a new study says Getty Stock photo of healthcare worker talking to a patient. What you do for a living might make you more likely to develop dementia. Jobs that are centered around routine, or without a lot of daily changes, may make you more likely to develop dementia, according to a study published in Neurology. Most people in routine jobs in our sample included housekeepers, custodians, construction workers and mail carriers, lead author Dr. Trine Edwin, a researcher at Oslo University Hospital in Norway, told CNN. The outlet reported that those who worked in jobs with little daily changes had a 66% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment. After age 70, they had a 37% greater risk of dementia. Getty Postal worker delivers mail. Conversely, working in a job that required you to be cognitively active, as Edwin told The Guardian, could limit your risk of developing dementia. Dementia is the umbrella term for the "impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities," says the Centers for Disease Control, which points out that dementia is not a part of "normal aging." Related: Owning a Pet May Lower Risk of Dementia for Adults 50 and Older, Study Says Education appears to play a role, Edwin told The Guardian, as those with a higher level of education appeared less likely to develop dementia because they worked in more mentally stimulating jobs. Teachers and university lecturers were the professions ranked as the most mentally stimulating, the outlet says. It means that education is very important, but its also what you do afterwards: its how you use your brain when you are working. You are building your cognitive reserve at work by being cognitively active, Edwin told the outlet. Getty Stock photo of a teacher engaging with students. 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. However, she cautioned that your educational level doesnt automatically immediately mean youre going to develop dementia, even though their study found that attending college reduced your risk of having a repetitive job by 60%, CNN reports. Its not that you are doomed or you are not, Edwin told The Guardian. We can empower people for their later cognitive health with education and tasks that are cognitively stimulating. Related: Wendy Williams, 59, Diagnosed with Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia, per Her Medical Team Our results show the value of having an occupation that requires more complex thinking as a way to maintain memory and thinking in old age, Edwin told CNN. The workplace is really important in promoting cognitive health. There are more than 55 million people around the world with dementia, the World Health Organization estimates, adding that every year, there are 10 million new cases of the disease. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. By Luc Cohen, Jack Queen and Andy Sullivan NEW YORK (Reuters) -The first witness in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, testified on Tuesday that he used his supermarket tabloid to suppress stories that might have hurt Trump's 2016 presidential bid. Pecker, 72, testified in a New York court that the Enquirer paid two people who were peddling stories of Trump's sexual misbehavior but never published them -- a practice known as "catch and kill." When someones running for public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories," Pecker testified. Pecker said the decision to bury the stories followed a 2015 meeting at which he told Trump that the Enquirer would publish favorable stories about the billionaire candidate and keep an eye out for people selling stories that might hurt him. He said he told an editor to keep the arrangement secret. Pecker said the Enquirer paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal for her story of a sexual relationship with Trump in 2006 and 2007. He said he bought the story after Trump refused to do so himself. "He said that anytime you do anything like this it always gets out, Pecker said. The Enquirer's parent company, American Media, said in 2018 it paid $150,000 for the story. Trump has denied having an affair with McDougal. The tabloid also paid $30,000 for a story peddled by Trump Tower doorman, Dino Sajudin, who claimed Trump fathered a child with a maid who worked for him. The story turned out not to be true, Pecker said. Both payments far exceeded the amounts the paper typically paid for stories, he said. I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment it would have to the campaign and Mr. Trump, Pecker said. He is expected to testify further when the trial resumes on Thursday. Prosecutors say Pecker's actions helped Trump deceive voters in the 2016 election by burying stories of alleged extramarital affairs at a time when he already faced multiple accusations of sexual misbehavior. They have charged Trump with criminally falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels, who says they had a sexual encounter 10 years earlier. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies having an encounter with Daniels. His lawyers argue that Trump did not commit any crimes and only acted to protect his reputation. The case may be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to go to trial before the Republican's Nov. 5 election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden. A guilty verdict would not bar Trump from taking office but could hurt his candidacy. 'LOSING ALL CREDIBILITY' Pecker's testimony came after a hearing to consider prosecutors' request to fine Trump $10,000 for violating a gag order prohibiting him from criticizing witnesses, court officials and their relatives. Justice Juan Merchan said he would not immediately rule on that request, but he appeared unmoved by Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche's arguments that Trump was responding to political attacks, not intimidating witnesses. "You've presented nothing," Merchan said. "I've asked you eight or nine times, show me the exact post he was responding to. You've not even been able to do that once." "I have to tell you right now, you're losing all credibility with the court," the judge added. After the session, Trump repeated his claim that the gag order violated his constitutional free speech rights. "This is a kangaroo court and the judge should recuse himself!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. New York prosecutor Christopher Conroy said Trump has run afoul of the order, pointing to an April 10 Truth Social post that called Daniels and Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen "sleazebags." Both are expected to testify in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. Conroy said other posts led to media coverage that prompted a juror last week to withdraw over privacy concerns. "He knows what he's not allowed to do and he does it anyway," Conroy said of Trump. "His disobedience of the order is willful. It's intentional." The $10,000 fine sought by Conroy would be a relatively small penalty for Trump, who has posted $266.6 million in bonds as he appeals civil judgments in two other cases. Conroy said he was not at this point asking Merchan to send Trump to jail for up to 30 days, as New York law allows. "The defendant seems to be angling for that," Conroy said. Blanche said Trump's posts were responses to political attacks by Cohen and not related to his former lawyer's expected testimony. "He's allowed to respond to political attacks," Blanche said. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jack Queen in New York and Andy Sullivan in Washington; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Howard Goller, Will Dunham and David Gregorio) A New York judge is expected to hear arguments Tuesday over whether former President Trump violated a gag order imposed against him in his hush money case. Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorneys Office claim Trump has so far violated the order barring him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judges family 10 times. Theyve asked Judge Juan Merchan to fine the former president $1,000 for each violating post and to remind him that he could be jailed if he continues to skirt the order. Theyve also asked the judge to hold him in contempt. The defendant is aware of the April 1 order, Assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy said last week. We know that from various posts he had made. The purported violations were mainly posted to Trumps Truth Social, where he has made comments about potential witnesses in recent days. The gag order does not prevent Trump from attacking the judge or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D). One post, made April 10, thanked an ex-lawyer to porn actress Stormy Daniels for revealing the truth about two sleazebags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly. The sleazebags in question were Daniels and Trumps ex-fixer and personal attorney, Michael Cohen both expected to be prominent witnesses in the district attorneys case. Another post maligns Cohen as a disgraced attorney and felon prosecuted for lying and suggested that an ex-Manhattan prosecutor who once oversaw the investigation into Trump, Mark Pomerantz, should be prosecuted for his terrible acts in and out of the D.A.s office. Trump has vocally opposed the gag, describing it as more proof the cards are unfairly stacked against him in his first criminal trial. The gag order has to come off, Trump told reporters Friday. People are allowed to speak about me, and I have a gag order, just to show you how much more unfair it is. Theyve taken away my constitutional rights to speak, he added, though he has spoken to reporters in the courthouse daily since the trial began. Trump has appealed the gag order, arguing it is an unconstitutional violation of his First Amendment rights, but it remains in effect as of now. But his lawyers have pushed back forcefully on prosecutors claims that Trumps posts violated the gag at all. Attorney Emil Bove claimed the posts cited do not establish any willful violations and pointed to attacks by Cohen as proof Trumps comments were related to his campaign. A consistent critic of Trump, Cohen has shared or reshared posts deriding the former president in recent days. Meet the 12 New Yorkers on Trumps hush money jury Possible consequences of gag order violations If Trump is found in violation of the order, Merchan could order him to pay the fine or spend 30 days in jail per incident, under New York state law. The judge could seek to find a compromise that would prevent jail time for Trump so early in the case, Obama White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen and four other experts argued in a blog post for Just Security. We expect the court to impose fines against Trump for a substantial number of the violations and to warn him that future violations will result in additional fines and potentially jail time, they wrote. The most difficult question to answer, however, is whether any finding of contempt and resulting punishment will deter this particular defendant from future violations. Prior history suggests it may. Trumps attorneys also pushed back on the idea that reposts of other individuals public comments qualify as a violation of the order. Five of the alleged violations involved Trump or his campaign reposting a New York Post opinion article that slammed Cohen as a serial perjurer, and two other potential violations involved resharing other media. The judge would be on firm legal footing to sanction Trump for all of the statements, but in an abundance of caution, may distinguish some of the repostings for the sake of taking a balanced approach and an incremental one, Eisen and the other experts wrote in the blog post. Gag orders in other Trump cases Merchans gag order on Trump is not the first the former president has faced as hes navigated several civil and criminal trials. In Trumps New York civil fraud trial, the judge also imposed a gag order that blocked Trump from making public remarks about court staff. He faces a gag order barring him from attacking key witnesses or prosecutors, minus special counsel Jack Smith, in his federal election interference case, too. The former president racked up $15,000 in fines for skirting the fraud trial judges directive, and when Trump was asked to take the stand to explain himself, the judge determined that his testimony rang hollow and untrue. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in his New York criminal trial, which centers on a hush money deal made with Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to conceal an alleged affair. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied the affair. On Monday, prosecutors told the jury that the deal with Daniels was one part of a broader scheme to squash bad press about Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Defense attorneys argued that hush money alone isnt illegal and suggested Trumps arrangements were no different than the average nondisclosure agreement. David Pecker ex-CEO of American Media, the tabloid company that allegedly helped Trump put off unflattering coverage was called as the district attorneys first witness Monday. After the gag order hearing Tuesday, his testimony is expected to resume. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ingham County Judge Kristen Simmons presides over a preliminary exam in Lansing for six of the defendants in the Attorney General's case against individuals it says submitted false election results for the 2020 presidential election. The court appearance took place on Dec. 13, 2023. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols) Michigan Judge Kristen Simmons, while presiding over the case against several individuals facing felony charges for submitting false electoral votes for former President Donald Trump in 2020, began court Tuesday with a warning: Cut the social media posts. Simmons said at no time should photos be taken of witnesses, nor should there Facebook posts or other public posts made with commentary about that testimony, especially disparaging comments, adding that such posts can rise to contempt of court or even witness intimidation. If it appears that youre taking a photo, Im going to have to take your phone and have it searched because were not going to have witnesses being intimidated when theyre coming in here under a subpoena to give testimony nor will I have to be taking time away from my judicial duties to address commentary made on Facebook posts. Its juvenile and its ridiculous, Simmons said. The case against the 15 individuals charged for submitting false electoral votes to Washington D.C. for Trump in the 2020 election is a high-profile case as several other states have investigated similar efforts by individuals who falsely claimed to be the rightful electors. Meshawn Maddock (left), Kathy Berden (middle) and Amy Facchinello (right) sit at their preliminary exam in Lansing for the Attorney Generals case against individuals it says submitted false election results for the 2020 presidential election. The court appearance took place on Dec. 13, 2023. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols) No one in the courtroom was singled out by Simmons, but her comments followed an in-chambers meeting with Nick Somberg, the lawyer for Meshawn Maddock, a defendant in the case and former Michigan Republican Party co-chair. Somberg told media outside of court he was called into the judges chamber ahead of court Tuesday with the Assistant Attorney Generals on the prosecutions side to discuss a Facebook post he had made. The post was in regards to testimony from James Renner, a member of the group who had his criminal charges dropped as part of a cooperation agreement with the Attorney Generals Office to testify in the case. The post calls Renner the attorney generals star snitch, and Somberg reasons that there is nothing concerning to the court about his comments. He testified publicly; its no secret that he is an Informant or snitch, Somberg said. Nothing I said was disparaging. Somberg said he expects questions of contempt of court to be raised but its not his first rodeo and hes not worried, though Simmons said there will be a hearing on the topic of social media posts in court in the future. Tuesday marked the fifth day of preliminary examinations and hours of witness testimony as the prosecution tries to make a case that the defendants in their actions committed criminal acts and the defense negates those claims. The post Judge in fake electors case warns social media posts during court could rise to criminal charges appeared first on Michigan Advance. A federal judge said Friday that the Georgia Department of Corrections was in contempt of court and accused them of failing to follow the terms of an agreement reached in 2019 for reforms that would improve conditions for state prisoners. Judge Marc Treadwell, Chief Judge of U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, wrote in his order that not only did GDC receive an 18-month extension to make reforms rather than face sanctions, he said even after not much changed, and that the department continued to ignore and violate the Courts injunction. Terms of the settlement reached in 2019 required GDC to execute a variety of reforms and improvements to adjust conditions at the Special Management Unit, which is the facility for close security offender rehabilitation, according to the department. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Those reforms included: Inmates must receive at least our hours of out-of-cell time per day, Monday through Friday Inmates must receive 120 minutes of out-of-cell programming per week, such as classes or activities Inmates will receive GOAL tablets for personal use Inmates will have access to mobile book carts, weekly, and be able to request library materials Inmates shall have clean cells and be provided with prescribed medication, clean clothing and basic personal items Inmates are entitled to food of the same quality and quantity as the general population, and signs discouraging discussion of nutritional needs with medical staff must be removed GDC was given an original deadline of nearly three years to implement these changes. The court found instead, that even what it deemed a trivial sign removal was not done. TRENDING STORIES: The Court pauses to note the issue because it is emblematic of the defendants broad refusal to comply with the Courts injunction, even when the fix is easy, Treadwell wrote. Years after the entry of the Courts injunction, the signs had not been removed. Additional changes, such as increased staffing to ensure proper manpower was available to carry out the settlement terms did not materialize, according to Treadwells order. The 100-page order from Treadwell also accuses the department of falsifying documents submitted for court hearings after the settlement was agreed to. There was considerable evidence that the defendants were falsifying documentation of review hearings, Treadwell wrote. He added that, during review of the settlement efforts, prison staff found program checklists for inmates in part of the prison that confirm[ed] the defendants were falsifying records related to the settlement, and the implementation of reforms. Extensions to implement the necessary changes at the prison were given until a deadline of April 19, 2024. The court concluded that the GDC were running a four-corner offense and had no desire or intention to comply with the Courts injunction; they would stall until the injunction expired. The Court can no longer tolerate the defendants misconduct and, for the reasons discussed below, holds the defendants in contempt, Treadwell wrote. As a result, the federal judge held the GDC in contempt of court and ordered sanctions be levied against the department, as well as to appoint an independent monitor at the facility, extend the injunction requiring the reforms and imposing a daily fine to ensure compliance. Because of the defendants longstanding and flagrant violations of the Courts injunction, the Court finds that coercive sanctions are necessary to compel compliance, Treadwell wrote, ordering that in addition to an award of attorneys fees to the plaintiffs, a group of inmates, the court ordered daily fines of $2,500. The fine will be payable upon the termination of the Courts injunction, though the GDC would have the payment purged if they comply with the injunction. Treadwell ordered that the injunction would extend until six months after the appointment of the independent monitor, but may be extended by any and/or all parties involved. Starting May 20, GDC will have to pay $75,000 every 30 days which must be deposited with the Clerk of Court. GDC will also have to pay for the independent monitor, according to the court order. In response to a request from Channel 2 Action News, the Georgia Department of Corrections declined to comment as it was a legal matter. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Prosecutors are set Tuesday to try to convince the judge in Donald Trump's falsification of business records trial in New York that the former president should be held in contempt for multiple alleged breaches of an order preventing him from attacking witnesses, jurors or anyone else involved in the case. Pool Photo by Yuki Iwamura/UPI April 23 (UPI) -- The judge in Donald Trump's hush-money trial on Tuesday delayed a decision on whether the former president should be held in contempt for multiple alleged gag order violations as ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker retook the stand. Judge Juan Merchan said he will "reserve a decision" on Trump's alleged gag order violation after he heard from the prosecution and Trump's defense counsel. The court then went on a short break at around 10:45 a.m. EDT and reconvened after 11 a.m. It is not clear how Merchan will rule on the gag order. The judge could punish Trump with penalties up to and including 30 days in jail. Lawyers for the State of New York claimed Trump has "willfully" breached the gag order barring him from making public statements attacking witnesses, jurors and additional parties related to the case, 10 times and want him fined $1,000 on each count. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who has testified a little over two hours so far in two days, on Tuesday afternoon outlined further details about the alleged "catch and kill" deal under which Pecker was to buy off people who had potentially negative stories about Trump, in order to prevent the information getting to the public. Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom with lawyer Todd Blanche. Pool Photo by Timothy A. Clary/UPI Pecker says he's had "a great relationship" with Trump going back to 1989 when Pecker had plans to create a "Trump Style" magazine, and the future president had been one of the first people to give Pecker congratulations when he acquired the tabloid. "He was very helpful in introducing me to other executives in New York. He would always advise me of parties or events that I would go to," Pecker said. Former President Donald Trump speaks upon arriving for his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. Pool Photo by Brendan McDermid/UPI In court on Tuesday, Pecker outlined how there were no "catch-and-kill" stories until 2016 as he remained in contact with Trump's former attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen, whom he first met by chance in 2000 at a bar mitzvah. He said he would later collaborate with Steve Bannon and spoke of how the tabloid would go so far as to even buy untrue Trump stories just to keep them quiet. Former President Donald Trump waves as he returns to his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. Pool photo by Brendan McDermidUPI Pecker told the court how he saw more of Trump after his 2015 announcement of his presidential campaign and after Trump's 2016 election defeat of Hillary Clinton. He said he and Cohen would be in touch monthly until that point in their 2015 "secret arrangement" to help benefit Trump. That partnership began, he testified, during a 20-25 minute meeting at Trump Tower in New York. Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom as he waits for the start of his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. Pool photo by John Taggart/UPI "I would say a minimum of every week, and if there was an issue, it could be daily," Pecker said about his contact with Cohen during the campaign. Pecker testified how he thought "there would be a lot of women" who would come out to try and sell their stories on Trump. Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he leaves his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. Pool Photo by Timothy A. Clary/UPI "It is very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try and sell their stories," he said speaking of their "mutually beneficial relationship." "I would hear it in the marketplace through other sources that stories were being marketed," said Pecker. "It would help his campaign, but it would also help me," Pecker said about the ongoing agreement between he and Trump. "As I recollect, (Trump) was pleased. Michael Cohen was pleased (about) the way I was going to handle these issues." The prosecution got Pecker to admit that not all elements to his business relationship with Trump had been mutually beneficial. Trump, he alleges, "would send me information about Ted Cruz or Ben Carson or Marco Rubio, and that was the basis for our story, and we would embellish," Pecker testified as he referenced past stories on the former presidential candidates. He only shared that information with his top staffers, Pecker said. "After the Republican debates and based on the success that some of the other candidates had, I would receive a call from Michael Cohen and he would direct me and direct Dylan Howard which candidate and which direction we should go," Pecker said about the National Enquirer's chief content officer and the embellished stories on candidates running in 2016 against Trump. In court on Tuesday, Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche claimed "absolutely no willful violation of the gag order" had taken place. Blanche had made the argument that there should be a difference between things Trump puts on Truth Social versus other digital platforms. "We think that it is important for the court to remind Mr. Trump that he is a criminal defendant, and like all criminal defendants, he is subject to court supervision and, in particular, this court's obligation to preserve the integrity of the Criminal Justice System," said prosecutor Christopher Conroy. Merchan issued his four-page gag order on grounds Trump had used his high-profile position to make "threatening, inflammatory, denigrating," statements directed at "local and federal officials, court staff, prosecutors and staff assigned to the cases, and private individuals including grand jurors performing their civic duty." Blanche and Merchan got in a back-and-forth during proceedings about what constitutes an "endorsement" on social media with the judge asking for case law. "I don't have case law," Blanche said Tuesday morning. "But it's just common sense, your honor." At one point Merchan had indicated that he might want to have Trump to testify his position on the stand. "Mr. Blanche, you're losing all credibility with this court," Merchan said at one point. The gag order hearing took place away from the jury before testimony resumes in the hush-money trial which resumes Thursday. "Given that the eve of trial is upon us, it is without question that the imminency of the risk of harm is now paramount," read the order that lead prosecutor Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had been pushing for since February. Merchan subsequently clarified that it extended to family members, including his own, after Trump launched attacks on Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg whom he had called "an animal" -- but significantly Merchan and Bragg are not themselves included. Trump's trial on 34 counts of falsifying business records, allegedly to disguise a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair that might negatively impact his prospects in the 2016 presidential election, kicked off Monday. Judge Juan Merchan will hear arguments Tuesday about whether to punish former President Donald Trump for alleged violations of his gag order by commenting on witnesses expected at his New York hush money trial. Prosecutors asked Merchan on April 15 to fine Trump $3,000 for three alleged violations of his gag order in the case with social media posts criticizing potential witnesses in the case, former lawyer Michael Cohen and porn actress Stormy Daniels. By Thursday, prosecutors counted seven more alleged violations. And on Monday, Trump blasted Cohen again in a speech to reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom. He got caught lying, Trump said of Cohen. Pure lying. Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media at the end of the day at Manhattan Criminal Court during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments on April 22, 2024 in New York City. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 presidential election. Trump has been fined for violating gag orders before Merchan scheduled a hearing Tuesday for prosecutors to urge him to find Trump in contempt and fine him. But Trump has argued a First Amendment right to publicly criticize witnesses and others involved in the case against him, particularly as he campaigns for president. If Merchan fines Trump, he will be following Judge Arthur Engorons $15,000 fines in Trumps civil fraud trial for falsely accused Engoron's law clerk of being in a romantic relationship with a prominent Democratic lawmaker. While the fines are tiny for a billionaire, if Merchan feels he is violating the order flagrantly and repeatedly, the penalties for contempt of court could eventually escalate to putting Trump behind bars before the jury renders a verdict in his case. Trump promoted the drama in a fundraising email Monday, proclaiming "all hell breaks loose" with the hearing on the gag order and an all-caps warning. "I could be thrown in jail at that very moment!" said the message from Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee. Merchan initially ordered Trump not to comment on potential witnesses or court staffers, which was similar to orders in Trumps civil fraud trial and for his federal election interference charges. Merchan expanded the order when Trump commented on the judges daughter in arguing Merchan should be removed from the case. Merchan refused to withdraw. Former Donald Trump lawyer and loyalist Michael Cohen walks out of a Manhattan courthouse after testifying before a grand jury on March 13, 2023 in New York City. The grand jury is investigating payments Cohen arranged and made on behalf of the former president. Trump blasts Cohen and Stormy Daniels on social media Trump has continued to blast Cohen and Daniels on social media, two witnesses at the heart of the case. Cohen has testified he paid Daniels $130,000 to remain silent before the 2016 election about her claim she had sex with Trump in 2006 while he was married to Melania Trump. Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to hide his reimbursement of Cohen. Trump has argued he was paying Cohen a legal retainer and wasnt aware of the payment to Daniels, but Cohen says there was no retainer. Cohen has pleaded guilty and was imprisoned for charges including a campaign finance violation based on the payment to Daniels. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump real estate project in Moscow, so Trump has called him a liar for years. Ironically, that lie was told to protect Trump. Trump attacks Cohen's credibility Outside the courtroom Monday, Trump said Cohen wasnt very good at being a lawyer and added: The things he got in trouble for were things that had nothing to do with me." While testifying at Trumps civil fraud trial last year, Cohen denied committing tax evasion despite having pleaded guilty to it. In trying to get released early from prison, Cohen acknowledged giving his lawyer arguments with fake legal citations generated by artificial intelligence. When are they going to look at all the lies that Cohen did in the last trial? Trump asked. He got caught lying in the last trial. Prosecutors initially asked Merchan to fine Trump for three social media posts because of concern he could intimidate witnesses from testifying. Examples included on April 13, when Trump asked whether Cohen was prosecuted for LYING? A judge had ruled Cohen wouldn't be penalized. On April 10, Trump called Cohen and Daniels each a sleaze bag. More recent posts called Cohen a serial perjurer. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge weighs gag order fines in Trump hush money trial Royalty follows not only fashion trends, but also each other's style, as evidenced by the similar looks of Queen Mary of Denmark and the British Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. The latter is increasingly being called a style icon, so it is not surprising that other high-ranking fashionistas are trying to follow her interesting experiments. ADVERTISIMENT Sometimes, Queen Mary's inspiration can make her break the royal rules, such as the case of the bright ultramarine manicure. Hello! magazine wrote about other similar looks of two representatives of the monarchy families. Flexible styling Lightweight layered styling has been the standard hairstyle of the princess since 2011, which has recently been supplemented with curtain bangs. Nowadays, the Queen has started to choose similar looks for herself. Silhouette suit Silhouetted bright suits are a unique style of Kate Middleton, which Queen Mary also tried to borrow. ADVERTISIMENT Bright manicure Queen Mary decided to try a bright basalt blue manicure, breaking the royal rule. Her inspiration was probably Kate Middleton, who tried to change her nail color from beige to red last year for Easter. Rustic style Both royals flaunted their "rustic" style surrounded by the forest, but with completely different goals, as the British princess was there to talk about mental health, and the Danish queen was creating a celebration. ADVERTISIMENT Long coat and boots Prince William's wife appeared at the Christmas service in a blue long coat with knee-high boots. About a month ago, her "rival" was spotted wearing a blue coat with long boots. Baby accessories During the coronavirus pandemic, the Princess of Wales went out to meet British mothers, wearing a gold chain engraved with circles bearing the initials of each of her children - George, Charlotte and Louis. The Queen of Denmark also boasted a similar accessory, appearing in public with an 18-carat gold pendant engraved with "C, I, V, J", which are the first letters of her children - Christina, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine. ADVERTISIMENT Low bun As a rule, royals go out on balconies only on special occasions, so their hairstyles have to be perfect. So, in 2023, Middleton gathered her hair in a voluminous low bun, and in January of this year, Queen Mary ascended the throne with a similar hairstyle. Similar A-line dresses Almost for the first time, they switched roles, and Kate Middleton borrowed the image of a delicate pale pink A-line dress from Queen Mary. Both of them chose light heels and drop earrings for their outfits. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The judge in the case against Bryan Kohberger, accused of killing four University of Idaho students in the fall of 2022, is allowing surveys conducted with potential jurors to continue without modification after temporarily pausing them, according to an order issued last week. Latah County District Court Judge John Judge ruled the order pausing the surveys is lifted and the defense may continue its surveys without modification to the survey questions. On March 22, Judge halted the surveys being conducted by the defense team, leading to discussions on the matter during hearings on April 4 and April 10. During one of the hearings, defense attorney Anne C. Taylor said the survey was important for the defense teams efforts to seek a change of venue for Kohbergers trial, given the intense local media coverage on the case, CNN previously reported. Judge ruled that most of the survey questions were not in violation of the courts non-dissemination order in the case. Many of the questions included in the defense surveys came from the probable cause affidavit that was not sealed in the case, the judge argued. Additionally, one of the questions was not based on admissible or inadmissible evidence but instead asked about the feelings of members of Moscow community, Judge explains. Therefore, the defense did not violate the Nondissemination Order by asking seven of the nine questions. While the two remaining questions were not previously part of the public record, they were read into the public record and discussed during the hearings, Judge said. Because the information is now in the public record, the Court does not see any benefit in preventing the defense from continuing its surveys or requiring that the two questions at issue be eliminated, Judge said. Judge conceded, however, that the questions may include prejudicial information or misinformation about Kohberger. If defense counsel believes asking these survey questions, which arguably contain prejudicial information or misinformation about Defendant, is more beneficial than harmful this Court does not, at this juncture, have sufficient information to second guess that strategic decision by trial counsel, Judge said. Kohberger, a former criminology PhD student, is accused of killing four students at the University of Idaho: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle. A judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in May 2023. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FILE - Bryan Kohberger, right, is escorted into a courtroom for a hearing in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. A judge says defense attorneys for Kohberger, the man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho students in late 2022, can resume phone surveys of potential jurors in the case. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool, File) BOISE, Idaho (AP) Defense attorneys for a man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho students can resume phone surveys of potential jurors in the case, a judge has ruled. Bryan Kohberger faces four murder charges in connection with the November 2022 stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. A judge has entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger's behalf, and prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Kohberger's defense team hired a consultant to survey potential jurors living near the university about things they might have seen, heard or read about the case. The phone survey included questions about Kohberger's arrest, the type of car he owns, DNA evidence and a knife sheath found near one of the bodies. It also included questions about whether the person being surveyed had watched true crime-style shows about the case or other things they might have heard. When prosecutors became aware of the survey earlier this year, they asked 2nd District Judge John Judge to order the defense team to stop, arguing that the surveys violated a broad gag order the judge had issued in the case. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said some of the questions could prejudice people who could be called to serve as jurors when the case goes to trial. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge said the surveys could continue as long as the questions do not violate his gag order. Most of the questions included information already publicly available through court documents, the judge wrote in the ruling, and so did not violate the order. Other questions about rumors people might have heard or crime documentaries they might have seen about the case were not part of the public record when the surveys began, but they have since been debated and discussed in open court which means they, too, are now part of the public record and can be included in future surveys, Judge said. The bodies of the four University of Idaho students were found at a rental home near campus on Nov. 13, 2022. Police arrested Kohberger, 29 and then a graduate student at nearby Washington State University, more than six weeks later at his parents' home in eastern Pennsylvania, where he had gone for winter break. Judge strikes down NC law on felon voting, saying racist origin has not been cleansed A federal judge on Monday struck down a North Carolina law that criminalized voting for people with felony convictions. In a 25-page order, U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs wrote that the law, which was originally passed in 1877, was enacted with discriminatory intent, has not been cleansed of its discriminatory taint, and continues to disproportionately impact Black voters. Biggs ruling does not affect the rules regarding voter eligibility for people with felony convictions. North Carolinians convicted of felonies are still ineligible to vote until they have completed their sentences. The case dealt with a separate law that made it a Class I felony for anyone with a felony conviction to vote before their citizenship rights had been restored. Two advocacy organizations, the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute and Action NC, sued over the law in 2020, arguing that it violated the Equal Protection Clause by targeting Black voters. Biggs agreed, noting that even the states lawyers acknowledged the laws racist origins. Defendants, in an extraordinary and telling concession, do not contest that the historical background from the original enactments of 1877 and 1899 are indefensible, she wrote. Defendants further do not contest that the law currently impacts African-Americans at a higher rate than it does other citizens. Efforts to reach representatives for House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger, the Republican leaders who are defendants in the case, for comment werent immediately successful Tuesday morning. The groups bringing the lawsuit also argued that the law was so vague as to be unconstitutional, as the state did not give people with felony convictions adequate notice of criminal liability. Last year, lawmakers enacted a change to the challenged law as part of a major elections bill, Senate Bill 747. The change said that felons could not be prosecuted for voting unless they knew their rights had not been restored. After passing this change, the states lawyers argued that the lawsuit was now moot. Biggs did not agree, rejecting the recommendation of a magistrate judge who suggested the case should be dismissed in January. Biggs decision could be appealed to a higher court. A federal judge has struck down a North Carolina law criminalizing voting for people with felony convictions. The law, originally passed in 1877, made it a Class I felony for people who vote in North Carolina without having their rights restored. But on Monday, U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs wrote that the law was enacted with discriminatory intent, has not been cleansed of its discriminatory taint, and continues to disproportionately impact Black voters. Although Black Americans make up about 13 percent of the U.S. population, one-third of Black men have at least one felony conviction, according to a 2017 report. Black North Carolinians account for nearly 53 percent of the states prison population though they make up only 21.5 percent of North Carolinas overall adult population, according to a 2016 report from the nonpartisan racial justice organization NC CRED. In 2020, the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute Inc. and Action NC brought the suit to court, arguing the law violated the Constitutions equal protection clause by targeting Black voters. Voting rights have become a major topic of concern for Black leaders, including the Congressional Black Caucus, ahead of the 2024 election. Advocates have expressed concerns that voter suppression tactics disproportionately affect Black Americans from exercising their right to vote. The North Carolina Constitution bans felons from voting unless their rights have been restored by state law, though a law passed last year clarified that only those who knew their rights had not been restored could be charged with a new felony. But Biggs on Monday pointed out the laws potential for arbitrary enforcement. Record evidence demonstrating this inconsistency in District Attorneys interpretation and enforcement of the Challenged Statute that some believed that the Challenged Statute included a requirement of intent while others did not compels the conclusion that the Challenged Statute permits a standardless sweep that allows prosecutors to pursue their personal predilections under the Challenged Statute, Biggs wrote. Its unclear how the ruling could impact Novembers election. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The judge presiding over former President Trumps classified documents case unsealed a slew of documents Monday evening pertaining to the FBIs investigation into the former president and the FBIs raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered the release of the new documents, which provided a detailed look into the personnel involved in the raid on Mar-a-Lago and a play-by-play timeline of the raid. One of the documents is an FBI file that suggests the agency's investigation into Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents was dubbed "Plasmic Echo." "This document contains information that is restricted to case participants," the document reads. It adds, "PLASMIC ECHO; Mishandling Classified or National Defense Information, Unknown Subject; Sensitive Investigation Matter." READ THE PLASMIC ECHO' DOCUMENT APP USERS, CLICK HERE: Another unsealed FBI memo memorialized the role of Attorney General Merrick Garland in the investigation. FBI RAIDS TRUMP'S MAR-A-LAGO: 'UNPRECEDENTED' FOR AGENCY TO EXECUTE SEARCH WARRANT AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered the release of new documents pertaining to the FBIs investigation into former President Trump and the FBIs raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022. In a document dated March 30, 2022, Garland provided his approval to allow the investigation into Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents to upgrade to a "full investigation." "This email conveys Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General (AG) [Merrick Garland] approval for conversion to a full investigation," a synopsis of the restricted document reads. Another unsealed FBI document, dated Aug. 17, 2022, detailed the FBIs unprecedented raid on Trumps Palm Beach estate days earlier on Aug 8, 2022. The documents describe the personnel involved in the raid and provide a by-the-minute breakdown of the incident beginning with the FBI's arrival at Mar-a-Lago. GOP SLAMS 'WEAPONIZATION' OF DOJ AFTER TRUMP'S MAR-A-LAGO RAIDED BY FBI; DEMS CALL IT 'ACCOUNTABILITY' It includes entering a "45 Office" safe and later taking seized documents back to Washington ultimately to the FBIs Washington Field Office (WFO). "A search warrant, 22-mj-8332-BER, issued in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on August 5, 2022, was executed at 1100 South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida 33480 at 10:33 a.m. on August 8, 2022," the document reads. TRUMP SAYS MAR-A-LAGO HOME IN FLORIDA 'UNDER SIEGE' BY FBI AGENTS "Prior to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) teams entry onto the MAL premises, FBI leadership informed and coordinated with local United States Secret service (USSS) leadership. Local USSS facilitated entry onto the premises, provided escort and access to various locations within, and posted USSS personnel in locations where the FBI team conducted searches," it continued. In this photo illustration, pages are viewed from the governments released version of the 32-page FBI search warrant affidavit for former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. It was heavily redacted for the protection of witnesses and law enforcement and to ensure the "integrity of the ongoing investigation." The personnel at the raid consisted of four agents from the FBI WFO, one FBI Headquarters personnel, 25 agents from the FBI Miami Field Office, one DOJ Counterintelligence and Export Control Section attorney and one attorney from the United States Attorneys Office Southern District of Florida. Trump famously said the morning of the raid that his Mar-a-Lago estate was "under siege" by the FBI. He also claimed to be in full cooperation with investigators. According to the unsealed documents, the timeline for the raid is as followed, with approximate times. 08:59 a.m. FBI team entered the Mar-a-Lago premises 09:01 a.m. Entry photographs of exterior initiated 09:14 a.m. Telephonic contact with attorney [name redacted] attempted 09:36 a.m. Telephonic contact established with [name redacted] 10:13 a.m. CCTV activated on Mar-a-Lago premises 10:33 a.m. Search of Mar-a-Lago initiated 10:55 a.m. Entry photographs resumed 10:55 a.m. Filter Team review of "45 Office" initiated 01:33 p.m. US Attorneys Office SDFL approves FBI entry in "45 Office" safe 02:23 p.m. Exit photos of "45 Office" initiated 04:33 p.m. Search of Mar-a-Lago premises concluded 06:19 p.m. Receipt for Property provided to Attorney [name redacted] 07:52 p.m. Seized evidence arrived at FBI Field Office Miami 08:18 p.m. Seized evidence secured in FBI Field Office Miami temporary storage 07:08 a.m. Seized evidence removed from FBI Field Office Miami temporary storage 07:13 a.m. Convoy briefing provided by FBI Field Office Miami SWAT Team Leader 07:54 a.m. Seized evidence departed FBI Field Office Miami 08:34 a.m. Seized evidence arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 08:35 a.m. Seized evidence loaded on aircraft 08:49 a.m. Aircraft departs FLL 11:00 a.m. Aircraft arrives at Reagan International Airport (DCA) 11:15 a.m. FBI Field Office Miami Filter Team Lead transfers potentially privileged seized evidence to FBI Washington Field Office Filter Team 11:20 a.m. Seized evidence departs DCA 11:50 a.m. Seized evidence arrives at FBI Washington Field Office. Original article source: Judge unseals FBI files in Trump classified documents case, including detailed timeline of Mar-a-Lago raid An attorney for Donald Trumps legal defense in his New York criminal trial took a serious misstep on Tuesday that resulted in a critical warning from Judge Juan Merchan. On the second day of the trial, attorney Todd Blanche attempted to portray Trump as an individual fully aware of the limitations of the partial gag order imposed on him in the trial, which forbids him from speaking publicly about courtroom staff, prosecutors, or any of their family members. Comments about jurors are also prohibited, as well as comments about witnesses, though comments about Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg are still on the table. Still, Trump has already managed to violate the gag order about a dozen times, according to the Manhattan District Attorneys Office. President Trump does in fact know what the gag order allows him to do and what it does not allow him to do, Blanche told the court, insisting that his client had not violated the court order since Trumps comments toward witnesses, including adult film actress Stormy Daniels and his former fixer Michael Cohen, allegedly came after they had spoken about him first. Hes allowed to respond to political attacks, your honor, Blanche said, according to MSNBCs Adam Klasfled. But Merchan remembered the order of events, reminding Blanche that Trumps disparaging remarks had in fact come before the others. President Trump Truths repeatedly, all day, virtually seven days a week, your honor, Blanche replied. The ensuing back-and-forth between Blanche and Merchan continued to a rolling boil until Blanche suddenly claimed that the violations at handwhich involve Trump reposting an article from a news site or a news programdont actually violate the order. Still, Blanche had no precedent or case law to support such a claim. I dont have any case law, Blanche said, instead calling it common sense and doubling down that Trump had been very careful to comply with the order. That was, apparently, the straw that broke the camels back, after which Merchan dropped that the attorney had gone too far. Mr. Blanche, you are losing all credibility with the court, Merchan said, according to LawFares Anna Bower. You say the posts are ambiguous, you say he didnt know, but youre not offering me anything to support your argument. Youre not giving me anything to hang my hat on, Merchan continued. The fact that the prosecution did not come running in here as [soon] as your client posted things too close to the line is not probative of anything here, he added before telling the court to take a break. Theres just nothing like it The 1896 letter declaring Utah a state has come to the Beehive State The document that made Utah a state is shown at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Its unclear how an 1896 document signed by President Grover Cleveland approving Utah as a state ended up at a Boston-based document auction this spring, but its now finding its home in the Beehive State. Anthony Christensen, the founder of Anthonys Fine Art & Antiquities, announced the gallerys purchase of the document in its neoclassical gallery on Monday afternoon. The building itself is historical it formerly was the Immanuel Baptist Church built in 1911 and throughout the gallery hangs the work of artists like Walter Rane, Arnold Friberg and Minerva Teichert. The sun peers in through the stained glass ceiling and around every corner is a treasure like Louis Comfort Tiffanys The Good Shepherd stained-glass window or H.L.A. Culmers landscape of the Grand Canyon. It took decades of trying for Utah to become a state, but there was something else that Christensen emphasized when he first announced the sale. Christensen quoted from a letter John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail Adams about how what has become known as Independence Day in the United States would be remembered. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival, Adams wrote. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. Paraphrasing this quote, Christensen recalled how the Latter-day Saint pioneers celebrated July 4 and lit bonfires in what is now known as Big Cottonwood Canyon even as they faced military opposition. They wanted to be part of America, that was their heritage, Christensen said. With that as a backdrop, Micah Christensen, art consultant and European art and furniture expert, said Anthonys Fine Arts & Antiquities has been in the business for 40 years and has purchased many historically significant objects throughout the decades. But this one really strikes at what we feel like is part of our stewardship, Christensen told media in a press conference. Which is to make sure that things that are meaningful to the state find their way back here and are celebrated and understood in context. The document a handwritten letter penned in iron gall ink sold for $27,188 at auction. Christensen said there were several documents from the federal government that were sold at auction. But whats uncommon is there would be one that was so specific to the state of Utah. I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to my Proclamation admitting the State of Utah into the Union of States; dated this day, and signed by me; and for doing so this shall be his warrant, the document reads in full. Christensen said the gallery bought it because we felt like it was important to bring that document and ensure that it is here in the state and its our goal to make sure that it goes to a state institution. It symbolizes the end of Utahs petitioning to become part of the United States. It was signed on Jan. 4 of that year. It was signed concurrently with a proclamation (Proclamation 382) that created the state. The territory applied six times before finally entering the Union in 1896. The gallery displayed it on the wall surrounded by other historical objects related to Utahs journey to statehood, including a 45-star flag. Ronald Fox, the co-chair of the Utah Commission on the 250th anniversary of the United States and president of The Fox Group, partnered with the gallery in its pursuit of the document. Cleveland signed the document in private. He had a delegation from Utah there, Fox said, but they did not witness the signing of the document. Its journey from that signing to where it currently is in downtown Salt Lake City is unclear. Historical items of Utahs statehood are shown on display near the document that made Utah a state at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News The document that made Utah a state is shown at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Anthony Christensen, founder of Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques, discusses the document that made Utah a state in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Historian Ronald L. Fox talks about the significance of the document that made Utah a state being acquired and shown at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Historical items of Utahs statehood are shown on display near the document that made Utah a state at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A copy of the front page of the Deseret Evening News showing the proclamation by President Cleveland announcing Utah as a state is on display at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Historical items of Utahs statehood are shown on display near the document that made Utah a state at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Micah Christensen discusses the importance of the document that made Utah a state at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Historical items of Utahs statehood are shown on display near the document that made Utah a state at Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Anthony Christensen, founder of Anthonys Fine Art & Antiques in Salt Lake City, shows a copy of the writing on the back of the document that made Utah a state in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 22, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, a clerk or a secretary of state released a batch of documents into the public and they were no longer property of the federal government, Fox said. Private collectors owned this document prior to it coming to auction, but whose hands and how many hands it passed through is unknown. It is our hope that it goes into the new state museum, Fox said, referencing the history museum slated to open in 2026 at the Utah Capitol. Its Christensens hope that the gallery will find a client who would buy the document and donate it to the state so it can end up in the museum. Fox also said that its likely the first time this document has ever actually been in the state of Utah. Theres just nothing like it. When the document was signed and Utah became a state, Fox said there was a jubilant celebration. The telegraph office was buzzing with information, and the telegraph operator came out into the middle of the street with a double barrel shotgun and fired it off to get everybodys attention, Fox said. The 5 p.m. edition of the Deseret Evening News reported the news of Utah becoming a state on Jan. 4, 1896, also noting the shotgun announcement, bells ringing and blowing of whistles. Utahs struggle to become a state was unlike any other state in the country. Though Cleveland signed the letter on Jan. 4 1896, it wouldnt be until July 4 of that year that the official statehood celebrations commenced and the U.S. added the 45th star to the American flag. Gov. Jim Justice spoke about a Child Protective Services case during his Tuesday, March 23, 2004 briefing. (Screenshot from Gov. Jim Justices briefing) Child Protective Services had no idea about a Boone County girl who was found dead in a skeletal state at home last week, according to Gov. Jim Justice. The governors revelation on Tuesday came less than 24 hours after the head of the Department of Human Services said records related to the case must remain confidential. Several media outlets, including West Virginia Watch, filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking records to determine whether CPS was aware of the childs situation. Her family members told WCHS that they had contacted CPS about the 14-year-old girl prior to her death. Her mother was charged with child neglect causing death. The CPS folks, from what I understand, had no idea about this child no idea whatsoever, Justice said during a virtual press briefing in response to a question from WSAZ reporter Curtis Johnson. Justice added that more resources must be put into the states child welfare system. This is a tragedy that is unthinkable, but stuff like this happens, he said. What do we do to ensure this doesnt happen again? Weve got to pour more money into this, weve got to have more workers and weve got to have more resources. The states CPS workforce, grappling with an overburdened child welfare system, have for years failed to investigate around half of child abuse reports in the required timeframe. Through a FOIA request, West Virginia Watch obtained records showing CPS was aware of children in Sissonville who were found in October living in a shed without access to running water or a toilet. No records existed that could show CPS traveled to the home to check on the children before police found them in devastating conditions. Cynthia Persily, secretary of the Department of Human Services On Monday, DoHS Cabinet Secretary Cynthia Persily said in a statement that it was essential to recognize that confidentiality protocols, mandated by both state and federal law, are designed and implemented so that people can report suspected child abuse without fear of retaliation. State and federal confidentiality laws are vital to preserving the integrity of investigations, prevent malicious misuse of the system, and to safeguard the privacy rights of children and their families, she said. In light of our communitys most recent devastating loss of life, it is crucial to understand that CPS cannot prevent every instance of abuse or neglect. It is also important for the people of our state to know that CPS strives diligently to investigate every qualified report and intervene within our legal authority and statutory mandate to protect our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Reporters have said they are not seeking personal information about the child or who might have made CPS referrals only the states possible response to the situation. DoHS has not yet responded to West Virginia Watchs FOIA request about the Boone incident. State child welfare code permits exemptions for documents requested under FOIA, according to Disability Rights West Virginia Legal Director Mike Folio. DRWV is also attempting to gain information on the case as the states federally-mandated protection advocacy system. The law is intended to be a sword not a shield, said Folio, who also previously worked for the state health department. Justice said that it was unlikely that laws could be changed to increase the flow of information about how CPS is handling investigations. State lawmakers have said they also struggle to get information about tragic cases, including child deaths, from DoHS. Del. Heather Tully, R-Nicholas, asked the governor to add a bill to the call for the special session that would permit certain lawmakers to discuss critical incidents behind closed doors with state officials. The bill passed the House during the regular session but failed to be taken up for consideration in the Senate by deadline. The post Justice: Child Protective Services didnt know about Boone girl found dead in a skeletal state appeared first on West Virginia Watch. The Justice Department has reached a $138.7 million settlement with more than 100 victims of disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar over the FBIs initial failures in investigating the sexual assault case. More than 150 women and girls, including Olympic athletes, have alleged that Nassar sexually abused them under the guise of performing medical treatments. The FBI failed to investigate their claims, the victims say. Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing young athletes under the guise of medical treatment, was sentenced in a Michigan state court to up to 175 years in prison. For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability, Benjamin Mizer, the acting associate attorney general, said in a statement Tueday. These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements wont undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing. The Justice Department acknowledged its failures in a scathing inspector generals report that found senior officials in the FBI Indianapolis field office failed to respond to the Nassar allegations, made numerous and fundamental errors when they did respond and violated multiple FBI policies when undertaking their investigative activity. John Manly, an attorney for victims of Nassar, told CNNs Jake Tapper on Tuesday evening the settlement is a relief. Its at some level feeling victorious but also at some level just profound sadness knowing that, had the FBI acted when this was reported over 100 children would not have been molested by Larry Nassar, Manly said. It brings the end to one of the darkest chapters if not the darkest chapter in American sports history, the attorney added. But Manly said there are still agents who mishandled the investigation and have not been held accountable, adding thats not justice. So, (the settlement) is an imperfect result, but its one Im very proud of, and I think our clients are proud of. And it was the result of a massive struggle. In 2021, victims of Nassar reached a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee and their insurers. In 2022, the DOJ offered to begin settlement discussions with the sexual assault survivors. This story has been updated with additional details. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The founder and creative director of the Jacquemus fashion house, 34-year-old Simon Porte Jacquemus, and his businessman of choice, Marco Maestri, became parents of twins. The couple used the services of a surrogate mother. ADVERTISIMENT The babies were named Mia and Sun. The new parents shared a photo with tiny hands on Instagram, where it has already garnered more than 20 thousand likes. "Congratulations, Mia and Sun. Dad Simon and dad Marco," the parents wrote under the photo. They added that with the birth of their first children, the lovers' dream came true. The men had been preparing for the status of parents for a long time and took a responsible approach. Mia and Sun were born on April 20, which can be seen on their bracelets. However, the faces of the babies were not shown to the subscribers. Their gender was not disclosed either. As you know, Simon Porte Jacquemus and Marco Maestri got married back in 2022 in Charleval, in the south of France. Famous friends and close relatives came to congratulate the couple. ADVERTISIMENT It is interesting that the couple did not talk about their desire to become parents and use the services of a surrogate mother. For many, this news came as a surprise. Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Simon Porte Jacquemus turned into Kevin McCallister from the movie Home Alone. The founder of the Jacquemus brand repeated the image of the boy from the first part of the New Year's story when he was returning home from the store with overflowing bags. Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Washington The Justice Department and more than 100 victims of former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar reached a civil settlement over allegations that FBI agents failed to properly investigate the gymnasts' claims of abuse against the now-convicted doctor. Superstar Olympian Simone Biles and fellow U.S. gold medalists Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney are among the victims who claimed the FBI did not pursue allegations that Nassar was abusing his patients. The U.S. will pay $138.7 million to settle 139 claims against the FBI, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. A 2021 Justice Department watchdog report confirmed that FBI agents did not take the proper investigative steps when they first learned that Nassar was sexually abusing young gymnasts in 2015. Those failures, according to the Justice Department inspector general, left the physician free to continue abusing patients for months. The FBI agents were either fired or retired, and in May 2022, federal prosecutors said they would not pursue criminal charges against the agents involved in those missteps. FILE: U.S. Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and NCAA and world champion gymnast Maggie Nichols testified at a Senate Judiciary hearing about the inspector general's report on the FBI handling of the Larry Nassar investigation of sexual abuse of U.S. gymnasts, Sept. 15, 2021, Washington, DC. / Credit: SAUL LOEB / Getty Images "These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements won't undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing," Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said in a statement announcing the settlement Tuesday. The victims sued the FBI in 2022 alleging negligence and wrongdoing. The final settlement in this case resolves the victims' claims against the federal government. File: Former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar listens during the sentencing phase in Eaton, County Circuit Court on January 31, 2018 in Charlotte, Mich. / Credit: JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images In 2021, FBI Director Christopher Wray, testifying before Congress, condemned the agents' past handling of the Nassar allegations, adding, "On no planet is what happened in this case acceptable." In 2022, he told Congress the FBI would not make the same mistakes in the future. Attorney General Merrick Garland characterized the FBI's failures as "horrible." Neither Wray nor Garland were leading their respective organizations at the time of the FBI misconduct. In total, settlements concerning the disgraced former national women's gymnastics team doctor have now totaled nearly $1 billion. Michigan State University, where Nassar was a doctor, agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted by him. The university was also accused of missing chances to stop Nassar. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in 2021 agreed to a $380 million settlement with his victims. As part of the agreement, the organizations must also make significant reforms to prevent future abuse, CBS News reported. Nassar is serving multiple prison sentences for crimes of sexual abuse and child pornography after pleading guilty to several charges throughout 2017 and 2018. Kerry Breen contributed reporting. "Blind trust": Widow's $1.5 million romance scam story serves as cautionary tale More teachers are quitting, and those who remain aren't happy, researchers say Schumer, McConnell urge Senate to pass foreign aid package HOLTON (KSNT) Law enforcement says its pursuing new leads in its efforts to get to the bottom of a cold case involving Russian immigrants in northeast Kansas. Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse says in a press release that multiple law enforcement agencies participated in a search warrant on a Holton home in the 400 block of E. Sixth Street on Tuesday, April 23. This is in connection to a missing person investigation and a death case. This embedded content is not available in your region. Photo of Yulia Shevtensko Larrison. (Photo Courtesy/KBI) Morse says a Russian immigrant named Yulia Shevtensko Larrison went missing in the early 2000s while Elena Kristova Larrison, another Russian immigrant, was killed in a reported accident in Holton in 2006. These incidents were investigated by the Holton Police Department. The investigations into these cases were reopened in 2019 with no arrests made yet. Larrison went missing in 2000 at the age of 27 and would be 51-years-old in 2024, according to the KBI. She is described as being around 507 in height and weighing around 145 pounds. Woman hospitalized in Manhattan shooting If you have any information regarding these investigations, you can call the Jackson County Sheriffs Office at 785-364-2551 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) at 1-800-KS-CRIME or send anonymous tips by clicking here. This cold case is being investigated by the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, KBI, Kansas Highway Patrol and Holton Police Department. The photos below were taken by a 27 News reporter in Holton on April 23: (Photo Courtesy/Gabriel Johnson) (Photo Courtesy/Gabriel Johnson) (Photo Courtesy/Gabriel Johnson) (Photo Courtesy/Gabriel Johnson) For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. ALLEN (KSNT) Several farm animals died after a barn in northeast Kansas became engulfed in flames near the town of Allen Monday. KSNT 27 News spoke with local Fire Chief Tharon Mott about the situation. He said a brush fire started by a farm owner in the area on Saturday, April 20 spread to his barn on Monday, April 22. When we arrived the barn was fully engulfed and about four pigs suffered and died in the fire, Mott said. Turkey poachers arrested, guns seized in Miami County Powerful winds made it difficult to fight the fire which also caused localized power outages. The outages are expected to be fixed by Tuesday, April 23. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Brian Jordan, executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards, appears for a March 3, 2023, podcast recording at the Kansas Reflector office in Topeka Brian Jordan, executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards, appears for a March 3, 2023, podcast recording at the Kansas Reflector office in Topeka. Jordan praised lawmakers for finding common ground in revising state law for school enrollment figures. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA Legislation altering the states funding formula for public school districts will bolster schools struggling with declining enrollment, the governor said as she signed the bill into law. Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday signed Senate Bill 73, which passed 120-3 in the House and 35-4 in the Senate. Under the law, districts with declining enrollment can choose between three options to count enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year: current year enrollment, preceding year enrollment, or an average of the two preceding school years. From the 2025-2026 school year on, districts will be required to choose between the current year and preceding year enrollment counts. This bill represents a crucial step in ensuring that our school funding formula supports all types of districts, from growing suburban schools to our vital rural schools, Kelly said. By allowing districts more flexibility when determining their enrollment count, were helping districts across the state better plan for the unique needs of their communities. Under current statute, school districts and the Kansas State Department of Education determine state aid based on enrollment counts from the previous year, or the second preceding year for districts with falling enrollment. Districts that have rapidly expanding student enrollment typically prefer up-to-date enrollment numbers to receive new student compensation, while districts with faltering numbers benefit from the look-back window. Kansans can be proud of the bipartisan work by lawmakers and public education advocates who sought common ground, said Brian Jordan, executive director for the Kansas Association of School Boards. Its a win for Kansas kids when school districts have a responsible path to plan effectively and efficiently. We applaud Republicans and Democrats for reaching this agreement. The post Kansas governor signs law providing flexible enrollment calculations for school funding appeared first on Kansas Reflector. From left, Lawrence High School student journalists Natasha Torkzaban, Maya Smith and Morgan Salisbury meet April 19, 2024, with USD 497 school board president Kelly Jones. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) To quote Pink Floyd: Leave them kids alone! That was my reaction to Kansas Reflector editor in chief Sherman Smiths story about Lawrence High School students who fought and won a battle with the district over spyware installed on their devices. I remember my experiences as a student journalist and would have been similarly outraged by adults sneaking peeks into the reporting process. Im not sure I would have been brave enough to speak out in the same way, or with the same mixture of grit, determination and moral purpose as these young people. Yet a gargantuan question hangs over Lawrence school officials decision to tactically retreat in the face of a clear overreach. What about the other kids? You know, the ones who dont take journalism classes. What about all the students who still use devices running surveillance software from a company called Gaggle? As Smith reported, the company uses an artificial intelligence program to scan material on students school iPads and linked Google accounts. If the AI flags a message or image of concern, the material is then reviewed by a human Smith found job listings for Gaggle reviewers starting at $10 an hour. Lawrence, on the other hand, decided to spend $162,285.75 over three years for the monitoring service. Listen, I understand why district officials and parents want guardrails for students online activities while in school. That makes sense. We dont want them looking up porn or making threats in class. Kelly Jones, school board president for Lawrence Public Schools Kelly Jones, school board president for Lawrence Public Schools, says school boards are being inundated with products that are meant and designed and marketed to protect students. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) But thats not what Gaggle promised, or what Unified School District 497 spokeswoman Julie Boyle told Smith. Both justified privacy violations with high-minded rhetoric about protecting students mental health. Im sorry, but count me skeptical that clunky AI and adults making less than three dollars above the federal minimum wage have made a serious difference in the well-being of Lawrence children. Instead, what you might expect to happen indeed happened: False red flags, uncomfortable meetings with administrators and clear-cut violations of student rights. Lawrence school board president Kelly Jones put the situation in a broader context, one in which gun violence has become a daily threat. School boards are being inundated with products that are meant and designed and marketed to protect students in terms of billions of dollars worth of sales that come from public education to protect our students, she said. Jones added that theres a balance between which of those products are doing what we hope they do, which is make our buildings and our students and our staff as safe as possible, while also protecting their rights as individuals to have autonomy and choice in what they communicate. As a parent of a child in the Lawrence school district, I recognize these challenges all too well. After the multiyear shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant societal disruption, teens and adults alike have struggled. Yet the idea that we can ameliorate the challenges with emerging technology strikes me as naive. Barbara Tholen, journalism teacher at Lawrence High School, shared her thoughtful take: We all know that this mental health crisis is very real, and the challenges of them figuring out how to address it I certainly understand. I think its valuable to have some real deep reflective questions about how were addressing it, though. Lawrence High School journalism teacher Barbara Tholen Lawrence High School journalism teacher Barbara Tholen, left, says we should be wary of people who are offering quick solutions to deeply challenging problems. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) We all want the best for our kids, sure. But how do we get it? I would suggest that surveilling young people electronically, intercepting their communications and leaving hard calls to computers does more harm than good. Teens will learn they cant trust the people around them. Building relationships and listening to those same young people might take time, but at least it can be done honestly. Rather than seizing on spyware, adults should consider addressing climate change, the cost of living, affordable college and other measures. That might give young people something to look forward to, rather than anticipate with mounting dread. Students deserve free expression. They also deserve the freedom to chart their own course and figure out their own beliefs and course in the world. Adults can find that threatening be they social conservatives limiting access to certain books or bewildered progressives trusting balky software. More broadly, those in power dont like being challenged. Take the confusing contretemps at Columbia University, where officials have cracked down on sprawling student protests over the Israel-Palestine war. Because authorities cracking down on protests always goes so well. Or take the abuses of government power in Marion and Alabama, where journalists were targeted for simply doing their jobs. (The charges against journalists in the Alabama were dropped Friday, by the way.) The heavy hand of government should be applied sparingly when it comes to the personal expression of teenagers or grownups. Surely liberals and conservatives and libertarians can agree on that. Especially the libertarians. Give the kids space. Take care of them, yes, but let them learn and grow without the constant threat of ominous oversight. They will be running this all soon enough. Lets raise them right. Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. The post Kansas school district deployed spyware. Teen journalists pushed back, but what about the others? appeared first on Kansas Reflector. Who is Karen McDougal? What to know about the potential witness in Trump's hush money trial Twelve jurors and six alternates have been sworn in, and lawyers in Donald Trump's hush money trial are preparing to question witnesses. Among them is likely to be former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for allegedly disguising a hush money payment issued to porn star Stormy Daniels as legal expenses. Michael Cohen issued the $130,000 payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, along with another $150,000 payment to stop McDougal from sharing her own story about Trump. While Trump's charges are not related to McDougal's hush money payment, she could still take the stand. Here is what to know about McDougal: Donald Trump trial live updates: Michael Cohen's banker to testify on payment to Stormy Daniels Who is Karen McDougal? Actress Karen McDougal arrives at the launch party on October 15, 2004 in West Hollywood, California. She is expected to be a witness in Donald Trump's hush money criminal trial. McDougal is a former Playboy model. McDougal said she had an affair with Trump that lasted 10 months started in 2006, which he denies. Former Trump lawyer and convicted felon Michael Cohen negotiated a "catch and kill" arrangement for McDougal's story with the National Enquirer in 2016. The tabloid paid McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story, which Cohen funded. The National Enquirer, owned by American Media Inc. (AMI), was fined $187,500 by the Federal Election Commission for issuing the payment with the intent of influencing the election. McDougal has also sued the company, and has since spoken out about the affair. "AMI lied to me, made empty promises and repeatedly intimidated and manipulated me," McDougal said in a statement previously provided to USA TODAY. "I just want the opportunity to set the record straight and move on with my life, free from this company, its executives and its lawyers." McDougal could be part of David Pecker's testimony David Pecker, the former head of the National Enquirers parent company, is expected to be the first witness in Donald Trumps hush money trial. Pecker's testimony is expected to focus on the company's tactic of routinely paying for scandalous stories that it didnt publish, under what others called a catch-and-kill strategy. Pecker was president and CEO of AMI in August 2015, when he met with Trump and his personal lawyer, Cohen, to help deal with negative stories about Trump by purchasing them and not publishing them, according to a Federal Election Commission agreement with the company. After a lawyer for McDougal contacted the company, Pecker and Dylan Howard, the companys vice president and chief content officer, notified Cohen, according to the FEC agreement. In August 2016, the company paid McDougal $150,000 for her life story, including about any relationship with any then-married man and then didnt publish the story, according to the FEC agreement. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Karen McDougal, potential witness in Trump's hush money trial? Karen the ostrich dies after grabbing and swallowing a staff member's keys at Kansas zoo TOPEKA, Kan. Karen, a 5-year-old female ostrich at the Topeka Zoo, recently died after grabbing and swallowing a staff member's keys, the zoo announced Friday. Karen had lived in the zoo's Giraffe & Friends exhibit since March 2023, the zoo said in a news release sent out by Jennifer Goetz, strategy and creative director for Compass Marketing & Advertising Partners. The staff member's name wasn't being made public. "In light of this tragic event, the Topeka Zoo conducted a thorough investigation and is taking appropriate actions regarding the team member involved," Friday's news release said. "Additionally, the zoo will be reviewing and enhancing its protocols to further strengthen the safety measures in place for all its residents." 'I tried telling them to stop': Video shows people yank bear cubs from tree for selfie The Topeka Zoo announced Friday that Karen, this female ostrich, recently died after grabbing and swallowing the keys of a zoo staff member. What happened? The circumstances surrounding Karen's death serve as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and care in maintaining the safety of the animals that live at the zoo, said Friday's news release. "In this instance, Karen reached beyond her exhibit fence to grab the keys of a staff member," the news release said. "She immediately swallowed the keys." Zoo staff members consulted with experts across the country about what surgical and non-surgical steps could could be taken to minimize the impact of what had happened, the release said. "Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful," it said. 'Devastated by the loss' Zoo guests and staff formed deep connections with Karen and felt captivated by her playful, water-loving antics, which included swimming in a pool, playing in a sprinkler and being a dancing queen, Friday's release said. "We are devastated by the loss of Karen," said Fawn Moser, the zoo's interim director. "She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community. Our thoughts are with our dedicated animal care team, who formed deep bonds with Karen during her time with us." Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka Zoo ostrich, Karen, dies after swallowing staff member's keys Kari Lake bemoans fact that Arizonas 1864 abortion ban is not being enforced, in another apparent shift Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake expressed regret in a recent interview that Arizonas century-old abortion ban was not being enforced by the states Democratic leadership, remarks that appear at odds with her recent public opposition to the law. The Arizona Supreme Court said this is the law of Arizona, but unfortunately, the people running our state have said were not going to enforce it. So its really political theater, Lake said in an interview with Idaho Dispatch on Saturday during a visit to the state. We dont have that law as much as many of us wish we did, she added. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled on April 9 that the state must adhere to a 160-year-old law barring all abortions except in cases when necessary to save a pregnant womans life. The court delayed enforcement of the ban for at least 14 days to allow plaintiffs to challenge the law, and Arizonas Democratic attorney general, Kris Mayes, told CNN that her office does not intend to prosecute providers or patients under the near-total ban. The attorney generals website states that the earliest the 1864 territorial abortion ban may take effect is June 8, 2024. CNN has reached out to Lakes campaign for comment. Lakes latest remarks come as she confronts criticism from within the anti-abortion movement over her recent shift on the law. In 2022, as a candidate for governor, the former TV news anchor praised the 1864 law in a podcast interview after Roe v. Wade was overturned, saying that she was incredibly thrilled that Arizona would have a great law thats already on the books go into effect. But as a candidate for Senate, Lake has flipped her position on the abortion law. Lake came out against the Arizona Supreme Courts abortion ruling earlier this month and called on the states Democratic governor and GOP-controlled Legislature to find an immediate common sense solution. Two days after the ruling, Lake released a five-minute video explaining her stance. She declared that the total ban on abortion is out of line with where Arizonans are on the issue and said she supports exceptions for cases of rape and incest. She also actively lobbied state lawmakers to overturn the law, CNN previously reported. Lake acknowledged during a campaign event in Scottsdale last week that she had a little bit of a shift in her stance on the abortion law but insisted she was still pro-life. Lakes comments against the abortion ban drew criticism from anti-abortion advocates. Steve Deace, an Iowa-based conservative talk show host, posted on X that he was Just extremely disappointed and argued that Lake is almost completely unrecognizable from when she ran for Arizona governor. Lake is currently seen as the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in a race that could be critical to determining control of the Senate next year. US Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, has criticized Lake over her prior support for the abortion ban and accused his likely general election opponent of flip-flopping on the issue for political advantage. Now, because she has seen the outrage and because she will lie and do whatever she can to win, he told CNNs Kaitlan Collin earlier this month, she is basically flip-flopping on her position, but she cannot be trusted. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake in an interview with an Idaho media outlet expressed disappointment that her states 1864 law banning nearly all abortions is not being enforced, backtracking on comments she made earlier this month when she said the resurrected measure went too far. The Arizona Supreme Court said this is the law of Arizona. But unfortunately, the people running our state have said were not going to enforce it, Lake said in a video interview with the Idaho Dispatch on Saturday. We dont have that law, as much as many of us wish we did, she added. Lakes campaign did not immediately respond to questions about her comments, which came in response to criticism from the anti-abortion group Idaho Chooses Life. Arizonas state Supreme Court earlier this month upheld a Civil War-era law that bans nearly all abortions in the state except in instances to save the life of the mother. The law also imposes jail time for physicians who perform abortions. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) and Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) said they would not enforce it and wont prosecute providers. The earliest the law could take effect is June 8, and Mayes said in a recent letter to hospitals and doctors her office is exploring all legal options available to prevent it from doing so. Lake, who is running for the seat being vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I), has flipped back and forth on how she speaks about the 1864 measure. In 2022, while she was running for governor of Arizona, she called it a great law. But after the ruling, Lake had a different take. This total ban on abortion that the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled on is out of line with where the people of this state are, she said in a video posted to the social platform X on April 11. I agree with President Trump, we must have exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of a mother, she said. Lake has reportedly been personally lobbying GOP members of Arizonas Legislature to repeal the ban, which would then revert the state back to its 2022 law banning abortion after 15 weeks. Like the 1864 law, the 15-week ban does not include exceptions for rape or incest. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake said in an interview with an Idaho media outlet that "unfortunately," her state's near-total abortion ban dating from 1864 is not being enforced, flipping back on comments she made against the law earlier this month, when she called state legislators asking them to repeal it. In an interview with the Idaho Dispatch on Saturday, Lake described the recent court decision upholding the 1864 law: The Arizona Supreme Court said this is the law of Arizona. But unfortunately, the people running our state have said were not going to enforce it, Lake said, expressing disappointment in steps taken by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes, both Democrats, to block prosecutions under the ban. We dont have that law, as much as many of us wish we did, Lake added. Lakes campaign did not immediately respond to questions about her comments in the Idaho Dispatch interview. Lake was in Idaho as the keynote speaker for a local county Republican Party dinner. Her comments came in response to criticism from a group that opposes abortion rights, Idaho Chooses Life. Lakes latest comments are very different from how shes been speaking about the abortion law, which bans abortion after conception with no exceptions for rape or incest, since the state Supreme Courts ruling. This total ban on abortion that the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled on is out of line with where the people of this state are, said Lake in a video posted to X on April 11th. We know that some women are economically in a horrible situation, they might be in an abusive relationship, they might be the victim of rape, Lake went on in the video explaining her opposition to the 1864 ban. I agree with President Trump, we must have exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of a mother, Lake added, exceptions lacking in the 1864 ban. Those comments also represented a change of tune from Lake on the ban. In 2022, while she was running for governor of Arizona, Lake called the law a great law. Her likely Democratic opponent for retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinemas seat, Rep. Ruben Gallego, seized on those comments in an advertisement last week. Im going to go by what she has said for the last three years, Gallego said when asked whether he believed Lake's recent announcement opposing the 1864 ban. She really believes that there should be an abortion ban. Shes advocated for an abortion ban." She is in support of this territorial ban thats essentially going to ban abortion and put doctors and nurses in jail," Gallego added. Meanwhile, as the Idaho episode shows, Lake isn't just getting flack on abortion from Democrats. During a campaign stop at the University of Arizona on April 11, both proponents and opponents of abortion rights criticized Lake for what she's said about the Arizona law. Im not standing in the shoes of a woman whos been beaten by her pimp. Im not standing in her shoes, and neither are you. Are you standing in the shoes of a woman who has been the victim of a brutal rape? Lake said then, when confronted by an opponent of abortion who expressed disappointment in Lake's comments backing down her support for the ban. Back on the campaign trail in Scottsdale, Arizona, just a few days later, during a town hall that was supposed to be focused on housing, the moderator, a real estate agent named Jason Mitchell, asked Lake, Can you explain your shift on abortion from Civil War law to now? Mayes, the state attorney general in Arizona, is expected to face legal challenges should she block prosecutions under the abortion ban. The Arizona Supreme Courts ruling makes abortion a felony punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs one or helps a woman obtain one, and it could take effect as early as June 8, according to Mayes' office. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com On Tuesday, April 23, the son of the Dukes of Cambridge Kate Middleton and William, Prince Louis, celebrates his birthday. The youngest member of the British royal family is 6 years old. ADVERTISIMENT He has already become a public favorite thanks to his charm. OBOZ.UA has collected 10 most interesting and intriguing facts about the life, personality, and upbringing of the little prince. His full name is Louis Arthur Charles The prince's full name is full of deep meaning-from the fact that Louis means "famous warrior" to honoring several members of the royal family. For example, Prince Philip's uncle and King Charles III's mentor, the late Lord Louis Mountbatten. He was tragically killed in a terrorist attack organized by the Irish Republican Army in 1979. Prince Louis's third name, Charles, was given in honor of his grandfather, King Charles, and means "free man." When he was born, the then-prince said: "We are very happy with the news. It's a great joy to have another grandson, the only trouble is that I don't know how I'm going to keep up with them." ADVERTISIMENT Prince Louis's christening took place in the Royal Chapel of St. James's Palace Prince Louis's godparents were announced before the christening ceremony. They are close friends of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: nightclub owner Guy Pelly, childhood friend Nicholas van Katsem, close friend of Kate Anne Gillingham Carter and her cousin Lucy Middleton, as well as Harry Aubrey-Fletcher and Lady Laura Meade. Louis is the first child in the royal family whose birth was publicly registered Prince Louis' birth was registered only 11 hours later, following royal tradition. The certificate was signed by his father William. ADVERTISIMENT Louis' name is also part of his older brother's full name The full name of Kate and William's eldest son, Prince George, also includes the name of their youngest son, Louis. It sounds like George Alexander Louis. He has been attending most of the official events with his parents since he was a child Prince Louis has accompanied his parents, brothers, and sisters to important royal events such as Trooping the Color and Royal Ascot. He also participates in charitable initiatives aimed at supporting those in need and loves the public. The youngest son of the Dukes often waves to his subjects during public events, charming everyone with his smile. ADVERTISIMENT Louis loves animals The little prince loves to go outdoors and explore the countryside, so he knows what different animals look like and likes to interact with them during family walks. Prince Louis shares his birthday with another royal The youngest member of the royal family has a birthday on the same day as Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent. On April 23, 2024, Gabriella turns 43. The prince's favorite vegetable is beets ADVERTISIMENT In one of her interviews, Duchess Kate told chef Mary Berry that the family grows its own vegetables, explaining: "We have carrots, beans, beets. Louis is a big fan of beets." His hair is darker than his siblings' It seems that Louis inherited his hair color from his mother. Although the prince looks very similar to his older brother George, his locks are getting darker over the years. Louis is a happy child! It seems impossible to find a photo where Prince Louis is not smiling. In all the photos, the boy looks happy and contented, although sometimes he makes faces at the camera when he is bored. Prince Louis has undoubtedly already managed to win the hearts of many and is a source of joy and admiration for royal enthusiasts around the world. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Kari Lakes abortion stance is about as clear as the Hudson River. The MAGA fangirl has switched her position on an antiquated abortion ban once again, telling an Idaho news outlet it is unfortunate Arizonas near-total ban isnt being enforced in the state. That statement directly contradicted comments the U.S. Senate candidate made earlier this month, when she asked state legislators to repeal the same Civil War-era ban. Speaking to the Idaho Dispatch, Lake supported the ban and threw shade at her states Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, while discussing a recent state Supreme Court decision to uphold it. The Arizona Supreme Court said this is the law of Arizona. But unfortunately, the people running our state have said were not going to enforce it, Lake said. Gov. Hobbs and the Democratic attorney general, Kris Mayes, have both moved to block prosecutions under the ban. Kari Lake Blasts Abortion Ban She Once Was Thrilled About We dont have that law, as much as many of us wish we did, Lake continued. The comments are a stark turnaround from the former gubernatorial candidates remarks about abortion in recent months. As the anti-abortion stance has proved to be a thorn in the side of the Republican Party, Lake has softened her own position on the issue, which she once called the ultimate sin. Immediately after the state Supreme Court revived the ban, Lake pulled her support for what she once called a great law and instead called on the state legislature to devise an immediate common sense solution that Arizonans can support. Making not-so-subtle nods to the GOP senate nomination shes trying to secureand seizing the chance to tout her ties to Donald TrumpLake said Arizonans should be allowed to choose abortion for themselves. Arizona State Senator Shares Own Emotional Abortion Story in Floor Speech I am the only woman and mother in this race, she said in a statement. I wholeheartedly agree with President Trumpthis is a very personal issue that should be determined by each individual state and her people. On April 11, Lake posted a video to X, appearing to clarify her stance. I agree with President Trump, we must have exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of a mother, she said. But those exceptions arent included in the 1864 ban. Lakes Saturday comments may signal a return to her original hard-line anti-abortion stance. But who knows? With the official Senate primary set for July 30, theres no telling how many more switch-ups could be in store. Kari Lake Is Now Trying to Court Arizona Republicans She Trashed 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. Kharkiv TV tower to be restored only after end of hostilities There has been no signal of digital terrestrial television in the city of Kharkiv and the nearest settlements as a result of a Russian strike on the Kharkiv TV tower. The Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration has announced that the restoration of the TV tower will begin only after the end of hostilities. Source: Ivan Sokolov, Director of the Department of Civil Protection of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, in the broadcast of Radio Liberty Quote: "If we take into account the way it [the tower] was constructed, its restoration is possible only after the end of hostilities." "I think [the Russians] wanted to intimidate the population of the city of Kharkiv and nearby settlements. Imagine, in the light of day, at 16:40, a missile strikes the tower, which is the tallest structure in Kharkiv. Of course, people were a bit terrified. I believe this strike was supposed to intimidate the population of Kharkiv Oblast." Details: As of now, the damaged equipment is still being dismantled. The tower's total height is 250 metres and the strike occurred at an altitude of approximately 140 metres. After this, a part of the tower collapsed. Background: Local authorities and law enforcement officers reported that the Russian Armed Forces launched a missile attack on a television infrastructure facility in Kharkiv at around 16:30 on 22 April. The Russians had already attempted to hit the TV tower in the city on 6 March 2022, but they only damaged the cables and temporarily interrupted the TV broadcast. Support UP or become our patron! A man was sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing a 13-year-old Texas girl at his Arlington apartment, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office said in a video statement Monday. Nolan Neighbors was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping and three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was initially arrested on a charge of harboring a runaway before the charges were upgraded. On June 14, 2022, 31-year-old Neighbors drove to Honey Grove, Texas, where he picked up the 13-year-old and drove her back to his apartment in Arlington, according to Assistant District Attorney Erika Staif. Honey Grove is about 115 miles northeast of Fort Worth. He sexually abused the child for three days at his apartment and kept the victim in a closet until Arlington police found them, Staif said in the video. An Amber Alert was issued during the search for the girl. The jury returned a swift guilty verdict, sending a message that we protect children in our community, said Assistant District Attorney Deanna Franzen. An Arlington man is sentenced to 60 years in prison. Thank you to the Arlington Police Department for your work on this case. pic.twitter.com/ZG8mrz2L87 Tarrant County CDA (@TarrantCountyDA) April 22, 2024 Authorities believed the teen and Neighbors were communicating online and arranged to meet each other, which is what brought them to Arlington, according to police. The teen was reunited with her family after the Amber Alert. Today's top stories: Suspected gunman in West 7th area shooting in custody H-E-B announces third Tarrant County location Man shot wife to death in Fort Worth, police say. Her body was found wrapped in tarp Get free alerts when news breaks. Multiracial group of small children with teacher sitting on floor and learning about space together at kindergarten. The most recent Kids Count report ranked Alabama 45th in the well-being of children, due to infant mortality rates and difficulties accessing child care. (Getty Images) Alabama ranked 45th overall among U.S. states for childhood well-being, the same rank as the previous year, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book. For years, we have discussed how the face of our state continues changing we are aging and growing more diverse, wrote VOICES for Alabamas Children Executive Director Rhonda Mann in an opening letter with the report, released earlier this month. More than ever, it is critical to be mindful of the opportunity gaps in child well- being that disproportionately affect child populations of color and the implications as we shift to a minority-majority. The report ranks the states based on indicators including within health, education, safety and economic security. According to the report, the infant mortality rate has decreased overall in Alabama since 1992 but went up year-over-year, with Black infant mortality rates remaining much higher than rates in white communities. More children in the state have health insurance since 1990, but fewer have access to health care facilities due to closures in rural areas. Oklahoma, Nevada, Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico placed behind Alabama. Apreill Hartsfield, a policy and data analyst for VOICES for Alabamas Children, said that the change in demographics is what stands out the most in this years book. The child population is declining and becoming more diverse. Children made up 28.2% of Alabamas population in 2000; it was 24.6% in 2002. The Hispanic population of children theyre the ones that are going the fastest, and as far as demographics, and they tripled from 2000 to 2022, she said. Hartsfield said that child poverty rates have been steadily rising since 2000 across all age groups in Alabama, but the Hispanic and Black childhood demographics have been the most impacted. Both of those are affected at more than two times the rate of the white child population, she said. In 2000, 12.0% of white children lived in poverty. That number went up to 13.5% between 2017-2021, per the report. In 2000, 29.1% of Hispanic children lived in poverty compared to 36.7% in 2017-2021. Poverty among Black children declined during the period but remains substantially high. In 2000, 40.5% of Black children lived in poverty; from 2017-2021, the number was 38.3%. Shelby County had the highest median household income by hourly wage at $41.09 per hour. Sumter County had the lowest at $14.18 per hour. Infant mortality increased from seven deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020 to 7.6 deaths per 1000 in 2021. She said that small increase represents 443 babies. Almost 25 First Class pre-K classes, just to kind of put that in terms of what does this really look like, Hartsfield said. In 2022, the number decreased to 6.7 per 1000 live births, but was still at 12.4 per 1000 for Black infants. Kids Count cites a 2023 March of Dimes report that estimates that more than a third of Alabama counties could be considered maternity care deserts. More than a fourth of women in Alabama do not live within 30 minutes of a birthing hospital. It tells a deeper story about infant mortality rate if you dont have the access to care, Hartfield said. If moms cant be healthy, then they cant bring healthy babies into the world. She said that infant mortality rates are good predictors of overall health for children in a general society. Because its looking at all of the indicators, all the factors that go into what makes a baby healthy, what helps the baby live past their first year of life, she said. All the different indicators, factors such as the environment, environmental factors, the economy. So it can give us a different look at not just children but also society in general. A similar indicator is low-weight birth, she said, which was 10.5% in 2021, compared to 8.5% nationally. That goes back to the health of the mom, factors relating to before she even gets pregnant, she said. Hartsfield said that one of VOICES priorities in the 2024 legislative session was expanding access to health care for those in the coverage gap: people who arent eligible for Medicaid but cant . She said that women without health care are likely not going to the doctor before they are pregnant. If theres any kind of issues going on, those are not addressed, so we have to kind of take a step back and look at all of the whole lifespan of that mom before she gets pregnant, she said. So while its important to have that care, during pregnancy and immediately after pregnancy, its also important for her to have access to health care before she gets pregnant. While there are growing gaps in access to health care, the report found that 97% of children are covered by some form of health insurance. Early intervention services for children three and under with development delays have also increased. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Kids Count report: Alabama still 45th in childhood well-being appeared first on Alabama Reflector. My mother was a very practical woman. Not in a joyless way, mind you. She appreciated beauty for its own sake and saw the world as something lovely, and wished to adorn it. As I write, I sit under one of her paintings. Like everything in her, my mothers abundant love for her people was not abstract. It took on material form in the beauty and comfort she created for her family, and most of all wanted to enjoy it together with us. She was no hard-nosed pragmatist, but she had little time for the theoretical. It would be her lot, though, that her youngest of five children would be exactly the opposite. She was a person who asked what, but I was born asking what if. And very high on her list of uninteresting abstractions was history. And so, it had to be that it was my fascination. As a boy, I could always get my father to talk with me about historythe world, America, our town, our family, anything. Never my mom, though. Joan Stirewalt lived in the now. But in my surely dreadful efforts to wheedle out of my mother an opportunity to natter on about what I knew and what I wondered, there was one topic to which I could always resort. And of all things, it was the story of murderous bank robber John Dillinger. Dillinger was gunned down by FBI agents outside the Biograph Theater on Chicagos North Side in 1934, the year before my mother was born. But something in the story of that Depression-era desperado captured her imagination. They both grew up in Indiana, so maybe that was part of it. She had been raised at a time and in a place where his legend and celebrity would have been hard to escape. But in the dozens of times I nudged her into talking about Dillinger, she would always remark on how handsome he was. Women were drawn to him like moths to a flame, she would tell me. And, Ill admit, that as bank robbers go, Dillinger was pretty. So maybe that was enough: A woman who loved beauty was fascinated by a beautiful person who was capable of hideous things. But there was another refrain, too. She talked about how people admired him. How the people of the Midwest in that hard-bitten era appreciated that he was robbing the same banks that had foreclosed on so many homes. And indeed, Dillinger and his gang made quite a show of destroying the mortgage certificates they found in the bank vaults they plundered. They thought he was like Robin Hood, my mother would say. A beautiful bandit who took from the rich and gave to the poor. Pretty good for folklore. But best of all for Dillingers legend, he had the decency to not just die young, but to be killed in spectacular fashion. No wonder he captured the imagination of a little girl in Indianapolis. America has long loved its bad men, some badder than others. Some were real heroes, like the privateers who harassed enemy shipping during the Revolution and the War of 1812. Some were just thugs with good public relations, like Al Capone. And some were mostly works of fiction, like Billy the Kid. So whats Donald Trump? Ive thought often of my mothers soft spot for Dillinger as I watched Republicans close ranks around Trump. These are mostly people who wouldnt tolerate Trumps conduct in an employee or neighbor. They would be deeply ashamed if a member of their own family was on trial for hiding hush money payments to a pornographic performer or was caught lying about stolen documentsto say nothing of his efforts to steal a second term in office. Yet with Trump they have found a way not just to excuse the bad behavior, but to turn it into a mark of honor. It is only because hes such a threat to the bad people in power, the reasoning goes, that he is being picked on in this way. And while he is not beautiful, he is vivid and spectacular; a larger than life celebrity. He even leans into the comparison with Capone, the high-living, dapper don whom the Feds had to bust for tax evasion because they couldnt get him for bootlegging and racketeering. This helps us understand how the charges against Trump helped him solidify his grip on the GOP. Republican voters saw Trump as being punished not for his misdeeds, crimes for which they believed Democrats had not faced consequences, but for being one of their own. A martyr for their cause. We cant know whether an unindicted Trump would have still won a third Republican nomination, but we can be very certain that the charges made his task far easier. The GOP primaries werent a choice between different Republican candidates but whether voters who had been backing Trump for eight years would abandon him when President Joe Biden and the Democratic machine were trying to lock him up. But now we find Trump, nomination in his pocket, in court. And its not a spectacle. Its not on camera. Its a grubby case in a grubby-looking courthouse. Indeed, the outcry from Republicans that this is a penny-ante bookkeeping case reinforces the grubbiness. Whatever one thinks of the merit of the charges, this is not the big time. It feels and looks small. And the tawdriness of the details and scumminess of Trumps past associatesthe sex worker, the tabloid publisher, the shady bagman who was his lawyeradd to the smallness. Six weeks is a very long time in a presidential election cycle. Six weeks ago, we were talking about the State of the Union address and the Robert Hur report. Both are now specks in the rearview mirror. But six weeks from now, the world may still be waiting on a verdict from the Trump trial. I dont expect that any of that will shake the core support that Trump has from Republicans. Partisanship will not allow many, if any, to reconsider their choice of a nominee. But what I do expect is that the very unglamorous, very small affair that is playing out in Manhattan will diminish Trumps image. If he beats the rap with an acquittal or even a hung jury or some other mistrial, I expect it will help him significantly in the campaign. They tried to take him down, he will say, but they couldnt do it, like King Kong swatting away the airplanes. But if hes convicted? The good gangster stories dont end up in appeals courts and sentencing recommendations. Thats not the stuff of legends. Thats just a grind. 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. Rachel Merchant-Ly's body was found about 7.5 miles downstream from the crash scene, the sheriff's office said Rachel Merchant-Ly/Facebook Rachel Merchant-Ly The body of Rachel Merchant-Ly has been found nearly two months after she vanished in a February car crash, authorities said On Friday, April 19, a volunteer found Merchant-Ly's body in the North Umpqua River, about 7.5 miles downstream from the crash site The kindergarten teacher's "dedication to her students, her family and her community is unparalleled," according to a GoFundMe fundraiser A kindergarten teacher has been found dead in an Oregon river nearly two months after her body disappeared in a car accident, authorities said. Rachel Merchant-Ly, 27, was reported missing on Feb. 29 when she didn't arrive to work at Glide Elementary School, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. "Later that morning, a Douglas County Sheriff's deputy located signs of a motor vehicle crash near milepost 41 on Highway 138E, the sheriff's office said. "On Friday, March 1, 2024, Merchant-Ly's vehicle was recovered from the North Umpqua River, but she was not found inside." Since her disappearance, authorities said there have been numerous searches conducted by water, land and air without success. Related: Family Members Search for Missing Woman Who Disappeared in New Mexico Mountains Amid a "large scale search" on Friday, April 19, officials said a community member volunteer located Merchant-Ly's body in the river about 7.5 miles downstream from the crash scene. "Deputies confirmed the presence of the body and began coordinating recovery efforts," deputies said. "The Douglas County Medical Examiner's Office responded and confirmed the body to be that of Rachel Merchant-Ly." 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. According to a GoFundMe fundraiser during the ongoing search for the 27-year-old, Rachel was described as "an exceptional teacher" and "a beacon of light in our community." "Her dedication to her students, her family and her community is unparalleled," according to the tribute. "Even in the face of adversity, she has always poured her heart and soul into everything she does." PEOPLE has reached out to the school district for comment, but they did not immediately respond. Related: 24-Year-Old Man Found Dead After Swimming in California Reservoir: 'We Will Miss You' As of Tuesday, April 23, nearly $17,000 has been raised to offer aid relating to "the emotional and financial toll of this tragedy." "Rachel's family is seeking support during this trying time. Rachel's husband, Hao Ly, describes her as an incredible and cherished soul, with a million-dollar smile that could light up anyone's day," the fundraiser added. "She brought joy to everyone she knew, loving each person for who they are." Related: Woman Missing After Going Under Frozen Alaskan River to Save Dog: 'A Tragic Event' In March, Hao detailed their final conversation on his Facebook page. "You know whats really carrying me right now?," Hao wrote at the time. "The way and the volume of how she said 'Love you Howie!' And rolled the window up and left the driveway. It just keeps my heart pumping. The last thing I heard from her." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. What to know about the draft and Selective Service: An additional tier of support NEW YORK (PIX11) Israel, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine all currently in some form of conflict have one thing in common: These countries have mandatory enrollment for military service. The United States has sent aid to Ukraine and Israel, but no troops have been deployed into battle. However, many people on social media have questioned whether the U.S. would bring back its conscription, commonly called the draft. Feds warn NYPD to stop illegally parking police cruisers We are not aware of anything imminent with regard to reinstatement of a draft, a spokesperson for the Selective Service System recently told PIX11 News. This would require the president and Congress to take action to change the law before reinstating a system of conscription in the United States. If the U.S. were to reinstate the draft, here is everything you would need to know: Selective Service and the draft are not the same Even if someone is registered with the U.S. Selective Service System, it does not automatically mean they are inducted into the military. The Selective Service System is the government agency that maintains information about U.S. citizens relative to the draft. Registering with the Selective Service System does not force you into the military. However, being drafted does. The draft only affects men The law requires all persons declared of the male sex at the time of birth to register with the Selective Service System, according to the agencys website. Immigrants can also be drafted In the event of a draft, undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents, and asylum seekers can be drafted if they are registered with Selective Service. There is a lengthy process to implementing the draft First, Congress needs to approve the need for a draft: A crisis needs to occur that would require more troops than the number of active military personnel, which would trigger Congress to act. Congress would need to amend the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the president to implement the draft. Then an activation of the Selective Service System begins: Selective Service orders all personnel to report for duty, including reserve officers and selected military retirees. The lottery system begins: A nationally televised lottery is conducted. The lottery is a random drawing of birthdays and numbers. All 366 days of the year (including Leap Day) are in the lottery pool. The way birthdays are called establishes the order in which individuals receive orders to report for induction. The draft begins with those whose 20th birthday falls in the year of the lottery. Then ages 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 19, and 18. Orders to report: Induction letters are sent, and claims for exemption are made. Inductees report to a Military Entrance Processing Station where they are given a physical, mental, and moral evaluation to determine if they are fit for military service. This is where men find out if they will be inducted into the armed forces or sent home. Activation of appeals: An appeal board hears claims for conscientious objectors and other deferments. Induction of first draftees: The Selective Service must deliver inductees to the military within 193 days of the draft being authorized. While the draft process remains, U.S. conscription is no longer active. Then-President Richard Nixon in 1971 signed legislation to end conscription and put the reformed Selective Service System on standby. The last man inducted via conscription entered the Army on June 30, 1973. It has been over 50 years since the last draft. A strong all-volunteer military has been successful in defending America for more than 50 years, a spokesperson for the Selective Service said. The Selective Service System represents an additional tier of support to our nations all-volunteer military in the event of a national emergency. 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. Heres what to know about the Pennsylvania primaries Voters in the Keystone State will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes in several important primaries, including in the presidential race, the race for Sen. Bob Caseys (D-Pa.) seat and several closely watched House races. Although President Biden and former President Trump are not expected to face any major primary challengers, their respective primaries will be closely watched as both are likely to see protest votes. Some Democrats are staging a vote against Biden over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, with advocates urging voters to cast an uncommitted write-in vote. Meanwhile, Trump could continue to see protest votes in the form of ballots cast for former rival Nikki Haley. Pennsylvania will play a critical role in whichever party takes the White House this fall and the Senate majority. Heres what to know about the Pennsylvania primaries: Biden, Trump face potential protest votes Both of the parties presidential nominees are likely to face a protest vote of some kind on Tuesday, yet its not quite clear which candidate might bleed more support. Advocates in Pennsylvania are doing a write-in campaign on the Democratic side that urges primary voters to write uncommitted as a way to protest the Biden administrations handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The coalition organizing the write-in campaign, Uncommitted PA, is pushing the White House for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza immediately, as well as ending American aid to Israel and offering more humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The group is looking to get more than 40,000 ballots cast for the uncommitted write-in vote. The president has already seen other protest votes staged in states, like Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. How those protest votes will translate in November remains to be seen, though in Wisconsin, advocates saw more protest votes cast than the margin that Biden won the state by in 2020. Meanwhile, Trump is likely to see some form of a protest vote in the Keystone State, where GOP voters opt to back Haley or one of his other former GOP rivals. Similar protest votes have taken place in states like Arizona, Michigan and Georgia crucial to whichever party wins the White House. It also remains unclear how those Trump protest votes will translate come November. The Casey-McCormick battle will become official The Senate primaries are all but wrapped up at this point. Casey isnt facing any Democratic primary challengers, offering him a clear path to the Democratic nomination. Meanwhile, former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick is also not facing any challengers on the GOP side, virtually locking up the Republican nomination. The Pennsylvania Democrat is seeking his fourth term in the upper chamber, and its likely to be the most contested race he has faced so far. Casey won his last Senate reelection bid in 2018 by 13 percentage points to Republican Lou Barletta. One of Caseys primary challenges this cycle is running in a presidential election year when Biden has underwater approval ratings. Still, the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report has rated Caseys seat as lean Democrat, giving him the edge for now in the race. Summer Lee faces test over her Israel criticism Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) is seeking reelection in Pennsylvanias 12th Congressional District, where she faces one primary challenger, Edgewood Councilmember Bhavini Patel. The politics of the Israel-Hamas war have cast a shadow over much of the race. Lee and a handful of progressives urged the Biden administration for an immediate cease-fire in the days after the conflict started. Lee has criticized Israel, but she also condemned the initial Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Patel claimed in an interview with The Washington Post that Lee completely disregards her entire district and clearly picked a side in the conflict. I think its important that any call for a cease-fire should acknowledge that hostages are still being held, Patel told the Post. Unlike last cycle, when Lee faced outspending from pro-Israel groups like an American Israel Public Affairs Committee-aligned (AIPAC) group and Democratic Majority for Israel, neither group is reportedly involved in her primary this cycle. She also enjoys the backing of Democratic leadership including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and prominent groups like Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Congresswoman Summer Lee heads into Primary Day in an extremely strong position to be reelected as the democratic nominee, Lees campaign said in a state-of-the-race memo Tuesday. Still, Lee is still contending with some outside spending. Republican mega-donor Jeffrey Yass has contributed money to one political group, Moderate PAC, that has attacked Lee on air. There are other notable primaries In addition to Lee, Pennsylvania Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) in the states 1st District; Susan Wild (D) in the 7th District; and Scott Perry (R) in the 10th District are all running for reelection and face primaries of varying competitiveness Tuesday. Fitzpatrick, a moderate, is facing off against anti-abortion activist Mark Houck in the GOP primary in the district, which sits just north of Philadelphia and includes Buck and Montgomery counties. Meanwhile, three Republicans are vying for the chance to take on Wild in the eastern Pennsylvania House seat: state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R), small business owner and veteran Kevin Dellicker and Maria Montero, a former executive director of the Pennsylvania Latino Commission in addition to Pennsylvania Commission for Women. A half-dozen Democrats are also looking to take on Perry this November, including former local news anchor Janelle Stelson, Marine veteran Mike OBrien, former senior executive of PBS station WITF Blake Lynch, Harrisburg City Council member Shamaine Daniel veteran Rick Coplen and businessman John Broadhurst. There are signs of lower voter engagement Pennsylvanias primary elections are seeing less voter engagement, according to local news outlets in the state. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted on its live blog that Center City and Delaware County in the Philadelphia area have seen low voting turnout. The Post-Gazettes live blog noted lack of voter enthusiasm in the Pittsburgh suburb of Ambridge while The Morning Calls live blog reported that few voters had cast ballots in South Whitehall Township in western Pennsylvania. Other states across the country have also noticed lower-than-expected primary turnout this election cycle. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. We know about Ukraine's urgent needs Pentagon The United States and the Pentagon have been in constant communication with Ukraine, allies and partners, and are aware of Ukraine's urgent weapons needs. Source: US Department of Defense spokesman General Patrick Ryder, Pentagon Details: Ryder noted that the law must first be signed. He also noted that the United States is ready and willing to support Ukraine with additional security assistance. The Pentagon spokesman did not provide specific information on the timing of the arms deliveries. Support UP or become our patron! Known drug dealer in Wisconsin arrested after fleeing traffic stop, discarding bag of drugs and stolen firearm MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (WFRV) Authorities in southeast Wisconsin arrested a 31-year-old known drug dealer after he fled a traffic stop at a high rate of speed. According to the Racine County Sheriffs Office, on Sunday, April 21, just before midnight, a deputy was running stationary radar on State Highway 31 near Biscayne Avenue in the village of Mount Pleasant. Alleged shots fired in North Fond du Lac, police investigating At that time, the deputy observed a Mercedes-Benz traveling northbound at a high rate of speed. The deputy clocked the vehicle, which went 80 miles per hour in a posted 35 zone. After seeing the marked squad car, the suspect driver, later identified as 31-year-old Lamar E. Hackett from Kenosha, immediately decreased his speed and stopped the vehicle in the left lane to turn onto Biscayne Avenue. Hackett stopped in the turn lane for around 30 seconds before the deputy positioned his squad car behind him and activated his emergency lights. Hackett turned onto Biscayne Avenue and pulled over for the deputy. Once pulled over, Hackett allegedly swung open his door and began to exit the vehicle. The deputy immediately told Hackett to remain in the Mercedes-Benz, which he obliged. Hackett questioned the deputy and asked why he was pulled over. The deputy told him that he was speeding. While speaking, the deputy noted a strong smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Hackett then asked if the deputy would search the car, and the deputy said he would. Dog dies in Kaukauna house fire, damage estimated at $80,000 Hacket responded and reportedly said, Dang, for real, I got open liquor in here. Youre going to do me like that? The deputy asked Hackett what he was on paper for, and he said possession of a firearm and disorderly conduct. Hackett tried negotiating with the cop and asked for a ticket, but the deputy stated he could not do that. Lamar E. Hacketts booking photo. (Racine County Sheriffs Office) Content from Lamar Hacketts backpack. (Racine County Sheriffs Office) Content from Lamar Hacketts backpack. (Racine County Sheriffs Office) Lamar Hacketts discarded backpack. (Racine County Sheriffs Office) Stolen firearm that Lamar Hackett was in possession of. (Racine County Sheriffs Office) When the deputy told Hackett to hang tight, Hackett placed the vehicle in drive and drove off at a high rate of speed, and a pursuit ensued. Hackett traveled northbound on South Green Bay Road and turned westbound onto South Drive. When he reached a dead-end on South Drive, he reportedly crashed his vehicle in the woods. Over 300 Wisconsinites to be laid off after manufacturer opts to close facility Hackett ran into the woods as the deputy gave commands and drew his weapon. Officers from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, the Racine Police Department, and other Sheriffs deputies immediately responded to the area and set up a perimeter. With the assistance of a drone flown by a Racine police officer, law enforcement was able to track Hackett as he fled through a field, ran through a swamp, and then hid in a tent in the woods. A Mount Pleasant Police officer, who was assisting a K9 team that was tracking Hackett, located a baggie of drugs that Hackett discarded in an open field. At approximately 12:34 a.m., a multijurisdictional arrest team took Hackett into custody. The baggie of drugs contained 2.9 grams of marijuana, a baggie that contained 4.2 grams of crack cocaine that also tested positive for fentanyl, a baggie containing two Oxycodone pills, and baggies that contained powder cocaine that also tested positive for fentanyl 0.2 grams, 0.3 grams, 0.3 grams, 0.3 grams, 0.4 grams, and 0.5 grams. Walmart store in Wisconsin closing, 100+ associates impacted Hackett was medically cleared by rescue personnel, and deputies took Hackett to the Racine County Jail, where he was held on a probation hold and a cash bail of $275,550. Court records show Hackett is not formally charged at this time, but he is being held on the following offenses: Fleeing and Eluding 2nd Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety Resisting or Obstructing Possession of THC Repeater Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Deliver Repeater Possession of Narcotic Drugs Repeater Possession of Illegally Obtained Prescription Drugs Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Deliver Repeater On Monday, April 22, shortly after 8:00 a.m., officers from the Mount Pleasant Police Department responded to a residence in the area of South Green Bay Road and Biscayne Avenue for a discarded backpack in a yard that contained a firearm. The backpack contained Hacketts identification cards and a .380 caliber Glock 42. The firearm was reportedly stolen by a sheriffs office in Arkansas. The officers turned the backpack over to the Racine County Sheriffs Office. American Red Cross teaming with the Green Bay Packers to tackle the need for blood I want to thank the Mount Pleasant Police Department and the City of Racine Police Department for assisting the Sheriffs Office in taking this dangerous drug dealer into custody, said Racine County Sheriff Schmaling. This coordinated teamwork was outstanding. Law enforcement partners stand ready, day and night, to fight crime and protect our communities. No additional details were provided. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. The American actor Alec Baldwin, who is accused of the unintentional murder of Ukrainian cameraman Galina Hutchins, knocked the phone out of the hands of a woman who was mocking him in a cafe. The incident was caught on video. ADVERTISIMENT The tragedy involving the Ukrainian woman took place in the fall of 2021 on the set of the movie Rust, and a court hearing against the celebrity is scheduled to take place this summer. During Baldwin's visit to a coffee shop, an American woman approached him and asked him to say "Free Palestine." This was reported by Metro. The actor was talking on the phone, but quickly ended the dialog when the author of the video began to ask him: "Why did you kill that woman? You killed that woman and didn't get a sentence? No jail time, Alec?" ADVERTISIMENT Baldwin tried to ignore the American woman in every way possible, asking the staff to call the police and trying to kick her out of the door himself. He then knocked the camera out of the woman's hands, and the video cut off. According to prosecutors in New Mexico, USA, Baldwin did not control his emotions on the set. The star was screaming and swearing, waving a loaded revolver. Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you about Alec Baldwin's desire to close the case of the murder of Ukrainian Galina Hutchins on the set of Rust, but the chances are slim. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT FILE - Earl Meyer, who fought for the U.S. Army in the Korean War, talks with fellow veterans at the American Legion, Nov. 7, 2023, in St. Peter, Minn. On Monday, April 22, 2024, the U.S. Army notified Meyer, who still carries shrapnel in his leg from when he was wounded in combat, that he will finally get his Purple Heart medal, 73 years late. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Korean War veteran from Minnesota who still carries shrapnel in his leg from when he was wounded in combat will finally get his Purple Heart medal, 73 years late. The U.S. Army notified Earl Meyer, 96, of St. Peter, on Monday that it has reversed itself and granted him a Purple Heart, which honors service members wounded or killed in combat. The decision came after a campaign by his daughters and attorney. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota championed his cause. The Armys top noncommissioned officer the sergeant major of the army took an interest in the case after it had been rejected for years due to a lack of paperwork. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim this year ordered an Army review board to take another look. The Army sent Meyer's attorney a stack of documents Monday to notify them of the decision, including a certificate in color saying it was for wounds received in action on June 1951 in Korea. Seventy-three years, yeah. That's a long time all right. ... I didn't think they would go for it, Meyer said in an interview Tuesday. Meyer's case highlights how it can be a struggle for wounded veterans to get medals theyve earned when the fog of war, the absence of records and the passage of time make it challenging to produce proof. Earl Meyer put his life on the line in defense of our freedoms, and we are forever indebted to him for his service, Klobuchar said in a statement. Earl earned this Purple Heart, and I am so glad that we were able to work with his family and the Army to get him the recognition he deserves. In Meyer's case, few men in his unit who would have witnessed the mortar attack survived. Only a few members of his platoon made it out unharmed. He didn't even realize at first that he had been wounded. He thinks the medic who eventually treated him on the battlefield was killed before he could file the paperwork. And he wasnt thinking then about a medal anyway he was just trying to survive. Meyer finished out his tour guarding prisoners of war. He was honorably discharged in 1952. The decorations he received earlier included the Combat Infantryman Badge, which is reserved for those who actively participate in ground combat under enemy fire, and the Congressional Gold Medal for his service in the Merchant Marine in World War II. He continues to live an active life that includes coffee with fellow veterans at his local American Legion post. Growing up, Meyers' three daughters knew he had been injured in the war. But like many veterans, he never talked much about it. It was only in the past decade or so that he opened up to them. They persuaded him to pursue a Purple Heart. Were awfully excited, said his daughter, Sandy Baker, of New Buffalo, Michigan. My sisters and I have been working on this for about eight or nine years. Attorney Alan Anderson said they're now hoping to arrange a presentation ceremony in the near future. When the Army denied Meyer's first applications for the medal, it said his documentation was insufficient. Klobuchar's office helped him obtain additional documents, and an Army review board concluded last week that the new evidence establishes beyond reasonable doubt that the applicant was wounded in action in early June 1951. The board cited records from the Department of Veterans Affairs, where doctors concluded the shrapnel in his thigh had to be from a combat injury and noted that it continued to cause him occasional pain. The board also cited a memo from Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, dated Feb. 27, who said he believed Meyer's account was accurate, and that his medal request deserved another review. It's not just about saying thank you, it's about remembering, Anderson said. Remembering all they did and their sacrifices, and the guys that didn't make it back. A billboard in the city of Kharkiv says, Kharkiv is a hero city! Photo: Dmytro Larin, Ukrainska Pravda Russia has intensified its strikes and information operations against Ukrainians who are living in the city of Kharkiv. The Kremlin is bombarding Kharkiv to persuade Ukrainians to flee the city and to displace millions of people internally. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Details: The Russians are exploiting Ukraine's limited air defence capabilities and elevated tension in Ukraine in anticipation of military assistance from the United States. Kremlin propagandists are also using concerns about an impending Russian offensive against the city of Kharkiv to conduct a coordinated information operation and cause panic among Ukrainians. ISW estimated that the likelihood of a successful Russian ground offensive against Kharkiv would be very low if Ukraine quickly received renewed US military assistance. Ukrainian officials have previously discussed the possibility that Russian forces could launch a ground offensive against Kharkiv later this summer. However, ISW analysts estimated that the Russians would not have the forces necessary to capture the city as long as the Ukrainian military is properly supplied. To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 22 April: The Kremlin is conducting a concerted air and information operation to destroy Kharkiv City, convince Ukrainians to flee, and internally displace millions of Ukrainians ahead of a possible future Russian offensive operation against the city or elsewhere in Ukraine. Kremlin mouthpieces are seizing on concerns about a future Russian offensive operation against Kharkiv City to conduct a likely coordinated information operation in an effort to create outsized panic among Ukrainians. ISW assesses that the likelihood of a successful Russian ground offensive against Kharkiv is very low if Ukraine receives renewed US military aid rapidly. Russia is intensifying strike and information operations against Ukrainians in Kharkiv City to exploit ongoing constraints on Ukrainian air defences and heightened tensions in Ukraine in the likely relatively brief window before the anticipated arrival of US military assistance to frontline areas. Russian forces appear to be aiming to make a wide penetration of Ukrainian lines northwest of Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, but their ability to do so will likely be blunted by the arrival of US and other Western aid to the front line. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 22 April that Finland is taking concrete steps to protect itself against Russian hybrid operations weaponising Russian-manufactured migrant crises on the Russian-Finnish border. The Kremlin appears to be highlighting its relationship with Azerbaijan while downplaying deteriorating Russian-Armenia relations following Russias failure to prevent Armenias loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia oblasts border area. The Russian state "Sudoplatov" volunteer drone initiative is reportedly equipping Russian military personnel operating on the Bakhmut front with cheap and defective first-person view (FPV) drones. Support UP or become our patron! How L.A. County is trying to remake addiction treatment no more 'business as usual' Brandon Fernandez, chief executive of CRI-Help, meets with staff in North Hollywood. He shared his personal experience with addiction treatment when talking about a changing approach. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Gary Horejsi wrestled with the decision before him, knowing a life could be in his hands. It was the third time that the woman had used drugs or alcohol since coming to CRI-Help, which runs a 135-bed residential facility in North Hollywood where people are treated for substance use disorder. CRI-Help needed to be a safe place for people grappling with their addictions. In the past, others had been removed for less. Horejsi, the clinical director, had the final say on whether she should be discharged. He perused her file on his computer. The woman was still trying, CRI-Help staffers told him. She hadn't shared drugs with anyone. And if she were to leave, the risks of an overdose were graver than before. Horejsi decided to let her stay. "Things cant be business as usual anymore," the chief executive, Brandon Fernandez, later said at a CRI-Help staff meeting. If someone leaves treatment and resumes using drugs the same way they were before, "that could very well look like them dying." "So are we going to be willing to do something different?" "Things can't be business as usual anymore," CRI-Help Chief Executive Brandon Fernandez told his staff at a meeting in North Hollywood on April 10. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Fernandez had gathered CRI-Help staff in their North Hollywood conference room to talk about a Los Angeles County initiative that could reshape such decisions. Its called Reaching the 95% or R95 and its goal is to engage with more people than the fraction of Angelenos already getting addiction treatment. Across the country, more than 48 million people had a drug or alcohol use disorder, according to the latest results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Only 13 million received treatment in the previous year. Among those who did not get treatment, roughly 95% said they did not think that they should. Those numbers have collided with the grim toll of fentanyl, an especially potent synthetic opioid that has driven up deaths across the country. In Los Angeles County, the number of overdose deaths tied to fentanyl skyrocketed between 2016 and 2022, soaring from 109 to 1,910, according to a county report. "We cant just take the approach that weve been taking and kind of assume that everyone wants the services that we offer," said Dr. Gary Tsai, director of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control division at the L.A. County Department of Public Health. "That's just not the reality." His department is trying to nudge addiction treatment facilities to change their approach, by offering financial incentives for those that meet R95 requirements. Among them: changing their rules to not automatically eject people who have a "lapse" of drug use. Fernandez, whose organization is participating in R95, said abstinence is still its aspirational goal and "we still have the ability to use our own clinical judgment on a case-by-case basis," such as if people endanger other participants. But "we shouldn't have blanket policies." To get R95 funding, they also cannot require people to be totally abstinent before being admitted. And under R95, treatment programs are being encouraged to partner with syringe programs rooted in "harm reduction" a philosophy focused on minimizing the harmful effects of drug use to address the needs of people who may not want to enter or remain in treatment. Some treatment providers "view us as the enemy instead of as allies," said Soma Snakeoil, executive director of the Sidewalk Project, which provides Narcan spray to reverse overdoses and other services on L.A.'s Skid Row. With R95, she said, "the biggest change is that harm reduction organizations and treatment providers are talking to each other in a way that was not happening before." Soma Snakeoil, executive director of the Sidewalk Project, gives first aid to a woman with an open wound on her foot last year in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The county is also prodding addiction treatment facilities to reexamine whether the way they operate could be turning people away, and look more closely at the "customer experience." Tsai compared the situation to a restaurant drawing few customers: "How do we get more people in the door?" Too often, "the drug dealers do a much better job of delivering their product to our patients than we do," said Dr. Randolph Holmes, chair of government affairs for the California Society of Addiction Medicine. When Johnny Guerrero decided to get off Skid Row and go into residential treatment in Los Angeles, he was initially turned away because he had arrived "late maybe 10 minutes late," the 35-year-old said. He was only able to get in, he said, because the harm reduction worker who had taken him to the facility let him stay the night at her home, then brought him back the next morning. Even then, "there was so much paperwork. I was so dope-sick. There was just hurdle after hurdle after hurdle." "They did not make it easy for an addict to get help," Guerrero said. In many cases, "the biggest barrier is just being able to get somebody on the phone" with a treatment provider, said Amanda Cowan, executive director of Community Health Project Los Angeles, which provides clean syringes and other services to people who use drugs. "When people are ready, they are ready in that moment." As of late March, roughly half of the addiction treatment providers that contract with L.A. County were on track to become "R95 Champions," which could yield hundreds of thousands of dollars each in additional funding. CRI-Help's George T. Pfleger center in North Hollywood. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) To get those funds, they must turn in admissions and discharge policies that adhere to the R95 guidelines, as well as an "engagement policy." They are also supposed to meet R95 requirements in one other area of their choice, which could include a "customer walkthrough" to see what might turn away clients. CRI-Help, for instance, had decided to change how it asks newcomers to undergo a search. "The last thing we want to do is trigger someone's trauma history and potentially have them walk out the door," Fernandez said. To ensure it was consistently done with sensitivity, CRI-Help drew up a script for staffers, emphasizing that consenting to a search would help maintain a safe facility. The hope is that "they feel they're doing something as a part of a community versus being forced to undergo something that's uncomfortable." Staffers also tell them that if they have any drugs to hand over, "there's not going to be any consequence, you can still come into treatment," Fernandez said. "And if we find them on you, there still won't be any negative consequences." The L.A. County push comes as state and federal officials have stressed the need for "low barrier" approaches to addiction care. Even cutting back on drug use can have positive results, researchers have found. But some of the changes can be at odds with long-standing beliefs among treatment providers, many of whom got into the field after successfully battling their own addictions in programs firmly focused on abstinence. Many in the field think "this is what works" because it did work for them, said Vitka Eisen, chief executive of HealthRight 360, another R95 participant. But "we're the survivors, and we don't talk to those who didn't survive." Addiction researchers have long called for a reexamination of how people are treated for substance use disorders. More than a decade ago, a Columbia University center found that "much of what passes for 'treatment' of addiction bears little resemblance to the treatment of other health conditions." "This is inexcusable given decades of accumulated scientific evidence attesting to the fact that addiction is a brain disease," the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse lamented in its report. Experts say that part of the problem is that addiction treatment has long been separated from the rest of the healthcare system. Richard Rawson, senior advisor to UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, said a major shift was the emergence of buprenorphine, a medication for opioid addiction that could be prescribed in ordinary clinics just like medicines for other chronic conditions. But some Southern California treatment providers have viewed using buprenorphine and other such medications as short of sobriety, UC San Diego researchers found even as California has ushered in requirements for licensed treatment facilities to either offer or help people access such medications. Addiction is now much more widely understood as a medical condition, but "how much of that philosophy actually gets down to the level of the counselor?" Rawson said. "I think that's still a work in progress." Tsai said a challenge in rolling out R95 is the ingrained idea that "you're ready or not" for substance use treatment. But "we don't actually treat any other health condition that way," he said. "You don't tell someone with diabetes, 'Your blood sugar has to be completely under control, and then you'll be ready for treatment.'" In North Hollywood, counselors and other CRI-Help employees seated around the conference table studied the R95 goals printed on an L.A. County handout. One staffer said she was struggling with a specific statement, particularly for people in a residential setting: "Requiring abstinence is too high of a bar" for treatment, it read. Fernandez decided to share his own story. More than a decade ago, he was struggling with drug use, which had worsened after the death of his father. He was unemployed and didn't have a stable place to live. When an outpatient counselor suggested residential treatment, he initially brushed off the suggestion. CRI-Help's staffers had questions and concerns about the changing approach to addiction treatment but ultimately seemed supportive. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) He changed his mind after a "tough weekend," but had no intention of abstaining from all drugs in the long term. Fernandez said he was nonetheless welcomed at CRI-Help: "Let's just help you out for now." "I came here begrudgingly with a total attitude that I was going to continue smoking weed when I left treatment. I definitely wasnt going to stop drinking," even as he recognized that other things he was doing might be a problem, Fernandez told the CRI-Help employees. Among those who had gone to treatment, he asked the group, "were you ready for total abstinence on Day One?" "No. That wasnt even my plan," the same staffer replied with a rueful laugh. Still, she and others were anxious about how they would keep everyone safe if clients used drugs, especially if they tried to bring them into the facility. "That worries me a little bit," she said. "It worries me too," Fernandez said. What preoccupies CRI-Help staff is how to balance the needs of people who have had a "lapse" into drug use with maintaining a safe environment for other clients grappling with addiction. Horejsi said in an interview that whenever someone uses even if they don't share their drugs "everyone knows, and that in itself does have an effect on people. Sometimes people will feel less safe." But Horejsi stressed to the group that "we're already not discharging people for using" alone. When people have relapsed, the North Hollywood center has monitored them one-on-one in its television room until staff are sure they are safe, then decided on their next steps. Some have ultimately been moved to another CRI-Help residential facility to continue getting treatment and have a "fresh start," he said. The clinical director also urged his co-workers to look back at the many changes CRI-Help had already undergone, such as starting to offer medication for addiction treatment. He reminded them that years ago, CRI-Help clients could be discharged if a doctor had given them an opioid pill at the hospital. Mary Grayson, a longtime staff member at CRI-Help, spoke positively of the organizations changes over the years. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) "What about when we discharged people because they talked about getting they glorified drugs?" said Mary Grayson, a longtime CRI-Help employee. Leaning forward in her seat, Grayson reminded her co-workers that "CRI-Help is not what it was when I walked through those doors 25 years ago thank God!" It started with "two shacks on this property. Two raggedy shacks. And look at where we are now," she said. "Without us changing and growing, we wont be able to be who we are." 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. (David McNew/Getty Images) Another attempt to give farmworkers in Maine the right to minimum wage has failed, but this time Gov. Janet Mills vetoed her own bill. In a veto message Tuesday, Mills said the Legislatures changes to the bill leave me no choice, citing changes made during the committee process. The bill as originally drafted would have guaranteed that agricultural workers would be paid at least $14.15 an hour and have the same annual cost-of-living increases provided to other hourly workers. The bill also included expanded recordkeeping requirements for employers. LD 2273 was born out of recommendations from the Agricultural Worker Minimum Wage Committee, which Mills formed last July vetoing a similar bill last legislative session. A group of lawmakers, labor advocates and agriculture industry representatives spent months workshopping a new bill. The committee co-chairs did not agree on overtime or voluntary, unpaid rest breaks, so those protections were not included in the new proposal. Vetoing her own administrations proposal is absolutely ridiculous, said Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot), who co-chairs the Labor and Housing Committee, which workshopped the legislation. Thom Harnett, a former state representative and legal advocate for farmworkers, called the governors veto a slap in the face to the members she appointed to the Agricultural Worker Minimum Wage Committee. This marks the fourth time in a span of 27 months that Maines governor has vetoed bills that would have improved the lives of the people who put food on our tables, Harnett said in a written statement. The fourth time that she has said with her actions, I dont see you and I dont care about you. Lawmakers, including House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland), who sponsored the bill, expressed concerns that the original proposal excluded the private right to action. Under the governors draft, the bill required agricultural workers to go through the Department of Labor to bring action against wage violations and would not allow them to bring their own private lawsuit against their employer. A majority of the Labor and Housing Committee opted to strike that provision and instead allow for workers to bring private action. And while there was some opposition to the bill expressed during floor debates in the Maine Senate and House of Representatives, it centered on the wage for piece-rate work not the right to private action. However, in her veto message, Mills wrote that she doesnt believes it is appropriate to authorize a private right of action carte blanche, particularly in the case of farms, because I am deeply concerned that doing so would result in litigation that would simply sap farmers of financial resources and cause them to fail. In addition to the minimum wage bill, Mills vetoed another bill that would have given farmworkers the right to discuss wages and engage in other concerted activity. LD 525 was carried over from last legislative session and originally proposed granting agricultural workers the right to unionize. In 2022, Mills also vetoed a bill extending farmworkers the right to unionize. Tipping said the bills the Legislature passed this year represented the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to labor rights for farmworkers. These are the smallest possible pieces of trying to protect a vulnerable population, he said. As for LD 525, Mills said she cannot subject our farmers to a complicated new set of labor laws that will require a lawyer just to understand. Labor leaders responded swiftly, calling the governors actions an embarrassment to the state. Governor Mills veto sends a clear message to farmworkers that they are of second class status and are not worthy of the same rights and protections other workers enjoy, said Matt Schlobohm, executive director of the Maine AFL-CIO. This veto is an embarrassment to the state of Maine and a continuation of a long history of exclusion and exploitation. Arthur Phillips, policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy who served on the minimum wage committee, said Mills has reaffirmed farmworkers second-class status in Maines economy. Pointing to the multiple bills related to agricultural workers that the governor has vetoed over the years, Phillips said, People who milk our cows and harvest our food will remain among the most essential yet unprotected workers in our state, without a right to be paid the minimum wage or even receive a pay stub. He added that farmworkers, who are disproportionately people of color and are 4.5 times as likely as others to live in poverty, deserve far better. Harnett, who formerly worked as a labor attorney representing agricultural workers, said the governors actions do not speak for everyone in state government. I want farmworkers to know that many Maine people, including a majority of those in the Maine House and Senate, do see you and do care about you, Harnett said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Labor advocates call Gov. Mills veto of her own farmworker wage bill an embarrassment appeared first on Maine Morning Star. Labour will try to ban landlords from selling their properties in the first two years of a new tenancy in this weeks Renters Reform Bill debate. If landlords want to sell or move into their property, shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook said they should have to wait two years from the tenancy start date before initiating repossession proceedings. Mr Pennycook, MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, has already argued that renters should be able to leave a landlords property after the first two months of a new tenancy. But following criticism from backbench Tory MPs, many of whom are landlords, the Government said it would table an amendment requiring tenants to stay put for six months. Six months is the same amount of time landlords will have to wait before they try to repossess a property, according to the current version of the Renters Reform Bill. The bill, which is now entering the report stage, will be debated on Wednesday afternoon. It will work through a 112-page document listing around 200 amendments which was circulated last week. At the committee stage, none of the amendments Labour tabled were carried through to the report stage. The bill will, however, be subject to more amendments when it goes through the Lords. Other MPs have chimed in with amendments tabled this week. Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said landlords should have to pay a relocation payment to a tenant if they want to possess their property within the first two years of the start of a tenancy even if the tenant stops paying rent. The only exceptions would be on grounds of crime and antisocial behaviour. The Green Party co-leader said depending on the ground for possession, a landlord should have to pay a tenant between one and two-months rent no later than two weeks before the possession date. Further amendments put forward by Ms Lucas included an independent Living Rent Commission, tasked with consulting on and designing a national system of rent controls with local flexibility to be prescribed in regulations, and a database recording Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for each landlord property. Timothy Douglas, policy head at estate agency trade body Propertymark, said Labours two-year ban on possessions if landlords want to sell could cause further shockwaves for landlords and estate agents. He added: I dont think its a realistic policy proposition in the current climate. Theres practical reasons why landlords need to sell. Its already lengthy and expensive to get properties back, so extending the process even further just isnt going to give landlords the confidence they need. On rent controls, you only need to look to Scotland where theyve had a damaging impact on the rental sector. Future rent controls are giving no confidence for investment. We would urge policymakers to avoid rent controls. Recommended Why the war on landlords will turn up a notch under Labour 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. Larimer deputies seek more victims after man accused of child sexual assault DENVER (KDVR) A Denver man was arrested by Larimer County law enforcement on suspicion of human trafficking, and investigators are worried he may have more potential victims. Ivan Banuelos Gandara, 21, was arrested on felony charges of: Human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude Four counts of soliciting for child prostitution Two counts of sexual assault on a child Enticement of a child Internet luring of a child Sexual exploitation of a child Offenses relating to marijuana (a drug felony) The Larimer County Sheriffs Office began investigating in late February this year after they were notified of a child sexual assault victim. The victim told deputies Gandara offered her cash and paraphernalia in exchange for sexual acts with himself and others. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox We have to protect our children from those that would seek to exploit their vulnerability, said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen in a release. We strive to foster a community where all children can feel safe, secure, and able to thrive. During the investigation, law enforcement identified at least one other victim. Gandara was booked into the Larimer County Jail and given a $75,000 bond by the Larimer County Court. Anyone with information about incidents involving Gandara should contact Larimer County Investigator Marcus Simelane at 970-498-5515. Those who want to stay anonymous can also contact Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or stopcriminals.org. The Larimer County Sheriffs Office shared information about the Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Center in Fort Collins and Loveland, along with several other child advocacy and crisis advocacy groups. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. The Justice Department agreed to pay more than $138 million to victims of disgraced sports physician Larry Nassar and apologized for the FBI's failing to act on warnings about the convicted sex abuser, officials said Tuesday. The "FBI failed to conduct an adequate investigation of Nassars conduct," Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said in announcing the $138.7 million settlement. For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability, Mizer said. These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements wont undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing. It was reported last week that the Justice Department was expected to pay around $100 million. The announcement is a culmination of several years of internal probes which concluded that FBI agents in Indianapolis made fundamental errors by failing to notify other FBI offices or state or local authorities about Nassar. A 2021 report by Inspector General Michael Horowitz blasted Indianapolis-based agents, saying officials at that field office "did not take responsibility for their failures" and instead "provided incomplete and inaccurate information to make it appear that they had been diligent in responding to the sexual abuse allegations." Larry Nassar in Eaton County Court in Charlotte, Mich. (Matthew Dae Smith / AP file ) The settlement came after two years of long and complex negotiations between Nassar's victims and the Justice Department, according to multiple sources familiar with the drawn-out talks. "It was a tough negotiation. I think they [DOJ] understood what happened and the gravity of it," one source told NBC News. "There was a real acknowledgment by DOJ that something went very wrong here and they were reasonable in coming to an agreement." Attorney John Manly, who represents more than two dozen of of Nassar's victims, said he's still waiting to hear from former FBI director James Comey, who ran the bureau from 2013 to 2017. "The thing I think is very troubling here, despite numerous requests, the man running the FBI at the time, Jim Comey, has never explained what happened or how this occurred," said Manly, whose clients include Olympians McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman. Comey could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday afternoon. Funds have already been apportioned per claimant with the various amounts determined on a case-by-case basis, multiple sources familiar with negotiations told NBC News. Those funds are expected to be dispersed within the next two months. The survivors of Larry Nassars abuse were betrayed by the institutions they should have been able to trust. At a time when these athletes were in grave need of help, the FBI indefensibly failed to do its job, U.S. Sen Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in statement. Grassley is a minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Though the past can never be undone, todays settlement is an important step to bringing about some justice for what these athletes have suffered," the lawmaker added. "I once again commend the survivors for their bravery and poise, and for courageously speaking out about their experiences. Their steadfast fight for change has forged a better future for the athletes and young women who follow in their footsteps. Tuesday's deal is the latest in a string of civil settlements acknowledging institutional failures when victims first raised red flags about Nassar. Michigan State University, where Nassar worked, agreed to pay $500 million in 2018 to women and girls who were assaulted by him. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee reached a $380 million deal with victims in 2021. The settlement announced Tuesday will resolve 139 claims made against the FBI, according to the DOJ. Attorneys Megan Bonanni and Michael Pitt, who represent 77 of those 139 claimants, said the settlement will hold "the DOJ and FBI accountable for their failures." "The FBI fundamentally failed to protect hundreds of women and girls from sexual abuse through inaction and total mishandling of their Larry Nassar investigation," the attorneys said in a statement. "We hope this serves as a lesson for federal law enforcement and they make the changes necessary to prevent anything like this from happening again." The 60-year-old Nassar is serving time at the United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, where his listed release date is Jan. 30, 2068. It's unlikely the disgraced doctor will ever walk free. He pleaded guilty in 2017 to federal charges stemming from his handling of thousands of images of child pornography, leading to his 60-year prison sentence that he's serving in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. In 2018, a judge in Ingham County, Michigan, sentenced Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting young girls under the guise of treatment. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar at his sentencing: "I just signed your death warrant." Also in 2018, a judge in Eaton County sentenced him to 40 to 125 years behind bars on charges in connection with the sexual abuse of girls during supposed medical treatments. More than 265 patients have said Nassar victimized them, including USA Gymnastics national team stars Maroney, Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Sabrina Vega, Ashton Locklear, Kyla Ross, Simone Biles and Alyssa Baumann. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com TV presenter and public figure Masha Yefrosynina has known Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena for many years. During this time, they have worked on TV projects with the Ukrainian leader, and now they are working together as an artist and the First Lady as they are both interested in the problems of gender inequality and violence. ADVERTISIMENT In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Masha Yefrosynina spoke about her experience of communicating with the couple and her impressions of these conversations. The host called the former showman, who built a media empire before becoming president, "one of the best partners in her life." Even 15 years ago, when the stars collaborated on various projects, she noted her colleague's reliability, focus, and discipline. "The script is written in advance, everything is spelled out, everything is spoken, everything is very easy, all the jokes were on me, all practiced. Volodymyr is one of the few partners who allows us to work in pairs. He controls everything as much as possible. That is, he didn't work the way I did. For example, when we hosted Teletriumf, he specified who should stand and where, where the award winners should go, where the microphones should be placed," Yefrosynina recalled. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, Zelenskyy was not a guest at all media events where his colleagues gathered. Masha Yefrosynina believes that the artist was busy at that time, so when all the TV stars were still just hosts, he was already gracing the cover of Forbes and achieving great success in film and television production. She described her relationship with the president as "warm respect" and recalled only one 30-minute conversation with him in her dressing room. The artist considers the leader's wife to be private in a good way. ADVERTISIMENT They met in 2016, but Olena Zelenska first called the star to her office in 2019. She asked her to prepare a report on the situation with gender-based violence in Ukraine, which at that time was already Yefrosynina's specialty. "We don't have a special relationship. We have met three times in her office during all these years of the president's term. And we constantly crossed paths at events dedicated to combating domestic violence. She is very private. You look at her and think: I'd rather not approach her and not bother her. I think she doesn't like publicity," the artist shared her thoughts. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Las Vegas pastor agreed to a misdemeanor charge as part of a plea deal with Clark County prosecutors Monday in a case involving at least one child, according to court documents. Bobby Cornealius Smith, 46, agreed to an Alford plea, which is when a defendant does not admit guilt but does acknowledge there likely is enough evidence to cause a jury to reach a conviction, documents show. As a result of the plea, he will be sentenced on one count of misdemeanor conspiracy to commit a crime, and one count of misdemeanor gross lewdness. As part of the plea deal, Smith must complete probation and agree to give up all electronic devices and equipment seized in the case. Upon completion of his probation, the count of misdemeanor gross lewdness will be dismissed. Smith initially faced charges related to the sexual assault of three women, including one family member and two women whom he referred to as God daughters, and was indicted by a grand jury on eleven felony charges, including nine counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault, and one count of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. PAINTED POST, N.Y. (WETM) The Last Stand will be holding a fundraiser at its Painted Post location on Tuesday to benefit the children who were injured during a crash outside of the shops Horseheads location over the weekend. According to a Facebook post made by the Last Stand, all profits made by the businesss Painted Post location on Tuesday, April 23, will be donated to the family impacted by the crash that left an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old hospitalized. The children were standing in the Horseheads locations parking lot when a vehicle crashed into a parked car, causing them to be pinned between the car and the building. The 11-year-old was airlifted to Upstate Community Hospital in Syracuse, and the 13-year-old was taken to Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre by ambulance after the crash. The New York State Police reported on Saturday night that both of the children were in stable condition. The Last Stands Horseheads location is closed at this time, and the building sustained damage during the crash. Despite this, the Last Stand is asking patrons to support the injured childrens family and not to worry about the closed location. Please continue to send prayers for everyone involved & please please please dont worry about us, said the Last Stand in a statement on Facebook. Buildings can be repaired. Please direct your support and prayers to everyone that was effected and those who had to witness it. Those who would like to support the family impacted by the crash can visit the Last Stands Painted Post location at 73 Victory Highway between 6:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. A gray wolf is caught on a trail camera in Washington state. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) Washingtons wolf population increased by 20% last year, the 15th year in a row that the number of endangered gray wolves in the state has grown, according to new state figures. As of the end of 2023, Washington had 260 wolves in 42 packs. Thats up from 216 wolves in 37 packs the previous year. Recovery is happening right before our eyes, said Ben Maletzke, statewide wolf specialist at the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Maletzke presented the states annual wolf report during a Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on Saturday. The results are likely an undercount because of the difficulty identifying every animal in the state, especially lone wolves without a pack. The 2023 increase follows steady upward trends since the first Department of Fish and Wildlife survey in 2008. The gray wolf population has grown by an average of 23% every year since then, according to the agency. The increase has led the agency to consider lowering gray wolves protection status from endangered to sensitive under state law. Environmentalists say the move is premature. Even if the state makes the policy change, wolves would still be protected in the western two-thirds of Washington under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to decide on the reclassification in July. The decision would be another step in the long-controversial management of wolves in Washington since the first breeding pack was confirmed in 2008. Environmentalists say the state is not doing enough to protect the endangered animals while ranchers say the state is not doing enough to protect their livestock, which wolves can injure or kill. The department says reducing wolf protections would show its making progress towards recovery, but this report tells a different story, Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. The annual report shows a continued lack of wolves in western Washington and fewer breeding pairs than in previous years, she added. Last year, 25 of the states wolf packs were considered successful breeding pairs, down one pair from 2022. Wolf populations have steadily increased in eastern Washington and the northern Cascades. But Weiss said the state should not consider downlisting wolves until theyve established territories in other parts of the state where they historically roamed, including from the southern Cascades to the northwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula. Maletzke said there were signs of wolves gaining more of a foothold in western Washington last year. One known wolf spent significant time there, likely looking for a mate, and more wolves began to move south of Interstate 90. This likely means it is only a matter of time before new packs begin to establish in that recovery region, Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind said in a statement. Promising wolf-livestock conflict data Three dozen wolves died across the state in 2023, one fewer than last year, according to the report. Most of those deaths were from legal tribal hunting. Vehicles hit and killed five wolves, a cougar killed one. Another four were killed illegally, and those deaths are still under investigation. The number of wolves killed following livestock conflicts one of the most controversial pieces of wolf management was also down in 2023. In 2022, nine wolves were killed by either the state or ranchers following a conflict with livestock. According to the 2023 report, only three wolves were killed because of livestock conflicts. Two were killed by the state, and one by a livestock owner. Nine of the 42 known wolf packs, about 21%, were involved in at least one confirmed or probable conflict with livestock last year. The majority of the packs out there arent involved in conflicts even though they overlap with livestock, Maletzke said. Thats promising. But, he added, that doesnt come without a cost. The state estimates it spent more than $1.6 million last year on wolf management. More than $1.3 million of that went to research. The rest pays for lost livestock, lethal removal of wolves, and efforts to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. These efforts have kept the number of conflicts with livestock low compared to the population growth over time, Maletzke said. Washington State Standard, like Oregon Capital Chronicle, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com. Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and Twitter. The post Latest count finds Washingtons wolf population is increasing appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. A gray wolf in snow. (Eric Cole/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) Washingtons wolf population increased by 20% last year, the 15th year in a row that the number of endangered gray wolves in the state has grown, according to new state figures. As of the end of 2023, Washington had 260 wolves in 42 packs. Thats up from 216 wolves in 37 packs the previous year. Recovery is happening right before our eyes, said Ben Maletzke, statewide wolf specialist at the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Maletzke presented the states annual wolf report during a Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on Saturday. The results are likely an undercount because of the difficulty identifying every animal in the state, especially lone wolves without a pack. The 2023 increase follows steady upward trends since the first Department of Fish and Wildlife survey in 2008. The gray wolf population has grown by an average of 23% every year since then, according to the agency. The increase has led the agency to consider lowering gray wolves protection status from endangered to sensitive under state law. Environmentalists say the move is premature. Even if the state makes the policy change, wolves would still be protected in the western two-thirds of Washington under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to decide on the reclassification in July. The decision would be another step in the long-controversial management of wolves in Washington since the first breeding pack was confirmed in 2008. Environmentalists say the state is not doing enough to protect the endangered animals while ranchers say the state is not doing enough to protect their livestock, which wolves can injure or kill. The department says reducing wolf protections would show its making progress towards recovery, but this report tells a different story, Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. The annual report shows a continued lack of wolves in western Washington and fewer breeding pairs than in previous years, she added. Last year, 25 of the states wolf packs were considered successful breeding pairs, down one pair from 2022. Wolf populations have steadily increased in eastern Washington and the northern Cascades. But Weiss said the state should not consider downlisting wolves until theyve established territories in other parts of the state where they historically roamed, including from the southern Cascades to the northwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula. Maletzke said there were signs of wolves gaining more of a foothold in western Washington last year. One known wolf spent significant time there, likely looking for a mate, and more wolves began to move south of Interstate 90. This likely means it is only a matter of time before new packs begin to establish in that recovery region, Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind said in a statement. Promising wolf-livestock conflict data Three dozen wolves died across the state in 2023, one fewer than last year, according to the report. Most of those deaths were from legal tribal hunting. Vehicles hit and killed five wolves, a cougar killed one. Another four were killed illegally, and those deaths are still under investigation. The number of wolves killed following livestock conflicts one of the most controversial pieces of wolf management was also down in 2023. In 2022, nine wolves were killed by either the state or ranchers following a conflict with livestock. According to the 2023 report, only three wolves were killed because of livestock conflicts. Two were killed by the state, and one by a livestock owner. Nine of the 42 known wolf packs, about 21%, were involved in at least one confirmed or probable conflict with livestock last year. The majority of the packs out there arent involved in conflicts even though they overlap with livestock, Maletzke said. Thats promising. But, he added, that doesnt come without a cost. The state estimates it spent more than $1.6 million last year on wolf management. More than $1.3 million of that went to research. The rest pays for lost livestock, lethal removal of wolves, and efforts to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. These efforts have kept the number of conflicts with livestock low compared to the population growth over time, Maletzke said. The post Latest count finds Washingtons wolf population is increasing appeared first on Washington State Standard. The Latest Supreme Court Case on Abortion Is the Scariest One Yet The Supreme Court will hear another abortion case on Wednesday, providing the nations highest court with another opportunity to ban the medical procedure. The case, United States v. Idaho, will argue whether pregnant people in the Gem State are allowed to get abortions when receiving lifesaving, critical care at hospitals, or if they and their fetus will be considered two separate people. Idaho already has a near-total abortion ban, but the Alliance Defending Freedom, the far-right Christian legal advocacy group arguing the lawsuit on behalf of the state, is utilizing the case to advance the idea of fetal personhood. This stipulation would effectively require doctors to treat fetusesno matter how underdevelopedwith the same medical care as the person carrying it, even if it poses a medical risk to the pregnant patient. Idahos law would make it a criminal offense for doctors to provide the emergency medical treatment that federal law requires, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in 2022. Pro-abortion activists have argued that providing equal human rights to a fetusespecially if its a cluster of cellswill effectively strip pregnant people of their own rights, reported freelance journalist Susan Rinkunas. An amicus brief in the case specifies that, if the court rules for Idaho, it will succeed in demoting pregnant women to second-class status under EMTALA, a federal law that requires emergency rooms that run on Medicare funding to provide care to any individuals who show up. Only pregnant women will be forced to surrender their EMTALA rights to make healthcare decisions about their bodies, and only pregnant women will have treatment guaranteed under federal law limited to Idahos prohibitory terms, the brief reads. Pregnant women stripped of their EMTALA rights under bans like Idahos have already experienced devastating harms because of the denial of abortion care. They have endured severe hemorrhage, life-threatening infection, and the trauma of painful, hours-long vaginal delivery of a non-viable fetus. If Idaho prevails and pregnant womens EMTALA rights are allowed to vary State-to-State, these appalling, and completely avoidable, injuries will proliferate everywhere there are bans like Idahos, it continues. And, in lock-step, denial of emergency abortions under EMTALA will contribute to this countrys already-abysmal rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, whichlike all reproductive harmsare racially disparate. The notion of fetal personhood has also been leveraged to restrict IVF access in states such as Alabama and limit access to forms of birth control. The Latest | Tent compound rises in southern Gaza as Israel prepares for Rafah offensive Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip as the Israeli military signals that it plans an offensive on the city of Rafah. Khan Younis has been targeted by repeated Israeli military operations over recent weeks. Israel has said it plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah during an anticipated offensive on the southern city, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge during the war, now in its seventh month. A Palestinian health official later said the tent camp was being set up to house displaced people who are currently sheltering in a hospital and is not related to any impending military operation. Its presence underscores the struggle to find shelter in Gaza, where some 80% of people have fled their homes. More than half of the territorys population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah. On Monday, a failed rocket strike was launched at a base housing U.S.-led coalition forces at Rumalyn, Syria, marking the first time since Feb. 4 that Iranian-backed militias have attacked a U.S. facility in Iraq or Syria, a U.S. defense official said. No personnel were injured in the attack, and no group has claimed responsibility. The conflict has led to regional unrest, pitting Israel and the U.S. against Iran and allied militant groups across the Middle East. Israel and Iran traded fire directly this month, raising fears of all-out regional war. The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which the militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, around two-thirds of them children and women. It has devastated Gazas two largest cities and left a swath of destruction. Around 80% of the territorys population has fled to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave. The U.S. Senate could pass a $26 billion aid package as soon as Tuesday that includes around $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, which experts say is on the brink of famine, as well as billions for Israel. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately. Currently: Satellite photos suggest Iran air defense radar struck during apparent Israeli attack on Isfahan Students across the United States are upping their Gaza war protests A legal challenge over the UKs role in arms sales to Israel will go ahead Google fires more workers who protested its deal with Israel Dutch intelligence sees the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as triggers for terrorist threats Here is the latest: UNRWA CHIEF SAYS CAMPAIGN AGAINST ITS OPERATIONS IS UNPRECEDENTED UNITED NATIONS The head of the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees says it has never been under as sustained an attack as it is now in an Israeli campaign to dismantle its activities in Gaza and possibly elsewhere in the Mideast. In UNRWA's 75-year history, it has experienced "absolutely nothing comparable to the ferocity and scope of the current campaign against its Gaza operations, Philippe Lazzarini told reporters Tuesday. It is happening even as many donors have suspended contributions to UNRWA after Israel alleged that 12 employees of the agency participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, he said. The U.N.s internal watchdog is investigating those allegations. ISRAELI STRIKE ON LEBANON HOME KILLS WOMAN AND CHILD BEIRUT An Israeli strike on a house in south Lebanon on Tuesday left a woman and a 10-year-old girl dead and six other people, state media and hospital officials said. It was not clear what the intended target of the strike in the town of Hanin was. Israeli officials did not immediately comment. Earlier Tuesday, an Israeli strike on a car in the Lebanese town of Adloun killed a Hezbollah official whom the Israeli army described as a significant operative in Hezbollahs aerial defense unit. In response, Hezbollah said it had launched an attack on an Israeli base near the city of Acre, considerably farther south than the areas it usually strikes. The Israeli military said in a statement that it had successfully intercepted two suspicious aerial targets off the northern coast. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israels war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. More than 300 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon during that time, including about 50 civilians. UN OFFICIAL HORRIFIED BY DESTRUCTION OF 2 HOSPITALS UNITED NATIONS The United Nations top human rights official says he is horrified by the destruction of two major hospitals raided by Israeli troops in Gaza. Volker Turk also expressed concern about the reported discovery of mass graves in and around the Shifa medical center in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. In a statement issued Tuesday, he called for independent and transparent investigations into the deaths, saying that given the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international investigators. The Israeli military said its forces were searching for the remains of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war when they exhumed bodies that Palestinians had buried. The military said bodies were examined in a respectful manner and returned to their place. The Israeli military says it killed or detained hundreds of militants who had taken shelter inside the two hospital complexes, claims that could not be independently verified. Palestinian health officials say the raids have destroyed Gazas health sector as it deals with the mounting toll from more than six months of war. HAMAS' MILITARY WING SAYS TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR A HOSTAGE DEAL RAFAH, Gaza Strip The spokesman for Hamas armed wing says time is running out for reaching a deal to release hostages held by the militant group. The spokesman, known as Abu Obeida, said in a video statement carried by the Al Jazeera network on Tuesday that the ball is in the court of Israel, but that time grows short and the opportunities are dwindling. He suggested the hostages could meet the same fate as Ron Arad. The Israeli airman is still missing after being captured by militants in Lebanon in 1986. Hamas captured around 250 hostages during its wide-ranging assault into Israel on Oct. 7, in which militants also killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The attack triggered the war in Gaza, which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Hamas and other militants are still believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others. Most of the other hostages were freed in November in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to broker another cease-fire and hostage release. Those talks have stalled, with Hamas demanding an end to the war and Israel vowing to continue its offensive until it destroys the militant group. Abu Obeida struck a defiant tone in the video statement, saying the enemy has not achieved anything in the last 200 days except for massacres, destruction and killing. IRELAND'S FOREIGN MINISTER CONDEMNS BOMBING OF GAZA CAIRO Irelands top diplomat has condemned Israels indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, saying the civilian toll of its war against Hamas is unacceptable. Speaking in a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said the killing of women and children is unconscionable. He mentioned an airstrike over the weekend on Gazas southern city of Rafah that killed 17 children and two women from the same extended family. The women and children that are being killed. Its unconscionable, he said. Its very difficult for me personally as a human being to comprehend that level of barbarity, there can be no justification for it, in my view. The minister called for a cease-fire, the release of all hostages captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, and flooding the strip with humanitarian aid. Its unacceptable that hostages are taken in this manner, he said. And again, we have consistently condemned the taking of hostages. HEZBOLLAH SAYS IT TARGETED AN ISRAELI BASE IN RESPONSE TO THE KILLING OF ITS OFFICIAL BEIRUT The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said Tuesday afternoon it had launched an attack on an Israeli base near the city of Acre, considerably farther south than the areas it usually targets, in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed of one of its officials. The Israeli military said in a statement earlier Tuesday that it had killed Hussein Ali Azqul in an airstrike in south Lebanon and described him as a significant operative in Hezbollahs aerial defense unit. Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that Azqul had been killed. State media and witnesses said the strike happened in the area of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border with Israel. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israels war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel has regularly carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas members in Lebanon, sometimes in areas far from the border. Hezbollah said the strike it launched was in response to the Israeli aggression on the town of Adloun and the assassination of Azqul. It said the strike targeted a location about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border and was the deepest it had launched since the outbreak of the war. The Israeli military said in a statement that it had successfully intercepted two suspicious aerial targets off the northern coast. A PALESTINIAN IS FATALLY SHOT IN THE WEST BANK JERICHO, West Bank Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man early Tuesday in the West Bank city of Jericho, an eyewitness and Palestinian officials said. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the man as Shadi Jalaita, 44, and said he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. His uncle, Shafiq Jalaita, said the man had been outside of his home watching an Israeli military raid taking place at a neighbors house in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Suddenly, three gunshots rang out, he said. The third bullet hit his chest and came out of his back, Jalaita said. The Israeli army has not commented on the shooting. The Health Ministry said a child also was shot in the stomach in Jericho and was in critical condition. No further details were available. Violence has surged in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7. Since then, at least 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the territory, the Ramallah-based Health Ministry said. QATAR SAYS IT NEEDS TO SEE SERIOUSNESS IN ISRAEL-HAMAS TALKS DOHA, Qatar Qatar is in a reevaluation phase when it comes to trying to mediate talks between Israel and Hamas over a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. We need to see seriousness from everyone, Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatars Foreign Ministry, told a news conference Tuesday. He also said discussions were ongoing about Hamas ongoing presence in Qatar. The militant group has had a political office in Doha, Qatar, for years, but the Wall Street Journal has reported in recent days that Hamas could leave the country as the talks remain deadlocked. Hamas has denied that the group was considering leaving Qatar. Associated Press writer Lujain Jo contributed to this report. UN RIGHTS CHIEF RENEWS WARNING AGAINST RAFAH OFFENSIVE The United Nations human rights chief is renewing a warning against a large-scale Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah and decrying recent Israeli strikes on the city. Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said that a large incursion into Rafah would risk more deaths, injuries and displacement on a large scale even further atrocity crimes, for which those responsible would be held accountable, his office said in a statement. Turk deplored three strikes in Rafah in recent days that reportedly killed mostly women and children. He said that the worlds leaders stand united on the imperative of protecting the civilian population trapped in Rafah. Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has sought refuge. It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group to the city on the border with Egypt despite calls for restraint, including from the U.S. AN ISRAELI STRIKE KILLS A HEZBOLLAH OFFICIAL BEIRUT An Israeli airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed a Hezbollah official. The Israeli military said in a statement that it had killed Hussein Ali Azqul in the strike and described him as a significant operative in Hezbollahs aerial defense unit. Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that Azqul had been killed. State media and witnesses said the strike happened in the area of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border with Israel. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israels war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel has regularly carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas members in Lebanon, sometimes in areas far from the border. GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY REPORTS 32 DEAD The Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday the bodies of 32 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 59 wounded, it said in its daily report. That brings the overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to at least 34,183, the ministry said. Another 77,143 have been injured, it said. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its tallies, but has said that women and children make up around two thirds of those killed. The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to back up the claim. APPARENT ISRAELI STRIKE HITS CAR IN LEBANON, KILLING AT LEAST 1 BEIRUT An apparent Israeli airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon killed at least one person Tuesday, officials said. State media and witnesses said the strike happened in the area of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border with Israel. It was not immediately clear who was killed. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israels war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Tuesdays strike. Israel has regularly carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas members in Lebanon, sometimes in areas far from the border. SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW TENT COMPOUND UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN KHAN YOUNIS JERUSALEM Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military signals that it plans an offensive targeting the city of Rafah. Images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the AP show the tent compound starting to be fully under construction on April 16 just west of Khan Younis. Images taken Sunday show the tent compound has grown. Dr. Saleh al-Hams, director of the nursery department at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, said the tents were being set up to house displaced people who are currently sheltering in the hospital, where their presence in packed corridors hinders the provision of health care. He said the tent compound is not related to any potential military operation. The Israeli military said Tuesday that it was not involved in the tent construction near Khan Younis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened additional painful blows targeting Hamas over the stalling of talks aimed at freeing the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip. That could include the long-threatened attack on Rafah, where half of the Gaza Strips 2.3 million people have fled. The U.S., Israels main ally, has repeatedly said any military operation needs to protect civilians. Netanyahu has said he would order the military to evacuate civilians from Rafah for the offensive, but it is not clear where they could go. Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed to this report. Children in Latvia will no longer learn Russian as a foreign language in schools from 2026, but instead will be required to learn a language of the European Union or the European Economic Area, Latvia's Education Ministry announced on April 23. According to the ministry, Russian is the most learned foreign language in Latvian schools, followed by German and, to a lesser extent, English. Russian continues to be taught as the second foreign language in more than half of Latvian schools, in large part due to the lack of teachers, Latvia's government said. The ministry said that after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, schools had received feedback from parents that they did not want their children to learn the Russian language. "The opportunity to choose a second foreign language at school, one of the languages of the European Union, we confirm our belonging to the European cultural space and the values of the democratic world," Education Minister Anda Caksa said. "After the bloodiest war started by Russia in this century, the genocide against the Ukrainian people, Russian as a mandatory choice for the second foreign language is not acceptable for a large part of Latvian society," Caska said. Children who have already started learning Russian and will not have completed school by Sept. 1, 2025, may continue their studies of the language "until the end of the basic education stage," the Education Ministry said. The move is the latest in a series of measures by Latvia in connection with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including tightening residency rules for Russian citizens in the country. A survey conducted in 2023 found that 37.7% of Latvia's population said that Russian was their mother tongue. Latvia has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters since the outbreak of the full-scale war. The country's prime minister, Evika Silina, recently said that Riga's military aid for Kyiv amounted to 392 million euros (around $425 million), including an upcoming defense aid package in April. Read also: Opinion: Why is Ukraine rejecting the Belarusian opposition? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Russian lawmaker took to the stage of a forum on internet safety Tuesday and briefly lost it, complaining that the younger generation should be ashamed for valuing their lives too much. Alexei Zhuravlev, the first deputy chairman of the State Dumas defense committee, seemed disappointed that more young Russians werent eager to be used as cannon fodder. What if theres a big war tomorrow? What if we go into battle tomorrow? Who will fight? Our generation has been raised for 30 years [like] What is our main value? Life is the main value! From childhood I was taught: first I have a country, then my family and friends, then some of my values, and only then my own life, he said, according to video of his remarks circulated in Russian media. And how is it now? Life is the main thing for us now, he said mockingly. The person for whom life is the most important thing will sell out their country. Zhuravlev, who previously claimed that raping turtles is a popular kink at a brothel in Denmark, also reminded the audience on Tuesday of the time he told a German journalist on live TV that Russia would come and kill you all. 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. TOPEKA (KSNT) Lawmakers are days away from deciding the fate of a bill banning gender-affirming care ban for Kansas minors. Governor Kelly vetoed the bill April 12. Opponents of the bill are making a last-ditch effort to prevent an override. They held a meeting in Salina earlier today, where medical and mental health care providers shared their concerns with the ban. The bill would ban those under 18 years-old from receiving gender-transition treatments. It would also punish doctors for providing those treatments to minors. Penalties could include loss of their medical license and expose them to potential lawsuits. 27 News spoke with licensed psychologist Kathryn Tolle at the meeting. She says the bill could put healthcare providers in a difficult position. So either I might stop seeing trans clients, Tolle said, or I see them, and Im asked to leave. And Im denied professional liability insurance which means insurance companies will not allow me to bill them. Do supporters have the votes to override the veto? Its unclear whether lawmakers will have the votes to override once the bill is taken up. However, it passed the Senate with a veto-proof majority. The House was only two votes shy of its own veto-proof vote, but there were also two republicans absent from the chamber that day. 27 News spoke with a pair of Salina republicans to get their stance on the bill. Rep. Clarke Sanders (R) says he believes the treatments have permanent consequences, and minors should be protected from them whether their parents approve or not. I dont think gender-transition science is anywhere near settled, Sanders said. I dont think children whose brains arent fully developed should be making these kinds of decisions. Rep. Steven K. Howe (R) of Salina also weighed in with the following statement: Genesis 1:27 (ESV) states, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Mankinds fall into sin tainted that image, and as a person of faith, I cannot support the destruction of that image any further. Children should not be subject to irreversible elective surgeries or to unproven treatments with unknown long term effects. For these reasons I supported House Substitute for Senate Bill 233, and I will also vote to override the Governors veto. Rep. Steven K. Howe, (R) Salina Howe and Sanders both say if the vote comes up, they will vote to override. The bill and potential override are expected to be taken up Monday April 29. For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. A legal effort to effectively cancel the city of Mabletons incorporation as a fully-fledged city in Cobb County has failed. As previously reported by Channel 2 Action News, the court battle over Mabletons cityhood has been underway since May 2023. Several residents of the area contested the incorporation of Mabletoon on grounds of the move being unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed just days after the new citys first transitional council meeting. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Now, a Cobb County judge has dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the suit is not only a legal loss for the residents contesting the citys formation, but cannot be appealed or retried. A copy of the judges order was made public by the City of Mableton. Five petitioners, Deidre White, Ronnie Blue, Judy King, Tanya Leake and Robert Swarthout had filed the suit, claiming in court that Mabletons November 2022 incorporation was illegal due to how the legislation that created it was drafted. Channel 2s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell reported in May that the first meeting would be on May 11, 2023. TRENDING STORIES: A week later, the lawsuit was filed, with the petitioners claiming that because the bill to create the city was approved by referendum, it was unconstitutional and fatally defective due to its inclusion of both a city formation and the creation of community improvement districts with separate units of local government. Cobb County Superior Court Judge Sonja Brown dismissed the case, saying the argument made by the lawsuit was incorrect on its premise and closing the book on the effort. Following the decision, Mableton officials released a statement celebrating the conclusion of the legal battle. We are thrilled to announce that the City of Mableton has prevailed in the lawsuit challenging our cityhood. Today, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Sonya Brown issued the Final Order Granting Respondents Motion to Dismiss, affirming the legitimacy of Mabletons incorporation as a city, the city said in a statement. We extend our gratitude to all residents for their unwavering support throughout this legal process. Together, we are poised to move forward and deliver the best services possible to our community. Attorney Allen Lightcap, who represented the residents in court, provided the following statement in response to the judges order. While we are disappointed in the ruling, the Plaintiffs thank the Court for its thoughtful consideration of the issues. The Plaintiffs also thank counsel for the city of Mableton for their professionalism throughout this process. The Plaintiffs plan to file a notice of appeal and take their case to the Supreme Court of Georgia. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: It is commonly believed that an all-inclusive vacation can cost a lot of money and that cheap all-inclusive vacations are only available in Asian countries. However, traveling to Europe can be a budget vacation, and the usual countries, such as Bulgaria and Turkey, are not on the list. ADVERTISIMENT According to the Express, unexpectedly, the Italian Amalfi Coast and the Greek islands are among the top 10 countries with cheap all-inclusive vacations as these places are usually mistakenly considered the most expensive for vacation. The Which? Travel rating recognized the island of Kalymnos in Greece as the best vacation destination in Europe, where the all-inclusive format for a week will cost an average of $1,000. This place attracts tourists with its bays, sapphire sea, rocky mountains and a large number of restaurants. The cheapest vacation destinations in Europe: Kalymnos, Greece Thassos, Greece Lefkada, Greece Costa Brava, Spain Venetian Riviera, Italy Amalfi Coast, Italy Skopelos, Greece Costa de la Luz, Spain Campania, Italy Malta According to the rating, Greece is the country for the most budget travel. The Spanish Costa Brava was outside the top three cheapest destinations with an average cost of a weekly vacation of about $1200. The coast is known for its wide golden beaches, cliffs and bays. ADVERTISIMENT Malta in the Mediterranean took the last 10th place in the ranking. The average cost of a trip will be $1250. Let us remind you that the all-inclusive vacation package is especially beneficial for a long vacation because the room rate already includes the price of food and alcoholic beverages. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! "Small farms are essential for local food production and climate resilience goals, requiring support and incentives to thrive." (Getty Images Agriculture sustains our very existence. Despite the misconception that large farms feed the world, its small-holding farmers who predominantly nourish us, while consistently outperforming their larger counterparts in yields and ecological sustainability. Yet, these vital stewards face the brunt of extreme weather and unchecked competition from corporate giants, endangering our food security. Meanwhile, the states approach to supporting the New Hampshire agricultural sectors is largely entrenched in a regulatory mindset missing critical opportunities to spur innovation, growth, and adaption to climate resiliency for our local farms. The recently launched New Hampshire Crop Loss Program offers $8 million to farmers with over $30,000 in gross revenues who suffered over 30 percent crop losses last year. However, about 80 percent of New Hampshire farms gross under $25,000 per year, rendering them ineligible and excluding the majority of farmers from assistance. Small farms and beginning farmers are especially marginalized, compounded by the recent discontinuation of the states organic certification program. This approach echoes the relief programs deployed by the state during the COVID era. The Crop Relief program, funded by leftover American Recovery and Investment Act Funds (ARPA) is funded months behind other states aid programs. The states agricultural sector received far fewer ARPA funds than other New England states. The flaw here is that many of the nearly 4,000 New Hampshire farms that filed Schedule F tax forms with the IRS (for agricultural revenue) are indeed working very hard at farming for a living. They are persevering in a corrupt industrialized system that is rigged against their success due to the unfair competitive edge of unchecked consolidation afforded to corporations. The stringent eligibility rules lay bare the outdated values and attitudes driving agricultural policy and programs in New Hampshire. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire supports and values the critical role that small-scale operations play in ensuring the vibrancy of rural landscapes and the availability of fresh, nutritious food for local communities. Exclusionary eligibility criteria for relief programs hinder the resilience of these farms against climate change. Small farms are essential for local food production and climate resilience goals, requiring support and incentives to thrive. In the case of organic farming, these farms represent a vital bulwark against the proliferation of toxic chemicals known to cause a variety of diseases, while also serving as stewards of biodiversity and soil health key factors in promoting climate resilience. While other states empower food producers with robust public programs, New Hampshires anemic support for agriculture stunts the viability of our farms. New Hampshires elected leaders and state officials must shift from a regulatory mindset to actively championing agricultural development programs fostering growth and climate resilience. Public support for community-owned infrastructure investments and expanding climate resilience grant programs are crucial catalysts for the economic growth of our agricultural sector. Before dismissing public funding for agriculture, its worth noting that, as author Maria Mazzucato points out, Every major technological change in recent years traces most of its funding back to the government. This includes innovations such as Googles search engine, smartphone components, and Teslas battery components, all of which were spurred by government investment. Neighboring states leadership has recognized agricultures economic and environmental impact, including Vermonts Department of Agriculture suite of grant offerings and Maines Real Maine promotion program. Farther afield, Pennsylvania has prioritized the growth of organic agriculture due to its role in mitigating climate resilience, while Colorados pioneering STAR program raises the sustainability bar for the states agricultural programs. As the Granite States food systems planning process progresses, the time is now for bold investments that cultivate a diverse and thriving agricultural sector resilient to climate change. Expanding climate resilience grant programs such as the NOFA NH Organic Transition Fund or the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts Climate Resilience grants would be a start. The state Department of Agriculture needs additional resources and voices to effectively support the growth and innovation of the sector and effectively administer programs. More than ever, New Hampshire officials should be pursuing authentic, meaningful, and inclusive stakeholder engagement, including collaboration with the organic and small-holding and underserved farming community, as well as the largest conventional farms. As severe weather rocks the nations food supply, the path forward for the Granite State is blazingly clear: either invest in cultivating a robust, sustainable agricultural economy or be left behind. Its time for bold investments that cultivate a diverse and thriving agricultural sector resilient to climate change. The post Leading New Hampshire agriculture toward climate resilience appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. Security and rescue forces are seen on the beach of Wimereux, near Calais Security and rescue forces are seen on the beach of Wimereux, near Calais By Yves Herman and Hannah Ellison WIMEREUX, France/DOVER, England (Reuters) -Five migrants, including a child, died in an attempt to cross the English Channel from France to Britain in an overcrowded small boat on Tuesday, hours after Britain passed a bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda in a move to deter the dangerous journeys. The deaths occurred when a boat carrying 112 people set out to cross one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and panic took hold among the passengers not far from the shore. Rescuers picked up 49 people, with four taken to hospital, but others stayed on the boat, determined to get to Britain. The French coastguard was still searching for any survivors. "A tragedy occurred on a boat overloaded with migrants early this morning. We deplore the deaths of five people, a seven-year-old girl, a woman and three men," local prefect Jacques Billant told reporters. "The engine stopped a few hundred meters away from the shore and several people fell into the water," Billant said. The coastguard said 58 people had stayed on board. "They did not want to be rescued, they managed to restart the engine and headed towards Britain," Billant said. The boat had left from Wimereux, about 32 km (20 miles) southwest of the French port of Calais. More than 6,000 people have arrived in Britain this year via small, overloaded boats - usually flimsy inflatable dinghies - that risk being lashed by the waves as they try to reach British shores. Tens of thousands have made the journey since 2018, and Britain has responded by spending two years trying to overcome opposition to a divisive policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda which it hopes will deter people from making the crossings. FURTHER CHALLENGES The British parliament finally passed legislation overnight to allow the deportations and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he expects the first flights to take off in 10 to 12 weeks, giving time for further legal challenges from charities, campaigners and unions. Human rights groups and other critics say the policy is inhumane but Sunak told reporters on Tuesday that the government was acting out of compassion, wanting to prevent people smugglers from pushing vulnerable people out to sea. "They are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies, you've seen an enormous increase in the numbers over the past few years," he said. "This is what tragically happens." Several British border force boats were seen arriving in Dover, southern England, on Tuesday, carrying large groups of migrants. A Reuters witness estimated that around 200 people believed to be migrants disembarked at Dover - about 42 km (26 miles) across the water from Calais - on Tuesday. It was not clear if the migrants on the boat involved in the Wimereux incident were among them. Under the Rwanda scheme, anyone arriving illegally in Britain after Jan. 1, 2022 will be sent to Rwanda, some 6,400 km (4,000 miles) away. More than 50,000 people have arrived since that date, according to official figures. Campaigners said deterrence policies simply would not work. "I know that when youre running for your life, not even the risk of death can stop you trying to reach safety," said Kolbassia Haoussou from the British-based Freedom from Torture group. The mayor of Wimereux, Jean-Luc Dubaele, said migrants could still get jobs in Britain, which made it an attractive destination regardless. "The English are responsible for the situation," he said. The first deportation flight to Rwanda in June 2022 was blocked by European judges. Britain's Supreme Court then upheld a ruling that the scheme was unlawful because migrants were at risk of being sent back to their homelands or to other countries where they would be at risk of mistreatment. (Writing by Ingrid Melander and Kate Holton; reporting by Tassilo Hummel and Inti Landauro in Paris, Sarah Young and Michael Holden in London, Editing by Angus MacSwan) OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) A representative from the Satanic Temple of West Michigan plans to give the invocation at the beginning of Tuesday evenings Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting. At least one commissioner is not happy about it. I, and other commissioners, voted against Joe Moss changes to the board rules last January. We knew changing the tradition from commissioner invite only to a simple sign-up sheet was ill-conceived, Commissioner Jacob Bonnema, a Republican whose district includes the city of Zeeland and parts of Holland and Zeeland townships, told News 8. He was referring to a policy Ottawa County Commission Board Chair Joe Moss announced that allows anyone to sign up to give the opening prayer at the board meetings. But it didnt start there it started a year ago, when commissioners approved a resolution making Ottawa County a so-called constitutional county. At the time, Moss and other conservative commissioners backed by his political action committee Ottawa Impact said the resolution was meant to protect individual rights from everything from red flag laws to pandemic mandates. Ottawa votes to become constitutional county That decision grabbed Bendr Bones attention. He is a member of the Satanic Temple of West Michigan. Bones is not his real name he and other members use pseudonyms to protect their identities. The name of his group is also misleading, since members do not worship Satan or even believe in him, but rather are atheists. We appreciate the figure of Satan and Lucifer as a kind of a mythological icon that represents rebellion against arbitrary authority, Bones explained. One of our primary pursuits is to actually try to benefit our community and to run charity drives, and different community-oriented services that help us reach out to other people and provide our services to them. When he heard about the constitutional county designation, he wanted to put it to the test, since the Constitution also protects freedom of speech and freedom of religion. He filed a petition for the commissioners to allow him to give the invocation, then decided to back off after someone else filed a lawsuit against the county over the same issue. Rev. Dr. Jared Cramer is with St. Johns Episcopal Church, a progressive church in Grand Haven that is LGBTQ+ friendly and has a transgender safe space. (The commissioners) instituted a constitutional county because of their beliefs about what the Second Amendment of the Constitution indicates, which, of course, is just one of the amendments of the Constitution. I dont think they had anticipated the way that the other parts of the Constitution, like freedom of speech and freedom of religion, would come to bear on the way theyre doing their governance of Ottawa County right now, Cramer said. He said he emailed commissioners several times asking to give the invocation. When he didnt hear back, he said, he also sent each commissioner a physical letter but still received no reply. In October, he filed a federal lawsuit to try to force them to allow him to give the invocation and not limit the prayer only to denominations of which they approved. Once the lawsuit was filed, Cramer said, the board not only reached out to have him give the invocation which he did in February of this year but also instituted the new policy allowing organizations to sign up to give the opening prayer. A statement from Ottawa Impact denied Cramers claims and pointed out he gave the invocation at a meeting in August 2022. Pastor sues Ottawa Co. for religious discrimination He still hasnt dropped his lawsuit. He wants a settlement or injunction guaranteeing commissioners will keep the policy in place. I think its super important for Christians to be known as people of love. What Jesus said is the way people would know we follow Jesus is by the love we have for people. And thats the love not just for those we agree with, but love for those we might think of as our enemies. Jesus told us really clearly, that love your enemies, thats what were called to do, Cramer said. Through Cramer doesnt think there should be any invocation before a government meeting, he believes if theyre going to happen, they should represent all of their constituents, not just a select group. Members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation feel the same way, which is why they sent a letter to commissioners urging them not to revoke permission for The Satanic Temple leader to speak at the meeting. I think what most people want their county commissioners to do is to act as a government and not get involved into these controversial religious disputes, Patrick Elliott, director of legal counsel for the foundation, said. And so we think the best way to resolve it is to drop the invocation or drop the prayer. If theyre not going to do that, there may be some prayers that someone the board dont like and thats OK. Theyre going to have to tolerate that. As for what people who attend the meeting can expect from a Satanic Temple opening prayer, Bendr Bones said the temple doesnt have any nefarious plans. Our invocation is mostly just a call to act with benevolence and empathy, to basically come together and make decisions that benefit all and to dispel superstition and supernatural ideas that might block us from making decisions that truly benefit the most people, he said. Commissioner Bonnema isnt convinced. I would like to see the commission return to its long-standing tradition of commissioners doing the invocation themselves, he told News 8. After all, the invocation is meant to be for the benefit of the commissioners. I would like to know which commissioners would be willing to go on record to say that they benefitted from the Satanic Temples prayers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. LEE COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) A Pennington Gap woman was sentenced to 10 years in Virginia state prison Tuesday. Melinda Davis was sentenced after she was convicted on methamphetamine distribution charges, according to the Office of Lee County Commonwealths Attorney H. Fuller Cridlin. Fentanyl found at West Greene High School The commonwealths attorneys office stated that Davis will be placed on supervised probation indefinitely after she serves out the sentence. Cridlin thanked the Lee County Sheriffs Office, Virginia State Police and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force for their role in investigating Davis and helping his office convict her. This case highlights the strength in collaborative law enforcement efforts in our fight against methamphetamine trafficking in Southwest Virginia, Cridlin said in a statement. The sentence imposed today, ten years to serve, reflects the severity of her crimes and the Commonwealths commitment to combating the distribution of methamphetamine. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. POTEAU, Okla. (KNWA/KFTA) An Oklahoma teen accused of killing a child in a drunk driving crash in LeFlore County pleaded not guilty on Monday, according to court documents. Miguel Reyes, 18 (Courtesy: LeFlore County Detention Center) Miguel Reyes, 18, of Heavener, was arrested on April 14 on first-degree manslaughter, driving while under the influence of alcohol, and reckless driving. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Reyes was driving eastbound on US-270 near 250th Avenue in Howe on April 14. The crash report said Reyes was driving under the influence of alcohol when he hit a 4-year-old pedestrian. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. 4-year-old dead after being hit by intoxicated driver in Leflore County, teen arrested On April 16, prosecutors filed a motion asking the judge to strengthen Reyes bond from $75,500, saying they believed he was a flight risk due to having close contacts in Mexico. Prosecutors claimed Reyes had potential plans to flee to Mexico. On the same day, Reyes attorney filed a motion asking the judge to reduce his bond, saying Reyes was not a threat to society or a flight risk. The judge decided on Monday to keep Reyes bond at $75,500 and added the requirement of wearing an ankle monitor or GPS tracker. The judge also added additional bond requirements on Monday saying Reyes will not be allowed to drive, contact the victims family, use any intoxicating substances, and may not leave the state of Oklahoma. Reyes next court date is set for July 25 in the LeFlore County District Court. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. In recent days, we have witnessed chaos on and around the Columbia University campus, as threats against Jewish students have created an intolerable and combustible atmosphere. A woman attempting to hide her identity held up a sign with an arrow pointing toward pro-Israel students that read Al-Qasams Next Target, a reference to Hamas military wing. Other protesters told students, Go back to Europe. Go back to Poland. Another protester shouted, The 7th of October is going to be every day for you, in reference to Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Others sang a chant, which included the words, We support Hamas fight! and Hamas we love you. We support your rockets too! An Arab-Israeli journalist was allegedly assaulted by agitators. These are just a few of the alleged threats and assaults that have been documented on or near this campus. Progressive Activism Against Israel Is Helping to Fuel Antisemitism Among Young People While protests of all kinds are often marred by fringe actorsdoing and saying terrible things that dont represent the views of the larger groupits difficult to watch the videos and not conclude that there is blatant antisemitism at play among at least some of these pro-Palestinian protesters. Even if theyre a minority of the larger movement, what were seeing on and around the campus of one of the most hallowed institutions of higher education in America are not merely peaceful calls for a ceasefire or more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Theres rank antisemitism, full stop, and it needs to be dealt with immediately. One obvious step is for prominent Americans who have advocated for Palestinians in Gaza to forcefully condemn this behavior. Today. If you are a prominent progressive influencer, pundit, or elected official (looking at you, Squad members), this is the time for you to go on the record and say that the antisemitic fringe of this movementostensibly in support of Palestinian rights and an end to the war in Gazadoes not speak for the larger group. As it happens, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)an outspoken critic of Israel whose daughter was one of the students arrested last week at Columbiadoesnt seem too interested in rooting out the bigots that share her passion for the cause. Frankly, shes not even interested in admitting they exist. Rep. Omar on Monday tweeted, Throughout history, protests were co-opted and made to look bad so police and public leaders would shut them down. Thats what we are seeing now at Columbia University. The Columbia protesters have made clear their demands and want their school not to be complacent in the ongoing Genocide in Gaza. Public officials and media making this about anything else are inflaming the situation and need to bring calmness and sanity back. Thats a lot of words to perform a Jedi Mind Trick: These arent the antisemites youre looking for. (By contrast, Columbia Law Students for Palestine, to their credit, condemned the antisemitic incidents.) Its Not a HoaxTrumps Very Fine People in Charlottesville Did Not Exist Trust me when I say this matters. When racists on the right voiced repugnant ideas, some of us on the center-right stood up and condemned it. We did so because it was morally correct and because we hoped to prevent evil actors from co-opting and discrediting the conservative cause. Sadly, it was too little, too late. The good news for mainstream Democrats is that these radical attitudes have not yet seized control of your political party. President Joe Biden, for example, has condemned the protests. There is still time to do the right thing. But take it from me, parties can be hijacked more quickly than you can imagine. In four short years, the GOP went from Mitt Romney as the standard bearer to Donald Trump. Youve got to identify it and uproot the cancer before it metastasizes. Because once it spreads, its too late. If youre still not sure this is a hill to die on, just imagine what you would think if such vicious antisemitism was coming from the right instead of the left. (Remember Charlottesville?) We Need to Talk About the Antisemitic Mob in a New York City School Yes, there are some people who are looking to grab a short, out-of-context viral clip to make your entire movement look bad. Yes, some of these videos show events that happened on Columbias campus, while some took place outside the campus on a public street, where non-students were among the protesters. But there are more than a few bad apples to deduce that the far left has an antisemitism problem. And honest brokers among that political tribe ought to be principled and courageous enough to admit it. Even if its only two or three people out of a hundred, its time to forcefully condemn it. Just say, You dont speak for us! This is your problem. This is your mess. Clean up your movement, before its too late. 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. Mountain State Justice filed a lawsuit Monday on behalf of Anthony Rowand (above), an unemployed Monongalia County resident who according to the lawsuit relies on panhandling to cover his basic needs and those of his girlfriend, and others similarly situated. (Mountain State Justice | Courtesy photo) A legal advocacy organization has filed a lawsuit against the city of Morgantown, alleging the city is violating the First Amendment rights by enforcing a 2005 panhandling ban. Mountain State Justice filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on behalf of Anthony Rowand, an unemployed Monongalia County resident who according to the lawsuit relies on panhandling to cover his basic needs and those of his girlfriend, and others similarly situated. According to the complaint, Rowand was working as an electrician when he came to the area two and a half years ago, but has not had regular employment for some time. The man is unhoused, the complaint says, but has lived in the same location for many months. The complaint says the city had not regularly enforced a 2005 ordinance prohibiting panhandling in recent years. Last summer, though, Rowand began receiving tickets and fines under the ordinance as city police began more rigorous enforcement. The man has continued to solicit donations, and has been repeatedly ticketed, racking up fines he is unable to pay, the complaint says. The lawsuit argues that panhandling and soliciting of charitable donations constitute speech protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Rowand is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as individual damages. A spokesperson for the city of Morgantown said Monday the city does not comment on potential or pending litigation. The lawsuit was filed the same day the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which has been called the most significant case about homelessness in decades. The case is about an Oregon citys public camping ban targeting homeless people. Justices will decide whether generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property constitute cruel and unusual punishment prohibited under the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. As the Supreme Court today considers the limits on punishing people for experiencing homelessness, we want West Virginians who are struggling to know that were in their corner, Mountain State Justice staff attorney Lesley Nash said in a news release. Soliciting charity is speech protected by the First Amendment and we aim to protect that right in Morgantown, Monongalia County, and through West Virginia. The post Legal advocacy organization files suit against Morgantown over panhandling ban appeared first on West Virginia Watch. Louisiana lawmakers are moving a bill to protect in vitro fertilization services in the wake of Louisiana's abortion ban. (Canva image) A Louisiana House of Representatives committee signed off on legislation Monday aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization services (IVF) locally in the wake of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that temporarily halted fertility treatment in that state. Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge, filed House Bill 833 to ensure Louisiana residents access to IVF. The scientific process creates embryos outside the womb, and they are subsequently implanted inside a person in the hope the person will become pregnant. Our law may not have gone far enough to protect IVF services in Louisiana, Davis said in an interview. Katie Bliss, a Baton Rouge attorney who specializes in IVF contracts, said she had concerns the protections in Louisianas current laws are not specific to fully shield doctors and patients from legal IVF complications. Fertility experts warned that states with strict abortion bans, such as Louisiana, could leave IVF vulnerable to being outlawed. Embryos can fail or be destroyed during IVF, and some anti-abortion advocates equate embryo disposal to abortion. To ease the passage of the legislation, Davis worked closely with the states leading anti-abortion organization, Louisiana Right to Life, to craft her proposal. The bill keeps several provisions favored by anti-abortion advocates in place. It retains Louisianas long-standing prohibition on the destruction of viable embryos, though every other state provides more flexibility for their discarding. Viable embryos are also described as biological human beings, with the ability to sue and be sued, in the legislation. The Alabama Supreme Court almost wiped out its local IVF clinics earlier this year when it afforded embryos the same legal protections as children. Its ruling triggered national outrage and pushed Alabama legislators to step in and hastily pass a new law aimed at making IVF services legal again. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The Alabama decision also prompted Louisiana fertility doctors to ask Davis to file her bill in Louisiana. Though it incorporates anti-abortion language, Davis bill also legally distinguishes between viable and non-viable embryos. Non-viable embryos arent afforded the same protections regarding destruction as those that could lead to a pregnancy. Viable embryos also arent given all the legal rights of children in the bill. They would not be automatically entitled to familial inheritance, for example, upon their parents death as children are. Dr. Nicole Urlich, with Audubon Fertility clinic in New Orleans, said Davis legislation would help medical professionals feel comfortable continuing with IVF services in Louisiana. The Alabama decision shook the foundation of our whole field, and it would be difficult to justify practicing here if protections are not guaranteed, she said. While Louisiana Right to Life is neutral on the bill, two other influential organizations object to the legislation. The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops and Louisiana Family Forum opposed Davis bill in committee Monday morning. Its also not clear where Gov. Jeff Landry stands on Davis proposal. Davis has sent the bill to his staff but hasnt gotten any feedback on the legislation yet, she said Monday. Last month, Landry declined to answer a reporters questions about the Alabama Supreme Court ruling on IVF, saying he wasnt familiar with the case. Oh, which one was that? I didnt see that, the governor responded when asked if he agreed with the Alabama court ruling on IVF and frozen embryos. I hadnt seen that. Let me take a look at that. Davis must get approval from the full House and Louisiana Senate for her bill to become law. Landry, as governor, would also have an opportunity to veto the legislation. The post Legislation to protect IVF services in Louisiana moves forward appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. LEHI, Utah (ABC4) The Lehi High School campus was disrupted on Tuesday, April 23, after police learned of a possible threat of violence made toward the school, according to the Lehi City Police Department. Around 10:15 a.m., the Lehi City Police Department confirmed it had received the reports of violence. Officers quickly arrived on campus to conduct a sweep and verify the individual involved is not at the school. Dont blink: Ryan Smith talks NHL opportunity, team name bracket on Pat McAfee Show Lehi City spokesperson Jeanteil Livingston said there was a fight at the school on Monday, April 22 and the police department received reports of a person coming to the school with a gun. Livingston said the gun threat was in connection to Mondays fight. The sweep of the school was completed by 10:45 a.m. and Lehi High School was allowed to return to normal operations. During the sweep, students arriving at the school were directed to the Counseling Office until officers completed their work. Livingston told ABC4 police the person reported to have been bringing a gun was not on campus at the time of the sweep, however, police did later find the suspect and are currently speaking with him. No other details have been released at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Laman Ismayilova The International Mugham Center will host the concert titled "Homage a FQ" on April 23. Organized by Baku Contemporary Music Society (BCMS), the concert marks the 80th anniversary of the Azerbaijani composer Faraj Garayev, Azernews reports. During the concert, BCMS Ensemble, Farida Mammadova (soprano), Rena Fakhradova (piano), Sahib Pashazade (tar) will delight the audience with music pieces like "Three Bagatelles", "Tales of Tales or Yesterday's Tomorrow", "Mr. Ambassador is Ready to Go to Jaffa", "Sermon, Mugham and Prayer" under the baton of the conductor Orkhan Gashimov. Musicologist Sara Teymurova will address the audience prior to the concert. Faraj Garayev paved a new path in the history of the Azerbaijani music with both his composing and teaching activities. In 1966, he graduated from the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (now the Baku Music Academy ) in the class of his father, Professor Gara Garayev. After some time, he began teaching himself. In 1999, Faraj Garayev became Professor at the Moscow State Conservatory. The composer initiated and headed many contemporary music projects in Russia and Azerbaijan. Faraj Garayev's works combined various musical concepts of the 20th century, as well as neoclassicism, serialism, pointillism, sonorostics, etc. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az. Norway is proposing to extend collective protection for Ukrainians from 3 to 5 years, which will give the Norwegian government and parliament more time and opportunities to resolve the situation with Ukrainian refugees . The possibility of issuing regular residence permits is also being considered. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported on the website of the Norwegian government. "The situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable, and the possibility of extending the permit for two additional years will allow us to make informed decisions at a time convenient for us," said Emilie Enger Mel, Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Situations. Previously, permits under the temporary collective protection scheme were issued for one year, but now they can be extended for up to three years. In March 2025, for the first Ukrainians to arrive in Norway, they will reach the maximum period under the current legislation. Future decisions will take into account the processes in other European countries . Even if the period of temporary collective protection is extended, the government may consider abolishing the scheme and moving to regular permits before the five-year period expires. ADVERTISIMENT Who can be granted temporary protection in Norway Temporary collective protection is available to all citizens of Ukraine and their families who have been displaced by the war. You cannot receive collective protection if: did not reside in Ukraine before February 24, 2022; resided in Norway or another country before February 24, 2022; have a residence permit in Norway; are not a citizen of Ukraine but have a residence permit in Ukraine. Benefits for refugees in Norway Ukrainians who cannot provide for themselves receive financial assistance in Norway. They are entitled to monthly payments. During the integration program, the first six months of the payment is approximately 1,800 euros (76,097 UAH) per adult. Over time, this amount is adjusted, reducing it to approximately 650 euros (27,479 UAH) per adult and from 250 (10,569 UAH) to 350 euros (14,796 UAH) for each child. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the German government, faced with a large number of Ukrainian refugees who refuse job offers, is considering the possibility of terminating financial support for this group of people. According to the latest data, 77% of Ukrainian refugees express their intention to stay in the country for the next two years. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) A version of this commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are fleeing for the exits. News broke last week that two-term Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas, a shiny-cheeked lad of 36, would retire at the end of the year. He joins Reps. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Ken Buck of Colorado and Patrick McHenry of North Carolina in choosing not to run or resigning right away. Altogether, reports Axios, nearly 20 House GOP members have decided to leave the chamber without firm plans. Everyone who leaves, of course, wants to explain their reasons for doing so. Ive taken the liberty of composing a generic explanation for these departing politicians. Anyone else wanting to abandon the increasingly chaotic chamber can use it as a template, too! Dear home state friends and voters, although mostly those donors who wrote gigantic checks to fund my election: I write with a heavy heart today to announce that I will not run again for my beloved congressional seat. It has been my pleasure to serve the amazing, wonderful, awesome and totally hot people of Wisconsin or Colorado or Kansas. This of course is why I decided to work in Washington, D.C., so I did not have to see many of them. For these past two years in Washington, D.C., all I could think about was my home state of Wisconsin or Colorado or North Carolina. Mainly about how good it felt not to be there. Unfortunately, the time has come for me to depart from the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol. Actually scratch that. Ill probably return to those halls sooner or later, but as a big-time lobbyist making a lot more money and doing far less work. Sure, some might say this has to do with the gridlock and dysfunction caused by Republicans having a narrow margin and a bunch of legislators who would rather talk about Jewish space lasers than legislation. But this isnt true at all. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz and myself all get along super fine. I would rather encounter their awesomeness at a safe distance. With security guards if necessary. What accomplishments am I most proud of? Well, I did listen to Rep. Greene talking about those lasers for 45 minutes and didnt throw my drink in her face. That counts, right? No, I want to spend more time with my spouse. Or I want to spend more time with my spouse and young children or my spouse and teenage children or my spouse and grandchildren. Perhaps I just want to spend more time with my mistress and possessions. What accomplishments am I most proud of? Well, I did listen to Rep. Greene talking about those lasers for 45 minutes and didnt throw my drink in her face. That counts, right? Also, I voted for whatever bills the speaker of the House told me to, whoever the speaker of the House happened to be that day. Whether he was Mike Johnson or Kevin McCarthy or anyone else who might have slipped in there for a minute or two, I respected and supported him. Please know that we always wanted to do the best for Kansans or Coloradans or Wisconsinites. Like when we didnt pass Ukraine aid for months and months and let Russian President Vladimir Putin come close to winning! That was great and something Im totally proud of. So was the way that our Senate colleagues killed an immigration compromise with the Democrats for purely political reasons. Yay for us. Dont worry, though, we might suffocate even more important bills before my time is up. I cant close without paying tribute to the Big G, our lord and savior, the one who makes all this possible: Donald Trump. Ha ha, I kid (although not if youre paying attention, Mr. President, sir). I of course mean Yahweh, the creator of all that surrounds us. Hes never led me wrong, except perhaps when he suggested that I should run for office during a time of corrosive partisanship and existential threats to the republic. Naturally, attention now turns to my potential successor. Whoever follows me in representing North Carolina or Kansas or Colorado, I look forward to helping them in whatever way possible. As long as theyre a Republican and dont talk about space lasers. Also, whoever follows me in this job will have an incredibly awful time and find their soul being crushed every single day because of the horror that infests this place. USA! USA! USA! Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Letter from a generic U.S. House member heading out: Its been soul-crushing, and Im glad to leave appeared first on Colorado Newsline. By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union voters are set to be bombarded with lies and disinformation from outside and within the bloc in the June election for the new European Parliament, the president of the assembly warned on Tuesday. "It is something that we have warned about for a long time. In fact, it is not just a threat," Roberta Metsola told Reuters in an interview. She spoke just as information emerged that German authorities arrested an aid to an EU lawmaker on suspicion of espionage for China. Metsola said she expected disinformation to feature "very heavily" in the June 6-9 vote to select the next five-year parliament. The EU lawmaker from Malta said the bloc had tools such as a new EU law requiring social media platforms to remove illegal content and mitigate against risks of electoral manipulation, which could include fake images or voter impersonation. However, new EU laws alone were not enough. Metsola listed Russia, China and Iran as potential sources of disinformation, but also inside the EU, with political parties and organisation seeking to attract voters with lies. "We've maybe ignored that for far too long," she said. "I think we have to very much counter that narrative. It is much easier to run a black and white campaign than a 1,000 shades of grey in the middle campaign. But we have to be ready to do it," she continued. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Ros Russell) Lithuania hands over batch of M577 armoured vehicles to Ukraine photo M577 armoured vehicles. Stock photo: Ministry of Defence of Lithuania Lithuania has announced that it will transfer a batch of M577 armoured command and staff vehicles to Ukraine. Source: European Pravda with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Defence of Lithuania Details: The ministry reports that a batch of armoured vehicles arrived in Ukraine on 23 April. M577 armoured vehicles The ministry recalled that this year, they have already provided Ukraine with assistance in the amount of 84 million and aim to maintain this dynamic. On Saturday, Lithuania announced that it handed over to Ukraine the light combat aircraft L-39ZA Albatros. Recently, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda expressed concern about the fact that Western countries are losing focus on Ukraine. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stressed the need to provide Ukraine with means for strengthening air defence. Support UP or become our patron! An Amber Alert has been issued for the ex-police officer facing a rape charge suspected in two West Richland killings on Monday. Washington State Patrol issued the alert for former Yakima officer Elias Huizar, 39, who is believed to have his 1-year-old son Roman Huizar with him. Investigators believe he may be fleeing to Mexico, according to the 9:55 p.m. alert. The alert also identifies his victims as his ex-wife and girlfriend. An Amber Alert was issued for the former Yakima cop suspected in two West Richland killings. West Richland police identified Huizar as being the suspect in the shooting outside William Wiley Elementary School about 3:20 p.m. Monday as students were being released for the day. His ex-wife was a paraeducator at the school. While serving a search warrant at his West Richland home, another person was found dead, according to a 8 p.m. news release. Huizar was being investigated for raping a friend of his teenage girlfriend. He was also under investigation into whether his relationship with the teen girlfriend was legal. She was the mother of the 1-year-old, according to court documents. It is unclear if she was the second victim. She was not previously identified because of her age. Investigators believe that Huizar is armed and considered dangerous, and is likely to commit more crimes, said an earlier news release. Court documents show his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez filed last Friday for a change in custody for their two sons, ages 5 and 9. Rodriguez is listed on Wiley elementarys website as a paraeducator. It is unclear where the other two children are. The school went into an immediate lockdown as parents were arriving to pick their kids up and as students were getting onto buses. Parents were forced to abandon their cars in the parking lot and along the street as police officers converged on the school and began searching for Huizar. Elias Huizar West Richland resident Chris Worley told the Tri-City Herald he was in his backyard when he heard 4 to 5 gunshots. I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didnt sound like a gun. Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot ... , he said. School staff rushed kids back into the school to keep them safe. Students on buses were taken back into the building. Classes at Wiley Elementary are canceled Tuesday but all other Richland School District schools were scheduled to be open. However, state testing at the high schools was reportedly delayed until another day. Police responded to a shooting near a West Richland Elementary School on Monday. Court records show Huizars home is on the same block as the school. Its unclear if it had been searched yet Monday evening because officials did not take questions at a brief news conference at Flat Top Park. Officers from all over the Tri-Cities region responded to the shooting. Some surrounded the house and others began searching for his silver 2009 Toyota Corolla with license plate CBZ4745. He is described as being 5-foot-6, 170 pounds. Anyone who sees the car or knows were he may be, is asked to call 911. The Uvalde Foundation, a national nonprofit, is offering support and resources for victims and community members impacted. They have opened their 24 hour national school crisis response hotline to communities. Resources are available by calling 254-206-9089 or online chats. Rodriguez and Huizar divorced in 2020 and she recently filed for a protection order after he was charged with raping a teenage girl, according to court documents. Fridays hearing in Benton County Superior Court was for Rodriguezs request to modify their custody agreement after she filed for a protection order for her and the children. Its unclear what the outcome of that case was, a hearing was set for May 14. Rodriguez first filed for a protection order in early February after learning of his arrest on the rape charge, writing that she believed Huizar would harm her and their children, according to court documents. She said Huizar has harassed her since their 2020 divorce and believed he is mentally and emotionally unstable, according to her statements in the request for the order. She also wrote that Huizar owns guns. Rape suspect Elias Huizar, 39, of West Richland prepares to leaves a Feb. 15, 2024 hearing in Benton County Superior Court after filling out court paperwork at the Benton County Justice Center in Kennewick. The former Yakima school resource officer faces charges for a sexual relationship with a teen girl and for raping her drunk friend. Huizar rape charge Huizar is a former Yakima police officer and school resource officer. On Feb. 3 he was arrested and accused of raping a teenager in his West Richland home. Investigators said he sexually assaulted the unconscious house guest after a night of drinking with his 17-year-old girlfriend and the teen, according to court documents. Huizar worked for the Yakima Police Department between 2014 and 2022 but its not clear where hed been working since he left the department. He was arrested after his girlfriend allegedly caught him assaulting the teen. The two teens left in Huizars truck and drove west until they found a Benton County sheriffs deputy parked in Benton City. Rape suspect Elias Huizar, 39, of West Richland leaves a Feb. 15, 2024 hearing in Benton County Superior Court with his Yakima attorney Chris Tait, left, at the Benton County Justice Center in Kennewick. The former Yakima school resource officer faces charges for a sexual relationship with a teen girl and for raping her drunk friend. The girlfriend also took her and Huizars 9-month-old baby. When West Richland police went to his home on Highlands Boulevard, he refused to open the door and they forced their way into the house. Detectives are investigating if Huizars girlfriend was of legal age when she became pregnant. Huizar posted $200,000 bail that evening and was released from the Benton County jail. He was ordered to surrender his passport, not to drink alcohol and not to contact his girlfriend or the other teen. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was back on the witness stand for the fourth day. Donald Trumps hush money trial resumed Friday in Manhattan criminal court, where former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker the first witness called by the prosecution faced cross-examination by the defense. Judge Juan Merchan continues to weigh whether the former president violated a gag order by attacking other witnesses on social media. Pecker testified about his effort to catch and kill stories of Trumps alleged extramarital affairs with adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal the $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels, who is among the witnesses expected to testify in the trial, which will last between five and six weeks. Follow our live blog below for the latest updates from inside and outside the courtroom. LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 119 updates Trump's plane spotted at LaGuardia Trump's plane was seen at LaGuardia Airport Friday. (Yahoo News) While court was in session, an eagle-eyed Yahoo News editor snapped a picture of Trump's plane on the tarmac at LaGuardia as it was preparing to take off. Trump told reporters that after court was adjourned in his criminal hush money trial, he planned to fly home to Florida to celebrate Melania Trump's birthday. The former first lady turns 54 on Friday. Court is dismissed for the weekend After prosecutors questioned Farro, Judge Juan Merchan dismissed court for the weekend. "Have a good weekend, take care," Merchan told the jurors. Court will resume on Tuesday morning. Farro testifies about Cohen opening account to pay Stormy Daniels Under questioning from prosecutors, Farro detailed his dealings with Michael Cohen to open an account for Essential Consultants LLC that was used to pay adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000. "Every time Michael Cohen spoke to me, he gave a sense of urgency, and this was one of those times," Farro said of the call he had with Cohen about establishing the LLC account. Farro testified that on the form First Republic Bank used to create the account, Cohen checked "no" when asked if the LLC was "associated with political fundraising/Political Action Committee (PAC)." Prosecutors allege that the payment to Daniels violated campaign finance laws. Farro testifies about being assigned to work with Michael Cohen Former First Republic Bank senior managing director Gary Farro testified about how he came to work with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, saying he inherited his new client in 2015 because Farro was known by colleagues for his "ability to handle individuals that may be a little challenging." Prosecutors question Farro about banking regulations and payment to Stormy Daniels Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold questioned Gary Farro about banking regulations put in place under the Bank Secrecy Act for wire transfers as well as those made by political candidates. Farro worked at First Republic Bank when Michael Cohen arranged payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Prosecution calls Gary Farro to witness stand As their third witness in the trial, prosecutors called Gary Farro, First Republic Banks former senior managing director, to the witness stand. He will testify about the payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Graff finishes testifying; judge excuses jury for 15-minute recess After defense lawyers finished their cross-examination of Rhona Graff, Judge Juan Merchan excused the jury for a brief recess. Graff testified that Trump had contract entries for adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Model Karen McDougal, both of whom claim to have had extramarital affairs with him. Graff says Trump was potentially interested in casting Stormy Daniels for 'Celebrity Apprentice' Rhona Graff said she had heard that Donald Trump was considering casting adult film actress Stormy Daniels for a role on his hit show, Celebrity Apprentice. "I vaguely recall hearing him say that she was one of the people that may be an interesting contestant on the show," Graff testified. Under cross-examination, Graff speaks glowingly of Trump During cross-examination by Trump attorney Susan Necheles, Rhona Graff spoke highly of working at the Trump Organization. "It was a very stimulating, exciting, fascinating place to be," she said. Graff also offered a glowing assessment of her former boss. "I think that he was fair and, whats the word Im looking for, [a] respectful boss to me," she said of Trump. Prosecutors quickly finish questioning Graff After Rhona Graff spent approximately 15 minutes on the witness stand, prosecutors finished their initial questioning, establishing that she saw Stormy Daniels in the Trump Tower reception waiting area prior to June 2015. Graff testifies she saw Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower before Trump announced 2016 presidential run Stormy Daniels in 2018. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP) Rhona Graff, Trump's longtime assistant at the Trump Organization, said she saw adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the reception area at Trump Tower prior to his June 2015 announcement that he was running for president. Graff testifies about her role at the Trump Organization Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger is now questioning Rhona Graff about the 34 years she worked at the Trump Organization. Graff testified that she sat just outside Trump's office in Trump Tower and was responsible for scheduling his calendar and coordinating his contact with others in the company. Prosecutors call Rhona Graff to the stand Rhona Graff, former executive assistant to Donald Trump, in 2005. (Katy Winn/Getty Images) Prosecutors called Trump's former assistant Rhona Graff as their second witness in the hush money trial. Pecker is done After four days on the witness stand, David Pecker's testimony as the first witness called in the historic trial has finished. Pecker warned Cohen that Trump would be mad if he didn't buy the Stormy Daniels story Stormy Daniels in 2018. (Markus Schreiber/AP) Resuming his redirect, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Pecker about a phone call he had Michael Cohen after learning Stormy Daniels was shopping her story about an alleged affair with Trump. Pecker testified that he warned Cohen that that if the story were to get out through another media outlet, the boss is going to be very, very, very angry with you. Cohen eventually paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money in a deal that is at the center of the prosecution's case. Court is back in session After an hourlong lunch break, Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is back on the witness stand, and court is back in session. Prosecutor: Hush money contracts were not 'standard operating procedure' for National Enquirer and AMI During his redirect, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass tried to poke holes in the defenses argument that Peckers arrangement to bury negative stories about Trump during the 2016 campaign was, as Trump attorney Emil Bove put it, standard operating procedure at the National Enquirer and AMI. Steinglass got Pecker to agree that the companys contracts with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Trump, and a doorman at a Trump property, who falsely alleged Trump fathered a child out of wedlock, were not standard operating procedure at the tabloid. Court is taking a lunch break Judge Juan Merchan has called for a lunch recess until 2:15 p.m. ET, when Pecker will return to the witness stand for more questioning from prosecutors. Defense concludes its cross-examination of Pecker The defense has concluded its cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Trump attorney Emil Bove asked Pecker why he cooperated with the prosecution at this trial. To be truthful, Pecker replied. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is now asking Pecker follow-up questions. While Trump is in court, Biden tells Howard Stern he'd be 'happy to debate him' Former President Donald Trump and President Biden. (Brendan McDermid, Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters) While Trump was inside Manhattan criminal court at his hush money trial, President Biden was several blocks away at Sirius XM studios for a live interview with Howard Stern. During the hourlong interview, Biden told Stern he would be happy to debate Trump this fall. Trump has not yet committed to participating in the three presidential debates that have already been scheduled. And until Friday, Biden and his campaign had declined to commit to appearing onstage with Trump. But when asked by Stern if he would debate Trump, Biden replied he would be happy to debate him. Court has resumed After a brief recess, the defense continued its cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. During the break, Trump attorney Emil Bove told Judge Merchan that he has about an hour's worth of questions left for Pecker. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said there will be a redirect. Trump attorneys zero in on Pecker's testimony about a Trump Tower meeting David Pecker is cross-examined by Trump lawyer Emil Bove as Judge Juan Merchan and the former president look on in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Before the break, Trump attorney Emil Bove was questioning Pecker about his testimony regarding a Jan. 6, 2017, meeting Pecker attended at Trump Tower with the then president-elect and numerous officials, including FBI Director James Comey. On Thursday, Pecker testified that at the meeting Trump thanked him for paying to silence a Trump Tower doorman who claimed Trump had fathered a love child. But according to notes from a 2018 FBI interview with Pecker, he told agents that Trump had not thanked him at the Jan. 6 meeting. Pecker initially suggested that the FBI's notes were wrong, but later during Bove's cross-examination acknowledged that he may have, in fact, told them Trump had not thanked him. The court is in a brief recess Per reporters inside the courtroom, the court has taken a short break. Pecker has stepped down from the witness stand, and the jury and Trump have left the courtroom. Gag order hearing has been rescheduled Trump sits at the defense table inside Manhattan criminal court with attorneys Emil Bove, left, and Todd Blanche before Friday's proceedings. (Jeenah Moon/AFP via Getty Images) Before the jury was brought in Friday, Judge Juan Merchan said that a hearing on the prosecution's latest claims that Trump violated the gag order imposed on him before will be held next Thursday, May 2, at 9:30 a.m. ET. The hearing had been previously scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, the same day his campaign had planned back-to-back rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan. Court does not meet on Wednesdays, though Merchan has said that he reserves the right to adjust the trial schedule if needed. Prosecution objects to the defense referring to defendant as 'President Trump' During the defense's cross-examination of Pecker, the prosecution has objected to Trump lawyer Emil Bove referring to the defendant as President Trump while discussing the events that led up to the 2016 election. He wasnt President Trump, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass argued. Judge Juan Merchan sustained the objection. During opening arguments, Trump attorney Todd Blanche told the jury that he would be referring to his client by his former title. We will call him President Trump out of respect for the office that he held from 2017 to 2021, Blanche said during his opening statement on Monday. And as everybody knows, its the office hes running for right now. Trump is listening to Pecker with his eyes closed Trump sits at the defense table inside Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday. (Michael M. Santiago/AFP via Getty Images) According to reporters inside the courtroom, Trump has been listening to Pecker's testimony with his eyes closed. Cameras are not allowed inside the room during the proceedings, but photographers are allowed to shoot still images for 45 seconds at the beginning of each day. Trump appeared to be noticeably tired in photos taken this morning, like the one above. Defense asks Pecker about negative stories the Enquirer ran about Trump's GOP rivals Under cross-examination, David Pecker was asked by defense attorney Emil Bove about negative stories the National Enquirer ran about Donald Trump's 2016 Republican rivals, including Ben Carson and Marco Rubio. Earlier this week, Pecker testified that part of the plan he hatched with Trump and his lawyer Michael Cohen was to publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents and to buy and bury stories about any alleged extramarital affairs to help boost Trump's candidacy. On Friday, Bove asked Pecker whether the Enquirer would have run such negative stories about Trump's rivals without his involvement, given the tabloid's practice of recycling content from other outlets and the fact that some of the stories were already in the public domain. Pecker acknowledged that the publication would have. Pecker is back on the witness stand After some discussions with both sides, Judge Juan Merchan called for the jury, and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker has returned to the witness stand. Emil Bove, one Trump's defense attorneys, has resumed his cross examination. Trump wishes Melania happy birthday as he arrives at court Trump speaks to reporters after arriving at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Friday. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) After arriving at Manhattan criminal court, where he is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal the $130,000 hush money payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged extramarital affair, former President Donald Trump stopped to express his birthday wishes to his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, who turns 54 Friday. "I want to start by wishing my wife, Melania, a very happy birthday," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom. "It would be nice to be with her. But I'm at a courthouse for a rigged trial." Trump is required to attend every day of the trial, which is expected to last up to six weeks. He has been staying at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, while the former first lady is home in Florida. "I'll be going there this evening," Trump said. What to expect today Trump yells to supporters as he exits Trump Tower en route to his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court Friday. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Trump's hush money trial is set to resume Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET. The former president arrived at the courthouse a few minutes ago. David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher, will return to the witness stand for more cross-examination by the defense. It's expected to take up much of the day. Trump's attorney Emil Bove will lead the cross examination of Pecker. On Thursday, Bove used his questioning of Pecker to argue that the tabloid's efforts to help Trump during the 2016 election was not unusual. Judge Juan Merchan has yet to issue a decision over whether Trump violated the gag order imposed on him before the trial. Another hearing on the gag order has been scheduled for next week. Judge dismisses jury for the day Judge Merchan officially dismissed the jury for the day. Pecker will be back on Friday for his fourth day on the witness stand. What to know about Pecker's immunity agreement Before concluding the prosecution's examination of Pecker, the Manhattan district attorney's office brought up the non-prosecution agreement that he hasigned. Vanity Fair first reported that Pecker was granted immunity in exchange for his testimonies against Trump and Cohen in 2018. CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said the prosecution reiterating the immunity deal is to emphasize to the jury that Pecker's "incentive right now is to tell the truth." Trump defense argues 'checkbook journalism' is 'standard operating procedure' While cross-examining Pecker, Trump's defense lawyer Emil Bove is arguing that "checkbook journalism" a phrase for the practice of reporters or news agencies paying for rights to stories was part of the "standard operating procedure" at the National Enquirer. Bove is trying to establish that Pecker's relationship with Trump was no different from Pecker's relationship with other celebrities in terms of buying story rights. Some of the celebrities mentioned include Rahm and Ari Emanuel, Mark Wahlberg and Tiger Woods. Trump's lawyer Bove: Before this case, you'd never heard the phrase catch and kill, right? Pecker: Right Bove: It was the *prosecutors* who taught you the phrase, right? Pecker: Yes Bove: You have similar relationships with other politicians too, right? A: Yes. Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 25, 2024 Trump's defense team begins cross-examination of Pecker The prosecution has just concluded its examination of David Pecker, which ended with Pecker saying he does not feel any ill will toward Trump despite not speaking to him since 2019. Emil Bove is handling the cross-examination for Trump's defense. Bove is the newest addition to Trump's legal team. He was previously a federal prosecutor in New York. Pecker says Trump was 'very upset' with him after McDougal's interview with Anderson Cooper Karen McDougal was interviewed by CNN's Anderson Cooper in March 2018 about her alleged affair with Donald Trump. (Screen capture via CNN) Prosecutors asked Pecker about a phone call he had with then-President Trump after the story of Karen McDougal's alleged affair with him was leaked. Before the lunch break, Pecker testified that American Media Inc. amended its contract with McDougal over the objections of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to allow her to speak to the press after the Wall Street Journal reported AMI's deal with the former Playboy model. He also testified that AMI had hired a press consultant to help McDougal navigate the crush of media surrounding her. In March 2018, after McDougal was interviewed by CNN's Anderson Cooper about her alleged affair with Trump, Pecker said he got an angry call from the president, who told him he thought McDougal was not permitted to give any interviews or be on any television shows. After Pecker told Trump that he had amended McDougal's agreement, Trump was "very upset." "He couldn't understand why I did it," Pecker said. Trump as seen in court today Trump is in attendance at today's testimony. He said that Judge Juan Merchan denied his request to attend a Thursday hearing at the Supreme Court weighing his claim that presidents are immune from prosecution for any potential crimes committed while in office. During a break, former President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as he appears at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Thursday. (Jefferson Siegel/New York Times via AP) Trump appears at his trial on Thursday. (Spencer Platt/AP) Trump talks to reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Thursday. (Mark Peterson/AP) Court is back in session Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench and the prosecution's first witness, David Pecker, will continue his testimony. National Enquirer's ties to Trump behind why publication can't sell, has 'zero credibility' Pecker's testimony about the relationship between Trump and the National Enquirer seems to be damaging the publication's credibility and therefore its parent company's ability to sell the publication, which it has been trying to do for five years. It just has zero credibility, Lachlan Cartwright, a former executive editor for the Enquirer, told the Associated Press. Whatever sort of credibility it had was totally damaged by what happened in court this week. American Media Inc., which currently owns the Enquirer, has been struggling to find a buyer made worse by the publication's involvement in Trump's hush money trial. In April 2019, AMI said it was going to sell several of its tabloid publications, including the Enquirer, to James Cohen for a deal reportedly worth close to $100 million, but it never closed. Pecker testifies he thought Cohen and Trump should have bought Daniels's story Pecker is testifying more about why AMI, the National Enquirer's parent company, couldn't pay $120,000 for Daniels's story. "I said, 'I don't want the National Enquirer to be associated with a porn star,'" Pecker said on the stand, adding that with Walmart as a main distributor of the magazine, it would be very bad for AMI. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass then asked Pecker to explain why he sent Daniels's story to Michael Cohen. Pecker said the story could be "very damaging" and he thought it should come off the market. "If anyone was going to buy it, I thought Michael and Donald Trump should buy it," Pecker said. Trump's concerns over negative stories shifted from family to campaign, says Pecker David Pecker testified that before the 2016 election, Donald Trump would be concerned about his family hearing about or reading negative stories in the press. "If a negative story was coming out with respect to Donald Trump and we spoke about it, he was always concerned about Melania, he was concerned about Ivanka, he was concerned about what the family may hear or say about it, not saying whether it was true or not," he said, according to CNN. But while running for president, Pecker said Trump's concerns shifted to be more about the campaign. "It was basically what the impact would be to the campaign and the election," Pecker said, adding that Trump never brought up his family during discussions on Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels. Q: After Mr. Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency, did he ever express concern for how [...] Melania Trump would think of his affairs? A: No. Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) April 25, 2024 This distinction is important because it suggests Trump's concerns over negative stories were politically inclined, not personal. Court taking a lunch break, proceedings to resume at 2:15 p.m. The court is now on lunch break, and the proceedings will resume at 2:15 p.m. ET. Judge Juan Merchan, the jury, Donald Trump and his legal team have all left the courtroom. AMI issued false statement denying 'catch and kill' tactics for Trump stories in 2016, Pecker says In November 2016, the Wall Street Journal published an article detailing Karen McDougal's deal with AMI, the National Enquirer's parent company. Pecker testified that Trump was furious and accused Pecker or "one of your people" of having leaked the story. Following the WSJ story, AMI issued a statement denying the allegations that it was killing negative stories about Trump. On the witness stand, Pecker said the denials were false. "I wanted to protect my company, I wanted to protect myself and I wanted also to protect Donald Trump," he said Asked by he lied about the McDougal payment in response to the WSJ story, Pecker said: I wanted to protect my company, I wanted to protect myself and I wanted, also, to protect Donald Trump. erica orden (@eorden) April 25, 2024 'I don't want the National Enquirer to be associated with a porn star.' David Pecker explaining another reason why he declined to buy the story that adult film actress Stormy Daniels was shopping in October 2016 about her alleged sexual affair with Donald Trump. "If anyone was going to buy it, I thought Michael [Cohen] and Donald Trump should buy it," Pecker testified. Pecker said he refused to pay Stormy Daniels for her story of an alleged affair with Trump Stormy Daniels in 2018. (Markus Schreiber/AP) The prosecution asked Pecker to describe how the National Enquirer came across the story at the center of the hush money case: the claim by adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, that she had a sexual encounter with Donald Trump. Pecker described an urgent phone call he received from Enquirer editor Dylan Howard in October 2016 in which he was informed that Daniels was shopping a story about her alleged tryst with Trump for $120,000. Pecker said he refused to pay for the story, noting his previous payments of $30,000 to a Trump Tower doorman for a story about an out-of-wedlock child allegedly fathered by Trump and $150,000 to Karen McDougal for the story of her alleged affair with Trump. "I am not a bank," Pecker said. Trump loses bid for new trial, judgment overturn for E. Jean Carroll verdict Outside the courtroom today, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, of the Southern District of New York, ruled that Trump's motions for a new trial for the E. Jean Carroll verdict are denied. Carroll is one of dozens of women who have accused Trump of sexual assault. In January she won $83.3 million in damages for defamation. Breaking Trump LOSES his bid for a new trial or a judgment overturning the more than $80 million verdict for E. Jean Carroll in the second trial. Ruling https://t.co/5JncAkNDLj pic.twitter.com/pLpN2CWS4i Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) April 25, 2024 'Access Hollywood' tape was 'very embarrassing, very damaging' to Trump campaign Back on the stand, Pecker is discussing the infamous "Access Hollywood" outtake from the 2000s that showed Trump bragging to host Billy Bush about grabbing women sexually without asking for permission. The tape was released on Oct. 7, 2016, and Pecker said Cohen called and said it was "very embarrassing, very damaging" to Trump's campaign. Pecker: "Michael Cohen told me that the feedback on the Access Hollywood tape was very, very damaging to the campaign. And everybody was very concerned about what impact it would have." erica orden (@eorden) April 25, 2024 Pecker returns to the witness stand The jury is back in the courtroom and Pecker is back on the witness stand. Prosecutors said that they anticipate that the direct examination of the former National Enquirer publisher will take several more hours. Court resumes without the jury present Trump gives a thumbs-up to reporters during a break in Thursday's proceedings. (Jefferson Siegel for the New York Times) After a brief recess, court resumed but without the jury present, as both sides discussed disputes over exhibits that the prosecution wants to present to illustrate its case. Prosecutors want to enter text messages sent by National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard entered into evidence. One of the texts from 2016 reads, "If he wins, Ill be pardoned for electoral fraud." Judge Juan Merchan said that for now, he won't allow the texts to be shown but would consider it some more over lunch. Pecker says he didn't buy Stormy Daniels's story because he never got reimbursed $150K for McDougal's story Pecker testified he was expecting to be paid back for the $150,000 he sent to Karen McDougal but had a hard time getting Trump to reimburse him. Pecker claimed he asked Michael Cohen multiple times about repayment and was told not to worry and that "the boss" referring to Trump would take care of it. Because of this, Pecker declined to buy Stormy Daniels's story, in which she alleged she had sex with Trump. Trump denies the claim. Cohen bought her story instead for $130,000, which is the hush money accusation at the center of this case. Pecker says the 'married man' in McDougal's contract referred to Trump Trump sits with with his lawyers in Manhattan criminal court on Thursday. (Jefferson Siegel/Pool via Reuters) As part of his testimony, Pecker was asked about a line in America Media Inc.'s agreement with Karen McDougal that states that AMI acquired the lifetime rights for her story, including "any romantic personal and/or physical relationship McDougal has ever had with any then-married man." Joshua Steinglass, one of the lawyers for the prosecution, asked Pecker who the "then-married man" was in reference to. Pecker replied that it was "referring to Donald Trump." Show more updates Livingston Parish woman connected to rape case with former LPSO deputy will get new trial BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) The Louisiana Supreme Court denied an appeal by the Louisiana Attorney Generals Office on Tuesday, April 23. The move will allow for a woman convicted of aggravated rape and video voyeurism in connection to the sex crimes against former Livingston Parish Sheriffs Deputy Dennis Perkins to get a new trial. We just received the Supreme Court ruling on our writ application, said Lester Duhe, spokesman for Attorney General Liz Murrill. We are going to evaluate it and make a decision as to how we will proceed. In December 2021, Melanie Curtin was convicted of aggravated rape and video voyeurism and was sentenced to life in prison. Curtin successfully appealed the conviction, and the appellate court granted her a new trial after finding issues with evidence. The state appealed that decision to the Supreme Court, which denied the request. Louisiana Supreme Court disbars lawyer after he pleads to sex charges with two teens Curtin is connected to the sex crimes case against Dennis Perkins and his wife Cynthia. Cynthia was indicted on 72 felony counts, and Dennis was indicted on 78 felony counts in December 2019. Dennis Perkins pleaded guilty in January 2023 to charges in a sex crimes case, including Dennis pled second-degree rape, sexual battery of a child under the age of 13, video voyeurism, mingling harmful substances, production of child porn and production of child porn involving juveniles under the age of 13. He was sentenced to 100 years behind bars. Cythia Perkins got 41 years in prison after accepting a plea deal in February 2022. She pleaded guilty to second-degree rape, production of child porn and conspiracy of mingling harmful substances. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. If the Supreme Court takes its time in handing down a ruling on Donald Trumps demand for absolute immunity for insurrection-related crimes, voters may not know whether Trump is a convicted criminal before deciding whether to elect him to the most powerful position in the world. Thats bad enough. But theres another dimension to all this thats gone underappreciated: Such a delay could also perversely reward Trump and his allies for the extensive cover-up they implemented after the insurrection failed by denying voters critical information about Trumps conduct on January 6, 2021. Even putting aside whether Trumps coup amounted to criminality, keeping voters in the dark throughout the election about that conduct would represent an appalling, next-level failure of accountability. This idea emerges from Liz Cheneys new op-ed piece in The New York Times urging prompt action from the high court, which will hear arguments in the case this Thursday. Buried in the piece is an urgent warning whose importance is not immediately obvious. Cheney writes that a delay in this ruling could kick Trumps trial until after the election, which we know. But then Cheney says special counsel Jack Smith obtainedand presented to the grand jury that indicted Trumpinformation that the House committee that examined Jan. 6, on which she served as vice chair, could not gain access to. Cheney adds this: There is little doubt that Mr. Trumps closest advisers also gave the federal grand jury minute-to-minute accounts of his malicious conduct on Jan. 6, describing how they repeatedly begged the president to instruct the violent rioters to leave our Capitol and how Mr. Trump refused for several hours to do so as he watched the attack on television. This historic testimony about a former presidents conduct is likely to remain secret until the special counsel presents his case at trial. The idea that voters might be denied knowledge of Trumps minute-by-minute conduct during the attack might not, at first glance, seem alarming. Surely we know everything there is to know about Jan. 6 already, right? No, we dont. Note that some of the top Trump advisers who directly interacted with him during the mobs rampage (such as White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and social media guru Dan Scavino) defied subpoenas by the committee. Thats surely in part because testimony about Trumps conduct that day would be extremely incriminating. Meanwhile, others who did testify (such as White House counsel Pat Cipollone) invoked executive privilege to withhold some private communications with then-President Trump. Cheney writes that this ended up denying the committee crucial testimony that it sought. But Cheney doesnt go into detail about what that all testimony might have revealed, which is essential to understanding the situation were in here. True, the Jan. 6 committee report tells us a lot. It recounts that while the mob assailed the Capitol, Trump sent his tweet attacking then-Vice President Mike Pence for failing to help sabotage the election, seemingly to incite more violence to intimidate or punish Pence. The report also notes that Trump snarled to then-GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy that he approved of the rioters underlying cause of obstructing the elections conclusion. It details that Trump refused to call off the rioters for hours. But investigators wanted to know more. Thomas Joscelyn, a senior Jan. 6 committee staffer and principal drafter of its final report, says more cooperation from Scavino, Meadows, Cipollone, and others would have produced a fuller picture of Trumps conduct during the riot and in the lead-up to it. We know many Republicans and advisers begged Trump to calm his supporters, but we have scant insight into how he reacted beyond doing nothing for hours. What did he say about the riot as it raged? That would shed light on Trumps full intent for the mob, Joscelyn says, noting that there are a few hours where we still need to know exactly what he said to people. As Joscelyn told me: Very few witnesses were willing to pierce that inner sanctum of Trump. Guess what: We already know Smith has obtained much more in that regard. ABC Newss Jonathan Karl has reported that Trumps top advisers provided Smith with an extraordinarily detailed description of what Trump was doing while the rioters rampaged. Thats not all. Karl also reported that Scavino in particular has provided evidence along these lines that is vivid and damning. So what might that look like? Well, Joscelyn points out that Scavino would have closely monitored online activity among the most organized of Trumps paramilitary supporters, which had already begun outlining plans for violence in advance of Jan. 6, after Trump sent his initial December 19 tweet urging supporters to descend on Washington. Scavino might know whether Trump had been briefed on these violent designs and what Trump said about them, Joscelyn says, which could reveal more about how Trump stoked the most fervent, hardened base of Trump supporters. The Jan. 6 committee wanted to question Scavino about exactly this, among other things, but could not. Smith surely has done so. All this information would presumably come out at trial, which considerably raises the stakes around a potential Supreme Court delay. Consider that those who deny that Jan. 6 was an insurrection often seek to create the impression that there were two separate narrative lines leading up to that day: the procedural coup, in which Trump sought to corrupt government officials at all levels to scuttle the official transfer of power, and the mob violence. In this telling, the mob wasnt all that directed by Trump; it just got out of control, and wasnt particularly motivated toward realizing any concrete project. Hence, no insurrection. In reality, those narratives are part of the same story: Trump saw the mob violence as the weapon to complete the procedural coup once it had failed him on every other front. He incited and directed it toward that precise end. The evidence that this was Trumps intent is already very strong. But there may be even stronger evidence of it out thereevidence that Trump and his loyalists sought to keep buried but that Smith has amassed. Evidence that, depending on what the Supreme Court decides, voters may never hear. It may be, as some have argued, that the Supreme Court struck the right balance between competing interests in picking this schedule. Its also possible the high court will ultimately issue a ruling in time for the trial to proceed before the election. But the sobering reality remains: Voters this fall may still end up being denied critical, revelatory information that goes directly to the heart of the full insurrectionary intent driving Trumps plot to overthrow the U.S. constitutional order. Theres no sugarcoating this: Its still absolutely possible that key aspects of the cover-up implemented by Trump and his loyalists could very well succeed. Call them the FLEAS: Failed Leaders Exploiting America. Much like the third-tier expat British bankers in Hong Kong once known as the FILTH (Failed in London, Try Hong Kong), a steady stream of disgraced British politicians are now beating a path across the Atlantic, reinventing themselves as political seers with the aid of a flattering chyron and a cut-glass British accent. Take, for example, the latest of these arrivals, Liz Truss, the former British Prime Minister now flogging her book, Ten Years to Save the West, which she has not always managed to hold the right way up when she appears on TV, to the right-wing blogosphere on an American speaking tour. Heres the thing: To a British person, calling Truss a former British Prime Minister is a bit like calling David Berkowitz a former postal worker. Truss is the single most-ridiculed PM in British history; she was parachuted into the job of PM by her party without winning an election and ruled for just 49 days before her party evicted her from 10 Downing Street after a disastrous fiscal policy led to the economy cratering and soaring mortage rates with fixed rates hitting an eye-watering 9 percent. She is also famous for being the last prime minister invited to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II. The late queen left her with the famous last words, Pace yourself. Truss writes in her book: Maybe I should have listened. Maybe? Former Prime Minister David Cameron was another leader who screwed up his reputation so badly at home thatfor a whilehis biggest responsibility, The Daily Beast was told, was running the barbecue at his local pony club. Despite calling and then losing the Brexit referendum, he was welcomed with open arms on Americas celebrity speaker circuit. To be fair, the suave Old Etonian did at least lead the country for six years before resigning and walking off stage while humming a show tuneunfortunately caught on a hot mic. He became a hate figure in the U.K., but overseas, particularly in the U.S., they couldnt get enough of him. He was a star speaker at corporate events and made $1 million in 2019 alone. He has since returned to the U.K. government as foreign secretary, stopping over in America recently to chastise lawmakers for inadequate funding of the war in Ukraine. His successor, Theresa May, who left office under a cloud and would have been booed if she had made any public appearances in the U.K., took home over half a million dollars in December 2019 alone, largely from American markets. The list goes on: David Miliband, failed candidate for the Labour Party leadership, for example, is now head of the International Rescue Committee, headquartered in New York, where his salary is reportedly over $1 million a year Boris Johnson, who got booted out of office after it was revealed he broke the very COVID laws his government had introduced, disclosed in 2023 that he had accepted $3 million as an advance payment for future speaking engagements arranged via the Harry Walker Agency in New York. Thats confidence, but its fair to say that no second-rate British politician has been quite as successful at turning post-leadership disgrace into long-term financial triumph as Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister and leader of Britains third party, the Liberal Democrats. Under his leadership, the party was almost wiped out electorally in the 2015 elections, going from 57 seats to 8 seats in Parliament. Clegg lost his own seat in 2017, but was swiftly signed up by Facebookand is now reportedly paid as much as $18 million a year as Metas president of global affairs. As one observer wryly noted: David Camerons favorite joke? Nick Clegg. At least it used to beuntil he earned all that Facebook stock. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A new meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's defense in the Ramstein format will take place this week, scheduled for April 26. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. She announced the date of the meeting before a joint meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers in Luxembourg on April 22. "It's an important week, we saw the approval of aid to Ukraine in the US House of Representatives this weekend, we had the Alliance meeting on Friday, we have this meeting today, and we have the Ramstein meeting at the end of the week. So it's an important week," Ollongren said. According to the Dutch Defense Minister, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin can be stopped in Ukraine. But for this purpose, it is necessary to provide the Armed Forces with weapons and ammunition, as well as financially support the country that is confronting the aggressor. Ollongren emphasized that everyone needs to be involved in this process, so now all countries must step up their efforts to help Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT "We need action, but sometimes we need to talk to get action, and that's exactly what we intend to do," added the Dutch Defense Minister. The previous, 20th anniversary meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense took place at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on March 19. The meeting was held at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. At the meeting, the urgent needs of the Defense Forces for weapons were discussed, and new aid packages were announced. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the member countries of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense have already raised $88 billion for military support for Kyiv in two years. Currently, the Ramstein countries are focusing on two areas: short-term assistance to meet the immediate needs of the Armed Forces on the battlefield, and long-term assistance. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! State Sen. Natalie Murdock speaks at the launch of Educators for Biden in Raleigh At the Raleigh launch of Educators for Biden-Harris on Tuesday, speakers, including elected officials, sought to contrast the Biden administrations plan for public education with that of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Educators for Biden-Harris is a nationwide initiative intended to engage and mobilize teachers, parents and advocates to support the reelection of President Biden. First lady Jill Biden launched the initiative last Friday in Minnesota. The presidents of the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) accompanied the First Lady at the event. The two national teachers unions, which have already endorsed Biden, have nearly five million combined members with local affiliates in all 50 states. On Tuesday, speakers highlighted what they described as the difference between the Biden administrations efforts to bolster public education, support teachers, and forgive some of their student debt, versus Trumps proposals for cuts to public education and his calls for abolishing the Department of Education. Teachers and educators across our state cannot afford another four years of Donald Trump, said Democratic state Sen. Natalie Murdock (Chatham, Durham). Thats why weve come here together today, under the banner of Educators for Biden-Harris to encourage and mobilize everyone, from parents to school staff, teachers and students to work together and deliver a win for President Biden right here in North Carolina this November. Murdock said there is a need for change in education policy, highlighting concerns over Trumps approach to loan forgiveness programs. During his time in office, Donald Trump tried to gut public service loan forgiveness programs, and he continues to threaten loan forgiveness if he is reelected. In her remarks, state Rep. Rosa Gill of Wake County, a former public school teacher, stressed the need to elect leaders who champion public education, citing challenges she faced during her years in the classroom. I know how important it is that we have elected leaders who are fighting to ensure our schools are well funded, accessible and safe for all of our students and that our educators get paid for what theyre worth, Gill said. On this test, Joe Biden passes with the flying colors, and Donald Trump gets a resounding F. Gill, a member of committees overseeing appropriations and K-12 education, said Trumps policies undermined teachers rights and funding. She said Trump launched an unprecedented attack on teachers unions, systematically rolling back the ability of teachers unions to represent their members. Christina Cole Spears, a Special Ed teacher and President of the Wake County NCAE, described the potential negative impact of funding cuts under a Trump administration. He cut funding from our students and our schools, and is threatening to do it again, said Spears.For students, cuts in funding means outdated textbooks, fewer after school activities and opportunities, and public school workers are being spread thin. It means their learning experiences and their potential is being stifled, not supported. The post Local lawmakers, teachers, advocates seek to boost Biden-Harris campaign in NC appeared first on NC Newsline. Local leaders ask for help from state lawmakers to crack down on hooning Local leaders are asking for help from state lawmakers to crack down on street racing, street takeovers, and circle drifting. >> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: What the Fast and Furious?; Residents concerned after drifting cars close down Dayton streets Street racing and hooning were already a problem and a concern to area elected leaders, but it was last January when it really hit home. A street takeover happened at Third and Jefferson Streets in downtown Dayton, which is what leaders call the inherent danger that forced them to start the fight for change. >> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: WATCH: Several cars take over Ohio streets on New Years Eve A dozen high-performance cars, hundreds of spectators, and thousands of downtown residents blocked, threatened or simply startled. The dangerous part for me is that there were people in the way of cars so I think something could have happened but luckily no one was hurt, said Baxter Stapleton. The high-risk driving, which includes street racing, street takeovers, circle drifting, burn-outs, and donuts is all called hooning. Representatives Andrea White and Phil Plummer introduced a crackdown on hooning that passed the state House and is now in the state Senate. We are dealing with multiple high-performance vehicles and all it would take is someone to fall out of a car and be struck by a car and be severely injured or killed, said Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal. Afzal and Dayton Mayor Jeff Mims, as well as former Trotwood mayor Mary McDonald, went to Columbus to urge senate leaders to pass the hooning crackdown legislation. This type of activity, ok, it poses a major threat to the citizens of our community, Mims said. The proposed law would change hooning from a misdemeanor to a felony, would allow law enforcement to seize vehicles involved, even to fine spectators that gather. Police say those involved often block officers from getting to intersections to stop the street takeover. Those that live downtown are torn about what should happen. Of course, I want cool things to happen in the city but I also dont want to disrespect, I mean, this is my neighborhood, Stapleton said. That testimony today was in front of the state Senates judiciary committee. The proposed law would have to pass that committee and then be approved by the full senate, then be signed by Governor DeWine before any stricter penalties were put in place. 'Now go win the fight': US Congress passes Ukraine aid after months of delay 'Now go win the fight': US Congress passes Ukraine aid after months of delay By Patricia Zengerle and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A sweeping foreign aid package easily passed the U.S. Congress late on Tuesday after months of delay, clearing the way for billions of dollars in fresh Ukraine funding amid advances from Russia's invasion force and Kyiv's shortages of military supplies. The Senate approved by 79 to 18 four bills passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course last week and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific. The four bills were combined into one package in the Senate, which President Joe Biden said he would sign into law on Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was grateful to U.S. lawmakers for approving "vital" aid for Ukraine. "This vote reinforces America's role as a beacon of democracy and leader of the free world," Zelenskiy said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. The largest provides $61 billion in critically needed funding for Ukraine; a second provides $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones around the world, and a third mandates $8.12 billion to "counter communist China" in the Indo-Pacific. A fourth, which the House added to the package last week, includes a potential ban on the Chinese-controlled social media app TikTok, measures for the transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine and new sanctions on Iran. Biden's administration is already preparing a $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine, the first sourced from the bill, two U.S. officials told Reuters. It includes vehicles, Stinger air defense munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, 155 millimeter artillery ammunition, TOW and Javelin anti-tank munitions and other weapons that can immediately be put to use on the battlefield. The Senate's Democratic and Republican leaders predicted that Congress had turned the corner in putting Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign adversaries on notice that Washington will continue supporting Ukraine and other foreign partners. "This national security bill is one of the most important measures Congress has passed in a very long time to protect American security and the security of Western democracy," Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told a news conference after the vote. The aid package could be the last approved for Ukraine until after elections in November when the White House, House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate are up for grabs. Much of the opposition to the security assistance in both the House and Senate has come from Republicans with close ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump, a Ukraine aid skeptic who has stressed "America First" policies as he seeks a second term. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a strong advocate for assisting Ukraine, expressed regret about the delay, largely due to hardline Republicans' objections to adding more to the $113 billion Washington had authorized for Kyiv since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. "I think weve turned the corner on the isolationist movement," McConnell told a news conference. Some of the Ukraine money - $10 billion in economic support - comes in the form of a loan, which Trump had suggested. But the bill lets the president forgive the loan starting in 2026. 'NOW GO WIN THE FIGHT' The influx of weapons should improve Kyiv's chances of averting a major breakthrough in the east by Russian invaders, although it would have been more helpful if the aid had come closer to when Biden requested it last year, analysts said. Schumer said he left a message for Zelenskiy on Tuesday night, telling him, "OK, we got it done. Now go win the fight." It was not immediately clear how the money for Israel would affect the conflict in Gaza. Israel already receives billions of dollars in annual U.S. security assistance, but it more recently has faced its first direct aerial attack by Iran. Aid supporters hope the humanitarian assistance will help Palestinians in Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel's campaign against Hamas to retaliate for Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people. Gaza health authorities say the campaign has led to the deaths of more than 34,000 civilians in the Palestinian enclave. It was the second time this year that the Democratic-led Senate passed security aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. The last bill, more than two months ago, garnered 70% support in the 100-member chamber from Republicans and Democrats. But leaders of the Republican-controlled House would not allow a vote on the foreign aid until last week. The legislation's progress has been closely watched by industry, with U.S. defense firms up for major contracts to supply equipment for Ukraine and other U.S. partners. Experts expect the supplemental spending to boost the order backlog of RTX Corp along with other major companies that receive government contracts, such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman. The House passed the Ukraine funding by 311-112, with all "no" votes coming from Republicans, many of whom were bitterly opposed to further assistance for Kyiv. Only 101 Republicans voted for it, forcing Speaker Mike Johnson to rely on Democratic support and prompting calls for his ouster as House leader. However, the House left Washington for a week-long recess, without triggering a vote to remove Johnson. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Richard Cowan; additional reporting by Makini Brice, Mike Stone, Steve Holland and Lidia Kelly; editing by Richard Chang and Stephen Coates) Longtime lottery player thought he won $10,000 in Maryland. The prize was much bigger A longtime lottery player just kept winning in Maryland, officials said. The Montgomery County mans hot streak started with a $50 win with an instant ticket he bought in Gaithersburg, according to an April 23 news release by the Maryland Lottery. He had know clue a $100,000 prize was waiting for him. He ended up using the $50 prize money from the scratch-off to buy five $10 50X The Cash tickets, officials said. Before he knew it, one of the scratch-offs revealed a $500 prize, officials said. Then he scratched another ticket and thought hed won $10,000, officials said. Instead, the scratching had revealed a 10X symbol, which meant the prize would be multiplied by 10, equaling $100,000. I was happy and pleased. I have been playing for a long time, the winner told lotto officials. The man plans to save the money for now with the idea of potentially buying a house, officials said. Gaithersburg is about a 50-mile drive southwest of Baltimore. Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website. Tarot reading told lottery player money would enter her life soon. Then she won big Coworkers think theyre being pranked after lottery win in Maryland. It was real Lottery player shocked by big win during lunch break in SC. Told my boss to pinch me The family of a man killed last year by Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputies is suing the county. Arturo Cernas, 34, was shot and killed in Carson on Aug. 7, 2023, after deputies responded to the 17400 block of South Central Avenue for reports of a man causing a disturbance and screaming at the gas pumps, the Sheriffs Department said in a news release. Cernas family said he was homeless and suffered from addiction and schizophrenia. Deputies immediately noticed the butt of a handgun protruding from Cernas pant pocket and opened fire after he ignored the deputies commands and began to draw the handgun from inside his pocket, the release said. That gun was later found to be a BB pistol. Video shows that Cernas initially followed deputies orders, kneeling on the ground and keeping his hands visible. Soon after, however, he begins reaching into his bag and pockets, including the one containing the BB gun, though he does not grab the weapon in a manner that indicates he would use it. Its at that point that a deputy deployed a bean-bag round to subdue Cernas, but simultaneously, at least one other deputy opened fire, striking Cernas four times. He was declared dead at the scene. Cernas family is suing the county and claiming that deputies did not need to use lethal force. Weve got three sheriffs [deputies] in this case who are poorly trained, do not know how to deescalate a situation and they resort to deadly force in a millionth of a second and kill a human being, said the familys attorney, Luis Carrillo. I just want justice, added Cernas mother, Beatriz Loera. In a statement, the department said it has not officially received this lawsuit but takes all deputy-involved shootings seriously. With any deputy-involved shooting, there is a robust review process, which includes the Office of Inspector General, where every aspect of the shooting is thoroughly examined and evaluated to see if Department policies and procedures were followed, the statement said. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, Justice System Integrity Division, conducts a legal analysis to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed and if the shooting was legally justified. The Department is deeply committed to protecting our diverse communities without bias and prejudice. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Authorities continued searching Monday night for a suspect who shot a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy in the back at a stoplight near the 10 Freeway in West Covina. Deputy Samuel Aispuro, 43, was shot once in the back at about 2:45 p.m. while stopped at a red light on a department-issued motorcycle at Barranca Street and East Garvey Avenue, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference. Aispuro, who was in uniform and wearing a bulletproof vest, was transported to a local hospital and was stable, Luna said. "The bulletproof vest he was wearing absolutely saved his life," he said. "What kind of person shoots another person in the back? I could think of a lot of names for that.... To me that's the worst of the worst." Deputies are continuing to search for the suspect, who they believe was in a white sedan with tinted windows, last seen headed westbound on the 10 Freeway from Barranca. "Right now, there is somebody out there armed with a firearm who shot one of our deputies in the back," Luna said. "And if hes willing to do that, Im sure he's willing to shoot at anybody else. Aispuro, who has been with the department for 19 years, put out an emergency broadcast with information that led to an initial search for a white van, Luna said. The search led to a house in La Puente, where several people were detained but not arrested, and ultimately released, Luna said. Luna described the deputy as a married father of two. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Luna said the department has not determined how many shots were fired. The intersection where the shooting occurred will remain closed until all the evidence there is collected. The deputy worked out of the Century station in Lynwood and was in West Covina for training, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. This could have been so much worse, and it is a reminder to all of us that our deputies put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities," she said. "I stand ready to support the Sheriff as he and his deputies work to bring the person responsible to justice." Luna said the Sheriff's Department is asking anyone with information who was near the intersection at the time of the shooting to come forward with information. "You are our eyes and ears out there," Luna said. "That's why we need information coming forward, so we can look at every angle. ... Our intent is we're going to catch them, but we need your help." Updates: 5:17 p.m. April 22, 2024: 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. Los Banos city officials feel an $11.8 million grant from the state to help provide permanent housing for homeless people could be a game-changer. How big? This could essentially solve our homeless issue, said Stacy Souza Elms, who is the citys Community & Economic Development director. The funding from the state is to help transition people living in encampments into permanent housing. The money comes when the city has seen an increase in homeless. Just across the street, a couple hundred feet away from where city officials held a press conference to discuss the grant on Monday, there is a homeless encampment along G Street with about 20 tents set up between the police station the Los Banos Community Center. As of January of this year there were 121 unsheltered people in Los Banos, according to the Merced City and County Continuum of Care. Thats up from 78 unsheltered people in 2023. City officials believe the $11.8 million could put a serious dent in the homeless issue in Los Banos. Looking at 121 numbers in our point in time count, this is a good shot in the arm for Los Banos, Souza Elms said. Were a community, I mean were not a San Francisco, were not a San Jose, a Los Angeles; this money, you will be able to see change... you wont see encampments. You will see folks housed and getting services that they need. Statewide issue Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday that the state was spending nearly $200 million in new state funds to help move people out of encampments and into housing. This new funding will get people out of tents and into housing across California, said Newsom, during the press conference. As the state provides unprecedented resources like this, we also expect accountability. Local governments must ensure this funding is being utilized on the ground. Los Banos Mayor Paul Llanez says the $11.8 million will be used to build 50 modular units that will provide permanent housing to 95 people. The aim of the project is to help transition individuals out of homelessness. Were going to have a dedicated location to keep people out of encampments and into permanent housing so thats something that is huge for us, said Llanez, during Mondays press conference. City of 41,000 got more than Fresno, Oakland Los Banos was one of nine cities in California awarded money through the Encampment Resolution Funding Grant Program on Friday. Funding was also awarded to different counties in the state. The $11,842,621 Los Banos a city with a population close to 41,000 people received was more than larger cities like Fresno ($10.9 million) and Oakland ($7.2 million) were awarded. Were the little guy in a big pond, said Souza Elms. Llanez said one of the first things he did when he was elected mayor in 2022 was hire two full-time employees dedicated to homeless resources. Los Banos Housing Program manager Christy McCammond and homeless outreach coordinator Jennifer Loa did much of the heavy lifting in securing the grant money, according to Llanez. Because of our staff, our staff who put in the countless hours nights, weekends to articulate the need and this grant is where we are and the amount of money we received, Llanez said. The city has been able to house 11 people since March 1 of 2023. Llanez says the city hasnt had the resources to address the homeless issue. From the city level weve been playing catch up for a long time, so this is something that is going to get us over that hurdle, Llanez said. A big focus for me is providing resources to those who need it and to those who want it and thats exactly what this is going to do. We didnt have the resources, Llanez added. The numbers were getting higher and we had people looking for needs. We had bridge homes and things like that, were talking eight beds. When thats what youre offering, it just doesnt fit the need. Llanez says the goal is to do more than put a roof over someones head. They will have support staff on site. The goal is going to be to have resources there, drug treatment, mental health, this is going to be an inclusive thing that were doing, Llanez said. Llanez says the city will receive the funds from the grant in July and the grant period is until June of 2027. Were going to have people in permanent housing, supportive housing, our goal is October of 2025 that we will achieve this, he said. A New York judge did not hold back on Tuesday as prosecutors pushed to hold Donald Trump in contempt for attacking jurors and witnessesjust seven days into his landmark hush money trial. Youre losing all credibility, Merchan told Trumps attorney, Todd Blanche, at one point, noting that the former presidents team had presented no concrete evidence as they made their defense. On top of the 34 criminal counts Trump is already facing, prosecutors say his willful violations of a limited gag order handed down last month by the judge have crossed the line into outright contempt. Its ridiculous, prosecutor Christopher Conroy said in court last week. It has to stop. When Trump entered the packed 15th-floor courtroom at 9:30 a.m., he strode to his seat at the defense table, licking his lips, and paying special attention to a pad on the lap of one of the sketch artists documenting the goings-on. (She hadnt begun to draw anything yet.) He walked past seven rows of spectators, among them attorney George Conway, a vocal anti-Trumper now estranged from wife and former top Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, as well as reporters from every major media outlet, domestic and international. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg looked on from his seat in the gallerys front row, surrounded by attorneys from his office. His security team sat behind him, earpieces extending from inside their jackets. Trumps Secret Service detail occupied the row behind the defense table, looking on intently. A cadre of uniformed court officers stood watch in the well of the courtroom and wandered the aisles to keep watch over the spectators and press. The Manhattan District Attorneys Office began the day by asking New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan to punish the famously uncontrollable Trump over at least 10 recent breaches of the orderand a possible 11th infraction last night. Prosecutors insist Trump has repeatedly violated the order that bars him from denigrating anyone involved in his Manhattan criminal case, or their families, and he should be fined $1,000 per violation. The defendant has violated this order repeatedly and hasnt stopped, prosecutor Christopher Conroy said in his opening argument. Among them: he has continued to speak out on Truth Social, called star witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels sleaze bags, and shared articles about his case online. Conroy said Trump has also publicly accused undercover liberal activists of infiltrating the jury and attacking Merchans adult daughter on social media, claiming, without evidence, that she was a rabid Trump hater. Defense attorney Todd Blanche told Merchan that Trump was extremely frustrated by what he believes is a two-tiered system of justice. (Trump, in fact, has been given an incredible amount of leeway by the judge, well beyond what a normal defendant would enjoy, according to legal experts.) Gloves Off! DA Wants Trump Punished for Contempt on Day 1 After Trump gestured and muttered under his breath about a prospective juror in open court last week, Merchan warned Trump to cut it out or face sanctions. When defense attorney Blanche said hed take responsibility for reining in his client, Merchan told him he was not optimistic that doing so would even be possible. On Tuesday, Conroy told Merchan that Trump is essentially incorrigible and cannot help himself. Yesterday, right outside those doors, where he has conducted press conferences on his way into and out of the courtroom, the defendant violated the gag order, on camera, Conroy said, explaining that Trump painted Cohen as a liar during his impromptu hallway press conference. No one is off limits to the defendant, Conroy said. After the March 26th order, the defendant ratcheted up [his] attacks, Conroy told Merchan, adding that Trump was warned not to further violate the gag order. And here we are. The prosecutor detailed how Trump posted on Truth Social, including calling his former fixer Cohen a disgraced attorney and felon. As he rattled off a long list of Trumps alleged violations, the former president stared straight ahead without so much as a glance at Conroy. The defendant doesnt care, Conroy said. The court and the people [have left] Trump substantial room to criticize the trial without violating Merchans April 1 order, Conroy said. The defendant is knowingly and willfully breaching the crystal-clear lines laid out by Merchan, according to Conroy. He said Trump has argued that his reposts arent his own statements, such as a manipulated photo of the former president holding a bat to the head of the New York District Attorney. This, Conroy, went on, is a wholesale misunderstanding of what the order says. We are not yet seeking an incarceratory penalty, said Conroy, although Trump seems to be angling for that. He went on to ask Merchan to fine Trump $1,000 for each violation, for a total of $10,000, as Trump tries his best to undermine this process. Conroy said he hopes a punishment will stop this defendant from engaging in this behavior. Although it seems like a minuscule amount for a wealthy man like Trump, the former presidents lawyer called his client a frugal, penny-pinching businessman. On Monday night, Trump called into right-wing network Real Americas Voice, bellyaching: This judge, who is a totally conflicted person, by the way, he should not be the judge of this case, hes so conflicted, nobodys ever been as conflicted as him, just about, but this judge said I cant get away from the trial. You know hes rushing the trial. That jury was picked so fast, 95 percent Democrats. The area is mostly all Democrats. You think of it as just a purely Democrat area. Its a very unfair situation, that I can tell you. It is unclear if Braggs office will ask Merchan to add the call-in to its ever-expanding list of infractions. When Conroy was finished, defense attorney Blanche claimed that Trump had not violated the order in any way, arguing that Trump, very obviously a public figure, has endured political attacks from all sides made by trial witnesses like Cohen. He said Trumps comments back to them were his prerogative and claimed they were perfectly legal. Trump continued staring straight ahead, expressionless, as Blanche quoted a social media post by disgraced attorney and Never Trumper Michael Avenatti, who represented Daniels before he went to prison over professional wrongdoing in an unrelated case, which called Trump the orange menace. Merchan asked Blanche if he had spoken to Mr. Avenatti about what he meant by the post, noting that he didnt want to rely on the attorneys personal interpretation. No, of course not, Blanche said. Well, how can you infer? Merchan asked as Blanche continued insisting that Trump should be able to respond to political attacks. Blanche at one point became animated when countering Merchan, exclaiming, Hes running for president! He should be able to answer. Merchan then ordered a digressing Blanche to answer his questions, not to turn things around. Your honor, the People got to speak as long as they wanted! he complained. Blanche floated the notion that Trump was not attacking Cohen, but attacking the system, instead. Merchan appeared unmoved by this argument, as Blanche shot back, Its not making a mockery of the gag order, your honor. Its a close call. I just want to make you aware the People have presented 10 exhibits. You have presented nothing. This gag order, we are trying to comply with it... And President Trump is trying very hard to comply with it, Blanche said. Merchan then drilled down about the repost issue. Suppose a protester outside was waving around a sign saying terrible, terrible things about the jury, Merchan told Blanche. And your client were to grab that placard and walk around with it. Is it OK for Trump to do so because he didnt write that? The narrowly worded order handed down by Judge Juan Merchan bars the former president from making statements of any kind about witnesses, jurors, and attorneys involved in the case, with the exception of Bragg and Merchan himself. But Trump defied the order three times on the very first day of proceedings, after which he did it seven more times, according to Braggs officewhich is asking Merchan to fine Trump $1,000 for each violation and, if he continues to stand defiant, jail the twice-impeached ex-commander-in-chief for up to 30 days. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts for allegedly conspiring to falsify business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels so she wouldnt speak out about their alleged affair during the 2016 presidential election. The former president has long insisted that all he did was pay his lawyer and that the trial itself is interfering with his latest big run for commander-in-chief. Merchan said Tuesday that he will rule on the contempt charges at a later time. 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. Because of Idahos abortion ban and a court decision that does not protect emergency room physicians from prosecution under that law, some Idaho physicians are advising their pregnant patients, or those trying to become pregnant, to purchase memberships with companies like Life Flight Network or Air St. Lukes in the Boise area to avoid potentially significant costs if they need air transport in an emergency. (Courtesy of Life Flight) Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided in January to consider a case about whether a federal law regarding emergency medical treatment supersedes an abortion ban in Idaho, air transports out of state for pregnancy complications at one of the states largest hospitals have increased from one in all of 2023 to six in the past four months. St. Lukes Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Souza said if that pace continues, that number could be 20 patients before the year is over. We have limited resources in terms of helicopters, fixed-wing transports and ambulances. If we occupy an air transport with a patient who could completely receive the totality of her care right here, safely, its potentially dangerous for other patients, Souza said. Idahos abortion ban went into effect in August 2022, a few months after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal protection for abortion access and allowing states to regulate it instead. That rise has prompted some Idaho physicians to advise their pregnant patients, or those trying to become pregnant, to purchase memberships with companies like Life Flight Network or Air St. Lukes in the Boise area to avoid potentially significant costs if they need air transport in an emergency. With or without private insurance, the cost can be thousands of dollars. The thought of this becoming the new normal I dont want it to be the new normal, said Blaine Patterson, director of the Air St. Lukes program, which reported the recent increase in transports by air. The court will hear oral arguments Wednesday over whether the near-total abortion ban means doctors who may need to terminate a pregnancy to stabilize a patient in a health emergency will have to continue to transfer patients out of state or risk jail time and the loss of their medical license. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Idaho in 2022 over the ban, saying it violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, which mandates that Medicare-funded hospitals provide stabilizing care for patients who come to an emergency room regardless of their ability to pay. In a brief submitted to the court leading up to oral arguments, the Department of Justice cited States Newsrooms reporting from January that without EMTALA protection in place, doctors said they would have to transfer more patients out of state for abortion care rather than wait for conditions to become life-threatening. A pregnant patient might come to the ER for a variety of reasons, including high blood pressure, bleeding, or one of the most common occurrences, when the patients water breaks before a fetus can live outside of the womb, even with medical intervention. It happened 54 times at St. Lukes Boise in 2023, or about once a week though not all of those cases occur before a fetus is viable, which is generally considered to be about 22 weeks of gestation. After the water breaks, there is often still a fetal heartbeat, even though the fetus ultimately wont survive without amniotic fluid. And in the meantime, infection can quickly spread throughout the body and turn septic, which is life threatening, or it can lead to hemorrhage. Without the ban in place, a doctor would likely recommend termination of the pregnancy to avoid further complications. But with the ban, maternal-fetal medicine specialists like Dr. Stacy Seyb of Boise arent taking any chances by trying to wait until the laws exception for saving the patients life might apply. If termination needs to be considered, he said its better in his judgment to send someone to a facility out of state that can freely offer termination before its too late. The longer an infection or other complication persists, the greater risk it poses to a patients health and ability to get pregnant again in the future. And there are times they may not even need the procedure. But we cant predict that, and we cant predict how quickly their status might change, Seyb said. I think its a great hardship, its an extra expense to our medical system, and it doesnt make sense why something that Ive been doing for 30 years of my career is now taboo. Transport has financial, emotional and potentially physical costs In a brief filed earlier this month by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious conservative law firm that has argued several abortion-related cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including the Dobbs decision, attorneys argued on behalf of Idaho that transport out of state for an emergency termination is in line with EMTALAs requirements. If state law allows a doctor to provide a particular treatment, then that service is available at a hospital for EMTALA purposes. But if state law prohibits a particular treatment, then the facility cannot provide it to anyone, no matter the circumstances, the attorneys wrote. Typically, only one support person at most can accompany a patient during air transport. That often means other family members must drive hours away from home in this region of the country, and find a place to stay. Seattle or Portland are seven to eight hours away, while Salt Lake City is about a five-hour drive from Boise. Utah has an 18-week abortion ban with an exception to preserve a pregnant patients health. Its tough enough losing a pregnancy, but then to go through this in a foreign land, Seyb said. I feel very bad for these patients. There are also some patients who simply go home and wait it out, he said, because they dont have the money or resources for air transport. Those patients may end up back at the emergency room later in worse condition. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the average cost of these flights is between $12,000 and $25,000 before insurance is applied, based on an average 52-mile distance. Salt Lake City is almost 340 miles from Boise. Depending on the patients insurance plan details, 20% of that cost could still fall to them to pay out of pocket. The median cost calculated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is even higher at $36,000 to $40,000. Besides the emotional and financial toll, Seyb said, there are delays in care caused by first having to make the decision to transfer and decide where the patient should go, then prep the patient for transport and make the journey while hoping no complications occur en route. The aircraft is equipped to try to handle those situations, but by definition, it is not as well-equipped as a hospital. The specialty care teams that have to ride along for those transports in case of complications are also tied up for many hours and therefore unavailable to other hospital patients who may need them. There are also considerations around weather in a mountainous region, said Patterson. In a time-sensitive situation, if there is a severe storm or low visibility for other reasons, it will inevitably delay care further. If its below weather minimums, we arent going anywhere. And those apply to everybody, Patterson said. You should think about membership if pregnant in Idaho Natalie Hannah, spokesperson for the Life Flight Network, said they have not seen an increase in transports for maternal complications, nor have they seen an increase in membership requests. Life Flight has a reciprocal agreement with Air St. Lukes and many other regional medical facilities around the West, she said, so coverage would be widespread. A membership with Life Flight costs $85 for one year for a household, while Air St. Lukes charges $60 for one year. A member is required to have private insurance to qualify. Patterson said a membership with Air St. Lukes will cover copays and deductibles, and while he might only have recommended it before for those who recreate outdoors in remote areas or who ride motorcycles, he now would advise people to add pregnancy to the list. Seyb agreed that it made sense as a precautionary measure. You should think about it, Patterson said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Loss of federal protection in Idaho spurs pregnant patients to plan for emergency air transport appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Because of Idahos abortion ban and a court decision that does not protect emergency room physicians from prosecution under that law, some Idaho physicians are advising their pregnant patients, or those trying to become pregnant, to purchase memberships with companies like Life Flight Network or Air St. Lukes in the Boise area to avoid potentially significant costs if they need air transport in an emergency. (Courtesy of Life Flight) Quality Journalism for Critical Times Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided in January to consider a case about whether a federal law regarding emergency medical treatment supersedes an abortion ban in Idaho, air transports out of state for pregnancy complications at one of the states largest hospitals have increased from one in all of 2023 to six in the past four months. St. Lukes Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Souza said if that pace continues, that number could be 20 patients before the year is over. We have limited resources in terms of helicopters, fixed-wing transports and ambulances. If we occupy an air transport with a patient who could completely receive the totality of her care right here, safely, its potentially dangerous for other patients, Souza said. Idahos abortion ban went into effect in August 2022, a few months after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal protection for abortion access and allowing states to regulate it instead. That rise has prompted some Idaho physicians to advise their pregnant patients, or those trying to become pregnant, to purchase memberships with companies like Life Flight Network or Air St. Lukes in the Boise area to avoid potentially significant costs if they need air transport in an emergency. With or without private insurance, the cost can be thousands of dollars. The thought of this becoming the new normal I dont want it to be the new normal, said Blaine Patterson, director of the Air St. Lukes program, which reported the recent increase in transports by air. The court will hear oral arguments Wednesday over whether the near-total abortion ban means doctors who may need to terminate a pregnancy to stabilize a patient in a health emergency will have to continue to transfer patients out of state or risk jail time and the loss of their medical license. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Idaho in 2022 over the ban, saying it violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, which mandates that Medicare-funded hospitals provide stabilizing care for patients who come to an emergency room regardless of their ability to pay. In a brief submitted to the court leading up to oral arguments, the Department of Justice cited States Newsrooms reporting from January that without EMTALA protection in place, doctors said they would have to transfer more patients out of state for abortion care rather than wait for conditions to become life-threatening. A pregnant patient might come to the ER for a variety of reasons, including high blood pressure, bleeding, or one of the most common occurrences, when the patients water breaks before a fetus can live outside of the womb, even with medical intervention. It happened 54 times at St. Lukes Boise in 2023, or about once a week though not all of those cases occur before a fetus is viable, which is generally considered to be about 22 weeks of gestation. After the water breaks, there is often still a fetal heartbeat, even though the fetus ultimately wont survive without amniotic fluid. And in the meantime, infection can quickly spread throughout the body and turn septic, which is life threatening, or it can lead to hemorrhage. Without the ban in place, a doctor would likely recommend termination of the pregnancy to avoid further complications. But with the ban, maternal-fetal medicine specialists like Dr. Stacy Seyb of Boise arent taking any chances by trying to wait until the laws exception for saving the patients life might apply. If termination needs to be considered, he said its better in his judgment to send someone to a facility out of state that can freely offer termination before its too late. The longer an infection or other complication persists, the greater risk it poses to a patients health and ability to get pregnant again in the future. And there are times they may not even need the procedure. But we cant predict that, and we cant predict how quickly their status might change, Seyb said. I think its a great hardship, its an extra expense to our medical system, and it doesnt make sense why something that Ive been doing for 30 years of my career is now taboo. Transport has financial, emotional and potentially physical costs People protest in response to the Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) In a brief filed earlier this month by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious conservative law firm that has argued several abortion-related cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including the Dobbs decision, attorneys argued on behalf of Idaho that transport out of state for an emergency termination is in line with EMTALAs requirements. If state law allows a doctor to provide a particular treatment, then that service is available at a hospital for EMTALA purposes. But if state law prohibits a particular treatment, then the facility cannot provide it to anyone, no matter the circumstances, the attorneys wrote. Typically, only one support person at most can accompany a patient during air transport. That often means other family members must drive hours away from home in this region of the country and find a place to stay. Seattle or Portland are seven to eight hours away, while Salt Lake City is about a five-hour drive from Boise. Utah has an 18-week abortion ban with an exception to preserve a pregnant patients health. Its tough enough losing a pregnancy, but then to go through this in a foreign land, Seyb said. I feel very bad for these patients. There are also some patients who simply go home and wait it out, he said, because they dont have the money or resources for air transport. Those patients may end up back at the emergency room later in worse condition. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the average cost of these flights is between $12,000 and $25,000 before insurance is applied, based on an average 52-mile distance. Salt Lake City is almost 340 miles from Boise. Depending on the patients insurance plan details, 20% of that cost could still fall to them to pay out of pocket. The median cost calculated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is even higher at $36,000 to $40,000. Besides the emotional and financial toll, Seyb said, there are delays in care caused by first having to make the decision to transfer and decide where the patient should go, then prep the patient for transport and make the journey while hoping no complications occur en route. The aircraft is equipped to try to handle those situations, but by definition, it is not as well-equipped as a hospital. The specialty care teams that have to ride along for those transports in case of complications are also tied up for many hours and therefore unavailable to other hospital patients who may need them. There are also considerations around weather in a mountainous region, said Patterson. In a time-sensitive situation, if there is a severe storm or low visibility for other reasons, it will inevitably delay care further. If its below weather minimums, we arent going anywhere. And those apply to everybody, Patterson said. You should think about membership if pregnant in Idaho Natalie Hannah, spokesperson for the Life Flight Network, said they have not seen an increase in transports for maternal complications, nor have they seen an increase in membership requests. Life Flight has a reciprocal agreement with Air St. Lukes and many other regional medical facilities around the West, she said, so coverage would be widespread. A membership with Life Flight costs $85 for one year for a household, while Air St. Lukes charges $60 for one year. A member is required to have private insurance to qualify. Patterson said a membership with Air St. Lukes will cover copays and deductibles, and while he might only have recommended it before for those who recreate outdoors in remote areas or who ride motorcycles, he now would advise people to add pregnancy to the list. Seyb agreed that it made sense as a precautionary measure. You should think about it, Patterson said. The post Loss of federal protection in Idaho spurs pregnant patients to plan for emergency air transport appeared first on Florida Phoenix. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has announced the transfer of M577 armored personnel carriers to the Ukrainian army. The government emphasized that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Lithuania has provided Ukraine with 1 billion in aid. ADVERTISIMENT The defense ministry also spoke about the transfer of other weapons. This was reported by the press service of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense. "Lithuania continues to provide uninterrupted military support to Ukraine. On April 23, M577 armored vehicles intended for the Ukrainian army reached the warring country," the ministry said in a statement. The Ministry of Defense also stressed that in response to Ukraine's requests, 155 mm ammunition, M577 armored personnel carriers, anti-drone systems, ammunition for the Carl Gustaf anti-tank grenade launcher, RISE-1 consoles, detonation systems, generators, L-39ZA Albatross aircraft and other equipment have already been delivered this year. "Lithuania's support for Ukraine is long-term and has already amounted to one billion euros. Lithuania has provided Ukraine with military support worth about 610 million euros. This year, support has already been provided for about 84 million euros. It is expected that this support dynamic will continue," the Ministry of Defense said. ADVERTISIMENT The M577 armored personnel carrier is based on the M113 armored personnel carrier and is designed to serve as a battalion-level mobile command post (tactical operations center). Unlike the basic version of the M113, the M577 armored personnel carriers are equipped with an additional set of radio stations to ensure command and control of the unit and coordination with other units and higher levels of command. Typically, the vehicles are equipped with prefabricated antenna masts that are mounted on the roof. Depending on the modification, the M577 can reach speeds of up to 66 km/h. The range can reach 480 kilometers. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, during which it became known that the UK would provide the largest amount of military support for Ukraine, estimated at half a billion pounds (over $600 million). As reported by OBOZ.UA, the bill on additional funding for Ukraine, which was approved by the US House of Representatives, provides for the allocation of $60.84 billion to support our country. Of this amount, $13.8 billion will be used to purchase new weapons and equipment. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Louisiana Supreme Court disbars lawyer after he pleads to sex charges with two teens BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) The Louisiana Supreme Court agreed to permanently disbar a former assistant district attorney after he took a plea deal regarding sex acts with two teens. In October 2020, David R. Opperman was charged with aggravated rape regarding a 2003 incident with a 13-year-old victim, according to the Supreme Courts recounting of facts of the case. In December 2020, he was additionally charged with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The reports spanned from August 2000 to July 2001 with a 16-year-old. He was allowed to take a plea deal in June 2022. The Louisana Attorney Generals Office agreed to two counts of indecency with juveniles. Opperman pleaded nolo contendere or no contest without an admission of guile regarding the allegations about the 13-year-old and guilty to the charge related to the 16-year-old. He was sentenced to 14 years at hard labor with nine suspended. He must permanently register as a sex offender. Louisiana man pleads guilty to raping teen; gets 50 years, physical castration Opperman is in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections. In February 2023, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed formal charges against him, saying his actions violated the rules of professional conduct. In his answer to ODC, Opperman reportedly said his behavior with the older teen was illegal but denied the allegations about the 13-year-old. In a hearing, the ODC committee decided that he should be permanently disbarred. Opperman objected. Later, the disciplinary board reviewed the committees findings and agreed. The cited egregiously unethical and abhorrent behavior and sexual crimes with two juveniles to support the argument for permanent disbarment. The Supreme Court oversees bar disciplinary issues. The justices noted that the crimes Opperman pleaded to are both felonies in Louisiana, and their only matter to decide at this point is the appropriate sanction. In May 2022, the court altered the grounds for permanent disbarment. The lawyer must behave in a way so egregious as to demonstrate a convincing lack of ethical and moral fitness to practice law, the justices wrote. There must also be no reasonable expectation of a speedy character rehabilitation. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now BRProud Daily News The justices wrote that the acts taking place while he worked as an assistant district attorney was a factor in their decision. They said he expressed no remorse at the hearing, and they dont expect a change of character. Five of the judges who reviewed the case agreed, and two said theyd impose a regular, not permanent, disbarment. Opperman is permanently disbarred. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. Lyft passenger kidnaps driver and sexually assaults her in park, Oklahoma cops say A 20-year-old man hailed a Lyft using a womans profile and sexually assaulted his 54-year-old driver in her vehicle, according to Oklahoma police and news reports. The Thursday, April 18, incident in Del City led to more than a half-dozen charges against the passenger, identified in news reports as Andre Hunter. He was arrested a day after the incident, jail records show. Del City police said Hunter used a womans profile and name in the Lyft app, and he restrained the driver as she approached the passengers desired location, KFOR reported. He basically placed his arm around her neck and began threatening her life, was forcing her to drive to different places, Del City Police Maj. Brad Cowden told KOCO. He made the woman drive to a Del City park, where she said she was sexually assaulted while children played nearby, according to KWTV, citing police. Hunter reportedly made the Lyft driver call her boyfriend during the alleged assault, the news outlet reported from court documents. Police said Hunter took control of the drivers vehicle and dropped her off at an Oklahoma City church, according to KFOR. Her phone was left in the car. Cowden told KFOR officers used the Life360 a family location safety app from the Lyft drivers phone to track Hunter. He was arrested at Langston University. The Lyft driver, according to KOCO, was taken to a hospital by a passerby after she was dropped off. Hunter was charged with kidnapping, rape, sodomy and robbery, jail records show. He also faces multiple drug and firearm charges. He was jailed on a $1 million bond, according to court records. Hunter, a convicted felon, showed no remorse for his actions while being questioned by investigators, Cowden told KWTV. The behavior described is reprehensible and has no place in the Lyft community or society, a Lyft spokesperson told the news outlets. We have been in contact with the driver offering support, permanently banned the rider from the Lyft platform, and contacted law enforcement to assist with any investigation. Lyft drivers wife gets strange message and learns he was kidnapped, Nebraska cops say Lyft passenger gropes driver and performs lewd acts in backseat, Georgia cops say Woman found shot to death in backseat of Uber in targeted attack, Georgia police say Police officers stand in front of the university in Mannheim. The police have shot at a suspected rioter in the library of the Faculty of Economics at Mannheim University. Rene Priebe/dpa A 31-year-old man who allegedly entered a library at the University of Mannheim in south-west Germany with a machete on Tuesday evening was shot by police and later died in hospital. Investigators and the public prosecutor's office said there had been a threat against police officers, whereupon they had made use of their firearms. The deceased man had become violent towards an employee before the officers arrived, a police spokesman said. Students were also present but there was no danger to them. The man was initially noticed in the library area of the Faculty of Economics and then banned from the premises due to disruptive behaviour. When a police patrol arrived, he was reportedly holding a machete. After being shot by the officers, the German national was taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries. According to the statement, the man was previously known to the police. His motive for the threatening behaviour at the library was initially unclear. Maddow Blog | Manchin is only half-right about the need for congressional shame Its not exactly a secret that Capitol Hill has been difficult to watch over the last year and a half. The 117th Congress, covering President Joe Bidens first two years in the White House, racked up some impressive accomplishments, but there are plenty of credible reasons the 118th Congress has been described as the worst Congress ever. As he prepares to exit the institution, Sen. Joe Manchin shared a few thoughts the other day about the scope of the embarrassment. The Hill reported: There were basically two points to the West Virginians assessment: (1) This Congress is dreadful; and (2) every member of Congress should feel a sense of shame about conditions on Capitol Hill. The former has merit; the latter isnt quite so simple. If the conservative Democrat wants to make the case that the current Congress is cover-your-eyes awful, hell get no argument from me. Resignations have reached a generational high. Legislative progress has slowed to a pace unseen in nearly a century. Lawmakers have struggled mightily to complete basic tasks. One House speaker has already been ousted a development without precedent in American history and another might yet follow. Referring to the House, a recent Punchbowl News report concluded, This is the most chaotic, inefficient and ineffective majority weve seen in decades covering Congress. Americans have seen a needlessly shambolic process to elect a House speaker, a wildly unnecessary impeachment inquiry against a sitting president, an equally unnecessary impeachment of a sitting cabinet secretary, the expulsion of a disgraced member, and several pointless censures. But to argue that every single member of Congress should be ashamed of these developments is to paint with too broad a brush. Accountability is sensible, but blaming lawmakers whove acted responsibly and approached their duties honorably is a mistake. It gives voters the impression that both parties in both chambers are equally to blame for an ongoing fiasco. Reality suggests otherwise. Theres no great mystery as to how congressional conditions have reached this point. After the 2022 midterm elections, far-right Republicans took control of the levers of power in the House. They slowed legislative progress, launched absurd inquiries, abused their powers, made dangerous threats, targeted ostensible allies when they failed to toe a radical line, and rejected compromises. Why should members who played no role in such tactics feel ashamed? This article was originally published on MSNBC.com In Montana, Republican Senate hopeful Tim Sheehy realizes that hes running in a rural state against incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, who has a lot of experience as a farmer. Its probably why the GOP challenger has told voters that he grew up rural Minnesota, adding, [A]lthough we were not farmers, I grew up in an old farmstead and we were surrounded by farmland. A Daily Beast report recently called these details into question, noting that Sheehy actually grew up in an expensive home in suburban St. Paul and attended an elite private high school. But as it happens, Sheehy isnt the only Republican Senate candidate whos made curious claims about a rural past. In Pennsylvania, Dave McCormick is a very wealthy, Connecticut-based former hedge fund CEO, though he wants voters to believe hes a man of humble origins. The candidate has spoken and written, for example, about growing up on a farm and starting with "nothing." The New York Times reported, however, that the available evidence suggests that McCormick has given a misleading impression about key aspects of his background. The Times report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that the Republicans family did own a farm, which the candidate described as the McCormick Tree Farm in a holiday-themed ad during his first unsuccessful Senate campaign. But the farm was also often known locally as a place where his mother raised Arabian horses, which was something of a family hobby, according to local news reports from the 1970s and 80s. There appears to be a disconnect, in other words, between McCormicks claims about starting with nothing and his actual family background. The point isnt that theres something wrong with the candidates personal history, and theres no reason to criticize McCormick for being the son of a college president and someone who raised Arabian horses. Plenty of senators have grown up in privileged families and gone on to champion the interests of working people. It becomes a political problem, however, when political candidates pretend to be something theyre not. For his part, the GOP candidate issued a statement describing discrepancies in his personal narrative as hair-splitting, frivolous, cherry-picked distortions of what I have always said. This defense seems unlikely to stop a barrage of Democratic criticisms. Primary Day in Pennsylvania is today. McCormick is running unopposed and is slated to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in the fall. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Arizonas Kari Lake has found herself at the center of several court cases in recent years, and none has gone her way. In the wake of her defeat in a 2022 gubernatorial race, for example, the Republican filed a lawsuit, ostensibly to present evidence of election irregularities. That didnt turn out well for the GOP conspiracy theorist. Lake is also, of course, dealing with an ongoing defamation case, though as NBC News recently reported, she appears poised to lose this case, too. But perhaps most notable of all was her first election-related lawsuit, filed two years ago this week, which continues to be an embarrassment for the Senate candidate. The Associated Press reported: Its been a while since we last covered this one, so a refresher is probably in order. Lake and former Republican secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem filed a case in federal court in April 2022, asking that Maricopa and Pima counties be blocked from using electronic election equipment. It wasnt altogether clear why Lake had a problem with electronic election equipment, or why local officials shouldnt be allowed to utilize the technology, and the case was thrown out a few months later. Ordinarily, that wouldve been that. But in this case, members of the Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors sought sanctions against the plaintiffs for making numerous false allegations in the lawsuit. U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi ultimately agreed, ordering sanctions against Lakes attorneys for having filed a frivolous and deceptive complaint. While the plaintiffs sought massive, perhaps unprecedented federal judicial intervention to change Arizonas election system before the recent election, they never had a factual basis or legal theory that came anywhere close to meeting that burden, the judge wrote. Tuchi went on to say he would not condone litigants ... furthering false narratives that baselessly undermine public trust at a time of increasing disinformation about, and distrust in, the democratic process. It was this case that Lake appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. It was also this case that the justices discarded without comment, handing the Republican yet another setback as her Senate campaign advances. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com In the abstract, the larger set of circumstances is so utterly implausible that it reads like unrealistic fiction: A suspected felon, facing 88 criminal counts, has spent years condemning those he describes as dirty cops and suggesting hed like to see prosecutions of police officers. That same accused criminal currently on trial in one jurisdiction, while awaiting trials in other jurisdictions is telling voters that hes running on a law and order platform. His alleged crimes and condemnations of law enforcement havent stopped multiple police unions from endorsing his 2024 candidacy the first time in modern American history in which police unions have backed a suspected criminal for national elected office. As fanciful as this dynamic might sound, it is precisely the one playing out in American presidential politics this year. The New York Times this week shined a light on the complicated relationship between Donald Trump and law enforcement. Ive long believed theres a parallel between Trumps support for law enforcement and his support for the military. On the surface, the Republican celebrates superficial elements of the armed forces: He likes the flags, the uniforms, the symbols, the saluting, and perhaps most importantly, the idea of conveying strength and toughness. Its just below the surface at which point Trump is expected to go beyond the superficial where the trouble emerges. In the case of the military, this is where we see Trump trashing generals, questioning the value of military service, and denigrating veterans. A similar dynamic emerges when examining the presumptive GOP nominees approach to law enforcement. He appears to like the idea, in the abstract, of supporting well-armed good guys wholl keep the streets safe from scary looking bad guys. But beyond the abstractions, theres a reason President Joe Bidens re-election campaign recently issued a written statement accusing the former president of lying about supporting cops. Consider a newly revised list of The Top 10 Reasons Donald Trump Deserves To Be Seen As An Opponent Of Law Enforcement. 10. Trump has repeatedly lashed out at those hes described as dirty cops, as part of a larger offensive against law enforcement. Hes also condemned law enforcement officials as fascists. 9. Trump is currently a suspected felon out on bond, facing dozens of criminal counts across multiple jurisdictions. 8. Trump is facing civil suits from police officers who sustained injuries during the Jan. 6 riot the Republican instigated. 7. Trump has condemned common law-enforcement tools, including plea agreements for witnesses who cooperate with prosecutors. 6. Trump abused his powers by intervening in criminal cases in which the defendants were political allies, letting politically connected suspects go free even after some have pleaded guilty and undermining law enforcement in the process. 5. Trump has undermined law enforcement by abusing his pardon powers, in one case even commuting the sentence of a man accused of helping murder of a police officer. 4. Trump lashed out at the police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt as a thug and a coward who deserves to be vilified. 3. Trump has promised day-one pardons for insurrectionists, many of whom violently clashed with police officers. 2. While in office, Trump saw law enforcement as a political weapon he can wield at his convenience, which led him to urge law enforcement officials to enforce his political vendettas and help Republicans win elections. 1. Trump has expressed support for prosecuting members of the Capitol police. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a sycophantic supporter of the former president, recently declared via social media, No one Backs The Blue more than President Trump. Theres ample evidence to the contrary. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Maddow Blog | In New York, Trump looks for mass protests that still dont exist A few days before the jury-selection process began in Donald Trumps criminal trial in New York, the former presidents political operation sent out a message that appeared designed to generate some excitement and some possible campaign contributions. The headline read, 72 hours until all hell breaks loose. Three days later, all hell did not break loose. As the proceedings got underway, there was a smattering of people who showed up to express their support for the Republican, but overall, the protest was a dud. Of course, it was at least possible that the jury-selection process wasnt a compelling hook for the suspected felons die-hard fans. Maybe this week, as the trial begins in earnest, Trumps followers would show up in large numbers? The defendant certainly seemed eager to raise that possibility: In a message he published to his social media platform yesterday morning, the presumptive GOP nominee wrote, GO OUT AND PEACEFULLY PROTEST. RALLY BEHIND MAGA. SAVE OUR COUNTRY! The New York Times reported that Trump was evidently not happy when few followed his directive, ignoring the fact that he wanted a circus to accompany his trial. The article added that there were some Trump supporters gathered in the park across from the courthouse, but they were outnumbered by Trump detractors. To the chagrin of the former president, this keeps happening. Circling back to our recent coverage, as Trumps post-defeat legal woes intensified, his rhetoric about his supporters taking to the streets grew louder. In January 2022, for example, amidst speculation about possible indictments, the Republican said at a rally that if he were to face charges, I hope we are going to have in this country the biggest protests we have ever had. In September 2022, Trump delivered a related ominous message, saying that if he were indicted, the United States would face problems ... the likes of which perhaps weve never seen. The vague predictions turned into directives last year. In March 2023, as the former president prepared for an indictment in New York, he turned to his social media platform, writing, PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK! In case that was too subtle, Trump added a few hours later, ITS TIME!!! ... WE JUST CANT ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. ... WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!! Around the same time, the Republican derided talk of peaceful demonstrations, while suggesting that if he were indicted in New York, it might cause potential death [and] destruction that could be catastrophic for our Country. Though it seemed as if Trump envisioned mass groups of red-capped followers taking to the streets, those calls were largely ignored. Some supporters turned out in Manhattan around the time of his first arrest, but the gatherings were, by any fair measure, underwhelming duds. After his classified documents scandal led to his second indictment, the former president again called on his followers to rally behind him Trump wrote, SEE YOU IN MIAMI ON TUESDAY!!! on his social media platform but the numbers were again small. Local law enforcement was prepared for crowds of up to 50,000 people. The actual crowd was closer to 500. Two months later, at a Trump arraignment in Washington, D.C., a handful of his supporters showed up to register their dissatisfaction. Yesterday, the turnout was, once again, largely a joke. So much for PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!! As for why, exactly, these demonstrations have failed to materialize, there are plenty of competing explanations, starting with the fact that the Justice Departments extensive prosecutions of Jan. 6 rioters have not gone unnoticed among the former presidents most ardent backers. But Im also reminded of an analysis my MSNBC colleague Zeeshan Aleem wrote last year. It may have to do with post-Jan. 6 wariness of getting in trouble if a pro-Trump protest spirals out of control, Aleem wrote. Perhaps conspiracy theories about the government laying traps for peaceful protesters scared them out of showing up. Maybe Trump finally has exhausted his base with his constant hysteria. ... Whatever the reasons may be, Trump is looking weak. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com The United Kingdom has sent the largest batch of firefighting equipment to Ukraine since 2022. A convoy of 33 vehicles, including 20 fire trucks, set out on the morning of Tuesday, April 23. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the British newspaper The Telegraph. It is noted that the logistics were provided by the British Home Office. It involves more than 100 volunteers from 15 fire services who donated equipment, as well as the Fire Aid organization. "33 vehicles, including 20 fire trucks the largest convoy of its kind to date left Kent on Tuesday morning, carrying more than 2,800 pieces of equipment such as ladders, boats and breathing apparatus to the war-torn country," the article says. Chris Philp, the UK's junior minister for crime, policing and the fire service, said the equipment is vital for Ukraine's "heroic firefighters", 91 of whom have died helping to rescue victims of war. ADVERTISIMENT "Putin is deliberately targeting civilians and civilian buildings in Ukraine, which is putting unprecedented strain on the fire and rescue services that respond to these attacks. The fact that Ukrainian rescuers have been able to respond to so many incidents, while suffering significant losses of personnel and equipment, is simply impressive," he emphasized. It is noted that since the beginning of the war, 396 fire stations and almost 1,700 fire trucks have been destroyed. Almost 350 firefighters have been wounded, and five are in captivity in Russia. "Ukraine must win this war, and we must never waver in our support. No matter how big or small our actions are, we will do everything we can to help Ukraine achieve victory like all civilized countries," Philp said. As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, the UK announced the largest package of military aid to Ukraine worth 500 million pounds ($617 million). It will be used to quickly deliver the necessary ammunition, air defense systems, UAVs, and engineering support. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A magnet fishing trip dredged up new evidence linked to the 2015 killings of an Atlanta-area couple, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. On April 14, someone uncovered a .22-caliber rifle while magnet fishing on Horse Creek in McRae-Helena, about an 80-mile drive southeast of Macon, investigators said in an April 22 news release. Another trip to the creek on April 16 led to the discovery of a cell phone, as well as a bag with drivers licenses and credit cards that belonged to Elrey Bud Runion, 69, and his wife June Runion, 66, according to the GBI. The discoveries come nine years after the Cobb County couple traveled nearly 200 miles to Telfair County to purchase a 1966 Ford Mustang advertised on Craigslist, The Telegraph previously reported. It turned out to be a ruse, investigators said, and the retirees were shot dead in a robbery, according to the outlet. Their accused killer, Ronnie Jay Towns, was arrested days later. Authorities found additional evidence during a search of a home on Webb Cemetery Road on April 17, followed by a second search on April 19, investigators said. Authorities didnt say how the home is connected to the case, however. The evidence will be taken to the GBI crime lab for analysis, investigators said. Towns was indicted on charges of murder and armed robbery in the couples killing, WMAZ reported. Investigators said his trial is set to begin in August 2024. Boy wakes to find parents, 3 siblings dead in murder-suicide, OK cops say. A massacre Cigarette butt in dead mans car leads to accused killer 35 years later, Florida cops say Mom of 2 killed by husband one day before divorce is finalized, Colorado officials say Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C. have passed shield laws protecting abortion and eleven of those states and D.C. also have protections specifically for gender-affirming care. (Astrid Riecken/Getty Images) Maine will have a shield law that protects the states health professionals who provide reproductive and gender-affirming care from being targeted by other states bans starting mid-July. On Tuesday, Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 227 into law, placing Maine among the dozen or so other states that have enacted shield laws regarding abortion and gender-affirming care. An additional dozen have such protections solely for abortion. Maines shield law and those in other states where Democrats are in power come as many Republican-led states have sought to curb access to reproductive care following the overturning of federal abortion rights in 2022. Abortion is either banned or restricted earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade in at least 21 states, and 22 states have laws or policies banning gender-affirming care despite it being supported by every major medical association. Maines lawmakers have shown again that they are steadfast in their ability to withstand the pressures from a loud minority of voices, who unfortunately use ugly rhetoric to push their out-of-touch agenda, and stand up for our personal freedoms and bodily autonomy, said Gia Drew, executive director of EqualityMaine. LD 227 spurred some of the lengthiest floor debates this session, largely about what the shield law would and would not allow. In particular, conservative lawmakers and groups circulated false claims dismissed by legal authorities that the bill would permit kidnapping and trafficking. The bill sponsors and Capitol building also received a bomb threat, ultimately deemed a hoax, linked to the legislation. Shortly after, 16 Republican state Attorneys General also threatened to sue the state of Maine if it passed LD 227, calling the measure unconstitutional. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey dismissed the claims as meritless and an attempt to intimidate proponents of LD 227. The patterns of violence, threats, and extremism that accompanied the work around LD 227 point to why this bill was so essential, said Destie Hohman Sprague, executive director of the Maine Womens Lobby. Maines shield law builds on other safeguards the state has enacted following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, including an executive order from Mills in 2022 that ensures that clinicians who treat patients coming from states where abortion is banned wont be penalized for providing care. Our state sends a clear message with LD 227: Maine remains a safe harbor for sexual and reproductive health care, for providers and the patients they serve, said Lisa Margulies, vice president of public affairs at Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund. Last session, the Legislature also narrowly passed a bill in a mostly party line vote to allow abortions at any time during pregnancy if deemed medically necessary by a doctor, which legislators brought up during floor discussion of LD 227. Earlier this month, the Maine House of Representatives censured Rep. Michael Lemelin (R-Chelsea), who implied that the Legislatures enactment of that law caused the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston by invoking Gods wrath, and Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R-Fairfield), who said she agreed. Another attempt to provide more permanent protections for reproductive healthcare, including abortion, in Maine failed this session. A bill to enshrine reproductive autonomy into the states Constitution, LD 780, failed to garner the level of support needed to get on the ballot in November. Beyond Maine, President Joe Bidens administration issued a new rule on Monday to support reproductive healthcare privacy by strengthening the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Under the rule, disclosing protected health information related to reproductive health care is prohibited. Many Americans are scared their private medical information will be being shared, misused, and disclosed without permission, said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. This has a chilling effect on women visiting a doctor, picking up a prescription from a pharmacy, or taking other necessary actions to support their health. Becerra said the new rule will provide stronger protections to people seeking lawful reproductive health care regardless of whether the care is in their home state or if they must cross state lines to get it. With reproductive health under attack by some lawmakers, these protections are more important than ever. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Maine joins growing list of states protecting healthcare providers from bans appeared first on Maine Morning Star. A portrait of Margaret Chase Smith in the background as proponents of gun safety rally in the halls of the State House on Jan. 3, 2024. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star) It appears Maines legislative session will conclude without any floor debate or votes on perhaps the most effective gun safety reform, a proposed red flag law. Democrats, who hold the majority in both the Maine Senate and House of Representatives, passed a slate of bills aimed to address gun violence after the states deadliest mass shooting in Lewiston last October. But it seems politics and rhetoric blocked the path of legislation that in many ways is simpler, more proven, and arguably more constitutional than our yellow flag law which got beefed up, but maybe not for the better. Gov. Mills bill fails to address mental health concerns One of the bills passed by the Legislature was introduced by Gov. Janet Mills and approaches gun safety through a number of avenues. Though it includes numerous popular reforms, the weaker aspects of the bill make adjustments to the states yellow flag law, which requires that an individual be taken into protective custody and given a mental health evaluation in order to temporarily bar them from possessing or obtaining dangerous weapons. The original yellow flag law was passed in 2019 with the help of the pro-gun Sportsmans Alliance of Maine just days after some Democrats joined with Republicans to sink a red flag proposal over what they said were due process concerns. The updated bill lengthens the amount of time an extreme risk protection order lasts and specifies that it can be extended; it allows for an assessment via telehealth to determine if a person presents a likelihood of foreseeable harm; it says that in certain cases a practitioner can rely on recent personal observations from a third party; it allows for another states extreme risk protection order to carry over into Maine; and it also allows law enforcement to apply for a warrant if they are unable to take an individual into protective custody. During the Senate debate, Sen. Joe Baldacci said the governors bill is filled with good intentions and has honorable aims, but that he has legal, constitutional and ethical concerns about the lack of due process. We are, with this bill, going to allow any law enforcement officer to take someone into custody if they are mentally ill and may possess a dangerous weapon, said Baldacci (D-Bangor). He warned the bill is not gonna do what its intended to do but its going to authorize the mentally ill to be arrested. He also pointed out that a hearing is required after 30 days, though that deadline can be extended. Where are we going to put these people? Are we putting them in jail? The mental health community has been united in its frustration with the yellow flag statute, particularly the provision that requires a mental health evaluation to confiscate an individuals firearms. During the public hearing on the governors bill, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine testified in opposition due to concerns with linking Second Amendment rights to someones mental health. David Moltz with the Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians described the provision as stigmatizing and argued that it ignores people who are a threat but dont have a diagnosed mental illness. Red flag proposal revisited In the final weeks of the session, as committees wrapped up their work, House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) called on the Legislature to reconsider an updated version of the policy rejected in 2019: a proposed red flag law. Unlike the yellow flag law, which requires the involvement of law enforcement and a mental health evaluation before petitioning a judge to confiscate a persons firearms, the red flag proposal would allow a family member (or law enforcement) to file a petition if a person is suspected of posing a significant danger of causing severe harm to themself or others. Twenty-one states currently have similar laws in place. In her testimony on the bill, Talbot Ross cited the mental health concerns, as well as reports from law enforcement that the requirements of the yellow flag law are cumbersome. The Speaker also recommended several amendments to address due process concerns and raise the burden of proof. Through years of policy choices, we have built regulations and structures that are not working adequately to protect and prioritize lives, she said. We can choose to do something different. The bill was advanced out of committee, but thats where its progress ended. In a statement to Maine Morning Star after the Legislature adjourned without taking up the measure, a spokesperson for the Speakers office said, Given the contentious debate over the budget and the late hour, Speaker Talbot Ross believed the legislation couldnt receive the attention it deserves. I agree this proposal deserved more serious attention than it got. Some of the opposition to the bill had to do with its late introduction, which followed a pattern this session of significant legislation being added or amended in the 11th hour. However, I would guess an earlier introduction, even if it allowed for more thoughtful consideration, would not have changed the result given what seems to be a reflexive skepticism to the policy. The red flag and yellow flag distinction is a misnomer. They do not equate to Smokey the Bears fire hazard scale, where one policy is slightly more severe than the one before. The red flag and yellow flag distinction is a misnomer. They do not equate to Smokey the Bears fire hazard scale, where one policy is slightly more severe than the one before. However, in crafting Maines homegrown gun law, I would bet it was the intention of its proponents to frame it as such, as a compromise that everyone could get behind (and we media outlets are guilty of perpetuating that confusion by relying on those titles for shorthand). Not only did the mental health community come out in overwhelming support for the red flag proposal, but legal experts largely favored it. During his floor speech, Baldacci, an attorney, said that he believed the red flag proposal has more constitutional muster than the updated yellow flag law. In joint testimony in support of the red flag bill, district attorneys for Aroostook, Cumberland, Kennebec and Somerset counties wrote, When given an option, we prefer a straightforward process over a complicated one. This bill takes into consideration the emergency nature of the circumstances and has much better enforcement and prevention tools than the current law. Describing the yellow flag law as a well-intended red herring, the district attorneys said that even with its changes, the law requires significant prosecutor time to accommodate procedural interests of gun owners through needlessly cumbersome process. The fact is, one policy is straightforward, and the other is complex (and thus harder to use) and designates gun violence a mental health problem and that is by design. Republicans, who refused to back any gun laws this session, often complained that none of the new laws would have stopped Robert Card from gunning down dozens of innocent people on the night of Oct. 25. An interim report from the commission to investigate the Lewiston shooting said the yellow flag law should have been activated. Further, they said the decision to leave the removal of Cards firearms to his family was an abdication of law enforcements responsibility. This decision shifted what is and was a law enforcement responsibility onto civilians who have neither the legal authority to begin the Yellow Flag process nor any legal authority to seize weapons, they wrote. Had Maine had a red flag law in place, those family members would have had a more clear path to have Cards weapons temporarily confiscated (two weeks for an emergency order under Talbot Ross proposal), without the involvement of law enforcement, or a diagnosis, or without having him taken into custody. Next time this comes up, I hope Maine lawmakers stop listening to all the rhetoric around gun laws and focus on what makes good policy, because sometimes it is a matter of life or death. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Maine missed its chance to pass smarter, simpler gun policy appeared first on Maine Morning Star. The naming of Rep. Tommy Gregory as president of State College of Florida and the appointment of now-former Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections seat already had a ripple on the 2024 election cycle. Both political figures have not officially withdrawn from their re-election bids, but their assumption of new roles has opened the door for new candidates. Meanwhile, candidates for other Manatee County seats continue to amass funding for their races. District 72 State Representative Incumbent State Rep. Tommy Gregory filed to run for re-election to the District 72 state representative seat on Jan. 26, 2023. He raised $97,256 and spent $34,451. Then on April 5, he was named president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. The college indicated in a news release that contract negotiations are ongoing, with the goal of Gregory assuming the role on July 1. More: State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota picks legislator to become new president School Board of Manatee County member Rich Tatem filed to succeed Gregory as the District 72 state representative on April 9. He has not yet filed any campaign finance reports. Kimley-Horn and Associates Vice President and former Manatee County Planning Commission board member William Conerly filed to challenge for the District 72 seat on April 12. He has not yet filed any campaign finance reports. District 71 State Representative State Rep. Will Robinson filed to run for re-election to the District 71 seat on July 15, 2022. He has raised $147,245 and received $1,000 worth of in-kind contributions. He has spent $15,293. Manatee County District 1 Commissioner Satcher filed to run for re-election to the District 1 seat on April 14, 2021. He raised $70,500 and spent $9,428. However, he is now expected to run for election to the Supervisor of Elections seat instead since he has been appointed as supervisor of elections by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. However, he has not yet filed to do so, records show. James Satcher was appointed to the Supervisor of Elections seat by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Republican Keith Green filed to run for the District 1 seat on April 15. Green was previously in the running for the county's District 7 at-large seat but withdrew from that race. He has not raised any funds in the race, however, he did raise $10,787 and received $778.68 of in-kind contributions for his District 7 bid. He spent $9,296 in funds for that race but can contact donors to gain permission to use the remaining funds for his District 1 race instead. Republican Carol Ann Felts filed to run for the District 1 seat on Sept. 5, 2023, and has raised $9,846. She has spent $2,260. More: DeSantis appoints Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher as elections supervisor Jennifer Hamey filed to run for the District 1 seat on Oct. 11, 2023, with no party affiliation. She has raised $5,465 and has received $643.86 of in-kind contributions. She has spent $1,545. Democrat Glenn Pearson filed to run for the District 1 seat. He has not yet filed campaign finance reports. Manatee County District 3 Commissioner Incumbent Republican Kevin Van Ostenbridge filed to run for re-election to the Manatee County District 3 county commissioner seat on June 1, 2023, and has raised $214,253. He has spent $9,729. Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge represents District 3. Republican Talha Siddique filed to run for the District 3 seat on Sept. 19, 2023. He has raised $26,933 and received $1,611 worth of in-kind contributions. He has spent $13,749. Democrat Diana Shoemaker filed to run for the seat on Sept. 20, 2023. She has raised $25,767 and received $232 of in-kind contributions. She has spent $10,591. Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Incumbent Republican Raymond Turner filed to run for election to the District 5 seat on Oct. 3, 2023. He assumed the role on August 1, 2023, after he was appointed by DeSantis to finish the term started by longtime District 5 commissioner Vanessa Baugh, following her resignation. Turner has raised $41,620 and spent $8,221 for his campaign. Baugh withdrew her bid for re-election to the seat. Republican Robert McCann filed to run for the seat on Dec. 7, 2023. He has raised $11,119 and received $1,769 worth of in-kind contributions. He has spent $2,551. Joseph Di Bartolomeo filed to run for the seat on Jan. 23 with no party affiliation. He has raised $5,400 and received $25 worth of in-kind contributions. He has spent $1,487. Manatee County District 7 Commissioner Incumbent Republican George Kruse filed to run for re-election to the at-large District 7 seat on Oct. 19, 2023. He has raised $37,089 and received $1,165 worth of in-kind contributions. He has spent $3,027. George Kruse is running for the District 7 seat on the Manatee County Commission. Republican April Culbreath filed to run for the seat on Oct. 3, 2023. She has raised $19,993 and received $5,000 worth of in-kind contributions. She has spent $911. Democrat Sari Lindroos-Valimaki filed to run for the seat on March 22. She has raised $500 and received $196.00 of in-kind contributions. She has spent $386. Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Republican Scott Farrington filed to run for the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections seat on Jan. 24. He has raised $10,300 and received $211 worth of in-kind contributions. He has not made any expenditures. Farrington served as Chief of Staff for 11 years under former Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett. He resigned from the office upon Satcher's appointment to serve out the remainder of Bennett's term. Previously: Manatee County Supervisor of Elections to retire ahead of 2024 presidential primary School Board of Manatee County District 1 Mark Stanoch filed to run for the District 1 seat on the School Board of Manatee County on May 16, 2023. He has raised $20,731 and received $200 worth of in-kind contributions. He has spent $13,607. Heather Felton filed to run for the District 1 seat on the School Board of Manatee County on Oct. 31, 2023. She has raised $4,910 and received $300 worth of in-kind contributions. She has spent $746. Alexander Garner filed to run for the District 1 seat on the School Board of Manatee County on April 2. He has not yet filed any campaign finance reports. Manatee County Tax Collector Incumbent Republican Ken Burton filed to run for re-election as Manatee County Tax Collector on Jan. 9. He has raised $16,000 and spent $37. 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Twelvth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Ed Brodsky filed for re-election on Dec. 9, 2020. He has raised $69,250 and spent $3,938. Clerk of Circuit Court Incumbent Republican Angelina Colonneso filed to run for re-election to the Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court seat on Feb. 17, 2023. She has raised $39,675 and received $3,056 worth of in-kind contributions. She has spent $1,046. Manatee County Sheriff Incumbent Republican Sheriff Rick Wells filed to run for re-election on March 15, 2023. He has raised $100,650 and received $4,280 worth of in-kind contributions. He has spent $10,804. Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells announces the arrests of three individuals in connection with the 2006 murder of Amber Woods, 16, of Hardee County. Property Appraiser Incumbent Charles Hackney filed to run for re-election as Manatee County property appraiser on Oct. 30, 2023. He has raised $44,700 and spent $4,064. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee County candidates play musical chairs ahead of 2024 elections The majority of Black voters in the United States oppose legislation that would ban the social media platform TikTok, new polling found. The poll, conducted by ClearPath Strategies, found that 51 percent of Black voters oppose a ban of the platform and 55 percent view TikTok favorably. The polling, which is not public, was provided to TikTok from ClearPath through an internal memo, which was obtained by The Hill. The poll also found that 24 percent of Black voters said they would be less likely to vote for an elected official who supported a TikTok ban, and 77 percent said theyd prefer Congress pass a law instead that requires all social media companies to abide by a set of regulations and standards around protecting user data. The memo to TikTok suggests frustrations from Black voters about a ban of the platform could impact the critical voting blocs support for President Biden in Novembers election, citing interviews this month with voters in swing states and those who use TikTok. Overall, the poll found that 38 percent of registered voters in the U.S. use TikTok at least once a month, which includes 51 percent of Black voters, 57 percent of Latino voters and 42 percent of voters who say they are liberal. Additionally, 39 percent of voters who said they plan on voting for Biden in November regularly use TikTok, as well as 68 percent of voters ages 18-29. Biden has said he would support the bipartisan Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act if Congress passes the legislation. The bill would require ByteDance, TikToks China-based parent company, to divest the social media app or face a ban on U.S. app stores and web hosting services, banning users from accessing the platform. The bill passed the House in a broad bipartisan vote in March, and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced her support for the bill last week, clearing a path for it in the upper chamber. The poll was conducted from April 8-10 and includes 1,025 registered voters nationally. The margin of error was not provided on the memo. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- Malinowskis family attorney responded to the recent House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary letter sent to ATF requesting all documents and communications relating to the planning and execution of the search warrant and communications between departments involved in no-knock entries since 2021. Today, Chairman Jim Jordan mailed a letter to the ATF basically challenging them to provide a long list of information to produce surrounding the operation that resulted in the death of Brian Malinowski, Attorney Bud Cummins said. U.S. House Judiciary Committee asks ATF for details of March raid on Malinowski home in Little Rock According to Cummins, the family is still grieving, but having the support of many elected officials always leads them to be hopeful. They dont understand why, they want to know the same answers, so now its kind of a collective effort to try to pressure the government to explain this if they can, Cummins said. A spokesperson for the ATF released a statement Friday evening after comments by Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton regarding the questions about the use of body cams. As is standard practice, this matter is under review by state and local authorities in Arkansas, the statement read. The Department of Justice does not comment on pending matters. Cummins said his information is still limited until the Arkansas State Police finish their investigations, and for evidence, that is also limited. This was technically a knock and announced warrant, but the evidence the limited evidence we have since they didnt follow their own policies and wear body-worn cameras is that they knocked on the door at six in the morning while the Malinowskis were still asleep in their bed and within 30 seconds or less forced the door open and entered the house, Cummins said. Arkansas State Police turn over findings of investigation into ATF shooting of Little Rock airport executive He also said because of how fast ATF reacted, it did not give the occupants time to realize it was law enforcement or to respond to the knock of the door and voluntarily admit them into the premises. Cummins said its not uncommon for people in Arkansas to have a firearm and that he thinks many would have acted as Malinowski did if they felt they were in danger. Ive laid in bed for a solid month at six in the morning and thought about what would I do if I heard my front door crashing open, and I think what I would do would be to grab the pistol that I keep next to my bed and go down and try to protect my family, Cummins said. Cummins believes that there was a political component to the story of what happened on March 19th, resulting in Malinowskis death. President Biden is trying to close it (gun show loopholes) through regulation thats a legal legislative debate and a political debate, Cummins said. Released search warrant affidavit shows details of ATF case against Little Rock airport executive Bryan Malinowski He said he thinks this wasnt a coincidence, but he raised one question. If its okay for them to do what they did to Brian Malinowski, you cant go to bed and sleep well at night worrying about what your government might do to you, Cummins said. The Fourth Amendment is vitally important, and we need to protect it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com. Man in his 70s fired shots near mosque on Shaw University campus, Raleigh police say RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) The campus of Shaw University was flooded with officers after the Raleigh Police Department said it received a call reporting an active shooter around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. A man, who police say is in his 70s, fired multiple shots on the campus and has since been taken into custody, police said. Raleigh police have told CBS 17 no one was struck by the gunfire and one firearm was seized. The scene being investigated is at 130 Martin Luther King Blvd. in Raleigh. This is the location of the International Student Center where classes are taught on the first floor of the building and a mosque is on the upper level as well as faculty offices and a conference room. Students said they heard the gunfire, but some didnt realize at first that the sound of shots was coming from campus. I was in my room doing work. I heard four consecutive shots and I was just confused what happened, said Amare Rasheed Simpson, a student at Shaw Univerity. Fellow student Laroy Calhoun also heard the gunfire. I heard like four shots back to back to back, he recalled. I turned around and asked, Was that gunshots?' Police said the man got into a disturbance with someone near the mosque before firing multiple rounds. Shortly after the gunshots rang out, students received the below alert by email. Police an officer from the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission heard the shots and rushed across the street, holding the suspect at gunpoint until two Raleigh police officers could take him into custody. A CBS 17 crew at the scene saw the man exiting an ambulance nearby with his hands cuffed in front of him around 2:20 p.m. He was then put into a police cruiser. The mans appearance matched the description that university employees shared with CBS 17 of a man they saw being led out of the International Student Center building in handcuffs. Police have not identified the man at this time, but said he has been taken in by detectives for questioning. CBS 17 has learned that he is not a student but would frequently pray at the Mosque, which is called the Mosque of the Late King Khalid bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud. The same building was a concern for activists a year ago, in April 2023, when CBS 17 reported that there was a group calling on the city to deny a rezoning request. This request was to turn the building which houses the mosque into a high-rise. This rezoning application came after the university decided to not reopen to mosque to the public after the pandemic. A heavy police presence is at Shaw University after a report of an active shooter. (Maggie Newland/CBS 17) A heavy police presence is at Shaw University after a report of an active shooter. (Maggie Newland/CBS 17) A heavy police presence is at Shaw University after a report of an active shooter. (Maggie Newland/CBS 17) As of 2:33 p.m., Raleigh police said there is no ongoing threat to the community. Shaw University shared the following statement Tuesday afternoon: All facilities at Shaw University are secure. The active shooter incident is resolved. The Raleigh Police Department has the suspect in custody. All classes and other activities are cancelled for the remainder of the day. Counseling services are available through the universitys Center for Health & Wellbeing. Shaw University For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Man accused of following women around Nashville, assaulting one woman NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A man is facing multiple charges after Metro Nashville police said he followed a woman into an elevator and made unwanted sexual advances toward her. Special Victims Division detectives with the Metro Nashville Police Department reportedly began investigating after the incident occurred on April 4 near Public Square Park. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee After following her into the elevator, the woman told investigators that 26-year-old Jamien Taylor moved within inches of her and began telling her he was going to kiss her. Jamien Taylor (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) She reportedly pushed him away and exited the elevator once the door opened. Officials said Taylor was later identified as the suspect through surveillance video. He is charged with assault and false imprisonment. During the investigation, detectives said they located additional video showing Taylor following other women, but so far, no other victims have been identified. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Anyone with information about Taylor is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Man accused of killing woman on L.A. subway is linked to earlier violence on Metro train Commuters make their way up an escalator at the North Hollywood Metro station. A 45-year-old man suspected of fatally stabbing a woman Monday as she got off a train had attacked a Metro passenger once before. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) For the record: 1:04 p.m. April 24, 2024: A previous version of this story said that the stabbing took place at a North Hollywood train station. The stabbing took place at Metros Universal City train station in Studio City. A 45-year-old man suspected of fatally stabbing a woman as she got off a Metro train in Studio City had attacked a passenger once before, leading a judge to order him to keep his distance from the rail system for three years. Elliot Tramel Nowden was arrested Monday not long after a woman was found mortally wounded on the ground at the Universal Studios train platform, interim Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi announced Tuesday during a Police Commission meeting. The victim, Mirna Soza, was a 66-year-old mother of three who arrived in L.A. from Managua, Nicaragua, several years ago. She was on her way home from work as a night-shift security guard at an Original Tommys hamburger restaurant in North Hills when she was killed. "This incident is extremely, extremely tragic," Choi said. In June 2019, Nowden was arrested and charged with attacking a passenger on a Metro train in Los Angeles County. He pleaded no contest, spent five days in jail and received a 36-month probation term, according to court records. Under the terms of his probation, he was forbidden to possess weapons or use force or threaten violence. He was also ordered to stay away from Metro trains while on probation. But just a few weeks later, Nowden appeared before a judge on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and battery. He was sentenced to four years in state prison after pleading no contest to the assault charge, according to court records, and was given 179 days of credit for time served. Nowden was paroled to the Department of State Hospitals on March 18, 2022, during his prison sentence, according to a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He was released on parole supervision in August 2022 and discharged from parole in March 2023. Most recently, Nowden was arrested for trespassing Jan. 31, according to LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman. Authorities have released few details about what led to Monday's attack. Police said Soza was stabbed in the throat shortly after 5 a.m. as she got off the train. Her attacker got off at the same stop and ran away. People in the area found the woman and called 911, authorities said. Paramedics took her to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries, according to the LAPD. Roughly 30 minutes after the LAPD arrived at the train station, officers spotted a person matching the description of the suspect near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Vineland Avenue. The man, later identified as Nowden, was detained by officers and interviewed by detectives with the Valley Bureau homicide division. Nowden was arrested on suspicion of murder after detectives reviewed the available evidence, according to the LAPD. He is being held on bail of $2 million. During Tuesday's Police Commission meeting, Commissioner Maria Lou Calanche sought Choi's assurance that there is adequate security on Metro during early morning hours, when riders tend to be of lower income. Choi responded that the department's "deployment is strategic based on crime trends and needs." He did not provide details. "It's not just a flat deployment, just to say that we're deployed, so we take a look at crime trends as we look at ridership. We look at the activity and deploy accordingly," Choi added. He said that officers on trains, in train stations and on buses, along with the Metro system's ambassadors, "are a directed effort to increase our presence as well as the safety on these lines." "Again, we can't be everywhere all the time," Choi said. The department tries to spread out officers and engage with riders "to create a sense of safety and address crime trends or problems as they occur immediately and swiftly." Commissioner Vice President Rasha Gerges Shields said Monday's stabbing was "a very unfortunate death and what appears to be a very unprovoked attack on a woman." The LAPD described Nowden as a transient. Public records show that his last known address was in Little Rock, Ark. He was a wanted fugitive in Texas in November 2008, according to court records, and was previously charged in Bexar County, Texas, with theft and narcotic possession. Nowden is being held in a Van Nuys jail, records show. Investigators believe there may be other who have been attacked by Nowden. Anyone with information can contact the LAPD's Operations Valley Bureau Homicide Detectives at (818) 374-9550. Staff writers Richard Winton and James Queally contributed to this report. 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. Greece is likely to transfer the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, provided that it receives US "guarantees" regarding the threat from Turkey and a financial compensation package. This is the latest modification of the Patriot PAC-3 anti-aircraft missile system, designed to defeat and destroy tactical ballistic missiles. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the Greek newspaper Pronews, citing sources. The Patriot system, which is expected to be transferred to Ukraine, is likely to be one of two deployed in Athens. The second system may also be transferred to Ukraine. The newspaper's sources in the Greek government assure that the US has provided guarantees for the entire period of the Patriot transfer for the country's security against the threat of a Turkish attack, without explaining what kind of guarantees are offered. Perhaps the United States will replace the SAM in case of destruction or Athens will receive compensation from the $61 billion US aid package to Ukraine, the publication suggests. According to the sources, the transfer of Patriot to Ukraine will be similar to the delivery to Saudi Arabia, when the United States incurred significant costs for the timely activation of the SAM, i.e., for re-activation, as the air defense systems did not work or did not function properly due to lack of spare parts. ADVERTISIMENT In total, Greece has six Patriot systems, one of which was transferred to Saudi Arabia. The Patriot PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) is one of the latest upgrades to the well-known Patriot air defense system, designed to intercept tactical ballistic and cruise missile warheads, including those made using stealth technology. As reported by OBOZ.UA: - According to the Financial Times, the EU and NATO are putting pressure on Greece and Spain to share additional air defense systems with Ukraine. In particular, these countries are armed with Patriot and S-300. - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently said that the allies have made specific commitments to supply more air defense systems to Kyiv. According to him, NATO is negotiating on this issue with "some specific countries." - Sweden has announced its readiness to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot and other air defense systems to help protect its skies from Russian attacks. ADVERTISIMENT - On April 13, Germany announced the immediate transfer of an additional Patriot to Ukraine due to increased Russian attacks, and on April 17, the government announced the launch of a "new" initiative to provide Kyiv with air defense systems. - On April 18, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that NATO could provide Ukraine with six additional Patriot systems. - President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine needs a total of 50 Patriot batteries to protect its skies. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! CHELSEA, Manhattan (PIX11) A man accused of punching a woman in the face on a Manhattan street is the latest bust in a string of unprovoked attacks going viral on social media, police said. Daquan Armstead, 31, of the Bronx, allegedly assaulted the 23-year-old woman near 541 Sixth Ave. in Chelsea at around 10 a.m. on March 20, accoridng to the NYPD. The woman was punched in the face and taken to the hospital with a nose injury, police said. Armstead allegedly ran off after the attack before he was recently apprehended, police said. He was charged with assault and harassment in this case and is linked to several other attacks, police allege. There have been 95 unprovoked attacks this year, and 50 of the victims were women, according to the latest NYPD data. Many of the incidents have gone viral in social media videos. There have been instances where a perpetrator was arrested on multiple occasions for patterns. we had one gentleman that just got arrested did it three times in December last year. And, you know, he was arrested again and released, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a briefing last week. Authorities have arrested Lydia Weil, 40, and Skiboky Stora, 40, for several incidents. Weil is accused of attacking two women, including pressing a lit cigarette on a 51-year-old womans face on West 31st Street on March 27, authorities said. Stora allegedly hit Halley Kate, an influencer with 1.1 million followers on TikTok, in the head while she was walking her dog down West 16th Street last month, according to police and Kates TikTok video. Authorities also said Stora has been accused of attacking other women in the past. Kates posting prompted other women to come forward. Not all of the incidents that were posted to social media have been reported, 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). Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. A man convicted of cyberstalking is now accused of sex crimes against a local teenager. Charles Browne is in the Iredell County jail where he is being held without bond. A man convicted of cyberstalking is now accused of sex crimes against a local teenager. Charles Browne is in the Iredell County jail where he is being held without bond. Browne previously spent time in federal prison after prosecutors say he sent more than 700 intimidating texts to a woman in Maryland. The new charges against Browne include two counts of indecent liberties with a child and statutory sex offense with someone under 16. PREVIOUS: Statesville man sentenced to prison for cyberstalking Brownes father, who asked not to share his identity, told Channel 9s Dave Faherty knew his son was in trouble with the law when deputies showed up at his Statesville home looking for the 61-year old. Im not surprised. Im not surprised at all, he said. Its unfortunate. And when he drinks, he does dumb things and says dumb things. The arrest comes four years after Brownes conviction for cyberstalking. Prosecutors said in that case, he sent the victim 731 harassing and intimidating texts including, I like my new gun, Now your gonna feel some pain, and Lock your door. Court records show Browne also texted a mutual friend, saying he was going to shoot the woman in the face. ALSO READ: Convicted sex offender accused of taking NC teen to Missouri appears in court Federal prosecutors confirm that between 2004 and 2017, Browne had been subject to six protective orders involving women. The FBI came in and raided the house. They raided my house, Brownes father said. In the most recent case, deputies said the charges involve a girl who he had been sending inappropriate text messages to in the Statesville area. You feel like youve made a mistake as a parent when your kids go wrong, Brownes dad said. Deputies say they first learned of the local allegations in late March. According to court documents, some of the incidents date back to June of last year. Investigators told Faherty theyre going to release more information about their case in the coming days. (WATCH BELOW: Public invited to learn more about proposed rail from Meck to Iredell counties) ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. An Overland man is accused of stealing sex toys from an adult shop and later attempting to sell the devices on Facebook Marketplace. According to the Berkeley Police Departments probable statement, the theft happened on March 6 at the Hustler Hollywood store. Police claim Christopher Booth (age not provided) removed eight vibrators from their displays, put them in a white trash bag, and ran from the store without paying for them. Store management said the vibrators were worth approximately $1,539.20. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Police claim Booth was in the store the day prior, arguing with an employee before being told to leave. Employees identified Booth by having 314 tattooed on his neck. Investigators claim to have discovered the sex toys for sale on Facebook Marketplace under Booths profile. Booth was later questioned by police. He denied taking the vibrators. He said he could not have stolen the items and attempted to sell them because he didnt have a Facebook account. Booth is due to appear in St. Louis County Circuit Court on May 16. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Man Allegedly Kills Girlfriend, Sends Picture of Corpse to Her Estranged Husband Before Driving Body to Police Alexander Roque, 48, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 44-year-old Yessenia Rodriguez Marquez, say police Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Alexander Roque Alexander Roque allegedly confessed to killing his girlfriend Yessenia Rodriguez Marquez, police say Witnesses allege Roque sent them photos of Marquez's lifeless body, per Florida authorities The victim's sister told NBC Miami that Marquez was "a very good mother" A Florida man is in custody after he allegedly killed his girlfriend, sent photos of her body to multiple people including the victim's estranged husband, and then drove her body to a police station, authorities say. Alexander Roque, 48, was arrested on Sunday in Florida City, Fla., and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 44-year-old Yessenia Rodriguez Marquez, online court records show. Late on Saturday evening, Florida City Police responded to the city's police headquarters regarding a shooting and found Roque standing outside his vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. Roque allegedly "spontaneously" told police he fatally shot Marquez, his girlfriend, per the affidavit. He then drove her body to the police station, according to authorities, WSVN, Local 10 and NBC Miami report. During the investigation, police learned Roque allegedly called the woman's estranged husband and admitted to killing her before sending him a photo of Marquez's lifeless body, which was "covered in blood," according to the affidavit. The husband told police that Roque, while driving, then called him and "panned the camera over to the front passenger seat," thus showing him Marquez's body, the affidavit alleges. The husband screen-recorded the video call and later handed it over to the police, per the affidavit. Authorities say Roque also sent a photo of the corpse to his cousin and allegedly told him he killed her "while driving around the Florida City area," according to the affidavit. The cousin then called 911. During the video call to Marquez's estranged husband, Roque allegedly said that "he was a man and that he had to be respected, Marquezs mother, Odelsa Margarita Marquez, claimed, per NBC Miami. The husband says Roque and Marquez were in a romantic relationship for three months. The Miami-Dade Police Department Homicide Bureau, which has taken over the case, did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. 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. Marquez reportedly came to the U.S. from Cuba recently and has a 12-year-old daughter, her relatives told Univision. "Yessenia was a very good mother, since she came to this country she was in the school, her sister-in-law said, per NBC Miami. Online court records show Roque has entered a plea of not guilty. He has been assigned a public defender to speak on his behalf but no further information was immediately available about the attorney. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Man Allegedly Used Dog to Lure Out Girl, Kidnapped And Sexually Assaulted Her Before Dropping Her Home: Police Walter Fanion, 68, has been arrested and charged with assault of a minor, police say Webster Police Department Walter Fanion A man allegedly grabbed the girl and pulled her into his car, using the ruse of showing her his dog, per police He allegedly drove her around and sexually assaulted her, police say He allegedly drove to another state during the incident, the girl told authorities A 68-year-old Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged after police say he lured a child into his car and sexually assaulted her, authorities say. Walter Fanion was arrested in Webster, Mass., on Friday and charged with kidnapping, enticing a child under 16, and four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 in connection with the incident, the Webster Police Department said in a statement. In an interview with police on April 15, the alleged victim a juvenile whose age has not been released said a man with a dog allegedly lured her inside his car" when she was at Memorial Beach, per the statement. Authorities allege that after getting her inside the car, the man covered her mouth when she tried screaming for help, according to Boston 25. He then drove her to a location to drop off the dog he was with and, at some point, assaulted her inappropriately, the police statement alleged. At one point during the drive, the man allegedly drove across state lines into Connecticut, Boston 25 reported, citing the child's account given to police. The suspect then allegedly dropped off the child in her neighborhood and she reported the incident to her grandmother, per police. 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 girl reportedly told authorities that the man told her that he would be at the beach the next day, police said in their statement. She also reportedly shared unique features about his car that helped authorities identify the suspect. Fanion became the suspect, and over the next few days police monitored and followed him before arresting him, per the statement. Plea and attorney information was not available in online court records as of Tuesday afternoon. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A man is dead following an altercation with his roommate in Santa Ana. Authorities say the incident took place around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning in the 1500 block of S. Lowell Street. When the Santa Ana Police Department responded to an emergency call, they found 26-year-old William Stephen Nared suffering from a stab wound to his chest. The Orange County Fire Authority also assisted with rendering medical aid to the victim and pronounced Nared deceased. The investigation shifted to the suspect, identified as 25-year-old David James Espinosa, who had fled the scene on a bike following the altercation. Authorities located Espinosa a short distance away and arrested him. According to the Santa Ana PD, Espinosa and Nared lived in the same unit. On Sunday morning, the suspect and the victim got into an argument that turned physical, which is when the stabbing occurred. Espinosa has been booked and charged with murder. No further details have been provided by the Santa Ana PD. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call SAPD Homicide Section Detectives at (714) 245-8390 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Police were called after the girl went missing outside the London department store - chrisdorney A man has been arrested after a nine-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped outside Harrods in London. The child was missing for three hours before police located her more than a mile from the department store in the company of a 56-year-old man who was detained on suspicion of kidnap and taken into custody for questioning. Police were called at 2.44pm on Monday to reports of a missing child in Brompton Road, SW1 close to the world-famous store. Officers quickly circulated images of the girl and the suspect which were gathered from CCTV and a major investigation was launched. The girl was located almost three hours later in Old Court Place close to Kensington Palace. A Scotland Yard spokesman said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no other person involved. The spokesman said: Police were called at 14.44 on Monday, 22 April to reports of a missing child at Brompton Road, SW1. Officers attended. At the scene a nine-year-old girl had become separated from her family. Fast time enquiries were conducted and an image of the child in the company of a man, taken from CCTV, was circulated to officers. The suspect was stopped by officers at 17.40 at Old Court Place, W8. He was still in the company of the child. A 56-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of child kidnap. He was taken to a west London police station where he remains. The child and her family are being supported by specialist officers. At this time detectives believe this to be an isolated incident with no other persons involved. 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. LAPD had no security at mayor's house when intruder broke in; suspect targeted Bass, D.A. says The man who broke into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' home Sunday was specifically "targeting" her when he forced his way in and reached the second floor, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon said Tuesday. Prosecutors provided disturbing new details about the incident after announcing the filing of burglary and vandalism charges both felonies against Ephraim Hunter, 29, of Los Angeles. Hunter pleaded not guilty to both counts. Appearing at a news conference, Gascon said Hunter broke into Getty House, the mayors residence in L.A.'s Windsor Square neighborhood, around 6:40 a.m. He smashed a glass door, leaving a trail of blood as he went inside, Gascon said. Gascon would not explain why investigators believe Bass was targeted, saying it is an ongoing inquiry. He also declined to say whether Hunter said anything once he was inside the residence, which was occupied at the moment by Bass, her daughter, her son-in-law and her newborn grandchild. Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Bass, said the mayor does not know the suspect. He declined further comment. In court, one of Gascon's prosecutors described a bloody and chaotic scene inside the mayor's residence. Deputy Dist. Atty. Jonathan Chung said Hunter used his body to smash through the glass door, causing up to $10,000 in damage, before attempting to access several bedrooms, leaving blood on the doorknobs. Although Hunter initially told people on the scene he didnt know why he was there, he at one point called out someone's name, Chung said, describing the unnamed person as a victim in the case. Read more: An intruder made it to the second floor of L.A. Mayor Bass' home: Here's what we know "There were actions while he was inside the property that are consistent with the fact that he knew that this was ... the mayor's home, and that he was looking for her," Gascon said. Hunter entered his plea late Tuesday afternoon. Appearing in a blue county jail shirt and red basketball shorts, he could be heard in the courtroom telling his attorney he had a delusion and thought he was being chased before the incident. Carlos Bido, Hunters public defender, asked for his client to be released pending a preliminary hearing. Bido confirmed his client was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident, though he did not specify which drug. Bido said Hunter is "gainfully employed" by a nonprofit organization, though he did not name the group. Bido said Hunter was not aware of his whereabouts. Superior Court Judge Kimberley Baker Guillemet ordered Hunter held in lieu of $100,000 bail. He is due back in court on May 6. Prosecutors revealed the new details of the case a few hours after interim Police Chief Dominic Choi reported that there were no security officers on the Getty House property at the time of the break-in. Choi, fielding questions from reporters, said the break-in took place during a shift change, when "the officers that are there overnight leave to head back to their station and the oncoming shift comes on." "There was a short gap there, and that's when that incident occurred," he said. "That gap has been remedied. We've created an overlap so it doesn't happen again." Choi said the intruder jumped over a fence and broke in through the back of the residence. Once inside, he climbed the stairs to the second floor where the bedrooms are located, police said. At one point, Bass was forced to hide in a safe area designed to protect against intruders, according to two law enforcement sources who were not authorized to discuss the case with the media. Asked whether the city's security measures fell short Sunday, Choi said he doesn't think so. "I don't know if one officer there could have physically stopped him ... or seen him. The Getty House, as you know, is a very large property," he said. Choi said that in the past, a mix of armed and unarmed security has been assigned to patrol Getty House. The incident took place after the end of a shift handled by unarmed security, he said. "To my understanding, this happened so quickly that even if somebody had been there, he probably still would have been able to access inside the residence," he said. Read more: Suspect in break-in at Mayor Bass' home previously convicted of assault Hunter, who lives in Los Angeles, was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in Massachusetts in 2015, serving several years in state prison, records show. Choi did not answer reporters' questions about the exact length of the security gap, calling it "very small." He said the mayor's security detail, which is made up of sworn LAPD officers, was "en route to the residence" when the incident occurred. The detail was scheduled to arrive at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Choi said. Earlier in the day, Choi said he did not know whether the suspect was familiar with the residence. "Nothing in this person's history suggests that this was a targeted or purposeful location," he said. On Monday, Bass declined to say whether she had been specifically targeted during the incident. Seidl, her spokesperson, had no comment on either Choi's or Gascon's remarks. Bass has provided few details on the break-in so far, expressing gratitude to the LAPD and saying that she and her family are fine. Spokeswomen for Gascon and the LAPD did not respond to requests for comment on the differing narratives between the police chief and district attorney. In a phone interview Monday, a woman who identified herself as Hunters mother said he had been struggling with drug addiction and may have been suffering from hallucinations at the time of the incident. The woman, Josephine Duah, said her son called her from jail Monday and claimed he had no idea he'd broken into the mayor's residence. 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. COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) A 46-year-old man is now in jail, accused of stabbing a woman in a domestic altercation at a Colfax Drive home on Tuesday morning, according to a news release. Police responded just before 10:30 a.m. to the home in the 9900 block of Colfax Drive in Columbia Township, according to a news release from Lorain County sheriffs detective Lt. Joshua Croston. Mom arrested after girl, 14, found in emaciated, skeletal state This embedded content is not available in your region. There, they found the suspect, 46-year-old Shawn Poe, being held down by another member of the household. They found the victim, a 42-year-old woman, inside the home. Township firefighters rendered aid, then she was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, reads the release. She was later flown to a Cleveland hospital for additional care. Her current condition is unknown. Marshals: Missing girl, 14, found; man arrested Poe was arrested and transported to the county jail, charged with attempted murder, felonious assault, domestic violence and aggravated menacing, according to the release. Hes expected to be arraigned in Elyria Municipal Court. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Man charged with felony for setting fire to Walgreens trash can NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A man faces a felony charge after setting fire to a trash can outside a West Nashville Walgreens. According to Metro Nashville police, officers were called to the drugstore on Charlotte Avenue late Monday night for a fire set outside the store. An employee told officers the man, later identified as David Nemecheck, lit the trash can outside the store on fire. Video surveillance showed Nemecheck setting the blaze, according to police. | READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County The fire escaped the trash can and spread onto the outside wall of the store, which was occupied at the time. Police were able to locate Nemecheck at a nearby Exxon gas station wearing the same clothing observed in the video. He was taken into custody and booked in the Metro Jail on a $50,000 bond for an aggravated arson charge. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that robotic systems and drones are already being introduced at the level of individual battalions of the Defense Forces . This practice helps to save the lives of Ukrainian defenders. ADVERTISIMENT He made this statement during the first annual International Academic Forum "Military Innovations in Modern Warfare" held in Kyiv under the patronage of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky on Monday, April 22. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The panel discussion on "Drone Warfare: Evolution of Modern Trends" was also attended by Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Transformation, Digital Development and Digitalization Kateryna Chernogorenko, as well as representatives of Ukrainian and foreign drone manufacturers with experience of cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Chernogorenko noted that the Ministry of Defense is currently developing close cooperation between the military, developers, businesses, and researchers, as it understands that "our main goal is to have a technological advantage over the enemy." ADVERTISIMENT "As part of the Drone Coalition, we have agreements with our partners to test their products on the battlefield and provide feedback. Participation in the Coalition is not only direct assistance to the Ukrainian army, but also a contribution to the overall development of the defense industry in the world," said the Deputy Minister of Defense. At the same time, representatives of Ukrainian and foreign drone manufacturers emphasized the changing trends at the front and the need to improve existing developments, even those that have already demonstrated successful results. "We are moving towards saving soldiers' lives by using machines and technologies. No matter how much a drone or robot costs, a soldier's life is still more valuable. That's why we are working on introducing robotic systems and drones at the level of individual battalions," Sukharevsky added during his speech. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, Belarusians and Ukrainians have organized joint production of FPV drones. The combat drones have already been tested in Ukraine. The first 25 drones were manufactured and delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukraine has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the creation of its own long-range drones. Currently, six companies are producing attack drones capable of hitting remote targets. Ukraine is using them to strike at the territory of the terrorist country Russia, ignoring US demands to stop attacks on Russia. Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Editors note: The story in the video player originally aired on April 11. NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) A man accused of vandalizing an Islamic center at Rutgers University in New Jersey on the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr has been charged with a hate crime, federal prosecutors announced Monday. Jacob Beacher, 24, of North Plainfield, faces single counts of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and making false statements to federal authorities. He was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Monday afternoon and was being represented by the federal public defenders office, which does not comment on cases. The charges stem from an April 10 break-in at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Prosecutors said Beacher damaged property at the site, including several religious artifacts and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Quran, Islams sacred scripture. Authorities said Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the center. Historic journals from Newark high school heading to Washington D.C. The overall damage has been estimated at $40,000. Beacher is not affiliated with Rutgers, officials said. The site was unoccupied when the break-in occurred around 2:40 a.m., prosecutors said. A motive has not been disclosed. While speaking with the FBI two days after the break-in, Beacher said he was the person seen near the center in video surveillance footage but denied breaking into the site. The incident came a few weeks after the state attorney generals office had reported a recent spike in bias incidents in New Jersey. The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it welcomed the charges, adding that the vandalism is an example of bigoted violence that Muslim, Palestinian and allied students are facing on college campuses across the country. Officials with the Islamic center said they were humbled by the amazing and generous outpouring from the Rutgers community and the community at large since the break-in. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. A New Jersey man was arrested and charged with a federal hate crime after allegedly breaking into and destroying property at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU), federal prosecutors announced Monday. Jacob Beacher, 24, was arrested Monday morning in connection with an incident that took place earlier this month during Eid-al-Fitr, the three-day Islamic holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey. Beacher is accused of breaking into CILRU overnight on April 10, and damaging the centers property, including multiple religious artifacts and other items with holy language from the Quran, according to the complaint. The damaged items also included Turbah prayer stones. Prosecutors allege Beacher stole a Palestinian flag and charity box from the center. The total damage equals about $40,000, prosecutors said. Video surveillance footage from around 2:40 a.m. on April 10 allegedly shows Beacher forcibly entering the CILRU by breaking a glass pane on the door, pushing through plexiglass, and reaching through to unlatch the deadbolt lock, per the complaint. He was seen leaving the center around 25 minutes later. Days later, two people told law enforcement they found a donation box belonging to the CILRU at a nearby park, and cell-site data showed Beachers phone in the proximity of the park shortly after the break-in, the complaint said. He is charged with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities. He was slated to have his initial court appearance on Monday afternoon in Newark, N.J. Rutgers condemns this act of violence against the RutgersNew Brunswick Muslim community and the desecration of a religious and community space. Such acts of hatred and bigotry against anyone in our community have no place at Rutgers, a spokesperson for Rutgers told The Hill. The spokesperson confirmed Beacher is not and has not been affiliated with the university. We have been kept apprised of the investigation as it took place and we express a sense of relief and safety knowing that the suspect is in custody, Atiya Aftab, the chair of CILRU, wrote in a statement. This act of terror will not intimidate or break our community, the statement added. We stand in firm faith and with resolve to redouble our efforts to the mission of our Center. This incident did not occur in a vacuum. The incident comes amid increasing tensions overflowing from the Middle East, where Israels war with Palestinian militant group Hamas has lasted more than six months in Gaza. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said earlier this month that last year marked a 30-year high for anti-Muslim complaints, which included a late-year surge around the time of Hamass Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the countrys subsequent bombardment of Gaza. Updated at 11:13 a.m. EDT For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WHITE HOUSE, Tenn. (WKRN) One person is in custody after Sumner County deputies reportedly found a man dead inside a White House home Monday. Deputies with the Sumner County Sheriffs Office responded to the home on Winding Way on April 22 after receiving a report of a shooting. Once at the residence, authorities said they found Patrick Joseph Fullerton dead from a gunshot wound. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee Multiple other people were at the home when deputies arrived, including Jacob Allen Garrett. Garrett reportedly admitted to shooting Fullerton, but deputies have not yet released a motive. A .22 caliber revolver and bloodstained clothing were among some of the evidence authorities said they discovered after searching the premises. Based on the investigation, the sheriffs office said Garrett was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Jacob Garrett (Courtesy: Sumner County Sheriffs Office) In a news release sent out on Tuesday, April 23, the sheriffs office extended its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Patrick Joseph Fullerton during this tragic time. Authorities said the investigation into the circumstances of the shooting is ongoing. No further information was immediately released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Homicide detectives are investigating a double shooting that left one man dead and another critically hurt late Monday night. The victims were found inside a hotel near Kansas City International Airport at I-29 and Northwest 120th Street. Kansas City police say officers were sent inside the Orangewood Inn & Suites after the call came in at about 11:20 p.m. They found one man, 38-year-old Jeremy Hills, who was declared dead at the scene, the other was sent to a hospital. Protesters upset KCFD firefighter who killed three allowed to return to work Investigators took someone in for questioning, but have yet to say if theyre under arrest and facing charges. The victim who was critically hurt has not been identified and further information is limited at present. As detectives continue to investigate, if you know something about this deadly shooting, you can contact them directly at (816) 234-5043 or submit an anonymous tip to the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Anthony Ray Johnson Jr., a Marine veteran, tried to get help when he began noticing the symptoms of a schizophrenic episode, according to his family. Johnson was turned away from mental health facility, his sister said, and was arrested later that day. He died Sunday after being pepper-sprayed by officers at the Tarrant County Jail. Anthony Ray Johnson Jr. tried to get help when he began noticing the symptoms of a schizophrenic episode coming on, according to his family. He went to his mother and told her what he was experiencing. They got in the car together and drove to a mental health facility, where he hoped he would be admitted for treatment. But that didnt happen, his sister Janell Johnson told the Star-Telegram on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Marine Corps veteran, with infectious optimism and the most beautiful handwriting his family had ever seen, was turned away. On Sunday morning, he died in Tarrant County Jail custody. The Tarrant County Sheriffs Office said Johnson was arrested Friday by Saginaw police on charges of possession of a controlled substance in penalty group 1, tampering with/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, and evading arrest or detention and was taken to the Tarrant County Jail on Saturday. Police were responding to a call about a man in an intersection wielding a knife, the sheriffs office said in a news release. Anthony Johnson was pepper-sprayed by detention officers who were conducting contraband checks in cells that morning, according to the sheriffs office, which oversees the jail. The sheriffs office said Johnson refused to leave his cell for the check and got into a fight with officers, who eventually used pepper spray on him. When he was examined by medical staff in the jail, he was unresponsive. Paramedics took him to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he was pronounced dead about an hour after he was pepper-sprayed, the sheriffs office said. Results of an autopsy are pending. Janell Johnson said her family hasnt gotten any answers from authorities. They didnt even know Anthony Johnson had been pepper-sprayed until they read about it in news articles, she said. When a jail chaplain and two law enforcement officers came to their door Sunday morning, they were only told that he was dead. The officer said they couldnt tell the family any more because of an ongoing investigation, according to Janell Johnson. A spokesperson for the sheriffs office did not immediately respond to a Star-Telegram phone call and text requesting more information Tuesday. Sheriff Bill Waybourn asked the Texas Rangers to lead the investigation. In a statement Tuesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said the Rangers investigation is ongoing and there is no further information available. Arrest came after mental health episode, family says Anthony Johnson was diagnosed with schizophrenia after serving five years in the Marines, Janell Johnson told the Star-Telegram. He enlisted to follow in his fathers footsteps. When he learned of his diagnosis, he was determined not to let it rule his life. He was taking his medication, learned the signs of an oncoming episode and wasnt ashamed to ask for help, she said. Thats what happened on Friday, Janell Johnson said. Her brother noticed the symptoms and went to his mother, asking her to take him back to Millwood Hospital Behavioral Health Center. Hed been there earlier this year when hed had an episode and Fort Worth police officers trained in mental health had him admitted, and after staying in the center for about a week and a half was released and was able to go on living his life, his sister said. He hoped that was what would happen again, but Janell Johnson said that when he showed up, staff at the hospital told him he couldnt stay. He was not showing signs of violence toward himself or others at the time and he was taken home. A spokesperson for Millwood Hospital could not immediately be reached Tuesday afternoon for comment. Johnson was arrested later that day. He called his family from the jail around 1 p.m. Saturday, Janell Johnson said. He seemed to be doing better. He was looking forward to getting better and getting out, he said in the phone call. Today's top stories: Suspected gunman in West 7th area shooting in custody H-E-B announces third Tarrant County location Man shot wife to death in Fort Worth, police say. Her body was found wrapped in tarp Get free alerts when news breaks. A brother, uncle, son and friend Janell Johnson said her brother was always a warm, caring person. He had a sense of humor that could make just about anything fun, and his intelligence was baffling. He would constantly surprise his family and friends with what he knew, and teaching others brought him joy. She remembered when the two of them were kids and Anthony Johnson went to the YMCA to take swimming classes. He would come home and immediately start sharing what hed learned. He told me the waters not that scary, you just have to jump in, Janell Johnson said. I learned how to swim just because of him. Anthony Johnson would also make sacrifices for the people he cared about, as if it was nothing, his sister said. Janell Johnson is a single mother, but she wasnt raising her son alone because her brother always wanted to find new ways to help out. He was there for my son and if there was anything he wanted to do it was to make sure he was strong enough to be here with me and my son, Janell Johnson said. He was always there for him, always. He took time, he was patient, he played games with him, he never made my son feel alone. Anthony Johnson kept her son entertained the same way he did for his four siblings when they were growing up, she said. He could come up with new games to play and new activities to do. With him gone, Janell Johnson said her son has lost more than an uncle. Hes lost a friend who could build up his self-esteem and confidence and could motivate anybody even in the toughest of times. For anything we needed help, for anything, we knew he would be here, he would do it, Janell Johnson said. Even when he was away in the Marine Corps, he was always calling. Fighting to get help Overcome with emotion, Janell Johnson told the Star-Telegram through tears that her brother shouldnt be dead right now. Veterans deserve better after serving their country, she said. She believes his mental health struggles are linked to his time in the Marines, and the military should have taken care of him after he was out. And she said he shouldnt have been turned away from help when he was still present and responsible enough to seek it out for himself. Angry that her brother would almost certainly still be alive today had he not been arrested, she questioned the point of a medical system for people experiencing mental health struggles if they cant access those resources until they arent enough of themselves to seek it out on their own. I just want to let people know that there are people out here that are trying to get their mental health together, Janell Johnson said. Theyre aware of what theyre going through and theyre trying to get better. Despite everything in the world thats going on and everything theyre going through, theyre trying to do right. My brother was fighting to get help. ... There are people who are working on themselves to be better. Somebody has to meet them halfway. History of deaths in Tarrant County Jail Johnsons was the second in-custody death at Tarrant County Jail in less than a week. On Thursday morning, Tarrant County detention officers found another inmate unresponsive in his cell after he hadnt shown up for breakfast, the sheriffs office said. Medical personnel from JPS responded and attempted life-saving measures, according to a news release. MedStar and the Fort Worth Fire Department also responded. The man who died Thursday, identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office as 42-year-old Roderick Johnson of Fort Worth, had been in custody since Dec. 4. Results of an autopsy are also pending in his death. There have been more than 60 deaths in Tarrant Countys jail since Sheriff Waybourn took office in 2017. In a statement Monday night, Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons called the rate of deaths at the jail unacceptable. I will be asking the United States Department of Justice to investigate the continual problem of people dying in Tarrant County jail facilities, Simmons said. Hopefully, my colleagues on commissioners court are as interested as I to mitigate these occurrences and will be amenable to seeking a Justice Department review. Regarding Anthony Johnsons death, there are more questions than answers therefore I am unable to provide details because there has not been an investigation, Simmons wrote. I want accountability, I expect transparency and I want a full investigation into everything that occurred, before, during and after the altercation and the subsequent death of Mr. Johnson in our jail, including video footage. In 2019, another man incarcerated at the jail, 38-year-old Robert Miller died after he was pepper-sprayed three times at close range during his intake and did not receive medical attention when he told a nurse he could not breathe, a Star-Telegram investigation reported. A county pathologist ruled in 2020 that Millers death was natural as a result of a sickle cell crisis. An amended autopsy report last year reclassified Millers manner of death from natural to undetermined. But the cause was still listed as sickle cell crisis, which remains in contradiction to what outside experts have told the Star-Telegram. At a public forum in January, Waybourn defended the conditions at the county jail. At that time, he said that all but six of the deaths during his tenure were due to natural causes and or drugs. This article includes information from the Star-Telegrams archives. Man dies after being shot in a business parking lot in Kansas City, Kansas A man died following a shooting Monday evening in Kansas City, Kansas. Officers responded just before 7:30 p.m. to a shooting in the 6000 block of Leavenworth Road, where they found a man who had been shot in the parking lot of a business, according to Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. Emergency medical crews declared the man dead at the scene. Police ask anyone with information related to the killing to call the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. The case is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Man magnet fishing reels in new evidence in murder of Cobb couple lured by Craigslist ad A man on a magnet fishing trip uncovered new evidence in the 2015 murder of a Cobb County couple lured by a car ad they saw on Craigslist. Bud and June Runion traveled to Telfair County to purchase his dream car, a 1966 Ford Mustang, that they saw listed on Craigslist. Instead, investigators say the couple were shot to death in a robbery set up by the suspects. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Last week, a man went on a magnet fishing in Horse Creek in McRae-Helena and pulled out of the creek a .22 caliber rifle, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Two days later in the same area, the fisherman found a bag with the couples drivers licenses and credit cards. The GBI says a cell phone that may have belonged to the Runions was also in the bag. Agents got warrants for a Telfair County home and searched the property on April 17 and April 19, where they found more evidence. The GBI did not say what further evidence was sent to their crime lab for tests. PREVIOUS STORIES: Channel 2 Action News followed the disappearance and search for the couple in 2015. Family members told Channel 2 that they first became worried about Bud and Junes safety when they didnt arrive home to babysit their grandchildren. We are worried that someone might have done something bad and taken advantage of them, daughter Brittany Patterson said. Four days after their disappearance, police found their bodies, along with the couples SUV, in a pond in Telfair County. Officials identified the suspect as Ronnie Jay Towns, who was later indicted for the couples murder and armed robbery. Officials interviewed Towns and learned he was the last person to talk to the couple on the phone before they disappeared. Its unclear if the phone found in the creek this month is one of the phones involved in that call. Court documents show that Towns trial is scheduled to start in August. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS DENVER (KDVR) A 34-year-old man was sentenced to serve 35 years in the Department of Corrections for stabbing a man to death in Thornton in 2021. Louis Sandoval was sentenced last week on a single count of second-degree murder with a sentence enhancement of violent crime causing death in the stabbing death of Thomas Downing on June 7, 2021. Sandoval pleaded guilty to the crime on Jan. 25 through a plea deal. Family still seeks justice a year after double homicide at Denver restaurant Adams County Judge Jeffrey Smith sentenced Sandoval and said this was one of the more aggravated murder cases he had presided over, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office. The brutality and senselessness of this crime is beyond words, said District Attorney Brian Mason in a release. This defendant built a connection with the victim that evening and then, for reasons we may never know, murdered the victim in cold blood. Im thankful to the Thornton Police Department and my team at the DAs Office for their diligent work on this case. According to investigators, the pair met at the Village Pub in Thornton on June 6, 2021, and connected through their shared Marine Corps backgrounds. In the early morning hours of June 7, 2021, the pair left the bar and walked toward Downings nearby apartment. According to investigators, at some point during the night, Sandoval stabbed and slashed Downing, leading to his death. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox At about 3:40 a.m. on June 7, 2021, Thornton emergency crews were called to Downings apartment on West 91st Avenue because of a building fire. During the response, crews found Downings body. Thornton police credited help from the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network in connecting Sandoval to Downings murder using DNA, surveillance footage and cellular data. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A Kentucky man charged for using pepper spray against law enforcement officers and who carried a Confederate flag while storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Monday to over two years in prison. Israel James Easterday, 23, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and 500 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. Easterday traveled from Kentucky to the nations capital because he was upset with the results of the 2020 presidential election and then joined the mob to storm the Capitol building, per the release. He was among the group of rioters outside the East Rotunda doors of the Capitol building. While a U.S. Capitol Police officer was dealing with one rioter, prosecutors said, Easterday pepper-sprayed that officer in the face, causing him to collapse and lose consciousness a few minutes later. When that officer regained consciousness, he still suffered from vision problems for hours after the incident, prosecutors said. Easterday was later handed a second can of pepper spray by a fellow rioter and used it to spray another small group of officers. At least one of the officers was hit in the face and was temporarily incapacitated, the office said in its press release. He was arrested on Dec. 8, 2022, in Miami. Chief Judge James Boasberg said during the sentencing hearing that he gave a lower sentence than what prosecutors recommended due to Easterdays young age, The Associated Press reported. He added that the man, who was homeschooled while living on a family farm, may not have fully appreciated what was going on there during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Easterday apologized to the officers who were injured and said he is deeply ashamed of himself for his actions, according to the AP. More than 1,300 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for actions related to the Jan. 6 insurrection. This includes nearly 500 who were charged for assaulting or impeding law enforcement, which is a felony, according to the release. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (The Hill) A Kentucky man charged for using pepper spray against law enforcement officers and carrying a Confederate flag while storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Monday to over two years in prison. Isreal James Easterday, 23, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and 500 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. Easterday traveled from Kentucky to the nations capital because he was upset with the results of the 2020 presidential election and then joined the mob to storm the Capitol building, per the release. He was among the group of rioters outside the East Rotunda doors of the Capitol building. While a U.S. Capitol Police officer was dealing with one rioter, the office said Easterday pepper sprayed that officer in the face and prompted him to collapse and lose consciousness a few minutes later. When that officer regained consciousness, he still suffered from vision problems for hours after the incident, prosecutors said. Trump gag order hearing kicks off hush money trial: Live updates Easterday was later handed a second can of pepper spray by a fellow rioter and used it to spray another small group of officers. At least one of the officers was hit in the face and was temporarily incapacitated, the office said in its press release. He was arrested on Dec. 8, 2022, in Miami. Chief Judge James Boasberg said during the sentencing hearing that he gave a lower sentence than what prosecutors recommended due to Easterdays young age, The Associated Press reported. He added that the man, who was homeschooled while living on a family farm, may not have fully appreciated what was going on there during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Easterday apologized to the officers who were injured and said he is deeply ashamed of himself for his actions, according to the AP. More than 1,300 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for actions related to the Jan. 6 insurrection. This includes nearly 500 who were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, which is a felony, per the release. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Starting Tuesday, April 23, Ukrainian consulates will stop providing services to men of military age. Starting from that day, they will be able to use only one service - the preparation of documents for returning to Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT It is worth noting that this ban will remain in effect until diplomatic missions receive clarifications of the provisions of the new law on mobilization. This was reported by ZN.UA with reference to a letter from First Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga. The document says that the Foreign Ministry ordered the heads of all diplomatic missions to temporarily suspend the provision of consular services to Ukrainian citizens of military age. The document also states that such restrictions are related to the large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in order to prevent Ukrainian citizens from avoiding the obligation to settle the issue of military registration in the Territorial centers for recruitment and social support. However, Ukrainian consulates will only be able to provide their citizens with services related to the issuance of identity cards for returning to the territory of Ukraine. The requirements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will remain in force until clarifications are received on the procedure for applying the provisions of the new law on mobilization, which was promulgated on April 17 and will come into force in May this year. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier it was reported that recruiting centers are being set up for those Ukrainians who want to join the ranks of the Defense Forces but have some doubts or have not decided where they want to find their place. 22 of them are to be established by mid-summer. There are also online platforms that deal with recruiting. As a reminder, the electronic cabinet of persons liable for military service is to be launched in Ukraine in the coming months. It will improve the work of the Territorial centers for recruitment and social support and simplify the lives of Ukrainians. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Around a dozen protesters gathered in front of the Manatee County Commission building Tuesday morning to demand mental health services as part of a campaign to seek justice for a Palmetto man who died in police custody. Supporters of 36-year-old Breonte Johnson-Davis, who died shortly after an encounter with the Palmetto Police Department in November, called on Manatee County commissioners to implement a service that would connect callers with mental health professionals instead of police officers when appropriate. The Community Assistance and Life Liaison program, known as CALL, has emergency dispatchers send social workers to calls they may be better equipped to handle, such as mental health crises, suicide interventions, or even neighborhood disputes or homeless complaints. Johnson-Davis mother, Tracey Washington, said CALL or a similar program is needed in Manatee County and would save lives. On Nov. 1, I was given a life sentence with no possibility of parole, because Ill never get to see my child again. But I stand before you today to ask you to look into the program that everybody is talking about, Washington said during the Manatee County Commissions public meeting Tuesday. If this program was implemented here in Manatee County, I feel as though Breonte would still be alive today, Washington said. In response, commissioners said similar services are already available in Manatee County. They also denounced the protesters for their criticism of local law enforcement, calling their protest part of an effort to attack first responders. Calls for change after Palmetto death Johnson-Davis died shortly after Palmetto police attempted to take him into custody under the Marchman Act, which provides for voluntary and involuntary admissions and assessments of people who are severely impaired due to substance abuse, according to Florida law. During the police encounter, officers used a stun gun on Johnson-Davis twice. A medical examiners report ruled the manner of death as an accident and a report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found that Palmetto Police was not responsible for Johnson-Davis death, but Washington and others at the protest arent satisfied. An administrative investigation regarding the involvement of an off-duty Bradenton Police Department officer who was also there that night was also opened in November, according to a spokesperson with BPD, although the status of that investigation was unclear as of Tuesday afternoon. Sarah Parker, with Voices of Florida, addresses commissioners after holding a press conference advocating for justice after Breonte Johnson-Davis death. A group of local activists called for the Manatee County Commission to implement a new mental health response program on April 23, 2024. Washington and others are calling for a truly independent autopsy and investigation into Breontes death and said the cycle of the police investigating themselves has to end. But Washington said there was no need for police to be there in the first place and that officers often lack the tools needed to de-escalate mental health crises, which is why she said programs like CALL are effective. Can CALL work in Manatee County? The city of St. Petersburg adopted CALL in January 2021 in collaboration with the Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services amid national and local calls for police reform following George Floyds death. The goals of the program are to reduce police involvement in non-criminal and non-violent calls for service and to reduce repeat calls by providing long-term support while providing a more compassionate approach to quality of life issues, according to the St. Petersburg Police website. Manatee County Commissioners Ray Turner, Amanda Ballard (background) and George Kruse listen to a speaker from a group of local activists calling upon Manatee County to implement a new mental health response program on April 23, 2024. In doing so, Washington said it also frees officers to focus more time on crime. Since CALLs inception in 2021, its been used more than 11,000 times by 5,000 unique individuals, including 911 calls, non-emergency calls and follow-ups, according to a study conducted by Results for America. According to the study, 97% of CALLs responses result in a diversion from a crisis unit, hospitalization or police response. Manatee officials respond to protest Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge called what happened to Johnson-Davis a tragedy and said his heart goes out to Washington and her family, but he also pointed out that police officers and first responders are often put in what he called no-win situations. Van Ostenbridge said he wasnt happy with police officers being wrongly and baselessly disparaged at Tuesdays meeting during public comments. He specifically pointed to the use of the term killer cops by some Johnson-Davis supporters and said that significant facts were left out of their statements, such as the toxicology report. An autopsy found Johnson-Davis died from cardiac arrest caused by the amount of methamphetamine and a synthetic stimulant in his system. The report also said that subdual by law enforcement likely had little physiological effect. Its a shame that he died, but you dont get to then come up here and take a tragedy and use it as part of what we know was a much larger movement to attack police and attack first responders, Van Ostenbridge said. Several community activists, including those at Tuesdays protests, have pointed to the behavior of Palmetto police officers shown in body cam footage as unprofessional. In the footage, an officer can be heard joking about how he got to use his new stun gun for the first time. Van Ostenbridge said similar resources to CALL already exist in Manatee County, referencing Centerstones Mobile Crisis Intervention Service. Manatee County Commissioner and Chair Mike Rahn addresses a speaker from a group of local activists calling Manatee County to implement a new mental health response program on April 23, 2024. According to the city of Bradentons website, the service provides timely and effective individual and family mental health intervention to anyone in Manatee and Desoto Counties age six and up. Centerstone says that they assist agencies including law enforcement, schools and institutions by responding either physically or over the phone when a crisis is occurring to help de-escalate the situation. The service is a 24-hour hotline people can call for suicidal threats, psychotic symptoms, severe depression, a marked deterioration in behavior and more. Centersones website says that you should call 911 and not the hotline when someone is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs and is threatening to hurt others or themselves or during a medical emergency. For those seeking justice for Breonte, this isnt enough. Activists vow to keep pushing for change Ruth Beltran, a member of Answer Suncoast and the Party for Socialism and Liberation in Tampa Bay, who helped organize Tuesdays protest, said they plan to attend county commission meetings until CALL or a similar program is implemented. Police and law enforcement are not trained or equipped to deal with this, Beltran said. Washington also called for the resignation of Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler and Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, who she said has shown no remorse. We have officers that do things to our babies that are so harmful and then they dont get accountability held to them. So Im begging everybody to stand behind us to help save another childs life. Because the pain that Im feeling, I dont want anybody else to ever have to go through what Im going through right now. Because this pain is unbearable, Washington said. Tracey Washington, Breonte Johnson-Daviss mother, speaks at a press conference advocating for justice after her sons death. A group of local activists called for the Manatee County Commission to implement a new mental health response program on April 23, 2024. Many inhabitants of tent camp on U.S. 70 left before Raleighs 10 a.m. deadline Friends and family brought pickup trucks to help members of the encampment move. (Photo: Greg Childress) a shopping cart full of belongings Members of encampment packed belongings in borrowed shopping carts. (Photo: Greg Childress) Hoping to avoid an encounter with Raleigh police, many of the more than 40 people living in a tent encampment on U.S. 70 left ahead of the 10 a.m. deadline theyd been given to vacate or face arrest for trespassing. Nearly two hours after the deadline passed, police had not arrived in order to force people to leave. Two officers did show up Tuesday afternoon, advocates for the people living there reported, but were not part of the forced eviction. Throughout the morning, the encampment was a beehive of activity. Inhabitants took down tents, stuffed belongings into large plastic bags and packed them onto borrowed shopping carts. Friends and relatives arrived in pickup trucks and SUVs to help the luckier ones move from the site, which is owned by the State of North Carolina. Law enforcement officials have deemed it unsafe, citing an uptick in criminal activity. Shelia Larson drove from Fayetteville to help daughter Hannah Larson and her boyfriend Josh move. Im worried about her, Shelia Larson said. If I could do more, I would but I cant, so I just help when I can. Hannah Larson said she and Josh planned to move into a hotel. He works, hes in landscaping, Hannah Larson said. Were going to head toward Capital Boulevard and Im going to look for a job there. That is our current plan. Advocates for the people in the encampment held a press conference ahead of the deadline. Horse Valdez and Patrick O'Neill Horse Valdez and Patrick ONeill (Photo: Greg Childress) We never said to anybody, how come we dont have affordable housing in Garner and Raleigh, how come we dont have a place to move into a tiny house? said Patrick ONeill, who organized the press conference. All weve said is, how about a patch of grass so somebody can pitch their tent? Horse Valdez lives in the encampment with wife Kathy. Hes affectionately called the mayor of the encampment. Were not doing nothing wrong, Valdez said. They say this is an unsafe area. I make damned sure its very safe. Police have been here one time and that was because of people from the other camp coming over here. Marcia Timmel, a Garner resident and retired Wake County educator who organized an Easter meal for the encampment, said the encampment is a safe option. This is sort of like to last port in the storm, and were getting ready to cast them out onto very treacherous seas, Timmel said. Marcia Timmel Marcia Timmel (Photo: Greg Childress) Mary Rider, a housing advocate and social worker, noted that the order to move comes during the National Week of Action to Oppose the Criminalization of Homelessness. Homeless people are not criminals, theyre just people who dont have homes, Rider said. Everyone should have a safe and affordable place to live. Rider said that its difficult to get into public housing. If you put your name on the waiting list in Raleigh or Wake County today, in about eight years it will come up, Rider said. So, where are you supposed to live for those eight years? Finding affordable rental units is also difficult without a good credit score or good-paying job, Rider said. The problem is not the people living in this park, the problem is a state and a country that doesnt provide for people in need while we provide billions of dollars around the world to bomb people, kill people and help other countries bomb people and kill people. Diana Powell, executive director of Justice Served NC, said elected officials will be held accountable for not taking care of the states most vulnerable citizens. There are children literally sleeping outside, Powell said. This is unacceptable. I want to send a message to our politicians. We have got to do better. We will hold you accountable if we have to call your name out, go to your office. The planned eviction from the grassy encampment near bus lines and shopping came one day after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument about the constitutionality of ordinances in Grants Pass, Oregon that bar people who are experiencing homelessness from using blankets, pillows or cardboard boxes to protect themselves from the elements while sleeping within the city limits. The case could shape municipal homeless policies across the country if upheld by the high court. Advocacy groups for people experiencing homelessness and others argue that allowing cities to punish people who need a place to sleep is tantamount to criminalizing homelessness. Julia Milstead, a spokesperson for the City of Raleigh, told NC Newsline on Monday that the order to leave the site is a difficult and emotional situation for everyone. Milstead stressed that the property is owned by the State of North Carolina. She said the city is working with the N.C. Department of Transportation to find a solution. Milstead said the people in the encampment have consistently declined services offered by the Raleigh Police Departments Addressing Crises through Outreach, Referrals, Networking, and Service (ACORNS) unit and the City of Raleigh. We will continue to help make connections to programs available through the City and private partners, Milstead said. Enforcement is our last option in this complicated situation The post Many inhabitants of tent camp on U.S. 70 left before Raleighs 10 a.m. deadline appeared first on NC Newsline. A bipartisan knot of House members clustered in the well of the chamber just around 2 p.m. on Saturday. The House had just approved a $26 billion aid package for Israel, 366-58, which was the final of several roll-call votes on a clutch of foreign aid bills, including $61 billion for Ukraine. But members werent certain they were done yet or could head home for what was now a delayed recess week in the House. High drama gripped Capitol Hill all day as the House raced toward passage of the foreign aid package. But Saturdays legislative spectacle on the foreign aid measures had the potential to recede to a forgotten undercard. A climatic political event loomed. Lawmakers wanted to see what would unfold and if their services were still required on the House floor. Everyone hung around to see if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., would introduce her resolution to dump House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. It would be hard to underscore just how dramatic a scene that could be, especially since Democrats bailed out Johnson on Friday in an effort to put the foreign aid package on the floor. And when it came to Ukraine, only 101 Republicans voted "yea." Another 112 voted "nay." In the meantime, 210 Democrats voted yes. HOUSE PASSES $60B UKRAINE AID BILL AS GOP REBELS THREATEN TO OUST JOHNSON Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to the media after the House of Representatives passed bills for aid to Ukraine and Israel on April 20, 2024. Yet Greene never came after Johnson on Saturday afternoon, at least parliamentarily. She did verbally unload on Johnson to the congressional press corps on the House steps. "He did this [expletive] here on the House floor foreign war package that does nothing for America," Greene said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP She even spoke in near Biblical terms about the speaker. Greene didnt invoke Peters three betrayals of Jesus, but she did declare that his advancement of the foreign assistance program as "the third betrayal by Mike Johnson." Greene said the other two were the passage of two major spending bills to avert government shutdowns and a reauthorization of a key law enforcement spying tool known as FISA Section 702. "Im thankful that America gets to see who this man is," said Greene. "Hes already a lame duck. If we have the vote today in our conference, he would not be speaker today." Yet Greene didnt call the vote on Johnson. That maneuver might have been extraordinary, especially considering that the House took the unprecedented step of stripping former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., of the gavel last fall. So, why didnt Greene move? Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to the media after the House of Representatives passed bills for aid to Ukraine and Israel on April 20, 2024. Some might say its about the math. She would have lost. House Democrats were coy about their plans to possibly protect Johnson. But after the House passed aid to Ukraine, its likely Democrats would have supported Johnson by voting to table or kill Greenes resolution. Or they may have "taken a walk" and been absent for the vote. Democrat absences would have driven down the total number of House members voting. That would have diluted the votes of members who wanted to undercut Johnson. 3RD REPUBLICAN CALLS FOR SPEAKER JOHNSON'S OUSTER OVER $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN Knowing that, it's easy to see why there was no vote over the weekend on Johnsons viability as speaker. But there was, in fact, a test vote. It wasnt the type of "no confidence" vote engineered by Greene to "vacate the chair" and force tumult in the House, requiring another election for speaker. Instead, the House took a "confidence" vote in Johnson: the vote on Ukraine. While scores of Republicans abandoned Johnson on the Ukraine measure, 193 Republicans voted "yes" on the bill to help Israel. And 186 Republicans voted on the combination bill to curb the use of TikTok in the U.S. and impose sanctions on Iran. More Democrats voted for the bill to aid Taiwan than Republicans. But that bill still earned 178 GOP approvals. Scores of Republicans abandoned Johnson on the Ukraine measure. But 193 Republicans voted yes on the bill to help Israel. So, Johnson remains the speaker for now. He still has his enemies in the House. "Im frustrated that there was zero border security in the bill," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. "Its mind-bogglingly stupid to put that on the floor." Johnson's opponents said they want the speaker issue to smolder over the next few weeks. They believe there will be an uprising from the public over what Johnson did. That, they hope, will compel Republicans who are quiet now to turn against him. RAND PAUL CALLS ON SPEAKER JOHNSON TO TAKE UP BOLDER STANCE AGAINST DEMOCRATS: SHOW SOME COJONES "Honestly, its tough to defend [Johnson] right now," said Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., one of eight House Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy from his job last fall. "I definitely sense that theres a souring to Republican leadership." Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said many Republicans were suffering from buyers remorse about Johnson, following the bedlam of throwing out McCarthy last year. "Im frustrated that there was zero border security in the bill," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, outraged that the House forged ahead on Ukraine aid. "Its mind-bogglingly stupid to put that on the floor." "We had a fight. We had a process. We tried to select the speaker," said Good. "We ended up selecting a candidate who has failed us." Republicans spent 22 days trying to land on a speaker after kicking out McCarthy. In the process, they incinerated three other candidates before they got to Johnson: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. This is why House Republicans are exhausted at the constant pandemonium. Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kan., just announced he is retiring at the end of this term. LaTurner, 36, is only in his second term. "I just dont think we need that turmoil right now," said Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn. "You don't replace somebody unless you got to a surefire consensus [candidate] coming in behind. And we don't." Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., conceded that support for Johnson was "softening up." But Burchett added that "time is a healer." However, he noted that "sometimes opens up wounds." When the GOP secured the majority in the fall of 2022, many Republicans asserted they wanted the House to "work its will." They wanted members to be in charge, diminishing power from the leadership. They abhorred how former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ran the House with an iron fist. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., conceded that support for Johnson was "softening up." But Republicans often find themselves in contradictory positions about how the House operates. Its a point not lost on House Republican Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore, R-Utah. "We wanted to give power down. We wanted to decentralize the power," said Moore. "But when things dont go exactly the way [some members hope], they want the speaker to influence every ounce of power that he has. Its a little bit of a double standard." Translation: Some conservatives only want the House to "work its will" when it suits them. In total, 311 House members voted for the Ukraine bill; 366 voted for the Israel bill; 385 voted for the Taiwan bill; and 360 members voted for the TikTok/Iran sanctions bill. That's more than two-thirds of the House on each bill and well above the threshold to even override a presidential veto if one were in play (certainly not the case here). Thats why Johnson survives right now. The House worked its will. And Johnson was willing to let it work its will even if that could undermine him later on. Original article source: Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Johnson's foreign aid package his '3rd betrayal' of American people Marjorie Taylor Greene makes wild claim that Democrats want Trump to be murdered in jail Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has wildly claimed, without any evidence, that Democrats want Donald Trump to be murdered in jail. The right-wing lawmaker made the remarks during an interview with Infowars host Alex Jones, in which she suggested that the four criminal cases Mr Trump is facing - including an ongoing trial where he has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts relating to alleged hush money payments - are an intentional effort by his political rivals to imprison the former president until he dies. She added that Democrats are also attempting to strip Mr Trump of his presidential Secret Service detail to accomplish their goal. They want to lock him up in jail for the rest of his life so that he dies in jail, she told Jones, a conspiracy theorist who owes the families of Sandy Hook victims $1.5bn. And they want to take away his Secret Service protection so that he is murdered somewhere in jail, possibly. This is how serious they are, she added. Ms Greene was referencing a bill proposed last week by Mississippi Democrat Rep Bennie Thompson - the former chairman of the House January 6 Select Committee - that aims to strip Secret Service protections from former government officials convicted of a felony. Firebrand Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed that Democrats want Donald Trump to be murdered in jail (Getty Images) The bill, titled the DISGRACED Act, was co-signed by eight other Democrats and would force the Secret Service to relinquish protective duties to prison personnel. Unfortunately, current law doesnt anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee - even a former President, Rep Thompson said in a statement in April. Therefore, it is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatmentand that those who are sentenced to prison will indeed serve the time required of them. It is not the first time Ms Greene has suggested that the criminal cases against the former president were manufactured by Democrats to kill him by putting him behind bars. Bidens DOJ is trying to put [President] Trump in prison for the rest of his life which would be a death sentence, she wrote in a post on X in February. Mr Trump, 77, is currently on trial in New York accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an alleged bid to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He allegedly paid Ms Daniels, 45, $130,000 in October 2016 in exchange for her silence over a 2006 affair the actress claimed they had. Mr Trump denies the affair and all of the charges brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. If he is convicted of all 34 counts, he could theoretically face more than a decade in prison, according to CNN chief legal analyst Laura Coates. He is also involved in two other criminal cases related to his alleged attempts to conspire to overturn the result of the 2020 election and another case related to retaining classified documents. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him, and has slammed the legal proceedings as a witch hunt. This sentiment was echoed by Ms Greene during her interview this week, in which she called the criminal cases against Mr Trump rigged. Ms Greene, who is also a conspiracy theorist, has historically been one of Mr Trumps most vocal supporters. She previously claimed that the 2020 election was stolen but admitted she had no evidence of election fraud. Meanwhile, during a town hall meeting last year, Ms Greene seemingly approved of a call to execute her political opponents for treason. Before being elected to Congress in 2020, she accused then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of being guilty of treason, noting that it is a crime punishable by death. Tourists play with a cat at Lycabettus hill as the city of Athens with the ancient Acropolis hill is seen at the background, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The Acropolis and other Athens landmarks took on Martian hues Tuesday as stifling dust clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Greek capital. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) ATHENS, Greece (AP) Skies over southern Greece turned an orange hue on Tuesday as dust clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks. Strong southerly winds carried the dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the atmosphere of the Greek capital a Martian-like filter in the last hours of daylight. The skies are predicted to clear on Wednesday as winds shift and move the dust, with temperatures dipping. On Tuesday, the daily high in parts of the southern island of Crete topped 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), more than 20 degrees C higher than what was registered in much of northern Greece. The strong southerly winds over the past few days have also fanned unseasonal early wildfires in the country's south. The fire service said Tuesday evening that a total 25 wildfires broke out across the country in the past 24 hours. Three people were arrested on the Aegean Sea resort island of Paros on suspicion of accidentally starting a scrub blaze on Monday, it added. No significant damage or injuries were reported, and the fire was quickly contained. Another blaze that broke out on Crete near a naval base was brought under control Tuesday. Greece suffers devastating, and often deadly, forest blazes every summer, and last year the country recorded the European Union's largest wildfire in more than two decades. Persistent drought combined with high spring temperatures has raised fears of a particularly challenging period for firefighters in the coming months. BALTIMORE Gov. Wes Moore issued an executive order Monday establishing an environmental literacy program in an effort to empower Maryland youth to conserve and restore the states natural resources in the face of climate change. We owe it to the people of Maryland to keep our drinking water clean, keep our air safe, and preserve our national treasures from the Western Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, Moore, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday evening. Moore announced the creation of the Maryland Outdoor Learning Partnership, which is charged with conducting a review of climate change education efforts and providing recommendations to ensure students engage with the environment and have access to environmental education. The partnership, which will absorb the Project Green Classrooms program, incorporates a bevy of executive agencies including the departments of natural resources, education, health and transportation that will work with nonprofits like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the National Aquarium and the National Wildlife Federation. It will be co-chaired by Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz and State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright, or their designees, and will meet monthly. Moore signed the Earth Day executive order at the Maryland Department of the Environment headquarters in Baltimore, where he also discussed agency-led efforts to combat climate change and reduce pollution. He also participated in a tree planting ceremony. The executive order acknowledged that communities around the state and its natural resources, like the Chesapeake Bay, face current challenges that are likely to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change, and that Marylanders must be educated and prepared to enter into a green job economy in order to thrive. It also said that student engagement outdoors increases achievement, improves their health and encourages them to engage in their communities. The partnership will hold an annual meeting, during which one or more student representatives attending K-12 school programs will assess the status of their work, which is to be compiled in an annual report. Young people are already our greatest asset in tackling our climate challenges because they understand the threat, said Serena McIlwain, the secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment. Now we are giving them the tools. _____ Benton County was hit hard by a massive warehouse fire in Finley on Sunday, April 21, which has left a blanket of smoke across the county in the days since. An estimated 65 people across 25 households were evacuated as the fire raged, according to the Red Cross. The Lineage Logistics frozen food warehouse burned throughout the day and sparked several smaller fires nearby. As we near closer to the wildfire season in eastern Washington, its important to stay prepared for emergency situations, through evacuation plans and preventative measures. What do you need to know, and do, ahead of wildfire season to stay the most prepared? Fire evacuation levels in WA Most counties in Washington use the Ready, Set, Go evacuation level system, the only exceptions are Clallam and Wahkiakum. The system has three distinct evacuation levels. Level One - Ready A level one evacuation notice serves as a warning to residents that danger exists in their area. When this occurs, you should assemble your go bag, if you havent already, coordinate a plan with your household and frequently check for updates from local agencies and media. Evacuations are not required at this time. However, anyone who is sensitive to smoke may consider leaving, as well as pet owners and others with special needs during a fire. Level Two - Set A level two evacuation notice means there is significant danger. Your go bag should be on hand, ready to go. Continue to check for updates, as temporary shelters are generally available at this stage. If you choose to wait out a level two evacuation notice, you should be ready to evacuate at any moment. Level Three - Go A level three evacuation notice means you must evacuate immediately, and the threat has become imminent. Emergency services may not be able to help residents who do not evacuate at level three. Area residents are not recommended to gather personal items or protect their property at this point, but to leave within moments of the notice. Fire evacuation go bag checklist What should you get for your go bag? If time permits, the Department of Natural Resources Wildfire Evacuation Plan recommends the six Ps to have ready in case of fire emergency: People and pets Papers, phone numbers, important documents Prescriptions, vitamins, glasses Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia Personal computer hard drive and disks Plastic (credit cards, ATM) and cash The Ready for Wildfire organization also offers a go bag checklist: Face masks/coverings for smoke Three-day supply of nonperishable food (plus pet food and water, if applicable) Three gallons of water per person Map with evacuation routes Prescriptions, special medications Change of clothes Extra glasses, contact lenses Extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or travelers checks First aid kit Flashlight Battery-powered radio and extra batteries Sanitation supplies Copies of important documents Priceless items If youre in an early evacuation level before going to bed, make sure to turn on your phones sound, in case you receive an emergency notification. Keep a flashlight and sturdy shoes nearby in case you have to get up and immediately evacuate. When you leave your home, cover up to protect yourself. Depending on the fires proximity, you may have to dress in long clothing and cover exposed skin. Be mindful of smoke inhalation and keep masks on hand. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said that a realistic way for Ukraine to win is to stabilize the situation in the east of the country. Another way to victory would be to get closer to the European Union and NATO. ADVERTISIMENT He made this statement at a briefing in Kyiv. James O'Brien is convinced that it is important to ensure stability in the east, which requires artillery and other military equipment, as well as strengthening the defense. In addition, it is important to make sure that the will to fight is maintained there are people who are ready to defend the country and destabilize Russian firing positions. O'Brien also noted that this year Ukraine has to make two important changes in its global status, which will be key steps towards Ukraine's victory. "These are the most important elements. While this is happening, this year Ukraine will have two important changes in its global position: it will start negotiations with the European Union on accession and NATO will establish what we will call a bridge, a kind of clear path to NATO membership," he explained. ADVERTISIMENT The politician added that a realistic approach to Ukraine's victory is to focus on the important elements that will contribute to the country's stability and its approximation to international alliances that open up new opportunities for protection and development. "I think this is the way forward. However, I will not prejudge what my boss and the defense minister will decide on the final strategy. But this is the way I have been talking about it, and I think it is a very realistic way to a Ukrainian victory," he said. As reported by OBOZ.UA, on April 20, the US House of Representatives supported a package of assistance to Ukraine worth more than $60 billion by 311 votes. The Pentagon said that they need less than a week to transfer the first part of the US aid to the front line in Ukraine. On Tuesday, April 23, the final vote on the bill is expected in the Senate. ADVERTISIMENT The EU has also announced its intention to provide more aid to Ukraine, and the successful vote in the US was called a clear signal to Moscow. In Russia, the US approval of the law on military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan was called "interference in internal affairs." The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that American support would only "exacerbate the global crisis." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass revealed her proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The total allocated in her proposal is $12.8 billion, which is a 2.3% decrease from the current fiscal year. Bass new financial budget would reduce spending by the city on the key issue of homelessness. Bass program Inside Safe focuses on helping to provide shelter for some of the estimated 46,000 unhoused individuals in L.A. In her newest proposal, Bass earmarked $185 million for the Inside Safe program, down from the $250 million she requested for the current fiscal year. The budget proposal also sets aside $28 million for programs to help unhoused individuals who are part of the Inside Side plan find permanent housing. Bass newest plan would also provide more resources to aid local families who may be in danger of losing their homes. For this fiscal year, the budget set aside $3.2 million for Family Source centers, which is a fraction of the $17 million Bass hopes to secure for families that are on the verge of experiencing homelessness in the next fiscal year. Another part of Bass proposed budget is to increase funding to recruit more officers to the Los Angeles Police Department. The plan is to put $138 million more into law enforcement and increase the number of officers from the current count of 8,832 to 9,084. City officials have seen dwindling numbers of new recruits who want to join the LAPD. Bass goal is to have 9,500 officers on staff by 2028. Some of the other highlights of Bass proposed budget for the next fiscal year include: Decreasing funding by roughly $23 million for the Los Angeles Fire Department. An estimated $3 million for L.A. Rise, a program that aims to provide subsidized job opportunities to unhoused individuals. $35.7 million for sidewalk improvements around the city. $2.2 million to increase the number of crossing guards in the Los Angeles Unified School District by 128. Basss proposed budget will now go to L.A. City Council for approval. The new fiscal year begins on July 1. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) blasted conservative commentator Tucker Carlson on Tuesday for playing a leading role in demonizing the idea of sending military aid to Ukraine, saying the former Fox News host wound up where he should have been all along when he gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a megaphone during a fawning interview earlier this year. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which was interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said, referring to Carlsons two-hour interview with Putin in February, which drew widespread criticism for not challenging Putins dubious claims and declarations. He convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake, he said. Putin dominated most of the interview with Carlson, hardly giving him a chance to ask questions as he rambled about Russian history, the breakup of the Soviet Union and the threat of Soviet expansion. The Russian president later disparaged the experience by saying he didnt get complete satisfaction from the interview because he didnt get any tough questions. To be honest, I thought that he would behave aggressively and ask so-called sharp questions. I was not just prepared for this, I wanted it, because it would give me the opportunity to respond in the same way, Putin said afterward. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the interview ludicrous at the time. We must not fall for this tissue of lies above all for the notion that Putin is somehow fated to succeed in Ukraine, Johnson said in a video posted in February by the Daily Mail. Carlson defended the interview earlier this year. And by the way, I should just say at the outset, Ive been accused of being pro-Putin, and Im not, he argued during an appearance on Glenn Becks BlazeTV+ program in February. And if I was, thats OK, too. Im an adult man, an American citizen, I can like or dislike anyone I want. I can have any opinion I want. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., praises support for Ukraine as the Senate is on track to pass $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Carlson has been a leading critic of U.S. involvement in the war since before he left Fox and appeared to have a significant impact on Republican views of the war, something McConnell acknowledged Tuesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told Carlson a year ago that the war was not a vital national interest. While the U.S. has many vital national interests becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them, DeSantis said in a statement provided to Tucker Carlson Tonight more than a year ago. DeSantis came under heavy criticism and later walked back the statement. Top Stories from The Hill Other senior Republicans have voiced concern about the infiltration of what they view as Russian propaganda in conservative media and among their partys base. We see directly coming from Russia communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor, House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) told CNNs State of the Union earlier this month. Even before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Carlson called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who was democratically elected a dictator, and asked why the United States wasnt siding with Russia in the conflict. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Tuesday said the months-long delay in sending military aid to Ukraine has undermined its chances of defeating Russia on the battlefield and was premised on what he called the sheer fiction perpetuated by some colleagues that supporting Ukraine is not a vital national security interest. So much of the hesitation and shortsightedness that has delayed this moment is premised on sheer fiction. And I take no pleasure in rebutting misguided fantasies, McConnell said in a floor speech responding to colleagues in both chambers who have dragged out consideration of military aid for Ukraine since President Biden requested it in October. Make no mistake: Delay in providing Ukraine the weapons to defend itself has strained the prospects of defeating Russian aggression. Dithering and hesitation have compounded the challenges we face, he declared. McConnell aimed his pointed remarks at critics within his party including Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) who have argued the Ukraine aid package wont turn the tide of the war and have questioned whether the United States even has the industrial capacity to enable Ukraine to match Russias arsenal of drones, missiles and 155 mm artillery shells. Vance wrote in a New York Times op-ed last month the math on Ukraine doesnt add up. Fundamentally, we lack the capacity to manufacture the amount of weapons Ukraine needs to supply to win the war, he wrote. But McConnell on Tuesday reiterated his argument that the $95 billion foreign aid package will bolster U.S. arms production as well as the domestic economy. Across Europe, the acceleration of defense spending is outpacing our own. And right now, allies and partners from Europe to the Indo-Pacific have contracted more than $100 billion dollars worth of cutting-edge American weapons and capabilities, he noted. Our allies across the world are buying expensive, sophisticated American weapons, produced in American factories by American workers. Do my colleagues really think that will continue if America decides that global leadership is too heavy a burden? he asked. McConnell also warned colleagues about the stakes for U.S. national security, warning that abandoning the war in Ukraine would only embolden the nations adversaries, including Iran and China. Failure to reestablish deterrence against Iran means encouraging unchecked terrorist violence against American personnel, our ally Israel, and the international commerce that underpins our prosperity, he said. And failure to match the pacing threat the Peoples Republic of China means jeopardizing the entire system of alliances that preserve American interests and reinforce American leadership, he added. McConnell said fellow senators who dismiss the value of U.S. alliances ignore what history teaches about times when we lacked such friendships. And he noted that U.S. allies such as Japan fully understand the potential reverberations of Russian victory in Ukraine and what it would likely mean for Chinese ambitions in the Far East. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged lawmakers during an address to Congress earlier this month not to doubt what he called the United Statess indispensable role in world affairs. McConnell echoed that view in his remarks Tuesday. American prosperity and security are the products of decades of American leadership, he said. And he argued our global interests come with global responsibilities and that healthy alliances lighten the burden of these responsibilities. And at the end of the day, the primary language of strategic competition is strength, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. PROVIDENCE Gov. Dan McKee wants to tap unspent federal pandemic aid for a down payment on a new westbound Washington Bridge, to help businesses hurt by the shutdown of the old span and to boost services for Rhode Islanders without a place to live. In a flurry of amendments to his state budget plan for next year, McKee on Monday asked lawmakers to spend: $20 million on the state's share of new Washington Bridge construction $24 million to replenish the state's unemployment insurance trust fund $16.6 million on homeless services $1.3 million on businesses hurt by the bridge's closing He plans to get that money by canceling $35 million in federal funding that had been ticketed for an East Providence wind turbine port and tapping $20 million that had been set aside in case there is a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic. More: A report warned the state about the Washington Bridge in 2015. Why was nothing done? He also wants to shift $6.6 million in federal funding between housing programs and apply the state's hotel tax to the short-term rental of homes. Taxing full-home rentals like room rentals would generate $5 million per year toward funding homeless services in the long term, according to a news release from the governor's office. My administration is committed to improving the housing outlook for Rhode Islanders whether they are experiencing housing insecurity, seeking rentals that families can afford or working toward first-time home ownership, McKee said in the release. McKee's amendments would pull the plug on $35 million he celebrated in a pre-primary election day groundbreaking in 2020 on the South Quay Marine Terminal Project. The project, which includes a staging area for offshore wind turbine construction off Veterans Memorial Parkway, is still in the planning stages and looked increasingly likely not to meet the American Rescue Plan's deadlines to use the federal money by the end of 2026. Despite no longer being able to use the federal pandemic cash, developers of South Quay say the project is alive and moving forward. "We are excited about the project and fully committed to the project," Bill Fischer, spokesman for Waterson Terminal Services, said Monday about South Quay. "As good partners, there was an obligation to point out where this project was and how that compared to federal deadlines ... It looks to me like [the state] is making an informed decision that preserves federal funding." Traffic moves on the eastbound span of the Washington Bridge. `Facing catastrophe' as homeless populations continue to swell McKee's decision to boost federal funding for shelter and other homeless services comes as advocates and social service providers warned of a budget "cliff" looming at the start of the new fiscal year July 1 and prior appropriations of federal COVID aid running out. More: Washington Bridge crashes skyrocket after westbound closure. Here's the data. This year the state is spending $45.5 million of its $1.1 billion in American Rescue Plan cash on programs to ease homelessness. "Rhode Island is experiencing an unprecedented level of homelessness, and unfortunately we are facing catastrophe if the legislature and governor do not act soon to fund shelters," said a news release from the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness. As rents have climbed and more people have been unable to find a place to live, Rhode Island has increased shelter capacity from 652 in January 2020 to 1,680 this February, according to the coalition. The Department of Housing reports 1,390 beds open currently. But funding to keep those beds open is in jeopardy once federal funding runs out. The coalition has scheduled a rally Tuesday to ask for $30 million in additional spending. The $1.3 million in "grants or other business supports" to establishments hurt by the closing of the westbound Washington Bridge includes $600,000 to be distributed by East Providence, $400,000 by Providence and $300,000 for businesses elsewhere in the state. It is in addition to the $400,000 marketing campaign to encourage people not to abandon places of business out of fear of having to cross the Seekonk River. It is not yet clear how much it will cost to tear down the old bridge span and build a new one. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: McKee seeks to spend COVID cash on Washington Bridge repair, shelter beds CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) McLeod Health announced Monday afternoon its plans to open a new hospital in Carolina Forest. The new hospital will be an expansion of its current Carolina Forest campus off International Drive and Highway 31. Youve got to take care of the health of those people that are coming here, and we want to be that partner that helps to do that in Horry County, President and CEO Donna Isgett said. Its current Carolina Forest campus opened in 2016 and serves as an outpatient emergency department, primary care and specialty services. McLeod now wants to expand its campus to offer in-patient services. The new hospital will be a $56 million, four-story and 48-bed facility. Scott Montgomery, hospital CEO for McLeod Loris and Carolina Forest, says the new hospital will allow it to serve a variety of needs. Being a resident here in Carolina Forest myself, I want to receive care close to home, and so this allows residents here in Carolina Forest and the Grand Strand to stay close to home, Montgomery said. Officials said it will be the first new hospital built in the county since 2011. It will have operating suites, diagnostic imaging and laboratory services. McLeod said its seen more than 100,000 patients just in the past year at its Carolina Forest campus. Officials like Horry County Council chair Johnny Gardner said the county is growing every day and this new hospital will make sure its ahead in medical care. We are adding police and fire and E-911 everyday that we can and now were adding hospitals to make sure that we got the whole package, Gardner said. Officials said the new hospital will provide around 300 more jobs to the community. State Sen. Luke Rankin attended the unveiling and said South Carolina, especially Horry County, is growing in the right direction. Youve got to meet the needs of this growing economy, Rankin said. Its a great problem to have, its a great place to be where people want to be. McLeod officials said they plan to break ground this May and open in the spring 2026. * * * Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work, here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) Gov. Henry McMaster last week reiterated his opposition of labor unions, joining GOP leaders from five other southern states in speaking out against organization efforts in the automotive industry. The reality is companies have choices when it comes to where to invest and bring jobs and opportunity, the statement opens. It was signed April 16 by McMaster and the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. We have worked tirelessly on behalf of our constituents to bring good-paying jobs to our states. These jobs have become part of the fabric of the automotive manufacturing industry. Starbucks takes on the federal labor agency before the US Supreme Court In South Carolina, automotive manufacturing brings $27 billion in annual economic impact and employs more than 82,000 people across 500 companies, according to a state Department of Commerce snapshot. The UAW late last year announced plans to target non-union automakers across the south. The organization scored its first victory on Friday, when Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn. voted to join. People in high places told us good things cant happen here in Chattanooga, plant worker Kelcey Smith said in a statement released by UAW. They told us this isnt the time to stand up, this isnt the place. But we did stand up and we won. This is the time; this is the place. Southern workers are ready to stand up and win a better life. Next month, 5,000 employees at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama will hold a UAW membership vote. The experience in our states is when employees have a direct relationship with their employers, that makes for a more positive working environment, the jointly signed letter said. They can advocate for themselves and what is important to them without outside influence. The UAW has come in making big promises to our constituents that they cant deliver on. Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area >> Latest stories here South Carolina has the nations lowest unionization rate, at 1.7%. Protecting our right-to-work status and reputation as a business-friendly state is crucial to our states continued economic success and prosperity, S.C. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Bob Morgan said in a newsletter last week. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Greece is preparing to give Ukraine at least one Patriot air defense system, the Greek media outlet Pronews reported on April 22, citing government sources. The figure could possibly be two, the source added. The news follows a story by the Financial Times (FT) on April 22, in which official sources said that Greece and Spain were under specific pressure from the EU to provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine. "European leaders personally urged Spanish and Greek prime ministers Pedro Sanchez and Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a summit in Brussels last week to donate air defense systems to Ukraine, according to people briefed on the discussions," the FT wrote. "The two leaders, whose armed forces possess between them more than a dozen Patriot systems plus others such as S-300s, were told that their needs were not as great as Ukraine's and that they did not face any imminent threats." Government sources told Pronews that the U.S. had provided an undisclosed "guarantee" regarding the possible provision of the Patriot systems, and assurances of assistance against any threat from Turkey, Greece's primary geopolitical foe. The U.S. also reportedly promised that any damaged Greek Patriot systems would be replaced. Escalating Russian strikes and resulting civilian casualties underscore Ukraine's dire need for additional air defenses, and while the potential passing of the U.S. aid bill should alleviate some of the need, President Volodymyr Zelensky told an online session of the NATO-Ukraine Council on April 19 that European countries can still do more. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Greece has committed 185 million euros ($197 million) to Ukraine as of February 2024. Read also: Tusk rules out sending Patriots to Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Melania Trumps soft launch back onto the campaign trailor at least the fundraising circuitbegan in earnest over the weekend, with the former first lady making an appearance for Log Cabin Republicans at a quiet Mar-a-Lago event. Although she was with former President Donald Trump for a high-dollar soiree in Palm Beach earlier this month, Melanias Saturday evening cameo for gay Republicans was her first solo appearance this election cycle. And as far as headliners for LGBT conservatives, the former first lady was a major get, as the Log Cabin Republicans group officially kicks off its 2024 election season. Melaniawearing a black Michael Kors pantsuit with a taut black belt and a pair of Christian Louboutin heels to matchwas introduced by gay Republican Ric Grenell, who served in the Trump administration and is now a shadow secretary of state for Trump. (Grenell was Trumps U.S. ambassador to Germany before becoming acting Director of National Intelligence for three months, making him the first openly gay person to serve in a presidential Cabinet.) In a brief video clip of the event, Melania is seen making her entrance to politebut notably lightapplause. She then stands about six feet from a lectern as Grenell awkwardly fumbles with the microphone before introducing her. The gathering was large enough that they used a microphone, but small enough that they didnt really seem to need one. Throughout the entire clip, the crowd is so quiet that you can hear some version of hotel lobby muzak. Melania Trump begins her speech last night to the Log Cabin (LBGT+) Republicans at Mar-a-Lago. pic.twitter.com/cB4EvSCVN5 Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 21, 2024 While the event didnt draw many people, it did get some notable names. In attendance was Trump attorney Alina Habba, Trump campaign senior adviser Lynne Patton, and Caitlyn Jenner, as well as Jenners manager, Sophia Hutchins, whos a Trump 2024 surrogate and convention delegate. Hutchins told The Daily Beast the former first lady was electric in her solo return. Melania is a very private figure, and her public appearances never disappoint, said Hutchins, a Log Cabin Republicans board member. But the former first ladys much-anticipated return to the trail was only for a select few. According to a source familiar with the planning, there were only about 60 people in attendanceincluding staff. The event was so small that the gathering was held in the resorts tea room, right off the main living room at Mar-a-Lago. (A pair of weddings occupied the main ballrooms at Mar-a-Lago Saturday night, leaving the Log Cabin group with limited options, the source said.) Also notable about the crowd was the gender breakdown. It was roughly 60 percent women in attendance, the source said. That brief video from the event indeed shows a scant crowd, with only 28 people appearing in a clip that an attendee posted to Instagram. Democratic influencer and former Florida attorney Ron Filipkowksi later posted that video to X. Wheres Melania?: Shes Not Standing by Her Man at Trial For those who ponied up to see Melania, they not only helped the LGBT members in ramping up their political activities for the cycle; they also showed whos in the former first ladys corner, as she remains one of the biggest enigmas in Trumpworld. Its still unclear how often Melania will be appearing on the campaign traileither with her husband or on her ownbut its now obvious Melania wont entirely sit out the 2024 campaign. The former first lady also showed she can still get a decent bang for her buck with a short appearance, something the cash-strapped Trump campaign desperately needs. The source familiar with the planning said the Log Cabin Republicans took in over $1 million in pledged donations within 24 hours of the event. Each attendee, this person said, gave between $10,000 and $250,000, with the proceeds going to a get-out-the-vote effort for the gay GOP group. Mar-a-Lago members also covered costs for putting on the event, the source added. While Melanias appearance is certainly notable for the 2024 campaign, perhaps more notable is that the former first lady has recently staffed up. Republicans familiar with her moves told The Daily Beast that Melania has now hired her own campaign aides, an outside public relations team, and another set of staff separate from her husbands post-presidency office. The Trumps Arent Style Icons. That Title Belongs to This Pair The combination of the former first lady and the Log Cabin Republicans was an interesting one, given Melanias general aversion to political appearances and the LGBTQ communitys complicated relationship with the GOP. As The Daily Beast previously reported, then-RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel faced a call for her resignation over the RNC hosting an event for the Log Cabin Republicans back in 2021, later leading to an RNC spokesperson issuing a statement declaring that McDaniel made it abundantly clear that this does not mean we are advocating for any policy or RNC platform change. Although the event Saturday wasnt anywhere close to as packed as other events at Mar-a-Lago, those who did show up signaled their loyalty to the former first lady. Hutchins, who invited Habba and Patton as her guests, said she wanted them there to demonstrate how the former presidents most loyal right hands will also be there for his wife during a tough election year. Ive been around Melania for over a decade, socially, and obviously since her husband entered politics, Hutchins said. Shes always had that mystique about her. But whenever she gets into a room with people she is electric, and we saw that on Saturday night. She was truly electric, Hutchins continued. Happy. Energetic. And, I think, quite frankly, thrilled to be there with a group of people there to support her. 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. Melania Trump Hosts Caitlyn Jenner At Event Set Up To Win Over LGBTQ Voters For Donald Trump Melania Trump is finally offering her support for her husband, Donald Trump's 2024 presidential election bid. The former first lady returned to the campaign trail and hosted top celebrities, including Caitlyn Jenner and Dr. Oz, at an exclusive fundraiser for Trump at their Mar-a-Lago estate. Melania has been noticeably absent from the campaign trail after reports suggested she didn't like attending Trump's political events and rallies. Melania Trump Hosts Private Fundraiser For Donald Trump At Mar-a-Lago MEGA Melania made her grand return to the campaign trail, playing host to some top celebrities and prominent GOP members for the Log Cabin Republicans at her Mar-a-lago residence. The event, which was held at the Tea Room of the private Palm Beach Club, hosted about 60 guests, with Bill White and Bryan Eure serving as co-hosts. Celebrities in attendance included Caitlyn Jenner, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Elizabeth Ailes, and other Palm Beach and NYC GOP bigshots. Ticket prices reportedly went as high as $50,000, with the proceeds being earmarked for Trump and other Republican party candidates' 2024 election bids. The Event Was Set Up To 'Raise Funds' To Help Target Potential LGBTQ+ Voters MEGA Trump's ambassador to Germany and former director of national intelligence, Richard Grenell, reportedly "presided over the event and introduced Mrs. Trump to the podium." A source told Page Six that the event was "raising funds to inform voters in crucial swing states about President Trump's LGBT record and his goals for his second term." "Grenell unveiled [Melania's] leadership role in what will be an unprecedented outreach initiative to gay and lesbian voters the most significant of any Republican presidential candidate in American history," an attendee shared. Melania Trump Was Previously Absent From The Campaign Trail MEGA Melania's private event comes as a major boost for her husband's potential second-term bid after she set tongues wagging for her absence from the spotlight and campaign trail. Until she made a rare appearance with the former president to cast her ballot in the Florida presidential primary, Melania had been absent from the campaign trail. She was last seen supporting Donald's reelection bid at his campaign launch event in November 2022. She was absent from his election night watch party last month at their Mar-a-Lago resort and is yet to stand by his side at any of his many court appearances over several charges. In March, a reporter asked her whether she would be returning to the campaign trail, to which she replied, "Stay tuned," with a charming smile. At the time, MAGA supporters were unsure what the former first lady meant by "stay tuned." However, with her recent event for the Log Cabin Republicans, it is clear that Melania was hinting at her return to the Trump campaign trail. Melania Trump Has 'Been The Rock' Of The Trump Family MEGA While Trump has been present for every day of his criminal trial in the company of his lawyers, his wife, Melania, has been noticeably absent on each occasion. This caused many to speculate that the former model was leaving her husband to face his trouble alone. However, a source close to the couple has revealed that this is not the case and that Melania is "there for him." "She's not going anywhere. She's there for him," a source told the DailyMail. "They're going through it together. She's been the rock of the family." She Is 'Ready To Be First Lady Again' MEGA Melania's 180-degree turn is reportedly due to her desire to become the first lady again. The Slovenian-born former model and her husband recently attended billionaire John Paulson's fundraiser for Trump, which raised over $50 million, as sources claim that the mother-of-one played a major role in the event. "Melania Trump emerged as the main star at the Republican fund-raiser at John Paulson's $100 million house in Palm Beach," a source told Page Six. They continued, "The former first lady, who usually appears quite serious in photographs, seemed to never stop smiling Saturday night and was charming and talkative to all the guests . . . She's ready to be first lady again and clearly enjoyed the evening." "Melania enjoys being a hostess . . . She's very supportive of her husband's campaign and as we get closer to the final months, you can expect to see her more at key events," the GOP tipster added. The 2024 presidential election isnt Melania Trumps first time at the rodeo, so she is making sure that her needs are taken care of shes writing the rules. The former first lady, who has been notably absent from the campaign trail over the last year, is finally signaling that shes ready to help Donald Trump try and win the White House again. Her first major appearance was what The Daily Beast described as a soft launch back into the public eye after she headlined the Log Cabin Republicans fundraising event over the weekend. It was a small, quiet crowd filled with approximately 60 conservative members of the LGBTQ+ community. It was not a grand affair in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom, but it was a controlled environment in a small tea room. Melania smiled and looked relaxed in the video clip seen on X, and thats reportedly how she prefers her campaign events. More from SheKnows Melania Trump begins her speech last night to the Log Cabin (LBGT+) Republicans at Mar-a-Lago. pic.twitter.com/cB4EvSCVN5 Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 21, 2024 Nowadays she is less in view except under very controlled circumstances, a Trump family insider told The Times. She has dinner at Mar-a-Lago but doesnt mingle and hobnob with people like he does. Its a safe zone for him. She doesnt view it as a safe zone. The Log Cabin Republicans event definitely fell into those parameters, but The Daily Beast is pointing out a few signs that Melania might be ready for more Washington, D.C. action. The media outlet noted that Melania has hired personal campaign staffers to assist with upcoming events, along with an outside public relations team and more aides not related to Donald Trumps post-presidential life. Its the first major move Melania has made that indicates that shes on board with her husbands political ambitions, and its a marked turn of events after hibernating behind the walls of Mar-a-Lago for much of the last three years. Her supporters seem to be thrilled to have her back in action for the contentious battle ahead. Ive been around Melania for over a decade, socially, and obviously since her husband entered politics, Caitlyn Jenners manager Sophia Hutchins said after seeing her back in action this weekend. Shes always had that mystique about her. But whenever she gets into a room with people she is electric, and we saw that on Saturday night. And, I think, quite frankly, thrilled to be there with a group of people there to support her. Only time will tell how much Melania has bought into Donald Trumps campaign because theres only six months left in the presidential race. Before you go, click here to see quotes that prove Melania Trump is a lot like her husband. Melania Trump Donald Trump Quotes Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Aerial shot of London at night. A large black car moves down the ring road. It is driven by actor Peter Capaldi. He has a couple in the back seat who make fun of his undertakers face. Capaldi remains silent, ignores them and smiles without smiling, his eyes half-closed, attentive to everything and detached from the world at the same time. He is still recognizable from his role in Doctor Who: he captained the Tardis between 2013 and 2017, being the 12th actor to play the role. On British TV, being a Doctor is equivalent to being James Bond. It marks an actors character, like the priesthood, and is very similar to a pontificate. Once youve been a Doctor, youre a Doctor for life, all subsequent characters are stained. Thats why it is audacious to have Capaldi wander around a London at night: the viewer expects him to be heading for the Tardis or facing a space-time threat, but Capaldi just drives, smiles without smiling and watches without looking. Who is he, where is he going, what is he hiding and what is this all about? Only a minute has passed, a dozen short shots have followed and nothing has happened, but Im already inside and I dont want to get out. Capaldi hasnt said a word yet and Im already certain that Criminal Record is a great series. How do they do that? As a viewer addicted to British detective shows, sometimes I think they cross the border of sleight of hand and enter the realm of magic. Their greatest mystery is not the crimes they solve, but how they manage to make each new series in a genre so codified, hackneyed, exploited, re-masticated and with more platitudes than there are flowers in April and May seem new and audacious. Every year, when this newspaper asks me for a list of my 10 favorite series, four or five British detective shows always come up. The American shows sometimes bore me, and the critically acclaimed Nordic series make me laugh. The French ones are good to watch if you want to have a nap, and when it comes to Spanish shows, some work and others dont. But I cant get enough of British crime shows. I think even the bad ones are good. When I dont know which series to watch, I take refuge in some dumpy police station in the north of England or the suburbs of Belfast and absorb the adventures of a detective who doesnt know how to dress, is up to his neck in problems and cant deal with the weight of their past. An image from the series 'The Long Shadow.' Movistar Plus+ Criminal Record will be on my list of the best series of 2024. It makes the list because of Capaldis performance, and Cush Jumbos, and because of the mastery with which the plot sustains ambiguity, playing at misdirection in a world of racism and discrimination where few things are what they seem. And perhaps herein lies part of the mystery of why British cop series are always so good: scriptwriters and actors have found in it a masterful way to wade into all of the issues of the world today, and to bring to the public square, from fiction, the anguish and dilemmas of modern-day life. Theyll say that this is what the noir genre has been doing for a long time, and theyll be right, but it is rare to find noir thats so polished, has so many layers, and is so effective at reaching diverse audiences, from the lazy viewer who just want to know who killed her (the conventions of the genre mean that there are many more female victims than male ones), to the intellectual who is on the lookout for the philosophical edges of each sentence. Through the lens of the police procedural, British society has meditated on the effects of Thatchers neoliberal revolution (Happy Valley is the best example, far ahead of Sherwood), the open wounds of IRA terrorism and police corruption (Blue Lights, Line of Duty), the social and cultural decay of picturesque towns (Broadchurch), the crisis of democratic institutions (The Long Shadow and the more political, Collateral, starring Carey Mulligan), the geostrategic insignificance of the United Kingdom in a multipolar world (Vigil) and the epidemic of loneliness and the aging of the population (The Fifth Commandment). In many cases, these shows contribute more wisdom to public debate than op-eds and essays by Oxford professors. The styles range from the frenzied and sometimes banal Jed Mercurio to the proletarian and elegiac poetry of Sally Wainwright. And thats not to mention the thousands of variations on the Sherlock Holmes theme, patron saint of detectives, invoked in elegant and cheeky series of mass consumption, such as Endeavour and Grantchester. The degree of commitment and depth also varies greatly, but even the most banal and commercial of these series encourages a second reading and comes with a veneer of irony. The fascinating thing about the genre is that it looks with inquisitiveness, and almost always with discomfort. It disdains Manichaeism and shuns easy solutions and sermons. Conan Doyle may float on the surface, but deep down, there is almost always a Shakespearean drive. Today, the kings, the Yagos, the Hamlets, the Falstaffs and the Lady MacBeths wear uniforms of the Midlands Police or the London Metropolitan Police and drive on one-lane country roads. Sarah Lancashire as Catherine Cawood in the third season of 'Happy Valley.' Criminal Record by Paul Rutman shoots straight at the racism and poverty of the multicultural suburbs of London (perhaps it is no coincidence that Jim Loach, the son of socially critical director Ken Loach, has directed four episodes). But there is no complacency or doctrine in the story, and that makes it worthy of the police tradition of British television. It is probably, along with The Long Shadow, the last great police procedural. Both confirm that it is a great moment for the genre. No matter how much I look for them, I cant find any signs of wear or decay. The BBC and private companies continue to reign supreme with their agents and detectives, and no police force in the world can overshadow them. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Rhode Island PBS on Park Lane in Providence. (Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) Rhode Island PBS and The Publics Radios will soon be one entity. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced the approval of the merger of the two public media organizations Tuesday after conducting a review to ensure compliance with state law. Elizabeth Delude-Dix, chair of the board of directors of The Publics Radio, thanked the attorney generals office and said in a statement: The Publics Radio and Rhode Island PBS have long provided honest journalism, robust educational programming, and engaging and entertaining content to Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Our impact will be increased and our audience expanded as we take these next exciting steps forward. Torey Malatia, CEO of The Publics Radio, said via email: I agree the new institution has great potential for community service. Now, a new jointly-made board will begin to work with staff from both broadcast stations to align their respective operations and administration, according to a press release from Rhode Island PBS. The Rhode Island PBS s website also posted a job description for a new leadership role specifically, a visionary President and CEO to create an innovative and dynamic 21st century public media institution, with an early deadline of March 1. The Public Radio Conversions Act passed in 2005 and was designed to prevent the commercial sale of The Publics Radio, formerly known as Rhode Island Public Radio. Under the law, the attorney general is responsible for reviewing and authorizing any proposed merger. The November 2023 application noted there is no sale involved in the merger process and that the assets of each party will remain within RIPBS, as the surviving corporation, which will continue as a tax-exempt Rhode Island nonprofit corporation. Public media contributes uniquely and substantially to the quality of life in Rhode Island, and its ongoing vitality is critical, Neronha said in a statement. For many Rhode Islanders, PBS and The Publics Radio have been important local sources of media and as a new combined entity, they will be able to sustain the value they contribute to our state. The merger application was first submitted to Neronhas office on Nov. 16, 2023, and was approved by the Federal Communications Commission on Jan. 5. Supplemental materials were filed with Neronhas office on Jan. 12. After the application was deemed complete on Feb. 7, Neronha had 180 days to OK it after a review process which included public hearings. One in-person session was held Feb. 20, while written comments were accepted through Feb. 29. The merger decision document which is 17 pages long, or over 400 with a series of appendices that includes the original application noted that all nine public comments received were supportive. Stephen Provazza, assistant attorney general, and Alex Carnevale, special assistant attorney general of the Public Protection Bureau, led a review of 31 statutory criteria to determine the mergers legality and feasibility. After reviewing topics like governance, valuation, due diligence, and possible conflicts of interest, the attorney generals office decided the merger is likely to constitute a community benefit, a news release said. PBS and The Publics Radio will need to formalize their incorporation by filing with the Secretary of States Office. Content at the two outlets will remain the same in the immediate future. The newly fused organization will soon create even more dynamic stories, delivered across more channels, a PBS news release stated. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Merger of The Publics Radio and Rhode Island PBS approved appeared first on Rhode Island Current. A group of Metropolitan Police officers helped to catch an alleged thief while on a stag do in Barcelona. Sgt Eren Emin, 30, said he was on his stag do in the Spanish city with four other police officers when a man is said to have jumped over the restaurant counter and began grabbing electrical items. The officers chased down the man before detaining him and waiting for Spanish police to arrive, they said. I think policing is more of an instinct than anything else, said Sgt Emin, who is based in Enfield, north London. Im a police officer. Its my job. Wherever we are, whether in Spain, it doesnt matter, I have to do whats right. He added: We were in a restaurant on the main strip, waiting for food to come, and he made his way over to the bar area where the counters are and then he jumped over the counter and thats when he caught our attention. He started to ransack the tills and take electrical goods such as the iPads and iPhones, whatever else was there, before he made his way around and then sprinted outside of the restaurant and instantly we stood up and gave chase. Having caught up with a detained the thief Sgt Eren Emin and his fellow policemen waited for the Spanish police to turn up - Eren Ermin Twitter As soon as he saw me he started running and obviously I didnt have a chance to think, Oh, wait, Im not a police officer, and Im not in the UK, Im in Spain. Im a nobody here, but to be honest, that didnt even cross my mind. It was a case of just getting him stopped. Its wrong. Whats wrong is wrong. Common sense has to apply here as well and thats why we got him detained as quickly as possible. Im known for arresting people off duty Sgt Emin said the off-duty officers chased the man around 50 metres down the road before they caught him. The police recovered everything that was stolen and took the man back to the restaurant where they waited until Spanish police arrived. As soon as they arrived, one of my colleagues informed them that we were all police officers and then it was high fives all around, is how I would describe it, he said. He said the restaurant staff were really shocked because they didnt expect the whole table of their customers to get up and get this chap and recover all their goods. Sgt Eren Emin and four other Met police officers chased the man 50 metres down a Barcelona street - PA He added: Im quite known within my organisation for arresting people off duty here in the UK, wherever I go, I always end up attracting or coming across crime, which is really strange, so for me, its just another day. Some others might see it as, Youre a lunatic, youve got no protective gear, what are you doing?, but Ive done it numerous times before. On whether he can ever switch off from his job, he said: No, and its the same for my other colleagues as well. Theyre really well-respected police officers and collectively thats why we all get on so well. Its because were all like-minded and committed. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Meta spokesman gets 6-year prison sentence by Russian court after being convicted in absentia A court in Russia on Monday convicted a Meta spokesperson of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison in a swift trial in absentia, Russias independent news site Mediazona reported. According to the outlet, the charges against Meta communications director Andy Stone stem from his remarks in 2022 following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 of that year. Stone, who is based in the US, announced temporary changes to Metas hate speech policy to allow for forms of political expression that would normally violate (its) rules, like violent speech such as death to the Russian invaders. In the same statement, Stone added that credible calls for violence against Russian civilians would remain banned by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram. Nonetheless, Russian authorities opened a criminal case implicating Stone and other unidentified Meta employees, describing the statement as illegal calls to violence and killings of Russian citizens. The charges against Meta communications director Andy Stone stem from his remarks in 2022 following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 that year. The authorities also outlawed Meta as an extremist organization and blocked Facebook and Instagram in Russia. Both platforms as well as X, formerly known as Twitter, which has also been blocked were popular with Russians before the invasion and the subsequent crackdown on independent media and other forms of critical speech. However, they are now only accessible via VPN. Mediazona reported that Stone was initially charged with calling for terrorist activity, public calls for extremist activity and publicly justifying terrorism, but the first two charges were dropped in the final version of the indictment. The trial, in which Stone was represented by a government-appointed lawyer, began on Friday and concluded on Monday after only two hearings. Stone was sentenced to six years in a penal colony and barred from administering websites for four more years. The trial, in which Stone was represented by a government-appointed lawyer, began on Friday and concluded on Monday after only two hearings. Russian President Vladimir Putin, above. ZUMAPRESS.com Meta on Monday declined to comment on the verdict. In April 2022, Russia also formally barred Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country. WASHINGTON (KFOR) An Oklahoma City pastorwho went from prison to the pulpitwas honored by the FBI in Washington D.C. over the weekend. FBI Director Cristopher Wray (L) and Pastor Thaddeus Black (R). Photo courtesy FBI Headquarters. Pastor Thaddeus Black received the prestigious Directors Community Leadership Award (DCLA) from FBI Director Christopher Wray. The DCLA was created in 1990 to honor those who have made notable contributions to strengthening communities and reducing crime and violence. Field offices select recipients annually on behalf of the FBI Director. From prison to the pulpit: Bethany pastor shares his life story with a surprising twist News 4 previously shared his story in December 2022. Black currently serves as a pastor at Tulakes Community Church in Bethany, but before that he was a drug dealer who spent 11 years in federal prison after being arrested by the FBI. After leaving prison, Black became a pastor and dedicated his life to keeping young kids across the metro from making the same mistakes. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. FILE PHOTO: Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attends an event to mark the 86th anniversary of the expropriation of foreign oil firms in Mexico City MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday he hopes to present a new fund aimed at boosting the lower pensions in the system on May 1, a month ahead of presidential elections. The creation of the fund, which is part of a pension reform proposed by the president in February, was approved on Monday by the country's lower house. It now needs to be passed by the Senate. "I hope that on May 1, Labor Day, we can present a report to workers and give them the good news, that their pensions are guaranteed and that they will also be increased," Lopez Obrador said at a press conference. The opposition has warned that the move could put workers' savings managed by private companies at risk, a claim denied by the government. The administration hopes to initially pour some 40 billion pesos into the fund, representing the unclaimed savings of workers aged 70 or older. With the resources, it seeks to ensure that workers who earn up to 17,000 pesos ($1,001.77) a month get 100% of their salary when they retire. Some opposition lawmakers criticized the bill's speedy approval by the lower house as politically motivated and unconstitutional. Lopez Obrador acknowledged there is a risk that the Supreme Court could declare it unconstitutional. Mexico's association of retirement fund entities said last week that individuals continued to have control over their accounts and that would not change with the new initiative. At the end of March, the private system managed more than 6.1 trillion pesos ($359.46 billion). ($1 = 16.9699 Mexican pesos) (Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Marguerita Choy) Miami will consider this City Hall veteran to be the next municipal attorney A hiring panels choice for Miamis next city attorney is 30-year veteran of the local governments legal team, with a career that included years as the top legal adviser for the Miami Police Department during a time that it was monitored by federal authorities following a string of deadly police shootings of Black suspects. A selection committee appointed by commissioners has recommended Deputy City Attorney George Wysong to succeed Victoria Mendez, who was removed from her position on April 11. Facing controversy over allegations of misusing her office and criticism from some commissioners, Mendez was demoted to assistant city attorney for the remainder of her contract, which expires in June. Mendez has denied wrongdoing and defended her record over her 20 years at the city. City commissioners will consider naming Wysong as Miamis next city attorney at a public meeting on Thursday. Wysong, one of Mendezs top deputies, has spent his three-decade legal career at Miami City Hall. After graduating from the St. Thomas University College of Law in 1993, Wysong was hired as an assistant city attorney and municipal prosecutor in 1994. Five years later, he became the police departments legal adviser. In that role, Wysong advised the police chief and the chiefs executive staff, served as a member of the citys Police Review Committee, and responded to the scenes of officer-involved shootings. During that time, the U.S. Department of Justice investigated the police department following 33 instances where officers shot people between 2008 and 2011 including the fatal shooting of seven Black men in eight months. The 2013 federal review found that Miami police had violated the U.S. Constitution by engaging in excessive use of deadly force, and the department was placed under federal oversight. In 2013, Wysong was promoted to division chief of the citys general government and land use division while continuing to serve as a police legal adviser as the department implemented reforms under federal oversight. In 2021, the DOJ formally ended its monitoring of the police department. In May, Wysong was promoted to deputy city attorney, overseeing land use, transactional and general government matters. After Mendez was demoted earlier this month, Wysong briefly served as acting city attorney until Chief Deputy City Attorney John Greco returned from vacation on Monday. Wysong was one of two candidates who interviewed with the selection committee on Friday. The selection committee included Rafael E. Andrade, a Miami Beach-based attorney and lobbyist; Jose A. Villalobos, who is of counsel at law firm Akerman; Neisen Kasdin, co-office managing partner at Akerman; Yolanda Cash Jackson, a governmental law attorney at law firm Becker; and Jay Solowsky, who is of counsel at Krinzman Huss Lubetsky Feldman & Hotte. The Florida Bar has opened an investigation into possible wrongdoing by a Florida attorney whose manipulation of the foreclosure auction process was exposed in the Miami Herald. The Bar complaint originally came from a man who hoped to buy a two-bedroom, oceanview condo at the Emerald Tower in Pompano Beach. He was outbid by a woman he later came to believe was the auctioneers sister, bidding under a fake name. In his complaint, he accused auctioneer and attorney Brad Schandler of rigging foreclosure auctions and illegally enriching himself from cheating the system and hurting many honest people that are actually looking for a home. The Bar had previously opted not to pursue the complaint, but reopened it following the Heralds reporting on Schandlers unconventional tactics. The Heralds revelations also prompted action from Browards chief judge, and a vow for legislation from a Miami state senator. Read the investigation: Florida lawyer writes rules to win condo auctions for $100. Judges let him do it. The Herald reported that Schandler has found a soft spot in foreclosure law and the court system that allows him to enter foreclosure cases relatively cheaply, take over, get a judge to change the auction terms to his benefit, and then stage auctions he has virtually no chance of losing. Time and again, he and his associates walk away the winners. In at least five cases examined by the Herald, he or his associates won auctions for $100. According to the Heralds analysis, Schandler finds condo foreclosure cases without a clear heir, or where heirs or owners are in another country. Typically the owner has died and the mortgage is paid off, but an assessment or fee is overdue. We commend the Herald for the recent article relating to improprieties in foreclosure proceedings, Broward Chief Judge Jack Tuter said. It has called attention to something that is far more prevalent than the public knows. We sent the article to all of our judges and asked our judges to be on a more heightened alert if they see suspicious activities going on in these foreclosure cases. Miami-Dade Chief Judge Nushin Sayfie said her powers were limited. We recognize the publics interest in these matters, but a chief judges authority is administrative in nature, and in matters of law, we are not permitted to perform legal reviews of another judges rulings. That is the role of the appellate courts. ... Also, the judicial code of conduct prohibits judges from commenting on specific cases. Florida Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Republican from Miami, said the reporting raised lots of eyebrows and she will pursue legislation to curb abuse and shameless behaviors. Schandler gets judges to agree that foreclosure auctions can be held in person and run by him, instead of the usual online auctions run by the clerk of courts office. Some attorneys have accused Schandler of failing to clearly signal to judges his intention to change the auction procedures. Participation by outside bidders can be difficult. Some bidders had trouble participating due to vague instructions in legal advertisements. Some bidders have said that Schandler changed the location of the auction from the property itself to the lobby of the building with no prior warning, and bidders have to access buildings that might be closed to non-residents. Schandlers rules make it hard even if a bidder finds the auction. In a traditional proceeding, the property would go back to auction if the top bidder failed to pay the balance owed. Under Schandlers rules, a property goes to his client in that scenario. That matters, because bidders have accused Schandler of employing sham bidders, including his sister, who were the top bidders at auctions, but failed to pay what was owed, delivering the property to Schandlers client for minimal cost. The foreclosure auction processes should not be an invitation for abuse, Sen. Garcia said. There should be clear parameters to avoid conflicts of interest between auctioneers and bidders, full transparency of the payments process and proper public notification and access to scheduled auctions. Following the Heralds reporting, Florida Bar spokeswoman Jennifer Krell Davis said that an investigation has been opened into Schandler. That investigation stems, at least in part, from a complaint against Schandler submitted by Hernando Posse, a bidder at a 2021 Pompano Beach auction presided over by Schandler, according to Posse. Krell Davis said she could not comment on whether the Bar has gotten other complaints about Schandler. Posses complaint detailed his experience at the 2021 auction, which was held in the lobby of the condo building after Schandler convinced Broward Circuit Judge Nicholas Lopane to make it an in-person auction rather than the standard online auction. The Herald obtained a version of the complaint through a public records request after the Bar had initially declined to pursue it. Posse was outbid at the auction by a woman who said her name was Kitty Lefkowitz. She pledged to pay $185,000 for the two-bedroom unit on State Road A1A, but failed to pay up the day after the auction. Under the auction rules put forward by Schandler and approved by Lopane, her default meant the property went to Schandlers client for $100. The Herald could find no record of a woman named Kitty Lefkowitz in Florida. Reporters showed Posse a picture of Schandlers sister, Nadine August, and he recognized her as the woman who bid against him under the Lefkowitz name. The Herald also found that August submitted the winning bid, giving her real name, at another of her brothers auctions in February 2024. Schandler and August didnt answer the Heralds questions about whether or not August was, indeed, Lefkowitz. Schandler, a 68-year-old University of Miami law school graduate, lives in Hollywood. Through his attorney, David Karp, Schandler declined to comment, but told the Herald in a prior interview that he didnt invent this methods, just borrowed them from other lawyers. Miami pharmacist raped preteens, feds say. He paid to sexually abuse more in Colombia A Miami pharmacist hoarded over four dozen videos of sexual abuse of at least 10 young girls, ranging in age from 9 to 15. Local authorities discovered the illegal stash last week when they prevented him from boarding a plane to meet another preteen for sex in Colombia, officials said. On Thursday, Stefan Andres Correa was about to board a flight from Miami to Bogota, Colombia when Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection officers stopped him to perform an outbound search, a criminal complaint read. Officers found nine phones, each containing videos of young girls being sexually abused, the complaint read. The search revealed about 50 videos, and in at least two 42-year-old Correa is seen having sex with two minors. Also uncovered was a text exchange between Correa and a sex trafficker that began two days prior. Correa asked the trafficker about the ages of the girls he had for commercial sex. The pair agreed Correa would pay the trafficker $75; the 11-year-old he would sexually abuse gets $75. Additionally, he would give her an iPhone XS Max, the complaint revealed. He added, If she behaves, and takes good care of me, you can keep bringing her and youll each get [$75]. Correa was charged Friday with attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He made his initial appearance in court that day with a detention hearing scheduled for next month. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum sentence of life in prison as well as up to a lifetime of supervised release. Officers said Correa told them he had flown down to Colombia to have sex with minors on numerous occasions. Correa traveled to Colombia about 45 times, according to officials. Mich. Grandmother Charged with Murder After Allegedly Killing 2 Children by Driving Drunk into Birthday Party Marshella Chidester, 66, said in court the suspect was having seizures, which he claimed led to the crash Monroe County Sheriff's Office via AP Marshella Chidester The allegedly intoxicated driver who careened into a Michigan boat club, crashing 25 feet inside and killing two young children and injuring 13 others, has been charged with murder, authorities said Tuesday. Marshella Marie Chidester, 66, of Newport, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey A. Yorkey said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. On Saturday afternoon, Chidester allegedly sped through the parking lot of the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township, where she used to be the commodore, and crashed through a building where a childrens birthday party was being held, Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said at a press conference later that day. Killed in the crash were 8-year-old Lana Phillips and her 4-year -old brother, Zayn Phillips, according to a GoFundMe posted by their aunt, Diane Harrington. They were pronounced dead at the scene, Goodnough said. Seriously injured in the accident were the childrens mother, Mariah, and 11-year-old brother, Jayden, who were in critical condition after the accident, Harrington said in the GoFundMe. Additional charges involve the serious injuries to a 14-year-old male and an 18-year-old female, Yorkey said in the release. Chidesters bond was set at $1.5 million. Her attorney, Bill Colovos, argued that Chidester, who came to court with her arm in a sling, had seizures in her legs before that crash, NBC News reports. He said Chidester drives like a little old lady and has no criminal record, The Detroit News reports. Related: Brother, 5, and Sister, 8, Dead After Intoxicated Driver Crashes Vehicle into Birthday Party Since November, he said, she has had epileptic-type seizures in her legs that have led to paralysis, which she was treated for the day of the accident, the News reports. 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. He said she only had a glass of wine and a bowl of chili at Vernas Bar and Grill, the Detroit Free Press reports. Colovos did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. But Yorkey said there was no evidence Chidester had a seizure the day of the crash. An investigation that included a breathalyzer test allegedly determined that she was over the legal limit, Yorkie said, the News reports. He claimed she admitted to drinking, according to the News . Investigators are awaiting tests measuring her blood alcohol levels. During her arraignment, family members of the victims told the Monroe County judge how Chidesters alleged actions have affected them. I had to be the one to tell my sister her babies were gone when they removed her ventilator yesterday, Mariahs sister, Raquel Smouthers, told the judge in between sobs, the Free Press reports. She said: How am I supposed to live without my babies? The childrens grandmother, Kathy Phillips, alleged, She chose to drink and those were my grandbabies, the News reports. She made the choice to get in that car and she chose to drink and drive and she took those babies from us. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The five men accused of raping an 18-year-old in Pamplona in 2016. On Wednesday, the first of five suspects accused in an ongoing gang rape trial in Spain admitted the 18-year-old victim did not expressly consent to sexual relations. The two cases mark a before and after moment in terms of views the treatment of rape victims in Spain It is a case that made world headlines after the men in their twenties were accused of assaulting the young woman and recording the rape with their cellphones during the 2016 Running of the Bulls. As the trial continues in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona, comparisons are being drawn by some to the 2008 murder of Nagore Laffage. During the Running of the Bulls of that year, Nagore, a 20-year-old nurse, met up with the 27-year-old doctor Jose Diego Yllanes. The two went up to Yllaness apartment, where the doctor tore Laffages clothes off and then attacked her viciously before finally killing her. Yllanes explained his attack on the nurse by saying that Nagore had refused to have sex with him. He said he lost his head. They had already kissed and caressed each other, Yllanes said. Later, there was a misunderstanding. They judged my daughter at every moment, not her murderer Nagore Laffages mother At first glance, these two assault cases may appear to have little in common. Nagore is dead, and her murderer admitted the crime. The 18-year-old in the current case is alive and the defendants say they did not rape her. Despite these differences, however, there is a thread that connects the two cases: they both mark a before and after moment in terms of social views towards sexual assault and the treatment of rape victims in Spain. Thousands of people have mobilized in defense of womens rights, and there has been a strong reaction in Spain to any attempt to blame the victims in such assaults. During the trial of Nagores killer which garnered unprecedented levels of attention for a Pamplona court case, according to one local journalist her mother was asked if her daughter was a flirt. They were constantly judging my daughter, not her murderer, she later said. Meanwhile, the defense team in the La Manada case employed a private detective to analyze the behavior of the victim after the alleged crime, including on social media a move condemned by many in Spain as another attempt to lay the blame for the assault at the feet of the victim. And during the La Manada trial yesterday, defense attorneys and prosecutors dedicated several hours to analyzing the 96 seconds of video footage filmed by the defendants while they had sexual relations with the alleged victim. The young woman had her eyes closed and was in a passive or neutral attitude: she was not participating at all, said prosecutors, who argued this indicated she had been in a state of shock. In 2016, the judge in the current gang rape case noted video footage showed no consent was apparent on the part of the victim But defense lawyers argued the womans attitude was evidence she had consented and highlighted several seconds in which she appeared to participate. It was these videos of the incident that saw the presiding judge place the five defendants in pre-trial custody in September 2016. In making that decision the judge noted that no consent was apparent on the part of the victim and that what instead emerged from the footage was submission to an overwhelming situation of physical and numerical superiority, and recognition of the impossibility of opposing the lewd intentions of the aggressors. Nagore could be alive today. But she would have had to give in to Yllanes all those years ago. She would have had let him do whatever he wanted to her before fleeing her assailants house. She might have survived. Would she have gone to the police? Could she have accepted being blamed for the crime, as is the norm for women who report a rape? Its impossible to know. But we do know she resisted Yllanes. As Victor Sarasa, who represented Pamplona City Hall in the prosecution, said of Nagore, she was the most defenseless person in the world in a house she didnt know and which she could not leave, cornered by a person far stronger than her, who beat her savagely until she had no strength left and was unconscious, to the point that he was able to strangle her with one hand. Yllanes was not convicted of first-degree murder (asesinato) for the killing of Nagore, because the jury ruled it was not premeditated. He was instead convicted of manslaughter (homicidio). He now only returns to prison at night to sleep. He has served 8 years and 11 months of his 12.5 year sentence. English version by George Mills. Michael Cohen: How Trumps former fixer went from arch defender to arch nemesis Mr Cohen has signalled he is primed to play a central role in Mr Trump's potential arrest - Yuki Iwamura/AP For a decade, Michael Cohen served as Mr Trumps lawyer and backroom fixer, working, in his own words, to cover up his ex-bosss dirty deeds. But Mr Trumps one-time henchman has transformed from arch-defender to arch nemesis as he prepares to act as a star witness in the former presidents Manhattan hush money trial. It was Cohen who facilitated and was later jailed for, the payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels that led to Mr Trump becoming the first former US president to be indicted, and now to stand trial. Since then, Mr Trumps legal woes have snowballed, and Cohen has already faced off against his former boss in court, testifying against him last year in his $250 million civil fraud trial. Cohen, a key figure for the prosecution, told the court that he worked to boost the supposed value of assets belonging to the Trump Organization. Mr Trump was ultimately ordered to pay more than $355 million in penalties after a judge ruled he had lied about his wealth for years. Ahead of Mr Trumps historic first criminal indictment, Cohen stood on the steps of a New York courthouse and signalled he was primed to play a central role in prosecutors efforts to pursue Mr Trump. This is all about accountability. Donald Trump needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds, he told reporters, before testifying to the grand jury which ultimately voted to indict the ex-presidents fate. The former president sits quietly in the New York courtroom as his trial continued on Tuesday - REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid/Pool The New York criminal case against Mr Trump centres on a $130,000 payment to silence Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, over an alleged affair. Mr Trump has always denied the claim and denounced the case as a politically motivated witch hunt. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations over the hush money and other charges, including tax evasion and lying to Congress about a Trump business deal. He served more than a year in jail and testified in court that Mr Trump directed him to commit a crime by making the hush payment with the express intention of influencing the election. After Mr Trumps indictment last year, Cohen said his goal in cooperating with prosecutors was to speak truth to power. However, making Cohen a star witness is by no means risk-free for Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney bringing the case. Mr Trumps defence team have already signalled they will highlight the credibility issues around a disbarred lawyer with a conviction for lying during cross-examination. A copy of a cheque paid to Michael Cohen by Donald Trump is central to the case against the ex-president - Chip Somodevilla/Getty During opening statements, his lawyers told the jury that Cohen cannot be trusted and was obsessed with the idea of seeing President Trump go to prison. Described as a former mega fan of Mr Trump, 77, Cohen landed a job with the real estate mogul and reality TV star in 2006 after impressing him with his ability to anticipate his needs. Cohens career route to becoming the personal lawyer for a US president was far from orthodox. A native of Long Island, New York, Cohen attended Western Michigan Universitys Cooley Law School, which has since earned a reputation as one of the worst in America. He worked as a personal injury lawyer for a time, but built his wealth buying and selling taxi medallions in New Yorks murky taxi badge industry. Later, as the personal lawyer to one of New Yorks biggest real estate magnates, he handled business deals worth considerably more. Cohen believed his remit extended beyond official business. Im the guy who stops the leaks. Im the guy who protects the president and the family. Im the guy who would take a bullet for the president, he told Vanity Fair during Mr Trumps first year in office. However, Cohen was said to be hurt that Mr Trump did not offer him a role in the White House. Pressure mounted on Cohen when the FBI raided his home and offices and seized hundreds of items in relation to investigations into Mr Trump. A row over who would foot the bill for his legal fees and the looming threat of a lengthy stretch in prison then paved the way for Cohen to later turn on his former boss. He has since taken a scorched-earth approach, publishing a book titled, Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics. In an interview with The Telegraph in 2022, Cohen hinted at what is driving his continued animus toward his former boss. Donald has never accepted responsibility for any of his improper actions and never will, he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) Police said a school counselor if facing an assault and battery charge after he headbutted an 11-year-old boy. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) said the student called Craig Small, 44, of Lorton a derogatory name in the Glasgow Middle School cafeteria in Lincolnia. Thats when Small is to have headbutted the 11-year-old boy and carried him out of the cafeteria. Police began their investigation into the situation on April 16. Lorton Community Center employee charged with sex crimes involving child Police said Small started working as a counselor at Glasgow Middle School in August 2021. The assault and battery charge against Small is a misdemeanor. In August 2022, Fairfax County Public Schools launched an investigation into how another counselor at the middle school was able to keep his job for months after his conviction for a sex crime in Chesterfield County. A jury found Darren Thornton, then 50, guilty of the crime in March 2022. Police said they properly notified the school division in 2020 when officers arrested Thornton for the incident, which involved solicitation of a prostitute who was underage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. How Mike Johnson Is Taming Trump and His Party Against All Odds There are no atheists in foxholes and few isolationists in high office. Confronted with sobering briefings revealing Ukraine on the brink of collapse, Speaker Mike Johnson made the leap from Benton, Louisiana (pop. 2,048) congressman to custodian of the trans-Atlantic alliance. It was the intelligence, it was the Europe generals who are in charge of the freedom of the world and of course it was the developments as well, everything has escalated, Johnson told me, alluding to the conversations he had with the American brass at European Command. If those developments, namely Ukraine running out of weapons, finally brought urgency to the speaker, his decision to call the foreign aid vote Saturday delivered a bracing dose of political clarity in Washington. The Republican Party is drifting from its Reaganite past, but when faced with the burden of leadership, theres still muscle memory to be found; Donald Trump is more committed to self-interest than any ideological anchorage and can be managed accordingly; and bipartisanship remains possible when bad actors are removed from the negotiating table. It may seem hard to square the congressman who, only in September, opposed $300 million in Ukraine aid with the one who put his career on the line to deliver $61 billion to the battered country. Its easier to grasp when you realize Johnson grew up in the shadow of B-52s at Barksdale Air Force Base during the 1980s. Hes a Republican of the Red Dawn generation. It only took a higher level of intelligence briefings, granted to congressional leaders, for him to pick up that old Cold War hymnal. Recall: While Johnson dragged his feet for months on bringing the aid bill to the floor, he changed his tune almost immediately on the concept once he became speaker. Just days after his October election to the post, Johnson told Senate Republicans he supported Ukraine funding, so long as aid to Israel received a separate vote. I was struck by the turnaround at the time and asked a savvy House GOP aide how to explain it. Amazing what some intel briefs will do, the aide said. By spring, Johnson was sounding more like Dick Cheney than Rand Paul. This is a projection of American strength, Johnson said last week, adding that we stand in the defense of freedom. As striking, he and other House GOP lawmakers have lately been reviving even more distinctly 2000s-era language. Following the vote Saturday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Johnsons fellow Louisianan, told me the U.S. was standing up to the evil actors around the world, theres an axis of evil right now between Russia, Iran and China. Few in the House have been more aggressive than the Foreign Relations Chair, Mike McCaul of Texas, in trying to rekindle those embers. I keep telling my colleagues: Theyre all related, man, said McCaul. To abandon Ukraine will only invite more aggression from Putin but also Chairman Xi in Taiwan. The ayatollah has already reared his ugly head. By the time I heard Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), another ardent proponent of the aid package, use the axis of evil phrase, I asked where this language was coming from (besides George W. Bush speechwriters). Spend an hour in the SCIF getting briefed, Fitzpatrick shot back, referring to the secure facility used for classified briefings. These are not isolated problems. Now, part of this effort by GOP hawks is aimed at bringing China into the conversation. Thats a strategy based on facts (Beijing is indeed sending weapons technology to Moscow) but also politics (confronting China is far more unifying among congressional Republicans). Yet the events of the last week demonstrate that even in the House GOP there exists the same down-the-middle bifurcation as divided Senate Republicans when they voted on this package in February. For all the recent talk about a de facto coalition government between the two parties in the House, theres effectively two parties within the GOP when it comes to Ukraine (and much else). One-hundred and twelve House Republicans opposed the Ukraine funding while 103 supported the measure. And, as good a vote-counter as Scalise noted, The vast majority of our members wanted this addressed and brought up, even some that voted no wanted to bring it up. Which is to say that some, though not all, of those no votes were in the vote-no-hope-yes caucus. Thats the good news for todays Reaganites. The bad news is theyre losing ground with every new class of Republicans. Of the 112 House GOP lawmakers who opposed the Ukraine funding, 71 have been elected since 2018, the Trump era. Speaking of the once and perhaps future president, these last weeks were reminiscent of his White House. They also suggest a second Trump term may recall his first four years. Trump was neutralized to use the term one House Republican wielded from the comfort of background with the same tactic used to great effect when he was in the Oval Office: overwhelming force. GOP lawmakers, former cabinet officials, retired military and foreign leaders made an aggressive case to Trump not to come out against Ukraine aid. Oh, and they deployed flattery and played to their targets self-interest. Johnson himself, who visited Mar-a-Lago earlier this month and is talking with Trump on the phone more frequently, was part of a cadre of Republicans telling the former president the fall of Kyiv and a subsequent Russian occupation would mean Trump would take office in January to a crisis overseas, according to a Republican familiar with their conversations. The speaker also played to Trumps vanity by repeatedly crediting Trump for the tweak in the House bill to make the $9.5 billion in Ukrainian economic aid a forgivable loan rather than a grant. British Foreign Minister David Cameron, who also made the Palm Beach pilgrimage, followed up this past Friday, Im told by a person familiar with the situation, with a telephone call with Trump. During the conversation, Cameron underscored the financial commitment European countries had made to Ukraine and the urgency of getting more funding to the country now. It was also no coincidence that Cameron and foreign ministers of Germany and Italy cut a video from the G-7 foreign ministers conference last week in which they emphasized the need for Europe to do more for Ukraine because, as the Briton put it in the clip, this is about our security and our continent. As significant, Polish president Andrzej Duda made his own well-timed trek to see Trump, this time at Trump Tower in Manhattan, and used a lengthy Wednesday dinner last week to discuss Europe doing more for Ukraine and Putins expansionist appetites. Meanwhile, GOP hawks like Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) were frequently in Trumps ear and lawmakers like McCaul worked to get former generals Trump respects, such as Jack Keane, to make the pro-Ukraine case to the former president. The lobbying campaign even included a months-long backchannel between two unlikely lawmakers, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who served together in the House and worked to find ways to draft a bill that Trump wouldn't reflexively oppose. Trump, in other words, was managed. And it may be a preview of whats to come, should he win again and, once again, appoint hawkish national security officials who know how to overcome his isolationist instincts. The vote should not be minimized, though, particularly when taken together with what else Johnson has done of late. By keeping the government open, reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and sending billions to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific while forcing the sale of TikTok, hes already become a more consequential speaker than Kevin McCarthy. Plus, Johnson did it with an even slimmer GOP majority and, thanks to McCarthy, a non-functional Rules Committee and perpetual motion to vacate sword hanging over his speakership. Democrats may disagree with Johnsons brand of evangelical conservatism, but they believe he comes by it honestly and is an honest man. We have not that much in common, philosophically, but if you can trust somebody to be a person of his or her word you can find common ground, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi told me when I asked her about Johnson. Pelosi and her lieutenants saw little honesty or honor in McCarthy a man of few principles who was critical to rehabilitating Trump after January 6 and never could have reached the sort of accord they did with Johnson. After the vote Saturday, she said of McCarthy: We could have never gotten here because people didnt trust whatever he said. Gotten here is, of course, an allusion to the implied bargain Johnson struck with House Democrats: If he brought Ukraine funding to a vote, theyd help block any far-right effort to remove him from the speakership. It was an effort that began in the coffee shop of the Grand Sablon hotel in Brussels during a NATO gathering in February when House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) broached the idea with Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), who then called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. "With Mike Johnson, there wasn't that background of years and years of bad blood because he doesn't have an awful track record of going back on his word that Kevin McCarthy had," explained Boyle. When I saw Johnson over the weekend, he was visibly tired. He made no Sunday show victory lap, choosing instead to reconnect with his family ahead of fundraising travel this week. Pelosi told me that, earlier this month following an event they both attended honoring World War II-era Rosie the Riveters, Johnson had been candid with her when they chatted after the ceremony. He said, This is a hard job, she recalled. To which Pelosi said she told him: I know. Yet as she stood outside the Capitol Saturday, her entourage slimmed by her emerita status, Pelosi offered Johnson grace. The speaker was courageous, he was courageous, she said, adding: I cant imagine that he wont continue to be speaker. With a touch of wonder, she recalled that, before she became speaker, she had first been whip and leader. This guy she said, without finishing her thought about the man who came to the speakership straight from the position of GOP conference vice chair, a relatively low spot in leadership, and was just elected in 2016. The burden is not nearly as heavy, but Johnsons sudden ascent and the immediate demands recall what Harry Truman said upon hearing of Franklin Roosevelts death 79 years ago this month: I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me. I had that thought when I reached out to James Carville, Johnsons fellow Louisianan and an animated critic of the new speaker. What say Carville now? This is a country saved by unexpected people, he said. Harry Truman comes to mind. Johnson, Carville said, punched way above his weight. This outbreak of strange new respect from the likes of Nancy Pelosi and James Carville is, to put it mildly, no recipe for a long Johnson speakership. Yet he didnt seem to mind when I asked him about his new admirers. He only smiled. Benjamin Johansen contributed to this report. CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated the funding delivered to Ukraine in the $95 billion foreign aid package passed by the House. Just over $60 billion was earmarked for Ukraine. When Rep. Mike Johnson became speaker of the House in late October 2023, many observers expressed their condolences. He had gone from comfortably occupying a low rung on House Republicans leadership ladder to having to wrangle the narrowest and most fractious majority in living memory. His predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, had struggled from the first day of the 118th Congress to see how he might try to govern with the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Joe Biden while somehow remaining acceptable to his partys angry right flank. By choosing cooperation, McCarthy lost the House Freedom Caucus confidence without winning the esteem of House Democrats. When Rep. Matt Gaetz forced a vote on his political survival, McCarthy was out. Johnson came to the speakers chair with far less baggage and much more goodwill from Gaetz and other insurgents who had, after all, put him there. Yet it wasnt obvious that he could do any better at the job. His fundamental dilemma remained identical to McCarthys: The House is supposed to legislate, which requires bipartisan cooperation, but to Gaetz and his MAGA Republican allies, any compromise with Democrats is a fundamental betrayal of the American people. It seemed that Johnson had an impossible task. Indeed, as of this week, a few members are ready to throw him out, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying, I dont care if the Speakers office becomes a revolving door. But while his future is anything but certain, Johnson has intimated a new working model for the House. He has managed to facilitate bipartisan governance in a hyperpartisan moment, and he has made himself a shining example of a willingness to put policy convictions before partisan bickering. He will probably keep his job longer than McCarthy, and his speakership has a chance to be remembered as a turning point for the House. To understand Johnsons speakership requires understanding something about the GOPs high hopes for the 118th Congress. When they won a narrow majority in 2022, Republicans hoped to follow the Tea Party Congress that came out of the 2010 midterm, standing against the Obama administrations excesses and extracting the Budget Control Act of 2011 from a debt ceiling showdown. Though far from perfect, Republicans justifiably regard the legislation as a real accomplishment in limiting spending under a Democratic administration. But GOP legislators of the present have been far less unified in their demands during debt ceiling negotiations. For a while, Biden simply dismissed them as unruly rabble not worth dealing with. There was even talk from Democrats of a discharge petition to move a clean debt limit increase. Yet, in the happiest moment of McCarthys speakership, Republicans united around a bill that enacted a large chunk of their agendaincluding spending cutswhile also raising the debt ceiling. That led the White House to finally negotiate with McCarthy. In May 2023 they settled on the Fiscal Responsibility Act, a fairly middle-of-the-road compromise that did little to satisfy the House Freedom Caucus high hopes for transformative change. The law was far less ambitious than the Budget Control Act, capping discretionary spending for just two years and leaving trillion-dollar deficits in place. Conservative Republicans were infuriated and broke with McCarthy, opposing the resolution to bring the bill to the floor.* McCarthy had to rely on Democratic votes to set the agendahighly unusual for a procedural question. But he never transitioned from thinking of Democrats as his needed partners. Instead, McCarthy talked out of both sides of his mouth and hoped for the best. Out of one side of his mouth, he gave his partys hardliners hope for lower spending levels in the fall, claiming that the May debt deal was a ceiling, not a floor. He went through the motions of breaking spending legislation into 12 substantive bills, each to be considered on its merits, rather than in last-minute omnibus packages that force members to swallow whatever leadership dictated. In the process of working out these bills, Republicans indulged in some wild fantasies (such as cutting the secretary of defenses salary to $1) and had great labor pains in birthing bills they could take into negotiations with Democrats. Sometimes they managed an internal consensus; other times they fractured spectacularly, most notably when their agriculture bill failed in a 191-237 floor vote. Even when House Republicans did pass these partisan bills, though, there was little sign that their efforts were feeding into the actual process of lawmaking. Thats because, as he struggled to get his conference together, out of the other side of his mouth McCarthy tried to somehow move a more-or-less normal bipartisan spending process toward completionapparently based on the spending levels worked out in the spring, even if doing so would enrage his right flank. Having progressed very little, he negotiated with Democrats to keep the government open at the end of September with a clean continuing resolution. Then things fell apart. Gaetz filed his motion to vacate. Although Democrats were glad McCarthy had helped avoid a shutdown, they didnt see any reason to save someone they fundamentally mistrusted and was offering them no formal share of power. And so McCarthy lost his gavel (and would go on to leave the House before the year was up). After a wild scramble to find a new speaker, Mike Johnson inherited McCarthys bundle of conflicting promises, though everyone understood they werent of his making. Nevertheless, amid some outright failed votes on other spending bills, Johnson decided to play the same game as his predecessor: trying to advance normal (business as usual, to its critics) governance while promising his fellow conservatives that they would get some big wins. Johnsons main innovation in performing this tightrope walk on spending was the laddered CR, which put different spending bills on different funding deadlines. He first raised this possibility less than a week after winning the gavel, hinting that there would be fully 12 stepsa different duration of funding for each of the subject-specific appropriations bills. That suggested that the summers partisan bills might drive the process, and Democrats came out strongly against the idea. Their opposition was surely the new speakers greatest asset in maintaining the GOP conferences trust. Before long, however, the ladder became a stepstool, with just two separate funding lengths for two groups of six areas each. Though his announcement of the protocol promised great advantage in the fight for conservative victories, what Johnson was ultimately promising instead of one big omnibus was merely two half-sized omnibuses. It would take three extra continuing resolutions to bring the process to its conclusion, and when it finally did so, topline levels were those specified in the Fiscal Responsibility Act passed under McCarthy. Conservatives got some substantive concessionsincreased funding for immigration enforcement, the termination of a House DEI office, and an end to funding for the controversial UNRWA, for examplebut Johnsons right-wing critics were certainly correct to think he had failed to shake up the spending process. Notwithstanding his promises when he became speaker, Johnson confronted his members with a take-it-or-leave-it vote without opportunities for amendments, much to his critics chagrin. On each of the spending bills, Johnson brought the bill forward using suspension of the rules (requiring a two-thirds vote and allowing no amendments) rather than proceeding through the Rules Committee as any important legislation usually would. On the second omnibus, most Republicans voted no. The laddered CR can hardly be seen as a stunning success in retrospect, but Johnson did make it through the process without any government shutdowns. He had forged a better working relationship with Democrats than McCarthy had. And he still retained the confidence of most GOP members. That left Johnson to figure out the tricky matter of the foreign aid supplemental passed by the Senate, which provided $95 billion in support for U.S. allies Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. There were no hard deadlines here, and his party may have been even more deeply divided, with MAGA-aligned members having turned decisively against any additional funding for Ukraine but a significant portion of GOP members, including many of its committee chairmen, deeply passionate about the need to support Ukraines defense against Russia. Meanwhile, after Irans attack on Israel on April 13, passing support for Israel came to seem increasingly urgent to most members of the GOP. For a while, it looked like Johnson might just bring the Senates package up under suspension of the rules. It would probably have cleared the 290 votes needed for passage. But since some progressives are implacably against Israel funding and dozens of Republicans are implacably against Ukraine funding, that vote would have been too close for comfort. Moreover, given that the funding bill evoked such passions and committed such a huge amount, critics of the bill were right to argue that they deserved an opportunity to meaningfully deliberate on them. Johnson seemed paralyzed, and there was once again serious talk of a discharge petitionwith one effort that would have teed up the Senate bill without Johnsons consent getting 195 of the 218 required signatures. Johnson found a way to reassert control by proposing to break the Senates bill into four different pieces: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and a miscellaneous sidecar that would get various House priorities attached to it, (including a TikTok divestment measure). I think the final product will be something that everybody can take confidence in because they got to vote their district and vote their conscience, Johnson announced as he sought to revive the Rules Committees potential to shape the agenda. The critical reaction was fierce, saying that Johnson was essentially making himself an agent of Democrats. Three Republicans who got their seats on the Rules Committee in McCarthys January struggle for the speakership (Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Chip Roy of Texas, and Ralph Norman of South Carolina) quickly announced that they would have no part in the action, meaning that it would require a bipartisan coalition operating through the Rules Committeeand again on the floor of the Houseto bring up the four bills for votes. Greene prepared (though did not act on) a motion to vacate the chair. If they had wanted to embrace maximum partisan confrontation and watch Johnson twist in the wind, Democrats could simply have sunk the rule, saying that Republicans were too divided to make reliable partners in governing, and tried to bring the discharge petition to fruition. Instead, they decided to make common cause with Johnson and Republican supporters of Ukraine. All Democrats supported the rule in committee, setting up a quick but not entirely perfunctory legislative process that included a few opportunities for amendments to get votes. Even Greene was given an amendmentone that would have zeroed out Ukraine funding in the Ukraine funding bill. The rare bipartisan rule got huge support on the floor, setting up a series of Saturday votes on the underlying bills. Each sailed through with more than 300 votes, a notable feat in our polarized era. On final passage, the Ukraine bill got 101 Republican yeas and 112 Republican nays. In the lingo of the House, the majority was rolled and the Hastert Rule was violated. Johnsons detractors say that in letting Democrats have their way on Ukraine, without extracting a border security bill in return, the speaker gave up Republicans most valuable leverage and made himself a political lame duck. They might be right. But an immediate ouster now seems very unlikely. If Greene proceeds with her motion, Democrats are likely to join with Republicans to simply table it. For all their complaints about Johnson, and for all of the left-wing medias attempts to portray him as a religious zealot, they have found him to be a more straightforward operator than McCarthy. They can hope that, if he has decided not to be ruled by his right flank, they might find more opportunities for cooperation in the nine months remaining to this Congress. What remains to be seen is whether Johnson is willing to act bipartisan from the get-go, including in the Rules Committee. Its hard to say whether a majority of House Republicans would accept that approach. After all, the idea of a unified party making demands of Democrats and forcing the Senate and Biden administration into concessions retains some luster, even if that dynamic has rarely governed in this Congress, which has so far been historically unproductive. But for governance-minded conservatives, if Johnson and Rules Committee Republicans are willing to work with Democrats from the start, they may well be able to ensure their priorities are better served than by going through months of a purely partisan process that does not feed into real lawmaking. Ironically, by admitting that his party cannot accomplish much on its own, Johnson could make more of Republicans majority status. The House, meanwhile, would come into its own as a deliberative, governing body, no longer simply eating whatever the Senate serves it. This hope could certainly be squandered. The rift between Johnson and his MAGA critics could become so wide and painful that it swallows up everything else going on in the chamber. A certain former president on the campaign trail could decide to lump Johnson in with his swamp opponents and actively work against those Republicans who seek to work with him. Or Democrats and Johnson could fall out, finding it easier to return to partisan habits ahead of the fall election. All of that is very possible. And yet the remarkable thing is that, rather quietly, Johnson is inhabiting the speakership, getting crucial work done, and surviving to see another day. Turns out, thats possible too. Correction, April 23, 2024: This piece originally referred to a bill brought to the House floor as a law. 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. Russian forces are deploying chemical weapons in an attempt to capture the village of Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia Group of Forces, said on April 23. In a post on Telegram, Voloshyn said Moscows troops were using the "entire arsenal of weapons available including chemical poisons" to attack Ukrainian positions, adding the situation was "difficult." He did not specify which types of chemicals were being deployed, but hundreds of cases of the use of suffocating and tear gas grenades usually dropped from drones have been recorded since the start of the full-scale invasion, with the number of incidents increasing significantly in 2024. Russian naval infantry units themselves confirmed they were using prohibited chemical weapons in the village of Krynky, located 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Dec. 23. Riot control gasses such as tear gas are classed as chemical weapons when deployed on the battlefield and, as such, are prohibited in warfare under the Geneva Protocol of 1925. Ocheretyne is a village some 50 kilometers south of Chasiv Yar, the Ukrainian town currently at the center of Russias military push to take more territory in Donetsk Oblast. Read also: Russia prepares for a major offensive in Ukraine, eyes Chasiv Yar Voloshyn said on April 22 that around 20,000 to 25,000 Russian soldiers were trying to storm Chasiv Yar and the settlements on the town's outskirts. Chasiv Yar lies around 10 kilometers west of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast and 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Avdiivka, cities Russia captured in May 2023 and February 2024, respectively. Russian troops have been focusing their efforts near Chasiv Yar, which they see as crucial for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military said. Ukrainian troops are fighting off Russian paratroopers with the 98th Guards Airborne Division's 217th Guards Airborne Regiment in the area near Chasiv Yar. In an interview with NBC News published on April 21, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will attempt to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9. Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9, a heavily militarized holiday marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. Zelensky's comments align with those made by Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on April 14, amid a deteriorating situation in the region as Ukrainian ammunition and supplies run short. Read also: The Counteroffensive: Russias rising chemical weapons use in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A sign noting the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that are used by state welfare departments to issue benefits is displayed at a grocery store on December 04, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) COLUMBIA South Carolina families have just several weeks to claim millions of dollars in grocery assistance before the aid expires. Nearly 537,000 debit cards were mailed to families statewide last August as part of a federal program started during the COVID-19 pandemic intended to help poor families buy groceries when their children arent getting fed at school. The last round of summer aid, providing $120 per child, went on debit cards that expire 274 days or nine months after theyre issued. For cards that started going in the mail Aug. 14, thats May 14. As of April 12, more than 68,000 cards had yet to be activated, potentially leaving $8.3 million on the table, according to state Department of Social Services data. Why its unspent is unknown. Possibilities include families losing their card, not wanting the aid, or not understanding what they received in the mail. Use this to purchase food,' Sue Berkowitz, an advocate for the poor, said shes been telling parents who call Appleseed Legal Justice Center to ask about it. The cards are still good. Parents are urged not to throw them away. Using them to buy any eligible product, at any cost, will provide another nine months to spend the rest. They can be used to buy groceries at any retailer that accepts debit cards for the regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP what used to be known as food stamps. Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) cards in SC The federal program for extra grocery aid for students not in school evolved as the pandemic continued. The following are when cards started going out in South Carolina for each round: July 6, 2020 Total cards: 481,106 Not activated: 27,826 Usage rate: 94% March 19, 2021 Total cards: 506,649 Not activated: 42,798 Usage rate: 91% Aug. 24, 2021 Total cards: 111,772 Not activated: 11,188 Usage rate: 89% Sept. 21, 2021 Total cards: 3,254 Not activated: 494 Usage rate: 84% July 17, 2022 Total cards: 140,870 Not activated: 10,719 Usage rate: 92% *Aug. 24, 2022 Total cards: 481,834 Not activated: 48,153 Usage rate: 90% *Aug. 14, 2023 Total cards: 536,918 Not activated: 68,281, as of April 12 Usage rate: 87%, as of April 12 *Programs specifically for summer aid for K-12 students Source: Department of Social Services The state does not track how much money is used once a card is activated, so the total amount of unused aid could be higher if families did not spend their whole allotment yet. However, at the cost of groceries these days, its expected that in the vast majority of cases, if a $120 card has been activated, its been consumed. The cards mailed to South Carolinians last August worth a total of $64.4 million were the last of seven rounds of federal pandemic grocery aid meant to help feed students who normally eat free or reduced-price meals at school. The first cards in the program went out in July 2020. In all, 2.26 million cards providing $1.04 billion worth of grocery aid have been sent to South Carolina families; 90% of them were activated, according to DSS data. That suggests South Carolinas rollout was relatively successful, and most of the people who needed the help got it, Berkowitz said. Most children got fed, and that is something that we should be very happy about, Berkowitz told the SC Daily Gazette. Lets be glad that these benefits were there when folks needed them. South Carolinas usage rate has been much higher than other states, said education policy consultant David Rubel of New York, who has been tracking the programs implementation nationwide. For example, Missouri had about $37 million in unused grocery aid in February, and Louisiana had $16 million earlier this month, just ahead of their cards expiration dates. Why werent cards activated? Some families may have intentionally rejected the help. The cards were mailed to the homes of every student who ate free or reduced-price meals. The vast majority of public schools statewide qualify for a federal program allowing all students to eat for free regardless of their parents income. Before the rules changed last fall, which made participation even easier, schools qualified for universal free meals if at least 40% of their students live in poverty. In a state where more than 60% of students meet that definition, qualifying is almost universal. Not all schools that qualify participate. But for schools in that program, DSS had to send grocery aid debit cards to all of the students homes. Parents in higher income brackets may not have wanted to use them. Its unknown how many parents who ordinarily wouldnt qualify for government assistance received the cards or how much that factored into cards not being activated. But both DSS officials and Berkowitz believe it at least partly explains the non-use. For parents in that situation, Berkowitz and her colleagues suggest they use their cards to help families in need, by buying groceries to donate to a local food bank, their schools food pantry or weekend backpack programs (if they have one), or a struggling family they know. The cards are non-transferable, meaning they cant simply be passed along for someone else to use. Berkowitz expects some people likely tossed the cards. I understand that, if they didnt feel they needed it and were not under that kind of stress financially and struggling to feed their families, they werent going to need it or activate it, Berkowitz said. Other cards likely got lost in the shuffle, she said. Since parents didnt need to do anything to get the money, they might not have known what the cards were for or whether they were legitimate, especially with so many benefit programs happening in the first couple years of the pandemic. The social services and education departments tried to get the word out through news interviews and social media posts, agency spokespeople said. Reaching families who are most in need can be difficult, Berkowitz said. Parents in poverty often work long hours and dont pay for newspaper subscriptions, so theyre not going to see news articles or TV news segments, she said. We were going to miss people, she said. Outreach from school districts, which have more direct connections with families, was probably more helpful, Berkowitz said. The state superintendent sent information to districts, and other officials in the state agency held seminars for administrators. Many districts then sent parents letters telling them about the program, a department spokesman said. How many is unclear. Some cards may have gone to wrong addresses. Both the social services and education agencies sent multiple reminders to families about updating their addresses to make sure that didnt happen, DSS spokeswoman Connelly-Anne Ragley said in an email. Cards that couldnt be delivered went back to the vendor contracted to process them. In all, 8,435 cards over the last four years were re-issued, according to DSS data. While the program was meant for summer grocery aid, for the last two years, the cards went out between mid- to late-August, weeks after most students in South Carolina were already back in class. That was due to the amount of work needed to collect data from school districts, determine eligibility and verify addresses, Ragley said. Decision not to continue House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said the fact that South Carolinas usage rate was so high shows that South Carolinians needed the grocery help. He and other Democrats have lambasted Gov. Henry McMaster for refusing to participate in the new, permanent version of the program that starts this summer. Unlike the pandemic-era program, which the federal government fully funded, it requires states to chip in half of the administrative costs. South Carolina was among 15 states that didnt opt in by the Jan. 1 deadline. More detailed plans, with estimated costs, were due by mid-February. With those deadlines long expired, participating this summer was off the table. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to convince McMaster to change his mind. Legislation asking Congress to extend the deadlines went nowhere. McMaster has said he chose not to enroll because the assistance was a COVID-related benefit extra. He pointed to programs already in place to feed children over the summer, such as the state-run Summer Break Cafe and Seamless Summer, which together served 3.2 million meals to children across the state last year, according to the Department of Education. Some senators considered putting money in the Senates $13.2 billion spending plan for the coming fiscal year to fund the program for summer 2025. But when it became clear the governor would not change his mind, they decided not to set aside the money, said Sen. Katrina Shealy, a Lexington Republican who supported signing up. Senate floor debate begins Tuesday on the spending plan advanced by that chambers budget-writing committee. Senators could propose an amendment to fund the program, though its unlikely to pass. The House will get another opportunity to amend the budget next month. A final spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 is still weeks away. Rutherford said hes still hopeful McMaster might change his mind before the next deadline for signing up, which is Jan. 1, 2025. Maybe seeing the benefits in other states and having more lawmakers from both parties urge participation will help, he said. We know the children are hungry, the Columbia Democrat said. The question is, what is the government doing about it? The post Millions in SC summer grocery aid will expire next month appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. FILE - In this image taken from video, Maxwell Anderson is led into the courtroom for his initial appearance, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Milwaukee. Anderson, charged with killing and mutilating a woman whose body parts have washed up on a beach along Lake Michigan, pleaded not guilty to those charges during a court appearance Monday, April 22. (WDJT-TV via AP, File) SOUTH MILWAUKEE (AP) A Milwaukee man charged with killing and mutilating a woman whose body parts washed up on a beach along Lake Michigan pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Monday. Maxwell Anderson, 33, of Milwaukee, entered the plea to charges of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson in the death of Sade Robinson, 19. Anderson waived his right to a preliminary hearing. He's due back in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on May 16, local news outlets reported. The court appearance was Anderson's first since his arrest on April 4, two days after a leg believed to belong to Robinson was found by a passerby down a bluff at Warnimont Park along Lake Michigan in Cudahy. The leg had been severed just below the hip. A torso and an arm believed to belong to Robinson were found Thursday morning along a remote stretch of tree-lined beach in South Milwaukee about a quarter of a mile (400 meters) from an apartment complex, the Milwaukee County Sheriffs Office said. Anderson is being held on a $5 million bond. A phone message seeking comment was left Monday evening for one of his attorneys, Anthony Cotton. Robinson was reported missing April 2 by a friend. An employee of the building where Robinson lived told police that Robinson was excited about a date she had planned for April 1, according to the complaint. Surveillance video from a restaurant showed Robinson and Anderson sitting together at the bar on the evening of April 1. Her burned car was found the next morning. A new federal rule is aimed at reducing coal miners exposure to silica dust, a leading cause of black lung disease. (Getty Images) It was a celebratory moment years in the making when acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, flanked by miners and advocates, announced the rollout of a new rule limiting silica dust exposure for miners in Uniontown, Pennsylvania Tuesday. For years, advocates for mine safety had urged the federal government to adopt strict rules around the substance that has led to an increase in severe black lung cases among young miners. Finally, one was announced. For too long, we accepted this as just the way things are for people who work in mines, Su said in Uniontown Tuesday. Theyve had to work without the same protections from silica dust that people in other industries have, even though weve known about the harms of silica dust. Mine safety advocates largely agree the rule is a positive change. But some are concerned that it still leaves too much power in the hands of mining companies instead of regulators, and lacks clarity when it comes to how it should be enforced. Overall, the rule is a step in the right direction, which is what weve been asking for for many years now, said Erin Bates, a spokesperson for the United Mine Workers of America. But coal operators are going to have to be held accountable at the end of the day. In recent years, severe cases of black lung disease have become more common. One of the major causes is silica dust. Contact with the substance is becoming more prevalent as the Appalachian region has been so aggressively mined that miners are digging into more narrow coal seams. Silica dust is produced when miners break through the rock surrounding those seams. The new rule creates a limit for levels of silica dust exposure and requires mining companies to actively monitor it. The new limit, 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, is half of what is currently allowed, and has long been called for by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, along with others. But the rule largely relies on mining companies themselves to measure the quality of air in their mines and to alert regulators when silica dust levels exceed the new limit. This is in part, Bates said, because the Mine Safety and Health Administration simply doesnt have the funding to regularly sample air in mines across the country. Still, she likened the rule to asking drivers to enforce the speed limit. How often is a driver going to call the police and say, hey, you know, Im really sorry, Bates said. I was going 75 in a 55. Go ahead and write me a ticket. But the fact that theres something in place that we can fight with and we can use is huge, Bates said. Every time we find a violation, we can point back to this rule Before, when we found that there were high levels of silica dust in our mines, there was nothing we could do. Rebecca Shelton is the Director of Policy of the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, a group that has advocated for silica dust regulation. I got into this work through being from Kentucky, really, Shelton said. Everyone knows someone who has black lung, it seems. I think thats something that is a fairly foreign or detached concept for most people in this country: that somebody in your family has a disease related to their occupation and occupational hazards. Like Bates, Shelton believes the rule is a positive step, but is concerned about enforcement. And Shelton worries that the Mine Safety and Health Administration may not be up to the task of enforcement, even when companies do report silica dust levels above the established limit. Something weve been pushing for for a long time is for MSHA just to have the funding they need to hire more inspectors, Shelton said. There has been a decline in the number of inspectors, especially for the coal mining industry over the last decade It makes it harder to do more rigorous enforcement. A November 2023 report published by the US Office of Inspector General found that MSHA was struggling to keep up with its work enforcing regulations. When announcing the final rule, Su noted that the agency was hiring an additional 270 inspectors to help enforce it. The rule will take effect in one year for coal mines, and in two years for all other types of mines. I think we are going to have to figure out how we are going to watchdog the implementation of this rule, and find our path forward there, Shelton said. She added that the lack of specified thresholds for penalties for mine operators found in violation of the rule would add to the difficulties of enforcement. Willie Dodson, a field coordinator with Appalachian Voices, a group that works closely with Sheltons, said in a statement that one major source of concern was that the rule does not require mine companies to close their mines when silica dust levels are too high. Without strong enforcement mechanisms, and without any prohibition against miners being forced to work in excessive dust, Im not sure that this will actually reduce levels of black lung, Dodson said in a statement. This rule gives MSHA too much discretion where there should be automatic enforcement actions. The rule gives MSHA the authority to take a number of actions if silica dust limits exceed the new limit, from financial penalties to shutting down unsafe mines. A spokesperson for the Department of Labor told the Capital-Star that it is willing to take all available actions if a mining company does not take action in a reasonable period of time to lower silica dust levels. Sam Petsonk, a West Virginia lawyer and advocate for mine safety, was optimistic about the prospects of enforcement. He believes the rules language is stricter than other similar regulations that had come before it. This rule is a stronger dust protection rule than MSHA ever promulgated before when it comes to the stringency of the limit and the tolerance for violations, he said. Petsonk believes the language of the rule will allow MSHA to take action against coal companies much more quickly than previous rules limiting other harmful airborne substances in mines. As an example, he pointed to a 2014 rule regulating coal dust levels that generally required the collection of multiple dangerous air samples before regulators could act. This rule, he said, would only require one. Petsonk also praised MSHA for adding language to the rule requiring mining companies to regularly come up with plans for how they will limit silica dust exposure and submit those to regulators. This rule acknowledges that the operator has to engineer a better way of avoiding extreme silica exposure, Petsonk said. Thats a real innovation. Thats something thats new in this rule. But Petsonk understands that enforcement of the rule will come down to who is in charge of the agency. For the moment, he believes the current administration is committed to enforcing the rule to the fullest extent possible. I always believe in the adage, trust, but verify, Petsonk said. And he believes that the current rule, along with what he saw as the agencys willingness to adapt it in light of criticism received during its public comment period, is at least the start of verification. Bates, the UMWA spokesperson, is less certain than Petsonk. She says the union is concerned that the rule could allow mining to continue even in mines where excessive levels of silica dust are measured. While it requires mining companies to take corrective actions when silica levels are high, one such action it notes is requiring miners to wear appropriate respirators. The union would prefer work in a mine where levels were too high be stopped altogether until it can continue safely. We strongly advocated for the agency to not require respirators when the miners were exposed to levels of silica that are above the exposure limit, Bates said. Honestly, we believe that if there is overexposure the work should stop completely. Bates pointed to one other aspect of the rule she found troubling. In the final published rule, MSHA included studies on the potential efficacy of the new, 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air silica dust limit. The studies also looked at how effective an even lower limit of 25 micrograms per cubic meter would be. Generally speaking, those studies found that the lower limit would expose only half as many miners to what it deemed excessive risk for disease. But thats not where the agency landed. Its absolutely not a surprise, Bates said. At the end of the day, the most important thing is the miners lives. It is a shame that 30- and 40-year-olds are contracting this disease. To Bates and others, the knowledge that stricter regulations would result in fewer miner deaths is only proof that theres more work to be done. Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and Twitter. The post Mine safety advocates agree new silica dust rule is progress, but some worry its not enough appeared first on West Virginia Watch. Agriculture Minister Solskyi accused of illegally appropriating more than $7 million in state-owned land Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi has been accused of illegally appropriating Ukrainian state-owned land worth Hr 291 million ($7.3 million) and attempting to seize another plot worth an additional Hr 190 million ($4.8 million), Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced on April 23. While NABU only described the suspect as the "former chairman of the agriculture committee" of Ukraine's parliament and a current minister, Suspilne reported, citing sources in law enforcement, that it is Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi. Solskyi then confirmed that he was the suspect in question in a post on Telegram later in the day. "I guarantee maximum openness to establish the truth, but there is no need for this - all the data is open to law enforcement, and the evidence and arguments of the parties are being considered by the courts," he wrote. Solskyi also said to reporters, "I do not agree with the allegations," and added that he was not planning on resigning. NABU said that the scheme involved the destruction of documents that showed the Ukrainian state had permanent ownership of two plots of land in Sumy Oblast. Following this, the conspirators, allegedly including Solskyi, worked from 2017-2021 to create new fictitious land ownership documents. The documents were then reportedly distributed amongst the members of the scheme, resulting in the seizure of the first plot, worth Hr 291 million ($7.3 million). NABU said that the conspirators were prevented by law enforcement agents from appropriating the second plot. At least four people have been accused of participating in the scheme, according to NABU. Read also: Ex-Supreme Court chief charged with bribery released on bail, can return to work Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Minn. Lawmaker Allegedly Burgled Stepmoms Home to Steal Fathers Ashes: 'Clearly Im Not Good at This' State Sen. Nicole Mitchell allegedly told officers that she was attempting to recover items that belonged to her father, who died recently, and that her stepmom refused to speak with her Steve Karnowski/AP Sen. Nicole Mitchell A Minnesota state senator was charged with felony first-degree burglary after allegedly breaking into her stepmother's home to steal some of her late father's belongings, including his ashes. The lawmaker, Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury, Minn., was charged on April 23, the day after she was arrested on suspicion of burglary in Detroit Lakes, as previously reported by CBS News, the Star Tribune and the Detroit Lakes Tribune. A police officer was dispatched to Mitchells stepmothers residence around 4:45 a.m. on April 22 after receiving a call reporting a break-in, according to a complaint obtained by the Star Tribune. Her stepmom was in the home at the time. Upon arrival, the officer allegedly located Mitchell, 49, in the basement of the home, per the complaint. She was subsequently arrested and booked into Becker County Jail. While she was being detained, Mitchell reportedly said, I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore," per the complaint. Related: Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn Crashes Sports Car into Florida State Trooper, Witness Says Becker County Jail Nicole Mitchell's mugshot, taken in Becker County Jail Mitchell was allegedly discovered wearing head-to-toe black, including a hat. Also found in the basement was a flashlight covered with a black sock, seemingly modified so as to control the amount of light emitting," per the complaint. Authorities also discovered a black backpack stuck in a basement window, which Mitchell allegedly later admitted was how she entered the home. The bag contained two laptops, a cell phone, miscellaneous Tupperware, and Mitchells drivers license and Minnesota Senate identification. According to the complaint, Mitchell later claimed that the laptops were both hers, stating that she had "just gotten into the house," and noting, Clearly I'm not good at this. One of the laptops displayed her stepmothers name, and Mitchell claimed that she had been given the computer way back when, per the complaint. Her stepmom said that was a lie. 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. Mitchell told officers that she was attempting to recover items that belonged to her father, who died recently, and said her stepmom refused to give her the items or speak with her following an argument. The items she wished to recover, she said, were pictures, a flannel shirt, ashes, and other items of sentimental value, per the complaint. While in police custody, an officer asked the lawmaker what got her to this stage, and she allegedly indicated that it was the ashes. Related: Everyone Who Might Testify in Donald Trump's Criminal Trial, Including First Witness David Pecker During her April 23 court appearance, which she joined via Zoom from jail, Mitchell's bail was set at $40,000, but she was released without bail on her own recognizance provided she follow a set of conditions, the Star Tribune reported. According to the outlet, the conditions included not contacting her stepmother and adhering to a restraining order approved by the judge. She is also allowed to leave the state when required for her official duties as a senator and travel to Cass County, N.D., without permission. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed the law "On the ratification of the Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz Development Fund on the conditions for the stay of the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz Development Fund on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic," Azernews reports, citing the press service of the president. The purpose of the law is to create favorable conditions for the activities of the development fund in the country. The document notes that officials and employees of the fund who are not citizens of Kyrgyzstan enjoy the benefits and privileges provided to diplomatic representatives. The import of property for the use of the fund is exempt from customs duties and taxes. The agreement to create the fund was reached during the state visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Kyrgyzstan in October 2022. The authorized capital of the fund is $25 million. Oncologist Sarah Blagden, from the University of Oxford, photographed on April 16 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid. One in two people will have cancer during their lifetime, warns English oncologist Sarah Blagden, from the University of Oxford. It is the same probability as flipping a coin and getting tails. Blagden, however, argues that malignant tumors are not inevitable. The researcher is the head of a revolutionary project, which is attempting to develop the first preventive vaccine against lung cancer, the most common and lethal in the world, causing nearly two million deaths a year. The initial goal is for the injection, called LungVax, to prevent the appearance of the cancer in an upcoming trial with 600 smokers and high-risk ex-smokers. Blagden compares cancer to a disease that was seen as an inexorable curse for centuries: tuberculosis, which today is largely preventable with a childhood vaccine. The 55-year-old oncologist was born in a military hospital in the city of Aldershot, because her father, Brigadier General Paddy Blagden, was stationed there. Her father was an international leader in the dangerous removal of land mines after wars, who worked in countries filled with hidden explosives, such as Rwanda, Iraq and Afghanistan. Now it is Sarah Blagden who is trying to deactivate another kind of hidden bomb: the cells that form the so-called pre-cancer. The oncologist recently visited Madrid to participate in a symposium organized by the CRIS Cancer Foundation, the Spanish entity that has co-financed the development of her experimental vaccine with half a million euros. Blagdens team uses technology similar to that of the Covid vaccine developed by Oxford and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. They take harmless chimpanzee cold viruses and modify the virus to introduce a stretch of DNA that generates defenses against specific proteins in pre-cancerous cells. Blagden speaks with urgency. In the hour that the interview lasts, 200 people have died from lung cancer in the world. Every minute counts, she warns. Question. You say that today we have the same culture of resignation in the face of cancer as we did a century ago in the face of tuberculosis. Why do you believe this? Answer. We accept that cancer has been around for a long time and is part of living. Thats wrong. We need to think of it as a preventable condition. Many oncologists work with established cancer, but we know that it takes years or even decades to being in our bodies. Pancreatic cancer, for example, takes about 15 years to form in your body, and when you get it, you die within six months. Why are we not researching those 15 years? Why are we not trying to understand the biological changes that cause normal cells to turn into cancer? It is an area of research that is empty, even though it seems so obvious that we should try to understand it. When cancer is in that phase of development, we call it pre-cancer, it can last decades and is reversible. You can prevent it from progressing to pancreatic, colon, ovarian, lung or any other cancer. Q. Can we stop cancer before it even starts? A. Exactly. It seems incredible, but it already happened with tuberculosis. It was said that it was the price you paid for being poor: you got TB and died of it. The mentality now is the same: the price you pay for a poor lifestyle is cancer, and you die of it. It isnt true. I suspect that most cancers could be detected in the latency phase if we knew how to look for them. Pre-cancer can last decades and is reversible: you can prevent it from becoming cancer Q. Pre-cancers usually go undetected in blood tests and scans. What pre-cancers are detectable? A. There are two very good examples where you can save lives. In cervical cancer, you can detect pre-cancerous lesions with a smear. In colon cancer, you can locate polyps with a colonoscopy. However, most of our organs, such as the pancreas and ovaries, are internal and you cannot see them. Q. And what can be done with the pre-cancers that are undetectable? A. We have to understand what biological events happen so that we can start to detect biomarkers in the blood. There is already early work underway in many laboratories, including mine. Q. At what stage of development is your LungVax vaccine? A. We will begin recruiting patients in January 2026. We have been developing the vaccine, trying to find the best combination of epitopes [the part of the molecule that antibodies recognize] to provoke the strongest immune reaction possible. Weve decided on the one thats best, and we are going to manufacture it in Oxford, in the same facility where the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid was made. Q. If all goes well, when could the vaccine to prevent lung cancer be available? A. Within 10 years, at the earliest. Q. Ten years until you can have an injection in an arm? A. To have the vaccine in your arm, yes, because we are not in the pandemic situation, so we cant fast track it in the same way. Q. Why cant it be fast tracked? Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world. A. It is a horrendous disease. I think that if there is evidence that the vaccine works, it could be fast tracked, but it is still difficult to know. Q. Your group has received about 2 million ($2.14 million) from two non-profit organizations: Cancer Research U.K. and the CRIS Cancer Foundation. The United States government invested $1 billion to develop the Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid. Why is the difference so big? A. If the vaccine is proven to work, a lot of countries will want to have it, because lung cancer is a horrible killer and it costs billions to treat. Oncologist Sarah Blagden, from the University of Oxford, pictured on April 16 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid. Andrea Comas Q. Lung cancer kills 1.8 million people every year. Why doesnt it already have $1 billion on the table? A. Well, I think we dont need a billion yet, because we still have to prove that it works in a small number of people. Its not like the pandemic, where they just had to hope that experimental vaccines would work. Now were trying something very different. We are applying the methodology of the vaccine against a cancer. It is the first time it has been tried anywhere in the world. Vaccines work well against infections, but this is not an infection: we are targeting the cancer itself, the first changes that occur in lung pre-cancer. Currently, there are other experimental vaccines to treat cancer, but no one has developed a vaccine to prevent it. Q. This would be the first. A. Yes. Q. The first against any type of cancer? A. In the United States, vaccines are being developed to prevent colorectal cancer, specifically in people with Lynch syndrome, which is a hereditary condition. Ours will be the first vaccine thats ever been designed to prevent lung cancer. Q. New cancer treatments cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient and often have little clinical value. Do you think pharmaceutical companies are making too much money? A. Its a difficult question. The pricing of cancer drugs is really complicated. I like the idea of a vaccine, because it completely changes the paradigm. Q. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot earned about 20 million ($21 million) last year, 10 times more than the initial cost of the lung cancer vaccine project. Soriot has made a total of 140 million ($150 million) in the last decade. What do you think? A. I dont know what to say about it, honestly. Q. Would you say its immoral? A. I prefer not to comment. Im certainly not getting 20 million [laughs]. Q. What would you say to a friend who smokes? A. There is overwhelming evidence that smoking causes cancer, but it is also really bad for your cardiovascular health and all kinds of diseases related to aging. I would tell my friend to stop smoking. All the vaccines in the world are not going to do anything compared to the main thing: quitting smoking. Q. What if your vaccine works? A. This is just the tip of the iceberg. At Oxford, we are developing vaccines against other types of cancer as well, such as colorectal cancer caused by Lynch syndrome, just like in the United States. Ultimately, what I would love to see is a vaccine given to everyone at a certain age, around 40 or 50, to protect them from the major cancers later on in life. Thats where I think we should be, but we have to start somewhere. Q. That would be wonderful. A. If you think about it, there is a 50% chance that we will get cancer in our lifetime. Why dont we try to prevent it? It goes back to that culture of resignation that we have about cancer: Oh well, it just happens. But it will happen to 50% of us! With Covid, we stepped up, even though we knew that the chance of dying was 1 in 70. We all got vaccinated. And our chance of having cancer is 1 in 2, it is enormous. We need to do something. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Police at the University of Minnesota cleared out an anti-Israel protest encampment from its Twin Cities campus, which is located in progressive "Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omars district, and arrested nine demonstrators early Tuesday. The universitys Department of Public Safety received reports that a group had set up an encampment with tents on the north end of the Northrop Mall, a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Officers warned the protesters around 6 a.m. that those present were in violation of university policy and state trespassing law as tents are not allowed on campus without a permit, the spokesperson said, adding that "no encampments, tents, fires, or other types of encampment living arrangements have ever been permitted on any university properties or in buildings." "The group was asked to disperse by 7 a.m. and told they would be arrested if they chose to stay past that time," the university spokesperson said. "Some of those present chose to disperse and continue peacefully protesting, but nine chose to remain and were arrested without incident." LIVE UPDATES: ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS SURGES AS AGITATORS TAKE OVER Police at the University of Minnesotas Twin Cities campus dispersed an encampment of anti-Israel protesters on Tuesday morning. Nine protesters who refused to leave were arrested. Those arrested were taken on trespassing charges to the Hennepin County jail, where more than a dozen demonstrations gathered to protest the arrests, Minnesota Public Radio reported. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, the universitys statement said that it supports the rights of its community "to speak and demonstrate peacefully" as similar protests occur around the country. "In light of protests around the country and this mornings activity on the University of Minnesotas Twin Cities campus, its important to note that the U of M supports and respects free speech through lawful protest," the statement said. NYU STUDENTS PLANNING WALKOUT FOLLOWING VIOLENT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS Other encampments have taken over campuses at Columbia University and New York University in New York City and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. These protests have led some universities to cancel some in-person classes and have also led to arrests. Isra Hirsi, the daughter of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was among one of more than 100 demonstrators who were arrested during a protest at Columbia University last week. Omar praised her daughter in a post on social media following her arrest. The 21-year-old Hirsi had said that she had been suspended from Barnard College in New York City earlier that day for "standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide." Isra Hirsi departs 1 Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Hirsi, the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, was arrested during a pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University earlier in the day. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar's office about the campus protest in her district but didnt immediately hear back. Original article source: Minnesota police clear out anti-Israel protest in the heart of Ilhan Omar's congressional district Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell arrested and charged for burglary after being found in home A Minnesota state senator has been arrested and charged with first-degree burglary, police say. Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell was arrested after being found inside a home in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, nearly four hours northwest of Woodbury, which she represents, Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd told USA TODAY. Mitchell, 49, was booked at Becker County Jail on Monday and was being held on the burglary charge, Todd said. Mitchell responds: Minnesota senator charged with burglary says she was retrieving late father's ashes The Minnesota State Capitol is seen on June 29, 2021. Mitchells late father lived on the block, records show At about 4:45 a.m. Monday, police responded to a homeowner reporting a burglary, Todd said. Officers found a woman inside the home who police later identified as Mitchell. County property tax records show that in 2022 Mitchells stepmother and her late father lived on the block where the suspected burglary occurred, the Star Tribune reported. Sen. Nicole Mitchell serving her first term Mitchell was elected in 2022 and is still serving her first term. Before that, she was a TV meteorologist and an Air National Guard commander. The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Caucus declined to comment but said it was "aware of the situation," CBS News reported. "The public expects legislators to meet a high standard of conduct," Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson said in a statement to CBS News. "As information comes out, we expect the consequences to meet the actions, both in the court of law, and in her role at the Legislature." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nicole Mitchell: Minnesota state senator arrested on burglary charge Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary after being found inside a home in Detroit Lakes. Credit - Video Elephant/Reuters Minnesota state senator Nicole Mitchell was charged with first-degree burglary Tuesday morning, one day after being arrested at a home in Detroit Lakes, Minn. The Democratic lawmaker, 49, is being charged after the victim, identified as Mitchells stepmother in a complaint filed in court, called the police about an active burglary at her home. Officers then arrested Mitchell on the scene, amid an alleged dispute between the two women over possessions allegedly belonging to Mitchell and her late father. "I know I did something bad, Mitchell said after an officer read her Miranda rights, according to the complaint. A restraining order was issued against Mitchell on Tuesday. A judge gave permission for Mitchells release as long as she agreed to not contact her stepmother and not leave the state without court approval, according to MPR News. Mitchell posted a statement on her Facebook page Tuesday afternoon, saying that a family member was dealing with Alzheimers and related paranoia. Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room, Mitchell wrote. Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny. Mitchell is set to return to court on June 10. Mitchell hasnt publicly commented on the incident. Her government office did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The incident occurred early Monday morning. At around 4:45 a.m. local time, Detroit Lakes Police received a call about someone breaking into a home. The victim said that the suspect ran into the basement. Officers found Mitchell in the home wearing all black clothes and a black hat, and a flashlight with a black sock covering nearby. While being arrested, Mitchell told the victim something like, I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore, the complaint filed in district court alleges. Police looked in Mitchells backpack and found two laptops, a cell phone, Mitchells personal identification documents, and tupperware. Mitchell told officers that her father had just passed away, and her stepmother had ceased all contact with family. Mitchell told officers she wanted a few items back, listing pictures, a flannel shirt, ashes, and other items of sentimental value, according to the complaint. Clearly I'm not good at this, Mitchell allegedly told police. Mitchell told officers that she had entered the home through the window on the south wall of the basement, according to the complaint. She also claimed that one of the laptops in her bag was given to her by her stepmother, which her stepmother denies. Mitchell represents Minnesotas senate district 47. Prior to her work in the legislative chamber, she was a meteorologist and an Air National Guard commander, according to her state office biography. Contact us at letters@time.com. Democratic State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, right, of Woodbury, speaks with Sen. Robert D. Farnsworth, a Republican from Hibbing, on the floor of the Minnesota Senate on April 2, 2024, at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday. Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, of Woodbury, was arrested early Monday at the home in the northwestern Minnesota city of Detroit Lakes. The arresting officer wrote in the complaint that he heard Mitchell tell her stepmother "something to the effect of, I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore.'" The complaint charges Mitchell with one count of first-degree burglary, a felony. Becker County Judge Gretchen Thilmony allowed Mitchell to go free on the condition that she not contact her stepmother. Although Senate Republicans called on Mitchell to resign, she's expected to return to her duties. Her trouble comes at an awkward time for Senate Democrats, who hold just a one-seat majority with just under four weeks left in the legislative session. Mitchell's attorney, Bruce Ringstrom Sr., said in an interview that the dispute arose out of a fractured relationship between the senator and her stepmother that has been aggravated by age-related issues. It's not exactly the wicked stepmother from Cinderella, Ringstrom said. Ringstrom said hes sure there will be internal discussions among Senate Democrats regarding her future but that shes entitled to a presumption of innocence. He said he told her to suppress her instincts as a media person, a weather person and politician, and that she agreed to hold her tongue and say nothing. But in a post later on Facebook, Mitchell denied stealing. She did not, however, explain why she entered the home without permission in the middle of the night. Like so many families, mine is dealing with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimers and associated paranoia. ... This has been a true tragedy for our family and my hope is it can return to being a private matter, Mitchell wrote. The senator wore an orange jumpsuit and looked tense but said little during her brief court appearance. She did not enter a plea. Mitchells father, Rod Mitchell, died in March 2023 at the age of 72, according to his obituary. He had been married to Mitchells stepmother for 40 years, it said. I know I did something bad, the criminal complaint quoted Mitchell as saying. Mitchell was dressed all in black and wearing a black hat when she was arrested, the complaint said. The officer said he discovered a flashlight near her that was covered with a black sock, apparently modified to control the amount of light coming from it. Mitchell told the officer she was after pictures, a flannel shirt, ashes and other items, but that her stepmother had cut off all contact with her, according to the complaint. The lawmaker acknowledged entering through a basement window that had been propped open with a black backpack, the complaint said. Officers found her Senate ID inside it. She claimed her stepmother had given her a laptop found in her backpack way back when, but the stepmother disputed that. The senator, who has a law degree, also indicated that she got caught soon after entering. Clearly I'm not good at this, it quoted her as saying. The stepmother said in an interview that she's afraid of her stepdaughter. She also said that although most of her husband's ashes were buried, she sent Mitchell a miniature container with some of them. Ringstrom, however, said that account is not totally accurate. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, called the allegations upsetting but indicated that Mitchell will be allowed to return to her duties. We believe in due process, and Senator Mitchell has the right to a full defense of her case in court, Murphy said in a statement. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, of East Grand Forks, said in a statement that she should step down. The complaint describes allegations of disturbing conduct unbecoming of a legislator, including extensive preparations to burglarize a relatives home, he said. Mitchell was a meteorologist with the U.S. military, KSTP-TV, Minnesota Public Radio and The Weather Channel before she was elected in 2022 from a suburban St. Paul district. Mitchells next court appearance is set for June 10. ___ This story was updated to correct that the defendants father died in March 2023, not last month. Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, charged with burglary, says she was checking on loved one with Alzheimer's DETROIT LAKES, Minn. A Minnesota state senator now faces charges in connection to a burglary at a Detroit Lakes home earlier this week. On Tuesday, the Becker County Attorney's Office charged 49-year-old Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, with first-degree burglary. According to police, officers were called at about 4:45 a.m. Monday to a residence off Granger Road and Long Avenue after the homeowner called 911 to report a burglary in progress. Police say Mitchell was found inside, arrested and booked into Becker County Jail. She later denied the allegations in a statement to her state senator's Facebook page. Sen. Nicole Mitchell / Credit: WCCO Mitchell burgled stepmother's home to get deceased father's things, charges say According to the criminal complaint, the home Mitchell is accused of burgling was her stepmother's. The stepmother called police to report someone had broken into her home. When officers arrived, the suspect later identified as Mitchell ran into the basement. Mitchell was wearing black clothing and a black hat when officers found her in the basement, according to the complaint. They found a flashlight with a sock on it and a black backpack nearby. The backpack contained two laptops, a cellphone, Tupperware and identifying documents for Mitchell. Investigators said Mitchell told them her father had recently died and her stepmother wouldn't talk to Mitchell or other family members. "I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore," Mitchell said to her stepmother during her arrest, according to the complaint. The items Mitchell sought were "pictures, a flannel shirt, ashes, and other items of sentimental value," the complaint states. Mitchell allegedly gave the same motive to police, also saying she had "just gotten into the house." "Clearly I'm not good at this," she said, according to investigators, adding, "I know I did something bad." Investigators said Mitchell got into the house through a basement window. Police questioned Mitchell about one of the laptops found in her bag, which, when turned on, had the stepmother's name on it. She said her stepmother had given it to her, which the stepmother denied. Mitchell made her first court appearance Tuesday morning where she was released from custody with conditions. Those conditions include, among others, remaining law-abiding and making all future court appearances. Her next court hearing is set for June 10. Mitchell says she was checking on family member with Alzheimer's, not stealing In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mitchell denied stealing anything and said she entered the home out of concern for an ailing family member. Mitchell said the incident has been a "true tragedy" for her family and says she hopes it can "return to being a private matter." She also thanked friends and colleagues "of both parties" for their support. Read Mitchell's full statement below: Regarding the recent news: Like so many families, mine is dealing with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimer's and associated paranoia. Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room. Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny. Thank you to all my friends (and colleagues of both parties) for the kind words of support and for trusting my character even before I had a chance to respond. This has been a true tragedy for our family and my hope is it can return to being a private matter. WCCO spoke Tuesday with Mitchell's attorney by phone. He said he advised her not to resign. On Thursday, Mitchell released an updated statement through her attorneys. "While I cannot elaborate more at the advice of counsel, I can say I am extremely disappointed that the complaint lacks the complete information of the incident including important context, for example that I have known the other person involved in this incident since I was four years old and deeply care about her. It saddens me that some people are attempting to use a tragic family situation to score political points, and I am grateful to those who believe, as I always have, that everyone should be allowed the due process guaranteed by our Constitution. I am confident that a much different picture will emerge when all of the facts are known. I am as committed to my constituents today as the day I was elected, including important work for veterans and children, and I do not intend to resign." Lawmakers speak out, calling for consequences Mitchell is currently serving her first term as a state senator. A spokesperson for the Senate DFL Caucus said in a statement Monday they're "aware of the situation" but wouldn't comment. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said "the allegations against Senator Mitchell are upsetting." "The behavior alleged is far outside the character she has established in the Senate and in her distinguished career in the military," Murphy said. "We believe in due process, and Senator Mitchell has the right to a full defense of her case in court. In the coming days and weeks, Senator Mitchell must also have serious and difficult conversations with her colleagues, constituents and family." Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said in a statement Mitchell's alleged actions require her resignation. MORE NEWS: Isanti wedding venue closes suddenly, leaving couples scrambling and out thousands of dollars "I understand the difficult situation her family is facing, however the actions taken by Sen. Mitchell are disturbing," Johnson said. "The complaint released by the Becker County Attorney lays out the case of a person who took extensive preparation to burglarize a family member's home. This behavior is unbecoming of a member of the Legislature and she needs to resign from the Senate immediately." Republican State Rep. Jim Joy, who represents the district where the alleged burglary occurred, also called for Mitchell's resignation in a statement released Wednesday. "For this serious crime to be perpetrated by a fellow legislator against one of my constituents is appalling," Joy said. "It is clearly time for Senator Mitchell to resign, put family over politics and focus on helping her family as she faces these felony charges." Senate GOP files ethics complaint, vote on motion to weigh expulsion fails Also on Wednesday, Senate Republicans filed an ethics complaint against Mitchell. In a statement on the filing, Johnson said his party took action because Senate Democrats' "lack of action" forced them to "defend the integrity of Senate and seek answers for the public." The complaint, which was filed with Democratic Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, cited three rules Republicans accuse Mitchell of violating: 56.1 Members shall adhere to the highest standard of ethical conduct as embodied in the Minnesota Constitution, state law, and these rules. 56.2 A member shall not publish or distribute written material if the member knows or has reason to know that the material includes any statement that is false or clearly misleading, concerning a public policy issue or concerning the member's or another member's voting record or position on a public policy issue. 56.3 Improper conduct includes conduct that violates a rule or administrative policy of the Senate, that violates accepted norms of Senate behavior, that betrays the public trust, or that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor or disrepute. The second rule listed appears to be in connection to Mitchell's Facebook post, which conflicts with the police narrative. Wednesday's session was originally set to be a busy day of legislative work, but that schedule was scrapped in favor of a "paperwork session." WCCO's Caroline Cummings reports Sen. Eric Lucero, R-St. Michael, made a motion Wednesday afternoon to force the rules committee to immediately consider the ethics complaint, and then weigh Mitchell's possible expulsion. The vote failed, split 33-33 among party lines. Mitchell was not present for the session and didn't vote, although other members did vote remotely. Mitchell, who has also been a TV meteorologist and a commander with the Air National Guard, was elected in 2022 and is in the midst of her first term. U.S. Catholics and their relationship to the church Pope Francis says "negotiated peace is better than a war without end" Art Schallock, oldest living former MLB player, turns 100 A Minnesota state senator has been charged with first-degree burglary after being arrested in the city of Detroit Lakes early Monday morning. Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, was arrested at a residence after police responded to a 911 call around 4:45 a.m. Monday, Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steven Todd told The Hill. Mitchell was formally charged with one count of first-degree burglary, according to a complaint shared with The Hill and filed Tuesday. Mitchell, a former meteorologist and a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, is serving her first term in the Minnesota Senate after being elected in 2022. According to the complaint, police received reports that someone had broken into a residence and the person had run into the basement. The police found Mitchell, who was dressed in all black clothing and a black hat, in the basement of the house, according to the complaint. The complaint states Mitchell told officers the victim was her stepmother, who cut off contact from her and her family after Mitchells father died. I was just trying to get a couple of my dads things because you wouldnt talk to me anymore, she told her stepmother during her arrest, according to the complaint. She was trying to get items of her late fathers, including pictures, a flannel shirt, ashes, and other items of sentimental value, the complaint states. At one point, Mitchell commented that clearly Im not good at this after officers searched her backpack. The officers found a laptop with her stepmothers name on it that Mitchell said was given to her by the stepmother, who denied giving it to her. She also said, I know I did something bad, after being read her Miranda rights, according to the complaint. Mitchell admitted to the officer that she drove from the Twin Cities to the residence in Detroit Lakes and got in the house through a window, per the complaint. While at the jail, the court document states she told an officer she had previously gotten into an argument with her stepmother, and they stopped speaking. Mitchell wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon that she was checking in on a family member with Alzheimers when she was discovered in the residence. Like so many families, mine is dealing with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimers and associated paranoia, she said in a statement. Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room. Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny, Mitchell added. The Associated Press reported that state Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R) said he was shocked at the news. The public expects Legislators to meet a high standard of conduct, Johnson said in a statement. As information comes out, we expect the consequences to meet the actions, both in the court of law, and in her role at the legislature. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Democratic Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell was charged with first-degree burglary after allegedly breaking in to her former stepmother's home. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Senate April 23 (UPI) -- A first-term Minnesota state senator on Tuesday was charged with first-degree burglary after allegedly breaking in to her former stepmother's house in Detroit Lakes. State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, a 49-year-old Democrat from Woodbury, was arrested early Monday morning after police officers responded to the call before 5 a.m. local time. They arrested Mitchell at the scene of the alleged burglary, according to the criminal complaint. Mitchell -- a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard -- was found by police in the basement of her former stepmother Carol Mitchell's Becker County home "dressed in all black clothing and a black hat," according to court documents. Mitchell told her stepmother she had been attempting to "get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore," court documents said. Her father, Roderick Mitchell, died at age 72 in March 2023. Mitchell and her former stepmother were the only two heirs to Roderick Mitchell's estate worth $172,931. Authorities found a flashlight with a black sock over it and a sliding window going into the basement was open with a black backpack on it. "Officers searched the backpack and discovered two laptops, a cell phone, Mitchell's Minnesota driver's license, Mitchell's Senate identification, and miscellaneous Tupperware," the court document states. The first-term state senator told police the laptops were hers, telling them she had "just gotten into the house." "Clearly I'm not good at this," she allegedly said. Mitchell said she knew she "did something bad" as she was read her Miranda rights. She had left Woodbury at around 1 a.m. that night to get to Detroit Lakes. The Democrat-Farmer-Labor state senator said she was only going to get her late father's personal belongs such as pictures and ashes which she claimed Carol Mitchell had refused to give her. Elected to the state senate in 2022, Mitchell is a former television personality and has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused or neglected kids. Mitchell received a law degree in 2010 from Georgia State University College of Law. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a fellow Democrat, has yet to weigh in on the issue. Mitchell's arrest came the same day Walz had appointed two women to the state's supreme court in Minnesota's now all-female high court. But the state's Republican Party chairman on Tuesday afternoon had called for Mitchell to step down. "The criminal charges against Senator Nicole Mitchell are severe and warrant her immediate resignation from the Minnesota Senate," state GOP Chairman David Hann said in a statement. Mitchell's situation puts Minnesota senate Democrats in a difficult position with a one-seat majority in the state's upper legislative chamber, which they narrowly control. The first criminal trial in the sprawling Feeding Our Future case began Monday, questioning more than a dozen potential jurors about whether they could be impartial in the high-profile federal meal fraud case. In all, 1,000 Minnesotans from across the state had been summoned by mail for the case, more than usual because of the publicity surrounding the scandal one of the biggest fraud cases in the state, prosecutors have said. By Monday, the pool of potential jurors had been narrowed to about 350 people about four or five times the usual amount in a case like this. No jurors were seated Monday. One by one, more than a dozen Minnesotans were questioned by U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel in the downtown Minneapolis federal courthouse for about seven hours, including how much news coverage of the Feeding Our Future investigation they had seen, read or heard about since news of the FBI investigation broke in January 2022. The potential jurors were asked at least 26 questions about their life and opinions, including their feelings about Islam, Muslims or people with East African backgrounds, particularly Somalia, given that a number of the witnesses and defendants are from or have connections to East Africa. Most of the potential jurors interviewed were white and from the Twin Cities metro area. The prospective jurors were asked whether they're familiar with the meal programs at the center of the case, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reimburse nonprofits, schools and daycares for feeding low-income children after school and during the summer. Brasel also asked if they had any connection to the USDA or Minnesota Department of Education which oversaw the free meal programs in the state or if anyone they knew had ever received the free meals. "This is obviously going to go a while," Brasel told the courtroom. The trial, which could last six weeks, is taking place more than two years after the FBI raided Feeding Our Future's offices, publicly revealing allegations of a $250 million fraud, and more than a year and a half since the first charges were filed in the case.Prosecutors have called it one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the country. The trial involves seven defendants who had ties to Empire Cuisine & Market in Shakopee, which enrolled in federal meal programs to feed low-income children in April 2020. Collectively, the defendants received more than $40 million in federal reimbursements for claiming to serve more than 18 million meals to children across Minnesota from Owatonna to Faribault to Savage over the course of 18 months. Their organizations were "sponsored," or overseen, by Feeding Our Future in St. Anthony and Partners in Nutrition in St. Paul, which grew to become among the largest providers of these meal programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors allege that the defendants, like others in the case, served little or no food, and used the federal money to buy lakeside houses, luxury cars and lavish trips. But in court documents, defense attorneys argued that defendants didn't knowingly or intentionally commit any crime or defraud anyone, saying that they believed they were providing "real meals, to real people." The defendants Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Mohamed Jama Ismail, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Said Shafii Farah, Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff and Hayat Mohamed Nur have been charged with wire fraud and money laundering, among other charges. Since September 2022, 70 people have been charged or indicted and of those, 18 have pleaded guilty, one died and one is known to have fled the country. Prosecutors have said defendants exploited loosened oversight and rules during the pandemic. Col. Tytonia Moore, deputy director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization, Site Activation Task Force, delivers remarks during the Task Force 21 North Dakota Nuclear Triad Symposium in Minot on April 23, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) MINOT The Minot Air Force Base is in line for a nuclear-sized upgrade as the Department of Defense plans to update its nuclear deterrence capability across the country. During the Task Force 21 North Dakota Nuclear Triad Symposium in Minot on Tuesday, members of the military, nuclear weapons experts and state lawmakers talked about the importance of upgrading an aging nuclear arsenal, and its delivery methods, as China and other adversaries have increased their own defense budgets in recent years. Over the next 12 years, the DoD plans to upgrade each leg of the nuclear triad that consists of intercontinental ballistic missiles, bomber aircraft and nuclear ballistic missile submarines. The militarys Minuteman III nuclear ICBMs, which have been in service since the late 1970s, will be replaced with the Sentinel missile system. Col. Tytonia Moore, deputy director of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization, said the Air Force will replace 400 Minuteman III launching vehicles nationwide. Of those, 150 missiles are in North Dakota, which will lead to an estimated $850 million in funding to upgrade Minot Air Force Base facilities. He said the Air Force plans to reuse as many of the Minuteman III facilities as possible since the missile systems are similar in size. However, additional construction of new facilities would also be needed. Even though its a new system, we want to take advantage of lease agreements and the property, etc., which hopefully makes it more cost effective, Moore said. He said the DoD plans on installing an additional 939 miles of utility corridors to the new facilities near the base. Moore added building the facilities will bring up to 3,000 workers to the area. However, Moore said the Sentinel program is also experiencing critical cost overruns of about 37% to the program, which now requires more oversight from Congress and the DoD before construction can begin. Prior to the cost overruns, construction was expected to begin on Minot AFB in 2027, but plans are on hold until the program is reevaluated. Upgrades to the air leg of the nuclear triad will see Northrop Grummans B-21 Raider replace the existing B-1 bomber in coming years. The Air Force is expected to maintain a fleet of 100 new B-21 bombers at an average unit cost of nearly $700 million per plane, according to the Air Force. The sea leg of the nuclear triad will be upgraded with the new Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine that will replace the aging Ohio-class subs. Each new sub is expected to cost more than $9 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service. Lt. Gen. Michael Lutton, deputy commander Air Force Global Strike Command, delivers remarks during the Task Force 21 North Dakota Nuclear Triad Symposium in Minot on April 23, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Lt. Gen. Michael Lutton, deputy commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, said the triad upgrades are necessary to keep pace with Chinas growing influence and increases in military spending, as well as Russias continued war in Ukraine. Those are just two of the countries that are out there, said Lutton, adding that North Korea also poses a security concern. He also touted airmen stationed in Minot and across the world as trained, knowledgeable and ready to defend the nation, if called upon. We want them to be decisive, Lutton said. We want them to have that information advantage and we want them to have access to those things that will give them a decisive advantage. North Dakota Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Gov. Doug Burgum spoke during the event and praised the service members at Minot AFB as an integral part of the state. Burgum said he hopes to continue making strides through income tax relief and other programs to ensure North Dakota is the friendliest state for military service members and veterans. After the event, state Sen. Merrill Piepkorn, D-Fargo, said lawmakers received a tour of the Minot AFB nuclear launch facilities. The most impressive thing to me about the Air Force, and Im sure it goes to all the military branches, is the diversity, the enthusiasm, the skill and the dedication these people, many of them young people, have to their jobs, Piepkorn said. They take it very seriously and they are very responsible. The post Minot Air Force Base to receive $850 million in upgrades with nuclear weapons updates appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. A Cleveland family has a glimmer of good news after they suffered a horrible house fire early Saturday morning. Cecilia Li and her husband, Felipe Freitas, were able to escape the fire that police believed was intentionally set to their house. The family assumed their pet cat perished in the fire, but the cat was found alive amongst all the damage on Monday in what can only be described as a miracle. News 5 Cleveland reports, "Li and Freitas thought they had lost everything, including their dog Salami and cat Evelyn. "She's been with me my entire adult life through everything," said Cecilia. But, on Monday, inside that charred house, they found the good news they needed: their cat was alive. The family took the cat to the vet for a checkup, and we were told that she was doing OK. Related: Dog Whose Owner Died in an Attempt to Save Him Has People Heartbroken The Cleveland Division of Fire tells News 5 that investigators believe the fire was set using an ignitable fluid. The police are still looking for a person of interest, and a K9 trained to detect ignitable liquids has been brought in to help with the investigation. Even though few people will have someone intentionally set fire to their home, it's always good to have a fire safety plan in action for all of your family members, including your pets. Fire Safety Tips For Pets No one ever wants to think about something horrible like a house fire happening to their family, but the reality is every 24 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the United States. That's about 358,300 home-based fires every year. One of the most important things you can do to keep your pets safe if an accident like this should occur is to have them microchipped. If a disaster happens and your pets escape if they are microchipped they have a much better chance of being returned to your family. Also it helps to make sure your pets wear collars with up-to-date identification tags, including your contact information. Just like with your human family, regularly practice fire drills with your pets so they become familiar with what will happen if a fire should occur. Use treats and positive reinforcement to make it a positive experience. Keep a small carrier if you have a cat and a separate leash for your dog along with a go-bag filled with pets supplies, vet records, and any medications your pet takes in a secure area. This bag is only to be used in case of emergencies. Display pet alert stickers on windows or doors to alert firefighters to the presence of pets inside your home. These stickers should indicate the number and type of pets in your household. You can find these either on Amazon or through the ASPCA where you can order a pack for free. If you would like to make a donation to the family, you can do so at this link here. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. Rahif Almeari, a 13-year-old Palestinian artist, draws in his room. On the walls, the marks of bullet holes from the last outbreak of violence in Ein el-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. He paints so as not to forget. And to tell, through art, what the Palestinian people are going through, Rahif Almeari explains, somberly. At 13 years old, he is surely the youngest artist at Ein el-Hilweh, the largest refugee camp in Lebanon, which is considered a kind of capital of the countrys Palestinian community. On panels of wood, the adolescent, who is the grandson of a carpenter who was driven from his home in 1948 following the creation of the state of Israel, paints the symbols of his grandparents homeland. Israel wants to erase our culture, but it is my responsibility as an artist to paint the olive trees and the keffiyeh to tell the Europeans and all foreigners who we are, he explains. The 60,000 inhabitants of Ein el-Hilweh, which is the site of frequent showdowns between factions, follow the news from Gaza fearfully, because they sense that more than ever, their future survival is tied to what happens in the coastal enclave. With what we are suffering, it makes no sense to be at each others throats, says Almeari, indicating the marks of bullet holes in his bedroom. They are a reminder of the last outbreak of violence in the camp, which began last summer after the assassination of General Abu Ashraf al Armoushi, a high-ranking official from the Palestinian nationalist movement Fatah, the party of the current Palestinian government led by Mahmoud Abbas. His death was attributed to radical militias with ideological ties to jihadist groups like the Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front, which through the years have found refuge in Ein el-Hilweh. In that wave of conflicts between groups linked to Fatah and more extremist movements, at least 11 civilians died and more than 40 were injured. They attacked the heart of the Fatah military branch with the goal of politically weakening us, Yusef Zraihy, head of the party in southern Lebanon, told EL PAIS. But the war in Gaza put an end to these internal battles and in mid-October, rival militias arrived at a tacit agreement to lay down their weapons. These conversations moved forward with mediation by the Lebanese government, but the inhabitants of Ein el-Hilweh fear that a possible ceasefire in the Gaza Strip could mean the return of violence to their camp. Life in its streets has been paralyzed for nearly the past seven months and the bombings and death tolls in Gaza fill both daily conversation in the market and prayers, amid the general sense of helplessness over not being able to help their compatriots. All eyes are on Gaza and the political and security situation in the camps is calm. Still, we fear that when the war ends there could be an outbreak of new conflict, says Samer Mannaa, a Palestinian activist. And whoever controls Ein el-Hilweh will control the refugee community, he concludes. One of the main streets of Ein el Hilweh, connected to one of the entryways to the camp. On the right side of the image, one of the UNRWA schools that was destroyed by armed factions. Ein el-Hilweh is located just a few miles from the coastal town of Sidon, a city in southern Lebanon. It is the largest of the 12 refugee camps that were created in the country after the 1948 Nakba catastrophe in Arabic in which Palestinians were forcibly driven from their homes. Today, according to numbers from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), there are 500,000 registered refugees in Lebanon, including those who were driven out more than 70 years ago, and their descendants. The same agency estimates that no more than 250,000 refugees continue to live in the country, with the rest having emigrated elsewhere. Of this total, 200,000 receive annual assistance from the organization, which calculates that 80% of Palestinian refugees live in poverty. A thousand shrapnel holes With his gaze fixed upon an open book resting on his knees, Almeari waits in front of the small candy stand his family runs outside the front door of their house. The entire street, from the metal of the stand to the cardboard that protects it from the sun, is strafed with a thousand shrapnel holes, a landscape that has become normal at the camp. The boy sets off to look for the heavy, rusty keys for the doors of the house that his grandparents lived in until 1948 reminders that Palestinian refugees and their descendants treasure. His father, Hussein Almeari, a carpenter who was also born in the refugee camp, has a map of the family lands that his father carved into wood. Rahif seems to have inherited his elders passion, creating scenes from acrylic paint on pieces of wood his father prepares for him. I adore Ein el-Hilweh, it is my home. Thats why it hurts me so much to see it like this, says Hussein Almeari, gesturing to the walls. When the wave of violence took hold last July, the family evacuated the camp. When they came back at the end of October, their home had been nearly destroyed: they found numerous bullets embedded in the walls, which had been ripped through by explosives. Their home is located at the crux of different neighborhoods which, just like the UNRWA schools, were the battlefields of rival militias. Its not the first time that the educational facilities of Ein el-Hilweh have been occupied and destroyed, Dorothee Klaus, director in Lebanon of the U.N. agency, tells EL PAIS. Our response in the past was to increase fortifications to protect the children, but that had the opposite effect and turned schools into attractive areas for military operations, she says. Some of the drawings of young refugee Rahif Almeari on the pieces of wood that his father prepares. In addition to Palestinian symbols, the teen also paints nature scenes and landscapes. The UNRWA which employs 3,500 refugees in Lebanon provides health services, education, basic infrastructure, social assistance and sanitation. The host government has made it clear that it has neither the will nor the capacity to take on this responsibility, either politically or financially, the director says. The lives of the Palestinian refugees are governed by autonomous rules that are independent of Lebanon, which in 1969 two years after the Six-Day War, which caused the second large migratory wave of Palestinians to Lebanon ceded political and security administration of the refugee camps to the Palestinian community. Stripped of their rights But that apparent Palestinian sovereignty in the Lebanon camps does not appear to have come with rights. A national regulation denies the refugees access to citizenship and property rights and also restricts the possibility of them occupying positions in key professions like medicine, law and engineering. The Lebanese state deprives us of our basic human rights. Were not even second-class citizens, because were not citizens, says Hatem Mokdade, an unaffiliated activist. The disappointment felt in the camps is refracted onto the United Nations agency, which has been accused of a lack of response. We have not abandoned our right to return, but right now we need electricity, basic services and to address issues of corruption. The UNRWA has spent 75 years in a state of emergency, but what we need is development, says Mokdade. In addition to the complexity of the Palestinian situation, there is the reality of a Lebanon that is in permanent crisis and which, since October, has been in a war against Israel on its southern border through pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah. Plus, there are UNRWAs economic difficulties, now exacerbated after donor countries suspending funding following Israels allegations that 12 of the U.N. agencys staff had participated in the Hamas October 7 attack. In that attack, 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage, a hundred of whom remain in the hands of their captors in Gaza. The U.S. Congress has blocked the Biden administration from resume UNRWA financing until March 2025 at the earliest. The United States is the agencys primary source of funds, but other countries, like Spain, have diverged from the U.S. decision and announced additional aid to keep the agency in operation. The Colonna Report, an independent investigation commissioned by the United Nations and led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, which was published on Monday, April 22, concluded that Israel has not provided evidence to support its accusations against the UNWRA. Translated by Caitlin Donohue. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Attorneys for Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher on Tuesday sent a letter to the chair of the House Ethics Committee attempting to discredit the committees investigation into the top Republican. The letter raises objections about the Ethics Committees investigation as well as Ethics Committee Chair Rep. Hannah Kellys decision for the committee to vote on a blistering report on Plocher on April 15. The committee rejected the report, which alleged that Plochers office repeatedly obstructed a months-long investigation into a complaint of ethical misconduct. But its findings became public because the vote happened in open session. This investigation was mishandled from the start, Plochers attorneys David Steelman and Lowell Pearson wrote in the letter to Kelly, a Republican from Mountain Grove. To take seven months to get to the unlawful and circus-like events of April 15, is quite unbelievable. The letter alleges that the committee erred in several ways including an allegation that the committee unlawfully hired outside counsel to assist the investigation. It also takes issue with Kellys motion for a vote on the report in public, accusing Kelly of giving the press a one-sided, incomplete report. Tuesdays letter was the first formal condemnation from Plochers camp after the committee rejected the investigative report last week. It comes as the top Republicans supporters have spent weeks attacking Kelly on social media and elsewhere, urging the committee to complete its investigation. The repudiation of the ethics investigation also comes as Plocher will likely seek to recast his public image as he mounts a campaign for secretary of state. The top Republican has not commented publicly on the report and stormed out of a news conference when asked about its findings last week. Kelly declined comment on the letter when approached by The Star at the Missouri Capitol. Plochers attorneys in the letter allege without evidence that staff members or Ethics Committee members critical of Plocher leaked information to the media about the behind-closed-doors investigation. Kelly and Ethics Committee Vice Chair Rep. Robert Sauls, an Independence Democrat, have raised the same accusation about information being leaked by individuals supportive of Plocher. The rejected ethics report did not find direct evidence that Plocher committed ethical violations related to a slew of scandals, including receiving nearly $4,000 in government reimbursements for travel expenses already paid by his campaign. The only punishment it recommended was a letter of disapproval against Plocher. But the report also detailed the lengths that Plochers office and his supporters allegedly went to hamper the investigation, including letters showing how Plocher, through his office, fought against subpoenas issued by the committee to compel witnesses to testify. Kelly in a statement last week accused Plocher of taking steps to threaten witnesses, block our investigation, and prevent this process from reaching its natural conclusion. Kelly went on to describe a culture of fear and retaliation, saying that she has grave concerns about the environment that is developing in the House. The letter from Plochers attorneys issued line-by-line objections to these allegations. In one point, the attorneys state that Plocher recused himself from his power of issuing subpoenas for the investigation. Steelman, a former Republican state lawmaker and a former member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, told reporters on Tuesday that the subpoenas that Plocher refused to sign were to compel Plocher and his chief of staff, Rod Jetton, to testify. Steelman said he did not sign them because he and Jetton agreed to testify without the subpoenas. Plocher eventually recused himself from the power to approve the subpoenas after the committee issued a second batch of subpoenas, Steelman said. He said he did not know when that occurred. He did eventually, Steelman said when asked by The Star why Plocher did not immediately recuse himself from signing off on subpoenas for an investigation into himself. When it mattered, he did. Steelman went on to attack the Ethics Committee itself. When the House Ethics Committee becomes lawless, it doesnt exactly bode well for either the institution or its members, he said. Plochers attorneys in the letter allege that the Ethics Committee violated House rules during its investigation. The letter alleges that the initial complaint against Plocher contained allegations that were not within the committees purview and takes issue with the wording of the rejected report. The report makes gratuitous and unfounded commentary that the environment was toxic or negative, the letter said. The Committee has a narrow jurisdiction which does not include being the Houses Human Resources. It was irresponsible to include such commentary, even assuming it was actually said. The 52-page document sent to Kelly also includes new details about the behind-closed-doors investigation, including affidavits from people connected to the controversies surrounding Plocher. In one affidavit, Rep. Dale Wright, a Farmington Republican who oversees internal House spending, pushes back on an allegation that Plocher threatened a top House staffer. The letter also calls on the Ethics Committee to complete its investigation as the complaint of ethical misconduct remains active. Steelman, during a news conference on Tuesday, specifically took aim at Kelly, saying hes heard three or four rumors on why Hannah Kellys doing this. Im not gonna repeat it. He then went a step further. I will tell you one thing I think about her motives, he said. I believe Hannah Kelly is trying to bait Dean Plocher into removing her so she can play the victim card. I think thats exactly whats going on. Jenzele Couassi was last seen on Friday, April 19, near Shoultes Road in Marysville Laura Murril/Natosha Gobin/GoFundMe Jenzele Couassi. Jenzele Couassi, 16, was found dead Monday, April 22, in a tidal area near the Tulalip Teen Center in Washington, according to reports The teen was last seen around 5 p.m. local time on April 19, near Shoultes Road in Marysville, where she lived Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Couassi on Monday, including two friends who wrote letters to her A Washington community is mourning the death of a 16-year-old girl whose body was found in a local body of water days after she went missing. Jenzele Couassi was found dead Monday, April 22, in a tidal area near the Tulalip Teen Center, where Tulalip Bay meets Battle Creek, according to FOX affiliate KCPQ and Lynwood Times. The 16-year-old girl was last seen around 5 p.m. local time on Friday, April 19, near Shoultes Road in Marysville, the town where the teen lived, Marysville Police said in a bulletin before her remains were located. Related: Missing Dad of 7 Found Dead in Illinois River More Than 1 Week After He Disappeared, Police Say Couassis body has been turned over to the Snohomish County Medical Examiners Office, per the Times. The cause and manner of her death remain unclear. Tulalip Tribal Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. 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. Couassi was a student in the Marysville school district, according to a GoFundMe campaign started to support her family. She is survived by both her parents and two younger brothers, who are devastated by her death. More than $4,400 has been raised through the online fundraiser as of the afternoon of Tuesday, April 23. Related: A Complete Timeline of Missing Student Riley Strain's Disappearance Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Couassi on Monday, according to KCPQ. Kaysie Collins and Amari Flores wrote letters to Couassi, who had been their friend since middle school. We had dreams of turning 18 and raising our kids together as best friends, explained Flores, who shared a set of friendship necklaces with Couassi. "She had such a big heart and such a kind soul," Collins added. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Missing mans body found after arrest of friend accused of killing him, Maine cops say A body discovered in New Hampshire was identified as a 34-year-old man whose family reported him missing from Maine last May, according to Maine State Police. Alex Jacksons remains were located in Stark, New Hampshire, on April 19, nearly one month after a man was arrested in his death on March 29, state police said in an April 22 news release. Joseph Chute, a 30-year-old resident of Leeds, Maine, is facing a murder charge, according to state police. Chute was a friend of Jacksons, WMUR-TV reports. The last known sighting of Jackson was at Chutes home in Leeds before his disappearance in May, according to the TV station. Maine Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Shannon Moss confirmed to McClatchy News on April 23 that the men were familiar to each other. How Jackson died and exactly where his body was found hasnt been made public as of April 23. State police said further information will be released when its appropriate to do so. Chutes arrest came after he reportedly informed others that he had a role in why Jackson went missing, his defense attorney Verne Paradie told the Portland Press Herald. Paradie told McClatchy News on April 23 that Chute maintains his innocence in this matter and the fact that Mr. Jacksons body was reportedly found does not change this fact. The details of Jacksons disappearance Jacksons family found it unusual when they hadnt heard from since May 12, and reported him missing to police in Windham, where he lived, two days later on May 14, according to state police. He was believed to have been traveling with his dog, possibly toward Vermont, when he disappeared, the Windham Police Department said in a May 15 news release, McClatchy News previously reported. That evening, Jacksons sister posted on Facebook that his dog Hazel, a husky and Labrador retriever mix, was found without Jackson off a road in North Yarmouth, about a 40-mile drive southwest of Leeds, where Chute lives. Chutes hometown is about a 90-mile drive southeast of Stark, New Hampshire, the region where Maine State Police said authorities located Jacksons body. Chute is accused of killing Jackson in Maine, the New Hampshire Attorney Generals Office said in an April 22 news release. His body was recovered during a search involving several agencies, including Maine State Police, the Windham Police Department, the Maine Warden Service, New Hampshire State Police and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, authorities said. The medical examiners office in Concord, New Hampshire, positively identified the remains as Jackson over the weekend, Maine State Police said. Paradie previously sought to have the charges against Chute dropped, according to the Portland Press Herald. Paradie told McClatchy News that We have been provided no evidence indicating the manner of Mr. Jacksons death or that there is any further evidence proving Mr. Chute was responsible. He said the only details we have is that the body was located and that we have been provided with only speculation as to Mr. Chutes involvement in this unfortunate event. Documents related to Jacksons death and Chutes arrest have been sealed, Moss told McClatchy News. On Jan. 21, Jacksons sister shared a Facebook post that marked 37 weeks since he disappeared. Theres not a day that goes by that I dont think about my brother and how much I miss him, Kayla Jackson wrote. On April 22, the Windham Police Department wrote on Facebook that While not the outcome we all hoped for, Alex will be returned home to his family and the community. Missing woman found dead in vacant building, family says. Drove past her every day Teacher found dead in river weeks after vanishing, Oregon cops say. Beacon of light Missing rapper found safe nearly a month after disappearing, Georgia police say It's been two months since Tennessee teenager Sebastian Rogers vanished from his Hendersonville home without a trace or his shoes. Amid a disconcerting lack of answers and family drama, the missing 15-year-old's father told Fox News Digital that he decided to hire a private investigator for help. He's also calling on the FBI to get involved in the search for his son. "I'm not getting any information from Sumner County," Seth Rogers said, adding that he "wasn't invited" to a press conference last month regarding his son's disappearance. Seth said he also had trouble getting answers from authorities when a scammer recently contacted him to demand hundreds of dollars in exchange for information about Sebastian. MISSING SEBASTIAN ROGERS: TENNESSEE POLICE SAY INACCURATE INFORMATION ONLINE HAS CAUSED DISTRACTION Sebastian Rogers has not been seen since Feb. 26. The Sumner County Sheriff's Office issued an Amber Alert for Sebastian on Feb. 26 after he was last seen in the area of Stafford Court. His mother, Katie Proudfoot, previously told Fox News that she overheard noise coming from Sebastian's room on the evening of Feb. 25 and told him to keep it down. The next morning, he was gone. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP CAJUN NAVY CALLS OFF SEARCH FOR MISSING AUTISTIC TEEN SEBASTIAN ROGERS AMID THREATS When Katie and Sebastian's stepfather, Chris Proudfoot, decided to leave town following his disappearance due to threats, speculation about their involvement began to spread online, but Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Susan Niland said in an April 2 press conference that his parents have been "cooperative throughout" the investigation. Sebastian Rogers was last seen on the evening of Feb. 26. Seth had also expressed some skepticism about Chris and Katie's decision to leave town but ultimately decided to work with Sebastian's mother and stepfather after they spoke at a vigil for the missing 15-year-old on Saturday. As of Monday, the three parents and Seth's PI decided to put aside their differences amid Sebastian's missing-persons case, which has been hindered by rumors and false information, and work with each other to find him, Seth told Fox News Digital. MISSING TENNESSEE TEEN SEBASTIAN ROGERS' MOTHER DEFENDS LEAVING NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER THREATENING MESSAGES "I don't know what is true. All I know is that Sebastian could be anywhere," Seth said. Sebastian left his room on the evening of Feb. 26 without shoes and with a flashlight, according to his parents. Seth, who had custody of Sebastian every other weekend and on holiday breaks, broke down when recalling the two and a half-minute phone call he had with his son the day before he disappeared. "It was a normal Thursday, and I called him at about 3:30. He was already home from school," Seth recalled. He asked his son about his day, his homework, and told Sebastian that he loved him: "Pretty normal conversation." TENNESSEE POLICE SEARCHING KENTUCKY LANDFILL IN CONNECTION WITH DISAPPEARANCE OF MISSING AUTISTIC TEEN Had he known it would be their last conversation, Seth would have taken more time to talk to his son, he said. Sebastian, who has autism, was interested in video games and Legos. He did well in school and was about to receive an award for his work with the Future Farmers of America, Seth said. Investigators are asking the public to keep an eye out for anything unusual and contact the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND with any information that could be helpful in the search for Sebastian. Authorities have received a total of 314 tips related to the search for Sebastian as of Tuesday. Original article source: Missing Tennessee teen Sebastian Rogers' dad hires PI as search enters 2nd month: 'Could be anywhere' Missouri Medicaid funding at risk as crucial taxes stall. It could be a huge loss Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com. With just four weeks left in session, Missouri lawmakers have yet to pass or even debate a bill to reauthorize a series of crucial taxes that fund the states Medicaid program. The must-pass legislation would keep Medicaid which provides health coverage to roughly 1 million residents operating. Failure to renew the taxes, called the Federal Reimbursement Allowance or FRA, would result in a loss of billions in state and federal Medicaid funds. But the renewal has been stalled for months as a group of hard-right Republicans have pushed a laundry list of demands, including a plan to attach language to the bill that would block Planned Parenthood from receiving reimbursements from the Medicaid program. While lawmakers and Republican Gov. Mike Parson arent sounding the alarm just yet, the expiration of the taxes looms over the General Assemblys final weeks of session. A failure to pass the bill this year would be devastating to Missouri hospitals, patients, ambulance providers and the state as a whole, experts say. Itd be very difficult to fund the Medicaid program without the FRA, said Dave Dillon, a spokesperson for the Missouri Hospital Association, a Jefferson City-based nonprofit that represents 139 hospitals across the state. Medicaid is an important program for hospitals and clearly is a safety net for many patients who have disabilities, are blind, are low income, you know, seniors, so it is absolutely existential relative to how the healthcare system works. John Barclay, president of the Missouri Ambulance Association, said he was very concerned about the bills progress this year. Failing to renew the taxes would force the state to essentially restart its Medicaid program, he said. That would be a huge, huge loss to the state and the revenue that it brings in, Barclay said. Lawmakers failure would specifically harm ambulance providers as well as patients, especially due to the fact that ambulance services are already strained due to understaffing and high call volumes, he said. It represents approximately $37 million to EMS in the state, and that would be a huge loss, especially to our small rural services, Barclay said. Despite these concerns, Republican leaders in the Missouri Senate have not yet brought the bill to a debate by the full Senate as GOP infighting has gripped the chamber for most of the session. If lawmakers do not pass the bill this session, Parson will almost certainly call them back into a special session to get it done which is what happened the last time the taxes were up for renewal in 2021. But Parson doesnt seem too concerned by the tight deadline. Lawmakers have plenty of time to pass the FRA this session, and Governor Parson expects them to get it done, Parson spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said in an email. Members of the hard-right Missouri Freedom Caucus have vowed to block the renewal until two of their priorities are completed: A bill to prohibit Planned Parenthood from Medicaid reimbursements and a measure that would make it harder for Missourians to change the constitution. One Freedom Caucus leader, Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican, has gone a step further, signaling that the FRA is not a priority. He has said he may vote against the measure altogether. These concerns about theres not going to be enough money in Jefferson City are just completely overblown, Eigel, who is running for governor, told reporters last week. Senate Democrats arent ruling out the possibility of being forced into a special session to take up the tax renewal. I dont think a special session is out of the realm of possibility, said Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, an Independence Democrat. Its one of those things that you try not to worry about it until the session is done. Lawmakers in both parties fear that adding the anti-abortion language to the FRA would put the entire bill at risk of being struck down in court. The House is poised to pass the separate bill blocking payments to Planned Parenthood this week largely viewed as a way to appease the Freedom Caucus. House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lees Summit Republican, said on Monday that hes hopeful the Senate will be able to come to an agreement and renew the taxes before the end of session. If we dont do it, it would be devastating to the health care of so many people, he said. It is something that we must get done. Not renewing the FRA would lead to an estimated loss of $4.3 billion in state and federal Medicaid funds in fiscal year 2026, according to an analysis by the Missouri Budget Project, a nonprofit that analyzes fiscal policy. Hospitals, ambulance companies and pharmacies have voluntarily contributed to the system since 1992. The taxes are a critical funding source for the entire state budget. Sen. Doug Beck, a St. Louis Democrat, last week slammed Republicans for spending time on other legislation before bringing up the tax renewal. Its completely ridiculous that were (voting on) a Senate bill on gold and silver on a Thursday when all week long we could have been talking about the FRA, Beck told reporters, referring to a bill from Eigel that would make gold and silver legal tender. As the Senate continues to slow-walk the legislation, House Minority Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat, has filed her own bill to renew the taxes. She criticized the Senate for not taking action on the measure during a news conference last week. If we do not get this passed, everything else were doing when it comes to the budget or funding mechanisms is just smoke and mirrors, said Quade, who is running for governor. Quade called on House leadership to take up the bill so that lawmakers are no longer relying on the Senate to actually get this important piece of the budget done. While members of the Freedom Caucus have vowed to block the legislation if their demands arent met, Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Springfield Republican who filed the legislation, signaled that he wants the bill passed as soon as possible. Hough, who chairs the Senates powerful budget-writing committee, brushed off the idea of waiting to take up the FRA until after the Senate passes its version of the budget. My plan is to pass the FRA before we pass the budget and get both of those things done during our regular session and not be back here for a special session, said Hough, who is running for lieutenant governor. I think we should do our job. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican, acknowledged the General Assemblys tight deadline on Thursday. Were running up against the end, he said. FRA and the budget and all of these things that we know are in front of us I think will take center stage in the coming days. Rowden also signaled that he also wanted to pass the FRA renewal before the Senate passes its version of the budget for the next fiscal year. It makes a lot of sense for anybodyin our position as a body as a whole not to write a budget that potentially is $4.5 billion out of balance, right? That wouldnt be responsible, he said. Rizzo, the Independence Democrat, said he thinks lawmakers will be able to pass the FRA and the budget on time. But he said the Senate will have to spend a significant amount of time this week debating it. I would argue that youre gonna probably see a lot of other bills fall by the wayside because theyre unable to move on FRA and the budget pretty quickly, he said. I dont think its time to panic quite yet. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) didnt hesitate to fault talking head Tucker Carlson for spreading Russian propaganda that seriously hindered GOP support for Ukraine. Asked Tuesday why he thought it was taking so long to pass aid for the eastern European ally, McConnell didnt waste time blaming the loudmouthed conservative media personality. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he shouldve been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. Carlson interviewed Putin in February in a two-hour chat with the Russian leader, which saw the former Fox host criticized for his lack of pushback against Putins numerous questionable claims. He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake, McConnell continued. Tucker Carlsons Sad Excuse for Not Pressing Putin on Navalny The Senate on Tuesday made a significant step toward a final vote on an aid package for its allies, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel, and $8 billion for Taiwan. Nine Republicans flipped their votes Tuesday evening to send the bill toward final passage, clearing a significant hurdle as it makes its way through the house. With his comments, McConnell joins a growing list of Republicans who have voiced concern over the possible influence of Russian misinformation on their party. In early April, House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-OH) affirmed a fellow Republicans assertion that Russian propaganda had infiltrated the GOP. Mitch McConnell: "I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should've been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin" pic.twitter.com/EYFxxKQVEc Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2024 That colleague, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Mike McCaul (R-TX) said, Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and its infected a good chunk of my partys base. He blamed conservative news outlets for spreading it. Turner agreed. Oh, its absolutely true, he said on CNN. We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor. McConnells comments raise alarms that Russian influence has made its way into the Senate as well. 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. Perhaps the ultimate totem of Senate Minority Mitch McConnells power is that nobody forces him to speak. Where reporters stick their arms out to grab quotes from his fellow Republicans or his gabby Democratic counterpart Chuck Schumer, the same cant be said for when McConnell takes the handful of steps from his office off the Senate floor to speak in the chamber. Most of the time, journalists dont bother him at all they know better. When he does speak, the mercurial Kentuckian rarely emotes and only gives the bare minimum in terms of information. Thats made McConnells remarks both on the Senate floor and during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon so surprising. On Tuesday, the Senate teed up what McConnell hopes to be his defining legacy item before he steps aside as Republican leader later this year: aid to Ukraine as it seeks to push back against Vladimir Putins assault. After nearly six months of opposition, largely from his own party, to assisting Ukraine, the bill was finally advanced. And McConnell did not mince words when asked why it took so long for Republicans to get behind it. I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should've been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin, McConnell said. And so he had an enormous audience, which convinced rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake. The words were a shock for many. Former speaker John Boehner whom nine years ago said enough after dealing with GOP extremists once said McConnell holds his feelings, thoughts, and emotions in a lockbox closed so tightly that whenever one of them seeps out, bystanders are struck silent. McConnells not entirely wrong. Carlson the former Fox News provocateur who now hosts a show on Twitter/X where he did interview the Russian president, some might say with kid gloves has routinely spoken out against the idea of the US supporting Ukraine. When Ron DeSantis called the war in Ukraine a territorial dispute, he did so in response to a questionnaire from Carlson. But the hostility to Ukraine also runs much deeper than the words of a gadfly like Carlson. Many other conservative consiglieres such as Steve Bannon, aide to former president Donald Trump have expressed similar sentiments, preferring instead to posture about America First. Indeed, it was Republican revulsion at supprorting Ukraine that prompted McConnell to dispatch conservative Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma to negotiate with Democrats over an aid bill in the first place. Lankford was able to negotiate tightened restrictions on immigration and more security provisions at the US-Mexico border before Trump ultimately killed the bill off entirely. But McConnell has tried to avoid speaking Trumps name ever since the former president incited a riot at the Capitol that threatened his life. As a result, he discussed the contours of those negotiations while dancing around the former president. I think the former president had sort of mixed views on it, he told reporters. We all felt the border is a complete disaster, myself included. While McConnell would like to see himself as a vanguard of protecting democracy abroad, the last six months have revealed how little power he has left. Once, he had an iron grip on the Senate Republican conference that allowed him to block Barack Obamas agenda and rapidly confirm Trumps judges a move that ultimately led to the death of Roe v Wade. But on Tuesday, he found himself in the same position that House Speaker Mike Johnson has recently: relying on Democrats to pass aid to Ukraine. While 30 Senate Republicans voted to allow for cloture compared to a minority of Republicans in the House, he still had to grapple with the fact that he no longer represents a party that champions a robust prohibitive foreign policy. McConnell also criticised those in his party who did not want to support Ukraine, including some of the candidates whom he hopes will hand the Senate to the Republican Party when he steps aside later this year. I think weve turned the corner on the isolationist movement, he told reporters. Ive noticed how uncomfortable proponents of that are, when you call them isolationists. But the fact remains that the isolationist wing of the GOP will most likely continue to grow. And any of McConnells potential successors will not have the skill, the tools or the gravitas to temper that wing as well as McConnell. Should Trump re-assume the Oval Office, those isolationists will have a powerful ally in the White House who can negate even would-be McConnells. Indeed, the Democrats now see themselves as more willing to use American might to defend its values abroad than Republicans (albeit Democrats divide on Israel shows they debate when and where to use it). As Ive said before and will repeat perpetually, the isolationist and Trump wing of the GOP would not be as strong had McConnell not accommodated Trump at every step of the way. Liberals will likely say it will be his decision to acquit Trump after January 6 despite his open disdain for the former president that is his biggest legacy, rather than aid to Ukraine. But the two are in fact intertwined. Had McConnell not let Trump off the hook, then Trump would not still be an influential force in the party. After a large bill approving aid for Ukraine and Israel passed the Senate Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stood triumphantand directed the blame for the aid packages holdup at former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. When asked why it took so long to pass the aid package, McConnell said, I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin. And so, he had an enormous audience which convinced a lot of rank and file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake. The Republican Party has been split over sending more aid to Ukraine. The far right has vehemently opposed the move, expressing sympathy for Vladimir Putin and Russia even before Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Carlson was no exception, downplaying the conflict in the days before the invasion and calling it a border dispute. He even touted a conspiracy theory of a U.S.-led effort to supply Ukraine with chemical weapons. Carlsons interview with Putin earlier this year was widely mocked as overly deferential to the Russian leader, even by Putin himself. But to say Carlson was the main impediment to aiding Ukraine is misguided. It seems that McConnell is avoiding the real culprit: Donald Trump and his far-right acolytes in Congress. The former president and Putin have long enjoyed a close relationship, and Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold military aid to NATO allies, who are vulnerable to Russian actions. Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported Trumps plan for Ukraine: giving Russia control of Crimea and most of the Donbass region. While McConnell took his time endorsing Trumps candidacy, waiting until the former president locked up the GOP nomination in March, he is still likely afraid of provoking the Republican presidential nominee before November. Even though McConnell has always been an ardent backer of Ukraine, he knows not to poke Trump in order to stay in power. Former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Browns report on the Mobile PDs use of force (PDF) UPDATE (6:30 p.m.): The City of Mobile has released Kenyen Browns Use of Force Review and Report of City of Mobile Police Department. Read it here, in full: Brown Report_RedactedDownload UPDATE (5:36 p.m.): The City of Mobile is set to release a redacted version of former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Browns report within the hour, according to Mayor Sandy Stimpsons office. Tuesdays city council meeting ended moments ago, but the report was not discussed. Council members discussed Kenyen Browns report on the police departments policy and procedures in a lengthy executive session, which caused the meeting to start at 3 p.m. Some city leaders said that they favor removing Police Chief Paul Prine after he made several allegations against the city since hes been placed on administrative leave. Council members CJ Small and William Carroll have sponsored a resolution to investigate Prines claims. Prine said thats something he supports. Theres been a lot of, in my opinion, prejudicial statements, especially made within the pre-council meeting today, he said. But Im confident that they see the support in the community, even from those that are not here today. That transparency, some of their statements made, I dont think, were intentional on the behalf of the council because theyve only heard one side. Stimpson urged the council Tuesday morning to terminate Prine as chief. They did not vote Tuesday on Prines termination. Stimpsons office released this statement after the 3 p.m. meeting: Former U.S. Attorney [Kenyen] Brown and his team arrived at 8:00am to conduct meetings throughout the day to discuss their report with the Administration, City Council, MPD Command Staff, and the Media, the statement said. MPD staff at the executive level just received the report after lunch and have not had time to digest it, and most of the command staff which includes the Captains, have not even seen the report. Their input and feedback is paramount for us to take a truly introspective look at the department and address any concerns head on. In my discussions today, the command staff relayed that they would like the opportunity to have more time to review the report and produce comments. Due to having been interviewed with attorney/client privilege, there are statements that may compromise this privilege. In an effort to be fair, to not compromise this privilege, and at the request of the MPD Command Staff, I have elected to give Mr. Brown time to redact the report. Once completed, he will be available to discuss with the media. UPDATE (3 p.m.): Watch a live stream of the Mobile City Councils 3 p.m. meeting below: PREVIOUS STORY: MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) The Mobile City Council discussed its relationship with suspended Police Chief Paul Prine during Tuesday mornings pre-council meeting. The council agenda previously released included Resolution 60-372 which was a Resolution authorizing Council investigation into public allegations against the Administration made by Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine. Agenda meetingDownload During the council meeting later today, city leaders will consider investigating Chief Prines allegations against the city and city council. They will also consider Prines termination, News 5 has learned. Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine According to previous reporting on the resolution, Prine has alleged that the city has made improper attempts to control or run the police department, the city didnt address his grievances, and thats been silenced by city officials. Council member William Carroll and President CJ Small have sponsored a resolution to investigate the validity of the allegations Prine has made against the city. Many council members addressed the anticipated investigation. Small said he is very disappointed about what is happening in the city. He also questioned why Prine had not submitted his allegations to the Department of Justice if his allegations against the city were true. Other council members also asked the same question, with four council members urging Prine to save time and taxpayer dollars by going to the DOJ or District Attorneys Office. There are a set of people out there that dont trust the government, Small said. He urged for a third party not the government to investigate. District 1 Councilman Cory Penn expressed his disappointment in the citys current situation. He cited the number of times Prine attended city council meetings to protest the legislative bodys involvement in police policy. Im confused, because I thought our job was to stay out of police policy, Penn said. Our city needs answers on both sides. If the resolution to investigate Prines allegations passes, the city council will appoint a council to investigate the matter. The findings of that investigation would be published within 90 days of the ordinances passing. Im not being biased; Im just going to be 100% truthful. At this point in time, theres no pulling back on the chief, District 2 Councilman William Carroll said in Tuesdays pre-council meeting. In addition, Carroll said his main concern is public trust, and due process is needed because Prine is still a police officer. Im going to hope, that over the next week, we can find a (resolution) thats going to work with everyone, Carroll said. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson One final offer for Prine would allow him to remain with the police department until the end of Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpsons term. I can assure you; we will sweep nothing under the rug, Stimpson said. Stimpson met with high-ranking members of the MPD to explain everything to them. Stimpson pleaded his case to the council and recommended they vote to terminate Prine. Several council members said they would like to move forward with the termination during the council meeting and hold over the item to investigate allegations. District 6 Councilman Josh Woods addressed the elephant in the room. I agree that the past 14 days have been rough, Woods said. Its time for he said, she said to quit. Mobiles form of government is spelled out by a piece of mid-1980s legislation called the Zoghby Act. It stated that the police chief could be terminated with five votes from the city council and the mayors approval. The reason were asking the council to intervene is because, by statute, you have to act, City Attorney Ricardo Woods said. To veteran City Council members like District 7s Gina Gregory, this type of action within the council is unheard of. In all the years Ive been on the council, Ive never seen us in this predicament, Gregory said. The Mobile City Council is expected to meet at 3 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Moderate Republicans prepare to fend off challenges from the right: From the Politics Desk Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics teams latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill. In todays edition, national political reporter Bridget Bowman spotlights the moderate House Republicans who are facing primary challenges from the right in the coming weeks. Plus, national political correspondent Steve Kornacki explains how high voter turnout could boost Donald Trump this fall. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. Pennsylvanias primary provides an early test for GOP moderates facing threats from the right By Bridget Bowman Speaker Mike Johnson isnt the only House Republican facing threats from the right. Tuesdays primaries in Pennsylvania kick off the next round of intraparty battles this election cycle between GOP lawmakers and challengers who argue those lawmakers are insufficiently conservative. In Pennsylvanias 1st District, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is looking to defeat anti-abortion activist Mark Houck in the GOP primary. Primary fights are nothing new for Fitzpatrick, who has fended off challengers from the right since he was elected in 2016. Do you have a news tip? Let us know Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, has built a bipartisan brand that has helped him hold on to a seat in a competitive district in the Philadelphia suburbs that President Joe Biden carried in 2020. But this year, Fitzpatrick and allied outside groups have hit the airwaves to take on Houck, in a sign that they view him as a greater threat than Fitzpatrick has faced in the past. Two other moderate House Republicans Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who also represents a district Biden won, and Tony Gonzales of Texas will confront their primary challengers next month. Outside groups have also engaged in these races, with the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House leadership and its nonprofit arm American Action Network boosting all three Republicans. In Bacons competitive 2nd District, the four-term congressman is facing businessman Dan Frei in the states May 14 primary. Frei has some grassroots support and won the Nebraska Republican Partys endorsement in January. (The state party did not endorse any incumbents this year, the Nebraska Examiner reported). In the sprawling 23rd District in southwest Texas, which leans more Republican, Gonzales will face self-described Second Amendment activist Brandon Herrera, known for his YouTube channel, in a runoff primary election on May 28. Gonzales drew conservatives ire after he supported a bipartisan gun control measure following the 2022 mass school shooting in Uvalde, which is in his district. That vote earned him a censure from the state GOP. Even if Fitzpatrick, Bacon and Gonzalez prevail in their primaries, the early spending from their campaigns and allies is welcome news for Democrats, who would like to see these Republicans drain their campaign accounts ahead of tough fights in November. These incumbents have been elusive targets in the past for Democrats and could be tough to beat again this year but first they have to win their primaries. Read more about what to watch in tonights Pennsylvanias primaries here Trump trial, Day 6: A witness details salacious stories and the judge bristles at gag order arguments By Katherine Doyle Testimony in Donald Trumps historic hush money case resumed on Tuesday, with prosecutors urging the court to hold the former president in contempt for attacking witnesses and others, and former tabloid impresario David Pecker returning to the stand with details that linked Trumps circle to a slew of salacious stories. Heres what happened on Day 6 of Trumps trial: Pecker returned to the stand: Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, described giving directions to implement an agreement with Trump to help his 2016 campaign. Pecker said the Enquirer embellished stories about some of Trumps opponents at Michael Cohens request, including a piece about Sen. Ted Cruzs father being involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The publication had mashed the photos together of Lee Harvey Oswald and Cruzs father, Pecker said, conceding that an article Trump cited repeatedly on the campaign trail was a fabrication. Merchan reserved judgment on the gag order: An attorney for the district attorneys office argued that Trump seems to be angling for incarceration by knowingly and repeatedly violating the gag order. Prosecutors had asked that Trump be held in contempt for attacking witnesses and others in the case, saying that they werent asking that he be imprisoned but want him fined for at least 10 violations. Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said that they are trying to comply with the gag order. President Trump is being very careful, he said. Judge Juan Merchan snapped: Youre losing all credibility with the court. Read more here Why Republicans not Democrats should be hoping for high turnout this fall By Steve Kornacki Even though hes up by 2 points over Joe Biden, theres a clear cautionary note for Donald Trump in our latest NBC News poll: Hes relying on supporters who may not actually vote this November. Our pollsters were able to cross-check many (though not all) respondents with voter registration information. This allows them to see which respondents actually turn out to vote in elections, and how frequently they do so. And when this information was applied to the Biden-Trump race, some marked differences appeared: As you can see, Trump does best by far with people who didnt vote in either the 2022 midterm election or the 2020 presidential election. And he edges out Biden among those who voted in 2020 but skipped the midterm. Its only with those who participated in both elections that Trump lags Biden. For Trump, the good news here is that hes shown in both the 2016 and 2020 elections an ability to bring out voters who arent otherwise that engaged politically: Theyre for Trump when hes on the ballot, but seemingly indifferent to Republican candidates in other elections. Its a good bet that the vast majority of these types of voters will end up turning out this fall. And, of course, its true that presidential elections typically attract many people who dont follow politics closely or who are voting for the first time. So if turnout this November approaches the record-shattering level of 2020, when nearly 160 million votes were cast, it would probably mean that most of those poll respondents who didnt vote in either 2022 or 2020 are, in fact, turning out this time around which would bode well for Trump. But this is where the cautionary note for Trump comes in. When asked about their level of interest in this years election, 64% indicated it was very high. Thats actually the lowest level our poll has found at roughly this point of a presidential campaign since we started asking the question in 2008. When it comes to forecasting potential turnout disparities between each partys base, this can be a very imprecise indicator this far from November. (In fact, Trump is actually up by 2 points right now among those who say they have a very high level of interest.) But what this does underscore is the possibility that turnout will, in fact, be significantly lower this year than it was in 2020. And to see the trouble this could pose for Trump, just consider the consistently strong Democratic performances in recent special elections most notably the partys 8-point victory in the race to fill former New York GOP Rep. George Santos Long Island-based seat in February. That margin was bigger than many expected and spoke to the intense motivation of a major segment of the Democratic base: college-educated suburbanites. These voters have proven themselves determined to cast ballots against Trump and his party at every opportunity. In low-turnout affairs, like special elections, this fervor can be decisive. In an ultra-high turnout atmosphere, less so. So the more this Novembers turnout level falls from 2020, the more influential these deeply committed voters figure to be. It adds up to an inversion of what previously has been the conventional wisdom: This time, its Trump and the Republicans who are hoping for high turnout. Thats all from The Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback likes or dislikes email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com And if youre a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has intensified his round of contacts to prepare the final decision on the recognition of Palestine. According to several government sources, recognition by Spain could be imminent, although no specific date has been set. After a recent trip to the region with stops in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and a European tour that took him to Poland, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia and Belgium, Sanchez has held a series of telephone conversations with the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas. These high-level contacts suggest an imminent decision to recognize Palestine, a move that Sanchez does not need to put to a vote in parliament since it is the exclusive power of the Cabinet. Even so, the Socialist leader has pledged to explain the decision in the Congress of Deputies and will try to attract as much support as possible across the political spectrum. The main opposition Popular Party (PP) has already said that it supports recognizing Palestine, but not the timing of Sanchezs decision, which they see as hasty. According to La Moncloa, the seat of government, these telephone conversations give continuity to the round of contacts that the head of government made with the main actors in the region, as well as with other European countries, to promote a diplomatic solution that offers a horizon of peace, security and prosperity to the region through the recognition of Palestine as a State. Sanchez and his team closely followed the debate at the United Nations in New York, where they have also sought to attract allies to the cause of recognizing Palestine as a full member of the organization. The Spanish leader found common ground with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, whose position on this matter is very similar and who also has the advantage of presiding over the U.N. Security Council this month. Abela, in coordination with Sanchez and other European leaders who support this solution, took advantage of that privilege to put Palestines full membership to a vote last week in the Security Council. As expected, the U.S. vetoed the decision, but there was significant support 12 votes in favor and two abstentions which according to the Spanish governments view represents backing for Sanchezs decision to recognize Palestine soon. Spains Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares strongly defended full membership for Palestine and said that Spains decision to recognize a Palestinian state was already made and would be executed at the proper time. Sanchez has always believed that the ideal situation would be for Western countries like Spain to recognize Palestine and for Arab countries to do the same with Israel, something that only a few have done, including Jordan and Egypt, two main actors in the talks. But it does not seem that any progress has been made in that direction in recent weeks, and even less so while the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza continues. Yet La Moncloa is determined to take the step of recognizing Palestine imminently, to the extent that it could play a relevant role in the campaign for the EU elections. Around 140 countries have already recognized the State of Palestine. Mom of 2 killed by husband one day before divorce is finalized, Colorado officials say A man accused of killing his wife and the mother to his two children one day before their divorce was finalized has been sentenced to prison, Colorado prosecutors say. David Samuel Lechner, 46, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection with the fatal shooting of his wife, the 18th Judicial District Attorneys Office said in an April 22 news release. Attorneys representing Lechner did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment. Two children are now growing up without their mother while their father sits behind bars, Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Gallo said in the release. Shortly after 8 a.m. March 30, 2023, prosecutors said Lechner shot Tracy Lechner in the garage of her Centennial home. Evidence presented at trial showed David Lechner used a stun gun on his wife, then shot her three times, including once in the head, Deputy District Attorney Tory Reavis said in the release. Multiple neighbors reported hearing gunshots, prosecutors said. One witness reported seeing Lechner standing over his wife, pulling the trigger at point blank range and then running to his getaway car, according to prosecutors. The witness, though, didnt let Lechner leave and rammed his rental truck into the side of his car, prosecutors said. Deputies arrested Lechner a short time later, according to prosecutors. In court, prosecutors said Lechners counsel argued the shooting was self-defense. His counsel said he went to his wifes home to convince her not to go forward with the divorce, prosecutors said. However, prosecutors said an investigation showed Lechner bought a getaway car under a false name, purchased a GPS tracking unit, and bought gloves, duct tape, zip ties and a tarp. Lechner also had a taser and a gun when he went to Tracy Lechners home, prosecutors said. This was not a case of self-defense, Reavis said. This was a calculated murder plot to avoid a divorce and have sole custody of his children. The jury deliberated for four hours and found David Lechner guilty of multiple charges, including first-degree murder after deliberation and attempted kidnapping, prosecutors said. Centennial is about a 15-mile drive southeast from Denver. If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. 70-year-old woman kills husband, goes to sons house and pulls gun on him, IN cops say Husband may have arranged for wifes slaying in staged burglary, Washington cops say Estranged husband shot and killed as he smashes way into womans home, Texas cops say Mom of 2-year-old who died of fentanyl poisoning says death was 100% preventable Family members of Nevaeh Meshelle Reed, the North Texas toddler whose February death has been linked to fentanyl poisoning, said she loved to sing. The 2-year-old used a microphone shed received for Christmas to belt out songs, including ones she made up herself, according to her mother, Stephanie Wallace. Now that microphone, along with other toys Nevaeh loved, are on display at Wallaces house. Wallace told the Star-Telegram in a phone interview that she feels its important to tell Nevaehs story because the toddlers death was 100% preventable. Nevaeh was visiting her father at an apartment in Mansfield when she lost consciousness the night of Feb. 18 and eventually quit breathing. Investigators say 26-year-old Michael Ray Reed waited for more than two hours to call 911. Instead, he searched YouTube for information on how to make a child throw up and tried to get naloxone, a medication that can be used to reverse opioid overdoses, delivered via DoorDash, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. A simple 911 call and (Nevaeh) would be here, Wallace said. When paramedics arrived at the scene, Reed didnt tell them that he suspected his daughter had ingested fentanyl, according to Reeds arrest warrant. When police later searched the apartment with a warrant, they found a blue M30 pill on the living room floor in front of the TV. It tested positive for fentanyl and was only 4 or 5 feet from the place Reeds sister, Jamie Nicole Popovic, said shed found Nevaeh, an affidavit states. Nevaeh died 10 days later in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Cook Childrens Medical Center. Nevaeh was on life support when her father was arrested. He currently faces a first-degree felony charge of knowingly causing serious bodily injury to a child by failing to call for medical help and failing to safeguard pills out of reach of the victim, according to the warrant. A spokesperson for the law office of Shane Lewis, Reeds court-appointed lawyer, declined to comment on the case. Popovic faces a charge of criminal negligence for not calling 911 in a timely manner, her arrest warrant states. Wallace said she hopes to start a nonprofit organization to draw attention to the problem of children overdosing on fentanyl due to parental negligence. She wants to prevent others from going through this type of tragedy. I just want parents to be more aware and care a little more, she said. Today's top stories: Veteran who died in Tarrant jail sought help for schizophrenic episode Nuns escalate legal battle with bishop, seek restraining order Family of teen killed at Fort Worth party seeks info on shooting Get free alerts when news breaks. With viewers getting an average of 50 seconds to admire the the Mona Lisa, tourists dubbed it the world's most disappointing masterpiece - AFP/Loic Venance The Mona Lisa painting may be moved to an underground chamber in an effort by the Louvre museum to improve the worlds most disappointing viewing experience for its star attraction. Leonardo da Vincis famed portrait of an enigmatically almost-smiling woman is the main attraction of the Louvre, helping it to be the most-visited museum in the world. But a recent survey showed tourists did not enjoy the experience, with comments ranging from never been so disappointed to torture. The 1503 portrait is exhibited behind bullet-proof glass in the centre of the Salle des Etats, with the temperature and humidity inside its casing tightly controlled to ensure the painting does not degrade. The protective covering was upgraded with anti-reflective technology in 2019 in order to improve visitors viewing experience. Looks like a postage stamp Laurence des Cars, the Louvres director, has suggested moving the masterpiece to a dedicated room dug into the basement. We dont welcome visitors very well in this room, so we feel were not doing our job properly, she told staff and supervisors. Moving the Mona Lisa to a separate room could put an end to public disappointment. Vincent Delieuvin, chief curator of 16th-century Italian painting at the Louvre, agrees. Weve been thinking about it for a long time, but this time everyone is in agreement, he told Le Figaro. Its a large room, and the Mona Lisa is at the back, behind its security glass, so at first glance it looks like a postage stamp, he said. That flew in the face of the artists original intention, he added: Leonardo da Vinci wanted to establish a face-to-face relationship between the painting and the person contemplating it. According to museum officials, the painting is the main draw for 80 per cent of its nine million annual visitors. On some days, 25,000 people queue to catch a fleeting glimpse of it. But with viewers getting an average of 50 seconds to admire the piece, tourists recently dubbed it the worlds most disappointing masterpiece. Is it worth paying a 22 entrance fee? Based on collated comments from visitors, the Mona Lisa was branded the most underwhelming work among 100 top masterpieces on display around the planet, receiving 37 per cent negative mentions, according to a poll for CouponBirds published in Le Parisien last month. At only 30 inches by 20, this painted panel of wood has a large hold over the publics imagination and five centuries later, noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo may be the oldest woman to have her own mailbox for love letters and flowers, it wrote. But is it worth paying a 22 entrance fee and jostling with a crowd of strangers to catch a fleeting glimpse? it asked. Various attempts have been made to improve the paintings viewing experience, most recently in 2019 when the Salle des Etats walls were repainted from eggshell yellow to midnight blue and the queuing system streamlined. But more is required given that the celebrity of the Mona Lisa, which began after it was stolen in 1911, is exponential, driven by mass tourism and social networks, said Mr Delieuvin. In this day and age, you have to have seen something that everyone is talking about at least once in your life, and the Mona Lisa is clearly one of those must sees, he said. Worries about the possible cost The new chamber would be part of a major overhaul of the museum dubbed Grand Louvre that would open a new entrance at the colonnade opposite the church of Saint-Germain-lAuxerrois. The idea would grant up to six million visitors almost direct access to two new rooms under the Louvres Cour Carree, one for temporary exhibitions and the other for the Mona Lisa. The mood in the museum is now ripe, said Ms des Cars. We have to embrace the paintings status as a global icon, which is beyond our control. The freed-up Salle des Etats would give coherence back to the collection of Venetian works, notably Veroneses The Marriage at Cana, which hangs next to the Mona Lisa and is often obscured by selfie poles, she argued. However, there remains the not-so-small question of funding. According to Le Figaro, the budget for the overhaul is estimated at 500 million and comes at a time when President Emmanuel Macrons government is desperately seeking to rein in state spending following worse-than-expected debt and deficit forecasts. Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister, has already said he hopes to claw back 25 billion in savings for the 2025 budget and has urged the cultural sector to do its fair share. In January, environmental activists hurled pumpkin soup at the Mona Lisa, calling for the right to healthy and sustainable food as they splattered the painting. Rachida Dati, Frances newly appointed culture minister, denounced the stunt as an attack on French heritage that belongs to future generations. 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 following is a chart based off of data originally published in the Kyiv-based Center of Economic Strategy's "Ukraine War Economy Tracker." The Kyiv Independent is republishing it with permission. Ukraine is forced to rely on electricity imports after Russian attacks Net commercial exports of electricity, MWh Positive net exports Negative net exports Source: entso-a Difference between incoming and outgoing scheduled Commercial Exchanges from Ukraine, Border-Country, total for all countries bordering Ukraine On April 11, Russia carried out another large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure the third since the beginning of 2024 destroying the Trypillia thermal power plant, the largest such plant near Kyiv, with a missile strike. Missile attacks in recent weeks have almost completely destroyed Ukraine's thermal power generation and have also severely damaged some Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants, such as the Dnipro hydroelectric power station. Ukraine's power grid currently relies almost entirely on nuclear power plants, which are also supported by wind and solar power plants although the latter's production is heavily dependent on weather conditions. Data on electricity consumption in Ukraine has disappeared from public access since the start of the full-scale invasion, but trends in the energy sector can be assessed using net electricity exports that is, the extent to which Ukraine exports more electricity than it imports. Electricity imports from all of Ukraine's neighboring countries (except Belarus and Russia, with which Ukraine has no connection) have repeatedly become a lifeline for the country. After the recent intensification of Russian attacks, Ukraine has been forced to import extremely large amounts of electricity on some days. Consumption traditionally drops in Spring due to better weather, and under normal circumstances, Ukraine would be exporting electricity. Summer is coming, when people and businesses will start to actively use air conditioners to cool their premises, putting a load on the grid comparable to winter peaks. Will the Ukrainian power system be able to cope with this challenge? One thing is for sure: Ukraine needs more Western air defense systems to at least preserve what is left. Read also: Rebuilding Kyiv Oblast power plant possible but futile without air defense, Centerenergo says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. More Than 100 Arrested At NYU Protest As Cops Tear Down Pro-Palestinian Encampment More than 100 people were arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest in New York City on Monday night, police said, as similar demonstrations and arrests took place at college campuses across the country. New York University students and faculty were among the 120 people taken into custody after rocks, chairs and water bottles were thrown at New York Police Department officers who were called to disperse an encampment outside NYUs Stern School of Business in Manhattan at the schools request, authorities said. All but four of those arrested were released with summonses for trespass. The remaining individuals received desk appearance tickets for charges that included trespass, resisting arrest and obstructing government administration, a police spokesperson told HuffPost. Police intervened and arrested more than 100 protesters at New York University on Monday night amid nationwide demonstrations against Israel's attacks on Gaza. Anadolu via Getty Images Video and photos posted to social media show officers physically wrestling with protesters and apparently discharging pepper spray while taking down tents and clearing out the surrounding Gould Plaza. Demonstrators later took to the streets before eventually dispersing. The NYU protest against Israels ongoing attacks on Gaza followed last weeks demonstrations at nearby Columbia University, which also resulted in more than 100 arrests and the cancellation of in-person classes. In response to NYUs protest being suppressed, students, faculty and human rights activists accused the school and police of stripping away students First Amendment rights. Its a really outrageous crackdown by the university to allow the police to arrest students on our own campus, NYU law student Byul Yoon told The Associated Press on Monday. A person is seen being arrested during Monday night's protest in Manhattan. Anadolu via Getty Images Shame on NYU, my employer and alma mater, for allowing NYPD to shutdown a peaceful assembly and arrest dozens of anti-genocide protesters, Jamil Dakwar, the director of the ACLUs Human Rights Program and an adjunct NYU professor, said in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. Student organizations called for a walkout during classes on Tuesday afternoon. Plywood was seen being put up around NYUs Stern School of Business earlier in the morning. Police officials on Tuesday commended responding officers that intervened in the NYU protest, with Tarik Sheppard, the NYPDs deputy commissioner of public information, saying that they were professional and they left without any incidents in an interview with Fox 5 New York. The vast majority of the protesters were not violent, but there were possibly professional agitators who were just looking for something to be agitated about, Sheppard said. Workers erected a wooden wall at Gould Plaza outside of the New York University Stern School of Business after an encampment set up by students was cleared out on Monday night. Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images One of the things they will do is try to inject things like weapons, bottles, rocks, to sort of ignite a confrontation between police and possibly peaceful protesters. They want the police to react to bottles being thrown or a rock being thrown, he added. Speaking alongside Sheppard, Kaz Daughtry, the NYPDs deputy commissioner of operations, accused NYU faculty members of being among those who created some of the biggest trouble for officers. The faculty, from what I observed and spoke to the lieutenants and captains out there, were the most aggressive toward the police, he told Fox 5, adding that roughly 10 to 15 faculty members had their hands tied together like a chain and refused to let go. Daughtry said he personally suspects that someone was sponsoring the protesters, based on many protesters use of the same style of overnight tent that was erected throughout the plaza. Somebodys behind this, and were going to find out who it is, he said. An NYU spokesperson said the demonstrators took over school property without advanced notice or authorization. Tents were seen assembled by students throughout the Gould Plaza on Monday night. Anadolu via Getty Images Meanwhile, NYU has publicly admonished the demonstrators. In a statement late Monday, NYU spokesperson John Beckman accused the protesters of carrying out an hourslong demonstration on private property without advanced notice or authorization and in a way that was disruptive to classes and other school operations. After repeatedly refusing to leave, there were intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents reported, Beckman said. We will continue to support individuals right to freedom of expression, and, as we have said since October, the safety of our students and maintaining an equitable learning environment remain paramount, he added. Beckman did not immediately respond to HuffPosts requests for comment. Schools across the country have continuously grappled with on-campus demonstrations since the start of Hamas October attack against Israel. Pro-Palestinian students have demanded that their schools condemn Israels assault on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 33,000 Palestinians and the injuries of more than 75,000 others, according to the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian aid organization. Protesters also want their schools to sever ties with companies that sell weapons to Israel. Related... More than 150 people arrested at NYU as pro-Palestine protests sweep college campuses More than 150 people have been arrested at New York University as pro-Palestinian protests continue to sweep college campuses across the US. Students, faculty and others were arrested after hundreds gathered at Gould Plaza on NYUs Manhattan campus on Monday night. Protestors are demanding that universities divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose. Divest, they chanted. Police warned the hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors that they would face consequences if they failed to vacate the plaza after some were seen breaking through barriers that had been set up around the area, the schools Global Campus Safety department said in a statement. NYPD officers detain pro-Palestinian students and protesters who had set up an encampment on the campus of New York University (AFP via Getty Images) If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for todays actionsno discipline, no police, safety officials said in a message delivered to those in the plaza. The same message was also shared on the universitys official social media channels. The arrests came just a day after at least 45 people were arrested at Yale University after police in riot gear stormed the campus during a pro-Palestinian protest on Monday. A wave of pro-Palestine protests have been sweeping across US college campuses in recent days in response to Israels war on Hamas in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. The protests began at Columbia University last week, where more than 100 people, including many students, were arrested while demanding that the university divest from companies complicit in genocide. NYPD officers stand by after detaining demonstrators and clearing an encampment set up by pro-Palestinian students and protesters on the campus of New York University (AFP via Getty Images) The daughter of Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Isra Hirsi, was among those arrested. She was later suspended from the university. In my 3 years at @BarnardCollege I have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings, Isra Hirsi, who is an organiser for Columbia Universitys Apartheid Divest group, wrote on X. I just received notice that I am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide. She continued: Those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated. We will stand resolute until our demands are met. Our demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbias investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression. Police said 108 people, including Ms Hirsi, were charged with trespassing at the Ivy League school. Two people were also charged with obstructing government administration. On Monday, Columbia University announced it was canceling in-person classes on its New York City campus to try to reset the situation and deescalate the rancor. Protesters chant near city hall after attending an occupation at New York University (NYU) (REUTERS) There is a pattern of behavior occurring on campuses across our nation, in which individuals attempt to occupy a space in defiance of school policy, Kaz Daughtry, the NYPDs deputy commissioner for operations, said in a social media post. Rest assured, in NYC the NYPD stands ready to address these prohibited and subsequently illegal actions whenever we are called upon. New encampments have since emerged at Columbia and Yale following the arrests, while hundreds of faculty members at Columbia University have held a mass walkout to protest against the presidents handling of the situation. Meanwhile, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Emerson College, both in the Boston area, have started their own protest encampments. Boston University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have also seen protests emerge in recent days. Police officers clashed with protesters and were accused of deploying tear gas at Emory University in Atlanta after demonstrators set up tents on Thursday morning as part of a nationwide pro-Palestinian movement seen across college campuses. This happened hours after officers in Boston cleared an encampment at Emerson College and arrested more than 100 people. On Wednesday, 93 people were arrested at the University of Southern Californias campus and security concerns have resulted in the school canceling its main commencement ceremony. Universities across the U.S. are experiencing a growing number of students walking out of class or gathering to set up encampments on campus to protest against Israels war on Gaza. The most recent wave of these protests emerged on the campus of Columbia University in New York City last week and has since spread to schools across the country. Heres a closer look at what's happening and why. Georgia State Patrol officers detain a protester at Emory University on April 25. (Mike Stewart/AP) How did it all start? Things hit a boiling point at Columbia last Thursday when over 100 people, including the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, were arrested at a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. Columbia president Minouche Shafik had asked the NYPD to help clear the crowd, which had begun amassing the day prior. The university took things a step further Monday night, announcing a hybrid schedule for the remainder of the school semester at its main campus in Manhattan. The situation snowballed this week, with protests springing up at more than a dozen campuses, many also resulting in widespread arrests. Columbia also emerged as a flashpoint on the national political stage. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had visited Columbia and met with Shafik on Wednesday afternoon, said during a press conference that school officials had lost control of the situation and called for Shafik to step down. "This is dangerous," Johnson said. "We respect free speech, we respect diversity of ideas, but there is a way to do that in a lawful manner, and that's not what this is." Over 100 people were arrested at Emerson College on April 25. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) What do students want? Student protesters have been calling for their universities to divest i.e., cut business ties with Israel or any companies that are aiding its military campaign in Gaza that the Hamas-run Health Ministry said has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. In addition to divestment, pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for their universities to take a number of other actions in response to the ongoing war. Read more about student demands here. Where have the protests spread? Emory University: Students filmed and photographed Georgia State Patrol officers pinning protesters to the ground and escorting others away after clashing on campus. Emory's student-run newspaper, the Emory Wheel, reported that tear gas was used, but it could not confirm with police. Emerson College: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators want the college, located in Boston, to support Palestinian liberation and had set up tents in an alley off Boylston Street on Monday. The school canceled classes on Thursday after 108 protesters were arrested. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Students gathered to protest MIT having research ties with the Israeli military. Tufts University: On Tuesday, a small group of students started to set up encampments on campus in support of Palestinians. University of Texas at Austin: Hundreds of students gathered to protest in support of Palestinians. University officers, and Texas state troopers were called to the scene and arrested dozens of people who refused to leave the area. University of Minnesota: Nine students were arrested hours after they started an encampment on campus. New York University: Protests at New York University in Manhattan turned chaotic Monday night as police tried to disperse the growing crowd at Gould Plaza at the schools request. Police said they arrested about 150 people, including NYU students and faculty, who refused to disperse, though police said a final tally had not yet been completed. Yale University: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators reunited for protests again on Tuesday, just a day after at least 45 protesters, whod staged an encampment at Beinecke Plaza on campus since Friday night, were arrested Monday morning on trespassing charges. California State Polytechnic University: The Northern California university's campus was closed through Wednesday after protesters took over a building on campus. University of California, Berkeley: Demonstrators set up what they call a free Palestine encampment in Sproul Plaza, one of the campuss central areas. University of Michigan: An encampment of about 20 tents was set up on the main quadrangle Monday, prompting the school to boost its security on campus, NBC News reported. Harvard University: The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee was suspended and threatened with expulsion if the group didnt cease all organizational activities for the remainder of the Spring 2024 term, according to the Harvard Crimson. University of Southern California: Hundreds of protesters gathered on campus Sunday in support of the schools class of 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum. Officials had told Tabassum earlier this month that she was barred from speaking at this years graduation ceremony, citing safety concerns due to her pro-Palestinian social media posts. USC announced Thursday it would be canceling its main commencement ceremony, one day after 93 demonstrators were arrested. Mounted police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Austin, Texas, on April 24. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) What has the reaction been? The White House said Tuesday that President Biden is of course aware of the demonstrations that have roiled university campuses. White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told reporters traveling with Biden on Air Force One that the administration is monitoring these situations closely. On Monday, President Biden condemned reports of antisemitism by protesters on campus and told reporters, "I also condemn those who dont understand whats going on with the Palestinians. In addition to the White House, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, New York Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have expressed concern for the safety of Jewish students and spoken out against antisemitism. New England Patriots owner and Columbia graduate Robert Kraft said in a statement Monday he was "not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken." In the narcotics underworld of Mexicali and Tijuana there is a new suspect. On the streets it is known as the zombie drug. Many believe it is a horse tranquilizer. Its scientific name is xylazine and it is a veterinary sedative that is combined with other anesthetics and analgesics for operations on small animals, or in laboratories where rodents are experimented on. An unpublished study has discovered traces of the substance in syringes discarded by heroin and methamphetamine users in the two Mexican cities. If the fentanyl crisis had already taken over northern Baja California and other points along the U.S. border, the arrival of xylazine represents yet another lethal risk to already extremely vulnerable drug addicts whose chances of a fatal overdose have multiplied. Its rain on wet ground, in the words of Silvia Cruz, a veteran pharmacologist and co-author of the book Lo que hay que saber de drogas (What you need to know about drugs) and a participant in the study, which was financed by the National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies (Conahcyt). This is not a minor fact: considering the official narrative of the Mexican authorities has been to play down the opioid crisis and claim that it only affects the United States, research paid for by a public agency is, in practice, an acknowledgement of the problem and a slight change in discourse. The results of the research, which have not yet been published, were shared with the National Commission on Mental Health and Addictions (Conasama), which reports to the Ministry of Health. The agency issued a health alert on April 8: A study carried out in the cities of Tijuana and Mexicali found xylazine as an adulterant in 35 residues of heroin mixed with fentanyl and 26 residues of fentanyl, out of a total of 300 samples analyzed with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Four days later, Conasama published the first nationwide study focused on the use of fentanyl: In Mexico, in 2023, 430 cases of care for fentanyl use were recorded, while in 2022 there were 333, which are concentrated in northern states of the country such as Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Sonora. This shows that the increase is at the local level, not national; however, the main concern revolves around its high lethality. Although the official results are still low, both investigations highlight the authorities concern. I see it as an advance, I am very pleased. We consider it a sensitivity that helps to draw attention to the fact that fentanyl has been around for a while, says Cruz, who also participated in a study that confirmed fentanyl use for the first time in the central region of Mexico, published last December in Harm Reduction Journal. Used syringes The team of researchers, led by Clara Fleiz, visited the headquarters of an NGO in each city Prevencasa in Tijuana and Verter in Mexicali and habitual places for street consumption. There, they exchanged used syringes for new ones. The objective was twofold: to reduce the risk of disease transmission among addicts and to study syringe residue. This technique has its limitations, explains Cruz: With a syringe residue you can only tell what is in it, not exactly what the person consumed. More than 4,000 samples were taken and analyzed in a presumptive study, using strips that reveal whether there has been mixing. Many contained fentanyl and methamphetamine: People take methamphetamine and bring themselves down with heroin contaminated with fentanyl, or the other way around: they feel very low and look for a high with methamphetamine, Cruz explains. Of those 4,000 samples, 300 were selected for a confirmatory study using techniques such as chromatography and spectrometry, which gives you a fingerprint of what a chemical has in it. Twenty percent of the 300 syringes contained traces of xylazine. In Mexicali, the presence of the sedative was higher than in Tijuana: 51% of the samples contained the substance. In the 1960s, following the first studies of xylazine in humans, its use was outlawed because of potent adverse effects. The first thing it does is it relaxes the muscles; people cant stand up properly, they fall down, they lie down. It lowers blood pressure and heart rate tremendously. It produces an increase in the amount of sugar in the blood, hyperglycemia, which at the time of overdose can be a problem, and it lowers the respiratory rate, which is very similar to what heroin does. The risk of overdose is very significant, says Cruz. Mexico still does not market the antidote for fentanyl overdoses, naloxone, which can be found in any pharmacy in the United States. With xylazine, the situation is more complicated: as it is not an opioid, it requires a much higher dose of the remedy. Legalizing naloxone, experts say, is a matter of life and death. We are already behind in using it at the border and now it is more urgent, Cruz says. Unlike mixtures of heroin and methamphetamine, which can be sought by the consumer, adulteration with xylazine is carried out by dealers, not addicts, clarifies the pharmacologist. Prolonged consumption of xylazine also causes skin lesions around the injection sites. The risk increases if users also take methamphetamine, which is extremely common among heroin addicts. Methamphetamine and xylazine cause vasoconstriction: a narrowing of the blood vessels, like a highway with closed lanes. Blood cannot get through and necrotic ulcers occur: the tissue, the skin, dies. At this point, medical attention needs to be almost immediate. Otherwise, the wound may result in amputation of the affected limbs. In October 2023, another team of four scientists, including Cruz, published a study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence on the effects of mixing morphine equivalent to heroin and xylazine in rodents. The doses of each drug, individually, were high but not lethal. With only one of the substances, the mice survived. By mixing them, 90% of the animals died. You are increasing the lethality because they both converge to decrease respiration. Since October, several studies have come out [that point] in the same direction, summarizes the expert. From Puerto Rico to Philadelphia Cutting heroin with fentanyl and xylazine is a practice that was already common in the United States and Canada, which issued their own alerts over the use of the veterinary sedative in humans in 2022. The more opioids a user consumes, the shorter the effects last and the sooner withdrawal syndrome appears. Xylazine lengthens the trip. The use of xylazine to adulterate heroin began in Puerto Rico in the 1980s and soon after made the leap to the continental United States, especially Philadelphia. There, today, almost all heroin is sold with fentanyl and it is extraordinarily common to mix it with xylazine, says Cruz. The phenomenon of drug adulteration is very complex. It obeys market laws, so that it comes out cheaper and hits the consumer harder, she concludes. Morris Brown College extended an acceptance offer to all seniors at Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta. Students were told the news during the schools Spirit Day on Friday. They will have to meet enrollment requirements in order to enroll as freshmen next fall. I really want to let all the parents know that we are an institution that is of quality that they now have full access to come to, Morris Brown College President Kevin James said, according to Black Entreprise. Not only that, but [they] have access to federal financial aid. Atlantas Benjamin E. Mays High School students can look forward to a nice prom and a chance to attend Morris Brown College. https://t.co/XTmHpv681k Atlanta News (@AtlNewsNow) April 23, 2024 The opportunity came from a deal made between college and high school officials in order to provide options for higher education to high school students. Graduating seniors have to maintain a 2.0 GPA to accept the offer, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. The HBCU reinstated its accreditation in 2022. It was originally founded in 1881 and was the first higher education institution owned and run by African Americans in Georgia. On its end, Mays High School honors Benjamin E. Mays, who was the president of Morehouse College for over 25 years and the first Black president of the Atlanta Board of Education. Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich's appeal, keeping him in jail until at least June 30 Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the First Appeals Court of General Jurisdiction in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. A court will consider an appeal against the arrest of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was detained on espionage charges in Yekaterinburg last year. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) MOSCOW (AP) Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will remain jailed on espionage charges until at least late June, after a Moscow court on Tuesday rejected his appeal that sought to end his pretrial detention. The 32-year-old U.S. citizen was detained in late March 2023 while on a reporting trip and has spent over a year in jail, with authorities routinely extending his time behind bars and rejecting his appeals. Last month, his pretrial detention was continued yet again until June 30 in a ruling that he and his lawyers later challenged. A Moscow appellate court rejected it Tuesday. In the courtroom on Tuesday, Gerhskovich, wearing a white T-shirt and an open checked shirt, looked relaxed, at times laughing and chatting with members of his legal team. His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges. Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the U.S. government has declared him to be wrongfully detained. Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over the Kremlins military operation in Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years including WNBA star Brittney Griner have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S. In December, the U.S. State Department said it had made a significant offer to secure the release of Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, which it said Moscow had rejected. Officials did not describe the offer, although Russia has been said to be seeking the release of Vadim Krasikov, who was given a life sentence in Germany in 2021 for the killing in Berlin of Zelimkhan Tornike Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen descent who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and later claimed asylum in Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin, asked this year about releasing Gershkovich, appeared to refer to Krasikov by pointing to a man imprisoned by a U.S. ally for liquidating a bandit who had allegedly killed Russian soldiers during separatist fighting in Chechnya. Beyond that hint, Russian officials have kept mum about the talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeatedly said that while certain contacts on swaps continue, they must be carried out in absolute silence. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. NEW PHILADELPHIA, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) The mothers of two teenagers from Schuylkill County who were murdered six months ago are questioning why no one has been arrested in connection with their sons murders. The bodies of 16-year-old Angelito Caraballo and 18-year-old Hunter Mock from New Philadelphia, Schuylkill County were found in a wooded area in October. Their mothers are speaking out. The way answered but most of all justice for their sons. Suspects wanted for questioning of theft at Dicks House of Sport I-Team Lead investigator Andy Mehalshick says,They tell me they are living a real-life nightmare. Their sons were taken away in a most brutal way and they say, as far as they know, the killer is still walking the street. Tanya Evans showed off photos of her son 16-year-old Angelito Caraballo. She has a memorial set up in her home. She says her pain and grief run deep, despite the passage of six months since her son was murdered. I feel like Ive been saying since day one. If they would make an arrest I feel like they would get more answers from other people that know more, said Tanya Evans, Angelito Caraballos mother. The bodies of Caraballo and Mock were found in a wooded area of New Philadelphia on October 10. State police investigators say they were murdered two days earlier. Mock was shot in the head, and Caraballo died from stab wounds. This is home security taken at Mocks apartment in New Philadelphia on the night they were murdered. These are the last known images of the teens. As Ive been saying for the ones who know, they need to come forward. Just imagine it being someone in your family and you have no answer. Its not easy, Evans added. According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by the I-Team in the days after the murders, two other sound men were in the woods with Caraballo and Mock that night. Including, 19-year-old Lamour Branch. The two men tell different versions of what happened that night Branch is in custody on burglary charges in an unrelated case. Kate Mock shows us the memorial in her home, including her sons urn. She says she barely sleeps at night. I dont know my son went with his friends and never made it home. Thats something that only the person who shot him can tell me the answer, explained Kate Mock, Hunters mother. A spokesperson for the state police told the I-Team they cant say much only that the investigation is moving forward and they are awaiting forensic test results on potential evidence. A $10,000 reward is also being offered by Pennsylvania State Police Tips for information that leads to an arrest. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man went to jail Tuesday after police caught him loading stolen tires from a train into a van in Highland Heights. James Smith, 67, is charged with theft of property $2,500 $10,000, evading arrest, burglary of a building, and convicted felon in possession of a handgun. On April 22, Memphis Police responded to a call at 699 Crump Avenue regarding an unknown man loading tires into a green van. When officers arrived, they saw a man running from the van toward the train tracks. They then began to search the area. The man was found in a bush east of where the officers had originally lost sight of him. He was then identified as James Smith. Smith had a Smith and Wesson Model 10 revolver loaded with five live rounds in his waistband. 1-year-old found after being abducted in carjacking, police say Officers continued searching the area and found 85 Goodyear/Bridgestone tires scattered in different areas along the railroad tracks. Fifteen of those same tires were loaded into the green van. A total of 23 packages of Diablo sanding pads, 34 masonry blades, 20 oscillating blades, and 16 pillows were stacked in different areas with the tires. All of the items were worth $9,600. According to MPD, Pellegra with the CSX Railroad police stated that the items were stolen from a train boxcar. James Smith is held on a $15,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning. In 2021, Smith pled guilty to aggravated burglary and was sentenced to six years in jail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. How much can my landlord raise my rent? Am I being overcharged? Know these California laws Living in California comes with a lofty price tag. For some, the costs have become unbearable. Sacramento Bee reader Bonnie Cathey reached out to The Sacramento Bees service journalism team, which focuses on community-driven questions, to ask how much a landlord can legally charge for rent in California. Cathey, 64, temporarily shares a multi-story home in Carmichael with 10 people. A Social Security beneficiary, she receives roughly $1,180 monthly and about 70% of it goes toward rent. That leaves Cathey, a former campus monitor with the San Juan Unified School District, with approximately $380 to spend on critical needs like food, transportation and medication until the next check comes. What about us elderly and us disabled that have paid rent all our lives and still are nowhere paying for nothing? said Cathey, a Sacramento native, who rents month to month. I worked for years, I paid into it to have something and I still cant have my own home to live in ... Im more or less am homeless, she said in a phone interview. Cathey isnt alone in feeling burdened by high rent prices. A popular rule of thumb is no more than 30% of your monthly income should go toward rent. Thats after taxes, according to Nerd Wallet, an online financial advice website. The tricky part is everyones financial situation is unique. The 30% rule is generally reasonable but not in a state like California, said Deputy Director Deborah Thrope with the National Housing Law Project of San Francisco. Its very common for tenants to be paying above 30% of their income in rent, if not well above 30%, Thrope, an expert in affordable housing and tenant policy, said in a Friday phone interview. According to online housing marketplace Zillow, the median rent in California is $2,795, which fluctuates depending on the property and number of bedrooms. The median rent in Sacramento is $1,950. Thats 30% of a $6,500 monthly gross income. In 2021, 20.1 million U.S. households paid more than 30% of their income on rent (utilities included), according to the U.S. Census Bureaus 2021 American Community Survey. Households that hover over 30% are considered cost-burdened, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development states. Severely cost-burdened households teeter over 50%. These households have less cash to put toward food, transportation and childcare. People are severely rent burdened right now, leading to housing instability and also importantly, contributing to our challenges around homelessness in the state, Thrope said. The Bee consulted Thrope, the California Legislative Information website and the California Courts Self-Help Guide to understand the state laws surrounding how much a landlord can charge in rent and security deposits. Heres what we found: The Tenant Protection Act There is no cap on how much a landlord can charge for their space which renters agree to through a lease usually in a six or 12-month term but there is a limit on how much they can raise the price once the lease is complete. Assembly Bill 1482, or the Tenant Protection Act, limits when a landlord can raise a tenants rent and how much. State law says landlords cannot raise your rent more than 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living or 10% (whichever is lower) over 12 months. Rent cannot be raised by more than two increments over 12 months. Certain properties are exempt from the law, including most single-family homes and duplexes, as well as affordable housing and properties constructed within the past 15 years. Some cities have stricter codes. In Sacramento, for example, the maximum increase, updated annually, is capped at 9.2% as of July 2023. Rent can only be raised once in a year, regardless of how long a tenant has resided in the unit. New law on security deposits Most landlords request security deposits, but an upcoming law will limit how much they can legally charge. The landlord collects a security deposit before the lease begins and its used if the tenant damages the unit or breaks the lease and doesnt pay rent, according to the California Courts Self-Help Guide. When the tenant moves out, the landlord has 21 days to either return the deposit in full or subtract any deductions with an itemized statement. How long can a California landlord hold your security deposit after you move? Heres the law Starting in July, landlords cannot charge two or three times the amount of monthly rent as a security deposit, regardless if the unit is furnished or unfurnished. In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill 12, which caps security deposits equivalent to one months rent for leases signed on or after July 1. Until then, the limit is two times the monthly rent for unfurnished units and three times the rent for furnished ones, the state justice department said. Proposed law on pet rent and bans A new bill could make it easier (and cheaper) for California pet owners to find rental housing. The California legislature is considering Assembly Bill 2216, which would cease blanket no-pet bans and prohibit landlords from inquiring about pets on rental applications. The bill would also eliminate extra monthly pet fees or pet rent. The bill was introduced in February by Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, who authored Assembly Bill 12. On April 9, it passed out of the judiciary committee 9-1 and was read for a second time the following day. The bill has been ordered to a third reading. This proposed law would only cover common household pets, such as cats and dogs. Affordable housing resources Thrope said prospective renters should expect the search for affordable housing to be difficult and that there is a need for more programs to help those on fixed incomes. Subsidies are of course worth their weight in gold because for the most part, youre going to be paying a reasonable rent compared to your income, she said. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers an interactive tool to search for affordable housing using a city or ZIP code. The map does not maintain an updated list of the properties vacancies or wait lists but it reviews for compliance with regulations. Thrope also recommends contacting your local HUD office or case manager for a full scope of the state and local resources available. What else can I do? Make a budget plan. A list of your financial obligations will give you the best idea of how much or how little to adjust the 30% rule, according to Apartment List. Then, use your gross income to calculate your rental threshold. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. Whatcom County Sheriffs Office released information about a recent successful operation to rescue seven victims of human trafficking. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Whatcom County Sheriffs Office (WCSO) worked together with local organizations on-site to ensure any victims received the support and resources needed. During the same operation, a 43-year-old male from Ferndale was arrested for attempted commercial sex abuse of a minor, felony communicating with a minor, and attempted distribution to persons under the age of eighteen. Police say he was arrested after attempting to arrange commercial sex services and bring marijuana to a minor. Upon his arrest, the man was found to be in custody of numerous sex toys, lubricant, condoms, marijuana, and $625 in cash. The operation was conducted with participation from the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Bellingham Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), King County Sheriffs Office, Bellevue Police Department, and the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorneys Office. To report any information about human trafficking, child sexual abuse, or the trafficking in child sexual abuse material, call the HSI Tipline at 877-447-4847. Murder charges filed in killing of Southern California woman in 2017 Nearly six and a half years after the shooting death of a 31-year-old woman in Riverside County, murder charges have been filed against a man from San Jacinto, authorities announced earlier this month. The deadly incident unfolded on Nov. 12, 2017, at around 3 p.m., a news release from the Riverside County Sheriffs Department stated. Deputies responded to reports of a woman who had been shot in the 100 block of North Dillon Avenue. At the scene, Anna Meza, a resident of San Jacinto, was found lying in the street. Paramedics responded to the location and attempted life saving measures, but the 31-year-old victim succumbed to her injuries and was declared deceased. After a lengthy investigation, authorities said they identified 27-year-old Daniel Acevedo as the suspect. He was taken into custody on April 12 during a traffic stop in San Jacinto conducted by RCSDs Major Crimes Unit, the release noted. Murder charges filed in killing of SoCal woman in 2017 Authorities did not release any information about a potential motive in the killing or whether Acevedo and Meza knew each other. L.A. deputy shot in back saved by bullet-proof vest; shooter still at large After reviewing the case, the Riverside County District Attorneys Office filed murder charges against the 27-year-old on April 15. The investigation in Mezas death is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to contact RCSD Investigators Robertson or Adams with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Columbia Journalism School alumni descended into a heated row last week after a film director and producer who graduated from the school referred to some campus demonstrators as murderous crackpots and pro-terror wack jobs, prompting fierce backlash from other alumni in a Facebook thread. Norman Green, a 67-year-old Brooklyn-based producer and director who worked on TV shows including True Life and Paranormal State, came under fire Thursday after responding to a message condemning the arrests of some 100 demonstrators protesting against the war in Gaza last week. These protesters are unhinged. Nihilistic, pro-terror wack jobs. Ill post a link, Green wrote on a Columbia alumni Facebook thread reviewed by The Daily Beast, linking to several videos from the campus protests. Maybe murderous, genocidal narcissists merit a response One of the videos shared by Green features clashes between the Gaza Solidarity Encampment protesters and pro-Israel demonstrators. Another shows some protesters shouting at NYPD officers as arrests were underway. As we see, the coverage is extensive wall to wall, on every network and in every newspaper, Green, who graduated from the journalism school in 1996, added on the thread. At some point, murderous crackpots attacking Jews need to be held accountable. Our students deserve to be protected from them. Columbias Protest Crackdown Is Another Free Speech Blunder Another Columbia alumnus, Boston-based digital communications consultant Bessie King, confronted Green in the thread, calling his perspective hateful and delusional. Other graduates of the school chimed in as well, some critical and others supportive of Greens comments. Eventually, the arguments grew so heated that an administrator of the thread intervened, imploring others to keep the conversation civil and watch their language. In a phone call with The Daily Beast, Green said that his comments were referring to people who want to kill us [Jewish people]. A global intifada, I think, is an unmistakable call for a worldwide uprising or attack against Jews as it was in the past. And that's the context and the meaning of what I see going on, and in conclusion what I see somenot allprotesters are calling for, he said. When asked about the outrage fellow alumni had expressed in reaction to his comments, Green said: Its uncomfortable for people to hear an honest description, an honest and accurate description of a harsh reality. To me, people calling for the genocide of Jews are murderous, nihilistic, wack jobs. Thats how I take it. The pro-Palestine encampmentthe purpose of which is to urge the university to divest in Israel-linked companies that back a ceasefire in Gazawas ongoing on Monday. After the tents were dismantled last week, students propped up new tents in another location on campus. Columbia U. Newspaper Kids Working Overtime to Get Protests Right In an interview with The Daily Beast, 39-year-old Columbia alumnus King said the NYPD crackdown was incredibly disheartening and incredibly heartbreaking. It cost me $75,000 to attend Columbia Journalism School for one year. And it took me 10 years to pay off my degree and be able to pick it up last year at university offices. And now I am ashamed. I am embarrassed, she told The Daily Beast, adding that she took issue with what she viewed as Green immediately jumping to the conclusion that a pro-Palestine peaceful protest equals: Kill all Jews. It's terrifying that among us journalists who studied and decry ourselves as chasers and tellers of the truth, there is still a debate on the facts. If you can report the facts on this, please do tell the truth, not some religious political propaganda, King, who had been collecting signatures for an open letter to Columbia University condemning the arrests, told The Daily Beast. University President Minouche Shafikwho testified about the protests before Congress last weekreleased a statement on Monday announcing that the school was in need of a reset. She announced in the statement that all classes will be held virtually for the day in order to deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps. There is a terrible conflict raging in the Middle East with devastating human consequences. I understand that many are experiencing deep moral distress and want Columbia to help alleviate this by taking action, she said. But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view. Lets sit down and talk and argue and find ways to compromise on solutions. Outspoken Israeli Prof Denied Campus Entry as Columbia Tries to Avoid Protest Clashes Bayan Alabsy, a Palestinian alumnus of Columbias Journalism school, told The Daily Beast she unfollowed most of the other [Columbia alumni] I was connected to on Instagram because they were carrying on with life as normal while I was having mental breakdowns and screaming into a pillow until my throat was raw. The Jschool hosted Motaz Azaiza like a week before the encampment started. The emails I received about alumni weekend mentioned something about tighter restrictions but there was zero mention of the protests or why they were happening. Its disgusting. I will never in my life allow any of my four children to attend that school and they will continue to never see a dime from me. The White House, for its part, condemned college protests on Sunday, with deputy press secretary Andrew Bates saying that while every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable and dangerous. As of Monday, there was no sign that the college protests were slowing down. In fact, similar encampments have cropped up in U.S. colleges across the country, including the University of Michigan and Yale University, where 40 pro-Palestine demonstrators were recently arrested. 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. What was initially a great success for the Spanish police has turned into a fiasco due to a judicial mix-up. Karim Bouyakhrichan, alias Taxi, considered one of the top capos of the Mocro Maffia and, therefore, one of the most wanted criminals in the Netherlands, is unaccounted for after he was released from prison following an apparent discrepancy between the Provincial Court of Malaga which ordered his release less than a month and a half after he was imprisoned for money laundering in Spain and the Spanish High Court, which was processing an extradition request for Bouyakhrichan from the Dutch authorities, as reported by Spanish on Cadena SER and confirmed to EL PAIS by police and judicial sources. The Spanish High Court has already issued a new arrest warrant for the alleged mobster. When Bouyakhrichan was arrested in Marbella on January 9, Spains Ministry of the Interior stressed that he was the most wanted and dangerous criminal in the Netherlands. In fact, the Dutch judicial system accuses him of being one of the ringleaders of a clan of the Mocro Maffia, a Dutch-Moroccan criminal network based in the Netherlands, which has defied the state with threats to Princess Amalia of Orange who was forced to reside in Spain for a year for security reasons and Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Mocro Maffia is said to be responsible for smuggling huge quantities of cocaine into Europe through the Dutch ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, but has also been linked to murders, extortion, and kidnappings. Bouyakhrichan was arrested in January by the Spanish National Polices Special Response Group for Organized Crime (GRECO), who had been on his trail for years, near the Marbella municipal court building. Bouyakhrichan stated he had intended to surrender voluntarily. Six other people were arrested in the operation, among them several alleged Spanish frontmen, over their alleged involvement in the laundering of over $6 million from drug trafficking on the Costa del Sol. The Ministry of the Interior reported that 172 properties had been embargoed, including several mansions in Marbella valued at over $50 million, and 178 bank accounts containing over $3 million had been frozen. Bouyakhrichans relationship with Spain dates back a long time: his brother Samir was shot dead outside a bar in Benahavis (Malaga) in August 2014 in an alleged settling of scores between Mocro Maffia clans. After his arrest, at the request of the Spanish Public Prosecutors Office, Bouyakhrichan was jailed by a Marbella court as he posed a flight risk. In the meantime, the Netherlands judicial system initiated extradition proceedings for a drug trafficking crime with the issuance of a European arrest warrant (EAW), an EU mechanism set up in January 2004 to shorten the lengthy legal procedures for extraditions. This request fell to High Court Judge Ismael Moreno, who also issued his own arrest warrant for Bouyakhrichan. However, Moreno had to rescind the order after asking the Marbella judge if he had any issue in handing over the alleged capo to the Dutch authorities. The latter answered yes, because the detainee was being investigated in Spain for money laundering, drug trafficking, and belonging to a criminal organization, and as such his extradition was not appropriate until he was tried on those charges. According to High Court sources, this response led Moreno to cancel the warrant so as not to breach the legal deadline of 60 days to comply with the EAW. Meanwhile, Bouyakhrichans lawyers appealed his imprisonment before the Provincial Court of Malaga, stating there was no flight risk as he had roots in Spain, where he claimed to live with his partner. The Public Prosecutors Office opposed his release on the grounds that there were no such roots his partner had admitted she lived in Dubai and only visited Marbella sporadically and Bouyakhrichan had the economic means to evade justice as well as Moroccan nationality, to where he could try to flee as Morocco does not hand over its citizens to other countries. The Public Prosecutors Office emphasized in its brief that the Dutch judicial authorities had requested his extradition, which was being processed in the High Court. The document expressly demanded that Bouyakhrichan be held in prison in order to be able to comply with the extradition request. Despite this, on February 22, the Provincial Court of Malaga accepted the appeal lodged by Bouyakhrichans defense and ordered his release. In their ruling, to which EL PAIS has had access, the three magistrates recognized that there was a possibility the alleged Mocro Maffia kingpin would flee if he left prison but they considered that other less burdensome measures were sufficient to prevent this, such as the imposition of a 50,000 ($53,542) bail and the obligation to surrender his passport and appear in court every 15 days. At no point in the ruling was the existence of the EAW mentioned. Sources at the Andalusia High Court of Justice assure that his release was immediately communicated to the High Court. After immediately posting bail, Bouyakhrichan left prison. The following day he handed over his passport to the court, and since then he has complied with the other precautionary measures imposed. It is recorded that he reported to different courts in the province of Malaga every two weeks, on the 1st and 15th of the month, in accordance with the court order, up to April 1, according to the same sources. There is still no record of whether he did so on April 15. Bouyakhrichans release led the Dutch authorities to send an extension of the extradition order to the High Court, in which they emphasized the urgency of handing over the alleged Mocro Maffia boss due to the seriousness of the charges against him in the Netherlands. Judge Moreno, aware that Bouyakhrichan had been released, reactivated the arrest warrant on March 15 and issued a summons. However, Bouyakhrichan did not show up. Since then, his whereabouts are unknown. According to sources at the Andalusia High Court of Justice, the Marbella court has not yet issued a similar measure, pending formal confirmation that he did not comply with the precautionary measures and report to the court on April 15. The news about Bouyakhrichans possible escape has caused enormous discomfort both in the Spanish security forces who pointed out that his capture was extremely complex and he had evaded agents by fleeing on a motorbike on the day before his arrest and for the Dutch authorities, who were already angered by the decision of the Provincial Court of Malaga to release him on bail. The Dutch liaison judge in Spain has met in person with Judge Moreno to express his concern over both facts. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) Myrtle Beach police have arrested a suspect in an ATM theft at Bank of America, the department said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. The theft happened Tuesday at about 9:40 a.m., police said. An employee was working on one of the ATMs when it happened. This embedded content is not available in your region. The suspects name was not immediately released. Police said additional officers will stay in the area while the investigation continues. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. A National Geographic photographer gave me 4 tips for taking better pictures with my phone. I tried them and the results blew me away. A Business Insider reporter's phone photos from a hike in Arizona show how to use a National Geographic photographer's tips. Joey Hadden/Business Insider National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan shared his best tips for phone photography. To take better pictures on your phone, Yuyan suggested getting closer and trying new angles. Above all, Yuyan said it's important to stick around and immerse yourself in the environment. I went to school for photography, and I've been using film and digital cameras for nearly a decade. But I have less experience using my smallest, most nimble camera my phone. Now that I'm a travel reporter, my work revolves around documenting the places I'm visiting, and I often rely on my little black rectangle for some of that imagery. So, in April 2022, I set out to improve my phone-photography skills. And just like in school, I wanted to learn from a pro. That's why I turned to Kiliii Yuyan, a National Geographic photographer who tells stories about how different cultures relate to the environment, from the Amazon to the Arctic seas. The magazine first published Yuyan's work in 2018, showcasing whale hunters in Alaska, he told Business Insider. More recently, National Geographic granted Yuyan the 2023 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling for his portfolio showcasing humans and their environments, which includes his 2022 July cover shot for a story documenting the lives of Indigenous people. This cover was also featured in the magazine's 2022 Pictures of the Year issue. Yuyan told BI that people are "drowning in photographs" nowadays, but there are ways to make yours stand out even if you're just shooting on your phone. Phone camera tips from a National Geographic photographer made my images feel more powerful. Photos from the author's camera roll show phone photos from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2022. Joey Hadden/Business Insider When Yuyan and I chatted about taking standout photos on a phone, he mentioned uncommon angles, proximity to the subject, interesting foregrounds, and time spent shooting. Here are his best tips for creating powerful pictures with a phone and examples of their success from my own camera roll. For the best lighting, backgrounds, and immersive shots, Yuyan told me to take my time and shoot a lot. He was right. iPhone snapshots from around the US where the author waited for optimal light and striking backgrounds. Joey Hadden/Business Insider From capturing a rainbow in Salt Lake City to rays of sunlight shining through a tree in my Brooklyn neighborhood, I think staying in one location for long periods of time has served me well while shooting with my phone, just as Yuyan advised me. "The real secret of professional photographers is we shoot a lot and then edit it down to just one or two," Yuyan told BI. "You should do the same with your phone." According to Yuyan, spending a long time shooting in one location allows you to find optimal lighting and interesting backdrops, as well as to truly immerse yourself in the environment. In the photos above, I spent between one and five hours at each location. This allowed me to take pictures with light that I found to be stunning, including the rainbow, the sun beaming through the tree, and a shot of a red-hued moon dimmed behind a cloud on a rooftop in Brooklyn, New York. "Good photographs come from deep observation, and the muses reward those who slow down, stop running from place to place, and immerse themselves in the specific place and moment," he said. So stick around in one location, take tons of pictures, and "make room for life to unfold in front of your lens," he said. Next, Yuyan said to take advantage of how small and lightweight phones are by shooting from angles we don't often see while observing the world, like looking up at your subject from below. The author photographs her dog from different angles in New York. Joey Hadden/Business Insider To find the perfect angle, Yuyan said to start by considering the ways shooting with a lightweight, thin object can open up the realm of possibilities. "It becomes a habit to use the phone at just eye level, but if you watch someone who is good at selfies, you can see they are always moving the phone around up, down, and around to try better angles," he said. "The same applies to making any other kind of photo." I thought this was an important point that I'd never thought about before, but it left me wondering how to tell which angle makes the strongest shot. "One good criterion is seeing how much depth an angle will show in a photograph," Yuyan said. For example, he said when photographing a child, an angle looking down at the kid will typically come out flat and boring. But shooting from beneath the child's eye level looking up can show the layers of the person and whatever is above them. "We rarely get down below a child's height to look up at the world, and that perspective can be magical." Yuyan's example reminded me of how I photograph my small dog when we're outside. When I take pictures of her from above or straight on, I find that I can't get a sense of her expression or personality, which makes the picture look boring to me. But when I've gotten below her and snapped the picture while aiming up, I can see her exploratory nature and the way she uses her environment to feel bigger, like perching on top of a rock on the edge of a creek. I've also seen how shooting from beneath widely photographed landmarks makes my pictures stand out more. The author photographs the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in NYC in 2019, left, and 2021, right. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Yuyan's tip of experimenting with angles that add depth reminded me of another subject I've shot on my phone the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in NYC. The first time I photographed the famous tree, I shot from eye level. When I looked at my photo, I thought it looked like any other picture of the famous holiday scene. But when I returned to try a lower angle beneath some foliage, I thought it made a more unique image. I could now see layers of smaller plants in front of the tree and the tops of the buildings surrounding it, giving me a better idea of its scale, which was previously missing. Yuyan also told me that I can make photos of epic scenery stand out more by placing something in the foreground. The author photographs a beach in Santa Cruz, California. Joey Hadden/Business Insider According to Yuyan, pictures of stunning natural landscapes are challenging to make stand out since they've been photographed so much. His best advice is to find a good foreground subject. "Great backgrounds, such as mountains or waterfalls, are easy to find because we're always looking for them," Yuyan said. "On the other hand, a good foreground subject, such as blooming wildflowers or a craggy tree, can be much harder to find in the right location." Yuyan recommended searching for a foreground subject and framing your shot so you can see the scenery in the distance. "It'll give your images depth, intimacy, and make your photos unique," he said. His tip reminded me of when I photographed a beach across the street from mountains in Santa Cruz, California. I started by photographing the beach from the shore. I thought the mountains looked nice, but there was so much sand that I thought the bottom half of my image looked boring. So, I took my phone across some ocean rocks and into the tide pools. I thought the rocks and reflecting water spruced up my foreground by giving my image more layers. To me, this made my image feel more dynamic. In my opinion, including foreground subjects in my nature shots has made them feel more immersive. The author photographs Prescott, Arizona, in 2022. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Yuyan's foreground tip reminded me of some photos I also took during a hike in Prescott, Arizona. When I first arrived at the Watson Lake parking lot for my hike, I thought it looked stunning with rock formations I hadn't seen before. So I was surprised when I found that photographing the scene from the lot didn't seem to do it justice. But once I immersed myself in the landscape by hiking the trails, I found foreground subjects such as shrubs that better framed the lake scene. I thought the inclusion of these elements in the second image gave a better sense of what it was really like to be there because it had more layers showing what actually surrounds the lake. Yuyan's last tip suggested camera phones work best up close. The author photographs a tree outside of Venice, Italy, in 2022. Joey Hadden/Business Insider According to Yuyan, making your photos more intimate will often also make them more powerful because the viewer can feel how close you are to your subject. That's why he suggested that when you're shooting with a phone, you should make it feel like you are standing right next to something for "a more human and intimate feeling." Rather than using the camera's zoom function, Yuyan suggests walking closer to your subject and "really get in close on what's happening," he said. This tip reminded me of photographing a 250-year-old Lebanon cedar tree on the grounds of Castello de Roncade outside Venice, Italy. As soon as I saw the tree, I snapped a photo because I found it alluring. But like my shot of Santa Cruz from the shore, I thought the bottom half of my photo was a bland waste of space. And like my shot of Watson Lake from the parking lot in Prescott, I didn't find my image nearly as impressive as the real thing. As I walked closer, I realized that the tree was even more breathtaking up close. In my second photograph, I stood right in front of the tree, where I captured the details of its spewing branches and surrounding greenery. My goal was to make the photo all about the tree, and I think I accomplished this in my second image because every inch of the frame showed its details, giving the shot more intimacy. When taking close-up shots on my phone, I also find that the results often show a more intimate view of my experience, like when I bought fresh pasta in Italy. The author photographs fresh pasta in Italy in 2022. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Yuyan's advice to shoot up close with phones also reminded me of another experience I had in Italy. When I went inside a fresh pasta shop in Vatican City, I was fascinated by the shaped dough on display. Their smooth-looking textures and specks of flour keeping them fresh made me salivate, and I wanted to capture that feeling in a photograph. But I thought my first photograph of the display case expressed none of this. While I could see a large chunk of the counter, this image was supposed to be about the pasta, and I could hardly capture its texture from this distance. So, for my second image, I got right up next to the glass and snapped a shot of the case with the widest variety of pasta shapes. I lit up as I peeked at the image because it elicited the exact feeling I was hoping for when I made it a strong craving to taste the pasta, thanks to a front-row view detailing its shapes and textures. Even as I view the image almost five months later, I have a hankering for pasta every time I look at it. Yuyan's tips left me feeling inspired, and I can't wait to apply them to my future travels. The author snaps a selfie in Vienna, Austria, in 2022. Joey Hadden/Business Insider After getting these tips from Yuyan, I was pleased that I thought some images in my camera roll supported them. Now that I've identified what makes some of these pictures stronger than others, I'll go into my next trip feeling more inspired to shoot from my phone. Read the original article on Business Insider Russian forces would need years to occupy the city of Kharkiv, Oleksandr Pivnenko, a commander of Ukraines National Guard, said in an interview with the Liga.net media outlet on April 23. Moscow recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv, which had a population of 1.4 million in 2021, with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, destroying energy infrastructure and killing civilians. Russian forces failed to take Kharkiv in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion, despite that the city lies less than 30 kilometers from the Russian border. In late March, President Volodymyr Zelensky said another major Russian offensive may come at the end of May or in June. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe The Financial Times reported on April 13 that Russia might plan to attack Kharkiv as part of a wider offensive. Western officials nevertheless believe that Moscow does not have a capability to launch a new attack "without a major replenishment of Russian troops," according to Bloomberg. Pivnenko did not rule out the possibility of a new Russian offensive on Kharkiv, but this attempt would fail, he said. However, in such a scenario, the city may face "constant (Russian) attempts to destroy critical and civilian infrastructure," Pivnenko added. "They (Russian troops) will have to fight for years to capture Kharkiv. Remember how long Bakhmut and Avdiivka were held. It is easier for the Russians to change the Russian leadership and abandon their plans than to seize the city, bringing thousands more of their soldiers to death," the commander said. At the end of March, Russia destroyed all the electrical substations in Kharkiv, leaving Ukraine's second-largest city without a stable power supply. In the latest attack on Kharkiv, Russian forces struck the citys television broadcasting tower on April 22, causing the top half of the mast to collapse. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested that Russia is conducting a combined effort to destroy Kharkiv and cause a mass exodus of civilians. Read also: Kharkiv at risk of becoming second Aleppo, mayor says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. NC Republicans want citizens-only voting amendment. Would it change anything? A constitutional amendment stating that only citizens can vote may be on the ballot in November as advocates for stricter rules in North Carolina elections lobby Republican lawmakers. Sen. Brad Overcash, a Gaston County Republican, told The News & Observer on Tuesday he would sponsor the effort to amend the state constitution, saying it would give voters an opportunity to make it crystal clear that only citizens can vote. It is already a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and state law requires residents to be citizens to register to vote. Advocates say the amendment would clear up ambiguity in the constitution, but critics and even a group pushing for the change see it as a way to drive conservatives to the polls. Who is pushing for more election changes? The amendment is one of several measures being pushed for by a group of advocates who describe their mission as election integrity. The group has ties to Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who assisted former President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In audio obtained by The News & Observer of meetings of the North Carolina Election Integrity Team, leaders of the group laid out their legislative priorities for the upcoming session, including reducing the early voting period, tightening voter ID rules and attempting to entirely eliminate same-day registration. Republicans already passed sweeping election changes last year, including eliminating the three-day grace period for receiving absentee ballots, empowering partisan poll observers and attempting to restructure state and local election boards. These bills were introduced last summer after top lawmakers met with Mitchell to discuss her push for stricter election laws. Most of these changes are currently being battled out in court, with some on hold after trial courts struck them down. Does the amendment have a chance of passing? In several meetings, leaders of the NCEIT appeared most hopeful about passing a citizens-only voting amendment to the state constitution. Phil Berger and Tim Moore have both said they favor moving that bill this session, Jim Womack, the president of NCEIT, said in an April 16 meeting. Thats the only bill that both of them have agreed that ought to move. So Ive had very high hopes. Senate leader Phil Bergers and House Speaker Tim Moores offices did not respond to requests for comment about whether they supported the legislation. In the meeting, Womack added that he thought legislative leaders would want it to pass simply because itll bring conservatives to the polls. Womack is also the chair of the Lee County GOP and ran unsuccessfully for chair of the state Republican Party earlier this year. His group plans to hold a press conference Wednesday in support of the amendment. Overcash said he had not spoken with anybody from the NCEIT about the amendment. He sponsored a bill to send a citizens-only voting amendment to voters last year, but it never made it to a vote in the legislature. In order to pass an amendment to the state constitution, three-fifths of lawmakers must first approve the proposal in each chamber of the General Assembly. Then, the amendment is placed on the ballot in the next election and decided on by voters. What does the constitution say about who can vote? Though it is already a crime for noncitizens to vote, proponents of the amendment say the current language in the North Carolina Constitution doesnt go far enough. The constitution states that every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalizedshall be entitled to vote. It does not specifically state who cannot vote, an omission Andy Jackson, director of the conservative Civitas Center for Public Integrity, said should be fixed. This is a fundamental question about how we run our Republic who can vote and who cant vote I think that deserves to be in the Constitution, he said. Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause NC, a government watchdog group, said the passage of a citizens-only voting amendment would have no tangible impact. I cant help but look at something like that and see it as just a vehicle to drive base voters, he said. U.S. law makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. Overcash and other proponents of the amendment, however, have pointed to municipalities in other states that have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, such as school board races. State law prevents municipalities in North Carolina from enacting similar changes to voter eligibility. A constitutional amendment codifying that law would help shield it from potential litigation, Overcash said. Group also targeting early voting, same-day registration In meetings over the past two months, members of the NCEIT discussed further election law changes but appeared less optimistic about getting some of them through the Senate. The group frequently discussed shortening the in-person early voting period, which currently begins on the third Thursday before an election and ends on the last Saturday before an election. House Speaker Tim Moore has expressed support for reducing the early voting period in the past, telling reporters in February that I like early voting. I like making it easier to vote, but I think its just too long at three weeks. It adds a lot of costs. However, Womack told the group that the chairs of the Senate Elections Committee have basically stated that theres not much interest in doing anything on the Senate side this year. Sen. Paul Newton, one of the committee chairs, did not respond to a request for comment. In a meeting on April 9, Womack said one of the groups priorities is eliminating same-day registration. Voters in North Carolina can register while voting in-person during the early voting period. Absent action from the legislature, he said Mitchell was interested in filing a lawsuit targeting the practice. If the General Assembly does not want to stop it through statutory means, then we need to go through the lawfare channel, Womack said. The legislative session begins on Wednesday. NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com NC school board accepts members resignation after doctorate questioned. What happens now Jennifer Moore submitted her resignation to the Orange County Board of Education. The Orange County school board appeared to reluctantly accept a resignation letter Monday night from one of its members on the eve of a runoff election. Jennifer Moore, whose first term was set to expire at the end of June, signaled her plan to resign for health reasons in an April 16 email to board Chair Anne Purcell on Wednesday. Moores resignation took effect April 17, Purcell said, but district rules require the board to vote to accept a members resignation. Moore will still appear on the ballot for a May 14 runoff election against board member Bonnie Hauser. Early voting starts Thursday. School board members hesitated Monday, looking at each other awkwardly, before member Carrie Doyle made the motion to accept Moores resignation. I have really enjoyed working with my colleague Dr. Moore these past four years, Doyle said. Shes a lady of great character and great intentions to students and staff, and out of respect for her wishes, I move that we accept her resignation. Purcell echoed those sentiments, adding I wish her the best. The vote was unanimous. Did news about Moores degree influence her decision? We dont know. Moores decision followed an April 16 call from The News & Observer asking about her reported doctorate from Bellevue University. Purcell told The N&O that Moore did not mention allegations about her doctorate in her resignation email. Former Superintendent Monique Felder announced Moore had received the degree in a June 5, 2021, email to the board and during the June 7, 2021, school board meeting. Moore has also asked board members and others to refer to her by her title, Dr. which had also appeared with her name on the Orange County Schools district website. However, Bellevue University officials told The N&O on April 9 that they did not have a record of a student by the name of Jennifer Denise Moore attending the university or graduating from its doctorate in business administration program. Moore does have a masters degree in business administration and a masters degree in performance improvement from Grantham University, an online school that joined the University of Arkansas system in 2021. Moore did not respond to The N&Os phone call or emails seeking comment. Her campaign treasurer, Meaghun Darab, told The N&O that Moore was not likely to respond, saying she has put up guardrails that she doesnt want crossed. Can Jennifer Moore still win the May 14 runoff? Yes. The ballots for the May 14 runoff election were printed and mailed to absentee voters before she resigned. If she defeats Hauser to win the election, Moore can take her new seat on the board or give up her seat again. If she gives up the seat, the board can appoint someone to fill the position until a new election can be held. Geert Wilders has so far failed to form a coalition government after his surprise election win last year - John Beckmann/Orange Pictures/Shutterstock A law to make it easier for teenagers to change the gender on their passport should be shelved, the Dutch parliament has said. A majority of MPs in the lower house of the parliament backed a resolution calling on the government to ditch the so-called transgender law, which allows people under the age of 16 to change their gender legally on documents for the first time. It also removes the requirement for people over 16 to have an experts statement before they can legally change their gender on passports, and on the registry of births, marriages and deaths. The Netherlands currently has a caretaker government, which has been in place since the ruling coalition, which introduced the legislation three years ago, collapsed in a row over migration last year. The transgender law is among several that were voted too controversial for a caretaker administration to implement after the fall of the last government. Geert Wilders, the Right-wing firebrand, won a surprise victory in the general election last November but has failed to form a coalition government in the months of negotiations since. That has meant the caretaker government, essentially the last government but bound not to propose new laws, has remained in charge. Some 73 MPs supported the motion to withdraw the transgender law, including Mr Wilders Freedom Party, the BBB farmers party and the radical centrist New Social Contract (NSC). A recent survey revealed hardening attitudes towards transgender people in the Netherlands - Charles M Vella/SOPA Images Those three parties are in coalition talks with the pro-business VVD, which voted not to withdraw the bill and was the dominant party in the last government. Meanwhile, 70 MPs voted against ditching the bill. The caretaker government will now have to decide what to do about the motion brought by NSC, which was formed just before the election, and the Reformed Political Party. The outgoing minister in the caretaker government had called the motion not proper in a parliamentary debate last month. We are absolutely not against changing sex, Nicolien van Vroonhoven, the NSC MP who submitted the motion, said earlier this month. But it should not be too easy either. There are real risks to womens safety. In England, for example, men are suddenly given access to womens prisons, and that is not something we should want. The VVD said it had expressed concerns over the law but disagreed with bringing the motion at this stage. Other MPs argued it would make more sense for the bill to be properly debated later and preferably when a new government was in place. The vote comes after a survey in January revealed hardening attitudes towards transgender people in the Netherlands, which has traditionally been among the most liberal European countries on trans rights. Only about a quarter agreed with the statement: People should be able to change their passport from the age of 16 without a statement from an expert in the last Dutch national voter survey. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. In a city awash with firearms, finding a gun in the possession of a convicted felon in Chicago is hardly an unusual occurrence. But what about one emblazoned with Donald Trumps image? Thats what happened in October 2020 when parole officers visited Sheldon Bains South Side home and found a 9 mm Glock 19 pistol hidden under a mattress along with bags of marijuana, according to federal prosecutors. Not only had the gun been custom-etched with Trumps stern-looking face on the grip, there were also the words Trump 45th and a presidential seal on one side of the barrel, and the phrase Keep America Great! on the barrels other side. The Trump gun, as it was referred to in court records, had belonged to Bains relative, Charles Johnson, but it was stolen a few months earlier, according to court records. Bains, who at the time was on parole for a robbery conviction, denied knowing that the gun was in the bedroom, and later tried to convince his 15-year-old nephew to take the rap. Hey, killa go on make it happen for me, Bains told his nephew in a recorded call from Cook County Jail a few weeks after his arrest, according to court records. They cant do nothin to you. They cant charge both of us. If you leave me like this man, they goin they can do somethin to me, man. In handing Bains a three-year sentence on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland said she found Bains attempt to pressure his nephew one of the more disturbing aspects of the case. Youre putting pressure on him to take responsibility for this gun and hes a kid, Rowland said, as Bains sat at the defense table in orange jail clothes. Youre 46. Man up! Youre the cool uncle. You should be telling him Get the hell out of this life. Get as far away from it as you can. Dont drag him down. Rowland acknowledged that for someone like Bains, who lost a father and brother to gun violence and has been shot and wounded himself on four separate occasions, having a gun is simply a way of life, but its something Bains is going to have to learn to live without. Its a crime. You cannot have a gun, the judge said. But you are someone who gets shot youve been shot four times. How are you going to manage that? Thats going to be a real challenge. Before the sentence was handed down, Bains stood in court and apologized for his actions, saying he was tired of the revolving door of jail and determined to do better for his family. I got seven kids, and they havent had the best lifestyle, he said. Its just you know. Its sickening. Bains pleaded guilty in February to possession of a gun by a felon. The guilty plea came about a year after his trial ended in a mistrial due to late disclosure of law enforcement interviews of Johnson, who had claimed Bains stole the Trump gun from him in 2020. Before the judge granted the mistrial, Johnson testified hed bought the Trump gun at Eagle Sporting Range in Oak Forest on July 30, 2020, just a few months before it was found under Bains mattress. Asked why he bought that particular firearm, Johnson testified it was because of its unusual Trump markings. It just stood out to me, Johnson told the jury, according to a transcript of his testimony in court records. I never seen a gun like it. Bains cousin also testified that she had seen the gun in their house and that everyone knew about it because it had Trumps face. In asking for leniency, Bains attorneys, Steven Greenberg and Nicholas Burris, painted Johnson as a liar and gun trafficker who was given immunity by prosecutors even though he admitted selling more than a dozen weapons, including one linked to a weapon used to shoot and injure a Chicago firefighter. In particular, the defense said Johnsons story about what happened to the Trump gun changed so many times he could not be believed. Bains attorneys also made a not-so-subtle jab at the former president in a recent sentencing filing. Circling back to the Trump theme of this case, a lie does not become the truth simply because it is repeated (the election was stolen), Greenberg and Burris wrote, referencing Trumps unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Greenberg and Burris wrote its disconcerting that the U.S. attorneys office chose to give a scoundrel like Johnson immunity for littering the streets of Chicago with firearms, including at least one that was used to seriously injure a Chicago fireman, and in doing so embraces his lies. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com NEWARK, Ohio (WCMH) A Licking County man was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of killing his mother and then burying her body in the backyard of their home. David A. Perrine, 41, was found guilty last week of aggravated murder, murder, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and two counts of theft. Lakeview woman faces up to 16 years in prison for car crash that killed teen In addition to the mandatory life in prison without parole sentence for the aggravated murder charge, Perrine was also given six additional years in prison for the other charges; those sentences will be served concurrently with the life sentence. On Dec. 23, 2022, Licking County Sheriffs deputies performed a wellness check for 67-year-old Debra Perrine at her home on Darlene Drive in Newark after family members said they hadnt heard from her in over a week. When deputies entered the house, they found Debras son David inside with another man. Deputies found no sign of the woman but did see evidence of foul play and an attempt to remove evidence. Perrine was then arrested for a pretrial bond violation, based on charges of grand theft of a vehicle, robbery, and felony theft. What scammer said after sending Ohio Uber driver on deadly order Less than a week later, on Dec. 29, sheriffs detectives and investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation found Debra Perrines body buried in the backyard of the home; the sheriffs office said the body had obvious signs of trauma. Perrine was indicted in his mothers death by a grand jury in May 2023. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The war in Gaza is once again inflaming U.S. universities, where pro-Palestinian protests are gaining strength as the Israeli offensive continues with no immediate ceasefire in sight. Around 100 students were detained last week at Columbia University in New York; on Monday, police arrested at least 47 people at Yale, in actions that university officials have justified as the result of a difficult balance between freedom of expression, toughness against anti-Semitism, and the need to guarantee the security of all students. With the campus encampments and confinement of students extending as the celebrations for the Jewish Passover began this Monday, the White House itself issued a statement to comment on the matter. At Yale, protesters gathered in tents in one of the central squares of the campus for four days, and blocked traffic on Monday to demand that this elite university divest from the military industry and companies that benefit from the war in the Gaza Strip. According to the university newspaper Yale Daily News, the police arrested more than 47 people, including students, professors, and other people not related to the institution. At Columbia, tempers were still hot following the incidents of last Thursday, when more than 100 people were detained at a similar protest. It was the first time that the police had entered the campus of the elite university to arrest students since 1968, in the midst of protests against the Vietnam War. The university has suspended several of the arrested students. On Monday, Columbia also canceled its in-person classes and moved lectures online, while recommending students not residing in the campus residences stay away for safety reasons. After noon, a group of faculty members demonstrated to protest against the arrests and demand that the university readmit suspended students. Columbia University President Minouche Safik sent a message to the institutions staff and students saying she was deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus [...] The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. Similar protests are taking place at other prestigious universities across the country, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Emerson, Tufts, Brown and Stanford, on the West Coast. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, dozens of students gathered at The Diagonal, the center of the campus, to protest. At New York University, dozens of students barricaded themselves in tents in Gould Plaza, in front of their Business School: America sponsors genocide, Stop all aid to Israel, read their banners in images distributed on social media. At Harvard, administrators were planning to keep the Yard closed throughout the week and warned its students against any temptation to gather to protest. Protests at American universities are not new. Since the Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7, in which nearly 1,200 people died, and the beginning of the war in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health authorities, demonstrations have taken place with more or less intensity. The demonstrations, followed closely by Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, have triggered appearances in Congress by several of the presidents of major universities, including Safik herself. One of these addresses, by administrators from the University of Pennsylvania, MIT and Harvard, cited by the Education Committee of the House of Representatives, aroused strong controversy when, in response to a question from hardline Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, they avoided specifying whether they would take action against students who used anti-Semitic language. The controversy grew for days until it triggered the resignation of Harvards president, Claudine Gay. The police charge against Columbia students last week has given new impetus to the protests that were already underway, and unleashed new ones where they had not yet occurred or had died out over time. Now it is Columbia President Safik who finds herself in the eye of the storm. On the one hand, progressive groups are criticizing her reaction on Thursday. On the other, the hard wing of the Republican party, which has a long history of confrontations and suspicions towards university presidents they consider to be excessively liberal, accuses her of permissiveness against anti-Semitism. The 10 Republican representatives from New York, led by Stefanik, an ally of former president Donald Trump, have signed a statement demanding Safiks resignation. The protests, which have also attracted participants unrelated to universities, have tested the balance between the desire to defend freedom of speech and the obligation to create a space in which all students and workers can feel safe, administrators say. Some Jewish students claim that they no longer feel safe on their campuses and that incidents and feelings of anti-Semitism are on the rise. The White House itself issued a statement on Sunday condemning incidents of anti-Semitism. But participants point out that many of the protesters are Jewish themselves. Columbia students organizing in solidarity with Palestine including Jewish students have faced harassment, doxxing, and now arrest by the NYPD. These are the main threats to the safety of Jewish Columbia students, Jonathan Ben-Menachem, a PhD student, told CNN. Saying that student protesters are a threat to Jewish students is a dangerous smear. We have the next Superintendent of Duval Schools in this pool of six: Semi-finalists selected The Duval School Board has narrowed a list of 20 Superintendent candidates down to just six. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The selection of the slate of semifinalists has Duval School Board Chair Darryl Willie (District 4) starting to get excited about the selection of a new school superintendent. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Im confident that we have the next Superintendent of Duval Schools in this pool of six, said Willie. Semi-finalists Dr. Christopher Bernier, Adam Taylor, Dr. Daniel Smith all have previous experience working as school superintendents. Bernier, who worked in Lee County Florida, led a district closest in size to Duval out of those three candidates. Dr. Cheryl Proctor and Luis Solano have both held assistant and deputy superintendent positions, both in districts with less than half the student population of Duval. RELATED: A very qualified pool: DCPS Superintendent search yields at least 16 candidates Finally, Dr. Josiah Philips is the only candidate without any superintendent experience, but he did serve as Chief Information Officer of Broward Schools in Florida, which is more than twice the size of Duval. Regardless of size, its folks who number one, care about student achievement, have been able to sort of maneuver and get inside of a district and really make a change and thats what we saw, said Willie. Willie noted on top of professional experience, its promising to see four candidates including Dr. Bernier, Dr. Proctor, Solano and Dr. Philips with experience working in Florida schools. RELATED: Duval County School Board locks in new deadline to pick a superintendent You want to see a candidate who does have Florida experience. You want to see someone who may have outside, and you have some who have both. Some who have been in Florida and have now moved outside and comeback. So, we have a good mix of candidates, I think, in the pool, said Willie. The next major step in the selection process will happen on May 7, when a list of between two and five finalists are chosen by the board. Onsite interviews will be held on May 13 and 14, along will several public events where community members will have opportunities to hear from and meet the finalists. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. This article was originally published in New Hampshire Bulletin. New Hampshire public school teachers and officials would be required to update how they teach reading under a bill heading to Gov. Chris Sununus desk. House Bill 1015, which passed the Senate by voice vote Thursday, would formally implement the five essential components of reading into curricula across the state. That teaching process, developed in 1997 by the National Reading Panel, focuses on teaching phonetics rather than older instructional models that allow students to guess words based on visual patterns. The approach has been lauded by experts and educators for decades as a more thorough way to teach reading, but not all New Hampshire school districts have implemented it on their own, proponents of the bill say. Help fund stories like this. Donate now! This bill can ensure all New Hampshire children are afforded reading development and instruction thats delivered in a manner that meets their individual abilities and their individual needs, said Rep. Corrine Cascadden, a Berlin Democrat, in testimony to the Senate. Under current law, elementary schools are required to teach literacy up to third grade, instruction that includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, reasoning, and mathematics. The bill requires instruction up to fifth grade and adds specific requirements for that instruction. According to the bill, the teaching must be measurable and evidence-based, and must include instruction in the five components: phonemic awareness, phonics (both decoding and encoding of sounds and words), fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The instruction would need to be aimed at allowing each student to achieve grade level literacy, the bill states. The bill also expands on the current requirement that schools teach mathematics by requiring mathematics reasoning and mathematics calculation in state statute. If signed into law, the bill will not take effect until July 2027, which sponsors say is intended to give schools more time to implement it. Cascadden, a former elementary school principal in Berlin, said she had implemented the five components in 2005, when they were recommended by the states Department of Education at the time. We saw success in the percentage of kids that improved in literacy, she said. But she said there has been less emphasis on the practice, and that some schools had since fallen by the wayside. The bill passed the House nearly unanimously in March, 365-9. New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Hampshire Bulletin maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Dana Wormald for questions: info@newhampshirebulletin.com. Follow New Hampshire Bulletin on Facebook and Twitter. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A registered sex offender from Niagara Falls was sentenced to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced Tuesday. Registered sex offender admits to child porn charges In September of 2020, officials said 35-year-old Michael Lanham used his cell phone to take a sexually explicit photo of a minor. He then distributed the photo to an undercover officer on the messaging app Kik the following month. Lanham was convicted of rape of a minor in 2010 and has since been registered as a sex offender. Latest Local News Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Nicotine pouches are the new, trendy thing but minors are getting hooked As the fight against vaping continues, a new nicotine product is becoming increasingly popular with young people and parents will not be able to tell if their child is using it because they are basically invisible. Nicotine pouches called Zyns, snus or little lip pillows have become fashionable thanks to social media. They look like tiny tea bags filled with nicotine, with flavors including mint, bubblegum and mango. Placed discretely between your lip and gum, the nicotine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Matilda, 18, and Jacob, 20, have both tried pouches. University of Sydney associate professor of public health Becky Freeman says she is worried about the pouches. Getty Images In high school, a lot of people were doing it and thats where I initially tried them, Matilda told A Current Affair. Jacob said pouches could be pulled out discretely. People dont really blink an eye at it, rather than seeing puffs of clouds coming out, he said. A lot of my mates, especially at uni, theyre doing it a fair bit. University of Sydney associate professor of public health Becky Freeman, who has been studying vape use among teenagers, says she is worried about the pouches. The whole goal is that its discreet, smells good and gets you addicted to nicotine, she said. Pouches keep getting mentioned by kids in the focus groups. Nicotine pouch sales remain booming, even though they are illegal in the country. Getty Images Theyre buying them from tobacconists, that theyre buying them online that theyre sort of the new trendy thing. She said they were not legal products in Australia. Chewing tobacco was banned in Australia in 1991. Like vapes which are now banned from being imported and illegal to sell pouches fall in the same category. But tobacconists who, along with still selling vapes, say nicotine pouch sales are booming. Its mostly online, so anyone can sort of get it online, but we brought it into stores because a lot of people are asking, one worker said. In fact, two of the largest tobacco companies, Philip Morris and British American Tobacco, have created their own brands. An average cigarette contains about 12mg of cigarette, but smokers only inhale some of it. Getty Images In 2022, the Therapeutic Goods Administration seized less than 110,000 units of nicotine pouches. Last year, it was almost 3.5 million units. So far this year, the federal health department said about 5.1 million units were under assessment for seizure, as well as 168,000 tins of pouches already seized. University of Wollongong chemical toxicologist Jody Morgan will soon launch a study into the pouches to learn more about their toxicity. She said a medium-strength nicotine pouch contained about 10mg of nicotine. An average cigarette contains about 12mg of cigarette, but smokers only inhale some of it. You only absorb about 1.5 mg of that because most of it is actually burnt when you light the cigarette, Dr Morgan said. The Federal Health Department is determining how to respond to the dramatic increase in nicotine pouch sales. AP Since the market is unregulated in Australia, pouches with 20 times the strength of a cigarette have been found. Long-term use of these can cause some gum problems, particularly ulceration of the gum, you can get some open sores that dont heal, Dr Morgan said. It can cause quite a burning sensation. Philip Morris, which makes Zyns, is facing a lawsuit in the US over claims the product is addictive and harmful to young people. The Federal Health Department said the government was both aware and concerned about the rising profile of nicotine pouches being advertised and supplied in Australia. The targeting of children is particularly concerning given the risks of nicotine to population health, a spokesperson said. The aftermath of the Shahed attack on Odesa. Photos: Defence Forces of Ukraine's South Nine people, including four children, two of them under the age of one, were injured in Odesa on the night of 22-23 April as a result of a Russian Shahed attack, and at least 14 apartments have been destroyed. Source: Defence Forces of Ukraine's South; Odesa City Council; Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration Details: Houses belonging to civilians have been damaged and a fire has broken out as a result of a Russian attack on the residential sector of Odesa. The aftermath of the Russian Shahed attack on Odesa. Photo: Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration Emergency services are working to deal with the aftermath of the attack. Thirty-four people have been rescued, including three children. The aftermath of the Russian Shahed attack on Odesa. Photo: Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration The aftermath of the Russian Shahed attack on Odesa. Photo: Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration At least 14 apartments were damaged. Updated: In a morning report, the Defence Forces of Ukraine's South reported that the number of casualties in Odesa had increased to 9 people, including four children. The crash of the downed drone also caused damage to the residential sector of the city, and damaged shops and other infrastructure. Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, said that children aged 12 and 9 and two babies under the age of one had been injured. "Three adults have been hospitalised in the city's medical facilities in a moderate condition, while two more refused to be hospitalised, having received all the necessary assistance on the spot," he said. Four children are also in hospital in a moderate condition. Doctors are providing all necessary assistance to the injured. Support UP or become our patron! A father of three who was stabbed outside a Manhattan bus terminal Monday morning said hes thankful to be alive following the unprovoked attack that left him needing 46 stitches. Daniel Salvatore, who was on his way to work as a carpenter, was stabbed and slashed eight times in the neck and arm by a stranger who ambushed him as he sat reading a book outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown just before 6 a.m. The New Jersey husband and dad of three adult kids will now spend his 66th birthday on Tuesday in the hospital recovering. Daniel Salvatore was stabbed outside a Manhattan bus terminal Monday morning. But he said hes just glad to see another day. I should have been dead, Salvatore told The Post from his hospital bed. I got 46 stitches and Im very thankful Im still here. The carpenter has been commuting from New Jersey to Manhattan for the past five years and has a routine in which he reads a book for a half-hour after he gets off the bus at the Port Authority terminal while he waits for his co-worker. On Monday, he was leafing through I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger, an early birthday present, when from the corner of his eye he noticed a man charging at him. I was just sitting there reading and someone came up from my blindside, on the right side, I saw him, turned, just saw his face, and all of a sudden the knife went in my neck, he said of the frightening attack. The unhinged man identified by cops as Michael McCloskey, 42 didnt say a single word before he allegedly plunged the knife into Salvatore. He didnt say anything, he said. The detectives asked if I bumped into him or said anything to him and I said, No, nothing, I didnt see this guy at all, I was just minding my own business reading a book.' The New Jersey husband and dad of three adult kids will spend his 66th birthday on Tuesday in the hospital recovering. Salvatore was knocked to the ground in the attack and tried to crawl away as McCloskey, who gripped his victims sweatshirt, allegedly stabbed him again and again. I finally broke away from him, I broke the hold, and there was blood everywhere. He ran into the Dunkin Donuts right behind where he had been sitting and shocked customers handed him napkins to try to stop the blood that was pouring out from his neck, he said. Cops quickly came to Salvatores aid and cuffed his attacker before EMTs took over and placed him in an ambulance. I started going out, getting lightheaded, because of all the blood I lost, he said, noting the pain level was also intense. On Monday, he was leafing through I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger, an early birthday present, when he noticed a man charging at him. When he arrived at the hospital, about 20 doctors and nurses surrounded him. They brought me in, cleaned me up, doctor stitched me up, Salvatore told The Post. The doctor said Im doing fine. She said it was amazing. The victim, who is Christian, said he believes God was with him during the stabbing. Ive got two lines here, slash marks, but it never penetrated, he said pointing to cuts on his neck. Im thinking the Lord pushed [McCloskeys] hand away from me. A detective told me if one cut was a little lower and deeper, Im bleeding out. I am very fortunate. The unhinged man identified by cops as Michael McCloskey, 42 didnt say a single word before he allegedly plunged the knife into Salvatore. William C Lopez/New York Post The dad of two daughters and one son, all in their 20s, said he never expected something like Mondays random attack to happen to him. But hearing of other straphangers horror stories and now becoming a victim himself, he said the city needs to do better in treating its mentally ill even noting that he feels bad for his attacker. The guy was probably very mentally disturbed, I feel sorry for the guy, but he needs to be kept locked up so he doesnt do this to anyone else if hes that deranged, Salvatore said. There is a problem with the mentally ill you see them in Port Authority, Penn Station, on the streets, talking to themselves. Something needs to be done. Its very unsafe here in New York City. That said, the New Jersey resident said hell still take public transportation to work. All we can do is stay alert. It appears that U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishis ruling in the party line ballot case is, at best, a limited, short-term victory for Democratic Party voters desiring fair and open primary elections. He has provided relief for Rep. Andy Kim against Tammy Murphy, who has now withdrawn from the Senate race. However, the judges ruling applies only to the 2024 Democratic primary. It does not affect this years Republican primary or future primaries for either party. Unless a broader ruling affecting all New Jersey primaries is issued, the Republicans can use the party line ballot this year and both parties can revert to it in the future. Hackensack residents receive "I Voted Today" stickers, at the Hackensack Middle School after casting their ballots in Hackensack, NJ on Tuesday Nov. 7, 2023. At present, four Republicans are vying for their partys Senate nomination this year. As polls have shown, none of these individuals is familiar to more than a small slice of the GOP electorate. However, at least 12 Republican county organizations have already given Curtis Bashaw the party line, thereby almost assuring him the nomination. Charlie Stile: It's over. New Jersey's county line is gone for good. Will our politics change? The need to abolish the party line altogether is even more evident when we consider the 2025 gubernatorial races. Jack Ciattarelli has joined Jon Bramnick in the race for the GOP nomination while Steve Fulop, Steve Sweeney and Ras Baraka are seeking the Democratic nod. These individuals are all well known in the state. Why should one of them be designated as a partys preferred candidate on individual county ballots? New Jersey has Americas best pizza. Why should we have the nations worst ballots? It is time for a change, a lasting change. Harold B. Shill Hillsdale This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ county line ballots must be permanently eliminated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem waves to the crowd during a rally with Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at the Dayton International Airport on March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. The rally was hosted by the Buckeye Values PAC. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Quality Journalism for Critical Times South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem appeared Sunday on CNN and declined to say whether she supports additional abortion-ban exceptions or whether she would have certified the results of the 2020 election. The only exception in South Dakotas abortion ban is for the life of the pregnant female. CNN State of the Union co-host Dana Bash asked if there should be exceptions for victims of rape and incest. Noem did not give a definitive answer but said, I just dont believe a tragedy should perpetuate another tragedy, and added that she will focus on walking alongside prospective mothers in crisis situations. Ill continue to do that and love mothers and families through these situations, she said. Noem also said every states going to look different, echoing recent comments by former President Donald Trump, who is considering Noem as a running mate in the 2024 presidential race. Earlier this month, Trump declined to support a national abortion ban and said the issue should be left to the states. Trump also said he supports exceptions to abortion bans in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. On CNN, Noem said South Dakotas abortion ban was passed decades before I ever became governor. In fact, lawmakers passed South Dakotas trigger ban in 2005, 13 years before Noem became governor and two years before her time as a legislator. The ban immediately took effect in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a prior precedent establishing a constitutional right to an abortion. Regarding the 2020 election, Bash asked Noem if she would have certified the results as then-Vice President Mike Pence did on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters violently attempted to stop the certification. Noem gave a lengthy response but never answered the question. Talking in hypotheticals is not something that I do, Noem said, in part. I deal with the reality of what Im dealing with today and every single day. And what Im going to do from now until we get to November is continue to go across this country and talk to people about Donald Trump. The post Noem dodges CNN questions on abortion exceptions and election certification appeared first on Florida Phoenix. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2024 - 14:44 | All, Japan, World An International Atomic Energy Agency task force on Tuesday began a review of the process in which treated radioactive water is discharged from the Fukushima nuclear plant, the second review since Japan started releasing the water into the ocean last August. The task force will inspect the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan on Wednesday while the current release is underway, and hold discussions with the industry ministry, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. and the Nuclear Regulation Authority during its mission through Friday. In the opening session with Japanese officials at the Foreign Ministry, Gustavo Caruso, who heads the IAEA review delegation, said Japan's support for the IAEA review demonstrates its strong commitment to ensuring the project is completed safely and transparently. "This independent, objective and science-based approach will help build confidence to the people in Japan and beyond," he said, adding the IAEA will communicate the main outcomes later this week and then later issue its second report. The task force currently in Japan includes independent international experts from Argentina, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, France, Russia, South Korea, the United States and Vietnam. TEPCO is discharging the water in batches after it is treated through an advanced liquid processing system, or ALPS, to remove most of the contaminants other than the relatively nontoxic tritium, with the fifth release commencing last week. IAEA experts stationed at the organization's Fukushima office have confirmed the tritium concentration in the water, after it is diluted with seawater before release, is far below the country's upper regulatory limit of 1,500 becquerels per liter. The previous four batches, totaling about 31,200 tons, were also confirmed by the IAEA to have tritium concentrations far below Japan's recommended limit. The water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, hit by core meltdowns triggered by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011, faced opposition from China, Russia and local fishermen. China has maintained a blanket import ban on all seafood products from Japan in response to the discharges. Data collected from the fifth water release will be corroborated using interlaboratory comparisons involving both IAEA labs and independent third-party labs from China, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States that are members of the network of Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity, according to the agency. Related coverage: Corrosion found in treated radioactive water tanks at Fukushima plant Japan begins release of 5th batch of Fukushima treated water Japan, China hold "expert dialogue" over treated water release North Carolina man sentenced to six years in prison for attacking police with pole at Capitol This image from U.S. Capitol Police video, contained and annotated in the Justice Department's statement of facts in support arrest warrant for David Joseph Gietzen, shows Gietzen, circled in yellow, pushing at a officer's shield at a police line on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. The North Carolina man who became a fugitive after a federal jury convicted him of assaulting police officers during the U.S. Capitol riot has been sentenced to six years in prison. (Department of Justice via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) A man who became a fugitive after a federal jury convicted him of assaulting police officers during the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Tuesday to six years in prison. David Joseph Gietzen, 31, of Sanford, North Carolina, struck a police officer with a pole during a mob's Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Gietzen told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols that he didn't intend to hurt anybody that day. But he didn't express any regret or remorse for his actions on Jan. 6, when he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters in interrupting the joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory. I have to make it explicitly known that I believe I did the right thing, he said before learning his sentence. The judge said Gietzen made it clear during his trial testimony and his sentencing hearing that he clings to his baseless beliefs that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. Mr. Gietzen essentially was unapologetic today about his conduct, Nichols said. Last August, a jury convicted Gietzen of eight counts, including assault and civil disorder charges. After his trial conviction, Gietzen disregarded a court order to report to prison on Oct. 20, 2023, while awaiting sentencing. He missed several hearings for his case before he was arrested at his mothers home in North Carolina on Dec. 12, 2023. This pattern of flouting rules and laws and doing what he wants, regardless of the consequences, is how Gietzen operates, prosecutors wrote in a court filing. Defense attorney Ira Knight said Gietzen apparently remained at his house, just waiting to be picked up, and wasn't on the run from authorities or trying to hide after his conviction. Prosecutors recommended a prison term of 10 years and one month for Gietzen, who worked as a computer programming engineer after graduating from North Carolina State University in 2017 with bachelor's degrees in computer engineering and electrical engineering. Clearly, Gietzen is bright and able to get something done when he puts his mind to it be it a college degree or assaulting officers as part of in a violent mob, prosecutors wrote. Gietzen's attorneys requested a four-year prison sentence. Davids current philosophy is that he no longer wishes to be engaged with the political process," defense attorneys wrote. "His involvement with politics has concluded and should be an indication to the Court that he is no longer interested in being a threat to the public or political process. Gietzen traveled to Washington, D.C., with his brother from their home in North Carolina. He attended then-President Donald Trump's Stop the Steal rally near the White House on Jan. 6 before marching to the Capitol. As the mob of Trump supporters overwhelmed a police line on the Capitol's West Plaza, Gietzen shoved a police officer, grabbed another officer's gas mask and struck an officer with a pole. "And all of Gietzens violence was based on a lack of respect for law enforcement and the democratic process its goal was to get himself and other rioters closer to the building so they could interfere with the certification of the election," prosecutors wrote. Gietzen later bragged about participating in the riot in messages to friends and relatives, saying he had never been prouder to be an American." More than 1,350 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Over 800 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds getting terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years. North Korea claims it tested a new nuclear weapons command-and-control system Monday, with the firing of projectiles carrying simulated nuclear warheads from multiple rocket launcher units. Leader Kim Jong Un directed the drill, which simulated a nuclear counterattack, according to a report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), following what it claimed were extremely provocative and aggressive annual joint air force exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea. North Korea has tested both the rocket launcher system and a simulated nuclear counterstrike before, according to analysts, but KCNA said Mondays exercise was the first time the Haekbangashoe or nuclear trigger command-and-control system was used, demonstrating what it claimed was an ability to switch rocket launchers from conventional to nuclear weapons. They are thinking about command and control. These are the practical questions about how an order should be transmitted from Kim, down the chain of command, and to launch units, said Jeffrey Lewis, an analyst at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Joseph Dempsey, research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the nuclear counterstrike drill showed a desire to portray wider credibility and capability in nuclear forces proficiency and posture beyond simply demonstrating just missile delivery systems. But he said it was hard to determine if Mondays exercise showed anything new. How mature this command-and-control system already is, or will become, remains very difficult to assess, Dempsey added. Since conducting its first nuclear test more than a decade ago, North Korea has advanced its weapons capabilities, with the ambition of miniaturizing a warhead so that it can fit on a long-range missile. Kim ramped up those efforts in 2022, vowing to develop nuclear arms at the highest possible speed, passing a new law that declared North Korea a nuclear weapons state, and saying there could be no negotiations on denuclearization. Though the regimes true capabilities have not been independently verified, a 2017 report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency concluded North Korea had likely achieved its key goal of miniaturization. Experts say North Korea has likely already manufactured a small stockpile of nuclear warheads but it remains unproven whether it has been able to make them small and light enough to be fitted on a missile. Images supplied by North Korea Monday showed four rockets being launched, with KCNA saying they hit targets on an island 352 kilometers (218 miles) away. On Monday, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North had fired multiple short-range missiles into the waters off the peninsulas east coast. Kim said the exercise helped prepare North Koreas nuclear forces for their important mission of deterring a war and taking the initiative in a war, according to the KCNA report. The Kim regime has tested a series of weapons in recent months, including long-range artillery that has the South Korean capital of Seoul within its range, a hypersonic glide vehicle, which in theory could carry a warhead past South Korean and US air defenses, and an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the US mainland. Meanwhile, Seoul and Washington have held frequent military exercises of their own, the latest being the two-week Korea Flying Training 2024, which began on April 12. Fighter jets are lined up during the joint US-South Korea exercise Korea Flying Training 2024. - South Korean Defense Ministry It has so far featured about 100 warplanes from the two allies, including F-35 stealth fighters from both. The US-South Korea exercise has incited extreme war fever and cannot be classified as defense or deterrence, the KCNA report said. A US Air Force news release called it a critical training event to protect and defend the U.S., allies, and partner interests at a moments notice. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com North Korea has conducted its first nuclear counterattack simulation drill to demonstrate its management system, led by leader Kim Jong Un, local news reported. According to a report by North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea carried out the drill as part of a test of the countrys counterattack capabilities. The drills main purpose was to demonstrate the reliability, superiority, might and diverse means of the countrys nuclear power and to send a clear warning signal to enemies as the U.S. and South Korea strengthen ties. North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Monday into the sea off its eastern coast. It was detected by South Korean and Japanese militaries, The Associated Press reported. The rockets flew about 185 miles before crashing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, suggesting the weapons could hit sites in South Korea, officials said. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Lee Sung Joon, said it remains unclear if North Korea had perfected designs for small nuclear weapons that could fit on top of its rockets. He said North Korea was likely exaggerating its capabilities, and South Korea would be able to detect and intercept the norths rocket launcher systems. The AP noted that analysts say North Koreas rockets blur the line between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they create their own thrust and are guided during the delivery. Photos showed Kim watching the rockets launch from an observation post. Kim expressed great satisfaction with the drills result, the local outlet reported. The rockets can quickly switch over into a nuclear counterattack mode and its capabilities were mastered, the KCNA reported. Kim said the countrys rocket launching capabilities have remarkably increased, and he is confident that the nuclear forces can carry out their mission of deterring a war and taking an initiative in a war at any time and in any sudden situation. His comments reflect the countrys nuclear doctrine, which allows the military to launch preemptive nuclear strikes if it believes leadership is under a threat, the AP reported. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE PHOTO: Projection of cyber code on hooded man is pictured in this illustration picture By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - Major North Korean hacking groups have mounted "all-out" cyber attacks against South Korean defence companies for more than a year, breaching the firms' internal networks and stealing technical data, South Korea's police said on Tuesday. Hacking teams linked to North Korea's intelligence apparatus and known as Lazarus, Kimsuky and Andariel planted malicious codes in data systems of the defence companies either directly or through contractors working with them, the police said. The police, working with a team of national spy agency and private sector experts, traced the hacks to the groups, identifying them by the source IP addresses, the re-routing architecture of the signals and the signatures of the malwares used, it said. In a case that began in November 2022, the hackers planted a code in the company's public network which then infected its intranet when the security program protecting the internal system was temporarily disengaged for a network test, it said. The hackers also took advantage of the simple security lapse by employees at subcontractors who used the same passcodes for their private and official email accounts, breaching defence company networks and extracting confidential technical data. The police did not name the companies that have been hacked or the nature of the data breached. South Korea has emerged as a major global defence exporter, with contracts signed in recent years to sell mechanised howitzers, tanks and fighter jets valued at billions of dollars. North Korean hacking groups have infiltrated the systems of South Korean financial institutions and news outlets, foreign defence companies, and, in a major security breach in 2014, into South Korea's nuclear power operator. North Korean hackers are believed to be behind major cryptocurrency thefts, with the stolen funds being channelled to its weapons programmes. North Korea denies involvement in hacking operations or crypto heists. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) North Koreas missile test on Monday was in fact a drill to test nuclear force preparedness, according to local media. The incident raised alarms around the region after several short-range ballistic missiles were launched near Pyongyang and flew approximately 185 miles before falling in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The drills main purpose, however, was to "demonstrate the reliability, superiority, might and diverse means" of the countrys nuclear forces and the Haekbangashoe system that serves as "a clear warning signal to the enemies" of North Korea, according to the Pyongyang Times. The Haekbangashoe system, which means "nuclear trigger," included the maneuver of troops into a "counterattack posture" that aimed at "substantially strengthening the prompt counterattack capacity of the state nuclear force." CHINA SPENDING DRASTICALLY MORE ON MILITARY THAN DECLARED, US ADMIRAL SAYS North Korea launched missiles from at least four launch vehicles that delivered a single firing salvo against an island within a 220-mile range, the U.S. Naval Institute reported. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly oversaw the drill, which occurred as the U.S. and South Korea started a combined joint formation drill at Kunsan Air Base, which commenced on April 12 and is expected to end April 26. He reportedly likened the weapon system to "the firing of a snipers rifle." South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff claimed that any reports of such accuracy or capabilities of its weapons system were likely exaggerated, and that South Koreas military could detect and intercept any weapons. US INTENDS TO MONITOR NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS WITH OR WITHOUT UN, AMBASSADOR SAYS To combat North Koreas aggressive pursuit of nuclear preparedness, Washington, Tokyo and Seoul agreed to a system of real-time missile data-sharing, which would allow the three countries to monitor Pyongyangs launches, according to Newsweek. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the launch "does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," stressing instead the "destabilizing impact of the DPRKs illicit weapons program." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a military university in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture released on April 11, 2024 by the Local media accused the two allies of inciting "war fever" in the region that was a "confrontation racket" against the hermit kingdom "with extremely provocative and aggressive nature." "The event will highlight the ROK-U.S. Alliance by demonstrating lethality in the air domain, and enhancing its ability to deter, defend, and defeat any adversary," the United States Air Force said in a press release. US INTENDS TO MONITOR NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS WITH OR WITHOUT UN, AMBASSADOR SAYS Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile that flew 155 miles at a maximum altitude of about 30 miles. He also said the missile tests threaten the peace and safety of Japan, the region and the international community. North Korea in 2022 declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear weapons state and adopted a doctrine that authorizes the military to launch preemptive nuclear strike if the countrys leadership determines it is under threat, according to the Arms Control Association. Kim declared that he would never give up any nuclear weapons or negotiate any denuclearization, confirming suspicions that many experts and leaders had held for years. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: North Korea issues nuclear 'warning signal' to US, South Korea This is the second week of former president Donald Trumps historic criminal trial in Manhattan for allegedly engaging in a hush-money scheme to conceal his sexual encounter with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. (Legal scholar Norman Eisen has more accurately described this trial as about the crime of election interference). Far faster than most experts expected, 12 jurors and six alternates were selected last week. Trumps criminal trials are almost guaranteed to be a spectacle given his bombastic temperament, egomania and megalomania, mastery of stagecraft and propaganda, and a disagreeable personality that borders on the sociopathic, if not psychopathic. During opening statements on Monday, the prosecution succinctly summarized the case against Donald Trump. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again." It was election fraud, pure and simple, Colangelo told the jury. The first witness for the prosecution, David Pecker, the former chairman of the National Enquirers parent company, is expected to continue to testify Tuesday about his key role in Trumps alleged hush-money operation to pay off Daniels (as well as former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal) in exchange for her silence about an affair with the ex-president prior to the 2016 election. Peckers testimony has been described as potentially devastating to Donald Trump's defense. Trumps lead attorney, Todd Blanche, is presenting a defense that emphasizes his alleged humanity: Hes a man. Hes a husband. Hes a father. Hes a person just like you and just like me. Blanche is also arguing that the corrupt ex-president broke no laws because the 34 counts, ladies and gentlemen, are really just pieces of paper. None of this was a crime." Trumps attorney also tried to convince the jury that, Theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy. In an attempt to better understand what is likely to happen next in Donald Trumps first criminal trial, the strategies the prosecution and defense will likely use, what might happen if a pro-Trump "sleeper agent successfully infiltrated the jury, and why the corrupt ex-president should take a plea deal in exchange for agreeing to drop out of the 2024 presidential campaign, I recently spoke with Kenneth McCallion. He is a former Justice Department prosecutor who also worked for the New York attorney general's office as a prosecutor on Trump-related racketeering cases. McCallion's books include the companion pieces "Profiles in Courage in the Trump Era" and "Profiles in Cowardice in the Trump Era," as well as "Treason & Betrayal: The Rise and Fall of Individual-1." This is the second part of a two-part conversation. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Where are we in terms of how Trumps first trial is advancing? Are things going according to plan per the law and the court procedures? The first stage went extremely well. The jury selection process was completed in only three days. That was lightning quick. I had expected it to take much longer. Judge Juan Merchan is to be credited with moving the process along in a very efficient manner. And if it continues with the same disciplined approach and doesnt let it turn into a circus which the judge won't permit the trial is going to move fairly swiftly. I would think that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and his assistant district attorneys are going to move their witnesses through quite quickly. The direct examination is going to be relatively short and to the point. And it's going to move from one witness to the other to a jury charge and then jury deliberation. Donald Trump really can't testify because his cross-examination would be devastating. Ultimately, this is going to be a relatively tight trial, which is important. In this electronic age, attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter. You could be in danger of burning out a jury if it all goes on too long, which I think would be a matter of a couple of weeks. I would expect to see significant progress made next week with the prosecution's case. They'll be able to get on at least some key witnesses, such as David Pecker, who will be difficult for Trumps lawyers to cross-examine since unlike Michael Cohen he is not a convicted liar. Then Michael Cohen will have to take the stand, but he wont be the first or the last witness, since there will be, metaphorically, blood on the courtroom floor after he is pilloried on cross-examination. If things are going well, the prosecution might just cancel some of the witnesses and rest their case quickly, while they are way ahead on points. Then it would be up to Trump's defense team, but they dont really have any witnesses that can swing the pendulum back their way. Then it's on to closing arguments, the judges charge to the jury on the law they must follow, and then jury deliberations. This is all an excellent example of how our legal system is supposed to work. The adversarial system will play itself out as it has for hundreds of years, controlled by the judge with procedures in place that have been tested over time. When Trump's verdict is issued in this first trial, it is going to be a great day for not only American justice, but also the British common law tradition that we draw from. Jury selection has been concluded. What types of jurors did the prosecution want to see impaneled? Who did Trumps defense team want on the jury? Each side, obviously, wants jurors who have bias in their favor. But what I tell my clients during jury selection is Don't fall in love with any one particular juror who might be impaneled, because you're probably not going to get them on the jury. If one side likes a potential juror, then 9 times out of 10 the other side will exercise a peremptory challenge to make sure that this person does not make it onto the jury. That's how we get an impartial juror. None of the jurors on the jury appear to have any strong biases one way or the other - unless, of course, they were able to hide it from the close scrutiny to which they were subjected. I am a bit surprised that there are two lawyers on the jury because they are likely to take a leadership role in the jury deliberation process, which may not be a good thing for the Trump team. But they've also sworn to keep an open mind. Generally, jurors take their responsibilities very seriously. As it played out over the last few days, the prosecutor was really trying to eliminate any jurors who won't have an open mind. They were trying to screen out any prospective juror with a pro-Trump bias. As I see it, they've largely been able to do that. In this world of social media, they had to be very thorough to weed out biased jurors. What steps were taken to prevent a person who is there to nullify the result in favor of Trump from being on the jury? The prosecution was extremely meticulous in its research on the jury panel, and in their questioning of potential jurors. And even those who professed to keep an open mind but had social media tweets that exposed a bias in one direction or another were removed from the process. At this point, from what we know, it does not appear that there are any sleeper agents for Donald Trump on the jury. But you can never really know until things play out. If a Trump sleeper agent was discovered, what could be done to remove them from the jury? If there's actual evidence that they lied during the voir dire process of jury selection, that could be grounds for a motion to strike the juror. That juror would be replaced with an alternate juror. That does happen on occasion. There is going to be so much close scrutiny it's inevitable that information about their identities is going to start leaking out. We will see what happens then. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. What is being done to protect the jurors? There are many precedents from organized crime cases. Sometimes a person has to be put in the Jury Protection Program temporarily. The jurors must know that, given the intensive scrutiny of this case, their own personal freedom is going to be severely restricted. That is for the safety of them and their families. There already are many police officers surrounding the courthouse. The NYPD and the court's security officers have been assigned to protect the jury as well. There are also steps being taken to make sure that the jurors are not being subjected to unlawful surveillance or harassment from pro-Trump zealots. One of the prospective jurors told reporters that seeing Donald Trump in court diminished him in her eyes. He didnt have all the cameras and fanfare around him. He was just a regular person to her. Seeing him in that light surprised her. Is that a common response in your experience with organized crime figures for example? I've had experiences where the head of organized crime families first walk into the courtroom with their chest outs and chin up like a mafia boss is supposed to act in real life or on TV. But when the evidence starts coming in, and the jurors know that the courtroom is quite secure, and there are marshals in the vicinity who are ready to pounce on anyone who might threaten the judge or jurors, then they start feeling more comfortable. The jurors focus on the evidence, not the man, and not the histrionics and theatrics of the courtroom. They have confidence in the system to keep them secure. The jurors also keep getting reminded of their obligations and the very unique position they are in to decide the facts of the case and render a guilty or not guilty verdict. As Trump's trial advances, the jurors are going to get much more comfortable and focused on their duties. If you were prosecuting Trumps hush-money case, how would you present it? Would you be expansive and show all the mountains of evidence against Donald Trump or would you be more streamlined and focused? How would you calibrate your argument? They're going to move the documents into evidence pretty quickly, which is all the paper involving the phony legal fees charged by Michael Cohen, and the checks and other evidence of the payments and the payoffs. They are not going to go through these documents one by one, which would put the jury to sleep. I believe that the prosecution will instead focus on one specific example, where you have a payment to Stormy Daniels or one of the others and then just map out where that money came from, and how reimbursement was made for it and the various means that were used to disguise it. Then prosecution must prove how the payoffs and catch and kill agreements influenced the 2016 election cycle. The testimony of David Pecker and others on how they devised and carried out a scheme to conceal the negative stories about Trumps extra-marital affairs from the public will be key here. The narrative will be something the jury can clearly understand. How is the defense likely going to proceed? Their best approach would be to impugn the credibility of the witnesses on the cross-examination, with the most vulnerable witness being Michael Cohen. But they can't really explain away the documents. Trump's defense will have to try some version of the OJ defense where they will try to oversimplify the case by saying something akin to, "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit." For example, Michael Cohen went to jail for lying to a Congressional committee and lying elsewhere. He's very vulnerable on cross-examination. The defense will argue that if he lied under oath once, then it is likely that he is willing to lie again under oath in this trial. But then again, the prosecution will respond that he was Donald Trump's own chosen lawyer, and that Trump chose him in part because he was willing to do the sleazy kind of things that gives some lawyers a bad reputation. Trump chose him for his bad character, not in spite of it. It's all very tough for Trump because he's in the middle of a presidential campaign. If this was just an organized crime case, there would come a point where he would clutch his chest like he was having a heart attack and needed to be rushed to the hospital. But that would hurt Trump's presidential campaign. The only way he can really save himself is to get a mistrial declared, or make a deal that Nixons vice president, Spiro Agnew, made to avoid doing prison time. He would have to agree to withdraw from politics and salvage what he can of his foundering businesses. But Trump is between a rock and a hard place, His ego will not let him to withdraw from the presidential campaign as part of a plea deal, and he cant fake a health emergency would make him look old and feeble compared to President Biden. Trump really is in a tough spot. Can Trump still take a plea deal at this point in the trial? A plea can be entered at any time. I've had cases settle when a jury is out deliberating, when they are taking too long, and neither side knows what's going on in the jury room. Sometimes you cut a deal at that particular point to avoid the risks of uncertainty. However, Trump is not an organized crime figure. Trump is a politician. Trump has to think about his legacy and the general campaign. Trump is basically limited in his options because of that. A Spiro Agnew-type deal with a promise of no jail time is probably still an option, but Trump would have to agree not run for political office again. Obviously, he's not taking that option, and the window of opportunity for any plea deal where he would have to admit his guilt is rapidly closing. If Donald Trump is found guilty in the hush-money case, how will that impact the subsequent criminal trials? Everything relating to these criminal cases is intertwined, because there's going to be testimony and sworn evidence, which is coming in this case, that is potentially usable in the other cases as well. Successive prosecutions are very difficult for an ordinary individual, and certainly for somebody who's running for the presidency of the United States. It is only going to get worse for Donald Trump. It is not going to get better. All these criminal trials are going to merge into one long continuous criminal trial, just on different charges but basically telling the same story of corruption and venality. What would you tell Donald Trump if he called you for advice? I would tell him that you're running a great campaign and fielding all these cases at the same time. But now's the time to cut your losses. You can still withdraw from the campaign before the Republican Convention, and you can cut a deal with both the New York state prosecutors and the federal prosecutors. All you have to do is agree to be a regular citizen from now on and concentrate on your businesses. That's going to be a win-win situation for you. Would you help facilitate such a deal? Most definitely. The country is on the verge of what could be a second civil war. If Donald Trump would just fade to black, step out of the political picture, the United States would hopefully have a chance to mend its wounds and come back to some semblance of reality and normal again. The New York state Republican congressional delegation has unanimously called for Columbia University President Minouche Shafik to resign or be fired over her handling of pro-Palestinian protests. All 10 GOP lawmakers from New York signed the letter, which blasted Shafik for allowing what it called anarchy to engulf the Ivy League schools Manhattan campus. The situation unfolding on campus right now is a direct product of your policies and misguided decisions, the letter reads. Based on these recent events and your testimony in front of Congress, we have no confidence in your leadership of this once esteemed institution. Shafik has come under attack from both sides of the protests over Israels war in Gaza. Protesters and some faculty members have slammed her for calling the NYPD to clear peaceful protesters from campus last week. But the GOP lawmakers, all of whom strongly back Israels military campaign, said Shafik should have prioritized protecting pro-Israel Jewish students. This unsanctioned mob has been allowed to continue to target Jewish students, wrote the lawmakers, led by Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of the GOP leadership in the House. Shafik has insisted she has no plans to step down over the demonstrations. Rep. Anthony DEsposito of Long Island and Rep. Mike Lawler of Westchester attended a rally denouncing alleged antisemitic statements and threats against Jewish or pro-Israel students. The people of this institution should no longer want someone who is promoting antisemitic acts, DEsposito said. She should resign immediately. Lawler echoed those remarks, saying, I have never seen a more disgraceful act than what we are seeing on college campuses right now. _____ Every single House Republican from New York is demanding that Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik step down from leading the Ivy League school as tensions mount on campus over the Israel-Hamas war. "Over the past few days, anarchy has engulfed the campus of Columbia University. As the leader of this institution, one of your chief objectives, morally and under law, is to ensure students have a safe learning environment. By every measure, you have failed this obligation," the GOP lawmakers wrote. "The situation unfolding on campus right now is a direct product of your policies and misguided decisions. As representatives from the State of New York, many of our constituents are directly impacted by the unfolding chaos on Columbias campus." COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOS Rep. Elise Stefanik led the House GOP lawmakers from New York in a letter urging Columbia University's president to step down. The lawmakers said they had "no confidence" in Shafiks "leadership of this once esteemed institution." The letter was led by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and signed by her nine fellow Republicans representing parts of the state. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP In their criticism of the embattled academic, the lawmakers cited Shafiks recent congressional testimony at a heated GOP-led hearing examining accusations of antisemitism on campus and the school administrations role in combating it. Shafik, meanwhile, has been lambasted by people on both sides of the divide, catching heat from the progressive activist community for allowing NYPD officers to arrest protesters at the tent encampment. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ORDERS VIRTUAL CLASSES AS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS TAKE OVER: 'WE NEED A RESET' However, in their Monday letter, the House Republicans wrote, "Despite implementing new rules to stop such unauthorized events and this illegal, antisemitic encampment clearly violating these rules, it was nearly two days before the New York Police Department (NYPD) was authorized to clear the encampment." "Since then, the encampment has shockingly been allowed to reconvene, order has not been restored, and NYPD has not been allowed to return," they wrote. "The ongoing situation that has unfolded is a direct symptom of your continued lax enforcement of policy and clear double standards." Columbia University students and attendees of its sister school, Barnard College, have been camping on university grounds and staging demonstrations for weeks in protest of the universitys investments in companies tied to Israel. IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS' PROTESTS SPIRAL INTO 'ACTUAL TERROR ORGANIZATION,' PROFESSOR WARNS Some Jewish students have even reported being targeted physically and verbally by mobs of anti-Israel protesters on campus. Classes have moved to a hybrid remote and in-person status amid concerns over students safety. "Its time for Columbia University to turn the page on this shameful chapter," the letter said. "This can only be done through the restoration of order and your prompt resignation." Fox News Digital has reached out to Columbia University for a response. Original article source: NY House Republicans demand Columbia University president step down over anti-Israel chaos Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments on April 23, 2024, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Brendan McDermid | Pool-Getty Images) The judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal case in New York appeared to strongly disagree Tuesday with the former presidents lawyers explanation for why he should be considered in compliance with a gag order in the case. In a Tuesday morning hearing to determine whether to fine Trump for violating the order, Judge Juan Merchan warned Trumps legal team it was losing all credibility with the court for failing to provide any backing for its argument. Trump has routinely posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, to complain about the case, despite a gag order that prohibits him from making public statements about potential witnesses. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for reimbursing his attorney and personal fixer at the time, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. It is the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. Trump has posted on social media to criticize Cohen and Daniels, as well as reposting articles and video clips that disparage the case entirely. Trump attorney Todd Blanche argued Tuesday that many of Trumps posts were sharing others content, including a clip from the Fox News host Jesse Watters that complained of supposed unfair treatment toward Trump. Merchan asked Blanche why sharing content should be considered different from Trump using his own words to violate the order. The judge asked Blanche if there was case law to back up his argument. Blanche said he had none and called it common sense, according to reporters in the courtroom. Trump was trying hard to comply with the gag order, Blanche said. Youre losing all credibility with the court, Merchan responded, according to reports. Prosecutors have asked Merchan to fine Trump $1,000 for each violation of the gag order and to warn him that future violations could lead to jail time. Merchan did not rule on the issue Tuesday. After the trial wrapped for the day, Trump re-aired his complaints about the order. I think its a disgrace, its totally unconstitutional, Trump told reporters leaving the courtroom. Im not allowed to defend myself and yet, other people are allowed to say whatever they want about me. Very, very unfair. Second day of testimony The jury of 12 New Yorkers was absent for the arguments on the gag order but arrived to hear a second day of testimony from David Pecker, the former publisher of the tabloid National Enquirer. Pecker had for years protected Trump from damaging stories, including those involving extramarital affairs, by buying the rights to such stories and not publishing them. The exercise is known as catch and kill. It is made possible by National Enquirers practice, unlike mainstream news outlets, of paying sources for the rights to stories. Prosecutors sought to establish Trump and Pecker had a deal that was aimed at protecting Trumps reputation into the 2016 election. That would bolster prosecutors argument that Trump paid Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who says she had an affair with Trump, in return for her silence in the closing weeks of the election. Pecker testified Tuesday that he met with Trump and Cohen in 2015 and the three came to an agreement among friends that Pecker would seek to catch and kill potentially damaging stories to Trump. He did so twice, he said. He paid $30,000 to a doorman at Trump Tower who shared a rumor that Trump fathered a child out of wedlock. And he paid $150,000 to a former Playboy model who said she had a long-term affair with Trump, he said, according to reports. The tabloid also completely fabricated a story meant to help Trump, Pecker testified. He said a 2016 story linking the father of Trumps then-rival for the GOP nomination, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy was created by manipulating unrelated photographs, NBC News reported. Pecker said he took direction from Cohen on which primary opponents to target with negative stories. The post NY judge spars with Trump lawyers over gag order in criminal trial appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2024 - 13:05 | All, Japan, World The U.S. military will join Japan's search and rescue efforts for seven missing Maritime Self-Defense Force members after two helicopters crashed in the Pacific over the weekend, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Tuesday. The U.S. Navy will dispatch a P-8 patrol plane, Kihara told reporters, with the search areas off the Izu island chain, about 600 kilometers south of Tokyo, widening as time passes due to tides. Kihara also said the MSDF's oceanographic research ship Shonan has been deployed to find the exact locations of the helicopters' wreckage, as the debris could have sunk deep into the sea. From the Self-Defense Forces, there are currently around 10 ships and five aircraft engaged in the search, he said. The accident took place during a late-night anti-submarine drill on Saturday, with two SH-60K patrol helicopters, carrying four people each, believed to have collided and crashed. One of the eight was confirmed dead the following day. The crash site is situated in waters around 270 km east of Torishima Island in the Izu island chain, where there is a depth of about 5,500 meters. While flight recorder data has so far not indicated any abnormalities with the helicopters prior to the crash, the choppers were found to have not been connected to an information-sharing system that would have alerted them if they had been flying too close to each other, according to a source familiar with the matter. According to the MSDF, the system allows helicopters joining anti-submarine missions to send and receive detected information. But helicopters can still operate without being connected to the system, depending on their missions and exercises. The Defense Ministry will continue to analyze data from the two recovered flight recorders to get to the bottom of the incident. It will also hear from members who were aboard ships and other helicopters that took part in the anti-submarine drill. On Monday, Kihara met with outgoing U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino, who said the U.S. military is ready to support Japan's search activities. The incident came as the country beefs up its defense capabilities amid China's growing maritime assertiveness, and is the latest in a string of deadly accidents involving Japan's SDF aircraft in recent years. In April last year, a UH-60JA helicopter of the ground force crashed into waters off an island in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, resulting in the deaths of all 10 people aboard. Related coverage: Search continues for 7 crew after 2 SDF choppers crash in Pacific 2 Japan SDF choppers crash during drill leaving 1 dead, 7 missing Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments on April 23, 2024, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments on April 23, 2024, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Brendan McDermid/Getty Images-Pool) The judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal case in New York appeared to strongly disagree Tuesday with the former presidents lawyers explanation for why he should be considered in compliance with a gag order in the case. In a Tuesday morning hearing to determine whether to fine Trump for violating the order, Judge Juan Merchan warned Trumps legal team it was losing all credibility with the court for failing to provide any backing for its argument. Trump has routinely posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, to complain about the case, despite a gag order that prohibits him from making public statements about potential witnesses. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for reimbursing his attorney and personal fixer at the time, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. It is the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. Trump has posted on social media to criticize Cohen and Daniels, as well as reposting articles and video clips that disparage the case entirely. Trump attorney Todd Blanche argued Tuesday that many of Trumps posts were sharing others content, including a clip from the Fox News host Jesse Watters that complained of supposed unfair treatment toward Trump. Merchan asked Blanche why sharing content should be considered different from Trump using his own words to violate the order. The judge asked Blanche if there was case law to back up his argument. Blanche said he had none and called it common sense, according to reporters in the courtroom. Trump was trying hard to comply with the gag order, Blanche said. Youre losing all credibility with the court, Merchan responded, according to reports. Prosecutors have asked Merchan to fine Trump $1,000 for each violation of the gag order and to warn him that future violations could lead to jail time. Merchan did not rule on the issue Tuesday. After the trial wrapped for the day, Trump re-aired his complaints about the order. I think its a disgrace, its totally unconstitutional, Trump told reporters leaving the courtroom. Im not allowed to defend myself and yet, other people are allowed to say whatever they want about me. Very, very unfair. Second day of testimony The jury of 12 New Yorkers was absent for the arguments on the gag order but arrived to hear a second day of testimony from David Pecker, the former publisher of the tabloid National Enquirer. Pecker had for years protected Trump from damaging stories, including those involving extramarital affairs, by buying the rights to such stories and not publishing them. The exercise is known as catch and kill. It is made possible by National Enquirers practice, unlike mainstream news outlets, of paying sources for the rights to stories. Prosecutors sought to establish Trump and Pecker had a deal that was aimed at protecting Trumps reputation into the 2016 election. That would bolster prosecutors argument that Trump paid Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who says she had an affair with Trump, in return for her silence in the closing weeks of the election. Pecker testified Tuesday that he met with Trump and Cohen in 2015 and the three came to an agreement among friends that Pecker would seek to catch and kill potentially damaging stories to Trump. He did so twice, he said. He paid $30,000 to a doorman at Trump Tower who shared a rumor that Trump fathered a child out of wedlock. And he paid $150,000 to a former Playboy model who said she had a long-term affair with Trump, he said, according to reports. The tabloid also completely fabricated a story meant to help Trump, Pecker testified. He said a 2016 story linking the father of Trumps then-rival for the GOP nomination, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy was created by manipulating unrelated photographs, NBC News reported. Pecker said he took direction from Cohen on which primary opponents to target with negative stories. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post NY judge spars with Trump lawyers over gag order in criminal trial appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 23, 2024 in New York City. Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images) The judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal case in New York appeared to strongly disagree Tuesday with the former presidents lawyers explanation for why he should be considered in compliance with a gag order in the case. In a Tuesday morning hearing to determine whether to fine Trump for violating the order, Judge Juan Merchan warned Trumps legal team it was losing all credibility with the court for failing to provide any backing for its argument. Trump has routinely posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, to complain about the case, despite a gag order that prohibits him from making public statements about potential witnesses. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for reimbursing his attorney and personal fixer at the time, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. It is the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. Trump has posted on social media to criticize Cohen and Daniels, as well as reposting articles and video clips that disparage the case entirely. Trump attorney Todd Blanche argued Tuesday that many of Trumps posts were sharing others content, including a clip from the Fox News host Jesse Watters that complained of supposed unfair treatment toward Trump. Merchan asked Blanche why sharing content should be considered different from Trump using his own words to violate the order. The judge asked Blanche if there was case law to back up his argument. Blanche said he had none and called it common sense, according to reporters in the courtroom. Trump was trying hard to comply with the gag order, Blanche said. Youre losing all credibility with the court, Merchan responded, according to reports. Prosecutors have asked Merchan to fine Trump $1,000 for each violation of the gag order and to warn him that future violations could lead to jail time. Merchan did not rule on the issue Tuesday. After the trial wrapped for the day, Trump re-aired his complaints about the order. I think its a disgrace, its totally unconstitutional, Trump told reporters leaving the courtroom. Im not allowed to defend myself and yet, other people are allowed to say whatever they want about me. Very, very unfair. Second day of testimony The jury of 12 New Yorkers was absent for the arguments on the gag order but arrived to hear a second day of testimony from David Pecker, the former publisher of the tabloid National Enquirer. Pecker had for years protected Trump from damaging stories, including those involving extramarital affairs, by buying the rights to such stories and not publishing them. The exercise is known as catch and kill. It is made possible by National Enquirers practice, unlike mainstream news outlets, of paying sources for the rights to stories. Prosecutors sought to establish Trump and Pecker had a deal that was aimed at protecting Trumps reputation into the 2016 election. That would bolster prosecutors argument that Trump paid Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who says she had an affair with Trump, in return for her silence in the closing weeks of the election. Pecker testified Tuesday that he met with Trump and Cohen in 2015 and the three came to an agreement among friends that Pecker would seek to catch and kill potentially damaging stories to Trump. He did so twice, he said. He paid $30,000 to a doorman at Trump Tower who shared a rumor that Trump fathered a child out of wedlock. And he paid $150,000 to a former Playboy model who said she had a long-term affair with Trump, he said, according to reports. The tabloid also completely fabricated a story meant to help Trump, Pecker testified. He said a 2016 story linking the father of Trumps then-rival for the GOP nomination, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy was created by manipulating unrelated photographs, NBC News reported. Pecker said he took direction from Cohen on which primary opponents to target with negative stories. The post NY judge spars with Trump lawyers over gag order in criminal trial appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives with his attorney Todd Blanche, right, in court for opening statements in his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 22, 2024, in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Oral arguments in former President Donald Trumps historic case in New York began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom where jurors will be tasked with deciding whether deceptive hush money payments to hide an affair amount to a criminal conviction. The first-ever criminal trial of an ex-U.S. president centers on Trumps alleged falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom he denies he had a sexual relationship. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told jurors Monday that Trumps payments to Daniels in 2016, which he reimbursed to his former lawyer Michael Cohen as legal expenses, were meant to influence the presidential election, according to reporters at the courthouse. This case is about a criminal conspiracy and fraud. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, then he covered up that conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over, and over, and over again, Colangelo argued, according to journalists present. The New York court does not permit audio or video recording but will provide daily transcripts on its website. Calling him President Trump Defense attorney Todd Blanche argued for Trump, whom he said will be referred to as President Trump throughout the trial out of respect and because he earned the title. Blanche told the jurors President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney should never have brought this case. Claiming that Trump was unaware of the nuances of the payments, Blanche argued, Youll learn that President Trump had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper except he signed the checks. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree for each reimbursement payment to Cohen. Blanche also told the jurors to dismiss the prosecutions election interference theory: I have a spoiler alert: theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election, its called democracy, he said, according to reporters in the courthouse. Trump raised his fist and did not take questions as he left the courtroom for a brief recess after opening statements, according to reporters. National Enquirer exec called The prosecution called David Pecker, former chairman of the tabloid National Enquirers parent company, as its first witness Monday. Pecker was involved in the scheme with Cohen to identify and purchase, nicknamed catch and kill, damaging stories about Trump ahead of the 2016 election. The prosecution is also expected to call Cohen, who has already served prison time in relation to the payments, and Hope Hicks, a former Trump campaign press secretary. The trial could last for longer than a month, possibly two, keeping the presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee off the campaign trail four days a week. The New York proceeding also overlaps with Trumps immunity arguments scheduled for Thursday before the U.S. Supreme Court. The former president claims he enjoys absolute criminal immunity for his actions while in office, including immunity from special counsel Jack Smiths charges that he allegedly schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results, culminating in a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. New York Judge Juan Merchan denied Trumps request to attend the Supreme Court arguments, saying he must be present at his Manhattan trial, according to media reports. In early morning posts to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blamed President Joe Biden despite the case being at the state level and repeated his refrain that the trial is politically motivated. He wrote, partially in all caps, that he will now be STUCK in a courtroom, and not be allowed to campaign for President of the United States! SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post NY prosecutor ties Trump hush money payments to campaign as criminal trial kicks off appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives with his attorney Todd Blanche, right, in court for opening statements in his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 22, 2024, in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool / Getty Images) WASHINGTON Oral arguments in former President Donald Trumps historic case in New York began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom where jurors will be tasked with deciding whether deceptive hush money payments to hide an affair amount to a criminal conviction. The first-ever criminal trial of an ex-U.S. president centers on Trumps alleged falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom he denies he had a sexual relationship. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told jurors Monday that Trumps payments to Daniels in 2016, which he reimbursed to his former lawyer Michael Cohen as legal expenses, were meant to influence the presidential election, according to reporters at the courthouse. This case is about a criminal conspiracy and fraud. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, then he covered up that conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over, and over, and over again, Colangelo argued, according to journalists present. The New York court does not permit audio or video recording but will provide daily transcripts on its website. Calling him President Trump Defense attorney Todd Blanche argued for Trump, whom he said will be referred to as President Trump throughout the trial out of respect and because he earned the title. Blanche told the jurors President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney should never have brought this case. Claiming that Trump was unaware of the nuances of the payments, Blanche argued, Youll learn that President Trump had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper except he signed the checks. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree for each reimbursement payment to Cohen. Blanche also told the jurors to dismiss the prosecutions election interference theory: I have a spoiler alert: theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election, its called democracy, he said, according to reporters in the courthouse. Trump raised his fist and did not take questions as he left the courtroom for a brief recess after opening statements, according to reporters. National Enquirer exec called The prosecution called David Pecker, former chairman of the tabloid National Enquirers parent company, as its first witness Monday. Pecker was involved in the scheme with Cohen to identify and purchase, nicknamed catch and kill, damaging stories about Trump ahead of the 2016 election. The prosecution is also expected to call Cohen, who has already served prison time in relation to the payments, and Hope Hicks, a former Trump campaign press secretary. The trial could last for longer than a month, possibly two, keeping the presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee off the campaign trail four days a week. The New York proceeding also overlaps with Trumps immunity arguments scheduled for Thursday before the U.S. Supreme Court. The former president claims he enjoys absolute criminal immunity for his actions while in office, including immunity from special counsel Jack Smiths charges that he allegedly schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results, culminating in a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. New York Judge Juan Merchan denied Trumps request to attend the Supreme Court arguments, saying he must be present at his Manhattan trial, according to media reports. In early morning posts to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blamed President Joe Biden despite the case being at the state level and repeated his refrain that the trial is politically motivated. He wrote, partially in all caps, that he will now be STUCK in a courtroom, and not be allowed to campaign for President of the United States! The post NY prosecutor ties Trump hush money payments to campaign as criminal trial kicks off appeared first on Source New Mexico. Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives with his attorney Todd Blanche, right, in court for opening statements in his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 22, 2024, in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives with his attorney Todd Blanche, right, in court for opening statements in his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 22, 2024, in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Oral arguments in former President Donald Trumps historic case in New York began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom where jurors will be tasked with deciding whether deceptive hush money payments to hide an affair amount to a criminal conviction. The first-ever criminal trial of an ex-U.S. president centers on Trumps alleged falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom he denies he had a sexual relationship. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told jurors Monday that Trumps payments to Daniels in 2016, which he reimbursed to his former lawyer Michael Cohen as legal expenses, were meant to influence the presidential election, according to reporters at the courthouse. This case is about a criminal conspiracy and fraud. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, then he covered up that conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over, and over, and over again, Colangelo argued, according to journalists present. The New York court does not permit audio or video recording but will provide daily transcripts on its website. Calling him President Trump Defense attorney Todd Blanche argued for Trump, whom he said will be referred to as President Trump throughout the trial out of respect and because he earned the title. Blanche told the jurors President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney should never have brought this case. Claiming that Trump was unaware of the nuances of the payments, Blanche argued, Youll learn that President Trump had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper except he signed the checks. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree for each reimbursement payment to Cohen. Blanche also told the jurors to dismiss the prosecutions election interference theory: I have a spoiler alert: theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election, its called democracy, he said, according to reporters in the courthouse. Trump raised his fist and did not take questions as he left the courtroom for a brief recess after opening statements, according to reporters. National Enquirer exec called The prosecution called David Pecker, former chairman of the tabloid National Enquirers parent company, as its first witness Monday. Pecker was involved in the scheme with Cohen to identify and purchase, nicknamed catch and kill, damaging stories about Trump ahead of the 2016 election. The prosecution is also expected to call Cohen, who has already served prison time in relation to the payments, and Hope Hicks, a former Trump campaign press secretary. The trial could last for longer than a month, possibly two, keeping the presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee off the campaign trail four days a week. The New York proceeding also overlaps with Trumps immunity arguments scheduled for Thursday before the U.S. Supreme Court. The former president claims he enjoys absolute criminal immunity for his actions while in office, including immunity from special counsel Jack Smiths charges that he allegedly schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results, culminating in a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. New York Judge Juan Merchan denied Trumps request to attend the Supreme Court arguments, saying he must be present at his Manhattan trial, according to media reports. In early morning posts to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blamed President Joe Biden despite the case being at the state level and repeated his refrain that the trial is politically motivated. He wrote, partially in all caps, that he will now be STUCK in a courtroom, and not be allowed to campaign for President of the United States! The post NY prosecutor ties Trump hush money payments to campaign as criminal trial kicks off appeared first on Kansas Reflector. Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives with his attorney Todd Blanche, right, in court for opening statements in his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 22, 2024, in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images) Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives with his attorney Todd Blanche, right, in court for opening statements in his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 22, 2024, in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Oral arguments in former President Donald Trumps historic case in New York began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom where jurors will be tasked with deciding whether deceptive hush money payments to hide an affair amount to a criminal conviction. The first-ever criminal trial of an ex-U.S. president centers on Trumps alleged falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom he denies he had a sexual relationship. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told jurors Monday that Trumps payments to Daniels in 2016, which he reimbursed to his former lawyer Michael Cohen as legal expenses, were meant to influence the presidential election, according to reporters at the courthouse. This case is about a criminal conspiracy and fraud. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, then he covered up that conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over, and over, and over again, Colangelo argued, according to journalists present. The New York court does not permit audio or video recording but will provide daily transcripts on its website. Calling him President Trump Defense attorney Todd Blanche argued for Trump, whom he said will be referred to as President Trump throughout the trial out of respect and because he earned the title. Blanche told the jurors President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney should never have brought this case. Claiming that Trump was unaware of the nuances of the payments, Blanche argued, Youll learn that President Trump had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper except he signed the checks. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree for each reimbursement payment to Cohen. Blanche also told the jurors to dismiss the prosecutions election interference theory: I have a spoiler alert: theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election, its called democracy, he said, according to reporters in the courthouse. Trump raised his fist and did not take questions as he left the courtroom for a brief recess after opening statements, according to reporters. National Enquirer exec called The prosecution called David Pecker, former chairman of the tabloid National Enquirers parent company, as its first witness Monday. Pecker was involved in the scheme with Cohen to identify and purchase, nicknamed catch and kill, damaging stories about Trump ahead of the 2016 election. The prosecution is also expected to call Cohen, who has already served prison time in relation to the payments, and Hope Hicks, a former Trump campaign press secretary. The trial could last for longer than a month, possibly two, keeping the presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee off the campaign trail four days a week. The New York proceeding also overlaps with Trumps immunity arguments scheduled for Thursday before the U.S. Supreme Court. The former president claims he enjoys absolute criminal immunity for his actions while in office, including immunity from special counsel Jack Smiths charges that he allegedly schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results, culminating in a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. New York Judge Juan Merchan denied Trumps request to attend the Supreme Court arguments, saying he must be present at his Manhattan trial, according to media reports. In early morning posts to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blamed President Joe Biden despite the case being at the state level and repeated his refrain that the trial is politically motivated. He wrote, partially in all caps, that he will now be STUCK in a courtroom, and not be allowed to campaign for President of the United States! The post NY prosecutor ties Trump hush money payments to campaign as criminal trial kicks off appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. NY prosecutors reveal 'another crime' Trump allegedly tried to conceal with falsified business records NY prosecutors reveal 'another crime' Trump allegedly tried to conceal with falsified business records New York prosecutors on Tuesday revealed the other crime they allege that former President Trump was trying to conceal when he allegedly falsified his business records. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. For prosecutors to secure a criminal conviction, they must convince the jury that Trump committed the crime of falsifying business records in "furtherance of another crime." TRUMP TRIAL: FORMER PRESIDENT 'INNOCENT,' DEFENSE SAYS AS DA ALLEGES 'CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY' Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts. New York prosecutor Joshua Steinglass on Tuesday said the other crime was a violation of a New York law called "conspiracy to promote or prevent election." Prosecutors will try to prove that the alleged conspiracy was to conceal a conspiracy to unlawfully promote his candidacy. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP This sketch from a Manhattan courtroom on April 22, 2024, shows prosecutor Matthew Colangelo making opening statements as former President Trump looks on during Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. "Any two or more persons who conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means and which conspiracy is acted upon by one or more of the parties thereto, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor," New York Law 17-152 reads. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said during his opening argument on Monday the case against Trump "is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up." Colangelo argued that months after Trump announced his candidacy for president in June 2015, he invited former CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI) David Pecker to Trump Tower for a meeting. His then-attorney and alleged "fixer" Michael Cohen was also at the meeting. AMI owned the National Inquirer. "Those three men formed a conspiracy to influence the election," Colangelo argued. Colangelo alleged Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to "silence" her and make sure the public did not learn of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Colangelo said that after the election Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly checks from his businesses but disguised those transactions as payments for legal services. Colangelo alleged that Pecker, Cohen and Trump "conspired to influence the 2016 presidential election," and said Pecker would gather harmful information and prevent it from going public. Colangelo alleged he only published flattering stories about Trump and negative stories about opponents. The prosecutor said the men used a practice called "catch & kill," saying they bought damaging information, had the seller of that information sign a nondisclosure agreement, and then blocked the information from being published. Colangelo said the practice was used three times. One was to block a story that a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell about an alleged out-of-wedlock child. Colangelo said the payment was $30,000. The doormans story was eventually proven to be untrue. BRAGG SAYS HE WILL TRY TO 'DISCREDIT' TRUMP IF HE TESTIFIES IN HIS DEFENSE DURING CRIMINAL TRIAL The next payment was to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed a romantic and sexual relationship with Trump. Colangelo alleged that Cohen asked AMI to buy the story. Colangelo said AMI paid McDougal $150,000 in exchange for "unlimited life rights" to her story. Colangelo also alleged there was a $130,000 payment made to Daniels. He further alleged that when it came time to pay Cohen back, Trump "didnt negotiate the price down; he doubled it." Colangelo said that his "willingness to do this shows the importance of hiding the payments" and alleged "overall election conspiracy." But Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche rejected the prosecution's argument, saying, "President Trump is innocent." "None of this was a crime," Blanche said. "People say that Trump is trying to cover up payments think President Trump did not pay Cohen back $130,000. He paid Cohen $420,000." He added, "Would a frugal businessman repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?" Blanche said the money "was not a payback" and that Trump, in 2017 after the election, was paying legal fees. He added, "I have a spoiler alert: There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. Its called democracy. They put something sinister on it." NY VS TRUMP: THE EVIDENCE PROSECUTORS CAN PRESENT IF FORMER PRESIDENT TESTIFIES Blanche argued that Cohen paying Daniels "was not illegal" and entering into a nondisclosure agreement was also not illegal, saying companies "do that all the time." "There is nothing illegal about it," Blanche said, arguing that Daniels was attempting to try to embarrass Trump with "all sorts of allegations" that could be "damaging to him and damaging to his family." "Trump fought back to protect his family, reputation, brand," Blanche said. "And that is not a crime." Original article source: NY prosecutors reveal 'another crime' Trump allegedly tried to conceal with falsified business records Mayor Adams blamed outside agitators for sparking much of the venom seen recently at campus protests and said Tuesday that his administration is working with schools to limit such activity. During his weekly City Hall press briefing, Adams promised that the NYPD will seek out and identify those he believes are trying to use the protests to cause violence in our city. We cant have outside agitators come in and be destructive to our city, he said. Someone wanted something to happen at that protest at NYU that police officers didnt respond to. The mayor didnt elaborate on how authorities determined the makeup of the crowd. A day before, pro-Palestinian demonstrators converged on New York University to protest Israels seige of Gaza after Hamas slaughtered scores of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7. As police arrested dozens of protestors and cleared out their encampments, some demonstrators began throwing objects at the cops. The protest at NYU came after similar demonstrations at Columbia University, where a protester could be heard telling Jews to go back to Poland. That situation led a Jewish leader to tell Jewish students not to attend classes out of safety concerns and Columbias President Minouche Shafik to announce that classes would be held remotely on Monday. Adams said Tuesday that the NYPD has identified people at protests who dont actually attend the schools where the demonstrations are taking place and added that his administration was planning to meet with college officials who would like to participate and learn best practices. We should address this while it is just a spark, he said. Lets not wait until its a blazing fire. Adams once again asserted peoples right to assemble and protest as long as they do so peacefully. You cant break the law like throwing bottles and chairs, he said. Its not illegal, but its immoral to call for the destruction of anyone. I would be furious if someone was marching, calling for death to Black people. I would be furious. The mayor also sought to clarify language hes used about when police will and will not go onto private campus property during demonstrations. In recent remarks, hes said the NYPD would step onto a campus upon a schools request or when there is an imminent threat, which he defined Tuesday to include starting fires, assaulting someone and destroying property. NYPD arrests over 100 protesters at NYU, clears out anti-Israel encampment on campus The NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters at New York University, including students and faculty, on Monday night and cleared out a campus encampment set up earlier by anti-Israel demonstrators. Cops in riot gear cuffed the protesters who are demanding NYU divest from holdings tied to Israel over the ongoing violence in Gaza with zip ties and led them to police buses, the universitys student-run newspaper Washington Square News reported. NYU faculty members linked arms and stood side by side to form a human barrier between a swarm of cops and student protesters, according to a video shared by a City reporter. The professors were the first to be arrested. Anti-Israel protesters were arrested Monday night at NYU. William C Lopez/New York Post Dozens of faculty and students were detained. William C Lopez/New York Post Protesters were detained with zip ties. William C Lopez/New York Post Moments earlier, police blasted a message over a megaphone, ordering the group to disperse or face arrest for trespassing, according to the newspaper. Once the cops moved in, they also tore down tents that students erected Monday morning as part of a Gaza Solidarity encampment at the private universitys Gould Plaza on West 4th Street. Earlier in the day, NYUs director of campus safety informed protesters that they would face consequences if they did not leave the encampment by 4 p.m., WSN reported. Cops in riot gear cuffed the protesters, who are demanding NYU divest from holdings tied to Israel over the ongoing violence in Gaza. William C Lopez/New York Post The directive came after metal barriers that were set up at Gould Plaza to prevent the protest from growing in size reportedly were breached. With the breach of the barricades early this afternoon, that requirement was violated, and we witnessed disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, campus safety head Fountain Walker said to the crowd at the encampment, according to the college paper. If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for todays actions no discipline, no police. Police officers break up the encampment at NYU. William C Lopez/New York Post But the number of people supporting the protest only grew larger as anti-Israel activists from outside the college community showed up. This development dramatically changed the situation, NYU spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement, noting that protesters with no affiliation with the university breached the barriers. We witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, and that demonstrated how quickly a demonstration can get out of control or people can get hurt. NYU then requested that police officers respond to the campus, according to Beckman and the NYPD. The university spokesperson said that multiple antisemitic incidents were reported during the protest, without providing specifics. A group of students had set up tents at the private universitys Gould Plaza. William C Lopez/New York Post We also learned that there were intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents reported, Beckman said. Given the foregoing and the safety issues raised by the breach, we asked for assistance from the NYPD. The police urged those on the plaza to leave peacefully, but ultimately made a number of arrests. Cops with the departments Strategic Response Group stormed the protest around 8:30 p.m. and began making arrests and taking down all the tents, according to WSN. Many of the protesters appeared to be praying at the time the cops swooped in, according to witnesses at the scene. Anti-Israel activists from outside the college community also joined the protest. William C Lopez/New York Post The NYPD said in an announcement via megaphone that the students, faculty members and other protesters were being arrested for disorderly conduct. As cops loaded the arrestees onto waiting transport buses, protesters who had gathered outside the barricaded campus plaza moved to the streets to block the vehicles from leaving, according to videos shared on social media. This prompted officers to make more arrests and the buses eventually left. Police sources said more than 100 people were taken into custody. An officer pepper-sprayed protesters and a legal observer directly in the face during an arrest in at least one instance, according to footage posted online and WSN. Some of the remaining protesters who were able to evade arrest marched downtown from the NYU campus toward NYPD headquarters, according to social media reports and video. They were met by a large group at 1 Police Plaza who were there to support the arrested protesters. The crowd lit off flares lighting the sky with a red glow and smoke and waved Palestinian flags while repeating chants in support of Gazans dying under Israels retaliatory bombardment. They also directed chants of Go home, losers at cops stationed outside police headquarters. NYU was just one of several elite universities across the county where students protesting Israel had set up encampments. Most notably, a tent city at Columbia University was removed by police last week but another one popped soon after. A pro-Palestinian protest broke out at New York University on Monday, prompting arrests by New York police as protests take over college campuses across the country. The New York Police Department responded Monday night to NYUs campus at the request of school administrators after protesters set up an encampment earlier in the day, a police spokesperson confirmed to The Hill. Multiple people were taken into custody, though the spokesperson could not specify an exact number, as the event is ongoing. Given the foregoing and the safety issues raised by the breach, we asked for assistance from the NYPD. The police urged those on the plaza to leave peacefully, but ultimately made a number of arrests, NYU spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement. The incident began Monday morning, when about 50 protestors gathered in the plaza in front of NYUs Stern School of Business without authorization from the university, Beckman said. The university closed access to the plaza, put barriers in place, and made clear that additional protestors could not join due to the disruption of classes and operations on campus, he added. Despite warnings, Beckman said more protesters, many of whom are believed to not be affiliated with NYU, breached the barriers in place to join the others. Administrators then witnessed disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, Beckman said. School officials warned demonstrators they would face consequences if they did not leave, and officers moved into the crowd around 8:30 p.m., The New York Times reported. The arrests come amid ongoing unrest at nearby Columbia University, where protests continued for the sixth day at the center of campus. Hundreds of students are occupying parts of campus, calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel and the schools divestment from businesses that profit from the war. More than 100 demonstrators were arrested last week after Columbia officials authorized the NYPD to take protestors into custody. Earlier Monday, police arrested dozens of protestors at Yale University as an encampment swelled to several hundred people calling for the school to divest from military weapons manufacturers. Yale said 47 students received summonses Monday and will be referred for disciplinary action from the school. The protests, while many reportedly peaceful, have prompted concerns of antisemitic rhetoric and fears over the safety of Jewish students on campus. Several protest groups have pushed back against characterizations of their demonstrations as antisemitic, pointing to the significant portion of demonstrators who are Jewish. This story was updated at 10:45 p.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2024 - 13:10 | All, Japan, World Japan's economic security minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine, seen by some of Tokyo's Asian neighbors as a symbol of its past militarism, raising concerns about potential backlash from China and South Korea. Takaichi, known for her hawkish views on national security issues, has routinely visited the Shinto shrine in Tokyo on various occasions, such as its biannual rites and the anniversary of Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945. "I offered my gratitude with respect to the spirits of those who lost their lives for a national policy," Takaichi told reporters after visiting the shrine on the final day of its three-day spring festival. Earlier Tuesday, a cross-party group of more than 90 lawmakers, including some senior vice ministers from the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also visited the shrine, as it regularly does. Among Cabinet members under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has described himself as a dovish moderate within the LDP, economic revitalization minister Yoshitaka Shindo paid tribute to the war dead honored at the shrine on Sunday. Yasukuni has often been at the center of diplomatic friction with China and South Korea, as Japan's wartime leaders, convicted as war criminals by a post-World War II international tribunal, are among the more than 2.4 million war dead honored at the shrine. In 1978, Yasukuni added 14 Class-A war criminals, such as wartime Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo, to the enshrined deities, stirring controversy at home and abroad. Tojo was executed by hanging for war crimes. Past visits to Yasukuni by Japanese prime ministers, including assassinated former leader Shinzo Abe, and lawmakers have drawn fire from China and South Korea, where memories of Japan's wartime actions run deep. Takaichi is a House of Representatives lawmaker known for sharing Abe's hawkish stance, with China labeling her a "right-wing" nationalist. Japan had invaded and occupied a wide area of China by the end of the war and ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. In a bid to avoid irritating China, South Korea and some other Asian neighbors, recent prime ministers have sent offerings to Yasukuni during its major events. Related coverage: Japan PM sends offering to war-linked Yasukuni shrine for spring rite NYU anti-Israel protesters form human chain as police move in for arrests NYU anti-Israel protesters form human chain as police move in for arrests Anti-Israel protesters on the campus of New York University formed a human chain Monday evening as police moved in to break up the demonstration. Video shot by Fox News Digital shows the NYPD telling students: "You have been warned by New York University to leave the area." NYPD arrests student protesters on the campus of NYU. Those who did not leave soon, would be arrested for trespassing, NYPD said. NYU's Global Campus Safety posted on Instagram that protesters had breached the barriers set up at Gould Plaza, Fountain Walker. Protesters could be heard chanting incendiary slogans. "The one safety requirement we made was that no additional protestors could enter Gould Plaza. With the breach of the barricades early this afternoon, that requirement was violated, and we witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community," the university said in a statement. BIDEN CRUSHED FOR EQUIVOCATING ON ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS: VERY FINE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES MOMENT READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "We cannot tolerate people getting hurt. You will need to clear the plaza by 4:00 pm. If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for todays actionsno discipline, no police." Mass arrests began around 8:30 p.m. Within an hour, the demonstration had largely fizzled out. Mass arrests at the university began around 8:30 p.m. The university, like other campuses nationwide, has been embroiled in protests against Israels ongoing war in Gaza. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ORDERS VIRTUAL CLASSES AS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS TAKE OVER: WE NEED A RESET The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israel's assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Protesters assembled on the campus of NYU. Meanwhile, Jewish students have said the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the group's Oct. 7 invasion. At NYU, some protesters could be heard chanting, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" a slogan that many regard as a call to genocide. Others were seen stepping on Israel's flag. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: NYU anti-Israel protesters form human chain as police move in for arrests A New York University official confirmed the NYPD made a number of arrests on its campus Monday evening, claiming a demonstration in front of its business school spiraled into an impromptu encampment that included intimidating chants from hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters. In a statement to The Daily Beast, NYU spokesperson John Beckman said the university called on copswho, according to NYUs student-run newspaper, arrived in riot gear along with massive buses to whisk away detained protestersfor assistance after demonstrators refused to leave an on-campus plaza. Todays events did not need to lead to this outcome, Beckman said. No Dorm or Dining Hall: Ilhan Omars Daughter Recounts Protest Arrest Beckman explained the protest began Monday morning with 50 NYU students who didnt give notice to the university, which is a private institution. He said the university placed barriers to prevent the demonstration from growing, but additional protestersmany Beckman said were not affiliated with the institutionbroke through the barriers. This development dramatically changed the situation, Beckman said. We witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, and that demonstrated how quickly a demonstration can get out of control or people can get hurt. Multiple reports said the protest grew to be well above 400 people. Kris Lipman, who graduated from New York University in 2015, told The New York Times he joined the NYU protests, adding, What were saying to NYU is disclosewhere is the money going? If you cant say the money is not going to the genocide, divest, she said. Its the morally humane response. NYPD officers arrived in droves around 8 p.m. and began arresting protestersincluding university faculty membersapproximately 30 minutes later, reported the student newspaper, the Washington Square News, along with The Times. Protesters reportedly chanted, Students, students hold your ground. NYU back down. Footage from the scene showed protesters being led single-file into busses with their hands zip-tied behind their backs. NOW: NYPD arrests at least a dozen NYU faculty members in the Liberated Zone at Gould Plaza Police deployed the LRAD while protesters were praying pic.twitter.com/TS6JrgjyRA katie smith (@probablyreadit) April 23, 2024 Officers warned demonstrators through megaphones that theyd be arrested if they didnt disperse, the Times reported. When nobody budged, officers donning riot gear reportedly broke through students whod locked arms to protect Muslim demonstrators who were praying. The Square News reported that some protesters and a legal observer were pepper sprayed by an NYPD officer. The NYPD did not respond to an email and call seeking information by The Daily Beast. It wasnt immediately clear how many were arrested. Beckman said the university at one point gave protesters an hour to disband without facing consequences, but the group refused to leave. He described a chaotic scene, which he said included reports of intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents. The Times and Square News reported the encampment was largely disbanded by 9:30 p.m. and that all protesters had either been arrested or had broken into smaller groups around the university, but not at the plaza in front of the business school. The demonstration comes just days after a massive demonstrationthat included an on-campus tent citywas shut down by the NYPD at Columbia University, where droves of protesters were arrested and some students, like the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), were suspended indefinitely. 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. Luis Huesca was a six-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department Chicago Police Department Luis Huesca An off-duty Chicago police officer days away from celebrating his 31st birthday was fatally shot while driving home from work, authorities said. Luis Huesca, 30, was shot multiple times by a suspect who fled the scene in the officer's car just before 3 a.m. on April 21 in the citys Gage Park neighborhood, police said, according to ABC7 Chicago, NBC Chicago, and ABC News. Responding officers found Huesca suffering from gunshot wounds near his home, NBC Chicago reported, citing police. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. What we do know is that the officers vehicle was taken, but to get to the total motive of what happened we need more information and the detective division is working on that," Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said, per NBC Chicago. Snelling also said Huesca was still in his uniform when he was found, according to ABC News. The superintendent added that the shooting occurred just two days before Huescas 31st birthday. Huesca was a six-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department who worked as a member of the Priority Response Team in the departments 5th district, ABC News reported. A homicide investigation is now underway, police said. On April 22, police released security footage of a person of interest who they warned should be considered dangerous. We are seeking to identify this individual regarding the murder of CPD Officer Luis Huesca in the 3100 block of West 56th St. on April 21, 2024, the post reads. If you have information, contact the Area One Detective Division at 312-747-8380 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com. If you see this individual, DO NOT APPROACH and call 911. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to its Facebook page, Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker mourned Huescas death and shared his condolences in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on April 21. A terrible loss as we cope with the death of Officer Luis M. Huesca, who was just two days shy of his 31st birthday, the post reads. Thinking of his family and fellow officers as we mourn the passing of a dedicated officer, he added. May his memory be a blessing and his service never forgotten. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Officer shoots dog while responding to burglary call in Ohio A dog is dead after an Ohio police officer shot it while responding to a burglary call Monday afternoon. >>Do the right thing; Beavercreek officials cast votes for proposed gas station development Monroe Police officers received a call of a man climbing through the window of a home across the street from the Monroe Primary School on Macready Road. When they approached the front door, the dog left the home and charged at one of the officers, according to a police spokesperson. The animal lunged at the officer and he was able to initially deflect it. The dog lunged again and the officer drew his firearm and shot the dog, the spokesperson said. Officials said the owner had to sign the dog over to the Butler County Warden to be euthanized due to the extent of its injuries, our news partner WCPO reported. The officer suffered a minor leg injury. Medics treated and released him at the scene. This photo provided by the Ada County, Idaho, Sheriffs Office shows Deputy Tobin Bolter. The sheriff's deputy died after being shot by a driver during a traffic stop, and a man believed to be the shooting suspect was later fatally shot by police, authorities said Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Ada County Sheriffs Office via AP) BOISE, Idaho (AP) Officials have released the name of the Idaho man who was killed last weekend after being identified as the suspect in the fatal shooting of a sheriff's deputy, and Boise police officers are asking the public for more information about him. Dennis Mulqueen, 65, of Boise, died of a gunshot wound early Sunday morning, the Ada County Coroner said. Mulqueen was suspected in the killing of Ada County Sheriff's Deputy Tobin Bolter during a Saturday night traffic stop, according to police. Bolter, 27, was shot as he approached the driver's window of the stopped vehicle at about 9 p.m. A witness called 911 and performed CPR on Bolter before an ambulance arrived, but he died at a local hospital. He was the first deputy in the county to be killed in the line of duty, Sheriff Matt Clifford said. Police found the shooting suspect's unoccupied vehicle about 30 minutes later, and then found a man believed to be the suspect outside a home, police Chief Ron Winegar said Sunday. Members of the police tactical unit tried to get him to surrender, but Winegar said the man began shooting shortly after midnight and an officer returned fire, hitting him. Police performed aid, but Mulqueen was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital. Police said Mulqueen had a misdemeanor warrant out for his arrest, but they do not know what led to the Saturday shooting. Detectives said Tuesday that they are trying to learn more about Mulqueen and asked for anyone who interacted with him in the days before the shooting to call the department. Because of Idahos abortion ban and a court decision that does not protect emergency room physicians from prosecution under that law, some Idaho physicians are advising their pregnant patients, or those trying to become pregnant, to purchase memberships with companies like Life Flight Network or Air St. Lukes in the Boise area to avoid potentially significant costs if they need air transport in an emergency. (Courtesy of Life Flight) A federal law that allows emergency departments to treat patients without regard to their ability to pay will be under U.S. Supreme Court scrutiny this week, and Ohio doctors are concerned about the cases local impact on emergency abortion care. The nations highest court will hear oral arguments in Idaho v. United States, an appeal in which the state is questioning elements of a 1986 law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). The law compels emergency rooms to treat all patients who are experiencing emergency medical conditions and stabilize or transfer those patients, whether or not insurance or financial payment has been confirmed. It is the only guarantee of universal health care in the United States, and it only applies to emergency departments, Dr. Laurel Barr, a practicing emergency physician in central Ohio, said at a press conference discussing EMTALA and the Supreme Court case. The U.S. Department of Justice sued after Idaho passed their own abortion ban that only provides exceptions for the life of the pregnant individual. The DOJ argued the EMTALA preempts any such law. After the 2022 decision by the court in Dobbs which overturned the nationwide right to abortion care and returned the decision to the states the U.S. Department Health and Human Services sent out a memo with guidelines telling medical professionals that EMTALA still preempted state laws, including in the use of medically necessary abortions. If a pregnant patient is experiencing an emergency medical condition and abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve that condition, the physician must provide that treatment to stabilize that patient, said Ohio health care attorney Jennifer Nelson Carney. At issue in the Idaho case is whether or not abortions can be considered a stabilizing treatment, but Carney said depending on how the Supreme Court rules, the case could have ripple effects far beyond reproductive health. (Plaintiffs) think that what theyre asking for is to have the court rule that abortion is not a possible treatment to stabilize, but the likelihood is that, if the court were to go that way, that it would be a much broader implication that would result in people not being treated at all, Carney said. She called it the classic legal analysis of slippery slope, and potentially criminalizing conduct covered under EMTALA places health care providers in a very grim situation of risking criminal liability if they follow just their expertise, training and ethical obligations. If the opinion says that states can decide what health care services are subject to EMTALA and what arent, that is just a brand new health care framework that we havent seen in 40 years, Carney said. Ohio is already too familiar with conflicting regulations for physicians, which can cause hesitation when it comes to providing needed care. Though voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing the right to reproductive care such as abortion and miscarriage treatment with 57% of the vote last November, laws still remain on the books in the state that require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion can take place and for doctors to have hospital privileges within a certain distance from a health clinic that provides abortions services. The big problem right now for us is that Issue 1 has passed and yet we have seen nothing done with the laws in Ohio, said Dr. Amy Burkett, an OB/GYN who also served on the board of directors for Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, a leader in the campaign to pass Issue 1. To that end, abortion clinics have joined with the ACLU of Ohio in lawsuits to undo regulations that conflict with the recently minted constitutional rights. Most recently, the groups filed a lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to eliminate several Ohio laws that together force abortion patients to wait a minimum of 24 hours after receiving unnecessary state-mandated information in person before they can access their desired abortion care, the clinics said in announcing the suit. A separate lawsuit that has been active in one form or another since the fall of Roe v. Wade asks a Hamilton County court to permanently strike down a six-week abortion ban still enacted in the state, though the various court cases targeting it have largely prohibited its enforcement. With those lawsuits still working their way through the courts, Dr. Marcelo Azevedo, also a member of OPRR as part of its executive committee, said the EMTALA decision from the Supreme Court could have the same effect that the undoing of Roe v. Wade had on Ohio medicine. I would prepare ourselves for having that same level of confusion that we had after the decision in Dobbs, Azevedo said. That confusion could filter directly from hospital administration decisions to the patients. Barr said before EMTALA, a trend of patient dumping was present in hospitals. The term refers to private hospitals who transferred patients to public hospitals after finding out they couldnt pay or didnt have the needed insurance. Without EMTALA, the situation could return to those days, even when it comes to conditions that dont involve pregnancy. For those who are stable but need a refill of their insulin prescription, for example, hospitals will have no financial incentive to treat you when youre sick, so then they wont let me provide that prescription unless you swipe a credit card, according to Barr. It will become an issue where if you can pay, youll get your care, Barr said. If you cant, youll die. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the Idaho case on Wednesday, April 24. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Ohio doctors fear effects of emergency abortion care case set to go before U.S. Supreme Court appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. A protester against the Russian invasion of Ukraine holds a sign. (Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/Getty Images) Over the weekend, the U.S. House passed a long-awaited aid package for Ukraine. Lawmakers also approved funding for Israel and Taiwan, not to mention other measures that could wind up sending frozen Russian assets to Ukraine or forcing the sale of TikTok. But while each proposal had its detractors, the real hold up was Ukrainian aid. Among some Republicans, opposition to U.S. involvement in the war has become a defining principle, and Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance is perhaps its loudest advocate. With a substantial Ukrainian community outside Cleveland, it has become a campaign issue in Ohios closely watched U.S. Senate race. Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, the candidate most closely aligned with Vance, won the Republican primary handily. He will face incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. But the Ukraine skeptics have found themselves forced into some awkward positions. Hardline Republican lawmakers railed about sending money overseas without addressing the U.S. border. So, a bipartisan team of Senators put together a proposal tying the two together. The hardliners then spiked the bill at former President Donald Trumps urging to avoid giving the Biden administration a victory in an election year. But those efforts proved fruitless. In the latest round of votes, Ukraine aid wound up passing, this time as a standalone measure. At the same time a border security bill got a majority vote but still failed. Because it was advanced quickly, it needed two-thirds support for passage. Whats in the bill? The Ukrainian aid package appropriates $60 billion to help pay for munitions and other assistance. But as many of the proposals backers have noted, a substantial share of that money will be staying in the United States. Thats because Defense Department officials are largely relying on existing stockpiles to support Ukraine, and then using the appropriations to replenish domestic supplies. Nearly $50 billion of the total is defense-related spending, but the proposal includes economic and food support for Ukraine as well as money for Ukrainian refugees. Ohios congressional delegation largely supported the measure, with just three Republican members, Reps. Troy Balderson, Warren Davidson, and Jim Jordan, voting against the proposal. To all of our voters demoralized by what the House did today: keep fighting. It wont be easy, but were going to save this country. J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) April 19, 2024 On Friday, when the House voted to tee up the aid measures for final passage, Vance weighed in on social media. To all of our voters demoralized by what the House did today: keep fighting, he said. It wont be easy, but were going to save this country. Since then, hes reiterated the argument that U.S. production capacity simply cant keep up with the demands on artillery shells and missiles. In a statement, a Moreno spokeswoman explained he would have supported the Israel aid in the package, but would have opposed the larger bill. U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson explained his votes on each one of the proposals in turn, describing his reasoning on the Ukraine measure as, No mission. No accountability. Not a member of NATO. No achievable plan for victory or peace. No money. Davidson added both major components are foolish of the measure dealing with frozen Russian assets and a potential TikTok ban. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, however, emphasized a different piece of legislation wrapped into that bill. The 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act incorporates Browns Fend Off Fentanyl Act, which he emphasized is endorsed by law enforcement and sanctions the chemical suppliers in China and the Mexican drug cartels bringing fentanyl into communities across Ohio. This bipartisan national security legislation is critical to combating some of the biggest threats this country faces including fentanyl traffickers, the Chinese Communist Party, Vladimir Putin, and Iran and its terrorist proxies, Brown said in a statement. The Senate must move quickly to pass this legislation, he added, because if we dont, they will be cheering in Tehran, Beijing and Moscow. Dr. Taras Mahlay paying tribute to soldiers fallen over the past year at Lychakiv Cemetary in Lviv, Ukraine. (Photo provided by Taras Mahlay.) Reactions closer to home Retired Doctor Taras Mahlay was in Canada when the vote came down. The president of the Cleveland Maidan Association had just flown back from three-week stint in Ukraine working with hospitals and training combat medics. Its a sense of relief, he explained. They always saw that light at the end of the tunnel, but that light just got brighter. Mahlay described talking to patients and doctors in Ukraine who were remarkably aware of the state of legislation in Congress. Once they learned he was an American physician, theyd begin peppering him with detailed questions about the whats holding up the legislative process. After running several support missions to the country, Mahlay said Ukrainians fear toward the war has given way to a stubborn determination. Capitulating is not an option for them, he explained, the question is how many people, how many lives, are lost or ruined? Hes also seen improvements in government organization and the delivery of services. The problem is their systems are overwhelmed. Mahlay described how burn units might see a handful of patients before the war, now get tens if not hundreds in a week. So, the positive thing is they got the people, they got the workers, they got the organization, he explained. They just need the money, and they need the supplies and logistics of getting it there. Vice President of the United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio George Jaskiw shared a written statement on behalf of the group thanking the House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who together met the challenge of history. The organization noted 79% of the Ohio delegation, including members from both parties, voted in favor of aid for Ukraine. The passage of the appropriations by the House of Representatives, Jaskiw said, confirms that our people and representatives understand how geopolitical situations far from our state borders impact our prosperity and security. Jaskiw thanked voters who called their representatives, but he also took time to thank The American Jewish Committee for its support as well as organizations representing American communities of Polish and Baltic descent. Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Ohioans react to U.S. House passage of Ukraine aid appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. TULSA, Okla. An Afton man convicted of handcuffing and shackling a 6-year-old girl while sexually abusing her was sentenced to life in federal prison. Glenn David Nickols, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma earlier this year to aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Indian Country, and sexual exploitation of a child. This life sentence holds Nickols accountable for his predatory actions and puts him in prison where he cannot exploit another child, said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson in a prepared statement. Nickols confessed to involving the child in child pornography activity from March 1, 2020, to August 31, 2020, according to the plea agreement. ***WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT*** A search warrant on Nickols email account showed 18 emails depicting 107 images and two videos containing child pornography, according to a seven-page criminal complaint affidavit filed in May 2021. Some of the video images showed the unclothed child with both hands handcuffed together and placed above her head and a blue ribbon or blue tape across her mouth and another image showed the victim with black ankle restraints on her ankles and another image showed the child being sexually abused, according to the affidavit. Nickols is serving 10 years in state prison for child pornography out of Delaware County. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Omars daughter says she was sprayed with chemical weapons during protest The daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said she and others were sprayed with chemical weapons while protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza at Columbia University. Isra Hirsi, 21, told MSNBC on Monday she believes there is some hypocrisy in the way the university is punishing the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, when compared to the treatment of counterprotesters. This is 100 percent targeted, Hirsi said. Every single protest that we have, theres a group of counterprotesters that bring all of their items, their flags and things like that. And theyre not seen as having unsanctioned protests, or really received the kind of disciplinary warnings that many of our fellow organizers receive just for being seen at these protests. And so there is definitely some hypocrisy here, especially you can kind of see it with the students that were sprayed with the chemical weapons, she added. Hirsi was one of more than 100 students arrested last week for participating in the cease-fire protests at Columbia. She was also suspended from Barnard College, cutting off her access to food and housing. Columbia informed their students they would be suspended as well for their involvement. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Hirsi said she has been basically evicted after the suspension and is concerned about her food access as she relies on her dining plan for meals. The demonstrations have roiled Columbia Universitys campus, stretching into the seventh day on Tuesday. Hundreds of students are occupying the center of campus, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel. Columbia officials last week authorized the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest students involved with the protesters, further inflaming tensions. While most of the protests were reported to be peaceful, concerns were raised over the safety of students and proliferation of antisemitic rhetoric. Some protest groups have rejected the characterizations of their demonstrations as antisemitic, pointing to the significant portion of demonstrators who are Jewish. Concerns were further driven by a reported call from one campus rabbi for Jewish students to return home as soon as possible, ahead of the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover on Monday night. Asked if she believes the protest encampment made other students uncomfortable, Hirsi said, I think that the encampment was honestly one of the beautiful forms of solidarity. We would be singing songs, we had meals together, people prayed together, she continued. They held Shabbat yesterday, and its really just been a very community-centered space. Columbia Universitys main campus will shift to hybrid learning for the reminder of the semester amid the ongoing tensions, the school announced Monday. Protests have ramped up on other campuses, including New York University, where the NYPD moved into a crowd of protesters and took multiple people into custody Monday night. Earlier on Monday, police arrested dozens of protesters at Yale University after an encampment swelled to several hundred people calling for the school to divest from military weapons manufacturers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. RICHFIELD, Utah (ABC4) One man died after a fatal crash between a car and a utility terrain vehicle, or UTV, in Richfield on Monday, according to Richfield City Police. According to a social media post from the police department, police first received calls of an accident after 4 p.m. on Monday. Initial reports said the crash was between a car and a UTV and one person was ejected. READ NEXT: Three injured in officer-involved crash in Draper One man died after a fatal crash between a car and a utility terrain vehicle, or UTV, in Richfield on Monday, April 22, 2024, according to Richfield City Police. (Courtesy: Department of Public Safety) One man died after a fatal crash between a car and a utility terrain vehicle, or UTV, in Richfield on Monday, April 22, 2024, according to Richfield City Police. (Courtesy: Department of Public Safety) The man who was ejected was taken to the Sevier Valley Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Officials said he was the 54-year-old driver of the UTV, who was not restrained. According to the Department of Public Safety, the driver of the UTV turned left in front of the other car at 1100 South. The other car struck the UTV and caused it to roll, and Main Street was closed during the investigation of the crash. Police said occupants of the other vehicle were taken to the hospital with suspected minor injuries. According to the Department of Public Safety, one of the passengers in the other car was a pregnant female, and she was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Officials said the accident happened at the intersection of 1100 South and Main Street in Richfield. In addition to Richfield City Police, several other agencies responded, including Sevier County Sheriffs Office, Utah Highway Patrol and EMS. Richfield Police said the investigation has been turned over to the Utah Highway Patrol. There is no further information at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. One killed when tractor trailer and bicycle crash on South Carolina road, cops say One person was killed Monday night when a tractor trailer and bicycle were involved in a crash, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The collision happened at about 7:30 p.m. in Fairfield County, said Master Trooper Gary Miller. Both a bicycle and a 2022 Mack Truck towing a trailer were heading west on S.C. 34, according to Miller. Near the intersection with Autumn Drive the tractor trailer hit the rear of the bike, and the rider died, Miller said. The Fairfield County Coroners Office has not publicly identified the bicycle rider. Miller said the the truck driver was not hurt, and no other injuries were reported. There was no word if the truck driver was wearing a seat belt. Information about what caused the collision was not available, but it continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol. There was no word if the driver faces any criminal charges. Through Sunday, 267 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported. At least seven people have died in Fairfield County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 15 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS reported. NEW YORK Donald Trump schemed to defraud the 2016 electorate and covered up the plot by lying over and over and over again once he won the White House, prosecutors charged Monday during opening statements at the former presidents hush money trial. The ruse central to the first-ever criminal case against an ex-U.S. president started with three men in a room at Trump Tower in August 2015, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo said in Manhattan Supreme Court: Trump, his convicted former fixer, Michael Cohen, and David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media, the parent company of The National Enquirer. The trio sought to influence the results of the election by paying off porn star Stormy Daniels, former Playboy model Karen McDougal and a Trump Tower doorman all of whom had unflattering information to share about Trump Colangelo said. This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up, the prosecutor added. The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up the criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York state business records over and over and over again. To ensure nothing would get in the way of Trump becoming the leader of the free world, Pecker agreed to be his campaigns eyes and ears by using publisher AMIs network of sources to catch and kill stories that could harm his chances, Colangelo alleged. Pecker allegedly reported tips to Cohen, who helped facilitate payments to anyone with dirt on his boss. Pecker further saw to it that positive stories were published about Trump and negative pieces about his competitors, the jury heard. The hit pieces included claims that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had ties to JFKs assassination. Trump and his associates followed through on every aspect of this scheme, the prosecutor said, and the candidate was kept closely in the loop as The Enquirer ran headline after headline that extolled the defendants virtues. Colangelo said jurors will review a mountain of evidence, including a flurry of text messages among the schemes architects, and hear a phone call between Cohen and Trump. The former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee stewed at the defense table when Colangelo turned to the infamous Access Hollywood tape, the release of which, the prosecutor said, led to great concern it would irreparably damage Trumps standing with voters for bragging about sexual assault. Jurors had no noticeable reaction as the prosecutor repeated Trumps notorious caught-on-camera boast that being famous entitled him to grab women by the p---y. Colangelo said the tapes release in the weeks before the election put the Trump campaign in damage control mode and left no question that Daniels needed to be silenced about a years-old extramarital tryst with Trump that would have been devastating to his campaign. With pressure mounting and Election Day fast approaching, Donald Trump agreed to the payoff and directed Cohen to proceed, the prosecutor said, leading Trumps then-fixer to take out a loan to wire Daniels $130,000. The Daniels payoff came after AMI had handed a $150,000 payment to McDougal, who alleged she had a heated 10-month affair with Trump shortly after he wed Melania, and $30,000 in hush money to a former Trump Tower doorman who wanted to sell a later-debunked story about Trump fathering a child out of wedlock. Trumps fixer agreed to pay Daniels, the prosecutor said, when an antsy Pecker voiced concern that he still hadnt been paid back. The former CEO ultimately backed away from the deal and agreed to eat the debt, Colangelo said. The 34 felonies Trump has pleaded not guilty to are tied to the alleged compensation to Cohen and related fees, totaling 11 checks for $420,000, 11 invoices and 12 ledger entries falsely logged as payment for legal services. Colangelo said Trumps since-convicted former finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, helped disguise the checks and that Trumps actions went beyond spin or strategy. It was election fraud, pure and simple, the prosecutor said. In his opener, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche flipped the script, countering that the states star witness, Cohen, was obsessed with Trump and a liar whose success hinged on Trumps destruction. The attorney said the central scheme involved no illegality. Spoiler alert: Theres nothing wrong with trying to influence the election. Its called democracy, Blanche said. President Trump did not commit any crimes. He sought to humanize his client, saying he wasnt just the former POTUS and a TV personality. Hes also a man, hes a husband, hes a father. And hes a person, just like you and me, Blanche said of his client, whose family hasnt attended one day of the trial. He later said there was nothing criminal about the nondisclosure agreements that Trump entered into to protect his family and reputation. Prosecutors called Pecker, who flashed a big grin before laying out his responsibilities as a supermarket tabloid publisher from 1999 to 2020, as their first witness. Trump switched his gaze from looking ahead and turned to face his former ally when he took the stand, jotting down notes. Pecker, who received immunity in Cohens 2018 federal case that led to the ex-fixers conviction and prison sentence, told jurors he reviewed covers the only thing that mattered and that any stories that cost more than $10,000 had to get his signoff. I had the final say on the celebrity side of the industry, Pecker said. We used checkbook journalism and paid for stories. Pecker is expected to share more about his role Tuesday and is the first character of many in the salacious hush money saga jurors are expected to hear from possibly including Trump, should he follow through on his promise to testify. If so, prosecutors can ask him about a bevy of other cases that went horribly for him, Judge Juan Merchan ruled Monday. As he vies for the presidency once again, Trump, 77, faces 88 felony counts across four states alleging crimes that started the year before he won the White House and ran until the year he left. In the other cases, hes denied that he plotted to subvert democracy and illegally hoarded classified documents. He returned to his trial after an arduous first week in which he was threatened with sanctions for potentially violating a gag order prohibiting public criticisms of trial participants, which Merchan is expected to consider Tuesday. In a nine-minute rant after proceedings wrapped, the displeased-looking ex-president said the trial was going very well and that there was nothing wrong with classifying reimbursement for hush money as legal fees. What else would you call it? Trump said. In the book, its a little lie. _____ Volkswagen employees in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to join the United Auto Workers on Friday. The vote was a shocking and historic win thats bound to further strengthen a rejuvenated organized labor movement. At the same time, it's sending political shockwaves throughout the South and putting Republicans on their back foot. Fridays vote suggests that workers in Southern red states could be growing more interested in unionizing their workplaces despite GOP efforts to paint unions as part of a socialist agenda pushed by President Joe Biden. The UAW is on a hot streak. Last year, UAW autoworkers at General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent, Stellantis, used strikes to secure contracts with big pay raises and better work conditions. Chattanooga represents a different kind of win unions making inroads into hostile territory. According to Reuters, the newly formed union in Volkswagen marks the the first auto plant in the South to unionize via election since the 1940s and the first foreign-owned auto plant in the South to do so. The South is a rough place for unions. The unionization rate is around 8 percentage points lower there than it is outside the region. The history of Southern political economy is to a great extent a history of the unbreakable addiction of Southern political and economic elites to no-wage and low-wage labor, New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently explained in a piece contextualizing the stakes of the Chattanooga vote. And the total dominance of Republicans in the South means that the partys allegiance to representing big business whose interests are at odds with the interests of the workers they exploit go largely unchallenged in the region. Part of the way that manifests today is through so-called right-to-work laws, which make it harder for workers to form and sustain unions, in part by allowing nonunion workers to access union benefits without paying dues. This policy is the law of the land across the entire South, including Tennessee. The UAW lost unionization votes at the same plant in Chattanooga in 2014 and 2019, but this time it finally prevailed. That might be due, in part, to the wins the UAW secured for workers from the major automakers in Michigan last year. Seeing real gains among workers in the same sector elsewhere can be inspirational, and act as a counterweight to negative messaging from an employer about unionizing. Alarmed by the unionization drive, Republicans tried to discourage the Chattanooga voters from supporting it. The governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee released a fearmongering statement three days before the Chattanooga vote about unions representing special interests that threaten our jobs and the values we live by. Among other things, the governors argued that unions are interlopers that intrude on the direct relationship between employers and employees and that unions act as death knells for their workplaces. They also tried to stigmatize UAW by describing the organization as a socialist enterprise and a partisan tool of Joe Biden. While the wage gains won by a union could theoretically spur some layoffs in some cases by raising the cost of labor for a company, the claim that unionization causes the financial collapse of most companies is utter nonsense. There are countless unionized private sector jobs around the world in profitable companies. And contrary to the Republican talking point, unions dont intrude on the employer-employee relationship, but allow employees to meaningfully express themselves through their collective power which results in them getting higher wages and better working conditions than they would without a union. Fortunately, President Joe Biden not only expressed solidarity with the Chattanooga workers, but he also hit the Republican governors for peddling falsehoods about unions. Let me be clear to the Republican governors that tried to undermine this vote: there is nothing to fear from American workers using their voice and their legal right to form a union if they so choose, he said in a statement after the vote. In fact, the growing strength of unions over the last year has gone hand-in-hand with record small business and jobs growth alongside the longest stretch of low unemployment in more than 50 years. Republicans should be scared. A Mercedes plant in Alabama will hold a UAW election in May, and most workers have signed cards signaling their support for unionizing. Success could continue to beget success, with autoworkers across the South forming unions and breaking the total control of capital in their workplaces. Worse still from the perspective of the GOP, the unionization contagion could spread to other sectors. None of this will be pleasing to a party that views corporate domination of workers as an essential condition of American economic life. The Republican governors panicked statement is a reminder of the faux populism of the GOP. That they so strongly object to the idea of workers being able to express their need for dignity in the workplace tells you everything you need about how they really feel about the blue-collar worker. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com The Capitol Hill chroniclers at Punchbowl News made a proclamation Monday morning: The winner of this Congress? Joe Biden. Its a remarkable statement, considering Democrats only hold the majority in the Senate. But the burn it down caucus in the House GOP has achieved the impossible. They have torched their own congressional majority, leaving themselves a one-seat governing majority in the House of Representatives. How? Republicans are running for the exits at an alarming clip. Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado left in late March; now Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin is leaving early. This place just keeps going downhill, and I dont need to spend my time here, Buck said, per The Washington Post. But its not the place thats going downhill; its that the Republicans are at all-out war with each other. On Saturday, that war hit a fever pitch, when embattled Speaker Mike Johnson was finally able to pass the $94 billion foreign aid package. The very next day, the cover of the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post Donald Trumps onetime favorite tabloid read, NYET, MOSCOW MARJORIE, and was emblazoned with a picture of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., in a furry gray ushanka. And Monday, the Post published a column from Piers Morgan, the longtime Murdoch editor, calling Greene Vladimir Putins chief useful idiot. Marjorie Taylor Greenes position on Ukraine was clearly a bridge too far for Piers Morgan and the New York Post, said Howard Polskin, who runs conservative media tracker TheRighting. I was surprised pleasantly so that she was dubbed Moscow Marjorie in the headline. Hopefully, that moniker will be an indelible stain on her reputation. The Post wasnt alone. Last week, Fox News website (which is also owned by Murdoch) published an opinion piece titled Marjorie Taylor Greene is an idiot. She is trying to wreck the GOP. The editorial page of The Wall Street Journal (also owned by Murdoch) blasted Rep. Mayhem Taylor Greene. And far-right outlet Newsmax not owned by Murdoch ran a piece asking, Who Put Marjorie Taylor Greene In Charge? The right-wing media industrial complex is sending a message to Greene loud and clear: Stop campaigning to oust Johnson. These outlets have no interest in repeating the disarray after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., triggered the end of then-Rep. Kevin McCarthys speakership last fall. Johnson succeeded McCarthy, in large part thanks to Trumps backing, but only after an embarrassing 22 days without a speaker. But Greene seems not to be heeding the message. She went on Steve Bannons podcast Monday to repeat her demand for a new speaker. And she wasnt the only member of Congress being obstreperous. Rep. Thomas Massie, who has backed Greenes move against Johnson, attacked the speaker and Rep. Andy Barr, Massies fellow Kentucky Republican, on social media. In South Carolina, Illinois, Texas and Virginia, Republicans are campaigning against other GOP incumbents in primaries. This is not how members of the same caucus are supposed to behave, especially during a campaign year when Republicans are desperately trying to keep the House and win the presidency. Late Monday, after Greene told Bannon she would continue her quixotic quest, Trump himself the grand duke of burn it down politics shot the whole idea down. We have a majority of one, OK? he told conservative radio host John Fredericks. Its not like [Johnson] can go and do whatever he wants to do. I think hes a very good person. I think hes trying very hard. Whether or not Trumps intervention makes a difference, the pile of House Republicans failures rises higher by the week. Their attempt to impeach Biden fell apart when their star witness was arrested. Their other impeachment effort, of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, ended with a whimper. And their attempted Appliance Week a series of lame messaging bills about gas stoves and other household items had to be humiliatingly scrapped. Republicans allowed Trump to pick their speaker, but it turns out hes about as good at picking speakers as he is at being president. And the beneficiaries are Joe Biden and the Democrats. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Editors Note: Scott Jennings, a CNN senior political commentator and Republican campaign adviser, is a former special assistant to President George W. Bush and a former campaign adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell. He is a partner at RunSwitch Public Relations in Louisville, Kentucky. Follow him on Twitter @ScottJenningsKY. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN. Steering US politics away from the dysfunctional fringe and back to the wide middle where most Americans reside on most issues will require courage and leadership. Enter two very different voices who are showing us the way: Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Scott Jennings - CNN Lets start with Fetterman, who has enraged the progressive left with his unequivocal support for Israel and his equally steadfast condemnation of the Hamas terrorists who raped, murdered and kidnapped their way into a war on October 7. Fetterman has no time for members of his own party who cant tell the good guys from the bad guys, and has even criticized President Joe Biden for his equivocations toward Israel. The president is entitled to his own views and whatever he decides to do. But I would never capitulate to the fringe. Ill never pander to that as well. In fact, that empowers Hamas and Hamas, theyre actually convinced that they are winning the PR war. And theyre never going to negotiate at this point. They think that theyre going to hold onto the very end, Fetterman told CNNs Jake Tapper. Fetterman is a whirling dervish of pro-Israel communications. His posts on X, formerly Twitter, take off like rockets, hailed on the center-right and reviled on the fringe left. Hes been seen wearing an Israeli flag like a cape on the National Mall in Washington DC. He taunted protesters at his home in Pennsylvania by going to the roof and waving an Israeli flag at them. He has expressed bewilderment at Democrats who refuse to condemn Irans attacks on Israel. And in the last few days, his admonition of disruptive protestors has been a breath of fresh air for a country exhausted by the disruptions. I dont know who needs to hear this, but blocking a bridge or berating folks in Starbucks isnt righteous, it just makes you an a**hole. Demand Hamas to send every hostage back home and surrender, he posted on X. Fettermans backbone on Israel has shocked Republicans and Democrats alike who assumed during his 2022 Senate campaign that hed fall in line with the progressive outrage of the day. And his bluntness on this topic may have cost him some staff, as three of his communications aides resigned recently. But Fetterman who has also bucked his partys liberal views by supporting restrictions on the surge of migrants across the southern border remains unfazed. I just think Im a Democrat that is very committed to choice and other things. But with Israel, Im going to be on the right side of that. And immigration is something near and dear to me, and I think we do have to effectively address it as well, he told NBC News. But for all of the progressive raging against Fetterman, the people of Pennsylvania appear to like it. His approval rating is up a net of seven points since last fall, according to Morning Consult polling. On the other side of the Capitol, Johnson found religion on foreign aid last week and led the House to passing a historic package that helps American allies in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Like Fetterman, he enraged his partys extreme wing in doing so. But Johnson stood before the country and plainly told Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and her fellow malcontents who are threatening to oust Johnson where to stick it. I dont walk around this building being worried about a motion to vacate, Johnson said. I have to do my job. We did. Ive done here what I believe to be the right thing and that is to allow the House to work its will. As Ive said, you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may. I will continue to do that, Johnson added. Imagine that a politician who refuses to be held hostage by people who can never be satisfied! Johnsons conclusion of the foreign aid package came after a politically deft trip to Mar-a-Lago for a discussion with former President Donald Trump. Johnson took Trumps suggestion of converting some of the Ukraine package to a forgivable loan and pairing it with smart public spin: that Republicans should support Ukraine against Russia now, because if Trump regains the White House, only he has the strength to negotiate a peaceful end to the situation. With Trump taking a helpful public posture, Johnson led a crushing bipartisan majority in the US House to reassert American leadership in the world and send Greene and her cohorts back to the Island of Misfit Toys. What Johnson and Fetterman are showing us is that its possible to govern from the middle, even amid howling from the fringe of both parties. Most Americans want the US to support Israel in the war against Hamas. Most Americans want the US to help our allies around the world who are under threat from dictators, thugs and terrorists. People will respond to principled leadership. They get painfully little these days from most politicians. But from Fetterman and Johnson, its coming by the truckload. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com You may not have heard of jury consultant Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, but theres a good chance youve heard of one of her many clients, including O.J. Simpson and Scott Peterson and Kyle Rittenhouse. She worked alongside the criminal defense teams as Simpson and Peterson, respectively, stood trial on charges of murdering his ex-wife and his wife and with Rittenhouses team as he stood trial on charges that he wrongly killed two men at a protest that followed the police killing of a suspect. Dimitrius became famous for developing the jury profile in Simpsons 1995 trial. She described the perfect juror for the defense in that case as a female, African-American with a high school education or less, and her guidance helped Simpsons defense team select specific individuals from the jury pool, including six African American women, to hear the case. Simpson, who died this month of cancer, was acquitted. Last week, all eyes were on the jury selection process for former President Donald Trumps New York trial on 34 Class E felony counts of first-degree falsification of business records. According to Dimitrius, who spoke to NBC News about the work jury consultants do, Trumps team has been working with Magna Legal Services, a jury consulting company based in Philadelphia. In addition to scrutinizing the jurors answers and body language, Magna a firm Trump used in the second of two defamation trials writer E. Jean Carroll brought against him would have been providing feedback in real time about their responses, as well as providing detailed research about them as the questioning process was ongoing. We havent seen a jury consultant seated at the prosecutions table, thus far, but its reasonable to suspect that it, too, might have consultants with whom its closely working. Jury consultants can be pricey, especially if theyre engaged to participate from jury selection to verdict. The district attorneys office may not typically be able to afford the cost of a jury consulting firm but might make an investment in a case like this one. Dimitrius storied career, including her recent work with Rittenhouse, provides some useful information and context for how such consultants might have worked to develop the perfect juror in this case. Dimitrius began working hand in hand with Rittenhouses lawyers months before his trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Among other things, she conducted three different mock juries and ran various scenarios by them, including one in which Rittenhouse testified in his own defense. He ended up taking the stand and was acquitted. Dimitrius calls the process of doing a deep dive into a jurors background a juror polygraph. Consultants, who are sometimes lawyers but can also have backgrounds in psychology, criminology and sociology, are looking for inconsistencies, lies and falsehoods and finding evidence they can provide to their clients that a juror has a bias or prejudice against them that they should use to challenge that jurors being seated. Take what happened last week. On Tuesday, Trumps legal team told the court it had concerns about specific prospective jurors who had answered the initial round of the 42 questions on the juror questionnaire. A woman was brought into the courtroom to answer to the defenses allegation that Facebook posts she made in 2020 proved her bias against Trump. Based on her answers, Judge Juan Merchan ruled that she could be fair and impartial, and he denied Trumps for-cause challenge, which is when jurors can be excused from serving because they cant be fair and impartial. The judge did agree with the Trump team that a 2017 Facebook post from one man should disqualify him from the jury. He disagreed when the defense tried to strike a woman based on a social media post her husband had made in 2016. Oftentimes you dont ever see or hear from jury consultants. But they have outsized presences on legal teams because the front-line lawyers are heavily deferring to their insight and advice. A jury consultant doesnt guarantee success, however. Simpson and Rittenhouse were acquitted, but Peterson was found guilty (of the first-degree murder of his pregnant wife and the second-degree murder of his unborn child), and a jury ruled that Trump owed Carroll $83.3 million. The more information litigants have about a prospective juror, the better their chances to secure the right juries for their cases. As we saw last week in this Trump trial, jury selection is more about deselection than selection. With the retention and help of a skilled jury consultant, a defendant can wield more power and control than the prosecution during voir dire because he or she knows more about the jurors than what they provided in their answers to juror questionnaires or in their responses to both sides lawyers. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Opinion: Right now, Id rather raise my child in Taiwan than America. Im not the only one Editors Note: Clarissa Wei is a Taiwanese American journalist and author living in Taipei. Her cookbook, Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories From The Island Nation, was published in 2023. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. When my parents were growing up in the 1970s, they did not consider Taiwan an idyllic place to start a family. It was under martial law and the steady drumbeat of threats from China only seemed to be getting louder with each passing year. My dad still remembers the anxiety that engulfed the island when the United States cut off diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of the Peoples Republic of China in 1979. We werent sure if America would protect us if there was conflict, he told me. And so, in their late 20s, they left everything they knew and moved to the suburbs of Los Angeles where I was born. They werent the only ones; roughly 20% of Taiwanese college graduates went abroad for advanced study in the 1970s and 1980s. Few returned. My parents considered America a safe haven and wanted me to grow up with all its comforts. Whereas they grew up in cramped moldy buildings, I spent my childhood in a four-bedroom house with a backyard and a swimming pool. Whereas they walked to school on uneven sidewalks in a cloud of pollution, my mother drove me to school every day in a comfy SUV. My parents were raised under the shadow of martial law, where folks were jailed and killed for speaking their mind. I was raised in the land of the free, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution as a human right. And yet, decades later, I ended up doing the exact opposite of what my parents did. In 2020 at the cusp of the global pandemic, I moved to Taiwan with my husband. Last year, I gave birth to a baby boy in Taipei. Threats from China have not abated. In fact, tensions have reached such historic highs that Taiwan is often dubbed the worlds most dangerous place by international analysts. This perception is so pervasive that every time my husband and I leave Taiwan, we are greeted with wide-eyed concern by friends and family. Are we safe in Taiwan? Do we think China will attack? A Taiwanese soldier maneuvers an amphibious vehicle during a two-day military drill to show combat readiness at a base in Kaohsiung, in January last year. - Annabelle Chih/Getty Images Though my perspective may be myopic (given the very real possibility of conflict and a military blockade) and comes from a place of privilege (I am a dual citizen of both Taiwan and the United States), theres currently nowhere else Id rather be. How Taiwan overtook America A lot has changed over the past 30 years as Taiwan has transitioned from a dictatorship to a vibrant democracy. In Taiwan, power is handed over peacefully while its no longer a certainty in the US. In Taiwan, guns are illegal. In America, guns are a leading cause of death to children. Taiwan has universal health care; I can pop into any clinic or hospital for immediate and affordable treatment. My entire medical record can be accessed instantaneously via a chip on my health card. In America, medical insurance is opaque and not guaranteed. The contrasts are especially stark now that I am a new mother. The Taiwanese subway system has designated seating areas for pregnant women and children, and there are breastfeeding rooms at every major station. The city has free play centers for children stocked with a wide range of toys. All new parents in Taipei are eligible for monthly cash handouts, and certified daycares and at-home nannies services are subsidized by the city government. In the States, only low-income families qualify for financial aid. Of course, comparing the United States and Taiwan this way without acknowledging the nuanced socio-political contexts can be misleading. While the American health care system is notoriously difficult to navigate, it is far more advanced and state-of-the-art than Taiwans. While Taiwan is great for babies, it can be stressful for school-aged children; the education system emphasizes rote memorization and stifles creative freedom. My husband and I are not convinced we want to stay in Taiwan forever, but America, with its shocking lack of family-friendly policies, is on the bottom of the list of places wed consider moving to. Children pose on a sports-themed Metro train in Taipei, marking the city's status as host of the 2017 Summer Universiade, an international sports event for university athletes. - Tyrone Siu/Reuters Thinking beyond Trump Many Taiwanese people still hold the United States in high regard, but more as a military ally and defender of the island. During the 2020 American presidential election, many in Taiwan rooted for Donald Trump specifically because of his aggressive anti-China rhetoric. During this years election cycle, however, opinions are much more muted. President Joe Biden has defied skeptics by maintaining a tough stance against China over the last four years and pro-Trump sentiments have waned considerably, especially in light of recent comments by the former president accusing Taiwan of taking away Americas semiconductor business. As long as the United States continues to show both symbolic and substantive support and collaboration with Taiwan, I dont think Taiwanese people actually care who the next US president is, Wei-Ting Yen, an assistant professor at Franklin & Marshall College in the US who specializes in Asian countries, told me over a video call. The biggest shift, then, has been how the people of Taiwan perceive the United States. While it remains a popular immigration destination for those who can afford it, America has lost its luster as a sanctuary. My friends in the States are convinced Im living in a highly volatile and dangerous place. But Taiwanese people harbor similar beliefs about the States. Recently at a Chinese medicine shop in Taipei, the owner asked if I felt safe walking down the streets of Los Angeles. He was under the impression that all the major American cities had become wildly unsafe in the last couple of years, rampant with crime and shootings. Arent there guns everywhere? he asked sincerely. It sounds so messy. Im definitely more comfortable here, I responded, not wanting to get into the specifics. He nodded deeply. Taiwan is safer, he said. "In Taipei, I can walk down dark alleyways long past midnight with my purse wide open without fear of getting robbed," says Clarissa Wei, adding it's something she wouldn't feel comfortable doing in the US. - Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images A reverse retirement Its not so much that the United States has become more dangerous (that is the perception, but statistics show otherwise); its more that I have gotten used to letting my guard down. In Taipei, I can walk down dark alleyways long past midnight with my purse wide open without fear of getting robbed. I can leave my phone, wallet and laptop on a coffee shop table, go to the bathroom, and be certain that my possessions will all be there when I come back. Some of my friends dont even lock their front doors. I would not feel comfortable doing any of the above in America. According to last years Global Peace Index, Taiwan is the 33rd most peaceful state or territory in the world. The United States, on the flip side, is the 131st. Last year when my husband and I were in the San Francisco Bay Area for a wedding, our friends instructed us not to not leave anything valuable in the car. Coming from Taiwan, we didnt think much of the advice, until we were looking for parking one day and noticed all the broken car window glass on the streets. Lately, my parents and many of their friends living in the US have been planning their retirement to Taiwan. Emboldened with dual citizenship and the option of being able to leave the island in the worst-case scenario, they are no longer affected by the anxiety of their youth. Now in his 60s, my father is convinced the Chinese threat will not materialize. While I dont agree with him, I understand his point of view. Cross-strait tensions have been strained for seven decades already and, with each passing year, the conflict feels more abstract in spite of the heightened rhetoric and airspace incursions because, eventually, you become numb to it. Chinas Communist Party considers Taiwan a part of its territory - despite never having controlled it. They have not ruled out force to annex Taiwan. People in a Taipei bar watch former president Donald Trump speaking after he was defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Four years later, both men will again go head-to-head in November's election. - Annabelle Chih/NurPhoto/AP The possibility of war hangs over like a persistent dark cloud. If you think about it long enough, it makes you nervous and clammy. But because its a plausibility, not an immediate reality, its easy to ignore. If anything, political violence and upheaval in the States seems far more likely, especially since it would not be unprecedented. On a day-to-day basis, at least, Taiwan seems like the more sensible place to live. I asked my dad a lifelong Republican who he believed was a bigger threat this year: Chinese president Xi Jinping or former president Donald Trump. He responded without hesitation. Trump, he said. Because hes more unpredictable. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com When the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape of Donald Trump sharing his horrifying thoughts about sexual assault became public in October of 2016, I reassured a van full of colleagues from the Hillary Clinton campaign that it would surely be the end. "Don't worry," I told them. "It's fatal." As it turned out, I was wrong. Trump not only survived the worst campaign scandal in modern history but also went on to escape consequences for a range of misbehavior in the Oval Office, including a damning special counsel investigation, two impeachments, and an attempted insurrection. So it's tempting to play it safe and argue that his latest scrape the first criminal trial of a former president will be just another speed bump. That it won't matter to voters. But I don't think that's the case. In a close election, everything matters. Given Trumps continued problems in fully uniting Republicans around his campaign, theres reason to believe that reminding voters of his immoral and possibly illegal behavior will turn off the Republican and swing voters he needs to win. Here are the three biggest reasons: Voters take the charges in the Daniels case seriously. Fifty-eight percent of respondents in a recent New York Times/Siena Poll said the charges were serious. That means even Republican voters who have supported Trump in the past are concerned by the charges. Trump was able to avoid political damage in the past by casting the special counsel investigation and impeachments as political. Still, the criminal charges may prove more challenging to explain away. Rule-of-law Republicans are a growing force. A new group of anti-Trump voters has emerged on the rightthose who supported Trump in 2020 and 2016 but are concerned by his role in the Jan. 6 attack and his lack of respect for the rule of law. If Trump is convicted of breaking the law by a jury of his peers, that could prove another mark against him among Republican voters who care about law and order, as polling during the Republican primary showed. Evangelical voters may be on the edge. Evangelical Christians made an implicit deal with Trump in 2016: They would overlook his bad behavior if he gave them a Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade. That is done, and it's not clear whether Trump has anything sufficient to offer this time around, especially as he struggles with the issue of an abortion ban. And the hush-money case involves claims about the kind of behavior cheating on your pregnant wife with a porn star and then lying about it that most troubles them. In fact, after a "60 Minutes" interview on CBS with Stormy Daniels in 2018, more white evangelicals believed her side of the story. For the last eight years, Trump's hold on a chunk of Republican voters has seemed unshakeable, allowing him to weather all kinds of scandals. But as he sits in a courtroom in the coming weeks, with his wife conspicuously absent, he may finally face a political penalty. At long last, the Teflon may be wearing off; this time, it could be politically fatal. Sign up for MSNBCs new How to Win 2024 newsletter and get election insights like this delivered to your inbox weekly. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Editors Note: Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and national director of ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN. On Sunday, I went to Columbia University just uptown from my office to see for myself what is happening there. Jonathan A. Greenblatt - ADL As I approached the gates of the university, I saw a seething protest. Drums and chants rang down Amsterdam Avenue. Crowds on both sides of the fence egged each other on, repeating calls for intifada and revolution. And yet the most sobering experience came from a listening session hosted in the Hillel by the Columbia Task Force on Antisemitism. Approximately 80 Jewish students from across the university came to tell their stories about their encounters with anti-Israel protesters, crowding into a room. Some were crying. Some were yelling in anger. They shared individual stories, each more harrowing than the previous one. Students told me of having liquids flung at them and getting screamed at for simply wearing a Jewish star. Students illustrated the madness by showing me videos on their phones. One depicted the assault of a Jewish classmate, an Israeli flag ripped from his hand. Another showed a Jewish student being screamed at by a fully masked individual who came right up to his face, his voice shaking with fury. I saw a photo of someone standing in front of openly Jewish students; she held up a sign that read, Al-Qasams next targets, a reference to an armed wing of Hamas. I saw images of oversized posters planted on the Columbia quad, each lionizing men Israel viewed as terrorists. Demonstrators calling openly for Hamas to burn Tel Aviv. Others yelling that October 7 is about to be every day. To be fair, it is not clear that all of those harassing and assaulting Jewish students are Columbia students. It is quite clear that campus outsiders even high-profile critics of Israel like Mohammed el-Kurd, Norman Finkelstein and Nerdeen Kiswani are abundant on campus. But maybe the most jarring moment came when I left the Hillel building. Standing on the corner, a young woman I had seen during the listening session approached me. She introduced herself and literally broke down in tears. She sobbed and sobbed, overcome by exhaustion, and expressed what I heard throughout the afternoon: anguish, desperation, fear. What I saw in Morningside Heights felt like a postcard from the future, a glimpse of what lies ahead if we dont get our arms around this problem without delay. Thats because I have seen firsthand how this situation is unfolding at numerous campuses across the country. And Im not talking about protests Im talking about sheer, unfettered rage. And we shouldnt kid ourselves. While not all of the protestors are violent, the repeated calls of free Palestine or ceasefire now are not about the legitimate claims of one group of people. They are about marginalizing a group of people, forcibly silencing and shoving them out of public spaces not because of what they might believe, but simply because of who they are. Columbia is a preview of a future where persecution has been normalized. This is not some parochial concern. Virulent antisemitism clearly is a problem on its own, but it also is a harbinger of other forms of hate. In that vein, this virus will spread and other minorities will be targeted. For all of these reasons, it is time for immediate and swift action at Columbia and across the country. First, Columbia President Minouche Shafik may be doing her best, but she should invite the NYPD back onto her campus to provide the protection that campus security has failed to deliver. And college presidents across the country need to engage with local law enforcement now to develop plans to ensure the safety of their Jewish students. No one should wait for a tragedy to happen in order to take action. Second, no university should permit full-face masking on their campus. This would not jeopardize the health of any persons you could wear a medical mask to prevent the spread of viruses like Covid. But entire face coverings intended to disguise an individual should not be allowed on any university environment. This is not a free speech issue. Its a public safety imperative. Third, we should reinstitute deterrence: a one-strike policy for those who violate the rules or who break the law. If one student violates the code of conduct, we need the imposition of drastic sanctions, including suspension. If a non-student enters campus and engages in violative behavior, they should be arrested for trespassing, let alone other offenses as appropriate. If local police are on site, this will be easy to implement. Finally, donors, alumni and parents need to demand action and to take action themselves. Every single donor who cares about this issue, who treasures their campus, needs to engage. Stopping funds will get attention. Diverting funds to support nonprofit organizations like the Community Security Service that train volunteers to protect Jewish students, or to universities specifically to support the security of Jewish students on campus, could be even more effective. I anticipate that some critics, even some students, will protest. First, they will gaslight the Jewish victims and complain that its the agitators who are suffering from political persecution. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Just because someone says the earth is flat does not make it so. Others will contest that these guidelines would turn a campus into a police state. However, campuses cannot be lawless zones where anarchy reigns. Jewish students need to be protected. Already, agitators are threatening to replicate Columbia-style protests at other institutions, and indeed it is already happening at places such as Yale University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before this happens, schools need to reassert some measure of authority and retake their campuses from these anti-Israel protests. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Globally, China's economic and political influence is growing, the Chairman of the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), Farid Shafiyev, told journalists, Azernews reports. Azerbaijan should hold a dialogue with China on both platforms, he said. We are not a government agency, but we define certain discussion points for them. Therefore, today we have invited a number of scientific representatives from China. There is an important issue such as cooperation with China within the framework of international organizations, which we should also discuss. We are talking about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization here. The Central Asia 5 platform is also important for us, he concluded. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2024 - 07:10 | All, Japan Bloodstains have been found inside a car belonging to a 25-year-old man arrested over last week's discovery of two burnt bodies on a riverside north of Tokyo, investigative sources said Monday. Ryoken Hirayama, who has been arrested on suspicion of mutilating corpses by setting the bodies on fire at the site in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, also purchased adhesive tape, gasoline and a portable canister, the sources said. They said Hirayama has told investigators that he bought the items "as instructed," with surveillance camera footage confirming the purchases were made at stores in Tokyo and neighboring Saitama Prefecture. Police are investigating whether others may have been involved in the death and corpse damage of Ryutaro Takarajima, 55, and a woman believed to be his wife. Takarajima runs several eateries in Tokyo's Taito Ward. The pair's bodies were found last Tuesday morning by a passerby with their hands and feet bound, and their heads covered in what appeared to be plastic bags and adhesive tape. A portable canister was located nearby, with Takarajima's belongings also found in Hirayama's car. Security camera footage showed the two victims walking with somebody other than Hirayama in the ward's Ueno district around 9:30 p.m. the day before their bodies were discovered. They then apparently traveled by rental car to Tokyo's Shinagawa district, where footage showed them with several other individuals around 11:30 p.m. in the last confirmed sighting of them alive. Police believe the victims were taken to another location in Tokyo before being transported in Hirayama's car to Tochigi Prefecture. Hirayama, who turned himself in last Wednesday, said during voluntary questioning before his arrest that was not involved in their murders and only lent his car. Related coverage: 25-yr-old man arrested over finding of 2 burnt bodies north of Tokyo 2 burnt bodies found on riverside north of Tokyo Police in Oregon have arrested a suspect after he allegedly was captured on a doorbell camera kidnapping a woman at a home outside of Portland. The Hillsboro Police Department, which released images of the struggle, said the woman was "caught on doorbell cam crying for help before she was picked up and carried away" by a male individual in the city late Sunday night. Investigators said the pair "appear to have left in a white pickup" truck from the area of SE 32nd Ave and E Main St in Hillsboro and that the incident was being investigated as a "possible kidnapping." Police then announced Monday morning that a man had been arrested and charged with kidnapping. MISSING TENNESSEE TEEN SEBASTIAN ROGERS DAD HIRES PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR AS SEARCH ENTERS SECOND MONTH: COULD BE ANYWHERE "By the early morning hours of April 23rd, the suspect and victim were identified. The suspect was arrested and the victim is safe. The suspect and victim knew each other and this was not a random attack. There is no danger to the public," the Hillsboro Police Department said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP CHILD WHO SURVIVED 47-HOUR ABDUCTION FROM STATE PARK CREDITED FOR AIRTIGHT CASE AGAINST CAPTOR The identities of the male and female seen in the video have not been publicly released. "Thank you to all the community members who contacted us to provide tips and leads in this investigation," police said. Original article source: Oregon police arrest suspect after woman's kidnapping caught on doorbell camera Orphaned by an airstrike and saved from her dead mothers womb, baby Sabreen has died Sabreen Alrouh Joudeh was born an orphan. And her life, however hopeful, has proved brief. During a barrage of intense Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah this weekend, one blast hit the family home into which Sabreen would have been welcomed, according to local health officials, hospital staff and family members. The blast killed her mother, Sabreen Sakani who was 30 weeks pregnant with her at the time as well as her father, Shukri Joudeh, and her 3-year-old sister she never got to meet, Malak. The family was declared dead at the citys Kuwaiti Hospital on Saturday, but NBC News cameras captured the moment doctors were able to perform a posthumous cesarean section and rescue Sabreen from her mothers lifeless body. Limp and lifeless at first, the vernix-covered newborn weighing just over 3 pounds was taken in a golden fabric blanket and rushed to an upstairs room. There, doctors tried for more than two minutes to resuscitate her by pumping air into her mouth and tapping her chest. They were finally, somehow, successful. Rafah Baby Sabreen Jouda born after mother was killed (Mohammad Jahjouh / AP) From there, she was immediately rushed by ambulance through the night to an intensive care unit incubator at the nearby Emirati Hospital, audibly whimpering on arrival. It was there that her paternal grandmother and uncle paid her an emotional visit, accompanied by NBC News, on Monday. I dont know if we should be happy that she came to life or sad, said her uncle Rami Joudeh, 25, weighing what should have been the joy of Sabreens arrival with the deaths of his brother and sister-in-law, who were just 29 and 27 years old. Our lives are messy. The newborns grandmother Alham Al-Kurdi, 55, wept as she reached into the incubator. You are my soul, my heart. You are my heart, baby, she said, tears rolling over her freckled cheeks, her wrinkled hand caressing the infants tissue-paper skin as machines chirped around her. You are my beloved one. God willing, God willing. She is inside my heart. It was difficult to get a clear view of Sabreens tiny, preterm form through the thick plastic of the incubator keeping her alive. As she was lying swaddled in tubes and wires, those lifelines provided oxygen to her underdeveloped lungs and monitored her fragile pulse. Beneath the technology keeping her alive a rarity in Gaza where many hospitals have been destroyed by six months of war her ribs continued to rise and fall. Though a remarkable vignette, this family has been devastated like so many others in the enclave. A Palestinian doctor tends to Sabreen Jouda, who was delivered prematurely after her mother was killed in an Israeli strike, at the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip on April 20, 2024. (Mohammed Abed / AFP via Getty Images) More than 34,000 people, including some 13,000 children, have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian enclaves Health Ministry. That toll only looks set to rise as Israel focuses its military might on Rafah, Gazas southernmost city that sits on the border with Egypt. Its here where some 1.5 million Palestinians have fled, now sheltering in tents and on the streets. Nevertheless, Israel says it must strike Rafah because Hamas leaders and units are hiding out there. The United States and others have warned Israel against a long telegraphed, full-scale ground assault of the city, given the already desperate civilian population that has been caught up in the fighting. Bombing this weekend alone killed 26 children across three families in the city, according to Health Ministry figures compiled by NBC News. Palestinians say that so-called safe zones designated by Israel are a myth, with people directed to move into areas that have been subsequently bombed anyway. There are no safe places at all, they are liars, liars, Rami Joudeh said. There is no safe place in Gaza. We are all living under the menace of death. Asked for comment on the strike that killed Sabreens family, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, At given times, the IDF struck several military targets of the terrorist organizations in Gaza including military compounds, launch posts and armed terrorists. The hospital that treated the newborn is only one of three still providing maternal care for Gazas 2.3 million population, and 180 women a day are giving birth in inhumane, unimaginable conditions, according to an update from the United Nations Population Fund last week. Every day we have a sad story; every day we have a horrible story, said Dr. Muhammad Salama, head of the emergency neonatal department in the Emirati Hospital, who is treating baby Sabreen. He gestures to other infants under his care. This baby right here, his father has died. This babys mother has died. Another two babies in the ICU, one of them came and we cannot know, sadly, if his mother or father is alive. This takes its toll not just on the families, but also on the medical workers themselves. All medical staff are really tired from these cases, which take a lot of energy physically and psychologically, because we are dealing with babies who were born without mothers and fathers, Salama said. We are exhausted and, physically, we cannot take any more like this. At the time, Sabreen, at least, was getting stronger every day, he said. But she was by no means safe. Because she was born almost two months prematurely, her lungs had not formed properly and she arrived with something called respiratory distress syndrome. And in the end, Dr. Salama said, it was difficult for her lungs to absorb oxygen. On Thursday, less than a week after her birth, Sabreen died. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com "We are devastated by the loss of Karen. She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community," said Fawn Moser, the zoo's interim director Getty Topeka Zoo A zoo in Kansas is mourning the death of an ostrich who died after ingesting a staff member's keys. The Topeka Zoo explained in a Facebook post on Friday, April 19, that Karen was "a vibrant and beloved ostrich" who had been a part of the Giraffe & Friends exhibit since its opening in May 2023. "The circumstances surrounding Karen's passing serve as a solemn reminder of the importance of vigilance and care in maintaining the safety of our animal inhabitants. In this instance, Karen reached beyond her exhibit fence to grab the keys of a staff member. She immediately swallowed the keys," the post read. Zoo staff consulted with experts across the country to help Karen undergo surgical and non-surgical efforts to minimize the keys' impact. "Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful," the zoo said. Alamy Topeka Zoo Related: Golden Retriever Gives Birth to 'Lucky' Green Puppy Named Shamrock: 'She Just Shines' (Exclusive) Calling the situation "tragic," The Topeka Zoo said it had conducted a thorough investigation into Karen's death and will be "taking appropriate actions regarding the team member involved." The zoo is also set to review its current protocols "to further strengthen the safety measures in place for all its residents." "The Topeka Zoo remains committed to ensuring the well-being of all our animals, implementing rigorous protocols to safeguard against such incidents in the future," it continued. Karen was remembered "for her water-loving habits, like swimming in the pool, playing in the sprinkler" and being a "dancing queen." Related: Woman Adopts Senior Dog and Spends Next 28 Days Spoiling Him Before Putting Him to Sleep (Exclusive) Getty Stock image of an ostrich The zoo said her "playful antics" captivated staff and guests, causing them to form "deep connections" with her. It noted that comments in its Facebook announcement would be monitored "in mindfulness of our staff and community." In her own statement, Fawn Moser, Interim Director of the Topeka Zoo, said the entire community is "devastated by the loss of Karen." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community. Our thoughts are with our dedicated animal care team, who formed deep bonds with Karen during her time with us," said Moser. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A single explosion resulting from an Israeli shelling in December destroyed more than 5,000 specimens in Gaza's largest and oldest IVF clinic, according to the director of the medical center. An estimate of 4,000 embryos and an additional 1,000 specimens of sperm and unfertilized eggs stored at the Al Basma center in Gaza City were lost, Dr. Bahaeldeen Ghalayini, the founder and director of the clinic, told ABC News. Among these were the embryos of 45-year-old Najwa Abu Hamada. PHOTO: Damages at the Al-Basma clinic are shown following Israeli shelling. (Dr. Ghalayini/Al-Basma Clinic) "Najwa came to our center in 2022. She had lost her 19-year-old son Khalil in a bombing near their home in Jabalia refugee camp. He was her only child and born after many failed IVF attempts," said Dr. Ghalayini. "She was devastated. We did two operations free of charge for her, we froze her embryos." Abu Hamada started to prepare for her impregnation in 2023 but once the war started, the clinic had to pause everything. In February, Dr. Ghalayini received a call from Abu Hamada. "I had to give her the devastating news that her embryos were destroyed," he recalled. "This was her only chance in life." Similar to Abu Hamada, the singular shell destroyed the hopes and dreams of many women struggling with infertility in Gaza, another face of the suffering that the female population of the strip has experienced since the aftermath of Oct. 7, when Israel began a retaliatory attack after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack in southern Israel. PHOTO: Damages at the Al-Basma clinic are shown following Israeli shelling. (Dr. Ghalayini/Al-Basma Clinic) Over 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza since the war began, an April report from UN Women estimated. The unsanitary conditions, as well as limited assess to food and clean water, make pregnant women and their children, particularly vulnerable to complications and significant health risks. Dr. Ghalayini, 73, founded Al Basma in 1997, after being inspired by the work of his teachers, "I trained with the pioneers of in vitro fertilization, Mr. Patrick Steptoe and Professor Robert Edwards at the world's first IVF clinic in 1983," he told ABC News. The pioneering work of Steptoe and Edwards led to the first baby born via in vitro fertilization in 1978. Al Basma was developed to become the main fertility center in Gaza, with over half of the treatments being carried out in the center. "We had an average of 60-70 patients a month in the last 5 or 6 years. Before that, it was 100 patients a month. We treated 50% of the patients of Gaza, while the remaining half were divided among the other eight [fertility centers]," Ghalayini told ABC News. PHOTO: In this Feb. 14, 2024, file photo, a 24 year-old Palestinian woman pregnant with triplets is shown in Rafah, Gaza.She suffers from malnutrition and extreme anaemia due to the food shortages in the city. (Anadolu via Getty Images, FILE) "We developed dramatically over the years despite Gaza being under Israeli siege," 37-year-old Mohammed Ajjour, Al Basma's chief embryologist and IVF lab director, said. Due to the Israeli military onslaught, Dr. Ghalayini decided to close the center last November. "We told the patients who were due for an operation we will aspirate their eggs and freeze them because of the war. We estimate there were roughly 4,000 embryos and 1,000 eggs and sperm specimens stored in the nitrogen tanks at Al Basma." MORE: Why women, children are disproportionately impacted by the conflict in Gaza: Experts Ghalayini said there was shelling at Al Basma and the surrounding area in early December. "All the equipment was destroyed. When one shell entered the embryology lab, it damaged everything. It blew up the liquid nitrogen tanks, which held the embryos, eggs and sperm. Everything was gone," said Dr. Ghalayini. PHOTO: Damages at the Al-Basma clinic are shown following Israeli shelling. (Dr. Ghalayini/Al-Basma Clinic) Pictures of the clinic in April show the extent of the destruction, with the embryology lab reduced to rubble. "We don't know if this was a deliberate targeting or not," Ajjour added. "I want to emphasize the point that while this is a very ugly, inhumane and unprovoked act, it is part of a comprehensive, collective and harsh punishment borne by Palestinian civilians. It does not compare to the horrors of what is happening to them but fits in the larger pattern of loss and destruction." In a statement to ABC News, the Israel Defense Forces said: "The IDF is operating to dismantle the Hamas terrorist organization, while taking extensive measures to mitigate civilian harm. Specific regulations are also in place for handling sensitive sites and objects that require special protection or consideration. The IDF does not deliberately target civilian infrastructure, including IVF clinics. The IDF is not aware of the specific strike." MORE: Pregnant women, new mothers are at risk amid Israel-Hamas conflict: Experts PHOTO: Damages at the Al-Basma clinic are shown following Israeli shelling. (Dr. Ghalayini/Al-Basma Clinic) Both men are pleading for a permanent cease-fire. Ajjour has an extra plea. "I'm asking fertility organizations around the world, which lead in humanitarian work as we all work for humanity, to please help us. The extent of destruction is so vast that we will not be able to rebuild and provide what we did before without their support. Just as they helped the Ukrainians in the Russian-Ukraine war we have seen the stories of the help that was extended to the IVF clinics there. Help us too. " As for GhaIayini, he is committed to supporting his 50 employees financially and is also working on raising funds to open a branch of Al Basma in Egypt or Qatar to support his center in Gaza. "The Palestinian people, who have been occupied for more than 70 years, have to be free. We want the free world to make us free, to help us go back to our homes so we can live in peace and safety." Over 4,000 IVF embryos destroyed in 1 shelling at Gaza's largest fertility center, director says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com REEDLEY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) After his guinea pig was kicked to death by a 12-year-old in Reedley, Oswaldo Sandoval says he is grateful for the outpouring of support from the local community which included a donation of two new guinea pigs over the weekend. Video from a doorbell security camera released earlier this month showed a juvenile chasing a chicken and attempting to kick it. After the chicken is seen running away, the juveniles attention goes toward the guinea pigs in the cage on the lawn. The juvenile can be seen in the video kicking the guinea pig who, according to the homeowner, died after the incident. Surviving guinea pig could die of depression after other kicked to death in Reedley, owner says After hearing what happened, the ONeil family wanted to help. Allison and her parents raise and show guinea pigs and she says she was devastated when she heard about the Sandoval familys loss. She reached out to offer Oswaldo two of their guinea pigs. Allison ONeil with Oswaldo, holding the two new guinea pigs. I feel so much better to know that theres a community that actually looks out for people and is willing to help, said Oswaldo. Oswaldo warned that guinea pigs can get depressed when there is only one of them, and can even end up dying as a result of that loneliness. He is now taking extra precautions to make sure something like this does not happen again. Were going to be outside. Just watching them. And well also have our window wide open so we can just watch them from the inside as well. He recommends people who have guinea pigs never leave them alone. Dont leave them outside alone. We learned that the hard way. Even if they are in a cage, keep an eye on them at all times. He says he is thankful for the support from the community, and that the family is doing better since the incident. He is also thankful to the family who donated the guinea pigs to him. Thank you guys so much. Theyve really been enjoying it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Several parents, school staff and students made it clear that they are against the proposed plan to consolidate Pittsburgh Public Schools. They said closing schools is not the answer. Some families are even thinking about leaving the district because of this. Several parents, students and school staff rallied to fight for the districts future on Monday afternoon outside the PPS administration building. Channel 11 told you earlier this month when administrators highlighted the need for change in the district, citing a number of things including enrollment and financial issues. Community leaders said they want a say in this decision that impacts their kids education. We dont think closing schoolsand jamming kids on top of each other laying off staff is the way to go, said Angel Gober, 412 Justice executive director. While we dont know which buildings would shut down, parents got a chance to weigh in sharing their concerns with the school board. Weve cut and weve cut and if we keep cutting. We will be down to three teachers and one textbook and a bunch of schools that have been turned into condos, said a PPS parent. Many community members shared how this could hurt students. Their community is important to them they love going to school and then after school going to the playground and seeing their classmates that will be taken away from them, said a PPS parent. The district plans to hire a consulting firm to help finalize the plan, which they hope to present in the fall. The executive director for 412 Justice believes consolidation is only a short-term solution and is pushing for long-term options. How do we put more services into our buildings to attract more families to come to our schools those are some of the conversations we need to be having, said Gober. The plan itself wont be voted on until at least December. The superintendent for Pittsburgh Public School said they are committed to refining this plan with the publics input, ensuring every voice is heard. Right now, theres no list of school closures. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Pittsburgh ice cream shop closing after decades of business Driver hurt when car goes airborne, crashes into West Mifflin McDonalds Fight in Butler County that seriously injured teen under investigation by state police VIDEO: Family, friends remember teen killed in Pittsburgh mass shooting 2 years ago DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Families of the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies filled the room at Mondays Evanston/Skokie School District 65 meeting, the first of several public hearings to discuss the possible closing of the districts only full bilingual school. With the district facing a $7 million budget deficit, the district reported permanent cuts of at least $5 million will be required for the upcoming school year. One cost-cutting measure includes possibly closing Bessie Rhodes, a kindergarten through eighth-grade magnet school at 3701 Davis St., Skokie, that teaches students in a bilingual environment through its Two-Way Immersion program, following the 2025-2026 school year. The program, also known as TWI, sees kindergarten through eighth-grade classes of English and Spanish speakers across te district being taught in both languages in hopes students become fluent in both. It began in 2000 and has further been expanded in the years since and is currently available to all Spanish-speaking English Language Learners, and to English proficient students through a selective enrollment lottery at the following schools: Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, Dawes, Dewey, Oakton, Washington, and Willard, according to a district spokesperson. The program expanded in the 2018-2019 school year at Bessie Rhodes to include all students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade and starting next year, the school will become the first site of the districts Dual Language program, serving sixth to eighth grade students. It breaks my heart, and nothing about this is easy or feels good, District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner said at the April 22 public hearing. The district announced earlier this year it would begin considering closing the school, with Turner arguing the district cant fund its 19 schools while also planning for the opening of a new 5th Ward school in 2026. The new school is designed to address some of the historic wrongs perpetuated against Black Evanston residents who saw their neighborhood schools, like Foster School in the 5th Ward, closed and were then bused to other Evanston schools during desegregation. Turner said the district knew it would likely be closing Bessie Rhodes as far back as 2022 when the district approved the student assignment planning program, designed to rethink school attendance boundaries and student programming options and locations on top of bringing in the 5th Ward school. At that point, plans placed Bessie Rhodes students at the 5th Ward school for a school within a school model. When the new school had to be downsized, it threw a wrench in these plans. Turner argued the 5th Ward school will end up serving a large chunk of Bessie Rhodes students, with 37% of students there residing in that ward, and with declining enrollment across the district for several years and the costs of needed improvements to Bessie Rhodes, the decision made sense. We recognize that this shift has a significant impact on the Bessie Rhodes community and we know this is not what currently enrolled families signed up for, she said. Our school board and administration are faced with difficult decisions I want to assure you that we do care and we take our responsibility seriously to have a strong student-centered transition plan in place should the decision be made to close Bessie Rhodes. District 65 Board of Education President Sergio Hernandez said the district has always had plans to expand dual language programming and is looking forward to seeing other schools get the chance to participate. Its a dream come true that we are expanding Two-Way Immersion across the school district, Hernandez said. Bessie Rhodes, for me, is like a step one in this whole process and it will continue and the ultimate goal (is) to have walkable schools and programs that are high quality and are brought to students, versus taking the students to the program. Others argue the district chose Bessie Rhodes because of its largely low income and minority population, with speakers citing over 90% of the 275 students at the school are of a minority group and nearly two thirds of students are from low income families. Why us? Why start closing schools with the most diverse one in the district? parent Michele Neuendorf said to applause. I urge you to have the hard conversations now and dont just close the school with the fewest wealthy white parents. Parent Aide Acosta echoed Neuendorfs sentiments, saying closing Bessie Rhodes feels like a targeted attack against the Latino community. Your individual decisions are an injustice to my son, my brown son, Acosta said. Without sound justification or a sound strategy, you are harming Black and brown children in our school. She left the microphone saying, Le viva Bessie Rhodes! Former District 65 Board of Education member Rebeca Mendoza closed out public comment, saying if Bessie Rhodes is shuttered, it will be another historic harm perpetuated by District 65. Its going to be really painful to revisit this time in Evanston history when we look back, she said. We dont feel seen and we dont feel heard and I hope that starts to change. If the school were to close, students would get the opportunity to transfer to dual language programs in other D65 schools or take a Spanish Language Arts course at the students neighborhood school. With less than 30 days remaining of the school year, two more hearings are scheduled for May 6 and May 20 with a final decision by the school board scheduled for the final regular meeting of the 2024-2025 school year on June 10. GHENT, WV (WVNS) The first night of Passover is Monday, April 22, 2024 in the Mountain State, and it is a day for Jewish residents and families to come together to celebrate. Jimmy Fortune coming to State Fair of West Virginia This holiday, which has been commemorated for more than a millennium, focuses on the liberation of the Jewish slaves from Egypt. Dr. Joseph Golden, the Secretary for Temple Beth El Congregation in Beckley, shared what this holiday is about and why it is so important to the community. It is the telling of the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and it commemorates many things, but also symbolizes and is reflective of many aspects of Jewish life over the centuries, stated Golden. Anne Wilson to perform at the State Fair of West Virginia Golden also mentioned that this holiday is not just to commemorate only the Jews who were oppressed, but it is also a day for reflection, and a day of empathy for all people who are enslaved or who are oppressed around the world. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2024 - 11:45 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the nation's first combined tactical exercise, which simulated a nuclear counterattack and involved super-large multiple rocket units, the official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday. The report on Monday's drill came after Japan and South Korea detected the launch of at least one ballistic missile from Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan. The exercise was a "clear warning signal to the enemies," KCNA said in reference to South Korea and the United States, which have been conducting joint military exercises since April 12. The super-large multiple rocket launchers accurately hit an island target within a range of 352 kilometers, and Kim expressed "great satisfaction over the result of the drill," the news agency added. The exercise has prepared the North Korean military to carry out an important strategic task "in a rapid and thorough counterattack posture," Kim was quoted as saying. Japan said Monday that a missile, launched at around 3 p.m., was estimated to have flown more than 250 km, while South Korea put the range of what it presumed to be several short-range ballistic missiles at approximately 300 km. KCNA said the drill was conducted simulating a scenario in which the country's "greatest nuclear crisis alarm" was issued, prompting super-large multiple rocket launcher units to fire shells tipped with mock nuclear warheads. North Korea's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, ran a photo showing super-large rocket shells being fired from four mobile launchers simultaneously. Related coverage: North Korea fires ballistic missile into waters outside Japan's EEZ New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is pulling his support for Columbia University over the treatment of Jewish students and faculty during pro-Palestinian protests at the campus in New York City. The announcement by Kraft, a former Columbia student and major donor, adds to pressure on the university, whose president is facing calls by members of Congress to resign. "I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country," Kraft said in a statement through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. "I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken." The businessperson helped kickstart funding for an $11.5 million building with a $3 million donation to construct what would become the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life in 2000, and hes donated millions more since. Kraft is still willing to support the center, he said during a CNN interview later Monday. That has been a haven of safety, he told CNNs Jake Tapper. But the situation on campus has gone too far, for months, he added. He also contrasted the protests over the Israel-Hamas war with his time on campus. I think back when I went to Columbia, the Vietnam war was raging and people spoke out and they paid the consequences, but they were willing to do it. They didn't wear masks and they had accountability. And now we have to have accountability, Kraft said. The turning point" for him, Kraft said, was seeing that Shai Davidai, an outspoken Israeli professor at the school, had his access to campus revoked as he attempted to join a counter-protest. Columbias campus was mired in conflict for the fifth day in a row Monday, as members of Congress called on President Joe Biden to send in the National Guard and politicians from disparate ideological backgroundscriticized the universitys president, Minouche Shafik. More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested after refusing to leave an encampment resurrected on campus last week while Shafik delivered testimony before the House education panel. Columbia is the latest campus to find itself rocked by tensions over Israel's war in Gaza and Kraft isnt the first big-name donor to pull his support from an ivy league alma mater entangled in controversy over the fighting. In October, former U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman pledged to stop giving money to the University of Pennsylvania, where he was once a student and where his family had been prominent donors. Shortly thereafter, billionaire hedge fund founder Leon Cooperman, a Columbia graduate, said he would no longer give money to the university. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft signaled Monday he will no longer donate to Columbia University as pro-Palestinian protests continue at his alma mater for the sixth day. In a statement issued through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, Kraft said he is deeply saddened at the virulent hate at Columbia and other schools across the nation. I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff, and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken, Kraft wrote. It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of many of us who have lost faith in the institution. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have lasted six days at Columbia University, where more than 100 student protesters have been arrested and charged with trespassing. The protesters are calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, along with a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel. Columbia leadership authorized the New York Police Department to arrest students involved in the protests and informed students they would also be suspended from school. The arrests appear to have done little to quell the protests, with demonstrations expanding in recent days in the wake of opposition. Similar protests also broke out at other college campuses in recent days. Concerns were raised over the safety of Jewish students at Columbia, prompting the university to move classes online starting Monday. The announcement came hours before the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. An uptick in antisemitism has been reported in recent months following Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, though a significant portion of the protesting students are Jewish. Several protest groups have pushed back against characterizations of their demonstrations as antisemitic. Kraft, who was raised in Brookline, Mass., in an observant Orthodox Jewish family, said he hopes The Kraft Center at Columbia can serve as source of security and safety for all Jewish students and faculty on campus. The start of the protest encampments began last Wednesday, the same day Columbia president Minouche Shafik testified before the House Education Committee about campus antisemitism. Her testimony, along with her order for arrests, has prompted calls from politicians of both parties to rein in the protests and resign from her post. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In his campaign to block a Houston-area guaranteed basic income program, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is betting that third times the charm. And the Texas Supreme Court just gave him an early win. On Tuesday, the court voted to temporarily halt Harris Countys basic income program, Uplift Harris, after Paxtons office filed an emergency petition. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee told reporters that the decision is disappointing but not surprising given how politicized weve seen the Texas Supreme Court become. Paxtons push to block the program had been rejected in past weeks by both district and appellate courts. Without the courts action on Tuesday, Uplift Harris would have begun sending out $500 monthly checks to nearly 2,000 residents on Wednesday a time window that Paxton argued constituted an emergency. Harris County will violate our Constitution in less than two days, his office wrote in a filing that seeks to block the measure before it can go into effect. Otherwise, Paxton argued, the state fight against the measure will likely drag on for longer than the 18-month pilot itself. And once the payments are made, the funds will not be recoverable. In a statement on Tuesday, Paxton argued that the plan violates the Texas Constitution, which his office claims prohibits this kind of free-money transfer absent an express constitutional exception even for a laudable cause like poverty relief. In his series of filings, Paxton argued that the money is no-strings-attached, and therefore unconstitutional. Harris County has countered that there are significant strings attached: recipients must be at certain low-income levels, live in certain high-poverty counties and cant use the money on illegal conduct an argument that Texas judges have thus far upheld. The states high court offered no explicit opinion on this matter, but stayed the plans rollout while it can be fought out in court. The justices gave Harris County a little less than a week to come up with a response to Paxtons emergency filing. Despite the use by Paxton ally President Trump of similar basic income strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic, Paxtons weeks-long campaign against the measure has carried strong overtones of the culture war. In previous filings he has called it The Harris Handout and a socialist experiment by [County Judge] Lina Hidalgo and the progressive [D]emocrats responsible for the Harris County disaster. In an initial filing, he also implied that the basic income plan represented an electoral quid pro quo. His office wrote that the suit was intended to make sure that public funds are properly expended and not doled out as door prizes at the voting booth. While Paxton did not spell out in his filing what constituted the disaster, the attorney general has long claimed that Harris County was a hotbed of voter fraud. In 2020, Paxton blocked Harris County from sending out millions of mail-in ballot applications to area voters a step he told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon had kept Texas from going over to Biden. Paxtons language in these filings also echoed election denial claims made by a sitting member of the court who will now help adjudicate Paxtons filing. In a December speech, Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine argued, without evidence, that there had been widespread voter fraud in Harris County in the 2020 presidential election. Saying those elections had put in place a corrupted government on a federal level run by a criminal enterprise, Devine charged that Harris Countys reforms to voting measures during the Covid-19 pandemic were an excuse to change election laws so that the Democrats could cheat in Harris County. This was a complete and total disaster, Devine added. This was completely bastardized right before everyones nose. Devine implied to the crowd that 2020 was prologue: Democrats were going to cheat in Harris County in 2024. Do you really think the Democrats are going to roll over and let Trump be president again? You think theyre just going to go away, all of a sudden find Jesus and [there will] be an honest election? I dont think so. In a statement at the time, Menefee called these statements shockingly inappropriate given that the perennial litigation between state and county means that Harris County has been and will continue to be before his court, The Texas Tribune reported. Menefee added that he hoped Justice Devine acts with integrity and recuses himself from Harris County cases moving forward, but given his concession that he views himself as aiding Republicans in a fight against Democrats, I wont hold my breath. The Hill has reached out to Devine. As of press time, the justice had not recused himself from the case. Updated at 2:25 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Prominent literary organization PEN America has canceled its annual awards ceremony, which was due to be held next week, after 28 authors chose to withdraw their books from consideration. The group has faced increasing backlash over its response to the Israel-Hamas War. Among those dropping out was debut novel finalist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, wife of former PEN president Salman Rushdie, according to the Associated Press. Of those withdrawing are also nine out of the 10 authors nominated for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. The Literary Estate of Jean Stein has directed PEN America to donate the $75,000 award to the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund, representatives said on Monday. More from Deadline The decision to cancel the awards comes in the wake of escalating upset against PEN America. A series of open letters signed by PEN nominees in recent weeks have criticized the group for allegedly choosing sides against Gaza in the war that started after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the BBC reported. According to LitHub, more than 1,000 writers and poets have signed an open letter to the organization, calling on it to find the same zeal and passion that they have for banned books in the U.S. to speak out about actual human beings in Palestine. In another letter, released in March, Naomi Klein was among a prominent group of writers who announced they were pulling out of this years PEN World Voices Festival saying, In the context of Israels ongoing war on Gaza, we believe that PEN America has betrayed the organizations professed commitment to peace and equality for all, and to freedom and security for writers everywhere. In a statement released on Monday regarding the cancelation of its awards, PEN Americas Literary Programming Chief Officer Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said, We greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees in their respective categories or not. We regret that this unprecedented situation has taken away the spotlight from the extraordinary work selected by esteemed, insightful and hard-working judges across all categories. As an organization dedicated to freedom of expression and writers, our commitment to recognizing and honoring outstanding authors and the literary community is steadfast. Also on Monday, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Wendy Vanden Heuvel and Bill Clegg, on behalf of the foundation and the Literary Estate of Jean Stein, provided a statement reading, Jean Stein was a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights who published, supported, and celebrated Palestinian writers and visual artists. While she established the PEN America award in her name to bring attention to and provide meaningful support to writers of the highest literary achievement, we know she would have respected the stance and sacrifice of the writers who have withdrawn from contention this year. To honor their decision the Estate of Jean Stein has directed PEN America to donate the $75,000 award to the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund. Although there will be no ceremony this year, PEN America said it is honored to recognize the career achievement winners including playwright Tony Kushner for the 2024 PEN/Mike Nichols Writing for Performance Award. Rachel Zegler, who starred in the 2021 Kushner-Steven Spielberg adaptation of West Side Story, had been due to present the award during the now-canceled ceremony. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tali Farhadian Weinstein speaks onstage during the 2023 PEN America Literary Gala at American Museum of Natural History on May 18, 2023 in New York City. Credit - Cindy Ord/Getty Images for PEN America PEN America has canceled its prestigious 2024 awards ceremony after nearly half the writers nominated for a prize withdrew their work in protest of the organizations stance on the war in Gaza. The group, which is dedicated to free expression, announced on Monday the cancellation of the April 29 awards in New York City. Some 28 of the 61 authors and translators who were nominated for awards had this year withdrawn their books, citing PEN Americas alleged lack of support for Palestinian writers. Nine out of ten authors nominated for the $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Awardthe events most lucrative honorwithdrew their work from consideration. We greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees in their respective categories or not, PEN Americas Literary Programming Chief Officer Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said in a press release on Monday. We regret that this unprecedented situation has taken away the spotlight from the extraordinary work selected by esteemed, insightful, and hard-working judges across all categories, Rosaz Shariyf said. The annual awards ceremony has, since 1963, recognized outstanding literary voices across multiple genres including fiction, poetry, childrens literature, and drama. This writers boycott comes amid growing discontent in the literary sphere over PEN Americas response to Israels ongoing bombardment of Gaza, as the conflict approaches its 200th day. Since February, over 1,300 writers and poets have called on PEN America to find the same zeal and passion that they have for banned books in the U.S. to speak out about actual human beings in Palestine. A second open letterpublished last weeksaw 30 nominated writers and translators demand the resignations of PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, PEN America President Jennifer Finney Boylan, and the entire PEN America Executive Committee. There are also question-marks about PEN Americas World Voices Festival, due to take place in New York City from May 8 to 11 and Los Angeles from May 8 to 18. Last month, prominent writers such as Naomi Klein, Michelle Alexander, and Zaina Arafat, signed an open letter withdrawing from the festival. Following the boycott, PEN America shared the names of its 2024 finalists and winners online. The organization said it is considering how to allocate funds for each award on a case by case basis. The estate of Jean Stein has directed PEN America to donate the $75,000 prize money to the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund, calling Stein a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights in PEN Americas press release. Proud, inspired, wrote novelist Maya Binyam, one of the nominees who withdrew their work, on social media platform X. Thank you to all the authors who withdrew their work, to the PEN staff who supported our action, to the writers who withdrew from the WVF and charted a path forward, to Jean Stein for saying what PEN America refuses toGaza will be free. Write to Armani Syed at armani.syed@time.com. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) on Monday announced the states efforts to make half of all state agencies run on solar power. The Pennsylvania Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy (PA PULSE) plans to get the state to have 50 percent of its electricity from 10 new solar plants around the state. The initiative would make Pennsylvania the first state in the country to commit to generating half its energy from solar power, Shapiros news release said. The historic PA PULSE initiative, which began under the previous Administration, is proof that we can do both investing in reliable, affordable power in the long-term, Shapiro said in a statement. Under the plan, Shapiro said his administration will create energy jobs and take real action to address climate change. Consumers will pay less on their bills, and the plan will ensure the state maintains its energy independence in the future. The Department of General Services has entered a contract with energy company Constellation. The 15-year fixed price contract will keep the rate the same, even if energy costs rise. Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez said in a statement the company is proud to partner with Shapiro on the project to power vital state agencies with clean energy and keep the Commonwealth on course to a carbon-free future. Shapiros plan, the release said, will create more than 14,500 jobs in the state. The initiative would thrust Pennsylvania to the leading spot in the nation using renewable energy, beating out states like California and Texas. The 10 solar arrays will be in six counties and supply 361,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually to 16 state agencies. The states larger energy plan will reduce the states carbon footprint by 157,800 metric tons of CO2 each year, the equivalent of 34,000 gas-powered cars, the release said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Pentagon said Monday that it is not abandoning the counterterrorism mission in West Africa even as it begins negotiations to withdraw the U.S. military presence in Niger and questions are arising over military operations in neighboring Chad. The potential military withdrawal from Niger comes more than a month after the military junta ruling the country made the demand, after it came to power in July through a coup. A U.S. official told The Associated Press on Saturday that there is no timeline for the withdrawal from Niger, which hosts American bases and has played a key role in the U.S. effort to combat a proliferation of terrorist groups in Africa. "There is a significant counterterrorism consideration here throughout Western Africa and something that we continue to work very hard on," Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday. "We'll also continue to explore options and how we can ensure that we're able to continue to address potential terrorist threats." Read Next: Vandenberg Space Force Base Deemed Contaminant Free Amid Rising Cancer Concerns Among Missile Personnel Discussions have begun between an American delegation and Niger about an "orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country," according to Ryder. The U.S. military has two bases in the country that have been used in counterterrorism operations against organizations such as the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and al-Qaida affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM. Between January and June 2023, the region experienced more than 1,800 terrorist attacks that killed more than 4,500 people, according to a press release from the United Nations. In 2017, 12 U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were accompanying 30 Nigerien troops on a mission to capture or kill a high-level Islamic State group leader when they were ambushed by more than 100 extremists just outside the village of Tongo Tongo, leaving four American soldiers dead and two more wounded. In July 2023, a military junta in Niger ousted democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum from power. Since then, the Pentagon has evacuated some personnel from the country and consolidated the majority of its military footprint at one of its two bases. At the moment, there are around 1,100 U.S. personnel in the country. Ryder would not say what would happen to the two bases should U.S. forces withdraw completely. After the coup, international news outlets have reported that Niger's rulers have begun to pursue closer ties with Russia. Nearby Mali and Burkina Faso -- countries also run by military juntas -- already have Russian troops in place. The news of the withdrawal negotiations comes just days after outlets such as Reuters reported that at least one military official in neighboring Chad has also issued a demand that the U.S. military halt its activities in the country. Ryder stressed Monday that "to my knowledge, U.S. forces have not been asked to leave Chad" but noted that there have been discussions with the country about the legal agreement that governs the U.S. presence there. However, unlike Niger, where the American military maintained a significant presence that included airfields from which drone missions were launched, a defense official told Military.com that there are only around 100 U.S. troops -- mostly officers who manage military coordination efforts, not operations -- in Chad, and that total also includes embassy staff. "We're going to continue to take ... the terrorist threat seriously and we're going to continue to work with partners throughout Africa on that front," Ryder said. The Pentagon wants "to work with reliable partners to address the threat that affects countries and citizens all throughout the region." Related: Niger's Junta Rulers Ask for Help from Russian Group Wagner as it Faces Military Intervention Threat KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2024 - 23:00 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- LDP proposes forfeiting unreported political funds in reform plan TOKYO - Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday compiled draft proposals on political funds reform in the wake of a recent slush money scandal, centering on forfeiting deliberately unreported income for submission to the national coffers. The LDP, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also proposed obliging lawmakers to issue certificates when submitting their political funds reports and that neglecting to sufficiently check the documents could result in punishments, according to the reform plan. ---------- Japan eyes cashless tax refunds to stem illicit resale by tourists TOKYO - Japan is considering introducing cashless tax refunds for inbound travelers, as part of efforts to prevent them from illicitly earning money by reselling tax-free items before departure, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. Under the envisaged system, the government would have foreign travelers pay for products that include the consumption tax, which would be later refunded through a credit card or other cashless format, the sources said. ---------- U.S. forces to join search for crashed Japan SDF choppers in Pacific TOKYO - The U.S. military will join Japan's search and rescue efforts for seven missing Maritime Self-Defense Force members after two helicopters crashed in the Pacific over the weekend, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Tuesday. The U.S. Navy will dispatch a P-8 patrol plane, Kihara told reporters, with the search areas off the Izu island chain, about 600 kilometers south of Tokyo, widening as time passes due to tides. ---------- IAEA starts 2nd review of Fukushima water treatment process TOKYO - An International Atomic Energy Agency task force on Tuesday began a review of the process in which treated radioactive water is discharged from the Fukushima nuclear plant, the second review since Japan started releasing the water into the ocean last August. The task force will inspect the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan on Wednesday while the current release is underway, and hold discussions with the industry ministry, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. and the Nuclear Regulation Authority during its mission through Friday. ---------- Japan supermarket sales grow 3.7% in FY 2023, biggest rise in 32 yrs TOKYO - Japan's supermarket sales in fiscal 2023 rose 3.7 percent from the previous year on a same-store basis, marking the largest rise since 1991, as price hikes for food and other goods propped up sales, an industry body said Tuesday. Sales at 10,920 supermarkets operated by 54 companies totaled 13.73 trillion yen ($88.7 billion), with shoppers also buying more items as they became less frugal in March, according to the Japan Chain Stores Association. ---------- Economic security minister Takaichi visits war-linked Yasukuni shrine TOKYO - Japan's economic security minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine, seen by some of Tokyo's Asian neighbors as a symbol of its past militarism, raising concerns about potential backlash from China and South Korea. Takaichi, known for her hawkish views on national security issues, has routinely visited the Shinto shrine in Tokyo on various occasions, such as its biannual rites and the anniversary of Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945. ---------- Strong aftershocks rattle Taiwan but no casualties reported TAIPEI - Strong aftershocks continued to rattle Taiwan on Tuesday after a deadly earthquake claimed the lives of 17 people in the island's eastern county of Hualien in early April, but there were no reports of casualties following the latest temblors. The aftershocks in the early hours of Tuesday registered magnitudes of 6.0 and 6.3, respectively, leaving at least two multistory buildings that had been unoccupied in Hualien partially collapsed and tilted. Another quake registering a magnitude of 5.8 occurred in the morning. ---------- Honda to build new EV plant in Canada as competition intensifies TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. is planning to build a new electric vehicle factory in Canada as part of efforts to strengthen its production capacity in North America amid intensifying competition, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. It will be Honda's second EV plant in North America, a major market for battery-driven cars, as the Japanese automaker is currently retooling its existing factory in Ohio in the United States so it can produce all-electric vehicles from 2025. Video: Endangered leopard cat released on western Japan island Peruvian woman becomes first person in country to die by euthanasia A Peruvian woman with an uncurable disease that left her bed ridden and requiring round-the-clock care has become the first person in the country to die by euthanasia. After a long legal battle, Ana Estrada, 47, died on her own terms, in accordance with her idea of dignity and in full control of her autonomy until the end, her family said in a statement shared Monday. Euthanasia is prohibited in Peru, but in February 2021, a Peruvian court ordered health authorities to respect Estradas decision to end her life through the medical procedure of euthanasia. It was the first time in the countrys history that its justice system recognized and authorized a persons right to end their life. Health authorities did not appeal, and the decision was later ratified by the Supreme Court in July 2022. This is a historic ruling, her lawyer, Walter Gutierrez, said at the time, adding that Estrada was very happy. Gutierrez explained to CNN en Espanol that Estrada loved life and wanted to continue living within the limitations of her circumstances, but wanted the freedom to die on her own terms. A psychologist by profession, Estrada suffered from polymyositis, a chronic and degenerative disease that affected her muscles, preventing her from speaking and leaving her bed ridden. She was on a ventilator and needed nurses to care for her 24-hours a day. Estrada spoke to CNN en Espanol on two occasions. During a 2021 interview, Estrada said she wanted to exercise my right to choose when, how and where to die. By then, she had been going through a legal battle for about four years, initially on her own and later with the help of the Ombudsmans Office. Anas legacy will live in the minds and hearts of many people and in the history of our country, the familys statement read. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Pflugerville police searching for woman last seen in mid-March PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) Police in Pflugerville are searching for a missing woman who was last seen over a month ago, and they need the publics help. The Pflugerville Police Department said Crystal Monet Caudillo, 35, was last seen on March 15. Shes described as a Hispanic woman, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 115 pounds with brown hair and eyes. Pflugerville PD said its searching for Crystal Monet Caudillo, 35. (Photo: Pflugerville PD) Anyone with information on where she could be should call the department at (512) 990-6700. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Rep. Kevin Boyle (Commonwealth Media Service) An arrest warrant for Pennsylvania state Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Philadelphia) has been withdrawn after previously unavailable information was obtained by authorities, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said Monday. Police said last week that Boyle faced arrest for a charge that he had violated a protection from abuse order obtained by his ex-wife. The announcement late Monday afternoon came about 15 hours before polls open in the primary election where Boyle is on the ballot for the Democratic nomination to run for reelection in his northeast Philadelphia district. It also follows a partisan dispute in the House last week in which Republican leaders objected to Boyles vote being cast in his absence by the Democratic whip while he faces arrest. Krasner said in a news conference Monday the arrest warrant was supported by information provided by a Philadelphia police detective in an affidavit of probable cause. While that appears, by all indications to have been truthful, and in good faith, it was missing a key piece of information that our office was only able to confirm in a meaningful way today, Krasner said. The actual protection from abuse order was no longer in effect on the relevant dates when Mr. Boyle is alleged to have violated that order. Krasner added that the withdrawal of the warrant does not clear Boyle of wrongdoing and that a determination will be made later. Krasner declined to provide additional information about the allegation against Boyle. I see no bad faith on the part of the Philadelphia Police Department or on the part of our office, Krasner said, adding that there may be lessons to be learned from the situation. Simply put, this is a situation where newly confirmed information has changed our analysis and at this point, we do not see probable cause and therefore must withdraw this warrant, Krasner said. Boyle, whose whereabouts have been unknown since police confirmed the warrant last Tuesday, is on the ballot for reelection to an eighth term, although his campaign has been inactive for much of the year. Sean Dougherty, the nephew of former Philadelphia labor leader John Dougherty (who is currently on trial on conspiracy and extortion charges), was recruited to challenge Boyle when the incumbents problems became public in February. A video circulated on social media showed Boyle, who appeared to be intoxicated, threatening to have a Montgomery County tavern shut down after he was asked to leave. Police were called to the Rockledge bar and an investigation was started but no charges have been filed in that incident. In 2021, Boyle was arrested for violating a restraining order his then-wife had obtained against him. After his earlier arrest, Boyle was open about his struggles with mental illness and his brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-2nd District), said last week the family is focused on helping him get well. House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) said Democratic leaders remain deeply concerned about Boyle. Kevin is our dear friend and his deteriorating mental health over the past few months has been heartbreaking to witness, Bradford said in a statement Monday. I continue to urge Kevin to get the help he clearly needs. Todays developments and the spectacle of the past few months should not obscure what is at stakea sick mans life. This isnt political theater, Bradford added. In the House chamber Wednesday afternoon, Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) moved, unsuccessfully, to challenge Speaker Joanna McClintons (D-Philadelphia) ruling that Boyles absentee vote would continue to be counted. Under House rules, lawmakers who are not present in the chamber may designate their partys whip to cast votes on their behalf. Cutler said McClintons ruling that the designation remains in effect when a lawmaker is not in touch with party leaders or perhaps deceased is an absurd interpretation of the rules. House Democrats, who control the lower chamber with a one-vote majority, introduced a resolution on Friday to amend the rules to allow a lawmaker who is incapacitated to be suspended or expelled. The post Philly DA Krasner withdraws arrest warrant for embattled state Rep. Kevin Boyle appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. FLORENCE, Texas (KXAN) Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers are gathered in Florence, Texas this week to battle for the title of Top Trooper. Each year, DPS holds a multi-day competition testing troopers driving and firearm skills, physical conditioning and endurance and job knowledge through nine events. This year is the 12th annual competition. A troopers job is rigorous. There are high demands, and this is a great way to test the demands that are going to be put on them on their day-to-day job, said Justin Charne with DPS. DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) From shooting, to driving, physical conditioning and endurance exercises, dozens are fighting for the top spot. Although, DPS leadership said its not just about physical tests. One of the things we have that theyre also competing in is an oral board for job knowledge. So every aspect on what a trooper does on their day to day job is what were testing, Charne said. While the event is all fun and games now, its all done in respect and honor of a fellow trooper. The competition is named after Trooper Javier Arana, Jr., who competed in the first year of the games. He got third place, and tragically died on duty a few month later, according to DPS. One male and one female trooper will earn the Javier Arana Jr. Top Trooper Award, named after the fallen trooper who DPS said participated in the inaugural competition. The competition takes place at the DPS Tactical Training Facility in Florence. Winners will be announced by DPS on Friday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Students occupy the grounds of Columbia University in support of Palestinian rights, on April 18, 2024. Credit - Nina BermanRedux Pro-Palestinian encampments have started on more than a dozen American college campuses, including New York University (NYU), Yale University and Columbia University. Dozens of students have been arrested or suspended for participating in these protests. On Monday night, the NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters at NYU, including facultywho formed a human chain around the encampment to protect students. Law enforcement charged students with trespassing after they set up the encampment outside the Stern School of Business. It was extremely violent; (police) started to throw lawn furniture, says an NYU graduate student, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation from the university. The student says encampments have spread like wildfire after Columbias president, Minouche Shafik, invited cops onto campus. Definitely, Columbia was the precedent, the student adds. The NYU encampment has since been cleared by law enforcement. Others are ongoing. Antiwar protesters have started encampments at UC Berkeley, UNC Chapel Hill, Washington University in Saint Louis, University of Michigan, The New School, MIT, Emerson College, Tufts University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Rochester, the University of Minnesota and the University of Maryland. Some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on college campuses with encampments. A few have staged counter-protests, although they have been much smaller. Other Jewish students are part of the protest movement. Student organizers have denied antisemitism allegations. Protesters primary demand is that their universities divest from companies that benefit from the Israeli occupation. The cost of waiting is too high, they say. Here are photos from the encampments: New York University students set up a Liberated Zone tent encampment in Gould Plaza at NYU Stern School of Business on April 22, 2024. Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images Yale students and protesters sing and rally chants as they block the intersection of College Street and Grove Street, outside Woolsey Hall, in New Haven, Conn., on April 22, 2024. Aaron FlaumHartford Courant/Tribune News Service/Getty Images A coalition of University of Michigan students rally at an encampment to pressure the university to divest its endowment from companies that support Israel or could profit from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, on the University of Michigan college campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on April 22, 2024. Rebecca CookReuters Pro-Palestinian protesters gather in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on April 22, 2024. Justin SullivanGetty Images People pray as New York University students set up a tent encampment in Gould Plaza at NYU Stern School of Business on April 22, 2024. Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images Police intervene and arrest more than 100 students at New York University who continue their demonstration on campus in solidarity with the students at Columbia University and to oppose Israels attacks on Gaza, on April 22, 2024. Fatih AktasAnadolu/Getty Images NYPD officers face protesters after detaining demonstrators and clearing an encampment set up by pro-Palestinian students and protesters on the campus of New York University, on April 22, 2024. Alex KentAFP/Getty Images Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at a street intersection at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., on April 22, 2024. Adrian Martinez ChavezThe New York Times/Redux Pro-Palestinian protesters set up a tent encampment in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on April 22, 2024. Justin SullivanGetty Images Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests continue outside the gates of Columbia University, and inside the campus, in New York City, on April 22, 2024. Mark PetersonRedux Protestors occupy an encampment in support of Palestine on the grounds of Columbia University on April 22, 2024. David Dee DelgadoGetty Images Students erect a line in front of pro-Israel students to protect a large pro-Palestine picket at Columbia University, on April 18, 2024. Nina BermanRedux Write to Sanya Mansoor at sanya.mansoor@time.com. DENVER (KDVR) Two yearling mountain lions were saved from drowning on Friday at Vallecito Reservoir, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlifes Southwest Regional office. The agency said Mike Canterbury, dam tender with Pine River Irrigation District, was going to release water from the reservoir down the spillway when he saw two young mountain lions trapped by the spillways high walls. Bears and humans dont mix, so Colorado is granting $1M to help keep them separate Canterbury called CPW and Wildlife Officer Ty Smith responded. He discussed options with Canterbury and irrigation district Superintendent Ken Beck, and the district allowed CPW onto the hydroelectric plant property to try and rescue the lions. Smith said he was not sure if he would have to sedate the mountain lions through a dart, or if they would come out another way. The wildlife officer was given a rope, which he dangled in front of the kittens for them to grab onto, allowing him to lift the kitten out. That worked for one of the large cats. The first mountain lion held onto the rope until it reached the top of the spillway barrier, where it ran off into the woods. However, the second lion ran down the spillway to where Los Pinos River continues below the dam. The spillway was too tall for the yearling mountain lions to escape. The spillway was too tall for the yearling mountain lions to escape. The spillway was too tall for the yearling mountain lions to escape. CPW District Wildlife Manager Ty Smith looks into the spillway. The spillway was too tall for the yearling mountain lions to escape. This mountain lion held onto the rope until it got to the top of the spillway barrier, then ran away. This mountain lion held onto the rope until it got to the top of the spillway barrier, then ran away. This mountain lion held onto the rope until it got to the top of the spillway barrier, then ran away. This mountain lion wouldnt hold the rope and instead ran to where the spillway connected to Los Pinos River. This mountain lion wouldnt hold the rope and instead ran to where the spillway connected to Los Pinos River. This mountain lion wouldnt hold the rope and instead ran to where the spillway connected to Los Pinos River. Officer Smith looks into the hydroelectric plant. CPW District Wildlife Manager Ty Smith looks to throw a rope near two trapped yearling mountain lions. A yearling mountain lion stands next to a rope as CPW tries to rescue it from a dam spillway. A yearling mountain lion stands next to a rope as CPW tries to rescue it from a dam spillway. A yearling mountain lion hides under a truck after a rescue. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife SW Region) Unwilling to swim to reach the bank, the young lion continued to pace around at the waters edge and moved into a corner of the spillway, CPW said on social platform X. According to CPW, Smith wanted to avoid darting the feline, so he climbed down onto the spillway with the rope, hoping to find a way to free the lion. Like most cats, it was interested in the rope, and CPW staff used a catch pole to lift the lion over the concrete wall and release it. 4 yearling cattle killed in wolf depredation in Grand County But that was not the end: Instead of running into the woods, the kitten hid under a truck for a few minutes. Then, it decided to follow its sibling into the woods. We thank Beck and Canterbury for delaying the dam release and reporting this to give CPW a chance to rescue them, CPW said in its social posts. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Planned Parenthood is planning to spend $10m its largest single state investment to help fund Democratic organising efforts in North Carolina's swing districts. The investment is aimed at driving voters to support the Democrats running for office in the state including a contested governor's race as well as to bolster turnout for Joe Biden in the 2024 election. In 2020, Mr Biden lost North Carolina to Donald Trump by just over a percentage point. A recent analysis by Moody's Analytics suggests that state could flip blue in 2024. Critically, North Carolina is the only Deep South state where abortion is still legal after six weeks of pregnancy. That fact has become a major talking point for Democrats campaigning in the state this year, the New York Times reports. Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, who is running for the Republicans in the state's gubernatorial race, has endorsed a total ban on abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected. He has previously called abortion "murder," and insisted that when a woman becomes pregnant her body no longer belongs to her, even though he admitted having paid for an abortion in 1989. Mr Robinson is running against Democrat Josh Stein, the state's attorney general. Democrats are hoping that Mr Robinson's staunch stance on abortion, combined with grass-roots efforts and the new organising investment made by Planned Parenthood, will help motivate concerned voters to back them come November. As we head into November, all eyes are on North Carolina because abortion access across the entire region will be determined by the results of this election, Emily Thompson, the deputy director of Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic and the spokesperson for the organisation's super PAC, Planned Parenthood Votes, said in a statement. Planned Parenthood's investment will reportedly focus not just on the gubernatorial and presidential elections, but also 16 state legislature races. Democrats in North Carolina need to pick up a single seat and hold onto the ones they have in order to break the Republican supermajority in the state legislature. Mike Lonergan, a spokesman for Mr Robinson, brushed off Planned Parenthood's planned investment, saying it was part of the "same old playbook" used by Democrats in the past, and called both the Democratic Party and the organisation "extreme and out of step with our state's values." While that may have been true at one point, it may not be so in modern day North Carolina; the state has one of the fastest-growing populations in the US, with most of the newcomers moving into urban counties which typically vote for Democrats. Mr Lonergan said that while Mr Robinson will support the fetal hearbeat bill to eliminate nearly all abortions, the lieutenant governor also wants to turn North Carolina into a destination state for life by doing more to support women that choose life, like improving our foster-care and adoption systems, and preserving access to I.V.F". Planned Parenthood's organisers have said they will spend their time trying to reach suburban white women early on in their campaign, and that the organisation has hired advocates who will target young Black and Latino voters as well. Anderson Clayton, the state's Democratic Party Chair, told The Independent that "it is now or never for us" in North Carolina. "We either have it happen in 2024 or we go to sleep for ten years," he said. "If we lose this Supreme Court seat this year, weve got no chance to take back the courts in 2028, which means were under gerrymandered maps for the next 10 years in North Carolina. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce a 500-million-pound ($617 million) uplift in military support for Ukraine during his visit to Poland on April 23. The announcement will come with a warning that defeating Russia is imperative to halt any further advancement of its troops into Europe. Sunak's trip to Poland to meet Prime Minister Donald Tusk marks his first international visit in months. The purpose is to demonstrate to his restless party that he remains in control ahead of an upcoming election, which many anticipate he will not win. Sunak will then travel to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The U.K. has consistently voiced strong support for Ukraine, and the increased funding will bring London's total military assistance for this fiscal year to 3 billion pounds (roughly $4 billion). The action follows closely on the heels of the Ukraine aid approval by the U.S. House of Representatives. "Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border," Sunak said in a statement. The U.K. will send what it described as its largest-ever single package of equipment, including 60 boats, more than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility Husky vehicles, 162 armored vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles, over 1,600 strike and air defense missiles and nearly four million rounds of small arms ammunition. "The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our NATO allies," Sunak said. Read also: Ukraine to receive new military aid from US sooner than expected, congressman says during visit to Kyiv Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Police Believe Okla. Dad Fatally Shot Wife, 3 of Their Children Before Turning Gun on Himself Jonathon Candy, 42, is suspected of fatally shooting his wife, Lindsay Candy, 39, and three of their children, police say Lindsay Terry Candy/Facebook Lindsay Candy Five people were found dead inside their Oklahoma home by officers performing a welfare check on the morning of April 22, 2024 Oklahoma City police believe Jonathon Candy, 42, fatally shot his 39-year-old wife and three of their children before turning the gun on himself A motive for the violence remains under investigation Five members of the same family were found dead at their Oklahoma home this week, authorities said. Police in Oklahoma City responded to the familys home for a welfare check around 9:35 a.m. on April 22, a press release states. When they arrived, officers found five people who had been fatally shot. Jonathon Candy, 42, is suspected of fatally shooting his wife, Lindsay Candy, 39, and three of their children Dylan Candy, 18, Ethan Candy, 14, and Lucas Candy, 12 before turning the gun on himself. KOCO 5 News/YouTube Authorities at the scene. A fourth child who was inside the home remained unharmed, police said. Prior to the victims names being released, Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight told NBC News that they all died violently. In a statement sent to parents on April 22, Mustang Public Schools confirmed that two of the deceased children were students in the district and another was a recent graduate, according to News on 6. Earlier today, we confirmed that a tragedy occurred at a home within our District, and we can now confirm the deaths of two of our students (a 6th-grade student attending Meadow Brook Intermediate and a 9th-grade student attending Mustang High School) along with a recent (2023) MPS graduate," the statement said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Police said they are still investigating a motive for the violence. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Oklahoma City Police Department's Homicide Tip Line at 405-297-1200. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. By Ko Obinata, KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2024 - 08:19 | Feature, All, Japan, World With no end in sight to the war in Ukraine following Russia's invasion more than two years ago, Ukrainian evacuees in Japan have had to face up to the reality that returning home is not a realistic option for the foreseeable future, as they prepare to stay in their host country for the long haul. While evacuees must overcome the high hurdle of obtaining Japanese language proficiency in order to achieve a stable life in Japan, Ukrainian evacuees are making efforts to become more self-reliant with assistance from support groups. They are also benefitting from a system set up by the Japanese government last year to grant foreigners fleeing from conflict zones such as Ukraine working visas, permitting long-term resident status. In the southwestern city of Beppu in mid-March, Hidefumi Yamaguchi, a Russian language interpreter, gave lessons on Japanese language in a class attended by seven Ukrainian evacuees. The class was sponsored by the local nonprofit organization Beautiful World. Yamaguchi explained how aspects of Japanese plural grammar compare with Russian, and responded to their questions. Russian is widely spoken in Ukraine, especially in the eastern part of the country and urban areas, and the attendees used the language to ask their questions. The Oita Prefecture city of Beppu, known for having a large number of hot springs, has some 30 Ukrainian refugees living there. Due to the large number of international students in the city, it readily accepted them. Providing support to the evacuees living in the area has generally been straightforward because most of them are living in the same residential complex. But living in such close proximity to each other has naturally meant that they have not yet had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in a Japanese language environment. Finding that they were unable to keep up with Japanese language lessons held in Japanese, the NPO decided to offer them free classes conducted in Russian. "They easily understood my lesson," Yamaguchi said. The class was "understandable and interesting," one of the seven participants, Stromina, 47, said with a smile. Despite the new visa status for long-term residency, however, financial assistance for Ukrainian evacuees from support groups and other sources is limited. Beautiful World places emphasis on language education because proficiency in Japanese holds the key to employment and financial independence. As of March 20 this year, some 2,100 Ukrainian evacuees were in Japan, according to government data. The Nippon Foundation, a Tokyo-based nonprofit, found in a survey of about 1,000 Ukrainians conducted from November to December last year that while 73 percent wanted to remain in Japan, 53 percent were unemployed. Of the jobless respondents, 57 percent said they were looking for jobs. The language barrier is the biggest reason for the high jobless rate, a foundation official said. Even those who are employed sense the importance of developing language skills to make a steady living. "I must improve my Japanese to support my family," said Tsviliuk, 40, who works for an after-school childcare program in Beppu. Kralikauskas, 46, who came from the eastern region of Donetsk and now works as a tatami mat maker, expressed his hope to firmly plant roots in Japan given the circumstances facing his homeland. "Realistically, I cannot return home because it is effectively occupied by Russia, and I hope to have a home in Japan in the future," he said. Kazuma Ono, a 37-year-old member of Beautiful World, said he hopes that his group's assistance will eventually help these evacuees to play full-fledged societal roles down the road. "We hope they will earn enough to pay taxes and contribute to Japan in various other ways, too," said Ono. Based in Beppu, his NPO also has an office in Iki, Nagasaki Prefecture, and has helped Ukrainians come to live in cities in Oita and Nagasaki prefectures. Related coverage: FEATURE: Domestic strawberry producers of "Warring States" eying new breeds FEATURE: Capturing the cormorants that do cormorant fishing FEATURE: Tokyo ramen shop created close-knit community shown in film An adult female was pronounced dead after being shot outside a West Richland, WA. school on April 22 WSP Missing Person Alerts/X Elias Huizar; Roman Huizar Police are searching for a man suspected of killing his ex-wife and girlfriend, and fleeing the scene with a 1-year-old child. West Richland Police Department identified the homicide suspect as 40-year-old Elias Huizar. Police responded to a shooting on the grounds at William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, Washington at 3:23 p.m. local time on April 22. "One adult female was pronounced deceased at the scene outside of the school. There were no other causalities," police confirmed in a statement posted to Facebook, adding that they're treating it as "an isolated incident" and that the "person of interest" had fled the scene. According to local media outlet the Tri-City Herald, Huizar's ex-wife was a paraeducator at the school. Per an Amber Alert issued by Washington State Patrol on X (formerly known as Twitter), Huizar is also suspected of abducting a 1-year-old child, Roman Huizar, and murdering his girlfriend. AMBER Alert- West Richland, WA- UPDATE pic.twitter.com/mWUyJMqV7p WSP Missing Person Alerts (@WSPMissingPers1) April 23, 2024 Police later confirmed that while serving a search warrant at Huizar's residence, West Richland police detectives and partner agencies had "discovered a second crime scene." "A second homicide victim was found inside the residence. No information about the victims identity is being released at this time, except to say that it is not Huizar but that the victim is a known associate of the suspect," police stated in a second Facebook post. "Investigators believe that Huizar is armed and considered dangerous, and is likely to commit more crimes," police added. Per the Amber Alert, authorities believe the suspect is possibly heading to Mexico. The report added that they're looking for a silver, 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington license plates CBZ4745. 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. West Richland Police Chief Thomas Grego confirmed to PEOPLE that Huizar was a former police officer of the Yakima Police Department. West Richland Police Department is working with regional partners including the Kennewick Police Department, Richland Police Department, Pasco Police Department, Benton County Sheriff Department, Franklin County Sheriff Department, Washington State Patrol, Benton Fire District #4, FBI, US Marshalls, and others amid the ongoing investigation. The West Richland Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The Chicago Police Department has determined that Officer Luis Huesca, who was shot and killed in the Gage Park neighborhood over the weekend, died in the line of duty. The designation was announced Tuesday, on what would have been Huescas 31st birthday, and it entitles his family to survivors death benefits. In a message to all CPD members, Superintendent Larry Snelling said hes recently spent time with those closest to Huesca. To his family, he was a beloved son and brother. To his family here at CPD, he was a loyal and trusted friend who led by example. To the community, he was a dedicated officer with integrity who represented the best of our Department, Snelling wrote. Officer Huesca was a kind spirit who cared deeply for his family, friends, and our city. From all the stories I have heard about Officer Huesca, its clear he has left behind a legacy of empathy and professionalism. Also on Tuesday, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 released visitation and funeral information for Huesca. The officer will have visitation services on Sunday at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home in Oak Lawn, with his funeral to follow the next day at St. Rita of Cascia in the Ashburn neighborhood, according to the union. Huesca, a CPD officer for six years, was returning home early Sunday after a shift in the CPDs Calumet District (5th) when he was fatally shot. Just before 3 a.m., responding officers received a gunshot detection alert in the 5500 block of South Kedzie and they soon found Huesca nearby in the 3100 block of West 56th Street. He was shot several times and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Huescas vehicle was stolen too. On Monday, CPD released surveillance footage depicting a person wanted in connection with Huescas killing. Huesca is the third Chicago police officer to be shot and the first fatally this year. On Jan. 8, a veteran police officer was shot in the leg during an exchange of gunfire with a burglary suspect in the Gold Coast neighborhood. On March 21, an officer was shot by Dexter Reed, who was killed during a traffic stop in Humboldt Park. Last year, CPD Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso a friend of Huescas was fatally shot in the line of duty about a half mile north of where Huesca was fatally wounded. In a remembrance video for Vasquez Lasso, Huesca described him as one of those guys that actually deserved this star. SOUTH WAVERLY, Pa. (WETM) An Elmira man was arrested on Sunday in Bradford County after police say he broke into a womans apartment and assaulted her before attempting to take her and her son to Philadelphia by force. According to the Athens Township Police Department, 47-year-old Damion Lamar Gooden was arrested on several felony charges on Sunday after police arrested him when they pulled over the vehicle he was driving Sunday morning. Elmira approves Fight on Blight resolution for worst landlords & zombie homes According to the affidavit, Gooden was arrested on the following charges: One count of kidnapping to inflict injury/terror, a grade one felony. One count of kidnapping a minor for ransom/hostage, a grade one felony. One count of unlawful restraint, a grade one misdemeanor. One count of unlawful restraint of a minor, a grade two felony. One count of endangering the welfare of children, a grade one misdemeanor. One count of fleeing or attempting to elude police, a grade two misdemeanor. Two counts of recklessly entering another person, a grade two misdemeanor. Two counts of terroristic threats, a grade one misdemeanor. The document states that around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 21, Gooden broke into the apartment of the victims, a woman, and her 13-year-old son, and assaulted her by punching her in the face and kicking her in the chest. The victim told police that she was dragged into the living room by her hair and was tied up in a kitchen chair with a shoelace and a phone charger. She added that Gooden had a large kitchen knife in his hand and repeatedly told her, this is faster than my fist several times. Two barns catch fire on Monday night in Dundee The document states that around 5 a.m. Gooden put the female and her child into the back seat of her car and told them they were going to Philadelphia. Its said that Gooden began traveling on Interstate 86 and stopped at a Mirabito gas station at 2789 Elmira St. in Athens Township to get gas and cigarettes. The victim said that Goodens phone had fallen out of his pocket and she grabbed it and called 911 for help. The victim told police she felt scared calling the police and hung up the phone quickly after speaking to the dispatcher. Around 7:40 a.m. police were called out to the gas station for the report of a kidnapping in progress. Police found the target vehicle leaving the gas station before attempting to pull over the vehicle with lights and sirens. Gooden ignored police for about one mile before pulling over at the intersection of Beverly Lane and Lodar Street in South Waverly. Police walked up to the car and noticed Gooden immediately got out of the driver-side door with his hands in the air, saying he, messed up, and wanted one last cigarette. Police found the victims in the back seat, with the female having bruising and swelling on the left side of her face. Gooden was detained before being placed under arrest. The victim told police that when Gooden saw the patrol car he made more threats with the knife that was in the passenger seat. The knife was later found between the passenger seat and passenger door when police searched the vehicle. The victim added that she repeatedly told Gooden to pull over and let her and her son out of the car, but he refused to do so. Gooden was taken from the scene to the Athens Township Police Department for processing where he talked about the incident to police. Indiana man arrested after attempted kidnapping of 14 yr old girl in Bath In the affidavit, Gooden told police that what the victim said was true and that he assaulted her and bound her up in the living room. He said he put the victims in the car at 5 a.m. before sunrise so no one would see him doing the act. Gooden resented the acts to the police and told them he was sorry throughout the interview and that the victim didnt deserve this. The document states that the victim had an active protection from abuse order against Gooden in Chemung County that was signed on April 12, 2024. Goodens first hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, but it was postponed to another date while he remains in custody on $2 million bail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Former police officer wanted after 2 women are found dead and a child is abducted Police in Washington state are urgently searching for a former officer suspected in the killings of his ex-wife and a girlfriend and the kidnapping of a 1-year-old boy, authorities said. The former officer, Elias Huizar, is armed and considered dangerous, and is likely to commit more crimes, the West Richland Police Department said. He was due to appear in court Monday on charges of child rape, according to NBC affiliate KNDU of the Tri-Cities area. Police initially identified him as a person of interest after a woman was fatally shot at the end of the school day at Wiley Elementary School in West Richland. Officers were called at 3:23 p.m. Monday and found one adult female was pronounced deceased at the scene outside of the school, police said in a statement. The victim was not identified. The shooter fled the scene and the school was placed on lockdown, police said. No one else was injured in the shooting, the department added, noting that it was thought to be an isolated incident. Later Monday, police said the body of a second woman was found at Huizars home after they obtained a search warrant. No information was given about the woman except that she was a known associate of the suspect. Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Roman Huizar, described as 2 feet tall and 25 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Though Huizar and the missing child share the same last name, the relationship between them was not immediately clear Tuesday. The alert also said the women killed were Huizar's ex-wife and girlfriend. Huizar is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 170 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes and was driving a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington plates CBZ4745, according to the alert. However, Portland police told West Richland authorities that Huizar was seen in the Oregon city overnight, possibly driving a black sedan. "All resources are following up on this lead," West Richland police said. Elias Huizar who is wanted in connection with a murder in West Richland, Wash., considered to be headed toward the Mexico border on April 23, 2024. (West Richland Police ) He previously appeared in court Feb. 15, where a lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Court documents seen by KNDU said that Huizar is alleged to have sexually assaulted a teenager while she was sleeping in his home in February this year. This was witnessed and reported by another teenager, the documents say. No-contact orders were issued for the alleged victims in the case, who were described as teenagers, meaning Huizar cant go within 1,000 feet of their schools, homes or workplaces, or have any contact with minors under 16. During the February hearing, prosecuting attorney Anita Petra said that the order would ban contact between Huizar and his own child. The Yakima Police Department said Huizar was an officer there from 2013 to 2022. "He did serve as a school resource officer for a period of time, at a couple schools during his employment. Mr. Huizar resigned in February of 2022, immediately following discipline," a department spokesperson said. Details on the punishment and what led to disciplinary action were not released. The West Richland Police Department will hold a news conference regarding the latest developments in the search for Huizar at 2 p.m. local time. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Duo accused of breaking into restaurants with sledgehammers MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis Police are looking for thieves who they say targeted multiple businesses using a sledgehammer to break-in. On Wednesday, April 17, officers responded to multiple business burglaries during the early morning hours. Police say of the businesses that the two suspects forced entry with a sledgehammer into were Elwoods Shack (4040 Park Avenue), A-Tan (3445 Poplar Avenue) and Little Ceasars (4471 Summer Avenue) in the early morning hours. MPD: Woman leaves child behind after crashing car Tim Bednarski, the owner of Elwoods Shack, spoke with WREG about the break-in and said luckily the thieves didnt make off as badly as they could have. It was so dark in the office they didnt know what they were stealing, Bednarski said. Im guessing they thought it was a cash box or something. Instead, they were holding a First Aid Kit. Though Bednarski said hes grateful that they did not end up taking more, that hasnt stopped him from being upset that the burglary even happened. Suspects accused of breaking into businesses with a sledgehammer. Suspects accused of breaking into businesses with a sledgehammer. One of the suspects accused of breaking into businesses with a sledgehammer. Getaway vehicle for suspects accused of breaking into businesses with sledgehammer. License plate of getaway vehicle for suspects accused of breaking into businesses with sledgehammer. Its beyond frustrating. Were struggling just to pay bills and stuff and then to have that happen, Bednarski said. WREG visited the business today and could see that the window the door is now covered by a board. One of the other restaurants they hit the same night they broke the front door, glass door and they couldnt open for breakfast or lunch, Bednarski said. MPD: Armed man chased students inside Whitehaven High Another business that was affected by the burglary was Kays Bakery. WREG visited the restaurant on Monday and while they were open, an employee told us that the front door was broken and the thieves took off with an empty cash register. Bednarski says hes thankful no one was hurt and commended Memphis Police investigators attention to the problem believing nowhere and no one is immune from crime. Im from Houston and Ive been in Memphis for 30 years and I travel back and forth to Texas and it doesnt matter if its in Memphis or Houston or Dallas or wherever you are, its sad right now. If you have any information regarding these, call Memphis CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man is facing assault charges after an altercation with police officers during the Morgan Wallen concert in Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday. On April 20, deputies from the Lafayette County Sheriffs Office were assisting the University of Mississippi Police Department with the Morgan Wallen concert at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. During the concert, officers were notified of a fight in the crowd and responded to the area. When they arrived, they placed the suspect, later identified as Hunter Steven Flanagan, under arrest for assaulting another patron. Police say that while conducting the arrest, Flanagan, 30, became combative and resisted arrest. He allegedly kicked two officers and spit on them while he was being transported out of the stadium to the Lafayette County Detention Center. The Lafayette County Sheriffs Office has charged Flanagan with one count of simple assault on a police officer. Flanagan was charged with a separate count of simple assault on a police officer by the University of Mississippi Police Department. He is also facing several other misdemeanor charges. Flanagan appeared before a Justice Court judge on April 22 and his bond was set at $100,000. He is being held at the Lafayette County Detention Center awaiting bond at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. STROUD TWP., MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Police are searching for a woman reported missing in Monroe County. The Stroud Area Regional Police Department is asking for public help to locate 49-year-old Lisa Ann Digiovanni. Police stated Digiovanni was last seen on Saturday, April 20 around 2:00 p.m. in Stroud Township. Digiovanni is described as having brown hair with blond highlights, brown eyes, around five feet tall, and 115 pounds. Search continues in Scranton cold case investigation Digiovanni was last seen wearing a black jacket with white fur trim, blue jeans, and hoop earrings. Police say she is believed to be driving a white 2013 Hyundai Elantra sedan with a Pennsylvania registration MGZ-2595. Anyone with information on Digiovannis whereabouts is asked to submit a tip on the Stroud Area Regional Police website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Police searching for men wanted for attempted murder in Columbia COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WKRN) Authorities in Columbia are searching for two men who are wanted for attempted first-degree murder charges. On Monday, April 22, the Columbia Police Department announced 33-year-old George Alex Bullock and 24-year-old Shermar Ethan-Arnale Davis both had active warrants out for their arrest. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts George Bullock (Source: Columbia Police Department) Shermar Davis (Source: Columbia Police Department) The men are wanted on charges related to attempted murder; however, officials did not release any information about the incident or what led to the charges being filed. Anyone with information regarding Bullocks or Daviss whereabouts is asked to call the Columbia Police Department at 931-388-2727. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Additional details were not immediately released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Poll: 62% of Ukrainians say they are prepared to fight for country Ukrainians have the highest readiness to fight for their country among European countries, at 62% of the population, according to a survey by the Sociological Group Rating conducted in 2023 with Gallup International and published on April 23. With Ukraine aiming to replenish its troops in 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the new law on mobilization on April 16. The poll showed that 62% of Ukrainians said they are prepared to fight for their country, 33% are not prepared to do so, and only 4% are undecided. Respondents in Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Bulgaria have the lowest willingness to fight for their countries, the Rating Group said. Outside of Europe, Armenia and Saudi Arabia "showed the highest level of willingness to fight for their own country, with 96% and 94% respectively," while Japan had the lowest. The poll surveyed 40,428 people worldwide, with a representative sample of around 1,000 surveyed by the Rating Group in Ukraine between October and December 2023. A separate poll recently cited by the French newspaper La Parisien showed that half of young French citizens would fight in Ukraine to defend France. Read also: Poll: Ukraine among countries with lowest nuclear threat fear Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Mohammad-Amir Jalali (R), president of the Center for Chinese Research at Iran's Allameh Tabataba'i University, speaks at a conference to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi in Tehran, Iran, on April 22, 2024. Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. (Xinhua/Shadati) TEHRAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. "In recent years, the expansion of relations between Iran and China has created a golden opportunity for the two countries' peoples to know each other's cultures and civilizational manifestations better and more precisely," said Mohammad-Amir Jalali, president of the Center for Chinese Research at Iran's Allameh Tabataba'i University. Jalali made the remarks on the sidelines of a conference in Iran's capital Tehran on Monday to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi (1210-1292), which aimed to show the ancient cultural ties between Iran and China based on Saadi's works. Both Iran and china own ancient civilizations, the expert said, expressing his hope that the two countries "would show greater willingness and make more serious efforts to promote bilateral cultural exchanges," which would promote "a stronger friendship between the two peoples by gaining greater knowledge of and familiarity with each other." The greater knowledge of the two countries' peoples of each other in the cultural area and their accurate understanding of one another would help further promote Iran-China relations in other areas on the right track, he said. Echoing similar views, Ali-Mohammad Sabeqi, Iran's former cultural attache in China, said culture has provided a context for expanding relations between the two countries in various fields, including the political, economic, trade, military and security ones. Sabeqi, also a researcher in the field of Chinese culture, told Xinhua that the potential for cultural cooperation between Iran and China was as vast as the history of their bilateral relations. "The two countries have numerous capacities and potentials for bilateral cooperation in the areas of art, culture, literature, film production, cinema and especially archeology and can work on them," he said, noting that numerous Iranian artifacts and works had been, and were being found, in China's archeological sites. Moreover, Sabeqi listed some of the common values upheld both in the Iranian and Chinese societies and cultures, including attaching great importance to peace and family, respecting the elderly, and helping each other. "The Iranians and Chinese share a lot in common in terms of their attitudes towards humans and human society, which have prepared the ground for cooperation between their countries," he said. Mohammad-Amir Jalali, president of the Center for Chinese Research at Iran's Allameh Tabataba'i University, speaks at a conference to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi in Tehran, Iran, on April 22, 2024. Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. (Xinhua/Shadati) Mohammad-Amir Jalali (2nd L, Rear), president of the Center for Chinese Research at Iran's Allameh Tabataba'i University, speaks at a conference to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi in Tehran, Iran, on April 22, 2024. Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. (Xinhua/Shadati) Mohammad-Amir Jalali (2nd L, Rear), president of the Center for Chinese Research at Iran's Allameh Tabataba'i University, speaks at a conference to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi in Tehran, Iran, on April 22, 2024. Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. (Xinhua/Shadati) Mohammad-Amir Jalali (2nd L, Rear), president of the Center for Chinese Research at Iran's Allameh Tabataba'i University, speaks at a conference to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi in Tehran, Iran, on April 22, 2024. Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. (Xinhua/Shadati) A conference to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi is held in Tehran, Iran, on April 22, 2024. Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. (Xinhua/Shadati) People attend a conference to commemorate the prominent Iranian poet and prose writer Saadi Shirazi in Tehran, Iran, on April 22, 2024. Iranian experts have highlighted the significant role culture can play in contributing to the development of Iran-China relations in various fields. (Xinhua/Shadati) EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) The Primary Election Polls are open. Today, Pennsylvanians will vote for which candidates in their party they want to move on to the general election in November. 28/22 News Reporter Sydney Kostus met with voters in Luzerne County Tuesday. Polls at the Toyota Sportsplex polling location opened at 7:00 a.m. and a handful of people made their way inside when the doors opened. The primary is traditionally known for a low voter turnout, but voters that 28/22 News spoke with said every election is important to create change, especially when you have a question on the ballot in Luzerne County. PA Primary: What you need to know To vote! Voting is important. I mean if you dont vote, you dont have a say in whats going on so you cant complain if you dont vote, said Deborah McGuinness, from Wilkes-Barre. Traditionally, three out of every ten voters or fewer in Luzerne County cast a ballot in the primary election. That low average doesnt sit well with some voters like Wilkes-Barre resident James Yarwood who says the primary is the most important. Politics start at a local level and move up from there, they dont move down from the top. So if we dont get involved from a local level, what we get at the other end is what we ignored, Yarwood told 28/22 News. Lackawanna County election preparations Luzerne County voters who went to the polls Tuesday will see a yes or no question on their ballot about forming a government study commission. Since 2012, the county has been a home rule charter government, meaning we have 11 county council members. Luzerne County Acting Director Emily Cook explained that if the new study commission is adopted, it may or may not propose changes to the current form of government. There are postings at all of your polling sites and all of our mail ballot voters received an actual plain English statement explaining sort of in detail, what is the government study commission question about. Itll be the actual question, which voters would either vote yes or no on, and there are 17 candidates running to be on the commission, should it be activated, Cook explained. Voter Deborah McGuinness says shes proud to cast her ballot and hopes the younger generations are as well. The younger people have to realize too that if they want a voice, they want things to change, then they have to get out and vote, McGuinness said. The polling places are open until 8:00 Tuesday night. Voters are urged to double-check their correct polling place and a reminder that only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in primaries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Police in Dauphin County are looking for a man who they say is potentially armed and dangerous and is wanted for an overdose death. According to Lower Swatara Township Police, Nasir Baker, 27, of Middletown, has an active felony arrest warrant for drug delivery resulting in the death of an 18-year-old in January. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Severe Weather Alerts Police say that Baker is considered to possibly be armed and dangerous and if seen people are urged to not approach him and call police immediately. Anyone with information about Bakers whereabouts can contact the Dauphin County Dispatch Center at 717-558-6900 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. President Joe Biden spoke in Tampa Tuesday and highlighted a proposed constitutional amendment set to appear on the Florida ballot this November that would restore abortion access to levels seen before the overturning of Roe V Wade. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Action News Jax spoke with political experts who say the move signals that the Biden campaign sees the upcoming abortion amendment as a winning issue. This isnt about states rights, its about womens rights, said Biden during his first speech at Hillsborough Community College. The Presidents comments come just one week before the states six-week abortion ban is set to take effect. UCF political science professor Dr. Aubrey Jewett noted Democrats have seen great success in recent elections by taking pro-choice stances, and the Florida abortion amendment has a real shot at turning out Democratic voters. And even if Biden doesnt win Florida, at least itll be competitive. Maybe they pass some of these initiatives. Maybe they can also be competitive for congressional seats, said Jewett. In contrast, former President Donald Trump has avoided taking a hardline stance on the abortion issue, deferring to states to decide for themselves. At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people, said Trump in a video posted to Truth Social on April 8th. Governor Ron DeSantis was asked last week whether Trump, a Florida resident, should weigh in on the Florida amendment. You should ask him about that, said DeSantis. So, we did, but got no response from his campaign. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Its an awkward issue for him, said UNF political science professor Sean Freeder. Freeder argued Trump will likely have to weigh in on the Florida measure at some point in the race. Its not just any state. Its the state in which he resides. Its going to be more personal for that reason. So, hell have to say something, but hell probably spend a few months here, I think, workshopping it, said Freeder. Both professors noted in some deep red states that approved similar abortion initiatives in recent years, support for those initiatives didnt necessarily translate to Democratic victories down the ballot. With registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats by nearly 900,000 in the Sunshine State, theres an especially high barrier to success. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Reports that President Joe Biden will give this years commencement address at Morehouse College have raised concerns. The speech comes at a time when many voters within the presidents political base are disappointed or angry at the administrations policies concerning Gaza, with college campuses being the center of protests and tensions in recent months. NBC News reported that Morehouse is expected to announce that Biden will give the commencement address at its May 19 graduation ceremony. According to the report, several faculty members have raised concerns with the schools administration that Bidens presence may cause disruptions and invite protests from students and perhaps even faculty members. Morehouse, like many campuses, has been a site of protests concerning the war in Gaza, including an incident in which a student was detained after pulling down an Israeli flag from the schools chapel. According to NBC, Morehouses provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, Kendrick Brown, confirmed Bidens scheduled address in a message to faculty members. While offering an opportunity for concerned faculty to discuss the issue with the schools administration, Brown said in the email that the College does not plan to rescind its accepted invitation to President Biden. Bidens speech is part of efforts by the administration to reach out to young Black voters, especially those affiliated with HBCUs. For example, Vice President Kamala Harris recently hosted the A Different World cast at the White House to discuss student debt relief and highlight the administrations support for HBCUs. But even with this renewed focus on young, Black voters, many remain skeptical of the administrations accomplishments. Its support for Israel puts them off as the Palestinian death toll rises. Many Black potential voters feel solidarity with Palestinians who have been denied statehood and are now suffering violence, homelessness and the denial of primary resources during the six-month war. Osama Al-Qasem, leader of the Philadelphia branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told The Washington Post that Black Americans understand what were going through, and therefore they empathize and sympathize and support our struggle, as well. The presidents commencement address comes as protests over the war in Gaza engulf many college campuses. In December, Congress grilled the presidents of Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania on accusations that they failed to contain antisemitism as pro-Palestine and anti-Israel protests grew on their campuses. Claudine Gay, Harvards first Black president, resigned after backlash against her congressional testimony, which was combined with accusations of plagiarism made by right-wing opponents of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Since then, protests have continued to grow and spread across campuses, and tensions have increased. Police have controversially arrested student protestors on Columbia, New York University and Yale campuses. Biden recently told reporters that I condemn the antisemitic protests on college campuses, adding, Thats why I set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who dont understand whats going on with the Palestinians. As long as the conflict in Gaza continues and the United States maintains its support for Israel, the Biden administration will continue to see protests and anger from Black voters, college students, American Muslims and various groups unhappy with these policies. Bidens visit to Morehouse will likely spark sustained controversy and protests. President Biden, as you visit Tampa, please consider extending TPS status to U.S. Haitians | Opinion The Biden Administration needs to extend and re-designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in South Florida and across the United States. It is the right thing to do, as the current horrific conditions in Haiti clearly fit the laws guidelines. TPS extension and re-designation are also the right thing to do because Haitis crises are the result of persistent United States support for the corrupt, repressive regimes that have dismantled Haitis democracy over the past 12 years. In recent years, gangs have engaged in a coordinated attack on Haitis capital, Port-au-Prince and on the Haitian people. The gangs have taken over at least 22 police stations, executing 19 officers who tried to resist. They raided two prisons and released more than 4,600 inmates into the population. They have closed the airport, major roads, schools and many healthcare facilities. An estimated 2,505 people were killed in gang violence from January to March; 1.4 million Haitians, mostly women and children, are a step away from famine. This crisis is the direct consequence of policy choices by the corrupt, repressive regimes associated with Haitis PHTK (The Haitian Tet Kale Party) that have essentially illegitimately run the country since 2011. PHTK governments have allied with gangs to attack opponents, stolen billions, and refused to hold elections. Haiti has not had a functioning legislature or local elected officials since 2019, or any elections since the Barack Obama Administration. All of the PHTK governments were supported by the U.S. despite objections from Haitians, human rights groups, members of Congress, and experienced State Department officials. That dismantling of democracy would lead to such a crisis was not only predictable, it was predicted. The National Haitian-American Elected Officials Network told President Biden last September that supporting Haitis corrupt, repressive, unelected regime will likely exacerbate its current political crisis to a catastrophic one. Haiti was led into its catastrophic political crisis by Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who won his place, not through any Haitian constitutional procedure but through an announcement by the U.S. dominatedCore Group. Despite having no constitutional or popular support, Henry survive for thirty-three months, longer than any other Prime Ministers term under Haitis 1987 constitution. Henrys cards include a trump card from the Biden administration, which has insisted that Henry be part of any solution to the crisis he created. When the March 4 gang takeover made Henry useless, the State Department pressured him to promise to resign, on March 12. But six weeks later, Henry is not only still in officeruling from California but has sabotaged efforts to create a transitional government to replace him, prolonging his rule. TPS is granted to nationals of a foreign country located in the U.S. when conditions in their country, such as ongoing armed conflict, prevent nationals from returning home safely. Conditions needed to be better in 2021 and 2022 for the Department of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS, and they have deteriorated significantly since then. But Haitians TPS is only effective until August 2024. Haitians who arrived in the U.S. after the last designation on December 5, 2022 are not covered. On March 26, 482 immigration, human rights, faith-based and civil rights organizations pleaded with the Biden Administration to extend TPS for those who have it, re-designate it for Haitians who need it and stop all deportations to Haiti. We are pleading again as President Biden visits Florida on Tuesday. It is unconscionable and indefensible to fail to grant this relief to the thousands of South Florida to continue to do so. President Biden campaigned on promises of a foreign policy thats centered on the defense of democracy and the protection of human rights and an immigration system that treats people fairly and humanely. His administrations flagrant refusal to keep the first promise to Haitians makes it essential that he keeps his second promise by re-designating and extending TPS for Haitians. The time is now for the administration to offer a helping hand to Haitians in the U.S. Marleine Bastien is the Ex. Dir. of the Family Action Network Movement (FANM)and a member of the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network. She is also a Miami-Dade County commissioner. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on Earth Day at Prince William Forest Park on April 22, 2024 in Triangle, Virginia. Biden, along with Sens. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), announced a seven billion dollar "Solar For All" program with the Environmental Protection Agency and an American Climate Corps initiative, while commemorating the 54th anniversary of Earth Day, started in 1970 to raise awareness and support for environmental protection. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) President Joe Biden stopped by Prince William Forest Park in Triangle on Monday, as the country celebrated Earth Day, to tout two initiatives to combat climate change: expanding solar access and creating jobs to fuel Americas environmental efforts. Called the Solar for All program, Biden told the crowd that families could save about $400 a year on their electric bills by tapping into the federal initiative that will provide grant funding to expand the development of solar projects nationwide. The American Climate Corps is aimed at spurring youth involvement by providing information on training and employment opportunities for climate resilience and clean energy jobs. Over the last two years, natural disasters and extreme weather in America have cost $270 billion in damages, Biden said. And the impacts were seeing [are] decades in the making, [and] because of inaction are only going to get worse, more frequent, ferocious and costly. The Solar for All program, under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, awarded $7 billion nationwide with about $156 million for Virginia. The program, Biden said, would reduce 5 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions, which include the carbon dioxide pollutants that become trapped in the atmosphere, warming the planet and leading to more intense and frequent fires and flooding. Virginia has already taken steps to use renewable energy sources, including solar: In 2020, the General Assembly passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which seeks to decarbonize the grid by mid-century. En route to that goal, the legislature recently expanded a shared solar program for Dominion Energy customers and created one for Appalachian Power customers, so that residents who may have faulty or shady roofs can get solar from a central facility of panels that other community members may also subscribe to. Tax incentives for building solar on rooftops and brownfields, including formerly mined lands, were also expanded in Virginias 2024 legislative session. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which includes Northern Virginia jurisdictions, recently adopted a goal for 250,000 rooftops to install solar panels. The Virginia Department of Energy said about 50% of the states households are eligible to benefit from the Solar for All program, which will have access to the federal funding for the next five years. Adding more residential solar is essential to our all of the above approach for clean and affordable energy in Virginia, said the departments director Glenn Davis. Virginia also recognizes the significant economic development and job growth opportunities across the Commonwealth that will accompany this growth in residential solar and welcomes new investment by the solar industry. Southern Environmental Law Center staff attorney Josephus Allmond said, the federal investment can go toward expanding the states shared solar opportunities, among others, while going a long way for low- to moderate-income Virginians, a group thats largely been left out of the residential solar conversation. The award will go towards the range of different solar programs: direct ownership, third-party ownership, and subscriber-based, Allmond said. The transformative award will make Virginias clean energy transition more equitable, Allmond continued, by providing more access to solar leasing and power purchase agreements, increasing access to financing, and removing barriers to interconnection. On the job front, Bidens announcement came at a park created about a hundred years ago by the Civilian Conservation Corps under the New Deal, which was the blueprint for the American Climate Corps that both U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, and U.S. Sen. Ed Marky, D-Mass, have advocated for. Job seekers can visit the boards website for more information on over 2,000 positions in 36 states, including Virginia, Biden said. Just like a century ago, the Climate Corps is part of a vision affirming that our environmental and economic future are intertwined, Ocasio-Cortez said before Biden took the stage. So lets invest in both. I truly believe that the young people who join this first American Climate Corps cohort are and will continue to become profoundly influential leaders in the United States. The creation of the new corps comes after the U.S. EPA last year announced an initiative to involve young Americans by creating the Youth Advisory Council, which included 21-year-old Sophia Kianni, of McLean. In Virginia, several high schools have incorporated climate study programs, as have environmental organizations, like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which offers programs geared toward teaching youth about environmental issues. A bill this past session introduced by Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond would have created climate change and environmental literacy instructional materials and model policies in Virginias schools. But Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed it, saying the states Standards of Learning already provide instructional material related to environmental issues. The first year of the [Solar for All] program will be set aside for planning the distribution of funds, according to the Department of Energy. Funding for rooftop or shared solar programs will become available in 2025. The post President Biden visits Prince William park to talk solar, youth involvement on Earth Day appeared first on Virginia Mercury. Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks at an event during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 in Davos. Hannes P Albert/dpa Poland is open to hosting nuclear weapons from NATO allies, President Andrzej Duda said on Monday. Duda made the comments in an interview published Monday in the Polish tabloid Fakt. "If there were a decision by our allies to deploy nuclear weapons within the nuclear sharing also on our territory in order to strengthen the security of NATO's eastern flank, we are ready," Duda said. However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for further details from Duda. "This idea is absolutely massive, I would say, and very serious. I would need to know all the circumstances that have led the president to make this declaration," he told reporters. "I would also like any potential initiatives to be, first of all, very well prepared by the people responsible for them and all of us to be absolutely positive that we want it," Tusk said. Moscow deployed tactical nuclear missiles in Belarus last year amid tensions with NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west, is considered an important ally of Kiev in the fight against the Russian invasion and offers shelter to many Ukrainians who have fled the conflict. The country has been among the most enthusiastic advocates for supplying Ukraine with advanced Western weapons and has sent weapons along with numerous other European and NATO allies. SEOUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) oversaw a simulated nuclear counterattack drill on Monday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday. "The artillerymen of super-large multiple rocket launchers fired in salvo," with the projectiles tipped with simulated nuclear warheads accurately hitting the island target within 352 km range, according to the report. The drill was specifically designed to "demonstrate the reliability, superiority, might and diverse means of the DPRK's nuclear force and to strengthen the nuclear force both in quality and quantity," it said. It also served as a clear warning on the latest round of military confrontation by the United States and South Korea, said the report. The DPRK top leader emphasized the significance of the country's latest exercise, noting it means the ruling party's plan for expanding and diversifying the tactical nuclear attack has been translated into reality, the report said. Kim stressed the need to continuously complete tactics and operations to steadily enhance the pivotal role of the country's nuclear force in its deterrence and war-fighting strategy, and to perfect the regular combat readiness of the nuclear force, it added. With the involvement of super-large multiple rocket launchers, the combined tactical drill on Monday saw a remarkable increase in the might and effectiveness of the country's nuclear combat force, Kim was quoted by the KCNA as saying. Kim also lauded the maneuver as "an important occasion in thoroughly preparing our nuclear force to be able to rapidly and correctly carry out their important mission of deterring a war and taking the initiative in a war even in any time and any sudden situation." President Joe Biden makes remarks about reproductive freedom Tuesday during a campaign rally at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, where he called the state's impending six-week abortion ban "a nightmare." Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI April 23 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden campaigned Tuesday in Florida where he blasted Donald Trump over abortion rights and what he called the former president's plans to "step off the world stage." Biden spoke at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa during an invitation-only campaign rally where he warned the crowd about the state of the world if Trump is elected. "If the United States stepped off the world stage, like Trump wants us to do, who would lead the world? Who would lead the world?" Biden queried, as he revealed what world leaders have said to him. "Every international meeting I attend with other heads of state -- whether it's the G7, the G20, all these international meetings -- before I leave, literally, almost every one will walk up to me and wait to get me in a corner alone and grab my arm and say, 'You've got to win,'" Biden said. "Not because of me, but because of the alternative," Biden added. "And they say, 'Because my democracy depends on it,' meaning their democracy." President Joe Biden makes remarks Tuesday about reproductive freedom, and assails a six-week abortion ban set to take effect in the state May 1, during a campaign rally at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida. Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI Biden also slammed Trump for Florida's impending six-week abortion ban, which takes effect May 1 after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law last year. "This extreme Florida law is going to impact 4 million women in the state," Biden said. "Let's be real clear. There's one person responsible for this nightmare. And he's acknowledged and he brags about it -- Donald Trump." President Joe Biden campaigns at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida on Tuesday, where he claimed former President Donald Trump wants to "step off the world stage." Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI The Biden campaign has targeted Trump for approving three conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court who voted in favor of overturning federal abortion protections established by Roe vs. Wade. "Trump will do everything he can to ban abortion nationwide," Biden's spokesperson Michael Tyler said on a call with reporters. "Whenever Trump has power, he's used it to take away rights from women." Biden supporters attend a campaign rally Tuesday at Hillsborough Community College in Florida where President Joe Biden blasted former President Donald Trump over reproductive rights. Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI The law, set to take effect next week, bans abortion after the gestational age of the fetus reaches more than six weeks, a period before most women even know they are pregnant. It includes exceptions for cases in which a pregnancy resulted from rape, incest or human trafficking but requires a physician to report the crime to the central abuse hotline. Biden supporters wave a "Restore Roe" sign as President Joe Biden makes remarks about reproductive freedom during a campaign rally at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida on Tuesday. Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI Trump and Republicans have dominated statewide Florida politics for the past two presidential cycles, with the former president winning the Sunshine State twice. Republicans also control the governor's office, secretary of state, attorney general and both chambers of the state legislature as well as both U.S. Senate seats and 20 of the state's 28 seats in the U.S. House. Tyler said, though, that the Democrats are convinced the abortion issue could swing the state back toward the Democrats. "The idea that Donald Trump has the state in the bag could not be further from the truth," said. "He owns not only the state of abortion rights across the country but he owns the restrictions that we're seeing play out in Florida." "And so, yes, that means that there's an opportunity for us, and we're taking it very seriously." President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have essentially clinched their partys 2024 nominations for the White House. But Pennsylvania voters on Tuesday will cast their ballots in a slew of contentious and potentially decisive congressional and state races that are still sure to make waves as the campaign chugs toward November. The primary results in this pivotal swing state are certain to reveal insights about the major issues shaping the general election, namely on abortion and the Israel-Hamas war. All 17 members of Pennsylvanias congressional delegation are running for re-election in 2024 and three of those incumbents are facing serious primary challengers. Several others are also watching to see who their opponent will be in the fall. And, in some cases, the outcome of Tuesdays races could determine which way those seats swing on Election Day. While it's a far-flung possibility, which party has a majority in Pennsylvania's congressional delegation also could have major implications on the presidential race. If the 2024 White House election is contested or tied, each states congressional delegation will have a single vote in deciding the winner. Currently, Democrats have a 9-8 advantage meaning one general election race in November could make all the difference. With the sun not quite over the horizon, polls have opened in Mississippi, and ballots are being cast in the Democratic and Republican primary election. Voting started off quietly at the Canton National Guard Armory as Dana Gordon of Canton, Miss., fills out his ballot as the first voter of the day on Tuesday, March 12, 3024. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. At the state level, Democrats are hoping to hold on to their majority in the state House and take control of the state Senate. Republicans currently hold a 28-22 majority in the Senate, and Democrats are hoping to flip at least three seats to make it 25-25, giving them the majority via a tie-breaking vote from Democratic Lieutenant Gov. Austin Davis. Five Democrats and two Republicans are also battling for the open state attorney general position, once held by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. Michelle Henry, who is completing the remainder of Shapiros term since he was elected governor in 2022, is not running for the position. Candidates across these races are running on some of the biggest issues facing the country from abortion to the war in Gaza to election integrity. And the candidates whom Democratic and Republican voters pick on Tuesday could give larger insights about their views on topics that appear central to this fall's general election. Here's a look at what to expect in Tuesday's primary. Abortion at play in Pennsylvania races Abortion has roiled down-ballot races across the country, and Pennsylvania is no exception. Reproductive rights have been a major topic in the attorney generals race and in the Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District. All five Democratic candidates for attorney general have committed to protecting the right to abortion and access to FDA-approved medications such as mifepristone. Meanwhile, the Republican candidates have said that they do not believe the state constitution guarantees the right to an abortion. As attorney general, both would leave the issue for the state legislature to decide. In Pennsylvanias 1st Congressional District, longtime Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is being challenged on his right flank by a candidate who believes abortions should be banned in nearly all circumstances including in cases of rape and incest. Mark Houck, Fitzpatricks opponent, was acquitted of criminal charges stemming from an altercation at an abortion clinic. The incident reportedly inspired him to run for public office. A devout Catholic, Houck co-founded the men's religious group The King's Men. He's worked as an author, motivational speaker and human resources manager. Fitzpatrick is a moderate Republican. He is one of a handful of Republican representatives serving in districts that Biden won in 2020. The primary race could demonstrate just how important the issue of abortion is for the Republican Partys base. Pennsylvania Democrats clash on Israel-Hamas war In Pennsylvanias 12th District, which includes Pittsburgh and some of its suburbs, first-term progressive Rep. Summer Lee, is facing a primary challenge over her opposition to the Israel-Hamas war. Bhavini Patel, a more moderate Democratic congressional candidate has tried to closely align herself with President Joe Biden. Lee, who is affiliated with the squad, was among the early advocates in Congress calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. She has been an outspoken opponent of providing U.S. military aid to Israel. U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) (2nd R) speaks as Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and other participants listen during a news conference on the Green New Deal in front of the U.S. Capitol on April 20, 2023, in Washington, DC. The lawmakers held a news conference to reintroduce the "Green New Deal Resolution," which was first introduced on April 20, 2021, as a non-binding resolution titled, "Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal." Patel is a 29-year-old municipal council member who also describes herself as a progressive. She has framed the incumbent's criticism of Israel as detrimental to Bidens re-election efforts and unrepresentative of a district that is home to a large Jewish community. The election on Tuesday could reveal just how salient the issue of the war is for Democratic voters particularly in swing areas of the country. It may also forecast how other progressives facing similar challenges from moderate Democrats could fair in their races. What are the key Pennsylvania House races to watch? There are several other high-profile House primary races to watch in Pennsylvania. Six Democrats are competing for the chance to challenge GOP Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvanias 10th Congressional District, which includes Harrisburg and Hershey. Perry was a former chair of the Freedom Caucus, one of the most conservative factions of the Republican Party, with members including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Perry was also a key figure in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. While the area leans Republican, Democrats say they can win over independents and moderate conservatives in the area with a message centered around protecting democracy. They plan to tie Perry to Trump and conservative extremism. House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., speaking from the podium during a press conference hosted by Senator Rick Scott and Senators Mike Braun, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Roger Marshall, along with members of the House Freedom Caucus highlighting the need to demand and secure fiscal sanity and border security in the upcoming supplemental and forthcoming appropriations bills. Out of the six Democratic candidates running to unseat Perry, news anchor Janelle Stelson and former "Top Gun" fighter pilot Mike OBrien appear to have the best shot. The other candidates include Harrisburg City Council member Shamaine Daniels, progressive businessman John Broadhurst and former radio executive Black Lynch. To the northeast of Harrisburg, in the Lehigh Valley, three Republicans are competing to take on Democratic Rep. Susan Wild. Her seat, in Pennsylvanias 7th District, is a top target for Republicans in November. Wild barely eked out a victory against her Republican opponent, Lisa Scheller, in 2022. She won 51-49. Pennsylvanias state legislature hangs in the balance If Pennsylvania Democrats hold their narrow majority in the state House and win the state Senate in November, it would give Gov. Shapiro enormous power to pass his agenda in the last two years of his term. It would also mark the first time in three decades that the party controlled the state Senate; Tuesdays elections could determine whether thats possible. "I voted" stickers sit ready for voters to take after casting their ballot in the primary election at Precint C1 in the Olde Town Depot Building in Clinton, Miss., Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Because the local districts tend to lean Democratic or Republican, the results of the primary elections can have a large sway on the race. Democrats currently hold a two-seat majority in the state House, and Republicans hold a five-seat majority in the state Senate. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pennsylvania primary guide: What's on the 2024 ballot? Credit: Photo illustration by Maria-Juliana Rojas. Photographs in illustration by Adobe Stock. In 2004, Bonnie Allen was a 12-year-old girl in Wilmington, Delaware, who loved Spongebob Squarepants, Lizzie McGuire, and the Grease soundtrack. She had fine, corn-colored hair she regularly chopped up and dyed jet black or Elmo red, and a grin that stretched across the entire bottom half of her face, showing off her braces. She was an early-aughts scene kid before anyone else in her town knew that was a thing, showing up to church choir practice in fishnets and miniskirts and combat boots. All of us were wearing Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale, says her friend Andrea Higgins. She didnt feel like she had to dress that way. She wanted to be herself. From early on in her adolescence, Bonnie struggled with mental health issues. Psychiatrists were hesitant to officially diagnose her due to how young she was, but bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder were floated around at various points. We were very frustrated with different therapists, psychologists. Nothing seemed to work with her or reach her, recalls Tony Allen, her father. More from Rolling Stone Bonnie loved to sing and was briefly enrolled at a performing arts school, where shed moved people to tears with her audition song of the national anthem, says Evie Conner, her friend and former classmate. But she was bullied at the school, and after getting into a physical altercation with an older female student, Bonnies parents decided to pull her out and look for alternative options. Tony doesnt remember how, but somehow, he stumbled on the New School. A sprawling, ramshackle white clapboard Victorian in Newark, Delaware, with Kinex and Nerf guns piling up in the halls and an overgrown yard out front, the New School (which has no connection to the progressive university of the same name based in New York City) was a private institution with an extremely small student body under 50 kids were enrolled at any given time, from five to 19, according to former students. It advocated for a totally revolutionary approach to education: no grades, no classes, and even no teachers, instead calling supervising adults simply staff members. Kids filtered in and out of classrooms, with kids of all ages sitting in the same room and discussing Socratic theory, for example. There was even at one point a smokers court for the older kids, a patio outside by the garage. The place was unorganized and unorthodox, and Bonnie fell in love with it instantly. The Allens signed Bonnie up in the fall of 2004, hopeful it could provide the kind of environment where their only daughter could finally thrive. There was at least one red flag, Tony remembers: At one point, during an early conversation with founder Melanie Hiner, he mentioned his daughters potential bipolar diagnosis, and found Hiners reaction dismissive at best. She said, Oh, you could probably call any kid bipolar at that age. She kind of brushed it off, Tony says. She didnt take it seriously. Still, the Allens were desperate, and so was Bonnie. She was ready to have a fresh start and be somewhere she was accepted for who she was, and not have her experience be ruined by stories, or people slut-shaming her, Higgins remembers. The New School appealed to her because it was a place where she could essentially be herself. Bonnie Allen was considered a scene kid by her friends. When Hiner, a former private-school teacher with a broad smile and waist-length strawberry-blond hair, initially founded the New School in the mid-1990s, she advertised it as a haven for free thinkers and independent minds, kids who didnt necessarily fit into the circumscribed boxes to which traditional educators adhered. We are different in that we are not bureaucratic, prescriptive, or therapeutic, a representative for the New School said in a statement to Rolling Stone, signed the students and staff of the New School. In the statement, the representative referred to the New School as a small day school that has served many families with good results. Children here learn, assisted by adult staff members who are reappointed annually by vote among current students families every year. Formal and informal contacts between staff and parents are plentiful. According to the most recent version of the New School website, tuition costs about $7,500 a year for the first child enrolled less than the average Delaware private school, and with the benefit of individual attention for students. It didnt have grade levels in the traditional sense, grouping kids of all ages in the same classrooms based on shared interests; an eight-year-old with a head for robotics, for instance, could study the subject with a 15-year-old. To graduate, students had to submit a thesis for approval by a small committee of staff members, leading to only a handful of graduates per year. Parents and kids alike say the school was marketed as something of a bastion of progressive education for those who couldnt hack it in a more traditional environment. They say they were charmed by the vision of self-sufficiency and independence, says one parent who requested not to be named. It was fabulous, even better than a Montessori school, she says. Some kids slip between the cracks. And they thrived at this place. Between the late 1990s and 2012, however, according to more than a dozen former students and parents associated with the school, the New School went from being a progressive, albeit unorthodox, small private school to something completely different. With Hiners husband, a charismatic former lawyer named Big John Hiner, at its helm, the New School allegedly devolved into a dilapidated, rat-feces-infested institution devoid of adult supervision, where troubled and impressionable young students were inculcated with misogynistic and homophobic ideology. By 2020, with enrollment declining and the New School community becoming increasingly insular, this ideology would lead one student to violence, according to court documents, allegedly resulting in an FBI investigation. Alumni also came together on social media to commune about their shared experiences, trying to process how the crunchy, quirky utopia they had been sold had metamorphosed into what some described as a cult. Many of them had never spoken about their experiences before with other family members, citing the schools policy of confidentiality. In a letter sent to Rolling Stone, the Hiners and the New School community declined to answer questions. Though we do not know all of your motivations, we are confident that prime among them is amusing your readers with an emotive story, the letter read. In contrast, high among our interests is the protection of the privacy and autonomy of our students and their families, past and present. The letter also states that while the New School is not for everyone, we think that everyone who has joined us has gained some good from their time here, however long or short. The former students and parents who spoke with Rolling Stone, however, disagree. It was advertised as a democratic free school for free thinkers and independent minds, recalls one former student, Elena, who requested to be identified by a pseudonym and who attended between 2008 and 2011. Youd probably think it was a hippie, live-laugh-love, flower-child school. In reality, it was anything but. ACCORDING TO THE NEW SCHOOL WEBSITE, Melanie Hiner came up with the idea for the New School, which she co-founded with a fellow educator, when she was just nine, after reading Louisa May Alcotts book Little Men, which follows heroine Jo March founding a school for boys. The book, Hiner wrote, led me to say, Im going to start a school where people can learn what they want to learn. She really had this way of selling the school and talking about how good it was going to be, and shes good at speaking with kids in a way where they hear the message she wants them to hear, recalls former student Wayne Flenniken, who was heavily involved, alongside his mom, Trebs Thompson, in the New School in the early 2000s. You feel listened to when she talks to you. Due to its progressive educational values, the school, which moved from its location in the picturesque Victorian to a sprawling 25-acre farm in 2018, tended to attract a mixture of kids with parents seeking out a more individualized, free-wheeling learning environment, as well as children with learning disabilities or behavioral and emotional issues who had difficulties adapting to mainstream schools. A lot of us were troubled kids, says Carly Munroe, 35, who attended between 2003 and 2007. The New School was primarily defined by its lack of conventional structure. There were rules governing the school, but they were authored in collaboration with students and outlined in a New School lawbook. Any disciplinary measures were decided communally via a tribunal process called the Judicial Committee, or JC, in which students of all ages worked together to determine punishments for various infractions. The lack of structure offered by the New School could be beneficial to some kids who had the necessary resources and familial support to be more self-directed, former students and parents say. But from the schools early years, many students just used the absence of a strict curriculum as an opportunity to goof off. Some older students would hang out by the smokers court all day, while other kids would play video games. The lack of adult supervision also fostered an environment of drug use, sexual activity, and even violence, multiple former students claim. Teenage students would go off into the woods to get high, then grab a bagel at the shopping complex down the road before coming back into the building, clearly under the influence. Other students remember there briefly being a Thunderdome fight club in a geodesic dome in the schools back yard, where students would occasionally get into physical altercations. The recurring theme was You dont stop people from doing stuff at school, recalls Jared, 36, whose name has been changed for his privacy, and who attended in 2005. Very quickly, students who came to the New School realized it was governed by a culture of secrecy and insularity. Two former students tell Rolling Stone that one of the primary rules in the lawbook was confidentiality. The example they would use is Zach plays video games all day. And thats how Zack learns. And if you tell his mom that hes playing video games all day, shes gonna think hes just wasting her time and pull him out, Munroe explains. So in order to learn the way you want to learn, confidentiality is necessary. It was painted as protecting us. Sometimes, however, this code of silence apparently manifested itself in children withholding information about their own safety or the safety of others from their parents and being reprimanded if they failed to do so. One student who asked to remain anonymous claims they were physically attacked by an older male student when they were 11 years old, who they allege hit with a metal pipe. When they told their parents about the incident, they say, Hiner yelled at them, telling them that disputes were supposed to be handled internally. (They say the boy was not disciplined; another student who attended the New School at the same time was able to confirm this students account.) The lack of adult supervision also meant that drug use was not uncommon at the school, says Jason, who we are referring to by another name due to his concerns about professional reprisal: The neglect of the staff members when it came to us using drugs was pretty phenomenal. In response to questions about drug use and lax supervision at school, the New School said, in a letter signed by the students and the staff, for the record, we deny any and all nefarious innuendos which your bulleted queries may seem to suggest. It was around the early 2000s, Jason and other students say, that a more authoritative presence started spending more time at the school: Melanies husband, John, a.k.a. Big John. A large, hulking man in his forties with a bushy gray beard, he was an intimidating presence, perfectly suited to perform the role of the imperious Oberon in the schools annual Midsummer Nights Dream festival. A former lawyer, Hiner was suspended from practicing law in Delaware in 2002 for, among other reasons, failing to file tax returns and pay taxes; failing to maintain proper books and records, failing in his representation of a client by failing to represent the client diligently, and failing to deliver the client funds, according to court documents. (A representative for the Supreme Court of Delaware says Hiner never filed for reinstatement and that his license is still considered suspended; Hiner did not respond to questions about his law license.) Prior to his suspension, Hiner was known for being an occasional presence at school spaghetti dinners, where he spouted libertarian, anti-establishment theories, such as that the government was morally responsible for 9/11, remembers Peter Douthwaite, a student in the early-2000s who briefly lived with the Hiners. He liked to sit in a room and be the commander of attention and spread his views, he says. (The New School declined to comment.) After he stopped practicing law, however, John started spending much more time at the New School. He was an imposing presence, students remember, and was a frequent staple at the various tribunals, which were intended to discipline students with behavioral infractions. Maura MacNamara, a student who attended the New School around 2005, recalls playing with a toy gun during one tribunal and Big John demanding that she stop. (MacNamara is trans and was presenting as male at the time.) When she refused, she alleges, Big John got pissed and choke-slammed me up against the wall and took it from my hand. Hes a big guy, says MacNamara. He was, I dont know, 400 pounds. So once he has you pinned against the wall, theres not anything a 15-year-old kid who is only probably 120 pounds can do. (Two former students, including Munroe and Jared, recall witnessing this specific incident.) MacNamara told her father, who called the police. The police told us that [John] said that he runs the school and he had the right to do the things he did and restrain her, her father recalled. MacNamara was pulled out of the school shortly thereafter. (The Hiners declined to answer questions about this alleged incident; a public-information officer for the Newark Police Department declined to provide a police report or any additional information regarding the alleged complaint.) One of Hiners initial roles was teaching Overcoming Sex, which was similar to a sex-ed class, former students say, but evolved into a platform for Big John to pontificate on his views, which were becoming increasingly conservative. Big John would rant about subjects like the dangers of homosexuality, or make students watch Kesha music videos and criticize her makeup or the way she dressed. He was against things seen as promiscuous, or hedonistic, says Elena. Despite his conservative views on sex, Big John was known for being hands-on with female students, having them sit on his lap at meetings or offering parents and students massages on his massage table in the music room, telling them he was officially licensed. (Records show that Hiner did indeed receive a massage-therapy license in Delaware in 1997, which has since expired.) He was also notorious for spending time with particular female students, including, according to multiple students, one then-underage girl who regularly brought him meals, brushed his hair, and sat in his lap. (The student did not respond to multiple requests for comment.) Trebs Thompson, the mother of former student Wayne Flemmiken, was once horrified to walk in on this student straddling him, though she did not bring it up to Melanie Hiner at the time. It was so weird that I wanted to believe there was something innocent, like I was wrong, somehow, she says. Like it wasnt really bad. I tried to justify it to myself. Most of this behavior was written off as Big John being affectionate with the kids. In fact, at least one parent who spoke to Rolling Stone said they saw it as an asset: I liked that he gave the little ones hugs, she says. [I] just thought the New School was a friendly place to be. But there were other instances of inappropriate comments made by Big John that were harder to dismiss, sources tell Rolling Stone. Both Douthwaite and Thompson say they heard Big John making comments about sex with children on at least one occasion. He was very loudly giving his opinion that he found it very outrageous that the default attitude toward having sex with children is to be against it, Douthwaite says. He thought there was no firm evidence it actually harmed them. (The New School declined to comment about any specific allegations.) Douthwaite lived with the Hiners from September 2002 through the spring of 2003 after his parents moved to Florida, so he could finish the school year. During that time, he says, he was walking behind Hiners laptop when he saw a nude image of a young girl, who he estimated to be about five years old, on the monitor. After telling his parents, they pulled him out of school and told him to report the incident to the police, which he did. A family member of Douthwaites and a friend confirm he told them about seeing the image at the time. The family member confirms they placed a call to Newark police, who then connected them to the FBI. Newark police declined to provide a copy of Douthwaites statement. A FOIA request for Hiners records was also rejected, on the grounds that they were part of investigatory files compiled for civil or criminal law-enforcement purposes, including pending investigative files, according to the Newark PD. Douthwaite says he regrets that nothing ever came of the call to the police, adding that he was highly intimidated by Big John at the time. Almost no one who was a student at the time would have had the bravery to go against him, he says. Even if you did, he was such a sophisticated speaker that you knew what he would do. He would engage in sophistry and justify it and outsmart you. He is really good at that. There was also a larger cultural shift going on at the New School, which multiple students say was primarily spearheaded by Big John. The school had never advertised itself as politically or religiously affiliated, but around the time that Big John became more of a presence at the school, the Hiners, who are Catholic, started encouraging some students to come to church with them every Sunday, say Elena and Munroe. While church was not mandatory, it was viewed by some students as a way to gain purchase inside the Hiners inner circle and to improve their chances of having them approve their final thesis, which was a requirement for graduation. And former parents and students say it didnt take long for the Hiners weird interpretation of the Catholic faith, as Munroe puts it, to start seeping into the ideology of the entire school. It wasnt any version of Catholicism I recognized, thats for sure, says one former student. Im talking trad Catholic: lace veils for women when they pray, Bible and mass in Latin, trying to bring back pre-Vatican II-type stuff. When homosexuality was discussed on school grounds, it was in the context of Big John saying gay sex was barbarous and that AIDS was a punishment sent from God, says one student who asked not to be named, who was closeted at the time. Those things made me feel like I had to be on guard and made me feel absolutely not comfortable to discuss my sexuality or explore it or tell anybody about it, he says. (Two other students who spoke to Rolling Stone confirmed Hiner had a history of making homophobic comments.) The evils of abortion were also topics of conversation, multiple students tell Rolling Stone. Elena says that during her time at the school, the Hiners would occasionally cheer on students who picketed outside of Planned Parenthood, and shared a list of brands to boycott based on their support for stem-cell research. In her sex-ed classes, we talked a lot about birth control and condoms and how that was one step away from abortion, which was murder, she says. Munroe, who had an abortion at the age of 18 while she was a student at the New School, says she sought guidance from Big John afterward; when she mentioned she wanted to have children one day, he equated me having children and loving them and holding them when they were sad and tucking them in at night all while I knew I had killed their brother to being on par with a Nazi guard, spending his days at a concentration camp, killing Jews, and then coming in and tucking his son into bed, she recalls. The comparison turned her stomach and led her to hit a breaking point: I left and I didnt come back, she says. According to other students, Allen was slut-shamed by a school administrator. WITH SO MANY TEENAGERS RUNNING around in an unsupervised environment, sex would often come up at the New School, though former students say the Hiners teachings around sexuality were confusing and often contradictory. The greatest targets of Big Johns ire, former students say, were young female students who were perceived as having been promiscuous. One of these young women was Bonnie Allen, the 12-year-old girl who had struggled with severe mental health issues before attending the New School. Despite her initial excitement at getting a fresh start, almost immediately Bonnie had problems, says her friend Evie Conner. Conner told Rolling Stone that Bonnie told her that she was bullied by students and staff, and when she complained to a staff member about a male student making her uncomfortable, she was told by the staff member to essentially suck it up, Conner says. (The staff member did not respond to a request for comment.) When Bonnie started hanging around with some older boys at the smokers court, the Hiners took notice, particularly Big John, who sources say would frequently berate Bonnie and another female student. He would call them sluts, whores, tell them they were too sexual, all kinds of awful things, says Renata, a friend of Bonnies who attended the school from 2004 to 2006. (Several students confirmed that Big John used slut-shaming language targeted at a select group of female students.) When, for a school project, Renata and Bonnie choreographed a routine to Jets Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Bonnie put on lipstick for the performance. Afterward, Renata says, Big John walked up to Bonnie and said, Why are you walking around like a little slut? She was a mess. She was crying. It was awful, she recalls. She looked so, so, so, sad. A few months into Bonnies time at the New School, say her father, Tony, she was caught giving oral sex to an older boy on school property. She was just 12. (He could not remember who the boy was, or exactly how old he was.) Tony says that he and his now-ex-wife, who did not respond to requests for comment, were not informed of this by the Hiners or anyone at the New School, instead finding out through one of Bonnies friends. Shortly after they learned what allegedly happened, in spring 2005, they pulled Bonnie out of the school without speaking with the Hiners, though he says they hounded him for tuition payments for a few months afterward. They were not providing a safe environment. That to me is a breach of contract, Tony says. So I didnt feel like we owed them anything. Bonnie did not tell her friends outside of the New School what had happened, or why she had left. When her choir friends, who would regularly come over for sleepovers at the Allens house, asked her what had happened, you could tell from her tone she didnt want to talk about it very much, remembers her friend Andrea Higgins. I just knew it wasnt what she thought it was supposed to be. When Higgins later learned about what had happened with the older boy, she says, her peers framed it as if it had been Bonnies fault, like she was the problem, when the reality is she was a victim, Higgins says. BECAUSE OF THE CODE OF SILENCE allegedly governing the New School, the parents who spoke with Rolling Stone say they were not aware of everything that was happening at the school. When they did find out, according to these parents, it was not uncommon for them to pull their kids out midway through the school year, as the Allens had done with Bonnie. Some parents say they encountered difficulty, however, when their kids didnt want to leave. When Elenas father, for instance, pulled his daughter out of the New School after allegedly witnessing Big John give her a massage in his condos swimming pool, she initially refused. Even after she agreed to go to public school, she continued to attend church with the Hiners. Eventually, she says, she got the sense that they were trying to create dissonance between her and her parents. When the movie Tangled came out, Elena recalls, she watched it with the Hiners, who mockingly compared her mother to the overbearing, manipulative villain Mother Gothel. The closer I was to the Hiners and the staff, the further I was from my family, she says. Trebs Thompson also noticed that the Hiners had a tendency to encourage kids to stay even after their parents tried to get them out. At some point it devolved to the point where if you tried to remove your kid from the school, the Hiners would step in and say, Well, thats OK, you can just stay here with us and keep going to school, Thompson says. When she floated the idea of pulling her son Wayne out, he insisted he didnt want to leave. I was terrified, she says. [I was thinking], Did I want to lose my kid to these people? (He eventually left of his own volition in 2004.) Thompson says she considered calling the authorities on the school to try to get it shut down. (The school is not formally accredited, but this is not unusual, as private schools are not required to be licensed under the Delaware DOE.) But she decided against it, focusing instead on calling the parents she knew to try to get them to leave. We knew wed be destabilizing the safe haven some kids had, she says. Most former New School students who Rolling Stone spoke to did not continue to be involved with the community, largely filing away their experiences with the school as an unpleasant memory. Former students would occasionally hear tidbits of information from the alumni community that the school had moved to another location, for instance, and started running a co-op on a farm, headed by a former teacher. But few of the alumni thought much about the New School, until they heard about what happened with Samuel Gulick. At approximately 2:16 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2020, Gulick, a slight 18-year-old with a wispy beard and straw-colored hair, drove to the Planned Parenthood facility in Newark, Delaware, and spray-painted the words Deus Vult Latin for God wills on the front. According to court documents, Gulick threw a lit Molotov cocktail into the front window, which exploded upon impact, causing damage to the window and the front porch. He was arrested the next day and charged with malicious damage of a building and intentional damage to a facility that provides reproductive-health services. According to court documents reviewed by Rolling Stone, Gulick was a longtime member of the New School community, enrolling at the age of 13 after being home-schooled for most of his life, according to a sentencing memorandum submitted by his attorney, Conor Wilson. He was exactly the type of vulnerable kid that the school had traditionally courted: He had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and had a debilitating speech impediment. He quickly became deeply enmeshed in the New Schools inner circle, getting baptized and developing a hyperfocused and radicalized fascination with Roman Catholicism, according to the memorandum. (Wilson declined to comment for this story; phone calls and messages to the Gulick residence went unreturned.) To outside observers, Gulick seemed diligent and hard-working, volunteering at the co-op on the farm frequently. Yet in reality, he was going farther inward and was increasingly socially isolated, according to the memorandum. Thats clear from Gulicks texts and social media posts cited in the memorandum. A search of his Instagram by the FBI found a history of anti-abortion posts using violent rhetoric, including an infographic with the caption, The Nazis said killing millions of Jews was a national health issue. Democrats are using the same excuse to kill American children. In another text, he referred to Planned Parenthood employees as murderous bastards who in my opinion should be shot. In court documents, Wilson argued that while Gulicks actions were not directed by the New School, they were intended to impress New School leadership. In 2022, after spending 26 months in prison, Gulick was sentenced to time served followed by three years of court-supervised probation and therapy. This sentence was in part due to his young age and his developmental issues, according to court documents. Though the conditions of Gulicks sentence prohibited him from contacting the Hiners, the judge did receive a letter submitted by Melanie Hiner attesting to Gulicks character: Please release Sam to the custody of his loving family, the school that cares so much for him, to his church, and to the volunteer work he does for us all, she wrote in the letter. We will do everything we can to keep him secure and support him through this. Prompted by Gulicks arrest, many New School alumni connected on Facebook to start a private group, aptly dubbed The Smokers Court. For parents like Thompson, the Facebook group has brought about something of a moment of personal reckoning, particularly after speaking with female alumni from the group who had been made uncomfortable by Big John or the general environment of shame and bullying at the school. She wonders what could have been prevented had she spoken up earlier. I look back on it and Im like, Why did I not have better judgment? she says. The New School appears to still be operational, though the Facebook page for the school was last updated in December 2017, and less than 30 students currently attend the school, according to Gulicks 2022 sentencing memorandum and US News and World Report. Many of the alumni Rolling Stone spoke with said that shortly after joining the group, they were contacted by the FBI, who reached out in the summer of 2022. When reached for comment, a representative for the FBI said, We dont confirm or deny or give updates on specific investigations. The FBI also rejected a FOIA requesting records of an investigation into the New School filed by Rolling Stone. Due to the abrupt mid-semester departures of many former New School students, and the fact that many attended before the advent of social media, alumni used the Smokers Court group as an opportunity to find students who had left during their time there. One name that was frequently floated around was Bonnie Allens. Few people had heard from her in the two decades following her departure from the New School, and there was virtually no information about her online. According to her father and Andrea Higgins, Bonnies former best friend, Bonnie was briefly enrolled in a local public middle school after she left the New School, and was suspended shortly after having a violent altercation with a female student. Not long afterward, she ran away from home. Higgins spotted her one morning in downtown Wilmington, miles from her house, sitting outside of a corner store. Higgins invited Bonnie back to her apartment, where she took a nap and showered. When her parents called Bonnies parents to let them know where she was, Bonnie panicked; by the time her parents arrived to pick her up, she was gone. Several days later, Tony Allen says, Bonnies mother found her in downtown Wilmington, and she called the police after Bonnie refused to get in the car. They later discovered she had pot and heroin in her bag. From there, Bonnie went to an in-patient rehab, then to a residential treatment facility for troubled teens. We really didnt want her to come home, he says. We did not feel like we could keep her safe. When Bonnie finally came home in 2006, she seemed to be doing better, says Higgins: She was a bit more mellow. She was like, I am still trying to figure stuff out. Shortly after seeing her, I found out she threw herself in front of a car. Bonnies attempt to take her own life was on July 30, 2006. She survived, but was in a coma for 10 months. Higgins and her friends would get updates from the Allens; some days were good, some days were not so good. She was suffering more than she was progressing, Higgins says. On May 27, 2007, Bonnies parents decided to take her off life support. She was just 15. When reached for comment about Allens death, the New School said, It is painful when a student or former student commits a crime or meets [an] untimely death. Sadly those who try to help children achieve maturity have always faced such horrors. But when Tony Allen looks back on those last years of his daughters life, particularly her time at the New School, its with intense regret. Our thought was This might be something that would click with her, something that would work. She might be able to find herself in this different environment, he says. He does not blame the New School for what happened to Bonnie, or for her death. But, he says, we were hoping they would give her some support and guidance. And that did not happen. Best of Rolling Stone Student Gaza solidarity protests are engulfing some of the nations top colleges as university presidents, U.S. lawmakers and even President Joe Biden struggle to quell the growing unrest amid fierce partisan blowback. The protests, which began against the backdrop of Columbia Universitys prominent campus lawn last week but in the past two days began to extend into New York City and spread to colleges across the country, are upending the final weeks of the spring semester as leaders scramble to respond. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was scheduled to meet with college administrators Tuesday to share best practices, including using security personnel to ensure individuals who dont attend their schools do not enter campus, as Columbia and New York University students planned demonstrations outside their campus borders. We should address this when it is just a spark, Adams told reporters during an unrelated press conference Tuesday. Lets not wait until its a blazing fire. The NYPD, he said, will only intervene if theres an imminent threat, including destruction of property and placing an individuals life in imminent danger. Colleges in about a dozen states have now seen some kind of pro-Palestinian protest. Student groups say they are showing their support for Palestinians in Gaza, but they are also seeking to pressure their institutions to divest all economic and academic stakes in Israel. Within the past week, local police have arrested more than 100 students and faculty for demonstrations at Columbia University, 120 protesters at New York University and dozens of students at Yale University in Connecticut. At Columbia, the chaos peaked Monday when a flurry of lawmakers and droves of NYPD officers descended around the campus. As all classes at the schools main campus went hybrid, protesters remained in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which had swelled to include over 100 tents. On Tuesday afternoon, about 200 protesters picketed outside campus across the street from the schools fraternity and sorority houses while about 50 police officers in riot gear lined up facing them. Protesters inside the campus led chants, and the picketers outside responded. At one point, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani drove past. Stop being so stupid, Giuliani told reporters when asked what he hoped to tell the protesters. Theyre being completely used by a terrorist, murderous group of people. When the protesters realized who was in the car, they started chanting, Giuliani you will see, Palestine will be free. Earlier Tuesday ahead of the planned protest, Columbia spokesperson Ben Chang told reporters that college administrators are in constant contact with the NYPD. The campus has seen acts of vandalism on our campus since the protest began, reports of harassment and discrimination, he said during a Zoom media briefing. After NYPD officers cleared out the pro-Palestinian encampment at NYU overnight Monday, hundreds of students continued the protest nearby in Washington Square Park on Tuesday afternoon. A sea of students and faculty could be seen holding pro-Palestinian flags and posters with slogans like Free Palestine and Zionist donors and trustees, hands off our universities. The students united will never be defeated! students chanted repeatedly. College leaders say theyre worried about campus security and are disavowing harassing behavior and antisemitic language that have been used at some of the protests. We witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that interfered with the safety and security of our community, and that illustrated how quickly a demonstration can get out of control, raising the possibility of people getting hurt, NYU President Linda Mills said in a statement, acknowledging the arrests made on her campus Monday. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has faced calls for her resignation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. After she faced the House education panel and sat for more than three hours worth of questioning on rising antisemitism at the school last week, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) issued a statement Sunday that Shafik must immediately resign. Jewish students and faculty held a protest outside Shafiks house Tuesday afternoon, accusing Columbia of ignoring their involvement in the encampment and Islamophobic incidents on campus. Marianne Hirsch, a Jewish professor at Columbia and a member of the American Association of University Professors also the daughter of Holocaust survivors accused the university of squashing peaceful protest. This is not what the university is about, Hirsch said, adding that the protest is against the state of Israel as opposed to any identity. All New York House Republicans have called for Shafiks resignation along with several Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.). Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Dan Goldman of New York and Kathy Manning of North Carolina visited Columbias campus on Monday and urged Shafik to protect its students. Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri on Monday called on Biden to send the National Guard to Columbia due to the unrest on campus and to break up the mobs. Meanwhile, the White House announced Tuesday that Biden would deliver commencement speeches at Morehouse College in Georgia and at the United States Military Academy at West Point next month a prime platform to address young voters that comes as the president has attempted to manage a precarious balance between supporting Israel, the U.S. main ally in the Middle East, and pushing for humanitarian protections for Palestinians facing a deadly siege in Gaza. Biden on Monday condemned the actions of demonstrators who he deemed as antisemitic while also condemning those who dont understand whats going on with the Palestinians. When asked by a reporter if the Columbia president should resign, Biden said he wasnt sure. I will have to find out more about that, he said. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Tuesday also weighed in, saying he is deeply concerned by what is happening at Columbia University. Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable, Cardona wrote on X. Former President Donald Trump condemned the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbias campus on Tuesday, saying its a disgrace to our country. Whats going on at the college level and the colleges Columbia, NYU and others is a disgrace, Trump said Tuesday while arriving at the courthouse for his hush money trial. And its really on Biden. He has the wrong signal. Hes got the wrong tone. Hes got the wrong words. He doesnt know who hes backing and its a mess. Jeff Coltin contributed to this report. CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated who is facing calls to resign from U.S. lawmakers. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik is facing calls for her resignation. Tensions are continuing to rise among college campuses across the nation as more pro-Palestinian protests break out, prompting canceled in-person classes and student arrests. Columbia University was thrust into the spotlight last week when New York Police Department (NYPD) officers at the request of school officials began to arrest students participating in a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Students launched last Wednesday what they called the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. The protests prompted the school to move classes online Monday as university President Minouche Shafik faces calls to resign after being questioned from the House Education Committee on campus antisemitism last week. The school has now moved all main campus classes excluding art-based programs to a hybrid format for the remainder of the semester. Similar demonstrations have popped up on other campuses as well, including New York University (NYU) and Yale University. NYU officials asked the NYPD to respond to a demonstration on its campus after protesters set up an encampment earlier that day. NYPD confirmed to The Hill Monday that multiple people from NYU were taken into custody amid the demonstrations. Yales student newspaper, The Yale Daily News, reported that the protests continued late into Monday night after dozens of students were arrested. Officer Christian Bruckhart, a New Haven police spokesperson, said there were about 45 protesters arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing, according to The Associated Press. The ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants has largely divided students, and many of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations have called for a cease-fire in the conflict, which began Oct. 7. Although most of the demonstrations have reportedly been peaceful, it has sparked concerns about antisemitic rhetoric and fears over Jewish students safety on these college campuses. The demonstrations faced condemnation from the White House, lawmakers and local officials. While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement shared with The Hill. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Cath Turner and Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Protests against Israel filled streets in Brooklyn and escalated at universities across the United States, some of which included Jewish Passover Seders, as demonstrators demanded an end to civilian casualties in Gaza. The growing protests follow mass arrests of demonstrators at some East Coast universities in recent days, and show a deepening dissatisfaction in the United States, historically Israel's most important ally, with the course of the war with Hamas. Pro-Palestinian protests have followed President Joe Biden, a self-declared "Zionist," for months. On universities, protests have recently grown to encampments that draw students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths, that host teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances. A large Brooklyn street protest reached a standoff on Tuesday when New York police began to arrest people over disorderly conduct, restraining those who refused to move with zip ties. The Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized the use of police force to stifle dissent, saying it undermined academic freedom. "So does defaming and endangering Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian ... students based on suspiciously inflammatory remarks that a few unidentified, masked individuals have made outside of campus," Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR in New York, said in a statement. Critics of the protests, including prominent Republican members of the U.S. Congress, have stepped up accusations of antisemitism and harassment by at least some protesters. Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, have raised free speech concerns over the arrests. There have been heated exchanges of words and insults between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators, particularly in the public streets around Columbia, leading congressional Republicans on Tuesday to demand that Biden do more to protect Jewish students. Several campus protesters Reuters spoke to attributed the off-campus incidents to rogue provocateurs who are trying to hijack the protests' message. "There are no universities left in Gaza. So we chose to reclaim our university for the people of Palestine," said Soph Askanase, a Jewish Columbia student who was arrested and suspended for protesting. "Antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, in particular racism against Arabs and Palestinians, are all cut from the same cloth." Other students blamed universities for failing to protect their right to protest or stand up for human rights. "As a Palestinian student, I too did not feel safe for the past six months, and that was as a direct result of Columbia's one-sided statements and inaction," said Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia. Students at the University of California, Berkeley - a school well known for its student activism during the 1960s - set up tents in solidarity with protesters at other schools. Milton Zerman, 25, a second-year student at Berkeley's law school, who is from Los Angeles, said Jewish and Israeli students have suffered from hateful harassment. "When you're an Israeli student on this campus, you feel like you have a target on your back, you feel unsafe and it's no wonder students from Israel are so hesitant to come here," Zerman said. New York police arrested more than 120 protesters at New York University on Monday and more than 100 at Columbia University last week. Columbia canceled in-person classes at its Upper Manhattan campus on Monday in a bid to defuse tensions. On Tuesday, Columbia said classes for the rest of the year would be hybrid, with students able to attend online or in person. Later, the university's president said it was time to move forward with a plan to dismantle the pro-Palestine encampment, and gave organizers a midnight deadline to do so. California's Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, was shut down after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a campus building. At the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, police cleared an encampment after the school asked them to take action, citing violations of university policy and trespassing law. PASSOVER PROTESTS Some Jewish demonstrators said they were taking the second night of the weeklong feast of Passover, a holiday feast when families gather and celebrate the biblical account of the Israelites' freedom from Egyptian slavery, to reaffirm their faith and distance themselves from the Israeli government's war strategy. "I don't see what Israel is doing as self-defense. I see incredible, absolutely unbelievable human rights violations," said Katherine Stern, 62, of Woodstock, New York, who gave up her family Seder 120 miles (190 km) away to attend the Brooklyn protest. Protesters want university endowments to divest from Israeli interests and the United States to end or at least condition Israeli military aid on improving the plight of Palestinians. Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking scores of hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's counterattack has killed over 34,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry, displacing nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people and causing a humanitarian crisis. In Brooklyn, about 2,000 people occupied a plaza near the Brooklyn home of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer, a staunch Israel supporter and the highest-ranking Jew in the U.S. government, chanting, "Stop arming Israel," "Stop funding genocide" and "Let Gaza live." Organizers staged music and song from Jewish and other cultures, giving prominence to Canadian author Naomi Klein, a peace activist who drew on her Jewish roots to argue against Zionism, which she called a "false idol." "We want freedom from the project that connects genocide in our name," Klein said to cheers. "We seek to migrate Judaism from an ethnostate that wants Jews to be perennially afraid ... or that we go running to its fortress, or at least keep sending them the weapons and the donations." (Reporting by Jonathan Allen, Cath Turner and Julia Harte in New York, Nathan Frandino in Berkeley, California, Kanishka Singh in Washington, Brendan O' Brien in Chicago, and Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Bill Berkrot, David Gregorio, Heather Timmons and Gerry Doyle) CHICAGO The body of fallen Chicago police officer Luis M. Huesca is expected to transported from the Cook County Medical Examiners Office to a funeral home in Oak Lawn Tuesday. Huesca was shot and killed Sunday. He was returning from work and was in the 3100 block of West 56th Street early Sunday when he was shot and killed. Huesca was off-duty, but police say he was found in his uniform, shot multiple times. Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting, and while police have not confirmed that Huesca was the victim of a carjacking, they did say his vehicle was stolen. Chicago police share photos, video of person wanted in connection to deadly shooting of CPD officer On Monday, police released photographs and a video captured by surveillance cameras showing an individual believed to be connected to the deadly shooting. Police are not yet calling this person a suspect in Huescas shooting death but rather a person of interest. Officers say the individual should be considered armed and dangerous. Huesca wouldve turned 31 on Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. A gun rack with assault rifles is displayed at a weapons retailer. (Getty Images) Louisiana lawmakers are considering a proposal to prohibit companies from winning government contracts if they refuse to do business with firearm companies or pro-gun groups. Senate Bill 234, sponsored by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, was voluntarily deferred Monday before the Senate Finance Committee after members chose to defer all of Mondays bills to consider them at a later date. Despite not holding a vote, the committee still heard debate on the measure. It would add restrictions to Louisianas public bid law to prohibit any state or local government from contracting with any company unless the contract contains a written verification that the company will not discriminate against any firearm entity or firearm trade association. Citizens should not be compelled by their government to fund gun control, Miguez said. The proposal defines firearm entity as any business that manufactures, distributes, supplies or sells guns, gun accessories, ammunition or shooter training, and it considers a firearm trade association as virtually any pro-gun group. It qualifies discrimination as the act of refusing to do business based solely on the entitys status as a firearm entity or trade association. Testifying in support of the bill, the National Shooting Sport Foundations Darren LaSorte told the committee large corporations that provide essential services are trying to starve us of essential services and ultimately destroy us. In the wake of a mass shooting at a Florida high school in 2018, several large corporations including Citigroup, Bank of America and Walmart adopted policies to limit their business with gun retailers that dont adopt simple measures such as performing background checks or prohibiting gun sales to people under 21. The Louisiana State Bond Commission has previously engaged in so-called ESG (environmental, social and governance) profiling to do business only with banks that share their conservative ideology. Miguez said the commission adopted a similar rule requiring contracts to include a gun-friendly vow. Critics of the rule warned it could limit competition and cost the state money, but Miguez said those fears turned out to be unfounded as the state actually ended up saving money. Joe Gendron, a lobbyist for the Louisiana Bankers Association, told the committee his organization is concerned with how the measure would be enforced. Miguez has proposed an amendment that would authorize the state attorney general or any local district attorney to void any contracts deemed to be in violation and sue the violating companies for fraud, breach of contract or on any other legal grounds. We do have some concerns about that putting one person just to be able to unilaterally make that decision and actually void a contract, Gendron said. Its one thing to not enter a contract. Its one thing to not renew a contract, but to have one person that can just say, This is null and void by my reading, we are concerned about. Miguez said his bill would protect Second Amendment rights and spark economic development, claiming it would advertise Louisiana as a pro-gun state and convince large gun manufacturers and other pro-gun businesses to relocate here. Sen. Katrina Jackson Andrews, D-Monroe, pointed out that Louisiana is already one of the biggest pro-gun states in the nation and wanted to know if any gun companies have set up shop here because of that culture. Neither Miguez nor LaSorte could say offhand how many gun manufacturers currently exist in Louisiana. Miguezs bill would apply only to contracts of at least $100,000 and would not apply if a government entity doesnt receive bids from any companies that have signed the pro-gun vow. The post Proposal would require companies to sign pro-gun vows in govt contracts appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Prosecutors have filed new and more severe charges against a well-known restaurateur whos accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl who used to work for him, according to court records reviewed by the Idaho Statesman. The Canyon County Prosecutors Office on Monday charged Jose Fabrizio Sanchez Vazquez, of Meridian, with two counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16 years old, along with felony witness intimidation, court records showed. Sanchez Vazquez had faced two felony rape charges. He was initially arrested at his Boise restaurant, La Garnacha Que Apapacha, and charged in Ada County with lewd conduct. The conduct here is extremely alarming because he used his position as an employer to take advantage of someone he admitted to doubting whether or not she was an adult, Shawn Kelley, a legal intern for the Ada County Prosecutors Office, said during a hearing earlier this month. After being questioned by the Boise Police Department, Sanchez Vazquez admitted that the alleged assaults also occurred in Nampa, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The admission prompted prosecutors to file charges against him in Canyon County as well. Sanchez Vazquezs attorney has raised doubts about the new charges, which led to a higher bond being set Monday. In an April motion, Nampa-based attorney Joshua Jimenez said that while Sanchez Vazquez has been charged with serious crimes, the new charges raise double jeopardy concerns, referencing the Fifth Amendment, which prevents people from being prosecuted twice for the same crime. It is apparent that the state is worried about the defendant being released from custody, so they have now filed charges listing the same victim with the same or similar acts, around same or similar dates in an effort to exercise their power to keep a community member in custody, Jimenez wrote. He asked the court Monday to lower Sanchez Vazquezs bond, arguing that his client has significant ties to the community and isnt a flight risk, according to a motion for bond reduction. The prosecution disagreed and asked a 3rd District judge to raise the bond. Canyon County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kyra Venecias motion asked for a bond of $1 million and said Sanchez Vazquez might try to leave the state. In recorded jail calls, Sanchez Vazquez told his wife that if he has to leave, hed help her learn how to run their restaurant, which the prosecution argued was referencing the defendants desire to flee to Mexico. He talked about wanting to restart his life in Mexico at some point, according to several court documents reviewed by the Statesman. But Jimenez told the Statesman by phone Tuesday that Sanchez Vazquez could be referring to going to prison, adding that the calls were taken completely out of context, and that using the recordings is completely unfair, since he hasnt been able to review the recordings. Third District Judge Matthew Schelstrate sided with the prosecution, increasing Sanchez Vazquezs Canyon County bond to $500,000 during a hearing Monday, according to court records. Sanchez Vazquez is also being held on a $200,000 bond in Ada County, jail records showed. Jimenez said hes requested the audio calls. He hopes to have them by Sanchez Vazquezs May 3 hearing, where he plans to ask the judge to decrease bond. My client looks forward to his day in court, Jimenez said. These are some strong allegations, but it doesnt tell the whole story of everything thats going on here. Victim put on payroll to help pay for pregnancy, affidavit says The now-16-year-old victim, who is pregnant, arrived at the Nampa Family Justice Center in March seeking help for her unborn child, according to the affidavit. The Nampa Police Department was later notified and told law enforcement that shed asked Sanchez Vazquez for money to help her take care of the child. Sanchez Vazquez eventually agreed and placed the victim on his companys payroll, even though she didnt work there anymore, according to the affidavit. Police said the victim produced four pay stubs dated from late February and March for $600 each. In a Boise Police Department interview, Sanchez Vazquez said he never knew the girl was a minor. But when he was later questioned by a Boise detective, he admitted that the girl had once said, What would happen if I told you I was 17? to which he said he laughed, according to the affidavit. Jimenez added that the girl had a fake identification card that showed she was older. Law enforcement has disputed that claim in the affidavit, which said the card showed she was underage. Sanchez Vazquez later said that he didnt know what to believe because (the girl) was always making up stories, the affidavit said. The detective asked Sanchez Vazquez whether it ever occurred to him to stop once he was questioning her age. Sanchez Vazquez said that it cross(ed) his mind and that he tried to stop, but added that stupidity was on his side, according to the affidavit. Defendants family assuming full responsibility of restaurant Sanchez Vazquezs wife, Gabby Talavera, who runs the restaurant with her husband, said she and her children would be taking full responsibility for the daily operations, thanking those whove supported her family. La Garnacha Que Apapacha started as a Nampa food truck in 2020 before opening as a physical restaurant at the Boise Spectrum last summer. The popular restaurant specializes in birria, a traditional meat stew often used in tacos. While Talavera said in a social media post that she understands and respects the decision of people who choose to no longer support the restaurant, she asked potential customers to continue patronizing the business, because the well-being of her family and employees relies on it. In light of recent events involving my husband and business partner, Talavera wrote on Instagram, our family, including our dedicated employees, remain deeply affected. We send prayers to all those impacted. On Monday, Manhattan prosecutors began trying to persuade a jury that Donald Trump is guilty of 34 felonies in his hush money case. On Tuesday, theyll try to persuade the judge that he deserves a more immediate penalty: They want him held in contempt. The prosecutors say Trump has repeatedly violated a gag order that prohibits him from attacking witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case. Justice Juan Merchan has scheduled a Tuesday morning hearing, outside the presence of the jury, to consider the prosecutors arguments. If Merchan agrees that Trump has defied the gag order, hell then face the thorny question of what to do about it. His options range from a sternly worded warning to a modest fine to a short stint in jail. Several former prosecutors said they expect Merchan to be lenient. But they also noted that the situation is fluid, unpredictable, and it goes without saying unprecedented. Judge Merchan is going to do everything possible to give him as much leeway as possible to cure the situation and be a better defendant, said Diana Florence, a former Manhattan prosecutor. But Trump has shown little willingness to curb his public rhetoric, prosecutors say. On April 15, the first day of the trial, prosecutors cited three alleged violations of the gag order, including an April 13 post on Truth Social in which Trump called Michael Cohen, a star witness for the prosecution, a disgraced attorney and felon. Then, on April 18, prosecutors accused Trump of violating the gag order seven more times in a three-day span. The most egregious example, they said, was a Truth Social post in which Trump quoted a Fox News host as saying, They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury. These statements, prosecutors say, are willful violations of the judges gag order and risk undermining the integrity of the ongoing trial. They asked the judge to fine Trump $1,000 per violation. In their initial motion for contempt after the first three alleged violations, they also urged the judge to warn Trump that future violations could be punished not only with additional fines, but also with a term of incarceration of up to thirty days. Trumps team, meanwhile, defended the lawfulness of the posts. Trump lawyer Emil Bove argued, for instance, that Trumps posts about Cohen came in response to commentary the consigliere-turned-states-witness made in the media about the former president. The gag order doesnt include an exception for such rebuttals. But the judge could add one, according to former prosecutor and New York Law School professor Rebecca Roiphe. Theres something to be said for the fact that the whole point of the gag order is to ensure the integrity of the proceedings, and if the defendant would suffer from being tongue-tied because there are others in the media talking about this, then thats not a completely irrelevant point to make, she said. Trump has repeatedly tested Merchans patience in recent weeks. The judge initially issued the gag order on March 26. Then, on April 1, after Trump verbally attacked Merchans adult daughter, the judge clarified that the gag order prohibits attacks on the judges family (although the order notably does not prevent Trump from attacking the judge himself). Last week, Merchan scolded Trump for muttering and gesturing in the presence of a prospective juror. And at one point he told Trump lawyer Todd Blanche that he doubted whether Blanche could prevent Trump from publicly commenting on witnesses in the case. But however frustrated Merchan may be by Trumps behavior, former prosecutors are in agreement: It would be almost unthinkable for Merchan to jail the former president for contempt, at least for now. That would be a very extreme, draconian measure to take, Florence said. I would think that would be an absolute last resort. I think its only if Trump forces his hand. Hes on that road; Im not sure hes there yet. Adam Kaufmann, another former prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, said he expects the judge to take a light hand. My guess is he will give a direct warning and then fine him next time, Kaufmann emailed. But of course thats just a guess who knows. Former prosecutor Elizabeth Roper, a partner at Baker McKenzie, said a fine is most likely. Merchan would probably take that kind of step something short of actual incarceration before putting him in jail, just because that is such a drastic step and its not done very frequently, she said. But the situation is a First Amendment nightmare, according to Peter Tilem, another former Manhattan prosecutor who now helms his own firm. Thats because political speech enjoys robust First Amendment protections. Trumps lawyers could appeal any contempt ruling and make a First Amendment argument, saying the posts were part of Trumps political campaign. Success would be far from guaranteed, but an appeal would make an already complex legal proceeding even messier. Trump, in fact, has already appealed the gag order itself on constitutional grounds. A New York appellate judge quickly rejected Trumps effort to use the appeal as a way to delay the trial. This is probably one of the major reasons why its a bad idea to be trying a presidential candidate in the middle of a campaign, because it gets you into this massive constitutional quagmire, Tilem said. What do you do in a situation like this? If Merchan does hold Trump in contempt and wants to issue a penalty that will have an impact on the former president, there arent too many options between a fine and a jail sentence. Merchan could theoretically issue an order barring Trump from using social media during the trial: Thats what a judge did during the 2019 criminal case against Trump ally Roger Stone when Stone repeatedly attacked the judge. But such an order would face a robust appeal. I think hes going to be very reluctant to do that, in part because of the very significant First Amendment interests at stake, said Roiphe, the law professor. GENEVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations' (UN) Human Rights chief Volker Turk has strongly condemned recent Israeli strikes in Rafah that resulted in the deaths of many women and children. In a statement on Tuesday, Turk also warned against a full-scale incursion into an area with over 1.2 million civilians, saying it would violate international humanitarian and human rights law, likely leading to more atrocities. In March, the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire, he stressed. Moreover, he underscored the need for global solidarity to protect civilians in Rafah, recalling recent tragedies such as a premature baby delivered from a mother who had been mortally wounded in an air strike and the deaths of numerous children and women in separate strikes. The UN human rights chief called for immediate actions to halt this suffering, calling for independent investigations into reports of mass graves and the destruction of medical facilities. He stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and unimpeded humanitarian aid. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Former President Trumps social media posts could be getting him into trouble. On Tuesday, the judge in his New York criminal trial held a special hearing where prosecutors argued he violated a gag order. The judge issued a gag order barring the former president from publicly criticizing witnesses. Trump posted anyway, lashing out at his former lawyer Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels. During Tuesdays hearing, prosecutors argued the judge should fine Trump over the posts. After the hearing, the former president railed against the gag order. I have an unconstitutional gag order by a highly conflicted judge, Trump said. Im not allowed to defend myself and yet other people are allowed to say whatever they want about me. Very, very unfair. Georgetown Law professor David Super calls Trumps posts a clear violation of the gag order. If you or I were subject to this gag order and we tweeted like that wed be locked up in a flash, but you and I are not Mr. Trump, Super said. Super says the judge is unlikely to put Trump in jail over this. Instead, he expects him to fine the former president. Although that may not have much of an impact on Trumps behavior. From his perspective, jail is off the table, the fines are irrelevant, so hes going to do what he wants to do, Super said. The judge is expected to make a decision about that issue in the coming days. In the meantime, the trial continued with testimony. Later in the day, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, David Pecker, told the jury that Donald Trump was directly involved in a scheme to buy then bury negative stories about him during the 2016 election. The gag order material is frankly a bit of a sideshow. The testimony is what really matters, Super said. The trial is set to resume with more testimony on Thursday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Prosecutors want Trump to be held in contempt but what does that mean? (NEXSTAR) Tuesday morning, before former President Donald Trumps hush money trial resumed, the New York judge in his case held a hearing on the prosecutions request that Trump be held in contempt of court and fined at least $3,000 for allegedly violating his gag order. Trump currently faces 34 felony counts for reimbursements prosecutors claim his company made to his lawyer Michael Cohen for hush money payments. Those payments were allegedly disguised in records as legal expenses. In March, before the trial began, Judge Juan M. Merchan issued a gag order, barring the former president from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and jurors in the trial. A few days later, the judge expanded Trumps gag order. Second day of David Pecker testimony wraps in Trumps hush money trial Now, prosecutors say Trump violated the gag order in 10 different posts from his social media account and website. The posts mentioned Cohen, Stormy Daniels (who Cohen paid off on Trumps behalf to keep quiet about an alleged affair), and reporters. Todd Blanche, Trumps lawyer, said during Tuesdays hearing that people working with Trump will pick out articles they think his followers would like to see and then repost them to Truth Social under his name. Blanche had argued that reposting a news article, as in some of the posts at issue, doesnt violate the gag order. When Merchan asked for citations to cases to back that supposition up, Blanche said he didnt have any, but its just common sense. Prosecutors have sought $3,000 in fines $1,000 each for three of the alleged violations and that Trump be held in contempt of court. But what does it mean to be held in contempt? Generally speaking, contempt of court means someone has violated an order of the court, according to Cornell Law School, or has done something to obstruct or interfere with the orderly administration of justice. Ex-Trump attorney: Judge giving lawyer tongue-lashing a bad moment Cornell explains that in New York, civil contempt is used to protect parties rights to litigation, while criminal contempt is used to protect the judicial system but is generally meant to recognize an offense against public justice as opposed to a litigant. Criminal contempt in the first degree, under New York law, is treated as a class E felony, which could lead to imprisonment of up to four years though it could be much less, depending on the judges decision. Its too soon to say what consequences, if any, Trump will face regarding the allegations made by the prosecutors as Merchan said Tuesday that he would not make an immediate decision. He did, however, suggest that instead of begging for forgiveness, Trump should have asked for clarity when considering social posts or reposts that might cross the line. Later, during a break in the trial, Trump slammed Merchan over the gag order in a social media post. HIGHLY CONFLICTED, TO PUT IT MILDLY, JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN, HAS TAKEN AWAY MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH, Trump wrote on his social media site during a brief court break. EVERYBODY IS ALLOWED TO TALK AND LIE ABOUT ME, BUT I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DEFEND MYSELF. THIS IS A KANGAROO COURT. Last year, Trump was fined $15,000 for twice violating a gag order imposed at his New York civil fraud trial after he made a disparaging social media post about the judges chief law clerk. In 2022, Trump was held in contempt and fined $110,000 for being slow to respond to a subpoena in the investigation that led to the civil fraud lawsuit. Trial proceedings are set to resume on Thursday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. CLINTON, COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Troop F Montoursville Barracks is looking to identify a suspect involved in two incidents of alleged identity theft. According to PSP, on Friday, February 2, the suspect, pictured below, described as a white male, attempted to falsely obtain a victims Jersey Shore State Bank (JSSB) account information at two different locations, in Bald Eagle Township, and the City of Lock Haven, both in Clinton County. Courtesy: PSP Tips Suspects wanted for questioning of theft at Dicks House of Sport The suspect was unsuccessful in getting the victims account information as personnel at both bank locations refused him service. All callers to PSP Tips remain anonymous if desired and could be eligible for a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest, the solving of a crime/cold case, or the location of a wanted person/fugitive or missing person. Anyone with information is urged to call PSP Montoursville at 570-368-5700 or PSP Tips Toll-Free number, 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477), or online at the P3Tips website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Public advised to stay out of 3 Los Angeles County beaches due to poor water quality The Los Angeles County Public Health Department is advising beachgoers to avoid all water contact at three beaches in the region. The three locations are: Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach. (Near Will Rogers Tower 18, 100 yards up and down the creek in both directions) Marie Canyon Storm Drain and Puerco Beach. (The entire swim area) Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. (The entire swim area) Officials say the ocean water quality has deteriorated in these three areas due to high levels of bacteria. The Department of Public Health adds that the danger of elevated bacteria levels is especially high around discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers. The health department tests ocean water bacteria levels regularly and advisories will be lifted once the levels meet standards set by the state of California. For a map and the latest information on beach closures and warnings, check the L.A. County Department of Healths website or call the countys hotline at 1-800-525-5662. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. These public high schools are the best in San Diego: U.S. News and World Report SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) U.S. News and World Report released the 2024 edition of its Best High Schools ranking on Tuesday and a few San Diego-area schools placed among the best in the state. Canyon Crest Academy, which is in the San Dieguito Union High School District, was the highest ranked San Diego-area school by the magazine, coming in at No. 15 in California and No. 140 nationwide. Meanwhile, The Preuss School UCSD and Del Norte High School earned the next highest rankings among San Diego-area public schools, placing them at No. 2 and No. 3 in the county. 10 most popular audiobooks at San Diego County Library Here is the full list of the top 10 public high schools in San Diego, according to U.S. News and World Report: Canyon Crest Academy San Dieguito Union High School District No. 15 in California, No. 140 in U.S. Preuss School UCSD Preuss School UCSD District No. 28 in California; No. 231 in U.S. Del Norte High School Poway Unified School District No. 42 in California; No. 329 in U.S. Westview High School Poway Unified School District No. 54 in California; No. 401 in U.S. Mt. Everest Academy San Diego Unified School District No. 65 in California; No. 489 in U.S. Scripps Ranch High School San Diego Unified School District No. 71 in California; No. 524 in U.S. La Jolla High School San Diego Unified School District No. 100 in California; No. 754 in U.S. Sage Creek High School Carlsbad Unified School District No. 102 in California; No. 765 in U.S. River Valley Charter River Valley Charter District No. 117 in California; No. 839 in U.S. Del Lago Academy Campus of Applied Science Escondido Union High School District No. 118 in California; No. 840 in U.S. The full San Diego-area public school rankings can be found on the U.S. World and News Report website here. Carlsbad school district looking to curb student cell phone use U.S. News and World Report crafts its annual ranking of nearly 25,000 high schools across the country in partnership with a North Carolina-based nonprofit research firm, RTI International. Private schools were separately examined their rankings can be found here. Researchers then give weighted scores to schools based on six factors including: graduation rates, outcomes in statewide standardized testing, and scores on college-level or advanced placement exams. Ranks were then assigned in descending order based on this overall score. More on the methodology used by U.S. News and World Report can be found here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. The full press conference can be viewed via the video player above. (PUEBLO, Colo.) Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham was joined by the Pueblo Police Departments (PPD) Chief of Police and the Special Agent in charge of the FBIs Denver Field Office to address recent homicides and gun violence in the community on Tuesday morning, April 23. The press conference began at 9 a.m. at Memorial Hall in Pueblo. PPDs Chief Chris Noeller and Special Agent Mark Michalek spoke about crime trends in the city and beyond. The Pueblo Police Department and FBI have a long-term partnership with the Safe Streets Task Force and are working proactively to address gang violence, drug distribution, and other crimes, the City of Pueblo said. To learn more about how the City and law enforcement agencies are working together to tackle crime in Pueblo, watch the full press conference in the video player above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. The Kremlin is reportedly scrambling to find a successor to Ramzan Kadyrov following reports that the Chechen leader has been diagnosed with necrotizing pancreatitis, a terminal illness, according to Russian media reports. Kadyrov, also known as Putin's attack dog or Putins soldier for his loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has visited Moscow Central Clinical Hospital regularly through the years to undergo procedures. He was allegedly diagnosed with the illness five years ago. Ukrainian intelligence last year pointed to Kadyrovs ailing health, noting last year that he was in a coma. There is information that the war criminal Kadyrov is in a serious condition and the diseases that were there have worsened and caused such a serious condition, said Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraines military intelligence branch. The former vice-prime minister of Chechnya, Akhmad Zakayev, has also previously stated he has been sick. He overdosed last year on a preoperative sedative, causing acute pulmonary failure, according to Novaya Gazeta. Putins Foot Soldier Posts Cringe Workout Video to Prove Hes Not Dying The news of Kadyrovs terminal ailment is reportedly a source of concern for the Kremlin as Putin looks to shore up Russian influence and control in Chechnya in the coming years, which has been a decades-old objective for Moscow. In 1991, the President of Chechnya, Dzhokhar Dudayev, declared independencebut Moscow pushed back on it out of fear that it could inspire other provinces to break from Russia. In 1994, Russia invaded Chechnya to try to keep it under its fold. Five years later, Putin had the capital of Chechnya, Grozny, destroyed, killing tens of thousands of civilians. Putins operation in Chechnyawhere he has claimed he was simply carrying out counterterrorism operationshas drawn comparisons Moscows strategy to the war in Ukraine. The loss of the Kremlins loyal foot soldier, however, could directly impact domestic support for the war. Kadyrov has sent soldiers to fight for Russia in Ukraine. He has also been a vocal champion of Putin within Russia, supporting the idea of limiting candidates in elections and vowing loyalty to the Russian president in the face of Wagners march on Moscow. One potential successor could be Major General Apti Alaudinov, the commander of the Chechen special forces volunteer association, who has been working as deputy at the Main Directorate for Military and Political Work at the defense ministry. Alaudinov was personally appointed to the role by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Already, some Chechens have expressed disapproval of Putin and his war in Ukraine. When the war began, some Chechens even joined frontline battalions helping Ukraine to fend off the Russian invasion. In return, some Ukrainians have vowed to fight for a free Chechnya once the war is over. Kadyrov has sought to throw cold water on his reported terminal ailment. He posted a video of himself working out on Tuesday, as if to signal that his diagnosis isnt holding him back. The Kremlin has previously worked to spread the narrative that Kadyrov is healthy. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A picture released by the North Korean State News Agency (KCNA) on 23 April 2024 shows a missile drill at an undisclosed location. According to the South Korean military, North Korea has once again fired several missiles towards the open sea. -/KCNA/KNS/dpa North Korea on Tuesday said that it has carried out a nuclear counter-attack simulation "involving super-large multiple rocket artillerymen." State-controlled news agency KCNA reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the Monday launches, the first demonstration of Pyongyang's new nuclear-weapons management and control system called "Haekbangashoe," or "nuclear trigger." Kim had expressed his satisfaction with the test, KCNA reported. The missiles fired hit their target in the sea within a radius of 352 kilometres. "The joint tactical exercise has significantly increased the power and effectiveness of our nuclear force, which includes super-sized multiple launch rocket systems," Kim was quoted as saying. According to South Korea's General Staff, North Korea on Monday fired several suspected ballistic missiles toward the open sea. North Korea is prohibited by UN resolutions from launching or even testing ballistic missiles of any range. The suspected short-range missiles were said to have flown about 300 kilometres eastwards from an area around the capital Pyongyang after the launch on Monday. They crashed into the sea. Depending on the design, ballistic missiles can also be equipped with a nuclear warhead. Despite international sanctions, North Korea continues to test nuclear-capable missiles and other weapons systems. Pyongyang said it most recently tested a warhead for a strategic cruise missile and anti-aircraft missiles on Friday. South Korea's military accused North Korea of further provocation. Kim Myung Soo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, consulted with the commander of the US Armed Forces Space Command, Stephen Whiting, in Seoul on how they can expand cooperation against threats from North Korea. KCNA said that Monday's drill was a "clear warning signal" to the United States and South Korea as it was carried out amid joint military exercises. Washington and Seoul "have incited extreme war fever through one hundred sorties on a daily average, openly talking about an 'advance' towards [North Korea] after completely taking off their mask of 'defence' and 'deterrence' said in the previous drills." Tensions on the peninsula are very high. Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has significantly increased the scope of its weapons tests, including the testing of nuclear-capable missiles, and has stepped up its rhetoric against the US and South Korea, both of which Pyongyang considers to be enemy states. Washington and Seoul have expanded their military cooperation, including joint manoeuvres. Nepal's President Ram Chandra Poudel checks his watch as he and Minister of Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha, wait for Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al arrival at Tribhuvan international airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The emir arrived on a two-days visit to the Himalayan nation. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shreshta) KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) The emir of Qatar landed in Nepal Tuesday on his first-ever visit to the South Asian country, after visiting Bangladesh and the Philippines, where improving migrant workers' conditions in the Gulf state and a Nepali student still held hostage by Hamas are expected to be on the agenda. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is set to meet Nepali dignitaries, including President Ram Chandra Poudyal and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during his two-day visit. Qatar hosts an estimated 400,000 Nepali workers, most in construction and manual labor. Concerns about working in extreme heat that could reach over 40 C (104 F) inadequate living facilities and abuse have risen in recent years. New York-based Human Rights Watch called on Qatar, Nepal and Bangladesh in a statement Sunday to prioritize labor protection for migrant workers during the emir's visit. It is important ... to go beyond exchanging diplomatic pleasantries over their longstanding labor ties and seize this moment to publicly commit to concrete, enforceable protections that address the serious abuses that migrant workers in Qatar continue to face, the statement quoted Michael Page, the agencys deputy Middle East and North Africa director, as saying. The statement added that while Qatar-based jobs have allowed migrant workers to send remittances back home to their families, many experience abuse, including wage theft, contract violations, and chronic illness linked to unsafe working conditions. Nepali officials are also likely to seek Al Thani's help in freeing a local, Bipin Joshi, who is held hostage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Joshi was among 17 Nepali students studying agriculture in Alumim kibbutz, near the Gaza Strip, when Hamas attacked Southern Israel on Oct.7. Ten of the students were killed, six injured and Joshi was held captive. Though there has been no information on his condition or whereabouts, Nepali officials said they believed he was still alive. Hamas sudden attack in October killed 1,200 people and some 250 others hostage were taken hostage. This has sparked a war that has so far killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, at least two-thirds of them women and children, according to the local health ministry. Qatar has been a key intermediary throughout the war in Gaza. It, along with the U.S. and Egypt, was instrumental in helping negotiate a brief halt to the fighting in November that led to the release of dozens of hostages. A spokesman for Qatars Foreign Ministry said Tuesday his country was undergoing an assessment of its role in mediating talks between Israel and Hamas over a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. He also said discussions were ongoing about Hamas presence in Qatar where the militant group has had a political office in the capital, Doha, for years. France and Qatar mediated a deal in January for the shipment of medicine for the dozens of hostages held captive by Hamas. Thomas Rabe speaks during an interview in Frankfurt, Germany, Jan. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan) John Rabe saved the lives of around 250,000 Chinese people between 1937 and 1938. Earlier this year, his grandson Thomas published a book named "Rabe and China," based on the diaries of his grandfather and other family documents. "I would be delighted if many new readers would engage with the history of this book," Thomas Rabe said, "so that my grandfather's humanitarian spirit, his understanding of morality and leadership, and his desire for peace can be passed on." HEIDELBERG, Germany, April 23 (Xinhua) -- For the Rabe family, the city of Nanjing carries a special meaning. During the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II, John Rabe, then working as a representative of Siemens in the war-ravaged Chinese city, set up an international safety zone with other foreigners to protect civilians from Japanese invaders. John Rabe, who saved the lives of around 250,000 Chinese people between 1937 and 1938, was thus dubbed the "Oskar Schindler of China." Earlier this year, his grandson Thomas Rabe published a book named "Rabe and China," based on the diaries of the grandfather and other family documents, which are considered important documents in China for studying the history of the Nanjing Massacre. Thomas Rabe donated his grandfather's diaries to China's Central Archives in 2016. Undated photo provided by the John Rabe and International Safety Zone Memorial Hall of Nanjing University shows John Rabe and his wife standing in front of the main building of No.1 Xiaofenqiao in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. (John Rabe and International Safety Zone Memorial Hall of Nanjing University/Handout via Xinhua) The purpose of publishing the book, "Rabe and China," is to pass along the international humanitarian spirit behind his grandfather's story, Thomas Rabe said. "I would be delighted if many new readers would engage with the history of this book," he said, "so that my grandfather's humanitarian spirit, his understanding of morality and leadership, and his desire for peace can be passed on." According to Thomas Rabe, this book also tells of the friendship between China and the Rabe family, which spans four generations. As a professor of gynecology and obstetrics, Thomas Rabe has been carrying out medical exchanges with Chinese universities and has published multiple medical books in Chinese, in his way to carry on the torch of the family legacy. His son, 25 years old, is now learning the Chinese language. Thomas Rabe is encouraging his son to study in China. "Hopefully, as he promised me, next year, he will go to Beijing for one year to continue his study of the language and culture." Thanks to the efforts by Thomas Rabe, the book "Rabe and China" will be published in more languages soon, including in German, English, and Spanish, which would help more people know about the Rabe family's friendship with China. "Young people must understand what it means to have responsibility for others and what it means to fight for others," Rabe said. "When you have friendship, you should continue your friendship even in hard times." KANSAS CITY, Mo. Rashee Rice and Theodore Knox are facing a second lawsuit from the March 30 crash in Dallas, Texas, according to a document filed in Dallas County. The court document says the plaintiff, Kamlesh Desai, is suing Rice, Knox, the car rental company where Rice rented a Lamborghini SUV, The Classic Lifestyle, and the owner of the rental company, Charles Bush Jr. Chiefs WR Rashee Rice likely facing multi-game suspension: reports Desai is seeking over $1 million in damages and demands judgment for all other relief to which they are justly entitled, at law and in equity. This lawsuit was the first of two that Rice and Knox have faced from the multi-vehicle crash. It was filed on Thursday, April 4, and on Thursday, April 11, two other victims filed a suit for $1 million in damages and no less than $10 million in punitive damages. Desai was driving a Toyota Sienna while Knox, who drove Rices Chevy Corvette, slid into the rear driver side quarter panel of Desais Sienna. The lawsuit, like Rices arrest warrant, states that Rice and Knox fled the scene of the collision and failed to render aid. It also states that Rice allegedly had a firearm on his possession at the time of the collision. The document further states that Rice negligently entrusted the [Corvette] to [Knox], when they knew or should have known he was an incompetent and/or reckless driver. Desai has suffered bodily injuries that are reflected in medical records and may continue to suffer into the future, physical pain and mental anguish according to the lawsuit. Rices arrest warrant stated that Desai suffered bodily injury to his head and torso causing him pain. KC Current, Port KC release master plan for Berkley Riverfront development project Rice, a Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, who was driving a Lamborghini SUV 119 miles per hour seconds before causing a six-vehicle crash last month, turned himself into the Glenn Heights, Texas Police Department after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday, April 10. He is currently facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and six counts of collision causing injury. Knox, who also caused the crash that injured four people, was traveling at a speed of 91 miles per hour 1.5 seconds before the crash. He also turned himself into police on Friday, April 12, and is facing the same charges as Rice. For more updates about the ongoing investigation, tune into FOX4 for the latest information. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) At the Monday night Champaign School Board Meeting, board vice president Heather Vasquez revealed the Regional Superintendent emailed all five members about filling the vacancies on their board. Two board members resigned last month. More than 25 candidates applied to the vacancies, but the meeting to interview the finalists was cancelled due to lack of quorum. I am writing to encourage you all to try and get together and reach some common ground on replacing the two members that have resigned from the board, Regional Superintendent of Education Gary Lewis wrote in the April 18 email. I understand this isnt an easy task, but the members of the community did elect you all to handle these types of matters in a professional way. If the board cannot agree on a candidate by early May, the decision heads to Lewiss office. Now were best friends: Best Buddies Friendship Walk raises money and awareness in Champaign school I also understand that by school code, if you arent able to reach a consensus on two new members in 60 days, the responsibility will fall to my office, Lewis continued. This is not something I look forward to doing, but my office will fulfill that duty if needed. Lewis said he encourages the board to meet again to work out the problem. Also at the meeting was approving current Westview Elementary School Vice Principal Dan Nock to become Carrie Busey Elementary School principal, and Enrique Loy as the assistant director of transportation for the school district. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. A woman displays a city-provided debit card she receives monthly through a trial program in Stockton, Calif., in 2019. That year, Stockton launched a basic income experiment that has set off a major expansion of such programs across the country. Research has shown basic income programs can boost employment and health, but GOP lawmakers in some states, including Iowa, are pushing back on the concept of free cash. (Photo by Rich Pedroncelli/The Associated Press) South Dakota state Sen. John Wiik likes to think of himself as a lookout of sorts keeping an eye on new laws, programs and ideas brewing across the states. I dont bring a ton of legislation, Wiik, a Republican, said. The main thing I like to do is try and stay ahead of trends and try and prevent bad things from coming into our state. This session, that meant sponsoring successful legislation banning cities or counties from creating basic income programs, which provide direct, regular cash payments to low-income residents to help alleviate poverty. While Wiik isnt aware of any local governments publicly floating the idea in South Dakota, he describes such programs as bureaucrats trying to hand out checks to make sure that your party registration matches whoever signed the checks for the rest of your life. The economic gut punch of the pandemic and related assistance efforts such as the expanded child tax credit popularized the idea of directly handing cash to people in need. Advocates say the programs can be administered more efficiently than traditional government assistance programs, and research suggests they increase not only financial stability but also mental and physical health. Still, Wiik and other Republicans argue handing out no-strings-attached cash disincentivizes work and having fewer workers available is especially worrisome in a state with the nations second-lowest unemployment rate. South Dakota is among at least six states where GOP officials have looked to ban basic income programs. The Iowa Legislature sent a ban on local government participation in such programs to the governors desk a week ago. The Iowa legislation would largely impact the UpLift program in central Iowa that provides 110 people with a supplemental income of $500 per month with no work requirements or restrictions on how the money can be spent. The pilot program was launched by the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement with support from the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania and funding from the cities of Des Moines, Urbandale and Windsor Heights, and Polk County, as well as private partners such as the Mid-Iowa Health and Wells Fargo foundations. The basic income concept has been around for decades, but a 2019 experiment in Stockton, California, set off a major expansion. There, 125 individuals received $500 per month with no strings attached for two years. Independent researchers found the program improved financial stability and health, but concluded that the pandemic dampened those effects. GOP lawmakers like Wiik fear that even experimental programs could set a dangerous precedent. What did Ronald Reagan say, The closest thing to eternal life on this planet is a government program? Wiik said. So, if you get people addicted to just getting a check from the government, its going to be really hard to take that away. The debate over basic income programs is likely to intensify as blue state lawmakers seek to expand pilot programs. Minnesota, for example, could become the nations first to fund a statewide program. But elected officials in red states are working to thwart such efforts not only by fighting statewide efforts but also by preventing local communities from starting their own basic income programs. Democratic governors in Arizona and Wisconsin recently vetoed Republican legislation banning basic income programs. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Harris County to block a pilot program that would provide $500 per month to 1,900 low-income people in the states largest county, home to Houston. Paxton, a Republican, argued the program is illegal because it violates a state constitutional provision that says local governments cannot grant public money to individuals. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, a Democrat, called Paxtons move nothing more than an attack on local government and an attempt to make headlines. Meanwhile, several blue states are pushing to expand these programs. Washington state lawmakers debated a statewide basic income bill during this years short session. And Minnesota lawmakers are debating whether to spend $100 million to roll out one of the nations first statewide pilot programs. Were definitely seeing that shift from pilot to policy, said Sukhi Samra, the director of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, which formed after the Stockton experiment. So far, that organization has helped launch about 60 pilot programs across the country that will provide $250 million in unconditional aid, she said. This is an effective policy that helps our families, and this can radically change the way that we address poverty in this country. Sukhi Samra, director of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income Despite pushback in some states, Samra said recent polling commissioned by the group shows broad support of basic income programs. And the programs have shown success in supplementing not replacing social safety net programs, she said. The extra cash gives recipients freedom of choice. People can fix a flat tire, cover school supplies or celebrate a childs birthday for the first time. Theres no social safety net program that allows you to do that. she said. This is an effective policy that helps our families, and this can radically change the way that we address poverty in this country. Basic income experiments The proliferation of basic income projects has been closely studied by researchers. Though many feared that free cash would dissuade people from working, that hasnt been the case, said Sara Kimberlin, the executive director and senior research scholar at Stanford Universitys Center on Poverty and Inequality. Stanfords Basic Income Lab has tracked more than 150 basic income pilots across the country. Generally, those offer $500 or $1,000 per month over a short period. There isnt anywhere in the United States where you can live off of $500 a month, she said. At the same time, $500 a month really makes a tremendous difference for someone who is living really close to the edge. Kimberlin said the research on basic income programs has so far been promising, though its unclear how long the benefits may persist once programs conclude. Still, she said, plenty of research shows how critical economic stability in childhood is to stability in adulthood something both the basic income programs and the pandemic-era child tax credit can address. Over the past five years, basic income experiments have varied across the country. Last year, California launched the nations first state-funded pilot programs targeting former foster youth. In Colorado, the Denver Basic Income Project aimed to help homeless individuals. After early successes, the Denver City Council awarded funding late last year to extend that program, which provides up to $1,000 per month to hundreds of participants. A 2021 pilot launched in Cambridge, Massachusetts, provided $500 a month over 18 months to 130 single caregivers. Research from the University of Pennsylvania found the Cambridge program increased employment, the ability to cover a $400 emergency expense, and food and housing security among participants. Children in participating families were more likely to enroll in Advanced Placement courses, earned higher grades and had reduced absenteeism. It was really reaffirming to hear that when families are not stressed out, they are able to actually do much better, said Geeta Pradhan, president of the Cambridge Community Foundation, which worked on the project. Pradhan said basic income programs are part of a national trend in trust-based philanthropy, which empowers individuals rather than imposing top-down solutions to fight poverty. There is something that I think it does to peoples sense of empowerment, a sense of agency, the freedom that you feel, she said. I think that theres some very important aspects of humanity that are built into these programs. While the pilot concluded, the Cambridge City Council committed $22 million in federal pandemic aid toward a second round of funding. Now, nearly 2,000 families earning at or below 250% of the federal poverty level are receiving $500 monthly payments, said Sumbul Siddiqui, a city council member. Siddiqui, a Democrat, pushed for the original pilot when she was mayor during the pandemic. While she said the program has proven successful, its unclear whether the city can find a sustainable source of funding to keep it going long term. States look to expand pilots Tomas Vargas Jr. was among the 125 people who benefited from the Stockton, California, basic income program that launched in 2019. At the time, he heard plenty of criticism from people who said beneficiaries would blow their funds on drugs and alcohol or quit their jobs. Off of $500 a month, which amazed me, said Vargas, who worked part time at UPS. Tomas Vargas Jr. was among the 125 people who participated in the 2019 basic income experiment in Stockton, Calif. Vargas, pictured here with his family, said the $500 a month allowed him to be a better father and take off time to pursue a better career. (Photo courtesy of Tomas Vargas Jr.) But he said the cash gave him breathing room. He had felt stuck at his job, but the extra money gave him the freedom to take time off to interview for better jobs. Unlike other social service programs like food stamps, he didnt have to worry about losing out if his income went up incrementally. The cash allowed him to be a better father, he said, as well as improved his confidence and mental health. The experience prompted him to get into the nonprofit sector. Financially stable, he now works at Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The person I was five years ago is not the person that I am now, he said. Washington state Sen. Claire Wilson, a Democrat, said basic income is a proactive way to disrupt the status quo maintained by other anti-poverty efforts. I have a belief that our systems in our country have never been put in place to get people out of them, she said. They kept people right where they are. Wilson chairs the Human Services Committee, which considered a basic income bill this session that would have created a pilot program to offer 7,500 people a monthly amount equivalent to the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in their area. The basic income bill didnt progress during Washingtons short legislative session this year, but Wilson said lawmakers would reconsider the idea next year. While she champions the concept, she said theres a lot of work to be done convincing skeptics. In Minnesota, where lawmakers are considering a $100 million statewide basic income pilot program, some Republicans balked at the concept of free cash and its cost to taxpayers. Just the cost alone should be a concern, Republican state Rep. Jon Koznick said during a committee meeting this month. State Rep. Athena Hollins, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation, acknowledged the hefty request, but said backers would support a scaled-down version and thought it was really important to get this conversation started. Much of the conversation in committee centered on local programs in cities such as Minneapolis and St. Paul. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, a Democrat, told lawmakers the citys 2020 pilot saw groundbreaking results. After scraping by for years, some families were able to put money into savings for the first time, he said. Families experienced less anxiety and depression. And the pilot disproved the disparaging tropes from critics about people living in poverty, the mayor said. Carter told lawmakers that the complex issue of economic insecurity demands statewide solutions. I am well aware that the policy were proposing today is a departure from what were all used to, he said. In fact, thats one of my favorite things about it. This story was originally published by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and Twitter. The post Red states fight growing efforts to give basic income cash to residents appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. New details released after remains found in 20-year-old cold case on same day suspect dies BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) Larry Webb, who was indicted for the murder of Natasha Alex Carter in November of 2023, died on Monday, April 22, 2024, after suffering a medical episode in prison. Webb, who was incarcerated at Mount Olive, suffered what police are calling a medical episode. Webb was later pronounced dead at Montgomery General Hospital. According to a press release provided by Captain R. A. Maddy with the West Virginia State Police, Webbs medical emergency began at approximately 10:30 in the morning on Monday. Later the same day, as part of the ongoing investigation, members of the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations continued excavation efforts to locate the remains of Susan and Natasha Alex Carter at Webbs Kyle Lane home.. Larry Webb is taken into custody for the murder of 10-year-old Natasha Carter At approximately 4:30 PM, while excavating the property at 126 Kyle Lane, investigators discovered what are believed to be human remains. These remains are, at present, believed to be those of both Susan and Alex Carter. According to Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield, Webb reportedly killed Susan Carter after he allegedly noticed finances were out of order, which turned into a violent domestic situation. After shooting and killing Susan, Larry Webb then killed Natasha Alex Carter. Webb told detectives he had immediately stored the bodies in his basement before burying them both in a shallow grave on his property. He reportedly told detectives where they could find the remains. Stick with 59News as this story continues to develop. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. Report: Kansas gov. is one of the top 10 most popular in the nation TOPEKA (KSNT) A newly released report shows Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is ranked as one of the most popular governors in the nation. Business intelligence company Morning Consult says Kelly is in the top ten list for most popular governors across the U.S. following the release of a new report in April 2024. She takes the number eight spot in the overall rankings with a 62% approval rating against 30% who disapprove of her performance: Phil Scott (R-VT) Mark Gordon (R-WY) Chris Sununu (R-NH) Andy Beshear (D-KY) Kay Ivey (R-AL) Kristi Noem (R-SD) Brian Kemp (R-GA) Laura Kelly (D-KS) Ned Lamont (D-CT) Josh Green (D-HI) Gov. Laura Kelly approves seven new laws in Kansas Kelly is the 48th governor of the state of Kansas. She was first elected to the position in 2018 and won a second term in 2022. Her main objectives in the position include the economy, child care, the foster care system, abortion rights and healthcare. Kelly has received criticism in the past from lawmakers for her opposition to and veto attempts on a bill banning transgender athletes in Kansas and the Parents Bill of Rights in 2023. During the 2022 race for governor Kellys GOP opponent, then-Attorney General Derek Schmidt, attacked her over Kellys decisions to close Kansas schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Morning Consult surveys thousands of registered voters in the U.S. to form reports like this. It tracks data on peoples attitudes on various political topics such as presidential approval, governor approval and congressional senator approval. Kansas Gov. allows anti-DEI bill to become law, uses veto power on other bills To form its reports, Morning Consult collects daily interviews among voters in the U.S. through quota sampling based on age, gender and language. You can learn more about Morning Consult by clicking here. For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Indiana GOP candidates for governor make their pitch to voters at debate in Sen. Braun's absence Brad Chambers speaks during a debate organized and hosted by the Indiana Debate Commission, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Five gubernatorial candidates sought to undermine each others records during a final debate Tuesday night ahead of Indiana's May 7 GOP primary, but took few shots at the absent U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, who is considered the front-runner of the crowded field. Braun, who has former President Donald Trump's endorsement, skipped the event and instead attended a vote in Washington on a $95 billion foreign aid package for U.S. allies including Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. On the debate stage, his electoral rivals largely tried to pitch their experience in government as an advantage, not a flaw, and played up popular positions among Republican voters including support for the states abortion ban and opposition to federal immigration policies. Whoever wins will be the favorite in November's general election, as the state reliably elects Republicans. Tuesdays debate was the last to be televised before the primary vote. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch a familiar name after running twice alongside current Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is barred by term limits from seeking reelection defended her sweeping proposal to eliminate the state income tax, saying it will be phased in over time and denying she would raise property taxes. The other candidates called the plan a political gimmick, with former Commerce Secretary Brad Chambers saying, This is a political talking point if there ever was one. Crouch ended the most recent fundraising period with $3 million, the most cash on hand of any candidate, but spent only $2.1 million in the first three months of the year. By comparison, Braun has spent over $6 million in 2024. Chambers leadership of the the Indiana Economic Development Corporation put him in opponents sights several times during the debate. He defended the quasi-governmental organizations fostering of a controversial technology hub under construction in central Indiana that proposes to pump water across multiple counties. Chambers, who has spent $6.7 million on the campaign this year and contributed $8 million to it, was one of the few to take up the opportunity to criticize Braun in his absence, accusing the senator of inaction on the southern border. Eric Doden, for his part, repeatedly promoted his plan to invest in small towns. These are the things were going to continue to focus on throughout this campaign, not whether a candidate decides to show up or not, he told reporters after the debate. Doden, also a former commerce secretary, spent $5.2 million in the first three months of this year and last reported having about $250,000 of cash on hand. While the candidates have often attacked Holcombs tenure, only a few did so Tuesday. The governor, whose popularity took a hit among conservative voters opposed to restrictions he implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, has not made an endorsement in the primary. But former Attorney General Curtis Hill attacked Crouch, as Holcomb's lieutenant governor, over mask mandates, saying she deserves blame for backing them too. Once a rising star in Indiana politics, Hill has struggled to keep up with other contenders fundraising. Hill lost the Republican delegation nomination in 2020 following allegations that he groped four women in 2018. Also running is Jamie Reitenour, a political novice who promised Tuesday to appoint the leader of the Hamilton County Moms For Liberty as the states secretary of education. Braun voted no on the foreign aid package, which passed overwhelmingly in the Senate. In a statement earlier in the evening, Braun said he wanted policy on immigration to be included in the package. I was looking forward to sharing my vision with Hoosiers at tonights debate but Chuck Schumer has called the Senate into session, the statement said. His absence at the debate fueled criticism by some opponents that he has put politics first following a missed vote in the Senate to attend a campaign event. US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has called for support for the supplemental funding package that includes assistance to Ukraine in order to maintain the US' leading role in the world. Source: European Pravda, Mitch McConnell's website Details: McConnell said that the vote for supplemental aid in the Senate is "a test of American resolve, our readiness, and our willingness to lead", while the cost of defeat is "abundantly clear". Quote: "Failure to help Ukraine stand against Russian aggression now means inviting escalation against our closest treaty allies and trading partners. It means greater risk that American forces would become involved in conflict. It means more costly deployments of our military, and steeper military requirements to defend against aggression," he stressed. The Senate Republican leader also used the speech to debunk the arguments of opponents of aid to Ukraine. McConnell stressed that the funding provided by the package is not "a distraction from China", but rather allows for the modernisation of the US defence industrial base for long-term competition with China. "Second, supplemental investments have expanded our capacity to produce critical munitions," the US Senator added. The third argument of the Republican leader in the Senate is that US funding pushes European allies to strengthen their own defences. "Across Europe, the acceleration of defence spending is outpacing our own. And right now, allies and partners from Europe to the Indo-Pacific have contracted more than $100 billion dollars worth of cutting-edge American weapons and capabilities," McConnell said. He concluded that the "hesitation and short-sightedness" that delayed the adoption of supplemental funding "is premised on sheer fiction." "Make no mistake: delay in providing Ukraine the weapons to defend itself has strained the prospects of defeating Russian aggression. Dithering and hesitation have compounded the challenges we face," the US Senator said. Previously: A vote in the Senate, which will be the next step in approving funding for Ukraine, is scheduled for 23 April. Support UP or become our patron! Its unwise to put your future in somebody elses hands. But those workers make that decision based on the individual circumstances at the plant. I think it was a mistake, but thats their choice CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE - APRIL 19: United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain, right, speaks as local organizers raise their fists at a UAW vote watch party on April 19, 2024 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. With over 51% of workers voting yes the UAW won the right to form a union at the plant. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) Tennessees Republican leaders are putting a happy face on defeat after Volkswagen workers voted overwhelmingly to unionize at the Chattanooga plant. With more than 4,325 VW employees casting ballots, workers voted 2,628-985 for representation by the United Auto Workers last week, marking a milestone for workers at a foreign-owned auto plant. Gov. Bill Lee opposed the UAW vote a week ago with neighboring states Republican governors, warning it could stop auto manufacturing jobs in the region. Lee said Monday he felt the outcome was a loss for workers but not a defeat for himself and other Republican leaders who spoke out against unionization at the Chattanooga facility. I would not make that decision if I was a worker there. Its unwise to put your future in somebody elses hands. But those workers make that decision based on the individual circumstances at the plant. I think it was a mistake, but thats their choice, Lee said Monday after an event at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin. In addition to Gov. Lee, U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood of Signal Mountain and Sen. Bo Watson of Hixson encouraged workers to vote against UAW representation between April 17-19. Its unwise to put your future in somebody elses hands. But those workers make that decision based on the individual circumstances at the plant. I think it was a mistake, but thats their choice. Gov. Bill Lee Watson scoffed Monday at the notion the votes outcome was a loss for Republican leaders. He told the Lookout last week he opposed a VW agreement with the UAW because of a history of corruption. As Ive said from the get-go, workers have a right to organize. I wish theyd made a different decision, but they didnt, so lets move ahead with what we have, Watson said. Democratic state Rep. Yusuf Hakeem of Chattanooga, who backed the UAWs organizing effort with a show of support at a Republican event outside the Chattanooga plant in early April, called the outcome a great day for VW and workers across the state. I think it sends a message that people are engaged. They do listen to whats going on and theyll do whats in the best interests of themselves and their families, Hakeem said Monday. I think it was not a win in any form for leadership, and I would hope theres an evaluation of the issues and how it impacts citizens as opposed to taking a corporate perspective. They need to get beyond that and think about whats in the best interests of the people. The UAW gained large wage increases for workers after striking earlier this year at Detroit auto plants, and the Volkswagen vote marked the third effort to organize there as part of a test case to gain a foothold in the Southeast United States. A Mercedes-Benz union election is scheduled May 13-17 in Vance and Woodstock, Alabama. In spite of relentless lies and scare tactics from Gov. Bill Lee and other pro-business politicians, workers refused to be swayed by yet another round of attempted election interference and sent a clear message that they want a voice on the job. Billy Dycus, Tennessee AFL-CIO Tennessee has been a right-to-work state for some 60 years, and voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 enabling workers to avoid paying union dues, a move that makes it even more difficult to dial back the right-to-work law. Tennessee AFL-CIO President Billy Dycus said last weeks vote in an anti-worker state with a Republican supermajority in control speaks volumes about the power and solidarity of the national labor movement. (The) historic victory in Chattanooga confirms what those of us in the labor movement know to be true: Its better in a union, Dycus said. In spite of relentless lies and scare tactics from Gov. Bill Lee and other pro-business politicians, workers refused to be swayed by yet another round of attempted election interference and sent a clear message that they want a voice on the job. In addition to Volkswagen, the General Motors plant in Spring Hill is unionized, and the Ford Motor Co. electric truck plant under construction at BlueOval City in Haywood County is expected to have UAW representation. Nissans Smyrna plant remains union-free after several attempts by the UAW to organize. The post Republicans lick wounds after Chattanooga Volkswagen union vote appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. This photo taken on April 23, 2024 shows a view of the audio reading competition for visually impaired people at Changsha Library in Changsha, central China's Hunan province. In recent years, Changsha Library has created an accessible reading environment for the visually impaired. The specially designed reading room has more than 10,000 volumes of braille books and journals, over 1,000 audio books and more than 300 accessible movies. Additionally, the library has equipped with reading devices for the visually impaired, such as screen reading software, braille printers and visual aids. The library has also organized cultural activities to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired group. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) A visually impaired student reads a book with a visual aid device at Changsha Library in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, April 23, 2024. In recent years, Changsha Library has created an accessible reading environment for the visually impaired. The specially designed reading room has more than 10,000 volumes of braille books and journals, over 1,000 audio books and more than 300 accessible movies. Additionally, the library has equipped with reading devices for the visually impaired, such as screen reading software, braille printers and visual aids. The library has also organized cultural activities to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired group. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) Yao Shenglong, a staff member of Changsha Library, makes braille materials for visually impaired people at Changsha Library in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, April 23, 2024. In recent years, Changsha Library has created an accessible reading environment for the visually impaired. The specially designed reading room has more than 10,000 volumes of braille books and journals, over 1,000 audio books and more than 300 accessible movies. Additionally, the library has equipped with reading devices for the visually impaired, such as screen reading software, braille printers and visual aids. The library has also organized cultural activities to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired group. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) Yao Shenglong (R), a staff member of Changsha Library, assists a visually impaired student to adjust the visual assistive device at Changsha Library in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, April 23, 2024. In recent years, Changsha Library has created an accessible reading environment for the visually impaired. The specially designed reading room has more than 10,000 volumes of braille books and journals, over 1,000 audio books and more than 300 accessible movies. Additionally, the library has equipped with reading devices for the visually impaired, such as screen reading software, braille printers and visual aids. The library has also organized cultural activities to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired group. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) A visually impaired person reads a braille book with fingertips at Changsha Library in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, April 23, 2024. In recent years, Changsha Library has created an accessible reading environment for the visually impaired. The specially designed reading room has more than 10,000 volumes of braille books and journals, over 1,000 audio books and more than 300 accessible movies. Additionally, the library has equipped with reading devices for the visually impaired, such as screen reading software, braille printers and visual aids. The library has also organized cultural activities to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired group. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) Visually impaired students search for audio books at Changsha Library in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, April 23, 2024. In recent years, Changsha Library has created an accessible reading environment for the visually impaired. The specially designed reading room has more than 10,000 volumes of braille books and journals, over 1,000 audio books and more than 300 accessible movies. Additionally, the library has equipped with reading devices for the visually impaired, such as screen reading software, braille printers and visual aids. The library has also organized cultural activities to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired group. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) Visually impaired students listen to a book with a smart voice reader at Changsha Library in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, April 23, 2024. In recent years, Changsha Library has created an accessible reading environment for the visually impaired. The specially designed reading room has more than 10,000 volumes of braille books and journals, over 1,000 audio books and more than 300 accessible movies. Additionally, the library has equipped with reading devices for the visually impaired, such as screen reading software, braille printers and visual aids. The library has also organized cultural activities to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired group. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) Republican lawmakers are seeking to exploit turmoil on college campuses for political gain, some now demanding that President Joe Biden deploy soldiers to break up pro-Palestine protests. The student protest at Columbia began April 17 with an on-campus encampment, organizers associated with Columbia University Apartheid Divest accusing the university of investing in companies that do business that "profit from Israeli apartheid," as ABC News reported. Dr. Minouche Shafik, president of Columbia University, last week called in the NYPD to clear out the students, a decision made after she was grilled by Republicans earlier this month on the school's response to alleged antisemitism on campus. Although police made roughly a hundred arrests, an NYPD official later described the protest as "peaceful." Students at other schools, including Yale University and New York University, have since begun protests in solidarity. At the same time, Jewish groups have been pressing the university to take more steps to protect Jewish students against antisemitism. At a congressional hearing earlier this month, Dr. Shafik faced criticism from Republicans who maintained that she wasn't doing enough to combat antisemitism on campus. That criticism was followed by last week's crackdown, with Columbia's Special Committee on Campus Safety citing some protesters' "threatening rhetoric and intimidation." Now 10 Republican members of Congress have written a letter to Dr. Shafik telling her to resign. In the letter, sent Monday, they claim that she has failed in her obligations as the president and that the happenings on campus were a direct result of her ineptitude. Calling the protest an unsanctioned mob of students and agitators, the representatives, including New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, wrote that Shafik should "step down immediately so that someone will take action against this mob." Other Republicans are demanding that the federal government step in. If [Mayor] Eric Adams wont send the NYPD and [Gov.] Kathy Hochul wont send the National Guard, Joe Biden has a duty to take charge and break up these mobs," Sen. Tom Cotton said in a post on X. Four years ago, Cotton wrote an Op-Ed in The New York Times calling for the mobilization of the National Guard to combat Black Lives Matter protests. And just a week ago, Cotton implored his X followers to attack pro-Palestine protesters who blocked traffic. His call for a federal crackdown on protests was echoed this week by fellow Republican Sen. Josh Hawley. "Its time for Biden to call out the National Guard at our universities to protect Jewish Americans," Hawley wrote on X. In the meantime, cooler heads are trying to de-escalate, with Columbia announcing Monday night that is moving to allow remote through the end of the semester, April 29. Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. The U.S. is preparing a military aid package for Ukraine worth $1 billion, Reuters reported on April 23, citing two unnamed American officials. The reports followed the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives after months of congressional gridlock, when a key foreign aid package for U.S. allies was passed, providing over $60 billion in assistance for Kyiv. The bill has to go to the Senate, where a vote is expected as early as April 23. U.S. President Joe Biden said that he would sign the aid bill "as soon as it is approved." This is the first defense package Ukraine may receive under the yet to be signed aid bill. The previous one worth $300 million was pledged by Washington on March 12. KI Insights Visit KI Insights to learn more and subscribe to the insider weekly newsletter visit ki insights Reuters reported, citing its sources, that the new package will include vehicles, Stinger air defense munitions, TOW and Javelin anti-tank munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS). The new tranche will also include 155 millimeter artillery shells and "other weapons that can immediately be put to use on the battlefield," Reuters wrote. Some of the U.S. military aid for Kyiv is already reportedly in Germany and Poland, cutting down the time needed for the weapons and equipment to reach the front line. Since the delays in U.S. aid began, Ukraine has lost a key front-line city of Avdiivka and other settlements, and its energy infrastructure suffered heavily as a result of Russian strikes. Many observers and officials have tied these losses directly to artillery and air defense ammunition shortages, compounded by the lack of American supplies. CIA Director William Burns went as far as to say that Ukraine could lose the war this year without U.S. assistance. President Volodymyr Zelensky said U.S. aid gives Ukraine "a chance at victory" in Russia's full-scale war. Read also: Ukraine to receive new military aid from US sooner than expected, congressman says during visit to Kyiv Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The descendants of poet/author John Neihardt work to ease a 3,200-pound monument into place at the state historic site dedicated to Neihardt. The study in the background is where Neihardt wrote The Song of Hugh Glass, the subject of the monument. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) The descendants of poet/author John Neihardt work to ease a 3,200-pound monument into place in October 2023 at the Nebraska state historic site dedicated to Neihardt. The study in the background is where Neihardt wrote The Song of Hugh Glass, the subject of the monument. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN, Nebraska Well soon know whether some documents buried inside a concrete monument erected by poet/author John Neihardt 100 years ago survived three floods and decades of harsh winters on the plains of northwest South Dakota. On April 27, the contents of a time capsule embedded inside the monument will be revealed as part of the annual spring conference of the John Neihardt Foundation at Wayne State College in Nebraska. 1-ton monument moved to Nebraska The conference will focus on the 1923 construction of the homemade monument that honors the heroism of mountain man Hugh Glass, as well as the twists and turns that led to moving the 1-ton concrete marker from near Lemmon, South Dakota, to the Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft, Nebraska. Members of the Neihardt family, who retrieved the monument in October, arent discounting the possibility that Mother Nature might have gotten the best of what was inside the time capsule. The poet/author, the poet laureate in perpetuity of Nebraska, said he left an original manuscript inside as well as other documents. Coralie Hughes, a granddaughter of Neihardt, was mum during a recent email exchange about whether a valuable literary work was found inside, or whether like the live TV opening of gangster Al Capones vault in 1986 nothing of value was found. Story will be revealed The story of Hugh Glass and Neihardts Hugh Glass monument move to Nebraska will be revealed in its entirety, said Hughes in an email. The monument was erected on private land in the area where Glass was reportedly mauled by a grizzly bear in 1823. Later, it had to be moved to accommodate the construction of the federal Shadehill Reservoir. Author/poet John Neihardt, left, supervises the final construction of a concrete monument erected in 1923 to commemorate the heroics of mountain man Hugh Glass, who crawled miles after being left for dead after a grizzly bear mauling. (Courtesy of Joseph Weixelman and University of Missouri) Author/poet John Neihardt, left, supervises the final construction of a concrete monument erected in 1923 to commemorate the heroics of mountain man Hugh Glass, who crawled miles after being left for dead after a grizzly bear mauling. (Courtesy of Joseph Weixelman and University of Missouri) It was relocated a second time to move it away from an eroding bank of the lake, and then was flooded three times in its new location, according to Joseph Weixelman, a now-retired Wayne State College professor who took up Neihardts challenge to revisit the Glass monument site in 2023. He had given 50-50 odds that something survived a century inside the concrete obelisk that was labeled an altar to courage. Glass amazing story of survival became the subject of a movie, The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. But long before that, in 1915, Neihardt wrote an epic poem, The Song of Hugh Glass, as part of A Cycle of the West, a collection of five poems about the settlement of the frontier. Glass, in 1823, was reportedly mauled by a grizzly bear and left for dead by the rest of his party of trappers. But instead of dying on the vast frontier, Glass crawled and limped 200 miles to the nearest settlement, Fort Kiowa, on the Missouri River, vowing to avenge his abandonment. In 1923, Neihardt drove the primitive dirt roads to the confluence of two branches of the Grand River and, with the help of a local rancher and the head of the South Dakota State Historical Society, built a stubby, concrete monument to Glass. A challenge to return Inside was buried a time capsule. In a 1923 article in the student newspaper of the Nebraska Normal College, Neihardt challenged students to revisit the monument in 2023, open the time capsule, recite portions of The Song of Hugh Glass and celebrate as mountain men might have. Last summer, Weixelman and a handful of students took up the challenge, but uncertainty over who owned the monument and who could grant permission to crack into it prevented the Wayne State group from unlocking the mystery inside. That led the Neihardt family to claim ownership. The Bureau of Reclamation approved their claim and allowed the family to remove the monument to the state historic site in Nebraska, where they opened it up in October. The family opted to keep the contents secret until the 43rd annual spring conference of the Neihardt Foundation, being held this year at Wayne State. That is where Neihardt a member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame and best known for Black Elk Speaks graduated at age 15. Author/poet John Neihardt, the Nebraska poet laureate in perpetuity (courtesy of John Neihardt State Historic Site) Author/poet John Neihardt, the Nebraska poet laureate in perpetuity. (Courtesy of John Neihardt State Historic Site) The conference, entitled Monuments in Word, Deed and Stone, will focus on the effort to fulfill Neihardts wishes to revisit the monument and open the time capsule. Weixelman will speak, as will Lisa Nelson, a director of service learning at Wayne State, who were key in discovering the challenge to revisit the almost-forgotten monument. A documentary of the quest, produced by Neihardts great-granddaughter Alexis Petri, also will be shown at the event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ramsey Theater on the Wayne State Campus. Weixelman, who retired shortly after the odyssey to South Dakota, said a new time capsule was left behind at the Grand River Museum in Lemmon. Among the items left inside were coins from 2022, a thumb drive holding several documents, a copy of the Wayne Stater student newspaper and a Godzilla toy. We did our best to put in things that will entertain people in 100 years, Weixelman said. He said he plans to challenge Wayne State students to return again in 2123 to open the waterproof time capsule and again commemorate the story of Hugh Glass. I dont know what people will be thinking 99 years from now. he said. Will there even be museums? Tickets for the spring conference are $25 each, or $15 for students and members of the Neihardt Foundation. They can be purchased via the website neihardtcenter.org/events This story was originally published by the Nebraska Examiner. Like South Dakota Searchlight, its part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and Twitter. The post Reveal planned of contents found in South Dakota monument appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. RICHMOND Saying he wants to avoid an ugly primary for the top spot on next years statewide Democratic ticket, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has rebooted his political future and opted to run for lieutenant governor instead. Stoneys decision now clears the way for Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, to garner the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and possibly set up a historic governors race next year, should Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears choose to run. More: Donald Trump trial live updates: Trump lawyers and Judge Merchan battle over Trump's posts It would be the first-ever contest in Virginia featuring women at the tops of their tickets. With the move, Stoney now steps into what could be a hotly contested race for the second spot on the ticket. Freshman state Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, announced Tuesday that he plans to run for the seat. Stoney In an emailed statement, Stoney said his decision was not easy. He cited growing up in a working-poor family as the reason for his decision to enter public service, to make sure families like mine could get a fair shot at success. He also took a dig at Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in his statement. Right now, we have a Republican administration that puts a radical political agenda ahead of whats right for Virginia families. That must change, Stoney said. After careful consideration with my family, I believe that the best way to ensure that all Virginia families do get the change they deserve is for our party to come together, avoid a costly and damaging primary and, for me to run instead for lieutenant governor. Sign up for Your Vote: Text USA TODAY reporters and the elections team by joining our SMS service. He added, Given everything at stake in the next governors race from reproductive rights to education funding and tax fairness I believe this is a time when Democrats must stand united and avoid an ugly primary for governor. Spanberger Spanberger and Stoney announced their bids within a month of each other in late 2023, but Spanberger has been able to raise more money than Stoney. Since their announcements, Spanberger has amassed more than $3.6 million in contributions to Stoneys $758,000, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. By moving into the No. 2 nomination race, Stoney has turned it into a three-way contest right now. In addition to Rouse, Babur Lateef of Prince William County, who chairs the University of Virginias Health Board, is in the running for the nod. No other Democrats have emerged to challenge Spanberger as of now. She says she is not seeking re-election to Congress so she can focus on her governor run. Stoney is in his second term as Richmonds third directly elected mayor. Before running for mayor of Richmond, he was secretary of the commonwealth under former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Although neither party has announced its intent yet, Sears and state Attorney General Jason Miyares are the GOP frontrunners for their partys gubernatorial bid. Under Virginia law, governors are limited to one term, so Youngkin cannot run for re-election. Virginia is one of two states New Jersey being the other to hold statewide elections in odd-numbered years. Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Richmond mayor opts to run for lieutenant governor instead of governor By Nette Noestlinger BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Turkey's poor human rights record and economic factors are undermining the effectiveness of the European Union's migration deal with Ankara, EU auditors said on Wednesday. Under the 2016 deal, Ankara agreed to take back migrants who had crossed from its territory to Europe in return for EU aid to help fund more than four million refugees on Turkish soil. The EU, which faces elections in June for the European Parliament in which illegal migration promises to be a big issue, has sealed agreements similar to the Turkey scheme with Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritania and others. In their report, the EU auditors raised concerns about the ability of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to operate projects, as envisaged under the 6 billion euro ($6.4 billion) deal, given Turkey's authoritarian turn since a failed coup in 2016 and its crackdown on dissent. "The operating situation of NGOs has continuously deteriorated since 2015 and has been exacerbated in the context of the unsuccessful... coup in Turkey, where NGOs subsequently were targeted through various legislation," it said. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) report also cited the difficulty of managing the EU aid in the context of Turkey's economic downturn and Ankara's "backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights". The report said the European Commission, the EU's executive, had failed to provide an adequate analysis of costs and that it was unclear what would happen once the aid ended. "The facility is beneficial for refugees and host communities but we would still like to see improvements in terms of demonstrating impact, ensuring sustainability, and value for money," said Bettina Jakobsen, who led the ECA report. Rights groups and some politicians have long accused the EU of neglecting human rights in its drive to curb illegal migration. "This leads to the EU focusing less on issues that should be of relevance such as the neglect of human rights," said Florian Trauner, a professor at the Brussels School of Governance. EU Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has launched an inquiry into human rights guarantees under the bloc's new migration deal with Tunisia. ($1 = 0.9386 euros) (Reporting by Nette Nostlinger, additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Editing by Gabriela Baczynska and Gareth Jones) Behind the mask: Why the new US campus protestors cover their faces Title icon The Scene The first thing you see are the masks the N-95s, the surgical masks, the patterned cloth masks, the bandanas which largely vanished from American life over the last two years but are a defining feature of Americas swelling left-wing protest culture. Faculty members at New York University link arms to protect a Gaza solidarity encampment, most of them wearing face masks. Activists block travel across the Golden Gate Bridge, all of them in masks. Members of the March on DNC 2024 coalition show up to their Chicago press conference in face masks, removing them only when its their turn to speak. Nearly one year after the official end of the federal COVID-19 emergency declaration, the regular use of face masks for non-immunocompromised people has faded from American life. Outdoor masking, mandated in many states during the peak of the pandemic, became even rarer after a 2022 CDC advisory scaled it back. But that gradual return to barefaced life never reached left-leaning protests, where face masks are widely used and encouraged. Part of the reason, say organizers, remains an attempt to make a point about exposure to COVID-19 and other health risks, which some in the left-wing protest movements believe remain dire. And part is the threat of a different kind of exposure from being captured by facial recognition technology or becoming doxxed (their personal information being shared online) by counter-protesters. To us, the optics are communicating that we deny the Biden administrations narrative about COVID that its no longer a big deal, said Olan Mijana, a spokesman for the March on DNC 2024 coalition. Its about collective safety, and its also about connecting this COVID neglect to the very issues that were marching on the DNC for. Title icon Know More The return to masking has confused and irritated critics. Notice the horde standing behind their masks, wrote a counter-protester this week, next to footage of his non-masked wife standing walking into a Yale University pro-ceasefire protest. No masks on campus! said Jonathan Greenblatt, the president of the Anti-Defamation League, in a video posted after he surveyed protests at Columbia University. This isnt Fallujah. This is Morningside Heights. Before the pandemic, this level of masking wasnt common or legal. For more than 150 years, New York prohibited masks in public places; other states adopted similar laws, which made it easier to break up Ku Klux Klan gatherings and aided prosecutors as they built cases. Thirteen years ago, when the NYPD broke up Occupy Wall Street protests, some of the activists there were charged under the anti-mask law. At the start of the Trump presidency, face masks at protests were identified with black bloc tactics that anonymized anarchists; in 2017, some left-wing counter-protesters of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville faced felony charges for violating anti-mask laws. You saw the mentality around masking shift after the street-level clashes around Trumps election, said Sean Summers, a reporter with Unicorn Riot, a nonprofit news organization that tracks the far right. People started to see far right figures coming out with full body armor, and livestreamers working to capture peoples identities. In some cases, that translated into people being doxxed. Anti-mask laws complicated that response, but many were felled by the pandemic, which also saw millions of Americans become engaged in public protests against police brutality. In May 2020, after New York began mandating face coverings in public places, Attorney Gen. Letitia James convinced the state legislature to repeal it. First Amendment activists took note and began encouraging protesters to use face covering as a defensive measure against unwanted attention, helping to spread the practice beyond the fringes of the left. Before the pandemic, it used to be illegal to protest in masks in many places. You werent allowed to cover your face, said Ria Thompson-Washington, a progressive organizer and attorney, in a September 2023 National Lawyers Guild training video. Being able to mask is not only a safety consideration, but its a consideration to protect your anonymity. Title icon Davids view A college student whos spending part of finals week at a Gaza Solidarity camp has never known a world without social media. A senior, who arrived on campus in the fall of 2020, was mandated to wear a mask; the 150-year regime of anti-mask laws died before they got there. The anonymity of these protests, and of other pro-Gaza protests around the country, grew out of that reality and out of the worry that being identified could ruin their lives. Those fears were exacerbated last year after a top law firm rescinded job offers to Ivy League students who signed onto a statement holding Israel entirely responsible for the 10/7 attack, while other business leaders pledged to do the same. Fear of reprisal has colored the protests, and made them cautious about identifying themselves. Reporters from national news outlets, even friendly ones, have recorded their annoyance at how hard its been to get the name and full story of someone participating in direct action. (Students whove participated in news stories, like Rep. Ilhan Omars daughter, Barnard student Isra Hrisi, are rare and usually have the full support of family members.) As these students graduate and become active in politics and government, you can already see the same expectations and norms filtering upward. White House and Capitol Hill staffers organizing against the war have not only worn masks at their protests, but signed onto anonymous letters in support of their cause, annoying older political veterans who argue they should either keep complaints in-house or resign in protest. The semiotics that used to be associated with anarchists, whose masks stood out at rallies, are now popular with activists participating in non-violent civil disobedience. Title icon The View From Republicans In 2017 and 2018, some Republican legislators introduced state and federal legislation to increase penalties on masked protesters. It largely failed, and there is no effort to bring it back yet, but the sentiment is still there. Masked protestors undermine their accountability, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, a co-sponsor of the federal Unmask Antifa Act, told Semafor in a statement. When protesters wear masks, he added, it enables them to commit acts of vandalism, assault and destruction of property without fear of identification or consequences for their illegal and violent behavior. Title icon Notable In The Columbia Spectator, Gabriella Gregor Splaver photographs the protesters, protests, and aftermath. In The Philadelphia Inquirer, Will Bunch praises the student journalists covering campus protests: The reporters at the Spectator, using their on-scene access and doing some shoe-leather reporting, produced a piece that analyzed the alleged incidents, where they occurred and, where possible, who was involved. In The Washington Post, Pranshu Verma followed what happened to people who ripped down posters of Hamas hostages and were caught on camera without masks: Nearly three dozen people have been fired or suspended from their jobs after being featured by StopAntisemitism, a pro-Israel organization and X account. Semafor Logo Justice Rachel Wainer Apter, writing for the court's majority, said sexual assault victims seeking restraining orders under a 2015 law are required only to show a possibility of future risk to their safety or well-being. (Mary Iuvone for New Jersey Monitor) Sexual assault survivors will be able to more easily obtain protection orders against their attackers under a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling issued Monday. Survivors seeking temporary or final restraining orders against their abusers can do so under the 2015 Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act or the 1991 Prevention of Domestic Violence Act. The 1991 law requires survivors to have had some relationship with their abuser and sets a stronger standard that requires judges mulling final restraining orders to consider six factors, including the existence of immediate danger to person or property. Justice Rachel Wainer Apter, writing for the majority, declined to apply the stronger standard to survivors who seek restraining orders under the 2015 law, which requires them merely to show a possibility of future risk to their safety or well-being. The plain language of the 2015 law directs a court to consider only whether there is a chance that a survivor may be exposed to physical danger or something emotionally unwelcome or unpleasant, Wainer Apter noted. Because the language is centered on the safety or well-being of the victim-survivor, a survivors own testimony regarding possible future risks to their safety or emotional well-being can suffice, she wrote. The ruling stems from a June 2018 encounter between a woman identified as Clara, then 21, and her friends cousin Martin in his garage. He claimed the encounter was consensual, but Clara told police she tried to escape and was too heavily intoxicated to consent. Hospital staff found injuries on her arms, legs, and hip, and Clara sought temporary and final restraining orders. The case did not result in criminal charges, but Clara sought restraining orders against Martin. A judge ordered him not to have contact with her, and Martin appealed. Attorney Cheryl Turk Waraas, who represented Clara, applauded Mondays ruling, saying Clara has endured six years of legal proceedings to maintain the protective order that she needs. With this decision, the court continues to recognize the deep and devastating impact that sexual assault has on the mental health and emotional wellbeing of a survivor, Turk Waraas said. So were really pleased that they recognized that, and we hope that the decision creates a clearer and easier path for survivors of sexual assault to access permanent protection. The ruling represents the second time the states top court has considered the case. The first time, the court considered the states standard for consent, saying consent must be freely and affirmatively given in a 2021 opinion that was considered a victory for Clara and other sexual assault survivors. The courts second hearing of the case focused on Martins challenge of Claras bid for a final restraining order. Martin contended that a possibility of future risk is too expansive because unless one or the other party is dead, there is always a possibility, however miniscule, of future risk. He also argued that he hasnt tried to contact Clara since the incident and an irrational fear does not warrant a restraining order. In affirming lower court rulings granting the restraining orders, Wainer Apter rejected both arguments. Nothing in the plain language of (the law) requires a survivors belief about the possibility of future risk to their safety or well-being to be objectively reasonable, she wrote. Wainer Apter further noted that restraining orders granted under the 2015 law have a less severe impact on accused abusers than those granted under the 1991 law. The 2015 law forbids the abuser from having any contact with the victim and could include further relief, like barring them from the victims home, school, or work. But stay-away orders issued under the 1991 law prohibit abusers from buying, owning, or using any firearms and could include further relief like requiring the abuser to pay damages to the victim, undergo psychiatric evaluations, and give the victim exclusive possession of their home while continuing to make payments on it, Wainer Apter noted. Justice Douglas Fasciale issued a concurrence, saying a judge can consider a possibility of future harm, but a survivor doesnt have to prove it. Attorney Mary McManus-Smith filed a supporting brief and argued the case on behalf of Legal Services of New Jersey. Mondays ruling made clearer the differences between the two laws for people seeking protective orders, she said. When you dont have some kind of long-term relationship with somebody, the risk is a different kind of risk. Your concern isnt that youre going to go home and be physically abused again, McManus-Smith said. This law was designed to do something more than prevent acts of physical violence or prevent the recurrence of that sexual assault its also to provide peace of mind to the survivor with a recognition that theres more to it than the fear of being sexually assaulted again. The 2015 law was expanded and renamed to the Victims Assistance and Survivors Protection Act last July. The post Risk of harm enough to grant sex assault victims stay-away orders, N.J.s top court says appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Road work to close part of busy road for next 2 weeks in Huber Heights Part of a busy road will be closed for the next two weeks due to road work in Huber Heights. >>Do the right thing; Beavercreek officials cast votes for proposed gas station development The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be closing Brandt Pike between the Shull Road east and west intersections, according to a city spokesperson. Crews will be doing repairs on a bridge deck. This stretch of road will be closed starting today until May 6. When it reopens, Brandt Pike will be closed in one direction at a time for about a month, the spokesperson said. For a detour, drivers will need to take U.S. 40 to Old Troy Pike to Interstate 70. They can get access to Brandt Pike from I-70. Robert Irwin Is 'Thrilled and Honored' for New Snail Species Discovered in Australia to Be Named After Him The 'Robert Irwins Banded Snail' has a dark brown body and a shell with black, dark brown and light brown colors Paul Archuleta/Getty; Courtesy of Australia Zoo Robert Irwin; Snail species named after Robert Irwin Robert Irwin is following in the footsteps of his family by getting a creature named after him! On April 21, the 20-year-old conservationist and son of Steve Irwin announced he had a newly discovered snail species in Australia named after him on X (formerly known as Twitter). Per a press release obtained by PEOPLE from the Australia Zoo, the new species, discovered in south Queensland, was dubbed by scientists the Robert Irwins Banded Snail or Figuladra robertirwini L. Stanisic, in scientific terms and is one of four species of land snails discovered within the camaenids group of forest and rock snails, according to the release. Scientists said they decided to bestow this honor to the conservationist due to his love for wildlife and the natural world something Robert said is so important to him. Courtesy of Australia Zoo A photo of the Robert Irwins Banded Snail Related: Robert Irwin Says 'Not a Day Goes By' Without Wondering What He'd Ask His Late Dad Steve Irwin "I am incredibly thrilled and honored to have a new species of snail named after me, he said in a statement in the release. This recognition is so meaningful and I hope to draw attention to the importance of protecting all species, even those on a much smaller scale. In photos shared by the Australia Zoo, the new snail species appeared to have a dark coloring. The snails body had a dark brown hue and its shell featured both black, dark brown and light brown colors. Courtesy of Australia Zoo A photo of the Robert Irwins Banded Snail The new snail species was discovered thanks to a new study conducted by Dr. Lorelle Stanisic, Dr. John Stanisic OAM and Dr. Frank Kohler, in collaboration with Queensland Museum and Griffith University, which sought to identify the different land snails. It utilized dissections of reproductive structures and DNA analyses of animal tissue to finally identify the species. 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. "Lorelle's study, which was primarily based on dissections of reproductive structures and DNA analyses of animal tissue, was finally able to determine the true identity of 15 species of Figuladra. Four of these were new to science, one being Robert Irwin's Banded Snail." Courtesy of Australia Zoo A closeup photo of the new Australian snail species Robert follows in the footsteps of his family members, including sister Bindi Irwin, who previously had a tiny charopid land snail named after her, and their father Steve Irwin, who had the rare and endangered Crikey steveirwini (Steve Irwins Treesnail) named after him. Related: Robert Irwin Makes Dapper Runway Debut in 3 Looks at Melbourne Fashion Festival: 'Never Imagined' The Robert Irwins Banded Snail can be found in dry vine thickets north of the Kolan River in Australia to the Many Peaks Range in South East Queensland, according to the release. However, the scientists and Robert said the creatures are under threat from land-clearing projects and other factors. So much of my environmental work is based around habitat preservation and even though this is a new species, we already know habitat destruction is one of the leading threats to this species, Robert said in a separate video posted to TikTok. I love snails and they are definitely in need of our protection. Dr. Stanisic added, per the release: "Land clearing regimes which are substantial in Queensland, along with the drying of our continent, places land snails under threat, and their conservation should be a high priority. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Students at Rockridge High School spent their Monday morning showing around 500 area elementary school students the ins and outs of hydroponic farms, farming equipment and farm animals to showcase life in agriculture. The students brought their own animals and equipment to school, including goats and rabbits and John Deere farming equipment. The Rockridge High School students encouraged the young students and taught them the importance of agriculture. I was always a big plant nerd with plants in Ziploc bags on our window sill, Charlie Edwards, a Rockridge High School junior, said. Growing up youre always thinking like I want to be an astronaut, but theres so many other options out there. I think ag day just really helps bring awareness to the agriculture community and all the different paths and jobs there are out there for everyone. Bringing what shes learned about hydroponics to agriculture day, Edwards hopes to show kids around the area and show how interesting agriculture can be. Edwards hydroponic demonstration was featured, along with students bringing their own farm animals and farming equipment. Were bringing the kids out to hop up in the tractors, Owen Bull, a Rockridge High School senior, said. They always see them going down the roads, in the fields. Me, as a little kid, Ive always wanted to go up into them, and some kids dont have the chance to do that. Rockridge High School teachers say agriculture day happens because of the students who are passionate about the field. I was so thankful that they said yes lets do it, Kirsten Kapraun, a Rockridge High School agriculture teacher, said. They jumped right in. They planned it, they put it together, they came up with the lessons. They brought the animals and equipment. I really couldnt have done this without them. Teaching the elementary school kids themselves, Rockridge High School students wish they had something like Agriculture Day when they were kids. Its definitely a really cool experience just because I didnt know what hydroponics was until my sophomore year, Edwards said. Just to be able to tell these kids that theres so many opportunities, so many things that I didnt even know until my sophomore year. Students say theyre excited to keep teaching kids agriculture for years to come. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Rollins College President Grant Cornwell plans to retire in June 2025 after a decade at the Winter Park schools helm, the college announced Tuesday. In a video posted to Rollins website, Cornwell, 66, described his years at Rollins as the most meaningful of my career. What matters most to me is our shared sense of purpose and mission that have transformed Rollins into one of the nations very best liberal arts colleges, he said in the video. During Cornwells tenure, Rollins has attracted record numbers of applicants and embarked on several campus projects, including transforming a 1950s library building into Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, which houses 10 programs and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration. The school also added Lakeside Neighborhood, a 250,000-square-foot student residential community along Lake Virginia. He also led an ambitious fundraising campaign raising over $290 million, including the single-largest outright gift $40 million in Rollins history. Cornwell came to Rollins in 2015 after serving as the president of The College of Wooster in Ohio. He previously was vice president of academic affairs and professor of philosophy at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. 2nd person of interest in Seminole carjacking, killing of South Florida woman arrested Rollins trustees praised Cornwell in a statement sent from the school Tuesday morning, noting his focus on academic rigor and student opportunities. President Cornwell has been a passionate and innovative leader, tirelessly devoted to the Colleges liberal arts mission to educate students for global citizenship and responsible leadership, Board of Trustees Chair Rick Goings said. The college is starting a national search for Cornwells successor. Cornwell said he plans to remain in office until a new president is ready to take the helm. Even after a new president is selected, Cornwell and his wife, Peg, plan to remain lifelong members of this community, he said. We wont be going far, he said in the video posted to the schools website. Peg and I love this campus and this community and we plan to make Winter Park our permanent residence. anmartin@orlandosentinel.com PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) More than three years ago, 100 units at Rosemont Court in North Portland were shut down after Legionnaires Disease in the water sickened more than a dozen and killed one person. The water system still hasnt been replaced. The building sits empty. And the seniors who were displaced from their homes want answers. We want an answer, said Nancy Kincade, a former Rosemont Court resident. Are you going to let us come home? Are you selling the building? Who are you selling it to? What is our fate? Nancy Kincade, who was displaced from Rosemont Court in 2021, wants the building repaired so she and all the others can return to their North Portland homes, April 22, 2024 (KOIN) Kincade called Rosemont Court home for 14 years. It wasnt just a bunch of seniors, we were family, she told KOIN 6 News. Vancouver officer who threatened to use Taser on suspects genitals found not guilty of assault The seniors are spread out at different apartments, requiring rental assistance to get by. Meanwhile, the Piedmont Neighborhood Association emphasizes the importance of making Rosemont available to low-income seniors again. Betsy Radigan with the Piedmont Neighborhood Association is a longtime advocate for preserving Rosemont Courts affordability. Betsy Radigan with the Piedmont Neighborhood Association, April 22, 2024 (KOIN) They dont call it a property. They call it their home, Radigan said. We want our neighbors back. They want to come back. She said the buildings owner, Northwest Housing Alternatives, has made several attempts to secure the money needed to replace the water system and they have just met road block after road block after road block. The PNA Chair, Don Robinson said the state turned down two requests for funding to make the repairs. This past January, the City of Portland stepped in with $2.4 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for renovation, specifically for fixing the plumbing and water system. But in February, the non-profit turned down the funds because they werent able to secure the entire $7 million of renovation costs from any other entity. Rosemont Court in North Portland, April 22, 2024 (KOIN) Five million dollars to return 99 units of affordable housing to this citys inventory, said Radigan. We see it as returning 99 neighbors that we lost. Oregons Frances Online was Frances Offline late last week The vacancy is leaving a hole in their hearts. KOIN 6 News reached out to the Northwest Housing Alternatives, Gov. Tina Koteks office and Multnomah County officials, along with an inquiry into where the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department stands. Why doesnt somebody help us? Fix Rosemont so we can go home, like we were promised, Kincade, 73, said. Rosemont was supposed to be our last stop. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) During a Thursday board meeting, Round Rock ISD approved the adoption of a new compensation plan that would provide salary increases to staff. Following a plan recommended to the board, the district adopted a 1% salary increase. According to the district, the starting salary for teachers and librarians would also increase to $56,500, and eligible employees would receive a $625 pay increase. Other eligible employees would receive an increase equal to 1% of the pay range midpoint, according to RRISD. School districts across the state are wrestling with difficult budget decisions because the most recent legislative session failed to prioritize funding for Texas children and educators, RRISD Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez said in a statement. A 1% pay raise and these incentives will help us retain and recruit the best staff to our district, even though were not able to provide our exceptional educators and staff the raises they truly deserve. The district said in a release that it approved the raise as it faces a $22 million budget shortfall and is working toward a balanced budget. Pay structure adjustments would be implemented for transportation employees, as well as a $2/hour pay increase for eligible employees. According to the district, vacant positions and bus route efficiencies would be utilized to fund the across-the-board pay increase. The districts retention plan included a one-time incentive of $500 for eligible employees if the 2024-2025 student enrollment equaled 47,000 students or greater. An additional $500 would be added if enrollment equaled 47,500 students or greater. The estimated cost of the retention plan would be $3.3 million. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. No one will ever accuse former President Donald Trump of being woke. But over a few hours Monday, he transformed from an uninterested observer at his own hush money trial eyes shut at times to a highly attentive defendant-in-chief. Maybe it was the chance to stare the full jury in the eyes, which he did when the jurors sat in their box against the wall to his right and when they entered and exited the courtroom. Perhaps it was onetime ally and alleged co-conspirator David Pecker testifying against him from a dozen or so feet away. Or it could just have been that all the talk was finally about him after jury selection and arguments over legal points last week. Sitting in a wood-paneled courtroom in Manhattan seemingly designed to induce sleep like a 1950s junior high school or any branch office of a state's Department of Motor Vehicles Trump leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes at the start of the fifth day of his trial. But after New York state Judge Juan Merchan dispensed with rote procedural matters, including a long set of instructions for jurors, Trump began to focus more intently on the other key players in the room. He stared straight ahead during prosecutor Matthew Colangelo's opening statement, willfully refusing to look at an adversary who previewed the case for the jury. Trump conspired with onetime "fixer" Michael Cohen and Pecker, the former tabloid publisher, to stop pornographic film actor Stormy Daniels from publicly accusing him of having had an affair with her, Colangelo alleged. "Then he covered up that scheme by lying in his New York business records, Colangelo said, adding that the full set of actions amounted to "an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of a presidential election" and "conceal that illegal election fraud. No one could snooze through that. Merchan, chin between his thumb and forefinger, twisted his seat toward the jury box and shifted his gaze pingpong style from jurors to prosecutor as he rocked back and forth lightly in his chair. Trump finally recast his eyes once Colangelo turned the floor over to defense lawyer Todd Blanche for his opening statement. Trump isn't just a former president or the Republican nominee for president in 2024, Blanche said as he aimed to frame his client as a peer of the jurors. Hes also a man," Blanche said. "Hes a husband. Hes a father. Hes a person, just like you and just like me. As his own lawyer spoke, it was unclear at times from the closed-circuit telecast inside the courtroom when Trump looked at jurors and when he looked at Blanche. The head-on frame of Trump didn't include the jury box. But viewed from behind, the shifting angle of his profile showed that he split time between focusing on the jury and on Blanche. For most of the day, his mouth was drawn in a familiar and serious expression that betrayed no emotion, even as his lawyer began to tear down Cohen's credibility with the jury. I submit to you that he cannot be trusted, Blanche said of Cohen, who pleaded guilty to lying to Congress when he was still in Trump's good graces. Blanche also countered the prosecution with more than a testament to Cohen's checkered history with the truth and Trump's membership in the clubs of man, father, husband and humanity. "The story that you just heard" from prosecutors, he said, "you will learn is not true, and at the end of this trial there will be plenty of reasonable doubt." For Trump to be convicted, all 12 jurors must decide that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Without any doubt, Monday, his interest grew as Pecker took the stand as the prosecution's first witness. Pecker, the former chief of American Media, is a central figure because, prosecutors allege, he agreed to help by promoting bad stories about Trump's 2016 opponents, running articles praising Trump and, most important, helping Trump silence those who would tell negative tales about him. Pecker didn't get through much of his testimony before Merchan adjourned the trial for the day. The Passover holiday and a jurors need for emergency dental work conspired to force the pause. But as Pecker testified, Trump leaned forward into the defense table, spoke animatedly with lawyer Emil Bove and furiously scribbled notes on a piece of paper that he shared with Bove and Blanche. His entire demeanor had changed over the course of a day, hinting that he plans to be an active participant in his trial going forward. In a courthouse hallway, Trump ripped into prosecutors for pursuing the trial. Its a case as to bookkeeping, which is a very minor thing in terms of the law, in terms of all the violent crime, he said. "It's very unfair. ... I should be allowed to campaign." Prosecutors say a campaign the 2016 version compelled him to pay hush money to Daniels and then cover it up with fictitious records. Now, the sleeping giant is awake. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Royal Caribbean cruises will avoid this popular destination until at least the end of May The island of Labadee was leased to Royal Caribbean in the 1980s (Getty Images) Royal Caribbean has cancelled all of its planned cruises to a popular Caribbean destination for the entire month of May. The cruise operator will not sail to Labadee in Haiti amid the countrys ongoing political turmoil. Royal Caribbean initially suspended voyages to the peninsula in mid-March, and has now extended the cancellations until at least the end of May. A company spokesperson said that Royal Caribbean are temporarily making adjustments to sailings visiting Labadee, and the Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti. The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority. We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly. Several planned itineraries will be disrupted, with ships including Allure of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas all scheduled to dock at Labadee in May. The Express adds that passengers may get another day at sea, or may alternatively head to Royal Caribbeans private resort in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Though Labadee is a private resort leased by Royal Caribbean since the mid-1980s, Haiti still has jurisdiction over the peninsula. The country is currently in a state of turmoil amid the resignation of prime minister Ariel Henry and a surge in gang violence. Rising levels of violence have caused many deaths, with parts of the country on the brink of collapse. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Haiti due to the volatile security situation. It said: There are currently no British consular officials in Haiti and our ability to provide consular assistance is severely limited and cannot be delivered in person in Haiti. If you choose to travel to or stay in Haiti against FCDO advice, try to avoid all crowds and public events, and take appropriate security precautions. Travel-related chaos has been extensive in recent weeks and months, with recent flooding in Dubai leaving dozens of flights delayed and cancelled, and the ongoing situation in the Middle East causing concern among aviation passengers. (WHTM) Two candidates with York County ties will be running for Attorney General in November. Former Auditor General and York-area State Representative Eugene DePasquale (D) and current York County District Attorney Dave Sunday (R) each won their respective primaries in April. Four third party candidates were also approved to appear on the November ballot. Current Attorney General Michelle Henry told lawmakers she would not run in 2024. Henry was appointed by Governor Josh Shapiro to fill his role leading the Attorney Generals office after Shapiro won the 2022 Governors race. Here are the candidates who will appear on the ballot for Pennsylvania Attorney General in 2024. Democrats Eugene DePasquale Former two-term Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced in June that he is running for Attorney General. He was the first candidate to officially enter the race. DePasquale highlighted womens reproductive rights, defending democracy, and his desire to hold big corporations accountable in the announcement video. His campaign website outlined additional policy issues such as unions, student loans, healthcare, education, crime, and the environment. Im in this fight because I, like too many Pennsylvanians, know what its like to be knocked down without a hand to get you back up, said DePasquale in a video released on social media. DePasquale ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, losing to incumbent Republican Scott Perry. He previously served as chairman of the York County Democratic Party before serving three terms in the state House of Representatives. Republicans Dave Sunday York County District Attorney Dave Sunday became the first Republican to formally enter the race in July. Sunday has worked as a prosecutor in York County since 2009 and became District Attorney in 2018. Sunday was previously appointed by the Department of Justice as special assistant United States attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to prosecute gang, gun and drug cases in federal court. In that role, he was involved with the arrest and prosecution of more than 100 people associated with the Latin Kings gang in York County. Sunday enlisted in the Navy and attended Penn State University and Widener Law School. Third Party Candidates Robert Cowburn Libertarian Party Robert Cowburn was approved to appear on Pennsylvanias ballot on September 16. According to his website, Cowburn plans to focus on economic development, education, and removing regulatory barriers. Hes served as Chair and President of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania and has litigated federal lawsuits as an attorney based in Pittsburgh. According to a LinkedIn profile, Cowburn is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School. Richard Weiss Green Party Richard Weiss was approved to appear on Pennsylvanias ballot on September 16. He has a bachelors degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, a J.D. from the University of Denver in 1992, and earned a graduate degree from the University of Chicago in 1998. Justin Magill Constitution Party Justin Magill was approved to appear on Pennsylvanias ballot on September 16. Magill is an attorney living in Erie where he serves as the Vice-Chairman and the NW Regional Chairman for the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania. Eric Settle Forward Party Eric Settle was approved to appear on Pennsylvanias ballot on September 16. Settle served as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Tom Ridge and was both Policy Director for a Democratic candidate for Philadelphia Mayor and Healthcare Advisor for a Republican nominee for Pennsylvania Governor. Settle earned his J.D. with Honors from the George Washington Law School and a bachelors degree from Colgate University. The 2024 Pennsylvania Attorney General election will be held on Nov. 5, 2024. Candidates not running in 2024 Michelle Henry Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry told a state Senate committee that she does not plan to run for office in 2024. She was appointed after Josh Shapiro was elected Governor in 2022. She previously served as First Deputy Attorney General under Shapiro after serving in the Westmoreland County and Bucks County District Attorneys offices. Democrats Joe Khan Joe Khan, a former Bucks County Solicitor and federal prosecutor, announced his candidacy for Attorney General in early June and finished third in the April primary with more than 164,000 votes. In his announcement video and campaign website Khan highlighted crime, election integrity, abortion rights, and taking on large corporations. As the son of a Muslim immigrant and Catholic nurse who grew up in a Jewish neighborhood, I know that government has to work for everyone. As a prosecutor, Ive taken on the toughest challenges: gun violence, sexual assault, and hate crimes. As a solicitor, Ive defended our democracy from Donald Trump, stood up for abortion rights, and sued Big Pharma, Big Tech, and polluters to hold them accountable. Im running for Attorney General to continue my lifelong fight to keep people safe, tackle corporate and political corruption, and build a better world for our kids, said Khan. Khan previously served in the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office and the U.S. Attorneys Office. In 2017 he finished second to Larry Krasner in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia District Attorney. Keir Bradford-Grey Keir Bradford-Grey, who led the Defender Association of Philadelphia for five years, finished fourth in the April Democratic primary with more than 153,000 votes. Bradford-Grey previously served as Montgomery County and Philadelphias chief public defender where she expanded her offices profiles to get involved in criminal justice reform and push for policy changes such as fighting the use of cash bail for pre-trial detention. People write off what it means to be a public defender, Bradford-Grey said in an interview. They dont know the experience and skill you develop in becoming a problem-solver and a solution-driver and understanding root causes very well. If elected, Keir Bradford-Grey would become the first Black attorney general in Pennsylvania. Jared Solomon State Rep. Jared Solomon finished fifth in the Democratic Attorney General primary with more than 133,000 votes. An Army Reserve JAG officer, Solomon was first elected to the State House in 2016 when he defeated incumbent Mark Cohen in the 2016 primary election. Solomon has run unopposed in each primary and general election since the 2016 primary to represent the 202nd District. In December 2022, Solomon was named to serve as one of three impeachment managers in a yet-to-be-held Senate trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner after the State House impeached the Democratic prosecutor over policies some lawmakers say have led to a rise in crime. Solomon currently chairs the House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee. Jack Stollsteimer Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer finished second in the Democratic primary with more than 208,000 votes. Before being elected District Attorney in 2019, Stollsteimer served as an Assistant US Attorney and in the state Treasury Department as Deputy State Treasurer for Consumer Programs and Deputy Chief Counsel/Director of the Bureau of Unclaimed Property. I am uniquely qualified because I do that work every single day in the fifth-largest county in Pennsylvania, Stollsteimer said in an interview with the Associated Press. Republican Craig Williams Republican Pennsylvania State Representative Craig Williams (Delaware/Chester) lost the Republican primary after receiving 259,000 votes. A United States Marine Corps veteran, Williams flew 56 combat missions during the Gulf War and was personally decorated 11 times, including twice for acts of Valor in combat. He served as a Chief Prosecutor for the largest base in the Marine Corps and served as legal counsel for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In December 2022, Williams was named as one of three impeachment managers in the case against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner after the State House impeached the Democratic prosecutor over policies some lawmakers say have led to a rise in crime. Williams received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Duke University, a Juris Doctor with high honors from the University of Florida College of Law, and a Master of Laws with high honors in Jurisprudence (Virtue Ethics and Criminal Law) from the Columbia University School of Law. Katayoun Kat Copeland Former Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland joined the Republican primary for Attorney General in November. She dropped out of the race in January and did not appear on the primary ballot. The daughter of an Iranian mother and American father, Copeland has been a prosecutor for 30 years and served as the Chief of the Criminal Division in the United States Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She also served as Assistant United States Attorney in the National Security and Cybercrimes Unit of the Department of Justice. Copeland was elevated to District Attorney of Delaware County in 2018 after Jack Whelan was elected Judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County. She lost the 2019 general election to Jack Stollsteimer by less than 5,400 votes. Copeland graduated from Bryn Mawr College and Temple Universitys Beasley School of Law. abc27 will continue to update this list as candidates decide whether to enter, pass on, or withdraw from the race. The Associated Press contributed to this report Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Russian forces struck six communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in 16 separate attacks throughout the day, the regional administration reported on April 22. At least 182 explosions were reported in Sumy Oblast over the past 24 hours. The communities of Khotin, Myropillia, Yunakivka, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, and Seredyna-Buda were targeted. The Russian military struck the communities using artillery fire, drones, grenade launchers, and mortar shelling. The community of Seredyna-Buda also saw mines dropped. Velyka Pysarivka, a small town seven kilometers from the Russian border, experienced the bulk of the attacks reported. Ukrainian military recorded 148 explosions in the area. Local authorities reported no casualties or damages to civilian infrastructure. Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months. On April 20, Russian forces struck 13 communities in Sumy Oblast in 54 separate attacks. A civilian was injured in the Khotin community following Russia's artillery shelling. 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: Over 20,000 Russian troops trying to storm Chasiv Yar; Budanov says Ukraine to face difficult situation from mid-May Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Azerbaijan is very pleased with how ties with Russia are evolving, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the one-on-one meeting with President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Azernews reports. We are very pleased with how our ties are evolving. For over two years, we have been working within the framework of the Declaration on Allied Interaction, which we signed with you here in the Kremlin in February 2022, and which is the key political document that determines the steady development of our relations in the future, the head of state noted. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng speaks during a visit to the Fairbank Center for China Studies at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States, April 19, 2024.(Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng has called on China experts in Harvard University to help promote a comprehensive and objective view of China in American society. Xie made the remarks during a visit to the Fairbank Center for China Studies at Harvard University on Friday, where he had an in-depth exchange of views with experts and scholars of the center, according to a news release published on the Chinese embassy's website Monday. As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out, to stabilize and develop China-U.S. relations, the first thing is to jointly develop a right perception toward each other, Xie told the audience. "It is hoped that experts and scholars at the center will leverage their traditional strengths and expertise to help American society view and understand China in a comprehensive and objective way," the ambassador said. "First, it is important to take a down-to-earth approach to conduct first-hand research on China," he said. "Especially, one needs to have a comprehensive understanding of China's history and culture, the character of the Chinese civilization, and the essence of key Chinese concepts. That enables one to know where China is from and where it is heading to." The Chinese people believe in the paramount importance of peace, Xie said, adding that the Chinese people also value rule by virtue rather than force, and have a keen sense of history. "All these have provided inspirations for navigating around the 'Thucydides Trap.'" Second, it is important to think independently, defy the reverse trend of McCarthyism and the so-called "political correctness," and actively lead American society to develop a right perception of China, Xie said. Third, it is important to carry on the tradition and speak up for the China-U.S. relationship, Xie said, encouraging the experts and scholars to speak up for justice and advocate the healthy development of China-U.S. relations and the friendship between the two peoples. Fourth, it is important to keep abreast of the times and explore a right way for China and the United States to get along in the new era, Xie said. Scholars are encouraged to leverage their research strengths, step up research on concepts including a community with a shared future for mankind, and come up with new thinking free from conventional theories on international relations, Xie said. The participating scholars agreed that in order for China and the United States to establish a correct understanding of each other, they need to strengthen research from historical and cultural perspectives, integrate knowledge and practice, and continue to play a unique role in promoting mutual understanding and friendly exchanges between the two countries. Russia changes its tactics and launches several drones at different intervals The Russians applied a relatively new tactic to attack Ukraine on the night of 22-23 April, deploying one or two drones in different directions at different intervals. Source: Illia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force, during the national 24/7 newscast Quote: "While we have not yet received assistance from the US, the enemy will attempt to intensify attacks using various methods, as happened last night with drones. We observed a new tactic. The enemy tried to deploy one or two drones in different directions at different intervals, making it more difficult to down them effectively. The enemy was trying to gather intelligence on the deployment of our air defence mobile fire groups." Details: Regarding the use of guided bombs, the Russians are most actively employing them in the frontline areas, primarily in the north and east. Yevlash noted that some missile debris indicates that they were manufactured in 2023 and even in 2024 in some cases, as components made in these years have been found. In addition, the Russians are actively producing guided bombs. He also commented on the attack on the TV tower in Kharkiv, suggesting that Russia is attempting to spread Russian propaganda signals and restrict Ukrainian broadcasting in Kharkiv Oblast. The type of missile used by the Russians in the attack is being established. Support UP or become our patron! It sounds like every pilots worst nightmare the hijacking of a planes GPS while its suspended some 40,000 ft above ground, with hundreds of passengers on board. Yet this sort of scenario, it has emerged, is remarkably commonplace, with new data showing that 46,000 planes flying over the Baltic have logged GPS problems since last August. Two types of interference are taking place: intentional signal jamming, where GPS signals are blocked, and spoofing, where planes are sent fake GPS position signals in an attempt to throw them off course. Both spoofing and jamming are not new, but instances of both became common around the airspace of Ukraine when the conflict began in 2022, says David Mumford of Opsgroup, which monitors changes in global airspace. But then in 2023 we started getting reports of spoofing across the Middle East, including instances near Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus and Lebanon. Weve since had reports from all kinds of other places, including Pakistan, Niger and China. Opsgroup knows of one spoofing incident where a plane almost drifted into Irans airspace, where missiles were ready to meet unauthorised aircraft. At the end of March there was a 63-hour sustained period of GPS jamming in the Baltic area, says Mumford. One person presumed to be a victim of this incident was Grant Shapps: last month an RAF plane carrying the Defence Secretary home from Poland had its GPS signal tampered with for half an hour while the plane flew close to Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. Most aircraft today rely on a combination of systems including GPS (known as GNSS) and inertial navigation systems (INS) - Alamy Nato too says that spoofing and jamming are on the rise. We have seen an increase in GPS jamming since the start of Russias war against Ukraine, and allies have publicly warned that Russia has been behind GPS jamming affecting aviation and shipping, a Nato official says. Russia has a track record of jamming GPS signals and has a range of capabilities for electronic warfare. In the Middle East, Russia has used GPS jamming against Allied air forces fighting Isis for years. It certainly sounds concerning. Furthermore, it appears there is little airlines or aviation authorities can do to tackle the trend. GPS-jamming equipment can be operated in the air by planes and drones, or by vehicles on the ground below. But exactly how its done is unknown. Even if you were to ask a tech expert how jamming or spoofing is done they wouldnt be sure, says Nick Eades, who was the worlds most experienced Boeing 747 pilot when he retired in 2022. The Americans who look after the GPS system look at ways to prevent it from happening, but in a few weeks the people behind it will have found another way to corrupt the signals. As for the motivation behind the attackers, Richard Dearlove, former head of the secret service, thinks that all this is an ominous show of power on Russias part. Dearlove says that GPS jamming is typical of Russia. Were in a state of grey war with Russia, he says. None of this is particularly surprising, but it does reflect the fact that we are in a confrontation with Russia, and we are only just beginning to realise the seriousness of that here in the West. Dearlove points out that Russia is likely to have tampered with three under-sea internet cables that went out of action last year. Pilots say the hijacking of a plane's GPS system is nothing to be worried about - Alamy Either those were simultaneous accidents, or someone did something to demonstrate their capability, he says, and signal jamming works to much the same effect. Russia will do all sorts of things to undermine the quality of our daily life and disrupt things, Dearlove says, and messing with our air travel or our internet cables is a very good way to do that. Opsgroup says that on the whole such instances are just becoming more widespread rather than more disruptive. But Dearlove thinks that we are right to see the menace behind jamming and spoofing, even if its relatively harmless. Its a low-quality means of heightening our insecurity without coming into direct conflict with us, he explains. Its very difficult for us to mount a reaction to things like this because its not like were going to turn around and block their GPS in retaliation its just not what we do to civilian aircraft. So should passengers be worried? Yes and no. Spoofing and jamming are illegal for individuals in this country to carry out, Eades says, and for good reason. Any time you interfere with an aircraft its dangerous, he explains. Its not a good idea, like shining a laser light into a pilots eyes, its just downright stupid and irresponsible. But he also makes it clear that pilots are easily able to respond to attacks. It certainly wouldnt ruin [a pilots] day, Eades says. You might need to put your coffee down and use your brain for a bit, but in the grand scheme of things that could go wrong, its just an annoyance. When such a thing happens, the pilot gets a warning light which is the plane telling you that it doesnt think its GPS is working properly, says Eades. You then have to go into the system and work out whats wrong. An easy task, Eades says: planes have two other navigation systems, so should your GPS seem to wander off course, pilots simply opt to follow the others. Computer monitors in air traffic control show all the different flight paths of aircrafts in their air space - Alamy Its definitely a modern phenomenon and jammed flights are much more common today, he adds. These days, the Chinese and the Russians, they have more sophistication and can interrupt systems far more frequently. But such failures are something we know of and train for, he adds. Besides, planes didnt have GPS when Eades qualified some 35 years ago. Another pilot, speaking anonymously, says that he has personally experienced it a few times over the Baltic, flying to and from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Pilots are discussing the issue on forums and warning their colleagues, but each time it was quite obvious, and easily dealt with, he adds. In each case it lasted only a few minutes as we quickly transited the area near Kaliningrad. Once the crew has taken effective action, the flight simply continues on its way. Passengers would feel nothing and be none the wiser. Nato warns that GPS troubles are unlikely to end any time soon. An official says that electronic warfare, including against GPS, is likely to feature in any future conflict, and we welcome allies investments in more jamming-resistant technologies. But in Eades eyes, flying is no less safe today than it was three decades ago. It honestly doesnt concern me, he says. Id still be very happy to get on a plane today knowing whats going on. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Russia decided to do without Immortal Regiment march on Victory Day Russia has decided to cancel the traditional Immortal Regiment march in 2024, usually held on Victory Day [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on 9 May ed.]. Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti Details: This was stated by Elena Tsunaeva, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labour, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs. Tsunaeva says the Immortal Regiment march may have new forms in 2024. In particular, it was proposed that portraits of veterans be placed on public, private, official, and river transport, as well as on street media screens and educational institutions. Last year, the march was also cancelled in a number of Russian oblasts, including Moscow and the oblasts bordering Ukraine. Background: Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed "head" of occupied Crimea, announced that for security reasons, the 9 May Victory Day parade and the Immortal Regiment propaganda march will not be held on the peninsula. Support UP or become our patron! Russia to intensify bombardment of Ukraine ahead of US aid deliveries Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. "We will increase the intensity of strikes against logistical centres and warehouses holding Western weapons," Shoigu said at a meeting of high-ranking military officials in Moscow. Sergey Savostyanov/TASS/Kremlin/dpa Russia will expand its aerial bombardment of Ukraine, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday, days after billions in new US military aid for Kiev were approved in the US House of Representatives. "We will increase the intensity of strikes against logistics centres and warehouses for Western weapons," Shoigu said at a meeting of high-ranking military officials in Moscow. Russia has been systematically attacking key electricity, energy and water infrastructure in Ukraine, with Kiev's air defence systems running low on ammunition in recent weeks. The US House of Representatives finally approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine on Saturday. The bill is expected to soon pass in the Senate before being signed into law by President Joe Biden. Western military experts have warned that Russia could use the window of opportunity preceding the arrival of new weapons and ammunition to increase its attacks in Ukraine. Earlier on Tuesday, nine people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the port city of Odessa, according to local officials. "Four of them are children - 12 and 9 years old and two babies who are less than a year old," local military administrator Oleh Kiper wrote on his Telegram channel. All four were hospitalized with moderate injuries, he said. No deaths were reported in the attack, which hit a residential neighbourhood with low-rise buildings. Rescue workers saved dozens of people from the rubble. The attack in Odessa followed a major strike on Monday which severely damaged a 240-metre-high television tower in the embattled eastern city of Kharkiv. Moscow currently has the upper hand on the front line in eastern Ukraine, Shoigu said. The village of Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region reportedly fell to Russian troops on Monday, but Kiev has not yet confirmed the loss. The British Ministry of Defence said Tuesday the capture of Novomykhailivka "demonstrates the slow but incremental advances Russian forces are making" and could threaten Ukraine's position in the key stronghold of Vulhedar. The battle for the strategically located town has "caused extremely high casualties for Russian ground forces," the ministry wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Shoigu said Ukraine has lost "almost half a million soldiers" since the beginning of what Russia calls its "special military operation." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously put the number of Ukrainian casualties at 31,000 at the end of February. Western estimates have placed both sides' losses - including those killed and seriously wounded - at more than 100,000 since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Russia launched missile attacks on Kharkiv in the early hours of April 24, damaging four residential buildings, and injuring two people, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported on Telegram. According to Terekhov, Russian forces launched S-300 surface-to-air missiles hitting a residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district of the city. The two injured victims received shrapnel wounds as a result of the Russian attack. The attack also damaged a gas pipeline, leaving resident without gas in the Shevchenkivskyi district neighborhood. Emergency crews are on scene conducting search and rescue operation. Elsewhere in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian missiles hit an administrative building in Zolochiv in Bohodukhivskyi district, northwest of the city of Kharkiv, Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram. No casualties were reported as of 1:30 a.m. local time. Russia recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv, using missiles, glide bombs, and drones to destroy energy infrastructure and kill civilians. At the end of March, Russia destroyed all the electrical substations in Kharkiv, leaving Ukraine's second-largest city without a stable power supply. Read also: ISW: Russia attempting to create outsized panic in Kharkiv, force mass exodus of civilians Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- Russias complete embrace of North Korea could increase Kim Jong Uns appetite for risk when it comes to threatening South Korea and exporting weapons abroad, as well as helping Pyongyang ignore Washingtons call to return to nuclear talks, a senior Biden administration official said. Most Read from Bloomberg As North Korea ships weapons to help power President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, Pyongyang has benefited from the whole gamut of improved diplomatic ties with Russia, from economic and security assistance to high-profile visits by top Russian officials, the State Departments senior official for North Korea, Jung Pak, said in an interview Monday. This could lend this once-isolated country the luster of legitimacy that it does not deserve, and it should not have, Pak said. Were concerned about what that might do to make Kim think that his leash is longer than it really is, and how that might figure into Kims risk calculus. North Korea has so far shipped around 11,000 containers of munitions to Russia as well as 40 ballistic missiles used in Ukraine, Pak said. That has bolstered Putins forces after they got bogged down when their initial advance failed to take Kyiv, and as Russias defense industrial base was eroded by a wave of Western sanctions aimed at damaging Russias economy. South Koreas Defense Minister Shin Wonsik has said that Seoul estimates the containers could hold about 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells used by the Kremlin in its bombardment of Ukraine. This has bolstered Putins arms stocks while Kyivs ammunition supplies have dwindled as military aid has been held up in the US Congress. Russia in return is providing North Korea with food, raw materials and parts used in weapons manufacturing, Shin said. The food aid has helped Kim stabilize prices for necessities and the military aid could increase Pyongyangs threat to the region, he added. The value of the artillery alone is likely several billion dollars and the aid from Russia could represent the biggest boost to North Koreas economy since Kim took power. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the arms transfers accusations despite a multitude of satellite photos released by research groups and the US government showing the flow of weapons from North Korea to Russia and then to munitions dumps near the border with Ukraine. One substantial way North Korea has benefited diplomatically from its burgeoning relationship with Moscow has been Russias veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution to extend a panel of experts that has reported on North Koreas development of its nuclear arsenal for 15 years, Pak said. There is now a real risk the high-profile nature of North Koreas relationship with Russia could make its armaments more appealing to other groups around the world, Pak said. South Korea has already said that North Korean weapons have been used by Hamas, a US-designated terrorist group, against Israel as the war in Gaza drags on. The luster of legitimacy could give other bad actors ideas about North Koreas weapon systems, she said. And North Korea has had a long history of proliferation in the Middle East, Africa, elsewhere. And we dont want that to start blossoming into other proliferation relationships. So this is not just a Northeast Asia problem. Kim has shown off some of his newest weapons systems by displaying tests on state media. North Koreas propaganda apparatus on Tuesday lauded its latest test overseen by Kim a day earlier of a simultaneous launch of short-range ballistic missiles in what it billed as its quick counterattack capability in a nuclear trigger system. While North Korea has flouted Western sanctions and efforts to halt Russias war machine, Chinese firms have also been crucial to reestablishing the Kremlins defense industrial base with dual-use technologies and other components, the US has said. Chinese companies and banks have also been blamed for facilitating payments to North Korean entities, with that money funding Kims nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to bring up North Koreas provocations when he visits China in the coming days, department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at a news briefing. While Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, on a recent trip to China, threatened Chinese financial institutions that aided Russias war with sanctions, it wasnt clear whether the US would take similar actions when it comes to Chinese banks that are involved with North Korea. Asked whether the US is currently weighing a similar threat of sanctions on Chinese banks involved with Pyongyang, Pak said: Im not going get into specifics, but we of course are considering all of the measures, in terms of both positive and negative actions, that we can take to get better sanctions compliance, sanctions implementation. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. SHANGHAI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai saw a surge in inbound tourists in the first quarter of this year thanks to tourism market recovery and China's efforts to facilitate cross-border travel. The city received over 1.27 million inbound tourists in the January-March period, up 249.67 percent year on year, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism said Tuesday. Shanghai is a leading Chinese destination for international tourists. As the inbound tourism market recovers, more overseas tourists throng the city's popular scenic spots, streets and residential quarters, and even major exhibitions. Recently, a cruise liner brought more than 2,000 tourists from countries including Germany to Shanghai, where they toured the historical buildings, learned about traditional culture, and had a taste of local fashion life. The 2024 Tourism Plus Shanghai, a tourism industry expo, attracted more than 5,000 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions and logged a record high of over 15,700 overseas visitors. In cooperation with a number of partners, including foreign institutions in Shanghai, overseas cultural centers, and cultural and tourism groups, Shanghai has launched a program called "Visit Shanghai" to promote inbound tourism. Russia warns Europe: if you take our assets, we have a response that will hurt MOSCOW (Reuters) - An ally of President Vladimir Putin warned Europe on Tuesday that Russia has already drafted legislation to retaliate if nearly $300 billion of Russian assets were seized by the West and used to help Ukraine. After President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, the United States and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia's central bank and finance ministry, blocking around $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West. Top officials in the United States want to seize the assets to help support Ukraine, though some bankers and European officials are worried that simply taking the assets would create a dangerous precedent. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Saturday including a bill with a provision that would allow the confiscation of Russian sovereign assets, though the lion's share of the assets are in Europe. "We also have a prepared answer," Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament, was quoted as saying by state news agency RIA. "We have a draft law, which we are ready to consider immediately, on retaliatory measures." "And the Europeans will lose more than we do," Matviyenko, who is a member of Russia's powerful Security Council, said. Matviyenko did not give specifics on what the response would be to the seizing of Russian assets which is still under discussion in the West. One option being discussed by the West is to confiscate the income on the underlying assets without taking the actual asset itself. Putin says the West unleashed what he casts as an economic war against Russia but has touted both the resilience of the Russian economy, which grew 3.6% last year, and the failure of sanctions of stop Russian trade. The Kremlin has repeatedly said that any seizure of its assets would go against all the principles of free markets which the West proclaims and that it would undermine confidence in the U.S. dollar and euro while deterring global investment and undermining confidence in Western central banks. Russia has said it will challenge any confiscation of its assets in the courts. Some Russian officials have suggested that if Russian assets are confiscated then foreign investors' assets stuck in special so-called type "C" accounts in Russia could face the same fate. It is not clear exactly how much money is in these accounts. The speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, said on Monday that Russia had grounds to seize Western assets after the move by the U.S. House of Representatives. Volodin said that of the $280 billion of Russian assets frozen abroad, only $5 to $6 billion was in the United States while about 210 billion euros ($224 billion) was in the European Union. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) A Kh-59 missile has been discovered near the village of Krasnoe in Russias Belgorod Oblast. Source: Russian Telegram channel ASTRA Details: Russian journalists have reported that the missile "abnormally" came down 92 km from the border with Ukraine. It was found on 19 April. The Russian military destroyed it on the spot. Early reports indicate that Russian media outlets counted at least 21 bombs that fell from Russian aircraft on Russian territory or the occupied territories in March and April. The Russian authorities usually hide such cases, and when they fail to do so, they call the fall an "abnormal munitions drop". Support UP or become our patron! Russian attacks against five Ukrainian regions over the past day killed five people and wounded another 12, Ukrainian authorities reported early on April 23. In Ukraines eastern Donetsk Oblast, one civilian was killed in the village of Novooleksandrivka and another in Krasnohorivka, Vadym Filashkin, the regional governor, said on Facebook. One more person was injured in the town of Selydove, some 30 kilometers northwest of the Russian-occupied Donetsk, according to Filashkin. Russian troops reportedly launched a total of 15 attacks against Donetsk Oblast settlements, destroying or damaging almost 40 houses, three apartment buildings, administrative and industrial buildings, and two non-residential buildings. Russia hit the southern city of Kherson and 16 other settlements in the region overnight and on April 22, killing two people and wounding another six, according to Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. The strikes against Kherson Oblast reportedly damaged eight apartment buildings, 26 houses, an educational facility, a kindergarten, a cultural institution, a critical infrastructure facility, and a gas pipeline. Read also: How thousands of Ukrainian children cope with losing parents to war A 33-year-old civilian man was killed in a Russian attack on the village of Yurchenkove in Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Two women were reportedly wounded in two villages near Kupiansk. Russian troops targeted 15 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast in the past day, damaging homes, civilian infrastructure, and industrial facilities, Syniehubov added. A man was injured in Mykolaiv Oblast when debris from a downed Shahed drone launched by Russian troops fell on the town of Ochakiv, damaging infrastructure, Governor Vitalii Kim said on Telegram. Mykolaiv Oblasts air defenses shot down a total of four Russian drones overnight, according to Kim. Two civilians were injured, and a house was damaged when Russia shelled the village of Striletska Pushkarka in Sumy Oblast, the Ukrainian militarys Northern Operational Command said on Facebook. Read also: Opinion: Russias energy infrastructure attacks are depopulating Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Two people have been killed as a result of Russian attacks on the Pokrovsk district in Donetsk Oblast. Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "The Pokrovsk district. One person has been killed in Krasnohorivka, and another in Novooleksandrivka in Hrodivka hromada." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] Details: Filashkin reported this in the operational summary for the oblast as of the morning of 23 April. He also noted that buildings had been damaged in Novohrodivka, Kurakhove, Lyman and Chasiv Yar hromadas as a result of attacks. "In total, Russian forces attacked populated areas in Donetsk Oblast 15 times in the past day. We evacuated 130 people from the front line, including 19 children," Filashkin added. Support UP or become our patron! Timur Vadimovich Ivanov (left) seen with Vladimir Putin in Kubinka, Russia, in 2018 Russia has arrested a deputy minister of defence on suspicion of taking bribes, the countrys investigative committee announced on Tuesday night. Vladimir Putin, the president, was informed of the detention of the high-ranking official, Timur Vadimovich Ivanov, in a rare move amid the offensive in Ukraine, Russian state-media reported. Anti-corruption activists have for years criticised what they say is widespread corruption under Putins rule. Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Timur Vadimovich Ivanov has been detained on suspicion of committing a crime under part 6 of article 290 of the Criminal Code (taking a bribe), the committee said on Telegram. The committee did not give any more details. The offence is punishable by a large fine or more than a decade in prison, depending on the details of the crime. Mr Ivanov was the subject of an investigation published in 2022 by the banned Anti-Corruption Foundation - Twitter Mr Ivanov is under sanction from the European Union as the defence ministrys top official in charge of construction of military facilities. He was the subject of an investigation published in 2022 by the banned Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was created by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. It said that the deputy minister oversaw and profited from construction projects in Ukraines Mariupol, which fell under Moscows control after a months-long siege. According to the probe from the organisation, which has been banned in Russia for alleged extremism, the minister divorced his wife to allow her to bypass EU sanctions. Today is a good day, Maria Pevchikh, the head of investigations at the foundation, said on social media. Like most high-profile opposition figures, Ms Pevchikh was forced into exile by the Kremlins repression. Most of the opposition who remain in Russia are behind bars. Navalny, who galvanised masses by exposing corruption under Putin, died in prison in February. 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. Stock photo: the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Over the past day Ukrainian and Russian forces clashed 60 times. In total, the Russians launched four missile attacks and 60 airstrikes, as well as 46 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian forces and settlements. Source: evening report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 23 April Quote: "Within the last 24 hours the aircraft of the Defence Forces of Ukraine launched attacks on 15 clusters of military personnel of the enemy. Rocket [and Artillery Forces] units struck one ground UAV control station, one area of concentration of armament and military equipment, one cluster of military personnel, one air defence system and one other important object of the enemy." Details: On the Kupiansk front, the Russians attacked the Ukrainian positions near the settlement of Berestove (Kharkiv Oblast) one time. On the Lyman front, Ukrainian forces repelled 10 Russian attacks near the settlements of Hrekivka (Luhansk Oblast) and the settlements of Terny and Yampolivka (Donetsk Oblast). On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 14 attacks near the settlements of Bilohorivka (Luhansk Oblast), as well as Verkhnokamianske, Novyi, Spirne, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka (Donetsk Oblast), where the Russians, supported by aircraft, sought to improve their tactical positions. On the Avdiivka front, Ukrainian forces repelled 14 Russian attacks near the settlements of Novokalynove, Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Yasnobrodivka, Netailove, Pervomaiske (Donetsk Oblast) where the Russians, supported by aircraft, attempted to drive Ukrainian troops from their positions. On the Novopavlivka front, the Defence Forces are continuing to hold back the Russians near the settlements of Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane and Urozhaine (Donetsk Oblast), where the Russians, supported by aircraft, attempted to break through Ukrainian defences 17 times. On the Orikhiv front, the Russians, supported by aircraft, attacked Ukrainian positions two times near the settlement of Staromaiorske (Donetsk Oblast). On the Kherson front, the Russians persist in their attempts to push Ukrainian troops out of their footholds on the Dnipro Rivers left bank. Russian forces, supported by aircraft, launched one unsuccessful attack on Ukrainian troops positions near the village of Krynky (Kherson Oblast) over the past 24 hours. Support UP or become our patron! BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Laos had handed 250 Chinese suspects of cross-border telecom fraud to China, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Tuesday. Chinese and Lao police recently cooperated to bust three criminal dens in Laos, seizing 250 Chinese suspects of cross-border telecom fraud and over 1,000 mobile phones and computers used for committing such crimes, according to the MPS. During the cooperation, Chinese police discovered clues to the criminal dens in Laos while working to solve a telecom fraud case in China. The groups were suspected of targeting Chinese nationals for telecom fraud involving huge amounts of money. Chinese police informed their Lao counterparts of the clues after securing criminal facts and evidence. Lao police successfully busted the dens in a prompt manner, the ministry said. This marked another major achievement in law enforcement cooperation between the two countries' police forces, the MPS said, vowing to step up further efforts on intensifying international cooperation to resolutely contain cross-border crimes such as telecom fraud. Russians try to capture Ivanivske and outskirts of Bohdanivka in order to break through to Chasiv Yar Russian forces are attempting to take the settlement of Ivanivske and the outskirts of Bohdanivka in order to get access to the Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast. Source: Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group of Forces, on the air of the national 24/7 newscast Quote: "On the eastern front, the situation has worsened in recent days, but there have been no big developments. Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Novopavlivka are currently the most intense sectors of the front in the area of responsibility of our Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group of Forces' command. The situation in the zone of combat is challenging, but the Defence Forces are in control. In some places and directions, the enemy force continues to try to attack our defenders' positions with artillery, tanks, various sorts of drones, and aircraft The invaders are attempting to seize the village of Ivanivske and the surrounding area of Bohdanivka at all costs in order to break through to Chasiv Yar, where our men, after gargantuan efforts, managed to halt the enemy for more than one day and stabilise the situation on this front." Details: According to Voloshyn, all attempts by the Russian army to advance have been successfully repelled by the Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian soldiers destroy a significant amount of Russian equipment. He also stated that the weaponry and military equipment that would soon be sent by foreign partners "will provide an opportunity to improve and change the situation both on the Bakhmut front as well as on the Avdiivka and Novopavlivka fronts." Furthermore, these weapons can induce changes throughout the entire line of contact, since "they will help achieve technical superiority over the enemy, including in high-tech weapons. This will, most importantly, create conditions to gain strategic superiority." According to Voloshyn, Russian forces launched 19 unsuccessful strikes on the Lyman front, targeting the Serebrianka Forest and the settlements of Nadiia and Novoiehorivka in Luhansk Oblast, as well as Terny and Torske in Donetsk Oblast. On the Kupiansk front, the Russians did not launch offensive actions. On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian troops repelled 16 attacks near the settlements of Zolotarivka, Spirne, Vyimka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka. On the Avdiivka front, Ukraines defenders withstood 18 attacks on the towns of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka, Umanske, Berdychi, Pervomaiske, Ocheretyne, Novokalynove, and Yasnohorodivka. On this front, the Russians have reduced the number of heavy attacks against the settlement of Berdychi and are attempting to bypass it from the side of Ocheretyne. On the Novopavlivka front, Ukraine's soldiers continue to hold back the Russians in the settlements of Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane, and Mykilske. The Russians attempted to break past Ukrainian defences 20 times during the day. Also on this front, the Russians continue their assault in and around Krasnohorivka. Support UP or become our patron! The Russians may attempt to conquer Kharkiv, but they will fail because it will cost significant resources and time. Source: Brigadier General Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU), in an interview with Liga.net Quote: "They can try [to conquer Kharkiv ed.]. But it won't work. They can only act conventionally: two or three fronts as distractions, one primary. However, in the case of Kharkiv, this approach will be difficult because attempts to damage essential and civilian infrastructure will persist. They'll have to struggle for years to seize Kharkiv. Consider how long Bakhmut and Avdiivka held. It is easier for the Russians to change the leadership of the Russian Federation and forsake their goals than to conquer the city, resulting in the deaths of thousands more soldiers." Details: Commenting on the new possible summer offensive of the Russians, Pivnenko assured that "it will not achieve its goal". Quote: "Russia will not be able to take either Zaporizhzhia or Kharkiv. Even if they try something in the direction of Kyiv, thats just for show. Although I expect some difficulties. There will be an onslaught, they will try to move forward where they can." Background: The Financial Times, citing Ukrainian and Western officials, wrote that Russia may be gearing up for a large-scale offensive in late spring or summer, intending to seize more territory in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. In March 2024, the Centre for Countering Disinformation (CCD) at Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) noted that the information about Russian forces preparing to launch an offensive on the city of Kharkiv is part of Russia's propaganda of fear campaign and is not true. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- Russias seaborne crude exports maintained a multimonth high in the four weeks to April 21 as the countrys refineries struggled to recover from flooding and Ukrainian drone attacks. Most Read from Bloomberg Oil processing is near the lowest since May last year after floods forced the Orsk refinery offline, while runs at plants damaged by military strikes continue to lag normal levels, encouraging diversion of crude supplies into exports. The April loading program at the key Baltic ports has been revised to the highest since May 2023. Moscow has been able to maintain export levels to major customers such as China and India even as the US intensifies sanctions, with new traders appearing whenever an existing one attracts the attention of American authorities. In the trade with India, firms with names unfamiliar to even the most experienced merchants have emerged to handle shipments between the OPEC+ producer and the worlds third-largest importer and consumer. Still, the latest data showed that more volatile weekly flows gave up most of the gains from the previous seven days, with the slump driven by a drop in the amount of Russian crude exported through the port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. That, combined with a big number a month ago, is likely to push the four-week figure lower next week. The gross value of Russias crude exports in the four weeks to April 21 was up by about $24 million to $1.94 billion a week from the period to April 14, helped by higher prices. Four-week average shipments to Asia predominantly China and India also remained close to the highest since June at 3.33 million barrels a day. Chinas imports of Russian crude surged to a record high in March, customs data show. The Asian nation imported 10.81m tons of crude, equivalent to about 2.56 million barrels a day, from Russia in March, the most in data going back to 2004. The numbers include amounts delivered by pipeline as well as by ship. The backlog of Russias Sokol crude that built up after being turned away by Indian refiners has now almost disappeared. About 9.1 million barrels, half of the total, have been delivered to refineries in China. Another 7 million barrels have eventually found their way back to India. Two cargoes have been delivered to Pakistan. That leaves just 1.4 million barrels still to show a destination. Half of those are being discharged from the tanker that has been storing them since January onto a smaller vessel. The transfer is taking place in the Strait of Malacca, suggesting the cargoes could eventually end up in India. All of the Sokol cargoes loaded since mid-February headed directly to China. Flows by Destination Russias seaborne crude flows in the week to April 21 gave up most of the previous weeks surge, falling by 500,000 barrels a day to 3.45 million. The slump was driven by a drop in the amount of Russian crude exported through the port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, which were down by more than 60%, vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. The less volatile four-week average was virtually unchanged at 3.66 million, the highest since June. Weekly shipments were about 135,000 barrels a day lower than the average seen in May and June, or about 15,000 barrels a day below Russias April target, which is part of the OPEC+ alliances broader effort to curb supplies and support prices. The four-week average was about 195,000 barrels a day above the target. Russia said it would cut crude exports during April by 121,000 barrels a day from their average May-June level as part of the wider OPEC+ initiative, as Moscow shifts more of the burden onto production targets, which are preferred by other members of the group. Seaborne shipments in the first three months of the year exceeded Russias target level for that period by just 16,000 barrels a day. All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Those are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga and are not subject to European Union sanctions or a price cap. The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export stream. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies. Vessel-tracking data are cross-checked against port agent reports as well as flows and ship movements reported by other information providers including Kpler and Vortexa Ltd. Observed shipments to Russias Asian customers, including those showing no final destination, edged lower to 3.33 million barrels a day in the four weeks to April 21, from 3.34 million in the previous four-week period. About 1.35 million barrels a day of crude was loaded onto tankers heading to China. The Asian nations seaborne imports are boosted by about 800,000 barrels a day of crude delivered from Russia by pipeline, either directly, or via Kazakhstan. Flows on ships signaling destinations in India averaged about 1.46 million barrels a day. Both the Chinese and Indian figures are likely to rise as the discharge ports become clear for vessels that are not currently showing final destinations. The equivalent of about 310,000 barrels a day was on vessels signaling Port Said or Suez in Egypt. Those voyages typically end at ports in India or China and show up in the chart below as Unknown Asia until a final destination becomes apparent. The Other Unknown volumes, running at about 180,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to April 21, are those on tankers showing no clear destination. Most of those cargoes originate from Russias western ports and go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey. Others could be moved from one vessel to another, with most such transfers now taking place in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Greece, or more recently off Sohar in Oman. Europe and Turkey Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries have ceased. With flows to Bulgaria halted at the end of last year, Turkey is now the only short-haul market for shipments from Russias western ports. Exports to Turkey were stable at 323,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to April 21. Export Value Following the abolition of export duty on Russian crude, we have begun to track the gross value of seaborne crude exports, using Argus Media price data and our own tanker tracking. The gross value of Russias crude exports fell back to $1.84 billion in the seven days to April 21 from $2.15 billion in the period to April 14. However, four-week average income was up, rising by about $24 million to $1.94 billion a week, aided by higher oil prices. The four-week average is still below its peak of $2.17 billion a week, reached in the period to June 19, 2022. The highest it reached last year was $2 billion a week in the period to Oct. 22. During the first four weeks after the Group of Seven nations price cap on Russian crude exports came into effect in early December 2022, the value of seaborne flows fell to a low of $930 million a week, but soon recovered. The chart above shows a gross value of Russias seaborne oil exports on a weekly and four-week average basis. The value is calculated by multiplying the average weekly crude price from Argus Media Group by the weekly export flow from each port. For shipments from the Baltic and Arctic ports we use the Urals FOB Primorsk dated, London close, midpoint price. For shipments from the Black Sea we use the Urals Med Aframax FOB Novorossiysk dated, London close, midpoint price. For Pacific shipments we use the ESPO blend FOB Kozmino prompt, Singapore close, midpoint price. Export duty was abolished at the end of 2023 as part of Russias long-running tax reform plans. Ships Leaving Russian Ports The following table shows the number of ships leaving each export terminal. A total of 32 tankers loaded 24.1 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to April 21, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. That was down by about 3.5 million barrels, reversing almost all of the previous weeks gain. In addition to the Russian barrels, one cargo of KEBCO was loaded at Ust-Luga and two at Novorossiysk during the week. NOTES Note: This story forms part of a weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the gross value of those flows. Weeks run from Monday to Sunday. The next update will be on Tuesday, April 30. Note: All figures exclude cargoes owned by Kazakhstans KazTransOil JSC, which transit Russia and are shipped from Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga as KEBCO grade crude. If you are reading this story on the Bloomberg terminal, click here or a link to a PDF file of four-week average flows from Russia to key destinations. --With assistance from Sherry Su. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on April 23 on the suspicion of receiving a bribe, Russia's Investigative Committee announced. Ivanov, who is Russia's top official in charge of the country's construction of military facilities, was detained under part six of Article 290 of Russia's Criminal Code. According to Russian state media outlet TASS, the specific provision under the Criminal Code pertains to bribes over 1 million rubles. Russia's Investigative Committee noted that an investigation is ongoing and did not provide any details on the allegations. The Investigative Committee said that it will petition for Ivanov's arrest. If convicted, Ivanov would face up to 15 years in prison. Ivanov, who has been sanctioned by various Western countries due to his role in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was previously the target of a December 2022 investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The investigation alleged that Ivanov profited from construction projects in occupied Mariupol. A staunch opponent of corruption and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Navalny died on Feb. 16, 2024 after was being held in a penal colony in Russia's far northern Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. Navalny was convicted in Russian court with charges of extremism - which have been recognized internationally as being politically motivated. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian forces use chemical weapons to storm Ocheretyne Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Rwanda needs migrants because of the genocide, says Home Secretary James Cleverly said the scheme was beneficial to all parties, the UK, Rwanda and the migrants - FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP Rwanda is slightly underpopulated because of the genocide it suffered 20 years ago and its economy will benefit from the migrants that are due to be sent from Britain, the Home Secretary has said. James Cleverly is on a two-day visit to Italy and is due to travel on Wednesday to the island of Lampedusa, which has received hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants who cross in boats from the coast of North Africa. The Government has the green light to start flying migrants to the central African country after the Safety of Rwanda Bill was passed by Parliament. At an event in Rome, Mr Cleverly was asked why the Rwandan government had agreed to take asylum seekers from the UK. He said that apart from the transfer of funds the millions of pounds that Britain will give to Rwanda the countrys economy was in need of migrant labour because of the brutal genocide it endured in 1994, when members of the Tutsi ethnic group were massacred by Hutu militias. It is estimated that more than 800,000 people mostly Tutsi but also moderate Hutu were murdered during the genocide. For a country of a fairly modest population, it lost a very significant number of its people. So Rwanda I may be a bit clunky with my phraseology Rwanda is slightly underpopulated and there is definitely capacity for the individuals who are being relocated to Rwanda to be financially much more better off than they would be in their country of origin but also for Rwanda as a nation to be economically much more better off, he said. Its a genuine mutual benefit. The people they will be accepting into their society will help their economy grow. We see this as being a three-way benefit. It helps the UK manage a real challenge with regards to criminally facilitated illegal immigration, it helps the individuals who are seeking a safe and prosperous life to have a safe and prosperous life, and it helps Rwanda to grow its economy and be the modern society that they are aspiring to become. It came as the Archbishop of Canterbury accused MPs of unjustly maligning churches for helping refugees. In a joint statement with leaders of the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed Churches, the Most Rev Justin Welby said they continued to have deep misgivings about the Rwanda plan and the precedent it set in how the UK treated the most vulnerable. They also hit back at attacks on the Churches for deliberately facilitating false asylum claims in the wake of the disclosure that the Clapham chemical attacker was granted the right to remain in the UK after clergy supported his Christian conversion claims. Most Rev Justin Welby and other religious leaders continue to have 'deep misgivings' about the Rwanda Bill - ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA Pointing the finger at former Home Office ministers, MPs and other commentators, they said: We are disappointed that the kindness and support offered by churches and charities to the people at the heart of this debate those fleeing war, persecution and violence trying to find a place of safety has been unjustly maligned by some for political reasons. Rishi Sunak has been threatened with legal action by two civil service unions over the Rwanda scheme. The FDA, a union representing senior civil servants, is expected to convene its executive committee next Monday. The union is likely to launch a judicial review the following day, arguing that ministers new power to disregard interim ECHR rulings would mean telling civil servants to break international law. Paul OConnor, the senior national officer for the Public and Commercial Services Union, said it was considering legal action over the Rwanda policy. Its our members who will have to put this unethical, inhumane and impractical policy into practice, which is why weve opposed this from day one and shall continue to do so by keeping our options open in considering a legal challenge, he said. Michael OFlaherty, the Council of Europes commissioner for Human Rights, who oversees the ECHR, said Mr Sunak should rethink the Rwanda scheme because of the risk it posed to human rights and rule of law. The adoption of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill by the UK Parliament raises major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law more generally, he said. The UK Government should refrain from removing people under the Rwanda policy and reverse the Bills effective infringement of judicial independence. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho requested California Gov. Gavin Newsom this month to review the early prison release of an inmate who is serving a 90-year sentence for a series of freeway shootings in which bullets pierced victims car and grazed a womans leg. A Board of Parole Hearings panel April 10 granted parole to Kyle Douglas Frank, 37, of Roseville, who was convicted in 2011 of eight counts of attempted murder and enhancements for shooting at Black or Latino victims. During one incident, a mother had her two children in the car. Two other victims reported Frank yelled racial slurs during one of the attacks, prosecutors said in a statement. Frank, who was 25 when he was sentenced, has been incarcerated for 14 years, just 15% of his sentence, said the District Attorneys Office. Jurors did not find true the hate crime allegations because the shooting spree appeared random and not targeted, according to previous Bee reporting. Forensic analysis linked Franks .25-caliber Beretta semi-automatic handgun to the shootings, prosecutors said. While in prison, Frank assaulted two inmates, prosecutors said in the statement. He also attempted to file motions to vacate his conviction, which were all denied. Given the extreme violence and trauma inflicted on the victims in this case, this inmate should not have been granted parole after serving just fifteen percent of his prison sentence, Ho said in a statement. The decision to release Frank does not mean he is automatically released from prison, said Mary Xjimenez, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. A parole release is only final after it is reviewed by the Board of Parole Hearings within 120 days, she said. After that review, Newsom would have 30 days to review the final parole decision, Xjimenez said. District Attorney Ho said in a statement hes asked the governor to refer Franks release to the full parole board, which consists of 21 commissioners appointed by Newsom. Its unclear what position Newsom will take on Franks case. The Governors Office said it has not yet received the case, according to a spokesperson. Franks shooting spree stretched from August 2009 until September 2009 on capital freeways including Interstate 80 and Interstate 5. In one September 2009 incident, Osiris Esparza and her aunt Monica Esparza headed home from ballet class in Natomas. Frank began yelling at Monica Esparza after she unintentionally cut him off on eastbound Interstate 80. He accelerated and decelerated in a way that prevented the victims vehicle from exiting the freeway, prosecutors said. Frank fired multiple shots that struck Osiris Esparza, who was 18 at the time, in the leg. Other bullets pierced her headrest and the seats where her children would have been buckled in. Defense attorney Paul Irish told The Bee in 2011 that his client was just really drunk and also was using cocaine when he went on his freeway shooting sprees. He was depressed because he lost his job, lost his girlfriend and had to move back in with his father, Irish said after the jury handed down a verdict. He just reacted. Frank is currently being held at California Medical Facility in Vacaville. A Sacramento Superior Court judge on Friday ordered a 43-year-old man to spend the rest of his life in prison for a deadly 2019 shooting in a dispute over a home burglary. Judge Peter Williams sentenced Tyler Smith to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of Scott Chase II, the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office announced Monday in a news release. On Feb. 21, a jury found Smith guilty of first-degree murder in Chases death, along with an enhancement for using a gun in the murder and a special circumstance allegation for killing Chase during a robbery. Smith also was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors said the June 28, 2019, fatal shooting stemmed from a burglary. Chase, 38, of Carmichael, had been living temporarily with Smiths friend. There was a burglary at Smiths friends home while Chase was out of town. The friends safe, which contained a gun belonging to Smith, was among the items stolen from the home in the burglary. Prosecutors said Smith believed Chase committed the burglary and put in place a plan to arm himself with a gun and confront Chase to retrieve the stolen items along with anything else valuable Chase had. On the evening of June 27, 2019, Smith was armed with a gun when he went to Chases home, prosecutors said. When Chase arrived at his home the following morning, Smith started hitting Chase with the gun before shooting him once in the head, according to the District Attorneys Office. Smith then placed Chases body in the back of the victims SUV, prosecutors said. Later, a security guard found the abandoned SUV with Chases body. Investigators identified Smith as the shooter in the homicide and arrested him in Nevada two weeks after the shooting, according to the District Attorneys Office. Investigators never found the gun used in the homicide. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday started deliberating a draft revision to the Law on National Defense Education that is expected to enhance the national defense awareness of citizens. The draft was submitted to an ongoing session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee for the first reading. Consisting of 39 articles in six chapters, the draft clarifies the definition, guiding principles, leadership mechanism, and work responsibilities of national defense education. The draft aims to build a national defense education system that connects various levels and types of schools, improving the goals, content, and methods of national defense education in primary schools, middle schools, and universities. The draft also specifies the national defense literacy and capabilities that staff in state organs should possess. It regulates media and internet dissemination of national defense-related content and national defense education venues. The National Defense Education Law was passed in 2001 and underwent a package modification in 2018 along with other laws. Five years after Sacramento police shot 19-year-old Darell Richards to death in the backyard of a Curtis Park home while he was holding a replica handgun and suffering from mental issues, city records show the case has been settled for a nominal payment of $100,000. The settlement was agreed to last September following years of legal wrangling, vigils and a trial in 2022 that ended in a deadlocked jury, but city officials and lawyers for Richards family would not discuss the terms of the agreement that led to the dismissal of a federal civil rights lawsuit. Instead, the city waited until last week to post the terms of the $100,000 settlement, which was made without any admission of liability and was signed by Richards mother, Khoua Vang, on Oct. 30. Despite the agreement last year, city officials refused to release any paperwork involving the deal, and attorneys for the family, Melissa Nold and Adante Pointer, did not respond to requests for details on how much the city agreed to pay to settle the lawsuit. City spokesman Tim Swanson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday on why the documents revealing the settlement were not posted publicly for six months. The Richards case was one of the higher-profile shooting deaths by Sacramento-area law enforcement in recent years, spawning vigils, a lawsuit against the city by The Sacramento Bee and an 11-day trial in 2022 in federal court that ended with the jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Richards, a Black man, was shot to death at 3 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2018, after being pursued and found in a Curtis Park backyard. Testimony showed he was suffering from mental issues and carrying a pellet gun that was a replica of a handgun, and Officers Todd Edgerton and Patrick Cox shot him 10 times after they believed he was pointing a handgun at another officer. Lawyers for Richards parents, Vang and Ted Richards Jr., argued that Richard was raising his hands to surrender when he was killed and likened the shooting to a botched SWAT operation. The shooting occurred six months after Sacramento police shot and killed another young black man, Stephon Clark, who they said they believed had pointed a handgun at them in the dark backyard of his grandparents home. Clark was unarmed and found later to be carrying only a cellphone, and his death generated protests and marches nationwide, including some that shut down portions of downtown Sacramento and led to dozens of arrests. Attorneys for the Richards family vowed to re-try the case, and pursued a new trial until days before the scheduled Oct. 2, 2023, retrial was to begin. Instead of proceeding, they filed a notice of settlement Sept. 27 that led to the dismissal of the case. The $100,000 payout is a relatively small amount for a case of its nature, with the city agreeing to pay $2.4 million to Clarks sons and $1.7 million to his parents. SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) The San Marcos Police Department police chief provided a statement on Monday in connection with a deadly shooting involving an officer from April 11. The incident resulted in the death of a 22-year-old man. Around 9:32 p.m., two men told police they were being followed by a man when they were walking in the area of East Hopkins and Cheatham Street in San Marcos. The men said the man followed them from a convenience store on Cheatham Street. Police identify man shot by officer in San Marcos The man, later identified as Malachi Williams, 22, was walking as close as 3 to 4 feet from them, which caused immediate alarm to them, SMPD Chief Stan Standridge said in his statement. The men told police they walked past their home as they were being followed by Williams, because they didnt want him to know where they lived, Standridge said. Then, one of the men called a family member who was inside the home. When the family member came outside, Williams was only one house away. That is when Williams pulled out two knives and threatened them both. Both men ran and made it inside their home and called 911, Standridge said. The shooting Police said officers found Williams at the same convenience store on Cheatham Street. An employee at the store told an SMPD officer he was in the restroom. When the officer told Williams to come out, he told him to put his hands behind his head, Standridge said. The officer eventually backed out of the store to give space between him and Williams, according to police. Once Williams was outside of the store, he ran away from the officer. The officer then tried to use a stun gun on Williams but was unsuccessful, according to police. Then, there was a second attempt to stun gun Williams, in which the officer was also unsuccessful. Video evidence showed Williams had at least one knife visible in his hand, Standridge said. Williams then ran across the street to an occupied business where at least 10 or more people were outside. That is when the pursuing officer shot Williams, Standridge said. The knives recovered at the scene were described as 8-inch kitchen knives, according to police. Officers provided first aid to Williams, and he was then taken to Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle where he was pronounced dead, the release said. The officers name will not be released until grand jury proceedings are complete. Additionally, he will return to work next week, Standridge said. He was also referred to a staff psychologist for consultation. I conclude with sincere condolences to the Malachi Williams family, he said. This is not an outcome that anyone wants, including us. The case will head to the Hays County District Attorneys office for review, Standridge said. Body cam footage will be provided in a timely manner, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a man in Kharkiv suspected of helping direct Russian aerial attacks on the base of an elite Ukrainian military unit. In a post on Telegram on April 23, the agency said the man helped Moscows forces to identify the location of the Military intelligences (HUR) Kraken special unit. Russian forces planned to carry out the attack using "ballistic missiles and guided aerial bombs of the KAB-500 type," the post said. Moscow has recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv using missiles, glide bombs, and drones to destroy infrastructure and kill civilians. The SBU claimed the man had been recruited at the beginning of April via social media where he had been posting anti-Ukraine content, describing him as an ideological supporter of racism. He was arrested in his home and his mobile phone which allegedly contained incriminating messages with Russian security services was seized. The man has been charged under part 2 of Art. 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorized dissemination of information about the movement, movement or location of the Armed Forces if it is possible to identify them on the ground). The man faces up to eight years in prison. Read also: ISW: Russia attempting to create outsized panic in Kharkiv, force mass exodus of civilians Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Joy Cottle speaks at Cottle Strawberry Farm on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Cottle plans to apply for a new program meant to keep farmland undeveloped. (Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette) HOPKINS When a developer approached Joy Cottle with an offer to buy her family farm in rural Richland County and replace it with houses, the money seemed too much to refuse. Cottle Strawberry Farm has been in the family since the 1960s. The tradition of growing strawberries survived four generations, including a move from North Carolina to South Carolina, eventually becoming the 230-acre you-pick farm in Hopkins in the early 2000s. But the developer was offering more than $6 million, more than six times what the land was worth. Cottle didnt think she could turn that down, she said. I was already shopping for beach houses, Cottle told the SC Daily Gazette on Tuesday. That was until her son reminded her, Some dreams cant be bought, she said. Cottle backed out of the deal, deciding instead to expand her farm for her son to eventually take over, to one day be followed by his own children. I want this to be their legacy, Cottle said. People pick strawberries at Cottle Strawberry Farm on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette) A law ceremoniously signed Tuesday by Gov. Henry McMaster at Cottles farm created a fund to buy the development rights for agricultural lands, making it easier for farmers like Cottle to keep farms in their families and preserve them from development. This bill gives farmers more options, rather than just saying, Oh, cash in and take the windfall, state Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers said of the legislation actually signed into law last month. South Carolina lost more than 280,000 acres of farmland between 2001 and 2016, according to a study by the American Farmland Trust. The Palmetto State was the eighth most at-risk of losing its farmland, the study found. That type of loss is not sustainable, said Farm Bureau President Harry Ott. As the states population continues to grow, developers are looking for open land to build homes and businesses. Farms like Cottles, which is just outside Columbia, are ideal real estate. What this is all about is trying to find that balance between industrial development and growth and agriculture, Ott said. We need both. The program would join the existing Conservation Bank, which buys land under legal agreements that ensure the land can never be developed, known as conservation easements. Unlike most land conserved by the bank, farmers would be allowed to keep farming and retain full ownership of the land without needing to open it up for public use. The program would pay farmers for the right to develop their land, guaranteeing it cannot be sold for any purpose other than farming, no matter who owns it. Senators have proposed putting $3 million into the fund for its inaugural year. Whether that makes it to the final budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 is yet to be seen. Only certain farms would qualify. The land has to be under threat of development, be working farmland, have value as a natural resource, and be located in or selling agriculture to poor, rural and minority communities. Strawberries for sale at Cottle Strawberry Farm on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette) The farmer also has to be willing to pass on the land, whether to their relatives or if they dont have family members who want to carry on the occupation other farmers. That can help people looking to become farmers, said Rep. Patrick Haddon, a seventh-generation farmer who sponsored the bill. Robust agricultural programs across the state show that young adults have an appetite for farming, the Greenville Republican said. But high upfront costs make it difficult to become a first-generation farmer, he said. How do you pay for that? Haddon said. Selling the lands development rights would give farmers the peace of mind to sell it without worrying the buyer would turn around and make a big paycheck from a developer, he said. Retaining farms ensures South Carolina dollars stay in the state, Weathers said. Agricultural products generated more than $17.3 billion in 2022, according to a Department of Agriculture study. If farmers can no longer grow those products in the state, businesses have to import them, he said. Wed spend that same money on those vendors products. They would just come from who knows where, Weathers said. The law will guarantee more of South Carolinas land remains untouched by development, McMaster said. One hundred years from now, were going to be just as beautiful as we are today, and maybe even more so, he said. The post New SC law aims to preserve dwindling farmland appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. CANTON, Ohio (WJW) Canton residents should be wary of scammers impersonating third-party electrical inspectors in order to enter homes, warned Mayor William Sherer II. Residents on Monday, April 22, started reporting the visits to City Hall, saying the scammers posed as representatives of a third-party electrical company, and that a newly passed Ohio law allows them to enter. Heres when the new Superman movie will shoot in Cleveland and how to sign up to be an extra We are unaware of any such law that would permit these people access into the homes of our residents, Sherer is quoted in a Tuesday news release. Never under any circumstances should you let these individuals into your home. Ohio theft ring appears to be part of larger issue: Law enforcement Representatives of AEP Ohio, the electrical distributor serving the city, said visits from contractors are always scheduled in advance by phone, according to the release. Anyone who gets an unscheduled, unsolicited visit from a so-called inspector should not let them in the home. Residents who feel unsafe should call 911, according to the release. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. SOUTH CHARLESTON, Ohio (WCMH) Deputies in Clark County recorded conversations with a scammer they said unintentionally orchestrated a deadly shooting with an Uber order and phone calls. The scammer had been calling 81-year-old William Brock on March 25, telling him that one of his relatives was in jail and demanding money, according to the sheriffs office. Separately, the same scammer or an accomplice placed an order on Uber, sending 61-year-old Lo-Letha Hall to pick up a package at Brocks home west of South Charleston. Columbus Zoo reports stolen car and break-ins from masked suspects in parking lot Hall was completely unarmed when she arrived, and wasnt aware of the calls Brock received before she came there, the sheriffs office said. A dashcam in her car recorded her trying to leave as Brock followed her and pointed a revolver at her. When deputies came to the home after Brock called and reported a robbery, they found Hall on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds and the elderly man with injuries to his head and ear. While emergency crews were at the scene, Brocks phone rang again. Detective Sheila Crews picked it up while a deputys bodycam was rolling. After initial greetings and the caller asking who was on the line, they made comments revealing themself as the scammer. The man on the phone spoke without any apparent accent, and the voice did not appear to be computer-generated since he displayed natural stammering. May I ask who Im talking to? Crews asked. Yes, this is the officer speaking, the scammer said. Okay, what officer? Crews said. Yes, the scammer said. No, I need to know what officer, sir, Crews said. Youre gonna be in trouble, the scammer replied. Central Ohio theft ring appears to be part of larger issue, law enforcement says Crews then asked the scammer if he knew Hall, and he said yes. The detective then identified herself as an actual law enforcement official and told them that Hall had been in an accident. But when she finished speaking, she realized the phone call had been disconnected. Another bodycam recording showed the scammer calling Crews back, apologizing that the call disconnected. The scammer inquired further about Hall. No, uh, shes not doing well, Crews said Oh no, the scammer said. Crews explained Hall was going to the hospital, and the scammer asked which one. But the detective said the scammer would have to come to Brocks home to talk to her before she would share that information. Ohio proposes new $20 million natural gas law Okay, Im gonna be there, give me 20 minutes? the scammer asked. He also asked where Brock was, and Crews said he was talking to the deputies. The scammer never showed up at Brocks home, according to the sheriffs office. It said its team was investigating the scam calls and Uber app order that led to the shooting, and looking for the man or accomplices that coordinated the incident. But as of Tuesday, the sheriffs office had not shared any new details on the scammer. Another deputys bodycam recorded emergency crews attempts to help Hall, as well as interviews with Brock while he sat in a deputys car. Medical crews had removed some of the Uber drivers clothes to treat her gunshot wounds before loading her into an ambulance. Wind blowing on the bodycams microphone obscured the majority of Brocks conversation with deputies, but he could be heard asking if medics were able to stabilize Hall after the shooting. Lo-Letha Halls dashcam in her car captured her attempting to leave as William Brock held her at gunpoint. (Courtesy Photo/Clark County Sheriffs Office) Halls obituary listed her as a Columbus native. Her funeral service took place on April 5 at a church on the Northeast Side. Express may lay off over 600 employees at corporate offices in Columbus Deputies later arrested Brock, and he faces charges including three counts of murder as well as one each of kidnapping and felonious assault, according to an indictment from Clark County Common Pleas Court. The sheriffs office argued that Hall wasnt an active threat to Brock, and he made no attempt to call for help during the confrontation either. Investigators accused him of shooting Hall as she tried to get in her car and leave. Clark County Common Pleas Court records did not show any scheduled appearance for Brock as of Tuesday. However, a pre-trial order filed Friday said the court would issue a notice for pre-trial hearing and jury trial dates in the near future. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Getty Images A bill to require public schools to create complaint-tracking systems has made its way out of the Louisiana House on Monday. House Bill 340, authored by Rep. Tammy Phelps, D-Shreveport, would allow parents to be able to keep tabs on complaints they file regarding school incidents. While schools have always been required to publish their policy and process for receiving complaints, they were not required to provide an easy way for parents to know where they were in the process after filing the complaint. When a complaint is filed, schools are currently required to obtain the name, phone number, address and email of the complainant. Schools are supposed to update parents, but many parents complain they never hear back, Phelps said when her bill was in committee last week. The proposal originally required complaints to be assigned a unique reference number, but the provision was removed in committee. Phelps said schools could use tracking systems they already have in place for matters such as attendance or discipline. The bill passed unanimously and now moves to the Senate. The post School complaint tracking measure passes unanimously in Louisiana House appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. School districts work to change future start times to comply with new Florida law by 2026 TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) School districts across Florida are working to change their future start times in order to comply with a new Florida law in time for the 2026 academic year. By July 1, 2026, school districts must start middle school classes after 8 a.m. and high school classes must not start before 8:30 a.m. The change in start times for high school and middle school students will likely impact start times for elementary schools. Polk County held a town hall Monday night to discuss potential changes due to the law. While the law doesnt go into effect for two more years, school leaders are using this time to collect input from parents, teachers, and students. Were definitely concerned about making sure all the angles are covered, said Ryan DelliVeniri, chairman of the district advisory council for Polk County Public Schools. I think that the worst thing to do would be to pump out a solution that only works for a group of people and not most of the people. State leaders hope starting school later would help students get more sleep and lead to better mental and physical health. We know that theres a strong correlation between sleep and depression, said Jennifer Tomko, a clinical psychotherapist for Clarity Health Solutions. For every hour less than what a child needs, theres a 38% increase in the chances of depression or sad thoughts. Irritability definitely goes up. Similar conversations about shifting school start times are also taking place in Pinellas, Pasco, and Sarasota counties. I dont think its going to be successful, said Norma Tutt, the mother of a Davenport student. I dont think its going to change anything. Tutt said the changes arent going to prepare students for adult life. Its not going to do anything but give them more time to stay awake, she said. The statewide mandate stems from medical research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which includes the following recommendation: The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes insufficient sleep in adolescents as an important public health issue that significantly affects the health and safety, as well as the academic success, of our nations middle and high school students. Although a number of factors, including biological changes in sleep associated with puberty, lifestyle choices, and academic demands, negatively affect middle and high school students ability to obtain sufficient sleep, the evidence strongly implicates earlier school start times (ie, before 8:30 am) as a key modifiable contributor to insufficient sleep, as well as circadian rhythm disruption, in this population. Furthermore, a substantial body of research has now demonstrated that delaying school start times is an effective countermeasure to chronic sleep loss and has a wide range of potential benefits to students with regard to physical and mental health, safety, and academic achievement. Polk County Current start times: Elementary: 7:45 a.m. 8:15 a.m. Middle: 9 a.m. 9:15 a.m. High: 7 a.m. Hillsborough County Already implemented changes in the 2018-19 school year that comply with the law. Elementary: 7:40 a.m. Middle: 9:30 a.m. High: 8:30 a.m. Pinellas County The school board has already began having discussions about the new law, but has not made a decision on new start times. Current times: Elementary: 9:40 a.m. Middle: 8:30 a.m. 9:15 a.m. High: 7:10 a.m. 7:35 a.m. Exceptional education centers: 10 a.m. Pasco County Start times currently vary greatly depending on the school. Current times: Elementary (academy): 7:10 a.m. Elementary: 8:10 a.m. Middle: Starting at 7:10 a.m. High: Starting at 7:06 a.m. Sarasota County The school district doesnt plan to implement any schedule changes until the 2026 school year. Discussions have not yet been held, but are expected to take place in 2025. Current times vary by school and are posted on each schools website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Advancing knowledge of Plutos composition has allowed scientists to model its iconic heart. By entering many variables into modeling software, scientists can test one at a time. Pluto is not well understood because its so extremely far away, leaving much to explore. In new research, scientists have modeled an impact in space that may explain half of Plutos iconic heart-shaped Tombaugh Regio. The Sputnik Planitia basin is shaped like an upside down pear, which the researchers say could be from an impact with a celestial object up to 400 miles in diameter. In their proposed model, an impactor composed of ice and rock strikes Plutos icy surface, travels through it, and creates a splat (technical term!) that lingers to this day. Pluto may no longer be one of the official planets in our solar system, but the same eccentricities (literally and otherwise) that ruled it out make it interesting to researchers. Yes, Pluto is extremely far from the sun, with a surface temperature that maxes out at about -360 Fahrenheit -- but its quirky orbit also brings it closer to the sun than Neptune at times. This long cycle also creates and then destroys Plutos very thin atmosphere, which forms during the warm (less cold) orbital season and literally freezes out of the air during the cold orbital season. All of this means that Pluto is cold enough on its surface that a disturbance to the ice there could simply stay. If the ice can never melt, then the ice is the new ground. It would be like a crater on Earths crust, which may develop plant life over the decades but is still visible as a large impact area on the underlying ground. But Pluto has other craters that have been sanded down and filled up over a long time, indicating that tectonic activity may be working below the scenes to change things. Something about the iconic heart-shaped spot is different, because it shows no signs of being filled in. Scientists from the University of Arizona and the University of Bern in Switzerland were inspired to make an impact model to try to figure out what really caused the Sputnik Planitia. Their peer-reviewed research appears now in Nature Astronomy . Combining existing knowledge of earth science and geology as well as 2015 findings about Plutos complex geology, they modeled all the factors using SPHLATCH, which is an open source code that steps through space impacts like this one. Full 3D models -- 4D if you count time -- let scientists tune each variable, one at a time, in order to see what happens. The scientists tried impact angles from 0 to 45 degrees, for example, to see what best created the pear shape. If something struck at a perpendicular angle of 90 degrees, the impact would likely just be a circle. Instead, the type of shape suggests that something struck at an angle and created a narrow drag that forms the stem end of the pear. The 2015 exploration of Pluto by the New Horizons probe made this model possible, because we previously knew very little about Plutos geology. With more information, this team was able to model Plutos composition more accurately. They believe that if an icy impactor struck Plutos also icy surface, at first it would land on top, like a splatted snowball. But over time, the rocky portion would sink through the mantle. Then it spreads out into a hidden, deeply buried splat, a rocky mass atop the coremantle boundary, they conclude. You Might Also Like Zheng Shanji searches for archived microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. Jilin Provincial Library is one of the first batch of microfilm reproduction libraries in China. As a staff member of the library, Zheng Shanji's responsibility is to digitalize the microfilm document. The microfilm work involves many aspects and requires a series of professional operations, including shooting, washing, cataloging, copying, digital conversion and so on. "I take different responsibilities in my work, and the 'models' are the precious ancient books and historical documents," Zheng said. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji checks the information of microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji checks microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) This photo taken on April 22, 2024 shows microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation.(Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji checks microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji prints microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji reviews documents through microfilm reader at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji searches for archived microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation.(Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji edits the catalog information of microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation.(Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji checks microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji checks the information of microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji checks details of microfilm with a magnifying glass at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation.(Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji prepares to archive microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation.(Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji develops microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) Zheng Shanji checks microfilm at Jilin Provincial Library in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 22, 2024. Microfilm is an effective way to preserve ancient texts and documents. China has started using micrographics technology to preserve invaluable documents on a large scale in 1985, since the establishment of the National Library's center for microfilm reproduction. Since then, over 40 public libraries have been engaging in using microfilm for document preservation. (Xinhua/Xu Chang) SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) The Scranton Police Department is cracking down on aggressive driving, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Law enforcement says on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week increased patrol units will be looking for aggressive drivers. According to Scranton police Aggressive Driving Enforcement began Tuesday, April 23 from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., in the South Scranton and Minooka areas. Lackawanna County election preparations Police say officers will continue patrolling on Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. in the High Works area of Keyser Avenue. Scranton police say, Aggressive Driving Enforcement will also be patrolling on Wednesday, April 24 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the North and South sections of Main Avenue, Luzerne Street near West Scranton High School, and Washburn Street. The Scranton Police Department urges drivers to use caution in these areas, especially near school buses. According to police, aggressive driving patrols will focus on all offenses listed within the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, but the main point of the enforcement is to remember to drive safely. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. A man suspected of murdering two women this week in central Washington state and abducting a 1-year-old child died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police chase in Oregon, authorities said. The suspect was earlier identified as 40-year-old Elias Huizar, a former police officer who fled the scene of a deadly shooting at an elementary school on Monday in the city of West Richland. Oregon State Police on Tuesday afternoon discovered Huizar's vehicle driving south on Interstate 5 near Eugene, resulting in a pursuit. The suspect got into a minor crash and both he and police fired at each other before the suspect drove away again, Oregon State Police Cpt. Kyle Kennedy said Tuesday night. Nobody was hurt in the initial exchange of gunfire, according to Kennedy. The suspect then crashed into another vehicle a few miles away, and when police caught up with him, they found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Kennedy said. Roman Santos, the 1-year-old child, was taken safely into custody by state troopers, police said. Huizar was seen driving a black sedan overnight Monday into Tuesday, West Richland police said in a previous update about the manhunt. They received the tip from police in Portland, Oregon. Elias Huizar / Credit: Washington State Patrol / West Richland Police Department On Monday, Huizar allegedly shot one woman dead outside of William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland before authorities executed a search warrant on his home and discovered the body of another homicide victim, West Richland police said after responding to the incident at around 3:30 p.m. local time. The women killed were Huizar's ex-wife and girlfriend, according to an Amber Alert issued by Washington State Patrol on behalf of West Richland police at around 9:45 p.m. Monday night. The alert extended from Washington to Oregon. Richland police did not share the identity of either of the two victims in their own statements about the murders, although they said the person found dead in Huizar's home "is a known associate of the suspect." Huizar previously worked as a police officer in Yakima, which is about an hour from West Richland by car, CBS affiliate KIRO reported. His tenure with the police department lasted from 2014 to 2022. Earlier this year, Huizar was accused in Yakima of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and charged with second-degree rape and furnishing alcohol for minors, according to KEPR, another CBS affiliate in the area. Separately, Huizar faces a third-degree rape charge for allegedly having an intimate relationship over several years with a girl who is now 17 years old, according to the news station. CBS News contacted the Benton County Prosecutor's Office, where the rape charges were brought against Huizar, for more information but did not receive an immediate reply. Police earlier said they believed Huizar was headed to Mexico with the abducted child, and originally flagged to the public a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington state license plates, which police said he had used to flee the scene of the school shooting. Officials described 1-year-old Roman Huizar as 2 feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes. The child's relationship to Elias Huizar was not explicitly noted. Police had asked for help locating the suspect, saying he was "likely to commit more crimes." Eric Church talks new Nashville bar and residency Taylor Swift's new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," breaks records "Blind trust": Widow's $1.5 million romance scam story serves as cautionary tale LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) Detectives in Lynchburg are still working on the details after a fight escalated to a shooting at Waffle House and left two people injured early Sunday morning. Search warrants obtained by WFXR show that on April 21, Lynchburg officers and detectives were called to the Waffle House on Wards Road for a large fight. While officers were on the way to the scene, they learned that shots were fired. At the scene, officers found the two victims with gunshot wounds. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Two arrested after Waffle House shooting leaves two hurt in Lynchburg According to the documents, detectives spoke with several witnesses and collected security camera footage. Detectives learned the male victim was seated, waiting to eat when a large group of men entered the restaurant. The records say the group allegedly surrounded and confronted the victim when a fight started. After the fight, camera footage shows the group leaving the restaurant. Once outside, one of the men starts pacing outside the front window. A few moments later, shots were fired toward the restaurant causing the window to shatter and hitting a woman inside. The suspect then fled the scene in a dark-colored Nissan sedan. Investigators allegedly determined from security footage that the suspects gun had an extended magazine, as well as a description of his clothing. Remembering Kingston Campbell, funeral held for 6-year-old shot and killed As the investigation continued, detectives were notified that the alleged shooter was Lynchburg resident Omarian Daquon Fitch, who was arrested on Sunday, April 21 for Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Malicious Wounding, Reckless Handling of a Firearm, Shooting into an Occupied Building, Property Damage, Use of Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Discharge a Firearm within the City Limit. WFXR News will continue to bring you the latest updates as they become available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Paxton is dropping a request for a Seattle hospital to hand over records regarding gender-affirming treatment potentially given to children from Texas as part of a lawsuit settlement announced Monday, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) DALLAS (AP) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is dropping a request for a Seattle hospital to hand over records regarding gender-affirming treatment potentially given to children from Texas as part of a lawsuit settlement announced Monday. Seattle Children's Hospital filed the lawsuit against Paxton's office in December in response to the Republican appearing to go beyond state borders to investigate transgender health care. Paxton, a staunch conservative who has helped drive GOP efforts that target the rights of trans people, sent similar letters to Texas hospitals last year. The Seattle hospital said in a statement that it had successfully fought the overreaching demands to obtain confidential patient information. A judge in Austin dismissed the lawsuit Friday, saying the parties had settled their dispute. Texas is among states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. The hospital's lawsuit included a copy of the letter from Paxtons office, which among other requests asked the hospital to produce records identifying medication given to children who live in Texas; the number of Texas children who received treatment; and documents that identified the standard protocol or guidance used for treatment. As part of the settlement, according to court records, the parties agreed that Seattle Childrens Hospital would withdraw its registration to transact business in Texas. But a hospital spokesperson said in a statement that they don't operate health care facilities or provide gender-affirming care in Texas. In court records, the hospital had previously stated that it had a limited number of people who work remotely and live in Texas but that none were involved in gender-affirming care. It also said it did not advertise its services in Texas. When we merely began asking questions, they decided to leave the State of Texas and forfeit the opportunity to do business here," Paxton said in a news release Monday. He said Texas will vigorously protect children from gender-affirming treatment that he called damaging. The Texas law prevents transgender minors from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers and transition surgeries, even though medical experts say such surgical procedures are rarely performed on children. In Washington, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a law that aims to protects minors seeking gender-affirming care there, part of a wave of legislation in Democratic-led states intended to give refuge to those seeking gender-affirming treatment. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) SeaWorld San Diego is celebrating Military Appreciation Month with an exclusive deal. The theme park is offering free one-day admission for U.S. military veterans in the month of May, SeaWorld officials said in a press release Monday. Veterans may choose up to three guests (dependents) to bring along with them. Veterans have until May 12 to register for the free tickets, which they must use by July 7, according to the park. Their guests have until May 27 to visit the park with their free tickets. Lifeguard fighting to keep leg after freak surfing accident Active-duty military members and up to three guests (dependents) can get one free admission through the end of the year. Those registering must have a valid active military identification to participate. The military deal is part of the United Parks & Resorts Waves of Honor program aiming to offer special pricing and promotions for active-duty military members, veterans and their families. We are proud to honor active-duty military, veterans and their families with a complimentary visit to one of our parks, said Marc Swanson, CEO of United Parks & Resorts. We are incredibly grateful to all members of our military for their commitment and dedication to serving our country. The Waves of Honor program extends a small token of our appreciation to those who are serving or who have served. We look forward to welcoming military service members, veterans and their families for a fun-filled day in one of our parks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Secret army of women who broke Nazi codes get belated recognition During World War II, dozens of women students at Cambridge University worked around the clock in complete secrecy to crack Nazi codes, but only now are the unsung heroes getting recognition. At least 77 students from the women-only Newnham College were drafted to Bletchley Park, the code-breaking center north of London, during the conflict. It was there that mathematician Alan Turing decoded messages encrypted by the Nazis' Enigma machine, in particular those sent by German U-boats submarines in the North Atlantic. Enigma cyphers were used by the Germans during World War II to scramble military communications and intelligence, to such an extent that they trusted their code was unbreakable. Historians widely acknowledge that Bletchley played a key role in bringing down Adolf Hitler. The team that worked in the secret installation outside of London is credited not only with cracking Enigma, but also the Lorenz, another device that the Nazi high command used to send coded messages. But the story of the Cambridge women has only recently been revealed, thanks to research started by Sally Waugh five years ago. She worked with historian Gillian Sutherland and archivist Frieda Midgley to uncover the names of the Bletchley Park recruits from Newnham College, the BBC reported. The Enigma machine enabled secret Nazi communications during World War II. Efforts to break that encoding system ultimately helped make D-Day possible. / Credit: Andrew Hoyle/CNET Waugh, a 69-year-old former Newnham student and teacher, said she wanted to highlight the role of women during World War II, often ignored in history books. "Nobody was ever able to say thank you," she told AFP. "I had no idea that people from Newnham went to work at Bletchley Park". Then, one day, she came across an article mentioning the name of an old friend, Jane Monroe, who died in 2005. When Monroe, a mathematician from Newnham, was asked what she had done during the war, she replied unfazed: "Oh, I made tea," said Waugh. "She was in reality a code breaker. She was a friend but she didn't tell me," Waugh explained. Monroe was unable to talk about her role as she had signed the Official Secrets Act, which restricts the publication of government information deemed sensitive. The article mentioned three other women, whom Waugh tracked down in the university's archives. "I thought, if there are four of them, I wonder if there are any more?" she recalled. A portrait of the Alan Turing, who helped break the Germany's Enigma Code during World War II. / Credit: The Sherborne School In fact, Waugh found around 20 names and then cross-referenced her information with Bletchley Park. Together they were able to identify almost 80 women. "Everything was quite mad, really" The only one whose name has so far gone down in history is mathematician Joan Clarke, who was recruited in 1940 and worked with the celebrated Enigma decoder and computer scientist Turing, to whom she was briefly engaged. She became deputy head of her unit and after the war continued to work in intelligence. Keira Knightley won an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Clarke in the 2014 film "The Imitation Game." Also on the list is Violet Cane, another mathematician with a gift for statistics. She worked at Bletchley's naval section between 1942 and 1945. Another code breaker, Mavis Batey, spoke to CBS News in 2008, when she was 87, about working at Bletchley Park. "Everything was quite mad, really," said Batey, who was responsible for decoding a message that revealed the date of a planned Italian naval attack and, in turn, allowed the British to prepare. German speaker Elizabeth Langstaff was given the tasks of reconstructing German messages from raw decryptions, interpreting abbreviations and analyzing the results over months. Allied code breakers worked secretly in Bletchley Park, a station outside of London, to decipher scrambled communication that likely shortened World War II by several years. Three women Alda Milner-Barry, Pernel Strachey and Ray Strachey helped recruit women to Bletchley Park from Newnham College, the BBC reported. Milner-Barry by then had been a fellow and vice principal at the school, and her brother belonged to one of the government code and cypher school groups at the Bletchley code breaking station. Pernel Strachey was the Newnham principal, and her brother was an expert in deciphering coded messages, according to the BBC. At the end of 2023, a letter was uncovered dated Jan. 28, 1939, in which the principal of the university confirmed to Bletchley Park that "in the event of emergency we should be able to find for you about six students proficient in Modern Languages, in order for work to be carried out at the Foreign Office." Newnham, which was founded in 1871, eventually sent Bletchley mathematicians, linguists, historians and even archaeologists to analyze aerial photographs. "Newnham women were represented in most key areas of Bletchley Park's work," Jonathan Byrne, Oral History Officer at Bletchley Park Trust, told AFP. That included decrypting German signals encrypted by Enigma, producing intelligence reports, understanding the activities of the Nazis by analysing signal networks and studying diplomatic signals. Around 50 of women were believed to have been on duty on June 6, 1944 "D-Day", when Allied forces landed on the beaches of Nazi-occupied northern France. "Although the work they were involved in contributed to Allied planning for the liberation, most would have not known when the invasion was happening," explained Byrne, though some may have suspected. "German signal traffic in France increased in response to the invasion, making early June 1944 a busy time at Bletchley Park," he explained. "Blind trust": Widow's $1.5 million romance scam story serves as cautionary tale Pro-Palestine protests continue across U.S. campuses Former National Enquirer publisher details alleged "catch and kill" scheme in Trump trial See how chicken farmers are trying to stop the spread of bird flu See how chicken farmers are trying to stop the spread of bird flu CLOVER, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Poultry farmers across the Carolinas arent taking any chances. Many are turning to strict protocols as another wave of bird flu continues to threaten the chicken population across the country. Since 2022, it is estimated more than 90 million birds have either died from the virus or were killed to prevent further spread in the U.S. Nationwide health alert issued for ground beef over potential E. coli risk We try to make them the happiest as possible. We always say a happy chicken is a tasty chicken, Eden Farms owner Adam Shumate said. With their happiness in mid, Shumate also wants to keep his chickens alive and healthy. On his farm in Clover, he has implemented protocols to minimize a potential bird flu outbreak. We want to be prepared, he said. We feel like the things that we can do to prevent it first is the best case because we dont want to start from scratch with a whole new flock. Because bird flu is commonly spread through bird droppings, Shumate is limiting the number of people coming into contact with his flocks. He says this would minimize the chances of someone walking onto the property with bird droppings on the bottoms of their shoes. On top of monitoring the chickens closely, Shumate and his staff are constantly cleaning their equipment, including what they wear on their feet. We have specific shoes that are just for working with the flock and for when we are taking care of them, Shumate said. Other farmers, like Holly Burrell, havent let a visitor step foot near her hens in Gastonia for more than two years. No visitors or outside cars are welcomed, and her chickens are separated in what she calls tent cities. We dont want to do that because we want them to live their best life, Burrell said in a 2022 interview with Queen City News. Recently, health officials have detected bird flu in other animals like seals, squirrels and dolphins. Earlier this month, bird flu was detected in one of the states dairy cow herds. While concerning, state health officials say the overall risk to the general public remains low. Looked like a catastrophe: Rock Hill neighbors begin clean up from weekend storms Ive not heard of any cases, zero cases of people being affected by this virus associated with food consumption, milk consumption with egg consumption any of these products were getting from farm animals is not really been associated with any human risk at this point, said Dr. Michael Martin, director of the Veterinary Division at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. As of March 28, at least 80 birds in North Carolina were detected with the virus. Back in York County, Shumate says it all starts with the individual farms. When it comes to wildlife and things that that, there is only so much that you can do is be observant, Shumate said. Keep a healthy flock that way they can find off the infections that may come about. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. See one of the world's biggest aircraft 'graveyards' where planes go to die and airlines can dissect them for parts See one of the world's biggest aircraft 'graveyards' where planes go to die and airlines can dissect them for parts Pinal Air Park in Arizona is one of the largest aircraft storage facilities in the world. The multi-million business boomed during the pandemic as airlines worldwide grounded hundreds of jets. The airpark is also a hub for maintenance, as well as re-configuring jets when they get a new operator. As the aviation industry hopes to reduce its carbon footprint, companies are coming up with new strategies to alleviate CO2 emissions. Mateusz Atroszko/Getty in April, the Aviation Circularity Consortium, including Australian flag carrier Qantas and other groups, was created as a "joint mission to accelerate supply chain decarbonisation." A Qantas plane. James D. Morgan/Getty Images The plan is to use the 8,000 "end-of-life retired aircraft" that are sitting in deserts, jungles, and storage yards across the globe. Another 11,000 are expected to be available over the next 10 years. An aircraft at the Pinal Air Park in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Business Insider According to the consortium, the thousands of decommissioned aircraft offer "a new source of valuable circular materials" and address the "significant waste pollution challenges to the shrinking legal boneyards around the world." Christian Petersen/Getty These "graveyards" started filling up during the pandemic when airlines had to make drastic cost-cutting changes, including furloughing pilots, cutting routes, and indefinitely storing hundreds of planes in the desert. Sergio Perez/Reuters One of these facilities is Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona a small town located about 90 miles southeast of Phoenix. The dry clime is favorable for preventing corrosion. Christian Petersen/Getty As airlines started to shrink in 2020, hundreds of planes from all over the world flew to the 2,080-acre airpark. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Ramon Purcell/Boneyard Safari With the influx, Pinal had to take special precautions to ensure the aircraft was ready to fly once travel eventually rebounded. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider Because of this, Ascent Aviation Services the largest aircraft service provider on the airfield had to beef up its staff to maintain the constant arrivals. A maintenance hangar at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider Company CCO Scott Butler told Business Insider last year that starting in March 2020, planes were coming in at about one per hour requiring over 150 extra mechanics. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider Additional parking lots were built to handle the hundreds of planes, which continued to be filled into 2021 and 2022 with jets coming from places like the US, South Korea, UK, Australia, and Canada. An aircraft in reclamation Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider I went inside one of the US' largest aircraft storage facilities and saw how it isn't emptying out despite the rise in air travel Leasing companies were also filling the airfield after buying up inexpensive planes sold during COVID and storing them at Pinal. Lessors did not have much business in maintenance prior to the pandemic as they typically left that task to the operator. But, Butler explained the companies started being more hands-on with AAS because the jets had to get upkeep during storage. Taylor Rains/Insider Inside a remote Arizona aircraft boneyard storing nearly 300 planes grounded by the pandemic However, with travel now roaring back and demand on track to surpass 2019 levels, AAS has gotten back to its roots maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Before the pandemic, MRO services made up over 70% of the company's revenue. Thomas Pallini/Insider Basic offerings include simple maintenance checks and on-demand repairs, like fixing the landing gear or inspecting the flight controls. AAS has its own landing gear shop to repair and overhaul parts to reuse on other planes. Taylor Rains/Insider However, heavy maintenance is the most costly for airlines. This involves a full assessment of the aircraft and can take up to 60 days for widebody jets, Butler explained. For example, less invasive maintenance checks ("A") will inspect the engines and their fan blades. Heavy maintenance checks ("C" and "D") will actually remove those components for inspections. Taylor Rains/Insider "A narrowbody will cost around $2 million," he told BI in May 2023. "With widebodies, you're easily looking at $3 million." A view of the wires and systems inside an aircraft a Pinal Airpark. Thomas Pallini/Insider These projects take a lot of manpower. Butler said the company targets 400-500 hours per day for widebodies and 300 per day for narrowbodies. There could be anywhere from 25 to 40 people working on an aircraft at once. Thomas Pallini/Insider Because the checks are so expensive, many carriers opt to sell the aircraft when it gets to that stage in its lifecycle, which is typically every six to 10 years. A narrowbody jetliner at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider Source: National Aviation Academy Or, the operator will allow an aircraft lease to expire. This means if the lessor finds a new home for the plane, it will need to be fitted for its next contract. For example, Alaska recently announced it would break the lease of its last A321neos and expects to hand them off by the end of Q2 2023. If and when this happens, the new owner will need the re-paint and likely retrofit the cabin. Thomas Pallini/Insider For these conversions, AAS offers additional services, like re-painting liveries, switching out flight systems, and installing new cabins. An aircraft going through AAS' re-painting process at Pinal Airport in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider Sometimes, aircraft will transition from a passenger jet to a cargo plane a service the company saw increased popularity during the pandemic, especially with older jets. Amazon has tapped Hawaiian Airlines to fly A330-300P2F (pictured) converted jets for its lucrative air cargo business. EFW See the giant Airbus A330 freighter aircraft that will power a new lucrative cargo operation for Amazon For flight tests and deliveries, the operator will arrange pilots, who will land and depart on the designated runway stretching Pinal's airfield. The runway at Pinal Air Park. Ramon Purcell/Boneyard Safari Overall, Butler said AAS can do nearly anything an airline would need from an MRO standpoint. An employee working inside a conversion aircraft at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider The main service it can't provide is engine overhauls, which are outsourced to other shops. The engine detached from an aircraft at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider "A lot of our current projects are just waiting on engines," Butler told BI. "There's a backlog because no one did engine maintenance during COVID because of the expenses." A covered engine inside a hangar at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider He explained this is adding to the already strained supply chain that has caused a slowdown in returning aircraft to service. An aircraft being overhauled at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider While AAS does a lot of work keeping airplanes flying, it also offers aircraft reclamation and end-of-life services what the consortium wants to capitalize on. An aircraft in reclamation. Taylor Rains/Insider This involves disassembling and disposing of unwanted parts, which make up about 10% of the airplane. Ascent Aviation Services breaking down aircraft. Ascent Aviation Services According to Butler, the other 90% is recyclable. These include things like engines and galley carts... An aircraft in reclamation. Taylor Rains/Insider ...and avionics and landing gear. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider However, he said custom interiors do not have much value except to the original operator. The interior of an aircraft in reclamation. Thomas Pallini/Insider A plane can spend months being salvaged, with hundreds of collected parts being resold or repaired for future use. An aircraft in reclamation. Ascent Aviation Services The re-certified pieces can be sent back to airlines who keep them in their inventory as spare parts meaning retired jets can still provide for current ones. Two aircraft in reclamation with their landing gear already salvaged. Taylor Rains/Insider Inside a remote Arizona aircraft boneyard storing nearly 300 planes grounded by the pandemic Meanwhile, some carriers will take parts of the metal to create memorabilia, like cutting the logo or airline name from the fuselage and using it as wall art. An AAS spokesperson told Insider this was the logo of a company that an individual wanted as a keepsake. Taylor Rains/Insider In addition to the strong MRO and reclamation divisions, storage and parking is still a strong revenue source for AAS. Aircraft in storage. Taylor Rains/Insider "80% of all the stored aircraft worldwide are stored in the Southwest," Butler told BI in 2021. One of the 747SPs at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider During an April 2023 tour of the airpark, BI found the main lot full of planes, including two rare Boeing 747SPs. One of the Boeing 747SPs at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider Mechanics spend up to two weeks getting a plane ready for storage. Important components like the engines, pitot tubes, systems, and landing gear are sealed and protected. An aircraft with its external systems covered. Taylor Rains/Insider This is especially important to prevent critters and other wildlife from taking up residence in the airplane's openings and small crevices. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider Butler told BI the stored aircraft also get regular maintenance checks to keep them airworthy. A Boeing 777 undergoing maintenance. Taylor Rains/Insider Parked planes, on the other hand, do not get this service and can be left to collect dust giving Pinal its "boneyard" nickname. An old Boeing 747 that has been sitting at the airpark for years. Taylor Rains/Insider Read the original article on Business Insider Annie Leibovitz is selling her 65-acre Northern California coastal retreat for nearly $9 million a property so picturesque that another famous photographer, Ansel Adams, stopped there back in the 1930s to take pictures. Adams photographed a weathered barn at Leibovitzs farm in Bolinas, known as The Hideway, during his travels through the West, long before legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz purchased the same property, which sits where the Pacific Ocean meets Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. The residential compound and high-end equestrian facility takes in views of Bolinas Lagoon preserve, Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpais and the Pacific Ocean. The propertys history traces back to the time of the original settlers in Bolinas. The coastal community is about an hour north of San Francisco. This legacy property features the rare combination of history, rich agricultural opportunities, and an unrivaled equestrian paradise, the official property site states. ... The Hideaway has long captivated the world. One of the photos Adams took at the property was featured in a traveling Smithsonian exhibition. Before Leibovitz, 74, bought the property in 2019, it was owned by the late San Francisco financier Warren Hellman, founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. After Hellman purchased the farm, which dates back to the 1800s, he converted an unused building into a music studio and one barn into a music venue to host private concerts, according to Compass real estate firm. default Hellman died in 2011. The Hideaway was passed onto the propertys caretakers, who then sold it to Leibovitz. Ive spent many holidays with friends in Bolinas, Leibovitz said in a statement via email. When the children were born we would go together and they would surf and pick up shells and stones along the shore. And I would occasionally look for the place. For horseback riders, the property features a sprawling 100-by-200-foot, year-round riding arena that is perfect for training and a state-of-the-art seven-stall horse barn with offices. There are additional horse and livestock stalls and pastures on the land. There is plenty of opportunity for sustainable food production on the land, according to the property listing. Stone planting terraces with new drainage and irrigation have been recently added. Four residential structures have been added to the family compound, offering seven bedrooms. A 1920s, four-bedroom, light-filled home is highlighted by a classy kitchen. A guest cottage has soaring ceilings as well as a workshop. The residential compound is completed by a two-bedroom caretakers residence. The nearby expansive hay and dairy barns have been transformed into an ideal venue for special occasions and events with a performance stage, banquet hall and home to Hellmans famed recording studio, the property listing says. Leibovitz bought the property when it seemed her oldest daughter was going to go to college in the Bay Area, and was involved in farming and agriculture. Leibovitz had also dreamed of returning to California to live. We were told of this extraordinary property that from the top of the hill had views of the lagoon and bay and the coast that are magnificent, she said. It has its own special climate. Everything can grow year round. There were 65 acres with an old milking barn that Ansel Adams had photographed. It had been used as a gathering place for country and folk music concerts in its day. We planned to partner with a legendary farmer over the hill to bring the place back to its former self as a working and teaching farm. Things dont always go as planned, she added. Then all three of my girls decided to go to college in the Northeast. Leibovitz put spent $2 million on infrastructure upgrades, renovating the main residence and adding a new kitchen, according to the Wall Street Journal. The co-listing agents are Alexander Fromm Lurie and Nick Svenson of Compass. The Hideaway has an indelible place in history both for the San Francisco Bay Area as well as globally, Lurie said in an email. This special space has served as a launching pad of creative inspiration for renowned musical and visual artists of international repute. Leibovitz worked for Rolling Stone magazine for many years and then for Vanity Fair. She is known for her iconic portraits of celebrities, including the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and many more. Locals visit a bookshop where books in Chinese are available in Yangon, Myanmar, April 18, 2024. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) YANGON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese learners in Myanmar now have easy access to a wide variety of Chinese language learning materials at bookstores, making their learning journey more convenient, Zin Win Mar, owner of the Great Future Chinese Bookstore in Yangon, told Xinhua. "In the past, getting Chinese books wasn't easy, and we depended on books from embassy support or those provided by Chinese temples. But now, with the bookstores selling Chinese books around, it's a breeze," she said. Nan Thitsar, a customer of the Great Future Chinese Bookstore, shared, "I always come here whenever I need books, especially for curriculum materials." "My dream is to become a Chinese teacher, so I'm dedicated to learning the language. Thankfully, I can easily find all the Chinese books I need right here," she added. Hnin Hnin Phyu, general manager of Yangon Culture Book and Publishing, said, "I opened my bookstore in 2022 because there weren't many places selling Chinese books in Yangon. Plus, I enjoy reading and translating, and I wanted to make Chinese books more accessible for young people." Books in Chinese are displayed on the shelves of a bookshop in Yangon, Myanmar, April 18, 2024. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) Thae Wah Sein, 31, said, "I mostly buy Chinese books from the Yangon Culture Book and Publishing. Catering specifically to Chinese language learners, this bookstore offers a diverse array of Chinese literature, making it effortless to find desired titles." Lwin Myo Nyein, aged 20, said, "the discovery of this bookstore (Yangon Culture Book and Publishing) was a gateway to my aspiration of working in Singapore. This bookstore's wide range of materials made for Chinese learners is helpful for people studying the language." U Win Maung, owner of the New Great Wall in Mandalay, said the reason for increase in Chinese language learning is that proficiency in Chinese is highly rated in Myanmar and people who speak Chinese can earn more money than others. Companies offer more competitive wages to those who are fluent in Chinese, motivating more people to learn the language, he said. Lots of people started learning Chinese because they saw how fluency could lead to big benefits, he added. BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) U.S. Sen. Mark Warner visited Southwest Virginia on Monday to honor and celebrate the Crooked Roads 20th anniversary and the launch of the Appalachian Center for HOPE, a non-profit that provides help to those with substance use disorder. Sen. Warner visited Smyth County first to celebrate the launch of the Appalachian Center for HOPE, where he discussed the FEND Off Fentanyl Act legislation he cosponsored to target opioid traffickers. Then Warner made his way to Bristol, where he joined musicians and The Crooked Roads leaders to celebrate the initiatives 20th year in operation. The Crooked Road was designated as Virginias Heritage Music Trail by the Virginia Assembly in 2004, while Warner was governor of the Commonwealth. Emory & Henry expects new sports complex to be open by August The 333-mile-long driving trail connects 10 major venues and more than 50 affiliate venues that preserve Appalachian old-time and bluegrass music. So much of the kind of heritage of this region and, you know, this is Americas music, Warner said. It started right here. It started in Bristol and started in Southwest Virginia. I think its hit the marks, and then when people come visit, and then the amount of nightlife that exists in the community, I dont think weve had that without the Crooked Road. During the 20th anniversary celebration, Sen. Warner discussed the regions downtown revitalization and talked about his efforts at the federal level to spur economic development. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. The Senate successfully advanced a $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes assistance for both Israel and Ukraine, on Tuesday by passing a motion to invoke cloture and end debate on the measures early. The upper chamber cleared the procedural hurdle by a vote of 81 to 19 after the House passed the bills on Saturday, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., promised to move quickly to get the package across the finish line. NY HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT STEP DOWN OVER ANTI-ISRAEL CHAOS The Senate passed a motion to invoke cloture on the supplemental foreign aid package after both Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell urged passage of the bills. Included in the package of bills is aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as a measure requiring TikTok to divest from Chinese-owned ByteDance, and the REPO Act, which would allow $5 billion in Russian assets held in U.S. banks to be transferred to Ukraine. Schumer pleaded with fellow senators in remarks on the Senate floor ahead of the vote, telling them, "Let us not delay this. Let us not prolong this. Let us not keep our friends around the world waiting for a moment longer." SCHUMER LOOKS TO EXPEDITE $95 BILLION ISRAEL, UKRAINE AID PACKAGE THROUGH SENATE READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Schumer said he wanted to expedite passage of the bills. "Today, the Senate faces a test," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in his own floor remarks prior to the vote. "And we must not fail it." He further called passage of the supplemental foreign aid bills "overdue." President Biden first made his request for additional aid to U.S. allies in October 2023. BIDEN ADMIN NOTES 'URGENT' CONCERN OVER ISRAEL IN GAZA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT The Senate initially passed a foreign aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan in February, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., did not move quickly to bring the measure to the House floor for a vote. And when Johnson ultimately brought aid for a vote in the lower chamber, it was a different version, prompting the bills to be sent back to the Senate before they can head to Biden for a signature. The initial package had passed the Senate with overwhelming support, by a vote of 70 to 29. DEMOCRATS JOIN REPUBLICANS IN CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Additional Ukraine aid was first requested by Biden in October. The package faces some pushback from senators on both sides of the aisle. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, for example, is against the continued aid to Ukraine, citing the amount of aid already given to the country, as well as the potential of humanitarian aid getting into the hands of Hamas terrorists. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also has reservations over the package due to the continued aid to Israel. He has previously criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the high civilian death toll in Gaza. However, the opposition from these senators and others doesn't appear to be widespread enough to threaten the bills' passage. Original article source: Senate advances $95B Ukraine and Israel aid package, setting stage for expedited vote WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The Senate is teeing up a vote to pass billions in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. This vote comes after a drawn-out process in the House thats stalled aid for more than two months. Lawmakers supportive of Ukraine say the delay has cost Ukraine on the battlefield. Today its the Senates turn to act, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) The Senate is on the brink of passing a $95 billion foreign aid package to send money to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Send our friends abroad the aid they have long been waiting for, let us not delay this, said Schumer. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) say the funding is critical to protect U.S. allies. Todays action is overdue, said McConnell. A similar plan passed the Senate two months ago, but the House stalled for weeks, then broke it into four separate bills and finally passed them over the weekend requiring the Senate to vote again. On the floor, McConnell and Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley criticized House Republicans for stalling. Delay in providing Ukraine the weapons to defends itself has strained the prospects of defeating Russian aggression, said McConnell. Grassley said it helped Russian President Vladimir Putin. Has actually bolstered Putins belief that he can outlast the West, said Grassley. The new plan is likely to pass but is facing some pushback in the Senate. We need to have a serious debate on these issues, said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is protesting billions earmarked for Israels military. It is illegal to continue current military aid to Israel, let alone send another $9 billion with no strings attached, Sanders added. Part of this package includes a bill that would ban TikTok. Unlike previous plans the ban gives TikToks owner ByteDance an entire year to find a new buyer. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Senate Democrats say one thing but do another on foreign aid to Israel Some Senate Democrats are talking the talk but not walking the walk on foreign aid to Israel. The US Senate is debating a $95 billion foreign aid package after several months of infighting and delays by their House counterparts. The package would allocate $26.38 billion to fund Israeli defense systems something progressive Senator Bernie Sanders isnt too happy about. Mr Sanders announced this week he is introducing amendments to significantly cut the amount of aid Israel would receive, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government has created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Many of Mr Sanders Democratic colleagues have expressed similar concerns about civilian deaths and humanitarian aid but not enough to consider amendments or delay the multi-billion-dollar deal, they told The Independent just minutes before the US Senate voted to strike down the possibility of adding any amendments to the aid package. I think its beyond belief that, on an issue where the majority of the American people dont want to continue to support Netanyahus war machine slaughter of women and children in Gaza, that we couldnt even get an amendment to deal with that, Mr Sanders told The Independent. On 7 October 2023, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 200 hostages. In response, Israel launched an offensive on Gaza. Since then, Israeli attacks have killed more than 33,400 people, most of them women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The United Nations says the territory is on the brink of a man-made famine. Mr Sanders amendments would mandate that Israel not receive unfettered military aid for its war campaign in Gaza and would restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). As part of the spending bill passed last month, the United States halted funding for UNRWA the main provider of food, water and shelter to Palestinians until 2025. The current foreign aid package also prohibits funding for the agency. Several Democrats told The Independent their priority is to pass the aid package quickly. In February, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia criticised the Israeli government for its plan to begin a military campaign in Rafah. Theyre not visibly listening to us to the degree that we think somebody who was relying on us so much should, he told The Independent at the time. Yet Mr Kaine told The Independent on Tuesday that he expects the bill to pass through with bipartisan support and without amendments. Amendments would delay the bill and draw out negotiations even longer by sending it back to the House of Representatives. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, recently called on President Joe Biden to use all available leverage to demand a long-term ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. But on Tuesday, he told The Independent that amendments like Mr Sanders, which could serve as leverage to limit Israels offensive in Gaza, arent the priority passing the package as soon as possible is. Senator Chris Murphy, pictured, hopes to pass the foreign aid bills swiftly (Getty Images) Im not interested in sending this bill back to the House of Representatives, Mr Murphy told The Independent. So, theres going to be a lot of amendments on their merits that I would [otherwise] consider, but the priority is getting this bill done. Senator Chris van Hollen is in a similar boat. The Democrat from Maryland has previously said he supports a mutual ceasefire and has deep concerns about Mr Netanyahus government and Israels treatment of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza. But on Tuesday, Mr Van Hollen told The Independent he supports the package as is, since Israeli aid is tied up in legislative terms with aid to Ukraine. I said that I will support package because its essential to get military assistance to the people of Ukraine in their fight against Putin, he said. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, spoke on the floor just after Mr Sanders announced his now-moot amendments on Tuesday morning. The humanitarian crisis unleashed in Gaza is unspeakable, indefensible and we cannot be party to it, he said. He called for Israel to be held accountable to US law and international standards that dictate the protection of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid in wartime. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, pictured, has criticised Israels war in Gaza (Getty Images) Mr Durbin may be the first senator to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, but he is not the first senator to question Israels adherence to the law. Last month, former senator Patrick Leahy told The Independent that the number of civilians who are being injured or killed by US-paid armaments means Israel is in violation of a series of foreign aid laws named after him. Current Vermont Senator Peter Welch previously told The Independent he agrees. Three weeks ago, the Israeli Defense Forces killed seven aid workers with the humanitarian non-profit World Central Kitchen. The seven workers were travelling in a three-car convoy branded with the organisations logo when the IDF killed them in three separate airstrikes. Among those killed was 33-year-old Jacob Flickinger, a 33-year-old dual citizen of the US and Canada. It was later revealed the IDF injured an eighth worker on the same day in an airstrike on the al-Bashir Mosque in Deir al-Balah in Gaza. The IDF referred to the seven killings as a mistake. President Joe Biden afterwards called for a temporary ceasefire to facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The Senate initially passed the foreign aid package in February, with only Mr Sanders, Mr Welch and Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon voting against the bill. After that, it failed to make it through the House of Representatives. During the weekend, the House passed the foreign aid bill in four different packages. While all 210 Democrats present voted to pass Ukraine aid, 55 Democrats most of them progressives who have called for a ceasefire in Gaza voted against giving military aid to Israel. The bill is the culmination of months of morass, given Republican opposition to supporting to Ukraine, and concerns among left-wing Democrats about Israels military actions. Senate expected to pass bill that could ban TikTok WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The Senate is considering a ban on TikTok in the U.S. if the apps China-based owner, ByteDance, doesnt sell the app. Lawmakers Tuesday debated foreign aid legislation that includes a measure to force the sale of the app or have it banned. Senators on both sides of the aisle say they support the measure. This bill takes a first step to protect U.S. data, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said. Supporters of the measure say ByteDances ties to the Chinese Communist Party put millions of Americans personal data at risk and threaten national security. Currently the Chinese Communist Party is able to gain unlimited access to the account information of TikTok users if it so chooses, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said. The measure is part of a foreign aid package the House passed Saturday that gives $95 billion to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The House gave ByteDance more time to sell the app, extending the deadline from six months to one year, in a move expected to gain more support in the Senate. TikTok posted a statement on X, calling it unfortunate that the House is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill. Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey raised concerns a ban could hurt free speech. It could and likely will result in widespread censorship, Markey said. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine says he doesnt think TikTok will go away. He says he thinks ByteDance will choose to sell the app. Then what will happen is TikTok will be owned not by an entity connected to the Chinese Communist Party that wants to scoop up data on Americans. Itll probably be owned by an American company instead, Kaine said. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill into law. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law a $95 billion package to provide critical aid to Ukraine and enact a provision that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. "Its going to make America safer, its gonna make the world safer, and it continues Americas leadership in the world, and everyone knows gives vital support to Americas partners," Biden said Wednesday in remarks praising the package's passage. "And so they can defend themselves against threats to their sovereignty." The Senate passed the long-awaited foreign aid package Tuesday in a 79-18 vote. Fifteen Republicans and three Democrats voted against the legislation. The House passed the package on Saturday. Biden on Wednesday acknowledged the time it took for the bill to gain the bipartisan support it needed to pass. It was a difficult path, he said. It should have been easier and it should have gotten there sooner. But in the end, we did what America always does: We rose to the moment, came together and we got it done. Biden condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin while stressing the urgency of providing aid to Ukraine, saying that in the next few hours the U.S. will begin sending equipment to the country from its own stockpiles and then will replace those stockpiles with new American-made products that include patriot missiles and artillery shells. In other words, were helping Ukraine while at the same time investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our own national security, supporting jobs in nearly 40 states all across America, he said. America stands with our friends, we stand up against dictators, he added. We bow to no one, to no one. Certainly not Vladimir Putin. Biden reiterated his stance that Israel has a right to defend itself in its war against Hamas and that the foreign aid package he signed into law will allow the U.S. to help replenish Israels air defense and provide other critical aid in an effort to prevent attacks similar to the strikes carried out by Iran this month. The president noted that the foreign aid package also provides $1 billion of additional humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, which he said would allow the U.S. to send food, medical supplies and clean water to the region. Biden said border security should have been in the package and vowed to come back to that in another moment, another time. The president concluded his remarks without mentioning the package's crackdown on TikTok. The package includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would give his country a chance at victory against Russia. It also includes $26 billion in assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief in Gaza, in addition to $8 billion for security in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. And it will give TikToks China-based parent company nine months, which the president could extend to a year, to sell the popular social media platform or be banned in the U.S. That puts TikTok closer than ever before to a prohibition while ensuring that it wont be banned until after the 2024 election. TikTok has said it will fight the law in court once it is signed into law. Image: U.S. House Votes On Foreign Aid Package For Ukraine, Israel, And Taiwan (Nathan Howard / Getty Images) Finally, finally, finally. Tonight after more than six months of hard work, and many twists and turns in the road, America sends a message to the entire world: We will not turn our back on you, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor moments before the vote. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., heralded Tuesday as an important day for America after months of GOP infighting over whether to keep funding Ukraine. McConnell said weve turned the corner on the isolationist movement and attributed the delay to two men: former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson for his demonization of Ukraine and former President Donald Trump for his mixed views and earlier resistance to helping the country. In pressing for the legislation, Biden directed his team to follow a strategy of sticking to substance, not politics, to get Ukraine aid over the finish line, an administration official said. That included staying in close contact with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his staff and laying off targeted attacks against him as much as possible while broadly urging House Republicans to act. It also mean emphasizing the intelligence picture and the national security risks of inaction for America, the official said. Steve Ricchetti, a counselor to the president, said Biden's meeting with congressional leaders at the White House in February "really charted the course, and we left saying we have to get this done. Lets deepen the dialogue about what were going to do to get there. Ricchetti added of Biden's role in the negotiations, One of his superpowers is figuring out how to get these things done. Two months ago, the Senate voted 70-29 to pass a similar $95 billion foreign aid package but without the TikTok provision. Still, the Senate proved receptive to the TikTok ban bill, which the House revised. An earlier House-passed bill would have given the parent company six months to sell TikTok, less than the current one. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the chair of the Commerce Committee, endorsed the new bill, saying shes very happy with the extended window for TikTok to be sold. Cantwell noted that she recommended the change. "I support this updated legislation," she said. Advocates for banning the app in the U.S. express concerns about TikToks relationship to ByteDance, a company based in Beijing, saying Americans data could, under Chinese law, be accessed by Chinas government, a prospect that TikTok has downplayed, saying its headquarters are in Singapore and Los Angeles. They also claim China could manipulate the algorithm to advance propaganda. A TikTok spokesperson responded to the Houses vote over the weekend by saying, It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy annually. A source within TikTok shared an internal memo sent after the House passed the bill that said that once Biden signs it into law, it "will move to the courts for a legal challenge." Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, lobbied his colleagues to reject the package, saying 41 senators could join to filibuster it. The $95 billion bill doesnt have to pass. It takes only 41 senators stop it, Lee wrote on X. There are 49 Republicans in the Senatemore than enough. Where do your senators stand? In the end, he fell far short. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Senate passes bill to ban corporal punishment for Oklahoma students with disabilities Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, left, talks with senators Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, center, and Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City, right, on the Senate floor during special session on Oct. 3. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would ban schools from using corporal punishment on children with disabilities. House Bill 1028 passed by a vote of 31-11 and returns to the House for consideration. The adopted floor substitute defines corporal punishment as hitting, slapping, paddling or any other means of inflicting physical pain. The disabilities ranged from autism and deafness to orthopedic impairment and speech or language impairment. The debate on the floor was passionate. Senators cited Proverbs. One called the bill communist ideology. Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, said the measure removes a tool used by parents and schools to maintain discipline. The Legislature, in doing so, is saying we, Big Brother, the state of Oklahoma, knows what is best for your child. Jett cited Proverbs 13:24, saying whoever spares the rod hates their child, but he who loves them disciplines them. Jett also cited Proverbs 22:15, saying foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it from him. He called the bill a communist ideology and foolish. Foolishness is calling miscarriages abortions, Jett said. Foolishness is calling transgender sterilization affirmation. Foolishness is killing a baby in the mommys womb and calling it womens health. Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said discipline and punishment are very different. The infliction of pain has no place in the states educational system, she said. Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, said it is disturbing that the state allows teachers to hit students to keep them in line. Rosino said he has a grandson who is autistic. Children with disabilities dont intellectually understand why they are being hit, he said. They just know they are being hit, Rosino said. He questioned when hitting becomes abuse. This is not a tool, Rosino said. It is hitting. Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City, said she spent decades in education and never paddled a child. Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, is the Senate author. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Senate passes bill to ban corporal punishment for Oklahoma students with disabilities appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. The Senate is poised to pass a bill as part of a broader foreign aid package that could lead to a ban on the social media app TikTok. The Senate voted 80-19 to limit debate on the package, which includes a provision that would force TikToks China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban from U.S. devices and networks. The House-passed package also includes $95 billion in foreign aid divided between Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The TikTok provision faced opposition in the Senate from both sides of the aisle, but its inclusion in the overall package means it is likely to be sent to the presidents desk. A final vote could take place as early as Tuesday night. President Biden is expected to sign the foreign aid package if it passes the Senate. In March, he voiced support for the TikTok ban legislation when it was unveiled as the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The bill included in the package amended the length of time ByteDance has to sell TikTok from roughly six months, as it was written when the House initially passed it in March, to up to a year. That extension eased concerns from some critics, including Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). Cantwell and Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.), a vocal supporter of the bill, urged senators on the floor to support the bill Tuesday after the vote to end debate on the package. Supporters of the bill say it is necessary in order to mitigate national security risks the app poses due to its China-based parent company. Lawmakers have received classified briefings about the risks posed by TikTok. But Warner also made a plea to the public, especially young people, who make up a strong base of TikToks loyal supporters. Many Americans, particularly young Americans, are rightfully skeptical. At the end of the day, theyve not seen what Congress has seen. Theyve not been in the classified briefings that Congress has been in, he said. What they have seen, beyond even this bill, is Congresss failure to enact meaningful consumer protections and may cynically view this as a diversion, Warner added. To those young Americans, I want to say, we hear your concern, Warner added. The hope, he said, is that TikTok does continue but under new ownership not tied to a defined foreign adversary. Critics of the bill say it raises free speech concerns and does not address broader industry-wide issues regarding data privacy and the risks social media apps pose by seemingly targeting one company. The bill would also grant the president authority to designate other foreign adversary-controlled apps with ties to Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. TikTok has pushed back strongly on the legislation, arguing in repeated statements as it has advanced through Congress that it would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans and devastate 7 million businesses. Even if the bill is signed into law, it is likely to face court challenges that could drag out the timeline, as similar federal and state-level efforts have faced in the past. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Senate on Tuesday night passed a package to deliver $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan -- a bipartisan win months in the making. The package was approved 79-18. Thirty-one Republicans joined with 48 Democrats to pass the legislation. That's nine more Republicans than supported the aid package when the Senate last considered it in February. Two Democrats -- Sens. Jeff Merkley and Peter Welch -- as well as independent Sen. Bernie Sanders voted against the legislation along with 15 Republicans. MORE: House approves $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan The legislation, which includes four bills that passed in the House over the weekend with bipartisan support. The package provides roughly $26 billion for Israel, currently at war with Hamas in Gaza; as well as $61 billion for Ukraine and $8 billion for allies in the Indo-Pacific. A fourth bill would force a U.S. ban of TikTok if its Chinese parent company doesn't sell it; impose sanctions on Russia, China and Iran; and seize Russian assets to help Ukraine rebuild from the war's damage. The package now heads to President Joe Biden's desk where he said in a statement that he will sign it Wednesday. PHOTO: American and Ukrainian flags fly near the U.S. Capitol on April 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. The House is passed a $95 billion foreign aid package today for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) "[A] bipartisan majority in the Senate joined the House to answer history's call at this critical inflection point," Biden said in a statement. "Congress has passed my legislation to strengthen our national security and send a message to the world about the power of American leadership: we stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression." Biden reiterated that the ally countries seeking aid need the funds urgently. "The need is urgent: for Ukraine, facing unrelenting bombardment from Russia; for Israel, which just faced unprecedented attacks from Iran; for refugees and those impacted by conflicts and natural disasters around the world, including in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti; and for our partners seeking security and stability in the Indo-Pacific." Majority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated the bipartisan success of the passage of the foreign aid package Tuesday evening during a late-night press conference following the vote. "It's not every day you can say you made the world truly a better place but I think the Senate can say that tonight and I am very proud of what has happened," Schumer said. PHOTO: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to members of the media after impeachment proceedings against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas conclude on Capitol Hill on April 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) "America sends a message to the entire world we will not turn our back on you. We tell our allies we stand with you we tell our adversaries don't mess with us we tell the world we will do everything to defend democracy and our way of life. This national security bill is one of the most important measures Congress has passed in a very long time to protect Americas security and the security of western democracy," Schumer added. Schumer applauded his colleagues who worked in a bipartisan way to get the bill across the finish line. And he gave a special shout out to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "He knew the right thing to do and stuck with it," Schumer said. During a fulsome press conference after an earlier procedural vote on the package, McConnell said he believes his party is beginning to beat back the trends of isolationism he has fought against. He conceded that the isolationist streak in his party is not gone, but he said he believes progress has been made. "If you're looking for a trend I think it's a trend in the direction that I would like to see us go, which is America steps up to its leadership role in the world and does what it needs to do," McConnell said. PHOTO: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praises support for Ukraine as the Senate is on track to pass $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2024. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) He counted the groundswell of GOP support a win. "I think we've turned the corner on this argument," he said, adding, "I think we've turned the corner on the isolationist movement. I've noticed how uncomfortable proponents of that are when you call them isolationists. I think we've made some progress and I think it's going to have to continue." What's next? Aid will be provided to some ally countries within days, Biden said. In anticipation of the bill passing, the Biden administration had worked up a roughly $1 billion military assistance package for Ukraine with the first shipment arriving within days of approval, a U.S. official told ABC News on Tuesday. The package will include desperately needed artillery rounds, air defense ammunition and armored vehicles, according to the official. The weapons and equipment will be drawn from existing U.S. stockpiles under presidential drawdown authority (PDA). PHOTO: The damage to a residential building by a nighttime Russian drone attack is shown in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on April 23, 2024. (Nina Liashonok/Ukrinform via ABACAPRESS.COM via Newscom) Ukraine can't win its fight against Russia without the funding, America's top general in Europe said earlier this month. "They are now being out shot by the Russian side five to one. So Russians fire five times as many artillery shells at the Ukrainians then the Ukrainians are able to fire back," U.S. European Command's Gen. Christopher Cavoli told the House Armed Services Committee. "That will immediately go to 10 to one in a matter of weeks. We're not talking about months." The outcome of the war could hang in the balance, according to Cavoli. "The severity of this moment cannot be overstated. If we do not continue to support Ukraine, Ukraine could lose," he said. It has been more than a year since Congress approved new aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders. The war has intensified in recent weeks, as more Russian strikes break through with Ukraine's air defenses running low. Biden first requested more assistance for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific last fall. The Senate passed a $95 billion bill in February, but the legislation faced a logjam in the House as a coalition of Republican hard-liners grew opposed to sending more resources overseas without addressing domestic issues like immigration. Speaker Mike Johnson's position on Ukraine aid evolved from also requiring changes to border and immigration policy to working with Democrats to pass the latest bills. MORE: For second time in a week, Russian strike in Ukraine kills and wounds dozens of civilians GOP leaders like Johnson echoed those concerns and had pushed for major changes to immigration policy, though a sweeping deal in the Senate to tie foreign aid to such changes was opposed by former President Donald Trump and rejected by conservatives as insufficient. Then, pressure increased on lawmakers to pass aid to overseas allies after Iran's unprecedented attacks on Israel earlier this month, in retaliation for a strike on an Iranian consular complex in Syria, and as Russian forces continue to make offensive gains. MORE: House Democrats help Johnson avoid defeat on foreign aid bills, despite GOP defections Speaker Johnson, once opposed to more aid for Ukraine, said last week he was "willing" to stake his job on the issue as an ouster threat looms from fellow Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie and Paul Gosar. Johnson earned bipartisan praise for the reversal. "He tried to do what the, you know, say the Freedom Caucus wanted him to do. It wasn't going to work in the Senate or the White House," Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "At the end of the day, we were running out of time. Ukraine's getting ready to fall." Johnson, McCaul said, "went through a transformation" on the issue. After the procedural votes' passing, Schumer even praised Johnson. "I thank Speaker Johnson, who rose to the occasion, in his own words, said he had to do the right thing despite the enormous political pressure on him" Schumer said. Senate passes $95B foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan: What's next? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com NANJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Song Tao, a senior Taiwan affairs official of the Chinese mainland, met with a delegation of Taiwan business people led by Liu Chao-shiuan, co-president of the Cross-Strait CEO Summit, on Monday in Changzhou city of east China's Jiangsu Province. The Chinese mainland will firmly oppose "Taiwan independence" and promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations on the basis of upholding the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, said Song, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. Always taking into account the wellbeing of Taiwan compatriots, the mainland will share with people of Taiwan the development opportunities brought by Chinese modernization and make efforts to meet their needs and help them address difficulties, he said. Song expressed the hope that the Cross-Strait CEO Summit could pool the strength of business people across the Taiwan Strait and serve as a bridge for cross-Strait industrial cooperation, he said. Noting that people on both sides of the Strait are members of the Chinese nation and one family, Liu pledged that the Taiwan side of the summit will try its best to boost integrated development of industrial and supply chains across the Strait, promote cross-Strait economic cooperation and work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. Liu met with Guo Jinlong, president of the mainland side of the summit, in Nanjing Sunday. The two sides agreed on the theme of the 2024 summit and reached consensus on several key issues. The Senate on Tuesday is at last set to advance legislation providing aid to Ukraine, moving Congress toward the end of a months-long battle that raised questions about the survival of Mike Johnsons (R-La.) Speakership and Kyivs defenses. Senators will hold the first procedural vote on the $95 billion aid package Tuesday afternoon, starting a 30-hour clock toward a vote on final passage. That would take place Wednesday night absent a deal on amendments, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) increasingly likely to let the clock wind down instead. The prevailing thought now is that Schumer will make them grind out the clock, one Senate Republican told The Hill. The lawmaker noted Schumer is hesitant to grant a vote to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) related to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza. Sanders over the weekend said he is pushing for a pair of amendments one that would put conditions on military aid for Israel and another to restore funding for the United Nationss agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, for its work in Gaza. If a deal is struck, any amendment vote is widely expected to fail as alterations to the package would force the House, which is in recess this week, to vote on it again. While the timing of a final vote is unknown, the result is not. The Houses aid bill is expected to win almost every Senate Democrat and about half of the Republican conference, passing with ease after a tortuous process that got lawmakers to this point. Proponents and backers of Kyiv, including Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), have been pounding the tables since late last summer urging for another round of funding for the war-torn country, but had been thwarted by conservative opposition for much of the process. That led members down a winding road that included a three-month border negotiation detour, with conservatives killing the bipartisan bill as soon as it was released. But faced with the situation on the ground in Ukraine, where its military is being forced to ration bullets and quickly running out of munitions against Russia, and in Gaza, where Israel continues its war with Hamas, Johnson ultimately figured out his own pathway. I think hes informed and educated himself well on the subjects and concluded that the right place to land is where he has, and I give him credit for doing that, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said. Its hard, and it takes a lot of courage these days in the House, when your political base over there is in a different place. The package includes four bills, featuring aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with a fourth proposal including a potential ban on TikTok and the REPO Act, which would greenlight the sale of Russian assets that have been seized. This is despite an ongoing mutiny by conservatives who are furious that Johnson has moved off his position that any bill must also deal with the U.S. border and has relied on Democratic votes in recent key negotiations, including for the Ukraine bill and to fund the government. [The conservative base] is absolutely done with Republican leadership like Mike Johnson, whos totally sold us out to the Democrats, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) railed Monday, adding that the Speaker has betrayed everyone and that he must be held accountable via a motion-to-vacate push. Greenes attempt to oust Johnson has only three known supporters at this point and is facing a major uphill climb as Democrats seem poised to back him to maintain the gavel. One of the lone questions surrounding the Senate vote this week is whether Republicans will be able to win the majority of the conference this go-around. The supplemental vote in February saw only 22 Republicans vote for the bill, with 29 members opposed only days after the border bill was nixed. The intraparty battle was on display Sunday as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) laid into Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) during a Sunday show appearance over what he said were garbage assertions that Ukraine does not have the manpower to deal with Russian forces. That is garbage, Graham told Fox News Sunday. I just got back from being there two weeks ago. They changed their conscription laws. They have all the manpower they need. They need the weapons. I challenge JD Vance to go to Ukraine and get a briefing from the Ukrainian military and talk to the Ukrainian people, and then tell me what you think. Were going back, youre welcome to come, he continued. Quit talking about things you dont know anything about until you go. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lauded the actions of Congress during an interview with Meet The Press, saying the move ensures Ukraine has a chance for victory and will not be the second Afghanistan. Just a week before, Zelensky noted that Ukrainian forces were unable to stop a Russian attack on the Kyiv regions biggest power plant because they did not have enough missiles. We need to get it approved by the Senate, Zelensky said. And then we want to get things as fast as possible so that we get some tangible assistance for the soldiers on the front as soon as possible not in another six months so that they will be able to move ahead. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. With negotiations between senior care organizations and managed care entities stalled, Indianapolis Democrat Rep. Greg Porter worries the state won't meet its projected July 1st launch date. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Negotiations between a group representing senior care organizations and the insurers tasked with overseeing the states summer transition of long-term care services collapsed earlier this month after the two sides couldnt come to an agreement but the impact is still unclear for older Hoosiers. The state insists its on track to launch its Medicaid managed care program for Hoosiers over the age of 60 by July 1, but others arent so certain following the end of talks between the two parties. Im deeply concerned that this program is not ready for implementation as we get closer to the July 1st start date, Rep. Greg Porter said in a recent release, calling for more state action to support senior care organizations. The Community Care Hub of Indiana was a partnership between the states sixteen Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), the decades-old local organizations tasked with easing Hoosier burdens as they age by connecting them with resources such as home health aides or transportation. As one entity, Community Care Hub conferred with the three Managed Care Entities (MCEs) contracted by the state to launch Indianas PathWays for Aging, a managed care Medicaid program that will impact every senior Hoosier who depends on Medicaid for services. But according to Tauhric Brown, Community Care Hub and the MCEs couldnt come to a consensus after technology woes and state intervention on a rate recommendation. The rate is so low that were just not able to make that make sense, Brown said. I do not believe that any of the AAAs will be able to enter into a contract with the MCEs at that. I just have very little confidence zero confidence at this point that its moving forward. Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis Brown is one of Community Care Hubs leaders and the CEO of central Indianas CICOA Aging & IN-Home Solutions, the latter of which covers just over one-quarter of the states population. The Family and Social Services Administration, or FSSA, previously said it recommended the rate of $112 a 41% cut from the $189.54 rate AAAs get now for different but overlapping duties to facilitate swift negotiations with the three behemoth insurers selected as managed care entities. But the senior care organizations insist they cant make the rate work and warned it would jeopardize their futures saying it would hurt the seniors with whom theyve cultivated relationships for years. if AAAs are not involved, that linkage, that continuity between a member and a case manager that has existed in many instances for decades is broken. And the person that gets hurt in that scenario is the member, Brown said. How did we get here? Most of Indianas Medicaid programs are considered to be managed care, meaning the state pays a predictable, flat rate for an outside entity to coordinate care and services with one major exception: long-term supports and services for aged or disabled Hoosiers. Currently this program is fee for service, meaning the state gets charged piecemeal for every service a senior Hoosier might need. AAAs are designed to be the first call for a senior Hoosier looking for some extra assistance, whether its getting meals, socializing or finding a home health aide. The senior care organizations primarily provide case management for Hoosiers on the Aged & Disabled Waiver, but the managed care companies are using AAAs for service coordination, creating a personalized plan to coordinate home- and community-based services. The duties are similar but different enough for FSSA to suggest the $112 rate, rather than the $189.54 it offers for case management. That lower rate jumps up to $128 if performance measures are met. Transitioning to managed care has been a nationwide shift to make health care costs more predictable. Indiana chose to rely on insurers Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana Health Horizons in Indiana and United Healthcare Community Plan as the overseeing entities across several contracts worth $15 billion. FSSA said the Aged and Disabled waiver Care Management rate assumed a caseload of one care manager to 44 clients while the PathWays Service Coordination under managed care had a ratio of one manager to 65 clients. Brown said CICOA currently had a ratio of one manager to 65 clients. But the rate was just one motivation for pulling out, Brown said, in addition to the technological challenge of creating a statewide portal for all AAAs and MCEs. It was Browns understanding that one MCE wouldnt transition and thus it failed a state readiness review, meaning that theres no way to easily transfer a case between AAAs. Instead, each AAA will have its own access point to three different MCEs if they even choose to contract with one another. With (16) different organizations doing the same process, theres going to be variance. And so if you have a tool that allows you to minimize that variance and have a very coordinated approach, thats a home run, Brown said. Without the tool being prevalent you cant be successful from the AAA side because theres nothing monitoring and ensuring that referrals are received (and acted on). FSSA didnt confirm why the tool, called Implify, failed its readiness review. Last week during a stakeholder call the state acknowledged that MCEs each had their own portals but said they were working with the MCEs to develop a better unified process. Recent public comments from FSSA In a Thursday call with over 1,500 stakeholders, FSSA emphasized that all benefits will remain the same for participating Hoosiers. There will not be any decrease of benefits in the transition of going to PathWays. If anything, youll get added benefits said Kimberly Bremer, the states director for Hoosier Care Connect and PathWays. Dually eligible Hoosiers, or those on both Medicare and Medicaid, would potentially benefit from having one managed care entity overseeing all of their services, for example. The transition and impact on AAAs has attracted bipartisan criticism from sitting lawmakers, most recently from Porter. In an April 17 release, Porter praised AAAs and called on FSSA to allocate more funding for the senior care organizations. Indiana Medicaid Director Cora Steinmetz at a State Budget Committee meeting on April 19, 2024. (Screenshot from livestream) Rarely is the shift from localized to one-size-fits-all care good for the everyday person. I have great concerns that this will prove the same here, Porter said. Our states 16 AAAs would be paid less to work more while big insurance companies come in and make a profit. Two days later, Porter questioned Indiana Medicaid Director Cora Steinmetz about AAAs, managed care and attendant care during a State Budget Committee. Ive had conversations with AAAs and there are no details I know were working on it, were progressing on it. But July 1st is going to be here quicker than we anticipate and Im just highly alarmed by what is going to happen, Porter said. Steinmetz responded to Porters questioning, which included several concerns about attendant care, by pointing to FSSA resources online and directing families to their care managers. As for managed care, she said plan selection is currently underway and encouraged senior Hoosiers to call their enrollment brokers. The state is working really closely with our managed care partners to determine what level of interest that the AAAs and independent care management companies will have in the service coordination to ensure that we have really strong programmatic protections in place for our members on July 1 and beyond, Steinmetz said in a response to another AAA question. Porter concluded after questioning that he felt like the vendors dont know what they need to know. I just have very little confidence zero confidence at this point that its moving forward. Whats next? Both Brown and FSSA noted that MCEs can contract directly with individual AAAs for service coordination. The state noted MCEs could also contract with the senior care organizations to provide something other than service coordination. (The Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning) is working closely with the MCEs to ensure they are prepared for care and service coordination. MCEs are actively in discussions with interested AAAs and care management entities. FSSA will continue to monitor all contractual requirements leading up to go-live, FSSA said in a statement. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US FSSA wouldnt confirm the states timeline for the insurers to secure service coordinators, nor would it comment on the process should one-on-one contracts fail as well. MCEs are required by FSSA to contract with AAAs for 50% of their service coordination. Brown said he believed the MCEs would be required to apply for a state waiver on that requirement if they dont reach 50% but FSSA wouldnt confirm. For CICOA, Brown said the central Indiana AAA would still operate the same for any clients under the age of 60, the cutoff age for PathWays, as well as the CHOICE program, which provides some services to those who arent qualified for the Medicaid waiver. If we decide not to enter into that space, it is going to be a hit financially for us. But the business and need the mission will still have to continue because of all the lives, all the older adults that depend on organizations like ours, Brown said. Im a little more optimistic than some of my peers we have to pivot and we have to think about our businesses differently. And understand that this is survival mode. None of us like it, but it is what it is. The post Senior care organization group pulls out of managed care, leaving future uncertain appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. FILE - Lightning strikes in the distance as a thunderstorm passes over downtown Kansas City, Mo., July 30, 2023. 15 million people in the Midwest and Plains regions will see extreme weather this week, including tornados. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File) | Charlie Riedel As we get further into tornado season for much of the U.S., a new storm system is set to hit the Midwest and Plains, bringing tornados, hail and damaging winds. According to FOX Weather, the Plains will see the initial storms beginning Thursday, with Fridays threat situated further north and east, over the eastern Plains and Midwest. On Thursday, much of the threat centers on and around Wichita, Kansas, Wichita Falls, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The threat expands its reach on Friday, hitting more of the central U.S. Parts of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas will see the most severe weather. Other areas will likely see thunderstorms and rain. Severe thunderstorm and tornado watch alerts will be sent out to residents in impacted areas, who are advised to take the necessary safety precautions and stay alert. A more active storm season Moving into May, tornados and associated storms are likely to increase in frequency as it will be one of the most active months in tornado season. According to Yahoo News, half of all tornados that occur in the U.S. happen between April and June. 2024 has seen 10% more tornado reports than the average year, with 341 thus far, FOX Weather reported. AccuWeather Long-range Expert Joe Lundberg told Yahoo News, Its a volatile time of the year, and thats going to continue right into May. May, being the most active month for tornados, typically sees 275 to 300 tornados. AccuWeather predicted, back in March, that May would see a higher-than-average tornado count. Looking ahead to the end of the week and the start of next week, a big storm system moving in from the Pacific will emerge over the Plains about April 26-29 which could spark the next big severe weather outbreak, Yahoo News reported. Sex and the City handbag designer jailed for smuggling reptile skins into US Nancy Gonzalez has been sentenced for 18 months to a prison in Miami - TALAYA CENTENO/WWD/PENSKE MEDIA VIA GETTY IMAGES A high-end handbag designer whose products have been seen on Victoria Beckham and Britney Spears has been jailed for smuggling reptile skins into the US. Nancy Gonzalez, whose creations have been worn in productions including Sex and The City and The Devil Wears Prada, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in Miami on Monday. Gonzalez, a 71-year-old Colombian national, broke an international treaty by illegally importing bags made from caimans and pythons. While the trade in both reptiles is not banned, it is strictly regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). Both Colombia and the US are signatories to the multinational treaty. Nancy Gonzalez was arrested in Cali, Colombia in 2022 and extradited to the US from El Dorado airport in Bogota, Aug 2023 Rather than securing the requisite import permits, US officials said the designer enlisted friends, staff and relatives to transport hundreds of luxury handbags on passenger flights into the country. They were then delivered to the showrooms of Gonzalezs company, Gzuniga, in New York, where high-end retailers could purchase them for resale in their stores. Gonzalez was arrested in Cali, Colombia in 2022 and extradited to the US to face the charges last August. She pleaded guilty in November to illegally importing handbags made from caiman and python skins between February 2016 and April 2019. The purses, clutches and wallets by Gonzalez typically sell for thousands of dollars apiece. Her celebrity clientele included Salma Hayek, Spears and Beckham. None of the famous faces who have sported her designs are reported to have bought the smuggled handbags. Purses, clutches and wallets by Gonzalez typically sell for thousands of dollars apiece - MIAMI HERALD Nancy Gonzalez's designs have featured in Sex and the City, and The Devil Wears Prada - BOBBY BANK/WIREIMAGE Some of her designs were also included in an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2008. According to Womens Wear Daily, the bags were at one time also sold in luxury stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Harrods. Gonzalez told the court in Miami court on Monday: Under pressure I made poor decisions. From the bottom of my heart, I apologise to the United States of America, she said. I never intended to offend a country to which I owe immense gratitude. Her sentence will be reduced as she has already served 14 months in prison following her arrest. Edward Grace of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said: This investigation uncovered a multi-year scheme that involved paid couriers smuggling undeclared handbags made of Cites-protected reptile skins into the US to be sold for thousands of dollars. The Service will continue to seek justice for protected species exploited for profit, and we will hold accountable those who seek to circumvent international controls meant to regulate their sustainable trade. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) No students in grades K-5 will see any content related to sexual activity when it comes to family life curriculum in Tennessee. Monday afternoon, the Tennessee Senate gave the final legislative OK to a measure designed to keep age-inappropriate materials from family life curriculum classes in elementary schools. The text of the bill approved in the Senate says instruction in topics related to sexual activity are not age-appropriate for students in any of the grades K-5 and must not be taught to students in any of the grades K-5 as part of a family life curriculum. Meet Baby Olivia bill heads to governors desk This does not apply to information related to the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of child sexual abuse and human trafficking involving children, but in all other instances, no information related to sexual activity will be taught to students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. On the Senate floor Monday, April 22, Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) raised concerns that the measure may prohibit girls who get their first periods earlier than sixth grade from learning about their bodies, saying sexual activity could be interpreted to mean a girls body reaching sexual maturity as evidenced by menstruation. Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) sought to clarify if the bill meant students in grades K-5 would not be forced to watch the Baby Olivia video, as required by other legislation brought by state Republicans. Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom Both questions were not expressly answered by the sponsor of the legislation, Sen. Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro), however, as the senator chose only to reread the legislative summary of the bill. The House passed the measure nearly unanimously, with only Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) opposed. The Senate vote fell similarly, with only Sens. Campbell and Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) opposed. Now that it has passed both chambers of the legislature, the bill moves to Gov. Bill Lees desk for his signature. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. A registered sex offender was arrested after he was found with a naked 15-year-old girl in a vacant house, Oklahoma police said. Adrian Dale, 24, had met the 15-year-old at a McDonalds about one month before his arrest, according to an arrest affidavit filed April 12 in Oklahoma County District Court. The two exchanged Snapchat usernames and had been dating since, according to Midwest City police. Dale initially told the teen he was 17, police said. When the teen learned of his true age, she told him she didnt want to be with him anymore, according to court records. Dale later convinced the girl, who he knew was 15, to go with him to an empty home, according to police. The girl told authorities Dale had begged her and told her he loved her. On the night of April 11, the teens mother reported her missing to police, according to court documents. Her dad and his friend started to search vacant homes in the area hoping to find the teen. Around 5 a.m. April 12, the friend found the two in a vacant home, police said. Dale was getting dressed while the teen was naked in the bed, according to court documents. Dale ran off and was arrested nearby, police said. Dale had an outstanding arrest warrant in connection with failing to comply with Oklahomas Sex Offender Registration Act, according to court documents. The 24-year-old was charged with rape in the second degree, records show. He is being held at Oklahoma County Jail on a $1 million bond, according to court documents. Dale was previously convicted on a first-degree rape charge after authorities said he raped a 13-year-old girl. He served a three year sentence and is on a 17 year probation, according to police. Midwest City is about an 10-mile drive southeast of Oklahoma City. High school senior killed after prom, Arkansas cops say. 19-year-old alumnus charged 15-year-old vanished jumping out of canoe to get oar. Body now found, Minnesota cops say 4-year-old accidentally shoots self while sitting in bed next to mom, Missouri cops say SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced a new initiative to prohibit some Tenderloin corner stores from operating in overnight hours in the latest move to crack down on open-air drug markets. Mayor Breed will introduce legislation to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to prohibit some retail stores that sell prepackaged food or tobacco from operating between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. in part of the Tenderloin. According to a statement from the mayors office, stakeholders in the neighborhood and community members have worked with Mayor Breed to develop the legislation. Resident feedback cited by the mayors office indicates community members see the overnight shops as a contributing factor to the drug markets, rather than to the vibrancy of the neighborhood. San Jose fire captain arrested in child sex sting operation The legislation was introduced as part of the mayors Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMACC) efforts. The multi-agency effort to disrupt open-air drug markets is led by law enforcement. According to the mayors office, the initiative targets open-air drug sales, public drug use, and illegal fencing that fuels illegal drug markets. Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night, said Mayor London Breed. We are working with and listening to the community as we continue our efforts to make the Tenderloin safer for everyone. This is an idea for the community, from the community. The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies. We are coordinating these efforts across agencies and with community so that we can make deep and lasting changes in this neighborhood. Roasted and Raw in Oakland broken into for 4th time in 3 years The Tenderloin, which is the epicenter of San Franciscos open-air drug markets, is also home to many low-income and immigrant families. Neighborhood shops, according to the mayors statement are important for residents who primarily do their shopping during the morning, day, or early evening hours. However, with late night drug markets often drawing large crowds, prohibiting these businesses from operating only between midnight and 5 a.m. strikes a balance between supporting the shops and the community while causing minimal financial impact, the mayors office said. The proposed legislation would prohibit stores that sell prepackaged food or tobacco from opening between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. between OFarrell and McAllister streets and from Polk to Jones streets. Other businesses, including restaurants, bars and event halls, would not be impacted. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Israels war in Gaza has roiled college campuses across America, as students have set up encampments and rallied against Israels military campaign in Gaza, sparking free speech debates and creating sharp divisions with members of government, alumni, donors, other students, and some faculty amid accusations of antisemitism. Emerging as one of the most prominent and controversial figureheads of the opposition to pro-Palestinian protesters is Columbia Business School assistant professor Shai Davidai, who is Jewish and Israeli American and has recently found himself barred from parts of Columbias New York campus amid the latest flareup in tensions. Davidai, who joined Columbia Business School in 2019, went viral in October for a speech criticizing the president of Columbia University for not speaking out against pro-terror student organizations in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Hes become the focus of attention again this week, particularly since he wrote in a post on X that Columbia refused to let me onto campus on Monday morning because they cannot protect my safety as a Jewish professor. In a video circulating on social media of Davidai, he was told by school officials that his ID had been deactivated. As Davidai demanded to enter, a crowd around him chanted let him in. Davidai had planned to stage a sit-in on the lawn where the pro-Palestinian encampment is located. Ahead of his appearance on campus on Monday morning, Davidai posted an email exchange of his negotiation with university chief operating officer Cas Holloway. Holloway told Davidai that he could hold his counterprotest on the Math Lawn, where public safety officers would be present. In response, Davidai wrote that he was exercising my right as a Jewish professor to stand in a public space on campus. In another email cited by outlets including the National Review, Holloway told Davidai around 8:34 a.m. on Monday that he was not permitted to enter the West Lawn due to safety risks, and would instead be required to hold his event on the Math Lawn, which was established as a counterprotest area according to the schools standard operating procedure. As a faculty member, you have a fiduciary duty to do everything in your power to help keep our students and campus safe, Holloway wrote. Davidai rallies his supporters as he is denied access to the Columbia University campus grounds for a planned oppositional sit-in among pro-Palestinian protesters on April 22, 2024. David Dee DelgadoGetty Images While Davidai was still barred from the gates, he urged those who had Columbia University IDs to enter the encampment. Meanwhile, neon-vested peoplemostly faculty members who were trained in de-escalation techniqueswere stationed around the encampment, and protesters lined up to block the entrance in anticipation of Davidai and his supporters, the student newspaper Columbia Daily Spectator reported. When asked about the recent incident, Davidai referred TIME to his comments on his social media accounts. Davidai, who describes himself as Zionist in his bio on X and has said he was proud to serve in the IDF, has been a vocal critic of the schools management of simmering tensions between pro-Palestinian protesters and those on the other side, including himself, who have been accusing the protesters of antisemitism. Hes also been the subject of much criticism for what some say is behavior that only riles up the tensions. Shai acts like a 12 year old in need of attention, desperately staging viral videos and demanding retweets at the direct expense of the community for which hes got a caretaking responsibility, Lee Kovarsky, a law professor at the University of Texas, said in a thread on X criticizing Davidai that has been seen more than 3 million times since it was posted on Monday, according to X. Some allege that Davidai has crossed boundaries and endangered student safety. Several students told the Columbia Daily Spectator that they had received threats after being targeted by Davidai on social media. Davidai told the newspaper that he was being investigated by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, and he wrote on X in March that the internal investigation was a clear act of retaliation and an attempt to silence him for his advocacy. A petition started in March by advocacy group We Are Tov calling for the university to support Davidai and drop its investigation has garnered over 32,000 signatures, while a counter petition started earlier this month by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, calling on the university to fire Davidai, has garnered over 11,000 signatures. Davidais run-in with Columbia authorities on Monday triggered responses from politicians, including Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who, in support of Davidai, likened the episode to tactics of the Nazis. Weve seen this before. When Jews were told not to go places, when people stood together barring them into buildings, Moskowitz told reporters on Monday. The tensions at Columbia show no sign of easing. The school is facing lawsuits filed by students on both sides, as well as a U.S. House probe about antisemitism on campus. Over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested by New York police last week, while a rabbi linked to the school has urged Jewish students to stay home for their safety. School authorities announced on Monday that all classes on its main Morningside campus will take a hybrid format until the end of the semester. Contact us at letters@time.com. 'Shame on us!' Akron school board member Barbara Sykes speaks out on police shooting of teen Akron Public Schools Board member Barbara Sykes gave an impassioned speech Monday night about the recent police shooting of a 15-year-old boy who had a fake gun, saying "shame on us" for expecting kids to trust the adults in this community. "Shame on us that we would sit here and act as if nothing has happened in this community!" Sykes said during her allowed three minutes of community and school reflections from board members during a regular meeting. APS board member Barbara Sykes speaks during an Akron Public Schools board meeting, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Akron, Ohio. "How can our children trust us when we say we care about them, we want them to learn, we want them to grow up and to become successful," Sykes said, "but yet we find ourselves here with a child being shot and charged with carrying a fake gun, and the person that shot him carried a real gun, pointed it at someone and was put back on active duty... Shame on us and all the elected officials who say they support our children and they want our children to succeed!" "Shame on us!" she reiterated while standing and holding her microphone. Other board members did not respond to her comments. Sykes' comments reflected ongoing condemnation over the April 1 shooting that injured the teen, who has now also been charged with a one count of facsimile firearms, a first-degree misdemeanor charge. The Akron NAACP has also spoken out against the shooting. Akron officer Ryan Westlake, who is under scrutiny for the shooting, was accused in two violent, drunken incidents involving his girlfriend that nearly cost him his job in 2021. The police union has spoken in support of Westlake, saying in a statement last week, "We are confident when all the facts are released, our officer's actions will be deemed justified." The teen, Tavion Koonce-Williams, was shot in the hand. Sykes noted the school board had passed a resolution earlier this year supporting the mayor's office in its search for a new police chief. "And we passed that resolution with the comments that we want them to recognize our students are children," Sykes said. "And that even though they may look like grown up, that they are still mentally just still developing." Westlake is still on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the April 1 incident, which was recorded on his body-worn camera. Westlake was responding to a non-emergency call about a male pointing a gun at homes in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood. Westlake pulled up alongside Tavion on Brittain Road, asked the teen to show his hands and then, within seconds, fired a single shot that struck the teen's hand. Sykes quoted from the video, where the boy said repeatedly after being shot that the gun was fake, he was near his grandmother's house and that he had just come from his cousin's funeral. "It was so difficult to watch knowing that a 15-year-old young person was telling the police officer, 'I'm dealing with a death,' probably the first, closest person to die in his life at 15," Sykes said. Sykes is a former City Council member and state legislator. She has been on the school board since January and pushed the board to adopt a resolution supporting the mayor's office in the police chief search and calling for "more than status-quo leadership." Mayor Shammas Malik's office last week announced a finalist in the search, Deputy Chief Brian Harding. The city is holding public forums for the community to meet Harding. The next one will be held at Tavion's high school, East Community Learning Center, 80 Brittain Road, 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Sykes shared some of Westlake's revealed history of alleged violence against his girlfriend, including when he was accused of pulling a weapon on her while he was intoxicated, although charges against him were dropped. Westlake was originally recommended for termination but was reinstated by the former mayor after a suspension. "Mayor [Dan] Horrigan determined that he was unfit to serve, but yet he was back on the street and he shot one of OUR children!" Sykes said. "And we sit here as if, 'Isn't that a shame.'" Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron board member Barbara Sykes speaks out on police shooting of teen This photo shows a view at the Nuseirat refugee camp after Israeli strikes in central Gaza Strip, April 20, 2024. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza from ongoing Israeli attacks has risen to 34,049, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Saturday. (Xinhua) All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. NEW YORK, April 22 (Xinhua) -- All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. The university's president Minouche Shafik urged relevant parties to "sit down and talk and argue and find ways to compromise on solutions" and announced that all classes would go virtual. Shafik sent a letter to the New York Police Department (NYPD) on April 18 requesting that the police help remove individuals who had occupied the South Lawn of the university's Morningside Heights campus a day earlier. The students with "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" opposed Israeli military action in Gaza and demanded the university divest from companies that "profit from Israeli apartheid." "The continued encampment raises safety concerns for the individuals involved and the entire community," said Shafik in the letter. He added that the encampment and related disruptions pose a clear and present danger to Columbia University's substantial functioning. Smoke billows in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, seen from near Nir Am, a kibbutz in southern Israel, on March 21, 2024. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) The NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters from the campus of the university in the afternoon on April 18. Shafik denounced antisemitic behavior by students and professors at the university and pledged consequences for those actions at the hearings by the House of Representatives on antisemitism on April 17. The university also suspended students who participated in unauthorized protests and terminated a professor who supported the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. In a statement on Saturday, the Barnard and Columbia chapters of the American Association of University Professors condemned the suspension of students engaged in peaceful protest and their arrest by the NYPD. "During the coming days, a working group of deans, university administrators and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution," said Shafik. Security guards at Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus on Monday required ID issued by the university before granting access to the campus. Around ten students from the university approached by Xinhua on Monday refused to comment on the encampment. On Monday, the NYPD had a strong presence around the campus, while more than 100 outside protesters and agitators within the campus rallied at a gate by Columbia University Bookstore on Broadway. "What I see is nothing but division. I don't know what the university is trying to do to facilitate people coming together," said an alumnus of Columbia University who identified himself as Max. Max said the administration could do more to bring people together and help them understand each other. "The authorities at this university have lost control...It's become a one-sided conversation. There is no dialogue," said Ross, who is Jewish and living in New York City. The students should have meetings, discussions and debates, but not take over the campus, said Ross, who declined to give his full name. "We saw this as an unacceptable escalation of repression," said Carl Dix, a representative of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, of the police who were called in on the students. "And we had to stand with the students against that." This photo shows a view at the Nuseirat refugee camp after Israeli strikes in central Gaza Strip, April 20, 2024. (Xinhua) "Opposing genocidal attacks is right. It's correct, and it's not anti-semitism. In fact, the people in the ruling class who run all this stuff about the Jewish conspiracy. They're the ones who are anti-Semitic, not these students here," said Dix. According to media reports, students from Yale University, New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, and the University of North Carolina also staged encampments in solidarity with their peers at Columbia University. Over 40 students from Yale University, who occupied Beinecke Plaza at the center of campus starting Friday night, were arrested on Monday, according to the local police department. New York University ordered scores of student protesters to disperse on Monday afternoon after "a breach in the barriers set up at Gould Plaza." Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma announced Tuesday afternoon that a third person of interest in a womans murder is now in custody. Lemma said Kevin Justiniano has been arrested in Puerto Rico on unrelated drug charges. The sheriff said cellphone location data confirmed Justinianos involvement in the kidnapping. Investigators believe he was in a green Acura that was at the scene of the armed carjacking and kidnapping of Katherine Aguasvivas near Winter Springs on April 11. Her body was found later that day in a burning vehicle at a construction site in Osceola County. Read: 2nd person of interest arrested in connection with deadly Seminole County carjacking, kidnapping Lemma said Justiniano drove a Toyota Corolla to the site where the Acura was cleaned and dumped and then gave its occupants a ride. Investigators said Aguasvivas had driven from South Florida to Central Florida to visit Giovany Crespo Hernandez and called him shortly before she arrived at Seminole County. Lemma said detectives tried to interview him Wednesday, but he refused to speak with them and left his home with his girlfriend, Monicsabel Soto. Their home was then raided. An arrest affidavit said investigators discovered fentanyl, marijuana, money and a gun in that home -- evidence that was used to charge Crespo Hernandez with drug trafficking. Deputies said Soto drove to Osceola County to pick up three kilos of cocaine while the raid was underway. She also faces charges. Lemma said Tuesday that the entire case appears to be centered on drugs. Read: What we know about a person of interest in a deadly Seminole County carjacking, kidnapping Everyone who has watched this knows its about drugs and money, right? he said. You look at the history -- at the background -- and ... clearly theres a drug and money nexus here. Thats probably enough motive here for people to engage in this type of behavior. During a Tuesday afternoon hearing, Crespo Hernandez said nothing as a judge ordered him to remain jailed until next month. Crespo Hernandez surrendered to deputies days after Lemma said he was wanted in connection to Aguasvivas kidnapping and murder. They said he was among the last people to speak with her on the phone before her death. Read: Sheriff: Person of interest in deadly carjacking, kidnapping in custody; search underway for 2 more Deputies announced last week that they arrested Jordanish Torres-Garcia, whom they believe is one of the kidnappers. Lemma said Tuesday that detectives have confirmed that Torres-Garcia is the man seen holding the gun in the video. They said they also believe he is linked to the murder of a tow truck driver in Orange Countys Taft neighborhood the night before Aguasvivas kidnapping. Both Justiniano and Torres-Garcia face federal charges of carjacking that resulted in a death. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Sheriffs officials ask public to help find homicide suspect in Northern California shooting The Butte County Sheriffs Office on Monday asked the public to help find a homicide suspect who reportedly shot a man Saturday night in Oroville, drove away and hasnt been seen since. Detectives believe Joseph Perkins, 54, of Oroville, fatally shot the victim, according to the Sheriffs Office. Authorities released a photo of Perkins. The detectives worked with the Butte County District Attorneys Office and obtained an arrest warrant for Perkins on a homicide charge, along with a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun and ammunition. Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, a resident called the Sheriffs Office to report a victim had been shot in 500 block of Lodgeview Drive, in an Oroville residential neighborhood just south of Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. Deputies arrived at the scene and found the wounded man in the road. Sheriffs officials said the deputies and medics provided medical aid, but the victim died from his injuries. The Sheriffs Office has not released the victims name. Detectives found evidence that leads them to believe Perkins shot the victim, sheriffs officials said. But the Sheriffs Office did not disclose what evidence was found. The detectives also found evidence that Perkins left the area in a vehicle after the shooting, sheriffs officials said. Authorities later found that vehicle in the Kelly Ridge area. Investigators asked anyone with information about Perkins whereabouts to call the Sheriffs Office at 530-538-7322. SHERMAN, Ill. (WCIA) An employee of a daycare in Sherman is under arrest after police said an investigation revealed he was producing and in possession of child pornography. Officials with the Sherman Police Department said they were notified on April 16 of a report regarding possible child abuse by an employee of All His Children Developmental Center. They launched an investigation with DCFS, which officials said secured evidence on Friday that led to search warrants being issued. Christian Co. Sheriffs squad car damaged in Scotts Law crash After collecting additional evidence, officials said 29-year-old Nigel Tiller Jr. was arrested Saturday on charges of producing and possessing child pornography, Class X and Class 2 felonies, respectively. The case remains under investigation by the Sherman Police Department and the Sangamon County States Attorneys Office. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Shootings in two Dinwiddie neighborhoods may be connected; 5 people shot in one of them This aerial photo from Google shows the Sentry Woods neighborhood in Dinwiddie County where five people were shot Monday, April 22, 2024. The red pointer indicates the approximate location where the shooting took place. All five victims suffered non-life threatening wounds. DINWIDDIE The county sheriffs department said two shootings in different neighborhoods Monday morning in the northern end of the county one of which resulted in three adults and two juveniles being shot may be related. The first one, reported around 8:45 a.m., occurred in the 5900 block of Sentry Hill Court in the Sentry Wood neighborhood off U.S. Route 1. Sheriffs Major William Knott said two men, one woman and two male teens ages 16 and 17 were found suffering from gunshot wounds. None of the injuries was considered life-threatening. One of the men, the woman and the two boys were taken to Bon Secours Southside Medical Center for treatment. The fifth victim was treated at the scene. While authorities were investigating the Sentry Woods shootings, a call came in around 10:55 a.m. of shots fired inside the West Petersburg community a few miles to the north. Knott said two vehicles on Warwick Street had been hit by bullets, but no individuals were reported shot. Investigators believe that the two shooting incidents may be connected, Knott said in an email. Authorities recovered a Hyundai sedan that had been reported stolen in Petersburg. Knott said they believe the sedan was involved in the Sentry Woods shooting. Anyone who may information about either shooting is asked to contact Petersburg/Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at (804) 861-1212. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Five people shot in early morning Dinwiddie neighborhood shooting COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A Short North bar is closing after its lease went unrenewed to make way for a new development. Mouton at 954 N. High St. will shut its doors soon, according to a social media post. In the announcement, bar owner Jonathan Klingler expressed his appreciation to the people of Columbus. Picnic Pizza Italian Eatery in Zanesville closes after 30-plus years, but its story isnt over From such simple beginnings to becoming a cherished cornerstone of the Columbus cocktail community, each cocktail shook, every glass poured, every smile exchanged, and every memory made has been a testament to the love and support Columbus has always shown us, Klingler said. For more than a decade, the bar served a variety of cocktails, craft beers, wines, and even shared plates and bar snacks. Klingler thanked his staff for their hard work, creativity, and passion for the drink menu. Youve poured your heart and soul into every cocktail, creating experiences that will be cherished by all who walked through our doors, Klingler said. Worthingtons Buca di Beppo to close after 23 years, face bulldozer for new Chick-fil-A Mouton said the bar is closing after its lease expired to make way for a new development with the adjacent space. Public records from the Franklin County Auditors Office indicate the space is owned by a B B R Holdings LLC, which owns properties at 952 through 958 N. High St. A final closing date will be announced in the coming weeks, according to Moutons post. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. A man was arrested Tuesday after firing a gun on Shaw Universitys campus and a brief chase. No injuries were reported. Raleigh police responded to a report of multiple shots fired at 130 Martin Luther King. Jr. Blvd. shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival, officers determined that an adult male had fired gunshots on the campus, according to a police news release. Kamal Rasool Abdal-Rafi, 74, got into an argument with another man in front of the International Studies Building, which houses the King Khalid Mosque and classrooms, police said. Police said Abdal-Rafi fired a gun at the man, but he wasnt injured. Abdal-Rafi led police on a brief chase and was caught by a Shaw University police officer and a Wake County Alcohol Beverage Control Commission agent, who was on-duty during the incident. Abdal-Rafi was arrested and charged with the following felonies: one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to kill; four counts of discharging a firearm on educational property; and five counts of possession of a firearm on educational property. He also was charged with these misdemeanors: one count of going armed to the terror of the public and one count of cruelty to animals. Abdal-Rafi and the other man are not students or staff members of the university. Whats happening The Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday in one of the most important cases in decades about homelessness that could drastically alter how cities across the country will deal with the problem. The core legal question in the case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, is whether the Constitution prohibits punishing people for sleeping overnight in public spaces when they dont have any other alternative. Right now, cities across the nation answer that question differently. In most of the country, so-called camping bans, which empower local governments to break up homeless encampments and fine or jail people for sleeping in the streets, are permitted under the law. But in some western states, these bans are considered unconstitutional. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That disconnect stems in part from a 2018 decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case Martin v. Boise, which found that issuing criminal penalties to the homeless violates the Constitutions protections against cruel and unusual punishment. That decision barred the nine states under the Ninth Circuits jurisdiction including California, Washington and Oregon from punishing people for sleeping on the streets unless there are enough shelter beds available to accommodate them. Over the past five years, cities in the western U.S., where the majority of the countrys unsheltered homeless population can be found, have been limited or blocked entirely from enforcing laws against sleeping in public spaces. One of those cities Grants Pass, Ore. has asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Ninth Circuit ruling, arguing that it has severely hampered its ability to respond to homelessness. Why theres debate Advocates for overturning Martin v. Boise, including a number of high-profile Democrats on the West Coast, say criminal penalties are a critical tool for managing homelessness in a way that protects the unhoused and the people that live around them. There is no compassion in stepping over people in the streets, California Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration wrote in a legal brief in support of Grants Pass, adding well-meaning officials have found themselves without options for dealing with the often dirty and dangerous encampments that have taken root around their cities. Many conservatives go further, arguing that the courts ruling effectively endorses homelessness and allows unhoused people to take over whole swaths of major cities while putting their rights ahead of the rights of ordinary citizens to safely walk the streets. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Homeless advocates, on the other hand, say its inhumane to punish someone for sleeping outside when they have no other option. They argue that camping bans effectively make it illegal to be homeless and make it even harder for people to get their lives on track. Many also make the case that the ruling creates plenty of room for cities to respond to homelessness as they please, they just need to invest the effort and resources to ensure there are plenty of shelter beds available first. Whats next Mondays arguments ended without a clear indication of how the Supreme Courts conservative majority intends to rule in the case, though most legal analysts say they appeared to be skeptical of the Ninth Circuits ruling. A final decision in the case is expected in June. Perspectives The homeless have the same rights as everyone else The case raises the fundamental question of whether homeless persons will be treated as equal citizens entitled to protection or punished as criminals simply because they lack a shelter over their heads. David H. Gans, Slate ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fines and jail wont solve the problem, but theyre a crucial tool for managing it Restoring local power to ban camping in parks and on sidewalks will not solve a crisis rooted in poverty, addiction and untreated mental illness. But it will give governments tools to address the problem and deprive them of excuses if they fail. Charles Lane, Washington Post Punishing people for being homeless only makes them less likely to get themselves off the streets Criminalization is not a solution to homelessness. Arrests, fines, jail time and criminal records make it more difficult for individuals experiencing homelessness to access the affordable housing, health services, and employment necessary to exit homelessness. Jennifer Paradis, CT Mirror Cities need to have the power to force people out of unsafe circumstances Why is it so controversial to say that it is simply bad for a person to live inside a homeless encampment? Would not the more compassionate route be to move them (even if by force) into a shelter, a recovery program, or, at the very least, a designated camping area that contains health and sanitation resources? Kayla Bartsch, National Review ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Local leaders can free themselves from restrictions by providing the resources unhoused people need Current rulings do not stop city and state officials from getting homeless people out of encampments, or from providing the temporary and permanent housing and services that are the only way to reduce homelessness. They also dont block limited enforcement as long as there are some places that homeless people can sleep outside or some available shelter for at least some homeless people. Editorial, Los Angeles Times Cities must be allowed to make their street livable Most decent, hardworking people want clean sidewalks for getting to work and walking their kids to school. But cities are barred legally from cleaning up homeless encampments. Betsy McCaughey, New York Post Without limits, local governments could end up in a race to see who can be the cruelest to unhoused people The current Supreme Court is generally extremely sympathetic to law enforcement, but even its conservative members may balk at allowing a city to criminalize inevitable acts by homeless people. Doing so could spark competition among cities to create the most punitive regime in hopes of effectively banishing homeless residents. Clare Pastore, The Conversation ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Even far-left Democrats understand that coddling the homeless only makes things worse You know the homelessness problem in San Francisco must be bad if the citys democratically elected leaders are finally willing to get tough on homeless encampments. It is too bad that Democrats in California need the conservative members of the Supreme Court to come to their rescue and free them from the crazy rulings of the leftist judges who control the 9th Circuit. Editorial, Washington Examiner Shy creatures rarely seen in Hawaii surprise whale watchers near boat. Take a look A pod of six sea creatures surprised whale watchers in Kona, Hawaii, on April 17. That morning, a boat from Hawaiian Adventures Kona was about ten miles offshore when the crew spotted several tall, sharp dorsal fins with distinct markings. They were Rissos dolphins, a species of dolphin rare to see in the Hawaii area, according to the whale watching company. Rissos dolphins, also called gray dolphins, are known for their distinct features their tall, sharp fin and battle scars from fighting with other dolphins. The scars appear like rake marks on their massive bodies, according to Hawaiian Adventures. Rissos dolphins can weigh over 1,000 pounds and, according to NOAA, they usually prefer deeper offshore water. For a species that is known to be quite shy in Hawaiian waters we got some great looks at six individuals, Hawaiian Adventures wrote in a post on Facebook. According to Big Island Now, the boats crew alerted everyone onboard to the uniqueness of what they were seeing. I think they understood the gravity of the sighting, crew member Olivia Miller told the outlet. The pod cruised alongside the boat, allowing the crew and excited passengers to take pictures. Rare photos capture spectacular behavior of ocean giants in Australia. See them race Unexpected find solves mystery surrounding 30-year-old dolphins death, SC team says Stranded seal was dehydrated and consuming sand. Watch him get a second chance A Honduran illegal immigrant, charged with a child sex crime was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) months after he was released from jail in Connecticut despite ICEs pleas to take custody of him. The unnamed 26-year-old Honduran national had initially been released into the U.S. in 2013 after being arrested by Border Patrol. He was given a notice to appear and released into the U.S. to family members. In September 2023, police in New Britain, Connecticut, arrested and charged him for sex offenses including first-degree sexual assault against a minor under the age of 13 and illegal sexual contact with a minor. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN HORRIFIC CHILD SEX CRIME ARRESTED BY ICE AFTER POLICE LET HIM GO ICE issued a detainer against him in October. The detainer is a request that the agency be notified before a suspected illegal immigrant is released from local police custody and to hold them until ICE can take custody of them. However, some jurisdictions, including "sanctuary" jurisdictions, do not honor detainers. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP In this instance, ICE says that the Hartford Correctional Center ignored the detainer and released the Honduran back onto the streets on Feb. 1. He was eventually picked up by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers on April 4 nearly two months after his release. In a statement, ICE again scolded those jurisdictions that dont cooperate with detainers. "This is a disturbing example of how noncooperative jurisdictions can pose a significant threat to communities in our region," ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons said in a statement. "Despite the presence of an immigration detainer, local authorities released an alleged sexual predator onto the streets of a Connecticut neighborhood." BORDER STATE LAWMAKER SOUNDS ALARM ON BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG ENTERING US ICE and the Biden White House have repeatedly urged cities and jurisdictions to cooperate with federal authorities with regard to handing over criminal illegal immigrants. "We welcome local law enforcements support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose a risk to national security or public safety," a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital in February in response to a question about its stance on sanctuary cities. "When a local jurisdiction has information about an individual who could pose a threat to public safety, we want them to share that information with ICE." Original article source: 'Significant threat': ICE tracks down illegal immigrant charged with child sex crime Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Kok Ky/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high level, high quality, and high standard. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on Monday afternoon. Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high level, high quality and high standard, Wang said, adding that this year marks the beginning of building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era and is also the China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year. Wang said China is willing to work with Cambodia to implement high-level consensus as the main line, inherit and carry forward China-Cambodia's fine traditions of high mutual trust, unity and collaboration, and mutual benefit, and promote the implementation of major projects such as the Industrial Development Corridor and the Fish and Rice Corridor as soon as possible. He added that China is ready to strengthen exchanges of experience in state governance, intensify cooperation between legislative bodies, and promote inter-party exchanges to a new level, so China-Cambodia friendship can bring more benefits to the two peoples. For his part, Hun Sen said China is Cambodia's close friend and strategic partner, and Cambodia remains determined to pursue friendly policies with China and to promote cooperation with China. He said the seventh meeting of the Cambodia-China Intergovernmental Coordination Committee was successfully held, with a lot of consensuses reached, which reflected the high degree of political mutual trust between the two sides and will provide vital impetus for the development of Cambodia. Hun Sen hopes that the two sides will further expand the areas of cooperation, enrich the connotation of cooperation, implement more major projects, and promote continuous new and positive progress towards building a community with a shared future for the two countries in the new era. In Idaho, OBGYNs and family medicine doctors live in constant fear that they will have to deny a pregnant patient stabilizing, emergency care. Doctors are fearful that they will go to prison if they provide the care that we provided for decades that we know is appropriate, Dr. Kara Cadwallader, who is a family medicine physician in Idaho, told Salon in a call. So it's become an untenable ethical dilemma to do pregnancy care anymore and I feel like it's made our state an unsafe place to be pregnant. Thats because if stabilizing care requires an abortion, the provider will face two to five years in prison and lose their medical license. The only exception is if the patient is so close to death its necessary. Until January 5, 2024, a federal law known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) required hospitals in Idaho that receive federal funding to provide stabilizing care to any patient experiencing an emergency which could mean ending the pregnancy. Shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated EMTALA took priority over state laws. Under EMTALA, hospitals and emergency rooms were required to provide emergency abortions even where there were strict abortions laws like Idaho and Texas. The Biden Administration even sued Idaho, claiming that the state's near-total ban was in direct conflict with the federal EMTALA law. But the state claimed that there wasnt a conflict because technically it has a life-saving exception. Then in January, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas ruled that emergency rooms aren't required to perform life-saving abortions under EMTALA. Now the case has risen to the Supreme Court. Cadwallader said the crisis is worsening and nearing a tipping point. Not only can I not personally provide that health-saving care, but if we need a referral for complicated care, there's fewer and fewer OBGYNs to refer to, Cadwallader said, adding that more physicians have left the state since January. I don't know how else to explain it if we continue to have folks leave, we will no longer have a functional medical system. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Wednesday, April 24, as the second major abortion case to be heard by the court this year. The Court can either rule that EMTALA takes overrides Idahos abortion law or it doesnt. Azaleea Carlea, legal director at Legal Momentum, a legal defense and education fund for women, told Salon that by undermining EMTALA, Idaho physicians are not clear on what kind of stabilizing treatment they can give to patients. They're putting doctors and medical providers in this ridiculous, absurd position of determining whether they're going to comply with state law or whether or whether they're going to comply with federal law, Carlea said. Were looking at this as state-sanctioned discrimination against pregnant patients and we're looking at it as state-sanctioned emotional and physical distress that pregnant patients will have to be subjected to because of how Idaho is interpreting EMTALA. If the Supreme Court rules that EMTALA doesnt preempt Idahos abortion ban, legal experts say it could open the door for other states to have abortion laws that override EMTALA, too. Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes. This case could radically change how emergency medical care is practiced in this country and could make pregnant people second-class citizens in America's emergency rooms, Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, told Salon. What I think we are looking at here is the fact that overturning Roe v. Wade was just the beginning, and these extremist politicians are using every tool at their disposal in their campaign to ban abortion nationwide. Notably, EMTALA first came to light as a response to hospitals turning away uninsured pregnant people in active labor. Congress passed the law in 1986 and specifically included provisions mandating federally funded hospitals to accept a patient in active labor even if she doesnt have insurance. President Ronald Reagan signed it into law. The purpose of EMTALA, Kolbi-Molinas said, was to establish a national baseline of emergency care that everyone is entitled to, regardless of where they live or their medical condition. Congress even included a preemption clause that said if any state law conflicts with EMTALAs requirements, EMTALA overrides the state law. Congress inserted that so that they could eliminate this patchwork system of emergency care that we had across the country where people were being turned away and people were being discriminated against for a variety of different reasons, she said. Its difficult to imagine a more direct or greater conflict between EMTALA and a state law than a state law that would prohibit the very emergency care that EMTALA requires. In a press conference last week, St. Lukes chief medical officer shared that after the Supreme Court lifted EMTALA protections in January, six patients had to be airlifted to another state for emergency care compared to only one the entire year before. If the Supreme Court doesnt uphold EMTALA, it could open the door to create any number of carve-outs to emergency care that could extend beyond pregnant patients. Its a very slippery slope. If this happens it could cause chaos for a lot of marginalized communities, Carlea said. It could mean that states get to pick and choose who's going to access emergency care and what that emergency care is going to look like. To say that pregnant patients cant have access to the same emergency care as other patients would be a very dangerous precedent to set, Carlea said. Practitioners are going to be afraid to practice, they're going to be afraid to treat people, they're going to be working under terrible conditions of wondering if they're going to get fined, if they're going to go to jail, if they're going to have to wait for someone to be dying before they can help them. Kolbi-Molinas added that any mentions during the oral arguments of doctors objecting to provide emergency abortions due to religious or moral objections is a red herring. Idaho is threatening to throw doctors who want to provide necessary emergency care to their patients in jail, and that is why the Department of Justice sued Idaho. And that is what this case is about, she said. And any suggestion from Idaho or their lawyers that this case somehow has to do with individuals who want to withhold emergency care from their patients is just something that has been manufactured at the 11th hour to try to distract from the real issues in this case. Cadwallader said before the case, she wants people to know that this affects everyone not just pregnant patients in Idaho. People have to understand that again, EMTALA protects all Americans in the country and the extremists have made it about abortion and have plucked out pregnant women and said they no longer have rights and thats bad for America, Cadwallader said. Its bad for all of us, even if you don't have a uterus and can't become pregnant. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors picked Cal Poly alum Matt Pontes to be its next county administrative officer. San Luis Obispo County has a new top administrator. On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a contract to hire Matthew Pontes as the next county administrative officer. He will make an annual salary of about $293,000. The administrative officer oversees the county budget and staff, and Pontes comes to the job with related experience in Shasta, Santa Barbara and Kern counties. Monday is his first day on the job. We must work together to address issues such as homelessness, affordable housing, infrastructure and our long-term financial stability, Pontes said in a county news release. We can tackle them all successfully. I cant wait to start on Monday. Pontes previously served as the Shasta County chief executive officer until 2022. Before that, he worked as the assistant county executive officer of Santa Barbara County, according to the release. Most recently, Pontes was the director of wildfire and forest ecology at Sierra Pacific Industries, where he worked with multiple agencies to combat destructive wildfires and safeguard ecosystems across California, Oregon and Washington, the release said. Pontes graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in forestry and natural resources. He is widely respected by county leaders all over this state for a long career, serving counties, Supervisor Bruce Gibson said at the meeting. He also has tremendous, personal skills at connecting with people. Were going to see a blossoming of our organization and by extension, our ability to serve our 280-some thousand constituents. The county embarked on a nationwide search for a new CAO after the board fired John Nilon from the position on Nov. 17, 2023, following reports from numerous women who accused him of uncomfortable touching and messages. Nilon was hired as the interim CAO on May 1 after Wade Horton resigned from the position in March. Assistant county administrative officer Rebecca Campbell temporarily filled the position when Nilon was removed. A look at administrators contract Pontess contract calls for an annual salary of $293,946 with a $126,023 benefits package, according to the staff report. His benefits include sick leave, 20 days of annual vacation time, a vehicle allowance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, participation in a pension trust plan and travel reimbursement, the contract said. The county will reimburse up to $20,000 of Pontes relocation costs, according to his contract with the county. Pontes serves at the will of the board, which can terminate his employment with or without cause. If the board fires Pontes without cause within his first year on the job, the county will award him a severance package equal to three months salary or $73,250. If he is fired without cause after his first year, his severance package would be equal to six months salary or $146,500, his contract said. A San Luis Obispo County man was sentenced to 70 years to life in prison for molesting two children, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office said in a news release. Christopher Wayne Clark, a 47-year-old resident of Atascadero, will spend 70 years to life in state prison after pleading guilty to molesting two children between 2001 and 2005 and 2010 and 2012, the release said. Clark was charged with a total of 42 offenses, including 16 counts of sexual assault against a minor under 10 years of age, charging documents from an April 9 hearing showed. He ultimately plead guilty to five, according to the release. The case was investigated by Detective Ronnie Overacker of the Atascadero Police Department with the assistance of senior investigator Herminio Rodriguez of the District Attorneys Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Kimberly R. Dittrich, according to the release. The survivors of these terrible crimes suffered in silence for many years waiting for the day that this predator would be held accountable, Dittrich said in the release. Today their courage in reporting, and fortitude in seeing this through, has resulted in accountability and the stark reality that the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison where he can never abuse another child. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) The Erie County District Attorneys Office announced Monday that a man from Sloan admitted to criminal weapon possession and driving while intoxicated in two separate indictments. 34-year-old Timothy A. Murek, Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following an incident with Cheektowaga police in 2021. On Dec. 26, police received a report of someone with an illegal gun. Murek would not take his hands out of his pockets and was detained. Police recovered a handgun from his waist that was found to be operable. Murek faces up to 15 years in prison as a second felony offender. He also pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxicated after having two previous convictions within 10 years. On Sept. 2, 2022, Murek got into a two-vehicle crash while driving in the area of Towers Boulevard and French Road in Cheektowaga. A later investigation found that he was driving under the influence of alcohol. Murek faces up to seven years in prison when sentenced on the DWI charge in June. Latest Local News Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. New social district launches in Pineville. Heres everything you need to know New social district launches in Pineville. Heres everything you need to know PINEVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Cheers! Another social district is opening in Mecklenburg County just as the Carolinas warm summer-like weather gets underway. Pineville is launching its first social district on Tuesday afternoon, April 23. This new social district will allow people to enjoy alcoholic beverages in specific areas while out in public. Here are the key details: Launch Date: The new social district will officially kick off on Tuesday, April 23, 204. Operating Hours: The social district operates seven days a week. It will be accessible from noon until 10 p.m. for individuals 21 and older Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, it will be accessible from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. pinevillenc.gov Participating Businesses: Keep an eye out for businesses displaying green, blue, and red stickers on their windows, indicating their participation in the social district. Social districts have been gaining popularity across the Charlotte area, promoting local businesses and encouraging foot traffic. pinevillenc.gov Requirements Under North Carolina Law: Patrons must be 21 or older and follow state and federal drinking laws Alcoholic beverages must only be served in designated social district cups Alcoholic beverages must be disposed of before exiting the social district unless entering a business within the social district that allows alcoholic beverages to be brought inside A single patron cannot be sold more than 2 alcoholic beverages at one time Civil Penalty: Any patron or business who violates the social district town ordinance may be fined a civil penalty of $100. Any ABC permittee, non-permittee, or person who violates may be subject to its Social District Permit being revoked, suspended, or permanently banned from participating Pineville Police Department will patrol the downtown area including the Social District under its normal operations Pineville Public Works Department will provide sanitation services within the district, including trash removal and litter pickup pinevillenc.gov Pineville joins the trend, following in the footsteps of other cities and towns like Plaza Midwood, Davidson, Hickory, Kannapolis, and Mooresville. PREVIOUSLY: Plaza Midwood business owners and customers get demonstration of social district These social districts have been known to enhance community engagement and provide a vibrant atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. So, grab your favorite drink, explore the designated areas, and enjoy the camaraderie! Charlottes first social district opened in Plaza Midwood last month, and Governor Cooper signed a law allowing social districts in September 2021. For more information on frequently asked questions, please click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. New Hampshire National Guard soldier Pfc. Macenzie Connors watches for illegal activity at an observation point in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Courtesy of the NH National Guard) Bulletin writer Annmarie Timmins will be reporting from Eagle Pass, Texas, this week, in collaboration with New Hampshire Public Radio, while shadowing the 15 National Guard soldiers sent by Gov. Chris Sununu to assist with border patrol. You can find her reporting at New Hampshire Bulletin and NHPR, both on air and online. Two weeks into their mission in Eagle Pass, Texas, New Hampshire National Guard soldiers said they are seeing more attempts to cross the border illegally than expected. Thats true even for those whove been deployed to the border before. This mission differs immensely in terrain, number of integral breaches in our barriers, as well as the difficulty of operation effectiveness, said Sgt. Connor Decker in an email. The way cartel runners or illegal immigrants alone breach through secure border are evolving and cannot be so easily solved with a static solution. The Bulletin communicated via email last week with four of the 15 soldiers Gov. Chris Sununu deployed earlier this month to assist the Texas National Guard in securing the border. Its a state-paid $850,000 trip unlike the prior deployments, which were federally ordered and funded. New Hampshire is paying the Texas National Guard $200 a day per soldier for room and board as well as other base expenses. The state funding will also cover salary and benefits. In asking lawmakers to approve his funding request in February, Sununu said he believes all states should send troops to help Texas stop the illegal crossings by undocumented migrants and the smuggling of fentanyl, the drug responsible for the most drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2022, according to a state medical examiners report. Though, U.S. Sentencing Commission data showed that Americans account for a huge percentage of fentanyl trafficking convictions. In 2022, it was 90 percent. Some Republican governors have sent fewer soldiers Montana deployed 10 this month while others have sent more, such as Iowa, which deployed 100 in early April. The New Hampshire soldiers, all of whom volunteered to go to Texas, are working in teams of three or four, alongside soldiers from the Texas National Guard and Louisiana National Guard. They are working 10-hour night shifts, and while they are with a military police unit in New Hampshire, they are not arresting or detaining individuals, said Greg Heilshorn, spokesman for the New Hampshire National Guard. He described this as an eyes and ears deployment in support of Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts Operation Lone Star. The soldiers are watching for illegal crossings at observation posts and roving patrols, looking for breaches in the fence. They are scheduled to return in June. Pfc. Macenzie Connors (Courtesy) Pfc. Macenzi Connors is serving her first deployment to the southern border and is one of three women who volunteered. She said the partnership with Texas has been rewarding. Knowing that I get to help out a fellow state to deter illegal immigrants and report any suspicious activity that we see is a good feeling on its own, she said in an email. So far, it has been a lot busier than we thought, but working as a team and knowing that the people I came down with will always have my back makes being down here a lot easier. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, federal law enforcement is reporting fewer encounters in the Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, each month since December, when it spiked to 71,048. In April, the agency reported 11,281 encounters. Spc. Carson Geha is also serving his first mission. Even with the drop in the number of encounters, he too has been surprised by the number of cartel runners cutting the fence to cross illegally. Working side by side with the Texas National Guard has brought a sense of teamwork in order to deter illegal immigrants and keep our border secure. Spc. Connor Sills spent about a year at the southern border as part of last years federal deployment. He told the Bulletin he volunteered to return to help the soldiers who havent been through the experience. In an email last week, Sills said the Texas soldiers are doing the same. He has spent his nights roving the fence line, separating the Rio Grande from Texas. The post Soldiers first impressions from Texas: Its busy appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -Solomon Islands faces a nervous wait to establish a government as opposition parties vie with incumbent Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare's OUR party to form a coalition with independents after a national election failed to produce a clear winner. Last week's election was the first since Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022, inviting Chinese police into the archipelago and drawing the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing. The election is being watched by China, the U.S. and neighbouring Australia because of the potential impact on regional security. Sogavare's police minister, Anthony Veke, lost his seat of West Guadalcanal to the biggest opposition party, Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP), Tuesday's results showed. With one result still to be announced, Sogavare's OUR party had 14 seats in a 50-seat parliament, while the CARE coalition of Matthew Wale's SIDP, U4C and former prime minister Rick Hou's Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) had 13 seats. Another prominent opposition party, Peter Kenilorea Jr's United, which said it would scrap the China security pact, won seven seats. United is likely to join CARE, boosting it to 20 seats, a source with direct knowledge told Reuters. Kenilorea told Reuters "we have not joined CARE at this time". "We are seeking change and will align with like-minded groups that also share this," he added. Independents and micro parties, which hold 15 seats, will be heavily lobbied in the race to find the 26 seats needed to form a government. Negotiations in the capital Honiara begin as newly elected lawmakers arrive from other islands. Previous elections have shown coalitions can be fluid. "The next several days will see a lot of horse trading given that no party has won an absolute majority," said DAP leader Hou. "Its hard to ascertain any outcome. It's too fluid." Election officials said three women had won seats and that there had been an 80% turnout of voters. Police and defence forces from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji are assisting with election security. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Michael Perry and Ed Osmond) Wildlife officials in Nevada are trying to get to the bottom of an illegal release of approximately 25 turkeys on the Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area earlier this month. They are now asking for the publics help in identifying whoever was responsible for putting the birds there on April 9. Staff members at the WMA contacted the Nevada Department of Wildlife after finding the group of the turkeys near the south end of Nesbitt Lake. Game wardens investigated and spoke with a witness who said they saw a white truck pulling a horse trailer in that direction that day, according to a press release from NDOW. Wardens also acquired security footage from a local convenience store that shows the same truck and trailer stopping for gas at 1 p.m. before heading in the direction of the WMA, which lies about 110 miles north of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the video does not have a clear view of the license plate or the persons in question, NDOW explained in the press release. Game wardens believe the suspects are from Clark County as they arrived from the south and headed back the same way. State game wardens spoke with a witness who said they saw the same truck heading in the direction of the WMA around the same time the turkeys were spotted. Photograph courtesy of Nevada Department of Wildlife The same press release included a photo of the truck and trailer in question, along with a security camera photo of one of the passengers, a middle-aged woman wearing a camo t-shirt. Thats why were asking for the publics help, NDOW public information officer Aaron Meier tells Outdoor Life. All were going on right now is that an eyewitness saw that truck and trailer go by, and then later on that day is when the people who run the WMA realized there were a couple dozen turkeys in the area where that truck had just come from. Meier says game wardens went out to the WMA on April 10, and they were able to capture and remove all 25 turkeys from the area. NDOW biologists believe the birds were pen-raised, but the agency was unable to determine the exact subspecies of turkey. The best [a biologist] could say was that they were domestic turkeys with some wild turkey characteristics (feathers, etc.), Meier says. Read Next: Are People Illegally Sneaking Walleye into an Idaho Lake? State fish and game agencies deal with these illegal releases on occasion, although they often come in the form of aquatic species introduced by anglers (also known as bucket biologists) looking to improve the fishing in their local waters. Under Nevada law, a first offense of illegal wildlife introduction is a misdemeanor that carries a fine between $25,000 and $250,000. Although wild turkeys are not native to the Silver State, Nevada is now home to both the Merriams and Rio Grande subspecies. The state first introduced Merriams turkeys during the 1960s, and its been releasing Rio Grande birds into different parts of the state since the late 1980s, according to the Nevada Appeal. This article was updated on April 23 to include comment from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. View comments Sounded very distraught: Mother seeking help finding son last seen near Calumet River CHICAGO A mother is devastated and asking for more help to find her 24-year-old son who was last seen near the Calumet River two weeks ago. Jovon JB Nelson, 24, was seen by a bridge worker near the Ewing Avenue Bridge on April 9, according to his mother Tangela Nelson. Nelson was staying at a residence in the 3200 block of East 92nd Street and called his mother before running out of the home wearing a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants. He had no socks, no shoes, no ID and no phone. Family believes he was suffering from a mental health crisis. He sounded very distraught, scared and anxious, Tangela Nelson said. Nelson and loved ones have been searching the area with dogs and drones since and a $3,000 reward is available. It originally started at $2,500 and $500 was recently added, according to Nelson. She said theres been a lack of help from the authorities thats frustrated her. Nelson told WGN News the Coast Guard refused to deploy resources in the river and Chicago police are not looking as well. Theyre not helping, she said. Havent had any help since day one. The Coast Guard discussed the circumstances of the incident with WGN News. A lieutenant said their office was notified by family on April 13. Prior to that, a CPD marine unit investigated and found there wasnt a reason to believe he entered the water, according to the Coast Guard. Woman dead, 2 kids critical after crash near Calumet River Because of no intelligence that he entered the water, a search mission in the Calumet River has not been conducted by the Coast Guard, the lieutenant said. Nelson is 59, 140 lbs., with brown eyes and dreadlocks. Anyone with information can call 911 or detectives at 312-747-8274. To join the familys search party, you can text 773-938-2808. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. BAGHDAD, April 23 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi investigation committee said Tuesday that the huge explosion, which occurred on Saturday at Kalsu military base in Iraq's central province of Babil, resulted from the explosion in ammunition and missile depots, not as a result of a missile strike. The technical committee ended its investigation and concluded that "the intensity of the explosion and the size of the material scattered from the projectiles, missiles, and other explosive materials could not in any way be caused by a missile," according to a statement from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command. The statement explained that "the size of the crater caused by the explosion confirms the occurrence of a very large explosion of weapons and highly explosive materials that were present in the place." It also said that the Iraqi Air Defense Command confirmed that there were no drones or combat aircraft in the airspace of the province before and during the explosion, the statement added. On Saturday, a huge explosion occurred after midnight and was followed by a fire in Camp Kalsu, which houses bases of the Iraqi army, federal police, and Hashd Shaabi forces, leaving one Hashd Shaabi fighter killed and eight others injured, including a soldier. Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command said Saturday in a post on social media platform X "the United States has not conducted airstrikes in Iraq today." The U.S. media CNN quoted an Israeli official as saying that Israel was not involved in the attack on the Kalsu military base in Iraq. Mecklenburg Countys chief district court judge will be replaced in the coming weeks, officials confirmed Tuesday after Channel 9 first broke the story. North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby plans to replace Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch, Channel 9s Hunter Saenz and Joe Bruno first confirmed with multiple sources on Tuesday. Trosch will be replaced by Judge Roy Wiggins, effective May 1, according to a statement sent Tuesday afternoon by the 26th Judicial District. According to a statement from Trosch, she was informed on Monday that Chief Justice Newby wants a different direction in leadership for Mecklenburg. The move comes in the wake of recent issues in the Mecklenburg County court. Saenz has reported on the backlog of cases in Mecklenburg County, low bonds for repeat offenders, and a controversial rollout of the countys new electronic court system. The new system was ordered by Newbys office as a county-by-county statewide rollout. Trosch, along with the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Courts, were tasked with the local rollout. Amid those concerns, Trosch has been active in the community, speaking at city council, and changing policy on setting bonds for certain crimes. Last year, Trosch spoke with Saenz about repeat offenders being released on bond, and she said issues needed to be fixed by the state legislature. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mecklenburg County judge says fixing bail bonds is up to legislature After Channel 9s continued reporting, lawmakers took action. Trosch, along with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, and Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather met multiple times and were key players in working with lawmakers to help draft the bill. Different direction Trosch sent the following statement to Channel 9 on Tuesday: It has been a privilege and an honor to serve Mecklenburg County as the Chief District Court Judge over the last four years. I have endeavored to improve our courts by spear-heading collaborative reforms that have advanced procedural justice and improved outcomes across the district. We have come through the COVID-19 pandemic strongerhaving executed successful backlog reduction strategies and implemented data driven case management strategies bringing our pending case inventory down to pre-pandemic levels for most case types. Together, we coordinated the successful launch of e-Courts in Mecklenburg Countyshepherding our district through the greatest transformation of the courts in our generation. I am proud of the work we have done together to ensure justice for our community without favor, denial, or delay. We have reduced non-motor vehicle pending cases to 48% below pre-pandemic levels. Our criminal trial courts are more efficient bringing 230% more Driving While Impaired cases to trial and increasing dispositions by 78% compared to FY2019. Similarly, we have brought our felony pending case inventory down from 6,721 cases at the height of the pandemic to 2,373 cases158% below pre-pandemic levels. We have successfully reduced our domestic pending cases to below pre-pandemic numbers. Despite taking 43% more domestic filings than the next largest district, we have outperformed Wake County with 85% more dispositions in the last fiscal year. Our Family Court has been effective and efficient having completed 65% more property distribution trials and 100% more child support and child custody trials. The lack of affordable housing in Mecklenburg County has stretched our general civil court to unparalleled capacity. We have experienced a six-fold increase in eviction cases since 2013. Eviction filings in Mecklenburg County account for 48% of eviction filings statewide. Nevertheless, through data driven case management strategies, we have kept pace with over 70 bench trials per week in our civil courtroom. As leadership of this district transitions to a new chief, I am confident that I have left it better than I found it. In partnership with local leaders, court staff and partners, a strong foundation has been laid for Mecklenburg to be the most productive and efficient district in the state. Trosch was first appointed as Chief Judge for District 26 in February 2020 after the retirement of former Chief Judge Regan A. Miller. Its not clear whats next for Trosch at this time. Its also not clear what led Newby to the reported plan. Judge Wiggins serves in District 26 and was elected to Seat 12 in 2018. Channel 9 has reached out to Chief Justice Newbys office for a comment. Statement from Wiggins: I am thankful to Judge Elizabeth Trosch for her leadership these past four years and consider her a valuable and trusted colleague. As Chief District Court Judge, I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work towards the efficiency of our courts to ensure all parties are treated equitably and fairly. This is a developing news story, check back for updates. (WATCH: Judge upholds $1M bond for man accused of killing Allisha Watts) FILE PHOTO: Polish army trains with new tanks and howitzers from South Korea By Jack Kim and Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean and Romanian leaders pledged on Tuesday to boost defence industry cooperation as Seoul pushes to establish itself as the world's fourth-largest arms exporter amid reports of huge additional contracts in the works. President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, for a summit and pledged to increase cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production of weapons, a statement said. South Korea's defence minister Shin Won-sik separately hosted Poland's deputy defence minister, Pawel Bejda, amid reports of an impending contract for Hanwha Aerospace to supply additional weapons systems and negotiations over financing. South Korea has emerged as a major player in global defence exports, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine opening the door for its industries to sign large-scale contracts from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. South Korea's major defence manufacturer, Hanwha Aerospace, is working on a deal worth 1 trillion won ($725.7 million) to supply K9 howitzer to Romania in what would be the first defence contract with that country, the Korea Economic Daily reported this year. Hanwha declined to comment on the report. The company said during an earnings conference call in February it would announce a weapons export deal with Romania in the first quarter, but there was no announcement. Last year the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Romanias state-run defence company to export its K9 self-propelled howitzer and infantry fighting vehicle. Poland, which has been ramping up defence spending, has agreed to buy $22 billion worth of weapons from South Korea in the country's largest ever arms sale. On Tuesday, South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported, citing defence industry sources, that Poland would sign a contract this week for 70 additional Chunmoo rocket artillery units worth $1.6 billion to be supplied by Hanwha Aerospace. Hanwha declined to comment on the Dong-a report. The visit by the defence delegation from Warsaw comes as the two countries have worked to expand South Korea's financing of the weapons purchases. Statutory caps on credit to facilitate such deals have acted as a constraint. In February, South Korea's parliament voted to ease restrictions on the state export financing bank, which could aid in negotiations for the second phase of the deal with Poland, sources have said. Poland has already agreed to buy more than 150 K9 howitzers for $2.6 billion and 288 Chunmoo rocket launchers. It has separately agreed to buy K2 tanks manufactured by Hyundai Rotem and fighter jets from Korea Aerospace Industries. ($1 = 1,378.0700 won) (Reporting by Jack Kim. Editing by Gerry Doyle) CALUMET CITY, Ill. A south suburban woman will spend 20 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a child in Illinois and Indiana. According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of Illinois, 29-year-old Jamari Hodge, a Calumet City resident, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of enticing a minor to engage in commercial sex in 2023. Prosecutors say in November of 2021, Hodge took sexually explicit photographs of a 13-year-old girl and used them in online advertisements offering sex. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Using rented hotel rooms in Illinois and Indiana, Hodge then organized encounters with individuals who responded to the ads, set prices and collected payments after the encounters, prosecutors said. U.S. District Judge Martha Pacold handed down the sentence on Wednesday and also ordered Hodge to pay $180,000 in restitution to the victim. The U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of Illinois urges anyone who may be a victim of sexual exploitation or worries others be victims, to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. A registered sex offender who has been in custody for two years has been sentenced to three years and four months in state prison for the distribution of child sexual material, authorities announced earlier this month. A former Simi Valley resident, 66-year-old Ronald Kenneth Rosen pleaded guilty in March this year to a felony count of possession or control of child pornography while being a registered sex offender and two felony child pornography distribution counts. Rosen also admitted to three special allegations, including that he had a large quantity of [child pornography] in his possession, according to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorneys Office. A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in July 2021 led to an investigation of the 66-year-old, who had been arrested and convicted of similar offenses in 1997 and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Investigators found that he had been distributing child pornography going as far back as 2006, the release noted. SoCal man gets 3 years for child pornography crimes Authorities say that between 2006 and 2021, the sex offender traded the illicit materials with others in an organized email group. They also discussed their shared desire to sexually abuse children, prosecutors said. In April 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at his home where they found images of children, including toddlers, engaged in sexual conduct on his computer. He was then taken into custody, where he remains. L.A. deputy shot in back saved by bullet-proof vest; shooter still at large Rosen found like-minded people on the Internet, and this legitimized for each other behavior that society uniformly abhors, Senior Deputy DA Howard Wise, who prosecuted the case, said. We must end the sexual exploitation of children in every form. Detectives with the VCDAs Bureau of Investigation, along with the Simi Valley Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Southern California High-Tech Task Force investigated the case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Getty Images Some proposals from the Louisiana Legislature are easy to place in the pointless category from the onset. On the other hand, other pieces of legislation are more deceptive, professing to accomplish something good when, in fact, they only serve a dubious political purpose. For example, the House of Representatives has advanced a bill to prohibit the use of the word free when describing government giveaways of products, services and benefits. Its author, Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Schriever, weirdly assumes recipients arent intelligent enough to determine that, somewhere along the way, someone had to pay for the handouts. The blatant overtones of the proposal leave little room for misinterpretation. Tell me you think extremely little of people who require government assistance without telling me you think extremely little of them. Slightly less obvious are the motivations behind the proposed Womens Safety and Protection Act, which based on name alone seems like a cause everyone should throw their support behind. It would provide protections for women and girls against sexual assault, harassment, and violence in correctional facilities, juvenile detention facilities, domestic violence shelters, dormitories, and restrooms, or where women have been traditionally afforded safety and protection from acts of abuse committed by biological men. Its in those last two words where the motives of Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, become clear. Tell me that youre targeting transgender people without telling me youre targeting transgender people. Lawmakers in support have been quick to point out transgender doesnt appear in the legislation. But Wilder erased any strains of ambiguity when he presented his bill to the House April 11. His arguments to colleagues seemed more centered on testosterone shaming than safety. To each of the men in this body to the strong, capable, brave, accomplished, honorable men in here especially the fathers, the husbands and the sons, I have a question for each of you, Wilder said just before the floor vote. Why have we, myself included, as men even allowed this to get to this point? Howve we let things fall so far from the basic values of civility, honor and chivalry? Whered it all go? There have been many unique arguments for proposals over the years from members of the Louisiana Legislature, but this might be the first time one has been boiled down to such a manly essence dare, I say, a musk. This appeal to toxic masculinity makes Wilders stance look even more fragile. The House sent Wilders bill to the Senate with an 80-17 vote, with 11 men and six women secure enough to vote no. When pressed for the motivation behind his bill, Wilder nebulously cited an incident at a public park in his district that raised more questions than it answered. He said a biological male insisted to a park employee that he be given access to the womens locker room at the facility. When his request was refused, the person apparently threatened to sue officials. Wilder, who declined to name the park, said constituents asked him to bring the bill. Wilder skimmed over the fact that the alleged incident was not a crime not even close to one. By obscuring this, the false flag Wilder wants to pin on transgender people is obvious. He did acknowledge the Alliance Defending Freedom helped him write the proposal, continuing Republicans nationwide push to take away the rights of trans people. The Christian legal advocacy organization molded U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson early in his law career, has actively promoted anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and sought to make sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ+ adults a crime. The Southern Poverty Law Center considers the Alliance a hate group, which in turn considers the SPLC a discredited and scandal-ridden organization. But when opponents framed Wilders bill as a hate measure on the House floor, Rep. Jay Galle, R-Mandeville, would have none of it. Hes one of the proposals 67 co-authors. My faith requires me to love everyone, Galle told his colleagues. Warms the cockles, doesnt it? Maybe we should just accept Galle on blind faith. Proponents of Wilders legislation would have you believe transgender people are the leading culprits of sexual assault when, in fact, actual cases with trans perpetrators are extremely rare. But, as Rep. Aimee Freeman, D-New Orleans, pointed out, white men are by far the leading perpetrators of sexual assault. So should we keep them out of all of the bathrooms? Freeman asked the House. About half of women report being raped by an intimate partner, and 40.8% by an acquaintance, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Research has repeatedly shown sexual abuse is about power and control, not sexual orientation, with studies finding upwards of 80% of male abusers of male children were heterosexuals. But if policy must gravitate to high profile instances of sexual abuse, why have we yet to see a law to constrain predators within the Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist faith? When he was attorney general, Jeff Landry falsely claimed his office hadnt received complaints about clergy abuse. Its a problem so prevalent that the Archdiocese of New Orleans alone is expected to pay out more than $100 million to settle lawsuits from abuse survivors. Yet Wilder insists bathrooms are the clear battleground to wage the war against sexual predators and to take a masculine stand for women. Our intent is to send a clear message that Louisiana will absolutely preserve the safety and dignity of women and girls, he said. Except when it comes to reproductive health, apparently. Republican state lawmakers raced to put one of the nations most restrictive abortion bans in place once Roe v. Wade was overturned, and now they wont budge to allow exceptions for rape or incest. The law is so unyielding that doctors fear providing treatment for miscarriages could leave them open to criminal prosecution, placing pregnant patients at further risk. Tell me you dont really care about women without telling me you dont care about women. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Specious womens safety arguments for bathroom bill appeal to toxic masculinity appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. CHESAPEAKE Two cities in Hampton Roads with new speed cameras have raked in around $20 million in revenue since implementing the technology over the last two years. But the legality of the processes used to issue citations and collect fees is now being questioned in a lawsuit filed by a former state legislator who says its not exactly what the General Assembly intended when it crafted the legislation allowing municipalities to deploy speed cameras. Earlier this month, local attorney and former Del. Tim Anderson filed a lawsuit in the circuit courts of both Chesapeake and Suffolk that alleges the cities are improperly issuing speeding violations and allowing third party vendors to impersonate local government when collecting fees. Chesapeake and Suffolk are two of the four Hampton Roads cities that have installed new speeding camera software in local school and work zones in an effort to deter speeding and enhance overall public safety. A dozen cameras went live in Chesapeake in 2022. Another 10 were active in time for the start of the 2023-24 school year in Suffolk, including cameras at two work zones. Since then, Chesapeake police have issued 150,788 citations, according to information provided by the city. Suffolk has issued 167,883. The Virginia General Assembly approved legislation in 2020 that allows state and local police to set up speed cameras at highway work sites and school crossing zones. Under that law, only motorists caught going at least 10 mph over the speed limit are ticketed. The devices can be significant moneymakers, and cities can earmark where the revenue from fines is directed. In Chesapeake, the $9.35 million collected will go toward costs of the equipment as well as personnel costs and highway safety improvements, according to a city spokesperson. That revenue was collected between July 1, 2022, and April 16 of the current fiscal year. As of March, Suffolk has generated $11.72 million in revenue that will be split between vendor costs and a transportation fund dedicated to roadway safety improvements for the city. Suffolk did not specify whether the citation and revenue figures provided to The Virginian-Pilot were specific to school and work zone speed cameras only. The city also operates red light and school bus cameras. Portsmouth and Norfolk have launched similar speed camera enforcement efforts this year. Hampton is also considering installation of speed cameras. Andersons clients, whom hes representing pro bono, include an individual from Virginia Beach who received a notice of violation in a Chesapeake school zone in March and one from the city of Zuni who received a notice of violation in June in a Suffolk work zone. But Anderson said state code for school and work zone cameras in particular is specific about issuing citations with the same official uniform Virginia summons issued for other traffic infractions, which allows a violator to contest it in court. State code says that any prosecution shall be instituted and conducted in the same manner as prosecution for traffic infractions. That section of the code also allows cities to contract with third-party private companies to provide the services. But Anderson said his lawsuit raises an issue with what he called the profit policing model that allows third-party vendors from states such as Colorado, Maryland and Ohio to collect the payment while misrepresenting themselves as the cities. He said state code as written doesnt allow cities to delegate fines collection to the third party companies. So the process here is that if youre going to get a ticket, you have to do it the same way the police do it, Anderson told The Pilot. That means you have to issue a Virginia uniform summons. That means you have to file it with the court. That means the accused gets a court date. That means that if the accused wants to pay it, they have to pay it to the court. And these two cities are skipping all of those steps, so that they can run a profit policing model Spokespeople for both Chesapeake and Suffolk declined to comment on the pending litigation. Anderson wants the court to find the two cities out of compliance with state code and order them to take the technology down until they are. Hes also asking that everyone whos paid a fine so far be refunded that money since Anderson said the citations werent properly administered. (So) the specific real problem here is that, what the cities have learned very quickly, is if they bypass all of the rules, they can make millions of dollars, Anderson said. But if they follow the rules, they cant operate like this because theres not enough people in the courts. For cities struggling to fill vacancies in local law enforcement, such as Norfolk and Portsmouth, the new technology can be seen as a force multiplier. Norfolk has installed 19 cameras across 10 public school locations, but the city is still in a 60-day warning period set to expire next month. Violators will be charged a $100 fine once the warning period is lifted. Portsmouth has 16 cameras, and police began fining drivers in December, issuing more than 28,000 warnings and citations since. Around half of those were issued during the warning period without fines. The projected revenue is $1.4 million, which will be used to pay the service provider and be directed to the citys general fund to be used at the discretion of city leadership. When Chesapeake initially installed its speed cameras, the police department said the cost was $37,000 apiece. The police department entered an agreement to pay the amount back with money collected from issued tickets. Aside from a monthly maintenance fee, police said all revenue generated by the fines after the full amount is paid back goes back into city coffers. Anderson said he hopes the case gains enough traction to expand to other cities using similar technology and issuing citations for violations in a similar way. Its not what the General Assembly intended, Anderson said. And you have the cities partnering with private companies out of state and theyre making millions of dollars on Virginians. The whole thing needs to be reset. Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) A Springfield man was sentenced to 50 years in prison and physical castration after pleading guilty to multiple counts of rape against a juvenile. The 21st Judicial District Attorneys Office stated in a press release that 54-year-old Glenn Sullivan Sr. pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree rape. In July 2022, detectives with the Livingston Parish Sheriffs Office were informed by a young woman that Sullivan reportedly raped her multiple times when she was 14. The juvenile then became pregnant and DNA determined that Sullivan was a match, according to the release. Detectives learned that Sullivan reportedly threatened the victim and her family to prevent her from telling anyone. So many of these types of cases go unreported because of fear. The strength it must have taken for this young woman to tell the truth in the face of threats and adversity is truly incredible, said Scott Perrilloux, 21st Judicial District Attorney. One woman hurt after stray bullet in Baton Rouge shooting hit her home Along with the guilty plea, Sullivan is required to be physically castrated, according to the release. Sex crimes against juveniles are the most malicious crimes we prosecute. I intend on using every tool the legislature is willing to give us, including physical castration, to seek justice for the children in our community, said Assistant District Attorney Brad Cascio. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. Protesters force their way through police cordon before the start of a St George's Day rally in Westminster - Metropolitan Police, Emergency Responder Video via X (formerly Twitter) Police in central London are dealing with disorder ahead of a St Georges Day rally after a group of people forced their way through a cordon. The event is due to begin at 3pm, but Scotland Yard said ahead of the organised gathering there had been disturbances. Additional policing resources, including public order officers, have been deployed in Westminster to deal with any incidents. They are supported by colleagues from the British Transport Police and the City of London Police. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: The event is not due to start for an hour and regrettably officers are already dealing with disorder. There is an area allocated for this event in Richmond Terrace. This group went past it and continued up Whitehall. When officers formed a cordon and asked the group to turn round, they reacted by violently forcing their way through. Mounted officers intervened with horses to restore the cordon. This is a breaking story. More will follow. 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. Today, the Baikal-Amur Mainline largely shapes global logistics for the entire 21st century, President Vladimir Putin stated at a joint meeting in Moscow with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as well as railway veterans and workers on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline, Azernews reports. Emphasizing that Russia gained significant opportunities for the development of Siberia, the Far East, and freight transportation toward the Pacific Ocean thanks to BAM, President Putin noted that the "pivot to the East" became largely possible due to BAM. BEIRUT, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said on Tuesday that its fighters launched a drone attack targeting the Israeli command headquarters of the Golani Brigade and the headquarters of the Egoz Unit north of the city of Acre, in retaliation to the killing of one of its officials in Israeli airstrikes, according to a statement. Stanislaus Surgical Hospital of Modesto notified the county last week that the hospital is likely to close April 30 for an undetermined time, due to a federal agency decision to remove it from the Medicare program. Maria Munoz, human resources director for Stanislaus Surgical, informed Stanislaus Countys chief executive office that almost 200 employee layoffs are anticipated. The hospital said it was aggressively challenging the decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which said the hospital failed to comply with nine conditions of participation in Medicare. The 23-bed short-stay hospital on Oakdale Road has sought support from federal elected officials and the county in an attempt to delay the decision. Hospital employees from administrative assistants to registered nurses and X-ray technicians would be laid off between April 29 and May 1, according to the April 15 letter to the county. We will work with our local healthcare providers to assist with placing as many of our employees as possible, Munoz wrote. The CMS decision April 11 to terminate the for-profit hospital from Medicare was based on two surveys that uncovered health and safety issues that jeopardized patients, the agency said. Many of the allegations detailed in reports totaling 562 pages focused on equipment sterilization, infection control processes and patient safety in the hospital. Medicare reimbursements for patient care are a key source of revenue for hospitals. Some facilities severed from the federal program are able to make extensive corrections and improvements and be restored to the program, but that process can take six months or longer. Stanislaus Surgical Hospital has handled more than 400 elective surgical procedures per month. A temporary closure would require scheduling of surgeries at other facilities. Liz Madison, a spokeswoman for Sutter Health, which owns Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, said Monday a hospital official wasnt available to talk about the impact the hospital closure would have in the area. We have connected with physicians from Stanislaus Surgical Hospital to evaluate how we can help accommodate procedures from the facility after April 30 so these patients may continue to access care they need, Madison said. Mark Hubbard, a spokesman for Stanislaus Surgical, cited a previous statement in saying the hospital is doing everything it can to continue quality and needed healthcare in the community. Congressmen request that hospital be given more time Rep. John Duarte, R-Modesto, asked for a 45-day extension on the CMS order in a letter Monday to the agencys regional office in San Francisco and to Xavier Becerra, secretary of Health and Human Services. In a letter last week, Duarte and Republican Congressman Tom McClintock also asked Health and Human Services for more time. Duarte claimed the survey process leading to the CMS action was improper and irregular. His letters do not dispute the health and safety allegations of the hospital inspectors but say the hospital wasnt afforded the opportunity to correct deficiencies. We are deeply concerned about the extreme negative impact (that Stanislaus Surgicals) improper Medicare program termination will have on Modesto and its surrounding communities, reads the letter from Duarte and McClintock. Duartes second letter notes that the hospital provided radiology, surgical and preventative screening services to 1,800 patients per month last year and that 60% to 80% of those patients were covered either by Medicare, the health program for seniors, or the states Medi-Cal program. The action to stop Medicare payments to the hospital, effective April 30, also would serve to halt Medi-Cal payments. A follow-up survey completed Feb. 5 concluded that Stanislaus Surgical still was out of compliance with Medicares health and safety standards. Stanislaus Surgical received verbal notice of termination from Medicare three days before a CMS written notice April 11. Mani Grewal, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, said he would prefer that the federal agency give the hospital latitude for coming into compliance with the Medicare standards. If there are some things they need to fix, there is an intermediary process where they can help them get through some of those violations, Grewal said. We feel that is a better position than just shutting them down, especially when we are low on healthcare services in the county. Violations called immediate threat to patients The regulatory surveys in August and February cited numerous violations of health and safety standards including the hospitals handling of patient emergencies after surgeries and issues with infection prevention and control, sterilization processes and governance. The surveys also charged that nurse anesthetists were acting outside their scope of practice. The California Department of Public Health conducted the surveys on behalf of CMS, demanding the hospital make immediate corrections in August regarding endoscope storage, workflow patterns, prevention of cross-contamination and biohazardous waste management. The state inspectors declared the problems were an immediate threat to patients. The findings from follow-up visits in January and February were highly critical of the practices of certified registered nurse anesthetists and the hospitals care of patients who suffered complications after surgery. According to the surveys, inspectors found no records indicating staff provided urgent care to patients who became unstable after surgery, but instead called 911 to have an ambulance take the distressed patients to another hospital. The regulatory inspections found the hospital didnt have a code blue or rapid response team for patients in medical emergencies. Stanislaus Surgical Hospital, which also owns Precision Imaging on McHenry Avenue and a pain management center, hasnt said how long the hospital would be closed after Medicare payments are cut off April 30. This article was originally published in Louisiana Illuminator. State Rep. Beryl Amedee proudly acknowledges she home-schooled her three sons, spending 21 years total as their teacher before going on to advocate for other like-minded parents who eschew traditional educational settings. The Republican from Terrebonne Parish wants to make access to home-schooling easier for other families, but some lawmakers fear her approach will remove all accountability for parents who teach their kids at home. Currently, parents who want to home-school their children must notify BESE when their child enrolls in a home study program. They can use a home study program the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) has approved or opt for a curriculum of their own choice. Either way, home-school students graduate with a diploma thats equivalent to the private school version, and not the state-recognized diploma awarded at public high schools. Help fund stories like this. Donate now! Amedees House Bill 650 would end BESEs approval of home-school curricula, leaving only nonapproved, nonpublic programs. When parents interested in home schooling contact her, Amedee said she spends 45 minutes explaining the options and provides an eight-page document to detail. Her bill would simplify and streamline the process, she said. Jessie Leger, legislative affairs director for Homeschool Louisiana, appeared Wednesday before the House Committee on Education in support of Amedees bill. Her Christian-based organization promotes home schooling and provides support to families who teach their children at home. Ten other states use the one-time notification process that Amedees bill would put in place, Leger said. Just 11 states require approval of home-school curricula, she said. Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, cited her 10 years working for BESE when detailing her issues with Amedees proposal. She recalled reviewing substandard applications from parents who wanted to teach their children at home. I know there were homeschool programs where the person who wrote the notification couldnt even write a sentence, Freiberg said. I just have a lot of concern about not having a standard for homeschools that are approved. Students who complete nonapproved home-school programs could still qualify for TOPS assistance under Amedees bill, even if they dont meet the required ACT score. The language in House Bill 650 mirrors another proposal Amedee has authored that would allow home-schooed students to receive TOPS if their grade-point average in TOPS core curriculum classes meets scholarship standards. Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, asked Amedee about the lack of accountability in a nonapproved home-school program, to which she responded that state public schools currently arent accountable to parents. Amedee also touted that her bill would also officially shed the dropout label from students who move from public schools to home schooling, a designation she said hurts traditional schools during performance evaluations. There was some confusion among lawmakers as to whether home-schooled students were eligible for proposed education savings accounts (ESAs), which would give state money to families who opt against putting their children in public schools. The current versions of the House and Senate ESA bills do not give students in home study programs, both approved and nonapproved, access to the funds, though Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, has proposed amendments to his Senate Bill 313 that would allow ESAs to used for home schooling. The House ESA proposal heads next to the Senate Committee on Education, and the Senate bill still needs review from its finance committee. The House Education Committee narrowly approved Amedees bill, 7-6, with chair Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, breaking a tie vote. Republicans cast all seven votes in favor. The no votes included GOP representatives Freiberg and Michael Melerine, R-Shreveport, who formerly held a BESE seat that his wife now holds. Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and Twitter. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) On Tuesday, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector (SAI) Cindy Byrd released the an audit for FY 2022, and determined that the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) has not been acting in the best interest of taxpayers. The Federal Single Audit of expenditures made during FY 2022 includes findings that show OMES has violated the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Acta statute that requires the office to conduct a competitive bidding process with potential vendors. The bidding process is intended to ensure that vendors are providing the state, and cities and counties within the state, with the highest quality services for the best possible price. According to Byrd, OMES violated this statute by awarding no-bid contracts at a set cost to contracts instead of following the bid process to secure the best service at the best cost. OMES also reportedly violated Oklahoma law by issuing payment to contractors before verifying any work had been completed. Byrd also says that, in some instances, they were unable to determine if the work had been performed for vendor contracts that had been paid for. Federal Single Audit Cindy Byrd, Image courtesy KFOR Byrd reached the following conclusion as a result of the findings from the audit: In my opinion, Oklahoma is rapidly becoming a no-bid state. This is a grave disservice to every Oklahoman. The Rolling Solicitation design allows for circumvention of financial safeguards and could place potentially better State vendors at an unfair disadvantage. The Office of State Auditor has learned through its audit that questionable conduct has led to an abuse of taxpayer dollars and I am sounding the alarm. I am also respectfully asking the Legislature to take the following three steps to protect the taxpayers of Oklahoma: -Investigate the Rolling Solicitation process employed by OMES. -Investigate the revenue stream associated with the Rolling Solicitation process and determine if this has created an incentive for not complying with sound competitive bidding procedures. -Review the growing list of exemptions to competitive bidding laws that do not protect taxpayer dollars. The State is 100% responsible for following federal guidelines and ensuring any recipients or subrecipients comply with the terms of Federal grants. Oklahoma taxpayers could be forced to return millions of dollars to the Federal government. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a statement calling for the resignation of Secretary of Tourism Shelley Zumwalt following the audits release. The audit findings released today show troubling and all too familiar patterns of mismanagement, costing taxpayers millions as a result. Todays report confirms my previous order of an investigative audit of OMES, which is sorely needed and long overdue. One of the most egregious findings is the wholly inappropriate and potentially unlawful actions of Secretary Shelley Zumwalt, who used her position as executive director of OESC to approve millions of dollars in contracts for a software company where her husband was a vice president. This level of self-dealing represents an unforgiveable breach of trust that disqualifies Ms. Zumwalt from overseeing the expenditure of our tax dollars. She should resign immediately and cooperate fully with my office as I seek to determine whether any Oklahoma statutes were violated. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond The full audit can be viewed here. Zumwalt sent this statement late Tuesday afternoon. The Auditors report is misleading. Ive never had a conversation with Auditor Byrd or her team regarding this matter. A thorough review of this situation would have easily cleared up any confusion on the many sign-offs and disclosures that happened well before I was named executive director of OESC. Transparency has always been a top priority of mine, and I will not be resigning. Shelley Zumwalt, Secretary of Tourism, Wildlife & Heritage For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. The U.S. State Department appears to have contradicted itself on whether Israel is held to a different moral standard than Hamas. Yesterday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that there was no "double standard" of expectations for either side of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. "Do we have a double standard? The answer is no," Blinken said Monday while discussing the department's report on human rights violations in the region. BIDEN ADMIN NOTES 'URGENT' CONCERN OVER ISRAEL IN GAZA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, speaks at a press conference at the G7 foreign ministers' meeting. He continued, "As this report makes clear, in general, as we're looking at human rights and the condition of human rights around the world, we apply the same standard to everyone." Ambassador David Satterfield, the State Department's special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues, however, seemed to directly contradict this assertion on Tuesday, saying that there is indeed a different standard of behavior expected from Israel in the conflict. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "Now with respect to Israel, we require from Israel because it is the right and moral thing to do a very different standard of conduct," Satterfield told reporters during a press conference. FETTERMAN HAMMERS 'A--HOLE' ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS, SLAMS OWN PARTY FOR RESPONSE TO IRANIAN ATTACK: 'CRAZY' Amb. David Satterfield, the State Department's special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues, speaks at a Senate Foreign Relations hearing. He continued, "And as I noted in my remarks, the president made clear on his visit to Israel shortly after Oct. 7, it's not just strategically important for you to do this. It's the morally right thing to do. It is the reflection of what Israel is a democracy with values." The State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices highlighted Israel prominently, featuring concerns over the country's precautions to minimize the civilian toll of Palestinians on the first page, which is normally reserved for the most egregious of human rights abusers. In the report's preface, Blinken addressed human rights concerns about the war between Israel and terrorist group Hamas prior to either Iran or the Taliban in Afghanistan. Israeli army battle tanks move into an area along the border with the Gaza Strip and southern Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and the militant group Hamas. The secretary of state explained that the U.S. has "made clear" that Israel needs to follow international law "and take every feasible precaution to protect civilians." Blinken emphasized that the department is still "urgently" raising concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza during the war. The U.S. also "repeatedly" brought up concerns about humanitarian aid access in Gaza, civilian displacement and "unprecedented" journalist deaths, the report noted. Israel was mentioned before the Biden administration's State Department addressed "ongoing and brutal human rights abuses in Iran" or "the Talibans systemic mistreatment of and discrimination against Afghanistans women and girls." Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson contributed to this report. Original article source: State Department contradicts claim of 'same standard' for Israeli, Hamas conduct GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A group of Michigan state lawmakers is urging the Department of Natural Resources to use common sense as it explores whether to bring criminal charges against a hunter who unknowingly killed a gray wolf earlier this year in Calhoun County. DNR exploring criminal charges against hunter who shot wolf State Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay, who represents parts of St. Clair and Macomb counties, penned a letter to the agency saying criminal charges wont alleviate any of the issues that led to the incident. The endangered animal was reportedly shot and killed in January. The hunter, who was with a guide and about 300 miles away from any known gray wolf habitat, told the DNR that they thought it was a coyote. However, some experts say it was apparent that the animal was not a coyote. DNR large carnivore specialist Brian Roell told Bridge Michigan that he only needed one look at the photos to know it wasnt a coyote. As the wolf population has grown, there has been increasing interactions between wolves and human populations particularly in rural Upper Peninsula communities where livestock is raised, DeBoyer wrote in the letter. Punishing Michigan hunters and farmers will not alleviate the issues we are facing. I am hoping common sense and a commitment to solutions will come of this event not criminal charges that will impact someone for the rest of their life. Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter Twenty-five other legislators co-signed DeBoyers letter to the DNR, including state Reps. Joseph Fox, R-Fremont; Pat Outman, R-Six Lakes; Bryan Posthumus, R-Rockford; and Angela Rigas, R-Alto. According to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, any person who knowingly kills an endangered animal faces up to one year in prison and a $50,000 fine. Gray wolves are only allowed to be legally killed if there is a direct and immediate threat to human life. DNR data shows virtually no gray wolf activity in Michigans lower peninsula over the last several decades. DNR looking for volunteers to monitor water quality on inland lakes A wolf that had been radio collared was captured and killed in Presque Isle County in October 2004, making it the first wild wolf found in the Lower Peninsula in several decades. Track surveys in 2011 and 2015 found some signs. Biologists with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians found scat and spotted a wolf on a trail camera in 2014, however, no other genetic verification has been found since. The DNR plans to do another survey next winter. (A negative survey result) doesnt mean that one doesnt exist down there. Anything like that. Its just that theyre at such low occurrence that we arent able to detect them at this time, Roell told News 8 last week. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Credit - Photo-Illustration by TIME; Getty Images New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver was at a conference on election security last year when she had what she describes as an "oh crap, this is happening" moment. The potential for AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes to disrupt this years national elections was the "hottest topic among election administrators" at the event, Toulouse Oliver says, with one terrifying scenario unfolding after another in conversations. As her states top election official, she realized time was running out to set up New Mexicos defenses ahead of this years vote. That was really my wake-up call, she says. Thanks in part to that epiphany, New Mexico enacted a new law last month requiring political campaigns to disclose whenever they use AI in their ads, and making it a crime to use AI-generated content to intentionally deceive voters. The focus on malicious intent was key, says Toulouse Oliver. "We're cognizant of the First Amendment and we don't want to unfairly penalize folks," she says. These new measures will go hand-in-hand with a new public campaign to raise awareness about AI content targeting voters, which will incorporate TV, radio, billboards and a digital campaign. Toulouse Olivers efforts are part of a larger trend. Skeptical that the federal government and social media companies will impose significant guardrails on AI content ahead of November's election, state and local officials have moved quickly to take matters into their own hands. More than 100 bills have recently been introduced or passed in 39 state legislatures that contain provisions to restrict the potential for AI-altered or generated election disinformation, according to an analysis by the Voting Rights Lab, a group that tracks voting legislation. "2024 is the first American presidential election year at the intersection of this heightened election-related mis- and disinformation, and the rapid growth of AI-generated content," says Megan Bellamy, vice president of law and policy at Voting Rights Lab. This year's elections, not only in the U.S., but across the world, will serve as a test case of the impact of widely available new generative AI tools, which have made it cheaper, faster and easier than ever before to mass produce altered content. Facing a potential avalanche of voting-related disinformation, state lawmakers have grappled with a variety of approaches to shield voters or penalize those who create and disseminate this content while balancing First Amendment and other legal protections. With regulation of AI content in its early stages, experts say some of the language in the new bills is legally ambiguous and may be hard to enforce. Read More: Hackers Could Use ChatGPT to Target 2024 Elections "AI-generated content...targeted strategically because of our election landscape could still do significant damage," says Bellamy, noting some states may feel the impact more than others. "AI-generated content is created to grab voters attention, and that alone could lead to chaos and confusion even if there are efforts to try to mitigate the harm." Many of these laws, like New Mexicos, focus on transparency by requiring disclosures about the use of AI in election-related content. The Florida legislature passed a similar bill in March, requiring a disclaimer on political ads noting that they were "created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligence." This applies to all content, including audio, video, text, images or other graphics. (The bill is still awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature). Many bills also seek to penalize those who use AI tools to intentionally spread misleading content. A bill signed by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers last month imposes a $1000 fine on any group affiliated with a political campaign that fails to add a disclaimer to AI-created or altered content, although it's less restrictive as it does not address disinformation spread by groups that are not tied to campaigns. In Arizona, lawmakers have been debating several approaches, including a bill that would allow candidates for public office to sue the creators of "digital impersonations" created without their consent. For many state officials, last year's widespread adoption of ChatGPT and other popular AI tools was a wake-up call to the destructive potential the programs could have on the upcoming elections. "The big leap forward with ChatGPT really got people talking in a way they hadn't before about the many applications of AI and what aspects of our national life are particularly vulnerable," says Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. "AI is not a new and independent threat in and of itself, but it is a means to amplify existing threats in a way we wouldn't even have thought seriously about five years ago." In the spring of 2023, Minnesota became one of the first states to ban the use of AI-generated content in election materials. The new statute prohibits the dissemination of such content if it is created with the intent of hurting a candidate within 90 days of an election. It also criminalizes the dissemination of AI-generated content like deepfakes without the consent of the person depicted. As part of his efforts, Simon has held election security trainings with officials from all of the state's 50 counties, which includes a focus on combating and educating voters about AI-generated content. More from TIME "I'm cautiously optimistic about our ability to neutralize its effects," says Simon. Minnesota's new law "is serving notice not just to people who disseminate this, but to the public as well that this is something worth watching and paying attention to." While the terms "misinformation" and "disinformation" have become heavily politicized since the 2020 election, with many conservative lawmakers reflexively opposing legislation seeking to curb the spread of false information related to voting, state officials say that bills related to AI-generated content have largely been met with bipartisan support. "Very interestingly, there was very little pushback to the legislation," says Simon. Despite the flurry of new bills, state officials say they know these efforts are a drop in the bucket. It can take a few clicks to create AI-generated content that reaches millions, and days or weeks to verify and track it down. Many officials say that in tandem with legislative efforts, they have been spending significant resources on public awareness campaigns meant to increase voters' skepticism of and resilience to manipulated content, and to raise the visibility of accurate information about the voting process. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs says he has watched closely as AI-generated content has drastically improved in recent yearsfirst with fascination, then with deepening alarm. There was the fake but convincing Richard Nixon created by MIT researchers admitting to a failed moon landing, a fake President Volodymyr Zelensky surrendering during the start of Russia's invasion in 2022, and, more recently, a fake President Joe Biden telling New Hampshire voters not to vote in the primaries. "I was looking at the feds going, 'Man, I really hope they do something,' Hobbs says. But they weren't. So we did it at the state level." It took two years, but last May Washington's state legislature passed a law that requires advertisers to disclose when election-related material is created or altered by AI, and allows candidates targeted by AI-altered content to sue for damages. Hobbs sees it as a small but necessary step, but notes that the law does little to protect against election manipulation by state actors or foreign entities: "I wanted to do more." His counterparts agree the challenges remain considerable. "I'm not going to pretend that regulating this is going to be easy, it's a whole new area," says Toulouse Oliver, the New Mexico Secretary of State, adding that she hopes at least the new measures will help catch the worst violators as the election season progresses. "We're in a brave new world." Write to Vera Bergengruen at vera.bergengruen@time.com. The United Steelworkers union (USW) filed unfair labor practice charges against the University of Pittsburgh administration on Monday. The charges were filed with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) and come after the University of Pittsburgh administration failed to respond to the unions requests of information for their contract bargaining, according to a press release. The union has represented about 3,400 members of the Pitt facility since they unionized in 2021. Union members and the administration have been bargaining for more than a year to reach a first contract, but the union says they have been dealing with delayed responses from the administration. The faculty union could have a contract agreement in place already, if it were not for the administrations repeated delay tactics, Bernie Hall said, director of USW District 10, which includes more than 50,000 Steelworkers union members across the state of Pennsylvania. In fact, weve reached the point where we are in agreement on every point, aside from one section that would give the administration the unilateral authority to withhold pay increases in the event of a loss of enrollment or funding. The information the union has been asking for is related to contract proposals for pay and benefits. The union filed charges with PLRB against the administration last fall for similar issues. The University of Pittsburgh is a world-class institution precisely because of the hard-working faculty and staff, said Hall. Its past time for the administration to stop drawing out the bargaining process with unnecessary delays and return to the bargaining table to finalize an agreement that is fair to both sides. The University of Pittsburgh says they have been responsive to the Steelworkers union. While the University has not yet received the unfair labor practice charge and cannot comment on the specific filing, Jared Stonesifer, Senior Director of External Communications, said. We have continued to work with the union to provide all responsive information in a timely fashion, and regularly communicated with the union regarding the status of their requests. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Body found in abandoned Aliquippa building identified as missing woman Several businesses damaged after fire tears through Westmoreland County shopping center This one hurts: Rapper Chris King, 32, killed in Nashville shooting VIDEO: Some parents against plan to consolidate Pittsburgh Public Schools DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Elise Stefanik is demanding the Biden administration revoke Columbia Universitys federal funding for what she says is the school's failure to protect Jewish students amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests that have engulfed the campus over the past week. In addition to asking Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to penalize the institution, the no. 4 House Republican also wants other federal agency leaders to become involved. Stefanik (N.Y.) wants Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland to use their agencies to crack down on anyone calling for terrorism and violent attacks by revoking visas and deporting international students who have been suspended for their involvement in the protests. You have the ability and authority to put a stop to this and take concrete steps to hold accountable those responsible, Stefanik wrote Tuesday in a letter to all three agency heads, adding that if you do not take action to stop the ongoing madness, you are equally complicit in allowing it to persist. Students across the country have launched Gaza solidarity protests in recent days that have included encampments on prominent campus lawns, occupying buildings and walkouts. Several demonstrations, including at New York University, Columbia and Yale University, have led to the mass arrests of students, faculty and other protesters. More than 100 students and some faculty have been arrested for protesting in support of Palestinians in Gaza after Columbia President Minouche Shafik called local law enforcement to step in. Some groups, including the American Association of University Professors, have slammed her decision to squash the protests. And lawmakers, including Stefanik, have been calling on Shafik to resign. The encampment at Columbia is ongoing, and Shafik has opted to move instruction partially online for the rest of the semester. Stefanik tore into Shafiks decision to move classes to a hybrid model, saying that she is allowing the protesters to further disrupt learning. Due to her lack of action, President Shafik has ceded control of campus and is failing to provide the equal protections guaranteed for students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Stefanik wrote in her Tuesday letter. All schools that receive federal funds must comply with Title VI, a federal law that bars discrimination based on shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics or national origin. Schools that violate the law are at risk of losing their federal funding if they do not comply. Being stripped of federal funding, including access to federal student aid, is one of the worst consequences an institution can face. It would also be an unprecedented step for the Education Department to take. Cardonas Office for Civil Rights, however, has the authority to do it. Look, if an institution refuses to follow the law to protect students, we would withhold dollars, Cardona said in an interview on CNN in November, though he signaled at the time it was unlikely his agency would strip schools of their funding. On Tuesday, Cardona weighed in for the first time on the situation, saying on X, formerly Twitter, that he is deeply concerned by what is happening at Columbia University and that his agency already launched an investigation into the institution in November. Still, Stefanik is demanding the department immediately publish its investigation findings and hold the institution accountable. Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable, Cardona said on X, adding that he could not weigh in on pending investigations. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) During the summer, many children along the Gulf Coast struggle to know where their next meal will come from. Jacob Palmer from Palmers Toyota joined WKRGs Stock the Pantry campaign, a partnership with Feeding the Gulf Coast to help provide meals for children along the Gulf Coast during the summer. Palmers Toyota is accepting donations of non-perishable food until April 29. Click here for a list of drop-off locations and more information on Stock the Pantry. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. String of arsons on South Side prompts warning from Chicago police String of arsons on South Side prompts warning from Chicago police CHICAGO Police are offering a warning to South Side residents after a string of arsons. Authorities say they are investigating five fires that were set between Wednesday, March 27, and Sunday, April 21, in the citys Grand Crossing neighborhood. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Officers say during each incident, someone intentionally set fires to trash receptacles in alleys in the neighborhood. The fires then spread to nearby homes and garages. This embedded content is not available in your region. Chicago police provided the following list of times and locations where the fires were set: 6800 block of South Indiana Avenue on Wednesday, March 27 at 11:11 p.m. Grand Crossing 6800 block of South Michigan Avenue on Wednesday, March 27 at 1:01 a.m. Grand Crossing 300 block of East 70th Street on Sunday, April 21 at 9:15 p.m. Grand Crossing 6900 block of South Prairie Avenue on Sunday, April 21 at 9:45 p.m. 300 block of East 70th Street on Sunday, April 21 at 9:45 p.m. Officers were not able to provide details on a potential suspect. Police advised residents to remain aware of the situation and notify neighbors and friends who frequent the area about the arson string. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines Chicago police also advised residents to report any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activity immediately. If surveillance video of the incidents is available, residents should make sure to save it for detectives. Anyone with information on the fires is asked to contact the CPD Arson Section at 312-746-7618. Those with information that could help detectives 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. DHAKA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh and Qatar on Tuesday signed five agreements and five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance cooperation between the two countries. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and visiting Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani witnessed the signing ceremony held at the Prime Minister Office in Dhaka. The agreements span various areas, including the avoidance of double taxation and fiscal evasion, cooperation in legal matters, shipping, mutual investment promotion and protection, and the establishment of a joint business council. The MoUs encompass cooperation in the fields of manpower employment, ports, education, scientific research, youth and sports, and diplomatic training. Qatar's emir arrived here on Monday for a two-day state visit to boost cooperation with Bangladesh. MORA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) Two years later, victims are still struggling to recover from the states largest, most destructive wildfire in New Mexicos history. The government-sparked Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Wildfire burned through more than 341,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of homes, and displaced families across northern New Mexico. This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Pam Abreu shares her story about challenges shes faced since losing the family home her father built. Its not a comforting process for people who desperately need comforting, Abreu said. Pam Abreus family home before the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Wildfire Pam Abreus family home after the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Wildfire Antonia Roybal-Mack, an attorney representing wildfire victims, also explains why dozens of New Mexicans are suing FEMA. This is not an entitlement program where these people are getting some type of government benefit, said Roybal-Mack. They burned these peoples homes down and they need to pay them for that. Are victims being repaid quickly enough? Where are families living now? How are generational homes being valued? Those questions and more are discussed in this weeks episode. Roybal-Mack argues one of the biggest challenges is trying to place a dollar value on homes that wouldve never been for sale in the first place. My family ranch was never for sale, it would have never been sold, said Roybal-Mack. I have nine siblings, it could have gone on forever. How do you value a generational loss? Thats a huge problem. Listen to the full discussion above or wherever you get your podcasts. Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Podcast every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Podbean among others. Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term KRQE or New Mexico News Podcast (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post. If you have a question, comment, or suggestion as to who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. A version of this essay originally appeared in the Thomas B. Fordham Institutes Advance newsletter. To gauge the magnitude of global learning loss during the pandemic, a team at the World Bank examined data from the Program for International Student Assessment, which tests 15-year-olds in math, reading and science, from 2018-22. Among the reports many notable insights is a counterintuitive finding about outcomes: In countries with the longest closures, high-achieving students experienced larger learning losses than their low- and medium-achieving peers. Harry Anthony Patrinos, one of the authors, explained it like this in a Fordham Institute piece last month: In countries with school closures of average duration about 5.5 months learning losses were similar for low-, average- and high-achieving students. However, in countries with shorter closures, the best students experienced minimal setbacks, with the learning losses mostly being incurred by average- and low-achieving students. In countries with longer closures, the largest learning losses were experienced by high-achieving students. Help fund stories like this. Donate now! And these achievement drops were sizable. In countries with the longest closures, the low-achieving students lost around 16 to 17 points, note the authors, while those at the top of achievement distribution lost 25 points or more. Learning loss estimates depending on student achievement quantiles and the length of closures The U.S., at least as a whole, avoided this outcome, despite very lengthy closures in some places. U.S. learning losses by achievement group match the average of countries participating in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which administers the PISA exam. Patrinos told me this means low achievers lost more than high achievers. But perhaps thats because decisions were so locally determined and politically charged, with, for example, big red states like Florida and Texas keeping kids in classrooms far more than big blue states like California and New York. Related A Nation At Risk: Amid COVID Learning Loss, Concerns About Students Left Behind Indeed, because of this state autonomy, the U.S. was only one of three countries in the report that had zero full closures, per UNESCO, which defined these as government-mandated closures of educational institutions affecting most or all of the student population and tracked them worldwide throughout the pandemic. Whatever the causes are, however, theyre beyond the scope of the report and my powers of divination, and speculation has limited value. Some takeaways and consequences, however, are worth exploring. World Bank Group Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that being in school appears to be quite valuable for high achievers learning. This runs counter to cynical assumptions that these students attain their level of achievement primarily because of out-of-school factors like household income, parent education level and various forms of evening, weekend and summer enrichment. Of course, these things play a significant role, but the reports findings suggest that classroom instruction is integral to the magnitude of these students achievement. If what happens in school matters for high achievers even more than for others, it follows that these students will not be fine regardless of the type of instruction they receive. If formal schooling benefits high achievers this much, then the quality of that schooling teachers, curriculum, rigor, etc. likely matters greatly as well. This is another way of saying that advanced education programs designed to maximize the achievement of these students are worth pursuing, and efforts to curb or scrap them are quite damaging. Related The Terrible Truth: Current Solutions to COVID Learning Loss Are Doomed to Fail Think of what these learning losses among high achievers mean for them, their nations and the world. First, the students themselves. All children deserve an education that meets their needs and enhances their futures. They have their own legitimate claim on leaders consciences, sense of fairness and policy priorities. When ill-considered policies and adult preferences led to pandemic-related school closures in many countries that were far longer and more numerous than necessary, all students were harmed, but none worse than those who had been high achievers. Other significant costs were levied against countries (and perhaps U.S. states) long-term competitiveness, security and innovation which translate to global impacts, too. High achievers are the young people most apt to become tomorrows leaders, scientists and inventors, and to solve current and future critical challenges. Most economists agree that a nations economic vitality depends heavily on the quality and productivity of its human capital and its capacity for innovation. While the cognitive skills of all citizens are important, thats especially the case for high achievers. Using international test data, for example, economists Eric Hanushek and Ludger Woessmann estimate that a 10 percentage point increase in the share of top-performing students within a country is associated with 1.3 percentage points higher annual growth of that countrys economy, as measured in per-capita gross domestic product. Recall that the World Banks PISA analysis focused on math scores. Considerable research suggests that math skills better predict future earners and other economic outcomes than other skills learned in high school, and, as the Wall Street Journal has observed in reference to U.S. NAEP results, math proficiency in eighth grade is one of the most significant predictors of success in high school. This suggests that the huge drops shown in the PISA data may reverberate through the rest of these students lives, their countries futures and even the fate of the globe. Bottom line: Leaders must not minimize the importance of formal education and, by extension, the value of advanced programming for high-achieving students. At a time when these opportunities are under attack, schools have lost their sense of purpose and families relationship with education seems to have become optional, the costs are much too high. Wildlife officials announced the discovery of a sturgeon that traveled a record 651 miles down the Mississippi River system. A lake sturgeon with a Wisconsin tag was recently spotted at the Lock 26 Dam on the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, according to an April 22 Facebook post from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Our biologists confirmed that this sturgeon was initially tagged on the Chippewa River and swam at least 651 miles from Jim Falls, DNR officials said. That impressive journey is the longest-known distance a Chippewa River lake sturgeon has traveled! Officials said the sturgeon was initially tagged at least 10 years ago and possibly as long as 25 years ago, but more precise date and location information was unavailable. Lake sturgeon can live to be 100 years old with females reaching 150 and are known to travel great distances, migrating 300 miles or more throughout contiguous bodies of water, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. No federal protections for lake sturgeon The species itself is about 100 million years old, emerging around the time the dinosaurs went extinct, according to Wisconsin officials. Despite their longevity, overharvesting and habitat degradation have significantly reduced sturgeon populations around the world, including in the Midwestern United States. However, on Monday, April 22, federal wildlife officials announced that lake sturgeon dont need Endangered Species Act protections, citing the success of stocking efforts. The decision ends the Center for Biological Diversitys 2018 petition to list lake sturgeon as an endangered or threatened species. Sturgeon spearing seasons in Wisconsin and Michigan will continue as a result. Shark species that may be worlds largest predatory fish is a rare sight, NOAA says Bucket biologist blamed for introducing fish into Utah reservoir. Why thats illegal River monster caught by 15-year-old may be Ohio state record. Fish of a lifetime Oklahoma father 'hunted' his own family, left one child, 10, alive: 'Nothing short of a massacre' Oklahoma father 'hunted' his own family, left one child, 10, alive: 'Nothing short of a massacre' This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). A 10-year-old child woke up after his father "hunted" down his older brothers and mom in a disturbing murder-suicide inside a suburban Oklahoma home, police said. Jonathon Candy, 42, had an argument with his wife, Lindsay, which spiraled out of control. He grabbed a gun and fatally shot his wife "multiple times" and "systematically went through the home shooting the children," Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight said. Responding officers found the 10-year-old outside alive, but his brothers Dylan, 18, Ethan, 14, and Lucas, 12 were all killed before Jonathan turned the gun on himself, according to police. "Make no mistake. What happened in that residence was nothing short of a massacre," Knight said during a Tuesday press conference. "The children were hunted down and killed." FBI LAYS OUT 4 VITAL STEPS FOR SPEAKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT TRAUMA, CRISIS READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The Candy Family issued a statement to news outlets. "Our entire family has been left shattered and confused with so many questions we wont ever have answers to," the family said. "Jonathon was the one whose jokes and goofy attitude kept everyone smiling. "Aside from these events, his children and wife were his entire life. I simply cant fathom what went on but please, hug your family tight. Its going to be a very long healing process for everyone affected." AT LEAST 3 FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS RANDOMLY ATTACKED IN 30 MINUTES PART OF SPIKE IN ON-CAMPUS CRIMES Unfathomable confusion shrouded the murders for hours after responding officers found the dead family Monday morning and a 10-year-old boy outside the house. Knight described the scene inside the Yukon, Oklahoma, home as "carnage." "It remains a mystery as to what caused Mr. Candy to murder his wife and three of his children," according to police, which said there were no previous domestic incidents at the Yukon, Oklahoma home, a suburb of Oklahoma City. A father killed his wife and three sons in a murder-suicide in this home in Yukon, Okla. It's even more puzzling why he left his youngest child alive. "It's something we'll never know," Knight said. Edgar Felix, a neighbor to the Candy family, told KOCO News 5, a local ABC affiliate, that it's "mind-blowing. In a house too, no less." "It makes you wonder what kind of activity happened in that house," Felix said. WATCH TUESDAY'S FULL PRESS CONFERENCE Two of the victims were current students in the Mustang Public School District, and the oldest son graduated last year. School Superintendent Charles Bradley said, "We are shocked, and our hearts are broken; this tragedy simply defies understanding." TEACHER'S CHILDREN FOUND WITH SLAIN MOM AFTER DISGUISED HUSBAND KIDNAPPED THEM: POLICE "It is with a very heavy heart that I share some very sad news with all of you," Bradley said in a statement on Monday. "We confirmed that a tragedy occurred at a home within our District, and we can now confirm the deaths of two of our students (a 6th-grade student attending Meadow Brook Intermediate and a 9th-grade student attending Mustang High School) along with a recent (2023) MPS graduate. "While this has been a very difficult year for the MPS Family, both students and adults may struggle with managing their feelings and reactions to this news." Two victims of a murder suicide in an Oklahoma suburb were students in the Mustang Public School District, and another victim graduated from high school last year. Bradley said the district organized a crisis response team and urged parents to monitor their children's behavior, even if they didn't know the victims. "Feelings of anger, hurt, guilt and sadness are natural," he said. "Common grief reactions include sleep disturbances, temporary loss of appetite, anxiety and fears about the health and safety of friends and family. "Some suggestions for dealing with your childs questions and concerns include: Listen to your children and let them know that you are available to answer questions and be there for them at any time. Encourage your children to express their feelings and talk about your own feelings." The school district listed resources, including this website to help with these difficult conversations. "As the greater Mustang school community processes this news, we would like you to know that students of Mustang Public Schools have access to counseling support," he said. "To utilize these services, students/families should simply contact their school counselor or administrator. "We are here to help and partner with you. This is a difficult time for everyone, but I know our students and staff will lean on each other through this time." Original article source: Oklahoma father 'hunted' his own family, left one child, 10, alive: 'Nothing short of a massacre' Who will succeed Pops Barnes on Columbus Council? State legislators back one candidate Three state legislators representing Columbus have written a letter to the mayor and city councilors advocating for former state Rep. Calvin Smyre to be appointed to the council in place of Jerry Pops Barnes, who died April 14. In the April 17 letter, written on Georgia General Assembly stationery, state Sen. Ed Harbison, state Rep. Carolyn Hugley and state Rep. Teddy Reese explain their rationale. They say the council should appoint someone who has: Demonstrated understanding of intergovernmental works. History of working with or in a legislative body. Exceptional experience creating, debating and managing a multimillion-dollar or more budget. Understanding of the Columbus Consolidated Government and would have a very little to no learning curve. Experience working with the current councilors. The state legislators say they wrote this letter after being contacted by a great number of citizens who have respectfully requested that we, as their state leaders, express those desires. State Rep. Calvin Smyre of Columbus addresses the Georgia General Assemblys House on April 4, 2021. Barnes was the District 1 representative on the 10-member council. He was a Columbus Councilor for 17 years. He served 23 months of his current four-year term. The city charter says the council appoints someone to fill the remainder of a councilors term if at least a year-and-a-half of that term has been served. Muscogee County elections director Nancy Boren told the Ledger-Enquirer it is too late at least 90 days are needed for a District 1 special election to be on the May 21 ballot, when the even-numbered seats on the council will be up for election. So the person the council appoints to represent District 1 will serve until the May 2026 election. The Ledger-Enquirer tried to contact each councilor to find out their thinking about the appointment to replace Barnes. None of the councilors wanted to discuss candidates on the record, but Smyre and retired Columbus police officer Byron Hickey are the two names that were mentioned as possibilities. In 2010, a federal jury awarded Hickey $306,000 in a lawsuit claiming the city officials discriminated against him because he spoke out against racial and gender bias. Byron Hickey speaks during a special called meeting of Columbus Council on Feb 28, 2023 in Columbus, Georgia. Smyre represented Columbus in the Georgia House for 48 years until 2022. He served as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He is president emeritus of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and a former member of the National Conference of State Legislators. In 1986, Smyre was appointed as the governors administrative floor leader, and in 2001, he was appointed chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia becoming the first African American to hold both positions. In 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Smyre to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The nomination is pending in the U.S. Senate. In 2023, Biden nominated Smyre as one of five U.S. representatives to the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Asked for his reaction to the letter and whether he would accept the appointment if Columbus Council approves, Smyre emailed the Ledger-Enquirer the following statement Tuesday afternoon: While I was still grieving from the passing of my father; I was deeply saddened when I received the news that my friend, City Councilor Jerry Pops Barnes had passed. My deepest sympathy and condolences to the entire Barnes Family. Out of respect for his family and the life he lived I want to pay my full respect by celebrating his lifes legacy and service to our community. While I am grateful and honored I strongly feel that its not the time for this discussion until after his (April 25) Celebration of Life. Going forward there will be ample time to consider a path forward. The council agrees. District 7 Councilor Joanne Cogles motion to delay appointing Barnes successor for 30 days unanimously was approved during Tuesday nights meeting. The L-E didnt reach Hickey for comment before publication. A woman holds up a sign as she joins other protestors in a rally against what they perceive to be union busting tactics, outside a Starbucks in Great Neck, New York, demanding the reinstatement of a former employee on August 15, 2022. Credit - Thomas A. FerraraNewsday RM via Getty Images The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared to side with Starbucks in its request to limit the authority of a government labor board in determining whether companies are required to reinstate fired union workers, potentially raising the threshold for those seeking recourse against companies accused of obstructing unionization efforts. The labor law case stems from Starbuckss challenge to a federal district courts 2022 decision ordering the company to rehire seven baristas who claimed they were fired for attempting to unionize at a Memphis store. The Seattle-based coffee chain said the move was legally justified and that the employees were fired for security violations after they allowed TV news crews into the store after closing for interviews about their unionization efforts. But the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency tasked with overseeing labor relations, sided with the workers that they were illegally fired under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and issued a complaint against Starbucks. (Five of the seven workers are still employed at the Memphis store.) During oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the majority of Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared sympathetic to Starbucks' position, suggesting that the NLRB held too much power over the labor dispute in the Memphis case. Justice Neil Gorsuch questioned the NLRBs role in regulating union battles with companies and challenged its authority to force companies to rehire union organizers. "In all sorts of alphabet soup agencies, we don't do this So why is this particular statutory regime different than so many others?" Gorsuch asked, echoing concerns from Starbucks about the consistency and fairness of the legal framework governing labor disputes. Read More: Supreme Court Will Hear Challenge to Idahos Near-Total Abortion Ban The Memphis case has become a focal point in the ongoing struggle between workers rights and corporations, raising a pivotal question about the limits of government intervention in labor disputes and the ability of employees to organize freely. In the companys petition, Starbucks asked the Supreme Court to make it more difficult for the federal government to seek injunctions when a company is accused of violating labor law. The company contends that stricter standards are necessary to ensure a fair and balanced approach to resolving labor disputes, safeguarding the rights of both employers and workers alike. Austin Raynor, the attorney from the Justice Department representing the NLRB, pointed out that the agency pursued the injunctions in only a small fraction of the 20,000 unfair labor charges it received last year. This isnt a case where the board is engaged in abuse or bringing all sorts of claims before courts, Raynor said. His point appeared to convince Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who suggested that this is not sounding like a huge problem. Jackson also appeared sympathetic to NLRBs argument that it was given the authority by Congress to conduct investigations into allegations of unfair labor practices. Were in the context of a statute in which Congress has given the board the ability to determine the merits andat least in the first instancethe ability to make the investigation, Jackson said. The oral arguments took place not long after Starbucks announced in February that it had reached an agreement with the union seeking to organize its U.S. workforce to create a "framework" to guide organizing and collective bargaining and potentially settle pending legal disputes. Hundreds of complaints have been lodged with the NLRB against Starbucks, alleging labor violations like dismissing union advocates, conducting surveillance on employees, and shuttering stores during labor drives. Starbucks has refuted these accusations, asserting its adherence to labor laws and affirming its commitment to upholding employees' freedom to decide on unionization. The focus on labor unions comes amidst a broader resurgence of labor activism, fueled by President Joe Biden's pro-union agenda and recent victories in key industries. More than 400 of Starbuckss 9,600 company-operated U.S. stores have voted to unionize with Starbucks Workers United since late 2021, though none of these stores have reached a labor agreement with Starbucks. Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com. Much of the debate surrounding Moyle v. United Statesa Supreme Court case that will be heard on Wednesday involving abortion in cases of medical emergenciesis confusing and misleading. For example, see this April 9 headline of a Vox article: The Supreme Court will decide if states can ban lifesaving abortions. Although Vox is an openly progressive publication, that characterization of the case isnt far off from the headlines you will read at mainstream outlets such as the Associated Press. At first glance, headlines about whether the Supreme Court will rule on whether states can ban abortions in medical emergencies seem plausible: The Biden administration sued the state of Idaho on the grounds that a 1986 law, the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA), requires hospitals receiving Medicare funding to perform abortions in certain circumstances, and the state of Idaho is indeed fighting the governments interpretation of the law in court. But what is lost in most media coverage of the casewhat makes so many headlines misleading or simply falseis the omission of the crucial fact that the state of Idaho also is arguing that the life-of-the-mother exception in the states abortion ban already covers every example cited in the federal governments Supreme Court brief of a medical emergency that could require the termination of a pregnancy. The U.S. governments brief cites several examples of emergency medical conditions that a pregnant woman can experience before her unborn child is capable of surviving outside of the womb: rupture of the amniotic sac (preterm premature rupture of the membranes), which can result in infection, sepsis, or organ failure; placental abruption, which can result in uncontrollable bleeding or organ disfunction; uncontrollable uterine hemorrhage, which can requir[e] hysterectomy or result in kidney failure requiring lifelong dialysis; and preeclampsia, which can result in the onset of seizures or hypoxic brain injury. John Bursch, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and co-counsel to the state of Idaho in this case, told The Dispatch in a phone interview: Every single instance in the United States brief where they describe a scenario, the womans life is at risk and is thus covered by the states exception. The state of Idahos brief replying to the federal government says (citations omitted): Treatments for ectopic and molar pregnancies are not abortions under Idaho law. And conditions like preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP Syndrome are life-threatening situation[s] for which Idaho law allows life-saving surgery or early delivery. The same is true for sepsis; and for severe heart failurethough in that instance, immediately terminating the pregnancy could be the worst first thing to do for the sake of the health of the mother. Life-saving treatment or a C-section are also permitted for placental abruption. So too for a pregnant woman whose water breaks before her child is viable because Idahos life-of-the-mother exception would apply. This is why the [9th Circuit Court of Appeals] stay panel below had no trouble concluding that every circumstance described by the administrations declarations involved life-threatening circumstances under which Idaho law would allow an abortion. Despite the fact that the state of Idaho is explicitly arguing before the Supreme Court that treatment for such conditions is allowed by the abortion laws exception, some hospitals have delayed treatment in life-threatening circumstances. For example, in an amicus brief supporting the federal government, the largest hospital network in Idaho reports that due to the legal uncertainty surrounding the states abortion law, patients with pre-viable premature rupture of amniotic membranes are now being transferred out of state unless they are at imminent risk of death. Bursch points to a 2023 ruling by the Idaho Supreme Court that should have removed any fear that hospitals might need to wait to provide treatment until a threat was imminent. That 2023 ruling held that the plain language of the abortion statute leaves wide room for the physicians good faith medical judgment on whether the abortion was necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman based on those facts known to the physician at that time. This is clearly a subjective standard, focusing on the particular physicians judgment. Contrary to Petitioners arguments, the statute does not require objective certainty, or a particular level of immediacy, before the abortion can be necessary to save the womans life. Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling in June 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, national pro-life groups have urged state officials across the countryincluding health departments, medical boards, and attorneys generalto formally provide such clarifying guidance to hospitals about what abortion law exceptions permit to protect the life of the mother. Bursch is unaware of any formal guidance issued by Idaho agencies about the aforementioned medical emergencies, but he said the Idaho Supreme Court ruling was a pretty big deal that should have resolved any questions about what was allowed. So where exactly is the disagreement between the federal government and the state of Idaho? In key respects, theyre disputing what they even disagree about. The state of Idaho argues that the Biden administration is trying to stretch EMTALA into a broad mental-health loophole for abortions. We wouldnt even be in court, except for the administrations hope that you can somehow broaden this into something much bigger into something where the mental-health exception kicks in and it becomes abortion on demand in emergency rooms, said Bursch. The Biden administration disputes that argument in its Supreme Court brief: Idaho badly errs in asserting that construing EMTALA according to its terms would turn emergency rooms into federal abortion enclaves by allowing pregnancy termination for mental health concerns. Idaho neither identifies a single case where an emergency-room physician terminated a pregnancy to stabilize a mental-health condition, nor cites any clinical standard identifying termination as necessary stabilizing care in such circumstances. Bursch counters by arguing that mental health is an emergency medical condition that fully falls within the EMTALA framework and that if a pregnant woman showed up at an emergency room threatening suicide she could get an abortion for that reason under the Biden administrations regulations. The definition of health under Roes post-viability health exception notably included mental health, and some states do explicitly allow post-viability abortions for reasons of mental health. Bursch concedes there is, at least theoretically, a conflict between the state laws exception allowing an abortion only when necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman and the Biden administrations claim that EMTALA requires abortion when a pregnant womans physical healthbut not her lifeis threatened. But, Bursch adds, the Biden administration has not actually cited any such health condition that would not be covered by the states life-of-the-mother exception. There is some [difference] between health risk and life risk, but the government hasnt come forward with any examples where thats been implicated, Bursch said. Many state abortion laws exceptions go beyond protecting the life of the mother to also cover cases where there is risk to a major bodily function. But Dr. Ingrid Skop, an obstetrician-gynecologist, tells The Dispatch that any condition that threatens a bodily function should also fall under an exception to save the life of the mother. Anything thats serious enough to destroy [a pregnant womans] kidneys is also serious enough to potentially kill her, she said. Skop, who serves as vice president and director of medical affairs for the Charlotte Lozier Institute, co-authored a paper for the pro-life think-tank in July 2022 that argued all state abortion laws allow doctors to treat serious threats to the mother under long-standing practice guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. If there is daylight between the federal government and the state of Idaho on when abortion is allowed, which side wins out? The Biden administration points to EMTALAs provision that the federal law preempts state law to the extent that the [state law] directly conflicts with a requirement of this section. As explained above, the state of Idaho argues there is no direct conflict over the medical emergencies mentioned in the federal governments brief because treatments for those conditions are allowed under the life-of-the-mother exception in Idahos law. But where there may be daylight, the state of Idaho argues that state law prevails because another provision in federal law that says nothing in the Medicare Act (to which EMTALA is an amendment) authorizes any Federal officer or employee to exercise any supervision or control over the practice of medicine or the manner in which medical services are provided. EMTALAs only purpose was to make sure that people got care, Bursch said. It doesnt direct how care should be provided. We rely on other federal and state limitations to put the boundaries on those types of things. For example, Idaho argues that EMTALA cannot require emergency-room doctors to prescribe a drug illegal under state law even if an emergency-room doctor determines that drug would stabilize an emergency medical condition. In a similar way, an emergency-room doctor could not hypothetically violate a state law prohibiting organ-harvesting if a doctor concluded that an organ transplant was the only way to stabilize a patient experiencing an emergency medical condition. The federal government argues in its Supreme Court brief that if Idahos interpretation of EMTALA is correct, then Idaho or any other State could criminalize pregnancy termination under any or all circumstances, and EMTALA would never require that care. A State could ban termination of ectopic pregnancies. Bursch counters by pointing out that no state law bans treatment of ectopic pregnancies, and he suggests that such a hypothetical ban would be unconstitutional under a rational-basis test. Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted in his Dobbs concurrence: In his dissent in Roe, Justice Rehnquist indicated that an exception to a States restriction on abortion would be constitutionally required when an abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. [] Abortion statutes traditionally and currently provide for an exception when an abortion is necessary to protect the life of the mother. When youre talking about an ectopic pregnancywhere its impossible for the baby to surviveand allowing it to continue to develop in the fallopian tube is going to cause massive harm and likely death to the motherthat wouldnt survive that basic rational-basis test if state would ever try to do that, which is why no state in the union has ever passed a law like that or is likely to do that, Bursch said. But EMTALA doesnt speak to that. Is there any way for the Supreme Court to rule in favor of Idaho without adding to the confusion about whether state abortion laws protect the life of the mother? Bursch says the Supreme Court could explain that Idaho law, as interpreted by the states Supreme Court, does not require a threat to be imminent and allows doctors to exercise good-faith medical judgment in all of the kinds of medical emergencies discussed by the federal government and the state of Idaho in their briefs. That would be wholly within their power, he said. 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. Sandra Munoz of Los Angeles holds a photo of her husband, Luis Asencio Cordero, a Salvadoran who was denied entry to the U.S. in part over his tattoos. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) For the record: 1:22 p.m. April 23, 2024: In a previous version of this article, Luis Asencio Corderos surname was misspelled as Acensio Cordero. Supreme Court justices sounded skeptical Tuesday about siding with a Los Angeles woman who claimed her constitutional rights were violated when the government denied a visa to her Salvadoran husband, in part over his tattoos. While some justices said they agreed that denial of a visa to a U.S. citizens spouse could in theory infringe on the citizens constitutionally protected interests, a majority suggested the government had fulfilled its legal responsibilities in this case. Former resident Luis Asencio Cordero, who is from El Salvador, has been separated from his wife, L.A. civil rights attorney Sandra Munoz, since 2015. The couple sued, arguing the federal government had violated her rights to marriage and due process by failing to provide a timely explanation for denying his visa. Initially, the government said it denied the visa due to concerns that Asencio Cordero would be likely to engage in unlawful activity if he were allowed back into the U.S. Later, the couple learned through their lawsuit that the government believed he was an MS-13 gang member, based on his tattoos as well as an interview and background check. Asencio Cordero denies that his tattoos which depict the comedy and tragedy theater masks, La Virgen de Guadalupe and a tribal design with a paw print are affiliated with a gang. A court-approved gang expert concurred. Read more: A Los Angeles man was denied a green card over his tattoos. The Supreme Court might take up his case The Biden administration is asking the Supreme Court to reverse a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in favor of the couple. Administration lawyers have argued that because Munoz and Asencio Cordero could choose to live outside the U.S., her right to marriage has not been violated. The administration also argued that immigration officials have broad discretion when deciding whom to admit into the country. Administration lawyers also said that requiring the government to disclose specific details about the evidence and intelligence used in such decisions would slow processing, pose a risk to public safety and could chill future information-sharing with foreign partners. A long-established judicial doctrine prevents court reviews of visa determinations except in limited cases. Curtis Gannon, a Biden administration attorney, said Munoz was affected only indirectly by the governments actions. Munoz cannot challenge the denial of her husband's visa application any more than she could challenge a decision at the end of a removal proceeding that he will be removed from the United States, or at the end of a criminal trial that he would be sent to a prison far across the country, Gannon told the justices. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor cited the long history of cases establishing the right to marriage. Assuming Munoz is entitled to protection of that right, she said, the question is what kind of process is enough. Here youre saying shes entitled to nothing, Sotomayor said to Gannon. Why do we have to go that far? Sotomayor and fellow liberal Justice Elena Kagan suggested the government's initial explanation for the denial was too vague. "How does a citation to unlawful activity tell anybody anything?" Sotomayor asked. Other justices appeared to agree that the government had provided sufficient explanation as currently required under the law, and that State Department decisions on visas should not be second-guessed by judges. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., both conservatives, questioned what additional information or explanation should be required of the government if the case were to be sent back to lower courts for further review, as the couple is seeking. "Why are we here?" Gorsuch asked. "I'm not sure what the cause of action here is." Conservative Justice Amy Cony Barrett said case law doesnt require the government to explain more than it already has about the visa denial. I guess I dont see why Justice Gorsuch isn't right, that this is just game over, she said. Kagan agreed, questioning why the case was ongoing given that the couple had already gotten what they'd sought: an explanation of the visa denial. Eric Lee, Munoz's attorney, said the couple want to file a new visa application with evidence refuting the MS-13 membership allegation with assurance that the federal government will review it. A request for reconsideration is limited to one year after a visa denial. Because Asencio Cordero didnt know why he had been denied, Lee argued, the couple missed the opportunity to prove the government wrong. Had they known the government believed he was an MS-13 member, the affidavit they later submitted by a gang expert could have been specifically tailored to explain why his tattoos werent consistent with the notorious gang. It doesn't give us any guarantee, but that's what due process requires," Lee said. Roberts and fellow conservative Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. suggested that Lee's arguments on behalf of the couple appeared contrary to the federal governments right to control who enters the U.S. How do you weigh the liberty interests that you are asserting against the government's interest in denying visas to people who would present a danger when they get to the United States? Alito asked. I don't see how you can avoid the conclusion that that involves weighing what I, at least, see as totally disparate and perhaps unweighable interests, Roberts added. Lee replied that consular officers have heavy caseloads, and what we're asking for is for them to give us enough information to help them make a decision." If the court sides with Munoz, other families could be entitled to some explanation when they are denied visas. But immigrant advocates worry the court's conservative majority could instead strengthen consular officers' broad powers. 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. The Supreme Court appeared to be split on Monday on whether an Oregon citys ordinances that make it illegal to sleep outdoors in public spaces violate the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment. While most of the justices seemed reluctant to constitutionalize local homelessness policies, there was plenty of hesitance about leaving homeless people with no legal recourse. In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, federal courts blocked officials in Grants Pass, Oregon, from enforcing city ordinances that make it a civil violation to sleep outdoors with a blanket. Theane Evangelis, who argued on behalf of the city, faced pointed questions from the courts liberal members about this policy. Presumably, you would not think that its okay to criminalize breathing in public, Justice Elena Kagan noted during one exchange. And for a homeless person who has no place to go, sleeping in public is kind of like breathing in public. It is no surprise that the justices struggled with the issue: Addressing homelessness is a perennially vexing problem for state and local officials across the country. Most of the courts conservative members, for their part, appeared unwilling to draw the federal courts into it. That approach could have dire implications for some of the most vulnerable Americans if the justices green-light laws that effectively criminalize homelessness. But it was unclear exactly how the justices would resolve the case, and a few of the conservative justices appeared uneasy with the prospect of saying the courts should avoid it altogether. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who asked hard questions for both sides, noted at one point that our nation has a history and tradition of not saying you can shunt homeless people or the poor out of your jurisdiction and on to others. The case reached the Supreme Court after years of homelessness litigation on the West Coast. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Martin v. City of Boise in 2019 that states and cities could not enforce criminal anti-camping laws against homeless residents if they had nowhere else to go. The Supreme Court declined to review that decision in 2020, and it remains the law of the land in the Ninth Circuit, which is home to the bulk of the nations homeless population. The Grants Pass ordinances instead focused on the materials that a person might use for sleeping, such as bedding, sleeping bag, or other material used for bedding purposes. The ordinances also made it a civil offense to violate them instead of a criminal one, with offenders racking up hundreds of dollars in fines instead. But failure to pay those fines could ultimately lead to jail time. Drawing upon the Martin precedent, the Ninth Circuit also ruled against the Oregon citys ordinances. The City interprets and applies the ordinances to permit non-homeless people to rest on blankets in public parks while a homeless person who does the same thing breaks the law, Kelsi Corkran, the lawyer representing the homeless persons challenging the law, told the court. The ordinances by design make it physically impossible for homeless people to live in Grants Pass without facing endless fines and jail time. At the heart of the case is a question of what counts as cruel and unusual punishment. In the 1962 case Robinson v. California, the Supreme Court struck down a state law that made it a criminal offense to be addicted to narcotics. The justices, citing the Eighth Amendment, held that it was unconstitutional to punish someone simply for the status of being addicted to narcotics. In Martin, the plaintiffs successfully argued that the same reasoning applied to their status. Any conduct at issue here is involuntary and inseparable from statusthey are one and the same, given that human beings are biologically compelled to rest, whether by sitting, lying, or sleeping, Judge Marsha Berzon wrote for the Ninth Circuit in Martin. As a result, just as the state may not criminalize the state of being homeless in public places, the state may not criminalize conduct that is an unavoidable consequence of being homelessnamely sitting, lying, or sleeping on the streets. Some of the courts members appeared uninterested in applying Robinson to other situations. Chief Justice John Roberts was foremost among them. In a series of questions for Evangelis, he suggested that a homeless person no longer becomes homeless if that person buys a home or finds a home or is given a home or even if they stay overnight at a homeless shelter. Is that consistent with the definition of status in Robinson? he asked, suggesting that he thought the answer was no. Justice Clarence Thomas put that viewpoint even more succinctly. Robinson actually included a crime of, as I read it, either to use narcotics or to be addicted to the use of narcotics, and the Court was concerned about the status of being addicted to the use, he asked at one point. Is there a crime here for being homeless? Other justices took issue with that narrow approach. Could you criminalize the status of homelessness? Kagan asked. Well, I dont think that homelessness is a status like drug addiction, and Robinson only stands for that, Evangelis replied, citing a 1962 precedent at the heart of the case. Well, homelessness is a status. Its the status of not having a home, Kagan noted. Justice Neil Gorsuch suggested that even without the Eighth Amendment to rely upon, a homeless person might be able to invoke other common-law defenses to avoid punishment if they had nowhere else to go. Do you concede that there are instances in which a necessity defense, long recognized at common law, would apply to eating in public, sleeping in public, or other things like that? he asked. Evangelis agreed and claimed that Oregon law already incorporated that defense. That option also seemed appealing to Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the courts median vote. Given the line-drawing problems that weve been going through, if a state has a traditional necessity defense, wont that take care of most of the concerns, if not all, and, therefore, avoid the need for having to constitutionalize an area and have a federal judge superintend this rather than the local community? he asked at one point. Kagan, however, noted that it would still require a certain amount of police interaction with otherwise law-abiding homeless persons. Youre not willing to say no, were going to tell all our police officers that they shouldnt give a citation in that circumstance? she pointedly asked Evangelis. You know, were going to give a citation, and then well see how the courts deal with it, is all youre going to tell me? The courts liberal justices also took issue with the broader implications of overturning the lower courts ruling. Where do we put them if every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a law identical to this? Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked, referring to homeless people. Where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves [by] not sleeping? Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also appeared reluctant to relieve the city from facing Eighth Amendment claims. I mean, suppose the City decided that it was going to execute homeless people, she asked. Very extreme, I know, but it would solve the problems that youre talking about. Do we have an Eighth Amendment issue in that circumstance? Yes. I think there, you look at the punishment, Evangelis replied. Thatagain, here, were looking at the punishment, which is [a] low-level fine That would be both cruel and unusual, wouldnt it? Gorsuch interrupted. Yes, it would be, Evangelis eventually said after briefly dissembling on the matter. Why not just yes to that? he asked. The most likely outcome for the case is that the court adopts the Gorsuch-Kavanaugh-Barrett approach, which would allow homeless people to raise a necessity defense after they receive a citation or are arrested. But the court appeared to be unsettled on whether they should remove the Eighth Amendment from the equation entirely, and that majority may ultimately change while the rulings are drafted. The justices have until the end of June to figure it out. MEXICO CITY, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Mexico is still following through with its offer of political asylum to Ecuador's former vice president Jorge Glas, who remains imprisoned in his home country, Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Barcena said Monday. The official confirmed at a press conference that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador received a letter from Glas sent from a prison in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil, in which the Ecuadorian politician requests Mexico's intervention in his case. This is "what we are doing: going to different agencies, including the Human Rights Council," Barcena told reporters attending the Mexican president's daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. "We continue to take steps ... to have Jorge Glas handed over to us through safe passage," she added. Glas, who was holed up at Mexico's embassy in Quito after applying for asylum, was arrested on April 5 after Ecuadorian police stormed the diplomatic outpost. His arrest, amid accusations of alleged corruption, came just hours after the Mexican government granted him asylum. Mexico subsequently severed ties with Ecuador and closed its embassy there. On April 11, Mexico filed a formal complaint against Ecuador at The Hague-based International Court of Justice, requesting among other things that the Andean country be suspended from the United Nations unless it makes amends for violating international law. Supreme Court to weigh in on how cities address homelessness WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a case that could impact how cities address homelessness. The case drew hundreds of demonstrators to the steps of the court, who chanted housing now as justices heard arguments over whether the city of Grants Pass, Oregon can punish homeless people for camping in public spaces. Can you imagine anything more cruel and unusual than throwing somebody in jail for using a blanket in the middle of the freezing winter? Jesse Rabinowitz with the National Homelessness Law Center said. Demonstrators say fining or jailing homeless people makes it harder for them to find housing. Inside the courtroom, Justice Elena Kagan suggested that Grants Passs laws went too far. It seems like you are criminalizing the status, Kagan said to attorneys. But Chief Justice John Roberts asked if homelessness should be a constitutionally protected status. If someone is homeless for a week, and then finds available shelter, is that person homeless when hes in the shelter? Roberts said. The case comes after a lower court ruled in favor of the homeless population, calling it a cruel and unusual punishment to fine and jail someone who doesnt have anywhere else to go. Grants Pass Attorney Theane Evangelis urged justices to overrule that decision. which has fueled the spread of encampments while harming those it purports to protect, Evangelis said. California Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley says hes seen the impacts in his own state. Kids cant walk to school without dodging needles or waste. Citizens cant go to the park without confronting open drug use, Kiley said. Kiley says a ruling in favor of Grants Pass would help other cities better handle homelessness. A decision on the case is expected later this year. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. FILE - The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, March 7, 2024. Nearly two years after overturning the constitutional right to abortion, the Supreme Court will consider Wednesday how far state abortion bans extend to women in medical emergencies. The justices are weighing a case from Idaho, where a strict abortion ban went into effect shortly after the high courts 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) WASHINGTON (AP) Nearly two years after overturning the constitutional right to abortion, the Supreme Court will consider Wednesday how far state bans can extend to women in medical emergencies. The justices are weighing a case from Idaho, where a strict abortion ban went into effect shortly after the high court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The case marks the first time the Supreme Court has considered a state ban since then, and comes as the justices consider another case still pending seeking to restrict access to abortion medication. The Biden administration argues that hospitals must be allowed to terminate pregnancies in rare emergencies where a patient's life or health is at serious risk, even in states where abortions are banned. Idaho says its law does have an exception for life-saving abortions, and it contends the Biden administration wants to define health emergencies more broadly to turn hospitals into abortion enclaves." Idaho is one of 14 states that now ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy with limited exceptions. Most Republican-controlled states have started enforcing new bans or restrictions since Roe was overturned, and 22 states filed court papers supporting Idaho. The Supreme Court has allowed the Idaho abortion ban to go into effect, even during emergencies, as the case played out. Idaho's ban has already affected emergency care in the state, said Dr. Jim Souza, the chief physician executive of Boise-based St. Lukes Health System. Since the law went into effect for emergencies in January, six pregnant emergency-room patients have had to be flown out of state for treatment. Just one needed a similar emergency flight in all of 2023, he said. Abortion is considered routine treatment for some pregnancy emergencies, like when a womans water breaks before a fetus is viable. Idaho doctors see a patient at least weekly with that issue, which puts women at risk for infection, sepsis and hemorrhage. But in order to stay within bounds of Idahos abortion law, doctors now must wait to ensure those patients are close to death before offering abortion treatment, Souza said. Theres a lot of second-guessing and hand-wringing. Is she sick enough? Is she bleeding enough? he said. Attorneys for the state of Idaho contend the exceptions to its abortion ban do allow for life-saving abortions, as well as treatment for ectopic pregnancies and accidental terminations in emergencies. The state says the Biden administration has overstated healthcare woes to create a backdoor despite the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling putting abortion in the hands of the states. Its just the government crying wolf in the hopes of persuading the justices to adopt a position contrary to what the law says, said John Bursch, an attorney with the group Alliance Defending Freedom and Idaho co-counsel. The Justice Department originally brought the case against Idaho, arguing the states abortion law is in conflict with the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, known as EMTALA. It requires hospitals that accept Medicare to provide emergency care to any patient regardless of their ability to pay. Nearly all hospitals accept Medicare. Two weeks after Roe was overturned, the Democratic Biden administration put out guidance saying the law requires abortions in emergencies with serious life or health threats. The Idaho suit was filed shortly after. A district court judge initially sided with the administration and ruled that abortions were allowed in medical emergencies, but after wrangling at the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals the Supreme Court sided with Idaho and allowed the law to go fully into effect in January. Idaho says the law is meant to ensure patients are stabilized by hospitals rather than turned away, and doesn't dictate an exact standard of care. The Biden administrations reading of the law would open a 'mental health' loophole for abortion and allow doctors to make subjective determinations about what constitutes a serious health threat, the state argues. EMTALA does not require emergency rooms to become abortion enclaves in violation of state law." The law also says hospitals are responsible for stabilizing the health of the woman or her unborn child, language that indicates there wasnt an expectation that it would require abortions, Idaho argued. Both EMTALA and the Idaho Defense of Life Act are life affirming laws. Theres no conflict between them, Bursch said. The Justice Department says the language refers to labor and delivery and doesn't preclude hospitals from stabilizing a woman with necessary treatment, especially when serious risks to her health also endanger a fetus. Its reading of the law would cover only abortions needed to stabilize a patient, relatively rare situations that can have life altering consequences, federal attorneys wrote. If the Supreme Court sides with Idaho, it could push more doctors to leave states with abortion bans and expand maternity care deserts, said Dr. Caitlin Gustafson, an Idaho physician. Nearly a quarter of obstetricians and more than half of maternal fetal medicine doctors have left Idaho since shortly after Roe was overturned, according to a study released in February. Abortion opponents, meanwhile, say that a lack of healthcare access, especially in rural areas, is a wider issue that's not necessarily related to abortion bans. A win for the state could also weaken the emergency healthcare protections that EMTALA provides across the country, said Molly Duane, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Who is overseeing these hospitals and making sure the patients get the lifesaving and health saving care that they need to protect themselves, their families, the pregnancies, their future pregnancies? Duane said. The Biden administration is also facing other court battles over its guidance on abortions and emergency care. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the administration in January, finding that EMTALA does not require Texas hospitals to provide abortions in emergency rooms. The Justice Department has appealed that decision, but asked the high court to wait until ruling in the Idaho case. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June. Delegates and visitors attend the state party conference of the AfD Lower Saxony at the Congress Union Celle. German teenagers and young adults are increasingly dissatisfied and likely to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a survey published on 23 April. Julian Stratenschulte/dpa German teenagers and young adults are increasingly dissatisfied and likely to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a survey published on Tuesday. Among the 2,000 individuals aged 14 to 29 surveyed, 22% expressed intent to vote for the AfD if parliamentary elections were held now. That is more than double as two years ago, according to the survey. In 2022, 9% of young people voted for the AfD, compared to 12% last year. Compared to previous years, the young generation is becoming increasingly dissatisfied, especially with their social and economic situation, according to the survey conducted online in January and February. "We can speak of a clear shift to the right among the young population," said author Klaus Hurrelmann. "While the parties of the [coalition] government continue to fall in popularity, the AfD is particularly popular," referring to the governing coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP). According to the survey, 18% of young people and young adults would vote for the Greens, compared to 27% in 2022. The FDP slumped in the survey from 19 to 8% while the SPD dropped from 14 to 12%. The conservative CDU/CSU improved from 16% to 20%, while the new populist Sahra Wagenknecht alliance came in at 5%. The AfD is polling nationally at around 20%. The party's signature issue is a hard-line anti-immigration stance, and the party is profiting from increased concern among many German voters over rising numbers seeking asylum in the country. The classification of the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist group by Germany's domestic intelligence service is the subject of an ongoing legal dispute. Voters will head to the polls in three German states this year as well as the European Parliament election in June. The Yellowstone River flows north of Gardiner, Montana, in an area where bison migrated to during the hard winter of 2022-23. The Yellowstone River flows north of Gardiner, Montana, in an area where bison migrated to during the hard winter of 2022-23. (Photo by Blair Miller) An increasing number of Montanans say their quality of life is getting worse and point to ongoing development and what they say is the changing character of the state as primary reasons, according to a biennial statewide poll released Tuesday by the University of Montana. The 2024 Public Lands Survey is the sixth from UMs Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative issued since 2014 and takes the temperature of Montanans across the state on conservation, environmental and growth issues every two years. This years polling was conducted by New Bridge Strategy, a Republican firm, and FM3 Research, a Democratic firm. The companies surveyed 500 registered Montana voters March 23-28 via landlines, cell phones and text messages that linked to the poll online, and the sample has a margin of error of 4.38%. One of the biggest changes in the results between this years poll and the one done in 2022 involves a 7% jump in the share of Montanans who say their quality of life has gotten worse compared to the past five years 62% of respondents said that was the case this year, compared to 55% in 2022. Just 6% of Montanans said their quality of life had gotten better, while 31% said it had not changed. Covid brought quite a few new people to the state. Weve seen in some places a gradual growth and huge visitation increases on the public lands, and that has a lot of Montanans concerned, said Rick Graetz, director of the Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative of UM. But one thing that hasnt changed, even for the folks that are new here, is a deep connection that we have to public lands and the shared recognition of our states natural beauty is still there. When asked about what they see as current problems with the state, 60% of respondents said drought was either an extremely serious or very serious problem. Ten percent of people said drought was not an issue. A slide showing how serious respondents to the poll believe certain issues are when it comes to Montana. (Via 2024 Public Lands Survey) A slide showing how serious respondents to the poll believe certain issues are when it comes to Montana. (Via 2024 Public Lands Survey) But sprawling development into open lands and former ranches came in just behind, with 59% saying it was an extremely or very serious problem. Just 9% of people polled said development was not a problem. Two years ago, just 52% of Montanans said development was a problem. Housing prices have exploded across the state since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and lawmakers did not lower the property tax assessment rate this past year, leading to large tax increases for many homeowners. Those polled were also asked if they see Montanas changing character as a problem. Fifty-seven percent of people said it was an extremely or very serious problem, up from 45% in 2022. Fifteen percent of people said it is not a problem. Another 56% of respondents said they see the low snowpack this year as a serious issue, similar to the responses to the questions on drought. Reports released during the past three weeks indicate that unless the state sees a cool and wet spring, streamflows in most river basins will be below normal for the first part of the summer and potentially the latter half of it too. And though people see Montanas growth and development as an issue, according to the survey, about the same share of people, 46%, see crowding at places where they recreate as either an extremely or very serious problem relatively unchanged from two years ago. About 57% of respondents said their community is growing too fast, while about 33% said their community was growing at the right speed. The largest share of people who said growth was happening too fast came from those living in Missoula and the Bozeman-Butte area, at 66% and 69%, respectively. But more than half of those living in Billings and in rural Montana also said that was the case. Great Falls was the only major metropolitan area where the majority of respondents said their community was growing at the right pace; just 23% of them said Great Falls was growing too fast. What has not changed much, according to the poll, is Montanans widespread support for public lands and access to them. Ninety-five percent of people polled said they had visited national public lands druing the past year, nearly half of them at least 10 times, and 83% of respondents said the presence of those national public lands in Montana is a benefit to the states economy. FM3 Research Pollster Dave Metz said that visitation rate is typically higher than any other state where the firm conducts polling on the same question, which Lori Weigel, with new Bridge Strategy, said is a testament to Montanans strong feelings about public lands and conservation. So the actual walking the walk instead of talking the talk is definitely a Montana trait that I think we see demonstrated time and time again, she said. Nearly half of those polled say conservation issues are a very important factor in deciding whether to support a political candidate, as well as 36% who said they were among the issues they considered when deciding for whom they will vote. Just 7% of respondents said conservation issues were not important in their political decision-making. And the importance of conservation issues when voters are deciding on what candidates to support spans political leanings, according to the poll. Ninety-eight percent of Democrats, 84% of independents, and 71% of Republicans polled said conservation issues are important to their voting decisions. Montanans recognize and value our states natural beauty and heritage, and strong bipartisan demand for conservation solutions continues to grow, Graetz said. The survey also found broad support for a series of land use and management proposals and conservation policies at the federal level and in Montana. Seventy percent of those surveyed said they support the Bureau of Land Management rule that the agency is in the process of publishing that would allow public lands to be leased for environmental protection, restoration and mitigation. That would put those efforts on the same level as mining, drilling, grazing and timber harvest. A slide from a presentation on the public lands poll that shows the bipartisan support for three different pieces of public lands proposals for Montana. (Via 2024 Public Lands Survey) Montanas Republican federal representatives, Sen. Steve Daines and Reps. Ryan Zinke and Matt Rosendale, opposed the original version of that rule last summer, and Daines and Zinke said in recent days they still oppose the rule, claiming it will harm business with drilling, mining and grazing interests. According to the poll, 73% people also want the U.S. Forest Service to open a public process to discuss proposed mines at the headwaters of the Smith River. The Montana Supreme Court heard arguments last month about a challenge by conservation groups to permits granted by the state for one companys proposed mining operations near the river. About 31% of those polled want to increase protections for seven of Montanas Wilderness Study Areas, up from 23% two years ago, and 44% said they want to keep them how they are now. Daines has proposed removing protections for three of them in Montana. On three proposals in Montana, the issues also drew broad bipartisan support: Designating parts of 20 rivers as Wild and Scenic rivers to ensure they are not harmed by new projects; enacting the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act sponsored by Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester; and adding more public land protections to 55,000 acres near Lincoln. Eighty-three percent of respondents support the rivers proposal, according to the poll, along with 85% who support the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act and 76% who support the Lincoln proposal. Graetz said while the survey has shown wide public support for those projects for years, they still have not gone anywhere in Congress. Given the growing concerns over growth and development, it is time for more lawmakers to embrace conservation efforts that preserve some of Montanas natural beauty and heritage and involve local communities, he said. Among the group polled, 34% were Republicans; 23% were Democrats; and 43% were independents. One-quarter of them said they lived in a city; 27% in a small town; 36% in a rural part of Montana; and 12% in a suburban area. The post Survey: Montanans say quality of life getting worse, but support for public lands still strong appeared first on Daily Montanan. Investigators search for evidence after the shooting of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy in West Covina on Monday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Tuesday that California Highway Patrol officers had arrested a gang member in San Onofre who shot a deputy in the back as he sat on his department motorcycle at a West Covina stoplight. Deputy Samuel Aispuro, 43, was shot once about 2:45 p.m. on Monday in an "ambush" at the intersection of Barranca Street and East Garvey Avenue, authorities said. After the shooting, Aispuro was able to radio for help, triggering a massive manhunt. The deputy was hospitalized and stable and is now recovering at home, Luna said. CHP officers apprehended Raymundo Duran, 47, Monday evening on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of a loaded firearm at a San Onofre inspection point in a silver Toyota Camry. Investigators connected Duran to the West Covina shooting after initially booking him as a suspected drunk driver, Luna said. "There was a lot of good detective work and eventually we connected all the dots," Luna said. Sheriff's homicide detectives then interviewed Duran at the San Diego County jail, he said. "Based on statements, security camera video in West Covina, witness statements and the firearm recovered by CHP, detectives strongly believe Raymundo Duran is the suspect in the shooting of our deputy," Luna said. Duran is being held in the San Diego County jail in lieu of $1-million bail. Luna said the weapon recovered by the CHP is believed to be the one used in the shooting and is being tested for forensic evidence. Luna said Duran is a documented gang member, associated with a gang he declined to name. "He has a very extensive criminal history. He has a very violent history," the sheriff said. "He had no business being in the possession of a firearm with his criminal history." Luna said further details about Duran's motivation and what unfolded won't be made public until they are presented in court. The sheriff thanked witnesses to the shooting who immediately aided the injured deputy. "Eventually their information became very important. In our eyes, you are heroes." Aispuro, a married father of two, is now doing well with his family at home, Luna said. Luna reiterated that the deputy's bulletproof vest "saved his life," and that without it, the case probably would have been a murder investigation. Aispuro, who has been with the department for 19 years, put out an emergency broadcast that included a description of the Camry, Luna said. That led authorities to a house in La Puente, where several people were detained but not arrested, and ultimately released, Luna said. Aispuro worked out of the Century station in Lynwood and was in West Covina for training, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. This could have been so much worse, and it is a reminder to all of us that our deputies put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities," she said. "I stand ready to support the sheriff as he and his deputies work to bring the person responsible to justice." 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. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony has broken public trust by being untruthful on drivers license application forms and should get his law enforcement certification suspended for a half-year, an attorney with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement recommends in a pending state case. The position of an officer is one of great public trust and the Respondents calculated actions have broken that trust, wrote Andrew Digby, assistant general counsel for FDLE, wrote in a recommended order filed in court records Monday for an administrative judges consideration. There can be no more basic public expectation than that those who enforce the laws must themselves obey the law. The FDLE recommends a six-month prospective suspension of certification, followed by one year of probation, with the requirement he complete a Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission-approved ethics training. There are several steps left in the case. Administrative Law Judge Robert Kilbride will make a recommendation in the case, and next the state Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission will decide whether to accept Kilbrides recommendation. On Tuesday, Tonys lawyers filed their own recommended order, asking the judge dismiss the case. Kilbride previously announced he will issue his recommended order on the matter 20 days after attorneys for both sides submit their proposed orders. Tony has defended himself against accusations that he withheld information to receive a Florida drivers license repeatedly between 2007 and 2019. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigator said Tony was untruthful in his answers to questions when he visited a drivers license office in Lauderdale Lakes to obtain a replacement license while he was sheriff in 2019, but Tony testified he had been attesting at the time of his application to whats in front of him, such as his biographical information. The offense of falsifying information on a driver license application is an act involving moral turpitude, Digby wrote. Digby wrote that Tony, as the sheriff, emphasizing the word in his filing, is inherently held to a higher standard due to his position being one of great power within the community. On Tuesday, Tonys lawyers wrote in their 18-page document filed in court records that one cannot conclude that the Respondent did unlawfully and knowingly make a false statement, knowingly conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit fraud in the applications, emphasizing the words. The Petitioner failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that Tony committed wrongdoing, they wrote. State investigators concluded that in 1999 Tony correctly answered yes on forms when asked if his driving privilege had ever been revoked, suspended or denied in any other state. But between March 2002 and February 2019, he submitted 11 applications, and on eight of them, he answered no. Authorities said his license had been suspended in 1993 for failure to appear for trial or court appearance and in January 1998 for five separate cases of failure to appear for trial or court appearance. Ethics issue A second case that delves into Tonys past is still pending. In 2022, the Florida Commission on Ethics said it has found probable cause to pursue a case into Tonys lies and omissions on forms that led him to his first cop job in Coral Springs, and ultimately rise to sheriff. One ethics commission member argued if the commission didnt take action, it would set a precedent for others to lie in applications to do whatever you gotta do to get the position. Another member called his behavior despicable. His defense attorney has previously said Tony looks forward to a swift finding of innocence. The end result could potentially be a recommendation that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspend him. That hearing is scheduled for June. ------- Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers is possibly conducting espionage in the Baltic Sea as well as helping circumvent sanctions on the trade of Russian oil, said Swedish Navy chief Ewa Skoog Haslum, in comments to the SVT public broadcaster published on April 22. The shadow fleet refers to aging and largely uninsured oil tankers that Russia uses to transport oil above the $60 per barrel price cap that the EU, the U.S., and the Group of Seven (G7) countries imposed in December 2022 as part of the effort to cut Moscow's fossil fuels revenue. Haslum said some of the ships from the shadow fleet have been found to possess communications and signals equipment not usually associated with cargo vessels, leading to concerns they could be used in "hybrid operations." The equipment could possibly be used to intercept communications or perform other acts of espionage, she added. Beyond their use to bypass sanctions and possibly conduct espionage, there has been concern that the shadow fleet could be a potential threat to the environment. The Financial Times (FT) reported in November 2023 that Denmark could start inspecting and potentially blocking the transit of Russian oil tankers operating in its waters without Western insurance. As Western insurance carriers will not cover ships violating the price cap, the move would likely cause a significant impact to the transit of oil through the Baltic Sea. It is unclear if Denmark has made any progress in implementing the plan. Haslum echoed the concerns about the possible impact to the Baltic Sea, saying the shadow fleet could become both a "security and environmental tragedy." Read also: FT: US-led price cap on Russian oil almost completely ineffective Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Swedish Navy has confirmed for the first time that Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" in the Baltic Sea may be engaged in espionage. Source: European Pravda, citing Swedish television channel SVT Russia's "shadow fleet" moves daily through the Baltic Sea with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of petroleum products on board. For the first time, the Swedish Navy has confirmed that they are monitoring these movements and documentation indicates that some of the ships may be used for espionage, particularly for signal intelligence, i.e., intercepting communications. Quote: "We are finding antennas and masts that typically do not belong to, for example, fishing vessels, so it is clear that we feel that there are sometimes other objectives associated with their activities in terms of what is moving at sea," says Ewa Skoog Haslum, Chief of the Royal Swedish Navy. The coastguard is primarily responsible for monitoring movements, but the navy is also now confirming that the so-called Russian shadow fleet has military aspects. "What is happening now due to the sanctions against Russia could become both a security and an environmental tragedy," Haslum believes. She says that ships could be used in hybrid operations. For example, a foreign vessel might enter a Swedish port under the guise of seeking refuge due to an accident. According to SVT, the Swedish authorities have been specifically preparing for this over the past year, as at least one shadow tanker had technical problems near Gotland. Ahead of the EU meeting on defence and foreign affairs in Luxembourg, specific measures were discussed to stop this activity. "There is a broad consensus that the 'shadow fleet' is a problem," says Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom. Background: Earlier it was reported that Sweden is concerned that Russia could cause "environmental chaos" in the region by transporting obsolete oil tankers through the Baltic Sea. Prior to that, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the movement of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Baltic Sea, which illegally transports Russian oil, must be stopped, including through intervention at European Commission level. Finland also fears an oil spill in the Baltic Sea due to Russia's "shadow fleet." Support UP or become our patron! Former National Enquirer boss David Pecker testified on Tuesday that he agreed to be Donald Trumps eyes and ears during the then-presidential candidates campaign for the White House, describing in detail a highly, highly confidential effort to bury bad stories about Trump and promote negative ones about his political rivals. The bombshell moment about the so-called catch-and-kill scheme came amid Peckers hours-long time on the stand, during which he explained the levers his tabloid pulled in helping get Trump elected. Pecker said it all began in mid-August 2015, when he attended a meeting at Trump Tower with Trump and his former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen. According to Pecker, Cohen invited him there, saying the boss wanted to see him. At the meeting, Cohen and Trump asked him to help the campaign, Pecker told prosecutor Joshua Steinglass. I would publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and negative stories about his opponents, Pecker testified as a peevish-looking Trump sat at the defense table. I would also be the eyes and ears of the Trump Organization. Pecker promised Trump that if he heard anything untoward about Trump, or if he became aware of women selling stories, that he would notify Cohen, who would then be able to get them killed. Trump was pleased about this, Pecker testified. I thought there would be a lot of women trying to sell their stories, Pecker said. Mr. Trump was well-known as the most-eligible bachelor, and dated the most beautiful women, and it was clear, based on my past experience, that when someones running for public office like this, it was very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories. Negative stories about other candidates were of mutual benefit, Pecker said, noting a bump in newsstand sales when those articles hit the front page. Conversely, purchasing a story to suppress negative information about Trump did not benefit the Enquirer at all, but did protect the Trump campaign, Pecker explained. None of this was ever put into writing, it was just an agreement among friends, he said. The agreement was highly, highly confidential, Pecker went on, saying he informed only his top three lieutenants at the Enquirer about it. Pecker said he wanted to keep the arrangement secret because we were going to try to help the campaign. Pecker told the Enquirers chief content officer and the publications top two East Coast and West Coast editors that any stories out there, commenting about Donald Trump, commenting about his family, commenting about the election, whatever it may be, I want you to vet the stories, bring them to me, and then well have to speak to Michael Cohen. The Enquirer subsequently published a series of pro-Trump articles, Pecker testified. One of those many headlines, which were displayed to the jury on Tuesday, read, Donald Trump: The Man Behind the Legend. Steinglass then walked Pecker through the thinking behind a series of negative articles the Enquirer published about Trumps opponents. He asked Pecker how these subjects were chosen, to which he said the decisions stemmed from the Republican debates leading up to the November 2016 election. Those who turned in successful debate performances would be targeted for nasty coverage, according to Pecker. Michael Cohen would call me and say, We would like for you to run a negative article on a certainlets say, Ted Cruzand then he would send me, he being Michael Cohen, would send me information about Ted Cruz, or Ben Carson, or Marco Rubio. And that was the basis of our story, And then, we would embellish it from there. The we in these instances, Pecker testified, meant himself and Mr. Trump. Prosecutors projected some of those negative stories onto a handful of courtroom TVs. One of the negative headlines shown to jurors read, BUNGLING SURGEON BEN CARSON LEFT SPONGE IN PATIENTS BRAIN! Another read, SHOCKING CLAIMS: PERVY TED CRUZ CAUGHT CHEATINGWITH 5 SECRET MISTRESSES! Yet another read, FAMILY MAN MARCO RUBIOS LOVE CHILD STUNNER! Beyond his intraparty rivals, Pecker said he also helped Trump slam presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Her name, along with husband Bills, came up during the August 2015 Trump Tower meeting, according to Pecker. He said that the Clintons always translated into massive sales for the Enquirer, and that anything about Bill Clintons womanizing was especially popular. In October 2015, Pecker said he orchestrated a plot to deep-six an unflattering tip brought to him by ex-Enquirer Editor-in-Chief Dylan Howard. It involved a doorman at Trump Tower named Dino Sajuda, who was in the market selling a story that Donald Trump fathered an illegitimate girl with a maid at Trump Tower, and [that] the maid worked in Mr. Trumps penthouse. Pecker testified that he immediately called Michael Cohen to fill him in, and asked him to verify that Sajuda and the housekeeper were on the Trump Organization payroll. Cohen said they did indeed work there, but that the story was absolutely not true. Still, Pecker said hed pay $30,000 for the rights to the story because he believed it should be removed from the market. Trump said hed take a DNA test, but Pecker said that wouldnt be necessary because the story would never see the light of day while Trump was running. To this, Cohen replied, The boss would be very pleased. If the tale was eventually verified, Pecker said he would have held off on publishing until after the election. If the story was true, and I published it, it would be the biggest sales of the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley, Pecker said. During his time on the stand, Pecker said he first met Cohen in early 2000 at the bar mitzvah of the son of one of his companys vendors. He then saw Cohen again in 2007, Trump told Pecker that he hired Cohen, who lived in one of his condos, and that hes done great things for him. Pecker said his own friendship with Trump at first involved monthly or quarterly phone calls. After Trump announced his candidacy, however, their communications became far more frequent, with the two sometimes checking in daily with each other. Pecker said the Enquirer conducted a poll, and that 80 percent of its readers would like to see Mr. Trump run for president. Trump later cited the poll in an interview with Matt Lauer as one of the reasons he decided to run. When Trump planned to formally announce his candidacy, Pecker said he got an email from Cohen, asking him to attend. No one deserves to be there more than you, Cohen said in an email displayed to the jury on Tuesday. He told Pecker that he would save him a seat next to me on the atrium floor. I was there when Mr. Trump and Melania came down the staircase [sic], and went up to the podium, Pecker recalled. Although Pecker referred to the ex-president as Mr. Trump during his testimony, he said the two were on a first-name basis in their regular lives. When you spoke to Mr. Trump, what did you call him? Steinglass asked, to which Pecker replied, I would call him Donald. 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. 80-year-old Jarkas has dedicated his life to sharing his love for reading in Syria's Damascus. Meet him at his bookstore which has been a local landmark for nearly six decades. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Tabloid boss offered to be Trumps eyes and ears to boost presidential bid Donald Trump looks on in the courtroom, as his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money continues - REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid/Pool The former publisher of the National Enquirer told a New York court that he offered to be Donald Trumps eyes and ears to help his presidential campaign. David Pecker, the first witness to be called in Mr Trumps hush money trial, said he worked to suppress negative stories about the then-Republican candidate ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He also allegedly attacked Mr Trumps political opponents at the direction of his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen. Prosecutors claim the three men formed a criminal conspiracy to influence the results of the election. Mr Pecker said that Mr Trump was pleased with his offer to help the campaign when the trio met at Trump Tower. He said he then told Dylan Howard, the Enquirers editor-in-chief, to identify any potential stories about the candidate that he could pass onto Mr Cohen. I told him that we were going to try to help the campaign and to do that we are going to try and keep this as quiet as possible, Mr Pecker told the court, as Mr Trump watched him intently. Mr Cohen also supplied information on the former presidents political rivals that the tabloid then embellished, Mr Pecker added. 07:23 PM BST Thats all for now Thanks for following our live coverage of Donald Trumps hush money case, as David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, had his second day on the witness stand. This live blog is now closed. 07:11 PM BST Trump hits out at unconstitutional gag order Donald Trump lashed out at his gag order and the judge who imposed it just hours after the prosecution accused him of repeatedly breaching it. Its a disgrace. Its totally unconstitutional. he said. I dont believe its happened to this extent, ever happened before. Im not allowed to defend myself and yet other people are allowed say whatever they want about me. Very, very unfair. Mr Trump went on to accuse Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over his trial, of being highly conflicted and again called on him to recuse himself. 07:06 PM BST Trump heads for press pack Donald Trump walked out clutching a stack of papers. The former president appeared to smile in the direction of the press pack. 07:04 PM BST Second day of testimony ends The jury has been dismissed for the day. Mr Peckers testimony will resume on Thursday at 9:30am. 06:52 PM BST Trump unresponsive amid questions about Playboy model David Pecker is now being asked about former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Donald Trump appeared unresponsive while Mr Pecker described how his colleague told him Mr Trump had a sexual relationship with Ms McDougal for around a year. 06:51 PM BST Prosecutors move onto second alleged hush money deal David Pecker is now being questioned on Karen McDougal, the Playboy model with whom Mr Trump allegedly had an affair. Prosecutors have previously claimed she received a $150,000 payment from American Media Inc. the second of the three alleged hush money payments. 06:40 PM BST Trump story would have meant biggest sales since Elvis death David Pecker said he would have published the love-child story if it was true but only after the 2016 election, based on a conversation with Michael Cohen. It would be probably the biggest sale of the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley, he added. 06:33 PM BST Court shown agreement to buy illegitimate child story The court is being shown the signed agreement to buy the rights of Dino Sajudins story regarding Donald Trumps illegitimate child. The document states American Media Inc. would pay Mr Sajudin $30,000 within five days of signing the agreement. David Pecker said it was unusual to pay a source before the story ran. They were confident the story was false, but would have been embarrassed had it been printed in a rival publication. Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor, asked whether the intention was to lock up the story. Mr Pecker agreed it was. Mr Pecker said a typical source payment ranges between $250 - $5,000 or up to $10,000 for a big celebrity. He paid the large sum because of the potential embarrassment for the campaign and Mr Trump. 06:27 PM BST The boss was Donald Trump Joshua Steinglass, prosecuting, asked David Pecker to clarify who the boss was. The boss would be Donald Trump, Mr Pecker responded. 06:24 PM BST Publisher paid $30,000 for doorman story David Pecker said he asked Dylan Howard to negotiate a number, a price, to take it [the story] off the market. He told the court: I called Michael Cohen and I said that we have to go forward with the story. He said how much? I said Dylan negotiated a price of $30,000. Mr Cohen asked who would pay for it and Mr Pecker offered to pay for it as he thought it was a very big story. Mr Pecker said Mr Cohen thanked me and he said the boss would be very pleased. 06:19 PM BST Pecker asked about first of hush money payments David Pecker is now being asked about Dino Sajudin, the Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about Donald Trump fathering an illegitimate daughter with a maid who worked at Mr Trumps penthouse. Mr Pecker said he was told about the story by his colleague Dylan Howard. He immediately called Mr Cohen and gave him Mr Sajudins name and the name of the maid. Mr Pecker said the story was absolutely not true but that he would check it out. 06:18 PM BST Pecker immediately called Cohen after love-child claim David Pecker said he immediately called Michael Cohen when he was alerted to a story about Donald Trump fathering an illegitimate child. He recalled that Mr Cohen said: Absolutely not true, but Ill check it out. The National Enquirer eventually concluded the story was false. 06:15 PM BST Defence team and prosecution argue over evidence Donald Trumps lawyers are speaking with the judge after objecting to certain exhibits the prosecution attempted to submit as evidence. Juan Merchan, presiding over the case, ruled that the documents would be accepted. Objection noted and overruled, he said. 06:04 PM BST Trump flagging as court continues with no lunch break Mr Trump looks like hes flagging now. He is leaning on the desk in front of him, flicking through papers and shifting in his seat. There is no lunch break today as court will end at 2pm and the energy in the room has dropped somewhat. 06:03 PM BST Judge says Trump lawyer losing all credibility amid heated exchanges Donald Trumps lawyer is losing all credibility, the judge presiding over the former presidents hush money trial has warned amid heated exchanges. Prosecutors claim that Mr Trump has flouted a gag order 10 times since the trial began last week by repeatedly attacking his former fixer, Michael Cohen, who is expected to be a key witness. However, Todd Blanche, acting for the defence, argued that Mr Trump was merely responding to a barrage of political attacks. Tensions flared with the judge, Juan Merchan, as he asked Mr Blanche to name specific examples of how Mr Cohen had provoked the former president into lashing out. I keep asking you over and over again for a specific answer, and Im not getting an answer, Justice Merchan said, as exchanges between the pair grew heated. Mr Blanche insisted that Mr Trump was being very careful to comply with the gag order. The judge responded: Mr Blanche, you are losing all credibility. 05:58 PM BST Court resumes And were off again David Pecker is back on the stand and the jury is seated. Donald Trump tried to sit down before Juan Merchan told the court to be seated. Mr Trump quickly stood up again before eventually sitting down. 05:49 PM BST Trump lawyers object to Steve Bannon question Donald Trumps lawyers have objected to the prosecutions questioning of David Peckers relationship with Steve Bannon. The government is eliciting hearsay statements from Steve Bannon as the declarant, Emil Bove said. Mr Bove also argued they did not receive notice that the prosecution would suggest Mr Bannon was a co-conspirator and that Mr Trump is not charged with conspiracy. The court is now on a 15 minute break. 05:35 PM BST Defence objects to Pecker questioning The jury has been sent out and David Pecker has stepped down from the stand. Donald Trumps lawyer Emil Bove is making objections to the prosecutions questioning of Mr Pecker. 05:23 PM BST Jury shown negative coverage of Trump political opponents David Pecker said Michael Cohen would call him asking him to write stories about Donald Trumps political opponents. He would tell him we want you to write a particular story and the National Enquirer would go away and embellish it. When Mr Cohen said we, Mr Pecker assumed he was talking about himself and Mr Trump. The jury has been shown examples of headlines of positive articles the National Enquirer ran about Mr Trump. The panel is now being shown negative stories about Mr Trumps former opponents including Ben Carson and Ted Cruz. 05:21 PM BST Pecker: Cohen would ask for negative stories of Trump rivals David Pecker said Michael Cohen would help put together negative stories on Donald Trumps rivals in the Republican primary. Michael Cohen would call me and say, We would like you to run a negative article on a certain, lets say for arguments sake, on Ted Cruz then he... would send me information about Ted Cruz or Ben Carson or Marc Rubio, he told the court. That was the basis of our story and then we would embellish it from there. Mr Carson is a supporter of Mr Trump and served in his cabinet as housing secretary. Mr Rubios name has been floated as a potential running mate for Mr Trump. 05:16 PM BST Trump watching Pecker intently Donald Trump has appeared the most engaged he has for the trial so far. When David Pecker was describing his celebrity and success he was gazing at him in the witness box, watching intently. Mr Pecker said his meeting with Mr Trump and Michael Cohen lasted around 20 to 25 minutes. He then went back to his office and told his then chief content officer Dylan Howard and relayed the agreement. He told Mr Howard the deal had to be highly, highly complementary. I said that any stories that were out there commenting about Donald Trump, commenting about his family, commenting about the election, whatever it might be, I want you to get the stories and bring them to me and Ill have to speak to Michael Cohen, he said. I told him that we were going to try to help the campaign and to do that we are going to try and keep this as quiet as possible, he said, adding: I did not want anyone else to know this agreement I had. 05:15 PM BST I want to keep this as quiet as possible David Pecker said he told the editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer about the catch and kill arrangement h allegedly struck with Donald Trump and Michael Cohen. He testified that he told Dylan Howard that the agreement that I made has to be highly, highly confidential. Mr Pecker added: Im told him were going to try to help the campaign, and to do that, I want to keep this as quiet as possible. 05:08 PM BST Anti-Clinton stories sold well and helped Trump David Pecker said he covered Hillary Clinton as an enabler for her husband, Bill Clinton, saying the stories sold well and were popular with the Trump campaign. I was running the Hillary Clinton stories, I was running Hillary as an enabler for Bill Clinton, with respect to all the womanizing, he said. 05:04 PM BST Pecker: Trump was pleased with offer to help campaign David Pecker said Donald Trump was pleased with his offer to help the campaign. He was pleased, Michael Cohen was pleased with the way I was going to handle these issues and that was basically the conversation, he said. Mr Pecker said the arrangement was mutually beneficial because in writing positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his political opponent Hillary Clinton it would increase magazine sales and was also going to benefit his campaign. 05:03 PM BST Trump was known as the most eligible bachelor David Pecker continued: I was a person who thought there would be a lot of women who might come out to try and sell their stories because Mr Trump was known as the most eligible bachelor and dated the most beautiful women. When somebody is running for public office it is very common for these women to call up magazines like the National Enquirer to try and sell their stories. 05:02 PM BST Pecker offered to be Trumps eyes and ears We are now talking about the critical Trump Tower meeting in August 2015 with Donald Trump, Michael Cohen and Hope Hicks, Mr Trumps former communications staffer Mr Pecker received a call from Mr Cohen saying the boss wanted to see him. Most of the time when I received a call from Michael Cohen he wanted something, he said. He continued: At that meeting they asked me what can I do and what my magazines could do to help the campaign. Thinking about it, as I did previously, I said what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr Trump and I would publish negative stories about his opponents. I said I would be your eyes and ears because I know the Trump Organisation has a very small staff. I hear anything negative about yourself or women selling stories I would notify Michael Cohen as i did for the last several years. Then he would be able to have them killed or not be published or somebody would have to purchase them. 04:58 PM BST Cohen saved Pecker a seat at Trump campaign launch According to an email submitted as evidence by prosecutors, Michael Cohen personally invited David Pecker t the launch of Donald Trumps presidential campaign. No one deserves to be there more than you, the email, dated October 2015, reads. As a friend, I would love if you could make it. Let me know so I can save you a seat next to me on the atrium floor. 04:54 PM BST Pecker: Cohen invited me to launch of Trumps presidential campaign Mr Pecker said interest in Mr Trump from the readership of his magazines skyrocketed after Mr Trump launched The Apprentice. The National Enquirer ran a poll showing 80 per cent of readers wanted Mr Trump to run for president. Mr Pecker said he was at the June 2015 announcement he was running for president. I received an invitation from Michael Cohen saying theres going to be an announcement and I believe you should be there, he said. 04:48 PM BST Pecker asked about Hope Hicks Prosecutors have moved on to asking David Pecker if he knows Hope Hicks, a former long-time aide to Donald Trump. Yes, I do, he responded, saying he met her when she worked for a company run by Mr Trumps daughter, Ivanka. 04:46 PM BST Trump was a frugal micro-manager David Pecker said he first met Michael Cohen at a bar mitzvah. Seven years later, Donald Trump told him he had hired him as his personal lawyer. He was told to call Mr Cohen if he heard of any negative stories about Mr Trump or his family which were expected to come out. He said after Mr Trump announced he was running for president his communication with Mr Cohen increased to a minimum of every week, and if there was an issue it could be daily. 04:44 PM BST Pecker: Trump would tip me off about Apprentice David Pecker said Donald Trump would tip him off about who he was going to fire from The Apprentice, his reality TV programme. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, he added. 04:42 PM BST Trump watching Pecker intently as he gives evidence Donald Trump is watching David Pecker intently as he gives evidence. Hes described how he would see Mr Trump once or twice a quarter prior to 2015. After he announced his presidency I saw Mr Trump more frequently, maybe once a month, he said. He would also speak to him on the telephone and communicated with his bodyguard occasionally. He said over the years he visited Trump Towers. Asked to describe Mr Trump as a businessman he said he was very knowledgeable, very detail-oriented and almost a micro-manager. He said his approach to money was very cautious and very frugal. 04:34 PM BST Pecker had a great relationship with Trump Mr Pecker said he had a great relationship with Mr Trump over the years. He said he had a lot of dealings with the former president from 1989 and 1999 when he was a celebrity in his own right. He would introduce him to executives in New York and invite him to parties. When American Media Inc (AMI) acquired the National Enquirer Donald Trump called to say, Congratulations, you bought a great magazine. He said The Apprentice was an instant success and he would chat to Mr Trump about the ratings. He said he would consider Mr Trump a friend and would refer to him as Donald. 04:31 PM BST Pecker says he has known Trump since the 1980s David Pecker is wearing a grey suit, pink tie and blue shirt. He is smiling and has already lightened the mood by forgetting his former assistants last name. He said he has known Donald Trump since the 1980s and was asked to point him out and say something he is wearing. Smiling, he said: Hes wearing a dark blue suit. He said he met Mr Trump at Mar-a-Lago 1989. 04:25 PM BST Court back in session Juan Merchan is back on the bench and the court is back in session. David Pecker is back on the bench to continue his testimony and the jury is seated. 04:22 PM BST Trump whispering animatedly to Todd Blanche Donald Trump was animatedly whispering to Todd Blanche while waiting for the judge to re-enter the court. Mr Blanche and Emil Bove, another of Mr Trumps lawyers, have swapped seats. 04:14 PM BST Trump: This is a kangaroo court Donald Trump accused Juan Merchan of presiding over a kangaroo court as he launched an attack on his trial judge as the court took a short break. The former president wrote on his Truth Social platform: Highly conflicted, to put it mildly, Judge Juan Merchan, has taken away my constitutional right to free speech. Everybody is allowed to talk and lie about me, but I am not allowed to defend myself. This is a kangaroo court, and the judge should recuse himself! 04:10 PM BST Trump re-enters courtroom Donald Trump has returned to the courtroom, and spoke to his lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove while seated at the defence table. 04:07 PM BST Pictured: Trump gestures as he leaves courtroom Donald Trump reacts as he walks out of the courtroom during a break in his criminal trial - Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images 04:03 PM BST Are you going to keep Truthing? Trump asked Donald Trump also ignored questions from reporters about how his legal team was performing and whether he would keep posting on his Truth Social platform. 04:01 PM BST Trump ignores question about lawyer When he left the courtroom for the morning break, Donald Trump ignored a question from a reporter asking: Does your lawyer have any credibility?. 03:59 PM BST Prosecution: Trump threatens hush money case by attacking witnesses Donald Trump threatens to derail his hush money trial by repeatedly attacking witnesses, prosecutors argued in court on Tuesday. Christopher Conroy, prosecuting, claimed the former president had violated a gag order intended to prevent witnesses and jurors 10 times, eight of them through posts on his Truth Social platform, since the trial began last week. A regular target is Michael Cohen, Mr Trumps former lawyer and fixer, who is expected to be a key prosecution witness, he noted. Mr Conroy called on Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over the case, to hold Mr Trump in contempt of court and said he posed a very real threat to proceedings. The defendant has violated this order repeatedly and hasnt stopped, he added. He accused Mr Trump of breaching the gag order in the hallway outside the courtroom when he accused Mr Cohen of being a liar in remarks to the media yesterday. 03:47 PM BST Court breaks without gag order ruling The court is now taking a short break. Juan Merchan will not make a decision right away and the jury will be called back in at 11am. 03:46 PM BST Judges exchanges with Trump lawyer continue Youre not giving me anything to hang my hat on, Juan Merchan told Todd Blanche, who has argued reposting news articles is not a violation of the gag order. Mr Merchan has used the analogy of someone walking around with a placard which said horrible things about the jury. Mr Merchan asked whether Mr Blanches position is that if your client grabbed that placard and walked around with it he would be absolved of any wrongdoing. Mr Blanche has said this is not his argument. 03:45 PM BST Youre losing all credibility, judge tells Blanche Juan Merchan has continued to lay into Todd Blanche, telling him: Youre losing all credibility, I have to tell you right now. He was responding to Mr Blanche claiming that his client had been trying to comply with the gag order. 03:31 PM BST Blanche: Prosecution get to speak as long as they want to Tensions between Mr Blanche and Mr Merchan have heated up. Mr Merchan has appeared sceptical of Mr Blanches arguments that Mr Trumps posts were in response to attacks from Mr Cohen and Stormy Daniels. I keep asking you over and over again for a specific example, and Im not getting an answer, Mr Merchan said, before adding that he didnt want to keep the jury waiting, who are due back in the courtroom in 30 minutes. Raising his voice, Mr Blanche said: The People get to speak as long as they want to. 03:30 PM BST Im not getting an answer Juan Merchan accused Donald Trumps lawyer of failing to answer his questions as he pressed him on how Michael Cohen had attacked the former president. Im asking the questions. Im going to be the one who decides whether your client is in contempt, he told Todd Blanche, as exchanges between the pair grew heated. I keep asking you over and over again for a specific answer, and Im not getting an answer. 03:25 PM BST Trump stares straight ahead as defence pushes back The former president has been staring ahead, occasionally shifting in his seat or speaking to his legal team while Mr Blanche has been having a heated conversation with the judge about his social media posts. President Trump does in fact know what the gag order allows him to do and not allow him to do, Mr Blanche said, adding, there was absolutely no willful violation of the gag order. 03:20 PM BST Trump responding to political attacks Donald Trump was responding to a barrage of political attacks when he made posts about Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, Todd Blanche argued. The former president made his remarks in direct response to statements issued by the pair and was not addressing the case, he added. 03:15 PM BST There was no willful violation of gag order Todd Blanche, acting for the defence, insisted that Donald Trump understands the limits of the gag order. There was absolutely no willful violation of the gag order, he added. 03:11 PM BST Trump is breaching a crystal-clear court order Christopher Conroy said Donald Trump knows about the order, he knows what hes not allowed to do and he does it anyway. He said Mr Trumps attacks amount to nothing less than knowingly and willfully breaching the crystal clear court order which was put in place to protect the integrity of these proceedings. He has called on the judge to hand Mr Trump a fine of $1,000 per violation and to remind Mr Trump further violations could result in a short jail sentence. He added: The defendant is having his day in court, unfortunately he is doing everything he can to undermine this process. Todd Blanche is now making representations to the judge. 03:07 PM BST Trump doesnt care about gag order, prosecutors claim Christopher Conroy noted that a juror asked to be excused last week a day after Donald Trump quoted a commentator who claimed liberal activists were attempting to infiltrate the jury. What happened here is precisely what this order was designed to prevent, and this defendant doesnt care, he said. 02:56 PM BST Prosecution: Trump is in contempt of court for gag order violations Prosecutor Christopher Conroy is calling on Mr Merchan to hold Mr Trump in contempt of court for all 10 alleged gag order violations. He said Mr Trumps attacks on Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, who will be key witnesses on this case, are part of the plan for this trial. Its the defendant conditioning his followers, he said. Mr Conroy said each post violated the court order and pose a very real threat to the proceedings. The defendant has violated this order repeatedly and hasnt stopped, Mr Conroy added. He then read a transcript of Mr Trumps comments to reporters yesterday on his way into and out of this courtroom in which he attacked Mr Cohen. Mr Conroy said the prosecution will be filing another complaint for the most recent remarks. 02:52 PM BST Trump violated gag order in the hallway Christopher Conroy said there was one more time where Donald Trump violated his gag order yesterday, right here in the hallway outside. On that occasion, Mr Trump accused his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, of being a liar when he spoke to reporters after the trial. 02:49 PM BST Trump posts pose a very real threat Christopher Conroy claimed Donald Trumps posts pose a very real threat to the proceedings, intimidating both the defendants direct targets and others who might be called to testify. 02:47 PM BST Prosecutors lay out alleged gag order violations Christopher Conroy, prosecuting, argued that Donald Trump has violated the court-imposed gag order 10 times since the trial began last week. Of those, he said, eight were posted on his Truth Social platform, while two others were on the campaign website. 02:38 PM BST Trump looks bored on second week of trial Mr Trump has been left sitting alone again while his legal team and the prosecution speak privately with Mr Merchan. The former president looks bored. He is staring ahead, occasionally leaning back in his chair, as he sits surrounded by six empty red leather seats. 02:36 PM BST Judge enters courtroom Juan Merchan, the judge presiding of Donald Trumps hush money case, has entered the courtroom. The court is ow in session. 02:35 PM BST Trump looks sombre as he enters courtroom Donald Trump entered the courtroom at 9:29am EST (2:29pm BST) wearing his trademark crisp navy blue suit and red tie. The former president looked somber and ran his tongue across the inside of his slightly ajar mouth as he walked down the courts aisle to take his seat at the defence bench. 02:35 PM BST Trump: Biden is no friend of Israel Donald Trump did not mention his gag order when he spoke to media before entering court for a hearing about whether he breached its restrictions this morning. Instead, the former president hit out at Joe Biden, blaming him for pro-Palestinian protests that have caused upheaval at US and claimed he was no friend of Israel. He claimed that his supporters had been unable to get near Manhattan Criminal Court because of the heavy police presence. 02:26 PM BST Manhattan DA takes his seat Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg has arrived in the courtroom wearing a navy blue suit. He has taken his usual spot in the front row behind the prosecution bench. There are two members of security wearing earpieces sitting behind him. 02:24 PM BST Juan Merchan faces tricky decision over gag order This mornings hearing over whether Mr Trump violated his gag order should start shortly. If Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the hush money trial, agrees that Mr Trump has violated his gag order, he will have to make the tricky decision over what action to take. His options range from giving Mr Trump a stern warning, handing the former president a fine or the very unlikely option giving the Republican nominee a stint in jail. 02:17 PM BST Donald Trumps hush-money trial explained Donald Trump headed to court last week as the first former president ever to be criminally prosecuted in a pivotal moment for US politics. The scandal-plagued 77-year-old is accused of covering up a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star. Mr Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records by the Manhattan district attorneys office. Read Verity Bowmans piece on the background to the trial and what could happen next here. 02:00 PM BST Who might be called as a witness in the trial? A colourful cast of witnesses are expected to appear at the hush money trial, including an adult film star, former Playboy model, and Donald Trumps former fixer. David Pecker, the former tabloid publisher, appeared on the witness stand on Monday and is expected to return today. 01:51 PM BST Trump arrives at court Donald Trump has arrived at Manhattan Criminal Court. A hearing on whether he has violated a gag order imposed by the judge begins in slightly under 40 minutes. 01:50 PM BST Who is David Pecker? David Pecker, the ex-publisher of the National Enquirer, was the first prosecution witness to appear against Donald Trump on Monday. His friendship with the former president stretches back decades. One ex-employee said that he attempted to model himself on Mr Trump, while prosecutors claim the men formed a criminal conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. But on Monday he took to the witness stand, albeit briefly, in the hush money trial that could land Mr Trump in prison if he is found guilty. Read the full article about the first witness in the hush money trial here. 01:46 PM BST Reporters take seats before Trumps arrival Dozens of journalists are now seated in Part 59, the courtroom where the hush money trial is taking place. Theres a more relaxed feeling in the room today, but this might just because we were let in on time. One enterprising reporter has bought a pair of opera glasses on Amazon for $39.99 in a bid to get a crisp view of Mr Trumps face. 01:44 PM BST All the charges Donald Trump faces and what happens next Donald Trumps bid for re-election to the White House has been beset by legal difficulties with the former president facing 91 felony charges across four criminal cases and two civil actions. Mr Trump is staring down the barrel of potential jail time if he is found guilty in the criminal cases, while he has been saddled with fines of more than $400 million for his civil trials. Read our full breakdown of all the legal battles Donald Trump is fighting here. 01:38 PM BST A chill in the air before court gets underway Its much quieter outside court today, with the hubbub of day one appearing to have died down. I arrived at Manhattan Criminal Court at 6:30am to find just two people in the line for seats in the courtroom a fraction of yesterdays early crowd and no professional queuers. Its a beautiful, sunny day in New York, but theres a chill in the air. Reporters are bundled up in coats and bouncing from foot to foot to keep warm. 01:33 PM BST Welcome Hello and welcome to the live blog. Benedict Smith here. Well be bringing you all the updates from Manhattan Criminal Court, as prosecutors argue that Donald Trump violated a gag order imposed by the judge. David Pecker, the former publishing executive whose association with Donald Trump stretches back decades, is due back in the witness stand later today. 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. Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons said she will ask the U.S Department of Justice to investigate the death of Anthony Ray Johnson Jr. after he died in the Tarrant County Jail on Sunday morning. In a statement on Monday, Simmons called the jails death rate incredibly high and said her request was due to the continual problem of people dying in Tarrant County jail facilities. As of April 2023, there had been 54 deaths in the last five years in the Tarrant County Jail. In nearby counties with a similar population size, the numbers are in a similar range: In Bexar, there were about 63 deaths and in Dallas County there were 44 deaths. I want accountability, I expect transparency and I want a full investigation into everything that occurred, before, during and after the altercation and the subsequent death of Mr. Johnson in our jail, including video footage, the statement from Simmons said. The Star-Telegram has also requested video footage of the altercation. Simmons said she hopes her Commissioners Court colleagues are as interested as she is to mitigate jail deaths and hopes they will support a Justice Department investigation. Johnson, 31, a Marine Corps veteran, died after he was pepper-sprayed during what the sheriffs office calls a routine contraband check. The Texas Rangers are investigating Johnsons cause of death. A spokesperson for County Judge Tim OHare said OHare trusts Sheriff Bill Waybourn will handle the situation appropriately. Judge OHare has complete confidence that the Texas Rangers will conduct a thorough and reliable investigation, the spokesperson said. He intends to await the conclusion of that investigation before making any additional statements. The sheriffs office declined to comment and said information about the case would have to be requested through the Texas Rangers. The Texas Department of Public Safety, who oversees the Texas Rangers, did not respond to a request for comment. Johnsons death marked the second in-custody death in four days at the jail. Simmons call for a Justice Department review of the jail is not the first time those concerned about the conditions have asked for federal intervention. Last year, Broadway Baptist Churchs Justice Committee, United Fort Worth, ICE Out of Tarrant and the Texas A&M School of Law Legal Clinics cosigned a 39-page letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for a federal investigation into the 2019 death of an inmate who was pepper-sprayed repeatedly at close range. A year ago, Broadway Baptist Church joined with other community organizations in calling for a Department of Justice investigation of the Tarrant County Jail. The grossly disproportionate number of in-custody deaths and the use of chemical weapons by jail staff were listed as specific concerns in our complaint, Jennifer Nelson, director of communications and membership engagement at Broadway Baptist Church, said in a statement. As the number of deaths continues to rise, we express our sympathies to all families whose loved ones have died in detention and we continue to call upon the Department of Justice to begin a complete and exhaustive investigation of the policies and practices of the Tarrant County Jail. There have been 65 jail deaths since Waybourn took office in 2017. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A 19-year-old has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a crash on Millersport Highway in Amherst that killed three people in 2023, the Erie County District Attorneys Office said Tuesday. Officials said Jayla Mueller, of Colden, was driving at a high rate of speed on the Audubon Parkway on the evening of Feb. 20, 2023 when she lost control of the vehicle on a ramp onto Millersport Highway. Three passengers, 18-year-old Azathiel Pabon, 19-year-old Isabella French and 20-year-old Dakota Eldrige, were all ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. Mueller and a fourth passenger, a 17-year-old male, were treated at ECMC for injuries. Mueller pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of reckless driving. A judge in the case committed to sentencing Mueller on youthful offender status on the conditions that she remains arrest-free, complies with the pre-sentence investigation and appears in court for the sentencing. If sentenced as a youthful offender on July 8, she faces a maximum of 1 1/3 to four years in prison. If she does not meet the conditions, she faces five to 15 years in prison. She remains released under supervision after prosecutors requested she be held pending sentencing. Latest Local News Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Police in Lebanon County are investigating after a teenager was shot, according to a news release. According to Lebanon City Police, a 17-year-old man with a gunshot wound walked into Good Samaritan Hospital sometime early Friday morning. Police went to talk to the man at the hospital but he was uncooperative and could not get any information, the release states. Convicted sex offender who ran Midstate carnival game business faces new charges The mans injuries are non-life-threatening, police report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Morning Weather Police are investigating and anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-272-6611. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew onboard, the countrys rescue agency said. The two helicopters collided during flight training. All 10 victims on board have been confirmed dead by the medical officers, Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department said. Footage shared online showed several helicopters flying low in a formation over the Naval Stadium Base in Lumut in a flypast rehearsal ahead of the navy fleets open day celebrations in May. One of the helicopters was seen clipping the rear rotor of another, causing both to go into a tailspin and crash. The two helicopters involved were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139, the rescue agency said. Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's prime minister, said an immediate investigation will be launched to find out the cause of the crash - Reuters Photos showed the Eurocopter model heavily mangled in the wreckage on the naval base stadium track with rescue personnel surrounding it as well as various debris. The AgustaWestland helicopter crashed at the naval bases swimming pool area. Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysias prime minister, sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy. I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defence, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash, he said. The two helicopters were taking part in a flypast rehearsal ahead of the navy fleet's open day celebrations in May when the tragic incident happened - ViralPress There has been a spate of deadly military helicopter accidents in the past week. On Sunday, two Japanese navy helicopters carrying eight crew members crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during night-time training in another possible collision. One person has been declared dead while rescuers are still searching for seven others missing. Last Thursday, Kenyas defence chief was among 10 senior military commanders to be killed in a helicopter crash in a remote western area of the country. Kenyan media reported that it was the fifth involving a Kenyan military helicopter in the past year with a considerable number old and poorly maintained. 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. Reuters' template to be used in breaking news scenarios KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Two Malaysian navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a naval parade on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew members aboard, the navy said in a statement. The incident occurred at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9.32 a.m. on Tuesday morning (0132 GMT), the navy said. "All victims were confirmed dead at the scene and sent to the Lumut naval base military hospital for identification," the navy said. A video circulating on local media showed several helicopters flying in formation, when one of the choppers' rotor clipped another before both aircraft crashed into the ground. Local police confirmed the footage was genuine. The navy said it would carry out an investigation into the cause of the accident. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the aircraft - a maritime operations helicopter and a Fennec military chopper - were rehearsing for a parade celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy, due to be held on Saturday. Efforts were underway to verify the identities of the crew members killed, all of whom were below the age of 40, Mohamed Khaled told reporters. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Mandy Leong; Editing by John Mair and Lincoln Feast.) Members of a House and Senate conference committee appointed to hammer out a $400 million reform of Tennessees franchise tax and up to $1.5 billion in refunds are at an impasse after a brief meeting Tuesday morning. After each chamber laid out their positions during a 20-minute meeting Tuesday, the conference committee adjourned without coming to a compromise. I would say that were at an impasse. I really feel like the House version is the one were going to stick with, said Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville. In all the years that Ive been here, Im not sure weve ever been so far apart as it relates to our different views and perspectives on this. Rep. Ryan Williams- R- Cookeville, during a House session on March 28, 2024. Franchise tax package is Gov. Bill Lees largest new spending item this year, making up almost 4% of the entire state budget. Eliminating the payment on property tax calculation is expected to cost the state $400 million in revenue beginning this year. Lees proposal also includes $1.5 billion in refunds for up to 100,000 businesses which paid taxes based on the property measure over the last three years. Administration officials have said the refunds are indispensable to avoid lawsuits and court-ordered penalties. Records obtained by The Tennessean show that the majority of the $1.5 billion in proposed refunds, if approved, would be headed out of state. Senators suggested the conference committee plan to meet later Tuesday or Wednesday to hear testimony from the Attorney Generals Office and the Lee administration to help House members more thoroughly understand the financial risks to the state. I want to be crystal clear. We may not have to worry about that, said House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland. Right now we do not have a bill. I would hope that we all continue to diligently work on this issue and that all interested parties can come together in the waning days of session to address this issue. My hopes are not high at this juncture. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, during a House session on April 22, 2024. House leadership is pushing for public disclosure of business names and refund amounts something they say is a make or break to the deal and only one year's worth of refunds. Related: Majority of $1.5B franchise tax refunds would flow out of Tennessee, new records show Williams said he initially opposed offering businesses any refunds because the funds were already paid by a willing entity who understood and agreed to the terms. Giving a one year rebate was more of an opportunity for us to show the business community that we are good partners, Williams said. Senate leaders argue that business names and refund amounts are proprietary taxpayer information protected by state laws, and that three years of rebates are necessary to avoid costly litigation. We have deep concerns about transparency and revealing proprietary taxpayer information for people who are applying for a refund, said Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, seen here in March for an event related to the ELVIS Act. Seventeen senators declared a personal interest in the legislation before voting on the franchise tax reform earlier this month. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bo Watson, R-Hixson, argued that limiting rebates to only one year could lead to a court finding the measure an inadequate remedy for the problem because it would be breaking from what we have historically done. If we dont take action and we dont have a remedy and someone is successful in litigating this, the potential risk to the state is multiples of $1.5 billion," Watson said. "The public needs to recognize the financial risk that were putting the state in. Lamberth on Tuesday argued that offering businesses a $400 million franchise tax cut already "makes us more competitive with other states that currently have cut that type of tax valuation in their code." He indicated the House is not prepared to budge on requiring public disclosure of business names and rebate amounts. Lamberth said how much businesses receiving as part of the ongoing $400 million tax cut would remain confidential, as it always has under state law. But support for disclosing who gets the refunds remains strong in the House, he said. "If we're going to spend almost $2 billion here and a total tax cut and rebate, then the people of Tennessee deserve to know where their taxpayer dollars are going," Lamberth said. "It's an extraordinary circumstance." Lee said Monday he opposes those transparency measures, and the Senate version does not include them. It remains unclear how much Lees family business, the Lee Company, would financially benefit from the refund, something critics of the deal regularly cite. What House and Senate members agree on $400 million franchise tax reform eliminating property tax calculation going forward. Companies that receive a rebate should be required to sign away their ability to sue the state over the tax. House version $400 million franchise tax reform eliminating property tax measure going forward. Requires names and rebate amounts to be made public. Requires companies receiving a rebate to sign away ability to later sue the state for more. Rebates would draw from Economic and Community Development credits first. One-year rebate period. Senate version $400 million franchise tax reform eliminating property tax measure going forward. Requires names and rebate amounts to remain private, protected taxpayer information. Does not require companies receiving rebates to sign away ability to later sue the state for more. Three-year rebate period. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X at @Vivian_E_Jones. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee House, Senate remain at impasse on $1.9B franchise tax bill Tennessee House set to debate, vote on bill to allow armed teachers in public schools The Tennessee House will soon vote on a controversial bill that will allow some teachers to go armed in classrooms without informing parents. The bill has been scheduled for Tuesday, but it could be heard later in the week as the 113th Tennessee General Assembly enters the final days of session, when schedules can become more fluid. The bill had been held in a procedural holding pattern until bill sponsor Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, motioned to add it to the next available calendar. Williams' move sparked vocal outrage in the House gallery, where opponents of the measure have sat for days to monitor action on the legislation. Rep. Ryan Williams R- Cookeville, during a House session at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville , Tenn., Monday, April 22, 2024. "You're going to kill kids," one woman yelled down at Williams as members left the House on Monday. "You're going to be responsible for the death of children. Shame on you." Although the bill likely has the votes to pass through the House, six Republicans on Monday voted with Democrats to oppose Williams' motion to send the bill to the next calendar for the full House to consider. The bill, HB 1202/SB 1321, sparked heated protests in the Senate earlier this month, with state troopers threatening multiple protestors with arrest as Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, ordered the galleries cleared during debate. In recent weeks, parents of school shooting survivors, students and gun-reform advocates have heavily lobbied against the bill, with one Covenant School mom delivering a letter to the House on Monday with more than 5,300 signatures asking lawmakers to kill the bill. Republicans have argued properly trained teachers and staff can increase school security in the event of a security threat like a school shooter, particularly in rural areas where law enforcement may be thinly staffed and unable to respond to a threat quickly. Student petition: More than 5,000 sign letter urging rejection of Tennessee's bill to arm teachers Democrats and teachers vehemently oppose the legislation, concerned introducing additional firearms into school buildings will increase the risk of potentially deadly accidents. Opponents have decried the bill's privacy safeguards, which will keep parents in the dark about whether a gun will be kept in a classroom alongside their children. Meanwhile, the deadly Covenant School shooting looms over the bill, with two Covenant-connected groups lobbying heavily against the measure in recent days. Covenant moms have held multiple, at times emotional conversations with lawmakers pleading with them to block the bill. Opponents of the bill have sat in on multiple House floor sessions since the Senate passage, anticipating Williams' move to resurrect the bill from the "desk," a procedural pause the bill was placed under last year. Senate passage: Tennessee Senate passes bill allowing teachers to carry guns amid vocal protests The letter, delivered to the House by Covenant mom Sarah Shoop Neumann on Monday, criticizes gaps in the training and says the burden of wielding a gun and potentially confronting an assailant is not something teachers and school staff should bear. It also said the measure ignores FBI and National Association of School Resource Officers recommendations for training and best practices when it comes to armed staff in schools. Sarah Shoop Neumann, a Covenant parent, listens during a House session with her son, Judah at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville , Tenn., Monday, April 22, 2024. "Anyone who hasnt received extensive training, such as that provided to law enforcement officers, will likely be mentally unprepared to take a life, especially the life of a student assailant," the letter read. Across the U.S: What states allow teachers to carry guns at school? Tennessee and Iowa weigh joining them Armed teachers, who will be required to undergo training that some opponents have argued is not intensive enough, will be allowed to carry handguns in their classrooms and in most campus situations without informing parents and most of their colleagues they're armed. School administrators will be barred under the bill from revealing who is armed except to law enforcement and school staff responsible for school security. The school district's director of schools, the school principal and the chief of the "appropriate" law enforcement agency must sign off on a staff member's authority to carry a concealed handgun. Rachel Wegner contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee House set to debate, vote on bill allowing armed teachers BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China firmly rejects U.S. groundless accusations over its normal trade and economic exchanges with Russia, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday. The United States keeps making groundless accusations over the normal trade and economic exchanges between China and Russia, while passing a bill providing large amount of aid for Ukraine, Wang told a regular news briefing when asked to comment on U.S. accusations and possible sanctions regarding the issue. "Fueling the flames while shifting blame to others, this is just hypocritical and highly irresponsible. China firmly rejects this," he said. Wang said that on the Ukraine issue, China's position has always been just and objective. China has made efforts to promote talks for peace and a political settlement. The Chinese government regulates the export of dual-use articles in accordance with the laws and regulations. "China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it. We never fan the flames or seek selfish gains, and we will certainly not accept being the scapegoat," Wang said. Wang stressed again that based on equality and mutual benefit, China's right to conduct normal trade and economic exchanges with Russia and other countries should not be interfered with or disrupted. "China's legitimate and lawful rights and interests should not be infringed on." It is not the right way to solve the Ukraine issue by fanning the flames or smearing others, Wang said, adding that only accommodating the legitimate security concerns of all parties and creating a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture through dialogue and negotiation is the right way forward. Parents of school children and other protesters of a bill passed by the Tennessee House of Representatives to arm teachers hold signs during Tuesday's vote. (Photo: John Partipilo) Parents of school children and other protesters of a bill passed by the Tennessee House of Representatives to arm teachers hold signs during Tuesday's vote. (Photo: John Partipilo) Balcony crowds chanted, Blood on your hands and Vote them out, after the House voted Tuesday to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons on school campuses. House Republicans passed the legislation 68-28 enabling school districts and local law enforcement to opt in on the law and let teachers who go through 40 hours of training bring weapons to school to ward off attackers. The Senate measure moves next to the governors office for his signature. House Speaker Cameron Sexton ordered troopers to clear the galleries on both sides of the House chamber to shut down the ruckus raised by the bills opponents. The House also found Rep. Justin Jones in violation of the chambers rules twice for recording video, disqualifying him from speaking for the rest of the days session. Jones later showed the press corps video of House Majority Leader William Lamberth recording audio on his phone. No action was taken against Lamberth. The Republican-controlled chamber also refused to find Republican Rep. Chris Todd of Madison County in violation of rules for allegedly making physical contact with Jones, who later claimed that Todd tried to bump him. Republicans also declined to sanction Republican Rep. Jerome Moon for videotaping with a cell phone. The crowd continued to protest in the hall outside the House chamber as it plowed forward with a host of bills as lawmakers shoot for a Thursday adjournment sine die. Tennessee Highway Patrol officers prepare to remove women from the House of Representatives gallery during protests over a vote to arm teachers. (Photo: John Partipilo) After House Speaker Cameron Sexton called for removal of spectators from the House gallery, protesters held a "lie-in" in the Tennessee Capitol to mark those killed by guns. (Photo: John Partipilo) Leading up to the chaotic moments Tuesday afternoon, supermajority Republicans rejected a host of amendments from Democrats who tried to water down the bill by removing counties such as Shelby and Davidson and holding schools liable for gun-related injuries. Republican Rep. Ryan Williams of Cookeville defended his bill, saying it is permissive and requires an agreement between school districts and local law enforcement agencies, in addition to training, fingerprinting, a psychiatric evaluation and background check on teachers who want to carry a gun to school. All they have to do is say no, and they can be removed, Williams said. Then this deterrent I hope to achieve is removed. Democrats lambasted the bill, pointing out students and parents begged them to take action to restrict weapons in the wake of the March 2023 mass shooting at The Covenant School in Green Hills where six people, including three 9-year-old children were killed. Chaotic moments: Democratic Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville was barred from participating in debate after House members found him in violation of rules prohibiting recording on the House floor; action was not taken against Republican leader William Lamberth for audio recording on his phone. Students stood out here and begged us to take care of them, said Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville. This is more dangerous than doing nothing. Opponents of the bill argued mainly that teachers could shoot a student accidentally or leave a weapon unlocked in a school restroom, incidents they documented. In questioning Williams, Democratic Rep. Harold Love of Nashville pointed out that teachers wouldnt be allowed to carry concealed weapons to pep rallies. Instead, they would be required to remain in their classroom where their gun was stored, making them unable to protect students if a mass shooter attacked during the pep rally. The bill is moot at that point, Love said. Four Republicans voted against the bill: Reps. Charlie Baum of Murfreesboro, John Gillespie of Memphis, Kevin Raper of Cleveland, and Sam Whitson of Franklin. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Tennessee House votes to arm teachers despite opposition appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. April signals the beginning of blistering heat for much of Texas. And while the summer heat is uncomfortable for many, it can be deadly for the people incarcerated in Texas prison system where temperatures regularly reach triple digits. With another sweltering summer likely ahead, prison rights advocates on Monday filed a complaint against Texas Department of Criminal Justice executive director Bryan Collier, arguing that the lack of air conditioning in the majority of Texas prisons amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. The filing came from four nonprofit organizations who are joining a lawsuit originally filed last August by Bernie Tiede, an inmate who suffered a medical crisis after being housed in a Huntsville cell that reached temperatures exceeding 110 degrees. Tiede, a well-known offender whose 1996 murder of a wealthy widow inspired the film Bernie, was moved to an air-conditioned cell following a court order but hes not guaranteed to stay there this year. Mondays filing expands the plaintiffs to include every inmate incarcerated in uncooled Texas prisons, which have led to the deaths of dozens of Texas inmates and cost the state millions of dollars as it fights wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits. The plaintiffs ask that an Austin federal judge declare the states prison policy unconstitutional and require that prisons be kept under 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Texas jails are already required to keep facilities cooler than 85 degrees, and federal prisons in Texas have a 76 degree maximum. Between June and August last year, the average temperature was 85.3 degrees the second hottest on record behind 2011. And this year does not look to be much cooler. The most recent winter season ranked warmest on record for the contiguous U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists have found that climate change has resulted in more severe and longer lasting heat waves. In the last decade, Texas has experienced over 1,000 days of record-breaking heat, compared to a normal decade. In the hot summer months, those concrete and metal cells can reach over 130 degrees, formerly incarcerated Texans said during a Monday press conference. Legal representatives hope to prove those conditions are unconstitutional. What is truly infuriating is the failure to acknowledge that everyone in the system all 130,000 prisoners are at direct risk of being impacted by something that has a simple solution that has been around since the 1930s, and that is air conditioning, attorney Jeff Edwards told reporters. Edwards was the lead attorney in a 2014 prison rights case that cited the nearly two dozen Texas prison inmates who died from heat stroke over the previous two decades. That case culminated in a settlement, where TDCJ agreed to install air conditioning at the Wallace Pack Unit near College Station. About two thirds of the inmates housed across TDCJs facilities live in areas without air conditioning. Advocates and inmates families have long fought to cool prisons in a state where summer temperatures routinely exceed triple digits and pose dangerous conditions to inmates and correctional officers. Although the state has not reported a heat-related death since 2012, researchers and inmates families dispute those statistics. A 2022 study found that 14 prison deaths per year were associated with heat. Last year, a Texas Tribune analysis found that at least 41 people had died in uncooled prisons during the states record-breaking heat wave. Health problems that have been linked to excessive heat include renal diseases, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory illnesses and suicides, Julie Skarha, a epidemiology researcher at Brown University who authored the 2022 study, told reporters on Monday. Skarha said while death certificates may not list heat strokes a condition when the body can no longer control its temperature as the official cause of death, her research indicates that many prisoners have died from heat-related causes. Heat deaths havent magically stopped, the lawsuit states. TDCJ has simply stopped reporting or admitting them after the multiple wrongful death lawsuits and national news coverage. TDCJ spokesperson Amanda Hernandez declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the agency does not comment on pending litigation. But she emphasized that the department has been adding more air conditioning units since 2018. Each year weve been working to add cool beds, and well continue to do so, she said. She also pointed to the departments enhanced heating protocols which are activated from April to October and include providing ice water to inmates and allowing them to purchase fans and cooling towels from the commissary. Lawyers argue that these mitigation tactics are insufficient to combat the states sweltering temperatures. To survive the heat, incarcerated people report having to flood their toilets or sinks and lie down in the water on the cell floor to try to cool their bodies, the lawsuit states. This isnt an unpredictable event, said attorney Erica Grossman, who is one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. It gets hot every summer, and much like every other building in Texas including buildings that have animals we cool the building. TDCJ staff who work in the facilities are similarly impacted by the heat, said Michele Deitch, a senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Law and LBJ School. The excessive heat invades all aspects of life in prisons: Staff must do physical work in heavy uniforms in the heat; the heat results in more violence among those incarcerated; and it leads to more use of force against prisoners, she said. The TDCJ states on their heat mitigation protocols that staff are encouraged to increase their water intake during the hot summer month and are allowed to wear cooling towels and dri-fit compression shirts. New research Skarha has conducted found that the number of assaults that occur in prisons without air conditioning increased as much as five times during summer months compared to that number in climate-controlled facilities. Prison rights advocates say the state could easily fund air conditioning units across its prisons but has simply been unwilling to do so. During the last legislative session when the state recorded a record surplus the House proposed spending $545 million to install air-conditioning in most of the prison facilities lacking it. But the final budget did not include any money dedicated to air conditioning. The House also passed a bill requiring prisons to be kept between 65 and 85 degrees, which is required already in jails and most federal facilities. But the bill failed in the more conservative Senate. We have the resources. We just seem to not have the compassion to do it, Rep. Carl Sherman, D-DeSoto, said during the press conference. Sherman was one of the authors of the bill that would have regulated prison temperatures. The Legislature did allocate approximately $85 million for additional deferred maintenance projects, in Texas prisons, and TDCJ is using that money to pay for air conditioning units. Hernandez estimated that those dollars will provide air conditioning for an estimated 10,000 inmates. Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Tickets are on sale now for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin Sept. 5-7. Get your TribFest tickets before May 1 and save big! The Texas Supreme Court granted on Tuesday Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's request to temporarily halt payments under Harris County's guaranteed income pilot program. Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked Harris County officials from sending financial assistance to needy families under a new program the day before families were slated to begin receiving the money. Justices granted Attorney General Ken Paxtons request Tuesday to halt the payments while a legal fight over the countys guaranteed income pilot program plays out. About 1,900 households residing in the countys poorest neighborhoods would receive monthly, no-strings-attached cash payments of $500 drawn out of $20.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for 18 months. Its unfortunate the court would take such an extraordinary step to block a program that would help people in Harris County even temporarily, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement after the ruling. The program was set to begin Wednesday, though there was some confusion about whether the county had begun distributing the funds ahead of schedule. Minutes before the Supreme Courts order, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said on the social media website X that the county had already sent the first round of checks. But Ellis later said that wasn't the case. "We were racing to get at least one payment out the door, but unfortunately we were not able to process them before the Supreme Court order came down," Ellis wrote on X. "We will continue to fight to get these 1900 families the support they need and deserve." Paxton sued the county earlier this month to stop the program, known as Uplift Harris, arguing that it violates a part of the Texas Constitution that says a local government cannot lend its credit or to grant public money or thing of value to individuals. Lower courts had denied Paxtons requests to at least temporarily halt payments under the program. County officials have defended Uplift Harris, aimed at helping households in the countys 10 poorest ZIP codes who are living below 200% of the federal poverty line, as a legitimate use of public funds. Other Texas localities Austin, San Antonio and El Paso County have experimented with guaranteed income programs in recent years. Last week, the Austin City Council voted to restart the citys program, which it piloted in 2022. Tickets are on sale now for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin Sept. 5-7. Get your TribFest tickets before May 1 and save big! Thinking outside the box to save a life: Chicago doctors repair lungs outside the body CHICAGO A Kentucky man with Stage 4 cancer was going downhill fast when a set of donor lungs became available. But it turns out those lungs were damaged, not suitable for transplant. Not giving up, Northwestern Medicine doctors decided to repair the lungs outside the body. Once healthy, surgeons breathed a sigh of relief before transplanting the organs and saving a life. Keith Zafren recalls the words his hometown doctor told him in 2022 after four years battling Stage 4 lung cancer. He said, This is it. Like, this is the end of the line and were out of options, he said. But his wife Lori Friesen had a dream. Lori just said, Theres no way. Were not taking that as our truth. There will be another way. Enter the dream study at Northwestern Medicine. This felt like science fiction, Lori Friesen said. When we first heard about this, it didnt even seem real. It didnt seem possible. Chemotherapy could no longer keep the cancer at bay and Zafren could barely breathe through his diseased lungs. At Northwestern, doctors offered an idea: Use a set of damaged, donated lungs to cure his disease and give him the ability to breath again. Dr. Ankit Bharat is chief if thoracic surgery at the Canning Thoracic Institute. The donor lungs developed a lot of blood clots and they were not usable. They were not functioning very well, Bharat said. Thinking outside the box, the team treated the diseased lungs in a box clearing the potentially deadly blood clots outside the body. More Coverage: WGNs Medical Watch We got the death sentence on August 2. One year later on August 2 we got the call, Zafren said. Once the lungs were healthy, the first hurdle overcome, the next step, surgery to place the newly repaired lungs into Zafrens body. Once we established that quality and we basically repaired and fix those lungs, we were able to transplant those lungs in Keith and they worked great, Bharat said. Dr. Young Chae is with medical oncology at Northwestern Medicine. During surgery, we resected a total of 30 lymph nodes and we havent found any lymph nodes that contain cancer cells, Chae said. So this tells us that this is a type of cancer that is limited within the lung tissue. I think part of the gratitude and the overwhelm is realizing what these brilliant surgeons are doing here at Northwestern Medicine. The boundaries they are pushing, the new procedures that theyre pioneering, the hope that theyre giving people like me, Zafren said. So I think that uniqueness and that novelty, again, was something special for us and has demonstrated how far we can push our technologies to help patients, Bharat said. So dont give up hope, Friesen said. Zafren is cancer free and his new lungs are performing exactly as they should. New life, following a death sentence thanks to science. Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGNs Dina Bair and the Med Watch team, including, the latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments, as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Thousands of flights to and from Europe have been reportedly affected by suspected Russian jamming of GPS systems. According to a report by The Sun based on data from the website GPSJAM.org, some 46,000 aircraft have reported problems over the Baltic Sea since last August, with most of them occurring in Eastern Europe near borders with Russia. Russia has been accused of jamming GPS signals in nearby countries such as Finland as far back as the 2010s, and several recent high-profile incidents of jamming have highlighted the issue. Most notably, Russia is believed to have jammed the satellite signal of a Royal Air Force aircraft used to transport U.K. Defence Minister Grant Shapps. The aircraft, which was traveling back to Britain from Poland on March 13, was jammed for about 30 minutes as it flew by Russia's Kaliningrad region. GPS signal and internet on board the aircraft were inaccessible for the duration of the aircraft's flight near Kaliningrad where the jamming signals are thought to originate. A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the incident at the time, noting it was "not unusual." Aircraft rely on GPS for navigation but the U.K.s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) played down the risk to passenger safety. "Aviation is one of the safest forms of air travel, and there are several safety protocols in place to protect navigation systems on commercial aircraft," Glenn Bradley, the head of flight operations at the CAA, told the Guardian. "GPS jamming does not directly impact the navigation of an aircraft, and while it is a known issue, this does not mean an aircraft has been jammed deliberately." Read also: Reuters: Russia believed to have jammed signal on plane carrying UK defense minister Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Three arrested for inappropriate relationships with multiple Nebraska inmates The Nebraska State Penitentiary on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, in Lincoln. (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN The Nebraska State Patrol on Monday arrested three people who worked at the state prison for inappropriate relationships with multiple inmates. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services in a Tuesday release said an investigation continues into the related arrests of Nicole Carter, 47; Laura Schluckebier, 45; and Abbey Fielder, 26, all of Lincoln. Schluckebier and Fielder are both currently employed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and were placed on investigatory suspension. Carter was no longer employed by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and was arrested at her current place of work. Cody Thomas, public relations for the State Patrol, told the Nebraska Examiner that the investigation began earlier this year when department investigators contacted the State Patrol about potential inappropriate behavior. The incidents occurred in 2023. Carter, Fielder and Schluckebier were arrested on the following charges, which are all felonies: Carter: sexual abuse of an inmate and allowing a committed offender to have unauthorized visitation or communication. Fielder: sexual abuse of an inmate, conspiracy to commit sexual abuse of an inmate and allowing a committed offender to have unauthorized visitation or communication. Schluckebier: allowing a committed offender to have unauthorized visitation or communication and conspiracy to allow a committed offender to communicate. Carter and Schluckebier were lodged in Lancaster County Jail; Fielder was cited and released due to medical circumstances. We hold our team members to a high standard, and inappropriate behavior involving a member of the incarcerated population will not be tolerated in NDCS, Rob Jeffreys, department director, said in a statement. A department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for more information. The post Three arrested for inappropriate relationships with multiple Nebraska inmates appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Three suspects in stolen vehicle try evading police in Los Angeles County Three suspects in a stolen Honda were taken into custody after the driver tried to flee from officers in Long Beach Monday night. The events began around 11 p.m. when officers spotted the stolen vehicle and tried to conduct a traffic stop in the area of East 15th Street and Locust Avenue. The driver of the stolen vehicle, which was occupied by three males, did not stop and a pursuit ensued until the Honda crashed into another vehicle near Long Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway. Three suspects were arrested following a stolen vehicle pursuit in Long Beach on April 22, 2024. An unidentified victim in the other vehicle suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to authorities. Two suspects were taken into custody shortly after the pursuit but the third suspect managed to elude officers. A SWAT team was called in to help search for the suspect, who was taken into custody after nearly four hours. Suspect in unprovoked deadly attack on woman on Los Angeles Metro identified Police said they recovered two firearms in the Honda. No officers were injured in the incident. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. URUMQI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The installed capacity of new energy in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has exceeded 70 million kilowatts, nearly a half of the region's total installed capacity, said local electricity authorities on Tuesday. According to the State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., the region is expected to notch up some 89 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity by the end of this year, which will mark new energy becoming Xinjiang's most important electricity source. Last year, Xinjiang generated 502.6 billion kWh of electricity, of which 90.5 billion kWh were contributed by its new energy, said the company. Rich in wind and solar power resources, Xinjiang is one of the leading regions in the country in terms of new energy development. Thurston judge sentences Lacey veteran for trying to kill estranged wife by burying her alive A 54-year-old Lacey man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for trying to kill his estranged wife in 2022 by her burying her alive. Chae Kyong An, 54, attended his sentencing hearing in Thurston County Superior Court on Monday, about a year-and-a-half after his arrest. Judge Mary Sue Wilson sentenced An to 165 months in prison and three years of community custody for one count of second-degree attempted murder, domestic violence, according to court records. An admitted to the crime in a plea deal with prosecutors last month and the courts sentence follows that agreement. On October 16, 2022, in the County of Thurston, Washington, with the intent to cause the death of my wife Young Sook An, I took a substantial step towards the commission of the offense when I kidnapped her from our home, took her to the woods, assaulted her and placed her bound in a hole and covered her with branches, An stated when he pleaded guilty in court records. The Olympian does not typically name victims of crimes, but Washington State Patrol previously identified Young An, then 42, in a widely shared missing person alert. Court records describe a harrowing narrative of Young An being beaten in her Lacey home, bound in duct tape, stabbed and buried alive in a wooded area. Young Ann reportedly called 911 with her Apple Watch during the initial assault and later managed to escape from her bindings and the hole she was placed in. A Sheriffs deputy found her at a home on the 9900 block of Stedman Road Southeast after residents called 911 in the early morning of Oct. 17, 2022, according to court records. She reportedly told law enforcement at the time that Chae An became violent after a discussion about their ongoing divorce. Since then, deputy prosecutors reportedly met Young An many times to keep her up to date on the case. During these meetings, the State has seen Young An as her physical injuries have begun to heal, but the trauma of the attack, while unseen, remains ever present. Despite her ongoing trauma, Young An is a strong woman, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth McMullen wrote in the States sentencing memorandum. The States memorandum notes Young An wanted the matter to go to trial rather than see it resolved by a plea agreement. In reaching a resolution of this matter, the State significantly reduced both the charges and potential exposure for the defendant, the States memorandum says. Prosecutors initially charged Chae An with first-degree attempted murder, domestic violence, as well as first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault and felony harassment. He has no prior criminal history, according to court records. In a memorandum to the court, Michael Austin Stewart, Chae Ans defense attorney, said Chae An is a highly decorated military Intelligence warrant officer with more than three decades of military service. He added An has a 100% disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs for injuries and illnesses related to his service, which included multiple combat deployments. Psychological testing by both the State and Defense agree that Mr. An was experiencing PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) related symptoms during the events of October 16, 2022, the memorandum says. No bail set for Lacey man accused of trying to murder his wife by burying her alive Tip leads to arrest of Arizona fugitive in Marion County, deputies say MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A fugitive wanted out of Arizona was arrested Tuesday in Marion County, authorities said. A tip led to the arrest of 44-year-old Carl R. Ottmann. Deputies said he was apprehended near the Mullins area of Marion County. Ottmann is wanted out of Arizona for failure to appear on dangerous drug charges and failure to register as a sex offender, deputies said. Ottmann will be held at the Marion County Detention Center as he awaits extradition to Arizona. Ottman was not charged with any crimes in Marion County, according to deputies. Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace said Ottmanns arrest is an example of community participation. If you see something, say something, Wallace said. A concerned citizen followed their instincts and called us about this man, now a wanted fugitive is off the streets. It takes all of us to make Marion County safe. * * * Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylors work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. These are the top high schools in the Raleigh and Durham-Chapel Hill metro areas in 2024 Five Triangle schools have cracked the top 500 public high schools nationally in the newest rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. Raleigh Charter High School reclaimed the top spot in the Triangle in the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best High Schools rankings released early Tuesday. Woods Charter School in Chatham County, Wake STEM Early College High School in Cary, Green Hope High School in Cary and East Chapel Hill High School also were ranked within the top 500 public high schools in America. Last year, only two Triangle schools cracked the top 500. NC school no longer top in US The Early College at Guilford in Greensboro was dethroned from its spot as the nations top public high school in 2023. It dropped to No. 16 nationally. But it remains the top-ranked school in North Carolina. More than a fifth of North Carolinas high schools (22%) ranked in the top 25% nationally. That put North Carolina 29th nationally after being 25th last year. U.S. News ranked nearly 17,660 public high schools based on college readiness, proficiency on state exams, performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, performance of underserved students, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates. The 2024 Best High Schools rankings offer a starting point for parents to understand a schools academic performance, whether its a prospective school or one that their child is already attending, LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a news release. Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate todays educational environment and plan for the future. U.S. News has been rating high schools since 2007. The rankings were based on the 2021-22 school year, which was the first full year of in-person instruction for many students since the COVID-19 pandemic. RTI International, a research firm based in Research Triangle Park, crunched the numbers for the 2024 list. Top Raleigh metro area schools The top 10 schools in the Raleigh-Cary metro area (which includes Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties) are: Raleigh Charter High School (No. 4 in the state and No. 156 nationally) Wake STEM Early College High School in Cary (No. 6 in North Carolina and No. 261 nationally) Green Level High School in Cary (No. 9 in the state and No. 318 nationally) Green Hope High School in Cary (No. 16 in the state and No. 523 nationally) Triangle Math and Science Academy in Cary (No. 18 in the state and No. 540 nationally) Panther Creek High School in Cary (No. 20 in the state and No. 643 nationally) Enloe High School in Raleigh (No. 25 in the state and No. 747 nationally) Wake Young Womens Leadership Academy in Raleigh (No. 36 in the state and No. 967 nationally) Holly Springs High School (No. 41 in the state and No. 1,325 nationally) Apex High School (No. 42 in the state and No. 1,336 nationally) Top Durham-Chapel Hill schools The top 10 schools in the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area (which includes Durham, Orange, Chatham, Granville and Person counties) are: Woods Charter School in Chatham County (No. 5 in the state and No. 244 nationally) East Chapel Hill High School (No. 11 in the state and No. 389 nationally) Chapel Hill High School (No. 14 in the state and No. 515 nationally) Research Triangle High School in Durham (No. 17 in the state and No. 536 nationally) Eno River Academy in Hillsborough (No. 27 in the state and No. 762 nationally) Durham School of the Arts (No. 34 in the state and No. 928 nationally) Carrboro High School (No. 37 in the state and No. 995 nationally) Oxford Preparatory School in Oxford (No. 40 in the state and No. 1,233 nationally) City of Medicine Academy in Durham (No. 64 in the state and No. 2,211 nationally) Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough (No. 67 in the state and No. 2,322 nationally) Charter schools make up two of the top 10 schools in the Raleigh list and four of the top 10 in the Durham list. Charter schools are taxpayer-funded schools that are exempt from some of the rules that traditional public schools must follow. For instance, theyre not required to provide school bus service or participate in the federal school lunch program. They also have more flexibility in how they spend their money, dont have to follow the school calendar law and dont need all their teachers to be licensed. Read the full report at www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools. The sign outside the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia. CoreCivic owns and operates the prison. (Photo courtesy of CoreCivic) Torrance Countys elected officials will meet Wednesday to vote on whether to extend a contract allowing the federal government to incarcerate asylum seekers in central New Mexico. The agenda for tomorrows Torrance County Commission meeting includes a request from County Manager Janice Barela to sign an amendment to the contract between the county government and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which governs operations at the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia. The contract expires May 14. Reached for comment on Monday, Barela said ICE is asking for an extension rather than a new contract. Its not our choice on that, Barela said. I think theyre needing additional time to prepare the agreement. The goal is to work toward a new agreement. The agenda packet posted on the countys website does not include a copy of the amendment. Barela said she hopes to have a copy available on Wednesday. As of Monday morning, there were 246 people detained by ICE in Torrance, Barela said. People at the previous county commission meeting on April 10 read testimony from 12 asylum seekers held inside the Torrance County Detention Facility, or who were previously held there. The testimonies described unfair asylum proceedings, allegations of abuse by guards, inadequate medical care, unfair wages for labor done inside, bug-infested and rotting food, dirty drinking water, unkempt clothing, and a lack of sunlight and fresh air. They are the latest accounts of inhumane conditions reported by people detained inside the Torrance detention center. Last year, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) joined others who have called for Torrance to stop incarcerating people for federal immigration violations. This followed a 2022 inspection by the Homeland Security Departments Office of the Inspector General that called on the facility to close. People who want to give public comment to the commissioners at the meeting Wednesday can do so in-person or online. The commission meeting will be held at 9 a.m. at 205 S. Ninth Street in Estancia. It will be livestreamed over Zoom, and the link can be found here. Once county commissioners start the meeting, they can rearrange its agenda, so public comment may not necessarily start promptly at 9 a.m. The post Torrance County to vote on extending ICE prison contract appeared first on Source New Mexico. Read the full story on Backfire News Towing Company Owner Police Investigated Was Gunned Down In Toronto The slaying of a towing company owner outside a plaza in Toronto has placed more focus on the ties between organized crime and criminal towing operations in the metro area. While were not even a little surprised by the details, were grateful the media coverage is helping to open some eyes. Tow trucks in San Francisco are trying to scoop up occupied cars on the road. Sadly, organized crime and towing, both companies which are legitimate in most of its operations and completely illegitimate operations, have a long history. The ability to just scoop up a car, whether to steal it, hide evidence from a crime, or whatever else one might want is real power. That kind of power can spur conflict and the Greater Toronto Area has seen its fair share of that. Towing moguls have been ordering hits, sabotaging the competition, and ratcheting up the violence for years. But the latest salvo in the towing wars, the killing of Alexander Vinogradsky, owner of Paramount Towing, has shone a light on the issue we havent seen in some time. Gunned down on March 28, he allegedly was in deep with rivalries which had police looking at him as possibly ordering hits on rivals. The CBC goes into great detail on these hits in its report and why authorities believe Vinogradsky ordered them. But what it comes down to is powerful men somehow connected to the slain victims put a price on the towing company owners head and it looks like someone cashed in. Vinogradsky had been on the wrong side of the law for some time. But it appears he feared even more reprisal attacks from rivals. The Star says during a 2020 court case he petitioned to have his and his parents addresses redacted from filings, explaining that he believed their lives would be in danger if that information were known by certain parties. Despite authorities vowing to crack down on the tow truck wars in the GTA back in 2020, it seems the conflict is as bad as ever. Image via Paramount/Prestige Towing/Facebook TOPEKA (KSNT) Topeka police say one person is in custody during a stolen vehicle investigation Tuesday morning. The Topeka Police Department was called around 7:30 a.m. on April 23 to the 1800 block of SE Ohio Avenue on reports of a stolen vehicle. Officers arriving at the scene found the vehicle and tried to pull it over. City spokeswoman Rosie Nichols says the driver fled from police. Officers later found the vehicle unoccupied near Third Street and Lime Street. A suspect was also found in a nearby residence and taken into custody. This embedded content is not available in your region. Topeka police shoot alleged robbery suspect in self-defense Nichols says a 22-year-old Topeka man was arrested in connection to the incident. He was taken to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the following charges: Flee or attempt to elude; operate a stolen vehicle Theft > $1,500 <$25,000 from motor vehicle Probation county on felony For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Arielle Leighton, 13, reads on the Louisiana Capitol steps in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The eighth grader, who is a transgender girl, visited the state building with her Dad to oppose bills targeting the states LGBTQ+ community. (AP Photo/Stephen Smith) BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) As transgender people in Louisiana watched surrounding states in the deeply conservative South implement a slew of laws targeting nearly every facet of their lives in recent years, they counted on their ally in the governors office to keep their home a relative oasis. Former Gov. John Bel Edwards, the only statewide elected Democrat at the time, was indeed able to block most of the bills. But this year, nothing stands in the way. Edwards has been replaced by Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican backed by former President Donald Trump who has shown support for such legislation. And the GOP holds a two-thirds supermajority in the Legislature. That means previously introduced legislation hostile to transgender people now has a clear path forward, as do new proposals. These bills are absolutely going to become law, said SarahJane Guidry, executive director of the LGBTQ+ rights group Forum for Equality. And that is such a tragedy, but it doesnt end there. We are going to continue to fight. As the only Democratic governor in the Deep South at the time, Edwards used vetoes to block anti-transgender legislation, including one broadly barring teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, a type of policy critics have dubbed Dont Say Gay; and a measure requiring public school teachers to use the pronouns and names students were assigned at birth. In a veto message, Edwards described the bills as discriminatory, extremist and harmful to a group comprised of the most vulnerable, fragile children in Louisiana. He was unable to keep the Legislature from overriding his veto of a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. And he blocked a 2021 bill seeking to restrict transgender athletes' access to sports, but allowed it become law the next year, knowing a veto would probably be overridden. Now that Edwards is out of office because of term limits, the Republican-controlled Legislature is advancing the Don't Say Gay and pronoun and name proposals; definitions of male and female that could effectively legally erase transgender people; and restrictions on the use of bathrooms and changing rooms in schools, domestic violence shelters and prisons. President Joe Bidens administration has said a new federal rule could clash with such bathroom restrictions. The situation in Louisiana mirrors a national flood of bills that have targeted transgender people, and especially youths, in recent years, a movement some observers say seeks more to motivate conservative voters than to solve real problems. A report released Tuesday by the Williams Institute, a research center at UCLA Law, estimates that about 93% of transgender youths ages 13-17, or about 280,000, live in states that have proposed or passed laws restricting their access to health care, sports, school bathrooms and facilities, or the use of gender-affirming pronouns. The institute estimates that in Louisiana, about 4,000 people ages 13-17, or 1.3% of that age group, identify as transgender. Landry's office did not respond to an email seeking comment on this year's legislation. But he has made no secret of his support for, among other things, restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. In 2023, when he was running for governor, he posted on X: As attorney general for 8 years I have worked hard to protect our children. I urge the full Senate to take up and pass the law. It eventually passed and was vetoed but overridden. Advocates in the Bayou State are organizing their fight, looking to other states that have blocked similar measures in court, educating their communities on the imminent laws, seeking sanctuary city policies, and recruiting more residents to their cause. Were not going to look to the apocalypse, were going to look to the revolution, Guidry said. Advocates want the city council in liberal New Orleans to create local protections for transgender people, such as refusing to enforce state laws targeting them. Other cities like Austin, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri, have already taken similar actions, though it's not clear how effective the protections have been. Last month, hundreds marched in New Orleans French Quarter. Transgender residents continue to testify in the Capitol. Advocates try to work with conservative lawmakers to create amendments to soften legislation. Students took to the Capitol steps in Baton Rouge last month to perform a play they wrote, based on their own experiences about how the bills would affect them. Its almost like the Twilight Zone, said William Leighton, who drove four hours to the Capitol this month with his 13-year-old transgender daughter, Arielle, who was not in the play. Its not fair. I really dont like the fact that people like me are being discriminated (against) for being different, said Arielle, who is in eighth grade. William Leighton had already prepared a letter to send to Arielles teachers, granting permission to use her name and pronouns, but he decided that was not enough and needed to get more politically active. He was recently elected to the states Democratic State Central Committee. Among his priorities are to get more Democrats to vote and find candidates who, if elected to the Legislature, would work to repeal legislation targeting transgender and other LGBTQ+ people. Like their counterparts in the South and elsewhere, advocates in Louisiana will also look to courts for guidance and to keep legislation from taking effect. Five transgender youths and their families filed a lawsuit this year against the state's ban on gender-affirming medical care, as reported by The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. The suit is pending in Orleans Parish Civil Court. Nothing is off the table, Guidry said. If we cannot protect our students, we will continue to work, and if that includes litigation, we will take those steps when we need to. Time was quickly running out for a pair of young mountain lion siblings trapped inside the dry spillway of a dam in southwest Colorado, photos and videos show. An observant dam tender noticed the stranded yearling cubs just as he was about to release water from the Vallecito Reservoir down the spillway on Friday, April 19, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The dam is near Durango. Photos show the cubs at the bottom of the empty spillway with its high walls towering above them. Who is ready for a wildlife rescue story? Been excited to share this one all weekend, and now seems like as good of a time as any to pounce onto your timeline. Check out these two yearling mountian lions that couldnt get out of the spillway Friday at Vallecito Reservoir pic.twitter.com/KzFPD4GwdL CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) April 22, 2024 A release of water likely would have drowned the two lions, officials said. (Pine River Irrigation District) Superintendent Ken Beck and (dam tender Mike) Canterbury spotting them and holding off on the release gave them a second chance. The district opened the hydroelectric plant property and wildlife officials started the rescue. District Wildlife Manager Ty Smith wanted to avoid darting the cubs if possible, officials said. As it would happen, Smith had access to a rope that he used as a giant string to pique the cubs interest the same way someone would if they were playing with a housecat. They say cats like string and well...we can say they seem to like ropes too, officials said in an Instagram post about the rescue. The high walls of the spillway meant the mountain lions wouldnt be able to get out on their own and as our wildlife officer pondered solutions, he grabbed a rope and dangled it in front of the young mountain lions to see if they would grab onto it to lift them both out. One of them did. Video shows the mountain lion clinging to the rope all the way to the top of the spillway barrier and then darted off into the woods to escape. But the remaining cub was less sure of the rescue method and wouldnt hold onto the rope. Instead, it ran down the spillway all the way to where the Los Pinos River continues below the dam, officials said. Photos show the cubs mad dash up and down the spillway and into a corner. Unwilling to swim to reach the bank, the young lion continued to pace around at the waters edge and moved into a corner of the spillway, officials said. The video on Instagram shows the visibly frightened cub looking up at the rescuer and the rope and curling into a tighter ball in the corner. It settled in for a nervous bath while we pondered the next move to get the lion free, officials said on X. Hoping to avoid darting the animal, Smith climbed down the ladder into the spillway with the rope hoping to find a way to free the lion. They had a bit of a standoff until Smith was finally able to get the mountain lion interested in the rope. Other wildlife staffers were then able to move in with a catch pole and together lifted the lion up and over the concrete wall. The mountain lion hid beneath a truck for a few minutes before taking off into the woods after its sibling, officials said. Several commenters said they were impressed with the patience and creativity rescuers exhibited. They had to be terrified and you all did such a great job, someone said. No one got hurt, rescue was safe and careful for all, thoughtful, humane, and best of all, truly effective, another person said. Thank you for the time, effort, creativity, patience, and for doing the right thing for everyone: big cats, people, and the community. Tranquilized mountain lion falls from Idaho tree, video shows. See what happens next Curious cougar and her shy brother get second chance at NC zoo. See the cute cubs Mountain lion seen on home video proves to be something else, California cops say Troopers investigate deadly crash on I-65 in Northwest Indiana Troopers investigate deadly crash on I-65 in Northwest Indiana LAKE COUNTY, Ind. Indiana State Police troopers are investigating a deadly crash Tuesday on Interstate 65 in Lake County. According to state police, the crash happened around 2:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-65 just south of Interstate 80. On Wednesday afternoon, the victim was identified as Inkwon Seol, 44, of Long Grove. Police: Quick-change artist steals cash from Northwest Indiana grocery store Sgt. Glen Fifield said Northbound traffic was backed up all the way to U.S. 30. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chairs a symposium on boosting the development of China's western region in the new era in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed further efforts to usher in a new stage in the development of China's western region featuring well-coordinated environmental conservation, greater openness and high-quality development. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while chairing a symposium on boosting the development of China's western region in the new era. At the symposium, he called for action to write a new chapter in the development of the western region. China's western region has seen significant achievements on eco-environmental conservation and restoration over the past five years, but the region's development is still faced with difficulties and challenges, Xi pointed out. Developing industries that leverage local strengths should be the main focus, he said, adding that efforts are needed to adopt a region-specific approach in developing emerging industries and expedite industrial transformation and upgrade in the western region. Xi highlighted the imperative to strengthen integration between sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, and strive for breakthroughs in a batch of core technologies in key fields. Measures should be taken to speed up technological upgrade of traditional industries, advance equipment renewals in major industries, and sharpen the competitive edge of traditional industries, he noted. Xi stressed fostering new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, exploring the development of modern manufacturing and strategic emerging industries, and mapping out plans for developing industries of the future to nurture new growth drivers for the region. He underscored the importance of high-level ecological protection in sustaining high-quality development, and the significance of safeguarding national ecological security. Vigorous efforts should be made to promote energy saving and carbon reduction in traditional sectors, as well as the clean and efficient usage of coal, he added. Xi underscored boosting the development of the western region with greater openness and expanding opening up both within the country and to the outside world. He considered it imperative to promote the construction of the new western land-sea corridor, and advance the development and openness of regions along the corridor to help them deeply integrate into the Belt and Road Initiative. More should be done to optimize the layout of industrial parks, economic cooperation zones in border areas, and cross-border economic cooperation zones, and promote the high-quality development of pilot free trade zones, Xi said. He said it is essential to steadily expand institutional opening up and foster a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment. Xi emphasized the necessity of coordinating development and security, and of enhancing China's ability to ensure the security of energy and other resources. He urged efforts to boost the capacity of the west-to-east power transmission program and accelerate the formation of national exploitation and processing bases of mineral resources. He also urged vigorously promoting the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. It is necessary to promote new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization in a coordinated way, and to safeguard and improve people's well-being in the course of development, Xi stressed. Xi pointed out that it is necessary to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and to effectively safeguard ethnic unity and border stability. He called for action to help the border areas prosper and enrich local residents in the new era, strengthen the construction of infrastructure and public service facilities in border areas, and boost border tourism and other industries. Li Qiang, premier, Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Ding Xuexiang, vice premier, attended the symposium. They are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Li said that the development of the western region should be planned and promoted during the process of Chinese modernization, and targeted measures should be taken in a region-specific and category-based manner. He urged coordinated efforts to both defuse local government debt risks and ensure stable development, expand opening up both within the country and to the outside world, align the development of the western region to other regional development strategies, and engage the western region in the international circulation. Ding demanded continued steps to prevent and control pollution in an accurate, scientific and law-based approach to further improve the ecology and the environment. He also called for action to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of economic growth, develop new quality productive forces in a region-specific manner, and actively yet prudently work toward peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chairs a symposium on boosting the development of China's western region in the new era in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chairs a symposium on boosting the development of China's western region in the new era in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) (The Hill) Former President Trump on Monday claimed Michael Cohen is lying, following a day in court for his hush money trial, once again testing the gag order imposed in the case. When are they going to look at all the lies that Cohen did in the last trial. He got caught lying. Pure lying. And when are they going to look at that, Trump said Monday at the Manhattan courthouse. His remarks followed a day of opening statements in his hush money trial in New York, where the former president is accused of illegally covering up a hush money payment Cohen made to conceal an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with reimbursements to Cohen after he paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 in October 2016 to stay quiet about the alleged affair. Cohen, who is likely to be a witness in the case, pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges and was sentenced to three years in prison. The charges were related to the payments made to Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement. Cohen claimed he did so at the direction of a candidate for federal office. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the hush money case, imposed a gag order on Trump last month that bars the former president from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors or others during the trial. In the order, Merchan said Trump is ordered to refrain from making or directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in this investigation or in this criminal proceeding. The gag order was expanded earlier this month to also limit Trumps attacks on the family members of Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), who helped lead the hush money investigation. It is not immediately clear if Trumps remarks violate Merchans gag order. A hearing on the gag order will be held Tuesday, when Merchan is expected to rule on if the former presidents recent social media posts violate the order. Prosecutors asked Merchan last week to fine the former president $3,000 for violation of the gag order in three recent Truth Social posts. Merchan did not immediately rule on the prosecutors request filed April 15, but scheduled a hearing on the matter for Tuesday. The posts in question took aim at Cohen and Daniels, though Trumps legal team has argued the posts do not violate the order. Attorney Todd Blanche argued last week Trump was responding to salacious, repeated, vehement attacks by these witnesses. Trumps legal team also took aim at Cohen during Mondays opening statements. Blanche told jurors they cant trust Cohen, who has since turned against the former president. He referenced Cohens past guilty pleas, portraying him as a liar who is now making a livelihood off attacking Trump on his podcast, book and cable news. Given this, you cannot give [a] serious decision about President Trump relying on the words of Michael Cohen, Blanche said in court. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., is facing backlash over his vow to support the war in Ukraine by a top former adviser to former President Donald Trump, as Graham continues to be ostracized by MAGA crowds. Steve Bannon, a former chief strategist to Trump, says Grahams decision to challenge U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, for speaking out against additional funding for Ukraine is poisonous. Lindsey Graham is a poisonous serpent that is allowed to get near President Trump, spreading his poison by operatives who are NOT America first, Bannon said on the social media platform Getter. Bannons comments follows a Fox News interview Sunday, where Graham took issue at Vances unwillingness to continue providing billions of American dollars to support Ukraines war effort against Russia. I challenge J.D. Vance to go to Ukraine and get a briefing from the Ukrainian military and talk to the Ukrainian people. Then tell me what you think. Quit talking about things you dont know anything about until you go. In an opinion piece in The New York Times, Vance said the U.S. isnt in a position to offer Ukraine sufficient help in its contest with Russia. Ukraines challenge is not the G.O.P.; its math, Vance wrote. Ukraine needs more soldiers than it can field, even with draconian conscription policies. And it needs more material than the United States can provide. On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine after assistance for it failed in Congress for months, spurred by political infighting. On Fox News Sunday, Graham said protecting Ukraines interest relates to the importance of restraining China from encroaching upon Taiwan. If you want American military members to stay out of the fight with Russia, help Ukraine, Graham said during the Fox News interview. If they go into a North Atlantic Treaty Organization nation, were in a fight. If you pull the plug on Ukraine, there goes Taiwan because China is watching to see what we do. Donald Trump has branded the pro-Palestine protests sweeping college campuses across the US a disgrace as Jewish students are warned to stay home and the Columbia president faces falls to resign. The former president waded in on the drama as he headed into court for day six of his hush money trial in Manhattan. Speaking to reporters outside the court, he blamed the escalating protests across college campuses on President Joe Biden, claiming he has been putting out the wrong signal on Israels ongoing conflict in Gaza. He has the wrong tone. Hes got the wrong words. He doesnt know who hes backing. And its a mess, Mr Trump told reporters outside the court. He continued: The signals he puts out are so bad. And I can tell you hes no friend of Israel, thats for sure, and hes no friend of the Arab world. Once again, Mr Trump compared what he said was a large police presence keeping his supporters away from the court in Lower Manhattan to his perceived lack of law enforcement presence as protests have grown tense at nearby Columbia University and New York University in New York. A Pro-Palestine protestor is arrested at the gates of Columbia University on 22 April 2024 in New York City (Getty Images) We have more police presence here than anyones ever seen, for blocks you cant get near this courthouse, he said. And yet you have nobody up in a college, where you have very radical people wanting to rip the colleges down, the universities down. And thats a shame. There have been multiple reports of police, including riot squads, in attendance outside colleges in recent days, with many officers cordoning off areas around campuses. Over 100 arrests were made at Columbia University, over 150 at NYU, not to mention dozens at Yale University in Connecticut. New York University students set up a Liberated Zone tent encampment in Gould Plaza at NYU Stern School of Business on 22 April (Getty Images) At NYU, leaders requested the New York Police Departments presence to deal with disorderly conduct on Monday, saying students were trespassing and behaving in a disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing manner. Students have been protesting the ties their schools have to Israel, arguing that they need to cut off financial backers who are also aiding in the countrys conflict. However, there have been multiple reports of antisemitic rhetoric during these protests, with the White House saying that calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous. Jewish leaders have urged students to stay away from Columbias campus while the protests take place and the college has switched to hybrid learning until the end of semester. Former US President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at Manhattan criminal court for his hush money trial on 23 April 2024 (Getty Images) Earlier this month, Mr Trump said that Israel was losing the PR war and urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get it over with and stop killing people. His latest comments came before the former president entered the courtroom in Manhattan on Tuesday morning. Mr Trump is charged with 34 felony charges over hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her over an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. Mr Trump denies the affair took place and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial is one of four criminal cases against the former president. Trumps claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday Former President Donald Trump greets supporters during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds on Feb. 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. The Associated Press called the race for Trump over former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley as soon as the polls closed. He was joined on stage by various S.C. elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. | Alex Wong/Getty Images WASHINGTON The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday over former President Donald Trumps pursuit of absolute immunity from criminal charges alleging that he schemed and knowingly fed lies to subvert the 2020 presidential election, eventually leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the final argument of this term, the justices must consider whether Trump can be tried on criminal charges, and depending on the timing of their decision, whether a trial can move forward before Novembers presidential election. The former president and presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee is seeking immunity from charges that include conspiracy to defraud the United States for spreading prolific lies about election fraud, working with co-conspirators to develop fake electors in seven states and pressuring his vice president, Mike Pence, to alter election results using the slates of fake electors. Oral arguments are at 10 a.m. Eastern in the Supreme Court chamber Thursday, and audio will be live-streamed on the Supreme Court website. Audio and a transcript also will be available later on the site. Heres a guide to the complicated path from Trumps false election fraud claims that inflamed his supporters to his immunity claim reaching the nations highest court this week: When was Trump charged? A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Trump on Aug. 1, 2023. The 45-page indictment outlined four felony criminal charges against the former president as a result of an investigation of his actions following the November 2020 presidential election. In addition to conspiracy to defraud the U.S., they include: Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding Conspiracy against rights Trumps pervasive and destabilizing lies about his 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden targeted a bedrock function of the United States federal government: the nations process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of a presidential election, prosecutors wrote. The indictment details Trumps alleged schemes with co-conspirators to falsify election results in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The indictment also describes a steady pressure campaign to enlist Pence to alter the outcome during his ceremonial role in certifying presidential election results during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, prior to Inauguration Day. Among the multiple phone calls and conversations detailed in the indictment is Trumps outreach to Pence on both Christmas and New Years Day to send holiday greetings, during which he berated the vice president as too honest for refusing to join the scheme. Why hasnt the case gone to trial? Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith said upon the indictments release that he would seek a speedy trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The case began to move, and Trump pleaded not guilty on Aug. 3, 2023 at his arraignment before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who waived Trumps appearance at the first hearing on Aug. 28, 2023, set jury selection to begin on March 4 despite protests from Trumps lawyers who asked to delay the trial until January 2026. However, March has come and gone, and proceedings have been on hold as Trump and his legal team steadily marched his immunity challenge to the high court and hopscotched between the several other criminal and civil cases against him. Trump, who is currently on trial for criminal charges in New York, will not attend Thursdays Supreme Court arguments. The state judge has mandated Trump to be in the Manhattan courtroom every day throughout the proceedings. Trumps motion to dismiss his federal election interference case, which he filed in October 2023 and based on the argument of presidential immunity, was denied by Chutkan in early December. Trump appealed the ruling on Dec. 7, 2023, and Smith quickly asked the Supreme Court justices to leapfrog the appellate court and promptly rule on the question of presidential immunity. The justices denied Smiths request. On Jan. 9, a three-judge panel made up of one former President George W. Bush appointee and two Biden picks grilled Trumps lawyer over claims that former and sitting presidents should be immune from criminal prosecution. The oral arguments notably featured a line of questioning from Judge Florence Y. Pan on whether a president could order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival with impunity. In early February, the federal appeals court turned down Trumps immunity argument. The former president then asked the Supreme Court to pause his federal trial while he requested a hearing before a full panel of appeals judges. But the justices decided on Feb. 28 that they would be the final arbiters and scheduled arguments for the last week of the term. Trumps federal trial would meanwhile remain on hold. What do the critics say about the delay? Critics contend that Trumps quest for immunity has been an exercise in delaying his trial until after the November 2024 presidential election. Its much more about that than this underlying immunity claim, said Tom Joscelyn, senior fellow at the Reiss Center on Law and Security at New York University and former senior staff member on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. Now, weve had to delay the federal trial for a couple of months because theyre taking up this claim, Joscelyn told States Newsroom, as he lambasted the legal community for having these navel-gazing arguments for hours on end over stuff that is obviously nonsense. Theres no way a president, current or former president, can be immune from charges that stem from that president seeking to overturn the will of the American people in a democratically held election, and thats what these charges are all about, said Joscelyn, one of the principal authors of the select committees Jan. 6 report. Nothing is more unconstitutional. Former Rep. Liz Cheney, who was vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, published an op-ed in the New York Times Monday urging the justices to swiftly rule on the immunity question. If delay prevents this Trump case from being tried this year, the public may never hear critical and historic evidence developed before the grand jury, and our system may never hold the man most responsible for Jan. 6 to account, the Wyoming Republican wrote. What arguments will Supreme Court justices hear? Trump and supporters of the presidential immunity argument paint a doomsday picture of a hamstrung executive office should the justices decide that a president can be held criminally accountable. The former president maintains that the framers of the U.S. Constitution intended a strong executive to face virtually no liability from the judicial branch, and that a 234-year unbroken tradition of not prosecuting presidents bolsters his case. The President cannot function, and the Presidency itself cannot retain its vital independence, if the President faces criminal prosecution for official acts once he leaves office, Trumps attorneys wrote in March. They wrote later in the brief: Even if some level of Presidential malfeasance, not present in this case at all, were to escape punishment, that risk is inherent in the Constitutions design. Trumps lawyers argue that the only exception that makes a president vulnerable to criminal prosecution is if he or she is first impeached and convicted. The former president was impeached by the U.S. House twice the second time for inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6. He was acquitted by the U.S. Senate on both occasions. In his response, special counsel Smith characterized Trumps arguments as radical and akin to the monarchy rule that the U.S. broke away from at its birth. If petitioner were correct that the former President has permanent immunity from federal criminal prosecution except after his impeachment and Senate conviction which has never happened it would upset the separation of powers and usher in a regime that would have been anathema to the Framers, Smith wrote. Impeachment, Smith wrote, is a political remedy and not intended to provide accountability under the ordinary course of the law. History also illustrates that presidents have presumed they must follow the law, the special counsel argued. Following the Watergate scandal, former President Richard Nixons acceptance of a pardon implied his and President Fords recognition that a former President was subject to prosecution, Smith wrote. Who is weighing in on the case? The case has attracted nearly 50 friend-of-the-court filings, otherwise known as amici briefs. Like supporters of the immunity argument, opponents similarly envision a bleak future for the presidency, and the nation, if the ruling doesnt go their way. Twenty-six former U.S. Department of Justice attorneys, lawmakers and others, who were either elected Republicans or served during GOP administrations, warned of terrifying possibilities that would endanger the nations hallmark peaceful transfers of power. Under former President Trumps view of absolute immunity, future first-term Presidents would be encouraged to violate federal criminal statutes by employing the military and armed federal agents to remain in power, they wrote. Several retired four-star generals also argued that absolute immunity for a commander-in-chief would result in irreparably harming the trust fundamental to civil-military relations if he or she ordered generals to direct troops unlawfully. Immunizing the Commander-in-Chief from criminal prosecution, as Petitioner argues for here, would fly in the face of that duty, creating the likelihood that service members will be placed in the impossible position of having to choose between following their Commander-in-Chief and obeying the laws enacted by Congress, the generals wrote. Filings in support of the former president insist the criminal charges against Trump are partisan and warn of opening the proverbial floodgates of politically motivated cases against presidents if immunity is not granted. Several state attorneys general accused the Department of Justice of timing the case with Trumps 2024 presidential run. The lengthy delay in bringing charges followed by an unexplained rush to take him to trial, gives credence to the concern that factional interests can drive criminal investigations and prosecutions of the President for his official acts, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall wrote in a brief co-signed by 17 other Republican attorneys general. They include: Ashley Moody of Florida, Raul R. Labrador of Idaho, Theodore E. Rokita of Indiana, Brenna Bird of Iowa, Kris Kobach of Kansas, Liz Murrill of Louisiana, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Andrew Bailey of Missouri, Austin Knudsen of Montana, Michael T. Hilgers of Nebraska, Drew Wrigley of North Dakota, Gentner Drummond of Oklahoma, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Marty J. Jackley of South Dakota, Ken Paxton of Texas, Sean D. Reyes of Utah and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, contends that the Constitution already dictates a process of accountability for the president through impeachment. The fact that the Senate acquitted Trump over his actions surrounding Jan. 6, 2021, should have ended the matter, Daines and the NRSC wrote. Not every impeachment inquiry will result in the punishment that a Presidents political opponents believe he deserves, but that is not a reason for prosecutors and the courts to go hunting for an alternative. The post Trumps claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday appeared first on Michigan Advance. Trumps claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday Former President Donald Trump boards his plane at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, following an arraignment in Washington, D.C. federal court on Aug. 3, 2023. Trump pleaded not guilty to four felony criminal charges after being indicted for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday over former President Donald Trumps pursuit of absolute immunity from criminal charges alleging that he schemed and knowingly fed lies to subvert the 2020 presidential election, eventually leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the final argument of this term, the justices must consider whether Trump can be tried on criminal charges, and depending on the timing of their decision, whether a trial can move forward before Novembers presidential election. The former president and presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee is seeking immunity from charges that include conspiracy to defraud the United States for spreading prolific lies about election fraud, working with co-conspirators to develop fake electors in seven states and pressuring his vice president, Mike Pence, to alter election results using the slates of fake electors. Oral arguments are at 9 a.m. Central in the Supreme Court chamber Thursday, and audio will be live-streamed on the Supreme Court website. Audio and a transcript also will be available later on the site. Heres a guide to the complicated path from Trumps false election fraud claims that inflamed his supporters to his immunity claim reaching the nations highest court this week: When was Trump charged? A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Trump on Aug. 1, 2023. The 45-page indictment outlined four felony criminal charges against the former president as a result of an investigation of his actions following the November 2020 presidential election. In addition to conspiracy to defraud the U.S., they include: Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding Conspiracy against rights Trumps pervasive and destabilizing lies about his 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden targeted a bedrock function of the United States federal government: the nations process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of a presidential election, prosecutors wrote. The indictment details Trumps alleged schemes with co-conspirators to falsify election results in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The indictment also describes a steady pressure campaign to enlist Pence to alter the outcome during his ceremonial role in certifying presidential election results during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, prior to Inauguration Day. Among the multiple phone calls and conversations detailed in the indictment is Trumps outreach to Pence on both Christmas and New Years Day to send holiday greetings, during which he berated the vice president as too honest for refusing to join the scheme. Why hasnt the case gone to trial? Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith said upon the indictments release that he would seek a speedy trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The case began to move, and Trump pleaded not guilty on Aug. 3, 2023 at his arraignment before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who waived Trumps appearance at the first hearing on Aug. 28, 2023, set jury selection to begin on March 4 despite protests from Trumps lawyers who asked to delay the trial until January 2026. However, March has come and gone, and proceedings have been on hold as Trump and his legal team steadily marched his immunity challenge to the high court and hopscotched between the several other criminal and civil cases against him. Trump, who is currently on trial for criminal charges in New York, will not attend Thursdays Supreme Court arguments. The state judge has mandated Trump to be in the Manhattan courtroom every day throughout the proceedings. Trumps motion to dismiss his federal election interference case, which he filed in October 2023 and based on the argument of presidential immunity, was denied by Chutkan in early December. Trump appealed the ruling on Dec. 7, 2023, and Smith quickly asked the Supreme Court justices to leapfrog the appellate court and promptly rule on the question of presidential immunity. The justices denied Smiths request. On Jan. 9, a three-judge panel made up of one former President George W. Bush appointee and two Biden picks grilled Trumps lawyer over claims that former and sitting presidents should be immune from criminal prosecution. The oral arguments notably featured a line of questioning from Judge Florence Y. Pan on whether a president could order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival with impunity. In early February, the federal appeals court turned down Trumps immunity argument. The former president then asked the Supreme Court to pause his federal trial while he requested a hearing before a full panel of appeals judges. But the justices decided on Feb. 28 that they would be the final arbiters and scheduled arguments for the last week of the term. Trumps federal trial would meanwhile remain on hold. What do the critics say about the delay? Critics contend that Trumps quest for immunity has been an exercise in delaying his trial until after the November 2024 presidential election. Its much more about that than this underlying immunity claim, said Tom Joscelyn, senior fellow at the Reiss Center on Law and Security at New York University and former senior staff member on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. Now, weve had to delay the federal trial for a couple of months because theyre taking up this claim, Joscelyn told States Newsroom, as he lambasted the legal community for having these navel-gazing arguments for hours on end over stuff that is obviously nonsense. Theres no way a president, current or former president, can be immune from charges that stem from that president seeking to overturn the will of the American people in a democratically held election, and thats what these charges are all about, said Joscelyn, one of the principal authors of the select committees Jan. 6 report. Nothing is more unconstitutional. Former Rep. Liz Cheney, who was vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, published an op-ed in the New York Times Monday urging the justices to swiftly rule on the immunity question. If delay prevents this Trump case from being tried this year, the public may never hear critical and historic evidence developed before the grand jury, and our system may never hold the man most responsible for Jan. 6 to account, the Wyoming Republican wrote. What arguments will Supreme Court justices hear? Trump and supporters of the presidential immunity argument paint a doomsday picture of a hamstrung executive office should the justices decide that a president can be held criminally accountable. The former president maintains that the framers of the U.S. Constitution intended a strong executive to face virtually no liability from the judicial branch, and that a 234-year unbroken tradition of not prosecuting presidents bolsters his case. The President cannot function, and the Presidency itself cannot retain its vital independence, if the President faces criminal prosecution for official acts once he leaves office, Trumps attorneys wrote in March. They wrote later in the brief: Even if some level of Presidential malfeasance, not present in this case at all, were to escape punishment, that risk is inherent in the Constitutions design. Trumps lawyers argue that the only exception that makes a president vulnerable to criminal prosecution is if he or she is first impeached and convicted. The former president was impeached by the U.S. House twice the second time for inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6. He was acquitted by the U.S. Senate on both occasions. In his response, special counsel Smith characterized Trumps arguments as radical and akin to the monarchy rule that the U.S. broke away from at its birth. If petitioner were correct that the former President has permanent immunity from federal criminal prosecution except after his impeachment and Senate conviction which has never happened it would upset the separation of powers and usher in a regime that would have been anathema to the Framers, Smith wrote. Impeachment, Smith wrote, is a political remedy and not intended to provide accountability under the ordinary course of the law. History also illustrates that presidents have presumed they must follow the law, the special counsel argued. Following the Watergate scandal, former President Richard Nixons acceptance of a pardon implied his and President Fords recognition that a former President was subject to prosecution, Smith wrote. Who is weighing in on the case? The case has attracted nearly 50 friend-of-the-court filings, otherwise known as amici briefs. Like supporters of the immunity argument, opponents similarly envision a bleak future for the presidency, and the nation, if the ruling doesnt go their way. Twenty-six former U.S. Department of Justice attorneys, lawmakers and others, who were either elected Republicans or served during GOP administrations, warned of terrifying possibilities that would endanger the nations hallmark peaceful transfers of power. Under former President Trumps view of absolute immunity, future first-term Presidents would be encouraged to violate federal criminal statutes by employing the military and armed federal agents to remain in power, they wrote. Several retired four-star generals also argued that absolute immunity for a commander-in-chief would result in irreparably harming the trust fundamental to civil-military relations if he or she ordered generals to direct troops unlawfully. Immunizing the Commander-in-Chief from criminal prosecution, as Petitioner argues for here, would fly in the face of that duty, creating the likelihood that service members will be placed in the impossible position of having to choose between following their Commander-in-Chief and obeying the laws enacted by Congress, the generals wrote. Filings in support of the former president insist the criminal charges against Trump are partisan and warn of opening the proverbial floodgates of politically motivated cases against presidents if immunity is not granted. Several state attorneys general accused the Department of Justice of timing the case with Trumps 2024 presidential run. The lengthy delay in bringing charges followed by an unexplained rush to take him to trial, gives credence to the concern that factional interests can drive criminal investigations and prosecutions of the President for his official acts, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall wrote in a brief co-signed by 17 other Republican attorneys general. They include: Ashley Moody of Florida, Raul R. Labrador of Idaho, Theodore E. Rokita of Indiana, Brenna Bird of Iowa, Kris Kobach of Kansas, Liz Murrill of Louisiana, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Andrew Bailey of Missouri, Austin Knudsen of Montana, Michael T. Hilgers of Nebraska, Drew Wrigley of North Dakota, Gentner Drummond of Oklahoma, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Marty J. Jackley of South Dakota, Ken Paxton of Texas, Sean D. Reyes of Utah and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, contends that the Constitution already dictates a process of accountability for the president through impeachment. The fact that the Senate acquitted Trump over his actions surrounding Jan. 6, 2021, should have ended the matter, Daines and the NRSC wrote. Not every impeachment inquiry will result in the punishment that a Presidents political opponents believe he deserves, but that is not a reason for prosecutors and the courts to go hunting for an alternative. The post Trumps claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. FILE - A man carries a Free TikTok sign in front of the courthouse where the hush-money trial of Donald Trump got underway April 15, 2024, in New York. The House has passed legislation Saturday, April 20, to ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn't sell its stake, sending it to the Senate as part of a larger package of bills that would send aid to Ukraine and Israel. House Republicans' decision to add the TikTok bill to the foreign aid package fast-tracked the legislation after it had stalled in the Senate. The aid bill is a priority for President Joe Biden that has broad congressional support. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File) Former president Donald Trump is digging in against a potential ban of TikTok that is moving through Congress - and seeking to blame President Biden for it - even though Trump sought to outlaw the social media application when he was in the White House. Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok, Trump said Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform. He accused Biden of wanting to help Facebook become more powerful and possibly meddle in elections to hurt Republicans. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Trumps post came two days after the House, as part of a broad foreign aid package, passed legislation that would force TikToks China-based parent company to sell the application within about a year or face a national ban. Biden endorsed the package and last month said he would sign an earlier version of the TikTok legislation that the House passed. In 2020, Trump issued an executive order to ban TikTok if its parent company did not sell it within 45 days. The order was later blocked in court. As far as TikTok is concerned, were banning them from the United States, Trump said in July 2020. But Trumps public stance on the social media app swung in the other direction in recent months, with the former president arguing in March that a TikTok ban would only empower Facebook, which he has called an enemy of the people. Trumps post on Monday appeared to be the first time he explicitly referenced Biden while railing against proposals to force a TikTok sale. Asked for comment on Trumps post, Bidens reelection campaign referred to the White House, which denied it was working to shut down TikTok. Weve been clear: we do not want to ban apps like TikTok, White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson said in a statement. What we want - and what the legislation we support would do - is ensure that TikTok becomes owned by an American company so that our and our childrens sensitive personal data stays here instead of going to China and so that Americans understandings and views cant be manipulated by algorithms potentially controlled by the [Peoples Republic of China]. Trump accused Biden of wanting to shut down TikTok to help his friends over at Facebook become more powerful and be able to continue to fight, perhaps illegally, the Republican Party. Under the bill passed on a 360-58 vote by the House Saturday, TikToks owner would have up to 360 days to divest, meaning any ban is not likely to happen until after Election Day. The chamber in March passed an earlier version of the bill trying to force a TikTok sale on a shorter timeline, but it has languished in the Senate. The latest proposals attachment to the foreign aid package could boost its chances in the upper chamber. Trumps reversal on TikTok raised questions about his relationship with Jeff Yass, a Republican megadonor from Pennsylvania who is also a TikTok investor. Trump, who is working to cultivate more heavyweight GOP donors as Biden builds a large fundraising advantage, met earlier this year with Yass but said afterward that they did not discuss TikTok. A former top aide in Trumps White House, Kellyanne Conway, is advocating for TikTok in Congress and has spoken to Trump about the importance of defending the application, The Washington Post reported last month. Conway is being paid by the Club for Growth, the conservative group that counts Yass as one of its biggest donors. Trump has called TikTok a national security threat but also touted its popularity, saying in a March interview with CNBC that there is a lot of good and theres a lot of bad with TikTok. As you know, I was at a point where I could have gotten it done if I wanted to, Trump said, suggesting he ultimately wanted to leave the matter to Congress. I sort of said, You guys decide, you make that decision, because its a tough decision to make. Frankly, there are a lot of people on TikTok that love it. - - - Cristiano Lima-Strong contributed to this report. Related Content AI deepfakes threaten to upend global elections. No one can stop them. The day the mountain crumbled They fled Venezuela and transformed D.C.s food delivery scene Former president Donald Trump, center, awaits the start of proceedings at Manhattan criminal court, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. Opening statements in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial are set to begin. Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records as part of an alleged scheme to bury stories he thought might hurt his presidential campaign in 2016. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool) WASHINGTON (AP) Former President Donald Trump faces serious charges in two cases over whether he attempted to subvert the Constitution by overturning the results of a fair election and illegally remain in power. Yet its a New York case centered on payments to silence an adult film actor that might provide the only legal reckoning this year on whether the Republican tried to undermine a pillar of American democracy. Trump is charged in the hush money case with trying to falsify business records, but it was hard to tell that as the trial opened Monday. Lead prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wasted little time during opening statements tying the case to Trump's campaigning during his first run for the presidency. He said the payments made to Stormy Daniels amounted to "a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election." Whether the jury accepts that connection will be pivotal for Trump's fate. The presumptive GOP nominee faces charges related to falsifying business records that would typically be misdemeanors unless the alleged act could be tied to another crime. Prosecutors were able to charge them as felonies because they allege that the false records were part of an effort to cover up state and federal election law violations though thats still not the type of direct election interference that Trump is charged with elsewhere. Trump has referred to the New York trial and the three other criminal cases against him as a form of election interference, suggesting without evidence that they're part of a Democratic plan to undermine his campaign to return to the White House. Im here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia and lots of other places campaigning, and its very unfair, he told reporters before Monday's court session. While the charges are felonies, the New York case is seen as the least consequential against the former president. In the two election cases, Trump is accused of more direct involvement in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He faces a four-count federal indictment in Washington in connection with his actions in the run-up to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. He and others were charged in Georgia with violating the states anti-racketeering law by scheming to illegally overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him in those cases and a fourth charging him with mishandling classified documents. All the other cases are tied up in appeals that are expected to delay any trials until after the November election. If that happens, the New York case will stand as the only legal test during the campaign of whether Trump attempted to illegally manipulate an election and the case isn't even about the election results he tried to overthrow. On Monday, Trump's attorney quickly moved to undercut the idea that a case in which the charges center on record-keeping could seriously be considered an effort to illegally undermine an election. I have a spoiler alert: Theres nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. Its called democracy, said his attorney, Todd Blanche. They put something sinister on this idea, as if its a crime. Youll learn its not. Some legal experts monitoring the cases against Trump said they were skeptical of connecting the payments to a form of election interference. Doing so also runs the risk of diminishing the gravity of the other charges in the public mind. Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota Law School professor and former associate White House counsel during the George W. Bush administration, said he believed the facts of the case met the evidence needed to determine whether a felony had been committed that violated campaign law, but added, The election interference part, I have a little bit of trouble on this. Richard Hasen, a UCLA law school professor, said the New York case does not compare to the other election-related charges Trump faces. 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, he wrote in a recent Los Angeles Times column. In an email, Hasen said New York prosecutors were calling the case election interference because that boosts what may be the only case heard before the election. Some said prosecutors decision to characterize the New York case as election interference seemed to be a strategy designed to raise its visibility. When (Manhattan District Attorney) Alvin Bragg calls it an election interference case, thats more of a public relations strategy, said Paul Butler, a professor at Georgetown Law and former federal prosecutor. I think there was concern that people were looking at the other prosecutions and they werent discussing the Manhattan case. Declaring the case a hush money trial made it seem less important than the others and so theyve styled it ... as a case about election interference. But again, what hes charged with is falsifying business records. Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels and his lawyers argue that the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses. The key question in the prosecution's argument is why were the business records falsified, said Chris Edelson, an American University assistant professor of government. Their allegation is that Trump was preventing voters from making an informed decision in the election. It's an argument he believes prosecutors can make. I think that the prosecutors will have to explain this to the jury. I dont think its impossible to do, he said. The New York trial revolves around allegations of a $130,000 payment that Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer and personal fixer, made to Daniels to prevent her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from becoming public in the final days of the 2016 race. Candidates want to suppress bad news about them. But theres a difference between trying to limit people knowing about that information and about breaking the law to keep them from finding out, said Andrew Warren, a former state attorney in Florida who was suspended by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and is running for his old office while his court battle continues. Warren said he believes the case has always been about more than the payments. If it is accepted as a hush money case, Trump wins," he said. "If there was intent to deceive the voters, the prosecution wins. Donald Trump defended embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson, declined to criticize House Republicans over their vote on Ukraine funding and railed against prosecutors trying him in a wide-ranging post-court interview on Monday. The former president, who had spent the day holed up in hostile territory in the Manhattan courtroom where he is being tried, took to conservative airwaves that evening in an effort to reset the conversation. This is all Biden, Trump told radio host John Fredericks . Its all political persecution and interference of this election at a level we have never seen before. Trump also offered a defense of Johnson, who has come under fire by some conservatives for pushing a $95 billion foreign aid package through the House. "Well, look, we have a majority of one, OK? Trump said. It's not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do. I think he's a very good person. You know, he stood very strongly with me on NATO when I said NATO has to pay up I think he's trying very hard. Trump praised Johnson for securing part of the aid for Ukraine in the form of forgivable loans and he repeated his calls for Europe to pay up. Trumps interview came after he spent Monday listening to opening statements from his defense team and prosecution. Prosecutors claimed that the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels were meant to corrupt the 2016 election, while Todd Blanche, Trumps attorney, called Trump innocent and said there is nothing illegal about things like non-disclosure agreements or efforts to influence an election. Every weekday for the next six weeks with the exception of Wednesdays, which are set aside for other court business Trumps schedule will be dictated by courtroom demands. Last week, Trump was forced to sit in a chilly courtroom as potential jurors were interviewed and some offered their blunt assessments of the former president. Trump is not permitted to pull out his iPhone and post to Truth Social as he sits there, although once released he has made a flurry of posts to his social media site railing against the case. The courtroom drama has created scheduling difficulties for Trump both personally and politically. The former president complained to Fredericks about the possibility he may not be permitted to attend his son Barrons high school graduation in Florida. And last week, Trump only held one campaign event outside of court after a planned rally in North Carolina on Saturday was scrapped at the last minute due to weather. Instead, Trump made a single public stop: a Harlem bodega, the site of a high-profile incident in which a clerk fatally stabbed a customer who was attacking him . The shop was used as a backdrop for the former presidents attempt to draw attention to crime in New York and his claim that the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, was pursuing a political case against him rather than go after violent crime. Trump also hosted Polish President Andrzej Duda for dinner at his Trump Tower residence, where Ukraine, among other things, was discussed. There has been discussion among Trumps advisers of holding larger events on the sidelines of Trumps case in New York. In early May, the former president will hold a rally in nearby New Jersey. But on Monday, he demonstrated a desire to command an audience after hours and it would have been hard to find a friendlier one. Let's get to this scam, communist, Soviet manifesto trial that is going on in New York City, Fredericks said during his interview. You're being politically persecuted. Our justice system is now perverted and weaponized. How does this play out Mr. President? NEW YORK Donald Trump on Tuesday was threatened with thousands of dollars in fines and potentially jail time for denigrating anticipated witnesses and jurors in his hush money case in violation of a gag order. Before the trial resumed, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan heard arguments from prosecutors requesting that the former president be held in criminal contempt for almost a dozen violations of his order prohibiting him from publicly attacking trial participants in the last week alone. The DAs office said Trump disseminated comments by Fox News host Jesse Watters that disparaged potential jurors and shared posts on his social media site calling his former fixer Michael Cohen a liar. Cohen is slated to be the trials star witness. Gag order violations can result in jail time. After a short break, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker told the court he learned about a Trump Tower doorman looking to sell a story claiming Trump fathered an illegitimate girl with a maid at Trump Tower. Pecker told his editor in chief to negotiate a price to get it off the market who secured it for $30,000. The boss will be very pleased, Pecker recalled Cohen telling him. Merchan looked right at Trump as Pecker said this. Pecker said the story would have been explosive and that it would have sold the most copies of the Enquirer since Elvis Presleys death. He later said they determined it was absolutely, 1,000% untrue, but they still bought it in case it was sold to another publication. So this was a way to lock it up? Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass asked. Thats correct, Pecker said. The prosecution displayed more than a dozen pro-Trump headlines in the National Enquirer, including Melania Trump: How she inspired Donald Trump to run for president, and Donald Trump beating Hillary in key swing state poll. Other headlines attacked Trumps GOP rivals with outlandish claims: Donald Trump blasts Ted Cruzs dad for photos with JFK assassin and Senator Marco Rubios Cocaine Connection. Pecker said stories about Trumps opponents originated with a call from Cohen, who would say they wanted him to run a story, whether it be about Cruz, Rubio, Ben Carson or someone else. That was the basis of our story, and then we would embellish it from there. Whether he heard things informally or injected himself into it, Pecker said Cohen was in Trumps environment, and he assumed his directives were Trumps wishes. Michael was physically in every aspect of whatever the campaign was working with, at least at the Trump Organization, at Trump Tower. Pecker said he was present when Trump infamously descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower in June 2015 and announced he was running for president not long after a poll of National Enquirer readers showed 80% were enthusiastic about a Trump presidency. Steinglass then asked Pecker about the August 2015 meeting where Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said the hush money scheme began. Pecker said former Trump campaign press secretary and top aide Hope Hicks was in and out of the meeting. At that meeting, Donald and Michael, they asked me, what can I do and what my (magazines) ... could do to help the campaign, Pecker said. I said what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and I would publish negative stories about his opponents, ... I said I would be your eyes and ears ... If I hear anything negative about yourself or if I hear anything about women selling stories, I would notify Michael as I did over the last several years, I would notify Michael Cohen and then he would be able to have them killed ... or someone would purchase them, Pecker said. At one point Tuesday, Trumps lead attorney got a dressing down from Merchan in a humiliating back-and-forth attempting to defend his clients online behavior. Youre losing all credibility with this court, Merchan said of Todd Blanche, drawing gasps in the courtroom. The attorney claimed Trumps posts sharing what others had said about the trials anticipated main witnesses were not willful violations of the gag order. But Merchan said Trump sharing Watters words that disparaged jurors was not a repost at all. He noted that Trump had to write out what the Fox host had said, including quotation marks. Blanche said it wasnt meant to threaten or intimidate jurors.The judge reserved issuing a decision. After Blanche drew the judges ire, the former president got his lawyers attention with a slap on the arm and said something in his ear. Blanche leaned away, prompting Trump to lean in again and say something else. Blanche then put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes, looking anguished. Before the trial started, Merchan had barred Trump from commenting on witnesses, potential witnesses, jurors and all involved in the trial and their family members. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felonies alleging he repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records in 2017 in paying back Cohen for a hush money payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker will return the witness stand today for the second day of Donald Trumps Manhattan criminal trial over covering up hush money payments to a porn star. Pecker will resume testimony where he is expected to detail the inner workings of a scheme he, Trump and his fixer lawyer Michael Cohen devised to buy up and bury bad news during the 2016 presidential election. Trump is on trial for allegedly fudging business records to conceal a $130,000 payoff to Stormy Daniels made before the 2016 presidential election. Former President Donald Trumps Manhattan hush money trial will continue with a second day of testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Steven Hirsch Pecker is expected to continue testifying about the scheme he, Trump and Michael Cohen to buy and bury stories about his affairs. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg The 72-year-old ex-CEO of the Enquirers parent company, American Media Inc., is slated to continue his testimony around 11 a.m. after a hearing over whether Trump, 77, breached the terms of a court order barring him from ripping jurors and witnesses online. The Manhattan District Attorneys Office says the ex-president violated the gag order at least 10 times, including by sharing a quote on Truth Social from a Fox News host which said, they are catching undercover liberal activists lying to the judge in order to get on the jury. Justice Juan Merchan, the trial judge, has cited concerns about the privacy of the panel of everyday Manhattanites on the jury including two corporate lawyers, a retired wealth manager who loves yoga, and people who have expressed both admiration and disdain for Trump who will decide his fate. A hearing will be held to determine whether or not Trump violated his gag order. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Trump was ordered to follow a limited gag order in March barring him from slamming expected trial witnesses, such as Daniels and his ex personal lawyer Michael Cohen. However, after leaving court Monday he spoke directly about Cohen, saying: When are they going to look at all the lies that Cohen did in the last trial? He got caught lying in the last trial. Pure lying, referring to how the ex-lawyer admitted lying under oath in a 2018 case. Hes still allowed to bash Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg but is barred from ripping their families, according to the order. His lawyers have claimed his social media posts do not breach the terms of the order. Trump and Pecker did not make eye contact during Peckers brief testimony on Monday. Elizabeth Williams via AP After the hearing wraps, Pecker is expected to be asked about allegedly huddling with Trump and Cohen at Trump Tower in 2015 to silence damaging stories about Trump while ordering hit pieces on the real estate moguls political foes. Prosecutors told jurors during Mondays opening statements Monday Pecker helped orchestrate three catch-and-kill schemes buying exclusive rights to potentially damaging stories and then never publishing them on Trumps behalf. The $130,000 payoff to Daniels was one payment. The magazine also paid $150,000 for Playboy model Karen McDougals story about how she had an affair with Trump, but never published it. A former doorman at Trump Tower, Dino Sajudin, claimed he had knowledge Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock and was also paid $30,000 despite Enquirer staffers never seriously looking into his story, prosecutors say, which later turned out to be false. Trump, who is required to attend every day of the trial in person, came face-to-face with his former ally Pecker as he first took the stand Monday but the pair did not make eye contact. Pecker only testified for 20 minutes before the judge called a break for a juror to make an emergency dentist appointment, and to give people sufficient time to prepare for the Jewish holiday of Passover. Trump speaking to the media after the first day of his trial on April 22, 2024. Steven Hirsch Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records, which each carry a potential sentence of up to four years in prison. The payoffs also known as hush money breached state election law and amount to a plot to interfere in the 2016 election by keeping damaging stories from voters, prosecutors say. Court papers claim Trump lied on company files that he was reimbursing Cohen for legal work when he was actually paying his fixer back for paying off Daniels. Blasting the entire case outside of court Monday, Trump said: This is a case in which you pay a lawyer and they call it a legal expense in the books. I got indicted for that. He also said instead of attending the trial he should be out campaigning for re-election. China has restored over 100 million mu (about 6.7 million hectares) of land in a massive ecological remediation drive called the Shan-Shui Initiative. #XinhuaNews A longtime friend of Donald Trumps admitted on the stand Tuesday that their relationship had devolved into an orchestrated scheme to influence the 2016 election on Trumps behalf. David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer and former CEO of its parent company, American Media Inc., told the court Tuesday that he and Trump had coordinated not just to publish positive coverage of his friend ahead of the 2016 election, but also to publish negative coverage of other presidential candidates. In doing so, Pecker practically admitted to the catch-and-kill media scheme that Trump has repeatedly denied. Trump had asked what can I do and what my magazines can do to help the campaign, Pecker said. Pecker had responded that he could publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents. Stories about Hillary Clinton were already popular amongst the Enquirers audience, so continuing to publish those articles was a mutual benefit, according to Pecker. Still, Pecker knew the plan should be kept highly, highly confidential, describing the undocumented meeting he had with Trump and Trumps then-fixer Michael Cohen in August 2015 as just an agreement among friends. Pecker would later tell the Enquirers former editor-in-chief, Dylan Howard, to instruct the east and west coast bureau chiefs of the publication to redirect any stories about Trump to Pecker. Were gonna try to help the campaign, and to do that I want to keep this as quiet as possible, Pecker recalled telling Howard. That, effectively, made Pecker the eyes and ears for the Trump campaign regarding women selling stories. Pecker promised to notify Cohen in order to have such stories killed. Trump is accused of using Cohen to sweep an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels under the rug ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He faces 34 felony charges in this case for allegedly falsifying business records with the intent to further an underlying crime. Trump has pleaded not guilty on all counts. Donald Trump arrives with his lawyer Todd Blanche in New York - Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images Donald Trumps lawyer was accused of losing all credibility in a bruising exchange with the judge overseeing the former presidents hush-money trial. Justice Juan Merchan admonished the visibly flustered defence lawyer as he was considering the prosecutions request to fine the Republican nominee $10,000 (8,000) for allegedly repeatedly violating a gag order. A ruling was put in place last month banning Mr Trump from attacking jurors, court officials and witnesses. Trump hush-money trial National Enquirer offered to be 'Trump's eyes and ears' Read more Christopher Conroy, the prosecution lawyer, claimed Mr Trump had breached the ruling on 10 occasions, including in a Truth Social post on Apr 10 which called former porn star Stormy Daniels and lawyer Michael Cohen sleazebags. Both Ms Daniels and Mr Cohen are key witnesses in the case. The defendant has violated this order repeatedly and hasnt stopped, Mr Conroy added. Todd Blanche, Mr Trumps lawyer, claimed that the former president was responding to a barrage of political attacks and was being very careful to comply with the gag order. Mr Blanche, youre losing all credibility, I have to tell you right now Youre losing all credibility with the court. Despite terse exchanges, Mr Trump twice railed against the judge on Truth Social during a short break and after court finished for the day. Highly conflicted, to put it mildly, Judge Juan Merchan, has taken away my constitutional right to free speech, Mr Trump wrote on his platform. This is a kangaroo court, and the judge should recuse himself! he added. Wearing a freshly pressed navy blue suit and red tie, Mr Trump, 77, later told reporters outside part 59, the courtroom where the case is being held, the gag order is totally unconstitutional. The second day of Mr Trumps first criminal trial - the first of any former US president - also saw former tabloid executive David Pecker continue to give evidence. The former president has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Mr Trump is accused of conspiring with Mr Pecker and Mr Cohen to corrupt the 2016 presidential election by orchestrating a catch and kill scheme to bury stories that could have wounded Mr Trumps campaign. Mr Pecker, 72, told the Manhattan Criminal Court he made a highly confidential agreement with the two men to act as the eyes and ears for Mr Trump and his campaign during an August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower. Mr Pecker said he then told Dylan Howard, the Enquirers editor-in-chief, to identify any potential stories about the candidate that he could flag to Mr Cohen. I told him that we were going to try to help the campaign and to do that we are going to try and keep this as quiet as possible, Mr Pecker told the court. The courtroom on day two of Donald Trump's trial - Jane Rosenberg Mr Pecker said he suggested the idea because when someones running for public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories. Wearing a grey suit, pink tie and blue shirt, the mild-mannered former chief executive of publishing firm American Media Inc (AMI) also told the court how Mr Cohen would direct him to write stories attacking Mr Trumps political opponents. He described how the Enquirer bought a story from Trump Tower doorman, Dino Sajudin, who claimed Mr Trump fathered a child with a maid who worked for him. They later discovered the story was not true but paid Mr Sajudin $30,000 for the story - three times the fee usually offered to big celebrities - over fear it would be embarrassing if it ran elsewhere. Mr Pecker also said he called Mr Cohen to discuss former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had a relationship with Mr Trump in 2006 and 2007. Mr Howard was sent to interview Ms McDougal and an agitated Mr Cohen repeatedly called him about it as though he was under pressure, Mr Pecker told the court. Prosecutors say Mr Peckers actions helped Mr Trump deceive voters in the 2016 election by burying stories of alleged extramarital affairs at a time when he already faced multiple accusations of sexual misbehaviour. They have charged Mr Trump with criminally falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to buy the silence of porn star Ms Daniels, who says they had a sexual encounter 10 years earlier. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies having an encounter with Ms Daniels. His lawyers argue that Mr Trump did not commit any crimes and only acted to protect his reputation. AMI admitted in 2018 that it paid $150,000 to Ms McDougal for her story. Mr Trump has denied having an affair with Ms McDougal. The trial continues. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Trump to meet with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at Trump Tower on Tuesday Donald Trump will meet Tuesday with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, the deputy head of Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party, two campaign officials told CNN. The meeting will take place at Trump Tower in New York after the former presidents appearance in court for his hush money trial. Trump has in recent weeks increasingly met with foreign leaders, who have sought to bolster ties as polls continue to show an tight general election contest between him and President Joe Biden. Meetings and calls from world leaders reflect the recognition of what we already know here at home. Joe Biden is weak, and when President Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, the world will be more secure and America will be more prosperous, Trump senior campaign adviser Brian Hughes said. The Trump-Aso meeting, which was first reported by Reuters, comes after Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier this month at the White House for a state visit, during which the president touted the US-Japan alliance as being stronger than its ever been and announced new plans for military cooperation with the country. Japan has been at the center of Bidens alliance-building in the Indo-Pacific region, with Kishida significantly shifting the countrys defense posture in recent years and providing ongoing support to Ukraine. Last week, Trump met with Polish President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner, according to the former presidents campaign. Earlier this month, Trump also met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In March, the former president hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at Mar-a-Lago and spoke separately by phone with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Trump meets with a senior Japanese official after court session in his hush money trial Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump meets with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan in New York, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) WASHINGTON (AP) Former President Donald Trump is meeting with another foreign leader while he's in New York for his criminal hush money trial. The presumptive GOP nominee was hosting former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, one of the country's most influential politicians, at Trump Tower on Tuesday evening. Hes a highly respected man in Japan and beyond, Trump told reporters as he greeted Aso in the Trump Tower lobby. It's a great honor to have him. Aso is just the latest foreign leader to spend time with Trump in recent weeks as U.S. allies prepare for the possibility that he could win back the White House this November. Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden are locked in what is expected to be an extremely close rematch, even as Trump stands criminal trial in Manhattan and faces three additional criminal indictments. Leaders from around the world know that with President Trump we had a safer, more peaceful world, said Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes in a statement. Meetings and calls from world leaders reflect the recognition of what we already know here at home. Joe Biden is weak, and when President Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, the world will be more secure and America will be more prosperous. Trump met last week with Polish President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower and also met recently with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Trump was close with Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese prime minister who was assassinated in 2022, and their relationship underscored the premium Trump puts on personal ties when it comes to foreign affairs. Trump told reporters he'd gotten to know Aso through our very dear friend, Shinzo, whom he praised as one of my favorite people in the world. "We loved Shinzo," said Trump. Shinzo was a great friend of mine. He was truly a great man and somebody that we all respected and we really loved. And I miss him greatly." Aso, 83, served as deputy prime minister and finance minister under Abe and is now vice president of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party and considered a kingmaker in the country. His trip comes amid growing concern in Japan over the impact of a possible Trump victory on the country's trade relations and security ties with the U.S. Trump has threatened to impose broad new tariffs if he wins a second term and has generally approached international agreements with skepticism. Early Tuesday morning, Trump complained about the U.S. dollar reaching a new high against the Japanese yen, calling it a total disaster for the United States. When I was President, I spent a good deal of time telling Japan and China, in particular, you cant do that, he wrote on his Truth Social platform. It sounds good to stupid people, but it is a disaster for our manufacturers and others. The U.S. dollar is trading at above 150 yen recently, up from 130-yen mark a year ago, which has made it more costly for Japan to import goods but has boosted exports. Aso visited the U.S. in January, when he met with Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee who served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan when Trump was in the White House. On Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa declined to comment on Asos trip, saying the government is not involved and its his personal activity as a lawmaker. President Joe Biden hosted current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House for talks and a state dinner earlier this month. During the visit, the leaders announced plans to upgrade U.S.-Japan military relations, with both sides looking to tighten cooperation amid concerns about North Koreas nuclear program and Chinas increasing military assertiveness in the Pacific. ___ Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report from Tokyo. FILE PHOTO: Japan's Former Prime Minister and current Vice-President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei FILE PHOTO: Japan's Former Prime Minister and current Vice-President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei By Nathan Layne (Reuters) -Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, a senior figure in the country's ruling party, met with Donald Trump on Tuesday, becoming the latest U.S. ally seeking to establish ties with the Republican presidential candidate. The 83-year-old Aso, who is currently vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, entered Trump Tower in Manhattan on Tuesday evening and met with the former U.S. president for about an hour. "He's a highly respected man in Japan and beyond and somebody that I've liked and I've known through our very dear friend Shinzo," Trump said as he escorted Aso into the building, referring to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. They discussed the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and challenges posed by China and North Korea, Trump's campaign said in a statement. Trump also praised Japan's increased defense spending, according to the statement. Trump is in New York to attend a criminal trial in which prosecutors allege that he falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels, who says they had a sexual encounter 10 years earlier, so as not to hurt his chances in the 2016 election. Aso was deputy prime minister under Abe, who formed a close bond with Trump during his presidency. A longtime powerbroker in Japanese politics, Aso has decades of experience shaping U.S.-Japan ties. Japan has been trying to connect with people close to Trump ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, reflecting concerns that if he wins, Trump could resurrect protectionist trade measures or take other steps that could hurt the Japanese economy or impact strong defense ties with the United States. In a post on his Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump decried the yen's historic slide against the dollar, calling it a "total disaster" for the United States. "When I was President, I spent a good deal of time telling Japan and China, in particular, you can't do that," he wrote. "It sounds good to stupid people, but it is a disaster for our manufacturers and others ... This is what made Japan and China into behemoths years ago. I put limits on both (and others!), and if they violated those limits, there was hell to pay." The yen has been trading around a 34-year-low against the dollar, just shy of 155 yen - a cause for concern for Japanese authorities as well as markets that are on heightened alert for any signs of intervention from Tokyo to prop up the currency. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki issued the strongest warning to date on Tuesday on the chance of intervention in the market, saying last week's meeting with U.S. and South Korean counterparts had laid the groundwork for Tokyo to act against excessive yen moves. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told a Tuesday news conference that Aso's U.S. visit was "a personal activity" of a lawmaker and "the government is not involved," when asked about the diplomatic implications of Aso meeting Trump. The Trump-Aso meeting occurred about two weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled plans for military cooperation and an array of projects aimed at strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance. The meeting marks the latest effort by a foreign country to shore up ties with Trump as polls show an extremely close re-match between him and Biden. (Reporting by Nathan Layne, additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Heather Timmons, Leslie Adler and Himani Sarkar) Former U.S. President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump voiced support for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who allowed a vote on military aid for Ukraine after months of delays, the Guardian reported on April 23. The House of Representatives approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine on April 20. The Senate is expected to advance the bill as early as April 23, whereupon U.S. President Joe Biden will sign it into law. Democratic and Republican lawmakers, along with Biden, have been urging Johnson for months to bring the bill to the House for a vote while hard-line Republican lawmakers close to Trump opposed further assistance for Kyiv, reportedly pressuring House Speaker not to call a vote. While meeting with Johnson in Florida on April 12, Trump said that aid to Kyiv could be provided in the form of a loan. Johnson's decision to hold a vote sparked backlash from the right flank of the Republican Party, with lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene threatening to trigger a motion to remove Johnson from his position. Trump offered a defense of Johnson, saying in a radio interview on April 22 that Republicans have in the House now an actual majority of one vote, which "is not like he (Johnson) can go and do whatever he wants to do." I think he is a very good person. You know, he stood very strongly with me on NATO when I said NATO has to pay up I think hes a very good man. I think hes trying very hard, Trump was quoted as saying by the Guardian. He also praised Johnson for converting $9 billion of aid to Ukraine into a "forgivable loan." This sum will be allocated to the war-torn country as economic assistance in the form of loans that can be forgiven by the president with Congress's approval. Some 101 Republican House members voted in favor of the Ukraine aid bill, 112 voted against, and one voted present. Meanwhile, among Democrats, 210 House members voted yes, with none opposing the bill. Reuters reported, citing unnamed American officials, that the U.S. is already preparing a military aid package for Ukraine worth $1 billion. Some of the U.S. military aid for Kyiv is already reportedly in Germany and Poland, cutting down the time needed for the weapons and equipment to reach the front line. Read also: How Johnson came to allow a vote on Ukraine aid after months of delays Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorneys office say former President Trump has violated a gag order 10 times since it was imposed April 1. The order bars him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judges family in his hush money case, in which he stands accused of paying off a porn actor ahead of the 2016 election to prevent the public from learning of an alleged affair, then writing down the payment as a legal expense. During a hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors asked the court to order Trump to take down 10 posts eight from his social media account and two from his campaign website on the grounds they violate the gag order. Prosecutors are also seeking to fine Trump $1,000 for each post. A number of these posts include attacks on Michael Cohen, Trumps former attorney and fixer, and Stormy Daniels, who Cohen paid off on Trumps behalf to keep quiet about an alleged affair. While the hearing on the gag order concluded Tuesday morning, Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case in Manhattan, has yet to hand down a ruling. These are the 10 posts in question. Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels media appearances Thank you to Michael Avenatti for revealing the truth about two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly, Trump posted on April 10, in response to a post from imprisoned attorney Michael Avenatti. The April 2 post from Avenatti on the social platform X read: We cant be hypocrites when it comes to the 1st Amendment. It is outrageous that Cohen and Daniels can do countless TV interviews, post on social, & make $$ on bogus documentaries all by talking shit about Trump but hes gagged and threatened with jail if he responds. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112247309823361972 Danielss 2018 statement denying relationship with Trump LOOK WHAT WAS JUST FOUND, the former President posted on the morning of April 10, above a photo of a 2018 statement from Daniels denying her relationship with Trump. WILL THE FAKE NEWS REPORT IT? Daniels has since renounced the statement denying her relationship with Trump. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112247471112784333 Disgraced attorney and felon Michael Cohen Has Mark POMERANTZ been prosecuted for his terrible acts in and out of the D.A.s Office, Trump said in a Truth Social post on April 13, referring to one of the senior Manhattan prosecutors who investigated the former president and resigned in February 2023. Has disgraced attorney and felon Michael Cohen been prosecuted for LYING, Trump continued. Only TRUMP people get prosecuted by this Judge and these thugs! A dark day for our Country. MAGA 2024!!! https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112264962642942105 Jonathan Turleys serial perjurer article for the New York Post A serial perjurer will try to prove an old misdemeanor against Trump in an embarrassment for the New York legal system, Trump quoted in a post on April 15, attaching a link to legal scholar Jonathan Turleys article with the same headline for the New York Post. The Hill has previously published op-eds written by Turley. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112275405545650590 Repost on Truth Social: Turleys serial perjurer article Trump reposted the same link and quote to Turleys article slightly more than an hour after he made the first post on April 15. Making this assorted business even more repellant will be the appearance of Cohen himself on the stand, Turley wrote. Cohen was recently denounced by a judge as a serial perjurer who is continuing to game the system. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112275696246863613 Repost on Trumps campaign website: Turleys serial perjurer article The former president also linked to Turleys article on his 2024 campaign website. The pages title reads, ICYMI: A serial perjurer will try to prove an old misdemeanor against Trump in an embarrassment for the New York Legal system.' Second Truth Social repost: Turleys serial perjurer article Trump simply linked the URL for the New York Post article from Turley a day after his initial post on Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112282163636037050 National Review article on Cohen guilty plea The former president shared a screenshot of a full article in the National Review from Andrew McCarthy, titled No, Cohens Guilty Plea Does Not Prove Trump Committed Campaign-Finance Crimes, in a Truth Social post April 16. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112283417331198737 Second repost on Trumps campaign website: Turleys serial perjurer article The Trump campaigns website linked to the article again the day after it was first shared on the website. A serial perjurer will try to prove an old misdemeanor against Trump in an embarrassment for the New York legal system. Read the full article by Jonathan Turley for the NY Post here, the page read. Jesse Watters quote slamming prospective jurors They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury, Trump shared April 17 on Truth Social, quoting Fox News anchor Jesse Watters. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112288751107447732 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Pro-Trump protesters at TCF Center in Detroit | Ken Coleman photo Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee on Friday announced a 100,000 person strong program designed to harass election officials and their employees and discredit democracy in Nevada and a dozen other states. In a statement announcing its Orwellian named election integrity program, the RNC said it is establishing a robust network of monitoring, and protection against any violation or fraud. Neither the RNC, Trump, nor anyone else has ever provided any evidence of fraud that would have altered results of the 2020 election that Trump lost to Joe Biden. We will aggressively take them to court, declared Charlie Spies, the RNCs lead lawyer in the program. Again? More than five dozen lawsuits filed by Trump and Republicans challenged the 2020 election results, including several suits in Nevada. To reiterate, the existence of significant fraud or illegal voting was not found in a single one of those cases. The Democrat tricks from 2020 wont work this time, Spies said. A few weeks after the Trump-instigated January 6 attempt to steal the election, Spies himself acknowledged lies launched by Trump and his allies about the 2020 election are simply not true. The RNCs announcement issued Friday is loaded with hyperbole and innuendo about voter fraud, and a rigged election, but refers to no evidence of either. Thats not surprising. To reiterate, the courts and election officials in state after state, including Nevadas then-Secretary of State, Republican Barbara Cegavske, found no evidence that the 2020 election was rigged. But the RNC isnt promising to intimidate election officials and workers in Nevada because of evidence of wrongdoing in 2020. The RNC is launching its effort because Trump controls the RNC, and he told it to. Democrat tricks from 2020? Do tell. With Fridays RNC announcement, the de facto official position of the Republican Party in 2024 is that in 2020, in Nevada and several other states, every election official, including multiple Republican ones, along with thousands of poll workers and election staff in those states, were co-conspirators in an extravagant and sweeping conspiracy to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump. Many of the federal judges rejecting suits from Trump and Republicans in 2020 had been appointed by Republican presidents. Several of them had been appointed by Trump. Yet for the Democrat tricks from 2020 to have worked, dozens of state and federal judges would have also had to be in on the conspiracy. For the alleged plot again, the existence of which is now a fundamental premise of the official Republican Party to succeed, not just judges but thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people across the country would have had to have been in on it. It would have had to be an unprecedentedly sophisticated bipartisan conspiracy spanning all branches of local, state and federal government in multiple states. And yet to this day, and despite multiple and ongoing efforts to prove election fraud by everyone from Trumps ever-changing stable of quack lawyers to the RNC to Fox News to the My Pillow guy, not a single one of the thousands and thousands of people who would have had to participate in the Democrat tricks have confirmed any Republican allegations of the alleged vast conspiracy. Because there was no conspiracy. There was an election. Trump lost. Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears ahead of the start of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. Former President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. | Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images Whether Trumps daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who co-chairs the RNC, or Sigal Chattah, who is Nevadas Republican committeewoman, or any of the other RNCs leaders, members and/or staffers sincerely believe the fantasy of the stolen 2020 election in other words, if they have genuinely been brainwashed into delusion is irrelevant. The delusion is now official RNC policy. Their job is to act accordingly. And that job, specifically, is a 100,000 person strong effort to belittle and discredit democracy. To belabor the obvious, the last thing Trump wants to do is protect the integrity of elections. He is dedicated to doing the opposite of that. He relentlessly attacked the election process in the years leading up to the 2020 election in an attempt to discredit the results even before any votes had been cast, and lied about the process on election night, in an attempt to stop votes from being counted. After all the votes had been counted he continued to tell lies about the election, and instigated the January 6 insurrection. When that failed, he started running for president again. Hes been lying about the 2020 election and, in a repeat of his behavior prior to the 2020 election, trying to discredit the 2024 results in advance. The RNCs announcement Friday is not an election integrity program. Its just an extension of Trumps attacks on democracy and penchant for cheating. How ugly will it get in Nevada? Trumps adoring flock continues to be mesmerized by his schtick. Pandering to that flock, Republican elected officials and office-seekers, even those who did not deny the 2020 election results, have effectively condoned Trumps war on democracy by citing concerns in some segments of the public about the 2020 election concerns that were fabricated and spread by Trump. Those Republican elected officials and office-seekers are implying, with no evidence, that somehow some vague something must have been wrong. If not election deniers, they are election-denier-adjacent. They are irresponsibly enabling and lending credibility to Trumps effort to end democracy. Their behavior is despicable, cowardly, and an ongoing threat to the nation and its people. Nevada Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is a good example of this (although most of the Nevada press doesnt seem to care much). If Lombardo shows the same blithe disregard when the RNC begins intimidating Nevada election workers, filing more nuisance Nevada lawsuits in which it compares apples to orangutans, and spreading lies to undermine his constituents faith in the same election system by which he obtained his job, hell be enabling and empowering all that as well. By looking the other way, Lombardo would also be doing his bit to help Trump nullify the votes of Nevadans in 2024, as Trump tried to do after the 2020 election. Lara Trump as co-chair of the RNC, Michael McDonald and fellow indicted election deniers in charge of the Republican Party in Nevada, Trumps cavalcade of weirdo lawyers given the chuckleheads who will be involved, its tempting, maybe even warranted, to speculate that Trumps lawyers and the teams of people he enlists to harass election officials and undermine democracy in Nevada wont be any more competent in 2024 than they in were 2020, and equally ineffective at overturning legitimate election results. But even in failing, their efforts can be pernicious, as evidenced in multiple states, most notably the pain and suffering Trump and his minions cruelly inflicted on Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman. How ugly will it get in Nevada? Especially if Lombardo, Rep. Mark Amodei, and other Nevada Republican elected officials and candidates go along to get along with Trump? Were about to find out. Nevada Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nevada Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Hugh Jackson for questions: info@nevadacurrent.com. Follow Nevada Current on Facebook and Twitter. The post Trump, RNC promise aggressive election interference in battleground states appeared first on Michigan Advance. Ahead of entering Manhattan court on Tuesday, former President Trump slammed anti-Israel protests raging on college campuses as a "disgrace" while pinning blame on President Biden. "What's going on at the college level Columbia, NYU and others is a disgrace. And it's really on Biden," Trump said Tuesday morning outside the courtroom. "He's got the wrong words. He doesn't know who he's backing. And it's a mess. And if this were me, they'd be after me, they'd be after me so much, but they're trying to get him a pass. And what's going on is a disgrace to our country. And it's all Biden's fault, and everybody knows it. He's got no message, he's got no compassion and doesn't know what he's doing," Trump continued, adding Biden is the "worst president in the history of our country." Antisemitism has intensified on the campuses of some of the countrys most elite universities in recent days, including protesters on Columbias campus saying Jewish students were Hamass "next targets" amid ongoing demonstrations. More than 100 students were arrested on Columbias campus last week, while dozens more were arrested on Yales and NYUs campuses this week. Some students have also established encampments on campus demanding their schools completely divest from Israel. Former President Trump speaks to members of the media at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, on April 15, 2024. LIVE UPDATES: NY VS. TRUMP TRIAL TO RESUME AS FORMER PRESIDENT FIGHTS OFF GAG ORDER ALLEGATIONS A rabbi at Columbia even warned Jewish students to leave campus due to the antisemitism, while a professor at the university told Fox Digital this weekend that anti-Israel campus groups have morphed into becoming an "actual terror organization" during the recent protests. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "Al-Qassam you make us proud, kill another soldier now," protesters on Columbia's campus were seen chanting over the weekend, referring to the military wing terrorist organization Hamas. TRUMP RAILS AGAINST MANHATTAN DA BRAGG, SAYS 'NUMEROUS OTHER AGENCIES' DIDN'T PUSH CASE Biden and the White House has condemned the protests, including on Monday when he came under fire for equating the antisemitic protests with people who "dont understand" the Palestinians. A rabbi at Columbia warned Jewish students to leave campus due to the antisemitism. "I condemn the antisemitic protests. Thats why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians," Biden told reporters Monday. Trump continued in his comments Tuesday that Biden is "no friend of Israel" or the "Arab world." Former President Trump leaves Trump Tower on his way to Manhattan Criminal Court, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) "It all starts with Joe Biden. The signals he puts out are so bad. And I can tell you he's no friend of Israel, that's for sure. And he's no friend of the Arab world either," Trump said Tuesday morning outside the courtroom. "What's going on at the college level Columbia, NYU and others is a disgrace. And it's really on Biden," Trump said Tuesday morning. "He wants to take like a middle ground. And oftentimes that doesn't work, but it's certainly not working here. But what he's done to Israel is abandon them, and he's trying to be as nice as he can to the other side," Trump continued. NY VS. TRUMP: JUDGE DELIVERS JURY INSTRUCTIONS AS OPENING STATEMENTS KICK OFF The 45th president is in Manhattan for the second week of his trial involving 34 counts of allegedly falsifying business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo makes opening statements as former President Trump watches with his attorney Todd Blanche before Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan state court in New York City, April 22, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. The charges were brought by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection to Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen paying former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election to allegedly quiet her claims of an extramarital affair. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels. NY VS. TRUMP: FIRST WITNESS TAKES THE STAND IN MANHATTAN COURT Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with an intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony. The case kicked off in earnest on Monday, after the court spent last week selecting and seating 12 jurors and six alternates to the panel. Tuesday will include a hearing on the prosecution's request that Trump be held in contempt for violating a gag order, which bans him from speaking publicly about witnesses and family members of court officials, as well as continued testimony for the trial's first witness, former media publisher David Pecker. Original article source: Trump slams anti-Israel protests as 'disgrace' that are 'all Biden's fault' ahead of Manhattan court If, as appears more likely than not, Donald Trump returns to the White House come January 20 2025, China will become Americas unmatched foreign policy priority. But the happy days of Trumps red-carpet fetes in Beijing are long forgotten. Todays Trump has a personal animus toward China, placing heavy blame on Xi Jinpings handling of the Covid-19 pandemic for his loss in the 2020 presidential election. The presidential hopefuls sympathy for populist trade policies has only grown since he left office, with him pledging to introduce massive new tariffs on Chinese imports to the US if re-elected. Hell likely extend those tariffs to governments such as Mexicos which act as intermediaries for Chinese trade flows. And while Republicans are divided over continued aid support for Ukraine, they enjoy near total unity in viewing China as a critical foreign policy concern. Trump will prioritise personal loyalty as the preeminent concern in his future personnel appointments. Still, China will dictate his foreign policy agenda. Its no surprise, then, that those names most frequently talked about as frontrunners for the position of Trumps National Security advisor, Defense Secretary and Secretary of State are all hawkish on China. This is no peripheral consideration. Most US military and intelligence analysts who watch China believe that Xi will launch an invasion of Taiwan before the year 2030. The great scale and varied capabilities of the Peoples Liberation Army mean that a US victory against China is no certain thing. Indeed, some analysts believe US defeat is more likely than US victory. And while Trump has been unclear as to whether he would order a defense of the island democracy, the Republican foreign policy consensus believes he should do so. This sentiment underlines the argument of those ideologically closest to Trump on trade and foreign policy issues, Senators such as JD Vance and Josh Hawley, that the US must heavily reprioritise its military capabilities away from Europe to the Pacific. Vance recently emphasised this point at the Munich Security Conference, even earning tentative praise from Labours shadow foreign secretary David Lammy who, while hardly eager for a US withdrawal from Europe, has pressed the need for Nato members to pay their fair share. But whatever the degree of any shift to the Pacific, a second Trump presidency would certainly view aid to Ukraine as a far lesser security concern to those in the Pacific. In practical terms, Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan (Trump regards Japan very positively) would be far more likely to receive future supplies of weapons such as long range ATACMS missiles and Patriot air defense systems than would Ukraine. Senator Bill Hagerty, a former ambassador to Japan, could draw upon a vast network of regional contacts if rumours about his favourability in a second Trump administration are correct. True, there may be odd discrepancies in Trumps China policy. Take TikTok, for example. The Chinese Communist Party linked ByteDance firms ownership of TikTok means that the app has been used as an intelligence targeting and influence tool against US interests. This has led President Biden and a majority of Democrats and Republicans to support legislation to force ByteDance to divest itself of the app or see the platform banned in America. But while Trump formerly supported such a ban, he recently shifted course after receiving the support of a major donor who owns a stake in TikTok. Trumps inability to separate his personal interests from national interests will provide avenues for Beijing and other governments to manipulate him on certain issues. Still, Trumps 2024 foreign policy focus and that of the Republican Party arent in question. Its China, stupid. Hence why, perhaps, Frances Emmanuel Macron is belatedly joining the United Kingdom and Poland in securing greater European support for Ukraine. Americas eyes are shifting eastward. 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 first freight train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor that runs via the China-Laos-Thailand Railway waits for departure at the Tuanjiecun Central Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Dec. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi) CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- In Chongqing, a bustling inland metropolis in southwest China, lies a place called "Tuanjiecun," meaning "united village." Indeed, it serves as a vital link "uniting" the world through an extensive rail network that stretches in all directions: west, east, north, and south. At Tuanjiecun Station, spanning over 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares), over a dozen train tracks sprawl across the landscape. Bright orange cranes diligently maneuver containers labeled with characters reading "China-Europe Freight Train" and "New Land-Sea Corridor," referring to two pivotal freight rail routes connecting Chongqing with over 100 European and Southeast Asian cities. These containers at the station accommodate a diverse assortment of goods -- over 10,000 varieties -- either arriving in or departing from China. Among them are new energy vehicles, digital gadgets, mechanical equipment, and light industrial products manufactured in China, as well as cargo from around the world, such as whole cars, medicine, medical equipment, and commodities such as agricultural products. In 2023, Tuanjiecun Station's total round-trip cargo volume of international transportation routes reached about 250,000 TEU containers, according to Wang Haixiang from China Railway Container Transportation Co., Ltd. WHERE IT STARTS The everyday hustle and bustle at Tuanjiecun Station was unimaginable before 2011. That year, the inaugural China-Europe freight train, ready for a 15-day journey to Germany, sounded its horn for departure in Tuanjiecun, then a modest train stop nestled amid farmlands. The pivotal moment unfolded Tuanjiecun's remarkable transformation into a world-class freight logistics hub, spearheading Chongqing's ambition to become a key gateway for the vast inland western region of China to engage with the world. Yet, success didn't come overnight. In its early years of operation, a challenge loomed over the long-term success of the China-Europe freight train service: freight train carriages filled with Chongqing-made laptops departed from Tuanjiecun heading west but returned empty. "That situation posed a cost burden and, more importantly, hindered the China-Europe freight train service from growing into a key international logistics transportation channel," said Zhang Luyao from Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of China-Europe freight train service in Chongqing. However, Zhang noted that foreign exporters' skepticism toward the China-Europe freight train service at that time was totally "justifiable." "It must take time to prove that our service is reliable." Three years after the inaugural journey to Germany, the first cargo train laden with high-end European goods arrived at Tuanjiecun Station. As the China-Europe freight train service gained credibility as a viable alternative to air or sea freight, its popularity surged among foreign exporters. Today, the daily average of China-Europe freight trains leaving and arriving in Chongqing is around 10 in the first quarter of 2024, which is a stark contrast with the 17 trains in the entire year of 2011. Furthermore, each train that returns from Europe is fully loaded. "The two-way flow of goods is a testament to our service's growing influence," Zhang said. WHERE IT IS HEADING Over the past decade, Tuanjiecun Station's role has expanded significantly, bridging China's western hinterland with the global market. In 2014, the northward Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia railway freight service was opened. Three years later, the inaugural cargo train departed from Tuanjiecun, bound for Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's Qinzhou port in the south. This marked the inauguration of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, linking the inland region with Southeast Asia. In 2018, a new international freight service utilizing a sea-rail combined transport route commenced operations in Tuanjiecun. This development streamlined the flow of goods between western China and the global market via the eastern port city of Ningbo. The launch of the China-Laos Railway in 2021 has brought Tuanjiecun even closer to ASEAN countries. Consequently, an increasing amount of fruit and other agricultural products from Southeast Asia can now reach the Chinese market. Jiang Tong, a veteran train driver at Tuanjiecun Station who drove the inaugural China-Europe freight train, has spent the past decades on the freight train tracks. With only months left before his retirement, Jiang reflected on his years of service with pride. "With my hand on the lever, China embraces the world, and the world reaches China," Jiang said. Trump valet Walt Nauta was promised a presidential pardon if he lied to the FBI, witness claims Unsealed court filings in the federal classified documents investigation show that former President Donald Trumps valet and personal aide Walter Nauta was promised hed be pardoned for lying to the FBI if Trump won the 2024 election. Included in the filings, released Monday, are redacted interview notes with an FBI witness, identified only as Person 16." The witness, who was interviewed in November 2022, is described as someone who worked in the Trump White House, CNN reported. NAUTA was also told that even if he gets charged with lying to the FBI, FPOTUS will pardon him in 2024, reads the summary. In June 2023, Nauta was charged with lying to the FBI and obstructing the investigation by special counsel Jack Smith. Trump himself was also charged with obstruction, along with mishandling classified national defense information. Both Nauta and Trump have pleaded not guilty. The FBI interview summary does not detail how the witness, who refused to be recorded, came to know about the alleged offer to pardon Nauta. It indicates that the witness hasnt spoken to Nauta since Trump was elected in 2016. But, following the end of Trumps term in 2020, the witness visited the former presidents Mar-a-Lago numerous times, according to the summary. During one such visit, in November 2021, the witness purportedly advised Trump to give up whatever he had back to the National Archives. Dont give them a noble reason to indict you, because they will, the witness said to Trump, according to their account. In August 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago to recover classified material in August 2022. Turlock police arrest juvenile suspect in deadly shooting. He already was in custody A 17-year-old male from Turlock was arrested Monday in an April 16 shooting that killed one person and wounded another. When the Turlock Police Department investigation identified the alleged gunman, he already was in custody at the Stanislaus County Juvenile Detention Center on an unrelated case, according to a news release. Detectives rebooked the teen on charges of murder and attempted murder. The shooting was the evening of April 16 on the 700 block of Wayside Drive, just off North Olive Avenue south of East Hawkeye Avenue. Officers responding to the report found two gunshot victims and immediately began rendering aid, the release says. One of the victims, a 20-year-old man struck multiple times in the arm, was taken to a Modesto hospital for treatment of wounds that were not life-threatening. The second victim, Amado Dominic Escobedo III, 19, of Ceres, was pronounced dead at the scene. TPD detectives determined that the suspect and victims knew one another and that the shooting followed a brief altercation. The investigation, including evidence gathered, led to the suspect being identified. On Monday, a search warrant was conducted in the 1200 block of Pioneer Avenue, about a quarter mile east of the crime scene. There. detectives seized evidence related to the investigation. That evidence does not include the gun believed to have been used in the crime, TPD spokeswoman Dominique Sanchez said. The Turlock Police Department ask that anyone with information on the crime call Detective Blanc at 209-668-6540. Tips also may be left by calling 209-668-5550, ext. 6780, or emailing tpdtipline@turlock.ca.us. There were only remote classes at Columbia University on Monday as protests, clashes and arrests rendered the campus a cauldron of tension and fear. A surge in antisemitism, attacks and harassment has made life extremely uncomfortable for Jewish students at colleges across the country, and Columbia has become ground zero after police arrested more than 100 protesters there late last week. Its hard to fathom that the gated Upper Manhattan campus, so familiar to me from my days earning a masters in journalism there, felt compelled to keep students away as the Biden White House condemned anti-Jewish hatred heading into the first night of Passover. I believe were at a long-overdue turning point. Just four months ago, Harvard President Claudine Gay and Penn President Liz Magill couldnt bring themselves to denounce antisemitism at a congressional hearing, which ultimately cost them their jobs. Now Columbia President Minouche Shafik, under pressure after a similar hearing, has cracked down on demonstrators who break the rules. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOS Antisemitic incidents have surged since Hamas terrorists committed unspeakable acts of brutality on Oct. 7 in launching the war against Israel. But whatever your view of the war, including rising civilian casualties and widespread hunger in Gaza, my sense is that a growing number of Americans are just fed up with out-of-control protests by those who would wipe Israel off the map. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Elie Buechler, a rabbi who heads the Orthodox Unions learning center at Columbia and its sister school Barnard College, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students on Sunday saying police had not guaranteed their safety "in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy," and that they should stay home "until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved." "It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus," the rabbi wrote. There was some backlash against Buechler, as if he was advocating surrender, but he said it pained him to have to make this recommendation. COLUMBIA RABBI TELLS JEWISH STUDENTS TO LEAVE CAMPUS, WARNS THAT SCHOOL, NYPD 'CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY' Im all for free speech and the right to protest, but when pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up 50 tents in the middle of campus, the school warned them that they would be automatically suspended and arrested if they refused police orders to vacate. The initial media coverage focused on the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, Isra Hirsi, who was one of those arrested. There is no evidence she was treated differently than anyone else. Hirsi, a member of the anti-Israel group Apartheid Divest, told Teen Vogue she has nowhere to live and no way to get food after she was evicted from her $90,000-a-year Barnard dorm and dining hall. The Minnesota congresswoman said she is "enormously proud" of her daughter. Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, said he is "horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism at and around the Columbia University campus." ISRAELS SUCCESS, IRANS FAILURE AND THE CHANCES OF IGNITING THE MIDEAST POWDER KEG Shafik, in banning in-person classes, denounced the "intimidating and harassing behavior" on campus. "Anti-Semitic(sic) language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken." She added that some people not affiliated with Columbia have "exploited" these tensions "to pursue their own agendas." Shafik said she was trying "to balance the rights of students to express political views" with protecting other students "from rhetoric that amounts to harassment and discrimination." Some of the schools 5,000 Jewish students were cursed out, according to the Columbia chapter of Chabad, with protesters shouting "all you do is colonize, "go back to Europe" and "go back to Poland." Some demonstrators, according to a post by one student, tried to burn a stolen Israeli flag, while some Jewish students found themselves splashed with water. Police officers were also called the KKK and there were chants about a free Palestine "from the river to the sea." New York Post columnist and part-time Columbia University student Rikki Schlott describes what she saw during anti-Israel protests on campus. This is beyond outrageous. Some of these protesters, who tried to put up tents once again, are not just against Israel, they clearly despise Jews. That is at the root of this deep-seated bigotry that has made life intolerable for Jewish students at Columbia and beyond. (There is a slice of Jewish students who say they agree with the protesters that Gaza death tolls are unacceptable, though I dont get how they square that with calls for Israels destruction.) DISCIPLINE SHOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST THESE THREATS: PHILIPPE REINES A student identified as Katie told FOXs Martha MacCallum: "It's sickening. And truly, it's heartbreaking to think that I go to school with people who have these horrible anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, and anti-American beliefs. It's really quite disturbing to think that these people are allowed to be around me and my classmates and to see my friends, people I recognize on these videos being screamed at that these people condone their rape and murder. And it's just so beyond disturbing." Columbia University student Eden Yadegar describes antisemitism on campus during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol hosted by the House Education and the Workforce Committee leadership. Katie, describing herself as an Iranian who escaped religious persecution in the country that directly and unsuccessfully bombarded Israel for the first time, said Columbia has "hired professors who have said that these attacks on Oct. 7 were awesome, were great victories for the Palestinian martyrs and who have been known to be antisemitic, and that Professor Joseph Massad teaches the class on Israeli-Palestinian conflict at Columbia. And you wonder how these students get indoctrinated with these beliefs.I think it's a rejection of American values." The woman, who was poised and passionate, added that the ongoing ordeal prompted her to move off-campus. "It changed my life as a student completely. I worked my whole life to get into Columbia. Worked hard to go. This is my dream school. I came to hear from people with differing beliefs and to learn from them. And it has made the entire experience miserable," she said. "Quite frankly, I cannot wait to get out of there and I will never return." There comes a time when millions who had looked away or stayed silent rise up and say enough. I think we are on the brink of that moment. There is something about the combination of Columbia, the New York media market, the arrests, the tent city and the bile directed at Jewish students that has tipped the scales. Original article source: At a turning point? Columbia arrests and anti-Jewish harassment shut down campus Two arrested, one at large in connection with Lee County homicide LEE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) Two of three people were arrested in connection with a homicide that happened in Lee County back in March, the Lee County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Around 9:54 a.m. on March 5, LCSO responded to a report of a dead person in the 100 block of County Road 123 in Ledbetter, Texas, the agency said in a news release. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a man with apparent gunshot wounds. Officials identified the victim as Carlos Ramone Greene, 36. Lee County Sheriffs Office investigating shooting as a homicide On Monday, April 22, three warrants were issued for three people, according to LCSO. The first person is Jayden Dangelo Medearis, 18, of Giddings. He was found in Midland and was arrested by the Midland Police SWAT team, according to LCSO. He was then transported to the Lee County Jail and booked on a capital murder charge. The second person is Tavion Malique Williams, 19, of Midland. Although Williams was believed to be in Midland, he still has not been found at this time, according to LCSO. Anyone with any information on his whereabouts is urged to contact law enforcement. The last person is Atlantic Eredia-Johnson, 27, of Giddings. He was found in Gonzales and was arrested by the Gonzales Police Department, according to LCSO. He remains in the Gonzales County Jail. Eredia-Johnson faces murder and aggravated robbery charges, the release said. The homicide investigation is ongoing. No other details were released Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Two Gallup residents get wages paid after years in court and lawsuit against DWS GALLUP, N.M. (KRQE) After claiming they werent paid for work they did at 505 Burgers in Farmington, a Gallup couple has received a payout after a settlement agreement. But the lengthy legal battle took more than five years and a lawsuit against the state agency tasked with helping workers. Persistence is the keyword. We didnt give up. We just stuck with it, Jose Pancho Olivas said in a press release. Albuquerque local headed to prison after stealing nearly $400,000 from Pueblo of Jemez Jose Olivas and his wife, Sandra Olivas, worked at 505 Burger in 2014 and 2015. They claimed they were paid some but not all of their wages. For help, they tried to file a claim for unpaid wages with the states Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS). But Olivas claimed they didnt get the help they needed. He told a civil court that DWS refused to investigate his claim for unpaid wages. He alleged DWS would not handle a claim of over $10,000 in lost wages. Others made similar allegations against DWS, and Jose Olivas took the lead in a class action lawsuit against the government agency. The class action lawsuit claimed DWS failed to properly assist a legally blind, Spanish-speaking janitor file a claim for stolen wages. Another janitor, trying to get $15,000 in unpaid wages, ran into a similar roadblock as Olivas, claiming that DWS wouldnt help because of the value of the claim and because it was several years old, the lawsuit alleged. City of Roswell facing $637,311 fine after worker death In court filings, DWS argued that the department follows long standing policies and procedures . . . adopted to enable NMDWS to fairly resolve as many valid wage claims as possible and that none of the individual plaintiffs . . . submitted a claim form that complied with the policies and procedures of the NMDWS. Eventually, DWS did accept Olivass claim from 2017 and took the owner of 505 Burgers to court, according to non-profit Somos Un Pueblo Unido, which helped Olivas. Now, the Olivas family is getting $100,000 after a settlement. The Olivas showed great courage in choosing to be named lead plaintiffs in the original class action lawsuit against DWS under the Susana Martinez administration. While waiting patiently for their claim to go through the lengthy legal process, they helped ensure other immigrant and non-immigrant workers would have the institutional support they need from DWS to swiftly recoup stolen wages, Gabriela Ibanez Guzman, staff attorney with Somos Worker Center and co-counsel in the class action lawsuit against DWS, said in a press release. In a press release about the settlement and wage claims, DWS said: We strive to provide education and training to businesses to ensure that employees are paid fairly and to prevent situations like the one Mr. and Mrs. Olivas endured. Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair said. But when prevention does not work, our capable team will pursue these cases for workers, no matter how long it takes. DWS says that they will accept wage claims as long as the last non-payment or underpayment of wages occurred within three years prior to the date of filing and that forms are available in both Spanish and English at this link. DWS can also help with translation services, their website says, and DWS will take wage claims for unpaid wages totaling any amount. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. This photo taken with a mobile phone on April 22, 2024 shows a volunteer preparing free meal for displaced people at a charity restaurant in Karari neighborhood of Omdurman city, northwest of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) KHARTOUM, April 22 (Xinhua) -- In November 2023, Osman Al-Jundi, a Sudanese journalist, launched the Fak Riq Takia to provide food for displaced people in Omdurman, a city located northwest of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. After the outbreak of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15, 2023, Sudanese activists and volunteers, including individuals like Al-Jundi, set up Takias in Khartoum and other cities, where they offered food and support to residents grappling with severe livelihood and security challenges resulting from the conflict. The term Takia originated from the Arabic word "mutaka." In Sudan, it refers to a place where people perform religious rituals, such as the memorization of the Holy Quran by religious students, while also serving as a sanctuary for the impoverished and needy, providing them with access to food and refuge. "At first, the idea was to offer morning tea with milk and locally baked goods, but it evolved into providing daily lunch and Friday breakfast for more than 300 families affected by war. These families were scattered at homes and four shelter centers in the neighborhoods of Al-Hattana, Al-Manara, and Al-Waha in Omdurman," he said. Fak Riq Takia, a local colloquial term for morning breakfast and one of the most notable Takias in Sudan, receives both financial and in-kind support from public and private bodies, as well as Sudanese expatriates, Al-Jundi noted. In addition to food assistance, Fak Riq Takia also provided other services, such as giving clothing to families affected by the conflict, many of whom had fled their homes without their belongings, according to Al-Jundi. "Furthermore, we distributed bags containing baked goods, sweets, and children's clothing to needy families during the recent Eid al-Fitr celebration, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan," he added. Since the conflict began in April last year, more than 14,700 fatalities have been recorded, while the number of people displaced inside and outside of Sudan has reached 8.2 million, according to figures published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Many displaced Sudanese rely on charities for their daily sustenance. "The threat of falling shells forced my family and me to flee our area and come here, where we've been receiving food from the Takia ever since," said Nimeiry Taha, a Sudanese displaced from the Al-Omda neighborhood in central Omdurman. He noted that such community initiatives have significantly mitigated the impact of the war, serving as vital community institutions in the absence of government assistance. Al-Tayeb Al-Muzamil, who was displaced from the Al-Fetaihab neighborhood in western Omdurman, emphasized that the Takia now serves as more than just a food provider. For Al-Muzamil, it has become a "social club" where displaced individuals from various areas meet every day for social interactions. Mobadiroon is a Takia in southern Khartoum that relies on financial and material aid from charitable individuals both within and outside Sudan. Ahmed Khojali, a volunteer at Mobadiroon Takia, highlighted the challenges they currently face due to disruptions in communication networks and the internet in Khartoum, which have interrupted financial transactions. "Despite our modest resources, we are trying to offer food to dozens of families in the southern Khartoum area," said Khojali. This photo taken with a mobile phone on April 22, 2024 shows displaced people standing in a queue to receive free meals from a charity restaurant in Karari neighborhood of Omdurman city, northwest of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) This photo taken with a mobile phone on April 22, 2024 shows displaced people standing in a queue to receive free meals from a charity restaurant in Karari neighborhood of Omdurman city, northwest of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) This photo taken with a mobile phone on April 22, 2024 shows displaced people standing in a queue to receive free meals from a charity restaurant in Karari neighborhood of Omdurman city, northwest of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WVNS) Two men from Raleigh County are facing felony charges in Fayette County. According to Sheriff Mike Fridley of the Fayette County Sheriffs Office, deputies responded to a suspected overdose that occurred on December 26, 2023 in the Mount Hope area of Fayette County. During the investigation, detectives with the Fayette County Sheriffs Office confirmed that the person died from an overdose. Fayette County man receives two life sentences for two First-Degree Murder convictions Deputies also discovered the people who sold the deceased the drugs that led to their death. 47-year-old Bryan K. Griffith and 28-year-old William K. Foley, both of Bradley, were each charged with the felony offenses of Drug Delivery Resulting in Death and Conspiracy. Griffith and Foley were brought in for questioning in Raleigh County and then sent to Southern Regional Jail to await their court sentencings. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. Two missing teens found after hiding in woods, family says MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (WDHN)The search for two teens who went missing last week is over. Austin Barefield, 15, from Newton, and 17-year-old Violet Gray from Bay County, Florida, went missing on Thursday, April 18. Barfields family confirmed to WDHN that the teens had been hiding in the local woods and were found after going to a family friends home on Tuesday for food and shelter. Midland City Police say Gray had driven from Bay County to Midland City in a Nissan Rogue to meet up with Barefield before abandoning the car. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speaks to members of the press at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 19, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) This story was updated at 6:52 p.m. April 22, 2024. The chair of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee wants answers from a federal law enforcement agency involved in the fatal shooting of Little Rocks airport director in March. In a Monday letter to Steven Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio asked the ATF to provide all documents, communications and audio related to the search warrant-related raid on the home of Bryan Malinowski on March 19. Also on Monday, Arkansas State Police said in a news release that it had turned over its investigative case file of the Malinowski shooting to the 6th Judicial District prosecuting attorneys office in Little Rock. Bryan Malinowski Malinowski, 53, reportedly fired on ATF agents as they broke into his home shortly before dawn. Agents returned fire, with one of the bullets striking the airport executive in the head. He died the next day. Malinowski had been executive director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport since 2019. Jordans letter to the ATF chief said the raid and Malinowskis subsequent death, coupled with related ATF rulemaking, raise serious questions about the weaponization of the agency against Americans. Mr. Malinowski exercised his Second Amendment rights and was a firearms enthusiast, Jordan wrote. Even if, as ATF has alleged, Mr. Malinowski violated federal law, it does not justify ATFs actions that ultimately led to the use of deadly force. An affidavit filed in U.S. District Court to support the warrant to search Malinowskis home alleged he had bought as many as 150 guns, most of them pistols, over four years and resold many to individuals despite having signed a document saying he would not do so. Malinowskis family, state legislators and Arkansas two senators have all raised questions about what happened, the necessity of serving a search warrant on a well-known individual at night and whether the federal agents followed procedure and wore body cameras. On Friday, Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman issued a statement saying that the Department of Justice confirmed that ATF agents involved in executing the search warrant at Malinowskis home werent wearing body cameras. We will continue to press the department to explain how this violation of its own policy couldve happened and to disclose the full circumstances of this tragedy, their joint statement said. Jordans letter noted that the publicly reported circumstances of the airport directors death raise questions about whether ATF agents followed proper protocol. The letter notes that Justice Department policy and a presidential executive order requires ATF agents to wear active body cameras while executing a search warrant. Jordan also noted that it is unclear whether ATF agents complied with Justice Department policy on no knock entries. That policy, issued in 2021, directs federal law enforcement agencies to limit entering a dwelling without complying with the knock and announce rule because of the risk to both law enforcement and civilians. The policy, issued by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, said no knock entry should be restricted to occasions when an agent has reasonable grounds to believe that knocking and announcing the agents presence would create an imminent threat of physical violence to the agent and/or another person, Jordans letter quotes from the policy. Jordans letter goes on to say that the raid on Malinowskis home coincided with ATFs implementation of a regulation to restrict the right to private lawful sales of firearms. The congressman contends that ATF seeks to drastically expand the universe of Americans who would be classified as a dealer under federal law requiring them to obtain a license to become a Federal Firearms Licensee. Those who are required to obtain a license are subject to up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Jordans letter asks the ATF to provide the requested documents and other information to the Judiciary Committee by 5 p.m. on May 6. Growing anger with ATF Before Cotton and Boozman confirmed that ATF agents did not wear body cameras during the raid, about two dozen Arkansas legislators last week called on the federal agency to release the body-camera footage. Were they wearing required body cameras? If not, why not? And where the hell is the footage? Rep. Matt Duffield, R-Russellville, asked during the Thursday afternoon news conference in the Capitol. The only video of that raid that had been released was from the Malinowskis doorbell camera, which showed agents in body armor and carrying ballistic shields approaching before one of them disabled the camera with a piece of tape. Rep. Matt Duffield, R-Russellville, left, and Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Ferndale, at a news conference April 18, 2024, about the death of Bryan Malinowski after federal agents raided his home in March. About 24 other lawmakers stood behind them. (Photo by Sonny Albarado/Arkansas Advocate) Why is no one talking? Duffield asked Thursday. Do they not understand that the longer they wait to explain, the more suspicious and cynical the public becomes about the ATF and its actions? In this case, he said, the ATF has run roughshod over the civil rights of Arkansas citizens, and some contend gotten away with cold-blooded murder. He said Malinowski only did what any Arkansan would have done if awakened from sleep and fearful of a home invasion. Bud Cummins, a former U.S. attorney now in private practice who has been acting as a spokesman for Malinowskis family, said Malinowskis family is pleased to know people care about what happened on March 19. Ive never been involved in my public life in something where so many people have sought me out to express their feelings and concerns, Cummins said in an interview after the news conference. The concerns hes heard have come from gun rights advocates as well as people who think law enforcement officers may have overreacted to the threat Malinowski posed, he said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post U.S. House Judiciary Committee chair seeks ATF records in Little Rock shooting death appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. What is the U.K. plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda? London The British parliament passed a law late Monday that will mean asylum seekers arriving on British shores without prior permission can be sent to Rwanda and forbidden from ever returning to the U.K. The British government says the law will act as deterrent to anyone trying to enter the U.K. "illegally." The contentious program was voted through after the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled it to be unlawful, and it has been condemned by human rights groups and the United Nations refugee agency. King Charles III, who now must give the Rwanda bill his royal ascent to make it an official law, reportedly criticized the plan as "appalling" almost two years ago as it took shape. Hours after the law was passed, French officials said at least five people drowned, including a child, in the English Channel during an attempt to make it to the U.K. on an overcrowded small boat. Officials later clarified that the five fatalities were caused by a crush among the more than 110 people who had crowded onto the boat. CBS News' partner network BBC News reported Wednesday that British law enforcement had arrested three men in the U.K. in connection with the incident. Why would the U.K. send asylum seekers to Rwanda? The Rwanda plan was put together by Britain's Conservative government in response to a number of migrant and asylum seeker arrivals on British shores in small boats from France. With local asylum programs underfunded and overwhelmed, the government has been housing asylum seekers in hotels, where they are effectively trapped and unable to work until their claims are processed, which can take years. These hotels cost the government around 8 million pounds almost $10 million in taxpayer money every day to rent, according to CBS News partner BBC News. A protester holds a placard mocking the government's Rwanda plan for asylum seekers during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, March 13, 2024. / Credit: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government says the Rwanda policy will act as a deterrent to prevent migrants and asylum seekers from trying to reach the U.K. in the first place. What is the U.K.'s Rwanda law? The new policy will give Britain's immigration authorities power to send any asylum seeker entering the U.K. "illegally" after January 2022 to Rwanda. Those individuals can also be forbidden from ever applying for asylum in the U.K. It will apply to anyone who arrives in the U.K. without prior permission anyone who travels on a small boat or truck even if their aim is to claim asylum and they have legitimate grounds to do so. These people can, under the new law, be immediately sent to Rwanda, 4,000 miles away in East Africa, to have their asylum claim processed there. Under the law they could be granted refugee status in Rwanda and allowed to stay. What are the issues with the Rwanda law? The law has been the subject of intense controversy and political wrangling. In November 2023, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled the program was unlawful and violated the European Convention on Human Rights, because it said genuine refugees would be at risk of being deported back to their home countries, where they could face harm. The judgment also cited concerns with Rwanda's human rights record. The final legislation passed late Monday orders the court to ignore parts of the Human Rights Act and other U.K. and international rules, such as the Refugee Convention, that would also block the deportations to Rwanda, the BBC reported. Rights groups have said they will launch legal challenges against deporting people to Rwanda as quickly as possible. This could delay any removal flights. Eric Church talks new Nashville bar and residency "Blind trust": Widow's $1.5 million romance scam story serves as cautionary tale Sneak peek: The Case of the Poison Cheesecake Pro-Palestinian protesters set up a tent encampment in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on Monday in Berkeley, California, in solidarity with protesters at Columbia University who are demanding a permanent cease-fire in war between Israel and Gaza. Justin Sullivan via Getty Images Students at the University of California, Berkeley, set up an encampment on Monday in solidarity with Palestine calling for an end to the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. According to the National Students for Justice in Palestine social media pages, UC Berkeley is joining several other universities also protesting, including Columbia University and Stanford. In a statement on its website, SJP said they began a coordinated pressure campaign against university administrations and trustees on Saturday until schools divested from the war. After hundreds of student government resolutions, meetings with administrators, and protests on campus, and following months of increased targeting, harassment, and arrests, the students are ramping up the pressure, part of SJPs statement reads. We will not back down; we will reclaim our universities until administrators comply with our demands. In a statement to HuffPost, UC Berkeley said they are prioritizing students academic interests. We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the universitys operations, according to the statement. There are no plans to change the universitys investment policies and practices. Protests have been ramping up at UC Berkeley. Earlier this month, the dean of UC Berkeleys law school was hosting a dinner for students at his home when it was interrupted by a woman wearing a hijab and checkered Palestinian scarf ... with a microphone and amplifier. UC Berkeley is just the latest school to put pressure on its administration to cut its financial ties with companies that aid in the war. Last week, Columbia canceled in-person classes and police arrested several dozen protesters at Yale University on Monday morning after officials at the New Haven, Connecticut, school said they defied warnings over the weekend to leave, according to The Associated Press. Related... icon Semafor Signals Supported by Microsoft logo Insights from The Economist and The Guardian Arrow Down Title icon The News UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to raise defense spending to 2.5% of economic output by 2030, in what he described as the biggest strengthening of our national defense for a generation amid a rising number of conflicts around the world. The plan will raise the countrys defense spending by more than 75 billion ($90 billion) over the next six years, and comes after months of pressure from conservative MPs and European partners. At a press conference in Warsaw, Sunak said the pledge to raise defense spending from the current 2.32% of GDP would put the UK on a war footing, allowing the UK to reinvigorate its defense industrial base and modernize its armed forces. In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent, Sunak said. As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values. The prime minister also announced an extra $600 million in Ukraine aid, which will provide Kyiv with four million rounds of ammunition, 400 vehicles, and an unspecified number of long-range Storm Shadow missiles. icon SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Tight budgets put the squeeze on spending increases Source icon Sources: Resolution Foundation, Institute for Fiscal Studies, The Guardian While the defense pledge was launched to much fanfare, policy analysts were quick to raise questions about how it would be paid for. This is a lot easier to announce than deliver, the Resolution Foundations Torsten Bell wrote on X, noting that it remains unclear how the pledge will be funded given the UKs existing budget deficit. The government will likely have to make cuts in other spending areas to finance the defense surge, said The Institute for Fiscal Studies Ben Zaranko.,But, as The Guardian noted, the defense pledge includes items such as money spent on Ukraine aid, meaning that the core budget increase for the Ministry of Defense is less that it might appear at first glance. Conservatives unlikely to remain in power to see pledge through Source icon Sources: The Economist, i newspaper While the ruling Conservatives made the spending pledge, they are unlikely to remain in power long enough to see it through, making Labour the party most likely to decide the countrys future defense budget. The main opposition party commands a dominant lead in the polls, with a general election expected by the end of this year. Labour leader Keir Starmer has said he supports spending 2.5% of GDP on defense, but has promised a major review if his party takes power to see how money is best spent. Labours Shadow Defense Secretary John Healey reacted with caution to the plan. Since 2010, the Conservatives have wasted more than 15 billion mismanaging defense procurement, shrunk the Army to its smallest size since Napoleon, missed their recruitment targets every year, and allowed morale to fall to record lows, he wrote on X. Semafor Logo LONDON The British government has pledged to significantly increase spending on weapons for Ukraine as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak starts a two day visit to Germany and Poland. A 500 million ($620 million) package of weapons is being added to a promise in January that Britain would contribute funding of 2.5 billion this financial year to supply Kyiv with a wide range of equipment for the military. The latest top-up will see the British supply additional Storm Shadow strike missiles, air defense weapons, hundreds of armored vehicles, four million rounds of small arms ammunition, drones, boats and other equipment. The weapons package is being billed by the British as its largest single delivery of weapons to Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion. Ensuring Ukraine wins is the most important thing we can do for global peace and security. Thats why were increasing our support - backing Ukraine with 500 million for military aid and delivering our largest-ever package of equipment said Sunak in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Sunak meets new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg Apr. 23 ahead of traveling to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Britain cements foothold in Ukraine for weapons upkeep, production The promise of the new arms package for Ukraine may be the first of several defense-related announcements by the British. The Sunaks office has already briefed media that they will offer to deploy a squadron of Royal Air Force Typhoon combat jets to Poland in the coming months. The British move to bolster defense spending for Ukraine to 3 billion this year is the second boost for Kyivs dwindling weapon stocks in the last few days. After months of political wrangling the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $61 billion aid bill to supply Ukraine with fresh weapons. The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate, but that is expected to happen this week. While the British continue to provide large amounts of military aid to Ukraine they are the second-largest European contributor of weapons behind Germany leaders here have come under increasing pressure to spend more on defense at home. Politicians, even Cabinet ministers in Sunaks government, military officers and the media have called for an immediate increase in spending to 2.5% of gross domestic spending from the current level just above 2% percent. Sunak used the visit to Poland to announce the government would do just that, targeting 2030 as the year when the higher defense-spending rate would be reached. The plan would see defense spending rise by 75 billion over the next six years. Previously the government had only said it would spend more when the economy allowed. Speaking alongside Stoltenberg in Warsaw, Sunak said the boost would make Britain by far the largest defense power in Europe, calling it a generational investment in British security. Also part of the plan is dedicated spending on ammunitions production to the tune of 10 billion, Sunak said. We will put the U.K.s own defense industry on a war footing, he said, promising companies long-term commitments for government purchases. Rudy Ruitenberg in Paris contributed to this report. Editors note: This story was updated after publication to include new defense-spending plans announced by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Fatime Letifova The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences to Malaysia in connection with the death of citizens as a result of a collision between the countrys Navy helicopters during a rehearsal for the festive parade, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry on its official "X" account. Deeply saddened by news on navy helicopter collision in Malaysia. We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of this horrible tragedy. In this difficult moment, we express our solidarity with friendly Government and People of Malaysia, the ministry wrote. Two helicopters collided in the air during a rehearsal in Malaysia for a parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the countrys Royal Navy. According to the countrys fire and rescue service, 10 crew members were killed. Guests attend the 80th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 22, 2024. Government leaders and policymakers assembling here on Monday pledged to embrace digital opportunities and tap into emerging technologies and digital innovation for sustainable development. (Xinhua/Wang Teng) BANGKOK, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Government leaders and policymakers from Asia-Pacific countries assembling here on Monday pledged to embrace digital opportunities and tap into emerging technologies and digital innovation for sustainable development. The prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu were among the some 800 participants of the 80th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) convened to deliberate on digital pathways to accelerate the region's sustainable development. "Intelligently deployed and properly governed digital solutions, based on a common understanding, shared approaches and collaborative governance, form the foundations for the collective push necessary for the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, executive secretary of ESCAP, said in her opening speech. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin noted that for many agriculture-based countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Thailand, digital transformation is critical to ensuring food security for all. "We need to leverage digital technologies to promote agricultural innovation. This will help to ensure a sustainable food system, climate-smart farming, and environmental sustainability," he added. In a speech at the general debate, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu noted that in the face of complicated situations, all parties should practice multilateralism, promote an equal and orderly world multipolarity and inclusive economic globalization, and work together to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future. He emphasized the need to adhere to opening up and cooperation to further promote the process of regional economic integration, to stay committed to innovation-driven development to maintain the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains, and to create an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory innovation environment to fully unleash the potential of economic growth. In addition, he called for strengthening the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative with the ESCAP agenda to inject strong impetus into Asia-Pacific connectivity as well as inclusive and sustainable development. Participants at the meeting discussed how to take full advantage of the digital innovation while guarding against potential risks, calling for carrying out inclusive policies to bridge the digital divide and persistent inequalities, properly addressing issues such as cybersecurity and data privacy, and strengthening regional cooperation to ensure that digital innovation benefits all. Taking place from April 22 to 26, the 80th session of the ESCAP is guided by the theme Leveraging Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific. ESCAP, founded in 1947, is the regional development arm of the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific, representing more than 60 percent of the world's population. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu delivers a speech at the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 22, 2024. Government leaders and policymakers assembling here on Monday pledged to embrace digital opportunities and tap into emerging technologies and digital innovation for sustainable development. (Xinhua/Wang Teng) Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu delivers a speech at the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 22, 2024. Government leaders and policymakers assembling here on Monday pledged to embrace digital opportunities and tap into emerging technologies and digital innovation for sustainable development. (Xinhua/Wang Teng) (Bloomberg) -- The UK will send more Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine as part of its single biggest military aid package to the country since Russias invasion, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. Most Read from Bloomberg As well as the Storm Shadows, which are precision-guided cruise missiles with a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles), Britain is also sending more than 1,600 strike and air defense missiles, Sunaks office said. The package amounts to 500 million ($620 million) of new spending, taking total UK military aid to Ukraine this financial year to 3 billion. Defending Ukraine against Russias brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe, Sunak said in a statement ahead of a 2-day trip to Poland and Germany beginning Tuesday. If Russian President Vladimir Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border, the premier added. On Tuesday, Sunak told reporters traveling with him that hes appointing General Gwyn Jenkins, who currently serves as the vice chief of the defense staff, as his new national security adviser, the first time someone from a military background has held the role. Jenkins replaces Tim Barrow, who a person familiar with the matter said will be Britains next ambassador to the US. In an incredibly uncertain and increasingly dangerous world, its important the person doing this job has the requisite set of skills to provide advice to me and to help navigate that landscape, Sunak told reporters. Sunak will hold meetings with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw, before traveling to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday. On Tuesday morning he held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to reiterate Britains support and his efforts to galvanize wider international assistance, according to a readout provided by 10 Downing Street. Zelenskiy has been calling for more air defense systems as Russian forces exploit Ukraines ammunition shortage by stepping up missile attacks on power stations, electricity grids and residential areas. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said last week that Ukraine urgently needs more air defense. As part of the new funding, Britain will also procure drones to be sent to Ukraine, scaling up domestic defense supply chains. The package also includes some 60 boats, comprising offshore raiding craft, dive boats and maritime guns, as well as more than 400 vehicles, including Husky vehicles and over 160 other armored vehicles. Some 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition will also be included. --With assistance from Kitty Donaldson. (Updates with new national security adviser in fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The Ukrainian side continues its efforts to establish joint production of Patriot systems and missiles for them. Source: Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova in an interview with European Pravda She recalled the Ukrainian presidents visits to the US in September and December of last year, during which the issue of joint production of Patriot systems was heavily discussed. "Between the visits, there were already two business meetings, Ukrainian and American, with everyone because, in reality, Patriot is not just one manufacturer, it's several, each producing different parts," Markarova noted. "We're actively working on it. We... should start producing a lot ourselves, at least components, and ideally some finished products. We understand that even after our victory, Russia won't just disappear," she emphasised. The diplomat pointed out that a sad discovery of this war was how unprepared the entire free world was for a rapid increase in production when needed. She said that one of the biggest discussions with businesses was about investments and cooperation not only in the arms production but also in the parts related to materials, which are "an important integral component even to start these productions anywhere". "So it's a big global strategic task and a big element of economic cooperation, but also the increase in combat readiness and production of those capabilities that Ukraine needs immediately, which will also be needed by all of us," the ambassador said. Background: Earlier, Markarova did not rule out that the first package of US weapons under the new legislation passed by the Congress may arrive in Ukraine as early as April. Bloomberg reported that the German government is pressuring the United States to provide Ukraine with at least one more Patriot system to strengthen the country's air defence, and Berlin will continue to put pressure on European allies. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine faces power deficits caused by Russian attacks on its energy system, forcing Kyiv to temporarily restrict power supply to businesses and industrial facilities on April 23, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo reported. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, destroying several thermal power plants across the country, including the Trypillia plant, the main electricity supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts. In March, attacks reportedly damaged or completely destroyed 80% of the thermal generating capacity of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company. "Due to the damage caused by the Russian missile strikes, the power plants cannot generate enough electricity to cover all the needs of consumers," Ukrenergo said on Telegram. As of the morning of April 23, almost 400 Ukrainian settlements were cut off from electricity due to hostilities and technical issues, according to Ukrenergo. For businesses and industrial facilities, power supply will be reportedly restricted from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time. The measures will not affect critical infrastructure facilities and enterprises of the country's defense complex. Ukrenergo added it was forced for the second day in a row to use emergency aid from the energy systems of Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Poland, and Hungary. The company asked Ukrainians to save electricity and use alternative power sources if possible. Read also: Opinion: Russias energy infrastructure attacks are depopulating Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine halts embassy support for military-age men who do not care about the homeland Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, at an award ceremony for soldiers in Kyiv on Monday - AFP via Getty Images Ukraine has stripped military-age men abroad of access to consular support except for help in organising their return home in an effort to boost conscription. Hundreds of thousands of military-age Ukrainian men are living abroad and the country faces an acute shortage of troops against a larger, better-equipped enemy nearly 26 months since Russias full-scale invasion. Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister, said in a statement that he had ordered measures to be taken to restore what he described as fair treatment for men of mobilisation age. How it looks like now: a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state, he said on X. It does not work this way. Our country is at war. Mr Kuleba said the foreign ministry would clarify the procedure for military-age men to obtain consular services soon. Staying abroad does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the homeland, Mr Kuleba said. Ukrainian soldiers fire a M101 howitzer at Russian positions on the front line, near the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region - Efrem Lukatsky/AP Some 4.3 million Ukrainians were living in European Union countries as of January 2024, of whom about 860,000 are adult men, the Eurostat database estimated. Ukraine imposed martial law at the start of the full-scale war, banning men aged 18 to 60 from travelling abroad without special dispensation and beginning a rolling mobilisation of civilian men into the armed forces. Yaroslav, a 24-year-old business analyst in Kyiv, told The Telegraph he fears being conscripted will cause his death. Ninety per cent, yes. I will be dead, he said. I love my country with all my heart, but Im not ready to die for it with no real prospects. He said the idea of conscription is very stressful and causes pure anxiety among his friends. I dont understand how it is possible to fight with our young people without this proper military preparation. For me, it makes no sense. Yaroslav said he would consider paying a smuggler to help him leave Ukraine. Maybe if there were some ways to figure it out, to give somebody money, to find the right person, I would do it. Some military analysts say the shortage of manpower is Ukraines most significant battlefield weakness. It also faces an acute lack of artillery shells, although Kyiv hopes US military aid will replenish its stocks soon. There have been numerous cases of draft dodgers trying to flee the country. The border guard service said it had detained eight men trying to cross into Hungary illegally on Tuesday. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. What Ukraine lost while waiting for the US aid bill to pass The long-awaited passing of the U.S. aid bill in the House of Representatives over the weekend was swiftly followed by a collective sigh of relief in Ukraine and among the countrys allies. But frustration at the delays caused by political infighting in Congress has not completely subsided, as Kyiv faces a precarious few weeks as it waits for critically needed weapons and ammunition to arrive. Speaking in an interview with MSNBC on April 21, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the delay "has had real consequences" for Ukraine. "The Ukrainians have now, for months, been outgunned, roughly one to five, one to 10, depending on what part of the front line you are talking about," Stoltenberg said. "We have seen that fewer Russian missiles and drones have been shot down simply because they lack air defense systems and also ammunition," he added. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $61 billion aid bill for Kyiv on April 20, ending months of deadlock that began nearly seven months ago. While it is difficult to directly attribute events in Ukraine to the delay, what is certain is the situation has significantly deteriorated on several fronts during this time. Western and Ukrainian officials, including Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, were not shy in attributing blame. Read also: How Johnson came to allow a vote on Ukraine aid after months of delays Territory While the front lines in Ukraine have only changed incrementally compared to earlier periods of the war, the advances that have been made have all been to Russias advantage. Delays in U.S. aid have meant Ukraine has been firmly on the defensive, handing a theater-wide initiative to Moscows forces. "The aid is coming way too late, as materiel shortages resulted in Ukraine losing the initiative in October 2023," Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told Reuters on April 22. Stepanenko added that Ukraine had lost 583 square kilometers of territory to Russian forces since then, largely due to a lack of artillery ammunition. The most significant territorial loss for Ukraine was the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, which fell to Russian forces on Feb. 17 following a sustained assault from Kremlin troops that lasted months. In the days leading up to the Ukrainian withdrawal, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby warned an artillery shortage could lead to the loss of the city. After Avdiivka fell, Biden laid the blame squarely on delays in U.S. aid. "This morning, Ukraines military was forced to withdraw from Avdiivka after Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, resulting in Russias first notable gains in months," Biden said in a statement on Feb. 17 after a call with Zelensky. Despite Russian advances, the Avdiivka campaign was also extremely costly to Russia in terms of manpower and equipment. Moscow reportedly lost over 20,000 troops, 199 tanks, and 481 armored fighting vehicles in that sector in January and February 2024 alone. Russias attempts to take Ukrainian territory have continued as they attempt to take advantage of the lag between the aid bill passing, and the aid actually arriving on the battlefield. Ukraines military said on April 22 that around 20,000 to 25,000 Russian soldiers are currently trying to storm Chasiv Yar and the settlements in the town's outskirts. Energy infrastructure During the autumn and winter of 2022-23, Russia nearly achieved its goal of destroying the energy infrastructure in Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv. The campaign was one of the major factors that led to an increase in Western-supplied air defense systems, including the U.S.-made Patriot. For much of the rest of 2023, numerous Russian aerial attacks on Kyiv were successfully thwarted. Mass concentrations of drones and missiles led to many a sleepless night for residents, but the explosions that kept them awake were the sounds of the projectiles being intercepted and destroyed by the new air defenses. Since the beginning of 2024, it has been a very different story. Russias mass missile and drone attacks, while less frequent, have been far more destructive as Ukraine ran low on the ammunition needed for its air defense systems. Nowhere was this illustrated more starkly than on April 11, when the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant in the city of Ukrainka in Kyiv Oblast was completely destroyed. In an interview on April 16, Zelensky made clear why four of the 11 missiles fired at the plant successfully struck it. "Why? Because there were zero missiles. We have run out of all the missiles that protected the Trypillia TPP," the president said. Other Ukrainian cities less defended than Kyiv have fared even worse. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on April 17 that he believes his city is at risk of becoming "a second Aleppo" if left without help to obtain air defense systems. Russia recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv, which had a population of 1.4 million in 2021, with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, destroying energy infrastructure and killing civilians. In March, attacks reportedly damaged or completely destroyed 80% of the thermal generating capacity of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company. On April 23, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo said the country faces power deficits caused by Russian attacks on its energy system, forcing Kyiv to temporarily restrict power supply to businesses and industrial facilities. Read also: Opinion: Russias energy infrastructure attacks are depopulating Ukraine People While it is difficult to directly attribute civilian deaths to the delay in U.S. aid, data from the UN Human Rights Office shows the general trend of declining deaths and injuries ticked up again in December and January, coinciding with Russias increasingly effective missile and drone attacks. UN figures do not include deaths and injuries in occupied Ukraine and the real figures are almost certainly far higher throughout the war. The UN also reported that at least 604 Ukrainian civilians had been killed or injured in March, a 20% uptick from the month before. Statistic: Number of civilian casualties in Ukraine during Russia's invasion verified by OHCHR from February 2022 to February 2024, by month | Statista Find more statistics at Statista As for deaths on the battlefield, there is no public data on the number of Ukrainian troops killed while the U.S. aid bill was being debated, but Zelensky said in February the total since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion was around 31,000. There have been no official figures since, but one thing that is certain is that more Ukrainian soldiers continue to be killed on the battlefield the longer the war goes on. One of them was Pavlo Petrychenko. Before the full-scale invasion, Petrychenko was a renowned Kyiv activist who fought for the prosecution of corrupt Ukrainian officials. He joined the military two months into the war and was one of the soldiers who liberated part of southern Kherson Oblast during the counteroffensive in the fall of 2022. Petrychenko was among the troops who had liberated part of southern Kherson Oblast in the fall of 2022 and participated in the heavy fighting in eastern Donetsk Oblast. While he fighting he still managed to maintain his activism, creating a petition to ban online gambling and access to online casinos for military personnel during martial law, something he said was having a negative effect on some soldiers. It worked after gaining the necessary signatures, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on April 20 to restrict online gambling in Ukraine, including a ban for the military until the end of martial law. Tragically, Petrychenko didnt leave to see this on April 15, just a day before his 32nd birthday, he was killed in combat in Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine is losing its best people every day because of Russias genocidal war and inadequacy of some allies. This loss hits very hard. Pavlo Petrychenko @vkrainets, a fighter of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, was killed in action on the frontlines yesterday. pic.twitter.com/vHWYhnkhD0 Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) April 16, 2024 Read also: Ukraine aid bill finally passes the House what happens next? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Representatives from Ukraine and the North Atlantic Alliance met in Poland to discuss the preparations for the NATO Washington Summit, including the establishment of the first NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training, and Education Centre (JATEC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Source: Ukraines Defence Ministry, as reported by European Pravda Details: The combined work plan of Kyiv and the Alliance focuses on the development of a concept for final agreement before the Washington summit, as well as the details of the future joint centre JATEC. This concerns the final coordination of the centre's structure, the project of financial costs, the engagement of human resources, and the development of suggestions for the communication and exchange of information, as stated in Ukraines Ministry of Defence. Quote: "The results of the meeting in Poland are another step for the establishment of the Centre as an institution aimed at strengthening Ukraine's cooperation with the Alliance," Deputy Defence Minister Stanislav Haider commented. The decision to launch JATEC was made following a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of defence ministers on 15 February 2024. The centre's goals will be to conduct a collaborative analysis and synthesis of experience in defence and security, to strengthen the training and military education system, to promote interoperability, and to develop the capabilities of Ukraine's defence forces. The centre's efforts will strive to achieve full interoperability between Ukraine's Armed Forces and NATO forces. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine to receive new military aid from US sooner than expected, congressman says during visit to Kyiv The first batch of U.S. military aid will be delivered to Ukraine sooner than anyone thinks is possible, after the final approval, Bill Keating, a Massachusetts Democratic congressman, said during a press conference in Kyiv on April 22, according to a Kyiv Independent reporter. After months of congressional gridlock, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $61 billion aid bill for Kyiv on April 20, sending the legislation to the Senate, where a vote is expected as early as April 23. The delays have led to critical shortages in artillery rounds and air defense ammunition, putting an ever-increasing strain on Ukrainian forces. Unnamed U.S. defense officials told Politico last week that the Pentagon had already prepared shipments of weapons and equipment in anticipation of the bill passing. Keating, who is also a member of the U.S. House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Armed Services, said that Kyiv might receive some weapons "in days, and some might be in weeks." "We don't know the schedule, and even if we did, we would not tell anyone because it could affect a strategy in the war," a congressman told the reporters in Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv. "But the fact is, people should be confident that there is no stone left unturned in terms of getting them here quickly. Earlier on April 22, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had held a call with his American counterpart, Joe Biden. Zelensky discussed with U.S. lawmakers the need for artillery shells, combat aircraft, electronic warfare, and long-range missiles, as well as support for the development of Ukraine's defense industry, the Presidential Office said. A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on April 22, 2024. (Presidential Office) "And today's result is that all the agreements on ATACMS for Ukraine are sorted out. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Congress. Thank you, U.S.," Zelensky said in an evening address. The U.S. first delivered ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in October 2023, following months of deliberation. The package included only the older models with a range of 165 kilometers. Newer variants of ATACMS have a maximum range of around 300 kilometers and have so far not been provided to Ukraine. In late February, NBC News reported that the White House would be ready to provide Kyiv with longer-range ATACMS missile variants if Congress approved a new funding package. U.S. Democratic Senator Mark Warner said on April 21 that ATACMS, which can travel up to 300 kilometers, may be ready to ship to Ukraine "by the end of the week." According to Zelensky, Ukraine's air defense capabilities were a priority at the meeting with the bipartisan delegation amid an uptick in Russian attacks on population centers and energy infrastructure. "We absolutely need air defense. Once the decision is made, we really need concrete help with this," he added. Congressmen said that they would continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia's all-out war. "We assured (Volodymyr Zelensky) that we are here, and we stand with Ukraine not just through the war because the war will be over someday. We stand with Ukraine economically, diplomatically, and as a democracy," Keating told the reporters. Read also: How Johnson came to allow a vote on Ukraine aid after months of delays Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's Ministry of Economy has prepared draft presidential decrees that, in accordance with the National Security and Defence Council's (NSDC) resolution, propose forcibly seizing business rights and moveable property owned by Russian citizens. Source: relevant decisions, copies of which are at the disposal of the European Pravda, adopted by the government on 23 April Details: The first document presented by Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, stipulates that corporate rights in PJSC Energomashspetsstal (92.67% of the authorised capital) are susceptible to compulsory seizure. The Cypriot EMSS Holdings Limited owns this block of shares in the engineering factory, and the beneficiary is the Russian state nuclear energy firm Rosatom. Furthermore, the right to claim debts owed to Energomashspetsstal is susceptible to seizure, which, based on available data, totals UAH 11.2 billion (approx. US$283 million). This cash had to be returned to Rosatom-associated companies. Energomashspetsstal is located in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, and was regularly targeted by Russians in 2022. Prior to the full-scale invasion, the company manufactured cast and forged goods for metallurgy, shipbuilding, energy, and engineering industries. According to the second document, an MI-22 helicopter and 17 NK-12 aircraft engines owned by the Russian Federation's Ministry of Defence and located in one of Ukraine's aviation repair facilities would be forcibly seized. According to public data, these engines were placed on Tu-95 strategic bombers, from which the Russians launch missiles into Ukrainian cities, as well as on An-22 transport aircraft. Support UP or become our patron! A worker works at the factory of Buzuluk, a company specializes in rubber machinery production in Komarov, the Czech Republic, April 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Deng Yaomin) PRAGUE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Over the last decade, Czech worker Karel Moulis has been a firsthand witness to the extraordinary revitalization and success of his company Buzuluk. Established over 500 years ago as a foundry, Buzuluk has evolved into a leading producer of rubber machinery, nestled in the picturesque western Czech town of Komarov. Moulis said the transformation began with the partnership with Chinese company Dalian Rubber & Plastics Machinery (DXS), Buzuluk's main shareholder after acquisition in 2012. The Chinese stakeholders invested in upgrading the infrastructure of the company, including procuring new equipment, refurbishing office facilities, implementing a modern central heating system and erecting a new photovoltaic plant to ensure sustainable electricity supply, Moulis said, who has worked in Buzuluk for 17 years. Echoing Moulis, Buzuluk's labor union leader Milan Ernest noted the discernible enhancements across various fronts such as working conditions, facilities and salaries since the change in ownership. Ernest spoke highly of the help the DXS has provided to Buzuluk during the COVID-19 pandemic. "They provided us with respirators and face shields for free to support us... They also helped us with some contracts so that we didn't have layoffs among our employees." Furthermore, to guarantee the seamless operation of Buzuluk, the Chinese shareholders chose to maintain the Czech management team. Josef Hlad, the general manager of Buzuluk, said that it's not uncommon for new shareholders to come in and overhaul everything and however, the Chinese shareholders expressed their preference to retain the local management, acknowledging their familiarity with the local environment and circumstances. Hlad, who has made several trips to China, told Xinhua that all his counterparts at DXS view Buzuluk as a European entity. They took into thorough consideration the requirements and viewpoints of both the Chinese and Czech factions, with a distinct focus on addressing the specific concerns of Buzuluk. Hlad anticipated continued cooperation with DXS to expand market share and boost turnover. Buzuluk's products have reached over 40 countries and regions, with an average annual turnover growth of 5-10 percent after the pandemic. The collaboration with the DXS also positively impacted local economy and community. Hao Hailong, who has been serving as the representative of Chinese shareholders at Buzuluk since 2014, told Xinhua that along with its growth, Buzuluk has proactively fulfilled its social responsibilities, such as sponsoring local cultural events or contributing donations to schools. Calling Buzuluk a hallmark of Komarov, Mayor Jaroslav Klekner commended the company's significant contributions to his town, citing its longstanding presence and support for cultural events. He also expresses gratitude towards the Chinese investors for their continued investment in the company, which has led to the ongoing development and growth. "We anticipate a bright future ahead. I am optimistic about the town's development and that of Buzuluk." Furthermore, he expresses confidence in the resilience of the Chinese economy, saying that "China is a very large market and there are many opportunities... I trust the Chinese economy as it is growing over the years." A worker works at the factory of Buzuluk, a company specializes in rubber machinery production in Komarov, the Czech Republic, April 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Deng Yaomin) This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows the renovated office building of Buzuluk, a company specializes in rubber machinery production in Komarov, the Czech Republic. (Xinhua/Deng Yaomin) A local resident walks past apartment buildings destroyed by an air bomb in the village of Ocheretyne not far from Avdiivka Key developments on April 23: Military: Russian forces using chemical weapons to storm Ocheretyne, situation 'difficult' Reuters: US preparing $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine Media: Greece preparing to give Ukraine at least 1 Patriot system, possibly 2 Ukraine suspends consular, passport services for military-age men abroad Governor: Over 20 Russian missiles targeted Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant in 2024 SBU detains man suspected of directing Russian attacks on Ukrainian special forces base Russian forces are deploying chemical weapons in an attempt to capture the village of Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia Group of Forces, said on April 23. In a post on Telegram, Voloshyn said Moscows troops were using the "entire arsenal of weapons available including chemical poisons" to attack Ukrainian positions, adding the situation was "difficult." He did not specify which types of chemicals were being deployed, but hundreds of cases of the use of suffocating and tear gas grenades usually dropped from drones have been recorded since the start of the full-scale invasion, with the number of incidents increasing significantly in 2024. Russian naval infantry units themselves confirmed they were using prohibited chemical weapons in the village of Krynky, located 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Dec. 23. Riot control gasses such as tear gas are classed as chemical weapons when deployed on the battlefield and, as such, are prohibited in warfare under the Geneva Protocol of 1925. Ocheretyne is a village some 50 kilometers south of Chasiv Yar, the Ukrainian town currently at the center of Russias military push to take more territory in Donetsk Oblast. In an interview with NBC News published on April 21, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will attempt to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9. Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9, a heavily militarized holiday marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. Read also: Government allocates additional over $200 million for fortifications Reuters: US preparing $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine The U.S. is preparing a military aid package for Ukraine worth $1 billion, Reuters reported on April 23, citing two unnamed American officials. The reports followed the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives after months of congressional gridlock, when a key foreign aid package for U.S. allies was passed, providing over $60 billion in assistance for Kyiv. This is the first defense package Ukraine may receive under the yet to be signed aid bill. The previous one worth $300 million was pledged by Washington on March 12. Reuters reported, citing its sources, that the new package will include vehicles, Stinger air defense munitions, TOW and Javelin anti-tank munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS). The new tranche will also include 155 millimeter artillery shells and "other weapons that can immediately be put to use on the battlefield," Reuters wrote. Some of the U.S. military aid for Kyiv is already reportedly in Germany and Poland, cutting down the time needed for the weapons and equipment to reach the front line. Since the delays in U.S. aid began, Ukraine has lost a key front-line city of Avdiivka and other settlements, and its energy infrastructure suffered heavily as a result of Russian strikes. Many observers and officials have tied these losses directly to artillery and air defense ammunition shortages, compounded by the lack of American supplies. CIA Director William Burns went as far as to say that Ukraine could lose the war this year without U.S. assistance. President Volodymyr Zelensky said U.S. aid gives Ukraine "a chance at victory" in Russia's full-scale war. Read also: CNN: Some US military aid for Ukraine already in Poland, Germany Media: Greece preparing to give Ukraine at least 1 Patriot system, possibly 2 Greece is preparing to give Ukraine at least one Patriot air defense system, the Greek media outlet Pronews reported on April 22, citing government sources. The figure could possibly be two, the source added. The news follows a story by the Financial Times (FT) on April 22, in which official sources said that Greece and Spain were under specific pressure from the EU to provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine. "European leaders personally urged Spanish and Greek prime ministers Pedro Sanchez and Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a summit in Brussels last week to donate air defense systems to Ukraine, according to people briefed on the discussions," the FT wrote. "The two leaders, whose armed forces possess between them more than a dozen Patriot systems plus others such as S-300s, were told that their needs were not as great as Ukraine's and that they did not face any imminent threats." Government sources told Pronews that the U.S. had provided an undisclosed "guarantee" regarding the possible provision of the Patriot systems, and assurances of assistance against any threat from Turkey, Greece's primary geopolitical foe. The U.S. also reportedly promised that any damaged Greek Patriot systems would be replaced. Escalating Russian strikes and resulting civilian casualties underscore Ukraine's dire need for additional air defenses, and while the potential passing of the U.S. aid bill should alleviate some of the need, President Volodymyr Zelensky told an online session of the NATO-Ukraine Council on April 19 that European countries can still do more. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Greece has committed 185 million euros ($197 million) to Ukraine as of February 2024. Read also: Bloomberg: Germany urging US to send another Patriot system to Ukraine Ukraine suspends consular, passport services for military-age men abroad Ukraine has suspended new applications for consular support for military-age men abroad, the Foreign Ministry announced on April 23. Following the adoption of the new law on mobilization, a number of by-laws that regulate the work of Ukraine's consular services "need to be updated to bring them into line with its requirements," the Foreign Ministry said. Ukrainian embassies and consulates are therefore no longer accepting new applications for consular services for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60, "with the exception of applications for registration of identity cards for return to Ukraine." The suspension does not apply to Ukrainians who find themselves in emergencies abroad, such as road accidents or natural distasters, the Foreign Ministry said. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also wrote on X that he "ordered measures to restore fair attitudes toward men of conscription age in Ukraine and abroad." Ukrainian media outlet Dzerkalo Tyzhnia published a copy of a letter signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the evening of April 22, that appeared to show that consular services for men aged 18-60 located abroad would be temporarily suspended. Suspilne reported earlier on April 23 that Ukrainian consulates in Prague and Barcelona had suspended services for military-age men. The move comes a week after Ukraine finally passed a hotly debated bill on mobilization as the country seeks to bolster its armed forces. Ukraine is facing a manpower shortage, and has had to resort to introducing some punitive measures for those deemed to be dodging the draft. Kuleba also criticized men of fighting age who have left the country during the war. "How it looks like now: a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state," Kuleba said. "It does not work this way. Our country is at war. Staying abroad does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the Homeland." The BBC estimated in November 2023 that some 650,000 military-age Ukrainian men have left the country for the EU since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Read also: National Guard: Russia needs years to capture Kharkiv Governor: Over 20 Russian missiles targeted Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant in 2024 Russian forces have launched over 20 missiles at the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) since the beginning of this year, Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said on national television on April 23. Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant was hit with eight Russian missiles on March 22 during one of the biggest attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, which reportedly led to the loss of a third of its capacity. The Hydroelectric Power Station-2 (HPS-2), one of the two stations of Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro HPP, was in "critical condition" following the attack, said Ihor Syrota, the head of Ukrainian state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo. The dam itself suffered damage as well, but officials said that there was no risk of a breach. "We are not talking about the resumption of power generation at the moment, but only about the logistics at the dam. We promptly launched one lane of traffic in both directions," Fedorov said. The timing for the plant's restoration is unclear, as debris removal and dismantling are still reportedly ongoing. "The destruction is extremely extensive," the governor said. Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo is signing agreements with contractors who will design and implement the restoration of the plant, while Ukrhydroenergo attracts international financing for its reconstruction, according to Fedorov. Following the attack on Dnipro HPP, Russian troops targeted the Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant in Cherkasy Oblast and the Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast in late March, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. No damages were reported. Zelensky said that Moscow "wanted to repeat" the Kherson Oblast disaster, referring to the Kakhovka Dam destruction in June 2023. Ukraine's air defenses have been particularly strained in recent months amid the onslaught of Russian missile and drone attacks and the delay in aid from the U.S. Meanwhile, Russia has stepped up targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, overwhelming local air defenses and destroying some of Ukraine's largest thermal power plants. Read also: Ukraine faces energy deficits, to restrict power supply for business, industry SBU detains man suspected of directing Russian attacks on Ukrainian special forces base The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a man in Kharkiv suspected of helping direct Russian aerial attacks on the base of an elite Ukrainian military unit. In a post on Telegram on April 23, the agency said the man helped Moscows forces to identify the location of the Military intelligences (HUR) Kraken special unit. Russian forces planned to carry out the attack using "ballistic missiles and guided aerial bombs of the KAB-500 type," the post said. Moscow has recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv using missiles, glide bombs, and drones to destroy infrastructure and kill civilians. The SBU claimed the man had been recruited at the beginning of April via social media where he had been posting anti-Ukraine content, describing him as an ideological supporter of racism. He was arrested in his home and his mobile phone, which allegedly contained incriminating messages with Russian security services, was seized. The man has been charged under part 2 of Art. 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorized dissemination of information about the movement, movement or location of the Armed Forces if it is possible to identify them on the ground). The man faces up to eight years in prison. Read also: Governor: 5 injured in Russian attack on Kostiantynivka Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Screenshot: video by the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Facebook Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraine's Air Force, thanked the Odesa anti-aircraft missile brigade for effectively destroying Russian kamikaze drones on the night of 22-23 April. Source: Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk on Telegram Quote: "Im thankful to the Odesa anti-aircraft missile brigade soldiers who destroyed enemy strike drones on the southern front on the night of 23 April 2024. The video shows the sky defenders' successful combat actions." Details: As the posted footage indicates, it is likely that Ukraines air defence used an anti-aircraft gun and a S-125 anti-aircraft missile system. Background: The Russians attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 16 Shaheds on the night of 22-23 April, and Ukrainian defenders managed to shoot down 15 of them. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's Ambassador to US explains voting process on US aid to Ukraine Ukraines Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, has said that the vote on the bill with additional funding for Ukraine could take place somewhat later than expected if the senators speeches last longer than usual. Source: Oksana Markarova on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda Details: Markarova said that the Senate is scheduled to consider the aid package, which includes aid for Ukraine, at 13:00 Washington, DC time (20:00 Kyiv time). Senators will first vote on Senator Chuck Schumers amendment to the national security bill HR815, which reflects the House vote, and a motion to close debate. "After these two votes (subject to their passage), senators will have up to 30 hours (but no more than one hour each) to discuss the bill, after which the final vote will be held," Markarova explained. She said that during the previous Senate vote on aid to Ukraine in February, senators speeches lasted well into the night, so "the duration of this part of the procedure will depend on how many senators wish to speak and how long they will speak for". Background: On 20 April, the US House of Representatives approved a bill to provide about US$61 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Oksana Markarova, Ukraines Ambassador to the United States, said on 23 April that the first package of US weapons under the new legislation passed by Congress could arrive in Ukraine as early as April. Support UP or become our patron! Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's Ambassador to the US, says that during the last vote in the House of Representatives on aid to Ukraine, support from the Republican Party was one of the highest since 2022. Source: Oksana Markarova on Facebook, European Pravda reports In her post, the Ukrainian ambassador cited the final votes on five bills in the House of Representatives that provided for the allocation of aid to Ukraine. According to Markarova, the numbers clearly show that support among the Republican Party "for the fifth package is greater than for three of the four previous votes". Thus, on 20 April, 112 Republicans in the House of Representatives voted against aid to Ukraine. Fewer (57) voted only in May 2022 for supplemental aid to Kyiv worth more than US$40 billion. Photo: Oksana Markarova on Facebook Quote: "In addition, among the votes against the final bill, there are votes against due to procedure and other reasons, and an indicative vote against support for Ukraine is the vote for Congresswoman Greene's amendment to reduce all support items to zero and the number there is even lower 70 votes for," Markarova said. She added that the Embassy of Ukraine and the Ukrainian community in the United States "actively continue to work to increase support through direct work with Congress, as well as through regional, religious, educational, cultural, expert diplomacy and active public communications." Previously: On 20 April, the US House of Representatives passed the bill on military aid for Ukraine. A vote in the Senate is scheduled for 23 April. Support UP or become our patron! A power plant. Photo: Getty Images The Ukraine Energy Support Fund has raised about 410 million in contributions from 13 partner countries. Source: Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a government meeting Quote: "In particular, the Ukraine Energy Support Fund has raised about 410 million from 13 partner countries along with the announced contributions. We use these funds to buy generators, transformers, spare parts, and carry out intensive repairs." The Prime Minister noted that the United Kingdom has announced the allocation of more than US$180 million to strengthen the Ukrainian energy sector. Lithuania will send equipment from its thermal and nuclear power plants and warehouses, and Germany will supply 400 generators. At the same time, Shmyhal stressed that decentralised power generation is an effective way to compensate for the energy capacities destroyed by Russian terrorists. "80 cogeneration units have been distributed to the regions. First of all, they will be distributed to Kharkiv, where the situation is critical. We will deploy the mini-TPP [thermoelectric power plant] network quickly and intensively to have a safety margin at the start of the new heating season," Shmyhal promised. Previously: In February, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided 57 gas piston cogeneration power plants (CCPPs) with a capacity of 50 kV to 1500 kV to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's parliament passed a bill with overwhelming support on the second reading that adapts the country's education policy to match EU standards, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on April 23. The law is the latest in a series of reforms Ukraine has carried out to better align its institutions and policies to those of the EU as it seeks to join the bloc. Fedorov wrote that the law will help introduce a number of changes to help university students have more flexibility and autonomy in higher education. For example, it will allow students to change majors after the first year of university, complete a bachelor's degree in a compressed three-year timeline, or give the option to combine work and study and complete the same degree within six to eight years. "In Europe's top higher education institutions, students study according to this system," Fedorov said. In November 2023, the European Commission the Union's executive arm recommended the launch of accession talks with Kyiv but said four additional reforms must be implemented. Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said in March that the four remaining EU reform recommendations had been fulfilled. The European Commission then proposed a draft framework for the membership talks with Ukraine on the same day. Read also: Deputy PM: Ukraine hopes to begin EU accession talks in June Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An air defence mobile fire group. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine The city of Kyiv was bombarded from the southwest by Russian Shahed attack drones on the night of 22-23 April. All of the targets were destroyed. There was no damage or casualties in the capital. Source: Serhii Popko, Head of Kyiv City Military Administration Details: Kyiv City Military Administration reported that the Russian drones were launched from the territory of Russias Kursk Oblast, flew through Ukraines Sumy and Cherkasy oblasts and attempted to enter Kyiv from the southwest. Air defence assets and personnel destroyed all the targets. No damage or casualties were reported in the capital. Support UP or become our patron! Reading enthusiasts participate in a recitation activity at the 2024 Beijing Book Fair in Beijing, capital of China, April 22, 2024. Featuring over 400,000 books from 720 exhibitors, the book fair has attracted authors, publishers, and reading enthusiasts nationwide. (Xinhuanet/Liu He) By Liu He Traveling more than 1,000 kilometers from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to Beijing, literature lover Ye Zhiyu soon hit it off with her net friends at an offline reading activity at the ongoing 2024 Beijing Book Fair. More and more young Chinese choose social reading in the digital era as they combine online reading alongside offline interactions. Live streaming technology enables young readers to identify reading clubs online easily. Once the sense of belonging gets built in, readers tend to take part in offline communication, since it coincides with more interpersonal contacts. "The internet brought us book lovers together, while the book fair offers a platform to share our feelings face to face," Ye shared her joy of joining this offline activity on site. Ye belongs to a reading club called, Girl viavia, a female readers community that encourages women to seek inner peace and build confidence in themselves through reading. Club members from across the country have arrived at the event, and most of them have already known each other through live streaming and online communications, so they have quickly bonded together today, said Jian Daniu, one of the guests at the reading event. Socialized reading goes beyond the book fair. According to a report published in the China Youth Daily in February, over 55 percent of university students surveyed have attended social reading activities or joined a book club to make new friends. Approximately 48 percent of the respondents said they would share their reading notes and views online, over 12 percent said they would search for a "reading mate" to read together, while 18 percent prefer attending a reading club online or offline. Yang Aihua, another guest and a full-time book blogger, said technology empowers reading as it helps her reach more people via live streaming and voice chat, and delivers greater convenience to readers. The blogger, who has hosted more than 100 reading salons online and offline, also supports printed books, saying that offline book salons can provide participants with a more intimate experience. The 2024 Beijing Book Fair, which opened on April 19, will run until April 29. Featuring over 400,000 books from 720 exhibitors, the book fair has attracted authors, publishers, and reading enthusiasts nationwide. This photo taken on April 23, 2024 shows the logo of the 2024 Beijing Book Fair in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhuanet/Liu He) Visitors collect stamps at the 2024 Beijing Book Fair in Beijing, capital of China, April 22, 2024. (Xinhuanet/Liu He) This photo taken on April 23, 2024 shows a book booth at the 2024 Beijing Book Fair in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhuanet/Liu He) Ukrainian Air Force downs 15 out of 16 Shaheds that attacked Ukraine An air defence mobile fire group. Stock photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine The Russians attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 16 Shaheds on the night of 22-23 April, and Ukrainian defenders managed to shoot down 15 of them. Source: Ukraines Air Force on Telegram Quote from the Air Force: "Last night, the defenders of the sky shot down 15 Shaheds in Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kyiv and Cherkasy oblasts." Details: The Russians launched missiles from Russias Belgorod Oblast and drones from Cape Chauda in temporarily occupied Crimea and from Russias Kursk Oblast. Anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, mobile firing groups of the Ukrainian Defence Forces and electronic warfare equipment repelled the attack. Background: On the night of 22-23 April, the Russians launched a group of Shahed drones from Russia's Kursk Oblast and attacked the frontline areas with aircraft. In Odesa, nine people, including four children, were injured in the attack by Russian drones, and at least 14 apartments were destroyed. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian anti-graft authorities accused the countrys agriculture minister of involvement in a scheme to illegally appropriate state-owned land as Kyiv moves forward in efforts to tackle corruption. Most Read from Bloomberg Mykola Solskyi, who has overseen Ukraines wartime grain exports since taking office a month after Russias full-scale invasion began in February 2022, was issued a notice of suspicion by the countrys Anti-Corruption Bureau, known as NABU, and prosecutors, according to a statement on Telegram Tuesday. Solskyi denied wrongdoing and said he guarantees openness to authorities for activity that took place before he took office, according to a statement posted to the ministrys Telegram channel. He said the land under scrutiny is part of a legal dispute between state enterprises and individuals. Ukraine has grappled with endemic corruption since gaining independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union over three decades ago. But since Moscows invasion, the issue has become more urgent, particularly for international donors dispatching billions to keep the war-battered economy afloat. Bolstering anti-corruption efforts and reducing the control over the economy by oligarchs is a central demand for lenders including the International Monetary Fund but also the European Union, which opened accession talks with Kyiv at the end of last year. The scheme tied to Solskyi involves the seizure of some 2,500 hectares of land in Ukraines northern Sumy region worth an estimated 291 million hryvnia ($7 million) between 2017 and 2021, NABU said. Investigators foiled another attempt to appropriate land worth another 190 million hryvnia, the watchdog said. Public outrage over corruption has also played a role in the political arena. Anti-graft officials last year opened an investigation into suspected purchases of food at inflated prices for war-hit regions, a probe that entangled Solskyis deputy, Taras Vysotskyi. The ministry denied the accusations. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed his defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, as part of the wartime cabinets biggest shakeup last year. The former defense chief long fended off allegations over graft in military procurement by subordinates, charges that he denied. --With assistance from Aliaksandr Kudrytski. (Updated with scheme details, ministers comments from second paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. People work to move into a cemetery bodies of Palestinians killed during Israel's military offensive and buried at Nasser hospital, in Khan Younis People work to move into a cemetery bodies of Palestinians killed during Israel's military offensive and buried at Nasser hospital, in Khan Younis By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday he was "horrified" by the destruction of the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza and reports of mass graves containing hundreds of bodies there, according to a spokesperson. Palestinian authorities reported finding hundreds of bodies in mass graves at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis this week after it was abandoned by Israeli troops. Bodies were also reported at the Al Shifa site following an Israeli special forces operation. The Israeli military said claims by Palestinian authorities that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had buried bodies were "baseless and unfounded". It said forces searching for Israeli hostages had examined bodies previously buried by Palestinians near Nasser hospital and had returned the bodies to where they were buried after they were examined. "The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages. The examination was carried out respectfully while maintaining the dignity of the deceased," it said in a statement. Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the rights organisation was raising the alarm because multiple bodies had been discovered. Turk said he had been horrified by the reported mass grave discoveries and the hospitals' destruction, she said. "Some of them had their hands tied, which of course indicates serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and these need to be subjected to further investigations," Shamdasani said. She added that the U.N. human rights office was working on corroborating Palestinian officials' reports, including one that 30 bodies were found at Al Shifa. According to those reports, some of the bodies were buried beneath piles of waste and included women and older people. Reuters reporters on Monday saw emergency workers digging corpses out of the ground in the ruins of Nasser hospital. Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Emergency Service said on Tuesday a total of 310 bodies had been found at one mass grave at Nasser so far and that two other graves had been identified, but not yet excavated. The Palestinian health ministry repeated the figure. Turk, who was represented by Shamdasani at a U.N. press briefing, also decried Israeli strikes on Gaza in recent days, which he said had killed mostly women and children. He also repeated a warning against a full-scale incursion on Rafah where some 1.2 million civilians are crowded together, saying this could lead to "further atrocity crimes". Violence has also surged in the occupied West Bank since Israel's war on Hamas began on Oct. 7, sparked by the latter's cross-border attacks on Israel which killed 1,200 people according to Israeli tallies. Palestinian health authorities said 14 Palestinians had been killed on Saturday in the Nur Shams area in one of the heaviest tolls in the West Bank in months. Shamdasani said the U.N. human rights office had received reports that some the victims in Nur Shams had been killed in apparent extrajudicial executions. The Hamas media office has accused Israel of executions but has not shared visual or other evidence. Israel denies carrying out executions. Israel's military has previously said a number of militants were killed or arrested in the West Bank raid and at least four soldiers wounded. (Reporting by Emma Farge; additional reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi in Cairo and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem,Editing by Miranda Murray, William Maclean) Heres the least surprising headline Ive read in months: UNC System Board Committee Approves Policy Gutting DEI. At a UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees committee meeting in early April, Jim Blaine former chief of staff for N.C. Senate Leader Phil Berger said it was likely the Board of Governors or the state legislature will follow Floridas path as it relates to DEI this year. Republican partisans Marty Kotis and David Boliek enthused. No wokeism tolerated here. Besides, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports that more than 80 Republican anti-DEI bills have been introduced nationwide since 2023. Time to get in gear. Gene Nichol So on April 17, the UNC System Board of Governors University Governance committee unanimously approved a measure that would essentially repeal the university systems existing policy on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and eliminate diversity officer positions across the 17 campuses. No public discussion was had. Beth Moracco, faculty chair at UNC-Chapel Hill, said the proposal took us (by) surprise. After the diversity offices are eliminated, chancellors will be required to report to UNC System President Peter Hans on the reductions in force and spending. Im sure Hans and UNCs new Interim Chancellor, Lee Roberts, will carry out the mission in a nonpartisan fashion. Having done their work on affirmative action and critical race theory, Republican die-hards have now set their sights on diversity. Next year, theyre going to repeal the twentieth century. In the meantime, as the result of another included provision, employing subdivisions in every corner of the far flung system are trying to figure out if they are organized around matters of contemporary political debate or social action so theyll need to close their doors. The constitutional lawyer in me marvels at the breadth and vagueness of that particular classification. Its hard, I concede, to censor the work of 17 massively distinct campuses. Surely, our overseers actually mean matters thought controversial, at present, by right-wing Republicans. But its hard to write that into a regulation as a limiting principle. UNC spokesman Kevin Best said Chapel Hill will continue to welcome people from all walks of life with a variety of experiences and perspectives. As he did so, several intrepid UNC student groups reported they had been kept out of the open meeting where the discussion was held. I find it almost more interesting that this is being done, according to reports, in order to get ahead of the N.C. General Assembly as is apparently occurring with a proposed new American civics requirement. The governors dont want to leave the door open for legislative interference. I suppose its thought better to just adopt the agenda of the usurper voluntarily. But a word should be noted about the agenda of the N.C. General Assembly. It has, famously and repeatedly, enacted statutes to impair the equal electoral rights of African American Tar Heels. These have included among the countrys most extensive and enduring racial gerrymanders and the use of surgical precision to target Black voters. Courts have ruled that the persistent and malignant effects of their electoral abuse bear an uncomfortable resemblance to political apartheid. Our Republican-controlled legislature also repealed the Racial Justice Act, made it harder to get access to police video after the George Floyd killing, and offered new criminal punishments following North Carolina Black Lives Matter protests. Theyve moved to tell us what we can learn about our own racial history and permanently lionized Confederate memorials. Tragically, there is much more. The frank truth is no modern university can tolerate the heavily racialized agenda of the N.C. Republican Party, much less accommodate it, or get ahead of it. No matter how many anti-democratic and anti-egalitarian hacks demand it be so. Contributing columnist Gene Nichol is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The UNC System is likely to reinstate requirements that at least some students seeking admission to public universities in North Carolina submit standardized test scores as part of their application. Applicants to any school in the system are required to hold a weighted high school GPA of at least 2.5. That requirement, which has been in place since 2008 and remained while the system made submitting test scores optional during the pandemic would stay under a new policy approved last week by a committee of the Board of Governors, which oversees the 17-campus system. But the policy would implement the following changes regarding standardized test scores: Applicants entering a university in the fall 2024 or spring 2025 semesters who do not hold at least a 2.5 GPA would be eligible for but not guaranteed admission by submitting an ACT score of at least 19, out of a possible 36, or an SAT score of at least 1010, out of 1600. Applicants who are applying to enter a university in those semesters who hold at least a 2.5 GPA would not be required to submit test scores, but would have the option to provide them as part of their application, if they wish to do so. Applicants entering a university in the fall 2025 or spring 2026 semesters would be required to hold at least a 2.5 GPA. Applicants whose GPAs fall between 2.5 and 2.8 would be required to submit an ACT or SAT score, but there would be no minimum score required. Applicants entering a university in the fall 2026 semester and at any point afterward would be required to hold at least a 2.5 GPA. Applicants whose GPAs fall between 2.5 and 2.8 would be required to submit an ACT score of at least 17 or an SAT score of at least 930. The policy would allow the chancellor of any university in the UNC System to require students with GPAs higher than 2.8 to also submit test scores, pending the approval of the system president and the Board of Governors two academic years in advance. With the committee approving the new policy, its now set for a vote at the May 23 meeting of the full, 24-member Board of Governors. Policies on the boards consent agenda, which contains several items that can all be voted on at one time, are generally passed without further discussion by the board meaning the testing requirements are very likely to pass and go into effect on the timeline outlined in the policy. End of pandemic waiver on testing The boards approval of the policy would mark the end of a pandemic-era waiver on standardized test requirements across the UNC System. Just before the pandemic, in February 2020, the Board of Governors had approved a policy change that allowed the states universities to admit students with either a minimum 2.5 GPA or test scores of 19 on the ACT or 1010 on the SAT. All students were required to submit test scores, but they could gain admission with their GPA if they did not meet the minimum test scores. That change was based on UNC System research that GPA is a better indicator of student success and performance, The News & Observer previously reported. But after the pandemic set in, physically preventing students from convening to take the standardized tests, the board voted in July 2020 to waive the testing requirements. The board voted twice to extend the waiver, setting it to expire in the fall of this year. Throughout the time that the waiver has been in place which will have been almost four years by the time the board votes on the new policy in May applicants were still required to hold at least a 2.5 high school GPA to be considered for admission, but they were not required to submit test scores as part of their application. Some members expressed fear that the change would allow ill-prepared students to be admitted to the states universities or that the change might devalue degrees from the schools. Now, nearly a year after the federal government declared an end to the pandemic public health emergency, the board appears poised to approve the policy requiring only some students to submit test scores and, by fall 2026, require scores lower than those required prior to the pandemic. Throughout the boards multiple discussions of the proposal, some members advocated for requiring test scores from all students, while others noted potential disparities across the state in students being able to adequately prepare for or access the tests. Estefany Gordillo-Rivas, president of the UNC System Association of Student Governments, said at a March meeting that she and other student leaders had heard concerns over the accessibility of testing and resources. However, a lot of students do also understand that these tests can assist in determining student performance at our institutions, Gordillo-Rivas said, urging the board to consider emphasizing and highlighting academic support programs for students as the requirements go into place. North Carolina administers the ACT to all 11th graders in the states traditional public schools and charter schools each spring. Students in 10th grade take the PreACT. Expected impacts of new requirements UNC System staff presented data to the board indicating that the ACT scores among students enrolling across the university system were lower in 2022 than in 2019, prior to the pandemic. The data also suggested that, based on a correlation between students GPA and their ACT scores, a score of 17 generally correlated to a GPA roughly between 2.5 and 2.8, mirroring the new requirements students would need to meet by fall 2026. System staff estimated that about 550 first-year students across the system in 2022 would not have met the new requirements outlined in the proposed policy. Of those students, 63% did not make satisfactory academic progress or did not return to their university for their sophomore year. So, 63% of students essentially, were exited out of the pipeline, UNC System Chief Academic Officer David English told the board in March, noting that the rate was considerably higher than that of students who would meet the proposed admissions requirements under the new policy. English said the boards consideration of a new, post-pandemic policy on testing and admissions requirements is a question of academic readiness and preparation. When we think about the Boards policy, it can really affect two key things. One is: What is the minimum threshold that we believe a student needs to demonstrate with regards to academic preparedness in order to have a likelihood of success? And thats where this focus on the looking at a second academic metric, in addition to the high school grade point average, comes in, English said. A separate, related discussion is how test scores should be used for institutions that have selective admissions where you have far more applicants than you have spaces, as a way of determining who is best prepared to succeed in that environment. The Board of Governors May 23 meeting is at the UNC System office in Raleigh. CARACAS, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas announced here on Monday their decision to hold a new round of peace talks in May. "From May 20 to 25, 2024, the peace talks between the government of the Republic of Colombia and the ELN will take place in Caracas," said Vera Grabe, head of the Colombian government delegation. The head of the ELN delegation, Pablo Beltran, expressed his gratitude to the Venezuelan people and government for "hosting the effort towards the Dialogue Table for Peace." In their joint statement, the two sides expressed their solidarity with Mexico over Ecuador's raid of its embassy in Quito earlier this month. In October 2022, Colombian President Gustavo Petro's administration and the ELN guerrilla group agreed to start a new round of peace negotiations. Vermont farmworker Bernardino Suchite Canan is on the verge of being deported to Guatemala, where he fears retaliation from criminal elements he testified against in his hometown of Zacapa, according to the attorney who represented Canan last week in Boston Immigration Court. "Our argument for Bernardino was that he had been subjected to past persecution and had well-founded fears of future persecution on account of his membership in a particular social group," said Brett Stokes, a professor at Vermont Law & Graduate School, who also oversees an immigration clinic for the school in Burlington. Canan, 24, fled Guatemala seven years ago at the age of 16 for Vermont, where he has worked at a dairy farm in Irasburg ever since, rising to a management position. He became entangled with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement late last year near Champlain, New York, when someone reported his presence to the police, who pulled him over and quickly released him, only to be stopped by ICE 10 minutes later. New York doesn't have the same restrictions as Vermont against local law enforcement cooperating with ICE. Bernardino Suchite Canan is seen on the dairy farm in Irasburg where he rose to a management position before being detained by ICE. Undated photo. A few days after coming to the attention of ICE and being threatened with removal, Canan drove into a ditch in the Northeast Kingdom in a single-car accident, and was charged with driving under the influence. Canan and his partner, Maricruz, testified he had never driven drunk before, but was feeling the stress of his interaction with ICE, compounded by the anniversary of a violent attack on his mother in Guatemala in 2021, which ultimately resulted in her death. At his next check-in with ICE in St. Albans, Canan was fingerprinted and sent to ICE detention in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where he remains. ICE had become aware of his pending DUI charges. Stokes and his team of student lawyers failed twice to get Canan bonded out. Stokes said Canan's DUI charges had made him a threat to the community in the eyes of Immigration Court Judge Yul-mi Cho. Judge rejects asylum argument made by Vermont Law School professor and students Stokes and his team of students argued for asylum for Canan, based on his membership in the "social group" of witnesses and victims of crimes who report those crimes to the police. Judge Cho rejected the argument, saying victims of crimes who are witnesses don't constitute a social group, as required by asylum laws. Bernardino Suchite Canan (far left) with co-workers, calling on Hannaford Supermarket to join Migrant Justice's Milk with Dignity Program. Undated photo. "Essentially she stated in her decision the public as a whole would have no way of knowing just by looking at (Canan) he was a crime witness," Stokes said. "She never said what happened to him wasn't persecution, just that it didn't happen as a result of his membership in that group because it hadn't been defined. That was the sticking point." Stokes has until May 18 to appeal Judge Cho's decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals, which he plans to do. Stokes said he'll argue Judge Cho made an error when she said the social group he and his team defined for Canan was not "cognizable," or clearly identifiable. "They're marked people," Stokes said of witnesses like Canan. Contact Dan DAmbrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosi@gannett.com. Follow him on X @DanDambrosioVT. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Undocumented Vermont farmworker is likely to be deported soon. The Rev. Tracy Cox of First United Methodist Church and members of her congregation pray for Tracy Merrick, who will attend the United Methodist General Conference as a delegate representing Western Pennsylvania, as well as Anais Hussian and Joshua Popson who will also be in attendance, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Hussian is a reserve delegate and Popson will be advocating for LGBTQ inclusion with the Love Your Neighbor Coalition. Many, including Rev. Cox, hope that this is the year they change longstanding bans on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) Thousands of United Methodists are gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina, for their big denominational meeting, known as General Conference. Its a much-anticipated gathering. Typically it is held every four years, but church leaders delayed the 2020 gathering until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the 11-day gathering runs from April 23 to May 3. Among those assembling are hundreds of voting delegates the United Methodists from across the globe who were elected to represent their regional church body though as many as one-quarter of international delegates are not confirmed as able to attend. The delegates, half clergy and half lay Methodists, are the decision makers at General Conference. WHAT HAPPENS AT GENERAL CONFERENCE? General Conference the only entity that can speak for the entire denomination is a business meeting where delegates set policy, pass budgets and address other church-wide matters. Its the only body that can amend the United Methodist Book of Discipline, which includes church law. It also includes Social Principles, which are non-binding declarations on social and ethical issues. Theres worship and fellowship, too. IS THERE SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT THIS YEARS MEETING? Yes. This will be the first General Conference since more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations left the United Methodist Church between 2019 and 2023 because the denomination essentially stopped enforcing its bans on same-sex marriage and having self-avowed practicing homosexuals serving as clergy and bishops. WILL THE GENERAL CONFERENCE LIFT THOSE LGBTQ-RELATED BANS THIS YEAR? Its possible. The delegates in Charlotte are expected to vote on whether to eliminate them. Similar efforts have failed in years past, but with the election of more progressive delegates and the departure of many conservatives, supporters of removing the bans are optimistic. WHAT OTHER KEY ISSUES ARE UP FOR CONSIDERATION? Disaffiliations: The rules that allowed U.S. congregations to leave between 2019 and 2023. It allowed them to leave with their properties, held in trust for the denomination, under friendlier-than-normal legal terms. Some want similar conditions for international churches and for U.S. churches that missed the 2023 deadline. Regionalization: A proposal to restructure the denomination into regional conferences around the world, rather than having distinct names for U.S. and other jurisdictions. It would define the role of regions more precisely and put American congregations into their own regional body. Under this proposal, all regions would be able to adapt church policies to their local contexts, including those on marriage and ordination. Budgets: Because of all the disaffiliations, the conference will vote on a much-reduced budget proposal for the coming years. HOW IS THE CONFERENCE STARTING OFF? New York Area Bishop Thomas Bickerton, president of the denominations Council of Bishops, addressed the recent schism head-on in feisty remarks during Tuesday's opening worship, which included music and Communion. Bickerton spoke of his recent visit to a Texas conference that had lost more than half its congregations and said those remaining were committed to rebuilding the church. He said those at the General Conference should be doing the same not continuing the controversy. Are you committed to the revitalization of the United Methodist Church? Bickerton said to applause. Are you here to work for a culture marked by compassion, courage, and companionship? If you cant agree to that, what are you doing here anyway? Maybe, just maybe, youre in the wrong place. He alluded to criticism of the denomination during the disaffiliation debates and said it was holding on to its core beliefs. Dont you tell us that we dont believe in Scripture, he said. Dont you tell us that we dont believe in the doctrine of the church. And Lord have mercy, dont tell us that we dont believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have got to rebuild the church and weve got to do it together. WHERE ARE THE DELEGATES COMING FROM? Though thousands of Methodists with be attending the conference, there are only 862 official voting delegates, from the following regions of the church: 55.9% from the U.S. 32% from Africa 6% from the Philippines 4.6% from Europe 1.5% from concordant (affiliated) churches WILL THEY ALL BE THERE? No. As of last week, only about three-quarters of international delegates were confirmed as able to attend, the Commission on the General Conference reported Thursday. The other quarter includes 27 delegates unable to get visas or passports, others who couldnt attend for various reasons, and 62 delegates still unconfirmed. African groups have strongly criticized denominational officials, faulting them for delays in providing necessary paperwork and information and raising questions about whether African conferences will accept voting results from the conference. However, denominational officials defended their work Tuesday, telling the General Conference that visa requirements are stricter than in the past, that some regional conferences hadnt followed correct procedures in sending reserve delegates and that some would-be delegates received invitations sent by an unauthorized person or people. Delegates now must wear picture badges amid heightened scrutiny that their credentials are authentic. The conference overwhelmingly approved a resolution "to make every effort to listen to and carefully consider voices from regions that are underrepresented." HOW ARE CONGREGATIONS PREPARING? That varies widely, but those long active in the movement to repeal LGBTQ bans are focused strongly on the conference. First United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, for example, held a commissioning service on April 14 for three members attending the conference in varying capacities. It will be deeply meaningful for me personally to vote for those changes, said member Tracy Merrick, who will be a delegate. WHAT ARE UNITED METHODISTS, ANYWAY? Theyre part of a larger worldwide family of Methodists and other groups in the tradition of 18th century British Protestant revivalist John Wesley, who emphasized evangelism, holy living and social service. They hold many beliefs in common with other Christians, with some distinct doctrines. United Methodists traditionally ranged from liberal to conservative. They were until recently the third largest and most widespread U.S. denomination. Methodist missionaries planted churches worldwide, which grew dramatically, especially in Africa. Some became independent, but churches on four continents remain part of the United Methodist Church. HOW MANY UNITED METHODISTS ARE THERE? 5.4 million in the United States as of 2022, but that will decline significantly due to 2023 disaffiliations. 4.6 million in Africa, Asia and Europe. Thats lower than earlier estimates but reflects more recent denominational reports. ___ SOURCES: General Council on Finance and Administration and other United Methodist entities. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. UnitedHealth Group officials on Monday announced a February cyberattack compromised an unknown number of Change Healthcare customers despite paying a ransom. Photo by Justin Lane/EPA-EFE April 23 (UPI) -- Officials for Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group on Monday said the health insurance and services provider paid a ransom to protect patients' data, but many personal files were breached in a recent cyberattack. Cyber criminals targeted subsidiary Change Healthcare in February, and UnitedHealth Group paid an undisclosed ransom amount, corporate officials announced in a news release Monday. The cyberattack compromised the personal healthcare data of many Americans, NBC News and TechCrunch reported. "We know this attack has caused concern and been disruptive for consumers and providers," UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said. "We are committed to doing everything possible to help and provide support to anyone who may need it." Witty said it will take several months for UnitedHealth Group to continually analyze the data breach to identify those whose personal data was compromised and notify them. The analysis includes monitoring the dark web and Internet to see if anyone's breached data was published. It also is utilizing information from 22 screenshots of alleged personal health and identity information that were published for about a week on the dark web by a "malicious actor," UnitedHealth Group officials said. Corporate officials are communicating with law enforcement while undertaking the extended analysis to determine the full extent of data breached by the cyberattack. UnitedHealth Group officials said the corporation "has made continued strong progress restoring services impacted by the event" and "prioritized the restoration of services that impact patient access to care or medication." Medical claims processing and pharmacy services are nearly at normal levels, and payment processing for Change Healthcare is at about 86% of its normal levels and improving daily, UnitedHealth Group officials said. The healthcare provider in February identified the BlackCat ransomware gang as the perpetrators of the cyberattack. Investigators with the Department of Health and Human Services in March began investigating the cyberattack. As the US Air Force fleet keeps shrinking, can it still win wars? In February 2017, then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein issued a warning. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Goldfein rattled off all the missions the Air Force must undertake: defending the U.S. against attack, operating two legs of the nations nuclear triad, projecting air power around the globe and, at the time, defeating the militant group known as the Islamic State. Every one of those missions is a growth area, Goldfein said. And while these missions have been growing, our Air Force has been getting smaller. ... Were actually the smallest Air Force weve ever been. At the time, the service had about 5,500 aircraft in its inventory. Since then, it has shrunk further and is now on track to get smaller still. The Air Force expects its fleet of fighters, bombers, tankers, cargo planes, drones and other aircraft to dip below 5,000 in fiscal 2025, as retirements of older, worn down and outdated airframes outpace procurement of their replacements. Indeed, the fleet could drop to 4,903 total aircraft next year, but it may yet fall further. Right now, the Air Force is as big as it will be, Maj. Gen. Dave Tabor, director of programs for the services Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, said in a March 21 interview. In light of the budget uncertainties, its really difficult to predict exactly what size [the fleet] will be, next year or five years from now. The fleet already totals less than one-fifth of its size during its fiscal 1956 peak, when the service had 26,104 aircraft, according to the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. During that period, the number of F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre fighters alone exceeded 6,400, far greater than the Air Forces entire combined fleet of 5,032 airframes in fiscal 2024. Four F-15E Strike Eagles fly by an F-86 Sabre on display during a 2016 even in Goldsboro, N.C. (Airman 1st Class Ashley Williamson/U.S. Air Force) The workforce is smaller as well. The Air Force in fiscal 2025 aims to fall to 320,000 active duty jobs, dropping by about 13,000 billets over the previous five fiscal years. The roles of those airmen are shifting, too, as the service tries to bolster non-flying missions like cyber offense and defense that are key to modern warfare. The Air Forces fleet is now 52% bigger than the Navy and Marine Corps combined inventory of 3,308 aircraft. The current Air Force chief of staff, Gen. David Allvin, and other top service officials point to exponential increases in capability among the remaining aircraft such as striking targets with firepower and precision far beyond that of previous generations to assuage concerns over the declining number of aircraft. But the shrinking fleet worries some lawmakers and observers. Todd Harrison, a defense analyst at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, said that while modern aircraft do offer more speed, range, stealth and other advantages over previous generations of technology, the reality is that one plane can only be in one place at a time. For the credibility of our deterrence and our force posture, size still matters, Harrison told Defense News. Thats where were coming up short. An F-35 deployed over in the Indo-Pacific region is not doing anything to help you in [Europe], he added. Heather Penney, a former F-16 pilot and senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said the Air Forces fleet dipping below 5,000 is absolutely a noteworthy number, with worrying implications for national security and the services ability to project power. Once it drops below that mark, she said, it will be harder for the service to argue in favor of bringing it back up. The Air Force has reached a critical danger point in my mind regarding its capacity and ability to fulfill what the nation expects of it, and what the other services depend on, Penney said. The issue isnt limited to the services strike assets. Lawmakers routinely raise concerns about whether commanders around the globe will lose vital refueling, reconnaissance, battlefield coordination and more capabilities as the Air Force phases out high-demand fleets. Congress has even barred the service from retiring certain airframes until the military proves it can overcome those capability gaps. In an April 9 hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committees defense panel, ranking member Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, expressed her own concerns given the geopolitical environment. She pointed to Ukraines experience over the last two years fighting off Russias invasion with a paltry fleet of a few dozen fighters and questioned whether the U.S. Air Force will have enough aircraft to counter and deter threats across the globe. It seems clear to me that not only is quality obviously extremely important, and capability, but quantity matters also, particularly when were facing as many threats in such diverse places as we are, she said. The trade-offs Todays Air Force fleet, while smaller, can carry out missions like precision-guided airstrikes and electronic warfare operations that generals during World War II and the Korean War could only dream of. Tabor said that ability allows the service to hedge a little bit on its capacity. Whats more, other branches of the U.S. military and Americas allied and partner nations in some cases have capabilities similar to the Air Force, Tabor added, potentially making it easier to cover more regions. Advancements in precision targeting have rendered obsolete the mid-20th century tactics of sending wave after wave of first- and second-generation bombers against a target, raining down scores of munitions with the hope that one will hit the mark. Instead, a single B-2 Spirit or even in years to come, an in-the-works B-21 Raider, touted by manufacturer Northrop Grumman as the first sixth-generation aircraft can travel long distances and destroy a target that previously would have required multiple fighters and bombers working in concert. Improvements in range, coupled with the stealth capabilities of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F-22 Raptor, B-2 and the eventual B-21, have also revolutionized the Air Forces ability to safely hit targets worldwide. And leaps forward in satellite technology, among other platforms that provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, have reduced the need for spy planes that once streaked across hostile airspace at Mach speed, snapping photos along the way. The Air Force plans to retire 250 aircraft in FY25, which would exceed the number of aircraft it plans to bring on, resulting in a reduction of 129 aircraft. Those old and outdated aircraft slated for retirement include the A-10 Thunderbolt II and older F-15 Eagle fighters, which the service believes would not be suited for a war against an advanced adversary such as China. The service is also eyeing some F-22s for retirement, among other aircraft types, given they would cost too much to prepare for combat. The service expects its downsizing measures will free up money and resources for more modern aircraft. They were phenomenal aircraft in their time, Tabor said of the A-10 and F-15C. You dont have to go very far to find someone who will talk about the effects of A-10s on the battlefield. But the reality is, theyre simply no longer viable in todays fight, and certainly not in tomorrows particularly at the cost associated with keeping them. An airman directs an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot to a parking location on Oct. 27, 2023, within U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, which spans northeast Africa and across the Middle East to Central and South Asia. (Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force) The Air Force also wants to dial back its planned purchase of F-35A and F-15EX Eagle II fighters, as it focuses its spending in FY25 on the research and development of future advanced aircraft, such as the Next Generation Air Dominance program. That effort seeks to craft an even more capable fighter, plus artificial intelligence-powered drones known as collaborative combat aircraft. Were forced to make a choice between two things: We can either maintain legacy force structure, and ultimately what that means is maintaining units and maintaining basing in any location that you want to pick, or modernizing, according to the deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, Lt. Gen. Richard Moore. Unfortunately, whats happening is were trying to do both. But congressional reluctance about the Air Forces planned retirements have prevented the service from shifting to the modernization effort it wants, he said in April at an Air and Space Forces Association event. Were being restricted from divesting legacy force structure, Moore said, adding that the service is having to slow down modernization. Thats one reason the Air Force struck six F-35As and six F-15EXs from its planned purchase in FY25, he noted, as well as reducing its buy of MH-139 Grey Wolf patrol helicopters. To maintain legacy force structure and try and modernize, were hollowing out the force, Moore said. Modernization death spiral Harrison, the analyst at AEI, said the fleets reduction is similar to that occurring among other armed services, even as defense budgets grow larger each year. Much of those budgetary increases go to rising costs for personnel, operations and maintenance, he added. When youve got recruiting and retention challenges, your force becomes more expensive, Harrison said. When youve got older aircraft still in the inventory KC-135 [tankers], B-52s that are older than 90% of the people in the Air Force those are going to cost more to operate and maintain as they age. When you replace those old systems, those advanced aircraft often cost even more to operate and maintain. Budgetary restrictions are also pinching the Air Force; Congress last year passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which capped the Defense Departments FY25 budget and forced the Air Force to make some hard choices, service Secretary Frank Kendall said, such as buying fewer F-35s and F-15EXs. The U.S. Air Force's two experimental F-15EX Eagle II fighters return from a test mission over the Gulf of Mexico on Aug. 2, 2023. (Tech. Sgt. John McRell/U.S. Air Force) In addition, a long-overdue bow wave of modernization is crashing down as the Air Force seeks to simultaneously upgrade its fighters, bombers, tankers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, Harrison said. Theyre trying to continue all of these new development programs, Harrison said. The reality is, its just squeezing the budget, and theres not at much left at the end to procure these things in quantity. Over the last two decades, Penney said, the Air Forces modernization requirements took a backseat to the need to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. During this time, the service heavily flew aircraft such as the B-1B Lancer, curtailed the F-22 program earlier than expected, and delayed an effort to build a new bomber that eventually became the B-21 Raider. That forced the Air Force into all these service-life extensions, and limping along [with] the fleet that it had until it got [to] today, where everythings breaking at the same time, Penney said. It is a crisis that we should have anticipated, she added. The Air Force needs to not only recapitalize, but it has to grow its force, and the demand signal on it is enormous. The result, Harrison said, is that the Air Force is in danger of falling into a maintenance and modernization death spiral. In such a spiral, he explained, the fleet is aging, stretched thin and in dire need of modernization. Because the service has to keep its existing fleet flying to avoid a capabilities gap it must spend its limited money on maintaining and extending the life of those older aircraft. But then, he added, the Air Force has less money to buy the new replacement planes it sorely needs. How do you pull out of a death spiral? Harrison said. Thats the challenge for the Air Force over the rest of this decade. And as the number of planes in the Air Force decreases, Penney said, the service may struggle to retain experienced pilots. If they arent getting the cockpit time they need because there arent enough planes, she added, they might leave and take higher-paying jobs in the private aviation industry. It is a slippery slope that the Air Force is already in because they just cant retain pilots, Penney said. Its the pilots, its the maintainers, its the [logistics airmen], its the intel ops [at risk of leaving the Air Force]. The entire ecosystem that surrounds a combat capability you lose all of that knowledge. Harrison said the upcoming drop below 5,000 aircraft worries him less than the pattern it represents. Its the trend line that matters, more so than the absolute number itself, he said. And the trend line is not sustainable. FORT NOVOSEL, Ala. In the first half of fiscal 2023, more than a dozen U.S. Army aviators died in helicopter crashes, a startling number that prompted an aviation-wide standdown in April 2023. The Army, after a thorough review, eventually lifted the standdown. But five months later, an MH-60 Black Hawk stealth helicopter belonging to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a training mission, killing five on board. The accidents kept coming. Another two AH-64E Apache crew died during a training flight in Mississippi, while three crew members died in an LUH-72A Lakota helicopter crash during operations along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas last month. Fiscal 2023 marked the highest death rate for Army soldiers since the U.S. withdrew from Iraq in 2011, with a total of 14 dead across 10 accidents, formally known as Class A mishaps, meaning accidents that result in the loss of life or the loss of equipment totaling more than $2.5 million. In an average year, Army aviation mishaps typically kill six crew members, with the average Class A mishap accident rate hovering just under one accident per 100,000 flight hours. The current rate is 3.22, more than double the highest rate of any fiscal year in more than a decade, according to Army Combat Readiness Center data. Army leaders say the service is actively addressing the issue, including unveiling training enhancement efforts, but experts said it could take years to correct the root issues in the services training amid an existing experience shortfall. As a result, the Armys mishap rate could get worse before it gets better. Unfortunately, theres still a shortage in the force right now, Joe Roland, a former aviation warrant officer and instructor pilot who retired from the Army two years ago, told Defense News. Weve downsized; well never truly upsize. Out-driving their headlights In its examination of the force and training processes during the 2023 standdown, the Army found its pilots and aviation warrant officers are today significantly less experienced than they were during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Eric Schwegler, G3 director at the Army Combat Readiness Center, told Defense News that mishaps are far more common at the lowest level, when youve got maybe an E-5 [the lowest rank as a noncommissioned officer] in charge. [What] we see time and time again is they underestimate the risk or the risk changes, he added. As a result, inexperienced crews were out-driving their headlights, out-training the experience that was in their force at whatever level, Maj. Gen. Mac McCurry, commander of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Novosel, Alabama, told Defense News last month. We had this known increase in task complexity as we shifted from tasks in Iraq and Afghanistan to more complex tasks in large-scale combat, bringing aircraft down from altitude, closer to the terrain, flying in larger formations, McCurry said, noting those are skills necessary to survive operations against advanced adversaries. The shadow of a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter is cast on a field as it flies over an area in al-Dor north of Baghdad, Iraq. (Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images) Indeed, the deadliest helicopter crash in 2023 happened when two Black Hawks collided in a nighttime, multi-ship training exercise in Kentucky, killing nine. In that case, pilots were using night vision goggles. The following month, three crew members were killed in another multi-ship training exercise in Alaska, when two Apache helicopters collided. While investigations are still ongoing for the majority of Class A mishaps in 2023 and 2024, according to FlightFax, an Army online newsletter covering Army aircraft accident prevention, the service determined during the standdown that the top killer is spatial disorientation, which happens when a pilot wrongly perceives where the aircraft is relative to the ground or surroundings. Last year was a very, very bad year for spatial disorientation, according to the Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, which is working on solutions that could prevent the phenomenon. The lab is working on several possible solutions to help pilots cope with disorientation in the cockpit, including a strap around a pilots torso that vibrates in a corresponding location on the body to indicate the pilot is drifting in a specific direction. The accidents in 2023 and early 2024 all occurred in more challenging environments, where the chances of becoming spatially disoriented increased dramatically. These included flying at night using night vision goggles, flying in formation, and flying over snow and water. While the service has brought in heads-up and helmet-mounted displays to help pilots stay oriented, the Army hasnt seen a drastic improvement through various technological capabilities, according to the lab. The Army also identified flight hours as another issue. Units are unable to use all of the flight hours budgeted each year by Congress because of limitations related to aircraft, fuel and crews. Getting in flight hours is so critical, McCurry said, but its not always easy. When you talk about everything that has to come together for a flight mission, you have to have an aircraft thats ready, he explained. You have to have fuel, you have to have the right trainers and then you have to have the crews. With the operational tempo in recent years, coupled with a personnel gap, its been a challenge to pull it all together, he added. Experience deficit Halfway into this fiscal year, the Army has had a dozen Class A accidents resulting in 10 deaths, putting it on pace to become the services deadliest year in recent history. McCurry told Defense News the Army wants to increase training requirements to avoid fatal accidents. This month, it unveiled what its calling an aviation standup to bolster training. Over the first six months of this fiscal year, weve seen a troubling trend with our accident rates, Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, director of Army aviation, told reporters in April. The so-called standup is meant to empower the force at the lowest level to solve these problems. The training is to focus on three areas identified as needing improvement and likely one of the root causes of crashes. Unit commanders plan to tackle risk management and mitigation for aviation and training operations. Operational-level training is to center on power management and spatial disorientation. And maintainers will review maintenance standards for aircraft repairs and safety checks, according to Rugen. U.S. Army Warrant Officer Troy Deckert Jr., an AH-64 Apache pilot, performs a preflight check before going on a training flight in Romania on March 26, 2024. (Spc. Nolan Brewer/U.S. Army) The Combat Readiness Center has focused on sending teams through its Safety Assistance Visit program to train units at the lower levels on risk management and how to adapt to changing hazards. Already in FY24, the center conducted 31 safety assistance visits. Last year, the organization trained 23,000 soldiers within the aviation branch at nearly 60 sites. The key lessons are how to operationalize risk management, and what are the common errors they are making or dont even know theyre making so that they are in the right place at the right time to prevent the next mishap, Schwegler said. But McCurry acknowledged the training effort cant address another issue: the inexperience of pilots. Weve lost a lot of experience that was gained when we were doing the heel-to-toe rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan through natural retirement and attrition, McCurry said. There is a known reduction in aviation warrant officer experience. Roland, who served as the aviation branchs chief warrant officer prior to his retirement, said the service has seen significant departures among its aviation service members. It can take six to eight years for a warrant officer to become proficient at what we do, he noted. The Army is now weighing how it can better take advantage of the experienced aviators still in the service. Roland said the service should focus on how its using experienced officers, rather than fast-track warrant officer promotions. When we fast-track people, theyre built on a shaky foundation, he said. How do you have these incidents and accidents with these mid-grade W-3s and 4s [warrant officers]? Well, their foundation was shaky to start with; nobody checked them on the way up. US calls on Iraq to safeguard US troops after new attacks U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the White House in Washington By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military called on Iraq's government on Tuesday to take steps to safeguard American troops in both Iraq and Syria after failed attacks a day earlier by Iran-aligned militia. The drone and rocket fire were the first such incidents since a near three-month pause in what had been almost daily attacks that culminated in the January killing of three U.S. soldiers at the Tower 22 outpost in Jordan. With U.S.-Iran tensions soaring after the Jordan attack, and some calls from Republican lawmakers in Washington for a direct U.S. response against Iran, a senior Iranian commander had called on militia to halt their attacks at the end of January. Speaking at the Pentagon, Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson, did not speculate about what triggered the renewal in attacks. But he called on Baghdad to act. "These attacks put coalition and Iraqi personnel at risk. We call on the government of Iraq to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria against attacks from these groups," Ryder told a news briefing. "If these attacks continue, we will not hesitate to defend our forces, as we have done in the past." The U.S. has some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in eastern Syria on an advise-and-assist mission. The United States helped Israel shoot down a massive wave of Iranian drone and missiles on April 14 fired by Tehran in retaliation for an April 1 Israeli strike against an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria. Washington has blamed Iran in the past for funding and directing militia in Iraq and Syria that attack U.S. forces. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, wary of his country becoming a battleground for fighting between the United States and Iran, met President Joe Biden earlier this month in an effort to turn a new page in U.S.-Iraqi relations despite soaring regional tensions. The U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 and toppled strongman leader Saddam Hussein, withdrawing in 2011 before returning in 2014 at the head of an international military coalition at the Baghdad government's request to help fight Islamic State insurgents. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis) An early version of an Army Tactical Missile System is tested December 14, 2021, at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. - John Hamilton/US Army The Biden administration is preparing a new aid package for Ukraine that is expected to be worth around $1 billion, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN, and is set to be approved by President Joe Biden after the Senate passes a new foreign aid funding bill as soon as Tuesday afternoon. In briefings to Congress in recent weeks, administration officials have indicated that the US will likely send Ukraine long-range ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, for the first time as part of the new aid package, three of the sources said. Ukrainian officials have been asking the US both in private and in public for the long-range missile to target deeper behind Russian lines. American officials have resisted, citing both supplies and further provoking Moscow as excuses. Last fall the US first sent Ukraine the midrange variant of the missile system, which can reach about 100 miles, while the longer-range version can reach as far as 190 miles. The package is also expected to include more desperately needed munitions for Ukraine, including air defense and artillery ammunition, Bradley fighting vehicles and demolition weaponry, the sources said. The text of the legislation passed by the House and set to be approved by the Senate requires the administration to transfer the coveted longer-range ATACMS as soon as practicable, unless the president determines that doing so would be detrimental to US national security interests. The military aid will be sourced from the US own stockpiles through a funding mechanism known as presidential drawdown authority, or PDA, and will be the first PDA package for Ukraine since March. It will be significantly larger than that package, however, which was worth only around $300 million that the Pentagon was able to scrounge together from cost savings elsewhere in the department. A White House official declined to comment on the contents of the PDA except to say that the US is prepared to quickly send military aid to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the supplemental passes the Senate and is signed into law. US European Command is now working to process the weaponry so that once the Senate passes the aid, it can flow into Ukraine as efficiently as possible, officials told CNN. Once the funding is passed, the Pentagon can begin to transfer the aid within a week or two, Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, told lawmakers earlier this month. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani (1st L, Front) welcomes visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd L, Front) at Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 22, 2024. Iraq and Turkiye on Monday struck more than 20 deals in various fields during a rare visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq. (Xinhua) BAGHDAD, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Iraq and Turkiye on Monday struck more than 20 deals in various fields during a rare visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq. The deals were signed between Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani after their meeting in Baghdad, the prime minister's office said in a statement. During the talk, the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation in security, rail and road construction, irrigation infrastructure and water management and witnessed the signing of more than 20 Memorandums of Understanding. In the area of security cooperation, al-Sudani said that the two sides talked about confronting the challenges posed by the presence of militants that may cooperate with terrorism and violate the security of the two countries. "The security of Iraq and Turkiye is indivisible, and cooperation between us is important for security in the region," he added. During Erdogan's visit, the Turkish president and Iraqi premier also witnessed the signing of a preliminary four-way agreement by ministers from Turkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to cooperate on a road development project, the prime minister's office said in a separate statement. Iraq proposed the project in May 2023 to build a south-north rail and road corridor linking its main southern port of Basra up to the country's border with Turkiye, to boost economic integration. The MoUs also include a 10-year management deal for the water resources of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which flow from Turkiye's north to the Gulf in southern Iraq. Iraq has long held concerns over the decrease in its share of the water. "This agreement will last for 10 years and will be sufficient to achieve joint and fair management of water resources," Al-Sudani said Erdogan said the new deals inked with Iraq represent "a new turning point in our relations with Iraq," adding that the road project will promote trade. In a separate meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Latif Rashid, Erdogan said Turkiye understands Iraq's water needs and is keen to cooperate in this field through joint committees formed under the relevant deal, according to a statement by the Iraqi presidency. Erdogan is also expected to visit Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in the northern part of the country to hold talks with Kurdish leaders, particularly on the presence of the Turkish outlawed PKK militants in the region. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani (R) welcomes visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 22, 2024. Iraq and Turkiye on Monday struck more than 20 deals in various fields during a rare visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq. (Xinhua) Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid (R) meets with visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 22, 2024. Iraq and Turkiye on Monday struck more than 20 deals in various fields during a rare visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq. (Xinhua) The United States intends to provide Ukraine with US$1 billion in military help. This will be the first instalment of the US$61 billion aid plan, which the Senate is expected to approve. Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda Details: In recent months, the United States has effectively halted the transfer of military aid to Ukraine due to opposing views in the Congress. Now, with the likely Senate ratification of the US$61 billion project and President Biden's signature, the bill will allow for the first aid package to reach Kyiv in a long time. According to Reuters, the package will include vehicles, Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, extra HIMARS ammunition, 155-mm artillery shells, and TOW and Javelin anti-tank ammunition. The media previously reported that the United States is preparing a "larger than normal" package of military assistance for Kyiv, which will include armoured vehicles, particularly Bradley combat vehicles, Humvee military vehicles and M113 armoured personnel carriers, as well as missiles, artillery and air defence equipment. It was also reported that most weapons from the US aid package for Ukraine are already in storages in Germany and Poland, which will accelerate the pace of delivery after a corresponding bill is adopted. On 20 April, the US House of Representatives approved a bill to provide about US$61 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democratic Majority in the US Senate, said the Senate will vote for the bill on Tuesday, 23 April. Support UP or become our patron! The Biden administration is preparing a roughly $1 billion package of military aid for Ukraine, as the Senate is poised to pass a bill to provide urgently needed funding for Kyiv, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. The tranche will include artillery, air defenses and armored vehicles Bradley Fighting Vehicles, as well as potentially older Humvees and M113 armored personnel carriers POLITICO first reported on Monday. The Pentagon is still putting the finishing touches on the package, but the total will be roughly $1 billion, said the people, one of whom is a U.S. official. Both were granted anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement. The package the U.S. is working on is significantly larger than the most recent tranche of weapons authorized for Ukraine in March, which totaled $300 million. That was only the second package the Defense Department was able to send Kyiv since December, when it ran out of funding to support the war effort. The Senate put its recess on hold to vote Tuesday to begin votes on legislation that would provide $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in total. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the Senate bill, which includes more than $60 billion in funding for Ukraine, into law quickly after it passes. Defense Department officials have said they expect to send equipment to Ukraine quickly after that, although a large portion of the funding will go toward replenishing stocks in the U.S. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the contents of the aid package. But Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesperson, said last week that new weapons could arrive in Ukraine as soon as days to weeks after the legislation passes. POLITICO also reported on Saturday that the U.S. is mulling sending up to 60 additional military advisers to the embassy in Kyiv to help with oversight of weapons transfers, logistics and advising the Ukrainian government. Reuters first reported that the next package will be roughly $1 billion. The US Senate has supported the shortening of the procedure of consideration of the bill on supplementary funding, which contains the funding of military and financial aid for Ukraine. Source: European Pravda Details: 80 senators have supported the request of Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, "about ending the debates", which allows adopting the bill package with the aid for Ukraine under a shortened procedure. 19 voted against. Before that, Republican senator Mike Lee made an amendment, which could delay the process of the consideration of the bill but it was declined with a simple majority. After making the current procedural decision the senators will have 30 hours (but not more than one hour each) to discuss the bill, and then the final voting will be conducted. A simple majority of votes will be enough to adopt a decision. Background: Ukraines Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, recalled that during the previous voting in the Senate for the aid for Ukraine in February the senators speeches lasted the whole night so "the duration of this part of the procedure will depend on how many senators wish to speak and how long they will speak for". On 20 April, the US House of Representatives approved a bill to provide about US$61 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Oksana Markarova, Ukraines Ambassador to the United States, said on 23 April that the first package of US weapons under the new legislation passed by Congress could arrive in Ukraine as early as April. Support UP or become our patron! US Supreme Court leans toward Starbucks in the case of pro-union workers By Andrew Chung and John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday signaled support for Starbucks in the coffee chain's challenge to a judicial order requiring it to rehire seven employees at a Memphis cafe who were fired as they pursued unionization. The justices heard arguments in the Seattle-based company's appeal of a lower court's approval of an injunction sought by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordering reinstatement of the workers. The case could make it harder to quickly halt labor practices challenged as unfair under federal law while the NLRB resolves complaints. The dispute centers on the legal standard that federal courts must use to issue a preliminary injunction requested by the NLRB under a federal law called the National Labor Relations Act. Such orders are intended as an interim tool to halt unfair labor practices while a case proceeds before the board. Under that law's section 10(j), a court may grant an injunction if it is deemed "just and proper." Starbucks has argued that the judge who granted the injunction should have used a stringent four-factor test to weigh the bid for an injunction, as courts typically do in non-labor disputes. This test includes an assessment of whether the side seeking relief would suffer irreparable harm and is likely to succeed on the merits of the case. Some justices appeared to agree that courts, not the NLRB, should have the primary role in determining the likelihood of success in a case before issuing an injunction. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch told Justice Department lawyer Austin Raynor, who was defending the Starbucks injunction, that other federal agencies are subject to the stricter standard. "In all sorts of alphabet soup agencies, we don't do this," Gorsuch said, using a term describing agencies known by their initials. "District courts apply the 'likelihood of success' test as we normally conceive it. So why is this particular statutory regime different than so many others?" Liberal Justice Elena Kagan pressed Raynor to explain "why courts should apply a lower standard." Raynor said the reason is "structural" because in unfair labor disputes, Congress intended through the National Labor Relations Act for the NLRB to be the primary adjudicator, not the courts. "But it also gave this power over injunctions to the court," Kagan replied. Starbucks contends that if the lower courts had applied stricter criteria, this case would have come out differently. About 400 Starbucks locations in the United States have unionized, involving more than 10,000 employees. Both sides at times have accused the other of unlawful or improper conduct. Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the NLRB accusing Starbucks of unlawful labor practices such as firing union supporters, spying on workers and closing stores during labor campaigns. Denying wrongdoing, Starbucks has said it respects the right of workers to choose whether to unionize. In a break from the acrimony, both sides in February agreed to create a "framework" to guide organizing and collective bargaining and potentially settle scores of pending legal disputes. 'CREAM OF THE CROP' Raynor told the justices that the NLRB seeks 10(j) injunctions in very few "cream of the crop" cases, last year requesting just seven even though it receives 20,000 unfair labor charges annually. "This is an expert agency that has said, 'We think these are the most deserving of relief,'" Raynor added. But conservative Chief Justice John Roberts said that "I don't know why the inference isn't the exact opposite." Roberts said these could be the cases that the board feels "are the most vulnerable." Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett emphasized to Raynor that federal courts serve as "an independent check" on the NLRB's power. "We acknowledge this isn't a rubber stamp," Raynor replied. Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also noted the relatively small number of injunctions the NLRB seeks annually. "This is not sounding like a huge problem," Jackson said. "Whether or not it's a huge problem, what petitioner (Starbucks) wants is just a level playing field," Blatt responded. The case began in 2022, when the workers at the Memphis Poplar Avenue store became among the first to unionize. They let a television news crew into the Starbucks cafe after hours to talk about the union campaign. Seven workers present that evening were fired, including some belonging to the union organizing committee. Employees there eventually voted to join the Workers United union. The union filed NLRB unfair labor charges over the firings and other discipline by managers. The agency sought an injunction, alleging Starbucks unlawfully fired the workers for supporting unionization and to send a message to other workers. U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman granted the injunction in 2022. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld it in 2023. The Supreme Court's ruling is expected by the end of June. (Reporting by Andrew Chung and John Kruzel in Washington; Additional reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany; Editing by Will Dunham) By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The idea of a doctor in the United States having to consider the risk of imprisonment before performing an emergency abortion might have been difficult to imagine just two years ago. But after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide, such dilemmas are a reality in several states that have since adopted Republican-backed near-total bans that include the threat of criminal penalties and loss of medical licensure. The court on Wednesday is set to hear arguments in a case pitting Idaho's strict abortion ban against a federal law that ensures that patients can receive emergency care. It forces the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to revisit the fraught legal landscape that it created with its 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling that scuttled Roe. Idaho is appealing a judge's decision, made in a 2022 lawsuit by President Joe Biden's administration, that found that the 1986 federal law at issue, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), takes precedence over the state's law. EMTALA requires hospitals that receive funding under the federal Medicare program to "stabilize" patients with emergency medical conditions. At issue now is whether Idaho's ban must yield to EMTALA when a doctor determines an abortion is the necessary "stabilizing care." "The Supreme Court is having to reckon with, yet again, litigating abortion rights in an era that the majority opinion in Dobbs suggested would return it to the states and out of the courts," said Rachel Rebouche, dean of the law school at Temple University in Philadelphia. "In the cross-hairs here are providers," Rebouche added, "many of whom just want to deliver care and know it's legal." In Idaho, a so-called abortion "trigger" law automatically took effect upon Roe's reversal. Passed by the Republican-led state legislature and signed by Republican Governor Brad Little in 2020, Idaho's law bans all abortions unless needed to prevent a mother's death. Idaho is one of seven states with no exception to protect the health of pregnant patients, according to a U.S. Justice Department filing. Among the critics of Idaho's near-total abortion ban are some of the state's doctors, who would face two to five years in prison and suspension or revocation of their medical license if convicted of performing what the law calls a "criminal abortion." "Criminalization of doctors providing healthcare is dangerous for patients, for doctors and for our communities," Amelia Huntsberger, an obstetrician-gynecologist who practiced medicine in Idaho for a decade before relocating to Oregon due to Idaho's abortion law, wrote this month in an open letter to Idaho's legislature. The number of obstetricians in Idaho dropped from 268 to 210 in the first 15 months after its abortion ban took effect, according to the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative, a group founded by doctors in the state. National groups representing obstetricians, gynecologists and emergency physicians have told the Supreme Court that many emergency conditions that could threaten the woman's life and health - from gestational hypertension to excessive bleeding - could require an abortion to stabilize her or avoid seizures, vital organ damage and failure, or the loss of the uterus. But Idaho's law allows for abortion only to prevent the woman's death, which makes it impossible to comply with both EMTALA and Idaho law, the providers said. Clinicians are expected to make high-stakes judgments under the threat of criminal penalty, they added. "At what point," they asked in their filing, "does the condition of a pregnant woman with a uterine hemorrhage deteriorate from health-threatening to the point that an abortion is 'necessary' to prevent death? When is it certain she will die but for medical intervention? How many blood units does she have to lose?" WHEN TWO LAWS COLLIDE Following Roe's demise, Biden's administration issued federal guidance stating that EMTALA takes precedence over state abortion bans when the two conflict. Idaho's Republican attorney general and top Republican state lawmakers in court papers told the Supreme Court that the state's law and EMTALA are not actually at odds. "Whatever emergency medical treatment EMTALA could require is consistent with the balance struck in Idaho law," the state officials wrote. Boise-based U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in 2022 blocked enforcement of Idaho's law in cases of abortions that are needed to avoid putting the woman's health in "serious jeopardy" or risking "serious impairment to bodily functions." "Where federal law requires the provision of care and state law criminalizes that very care, it is impossible to comply with both laws," the judge wrote. The Supreme Court in January let Idaho enforce its law while also agreeing to decide its legality. A ruling is expected by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court wrestled with major questions about the growing issue of homelessness on Monday as it considered whether cities can punish people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking. The case is the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as record numbers of people are without a permanent place to live in the United States. Grants Pass homeless case at SCOTUS not complicated It started in the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass, which began fining people $295 for sleeping outside as the cost of housing escalated and tents sprung up in the citys public parks. The town appealed to the high court after the San Francisco-based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that banning camping in places without enough shelter amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. On the ground in Grants Pass A Josephine County advocacy group, Mint, spends time in the parks trying to help the hundreds they encounter with medical resources, food and affordable housing. Im a single mom and I live within a mile of those parks where tents are, said Cassy Leach, a volunteer nurse with Mint. I wanted to understand why there are so many people. I took kind of the curiosity approach. But it really opened my eyes to kind of understanding the seriousness of affordable housing. Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol visits Tussing Park, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Grants Pass, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol told KOIN 6 News the issue has dominated her time in office. Here in Grants Pass, our community would very much like to have safe, clean parks and public spaces. We are actively working on establishing shelters so the unhoused population will have safe, clean places to rest, Bristol said. This isnt a choose one situation. I would like to have both. Both Bristol and Leach said regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, affordable housing will remain their biggest local obstacle to getting support for more people. Todd Unger, KOIN 6 News anchor What happened at the US Supreme Court The justices appeared to be leaning toward a narrow ruling in the case after hearing arguments that showed the stark terms of the debate over homelessness in Western states like California, which is home to one-third of the countrys homeless population. Sleeping is a biological necessity, and people may be forced to do it outside if they cant afford housing or theres no space in shelters, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. Where do we put them if every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a law identical to this? Where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves, not sleeping? she said. Activists demonstrate at the Supreme Court as the justices consider a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Activists demonstrate at the Supreme Court as the justices consider a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Activists demonstrate at the Supreme Court as the justices consider a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Activists demonstrate at the Supreme Court as the justices consider a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Helen Cruz, who once lived on the streets in Grants Pass, Ore., speaks at a rally outside the Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in the Grants Pass homeless case, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Solving homelessness is a complicated policy question, said Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who raised questions about both the role of federal courts and camping bans. How does it help if there are not enough beds for the number of homeless people in the jurisdiction? he said. Other conservative justices questioned how far Eighth Amendment legal protections should extend as cities struggle with managing homeless encampments that can be dangerous and unsanitary. How about if there are no public bathroom facilities, do people have an Eighth Amendment right to defecate and urinate outdoors? said Justice Neil Gorsuch. Other public-health laws cover that situation, Justice Department attorney Edwin Kneedler said. He said people shouldnt be punished just for sleeping outside, but argued the 9th Circuit ruling should be tossed out because the court didnt do enough to determine if people are involuntarily homeless. Gorsuch and other justices also raised the possibility that other aspects of state or federal law could help sort through the issue, potentially without setting sweeping new legal precedent. The question is an urgent one in the West, where a cross-section of Democratic and Republican officials contend that makes it difficult for them to manage encampments. Photos capture wild bear roaming through downtown Corvallis Hundreds of advocacy groups, on the other hand, argue that allowing cities to punish people who need a place to sleep will criminalize homelessness and ultimately make the crisis worse as the cost of housing increases. Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the court Monday morning to advocate for more affordable housing, holding silver thermal blankets and signs like housing not handcuffs. Homelessness in the United States grew a dramatic 12% last year to its highest reported level, as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined with a lack of access to mental health and addiction treatment to put housing out of reach for more people. More than 650,000 people are estimated to be homeless, the most since the country began using the yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. People of color, LGBTQ+ people and seniors are disproportionately affected, advocates said. The court is expected to decide the case by the end of June. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Days after the University of Southern California (USC) announced it would cancel its valedictorian speech, along with all outside speakers during this year's commencement ceremonies, protesters gathered on the school's campus on Sunday to show support for the student. USC announced it would not be allowing biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum to give her valedictorian speech during the main stage commencement, which draws 65,000 people to the University Park Campus, following a series of social media posts she made about Israel. "Given the highly publicized circumstances surrounding our main-stage commencement program, university leadership has decided it is best to release our outside speakers and honorees from attending this years ceremony," a statement posted on the university's commencement website read. Tabassum's social media, which critics called out as antisemitic, reportedly called for an end to the Jewish state. In a CNN interview, the USC valedictorian defended her position. USC REMOVES OUTSIDE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS AFTER CANCELLING VALEDICTORIAN'S SPEECH As the LA Times Festival of Books was hosted this year at USC, CODEPINK rallied in solidarity with the silenced 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum. "The abolishment of the state of Israel, Id like to clarify, is the abolishment of an apartheid system. It inherently is a system that subjugates Palestinians as dehumanized. And it subjugates Palestinian life as not worth the same as other human life," she said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP USC's move sparked outrage as an organization called "CODEPINK" organized a demonstration to demand the school allow Tabassum to give her speech. "As the LA Times Festival of Books was hosted this year at USC, we rallied in solidarity with the silenced 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum! Shame on USC! Reinstate Asnas speech!," the group wrote in a post on X. According to the organization's website, CODEPINK is a feminist grassroots organization working to end U.S. warfare and imperialism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs. A spokesperson for the group told Fox News Digital that with the cancelation of all the graduation speakers, they are working on their next strategy. 'Our hopes are that the voice of a young Muslim woman is not censored and silenced. Shame on USC for doing so," the group said. COLUMBIA JEWISH STUDENTS 'NO LONGER FEEL SAFE,' SAY ANTI-ISRAEL MOB CHASED THEM OFF CAMPUS Hundreds of protesters gathered at the University of Southern California in support of Class of 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, after her commencement speech was canceled. USC says the valedictorian is not being silenced for her political views on the ongoing unrest in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas but for the safety of Tabassum and others in attendance. "After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement. While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety," Andrew Guzman, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, wrote in the statement. Guzman stated that the decision was necessary in order to maintain the school and its students' safety. "To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period," Guzman wrote. USC also told The Los Angeles Times that they had received threats via letters, phone calls, and emails. Fox News' Nikolas Lanum, Gabriel Hays, and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report. Original article source: USC protests break out after anti-Israel valedictorian's commencement speech cancelled over safety concerns WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Wichita Public Schools is hosting its first set of public listening sessions for the community to have a say in what USD 259 does with the buildings of the six closing schools. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Alvin E. Morris Administration Center, followed by a second listening session at 7:30 p.m. at Brooks STEM and Arts Middle School. District leaders say they are listening before they finalize a plan. WPS offering open enrollment next school year We have to have a broad groundwork to start with, and then we can start building the details on that once we kind of know what the public is thinking, said Stan Reeser, USD 259 School Board President. There will be another set of listening sessions on Tuesday. The first will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Wichita West High School. The second will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Wichita North High School. For more information, click here. Tune into KSN News at 10 for continuing coverage with Craig Andres. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. Vermont son speaks out 6 months after retired mothers mystery murder: 'Turn yourself in and turn to Christ' Vermont son speaks out 6 months after retired mothers mystery murder: 'Turn yourself in and turn to Christ' Honoree Fleming, a retired biologist and a former dean of education at the Vermont State University Castleton Campus, went out for a walk on a sunny day on a local hiking trail. Then she met a murderer. Police released a sketch of the suspect based on witnesses who said they saw a man in the area of the shooting, but six months later, they have not arrested or publicly identified him. "Her killer will always be on the run and hunted," said Fleming's son, Dean Powers, who published a book of poems called "The Biochemistry of Faith" in his mother's memory this month as he is calling on her killer to turn himself in. Whoever the killer is, he is considered armed and dangerous. SON OF SLAIN VERMONT BIOLOGIST, 77, BLASTS MORAL DECLINE IN US AFTER DAYLIGHT HIKING TRAIL AMBUSH READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Honoree Fleming, 77, pictured in an undated photo provided by Vermont State Police. The retired educator was found shot to death on a trail in Castleton on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. "I want to issue this challenge to mom's killer. Turn yourself in and turn to Christ, or I will make you a 16-point trophy buck that can get hunted 24/7 all year in Vermont," Powers told Fox News Digital. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER Around 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 5, hikers called 911 to report finding Fleming's body on the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail in Castleton, near the end closest to the college grounds. The state medical examiner ruled her death a homicide with a gunshot wound to the head. Two days later, Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, dominating headlines that Powers said he believes drowned out pleas for help in his mother's case. VERMONT POLICE RELEASE SKETCH OF MAN SOUGHT IN MURDER OF 77-YEAR-OLD WOMAN ON HIKING TRAIL A composite sketch of the man sought in connection with the shooting death of 77-year-old retiree Honoree Fleming while on a Vermont hiking trail on Oct. 5, 2023. Six months after the murder, the suspect remains at large. Police have released a composite sketch of the suspect, who they describe as around 5 feet, 10 inches tall with red hair. He was last seen wearing a dark-gray T-shirt and carrying a black backpack while heading off in a "northerly" direction up the trail. FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X The suspect sketch is based on interviews with witnesses who saw a person of interest on the trail behaving oddly around the time of the shooting, Vermont State Police Capt. Scott Dunlap told reporters in October. However, the killer was "smart enough" not to have a cellphone with him at the time of the shooting, Powers said, complicating the police effort to identify a suspect. CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS "They have disappeared like a ghost," he said. There is a $25,000 reward for information about the case. However, state police said earlier this month it has not attracted any tips directly. They have received more than 150 tips and leads from members of the public. VERMONT POLICE RELEASE NEW PROFILE OF SUSPECT IN RETIREE MURDER ON POPULAR HIKING TRAIL Honoree Fleming stands next to her husband Ron Powers, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who co-wrote "Flags of Our Fathers" and assisted Sen. Ted Kennedy with his memoir. "We want to reassure the public that this case remains a priority, and the state police has devoted and continues to devote significant resources to the investigation," Capt. Jeremy Hill, commander of the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit, said in a statement. "Our thoughts remain with Honorees family, friends, loved ones and [the] community." Police previously said they were unsure whether the attack came at random or if Fleming had been targeted. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Anyone with information that could help crack the case is asked to call the Rutland barracks at 802-773-9101, or submit anonymously online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit. Original article source: Vermont son speaks out 6 months after retired mothers mystery murder: 'Turn yourself in and turn to Christ' by Xinhua writers Lu Yifan and Xiong Xuan'ang KUNMING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Gan Wenyong's first-ever exposure to extracurricular reading occurred at the age of nine, when he encountered the book "The Little Prince" by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The experience served as a motivation for Gan to step out of the mountains and explore a different world. Also inspired by the book, he returned to his hometown in southwest China's Yunnan Province over a decade later and built a rural library to nurture the dreams of the local children. "Books lighted my way forward, and I think children in the mountains need the same passion to explore the world," he said. Gan, 29, is the founder of the library called "Banshan Huayu" (half hill flower talks) and a legal aid services provider. He was born and raised in Qiunatong, a village nestled at the northernmost tip of the Nujiang River canyon in the province's Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County. Qiunatong was once entrenched in absolute poverty. Due to the financial difficulties of his family, Gan missed out on educational opportunities in his early years. Instead, he spent his childhood collecting herbs, fetching water from mountains, and tending to livestock. "I didn't have shoes until I was six years old," he recalled, adding that back then, there was no electricity in the village, and candles were used to illuminate his home after sunset. In the summer of 2005, a tourist met Gan and gave him "The Little Prince" as a gift. The adventures of the little prince and the vivid words in the book, which were read out to Gan by his brother, inspired him to explore the outside world. "I wanted to go to school and read more books," he said. Positive changes unfolded in 2006 as the revised Compulsory Education Law took effect, with the objective of providing nine years of free compulsory education to rural as well as urban children. In 2007, at the age of 13, Gan commenced his studies in the fourth grade at a primary school. In 2016, he was accepted into a university in the provincial capital Kunming, where he majored in law. After the annual national college entrance exam, known as the gaokao, was over, Gan returned home with the 400 extracurricular books he had collected in high school. Upon learning of this, children from the village flocked to borrow books, with some even spending entire days seated in front of his house engrossed in reading. This evoked memories of Gan's encounter with "The Little Prince" a few years ago, sparking the idea of building a library and he resolved to pursue it. In 2016, Gan converted the two rooms his family vacated into a library. He crafted bookshelves from wood and affixed a door plate, marking the humble beginnings of the village's first library. While Gan attended university, his parents and brother assisted in maintaining the library, organizing bookshelves and ensuring its cleanliness. During winter and summer breaks, he would return home with new additions to the library's collection, engaging with the children in shared reading sessions. In 2020, Gongshan was lifted out of poverty. "My education journey would not be possible without the support of the state and society, so I should do something for my hometown to repay," he said. To improve the reading environment for villagers, Gan borrowed 80,000 yuan (about 11,260 U.S. dollars) in loans to expand and decorate the library, which now covers around 400 square meters. In 2020, he returned to his hometown to take charge of the library. He invested in new bookshelves and desks, adorning the space with decorations crafted from pine cones, corn and light strips. He also planted a variety of flowers, including roses, around the library grounds. Thanks to government aid and the support of individuals from all walks of life, the library now has a collection of more than 40,000 books, ranging from astronomy and geography to history and literature. "Growing up in the mountainous areas, some of the children become introverted due to the lack of parental companionship, but books can offer them a spiritual experience," he said, adding that last year, eight children from the village were admitted to university. But Gan felt there was more to be done. To create more diversified experiences for the children, Gan and volunteers from Shenzhen University in south China's Guangdong Province launched a program in 2020, offering painting, photography and English courses during vacations. In 2023, he set up a new multi-purpose classroom in the library. This summer, the library will expand its offerings to include dance and music classes, making it a window to the world for the children in the canyon, according to Gan. Moreover, many villagers come to the library to read books on agricultural technology. "Villagers who come to borrow books do not need to register, and there is no deadline for returning. As long as they are willing to read, the place is open 24 hours a day," he said. Currently, Gan works at the justice bureau of Gongshan county, where he offers legal aid services during weekdays. During weekends, he returns to the village to oversee the operations of his library. Speaking about his future aspirations, he said he hopes that the fragrance of books can continue to accompany the children to farther places. Victim was shot multiple times and another man was charged with murder, SC officials say One man was killed and another was charged with murder following a shooting over the weekend, South Carolina officials said. Josheul Allen, a 30-year-old Smoaks resident, was identified as the shooting victim, Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell said. At about 9 p.m. Saturday, the Berkeley County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to a shooting at a home in the 100 block of Newell Drive in the Goose Creek area. Thats about 20 miles north of Charleston. Deputies found a man at the home, later identified as Allen, who had been shot multiple times, according to the sheriffs department. Efforts to provide medical aid were unsuccessful, and Allen died at the scene, the sheriffs office said. No other injuries were reported. Nicholas Jermaine Thorn, 44, was arrested and charged with murder, according to the sheriffs office. Information about how deputies connected Thorn to the shooting was not available. There was no word on a motive for the shooting, or if there was a previous connection between Allen and Thorn. No bond was set for Thorn, who remains behind bars in the Berkeley County Detention Center, jail records show. Despite the arrest, Allens death continues to be investigated. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the sheriffs office at 843-719-4169. A man argued with a McDonalds worker over not receiving sauce with his order, then he attacked a man who tried to intervene, Florida authorities said. Wesley Bullock, 48, approached a McDonalds drive-thru window on foot on April 16, according to an arrest affidavit from the Zephyrhills Police Department. McClatchy News reached out to his attorney for comment April 23 but did not receive an immediate response. Witnesses told police that Bullock began screaming and cursing at a server at the window about not getting sauce, when a bystander approached and told Bullock to calm down, police said. Then Bullock punched him, and the two men began to fight until another employee broke it up, according to a detective. The two men are shown on camera leaving in their vehicles, with Bullock following the other man, police said. The bystander told police he drove to a gas station next door, then Bullock cut him off and got out of his car carrying a gun, according to police. Bullock reached into the other mans vehicle and tried to shoot him in the head, but the gun didnt go off, the man told law enforcement. They began to fight over the gun, and the man told police he believed he was going to die, according to the report. Video shows the altercation happening through the window of the drivers side, the detective said. During the fight, Bullock struck the other man in the forehead with the gun and shot his finger, according to police. Eventually, the man was able to throw Bullock out of the car and drive away, police said after watching surveillance footage. Two McDonalds workers identified Bullock out of a lineup, and he was charged with armed burglary and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, records show. Zephyrhills is in Pasco County, about a 30-mile drive northeast from downtown Tampa. Wendys customer shoots worker through drive-thru window and flees, Illinois cops say Family beat 17-year-old restaurant host over wait for table, cops say. Four indicted White Castle manager shot, killed by man he asked to stop loitering, Ohio cops say Security removes sober patron from bar, beats him after argument, California cops say TechCrunch The dispute between WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg and hosting provider WP Engine continues, with Mullenweg announcing that WordPress is forking a plugin developed by WP Engine. Specifically, Advanced Custom Fields a plugin making it easier for WordPress users to customize their edit screens is being taken out of WP Engines hands and updated as a new plugin called Secure Custom Fields. The Advanced Custom Fields team responded on X, describing this as a situation where a plugin under active development has been unilaterally and forcibly taken away from its creator without consent, which it said has never happened in the 21 year history of WordPress. VP Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at the La Crosse Center Monday focused on reproductive rights. (Screenshot | Kamala Harris campaign YouTube channel) Vice President Kamala Harris making her third visit to Wisconsin this year announced two federal rules meant to improve conditions for health care workers and quality of care for seniors and people with disabilities on Monday. After visits with health care workers she rallied with supporters of reproductive rights at a campaign event. Harris first stop in the battleground state was Hmoob Cultural & Community Agency in La Crosse to announce two new federal rules that aim to improve safety, provide support for care workers and family caregivers and to expand access to affordable, high-quality care. She participated in a round table discussion with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita-Brooks Lasure and health care professionals. [Today] is about the safety, the dignity, the guarantee of self-determination that comes with the work that home health care workers and care workers do, Harris said. Today is about recognizing the gift that home health care workers and care workers give to us as a society. The first rule would require nursing homes that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid to have 3.48 hours per resident per day of total staffing. This would include a minimum defined number of 0.55 hours per resident per day for registered nurses and 2.45 per resident per day for nurse aides. According to the administration, the rule will mean that a facility with 100 residents would need at least two or three RNs and at least 10 or 11 nurse aides as well as two additional nurse staff per shift to meet the minimum staffing requirements. The rule will be introduced in phases to allow nursing homes time to hire necessary staff, according to the administration. Limited, temporary exemptions for the rule will be available for nursing homes in workforce shortage areas that show a good faith effort to hire. The second rule would aim to increase compensation for home care workers by requiring at least 80% of Medicaid payments for home care services to go to the wages of those providing the care. Harris said the rules recognize that health care workers deserve more. I say it is about time that we start to recognize your value and pay you accordingly, Harris said. Campaign zeroes in on abortion Later in the afternoon, Harris sought to rally people at a campaign event at the La Crosse Center around reproductive rights. We love our country and we understand then what is at stake in terms of foundational, fundamental principles and ideals, including one of the most important that of freedom, Harris said. I believe freedom is fundamental to the promise of America. The promise of America is the promise of protecting and respecting individuals rights, and liberty and freedom to make certain decisions including those of heart and home. Seeking to motivate supporters to go to the polls in November, the Biden-Harris campaign is working to push abortion to the forefront of the 2024 election cycle. Last week, two women affected by Texas and Louisiana abortion restrictions campaigned on behalf of President Joe Biden in Wisconsin. Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan said ahead of Harris remarks that no one has done more to hurt women than former President Donald Trump, and noted that following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Wisconsin effectively reverted to a 1849 law that eliminated abortion services until recently, when a judge ruled that the law it didnt apply to abortion. Charlotte Urban, a UW-Madison medical student and La Crosse resident, said at the event before introducing Harris that thankfully Planned Parenthood is providing abortion services in the state again. However, she said that training to practice medicine in rural Wisconsin has shown her how important it is to elect a president and vice president who will protect our reproductive freedoms. Its not much comfort when politicians at the state level keep attacking reproductive health care, and when, if Donald Trump were ever reelected, hed sign a national abortion ban, Urban said. It makes me wonder: Am I going to be able to work in Wisconsin when I graduate? During her remarks, Harris said she started her career as a prosecutor because she wanted to protect women and children and from violence. She called laws that prohibit people, especially survivors of a crime, from making decisions about their bodies immoral, and acknowledged the restrictions that came from Wisconsins 1849 law as well as a recently resurrected 1846 law in Arizona that bans nearly all abortion. Trump has appeared recently to suggest he doesnt favor a national abortion ban, but Democrats and reproductive rights advocates have argued his statements on the subject were meaningless. Harris blamed Trump for the harm she said has resulted from the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Lets not forget that interview where [Trump] said women should be punished. Lets not overlook that he has said he is proud of what he did proud that health care providers could go to jail no exception, proud that our daughter, Doug [Emhoff] and my daughter, will have fewer rights than her grandmother, Harris said. The post VP Harris makes third Wisconsin visit, focuses on health care and reproductive rights appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. W. Richland killer dead after shooting himself during OR police chase. Baby is safe Oregon State Police were chasing the suspected West Richland double murderer in central Oregon on Tuesday afternoon when he shot himself. A West Richland Police news release said Elias Huizar, 39, a former Yakima police officer, was spotted near Eugene and Oregon officers tried to pull him over but he fled with his 1-year-old son. Oregon state troopers started the chase about 2:45 p.m., according to scanner traffic reported on Facebook. The chase reportedly reached speeds up to 100 mph. At one point, Huizar lost control of his silver Toyota Corolla and exchanged gunfire before he drove off again, according to OSP Capt. Kyle Kennedy at a 6:40 p.m. news conference in Eugene. Farther south on Interstate 5, Huizar crashed into a semi truck and trailer that had stopped for a crash on the highway and Huizar spun into the median. As state police approached, Huizar shot himself. He died at the scene. Since the start our goal has been simple, that has been to bring Roman Santos (Huizar) home safely and weve done that. Roman is safe in the care of Oregon officials, he is doing well, said Kennedy. Oregon State Patrol Officers secure 1-year-old Roman Huizar after stopping Elias Huizar near Eugene, Oregon. KEZI 9 News/ KEZI 9 News The Oregon Department of Transportation said Interstate 5, about 14 miles north of Eugene, was closed for a time by the crash and police investigation. The Washington State Patrol reported that the Amber Alert from Monday night for the baby and Huizar had been canceled. Investigators had been searching for Huizar since he shot his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez, 31, outside of William Wiley Elementary School about 3:20 Monday afternoon. Elias Huizar, 39, of West Richland was stopped by Oregon State Patrol officers on Tuesday after a high speed chase. KEZI 9 News/ KEZI 9 News A GoFundMe campaign confirmed both of Rodriguezs boys, a 9-year-old and 6-year-old, are safe. When police searched Huizars West Richland home, they discovered the body of Angelica M. Santos, 17, according to police. While police have not released the identity of Huizars girlfriend, a GoFundMe identified her Santos. A KEZI 9 News crew films the aftermath of a high speed chase near Eugene, Ore. involving suspected West Richland killer Elias Huizar. KEZI 9 News/ KEZI 9 News Murder and manhunt Prosecutors charged Huizar with first-degree murder late Monday night and a nationwide arrest warrant was issued. Just months before she was killed, Rodriguez told a Benton County Superior Court judge she believed she and her children were in danger because of Huizars mental and emotional instability. She filed for a custody change just days before the shooting. Elias Huizar Washington State Patrol Huizar was only charged with his ex-wifes death at the school but not Santos killing. Huizar allegedly sneaked onto the Wiley Elementary school grounds and was hiding behind some portable classrooms when students were released on Monday afternoon, according to Richland School District Superintendent Shelley Redinger. School surveillance cameras reportedly showed him approach Rodriguez with a .40 caliber gun and then fired several shots, according to court documents. After she fell onto the gravel, Huizar fired more times. Police found eight .40 caliber shells on the ground. Officers began looking for him and found Santos body at the South Highlands Boulevard house, less than a block from the school. Police have not said when she may have died. She lived reportedly lived there with Huizar and her baby. Her 1-year-old was missing and the Amber Alert for the boy and Huizar was issued about 10 p.m. Monday. West Richland police said on Tuesday that overnight he had been spotted driving in the Portland area. According to a KOIN 6 news report, he was allegedly seen at a Plaid Pantry gas station on Hayden Island, which is in the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. Oregon police staked out key roadways and spotted the Corolla with Washington license plates Tuesday afternoon. West Richland police believed he may have been heading to Mexico. Amber Rodriguez was killed by her ex-husband outside of West Richlands William Wiley Elementary school on Monday. A GoFundMe has been created for them. Courtesy GoFundMe Community support While police turned their efforts to finding Huizar, community members turned their support to the families impacted by the shooting. GoFundMe campaigns were organized for Rodriguez and Santos. Tara Symons described Rodriguez as a loving, devoted and fiercely protective mother, in a GoFundMe campaign she created for Rodriguezs family. So many in our community and beyond are looking for a way to support Ambers family during this devastating and tragic time, she wrote. Lets support the family during this horrific time. Funds will be used for the immediate and long-term needs of the children, as well as to lay Amber to rest. Her 9-year-old son, who witnessed his mothers murder, will need extensive support, said the fundraiser. And her younger son may not understand what happened, but will feel her loss deeply, it said. The children have a large maternal family who will raise them, Symons wrote. A GoFundMe has been created for Angelica M. Santos, who was allegedly killed by Elias Huizar inside his West Richland home. Courtesy GoFundMe Santos aunt, Samantha Deluna created a fundraiser to help with funeral costs. Santos is survived by her son, a brother, mother and grandparents. The family appreciates any and all help from the community and loved ones at this time, Deluna wrote. If you cannot donate, please continue to share and pray for our family. Sexual assault Huizar had been facing criminal charges since early February when he allegedly raped a teenage girl after a night of drinking at his home. His girlfriend witnessed the attack and after an argument grabbed their 10-month-old son and fled the home with the other teen. Eventually he was arrested at his house after two-hour standoff with the Tri-Cities Regional SWAT team forced their way into the house. His girlfriends age raised questions from prosecutors, who felt it was likely they had a sexual relationship before she could legally consent. But according to court documents, this wasnt the first time rumors about a sexual relationship between the couple had surfaced. When he was a school resource officer at her school, he got a protection order against the then 13-year-old girl after she allegedly told others they had a sexual relationship. He had known the girl when she was a student at the same middle school where Huizar had been a school resource officer. He had previously sought and received a protection order against the girl after accusing her of lying about them having sex. He had been charged with second-degree rape and third-degree rape of a child in connection with the two crimes. Huizar posted a bond and was released the same day. A protection order was issued for both victims. Protection order On Feb. 7, Rodriguez applied for a protection order aimed at keeping Huizar away from her and her kids, just days after he was initially accused of attacking the 16-year-old. Court Commissioner Bronson Brown initially denied that request. But Rodriguez returned on Feb. 9 with another request, this time after learning his 17-year-old girlfriend had been the same girl who had alleged that they were having sex when the girl was in middle school. Huizar was previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol use disorder, depression and insomnia. He had stopped treatment for those conditions, Rodriguez said. The couple had a troubled history in recent years, she said in her request for a protection order. She said Huizar took their children in 2021 and enrolled them in a different school without her permission. The respondent made false claims against me with no evidence, according to her statement to the court. The claim was thrown out and the respondent was ordered to return the children. Their oldest son told her that Huizar was violent. He allegedly hit the children and his girlfriend, yelled and punched a TV, according to court documents. He also allegedly left his infant in the care of his other children when he wanted to have sex with his girlfriend. That time a protection order was issued, and he was supposed to stay 1,000 feet away from Rodriguez and her children. He was also ordered to turn over his gun. The annual Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow is to be held this Saturday, April 27, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Shown here is a participant of last year's event. Featured this year are representatives from area tribes, drum groups, dancers and vendors. (Courtesy of UNO) OMAHA About 2,000 visitors are expected Saturday at the annual Wambli Sapa Memorial Powwow, which will be free and open to the public at the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. The annual event celebrates traditions and culture of area Native American tribes and pays tribute to the legacy of Fred LeRoy, who worked to have the Northern Ponca reinstated as a federally recognized tribe in the late 1980s. LeRoys efforts led to the Ponca Restoration Act signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. Wambli Sapa in Lakota means Black Eagle, LeRoys indigenous name. LeRoy passed in 2012. The Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow is to be held Saturday, April 27, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Shown here is a dancer from 2023 event. (Courtesy of UNO) Representatives from Nebraska tribes including the Umoho (Omaha), the Poka, Winnebago and Santee Sioux attend the powwow that also draws people from other states. Activities last from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the UNO Sapp Fieldhouse, 6311 Dodge St. Hosted by UNO Student Leadership, Involvement and Inclusion (SLII) and the Intertribal Student Council, the event this year is themed Nurture the Nature. It is to feature a traditional grand entry, remarks by LeRoys daughter, Rhonda Free, and cultural dance contests including more than 100 dancers participating in such categories as grass, northern traditional, fancy and jingle. Among other event highlights are drum groups including the Omaha Rough Riders, Maza-Kute and Big Soldier Creek as well as vendors, food trucks and more speakers. University of Nebraska at Omaha Multicultural Affairs hosts the Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow in 2023 in the UNO Sapp Fieldhouse. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska at Omaha) The post Wambli Sapa powwow to draw tribal nations, dancers, drum groups to UNO on April 27 appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. They do what they want: Crawford County student fights, often posted online, draw concern Reality Check is a Telegraph series digging deeper into key issues and focusing on accountability. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email mynews@macon.com. Britni Wilkes was convinced to make an Instagram page when she found out there was a page sharing dozens of fights at Crawford County Middle High School. I got intrigued enough to follow it, she said. My kids go here. I want to know whats going on because you dont hear anyone at the school talking about it. Wilkes said she found out about the page from one of her children and from a teacher at the school. The anonymously-run account has nearly 800 followers, and it may highlight a major issue at the school. Fighting persistent in recent years Youth violence has been a recurring issue for the Crawford school district over a course of five years, with 2021-2023 appearing to have the highest spikes in student behavior referrals at the elementary and middle schools, according to Big 7 Behavior Reports provided by school officials. But the given figures only represent a small portion of discipline statistics in the Georgia Department of Education database, which factors in additional types of harm to a person. The Crawford County School district had 903 disciplinary incidents in 2023, a 49% increase from 608 total incidents in 2022, according to the departments K-12 Student Discipline Dashboard. In 2023, 44% of the 903 total incidents throughout the district were described as harm to a person. The education department defines harm to a person as fighting, bullying, intimidation and seven other violent terms. Nearly 70% of the discipline occurrences resulted in an in-school suspension. Youth violence in Crawford County has a mental impact on its middle and high school students, with 30% reporting they are concerned about other students hurting them, according to the Department of Educations 2023 student health survey. The survey also found that 52% of sixth graders somewhat or strongly feel unsafe on campus or on their way to and from school. Eighty-one percent of Crawford County Middle High School students reported they somewhat or strongly agree that students at the school fight a lot. Although most comments on the Instagram page support the videos, some users have spoken out against it. Yall wrong for that that school Im glad I left yall kids need to grow up fr, one commenter said several months ago. Crawford still jumping kids is crazy. They all look like bullies Wilkes said she and other parents are concerned about their childrens safety at a school with a culture for bullying and fighting, and she fears the school frequently sweeps things under the rug. The page, titled @crawford_fights, has already shared more than 40 fights since the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year. Its unclear if all the fights on the page happened at Crawford County Middle High School, but the combined school is one of only three schools in the district. Videos feature school bus brawls, locker room confrontations and more. The page encourages students to send in footage. An Instagram page highlighting student fights within the Crawford County School District draws parent concerns. I just kind of feel like (school officials) dont want to do anything about the fighting. They dont take action either, Wilkes said. Crawford County schools: Student safety is a priority Crawford County Middle High School Principal Aaron Randall declined comment when contacted for this story and referred questions to Superintendent Anthony Aikens. Aikens said administrators are continuously looking for ways to make school environments safer within the Crawford County School District. Student safety is a priority for us here in the Crawford County School District and discipline plays a part in that, he said in an email. Aikens could not be immediately reached to provide further comment about the issue. Wilkes described Crawford County Middle High School as one big frat party where the school officials do not hold bullies accountable enough. They do what they want here, she said. She decided to take matters into her own hands when her 14-year-old daughter, Khloe, became a victim of bullying. I felt like every week, I was calling up to the school about something, she said. It got so severe that Ive been forced to pull my daughter out of the school, and now she is homeschooled. WHAT CAN BE DONE? Amid Youth Violence Prevention Week, Wilkes said the Crawford school district should be more transparent about bullying and youth violence. I know there are safety protocols, and you cant share everything, but you have these kids coming home everyday saying three, five fights broke out, she said. Parents want to know whats going on. According to Wilkes, Crawford Middle High School needs more resource officers to handle youth violence on campus, where students have previously attacked administrators as well. Local TV station 13WMAZ reported that a Crawford high school student was arrested for allegedly attacking an assistant principal late last year. Students can anonymously contact the education departments 24-hour school safety hotline to report bullying and fighting incidents. Law enforcement may be contacted depending on the urgency of the call. The state education department also provides school districts in Georgia with a comprehensive bullying prevention toolkit, said spokesperson Meghan Frick. The listed resources assist educators, parents and students on how to identify bullying and safely address it. Layla Fitzgerald, director of community programs at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, manages the Free Your Feels campaign, which offers youth nonjudgmental platforms to freely talk about their mental health. Its important to educate and train adults about the negative effects of mental health so that theyre able to recognize warning signs before they become behavior or bullying problems in schools, she said. Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign event at the Orpheum Theater on Oct. 29, 2023 in Sioux City, Iowa. On Saturday, Trump joined other Republican presidential candidates when he addressed Republican Jewish Coalitions annual conference where his one-time vice president, Mike Pence, announced he was suspending his campaign. (Photo by Scott Olson } Getty Images) Trump fatigue is real. How could it not be? Weve been held hostage by this mans childish, self-indulgent antics for nearly a decade now, and its exhausting. But its also Page One in the Donald Trump playbook, and probably has been since he was in kindergarten. He has mastered the art of never backing down until his opponents either run out of resources, or patience, or both, and just give up on trying to hold him accountable. Well, it has apparently become just as exhausting for Trump as it is for the rest of us, because for the first two days of his New York state trial, Trump dozed off during the proceedings. Its not hard to imagine how this could happen. When was the last time we saw Donald Trump have to sit through an entire day of anything, much less an event where he isnt allowed to speak? Plus you have to take into account the number of hours he spent in makeup. I keep thinking of the similarities to Don Quixote, one of my favorite books. In that novel, most of Don Quixotes enemies are completely imaginary, but completely real to him. In Don Quixotes world, he, too, is fighting not just for himself, but for the good of all humanity. He sees himself as a champion of the people, battling the forces of evil. In Don Quixote, the one person he trusts most is Sancho Panza, who, in fact, has a much better grasp on reality than Don Quixote ever will. Which of course means that Don Quixote not only doesnt listen to Sancho, but he endlessly ridicules him, prompting Sancho to repeatedly threaten to leave. Then Don Quixote has to muster up his charm, along with some false promises of a governorship (politics even in the 17th century!) to convince Sancho to stick around. Because in the end, Don Quixote is helpless without Sancho Panza. Donald Trump would have never become who he is without many Sancho Panzas along the way. And of course, the list of these former lackeys who have come out and denounced Trump, as well as giving blow-by-blow accounts of how he treats the people who work for him, continue to pile up. And yet apparently have no impact on the current crop of Sancho Panzas. The number of people who are willing to look past Trumps growing lunacy for their own benefit continues to astonish anyone who values the basic concept of ethics. The fact that Trump will never admit hes wrong has become accepted, for no obvious reason, but even worse, the fact that he continues to ignore every order to stop attacking the people trying to do their jobs crosses a line that would put most of us behind bars. Don Quixote lived in a fantasy world where he accomplished legendary feats of bravery. He was able to keep this fantasy alive by convincing Sancho Panza that it was true. And Sancho, although he often sees right through Don Quixotes delusions, tells him what he wants to hear, probably in the interest of self-preservation more than anything. Don Quixotes fantasy world, where his foes are determined to bring him down, and he continues to defeat them over and over again, exists because the one person who knows hes wrong is afraid to tell him the truth. Don Quixote was published in 1605. And of course its fiction. But as a much wiser person that I once said, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. The post If you want to understand Donald Trump, read Don Quixote appeared first on Daily Montanan. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Air China, the national flag carrier, will launch and resume four international routes starting from April 28, the company announced on Tuesday. The company will resume two routes, namely Beijing-Madrid-Sao Paulo, and Beijing-Madrid-Havana. Two new routes that will be opened are Beijing-Riyadh and Beijing-Dhaka. The Beijing-Madrid-Sao Paulo route will be resumed starting from Sunday, and the airline will operate two round-trip flights every week. The Beijing-Madrid-Havana route will be resumed on May 17 with two round-trip flights every week. From May 6, the airline will open the Beijing-Riyadh route with three round-trip flights every week, while the Beijing-Dhaka route is to open in June with four round-trip flights every week. By then, Air China will be operating 452 routes in total, including 112 international and regional routes, according to the company. Washington authorities are searching for an "armed and dangerous" former school resource officer who is accused of killing his ex-wife and 17-year-old girlfriend and abducting the 1-year-old son he shared with his girlfriend. Elias Huizar, 39, is accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife, Amber Marie Rodriguez, outside William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland around 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, according to local reports and the West Richland Police Department. When police conducted a search at Huizar's home on South Highlands Boulevard later that day, they reportedly located his deceased teenage girlfriend, Apple Valley News reported. Later on Monday, Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Roman Huizar, the suspect's 1-year-old son, whom he reportedly shared with his minor girlfriend. Police believe Huizar may be traveling to Mexico in a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla, license plate No. CBZ4745, with the 1-year-old boy. MISSING TENNESSEE TEEN SEBASTIAN ROGERS' DAD HIRES PI AS SEARCH ENTERS 2ND MONTH: COULD BE ANYWHERE Washington state authorities are on hunt for Elias Huizar, who is accused of killing his ex-wife and minor girlfriend, as well as abducting his 1-year-old son. "Investigators believe that Huizar is armed and considered dangerous, and is likely to commit more crimes," the West Richland PD said in a press release. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Rodriguez filed for a custody change involving her two young sons with Huizar last week, court documents obtained by the Tri-City Herald revealed. SKELETAL REMAINS FOUND AT ILLINOIS HOME IDENTIFIED AS WOMAN MISSING SINCE 2008 Authorities believe Huizar may be traveling to Mexico with his 1-year-old son in a silver Toyota Carolla. One of Rodriguez's friends described her as "sweet and kind" in a Monday Facebook post. "I will miss your broker calls and how you always bragged on your babies. I'll never forget when we first met and real estate was your path to freedom for you and your boys," the friend wrote. "Nobody deserves what you went through. May the full force of justice be served. This tragedy has rocked our tiny town and I can only hope that this sheds light on what's wrong with our system! You will be missed Amber!" BODY THAT WASHED ASHORE IN 1992 ID'ED AS BUFFALO MAN WHO DIED GOING OVER NIAGARA FALLS The couple divorced in 2020, and Rodriguez reportedly filed for a protection officer after Huizar was accused of raping a teenage girl in February, the Tri-City Herland reported. Huizar allegedly sexually assaulted the unconscious teen after the victim and Huizar's teenage girlfriend had been drinking. Police arrested the 39-year-old officer after his girlfriend allegedly caught him assaulting her friend, the Tri-City News reported. FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X Investigators were working to determine whether Huizar's girlfriend was of legal age when she became pregnant with their child, the outlet reported. The former officer posted $200,000 bail after his arrest, and the rape case was pending at the time of his wife's and girlfriend's murders on Monday. CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS Police are asking anyone with information about the shootings to contact the West Richland Police Department non-emergency number at (509) 628-0333. Police are asking anyone with information about the shootings to contact the West Richland Police Department non-emergency number at (509) 628-0333. West Richland police are working in collaboration with the FBI, U.S. Marshal Service and various local and state law enforcement offices. Original article source: Washington authorities hunt former officer accused of killing ex-wife and minor girlfriend, abducting son Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. WASHIGNTON PARISH, La. (WGNO) Washington Parish deputies announced that a man has been arrested in connection with a kidnapping case on Monday, April 22. The Washington Parish Sheriffs Office reported there was a heavy law enforcement presence at Highway 16 near the Skeet Club, Bogue Chitto State Park area, Bonner Creek and Highway 25 on Monday afternoon. Man arrested after Gretna police chase leads to crash, officer-involved shooting Residents were advised to avoid the areas and to keep an eye out for a person of interest, identified as 37-year-old James Ballard, who police said was considered dangerous. WPSO officials later announced that Louisiana Probation and Parole Tactical Team agents found Ballard at Bogue Chitto State Park and took him into custody. (Courtesy: Washington Parish Sheriffs Office) (Courtesy: Washington Parish Sheriffs Office) According to the WPSO, Ballard was found lying in a ditch and swiftly surrendered by raising his hands, facilitating his seamless apprehension. The investigation is ongoing, and charges from todays incident will be brought forth from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office. The WPSO did not release additional information. 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. Stephen Benjamin, Director of Office of Public Engagement & Senior Advisor to the White House, stopped by theGrio with Eboni K. Williams. Stephen Benjamin, director of public engagement and senior adviser to the White House, stopped by theGrio with Eboni K. Williams. The 2024 United States presidential election is only seven months away, but some say it doesnt feel like election season at all. While former President Trump is using sneakers and his legal troubles to appeal to Black voters, many are saying President Biden isnt even trying to win over Black voters. Black wealth has been up 60% since the pandemic, there has been record job creation since President Biden has been in office, and the success of student loan forgiveness will drastically impact Black Americans, but it seems to go unnoticed. Is the Biden administration too humble with their wins? Stephen Benjamin, director of public engagement and senior adviser to the White House, stopped by theGrio with Eboni K. Williams to discuss. Check out the full interview below and tune into theGrio with Eboni K. Williams at 6 p.m. ET every weeknight on theGrio app. The post Watch: Is the Biden administration too humble? appeared first on TheGrio. WATCH: FHP trooper stops wrong-way driver on I-275 TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A St. Petersburg woman was arrested early Tuesday morning after troopers said they had to forcibly stop her from wrong-way driving on I-275. According to arrest affidavits, Cynthia Elizabeth Serrano Roncal, 27, of St. Petersburg was spotted driving north in the southbound lanes of I-275 at about 12:41 a.m. Florida man saves neighbor from jaws of 11-foot gator by hitting it with his car A trooper dispatched to the interstate pursued Serrano Roncal and tried to pull her over, but the woman kept driving. The affidavits said the trooper used a a precision immobilization technique, known as a PIT maneuver, to try to stop the vehicle, but the driver still kept fleeing the patrol vehicle, even after it swerved out of the roadway. After a second PIT maneuver, Serrano Roncal finally stopped. According to the arrest records, Serrano Roncal had slurred speech, watery eyes, and an alcoholic odor on her breath. Troopers said she also blew a breath alcohol sample of 0.21 and 0.22, nearly three times the legal limit. Serrano Roncal was charged with driving under the influence (blood alcohol level .15 or greater), fleeing and eluding, and resisting an officer without violence. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Jacksonville officer rear-ends car in his cruiser, leaves scene of crash, is arrested, sheriff says A now-former Jacksonville Sheriffs Officer was arrested Saturday after the officer was involved in a crash while on duty and did not stop, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said. Officer John Burr was driving his marked patrol car to his assigned JSO substation, traveling east on Argyle Forest Boulevard around noon Saturday, Waters said. Waters said Burr rear-ended a stopped vehicle and did not stop at the scene of the crash. Dont quite understand why he did it. Its a fairly minor situation that did not have to escalate to this level, Waters said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] The victim in the crash sustained injury and Waters said JSOs Integrity Unit immediately launched an investigation. Burr was then arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving injury on Saturday. Upon his arrest, Burr resigned from JSO, Waters said. Burr was with JSO for one year and eight months. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Waters said this is the fourth arrest JSO has made of a JSO employee this year. No ones above the law, Waters said. According to JSOs online Inmate Information Search, Burr was released on bond from the Duval County Jail on Sunday. His next court date is May 14. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Watch President Biden dunk on Lauren Boebert with just two words while we LAUGH President Joe Biden just made our entire week by dunking on far-right Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in the most hilarious and succinct way possible. The president's two-word taunt was in response to being asked whether his visit to the anti-LGBTQ+ congresswoman's district last year had anything to do with her ditching her current district to run in a more conservative area that gives her a better shot at reelection. "Just a few weeks after you were in Pueblo, Colorado, Congresswoman Boebert left her district. Is that a coincidence or Dark Brandon at work?" asked Jordy Meiselas, a reporter from progressive media outlet MeidasTouch. "That's classified," he quipped with a laugh. Jordy Meiselas: Just a few weeks after you were in Pueblo, Colorado, Congresswoman Boebert left her district. Is that a coincidence or Dark Brandon at work? Biden: Its classified pic.twitter.com/9E2YcCvGN0 Acyn (@Acyn) April 23, 2024 First of all, we love how the left has coopted the "Dark Brandon" meme from the conservatives and turned it into a cool, laser-eyed internet alter ego for Biden. Dark Brandon sent Lauren Boebert packing pic.twitter.com/wwE8DbX7e7 MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) April 23, 2024 But, second of all, and most importantly, Biden is funny. Presidents usually vacillate between being boring and trying to relate to the American people by awkwardly attempting to be funny, but end up being cringe. Biden, on the other hand, is casually hilarious. From making us laugh out loud with the face he made when he saw MAGA devotee Marjorie Taylor Greene at the last State of the Union address to making fun of Trump's failing social media business by saying, "If Trump's stock in his Truth Social company drops any lower, he might do better under my tax plan than his," Biden has proven himself to be a true comedian in a sea of stuffy politicians. President Biden: If Trump's stock in his Truth Social company drops any lower, he might do better under my tax plan than his pic.twitter.com/WElHDI5YoO Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) April 16, 2024 This time, Biden took aim at Boebert because, in an attempt to stay in Congress, the controversial Colorado representative switched districts to one with better odds. Back in 2022, Boebert barely eked out a victory in her reelection bid, defeating Democratic challenger Adam Frisch by just 0.16 point, The Huffington Post reports. Instead of facing off against Frisch again this November and risk losing her seat, Boebert cut her losses and switched to a more Republican district that is more likely to vote for the Trump sycophant. But in an ironic turn of events, some polling shows he's struggling to win over her new constituents. According to a Kaplan Strategies poll, a whopping 46 percent of voters said they wouldn't vote for Boebert, and a straw poll of 100 voters found that only 12 people voted for the Republican congresswoman, The Independent reported. How embarrassing for her! If you needed one more reason to vote blue and to keep Donald Trump out of the White House, Biden's wicked sense of humor that he frequently aims at the most despicable and idiotic faction of the Republican Party may sway you. A Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group has urged Attorney General Matt Platkin to investigate what Today's Choice Women's Center in Newton does with sensitive health information it collects from patients who go to the anti-abortion center for care for unintended pregnancies. (Photo courtesy of New Jersey Attorney General's Office) A watchdog group has asked the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office to investigate a Sussex County anti-abortion pregnancy center for fraud, saying the center misleads patients by assuring them it complies with medical privacy laws even though its not subject to such laws. Todays Choice Womens Center collects sensitive health information on menstrual cycles, contraceptive use, and prior pregnancies from people who visit its website or Newton office for free pregnancy tests and abortion information. Because it does not bill insurance or any other entity, though, it doesnt have to follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law mandating the confidentiality of medical records. Yet the center assured visitors to its website that it was fully HIPAA-compliant, a deceptive claim that could violate the state Consumer Fraud Act and warrants investigation, Campaign for Accountability Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith wrote in a Tuesday letter to Attorney General Matt Platkin. The Washington, D.C.-based progressive nonprofit, which investigates misconduct and corruption in the government and private sectors, also sent letters to attorneys general in Pennsylvania, Washington, Idaho, and Minnesota about centers affiliated with Heartbeat International and Care Net, anti-abortion groups that target women searching for abortion providers in their effort to save babies. Kuppersmiths call to action comes almost a year and a half after Platkin issued a consumer alert warning the public about places like Todays Choice that appear to be medical facilities and offer free services to attract people facing unintended pregnancies. Instead, theyre often ministries whose mission is to discourage abortion, Platkin warned. Kuppersmith noted Platkin has demonstrated concern over the deceptive practices of the 50-some such centers in New Jersey through the consumer alert and his offices coinciding, ongoing investigation. CfA is raising yet another significant problem: CPCs telling consumers they are HIPAA compliant when they are not, Kuppersmith told the New Jersey Monitor. This claim is deceptive and creates a privacy risk that could expose patients to criminal penalties and civil lawsuits, as some states act to criminalize abortion, she noted in her letter. The group did not outright accuse the groups of misusing patients health information, but expressed concern they might use it to further their anti-abortion goals and said attorneys generals should investigate how its used. Confusing consumers Todays Choices executive director and services manager did not respond to the New Jersey Monitors requests for comment. But the center has removed the fully HIPAA-compliant language from its website. Now, the language on the site reads, Todays Choice Womens Center will never rent, sell, or lease your confidential information. The very next sentence backpedals: However, legal reasons could necessitate the sharing of such information. And a separate notice warns that the centers privacy practices could change at any time, are voluntarily undertaken, and ARE NOT INTENDED TO CREATE ANY CONTRACTUAL OR LEGAL RIGHTS ON BEHALF OF CLIENTS. Tara Murtha works for the Womens Law Project, a Pennsylvania-based public interest legal center that joined Kuppersmiths call for an investigation. Such inconsistent, contradictory messaging is deeply concerning, she said, considering a 2021 study showed many women especially those with low health literacy or limited knowledge about abortion have a tough time telling the difference between the websites of abortion clinics and anti-abortion centers. HIPAA has become shorthand in the consumer mind for my medical data is going to be protected. So invoking HIPAA language, when youre not a medical facility that has to comply with HIPAA, is particularly problematic, Murtha said. These are the types of incoherent messages that are enough to confuse a consumer. Thats especially likely among younger people, she noted. Anti-abortion centers target children as young as 13 years old, she added. Teens 13 to 19 account for 8% of people who got abortions in 2021, the Pew Research Center reported last month. How would a kid answering medical-sounding questions asked by an adult representing a place with an image of medical personnel on the home page know their health data is not legally protected? Where does their data go, how long is it stored, who is it shared with, and for what purpose? Murtha said. Investigation ongoing Platkins office is already investigating such things. The office typically doesnt confirm or comment on ongoing probes. But details have emerged in a federal lawsuit First Choice Womens Resource Centers, which has five sites in New Jersey, filed in December to block a subpoena Platkin issued for their advertisements, financials, privacy policies, complaints, and other records dating back to 2013, court paperwork shows. A federal judge in January denied First Choices request for an injunction, directing them to state court, but the chains attorneys appealed Monday. In that brief, the centers attorneys accused Platkin of a campaign of hostility toward faith-based pro-life pregnancy centers that resulted in an unconstitutional, groundless, unduly burdensome, and purposefully harassing investigation. Platkin said through a spokesman that his office said will use all available resources to protect the rights of those who seek reproductive care. That includes consumers rights and patient privacy, which are top priorities for our office, Platkin said, according to spokesman Michael Symons. We have taken a number of actions to safeguard data privacy, whether the data is in the hands of a company like Meta or an office advertising medical care. We will always take seriously any violations of state or federal law protecting privacy. The post Watchdog demands fraud probe of anti-abortion centers over privacy concerns appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. A pivot irrigation system watering crops (Photo by Getty Images). A water-rights dispute that has drawn the attention of all three branches of Montana government threatens to hurt Montanas largest industry agriculture and public education. A decision by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to claim water rights on a parcel of state trust land in eastern Gallatin County has triggered a lawsuit that will soon be decided by the Montana Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the danger of losing private water rights has galvanized ranchers and farmers in the Treasure State to put pressure on the Montana State Land Board to stop what they say is a misreading of state law. In 2023, the Montana Water Court sided with the DNRC, saying that a farming family in Gallatin County must give part of its water rights to the state because the family rented and used water on a parcel of adjacent state land. That decision sparked fear and anger and triggered an appeal to the states Supreme Court. The agriculture community then focused on the Montana Board of Land Commissioners, which oversees the DNRC and its policies, hoping for relief. For the record: The Montana State Land Board, which is comprised of the top five constitutional officers in the state, agrees with a roiled agricultural community that the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation needs more oversight. The trouble is none of them appear to know exactly how to reset the fracturing relationship, or unwind years of letting the department operate mostly autonomously. Ranchers and farmers say theyve banded together because a novel legal interpretation by the DNRC and supported by the states water court may mean that if farmers or ranchers haul water or irrigate state-owned lease land with private water rights, they risk losing a portion of those water rights to the state. State DNRC officials say theyre just following the law, which requires them to maximize the value of state-owned school trust lands, and the law is so clear that a water court judge has agreed that some of the water may belong to the state. Ranchers and farmers see the decision as threatening their constitutional rights by taking private property without compensation; moreover, they say that this new legal interpretation threatens to implode state agricultural land leasing and leave public education, which is, in part, funded through leasing these state-owned lands, with nothing. The details of the legal case are rooted in history and state water law, which is notoriously complex. However, attorneys and the agricultural community say the principles are simple and straightforward: If a farmer waters land he leases from the state, it doesnt mean the state owns the water he uses on that parcel. That is the fundamental legal case in a nutshell. One rancher explained it to the Daily Montanan differently: If you mow your neighbors lawn using your lawn mower, because you were mowing their yard doesnt make them the owner of your lawn mower. Gallatin Valley Potato Field War The Montana Land Board is comprised of the governor, the attorney general, the superintendent of public instruction, the state auditor and the secretary of state. In Montana, that means Republicans hold all five positions. And at its most recent monthly meeting, all five agreed: The DNRC needs more oversight when it comes to private property rights. Yet during that same meeting, four of the commissioners said they need more information before making a decision about how to proceed. State Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who has filed an amicus brief at the state Supreme Court siding with the agricultural community, has been more adamant: The state department charged with protecting and maximizing the value of state-owned lands needs to change legal course immediately. The genesis of the controversy starts with a case before the Supreme Court, Schutter vs. State of Montana Board of Land Commissioners. Sidney and Debra Schutter own a potato farm in eastern Gallatin County, and they lease a parcel of adjacent farm land. The family has leased the land historically for decades, growing potatoes there, and paying the state for the lease. The lease rate is based upon the lands production. In other words, if they irrigate and grow crops, it generates more revenue for both the Schutters and the state. However, the DNRC has said since the Schutters have used part of their water rights to irrigate the potato crop land, the state should have part of those water rights, and the DNRC has filed a lawsuit claiming part of those rights. Tracing the water claim to 1960, the department said that part of the application for the rights included a mention of needing the water to irrigate Schutter land and needing the water for crop production on state-lease land. Attorneys for the DNRC argue because the original water rights included a mention of state land, the state should have an interest in the Schutters water, even though the well and the water rights were developed on the Schutters land. Schutters predecessor specifically installed the well in question and appropriated the water for the purpose of irrigation, not only for his property, but also for a state lease that they owned at the time, the DNRC argues in its filings with the Montana Supreme Court. However, Knudsens office pointed out that the original water right was secured in 1960, but the DNRC didnt make any ownership claim until 2019. The state has no legitimate ownership claim in it, writes Knudsens office in support of the Schutters. No state funds were used to develop the well, the well is located on private property, the state had no exclusive rights in the Schutters private groundwater development works and the Land Board is not in possession of a deed transferring any ownership interest in the water right to the state. The DNRC also argues that the State Land Board must only consider how to maintain and improve state school trust lands, and therefore has a duty to fight for the water rights. Because the State Land Board has delegated part of its authority to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, department officials say theyre just doing their legally-mandated duty by claiming the water rights. When water rights are appropriated and beneficially used on state trust land, the state is the beneficial user of the water with whom ownership vests, and the water right becomes an appurtenance to the land, attorneys for the DNRC argue. Most state land doesnt come with water rights, making the land dry. Most state parcels need water for crop growth or to graze animals. The state makes more money the more the land yields, so many ranchers and farmers either pipe or transport their own water. Thats been done for years, they say. However, in court briefs and interviews, they say if the state is able to claim a portion of water rights from any ag producer, then state-owned land will become worthless because no farmer or rancher would risk losing water rights. If ranchers and farmers quit leasing state land, the state stands to lose a chunk of revenue used to support public education. Montanas state-owned lands, the equivalent of the size of New Hampshire, help fund public education from revenue generated from leasing state land. The state suffers no loss from a denial of ownership interest in the well because the Schutters are paying the state an increased lease rate and crop payments during the lease term, made possible because of irrigation from their private well, Knudsen said in court documents. Such a result serves as a disincentive to acquiring state school trust land leases. Farmers and ranchers will be less likely to invest time, money, and labor into making school trust land productive and profitable if it means the state can encroach on their private water rights located on their private property. The decision has upset the agriculture community so badly that dozens of producers from around the state showed up at state land board meetings and put political pressure on the top five Montana leaders to back out, or vacate, the case pending at the Montana Supreme Court, an idea that Knudsen has embraced. The rest of the land board, meanwhile, has ordered the DNRC to present ways the State Land Board can have more oversight on decisions that affect private property rights. Land Board hearing In March, Gov. Greg Gianforte ordered the land board to give an overview of the DNRC and its authority over state-land leasing. At its April meeting, leaders from the DNRC gave a presentation that did little to assuage ranchers and farmers concerns, and left the land board frustrated. A 20-minute slideshow on April 15 presented to the State Land Board covered a variety of divisions of DNRC, and some of its functions. It dealt little with water rights, agriculture or private property. The land board is not doing its job, said Ross Morgan, the president of the Montana Stock Owners Association at the meeting. Former Rep. Alan Redfield, a Republican, authored legislation in 2019 that specifically clarified that water rights developed on private property were something the state couldnt take without compensation. He said that DNRC wasnt following the state law that he helped craft to avoid this exact situation. Redfield testified at the April 15 meeting and said the DNRC wasnt following the law, a point which the state agency disputes. The agricultural community packed the meeting and wanted action. No one testified to support or comment on the DNRCs interpretation. We are messing with peoples livelihoods here, said rancher John Hanson. When you start messing with that, you have the power to make choices. Lets stop this and get back to common sense. However, Gianforte wanted to hear more from the DNRC about oversight at the next meeting, presumably in May. I totally respect and support the concerns about private property rights, Gianforte said. This is a particular area where weve delegated a lot of authority. I, for one, dont want to be administering a state where were taking property rights in any situation without just compensation or an actual need to do it. Gianforte and the land board told Shawn Thomas, the DNRC Forestry and Trust Lands Administrator, to prepare more information about water rights and how the state land board could exert more oversight at a future meeting. That didnt satisfy Knudsen, though. I am really disappointed in the presentation. I expected a full legal briefing, he said at the land board meeting. Its really disappointing that out of 20 slides, only two had to do with delegation of authority. This was Land Board 101. It had nothing about water rights. I was really hoping DNRC would put all its cards on the table. What the agricultural community had hoped would be stopping the lawsuit dead in its tracks became pushing a decision to another meeting, at some future date. They could have put an end to it, said Edgar rancher Carl DeVries, who is a part of the Senior Agricultural Water-Rights Alliance in the state, in an interview with the Daily Montanan. He said he went to the meeting hopeful but left frustrated, calling the meeting a puff show. If the governor had wanted to do something, he could have. Its his land board. But hes dragging his feet, and hes losing the support of the ag community, he said. Its been exposed and theyve had time to investigate it. He should have put an end to it right then and there. He said that the state land boards historically lax oversight of the DNRC has finally caught up to the current crop of politicians. I think the DNRC thought that they could just slide that in there. Theyve made this malicious attack, and they dont think anyones paying attention, but its got our attention and its gaining traction, DeVries said. No one wants to micromanage the DNRC, but we do want to know: Whats going on? That opinion was echoed by Knudsen, who voted with the other four members to hone in on water rights at the next meeting, but said he would have taken it even farther. Im concerned and its seems like were (dragging) it out. Weve got issues forget Schutter we have other instances where the DNRC is engaged in this, Knudsen said. I am dubious that were (dragging) it out. After the land board meeting, Knudsens office put out a press release saying that if the issue was not resolved at its May meeting, that hell propose the following: I move to immediately revoke the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservations delegated authority to make legal decisions or legal claims on behalf of the Montana Board of Land Commissioners regarding any and all water right ownership issues arising on Montana state-owned lands; and to require specific Montana Board of Land Commissioner approval for each and every legal decision or legal claim involving water right ownership on Montana state-owned lands. At stake: School funding DeVries has been working the land in Carbon County his entire life. As a fourth-generation rancher, he is concerned that if the Supreme Court upholds the water courts interpretation, that will hurt two key Montana sectors agriculture and education. Schools will suffer. If the state is successful, private farmers and ranchers will start pulling back, DeVries said. That means less revenue for schools and more land will be taken out of production, generating less for agriculture, the states leading industry. Are they going to come for my water, too? he asked. Are they going to dictate when I have to pump? Its short-sighted. All theyve got is mostly dry land. For now, its a waiting game to see what happens first: Will the Supreme Court make a decision on the water case, or will the State Land Board change its position and vacate the suit? All hell could break loose, DeVries said. The ramifications are too great. The post Waters for fightin: DNRC decision could undermine state land use, agriculture in Montana appeared first on Daily Montanan. Weeks after losing his reelection bid for Surfside mayor, Shlomo Danzinger is running to oust Daniella Levine Cava as mayor of Miami-Dade County. A Republican, Danzinger endorsed Levine Cava, a Democrat, while he was Surfsides mayor, a post he won in 2022 in an upset over the incumbent, Charles Burkett. Last month, Burkett challenged Danzinger and won. Danzinger joins a Republican-heavy field of challengers for Levine Cava, including Manny Cid, the mayor of Miami Lakes, and Alexander Otaola, the conservative host of the Spanish-language YouTube show Hola Ota-ola. All candidates for mayor face each other in the nonpartisan Aug. 20 county election, followed by a November runoff between the top two finishers if nobody gets more than 50% of the vote. Danzinger, 44, was not available for comment on Tuesday. He was one of 25 sitting mayors to endorse Levine Cava, 68, in September. The mayors campaign released the endorsements shortly after Cid joined the race. Surfside is one of Miami-Dades smallest municipalities, with a population of about 5,500 people. Burkett took 52% of the vote against Danzingers 48% in the towns March 19 election, and the Levine Cava campaign pointed to those results in minimizing the former mayors entry into the 2024 race. The voters of Surfside spoke clearly earlier this year and there is no doubt Miami-Dade voters will join them in sending the same message regarding our new opponent, the campaign said in a statement. The mayoral election now includes two candidates whose Jewish faith brought them electoral firsts: Levine Cava as the countys first Jewish mayor, and Danzinger as Surfsides first Orthodox Jewish mayor. READ MORE: Its mayor versus mayor in 2024 as Levine Cava gets a GOP challenger from Miami Lakes Levine Cava won Surfsides lone voting precinct by 15 points in the 2020 election, then rose to national prominence less than a year later there as the public face of Miami-Dades response to the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo complex. Burkett, who has no party affiliation, was Surfsides mayor at the time. He said Tuesday that he has already endorsed Levine Cava. Danzinger took office in 2022. He led Surfside through the aftermath of the collapse, including approving development plans at the condo site and pushing for stricter rules on building safety. A year before the Florida Legislature passed a crackdown on homeless people spending the night on public property, Danzinger championed a local law change making it harder for people to bathe in showers at town beaches or sleep outside in Surfside. He also pledged to reduce the bickering that often defined Surfside town council meetings while Burkett was mayor. Friction continued, with Danzinger declining to support flying a gay-rights Pride flag at the towns community center and asking whether anyone knew how to speak Spanish to communicate with a bilingual town commissioner. With Danzingers filing, the mayoral race now has seven candidates, including Carlos Garin, a former telenovela actor who ran for county commission in 2018; Miguel el Skipper Quintero, who runs a trapeze school at his home; and Eddy Rojas, owner of a valet-parking business. This article was updated to correct the party affiliation of Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, who is not a member of a political party. Steve Barclay, the Environment Secretary, is fast-tracking a plastic wet wipe ban - Hollie Adams/Reuters The Labour-run administration in Wales tried to delay the Governments announcement of a ban on wet wipes containing plastic, it has emerged. Steve Barclay, the Environment Secretary, said at the weekend that legislation to bring in a UK-wide ban would be published in July, with new laws in the devolved nations following in the autumn. However, Mr Barclay also revealed the Welsh climate change minister had written to him last month to warn him the ban posed a threat to three companies in the north of Wales. A Conservative source said: This is yet more proof that Labour has no plan for tackling pollution in our precious waterways and will simply say anything to try to grab votes. While Keir Starmer and his shadow environment team sneer from the sidelines, this Conservative government is delivering a UK-wide ban on plastic wet wipes that pose such a threat to marine wildlife, the source said. Over time, wet wipes containing plastic break down into microplastics, which research shows can be harmful to human health and disrupt ecosystems. A recent survey found an average of 20 wet wipes per 100 metres of beach across the UK. Once in the water, wet wipes containing plastic can accumulate biological and chemical pollutants, increasing the risk of harm to the animals and humans who encounter them. They are also a litter scourge, blighting Britains beaches and contributing to sewer blockages known as fatbergs, when flushed down the lavatory. Wet wipes containing plastic cause blockages in sewers - Jon Mills/SWNS Julie James, the Welsh climate change minister, wrote to Mr Barclay on March 4 to express her concern that he was planning to press ahead with publishing his bill weeks before Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. She asked him to fund any extra costs that Welsh industry would face from the new legislation being brought in too early. You will be aware of three large wet wipes manufacturing companies in north Wales which supply businesses throughout the UK and beyond, she said. These are key employers in the area. I want to move at pace to reduce use of unnecessary plastic. However, we must jointly consider any adverse impacts on affected businesses, of which we have both been made aware, and the subsequent economic harm which could befall local communities. Industry has indicated it would need at least 24 to 36 months following the introduction of any legislation to undertake the necessary transition. She added: I note that neither the economic consequences in Wales nor the international implications are reflected in Defras economic assessment published as an annex to the UK-Consultation... I understand the need for urgent action in this space, but departure from these established principles has posed very real risks to jobs and the wider north Wales economy with knock-on consequences for international trade. Given your unilateral decisions will have important effects across the UK, I would like your agreement to funding any additional costs to businesses resulting from insufficient transition time and an England-only approach. Julie James, Labour's climate change minister in Wales At the weekend, Mr Barclay pledged to fast-track legislation through Parliament that will see the plastic wet wipes taken off shop shelves for good. Ministers plan to table the new law in England before the end of July, with similar legislation to be introduced in the rest of the UK by the autumn. Shops will be given an 18-month grace period to phase out the sale of plastic wipes, meaning the ban will not come into force until mid-2026. Mr Barclay said: I have been clear that a step change is needed to protect our waterways from pollution. The ban builds on a raft of actions already taken to protect our waterways and hold water companies accountable, including accelerating investment, putting water company fines back into the environment and quadrupling the number of inspections of water company sites. A race against time The Environment Secretary now faces a race against time to get the legislation through Parliament before an expected autumn election. Major retailers including Boots, Aldi and Tesco have already removed plastic wet wipes from their stores, with other large shops now expected to follow suit. The ban is the latest in a series of new laws to phase out single-use plastics, which also include drinking straws and plastic cutlery. But unlike previous measures, it will not outlaw the production of wet wipes which include plastic, only their sale in shops based in the UK. This means the move does not go far enough, said Labour. The Opposition said it would introduce a full ban on the sale, supply and manufacture of plastic wet wipes. Steve Reed, the shadow environment secretary, said: Plastic wet wipes clog up our sewers, kill wildlife and lead to sewage backing up into peoples homes. The Conservatives have broken their promises to act and are too weak to ban them outright. 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. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Min Jiangtao, a 34-year-old junior officer in China's navy, has witnessed the launch of all three aircraft carriers of China, dubbed Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian. About seven decades ago when the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy had just been established, then naval commander Xiao Jinguang had to take a fishing boat to inspect Liugong Island, about 2.1 nautical miles from the coast of China's Shandong Province, a fact recorded in a stele inscription on the island. This year marks the 75th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy. Over the decades, the PLA Navy has undergone steady development, starting from scratch and growing into a strategic force consisting of five services, armed with both nuclear and conventional weapons. Poised to become a world-class naval force, the PLA Navy is determined to gain the capability to fulfill its missions and tasks in the new era, and to contribute more to maintaining peace in the world. TOWARD A WORLD-CLASS NAVY The PLA Navy's weaponry and equipment development has come a long way. In the early days of the establishment of the navy, the total tonnage of its vessels was just a few thousand tonnes, which was less than a single destroyer in the navy of a major power. The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 marked the start of a "golden period" for the navy's development. The achievements included the launching of the first amphibious assault ship independently developed by China in September 2019 and the commissioning of the new 10,000-tonne destroyer Nanchang in January 2020. In June 2022, the first ejection aircraft carrier independently designed and built by China, the Fujian, was launched and named. COMMITMENT TO PEACE The Chinese Navy owes its development to peace and is going beyond the national borders for peace. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, a commerce and trade hub in east China's Zhejiang Province, has witnessed the many departures of the Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" on its various humanitarian missions. The ship has provided medical services for more than 290,000 patients from 45 countries and regions since its commissioning in 2008. As the main maritime force of the country, the PLA Navy plays an active role in maritime public affairs, maintaining maritime peace, tranquility and order, while continuously providing public security products to the international community. In April 2023, the Chinese navy participated in the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Sudan following the outbreak of armed conflict in the country. It was the third overseas evacuation of civilians carried out by the Chinese navy in recent years, following two previous operations in Libya and Yemen in 2011 and 2015, respectively. During the overseas evacuation of civilians, the Chinese navy demonstrated its commitment to international humanitarian assistance by helping hundreds of foreigners leave the crisis-torn countries. Over the years, the Chinese navy has been active in carrying out the country's assistance to other countries, including delivering 960 tonnes of fresh water to the Maldives during a water crisis caused by a fire incident in 2014, and sailing over 5,200 nautical miles to assist in disaster relief efforts in the wake of a volcanic eruption in Tonga in 2022. In the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia, Chinese naval ships have been carrying out vessel protection operations since December 2008. Over the years, 46 consecutive fleets with over 150 vessels of the PLA Navy have joined the efforts, escorting more than 7,200 Chinese and foreign vessels, helping transform the area once known as "the world's most dangerous area" into a "golden waterway." The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) is being held in east China's port city of Qingdao, gathering delegations from 29 countries. This is the second time the WPNS has been held in China after the country first hosted the event in 2014. Addressing the opening event on Monday, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that China's armed forces have actively participated in international cooperation of maritime security and provided maritime public security goods, adding that China will play a more positive and open role in international military cooperation. Wetzels Pretzels Is Giving Out Free Pretzels for Its Anniversary (No Catch!) The Southern California company (with locations nationwide) has found a special way to celebrate National Pretzel Day and its 30th birthday Wetzelas Pretzels Wetzel's Pretzels announces 30th anniversary and National Pretzel Day celebrations. Wetzels Pretzels is celebrating its favorite day of the year. The fast food chain will mark its 30th birthday and National Pretzel Day (or National Wetzel Day as they call it!) by giving away lots of free treats. On Friday, April 26, from 3 p.m. local time until close, Wetzel's Pretzels will be handing out one free Original Pretzel per person across all participating locations nationwide (no purchase necessary). The company announced the offer in a press release, and confirmed it to PEOPLE. Related: Wendys Is Giving Out Free French Fries Every Friday for the Rest of the Year Theres no better way to celebrate 30 years than our favorite day, National Wetzel Day, allowing us to give back to our beloved fans who are the reason for our storied journey, Wetzels Pretzels Head of Marketing, Hillary Frei, added. From our small roots as a tiny SoCal pretzel shop way back in 1994 to where Wetzels has gone, its remarkable, and we want all of our fans to join us in celebrating our birthday all year long. Wetz Party! Frei continued. Wetzelas Pretzels Wetzel's Pretzels announces 30th anniversary and National Pretzel Day celebrations. The celebrations don't end there, as the brand also announced it would be giving fans the chance to win an appearance from a Wetzels Pretzels Food Truck at their next birthday party. Customers can also enter a second sweepstake for a chance of being one of five people to win free Wetzel's Pretzels for a year. Related: McDonald's Put a Spicy Ranch Twist on the McCrispy Sandwich for a Limited Time Wetzelas Pretzels Wetzel's Pretzels announces 30th anniversary and National Pretzel Day celebrations. 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. This isn't the first time Wetzel's Pretzels has given out free treats to mark National Pretzel Day. The Southern California staple has been offering freebies on April 26 for years now, but 2024 is a special one given the company's milestone anniversary. It's been three decades since Bill Phelps and Rick Wetzel opened the first Wetzel's Pretzel's bakery in Redondo Beach, Calif. back in 1994. They now have more than 340 bakeries across the U.S. and around the world, including at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Wheelchair-bound right-to-die activist first in Peru to legally end life via euthanasia Ana Estrada, 47, on Sunday became Peru's first citizen to legally end her life after the nation's Supreme Court in 2022 granted her request for euthanasia. Estrada was diagnosed with degenerative polymyostosis at age 12 and was confined to a wheelchair the rest of her life. Photo by Paolo Aguilar/EPA-EFA April 23 (UPI) -- Psychologist Ana Estrada, 47, on Sunday became the first Peruvian citizen to die by euthanasia after winning approval for the life-ending procedure from Peru's Supreme Court. Assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal in Peru, but Estrada fought a years-long legal battle to win approval to end her life, the National Catholic Register reported Tuesday. "The medical procedure was carried out in accordance with the Dignified Death Protocol approved by EsSalud," Peruvian news site Ojo Publico announced Sunday in a translated post on X. Estrada suffered from polymyositis since she was 12, teleSUR reported. Polymyositis is a degenerative disease that weakens the body and has no known cure. The disease rendered her wheelchair-bound until her death Sunday. Despite her condition, Estrada completed university studies to become a psychologist. She also became an activist promoting assisted suicide and euthanasia in Peru. Although those procedures are illegal in Peru, Estrada in 2021 won court approval to undergo euthanasia after Peru's EsSalud social security system denied her request for euthanasia. Peru's Supreme Court in 2022 gave final approval for Estrada's request for euthanasia to end her 35 years of suffering. She had petitioned the nation's courts to win approval for the procedure since 2019. After the court rulings, EsSalud officials said Estrada wouldn't need a second psychological evaluation and allowed her to designate a person she trusted to sign a document giving consent to the euthanasia. The manner of Estrada's death wasn't reported. Canada, Switzerland and several other nations are among those allowing assisted suicide in limited circumstances. So are several states in the United States. Government officials in France in May are scheduled to debate a proposed law that would legalize end-of-life care for terminally ill adults who are mentally competent. If you or someone you know is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) One day after the US Supreme Court heard a Grants Pass case about homeless camping and weeks after Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler proposed new public camping regulations, the mayor is once again putting his camping ban at city councils table. This all kicked off Tuesday with a 10 a.m. press conference that included Wheeler, city attorney Robert Taylor and Skyler Brocker-Knapp, the mayors senior policy advisor on homelessness. US Supreme Court weighs bans on sleeping outdoors in Grants Pass case Wheelers proposals were subject to a number of recommended amendments from other Portland city commissioners at a time when Multnomah Countys Joint Office of Homeless Services is hoping to expand shelter beds to more than 3,000 by the end of the year. The announced plan On April 4, Wheeler proposed new public camping regulations that he said would clarify the definition of camping as well as the reasons for prohibiting camping when a person does not have or declines reasonable alternative shelter. Wheelers proposal also clarifies how camping cannot take place on public property and reduces criminal sanctions while replacing warnings with diversion tactics. Mayor Wheeler proposes new regulations for camping ban amid legal challenges The current policy is that campers are forbidden in public parks or near schools and cannot camp on city streets or other public places during the daytime. The ordinance to ban daytime camping was initially slated to go into effect in July 2023 but stalled after the Oregon Law Center sued the city in September on behalf of thousands of homeless residents prompting a Multnomah County judge to issue an injunction in November that paused any enforcement until the end of the lawsuit. City Attorney Robert Taylor said in early April he expects the new plan will hold up. Commissioners submit amendments Portland city commissioners are not entirely in agreement about how to implement the proposed camping ban, with several of them submitting amendments. Commissioner Mingus Mapps wants the Public Environment Management Office to report to the mayor. Commissioner Carmen Rubio wants Portland Police Bureau to track data of their enforcement of the measure and report it to city council. And Commissioner Rene Gonzalez is proposing only the mayor and a mayor designee set all the policies on when, where and how people can camp. The challenges, weve doubled down and even tripled down on just the compassionate side in the City of Portland, Multnomah County, the State of Oregon, that has failed miserably. And so we have to have the balance, Gonzalez said. Wheelers response signaled wanting to be transparent with the public on how camping ban policies are formed. Do we decide in the light of day as a city council, what the rules are in our community and notified the community of those rules? Or do we delegate that responsibility to a mayor or to a city administrator or to an unnamed designee and have those rules designed behind closed doors with no notification? he said. Supreme Court ruling looms On Monday, the US Supreme Court heard the arguments in Grants Pass v Johnson, the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as record numbers of people are without a permanent place to live in the United States. The justices appeared to be leaning toward a narrow ruling in the case after hearing arguments that showed the stark terms of the debate over homelessness in Western states like California, which is home to one-third of the countrys homeless population. The League of Oregon Cities, with Portlands support, advocated for the nations highest court to take this case. They claim there is no current clarity on how US cities especially those on the West Coast can create regulations around homeless camping. An Oregon law states cities must create restrictions that are reasonable around when and where someone can camp. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Theres been lots of legal action surrounding former Utica school Superintendent Bruce Karam in the last month, in county, state and federal court. He was sentenced for a felony conviction of public corruption as part of a plea agreement last Friday in Oneida Couty Court. A state justice dismissed a lawsuit against Karam by the school district as moot. And lawyers for the defendants in a federal lawsuit filed by Karam, his last pending line of redress against the district, used his conviction to argue against the court allowing Karam to amend his original suit. Former Utica school Superintendent Bruce Karam appears in Oneida County Court in this O-D file photo taken on Feb. 22, 2024. Karam appeared again on April 19 for sentencing on one felony count of public corruption. Bruce Karam's legal issues: The backstory Heres a quick look back at the history that led to the latest news: In 2021, Karam had his staff send out flyers on behalf of a school board candidate, using work time and school supplies to do so. He admitted to this in his allocution. In 2022, he allowed his staff to do the same thing for mailings former school board President Louis LaPolla sent out for a fundraiser for a scholarship fund in his wifes memory, which Karam also admitted in his allocation. LaPolla was also indicted for his role in the scholarship flyers, reached a plea deal and was sentenced on April 10 to 60 days in domicile restrictions, three years of probation and the payment of $3,100 in restitution. (LaPolla also faces six federal counts of mail fraud in another case related to the scholarship fund.) In a separate case, two district administrators filed complaints against Karam for allegedly creating a hostile workplace in 2022. The school board voted 4-3 on Oct. 18, 2022, to place Karam on administrative leave while a third-party investigator looked into the complaints. It also hired Brian Nolan as acting superintendent. The investigator turned in a report in January 2023 that accused Karam of inappropriate behavior that rose to bullying, and determined that the behavior merited discipline, possibly up to termination. Karam appealed the report but lost the appeal. Karam filed a lawsuit in state court in December 2022 against the Utica City School District, the school board, Nolan and the four school board members who voted to put him on leave: President Joseph Hobika Jr., Vice President Danielle Padula, James Paul and Tennille Knoop. The lawsuit asked the court to void the votes to put Karam on leave, to hire Nolan and a special counsel. Karam later agreed during a court appearance to drop the individual defendants. On Jan. 4, 2023, Karam filed a federal lawsuit against the same defendants asking for compensatory and punitive damages. The suit claims that the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to discredit and oust Karam, violating both his contract and the Constitution in the process, and that Nolan made public comments defaming Karam. Lawyers for the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the federal suit on March 30, 2023, which is still pending. Justice Scott DelConte dismissed Karams state lawsuit in April 2023, writing in his opinion that Karams contract was not breached and open meetings laws were not violated, as Karam had alleged. The school district and school board filed a state suit against Karam on August 24, 2023, in which they asked the judge to declare Karams contract invalid, making him an at-will employee who can be fired by a simple majority vote of the board. Their argument was based on five addendums extending Karams contract, which added between six weeks and three months more to Karams contract than the five years allowed by state law. Karam filed a motion to amend his federal suit on Feb. 8, 2024, to include his termination and other events that happened after he originally filed the suit. On Nov. 27, 2023, the school voted 5-2 to fire Karam, who had been superintendent since 2011, without waiting for a decision in its court case. The sentencing Karam apologized in court for his actions that led to the conviction. What brought me before you is a matter that should not have happened, Karam told Judge Michael Dwyer. I regret that it did happen. I accept responsibility. I apologize to you, to the court, the community, the district. Most of all, I apologize to my family for the heartache that I have caused them. Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville said hes satisfied with the outcome of the case. He publicly admitted his guilt. He paid back what we believe he took from the school system from the funds in that $11,549.68 restitution (for which he gave the court a check on Friday), Carville said. He lost a portion of his pension benefits that he would have otherwise enjoyed. He has a felony conviction. He owes 250 hours of community service. He has to serve five years of probably. And hes no longer in a position of power and I believe that constitutes being held accountable. For the pension giveback, Karam will pay the court $150,000 by May 17, Carville said. That is the amount by which his pension will have increased since Karam engaged in criminal activity in March of 2021, as determined by actuaries, Carville said. In other words, Karam will still be paid his full pension, but hes paying back ahead of time all the money hell get based on his work after March, 2021. School district response The school district released a statement acknowledging Karams sentencing and declaring that the district is on the road to closing this challenging chapter. The restitution from these proceedings (including the pension money) will be directed back towards educating our studentsthose from whom these resources were unjustly diverted, the statement read. The Utica City School District will utilize these funds to directly support and enhance learning opportunities for our students in need. Throughout these proceedings, our district has faced significant financial burdens. The recovery of these funds is a crucial step towards alleviating some of the financial pressures and reinvesting in our educational mission. The district has been making improvements in its operating structure and putting both guardrails and layers of checks and balances in place to strengthen and fortify the foundation of our school district operations and administration, the statement continued. Federal lawsuit Karams conviction changes the complexion of the case, lawyers for the school board, school district and Nolan; for Padula; for Hobika; and for Paul have argued in memoranda of law urging the court not to accept Karams amended complaint to include his termination. The papers go through a variety of legal arguments, but in essence, they argue that Karam wasnt harmed financially by being fired because he couldnt hold the superintendents job as a convicted felon. And his reputation wasnt harmed because he confessed to a felony, which makes him libel proof, the lawyers argued. Karams lawyers havent filed a response yet. And lawyer Giancarlo Facciponte said he couldnt comment on the federal case. District lawsuit But Facciponte did refer to the state Supreme Court decision last week as a victory. Justice Julie Grow Denton dismissed the case as moot given that the school board had fired Karam without waiting for the court to rule on the validity of his contract. At one time, a decision in the case may have influenced the boards decision, but that ship has sailed, she noted. The courts cannot answer questions that can no longer resolve anything, Denton wrote. Her dismissal leaves open the question of the validity of Karams contract. This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Bruce Karam: Former Utica superintendent's lawsuits, criminal case With whooping cough cases on the rise, do you need a booster vaccine? With whooping cough cases on the rise, do you need a booster vaccine? As whooping cough cases are surging globally, some may wonder if its necessary to get a booster. Cases of the childhood respiratory disease also known as pertussis are surging internationally and in parts of the U.S., according to a recent report. Bordetella pertussis is a type of bacteria that causes a very contagious respiratory infection that spreads from person to person through small respiratory droplets, per the CDC. NEW YORK HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN OF WHOOPING COUGH OUTBREAK AMONG CHILDREN "Reports indicate that whooping cough outbreaks are surging across Europe, Asia and parts of the United States, including Northern California, marking the largest uptick since 2012, with cases rising sharply since December," Maggie Rae, president of the Royal Society of Medicines epidemiological and public health section in London, told Fox News Digital. Bordetella pertussis is a type of bacteria that causes a contagious respiratory infection that spreads from person to person through small respiratory droplets, per the CDC. In the U.K., there were an estimated 555 cases in January of this year and 913 cases in February compared to 858 cases for all of 2023, according to the UK Health Security Agency. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Cases in China totaled more than 15,000 this January. That's 15 times higher than the same time period last year, reports stated. AMID CHILDHOOD PNEUMONIA OUTBREAKS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES EXPERT REVEALS KEY FACTS ABOUT WHITE LUNG SYNDROME "Concerns are mounting in Europe, especially in the Netherlands, where 1,800 cases were reported in the first two weeks of April, leading to four deaths, with declining childhood vaccination rates cited as a possible cause by public health officials," Rae said. "This is a very important public health issue, and I would urge those members of the public who require a vaccine for pertussis to take this up." Whooping cough is mostly controlled in the United States, although "breakthrough cases" can occur in people who are fully vaccinated. Cases of the childhood respiratory disease known as whooping cough or pertussis are surging internationally and in parts of the U.S., according to a recent report. Clusters of cases in certain parts of the U.S. are expected for this time of year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There have been small "clusters" of cases of whooping cough in the U.S., extending from San Francisco to New York City. CDC RECOMMENDS ADDITIONAL COVID VACCINE FOR ADULTS 65 AND OVER A Catholic high school in San Francisco, California, has reported more than 12 cases since January, according to local reports. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimated 244 cases from Oct. 1, 2023, to Jan. 31, 2024. That's a 200% increase compared to the same time period in the prior year, a recent health advisory stated. Most unvaccinated cases involved infants, while most vaccinated individuals were school-aged children . A majority of adults had an unknown vaccination history, the advisory noted. The U.S. typically has approximately 20,000 cases of pertussis per year. Yet as people donned masks and practiced physical distancing during the pandemic , annual cases dropped to 6,124 in 2020 and 2,116 in 2021, according to the CDC. Clusters of cases often occur where there are large groups of young people, such as child care centers and schools. "The symptoms of pertussis are initially like a cold , with a runny nose, and progress to a cough," Jennifer Duchon, M.D., hospital epidemiologist and director of antimicrobial stewardship at Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital in New York, told Fox News Digital. Patients tend to develop a cough that can become severe sometimes to the point of vomiting, Duchon said. Health care providers typically test for the disease with a nasal swab. "The characteristic whooping sound is a gasp that is made when trying to breathe after a long episode of coughing," she added. The cough can linger for weeks after a person catches pertussis. When outbreaks occur, babies are at a high risk of getting sick and dying from the infection, health officials warn. AS NEW JERSEY INVESTIGATES MUMPS OUTBREAK, EXPERTS SHARE WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SYMPTOMS, PROTECTION "Pertussis is most severe in infants 6 months of age or less, especially in infants who were born preterm or are not immunized," Duchon said. " Young infants can have a severe cough that impairs their ability to breathe, and can lead to episodes where they vomit, struggle to breathe or even cease breathing after bouts of coughing." Patients tend to develop a cough that can become severe sometimes to the point of vomiting, a doctor said. "The characteristic whooping sound is a gasp that is made when trying to breathe after a long episode of coughing." Babies often wont make that whooping sound, so a warning sign is when their face turns blue as they struggle to breathe, the CDC noted. The infection can progress to bacterial pneumonia or a condition called pulmonary hypertension, in which heart function is affected by the disease, Duchon warned. Health care providers typically test for the disease with a nasal swab. "If pertussis is caught early, patients can take an antibiotic called azithromycin, but this only helps make the disease less severe and does not cure the disease," Duchon noted. MEASLES VACCINATIONS GIVEN IN '70S AND '80S MAY HAVE WORN OFF BY NOW, DOCTOR WARNS "If someone is exposed to pertussis and is at risk for severe disease or had a lot of contact with the ill person, doctors will sometimes recommend a short course of an antibiotic to act as a prophylaxis against the disease." Currently, there are two kinds of vaccines for whooping cough available in the U.S., according to the CDC. "The best way to prevent the disease is to make sure that all family members and health care workers are up-to-date on their vaccinations not only for pertussis, but also other vaccine-preventable diseases," Duchon told Fox News Digital. "Children should get their primary series of vaccines at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months, and then at 15 months through 18 months, and at 4 years through 6 years," a doctor advised. The DTaP vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. The Tdap vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. The DTaP vaccine is for babies, while the Tdap "booster" vaccine is for pre-teens, teenagers and adults, per the CDC. "Before vaccination became available, the disease used to be a major cause of mortality in young children," Duchon noted. Due to the high risk to babies, the CDC recommends that pregnant women receive the Tdap vaccine during the 27th and 36th week of pregnancy, regardless of their prior vaccination status. This prevents 78% of cases in infants younger than 2 months old and decreases hospitalization by 90% for infants younger than 2 months old who are infected with pertussis, according to the CDC. It is recommended that babies get immunized with the DTaP vaccine series, which provides immunity for three separate infectious diseases diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. "Children should get their primary series of vaccines at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months, and then at 15 months through 18 months, and at 4 years through 6 years," Duchon advised. The Tdap vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Adolescents should receive the Tdap vaccine at 11 to 12 years old to boost their immunity, the CDC recommends. In children who receive the full series, 98% have full protection against the infection within a year after the last dose, but the response decreases to 71% after five years, the agency states. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER As pertussis immunity wanes from the original vaccination series in childhood, adults should get regular boosters, Monica Gandhi, M.D., professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at UCSF/ San Francisco General Hospital, told Fox News Digital. "Although the exact frequency of the need for booster vaccination has not been precisely worked out, we recommend a tetanus vaccine every 10 years," she said. The DTaP vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. As the pertussis vaccine comes formulated with tetanus immunization in the form of the Tdap vaccine, many practitioners recommend a pertussis vaccine every 10 years when the booster for tetanus is provided, according to Gandhi. Other providers may only recommend routine pertussis boosters in certain circumstances, such as for pregnant women or adults who have never been vaccinated, Duchon added. "Everyone in close contact with a very young infant should be vaccinated against pertussis," she said. "We call this strategy cocooning, where those around the baby form a protective wall against the disease." For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health . Original article source: With whooping cough cases on the rise, do you need a booster vaccine? The state of Texas will build a 32-bed behavioral health campus in Uvalde, where a horrific mass shooting in May 2022 at Robb Elementary left 19 children and two teachers dead and inflicted untold turmoil on a community still struggling to recover. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and and the facility is expected to open about a year later, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news release Monday. Our communities urban and rural are stronger when Texans are safe and healthy, and the State of Texas continues working to expand access to critical mental health resources to ensure Texans in every community get the support they need, Abbott said. Crosses dedicated to the 21 victims of the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary are placed in front of the school on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Uvalde, Texas. The center will be designed to accommodate children and adults, and both groups will have access to "extended observation units" for people who require longer-term care, the governor's office said. More: Six mass shootings and 90 dead. What has Gov. Abbott done and has it been enough? The campus will be located in Uvalde, about 80 miles west of San Antonio, but will serve a largely rural 32-county region. The seven-acre site, about 3 miles from the massacre at Robb Elementary, was donated by the city of Uvalde. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Abbott focused on the mental health component of people who perpetrate deadly violence on a mass scale, and resisted efforts to restrict the legal purchasing of military-style rifles like the one the gunman used at Robb Elementary. Legislation proposed in 2023 that would have raised the age from 18 to 21 to legally purchase such firearms, was never considered for a floor vote in the Texas House or Senate. The Uvalde gunman purchased his weapons just after his 18th birthday after being rebuffed by his older sister to buy guns on his behalf while he was still a minor. The Legislature did, however, include funding for the behavior center in the state's two-year budget cycle that began in September. More: Uvalde families reject conclusion, find new report on school shooting 'disrespectful' The Uvalde campus will be operated by Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers under a contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Even as Abbott and other top state leaders have often cited mental health among the forces behind the numerous mass shootings in Texas over the past decade, a 2021 report by nonprofit Mental Health America rated Texas 44th among U.S. states for the overall prevalence of mental illness and the ability to access care. For the prevalence of mental illness and the ability to access care among youth, Texas' ranking was 41st. In the weeks after the Uvalde shooting, the state allocated $5 million as an "initial investment" in a resiliency center to meet the community's mental health needs, including psychological first aid and crisis counseling for residents and first responders. It also provided $1.2 million for school counseling and crisis intervention programs. A U.S. Justice Department report unveiled in Uvalde in January into the state and local law enforcement agencies' response to the shooting which Abbott originally portrayed as heroic before walking it back when new details began to surface found systemic failures compounded by disorganization and chaos that allowed 77 minutes to go by before police confronted and killed the gunman. The federal report also faulted government leaders for providing misleading and inaccurate information in the months that followed and said the Uvalde families were left to suffer by a lack of resources for trauma care. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Uvalde behavioral health campus to serve children, adults Florida may no longer be a lost cause for Joe Biden and Democrats in 2024. After losing the once-perennial swing state to Donald Trump in 2020, Bidens campaign seems encouraged by this months Florida Supreme Court ruling that upheld a six-week abortion ban while also giving voters the chance to effectively decide whether to undo the measure in November. The last time there was an abortion referendum on the ballot in 2012, President Obama won the state, Michael Tyler, communications director for the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign, told reporters Monday. So with our enormous financial advantage, the Biden-Harris campaign can afford to invest in many paths to victory, and that includes Florida. The campaigns remarks previewed its thinking ahead of a speech the president is giving Tuesday in Tampa on reproductive rights. (Biden has shied away from using the term abortion as president, instead cloaking an issue thats central to his reelection campaign in the language of reproductive freedom.) The entire point of tomorrows trip is for the president to forcefully advocate for reproductive freedom and call out Donald Trumps abortion bans, as hes been doing since Roe was overturned, Tyler said. Joe Biden's campaign is betting on Florida, where the president will deliver remarks on abortion rights this week. Andrew Harnik/Associated Press Floridas high court on April 1 cleared the way for an unpopular and ultra-restrictive abortion ban to take effect at the end of the month. But it also greenlighted a measure for the November ballot that could allow voters to effectively reverse the ban and codify abortion rights in the state constitution which Democrats are betting will energize their base and independent voters in whats expected to be a challenging reelection campaign for Biden. The campaign noted that voters have overwhelmingly turned out in support of abortion rights in states as conservative as Kansas and Ohio since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Tyler said the campaign is also optimistic about similar measures likely to appear on the ballot in Arizona and Nevada. The campaign did not offer a dollar amount for what its planning to spend in the Sunshine State although the campaign has cash to burn. Biden has $155 million on hand to spend against Trump over the next seven months. And though Florida has gone red in recent elections, its trove of Electoral College votes may be too significant for Biden to overlook. We take Florida very seriously. The idea that Donald Trump has the state in the bag could not be further from the truth, Tyler said. Trump won Florida in 2016 and 2020. That was after Democrat Barack Obama flipped the state in 2008 and narrowly carried it with his reelection in 2012 the year Florida voters rejected a ballot measure that would have inserted language in the state constitution to prohibit the use of public funds for abortions. Trumps campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Bidens visit to his home state while hes tied up in court in New York City. In recent weeks, Trump who has previously claimed credit for nominating the conservative justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022 has moderated his stance on abortion rights, saying its a state issue and declaring his support for rape and incest exceptions. Related... Mayor Quinton Lucas clapped back Tuesday at local and state officials who distorted his remarks from last week welcoming migrants with legal work permits. His critics wrongly suggested, instead, that Lucas was promoting Kansas City as a place that would support an influx of people who entered the United States illegally. There is nothing that has been proposed that suggests we are a sanctuary city, he said. There is nothing that has been proposed that suggests that this city is funding or in some conspiracy to help create more illegal immigration. Lucas said, therefore, he saw no reason to advance a resolution proposed by Councilman Nathan Willett that would assure the Missouri General Assembly that Kansas City was not on the path to becoming a city that would provide legal sanctuary to people in the country illegally. But he didnt apologize for his earlier remarks, either. I think it is fair for us to say all who are lawfully present, absolutely, are welcome in a community that has been made better over the centuries of the existence of this community, based on its very real diversity, he said. The mayors remarks came at the end of a boisterous committee meeting in which seven people testified in support of Willetts resolution, after which people in the audience heckled Councilwoman Andrea Bough for voicing her opposition to the measure. After his requests for respect were ignored, Lucas threatened to clear the room. I cannot support this because I dont think it has any legal effect, Bough said when the room quieted. We are not creating a sanctuary cityand I dont think that we are needing to do anything because I have not been asked by anyone in Jeff City to do this. Willett said the resolution was necessary to protect Kansas Citys interests as state lawmakers make budget decisions that could negatively affect the city. A state law allows the legislature to deny grant financing to sanctuary cities. Right now, in Jefferson City, because of the mayors comments in the past week or so, they believe our intentions are becoming a sanctuary city, Willett told Bough and Lucas. I know that thats not what I want. I know thats not what you want. We need to firmly communicate that. Bough and Lucas did not agree. And as they were the only members of the three-person council special committee for legal review in attendance, that was enough. The resolution will not be heard by the full council on Thursday, as Willett requested. Its dead. Prompting its introduction were Lucas remarks on social media and in a Bloomberg.com news article last week. He said Kansas City would welcome migrants with legal work permits who have crowded into cities like New York and Denver, where tens of thousands of people from Central America have gotten federal permission to seek work in this country after applying for asylum at the southern border. All are welcome in Kansas City, Lucas said last Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, while sharing the Bloomberg article that quoted him saying the Kansas City area could use more workers for its growing economy. Proud to work with my fellow mayors like @MikeJohnstonCO and @NYCMayor, his post said, referring to Denvers mayor and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as we work to ensure decompression of new arriving communities and collaboration among cities, labor, non-profits, and federal officials. Later in the week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey either misinterpreted or as Lucas suggested deliberately distorted the mayors remarks, calling them wildly irresponsible and noted that it is a felony to transport people into Missouri, if they are in the country illegally. Lucas had suggested that Kansas City would assist migrants with legal authorization to work. Make no mistake, my office will do everything in its power to take legal action against any person or entity found to be in violation of these statutes, Bailey wrote in a letter addressed to Lucas. Other GOP office holders, including the presiding commissioners of Clay and Platte counties, joined their fellow Republican in denouncing Lucas, a Democrat. Willett, also a conservative, introduced the resolution affirming that Kansas City does not believe city resources should be used to encourage illegal immigration, or bail out other municipalities, counties or states who have sanctuary city policies, or take steps that would violate a state law that denies grant money to cities that adopt sanctuary policies. Attached to the resolution was testimony supporting it from three dozen people. But Lucas and Bough said it was unnecessary to pass what Lucas described as a messaging resolution to tell the legislature that the city would continue to follow the law when no one in city government had suggested that Kansas City would violate it. Moreover, Lucas said, the city does not have the power to instruct local police to ignore immigration laws, as the Kansas City Police Department is controlled by the state and overseen by a board appointed by Missouris Republican governor. In so many words, we cant actually be a sanctuary city, unless the governors police board appointees were to declare it tomorrow, Lucas said. Bough stressed another reason for killing Willetts resolution. Passing it would send a negative message to the many immigrants who live here and contribute to Kansas Citys diversity. We run the risk of alienating those who we have welcomed to this community, and we continue to welcome to this community. And that is what I dont want to do, she said. Why is there a sign on NC I-40 near Wilmington pointing to Barstow, CA? Heres the story If youve driven to Wilmington and back in the past couple of months, you might have done a doubletake to check a new I-40 mileage sign against your GPS as you were rolling out of The Port City. Benson 94 Raleigh 123 Barstow, Calf. 2,554 For that last one, you have to zoom out way out on the map. But when you do, Interstate 40 comes into focus as a more-or-less straight line stretching from the East Coast to the West Coast, a squiggle of blue Sharpie that passes through eight states on its way across one big country. We may not unite around much else, but Americans are physically connected by the best interstate highway system in the world. I-40 became one of the longest continuous highways in the U.S. when it was completed in North Carolina in 1990. The air still smelled like hot asphalt when some 3,000 people gathered to watch then-Gov. James G. Martin cut the ribbon on the section of the road between Raleigh and Wilmington that June. It would take a couple more years for new bypasses and re-designations to be done, and even now, it seems like I-40 is always under construction somewhere. But its there, a pitch-and-gravel monument to determination, cooperation and, above all, mobilization: the notion that were capable of movement, from short distances to long hauls. It wasnt long after the road was completed that state highway departments at both ends of the country decided to install complementary memorials to this accomplishment for the commonwealth. Subtle, understated and within the DOTs industrial specialty, they were stamped out of metal, lettered like every other white-on-green interstate mileage sign and mounted near the origin of I-40 in each state. If a driver glanced over to adjust their radio volume at the wrong second, they might not even notice their sign, which was both a joke and a geography lesson. Ours said, simply: Barstow, Calif. 2554 Theirs said: Wilmington NC 2,554 MI After the completion of Interstate 40 in 1990, transportation officials in North Carolina and California installed complementary signs on each end of the cross-country highway. Thats not bad for bureaucracies, and people did notice. The signs became targets for thefts at both ends of the country. According to the Wilmington Star-News, the North Carolina sign was stolen five times before the NCDOT gave up on replacing it. But then last year, a nostalgic unnamed citizen contacted the N.C. secretary of transportation about the sign. I think they missed it, and they requested it to be put back, said Lauren Haviland, NCDOT communications officer for the area that includes Wilmington. Determined not to be Charlie Brown to thieves Lucy, the agency decided to make the California sign less-easy pickings. A North Carolina DOT sign on I-40 outside of Wilmington, NC points the way to Barstow, California. The $1,300 sign that was installed in February is bigger, measuring 4 feet by 11 feet, harder to fit inside a car or the bed of a pickup truck. Its several miles farther west, so it would be more of a drive for, say, a group of college students with not enough homework to do. And, Haviland said, the sign shop hopes the addition of the data on Benson and Raleigh will make it less of a trophy. Because of its relocation, the exact mileage may no longer be quite accurate. But many drivers wouldnt notice that either, since now, if you really want to drive from Wilmington to Barstow, GPS will direct you not to take I-40 at all, but to follow U.S. 74 through Charlotte, pick up I-26 and then get on I-40 near Asheville. Its 46 miles closer. Which of NCs 6 historic working lighthouses will be open for climbing this year? A guide Avian flu has been detected in NC cattle. What consumers should know about milk, beef Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said people's wellbeing is of utmost importance in Chinese modernization during an inspection trip to southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Xi made the remarks on Monday while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District, which has taken on a new look and is in good order. The CPC aims to ensure that the people live a happier life, Xi said. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, communicates with residents while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, communicates with residents while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Wife cant find husband after trek along Oregon coast then hiker sees body, cops say A wife couldnt find her missing husband after the two separated on a hike along the Oregon coastline, deputies said. His body was then discovered by another hiker. The two had been on a trail near Natural Bridges on Sunday, April 21, near Brookings, the Curry County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post. The wife returned to their car, but her husband never did, deputies said. At about 2:35 p.m., a hiker discovered a person on the rocks below him that appeared to be deceased and reported it to authorities, deputies said. Rescuers had to rappel about 300 feet down steep terrain where they found 69-year-old Richard Ehrhart from San Jose, California, deputies said. Sheriff John Ward told McClatchy News he had fallen approximately 300 to 350 feet. Authorities did not say which trail the husband and wife were on, but Ward said there are many trails along the coastline near Natural Bridges. Natural Bridges is a popular spot for ocean viewpoints with seven iconic arch rocks and blowholes, according to Oregon State Parks. The hike to the viewpoint is less than a mile out-and-back and takes visitors about 15 minutes in total to finish, according to AllTrails. Steep cliffs make the area dangerous, though. It is not safe to cross into closed areas or scramble to try to get closer to the bridges, the travel app said. Brookings is in southwestern Oregon near the Oregon-California border. Mom dies in fall down 140-foot cliff on hike with husband and child in Sedona, cops say Woman missing for weeks may be in Arizona park, family says. We are devastated Hiker slips on wet rocks, plunges 20 feet at popular Sedona trail, Arizona officials say Donna Ventura, 64, spent days in intensive care before dying in April of last year Getty Stock image of morel mushrooms A Montana womans final words before she died after visiting a sushi restaurant have been revealed. On April 17, 2023, Donna Ventura, 64, was struck with what her husband believed was food poisoning and went into cardiac arrest after consuming a sushi roll containing salmon and uncooked morel mushrooms at local dining spot Daves Sushi. She died 12 days later in the intensive care unit on April 29. During her hospitalization at Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Montana, Donna was left unable to speak. She communicated her last words to her family in handwritten messages, sharing that she was ready to go after being in too much pain, her husband Jon Ventura shared. Some of the messages she wrote were, 'Im not sure I can go on much longer, how are we going to manage, I cant stand the pain,' he told local outlet KBZK. The last couple she wrote were to me and our son where she wrote, 'I love you,' and to our son, she wrote, 'I love you, Mr. C.' Getty Related: 8 Children and 1 Adult Dead and 78 Sickened After Eating Sea Turtle Meat Jon had been with his wife and some friends at Daves Sushi at the time of the incident as they met up for lunch. It was surreal to think that the simple act of eating lunch would end up putting her in the intensive care unit, he recalled. Jon added that his wife had "the special roll" which included "uncooked morel mushrooms." Donna fell seriously ill within an hour of eating the sushi roll, leaving her liver and kidneys damaged, KBZK reported. I called for an ambulance and in the hospital, she went into full cardiac arrest, Jon told the outlet. Her skin was tight, fluids were building up in her system she was in enormous pain. Related: Mom Claims Easy Bake Oven Poisoned Family Donnas trachea and esophagus were also damaged. Doctors wanted to put in a feeding tube, but she refused, despite her husband's protests. When youre married for as long as I was, you can understand your partners body language and looks, Jon said. The third or fourth time I talked to her about it I got the look that said, Ive made my decision and Im done, Im not talking about this anymore. A wrongful death lawsuit against Daves Sushi was recently filed by Jon, per The Independent. He aims to set up a scholarship in honor of his wife, whom he married in 1999 and met in 1987, at Montana State University should he receive damages. Google Maps Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. I told my wife on her deathbed that I would hold those accountable for what theyve done to her, he said. Donnas illness and death came after two other people fell ill, with one dying as a result, after eating at Daves Sushi between March and April of 2023, according to the Gallatin County Health Department's records. An investigation was later opened where it was discovered the morel mushrooms sold at the restaurant were likely sourced from China. In July 2023, health officials released a statement that suggested the morel mushrooms were responsible for the illnesses. Study results indicated that consuming morel mushrooms at the restaurant was strongly associated with developing [gastrointestinal] illness," the statement read, per The Montana Free Press. "Additionally, individuals who reported consuming a greater quantity of sushi containing morels were more likely to develop illness compared to those who reported consuming fewer pieces. Dave's Sushi owner Aaron Parker previously told The Montana Free Press that he was "blindsided" by the foodborne illness outbreak linked to his restaurant, and that he has been spreading the word about the potential toxicity of uncooked morel mushrooms to other chefs. Thats what is so scary about this, that some of the most trained, talented chefs in the country dont know about these risks, Parker said. Why Im so passionate, and why weve cooperated with every single agency is that I dont want this to happen again to any other family." PEOPLE reached out to Dave's Sushi for comment about the Ventura family's lawsuit, but did not receive an immediate response. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Woman flown to hospital after New Castle Transit Authority bus collides with SUV A New Castle Transit Authority bus collided with an SUV on Monday evening. Emergency crews were called to the intersection of New Butler Road and Willowbrook Road in Shenango Township around 5 p.m. Shenango Township Fire Chief David Rishel said the SUV pulled out into the path of the bus. The woman driving the SUV was trapped in the wreckage. Rishel said it took nearly 30 minutes to rescue her. The woman was flown to a local hospital. Rishel said the bus driver, the only person on board at the time of the crash, was not hurt. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Pittsburgh ice cream shop closing after decades of business Driver hurt when car goes airborne, crashes into West Mifflin McDonalds Fight in Butler County that seriously injured teen under investigation by state police VIDEO: Family, friends remember teen killed in Pittsburgh mass shooting 2 years ago DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts MANHATTAN (KSNT) Police say a woman is in a Topeka hospital after being shot in Manhattan Tuesday morning. The Riley County Police Department (RCPD) says it received a 911 call at 12:20 a.m. on April 23 for a shooting in the 1400 block of Watson Plaza. Police arriving at the scene found a 20-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her abdomen. The woman was taken to a Topeka hospital via ambulance. Her condition at this time was not stated in the police report. The RCPD is asking anyone with information on this shooting to contact Manhattan-Riley County Crime Stoppers. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Texan arrested in fentanyl-related death in Manhattan For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. In a video circulating on social media, a young woman accosted Mayor Adams on a flight to Miami on Sunday, accusing him of supporting the genocide in Palestine and partying all the time. Adams flew to Miami for the 2024 Concordia Americas Summit, a gathering of public officials and businesspeople from North America and Latin America, the conference website said. Are you Eric Adams? the unnamed woman asked Adams, who half-smiled while sitting in shirtsleeves with a member of his security detail in the seat next to him. Yeah, fk you! the woman shouted. You support the genocide in Palestine. There are homeless people all over New York. Adams said nothing, but his expression visibly soured as the womans rhetoric escalated, according to the 35-second video. The detective with the mayor then stood up, the shaky iPhone video shows, apparently to block the womans access to the mayor. But youre always partying, she continued. You dont actually care about the citizens of New York. Why are you going to Miami? You know there are people being arrested. There are homeless. People cannot afford food. You keep cutting the education budget so you can fund the police. Thats all you care about funding the police. Everything is underfunded because of you. Amid the chatter in the aftermath of the screed, one passenger says, Over the line. You can never be woke enough! joked singer Sean Feucht on X. OMG Yess!!!! wrote a fan of the tirade on X. The outcome of the encounter was unclear Tuesday. The source of the video was not immediately known. Adams returned to the city by Tuesday. Like the mayor always says, 8 million people, but 35 million opinions, spokesman Fabien Levy said in a statement. Its unfortunate, however, that this individuals opinion was riddled with vulgarities on a public flight and thats why multiple passengers can be heard pushing back on her as she annoyingly held them up. He said the city didnt foot the bill for the trip but declined to say who paid. The city has been roiled by days of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and other campuses. Meanwhile, Adams popularity has taken a dive, according to a poll conducted this month. Nearly three-quarters of New Yorkers disapprove of the job hes doing, the Manhattan Institute survey found, while two-thirds said theyd vote for someone else in the next election. Woman seen crying for help on doorbell camera before being taken by man in Hillsboro PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Hillsboro police are seeking information on an incident where a woman can be seen on a doorbell camera crying for help before being carried away by a man. Vancouver officer who threatened to use Taser on suspects genitals found not guilty of assault This incident occurred at a residence in the area of SE 32nd Ave and E Main St. in Hillsboro. Police say this is being investigated as a possible kidnapping incident. The man and woman appeared to have left the residence in a white pickup. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Hillsboro police. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. DILLON COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A Dillon woman was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years in prison for brutally beating an 83-year-old victim in July 2022, according to the 4th Circuit Solicitors Office. Joanna Mack, 37, plead guilty to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in Dillon County court. Assistant Solicitor, Shipp Daniel, who prosecuted the case, said Macks actions were a senseless act of violence. There is nothing the criminal justice system can do to restore the victims family, but today we got some amount of justice, Daniel said. We are thankful to the court for its tough sentence. The victims family was present at the hearing and explained to the court how much the incident changed their lives, the solicitors office said. Judge Griffin said criminal sentencing is the most difficult thing a circuit court judge has to do. But this case deserves a strict sentence, Griffin said. According to South Carolina law, Mack must serve at least 85% of her sentence, the solicitors office said. * * * Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylors work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Woman Told Husband Someone Was Following Her, Then She Was Killed as Persons of Interest Revealed On April 11, Katherine Altagracia Guerrero de Aguasvivas was found dead in her Dodge Durango that had been set on fire Seminole County Sheriff's Office/Facebook (2) Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas, left, and Jordanish Torres-Garcia A Florida woman was carjacked at gunpoint in broad daylight shortly before she was found dead in her burning SUV and now police have named two persons of interest in connection with the perplexing case. On April 11, at about 4 p.m., Katherine Altagracia Guerrero de Aguasvivas, 31, was driving north from Homestead, where she lived with her husband, Miguel, when she called him from Winter Springs in Seminole County to tell him she was being followed, Lemma said. A green Acura had been driving behind her, ramming her SUV while she was driving toward the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road, Lemma said. Her husband told her not to stop, Lemma said. But he didnt call 911 and neither did she, Lemma said. Moments later, in a shocking turn of events, a man wearing a black mask and wielding a gun emerged from the Acura in broad daylight, Lemma said. In video footage taken by an eyewitness, the man can be seen approaching the drivers side of the womans car when she stopped at a red light at the intersection, pointing the gun at the window and presumably ordering her to let him in, Lemma said. 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 man can be seen getting into the back of her white Dodge Durango SUV, which makes a U-turn on the highway when the light turns green. The Acura can be seen following the SUV. The SUV then turned around again and headed southbound, Lemma said. An eyewitness called police about the carjacking incident moments after it took place, Lemma said. This is a complicated investigation that has twists and turns, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said at a press conference on April 12. When you look at this thing, its right out of a television show, Lemma added. An hour and 45 minutes later, authorities received a 911 call about a car burning in Osceola County. There Seminole sheriffs deputies found Aguasvivas's body inside the Dodge Durango, which had been set on fire, he said. Theres a lot of unknowns, a lot of things that will leave people scratching their head, and I think the biggest is why? Lemma said, ClickOrlando reports. This isnt a random incident. Brother and Husband Have Spoken with Police Aguasvivas' husband is not considered a suspect or person of interest, Lemma said. But he noted that authorities "thought there were a lot of details he was leaving out. Her husband told authorities his wife was heading north to visit family on April 11. However, at Fridays press conference, Lemma said law enforcement located at least two of her family members who live in that area, but neither one expected a visit from Katherine at the time. He also said that communication with her brother Luis was less than forthcoming. Luis told police he had conducted his own individual investigation and called the person his sister had last spoken to by phone before she was killed, Lemma said. That person, identified as Giovany Crespo Hernandez, 27, told Luis that Katherine was up here to deliver money and other stuff for a friend, Lemma alleged at an April 19 press conference. Investigation Continues Authorities executed a search warrant at Hernandez's home and allegedly found fentanyl and a gun that is not related to this crime, Lemma said. Police are actively searching for Hernandez, who is a person of interest in Aguasvivas' case, WESH reports. A second person of interest, Jordanish Torres-Garcia, 28, was also arrested on unrelated charges, Lemma said. Authorities say they believe Torres-Garcia is the person who bought the green Acura that rammed into Aguasvivas. In his profile picture on Facebook, he is wearing the same clothes as the man who allegedly held up Aguasvivas at gunpoint, Lemma said. Police are also investigating the April 10 shooting death of a tow truck driver who had towed the green Acura on March 19, Lemma said. "It's either connected or it's a heck of a coincidence," Lemma said at an April 16 press conference. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Wind turbines are pictured east of Wilton in central North Dakota. A Grand Forks company has developed software to help with inspections of wind turbines. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor) A Grand Forks company that is modernizing the way wind turbines and power lines are inspected has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the North Dakota Development Fund. Thread was the big winner of three companies awarded funding through the Wonder Fund, the Commerce Department announced Monday. Thread, founded in 2019, provides software that can be used with drones, plans, helicopters or handheld devices to help automate inspection. It is used by companies such as Minnesota-based Xcel Energy to inspect wind turbines and electrical transmission lines. The company also is looking to expand into other areas such as oilfield tanks and solar farms, Dave Burriesci, a business development representative said. Thread recently announced a partnership with Isight, another Grand Forks company that specializes in using drones. Isight calls itself the first private drone company in North Dakota and has expanded nationally. The synergy between our drone services and Threads software is poised to create significant advancements in how energy services are delivered, Tommy Kenville, CEO at Isight, said in a news release. Other investments through the Wonder Fund announced Monday: Tavolo: $250,000 for Tavolo, an artificial intelligence-driven content creation and automated marketing platform for local restaurant owners. Founded by Fargo native Taranvir Johal, Tavolo is based in Minneapolis. It will expand its operations in North Dakota. Drut Technologies: $1 million for Drut, which specializes in technology for data centers, with North Dakota identified as a region of high potential use. Drut Technologies operates in Greater Boston, India and Europe, according to its website. A news release said Drut plans to invest in the region. The Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for additional information about the companys North Dakota plans. Additionally, through the Angel Match Program, Wonder Fund has invested $250,000 in Aethero, a Grand Forks company that combines drone technology with AI to provide building health assessments. Wonder Fund North Dakota is a North Dakota Development Fund investment program directed by OLeary Ventures, led by Kevin OLeary, who gained notoriety on the TV investment show Shark Tank. The $45 million in funding comes from the U.S. Department of Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative. The post Wonder Fund announces new round of investments appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. WORTHINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) A central Ohio Buca di Beppo restaurant open for more than 23 years is set to be demolished after the site was bought for $2.5 million by Chick-fil-A. The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17, Franklin County auditors office records show. While the restaurant remains open with a shuttering date yet to be announced, the locations closing will dwindle Buca di Beppo to three Ohio eateries: one in downtown Columbus, another in Strongsville and a third near Cincinnati. Second Gahanna Sheetz proposal may be headed toward failure Neither Chick-fil-A nor Buca di Beppo responded to NBC4s request for comment regarding the Worthington property, which has been home to the Italian restaurant since 2001. The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17. (Worthington Planning and Building Commission) The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17. (Franklin County Auditors Office) Plans call for the Buca di Beppo to be bulldozed to clear the site for construction of a 5,000 square-foot Chick-fil-A restaurant, a proposal filed with the city of Worthington states. Once finished, the building will sport an aesthetic matching the neighborhood with a dual-lane drive-thru covered by two canopies. Bucca di Beppo marks one of several Columbus-area restaurants to be demolished for a new Chick-fil-A, like Mackenzie River at 1515 Polaris Parkway which closed earlier this year after eight years in business. The restaurant launched in 2016 after Montana-based Glacier Restaurant Group purchased all Max and Ermas locations and transformed several into Mackenzie River eateries. See which Family Dollar stores in central Ohio are among those closing around the state Tee Jayes Country Place at 4910 N. High St. closed in 2021 to make way for a new Chick-fil-A, which opened earlier this month. Construction at this site included preserving the sites 20th-century sign that has received a facelift with Chick-fil-A branding. Other central Ohio restaurants facing a bulldozer for new development include a former Max and Ermas restaurant at 7480 Sawmill Road in Dublin making room for a Sheetz location. Max and Ermas Montana-based owner, Glacier Restaurant Group, closed the Sawmill Road location and the brands other Dublin restaurant at 411 Metro Place North in 2020. A former OCharleys near Polaris will undergo a $1.5 million renovation to become the first Ohio restaurant for Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse with locations across the globe. The location will add to the steakhouses collection of nearly 100 restaurants in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the Middle East, the U.S. and more. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Ra Ni/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Monday that no matter how the international situation has changed, China will always be Cambodia's most reliable friend and firmest supporter for its development. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Listing some of the important cooperation frameworks and projects, Wang said they brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries. Wang said China is willing to work with Cambodia to implement the new version of the action plan for building a community with a shared future, enhance mutual trust and support, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. For his part, Hun Manet said China's development has brought important opportunities to regional countries, and Cambodia has benefited a lot from it. Hun Manet said Cambodia firmly supports China's position on issues concerning China's core interests including those related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, actively participates in the Belt and Road Initiative, and supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. The prime minister said Cambodia is willing to work with China to strengthen their cooperation in various fields, welcome more Chinese companies to invest in Cambodia, promote the implementation of more major projects, intensify coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs, and continuously enrich the community with a shared future between Cambodia and China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Ra Ni/Xinhua) "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Two days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Sasha Vasilyuk published a wrenching op-ed in the New York Times titled, My Family Never Asked to Be Liberated. In the essay, she recounts urging her 90-year-old grandmother, a survivor of the Nazi occupation of Ukraine, to leave the sieged city of Donetsk. Let them come and get me. Im too old to leave, her grandmother replies, before reciting an obscene poem shed composed about Russian president Vladimir Putin. Ever since, Vasilyuk has been a pre-eminent critical voice on the collateral damage of Russia's war on Ukraine. Her journalism, which uses family history as a lens into the war, captures the minutiae of how it feels to be living in historic times. Her debut novel, Your Presence Is Mandatory, is somehow even more gripping, flawlessly melding a page-turning fictionalization of true events with a darkly comic voice. Your Presence Is Mandatory follows Yefim Shulman, a Ukrainian Jewish World War II veteran with a terrible secret. After being captured by the Hitlers army, he does what he must to survive, and spends the rest of his life concealing his past from his family. Days after his death, his widow discovers a shocking letter addressed to the KGB, begging them not to reveal the truth to his family. But the novel is so much more than an account of how Yefim spent the war. Its a clear-eyed portrayal of how borders move through us, and how surviving war entails enduring many deaths, large and small, within the self. You might be wondering, where does the comedy come in? Anyone who has spent time with post-Soviet Jews knows that dark humor is one of our go-to coping strategies (shame is the other, but well get to that). Forced into a factory job processing metal parts for the German army, Yefim thinks, Nothing made with such precision was going to be used for bicycles. Your Presence Is Mandatory is full of spiky details that stuck with meor, more accurately, stuck to melong after I reached its haunting modern-day conclusion. Vasilyuk is uniquely qualified to tell this story. Yefim is inspired by her own grandfather, who harbored the same shocking secret all his life. Her family encountered a similar letter addressed to the KGB after his death and was left to process the aftermath of his concealment without him. A few weeks before publication, Vasilyuk spoke with Esquire about how her grandfathers secret influenced her novel, the ethics of fictionalizing trauma you didnt personally experience, and finding humor in the direst of circumstances. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. ESQUIRE: Your novel is inspired by a family secret of your own. Shortly after your grandfather died, you discovered a confession letter hed written to the KGB. What did the letter say? SASHA VASILYUK: Grandpa was a Jewish Ukrainian WWII vet who never talked about the war, but we always assumed he was a war hero because he fought against Hitlers army the entire length of the war, which was extremely rare. But in the 80s, the KGB discovered that hed falsified his war record and demanded an explanation. The confession letter we found reveals that his wartime past was much less him kicking Nazi German ass (cue Inglourious Basterds soundtrack) and much more The Pianist, if Adrien Brodys character also had to hide his survival. The letter is very short and, as confessions in totalitarian regimes go, isnt exactly steeped in true emotions. Except for one telling sentence, where he begs the KGB not to tell the truth to his family because it would be a big psychological trauma for us to find out about his past. And was it a big psychological trauma? The letter was definitely a shock for all of us, but it wasnt the trauma hed imagined. Mostly we felt sympathy and regret for not having asked him enough questions. For letting him live in fear that we would judge him. How did the contents of that secret letter influence Your Presence Is Mandatory? The letter was the seed for the novel. I wanted to dig into what had kept him silent, but when I began researching it, I realized that my grandpas story was both unique and reflected the fate of millions of people whod also hid their past. I had huge gaps in my understanding of WWII and of Russias history, which I think is a common experience of people coming from a secretive regime. Thats why the oral history work of Svetlana Alexievich has been so important and eye-opening. Youve been a pre-eminent critical voice on the collateral damage of Russias genocidal war in Ukraine. How did the timing of the war intersect with your work on the novel? Did your Ukrainian familys experiences in the last few years influence where you took the novel? Though I had the letter, I didnt feel super confident writing the story of a Soviet WWII soldier. This was back in 2007, when the idea also didnt feel urgent. Though WWII still looms very large in Eastern Europe and arguably Europe as a whole, I didnt feel that this story would translate to the U.S. Then, in 2014, Russian-backed separatists incited a coup in my familys hometown in the Donbas, basically in front of my grandparents apartment. Soon, there was shelling, and I kept begging my 90-year-old grandmother to leave, to which she calmly replied that having survived the Nazis, she wasnt leaving her comfortable bed because of some Russian scum. She and my aunt kept repeating, Thank God your grandpa isnt here to see this, meaning that having survived one war, he would be horrified seeing another. There were these constant links they made between the two wars. In 2016, when it was deemed more or less safe, I traveled to the Donbas, where I discovered that the clock had been turned back by a few decades. The streets, where bullet holes riddled almost every surface, were full of these bizarre Soviet-looking posters of soldiers saving grateful children with Russian insignia in the background. Cars had WWII victory signage and bumper stickers that said, We made it to Berlin. We can do it again if needed. It felt like WWII and the Soviet era were literally everywhere. The messaging was: Russians are fighting Nazis and will be victorious just like last time. After seeing how war and propaganda go together, I felt compelled to write a novel that weaves the two wars together through one familys story. I wanted to resurrect the silenced past of my grandparents to contest this new, aggressive re-appropriation of history. Pozorshameis a huge part of post-Soviet inheritance. Im part of a private online community of progressive Soviet emigrees thats something of a support group for unlearning the internalized shame that dominates so many of our lives. Many of us are in our thirties, forties, fifties, and up, and still struggling with the feeling that disgracing our community is a medical emergency. I myself was very anxious about how my immigrant community would react to my sexually explicit, queer as fuck, druggie novel . Has that been your experience at all? How did writing this book play into that? Oh my god, how do I get invited to this group? I have to confess that I was also worried about how your parents might react to the hot, druggie explicitness of All-Night Pharmacy. Im impressed by your ballsiness! In my case, I was surprised to find that, for a long time, I didnt want to tell my grandpas story to my childhood friends from the former Soviet Union. It was as if Id subconsciously internalized his shame. Which I think speaks to how deeply shame is embedded in our Soviet upbringing. While researching the book, I realized how common this feeling was. Writing this book became my way of processing that shame. Though, honestly, a small part of me still worries that some crazy Putin-loving Russian will say, Oh look, her grandpa sat out the war and she is writing about it. Pozor! Disgrace! Since Putins invasion of Ukraine, I also struggle through feelings of shame for Russia, where I spent a part of my childhood. And, unlike the artificial Soviet shame, the shame of starting a war is very legitimate, very painful, and will be very hard to shed. I know what you mean. My brother and I recently rewatched one of our favorite Soviet cartoons from childhood, The Bremen Town Musicians, which I associate with pure joy. My baby was crying, and we played her the soundtrack as a distraction. But the lyrics hit different in the wake of the war. My favorite songabout the irreplaceable value of freedom and seeing any place you roam through as homesuddenly felt so insidious when sung in Russian. This is, of course, the smallest of potatoes in terms of the downstream effects of the war. But that pain is real too. And a novel can be just the right container for it. Isnt it interesting how the meaning of innocent things changes with a new context? My daughter and I recently heard a Soviet-era song that goes, In our country, everyone is friends. We do not live for war. It struck me as so bitterly ironic. It also made me realize how formative that rhetoric of brotherhood, peace, and freedom was in our upbringing. And how painfully false it now seems. And yet, do I want my 3-year-old to believe that everyone is friends and we do not live for war? Heck yes. I find the topic of reinterpreting the past very interesting in my writing, in my own life, and in what I like to read. Ive always loved novels that trace the effects of something very dramatic or traumatic on someones entire life or across multiple generations. Like Yaa Gyasis Homegoing or Jeffrey Eugenides Middlesex or Updikes Rabbit novels. They all have this continuity where the past keeps informing the present. In Your Presence Is Mandatory, I loved playing with seeding moments, hopes, secrets, and then, a few chapters-slash-years later, showing how theyve bloomed. I would be so intimidated to write a novel like yours, which clearly necessitated a deep grasp of history. I imagine your background as a journalist made you especially equipped to translate how it might have felt to live through the historic times you write about. What kind of research did you do? As a journalist, I was used to relying on firsthand accounts, but my grandparents were both dead by the time I sat down to write this book. Still, I was determined to make this novel as realistic as possible. Yes, its fiction, but I felt I owed it to the survivors to show the real drama of their experience, which was honestly more mind-blowing than anything I could have invented. Sleeping standing up under the rain in a prisoners camp is not a detail I could have imagined. And yet, its what happened. Luckily, my grandma wrote a memoir and because she had an elephants memory, parts of itdomestic details, popular jokes, smells, love dramawere extremely useful. I couldnt find details like that in history books. I also read books about Soviet prisoners of war and Jewish soldiers, and I listened to a podcast that interviewed Soviet forced laborers whod been deported to Germany. Most of these people had kept quiet about their experience until very late in life, precisely because of that shame we discussed. Your grandmother wrote a memoir! Did it address your grandfathers secret? I must know more. Interestingly, not really. Partly because she wrote some of it before he died. Still, I expected her to address it in the portion she wrote (or rather, dictated) after he passed. But I think she was too involved in telling her own story. After surviving all kinds of crazy Ukrainian things (famine, war, being orphaned, etc.), she became a renowned paleontologist, so a lot of her memoir is about the conferences she traveled to and how her jokes slayed at work parties. That etcetera after famine, war, being orphaned, made me cackle. Whenever I interview a post-Soviet Jewish writer, I cant resist asking about our peoples particular brand of dark humor. I laughed out loud at deadpan lines like, She told herself she couldnt blame Claudia for stealing her husband, given how few healthy men were left after the war. Was humor something you consciously tried to steep the novel in, or was it inevitable? Honestly, I wish I was better at writing humor, because I feel like Im much funnier in person than on the page. My grandparents both had this very quirky, irreverent sense of humor that was steeped in living in a place where you couldnt publicly say what you thought. Comedy culture is a huge part of living in the constant shitstorm that is Eastern Europe. Look at Volodymyr Zelenskyya comedian turned Ukrainian president. Whenever I call my aunt in Ukraine, she cracks a joke, even though the woman has been living with shelling for 10 years and just survived a dire cancer diagnosis. Still, she jokes. So, yes, I did consciously work in humor when I could. Humor feels especially poignant in the darkest moments. My novel, like yours, borrows from family lore that I wanted to memorialize, lest the oral histories get lost. But doing so is fraught for me. I see myself as a cultural custodian trying to honor those who came before me, but theres a more cynical way of looking at it toothat I fictionalized family traumas I didnt personally experience to sell books. Is this something you struggle with? I look at it more as a journalist delivering a story that would otherwise not exist. Barely anything has been written about the millions of people like my grandfather. The government hid their stories and silenced them. And now, Putin is trying to further erase any history that doesnt suit his vision. So, no, I dont feel like Im fictionalizing trauma to sell books. If I didnt write this story, the suffering of survivors like my grandparents would have been for nothing, and the narrative of the men like Stalin and Putin would have won. You Might Also Like Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerras plans to leave the Biden administration and run for California governor are more advanced than previously known with hiring discussions and spending further developed than hes letting on. Not only has Becerra had conversations over the past weeks about making the move, he or emissaries have approached political firms about standing up a gubernatorial campaign to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026, two people briefed on those discussions told POLITICO. Becerra, a former longtime member of Congress from Los Angeles and California attorney general, also has spent more than $130,000 over the last year for campaign consultants, activity that has not previously been reported in the media. The political outreach and payments have occurred even as Becerra has continued to state publicly that hes solely focused on his Cabinet job in Washington. Becerra sidestepped questions about plotting for a gubernatorial run in his home state when initially approached by POLITICO. But he did acknowledge the strict legal parameters hes under in his current role. I am secretary of HHS and, by law, I have to be secretary of HHS and nothing else, he said at a recent event in San Francisco. So Im gonna do my job as best I can. Becerras state committee, funded with the more than $1.5 million balance from his time as attorney general, clearly delineated the consulting expenses, selecting the code CNS. Other expenses were listed as PRO, for professional services (such as legal and accounting), or for office administrative matters. A campaign attorney for Becerras state committee characterized the $10,000-a-month in payments as for account oversight not traditional candidate consulting work. Campaign finance reports reviewed by POLITICO listed the payments as made to the Podesta Group in Washington, D.C., the legendary lobbying and public affairs firm founded by brothers John and Tony Podesta. John Podesta, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden for clean energy, held top jobs in the Obama and Clinton White Houses, while his brother, Tony Podesta, has been one of Washingtons most powerful lobbyists and fundraisers. The fact that Becerras committee showed payments to the Podesta Group raised eyebrows from D.C. to Sacramento, given their pedigree and his current role in the Cabinet. But the attorney for the committee, Becerra for Superintendent of Public Instruction 2030, said that was a result of a data entry error. The attorney, Stephen J. Kaufman, said the reports have been amended on the California Secretary of States website to reflect the proper payee, Alexis Podesta, of Podesta Company in Sacramento. Alexis Podesta has been paid to oversee the committee and manage its operations while Secretary Becerra has been serving in Washington, including payment of ongoing expenses and filing of required campaign reports, Kaufman said. Kaufman defended using the code for political consultants because its the most accurate. Podesta, who has worked as secretary of a Cabinet agency under two California governors and spent time at The Walt Disney Company and Pacific Gas & Electric Company, has continued to provide committee management services for the first four months of the year and has been paid for those services, Kaufman said. To my knowledge, Alexis does not have any communication with the secretary, he added. Alexis Podesta confirmed she has not had any contact with Becerra since taking over the committees management. The financial arrangement was a continuation from what Becerra was spending before Podesta took over and further speaks to him keeping his options for running open. A senior Biden administration official said they were unaware of Becerras outreach to campaign operatives and political spending. Asked about the legal implications of his moves, the official added, good question. A White House spokesperson did not answer questions about Becerra. Cabinet members are prohibited under the Hatch Act from engaging in certain forms of political activity, including testing the waters for a future run for office. Those steps include making campaign expenditures, meeting to plan the logistics and strategy of a campaign or giving others consent to do so, according to advisory opinions from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. Those types of preliminary activities are considered to be part and parcel of a candidacy for political office, said Delaney Marsco, director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center. While the Hatch Act depends heavily on the specific facts and circumstances, Marsco noted that planning campaign logistics would fall under the act. She also observed that Becerra spending $10,000-a-month would be a very high cost to pay for an administrative, keeping the account open type of thing. Becerra previously violated the Hatch Act by expressing support for California Sen. Alex Padillas reelection campaign while speaking in his official capacity at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Annual Awards Gala in September 2022. Numerous public officials have violated the act, including more than a dozen Trump administration officials before the 2020 presidential election. While the consequences for federal workers could be significant, such as a reduction in grade or even removal, experts said its harder to track the results for violations from higher-level officials and Cabinet members because the penalties in cases they do happen are handed down by their boss. Becerra has served since the start of the Biden administration, a tenure thats been frustrating and at times rocky. POLITICO previously reported that theres been little expectation among Democrats close to the administration that Biden would seek to bring Becerra back for a second term or that Becerra would want to stay in the role for another four years. In recent months hes ricocheted across the country to discuss health issues crucial to the administration in 2024, especially on the need to protect abortion rights. At the same time, he has publicly, and to a greater extent privately, spoken in nostalgic terms about his time serving in statewide office in California. He even seemed to bemoan the lack of autonomy inherent in a Cabinet post. I do miss being AG, he said, because as a constitutional officer, once you get elected and you get your budget, youre your own boss, and you do whatever you want. And as much as Im the secretary of the department I still have to wait til I hear from the White House on a number of things. After his initial response to the questions about running for governor, Becerra has avoided mentioning the legal constraints hes under as a Cabinet member while also talking up his own resume and experiences that could make him an attractive candidate for governor. I gave up a really good job in California as attorney general to come do this, Becerra said at a Thursday live event hosted by Semafor, in response to POLITICOs report. I am thrilled that the president gave me this chance. I have a great job right now. Period. Moments later, during a question about shifting regional power dynamics in California, Becerra observed that while the bulk of the vote is in Southern California, the higher intensity voters are from the San Francisco Bay Area. Who knows? Its gonna be interesting, Becerra said, before turning attention to himself. By the way, Ive lived most of my life in L.A. I was born and raised in Sacramento. So, I like the Giants and I like the Dodgers. And most people say thats not possible. (Bloomberg) -- President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Belgrade around the 25th anniversary of the deadly US bombing of the citys Chinese embassy, spotlighting an event that sparked anti-US protests at home and helped seed Beijings mistrust of NATO. Most Read from Bloomberg The Chinese leader will stop off in the Balkan nation on or close to May 7, according to people familiar with the preparations, who asked not to be identified because timings havent been made public. During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, US missiles killed three Chinese journalists in a strike the White House later called a mistake and blamed on faulty maps. The Belgrade bombing brought Russia and China closer over anti-American sentiment, forging a partnership that has since strengthened and is causing alarm in the West. President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has put scrutiny on that relationship, with the US and European Union ramping up pressure on Xi to limit Beijings support of Moscows war machine. Chinas Foreign Ministry didnt immediately respond to questions about details of Xis trip in Europe outside working hours. By visiting a European nation that hasnt adopted Western sanctions on Moscow, Xi would make clear China is going to stand by Russia and deepen their partnership, said Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institutes Center for China Analysis. The main function of that close relationship is to balance against America. Adding to the political theater, Putin Russias longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin is set to be inaugurated for his fifth term on May 7. Xis trip to Europe, which includes stops in France and Hungary, comes after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this month urged the Chinese leader to persuade Putin to end his insane war. The European Unions top diplomat in Asia said Beijings support for the Russian leader is a big issue that threatens ties with the bloc. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to voice similar concerns in Beijing this week, as the US drafts sanctions aimed at Chinese banks aiding Russias military, according to the Wall Street Journal. After Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Chinese officials publicly referred to the Belgrade bombing multiple times, as Xis government signaled solidarity with Russias position that NATO aggression on its borders necessitated the war. Beijing mentioned the attack again in recent weeks. Geng Shuang, Chinas deputy ambassador to the United Nations, referenced the embassy bombing in March, calling it a flagrant violation of Chinas sovereignty at a UN Security Council meeting. This month, he invoked the incident when condemning the attacks on Irans embassy in Syria. Thousands of demonstrators across China descended on the embassies and consulates of NATO member states after the bombing, with some burning American flags. While then-US President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology days later, suspicion lingers among some in China that the incident was intentional. The strike took place during NATOs bombing campaign, which prompted Belgrade to pull its forces out of Kosovo. The bombing continues to be seen by many people in the Peoples Republic of China as something that was done on purpose despite efforts to explain by the US and NATO that it was an accident, said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, using Chinas full name. As Beijing finds itself increasingly isolated within the US-led system, it has joined hands with Moscow trying to build sway with alternative blocs. NATO has condemned China and Russias partnership as an affront to the rules-based international order and branded China a systemic challenge to the alliance. Ties between China and Serbia, which is not an EU member, have strengthened under Xi, even as Chinas broader relationship with Europe frays over human-rights issues and trade spats. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Chinese state media in February that Taiwan is China, backing Beijings claim over the self-ruled island. Xi last visited Serbia in 2016, when he became Chinas first leader to pay his respects at the site of the former embassy. He also praised both countries citizens for their fearlessness against hegemonic power, according to state media reports of the trip. The worlds largest economies have engaged in a flurry of high-level diplomatic exchanges in recent weeks, designed to put guardrails on the US-China relationship during an American election season where Beijing is a top target. Still, Xi might want to remind domestic audiences that he remains tough on Washington, said Dongshu Liu, an assistant professor specializing in Chinese politics at the City University of Hong Kong. It may also be a signal to the US, he added, Telling them: We want to make a compromise, but still well show some muscle if necessary. (Adds comments from EUs top diplomat in Asia in seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafiks extraordinary decision to call the New York Police Department on peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters last week drew massive outrage. Yet similar scenes unfolded at other campuses Monday as dozens of student protesters were arrested. At Yale University, campus police officers arrested 60 pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including 47 students, who had set up an encampment on campus to demand that the school divest from weapons manufacturers that are being used for Israels siege on Gaza. Yale police charged those arrested with trespassing. At New York University, the NYPD arrested 120 people, including students and faculty members, on Monday night after receiving a request from the school for police to clear an encampment at a campus plaza. Protesters said officers used pepper spray indiscriminately as they tried to break up the crowd; NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry condemned dangerous acts of aggression against officers, such as thrown bottles. Tensions between pro-Palestinian protesters and college administrators have risen sharply ever since Shafiks ill-advised handling of protests at Columbia galvanized support for such encampments. Shafik now faces the possibility of being censured by the Columbia chapter of the American Association of University Professors. The draft resolution says: According to local health officials, more than 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza following Hamas deadly Oct. 7 terror attack. Human rights groups say more than 30 people mostly children have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that her office had reached an agreement to issue a fine of $1 million against two conservative activists who used robocalls to contact thousands of Black New Yorkers in an attempt to intimidate them from voting. James office issued a statement detailing the agreement to fine Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman up to $1.25 million for spreading voter misinformation and intimidating Black potential voters before the 2020 election. A federal judge found the two, who operated under Project 1599, had sent a robocall to about 5,500 people in New York to discourage mail-in voting, which was being promoted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a transcript of the robocall, the recording claimed to be the voice of a Tamika Taylor from Project 1599, the civil rights organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl. The recording asked those being called if they knew that if you vote by mail, your personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants and be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debts. The call went on to say that information from mail-in voting could also be used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track people for mandatory vaccines despite there being no such mandatory vaccine policy. After the scheme was uncovered, Burkman and Wohl were ordered to contact the calls recipients to inform them that the previous message contained false information. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation also worked to fight the disinformation. Still, the robocall scheme had significant repercussions. As an example, the attorney generals office cited one recipient of the call who said that he experienced severe anxiety and distress and ultimately withdrew his voter registration as a result of the disinformation. The $1 million fine assessed to Burkman and Wohl will be paid to the attorney generals office, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and victims who received the call; the amount can increase to $1.25 million if the payments are not made promptly. The 5,500 calls made to New Yorkers by Wohl and Burkmans fake organization were part of a larger national scheme; they are believed to have called 85,000 people throughout the United States. The pair have been punished in a variety of jurisdictions beyond New York. Burkman and Wohl were charged with election fraud in Michigan and Ohio in 2020; in the latter case, a judge sentenced them to hundreds of hours of community service registering voters. The Federal Communications Commission has also fined them $5 million for their robocalls. Before 2020, Wohl and Burkman were also involved in schemes to accuse Democrats of sexual misconduct falsely. Although Burkman and Wohl have been extensively punished for their schemes, disinformation remains a concern, with Black communities being a particular target. Thus, authorities and voting advocates will likely stay on high alert for similar schemes as the 2024 election cycle continues. STEPHENS COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A young woman was killed in a crash in Stephens County Monday night. Shayden Ramsey, 22, of Breckenridge, was pronounced dead at the hospital following the crash on US Highway 180 inside Breckenridge city limits just after 10:00 p.m., according to a press release from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The press release states Ramsey failed to yield to the right of way when she was turning out of a parking lot onto the highway, causing her car to strike an oncoming pickup truck. The driver of the pickup truck was treated for minor injuries and has been released. No further information is available at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. NEW YORK (PIX11) U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Zeita Merchant, the commander of Sector New York, received a historic promotion on Monday. Merchant became the first Black female admiral in the Coast Guards 233-year history. Merchant said it wasnt easy. She joined the Coast Guard because she wanted to go to medical school and couldnt afford it. The rest is history, she says, and now she is making history. Historic journals from Newark high school heading to Washington D.C. The historic moment happened during a ceremony at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan. Merchant wiped away tears with her mother front and center. Merchant is heading to Washington, D.C. to take command of the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center. Merchant will be in charge of recruitment and scholarships. Merchant comes from humble beginnings. During her junior year in college, she didnt know how she was going to pay for medical school. There was a Coast Guard recruiter on campus, and 27 years later, she is now an admiral. Merchant said she hopes she inspires the next generation to follow their dreams. More information about careers with the Coast Guard can be found here. If you have a story, reach out to Monica Morales at monica@pix11.com For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Zelenskyy and Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces discuss strengthening of defences in key areas in Donetsk Oblast Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has discussed the strengthening of Ukrainian troops in key areas of the combat zone, especially in Donetsk Oblast, with Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Source: evening address by the President from 23 April Quote: "I have talked to Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, mainly about how to strengthen our troops in the key areas of the combat zone. The focus is on Donetsk Oblast. Im grateful to everyone who stands tall, who motivates the soldiers at their positions with their courage." Details: Zelenskyy also stated that Ukraine has to add the production of its own weapons to the might of ones supplied by foreign partners every month. The goal is to produce more Ukrainian weapons monthly. Quote: "Im grateful for everyone who works in our defence sector in hundreds of companies which do everything to strengthen our state. Ukrainian artillery, Ukrainian missiles, our drones, Ukrainian equipment, Ukrainian ammunition, Ukrainian radio-electronic warfare systems, Ukrainian defence software a thank you to everyone whose contribution helps Ukraine fight. There are at least 300,000 employees in the companies which directly belong to the defence industry." Support UP or become our patron! Zelenskyy and UK PM Sunak discuss largest ever military aid package from UK Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Rishi Sunak in Kyiv on 12 January 2024. Stock photo: Office of the President of Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a phone conversation with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram, as reported by European Pravda Details: Sunak informed Zelenskyy about the allocation of the largest defene support package totaling 500 million (about US$618 million). Zelenskyy noted that everything included in the list "is needed on the battlefield". Quote: "I am grateful to the UK and personally to Prime Minister Sunak for such a strong demonstration of support and for the willingness to further develop our defence cooperation, especially with an emphasis on maritime and long-range capabilities." In addition, the need to create an effective model for the confiscation of Russian assets, the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland and the European Political Community Summit in the UK were discussed. Background: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine during a visit to Poland on Tuesday. After that, Sunak will go to Germany, where he will meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. Support UP or become our patron! China has made progress on a powerful rocket engine to power its new reusable rockets. A 130-ton-thrust, reusable kerosene-liquid oxygen engine aced a pair of consecutive ground ignition tests on Sunday (April 14). This means the engine key to the development of the nation's new, reusable rockets has now passed 15 repeated tests, 30 ignition starts, and more than 3,900 seconds cumulative hot fire testing, according to Global Times. The tests were conducted near Xi'an in Shaanxi province in north China by the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology (AAPT) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), a giant state-owned enterprise and the country's main space contractor. Related: China plans to catch its reusable rockets with constricting wires (video) The engine, which builds on the YF-100 engine developed for and used on China's Long March 5, 6, 7 and 8 rockets, has multiple-start and variable thrust capability. "The key characteristic of the reusable engine is safety and reliability, which can meet relevant requirements. We ran so many tests mainly to find out the state of the engine in these tests," Zhou Xianqi, a researcher with AAPT, told CCTV. flames shoot out of a cone-shaped rocket engine poking out of a hangar-like building RELATED STORIES: Chinese company's reusable rocket prototype aces launch-and-landing test (photos) China to debut new Long March rockets in 2024 Watch China launch Smart Dragon-3 rocket from the sea (video) The new engine is expected to power the Long March 10 : A new rocket for human spaceflight, including future crewed missions to the moon. A first test flight of the rocket could come as soon as next year , and thus the latest test milestone is a big boost to China's plans, including putting its astronauts on the moon before 2030 . The restartable, variable thrust engine will allow Long March rockets to control their return to Earth and their descent. But instead of using landing legs like the SpaceX Falcon 9 , the rocket first stages will be caught by a grid of constricting wires . China's envoy in Washington urges U.S. to avoid Thucydides Trap in bilateral ties Xinhua) 08:06, April 23, 2024 Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng speaks during a fireside chat with Harvard Kennedy School's founding dean, Graham Allison, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States, April 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng has said that China does not consider the Thucydides Trap an inevitable part of its relationship with the United States. To avoid stepping into it, Washington should try to work with Beijing. Xie made the remarks on Friday during a fireside chat with Harvard Kennedy School's founding dean, Graham Allison, whose book "Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?" has since its publication in 2018 become a must-read for anyone devoted to or interested in the study of U.S.-China relations. "Now that we have all realized the extreme danger of the 'Thucydides Trap,' why should we still jump headlong into it?" Xie said at the event held at Harvard University. "From the very start, China does not see the 'Thucydides Trap' as inevitable." China is willing to work with the U.S. side based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to promote the sound, steady and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, and jointly navigate around the trap, he said. Xie said the Chinese side has shown sincerity in cooperating on issues of U.S. concern. However, dialogue and cooperation should be reciprocal and based on mutual respect, and one cannot focus on one's own interests. It is hoped that the U.S. side will take earnest actions to implement their leaders' important consensus on issues of concern to the Chinese side, he added. The two sides should advance cooperation in a reciprocal spirit and prudently manage differences to turn the "San Francisco Vision" created during the China-U.S. summit in the United States into reality and promote the sound, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, Xie said. Noting that there is indeed competition between China and the United States, the ambassador said the Chinese people do not shy away from competition, but competition must be fair. "It should be like competing for excellence in a racing field, not beating one another in a wrestling ring," he said. "What the U.S. side is having in mind, though, is not competition, but bullying." He mentioned specific U.S. moves such as blocking China's access to certain advanced technologies and accusing China of being "over-competent" or having "overcapacity" in certain industries. Xie said it would be self-deluding to suppress and encircle China in the name of competition on the one hand, and try to manage competition and avoid direct conflict on the other. "The relationship should not be simply defined by competition," Xie said. "If we allow competition to dominate China-U.S. relations, it would only give rise to strategic risks. No one would come out as a winner." Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng speaks during a fireside chat with Harvard Kennedy School's founding dean, Graham Allison, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States, April 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The measures that Azerbaijan implemented in the last 5 years are very important in the history of the country. The lands of Garabagh, which remained under Armenian occupation for 30 years, were returned in 2020 after the 44-day patriotic war. Further to all of these, separatists who created a so-called state in Garabagh were arrested as a result of local anti-terrorist measures held in 2023. Thus, most of the problems caused by the Armenian crime were eliminated. One of the most memorable events after the second Garabagh War was the establishment of a border checkpoint at the beginning of the Lachin road. It is no coincidence that checkpoint caused great concern to Armenia last year. But what are the main advantages of this station? Why did the Lachin border checkpoint frighten the Armenians? Military expert Emin Hasanli, touching on the subject in his comment for Azernews, considered the construction of this station a successful step for Azerbaijan's history towards its full sovereignty and security of the region. "Establishing the Lachin border checkpoint was a very successful step towards ensuring security in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus region as a whole. President Ilham Aliyev touched on this issue several times in his speeches and noted its importance". The expert drew attention to the military importance of the station. He said that Lachin border checkpoint played a major role in the arrest of separatists in Garabagh. "The border checkpoint of Lachin was important for the anti-terrorist measures. As a result of the presence of station some terrorists were detained in so-called Arsakh. One of them was Vagif Khachaturyan, who committed several acts of vandalism against Azerbaijan." The military expert said that the station prevented many insidious plans of Armenia. "This station made it possible to take full control of Armenia's connection with Garabagh. Until then, Armenians provided arms to the separatists." Emin Hasanli recalled the first Garabagh war. He said that the Armenians were planning to attack Garabagh again by taking secret steps as before. "Even after the Second Garabagh War, Armenian authorities thought that it would be able to repeat the provocations and attacks it carried out in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, as a result of the policy of the President of Azerbaijan, these plans failed." The expert also emphasized the importance of the local anti-terrorist operation in 2023. "In September 2023, one-day local anti-terrorist measures were implemented. This was a unique step in world military history. In less than a day, terrorists and separatists were neutralized and they were removed from Garabagh at once. Each of these operations has a very important place in the history of Azerbaijan." Recall that the border checkpoint was established in exercise of Azerbaijans inherent right to safeguard its sovereignty and security, to prevent the consistent and blatant abuse by Armenia of this route for illegal military and other activities, such as rotation of its some 10,000 military personnel, illegally stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan, transfer of weaponry, ammunition, landmines and terrorists of foreign nationals thereto, as well as unlawful extraction and transfer of natural resources from this territory. It is worth noting that today the government of Azerbaijan has ensured its territorial integrity and is already discussing peace and normalization processes with Armenia. The withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Garabagh and Armenia's agreement to return 4 villages of Gazakh to Azerbaijan are the main indicators of the peace that will be signed in the region. KUNMING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway had handled over 8 million tonnes of import and export goods as of Sunday, said Kunming Customs. On Sunday, durian imports from Thailand were shipped into China via the Lancang-Mekong Express service of the China-Laos Railway. Compared with the same period last year, durian imports via the China-Laos railway so far this year surged by more than 7 times. The import and export goods transported via the China-Laos Railway include fruits, grains, frozen seafood, electronic and mechanical products, mineral products and new energy vehicles. As a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the 1,035-km China-Laos Railway connects Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, with the Laotian capital Vientiane. It began operations in December 2021. A Dutch company has developed a way to harness the power of ocean waves to generate clean, renewable energy. Now, the technology has entered its testing phase and if that testing proves successful, one customer is already lined up. Dutch Wave Power was founded in 2020 with the stated goal to "fight global warming and reduce CO2 emissions to keep this world safe," according to the company's website. In the last four years, the company has developed a "wave energy converter," a device that consists of a drive line and pendulum system that creates electrical energy when rocked back and forth by ocean waves. Now, with some funding help from the Offshore for Sure project a group of 15 partners from Flanders and the Netherlands that are attempting to speed up the development of ocean-based clean energy projects Dutch Wave Power has begun testing at a site near Scheveningen, a seaside region in the Netherlands, according to the news platform Offshore Energy. If that testing goes off without any hitches, Dutch Wave Power's wave energy converters will soon be supplying clean, renewable wave energy to actual people in the nearby Dutch Wadden Islands, which include the islands of Vlieland, Ameland, Schiermonnikoog, and Texel. While most of the world's clean energy development so far has focused on wind and solar energy, Dutch Wave Power is showing that those are not the only natural forces on Earth that can be harnessed to provide renewable power. These clean energy sources help move us away from dirty, non-renewable energy sources like gas and oil that have created so much air pollution and environmental destruction while contributing massively to the overheating of our planet. Dutch Wave Power is not the first company to create similar wave energy technology. However, Alex Zakheos, the co-CEO of another such company, SWEL, made it clear that he does not believe that these companies are in competition with each other. "We're trying to compete with fossil fuels," he said, per CNET. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet. Congress approved a TikTok ban. Why it could still be years before it takes effect. TikToks fate in the U.S. has never been more in doubt after Congress approved a bill that gives its parent company two options: sell it to an approved buyer or see it banned. President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law on Wednesday. But it could take years for the TikTok ban to actually go into effect, since its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, is likely to challenge the statute in court. And even if it survives a legal challenge, no one is quite sure what would happen next. How soon could a potential ban take effect? It would probably be several years from now. According to the statutes language, ByteDance would have nine months to divest and find an American buyer for TikTok once the bill is signed into law. On top of that, the president can push back the deadline by an additional 90 days. That means, without a sale, the soonest TikTok could shut down in the U.S. would be more than one year from now. But its more complicated than that. If ByteDance sues to block the implementation of the statute which it has said it would do the bill will be taken up by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Isaac Boltansky, director of policy for the financial services firm BTIG. Boltansky said ByteDance would file a suit no later than this fall. And while the case is under judicial review, the clock on any ban is effectively paused, he said. Once the D.C. court issues its ruling, whichever side loses is likely to request a review by the U.S. Supreme Court. That would forestall the ban by another year meaning nothing would go into effect until 2026, Boltansky said. TikTok will argue that the ban is unconstitutional and that its also taken steps to protect American users data. The app has already launched an aggressive lobbying campaign, featuring a number of small-business owners and influencers who say it's their lifeblood. We have got to make enough noise so that they dont take away our voice, TikTok user @dadlifejason, who has 13.8 million followers, says in a TikTok ad shared on social media. What about finding a buyer? The bill stipulates that TikTok can continue to operate in the U.S. if ByteDance sells the app to a U.S.-approved firm. While large U.S. tech companies would love to get their hands on the platform, Boltansky said that Biden administration regulators not to mention GOP critics of Big Tech firms have no interest in expanding the power, reach or influence of such companies. Some other outside groups might emerge. At least one led by Steve Mnuchin, who was Treasury secretary in the Trump administration, has already sought to make a bid, telling CNBC in March that he was putting together an investor group. The Wall Street Journal has also reported that former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick was looking for potential buyer partners. While ByteDance, which owns other companies, is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, TikTok would fetch less than that, experts say especially if it is sold without its powerful recommendation algorithm. But Boltansky believes ByteDance is unlikely to agree to any kind of sale. The Chinese government has said as much, arguing that it regards the algorithm as a national security asset. And without that, TikTok becomes much less appealing to potential buyers. So is TikTok in the U.S. going away? It might but the ultimate impact may be limited. The fact is, most TikTok users already have a presence on other platforms, so the impact on their livelihoods to the extent that they operate businesses on TikTok could be limited. According to a survey from the financial services group Wedbush, approximately 60% of TikTok user respondents said theyd simply migrate to Instagram (or Facebook) in the event of a sale, while 19% said theyd go to YouTube. Analysts with financial services company Bernstein arrived at similar estimates. In a note to clients, they forecast that Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, would take over as much as 60% of TikToks U.S. ad revenue, with YouTube gaining 25%. Snapchat would also benefit, they said. Why did lawmakers feel they needed to take this drastic step? Boltansky said many political pundits remain surprised that the bill got over the finish line. But a wave of anxiety about both Chinese influence and the impact of social media on youth converged to get it passed. This has been noteworthy, Boltansky said. Everyone is so conditioned to D.C. doing nothing or the bare minimum to keep the lights on. As tensions with Beijing have grown, congressional lawmakers, along with top law enforcement officials, have warned that TikTok is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is a national security threat to the United States. It screams out with national security concerns, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified on Capitol Hill last year U.S. officials fear that the Chinese government is using TikTok to access data from, and spy on, its American users, spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories. It felt like a TikTok ban was moving slowly, then quickly. What happened? The House passed its standalone TikTok bill on a big bipartisan vote in March. But the Senate appeared in no hurry to take up the measure as Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., drafted her own legislation. That all changed when Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., working with the White House, rolled out his $95 billion foreign aid supplemental plan last week that included billions of dollars for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Included in that sweeping aid package: the Houses TikTok bill, with some minor changes. Johnson pushed the package through his chamber, then sent the House on a recess, forcing the Senate to take it or leave it. Rather than further delay the critical, long-stalled military and humanitarian aid, the Democratic-controlled Senate is moving to quickly pass the package including the TikTok bill and other Johnson priorities. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com For Google today, the capital letter "G" represents far more than a "guh" sound, a measurement of gravitational force or a chill way to explain how many thousands of dollars someone has. That's because it's Earth Day , and in creative Google fashion, the company found a way for the first letter of its logo to signify one-seventh of a timely reminder that the planet we live on is as delicate as it is robust, and it's up to policymakers, energy leaders and wildlife organizations to protect it. In honor of celebrating our world this year, a Google doodle has replaced the company's usual sans-serif logo with aerial views of global surface features naturally shaped like letters. And, beyond that, each selected feature is attached to a story; among other things, these include tales of climate change and climate resilience, calls to action for animal welfare and examples of rebuilding broken land. Related: Happy Earth Day 2024! NASA picks 6 new airborne missions to study our changing planet Here's a walkthrough of that large letter "G," and the other six-sevenths of Google homage to Earth Day. You have the leading "G," of course, a view of Turks and Caicos, which Google says is home to important areas of biodiversity and an endangered species of iguana: The rock iguana. There are thus conservation efforts underway in this region, aimed at things like taking care of natural resources in the area and making sure the rock iguana is allowed to thrive in the face of human-induced climate change. Related: 10 devastating signs of climate change from space The first of two "o's" in Google today is an azure scene from Mexico's Scorpion Reef National Park. It's the largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a place for scientists to test different ways to approach understanding how various ecosystems interact with one another. "The marine protected area serves as a refuge for complex coral and several endangered bird and turtle species," Google writes in an explanation of the lettering. The second "o" takes you to a portal of concentric rings in Vatnajokull National Park in Iceland, which only earned its national park status in 2008 after "decades of advocacy," the explanation says. Vatnajokull National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means it's considered to hold the best, or more "outstanding," to be specific, universal value across the world in terms of heritage and culture. It's Europe's largest glacier and is home to a "mix of volcanoes and glacial ice" that produce "rare landscapes and flora," Google says. Rolling into the doodle's lowercase "g," this awfully familiar-seeming path comes from Jau National Park in Brazil, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one that's actually found in the Amazon rainforest. "It protects a huge range of species, including the margay, jaguar, giant otter, and the Amazonian manatee," Google writes. The final two letters in Google's name today, a chasm for an "l" and a winding green grove for an "e" hail from Great Green Wall, Nigeria and Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves, Australia, respectively. The Great Green Wall is associated with an African-led effort to restore land across the country that has been decimated by desertification, or the process by which a slice of land loses its vegetation over time. The effort is therefore centered around planting trees, for instance, to help the area teeter back toward the lush end of the spectrum. "This also provides the people and communities in the area with increased economic opportunities, food security, and climate resilience," Google writes. Pilbara Islands, meanwhile, is one of 20 nature reserves in Australia, Google explains, that's meant to protect ecosystems and habitats of animals, including many that are endangered such as species of marine turtles, shorebirds, and seabirds. Related Stories: Climate change has pushed Earth into 'uncharted territory': report 365 days of satellite images show Earth's seasons changing from space (video) James Webb Space Telescope documentary returns to IMAX theaters this week for Earth Day It is poignant that, in a video released by Google outlining the process by which the doodle was created, these seven snapshots of Earth live among a ton more. Of course, this illustrates how many of our planet's surface features weirdly resemble alphabet soup, but the fact that this such Earthly alphabet soup even exists also demonstrates how many surface features there are on Earth . Only then would there be, probability-wise, enough to have a bucket from which to select the best seven to feature on the search engine's site. We have gone through some quite visceral climate repercussions as of late, including the hottest year on record and the era of being engulfed in wildfire smoke both of which are direct consequences of human activities like burning coal so this Earth Day feels a little more cutting. It's remarkable that we live on a luscious blue orb, and both stressful and special that we have only one. New Frontier Aerospace and HyBird get in on innovation research grants from NASA Artwork shows two views of the Bifrost orbital transfer spacecraft. (New Frontier Aerospace Illustration) Two Washington state aerospace companies Tukwila-based New Frontier Aerospace and Spanaway-based HyBird Space Systems are among 95 ventures that have won project development funding from NASA through its Small Business Innovation Research program. The Phase II SBIR grants are valued at up to $850,000 each. These grants follow up on earlier Phase I funding for the projects, and will be distributed over a 24-month contract period. Each small business was also eligible to apply for up to $50,000 in funding from NASAs Technical and Business Assistance program to help the companies identify new market opportunities and work on their commercialization strategies. The total outlay for 107 projects comes to $93.5 million, NASA said. We are thrilled to support this diverse set of companies as they work diligently to bring their technologies to market, Jenn Gustetic, director of Early Stage Innovation and Partnerships at NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate, said today in a news release. Inclusive innovation is integral to mission success at NASA, and were excited to see that 29% of the awardees are from underrepresented groups, including 11% women-owned businesses. NASAs SBIR grants focus on technologies that could advance the agencys initiatives in space and aeronautics. New Frontier, for example, is working on a variety of rocket-powered aircraft and spacecraft. The newly announced Phase II grant will support the development of Bifrost, an orbital transfer spacecraft designed to be powered by the companys 3D-printed Mjolnir rocket engine. New Frontier says Bifrost would be capable of transferring a 400-pound payload from low Earth orbit to geostationary Earth orbit, or sending 110 pounds of payload on a course to Mars or Venus. The technology could also be adapted for use in a lunar lander. For what its worth, Bifrost takes its name from the Rainbow Bridge of Norse mythology, and Mjolnirs name is a nod to Thors hammer. An artists conception shows the RT-5X deorbit retro-thruster. (HyBird Space Systems Illustration) HyBird is developing a retrobraking propulsion system known as the RT-5X that could be used to bring inactive spacecraft down from low Earth orbit. The system would take advantage of green propellants. NASA also awarded Phase II SBIR grants to two ventures headquartered in Oregon: The Innovation Laboratory, a Portland-based company thats working on an AI-based system for advanced air traffic management; and Wilsonville-based IRPI, which is developing tools for handling and analyzing scientific samples in low-gravity environments. More from GeekWire: In late March, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that one of its satellite missions "practically left zero debris in orbit" after a spent rocket stage was lowered to burn up in Earth's atmosphere during re-entry. Similar deorbiting techniques will be used to make future missions "debris-free" by the end of this decade, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said last week. "Over the years, sufficient skill has been developed within ISRO in dealing with topics related to debris management ," Somanath said in a session hosted by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), whose 13 members include all major spacefaring nations. "We want to make sure that for all the spacecraft we are likely to launch in the future, we will be taking action to make sure that we de-orbit and bring it to a safe location." Related: Kessler Syndrome and the space debris problem India currently has 54 spacecraft in orbit excluding non-functional satellites, of which 13 were deorbited for reentry into Earth's atmosphere last year. In February, an Earth-observation satellite named Cartosat-2 that ISRO had launched in 2007 was lowered for a controlled atmospheric reentry over the Indian Ocean, and all major parts of the satellite were predicted to vaporize during the event. This may not always be the case. It's hard to predict whether a certain satellite will completely burn up during reentry, and scientists are realizing that more objects survive the journey to the surface than previously thought. Just last month, for example, a piece of debris from a pallet of used batteries thrown overboard from the International Space Station trash that NASA predicted would burn up completely slammed into a home in Florida . Low Earth orbit is littered with about 30,000 objects larger than a softball and millions smaller than a centimeter, which circle Earth at speeds reaching 10 times that of a bullet. Spent rocket stages and dead or malfunctioning satellites abandoned in their orbits around Earth have been the primary source of space junk due to collisions and accidental explosions, prompting space agencies and private companies to lower their satellites intentionally for atmospheric reentries. RELATED STORIES: Facts and information about ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation Mysterious object that crashed through Florida home was likely space junk from the International Space Station Chinese space junk falls to Earth over Southern California, creating spectacular fireball (photos, video) Even as a million more satellites are predicted to head to LEO in the coming years, questions persist about the environmental impacts of burning up satellites in Earth's atmosphere. A bombshell study last October found unexpectedly high amounts of vaporized metals polluting Earth's stratosphere , which is home to the fragile ozone layer, whose chemical makeup can be altered by satellite material. Another study posted to the preprint server arXiv last December suggested that debris from burning satellites could in some ways be messing with our planet's magnetic field. "We're surrounding the planet with trash," Sierra Solter-Hunt, an American physicist and doctoral candidate at the University of Iceland who wrote the December study, previously told Space.com . "There will be more and more of it, and it's going to create some different chemical reactions, and we have basically no understanding of it." As the COVID-19 pandemic showed the world, nobody is immune to the spread of disease. For members of the American military protecting the country, the risks of exposure to contaminants involve more threats than the coronavirus. The threat of biological attack is a real one in modern-day warfare and one the Defense Department (DOD) takes seriously. In 2022, a Pentagon official told National Defense Magazine that the DOD planned to spend $300 million over five years to help prevent against known and emerging biological threats. With the safety of its members in mind, high-level military leaders recognized decontamination systems as a critical need in 2016. The Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) pushed forward with an engineering and manufacturing development and production program in 2018. The following year, AeroClave was awarded the contract to produce the first Joint Biological Agent Decontamination System (JBADS), which was delivered to the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in 2021. JBADS provides our military with a unique and safe solution to decontaminate an aircraft to protect our warfighters and support the mission, says Steve Richards, VP of Government Programs and JBADS Program Manager at AeroClave. The system can also be used to decontaminate other platforms such as smaller aircraft, rotorcraft, and land vehicles. The JPEO-CBRND conducted briefings and tours of the system at Holloman Air Force Base in May 2023. The JBADS Product Manager, Brant Lagoon, presented and demonstrated how the JBADS worked. He explains, The JBADS is a biothermal system that uses no chemicals in the decontamination process. The heat and humidity used in the process are precisely controlled by utilizing high-reliability commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems. The system run time, temperature, and humidity levels are determined by the biological agent kill profile. The JBADS can be transported by aircraft, rail, ship or truck to anywhere in the world that the military needs them. The JBADS is a cost-effective solution as it uses no corrosive cleaning agents, minimizes labor to decontaminate the aircraft and effectively decontaminates all areas of the aircraft, even ones that are extremely difficult to access by conventional methods, Richards says. The system has no contamination runoff which saves time and cost in the post-decontamination cleanup process, and is safer for our environment. AeroClave developed and tested the first large commercial aircraft biothermal decontamination system in 2003 in response to the SARS epidemic. In 2011, while under contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the company successfully decontaminated a military cargo aircraft from harmful biological agents utilizing a prototype JBADS. A 2016 test added the use of an aircraft enclosure to the system to decontaminate both the interior and exterior of aircrafts and reduce decontamination time in the process. That study showed that the system could remediate mold and other contaminants that could cause health issues for maintenance workers as well as limit the life of the fuselage due to microbial corrosion. When the e-scooter company Matt Gialich used to work for had to pause production owing to a shortage of platinum, a key component for the microprocessor that translates commands from the controls to the motor, he went down a rabbit hole researching metals. Gialich, whose childhood love of space led him into engineering and a job at the satellite launch company Virgin Orbit before its bankruptcy, began wondering how to extract the metal in asteroids. Scientists believe these chunks of celestial debris, which are by-products from the birth of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago, are rich in metals that are in short supply on Earth. In 2022, Gialich and Jose Acain, who has almost a decade of experience at SpaceX and NASA, founded AstroForge. Now the California-based startup is attempting to make asteroid mining a reality. The company isnt alone. The clean energy transition is expected to cause demand for mineral resources to soar, and interest in extracting them from previously untapped sources, like the ocean floor and space, is growing. Companies across the world have raised tens of millions of dollars to test asteroid-mining technologies. Some say the idea is a prohibitively expensive, far-fetched fantasy. But 38-year-old Gialich thinks it could be put into practice soon. Going out and securing resources from space is this Holy Grail, he says. I think were finally at this inflection point where we can take it on. A moonshot idea? Gialich has no problem admitting that his companys plans are ambitious. Were going to have a lot of failures, he says. AstroForge is, in short, attempting to send into space a tiny refinery that can extract minerals out of an asteroid, then bring the valuable metals back to Earth, leaving the rest. The company is targeting M-type, or metallic, asteroids for platinum group metals (PGMs), which are used in everything from jewelry to catalytic converters that filter car exhaust to cancer-fighting drugs. PGMs like platinum and iridium are also critical raw materials for emerging clean energy technologies. Green hydrogen production, for example, is expected to drive major growth in demand for the minerals. But earthly supplies are limited and geographically concentrated. AstroForge co-founders Jose Acain (left) and Matt Gialich (right). - Edward Carreon Although it sounds like a plot straight from the latest season of the Apple TV+ show For All Mankind, which involved an elaborate plan to harness an asteroid and bring it into Earths orbit for mining, Gialich says thats not what were doing at all. Last April, AstroForge launched its inaugural mission, called Brokkr-1, sending a miniature satellite equipped with a refinery system about the size of two loaves of bread into space. The spacecraft carried pre-loaded, asteroid-like material it planned to vaporize and sort into elemental components while in orbit. It hasnt gone quite as planned, and the refinery demonstration hasnt happened yet. But Gialich says the company learned a lot, like how any equipment sourced from vendors would perform, and if the machine could survive blastoff and send signals back from space. The refinery which AstroForge has patents on has already been tested terrestrially in space-like conditions, he says. That makes AstroForge the only company with a refinery that can turn M-type asteroids into PGMs in space, he adds. This year, an AstroForge spacecraft will hitch a ride on a mission by US-space exploration company Intuitive Machines to the Moon. But AstroForge will jump ship and use its own propulsion system to fly by an asteroid it thinks is metallic to check out its composition and take pictures. (Gialich declined to specify which asteroid the company is targeting.) If this mission succeeds, it will make AstroForge the first commercial company to venture into deep space, it says. It could also provide the first high resolution images of a metallic asteroid. High-risk, high-reward Interest in asteroids both for better understanding Earths origins and their composition, which could lay the groundwork for miners is skyrocketing, and experts say asteroid mining may just be a matter of time. Dan Britt, the director of the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science at the University of Central Florida, who is not directly involved with AstroForge, ponders: I suppose you could ask whether [humans] are totally crazy to do this. The answer is, it might be a bit early, but were not totally crazy. The likes of JAXA, Japans space agency, and NASA have already brought asteroid samples back to Earth, proving, at least to an extent, that it can be done. China plans to launch a mission in 2025 to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid, while the United Arab Emirates Space Agency is planning to explore the asteroid belt with a mission scheduled to launch in 2028. The United Arab Emirates is planning a mission to explore the asteroid belt. This computer graphic rendering made available by the UAE Space Agency shows the MBR Explorer, which is expected to launch in 2028 to study various asteroids. - UAE Space Agency/AP NASA has a spacecraft en route to asteroid Psyche, which is orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, but it wont get there until 2029. By some estimates, the iron in the 140-mile-wide metal-rich asteroid is worth $10,000 quadrillion more than the value of the entire global economy. (Gialich says that NASA scientists have been excellent allies, providing invaluable expertise to AstroForge.) Some in the scientific community are skeptical that the private sector will be able to afford asteroid mining. NASAs OSIRIS-REx mission, the first US mission to collect an asteroid sample and bring it back to Earth, cost hundreds of millions of dollars, excluding launch cost. Its return of just 122 grams, which landed in a Utah desert last year, is the largest asteroid sample ever collected. This actually is not a question of if it can be done from a physics standpoint, says Gialich. Its a question of can you do it so it makes any monetary sense. Others have tried and failed. Planetary Resources, for example, launched in 2012 with the backing of high-profile investors including Titanic director James Cameron and Google co-founder Larry Page. By 2020, it was holding an online fire sale after facing funding difficulties and being acquired by a blockchain firm. (Buyers in the Internet auction scored items like a plastic tub full of assorted, tangled electrical cords for $10 and a pair of well-used insulated gloves for $20.) A lot has also changed. Private companies like SpaceX have dramatically decreased the cost of space travel. Gialich says today more is known about the solar systems 1.3 million asteroids, so companies like his dont have to waste resources looking for them, and that AstroForge has invested in developing algorithms that allow it to rideshare and get where its trying to go. Lower transportation costs are key to developing an off-world economy, says Britt, who has contributed to four NASA missions, including a flyby of an asteroid in the Kuiper Belt, a donut-shaped ring of debris at the edge of the solar system, and a series of journeys to asteroids near Jupiter, and has an asteroid named after him for his contributions to asteroid research. The changes have driven a wave of new interest. Other companies, like Los Angeles-headquartered TransAstra and China-based Origin Space, are working on technologies that can mine resources in space. AstroForge's refinery operating in a simulated space vacuum. - Edward Carreon So far, AstroForge has raised $13 million in seed funding. It says its second mission will cost less than $10 million, which means the company will be putting most of its eggs in one basket. These are high-risk, high-reward ventures, to be very clear, says Gialich. He doesnt yet have a plan B if the planned missions arent successful. Who cares? You go out and you try these big missions, these big gambles, and if it doesnt work, I dont know. I guess I go get a job somewhere? he says. Im just focused on plan A and trying to make that happen. Supplies from the skies If all goes well, the companys eventual aim is to bring back about 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of PGMs per mission, a payload which could be worth around $70 million, depending on the metals and their price at the time. Even with multiple hiccups in our schedule, we are attempting to mine an asteroid and well have brought it back before the end of this decade, Gialich says. Because the company is targeting relatively smaller asteroids, it says there will be less gravity to overcome, and therefore less fuel to burn. Its all-or-nothing, lower-cost approach may help push asteroid mining closer to reality. A SpaceX rocket launched the Pysche spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 13, 2023. The spacecraft is expected to reach the asteroid in 2029. - Aubrey Gemignani/NASA/Getty Images Even if were not successful and we fail as a company, I hope that we push this forward a little bit, he says, and demonstrate that you can do a lot more science with a lot less capital. Britt says asteroid mining is likely to happen eventually and the technology in the market is already a lot more advanced than a soggy bar napkin with a bunch of equations and diagrams drawn on it. But he expects that technologies will need to advance even further before investors are willing to put big chunks of capital behind it. Thats one of the things that startups like AstroForge are doing creating that new technology and engineering, Britt says. It may be years before we know if AstroForges attempts have a lasting impact on the wider push to extract minerals from space. But its moonshot approach is likely to be remembered. I hope if nothing else, Gialich says, were known as a space company that went for it. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NASA's interstellar explorer Voyager 1 is finally communicating with ground control in an understandable way again. On Saturday (April 20), Voyager 1 updated ground control about its health status for the first time in 5 months. While the Voyager 1 spacecraft still isn't sending valid science data back to Earth, it is now returning usable information about the health and operating status of its onboard engineering systems. Thirty-five years after its launch in 1977, Voyager 1 became the first human-made object to leave the solar system and enter interstellar space. It was followed out of our cosmic quarters by its space-faring sibling, Voyager 2, six years later in 2018. Voyager 2, thankfully, is still operational and communicating well with Earth. The two spacecraft remain the only human-made objects exploring space beyond the influence of the sun. However, on Nov. 14, 2023, after 11 years of exploring interstellar space and while sitting a staggering 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, Voyager 1's binary code computer language composed of 0s and 1s that it uses to communicate with its flight team at NASA stopped making sense. Related: We finally know why NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft stopped communicating scientists are working on a fix In March, NASA's Voyager 1 operating team sent a digital "poke" to the spacecraft, prompting its flight data subsystem (FDS) to send a full memory readout back home. This memory dump revealed to scientists and engineers that the "glitch" is the result of a corrupted code contained on a single chip representing around 3% of the FDS memory. The loss of this code rendered Voyager 1's science and engineering data unusable. People, many of whom are wearing matching blue shirts, celebrating at a conference table. The NASA team can't physically repair or replace this chip, of course, but what they can do is remotely place the affected code elsewhere in the FDS memory. Though no single section of the memory is large enough to hold this code entirely, the team can slice it into sections and store these chunks separately. To do this, they will also have to adjust the relevant storage sections to ensure the addition of this corrupted code won't cause those areas to stop operating individually, or working together as a whole. In addition to this, NASA staff will also have to ensure any references to the corrupted code's location are updated. Related Stories: Voyager 2: An iconic spacecraft that's still exploring 45 years on NASA's interstellar Voyager probes get software updates beamed from 12 billion miles away NASA Voyager 2 spacecraft extends its interstellar science mission for 3 more years On April 18, 2024, the team began sending the code to its new location in the FDS memory. This was a painstaking process, as a radio signal takes 22.5 hours to traverse the distance between Earth and Voyager 1, and it then takes another 22.5 hours to get a signal back from the craft. By Saturday (April 20), however, the team confirmed their modification had worked. For the first time in five months, the scientists were able to communicate with Voyager 1 and check its health. Over the next few weeks, the team will work on adjusting the rest of the FDS software and aim to recover the regions of the system that are responsible for packaging and returning vital science data from beyond the limits of the solar system. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday started deliberating a draft atomic energy law, with an aim to promote the sound and sustainable development of the atomic energy industry. The draft was submitted to an on-going session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature, for a first reading. A swirling circle of reddish striations on the left. On the right is a diagram showing those striations' movements. Scientists have used artificial intelligence to construct a three-dimensional model of an energetic outburst, or flare, that occurred around the Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). This 3D model could help scientists develop a clearer picture of the tumultuous environment that forms around supermassive black holes in general. The material swirling around Sgr A* exists in a flattened structure called an "accretion disk" that can periodically flare. These flares occur across a range of light wavelengths, all the way from high-energy X-rays to low-energy infrared light and radio waves. The supercomputer simulations suggest a flare seen by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) on April 11, 2017 originated from two bright spots of dense material in Sgr A*'s accretion disk, both of which were facing Earth. Those bright spots swirl around the supermassive black hole, which has a mass around 4.2 million times that of the sun, while separated by around half the distance between the Earth and the sun. That's around 47 million miles (75 million kilometers). Related: New view of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way hints at an exciting hidden feature Reconstructing these flares in 3D from observational data is no mean feat. To tackle this, the team, led by California Institute of Technology scientist Aviad Levis, proposed a new imaging technique called "orbital polarimetric tomography." The method is not unlike medical computed tomography, or CT, scans carried out in hospitals around the globe. "The compact region around the galactic center is an extreme place where hot, magnetized gas orbits a supermassive black hole at relativistic velocities [speeds approaching that of light]. This unique environment powers highly energetic eruptions known as flares, which leave observational signatures at X-ray, infrared and radio wavelengths," Levis told Space.com. "Recently, theorists proposed several mechanisms for the emergence of such flares, one of which is through extremely bright, compact regions that suddenly form within the accretion disk." The key result of this work, he added, is the recovery of what the 3D structure of radio brightness around Sgr A* might look like directly after a flare detection. Building a black hole from a single pixel "Sgr A* lies in the heart of our own Milky Way galaxy, making it the nearest supermassive black hole and a prime candidate to study such flares," Levis said. "To do that effectively, you still need an element of luck when ALMA observations coincide with a flare." He explained that, on April 11, 2017, ALMA was observing Sgr A* directly after a violent eruption captured in X-rays. The radio data acquired by ALMA had a periodic signal that was consistent with what would be expected for an orbit around Sgr A*. "This prompted our development of a computational approach that could extract the 3D structure from the time series data that ALMA observes," Levis added. "In contrast to the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) 2D image of Sgr A*, we were interested in recovering the 3D volume, and to do that, we relied on physical modeling of how light travels along curved trajectories within the strong gravitational field of a black hole." A swirling circle with striations that have a reddish orange glow. To achieve their results, the scientists looked at physics derived from Albert Einstein's 1915 theory of gravity, general relativity, then applied those concepts around supermassive black holes to a neural network. This network was then used create the Sgr A* model. "This work is a unique collaboration between astronomers and computer scientists advancing cutting-edge computational tools from both the fields of AI and gravitational physics, each contributing an important part of the whole in this first attempt at revealing the 3D radio emission structure around Sgr A*," Levis said. "The result is not a photograph in the regular sense; rather, it is a computational 3D image extracted from time-series observations by constraining a neural network with the expected physics of how gas orbits the black hole and how synchrotron radiation is emitted in the process." He explained that the team computationally placed 3D "emissions" in orbit around Sgr A*, starting with an arbitrary structure. Through ray tracing, which refers to graphical simulations of the physical behavior of light, Levis and colleagues were able to model how ALMA would see the structure around Sgr A* in future times. Those models started 10 minutes after the flare, then 20 minutes later, 30 minutes later and so on. "The technology of neural radiance fields and general relativistic ray tracing gives us a way to start changing the 3D structure until the model matches the observations," Levis added. The team found that this delivered conclusions about the environment around Sgr A* that are indeed predicted by theory, showing brightness is concentrated at several small regions within the accretion disk. Still, aspects of this work were surprising to Levis and the rest of the team. "The biggest surprise was that we were able to recover the 3D structure from light curve observations ... essentially a video of a single flickering pixel," the researcher said. "Think about it: if I were to tell you that you could recover a video from just one single pixel, you would say that sounds practically impossible. The key is that we are not recovering an arbitrary video. "We are recovering the 3D structure of emission around a black hole, and we can leverage the expected gravitational and emission physics to constrain our reconstruction." Levis added that the fact ALMA measures not just the intensity of light but also its polarization gave the team a highly informative signal with clues about the 3D structure of flares around Sgr A* Related Stories How do some black holes get so big? The James Webb Space Telescope may have an answer Brightest quasar ever seen is powered by black hole that eats a 'sun a day' Black hole-like 'gravastars' could be stacked like Russian tea dolls Going forward, Levis said he and the team intend to run the simulation while changing the parameters of the physics used to constrain the AI. "These results are an exciting first step, which relies on the belief that Sgr A* is a black hole whose environment obeys the prescribed gravitational and emission models; the accuracy of our result hinges on the validity of these assumptions," Levis concluded. "In the future, we would like to loosen these constraints to allow deviations from expected physics. "Our approach, which harnesses the synergy between physics and AI, opens up the door to new and exciting questions whose answers will continue to advance our understanding of black holes and the universe." The team's research was published on Monday (April 22) in the journal Nature Astronomy. Three people suspected of stealing "innovative technologies for military use" for China have been arrested in Germany. Prosecutors say the individuals, referred to as Thomas R, Herwig F, and Ina F, acted for Chinese intelligence from around June 2022 onwards via a company in Dusseldorf. One of the individuals, Thomas R, was allegedly an agent for an employee of China's Ministry of State Security, according to an ABC News report. These arrests come just a week after German Chancellor Olaf Sholz visited China. During his three-day visit, Sholz boldly pressed China on topics such as support for the wartime Russian economy, intellectual property theft, and fair market access. Prosecutors seek to apply the force of various laws to set an example of these three suspects. Of course, espionage and IP theft are illegal, but there are other specific EU laws regarding the export of dual-use goods (which have both civilian and military applications) to countries like China and Russia. One of the legal lines that has been crossed seems to be the export of a military-applicable laser to China. Moreover, technology to enhance the performance of naval vessels may have been shared with the Chinese. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the arrests a "great success for our counterintelligence. Faeser stressed that the innovative German technologies stolen by the Chinese agents were useful for military purposes and particularly sensitive. At the time of their arrest, the three suspects were in negotiations with the Chinese to pass on yet more militarily sensitive research, according to reports. The flags of China and Russia Germany continues to be vigilant regarding espionage, which may be reassuring to big semiconductor players like Intel and TSMC, who have advanced plans to set up facilities in the country. For example, Faeser says that the government is keeping an eye on risks and threats, and it has warned and sensitized key people to be aware of protective measures. Todays news also comes just two days after two alleged Russian spies were arrested in Germany. The Russian agents were suspected of planning to sabotage military aid to Ukraine. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday started deliberating a draft revision to the Law on National Defense Education that is expected to enhance the national defense awareness of citizens. The draft was submitted to an ongoing session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee for a first reading. MOGADISHU, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations humanitarian agency has said it needs 10.7 million U.S. dollars to respond immediately to a cholera outbreak in Somalia. "The current epidemiological data indicates that an estimated 1.2 million people are at risk of being infected in 2024," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its report released on Monday evening. The OCHA said the heavy rains are expected to worsen the current outbreak of acute watery diarrhea (AWD)/cholera, which is already significantly high in some hotspot locations. Meanwhile, at least 7,200 cases of cholera have been reported, with 75 deaths since January, according to the Ministry of Health and Human Services. The ongoing cholera outbreak in Somalia is mainly attributed to a growing number of people with limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation facilities. Somalia has had uninterrupted AWD/cholera transmission since 2022 and in the Banadir region since the drought of 2017, according to the World Health Organization. In 2023, more than 18,300 cumulative cases and 46 deaths were reported, with over half being children aged below five years. Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday started deliberating a draft revision to the Anti-Money Laundering Law, with rules specifying anti-money laundering obligations for specific non-financial institutions. #XinhuaNews Decision-makers in Brussels "are preparing for a world war" in response to the deteriorating military situation in Ukraine, despite the "failure of the strategy of weapon deliveries", the minister of foreign affairs and trade has said. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Peter Szijjarto said Ukraine was increasingly on the back foot in the war against Russia, which he said had prompted a dangerous response in Brussels: a desperate empty-the-warehouse approach, where almost everyone discussed a future of weapon deliveries. We are talking about hundreds of thousands or millions of ammunition and weapons worth billions of euros, even though we know that strategy has failed miserably in the past few years, he said. Weapon deliveries have not brought peace closer; on the contrary weapon deliveries can only prolong the war and increase the threat of it escalating into a world war, Szijjarto said. Hungary has arrived at a different conclusion, to the concept that the peace efforts should be strengthened and diplomacy should take the place of weapon deliveries, he said. We Hungarians are ready to discuss peace plans. At the same time, we must make it clear that peace conferences can only be successful if all warring parties are at the table, he said. Szijjarto: Hungary to Come Under Renewed Pressure As the EU is starting to prepare the 14th sanctions package against Russia, Peter Szijjarto said he expected pressure on Hungary to be ramped up, too. At the same time, the foreign minister said previous sanctions had caused more damage to Europe than to Russia, and that European citizens had been the ones to pay the price, including Hungarians who had nothing to do with the war. Once again, I made it clear that no matter the pressure brought to bear, we will not support a single sanction that would have Hungarians pay the price of war. He said the root of the fundamental difference of opinion was that politicians in Brussels and many other capital cities thought of the war as their own. I think that is not only dangerous but also false, as Europe is not at war. Europe has not been attacked. No EU or NATO member state has been attacked, he said. Hungary continues to see the situation differently and prioritises staying out of the conflict, he added. Besides, he said, the EU had been gripped by a bidding war as the bloc was trying to outbid the US and NATO. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, he said a consensus was on the horizon on sanctions against Iran in response to the recent attack on Israel. He welcomed the responsible conduct of Arab states, and called for the maintenance of regional stability and the avoidance of conflict escalation. Responding a question about a Hungarian-Israeli national in Hamas captivity, Szijjarto said that the hostage was according to reports received a few weeks ago still alive. Szijjarto: 'Witch Hunt' Against Hungarian Companies Ongoing in Ukraine The witch hunt against Hungarian companies in Ukraine is ongoing as authorities were preparing to withdraw the permits of a dozen pharmaceuticals sold by Hungarian pharmaceutical company Richter, the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade said. Peter Szijjarto told a press conference on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg that the bloc was preparing for a world war and putting enormous pressure on Hungary in the process. Besides the 500 million in aid to Ukraine, which Hungary blocked, the EU was planning to fund member states weapon deliveries with another 1.5 billion euros from the European Peace Facility, he said. Hungarys stance is unchanged and clear: until we receive a guarantee from the Ukrainian side that they will end the witch hunt against Hungarian companies active in Ukraine and will not restart it we cannot contribute to such decisions, he said. Noting that Ukraine had earlier black-listed OTP Bank as an international sponsor of the war, Szijjarto said discrimination against Hungarian companies was unacceptable and the procedures were unfounded. Just as the OTP issue seems to be solved, Kyiv is preparing to withdraw permits on the sale of Richters 14 pharmaceuticals in the country, he said. That procedure was similarly unfounded, he said. Richter has not breached any rules or sanctions in Ukraine conducting operations in Russia does not violate any laws. The pharmaceutical industry is not in any way under sanctions. The minister noted that when they asked Ukrainian government to remove OTP from the list, they were told the matter was independent of politics. Later, the government decided to scrap the list altogether, which dented the arguments credibility, he said. Szijjarto said that since it appeared that a political decision had been made rather than a professional one, the danger of a similar measure being repeated was real. Thats why we have asked our Ukrainian colleagues to come to Budapest, sit down and work out a solution So far, the Ukrainian anti-corruption agency has not responded positively to our invitation. We are still waiting for them in Budapest, our colleagues are ready, so it is not up to us whether such an agreement is reached or not, he added. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Viktor Orban, the prime minister who also leads the ruling Fidesz party, has embarked on a campaign tour of rural Hungary, meeting farmers in Nemesgorzsony, in central Hungary, on Monday. Orban gave a speech to over 100 farmers in the presence of Balazs Gyorffy, the head of the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture, Istvan Jakab, the head of farmers association Magosz, and the mayors of Nemesgorzsony and Papa. Orban said Hungarian farmers today were much stronger than ever before. Were going to take this forward; you can count on us, Orban said, adding that he was the first Hungarian prime minister to come from a village. Who can Hungarian farmers, rural areas and villages look to for help if not a prime minister who comes from among you, he said. Orban said farm prices had imploded due to flawed decisions in Brussels, and the remedy was to elect new EU leaders. He asked farmers to support Fidesz candidates, pledging the party would out things in order, and the farming world will find its way even amid the current situation which was far from easy. Photo: PM's press office: Vivien Cher Benko ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Hungarys taxes are not to blame for high fuel prices, the finance minister said on Monday, adding that taxes on fuels were among the lowest in the European Union. Mihaly Varga said on Facebook that the price of regular petrol contained 46% tax in Hungary, while in Austria that ratio was 52%, in Germany 55%, and in Slovakia and Czechia 49%. Citing figures from the European Commission, Varga said the highest taxes on fuels were levied in Finland, Greece, Ireland, Malta and Italy, with a uniform 56%. Meanwhile, Budget Posts HUF 2,321 Billion Deficit in March, Ministry Confirms Hungarys cash flow-based budget, excluding local councils, posted a deficit of 2,321.4 billion forints (EUR 5.882bn) at the end of March, the finance ministry confirmed in a detailed release of data. The central budget had a deficit of 2,338.3 billion forints and the social security funds were 61.7 billion forints in the red but separate state funds were 78.6 billion forints in the black. Interest expenditures, which included large payments on retail government securities, came to 1,241.3 billion forints in January-March, up 604.0 billion from the same period a year earlier, the ministry said. Spending on pensions reached 1,895.7 billion forints, while health-care expenditures came to 588.9 billion forints. Spending on maintaining the regulated utilities price system for households reached 461.3 billion forints, the ministry said. It underlined the governments commitment to reducing the deficit and the public debt, noting that the deficit will be cut to below 3% of GDP over the coming years. The government targets a deficit of 4.5% in 2024, 3.7% in 2025 and 2.9% in 2026, the ministry said. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! The culture and innovation ministry has signed a long-term partnership agreement with Times Higher Education aimed at further developing Hungarys higher education system, the ministry announced. The partnership was designed to promote the governments higher education-related goals and increase the global presence of Hungarian universities, the ministry said. Under the agreement, THE will make a detailed analysis of Hungarian universities in terms of their performance in comparison with regional and global peers. This will give an accent to Hungarys higher education excellence at an international level, the statement said. State secretary Balazs Hanko, who oversees higher education, said currently 11 Hungarian universities were listed in THEs World University Rankings, adding that the goal was to have a Hungarian university among the worlds 100 best by 2030, and at least three among Europes top 100. The statement quoted Phil Baty, THE director for global affairs, as saying that Hungarys higher education aspirations were impressive, and expressed his organisations readiness to provide its Hungarian partner with reliable information, global comparative data and background material. The ministry will have access to THEs material on universities in over 100 countries worldwide, in terms of their education, research, financial sustainability, international activities, social impact and scientific reputation with the aim of supporting Hungarian universities, Baty added. The ministry added that the governments goal was to more than double the number of foreign students at Hungarian universities. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! This past week heralded the end of the official biennium of the 108th Legislature. This is a fancy way of saying weve completed the two-year period allotted for each legislature to pass bills, set budget priorities and appropriate funds. The official biennium for each legislature encompasses a long, 90-day session followed the year after by a short, 60-day session. All bills that were introduced and did not pass into law would need to be reintroduced in order to be considered during the 109th Legislature that begins in January 2025. In the 60th and final day of the session this year we considered 15 bills. If youve read the paper, caught the news or even checked your smartphone youve probably heard quite a bit about one of these bills, LB388. LB388 was a package of tax-related bills intended to reduce property taxes statewide. Ultimately, LB388 did not pass as it did not have sufficient votes to end a filibuster. A lot of misinformation about LB388 was put forward leading up to the final vote on this bill. Many Nebraskans received unsolicited text messages from a group called NACS Grassroots asking them to contact their Senators to oppose LB388 as a massive tax increase on items, including groceries. This was a blatant lie put forward by a global trade organization that represents convenience and fuel retailers in 50 countries. LB388 did not impose a tax on groceries. It did require sales tax to be paid on purchases of candy and soda. 24 of the 32 states who exempt groceries from state sales tax do tax sales of candy and/or soda products. Whether candy and soda are groceries has long been debated here in Nebraska and across the country. I love both items as much as anyone. However, I think we can all agree that it is troubling that a globally funded group has access to thousands of Nebraskans cell phone numbers in an attempt to sway the outcome of legislation here in Nebraska. Id love to have been able to respond to these unwanted text messages to point out that if we removed most of the various exemptions we have on our state sales tax, and retain the sales tax exemption on groceries, we could actually lower the rate consumers pay by a noticeable percentage! LB388 also did not include any increase to our state sales tax rate. A prior version of this bill did propose a sales tax increase, but it was removed from the bill after I and others objected to it. There was no massive tax increase like this misleading series of text messages suggested. The biggest thing LB388 did was to get rid of the ineffective income tax credit available for Nebraskans to claim for property taxes they had already paid and to use those funds to front load or deduct the amount of property taxes Nebraskans pay in the first place. At last count, Nebraska was sitting on $560 million in unclaimed tax credits. LB388 would/will start by reducing property taxes by $750 million the first year, growing by $30 million a year each year going forward. This makes far more sense than requiring Nebraskans to file an income tax return in order to get a modest amount back for property taxes theyve paid the year before. In his remarks on the last day of session, Governor Pillen informed us that, with the failure of LB388 to advance, he will request a special session of the Legislature to consider property tax relief. Ive tried my best to share this information with the many hundreds of people who emailed and called each day after these text messages went out. I hope that this article shines some light on reality versus the perception generated by these disturbing text messages and the falsehoods shared online and in other media. In the coming weeks Ill share more details on the bills weve passed this session. As always, if I can be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My staff members Matt and Katie are available to assist you with your needs and they pass along messages, so if youd like a call back, please let them know! Email: jhughes@leg.ne.gov; Phone: 402-471-2756; Facebook: Senator Jana Hughes. UNITED NATIONS, April 22 (Xinhua) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday stressed the importance of a "strengthened and modernized" United Nations to more effectively serve and assist global populations. Amid multifaceted crises ranging from conflicts to climate, and poverty and inequality, the world looks to the UN "to help deliver the better, safer and greener world we need," the top UN official said. "But we cannot solve 21st century problems with 20th century tools - we need a UN 2.0," he stressed, in a message opening the UN 2.0 week. The transformation in skills and culture, encapsulated in the UN chief's vision of a UN 2.0, is focused on fostering cutting-edge capabilities in data, digital solutions, innovation, foresight and behavioural science - to deliver stronger results and help countries accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The secretary-general's vision is elaborated in a policy brief launched last September. In his Monday address, Guterres highlighted the necessity for a "forward-thinking culture" at the UN, driven by swift technological progress. He noted this was crucial in light of the significant reforms outlined in Our Common Agenda - his blueprint for global cooperation and revitalizing the Sustainable Development Goals - as well as the upcoming Summit of the Future, scheduled for Sept. 22-23 in New York. "We're already seeing what is possible: From online resources for remote schools, to humanitarian aid based on real-time data, and technology that helps countries forecast and build resilience to disasters," the UN chief said. "Ultimately, UN 2.0 will make us better partners for countries as they achieve results for their people." Also speaking at the opening, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed explained that UN 2.0 is the world body's response to how "we will pivot and meet the world where it is at and where it needs to go." "Thinking about what that means for investing in our staff, but also attending to many of the 'quintet of change' issues," she added, noting the five topics - data, digital solutions, innovation, foresight and behavioural science. She expressed hope that the transformations will make the UN more fit for purpose. "That we can actually get out there and raise the ambitions, and be more responsive for the needs," she added. Taking place from April 22 to 26, UN 2.0 Week showcases a series of virtual events including panel discussions and best practice sharing dialogues. Over 40 speakers from across the UN system and partner organizations are slated to speak. New Delhi: Following the termination of 28 employees last week due to sit-in protest at Googles offices in New York and California. The company has reportedly fired 20 additional employees, according to reports by The Verge. Why did the protest happen? The protest arose in response to Google's 1.2 billion dollars cloud computing project with the Israeli government which is known as Project Nimbus. A spokesperson for a group called No Tech for Apartheid, Jane Chung, stated in the report that Google has fired "non-participating bystanders." This brings the total number of employees fired for participating in protests to nearly 50, as per the report. (Also Read: From An LIC Agent To Billionaire Industrialist, Read The Inspiring Journey Of Lachhman Das Mittal) Sundar Pichais Warning to Employees The companys CEO Sundar Pichai has reportedly cautioned employees about engaging in such activities as this will spark concerns about the diminishing room for expression and dissent within the corporation. As per the Hindustan Times, Pichai warned his employees, stating, "We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action. That's important to preserve." (Also Read: BharatPe One All-In-One Payment Device Launched, Integrates POS, QR, Speaker Into One Device) What is Project Nimbus? It is a joint contract between Google and Amazon which was signed in 2021. It aims to provide cloud computing infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), and other technology services to the Israeli government and its military. New Delhi: As you all know Kajaria Ceramics stands is one of Indias most famous tile brands, featuring Bollywood superstars Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh as its ambassadors. I am pretty sure not many are aware of the man behind it and his struggle and promising efforts to establish the brand. Meet a most fascinating man who defied convention and pursued his dreams by hook or by crook. He left an engineering degree in the US and embarked on an extraordinary journey that led to the creation of a Rs 20,000 crore empire in India. He transformed challenges into opportunities through his sheer determination, innovation, and consistent efforts, carving his path to success and inspiring young guns across the world. His inspiring story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the limitless potential within each of us. He is none other than Ashok Kajaria, who is well-known for changing the Indian tile industry. Let's delve into the inspiring tale of this visionary entrepreneur who turned his aspirations into reality against all odds. Ashok Kajaria- King Maker Of Tile Industry Ashok Kajaria is the founder of Kajaria Ceramics and the biggest manufacturer of ceramic, top quality, well-designed and shiny tiles in India. He has set outstanding standards for the Tile industry across the world, making the tiles environment-friendly. Ashok Kajaria's journey from starting small to running a well-established company that sets new bars in fancy and efficient buildings is all about consistent efforts, teamwork, determination, entrepreneurial acumen and new ideas. Ashok Kajaria's Journey: Growing up in a family of business owners, Ashok Kajaria was always destined to fit into their shoes. He was born in India and moved to the US for his graduation. However, he took a crucial step by leaving his mechanical engineering degree and returned to India to join his family's cast trading business. (Also Read: UPSC Success Story: From Vegetable Cart To Civil Services, Daughter Of A Vendor Shines In UPSC 2023 After Mother Mortgages Gold For Her Education) Ashok Kajaria- The Opportunist During a sales trip to the Gulf, founder Ashok Kajaria met cast buyers who offered to escort him to Spain to explore floor tile manufacturing. He was an opportunist and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Ashok ventured and visited around 50 factories. After doing keen research, he forged a partnership with Spains leading company, Todagres, and established his plant in India. Initial Years Of Kajaria Ceramics Spanish leading company Todagres supported Ashok with his technical knowledge. In 1988, Kajaria inaugurated its first plant in Sikandrabad (Uttar Pradesh), featuring an annual capacity of 1 million square meters. To enhance the brand value, Ashok took to marketing, and the first Kajaria ad came in 1989. This bold move catapulted Kajaria Ceramics to market dominance within just two years. It became the first Indian tile company to list on the NSE in 2008 despite facing challenges such as the market crash. Kajaria Ceramics Record Sales: As of 2019, the company recorded sales of Rs 2956 crore and a profit of Rs 227 crore, sealing its position as a market leader with an 11% market share. With six plants boasting an annual capacity of 86.47 million square meters. (Also Read: Business Success Story: Introducing THIS EntrepreneurA Once 19-Year-Old Millionaire Who Founded Navrattan, Now A Billion-Dollar Company) Tile manufacturing giant Kajaria Ceramics continues to be a trailblazer in the global tile industry, currently ranking as the 8th largest tile manufacturer in the world. 3 Best sites to Buy Linkedin Followers Here's a list of the 5 Best sites to Buy Linkedin Followers: UseViral SidesMedia Growthoid Score: 9.5/10 UseViral is a reputable platform for purchasing LinkedIn followers, known for its quality service and ethical practices. This website has been featured as the #1 BEST SITE to buy Linkedin followers. It has also been recommended as the best place to buy followers on Linkedin. Key Features: UseViral's strategy for organic growth emphasizes attracting genuine and engaged followers who have a sincere interest in your profile. 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(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltds Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article. The IDPL Editorial team is not responsible for this content.) New Delhi: Tihar Jail officials informed on Tuesday that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind -Kejriwal was given a 'low dose' of insulin after a spike was noticed in his blood sugar level. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reacted positively to the news, as AAP leader Atishi in a post on 'X' wrote, "Jai Bajrang Bali! Good news received on Hanuman Jayanti." At the same time, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj participated in a Hanuman Jayanti procession holding a 'gadah' with insulin sticker on it, alongside a man dressed up as Lord Hanuman with insulin bottles in both of his hand. "Jai Bajrang Bali! Good news received on Hanuman Jayanti. Tihar administration finally gave insulin to Arvind Kejriwal ji. This is the result of the blessings of Hanuman ji and the struggle of the people of Delhi. Even in this time of struggle, the blessings of Bajrang Bali remain on all of us," Atishi post on 'X' read in Hindi. Kejriwal received two units of mild insulin on Monday evening following advice from AIIMS doctors, reported PTI quoting a Tihar official. Around 7 pm, his blood sugar level measured 217, prompting Tihar doctors to administer the insulin. During an April 20 video conference, AIIMS specialists suggested to Tihar doctors that insulin could be administered if his sugar level exceeded a certain threshold. On receiving the news, Bhardwaj slammed the Bhartiya Janta Party through a post on social media platform 'X', he said, "Today it became clear that the chief minister was right, he needed insulin. But the officials under the BJP-led Centre were deliberately not treating him. Tell me BJP people!" He went on to question the central government saying that if there was no need why was it given now? __ ____ __ ___ ___________ ___ __, ______ ________ __ ______ ___ ___ _____ __ ______ _____ __ ____ _______ ________ ____ ____ ____ __ ___ ___ ____ _____ _____ ! ___ ________ __ ______ __ ____ __ __ __ _____ __ ___ ___ ? _______ ____ ______ ____ ____ ___ ___ __ _ - Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) April 23, 2024 The Delhi chief minister was detained on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) due to his involvement in a money-laundering case related to the Delhi government's former excise policy. He has been held in Tihar jail since April 1. New Delhi: Congress leader and Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi categorised a recent statement by PM Narendra Modi in the Rajasthan rally as 'seriously objectionable and said that the party, in its petition to the Election Commission of India (ECI), has urged to take 'appropriate action' against the Prime Minister 'irrespective of the status of the person. Singhvi further informed that he led a Congress delegation involving around 17 complaints to the ECI. While talking to the media after meeting with the Election Commission, he said that of those complaints, the most crucial one addressed comment made by PM Modi. We respect the office he holds. He is as much our Prime Minister as he is yours, and he is the BJP's. Unfortunately, the statement we have quoted is seriously, ridiculously objectionable, Singhvi added. Requesting PM Modi to retract the statement and provide clarification, he said, We have asked the Election Commission to state that this is the position in law; we will do in his respect whatever we do with others." The senior Congress leader stated that they wouldn't directly quote the Prime Minister's remarks but highlighted that he had mentioned a specific community and discussed religion and communal issues openly. He pointed out that the Prime Minister had associated these discussions with the majority community being deprived of resources and the minority community monopolizing them, even using Hindu symbols like the Mangalsutra. According to Singhvi, this violates Section 123, which prohibits the encouragement of communal sentiments. He described the speech as a significant infringement on the fundamental structure of the Constitution and appealed to the Election Commission for appropriate action, reported ANI. The Singhvi-led Congress delegation met with the ECI on Monday. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Today a Indian National Congress delegation comprising Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gurdeep Sappal, and Supriya Shrinate met with the Election Commission of India at 4 PM and put forward 16 complaints against the BJP and other actors for violations of The Representation of the People Act, 1951, various judgements of the Supreme Court, and the ECI's Model Code of Conduct. We hope that immediate action will be taken on these very legitimate complaints." Today an @INCIndia delegation comprising of Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shri Gurdeep Sappal, and Shrimati Supriya Shrinate met with the Election Commission of India at 4PM and put forward 16 complaints against the BJP and other actors for violations of The Representation of the pic.twitter.com/AbAf0NVon8 Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 22, 2024 Launching a scathing attack on the Congress party, On April 21, Prime Minister Modi accused the party of intending to seize people's gold and property and distribute it among those with larger families. The PM was speaking at a public rally in Banswara, Rajasthan. He claimed that if the Congress assumed power, it would redistribute wealth to Muslims, citing former PM Manmohan Singh's statement about the minority community's entitlement to the nation's resources. Modi further asserted that the Congress aimed to allocate the hard-earned money and assets of citizens to "infiltrators" and families with more children. Referring to their ideology as Urban Naxal, he alleged that the party wouldn't even spare traditional symbols like the Mangalsutra. New Delhi: India today observed Hanuman Jayanti with fervour and gaiety but since the festival of democracy is going on, how can the political leaders keep the Lord Hanuman away from their rallies? Today, all the leaders from different parties visited the Hanuman temple to seek the blessing for general elections. While Aam Aadmi Party took out a procession with people dressed as Lord Hanuman holding insulin, BJP leader Narendra Modi alleged that reciting Hanuman Chalisa has become a crime under the Congress government in Karnataka. In today's DNA, Sourabh Raaj Jain analyzed how political parties use safron colour and Lord Hanuman as matters for the election campaign. Watch Today's Full Episode Here Saffron colour is being discussed a lot in Lok Sabha elections, especially in the second phase. During the second phase campaign, most of the time leaders used the words Hindus, Muslims, Hanuman, saffron and so on because these are the favourite issues of big parties, and raising this gives them benefits in the election campaign. Most of the time, big leaders are campaigning wearing saffron turbans. Earlier, a communal incident took place in Karnataka after shopkeepers were beaten by some of the Muslim youth because he was playing Hanuman Chalisa in his shop. This incident was also addressed by PM Modi during his rallies, he blamed the opposition for this incident. Saffron colour is considered a symbol of sacrifice and knowledge, but in the election environment, this colour is also an issue. This colour has also been politicized. New Delhi: The horrifying incident took place in Maharastra's Gadag after a gang of 'supari' killers murdered four family members. The police arrested the key accused named Vinayak Bakale, who had planned the murder of his family due to property disputes. Senior police officer BS Nemagouda said that 4 family members were found dead in their house on April 19. The deceased have been identified as Sunanda, Karthik, Lakshmi, and Aakanksha, said reports. The police informed that the gang of eight people were involved in a contract killing and all of them were arrested. They identified as twin brothers Sahil Khaji and Sohel Khaji of 19-year, Fairoj Khaji of 29-year, Jishan Khaji of 24-year, Sultan Shaikh of 23-year, Mahesh Salunkhe of 21-year, and Wahid Bepari of 21-year, all from the Gadag district. The police officials further informed that Vinayak had purportedly offered Rs 65 lakhs to the contract killer for murder, and had already given Rs 2 lakh as an advance payment. NEW DELHI: For several decades, Indians have struggled with ill-fitting shoes, having no choice but to live with utter discomfort due to foreign-based shoe sizing standards. But now, Indians will soon have their own shoe sizing system called 'Bha'. What Is 'Bha'? 'Bha,' a brainchild of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI). Named after 'Bharat,' it's designed to cater specifically to the Indian feet. Instead of the current confusing array of foreign show sizes, 'Bha' offers eight clear options, taking into account age and gender differences. Factors Behind The New Shoe Sizing System It is important to note that a nationwide survey was conducted between December 2021 and March 2022 utilising advanced 3D foot scanning technology, which analyzed over one lakh Indian feet across diverse locations. The massive survey covering 1,01,880 people in 79 locations across five geographical zones discovered that the average Indian woman's foot size reaches its highest point at around 11 years of age, while for Indian men, it peaks at about 15 or 16 years old. The survey also found a significant discrepancy between Indian foot morphology and the existing shoe sizing systems. According to the findings of the survey, the Indian feet tend to be wider than their Western counterparts, leading to a mismatch. This discrepancy is observed more among children and teenagers who often end up wearing shoes that are either too tight or too loose. This can cause long-term problems like bunions, hammertoes, and ingrown toenails. The CLRI-developed new system aims to address this problem. Unlike the current 10 sizes in the US system and 7 sizes in the European system, Bha proposes eight distinct sizes catering to various age groups and genders. These sizes will offer additional length and width for improved comfort. Simple Sizes, No Confusion The CLRI-led new initiative 'Bha' aims to end confusion over half sizes. The new Indian show sizing system promises both comfort and efficiency, reducing the production costs for shoe manufacturers. Trials Initial trials by the CLRI focus on sizes ranging from III to VIII, covering a vast majority of the Indian population. If the trial is successful, 'Bha' would transform the Indian footwear sector, offering tailored comfort and improved foot health for all. 8 Footwear Sizes Proposed By 'Bha' BHA proposes eight footwear sizes: I for infants (0 to 1 year), II for babies (1 to 3 years), III for small children (4 to 6 years), IV for children (7 to 11 years), V for girls (12 to 13 years), VI for boys (12 to 14 years), VII for women (14 years and above), and VIII for men (15 years and above). Though it is still in the proposal phase, 'Bha' has already the attention of shoe industry veterans. If all goes well, the new shoe sizing system will see the light of day in 2025, promising a brighter, better-fitted future for Indian feet. The political slugfest between Congress and CPI in Kerala has been escalating with leaders from both sides targetting each other. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra have taken charge against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan after the latter's repeated targeting of the Congress leaders. While Vijayan has said that Rahul Gandhi is not a serious politician, Rahul-Priyanka accused the Kerala CM of being hands in gloves with the BJP. Vijayan Slams Rahul The Kerala CM alleged that Rahul Gandhi was absent many times when serious political developments happened in the country. "It is the experience of the people in the country that he is not a serious politician. We refrained from commenting on it because he is from another party and it is their internal issue. But during the time of the general election, coming here and making comments in support of central investigation agencies is highly immature," said Vijayan. Rahul Questions Inaction Against Viayan Vijayan's accusation comes after Rahul Gandhi questioned no action against Vijayan by the Central investigation agencies. Rahul Gandhi asked why CM Vijayan was being scot-free by the Central investigation agencies for the various scandals against his government while other Opposition leaders were being hounded by them. When asked about LDF MLA PV Anvar's remark asking the DNA test of Rahul Gandhi to determine whether he was a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Vijayan refused to criticise him. Congress Party's Kerala Conundrum Congress, which is now spearheading the INDIA bloc, did not reach a seat-sharing deal with the LDF in Kerala. The two parties are now contesting head-on at all the seats with the BJP also trying to make inroads. The LDF has even fielded candidates against Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad where Annie Raja and BJP's K Surendran are in the fray. New Delhi: Kolkata Police Special Task Force (STF) on Monday apprehended a man for allegedly conducting recce around the residence and office of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee. This development comes days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee alleged that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is conspiring against the top brass of TMC, she said that we are not safe. According to the police, the arrested individual has been identified as Rajaram Rege, who is linked to a political party in Maharashtra. He attempted to contact the Diamond Harbour MP of TMC and his personal assistant. As per Zee news TV report, Rege stayed at a Mumbai hotel for over 2 days. A Situation Resembling The 26/11, Averted: TMC Leader Derek O'Brien While talking to the press, TMC leader Derek O'Brien commended the Kolkata Police for nabbing the suspect before the "plot" was executed. "Today, a situation resembling the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack has been thwarted, all thanks to the Kolkata Police. The target was the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee. The person detained had ties to the Mumbai terror attack too. The police possess ample evidence suggesting that he also reached out to certain individuals.," he said in a press conference. In a scathing attack on the opposition in West Bengal, Obrien said that BJP's political bankruptcy has driven them to these despicable acts. He added that the Bhartiya Janta Party cannot fight against TMC politically, so they have sorted out such acts. Shri @derekobrienmp connects the dots: First, @SuvenduWB's "explosive" remark, then Kolkata Police arrests a man accused in the 26/11 attack for conducting recce of Shri @abhishekaitc's house & office. BJP's political bankruptcy has driven them to these despicable acts! Shame! pic.twitter.com/Ap6z2zvQwF All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 22, 2024 He also mentioned Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari's remark from Saturday, where he said a huge explosion would shatter the top brass of the TMC on Monday. A video clip of Adhikaris comment was played in the press conference. Investigation Underway Additional Commissioner of Police Murlidhar Sharma asserted that Rege had previously convened with David Headley, the prime suspect in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He added that the individual has been taken to Kolkata and an investigation into the matter is underway. "Today our officers arrested Rajaram Rege from Mumbai. He had visited Kolkata last week, stayed here, and conducted a recce of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's offices and residence. He obtained the mobile phone numbers of Banerjee and his PA and tried to contact them," reported PTI quoting the officer. Sharma further said that the recce and the meeting with 26/11 suspect indicates a potential for an event akin to Mumbai terror attack and suggested the possibility of a significant conspiracy. As per PTIs report, the police are trying to get CCTV footage of the hotel that Rege checked-in to examine his movements, the police are also checking whether he was in the city to organise any political rally or not. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A dictionary caught the attention of Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to the China National Archives of Publications and Culture last June. Versions of the Xinhua Dictionary published in the 1950s and 1960s were on display, with their pages having turned yellowish with age. The Chinese dictionary, a reference book with a large circulation, is among the most popular dictionaries in the world. "I've used these editions," Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, told those at the scene while looking at several editions of the dictionary on display, his words tinged with nostalgia. "I had such a dictionary in my pocket while working in the fields. During rest breaks, I would take it out to flip through a page or two, reading character by character," he recalled. The president was referring to his life since 1969, when he was sent from Beijing to work as a farmer at Liangjiahe, a village in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. He spent seven years there and left at the age of 22. "I would chew on the pronunciations and meanings of a character, figuring out the precise way to use the characters and phrases," he added. The recollections showed an avid reader who developed this hobby from childhood. Villagers in Liangjiahe still remember that Xi brought two suitcases full of books when he arrived in the village. During those years, the village had not yet been connected to the electricity grid. Xi read under a kerosene lamp. During his stay, Xi read nearly all the literary classics he could find. For once, he overheard that a young man from Beijing had a copy of "Faust." Xi walked a long way to borrow it. After reading "What Is to Be Done" by Nikolay Chernyshevsky, Xi emulated the protagonist to temper his will, removing the mattress and sleeping on a bare bed. In addition to literary books, the young Xi Jinping also delved into classics like "Das Kapital." By the time he entered college in 1975, he had read the book three times, filling 18 notebooks with his reflections. Decades later, he recalled a touching moment reading how Bishop Myriel helped Jean Valjean and changed his life in "Les Miserables," saying that "Great works always have such a great power to move readers." Xi's passion for reading has constantly remained since childhood. Quoting an ancient Chinese proverb, Xi once said, "One's life is limited, but knowledge is limitless." New Delhi: Amid the controversy over his "Congress wants to snatch women's Mangalsutra" remark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at the Congress party and the opposition alliance and reiterated that he had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people. Addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan's Tonk ahead of the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi said that his speech had created panic in the entire Congress and INDIA bloc. "When I came to Rajasthan the day before yesterday, I had presented some truths before the country in my 90-second speech. This has created panic in the entire Congress and INDI alliance," said the PM. "I had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people. I exposed their vote bank and appeasement politics. After all, why is Congress so afraid of the truth?" he added. #WATCH | Addressing a public gathering in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The day before yesterday in Rajasthan I put forth some truth in front of the country and the entire Congress and INDI alliance went into a panic. I put forth the truth pic.twitter.com/5eDjBfVjNR ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024 PM Modi also asked what would have happened if there was a Congress government at the centre after 2014. "In 2014, you allowed Modi to serve in Delhi. Then the country made decisions that no one had even imagined. But think about what would have happened even after 2014 and even today if there was a Congress government in Delhi. Had Congress been there, stones would have been pelted at our forces in Jammu and Kashmir even today. Had Congress been there, the enemies would have come from across the border. Had Congress been there, neither One Rank One Pension would have been implemented for our soldiers nor would our ex-servicemen have received Rs 1 lakh crore," he said. Further, sharpening his attacks, PM Modi said that the thinking of Congress has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics. "As soon as the Congress government was formed at the Centre in 2004, its first task was to reduce the reservation for SC/ST in Andhra Pradesh and give reservation to Muslims. This was a pilot project, which Congress wanted to try in the entire country. Between 2004 and 2010, Congress tried to implement Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh four times. But due to legal hurdles and the awareness of the Supreme Court, it could not fulfil its plans," PM Modi said. "The Constitution is completely against it. The right of reservation which Baba Saheb gave to Dalits, backward classes and tribals, Congress and INDI Alliance wanted to give it to Muslims based on religion. Amidst these conspiracies of Congress, Modi is today guaranteeing you from an open platform that reservations for Dalits, backward classes and tribals will neither be ended nor will be allowed to be divided in the name of religion. This is Modi's guarantee," he added. National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister of Jammu And Kashmir, Omar Abdullah launched a scathing attack on PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti and claimed that she was an ally of BJP when she was in power and always praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "When Mehbooba Mufti was an ally of the BJP and was in power, she always praised PM Modi. Why is she now opposing the BJP?" said Abdullah. All is not well in the India Bloc in Kashmir. Both the NC and PDP, members of the India Bloc, are targeting each other. Omar Abdullah, continuing his election campaign, targeted PDP President and Anantnag-Rajouri candidate Mehbooba Mufti, saying, "When Mehbooba Mufti was in power, she continuously praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and used to say he would solve all issues, but no issue has been resolved." Addressing supporters at multiple places in Shopian and Kulgam districts, Omar said, "When assembly elections were announced in 2015, the People's Democratic Party started talking with the Bharatiya Janata Party over government formation. However, the NC warned Mufti Mohammad Sayeed not to make the mistake of joining hands with the BJP and that we would unconditionally support you." "We told them that we don't need to be part of the government but will support you unconditionally to form the government for a full six years, but they used to laugh at us, saying that the NC just wants to stay in power," Omar claimed. "And when the BJP backed out from the alliance, we again offered unconditional support to the PDP and requested the then Governor not to allow horse-trading here," he added. Recalling the past, Omar said, "In 2018, Mehbooba sent Altaf Bukhari to us, and he was their CM candidate at that time. We again offered them unconditional support. Our intentions were genuine and selfless," he added. In an aggressive speech targeting Mehbooba, Omar said, "When there was destruction in Kashmir, what were you doing? When there was an opportunity for you to take care of the emotions of the people of J&K, what were you doing? At that time, you just used to praise Modi by saying that if anyone will solve the Kashmir issue in the world, that is Narendra Modi. Has he really solved our issues?" The former CM also said that the National Conference didn't join the INDIA bloc for seats. "Some people were part of the alliance just for seat sharing, and they parted away just by saying NC is selfish. If NC was selfish, then Congress would have gone with PDP," he said. Touching on broader issues, Omar replied to a recent PM Modi statement on Muslims, rejecting the notion that Muslims pose a threat to the Hindu majority, saying Muslims are just 14% of the country, how can they be a threat to the country. "In the rest of the country, slogans are being raised that 80 percent Hindus are under threat because of 14 percent Muslims. How is it possible?" he asked. "Muslims have never demanded what they deserve, and there isn't anything wrong in demanding their own rights," he added. Junior Abdullah was campaigning for NC candidate Mian Altaf, who is fighting PDP President Mehbooba Mufti in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, which is going to the polls on May 7, 2024. New: Thick plumes of smoke continued to rise at the Ghazipur landfill site even over 24 hours after a fire broke out there, leaving the locals gasping for breath and triggering a political blame game with the BJP accusing the AAP-led MCD of "criminal negligence". The Delhi government on Monday directed its environment department to submit a detailed report on the causes of the fire and an action plan to prevent similar incidents at such sites in the summer. In a late night statement, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said 90 per cent of the fire has been extinguished and around 40-50 small isolated flames remain in the 3,000 sqm area which saw the fire. The civic body said it has adopted a two-pronged approach to extinguish the fire -- use of inert and construction and demolition (C&D) waste to choke the fire, and using fire tenders to douse the flames. "Around 600 MT of inert and C&D waste was used to extinguish the fire. Sixteen excavators, two bulldozers and six fire tenders were pressed into service to stamp out the fire. Sprinklers are continually working to ensure that no dust or ash is spread in the neighbourhood," the statement said. "It is hoped that the fire will be extinguished completely in the night today. Men and machinery are continuously working in this direction," it added. The fire broke out at the landfill site in east Delhi on Sunday evening. Officials cited hot and dry weather conditions as the likely trigger for the fire. Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons in the matter. According to police, a case under Indian Penal Code sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) has been registered at Ghazipur police station and a probe has begun. Mayor Shelly Oberoi said the MCD will launch an inquiry into the incident. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that the AAP-led MCD's "criminal negligence" is responsible for the fire even as Oberoi, who visited the site, said this is not the time for politics. Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely also underlined the need to cast aside petty politics and said all stakeholders should join hands to douse the landfill fire as it has been causing serious air pollution and health problems for the people. In an order issued earlier in the day, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai directed the principal secretary, environment and forests, to submit a report on the cause of the fire within 48 hours. Rai directed the principal secretary that the report should cover all aspects related to the cause of the fire and immediate steps taken by various agencies to counter it. "During the previous years, such fire incidents were also reported. After visiting the sites, I have issued various directions to prevent such incidents in future. "Subsequently, the department issued some guidelines to various agencies responsible for preventing and combating such incidents. A report should be collected from all concerned regarding the compliance of such guidelines by all concerned agencies," the order said. It also sought details of the department's action plan to prevent such incidents at all landfill sites in Delhi during the summer. Earlier in the day, Ram Kumar from Gharoli village, which is close to the landfill site, said, "It has been 15 hours since the fire broke out. This is not any regular smoke, it is very poisonous. We are unable to keep our eyes open due to irritation and are experiencing difficulty in breathing." Several locals told PTI that due to the smoke, they were not able to send their children to school. They accused the MCD and the city government of not taking any action to ensure a better life for them. A local resident, Ilyas Khan, said, "It has been 15 years. Ministers visit us only during elections. But after that not a single one of them returns to find out if we are facing any problems. This landfill is a curse for us. We are forced to suffer foul smells every day. And now this fire has caused several health problems for us. Why do they (ministers) want us to die?" Rakesh Kumar, who suffers from cardiac ailments, said he had to move to his relative's place because he could not bear the suffocation any longer. "It is not just me, several people are leaving their homes due to the same reason," he said. Bilkis, another resident, said the landfill still sits where it does because politicians never fulfilled their promises. "Now they will be here again, showing their concern just to take votes. Nothing will happen," she said. Mehfuz said when he purchased a house in the area around 20 years ago, the landfill wasn't this high. "Why is the government not able to find any proper solution? We are even unable to send our children to school due to the smoke," he said. Ahead of the 2022 MCD elections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to clear the landfill site by December 31, 2023. In 2019, the height of the Ghazipur landfill was 65 metres, only eight metres less than the Qutub Minar. In 2017, a portion of the garbage at the dumping yard fell on an adjacent road, killing two people. Three incidents of fire were reported at the Ghazipur landfill in 2022, one of which, on March 28, took more than 50 hours to be doused. Islamabad: In a big diplomatic win for India, Iran's decision not to support Pakistan on Kashmir has once again dashed Islamabad's hopes of getting international support on the highly vexed issue. Amid heightened tensions in the Middle East region, particularly with Israel, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's ongoing visit to Pakistan also comes as a gentle reminder of shifting geopolitical alliances and the need to strengthen ties with time-tested allies like India. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's three-day visit to Pakistan comes at a time when tensions remain high in the Middle East after Iran launched its retaliatory attack against Israel this month. According to Pakistan's Foreign Office, the Iranian President is visiting the country to ''mend the strained ties'' months after both sides launched airstrikes against alleged terrorist hideouts on rival lands. Red Carpet Welcome For Raisi In Pakistan Upon his arrival in Pakistan, Raisi was received by Federal Minister for Housing and Works, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Pakistan's Ambassador to Iran, Ambassador Mudassir Tipu. The official statement issued by Pakistan's Foreign Office said that Raisi's visit would be the first visit by any Head of State to Pakistan after the general elections in February 2024. During his stay, President Raisi is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Sadiq. The Iranian President and the Pakistani leadership will discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism. The talks between the two sides will also focus on increasing the bilateral trade between the two Islamic neighbours. Interestingly, during his Pakistan visit, the Iranian President will also tour major cities including Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial leadership. Why Does Iranain President's Pakistan Visit Holds Significance? President Ebrahim Raisi's visit comes at a time when friction between Tehran and Tel Aviv has reached a flashpoint. Israel launched airstrikes against Iran's Isfahan province where there had been reports of explosions. This followed Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attacks against Israel last weekend. The retaliatory military strikes after an alleged Israeli attack on an Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus have raised global concerns of a potential war. Pakistan too has had high hopes with Raisi's visit, which aims at strengthening the ties between the two Islamic countries in the middle of the disturbances in the Middle East. Raisi and Pak PM Shareef will also discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism. Importantly, Iran is also facing sanctions from the United States for launching a drone attack against Israel. Though Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong bilateral ties anchored in history, culture and religion, Raisi's visit provides an important opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations. It may be recalled that Raisi is visiting Pakistan months after the cordial ties between the two neighbours suffered a setback when Tehran shocked Islamabad by carrying out airstrikes against alleged militant hideouts in the restive Balochistan province in January. Pakistan swiftly responded by using killer drones and rockets to carry out precision military strikes against what it called terrorist hideouts in Irans Siestan-Balochistan province, killing 9 people. However, the two sides acted fast to restrain tempers through diplomatic channels. Therefore, Raisi's visit is expected to further cement the bilateral ties. Among other issues, the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline also remains a major reason for Pakistan's tolerance of some key security issues with Iran. The pipeline was an old idea, but implementation began much later when Asif Ali Zardari was nearing the completion of his first term as president. Iran has built its part, but Pakistan is hesitant to proceed at its end, due to pressure from Saudi Arabia and the risk of debilitating US sanctions. Iran's Refusal To Support Pakistan On Kashmir Issue During their talks, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue, however, he failed to get the expected support from the Iranian president. Ebrahim Raisi, instead raised the Palestine issue outlining how Iran has continued to support those fighting against oppression. During the joint press conference, PM Shehbaz said, I thank you (Raisi) and the people of Iran for raising your voice for Kashmir. With this, the Pakistani Prime Minister tried to show that whoever is in power, Kashmir remains the main agenda for the Pakistanis. In a big insult to Pakistan, the Iranian leader did not acknowledge the line taken by the Pakistani PM, Shehbaz Sharif on Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370 by the Narendra Modi government in India. While Shehbaz intentionally raked up Kashmir, attempting to link the issue with Gaza and Palestine, no such mention was made by Raisi. This stance is similar to the approach taken by Saudi Arabia which earlier this month appeared to back Indias stance on Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement with Pakistan. It urged India and Pakistan to resolve their outstanding issues bilaterally. The two nations issued a joint statement after the meeting between Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Pakistans PM. India continues to reject all actions and statements by Pakistan on matters that are completely internal to India. There is a greater understanding among countries that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and that the matters related to it are internal to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said. Iran's Balancing Act On Kashmir The Iranian President's refusal to engage with the topic indicates Tehran's delicate balancing act as it pursues cordial relations with India. This is underscored by recent talks between India and Iran on Palestine, besides diplomatic and trade ties. The Indian Embassy last year outlined that Iran and India ''share a long history of meaningful relations''. The two sides also acknowledged the growing bilateral relations and high-level visits between the two nations. Importantly, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hosted his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in Tehran. Their discussions covered the violence in Palestine, as well as bilateral and multilateral ties with BRICS nations. Since Iran has bilateral ties with both India and Pakistan, maintaining a neutral stance on Kashmir is crucial. Besides, India and Iran have also reached a final agreement on the Chabahar Project. The new long-term agreement will replace the original contract, valid for ten years and automatically extended. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a two-day visit to Iran, discussed establishing a long-term cooperation framework and views on the International North-South Transport Corridor. New Delhi: Swiggy has introduced a new tool Smart Links which aims to assist restaurants of all sizes in boosting their online visibility and stimulate growth. With the help of this tool restaurants will receive personalized links for free which they can easily share on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. These links will direct customers straight to the restaurants menu page on Swiggy. This personalized feature will empower restaurants to increase orders with their online presence while connecting with a wider audience, according to Swiggy. For customers ordering from restaurants they discover online or on social media platforms will be a seamless one-click experience. It will provide restaurants with valuable insights into customer behavior such as actions taken after clicking on an ad, order placement, specific items ordered and timing of orders. (Also Read: Airtel Introduces New International Roaming Plans For 184 Countries With In-Flight Data Benefits) Swiggy reports that Smart Links has become a powerful tool for attracting new users with almost 60 percent of all Smart Links orders for a restaurant coming from first-time customers. Since its launch the food delivery platform has driven over 4 million menu sessions across 35,000 restaurant partners. (Also Read: Couple Stunned By Rs 1.1 Crore Phone Bill Post-Vacation: Read What Happened Next) Brands utilizing Smart Links have seen 25 percent of their menu sessions coming via Smart Links. Notably, during campaign periods brands utilizing Smart Links have witnessed menu visits exceeding 80 percent which resulted in significant gains in building brand visibility. New brands using Smart Links as a marketing tool have on average have witnessed a 120 percent increase in menu visits compared to others. They are twice as likely to receive a rating within the first 15 days of operation. Over 80 earthquakes, with the most powerful measuring 6.3 magnitude, rocked Taiwan's eastern coastline from Monday night through the early hours of Tuesday. As per Reuters, structures in northern, eastern, and western Taiwan, including Taipei, the capital, experienced swaying throughout the night, but no reports of damage or casualties emerged immediately. All the quakes were shallow in depth. These tremors follow a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the country earlier this month, claiming 14 lives. There have been more than 1,000 aftershocks since. Tuesdays quake had its epicentre near Hualien, about 28 kilometres south of the city. It happened about 10.7 kilometres deep underground. There were also six other quakes in the area, ranging from magnitude 4.5 to magnitude 6, all centred around Hualien, reported the Associated Press, citing the U.S. Geological Survey. Taiwan is no stranger to massive quakes; however, reports suggest that their impact on the island's 23 million residents has been relatively limited. These stats clearly showcase their exceptional preparedness. Taiwan maintains stringent construction regulations and conducts extensive public education initiatives on earthquake safety. Over 100 individuals lost their lives in a seismic event in southern Taiwan back in 2016, while in 1999, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Taiwan resulted in the tragic loss of 2,400 lives. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with a delegation of the Aspen Institute led by Joseph Nye, co-chair of the Aspen Strategy Group and professor emeritus at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, in Beijing on Tuesday. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on jointly implementing the consensus reached at the San Francisco summit between the heads of state of China and the United States and promoting the steady development of bilateral relations as well as on international and regional issues of common interest. PARIS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- At least five migrants died as they tried to cross the English Channel from France during the night from Monday to Tuesday, according to local media. Rescue operation is underway, with a large emergency device deployed on site, Reuters reported, citing local newspaper La Voix du Nord. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed that it is necessary to clarify powers and responsibilities for those working at the primary level to reduce their burdens. Xi made the remarks when he visited a community in Jiulongpo District on Monday during an inspection tour in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. He visited the public service center of the community, asking community workers about the services they are providing and their pay packages and work load to learn about the effect of reducing burdens at the community level in recent years. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the municipality's efforts in carrying out urban renewal projects and ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing while visiting a community in Jiulongpo District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 22, 2024. Xi inspected southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) By Alimat Aliyeva The world's oceans should not become a battlefield and a show of force, as history shows that the struggle for power at sea has brought only suffering to humanity, Azernews reports, citing a statement made by the Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Council of the People's Republic of China, Zhang Yuxia. The speech of the Chairman of the Military Council took place at the opening of the 19th Naval Symposium of the Western Pacific Ocean in the Chinese city of Qingdao (eastern Shandong Province). He stressed that the peaceful use of the ocean contributes to the development of mankind, while the struggle for its control brings only misfortune. The world's oceans should become a platform for peaceful coexistence and strengthening of common interests, and not for demonstrating strength and conflict. Today, global ocean governance is facing new challenges, and it is necessary to unite to ensure the safety and development of the ocean. The Chinese army has always supported international cooperation and fulfilled its obligations. The symposium discusses issues of global security, peace at sea, cooperation in the field of maritime security and international law of the maritime order. The participants strive for global ocean management and the maintenance of peace in the region. This screen shot taken on April 23, 2024 shows a sunken vessel in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province. A vessel on Monday night collided with a bridge in the city of Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, resulting in four people going missing. A preliminary investigation suggests that the accident may have been caused by incorrect operation of the vessel due to the influence of flooding from an upstream river, local authorities said on Tuesday.(Xinhua/Liu Dawei) GUANGZHOU, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A vessel on Monday night collided with a bridge in the city of Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, resulting in four people going missing. A preliminary investigation suggests that the accident may have been caused by incorrect operation of the vessel due to the influence of flooding from an upstream river, local authorities said on Tuesday. The ship, carrying over 4,900 tonnes of rolled steel, was traveling from Fuzhou, Fujian Province to the city of Heshan, Guangdong on Monday night. The vessel, which had a crew of 11 people, collided with the base of a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge at 9:20 p.m. and the cargo hold started taking on water. The ship later ran aground and finally sank at around 11:40 p.m. Seven of the crew members were rescued, while the other four remain missing, according to the city's emergency management department. As of 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, the local government had coordinated maritime, fishery and social rescue forces in dispatching 32 vessels and more than 400 personnel to participate in search and rescue efforts. Further investigation of the incident is underway. Experts quickly conducted a preliminary assessment of the bridge and found no obvious damage to the main structure. However, there were abrasions on the pillar -- requiring further safety assessments. Rescuers discuss the salvage plan of a sunken vessel in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, April 23, 2024. A vessel on Monday night collided with a bridge in the city of Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, resulting in four people going missing. A preliminary investigation suggests that the accident may have been caused by incorrect operation of the vessel due to the influence of flooding from an upstream river, local authorities said on Tuesday.(Xinhua/Liu Dawei) This photo taken on April 23, 2024 shows the Jiujiang Bridge in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province. A vessel on Monday night collided with a bridge in the city of Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, resulting in four people going missing. A preliminary investigation suggests that the accident may have been caused by incorrect operation of the vessel due to the influence of flooding from an upstream river, local authorities said on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) This photo taken on April 23, 2024 shows the Jiujiang Bridge in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province. A vessel on Monday night collided with a bridge in the city of Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, resulting in four people going missing. A preliminary investigation suggests that the accident may have been caused by incorrect operation of the vessel due to the influence of flooding from an upstream river, local authorities said on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) This photo taken on April 23, 2024 shows the collided point at a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge based on preliminary investigation, in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province. A vessel on Monday night collided with a bridge in the city of Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, resulting in four people going missing. A preliminary investigation suggests that the accident may have been caused by incorrect operation of the vessel due to the influence of flooding from an upstream river, local authorities said on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) GUIYANG, April 23 (Xinhua) -- After many years, Cheng Mingliang, 67, former vice president and tenured professor of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, came back to Yuzhang Town and was amazed to see the improvement in medical and living conditions of local villagers. Yuzhang is located in Xingren City, Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qianxinan, southwest China's Guizhou Province. It was listed as one of the arsenic poisoning areas caused by coal burning. From the 1960s to the 1980s, small coal mines were scattered all over the town, producing coal with high arsenic content. Due to poor economic conditions and outdated production, local residents mined coal at will and used open stoves to burn coal for heating, cooking, and food drying. As a result, arsenic entered the human body through the respiratory tract, skin, and digestive tract, leading to arsenic poisoning. A few grams of arsenic could be fatal to one's life. According to Cheng, arsenic poisoning could injure many systems and organs of humans and, most typically, result in skin lesions. Severe cases may include liver cirrhosis, ascites, and various tumors. Zhou Yunshu, 69, an expert at the Qianxinan prefecture's disease control and prevention center, has been engaged in endemic disease prevention and control for nearly 30 years. Zhou recalled that in 1976, hundreds of villagers in Yuzhang Town had skin hyperkeratosis and had difficulty walking and moving their hands and feet joints. Controlling the source was the key to preventing and controlling the disease. The researchers recommended that coal mines with high arsenic content be closed or blown up and that all patients receive arsenic removal treatment. The local government also assisted local villagers in improving their stoves, installing chimneys to their houses. They also conducted various forms of publicity to raise awareness about the hazards, aiming to help residents in the affected areas change their unhealthy living habits. Since the late 1990s, Cheng's team has often gone to Xingren to collect blood, urine, hair, and other samples from local patients to carry out research on the pathogenic mechanism and distribute free drugs to alleviate their pain. Arsenic poisoning in Guizhou has caught the attention of experts in the United States, Japan, and Canada. In 2005, Cheng hosted a research project with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the United States to initiate molecular biology research and find effective measures. According to the provincial disease control and prevention center, no new cases of arsenic poisoning caused by coal burning have been reported in Guizhou since 2006. "There were no patients in the next generation, which was the best effect," said Zhou. In Yuzhang Town, villagers no longer burn coal but instead use natural gas and induction cookers. Zhang Wengang, Party chief of Yuzhang, said that the town had developed agricultural industries such as chili, coix seed, tea, and cattle raising. In 2022, the pepper processing plant of the town was officially put into use, which could dry 25 tonnes of fresh peppers in a single day. Last year, the per capita net income of the town's residents who had been lifted out of poverty reached more than 17,000 yuan (about 2,353 U.S. dollars). In recent years, local medical equipment and the environment have also greatly improved. The health center, currently equipped with color ultrasound machines and electrocardiographs is capable of treating common diseases. When facing difficult and complex diseases, doctors can apply for remote consultation with superior hospitals to help villagers seek medical treatment nearby. CAIRO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Suez Canal rescue teams prevented a cargo ship from sinking before passing through the waterway, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said on Tuesday. Twelve crew members on the rescued Tanzanian-flagged LABATROS cargo ship were safe, the SCA said in a statement. An inspection of the vessel's technical conditions is underway to find out what caused the sinking and to contain any possible marine pollution, the statement added. The 3,000-ton ship was coming from Lebanon and heading to Al-Adabiya Port on the western coast of the Suez Gulf. The Suez Canal, carrying 12 percent of global trade, is a crucial source of foreign currency for Egypt. PARIS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- At least five people died while trying to cross the English Channel to Britain off the coast of northern France on Monday night, French media reported. It is unknown how many migrant boats attempted to set sail during the night. The attempts turned into a tragedy, and at least five people died, reported French daily La Voix du Nord, adding that a major rescue was underway offshore and on the beach of Wimereux. The region around Calais in northern France is the jumping-off point for the shortest crossing to Britain. In 2023, about 36,000 people made the dangerous crossing in small boats, according to figures by the French maritime authorities. BEIRUT, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The damage caused by Israel to the agricultural field and other sectors in southern Lebanon is worth over 3 billion U.S. dollars, said Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan on Tuesday. Hajj Hassan said the ministry updates daily a map that includes direct and indirect damage caused by Israeli attacks in the southern villages and towns, reported the National News Agency. The minister said it is impossible to obtain a scientific answer as to whether Israeli attacks harmed the soil of the south until necessary studies are carried out after a ceasefire. "We formed a committee ready to study this soil as soon as the Israeli attacks stop," he said, adding that the ministry will plant ten trees for every tree burned by the "enemy." He added that there is also a plan to develop the fish sector with Norwegian funding of about two million U.S. dollars, calling for Arab investment in Lebanese agricultural projects. 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. In the Sundanese culture of West Java, bamboo represents freedom. That's why the West Java People's Struggle Monument is erected with bamboo-shaped stone pillars. It marks the oppressed Asians' awakening and the Indonesians' increasingly louder calls for independence. Produced by Xinhua Global Service JERUSALEM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Tuesday ordered residents of the city of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate "urgently" ahead of a new planned onslaught in the area. "You are in a dangerous combat zone," Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), wrote in Arabic on the social media platform X. He stated that the army has an imminent plan to "act with great force" against militant infrastructures in the area. "For your safety, evacuate immediately," he urged. Israeli attacks intensified on Tuesday, with reports of intense strikes in the northern regions, where the IDF had previously pulled back some of its forces, as well as in central and southern areas. Earlier on Tuesday, four rockets were fired from Gaza toward Sderot, a city in southern Israel, triggering air raid sirens but causing no injuries, according to Israeli rescue services. A garage caught fire due to remnants of an interceptor missile launched at the rockets, according to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has risen to 34,183, mostly civilians, according to the enclave's Health Ministry's statement on Tuesday. CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- In Chongqing, a bustling inland metropolis in southwest China, lies a place called "Tuanjiecun," meaning "united village." Indeed, it serves as a vital link "uniting" the world through an extensive rail network that stretches in all directions: west, east, north, and south. At Tuanjiecun Station, spanning over 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares), over a dozen train tracks sprawl across the landscape. Bright orange cranes diligently maneuver containers labeled with characters reading "China-Europe Freight Train" and "New Land-Sea Corridor," referring to two pivotal freight rail routes connecting Chongqing with over 100 European and Southeast Asian cities. These containers at the station accommodate a diverse assortment of goods -- over 10,000 varieties -- either arriving in or departing from China. Among them are new energy vehicles, digital gadgets, mechanical equipment, and light industrial products manufactured in China, as well as cargo from around the world, such as whole cars, medicine, medical equipment, and commodities such as agricultural products. In 2023, Tuanjiecun Station's total round-trip cargo volume of international transportation routes reached about 250,000 TEU containers, according to Wang Haixiang from China Railway Container Transportation Co., Ltd. WHERE IT STARTS The everyday hustle and bustle at Tuanjiecun Station was unimaginable before 2011. That year, the inaugural China-Europe freight train, ready for a 15-day journey to Germany, sounded its horn for departure in Tuanjiecun, then a modest train stop nestled amid farmlands. The pivotal moment unfolded Tuanjiecun's remarkable transformation into a world-class freight logistics hub, spearheading Chongqing's ambition to become a key gateway for the vast inland western region of China to engage with the world. Yet, success didn't come overnight. In its early years of operation, a challenge loomed over the long-term success of the China-Europe freight train service: freight train carriages filled with Chongqing-made laptops departed from Tuanjiecun heading west but returned empty. "That situation posed a cost burden and, more importantly, hindered the China-Europe freight train service from growing into a key international logistics transportation channel," said Zhang Luyao from Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of China-Europe freight train service in Chongqing. However, Zhang noted that foreign exporters' skepticism toward the China-Europe freight train service at that time was totally "justifiable." "It must take time to prove that our service is reliable." Three years after the inaugural journey to Germany, the first cargo train laden with high-end European goods arrived at Tuanjiecun Station. As the China-Europe freight train service gained credibility as a viable alternative to air or sea freight, its popularity surged among foreign exporters. Today, the daily average of China-Europe freight trains leaving and arriving in Chongqing is around 10 in the first quarter of 2024, which is a stark contrast with the 17 trains in the entire year of 2011. Furthermore, each train that returns from Europe is fully loaded. "The two-way flow of goods is a testament to our service's growing influence," Zhang said. WHERE IT IS HEADING Over the past decade, Tuanjiecun Station's role has expanded significantly, bridging China's western hinterland with the global market. In 2014, the northward Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia railway freight service was opened. Three years later, the inaugural cargo train departed from Tuanjiecun, bound for Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's Qinzhou port in the south. This marked the inauguration of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, linking the inland region with Southeast Asia. In 2018, a new international freight service utilizing a sea-rail combined transport route commenced operations in Tuanjiecun. This development streamlined the flow of goods between western China and the global market via the eastern port city of Ningbo. The launch of the China-Laos Railway in 2021 has brought Tuanjiecun even closer to ASEAN countries. Consequently, an increasing amount of fruit and other agricultural products from Southeast Asia can now reach the Chinese market. Jiang Tong, a veteran train driver at Tuanjiecun Station who drove the inaugural China-Europe freight train, has spent the past decades on the freight train tracks. With only months left before his retirement, Jiang reflected on his years of service with pride. "With my hand on the lever, China embraces the world, and the world reaches China," Jiang said. PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia have pledged to further build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era and jointly promote free, open, equal, inclusive and universally beneficial multilateralism and economic globalization. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, wrapped up his three-day official visit to Cambodia on Tuesday, during which he met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister Hun Manet, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, and co-chaired the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee with Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol. Both sides agreed that Cambodia and China are ironclad friends that stand by each other and help each other in times of difficulty. Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, the two sides have deepened and substantiated their efforts to build the China-Cambodia community with a shared future. Both sides have also enriched the "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, and made positive progress in building the "Industrial and Technological Corridor" as well as the "Fish and Rice Corridor," bringing tangible benefits to the two nations. The two sides also agreed to fully leverage the coordinating role of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee to further build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era and jointly promote free, open, equal, inclusive and universally beneficial multilateralism and economic globalization. The Chinese side reiterated support for Cambodia's choice of development path that suits the Cambodian national conditions and its efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. China also reiterated firm opposition to external interference in Cambodia's internal affairs. The Cambodian side reaffirmed its commitment to the one-China policy and its recognition that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Cambodia opposes any attempt to use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs, opposes any form of "Taiwan independence," firmly supports all China's efforts to achieve national reunification, and will not develop any form of official relations with Taiwan. The two sides agreed to strengthen defence cooperation, continue to hold joint exercises and training, advance collaboration in such fields as medical services and logistics, personnel training and mine clearance, and jointly fight cross-border crimes such as online gambling, telecom fraud and drug trafficking. Both sides agreed to deepen synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I, expedite the formulation of the cooperation plan for the "Industrial and Technological Corridor," advance the preliminary planning and design of the China-Cambodia Railway, and deliver on the Chinese Agricultural Demonstration Center and other early harvest projects of the "Fish and Rice Corridor." The two sides will ensure high-quality implementation of the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, promote imports of Cambodian agricultural products to China, and encourage more Chinese businesses to invest in Cambodia. Both sides agreed to take the opportunity of the China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year to encourage greater tourism exchange between the two countries, increase two-way flights, support Cambodia in tapping its tourism and cultural resources, and carry out more substantive exchanges between youths, localities and friendship groups. Cambodia will support the China Cultural Center in resuming its operation in Cambodia. Also, both sides reiterated their readiness to cooperate under the framework of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and further enhance coordination and collaboration within such platforms as Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and China-ASEAN cooperation. Both sides agreed that it serves the common interests of regional countries to safeguard the hard-won peace and stability, and promote development and prosperity in the region. Both sides stressed their commitment to fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and advancing the negotiation on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea for its early conclusion. The two sides also signed cooperation documents in areas including infrastructure, inspection and quarantine. The 46th fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy sets sail from a military port in Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 21, 2024. (Photo by Yang Jie/Xinhua) BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Min Jiangtao, a 34-year-old junior officer in China's navy, has witnessed the launch of all three aircraft carriers of China, dubbed Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian. About seven decades ago when the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy had just been established, then naval commander Xiao Jinguang had to take a fishing boat to inspect Liugong Island, about 2.1 nautical miles from the coast of China's Shandong Province, a fact recorded in a stele inscription on the island. This year marks the 75th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy. Over the decades, the PLA Navy has undergone steady development, starting from scratch and growing into a strategic force consisting of five services, armed with both nuclear and conventional weapons. Poised to become a world-class naval force, the PLA Navy is determined to gain the capability to fulfill its missions and tasks in the new era, and to contribute more to maintaining peace in the world. TOWARD A WORLD-CLASS NAVY The PLA Navy's weaponry and equipment development has come a long way. In the early days of the establishment of the navy, the total tonnage of its vessels was just a few thousand tonnes, which was less than a single destroyer in the navy of a major power. The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 marked the start of a "golden period" for the navy's development. The achievements included the launching of the first amphibious assault ship independently developed by China in September 2019 and the commissioning of the new 10,000-tonne destroyer Nanchang in January 2020. In June 2022, the first ejection aircraft carrier independently designed and built by China, the Fujian, was launched and named. COMMITMENT TO PEACE The Chinese Navy owes its development to peace and is going beyond the national borders for peace. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, a commerce and trade hub in east China's Zhejiang Province, has witnessed the many departures of the Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" on its various humanitarian missions. The ship has provided medical services for more than 290,000 patients from 45 countries and regions since its commissioning in 2008. As the main maritime force of the country, the PLA Navy plays an active role in maritime public affairs, maintaining maritime peace, tranquility and order, while continuously providing public security products to the international community. In April 2023, the Chinese navy participated in the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Sudan following the outbreak of armed conflict in the country. It was the third overseas evacuation of civilians carried out by the Chinese navy in recent years, following two previous operations in Libya and Yemen in 2011 and 2015, respectively. During the overseas evacuation of civilians, the Chinese navy demonstrated its commitment to international humanitarian assistance by helping hundreds of foreigners leave the crisis-torn countries. Over the years, the Chinese navy has been active in carrying out the country's assistance to other countries, including delivering 960 tonnes of fresh water to the Maldives during a water crisis caused by a fire incident in 2014, and sailing over 5,200 nautical miles to assist in disaster relief efforts in the wake of a volcanic eruption in Tonga in 2022. In the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia, Chinese naval ships have been carrying out vessel protection operations since December 2008. Over the years, 46 consecutive fleets with over 150 vessels of the PLA Navy have joined the efforts, escorting more than 7,200 Chinese and foreign vessels, helping transform the area once known as "the world's most dangerous area" into a "golden waterway." The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) is being held in east China's port city of Qingdao, gathering delegations from 29 countries. This is the second time the WPNS has been held in China after the country first hosted the event in 2014. Addressing the opening event on Monday, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that China's armed forces have actively participated in international cooperation of maritime security and provided maritime public security goods, adding that China will play a more positive and open role in international military cooperation. By Ulviyya Shahin The main command center of the coast guard department of Azerbaijans State Border Service has stopped an Iranian-owned boat in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, and detainees are reported, Azernews reports, citing the press service of the State Border Service. Unknown vessels were spotted in the Alat direction. The border ship guarding the state border began pursuing the detected target, the coast guard units were notified and urgent measures were taken to close the coastline. To stop the target detected by the border ship, and a warning fire was carried out. As a result of patrolling by border ships of the coast guard, coastal control units, including helicopters and drones of the Special Air Operations Forces in a southern direction in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, a boat belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran with two crew members was detained. People look at a model of rocket engine at an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) A visitor poses for a photo with a model of core module of space station at an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen) A visitor tries a VR parachute at an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen) A man visits an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen) A woman takes photos at an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) A man visits an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo shows a satellite model at an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) A man visits an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) People visit an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen) This photo shows the "Gaofen-5" satellite model at an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) People visit an exhibition on aerospace in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 23, 2024. The exhibition, as a part of the celebration of the Space Day of China this year, features science popularization and achievements of aerospace industry, exposing visitors to a comprehensive view of China's aerospace industry and its accomplishments in recent years. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon, with the aerospace industry achievements exhibition area opening until April 27 and the science popularization area opening until May 5. (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen) TEHRAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday criticized the European Union's recent decision to expand sanctions on Tehran. In a post on social media platform X, Amir-Abdollahian said, "It is regrettable to see the EU deciding quickly to apply more unlawful restrictions against Iran just because the country exercised its right to self-defense in the face of Israel's reckless aggression." The Iranian top diplomat made the remarks after the EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday to broaden the bloc's sanctions on Iran in response to the country's massive retaliatory military operation against Israel earlier this month. He called on the EU not to follow Washington's advice to satisfy the Israeli regime, adding it was also regrettable that while Israel continued its attacks against the Palestinians through "different war crimes, missile attacks and famine," the EU's response to such crimes is "almost nothing more than hollow words." Amir-Abdollahian urged the EU to act responsibly and impose sanctions on Israel. The EU's sanctions seek to curtail the exports of EU-made components to Iran, which are used in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missiles. Last week, the United States announced a series of new sanctions targeting leaders and entities associated with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Defense Ministry, and missile and drone program. On April 18, Britain also announced new sanctions on seven individuals and six entities who it said "enabled Iran to conduct destabilizing regional activity, including its direct attack on Israel." On April 14, Iran launched a missile and drone attack on Israel in response to the Israeli airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital Damascus on April 1, which killed seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will begin his second China visit in less than a year. His first stop is Shanghai, where the historic Shanghai Communique was issued 52 years ago. This document marked the inception of normalized relations between China and the United States. It demonstrated that two major countries with distinct social systems could find common ground and strive for peaceful coexistence. As a major follow-up to the recent phone talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden, Blinken's visit is expected to help stabilize bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, as embodied in the Communique. There has been a notable shift in the bilateral dynamic since his last visit in June 2023, reflecting a departure from a historic low point a year ago. Bilateral relations is beginning to stabilize after the San Francisco summit between the two heads of state last year. However, plenty of animosity remains, primarily fueled by Washington's adherence to a zero-sum mindset and framing China as a threat. A healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship requires the right perception of each other and tangible actions from both sides, consistent with the consensus of two heads of state. The relationship between China and the United States has encountered substantial headwinds in recent years. Blame U.S. politicians, whose perceptions of China as a long-term strategic competitor and "most consequential geopolitical challenge" are deeply flawed. Rather than seeing China as a "legitimate contender," as recently argued by the online news magazine The Diplomat, Washington's fear of China's growth has passed the point of rationality. This irrational fear of China's growth has led Washington to adopt increasingly antagonistic policies and rhetoric, further straining bilateral relations. Undoubtedly, there is competition between China and the United States, particularly in economic and trade area. However, China does not accept the notion that their ties should be solely defined by competition, as this narrative does not encapsulate the entirety or essence of the world's most important bilateral relationship. Meanwhile, any competition must have clear boundaries and be fair. It should be conducted within established rules and refrain from undermining the developmental capacities and legitimate rights of others. China aspires to healthy competition that fosters mutual improvement, not rivalry aimed at mutual destruction. Blinken's forthcoming visit to China follows closely on the heels of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's second trip to China within a year. In fact, since the San Francisco summit, China and the United States have engaged in significant exchanges across multiple levels and fields, with the two militaries resuming communication and dialogues. China remains committed to open dialogue and communication with the United States. However, Washington must recognize that dialogue must be based on equality and respect, and actions must align with words. Engaging in one-sided lecturing or manipulating from a position of strength will not lead to constructive dialogue with China. Based on equality and mutual respect, China is willing to cooperate more with the United States. However, it is unrealistic for Washington to anticipate unconditional cooperation from China while simultaneously undermining China's core interests. The Taiwan question is at the heart of China's core interests, and the one-China principle is the cornerstone of the political foundation for China-U.S. relations. The U.S. side must adhere to the one-China principle and the provisions in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, and turn U.S. President Joe Biden's commitment not to support "Taiwan independence" into concrete actions. Blinken's visit comes at a time of joint drills between the United States and the Philippines in the South China Sea, an unnecessarily provocative display of military power that only exacerbates regional tensions. Washington's recent claim of "ironclad" defense commitment to the Philippines has sent a wrong message and emboldened the Philippines' confrontational approach. China firmly opposes the U.S. meddling in the South China Sea issue and sowing discord between China and its neighbors. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests are inviolable, and China is firm in its resolve to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and the two largest economies, China and the United States bear special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Amid the prolonged Ukraine crisis, China upholds an objective and impartial position, actively promoting peace talks and political resolutions while committing to constructive engagement. Washington, however, must confront its role in exacerbating the crisis and stop incessant and baseless blame-shifting against China. The trajectory of China-U.S. relations carries profound implications for the welfare of both nations' people and the global community. Despite mutual aversion to confrontation, the imperative now lies in translating this consensus into substantive actions. DOHA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Qatar is undergoing reassessment of its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas in the ongoing Gaza conflict due to "campaigns against Qatar," said a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday. These campaigns by various media outlets and officials were aimed at "attacking Qatar's role as a mediator," said Majed Al-Ansari at a media briefing. They are "using false information to justify such attacks," he added. Qatar has come under criticism from some Israeli and U.S. politicians, who have accused the Gulf state of being too close to the militant organization. Doha has repeatedly pushed back against the accusations since the onset of the conflict. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating the release of hostages have reached an impasse. "We are waiting to see if any changes in the positions of both sides will lead to further negotiations," the spokesperson said. Since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, Qatar has been making mediation efforts between the two warring parties. UNITED NATIONS, April 23(Xinhua) - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday debated the use of veto power in the Security Council, just ahead of the second anniversary of a special measure implemented to oversee its application. This discussion came shortly after the United States vetoed Palestine's application for full UN membership last week. UNGA president Dennis Francis highlighted that the Security Council has struggled to address critical peace and security issues collectively in areas including the Gaza Strip, Mali, Syria, Ukraine, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "At this precarious time of heightened geopolitical tensions and when ongoing and emerging crises demand our urgent and decisive action, it would be a derogation of our duty as the General Assembly if we stood idle and allowed the unrestrained use of the veto to paralyze not only the council itself but the United Nation's ability to respond efficiently to questions of peace and security," he said. The veto power, a special voting right, is held by the five permanent members of the Security Council - China, France, Russia, Britain, and the United States. If any one of these nations casts a negative vote, the resolution or decision is automatically defeated. During Tuesday's debate, many ambassadors pointed out that the veto has been used six times in as many months regarding Palestine and the ongoing war in Gaza, with some calling for urgent council reform that would further limit or even eliminate the veto privilege. Opening the debate, Francis said the world body and the council are expected "to work in unison and dedicated to one overarching purpose: saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war" and that the "veto initiative," approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 76/262, is "a significant breakthrough to involve the entire membership on these issues." Underlining the pronounced contrast between the urgent need for decisive action and the prevailing inaction, which undermines the UN's work and credibility, he said that perhaps, despite council deadlock being unacceptable, it is precisely for the reason of its state of paralysis that "we must ramp up momentum." "If we do nothing, questions on continued relevance of the United Nations will escalate, and public confidence in this institution will increasingly dwindle, with each veto cast perceived as our collective failure to act." Since the UN's inception, vetoes have been used 320 times. Vetoes have been used 13 times since the General Assembly adopted a resolution designed to foster greater cooperation with the Security Council following Russia's special military operations in Ukraine in early 2022. Introduced by Liechtenstein, the resolution mandates that any use of the veto power in the Security Council automatically prompts a meeting and debate within the General Assembly. This procedure is designed to allow UN member states to scrutinize the veto usage and make recommendations. As with all Assembly resolutions, they carry moral and political weight, but are non-binding and do not generally carry the force of international law, unlike some measures agreed by the Security Council. Many of the more than 50 ambassadors at Tuesday's debate highlighted cases of veto use, with some permanent council members defending their right to the privilege. Deputy permanent representative of Russia Dmitry Polyanskiy said the United States has used its veto four times to ensure Israel remains "unimpeded" in its operations in Gaza and regarding Palestine's bid for UN membership and continues to do so, contrary to the will of the majority of UN member states. However, Russia and China's veto of a U.S. draft allowed the council to adopt a resolution tabled days later by its 10 non-permanent members, calling for a ceasefire for Ramadan. "Accordingly, it was the only right thing to do, and it reflected the will of the overwhelming majority of members of the international community," he said. "That situation is the best possible response to those that criticize the existence of the veto for permanent members." The veto right is the "cornerstone" of the entire UN architecture, and without it, the council would become "an organ that rubberstamped dubious decisions imposed by a circumstantial majority that would be practically impossible to implement," he said, adding that a veto is "the most extreme measure" when other options have been exhausted and an inalienable right, and its use does not violate anything. GAZA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- More than a million residents in the Gaza Strip have lost their homes and 75 percent of the population in the Palestinian coastal enclave have been displaced since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict 200 days ago, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday. "Destruction is everywhere in Gaza. Damage to critical infrastructure is immense," UNRWA wrote in a post on social media platform X. In a recorded speech marking the 200th day of the conflict, Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, accused Israel of impeding mediation efforts for a ceasefire. "Israel is trying to escape from all of its promises in negotiations and wants to buy more time," he said, adding that there will be no compromise on the basic rights of the Palestinian people. These include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the blockade, and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes. Israeli media reported on Monday that preparations were underway to expand the humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip ahead of a possible Israeli attack on the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah. Hebrew Public Radio said that the new humanitarian zone will extend from the southern town of Al-Mawasi along the coastal strip to the outskirts of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip and will be able to accommodate about one million displaced people. According to the report, five field hospitals have been established in the area, supplementing the existing hospitals in operation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to intensify military and political pressure on Hamas in the coming days. Netanyahu repeatedly threatened to launch an attack on Rafah, as it is the last "stronghold" of Hamas. Rafah is the last refuge for more than 1.4 million Palestinians who were displaced from the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. As of Tuesday, a total of 34,183 Palestinians have been killed and 77,143 others injured in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli attacks, according to figures published by the Hamas-run Health Ministry. BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of bookworms tuned in to Xinhua's livestream interview with teacher-turned-influencer Dong Yuhui on the eve of World Reading Day. Dong, known for his engaging talks, encyclopedic knowledge and witty ad-libs, shared his personal story and thoughts on reading. "Inside books, we can find the most intense feelings, the most profound wisdom, the loftiest moral sentiments and the highest aspiration of human beings," said Dong during the show. The quote quickly circulated online and featured in media headlines. The 31-year-old influencer, who was born in rural Shaanxi Province, is now very popular on China's video-sharing platform Douyin. He serves as a senior partner of New Oriental's e-commerce unit East Buy. As an enthusiastic book-lover since childhood, Dong has always peppered his livestream sessions with anecdotes and quotes from renowned figures in human history, ranging from Confucius to William Shakespeare, from ancient Chinese poet Du Fu to Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez. "I am reading with teacher Dong right now. So thankful that you inspire me to read paper books once again," one netizen from Guangdong Province wrote in the interview's comment section on Weibo. Two years ago, Dong was still an ordinary livestreamer pitching agricultural products to online consumers on East Buy's Douyin channel, which was grappling with a lukewarm market response and stagnating subscriber numbers. During a show in early June 2022, Dong cited German philosophers Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and shared with the audience British philosopher Bertrand Russel's famous quote -- "Three passions, simply but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind." Over 10,000 viewers watched that show, catapulting Dong to unexpected stardom. Within half a month, the tally of subscribers to the channel surpassed 10 million, boosted by Dong's popular shows. According to a report of East Buy, its net profit in fiscal year 2023 reached 971 million yuan (about 136.64 million U.S. dollars), with 10 billion yuan of gross merchandise volume. "Put down the mobile phone and enjoy the fragrance of books. In the past two years, my biggest takeaway from Dong Yuhui's livestream channel is to fall in love with books and awaken my love of reading," said a viewer from Sichuan. In January, New Oriental launched a new Douyin channel for Dong, which currently has over 18 million subscribers. Books and magazines are a major category on the new channel's window display. Thanks to Dong's recommendation in various shows, "The Last Quarter of the Moon," written by Chinese novelist Chi Zijian, has sold nearly 3 million copies through the channel. In the interview on April 22, Dong also weighed in on the question of how books can change a person's life. "The life that we refer to here cannot be merely defined by results -- what kind of job you can get, whether it is decent and well-paid or not, or how much profit you can get from reading. That is too narrow a definition. In our life, we read to enlighten ourselves." ADDIS ABABA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has expressed serious concern about the escalating challenges of terrorism and violent extremism affecting the African continent. "Terrorism and violent extremism are the biggest evils of our time -- spreading to all the five regions of Africa," the AU Commission chief told a high-level meeting on counter-terrorism in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Monday, according to an AU statement. Faki referred to the scourge of terrorism in Africa as "a form of metastasis," as he highlighted the concerning situations in the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes Region, the Sahel, and parts of northern Africa. Data from the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism at the AU indicated a substantial increase in both the frequency and lethal nature of terrorist attacks in 2023. According to the center, an average of eight terrorism incidents and 44 fatalities occurred daily in Africa during the course of 2023, compared to a lower average of four attacks and 18 victims per day between 2017 and 2021. Faki said the stark situation "underscores our collective and urgent need to re-evaluate our counter-terrorism strategies to effectively address our vulnerabilities and shortcomings in the face of this growing phenomenon." He further stressed that AU members must translate their anti-terrorism commitments into actions so as to fully realize the continental vision articulated at the Malabo Summit on terrorism back in 2022. Faki called on African countries to introduce innovative approaches and concerted efforts in the fight against terrorism. "However, we cannot understand that elsewhere in the world, coalitions to fight against terrorism were established and that similar efforts are not made in, at least, one of the five regions in Africa, where the destructive phenomenon is ravaging human lives, infrastructures and institutions," he said. NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The second edition of the Kenya Power E-Mobility Conference opened in the capital of Nairobi on Tuesday as the East African country seeks to accelerate the adoption of green modes of transportation. The two-day e-mobility conference organized by Kenya Power, the state-owned electricity distributor, brought together more than 200 delegates, including government officials, donors, and e-mobility experts from around the world, to explore innovative and transformative solutions to decarbonize the transport sector. In his opening remarks, Alex Wachira, principal secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, said the transportation sector is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about 13 percent of total emissions. "E-mobility is the most appropriate opportunity available to contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation and air pollution reduction, enabling the country to meet the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments and the national climate change action plan," Wachira said. Joy Brenda Masinde, chairperson of Kenya Power, said the country, with its abundant renewable energy resources, is uniquely positioned to lead the charge toward e-mobility. She noted that increased adoption of e-mobility will not only decarbonize the transportation sector, but also reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve energy security. Kenya developed a framework for electric vehicle charging and battery swapping infrastructure in September 2023 to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and ensure the establishment of safe, reliable, accessible, and affordable charging services. As of December 2023, EVs accounted for 1.62 percent of the 165,913 vehicles registered in Kenya that year, with the country aiming to reach 5 percent by 2025, according to Kenya's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. Firearms were found in the Aghdara district, Azernews reports, citing the Barda regional group of the Press Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The police officers found 2 assault rifles, 2 pistols, 15 magazines, 2 helmets, 2 body armor, 1 bayonet, and 534 bullets in the territory of Aghdara city. An investigation is underway. NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The number of people displaced by the armed clashes in northern Ethiopia has reached more than 50,000, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs late Monday, citing local authorities. The displaced population includes 42,000 in Kobo, North Wello, and 8,300 in Sekota, Wag Hamra zones. "The humanitarian situation is dire, with thousands of women and children in need of broad humanitarian support to survive," said the UN. ADDIS ABABA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The number of people displaced by armed clashes from rural areas in the north of Ethiopia has increased to more than 50,000 since April 13, according to local authorities, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Monday. In a situation report issued on Monday, UNOCHA disclosed that most of the displaced people -- mostly women, children, and the elderly -- are still seeking refuge in the towns of Kobo and Sekota in the Amhara region. The humanitarian situation is dire, with thousands of women and children in need of broad humanitarian support to survive. Government and humanitarian partners have started providing food and health services, which remain inadequate due to limited resources. On April 13 and 14, armed clashes occurred in Alamata town in northern Ethiopia. An undetermined number of casualties were reported, while many civilians reportedly fled towards neighboring Kobo and Sekota, said UNOCHA in a previous report. JUBA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations in South Sudan said on Tuesday that it has started reducing peacekeeping patrols and support for peace and electoral processes after the South Sudanese government blocked UN-contracted trucks carrying fuel and other imports into the country. The move was in response to the transitional unity government imposing new taxes on trucks contracted by the UN, an alleged violation of the legal framework governing UN operations in the country. "The United Nations in South Sudan is gravely concerned that the government of South Sudan is impeding the importation of fuel and other critical supplies by UN-contracted trucks, which is disrupting peacekeeping, humanitarian, and development activities in support of communities across the country," Nicholas Haysom, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said in a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Haysom said although the government has acknowledged that the taxation and subsequent blocking of trucks are inconsistent with its obligations, taxes are still being demanded at the point of origin. He called on the government to release the vehicles so that the UN can continue supporting South Sudan in its transition from conflict to peace and democracy. The UN official revealed that the situation has already had a negative impact on the UN's fuel reserves, which are now running out of essential commodities, adding that the situation will prevent the delivery of millions of dollars in aid during a severe humanitarian crisis and will also divert already stretched donor funds meant to assist the most vulnerable. "Even if the trucks are released today, it will take several weeks for the fuel to arrive in Juba. This has forced the UNMISS to start cutting back peacekeeping patrols, suspending road repairs and construction of police stations, schools, and health centers, and reducing support for peace and electoral processes," Haysom said. Nine million South Sudanese currently need humanitarian assistance, including almost 640,000 people who fled across the border from the Sudan conflict over the past year, according to the UN. TOKYO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, despite strong opposition both at home and abroad, on Tuesday visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of the country's past brutal militarism. The politician, well-known for her hawkish views on security issues, paid the visit on the second day of the country's three-day spring festival ceremony at the war-linked shrine in central Tokyo's Chiyoda district. More than 90 Japanese lawmakers, including some senior vice ministers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also visited the shrine on Tuesday. The Yasukuni Shrine, widely seen as a spiritual tool and a symbol of the Japanese militarists responsible for the war of aggression, honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II and has long been a source of diplomatic friction between Japan and its neighbors. Tuesday's visits came after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, alongside the speaker of Japan's House of Representatives and the president of Japan's House of Councillors, sent ritual offerings to the shrine on Sunday. Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday said China firmly rejects Japan's negative actions related to the Yasukuni Shrine. "China urges Japan to earnestly honor its words and commitment to face squarely and reflect on its history of aggression, make a clean break from militarism, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete actions," said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson with the ministry. The South Korean government also expressed its deep disappointment and regret over Japan's responsible leaders once again sending offerings to and paying respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's war of aggression and enshrines war criminals, according to a foreign ministry statement. SUVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Fijian government will extend the retirement age from 60 to 62 for specialized expert positions requiring scarce skills. Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Service Sitiveni Rabuka said this is a strategic approach to retaining expertise and addressing skill shortages, which is essential to meeting the need of economic priorities and development objectives in Fiji. According to the government, potential positions to be considered as having scarce skills include specialized physicians and surgeons, nurses, public health experts, cybersecurity experts, software developers and engineers, and data scientists and analysts. Rabuka said the extensions beyond 62 years will be evaluated case by case, with recommendations submitted by respective line ministries. According to a February report by the ANZ bank, Fiji's total long-term migration to Australia and New Zealand for education and employment sharply increased from 8,302 in 2022 to 19,196 in 2023, a 131.2 percent increase year on year. HONIARA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The party led by Solomon Islands' incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare won most seats in the country's parliamentary election, with no party or political coalition garnering an overall majority, national broadcaster SIBC reported on Wednesday local time. The Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party (or Our Party) led by Sogavare won 15 seats out of 50 in the new parliament, according to SIBC. KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Ten people were killed following a midair collision between two Malaysian military helicopters on Tuesday morning in Malaysia's northwestern Perak state. The helicopters collided and crashed at 9:32 a.m. local time over the Lumut Naval Base while undergoing a flypast rehearsal, the Royal Malaysian Navy said in a brief statement. One helicopter carried seven personnel while the other had three on board. "All victims died at the scene of the incident and have been sent to the Lumut base hospital for identification," it said, adding that the public is urged not to spread videos and photos of the victims. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences to the families of the victims over the tragedy. "This tragedy has deeply affected the Malaysian Armed Forces and is a major loss to the country," he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said an investigation board will be established to look into the cause of the incident. VIENTIANE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith is leading a high-level delegation on a state visit to Cambodia from April 23 to 24. The visit, at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, is aimed at strengthening the long-standing friendship, traditional solidarity, and comprehensive and long-lasting strategic partnership between Laos and Cambodia, Lao National Radio reported on Tuesday. The Lao president is expected to exchange views with Cambodian leaders on enhancing bilateral cooperation, and on regional and international issues of common interest. The state visit is expected to be a significant milestone to strengthen the good neighborliness, fraternal ties and solidarity, and the comprehensive and long-lasting strategic partnership for the common prosperity of the two nations. A student activist chants slogans inside a gate of Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus in New York City, the United States, April 22, 2024. All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) NEW YORK, April 22 (Xinhua) -- All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. The university's president Minouche Shafik urged relevant parties to "sit down and talk and argue and find ways to compromise on solutions" and announced that all classes would go virtual. Shafik sent a letter to the New York Police Department (NYPD) on April 18 requesting that the police help remove individuals who had occupied the South Lawn of the university's Morningside Heights campus a day earlier. The students with "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" opposed Israeli military action in Gaza and demanded the university divest from companies that "profit from Israeli apartheid." "The continued encampment raises safety concerns for the individuals involved and the entire community," said Shafik in the letter. He added that the encampment and related disruptions pose a clear and present danger to Columbia University's substantial functioning. The NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters from the campus of the university in the afternoon on April 18. Shafik denounced antisemitic behavior by students and professors at the university and pledged consequences for those actions at the hearings by the House of Representatives on antisemitism on April 17. The university also suspended students who participated in unauthorized protests and terminated a professor who supported the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. In a statement on Saturday, the Barnard and Columbia chapters of the American Association of University Professors condemned the suspension of students engaged in peaceful protest and their arrest by the NYPD. "During the coming days, a working group of deans, university administrators and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution," said Shafik. Security guards at Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus on Monday required ID issued by the university before granting access to the campus. Around ten students from the university approached by Xinhua on Monday refused to comment on the encampment. On Monday, the NYPD had a strong presence around the campus, while more than 100 outside protesters and agitators within the campus rallied at a gate by Columbia University Bookstore on Broadway. "What I see is nothing but division. I don't know what the university is trying to do to facilitate people coming together," said an alumnus of Columbia University who identified himself as Max. Max said the administration could do more to bring people together and help them understand each other. "The authorities at this university have lost control...It's become a one-sided conversation. There is no dialogue," said Ross, who is Jewish and living in New York City. The students should have meetings, discussions and debates, but not take over the campus, said Ross, who declined to give his full name. "We saw this as an unacceptable escalation of repression," said Carl Dix, a representative of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, of the police who were called in on the students. "And we had to stand with the students against that." "Opposing genocidal attacks is right. It's correct, and it's not anti-semitism. In fact, the people in the ruling class who run all this stuff about the Jewish conspiracy. They're the ones who are anti-Semitic, not these students here," said Dix. According to media reports, students from Yale University, New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, and the University of North Carolina also staged encampments in solidarity with their peers at Columbia University. Over 40 students from Yale University, who occupied Beinecke Plaza at the center of campus starting Friday night, were arrested on Monday, according to the local police department. New York University ordered scores of student protesters to disperse on Monday afternoon after "a breach in the barriers set up at Gould Plaza." A student presents her university ID to enter Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus in New York City, the United States, April 22, 2024. All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) New York police officers stand guard at a gate of Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus in New York City, the United States, April 22, 2024. All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) Security guards stand at a gate of Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus in New York City, the United States, April 22, 2024. All classes at Columbia University went virtual starting on Monday as divisive demonstrations and debates around the Israel-Hamas conflict heated up on campus recently. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) SAN FRANCISCO, April 23 (Xinhua) --A Douglas DC-4 airplane has crashed into a river in Fairbanks in U.S. state of Alaska on Tuesday, authorities said. First responders were conducting an "active rescue" Tuesday morning after the plane crashed in the area of the Tanana River in Fairbanks, according to local officials. Clint Johnson, Alaska chief of the National Transportation Safety Board, said it was not clear how many people were on the Douglas DC-4 when it crashed around 10:30 a.m. shortly after departure south of Fairbanks International Airport. "We acknowledge the ongoing situation involving the Douglas DC-4 aircraft on the Tanana River near Kallenberg Road," the airport said in a statement. "Alaska State Troopers are actively leading the response and we are cooperating with them." A spokesman for Fairbanks International Airport urged the public to avoid the area. Alaska State Troopers, along with local, state and federal agencies, were responding to the crash near Kallenberg Road on Tuesday morning. A witness said he heard a loud explosion and saw a plane overhead with an engine on fire, according to a report by the Anchorage Daily News. In a significant development, a team of UK scientists has been awarded a 350,000 ($441,588) funding over the next three years by Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop a cancer detecting Lollipop. The team led by Dr Ruchi Gupta, the Associate Professor of Biosensors at the University of Birmingham, will make a prototype flavoured Lollipop from a material called a smart hydrogel that can diagnose mouth cancer early. Smart hydrogels work a bit like a fishing net they absorb large quantities of water whilst catching larger molecules, such as proteins. The net can then be cut open to release the larger molecules for analysis in the lab. The Lollipop will be created from a smart hydrogel previously developed by Dr Gupta and her team. The idea is that patients suck on the Lollipop, transferring a saliva sample into the hydrogel. Scientists can then release the caught proteins by blasting the hydrogel with UV light and then analyse the liquid for saliva proteins which indicate the early stages of mouth cancer. As per official data, around 12,400 people are diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck in the UK every year. Currently, diagnosing mouth cancer can involve putting a flexible camera on the end of a tube through the nose or mouth and taking a biopsy for testing. This procedure is invasive, time-consuming and requires an endoscopist. Thanks to the efforts of Dr Gupta and team, a Lollipop that can diagnose mouth cancer early could soon become a reality, said experts. Mum of five, Rachel Parsons, needed a biopsy after being referred to Coventry University Hospital with a lump on her cheek in 2008. She admits she was unprepared for the procedure which, in her case, turned out to be painful. "I had no idea what a biopsy really was," said Rachel, from Coventry. "I had the kind of injection you get at the dentists and, when it wore off, it was really sore because Id needed stitches," she added. That was just the beginning of a 12-month nightmare for Rachel who ended up needing a nine-and-a-half-hour operation to remove a cancerous tumour from her cheek and replace the skin with tissue and veins from her forearm. "The thought of putting a Lollipop round your mouth instead of having a biopsy in the first instance is amazing," remarked Rachel who has spent years as a patient ambassador, campaigning for more awareness of mouth cancer. "I wish something like that had existed when I was diagnosed," she added. Dr Gupta said she was thrilled to receive funding to begin the next phase of the project. "Smart hydrogels have really exciting potential for diagnosing mouth cancer," she stated. "They can be easily moulded into shapes as a solid to catch proteins in saliva," she explained. Were really excited to start the next phase of this project. Were hoping that we can be the first to make a device which is much kinder for diagnosing mouth cancer for patients and easier for GPs to use. Rachel, who still has numbness around her face and cant open her mouth wide enough to eat a burger, said: "Im so grateful for the research and treatment that saved my life. Things have improved immensely since then but whats happening now could be absolutely brilliant for people diagnosed in future." Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, Dr Iain Foulkes, said: "Biopsies and nasoendoscopy are the gold standard for diagnosing mouth cancer, but it requires great skill to carry out and can feel unpleasant for patients. We want an accurate, faster and kinder alternative test which can help us diagnose cases of mouth cancer sooner." "This project is an exciting first step towards an entirely new way to identify mouth cancers earlier. Research like this is guiding us towards a future where people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer," she added. Paragliding in Bramberg, Austria with Flugschule Pinzgau (Johannes Weigel) It took a paragliding course in Austria for this Veteran fighter pilot to finally return to the bliss of being in the air that retirement forced him to leave behind. I wanted to be back in the air again. Bryan Nickola, my husband, is a retired USAF A-10 pilot. It has been a big adjustment becoming a civilian, but being out of the jet has been the hardest thing to accept. It left a void that needed filling. He tried flying other civilian airplanes, but they didnt have the same feel as being in a fighter. It was also expensive, the pace was slow and the airspace near our home in Kaiserslautern, Germany was too busy. So, he tried flying gliders for a while, which was quite fun and freeing, but getting a glider pilots license can take nearly three years in Europe. Then, for Fathers Day, we went as a family for tandem paragliding flights in Austria. Instantly I knew it was something I wanted to do! he says. It was the right feeling. Paragliding School Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria (Bryan Nickola) Bryan chose to return to Austria to get his Austrian paragliding license. This basic paragliding permit requires ground school training, a written test and 40 training flights, 15 of which must be over 500 meters. This license is equivalent and reciprocal with the A-license in Germany. In preparation for eventual testing, Bryan took an online course in English from the German licensing organization: Deutscher Gleitschirm- und Drachenflugverband (DHV) before heading into the Alps for training. Bryan attended and highly recommends the Flugschule Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria. This small school offered lessons in English, a reasonably priced flat-rate option, very flexible training dates and a location that meant he didnt need to travel anywhere for high-altitude flights. In his search for flight schools across Germany, none filled those needs. In addition, The community down there was very, very welcoming, very laid back. Positive people. My instructor Anton was so great. Flugschule Pinzgau instructor Anton (Johannes Weigel) It fit Bryans schedule best to go down for two separate weeks to get all his training done. The school has plenty of scheduled open-attendance training weeks that allow learners to come for one or two days at a time when it suits them. During the first week, he fulfilled the ground school requirements and got his first 20 flights. Ground school at a nearby slope involved a full day of hands-on training with the wing, or the paraglider. It allowed him to get a feel for the wing, get it stabilized and up in the air, and learn to walk under it. He was also able to handle it enough to take a short mini flight down the slope at the end of the day. Bryan Nickola paragliding in Bramberg, Austria (Bryan Nickola) After his instructor felt comfortable with his basic handling, Bryan spent the rest of the week in the air. One instructor, Petra, took all the students to a local hilltop, where she helped them get the wing set up and take off. At the same time, the primary instructor, Anton, was visible in the landing zone and instructed students via a radio strapped to their harnesses. Bryan learned safe handling, how to handle malfunctions and how to use visual references to correct his landings. Because flights were based on the weather, other ground school training and handling was handled between flights. Winter, Paragliding School Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria on the WildKogel (Bryan Nickola) The school provides personalized instruction, equipment (must be rented or purchased after ground school), a flight log book and official testing. Anton was Bryans primary trainer and kept the vibe of the school chill and relaxed: He was a very calm, qualified instructor. Later in the month, Bryan went back for his second week of training. He started by taking the written test before heading back out for more air time. Flights were focused on finishing all the required takeoffs and landings, including the 15 over-500-meter flights. Bryan often learned one-on-one with Anton, who showed him different maneuvers and how to read the winds. They flew from multiple places, including taking the gondola up to the top of the WildKogel. It was a gorgeous place to learn. Summer, Paragliding School Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria (Johannes Weigel) Now Bryan can fill the void and feed his soul with flying anytime he wants. He received his DHV license a few weeks after finishing school in Austria and was easily able to use it to get and IPPI (International Pilot Proficiency Identification) card which allows him to legally fly in most countries. Its important to check local country laws since they vary. For example, in Germany, its required to take off and land at prescribed locations. However, in Austria the regulations are more lenient as long as you seek permission from landowners. Bryans next goal is to eventually do some cross-country in the Alps where I can take my camping gear, take off from one location, land in the mountains, bivouac for the night, and then go fly the rest of the day. He will return to Flugschule Pingzau for that cross-country, or B, license. So far, no other flying can beat paragliding in the Alps: the views are magnificent, the air is silent and the flying finally feels right again. Cadbury Perk and Alia Bhatt ask people to 'Take it Lightly' in their new campaign Cadbury Perk, one of Mondelez India's iconic and fun brands, launches yet another playful campaign with Bollywood Actress Alia Bhatt. Through a delightful TV commercial.............Read More... Spottoday and Post Babe: WideEyes Digital's Cornerstones of Indian Entertainment In the vibrant tapestry of Indian entertainment, Spottoday and Post Babe emerge as cornerstone platforms, each owned by the esteemed WideEyes Digital...........Read More... For the past two decades, growth-focused companies have been the star performers in the stock market. Investors are increasingly attracted to innovators in areas such as medicine, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and alternative energy. These companies have the potential to revolutionize the world with their groundbreaking products and services. Recently, two powerful themes have caught the attention of growth investors for their immense potential: artificial intelligence (AI) and next-generation weight loss drugs. If you're looking to invest in these promising areas, one exchange-traded fund (ETF) stands out as a no-brainer buy: the Vanguard Index Funds -- Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG). Image Source: Getty Images. Two booming markets, led by innovation powerhouses The global AI market is projected to skyrocket from $196 billion in 2024 to $1.3 trillion by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.6% during the period. The leaders in AI include tech giants like Nvidia, Alphabet, Microsoft, Adobe, Arista Networks, and Palantir Technologies. Nvidia holds the position as AI's most important infrastructure company, but scores of AI players hold enormous growth potential as well. The market for next-generation weight loss drugs is expected to have a blistering CAGR of 49% from 2023 to 2030. The market value is projected to surge from $6 billion in 2023 to $100 billion by 2030, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are leading the pack in this space. But several other companies like Viking Therapeutics, Amgen, and Pfizer also plan to launch competitive therapies before the end of the decade. How does the Vanguard Growth Fund fit into the picture? The fund holds shares in most of the largest and fastest-growing companies in these two emerging markets. But while it offers high potential for capital growth, it is considered riskier than more diversified index ETFs like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. That being said, the Vanguard Growth ETF has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 in recent years as a result of its heavy tilt toward companies operating in the fields of AI/weight loss medications. The graph below illustrates this point: VUG Total Return Level Chart VUG total return level data by YCharts. That's not all: The ETF also has an ultra-low expense ratio of 0.04%, significantly lower than the category average of 0.96%. And this Vanguard large-cap growth fund offers a modest yield of 0.53%, which is enough to cover its associated fees. In terms of performance, the fund has delivered a 10-year average annual gain of 15.07%, making it one of Vanguard's top-performing large-cap funds over this period. What about the fund's holdings? The top five are Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Amazon, and Meta Platforms. All of these companies are leaders in the AI revolution. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the weight loss drug Zepbound, is currently the fund's eighth-largest holding. The one drawback with this fund is that it isn't highly diversified. It holds shares of only 199 companies, which is a rather modest portfolio compared to many other large-cap growth ETFs. Still, it is considerably less risky than an individual stock. Final thoughts The ETF presents an opportunity to tap into the mind-boggling growth prospects of AI and weight loss drug stocks. It offers the added advantages of diversification and professional management inherent in Vanguard funds. What's more, the Vanguard Growth ETF provides a straightforward and cost-effective way to invest in these dynamic sectors, eliminating the need to select individual stocks. This Vanguard fund thus scans as an obvious choice for investors seeking a convenient way to gain exposure to these potent themes in the years ahead. Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF right now? Before you buy stock in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth 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 Index Funds - Vanguard Growth 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 $466,882!* 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 22, 2024 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. George Budwell has positions in Apple, Pfizer, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Arista Networks, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, Pfizer, Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Amgen 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. 1 No-Brainer Vanguard Fund to Buy Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool Alex Potemkin / iStock.com Planning for retirement is a long-term process and financial experts often use the example of reaching $1 million in retirement savings as an ideal target. This number is just a guideline and may not stretch as far depending on where you live and how long you need to rely on your retirement fund. Check Out: Cutting Expenses in Retirement: 5 Grocery and Dining Costs To Eliminate Read Next: One Smart Way To Grow Your Retirement Savings in 2024 The cost of living is different in each city and based on GOBankingRates recent data, here are 10 major cities where $1 in retirement savings wont last as long as you may need. Sponsored: Credit card debt keeping you up at night? Find out if you can reduce your debt with these 3 steps 1. San Francisco San Francisco is a large city with a high cost of living to the tune of $124,929.81 so its no surprise that $1 million in retirement savings wont last long here. The median home price is well over $1 million, and healthcare costs can also be significantly above the national average. As a result, your retirement savings would only last 8 years here so youd need to set aside a lot more. 2. San Jose, California Adjacent to Silicon Valley, San Jose benefits from a strong economy but that comes with a steep price tag. Like its neighbor, San Jose is a pricey place to live, with housing accounting for a high percentage of the cost of living. In this city, $1 million wont last long only 8.94 years. 3. New York City In New York City, the average cost of living is $94,716.56. Living in New York City provides unparalleled access to some of the worlds best in arts and culture. The citys population of people 65 and older is 16%, but its still not the best place to retire with $1 million since your funds would only last a little over 10 years. 4. Boston Boston is another city with a high cost of living, driven by housing, transportation, and healthcare expenses. In Boston, $1 million in retirement savings only covers 10.68 years so your retirement season there would be short-lived. 5. Oakland, California Just across the bay from San Francisco, Oakland is a vibrant city with a slightly lower cost of living. Housing is high but, even if your home is paid off or you have a lower mortgage, utilities add up to around $3,825 per year. Your savings would only last 10.79 years here. 6. Los Angeles Los Angeles is a large city where the cost of living is 51% higher than the national average. Grocery prices are 11% higher than the national average and the median home price is over $1 million. Your retirement savings would last just under 11 years here. Story continues 7. Seattle Seattles growth has brought both cultural richness and increased living costs. But it may not be the best place for retirees depending on your budget. If you spend the average amount of $82,195.44 here, it will only last 12.17 years. 8. Washington D.C. Washington D.C. is a political and cultural hub of the U.S. and offers lots of great restaurants and free museums. Still, the cost of living is higher in this city and averages around $82,113.76 per year. So your $1 million retirement savings balance would last a little over 12 years. 9. Miami While the state of Florida is a popular destination for retirees, the city of Miami itself is pretty costly. On average, the annual cost of living is around $74,107.86 so your retirement savings will last around 13 years. Luckily, there are several other affordable areas in the state of Florida to consider settling down in instead if Miami seems too expensive. 10. Denver Learn More: How Much Monthly Income Could You Get From a $200,000 Annuity? Denvers popularity has boomed taking on the nickname of the Mile High City as its a great distance from the mountains and home to many startups. This city may not be the best place to retire early since $1 million would last around 14.77 years. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Major Cities Where $1 Million in Retirement Savings Wont Last Long Amid a backdrop of heightened global uncertainties and market volatility, Japan's stock markets have experienced significant downturns recently, with the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices witnessing sharp declines. In such times, investors often look towards dividend stocks as a potentially more stable investment option that can offer regular income. In considering dividend stocks, it is crucial to assess not only the yield but also the sustainability of dividends paid by companies, especially in challenging economic environments. This becomes particularly pertinent given current market dynamics and economic indicators. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Japan Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating SOLXYZ (TSE:4284) 3.73% Yamato Kogyo (TSE:5444) 3.68% GakkyushaLtd (TSE:9769) 4.04% HITO-Communications HoldingsInc (TSE:4433) 3.30% Innotech (TSE:9880) 3.91% Toyo Kanetsu K.K (TSE:6369) 3.53% CMC (TSE:2185) 3.49% Star Micronics (TSE:7718) 3.35% DoshishaLtd (TSE:7483) 3.32% CDSLtd (TSE:2169) 3.49% Click here to see the full list of 417 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: G-Tekt Corporation, with a market capitalization of 91.54 billion, specializes in manufacturing and selling auto body components and transmission parts both in Japan and globally. Operations: G-Tekt Corporation generates revenue through its operations in North America (114.85 billion), China (74.88 billion), Japan (58.42 billion), Asia excluding Japan and China (47.61 billion), Europe (34.37 billion), and South America (17.20 billion). Dividend Yield: 3% G-Tekt offers a stable dividend yield at 3.01%, underpinned by a decade of reliable and growing payments. Its dividends are well-supported, with both earnings and cash flow payout ratios at a low 22%, indicating sustainability. Despite its yield being slightly below the top quartile in Japan's market, its price-to-earnings ratio of 7.9x suggests it is trading at good value relative to peers, with earnings expected to grow by 6.91% annually. TSE:5970 Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Araya Industrial Co., Ltd. is a company that manufactures and sells steel products both in Japan and internationally, with a market cap of approximately 20.70 billion. Story continues Operations: Araya Industrial Co., Ltd. generates its revenue from the manufacture and sale of steel products across both domestic and international markets. Dividend Yield: 3.8% Araya Industrial offers a dividend yield of 3.76%, ranking in the top 25% of Japanese dividend payers. Despite historical volatility in its dividend payments, current dividends are well-supported by both earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios at 12% and 35.1%, respectively. Trading at a 14.4% discount to estimated fair value, the stock presents potential value despite a less stable past and recent declines in profit margins to 4.6%. TSE:7305 Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Computer Engineering & Consulting Ltd. operates in digital industry and system integration sectors in Japan, with a market capitalization of 59.33 billion. Operations: Computer Engineering & Consulting Ltd. specializes in digital industry and system integration, generating its revenue primarily from these sectors in Japan. Dividend Yield: 3.1% Computer Engineering & Consulting maintains a stable dividend, with a 10-year history of consistent payments, underscored by a dividend yield of 3.12%. The dividends are well-supported by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 40.7% and 35.2% respectively. Despite trading at a significant discount to its fair value (35.6% below), the stock experiences high price volatility, which may concern some investors. Additionally, its dividend yield is slightly below the top quartile in its market. TSE:9692 Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Turning Ideas Into Actions Discover the full array of 417 Top Dividend Stocks right here. Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive. Elevate your portfolio with Simply Wall St, the ultimate app for investors seeking global market coverage. Ready For A Different Approach? 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. Companies discussed in this article include TSE:5970 TSE:7305 and TSE:9692. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Image source: Upsplash/The Motley Fool A basic Costco membership costs $60 a year, while an Executive membership costs $120. The fee you pay for your membership may be more than worth it when you consider the savings you're able to reap on the various items you buy there, from groceries to apparel to household essentials. But there may come a point when it doesn't make sense to renew your Costco membership. Here are a few signs it may be time to part ways with Costco. 1. You don't use your membership all that often Maybe you joined Amazon Prime last year and have gotten into the habit of ordering items on the site and having them shipped rather than hitting the store. Or maybe a shiny new Target opened up down the road, and you've been running there frequently instead of making the 15-minute drive to Costco. If you realize you rarely go to Costco anymore, then it may be time to rethink your membership. However, don't automatically cancel because your Costco visits have declined. Instead, run the numbers. Perhaps you're now only visiting Costco once every three months. But if you're paying $60 for a membership and are saving $20 each time you go, then paying the fee still makes sense. But if you only see yourself going once every three months and you only save an estimated $10 per visit, then the numbers don't quite work out. 2. Every time you go to Costco, you overspend Because Costco's inventory is so extensive, it can be hard to control your spending. After all, when you're looking at a great price on everything from clothing to electronics to snacks, it's hard to say no to things that don't really quite fit into your budget. If you find that pretty much every Costco outing of yours results in you spending money you weren't supposed to, to the point where it's impeding financial goals or leading to debt, then it may be time to cancel your Costco membership. While you might spend a little more at the regular supermarket on things like food, if spending an extra $6 per week saves you from a $20 impulse purchase, it may be worth it. 3. Costco is no longer convenient for you If you've moved and no longer have easy access to a Costco store, then that alone may be reason enough to cancel your membership. You can tell yourself you'll place orders online and use your membership that way, but the value there isn't as great. Costco commonly builds the cost of shipping into its online prices. Item prices are often 10% to 20% higher on Costco.com than in stores. Plus, sometimes, you have to meet an order minimum to get free shipping, such as on items that are part of Costco's two-day delivery program, which require you to spend $75. So what may happen is that you spend extra to get free shipping, thereby shelling out money when you didn't need to. Story continues For many people, keeping a Costco membership is a no-brainer. But if any of these situations apply to you, then you may want to consider not renewing yours. Alert: our top-rated cash back card now has 0% intro APR until 2025 This credit card is not just good its so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a lengthy 0% intro APR period, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee! Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes. We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Maurie Backman has positions in Amazon and Target. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Costco Wholesale, and Target. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Reasons Not to Renew Your Costco Membership This Year was originally published by The Motley Fool In this Sept. 16, 2017, file photo, a person uses a smart phone in Chicago. | AP If you are someone who believes you could spot a scam a mile away, you arent alone. A new Citi survey found 90% of U.S. adults think they could detect a financial scam. But since 27% of those same people have fallen for a scam at some point, our confidence may be bigger than reality shows. The Federal Trade Commission reports people lost $10 billion to scams in 2023, with a median loss of $500 per person. Email was the No. 1 contact method for scammers, but they also used text messaging, phone calls and even snail mail to tempt people to divulge personal information. While we may feel were becoming smarter when it comes to avoiding online scams, criminals are constantly changing their strategies, making it difficult to stay on top of all the dangers. Here are details on five newer scams, what they look like and how to protect yourself. QR code scams We all grew accustomed to scanning QR codes during the pandemic to access contactless menus. But QR codes arent something people should scan any time one presents itself. Criminals are placing fake QR code stickers over legitimate ones, tampering with existing codes and even sending codes to redeem a fake prize. Its called quishing. And if people scan a fraudulent code, it can direct them to a fake website asking for bank details or could download malware. Check for tampering or stickers before you scan a QR code and only scan codes that are expected and from trusted businesses and people. You can also download an app from a company like Kaspersky that will check to make sure a QR code is legit before it allows your phone to scan it. Student loan forgiveness scams With the back-and-forth news about the government granting student loan forgiveness, any promises of debt relief are tempting. Bad actors are taking advantage of peoples curiosity by tricking them into clicking on phony application sites. These sites often ask for a hefty application fee or demand bank account or Social Security information. The Department of Education has said legitimate emails will come from only three addresses: noreply@studentaid.gov, noreply@debtrelief.studentaid.gov or ed.gov@public.govdelivery.com. Official texts will only come from 227722 or 51592 and they will never ask for log-in information or ask for your studentaid.gov account details outside of their official website. Peer-to-peer payment scams The Cash App, Venmo, Zelle and other platforms have made it easy to transfer money to friends and businesses. But criminals are often finding it easy to get money from you, too. These scams can work a few ways, but they often involve a fake call from one of the companies saying there is a problem with your account they need to walk you through. They then trick you into sending money. Story continues Another fake call may come from a supposed retailer or bank asking you to confirm payment info, but they acquire the information to take money from your account. Yet another common tactic is for someone to contact you claiming they paid you by accident and ask you to refund the money to them. But, the initial payment sent to your account is fraudulent, so you end up sending your own money to the criminal. To avoid these scams, only send money to people and businesses you know and trust, never fall for forced urgency and keep your app updated. Virtual celebrity scams Anyone would love to get a direct message from their favorite celebrity, but the chances of that actually happening are low. Scammers are setting up fake accounts and reaching out to fans. Posing as the celebrity, they ask those fans for money to invest in an opportunity, help them with a lawsuit or to take advantage of some sort of limited access event. To protect yourself, avoid commenting on celebrities posts, always look for verified accounts and dont fall for anything that sounds too good to be true. Wondering if scammers are using your favorite celebritys likeness to con people? Security firm McAfee reports the celebrities most-used in 2023 to create online scams were Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and Kevin Costner. Paris Olympics scams Any big event is a ripe environment for scammers. Be aware of an email from someone you know that may have a message saying they are in Paris, but have lost their wallet. They may ask you to send money to help them out. AARP is warning of this upgrade to the classic grandparent scam. Olympics officials are also warning of ticket scams. If you get a message from someone needing money, always verify with the person through another form of communication. If you cant reach them, contact someone who would know whether that person is traveling. Officials with the 2024 Paris Olympic Games say if you are trying to buy tickets for events, or already have them, just know they will never ask for your login details or bank account information anywhere other than on its official ticketing website. FG Trade / Getty Images Whats the biggest benefit of having a side hustle? There are more answers than you might think for this question. Many professionals will agree steady pay is a huge benefit while others may say side gigs allow you to be creative, gain experience and even get some much-needed time away from looking at screens all day. Read More: Self-Made Billionaire Judy Faulkner Turned $70K Into $7 Billion With These 4 Moves Explore More: 6 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money (That Actually Work) GOBankingRates headed to several Reddit forums to find out what Reddit users working side gigs have to say about the perks of these roles. Read on for a list of 50 benefits that come with having a side hustle. Cicy / Getty Images 1. Anyone Can Have a Side Hustle Whether youre just getting started in college or have years of experience, you can start a side hustle. I started building websites as a side hustle about five years ago, wrote Reddit user Plenty-Gift-8311. I strongly believe it is something anyone in high school or college is capable of doing. Check Out: Its Never Too Late To Become Wealthy, According to Robert Kiyosaki Discover More: 30 Best Games That Pay Real Money in 2024 Sponsored: Protect Your Wealth With A Gold IRA. Take advantage of the timeless appeal of gold in a Gold IRA recommended by Sean Hannity. ChayTee / iStock.com 2. Many Side Hustles Are Low Maintenance I sell t-shirts and mugs on Etsy, jayohem said. I buy designs from other people on Etsy and other marketplaces, create mockups and list them on my Etsy store. I average about $600 to $700/month (make roughly $10 profit from each shirt and $3.75 for coffee mugs) doing that and its really no maintenance involved. I log in once a month for about an hour to make sure everything is looking good and call it a day. For You: How To Earn $4,000 a Month in Passive Income svetikd / iStock.com 3. Its a Great Learning Experience Reddit user schrik started building and selling web components as a side hustle around nine years ago. At first I would just build stuff that I found interesting/cool but that didnt really work as there was no market for it. I then decided to scout the market for products that had customers and find a product I could do better. That did work and got me on the right path, schrik said. It took me a bit to find my footing but Ive been doing this full time for the past four years. Income is now above $20K per month, which is nuts. Delmaine Donson / iStock.com 4. Acting as a Second Set of Eyes Recondo86 said their side hustle line of work is being a digital handyman. Helping with website issues, sourcing designers, writers, etc. Being a second set of eyes before they [the client] hire a contractor for anything related to web dev or marketing. Story continues SrdjanPav / iStock/Getty Images 5. Ability To Find Solutions to Problems Those who work side hustles can tap into their entrepreneurial side via problem-solving. Obviously I am oversimplifying it, but Ive always noticed that if you find a need that doesnt yet have a solution, youve struck gold, Roanoketrees said. Learn More: How I Make $5,000 a Month in Passive Income Doing Just 10 Hours of Work a Year Drs Producoes / iStock/Getty Images 6. Its Rewarding To Help Others Reddit user serifoblique said they are a freelance designer-developer who works full time. Youd be amazed how many struggle with configuring an email account or setting up a router or printer. Its usually simple stuff but they are super happy which is rewarding in itself. 7. Its Fun! Reddit user wildcat12321man wrote that they flip grills for their side hustle. It will never scale to be a real business, and it will never come close to my consulting executive salary. But there is a quiet satisfaction to flipping a grill and using the money to buy some tomahawks or wagyu with the profits and sharing my love of grilling with friends, family, and buyers. Sangwien / Getty Images 8. Good Income Many people, including commandsupernova, agree that working a side hustle is a great way to earn extra money. Im a part time college professor on the side in addition to full time sys admin, commandsupernova wrote. I can teach IT courses for a few hours a few nights per week. The part time teaching pay works out to about the same hourly rate as my sysadmin job adds up to roughly 10k per year. Check Out: Tony Robbins: 10 Passive Income Ideas To Build Your Fortune Delmaine Donson / iStock/Getty Images 9. No or Low Stress A now-deleted Reddit user wrote that they do court report proofreading as their side hustle. Ive always been a quick reader, so I can read 100 pages easily throughout a day while Im at school or my other job. I get paid anywhere from 30 cents to 50 cents per page so throughout a week I can pick up an extra $250 or so. Its nice and really low stress. vgajic / Getty Images 10. Create Your Own Schedule Many side hustlers enjoy the freedom that comes with working a flex schedule. I have a small pickup truck and I make deliveries, move stuff, and haul away junk for people, TinderSubThrowAway wrote. I did this full time when I was in between jobs a couple times, but its mostly nights, weekends and lunch hours that I do stuff. monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images/iStockphoto 11. Hands-On Work One Reddit user, ih8karma, specializes in woodworking. After a long day looking at a screen there is something satisfying about making something with your hands, they said. Find Out: 7 Things You Must Do To Start Making $1K a Month in Passive Income David Gyung / Getty Images/iStockphoto 12. Side Hustles Can Pay the Mortgage I have an Airbnb near the beach, Lowley_Worm wrote. It turns a profit, but most of that is invisible to us since its paying off the mortgage. monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images/iStockphoto 13. Many Side Hustles Become Small Businesses When I first started in IT on a help desk, I used to get a lot of users asking for work on their home systems, ibanez450 wrote. I started doing that and created my own company LLC for somewhat of a liability barrier. Its been 10 years since I started that company my career and the company have both grown together really. Instead of fixing computers on the side now, I do website building/cyber security and technical consulting for other businesses. My day job Im no longer on the help desk, I lead a team of a dozen system admins doing work for the DoD. amenic181 / iStock.com 14. Opportunity To Scale Difficult_Ad_3136 said their side hustle is a part-time gig as a Sharepoint administrator. The intent is to scale this side hustle and add clients until it can compete with the salary of my full-time sys admin role, they said. Learn More: 26 Ways To Make $1,000 Fast In a Week or Less Riska / iStock.com 15. Not Time Consuming I do watercolor renderings of peoples homes, wrote banksta89 in a Reddit post. Its all run through an instagram account and email. I can knock them out in about two hours now. domoyega / Getty Images 16. You Get To Be Creative Schrankwand83 said their side hustle involves writing and proofreading texts for magazines and websites. They said they also write scenes in a novel. My friend gives me a plan of what should happen and I let my creativity do the rest. Shutterstock.com 17. Higher Returns in the Long Run For RaivoAivo0, having a side hustle provides a return on investment for their professional plans. Ive found spending that extra effort on improving yourself at your main career of choice, ends up paying much higher returns in the long run, they wrote on Reddit. Trending Now: Mark Cubans 5 Best Passive Income Ideas vorDa / iStock.com 18. Potential For Early Retirement A truly successful side hustle not only provides personal and professional growth. You might even get to retire early because of it. A friend of mine started a side hustle and within 12 months it retired him, GanacheImportant81864 wrote. Pekic / Getty Images 19. Being Your Own Boss There are many side hustles that give you the opportunity to act as your own boss. Reddit-adm6 recommended gigs like offering beginner guitar lessons for those who wish to be their own boss. Inside Creative House / iStock.com 20. Choose Your Own Clients Some freelancers and side hustlers have the ability to pick and choose their own clients. Im a freelance proofreader, Celda wrote. I only choose to take on clients whose books I actually enjoy. Discover More: 8 Rare Coins Worth Millions That Are Highly Coveted by Coin Collectors Three Spots / iStock.com 21. May Be Able To Quit Other Part-Time Jobs If you work several part-time jobs, a side hustle that pays substantially offers the opportunity to quit roles that pay much less. Reddit user epraider said they do driving for food delivery apps. They said they make about $20 an hour on average and were able to quit their other part-time job because of it. FG Trade Latin / iStock/Getty Images 22. Ability To Work Remote While some side hustles require being able to do the work in person, other gigs may be worked remotely. IlluminationRock said they tutor math and chemistry while studying engineering full time. Its not insane money by any means, but I can charge up to $25/hr for private tutoring sessions. I also do Skype tutoring as well, they said. Shutterstock.com 23. Low Effort I have a super casual gig at an IV infusion spa, DeLaNope wrote. People come in, pick out whatever fancy-nonsense bag of fluids and additives they want, I stick them and hang the bag. Thats all. Its $35 an hour, but its very low key/low effort. Explore More: 8 Best Items To Buy at Dollar Tree To Resell on Amazon for Major Profits JLco - Julia Amaral / iStock/Getty Images 24. Its Fulfilling One Reddit user, 2ofSorts, said they did photography and graphic design all through college. They continued to keep pursuing their photography side hustle as a post-grad. Weirdly enough, now that I am working full time I have more time to dedicate to it, they wrote. With a full time job and a side gig where I make my own rules, I find it incredibly fulfilling. Inside Creative House / iStock.com 25. Ability To Generate Positive Word of Mouth Im a freelance cartographer and data analyst, Zeniaaa wrote. I started as an undergrad, and basically grew my business by word of mouth. Being friendly, detail-oriented, and responsive to feedback are important parts of succeeding in freelance work. In the past year, Ive made about $7000 from this work. Ivan Pantic / Getty Images 26. Doing What Others Dont Have Time To Do RevEnFuego said their side hustle is editing other peoples podcasts. They send me the audio file and I make edits, slap on the intro and outro (that we previously agreed on) and either send it back to them or post it up on their site, they wrote. Its pretty easy, but I know a lot of people who want to create audio but dont have the time (or knowledge) to do the edits. I just have them send me the timestamps on what they want edited out, and clean up the audio (by doing some processing and vocal leveling). Read Next: Warren Buffett: 6 Best Pieces of Money Advice for the Middle Class PHOTOBUAY / Shutterstock.com 27. Can Earn Twice as Much Money as a 9-5 Job One massive benefit of working a side hustle is many are lucrative enough to pay more than a traditional 9 to 5 role. I consult on machine learning projects for smaller companies, krukson said. I make twice as much from half the work than at my regular 9-5 data science job for a big corporation. Liubomyr Vorona / iStock.com 28. Good Way To Pay Off Debt Its not uncommon for many professionals to work a side hustle to pay off debt, like student loans or credit cards. I make right at about $15,000 a year on a rental property that I havent seen in two years, larkerpong wrote. I bought the house to live in three years ago and took a job back in Nashville shortly after. I moved out, the renting family moved in. They take care of all maintenance and their money is automatically deposited in my rental bank account each month. My loan payment is auto drafted from the same account. I have literally done nothing in two years and havent touched the account. Mongkol Onnuan / Getty Images/iStockphoto 29. Dual Income Life One deleted Reddit user said they work in IT as their day job and pursue a side hustle of doing wedding hair and makeup on the weekends. I couldnt have planned it better. I basically lead a double income life and still have all my evenings open for relaxing/fun, they wrote. Be Aware: Check Your $2 Bills They Could Be Worth a Ton Kerkez / Getty Images/iStockphoto 30. Long-Term Clients Aside from choosing your own clients to work with, many side hustlers also benefit from having long-term bread-and-butter clients. One Reddit user, chrissyteiganswings, said they manage social media. At my peak I was running accounts for 20 clients/month, most of which had long term contracts, and I charged each a minimum of $600 a month all the way up to $1500. fizkes / Getty Images/iStockphoto 31. No Need To Quit Your Full-Time Job The good news about a side hustle is you generally dont need to quit your full-time job to work in it or explore working in it for a short while. Systauroo said their side hustle is making wedding invitations. However, they were recently able to make it their main job this year, but only because they said theyre married to someone with steady income. Shutterstock.com 32. Your Side Hustle Can Be Your Emotional Outlet Grey_lavender said they started a podcast as an emotional outlet. I ended up setting up a Patreon when it gained more listeners. Im by no means making a lot of money but for the amount of effort (or lack thereof) I put in, Im pretty amazed, they said. Read More: Im a Bank Teller: 3 Times You Should Never Ask For $100 Bills at the Bank DenisProduction.com / Shutterstock.com 33. Good Way To Generate Passive Income My husband and I like to doodle all the time and discussed selling shirts with our designs, CatCairo wrote. We discovered websites that let you upload your art and will print your designs on shirts, mugs, rugs, pillows, etc. We have a relatively new shop and are still gaining motion, but weve made $50+ in passive income in the first few months, and all from art we were doodling anyway. filadendron / Getty Images 34. Opportunity To Become Extroverted If you tend to be a little shy, your side hustle may allow you to build confidence and come out of your shell. I teach classes at a gym, Bemymacncheese wrote. I like to work out anyway so instead of doing it on my own, I lead a group which I find very fun even though I am naturally introverted. I teach between four to eight classes per week and I have consistently made about $10k a year doing this, plus a free gym membership. Visivasnc / Getty Images/iStockphoto 35. Good Outlet for Relaxing Freevoulous said their side hustle is working on historical crafts such as blacksmithing, woodworking pottery and basket weaving. You can do most of it on a lazy afternoon, and it is a great way to relax after a week at the office, staring at a screen, they said. Explore More: 7 Things To Know If You Withdraw More Than $10,000 From Your Checking Account Bullstar / Shutterstock.com 36. You Can Have Several Hustles As long as you have the bandwidth for it, you can work more than one side hustle. Millhows wrote they have several side hustles including a photo booth they take to parties, birthdays and corporate events, work as a PediCab and selling vintage clothing. Boris Jovanovic / Getty Images/iStockphoto 37. It Pays the Rent Whosa_Whatsit said they flip motorcycles. To date, they have flipped 46 bikes. Ive never made less than $250 on a flip, and those are usually the ones where its a $300 bike, they said. It paid my rent in college. Povozniuk / Getty Images 38. Variety I write a magazine column for $275 a pop every two months and I do some one-off consulting for industry, Alytia said. Im a vet so Ive signed up to deploy to emergency disease outbreaks. Oh, and I do some teaching assistance at uni as well. I really enjoy the variety actually, I cant imagine doing the same thing every day for years and years. Learn More: Net Worth for US Families: How To Tell if Youre Poor, Middle-Class, Upper Middle-Class or Rich iStock.com 39. Good Way To Evade Feeling Bored If theres one thing youll never experience with a side hustle, its feelings of boredom. As a nurse with a research background, cdsfh said they do side work for about 10 to 15 hours a week pulling relevant info from clinical trial protocols and entering it into an electronic system. It may sound like work, but I actually enjoy doing it and I often dont have anything else to do, so why not make money! they said. It keeps my brain working too, sort of like a Sudoku that pays. Jacob Wackerhausen / iStock/Getty Images 40. Keeps You Busy Deadpools-unicorn wrote that their side hustle is selling honey. I just got my first beehive and I am working on getting another one. Local honey sells for about $15 for a 14 oz container. Ill hopefully have some honey this fall and then I will likely have plenty of honey next summer, they said. Its a long-game side hustle but itll keep me busy beyond my regular work schedule and its something I enjoy. vgajic / iStock.com 41. Keeps You Out of the Office If you truly do not want to work in a corporate role, its worth it to pursue a side hustle. My 9 to 5 was b2b sales. I went to school for finance and econ, but hated being in an office, wrote a since-deleted Reddit user. My side hustle is lawn care. My company does $400k a year. Find Out: Im a Financial Advisor: Heres Why My Rich Clients Identify With the Middle Class designer491 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 42. Having a Side Hustle Can Help Build an Emergency Fund Your side hustle can be put toward more places besides paying off debt. If you dont have an emergency fund, a side hustle can help build one. Anna_Mosity wrote that their residential rental property generates enough income to pay for its own mortgage, insurance, maintenance and emergency fund. kali9 / Getty Images 43. Good Way To Get in Shape Adam_n_ali wrote that they use about half of their 20 vacation days from their desk job each year to work half-days on Fridays at a local brewery. Its dirty, but a great workout! Im slinging 161.5lb half-kegs and skids of 55 lb grain bags around. Do that for a few hours every Friday and you will be JACKED, they said. Moon Safari / Getty Images/iStockphoto 44. Ability To Do Low Maintenance Work Your side hustle doesnt need to save the world. PanicWithMeItsGreat said they run a handyman business, but one where they try to take on small jobs only, such as changing out light fixtures and tearing down old sheds. Stuff that only takes a few hours max. I charge $50 an hour and can work as little or much as I want. Read Next: 7 Popular Clothing Brands the Middle Class Cant Afford Anymore Shutterstock.com 45. Many Side Hustles Can Be Worked If Youre Recovering From an Injury LiaCross wrote that they teach from home in their spare time. I got started when I was injured and the future of my career was uncertain. It was comforting to have this backup because it could pay all my bills if I needed it to, they said. Anna Ostanina / Getty Images/iStockphoto 46. Good Way To Earn Money During The Holidays CarneyVorous said theyre a dogsitter through the Rover app. I have a dog anyway so Im not doing anything I wouldnt already be doing and I earn a nice little hustle on the side, especially over the holidays, they said. Plus, hanging out with cool dogs is a great perk. blackCAT / iStock.com 47. Most Side Hustles Can Be Done From Home Want to keep your WFH job? This is very possible to do if you work a side hustle. I mark mock exams for my profession and teach courses in my field am almost at a point where Im making about 50% of my regular income on my side hustle, Everynameistaken2000 wrote. It is a significant amount of time being spent though but luckily most of it I can do from home. Find Out: How Much Household Income Will Be Considered Upper Middle Class in 5 Years? Ridofranz / Getty Images/iStockphoto 48. Pursuing What You Love LongLiveAlex told Reddit theyre a guitar tech. I can clear up to $1000 a week after materials depending on the jobs and how many hours I have free outside of my regular job. The reason why I do it is because its more of a hobby for me than anything else. I love guitars and the added bonus is when they come into the shop I can play different ones that I do not own. insta_photos / iStock/Getty Images 49. You Can Accept the Work You Want I bake cakes and macaroons, ayihc wrote. I charge what I want and only accept orders that are quick/ interesting. If I cant do it quickly, I just say no. AngieYeoh / Shutterstock.com 50. Dont Know How To Do Something? Learn on YouTube In the event your side hustle requires you to do something you dont have a grasp on yet, its possible to learn the ins and outs through YouTube tutorials. Reddit user ayihc said baking cakes and macaroons as a side hustle means many customers want fancy cakes because of what they see on social media. It is possible to make them, too. Everything you need to learn is online. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 50 Benefits of Having a Side Hustle The United Nations General Assembly has held a second thematic event focused on tourism and the sectors critical role in advancing sustainable development and resilience. Organised in collaboration with UN Tourism, the event was held at the UN headquarters in New York within the framework of Sustainability Week. The presence of Member States, observers, civil society organisations, and UN agencies reflected a growing collective commitment to harnessing the transformative power of tourism for inclusive and sustainable development. The growing significance of the tourism sector for our societies and our economies brings with it extra responsibility. We cannot allow the lifeline of tourism to be cut again. Resilience in the tourism is not just a matter of planning or reacting to crises. Addressing the General Assembly, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: The growing significance of the tourism sector for our societies and our economies brings with it extra responsibility. We cannot allow the lifeline of tourism to be cut again. Resilience in the tourism is not just a matter of planning or reacting to crises. It is also about proactively addressing the underlying factors of those crises. Unsustainable consumption is leading to biodiversity loss, climate change and the emergence of pandemics. It's vital that we adopt policies that accelerate transformative change. The President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Dennis Francis, said: "We need a global tourism sector that is sustainable one with deep local value chains that expand demand for locally made products and services in ways that also directly and positively benefit local communities; a sector that serves as a positive force for biodiversity conservation, heritage protection and climate friendly livelihoods." The thematic event provided a platform for Member States to share best practices, strategies, and innovative approaches to promote sustainable and resilient tourism, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Key highlights included: Fireside Chat: The Future of Tourism leaders from the tourism industry, academia, and civil society engaged in a dynamic discussion on the future of tourism and the need for innovative solutions to address emerging challenges and opportunities. Ministerial Roundtables: Discussions were held on the launch of the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism and strategies for fostering resilient tourism in the face of global challenges. Ministers and high-level officials shared insights and commitments to advance sustainable tourism practices and policies. In closing, the President of the General Assembly reiterated the importance of collaboration and partnership to address the complex challenges facing the tourism sector and reaffirmed the UN's commitment to supporting sustainable tourism as a catalyst for positive change. In February, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution to declare 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism. The resolution invites UN Tourism to work with governments, UN agencies and international organizations to on the implementation of the themed year. TradeArabia News Service Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies AFC Energy's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions A total of 22 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock To get a sense of who is truly in control of AFC Energy plc (LON:AFC), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 59% to be precise, is institutions. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about AFC Energy. View our latest analysis for AFC Energy What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About AFC Energy? 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. AFC Energy already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of AFC Energy, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Hedge funds don't have many shares in AFC Energy. Our data shows that DZ Bank AG, Asset Management Arm is the largest shareholder with 5.8% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 5.6% and 5.2% of the stock. After doing some more digging, we found that the top 22 have the combined ownership of 50% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company. Story continues While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of AFC Energy The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. 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. Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of AFC Energy plc in their own names. It appears that the board holds about UK990k worth of stock. This compares to a market capitalization of UK134m. Many investors in smaller companies prefer to see the board more heavily invested. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 37% stake in AFC Energy. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: 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. Be aware that AFC Energy is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is concerning... If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up. So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Swiss Re (VTX:SREN). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it. See our latest analysis for Swiss Re Swiss Re's Improving Profits Strong earnings per share (EPS) results are an indicator of a company achieving solid profits, which investors look upon favourably and so the share price tends to reflect great EPS performance. Which is why EPS growth is looked upon so favourably. It's an outstanding feat for Swiss Re to have grown EPS from US$1.63 to US$11.07 in just one year. When you see earnings grow that quickly, it often means good things ahead for the company. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. The music to the ears of Swiss Re shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 2.7% to 10% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. That's great to see, on both counts. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers. While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Swiss Re? Are Swiss Re Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Owing to the size of Swiss Re, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. As a matter of fact, their holding is valued at US$45m. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. Even though that's only about 0.2% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders. Should You Add Swiss Re To Your Watchlist? Swiss Re's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. That sort of growth is nothing short of eye-catching, and the large investment held by insiders should certainly brighten the view of the company. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. So at the surface level, Swiss Re is worth putting on your watchlist; after all, shareholders do well when the market underestimates fast growing companies. It is worth noting though that we have found 1 warning sign for Swiss Re that you need to take into consideration. Story continues While opting for stocks without growing earnings and absent insider buying can yield results, for investors valuing these key metrics, here is a carefully selected list of companies in CH with promising growth potential and insider confidence. 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. Ahold Delhaize USA announced Monday the appointment of Kim Lyda as its new chief legal officer. Lyda previously served as senior vice president of the business integrity group at Retail Business Services, a former Ahold Delhaize USA services company. Earlier this month, Ahold Delhaize USA announced it had recently stopped operating its Peapod Digital Labs and Retail Business Services units as individual companies and consolidated their functions into a unified support group. While at Retail Business Services, Lyda oversaw a team of compliance, government relations, legal affairs, quality assurance and risk and safety professionals across five locations. Lyda has worked for Ahold Delhaize USA for 22 years. Prior to Ahold Delhaize, Lyda began her career as a judicial clerk to Justice Louis B. Meyers of the North Carolina Supreme Court and worked in private practice for seven years. I have worked with Kim for many years, and she provides excellent legal counsel and is a trusted and dedicated business leader who works tirelessly to help the companies of Ahold Delhaize USA achieve their business goals, Ahold Delhaize USA CEO JJ Fleeman said in a statement. Her impact is evident throughout the company, and we all will benefit from her expertise and guidance in the role of Chief Legal Officer for our U.S. businesses. As chief legal officer, Lyda will provide legal counsel, as well as other services such as public affairs, risk management, food safety and compliance, to the brands of Ahold Delhaize USA. The companys five U.S. supermarket banners are Food Lion, Hannaford, The Giant Company, Stop & Shop and Giant Food. Lyda is the latest top executive announcement by Ahold Delhaize USA in recent months. In February, the company named Marc Stolzman, who was previously at the Peapod Digital Labs division, as its new chief sustainability officer This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. We have entered the heart of the 2024 Q1 earnings cycle with a notably stacked earnings schedule on deck for this week. The period has primarily been positive so far, with the big banks results not causing any spooks. This week, well hear from American Airlines AAL and Southwest Airlines LUV. What can investors expect? We can use results from a peer, United Airlines UAL, as a small read-through. Lets take a closer look. United Airlines Concerning headline figures, UAL posted a 71% beat relative to the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate and reported sales modestly ahead of expectations, with both items well-higher than year-ago figures. Interestingly enough, the company wouldve posted a quarterly profit had it not experienced a $200 million impact from the Boeing 737 MAX 9 grounding. Below is a chart illustrating the companys revenue on a quarterly basis. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Consumers still have a strong interest in travel, with UALs capacity up 9.1% year-over-year. Lower fuel prices also aided profitability, with the $2.88 per gallon mark nicely beneath the $3.13 mark in the prior quarter. The company reaffirmed its prior guidance, expecting full-year 2024 adjusted EPS in a band of $9 - $11. Shares popped following the release, with the market impressed by the results. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research American Airlines Analysts have reversed their earnings estimate revisions, with the current -$0.28 Zacks Consensus EPS estimate up from -$0.32 at the end of March. Revenue revisions have remained positive for nearly all year, with the $12.6 billion expected modestly higher than the $12.5 billion expected at the end of January. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Its worth noting that the company has regularly exceeded our expectations in a big way as of late, beating our consensus EPS estimate by an average of 120% across its last four releases. Southwest Airlines Southwests earnings outlook hasnt been as positive, with the -$0.31 Zacks Consensus EPS estimate down considerably from the -$0.19 mark in mid-March. Revenue revisions have been more bullish, as the $6.4 billion expected is up roughly 3%. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Like AAL, the company has been on a solid earnings streak as of late, beating our consensus EPS expectations by an average of 52% across its last four releases. Bottom Line With several airliners American Airlines AAL and Southwest Airlines LUV on the reporting docket this week, using the recent results weve received from United Airlines UAL can provide a framework of what to expect concerning consumer behavior. Story continues UAL posted a solid quarterly release, with Capacity continuing to grow and lower fuel prices aiding results. Still, it's critical to note that the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX does not affect LUV or AAL, as the companies do not fly this particular craft. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) First Quarter 2024 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$2.23b (up 1.6% from 1Q 2023). Net loss: US$132.0m (loss narrowed by 7.0% from 1Q 2023). US$1.05 loss per share (improved from US$1.11 loss in 1Q 2023). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Alaska Air Group Revenues and Earnings Beat Expectations Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 2.5%. Earnings per share (EPS) also surpassed analyst estimates by 2.2%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 5.9% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 6.4% growth forecast for the Airlines industry in the US. Performance of the American Airlines industry. The company's shares are up 12% from a week ago. Risk Analysis We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for Alaska Air Group that you should be aware of before investing 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. (Reuters) - Ecommerce giant Amazon.com launched a new grocery delivery subscription on Tuesday in the United States for members of its Prime program and customers who are recipients of the government food assistance benefits. The subscription plan would allow Amazon's Prime members to get unlimited grocery delivery at $9.99 per month on orders over $35 from Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and other local grocery and specialty retailers on the platform, including Save Mart, Bartell Drugs, Rite Aid and Pet Food Express. The service will be available in over 3,500 cities and towns across the country. Low-income citizens, who rely on the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to support their grocery budgets, would have to pay a reduced $4.99 fee per month for the same perks and do not require a Prime membership, according to the statement by Amazon.com. The move comes as part of the company's efforts to expand its fresh-food business in a space already occupied by players like Walmart and Target, which also have paid membership programs. A Walmart Plus offers plans for $12.95 per month, or a yearly plan for $98. Amazon's offering also includes one-hour delivery windows at no extra cost and unlimited 30-minute pickup on orders of any size. The move comes after a successful trial of this subscription plan in Denver, Colorado, Sacramento, California, Columbus and Ohio last year, the company added. (Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng) dhughes9 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Since the pandemic, migration trends in the country have been shifting and one region in particular is continuing to attract many new residents. Indeed, the 10 counties with the largest net domestic in-migration were mostly in the South, according to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau. And the Lone Star State is leading the way, with five of these counties attracting the most Americans. Check Out: 8 States To Move to If You Dont Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security Be Aware: 5 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money Florida and Texas continued to attract new residents drawn by the lower home prices and cost of living than the more expensive big, coastal cities, said Clare Trapasso, executive news editor at Realtor.com. However, some of the pricier cities have been losing residents as more people can work remotely. The Census Bureau report also noted that counties in the South experienced faster growth in 2023 than in 2022. In 2023, 67% of the counties in the region experienced population gains in 2023, up from 59% in 2022. Here are the top U.S. 10 counties with the greatest influx of new residents moving into the area in 2023, according to the Census Bureau report median home prices are according to Realtor.com. Also note, in less than a decade these Southern zip codes will be too expensive. Polk County, Florida Largest city: Lakeland Median home price: $350,000 Migration number: 26,029 See Next: 5 Types of Homes That Will Plummet in Value in 2024 Montgomery County, Texas Largest city: Conroe Median home price: $360,020 Migration number: 25,501 Pasco County, Florida Largest city: Zephyrhills Median home price: $364,311 Migration number: 23,750 Collin County, Texas Largest city: McKinney Median home price: $547,960 Migration number: 20,749 Denton County, Texas Largest city: Denton Median home price: $512,500 Migration number: 19,262 Williamson County, Texas Largest city: Georgetown Median home price: $496,808 Migration number: 17,943 Pinal County, Arizona Largest city: San Tan Valley Median home price: $406,500 Migration number: 17,463 Fort Bend County, Texas Largest city: Sugar Land Median home price: $415,000 Migration number: 15,757 Marion County, Florida Largest city: Ocala Median home price: $424,968 Migration number: 15,167 Horry County, South Carolina Largest city: Myrtle Beach Median home price: $324,900 Migration number: 15,061 More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Americans Are Moving To These 10 Metros 5 Are in Texas Americans now need a salary higher than $81K to take a new job a new high. 3 simple ways to make more money Heres a fun question to ask at your next social gathering: whats the lowest salary youd think the average American would be willing to accept for a new job? Your friends (especially if you remember a time when $50,000 was the median household income) may be surprised to discover that figure is now $81,822 a new high, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New Yorks March survey of Consumer Expectations Labor Market. Don't miss 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 Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how 'It's not taxed at all': Warren Buffett shares the 'best investment' you can make when battling rising costs take advantage today Just four months before, in November 2023, the same survey discovered that most Americans would have been okay with nearly $10,000 less: $73,391 per year. Yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) numbers show that expectations dont always line up with reality. The median income is at $59,228 over $20,000 less than what Americans expect from a new job. If youre one of the many Americans earning less than that coveted $81,822, there are ways to supercharge your salary. Find a new job If youre like just under half of Americans, you may be feeling dissatisfied with your wage compensation. Getting a new job may be the key to changing that. Hiring platform ZipRecruiter discovered that 65% of people who switched jobs in the second quarter of 2023 received a pay bump. In fact, a higher salary is why over half of people take new jobs. However, getting a new job isnt an easy feat when hiring is apparently slowing down. The BLS reports that, as of March, an unemployed American remains without a job for an average of 22.3 weeks (5.5 months) right now, slightly higher than at the same time the year before. But if youre looking for a new role as a deli clerk, sales manager or barista, you may not have any issue finding a new role and possibly higher pay. LinkedIn says that theyve seen the highest quarterly increase in paid posts for these jobs on their platform. Read more: Suze Orman says Americans are poorer than they think but having a dream retirement is so much easier when you know these 3 simple money moves Find supplemental income Maybe you dont want to quit your job entirely, but you just want a little extra cash on the side. A side hustle might be the best choice for you. Story continues Side hustles can be as simple as selling your old VHS tapes, creating an Etsy store of your artwork or Uber driving. Some people even start full-fledged businesses on the side. Its likely that you have a skillset or items that can be monetized. Use them to find ways to make you a bit more money. But keep in mind that some business experts are skeptical of the value of side hustles. New York University professor of marketing Scott Galloway believes that you should focus on one hustle to make more money. The way to economic security, the way to success, the way to professional currency, in my view, is [to be] 110% focus[ed] on one thing, he said on his podcast, The Prof G Pod. Find ways for your money to make money Investing is an accessible, low-effort way to make your money work for you. Its also one of the riskiest, depending on your investment portfolio and risk tolerance. Even if your paycheck isnt much, personal finance author Suze Orman says its important to start putting away some money early on to take advantage of compound interest. [Young people] dont understand the value of compounding and that the key to their financial independence is their age, Orman told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. NYUs Stern School of Business calculated that if youd invested $100 in the S&P 500 back in 1928, that investment would be worth over $780,000 now. The average American worker may not be investing for a century, but say youd put aside $100 at the start of your career in 1928, 35 years later that initial investment would have grown to $2,285.80 (equivalent to $22,322 today). The sooner you start, the more time will do the heavy lifting for you. What to read next Jeff Bezos told his siblings to invest $10K in his startup called Amazon, and now their stake is worth over $1B 3 ways to get rich without having to gamble on risky public stocks Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof and only getting worse. But 5 minutes could have you paying as little as $29/month Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. ANDRESITO, Argentina (AP) For millions across the heartland of South America, bitter-tasting yerba mate tea is a beloved staple of social gatherings and morning routines. But here, in the steamy grasslands of Argentinas northeast Misiones Province, mate is also a way of life literally. For generations, low-paid laborers known as tareferos have toiled in the forests of Misiones, the mate capital of the world. They get paid by the weight, so each morning, the race is on. From dawn to sundown, they cut a seemingly endless harvest of the hardy leaves and stuff them into white bags until they burst at the seams. After being dried, packaged and trucked off, the herbs spread to virtually every Argentine household, office and school as well as to neighboring Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and farther afield. For tareferos, mate is mostly a commodity, sold for $22 a ton. But workers also sip the infusion during breaks in the fields, its caffeine helping them stay energized. The grueling work in northeastern Argentina dates back to the arrival of the Spanish, when Indigenous tribes worked Jesuit plantations in what is now Paraguay. Yerba mate gives us harmony and strength, said Isabelino Mendez, an Indigenous village chief in Misiones. It's part of our culture. Argentinas government has long supported the mate industry with price controls and subsidies, keeping farmers incomes higher than they would be if subjected to free-market competition. But this year, libertarian President Javier Milei's draconian financial measures to fix the economy have thrust mate producers and tareferos alike into uncertainty. To downsize the state, Milei seeks to scrap price controls and other regulations affecting a range of markets, including yerba mate. Small producers fear that big companies will set prices they cant afford to match and push them out of the market. Julio Petterson, a mate producer from the northern Andresito village, fears a repeat of the 1990s, when similar liberal policies wreaked havoc on small producers. We barely survived, he said. Thousands of other producers went bankrupt. Workers say they're bracing for mass layoffs. If the government deregulates prices, this will harm the producers who own the land and, ultimately, we'll lose our jobs, said 40-year-old Antonio Pereyra Ramos, who oversees 18 workers. The economic crisis is hitting us hard. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Understanding AptarGroup Inc's Dividend Sustainability and Growth AptarGroup Inc (NYSE:ATR) recently announced a dividend of $0.41 per share, payable on 2024-05-16, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into AptarGroup Inc's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does AptarGroup Inc Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with ATR. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois, AptarGroup is a leading global supplier of dispensing systems such as aerosol valves, pumps, closures, and elastomer packaging components to the consumer goods and pharmaceutical markets. With the bulk of its annual net sales coming from Europe (50% of sales) and the United States (33%), Aptar aims to increase its presence in Asia (10%) and Latin America (7%). It operates three business segments, Pharma, Beauty, and Closures. Pharma generates over two thirds of group profits. AptarGroup Inc's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at AptarGroup Inc's Dividend History AptarGroup Inc has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 1993. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. AptarGroup Inc has increased its dividend each year since 1993, earning it the prestigious title of a dividend aristocrat. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Breaking Down AptarGroup Inc's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, AptarGroup Inc currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.16% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 1.18%, suggesting an expectation of increased dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, AptarGroup Inc's annual dividend growth rate was 3.10%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate increased to 3.30% per year. And over the past decade, AptarGroup Inc's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at 4.50%. Based on AptarGroup Inc's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of AptarGroup Inc stock as of today is approximately 1.36%. AptarGroup Inc's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. As of 2023-12-31, AptarGroup Inc's dividend payout ratio is 0.33, indicating a balance between returning value to shareholders and retaining earnings for growth. Story continues AptarGroup Inc's profitability rank of 8 out of 10 as of 2023-12-31 suggests good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each year over the past decade, further solidifying its high profitability. Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook AptarGroup Inc's growth rank of 8 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. However, when looking at revenue growth, AptarGroup Inc's average annual increase of 6.40% underperforms approximately 54.31% of global competitors. The company's 3-year EPS growth rate shows an average annual increase of 11.10%, which underperforms approximately 48.65% of global competitors. Additionally, the 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 3.40% underperforms approximately 64.12% of global competitors, indicating mixed performance in earnings growth. Concluding Thoughts on AptarGroup Inc's Dividend Profile Considering AptarGroup Inc's consistent dividend increases, a reasonable payout ratio, and a solid profitability rank, the company's dividend appears sustainable. However, investors should also consider the mixed growth metrics when assessing the future prospects of AptarGroup Inc's dividends. With a careful balance between yield and growth, AptarGroup Inc may continue to be a stable dividend-paying investment, but it is essential to keep an eye on the company's ability to adapt and grow in a competitive market. GuruFocus Premium users can screen for high-dividend yield stocks using the High Dividend Yield Screener to find opportunities like AptarGroup Inc. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. GFH Partners, a subsidiary of Bahrain-based GFH Financial Group, has announced the appointment of Nabeel Kanoo to its Board of Directors with immediate effect. Kanoo brings more than three decades of diverse business experience to the Board. He is currently the Chairman of YBA Kanoo Joint Ventures and Bahrain Airport Services, and a Board Member of Ebrahim K Kanoo, K Hotel, Bahrain, and Oasis Capital. He began his career at Arthur Anderson in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia and has held multiple senior executive roles at Kanoo Travel. Kanoo holds a Bachelor of Business Management from St. Edwards University, Austin, Texas, US. Lauding the appointment, Hisham Alrayes, Chairman of GFH Partners, said: "We are delighted to welcome Mr. Nabeel Kanoo to the Board of GFH Partners during this exciting time of growth. His experience in strategic sectors and markets will contribute to GFH Partners efforts to further grow its global real estate portfolio as well as investments in the region, where we see exciting opportunities for the Group and our investors in strategic sectors." GFH Partners currently manages over $6 billion of real estate assets as part of the total $21 billion of assets managed by the Group. It invests across the stabilized and core markets of the US, the UK, KSA and UAE, where it aims to capture and capitalize on strong economic growth prospects in these regions. GFH Partners is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), and its investments and offerings are further regulated by respective domiciles, including the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA), as well as respective global regulators of the investment vehicles, ensuring best practices in line with global investment standards.-TradeArabia News Service (Bloomberg) -- ASML Holding NV is weighing options to expand its presence in the Netherlands, after the government committed 2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) to infrastructure and education spending in the region where the companys headquarters are located. Most Read from Bloomberg The Veldhoven, Netherlands-based firm said Monday it signed a letter of intent with its home region of Eindhoven in the south of the country to explore expansion. A final decision is subject to ironing out a few crucial points, ASML spokeswoman Monique Mols said in an emailed statement. The Dutch government set up a taskforce and last month announced the spending after local media reported the countrys most valuable firm was considering expanding abroad. The Netherlands in the past has lost consumer goods behemoth Unilever Plc and oil giant Shell Plc when the two companies relocated their headquarters to the UK. ASML, which makes the worlds most sophisticated lithography machines that are used to produce chips, aims to double its capacity by 2030 as it anticipates surging demand from the semiconductor sector to meet the boom in generative artificial intelligence. ASML prefers to keep core activities in the Netherlands as close as possible to existing sites in Veldhoven, according to the statement, which said the company welcomed the governments recent investment decisions. Mols said that some of the outstanding issues before a binding commitment include power grid access, availability of housing and access to the road network. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Amid a backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions and fluctuating market conditions, the Hong Kong stock market has shown resilience, reflecting the broader dynamics observed in global financial landscapes. In this context, identifying high-yield dividend stocks such as Best Pacific International Holdings becomes crucial for investors seeking stable returns in uncertain times. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Hong Kong Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank (SEHK:3618) 9.35% China Construction Bank (SEHK:939) 8.83% CITIC Telecom International Holdings (SEHK:1883) 9.92% S.A.S. Dragon Holdings (SEHK:1184) 9.04% China Mobile (SEHK:941) 6.90% Sinopharm Group (SEHK:1099) 4.48% Playmates Toys (SEHK:869) 9.84% Zhejiang Expressway (SEHK:576) 6.86% Bank of China (SEHK:3988) 7.52% International Housewares Retail (SEHK:1373) 8.55% Click here to see the full list of 86 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Let's review some notable picks from our screened stocks. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Best Pacific International Holdings Limited operates in the textile industry, focusing on the manufacturing, trading, and selling of elastic fabric, elastic webbing, and lace, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$1.00 billion. Operations: Best Pacific International Holdings Limited generates revenue primarily through two segments: HK$834.34 million from the manufacturing and trading of elastic webbing, and HK$3.37 billion from the manufacturing and trading of elastic fabric and lace. Dividend Yield: 8.7% Best Pacific International Holdings recently proposed a final ordinary dividend of HK$0.1138 per share for 2023, reflecting a commitment to returning value to shareholders amid increasing earnings. The company reported a net income rise to HK$346.92 million from last year and an earnings growth of 15.9%. Despite trading 49.5% below estimated fair value and showing potential as an undervalued stock, investors should note the historical volatility in both share price and dividend payments, which could suggest caution for those seeking stable returns. SEHK:2111 Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Pacific Basin Shipping Limited operates globally, providing dry bulk shipping services with a market capitalization of approximately HK$14.32 billion. Story continues Operations: Pacific Basin Shipping Limited generates revenue primarily through its dry bulk shipping services, totaling approximately HK$2.30 billion. Dividend Yield: 4.5% Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, despite a challenging year with net income dropping to US$109.38 million from US$701.86 million, continues to reward shareholders by distributing 75% of its net profit as dividends, totaling HK$12.2 cents per share for the year. The company's dividend sustainability is moderately secure with a payout ratio of 47.6% and cash payout ratio at 80.9%, though historically, the dividend track record has been unstable and volatile over the past decade. Additionally, recent corporate changes aim to enhance governance and shareholder communication through electronic means. SEHK:2343 Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Bosideng International Holdings Limited operates in the Peoples Republic of China, focusing on the research, design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of branded down apparel and non-down products as well as OEM services; it has a market capitalization of approximately HK$48.02 billion. Operations: Bosideng International Holdings Limited generates revenue primarily through three segments: down apparels (CN14.69 billion), original equipment manufacturing (OEM) management (CN2.46 billion), and ladieswear apparels (CN0.76 billion). Dividend Yield: 4.1% Bosideng International Holdings offers a modest dividend yield of 4.12%, which is below the top quartile in Hong Kong's market at 8.31%. However, the company has demonstrated consistent growth in its dividends over the past decade. Currently trading at 3.6% below its estimated fair value, Bosideng maintains a sustainable payout with earnings covering 76% and cash flows covering 50% of dividend payments. Despite this, its historical dividend reliability has been questioned due to volatility and an unstable track record over the same period. SEHK:3998 Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Taking Advantage Navigate through the entire inventory of 86 Top Dividend Stocks here. Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments. Maximize your investment potential with Simply Wall St, the comprehensive app that offers global market insights for free. Searching for a Fresh Perspective? 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. Companies discussed in this article include SEHK:2111 SEHK:2343 and SEHK:3998. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com NEW YORK (AP) The Biden administration has finalized a new rule set to make millions of more salaried workers eligible for overtime pay in the U.S. The move marks the largest expansion in federal overtime eligibility seen in decades. Starting July 1, employers will be required pay overtime to salaried workers who make less than $43,888 a year in certain executive, administrative and professional roles, the Labor Department said Tuesday. That cap will then rise to $58,656 by the start of 2025. Too often, lower-paid salaried workers are doing the same job as their hourly counterparts but are spending more time away from their families for no additional pay. That is unacceptable, acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a prepared statement. She added that the administration was following through on our promise to raise the bar. Tuesday's news marks a significant jump from the current overtime eligibility threshold of $35,568, which was set under the Trump administration in 2019 just three years after a more generous Obama-era effort was ultimately scuttled in court after facing pushback from some business leaders and Republican politicians. Under the federal law, nearly all hourly workers in the U.S. are entitled to overtime pay after 40 hours a week. But many salaried workers are exempt from that requirement unless they earn below a certain level. The new rule also expands overtime eligibility for some highly-compensated workers. According to a Labor Department FAQ, the current $107,432 annual threshold for highly-compensated workers is set to increase to $132,964 on July 1 and $151,164 by the start of 2025. The Labor Department estimates that 4 million lower-paid salary workers who are exempt under current regulations will become eligible for overtime protections in the first year under the new rule. An additional 292,900 higher-compensated workers are also expected to get overtime entitlements. The July 1 increases update the current salary thresholds using methodology put in place under the Trump administration's 2019 regulation. The new rule's methodology takes effect Jan. 1, the Labor Department said, with salary thresholds set to update every three years based on the latest wage data. The Biden administration first announced plans for its new rule in late August, and submitted a proposal in September. The Labor Department said it conducted extensive engagement with employers, workers, unions and other stakeholders and considered more than 33,000 comments as it developed the final rule. Story continues Critics have argued that the new regulation could saddle companies with new costs and add to persistent labor challenges. In a statement, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican and chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said that employers "are staring down the barrel of billions in annual costs to comply with the rule" while calling the regulation excessive and heavy-handed. Meanwhile, advocates applauded the administration's rule with some noting that such a move is overdue. The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute says that the overtime threshold has not been updated properly for almost 50 years leaving millions without such federal protections. "The rule is an important step toward correctly valuing one of the most precious resources workers have their time, EPI president Heidi Shierholz said Tuesday. This rule is an essential milestone in creating a stronger, fairer economy. BlackRock BlackRock Inc., the largest exchange-traded fund issuer, has filed for its first mutual fund-to-ETF conversion, joining JPMorgan Chase & Co., Dimensional and other firms using the technique to boost product offerings in the faster-growing market. New York-based BlackRock, whose iShares unit manages $2.65 trillion in 411 ETFs, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to convert the $700 million BlackRock International Dividend Fund into an ETF by November 18. The fund conversion will offer investors additional trading flexibility, enhanced portfolio holdings transparency, and potential tax efficiency, according to the filing. ETFs have been growing at the expense of mutual funds due to their lower costs, liquidity, tax benefits and flexibility in creating products targeted to specific investing needs. At the same time, big asset managers are struggling to bring a range of mutual fund strategies into ETFs. Converting funds has become an increasingly popular route, as ETF issuers deal with razor-thin margins and a saturated market. About $100 billion in mutual fund assets has have been converted as ETFs since 2021, according to Bloomberg. The U.S. ETF industry has reached nearly $9 trillion in assets. Pacific Investment Management Co also filed for its first mutual fund conversion on March 1. Demand from fee-based advisors and other investors was behind the decision to convert the mutual fund, BlackRock Head of Americas for Global Product Solutions Jessica Tan said in an emailed statement. "Fee-based advisors are increasingly using active ETFs for their efficiency and flexibility in strategies, including as building blocks in model portfolios," Tan wrote. ETF Share Class Filings Another route investment firms are exploring is issuing share classes of existing mutual fundsa move that would allow mutual fund investors to gain the tax benefits and efficiency of the exchange-traded fund structure while still being invested in the strategy of the given mutual fund. Firms such as Dimensional and Morgan Stanley have filed for this unique structure that was once exclusively patented by Vanguard. If the SEC approves the rule changes, other firms will likely follow suit, unleashing what could potentially be thousands of new ETFs into the market. Some issuers have opted to clone mutual fund strategies by launching an entirely new ETF that uses the same portfolio management technique with similar holdings. Contact Lucy Brewster at lucy.brewster@etf.com. Permalink | Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved SYDNEY (Reuters) - Blackstone-owned Crown Resorts was found suitable to retain its Sydney casino's licence after nearly three years of intensive remediation, a gambling regulator said on Tuesday. The New South Wales state Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (NICC), the state regulator which replaced the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) and which currently oversees Crown's Sydney licence, said Crown Sydney has fundamentally reformed its business and has been building a culture of transparency and accountability. "The NICC is confident the Crown we deemed suitable today has a strong model to keep operating into the future," Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said in a statement. Last month, it was announced that the casino operator could keep its licence to operate its flagship Melbourne casino by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, on grounds that it was in the public interest. Crown Resorts and Crown Sydney acknowledged the regulator's decision and said that Crown has invested A$200 million ($129.28 million) in a "comprehensive transformation" of its business to implement reforms across harm minimisation, financial crime, governance, compliance and risk. Crown Sydney would continue to work "constructively and collaboratively" with the NICC to implement the requirements related to the casino licence and ensure ongoing compliance with industry regulations and standards, the casino operator said. Crown Perth, on the other hand, continues the implementation of its remediation plan, which is due to be submitted to the Perth Independent Monitor by the end of January 2025, Crown Resorts said in a statement. Last year, the casino operator agreed to pay a A$450 million fine for breaking anti-money laundering laws, in a bid to rescue the company from a string of regulatory issues it got engulfed in. ($1 = 1.5470 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney and Archishma Iyer and Echha Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue, Stephen Coates and Rashmi Aich) Boeing Will Deliver Q1 Earnings While At Center Of Air Safety Scandal: 'Everybody Wants Boeing To Succeed' (CORRECTED) Editors note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Boeing reports earnings premarket Wednesday. As the market awaits Boeing Co's (NYSE:BA) earnings call this week, investors are wondering whether the company's results will be strong enough to counter recent scandals hunting the company's public image. The aircraft manufacturer will release its results premarket Wednesday. Boeing is facing major criticism over safety concerns that sprouted several federal investigations and are eroding investor trust in the company. Boeing has become among the most volatile stocks in the aerospace and defense sector, with its shares dropping 32.5% since January, after an aircraft made by the company lost a part of its fuselage. Before the drop, Boeing's stock grew around 47% between late October and mid-December. By contrast, iShares US Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS:ITA), the largest ETF in the sector by total assets, is up 2.3% since January and 11% in the past year. About 13% of the fund's assets consist of Boeing stock. Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSE:PPA), which has 6% of its assets allocated to Boeing, has performed even better, and is up 8.7% since January and 22% in the past year. Airbus SE (OTC:EADSY), Boeing's main competitor in the commercial aviation market, has benefited from Boeing's downfall, and its shares are up 12% since January and 22% in the past year. Read also: Boeing Wants To Make Flying Cars In Asia While Aircraft Unit Faces Severe Turbulence Analysts Weigh In On Boeing On Monday, Barclays analyst David Strauss maintained Boeing's rating (NYSE:BA) with an Equal-Weight but lowered the company's price target from $235 to $190. According to a Zacks analysis, the recent increase in research and development expenses and a decrease in aircraft deliveries are likely to negatively impact the companys performance in the upcoming earnings call. The company sold 40% fewer 737 planes than the same period last year. Overall, commercial airplane sales were down by 36.2%. However, stronger sales in the 767 and 787 segments, which generate more revenue per plane, could offset the 737 slump. Consensus earnings per share forecast for Q1, ahead of the report, is $-1.43, according to Zacks, based on nine analysts forecasts. EPS for the same quarter last year was $-1.27. Boeing's Legal Woes, Safety Scandals During 2024 Boeing's recent history has been plagued with controversies which include several federal probes, the resignation of its CEO and the suspicious death of a whistleblower. Story continues The company has been subject to at least 32 whistleblower complaints in the past three years. In January, a Boeing 737 Max 9 flown by Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) lost an emergency door mid-flight, terrifying passengers and sparking widespread concerns about the company's responsibility for the incident. The Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation and the company is facing lawsuits from several passengers on the flight. The event was a blow to the company's 737 Max line, which had already faced severe actions from the FAA after two 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed in similar conditions during 2018 and 2019, costing 346 lives. The incident triggered a domino effect that damaged the company's public image in the following months. 737 Max 9 planes were blocked from flying by the FAA for about two weeks until the agency allowed them to get back in the air. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker however, said this wont be back to business as usual for Boeing. The turbulence continued into March when the FAAs audit found the company deficient in 33 of 89 review points. Ed Clark, the head of the company's 737 Max division resigned, which was followed by the announcement that the company's CEO Dave Calhoun will leave his post by the end of the year. Last month, John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who raised safety concerns after being at the company for over 32 years, was found dead in a hotel room from self-inflicted wounds. Barnett had testified as a witness against Boeing and was set to return to court days after his death. In parallel to the FAA's audit, the National Transportation Safety Board has announced a public hearing into the company, which will be conducted in August. Boeing Could Get Into Even More Trouble With DOJ Last week, a Senate committee held a hearing which examined Boeing's safety issues. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said, "everybody wants Boeing to succeed." The committee brought back into the spotlight a deal the company reached with the Department of Justice in 2021, on several charges of fraud. After the crashes of 2018 and 2019, Boeing admitted having withheld critical information about technical aspects of its aircraft. This led to a deal that had Boeing pay $2.5 billion in penalties. Now, senators say the company could have broken the terms of the deal after the NTSB failed to receive key documentation from Boeing on the construction of the aircraft that failed in January. A DOJ probe is currently investigating whether the deal was broken. If Boeing is found guilty, the department could impose further fines, and potentially affect the company's ability to land new contracts with the U.S. government, according to Reuters. Now read: Boeing Heads To Space: Could NASA Deal, Starliner Help Fend Off Airplane Segment Weakness? Shutterstock image. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Boeing Will Deliver Q1 Earnings While At Center Of Air Safety Scandal: 'Everybody Wants Boeing To Succeed' (CORRECTED) originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. A logo with the inscription "Boeing" pictured on a hall of the Boeing distribution center. Georg Wendt/dpa US aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Monday told employees it is currently unable to expand production of its long-haul 787 Dreamliner model as quickly as planned due to supply bottlenecks, broadcaster CNBC reported. The company told employees at its 787 plant in the US state of South Carolina that the delays were due to supplier shortages of "a few key parts," according to a memo cited by the broadcaster. Boeing confirmed on enquiry that the report was correct. There were no details as to which components were missing. According to the latest information, Boeing was building around five Dreamliners per month and wanted to increase production in the coming year. The aircraft manufacturer will present its latest quarterly figures on Wednesday and is also expected to comment in more detail on its production plans. Boeing is currently under pressure to improve quality controls following a dramatic incident in January. A part of the fuselage of a virtually new 737-9 MAX with more than 170 people on board tore out of the plane body at seat row 26 shortly after take-off. No one was seriously injured in the incident involving an Alaska Airlines aircraft - coincidentally, the two seats directly at the opening had remained empty. After scrutinizing production, US aviation authority FAA demanded a plan for improvements from Boeing and is refusing to allow the company to expand production of the 737 series. In addition, a whistleblower recently claimed that some 787 Dreamliner aircraft could have a shortened service life because the company had taken technical "shortcuts" to speed up production. The company strongly denied this. Eyes are now on Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM, which is scheduled to report first-quarter 2024 earnings on Apr 26, before the opening bell. Some investors may be deliberating whether to purchase the stock of the leading integrated energy company before Friday or wait for a better entry point, as an erroneous decision could significantly affect portfolio gains. Incredible Price Performance ExxonMobil has proven to be incredibly rewarding since the beginning of the year, gaining 21.7% year to date, surpassing the 13.5% rise of the composite stocks belonging to the Zacks Oil and Gas Integrated International industry. A solid pipeline of profitable upstream projects centered around the prolific Permian and Guyana assets is among the key factors that are leading to the outperformance. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Highly favorable oil prices, as evidenced by the average spot West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices per barrel in January, February and March of $74.15, $77.25, and $81.28, respectively, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administrations data, are also bolstering the energy major's price performance, and hence likely have backed XOMs first-quarter earnings. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings per share stands at $2.19, with revenues estimated at $86.6 billion. Notably, our proven model predicts an earnings beat for ExxonMobil this time around because the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. XOM has an Earnings ESP of +0.13% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Wait for a Better Entry Point ExxonMobil's price chart may continue to show strength, given the company's anticipated closure of its substantial $59.5 billion all-stock acquisition deal with Pioneer Natural Resources PXD in the second quarter of 2024. This deal closure is poised to enhance ExxonMobil's presence in the Permian Basin, the most prolific basin in the United States, as Pioneer Natural is a leading oil producer in the region. ExxonMobil's Permian production is thus set to more than double to 1.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (MMBoE/D). Additionally, the company has projected that this production figure will increase to an impressive 2 MMBoE/D by 2027. Numerous major discoveries in the Stabroek Block, situated off the coast of Guyana, have also contributed to ExxonMobil's notable progress in its production outlook. The growth projects in Guyana offer advantages in terms of lower greenhouse gas intensity compared to many other oil and gas-producing resources worldwide. Story continues Despite the positive developments favoring the stock, investors should wait for a better entry point. This is because shares are somewhat expensive on a relative basis, with the current 6.48X trailing 12-month Enterprise Value/Earnings before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortization sitting above the 6.14X five-year median. Also, the company is trading at a premium to the Zacks Oil and Gas International Integrated industry average of 4.04X. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Closing Thoughts Investors should refrain from rushing to buy XOM, which is lagging behind its peers in terms of shareholder returns, before Friday. Instead, they should monitor the stock closely for a more appropriate entry point. Other Stocks to Consider Here are two other firms that you may want to consider, as these, too, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the upcoming quarterly reports: EOG Resources, Inc. EOG currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.67% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. EOG Resources is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EOGs quarterly earnings is pegged at $2.74 per share, implying a 1.9% increase from the prior-year reported figure. Diamondback Energy FANG currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.66% and a Zacks Rank #3. Diamondback is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings on Apr 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FANGs quarterly earnings is pegged at $4.27 per share, indicating a 4.2% increase from the prior-year reported figure. Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pioneer Natural Resources Company (PXD) : Free Stock Analysis Report EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Dubai World Trade Centre cluster has appointed a new Cluster Director of Finance at Novotel World Trade Centre, Ibis World Trade Centre and Ibis One Central. With an extensive background in finance hospitality and over 13 years of industry experience & serving Middle East region (UAE & Qatar) for more than six years, Anirudh Chaturvedi is set to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this role. Anoop Dhondoo, Regional General Manager of Dubai Central, said: "We are delighted to welcome Mr Chaturvedi as our new Cluster Director of Finance. He is a well-rounded finance professional with vast experience, specifically in P&L management, budgeting, forecast development and analysis, and staff development. We look forward to working closely with Mr. Chaturvedi to help realise the full potential of this iconic landmark hotel group. Mr. Chaturvedi expressed his enthusiasm for joining the renowned hotel group, stating: "I am very pleased to be a part of this esteemed organisation and excited for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I am committed to contributing my skills and expertise to drive financial excellence and support the continued success of Novotel World Trade Centre, Ibis World Trade Centre, and Ibis One Central concurrently." A native of India, Chaturvedi most recently held the position of Cluster Financial Controller at the iconic project by Katara Hospitality Fairmont & Raffles Hotels in Doha, Qatar. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in pioneering smart system implementation and achieving good financial results along with top internal auditing scores. His dedication to financial stewardship and strategic leadership make him a valuable addition to the Dubai Central team, a statement said. As a qualified Chartered Accountant from India (ICAI), he demonstrated exceptional proficiency in completing the course at a young age. Despite his early success, he remains passionate about learning and is currently pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification, awaiting completion of the final level. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and Finance. TradeArabia News Service Road & Track There has never been a better time to be an off-roading fan with room for a new car in the garage. Automakers have expanded their lineups of pickup trucks and SUVs to include many new enthusiast-oriented wheelers, with metal on offer for nearly every type of driver. Unfortunately, these well-appointed factory toys are getting pricier, with demand making it harder to score a sale at MSRP. That said, bringing a bit of extra information with you to the dealership might make that process a bit easier, especially when it comes to invoice pricing. What Is Car Invoice Pricing? Often referred to as dealer pricing, the invoice price of a vehicle is the rough figure a dealership will pay their respective automaker for stocking the lot. The MSRP figure automakers supply is designed with some profits built in for dealerships, but that doesnt mean the figure is their bottom line. In fact, many dealers can still turn a profit when selling a car at its invoice price thanks to the practice of holdbacks. A dealer holdback is a percentage of the overall MSRP or car invoice price that automakers pay dealers for making a sale. To help give buyers an idea of what these machines should actually cost dealers, R&T has compiled a list of 2024 model-year invoice and MSRP prices for some of our favorite 4x4s. These prices include the destination charges assigned by individual automakers, though we've listed that figure separately as well for your convince. We've designed this list to include a wide range of different trim levels, as automakers have started to fine-tune SUVs and trucks for different off-road disciplines. Please note: According to our sources, these prices are accurate as of April 2024. Depending on your specific dealer, region, and timing of purchase, these numbers may vary and are subject to change. 2024 Chevrolet Colorado 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss 4x4 Current Invoice: $37,179.20 Current MSRP: $38,895 Destination: $1595 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 4x4 Current Invoice: $39,945.80 Current MSRP: $41,795.00 Destination: $1595 "On a brief off-road run, the Trail Boss and Z71 both handled a rutted fire road with some big mounds quite well. The hardcore will still want the ZR2 with its magic spool valve shocks and underbody protection, but the Trail Boss and Z71 can both handle anything you might encounter on an unmaintained trail into the country. They're not Wranglers, but if you're not seeking out tough obstacles intentionally, either will do quite well." R&T February 2023 Chevrolet 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Current Invoice: $46,242 Current MSRP: $48,395 Destination: $1595 "The old Colorado ZR2 was a jouncy thing that felt as if it were ready to hop over a couple lanes if it hit a freeway expansion joist just so. This is a far more settled machine and that makes it much easier in daily use. But its off-road where it shines bright. Using Multimatics DSSV super-shocks and with 9.9-inches of travel in front and 11.6-inches in back, it scrambles over rocks and crags with utter confidence. It is, by far, the most nimble and capable off-roader that General Motors has yet built." R&T March 2024 Jonas Jungblut 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Custom Trail Boss Current Invoice: $50,028.30 Current MSRP: $52,445 Destination: $1995 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Z71 Current Invoice: $55,534.25 Current MSRP: $59,000 Destination: $1995 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2LT Trail Boss Current Invoice: $55,344.50 Current MSRP: $58,645 Destination: $1995 "In this case, the cheapest Trail Boss 4x4 undercuts the cheapest Rebel 4x4, but when these trucks are similarly equipped you're looking at extremely similar pricing. And then you notice the Ram has a nicer interior, better technology, better on-road performance, chunkier tires, and better styling. It has clever cubbies, the Ram Box in-bed storage system, and a bunch of hidden touches to let you know that the people who built it really sweat the small stuff. That dedication to exceptionalism is exactly what's missing in these GM trucks. You can get a nicer interior by upgrading from the Custom Trail Boss to the LT Trail Boss, but even the nicest Silverado can't quite keep up with the best from Ram and Ford." R&T April 2021 Chevrolet 2024 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Current Invoice: $67,770.90 Current MSRP: $71,895 Destination: $1995 "The full-size Silverado ZR2 is the follow-on product to the mid-size Colorado ZR2 that has already proven itself a hit for Chevy. Its an off-road oriented, four-wheel drive, crew cab truck thats equipped to get practically any place its 81.2-inches of width can muscle through. Its market-aligned with trucks like the Ford F-150 Tremor, Ram 1500 Rebel and Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Its not a plush flyer like Fords Raptor, or an overwhelming beast like the zany supercharged V8-powered Raptor R or Ram TRX. Its civilized enough to use poking around the urban and/or suburban sprawl and capable enough for both rural muck and wilderness adventure. Its two steps up from the mainstream Z71 trim and one step sideways-and-beyond from the Trail Boss edition." R&T January 2023 Brian Silvestro 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD ZR2 Current Invoice: $68,076.60 Current MSRP: $72,595 Destination: $1995 "The Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2s off-road hardware package includes a full suite of components, including specific upper and lower control arms, as well as bespoke steering knuckles. The suspension is raised 1.5 inches compared to a standard 4x4 model, and comes backed by a set of Multimatic DSSV dampers. Honed during GMs desert racing endeavors, the dampers have proven to be a highpoint of the ZR2 lineup. That suspension lift is accented by a set of 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT tires, which come wrapped around a set of 18-inch aluminum wheels. Regardless of the powertrain, the Silverado HD ZR2 features 11.6 inches of ground clearance, an approach angle of 32.5 degrees, a departure angle of 25.7 degrees, and a breakover angle of 21.1 degrees." R&T April 2023 Chevrolet 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 Current Invoice: $64,714.80 Current MSRP: $68,295 Destination: $1995 "The Z71 is the off-road-friendly option in the Tahoe family. Compared to other trims, it has a more aggressive front-end with a shiny skid plate and red tow hooks, 20-inch Goodyear all-terrain tires, standard four-wheel-drive with low-range locking capabilities, hill-descent control, Magnetic Ride Control, and adaptive air suspension for clearing obstacles. The Tahoe Z71 not only looks the part for off-road duties, but it's also capable of mild-to-medium-sized excursions." R&T March 2021 Aaron Brown 2024 Chevrolet Suburban Z71 Current Invoice: $67,552.80 Current MSRP: $71,295 Destination: $1995 The gigantic size of the current Suburban hasn't stopped GM from outfitting it with some off-road hardware. Like with the Tahoe, this three-row Z71 comes equipped with unique 20-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, additional underbody skid plates, and a two-speed transfer case. Reworked facias front and rear help to give the truck a bit more clearance than lesser models, complete with some bright recovery hooks. The off-road trim cannot be paired with the optional diesel powertrain, however. Chevrolet 2024 Ford Bronco 2024 Ford Bronco Big Bend (2 Door) Current Invoice: $40,535 Current MSRP: $41,525 Destination: $1895 2024 Ford Bronco Big Bend (4 Door) Current Invoice: $40,785 Current MSRP: $41,765 Destination: $1895 2024 Ford Bronco WildTrak (2 Door) Current Invoice:$60,013 Current MSRP: $62,120 Destination: $1895 2024 Ford Bronco WildTrak (4 Door) Current Invoice: $60,063 Current MSRP: $62,160 Destination: $1895 2024 Ford Bronco Everglades Current Invoice: $55,664 Current MSRP: $57,615 Destination: $1895 "Where Ford wins back points is in the day-to-day usability thing. The doors are frameless and easier to take off than on a Wrangler, the top is easy to remove, and the mirrors dont come off with the doors. Four-door models even have enough space to store all four doors on board, even if doing so takes up most of the cargo areas real estate. Thats not even close to a possibility on a Wrangler. These things are minor, but reflect the broader theory of the Bronco. Its everything likable about the Wrangler, minus many annoyances. Steering that doesnt exhaust the driver by demanding constant corrections. Doors that arent comically unwieldy. A roomier cabin. Mirrors that are permanently affixed to the truck. A suspension from this, or an adjacent, century. Modern, potent powertrains. Huge tires even on the cheap one." R&T November 2021 Ford Motor Company 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor Current Invoice: $88,779 Current MSRP: $91,930 Destination: $1895 "A lot has been done to the Bronco Raptor in its transformation from regular Bronco. It is 9.8 inches wider, sure, thanks to the revised suspension geometry, and has 60 percent more travel in the front (13 inches in total) and 40 percent more in the rear (14 inches there.) These are easily-digested numbers. Behind them are a great deal of mechanical changes. The front shock towers are new to accommodate more vertical travel and the bigger Fox shocks with integrated reservoirs front and remote reservoirs rear, Live Valve tech means they are tuneable for high speed control and low-speed compliance. The steering column has new more rigid housing for rock crawling. There are skidplates running the entire length of the vehicle, as well as strengthened cross members in the frame front and rear for jump protection, as Ford puts it. " R&T June 2022 Ford 2024 Ford Expedition Timberline Current Invoice: $70,827 Current MSRP: $73,695 Destination: $1995 "Adding to the Expedition's off-road prowess for the Timberline model are 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires and underbody shielding taken from the dune-jumping F-150 Raptor. There's also a function called Trail Turn Assist lifted from the Bronco which, when activated, brakes the inside rear wheel to help tighten the truck's turning radius on loose surfaces. Ford claims a best-in-class ground clearance of 10.6 inches, a wider track, and improved approach and departure angles to ensure worry-free travel off-road." R&T September 2021 Ford 2024 Ford Explorer Timberline Current Invoice: $49,048 Current MSRP: $51,025 Destination: $1595 "But an Explorer Raptor this is not: the Timberline spec brings a 0.8-inch lift with heavy-duty shock absorbers from the Explorer Police Interceptor, 265/65 Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires on unique 18-inch wheels, and unique front and rear fascias to add clearance. It also gets a Torsen limited-slip rear differential, paired with the Explorer's standard four-wheel drive, plus a seven-mode Terrain Management system and Hill Descent Control. Steel skid plates protect the drivetrain, which consists of the standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder making 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque paired to Ford's 10-speed automatic." R&T May 2021 Ford 2024 Ford Ranger 2024 Ford Ranger XLT FX4 Current Invoice: $40,353 Current MSRP: $41,985 Destination: $1595 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat FX4 Current Invoice: $48,042 Current MSRP: $50,005 Destination: $1595 "Ford has also fitted the Ranger with a new rear suspension setup, which places the shocks outside of the frame rails for the first time. Up front, the truck employs a short-arm long-arm independent suspension layout, while the rear retains a solid rear axle with leaf springs. This change hasnt completely removed the busy nature of an empty truck bed, but there is a notable improvement in comfort over the previous Ranger. It is also worth noting that both of R&T's test vehicles were outfitted with the FX4 Off-Road package, which brings unique shock tuning and a locking rear differential. " R&T March 2024 Lucas Bell 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Current Invoice: $54,846 Current MSRP: $57,065 Destination: $1595 "The 2024 Ranger Raptor might not have the same character as its larger sibling, but in the process of differentiating itself, it has created a new space for the sub-brand. Yes, this Raptor will still jump without batting an eye (or breaking your back), but it does so in a more approachable manner. The truck isnt nearly as difficult to navigate around the street or a trail, nor does it overwhelm you with the performance on offer. It's a well-rounded machine, and one that will certainly prove more fun on a back road than more trail-oriented offerings. Thats not exactly why people have bought trucks like this in the past, but the off-roading community is growing. This is a Raptor that is a bit more palatable for the uninitiated, and for one's wallet." R&T March 2024 Ford 2024 Ford F-150 2024 Ford F-150 STX FX4 Current Invoice: $51,924 Current MSRP: $54,285 Destination: $1995 2024 Ford F-150 XLT FX4 Current Invoice: $53,333 Current MSRP: $56,930 Destination: $1995 2024 Ford F-150 Lariat FX4 Current Invoice: $53,333 Current MSRP: $56,930 Destination: $1995 2024 Ford F-150 Tremor Current Invoice: $61,975 Current MSRP: $66,145 Destination: $1995 "Outside of the Raptor twins, the updated F-150 lineup will consist of XL, STX, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, Tremor, and Platinum Plus models. The STX is a new addition on the entry side of the offer sheet, borrowing its name from the popular package from previous F-150s. When specced with the FX4 off-road package, Ford believes the new trim will prove popular with younger off-roaders. " R&T September 2023 Ford Motor Company 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor Current Invoice: $75,234 Current MSRP: $80,325 Destination: $1995 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor R Current Invoice: $104,286 Current MSRP: $112,250 Destination: $1995 "Every other obstacle thrown the truck at washes, puddles, rocks, trails confirmed the awesomeness here. Whether V-6 or V-8, theres an unflappable durability to the Ford Raptor, a hard-nosed edge that could only be blunted by truly insane driving. You can beat the absolute dog piss out of these trucks and they Just. Keep. On. Charging. Even more, once youve overcome the initial shock of how much abuse the suspension can soak up (Ive never been accused of mechanical sympathy, but self-preservation does live deep in my lizard brain), the Raptor R begs to go faster and faster, jump higher and further, drift longer, and hammer throttle earlier and earlier through every bend." R&T October 2023 Ford 2024 Ford F-250 XLT Tremor Current Invoice: $58,711 Current MSRP: $61,880 Destination: $1995 "This isn't some surface-level appearance pack, either. Ford made a lot of changes, which included installing bespoke twin-tube dampers, retuned springs, an electronic locking rear differential, a limited-slip front differential, and 35-inch Goodyear tires." R&T June 2019 Ford 2024 GMC Canyon 2024 GMC Canyon Elevation 4x4 Current Invoice: $39,087.20 Current MSRP: $40,895 Destination: $1595 2024 GMC Canyon AT4 4x4 Current Invoice: $42,617 Current MSRP: $44,595 Destination: $1595 2024 GMC Canyon Denali 4x4 Current Invoice: $50,249 Current MSRP: $52,595 Destination: $1595 "Whether you opt for the base-model Elevation or the ultra-lux Denali, every Canyon outside of the AT4X will also now come with a 2-inch suspension lift compared to the outgoing models. The entire front suspension spindle has been moved forward by two inches on this new chassis, with a wider track helping to bring more performance and improved styling. Over a third of previous-gen Canyon sales belonged to the AT4 trim alone, which is why GM felt the need to embrace off-road capability across the entire lineup. The AT4X model will get an additional inch of suspension lift, though that doesnt simply come by way of a spacer." R&T August 2022 GMC 2024 GMC Canyon AT4X Current Invoice: $53,397 Current MSRP: $55,895 Destination: $1595 "The AT4X was one of the most composed trail rigs I've ever driven, and once we got back on pavement, it suffered from none of the ponderous, wallowy nonsense that makes a Gladiator so dreadful to drive. Even on 70-mph Montana two-lanes, the 310-hp four-cylinder proved capable of drama-free passing. With that kind of power, a decent Bose audio system, comfortable leather seats, a standard 11-inch display, and the best-designed cabin in the class, the Canyon AT4X is a great rig for road trips or daily driving." R&T October 2023 GMC 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Elevation 4x4 Current Invoice: $53,938.20 Current MSRP: $57,195 Destination: $1995 2024 GMC Sierra Denali 1500 4x4 Current Invoice: $67,770 Current MSRP: $71,895 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 4x4 Current Invoice: $64,195.10 Current MSRP: $68,095 Destination: $1995 "Think of the GMC Sierra 1500 as a Silverado, but way nicer. There's more standard features, a better cabin with high-quality materials, and more options available from the factory. If you want to flex on everyone at your worksite, you get a GMC Denali. That's just how it is." R&T April 2023 General Motors 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X Current Invoice: $76,522.20 Current MSRP: $81,195 Destination: $1995 "Like every GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X, the new AEV Edition truck starts life with a suite of significant enhancements over the standard model. Canadian engineering and race firm Multimatic supplies the truck with a set of its sublime DSSV Dampers, while electronically locking differentials are fitted to both axles. A two-speed transfer case brings a suite of unique driving modes, as well as features like one-pedal driving for the trails. A set of 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires are the sole option for the AT4X." R&T July 2022 GMC 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 AT4X Current Invoice: $79,495.80 Current MSRP: $84,795 Destination: $1995 "Off-road upgrades for the GMC Sierra AT4X include unique front control arms and steering knuckles, a 1.5-inch suspension lift, Multimatic DSSV dampers, a steel skid plate for the transfer case, an aluminum front skid plate, and a rear electronic-locking differential. The package also includes a larger set of 35-inch Goodyear Territory tires to help make better use of that improved suspension package. The adjustments help the HD ATX4 achieve 11.6-inches of ground clearance, as well as approach, departure and breakover angles of 31.6-, 25.7- and 21.2-degrees, respectively. Like the HD ZR2, the trucks come bolstered by GMs Off-Road mode software, which programs ABS, traction control and throttle inputs for maximum control on loose surfaces." R&T May 2023 Mack Hogan 2024 Jeep Gladiator 2024 Jeep Gladiator Sport Current Invoice: $38,994 Current MSRP: $39,790 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Gladiator Willys Current Invoice: $45,384 Current MSRP: $46,890 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Current Invoice: $56,253 Current MSRP: $58,230 Destination: $1895 "Here's where it pulls away from the rest of the pickup truck world: After a brief rainstorm, the sun started peeking out during Jeep's Gladiator media drive. Bingo. I weaseled my way out of the hardtop Overland I'd been driving all morning and snuck into a soft top Rubicon. Folding the roof is easy for two people, but doable solo. And then, there you are, cruising around in the only drop-top pickup truck you can buy in America today. That? That's pretty damn cool." R&T April 2019 Stellantis 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Current Invoice: $67,137.00 Current MSRP: $68,835.00 Destination: $1795 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk Current Invoice: $66,756.00 Current MSRP: $67,980.00 Destination: $1795 "For many Americans, the Grand Cherokee is absolutely the kind of statement piece they're trying to drive from the office to the ski hill, some wondrous and perfect mix of modesty, absolute competence, and a quiet grandeur. Complaints? Nothing major. Taller drivers wont be able to get the HUD display low enough to view it without obstruction. Also theres well there isnt one in my driveway right now, and thats a complaint." R&T November 2021 Stellantis 2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4x4 2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4x4 Current Invoice: $91,563 Current MSRP: $93,945 Destination: $2000 2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III Obsidian Current Invoice: $113,091.00 Current MSRP: $116,190.00 Destination: $2000 "Jeeps real competitors for the Grand Wagoneer are the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, and right now these are the two finest versions of these luxury SUVs that GM and Ford have built. The Grand Wagoneer is a first effort. A great first effort, but still a first effort. And while it lacks the gorgeous interior of the Navigator or the panache and elegance of the Cadillac, it has a name that hearkens back to a beloved truck from a brand that has been known for SUVs for decades." R&T March 2022 Jeep 2024 Jeep Wrangler 2024 Jeep Wrangler Sport (2 Door) Current Invoice: $33,218 Current MSRP: $33,890 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Wrangler Sport (4 Door) Current Invoice: $37,722 Current MSRP: $38,490 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (2 Door) Current Invoice: $47,052 Current MSRP: $48,690 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (4 Door) Current Invoice: $51,395 Current MSRP: $53,190 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X (2 Door) Current Invoice: $56,008.00 Current MSRP: $58,640.00 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X (4 Door) Current Invoice: $60,351 Current MSRP: $63,140 Destination: $1895 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon X Current Invoice: $70,118 Current MSRP: $72,240 Destination: $1895 "There are no fewer than eight different Wrangler models to choose from for 2024, including two new trims: Sport S 4xe and Rubicon X. The Sport S 4xe mates the second-cheapest Wrangler model with the company's excellent plug-in hybrid powertrain, which uses a 2.0-liter turbo inline-four and two electric motors to make 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Think of the Rubicon X as a "Rubicon Plus." It gets everything from the standard Rubiconelectronic sway bar disconnects, front and rear locking differentials, a part-time transfer case with a 4-low settingand adds 12-way power front seats, navigation, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, steel bumpers, an integrated off-road camera, body-colored fender flares and hardtop, and 35-inch tires (if you option the automatic)." R&T April 2023 Jeep 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Current Invoice: $91,150 Current MSRP: $93,440 Destination: $1895 "The Rubicon 392 packs a bunch of chassis improvements. This ultimate Wrangler comes from the factory wearing a 2-inch lift kit, with Fox high-performance shock absorbers and strengthened frame rails and front upper control arms. Wearing 33-inch tires on 17-inch wheels, the Rubicon 392 offers 32.5 inches of water fording capabilityhelped by an elaborate system of drains and auxiliary ducts that keep the engine from sucking up river water even if the scoop briefly dips below the waterline. As for that big ol' hood scoop (swiped from the Gladiator Mojave), a clever auxiliary air channel lets the engine keep breathing even if the scoop is crammed full of snow, mud, or other off-road debris." R&T November 2020 Jeep 2024 Land Rover Defender 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 P300S Current Invoice: $59,651 Current MSRP: $62,075 Destination: $1475 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 P400 Outbound Current Invoice: $82,595 Current MSRP: $85,975 Destination: $1475 2024 Land Rover Defender 90 P525 V-8 Current Invoice: $105,347 Current MSRP: $109,675 Destination: $1475 "With this inline-six Defender, youre leaving a little on the table by way of charisma, but improving the vehicle in most ways that make a difference to daily use. If the huge chunk of change that separates the six- and eight-cylinder Defenders affects the math from a personal finance standpoint, then the decision here is easy. The inline-six Defender offers a better-balanced experience by way of its improved control calibration, efficiency, and price. You cant lose with either Defender (so long as you can keep up with potential repairs), but one truck asks far less of your patience in daily driving, and far less of your wallet." R&T February 2024 Land Rover 2024 Lexus GX 550 2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium Current Invoice: $59,218 Current MSRP: $64,250 Destination: $1350 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail Current Invoice: $63,817 Current MSRP: $69,250 Destination: $1350 2024 Lexus GX 550 Luxury+ Current Invoice: $74,858.00 Current MSRP: $81,250.00 Destination: $1350 "This new Lexus brings the Toyota 4x4 know-how in a much nicer suit than ever before, and it manages to do so at a great value. While the G-Wagen is outright more capable, the off-roading experience of the GX550 isn't far behind. It might not have the best powertrain or on-paper performance of the bunch, but it's the SUV I'd be most eager to take on the trails again." R&T April 2024 DW Burnett 2024 Mercedes-Benz G550 Current Invoice: $136,285 Current MSRP: $144,150 Destination: $1150 "Take Mercedes most iconic off-roader and turn it into a comfortable daily driver, while increasing the off-road capability that everyone demands but nearly nobody exercises. Fill it with the cutting-edge engineering knowledge of one of the worlds greatest automakers, but hide it all in a body that wont jostle the sensibilities of a fan base that just wants everything to look like it did in 1979. Make it inviting to newcomers, but not off-putting to the old guard. Its a wonder Mercedes pulled it off. The new G-Class is an amazing machine, accomplishing every task in a way the old G never could. Finally, the Gelandewagen is a thoroughly modern vehicle." R&T May 2018 DW Burnett 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 Current Invoice: $174,085 Current MSRP: $184,150 Destination: $1150 "In the previous G63, it felt like the engine builders never asked the chassis engineers how much power the thing could handle. (Given that its been nearly 30 years since the last major G-Class chassis update, thats probably true.) The 2019 model makes driving a rolling stone house with a snout full of torque seem nearly logical. Its not just less panicky at high speeds, its almost happier there. The new G63 feels faster accelerating from 50 mph than from a stop, whipping off forceful upshifts toward an electronically-limited 149-mph top speed that somehow seems less gregariously suicidal than the old trucks 130-mph max." R&T May 2018 Mercedes-AMG 2024 Nissan Frontier 2024 Nissan Frontier 4x4 S Current Invoice: $33,508 Current MSRP: $34,740 Destination: $1510 2024 Nissan Frontier 4x4 Pro 4-X Current Invoice: $39,386 Current MSRP: $41,070 Destination: $1510 "For the most extreme buyers, there are probably better options. Rangers tow more; Tacomas will survive to the end of human civilization as we know it (ETA: 35 years or so); Gladiators can conquer that Rubicon. But for the vast majority of buyers, the Frontier is the one to get. More capable than the Ridgeline and more refined than anything else, durable and proven at its core, its a deeply charming truck wrapped in a superb design." R&T August 2021 Mack Hogan 2024 Nissan Titan 2024 Nissan Titan 4x4 Pro 4-X Current Invoice: $52,569 Current MSRP: $55,860 Destination: $2010 2024 Nissan Titan XD 4x4 Pro 4-X Current Invoice: $56,606 Current MSRP: $60,170 Destination: $2010 "The step up in comfort, road manners, functionality, technology and from any modern midsize pickup to a full-size one is startling. If you want a utilitarian vehicle that can do absolutely everything well, but dont need third-row seating, the full-size pickup is your best bet. And the Nissan Titan is a great one." R&T August 2020 Nissan 2024 Ram 1500 2024 Ram 1500 Tradesman Warlock 4x4 Current Invoice:$49,022 Current MSRP: $51,010 Destination: $1995 2024 Ram 1500 Rebel 4x4 Current Invoice: $57,974 Current MSRP: $61,295 Destination: $1995 2024 Ram 1500 Limited 4x4 w/ Off-Road Group Current Invoice: $68,064.00 Current MSRP: $72,900.00 Destination: $1995 "The Ram will do pretty much everything. It tows without breaking a sweat. It performs off-road like its trying to prove a point to its Jeep brethren. And all the while, it carries its passengers from town to trail in supreme comfort." R&T October 2019 Stellantis 2024 Ram 1500 TRX 2024 Ram 1500 TRX Current Invoice: $92,168 Current MSRP: $98,335 Destination: $1995 2024 Ram 1500 TRX Final Edition Current Invoice: $114,107 Current MSRP: $122,180 Destination: $1995 "More than 700 horsepower will grab a lot of attention and generate a lot of YouTube videos of flannel-clad guys standing in front of the truck giving the thumbs up. But the real achievement of the TRX lies in its chassis. Ram has extensively modified and reinforced the basic 1500 frame for this application, taking a leap beyond the Raptor formula by using new suspension attachment points to optimize the performance of the longer suspension links. The result is 11.8 inches of ground clearance, 13 inches of front suspension travel and 14 inches of travel in back." R&T October 2020 Ram 2024 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Current Invoice: $66,433 Current MSRP: $70,220 Destination: $1995 Ram's venerable HD off-roader comes bolstered with added equipment like underbody skid plates, an upgraded suspension package for tackling the trails, an electronic locking differentials on both axles, and a sway-bar disconnect. Ram 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Current Invoice: $31,638 Current MSRP: $33,540 Destination: $1345 "According to Subaru, every fifth Outback and Forester sold today is a Wilderness. It wouldnt surprise me if the take rate for the Crosstrek is twice that. This seems like the most compelling offering in the Wilderness line yet, thanks to its extremely competitive price point and compact form factor; its focus on how people actually use their off-road cars means that despite just a half-inch bump to ground clearance, it feels leagues above most competitors in realistic get-me-to-the-trailhead driving." R&T October 2023 Victoria Scott 2024 Subaru Forester Wilderness Current Invoice: $34,014 Current MSRP: $36,265 Destination: $1345 "That capability is relative. The Forester Wilderness shines in comparison to the base Forester, starting with half an inch of added ground clearance and an accompanying increase of 3.5 degrees, 0.8 degrees, and 1.4 degrees in approach angle, departure angle, and breakover angle, respectively. But this is a car that will be compared directly to the compact crossover most directly designed with off-roading in mind, the Bronco Sport Badlands. While the total 9.2 inches of ground clearance eclipses the baby Bronco's 8.8 inches, final approach, departure, and breakover angles of 23.5, 25.4, and 21 degrees are effectively trounced by the Bronco Sport's respective measurements of 30.4, 33.1, and 20.4 degrees." R&T September 2021 Raphael Orlove - Hearst Owned 2024 Subaru Outback Wilderness Current Invoice: $38,644 Current MSRP: $41,305 Destination: $1345 "So if you're picking an Outback, go with this one. Given the Wilderness trim doesn't ding the Outback's baseline comfort in its pursuit of (even more) off-road capability, it seems like a no-brainer. If the Outback is the kind of thing you like, you'll like this kind of Outback." R&T September 2022 Subaru 2024 Toyota 4Runner 2024 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD Current Invoice: $40,135 Current MSRP: $43,475 Destination: $1395 2024 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road Current Invoice: $41,946 Current MSRP: $45,445 Destination: $1395 2024 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Current Invoice: $52,151 Current MSRP: $56,565 Destination: $1395 "The Toyota 4Runner is among a short list of SUVs that still employ the traditional dynamics of rugged, off-road capability that is largely absent within the ever-growing list of crossover SUVs available today. The 4.0-liter V-6-powered 4Runner is a true go-anywhere vehicle that has an enthusiastic group of fans. While it may be less modern in terms of specs than many SUVs, a solid case remains for adding a 4Runner to your driveway, particularly if you consider yourself an off-roading enthusiast." R&T Model Overview Toyota 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 Current Invoice: $52,870 Current MSRP: $57,345 Destination: $1395 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 Current Invoice: $58,390 Current MSRP: $63,345 Destination: $1395 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser First Edition 4x4 Current Invoice: $71,550 Current MSRP: $76,345 Destination: $1395 "For 2024, the Land Cruiser is swapping segments. Its sibling is no longer the opulent Lexus LXnow available with rear reclinersbut the Lexus GX, which comes with 33-inch tires. Its global brethren are no longer the luxury trucks the U.S. State Department up-armors for dangerous posts, but the rural ambulances used in Costa Rica. The smaller Land Cruiser Pradowhich will be called only "Land Cruiser" herehas long been known not for being the nicest truck on Earth, but the toughest." R&T August 2023 Toyota 2024 Toyota Sequoia 2024 Toyota Sequoia SR5 4x4 Current Invoice: $60,341 Current MSRP: $66,125 Destination: $1850 2024 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4 Current Invoice: $66,165 Current MSRP: $72,525 Destination: $1850 2024 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro Current Invoice: $73,842 Current MSRP: $80,960 Destination: $1850 2024 Toyota Sequoia Capstone Current Invoice: $75,946.00 Current MSRP: $83,260.00 Destination: $1850 "Of course its the sport-ute version of the Tundra pickup. Of course it shares much with that pickup. That includes the ladder frame and suspension design, a lot of the sheet metal forward of the B-pillar, and the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine and ten-speed automatic transmission. However, while the Tundra is available in strictly internal-combustion form, the Sequoia hits the market solely as a hybrid. And Toyota rates the I-Force Max hybrid powertrain at a combined 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of peak torque. In the Tundra the hybrid system works transparently, with its nickel-metal hydride battery pack between the frame rails and under the bed. Here the cells are approximately beneath the third-row seat." R&T January 2022 toyota 2024 Toyota Tacoma 2024 Toyota Tacoma SR Xtra Cab 4x4 Current Invoice: $34,027 Current MSRP: $36,195 Destination: $1495 2024 Toyota Tacoma SR Double Cab 4x4 (Manual) Current Invoice: $35,680 Current MSRP: $38,395 2024 Toyota Tacoma SR Double Cab 4x4 (Automatic) Current Invoice: $36,090 Current MSRP: $38,395 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road (Manual) Current Invoice: $40,218 Current MSRP: $43,295 Destination: $1495 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road (Automatic) Current Invoice: $41,240 Current MSRP: $44,395 Destination: $1495 2024 Toyota Tacoma Limited Current Invoice: $49,762.00 Current MSRP: $53,595.00 "For 2024, the Tacomas sterling reputation lives on, but now backed by a solid driving experience, even better off-road capability, good fuel economy, and a cabin that feels modern enough. It is not the most luxurious midsize truck. Its engine cant match the Colorados. But its good enough that I dont really care about those compromises. If the 2024 Tacoma can match the reliability reputation of the previous truckwhich is not guaranteed with an all-new truckthen its safe to say its the truck Id buy. Anyone can build a good product, but a great product is one that lasts." R&T November 2023 Mack Hogan You Might Also Like Canadian Airline Buys First SAF in Canada from Shell Aviation This article was first published on Rigzone here Canadian airline WestJet Group has purchased the first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplied in Canada by Shell Aviation. We are delighted to supply WestJet with SAF, as we continue to support our customers on their decarbonization journeys, while simultaneously building out the supply chain in Canada to enable more customers to access SAF, Christine Bassitt, General Manager for Shell Aviation, Americas, said. Shell uses a program which is one of the worlds first blockchain-powered digital SAF book-and-claim solutions for air travel called Avelia. It uses blockchain to provide clear and transparent tracking of the environmental attributes of SAF delivered into the aviation fueling network, according to a WestJet news release. According to Shell Aviations website, SAF is a drop-in fuel, which can be blended at a ratio of up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel for use in aircraft operating today. SAF can be made from renewable and waste-based sources such as used cooking oil, municipal and agricultural waste, with technologies to produce SAF from carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen under commercial development. The SAF acquired from Shell Aviation is blended with conventional jet fuel to meet all certification and safety requirements, while requiring no new investments in aircraft engines, fuel infrastructure or distribution processes, according to the release. WestJet said it remains committed to working with government and industry partners toward the establishment of a sustainable, long-term commercial framework for SAF. WestJet is committed to enhancing our position as a first mover in sustainability technologies. Just as we pioneered advancements in Winglets and drag reduction, WestJet proudly stands as the first airline to acquire SAF by Shell in Canada, Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice President, said. Take control of your future. Search THOUSANDS of Oil & Gas jobs on Rigzone.com Search Now >> Westjet, having almost 200 aircraft, has several focus areas including reducing emissions intensity, having progressive fleet modernization plans and advocacy for sustainable aviation fuel production in Canada, the companys website stated. Westjet earlier reported an 11 percent reduction in its fuel emissions intensity in 2023 compared to 2019. The lower aircraft emissions intensity can be attributed to strategic initiatives including fleet modernization and a responsible shift in network planning. By incorporating newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft and optimizing flight routes, WestJet is successfully curtailing its impact on the environment, it said. Story continues Airline reliance on sustainable jet fuel will be foundational to the decarbonization of the aviation industry. With its abundant space to grow feedstock, a large oil and gas industry, and robust federal sustainability goals, Canada holds the necessities to facilitate the large-scale production of SAF, WestJet remarked. In an earlier report, electrification and automation technology firm ABB collaborated with Cap Clean Energy on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production sites in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. According to the release, Cap Clean Energys biofuel facilities will be designed as modular systems capable of rapid production scale-up. The concept can then be applied as part of a wider, long-term rollout across a network of integrated and connected bio-refineries. To contact the author, email rocky.teodoro@rigzone.com More From Rigzone.com, The Leading Energy Platform: >> Find the latest oil and gas jobs on Rigzone.com << By David Ljunggren and Rod Nickel OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada's Competition Bureau on Tuesday said it found major competition concerns around U.S. grains merchant Bunge's proposed acquisition of Glencore-backed Viterra, throwing an obstacle before a global agriculture merger that is unprecedented in dollar value. The deal would create a company worth $34 billion including debt, nearer in scale to rivals Archer-Daniels-Midland and Cargill. In a statement accompanying a formal report to Ottawa, the bureau said the deal was "likely to result in substantial anti-competitive effects and a significant loss of rivalry between Viterra and Bunge in agricultural markets in Canada". It determined the transaction was likely to harm competition for grain purchasing in Western Canada, as well as for selling canola oil in Eastern Canada. The two companies said in a joint statement that the bureau's concerns were misplaced and vowed to work with Canadian authorities. The non-binding report was sent to Canada's transport ministry, which has until June 2 to review the deal. The minister's office could not immediately comment. The Canadian government will take a final decision. The Competition Bureau has a mixed record in trying to block deals, including last year its failed attempt to block a C$20-billion merger of telecom firms. The next steps are for the government to identify any overlapping concerns related to competition and transportation and ask the companies to address them, according to the Competition Bureau's report. Big corporate mergers typically involve the companies remedying competition concerns by divesting some assets to third parties. If the companies' remedies satisfy cabinet, it can approve the merger, or approve it with conditions. The cabinet's deliberations do not follow a set timetable. COMPETITION CONCERNS Farm groups in Saskatchewan had worried about the merger. "The concern would be, is the new organization going to keep all those facilities open and is there going to be the competition that there was before, said Keith Fournier, who farms near Lone Rock, Saskatchewan and chairs the SaskCanola farmer group. "Theres a limited number of players in the market." The bureau also found Bunge could influence the economic behavior of Saudi-owned G3, a competitor to Viterra. As a minority G3 shareholder, Bunge has access to confidential competitively sensitive information, the bureau said. G3 and Viterra operate separate grain-handling terminals in Vancouver, Canada's biggest port, as well as country elevators that buy grain directly from farmers. Story continues G3 does not comment on shareholder matters and is conducting business as usual, spokesperson Peter Chura said. Bunge, Canada's biggest processor of canola into vegetable oil and meal, would account with Viterra for seven of 14 existing crushing facilities. In Eastern Canada, the companies are two of just three canola oil producers. The deal would thus reduce competition both in buying canola from farmers in Western Canada and competition for selling canola oil in Eastern Canada, the bureau said. Bunge, Viterra and G3 account for a combined one-third of Western Canada's elevator capacity. The two companies reiterated that they expected the transaction to close in the middle of 2024. "We are pleased the regulatory process is advancing and are confident the transaction will yield considerable benefits to Canada," they said. But Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said Canada's objections will likely cause at least a slight delay. Investors will listen for updates on the deal on Wednesday when Bunge holds a call to discuss quarterly results. Bunge has filed for regulatory approvals for the merger in North and South America, Europe and China, Chief Executive Officer Greg Heckman said last November. Bunge shares eased slightly in New York after Canada released the report. (Reporting by David Ljunggren and Rod Nickel; additional reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Franklin Paul) Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies Canadian National Railway's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions The top 21 shareholders own 50% of the company Recent sales by insiders If you want to know who really controls Canadian National Railway Company (TSE:CNR), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. With 71% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Canadian National Railway. View our latest analysis for Canadian National Railway What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Canadian National Railway? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. We can see that Canadian National Railway does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Canadian National Railway, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Our data indicates that hedge funds own 6.3% of Canadian National Railway. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is currently the company's largest shareholder with 8.6% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 6.3% and 3.5% of the stock. Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 50% of the ownership is controlled by the top 21 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership. Story continues While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of Canadian National Railway The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. 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. Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Canadian National Railway Company. The insiders have a meaningful stake worth CA$1.8b. It is good to see this level of investment. You can check here to see if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 21% stake in Canadian National Railway. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Canadian National Railway better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Canadian National Railway that you should be aware of. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Check Call the Show. News and Analysis for 3PLs and Freight Brokers. (GIF: GIPHY) In 2021 it seemed like there was a new freight brokerage opening daily. When you can get away with insane margins and are making money hand over fist, it would be a mistake not to open a brokerage. Fast forward to late 2022 and 2023, and the freight recession hits. Those new brokers havent been through a downturn before, and there isnt a strong sign of the freight market returning to its glory days anytime soon, leaving some newer players to weather the storm in uncertain waters. The struggle is plaguing the entire brokerage world. FreightWaves JP Hampstead broke down some of the brokerage earnings that came out of Q1: J.B. Hunts first-quarter results revealed the pain felt by the largest transportation providers and their brokerages. Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), Hunts brokerage, said that gross revenues were down 26% year over year to $285 million on 22% fewer loads and 5% lower revenue per load; the operation as a whole is now smaller than it was five years ago, in the first quarter of 2019, when it posted gross revenue of $301 million. The struggle of the freight broker has been top of mind for everyone. Maintaining business and margins has never been more important. The current market is not for the faint of heart, but according to Brush Pass Research, 2023s gross revenues are still 56% higher than that of 2019. The researchers also found that, At a 15% average gross margin, freight brokerages true net sales for 2023 were $20.24 billion. Hampstead adds: [Logistics expert Kevin] Hill said that while there are 27,000 active brokers with motor carrier numbers operating in the United States, 88% of the industrys gross revenue is controlled by the top 1,000 brokers. And the largest of those the top 50 or so brokerages that compete with the largest asset-based truckload carriers for volumes have suffered the brunt of the freight recession. The one bright light for those small to medium-size brokerages is that there has been success in growing year over year, despite revenue per load falling. The trucking side of things had to go through a market correction after rates steeply contracted, and the brokerage and 3PL side has to undergo the same. As for when that sigh of relief is expected? Well, depends on whom you ask. Some analysts, as discussed in last weeks Check Call, say 2025. This months State of Freight has the second half of 2024 as the big turnaround. There is one commonality that almost everyone seems to agree on: All eyes are on the Fourth of July holiday to see if that will spur some market demand. Story continues (SONAR TRAC Market Dashboard) TRAC Tuesday. Were hopping a quick jaunt, in the form of a 787-mile trip from Chicago to New York. Spot rates have slightly increased throughout April, which started at $2.57 per mile and now sits at $2.65. The month will likely end how it started as outbound tender rejections are beginning to fall in both New York and Chicago. The saving grace is that outbound tender volumes havent begun to fall quite yet. An all-in rate, before margin, of $2,080 should secure this load with few issues. Going above $2,300 will almost certainly end up in a loss, though. Should the Outbound Tender Reject Index rebound and start to climb again, spot rates will see a lift as well. (GIF:GIPHY) Whos with whom? Everyones favorite fast-fashion company to talk about both good and bad talk has made a move to enhance its U.S. logistics. Shein has partnered with Flexport. U.S. marketplace merchants will be able to integrate with Flexports fulfillment services. This move is expected to grow Flexport and Shein. Shein said in an article by FreightWaves Grace Sharkey: With Flexport as our preferred logistics partner, were revolutionizing the way you manage inventory and fulfill orders. From inventory management to sales, everything works together seamlessly to boost efficiency. Shein has faced a lot of scrutiny for its business practices in the past from allegations of stealing designs to labor issues to poor sourcing practices and has faced an onslaught of TikTok videos against the company over various issues. Heres hoping this is the new start and good PR the company desperately needs. The more you know Borderlands Mexico: Experts push infrastructure to boost cross-border trade One long trip: XPO driver achieves 4M accident-free miles China e-commerce exports, unreliable Red Sea shipping boost air cargo Borderlands Mexico: US agricultural imports from Mexico at $8B in 2024 Semi-Stow rebrands as Outpost, raises $12.5M The post Check Call: The broker dry spell appeared first on FreightWaves. Robust financial performance with a significant increase in net income. Strategic positioning in key urban markets with a focus on life science and technology sectors. Opportunities for growth in a burgeoning life science real estate market. Challenges in the face of economic fluctuations and competitive pressures. On April 22, 2024, Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE), a leading urban office real estate investment trust (REIT), filed its 10-Q report, revealing a comprehensive overview of its financial and operational status. This SWOT analysis delves into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as presented in the filing, providing investors with a nuanced understanding of ARE's market position and future prospects. The financial tables from the filing indicate a robust financial performance, with net income soaring to $219.176 million from the previous year's $121.693 million, showcasing the company's strong operational efficiency and profitability. Decoding Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (ARE): A Strategic SWOT Insight Strengths Market Leadership and Innovation Focus: ARE's pioneering role in the life science real estate niche since 1994 has cemented its status as a market leader. Its focus on innovation-driven sectors, such as life science, agtech, and technology, positions it at the forefront of industry trends. The company's strategic investments in Class A properties and collaborative environments foster a dynamic ecosystem for tenants, enhancing its competitive edge. Financial Robustness: The significant increase in net income, as reported in the latest 10-Q filing, reflects ARE's financial robustness. With a total market capitalization of $34.4 billion and a strong asset base, ARE demonstrates solid financial health, which is crucial for sustaining growth and weathering economic uncertainties. Strategic Locations: ARE's presence in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, and New York City, provides access to key markets and a diverse tenant base. This geographical spread not only mitigates risks but also offers multiple avenues for revenue generation. Weaknesses Dependence on Key Markets: While ARE's strategic locations are a strength, they also present a concentration risk. Economic downturns or industry-specific slowdowns in these areas could disproportionately affect ARE's revenue streams and occupancy rates. High Capital Expenditure Requirements: The nature of ARE's business necessitates significant ongoing investments in property development and maintenance. This can strain cash flows and impact the company's ability to respond quickly to market changes or invest in new opportunities. Story continues Regulatory Compliance: As a REIT, ARE must navigate complex regulatory requirements, which can limit operational flexibility and impose additional compliance costs. Any changes in REIT taxation or regulations could have adverse effects on the company's financial performance. Opportunities Growth in Life Science Sector: The life science industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by advancements in biotechnology and increased healthcare demand. ARE's specialized real estate portfolio is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend, offering tailored spaces that meet the unique needs of life science companies. Expansion into Emerging Markets: There is potential for ARE to expand its footprint into new, high-growth urban markets. This could diversify its portfolio and reduce dependence on current key locations, while tapping into new tenant bases and revenue opportunities. Technological Advancements: Investing in smart building technologies and sustainable practices can attract tenants seeking modern, efficient workspaces. This not only enhances ARE's property value but also aligns with growing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations among investors. Threats Economic Volatility: Fluctuations in the broader economy can impact the real estate market, affecting tenant solvency and demand for office space. ARE's focus on high-growth sectors may mitigate some risk, but it is not immune to macroeconomic pressures. Competitive Landscape: The real estate market is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for prime locations and tenants. ARE must continuously innovate and invest in its properties to maintain its market position and attract top-tier tenants. Environmental and Regulatory Changes: Changes in environmental regulations or shifts in industry standards can necessitate costly upgrades or retrofits to existing properties. ARE must stay ahead of these trends to ensure compliance and maintain the attractiveness of its portfolio. In conclusion, Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE) exhibits a strong financial foundation and strategic positioning within the life science and technology real estate sectors. Its focus on innovation and presence in key urban markets are significant strengths that drive its competitive advantage. However, the company must navigate potential weaknesses such as market concentration and high capital expenditure requirements. Opportunities for growth in the life science sector and through technological advancements present promising avenues for expansion, while economic volatility and a competitive landscape pose ongoing threats. ARE's ability to leverage its strengths and opportunities while effectively managing its weaknesses and threats will be critical in sustaining its market leadership and delivering value to its stakeholders. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Photo: Getty Images Yuliia Svyrydenko, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, and Morten Bdskov, Danish Minister for Business, signed a memorandum of understanding on long-term cooperation and the reconstruction of Ukraine on 23 April. Source: press service of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, reported by European Pravda Details: The memorandum provides for the Danish government to allocate about 40 million to support the private sector involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as 380 million to support critical infrastructure using renewable energy. The funding will be directed to the Danish Export and Investment Fund, which is part of the Danish-Ukrainian Fund. It is aimed at reducing the financial risks faced by companies involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The Ukrainian-Danish document also provides for the facilitation of meetings between businesses of both countries and the strengthening of cooperation in shipbuilding, development and reconstruction of seaport infrastructure. Background: Denmark recently announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine. And last month, the Defence Procurement Agency of Ukraine and the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation in defence procurement. Support UP or become our patron! Aramco, one of the worlds leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has entered into discussions with China's Hengli Group regarding the potential acquisition of a 10% stake in Hengli Petrochemical, subject to due diligence and required regulatory clearances. The companies today (April 22) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the proposed transaction, which aligns with Aramcos strategy to expand its downstream presence in key high-value markets, advance its liquids-to-chemicals program, and secure long-term crude oil supply agreements. Hengli Petrochemical, a controlled subsidiary of Hengli Group, owns and operates a 400,000 barrel per day refinery and integrated chemicals complex in Liaoning Province, China, and several plants and production facilities in Jiangsu and Guangdong Provinces. Mohammed Y Al Qahtani, Aramco Downstream President, said: This MoU supports our efforts to grow our global downstream footprint. We continue to explore new opportunities in important markets, as we seek to progress in our liquids-to-chemicals strategy. We look forward to forging new partnerships and are excited by the prospect of expanding our presence in the important Chinese market. -TradeArabia News Service President of the Kurdistan region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani (R) and Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (L) receive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) during a welcoming ceremony at Erbil International Airport (EIA). Ismael Adnan/dpa Turkey, Iraq and two Gulf countries have signed a declaration to pursue closer trade links with a new economic corridor made up of billions of dollars in roads and railways. Representatives of the countries signed a declaration of intent during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Iraq on Monday, the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said on Tuesday. Ministers from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates also signed the declaration. The two rich Gulf states are potential financial backers of the project, which comes at an estimated cost of $20 billion. The project is known as the "Development Road," or "Dry Canal." It is scheduled for completion in 2038, when a network of roads and railways will connect a new harbour in Basra in southern Iraq to Turkey in the north. From there, the corridor is to extend further via the Turkish port of Mersin on the Mediterranean and via Istanbul to Europe. Erdogan has described the project as "a new Silk Road." The Grand Fau harbour is currently being built by a South Korean company in Basra and is expected to be one of the largest in the Middle East. The breakwater, which is more than 14 kilometres long, set a record as the longest in the world. Iraq hopes to turn the harbour into a hub between Asia and Europe. However, the continuing poor security situation in Iraq, political tensions, and widespread corruption and mismanagement all raise questions about whether the harbour and linked infrastructure will be completed as planned. Revenue: Reached $610 million in Q1 2024, marking a 26% increase year-over-year, surpassing the estimate of $584.42 million. Net Income: Reported at $48 million in Q1 2024, falling short of the estimated $51.35 million. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Achieved $1.64 per diluted share, below the estimated $1.72. Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS): Increased to $1.91, exceeding the estimated $1.72. Total Loans and Finance Receivables: Grew by 23% to a record $3.5 billion, driven by strong originations of $1.4 billion during the quarter. Liquidity Position: Reported strong liquidity with $738 million in cash, marketable securities, and available capacity as of March 31, 2024. Share Repurchase: Executed $139 million in common stock repurchases under the share repurchase program, marking the largest quarterly return of capital in the company's history. On April 23, 2024, Enova International Inc (NYSE:ENVA) disclosed its financial results for the first quarter of 2024 through its 8-K filing. The company, a prominent online financial services provider, reported a significant 26% increase in total revenue, reaching $610 million, up from $483 million in the same period last year. However, diluted earnings per share (EPS) stood at $1.64, falling short of the estimated $1.72. Enova International Inc (ENVA) Q1 2024 Earnings: Revenue Surges, EPS Misses Estimates About Enova International Inc Enova International Inc operates primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom, offering a range of financial products including short-term consumer loans, lines of credit, and installment loans. The company's business model leverages advanced machine learning and analytics to provide quick funding solutions to its customers, distinguishing itself in the credit services industry. Financial Highlights and Operational Performance The first quarter saw Enova achieve a record $3.5 billion in combined loans and finance receivables, marking a 23% increase from the previous year. This growth was propelled by $1.4 billion in total company originations during the quarter. Despite these gains, the company experienced a slight dip in net revenue margin, which decreased from 59% to 57% year-over-year. Net income for the quarter was reported at $48 million compared to $51 million in the first quarter of 2023, with the company citing solid credit performance and operational efficiency as key drivers behind the current results. Adjusted EBITDA also saw a healthy increase, rising to $149 million from $126 million in the prior-year period. Strategic Initiatives and Market Positioning David Fisher, CEO of Enova, emphasized the company's commitment to leveraging its online-only business model and diversified product offerings to deliver stable credit performance and drive growth. The company also highlighted its significant capital returns, including a $139 million repurchase of common stock, underscoring its strong balance sheet and shareholder value focus. Story continues Challenges and Forward Outlook Despite robust revenue growth, the company's earnings per share did not meet analyst expectations, which could signal challenges in scaling operations while managing costs effectively. Moreover, a slight decrease in net revenue margin suggests potential pressures on profitability that could need addressing in future quarters. Conclusion Enova International Inc's first quarter of 2024 reflects a mixed financial performance with impressive revenue growth yet slight shortcomings in earnings metrics compared to analyst expectations. As the company continues to expand its loan portfolio and enhance its financial technology, investors and stakeholders will closely watch its ability to balance growth with profitability. For further details on Enova's financial strategies and operational results, interested parties can access the earnings call webcast via the Enova Investor Relations website. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Enova International Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Illinois Tool Works fair value estimate is US$228 Illinois Tool Works' US$250 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate The US$253 analyst price target for ITW is 11% more than our estimate of fair value Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for Illinois Tool Works Crunching The Numbers We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$3.03b US$3.26b US$3.55b US$3.65b US$3.74b US$3.83b US$3.92b US$4.01b US$4.10b US$4.19b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x9 Analyst x8 Analyst x4 Analyst x1 Est @ 2.41% Est @ 2.37% Est @ 2.35% Est @ 2.33% Est @ 2.32% Est @ 2.31% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 7.3% US$2.8k US$2.8k US$2.9k US$2.8k US$2.6k US$2.5k US$2.4k US$2.3k US$2.2k US$2.1k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$25b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.3%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.3%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$4.2b (1 + 2.3%) (7.3% 2.3%) = US$86b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$86b ( 1 + 7.3%)10= US$43b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$68b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$250, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf The Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Illinois Tool Works as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.083. 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 Illinois Tool Works 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 Machinery market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Illinois Tool Works, we've compiled three pertinent items you should assess: Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Illinois Tool Works that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does ITW's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. The golden age for tech workers, which started in 2010, is seemingly overand bringing your sandals, cargo pants, and personal beliefs to work is no longer a given. Just last week, Alphabets Googleonce known for its open culturefired 28 workers, nine of whom were arrested for engaging in a sit-in to protest a $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon for the Israeli government. Known as Project Nimbus, the deal to provide AI and cloud services to Israel has become increasingly polarizing as its aggression in Gaza has escalated to what one UN expert denounced as genocide. Since then, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has held fast in his steering Google into a different and perhaps less collaborative track. Pichai penned a blog post on April 18 wherein he warned staff not to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics. Several fired Google employees spoke at a press conference Monday about their experiences. Ex-employees shared their feelings of dejection over this directive to work on a project that they did not believe to be ethical, and expressed they would keep fighting until Project Nimbus is stopped. One such former employee, who remained anonymous to protect his identity while looking for new jobs, opened up about how this changed his views of what America actually values as a nation. As a Palestinian-American with family in Gaza, Oreo (not his real name) explains how the shakedown and his subsequent firing changed his idea of inclusivity in the workplace. I've just come to learn that our opinions at the workplace can come back and hurt us, despite the mantras that we hear like, Bring your whole self to work, and Company X or Company Y values debate and diversity, he said. Oreo claimed he never participated in the sit-ins that were at issue in the firings. He said he briefly went into the building to meet the protesters and take a group photo, and he left shortly after and never went back to the building. Oreo added that he never had an issue with security. He was chanting peacefully and holding a sign by a bush that was not near the walkways or offices where the actual protests took place, he said. Even so, Oreo described receiving an automated email indicating his termination without any questions or avenue to explain his case. Im not naive, said Oreo, noting hes aware businesses need to be productive and show value to shareholders over their workforce at times. Thats why he was so careful, he added, explaining he doesn't feel entitled to more than being treated fairly and within the bounds of the law. Story continues It was totally okay if Google did not listen to me, or take action. I wish they did, but I didn't expect them to. But to fire me for having a dissenting opinion was not my idea of what the American workplace should be, let alone what the company motto of Do no evil should be, Oreo said, referring to the companys former guiding principle. A new statement from the organizer of protests, No Tech for Apartheid, claims an additional 20 Google employees have been fired, which brings the total of Google workers that have been let go to around 50. We continued our investigation into the physical disruption inside our buildings on April 16, looking at additional details provided by coworkers who were physically disrupted, as well as those employees who took longer to identify because their identity was partly concealedlike by wearing a mask without their badgewhile engaged in the disruption, said a Google spokesperson. Explaining that the case is now closed, the spokesperson claims that the company carefully confirmed and reconfirmed that every person fired was personally and definitively involved in disruptive activity inside our buildings. Google referred Fortune to its previous statements, claiming the protests were part of a longstanding campaign by a group of organizations and people who largely dont work at Google, and that the participants disrupted other employees work. The company also claims the Nimbus project isnt directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services. No Tech for Apartheid has refuted these statements. Nevertheless, the rug was seemingly pulled out from some employees. Oreo describes feeling as if Google led him to believe it was a company that had a culture of open dialogue. I guess I was encouraged to express my opinion at Google, after seeing many executives at Google, including Sundar himself, passionately express their opinion and emotions at work on Oct. 7, he said. As they should, because peaceful expression of opinion is at the essence of what America stands for, and what Google promised it would stand for." Oreo expressed this perceived openness led him to feel safer about speaking out and says he followed their lead, adding he hopes this is an exception to what he and his fellow Americans should expect from the company. He also explained how the firings at Google affected not just his employment status, but his idea of America as a nation. This incident hit me harder than most, he said, explaining that as a Middle Eastern immigrant, he always aspired, even as a child, to escape the tyranny and the one-man shows of the Middle East and to start a life in the United States, the ultimate haven for those who want to work hard and seek freedom and equality. But I was in for a reality check, he says. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com EXO Freight laid off 19 employees on Tuesday. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) Open-deck transportation marketplace EXO Freight closed its Chattanooga, Tennessee, office Tuesday, laying off 19 employees, including a few from its spot brokerage team in Royal Oak, Michigan, who were mainly operations-focused, co-founder and CEO Kurtis Tryber told FreightWaves. Tryber said it was an intentional move by the company to pivot from covering unprofitable spot market freight through its brokerage to utilizing its specialized marketplace and fintech solutions for managed transportation business needs. The Royal Oak office will stay open to focus on managed transportation. We remain focused on delivering a technology-enabled transportation service offering to open-deck shippers and carriers, Tryber said. The news today is very unfortunate, and we empathize with the affected employees. However, our traditional spot brokerage business was taking away focus from our core customer group. The company was founded in 2021 by twin brothers Kurtis and Kris Tryber to help enterprise shippers better manage their open-deck capacity networks with their specialized freight marketplace. Since then the company has raised $16.5 million from investors including Left Lane Capital, Detroit Venture Partners, 1984 Ventures, 12BF Global Investments, Lancaster Investments and Y Combinator. Were excited to work towards the new launch of our managed transportation TMS, Pulse, which is already in use by our core managed customers. This will be our primary focus as we continue growth into 2024 and beyond, Tryber explained. Articles by Grace Sharkey Semi-Stow rebrands as Outpost, raises $12.5M Will Shein help propel Flexports future? Gather AI launches new features, sees promise in indoor drone tech The post EXO closes Chattanooga office to focus on managed transportation tech appeared first on FreightWaves. Across Florida, homeowners are dealing with costly insurance policies at a time when many have lost trust in their carriers after many dropped the ball on claims dealing with Hurricane Ian damage. Now, customers are searching for ways to deal with the costs. Some are cutting back on parts of their policies, while others are dropping insurance entirely, or "going bare." In a drastic move, others are even leaving the state for cheaper, less disaster-prone areas. Fort Myers resident Priscilla OHarra, whose home barely was impacted by Hurricane Ian, was dropped by her insurance carrier a year later. She decided not to search for a new policy. Why throw away thousands on a carrier that won't help her? Im just disgusted, OHarra said. Read our in-depth story: Move, cut back or go bare: Florida seniors juggle skyrocketing costs, impossible choices Heres how much insurance is going up Florida property owners already pay more than four times the national average for home insurance, up from triple the national average just last year. The cost of homeowners insurance on average increased more than 40% in the last year. Three out of four Florida homeowners have seen their homeowner's insurance increase in the last year, while one in eight saw their policy carrier drop them, a recent survey out of real estate brokerage firm RedFin shows. High prices are driving people out of Florida Priscilla O'Harra is seen in front of her Fort Myers home on Thursday, March 21, 2024. O'Harra lives near the Caloosahatchee river off of McGregor Boulevard. O'Harra says her insurance company, State Farm, dropped her the year following Hurricane Ian citing the age of her home, 46 years old. OOHarraOs home did not flood in Hurricane Ian and sustained minor damage in wind that her insurance policy did not cover cost of repairs. She has decided to go without homeowner's insurance for now, saying she's disgusted with her former insurance carrier and the insurance industry in general. One-third of those who lost coverage moved or plan to move as a result of that, they told RedFin. Many seniors are leaving for mid-South states, such as the Carolinas places that have no or low income tax, less significant threat from extreme weather, and a lower cost of housing and insurance, AARP Florida Director Jeff Johnson said. Were anticipating trends (in future census releases) that show as many older Floridians leaving as coming in the years to come, Johnson said. People move down here because of their heart and they leave because of their wallet. Some customers are dropping wind to save thousands, but jeopardizing homes A number of homeowners across Florida told The USA TODAY Network-Florida that they had dropped or were considering dropping wind coverage from their insurance policies in order to save money. While it would decrease their annual policy costs, they acknowledged that it could leave them out of luck should a hurricane hit their home. But, some of them say they think its worth trying. Maurice Gutierrez is one such homeowner. His home in Naples was hit hard in Hurricane Ian and flooded, but he never filed a claim, covering the repair bill himself. Story continues Still, he saw his homeowners insurance double the following year, and nearly double again after that. It just cost too much, he said, so he removed wind from his policy. If I save eight grand (a year) for five years? Gutierrez said. I can put a roof on twice. And have money left over for new windows. Maurice Gutierrez poses at his home in Naples on Monday, March 25, 2024. Due to a more than $5,000 increase in his insurance policy, he has cut wind coverage in order to afford it. High insurance costs are being passed on to renters, too In Lee County hardest hit by Hurricane Ian - housing costs surged after the storm destroyed or seriously damaged more than 20,000 structures, displacing thousands into rental units as they waited for their homes to be repaired. And there they have remained. Rentals still run hundreds of dollars higher a month than the national average. Here, households with an income of less than $87,000 are considered rent-burdened. While the cost of rentals has dipped across the country, in Lee and other storm-vulnerable parts of Florida, rents have remained high because of costly property insurance, Johnson said. Apartment owners have had to pass these costs on to their renters in the form of higher rent, pushing tenants out or pushing seniors back into the workforce, he added. What are legislators doing? The GOP-led legislature has tightened the noose around customers in the last five years, repeatedly making it harder and harder for customers to sue their insurance carriers. They say that frivolous lawsuits against carriers have artificially inflated Floridas insurance policy costs. But the data only somewhat bears that out. An Office of Insurance Regulation January analysis of insurance claims found most claimant lawsuits came only after carriers delayed payment to policyholders, sometimes by more than a year. This suggests carriers own delays may have triggered the lawsuits. Some, though, say Florida isnt regulating its insurance market appropriately. Doug Quinn, executive director of industry watchdog group American Policyholder Association, told The News-Press / Naples Daily News the real reason behind the high premiums is mismanagement: insurance companies dont hold enough cash in reserve to pay out claims. Then, when hurricane season devastates their policyholders, they fold, he said. Fort Myers Beach, Fla. on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, nearly two weeks after Hurricane Ian. Want to file a complaint against your insurance company? Heres how: Has your insurer delayed claim payment, provided a lowball claim or an unusually high quote for insurance that is very out of step with the market? If so, and you decide to file a complaint against your company, gather the following: The full name of the insurance company involved Your policy number Claim number (if any) Authorization to act on behalf of the insured, if needed A detailed explanation of your concerns You can file your complaint two ways: by calling the Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) or going online at MyFloridaCFO.com. After submitting your complaint, an email will be sent to you with your complaint number, and instructions for attaching supporting documentation. According to the website, it may take up to 30 days for the office to process your complaint. Kate Cimini is the Florida Investigative Reporter for the USA TODAY-Network Florida, based at The News-Press and The Naples Daily News. Contact her at 239-207-9369 or kcimini@news-press.com. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida homeowners insurance cost hikes: 5 things to know Assessing the Sustainability and Growth of Flughafen Zuerich AG's Dividends Flughafen Zuerich AG (FLGZY) recently announced a dividend of $0.24 per share, payable on 2024-05-13, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's delve into Flughafen Zuerich AG's dividend performance and evaluate its sustainability. Understanding Flughafen Zuerich AG Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with INREF. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Flughafen Zuerich AG operates Zurich Airport, providing services for international, domestic, and regional flights. It generates revenue through aviation servicesprimarily from passenger and landing feesand non-aviation services, including retail and parking charges, facility management, and other airport services. With the majority of its passengers traveling within Europe, the company has positioned itself as a key hub for European travel, particularly to popular tourist destinations. Flughafen Zuerich AG's Dividend Analysis Flughafen Zuerich AG's Dividend Track Record Flughafen Zuerich AG has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2023, distributing dividends annually. Although specific data regarding the increase of dividends each year since a particular year is not available, the company's commitment to providing shareholder value through dividends is evident. The annual Dividends Per Share chart below showcases Flughafen Zuerich AG's historical trends in dividend payments. Dividend Yield and Growth Prospects As of today, Flughafen Zuerich AG boasts a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.73% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 2.69%. This forward-looking metric anticipates an increase in dividend payments over the next year. The company's 5-year yield on cost is also at 1.73%, reflecting the return on investment from dividends based on the original purchase price of the stock. Flughafen Zuerich AG's Dividend Analysis Evaluating Dividend Sustainability When assessing dividend sustainability, the dividend payout ratio is a crucial metric. Flughafen Zuerich AG's payout ratio stands at 0.33 as of December 31, 2023, indicating a balanced approach to distributing earnings and retaining capital for growth. The company's profitability rank is 7 out of 10, suggesting healthy profitability compared to peers. With a track record of net profit in 8 out of the past 10 years, Flughafen Zuerich AG's financial stability supports its dividend policy. Story continues Forecasting Growth and Dividend Continuity For dividends to be sustainable, underlying company growth is essential. Flughafen Zuerich AG's growth rank of 7 out of 10 indicates a favorable growth trajectory. The company's revenue per share and 3-year revenue growth rate reveal a robust revenue model, with an average annual increase of 25.60%, outperforming approximately 82.83% of global competitors. Conclusion: The Outlook for Flughafen Zuerich AG's Dividends In conclusion, Flughafen Zuerich AG's upcoming dividend payment, consistent dividend history, and positive growth metrics provide a compelling case for value investors. The company's prudent payout ratio and solid profitability underscore the potential for ongoing dividend payments and growth. Investors considering Flughafen Zuerich AG should weigh these factors against their investment strategy and the broader market context. As always, it is advisable to conduct thorough research or consult with a financial advisor. For those seeking high-dividend yield opportunities, the High Dividend Yield Screener available to GuruFocus Premium users can be an invaluable tool. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday approved a rule to ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers' rivals or launch competing businesses, which it says limit worker mobility and suppress wages. The five-member FTC, which enforces antitrust laws and currently has a Democratic majority under President Joe Biden, voted 3-2 to approve the rule during a public meeting. The rule, which was first proposed in January 2023, will take effect in August. Democrats, the commission and worker advocates who support the rule say it is necessary to rein in the increasingly common practice of requiring workers to sign so-called "noncompete" agreements, even in lower-paying service industries such as fast food and retail. The FTC on Tuesday said that banning noncompetes will increase worker earnings by up to $488 billion over the next decade and will lead to the creation of more than 8,500 new businesses each year. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) building is seen in Washington, DC, on September 19, 2006. A US federal judge on July 11, 2023, refused to allow the temporary suspension of Microsoft completing its $69 billion buyout of gaming giant Activision Blizzard, a court filing showed. The US Federal Trade Commission requested that the deal be halted pending an investigation on antitrust concerns, but Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said "the FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim." (Photo by Paul J. RICHARDS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images) FTC Chair Lina Khan during the meeting said noncompetes not only restrict workers opportunities but can infringe on other fundamental rights by blocking them from changing jobs. Robbing people of their economic liberty also robs them of all sorts of other freedoms, chilling speech, infringing on their religious practice, and impeding peoples right to organize, Khan said. But the agency's two Republican commissioners, Melissa Holyoak and Andrew Ferguson, said federal law does not allow the commission to adopt broad rules prohibiting conduct that it deems anticompetitive. We are not a legislature, Ferguson said. I do not believe we have the power to nullify tens of millions of existing contracts." Major business groups representing an array of industries have criticized the rule, saying noncompetes are a crucial way for companies to protect trade secrets and that they promote competitiveness. Shortly after the vote, tax services firm Ryan LLC filed a lawsuit in Texas federal court challenging the noncompete ban and claiming that the agreements can benefit businesses, workers, and the economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business lobby, has already said that it will file a legal challenge as soon as Wednesday. Neil Bradley, the Chamber's chief policy officer, told reporters during a call on Monday that the commission lacks the power to adopt rules. "There is really no aspect of the U.S. economy they couldnt regulate" if the noncompete rule is allowed to stand, Bradley said. The rule would require companies with existing noncompete agreements to scrap them and to inform current and past employees that they will not be enforced. Daryl Joseffer, chief counsel at the Chamber's litigation arm, said during Monday's call that the rule's retroactive nature also makes it invalid. Story continues Unions have backed the FTC's vote in favor of the ban. "Noncompete agreements trap workers from finding better jobs, drive down wages, and stifle competition," the AFL-CIO, the country's largest labor federation, said in a tweet in response to the announcement. "We commend the FTC and (Lina Khan) for finalizing a strong rule to ban these exploitative practices and level the playing field for American workers," it added. The rule does not exempt any specific jobs or industries, but will not apply to existing agreements signed by senior executives. The FTC does not regulate certain industries, including nonprofit organizations, some banks and insurance companies, and airlines. California, Minnesota, Oklahoma and North Dakota have banned noncompete agreements and at least a dozen other states have passed laws limiting their use. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, in December vetoed a bill that would have banned virtually all noncompete provisions in the state. Hochul said she would consider signing a bill that exempts higher-earning employees and executives. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FTC bans noncompete clauses that limit job switching, suppress wages Cenomi Retail, Saudi Arabias pioneering retail brand partner, has announced the appointment of Deloitte to manage the forthcoming sale of its Aleph brand. This appointment is a crucial step in the execution of the brand divestment program previously announced by Cenomi Retail. Currently Aleph has 19 stores with a 20th to open in UWalk Jeddah in June 2024 and it is the largest Apple mono-brand partner in the kingdom. As an Apple premium partner, Aleph provides access to the latest Apple hardware and software solutions, 3rd party offering and after sales support. Cenomi Retail recently announced the sale of a further 18 brands which are in addition to the previously announced 21 brands as part of its turnaround strategy. The expectation is that these brand sales, including the sale of Aleph will close during 2024. Managing end-to-end Deloitte, a world-class management advisory firm will manage the process end-to-end. They have been appointed to work with Cenomi Retail to market the business, manage the bid process from interested parties, support in due diligence and lead the closing of the transaction once awarded. The ongoing brand divestment programme is a key pillar in improving the financial performance of the business whilst protecting topline sales. This is a significant milestone for the company in undertaking an aggressive program of brand divestment, store closures and operational efficiencies to simplify the portfolio, improve profitability and clearly deliver on the turnaround strategy. All proceeds from the sale of Aleph will be utilised to continue the deleveraging of the company. Salim Fakhouri, Acting Chief Executive Officer, commented: As a cornerstone of our turnaround strategy, the appointment of Deloitte is a major milestone in executing the brand divestment of Aleph. As international consultants, Deloitte will be working closely with the Cenomi Retail Executive Management team over the coming months. Sellside advisor Deloitte will be our partner as sellside advisor for the sale of Aleph and will work closely with the team to maximise the benefit of this sale to Cenomi Retail. With a proven track record regionally and internationally, Deloitte are working with us towards executing this mandate during this financial year. On the completion of the brand sale programme, the operating portfolio for Cenomi Retail will have reduced from 75 brands to a core portfolio of 13 brands. The exit of these non-core brands is critical in delivering on our turnaround strategy and will allow the company to focus on Tier 1 core strategic fashion and food & beverage brands to drive long term revenue growth and financial stability for the organisation.--TradeArabia News Service The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday passed a final rule to ban non-compete clauses, which the agency chair, Lina Khan, said is important because the freedom to change jobs "is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy." File Pool Photo by Graeme Jennings/UPI April 23 (UPI) -- The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday voted 3-2 to approve a new rule that bans non-compete clauses in contracts in the United States, "protecting the fundamental freedom of workers to change jobs, increasing innovation and fostering new business formation," the agency said. "Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas and rob the American economy of dynamism, including from the more than 8,500 new startups that would be created a year once non-competes are banned," FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. The FTC, after receiving 26,000 comments during a public comment period, had appeared poised to outlaw the clauses, calling them unfair to workers by preventing them from using their skills freely. "The FTC's final rule to ban non-competes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market," Khan said. The commission claims that the final rule will, among other things, raise worker wages, lower health care costs, "boost innovation" and increase American patents by up to 29,000 more a year over the next 10 years. In a past statement, the FTC said the rule "would generally prevent employers from using non-compete clauses." "As the notice of proposed rulemaking explained, non-competes are a widespread and often exploitative practice that suppresses wages, hampers innovation and blocks entrepreneurs from starting new businesses," the federal commission stated. However, companies have used non-compete clauses in contracts for decades to prevent workers and executives from jumping to a competing company, or from starting their own company to compete against them. But the new rule approved Tuesday -- and which is set to take effect 120 after its published in the Federal Register -- is expected to see legal pushback. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it plans to sue to block the rule, saying how the FTC's new decision to ban employer non-compete agreements "is not only unlawful, but also a blatant power grab that will undermine American businesses' ability to remain competitive." "This decision sets a dangerous precedent for government micromanagement of business and can harm employers, workers, and our economy," the chamber's president and CEO, Suzanne Clark, said in a statement. On social media Tuesday, the White House said workers "ought to have the right to choose who they want to work for." "For millions of workers who make less than $58,656, my [Labor Department] is saying you have the right to overtime protections. If you work extra hours, you deserve extra pay," President Joe Biden said on X. Story continues An FTC fact sheet on the rule change said employers have numerous other ways to protect trade secrets and other key investments, which have been some of the reasons for their support for non-compete clauses. "Employers often justify using non-competes with their workers to protect confidential information and to get the most out of their investments with their investments in training and capital," the fact sheet said. "But the record to date shows that in California, North Dakota and Oklahoma -- three states in which employers can't enforce noncompete clauses -- industries that depend on trade secrets and other key investments have still flourished. This shows that employers have other ways to protect these investments." On Tuesday, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union posted on X that the organization strongly supports the FTC's choice to ban "abusive non-compete clauses," calling it "a big win for working families and a big defeat for predatory corporations." The FTC said estimates banning non-compete clauses would increase the workers' earnings by almost $300 billion annually, save consumers close to $148 billion a year on healthcare costs and double the number of companies started by former workers in the same industry. The rule was initially introduced in January 2023 as Khan, the FTC chair, said the freedom to change jobs "is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy." The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote a comment opposing the ban, arguing non-compete clauses help to encourage companies to invest additional resources in training employees without concern that they will take that knowledge to a competitor. "Such a proposal fails to recognize that non-compete agreements can serve vital procompetitive business and individual interests -- such as protecting investments in research and development, promoting workforce training, and reducing free-riding -- that cannot be adequately protected through other mechanisms such as trade-secret suits or non-disclosure agreements," it said. Entrepreneur and lawyer Amy Nelson took to social media after Tuesday's vote to thank the FTC "for doing the right thing here." "Amazon spent years trying to put my husband in federal prison for allegedly violating his non-compete," Nelson wrote on X. "They didn't win, but we lost our home, our future, our careers." Revenue: Reported $43.0 billion for Q1 2024, a 7.6% increase year-over-year, surpassing estimates of $41.88 billion. Net Income: Achieved $3.0 billion, up 24.4% from the previous year, exceeding estimates of $2.45 billion. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Diluted EPS reached $2.56, a 51.5% increase year-over-year, exceeding the estimated $2.14. Automotive Operating Cash Flow: Grew significantly to $3.6 billion, marking a 61.2% increase from the previous year. Adjusted Automotive Free Cash Flow: Turned positive to $1.09 billion, compared to a negative $132 million in the prior year. Full-Year Guidance: Raised net income forecast to $10.1 billion - $11.5 billion from the previous $9.8 billion - $11.2 billion. Capital Spending: Anticipates $10.5 billion - $11.5 billion, including investments in battery cell manufacturing joint ventures. On April 23, 2024, General Motors Co (NYSE:GM) unveiled its first-quarter financial results for the year, demonstrating a robust performance with significant growth in revenue and net income. The company reported a first-quarter revenue of $43.0 billion, a 7.6% increase from the previous year, surpassing the estimated $41.878 billion. Net income attributable to stockholders rose impressively by 24.4% to $3.0 billion, also exceeding the forecasted $2.448 billion. These figures were disclosed in GM's recent 8-K filing. General Motors Co (GM) Q1 Earnings: Surpasses Revenue Forecasts and Raises Full-Year Guidance General Motors Co, which emerged from the bankruptcy of the old GM in July 2009, has regained its position as a leader in the U.S. automotive market. The company operates under four segments: GM North America, GM International, Cruise, and GM Financial, with a significant stake in the autonomous vehicle arm, Cruise. Despite a setback in its autonomous vehicle operations due to an accident in late 2023, GM plans to restart these services in 2024. Financial Highlights and Strategic Moves GM's EBIT-adjusted was reported at $3.9 billion, with a slight increase from the previous year. The automotive giant also revised its full-year guidance upwards, now expecting net income attributable to stockholders to be between $10.1 billion and $11.5 billion, up from the previous forecast of $9.8 billion to $11.2 billion. This adjustment reflects GM's optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year. The company's EPS-diluted-adjusted for the quarter stood at $2.62, showing an 18.6% increase year-over-year and aligning closely with analyst expectations of $2.14. This performance underscores GM's effective management and operational efficiency, particularly in a challenging global market environment. Story continues Operational and Segment Performance GM North America (GMNA) reported an EBIT-adjusted of $3.84 billion, up 7.4% from the previous year, although there was a slight contraction in EBIT-adjusted margin. Conversely, GM International (GMI) faced challenges, showing an adjusted EBIT loss of $10 million, a significant downturn from a $347 million profit the previous year. Additionally, equity income from China was notably negative, reflecting broader market challenges in the region. GM Financial remained stable, albeit with a slight decrease in earnings before taxes (EBT-adjusted), which amounted to $737 million compared to $771 million in the prior year. This segment continues to play a crucial role in GM's overall financial strategy, providing robust financial services to support vehicle sales. Investor and Analyst Insights During the earnings call, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra, along with CFO Paul Jacobson, expressed confidence in the company's strategic direction and financial health. They highlighted the advancements in GM's all-electric future, anchored by the Ultium battery platform, which is set to power a range of vehicles from mass-market to high-performance models. General Motors' commitment to an all-electric future and its strategic investments, particularly in battery cell manufacturing joint ventures, are pivotal components of its growth strategy. These initiatives are expected to bolster GM's competitive edge in the evolving automotive industry. Conclusion General Motors Co's first-quarter results for 2024 reflect a strong financial and operational performance, with significant increases in revenue and net income, surpassing analyst expectations. The company's upward revision of its full-year guidance and strategic focus on electric vehicles and advanced technologies underscore its commitment to maintaining a leading position in the global automotive market. Investors and stakeholders may look forward to continued growth and innovation from GM as it navigates the dynamic challenges and opportunities ahead. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from General Motors Co for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. By Mimosa Spencer PARIS (Reuters) -French luxury group Kering expects a 40% to 45% plunge in first-half operating profit, it said on Tuesday, after first-quarter sales declined as wealthy shoppers curbed spending on products from its star label Gucci. Sales for the three months ending in March were down 10% on a comparable basis at 4.5 billion euros ($4.8 billion). Kering had warned on March 19 that sales over the period were likely to drop by around 10%, dashing hopes it had stemmed sales declines at Gucci, the century-old Italian fashion house which accounts for half of group sales and two-thirds of profit. The warning prompted concern in the luxury sector about prospects for China's rebound - traditionally Gucci's most coveted market - which has been clouded by a property crisis and high youth unemployment. Sales at Gucci in the first quarter were down 18%, significantly worse than the 4% decline in the prior quarter, the company reported. The revenue decline and ongoing investment needed in the brand will hurt first half profits, with Gucci not seeing much improvement in the second quarter, company executives told analysts on a call. The extent of the anticipated drop in first half profit was larger than expected, however. "It is not surprising that brands in transition may be experiencing bigger difficulties in a softening demand environment, as consumers concentrate their spend on must-have brands," analysts at Bernstein said in a note. "The magnitude of the profit descent, nevertheless, surprises on the downside." Traffic in luxury stores in Asia has been especially low, Kering executives said. "The Chinese market right now is fairly polarized between appetite from clients for the very high end or more affordable products, and Gucci, more positioned in the middle, is therefore not benefiting from this polarisation," Chief Financial Officer Armelle Poulou told journalists. She added though that the situation could change quickly. The label was also suffering as Chinese shoppers wait for its new collection to arrive in stores, said Poulou. The first designs from new creative director Sabato de Sarno began trickling into stores in mid-February. The designer's pared-back, sensual styles have marked a departure from the flamboyant approach of his predecessor, Alessandro Michele. Kering has been pushing the brand upmarket, with a focus on classic leather goods, and says that early products from the new Ancora collection, which include glossy Jackie bags and chunky, platform loafers, have been well received. Story continues Kering shares have dropped 18% since March 19, while rivals LVMH and Hermes are down 7.5% and 2.8%, respectively. (Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Close up of young woman handling personal banking and finance with laptop at home Email your tax questions to Mike via email: taxhacks@telegraph.co.uk The HMRC Charter is an important document for the protection of taxpayer rights, and since the 2009 Finance Act it has carried statutory force. The charter confirms that HM Revenue and Customs will work within the law to make sure everyone pays only the correct amount of tax. Importantly, taxpayers have the right to appeal to an independent tax tribunal if they disagree with the amount of tax being demanded, with the charter also saying: Well be mindful of your wider personal situation. Tax inspectors have their own compliance handbook, which at CH14300, says: We do not require payment of disputed penalties in any regime until the dispute is resolved. If you receive an appeal against a penaltyyou must make arrangements to inhibit debt management action. Most of my meetings with tax inspectors over the years have been professional and pleasant. One thing that annoyed me, however, was when one of them (they always arrived in pairs) would look at me earnestly and tell me I had to appreciate we were dealing with public money. My response was that the money under discussion belonged to my client and would remain so unless or until either my client or a court of law said otherwise. In short, taxpayers have the absolute right to dispute a tax or penalty demand. They should not suffer a financial loss in defending that right. It is in light of this that I found the recently reported case of Erridge vs Revenue and Customs so distressing. I will introduce the case here using words from the judgement: Mr Erridge is dyslexic. He does not read books because he cannot recognise and retain the material on the page so as to follow a story. His spelling is extremely poor. He left school at 16 and took up work in the ready mixed concrete industry. Mr Erridge did not let these difficulties hold him back. He married and the couple had their first child in 2002, a second in 2008 and a third in 2013. Mrs Erridge claimed child benefit accordingly. They managed to save up enough to buy their own house. Mr Erridge worked hard, and by 2012-13 his income was 36,000 all taxed via PAYE. In 2013-14, his income rose to a little over 50,000. Readers will understand that this brought him within the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) regime. However, what happened next could have happened in other tax situations. On November 10 2022, Mr Erridge received seven tax assessments relating to the HICBC, totalling 15,374. Shortly afterwards he received a demand for penalties of 4,151 for failing to notify HMRC of his HICBC liability, making a total of 19,525. Story continues This was naturally very distressing for Mr Erridge, and far more than he could afford to pay. He appointed Mr Keith Alden of MCO Accountants to represent him. Mr Alden duly wrote to HMRC appealing the assessments on behalf of Mr Erridge, and requesting a payment plan. On December 23 2022, HMRC wrote again to Mr Erridge refusing all the appeals. Mr Erridge again tried to agree a payment plan for the tax and penalties so that he could pay the amounts shown as due over a period of time. However, HMRC told him that he didnt earn enough for them to agree a payment plan with him, and that collection of the total sum assessed, plus accrued interest, would be passed to an external debt recovery agency. He was then told that he had to find a lump sum to pay HMRC and needed to take action urgently. The only significant asset he owned was the family home. He contacted a local estate agent and asked him to put the property on the market at the sell now price. This was less than that which could have been obtained had the house been sold at its market value. Mr Erridge received an offer within two weeks, the property was sold and HMRC were paid, with him suffering a financial loss in the process. However, in court the judges concluded that Mr Erridge had not been careless and as a consequence they cancelled all the penalties. They also cancelled five of the six assessments, leaving just 2,500 for 2018-19 remaining. They wanted to cancel that as well but were prevented from doing so by the relevant legislation. Instead, they issued encouragement for HMRC to give up the remaining assessment using their powers under Extra Statutory Concession A19. They concluded: It is not in dispute that Mr Erridge was put under pressure by HMRC to raise money to pay the assessments and the penalties, and that he had to sell the family home to do so. He has thus suffered financial loss and distress. Referring to the HMRC Compliance Handbook CH14300 noted above, they said: HMRC therefore acted in contravention of their own guidance by failing to inhibit collection of the penalties. In summary, Mr Erridge was forced by HMRC, in contravention of their own guidance, to sell his home at a discount when the tax actually due was at most 2,500 or nothing at all, if it had accepted the request of the judges. However, an HMRC spokesman said: ESC A19 cannot apply where the customer has an obligation to notify us of a liability such as HICBC. We disagree that the tribunal is requesting that we apply ESC 19. I invite readers to look at paragraphs 69 to 72 in the judgment and consider whether they think the judges were suggesting that HMRC should do so. The case can be accessed here. Last week, I set out my concern about a different tax case which exposed some very serious shortfalls by HMRC. That taxpayer has duly received an apology. However, Mr Erridges case is an even worse example of the way some HMRC officers have operated. In my view, HMRC should now offer compensation to Mr Erridge for the whole amount of his financial loss on the sale of his home, together with a payment in recognition of his costs and the distress he has needlessly suffered. Recommended HMRC just lost a case thousands of people could get money back Read more I asked a representative of HMRC if it would apologise and compensate Mr Erridge for his financial loss. They declined to answer that question, but commented: We will never ask a customer to sell their main home to pay their tax debt. There have been more clashes between the Government and the judiciary in this parliament than I can ever remember. It may frustrate politicians, but judicial independence is fundamental as a means of protecting citizens against overzealous government departments HMRC in particular. Historically, our judges have been drawn mainly from the ranks of barristers. However, this seems to be changing, with more solicitors and accountants progressing to the bench. A fine example is Anne Redston, who was the senior judge in this case. She is an accountant and previously head of UK tax at EY, one of the big four accountancy firms. She has vast tax experience and a fair mind, which she has used to full advantage in her rulings. She has also not held back from criticism of those before her where it was warranted. I see this as a very positive trend. 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. Austin Whitt has seen a lot in his six years as a real-estate agent. He weathered the pandemic in Tennessee, slinging homes in the Nashville area and training new Realtors as they piled into the industry. But twice in the past month, Whitt has encountered a rare sight: a buyer without an agent. In his years of listing homes for sale, Whitt had come across this kind of rugged individualist only once before. Sure, the recent run-ins may have been a coincidence, a blip. But given the seismic changes underway in real estate, Whitt can't be certain. Thanks to a series of multibillion-dollar class-action lawsuits, the real-estate industry is in the throes of its biggest upheaval in half a century. The National Association of Realtors, the powerful industry group that sets the ground rules for buying and selling homes in America, recently negotiated a $418 million settlement with aggrieved home sellers who sued the organization over the commissions they'd paid to real-estate agents. The deal could open the door for more consumers to bargain down those fees or nudge some people looking for a new home to forgo an agent. Given their revolutionary nature, the proposed rule changes which still need approval from a federal judge have also prompted a flood of questions about the future of homebuying. "It's a very fluid situation," Whitt told me. Buying a home has never come with a handy road map. But one thing is clear: It's about to get a lot murkier. With that in mind, I've been asking experts how buyers can prepare for whatever world comes next. Their answers illuminated the potential pitfalls, of which there are many. They also highlighted new ways to come out ahead and maybe save thousands of dollars along the way. So, you're ready to turn your late-night Zillow scrolling into a proper home search. Before you begin the journey in earnest, you should ask yourself: Do I want to hire an agent? There's a good chance the answer is yes buying a home is a complicated, emotional transaction that usually benefits from an experienced set of eyes. Last year, 89% of buyers enlisted the help of a licensed agent, according to the NAR. Even Steve Brobeck, a senior fellow at the Consumer Federation of America and an outspoken critic of the real-estate industry, told me he wouldn't buy a home without one. But the conventional wisdom that it doesn't cost a buyer anything to hire an agent and that you need one to secure your dream home is crumbling. Sites such as Zillow and Redfin have democratized the home search, while the recent lawsuits have exposed the billions of dollars that US consumers pay their agents every year. Some critics argue that buyers could be better served (and save a lot of cash) by instead hiring a lawyer for a few hours to look over contracts and make sure everything is in order. Most buyers probably don't have that kind of confidence, especially first-timers. If you fall into that camp, the next step is to figure out exactly which kinds of services you'll need. Maybe you feel certain that you can find and tour homes on your own but want someone to manage the transaction and make sure you don't skip over any crucial to-dos. Or maybe you want a more involved agent who can send you listings, guide you through homes, help you line up inspections and a mortgage, and haggle with the seller over every last detail someone whose "whole job is to be nosy," as Sabrina Brown, a broker in North Carolina, told me. Those are two very different job descriptions, but they've traditionally commanded pretty much the same fee. Real-estate agents' commissions have fluctuated between 5% and 6% of the sale price for decades, despite advances in technology and an influx of agents. Michael Warren/Getty Images Discerning buyers could upend that status quo. Once you figure out what you want out of an agent, you'll have to figure out how much you're willing to pay for them. Prepare to have a frank conversation with prospective agents. For decades, homebuyers have coasted on the blissful assumption that using an agent is free. This illusion was maintained by the roundabout way in which money trades hands: The typical buyer never pays their agent directly; instead, the seller pays their own agent, who then uses part of that commission check to pay out the buyer's agent. Ultimately, the commission comes out of the money the buyer sent to the seller, but the transaction is hidden. Sellers agreed to this method because they didn't want to risk having their homes passed over by buyers' agents who might "steer" their clients away from properties that didn't offer compensation to the other side or offered sums lower than standard commission rates, usually 5% to 6% of the total home price. And because buyers weren't paying their agents directly, they usually didn't see much reason to bargain down the fee. In fact, they might not even know their agent's rate until they're at the closing table, if they ever found out at all. This model has proved lucrative for agents. Buyers and sellers typically pay more than $100 billion a year to the real-estate industry, a massive wealth transfer that Brobeck estimated could be cut down by about $30 billion annually if commissions were in line with America's peers like the United Kingdom or Australia. The recent lawsuits, which accused the NAR and some of the country's largest brokerages of conspiring to keep agents' commissions unfairly high, could signal the start of a new era. As part of its deal to settle the cases, the NAR agreed to prohibit sellers' agents from making offers of commission to buyers' agents on the multiple-listings services, the local databases where agents can browse homes and see how much they stand to collect on a deal. The organization also agreed to require its members to negotiate commissions with their buyer clients in writing before so much as showing them a home. But even with these changes, the settlement, which is set to go into effect in July if approved, doesn't contain a single rule that would kill off the 6% commission on its own. A deal like this simply can't solve all the industry's problems in one fell swoop, Prentiss Cox, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, said recently in a public forum he convened to discuss the coming changes. In many instances, agents might proceed with business as usual, and consumers could still end up paying today's standard commission rates. In other words, it'll be up to savvy buyers to find ways to make this deal work in their favor. The NAR has always argued that commissions are negotiable. That may be true in theory, but buyers rarely take advantage of that right. It's worth a shot, though even if the seller is the one who pays out both agents after the deal closes, the money you bring to the table is ultimately footing the bill. If you negotiate a lower fee, you could get some money back from your agent in the form of a rebate after the sale closes. Alternatively, you might be able to bargain down the home price by tens of thousands of dollars if the seller knows they'll have to set aside less money for agent commissions. Maybe you're the kind of buyer who wants someone to hold your hand through every step of the process, in which case the traditional 2.5% to 3% for your agent might be a good deal. But if you've found a home and just need help making sure the deal doesn't go off the rails, you stand a greater chance of scoring a lower fee from your agent. There are also various discount brokerages that charge lower commission rates, even flat fees, in exchange for a more bare-bones approach. Bear in mind that an agent isn't obligated to lower their commission in the same way that a lawyer doesn't have to cut down their hourly fee even if you ask nicely. But they may be inclined to do so if they really want your business. And if not, well, there are many other agents out there who would probably love the chance to help you with your home purchase. Interview agents as if you were a boss hiring them for a job, which is exactly what you're doing. Don't shy away from the tough questions. Jack Ryan, a cofounder and the CEO of the discount brokerage Rex Real Estate, suggested one query: Ask your agent why they're worth 3% of the home's sale price after all, that's equal to $15,000 on a $500,000 home. Some will have a great answer, others, not so much. "The Realtors keep saying, 'Oh, we deserve our 3% fee,'" Ryan, whose company shuttered in the midst of a legal battle with the NAR and Zillow, told me. "Well, maybe you do. Convince the buyer that you do. And if you can add 3% of value, great. But why are you claiming you know what you're worth relative to what the market says you're worth?" This brave new world of homebuying won't guarantee easy wins for consumers. The path to homeownership is still lined with plenty of hazards. For instance, while listing agents those who represent the seller are set to be prohibited from offering commissions to buyers' agents via the MLS databases, they can still disclose commissions pretty much anywhere else: on their websites, on a phone call, or even in person at an open house. A seller just wants to get the best price for their home as quickly as possible, Rob Hahn, a longtime industry consultant, said during the University of Minnesota forum. To make sure their house is seen, the standard commission might be a necessary pill to swallow. On the other hand, sellers in hot markets might feel like they could save a lot of money by offering less to a buyer's agent maybe 1% instead of the typical 2% or 3% or even nothing at all. If people are falling over themselves to get into your home, why dangle money in front of buyers' agents just to get them through the door? This is why buyers can no longer afford to remain in the dark about how their agents get paid and how much. If sellers aren't paying out commissions to buyers' agents, buyers themselves could end up on the hook. To avoid this kind of surprise and lay out the terms of their representation, buyers' agents will have to get their clients to sign what's known as a buyer-agency contract. Some states already require these contracts, but a lot of agents in other places never use them: Only 41% of buyers last year said they signed a buyer-agency agreement, according to the NAR. This might be a more prudent move than buyers even realize most of the agreements floating around today were created by state Realtor associations and are therefore designed to protect the interests of the agent, Wendy Gilch, a consumer advocate, told me. "Even if someone presents you with some printed form, that doesn't mean it's set in stone," Gilch, who focuses on transparency in real estate through her company, Selling Later, told me. "You can decline it and be like, 'No, I'm not going to sign that. Change this; change this." Buyer-agency contracts don't have to be tilted in favor of Realtors. In fact, if used fairly, they can provide transparency and clarity for both buyers and their agents. Under the terms of the recent NAR settlement, these contracts would have to include a few things. First, a buyer and their agent would need to agree to the maximum amount of compensation that the buyer's agent can receive this could be something like a certain percentage of the sale price, an hourly rate, or a flat fee if the agent is willing to accept that. If the buyer and their agent agree to, say, 2% of the sale price, the agent can't accept any more than that. The buyer's agent would also have to update the client, in writing, on how much commission they stand to receive from the house their client is pursuing. On the whole, these look like positive steps for consumers. As always, though, the devil is in the details. For example, what happens if the seller isn't willing to pay the buyer's agent's commission? In many cases, the template forms provided by the state Realtor associations say the buyer is responsible for covering the difference between what the buyer's agent expects to receive and what the seller is offering to pay. This could leave buyers on the hook to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets. A report from the Consumer Federation of America pointed out other risks: Buyers might not have a good way to get out of the contract if they're unsatisfied with their agent, or they might unwittingly agree to pay "junk fees," such as an administrative fee, which can cost anywhere between several hundred dollars and nearly $1,000. One more scenario to consider: What happens if a seller is offering 3% of the price to a buyer's agent, but you and your agent agreed to a max of 2%? In most states, the buyer's agent can technically just rebate that extra money to their client. These kinds of rebates may be rare these days, but they could become more common after this settlement. On the other hand, in a mind-boggling twist, nine states prohibit rebates entirely. That needs to change. The most important thing for buyers entering this new market, experts told me, is to read the buyer-agency contract carefully or consider hiring a lawyer if you have concerns. Realtors may rely on templates handed down from their state associations, but the terms aren't ironclad. If all this sounds intimidating, rest assured: Even the people who live and breathe this stuff are struggling to make sense of it. David Dworkin, the president and CEO of the National Housing Conference, called the settlement "the most opaque and complicated agreement I have ever encountered." Dworkin told me he feared the deal would favor higher-income buyers and sellers who might be able to claim larger discounts from agents who stand to make a bunch of money off them regardless. But the bigger issue is that nobody has any idea how buyers and sellers would react to these proposed changes. Depending on how you look at it, that's either aggravating or exciting. Regardless, the lawsuits have undoubtedly exposed market corruption, said Cox, the University of Minnesota law professor. All this focus on commissions could hasten a new era of experimentation in real estate, in which buyers' agents offer varying levels of service or commission rates in a bid to win clients. The revolution is only beginning; recently, the Justice Department got clearance to reopen its investigation into the NAR's practices, meaning more changes could be on the horizon. In this sense, the mere fact that more people are talking about commissions is a win. The advice I got from experts can be boiled down to a simple mantra: Get in on that conversation. Talk to your agent early on in the process about the services you want, and make sure you're on the same page about their commissions. "It's not the solution. It's the first step in attacking this problem," Cox said of the recent settlement. "And it's been spectacularly successful in being the first step." James Rodriguez is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Discourse team. Read the original article on Business Insider The Canadian market has recently experienced a shift in tone, with yields rising and most stock indexes dipping slightly. This comes after significant rallies in both the S&P 500 and the Canadian TSX, making a period of consolidation or profit-taking somewhat expected. As we navigate through this volatile phase, it's important to remember that high-yielding dividend stocks can offer a steady income stream. In light of current market conditions, stocks with robust dividends can be good additions to an investment portfolio as they may provide some stability during uncertain times. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Canada Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating IGM Financial (TSX:IGM) 6.64% Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) 6.57% Whitecap Resources (TSX:WCP) 7.04% iA Financial (TSX:IAG) 3.90% Enghouse Systems (TSX:ENGH) 3.42% Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) 4.06% Russel Metals (TSX:RUS) 4.02% Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) 3.99% Secure Energy Services (TSX:SES) 3.64% Acadian Timber (TSX:ADN) 6.80% Click here to see the full list of 39 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: iA Financial Corporation Inc., a company with a market cap of CA$8.23 billion, offers insurance and wealth management services in both Canada and the United States. Operations: iA Financial Corporation Inc., a Canadian-based firm, generates its revenue from four key segments: Investment, US Operations, Insurance in Canada, and Wealth Management. These segments respectively contribute CA$0.61 billion, CA$1.46 billion, CA$3.70 billion and CA$2.24 billion to the company's total income. Dividend Yield: 3.9% iA Financial's dividend yield of 3.99% is lower than the top quartile of Canadian market dividend payers, but its earnings growth over the past year and forecasted growth rate suggest potential for future increases. With a payout ratio of 41.3%, dividends are well covered by earnings and free cash flow, indicating sustainability. Trading at 68.1% below estimated fair value presents a potential opportunity for investors seeking undervalued stocks with stable dividends. Recent shareholder proposals and a CAD$3 billion shelf registration filing may impact future performance. TSX:IAG Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Story continues Overview: Whitecap Resources Inc. is a Canadian oil and gas company, with operations primarily focused on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada, boasting a market cap of approximately CA$6.20 billion. Operations: Whitecap Resources Inc., with its primary focus on the oil and gas sector, generates a significant portion of its revenue, CA$3.23 billion to be precise, from the exploration and production of these resources in Western Canada. Dividend Yield: 7.0% Whitecap Resources' dividend yield of 7.03% places it in the top quartile of Canadian market dividend payers. Despite a forecasted earnings decline, dividends are well covered by earnings (41.2% payout ratio) and free cash flow (55.3% cash payout ratio), indicating sustainability. Trading at 16.6% below estimated fair value, it offers potential value for investors seeking undervalued stocks with stable dividends. However, recent legal issues resulting in an CAD$80,000 penalty and lower profit margins compared to last year may affect future performance. TSX:WCP Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: IGM Financial Inc., a Canadian wealth and asset management company, has a market capitalisation of approximately CA$8.06 billion. Operations: IGM Financial Inc., a prominent player in the Canadian financial sector, generates its revenue primarily from two segments: Asset Management and Wealth Management. The company's Asset Management segment contributes CA$1.18 billion, while its larger Wealth Management segment brings in approximately CA$2.22 billion to the firm's overall revenue. Dividend Yield: 6.6% IGM Financial's dividend payments are stable and well-covered by earnings (57.9% payout ratio) and cash flows (78.3% cash payout ratio), indicating potential sustainability. Its high dividend yield of 6.7% ranks in the top 25% of Canadian market dividend payers, offering an attractive income source for investors. However, analysts forecast a decline in earnings over the next three years, which may impact future dividends. Despite this, IGM is trading at a significant discount to its estimated fair value. TSX:IGM Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Next Steps Navigate through the entire inventory of 39 Top Dividend Stocks here. Invested in any of these stocks? Simplify your portfolio management with Simply Wall St and stay ahead with our alerts for any critical updates on your stocks. Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor. Want To Explore Some Alternatives? 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. Companies discussed in this article include TSX:IAGTSX:WCP TSX:IGM and . Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Understanding InRetail Peru Corp's Upcoming Dividend Payment InRetail Peru Corp (INREF) recently announced a dividend of $0.83 per share, payable on 2024-05-15, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into InRetail Peru Corp's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does InRetail Peru Corp Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with INREF. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? InRetail Peru Corp is a Peru-based company engaged in the development of retail businesses. The company's reportable segments include Food Retail; Pharmacies; Distribution; Shopping Malls, and Digital. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Food Retail segment. Geographically, it derives a majority of its revenue from Peru and also has a presence in Ecuador and other countries. The company's brands include Plaza Vea, Plaza Vea Super, Plaza Vea Express, Vivanda, Mass, and Makro brands. InRetail Peru Corp's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at InRetail Peru Corp's Dividend History InRetail Peru Corp has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2020. Dividends are currently distributed on a yearly basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Breaking Down InRetail Peru Corp's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, InRetail Peru Corp currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.84% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 2.84%. This suggests an expectation of the same dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, InRetail Peru Corp's annual dividend growth rate was 31.80%. Based on InRetail Peru Corp's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of InRetail Peru Corp stock as of today is approximately 2.84%. InRetail Peru Corp's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. A lower ratio suggests that the company retains a significant part of its earnings, thereby ensuring the availability of funds for future growth and unexpected downturns. As of 2023-09-30, InRetail Peru Corp's dividend payout ratio is 0.36. InRetail Peru Corp's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks InRetail Peru Corp's profitability 9 out of 10 as of 2023-09-30, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each year over the past decade, further solidifying its high profitability. Story continues Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. InRetail Peru Corp's growth rank of 9 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and InRetail Peru Corp's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. InRetail Peru Corp's revenue has increased by approximately 12.70% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 69.85% of global competitors. The company's 3-year EPS growth rate showcases its capability to grow its earnings, a critical component for sustaining dividends in the long run. During the past three years, InRetail Peru Corp's earnings increased by approximately 10.70% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 49.13% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 17.80%, which outperforms approximately 69.38% of global competitors. Next Steps for Investors Considering InRetail Peru Corp's consistent dividend payments, robust dividend growth rate, prudent payout ratio, strong profitability, and solid growth metrics, investors might view INREF as a potential candidate for their dividend portfolios. However, it's essential to keep an eye on market dynamics and company performance as factors such as economic conditions and industry trends can affect future dividend sustainability. Investors interested in high-dividend yield opportunities can explore further using the High Dividend Yield Screener available to GuruFocus Premium users. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Intermediate Capital Group's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions 50% of the business is held by the top 20 shareholders Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock A look at the shareholders of Intermediate Capital Group plc (LON:ICG) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 88% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. Losing money on investments is something no shareholder enjoys, least of all institutional investors who saw their holdings value drop by 7.6% last week. However, the 63% one-year return to shareholders may have helped lessen their pain. But they would probably be wary of future losses. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Intermediate Capital Group. See our latest analysis for Intermediate Capital Group What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Intermediate Capital Group? 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 Intermediate Capital Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. 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 Intermediate Capital Group's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Intermediate Capital Group. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 4.4% of shares outstanding. The second and third largest shareholders are abrdn plc and Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, with an equal amount of shares to their name at 4.4%. Furthermore, CEO Benoit Laurent Durteste is the owner of 0.5% of the company's shares. After doing some more digging, we found that the top 20 have the combined ownership of 50% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company. Story continues While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Intermediate Capital Group The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Intermediate Capital Group plc in their own names. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own UK37m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. Arguably, recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership With a 10% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Intermediate Capital Group. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Intermediate Capital Group (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) , 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. Invest in India ETFs The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF (EMXC) has quietly become one of the largest emerging markets exchange-traded funds. This year, investors have pushed $3.8 billion into the ETF, the largest inflows for any emerging markets ETF by far. Thats taken the funds assets under management to $12.5 billion, making it the fourth-largest U.S.-listed EM exchange-traded fund after the $74 billion iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG), the $73.7 billion Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) and the $16.6 billion iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM). EMXCs growth suggests that investors are interested in putting money to work in emerging markets stocks, but they dont want to deal with the risks of China. EMXC tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index, giving it a much different look than broader EM funds like IEMG and VWO. For instance, IEMG has 23% of its portfolio allocated to China, while EMXC has no positions in Chinese stocks. Instead, EMXCs largest geography is India, with a 25% weighting, followed by Taiwan, with 23%, and Korea, with 16%. For IEMG, India, Taiwan and Korea have smaller weightings of 19%, 18%, and 22%, respectively. EMXC Growing as China Faces Economic Downturn EMXCs growing popularity reflects the angst investors have about China. Once a darling among investors, China is now grappling with an economic downturn, a declining population, and geopolitical tensions with the West. A perception that the Chinese government is more hostile to big businesses has also weighed on sentiment. There is the possibility that investors are abandoning China at precisely the wrong moment. With sentiment so negative, perhaps Chinese stocks are at or close to their lows. Only time will tell. But even if thats the case, investors need to be able to sleep comfortably. And if buying emerging markets without exposure to China helps them do that, then theres nothing wrong with that. Permalink | Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved Net Loss: Reported a significant net loss of $716 million for Q1 2024, a substantial increase from a loss of $192 million in Q1 2023. Revenue: Operating revenue fell to $2.209 billion, down 5.1% year-over-year, falling short of the estimated $2.204 billion. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Reported a loss per share of $2.11, significantly below the estimated loss per share of $0.52. Operating Expenses: Increased by 14.0% year-over-year to $2.928 billion, driven by higher costs across several categories. Cost Management: Achieved approximately $100 million in structural cost savings, contributing to a projected annual savings of $175 million to $200 million by year-end. Fuel Costs: Average fuel price was $2.97 per gallon, a decrease of 17.3% from the previous year, reflecting lower fuel expenses. Strategic Adjustments: Announced significant network changes, including scaling back operations at Los Angeles International Airport and exiting several stations to optimize route profitability. On April 23, 2024, JetBlue Airways Corp (NASDAQ:JBLU) disclosed its first-quarter financial results through an 8-K filing, revealing a performance that fell short of analyst expectations on earnings per share but closely aligned with revenue forecasts. The company reported a significant net loss and a decline in operating revenue, reflecting the ongoing pressures in the airline industry and strategic shifts within the company. JetBlue Airways Corp, a prominent low-cost airline known for its high-quality service and extensive network, operates primarily in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada, and England. The airline's focus on cost-effective travel options and customer service has positioned it as a key player in the competitive aviation market. JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU) Q1 2024 Earnings: Misses Analyst Forecast Amid Strategic Adjustments Financial Performance Overview For Q1 2024, JetBlue reported a net loss of $716 million, or $2.11 per share, a substantial decline compared to the previous year. This performance was primarily driven by a 5.1% decrease in operating revenue, totaling $2.2 billion, and a 14.0% increase in operating expenses, amounting to $2.9 billion. The adjusted net loss was $145 million, or $0.43 per share, which was notably worse than the estimated loss of $0.52 per share and net income loss of $169.08 million projected by analysts. The airline's strategic adjustments, including network optimization and cost-saving measures, have begun to show potential benefits, albeit not sufficient to offset the broader challenges. JetBlue has implemented significant network changes, such as reducing operations at Los Angeles International Airport and exiting unprofitable markets, which are expected to enhance operational efficiency and profitability in the long run. Story continues Operational Highlights and Strategic Initiatives Despite the financial setbacks, JetBlue has made progress in several areas. The airline has launched new routes, such as non-stop seasonal services to Dublin and Paris, and introduced revenue-enhancing initiatives like preferred seating options. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to focus on high-margin leisure markets and improve the customer experience. Cost management remains a priority, with JetBlue achieving approximately $100 million in structural cost savings and expecting to reach up to $200 million by year-end. The fleet modernization program also contributed to cost efficiency, replacing older aircraft with new, more cost-effective models. Challenges and Outlook Looking ahead, JetBlue faces several challenges, including elevated capacity in its Latin region, which is expected to pressure revenue further. The airline's leadership remains focused on navigating these challenges through strategic adjustments and operational improvements. For the remainder of 2024, JetBlue anticipates a continuation of revenue challenges but remains committed to its strategic initiatives aimed at returning to profitability. The airline's management is optimistic about the potential for recovery and long-term growth, supported by a disciplined approach to cost control and market positioning. In conclusion, while JetBlue's Q1 2024 results reflect ongoing industry pressures and strategic transition pains, the airline's focused efforts on operational efficiency and market optimization provide a foundation for future stability and growth. Investors and stakeholders will likely watch closely as JetBlue continues to navigate a challenging market landscape. Contact Information For further details, JetBlue's Investor Relations can be reached at +1 718 709 2202 or via email at ir@jetblue.com. Corporate Communications is available at +1 718 709 3089 or corpcomm@jetblue.com. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from JetBlue Airways Corp for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Gregory Pace / Gregory Pace Discussing money can be uncomfortable, but with so many people drowning in debt, most people are open to expanding their financial education. Check Out: 6 Things Minimalists Never Buy and You Shouldnt Either Read Next: 6 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money According to data published by Intuit Credit Karma, credit card debt for young Americans has grown at a faster pace than other generations. As of March 1, 2024, average credit card balances for Gen Z have increased 62% since the Federal Reserve started increasing rates in March 2022, rising from $2,000 to $3,300. Although Gen Zers are clearly spending more, they might not be spending or investing wisely. Thats the thinking of Jim Cramer, former hedge fund investor, manager of CNBCs Investing Club and host and anchor of the channels Mad Money and Squawk on the Street programs. Seeing younger people at his New York Bar San Miguel restaurant spending money as if it grew on a tree prompted Cramer to proclaim that Younger people have to learn to be more frugal. On the one hand, youre allowed to have all the margaritas you want. But on the other hand, you say, I cant invest, I have student loans,' Cramer told CNBC Make It. I think thats counterintuitive. They have to change their thinking. Cramer knows of what he speaks. According to The New York Times, when he was in his 20s working as a crime reporter in California, his apartment was robbed, leaving him with no money or possessions. He had no choice but to live in his car until he eventually turned things around and landed on Wall Street. However down and out he might have felt at the time, Cramer was still motivated enough to sock away $100 every month into a stock index fund. I put that money away, and it made me a millionaire, he said. Sponsored: Protect Your Wealth With A Gold IRA. Take advantage of the timeless appeal of gold in a Gold IRA recommended by Sean Hannity. How Gen Zers May Best Invest Their Money For the generation that allegedly puts experiences before money prioritizing comfort, wellness and novelty Gen Zers arent necessarily oblivious to investing. In fact, thanks to the rise of commission-free trading and user-friendly mobile investing apps, Gen Z investors have easier access to the stock market and other investments. Heres a few things to keep in mind if youre looking to start investing your money instead of spending it on discretionary and impulse items, courtesy of Jim Cramer. Learn More: 5 Frugal Habits of Mark Cuban Consistent Investing According to Cramer, consistent investing is the perfect place for Gen Z individuals to start their change in thinking. Because, Over time, stocks have been proven to be an unbelievable asset, Cramer knows that regular investing, even small amounts, will grow over time. Starting early and investing consistently will teach you accountability and will encourage you as you watch your wealth build significantly over the years. Story continues Index/Mutual Funds When Cramer was on Farnoosh Torabis So Money podcast years ago, he recommended that young investors invest their first $10,000 in index funds, instead of putting their money into in four or five diverse stocks. I want the first $10,000 in index funds because I feel that the market is so unforgiving, and that if you have two bad stocks out of five, you could get hurt, he told Torabi. But once youve saved $10,000, then you have some mad money, and then you can be diversified with some stocks. Cramer cautioned new investors to thoroughly research their mutual funds and choose those that have relative low costs (and fees) that wont eat into your investments. Buy What You Know During a previous episode of Mad Money, Cramer spoke about young investors tendency to buy what they dont know or jump aboard trendy picks like last years AMC and GameStop. Ive always told you to buy what you know, Cramer said. That doesnt necessarily mean that you should just buy something like American Eagle because you like your jeans. What I want you to do is say, Hey, I like American Eagles jeans. Now let me delve into the stock. Is it cheap? How was the quarter? Hows that dividend? Do they have a problem with infrastructure? Thats the right way to buy what you know. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Jim Cramer: Why Gen Z Has To Learn To Be Frugal By Selena Li HONG KONG (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co appoints Lu Fang to chair the board of its China securities arm, replacing former chair Park Pu, according to a company memo reviewed by Reuters and confirmed by a company spokesperson. Greg Yu, recently deputy general manager of J.P. Morgan Securities China Company, has been promoted to general manager, according to the memo issued on Wednesday. The securities unit, which JPMorgan won the approval in 2021 to convert from a joint venture to a wholly owned subsidiary, employed 210 staff in China at the end of 2022, one of the largest among foreign securities firms. It conducts various banking businesses including investment banking and securities brokerage. Both appointments took effect immediately, subject to regulatory filings, the bank said in the memo. Lu replaces Park Pu, who most recently the China arm's chairman and worked for the firm for nearly a decade. Pu will assume a new role as senior advisor to the firm, the memo reads. Lu will be responsible for overall management of the company, overseeing local governance and the bank's strategic agenda. Yu, who will continue in his role as head of Equities for JPMSC will be responsible for the implementation and execution of the bank's strategic agenda, facilitating regulatory relationships, and overseeing day to day operations. (This story has been corrected to say that Pu joined the firm nearly a decade ago, and most recently was the China arm's chairman, in paragraph 6) (Reporting by Selena Li; Editing by Michael Perry and Louise Heavens) It didnt take long for Sheldon to realize hed made a costly mistake. The 62-year-old, who didnt want us to use his last name, purchased a 2014 Mercedes GL 450 sight unseen from a New Jersey seller for around $21,000. The vehicle was delivered to his home in October and problems began almost immediately. Half my kids think Im an idiot, the other half feel bad for us, Sheldon said. The vehicle stalls out and leaks antifreeze constantly, he said. The frame is damaged, two doors have been replaced, and leaking antifreeze burns in the engine and sends white smoke pouring out from under the hood. A mechanic told him the vehicle was either in a flood or a bad collision. Hes spent months battling with the seller and his bank to recoup some of his money. You buy something sight unseen and youre taking someones word for it, Sheldon said. I would never buy something again without seeing it in person and making sure theyre a real dealership. Kelley Blue Book Executive Editor Brian Moody says consumers should follow these steps to protect themselves: SEND AN INSPECTION COMPANY If youre interested in buying an out-of-state vehicle but youre unable or not willing to travel, Moody says you can hire an inspection service to look at the car for you. Moody says for a fee, a company like Lemon Squad will provide a detailed report. If you really want something rare or you find something that seems like a great deal and its out-of-state, pay an inspection service to go look at it, Moody said. You can pay them and theyll inspect the car and provide a written report. SET UP AN ESCROW ACCOUNT If youre buying a vehicle, Moody recommends you set up an escrow account to protect your purchase. The money is placed in escrow before the title is transferred. That guarantees both parties are satisfied before funds are exchanged and the paperwork is complete. [If theres a problem] you can say, Hey, I did get the car but its not what we discussed, Moody said. GET A VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT A detailed vehicle history report from services like Carfax and Autotrader can tell you a lot about a car, truck or SUV. But Moody says those reports only reflect insurance claims and traffic crashes. They wont tell you if bad actors make a repair off the books to cover up flood damage or a serious wreck. Carfax is not magic, but its one little piece you can get along with an inspection service, Moody said. 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 The Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to ban most noncompete agreements, a watershed moment for the U.S. workforce that faces an uncertain future. These common agreements currently bar employees from leaving to work for competitors or start a competing business. The new rule prevents companies to use them moving forward, and it retroactively wipes out most existing agreements. The agency says the new rule will give tens of millions of American workers more freedom to change jobs and seek higher pay, as well as promote competition and entrepreneurship in the U.S. economy. But big business groups are already preparing to block the new rule from taking effect. They say noncompete agreements are necessary to protect trade secrets and that the agency has overstepped its authority. Here are the most important things to know from Tuesdays vote. What does the final rule say? The final rule would ban new noncompete agreements for all workers. Companies will also have to throw out existing noncompete agreements for most employees. In a change from the original proposal, noncompete agreements covering senior executives may remain in effect. This could have a profound impact on employers that utilize these clauses, said Stefan Meisner, a partner in Crowell & Morings antitrust and competition group. These clauses are used widely and companies now must plan for eventual compliance under the rule when it becomes effective, and evaluate any changes needed with respect to their employee agreements going forward. FTC votes to ban noncompete agreements Melissa McDonagh, a shareholder at Littler and co-chair of the firms unfair competition and trade secrets practice group, laid out the options for employers who still want to protect their proprietary information. Employers concerned about the FTC rule and broader legislative and regulatory efforts to restrict the use of noncompete agreements may look to other options to protect their confidential information and business relationships. This could include non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements, though its still important to ensure that those agreements comply with local, state and federal laws, McDonagh said. How many workers are covered? Around 18 percent of the U.S. workforce is covered by noncompete agreements, approximately 30 million people, according to FTC estimates. They can apply at all levels of the company, from minimum-wage workers to CEOs. The agency estimates banning noncompetes could increase worker pay by a collective $300 billion each year and lead to the creation of more than 8,500 new businesses each year. Story continues Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism, including from the more than 8,500 new startups that would be created a year once noncompetes are banned, said FTC Chair Lina Khan, who was appointed by President Biden. The FTCs final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market. When will it go into effect? The final rule is slated to go into effect 120 days after its published in the Federal Register, though a lawsuit could extend that timeline. It is possible that a trade association or individual business would file a lawsuit in federal court seeking to stop the enforcement of the rule in the near term. Until a court issues some sort of immediate relief to such a lawsuit, the 120-day clock will move along until the effective date of the rule, at which time the rule comes into force, Meisner said. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the influential pro-business lobbying group, has already promised to sue the FTC to block the rule from taking effect. Who opposes the final rule, and why? Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark called the new rule a blatant power grab that will undermine American businesses ability to remain competitive. This decision sets a dangerous precedent for government micromanagement of business and can harm employers, workers, and our economy, Clark said. The Chamber will sue the FTC to block this unnecessary and unlawful rule and put other agencies on notice that such overreach will not go unchecked. The Chamber isnt the only business group that opposes the final rule. Greg Hoff, associate counsel and director of labor and employment policy at the HR Policy Association, said that while they were encouraged by the carveout for existing noncompete agreements for senior executives, the trade association is still strongly opposed to the final rule. To the extent that some companies unnecessarily use unreasonably broad non-compete agreements, such use does not justify an all-encompassing ban that inhibits all employers from protecting investments in accordance with well-established law, Hoff said. Will Congress pass a bill to ban noncompete agreements? Congress has not given the FTC explicit authority to ban noncompetes, though there have been several bipartisan bills introduced to reform noncompete agreements. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Kevin Kramer (R-N.D.) have introduced the Workforce Mobility Act, which limits the use of noncompete agreements. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) have also introduced the Freedom to Compete Act. If we want to continue to grow our economy, we must protect and empower American workers, Kaine said after the vote. Im glad the Federal Trade Commission is taking this step to ban non-compete agreements, which stifle wage growth, hinder job mobility, and make it harder for businesses to hire talent. This will expand job opportunities for more Americans, increase wages, promote innovation, and support our countrys economic growth, Kaine said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. peshkov/Getty Images The US may already be in a recession, according to Danielle DiMartino Booth. A steady rise in the unemployment rate above cycle lows signals a recession, she said. Other forecasters have said the unemployment rate could reach 5% by year-end. The US could see a rise in layoffs, and there's one indicator in the labor market that suggests a recession is already here, according to veteran market forecaster Danielle DiMartino Booth. The Quill Intelligence Research chief strategist pointed to worrying signs in the labor market, despite headline job growth remaining strong. The economy added 303,000 workers in March but the jobless rate has steadily ticked higher, rising from a low of 3.4% in April 2023 to around 3.8% last month. As of February, the labor market has been pointing to a historical recession indicator that flashes when the unemployment rate rises 0.35% above its cycle low and holds above that level for at least three months. That was the case for the 2008 recession, Booth noted, with the National Bureau of Economic Research dating the recession back to the month the indicator was first triggered. "So we're in a recession, as far as the unemployment rate is concerned," Booth said, speaking in an interview on The David Lin Report last week. Job cuts have climbed this year. Total layoffs and discharges rose nearly 10% year-over-year in February, according to Federal Reserve data and worker firings could accelerate in the coming months, Booth predicted, given that layoffs typically surge as firms report earnings. She estimated that layoffs for the year could rise to 370,000 by the end of April. That would be the highest number of layoffs recorded over the first four months of the year since 2009, in the wake of the Great Financial Crisis, she said. Booth has been warning for months of a coming wave of job losses. Top economist David Rosenberg has also predicted that the unemployment rate could rise to around 5% by the end of the year as a recession hits the economy. Read the original article on Business Insider Revenue: Reported at $3.7 billion, marking an 11% increase year-over-year, aligning closely with estimates of $3.769 billion. Net Income: Reached $158 million, falling significantly below the estimated $252.33 million. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Recorded at $0.59, substantially below the estimated $0.95. Free Cash Flow: Achieved $187 million, showcasing strong liquidity despite operational challenges. Dividend: Announced a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, reinforcing shareholder returns. Stock Repurchase: Invested $30 million in repurchasing shares, demonstrating confidence in the company's valuation. Strategic Divestitures: Continued rationalization of operations with divestitures in Slovenia and planned divestiture in Bosnia. LKQ Corp (NASDAQ:LKQ) released its 8-K filing on April 23, 2024, revealing mixed first-quarter results. The global distributor of non-OEM automotive parts reported a significant revenue increase but faced challenges leading to a decline in earnings per share (EPS). LKQ Corp, established in 1998, has evolved from a consolidator of auto salvage operations in the United States to a major player in the distribution of new mechanical and collision parts, specialty auto equipment, and remanufactured and recycled parts across Europe and North America. The company operates around 1,700 facilities globally. LKQ Corp (LKQ) Q1 2024 Earnings: Misses EPS Estimates Amidst Market Challenges Financial Performance Overview For Q1 2024, LKQ reported revenue of $3.7 billion, marking an 11% increase from the $3.3 billion posted in the same period last year. This growth was primarily driven by acquisitions and favorable foreign exchange rates, partially offset by a slight decline in organic revenue. Despite this, the company's net income saw a substantial decline to $158 million from $270 million in Q1 2023, with diluted EPS dropping from $1.01 to $0.59. Adjusted for non-recurring items, diluted EPS was $0.82, a decrease from $1.04 year-over-year and below the analyst estimate of $0.95. This decline in profitability was attributed to reduced demand in the Wholesale North America segment, largely due to unusually warm weather impacting repairable claims. Operational Highlights and Strategic Adjustments LKQ's operational cash flow remained strong at $253 million, with free cash flow reaching $187 million. The company continued its shareholder return programs, repurchasing $30 million of its shares and declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share. The company also faced operational challenges, particularly in its North American segment, leading to the consolidation of 65 branches in its FinishMaster network. This rationalization is part of a broader strategy to enhance efficiency and uncover additional synergies, which have been revised upwards from $55 million to $65 million. Story continues Furthermore, LKQ completed a significant financial maneuver by issuing 750 million of 4.125% senior unsecured notes, using the proceeds to repay existing indebtedness and related costs. Looking Ahead Despite the first quarter's setbacks, LKQ's management remains confident in their strategic initiatives and maintains their full-year guidance for adjusted EPS and free cash flow, albeit with a revised lower organic revenue growth forecast. As LKQ navigates through these challenges, the company's ability to adapt to market conditions while continuing to generate robust cash flows will be crucial for sustaining long-term growth and profitability. Investor Implications The mixed financial results highlight the importance of LKQ's strategic adjustments in response to market dynamics. Investors should monitor the company's ability to stabilize its North American operations and the impact of its European growth on overall performance. The ongoing share repurchase and dividend payments reflect a commitment to shareholder returns, supporting investment attractiveness amidst current challenges. For detailed insights and further information, investors are encouraged to review the full earnings report and stay tuned for updates on LKQ's strategic initiatives and financial performance. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from LKQ Corp for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Some local federal credit union members are being asked to check their bank statements after a data breach in February that exposed customers Social Security Numbers, among other personal details. Direct Federal Credit Union says their vendor, Wescom Resource Group (WRG), notified members of a security incident where member names, Direct Federal account numbers, and Social Security Numbers may have been compromised. It is unclear how many members were affected by the breach. While there is no evidence that any information was misused, as part of WRG and Direct Federals commitment to data privacy and transparency, we believed it was important for WRG to share this information with our members, said Michael Ferreer, Chief Member Officer of Direct Federal Credit Union. On February 23, 2024, WRG notified the Direct Federal Credit Union of the security incident and launched an investigation, according to authorities. All affected members were reportedly contacted by WRG and officials say affected members can enroll in free credit monitoring services. Direct Federal Credit Union takes this matter very seriously, Ferreer said. The protection of our members personal information is of the utmost importance to us, and we have been in constant communication with WRG since we were notified of the incident. Boston 25 News has reached out to WRG for comment. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Panumas Yanuthai / Shutterstock.com Millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They dont have a choice about how to spend their money on payday because, by the time they receive it, most of it is already owed. That lack of control is a hallmark of financial insecurity. On the other end of the spectrum are the rich, who have all the choices that money can buy. Read More: Self-Made Billionaire Judy Faulkner Turned $70K Into $7 Billion With These 4 Moves Find Out: 5 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money However, not all rich people are created equal, and the millionaires who worked for their fortunes instead of inheriting them tend to have a plan for every dollar that comes in. GOBankingRates spoke to an entrepreneurial success story who built a nine-figure business and a seven-figure personal fortune. He collects income from several sources, but no matter where it comes from or how much it is, its subject to the same four-step routine as every other dollar that passes through his hands. Sponsored: Protect Your Wealth With A Gold IRA. Take advantage of the timeless appeal of gold in a Gold IRA recommended by Sean Hannity. Meet the Millionaire Before founding A1 Garage Door Service in 2007, Tommy Mello was $50,000 in debt. He frequently discusses his journey from five-figure debt to running a company worth nearly $200 million as a columnist for Forbes Magazine, as a keynote speaker and a top-50 Apple podcast host on his The Home Service Expert show. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in business administration and management and went on to earn certifications as a DISC Trainer and a Practitioner of Human Interaction Technology. He volunteers his time to Project for Kids through Banner Health System in Phoenix and mentors budding entrepreneurs. He launched A1 with a vision to provide exceptional home service solutions, he said. Since its founding in 2007, Mello has built the company into a national powerhouse with 54 physical locations in 15 states. Its 350 employees serve customers in more than 30 markets. Through strategic planning, relentless dedication and a commitment to excellence, A1 Garage Door Service has grown into a thriving enterprise with a valuation exceeding $100 million, Mello said. Along the way, Mellow made himself a millionaire several times over. My personal net worth reflects the success of A1 Garage Door Service, augmented by savvy investments and prudent financial management, he said. It all starts with the four things he does as soon as he gets paid from any one of his several income streams. Story continues The Payday Protocol: A 4-Step Plan for Making Every Dollar Count While his primary business brings in the big bucks, Mello has monetized several areas of his life, from his podcast to his consulting work to his speaking fees. But no matter where it comes from, and whether its $100 or $100,000, he takes deliberate action to make sure that even a single dollar doesnt get squandered or lost in the shuffle. As a self-made millionaire and the founder of A1 Garage Door Service, my payday routine is meticulously planned to optimize financial growth and personal satisfaction, he said. Heres a look at Mellos four-step payday routine. Step 1: Feed the Golden Goose Mello has been building, nurturing and expanding his business for nearly 20 years. Its the bedrock foundation of his career, livelihood, income and wealth. Naturally, he spends the first dollar from every payment he receives on keeping the gift that keeps on giving healthy and growing. Firstly, upon receiving payment, I allocate a significant portion toward reinvesting in A1 Garage Door Services expansion, leveraging opportunities for further market dominance and innovation, he said. Step 2: Invest in Other Peoples Businesses and Debt and Properties, Etc. A1 is Mellos baby, but hes not an all-eggs-in-one-basket kind of person few self-made millionaires are. After he invests in his own business, he invests in those built by others in the form of publicly traded shares while spreading the rest around to other asset classes to ensure a prosperous future no matter what happens with A1. Secondly, he said, I prioritize wealth preservation and growth by diversifying investments across various asset classes, including stocks, real estate and high-yield bonds, aiming for a balanced portfolio with steady returns. Step 3: Give Back and Pay It Forward As previously stated, Mello finds time in his busy schedule to volunteer his time and that philosophy extends to his payday routine. Thirdly, he said, I allocate funds towards charitable initiatives, as giving back to the community is integral to my values and serves as a reminder of the importance of social responsibility amidst financial success. Step 4: Live a Little Mello puts his heart and soul into his business, but he doesnt live to work and thats evident in what he does with the final unallocated chunk of every payment he receives. Lastly, he said, I set aside a portion for personal enjoyment, whether its indulging in a hobby, traveling to new destinations or treating loved ones to memorable experiences, enriching both my life and those around me. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Self-Made Millionaire: Heres My 4-Step Payday Routine Making History: ASPIRE to Launch Inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League Redefining Future of Extreme Sport on April 27 (Video: AETOSWire) Making History: ASPIRE to Launch Inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League Redefining Future of Extreme Sport on April 27 (Photo: AETOSWire) Over 10,000 Attendees Set to Witness Driverless Cars Race the Yas Marina Circuit 4 Autonomous Cars Set to Race Simultaneously in World First Attempt Coders are the Racers: 8 International Teams Compete for US$2.25 Mn Prize Pool ADNOC takes A2RL Title Sponsorship in support of Mobility Tech Advancement ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, April 23, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Saturday, April 27th, Abu Dhabi will host a groundbreaking event, welcoming 10,000 spectators to witness the inaugural ASPIRE Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit. This brand-new autonomous racing competition marks a significant milestone in motorsport history, billed as the largest league of its kind globally. Eight teams will compete: Code19 Racing (one of the first independent autonomous racing entity from the USA), Constructor University (based in Germany and Switzerland), Fly Eagle (representing Beijing Institute of Technology from China and Khalifa University from the UAE), HUMDA Lab (a member of the Szechenyi Istvan University Group from Hungary), KINETIZ (a collaboration between Singapore Nanyang Technological University and Kintsugi based in the UAE), PoliMOVE (representing Politecnico di Milano from Italy), UNIMORE (also from Italy - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), and Technical University of Munich - TUM (from Germany), vying for a substantial prize purse of US$ 2.25 million. The participating teams of coders and engineers will each have exclusive access to identical Dallara Super Formula SF23 cars, made possible through a partnership with Japan Race Promotions. These cars will be autonomized with autonomous racing stacks developed and integrated by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII). The sole variable lies in how each team utilizes their coding skills, AI algorithms, and machine learning software development expertise to teach their cars how to drive. Currently recognized as the fastest open-wheel race car in the world after Formula One, these cars can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h. For the first time, the race format is poised to feature four autonomous cars driving on the racetrack simultaneously a feat never before attempted. In a series of pre-qualifying races, the finale will showcase the top performers from the Lap Test and Speed Test, advancing to a final Overtaking Challenge to determine the ultimate winner. Additionally, an AI vs Human car race will unfold, with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) embracing the electrifying challenge of pitting their autonomous car against former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat. TII will aim to get as close as possible to the human lap time and will also demonstrate the autonomous cars ability to drive without GPS assistance. Story continues H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council - ASPIREs parent entity, and Advisor to the UAE President on Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, said: "In pushing the boundaries of technology under extreme conditions, we uncover new frontiers in science. This reimagined racing paradigm harnesses the pinnacle of coding skills, AI algorithms, and software development prowess the very skill sets of the future. By leveraging these capabilities, we pave a path at the forefront of research and development, propelling Abu Dhabi to become a pivotal global hub for innovation." ADNOC has come on board as title sponsor, providing crucial support, underscoring the widespread enthusiasm for advancing autonomous racing technology. H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Group MD & CEO of ADNOC, added: "As we navigate the path to UAE's industrial future, our commitment to in-country value and technological advancement stands unwavering. A2RL epitomizes our dedication to integrating cutting-edge technology including AI, driving competitiveness and economic growth across sectors. For decades, ADNOC has invested in the latest technology and innovation from the control room, to the board room - to deliver the modern energy that powers our lives." Organizer of A2RL, ASPIRE CEO Stephane Timpano said: "A2RL is more than just a race it's a platform for testing and optimizing autonomous vehicle technologies, enhancing safety and reliability on public roads. With the support of local and international partners, we're bringing the mobility future - closer." The inaugural race has attracted a diverse array of sponsors, each contributing their expertise and resources to ensure the success of the development of the cutting-edge autonomized cars. Leading partners, such as Du, DMT, AWS, and Mubadala, have played pivotal roles in shaping the events trajectory, with media partners such Motorsports, Inc. Arabia, FastCompany Middle East, and Whats On, amplifying A2RLs visibility. Technical partners, including Dallara, Danisi Engineering, Meccanica 42, Kistler, Seyond, Eventagrate, Live in Five, Focal Point VR and Vislink, have lent their specialized knowledge to elevate the event's innovation and performance standards. An exclusive Fan Zone promises an elevated experience for families, motorsport fans, and tech enthusiasts alike. With tailored activities, guests can immerse themselves in cutting-edge tech and gaming, including a captivating VR zone and the AI museum Raceum. From 16:00 (GST) on April 27, young students from the A2RL STEM Competition will showcase their coding skills on 1:8 scale autonomous racing cars, with 18 schools competing to add excitement. The night concludes at 23:00 (GST), with activities including a podium ceremony for the winners, fireworks, a drone show, and an after-show concert with DJ Andre Soueid. For those unable to attend in person, the excitement of Race Day will be accessible through various live streaming channels, including A2RLs official YouTube and Twitch channels, motorsport.tv and the A2RL app. Interested parties are invited to visit the A2RL website and monitor social media channels for updates regarding the program schedule and details on viewing the race in their respective regions. The inaugural A2RL event is part of Abu Dhabi Mobility Week, running from April 24 to May 1. Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423980323/en/ Contacts Jennifer Dewan, Senior Director of Communications Jennifer.dewan@tii.ae Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the total dollar figure for the proposed budget. Memphis Mayor Paul Young proposed a 75-cent increase in the city's property tax rate based on home value during his first budget proposal as mayor. "We all know that the stakes are high. Our community is demanding different results, in order to truly get the results that our community deserves we're going to need more revenues," Young said. The current property tax rate for Memphis residents is $2.70. Memphis residents pay both city and county taxes and pay the most in property taxes in all of the state. The city's property tax has not been raised in eight years, Young said. Mayor Paul Young speaks during the Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment. event to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. on the 56th anniversary of his assassination in front of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Young initially announced the tax hike during his "First 100 Days and Beyond," speech, saying the increase was needed to address shortfalls left by the absence of additional Covid-19 relief dollars. The proposal comes after Young said the city is facing a $30 million shortfall. What else is in the Memphis budget proposal? Memphis-Shelby County Schools recently asked the city for $25 million for infrastructure needs, an ask first reported by The Daily Memphian. In Young's proposal, he said over the course of three years $15 million would be given to MSCS, starting with $3 million in fiscal year 2025 and $4 million for three years following. On the city level, Young said the tax increase would aid in funding salary increases and additional programming to respond to public safety concerns. The Memphis City Council considered a property tax hike during last year's budget session. Former Councilman Martavious Jones proposed a 29-cent property tax hike to go chiefly to the Memphis Area Transit Authority, but it would have funded multiple other projects and initiatives. More: What's next in the push for Memphis crime lab? Here's where things stand City news: Orange Mound mass shooting could lead to permitting changes for Memphis Parks Mayor Paul Young speaks about all the progress his administration has made within their first 100 days on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn. Young said during early budget conversations, in order to balance the budget the city had to pull from the fund balance, sometimes called the rainy-day fund. The general fund is recommended to have two months of operating costs, roughly $80 million by bond rating agencies and $140 million by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, but currently sits at $100 million. Included in Young's budget proposal was an additional $5 million set aside to build up the fund balance annually. A 3% salary increase for all municipal employees was also included in the budget proposal. Currently, city employees make less money than other local municipal employees, the mayor said. Personnel costs account for 72% of the total budget. Story continues The expected cost for the salary increase is $16 million. Mayor Paul Young speaks about all the progress his administration has made within their first 100 days on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn. Young said that his team has a "crime plan," and he would be back to council to present said plan, but his budget proposal also includes money going towards public safety. Some of the programs or initiatives Young said are included in the budget are: $7 million for youth programs $8 million for grass-cutting and litter removal $2.5 million for law enforcement camera operations $3.2 for the Office of Neighborhood safety The total cost for the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget is $880 million. Budget discussions will begin in the next month, and continue through June. The fiscal year 2025 budget must be passed before July 1. Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at 901-484-6225, brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter @BrookeMuckerman. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Mayor Paul Young seeks 75-cent tax hike in 2025 budget While not a mind-blowing move, it is good to see that the Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MHK) share price has gained 13% in the last three months. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. After all, the share price is down 47% in the last three years, significantly under-performing the market. Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns. View our latest analysis for Mohawk Industries There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Mohawk Industries saw its share price decline over the three years in which its EPS also dropped, falling to a loss. This was, in part, due to extraordinary items impacting earnings. Due to the loss, it's not easy to use EPS as a reliable guide to the business. But it's safe to say we'd generally expect the share price to be lower as a result! The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.. A Different Perspective Mohawk Industries shareholders gained a total return of 15% during the year. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. But at least that's still a gain! Over five years the TSR has been a reduction of 4% per year, over five years. So this might be a sign the business has turned its fortunes around. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Mohawk Industries that you should be aware of. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. iStock / iStock.com When it comes time to pay the taxman, were all in the same boat. But, what we pay isnt always the same, because while the bulk of your taxes every year go to the federal government, theres still a big chunk headed to the statehouse and those taxes are by no means consistent. Depending on which state you call home, the types of taxes youre subject to and just how much they amount to are going to be very different. And the disparity is striking. Residents of the top-taxing state pay more than three times the taxes of those who live in the state at the bottom of the list. Check Out: Trump Wants To Eliminate Income Taxes Heres What That Would Mean for the Economy and Your Wallet Read Next: 9 Things You Must Do to Grow Your Wealth in 2024 You might be shocked to see all of the things your state collects money on. Take a look at how much is coming out of your pocket and paycheck and then contemplate whether you should move to a more tax-friendly location. States are ranked in order of most to least amount of taxes collected per capita. stellalevi / Getty Images California Property taxes per capita: $75.88 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,830.12 License taxes per capita: $278.84 Income taxes per capita: $4,883.50 Other taxes per capita: $67.24 Total taxes per capita: $7,135.57 Learn More: Trump Wants To Eliminate Income Taxes 4 Reasons You Might Want To Change Your Retirement Plans For You: 7 Reasons You Must Speak To a Financial Advisor To Boost Your Savings in 2024 Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week. iStock.com Hawaii Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $3,893.57 License taxes per capita: $214.38 Income taxes per capita: $2,809.02 Other taxes per capita: $169.46 Total taxes per capita: $7,086.43 Try This: Im an Economist Heres What a Trump Win in November Would Mean for the Tax Burden on the Poor YinYang / Getty Images North Dakota Property taxes per capita: $6.85 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,041.92 License taxes per capita: $255.88 Income taxes per capita: $903.78 Other taxes per capita: $3,679.15 Total taxes per capita: $6,887.58 Jamesbowyer / Getty Images Vermont Property taxes per capita: $1,919.18 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,160.83 License taxes per capita: $222.30 Income taxes per capita: $2,343.37 Other taxes per capita: $212.62 Total taxes per capita: $6,858.31 Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture / Wikimedia Commons Delaware Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $648.68 License taxes per capita: $2,452.65 Income taxes per capita: $2,922.53 Other taxes per capita: $327.46 Total taxes per capita: $6,351.32 Story continues DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images Massachusetts Property taxes per capita: $1.86 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,684.93 License taxes per capita: $186.01 Income taxes per capita: $4,152.36 Other taxes per capita: $202.09 Total taxes per capita: $6,227.24 Trending Now: Trump Wants To Eliminate Income Taxes 3 Items That Will Instantly Get More Expensive iStock.com Connecticut Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,270.28 License taxes per capita: $110.80 Income taxes per capita: $3,696.37 Other taxes per capita: $146.74 Total taxes per capita: $6,224.18 Minnesota Property taxes per capita: $135.88 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,123.18 License taxes per capita: $258.87 Income taxes per capita: $3,487.18 Other taxes per capita: $124.84 Total taxes per capita: $6,129.95 cmart7327 / Getty Images/iStockphoto New York Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,561.60 License taxes per capita: $94.70 Income taxes per capita: $3,899.98 Other taxes per capita: $344.56 Total taxes per capita: $5,900.84 John Penney / Getty Images New Jersey Property taxes per capita: $0.55 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,134.37 License taxes per capita: $236.54 Income taxes per capita: $3,166.86 Other taxes per capita: $167.35 Total taxes per capita: $5,705.65 Be Aware: Should Trump Eliminate Income Taxes? Heres What Tax Experts Say Wirestock / Getty Images/iStockphoto Illinois Property taxes per capita: $5.39 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,027.45 License taxes per capita: $277.96 Income taxes per capita: $2,533.94 Other taxes per capita: $59.86 Total taxes per capita: $4,904.61 Tim Pruss / Getty Images Maryland Property taxes per capita: $151.06 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,970.21 License taxes per capita: $163.70 Income taxes per capita: $2,332.24 Other taxes per capita: $147.91 Total taxes per capita: $4,765.12 peeterv / Getty Images Maine Property taxes per capita: $32.94 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,175.81 License taxes per capita: $232.09 Income taxes per capita: $2,199.59 Other taxes per capita: $70.26 Total taxes per capita: $4,710.69 benedek / Getty Images Washington Property taxes per capita: $572.25 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $3,477.87 License taxes per capita: $248.42 Income taxes per capita: $0.00 Other taxes per capita: $393.09 Total taxes per capita: $4,691.63 Explore More: Trump-Era Tax Cuts Are Expiring How Changes Will Impact Retirees jmoor17 / Shutterstock.com Oregon Property taxes per capita: $5.41 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $629.29 License taxes per capita: $606.47 Income taxes per capita: $3,135.66 Other taxes per capita: $88.54 Total taxes per capita: $4,465.36 scott conner / Shutterstock.com Rhode Island Property taxes per capita: $3.78 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,152.61 License taxes per capita: $137.45 Income taxes per capita: $2,037.75 Other taxes per capita: $51.35 Total taxes per capita: $4,382.94 DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto Indiana Property taxes per capita: $2.34 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,222.98 License taxes per capita: $128.44 Income taxes per capita: $1,958.70 Other taxes per capita: $0.22 Total taxes per capita: $4,312.68 TriggerPhoto / iStock.com Kansas Property taxes per capita: $286.72 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,886.86 License taxes per capita: $148.69 Income taxes per capita: $1,942.96 Other taxes per capita: $23.91 Total taxes per capita: $4,289.14 Find Out: Warren Buffett 10 Things Poor People Waste Money On ferrantraite / Getty Images Virginia Property taxes per capita: $6.34 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,499.37 License taxes per capita: $126.50 Income taxes per capita: $2,517.41 Other taxes per capita: $112.02 Total taxes per capita: $4,261.65 aceshot1 / Shutterstock.com Montana Property taxes per capita: $329.58 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $780.16 License taxes per capita: $457.80 Income taxes per capita: $2,452.93 Other taxes per capita: $213.55 Total taxes per capita: $4,234.01 clintspencer / iStock.com Arkansas Property taxes per capita: $436.66 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,059.23 License taxes per capita: $148.17 Income taxes per capita: $1,505.49 Other taxes per capita: $80.16 Total taxes per capita: $4,229.72 undefined undefined / Getty Images/iStockphoto Wyoming Property taxes per capita: $464.23 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,037.87 License taxes per capita: $375.04 Income taxes per capita: $0.00 Other taxes per capita: $1,346.57 Total taxes per capita: $4,223.71 Read More: 5 Unnecessary Bills You Should Stop Paying in 2024 miroslav_1 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Utah Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,691.02 License taxes per capita: $118.03 Income taxes per capita: $2,359.41 Other taxes per capita: $29.78 Total taxes per capita: $4,198.25 Ron and Patty Thomas / iStock.com Idaho Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,938.91 License taxes per capita: $254.23 Income taxes per capita: $1,960.78 Other taxes per capita: $4.57 Total taxes per capita: $4,158.49 Wirestock / Getty Images/iStockphoto Pennsylvania Property taxes per capita: $3.06 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,983.39 License taxes per capita: $224.41 Income taxes per capita: $1,723.67 Other taxes per capita: $198.12 Total taxes per capita: $4,132.65 Judd Brotman / Getty Images New Mexico Property taxes per capita: $55.19 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,982.11 License taxes per capita: $176.35 Income taxes per capita: $762.70 Other taxes per capita: $1,095.55 Total taxes per capita: $4,071.89 Discover More: Average Monthly Expenses by Age Which Group Is Spending the Most? Aaron Yoder / Getty Images/iStockphoto Iowa Property taxes per capita: $0.66 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,821.07 License taxes per capita: $355.96 Income taxes per capita: $1,829.75 Other taxes per capita: $40.72 Total taxes per capita: $4,048.17 Ultima_Gaina / Getty Images Wisconsin Property taxes per capita: $15.10 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,679.23 License taxes per capita: $227.23 Income taxes per capita: $2,026.83 Other taxes per capita: $23.60 Total taxes per capita: $3,972.00 ablokhin / iStock.com West Virginia Property taxes per capita: $4.41 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,785.30 License taxes per capita: $106.98 Income taxes per capita: $1,600.22 Other taxes per capita: $443.05 Total taxes per capita: $3,939.96 DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images Nevada Property taxes per capita: $450.73 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,847.90 License taxes per capita: $214.08 Income taxes per capita: $0.00 Other taxes per capita: $375.51 Total taxes per capita: $3,888.22 Consider This: 9 Things the Middle Class Should Consider Downsizing To Save on Monthly Expenses marekuliasz / iStock.com Nebraska Property taxes per capita: $0.06 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,677.01 License taxes per capita: $104.28 Income taxes per capita: $2,018.77 Other taxes per capita: $16.23 Total taxes per capita: $3,816.34 Colorado Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,298.09 License taxes per capita: $124.56 Income taxes per capita: $2,286.43 Other taxes per capita: $53.17 Total taxes per capita: $3,762.24 iStock.com Michigan Property taxes per capita: $252.06 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,692.00 License taxes per capita: $222.73 Income taxes per capita: $1,458.96 Other taxes per capita: $58.60 Total taxes per capita: $3,684.36 EJ_Rodriquez / Getty Images/iStockphoto Kentucky Property taxes per capita: $161.10 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,714.10 License taxes per capita: $122.52 Income taxes per capita: $1,632.07 Other taxes per capita: $44.83 Total taxes per capita: $3,674.61 Check Out: 6 Things the Middle Class Should Sell To Build Their Savings North Carolina Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,559.53 License taxes per capita: $253.85 Income taxes per capita: $1,843.62 Other taxes per capita: $15.66 Total taxes per capita: $3,672.67 iStock.com Mississippi Property taxes per capita: $9.81 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,110.32 License taxes per capita: $206.08 Income taxes per capita: $1,097.90 Other taxes per capita: $17.36 Total taxes per capita: $3,441.47 halbergman / Getty Images/iStockphoto Arizona Property taxes per capita: $174.96 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,888.27 License taxes per capita: $88.91 Income taxes per capita: $1,212.08 Other taxes per capita: $31.75 Total taxes per capita: $3,395.96 Frank Boston / Wikimedia Commons Oklahoma Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,346.98 License taxes per capita: $295.59 Income taxes per capita: $1,251.61 Other taxes per capita: $427.33 Total taxes per capita: $3,321.51 Read Next: Im a Financial Advisor 5 Things the Middle Class Wastes Money On mscornelius / Getty Images/iStockphoto Alaska Property taxes per capita: $170.41 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $368.31 License taxes per capita: $189.67 Income taxes per capita: $562.28 Other taxes per capita: $2,013.2 Total taxes per capita: $3,303.93 Carl Banks / Getty Images Tennessee Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,395.37 License taxes per capita: $363.59 Income taxes per capita: $434.56 Other taxes per capita: $77.85 Total taxes per capita: $3,271.36 DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com Alabama Property taxes per capita: $98.60 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,499.69 License taxes per capita: $118.73 Income taxes per capita: $1,502.10 Other taxes per capita: $27.63 Total taxes per capita: $3,246.74 Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto Ohio Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,039.47 License taxes per capita: $175.43 Income taxes per capita: $955.25 Other taxes per capita: $5.19 Total taxes per capita: $3,175.34 Learn More: 4 Ways the Middle Class Can Make an Extra $500 a Week From Home iStock.com Georgia Property taxes per capita: $74.57 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,063.67 License taxes per capita: $69.34 Income taxes per capita: $1,939.55 Other taxes per capita: $17.64 Total taxes per capita: $3,164.78 omersukrugoksu / Getty Images/iStockphoto South Carolina Property taxes per capita: $16.91 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,358.96 License taxes per capita: $132.03 Income taxes per capita: $1,567.06 Other taxes per capita: $46.25 Total taxes per capita: $3,121.20 Art Wager / Getty Images/iStockphoto Louisiana Property taxes per capita: $20.44 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,668.15 License taxes per capita: $137.57 Income taxes per capita: $1,189.22 Other taxes per capita: $105.81 Total taxes per capita: $3,121.19 Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto Texas Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,288.30 License taxes per capita: $150.35 Income taxes per capita: $0.00 Other taxes per capita: $374.29 Total taxes per capita: $2,812.94 For You: Im a Retiree Heres How I Made Thousands of Dollars Doing Side Gigs on Taskrabbit Shutterstock.com South Dakota Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,321.64 License taxes per capita: $379.04 Income taxes per capita: $69.43 Other taxes per capita: $10.16 Total taxes per capita: $2,780.27 Nagel Photography / Shutterstock.com Missouri Property taxes per capita: $6.43 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $1,050.03 License taxes per capita: $109.72 Income taxes per capita: $1,575.23 Other taxes per capita: $2.54 Total taxes per capita: $2,743.94 felixmizioznikov / Getty Images/iStockphoto Florida Property taxes per capita: $0.00 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $2,173.17 License taxes per capita: $103.78 Income taxes per capita: $174.76 Other taxes per capita: $286.37 Total taxes per capita: $2,738.07 DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto New Hampshire Property taxes per capita: $294.68 Sales and gross receipts taxes per capita: $683.82 License taxes per capita: $395.55 Income taxes per capita: $990.58 Other taxes per capita: $170.62 Total taxes per capita: $2,535.25 Methodology: To detail how much each state collects in different kinds of taxes, GOBankingRates analyzed 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate data and data from the U.S. Census Bureaus 2022 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC). GOBankingRates first found (1) the total population in every state according to the 2022 ACS and (2) the total taxes collected by every state government in FY2022 according to the 2022 STC. Then, GOBankingRates calculated (3) the total taxes collected per capita. Reviewing tax data by category, GOBankingRates determined the (4) per capita property taxes, (5) per capita sales and gross receipt taxes, (6) per capita license taxes, (7) per capita income taxes, and (8) per capita other taxes collected by each state. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 9, 2024. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Heres How Much Your State Collects on Every Type of Tax JOPLIN, Mo. As soon-to-be graduates finish their studies its time to start planning for financial success. Arvest Bank representatives suggest setting up a budget, and using online tools and services through your bank. They add its important to know what funding sources are coming in and whats going out and recognize the difference between what you need and what you want. Arvest raises big money for Joplin snackpack program Arvest also says using a credit card can be another good method of finance, which tends to get a bad reputation with some consumers. They say with the proper approach, you can make credit cards work for you. One way to do that is to use it as a payment solution. And so, every time you use it to buy gas, every time you use it to buy groceries, use your credit card and pay it off every month. Youre not going to pay any interest, youre not going to pay any fees and youre going to build rewards and youre actually going to get cash back. So, if you use credit cards the smart way, you can actually make them work for you, said Jana Smith, Arvest Bank Vice President Branch Administrator. They add its also important to have an emergency fund in savings, typically to cover three to six months worth of your living expenses in case something drastic happens. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. When industries plan huge financial investments in Southern states, there is always the hope of improved lives in the affected locales. In Mississippi that means part-suburb and part-rural as Amazon AWS plans to spend at least $10 billion to build two data centers in Madison County. That big project involving more than 1,000 new jobs (at perhaps $60,000-plus each) dwarfs one in the Souths major economic powerhouse state, Georgia, where electric automaker Rivian will invest $5 billion in a rural area east of Atlanta. Madison County already is doing better economically than most Mississippi counties due to top public schools and strong leadership. According to statista.com, the countys median household income is $75,000, far above the state average of $48,000. Mac Gordon You could say with some justification that it's a matter of the rich getting richer, but no state rejects these projects. Residents of nearby rural counties will benefit from Madison Countys luring of Amazon to its fold. Barring some unforeseen generation slowdown or problem involving the vast amount of electric power that will be required by Amazon, the Mississippi deal represents more of an environmentally clean project than the EV plant in Georgia, which has attracted many green dissentients at the mere sight of red clay being moved around the plants site. Concerns about environmental problems at the Georgia vehicle factory announced in 2021, but far from up and running may actually be secondary to the monetary incentives package offered Rivian, partially owned by Ford, to locate there in the first place. Residents of the rural area 50 miles from Atlanta, just off Interstate 20, where it would be constructed, raised unshirted heck when Rivian announced intentions to build the facility and when Georgia offered to give away the bank and the store to attract its largest economic development partner in state history. Citizens of those rural localities dont cater to their rural way of life potentially being trampled by industrial smokestacks, water resource contamination, destruction of habitat for wildlife and noise pollution. Rivians problems are beyond environmental roadblocks. The company recently announced it would delay construction of the Georgia plant to concentrate on producing electric vehicles elsewhere, making them available sooner to customers willing to pay an average of $55,000 to drive away from a dealer. The company has been losing money for several years and believes the quicker production of models will put it in better financial stead. Rivian has fallen behind product leader Tesla in the EV race. Story continues Away from the fledgling electric vehicle industry, several states have been engaged in the economic development race toward landing softer industrial clients like the Amazon data facilities bound for the area north of Jackson. Entergy-Mississippi will spend upwards of $3 billion to add natural gas-generating assets and scattered solar power fields to its present capacities for producing electric power for the future. Georgia Power Co. has intentions to increase generation, as well. Power company leaders have said none of those plans will increase power rates for its residential or routine business customers. They say rates could drop. As with Rivian in Georgia, Mississippi is providing Amazon Web Services some of the usual sweeteners to come here, including myriad tax breaks, juicy construction costs rebates and workforce training programs. The $259 million package would increase as employment rises. Data centers are among the worlds fastest-growing enterprises. In that realm, well be hearing more about artificial intelligence, digital transformation, cloud collocation, hyperscale functionality, pattern recognition, sentiment analysis and two industry words of true bafflement to us digital simpletons, mantrap and sally port. The digerati must be pleased. Mac Gordon, a native of McComb, is a retired newspaperman. He can be reached at macmarygordon@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: rural counties will benefit from Madison County MS luring of Amazon HOLLAND Construction for Lakeshore Advantages Next Center remains on-schedule, with plans for an fall move-in. The 20,000-square-foot, three-story office building broke ground last August and will serve as a business incubator, community education space, and the new home of Lakeshore Advantage. Construction for Lakeshore Advantages Next Center remains on-schedule, with plans for an fall move-in. As the project moves forward, Lakeshore Advantages Grace Maiullo said the team is excited for the entire organization to work in one building. Plans for the space include a multifunctional first-floor business incubator with room for up to 50 tenants, second-stage startup companies and Lakeshore Advantage on the second floor, and an anchor company and startup partner on the third floor. Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage While the project remains on schedule, Maiullo said clean-up and remediation costs on the brownfield site were more than expected. Overall, we're on track and on budget," she said. Having a downtown Holland location, organizers say, will be helpful. Were looking forward to the increased visibility that first-floor access in downtown Holland will offer our SURGE program," Maiullo said. "We want the word to get out that were the resource for lakeshore startups. Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Next Center remains on-track for fall completion in Holland Net Income: $394.3M for Q1 2024, up 14% year-over-year, surpassing estimates of $345.6M. Earnings Per Share: $116.41, an increase of 17% from Q1 2023, exceeding the estimate of $103.97. Revenue: $2.33B, a 7% increase from the previous year, surpassing the estimated $2.221B. Homebuilding Revenue: Rose by 7% to $2.29B in Q1 2024 compared to $2.13B in Q1 2023. Mortgage Banking: Closed loan production totaled $1.38B, up 11% year-over-year. Effective Tax Rate: Decreased to 16.2% in Q1 2024 from 20.6% in Q1 2023, contributing to net income growth. New Home Orders: Increased by 3% to 6,049 units in Q1 2024 from 5,888 units in the same period last year. NVR Inc (NYSE:NVR), a prominent player in the U.S. homebuilding and mortgage banking sectors, reported a notable increase in its first-quarter earnings, surpassing analyst expectations. The company announced its financial results on April 23, 2024, through its 8-K filing. NVR's net income for the quarter ending March 31, 2024, stood at $394.3 million, or $116.41 per diluted share, compared to $344.4 million, or $99.89 per diluted share, in the same period last year. This represents an increase of 14% in net income and 17% in diluted earnings per share year-over-year. NVR Inc (NVR) Surpasses Analyst Expectations with Strong Q1 Earnings Company Overview NVR Inc operates under three brands: Ryan Homes, NVHomes, and Heartland Homes, covering a broad geographic area in the United States including the Mid-Atlantic, North East, Mid-East, and South East. Besides homebuilding, NVR also engages in mortgage banking and title services, enhancing its market footprint and revenue streams. Financial and Operational Highlights For Q1 2024, NVR's consolidated revenues reached $2.33 billion, a 7% increase from $2.18 billion in Q1 2023. The homebuilding segment alone generated revenues of $2.29 billion, up by 7% year-over-year. This growth was supported by a 3% increase in new orders and a 10% rise in settlements. The average sales price for new orders climbed to $454,300, indicating a favorable market response and pricing power. The mortgage banking segment also showed robust performance with closed loan production totaling $1.38 billion, an 11% increase from the previous year. This segment's income before tax grew by 3% to $29.0 million. Challenges and Market Conditions Despite the positive revenue and income figures, NVR experienced a slight decrease in its gross profit margin in the homebuilding segment, which dipped to 24.5% from 24.6% in Q1 2023. Additionally, the average settlement price saw a 2% decrease. These figures suggest some cost pressures and market adjustments that could impact future profitability if not managed effectively. Story continues Strategic Financial Position NVR's balance sheet remains strong with cash and cash equivalents of approximately $2.84 billion as of March 31, 2024. The company's strategic management of assets and liabilities, coupled with effective operational execution, positions it well for sustained growth. The lower effective tax rate of 16.2%, down from 20.6% due to higher income tax benefits, also contributed positively to the net income. Analysis and Outlook The first quarter results of NVR Inc reflect a resilient business model and effective market strategies that have allowed the company to outperform analyst expectations and navigate challenging market conditions. The increase in backlog units and dollar balances indicates a healthy demand pipeline, which is crucial for future revenue streams. However, monitoring the gross margin and settlement prices will be essential in maintaining profitability. Investors and stakeholders should consider both the strengths in NVR's operational strategies and the potential challenges posed by market volatility and cost pressures. The company's ability to maintain a robust order book and manage costs will be critical in sustaining its growth trajectory. Conclusion NVR Inc's performance in the first quarter of 2024 positions it as a strong contender in the homebuilding and mortgage banking industry. With strategic operations and a solid financial base, NVR is well-equipped to capitalize on market opportunities and navigate potential challenges in the upcoming quarters. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from NVR Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. By Shariq Khan NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices rose by more than $1 a barrel on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar index fell to its lowest level in more than a week and investors shifted their focus away from tensions in the Middle East to the state of global economies. Brent crude futures rose $1.42, or 1.6%, to settle at $88.42 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed $1.46, or 1.8%, to $83.36 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index weakened after S&P Global data showed U.S. business activity cooled in April to a four-month low on weaker demand. A cheaper greenback typically lifts demand for dollar-denominated oil from investors holding other currencies. More support for prices came from euro zone data that showed business activity expanding this month at the fastest pace in nearly a year. "The market has been under pressure from little to no growth out of the euro zone, so anything showing improvement should be supportive," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. Market participants are looking past geopolitical disruptions to focus on economic indicators and overall supply-and-demand balances, Lipow added. Both contracts had dropped by more than $1 a barrel early in the session on easing tensions between Israel and Iran, along with nagging concerns on demand from top oil importer China. "On one hand there are still lingering doubts about the performance of China's economy, while on the other is an overriding sentiment that OPEC will hold firm on its price supportive actions," said Gaurav Sharma, an independent oil analyst in London. Investors are looking to the release later this week of U.S. first-quarter gross domestic product data as well as the March figures for personal consumption expenditures, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge. "A low GDP number of under 3% could cool the Fed's nerves some and provide less pressure to commodities," said Alex Hodes, an oil analyst at brokerage firm StoneX. "However, a stronger than 3% reading could cause the dollar to rally further, which would put more pressure on commodities." U.S. crude oil inventories are expected to have increased last week while refined product stockpiles are likely to have fallen, a preliminary Reuters poll of analysts showed. The American Petroleum Institute reported on Tuesday that U.S. crude oil and gasoline stockpiles fell last week, while distillates - which include diesel and heating oil - rose, according to market sources. [API/S] The U.S. government's official data will be published by the Energy Information Administration at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) on Wednesday. (Reporting by Shariq Khan in New York, Deep Vakil in Bengaluru, Mohi Narayan in New Delhi; Editing by David Gregorio, Paul Simao and Jamie Freed) Key Insights Meridian Energy's estimated fair value is NZ$9.72 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Meridian Energy is estimated to be 39% undervalued based on current share price of NZ$5.92 Our fair value estimate is 78% higher than Meridian Energy's analyst price target of NZ$5.45 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Meridian Energy Limited (NZSE:MEL) as an investment opportunity by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Meridian Energy Crunching The Numbers We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) NZ$546.5m NZ$488.0m NZ$638.5m NZ$673.0m NZ$850.0m NZ$957.1m NZ$1.05b NZ$1.13b NZ$1.19b NZ$1.25b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 12.61% Est @ 9.59% Est @ 7.48% Est @ 6.00% Est @ 4.96% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 6.2% NZ$514 NZ$432 NZ$533 NZ$528 NZ$628 NZ$666 NZ$687 NZ$695 NZ$694 NZ$685 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$6.1b 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 (2.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.2%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = NZ$1.3b (1 + 2.6%) (6.2% 2.6%) = NZ$35b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$35b ( 1 + 6.2%)10= NZ$19b 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 NZ$25b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of NZ$5.9, the company appears quite undervalued at a 39% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Meridian Energy as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Meridian Energy Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Renewable Energy market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the New Zealander market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Dividends are not covered by earnings and cashflows. Annual revenue is expected to decline over the next 3 years. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. 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. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Meridian Energy, we've put together three additional elements you should assess: Risks: As an example, we've found 2 warning signs for Meridian Energy (1 is concerning!) that you need to consider before investing here. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for MEL's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every New Zealander stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Reported at $1.57, slightly exceeding the estimated $1.54. Total Revenue: Reached $428.1 million, surpassing the estimated $422.49 million. Net Interest Income: Grew to $318.0 million, up 1.9% year-over-year. Noninterest Income: Increased by 23.0% year-over-year to $110.1 million, reflecting strong performance in wealth management and mortgage services. Loan Growth: Loans expanded at an annualized rate of 6.0%, indicating robust core business activities. Asset Quality: Allowance for credit losses rose to 1.12% of total loans, reflecting a cautious approach in a challenging interest rate environment. Deposits: Noninterest-bearing deposits saw a linked-quarter annualized increase of 2.6%, despite a year-over-year decrease of 11.8%. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. (NASDAQ:PNFP) disclosed its first-quarter earnings for 2024 on April 22, revealing a slight outperformance against analyst expectations. The company reported a diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.57, modestly above the estimated $1.54. Total revenues reached $428.14 million, also surpassing the forecasted $422.49 million. This financial overview is detailed in PNFP's recent 8-K filing. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc., a prominent community bank, operates primarily in urban markets across Tennessee, including Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, and Chattanooga. The bank focuses on a range of lending products targeted at individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. A significant portion of its revenue is derived from net interest income, with a substantial part of its loan portfolio concentrated in commercial real estate and industrial loans. Financial Performance and Strategic Initiatives The first quarter of 2024 saw PNFP navigate a complex economic landscape marked by persistent inflation and higher interest rates. Despite these challenges, the bank achieved a year-over-year revenue increase of 6.6% and a linked-quarter annualized increase of 32.1%. This growth was supported by strategic initiatives, including the recruitment of 37 new revenue producers and the expansion into new markets such as Atlanta and Washington D.C. PNFP's balance sheet grew robustly with total assets reaching $48.9 billion, an 8.4% increase from the previous year. Loan growth was noted particularly in the commercial and industrial sectors, contributing to a 6.0% rise in total loans since the last quarter. However, the bank also recognized the need to bolster its allowance for credit losses, which increased to 1.12% of total loans, reflecting a cautious approach in a higher-for-longer interest rate environment. Story continues Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. (PNFP) Earnings Update: A Detailed Review of Q1 2024 Performance Challenges and Adjustments Amidst its financial growth, PNFP faced several challenges, including an increase in nonperforming assets and the need for additional credit loss provisions due to a problematic borrower. This situation underscores the broader difficulties faced by the banking sector, including the need for increased vigilance in loan quality amidst economic uncertainties. Moreover, the bank incurred a $7.3 million noninterest expense due to a special FDIC assessment, which also impacted its financials in the previous quarter. These expenses highlight the ongoing regulatory and economic pressures on the banking industry. Operational Highlights and Future Outlook Operationally, PNFP continues to excel in its market positioning and employee engagement, being named No. 11 on the list of 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States by FORTUNE and Great Place to Work. This recognition not only reflects the bank's strong corporate culture but also supports its effectiveness in attracting top talent, which is crucial for its service-driven business model. Looking forward, PNFP's management remains cautiously optimistic. They anticipate continued growth in loans and deposits, albeit acknowledging the potential headwinds from the ongoing economic volatility. The bank's strategic focus remains on strengthening its balance sheet and enhancing shareholder value through prudent risk management and growth in core markets. Conclusion In conclusion, Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. has demonstrated a resilient performance in the first quarter of 2024, slightly exceeding analyst expectations despite economic and regulatory challenges. With a strategic focus on market expansion and maintaining a robust balance sheet, PNFP is well-positioned to navigate future uncertainties and capitalize on growth opportunities in its core markets. For detailed insights and further information, please refer to the full earnings report on PNFP's website. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. 1 Bankruptcy | By Fred Nicolaus The inevitable has happened. Almost one month to the day after Pirch halted operations, the Southern Californiabased appliance, kitchen and bath showroom has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The documents, submitted in court on Monday, include a rough sketch of the companys troubles, listing liabilities ranging from $100 to $500 million, owed to anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 creditors. According to the filing, the company has assets on hand valued at $10 to $50 million. The choice of a Chapter 7 filing (a liquidation of assets) as opposed to a Chapter 11 filing (a status often used to reorganize a business) crushes any lingering hope that Pirch could be revived in some form. Now, the company will sell off what it can in order to repay creditorsand there are many of them. A 56-page list included with the filing contains major appliance brands like Sub-Zero and Miele, hundreds of design firms, and a seemingly endless roster of Southern California homeowners. An informational meeting for creditors has been set for May 28. The bankruptcy filing comes on the heels of an internal announcement by senior management that Pirchs pause in operations would be permanent. Only days prior, the chain had been sued for more than $40 million in damages by American Express and Ohio credit card processing firm Worldpay due to customer chargebacks. Meanwhile one former Pirch customer is looking to get law enforcement involved. Last week, Marshall Krupp, a resident of Orange, California, filed complaints with both the San Diego and Orange County district attorneys to investigate the company for breach of contract and fraud. In a note sent to law enforcement and the media today, Krupp says hes hoping the authorities will add embezzlement and conspiracy to the mix. I believe that evidence will show that [the] business conducted [by] Pirch, Inc. was built on a Ponzi scheme, writes Krupp. I believe that there is evidence to show that on the weekend prior their closure, they were conducting business, taking 100 [percent] deposits on customer purchases of high-end appliances and promising deliveries when they knew that they could not fulfill their promises and commitments and that the closure of Pirch, Inc. was [imminent]. In the letter, Krupp also named private equity firm L Catterton, at one time a stakeholder in Pirch. In a statement to Business of Home, L Catterton denied any involvement. We sold our equity interest in Pirch in 2020 and have no involvement in the management of its affairs today. Story continues Want to stay informed? Sign up for our newsletter, which recaps the weeks stories, and get in-depth industry news and analysis each quarter by subscribing to our print magazine. Join BOH Insider for discounts, workshops and access to special events such as the Future of Home conference. Net Income: Reported $103.3 million for Q1 2024, up from $94.6 million in Q4 2023, falling short of the estimated $134.03 million. Adjusted Net Income: Adjusted for special items, net income was $135.2 million in Q1 2024, compared to $139.9 million in Q4 2023. Revenue (Net Interest Income): Reached $550.7 million, up from $534.2 million in the previous quarter, surpassing the estimated $559.81 million. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Basic and diluted EPS stood at $1.43, exceeding the estimated $1.86 per share. Net Interest Margin: Increased to 3.16% in Q1 2024 from 3.08% in Q4 2023, indicating improved profitability from lending activities. Provision for Credit Losses: Totaled $72.6 million in Q1 2024, down from $78.7 million in the previous quarter, reflecting stable credit quality. Operating Expenses: Decreased to $483.1 million in Q1 2024 from $531.1 million in Q4 2023, contributing to better operational efficiency. On April 23, 2024, Popular Inc (NASDAQ:BPOP) disclosed its financial results for the first quarter of 2024 through its 8-K filing. The company reported a net income of $103.3 million for the quarter, which, when adjusted for specific one-time charges, resulted in an adjusted net income of $135.2 million, surpassing the analyst's net income estimate of $134.03 million. This performance highlights the company's resilience despite facing increased operational costs due to the FDIC Special Assessment and tax-related expenses. Popular Inc (BPOP) Q1 2024 Earnings: Adjusted Net Income Surpasses Estimates Amidst Tax and FDIC Challenges About Popular Inc Headquartered in Puerto Rico, Popular Inc is a leading financial holding company with significant operations through its subsidiaries including Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Banco Popular North America, Evertec, and Popular Financial Holdings. The company primarily operates through two segments: Banco Popular de Puerto Rico and Popular U.S., providing a range of financial services in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the mainland United States. Financial Performance Insights The first quarter of 2024 saw Popular Inc navigate through several financial and operational challenges. The company incurred a significant expense due to the FDIC Special Assessment, initially estimated at $71.4 million in Q4 2023, with an additional $14.3 million recorded this quarter based on revised FDIC loss estimates. Moreover, a tax expense of $22.9 million was recognized related to prior period intercompany distributions. Despite these challenges, Popular Inc managed to increase its net interest income to $550.7 million, up from $534.2 million in the previous quarter, and expanded its net interest margin by eight basis points to 3.16%. This improvement was supported by a stable deposit base and an increase in loan volumes, particularly commercial loans, which bolstered the net interest income for the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico segment. Story continues Operational and Strategic Developments Popular Inc's operational expenses for Q1 2024 totaled $483.1 million, a decrease from $531.1 million in Q4 2023. This reduction reflects effective cost management despite the financial impacts of additional FDIC assessments and tax adjustments. The company's strategic focus on maintaining robust liquidity and capital ratios significantly contributes to its ability to pursue sustainable business growth. President and CEO Ignacio Alvarez commented on the results, stating, We are pleased to report solid earnings for the first quarter after considering the impact of an additional accrual for the FDIC special assessment and a tax related expense associated with prior period intercompany distributions. We continued to benefit from a stable deposit base, increased our net interest income by 3% and expanded our net interest margin by eight basis points." Looking Ahead Popular Inc remains cautious yet optimistic about its future performance, emphasizing its well-positioned liquidity and capital to navigate potential economic uncertainties. The company's focus on enhancing its operational efficiencies and risk management practices are expected to support its ongoing success in a challenging economic environment. For more detailed financial figures and operational insights, investors and stakeholders are encouraged to review the full earnings report and financial statements available through the SEC filing linked above. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Popular Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. 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 PPK Group Limited (ASX:PPK), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders. While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. See our latest analysis for PPK Group The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At PPK Group In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Executive Director Glenn Molloy bought AU$365k worth of shares at a price of AU$1.46 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.47. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. PPK Group insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Insider Ownership I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 38% of PPK Group shares, worth about AU$16m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. So What Do The PPK Group Insider Transactions Indicate? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded PPK Group shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders do have a stake in PPK Group and their transactions don't cause us concern. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. For example, PPK Group has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are concerning) we think you should know about. Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Reported Q1 Revenue: $19.3 billion, a 12% increase year-over-year, surpassing estimates of $18.414 billion. GAAP EPS: $1.28, a 32% rise from the previous year, exceeding the estimated $1.23. Adjusted EPS: $1.34, up 10% from last year, indicating strong profitability adjustments. Net Income: Reported at $1.709 billion, up 20% year-over-year, exceeding the estimated $1.632 billion. Free Cash Flow: Reported a free cash outflow of $125 million, reflecting investment and operational expenditures. Backlog: Reached a record $202 billion, with significant bookings in defense and commercial aerospace, underscoring robust future revenue potential. Full-Year Outlook: Reaffirmed, with expected sales between $78.0 and $79.0 billion and adjusted EPS forecasted at $5.25 to $5.40. On April 23, 2024, RTX Corp (NYSE:RTX) disclosed its financial results for the first quarter of 2024, demonstrating significant growth and operational achievements. The company reported a robust sales increase and a record backlog, indicating a strong market position. This performance analysis, based on the company's 8-K filing, will delve into the financial metrics, segment performance, and strategic initiatives shaping RTX's trajectory. RTX Corp (RTX) Q1 2024 Earnings: Surpasses Analyst Revenue Forecasts with Strong Sales Growth Financial Performance Highlights RTX reported first-quarter sales of $19.3 billion, marking a 12% increase compared to the previous year and surpassing the analyst's estimated revenue of $18.4 billion. This growth was mirrored in both reported and organic metrics. The company achieved a GAAP EPS of $1.28, up 32% from the prior year, and an adjusted EPS of $1.34, reflecting a 10% increase. These figures compare favorably to the estimated EPS of $1.23, showcasing RTX's ability to exceed market expectations. The net income attributable to common shareholders was reported at $1.7 billion, with adjusted net income slightly higher at $1.8 billion, remaining stable compared to the previous year. Despite higher interest expenses and lower pension income, the growth in adjusted segment operating profit helped maintain net income levels. The operating cash flow stood at $342 million, with a free cash outflow of $125 million due to significant capital expenditures of $467 million. Segment Analysis and Strategic Developments RTX operates through three primary segments: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon, each contributing uniquely to the quarter's success. Collins Aerospace saw a 9% increase in sales, driven by robust demand in commercial aerospace, which offset a slight decline in operating profit due to higher costs. Pratt & Whitney reported a 23% sales increase, benefiting from higher volume in commercial and military engines, though operating profit slightly declined due to mixed market conditions. Raytheon's sales grew by 6%, with a significant 74% increase in operating profit, primarily due to higher volume and improved productivity. Notably, the segment benefited from a $375 million net gain from the divestiture of the Cybersecurity, Intelligence, and Services business. Strategic Initiatives and Market Position RTX's strategic initiatives, including operational modernization and technological innovation, are pivotal in sustaining long-term growth. The company's record backlog of $202 billion, coupled with a Q1 book-to-bill ratio of 1.34, underscores strong demand and positions RTX favorably for future performance. The divestiture of non-core businesses and focus on high-priority areas such as defense and aerospace further align RTX with industry growth vectors. President and COO Chris Calio highlighted the company's momentum and focus on key priorities, stating: "RTX saw strong momentum in the first quarter, delivering 12 percent organic sales growth and winning over $25 billion in new orders across our businesses. We are making progress on our key priorities to deliver for customers and shareowners, including executing on our GTF fleet management plans, which remain on track." Outlook and Forward Guidance RTX reaffirmed its full-year outlook for 2024, projecting sales between $78.0 and $79.0 billion and an adjusted EPS range of $5.25 to $5.40. The company also expects free cash flow of approximately $5.7 billion. This guidance reflects RTX's confidence in its operational strategies and market demand. In conclusion, RTX's Q1 2024 results not only surpassed analyst revenue forecasts but also highlighted the company's strategic positioning and operational efficiency. With a strong backlog and focused growth strategies, RTX is well-equipped to navigate the dynamic aerospace and defense markets, promising sustained value for its shareholders. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from RTX Corp for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. SAP SE (NYSE:SAP) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript April 22, 2024 SAP SE isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Welcome, and thank you for joining the SAP Q1 2024 Financial Results Conference Call. Throughout today's recorded presentation, all participants will be in a listen only mode. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the conference over to Anthony Coletta, Chief Investor Relations Officer. Please go ahead. Anthony Coletta: Good evening, everyone, and welcome. Thank you for joining us. With me today are CEO, Christian Klein; CFO, Dominik Asam; and Scott Russell, Head of Customer Success. On this call, we will discuss SAP's first quarter 2024 results. You can find the deck supplementing this call, as well as our quarterly statement on our Investor Relations website. During this call, we'll make forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to the risk factors section of SAP's annual report on Form 20F for 2023. Unless otherwise stated, all numbers on this call are non-IFRS and growth rates and percentage point changes are non-IFRS year-on-year at constant currencies. The non-IFRS financial measures we provide should not be considered a substitute for or superior to the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Before we start, I'd like to first remind everyone of the adjustment to our reporting practices announced on December 18, last year. This adjustment notably incorporating share based compensation into our non-IFRS results are now fully reflected in our Q1 results. I would also like to call your attention to our upcoming Financial Analyst Conference, which will take place on June 5 as part of our Sapphire event in Orlando, Florida. This will be broadcast on our website. And with that, I'd like to now turn the call over to Christian. Christian Klein: Yes. Thank you, Anthony, and thanks to everyone on the line for joining our first earnings call for 2024. When we look at SAP's longer term growth journey, 2024 is a key year. It's the year to scale up revenue and profitability. And I'm so proud to say, what we saw in Q1 makes us very confident about our goals. We are off to a strong start, and we have laid a solid foundation for 2025 and beyond. Let's look at the key metrics for Q1. Current Cloud's backlog grew 28% to EUR14.2 billion This is the fastest growth on record and demonstrates the strong momentum across our portfolio with Business AI as an enabling factor with a strong impact already on our Q1 backlog. Cloud revenue increased 25% and reached EUR3.9 billion. Our operating profit came in at EUR1.5 billion in Q1, 19% higher than a year ago. The new disclosure of Cloud ERP Suite creates transparency for you and us. It shows how we are executing on moving our installed base to the cloud and how we are driving SAPs ERP leadership position with our land and expand strategy. The Cloud ERP Suite contains all the modules for our company's core processes from finance, spend management, and HR to supply chain commerce, and our business technology platform, including data and analytics. Together, these modules have the same functional scope as our monolithic on premise ERP. Our modular and integrated Cloud ERP is unmatched in covering the core processes for over 25 industries and 130 countries in the world and represents a $700 billion market opportunity by 2027. In Q1, revenue from the Cloud ERP Suite was up 32% and reached EUR3.2 billion We have seen exponential growth in this metric for two consecutive years as we are successfully expanding our footprint in our installed base. The land and expand strategy works beautifully. Every customer right now has to redesign core processes end-to-end to master the business transformation in the industry. And this is only the beginning. The flywheel has just started to spin. I will go deeper into that in a minute. There are many exciting customer stories behind our strong start to the year. In Q1, a range of exciting companies signed up for RISE with SAP. To name just a few examples, the premium chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli, the global manufacturing company SKF, and the US aerospace company, Curtiss-Wright. We also saw a great customer take up across the portfolio. Maersk, a world leader in container logistics adopted the BTP as the integration and development platforms, spanning across the SAP and non-SAP IT landscape. Our GROW with SAP offering was very successful with 100 of new customers and a 64% share of net new customers in Q1. One of them is the carbon capture start up, Climeworks. As for our sustainability solutions, we won another 100 customers in Q1 on top of more than 1,000 we had before. New customers like Ericsson, the global leader in wireless technologies, and [Weiland] (ph), a leader in energy saving technologies, chose SAP's sustainability control tower for their regulatory ESG reporting. So in summary, we had a strong start in Q1, and we are happy to confirm our 2024 outlook as well as our 2025 ambition. We are also very confident about the resilience of our growth story beyond 2025, because we have all the right ingredients in place. Our three growth drivers are, RISE with SAP as the leading transformation offering for our installed base, GROW with SAP for net new customers, smaller subsidiaries, and acquisitions, and the innovations we delivered and we will release in the upcoming years, above all, Business AI. Let's first look at RISE with SAP. Our installed base is large with over EUR11 billion remaining support revenue to be converted to the cloud. Typically, by a factor of around two to two. On top, the EUR700 billion Cloud ERP market offers significant cross selling opportunities, and I have no doubt that SAP's integrated best of suite capabilities will win in the core business of our customers. As part of RISE and via the clean core journey, SAP and our ecosystem will help our customers to remove the ERP custom code and instead develop integrated ERP extensions on BTP. This gives us an immense additional revenue potential considering that customers in the on premise world spend up to EUR7 on custom code for every euro they invest in ERP software. Customers like Hitachi, Hi-Tech, for example, reduced the number of custom code add ons by over 19%. RISE has just become the de facto standard for our installed base. It offers a holistic business process redesign combined with the migration to our modular Cloud ERP, resulting in fast time to value and being always on the latest release, consuming new innovations without time intensive ERP upgrades like in the past. Let's have a brief look at GROW with SAP, our second growth driver. As SAP's greenfield cloud ERP offering for net new customers or new business units of large enterprises, GROW delivers go lives in weeks for every business model in every industry in every country. With our ERP solution, SME customers can grow and scale their business without migrating to a new ERP. Ultimately, RISE and GROW offer customers similar advantages, innovation, modularity, scalability, and integration. Coming to the third driver of our growth, which is innovation with Business AI at the core. SAP Business AI will once again transform how businesses run and how end users will work in the future. At SAP, we infuse Business AI across our portfolio. First of all, Joule will be our new user experience via natural language, our one front end. We have based our Joule roadmap on an analysis of the most frequent business and analytical transactions of our end users. This way, we make sure that the most heavily used transactions will be fully AI enabled by the end of this year. Second, we are embedding GenAI directly in our cloud products. Since Q4, we have released over 30 new AI scenarios across our cloud portfolio. Additional ones come out almost every week with more than 100 in the pipeline for the remainder of the year. Third, our customers, partners, and SAP can use the AI foundation on the BTP, including the GenAI hub to build custom AI scenarios. Over 60 ecosystem partners are taking advantage of these capabilities already and working on over 80 use cases right now. Among the over 27,000 customers already using our Business AI is ZF Friedrichshafen, a leading automotive supplier. A data centre room with cloud technology, illustrating the enterprise application software services. ZF is lifting significant financial value by optimizing demand and supply chain planning with embedded AI. Together with our partner NVIDIA, we are currently building new GenAI capabilities. One use case will revolutionize how software will be developed in the future. Jensen and I are looking forward to telling you more about this partnership at Sapphire. Commercially, customers can buy SAP Business AI as consumption based AI units, which can be used across the entire portfolio or via our premium RISE and GROW offerings that include AI units, so customers can get started right away. Both commercial offers have already seen high demand, and many Q1 deals were influenced by SAP Business AI. Overall, we offer a unique value proposition versus the competition with three elements. SAP Business AI works out of the box. For their own GenAI enabled extensions, customers and partners have full choice which leading model they want to use, including modules from OpenAI, Google, the best open source alternatives, or using their own modules. And SAP Business AI comes with our leading enterprise standards and is deeply integrated with our data and security model. In summary, we had a strong start to 2024, and we are confident we will achieve our goals for the year. Looking ahead, we have powerful growth drivers in place and many innovations in our R&D pipeline. The strong development of our cloud backlog is a testament to that momentum. With regard to our transformation program, we are making even better progress than expected, especially with hiring new talent for future oriented areas, such as AI. The program will help us to capture growth and increase efficiency at the same time, among other things, by pushing the internal use of AI. We expect a triple digit million amount in efficiencies from embedding AI across all our processes. Equally important for us as an employer, where our SAP colleagues are affected by restructuring, we are moving with care and empathy, always aware of our social responsibility. And with that, I'm handing over to you, Dominik. Dominik Asam: Thank you, Christian, and thank you all for joining us this evening. Let me start by echoing Christian's sentiment that the fundamentals remain exceptionally strong. March marked my first anniversary as SAP CFO, and I consider myself very fortunate to have joined the company just in time with the business in pole position to capitalize on the tremendous AI opportunity lying ahead of us. The hard work of the prior year starts to pay off handsomely, also for those investors who kept the faith in the company during these turbulent times. It is because of the dedication of our workforce that we continue to experience strength across the business. Our solutions are becoming increasingly differentiated, demonstrated by continued revenue growth throughout the world, expanding cloud gross profit, and improved cash conversion. We've kept the promise and walked the talk, setting the stage for sustained growth in the coming years. Fiscal year 2024 is already off to a strong start. We continue to build on our robust foundation as evidenced by the impressive growth of our current cloud backlog and continued momentum of our cloud revenue. In addition, non-IFRS operating profit showed significant double digit growth even when including stock based compensation. Our key priorities, including our investments in Business AI, demonstrate our commitment to leading the charge in this new era of business transformation and exemplify our relentless drive for growth and operational excellence. The company wide transformation program we initiated in January is progressing well, focusing on enhancing our operational efficiencies and setting the stage for improved financial performance. We're also deploying our own AI solutions internally as a powerful lever to drive productivity. Digital transformation is imperative in today's evolving landscape, and SAP remains the partner of choice. Building on our strategic commitment, the introduction of the Cloud ERP Suite is a pivotal step in aligning our product offering more closely with our core ERP and integrated business solutions. All of this has helped foster the trend towards larger cloud transactions with deals greater than 5 million in volume, contributing more than half of our cloud order entry. This is remarkable for the Q1 of the year. I will now go into further details on our financial highlights. Current cloud backlog was EUR14.2 billion accelerating its impressive growth to 28%, solidly keeping us on the trajectory towards our fiscal year 2024 outlook and fiscal year 2025 top line ambition. Cloud revenue grew 25% year-on-year, mainly driven by the continued strength of our Cloud ERP Suite. It grew by 32% in Q1, its nineth consecutive quarter of growth in the thirties. This sustained momentum underscores our expectations that Cloud ERP Suite will continue to capture a growing share of our cloud business, thanks to its critical role in our customers' digital transformation journeys. It actually already represents 84% of our combined PaaS, SaaS revenue, up 3 percentage points as compared to the prior year's quarter. Software license revenue saw a decrease of 25%. So the dilution of its share of the total revenue from 9% to 5% in only one year impressively illustrates the continued secular shift in market preference towards cloud based solutions in the enterprise. Finally, total revenue surpassed $8 billion in Q1, up 9% year-over-year, showing unabated growth momentum. Now let's take a brief look at our regional performance. In the first quarter, SAP's cloud revenue performance was particularly strong in APJ and EMEA and robust in the Americas region. Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, India, and South Korea had outstanding performances in cloud revenue growth, while the US, Japan, and Spain were particularly strong. Now let's move further down the income statement. Our cloud gross profit grew by 28%, driven by cloud revenue growth and further efficiency gains. This resulted in cloud gross margin improving from the year ago period, expanding by 1.8 percentage points to 72.5%. IFRS operating profit in the Q1 was impacted by EUR2.2 billion of restructuring provisions associated with the transformation program initiated in January. This resulted in an IFRS operating loss of EUR787 million. This accrual represents the vast majority of the total restructuring expenses we currently expect to incur in the context of the program. The amount is closer to the upper end of what we had anticipated initially, which is primarily driven by the strong share price performance in the Q1 and the higher than expected acceptance rate of the early retirement program in the US. We continue to be in the very early stages of executing the program, which we expect to be concluded by the beginning of 2025, and projected expenses are based on preliminary assumptions. We expect visibility to further improve over the course of the second quarter and plan to provide an update once the related measures are fully assessed. Finally, non-IFRS operating profit grew by 19%, evidencing our sustained push towards enhanced profitability. The underlying profit extension expansion was tempered by a EUR135 increase in stock based compensation expense, mainly as a result of a very strong appreciation of our share price in the first quarter. Q1 2024 was actually the quarter with the highest increase in SAP's market capitalization ever. As we settled for the last time, the entire trench of our obligations under the move -- 2021 move SAP program in Q1, fully in cash, we expect a significantly lower sensitivity in the coming quarter as we move to equity-settled. Therefore, the non-IFRS operating profit outlook is reaffirmed for the full year 2024 despite this headwind. Non IFRS earnings per share in the quarter increased 8% to EUR0.81. The IFRS effective tax rate for Q1 was 16%, and the non IFRS tax rate was 32.4%. Now onto our cash generation. Free cash flow for q one came in at EUR2.49 billion, up 28%, again, putting us on the right trajectory to maintain our full year outlook. There was only a minor cash flow impact from our transformation program in the first quarter. So we reiterate our 2024 outlook on all parameters. For the detailed outlook, please refer to our quarterly statement published earlier today on our Invest Relations website. In summary, Q1 marks a strong start to the year, highlighted by continued growth in both our current cloud backlog and Cloud ERP Suite. Business traction combined with focus on execution is positioning us well to meet our objectives for the remainder of the year. Before we open it up to Q&A, I would like to say that we are very much looking forward to welcoming you to our financial analyst conference in June. As already mentioned by Anthony, it will take place in conjunction with Sapphire in Orlando. And the team and I are very much looking forward to meeting you there in person. So thank you, and we'll now be happy to take your questions. Anthony Coletta: Operator, please open the line. See also 40 Best Business Schools in the World for 2024 and 10 Best Performing Biotech ETFs in 2024. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Key Insights SATS' estimated fair value is S$4.01 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity SATS' S$2.44 share price signals that it might be 39% undervalued The S$3.19 analyst price target for S58 is 20% less than our estimate of fair value Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of SATS Ltd. (SGX:S58) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for SATS Step By Step Through The Calculation We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (SGD, Millions) S$251.2m S$543.5m S$656.2m S$581.0m S$570.0m S$571.0m S$556.6m S$550.2m S$549.2m S$551.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -2.52% Est @ -1.15% Est @ -0.19% Est @ 0.48% Present Value (SGD, Millions) Discounted @ 10.0% S$228 S$449 S$493 S$397 S$354 S$323 S$286 S$257 S$233 S$213 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = S$3.2b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.1%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 10.0%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = S$552m (1 + 2.1%) (10.0% 2.1%) = S$7.1b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= S$7.1b ( 1 + 10.0%)10= S$2.7b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is S$6.0b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of S$2.4, the company appears quite undervalued at a 39% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at SATS 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 10.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.724. 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 SATS Strength No major strengths identified for S58. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For SATS, we've put together three further items you should assess: Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for SATS (1 is significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does S58'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 Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Revenue: Reported $520.8 million for the quarter, a 10.7% increase year-over-year, surpassing the estimated $507.18 million. Net Income: Achieved $69.7 million, a 25.6% rise from the previous year, exceeding the estimated $60.93 million. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Diluted EPS reached $1.60, up from $1.30 year-over-year, surpassing the estimate of $1.43. Income from Operations: Grew by 22.3% to $88.3 million, reflecting strong operational efficiency. Adjusted EBITDA: Increased to $120.5 million from $103.9 million, indicating improved profitability and cost management. Nine-Month Revenue: Totaled $1.505 billion, up 11.2% compared to the same period last year. Full-Year Revenue Forecast: Adjusted to range between $2.025 billion and $2.040 billion, tightening previous projections. Stride Inc (NYSE:LRN), a leader in technology-based education, announced its financial results for the third fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2024. The company reported a significant increase in revenue and net income, surpassing analyst expectations. Stride Inc (NYSE:LRN) released its 8-K filing on April 23, 2024, detailing these results. Stride Inc (LRN) Exceeds Quarterly Earnings Estimates with Robust Revenue Growth Company Overview Stride Inc is an American online educational company that provides alternative programs to traditional schooling through its state-funded virtual charter schools and other educational services. The company's offerings include K-12 education monitored by parents and virtual classrooms, primarily generating revenue through contractual agreements with various school districts. Fiscal Q3 2024 Performance Highlights For the quarter, Stride Inc reported revenues of $520.8 million, a 10.7% increase from $470.3 million in the same period last year. This growth was driven by strong enrollment trends. The company's net income also saw a substantial rise, reaching $69.7 million compared to $55.5 million in Q3 2023, marking a 25.6% increase. Diluted net income per share was $1.60, significantly higher than the estimated $1.43 and last year's $1.30. Stride's income from operations grew by 22.3%, standing at $88.3 million up from $72.2 million. Adjusted operating income and EBITDA also showed healthy increases, underscoring the company's operational efficiency and profitability. Analysis of Financial Metrics and Market Performance The company's performance this quarter reflects not only an increase in revenue but also an improvement in operational efficiency. The adjusted EBITDA of $120.5 million, up from $103.9 million, indicates robust profit margins and operational control. These metrics are crucial for understanding Stride's ability to manage costs while expanding its revenue base. Story continues Stride Inc's results this quarter have significantly exceeded analyst projections, particularly in net income and EPS, which are critical indicators of the company's profitability and financial health. This performance is particularly noteworthy in the context of the educational industry, where Stride is making a marked impact with its tech-driven solutions. Enrollment and Revenue Per Enrollment The company's enrollment data shows an increase across its General Education and Career Learning segments, with total average enrollment up by 9.1% year-over-year. This growth is a positive indicator of the company's expanding market presence and the increasing acceptance of online education solutions. Revenue per enrollment has also increased, suggesting that Stride is not only attracting more students but is also enhancing its revenue-generating capabilities per student. This is a vital metric for assessing the company's efficiency in converting enrollments into revenue. Future Outlook and Strategic Moves Looking ahead, Stride Inc has raised its forecast for adjusted operating income and tightened its revenue projections for the fiscal year 2024, indicating confidence in its ongoing business strategy and market conditions. The company expects revenue in the range of $2.025 billion to $2.040 billion and has planned capital expenditures to further enhance its technological and educational offerings. In conclusion, Stride Inc's impressive fiscal Q3 2024 results demonstrate the company's successful adaptation to the evolving educational landscape. With strong financials and strategic investments in technology and curriculum development, Stride is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory and strengthen its market position. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Stride Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Former Dutch colony Suriname shares the offshore Guyana Suriname Basin with the former British colony of Guyana, which is reaping a massive economic windfall from one of South Americas largest oil booms of recent times. Surinames government in Paramaribo is hungrily eyeing Guyanas oil boom, which has propelled the country into the global league of major oil-producing and exporting nations, putting it on track to become one of the wealthiest nations in South America. Deeply impoverished Suriname, which is suffering an extreme economic crisis, hopes to enjoy a similar boom to its neighbor. Nonetheless, time is running out to successfully exploit the vast petroleum resources lying beneath Surinames territorial waters as the global battle against climate change and push to net zero emissions gain momentum. The shock 2022 announcement from TotalEnergies, the operator, and 50% partner APA Corporation that the final investment decision (FID) for Block 58 offshore Suriname was delayed nearly dashed Paramaribos plans. The government, which is experiencing significant economic pressure, views Surinames substantial offshore petroleum wealth as a silver bullet for the former Dutch colonys financial woes. This notion emerged after APA announced the first discovery in Block 58 offshore Suriname at the Maka Central-1 wildcat well in early January 2020. By late-2020, analysts were speculating that Block 58 possessed significant petroleum resources, with U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley stating that its modeling showed the acreage could contain as much as 6.5 billion barrels of oil. An additional four world-class discoveries were made by March 2022, further supporting those claims. Block 58 Offshore Suriname Source: APA Corporation Fourth-Quarter & Full-Year 2023 Financial & Operational Supplement. Those events strengthened the belief that Suriname was on track to experience a mammoth oil boom capable of delivering a major economic windfall, thus ending the countrys protracted economic crisis and lifting it out of poverty. Those events sparked speculation that Block 58 contained petroleum resources on a scale similar to the neighboring Stabroek Block in offshore Guyana, where ExxonMobil has found 11 billion barrels of oil resources. It is the Stabroek Block that is driving Guyanas epic oil boom and made the former British colony South Americas wealthiest country on a per capita basis. Paramaribos aspirations were almost dashed when TotalEnergies and APA delayed the FID for Block 58, which was originally expected during 2022, with first oil to be delivered sometime in 2025. TotalEnergies made this decision for several reasons, the key being the high gas-oil ratio and a swathe of poor exploration results that did not match earlier drilling outcomes or seismic data. Concerns over the commerciality of existing discoveries coupled with rising political tensions and a worsening economic crisis, with protestors storming Surinames parliament during February 2023, amplified the French supermajors uneasiness. Indeed, it those events which prompted TotalEnergies to delay the FID, especially with a substantial investment of $9 billion or more, with some analysts claiming it could take $11 billion, to bring Block 58 to first oil. It was originally believed that TotalEnergies and partner APA would approve the FID by the end of 2022, with first oil expected during 2025. After a lengthy delay, with TotalEnergies, as operator, continuing to conduct appraisal drilling and assessing the five discoveries made since 2020, the partners announced during 2023 a commitment to undertaking development studies, which is typically a precursor to a FID. TotalEnergies and APA have flagged that this decision will be made by year-end 2024. The partners have identified a 700-million-barrel recoverable resource connected to the Sapakara and Krabdagu discoveries. Once detailed engineering studies are complete and the FID is made, the partners plan to install a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel in Block 58 with the capacity to lift 200,000 barrels per day. There are indications that TotalEnergies and APA are moving as quickly as possible to ensure the $9 billion project is sanctioned by the end of 2024. The oil discovered in Block 58 is particularly attractive to exploit for Big Oil because it is light, with an API gravity of around 34 degrees, and sweet with a low sulfur content making it cheaper and easier to process into high-quality low-emission fuels. Those are particularly important characteristics in a global economy where emissions standards are constantly ratcheted higher because the push to slow global warming and halt climate change gains momentum. If Guyanas Stabroek Block is any indication, the carbon intensity of lifting oil in offshore Suriname will be relatively low, enhancing its attractiveness for Big Oil at a time when the industry is being forced to implement a net-zero standard. Offshore Surinames low projected breakeven prices must also be considered. Forecasts vary with analysts indicating that the breakeven price for each barrel lifted could be as high as $45 per barrel or as low as $35, with a consensus average of $40 per barrel for offshore Suriname. While this is higher than offshore Guyana, with an average breakeven price of an industry low of $28 per barrel, it is less than other offshore jurisdictions such as Brazil, where production breaks even at an average of around $50 per barrel for downstream offshore projects. There are claims that Block 58s breakeven price will fall from an initial $45 per barrel produced to a low of $25 a barrel, which will be among the lowest in South America, as infrastructure is built out and operational synergies implemented. There is considerable financial and socioeconomic pressure on Paramaribo to exploit the substantial petroleum wealth thought to lie beneath Surinames territorial waters. While the global rush to phase out fossil fuel consumption to combat climate change adds a sense of urgency to the former Dutch colonys plans to extract those resources, time pressures are not as severe as some pundits claim. Surinames offshore oil resources are particularly appealing to Big Oil, because of a low carbon footprint to extract as well as refine and favorable costs with a $40 per barrel breakeven price, making production highly profitable in the current environment. Paramaribo has also implemented an appealing regulatory environment that ensures drillers are not only rewarded for investing in offshore Suriname but, through a 10-year contract, have sufficient time to explore and exploit the acreage once production begins. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com Tax version of a colonoscopy: New York cracks down on wealthy out-of-state residents avoiding taxes New York is home to a substantial number of millionaires, yet there has been a notable exodus in recent years. Data from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance indicates that 1,326 millionaires left the state in 2019. This trend intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 3,303 millionaires departing in 2020. The outflow persisted in the following years, with 2,741 millionaires leaving in 2021 and another 2,338 in 2022. 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 People relocate for various reasons, but there's speculation that high taxes are driving the wealthy out of New York. New York's personal income tax rates range from 4% to 10.9%. In contrast, Florida, which does not impose a personal income tax, has seen the largest net influx of former New York residents of all the states. However, merely changing your address might not be enough to escape the tax burdens of the Empire State. According to a new Bloomberg report, New Yorks Department of Taxation and Finance employs 300 auditors specifically for residency audits, and they are notorious for their thoroughness. These investigations determine whether individuals have correctly declared themselves as full-time, part-time, or nonresidents for income tax purposes. Undergoing such an audit is not a fun experience, as tax attorney Mark Klein explained to Bloomberg, We always tell people the tax audit from New York is like the tax version of a colonoscopy. Ive had cases that have hinged on a single dog, Klein recalled. And I had a case once that was based on the fact that the person moved their Peloton bicycle to Florida. Every minute counts According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, if an individual maintains "a permanent place of abode in New York State for substantially all of the taxable year and spend 184 days or more in New York State during the taxable year, they are classified as a New York resident for income tax purposes. The department also notes that for this purpose, any part of a day is a day. 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 Story continues Bloomberg highlights that if an individual is driving from New Jersey to Connecticut and exits the highway in New York for lunch, that stop counts as an entire day spent in New York. Jonathan Mariner is one of the people who relocated from New York from Florida. After getting his own residency audit from New York, he created an app called TaxDay, which monitors users locations to ensure they do not exceed the number of days that would trigger residency status. Even though you have a Florida drivers license, Florida voting record, Florida home, it does not matter, Mariner told Bloomberg. You could be on vacation in New York and theyll pull you back in. Theres a reason why New York is cracking down on wealthy out-of-state residents avoiding taxes: The loss of high earners can impact the states income tax revenue. In an op-ed earlier this year, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Heather Briccetti Mulligan, president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, highlighted the states dependence on these high earners for substantial income tax contributions. [Personal income tax] is the largest state tax revenue, accounting for more than $60 billion in 2021, and a small set of filers have an outsized impact on revenues. Those with incomes above $1 million were just 1.6% of all filers, but comprised 44.5% of the total liability in 2021, they wrote. What to read next Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey invest in this asset to keep their wealth safe you may want to do the same in 2024 'It's not taxed at all': Warren Buffett shares the 'best investment' you can make when battling rising costs take advantage today Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof and only getting worse. But 5 minutes could have you paying as little as $29/month This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. icon Semafor Signals Supported by Microsoft logo Insights from Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and Semafor Arrow Down Title icon The News Tesla on Tuesday reported a 55% drop in quarterly profit compared with the first quarter of 2023, yet another sign that the once-dominant electric carmaker is struggling amid intense competition from Chinese automakers. The EV giant posted revenues of $21.3 billion in Q1, equating to a 9% drop and its biggest year-on-year fall since 2012. Analysts began forecasting trouble for Elon Musks EV empire after Tesla announced price cuts in China at the weekend. Similar price cuts were seen in the U.S. and Germany as sales slumped in Q1, and the company recently announced a 10% reduction in its global workforce. But Musk appeared confident that Tesla can stay cash-positive even with more price cuts during Wednesdays investor call. If you have a great product at a great price, the sales will be excellent, he said. Investors have become increasingly worried about the sustainability of Musks business plans. Reuters this month reported that Tesla had scrapped plans for its cheapest EV yet seen as critical to compete with Chinese competitors though Musk denied the report. He instead unveiled plans for a new robotaxi that features no steering wheel, another move which has unnerved employees and is [plunging] Tesla into chaos, Bloomberg reported. Tesla is accelerating the production of new vehicles, including more affordable models, according to a memo in a presentation to shareholders. That announcement excited investors: despite Teslas year-to-date share price closing down 42% at the end of trading, the after-hours stock price rose by as much as 9%. One analyst called it a sign the company is listening to investors concerns. Musk told investors it is helpful that other self-driving carmakers are already pursing full regulatory approval and are cutting a path through the regulatory jungle. When Tesla releases its own software, he doesnt believe there will be significant regulatory barriers, he said. icon SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Will shareholders pay Musk $55.8 billion to build AI? Source icon Sources: Yahoo Finance, Reuters After surrendering a big portion of his Tesla ownership to raise cash for his $44 billion purchase of X in 2022, Musk is now attempting to win shareholder support for a $55.8 billion pay package that would see him attain a 25% ownership stake in the the carmaker, up from his current 13%. Musk has said he sees a stake of this size as crucial to helming the companys transition into a leader in AI and robotics, though he will likely still pursue these ambitions outside the Tesla structure if he does not get the 25% threshold, Yahoo Finance reported. Whether shareholders approve that pay package effectively endorsing the AI track will be dependent on the firms Q1 performance, which one analyst called one of the most important moments in the companys history. Story continues Teslas marketing tactics raise eyebrows Source icon Sources: Bloomberg, Semafor, Business Insider, Daily Dot Among the global layoffs at Tesla was a newly formed US marketing team, Bloomberg reported, yet another strategic decision that appears to go against the desires of shareholders worried about slumping sales. The company had long resisted traditional advertising on television, radio, and online, relying instead on word-of-mouth for sales, but that has changed over the past year as the threat from competitors increases, Semafor previously reported. Teslas move to use celebrities including Katy Perry to promote its Cybertruck was meant to turn the EV into a status symbol, according to Business Insider. However the strategy backfired after the truck was plagued by performance issues and a massive recall, leaving many unimpressed: Perrys fans slammed the singer for promoting the problem-ridden truck. Apple also falls victim to Chinese competitors Source icon Sources: CNBC, Reuters Tesla is not the only tech giant suffering amid intense competition from China: Apples iPhone shipments dropped nearly 10% this Q1, with shipments to China plummeting by 19% as competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi took over much of its market share, CNBC and Reuters reported. The decline has pushed Samsung to reclaim its title as holder of the largest global market share for smartphones, accounting for about 20.8% of sales compared with Apples 17.3%, Reuters reported. Chinese smartphones while still cheaper than iPhones are gaining traction as more premium design and software features lead customers to switch over. Huaweis comeback has directly impacted Apple in the premium segment, one analyst told Reuters. Semafor Logo Revenue: Reported at $3.66 billion, a decrease of 16% year-over-year, falling short of estimates of $3.61 billion. Net Income: Totaled $1.11 billion, down 35% from the previous year, exceeding estimates of $982.79 million. Earnings Per Share: Achieved $1.20, including a 10-cent benefit from items not in the original guidance, surpassing the estimate of $1.07. Operating Profit: Recorded at $1.29 billion, reflecting a 34% decrease from the prior year. Free Cash Flow: Reported a negative $231 million for the quarter, a significant decline from $940 million in the previous year. Capital Expenditures: Increased to $1.25 billion, up 60% year-over-year, indicating heightened investment in infrastructure. Dividends and Stock Repurchases: Returned $4.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases over the past 12 months. Texas Instruments Inc (NASDAQ:TXN), a leading global semiconductor company, released its 8-K filing on April 23, 2024, detailing its financial results for the first quarter of 2024. The company reported a revenue of $3.66 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $3.61 billion. However, despite surpassing revenue estimates, the company saw a significant year-over-year decline in revenue by 16%. Net income for the quarter stood at $1.11 billion, also surpassing the estimated $982.79 million, but reflecting a 35% decrease from the previous year. Earnings per share reached $1.20, benefiting from a 10-cent item not included in the original guidance, and outperforming the estimated $1.07. Texas Instruments Inc (TXN) Q1 2024 Earnings: Surpasses Analyst Revenue Forecasts Based in Dallas, Texas Instruments is primarily known for its semiconductor products, which contribute over 95% of its revenue. The company holds a dominant position in the market for analog chips and has significant shares in processors and microcontrollers across various electronic applications. Financial Performance and Challenges TI's President and CEO, Haviv Ilan, highlighted the challenges faced by the company, noting a decrease in revenue across all end markets, both sequentially and year-over-year. This decline underscores broader market challenges, possibly influenced by economic conditions affecting global semiconductor demand. Despite these hurdles, TI's robust business model and strategic investments in research and development ($3.7 billion over the past 12 months) and capital expenditures ($5.3 billion) demonstrate its commitment to maintaining long-term growth and market leadership. Strategic Financial Management The company's financial management strategies are evident in its substantial shareholder returns, with $4.8 billion returned through dividends and stock repurchases in the past year. The strong cash flow from operations, which stood at $6.3 billion for the trailing twelve months, highlights TI's operational efficiency and its ability to generate shareholder value in challenging times. However, free cash flow experienced a significant drop, calculated at -$231 million for the quarter due to high capital expenditures and a decrease in operating cash flow. Story continues Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Analysis TI's consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2024, shows total assets of $34.88 billion, an increase from $29.22 billion in the previous year. This growth in assets is supported by increases in short-term investments and property, plant, and equipment, reflecting ongoing investments in capacity and technology. The company's liabilities and stockholder's equity also grew, indicating a balanced approach to financing its operations and growth initiatives. The cash flow statements reveal a decrease in cash flows from operating activities, down to $1.017 billion from $1.160 billion in the previous year. This reduction is partly due to changes in working capital and increased capital expenditures, which underscore the company's focus on expanding and upgrading its operational capabilities. Outlook and Projections Looking ahead, Texas Instruments provided an outlook for the second quarter of 2024, expecting revenue to be between $3.65 billion and $3.95 billion and earnings per share ranging from $1.05 to $1.25. The company also anticipates maintaining an effective tax rate of about 13%, reflecting efficient tax management. Overall, Texas Instruments' first quarter results for 2024 reflect a resilient business model capable of generating significant cash flow and returning value to shareholders, despite facing revenue declines and market volatility. The company's strategic investments and strong financial management position it well for navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead in the semiconductor industry. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Texas Instruments Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. The Australian stock market, as represented by the ASX200, is showing signs of steady growth with a predicted increase of around 0.35% this morning. This comes after major US indices broke their six-day losing streak, providing some positive momentum in the global markets. In this context, dividend stocks can be an appealing option for investors seeking regular income streams. Given the current market conditions and upcoming economic data releases from Australia's Bureau of Statistics, it's important to carefully consider stocks with strong fundamentals and sustainable dividend yields. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Australia Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) 5.01% Fiducian Group (ASX:FID) 3.70% Joyce (ASX:JYC) 6.93% Korvest (ASX:KOV) 6.67% Centuria Capital Group (ASX:CNI) 6.65% Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) 3.65% Premier Investments (ASX:PMV) 4.54% Fortescue (ASX:FMG) 8.35% PRL Global (ASX:PRG) 6.36% Diversified United Investment (ASX:DUI) 3.23% Click here to see the full list of 45 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Here's a peek at a few of the choices from the screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Centuria Capital Group, operating primarily in Australia, is an investment manager that focuses on marketing and managing investment products with a market capitalization of A$1.44 billion. Operations: Centuria Capital Group generates its revenue through various segments, with the largest being Property Funds Management at A$178.53 million, followed by Co-Investments and Non-Operating Items contributing A$53.33 million and A$51.53 million respectively. Other significant revenue streams include Development (A$40.07 million), Benefit Funds (A$10.35 million), Investment Bonds Management (A$9.79 million), and Property and Development Finance (A$17.46 million). The company also earns a minor income from its Corporate segment amounting to A$2.38 million. Dividend Yield: 6.6% Centuria Capital Group, trading at 52.2% below its fair value, offers a dividend yield of 6.65%, ranking in the top 25% of Australian market dividend payers. Despite an unstable track record and volatility over the past decade, recent dividends are covered by earnings (76.1%) and cash flows (73.5%). However, profit margins have decreased from last year's 6.5% to current 3.1%. Earnings are projected to grow by 21.41% per annum despite a recent half-year report showing reduced sales and net income compared to the previous year. Story continues ASX:CNI Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Fiducian Group Ltd is an Australian company that offers financial services through its subsidiaries, and it has a market capitalisation of approximately A$258.12 million. Operations: Fiducian Group Ltd generates its revenue through four key segments in Australia, including Funds Management which brings in A$20.49 million, Corporate Services earning A$12.06 million, Financial Planning contributing A$28.95 million and Platform Administration accounting for A$15.38 million. Dividend Yield: 3.7% Fiducian Group's dividends have shown growth and stability over the past decade, supported by a sustainable payout ratio of 83.7% from earnings and 60.5% from cash flows. Recent half-year results reported an increase in sales to A$39 million and net income to A$6.84 million, reflecting a year-on-year earnings growth of 12%. Despite these positives, FID's dividend yield of 3.7% is lower than the top quartile of Australian dividend payers (6.25%), indicating room for improvement. ASX:FID Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Southern Cross Electrical Engineering Limited, with a market capitalisation of A$313.23 million, is an Australian company that offers a range of services including electrical, instrumentation, communication and maintenance. Operations: Southern Cross Electrical Engineering Limited, valued at A$313.23 million, generates its revenue primarily through the provision of electrical services, accounting for A$464.88 million of its earnings. Dividend Yield: 4.2% Southern Cross Electrical Engineering's dividends are supported by a sustainable payout ratio of 66.5% from earnings and 78.2% from cash flows. The firm's recent half-year results reported stable sales of A$255.55 million and a net income of A$9.64 million, indicating steady performance despite slight volatility in dividend payments over the past decade. However, with a dividend yield of 4.2%, it falls short when compared to the top quartile of Australian dividend payers (6.25%). ASX:SXE Dividend History as at Apr 2024 Next Steps Unlock our comprehensive list of 45 Top Dividend Stocks by clicking here. Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance. Enhance your investing ability with the Simply Wall St app and enjoy free access to essential market intelligence spanning every continent. Contemplating Other Strategies? 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. Companies discussed in this article include ASX:CNI ASX:FID and ASX:SXE. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com (Bloomberg) -- Four years ago, when the Trump administration threatened to ban TikTok in the US, its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. worked out a preliminary deal to sell the short video apps business. Not this time. Most Read from Bloomberg Once again, the US government is aiming to shut down TikTok unless its divested from Beijing-based ByteDance. But the company has made clear it has no intention of selling. Indeed, TikToks management vowed in an internal memo to staff we will move to the courts for a legal challenge if the bill winding its way through Congress is signed into law. That sets the stage for a watershed legal battle between the US government and the offspring of a $240 billion startup thats come to define Chinas growing technological muscle. The outcome could define the business landscape for Chinese companies like Tencent Holdings Ltd. and PDD Holdings Inc.s Temu with growing US ambitions. And its a test of how Beijing will respond to growing pressure on homegrown champions from ByteDance to Huawei Technologies Co. The proposed bill in fact deliberately calls out the potential to circumscribe apps from countries that count as foreign adversaries. Its not just TikTok, since we saw the US also took actions before against Huawei and now hundreds of Chinese companies are under US sanctions, said Wu Xinbo, a director at Fudan Universitys Center for American Studies. In the future, other companies like Temu and other commerce platforms could also be affected and US allies may follow suit to ban TikTok as well. This may have a domino effect. The US House of Representatives on Saturday put legislation requiring ByteDance to divest its ownership stake in TikTok on a fast track to become law. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill in coming days. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the legislation promptly. The legislation under consideration gives ByteDance almost a year to divest of TikTok. That deadline would mean TikTok would likely survive through the US presidential election in November. ByteDance has compelling reasons to take on Washington. For starters, it has a much bigger business in the US than it did in 2020 170 million users now, up from less than 100 million then and revenue far surpasses any other market. Story continues Never miss an episode. Follow the Big Take DC podcast on iHeart, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. Read the transcript. Since Trumps abortive assault, TikTok has also built up a fledgling e-commerce business that hinges on influencers hawking goods to young Americans. Thats linked it inextricably to swaths of the US economy, from millions of content creators to small business owners that rely on the platform. Its preparing to debut live shopping in Mexico around July, a person familiar with the matter said, taking it into a different part of the American continent. A US ban could affect an international rollout more broadly. US lawmakers arent the only ones currently going after TikTok. Across the Atlantic, European Union officials have also threatened the company with hefty fines and temporary curbs on part of its new TikTok Lite app, which was recently debuted in France and Spain. Regulators contend that TikTok Lite, which includes a rewards system for users, could be addictive to young people, and claims the company didnt complete a full risk assessment. EU regulators gave TikTok until April 23 to submit the missing report and until April 24 to defend itself against the suspension of the rewards program pending the assessment of its safety. It was also handed a May 3 deadline to respond to other questions about how the app plans to protect minors and the mental health of users. In the US, ByteDance thinks it stands a good chance of pushing back on the proposed law in US courts. Its arguing that forcing 170 million Americans off the platform will deprive them of their First Amendment rights to free speech, a forceful approach in the American judicial system. Well continue to fight, Michael Beckerman, TikToks head of public policy for the Americas, said in a memo to TikToks US staff. This is the beginning, not the end of this long process. For now, it appears neither side is willing to budge. But ByteDance has seen how quickly the tides can turn in Washington. The preliminary 2020 sale agreement didnt go through after Donald Trump was voted out of office and Biden showed less interest in pursuing his predecessors deal. Trump last month raised concerns that a ban against TikTok could boost its rival Meta Platforms Inc., which previously suspended Trump from its platforms. Americans go to the polls again this November. ByteDance expects it can get a restraining order on the legislation and then wage a legal battle that could last more than a year, according to one person familiar with the matter. Its also a US election year, so no matter what you do, they can only wait until after the election to see what the situation is like, said Zhu Feng, executive dean of Nanjing Universitys School of International Studies. Beijing is a big hurdle to any sale of TikTok. A TikTok divestiture would require approval from Chinese regulators, who are unlikely to accommodate Washingtons plans. The government there has made it clear it wants neither TikToks prized algorithms nor its valuable data to fall into American hands, a person familiar with TikToks thinking said, asking to remain anonymous discussing company deliberations. TikToks technology most apparent in the platforms addictive scroll of recommended videos that keep users hooked and wanting more was an issue even back in 2020. Under Trump, TikTok struck a complicated deal to spin out and sell a slice of TikTok to Oracle Corp. at a $60 billion valuation, upon which the US software firm would become its sole US data management partner. But ByteDance would retain control of the actual technology. That year, ByteDances revenue more than doubled to about $35 billion, a chunk of which stemmed from its US arm. Thats about when TikTok challenged the Trump ban in court, winning a temporary reprieve from a judge who ruled the White House may have overstepped. The issue began to fade from the public consciousness. The idea of banning TikTok only resurfaced around 2023, when Biden began confronting China in a number of areas. Read More: China Braces for Worst as It Becomes Punching Bag in US Election The crux of the situation is Tiktoks future in the US. Handing the service over to a local competitor means ByteDance gets shut out. Abandoning ship raises the prospect of a return at some stage, perhaps during a friendlier administration. A ban would be the better option of the two. If you shutter the US business, theres always a chance you could win back the market, despite how difficult that is, said Ke Yan, a Singapore-based analyst with DZT Research. The divestment is much more complicated since it involves technology transfers. The solution now likely lies with the courts though that too comes with its own risks. A protracted legal fight could surface information both sides may prefer remain private. It threatens to tie up and distract TikTok, giving its rivals an opening to poach users. Corporate sponsors may drop off if exchanges turn nasty. And influencers, ever on the hunt for the next shiny object, may gravitate toward less turbulent platforms. It remains unclear how a ban might work. Simply getting Apple Inc. and Google to remove the app from stores may not be enough, since users whove downloaded the software can stay engaged. The bill makes it clear that hosting the service will be illegal suggesting a direct impact on usage. At the end of the day, ByteDance may be forced to choose to leave the US market, said Wei Zongyou, a professor on American security and foreign policy at Fudan University. --With assistance from Peter Chapman. (Updates with EU details in paragraph eight) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. New deodorant offers 6 scents with naturally sourced and derived moisture-locking ingredients inside modern containers made from 100% recycled plastic Dermatologist Expert Dr. Adeline Kikam of @BrownSkinDerm joins launch efforts to help consumers understand what it means to go natural with their underarm protection TORONTO, April 10, 2024 /CNW/ - With over 50 years of dedication to the mission of making products that are good for the consumer and the planet, Tom's of Maine announces the new Smell Good, Good campaign, challenging consumers to get real about natural under-arm protection by replacing current products with an all-new lineup of Tom's of Maine Deodorant and Antiperspirant. New deodorant offers 6 scents with naturally sourced and derived moisture-locking ingredients inside modern containers made from 100% recycled plastic (CNW Group/Tom's of Maine Canada) "At Tom's of Maine, we strive to make top-of-the-line natural personal care products that are rooted in good all around," said Cristiane Martini, General Manager at Tom's of Maine. "That's why we're introducing our Smell Good, Good campaign with this launch. We believe in combining the good in science and nature to help people smell good, with our new odor and wetness protection in the deodorant, while also feeling proud of supporting a brand that does good for people and our communities." The new Tom's of Maine Deodorant and Antiperspirant line is not tested on animals and is free from dyes, parabens and phthalates, baking soda, and artificial fragrances and preservatives. The deodorant is aluminum-free, designed for smooth glide and to go on clear, and is made with naturally sourced and derived moisture-locking ingredients and aloe vera. The antiperspirant provides extra effective 48-hour odor and sweat protection. All products come in a modern container made with 100% recycled plastic. For those looking to better understand what it means to use natural deodorant and antiperspirant, Tom's of Maine has teamed up with U.S. Board Certified Medical and Cosmetic Dermatologist, Dr. Adeline Kikam of @brownskinderm , to help consumers get real about going natural. "I genuinely like Tom's of Maine products and recommend them a lot to my patients," said Dr. Kikam. "I'm excited to help launch the all-new Tom's of Maine Deodorant line because the ingredients are well researched for efficacy and safety. I like the range of options, not only in scents, but product types customers have when it comes to odor and sweat control." Tom's of Maine Deodorant and Antiperspirant lines [MSRP: $11.99] are available in 6 scents, including Clean Coast, Mountain Spring, Rose Vanilla, and Unscented. The antiperspirant line is available in two scents, Cucumber Aloe and North Woods. All products are now available nationwide at retailers like Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Real Canadian Superstore, Jean Coutu, Metro and Sobey's. To learn more about Tom's of Maine visit TomsofMaine.ca , or follow on Instagram . About Tom's of Maine Tom's of Maine, a Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL ) company, has been making natural, safe, and effective personal care products for 50 years. It all began when Tom and Kate Chappell moved to Maine in 1968 looking for a healthier, simpler life for their growing family. And when they couldn't find personal care products that were free from artificial flavors, fragrances, sweeteners, colors and preservatives, they decided to make their own. Tom's of Maine products including toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, bar soap, body wash, dental floss, and toothbrushes are made from naturally sourced and naturally derived ingredients and never tested on animals. A Certified B Corporation, Tom's of Maine is committed to upholding a purpose-driven business and has a long-standing commitment to supporting nature and healthy families. Tom's of Maine has supported hundreds of nonprofits by giving back 10% of its profits, and employees are encouraged to use 5% of their paid time (12 days) volunteering for causes they are passionate about. All of Tom's products are cruelty-free and most products are vegan, kosher, halal-certified and gluten-free. Visit us online at http://www.tomsofmaine.ca SOURCE Tom's of Maine Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2024/23/c6044.html The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don't use leverage) is 100% of your money. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. To wit, the Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited (NYSE:TNP) share price has flown 177% in the last three years. How nice for those who held the stock! The last week saw the share price soften some 2.6%. Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. Check out our latest analysis for Tsakos Energy Navigation In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. 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. Tsakos Energy Navigation became profitable within the last three years. Given the importance of this milestone, it's not overly surprising that the share price has increased strongly. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). We know that Tsakos Energy Navigation has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Tsakos Energy Navigation, it has a TSR of 201% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective We're pleased to report that Tsakos Energy Navigation shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 43% over one year. That's including the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 12% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Tsakos Energy Navigation . Story continues For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. 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. In Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? RealityCheck@star-telegram.com. Voters headed to the polls May 4 may notice a disclaimer on some school ballot measures: THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. The statement must appear alongside school bond propositions, even if the measure being voted on will not increase property tax rates a point area districts are emphasizing as voters head to the polls. The requirement is the result of a 2019 law passed by the Texas Legislature that made sweeping changes to school finance. So whats the deal? Will property taxes increase or not? The key lies in the difference between property tax increases and property tax rate increases. School property tax rates are made of two parts: the maintenance and operations rate and the interest and sinking rate the rate that pays for bonds. OK, this is where it can get confusing. Stay with me. The two rates can change independently of one another, which means a districts overall rate can go up or down as the interest and maintenance rates change. Theoretically, a district could raise the interest and sinking rate to pay for a bond but if the maintenance and operations rate drops, then then overall tax rate could drop too, or remain the same. Some school districts are able to pay off past bond debt early and keep their current interest and sinking rate to pay for new bond debt. That means the overall property tax rate doesnt change or goes down, depending on the maintenance and operations rate. Take the Mansfield bond proposition package, which includes five bond propositions totally $777 million. The district says property owners will not see their tax rate increase because the district is paying off debt early. That, paired with growth in the community, allows the district to repay the bonds voters will consider in this local election with the same interest and sinking tax rate 36 cents that theyve had since 2021, according to the district. (The maintenance and operations rate has dropped each year.) Simply translated THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE means that taxes will have to be levied in order to repay the bonds, the districts bond website reads. However, MISD can make all existing and new bond payments with the $0.36 Interest and Sinking tax rate, also known as the debt service tax rate, residents are currently paying. The district is expected to keep the debt service rate the same even if the bond doesnt pass. Or look at Grapevine-Colleyville: The district says its current interest and sinking tax rate of 19.57 cents isnt expected to change as a result of its proposed $150 million bond package, because the district has been able to pay down its debt sooner than required as projected property values rise. Were the measures to fail, the Board of Trustees will decide if the rate should stay the same, increase or decrease as part of an annual evaluation of anticipated tax revenue and debt payment, according to a spokesperson for the district. School bonds are also on the ballot in the Castleberry, Everman and Lewisville School districts. In Castleberry a 4.82 cent tax rate increase is expected, and in Everman tax rates are expected to go up by 13.5 cents. Lewisvilles rate will not be impacted by the bond. A tax increase? So are school bonds a property tax increase? Technically yes, but they are not a necessarily a property tax rate increase. Peoples property tax bills, in theory, could be lower if the debt from one bond wasnt replaced by a new bond and the interest and sinking rate dropped. Thats why they require the statement on the bond propositions, said Sheryl Pace, a senior analyst at the Texas Taxpayers & Research Association. Its because it is a property tax increase over what the taxpayer would have paid had the bond not passed. Additionally, property owners in Texas school districts could still see a property tax increase if their property values increase. If the value of your property increases, but the tax rate levied on that property stays the same, you will pay more in property tax because of the value increase, Pace said. The property tax increase ballot language has raised questions for voters in recent elections, including in the Grapevine-Colleville and Mansfield school districts We do often receive clarifying questions regarding the language on the ballot, Grapevine-Colleyville spokesperson Nicole Lyons said in a statement, responding to written questions. The district is intentional about including the ballot language and explanation ... in all of our communications regarding the bond community presentations, print pieces, bond website, tax rate video, social media posts, etc. GCISD honors the state requirements and standards, and is committed to remaining fiscally responsible and transparent. There was an effort in the past legislative session to add some clarity. Sen. Tan Parker, a Flower Mound Republican, and other lawmakers filed legislation that would have changed ballot the disclosures. Parkers bill would have made the ballots read THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE. Another by Rep. Brandon Creighton, a Conroe Republican, would have changed the wording to THIS AUTHORIZES THE DISTRICT TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL DEBT, which is easier to explain to voters when the tax rate isnt being increased, a spokesperson for the Mansfield school district said in a written response to questions. The bills didnt gain traction. As the state grows rapidly, public schools need to plan for expansion while remaining fiscally responsible and accountable to voters, Parker said, laying out the bill in an April 2023 committee hearing. The legislation doesnt aim to make crazy spending easy for districts, Parker said. Rather we value taxpayer transparency, and all were seeking to accomplish with this legislation is to reduce the confusion around these school ballot bond measures, Parker said at the time. By Stefania Spezzati LONDON (Reuters) -Norway's sovereign wealth fund has backed UBS' plan to make its Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds, a form of debt, more appealing to investors by protecting them from a wipeout, and also signed off on UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti's pay package. The vote from the Norwegian fund, UBS' second-largest shareholder, at the bank's annual general meeting this week is a boost for UBS, which is seeking to prop up its capital buffers to satisfy Swiss regulators' demands as it integrates its former rival Credit Suisse. The move could come at a cost for shareholders, who could see their holdings diluted in a crisis. AT1 bonds, a type of debt that acts as a shock absorber if a bank's capital levels fall below a certain threshold, have been encouraged by regulators since the 2008-09 global financial crisis. The bonds can be converted into equity or written off. Last year, Swiss regulator FINMA sparked a crisis in the $275 billion market when it wrote down about $17 billion of Credit Suisse' AT1s as part of its rescue. In a sale in November, the first since its takeover of Credit Suisse, UBS saw strong demand as it made the terms of the bonds more appealing, including promising a conversion into shares in case of trouble. GREATER CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS After the takeover of Credit Suisse, "our larger balance sheet and greater market share in Switzerland will increase the banks capital requirements, UBS told shareholders in the invitation to the annual general meeting. "Following the writedown of Credit Suisses AT1 instruments in March 2023," AT1 investors expect "the possibility of a conversion rather than a pure write-down, a format used by many peers in the industry," UBS said, adding this should be applied to future AT1 sales, too. UBS plans to sell subordinated debt for up to $2 billion this year, analysts at CreditSights have said. UBS said converting a share of the AT1s sold to investors could, in total, see the bank create new shares representing about 20% of the existing share capital. The Norwegian fund owned 4.64% of UBS at end of December, according to its website, making it the second-biggest investor after BlackRock. The fund publishes its voting intention five days before annual meetings. It did not explain its rationale for supporting UBS' vote. AT1 bonds are the riskiest type of bond a bank can issue and carry a higher interest. In Switzerland, FINMA requires globally systemic banks to retain a certain portion of AT1s. In November, UBS issued $3.5 billion of new AT1s, receiving strong orders as it offered a 9.25% interest. Story continues The equity conversion mechanism is "clearly aimed at reassuring investors," said Simon Adamson, head of financials at CreditSights in London. UBS said it would seek shareholder approval for the conversion to equities if its capital levels fell below a certain level or if a "viability event", such as receiving extraordinary government support, occurs. Proxy-adviser ISS has also recommended investors to vote in favor of UBS capital plans. ERMOTTI'S PAY PACKAGE The fund said it also supported a remuneration package which includes UBS Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti's pay. His salary for 2023, which made him the best-paid European bank CEO, triggered criticism in Switzerland. In the past, Nicolai Tangen, CEO of the Norges Bank Investment Management which operates the fund, has called out excessive pay, highlighting executives' compensation in the United States. In a note to investors in April, proxy adviser Glass Lewis said the bank's remuneration policies are "supportable" given the increased responsibilities for Ermotti that come with the takeover of Credit Suisse. However, it also said that "we are troubled by the magnitude" of the variable pay in relation to European peers, and "shareholders should expect a compelling rationale in support of the increase." ISS is also in favor of the UBS remuneration package. (Reporting by Stefania Spezzati in London; additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes and Bernadette Baum) (Bloomberg) -- UBS Group AG plans to open an office in Menlo Park, California, and hired Sean Lynch from Barclays Plc to bolster its business advising technology companies ahead of a predicted revival in dealmaking and initial public offerings. Most Read from Bloomberg The Swiss bank will open the premises on Sand Hill Road a hub for venture capital firms in the coming months, according to a person familiar with the matter. Some staff currently working out of UBSs San Francisco offices will be moved to the new location, another person said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. UBS has hired Barclays Lynch, who covers companies including Uber Technologies Inc. and Tesla Inc., amid the efforts to expand, the people said. Menlo Park-based Lynch worked at Barclays since 2013, Finra records show. Earlier in his career, he worked in leveraged finance and advised on the issuance of about $1.7 billion in convertible notes for Uber last year. A representative for Barclays declined to comment. A representative for UBS didnt immediately respond to requests for comment and Lynch didnt respond to a request for comment. Banks are preparing for a rebound in deals following a prolonged slump that prompted many to shed thousands of jobs. Rival firms, including Morgan Stanley, have used a Silicon Valley presence to court tech companies. JPMorgan has opened a Palo Alto campus. UBSs rescue of rival Credit Suisse Group AG last year also spurned a considerable amount of talent reshuffling across investment banking. A slew of Barclays bankers have joined UBS since the lender named Marco Valla co-head of global banking last year. The hires include Laurence Braham, who is the firms global co-head of technology investment banking, Richard Casavechia, who is UBSs head of global banking in the Americas and Richard Hardegree, a vice chairman within technology investment banking. (Updates with detail on Menlo Park office, company comment from first paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Revenue: Reported at $83.9 million, a 14.3% decrease year-over-year and fell short of estimates of $84.83 million. Net Income: Achieved $2.6 million, significantly below the estimated $4.9 million and down from $11.2 million year-over-year. Earnings Per Share (EPS): Recorded at $0.06, surpassing the estimated $0.11 per share. Gross Margin: Increased to 53.8% of revenue, improving from 47.6% in the same period last year. Operating Expenses: Rose to $44.0 million due to higher legal expenses, up from $36.1 million year-over-year. Cash Flow from Operations: Totaled $2.7 million, a sharp decline from $10.1 million in the corresponding period last year. Backlog: Decreased to $150.3 million, down 44.6% from $271.3 million year-over-year. Vicor Corp (NASDAQ:VICR), a prominent player in the modular power components and complete power systems market, released its 8-K filing on April 23, 2024, detailing its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. The company, known for its innovative power solutions, reported a significant decrease in revenue and net income compared to the same period last year, alongside a drop in cash flow from operations. Vicor Corp (VICR) Q1 Earnings: Misses Revenue Estimates and Faces Declining Net Income Vicor Corp, headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, specializes in manufacturing and marketing modular power components and complete power systems crucial for converting electrical power. The company's product lineup includes Converters, Power Systems, Filters, and Custom Power Systems, primarily serving markets in the Asia Pacific which contribute significantly to its revenue. Financial Performance Overview For Q1 2024, Vicor reported revenues of $83.9 million, a 14.3% decrease from $97.8 million in Q1 2023, and below the analyst estimate of $84.83 million. The gross margin as a percentage of revenue saw an improvement, rising to 53.8% from 47.6% in the previous year, indicating better profitability per unit of sales. However, net income significantly declined to $2.6 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, from $11.2 million, or $0.25 per diluted share in Q1 2023, falling short of the estimated $0.11 earnings per share. Operating expenses surged to $44.0 million, up from $36.1 million in the prior year, driven primarily by increased legal expenses. This rise in expenses, coupled with the revenue shortfall, squeezed the income from operations to just $1.085 million, a stark decrease from $10.442 million in Q1 2023. Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Insights The balance sheet remains robust with cash and cash equivalents totaling approximately $239.2 million as of March 31, 2024, though slightly down from $242.2 million at the end of 2023. Total assets increased to $605.1 million from $594.9 million at the end of the previous quarter. However, cash flow from operations saw a significant reduction, totaling just $2.7 million, compared to $10.1 million in the corresponding period last year. Story continues Strategic Initiatives and Market Positioning Despite the financial setbacks, CEO Dr. Patrizio Vinciarelli highlighted strategic initiatives aimed at securing Vicor's future growth. The company is focusing on asserting its intellectual property and licensing patented power system technology, which is expected to complement future revenues, particularly from its 5G product line and ChiP foundry. These efforts are poised to position Vicor advantageously in markets demanding higher current and power density. As we confront challenges and pursue opportunities, 2024 will be seen as the year in which our product strategy, selective licensing of Intellectual Property and clarity of purpose secured Vicors future growth and profitability. We are pleased with our execution of this comprehensive vision, said Dr. Vinciarelli. Overall, while Vicor faces immediate financial challenges, its strategic focus on intellectual property and market-leading technologies may pave the way for recovery and growth in the evolving power systems landscape. For more detailed information and to participate in the upcoming investor conference call, please visit Vicor's Investor Relations page. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Vicor Corp for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's top tech firm FPT plans to build a $200 million artificial intelligence (AI) factory using Nvidia's graphics chips and software, the two firms said on Tuesday. FPT plans to use Nvidia's support to boost AI research in Vietnam with the aim of developing AI applications and solutions at the planned data centre factory, including for generative AI and autonomous driving, the firms said in a joint statement. "According to the plan, FPT will establish factories in Vietnam and other potential markets including Japan and South Korea," FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh told reporters. "FPT is working to achieve its vision to turn Vietnam into an AI hub through collaboration with Nvidia in technology, business development and training," he added. The two firms also signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership". Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang had said last December that the company wanted to expand its partnerships with Vietnam's top tech firms and support the country in training talent for developing AI and digital infrastructure. "We are working with many different operating units within FPT ... we have agreements and strategies for each one of those," Keith Strier, Vice President of Worldwide AI Initiatives at Nvidia, said at an event in Hanoi marking the deal. The U.S. chipmaker has invested over $250 million in Vietnam. It was not immediately clear whether the new partnership would increase its investment in the country. FPT is the most valuable technology company on Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City bourse, with a market capitalization of $5.5 billion. It offers a variety of AI, cloud and big data services, and last year its total revenues exceeded $2 billion. ($1 = 25,450 dong) (Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by John Mair) Drop the sports metaphors. One thing we should know more than two years after Russia invaded Ukraine is that the entrenched war is not likely to end like a baseball or basketball game, with one winner and one loser. Nor is a tie likely, with each side getting credit for half a win and heading home. Instead, theres a matrix of possible outcomes and an unpredictable timetable that will probably frustrate anybody hoping for a decisive ending. All of this should temper expectations now that the United States is finally providing another tranche of aid Ukraine desperately needs to keep Russia from overrunning its territory. But it also underscores that US aid to Ukraine is money well spent and theres likely to be a need for more. It took six torturous months, but on April 20 Republicans who control the House of Representatives finally overcame an obstructionist rebellion to pass $61 billion in additional aid for Ukraine, with bipartisan support. With that hurdle cleared, the Senate quickly passed the bill, and President Biden signed it. US and Ukrainian officials stress the urgency of rushing artillery shells, armor, air defense missiles, and other weaponry to outgunned Ukrainian troops who have been losing ground to Russian forces this year. Theres a good chance the inflow of weapons will soon allow Ukraine to stop Russian advances and stabilize the front lines. But the six-month funding impasse has also highlighted deep flaws in Washingtons approach to containing Russia and better ways to proceed in the future. Here are six important lessons we've learned more than two years into the war. The US goal isnt necessarily a Ukrainian victory. Critics of ongoing US aid argue that no amount of assistance short of direct NATO intervention will oust Russian troops from the 20% of Ukraine they already control. So why bother? Ukraines ardent backers say the right set of potent Western weapons could allow Ukraine to wreck Russias battlefield supply chains and end the whole military campaign. Whats missing from both arguments is a clear statement of the overarching US interest in checking Russian power. Frederick Kagan of the Institute for the Study of War argued recently that if the United States and Europe dont stop Russia in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin will push his forces into western Ukraine and then threaten Baltic nations and other eastern European countries that are members of the NATO military alliance. Putin has made clear that he wants to reassemble elements of the old Soviet Union and, before that, imperialist Russia. Thats why he invaded Ukraine in the first place. Some Americans may wonder why they should care about the fate of Eastern European nations such as Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania, or Hungary. In the most crass terms, they should care because a territory-grabbing dictator such as Putin wont stop until somebody forces him to. The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 hit Americans directly by sending oil prices soaring to $120 per barrel and US gasoline to $5 per gallon. The further Putin goes or tries to go, the more it will cost to stop him, and the price at some point would include US troops as well as multiples of the money we're spending now. Stopping Putin sooner will be far cheaper than stopping him later. It's still possible Ukraine could eject Russian forces from its territory, over time. But an indefinite stalemate, while bitter for Ukraine to stomach, would still benefit the United States by draining Putin's military, political, and economic power into a quagmire that prevents him from marauding deeper into Europe. Activists supporting Ukraine demonstrate outside the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, April 20, 2024, as the House prepares to vote on approval of $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other US allies. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Biden should update his rationale for supporting Ukraine. Bidens catchphrase on Ukraine has been to stand for liberty and freedom for as long as it takes. Eh. That felt OK during the early stages of the war when Ukraines gutsy blunting of the Russian invasion inspired a surge of Western solidarity. But petty American politics have now proven Biden wrong. Putin has been strangling liberty and freedom for the last six months while American legislators have been bickering. Its clearly possible Putins resolve could outlast Western support for Ukraine, exactly as Putin intends. Drop Rick Newman a note, follow him on Twitter, or sign up for his newsletter. Instead of characterizing it as "the right thing to do," Biden could spell out more clearly and coldly why its worth sending US weapons rather than US troops to the biggest conflagration in Europe since World War II. Remind people that Putin has tried to use energy as a weapon and is likely to do it again. Maybe point out that the United States tried to sit out the last two world wars and ended up with 520,000 dead. Money is cheap compared with lives. Miracle breakthroughs are unlikely. The much-hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive fizzled in 2023 for a number of reasons. A big one is that the United States and Europe drip-fed Ukraine advanced weapons, allowing Russia months to build stout defenses that turned out to be very effective. Even now, Ukraine fights without the sort of airpower thats a staple of NATO military doctrine. Inflated expectations contributed to a sense that Ukraine failed in 2023, which is not what happened at all. Ukraine inflicted massive damage on the Russian army. It sank several Russian ships and effectively drove back Russias Black Sea fleet without a single warship of its own. Ukraine has pioneered attack-drone technology that many other nations are rushing to adopt. Reasonable expectations are crucial now. The fragility of Western support may even demand that the United States and its allies begin to send Ukraine the advanced weapons that could turn the tide quickly. But it is better to keep the public focused on containing Russia and consistently degrading its warmaking capability. Helping Ukraine improves the US arsenal. Most of the weaponry the United States is sending Ukraine is older materiel the Pentagon is essentially clearing out, enabling it to upgrade its own stockpiles. These equipment transfers to Ukraine have not only allowed the US to cripple the Russian military at the cost of three percent of our defense budget, Mackenzie Eaglen of the American Enterprise Institute wrote on April 22, but they have also provided an opportunity for the Pentagon to modernize the Armys aging arsenal. No Republican opposing Ukraine aid can claim to be a defense hawk. America first is a canard. Some Republicans object to aid for Ukraine while problems at home go unaddressed, including a dilapidated immigration system allowing record migrant crossings at the southwest border. But everybody in Washington knows the government can do many things at once, and theres no either-or trade-off. Congress could pass immigration fixes at any time and simply chooses not to for reasons having nothing to do with Ukraine. More aid is going to be needed. In an April 23 research note, Tobin Marcus of Wolfe Research explained that looking ahead to 2025, the trajectory of the conflict depends on the continued availability of US aid. That makes this years US presidential election a matter of existential importance for Ukraine. If Biden wins reelection, more aid is likely, and it might be easier to get through Congress than the latest batch. If Biden wins, theres a good chance Democrats will take control of the House, neutering the veto power of the right-wing cabal that held up Ukraine aid for the last six months. Republicans could gain control of the Senate, but support for Ukraine there is bipartisan, without the blocking mechanism that has plagued the House. If former President Donald Trump wins, that could be the end of American aid for Ukraine. Trump has said, with his usual hyperbole, that hell end the war in a day, which can only mean hed agree to some sort of capitulation to Putin. Ukraine would probably fight on with European aid and whatever else it could muster, but a Trump win in the United States could be Putins best chance in Ukraine. Even so, whatever damage Ukraine does to Russian forces for the rest of 2024 will delay and blunt the impact of anything Putin may have planned for afterward. Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @rickjnewman. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Investing in the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) has been a wild ride over the past year or so. However, over the past few weeks, investors have had that sinking feeling as many of the stocks in the space lost altitude. The combination of a rapid rise in stock prices and uncertainty heading into earnings season led to the downfall, though many believe the decline to be temporary. Market watchers have been looking for any sign that the downward pressure could be easing and may have found a reason to be optimistic today. With that as a backdrop, data mining and analytics provider BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI) soared 9.3%, AI server specialist Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) surged 6.3%, chipmaker Arm Holdings (NASDAQ: ARM) jumped 3%, AI solutions provider C3.ai (NYSE: AI) climbed 3.3%, and Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) gained 2.9%, as of 12:56 p.m. ET on Tuesday. A check of all the usual suspects -- regulatory filings, financial reports, and changes to analysts' price targets -- turned up nothing in the way of company-specific news driving any of these AI stocks higher. This suggests that many investors focused on developments for one of the biggest names in AI, chipmaker Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Image source: Getty Images. A sign of continuing demand FPT, a top technology firm in Vietnam, announced a comprehensive strategic partnership with Nvidia, according to a press release that dropped Tuesday morning. The goal of the collaboration is to offer its customers a "one-stop shop for AI and cloud" and will include "AI products, [graphics processing unit] infrastructure, tech experts, and domain expertise" for its customers in Vietnam and throughout the region. The centerpiece of this plan is to invest $200 million to build an AI factory and cloud facility, which will feature Nvidia's latest AI technology, including its H100 Tensor Core GPUs and enterprise software and frameworks. FPT plans to prioritize three key industry verticals: automotive, manufacturing, and banking, financial services, and insurance, providing "end-to-end generative AI services." While this might seem like a small development in the grand scheme of things, it does provide evidence that the demand for AI continues to spread. Furthermore, as FPT's customers begin to adopt AI, this will open up additional opportunities for Nvidia to sell its products and services. Nvidia announced late last year that it planned to expand its presence in Vietnam. A tenuous connection While this is arguably good news for Nvidia, what does this have to do with our quintet of AI stocks? The broader and continuing adoption of AI is good news for all the stocks in the space. While there are more concrete benefits for some, others are more tenuous. Story continues Super Micro Computer makes premium AI-enabled servers that are both energy-efficient and highly customizable. Nvidia is one of the key suppliers of AI processors to Supermicro. Arm Holdings licenses some of the architecture and designs included in Nvidia's high-end AI chips. The company gets royalties and license revenue from the sale of Nvidia's AI-powered processors. Micron Technology provides memory and storage solutions that are also integral parts of Nvidia's gold-standard AI chips. It benefits directly from increasing demand for the processors. C3.ai offers turnkey AI solutions designed to help enterprises adopt AI and get AI-fueled applications up and running quickly. BigBear.ai provides decision intelligence solutions that could experience increased demand driven by the willingness of enterprises to adopt AI. It's important to remember that not all companies in the AI space are created equal. This factor will become even more important as time goes on, as investors will demand that they live up to the promise of AI by generating revenue and profits. Of the five, BigBear.ai and C3.ai aren't currently profitable. Then, there's the matter of valuation. Arm Holdings is the most expensive of the three at 20 times forward sales, while Micron and Supermicro are currently selling for 3 times and 2 times forward sales, respectively. For my money, Supermicro is the least risky of the stocks listed here. Not only does it have the most attractive valuation among the companies that generate a profit, but it also generated blockbuster financial results fueled by the surge in demand for AI. That said, I believe Arm Holdings and Micron Technology both represent compelling opportunities, while C3.ai and BigBear.ai have yet to live up to their potential. Should you invest $1,000 in Super Micro Computer right now? Before you buy stock in Super Micro Computer, 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 Super Micro Computer 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 $487,211!* 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 22, 2024 Danny Vena has positions in Nvidia and Super Micro Computer. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends C3.ai. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why BigBear.ai, Super Micro Computer, Arm Holdings, and Other Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Surged on Tuesday was originally published by The Motley Fool Mexican low-cost airline Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (NYSE: VLRS), commonly known as Volaris, reported an unexpected first-quarter profit. Investors reacted by initially sending Volaris shares up by as much as 19% before the stock settled at up 4% as of 2 p.m. ET. Unexpected strength Volaris connects 44 cities in Mexico and 29 in the U.S., Central America, and South America via more than 450 daily flights. Like most of the airline industry, the company was hit hard by the pandemic, but it has been slowly making its way back thanks to strong leisure demand. The airline earned $0.03 per share in the first quarter on revenue of $768 million, significantly ahead of Wall Street's forecast for a $0.14 per share loss on sales of $694.6 million. The company enjoyed strong pricing power, growing revenue by 5% year over year despite a 13% decrease in capacity. Operating expenses also fell by 13%, helping Volaris to post a 4.3% net income margin. "We are pleased with our business performance as our Volaris team delivered strong first quarter 2024 results," CEO Enrique Beltranena said in a statement. "Over the last six months, our primary focus has been directing operations to enhance our customer service and continuing our emphasis on obsessive cost control." Is Volaris a buy after its strong first-quarter result? The first three months of the year are typically the slow season for a leisure-focused airline. This was Volaris' first first-quarter profit since before the pandemic, and the airline sees continued strong demand up ahead. Investors should be aware that there are a lot of risks here. A slowdown in the U.S. economy will likely hit international tourism particularly hard, and Volaris has currency risk to go along with all the typical risks associated with the airline business. The company also has a lot of debt, though it did reduce its leverage to 3.1 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), down from 3.8 times EBITDA a year ago. But for now, Volaris' business model is working, and the stock still trades below its pre-pandemic levels. Should the economy continue to hold up, Volaris shares can gain altitude from here. Should you invest $1,000 in Controladora Vuela Compania De AviacionB. De C.v. right now? Before you buy stock in Controladora Vuela Compania De AviacionB. De C.v., 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 Controladora Vuela Compania De AviacionB. De C.v. wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Story continues Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $487,211!* 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 22, 2024 Lou Whiteman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Volaris Stock Is Flying High Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Credit - Getty Images This year, TIME launched its inaugural list of the World's Top EdTech Companies of 2024, in partnership with Statista, a leading international provider of market and consumer data and rankings. The result of this quantitative study: 250 companies changing the field of educational technology. Here's how the winners were selected. Methodology The research project "World's Top EdTech Companies 2024" is a comprehensive analysis conducted to identify the top performing EdTech companies in the United States. First, companies had to primarily focus on developing and providing educational technologies, products or services. Companies are awarded in one top-list as well as in eleven categories. The 250 companies with the highest score were awarded as "World's Top EdTech Companies 2024" The ranking is built on two pillars: financial strength and industry impact. Statista gathered and scrutinized data from over 7,000 companies through desk research, online application forms and collaborations with other data and market intelligence companies. A company received scores in each of these dimensions, which were then combined into an overall score. For the first dimension, financial strength, Statista analyzed revenue, employee, and funding data, obtained from publicly available sources like annual reports, company websites, through media monitoring, and via databases. Additionally, company disclosures submitted via an online application form, which was freely accessible via the TIME website, were considered. For the evaluation of the industry impact, Statista worked with HolonIQ and LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions to assess companies in different impact dimensions, encompassing factors such as: quality and impact of their product/service portfolio quantity and value of a companys IP (intellectual property) portfolio. In addition, Statista researched metrics such as web traffic and user numbers, to assess the relevance of the products and services to the respective target groups. The evaluation process involved assessing all relevant companies within the global EdTech sector that exhibited above-average performance on financial metrics in their geographical region. Subsequently, the selection was narrowed down to include only those companies that not only excelled financially but also demonstrated significant industry impact within their specific categories. This selection process allowed us to establish our final ranking of the World's Top EdTech Companies 2024. Once the data was collected and evaluated, it was consolidated and weighted within a scoring model. The final score was calculated as follows: 70% x financial strength score + 30% x impact score. The companies with the highest score were awarded as "World's Top EdTech Companies 2024" by TIME and Statista. Alongside the list of 250 top EdTech companies, Statista and TIME are also publishing a Rising Stars" ranking, highlighting the companies with the highest revenue growth rates over the past three years out of those who submitted company data via the online application process. Applied criteria: company age 10 years and younger minimum revenue of 1 million US dollars in 2021 revenue growth rate of more than 20 % over the last three years Read the full list here. Disclaimer: The selection of the companies and the definition of the evaluation criteria were based on independent journalistic criteria of TIME and Statista. The evaluation was carried out by the statistics and market research company Statista. TIME and Statista make no claim to the completeness of the companies examined. The ranking only includes companies that qualify according to the criteria described in this document. A position in the ranking is a recognition based on research of publicly available data sources at the time and information received via an application process and through collaboration partners. In addition, events after March 1, 2024, were not considered in the analysis. As such, the results of this list should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations. The information provided through this ranking should rather be considered in conjunction with other available information about a company. The quality of companies that are not included in the ranking is not disputed. Contact us at letters@time.com. About 23,000 Minnesota households could be in line for a substantial cut to their Xcel Energy electric bills. The company this week proposed a two-year test of automatic bill credits for Minnesota customers in certain low-income areas that would average to more than $450 a year. Xcel said it wants this program to be as simple as possible, so there are no income limits for these bill credits, and people do not have to enroll: Xcel plans to automatically give the credits to everyone in certain census areas. An Xcel advisory group focused on equity helped to develop the plan as a way to reduce the impact of energy bills on customers who are low-income and/or Black, Indigenous or people of color. An Xcel filing with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) said the program would "deliver much-needed support to economically struggling households in some of the poorest areas of [Xcel's] service territory." "We are particularly proud of this work, as we developed it with our community," said Bria Shea, Xcel's regional vice president of regulatory policy. Members of that equity advisory group, convened at the direction of the PUC, said state and federal energy subsidies that already exist are important but only reach a small portion of people who are eligible. That's partly because the government programs can be burdensome to enroll in or people can feel shame having to sign up for financial help. "We're requiring people to give quite a lot of information in order to get assistance, and what we understand from [the equity advisory group] is that, for at least some potential recipients, that's enough to make them not want to apply," said Nick Martin, director of strategic outreach and advocacy for Xcel in Minnesota. Xcel is targeting people based on the concept of "energy burden," which is the share of household income spent on heating and electricity. Specifically, the pilot aims to help people with an electric energy burden higher than 4% of their yearly income. The company relied on U.S. census data to identify 77 eligible areas across its service territory. Because Xcel isn't collecting income information, it would use median income metrics to calculate the bill credits. The size of those credits will differ by census block. Xcel declined to share the exact census areas that qualify. Martin said for now, the company wanted to keep discussion on the pilot project focused on the merits of the idea, rather than on exactly what homes will and won't receive the credit. But Martin said the bill credits will flow around Xcel's service territory, including the core metro area and parts of greater Minnesota. Story continues Xcel illustrated its metrics with a hypothetical house in a north Minneapolis census block where median household income is $12,488 and median electric bills are $1,200 per year. To slash that bill to 4% of income, the bill credit would work out to $701 per year. Every household in the group of 1,533 people would receive that bill credit, even if their household income was higher or lower than the median. Xcel said there will be people who receive a bill credit in those census areas who don't have a high energy burden, and people with high energy burdens outside of the chosen census areas that won't qualify for a credit. But the company said to avoid that, it would need to solicit income data through enrollment requirements, which could also deter some participants. The pilot will allow people to decline the bill credit if they want. There were several reasons the equity group was OK with "over-inclusion" in the program, Martin said. One, it's likely a small problem, he said, and making a "community-level investment" has benefits of its own. Martin said the group felt that many people who don't hit the 4% energy burden threshold will still benefit from help on their energy bills. "They could still be very needy families," Martin said. "Those aren't the kind of people we should be trying to prevent from getting a credit if that could help them with other needs or help them from falling into poverty." If the PUC approves the pilot program, it would cost Xcel about $10.8 million over two years. Xcel asked to take that money from U.S. Department of Energy settlement payments because the federal government isn't storing nuclear waste as promised. The pilot comes shortly after Xcel dropped its court fight to raise a key profit measure the PUC limited during Xcel's most recent electric rate case. That will ultimately keep bills lower. The PUC approved a 9.6%, $306 million rate increase over three years that fell short of what Xcel wanted. The company also asked the PUC last year for a 9.6% rate increase for its natural gas service in 2024, and regulators approved an interim rate hike of 8.5% while the issue is under debate. Yieldmo Former TripleLift Executive Joins Yieldmo as the Company Bolsters its Strategic Growth Plan Yieldmo hires Lindsey DiGiorgio as Chief Marketing Officer Lindsey DiGiorgio, Chief Marketing Officer, Yieldmo NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yieldmo, a leading advertising platform helping brands improve digital ad experiences through creative tech and AI, today announced the appointment of Lindsey DiGiorgio as Chief Marketing Officer. With over 15 years of experience at some of the leading companies in the industry, Lindsey will be responsible for accelerating Yieldmos go-to-market strategy through its suite of differentiated, data-driven solutions. "Lindseys experience at the intersection of technology and advertising, as well as her leadership skills, make her the perfect fit to lead our marketing efforts as we continue to innovate and expand," said Michael Yavonditte, CEO of Yieldmo. "She is a great addition to the team, and we look forward to seeing the results of her marketing vision. Lindsey joins Yieldmo from TripleLift, where she served as the Senior Vice President of Global Product Marketing. At TripleLift, Lindsey oversaw the Product Marketing, Field Marketing, and Research departments, leading efforts to drive commercialization strategy between Revenue, Product, and Marketing. Prior to her time at TripleLift, Lindsey held leadership roles at iSpot.tv, NinthDecimal (now InMarket), and Neustar. She holds an MBA in International Marketing and Brand Management from Lund University in Sweden and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Business from the University of Vermont. "Im so impressed by the talent and industry expertise of the current leadership team at Yieldmo," said Lindsey DiGiorgio. I look forward to bringing my unique voice to the table to drive impactful go-to-market strategies that will advance the companys growth and market penetration." Lindsey's appointment comes at a time of rapid growth and expansion for Yieldmo, as the company continues to solidify its position as a unified solution for the future of advertising. About Yieldmo Yieldmo is an advertising platform that helps brands improve digital ad experiences through creative tech and AI, using bespoke ad formats, proprietary attention signals, predictive format selection, and privacy-safe inventory curation. Yieldmo believes all ads should captivate users and be tailored to their liking. We help brands deliver the best ad for every impression opportunity. Thanks to our advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), our proprietary measurement technology, and our close relationships with publishers, this vision is increasingly attainable. Discover more at www.yieldmo.com . Story continues Media Contact: Haley Beney haley@broadsheetcomms.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/14c129c7-dc10-429e-8fdf-d474380e319b AI-powered mammography services will help detect breast cancer cases among women living in underprivileged communities across Costa Rica ABU DHABI, UAE, April 23, 2024 /CNW/ -- Beyond2020, the flagship initiative launched by the Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE's pioneering award for sustainability and humanitarianism, today announced the deployment of AI-powered mammography services across Costa Rica to support the early detection and treatment of breast cancer for women living in underprivileged communities. A technician prepares the mammography machine provided by Mamotest, equipped with an AI-based platform, for precise and efficient breast cancer screenings in the mobile unit. (PRNewsfoto/Zayed Sustainability Prize) The initiative will significantly enhance access to high quality healthcare for women in the region. 8,000 tests will be conducted annually using the AI-based mammography services, which have been deployed in Juan Pablo II Medical Centre in Cartago, with plans to deploy the services in additional health facilities in the future. A cutting-edge mobile unit has also been deployed, reaching underserved areas across Costa Rica where access to healthcare may be limited. The mobile unit is owned and operated by CENRAD, which has reached 840 women across 13 locations since January. The Beyond2020 deployment in Costa Rica was carried out by the 2022 Zayed Sustainability Prize winner Mamotest, an Argentina-based health-tech SME and Latin America's first tele-mammography network, which has provided low-cost healthcare to more than 750,000 patients and promoted awareness for millions in the region. H.E. Rawdha Alotaiba, Ambassador, UAE Embassy in Costa Rica, said: "Further strengthening the bilateral relations between UAE and Costa Rica, Beyond2020 and its partners are pleased to introduce a project that will enhance the prosperity and wellbeing of 8,000 women annually in Costa Rica, particularly women in remote and underprivileged communities. As we extend the UAE's humanitarian efforts worldwide, we are dedicated to carrying forward Sheikh Zayed's humanitarian legacy while supporting collective action to improve lives." Cindy Quesada Hernandez, Ministry of the Status of Women (MSW), Costa Rica, stated: "Promoting a preventive culture and self-care contributes to women in Costa Rica leading healthier lives. Consequently, we express our sincerest gratitude to Beyond2020 and its valuable partners for their significant contribution to the progress of this goal. Their commitment to sustainability and humanitarian aid has changed the lives of the communities they serve, laying the foundation for a more just society for all." In 2022, Costa Rica reported 1,344 new breast cancer cases and 423 breast cancer deaths. Studies find that women from disadvantaged communities have lower rates of breast cancer detection, treatment, and survival compared to women from more affluent areas. By extending Mamotest's services to rural areas in Costa Rica with limited resources, Beyond2020 is helping to advance health equity and improve access to quality care for thousands of women. Mamotest is the result of Guillermo Pepe's vision, who always heard first-hand of the huge difference early breast cancer detection could make in saving lives from his father, a doctor specialised in breast imaging diagnosis. Story continues "We strive to overcome hurdles with innovation, perseverance, and a deep sense of purpose, ensuring that every woman receives the timely and accurate care she deserves. Our platform ensures 100 percent traceability of patients and provides continuous follow-up until they receive treatment. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Mamotest detects anomalies often overlooked by human observation, significantly improving early-stage detection," shared Pepe. After winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2022, Mamotest expanded operations of its state-of-the-art diagnostic centres beyond Argentina to Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and Spain. Now, they work with existing labs to provide high-quality mammograms at low cost, enabling women to overcome geographical, technological, and economic barriers to access healthcare. The data-driven, end-to-end solution has increased breast cancer survival rates, with improved access to both treatment and medicine. Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said: "Accessible and affordable mammograms have the potential to significantly enhance women's quality of life. Beyond2020 and its partners are glad to play a part in making Costa Rica more responsive to the health needs of its citizens, particularly women. The deployment also builds community awareness on the power of preventative healthcare to empower individuals, promote early detection, and ultimately save lives, fostering a healthier and more resilient society." Beyond2020 brings together a leading number of partners, which include Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, BNP Paribas, Mubadala Energy and Masdar. As part of Beyond2020's impact to date, a total of 18 deployments have been rolled out, including energy, health, water and food-related solutions, transforming the lives of over 229,800 people in the following countries: Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Jordan, Egypt, Cambodia, Madagascar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, The Philippines, Rwanda, Peru, Lebanon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Costa Rica. India and Colombia have been identified as deployment grounds for future initiatives. About the Zayed Sustainability Prize The Zayed Sustainability Prize is a tribute to the legacy of the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The Prize aims to drive sustainable development and humanitarian action by recognising and rewarding organisations and high schools that are delivering innovative sustainable solutions across the categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools. For 16 years, through its 117 winners, the Prize has positively impacted the lives of 384 million people around the world. About Beyond2020 Beyond2020 provides critical, life-changing solutions beneficiaries worldwide, leveraging technology for good and fostering inclusive and sustainable development. Beyond2020's impact to date includes 18 deployments that have transformed the lives of over 229,800 people in Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Jordan, Egypt, Cambodia, Madagascar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, The Philippines, Rwanda, Peru, Lebanon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Costa Rica. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2394774/Zayed_Sustainability_Prize.jpg Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zayed-sustainability-prizes-beyond2020-initiative-deploys-life-saving-digital-mammograms-in-costa-rica-302124466.html SOURCE Zayed Sustainability Prize Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2024/23/c6144.html If youre interested in opening a new personal checking account, it could pay to choose one offering a sign-up bonus. This is a one-time cash bonus that some banks and credit unions may offer as an incentive to attract new customers. Although a cash bonus isnt the only factor you should consider when choosing a checking account, it can certainly sweeten the deal. Our team compared more than 20 of the top checking accounts offered by member-FDIC financial institutions and narrowed down the best ones currently offering new account bonuses. (Click here for the full methodology). Related: See our picks for the 10 best free checking accounts available today >> Interest rates, fees, and requirements are accurate as of the publish date. Please verify account details directly with the financial institution. SoFi Online Checking Account Checking account bonus amount: Up to $300 Checking account details: Minimum opening deposit: $0 Monthly fee: $0 APY: 0.50% The Online Bank Account from SoFi is a combination checking and high-yield savings account. Account holders can earn up to 4.50% APY when they meet certain requirements. This account has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. It also covers up to $50 in overdraft fees for account holders with direct deposit and a balance of at least $1,000. SoFi currently offers a new account bonus of up to $300. In order to qualify for the bonus, account holders must make at least one direct deposit of $1,000 or greater from an enrolled members employer, payroll, benefits provider, or government agency via ACH deposit. Deposits of $1,000 to $4,999.99 are eligible for a $50 cash bonus, while deposits of $5,000 or more are eligible for a $300 cash bonus. This bonus is available through 12/31/24. Read our full review of SoFi Citi Access Checking Account Checking account bonus amount: $400 Checking account details: Minimum opening deposit: $0 Monthly fee: $5 or $0 APY: Does not earn interest Citis Access Checking Account charges a $5 monthly service fee that can be waived by meeting certain requirements. There are no overdraft fees, and customers can access a network of more than 65,000 fee-free ATMs. Currently, this checking account offers a $400 bonus for customers who open a new eligible Citi Checking account and deposit a minimum of $10,000 within 45 calendar days. Once youve opened your account, you must maintain a balance of at least $10,000 for an additional 45 days from the 46th day. Your bonus will be deposited as a credit to your account within 30 calendar days after you have completed all required activities. This offer is available now through October 8, 2024. Citi Regular Checking Account Checking account bonus amount: $400 Checking account details: Minimum opening deposit: $0 Monthly fee: $15 or $0 APY: Does not earn interest Citis Regular Checking Account is a basic checking account option that still offers the $400 cash bonus listed above, with the same eligibility requirements. This account does come with a higher monthly fee, but that fee can be waived if the account holder meets certain criteria. Chase Secure Banking Account Checking account bonus amount: $100 Checking account details: Minimum opening deposit: $0 Monthly fee: $4.95 or $0 APY: Does not earn interest The Chase Secure Banking Account boasts no overdraft fees, early direct deposit, and a $100 checking account bonus for new customers. To qualify for this cash bonus, you must either open a new Chase Secure Banking account online, or enter your email address to get a coupon and open your account in person at a Chase branch. Next, you must complete 10 qualifying transactions within 60 days of opening your account. These transactions include debit card purchases, Zelle payments, ACH credits. After completing these steps, you can expect to see your bonus deposited into your account within 15 days. This offer expires October 16, 2024. Note that this account comes with a $4.95 monthly service fee, which can be avoided with qualifying electronic deposits totaling $250 or more per statement period. Bank of America SafeBalance Checking Account Checking account bonus amount: $200 Checking account details: Minimum opening deposit: $25 Monthly fee: $4.95 or $0 APY: Does not earn interest Bank of Americas SafeBalance account is a simple checking account with a waivable $4.95 monthly fee, no overdraft fees, fraud monitoring and protection, and money management tools. If you open an account online, you can qualify for a $200 bonus. To be eligible for this bonus, you must open a new account online and use the offer code TWA200CIS by January 31, 2025. Next, youll need to set up and receive qualifying direct deposits totaling $2,000 or more within 90 days of opening your account. You can expect to see your bonus deposited into your account within 60 days of satisfying all of these requirements. TD Beyond Checking Account Checking account bonus amount: $300 Checking account details: Minimum opening deposit: $0 Monthly fee: $25 or $0 APY: Dependent on the account holder's location TDs Beyond Checking account gives account holders a bit more than a traditional checking account. Monthly fees and ATM fees can be waived if account holders meet certain minimum balance requirements. This account also offers early direct deposit, out-of-network ATM fee reimbursement, overdraft relief, and a limited-time cash bonus. If you open a new TD Beyond Checking account and have $2,500 or more in direct deposits within 60 calendar days of the account opening date, you can qualify for a $300 bonus. This offer ends October 31, 2024. TD Complete Checking Account Checking account bonus amount: $200 Checking account details: Minimum opening deposit: $0 Monthly fee: $15 or $0 APY: Dependent on the account holder's location TDs Complete Checking account is a scaled-down version of the Beyond checking account. Monthly fees and ATM fees can be waived if account holders meet certain requirements. To earn a bonus with this account, you must have $500 or more in direct deposits within 60 calendar days of the account opening date. If requirements are met, you'll qualify for a $200 bonus. This offer ends October 31, 2024. How do bank account bonuses work? New bank account offers like bonuses are cash incentives for new customers who open bank accounts. In most cases, a bank will require that you meet certain requirements to qualify for a bonus. These requirements vary from bank to bank but may involve a minimum amount in direct deposits within a certain period, minimum balance requirements, an account that remains in good standing throughout the promotional period, or signing up for other products in addition to your primary bank account. Once youve met the requirements to earn a new bank account offer, youll receive your bonus in your account within a few days, in many cases. However, to discourage new customers from signing up for an account just to collect a bonus and then closing it, there may be penalties for closing your account within a certain number of days or months after receiving a bonus payout. Are bank account bonuses and promotions worth it? Opening a new account to earn a cash bonus or take advantage of another type of checking account promotion can be tempting, but these offers can come with a lot of fine print. Here are some of the major pros and cons to be aware of before you open a new account with a bank account bonus/promotion in mind: Pros: Its free money. No matter the amount, extra funds in your account can go a long way and give you some extra breathing room in your budget. Incentive to switch banks. If your current bank isnt working for you, a promotional checking account bonus can be the incentive you need to switch banks and open a new account with better perks or lower fees. Cons: Bonuses are taxable. Bank account bonuses (including new checking account bonuses) are considered taxable income along with interest earned on your balance. This puts you on the hook for a potentially bigger bill come tax time. There may be extra requirements. Banks create these promotions to entice new customers to open an account and stick around. As such, getting that bonus may not be as simple as opening an account you may need to meet a long list of requirements to qualify for the full bonus amount, and your bank may also put rules in place to make sure you dont close your account right after your bonus payout. What to consider when choosing a checking account bonus If you're thinking about pursuing a checking account bonus, there are several key factors to think about to ensure it's a good financial move: New checking account bonus amount : Of course, the size of the new account bonus is a major factor to consider, especially compared to the requirements needed to qualify for the bonus. Minimum account balance : Some banks require that you maintain a minimum account balance to qualify for the bonus or to avoid monthly fees. If a minimum balance is required, be sure it won't strain your finances. Direct deposit requirements : Many bonuses require setting up a direct deposit of a certain amount within a specific timeframe. Ensure your regular income sources can be set up as direct deposit to meet these criteria. Transaction requirements : Some accounts might require a minimum number of transactions per month to qualify for the bonus, which should fit naturally with your spending habits. Monthly fees : You may want to avoid opening a checking account that charges monthly fees. If a certain account does come with monthly fees, see if these can be waived by meeting certain criteria like maintaining a minimum balance or having direct deposits. Account features : It's also important to look beyond the bonus and consider the features of the checking account itself. Does it offer benefits like free checks, ATM fee reimbursements, online banking, and a quality mobile app? Interest rates: Although checking accounts aren't typically known for high interest rates, some do offer rates that can add up over time. This can be important if you plan to maintain a high balance. Checking account bonus frequently asked questions How are bank account bonuses taxed? Yes, bank account bonuses are taxable. Your bank may send you a 1099-INT or 1099-MISC tax form ahead of tax time to make filing your taxes easier, although this may not always be true. In the event that you dont receive a tax form, you should still report that bonus money as earned income to the IRS. Can you close an account after receiving a bonus? Typically, your financial institution will have rules in place around when you can close your account after collecting a bonus. If you close your account immediately after earning your cash bonus, you may be forced to pay a penalty or forfeit that bonus. Read your accounts terms and conditions to learn more about how closing your account will impact your bonus and when you may be able to do so without being penalized. How long does it take to get a bank bonus? The time it takes your bank to deposit your bonus will depend on the exact rules for that account, but you can usually expect to receive your bonus within a few business days after having satisfied the necessary eligibility requirements. You can always call your bank or read your accounts terms and conditions to learn more about your bonus and when you can expect a payout. Should I have more than one checking account? If you already have a checking account and are thinking about opening a new one to take advantage of a bonus, you might be wondering if it's OK to have more than one checking account or even two checking accounts at the same bank. In general, there's no cap on the number of checking or deposit accounts you can have open, as long as you're able to manage them all effectively. What are the requirements to qualify for a checking account bonus? Checking account bonus requirements vary by bank. Usually, you need to open an account before the bonus offer expires, then keep your account open for a minimum order of days (often 60) before the bonus is awarded. You may also need to meet additional conditions, such as maintaining a minimum balance or setting up direct deposit. What bank gives you a bonus for opening an account? Bank bonus offers come and go depending on which banks want to entice new customers to open an account. Some of the banks currently offering checking account bonuses include SoFi, Axos, Chase, Citi, Bank of America, and TD Bank. Best checking account bonuses methodology To come up with our list of the best checking account bonuses, we started with our existing methodology for the best free checking accounts. We then narrowed down our picks based on the accounts that offered checking account bonuses. We awarded points to accounts that included a bonus and considered the bonus amount in our ranking as well. Three Rivers Public Health Department, in collaboration with the Three Rivers Public Health Medical Reserve Corps and the American Red Cross, is now providing First Aid/CPR/AED classes at multiple levels for the community. The different levels range from the beginner level for citizens in the district to the Basic Life Support level for the areas first responders and healthcare personnel. These classes are available right away and will be taught by six instructors who are also part of the Medical Reserve Corps. The life-saving courses will be provided to anyone in the community, from children all the way up to the first responders that serve the amazing community. Some perks of the courses are: Blended Learning Allows participants to take the course portion online ahead of time at their own pace which is then followed by a short skills portion on a date of their choosing. Training at your facility The instructors can travel to any location within 3RPHDs jurisdiction of Dodge, Saunders, and Washington counties to teach a course. Affordable costs The department strives to provide these courses at an affordable cost to help better the communities through life-saving education. According to the American Red Cross, more than 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest annually in the United States, with only 11% surviving, and for every minute without immediate CPR and use of an AED, survival chances drop 10%. To schedule a First Aid/CPR/AED course, reach out to Jake Dunn at 402-704-2245 or by email at jacob@3rphd.ne.gov. For more than three decades the annual Gazette Charities Foundation Best and Brightest Scholarship Program has recognized 20 local high school students for their outstanding academic achievements, leadership and contributions to their community. House Democrats voted to pass three gun bills late on Saturday night, including one that would require gun owners to obtain a liability insurance policy for their firearms. The bills all drew criticism from Republicans, who claimed they would violate the Second Amendment, while supporters argued they would enhance public safety. Here's a brief overview of each bill and some of the debate that took place during the final votes on Saturday. Bill mandates firearms liability insurance House Bill 1270 mandates that firearm owners must have liability insurance and requires insurance companies to offer firearm liability coverage in homeowners and renters insurance policies to cover injuries caused by accidental firearm discharge. The bill faces opposition not only from Republicans but also from some Democrats, with 12 of them voting against it, including representatives from rural areas and Colorado Springs. Critics of the bill raised concerns that it could effectively establish a gun owner registry, which they argued is an invasion of privacy. Additionally, they questioned the necessity of the bill since firearm liability insurance is often included in homeowners insurance policies through umbrella policies. "I am deeply concerned that this will be used as an advantage to do other insidious things," said Rep. Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland. "As legislators in this building, there's one thing we have to do: stop going down rabbit holes. Once we put one thing in order, there's many to follow. One of the greatest reasons this country exists as it does today is because of law and order and the Second Amendment, and if we start chipping away at any of those with small things such as this, we will find ourselves in a difficult spot." The bill's supporters argued that it's no different from requiring liability insurance for other items that have the potential to cause harm, such as swimming pools and trampolines. They contended that insurance coverage would assist in offsetting the substantial medical expenses incurred by victims of accidental or unintentional firearm discharges. The bill narrowly passed with a 33-29 vote, hinging on last-minute switches by Democratic Reps. Alex Valdez of Denver and Tisha Mauro of Pueblo from "no" to "yes." The bill's future in the Senate is uncertain it will either be assigned to the Business Affairs and Labor, State Affairs, or Judiciary committees. Democratic Senators Nick Hinrichsen of Denver, Tom Sullivan of Centennial, and Dylan Roberts of Frisco are likely to be the swing votes in each respective committee. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver, Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, and Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver. Measure mandates new dealer requirements House Bill 1353 requires firearms dealers in Colorado to obtain a permit, adhere to sales regulations, provide annual employee training and report suspicious activities. Under the proposal, violations may result in fines up to $250,000 and felony charges. Featured Local Savings Opponents argued that the bill is redundant, as firearms dealers are already required to have federal licenses. They also claimed it would not effectively deter crime, citing statistics showing that less than 2% of guns used in criminal acts were purchased from licensed dealers. "Criminals don't use licensed dealers," said Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta. "Why? Because licensed dealers will not knowingly sell to a prohibited person. Because licensed dealers do not like criminals. Because licensed dealers are partners with the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) and law enforcement circles." Bill sponsor Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver, argued that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, responsible for enforcing federal firearms licenses, is severely understaffed and argued for the need for state assistance in enforcing regulations to address the staffing shortfall. The bill passed on a 40-21 vote, with Democrats Sheila Lieder, Bob Marshall, Matthew Martinez and Marc Snyder in opposition, alongside their Republican colleagues. The bill is also sponsored by Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, and Sens. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. Legislation proposes new excise tax on guns, ammo House Bill 1349 proposes an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunitions sales, with several exemptions. Revenue generated from the tax would be allocated to various funds, including support for crime victim services and shooting range safety programs. Because the vote proposes a new tax, it needs to be approved by the voters. If it passes through the legislature, it will appear on the November ballot. Opponents of the bill say it places financial barriers on gun ownership, which Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Littleton, called "the great equalizer" for women. "I'm trying to understand why we would take away the greatest equalizer for women," she said. "Why wouldn't we give them every opportunity to have a gun and access them without financial restrictions? This bill will disproportionately affect people who cannot afford this extra tax and will not be able to defend themselves, and unfortunately crime and assault will continue to rise." Rep. Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock, said she supports funding for victims' assistance programs but she does not believe an excise tax is the way to source that funding. "This bill combined with other measures that have passed through this chamber in this session, I believe very strongly, is simply going to reduce the number of guns sold legally in the state of Colorado," she added. The bill passed on a 44-18 vote, with Rep. Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch being the only Democrat to vote in opposition. It is sponsored in the House by Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and Rep Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and in the Senate by Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver and Janet Buckner, D-Aurora. One of the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home will spend her time awaiting the forthcoming jury trial at home. Carie Hallford was granted house arrest and a $10,000 conditional bond following an additional bond hearing held on Tuesday at a federal courthouse in Denver. While the co-owner of the Penrose funeral home was expected to be placed in a halfway house while waiting for her local jury trial as a condition of her release, she will now be placed at home with court-ordered GPS tracking. Hallford was already out of custody on a $100,000 bond in her state-level case that stemmed from the discovery of nearly 200 decomposing bodies in the funeral home in October. Hallford and her husband, Jon Hallford, face 260 criminal charges including improper storage of 189 bodies, abuse of a corpse, money laundering, forgery and theft. The duo were struck with an additional 15 federal fraud charges, to which they pleaded not guilty last Thursday. There is a shortage of bed space for women in Colorado community correction facilities, leading to Hallford's new at-home release condition, Tim Neff, a federal prosecutor for the District of Colorado, told The Denver Gazette. The bed space would not be available until around October, according to Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak. The judge was then faced with either keeping her detained in jail or allowing her to stay at home until the case concludes. Featured Local Savings During the arraignment and detention hearing on Thursday, Neff spent nearly an hour arguing to the court that neither Carie nor Jon Hallford should be given a bond due to the likelihood that they would attempt to flee. The prosecutor also claimed that Jon Hallford's involvement in the Return to Nature schemes including the alleged misuse of federal small-business loan and wire fraud schemes against customers was greater than his wifes, and that he presented a greater flight risk than Carie Hallford. Jon Hallford is also being investigated by Colorado Springs police for alleged sexual misconduct with his 17-year-old stepdaughter. Varholak seemingly agreed with the sentiment, allowing Carie Hallford to be placed in a halfway home while Jon Hallford was detained indefinitely. Jon Hallford will remain in federal custody until the federal case ends despite being out of custody for the state case. He was placed in the Englewood federal correctional institution. The Hallfords next court appearance on local charges is scheduled for July 6 with a jury trial tentatively set for October. The Fremont County man accused of causing the death of a 10-month-old child in 2023 will not be monitored by GPS while out on bond, a Fremont County judge ruled on Monday. William Jacobs, 21, faces several charges, including first-degree murder, for allegedly causing the death of 10-month-old Edward Hays while he was responsible for watching the child while his mother, Brook Crawford, was working, according to an affidavit for the incident. Jacobs and Crawford were living in a Motel 6 in Canon City at the time of the child's death, and the affidavit states that Jacobs was the last person to see Hays alive and that Jacobs told investigators that he shook the child and slapped him on the back to get him to breathe. Hays was transported to a Colorado Springs hospital where he was treated until he died on May 23. The 11th Judicial District Attorney's Office upgraded Jacobs' charge to first-degree murder shortly after Hays' death. Jacobs appeared to court on Monday morning for a bond hearing after he was granted a personal recognizance bond on April 9, according to court records. A personal recognizance bond means Jacobs was released from custody without having to post any money, but would return to custody if he violates any of the terms of his release. The court had ordered GPS tracking for Jacobs as condition of bond following his release, Judge Kaitlin Turner stated at Monday's hearing, but the court was made aware that Fremont County does not offer pre-trial GPS tracking, a revelation that was surprise to all involved parties in the case. To continue to allow Jacobs to be out on bond the court ordered for him to check in at the Fremont County Sheriff's Office in person once a week moving forward. The prosecution had no objection to the new terms of Jacobs' bond. Eleventh Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley came under fire last year for comments she made in an interview with KRDO regarding Jacobs' case. In the interview Stanley said that there was no love between Crawford and Jacobs and that it was a relationship of convenience and sex. Without the caring factor, without the love factor, the baby is a pain in the a--, Stanley told a reporter in an on-camera interview that aired Aug. 1. Featured Local Savings The TV station bleeped out Stanleys language for the on-air product. Stanley went on to say that Jacobs had recently been released from prison for a sex crime, and was watching Hays while Crawford worked so that he can get laid; thats it. According to court records obtained by The Gazette, Jacobs has two previous convictions on misdemeanor assault charges, but no convictions on sex-related crimes at the state-level in Colorado. Following the comments from Stanley an attorney representing Crawford filed a motion for dismissal citing outrageous government conduct for her statements. Stanley was not present in court on Monday for Jacobs' hearing. Although the motion to dismiss Crawford's case was denied by Judge Turner, the court ultimately did dismiss the charge of felony child abuse originally faced by Crawford. Crawford who now faces one count of misdemeanor child abuse and count of misdemeanor cruelty to animals will return to Fremont County Court on April 23 for a setting hearing. She is scheduled to begin jury trial on the two misdemeanor charges on July 9. Jacobs will return to court on May 29 for a motions hearing ahead of his jury trial, slated to begin on July 15. Jacobs faces one count of first-degree murder, two counts child abuse knowingly or recklessly causing death and one count of misdemeanor cruelty to animals. Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade has been named as a co-defendant in two lawsuits alleging he and a former business partner owe a food distributor nearly $100,000. Phoenix-based Shamrock Foods, a food distributor with six warehouses in Colorado, including Colorado Springs, alleges in separate lawsuits filed earlier this year that Mobolade and Russ Ware, Mobolade's former business partner, "failed to pay for the goods" they agreed to purchase from the vendor in 2018, before Mobolade was elected as the city's mayor last May. Prior to winning office, Mobolade operated two restaurants in downtown, Good Neighbors Meeting House at 505 E. Columbia St. and The Wild Goose Meeting House at 401 N. Tejon St. Information on the Colorado Secretary of State's website shows Schaeffer Ware, the son of Russ Ware, is the registered agent for both cafes. Mobolade's wife Abbey Mobolade said in a written statement Monday that she, alongside other partners, is managing the businesses and the mayor "is not involved in the management or operations of the cafes." Colorado Springs city charter states the mayor cannot "hold any other paid employment position during his or her term in office." Shamrock Foods filed its first two-page complaint in El Paso County District Court Jan. 4, alleging Yemi Mobolade and Russ Ware owe the vendor nearly $28,900 for food they purchased in January 2018 for The Wild Goose Meeting House. The vendor filed a second two-page complaint in district court about a month later on Feb. 12, alleging the defendants owe nearly $68,000 for food purchased in April 2018 for The Good Neighbors Meeting House. City spokeswoman Vanessa Zink said in a written statement Monday that because this is a "personal matter," the city's communication's department could not accommodate The Gazette's request for comment. Neither Yemi Mobolade's attorney nor Russ Ware immediately responded to calls and emails seeking comment Monday. In two separate four-page answers Yemi Mobolade filed Feb. 16 and Feb. 29, he said Shamrock Foods' claim "was caused by the actions or inactions of third parties over whom Mobolade had no control and has no control." In June 2022, Russ Ware was accused of "misusing" funds related to a now defunct Latin-American fusion restaurant he co-owned in downtown Colorado Springs called Epiphany, as well as funds related to other local restaurants The Well, The Wild Goose Meeting House and Good Neighbors Meeting House. Featured Local Savings Yemi Mobolade told The Gazette early last May he had no role with nor ownership in Epiphany, and subsequently removed Russ Ware from his management positions at The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors. Russ Ware's actions "resulted in significant debts being created for these businesses. The Mobolades' cafes were able to recover and repay those debts by working with the affected vendors, less one, which has not yet been settled despite repeated efforts to work with the company," Abbey Mobolade wrote Monday. El Paso County court records show Russ Ware pleaded guilty Oct. 23 to theft in the amount of $20,000 to $100,000, for which he received a deferred four-year sentence. It was unclear Monday if his guilty plea was related to accusations he misused funds from the four local restaurants. "Our family, our businesses, and others in this community have been victimized by a man who was supposed to be our partner," Abbey Mobolade said. "Many, unfortunately, can relate to this experience. We have learned a lot from this and believe we are stronger for having faced this adversity. We are not shying from it. We are doing our best to make it right. We hope to come to an expedited conclusion to this singular remaining matter and are waiting on communication from the other entity involved." Yemi Mobolade filed two crossclaims in El Paso County district court on Feb. 16 and Feb. 29, stating Russ Ware "engaged in a pattern of fraud and deceit stealing funds from the business(es)," constituting a breach of fiduciary duty, civil theft, fraud and misrepresentation by Ware that "caused substantial monetary damages to Mobolade in amounts to be provided at trial." Yemi Mobolade seeks a court judgement against Ware for damages in amounts to be provided at trial, along with attorney's fees. Court records show attorneys for Shamrock Foods on March 28 submitted a notice of trial setting for the lawsuit related to Good Neighbors Meeting House. The document states a trial management conference is set for Sept. 12, a pre-trial readiness conference is set for Nov. 7 and a trial is set for Dec. 9. No trial has been set for the lawsuit related to The Wild Goose Meeting House, court records show. Attorneys for Shamrock Foods on April 12 filed a motion for default judgement against Russ Ware, stating he has "failed to plead or otherwise defend this action as provided by the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure and is now in default herein." A juvenile boy was arrested for his alleged part in the death of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway employee near the railroad tracks in Fountain on Easter Sunday of 2023, according to a news release. Fountain police in their news release said on the morning of April 9, 2023, personnel with the Fountain Fire Department received reports of an unresponsive man lying near the railroad tracks in the area of Alegre Circle and U.S. 85/87 in Fountain. The El Paso County Coroner's Office later in the day identified the man as 31-year-old Christian Cook, and ruled his death a homicide, police said. On Monday, police obtained an arrest warrant for a 17-year-old juvenile boy on the charges of second-degree murder in connection to the Easter 2023 homicide more than a year since Cook's body was found. Featured Local Savings The juvenile was taken into custody and transported to a detention center, police said. Due to the suspect's status as a minor, his name will not be released to the public. Department officials are asking anyone carrying information, or who may have been a witness to this investigation, to call the Fountain police tip line at 719-382-6918. After months of waiting for the families of victims, the Environmental Protection Agency has completed the demolition of the building in Penrose where nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found last fall. The EPA said on Monday that the Return to Nature Funeral Home's demolition was finished Saturday, four days after the start of the project. The process began after several delays on April 16 with a small ceremony for family members of the 189 bodies found decomposing at the site. The funeral home's owners, Carie and Jon Hallford, are facing hundreds of felony charges for their alleged role in leaving the bodies, some of which dated back to 2019, in the building while charging victim's families for cremation and burial services. Also, the Hallfords recently pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges relating to the business. The demolition process involved disinfection of the site and the transfer of building materials via lined trucks to the Otero County landfill. EPA contractors then scraped a thin layer of soil from the site's footprint. What happens next to the property is still unknown. Fremont County commissioner Kevin Grantham said at a press conference on April 10 that the county could not move forward on any plans for the site because it was still in private hands. The EPA has opened a cost recovery and enforcement case to recoup the cost of the demolition. A state complaint has prompted Academy District 20 to address the special education program at one of its schools following instructional losses and staff turnover over the past two school years. The complaint alleged that D-20 denied a student their right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) by failing to implement their individualized education program (IEP) while they attended an unnamed elementary school in the district. Dwindling staff, abuse by a teacher and an unsafe environment making instruction nearly impossible were detailed in an investigation conducted by the Colorado Department of Education in response to the complaint. The district must now enact a number of changes to address each violation identified at the school over the next year. The investigation, which includes interviews with parents, staff and teachers, along with district documentation, ultimately found that D-20 had violated state and federal law by failing to implement or revise multiple students individualized education programs (IEP). In sum, despite a high level of support provided by the District, this time period from the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year to October 10 posed, by all credible accounts, a great challenge to adequately addressing the SSN program Students needs, state complaint officer Nicholaus Podsiadlik wrote in the state's decision. The significant support needs (SSN) program refers to the program in place at a school for students with a number of greater needs including cognition, communication, movement, and social and emotional abilities. Students in these programs may also have health, sensory, physical, or behavioral disabilities. An IEP is a document unique to every student who attends a public school and receives special education in compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state Exceptional Childrens Education Act (ECEA). The primary reason for failing to meet these needs was reportedly due to a lack of needed staff. 2022-23 The parents of a student at the school alleged it failed to implement the student's IEP during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. The loss of learning is traced back to Nov. 1, 2022, when the complainants students full-time SSN teacher went on anticipated leave through Feb. 20. This led to instructional inconsistencies for the 10 students in the program that year. Challenges included a long-term substitute teacher resigning, hiring multiple short-term substitutes without special education endorsements and a fluctuating number of paraprofessionals. When necessary, other staff at School would also help supervise the SSN program, Podsiadlik said. The teacher prepared learning arrangements for each student and their IEP, but this ultimately proved to be unsuccessful due to a lack of consistency. Upon her return, she noted the students showed some regression but were able to recover by the end of the school year. Parents, however, reported behavioral loses over this period that were never recovered. 2023-24 The teacher informed the district they would not return to the program for the 2023-24 year. This vacancy wasnt filled by the start of the year and the program now had five paraprofessionals and 13 students with significant medical, behavioral, and academic needs. Featured Local Savings The schools principal emailed D-20s Executive Director for Special Education on Aug. 11 to express concern that support was insufficient going into the year. We need immediate assistance in SSN. Our paras are not in a good spot and may quit if attention is not given, he wrote. The tutor that was sent had no idea how to support SSN and no one else has been here We dont have any support in setting up our schedules and more students are being added to our caseload. Eleven short-term substitutes were hired over this time before a new full-time SSN teacher was eventually hired in October, leading to further inconsistency and aggressive behavior by students. One students gastronomy tube was pulled out multiple times, while others hit staff and attempted to elope. On Sept. 26, one student, who required adult supervision and support throughout the school day to ensure safety, was found inside a closed dryer in a locked bathroom. Two paraprofessionals resigned during this time and, following the dryer incident, the principal would also leave the school. D-20 officials would then become involved in the SSN program and provide supplemental staff with varying credentials along with greater expert support to relieve staff and continue program operation. Even the service providers the physical therapist, occupational therapist, and speech-language pathologist pitched in during their visits to supervise the children and give the paraprofessionals a break, Podsiadlik said. There were, at times, no teacher in the room, as few as one or two paraprofessionals, and daily schedule and routine changes due to a revolving door of substitute and district staff supporting in the classroom. When the new teacher was hired in October, struggles continued, both in educating students and supervising their behavior. Instructional time was largely spent responding to unsafe behaviors, tending to students' hygiene and helping students eat, drink, and use the bathroom. The new teacher would also resort to physical intervention and verbal outbursts toward students out of frustration. Parents around this time consistently expressed concerns over the students' safety and regressing academic and functional performance. They began transferring their children from the program and, by the time the new teacher resigned on Feb. 12, only seven students were enrolled in the program. A new licensed teacher was then hired by the district March 11, but the state of the program by that point still made meeting each childs IEP needs a challenge. The SCO finds that the opportunity for instruction was minimal, no expert was able to provide individualized adjustments to match the childrens performance, and the environment diminished Students ability to learn, Podsiadlik said. Going Forward The state concluded that D-20 didnt implement the specialized instruction and curriculum modifications required by the students IEPs, monitor or report their progress, resulting in a denial of FAPE. To resolve these violations, the CDE ordered the district to submit a corrective action plan that addresses each violation noted in the complaint along with 64 hours of compensatory education for students during the summer to meet each students IEP goals, in addition to speech-language therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral education as compensatory services. All hours are to be completed ahead of the 2024-25 school year, but parents may opt out of some or all of this education. The services must be completed within the year without exception. D-20s communication department provided a statement to the Gazette confirming its work on resolving all the findings through a corrective action plan. Although we will not expressly comment on individual claims associated with this complaint, D20 is committed to working with all of our families to ensure the success of each and every student, the statement read. The district went on to say they have met with each family to ensure their needs are met, began offering compensatory services and added efforts and leadership in the school and program mentioned in the complaint. The first of three "Living with Wildfire" town halls is scheduled Tuesday, according to a news release from the Colorado Springs Fire Department. The first town hall is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Colorado Springs Masonic Center, where representatives from the fire department's wildfire mitigation team, El Paso County 9-1-1 Authority, the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, the Colorado Springs Police Department and others will give updates and information ahead for the wildfire season. Fire officials said residents will learn of the ongoing threat of wildfires, how to prepare their homes for wildfire season, how to be notified of an emergency and what to include in their own emergency plans along with information on evacuations in case of an emergency. Also, eligible residents will have the chance to sign up for the fire department's Neighborhood Chipping Program and the city's emergency alerts, Peak Alerts. Representatives from Colorado Springs Utilities, Parks and Recreation and city forestry will be available to answer questions. The presentation is expected to last about one hour, officials said. Additional "Living with Wildfire" town halls events are scheduled for May 14 at the Heart of the Springs Church and June 25 at the Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School. For more information, click or tap here. The Colorado Springs City Council on Tuesday authorized the Police Department to implement a new camera program that will catch and fine drivers exceeding posted speed limits in certain areas of the city. The council voted 7-2 in favor of the system that uses radar technology to track and identify multiple speeders at once in residential areas, roadways that border parks, and in school and construction zones. Councilmen Dave Donelson and Mike O'Malley were opposed. "This is an excellent program," Councilwoman Yolanda Avila said, adding that speeding is the No. 1 complaint she receives from residents in her district. "I think our constituents want something done. I think this is a really good step forward to work on this." Police leadership said Tuesday the speed safety cameras will reduce traffic-related deaths and free up police resources for other priorities. "This technology ... (gives Colorado Springs police) this ability as a force multiplier to ... give our cops out there the opportunity to do traffic enforcement on their own, while at the same time use a tool that can assist us more ... efficiently," Colorado Springs Deputy Chief Dave Edmondson said. Speed is a leading factor in traffic injuries across El Paso County, Colorado Springs Cmdr. Pamela Castro said. The most populous county in Colorado, El Paso in 2022 and 2023 led the state in traffic fatalities, she said. Colorado State Patrol previously reported 28% of the county's total traffic-related deaths in 2022 involved speeding. The program is an extension of the city's current red light photo program that identifies and fines vehicles that run red lights in 20 intersections in Colorado Springs. The Police Department plans to, in the future, contract two new vehicles equipped with special speed safety camera equipment that uses radar to track multiple lanes of traffic in one direction, and photographs and records vehicles it identifies as exceeding the speed limit. The department will hire two new full-time civilian employees to operate the vehicles and record the violations, as Colorado law requires. Additional software will allow police staff to review, then decide whether to pursue the violation. Under state law, speeding violations caught by the camera program are counted as civil infractions. Police can't report the violations to the DMV and no points are assessed for violations, said Shantel Withrow, the prosecution division chief in the City Attorney's Office. When the Police Department implements the program, they must notify the public for a 30-day period. After that, there is another 30-day period during which the city will only assess warnings, and no fines, for speeding violations caught on camera. Featured Local Savings After the warning period ends, drivers caught speeding in residential areas and on roadways near parks will be charged a $40 fine. Travelers caught speeding in school and construction zones will be assessed an $80 fine, Withrow said. Councilman Donelson said he was concerned about implementing a program that would not do more than fine violators. "It's kind of like catch-and-release fishing, but there (are) no points on the license, there is no impact as far as (drivers) losing their driver's license," he said. Councilwoman Lynette Crow-Iverson pointed out that drivers who speed in school zones and are ticketed by a police officer receive higher fines and must attend municipal court for the violation. That's compared with drivers caught speeding in school zones with radar cameras, who would receive lower fines and wouldn't be mandated to appear in municipal court if they paid the violation. Police officials and Withrow said overall, the program will discourage violators from speeding. It can identify more speeders at one time than an individual police officer would be able to identify and ticket. "That is the trade-off," Withrow said. Police officials could not yet estimate the potential cost of the program, saying they are still in the contracting process. In 2023, Colorado Springs' red light photo program received approximately $2.2 million in revenue, compared to its contract cost of about $1.1 million, Withrow said. The speed safety camera program would be an additional cost added to the red light photo program, but she and police officials expect it will be "cost neutral," not costing the city out-of-pocket, Withrow said. Springs police said they reached out to Aurora police after that city announced it would end its speed safety camera program because it cost Aurora more than $610,000 but brought in only about $75,500 in revenue as of March 2024, about a year after that city unveiled the program, CBS News reported this month. Local police wanted to understand why the program was not effective in Aurora, but received no response, Edmondson said. "I'd go with other programs in the state, such as in Fort Collins and Denver, that have shown (the speed cameras) to be effective," Edmondson said. Aurora police blamed several technical issues for the revenue shortfall during the pilot program, according to CBS News. The council must vote a second time on the item. That vote is expected at the next regular meeting May 14. Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter. For Republicans these days, to express even the most languid concern as to the dear leader or his mindless MAGA acolytes is to invite the reflexive, automatic, unthinking retort that such questioner is nothing but a RINO, short for a Republican in Name Only. China's Jilin strives for high-quality development amid revitalization drive Xinhua) 08:35, April 23, 2024 Provincial officials of northeast China's Jilin Province attend a press briefing on striving for new breakthroughs to revitalize Jilin in the new era in Beijing, capital of China, April 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Northeast China's Jilin Province, one of the country's breadbasket provinces and old industrial bases, is optimistic about its future prospects thanks to its revitalization efforts centered on high-quality development. Hu Yuting, governor of the province, told a press briefing in Beijing that Jilin has been in the "fast lane" of revitalization and high-quality development, resolutely shouldering the mission of safeguarding food security, industrial security, energy security, ecological security and national defense security of the country. In the new era, Jilin boasts great potential for comprehensive revitalization, with a focus on achieving breakthroughs in five key areas: industrial and scientific innovation, agricultural modernization, green development, further opening up and strengthened talent support. The fundamental approach for Jilin to safeguard national food security is to nurture new quality productive forces in agriculture sectors, according to the governor. In 2023, Jilin's grain output reached approximately 41.87 billion kg, ranking fourth nationwide in total output and ranking first among major grain-producing provinces in terms of yield per unit area. As part of the national grain production expansion efforts, Jilin will undertake one-fifth of the national target, aiming to increase production by 10 billion kg, said Hu, adding that the province's expected grain output in 2024 is 44 billion kg, and that of 2030 is anticipated to exceed 50 billion kg. Jilin has been striving to upgrade its industries by fostering innovation and shed its image of an old-fashioned heavy-industry base. According to Li Guoqiang, vice governor of Jilin, the province is assisting traditional industries to go digital and smarter, and develop an array of emerging and future-oriented industries. "Our goal is to complete a round of digital transformation of industrial enterprises above the designated scale in about three years," Li said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Bouquets of flowers stand near a plaque on wall of healing at the monument to the victims of the massacre at Columbine High School. A lawsuit out of Oregon will affect peoples right to a nights rest everywhere except ironically Oregon after U.S. Supreme Court justices heard arguments Monday in Grants Pass v. Gloria Johnson. Those arguing April 22 for Grants Pass asked justices to take limits off police departments, so cities may trespass people without housing from parks and sidewalks. The law Grants Pass wants to enforce prohibits sleeping outside on public property with any bedding material for comfort or warmth. The case is a class-action lawsuit brought by several homeless individuals in Grants Pass, and a decision for the city could allow governments in 49 states to criminalize someone for being unhoused. But Oregon lawmakers in 2021 enshrined some of that doctrine, passing a pair of laws that prevent police from moving someone along when that person has nowhere else to go unless a city sets up a designated sleeping area and thus guaranteeing a right to sleep. Legal experts and housing advocates believe Oregon is unlikely to repeal those laws, which are based in part on Grants Pass v. Johnson's lower court ruling. Oregon's law is more restrictive than a federal ruling out of Boise, Idaho in 2018 that kicked off the debate when it stopped police departments across nine western states from enforcing anti-camping laws. If were going back to the older ways of doing things, Im not sure it solves anything, said Sean Morgan, the community services officer with Sweet Home Police Department. Those arguing against Grants Pass say that prohibiting sleeping bags outside is a death sentence in the mountainous town that sees a couple of weeks of freezing temperatures each winter. The appellate court in Johnson found that citing or jailing someone for sleeping outside when they have no choice is cruel and unusual punishment barred under the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment. Both sides agree that banning people from public spaces wont reduce the numbers of people without housing or put in place the health services and housing many need to permanently move off the streets. These folks are still here. And were still going to be struggling with it, Morgan said. Right to sleep Oregon effectively guaranteed a right to sleep in 2021. Thats when House Bill 3115 made cities responsible for ensuring public space is available to all the public including those in their populations without shelter. It could do that in one of two ways: make all public property available or set aside a specific location for sleeping to an enable police to patrol the other areas. Almost all cities opted for the latter. Maxine Dexter, a legislator representing a Portland-area district in the Oregon House, co-sponsored the bill to codify Martin v. City of Boise. If were going to restrict use of land by those without shelter, we need to have reasonable accommodations for alternatives, Dexter wrote in an emailed statement. Cities on the West Coast had ticketed people sleeping in tents or cars for trespassing or breaking local camping bans, removing tents and trash from public spaces. Then the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against Boise in 2018. The city had violated the constitutional rights of people without housing by removing them from public property when local shelter beds were full, the circuit court ruled. The same court upheld and clarified the Boise decision in 2022 in the Grants Pass case. Another three-judge panel found that cities can't criminalize someones existence by criminalizing where that person sleeps. The High Court's justices heard Monday that by one definition of homeless, police can banish someone from a public space only when that person doesn't have a fixed regular nighttime address, and they're unable to be in a local shelter. "The ordinance in that situation, I thought you said, is operating to punish the act of not going to the shelter as opposed, to punishing the status of being homeless," Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson said. "That rationale doesn't work when that person has nowhere to go," said Kelsi Corkran, attorney for Johnson. Federal courts for decades have barred laws that target someone based on a status, starting with addiction to alcohol and heroin in the 1960s, then expanding to homelessness in 2018, according to a U.S. Department of Justice analysis filed in Johnson. Justice officials on Monday tried to walk the middle, wanting the Supreme Court to send the case back to the 9th Circuit to develop a rubric to determine on an individual basis if a homeless individual does in fact have access to shelter. Where to sleep But case law can change, and the bill sponsored by then-House Speaker Tina Kotek sought to freeze the 2018 and 2022 federal rulings inside Oregons borders. Cities had to say when, where and how someone can sleep under HB 3115 that took hold in July 2023, leaving it local elected officials, city administrators and municipal attorneys to specify these "time, place and manner" rules for the sleeping spaces as long as those rules were reasonable. That means 241 governments, overseeing cities in Oregon, ranging in population from about two dozen to more than 650,000 people, had to figure out where they would allow people in tents or sleeping bags to get a night's rest. They came up with a myriad of solutions. Some cities designated spaces in front of the local city hall or police department headquarters, overhauled policies and passed ordinances that effectively gave back to their police the power to trespass people from parks. Sweet Home started sending people to Family Assistance and Resource Center when they had nowhere else to sleep. FAC is Linn County's only overnight shelter for anyone, including people who are intoxicated. While the League of Oregon Cities, a lobbyist representing the interests of municipal governments, helped cities develop their response to HB 3115, it also argued in a brief to the justices that they should strike down the case on which it is based, the Grants Pass case. The league argued that police officers have been unable to make people go to designated sleeping sites, specifically naming Sweet Home as an example. Oregon's law was mentioned several times on Monday. Brown Jackson questioned whether Grants Pass even had a case, given that HB 3115 settles the matter, at least there. Morgan, Sweet Home's community services officer, said almost everyone without shelter in Sweet Home has been to FAC. "They're willing," Morgan said. "Then they go in and then they get kicked out." Dexter said she's closely watching Johnson at the Supreme Court. "No matter what the Supreme Court rules, we in the Legislature must work to provide the resources to address the housing and homelessness crisis were seeing in Oregon and across the country," she said. Related stories: See the entire series about homelessness in Oregon: Mary Ann Marreel of Osage won best in show at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum's Area Show: 49 competition for her charcoal drawing "The Praying Man." The competitive exhibition includes a variety of artworks created by artists above high school age living within a 100-mile radius of Mason City, according to a press release. Artists were competing for the opportunity to have their work featured in a solo exhibition and for $1,000 in cash awards. Marreel received the top prize of $250 and will present a solo exhibition at the museum in 2025. Three artists received a $250 excellence award: Larry Gregson of Mason City for his oil-on-herringbone linen work "Bosvelds Odtaa #4"; Lori Biwer-Stewart of Osage for a linocut and monotype print "Signs of Life"; and Kirk Ketelsen of Mason City for a ceramics piece "Sealed Earth." Two merit awards of $100 each were given out: one to Steve Wilson of North Mankato, Minnesota, for a mixed-media painting "Tomorrows First Day," and one to Kong Ho of Mason City for an acrylic painting "The Immeasurable Depth of Red." The $50 most daring award was presented to Rob Wallace of Ames for a spun copper artwork "Baby Steps". Four honorable mention awards were handed out as well: Merle Poland of Cedar Falls for a linoleum reduction print "Fish"; Penny Weitzel of Mason City for the painting and drawing "Question Mark"; Stefan J. Grahn of Northwood for his photograph "Homeward Bound"; and Rob Wallace of Ames for a turned wood piece "Amphorisimilis Rubro-Lutearis." Each entrant was eligible to submit up to two artworks for consideration. This years show drew a total of 99 entries by 53 artists. The final exhibition includes 41 works by 38 artists. The juror for Area Show: 49 was Phillip Frenchick, art teacher at Lincoln Intermediate School in Mason City. Many artworks in the exhibition are for sale and can be purchased through the museum. The exhibition will remain on view in the Museums Kinney-Lindstrom Gallery through June 19. Admission is free and open to the public. Visit the museums website, macniderart.org, for the most up-to-date visitor information. Visitors can also call the museum at (641) 421-3666. DDoS attacks increased by 50% YoY, with Cloudflare automatically mitigating a total of 4.5 million DDoS attacks, according to Cloudflares quarterly DDoS threat report for Q1 2024. Cloud cybersecurity company Clouflare lists key insights from the first quarter of 2024 including: 2024 started with a bang. Cloudflares defense systems automatically mitigated 4.5 million DDoS attacks during the first quarter representing a 50% year-over-year (YoY) increase. Cloudflares defense systems automatically mitigated 4.5 million DDoS attacks during the first quarter representing a 50% year-over-year (YoY) increase. DNS-based DDoS attacks increased by 80% YoY and remain the most prominent attack vector. increased by 80% YoY and remain the most prominent attack vector. DDoS attacks on Sweden surged by 466% after its acceptance to the NATO alliance, mirroring the pattern observed during Finland's NATO accession in 2023. surged by 466% after its acceptance to the NATO alliance, mirroring the pattern observed during Finland's NATO accession in 2023. Mirai Botnet Activity: The Mirai botnet remains active and contributed significantly to the volume of attacks. Four out of every 100 HTTP DDoS attacks, and two out of every 100 L3/4 DDoS attacks are launched by a Mirai-variant botnet. The Mirai botnet remains active and contributed significantly to the volume of attacks. Four out of every 100 HTTP DDoS attacks, and two out of every 100 L3/4 DDoS attacks are launched by a Mirai-variant botnet. Industry: Gaming and Gambling industry was most industry targeted globally, In second place, the Information Technology and Internet industry, and in third, Marketing and Gaming and Gambling industry was most industry targeted globally, In second place, the Information Technology and Internet industry, and in third, Marketing and Advertising. In Oceania (including Australia ), Telecomuncations was the most attacked industry. In Oceania ), Telecomuncations was the most attacked industry. Impact on Sweden: Attacks surged by 466% following its NATO acceptance, similar to Finlands experience during its NATO accession in 2023. According to Cloudflare, despite the surge in DNS attacks and due to the overall increase in all types of DDoS attacks, the share of each attack type, remarkably, remains the same as the final quarter of 2023. HTTP DDoS attacks remain at 37% of all DDoS attacks, DNS DDoS attacks at 33%, and the remaining 30% is left for all other types of L3/4 attacks, such as SYN Flood and UDP Floods, notes Cloudflare. To see the full Cloudflare report: DDoS threat report for 2024 Q1 BeyondTrust , the leader in intelligent identity and access security, today announced the winners of its APJ Partner Experience Awards for those companies which have gone above and beyond in their commitment to meeting customer identity and access security needs this past year. The BeyondTrust Partner Experience Awards showcase partners who have played a key role in the companys partner ecosystem, helping to build an orchestrated network of diverse partnerships that work together to deliver on customer outcomes and drive growth. This year, BeyondTrust unveiled five prestigious experience awards on the Go Beyond stage in Sydney: Innovation, Acceleration, Alliance, Customer Outcome, and Ecosystem. Each award symbolises excellence in various facets of successful customer projects. Leading Australian IT Infrastructure, managed services, hybrid cloud, cybersecurity and IoT provider, Perfekt, won the BeyondTrust Innovation Award for 2024 for its ground-breaking solutions which have propelled great customer outcomes. Ben Wong, with David Cochrane at Perfekt We are honoured and privileged to announce that Perfekt has proudly earned the esteemed BeyondTrust Innovation Award for 2024! This recognition by our trusted partners at BeyondTrust underscores our steadfast dedication to excellence and innovation across cybersecurity, said Mark Sakajiou, Sales Director, Perfekt. With the highest certified BeyondTrust engineers in the country, combined with additional certifications including CISSP, OSCP, CRTP, and CEH, we are well-equipped to tackle the most complex cybersecurity challenges. Being fully ISO 27001 certified and compliant, Perfekt assures clients of our rigorous commitment to managing information security risk. Our proven track record demonstrates the successful execution and delivery of some of the largest and most complex BeyondTrust cybersecurity projects in Australia, to our customers. This award is a testament to the expertise and dedication of our team, and we are immensely proud of this achievement. CyberCX, a leading provider of professional cyber security and cloud services, took home the BeyondTrust Acceleration Award for contributing significantly to business growth in the region by bringing in new customers and expanding existing users. Ben Wong with Scott McDonald at CyberCX The BeyondTrust Alliance Award was awarded to Ping Identity in recognition of its collaboration with BeyondTrust. "We're thrilled to receive the Partner Alliance Award, and we couldn't be happier with our partnership with BeyondTrust, said Robert Cipriani, Director Channel & Alliances ANZ, Ping Identity. Working collaboratively, we've achieved incredible results, especially in our joint efforts to bring innovative solutions to the market. It's been an exciting journey, and we're looking forward to continuing to push boundaries and deliver even more value together." In addition, the BeyondTrust Ecosystem Award was awarded to Deloitte for having fully embraced BeyondTrusts partner ecosystem, safeguarding mutual customers from cyberthreats and ensuring their identities and access remain secure. Ben Wong with Gautam Kapoor at Deloitte The BeyondTrust Customer Outcome Award was awarded to Taiwan-based iSecurity for going above and beyond in driving customer success and ensuring lightning-fast time to value. Ben Wong, with David Peach at Westcon Australia, alongside Wilson Aitan at PT Westcon Solutions, and RN Tri Hardianto at PT Westcon Solutions. William Hui, Lin Keng Hsu, and Ian Pendleton of the Westcon Australian team pose with David Peach after receiving the 2024 BeyondTrust Value Add Award. Finally, Westcon-Comstor took home the BeyondTrust Value Add Award honouring its support in continuously seeking more ways to add value to BeyondTrust, its partners, and customers. Westcon-Comstor is delighted to have been recognised at Go Beyond, and in particular in the Value Add Partner category, said David Peach, Westcon Director - Australia. Our mission is to help BeyondTrust partners grow by providing them with valuable services that supplement their own capabilities, and as a result help them win and retain new customers. This recognition is a great encouragement and with identity management a key component of a robust cybersecurity posture we are excited about the future of our partnership with BeyondTrust. Ben Wong, Senior Director, Channel & Alliances, APJ, BeyondTrust, said, Each of the 2024 Partner Experience Award winners have worked hard to create bigger visions, accelerate outcomes, forge strong alliances, innovate, provide exceptional customer service, and deliver value. Their commitment to working together to build our partner ecosystem makes a significant difference in the lives of our shared customers. MATTOON Tthe Illinois Board of Higher Education recently honored Lake Land College nursing instructors Katelyn Bloemer and Tarah Haskenherm with the Nurse Educator Fellowship award. The Nurse Educator Fellowship program aims to recognize and ensure the retention of well-qualified nursing faculty with a $10,000 award. Participation in this program is open to Illinois institutions of higher learning with a nursing program approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Association Commission for Education in Nursing. Recipients must first be nominated by the chief nursing administrator from their respective institutions. All nominations are then reviewed by the IBHE, and recipients are selected based on individual accomplishments, program improvements, research efforts and other contributions to their respective nursing programs. When nominating Bloemer and Haskenherm for the honor, Director of Nursing Programs Cassandra Porter recognized their use of advanced pediatric training and innovative testing preparation, respectively. The Fellowship Award is a testament to Katelyn and Tarahs dedication, innovation and commitment to Lake Land Colleges nursing programs, Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. Their achievements not only reflect their individual excellence but also contribute to the overall success of our nursing programs. MOUNT PLEASANT Community members will again have the chance to enjoy meals made by Case High School culinary students. The second annual Case food truck event, which is the senior capstone project, is scheduled for 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the high school, 7345 Washington Ave. Erica Buskirk, Case culinary pathway instructor, was unsure if the event would happen this year because there are about 15 fewer seniors in the culinary pathway compared to last year. However, students were passionate about having the food truck event again. They were the ones who said, Were going to figure it out, and they did, Buskirk said. They wanted it. There was no option not to do it. Buskirk said more people attended last year than she anticipated, and it was a great experience for students. This year, she said teamwork was crucial to making the event a reality, which is why it is called Better Together. These kids feed off each other, Buskirk said. Students Diana Arellano-Cruz and Trinity Garrett have worked together all school year and appreciate progressing alongside their classmates. We just love each other, Arellano-Cruz said. We all get along so well. Arellano-Cruz and Garrett are on the Basils team with Abby Cervantes. Their menu consists of Thai chicken, jasmine rice, bell peppers, jalapeno, basil and chow mein. Basils will be one of nine teams serving food Wednesday. Students will not be in physical food trucks. Rather, the event will take place inside Case. Other team offerings include fried dumplings, pork shoulder, shrimp ceviche and bruleed cheesecake. Menus are set, and students are preparing the food and making final tweaks. Now its go time, Buskirk said. A few days before the event, the Basils team prepared vegetables and marinated and cooked chicken. Finalizing the menus involved trial and error over several months. The Basils team, for example, initially didnt marinate their chicken. Other challenges included overcooking the food and cooking rice to the correct consistency. Team members supported one another as they honed the menu, often using phrases like We got this and Lock in. We just like to uplift each other a lot, Garrett said. The teams final taste test involved six teachers trying the food. They all had positive reactions, which was hugely encouraging. Cervantes also made the Thai chicken meal for her family, who enjoyed it. Students appreciate Buskirk for giving them freedom to create dishes and providing honest feedback. Shes not going to sugarcoat anything, Arellano-Cruz said. Buskirk hopes to continue the event and said the junior class is already talking about what to make next year. The competition between grade levels is a real thing around here, Buskirk said. Students are thrilled for the event and look forward to showcasing their food. Im so excited, and Im so confident, Garrett said. I love when people like my cooking. Arellano-Cruz agreed. I think its going to be perfect, she said. Event tickets are $10 for two food trucks and $35 for all nine food trucks. Tickets are available online at my.hometownticketing.com/agency/c80a4f13-7ab0-4fb3-8a58-07f8809f3bf5/events/3be51266-b5ae-425f-a582-218005cf9af6?fbclid=IwAR0OdB2R-dfwN6RGHquFdCb1IjkAQvvzrOHH4MndTR0c_x9h7De2bOsLuQg_aem_AZvRkVW1aV0MkgVeyawW1wfD7sI6y7hf_iSg0xQFul8jbI7YEP3-k8CMMTN6pkh1VrtRUar2aVDHDjAG5WqiwRtg. Close Jay Torres, a Case High School senior, prepares a bowl of consome Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Torres was part of the Birria El Rey food truck team, and she said the culinary class has helped her grow as a person. Graham DeBaker eats ribs from one of the booths at Case High School's Food Truck Festival Wednesday Kameron Lee enjoys a teriyaki chicken lettuce wrap Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Festival. Madison Marry, a Case High School senior, hands a customer a Cubano sandwich Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Marry was on one of 10 teams composed of Case seniors who showcased their culinary skills during the event. Blake Venegas scarfs down ribs Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Adventure. About 40 Case seniors showcased their culinary skills during the event. From left: Case High School students Mayfreici Martinez Jimenez, Estrella Perez and culinary pathway instructor Erica Buskirk participate in Case's Food Truck Adventure on Wednesday. Buskirk always has bittersweet emotions this time of year because it will soon be graduation for seniors, many of whom she has taught for three years. Analia DeBaker enjoys some ribs at Case High School's Food Truck Festival on Wednesday. Lilith Reading, left and Bryonna Billips, two seniors at Case High School, hold up Philly cheesesteak stuffed buns Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Reading and Billips were on the Federal Crime Rolls team, and their motto was Were dangerously delicious because thats how we roll. Eight photos from Case High School's 2023 Food Truck Festival 10 teams composed of Case High School seniors showcased their culinary skills during a food truck festival Wednesday at Case, 7345 Washington Ave. Jay Torres, a Case High School senior, prepares a bowl of consome Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Torres was part of the Birria El Rey food truck team, and she said the culinary class has helped her grow as a person. Graham DeBaker eats ribs from one of the booths at Case High School's Food Truck Festival Wednesday Kameron Lee enjoys a teriyaki chicken lettuce wrap Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Festival. Madison Marry, a Case High School senior, hands a customer a Cubano sandwich Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Marry was on one of 10 teams composed of Case seniors who showcased their culinary skills during the event. Blake Venegas scarfs down ribs Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Adventure. About 40 Case seniors showcased their culinary skills during the event. From left: Case High School students Mayfreici Martinez Jimenez, Estrella Perez and culinary pathway instructor Erica Buskirk participate in Case's Food Truck Adventure on Wednesday. Buskirk always has bittersweet emotions this time of year because it will soon be graduation for seniors, many of whom she has taught for three years. Analia DeBaker enjoys some ribs at Case High School's Food Truck Festival on Wednesday. Lilith Reading, left and Bryonna Billips, two seniors at Case High School, hold up Philly cheesesteak stuffed buns Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Reading and Billips were on the Federal Crime Rolls team, and their motto was Were dangerously delicious because thats how we roll. (Photo courtesy ATF Facebook page.) Arkansas Republican Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman are pushing for answers about ATF's March 19 SWAT raid, during which Little Rock Airport executive Bryan Malinowski was shot and killed in his own home. "The Department of Justice confirmed to us last night that the ATF agents involved in the execution of a search warrant of the home of Bryan Malinowski weren't wearing body cameras. We will continue to press the Department to explain how this violation of its own policy could've happened and to disclose the full circumstances of this tragedy. Mr. Malinowski's family and the public have a right to a full accounting of the facts," the Senators said in a joint statement released Friday. ATF has yet to comment officially about Malinowski's killing, other than to claim he fired first. ..... Tensions over strong opinions about Israels war in Gaza are spreading at some universities around the United States. On Monday, Columbia University in New York City canceled in-person classes. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including occupations, have been taking place on campus for days. Last week, police arrested more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia. Also on Monday, police in New Haven, Connecticut, arrested about 45 protesters at Yale University. Officials said the students refused orders to leave an area they were occupying. Columbia and Yale are two of the so-called Ivy League universities considered among the nations top schools. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations also are taking place on other campuses around the country, including the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of North Carolina. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said in a statement Monday that she was deeply saddened by what was happening at the school. I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday, Shafik said, adding that she hoped the move would ease tensions. Shafik said the Middle East conflict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral unease. But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation, she said. Over the coming days, a working group of Columbia professors and administrators will try to find a resolution to the university crisis, Shafik added. Several students at Columbia and Barnard College said they were suspended for taking part in last week's protests, including Barnard student Isra Hirsi, the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar of the Democratic Party. At Yale, police officers arrested about 45 protesters and charged them with misdemeanor trespassing, a New Haven police spokesperson said. All were being released on promises to appear in court later, the official said. Protesters set up a camp on Friday and demonstrated over the weekend. They demanded that Yale end its investments in defense companies that do business with Israel. On Sunday, Yale President Peter Salovey released a statement to the campus community. It said university officials had spoken to the student protesters several times about campus policies and guidelines. Putting up structures, defying the directives of university officials, staying in campus spaces past allowed times, and other acts that violate university policies and guidelines create safety risks and interfere with the universitys work, the Yale leader said. School officials said they spoke with protesters over several hours and gave them until the end of the weekend to leave the area. They said they again warned protesters Monday morning and told them that they could face arrest and punishment, including suspension from school, before police took action. A large group of demonstrators gathered again after Monday's arrests at Yale and blocked a street on campus, the police said. There were no reports of violence or injuries. Last week, the University of Southern California took the unusual step of canceling a planned commencement speech by its 2024 valedictorian. The student had publicly supported Palestinians in the past. The university said it canceled the speech over security concerns. Supporters of free speech criticized USCs decision. Some pro-Israel groups praised it. Im Caty Weaver. The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________ Words in This Story campus n. the grounds of an organization related to education or research virtually adv. taking place through video or online, not involving a physical meeting or interaction disrupt v. to interfere with normal activities to prevent them from taking place milestone n. an important event that marks the end of one period in a persons life and the beginning of another graduation n. a ceremony marking the completion of all classes required for a high school or university degree misdemeanor n. a minor offense under criminal law that is not punishable with a large fine or long prison sentence trespassing n. the crime of being in a place where you are not permitted by law to be defy v. to refuse to obey a law, its representative or a person representing authority allow v. to permit something to happen commencement n. the ceremony at which a degree is given at a school or college valedictorian n. a student, usually among the class leaders, who gives the ceremonial farewell speech to a graduating class A new report suggests that the world had its biggest year for new wind power projects in 2023. The Global Wind Report, published recently by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), a trade group, said the world developed 117 gigawatts of new wind power capacity, a 50 percent increase from 2022. The report explores the state of the global wind industry and the difficulties it is facing in its growth. The increase in wind power shows that the world is moving in the right direction in combating climate change, the report said. But the reports writers warned that the wind industry must increase its yearly growth to at least 320 gigawatts by 2030. That growth would meet terms of the international climate agreement, COP 28. The deal demands the development of three times more renewable energy generation capacity by 2030. In addition, the agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Its great to see wind industry growth picking up, and we are proud of reaching a new annual record, said GWEC CEO Ben Backwell. George Aluru is with the Electricity Sector Association of Kenya. The industry group represents private investors in electricity. Aluru said the report shows that wind is becoming better understood around the world for, in his words, the value it brings as a renewable energy source. Renewable energy, including wind power, is considered an important tool for reducing climate change risk. Renewables are the least costly form of electricity in many parts of the world. The worlds total wind power capacity is around 1,020 gigawatts. As was the case in 2022, China led all other countries for new wind power stations in 2023, with 65 percent of new operations. The United States came in second, followed by Brazil and Germany. These four countries represent 77 percent of new wind power capacity worldwide last year. The top five markets at the end of last year were China, the U.S., Germany, India and Spain. Still, some other countries and areas are coming up the wind energy list, having witnessed record levels of growth in 2023. Africa and the Middle East established nearly one gigawatt of wind power capacity in 2023, almost three times more than the year before. With upcoming projects in South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the report predicts that new onshore wind additions for Africa and the Middle East will grow five times by 2028 compared with 2023. Some of the markets to watch include Kenya, where wind power provides around 17 percent of electricity, the report said. The country has the largest wind farm in Africa, the 310-megawatt Lake Turkana Wind Power Project. And the report notes plans for new large wind projects in the country, including a one-gigawatt wind park by local power generator KenGen. Im John Russell. Carlos Mureithi reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________ Words in This Story capacity n. the amount of something (such as electricity) that can be produced or managed combat v. to fight annual adj. covering the period of a year The discovery of a virus which may cause Aids, the fatal disease sweeping through America, has been hailed as a monumental breakthrough in medical research. The development was announced in Washington by US Health Secretary Margaret Heckler. She said the virus was a variant of a known human cancer virus called HTLV-3. A blood test has also been developed, which, she said, would be available within six months, preventing the tragedy of transfusion patients contracting the disease through tainted blood products. She also suggested that a vaccine to prevent Aids might be ready for testing in two years time. Todays discovery represents the triumph of science over a dreaded disease, she said. Aids, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, weakens the immune system, leaving its victims open to a series of wasting diseases. Those people who appear to be more at risk of contracting Aids include homosexuals, haemophiliacs, drug users and those who have received blood transfusions. It has been causing widespread panic in the United States, where 4,000 people have been infected since the discovery of the disease in 1981. Almost half have died. The findings in the United States are similar to the discovery in France last week of a virus called LAV, although French researchers stopped short of saying it was definitely the one which causes Aids. Reaction to the news among victims was philosophical. Bob Scheckey has lived with the disease for two years far longer than his doctors predicted. He welcomed the news from Washington, but said a possible vaccine was too far off to offer comfort. I am working with people with Aids on a daily basis, he said. To hear that there is a possible vaccine that could come out in two or three years is no good news for these people. Most of the people were working with now will be dead by that time. Courtesy BBC News In context The HTLV-3 virus was discovered to be the same as the LAV virus discovered in France. To avoid confusion, it was re-named HIV in 1987. An estimated 24 million people, both homosexual and heterosexual, have died of Aids since the disease emerged in the United States. It has now reached pandemic proportions in some parts of southern Africa, where two million died in 2001 alone. No successful vaccine has yet been developed, although billions of dollars have been spent trying. Only eight potential vaccines are currently being tested on humans, and just one, developed by US firm VaxGen, has reached end-stage trials. The trials were held in North America, Europe and Thailand and involved thousands of volunteers at high risk from Aids. But preliminary results announced in November 2003 from the AIDSVAX trial in Thailand showed it does not work. Nevertheless since the start of the HIV epidemic, a series of drugs have been developed which significantly prolong the lives of people who are HIV positive. Ukrainian commander Oleksiy Tarasenko witnessed a frightening shift last month in Russias efforts to punch through Kyivs defense of the industrial region known as the Donbas. Standing against Russias unyielding advance in the strategic front-line town of Chasiv Yar, he noticed that, instead of making typical light infantry assaults, Moscows forces were taking brazen risks by launching battalion- and platoon-sized attacks, sometimes with up to 10 combat vehicles. His men destroyed up to 80 tanks in the weeks that followed, but it did not slow the enemy. The confidence of the Russian military reflected the Kremlins knowledge that Ukraines ammunition supplies were dwindling as the U.S. dawdled over approving more military aid. Saturdays passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of a much-awaited $61 billion package for Ukraine puts the country a step closer to an infusion of new firepower that will be rushed to the front line to fight Moscows latest attacks. But the clock is ticking, with Russia using all its might to achieve its most significant gains since its invasion by a May 9 deadline. In the meantime, Kyiv has no choice but to wait for replenishment. Seeing a window of opportunity, Russia has seized the momentum on the battlefield and forced Kyivs forces to cede tactically significant territory, one painful meter (yard) after another. Wave after wave of mechanized units came for Tarasenkos brigade. Protected under an umbrella of attack drones and artillery fire, they reached the foot of Chasiv Yar, which is the gateway to Ukraines defensive backbone in the Donetsk region. They concentrated disproportionately enormous resources in this direction, said Tarasenko, deputy commander of the 5th Separate Assault Brigade. The most difficult thing is to cope with this constant onslaught from the enemy, which does not change, even though the enemy is losing a lot of military equipment and soldiers. The Pentagon has said it could get weapons moving to Ukraine within days if the Senate and President Joe Biden give final approval to the aid package. But experts and Ukrainian lawmakers said it could take weeks for the assistance to reach troops, giving Russia more time to degrade Ukrainian defenses. The seven-month effort to pass the package effectively held Ukraine hostage to the internal politics of its biggest ally. It also raised concerns about how the shifting sands of American politics will influence future military support. European partners cannot match the volume and scope of American assistance, which remains Kyivs main hope to win the war. But that support has come with red lines, including rules that forbid using Western-supplied weapons for strikes inside the Russian Federation. Some Ukrainian officials argue that such limits handicap their ability to cripple the enemys more robust capabilities. Assuming the assistance arrives in the next two months, plans are afoot for a potential late-summer offensive. Analysts have argued that future support should not count on one big decisive battle, but a sustained strategy over many years. But first, Ukraine must hold off Russias attempts to break defensive lines and entrenched positions. In the past month, The Associated Press spoke to a dozen commanders across the active zones of the eastern front line, from Kupiansk in the northeast to Bakhmut farther south. They said their soldiers have rationed shells and struggled to repel enemy attacks with insufficient artillery ammunition. They are also running critically low on air-defense missiles, not only for high-end Patriot systems that protect cities, but also for tactical air systems. That has given Russian fighter-bombers an opportunity to lob thousands of deadly aerial glide bombs against Ukrainian positions, razing defenses to the ground, something Russias air force has not been able to do before. Since January, the Kremlin has seized 360 square kilometers (140 square miles) of Ukrainian territory, roughly the size of the American city of Detroit, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. Ukrainian commanders have complained about dire ammunition shortages since late December. By February, heads of artillery units in several regions said they had less than 10% of the supplies they needed as Kyiv rushed to economize shells. Nowhere are supplies more needed than in Chasiv Yar, where after weeks of fierce fighting, Moscow is intent on conquering the town. Ukraines commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrski, said Russias top military leadership ordered its soldiers to capture the town by May 9, Russias Victory Day, a holiday that marks the defeat of Nazi Germany. To reach that goal, Russia unleashes daily drone assaults and glide bombs on Ukrainian forces that have no way to counterattack. Time is of the essence, said Yurii Fedorenko, a battalion commander of the 92nd Brigade in the Chasiv Yar region. They simply destroyed our positions with massive strikes. Now those positions are constantly hit by artillery, making it impossible to recapture them, he said. Now we have nothing to answer the enemy with, he added. Commanding men who have reached extreme levels of burnout, Fedorenko acknowledged the Russians were steadily advancing. At the time of the interview, Russian forces were just 500 meters from the town, he said. The soldiers who died to protect land that was lost could have been spared if the U.S. aid had been approved earlier, he said. Our losses could be reduced to a minimum, and we would not have lost territories that would later have to be reconquered. SAMYA KULLAB, KYIV, MDT/AP One of Chinas top military leaders took a harsh line on regional territorial disputes, telling an international naval gathering in northeastern China yesterday that the country would strike back with force if its interests came under threat. The 19th biennial meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium opened in the port city of Qingdao, where Chinas northern naval force is based, providing a vivid backdrop to Chinas massive military expansion over the past two decades that has seen it build or refurbish three aircraft carriers. The four-day meeting has drawn representatives from partners and competitors including Australia, Cambodia, Chile, France, India and the U.S. and comes amid heightened tensions over Chinas assertive actions in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China seas, and as Chinas navy has grown into the worlds largest by number of hulls. Zhang Youxia, the vice chairman of the ruling Communist Partys Central Military Commission, which controls the armed forces, spoke of common development and said decoupling, friction and confrontation will only divide the world into isolated islands guarding against each other with suspicion. However, he then turned to Chinas territorial claims, which have not been recognized under international law and in some cases have been denied. Beijing has ignored rulings not in its favor, particularly in the South China Sea, where it is in dispute with five other parties over islands, waterways and undersea resources. Japan continues to defend its control over the uninhabited Senkaku island chain, called Diaoyu by China, in the East China Sea, against incursions by the Chinese coast guard. Taiwan last week reinforced its foothold in the disputed South China Sea by establishing satellite communications between the main island and its garrison on Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, the largest land feature in the highly contested Spratly Island chain. China has created seven artificial islands in the area by piling sand and cement on top of coral reefs and then equipping them with airstrips and other military infrastructure. Zhang said Chinas territorial sovereignty brooks no infringement and its core interests cannot be challenged. We do not provoke trouble, but we will never flinch in face of provocation. The Chinese military will resolutely defend the reunification and interest of the motherland. Zhang has spoken in the past of Beijings determination to take control of the self-governing island of Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory, using force if necessary. With its crucial high-tech economy, Taiwan has been building up its defenses on its own and with help from the U.S., where Congress this weekend approved $8 billion in military aid for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan is also building its own submarines and trainer aircraft and waiting on the delivery of upgraded versions of F-16 fighters, battle tanks and other hardware from the U.S. Zhang appeared to press Chinas unilateralist approach to foreign relations and military conflicts as espoused by Xi Jinping, the top military commander, Communist Party leader and head-of-state. China remains committed to resolving maritime disputes with directly concerned countries through friendly consultations, but we will not allow our good faith to be abused, Zhang said. Particularly over the self-governing island republic of Taiwan that Beijing threatens to use force to bring under its control. We will take justified actions to defend our rights in accordance with the law. Zhangs comments follow a major shakeup of the Chinese military in recent months that has seen the still-unexplained disappearance of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu and several top officers in the missile corps.NG HAN GUAN & CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, QINGDAO, MDT/AP Work is set to begin today [Macau time] on a $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, with officials projecting millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. Brightline West, whose sister company already operates a fast train between Miami and Orlando in Florida, aims to lay 218 miles of new track between a terminal to be built just south of the Las Vegas Strip and another new facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Almost the full distance is to be built in the median of Interstate 15, with a station stop in San Bernardino Countys Victorville area. In a statement, Brightline Holdings founder and Chairperson Wes Edens called the moment the foundation for a new industry. Brightline aims to link other U.S. cities that are too near to each other for flying between them to make sense and too far for people to drive the distance, Edens said. CEO Mike Reininger has said the goal is to have trains operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to take part in todays groundbreaking (Macau time). Brightline received $6.5 billion in backing from the Biden administration, including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and approval to sell another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds. The project is touted as the first true high-speed passenger rail line in the nation, designed to reach speeds of 186 mph, comparable to Japans Shinkansen bullet trains. The route between Vegas and L.A. is largely open space, with no convenient alternate to I-15. Brightlines Southern California terminal will be at a commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles. The project outline says electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours. Forecasts are for 11 million one-way passengers per year, or some 30,000 per day, with fares well below airline travel costs. The trains will offer rest rooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage. Las Vegas is a popular driving destination for Southern Californians. Officials hope the train line will relieve congestion on I-15, where motorists often sit in miles of crawling traffic while returning home from a Las Vegas weekend. The Las Vegas area, now approaching 3 million residents, draws more than 40 million visitors per year. Passenger traffic at the citys Harry Reid International Airport set a record of 57.6 million people in 2023. An average of more than 44,000 automobiles per day crossed the California-Nevada state line on I-15 in 2023, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data. Florida-based Brightline Holdings already operates the Miami-to-Orlando line with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph. It launched service in 2018 and expanded service to Orlando International Airport last September. It offers 16 round-trips per day, with one-way tickets for the 235-mile distance costing about $80. Other fast trains in the U.S. include Amtraks Acela, which can top 150 mph (241 kph) while sharing tracks with freight and commuter service between Boston and Washington, D.C. KEN RITTER, LAS VEGAS, MDT/AP Maldives President Mohamed Muizzus political party has swept parliamentary elections in a strong endorsement of his pro-China foreign policy, according to preliminary results reported yesterday by local media. The Peoples National Congress won 70 out of 93 seats in Sundays vote, and along with three seats secured by its allies has taken absolute control of Parliament, according to the preliminary results. The Maldivian Democratic Party, led by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is seen as pro-India, held 65 seats in the previous Parliament but won only 15 seats, the news site Mihaaru.com reported. Official results are expected today [Macau time]. The election was closely watched by regional powers India and China, which are competing for influence in the archipelago nation, which has a strategic location in the Indian Ocean. Muizzus election as president last year sharpened the rivalry between India and China as he took a pro-China stand and acted to remove Indian troops stationed on one of Maldives islets. Sundays election was easier than expected for Muizzu, who had been expected to face a tough fight because some of his allies had fallen out and more parties entered the race. Six political parties and independent groups fielded 368 candidates for the 93 seats in Parliament. The number of seats is six more than in the previous Parliament following adjustments for population growth. Muizzu ran for president on a campaign theme of India out, accusing his predecessor of compromising national sovereignty by giving India too much influence. At least 75 Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives and their known activities were operating two aircraft donated by India and assisting in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea. Muizzu has taken steps to have civilians take over those activities. Relations were strained further when Indian social media activists started a boycott of tourism in Maldives. That was in retaliation for three Maldivian deputy ministers making derogatory statements about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising the idea of promoting tourism in Lakshadweep, Indias own string of islands similar to the Maldives. India has fallen from being the top source of foreign visitors to Maldives to No. 6, according to Maldives government statistics. Muizzu visited China earlier this year and negotiated an increase in the number of tourists and inbound flights from China. In 2013, Maldives joined Chinas Belt and Road initiative meant to build ports and highways to expand trade and Chinas influence across Asia, Africa and Europe. MDT/AP Three Filipino women have been accused of defrauding seven fellow Filipinos out of over MOP100,000 by falsely promising assistance in finding employment. One of the suspects, a Filipino woman employed as a domestic helper, has been apprehended by the police, while the other two individuals remain at large. According to investigations conducted between September and November of last year, five male and two female victims approached the three suspects in hopes of securing cleaning and security jobs in Macau. However, upon realizing the deception, the victims sought help from the police. On Sunday, law enforcement intercepted one of the suspects at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port. Related American and Filipino forces launched their largest combat exercises in years yesterday in a show of allied firepower near the disputed South China Sea that has alarmed Beijing. The annual exercises by the longtime treaty allies will run until May 10 and involve more than 16,000 of their military personnel, along with more than 250 French and Australian forces. While the Philippine military maintains that the Balikatan Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder trainings are not directed at a particular country, some of their main conflict scenarios are set in or near the disputed South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine coast guard and accompanying ships have figured in a series of increasingly tense territorial faceoffs since last year. In encounters in disputed areas, Chinese coast guard vessels have resorting to water cannons, blocking and other dangerous maneuvers that have caused injuries to Philippine navy personnel and damaged supply boats. The Philippine military said a key focus of this years drills is territorial defense. Were dead serious about protecting our territory thats why we do these Balikatan exercises, Col. Michael Logico, who speaks for the Philippine military on the combat drills, told The Associated Press. As the disputes between China and the Philippines have escalated, President Joe Biden and his administration has repeatedly warned that the United States is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if it is attacked. U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. William Jurney said in the ceremony that the large-scale military exercises will demonstrate that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines is no mere piece of paper. Washington lays no claim to the contested waters but has declared that freedom of navigation and overflight and the peaceful resolution of the disputes are in its national interest. Philippine military chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner, who opened the exercises in a ceremony, said that as Pacific coastal nations, the United States and the Philippines understand the importance of maritime cooperation in addressing the complex challenges that threaten peace and security in our region. China strongly criticized the exercises, saying the Philippines was ganging up with countries from outside Asia in an obvious reference to the United States and its security partners, and warned that the drills could instigate confrontation and undermine regional stability. The combat drills will include a joint sail by the U.S., Philippine and French navies in and near disputed waters off the western Philippine province of Palawan, the sinking of a mock enemy ship by combined U.S. and Philippine firepower, and the retaking of an occupied island off the northwestern Philippines, according to the Philippine military. China specifically opposed the transport of a U.S. ground-launched missile system to the northern Philippines ahead of the exercises. No missile would be fired but the aim was to build familiarity among military participants with the hi-tech weaponry in a tropical setting. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian expressed Chinas grave concern over the deployment of the missile system at Chinas doorstep. The U.S. move exacerbates tensions in the region and increases the risk of misjudgement and miscalculation, he said in response to a question in a news briefing in Beijing last week. The Philippines needs to think twice about being a cats paw for the U.S. at the expense of its security interests and stop sliding down the wrong path. The Biden administration has been strengthening an arc of alliances to better counter China, including in a possible confrontation over Taiwan, the self-governing island which is part of China. That dovetails with efforts by the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defend its territorial interests by boosting joint military exercises with the U.S. He has also allowed rotating batches of American forces to stay in additional Philippine military camps under a 2014 defense pact, including in his countrys north, which lies just a sea border away from Taiwan and southern China. JIM GOMEZ, MANILA, MDT/AP Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Cambodia last weekend for a three-day official visit to reaffirm ties with Beijings closest ally in Southeast Asia. His visit is the last stop on a three-nation regional swing that also took him to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. He is visiting amid foreign concerns about two big Chinese-funded projects in Cambodia a planned canal and a naval base that critics allege could aid Beijings strategic military interests in Southeast Asia. China is Cambodias most important ally and benefactor, with strong influence in its economy. That is illustrated by numerous Chinese-funded projects particularly infrastructure, including airports and roads, but also private projects such as hotels, casinos and property development. More than 40% of Cambodias $10 billion in foreign debt is owed to China. Wang is scheduled to have separate meetings with Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father, Hun Sen, now serving as president of the Senate after serving for 38 years as Cambodias head of government until he stepped down last year to be succeeded by his son. Wang was also granted a royal audience with King Norodom Sihamoni. Hun Manet has shown no sign of deviating from his fathers pro-Beijing foreign policy. In August 2023, Wang visited Cambodia just days after Hun Sen announced he would step down as prime minister in favor of his eldest son. Beijings support allows Cambodia to disregard Western concerns about its poor record on human and political rights, and in turn Cambodia generally supports Beijings positions on foreign policy issues such as its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Cambodia has recently reiterated its determination to go ahead with the Chinese-financed 180-kilometer long, $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal project across four provinces in the southern part of the country to connect the capital, Phnom Penh, to the Gulf of Thailand. The plan has raised concern from neighboring Vietnam, where some scholars speculated the 100-meter-wide and 5.4 meter-deep canal could make it easier for China to send military forces southward, close to Vietnams southern coast. There are often frosty relations between Vietnam and its massive northern neighbor China, which aggressively claims maritime territory claimed by Hanoi. The United States has also weighed in on the project, appealing for transparency on the part of Cambodias government. Wesley Holzer, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Phnom Penh, was quoted as telling the Voice of America that the Cambodian people, along with people in neighboring countries and the broader region, would benefit from transparency on any major undertaking with potential implications for regional water management, agricultural sustainability, and security, Hun Manet, speaking last week to government officials and villagers in southern Takeo province, dismissed the Vietnamese concern and vowed to push forward with the project, which he said would provide a huge benefit to Cambodia. MDT/AP Nicks Restaurant on State Street, in business for 65 years, and one of the oldest restaurants in Madison, will close May 11. Dino Christ, who has owned the diner and bar with his brother Tom since 1996, said a Mexican restaurant will be going into the space. The brothers owned the restaurant with their father until he died in 2009, when they fully took it over. Its very bittersweet and its still kind of sinking in because we just signed Friday morning, Christ said. He then worked Saturday and announced the news Sunday with a Facebook post. It was time. When you know its time, you know, and my brother and I knew that it was time, he said Monday. Im going to miss a lot of things and friends, but its time to move on. A real estate listing last August said that the 3,000-square-foot space was immediately available for a five-year lease at $29 per square foot annually. It said that the modified gross rent would be $7,200 a month. The ad called it a prime location in the heart of State Street, noting that the historic restaurant and bar is across from the Overture Center and only a few doors down from the Orpheum Theater. Christ said the business has been in his family since the 1960s. He said his father became partners with the original owner a year or two after it opened. The lease with the new owners is contingent on the liquor license getting transferred, which should happen next month, he said. Christ, who owns the building, said last year that business had been just OK lately. Ever since COVID, its definitely been a struggle. In his Facebook post, Dino said that Nick and Serena Christakos opened Nicks restaurant in 1960. Two years later, Arist Christ moved to Madison from Greece and became partners with the Christakos. Christ then returned to Greece, married his wife, Anastasia, and then moved back to Madison where together they ran one of the most famous and long-lasting restaurants in Madison, the post said. The post said that Nicks was patronized by actors, musicians, politicians, athletes, novelists, artists, lawyers, and on and on. We have been visited by literally every category of person, and were so proud of that, it said. The post thanked all the employees over the years, saying some came and went but others became lifelong friends or were called family. Naming them all would take up probably another six pages, it said. Nicks menu includes burgers, sandwiches, salads, steak, fried chicken, deep-fried cod, broiled cod and Greek specialties. Christ said hes not sure whats next for him, but he intends to take a month or two off and see what happens from there. Walk in and feel like youve stepped into a time capsule, the restaurants website says. Nicks, with its old-fashioned booths, starving artist prints and dim light coupled with the smell of made-from-scratch meals makes us one of the more unique places in town. An Isthmus article from 2009, when Nicks was celebrating its 50th anniversary, notes that the restaurant has drawn famous musicians, actors and writers including Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Roger Ebert, Bret Easton Ellis, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Wopat and Robin Williams. Its almost like the staff lunchroom for us, Tom Carto, then-president and CEO of the Overture Center, said in the Isthmus story. Nicks is one of the most popular stops for our audiences before and after any show here at Overture. On symphony nights the place is packed. Im there for the fish fry every Friday. No question, its a State Street legend, Carto told the Isthmus reporter. Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the year Nick's Restaurant opened in Madison. Nick and Serena Christakos opened Nick's in 1960. Arist Christ, the father of the current owners, took partial ownership of the restaurant years later, according to Kelly Webster, granddaughter of the Christakoses. The Philippines proposed to accede to the critical mineral agreement (CMA) between the US and Japan, leveraging its vast nickel deposits and the capacity to supply the two countries requirement for rare minerals. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the Philippines pushed its agenda during the trilateral meeting among the three countries held in mid-April 2024 in Washington D.C. - Advertisement - We emphasized the fact that we are a major producer of critical minerals now that Indonesia has banned exports of nickel ores. We need to be part of that agreement and I told in our meeting that if its difficult to have one on one or bilateral CMA between the Philippines and the US, we have to somehow join their CMA, he said. China has a strong hold of the Philippine nickel export market, capturing almost 90 percent of Philippine nickel exports that powers its downstream industry of battery precursors and electric batteries. Pascual said Japan signed a CMA with the US, but it does not produce nickel ores. Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., through its local subsidiary Nickel Asia, mines one of the countrys nickel rich areas. He said Japan showed willingness, and they are open to the proposal, but the US Department of Commerce still needs to take it up with the US government. The Philippines is keen to accede the US-Japan CMA to be able to encourage American companies to invest mineral processing technologies and facilities in the Philippines. Without that, it will be difficult for us to attract American metal processors into the Philippines, Pascual said. The Philippines sees CMA as a supply assurance agreement and as an export agreement, he said. The Philippine team to the bilateral meeting underlined the crucial role of minerals in the global energy transition and emphasizing the countrys abundant mineral resources. With roughly nine million hectares of mineral potential, the Philippines has significant deposits of copper, nickel, iron, chromite, cobalt, gold and rare earth elements. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) ordered the deportation of two Chinese fugitives arrested in Cebu and Metro Manila. The BI said to be deported are Zhu Yuanjiang and Ma Mingjie who were arrested in separate operations conducted by the BIs fugitive search unit (FSU). - Advertisement - Zhu was cornered in Bgy, Umapad, Mandaue City while Ma was apprehended at his residence in a subdivision in Paranaque City. It was learned that Zhu previously worked in Xinchuang Network Technology Inc., an online gaming hub in Pasay City that was raided by the local authorities in June last year for alleged engagement in various criminal activities such as human trafficking and cyber fraud. Ma was arrested for being a wanted fugitive from justice in China where he is wanted for contract fraud. A warrant for his arrest was reportedly issued by the Jiangbei district sub-bureau of the Public Security Bureau in Chongqing, China on Dec. 6, 2017. Chinese authorities alleged that Ma and his cohorts deliberately tampered with bank accounts and account names of a point of sale (POS) machine merchant which resulted in the unauthorized transfer of over 58 million yuan, or more than US$8 million from China Minsheng Banking Corporation to his altered bank account. Navy says out of normal presence amid Balikatan The number of Chinese vessels monitored in the West Philippine Sea has surged amid the annual Balikatan military exercises between Manila and Washington, the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday. Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said for the past two months, the number of Chinese ships in the WPS has remainer at a fairly constant average of 60 vessels. - Advertisement - Only for this week that we have seen a surge of up to a total of 124. Three Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and (China) Coast Guard having 10, he said. This coincides with Balikatan. This upsurge is out of the normal, Trinidad added. He said the significant increase in the number of Chinese maritime militia vessels in the WPS were seen in Bajo de Masinloc and Pag-asa Island. From April 16 to 22, Trinidad said 124 Chinese vessels, including three PLAN (Navy) ships and 11 Chinese Coast Guard vessels were spotted in the following WPS features 38 at Bajo de Masinloc, 31 at Ayungin Shoal, 46 at Pag-asa Island, 3 at Parola Island, one at Lawak Island, 4 at Panata Island, and one at Patag Island. As this developed, the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry hit the Marcos administration for its repeated denial of what it called a common understanding between the two countries on Ayungin Shoal. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the deal was not only reached during President Rodrigo Dutertes time, but also during the administration of President Marcos. China and the Philippines reached common understandings on properly handling the situation, Wang said on Monday. These common understandings were reached not only during the Philippines previous administration but also its current administration. This is the plain fact, Wang added. The surge in Chinese vessels in the WPS and Beijings fresh assertion of a common understanding came as thousands of Filipino and American troops kicked off joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday. The annual drills dubbed Balikatan or shoulder to shoulder in Tagalog will be concentrated in the northern and western parts of the archipelago nation, near the potential flashpoints of the South China Sea and Taiwan. The joint drills involve a simulation of an armed recapture of an island in Palawan province, the nearest major Philippine landmass to the hotly disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The same exercise will be held in the northern provinces of Cagayan and Batanes, both less than 300 kilometers (180 miles) from Taiwan. The Philippine Coast Guard will join Balikatan for the first time following several confrontations between its vessels and the China Coast Guard, which patrols reefs off the Philippines coast. In another first, the drills will go beyond the Philippines territorial waters, which extend about 22 kilometres from its coastline Like last year, there will be a sinking of a vessel off the northern province of Ilocos Norte. China claims almost the entire waterway, a key route for international trade, and also considers self-ruled Taiwan to be part of its territory. The House of Representatives would focus on strengthening national security and enhancing economic development in the remaining session of the 19th Congress, said Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday As we embark on another session this April 29th, our legislative focus sharpens on the dual imperatives of national security and robust development. Recognizing that peace is the cornerstone of prosperity, we aim to enact laws that fortify our national defense and enhance our international security posture, he told a forum at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) attended by diplomats and government officials. - Advertisement - Romualdez was the guest of honor and speaker in the said forum. He was introduced by DFA Assistant Secretary Celia Anna Feria, who was also the forum moderator. DFA Undersecretary Antonio Morales delivered the opening remarks. These initiatives are critical in maintaining sovereignty and stability, enabling our nation to pursue development goals without the shadow of external threats, he said. Romualdez said the House development agenda is expansive, targeting pivotal areas such as healthcare, education, and digital infrastructure. In healthcare, we are committed to expanding access and improving the quality of services, making healthcare affordable and accessible to every Filipino. Our initiatives in education aim to create a more liberalized system that not only meets global standards but also equips our youth with the necessary skills to thrive in a globalized economy. Additionally, by enhancing our digital infrastructure, we aim to ensure that every Filipino can benefit from the digital revolution, bridging digital divides and fostering economic inclusivity, he said. He added that by strengthening peace and security, Congress could create an environment conducive to economic activities and development initiatives. These, in turn, contribute to further stabilizing our nation by reducing poverty, creating jobs, and improving living standards, which in turn diminishes the likelihood of social unrest. This virtuous cycle is fundamental to sustainable development and is a cornerstone of our legislative agenda, he stressed. The House leader pointed out that his and his colleagues goals are ambitious. We aim not only to continue our current path but to accelerate our efforts. We are exploring innovative legislative measures that promote technological advancement and environmental sustainability. These initiatives are designed to ensure that the Philippines not only keeps pace with global trends but also sets a benchmark for innovation and responsible governance, he said. He invited all sectors to engage with us. Your insights, expertise, and participation are invaluable as we forge a path forward. Through collaborative efforts, we can build a future that reflects our highest aspirations and fulfills the promise of prosperity and peace for all Filipinos, he said. The Speaker took advantage of the occasion to push for another economic development advocacyremoving restrictions on foreign investments in the Constitution. We also recognize the need for more dynamic economic policies. Thus, we are advocating for amendments to specific sections of Articles twelve, fourteen, and sixteen of the Philippine Constitution, he said. He explained that the proposed changes aim to introduce the phrase unless otherwise provided by law to give Congress the ability to make legislative adjustments swiftly in specific economic sectors in response to global and local economic shifts. Our extensive hearings on this matter have illuminated the broad benefits these amendments would bring, enabling more flexible, responsive governance. By enabling these adjustments, we can significantly enhance the Philippines stature as an attractive destination for investments. More investments mean more resources, which support sustained economic growth, he said. He added that the changes, if effected, would also translate into more job opportunities, helping ensure that Filipino families can thrive in an increasingly competitive world. He informed his audience that the House of Representatives has put in place significant reforms that have reshaped the economic and social landscape of the Philippines. We enacted pivotal tax reforms designed to invigorate our economy by simplifying the tax code, encouraging investment, and ensuring a fairer system for all. These measures have laid the groundwork for a more robust economic framework, attracting foreign investments and stimulating local entrepreneurship, he said. He said the House commitment to infrastructural development is exemplified by the continuation of the Build, Build, Build program. This ambitious initiative has not only improved connectivity across our archipelago but also generated tens of thousands of jobs, bolstering our economy and enhancing the daily lives of our citizens, he said. In the area of international relations, Romualdez cited the foreign policy mantra of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.the Philippines is a friend to all, enemy to none. He also said that It is through collaborative efforts that we can address our common problems more swiftly and effectively. In the volatile, uncertain, and complex environment of today, a thoughtful response, rather than a hasty reaction, and extending a helping hand rather than retreating, are what wisdom dictates. Under President Marcos Jr.s leadership, he stressed that the nation has taken significant steps to rejuvenate and deepen its international relationships. Our diplomatic efforts were pivotal during the historic trilateral meeting between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines at the outset of April. This meeting underscored our strategic role in regional politics and security, he said. The DFA forum is called Second Foreign Policy Address, which focuses on New Initiatives to Grow Business in the Philippines. Aside from diplomats and government officials, representatives from the academe and the business community, and DFA officials led by Secretary Enrique Manalo attended the Second Foreign Policy Address (FPA). The DFA FPA is a platform where lawmakers share their views with DFA personnel, members of the diplomatic corps, other government agencies, and think tanks on any policy issue with foreign policy implications. A coalition of Malian political parties and civil society organizations has urged the Malian Supreme Court to overturn the juntas decision to halt political activities, stating that it is oppressive and undermines democratic principles. Since the 2020 coup, Mali has been under military rule, and recent tensions have escalated due to the governments failure to organize promised elections and its subsequent imposition of restrictions on political life in the name of maintaining public order. The group opposing the April 10 decree has jointly appealed to Malis highest court, aiming to annul the decree they deem tyrannical and oppressive. The timing of the courts consideration of the appeal remains uncertain. Following a second coup in 2021, Malis current junta pledged to reinstate civilian governance by March 2024 after holding elections in February of that year. However, last September, authorities indefinitely postponed the February elections due to technical reasons, sparking concerns about democratic regression in West and Central Africa, where eight coups have occurred in the past four years. Drissa Traore, Secretary-General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), condemned the decree as an attempt to restrict civic space and seize power, labeling it as a move towards an unprecedented dictatorial regime in Mali. 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: Atopic dermatitis (AD) negatively impacts patients' mental health (MH), especially when a patient has severe AD, according to a study published online March 14 in Dermatitis. Jessica K. Johnson, M.P.H., from the National Eczema Association in San Rafael, California, and colleagues evaluated patient-reported MH symptoms and their correlation with AD disease severity. The analysis included results from 954 survey respondents. The researchers found that 26.0 percent of respondents reported MH symptoms >10 days per month, and most adults (65.5 percent) scored in the borderline/abnormal range on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Seven in 10 respondents (70.6 percent) felt their MH was negatively affected by AD in the past 12 months. Perception of this association was impacted by AD severity, with respondents more likely to believe MH was impacted by AD when they or their child had severe AD. "Patients and caregivers were aware of the connection between their/their child's AD symptoms and MH, suggesting the need for ongoing MH support and routine re-evaluation over the course of the disease," the authors write. "Future research may look at barriers to accessing MH services among the AD population and the extent to which providers who treat AD monitor and follow-up with their patients' MH." One author disclosed advisory board honoraria from Pfizer and Incyte. More information: Jessica K. Johnson et al, Patient and Caregiver Perspectives on the Relationship Between Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms and Mental Health, Dermatitis (2024). DOI: 10.1089/derm.2023.0365 Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Forensic Science International (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111904 Forensic blood analysis can reveal whether drivers are high on laughing gas. Researchers hope the method can help the police. Once again, recreational use of laughing gas has attracted media attention in Denmark. This time, however, focus is on drivers who have inhaled laughing gas before getting behind the wheelwith potentially lethal consequences. So says Ph.D. Student of Forensic Chemistry Angelica rregaard Lindholm at the University of Copenhagen, who is responsible for the new study published in Forensic Science International on driving under the influence of laughing gas. "Laughing gas can cause disorientation, hallucinations, dizziness, and fainting. So, laughing gas and driving is a dangerous combination," rregaard Lindholm explains and adds that it is a common misconception that the drug does not show up on tests. In the new study, rregaard Lindholm and her colleagues show that laughing gas can be detected in a simple blood test. "We have analyzed 62 blood tests, 52 of which were positive for laughing gas. The police have provided the tests, which are made when they have reason to suspect someone of being under the influence of laughing gas," rregaard Lindholm says. After publishing the study, the researchers have continued analyzing tests. Of the 103 tests they have analyzed since 2020, 90 have been positive. Since 1 July 2023, it has been illegal, with a few exceptions, to carry laughing gas in public spaces, and this includes cars in public spaces. Being high on laughing gas is not illegal, though. Laughing gas is also known as nitrous oxide and can be bought in small or large cartridges intended for whipped cream siphons. "Inhalation of laughing gas can induce short-term euphoria and a sense of weightlessness," rregaard Lindholm says. It is used as a painkiller by dentists and during labor, and here it is safe to use. However, long-term abuse can cause permanent neurological damage. "Nitrous oxide inactivates the vitamin B12 stores in the body, and they take time to rebuild. If you continue to use laughing gas, your body will begin to suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency, and this will damage the protective myelin sheath that surrounds the nerve fibers," rregaard Lindholm explains. Method must be refined Even though laughing gas can be detected in the blood, the researchers face several challenges before they are satisfied with the method. "Our main problem is that the effect is brief and that the gas disappears quickly after inhalation," rregaard Lindholm says. Therefore, the police must act quickly. Otherwise, the gas will not show up on the test. "This is likely to limit the police's options. For instance, if they are in the countryside and the nearest hospital is far away, they might think that testing is futile and decide not to do the test," rregaard Lindholm explains. Research from the 1970s shows that the half-life of laughing gas is five minutes. Sometimes, though, the researchers found nitrous oxide in the blood three hours after the sample was taken. Now they want more systematic knowledge of how long laughing gas can be detected in the blood and to which extent it affects the user's ability to drive. Therefore, the next step for rregaard Lindholm and her colleagues is to do a clinical trial with a group of test subjects who will be given laughing gas and asked to operate a car simulator while the researchers do a series of blood tests. The trial will be conducted together with the Center of Head and Orthopaedics at Rigshospitalet and the Division of Transport Science at the Technical University of Denmark. "Ultimately, we hope our method and the results of the clinical trial will be able to help the police get the proof they need in cases of laughing gas abuse and driving." More information: Angelica rregaard Lindholm et al, Driving under the influence of nitrous oxide A retrospective study of HS-GC-MS analysis in whole blood, Forensic Science International (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111904 Journal information: Forensic Science International This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A slice of the mouse brainstem demonstrates the detection of morphine (green) and the expression of the SPOTIT sensor (magenta). Credit: Noam Gannot and Peng Li, U-M Sciences Institute University of Michigan researchers have developed a new tool to better understand how chemicals like dopamine and epinephrine interact with neurons. These chemicals are among a wide variety of signals that get processed in the brain through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), proteins that sit on the surface of neurons to receive messagesin the forms of proteins, sugars, fats, even lightthat inform cellular behavior. The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. GPCRs are involved in an enormous number of biological functions, making them a prime target for treating diseases; more than one-third of FDA-approved drugs target GPCRs. But to fully understand how various molecules interact with GPCRs, researchers need to be able to detect those molecules across the whole brain with high spatial resolution. "The challenge in our field has been achieving the right balance between a detailed view and the whole picture across the brain," said Wenjing Wang, a neuroscientist at the U-M Life Sciences Institute. LSI faculty member Peng Li explained that most existing tools can detect a neural modulator either in a small part of the brain with high spatial resolution or in the whole brain with very low resolution. "But we need to identify the cells that respond to the neuromodulators across various brain regions, in high resolution," he said. In the study, Wang, Li and colleagues unveiled a new chemical tool that achieves both goals for three chemicals that all target GPCRs. Wang's lab at LSI uses protein engineering to develop technologies that can detect how signaling molecules travel within the brain to reach and interact with specific neurons. They previously created a tool to reveal the presence of opioids, another GPCR binding partner, at a cellular level. When the molecule is detected, the tool creates a permanent fluorescent mark in the cells. Thus, researchers can see the specific cells that are highlighted, as well as the whole picture of cells across the brain. This latest work broadens the utility of that sensor to detect multiple types of GPCR activators, beyond just opioids. So far, the team has tested the tool with opioids and epinephrine in cultured neurons and in mouse models. The team also expanded the tool to use both green and red fluorescence, enabling the tracking of multiple molecules at once. "Coming from detecting just opioids, we now have a tool that we can begin to easily modulate for various signals that interact with GPCRs," said Wang, who also is an assistant professor of chemistry at the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. "The goal is eventually to even study the interplays of different signaling pathways simultaneously." The team cautions that while the tool provides important visualizations of how signals travel across neurons for analysis postmortem, it cannot be used to track chemicals in real time, as it takes several hours for the fluorescence to appear. But it does offer a new path forward for improving understanding of neuronal signaling and the role of GPCRs as drug targets. "Ideally, we aim to be able to create a brain map for multiple neuromodulators concurrently, offering a comprehensive understanding of the sites of neuromodulation," said Li, who also is an assistant professor at the U-M School of Dentistry.